The ferocity, reach and duration of fires that have devastated Australian communities, bush and rural landscapes have caught many of us off guard. If this kind of disruption is happening at 1 degree Celsius of warming, its hard to imagine what were in store for at 3 to 5 degrees Celsius, which is what some research is projecting by the end of the century unless we drastically reduce our greenhouse gas emissions. Theres been much commentary about the fact that were in the midst of a climate emergency. But the situation is actually much more serious, more akin to a crisis than an emergency. An emergency is an unexpected situation requiring immediate, short-term action. But the situation we find ourselves in has been predicted by scientists for decades. Scientific analysis that rising greenhouse gas emissions will result in global warming dates back to the 1890s and theres been scientific consensus since the 1990s. Unfortunately, even with rapid and comprehensive emission reduction, the ongoing impacts of this warming and the need for informed and just adaptation responses will last for centuries, hardly a short-term situation. By contrast, a crisis is a time of intense difficulty or danger when important decisions need to be made. It is increasingly clear to most Australians that we have well and truly reached this point. We now have a narrow and shrinking window in which to act to avoid the worst- case scenarios. Many of the solutions we need are at our fingertips. They are available, affordable and scalable, but they generally need a supportive policy environment to incentivise their adoption. But we dont have all the solutions we need yet, requiring investment in research and development. The sooner we start, the cheaper and easier the transition to a low-emission and climate-adapted Australia will be. Are you sharing a Tube carriage with tourmaline? Did you spy a rose quartz or two in your morning coffee queue? Chances are you didnt even notice either because said stone was concealed inside the owners bra or because crystals have become so commonplace, theyre no longer conspicuous. Certainly, fashion hasnt been backwards in coming forward about embracing this spiritual movement. Victoria Beckham never leaves home without a black obsidian to protect against negative energy and she swears by citrine said to promote inspiration and creativity backstage at her catwalk shows. For her pre-autumn 2018 collection, the designer even incorporated secret pockets into wide-leg trousers to accommodate crystals, while The Rows Olsen twins once dished out gems to attendees at a New York Fashion Week show. It was only a matter of time before someone joined the dots. The result is an emerging market for super-powered accessories, in which the world of crystals and fine jewellery align. Among the spiritual leaders is London-based designer Roxanne First, who has just introduced a collaboration with psychic reader, meditation teacher and all-round wellness warrior Emma Lucy Knowles. / Rock + Raw Renowned for her book, The Power of Crystal Healing, Knowless fashion debut includes gold chains adorned with a trio of crystals, chosen to help guide you in work, love or wellbeing. As the brand states, these are intended to be more than just a necklace, this is a piece of jewellery that takes care of you as you wear it. Knowles, when we meet at the collections launch in Liberty, says: We wanted to create a collection that not only looked beautiful but, most importantly, energises, aligns and educates you, without overwhelming you, says. I personally have hand-cleansed, charged and blessed each of the 1,250 hand-picked stones in an energy ritual that takes three days. The Heros Shield made up of amazonite, pink opal and citrine is designed to aid the wearer in self-empowerment, self-confidence and self-belief. Important meeting? The Power House hematite, lapis and smoky quartz is your secret weapon, while The Lovers Wish rose quartz, green grass agate and amethyst is the ideal accessory for a promising Tinder date. Three is our magic number because it represents manifestation, whilst also symbolising the connection between your mind, body and spirit. Though, there is also the option of The Shield of All, made up of all 12 crystals, for the ultimate all-rounder. Roxanne First x Emma Lucy Knowles / Roxanne First x Emma Lucy Knowles Whats more, each customer is encouraged to add their own personal intention before the first wear, in a ritual which involves lighting a candle and repeating a mantra while threading your beads onto the chain. Recharging the energy of your crystals by the light of a full moon is also encouraged. That all a bit eye-roll-inducing for you? Dont worry, Knowles is encouraging of a bit of cynicism. Ive learnt a dose of scepticism is actually very healthy and can really help us work with our intuition. BBC presenter-turned-crystal healer Estelle Bingham also believes instinct is key. For those new to crystals, its good to choose a piece that speaks to you because thats what you need right now, so trust that, says Bingham, who can often be found scouring for gemstones at Wilde Ones boutique on the Kings Road. I would say not to get too wrapped up in the language of people telling you what do to and how to do it. / Crystal Haze I feel that crystals speak to you. If you like the look of something, go with it. When we meet at her practice at the Khera-Griggs Cleanse Clinic in Urban Retreat shes wearing a large clear quartz necklace the amplifier of all other crystals from a Tibetan monastery, explaining that a favoured tektite one recently broke because it absorbed too much energy. She believes wearing a stone around your neck can prove particularly dynamic. Your heart is your centre and its a massive power source, she says. Jewellery brand Rock + Raw specialises in pendants powered by crystals which have been blessed by founder Lucy Sherwood using sage, palo santo and the music of crystal sound bowls. With 25 crystals spanning nurturing moonstone to courage-building tigers eye, each is encased in solid gold and often trimmed with ethical diamonds for a talisman designed to last a lifetime. Oslo-based brand Crystal Haze, coming soon to the UK, is also known for its wide collection of raw crystal pendants shaped like geodes or shards, from calming pink agate to clarity-imbuing selenite, while Parisian Anissa Kermiche, who represents a new generation of contemporary fine jewellers, has also introduced a collection entitled Period Drama featuring bracelets, rings and earrings studded with garnets, which are said to help alleviate PMS. A Ryanair plane in Germany. The airline on Monday bemoaned the impact of delays to Boeing's 737 Max aircraft. Photo: Martin Meissner/AP Photo Ryanair (RYA.L) on Monday warned that delays in the delivery of Boeings (BA) 737 Max aircraft could force the airline to push back its goal of flying 200 million passengers a year by up to two years. The low-cost carrier had planned to fly that many passengers in its 2024 financial year, but CEO Michael OLeary said that it would now not happen until 2025, and suggested it may take until 2026. Ryanair, one of the 737 Max jets biggest customers, said on Monday that it now did not expect delivery of the aircraft until September or October 2020. It hopes to have 55 of the 210 aircraft it has on order flying by summer 2021, a full year later than it had originally anticipated. READ MORE: Coronavirus sparks biggest Chinese stock crash since 2015 The Boeing 737 Max has been grounded globally since March 2019 following two fatal crashes that killed all passengers on board the aircraft. The airline again blamed the delays for the closure of a number of loss-making bases, which led to job losses in Spain, Germany, and Sweden. Ryanair reiterated the extent to which it expected the aircraft to accelerate its growth plans once they are actually delivered, however. READ MORE: Firms demand 'seat at the table' in post-Brexit trade deals Citing their more economical fuel usage and greater number of seats, Ryanair said the gamechanger 737 Max will transform its cost base and business for the next decade. Ryanair on Monday reported net profit of 88m (75m) in the three months to the end of December 2019, the third quarter of its financial year. That was a 230% climb on its 66m loss in the same period in its previous financial year, which was largely driven by a one-off deficit in its Austrian subsidiary Laudamotion and weak winter fares. Ryanair also raised its guidance for its current financial year and said that it expected full-year pre-tax profits to come in between 950m and 1.05bn, up from a previous forecast of 800m to 900m. Shares in Ryanair climbed by more than 4.5% on Monday following the trading update. A US law firm representing six Libyan families has filed a lawsuit against retired Gen. Khalifa Haftar for war crimes in Libya where relatives of the plaintiffs were allegedly murdered. Martin F. McMahon & Associates said in a press release having lodged complaint in the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia against Haftar. His armys operations affected the families whose relatives were murdered, injured or faced attempted killings, the law firm said, Anadolu news agency reports. By filing the lawsuit in Washington, the plaintiffs will bring to light the serious human rights abuses, extrajudicial killings and torture which the defendants have engaged in with absolute impunity and without fear of accountability, said the release. Haftar is not just a war criminal, but also a US citizen with assets and family members in the US and he can and will be held accountable for his illegal and barbaric acts. The families are seeking $1 billion in reparation, the law firm also indicated. Haftar has launched since April an offensive to seize Libyan capital Tripoli from UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA). The fightings which have been raging in the outskirts of the Libyan capital have killed over 1,000 people and injured thousands of people according to the World Health Organization. The offensive has been condemned by the UN which has managed in vain last week to snatch a cease-fire between the two sides following Jan. 19 Berlin conference. A first truce brokered by Russia and Turkey in January has failed to materialize. MILWAUKEE, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Each year, Northwestern Mutual recognizes financial advisors who go above and beyond in giving back to local communities through its Community Service Awards program. Today, through its Foundation, the company announced a donation of more than $310,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations on behalf of the 2020 recipients. Jesse Bergland, Wealth Management Advisor: Fueled by his grandfathers commitment to community service, Jesse Bergland is following in his footsteps by supporting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Through his efforts, Jesse is raising funds for less-invasive treatments and ultimately to find cures for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease and myeloma. Marc Eisenshtat, Financial Advisor: The son of one of Marc Eisenshtats good friends, Ethan, was diagnosed with pediatric cancer shortly after volunteering with Sunrise Day Camps. With a desire to do more, Marc has invested his resources and engaged his vast network to support these full-service day camps for children with cancer and their siblings. Chad Greer, Wealth Management Advisor: A big brother for more than 10 years, Chad Greer has been recognized locally and nationally for his unwavering advocacy for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee. His greatest passion is to share with his community the value of mentorship relationships, and the potential that each young person has. Scott Cohen, Financial Advisor: Scott Cohen started as a camp counselor at 19 years old, and continues to help kids be kids again at Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times. Scott has dedicated his time and resources to make this camp for children with cancer and their siblings a magical place to be. "Our Community Service Awards program honors advisors who go above and beyond in an effort to lift up their communities nationwide through action," said Eric Christophersen, president, Northwestern Mutual Foundation. "Fueled by passion and commitment to service, these advisors continue to better the lives of others through volunteerism." As part of the award, each advisor is recognized with a grant to benefit a nonprofit he or she is involved with. Of the 16 winners, 12 have been recognized with a $15,000 grant. The remaining four winners have been honored as Most Exceptional across his or her region and each received a $25,000 grant. Six of this year's winners will also receive an additional $5,000 for supporting organizations with a connection to the company's Childhood Cancer Program. Since 1995, the company has donated more than $6 million to nonprofits through the Community Service Awards program. The 2020 winners were announced at the company's regional meetings earlier this year, with grants to be presented to nonprofits at local events throughout the country. 2020 Northwestern Mutual Community Service Award Winners Most Exceptional Winners ($25,000 grant) Name Organization Office Location Jesse Bergland, CFP, CLU, ChFC, CAP, RICP The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Deephaven, MN Scott Cohen, CFP, CLU, CLTC Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times Los Angeles, CA Marc Eisenshtat Sunrise Day Camps Farmingdale, NY Chad Greer, CLU Big Brothers Big Sisters of Middle Tennessee Nashville, TN Outstanding Winners ($15,000 grant) Jeff Dehne Legacy Children's Foundation Fargo, ND Peter Derrenbacker, CFP, ChFC, CLU Samaritan Center East Syracuse, NY Brian Eder, CFP, CLU, ChFC Birdies4Brains Lake Elmo, MN Copley Gerdes, CLTC Love McKinley, Inc. St. Petersburg, FL Dan Grimm, CFP, CLU Evansville Rescue Mission Evansville, IN Mike Hendley, CLU, ChFC, CASL MUST Ministries Atlanta, GA Chau Le, CLU, ChFC, CLTC UCLA Foundation PEERS for Careers Los Angeles, CA Steve Owings, CFP, ChFC, CLU, RICP Road Safe America, Inc. Atlanta, GA Wesley Richardson, CFP, CLU The Backpack Project, Inc. Charleston, WV Cathy Suarez Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation San Antonio, TX Eddie Terrell Prisma Health Children's Hospital Upstate Greenville, SC Richard Worrell, CFP, CLU Veterans Bridge Home Charlotte, NC About Northwestern Mutual Foundation The mission of the Northwestern Mutual Foundation is to improve the lives of children and families in need. The Foundation has given more than $370 million since its inception in 1992 and is designed to create lasting impact in the communities where the company's employees and financial representatives live and work. We accomplish this by combining financial support, volunteerism, thought leadership and convening community partners to deliver the best outcomes. Our efforts are focused nationally on curing childhood cancer, and locally on education, neighborhoods and making our hometown of Milwaukee a great destination. Visit Northwestern Mutual Foundation to learn more. About Northwestern Mutual Northwestern Mutual has been helping families and businesses achieve financial security for more than 160 years. Through a distinctive, personalized planning approach, Northwestern Mutual combines the expertise of its financial advisors with a digital experience to help its clients navigate their financial lives every day. With $272.2 billion in assets, $28.5 billion in revenues, and $1.8 trillion worth of life insurance protection in force, Northwestern Mutual delivers financial security to more than 4.5 million people with life, disability income and long-term care insurance, annuities, and brokerage and advisory services. The company manages $128 billion of investments owned by its clients and held or managed through its wealth management and investment services businesses. Northwestern Mutual ranks 111 on the 2019 FORTUNE 500 and is recognized by FORTUNE as one of the "World's Most Admired" life insurance companies in 2019. Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM), Milwaukee, WI (life and disability insurance, annuities, and life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries. Subsidiaries include Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (securities), broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, member FINRA and SIPC; the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company (NMWMC) (fiduciary and fee-based financial planning services), federal savings bank; and Northwestern Long Term Care Insurance Company (NLTC) (long-term care insurance). SOURCE Northwestern Mutual Related Links http://foundation.northwesternmutual.com [February 11, 2020] Journey Announces Andrew Miller as New Board Member and Advisor to the CEO DENVER, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Journey Inc., has developed a revolutionary trusted digital identity platform that allows enterprises to transform their identity practices - preserving privacy of individuals, preventing fraud, and streamlining the customer experience simultaneously. As Journey prepares to come out of stealth mode and announce its powerful new trusted identity solution that will change the way enterprises interact with their customers forever, Journey announces the addition of a new Board of Directors member and key strategic advisor, Andrew Miller. Mr. Miller has joined Journey as a Board member with a hands-on role to assist the Executive team in areas focused on strategy, investors and key customers. Miller joins an impressive group of leaders including Brett Shockley (Avaya CTO/SVP, Cisco VP/GM, Founder: Spanlink, Calabrio), Michael Frendo (Juniper SVP/GM, Polycom EVP, Cisco VoIP employee #1), Mark Bakies (Symbolic, Cisco, Bell Labs), and Alex Shockley (AOR, Unreasonable, Founder: Shocking Creations). Andrew Miller has served as CEO for two $1B plus public companies - Tandberg and Polycom - as well as senior positions at Cisco Systems and IPC Systems. During more than two decades in th technology and telecom industries, he has been a Director on 6 public company boards including Gigamon, BroadSoft, and Bridgepoint, and collaborated on two successful enterprise communications IPOs. He founded the Andrew Miller Foundation (http://andrewmillerfoundation.org) in 2017 to increase awareness and financial support for under-recognized charitable organizations and San Francisco-based consulting firm Marina Growth Strategies (https://marinastrategy.com) which donates a portion of its revenue to the Foundation. In addition to guest lecturing at UCLA, USC and Stanford, Miller has spoken at the World Economic Forum in Davos and the Aspen Ideas Festival. "We are very excited to have Andrew Miller join our Board as an active member to assist us with our growth in areas such as Strategy, Investors and Key Customers. Andy's experience in the Enterprise and service provider Software and SaaS space, as well as a focused Contact Center background, is a perfect fit for Journey during our critical growth phase," said Brett Shockley, Journey CEO. About Journey.ai, Inc. Journey reduces operating costs, eliminates fraud, and improves user experience in the contact center and beyond by fundamentally solving digital identity from the network up throughout the complete user-journey. More details will emerge on the patent-pending, and industry changing, zero-knowledge network when they emerge from stealth mode in spring 2020. If you would like more information, please email [email protected]. CONTACT: Alex Shockley PHONE: 952-465-5717 EMAIL: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/journey-announces-andrew-miller-as-new-board-member-and-advisor-to-the-ceo-301003308.html SOURCE Journey [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] If you're interested in how much the new Samsung range will cost then you can look to Max Weinbach for that who leaked the UK pricing a few weeks ago. According to Max, the S20 will start from 799, the S20+ from 999, and the S20 Ultra 5G from 1,149. This is slightly more expensive than last year's prices, showing the company is pushing the boat out with the S20 range. If I will die, let it ... By Abdul Kerimkhanov Azerbaijans capital Baku is the venue of meetings between military officials representing NATO and Russia. On February 6, Azerbaijans Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmeddin Sadikov met with the delegation led by the Chief of General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov who was in Baku for another Russia-NATO meeting. During the meeting with Gerasimov, Sadikhov stressed the important role of the heads of state in establishing relations between Russia and Azerbaijan. He noted that these relations have reached the level of strategic partnership in recent years. Referring to the military-political situation and security issues in the region, he noted that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main threat to the regional security. Sadikov emphasized the importance of resolving the conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, and on the basis of the norms and principles of international law. Sadikov further noted that a decision on the participation of the Azerbaijani Army in the military parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War to be held on May 9 in Moscow was made at the state level, and active preparatory work is being carried out for this purpose. In turn, Gerasimov also noted that Baku-Moscow relations have historical roots, and the two countries are strategic partners. He emphasized the importance of organization of mutual meetings between military representatives in terms of expansion of bilateral relations, as well as military and military-technical cooperation. Gerasimov expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of Azerbaijan for the excellent hospitality and organization of the next bilateral meeting with Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR) in Baku. Then the sides discussed the current state of cooperation in military, military-technical and military-educational spheres, prospects for the development of relations, as well as exchanged views on the issues of mutual interest. On the same day, Sadikhov met Commander of U.S. European Command, General Tod Wolters. Sadikhov highlighted the development of NATO-Azerbaijan relations over the course of the past 26 years, the activities of the Azerbaijan Army in various programs and the contribution made by Azerbaijani servicemen to the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. He stressed that the main goal of Azerbaijan-NATO cooperation carried out in various fields is to eliminate instability, conflicts, and threats in the Euro-Atlantic area, as well as in the establishment of indivisible security system worldwide. For his part, General T. Wolters noted that Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of Alliance and highly appreciated the participation of the country in the fight against terrorism, the significant contribution in providing airspace to cargo transportation for peacekeeping operations, including the high level of professionalism of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz In some cases, politicians view the military as the only institution capable of maintaining security. In Mexico, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has dispatched his new National Guard, composed mainly of former soldiers and marines, on missions ranging from pursuing narcotraffickers to stopping and detaining migrants. While Mexico has a long history of military subordination to the civilian government, Lopez Obrador could wind up in debt to the generals for helping him, political scientist Denise Dresser wrote in a column in the daily Reforma. 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. AP In New Hampshire, it is surprisingly difficult to get away from Tulsi Gabbard. Sticking out of snow banks in front lawns and at forks in the road, the Hawaii congresswomans face is everywhere on signs and banners. Her kind smile looms above streets on billboards in Manchester and across the state. Its a strange sight for anyone who tunes in regularly to CNN and MSNBC, or gets most of their updates on the race from national media, where the drama in the state is framed between Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, alongside a handful of others. In those media conversations, Ms Gabbard is barely an afterthought. She has been maligned by attacks from the former nominee for the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, who attacked her unorthodox foreign policy positions as apparent proof of allegiance to Russia, not the US, in what Gabbard supporters in turn point to as proof of an overly muscular military industrial complex in America, which has engaged in nearly two decades of war in the Middle East. And it is that issue exactly that brought out over 100 voters and volunteers to a veterans hall in eastern New Hampshire in the middle of a snow storm, just days before the election and just as other Democrats were participating in a nationally televised debate that Gabbard was not invited to. I think theyre attacking her because shes too progressive, said Jay Mitchell, a retired veteran and member of the branch of the Veterans for Foreign Wars (VFW) in Sommersworth, New Hampshire. But in my mind, its not. Its whats needed. Gabbard has been a pariah in the Democratic Party since at least 2016, when she resigned from her position with the Democratic National Committee amid a heated primary campaign between Clinton and Sanders, in order to endorse the Vermont senator that year. And in 2020, the 38-year-old military veteran has been campaigning on a message that sounds strikingly similar to Sanders at times, with a focus on ending needless foreign wars and putting an end to Americas long history of regime change conflicts across the globe. Story continues On Friday, Gabbard approached the VFW hall quietly as she was being introduced, before patting Mitchell on the back. The two exchanged a few words and smiles, before she took the stage. And, as a candidate who has been attacked mercilessly by members of her own party, she preached unity. People ask me every day, how do we heal the divide in this country? said the Hawaii congresswoman, who is among just a handful of 2020 Democrats who have shown a willingness to go on Fox News which just days later drew her into some trouble after she defended Donald Trump on Hannity for firing members of his administration who testified against him during his impeachment trial. tulsi-gabbard-new-hampshire.jpg Tulsi Gabbard has focused her campaign on New Hampshire, even moving to the state after renting a property there (AP) She recognised that division has consequences, and said all of the partisan bickering has no upside for the American people: The idea of the American people actually being the ones who are winning is lost in the process, she said. As of election day in New Hampshire, Gabbard has already announced events in the next states that will vote in this years primary, but the Granite State still marks an incredibly important inflection point for her campaign and that of others. The state is known for its tendency to surprise. And, Gabbard may be banking on that as voters head to the polls. She has made the state a major focus of her campaign, having basically moved there after renting a home. Forcing her name into the national conversation is a long-shot, but perhaps not impossible. While she trails candidates like Sanders, recent polls have shown her hovering around 4 or 5 per cent of the vote. And, in a state where some 40 per cent of voters are registered independents who are able to choose which primary to vote in, appealing to Republican-leaning individuals who watch Fox News could tilt things a little bit in her favour. Ozzy Parker, a 54-year-old legal consultant and independent from Dover, New Hampshire, said that hes intrigued by the congresswoman, as he waited for her speech. Joe Biden, he said, seemed like he was going to tank in the state. But, Parker who heavily implied he voted for Trump or a third party in 2016, but did not confirm either way said that one thing that brought him out was the very attacks on her. Why would they bother with such a long-shot candidate, he wondered? Shes not on the outrageously progressive side of free everything. She seems practical and realistic, he said. Parker said that he actually liked that she was right there in front of him instead of getting ready for a nationally televised debate. New Hampshire-ites are used to that, he said. And he thinks she has been working hard. In New Hampshire, you get to touch, feel and see, he said of the candidates. And shes been working very hard. In New Hampshire you have to do that. Read more Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies Bernie Sanders leads polls as Biden team heads to South Carolina Six things to watch for in New Hampshire as voters head to the polls For 2020 Democrats, Granite State is boom or bust Amy Klobuchar surges in New as she warns against socialist Sanders Why did Jeff Bezos recently sell $4.1 billion in Amazon shares, in a single week? His stake in Amazon.com Inc., the company he founded and serves as CEO, stayed more or less the same over the last 10 years, but like everything else involving Bezos things have changed. "Bezos sold 2 million shares, worth $4.1 billion, as part of a pre-arranged trading plan between Jan. 31 and Feb. 6," reports Tom Metcalf at Bloomberg News, citing SEC regulatory filings. "That's the largest seven-day selldown by any executive tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which began in 2012." Excerpt from the Bloomberg News piece: WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum sold $4 billion of Facebook Inc. shares in 2016, but that took months. Laurene Powell Jobs divested more than $6 billion of Walt Disney Co. shares in 2016, though it wasn't part of a trading plan. For Bezos, it's a sharp reversal from years of relative restraint even as the value of his Amazon stake eclipsed 12 figures in 2017. His increased pace of sales this year might be a result of his 2019 split from MacKenzie Bezos. The pair divorced in the state of Washington, where Amazon is based and the couple lived. It's a community property state, meaning all assets and debt acquired during a marriage "will be divided equitably by the court if the couple cannot negotiate an agreement," according to the website of McKinley Irvin, a family law firm in the region. Read more: Jeff Bezos's Record $4.1 Billion Sale Ends Years of Restraint [bloomberg.com, reporting Tom Metcalf, February 11, 2020] Before the votes were tallied in New Hampshire in the nations first primary, former Vice President Bidens campaign announced he would leave the state early and head for South Carolina. The campaign is bracing for defeat in New Hampshire, following their fourth-place finish in Iowa last week, and focusing on the first Southern primary. The Biden campaign is placing their hopes for victory on South Carolina, where the majority of Democratic voters are black and Biden has seen strong support since announcing his candidacy for president. Whatever happens on Tuesday, Vice President Biden will still be in this race, Biden campaign senior adviser Symone Sanders said on CNN. We do believe we will be competitive. Again, regardless of what happens, we believe and we have said for a long time that this race absolutely runs through Nevada, South Carolina, and Super Tuesday. It would be a mistake for the media to try to count Joe Biden out before other folks in this party had their chance in this race. Recent polls show him trailing behind other Democratic candidates in New Hampshire. Sanders leads the congested primary race in the Granite State with 26.60% of likely Democratic voters in the state saying they would cast their ballot for him, according to the most recent Suffolk University, Boston Globe and WBZ poll. Related Content: CALGARYAlberta Premier Jason Kenney says hes concerned that blockades in support of First Nations opponents to a northern British Columbia natural gas pipeline are a dress rehearsal for opposition to future energy projects. Demonstrations have blocked railways, ports and bridges across the country in solidarity with hereditary chiefs fighting the Coastal GasLink project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wetsuweten First Nation. Kenney described the protests at a Tuesday news conference as ecocolonialism from southern Canadians projecting their own fringe political agenda. He said the protests are not about Indigenous rights because all 20 elected First Nations band councils along the pipeline route have signed benefit agreements with Coastal GasLink. The Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs, however, assert title to a 22,000-square-kilometre traditional territory. They say the band council established by the Indian Act only has authority over reserve lands. Anyone demonstrating because of the pipelines climate impact is hypocritical, because the line would enable countries such as China to burn liquefied natural gas from Canada instead of dirtier coal, Kenney added. This is not about Indigenous people. Its not about carbon emissions. Its about a hard-left ideology that is, frankly, opposed to the entire modern industrial economy. Its about time that our police services demonstrated that this is a country that respects the rule of law, the premier said. Allowing people to completely destabilize the lives of tens of thousands of people, costing all of us untold costs in our economy ... in opposition to the express democratic wishes of First Nations is outrageous and it has to end. Kenney has also argued that Indigenous rights are not a valid reason to oppose the proposed Teck Frontier oilsands mine in northeastern Alberta. He reiterated in a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau last week that 14 affected First Nations and Metis communities have signed participation agreements. The chief of one of those communities wrote in a letter to federal Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson that Alberta has so far done little to accommodate his First Nations concerns over environmental monitoring and wildlife conservation. While both Teck and Canada are dealing with us in good faith, we feel that Alberta has not taken its duty to consult seriously, Athabasca Chipewyan Chief Allan Adam wrote last week. Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon said Tuesday that the United Conservative government has met with the First Nation almost a dozen times in recent months and continues to work closely with it. He said concerns over a bison herd in the region are Ottawas responsibility and Alberta has already created a large wildland park for caribou. Chief Adam primarily seems to want to discuss money. And while I understand that it is his responsibility to drive the best deal he can for his constituents and for his band, it is also our responsibility to make sure that we work on behalf of Alberta taxpayers and move forward in a productive way for that portion of the province, Nixon said. The federal cabinet has until the end of the month to make its decision on the $20.6-billion oilsands mine. Kenney said in his letter to Trudeau that a rejection would have devastating consequences and would stoke western alienation. The project is expected to emit about four million tonnes of carbon a year and operate for 40 years. Kenney said Teck has made great strides to reduce emissions per barrel. Kenney said that in a world expected to need oil for decades not the fantasy land where we fuel the modern economy with pixie dust and unicorn farts its better to have a progressive company such as Vancouver-based Teck Resources provide it than OPEC dictatorships. Read more about: Vancouver, British Columbia, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY) (OTCQB: DFLYF) (FSE: 3U8) (Draganfly or the Company), an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), and unmanned vehicle sectors, today announced it has opened a new U.S. office on North Carolina State Universitys (NC STATE) Centennial Campus. Centennial Campus, in the heart of North Carolinas research capital, is a unique part of NC STATE dedicated to the convergence of industry, research and academia. The campus works with over 70 corporate, government and non-profit partners, in addition to housing over 75 NC State research centers, institutes, laboratories and department units. Draganfly, through its opening of its U.S. office on Centennial Campus, joins other prestigious industry and government collaborators who see the value in housing operations at NC STATE including Eastman, Merck, LexisNexis, IBM, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). From bookBot, a giant robotic book delivery system at the futuristic Hunt Library that can store up to 2 million items and deliver any of them within minutes of an online catalog request, to CASSI (Connected Autonomous Shuttle Supporting Innovation), a Level-4 autonomous driverless vehicle that uses cameras, radar, global positioning systems and electronic sensors to transport up to 12 people along its one-mile loop, the pioneering spirit at Centennial Campus can be seen everywhere. Draganfly, the longest running manufacturer of multi-rotor helicopters in the world, is itself a pioneer and respected leader in the unmanned aerial systems industry. Draganfly has created an impressive portfolio of intellectual property and know-how over 21 years, enabling it to continually solve difficult problems for enterprise, government, and consumer clients around the world. Draganflys innovative technological firsts include being the first company to commercialize a quadcopter, the first to create six and eight bladed drones, and the first to add commercial sensors to drones. In addition to its multi-rotor solutions the company offers ground robots, secure controllers, fixed wing aerial vehicles capable of beyond visual line of sight operations and delivery, and hybrid vertical take off and landing systems well suited for large area data collection and austere environments. Draganflys pioneering achievements are not only commercial. A Draganflyer X-4 ES, the first unmanned aerial helicopter responsible for saving a human life, is on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. This special honor reflects the deep commitment the company has to supporting public safety and emergency response worldwide. Expanding our operations to NC States Centennial Campus gives us an incredible strategic advantage over our competitors, said Patrick Imbasciani, Draganfly Chief Operating Officer. As we scale our secure government and public safety offerings alongside our commercial solutions for agriculture, environment, energy, telecommunications, insurance and other sectors, access to the latest research and development in the application of emerging technologies such as 5G, edge computing, and new composites, shortens our learning curve and accelerates our delivery cycles to market. Incorporating talented student innovators into our operations through internships and co-op, as we programmatically engage leading faculty through research agreements and technology transfer, should be a win-win for Draganfly and NC State University. "NC State is excited to welcome Draganfly, Inc. to the campus community. Draganfly's commitment to innovation is well-aligned with the university's mission to "think and do". We look forward to the opportunities that this engagement will bring," said Dennis Kekas, Associate Vice Chancellor - Office of Partnerships and Economic Development. Draganfly officially opened its U.S. office at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina on February 1, 2020. Situated on NC STATEs Wolfline bus line yet hidden in plain sight among the collaborative professional community of HQ Raleigh, the location in the Partners I building on Centennial Campus affords equal proximity to the United States Federal Aviation Administration approved test fields and NC STATEs historic main campus. Draganfly anticipates the space will meet its commercial and operational needs as it grows and scales its business and operations. ABOUT NC STATE NC State University is a pre-eminent research enterprise that excels across disciplines. We're a powerhouse in science, technology, engineering and math. We lead in agriculture, education, textiles, business and natural resources management. We're at the forefront of teaching and research in design, the humanities and the social sciences. And we're home to one of the world's best colleges of veterinary medicine. Our more than 36,000 undergraduate and graduate students learn from 2,300 award-winning faculty. Together, they pursue original research, start new companies and develop powerful partnerships with government, industry, nonprofits and academia to remake our world for the better. NC State's Centennial Campus - a national hub for education, innovation and public-private partnerships - is home to more than 70 corporate, government and nonprofit partners working alongside an equal number of NC State academic units. Centennial is a proving ground for new ideas and new businesses. And it's a launching pad for NC State's mission: creating economic, societal and intellectual prosperity throughout our state and across the nation About Draganfly Draganfly Inc. (CSE: DFLY; OTCQB: DFLYF; FSE: 3U8) is the creator of cutting-edge, autonomous systems and software that revolutionizes the way people do business. Recognized as being at the forefront of technology for over 21 years, Draganfly is an award-winning, industry-leading manufacturer within the commercial UAS and RPAS space, serving the public safety, agriculture, industrial inspections and mapping and surveying markets. Draganfly is a company driven by passion, ingenuity and the need to provide efficient solutions and first-class services to its customers around the world with the goal of saving time, money and lives. For more information on Draganfly, please visit us at www.draganfly.com . For additional investor information visit https://www.thecse.com/en/listings/technology/draganfly-inc , https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/DFLYF/overview or https://www.boerse-frankfurt.de/aktie/draganfly-inc . Media Contact Arian Hopkins email: arian@businessinstincts.com Company Contact Phone: 1-306-955-9907 Email: info@draganfly.com Forward-Looking Statements This release contains certain forward looking statements and certain forward-looking information as defined under applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as may, will, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, believe, continue, plans or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, that may cause the Companys actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied thereby, and are developed based on assumptions about such risks, uncertainties and other factors set out here in, including but not limited to: the inherent risks involved in the general securities markets; uncertainties relating to the availability and costs of financing needed in the future; the inherent uncertainty of cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses, currency fluctuations; regulatory restrictions, liability, competition, loss of key employees and other related risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents managements best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information. The CSE has not in any way passed upon the merits of the listing of the common shares of Draganfly and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Listing of the common shares of Draganfly is subject to satisfaction of the listing requirements of the CSE, including customary deliverables in satisfaction of the conditional approval. Attachment The Holland America Westerdam is shown in Juneau, Alaska, on Aug. 29, 2011. (Becky Bohrer/AP Photo) Holland America Cruise Ship Will Dock After Being Rejected Over Coronavirus Fears Holland Americas Westerdam cruise ship has received permission to disembark at a port in Thailand after it was denied entry by several Asian ports as fears of the coronavirus continue to escalate. The Seattle-based cruise operator confirmed that the Westerdam is sailing for Laem Chabang in Bangkok before disembarking on Thursday. All guests will be disembarking in Bangkok for their forward flights home. This new schedule has been communicated to guests on board, Holland America said in a statement. The ship was denied entry in ports in Japan, the Philippines, and Taiwan. Holland America disputed reports that a passenger on board the Westerdam had contracted coronavirus. The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports, the operator said. We have also received a letter from the Dutch National Institute for Public Health and the Environment affirming that they have full confidence in all our medical reporting and the quality of our medical staff and services on Westerdam. Michael Parry, a passenger, told the Detroit Free Press that people have had to get their temperatures checked before they disembark. Parry said that there were concerns raised after the Westerdam stopped in Hong Kong. Last week, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe claimed that at least one person on the Westerdam is suspected of being infected with coronavirus. Cruise ship Diamond Princess is anchored off the shore of Yokohama, south of Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 5, 2020. (Hiroko Harima/Kyodo News via AP) Based on the immigration control law, we will refuse non-Japanese on the ship entry, unless there are exceptional reasons, he said, according to public broadcaster NHK. Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, is being held in medical isolation after a passenger from Hong Kong was confirmed to have contracted the virus. Japanese health officials announced Monday that 135 people were infected with coronavirus. Princess Cruises confirmed 66 new patients, including 45 from Japan, 11 Americans, four Australians, three Filipinos, and one each from Canada, Britain, and Ukraine. Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the World Health Organizations Health Emergencies Program, told reporters this month that cruise ships are excellent transmitters of illnesses. A cruise ship is a very particular environment in which you can have higher levels of transmission even with a virus that isnt very efficient with transmission, he said. Thats not to say this virus wont gain more efficiency or spread more. In the United States, so far, health officials have confirmed 12 cases of coronavirus in California, Massachusetts, Illinois, Wisconsin, Arizona, and Washington state. The Chinese regime, in an attempt to curb the spreading of the virus, has lockdowns and travel restrictions on numerous cities. The virus is believed to have originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province. High Bridge is currently reviewing the impact of a 2014 ordinance that resulted in the borough vacating alleyways, handing responsibility over to property owners. Some of these alleys are paved, and in some cases may have structures, including garages, on them that now straddles two adjoining properties. Over 100 properties were likely affected, according to Mayor Michele Lee. Elected in 2018, she said two residents brought the ordinance to her attention in November. Both residents own homes that border the vacated alleyways. Lee and Borough Administrator Bonnie Fleming have launched an investigation into the consequences of the ordinance. Were back to the drawing board of, How did this happen? Lee said. I dont really know. I cant speak for what (the councils) reasoning was back in 2014, but it does seem like they didnt ask a lot of questions. Mark Desire, who served as mayor of High Bridge from 2006 through to 2018, said the alleyways were originally owned by the Taylor-Wharton Iron and Steel Company, a foundry established in the borough in 1912 that built Victorian homes as well as houses for its workers. When it closed, according to Desire, the majority of the houses built by the company were sold while the alleyways, by default, became the responsibility of the borough. Desire said because the alleyways were never borough property, he and the council passed an ordinance so the borough would not be required to take possession of them and do upkeep on them. Whatever entity owned (the alleyways) back then, it was no longer part of their property. So we let the town divvy it up," Desire said. And (homeowners) got the property for free. In an interview with NJ Advance Media, a resident of High Bridge confirmed they were given responsibility of an alleyway that borders their residence following the ordinances adoption. The property owner said that approximately three years ago the borough tax assessor visited their home and confirmed that the total acreage of the property had increased. One question they raised is if this increased their taxes. Its not an easy one to answer because the assessed value of properties throughout the borough changes year-to-year based on market and property conditions, and tax rates fluctuate as well. A review by NJ Advance Media of tax records from 2014 to 2019 show that the amount of taxes paid by several property owners has increased over that time, but that is partly because of increases in the tax rate and changing property values. A sampling of tax records of properties that border alleyways vacated in 2014 showed no conclusive evidence that any changes in the total lot size resulted in high taxes. The land value portion of the assessed property value went down between 2014 and 2015 for four properties reviewed by NJ Advance Media. Of the four looked at, the total property tax bill increased for two property owners while decreasing for the two others in the same timeframe. The property size of all four did increase between 2017 and 2018, but other factors, including property tax rates and valuations, also impacted the final tax bill. Borough tax assessor Anna-Maria Obiedzinski said the borough completed its last revaluation of properties in 2015, and has conducted an annual reassessment program since 2017. She said borough tax maps were not redrawn to reflect increases in lot sizes resulting from the ordinance until 2018 While Lee acknowledged that the revaluation, increasing tax rate, and redrawn tax maps may have alone affected homeowners property values, she added there was no way around resolving the extent of the ordinances impact other than to visit every single property" -- particularly because the redrawn tax maps appeared to depict many homes" with a fractional increase in lot size. I dont see any easier way to do it," Lee said. I cant speak to what occurred in 2014 and 2015 ... and it doesnt speak to every house that was affected. And there was over one hundred from what I can tell. Lee said she expects the process to take at minimum a number of months, adding her goal is to make sure all homeowners of High Bridge get what theyre entitled to. I want to try to help these people, because it doesnt make sense," Lee said. Im going to do all the research I can as to why it was done this way, and what the possible resolution will be. Do we just take it back? I dont really know. I havent been around long enough to know what can be done. And those are the questions were just starting to ask. Caroline Fassett can be reached at cfassett@njadvancemedia.com. Have a tip? Tell us.nj.com/tips This week's headlines will mostly consist of what happened at the 92nd Academy Awards last Sunday. Oscars 2020 brought together all of Hollywood's great minds and performers to celebrate, and there were some fantastic red-carpet looks and unforgettable moments. Of course, some golden Oscar statues were given to a few people. While many tuned in to see who brought home the bacon, there were a lot of other moments at the ceremony that is worth watching. From the cute interviews to awkward run-ins and new memes, here are the top five cutest moments at this year's Oscars ceremony. Julia Butters' snack "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" actress Julia Butters brought a turkey sandwich inside her purse to the Oscars. The 10-year-old breakout actress told a journalist on the red carpet that she does not like some of the food served in the event. Speaking with ET, she said he was "smart this time" because she was left famished in the other awards shows. "I was hungry, I was starving and sometimes, either they don't have food or I don't care for the food," Butters said. Butters joins her co-stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Brad Pitt, saying, "They deserve all the success that's coming to them, and that has come to them." pic.twitter.com/sCDTr4GZYq Julia Butters brought a turkey sandwich in her purse because "I don't like some of the food here. #Oscars Amy Kaufman (@AmyKinLA) February 9, 2020 Bong Joon-Ho and Renee Zellweger Hang Out at the Bar There was a lot of backstage antics, as well as meetings in the green rooms and bars. Luckily for the cameras, they were able to catch on camera Renee Zellwegger and director Bong Joon-ho at the bar. Zellweger was at the bar first with her Oscar statue, then the director and his collaborators and translator entered the bar. The filmmaker instantly zeroed in on his new friend. The two locked eyes and joked about "meeting again" at another one of these award ceremonies. At the engraving bar, the lucky winners hand over their statues to have theirs engraved on it. The actress got hers first, and because Joon-ho had a lot of statues to get engraved at the end of the night, the actress joked and said the director "needed to make room" for "Parasite's" statues. Renee Zellweger and Bong Joon Ho walk into a bar... https://t.co/HZ1zAdpUD1 pic.twitter.com/EIRRwl8CRG Variety (@Variety) February 10, 2020 Bong Joon-Ho's Perfect Humblebrag Bong sheepishly apologized to the Oscar engravers tasked to handle all the little gold men, saying "sorry for the hard work" before adding "too many." Lucky for the director, the engravers did not seem to mind. "Jojo Rabbit" Duo Roman Griffin Davis And Archie Yates at The Red Carpet As E! host Giuliana Rancic noted, Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates interview antics are well known. Roman always answers the question while Archie laughs at the other's answer. Because they are British, Davis acknowledged that it is sometimes hard to understand their accent. "Sometimes you don't even know what we're saying," Davis said. The two have a unique friendship. In a hilarious exchange, Davis told Rancic that his "bff" Yates is "the funniest child or funniest person" his age that he knows. In response though, Yates emphasized they were not the same age! "I'm not even 13 yet, so we're not the same age! You don't even know how old I am!" the 11-year-old yelled at Davis. At the red carpet, the two can be seen jumping around, posing for the cameras. They are just having the time of their lives. When asked how are they enjoying their night, the little stars answered, "Let's die of sleep loss!" Hear what Roman Griffin Davis and Archie Yates from #Oscars Best Picture nominee @jojorabbitmovie had to say on the #Oscars red carpet. Presented by @Verizon. #5Gbuiltright pic.twitter.com/2ACuxOCsZp The Academy (@TheAcademy) February 10, 2020 Director Bong Joon-ho Looks at His Little Men Statues with Love "Parasite" swept the Oscars this year, winning a total of six awards. The movie is even the first international film to win the Best Picture. It is not surprising that filmmaker director Bong Joon-ho would look at his statues like they loved him. So in the clip where the film won Best Screenplay, people are already creating memes out of it. One said, "Bong Joon-ho admiring his Oscar is a vibe." Another said, "Ladies, if he doesn't look at you like Bong Joon-ho looks at his Oscar, he ain't the right dood." The West Bengal judicial secretary on Tuesday apologised to the Calcutta High Court for providing confusing information over appointment of judicial officers in lower courts. On a summon by a division bench comprising justices Joymalya Bagchi and Suvra Ghosh, the officer appeared before the court and submitted an unconditional apology for the gaffe. The court accepted the apology tendered by Judicial Secretary Siddhartha Roy Chowdhury. The division bench observed that all stakeholders should work together to fill up vacancies in district courts. It said the vacancies in the lower judiciary, mainly in POCSO courts, should be filled up to ensure speedy delivery of justice to people. The high court administration and the West Bengal government had varying opinions over the appointment of additional judges in lower courts. While the high court administration has recommended names of 16 lawyers or magistrates for the posts of additional judge in district courts, the state government has expressed its reservation over six of those names. The division bench had directed the judicial secretary to file an affidavit stating the government's views and positions over the vacancies in district courts and steps being taken to fill these up. Noticing mismatch in the information provided in the affidavit filed by the judicial secretary, the court had directed him to appear before it personally on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Labor's lord mayoral candidate Pat Condren has pledged to rip up all of Brisbane City Council's neighbourhood plans and redo them all at the same time, if elected in March. Mr Condren said the council's 30-plus neighbourhood plans - legislation that govern all planning and development restrictions and requirements across Brisbane suburbs - were ineffective and frequently overruled by the council in favour of developers. Labor's lord mayoral candidate has said he will reassess all Brisbane neighbourhood plans. Credit:Brisbane City Council Council is currently developing four other neighbourhood plans including Sandgate and Eight Mile Plains. City planning chairman Matthew Bourke said Mr Condren's pledge was "rash" and could have serious consequences for Brisbane. The National Nuclear Security Administration would get $19.8 billion under President Trumps budget request for fiscal year 2021 a 20% increase from this years budget about half of which would go toward supporting the U.S.s nuclear weapons programs. According to a Department of Energy fact sheet distributed on Monday, $9.5 billion of NNSAs budget would be put toward efforts to sustain and modernize the U.S. nuclear stockpile. Of that, $4.3 billion is earmarked for stockpile management and $2.5 billion is for production modernization to support production capabilities for nuclear weapons. That includes funds for equipment, facilities and personnel to reestablish the Nations ability to produce (plutonium) pits. Plutonium pits are the radioactive core of a nuclear warhead that are being produced at Los Alamos National Laboratory and the Savannah River Site in South Carolina. NNSAs goal is to increase production to 30 pits per year by 2026 and 80 per year by 2030 at LANL. The goal at the Savannah River Site is 50 pits per year by 2030. This years budget underscores the importance of nuclear security by increasing funding to modernize and maintain our nuclear stockpile, U.S. Secretary of Energy Dan Brouillette said in a news release. It focuses on intradepartmental collaboration to advance crosscutting priorities such as energy storage, security, reliability and resilience. The presidents budget request includes $4.4 billion to improve and modernize NNSA infrastructure and $1.7 billion for security, cybersecurity, information technology for NNSA nuclear security. The request also allocates $2 billion for nuclear non-proliferation, including funding for counterterrorism and emergency operations to address nuclear threats. Jay Coghlan of Nuclear Watch New Mexico, says that the budget request would allocate more taxpayer dollars to the countrys nuclear weapons programs since the Cold War ended 30 years ago. Globally Trumps nuclear weapons budget is fueling a new nuclear arms race, he said in a statement. It solidifies Los Alamos Labs future as a nuclear bomb plant, while nonproliferation, renewable energy and cleanup programs are held flat or cut. Greg Mello, of Los Alamos Study Group, said in a phone interview that if approved the increase in spending on nuclear weapons would be greatest percentage increase since the 1950s. He asserted that Senate Republicans leveraged the president to put more money into nuclear weapons during impeachment proceedings. The origin of this is not President Trump, he said of the weapons budget. The origin in the NNSA, the labs and some very hawkish members of Congress. Even so, each letter returned to Mr. Skaar was a reminder that the wheels of justice can grind so agonizingly slowly that by the time they churn out a resolution, many who needed relief are gone. The Palomares disaster occurred on Jan. 17, 1966, when an American B-52 bomber on a Cold War patrol exploded during a midair refueling accident, sending four hydrogen bombs hurtling toward the ground. They were not armed, so there was no nuclear detonation, but the conventional explosives in two of the bombs blew up on impact, scattering pulverized plutonium over a patchwork of farm fields and stucco houses. Plutonium is extremely toxic, but it often acts slowly. The alpha-particle radiation it gives off travels only a few inches and would not penetrate skin. But inhaled plutonium dust can lodge in the lungs and steadily irradiate surrounding tissue, gradually inflicting damage that can cause cancer and other ailments, sometimes decades later. A single microgram absorbed in the body is enough to be harmful; according to declassified Atomic Energy Commission reports, the bombs that blew apart at Palomares contained more than 3 billion micrograms. The Air Force sought to clean up the disaster quickly but quietly. It threw together a response crew made up of low-ranking airmen with no special training cooks, grocery clerks, even musicians from an Air Force band and rushed them to the scene. Wearing nothing more protective than cotton coveralls and sometimes a paper dust mask, they cut down contaminated crops, scooped up contaminated soil, and packed the material in 5,300 steel barrels that were shipped back to the United States to be buried in a secure nuclear waste storage site in South Carolina. The holiday commemorated the line of Christian saints under the name Valentinus. The most significant St. Valentine was beheaded by the Roman emperor Claudius. The emperor had banned marriage in order to help his soldiers focus, but St Valentine continued to marry couples in secret, as marriage was an important ritual for Christians. When St Valentine refused to embrace paganism, Claudius had him executed around 269 AD. It is said that while he was in prison, St Valentine developed feelings for his jailers blind daughter. Legend says that his love for her was so great that he healed her sight. This is the origin of the phrase, From your Valentine, as St Valentine signed a letter to her this way before his execution. The holiday was further developed when Pope Gelasius attempted to rid of a pagan festival celebrated in February. Previously, young Roman men celebrated the spring festival of fertility by drawing a name of a female from the box, who would be their partner for the following year. The pope decided that this was not in accordance with Christian values, and changed the ritual to where the young Roman men would draw the name of a saint, who they were supposed to aspire to be like for the rest of the year. The pope replaced the pagan god associated with the festival, Lupercus, with St. Valentine. As the change in practice was not very popular with the young Romans, the men used St Valentines romantic themes to write letters to young women, often invoking the name of St Valentine to communicate affection. These letters became the norm for Valentines Day sweethearts as the practice of courting developed during the Middle Ages. The practice of giving other gifts arrived in 18th century England. In contemporary times, these have almost completely been replaced by commercial greeting cards. Geoffrey Chaucer was instrumental in developing the holiday of Valentines Day. His poem, Parlement of Foules, from 1382, commemorated the engagement of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia with romantic themes and mention of Valentines Day. Although it is believed that Chaucer was actually referring to a different St. Valentine than the one associated with Valentines Day, its interpretation led to the romantic tradition of celebrating the holiday. This also started a tradition of birds as a Valentines symbol. President Donald Trump shared some of his many opinions while speaking with many of the nations governors on Sunday night and again on Monday. Of Utah Sen. Mitt Romney, the former Republican presidential nominee who broke with his party to vote to convict Trump of abuse of power at his impeachment trial, the president threw a mild jab. Hows Mitt Romney? he told Utah Gov. Gary Herbert. You keep him. We dont want him. Herbert did not respond. Trump, 73, spoke briefly about the coronavirus but said that he believed the U.S. was not in a vulnerable position as the medical community works to address the virus spread. On NATO, the key European-North American military alliance of which Trump has been deeply skeptical, he sounded actually sunny, saying, I think my biggest fan in the world is [NATO leader] Secretary General Stoltenber. The president spoke similarly unusually warmly about reporters in attendance at Sundays Governors Ball, an annual gathering of state leaders at the White House. To the media, thank you very much for attending. I appreciate it, Trump told the press, who has often viciously assailed as the enemy of the people. President Donald Trump speaks during the Governors' Ball in the East Room of the White House on Sunday | SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty In addition to hosting Sundays dinner at the White House, which was attended by some two-thirds of the nations governors, President Trump also addressed them on Monday at a business session. A major theme of both remarks was what Trump saw as his own success. He touted the nations economy and federal criminal justice reform so far a rare spot of bipartisanship from an administration that has pursued more divisive goals such as restricting immigration and reversing Barack Obamas signature health care law and he praised the assembled governors. That included Louisiana Democrat John Bel Edwards, whom Trump had campaigned against. With his characteristic bravado, the president said at Mondays business session: Were in the midst of a great American comeback. Were creating the most prosperous economy and most inclusive society ever to exist, actually. Story continues Trump also spoke about his opportunity zones initiative to encourage investment in low-income areas, which some of his allies and advisers sees as a key outreach to black voters ahead of Novembers election. (Since before taking office, Trump has grappled, sometimes clumsily and often indignantly, with criticism over his inflammatory rhetoric about race and arguments that he gives cover to white nationalists. He faced widespread backlash last year for racist tweets telling a group of female lawmakers of color to go back to their countries despite all being American.) From left: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump at the Governors' Ball on Sunday at the White House | SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Addressing the governors at Sundays dinner, Trump said, I know just about all of you, and we argue a little bit, but 90 percent of the time we get along. And I just said, Call the White House, call me anytime you have difficulty, because were all in this together. Trump also singled out the work of First Lady Melania Trump in hosting the night. I want to thank the first lady for having done such a beautiful job with the settings and all of the things. She works very hard on these things, so I want to thank her very much, he said. Youve done a tremendous job, Trump told attendees. Its not easy being governor. President Donald Trump called Michael Bloomberg a 'TOTAL RACIST' Tuesday after the emergence of audio of the former New York mayor adamantly defending the use of stop-and-frisk policing in minority communities. Bloomberg was heard in the tape from 2015 saying '...we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods. Yes, that's true. Why do we do it? Because that's where all the crime is.' The issue is a fraught one for Bloomberg, who has since apologized for his prior embrace of stop and frisk as New York mayor, particularly as he competes for minority voters in a crowded Democratic field. The racism charge is noteworthy coming from Trump who himself supports stop and frisk, and has made cracking down on crime and immigration a keystone of his presidency. Without explanation the Tweet was taken down but Trump followed up with an attack on the billionaire's golf game. 'Mini Mike is a short ball (very) hitter. Tiny club head speed. KEEP AMERICA GREAT!' the president wrote. The audio reveals Bloomberg defending the tough police tactics in a 2015 speech to the Aspen Institute, where he not only touts the plan but also acknowledges that part of the strategy is to 'put all the cops in minority neighborhoods' with the hope of tackling gun violence. 'Ninety-five percent of murders- murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take a description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops,' Bloomberg told the audience. The speech was tweeted by a Bernie Sanders supporter. Former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was put on the defensive by audio of a 2015 speech to the Aspen Institute where he defended stop and frisk policing policies. President Trump called him a 'TOTAL RACIST' President Trump called Bloomberg a 'TOTAL RACIST' following the release of the audio The attack comes weeks before the South Carolina primary, where black voters will make up a substantial share of the electorate. Bloomberg is skipping the first four contests Trump deleted the tweet calling bloomberg a 'RACIST,' then took on his golf game 'They are male, minorities, 16-25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city 'And that's where the real crime is. You've got to get the guns out of the hands of people that are getting killed,' he said. 'So one of the unintended consequences is people say, 'Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities.' Yes, that's true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods,' Bloomberg says. 'Yes, that's true. Why do we do it? Because that's where all the crime is. And the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall and frisk them... And then they start... 'Oh I don't want to get caught.' So they don't bring the gun. They still have a gun, but they leave it at home.' Bloomberg apologized on Tuesday amid the uproar, in comments reported by Bloomberg News, which is part of the billionaire's media empire. 'I apologize. I own it. And theres nothing Im going to live with it. My heart, I think, was in the right place of trying to do something of reducing murders but the police I didnt pay as much attention to them as I should have. And you know, I apologize,' Bloomberg said. Bloomberg at the time touted the policies as part of his metrics-driven anti-crime policies. But they outraged minority communities and civil liberties groups, who successfully fought to curtail the policies. In response to Trump, he issued a new statement. 'President Trump's deleted tweet is the latest example of his endless efforts to divide Americans. I inherited the police practice of stop-and-frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused. 'By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95%, but I should've done it faster and sooner. I regret that and I have apologized and I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities.' He continued: 'But this issue and my comments about it do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity. 'I believe we need to end mass incarceration and during my tenure we reduced incarceration by 40% and juvenile confinement by more than 60%. 'We created the Young Men's Initiative to help young men of color stay on track for success, which President Obama built on to create My Brother's Keeper. And we overhauled a school system that had been neglecting and underfunding schools in Black and Latino communities for too long.' In this June 17, 2012, file photo, the Rev. Al Sharpton, center, walks with demonstrators during a silent march to end New York's 'stop-and-frisk' program. On Aug. 12, 2013, a federal judge sitting in New York said the department made thousands of racially discriminatory street stops and appointed a monitor to direct changes Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Donald Trump attend The Fourth Annual JOE TORRE SAFE AT HOME FOUNDATION Golf Classic at Trump National Golf Course on July 20, 2007 in Briarcliff Manor, NY Trump's attack comes as Bloomberg has ticked up in the polls after a $350 million and counting spending spree. He also has 2,000 people on the payroll dwarfing the skeleton crew Trump had working for him at this point of his ultimately successful presidential run. Trump's campaign manager Brad Parscale joined in and retweeted the comments. 'All the money in the world can't undo this,' he wrote. With a divided Democratic field, there is a chance Bloomberg could break out as the party's left wing and center do battle during the first four primaries. He also picked up support from a greater share of African American voters in the latest Quinnipiac University poll. He is skipping the first four primaries and focusing on Super Tuesday states. Trump himself is an unusual messenger for the ending stop and frisk. In 2018, he called for then Attorney General Jeff Sessions to use the policies to 'help straighten out the terrible shooting wave' in Chicago. 'It works, and it was meant for problems like Chicago: Stop and frisk,' Trump said in a Florida speech in October 2018, after backing the policy for several years. Trump was more complimentary of Bloomberg's golf game before he was a potential presidential rival. 'If he had more time to play, hed be a terror,' Trump told the New York Times when Bloomberg was mayor. The 2009 article describes Bloomberg as a obsessed with improving his game and hiring golf pros and high-tech equipment to improve his game. On Tuesday, New Hampshire hosted the first presidential primary of the 2020 Election. Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who earned a bounce in the polls following a solid debate performance in last weeks Democratic debate, was out to an earlyreal earlylead Tuesday after three tiny townships held their election at midnight. Just over two-dozen residents voted under the cover of darkness, giving the moderate Klobuchar eight votes. Projected front- runner Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, each garnered four votes. Former Vice President Joe Biden secured two votes, one less than entrepreneur Andrew Yang who won three votes. Biden, who is counting on South Carolina to reverse his campaign fortunes, left New Hampshire this morning to work on shoring up his votes in the Tar Heel state. Biden surprised many observers by conceding likely defeat during the Feb. 7 debate. Also earning two votes in the early balloting were former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. The New York billionaire, a late arrival to the campaign, decided to forgo campaigning in New Hampshire to focus on the delegate-rich Super Tuesday on March 3, in which voters from Alabama, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Democrats Abroad, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, and Virginia all head to the polls. Rounding out the midnight vote was Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard and businessman Tom Steyer, who each secured a single vote. Although Klobuchar has surged in recent polling, experts believe the race is ultimately between Sanders and Buttigieg, both of whom came away with the top votes in last weeks Iowa caucus debacle. According to the latest RealClear Politics Average poll, Bernie Sanders, who represents neighboring Vermont, stands at 28.7 percent, up from 19 percent in early November. Buttigieg stands at second with 21.3 percent, a 10 percent uptick from November. Klobuchar is 11.7 percent, closely followed by Warren and Biden, each at 11 percent. Both Warren and Biden were at 19.7 percent in November, while Klobuchar gained significant ground, up from 3.3 percent. But polls in this fiercely independent state are no guarantee about end results. The state is famously unpredictable and can swing faster than polls can capture, especially because independent voters, who outnumber Democrats and Republicans, can vote in the primary, NBC News reported. Also playing into the scenario is how New Hampshire awards its 24 delegates, which are doled out proportionally based on congressional districts. The formula gets tricky because candidates need to garner at least 15 percent of the vote in each district to receive any votes. NBC pundits said that threshold could prove difficult for Klobuchar, Warren and Biden because they are all polling under that number. So why does New Hampshire matter since it only has 24 delegates? New Hampshire marks the first presidential primary in an election year. According to NPR, in New Hampshire which is Celebrating its 100th anniversary as the first-in-the-nation primary lawmakers codified its right to hold the first primary by enacting a 1975 law requiring election officials to move the primary date earlier if another state made a move to become first. So, while the prize is small in terms of delegates, winning in New Hampshire often provides victors with a bump in campaign cash and media attention, especially important this year in the wake of vote tally delays in Iowa that quashed those benefits. Although considered a battleground state for candidates, its important to remember the states demographics do not mirror those of the nation. In 2016, for instance, its Democratic primary was 93 percent white. Also relevant is the fact that the New Hampshire primary is not a reliable predictor of who will ultimately go on to win the nomination. In both the 2008 and 2016 Democratic primaries, the New Hampshire winnersHillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, respectivelyfailed to earn the party nomination. In 2008, then-Senator Barak Obama earned the nomination and became president. In 2016, Hillary Clinton earned the nomination only to lose to President Donald Trump. New Hampshire did, however, prove to be the predictor for the Republicans after Trump comfortably led the GOP slate and went on to win the presidency. Most polls in New Hampshire are open until 7 p.m., although some stay open as late as 8 p.m. Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Scott Eisen/Stringer Lori Arnold is a national award-winning journalist whose experience includes 16 years at a daily community newspaper in San Diego and 16 years as writer-editor for the Christian Examiner. She owns StoryLori Media and is a member of the Evangelical Press Association. Indian businessman Vijay Mallya launched an appeal in Britain's High Court on Tuesday against a 2018 decision to extradite him to India to face fraud charges resulting from the collapse of his defunct company Kingfisher Airlines. India wants to bring back Mallya, 64, whose business interests have ranged from aviation to liquor, over $1.4 billion in loans Kingfisher took out from Indian banks which the authorities argue he had no intention of repaying. Mallya's lawyer, Clare Montgomery, said that the 2018 extradition ruling by Judge Emma Arbuthnot had "multiple errors" because she did not take into account all the evidence about the financial status of Kingfisher Airlines. "This is not a Ponzi scheme - this is an airline," Montgomery said. "Her assumption that she has an accurate evidential picture... is simply false. In her 2018 judgement, Arbuthnot said that Indian banking officials might have been in "the thrall of this glamorous, flashy, famous, bejewelled, bodyguarded, ostensibly billionaire playboy who charmed and cajoled" them into ignoring their own rules and regulations. Mallya was nicknamed "the King of Good Times" after the slogan of one of his premium beers and his hard-partying lifestyle. Montgomery sought to counter this image, saying that in seeking the loan to rescue his struggling airline he was not trying to "make a quick buck" and that the collapse was an ordinary business failure. "Dr Mallya is not a fly-by-night figure," she said. Mallya, who denies the charges against him and is currently on bail, sat with the public in the courtroom to watch the appeal, which is expected to last two days. His extradition would be a huge win for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has faced pressure from political opponents to bring to justice several people who have fled India in recent years to escape prosecution, many for loan defaults. In 2018, Arbuthnot rejected Mallya's argument that the case was motivated by political considerations, that he would not receive a fair trial in India and that extradition would infringe his human rights. Also Read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: Delhi listens to AAP ki baat! No Entry for Congress Also Read: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman lists 7 green shoots in Indian economy Also Read: 'Very competent doctors': Nirmala Sitharaman takes dig at Manmohan Singh in Lok Sabha WASHINGTON So how will President Donald Trumps proposed $4.8 trillion budget affect New Jersey residents? The spending plan revealed Monday would cut funding for food stamps, Medicaid, welfare and grants to urban areas. The budget would be for the 12 months beginning Oct. 1. Trump proposed eliminating the board that investigates chemical accidents, home heating assistance for low-income families, and the agency that helps fund public television. Trump has proposed some of the same spending cuts since taking office, and Congress has rejected them on a bipartisan basis. This budget continues to be a statement from this president and his administration that we stand with families and businesses across the country who have to balance their budgets, said Russ Vought, acting director of the White House Office of Management and Budget. Washington, D.C., does not stand with them, and for too long has operated under a different principle of recklessly spending other peoples money. That has to change, and hopefully this budget leads to it. Rep. Frank Pallone Jr., D-6th Dist., saw it differently. President Trumps 2021 budget is an extreme and drastic step in the wrong direction," said Pallone, who chairs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. It continues the presidents ongoing assault on the health care of millions of seniors and hardworking American families, while also gutting environmental protection when we should be combating the climate crisis. And U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., tweeted, If there was a category at the Oscars for best horror film, the Trump budget would win. In his budget, Trump proposed extending the tax cuts he enacted two years ago past their 2025 expiration date, also continuing the $10,000 cap on deducting state and local taxes also was scheduled to end. President Trumps budget represents yet another massive redistribution of wealth from low-income and working class families to the top 1 percent," said Raymond Castro, health policy director for New Jersey Policy Perspective, a progressive research group. His budget proposes devastating cuts to health and social programs possibly the largest cuts proposed by a president in the nations history and threatens to push far too many families into poverty. Meanwhile, wealthy individuals would receive a windfall as the budget makes the 2017 tax cuts permanent. Heres how New Jersey will be affected by the presidents proposed cuts. Amtrak. Funding for the Northeast Corridor would be slashed by more than half, $375 million, to $325 million. Airports. The Federal Aviation Administrations Airport Improvement Program sent $35.6 million to Newark, Teterboro, Atlantic City and other airports around the state last year to improve taxiways, fix runways and make other capital improvements. Trump wants to stop all funding. Big Bird. The budget would eliminate the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which funds public radio and television. NJTV and other area public TV and radio stations received $2.2 million in 2019. Block grants to help N.J. cities. The budget would eliminate the annual community development block grants that go to urban areas for housing and economic development. New Jersey and the states counties, cities, and towns received a total of $88.2 million in 2019. FEMA. The budget would reduce funding for the Federal Emergency Management Agency to update its flood maps by $163 million, and cut $535 million in grants to state and local programs and for training. Food stamps. The president proposed cutting the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, by $15.3 billion. New Jersey has 673,966 residents receiving food stamps, according to the Human Services Department. Heating aid. Trump again proposed eliminating the Low-Income Heating Assistance Program, which sent $108 million this year to New Jersey to help low-income residents pay to heat their homes during the winter months. Heritage sites. Federal funding for New Jerseys Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area, which recognizes the states role in the Revolutionary War, and the other 54 national heritage sites would be eliminated. Investigating chemical accidents. The Chemical Safety Board, which investigates accidents at chemical facilities, would be eliminated. Like its transportation counterpart, the chemical board investigates accidents and makes recommendations on how to prevent them from reoccurring. Medicaid. Some 1.5 million New Jerseyans, more than 1 in 6 residents, are covered by Medicaid or the Childrens Health Insurance Program. The presidents budget would cut $9.3 billion out of the program for the poor, elderly and those with disabilities. Medicare. Though he promised during his campaign not to cut Medicare, the health care program for the elderly, Trump proposed $8.8 billion in spending reductions. Around 1.6 million residents in the state are on Medicare, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Superfund. New Jersey has more Superfund sites than any other state, and the presidents budget would cut federal funding by $113 million to $1.1 billion. Welfare. The Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program in New Jersey would be cut by more than $200 million over five years, according to NJPP. There are 27,000 parents and children receiving aid, according to NJPP. Heres how Rep. Albio Sires, D-8th Dist., New Jerseys only member of the House Budget Committee, reacted to the proposal. The Presidents budget is full of measures that harm hard-working Americans. My colleagues and I in the House are committed to building a budget that benefits the American people, not hurts them. pic.twitter.com/g6aXgdRPOC Albio Sires (@RepSires) February 10, 2020 Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. To counteract Huawei in the telecom market, the US is considering financing Huawei rivals Nokia and Ericsson. US considers financing Huawei rivals in telecom hegemony The US says it is looking into financing Huawei rivals Nokia and Ericsson. Huawei is a giant in the telecom market, and with the progress of 5G and its profit, theres lots of money to be made. Huaweis work in the telecom industry is growing larger and larger. If countries dont act to invest in other telecom vendors, Huawei will continue to dominate. The Beijing-sponsored companys stronghold will only get worse and worse. And America, among others, will find it hard to resist Huawei in 5G and telecom gear. US Attorney General William Barr says that the US can take charge of Ericsson and Nokia in two ways. One way is through direct investment. The US can invest funds into the company itself and take charge by investment. Another way to invest in telecom vendors is through a consortium of private American and allied companies. A number of private companies can invest in Nokia and Ericsson. Of course, the funds for those private companies would come from the US Government. Advertisement Takeover by investment: why the US is considering the move The US is considering a financial investment into Huaweis rivals because of the current situation in the telecom industry. Huawei owns 15% of all standards-essential 5G patents. The company is already researching 6G. In telecom gear, its prices are ultra-affordable. That makes it hard to beat against companies such as Ericsson and Nokia. The Trump administration has already said over the last few months that it intends to invest in both companies. The reason behind investing in both pertains to the number of telecom routers needed for smaller carriers. A $1 billion bill has been approved that will help small carriers upgrade their telecom equipment and ditch Huawei. And yet, even with the US helping its own carriers, it has had a hard time convincing its allies to ditch Huawei. The US has talked with Britain about Huawei. The UK will allow Huawei onto a peripheral 35-percent of the national network. A UK ban is no longer an option. The results with other countries have been mixed as well. Germany refuses to ban Huawei just because. Few countries want to ban Huawei from their networks because the company is one of the top players in 5G. Even with the US ban on Huawei, the company is still gaining 5G clientele around the world. Advertisement The trouble with Ericsson and Nokia telecom gear Some say that the only real trouble with Ericsson and Nokia is their slow production and high equipment pricing. And yet, these two issues are nothing small to ignore. When companies price their equipment higher than the competition, theyll lose out. And thats the current situation with these three telecom vendors. Huaweis telecom pricing is far more affordable than Ericsson and Nokia. And Huawei production of telecom gear is far superior to these two alternate vendors. With the US investing in Ericsson and Nokia, these two vendors will be able to reduce the pricing on telecom gear. In turn, businesses and countries worldwide will turn to these vendors for their telecom gear. Despite what US allies say now, they may turn to these two vendors if the US invests financially in them. And they may encourage others to do the same, with four additional vendors to enter the same race: Dell and Microsoft, and Cisco and Oracle. The key to beating Huawei in the telecoms race is to not depend on it for anything. Boosting Nokia and Ericsson financially will create a genuine three-fold race where Huawei isnt ahead by leaps and bounds. And seeing a true three-fold race will even the odds a bit against Huawei. Advertisement But theres a problem few have considered: if Nokia and Ericsson have huge financial investment from the US, will these vendors be state-sponsored in some way? Perhaps the key to defeating Huawei may just be the source of the current telecom problem. A screen capture of U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris shows two bowls of jjapaguri with background images of "Parasite." Harris uploaded it to his Twitter account, Monday. Screen capture from Twitter By Park Ji-won After director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" made history at the Oscars, everything related to the critically acclaimed 2019 movie is back in the spotlight. Some of the movie quotes, which had gone viral on the internet after the huge success of the film both at home and abroad, were revisited after the homegrown movie topped the 92nd Oscars on Monday (Seoul time), winning four awards best picture, best director, best screenplay and best international feature film. The latest Parasite-inspired hit among Koreans is a mix of instant noodles, called jjappaguri which was translated as ram-don in the English subtitles of the movie. It is a mixture of two different types of instant noodles Chinese-inspired Chapagetti and the spicy local version of Japanese-style udon Neoguri. In Parasite, beef was added to it. The fusion noodle dish serves as a critical device to increase the tension and suspense of the thriller. On their way back home from the camping trip that was cut short due to torrential rain, Ms. Park, the upper-class mother of the family, asked her housekeeper Ms. Kim to prepare ram-don for her young son and make sure it is ready for him to eat as soon as they arrive at home. Ms. Kim is under pressure as she doesn't know what it is or how to make it. What's worse is that she only had eight minutes to do so. With the help from former housekeeper who was kicked out of her job, Ms. Kim makes things done perfectly in time and heaves a sigh of relief. U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris' high-profile promotion of the Parasite dish helped put it back in the spotlight. Mentioning the film clinching four awards at the Oscars, Harris wrote on his Twitter account: "Wow! Congrats! Bong, Team #Parasite & ROK cinema." He uploaded several images featuring himself and embassy staff enjoying ram-don while watching the Oscars. "Enjoying the Embassy's Oscars Watch Party with a bowl of 'jjapaguri.' Congratulations to Korean Director Bong Joon-ho for 'Parasite' winning Best Screenplay ROK's first-ever Oscar! More awards to come!" he wrote. The instant noodle combination became a hit after Parasite hit local theaters last year. Hundreds of videos and posts online were made to detail the recipe and some carried out mukbang shows featuring the dish, one of which hit more than 3.9 million views on Youtube. A capture from the website of CAFE:MONOCHROME located in Tokyo, Japan shows the Parasite dish. Courtesy of CAFE:MONOCHROME WASHINGTON - The number of U.S. service members diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries has shot up to more than 100, the Pentagon said Monday, as more troops suffer the aftereffects of the Iranian ballistic missile attack early last month in Iraq. The department said the latest total is 109 military members who have been treated for mild TBI, a significant increase over the 64 reported a little over a week ago. The number of injuries has been steadily increasing since the Pentagon began releasing data on the injuries about a week after the Jan. 8 attack at al-Asad Air Base in Iraq. Pentagon officials have warned that the number would continue to change. The department said 76 of the service members have returned to duty, while 26 are in Germany or the United States for treatment, and another seven are on their way from Iraq to Germany for evaluation and treatment. Defence Secretary Mark Esper told Pentagon reporters more than a week ago that the department was studying ways to prevent brain injuries on the battlefield and to improve diagnosis and treatment. Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said its possible, in some cases, that symptoms of TBI from the Iranian missile attack wont become apparent for a year or two. He said the Army is in the early stages of diagnosis and therapy for the troops. In a statement Monday, Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah credited medical professionals with provide care which has enabled nearly 70 per cent of those diagnosed to return to duty. We must continue to address physical and mental health together. A couple who left their comfortable city life behind to dedicate their time and money to renovating an inn say they will never regret the decision in spite of the difficulties. Alice and Jade sold their Croydon flat in 2016 and moved to Scotland where they bought a derelict inn, allowing Channel 5 to film their progress during their first year of business. In tonight's episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Country, airing at 9pm on Channel 5, the presenter meets the couple in Loch Tummel, near Pitlochry, where they work up to 80 hours a week to keep their business afloat. In their first year, the couple, who sold their London flat for 290,000 and bought the inn for 236,000, dedicated their remaining savings of 70,000 to paying their new mortgage and renovating the inn. Three years on, in spite of the many setbacks they've faced - including going through eight chefs in three years, the long hours and having their first baby - the pair are still convinced they've made the right choice. Jade (left) and Alice (right) left London in 2016 to buy an inn in the middle of the Scottish Wilderness. Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Country, followed the couple during the first months of their venture. The adventurer (middle) then meets with them three years on A look at the outside of The Inn at Loch Tummel, which is run by Jade and Alice who work 80 hours a week to keep their business ticking over However, they got off to a difficult start making just 2,600 in their first four months of business, in spite of working tirelessly. 'I think I'm learning that you use have to keep moving forward, you just have to keep going,' Alice said. 'We don't know that' we're going to make the money next year, but I do know that if there's any hope of making it, we just got to put the staff in place. You just gotta take a punt, you just have to do it,' she went on. 'It's a very luxurious feeling, being so content with what you do, and I now understand what people say when they're like "I'm doing my dream job", she added, while folding sheets on the floor. One of the rooms at Loch Tummel, which has been renovated by Alice and Jade look after. Alice admitted she'd wake up with cramps in her hands after spending hours scrubbing and restoring old floors A quiet dining table awaits guests at the Inn. Alice and Jade said at the beginning of the programme that they hoped managing the inn would give them a better work-life balance The restaurant and bar of the inn sits 40 patrons. Alice and Jade cannot afford staff, and have to deal with customers by themselves 'And it sounds ridiculous, I'm cleaning toilets every single day and I hoover a lot of floors and clean up after a lot of messy people,' she said, 'But what it gives me back from meeting wonderful people and spending time with Jade and running my own business, literally I would do it ten times more than I'm already doing.' Meanwhile, Jade, a born and bred city boy, admitted: 'I feel like I personally fit in, which is really bizarre. 'I wouldn't give this up, I wouldn't go back, we've survived four months, against all odds I may add.' The first portion of the programme follows Alice and Jade from the early days of renovation until six months into their business venture. 'I'm hoping it will give us the work-life balance we are looking for,' Alice said, before the renovations started. Back in London, Jade used to work in PR and Alice in finance. But the pair grew tired of the rat race and started to dream of a new life managing a small hotel. Ben helps Alice in her tasks. She looks after the rooms and the cleaning upstairs as well as cooking in the restaurant's kitchen Jade explains in the programme that he fits in in the country, which he thinks is bizarre because he was born and bred in a big city After losing her eighth chef in three years, Alice took over the restaurant's kitchens, meaning she works a staggering 80 hours a week However, they soon found that their dream did not come cheap, and had to spend 18,000 on eight new windows just weeks into their renovations, because the old ones were rotten. With very little money to spare, the couple took on most of the work themselves, painting and assembling furniture, revamping the floors and unclogging the plumbing. The renovations were hard on the couple, who were left exhausted and in pain from their hard work. Alice explained that she woke up with a cramped hand every day after hours spend scrubbing the old wooden floors. Once the inn was ready, the couple opened the restaurant first, which proved popular with locals. The couple could only afford a chef, and were left to deal with the service, payments and bar by themselves. After looking into their finances, Alice and Jade estimated they needed to spend 8,400 on their mortgage, 36,000 on salaries, 14,000 on food and drinks, 7,000 on gas and 5,000 on electricity, meaning they had to earn 70,400 a year to break even. But on their first night of business, they made just 300 profit, and a total of 2,600 four months down the line. Ben learns to serve a pint behind the bar under the guidance of Jade. Looking after the bar is another responsibility the father has to look after They also had to move on to the renovations of the inn's six guests room, to create the modern and cosy aesthetic they're hoping to achieve. Three years after opening the inn, Ben came to visit and met the couple and their little boy Selby, who had arrived along the way. He learned that they still look after the inn's rooms, bar, restaurants and kitchen, dusting, cleaning the rooms and doing all the odd jobs that need doing. The restaurant's last chef has quit, meaning that Alice has had to take cooking on. She now works 80 hours a week, on top of looking after her son and family. Ben helps with the service (pictured) during his time at the inn with Alice and Jade. The couple cannot afford staff The hard work and pressures of the job heve also had repercussion on their relationship, with Alice and Jade bickering over their respective attitudes. Jade admits he is 'short' with people, which is something he did not experience in the city. 'Before I came up here I thought I was a very nice person,' he says. 'In spite of it all, they are still confident they made the right choice. Jade tells Ben: 'I think yes it's scary at time and yes we could have taken a safer options, but I would have regretted not doing something like this,' Jade says. 'I can't imagine not doing it. Can't imagine going back south, going to an office,' Alice agrees. 'I don't really mind how much stress I get with something like this because it's ours, and that is the massive difference,' she says. Ben Fogle: Make A New Life In The Country airs tonight on Channel 5 at 9pm. A Harris County judge on Monday scolded prosecutors she said misrepresented discussions about a man charged in the deaths of three people in a crash. Judge Genesis Draper hauled Sean Teare, the vehicular crimes chief for the District Attorneys Office, and prosecutor Dan Malik into Criminal Court at Law No. 12 Monday morning to ask who they informed in January about receiving an anonymous tip that Gregory Allen Smith charged in the deaths of three people during the Feb. 5 crash in Spring was using drugs again. Authorities say Smith was high on PCP when he drove through two red lights near Antoine Drive and North Sam Houston Parkway and crashed into two cars. Piedad Romero, Diana Soriano-Escobar, and Soriano-Escobars 3-month-old son, Ricardo Daniel Escobar Jr., all died in the wreck after their van caught fire. They were among the five killed in alcohol or drug-related crashes in the past week. Smith, who faces three counts of intoxication manslaughter stemming from the wreck, was not in court for the hearing. He remains hospitalized at Ben Taub for a broken leg and shoulder pain, Teare said. He is slated Friday to return to court. By then, prosecutors hope to know where Smith was in the 24 hours before the northeast Harris County crash. Smiths lawyer, Bryan Savoy, did not respond to a request for comment. Smith could well face additional charges to an already lengthy criminal history, Teare said, as investigators look into whether he had permission to drive the car in the crash. Smith and his passenger, Darryl Mitchell-Taylor, 25, were not the registered owners. The owner of the car has been contacted, Teare said. Mitchell-Taylor is unlikely to face charges in connection to the crash. At the time of Smiths arrest, he was on bond for another DWI arrest from July. He received a personal recognizance bond with requirements that he submit to random drug testing and not use drugs. He was also facing a separate charge for assaulting a public servant for which he posted a $10,000 cash bond. Prosecutors on Friday told the Chronicle they had tried to alert two judges including Draper a week before the crash that they had received an anonymous tip Smith was using drugs again. But in Mondays court hearing, Draper said she had not learned about their comments until Feb. 6, the day after the fatal crash, at a hearing on a motion to revoke Smiths bond. Who is claiming they made me aware of anything [about] the allegations on the 30th or 31st, she said, visibly frustrated. What I want to make clear because this has been very misrepresented this court was not given that information until the motion to revoke was filed February 6th. Under questioning, Malik, the line prosecutor, said hed notified a court employee he needed to speak with Draper about Smith potentially violating his bond conditions, but acknowledged hed never actually spoken to the judge. Draper said that if prosecutors had concerns, they could have notified her and she could have called Smiths defense attorney in for a hearing, but noted prosecutors had not tried to raise the issue in the days after they received their tip. If you all have information that you think is relevant to public safety, alert the court, she said. The actual court. Me. Moments later, Teare asked Draper if she had access or seen copies of Smiths pretrial drug testing. Draper replied that she had not, and that Teare would have to get that information from Harris County Pretrial Services. Good luck, she said. Advertisement The Brighton coronavirus 'super-spreader' is a 53-year-old scout leader and family man who insists he has beaten the deadly virus in five days, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today. Sales executive Steve Walsh is in an isolation unit at St Thomas' Hospital in London after picking up the disease from one of the 100 other delegates at a Singapore gas conference last month. Mr Walsh, who is assistant cub scout leader at the 3rd Hove St Leonards Scout Group where the children know him as Shere Khan, then accidentally infected at least 11 other Britons on his 6,736-mile journey home to Hove via a ski holiday with friends in the Alps. Today the father-of-two claimed he is feeling well again and said in a statement from quarantine: 'I would like to thank the NHS for their help and care whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus'. Mr Walsh decided to reveal his identity today after inadvertently putting Brighton at the centre of Britain's coronavirus crisis after four people on his ski holiday who live in the seaside resort also tested positive yesterday. In the past 24 hours two city health centres have been closed, a care home is on lockdown and children at one primary school have been told they can stay at home after two GPs became confirmed cases and a teacher was quarantined at home. The spread of the disease has sparked panic in the south coast city, where residents have accused public health officials of 'losing control' by 'intentionally hiding' information about Mr Walsh including his identity and exact movements since he came home on January 28. As the global death toll hit 1,016 and the British Government threatened to arrest people who try the flee quarantine, it also emerged today: World Health Organisation announces a name for the new coronavirus - Covid-19; Super-spreader revealed as Steve Walsh who tested positive for coronavirus up to 17 days after catching it from a delegate at a Singapore gas conference. He is recovering in St Thomas' Hospital and his family is also in isolation; Two health centres and a care home in Brighton have all been closed amid fears they could be contaminated by two GPs with coronavirus. Schoolchildren allowed to stay at home after a teacher is in quarantine at home with parents in the city calling for all school to close; Public Health England and the Department of Health slammed for their response to the crisis and accused of keeping 'secrets' from people of Brighton as crisis 'spirals out of control'; A total of 1,358 people in the UK have been tested for coronavirus, of which 1,350 were confirmed negative and eight positive, the Department of Health said today; Two male prisoners are being checked for suspected coronavirus at HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire; This is the coronavirus super-spreader Steve Walsh, who inadvertently infected 11 people with the disease on a ski break in the Alps, and revealed he has beaten the virus today Father-of-two sales executive Mr Walsh is in quarantine in a London hospital today after picking up the disease at a Singapore gas conference Workers in protective suits inside of the County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton on Monday after a GP at the practice was diagnosed with the deadly virus MailOnline has found at least nine sites in Brighton linked to the city's super spreader or his infected doctor friend including two schools, two health centres and a care home as the area's residents accused public health chiefs of starving them of information What we know about 'super-spreader' Steve Walsh and how the coronavirus crisis has gripped Brighton Jan 20-23: British businessman Steve Walsh unknowingly catches the virus at a conference attended by more than 100 internationals at the 1,000-a-night Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore Jan 24: The 53-year-old arrives in Contamines-Montjoie in the French Alps and stays at a chalet owned by a fellow Brit. French health ministry officials say he had contact with at least 11 Britons at the chalet. Less than 1,000 cases in China had been recorded at this point Jan 27: Servomex, the gas analysis company Mr Walsh works for, advises all attendees of the conference to work from home. The advice came four days after one conference-goer was quarantined in Asia over fears of having the virus Jan 28: Mr Walsh flies back from Geneva, Switzerland to London Gatwick on board easyJet flight EZS8481. He did not have any symptoms. Authorities say they contacted 183 passengers and six crew on the flight February 1: Mr Walsh spends two hours at his local pub, The Grenadier, in Hove. Five staff are told to self-isolate for a fortnight. It is unclear where else he went after landing back in the UK. Almost 12,000 cases across the world have been recorded at this point February 4-5: Mr Walsh contacts his GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England after learning he had been exposed to a confirmed coronavirus case at the conference in Singapore. He drives himself to the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton to be tested in isolation and then self-isolates once at home. Servomex give a list of all British attendees to PHE for screening February 6: He tests positive for the virus at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and is then whisked off to Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London to be quarantined for two weeks. He becomes the third case in the UK. Almost 30,000 cases have been recorded across the world at this point February 8: Five Britons four adults and a child staying at the same chalet as the 'super-spreader' in France test positive for the coronavirus. Environmental consultant Bob Saynor, 48, and his nine-year-old son were named locally as two of the Brits February 9: British father living in Majorca tests positive: Ex-pat who also had contact with the Brighton businessman at chalet France has disease. His wife and two daughters test negative. UK officials confirm a fourth person has caught coronavirus in England, and reveal they had come into contact with Mr Walsh in France. This is thought to be Dr Catriona Greenwood, who owns the chalet in France with her husband Mr Saynor. February 10: Four more patients in the UK are confirmed to have the coronavirus: All had contact with businessman at the ski resort in France. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to eight Dr Greenwood's GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre was closed for health reasons. Another case was confirmed to be a health worker, thought to be a male GP and friend of the Saynor family February 11: Patcham Nursing Home in Brighton closed its doors to visitors as a 'precaution' amid fears either Dr Greenwood or the other GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week Students at Bevendean Primary School are told they can stay at home after a teacher was asked to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who had spent time with a coronavirus patient, potentially the 'super-spreader' Steve Walsh. Parents of pupils said they were left 'shaking with fear' Another GP practice in Brighton Deneway Surgery is closed. It is also run by the County Oak Medical Centre. It is not clear if Dr Greenwood had been here, or the other male GP worked here Advertisement Mr Walsh lives with his wife Catherine and contracted the virus during a conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore organised by Servomex, a British gas analytics company he works for, more than two weeks ago. He then travelled to Les Contamines-Montjoie, near Megeve, for a ski break to stay with friends Bob and Catriona Saynor, who own the chalet where 11 people were exposed to the virus. They are both believed to have coronavirus and so has their nine-year-old son. Mr Walsh then flew from Geneva to London on an easyJet plane with 100-plus passengers and crew before going to his local pub, The Grenadier in Hove. He then called NHS 111 with concerns about coronavirus and was advised to go to Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton, for testing, before being moved to a specialist unit in London. Describing the chain of events that led to his diagnosis on February 6, Mr Walsh revealed he was allowed to drive himself home after being tested for coronavirus. He said: 'As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England. 'I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed. When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves. 'I also thank friends, family and colleagues for their support during recent weeks and I ask the media to respect our privacy'. Mr Walsh was the first Briton to fall ill on home soil - but the UK's third case after two Chinese tourists tested positive while staying in a budget hotel in York. Britain's fourth case is believed to be Dr Catriona Saynor, who owns the chalet in Les Contamines-Montjoie where the super-spreader stayed, but flew back to the UK for her work as a locum GP before testing positive last week. Four more friends from Brighton on the same ski holiday - including two more GPs - returned home before testing positive for coronavirus over the weekend. And five more Britons who shared a ski chalet with Mr Walsh, including Dr Saynor's husband Bob and their nine-year-old son, are in hospital in France. Another expat also infected with the virus fell ill after returning home to Majorca, taking the number of cases linked to Mr Walsh to 11. A Servomex spokesman said: 'We are very pleased that Steve Walsh has made a full recovery. We continue to provide support to him and his family. We are working with Public Health authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff and communities and wish anyone with the virus a quick and full recovery'. The cub scout leader did not spend any time with his group in Hove since returning from Singapore. A Scouting Association spokesman said: 'We are aware that Steve Walsh from the Brighton area who volunteers with the Scout Movement is suffering from coronavirus. He contracted the virus while out of the UK. This volunteer has not been to any Scout meetings since his return to the UK. 'We wish Steve well and hope he recovers soon'. Six of the infected Britons who came into contact with him are being treated in France and Spain, but the other five, including the GPs, returned to the Brighton area. Professor Keith Willett, NHS strategic incident director, praised Mr Walsh today. He said: 'This patient did the right thing when they had concerns about coronavirus by calling NHS 111 for advice. After a telephone assessment, they were advised to make their way to Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton, for testing. Following a pre-arranged plan with the NHS they drove themselves to the hospital, were tested in isolation and away from public areas of the hospital and returned home in isolation in their own car. 'Any travellers from China and the other specified countries who have a cough, fever, or shortness of breath advised to follow the example of this patient and call NHS 111 for advice.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock told MPs in the Commons this afternoon that 'a capital facility' was being launched immediately 'to support any urgent works the NHS needs for the coronavirus response, such as the creation of further isolation areas and other necessary facilities.' He added: 'As I said last week, dealing with this disease is a marathon not a sprint. The situation will get worse before it gets better. We will be guided by the science. Be in no doubt, we will do everything that is effective to tackle this virus and keep people safe'. The Grenadier pub in Hove, where the super spreader went for a drink after returning from Singapore with the virus. Staff who were on shift that night have been told to self-isolate Patcham Nursing Home in the north of the city has closed its doors to visitors amid fears a GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week Brighton GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre has been closed for 'urgent operational health and safety reasons' after a member of staff tested positive for the killer coronavirus The Britons infected with coronavirus - and the patients ill in the UK Cases in the UK and where they are being cared for: Newcastle: Two Chinese nationals who came to the UK with coronavirus and fell ill while on the tourist trail in York. They were the first two cases on British soil and confirmed on January 31. London: The first British coronavirus victim has become known as a super-spreader. Steve Walsh picked up the virus in Singapore - but flew for a ski break in France afterwards where he appears to have infected at least 11 people. Dr Catriona Saynor, who owns the chalet with her husband Bob, is feared to be the fourth patient in the UK diagnosed with Coronavirus. Her husband remained in France but she flew to Britain for medical exams and is in hospital. Four more people in Brighton - including two medics - were diagnosed over the weekend and confirmed as cases. They were all 'known contacts' of the super-spreader and are thought to have stayed in the same French resort. Total in UK hospitals: Eight patients. Six Britons and two Chinese nationals British expats and holidaymakers outside the UK and where they are being cared for: Majorca: A British father-of-two who stayed in the ski resort tested positive after returning to his home in Majorca. His wife and children are not ill. France: Five people who were in the chalet with the super-spreader. These include the chalet's owner, environmental consultant Bob Saynor, 48, and his nine-year-old son. They are all in a French hospital with three unnamed others. Dr Catriona Saynor is in Britain. Japan: A British man on board a cruise ship docked at a port in Japan tested positive for coronavirus, Princess Cruises said. Alan Steele, from Wolverhampton, posted on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with the virus. Steele said he was not showing any symptoms but was being taken to hospital. He was on his honeymoon. Total: Seven Advertisement Public health officials are urgently tracing patients who might have been infected - but have been accused of keeping 'secrets' from the public. Professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, said: 'Patient confidentiality is important but we may now be at the point where the public's need to know more information is greater. 'It would be helpful to know if he got a taxi straight home or got a bus and stopped off at the supermarket. Letting the public know this timeline will reassure many that they are not at risk.' Servomax today released details of Mr Walsh's movements before he fell ill - but Public Health England has refused to reveal where he went in Brighton. A care home is the latest health facility to be shut down in Brighton amid fears a GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week with the seaside resort's residents gripped by fear. Patcham Nursing Home in the north of the city has closed its doors to visitors as a 'precaution' after the nearby County Oak Medical Centre was sealed off and cleaned by a team in hazmat suits after a member of medical staff tested positive for the killer virus. And this morning students at Bevendean Primary School have been told they can stay at home after it was revealed a teacher there is in 'self-isolation' over fears they have caught the coronavirus from the city's super-spreader. Britain is facing a major coronavirus outbreak and Brighton is at its centre because it is home to the scout leader super-spreader who infected at least 11 people before falling ill himself last week. A relative of a Patcham resident tried to pop in to the care home yesterday but was told by bosses it was 'off limits' and told Brighton and Hove News: 'They said the reasoning behind the closing was because the doctor, who was tested positive for coronavirus, visited'. Yesterday it emerged the illness has struck down two GPs - feared to be Catriona Saynor and a doctor friend who was also in the Alps at the end of January. The Coronavirus is spiralling out of in Brighton and health bosses are intentionally hiding information about the super-spreader, a leading city councillor has said. Professor Samer Bagaeen, a leading figure on Brighton and Hove City Council's Health board said Public Health England (PHE), the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Brighton and Hove City Council have lost control of the situation by keeping residents ill-informed. He said: 'I think they have not been straight with everyone from the start and have intentionally hid the implications of the infections. 'We don't know who in the city has been exposed and where. 'We should have been informed since day one. You have people who are 'self isolating' but could still be going to the shops. 'And the council has told us councillors that we must not speak to journalists. The problem is that nobody is stepping into a leadership role and everyone is passing the buck.' Dr Catriona Saynor (pictured left) quit as a partner in Brighton to live permanently in the French chalet where the British super-spreader visited to ski. She works at County Oak Medical Centreas a locum, according to the medical centre's website. Her husband Bob and their nine-year-old son are also said to have been confirmed with coronavirus CARE HOME IN BRIGHTON SHUTS DOWN AND PRIMARY SCHOOL TELLS PUPILS NOT TO TURN UP OVER CORONAVIRUS FEARS A care home is the latest health facility in Brighton to be shut down amid fears a GP infected with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week, while a primary school in the city has told pupils not to turn up over concerns a teacher may have the deadly disease. Patcham Nursing Home in the north of the city has closed its doors to visitors as a 'precaution' after the nearby County Oak Medical Centre was sealed off and cleaned by a team in hazmat suits after a member of medical staff tested positive for the killer virus. And this morning students at Bevendean Primary School were told they can stay at home if they want after it was revealed a teacher there is in 'self-isolation' over fears they caught the coronavirus from someone who came into contact with the city's 'super-spreader'. A relative of a Patcham resident tried to pop in yesterday but was warned by bosses it was 'off limits' and told Brighton and Hove News: 'They said the reasoning behind the closing was because the doctor, who was tested positive for coronavirus, visited.' Parents of children at Bevendean said they were left 'shaking with fear' after getting an email this morning to warn of the potential coronavirus case. A mother with a six-year old son at the school told The Argus: 'I'm still shaking. I was going to take my child to school, but then I got the email at 7.10 this morning. I'm just glad I checked. The pupils have been given the choice whether to go in or not it's up to parents, and if they take the time off it goes down as an authorised absence. 'I'm not sending my child to school. I'm not sending him for the rest of the week. I'm scared of this virus. It's left the whole country scared. My son's scared too. He doesn't want to go to school.' Advertisement Tracking down the patients doctors has been made a priority because the virus is known to be particularly dangerous for those with pre-existing health conditions. NHS sources stressed a maximum of 15 patients came into contact with them since their return from the French chalet. The Brighton doctors are among 11 Britons thought to have caught the virus from Mr Walsh. Whitehall sources suggested the cluster of cases meant hundreds of people would now have to be tested for the virus. The news comes as the death toll from the killer disease tops 1,000. At least one of the infected doctors is thought to have practised at the County Oak Medical Centre on Carden Hill. It was shut down yesterday for a deep clean. Speaking to the PA news agency on Tuesday outside County Oak Medical Centre where she is a patient, a 43-year-old mother-of-four from Brighton said: 'I was here on the 3rd and the 5th and they will not tell me the risk even though I am immunosuppressed with lupus.' She said she has called 111 several times but was told 'the risk isn't known' and to stay in for 14 days if she feels at risk. 'Nobody knows anything. It's a farce. Everybody is worried about it. No-one can protect themselves and we can't protect the public. I am going to ring 111 and [Public] Health England until I get some answers.' The pharmacy at County Oak Medical Centre will reopen today, staff confirmed, but the surgery is expected to remain closed. The World Health Organisation expressed its alarm about the situation last night. 'The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire,' said its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He said it was worrying that the illness had been transmitted by people with no travel history to China, where the virus originated. As the death toll in China passed 1,000 and the Department of Health declared a 'serious and imminent threat': Until the Country Oak medical centre reopens, the surgery's 7,600 patients have been told to call NHS 111 if they are unwell or 999 if they have a life-threatening emergency. A GP who has worked at the practice, Catriona Saynor, who uses her maiden name Greenwood at work, owns the French chalet with her husband. However, there is no official confirmation that she is infected with the virus. According to Brighton and Hove News she worked an 'admin' day at the surgery last week but did not meet any patients. Public Health England is also trying to trace anyone who came into contact with the other Britons who were infected on the ski holiday. The epidemic has struck down over 43,000 people since the first cases were reported in late January - 99 per cent of infections are in China So far the coronavirus epidemic sweeping the world has killed more than 1,000, all but two of whom were in China UK GOVERNMENT WILL 'FORCIBLY QUARANTINE ANY PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS' Suspected coronavirus patients will now be forcibly quarantined after a man staying at an isolation facility following his evacuation from Wuhan two weeks ago threatened to walk out. The patient staying at Arrowe Park hospital on The Wirral told medics he was going to leave before completing 14 days of quarantine after his return from the Chinese city, MailOnline understands. Government sources said those who returned to the UK on the evacuation flights on January 31 were given a 'very clear choice' and had to sign contracts saying they would remain in isolation for a fortnight. It came as the Department of Health today declared the outbreak a 'serious and imminent' threat to the British public as it announced new powers to fight the spread. Anyone infected with the virus will now be kept in quarantine for their own safety and will be forced into isolation if they pose a threat to public health. A source told MailOnline: 'We found we didn't have the necessary enforcement powers to make sure they didn't leave. The source said the phrase 'serious and imminent threat' in the regulation was needed to trigger the powers, and at the moment the risk to the public is still regarded as 'moderate'. We're saying we are having to take action to prevent it becoming a serious and imminent threat.' The first Britons evacuated from Wuhan will have completed 14 days in quarantine on Saturday, MailOnline understands. Advertisement They have told a dozen people in Brighton to go into quarantine and they are sending them texts every morning asking them to reply 'yes' or 'no' if they have symptoms. Five staff at the Grenadier pub in Hove have been instructed to 'self-isolate' after the super-spreader spent two hours there on February 1. One bar worker was told they needed to be within two metres of an infected person for longer than 20 minutes to have any risk of picking up the infection. Speaking anonymously to MailOnline, he said: 'I am worried in case I could potentially infect someone. I have to stay in my room until the 15th and am only allowed out to use the bathroom and kitchen. Public Health England are messaging me every morning and ask if I have symptoms. The text just states that if I'm feeling any symptoms - a cough or a fever or loss of breath - to text 'yes or no'.' The worker, who lives in a shared house, hasn't seen his family since he was told to go into isolation - they are bringing him food while he can't leave the house but have to leave it on the doorstep. He said: 'I got my parents to grab me some shopping and leave it outside the house and I left the money outside for them. 'I've been told you need to be in a two metre radius for longer than 20 minutes to have a low risk chance of infection. So as long as I self-isolate from now, even if I do have it, I shouldn't pass it on. I was tested yesterday I'm awaiting my results either today or tomorrow'. He added: 'It was my boss who called me but he is a very good chap, he treats me and the other staff well. It's just such a shame this has happened at our wonderful pub. I haven't been given the identity of the man - and I don't know if I served him'. Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director of PHE, said: 'Two of these new cases are healthcare workers and as soon as they were identified, we advised them to self-isolate in order to keep patient contact to a minimum. CORONAVIRUS COULD INFECT MORE THAN 60% OF THE WORLD UNLESS IT IS STOPPED NOW Coronavirus could infect more than 60 per cent of the global population if containment methods fail, a top Hong Kong medical official has warned. Professor Gabriel Leung, chair of public health medicine in the city, also said that even if the death rate reaches just one per cent, the potential spread means it could still kill thousands of people. There are more than 43,000 cases reported in the world so far, with more than 1,000 deaths due to the virus. Professor Leung told The Guardian during a visit to London that the priority now is to establish the size and shape of the 'epidemic iceberg'. Most experts believe that each infected person has gone on to transmit the virus to around 2.5 people, giving an 'attack rate' of 60 to 80 per cent. The death rate, however, is thought to be much lower. Professor Leung expects it to be around one per cent once milder cases, that have not been diagnosed, are taken into account. Advertisement 'We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage we believe this to be a relatively small number.' The fact that this super-spreader passed the disease to 11 Britons five of whom returned to the UK and may have infected others themselves has concerned scientists. ' Last week Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said patients tended to spread the disease to only two or three people. The French chalet has been pinpointed as the centre of this outbreak. It is owned by Miss Greenwood, one of the potentially infected GPs, and her husband Bob Saynor, 48, an environmental consultant. Mr Saynor is being treated for the virus in France with his nine-year-old son and five other Britons. A British father of two who also stayed at the chalet is in hospital in Majorca. The 13 Britons to have contracted the virus include Alan Steele who fell ill on his honeymoon aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan. Two Chinese nationals are being treated in Newcastle after testing positive for the virus in York. Brighton pharmacists have sold out of hand sanitisers and face masks. A controversial deportation flight to Jamaica departed today with only 17 offenders on board after a last-minute court intervention that produced molten anger in Downing Street. The flight was originally meant to be carrying 42 foreign criminals convicted of serious offences including rape, manslaughter and dealing class A drugs. But 25 had to be removed after a Court of Appeal ruling last night declared that it would be unlawful to deport anyone who had been denied access to proper legal advice because of deficient phone signals at the detention centre where they were being held. Those who escaped deportation today included one offender who was jailed for manslaughter, seven convicted for violent offences and one imprisoned for a firearms offence. Another two had been guilty of rape or a sexual offence. Campaigners had protested over the flight / PA Those who were deported included at least one rapist and several convicted of violent offences. All had been jailed for at least a year. The cumulative total sentence for all 17 offenders ejected was 75 years, plus one life sentence, in a reflection of the gravity of their crimes. The ruling that led to the reprieve, issued by Lady Justice Simler, produced fury in Downing Street today with one Whitehall source telling the Standard that molten anger is apt as a way of describing the mood. One lobby journalist tweeted: Molten anger in No10 about court intervention in Jamaica extradition case. Rumblings that this should be the case that brings the judicial review regime tumbling down. The anger came shortly after Chancellor Sajid Javid had delivered a robust defence of the Governments decision to press ahead with the deportation in the face of protests from campaigners who said that it was unfair to eject any who had come here as children. Labour also criticised the deportation but Mr Javid today insisted that it was absolutely right because all those on board were all foreign national offenders who had committed serious crimes. He said they were being sent to their home country to protect the British public. We will always do what we can to protect the public, he said. These are all foreign national offenders they have all received custodial sentences of 12 months or more. It is absolutely right, when they have served their sentence, that we send them out of the country because they are not British nationals, they are not members of the Windrush generation, they are all foreign national offenders. The dramatic scaling back of the deportation followed the ruling that mobile phone outages had prevented 25 others due for deportation from having access to legal advice while in detention. She said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office was satisfied they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3. Bella Sankey, of the campaign group Detention Action, said that removing those detainees covered by the order would have meant the Home Office was breaking the law but claimed that the entire system needed to be reformed. Britain is better than this, she added. Campaigners have criticised the deportation flight, arguing that some of the foreign nationals being kicked out of the country had come to the UK as children and had no links with Jamaica. The flight sparked a protest outside Downing Street last night, which ended up with demonstrators blocking the roads around Parliament Square. There were also heated scenes in the House of Commons yesterday as Labour MPs questioned the Governments actions. There were shouts of shame as Home Secretary Priti Patel left the chamber, leaving junior minister Kevin Foster to respond. Australias highest court has ruled Aboriginal people cannot be deported by the countrys government as part of its policy of ridding the country of foreign criminals. The high court in Canberra ruled in a 4-3 decision that indigenous Australians cannot be deported even if they do not hold Australian citizenship. A Christian housing ministry that works in partnership with people in need to build simple, decent houses was happy to help make the home ownership dreams of a family come true for the 88th time. Edisto Habitat for Humanity officials gathered Jan. 25 at 1070 Kings Road in Orangeburg to break ground on a home for Orangeburg resident Roselyn Thomas. Its a very rewarding feeling. Were so blessed to be able to continue this work for the community and help serve families and change their lives one home at a time, EHFH Executive Director Jessica Burgoyne said. We have a wonderful volunteer base. Obviously, we can always use more and really enjoy the partnerships that we have. We are engaging in new partnerships all the time. Theres just a very good momentum for this type of work to really help stabilize communities by providing affordable housing, she said. Thomas, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter, was appreciative of the efforts that have gone into making her new home a reality. It means a lot. It starts a journey of coming from a family that may not have had the tools to actually become a homeowner. ... Its possible that we can own a home. You have to put the right tools in place and use them, but its very much possible. So its not just a dream, Thomas said. It can be a goal that you set and something that you can accomplish. Im delighted because I get a chance to show my daughter, my only child, that it can be done, she said. Edisto Habitat for Humanity began its work helping provide affordable housing options in Orangeburg County in 1991. To be eligible for a Habitat home, families must meet certain criteria, including having good work and credit histories. A subcommittee chooses families based on level of need, willingness to become partners in the program and ability to repay a 25-year, no-interest mortgage. Qualified families are also required to put in 350 hours of what is called "sweat equity" toward the building of their home, and they must participate in budgeting classes and attend home ownership classes on a monthly basis Thomas said it has been a pleasure meeting and working with all of the EHFH volunteers along the way. Its a beautiful experience. A lot of times we think of volunteers or other people coming in to help the community. We think, OK, well thats good, but we never think, Hey, why dont I get involved and give back? They have so many people thats rallying up for me, thats coming out and showing support and helping out, Thomas said. She added, Its a remarkable thing. I dont think I will ever view people in the same way as I have for the past two years. Its made me open my eyes that theres a lot more I can do. I can give back, I can continue with this program to help other families. It doesnt just stop with me. Once I get my house built, its not going to stop. It has made me realize that giving back is such a rewarding feeling. Burgoyne said there are many ways individuals can volunteer with EHFH. We have a lot of committees. Theres a lot of ways for people to come and participate. Theres many committees. Theres not just our building committee, Burgoyne said. We have an active Home Store which also promotes financial stability in the community, It provides goods and services at a reduced rate for families to be able to access quality items just to help their families. It also helps to fulfill our mission as well. Theres a lot of ways to get involved, she said. Thomas said, I wish more people would get involved. I wish more people would actually learn about the program and give it a chance. You actually grow with people, you actually meet people who are really supportive and caring. They can teach you a whole lot. Allied Air is the premier sponsor of Habitats 88th home for the Thomas family. Construction began immediately after the groundbreaking ceremony. Burgoyne said a Womens Build Day will be held on March 7 for the Thomas home as well as on April 4 for construction of what Burgoyne said will be Habitats 89th home. That is in partnership with Lowes. Womens Build Days are where you have active women in the community in various organizations come out and work on a home, she said. Its going to be great. We look to have some ladies from the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, Links, the EmpowerHer Orangeburg Chapter of the American Business Womens Association and many others that have already mentioned interest in participating on that day. Its done with a Lowes Womens Build grant. Its about $5,000 that Lowes provides, Burgoyne said. For more information on EHFH, how to become a donor, volunteer or homeowner, call 803-536-2300 or visit www.edistohabitatforhumanity.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 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. This will be Trump't fifth meeting with Narendra Modi since may 2019 9AFP) Washington/New Delhi: U.S. president Donald Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25, accompanied by first lady Melania, it was announced in Washington and New Delhi today. The couple will visit, apart from New Delhi for the bilateral talks, Ahmedabad also in Narendra Modis home state of Gujarat. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in Washington that the decision to visit came after Trump and Modi had a telephonic talk over the weekend. More significantly, the announcement came hours after the US State Department said it has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defence Weapons System to India (IADWS) for an estimated cost of USD 1.9 billion. A state visit by Trump was always on the cards since the Howdy Modi event in Houston back in September 2019, when Trump came on stage and effusively praised the Indian prime minister. Modi and Trump have met four times since the former returned to power for a second term in May 2019. After that Modifest in Houston, they met again two days later on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. This is the second visit by an American president during Modis time in power. His friend Barack came to India in 2015. The announcement by Grisham at the White House said, During a phone call over the weekend, president Trump and prime minister Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership. There was also a hint of what will be on the agenda: trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues and people-to-people ties. In a prelude to the announcement of the visit, the U.S. Defence Security Cooperation Agency said on Monday that the Trump Administration has notified to the US Congress its determination to sell to India the IADWS. The IADWS is tipped to help India to modernise its armed forces and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attacks. Iranians took to the streets nationwide Feb. 11 to hold mass state-organized demonstrations, celebrating yet another anniversary of the victory of the 1979 Iranian Revolution that overthrew the Western-backed monarchical rule of the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Aside from the typical death slogans targeting the United States and Israel, this years anniversary turned into a memorial for Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani, whose death in early January in an American drone strike nearly pushed Tehran and Washington to the brink of all-out war. The event coincided with the 40th day after the assassination, which the Islamic Republic says rallied Iranians behind the flag as Soleimani was a soldier of the nation and a nonpartisan figure. Holding Soleimani portraits, demonstrators renewed calls for retaliation. Iran showered an American base with a barrage of missiles less than a week after the generals slaying. While the Islamic Republic claimed the strikes killed up to 100 soldiers, the United States in its last updated account denied any deaths but admitted that at least 109 service members suffered traumatic brain injuries. Irans Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei described the missile attack as but a slap, and hard-line loyalists insist that true revenge will be exacted only after the United States is fully ousted from the Middle East. Some participants in the anniversary rally repeated the words of the hard-line loyalists as they carried symbolic coffins of American troops. We wont rest easy before corrupting American occupiers are completely expelled from West Asia and the fake child-killing regime [of Israel] is annihilated, read the rallys final communique, issued by a government-affiliated entity known as the Revolution Anniversary Committee. As a sign of defiance to Western pressure over its nonnegotiable missile program, Iranian officials also put on display what was said to be state-of-the-art precision missiles at the rally venue in the capital city of Tehran. But missiles from the same arsenal threw Iran into an unnecessary crisis a few hours after the attack against US troops at Al-Asad air base in Iraq Jan. 8. Fired from an Iranian defense battery, the missiles mistakenly shot down a Ukraine Airline passenger plane, killing all 176 on board. Addressing the crowds, President Hassan Rouhani admired Irans armed forces for their apology over the downing. Those forces came out with the admission three days after the plane crash, sparking public rage at the perceived cover-up. Meanwhile, the anniversary rally came only 10 days before Irans parliamentary elections, whose significance was stressed by the official communique. It urged Iranians to stand vigilant and participate in the vote in their maximum numbers to help form a parliament that could shepherd the country through this historic curve. As a litmus test for legitimacy, nonetheless, voter turnout in the Feb. 21 polls is already in jeopardy. Apart from public discontent arising from multiple economic grievances, the race for parliament has been marred by a merciless removal of Reformist hopefuls by the Guardian Council, the candidate-vetting body. Unanimous backing from the same Reformist camp is believed to have helped Rouhani win two landslides in 2013 and 2017. The president has criticized the purge of those allies. In spite of that, Rouhani urged the nation in his revolution anniversary speech not to turn their backs on the ballot box because election and the ballot box are our saviors. PALM SPRINGS, Calif., Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP announced that multinational healthcare company Tenet Healthcare Corporation and Desert Regional Medical Center, one of Tenets hospitals located in Palm Springs, California, have agreed to settle a qui tam suit and pay $1.4 million to the United States. Sanford Heisler Sharp represented Relator Michael Grace who filed the case against Tenet Healthcare and Desert Regional Medical Center in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California under the whistleblower provisions of the federal False Claims Acts in March 2017. Relator Grace was represented by Sanford Heisler Sharps Washington, D.C. Managing Partner H. Vincent McKnight and co-chair of the firms whistleblower practice, San Diego Managing Partner Ed Chapin, Of Counsel Grant Morris, and Senior Litigation Counsel Christine Dunn. The United States was represented by Benjamin Young of the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Division. Mr. Grace, a former employee of Desert Regional Medical Center, alleged that Tenet and Desert Regional engaged in a scheme to submit false Medicare claims arising from the medically unnecessary implantation of cardiac event records by various physicians at Desert Regional from 2014-2017. Tenet and Desert Regional agreed to pay approximately $1.4 million to settle the federal claims against them. The Relator will receive $240,789 of that federal settlement and an additional $250,000 for attorneys fees. About Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP Sanford Heisler Sharp, LLP is a national public interest class-action litigation law firm with offices in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, San Diego, Nashville, and Baltimore. Sanford Heisler Sharp focuses on employment discrimination, wage and hour, whistleblower, criminal/sexual violence, and financial services matters. The firm has recovered over $1 billion for its clients through many verdicts and settlements . Story continues For the latest news about Sanford Heisler Sharp, visit the firms newsroom or follow the firm on Facebook , LinkedIn , or Twitter . NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Social media marketing and e-commerce-based businesses are a growing trend in 2020. Since the last decade, when social media became a tool for the promotion of specific content and material, marketing agencies have become more necessary; and since e-commerce started replacing regular retail and traditional businesses, having the know-how to engage in e-commerce has become more important. This is why entrepreneurs like Trevor Wong are making a difference. Trevor is a 23-year-old entrepreneur from Toronto, Ontario who attended York University to get a degree in civil engineering. Since he was in college, he had always had a strong work ethic and a deep understanding of the need to save money, holding even three jobs at a time. "This helped me build a strong work ethic that I value to this day. I started running my own brands in third-year university when I realized I wanted to own my own business. In fourth year, I started my own e-commerce website and was able to generate over 100K." Trevor says. Thanks to his business ideas, Trevor was able to get his dream car a BMWi8 when he was just 19, and he paid his way through college. All of this led him to where he is now: running online websites for e-commerce and building brands on Instagram through social media marketing. Trevor was motivated to delve into the business world because of his desire to achieve financial freedom. He wanted to be able to work for himself on his own time and be able to do what he loves. Having his own business excited him because he would get to do what he was passionate about and share his creativity through his work. "The biggest challenge when starting a business for me, as I developed an interest in drop shipping and building online brands, was underestimating the amount of time and research that goes into building a successful brand." Trevor shares. "However, I quickly realized that if I put in the effort and didn't try to take shortcuts, everything I needed was easily accessible to me." Through his path toward building his own business, Trevor also realized that becoming an entrepreneur does not necessarily require him to invent a new product, but that instead, it could mean "finding feasible solutions to universal problems consumers experience." Trevor realized he could also always create something that satisfied the need of customers, depending on the market. Something that Trevor advises is to surround yourself with supportive individuals who encourage you to get your mindset back to the right place, whenever you are down. For Trevor, having the correct mindset is very important because "hours should not matter if you want to make your business succeed." "The biggest lesson I've learned while managing my own business is that you should always attempt to execute ideas that you are passionate about. You will succeed if you are doing something you genuinely believe in." Trevor advises. For Trevor, timing is also of the essence. He believes that no one should let the fear of competition discourage them from implementing their ideas. This would be a negative mindset that could cause entrepreneurs to miss out on potential opportunities. Another negative factor is fear, which impedes you from trying something by valuing the risk factor above the reward. According to Trevor, fear holds people back to testing or believing in the ideas they come up with. "Even I struggled with this issue where I was always scared of failure but learned from the support of friends that I needed to learn to face the possibility of failure because it was a stepping stone." Trevor admits. Overcoming a negative mindset and fear will lead to success, which for Trevor means reaching the goal you were trying to achieve. For Trevor, if you set a goal or a milestone you want to reach, and you are able to achieve it, you have been successful. This is why he will often set a milestone that is realistic to reach and set a plan aside in order to reach it. Trevor's next projects include building a strong reputable brand that has strengths in all aspects of business, from customer service and quality to packaging. Trevor wants to focus on researching a brand he strongly believes in and marketing it to a top position in its competitor market. To see him do that and follow him, go here. Contact Information: Paula Henderson 202-539-7664 phendersonnews@gmail.com SOURCE: VIP-Media View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576086/The-Digital-Era-Is-Here-And-Entrepreneur-Trevor-Wong-Is-Taking-Over-It Emails obtained by the Tribune highlight cordial relationships between Emanuels lieutenants and the Labkon family that owned General Iron through four generations. The former mayor also was the top recipient of the more than $500,000 in campaign contributions to local politicians from family members, who hired a former top aide to Emanuel as one of their City Hall lobbyists. The presidents new North American trade deal, the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, affects New Hampshire businesses importing timber, syrup and dairy from Canada, campaign officials said. Officials also pointed to efforts by the Interior Department to eliminate the Seamounts Marine National Monument, located off the Atlantic Coast, as a move that appeals to New Hampshire voters because it could open up previously protected areas to commercial uses like fishing. Corey Lewandowski, Mr. Trumps first 2016 campaign manager and a New Hampshire resident who considered running for the Senate seat held by the Democrat Jeanne Shaheen, said that those factors, coupled with the fact that the president should have won last time, work in his favor an apparent reference to the relatively little party support Mr. Trump had in his losing battle with Hillary Clinton. Yet if the New Hampshire Republican Party now belongs to the president, it has also seen a significant decline in enrollment. New Hampshire is going to be a challenge for him to win in November, said Jennifer Horn, the former New Hampshire Republican chairman and a staunch critic of Mr. Trump. A week ago, we had more than 20,000 fewer registered Republicans than there were Election Day in 2016. Ms. Horn noted that Republican candidates lost large, consistently red areas in the 2018 midterm elections, and that the same thing could happen here to Mr. Trump. While other state Republicans played down concerns about the drop in party members on the voter rolls as the natural ebb and flow that happens in a state with same-day voter registration, Ms. Horn said 20,000 was way outside the norm. Two from Bengal get six years in jail for peddling fake currency Cross border narco terror: NIA secures custody of 3 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 11: A Special NIA court at Mohali has granted the NIA 7 days custody of three accused in the Amritsar heroin case. The case pertains to the arrest of 3 persons who were in the possession of 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 1,20,000. The accused were arrested in December 2019. The case was registered by the Punjab police, following which it was taken over by the NIA. The probe revealed the role of Khalistani terrorists, Harmeet Singh alias Happy PhD. The NIA says that Singh was running a cross border narco terror network through drug smugglers, terrorists and hawala operatives in Punjab and other states in India. NIA to quiz former J&K MLA for links with Hizbul Mujahideen commander Singh, it may be recalled was killed near Lahore in Pakistan. Initially, it was said that Singh was killed due to a dispute over drug money. However, later it was found that he was killed due to an illicit affair with a married Muslim woman. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 00:33:29|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish forces Tuesday shot down a Syrian helicopter in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib, killing three pilots on board, a war monitor reported. The Turkish forces targeted the helicopter over the al-Nayrab area in the northeastern countryside of Idlib, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The downing of the helicopter comes as the Syrian rebels attacked al-Nayrab on Tuesday before the Syrian army launched a counter-offensive and retook much of the town. The incident also marks a new heightened tension between Turkey and Syria in Idlib as the confrontations happen almost daily. A day earlier, five Turkish soldiers were killed by Syrian targeting of a Turkish-held Syrian air base in Idlib. The Turkish forces have also been amassing forces and allied Syrian rebels to attack government positions in Idlib and retake the areas that have recently fallen to the Syrian army during the latter's wide-scale offensive over the past two months. 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. Story Highlights Over 90% would vote for a candidate who is black, Catholic, Hispanic, a woman or Jewish Much smaller majorities open to atheist, Muslim presidential candidates Majority in U.S. would not support a socialist for president WASHINGTON, D.C. -- More than nine in 10 Americans say they would vote for a presidential candidate nominated by their party who happened to be black, Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or a woman. Such willingness drops to eight in 10 for candidates who are evangelical Christians or are gays or lesbians. Between six and seven in 10 would vote for someone who is under 40 years of age, over 70, a Muslim or an atheist. Just one group tested -- socialists -- receives majority opposition. Less than half of Americans, 45%, say they would vote for a socialist for president, while 53% say they would not. Willingness to Vote for a Party's "Well-Qualified" Candidate for President, Based on Candidate Characteristics % Yes, would vote for that person; Selected trend 1958 Sep 10-15 1983 Apr 29-May 2 2007 Feb 9-11 2015 Jun 2-7 2020 Jan 16-29 % % % % % Black 38 77 94 92 96 Catholic 67 92 95 93 95 Hispanic -- -- 87 91 94 Jewish 63 88 92 91 93 Woman 54 80 88 92 93 Evangelical Christian -- -- -- 73 80 Gay/Lesbian -- 29 55 74 78 Under 40 -- -- -- - 70 Over 70 -- -- 57^ -- 69 Muslim -- -- -- 60 66 Atheist 18 42 45 58 60 Socialist -- -- -- 47 45 ^ Question wording: 72 years of age Gallup These findings are based on a Gallup question asking, "Between now and the 2020 political conventions, there will be discussion about the qualifications of presidential candidates -- their education, age, religion, race and so on. If your party nominated a generally well-qualified person for president who happened to be [characteristic], would you vote for that person?" Gallup first tested Americans' willingness to vote for candidates who don't fit the traditional Protestant white male mold in 1937, asking that year whether they would support a well-qualified Catholic, Jew or woman for president. Support for a woman as president was only 33% at that time but has since grown, as has support for other diverse candidates added to the list over the decades. Since 1958, the sharpest increase in voting tolerance has been for blacks, followed by atheists, women, Jewish candidates and Catholics. More recently, the biggest shift has been for gay or lesbian candidates. The latest results are based on a Gallup poll conducted Jan. 16-29, 2020. When Gallup last measured these attitudes, in 2019, the results were within a few percentage points of those found today. Acceptance of Candidate Characteristics Differs by Party Democrats express at least somewhat more willingness than Republicans to support most of the candidate types tested, with the widest gaps seen for Muslims, atheists and socialists. While at least two in three Democrats say they would vote for presidential candidates with these profiles, support among Republicans drops to just over 40% for Muslims and atheists, and to only 17% for socialists. Republicans are more accepting than Democrats of evangelical Christians and candidates over 70. While President Donald Trump falls into the latter category, so do four of the leading Democratic candidates: Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren and Michael Bloomberg. Republicans and Democrats are about equally likely to support Catholic and Jewish candidates. Willingness to Vote for Candidates With Diverse Characteristics, by Party ID % Yes, would vote for that person Republican Independent Democrat % % % Black 91 97 99 Catholic 95 94 97 Hispanic 90 94 99 A woman 86 95 99 Jewish 92 92 95 An evangelical Christian 88 77 77 Gay or lesbian 62 82 89 Under the age of 40 63 72 75 Over the age of 70 73 68 66 Muslim 42 71 88 An atheist 41 68 69 A socialist 17 45 76 Gallup, Jan. 16-29, 2020 The views of political independents fall midway between those of Republicans and Democrats for several candidate types -- including socialists, with less than half of independents saying they would vote for such a person. Independents are closer to Democrats than Republicans in their greater reluctance to support an evangelical Christian candidate, and in their greater willingness to support a candidate who is a woman, gay or lesbian, someone under age 40, a Muslim or an atheist. Bottom Line As the 2020 Democratic presidential primaries get underway, it may be instructive to know that little prejudice stands in the way of Democratic as well as national support for candidates who happen to be Catholic, Hispanic, Jewish or female. Being especially young or advanced in age could pose minor appeal problems. Being gay or lesbian, Muslim, an atheist or a socialist wouldn't cause much stir among Democrats, but these candidates could have difficulty attracting support from Republicans and, to a lesser extent, from political independents. Learn more about public opinion metrics that matter for the 2020 presidential election at Gallup's 2020 Presidential Election Center. View complete question responses and trends (PDF download). Learn more about how the Gallup Poll Social Series works. Haiti - Politic : Moise went to the site of the future Lycee Jean-Jacques Dessalines Monday President Jovenel Moise, accompanied by Ministers Pierre Josue Agenor Cadet (Education), Joute Joseph (Minister ai of Finances) and Miradin Morland Director General of the Directorate General of Taxes (DGI), visited the area declared of public utility, located at avenue du Chili, that must house the future buildings of the Lycee d'excellence dedicated to Emperor Jean Jacques Dessalines, funded to the tune of 200 million gourdes by the Senate budget not used since the departure of 20 senators https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29762-haiti-politic-the-salary-of-parliamentarians-will-be-used-to-build-10-high-schools.html The Head of State who spoke with the owners of this land took the opportunity to instruct Minister ai Jouthe and Miradin Morland to take all the measures deemed useful in order to compensate the owners of this space, which offers an advantage strategic because of its proximity to the current premises of the Lycee and make the land available to the Ministry of National Education. Joseph Joute, announced that he will meet within a few hours the owners' lawyer with a view to finalizing the file and that other measures will be taken as soon as possible, in order to launch the construction works as soon as possible of this High School. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29762-haiti-politic-the-salary-of-parliamentarians-will-be-used-to-build-10-high-schools.html HL/ HaitiLibre Philip Morris roll-your-own tobacco was quietly pulled from shops around the country late last year after the pouches were found to weigh less than they should. Unsuspecting customers were never told that the tobacco pouches they bought were lighter than advertised, despite laws giving consumers the right to claim a refund. Philip Morris sells 15, 25 and 55-gram products, but declined to say which products were affected. Philip Morris withdrew some tobacco products last year. Credit:iStock The cigarette giant blamed a technical issue. The products are now slowly returning to stores. "We voluntarily withdrew some of our roll-your-own products as a result of a technical issue last year," a spokesman told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald. President Trump tweeted early Tuesday morning that a prosecutors recommendation for at least seven years of jail time for Roger Stone was horrible and very unfair, and implied a potential pardon was on the cards for his longtime confidant. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! the president tweeted. This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! https://t.co/rHPfYX6Vbv Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020 Federal prosecutors said in a court filing Monday that Stone, who was found guilty in November of obstructing justice, witness tampering, and lying to Congress over alleged Russian contacts, should face seven to nine years in federal prison. Investigations into election interference concern our national security, the integrity of our democratic processes, and the enforcement of our nations criminal laws. These are issues of paramount concern to every citizen of the United States. Obstructing such critical investigations thus strikes at the very heart of our American democracy, the prosecutors stated. While Stones charges stem from testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, in which prosecutors say he lied about not speaking to anyone on the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks, former special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that Stone coordinated with Russia or WikiLeaks to release Democrats emails. Prosecutors also explained the rationale for a heightened sentence for threatening Randy Credico, a left-wing comedian and longtime Stone confidant. Stone told the House investigators that Credico was his source that Wikileaks had damaging information on the Clinton campaign a claim backed up by text messages. Credico has long denied being a source of information for Stone regarding WikiLeaks. Story continues Prosecutors highlighted text messages that Stone sent Credico during the Mueller investigation, in which he appears to threaten Credicos safety as well as that of Credicos dog, as proof of the threat itself. Credico testified last month in Stones trial and requested that he only be sentenced to probation, but prosecutors disagreed. Stone may point to the letter submitted by Credico and argue that he did not have a serious plan to harm Credico or that Credico did not seriously believe that Stone would follow through on his threats. But Credico testified that Stones threats concerned him because he was worried that Stones words, if repeated in public, might make other people get ideas, the court filing reads. In any event, it is the threat itself, not the likelihood of carrying out the threat, that triggers the enhancement. More from National Review A resolution to add Tennessees Right to Work law to the state Constitution passed the Tennessee Senate with over a two thirds supermajority vote. Senate Joint Resolution 648 is sponsored by Senator Brian Kelsey (R-Germantown), Lt. Gov. Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge); Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), Senate Republican Caucus Chairman Ken Yager (R-Kingston), Judiciary Committee Chairman Mike Bell (R-Riceville), Speaker Pro Tem. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin), Deputy Speaker Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma), Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Chairman Bo Watson (R-Hixson), Commerce and Labor Committee Chairman Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), Education Committee Chairman Dolores Gresham (R-Somerville), Health and Welfare Committee Chairman Rusty Crowe (R-Johnson City), Government Operations Committee Chairman Kerry Roberts (R-Springfield), Senator Dawn White (R-Murfreesboro), Senator Bill Powers (R-Clarksville), Senator Paul Rose (R-Cordova), Senator Ed Jackson (R-Jackson), Senator John Stevens (R-Huntingdon), and Senator Art Swann (R-Maryville), Senator Shane Reeves (R-Murfreesboro), Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald), Senator Richard Briggs (R-Knoxville) and Senator Jon Lundberg (R-Bristol). Its companion House Resolution is sponsored by Insurance Committee Chairman Robin Smith (R-Hixson), Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland), Finance, Ways, and Means Committee Chairman Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet), Government Operations Committee Chairman Martin Daniel (R-Knoxville); Health Committee Chairman Bryan Terry (R-Murfreesboro), Judiciary Committee Chairman Michael Curcio (R-Dickson), and Commerce Committee Chairman Timothy Hill (R-Blountville). This amendment will guarantee future generations of Tennessee workers their right to work regardless of whether they choose to join a union, said Senator Kelsey. Tennessees Right to Work statute has been state law since 1947. It provides workers cannot be hired or fired based on their membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization. When introduced in 1947, supporters of the bill argued that it would be of great advantage to the average member of organized labor. It also protects the rights of those who choose not to join a union. Tennessee is a highly sought location for companies seeking hard workers and a friendly business environment, Chairman Smith said. Having a constitutional amendment that forever protects Tennessee workers and the growth for jobs in our state is the right thing. Twenty-seven other states have Right to Work laws, and nine of those have passed constitutional amendments, including neighboring states Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. The Alabama amendment passed most recently in 2016. Another neighbor, Virginia, is presently considering repealing its Right to Work statute. A constitutional amendment would offer greater protection for workers against such repeal efforts. Tennessees Right to Work laws have been critical to producing the economic growth our state has experienced over the last decade, said Lt. Gov. McNally. I appreciate everything Senator Kelsey has done to support the right to work in Tennessee. Tennessee has been and will remain a Right to Work state, said Speaker Cameron Sexton. Solidifying this essential concept through this amendment will ingrain this key principle of Tennessee business into our constitution. This will strengthen our economic standing, support our current and future workforces, and also ensure this state remains open for business. Our right to work law has helped make Tennessee a great place to work for decades, said Senator Johnson. By codifying this law into the state constitution, we will ensure this freedom stays in place and helps Tennessees strong job market continue. Our General Assembly has focused on creating an environment where businesses can expand and create new jobs, said Rep. Lamberth. This constitutional amendment supports our current and future work forces, and I am honored to support it. There is no better place than our State Constitution to ensure that Tennessee remains a right to work state, said Senator Bell. Tennessee workers should always have the freedom to make their own choices. Tennessee workers want to make their own choices in the workplace and this amendment will forever seal that right, said Senator Bailey. It also sends a strong message that Tennessee will continue to foster a business-friendly climate into the future for locating high quality jobs. Tennessee is a strong business leader because of its framework that allows business owners to take risks, reap the reward for their efforts, and maintain their workforce in a manner that best fits their business climate, said Rep. Hill. This legislation further cements the legislatures commitment to fostering an environment of certainty and growth for business in Tennessee. In this day and age, I think its extremely important to reinforce that Tennessee is a Right to Work state, said Rep. Lynn. By adding this amendment to our constitution, were protecting our workers but also reinforcing that Tennessee is open for business. Our state is experiencing near historic low unemployment, and new businesses continue to come to our region and to Tennessee daily, said Chairman Terry. This constitutional amendment strengthens our commitment to our workers, enhances our local and statewide economies, and solidifies our status as a national leader. Tennessees workforce is one of the strongest in the entire nation, and my colleagues and I must continue to provide resources and support initiatives that sustain our economic growth and prosperity, said Chairman Curcio. I am proud to support this constitutional amendment that reaffirms our commitment to economic and workforce freedom. If passed by the Tennessee House of Representatives in 2020, SJR 648 would need to pass by a two-thirds majority during the 2021 or 2022 legislative session in order to appear on the ballot for a statewide referendum in November 2022. The amendment would become part of the state constitution if adopted by a majority vote in the governors election. Congress and Left leaders in the northeastern region on Tuesday described the Aam Aadmi Party's win in the Delhi Assembly polls as a victory against the communal forces. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now heading governments in four northeastern states -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura and is an ally of the ruling coalition in Nagaland and Meghalaya, termed the outcome of the Delhi Assembly polls as "Delhi centric localised elections, and no national significance." Congress leader and All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, who campaigned for the party in the Delhi Assembly polls, said that the people of Delhi defeated the Communal forces. She said: "People of the northeastern region are also secular minded, they always wanted to beat the communal forces." Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee member Bijan Dhar said that with the defeat of the BJP in Delhi, it would be easier to intensify the fight against the communal forces in the country. "BJP's strategy to divert the attention of the people from the burning issues of the country like economy, rising unemployment and growing communal tension has been thrashed with a befitting approach," Dhar, convener of the Left Front in Tripura, told IANS over phone from Bhubaneswar. BJP spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that in the Delhi assembly elections, local issues dominated in the mindset of the voters. DETROIT - A man who said he swam across the Detroit River from Canada to try to deliver handmade books before Christmas won his release Tuesday after two months in U.S. custody. Christopher Sagajllo, 56, was arrested in December after crossing the river in a wetsuit and landing at a steel companys property on Zug Island, just south of Detroit. U.S. District Judge Linda Parker sentenced Sagajllo to time served, clearing his return to St. Catherines, Ontario, where the British native is a permanent Canadian resident. He is not a dangerous individual, defence attorney Benton Martin said. Sagajllo, 56, declined to speak in court. But he explained in a letter why he chose a risky way to get into the U.S. Sagajllo said he was desperate after being turned away days earlier at the border in Niagara Falls, New York. U.S. authorities said he was ineligible because he had been deported to the United Kingdom in 2010 after overstaying a visit by seven years. Sagajllo said he had followed his religious faith and made books in silk bags. Four of the recipients were in the United States, and I believed they needed to be delivered before Christmas. ... I believed I needed to swim across. I felt that if I did not do what was, I believe, required of me, that something terrible would happen to me in the future, he wrote. Assistant U.S. Attorney Susan Fairchild said the government had no objection to returning Sagajllo to Canada after weeks in custody. ___ Follow Ed White at http://twitter.com/edwhiteap A previous version of this story contained an incorrect description of the timing of student input leading to the adoption last year of the SAISD student bill of rights. A group of high school activists in the San Antonio Independent School District converged on Monday nights school board meeting to ask for less police involvement in school discipline and other amendments to the districts student code of conduct and Student Bill of Rights. Students have felt like theyre in a prison when really theyre in a school, said Bella Garcia, 18, a senior at the Young Womens Leadership Academy, at a press conference before the meeting. The school district adopted the Student Bill of Rights in November, in part because of concerns that disciplinary practices were too harsh. The document says students have the right to self-expression, to be informed about disciplinary and use-of-force practices at school and to consistent and equitable discipline practice, among other provisions. It lists recommended practices to respond to student behavior, including mentoring programs, peer mediation and counseling. As a student, I can assure you that these solutions are not being implemented, Alejo Pena Soto, 17, a junior at Jefferson High School and the son of former State Board of Education member Michael Soto, told trustees during the public comment portion of the meeting. In-school suspension and police intervention remain ever-present in our schools. Related: Students activism pushed SAISD to change non-discrimination policy Miguel Marquez, 17, a senior at Lanier High School and son of Bexar County Commissioner candidate Queta Rodriguez, blamed administrators treatment of students for Laniers high dropout rates. If students dont feel theyre being treated as they deserve, they just stop trying, Marquez said. The students made seven requests, including stronger limits on school police and publicly available discipline reports that include the race and campus of students disciplined, the infractions and actions taken. A long list of nonprofits, including Texas Appleseed, ACLU Texas, MOVE Texas, the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and the Interfaith Welcome Coalition, co-signed the requests. Members of the SAISD teachers union stood and spoke Monday alongside the students. The code of conduct says SAISD officers cannot be required to handle routine discipline or administrative tasks unrelated to law enforcement, but can still have informal contact with students unrelated to law enforcement or disciplinary matters. We do not want to have a relationship where police cannot interact with students, because this takes all of us, to develop a culture where students can be comfortable on our campuses, Board President Patti Radle said. As SAISD started developing the Student Bill of Rights, the district last spring held student surveys and focus groups, Radle said. After hearing public comment at their August meeting, the board delayed approval of the document, sending it back to a community committee for further revisions, Radle said. From the get-go, there were students involved, Radle said. I looked for that myself. Garcia said shes pushed for greater student involvement in the Bill of Rights since the summer, when she heard it was in the works, but she said the high schoolers attempts to meet with the school board about their requests have been unsuccessful. The students are planning a Feb. 22 meeting with district officials. It is a fluid document, Radle told the students. We are open to the voices of those of you standing before us, and others at your campuses, to see how we can improve it and we can make sure that we are reflecting your voice. Superintendent Pedro Martinez said he wanted to meet with the high schoolers as well. He agreed with them that the district is not doing enough to engage students. Youre absolutely right about where were at as a district, Martinez said. Having a policy, which is our Student Bill of Rights, is the very beginning. Alia Malik covers several school districts and the University of Texas at San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | amalik@express-news.net | Twitter: @AliaAtSAEN FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, Inc., along with national real estate developer Charles S. Cohen today announce the opening of Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport. Taking cues from the brand's mid-century design aesthetic, the top-to-bottom conversion of the property brings to life Le Meridien's distinctive French heritage and the allure of the Cote d'Azur to South Florida. "With a nostalgic nod to the glamour of the French Riviera in the 1960s, Le Meridien inspires travellers to explore the world in style, savour the good life and enjoy experiences that offer something more than meets the eye," said George Fleck, Vice President of Global Brand Marketing & Management. "The debut of this hotel is part of the brand's significant growth strategy and further reinforces our brand's commitment to ensuring that guests experience destinations around the globe through the lens of its European spirit." Located just steps from the city's famed The Design Center of the Americas, the 12-story hotel, designed by David Ashen of dash design, features 245 thoughtfully designed guest rooms and suites. Throughout the exterior and interior of the hotel guests will find references to the sky and sea with design details such as a grand oculus in the lobby that frames the sky to pay homage the glamorous era of air travel, allowing guests to stargaze and view planes passing over. The guestrooms are minimal and modern in design with touches of blue and grey to reflect the destination, features custom-made headboards with mappings of the city inlaid into the wood veneer, and local photography captured by Elizabeth Gill Lui that celebrates the diverse architecture and environment of Fort Lauderdale. "It was a true pleasure for us to partner with real estate developer Charles Cohen and Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts," says David Ashen, the founder of dash design, the interior design and brand consulting firm for Le Meridien. "The design we created supported the tenets of Le Meridien brand as well as the lifestyle that is emblematic for South Florida, both for its residents and visitors. Every detail was thought out: form, function, as well as beauty. The concept sets a standard that we are proud to have contributed." Guests will have the opportunity to indulge in five culinary outlets throughout the hotel including the brands signature Latitude/Longitude Bar serving light fare at Le Meridien Hub and Cabana, as well as Toro Latin Kitchen, serving up a South American menu, La Bibloteca de Tequila which is an exclusive tequila bar and lounge, Constellation Cafe serving daily French fare, and the hotel's outdoor bar offering Caribbean-style fare poolside. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 25,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flexible meeting space within a prime location, in the epicenter of South Florida. Conveniently located minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Fort Lauderdale Everglades Cruise Port, the new hotel also neighbors Las Olas Boulevard, downtown Fort Lauderdale and the evolving Dania Pointe. Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport will also offer guests a sensorial environment through the brand's signature scent, which was developed with MALIN+GOETZ. Aptly named LM002 for airplane tail numbers, the alluring scent will be featured in the public spaces, as it is at all of Le Meridien's properties globally. Paying homage to its French roots, the brand also has a signature soundtrack that will fill the Hub and public spaces, curated by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. "Being able to bring the Le Meridien brand to South Florida has been an exciting venture," said Mr. Charles Cohen, developer and owner of Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale. "We've curated a team of esteemed professionals to bring the brand's French flair to life while paying homage to the maritime spirit of Fort Lauderdale. The hotel's design-centric appeal stands at the forefront a visual story beautifully told by David Ashen with dash design, and the Pentagram team and will be complemented by elevated dining experiences, innovative meetings and event spaces, and unrivaled service." In addition, Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport will offer guests a variety of amenities including a signature Club Lounge with views of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a fully equipped state-of-the-art 1,200-square-foot Fitness Center and Yoga Room, an 82-foot zero-entry pool and an outdoor terrace called the "Water Club." The Hub will serve custom-brewed, barista-crafted coffee beverages as part of the brand's collaboration with illly coffee for guests to sip and savour. For further information please visit www.le-meridien.marriott.com. Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts Born in 1960s Paris during an era of glamorous travel, Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts continues to celebrate cultures around the world through the distinctly European spirit of savouring the good life. With more than 100 hotels and resorts in nearly 40 countries and territories, spanning from Mauritius to Monaco and from Santa Monica to Seoul, Le Meridien's engaging mid-century designed spaces coupled with chic signature programmes put a playful twist on art, coffee, sparkling cocktails, summer and family and inspire creative-minded travellers to explore the world in style. Stay connected to Le Meridien on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Le Meridien is proud to participate in Marriott Bonvoy, the new name of Marriott's travel program replacing Marriott Rewards, The Ritz- Carlton Rewards, and Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG). The program offers members an extraordinary portfolio of global brands, experiences on Marriott Bonvoy Moments and unparalleled benefits including earning points toward free hotel stays and nights toward Elite status recognition. To enroll for free or for more information about the program, visit MarriottBonvoy.marriott.com. SOURCE Marriott International, Inc. Related Links www.marriott.com AMHERST The Town Council voted unanimously on Monday to borrow $750,000 to design a new school or major renovations to Fort River Elementary. The 12-to-0 vote occurred after the council had convened a public forum where residents had the opportunity to express their opinions on a new school. Whether or not the money is borrowed and spent is contingent on the Massachusetts School Building Authority agreeing, in the years ahead, to fund a portion of the construction, which typically is more than half of the costs. The MSBA has already invited the town into the agencys 270-day eligibility period during which the authority would work with Amherst to determine the school districts financial and community readiness to enter the MSBA Capital Pipeline, the state said in a letter to the town in December. A decision on whether the state says yes to the town going forward with a feasibility study, that could result in a design, is not expected before next year. If that step is approved, then there is the potentiality of construction of a new school or major renovations to Fort River Elementary. A feasibility study would determine the approximate costs to construct a new building or to repair Fort River school and recommend how best to proceed. The process could take five to seven years, according to Town Manager Paul Bockelman. In a joint statement, Bockelman and Superintendent Michael Morris, they described why the town is supporting this initiative. The proposed project would address the documented need for a significant new learning environment for elementary students in Amherst. The District reported in its Statements of Interest that the current Wildwood and Fort River Elementary School buildings do not meet the educational needs of their students due to their open classroom design; aging mechanical systems that are beyond the expected life span; inefficient energy systems ill-aligned with the Towns values on consumption; documented accessibility issues; and an unsafe, outdated design, the statement said. One plan under consideration by the Amherst district is to combine Wildwood and Fort River into one new school. Category Select Category Apparel/Garments Textiles Fashion Technical Textiles Information Technology E-commerce Retail Corporate Association Press Release SubCategory Select Sub-Category New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday gave a clean chit to former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana and R&AW Chief Samant Goel in a bribery case registered by the agency in 2018. The CBI has chargesheeted Dubai-based private person Manoj Prasad, whom it had earlier arrested. The investigating agency has moved an application in the court contending that further probe involving his brother, Somesh and Sunil Mittal, is required. The CBI also concluded that there was no connection between Asthana and Prasad. The CBI also stated that "there was no role of any public servant" in the discussion Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Babu Babu had with Prasad. Asthana was booked on allegations of criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) on a complaint filed by Sana. Asthana had strongly refuted the charges. The CBI on October 15, 2018, had registered an FIR against Asthana for allegedly accepting a bribe from an accused probed by him in return for ensuring relief and a clean chit in the case. The case against Asthana was lodged after Hyderabad-based businessman Sana in his complaint to the CBI had alleged that he paid a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Asthana so that he could be spared of any action in an investigation linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. The money was allegedly paid over a 10-month period, starting from December 2017. Sana was being investigated by an SIT team headed by Asthana when he had accused him of accepting bribes. As per Sana's complaint, he had met Prasad, who claimed to have good relations with Asthana. Sana also alleged that Prasad's brother, Somesh, would help him in getting a clean chit from Asthana. Sana, a close aide of Qureshi, was arrested on July 27 last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. In October 2018, the battle between then Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana became public, leading the government to intervene in the matter and transfer both the officers. A mother and her six children died after a fire destroyed their house early Saturday in Clinton, Mississippi, about 15 miles northwest of Jackson, the state capital. Officials identified the dead as: Brittany Presley, 33, and her children Landon Brookshire, 15; Lane Presley, 13; Lawson Presley, 12; Grayson Presley, 6; Malcom Presley, 4; and Felicity Presley, 1. The Presley family (Credit: GoFundMe, Lisa Williams) Jake Presley, the father, was the only survivor. He was seriously injured trying to rescue his family and was taken to a local hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation and second-degree burns. Allen Short, a neighbor, told WLBT-TV that Presleys hair was singed and he had a big cut on his arm from breaking a window trying to get into the home. The kids were really nice and the whole neighborhood is just destroyed about this whole thing, Short said. The Clinton Fire Department responded to a call to the home at 12:30 a.m. Saturday. It took firefighters about 40 minutes to control the blaze, which left the home destroyed and uninhabitable. When they arrived at the scene, firefighters found the father worried and concerned, said Mark Jones, City of Clinton director of communications. He didnt want to leave the scene. He was very concerned about his family. Clinton Fire Chief Jeff Blackledge told the New York Times that the father desperately tried to save his family. He actually went in and told them to follow him, Blackledge said. He was going to lead them outside, and when he got to the door and outside, the children were not with him. Five of the children were found huddled in one bedroom and the mother and another child were found in another bedroom. The cause of the fire is under investigation, but Blackledge told the Times, We feel like its going to be electrical in nature. He said there was no evidence of foul play. It is unknown at this point whether there were working smoke detectors in the home, which was built in 1951. Investigators will look at whether the age of the home played a factor. A vehicle and the Presley home damaged from the fatal fire on Saturday (AP Photo/Rogelio V. Solis) Fire officials will also be investigating whether bars on the windows, intended to deter burglars, prevented the mother and children from escaping the fire. In the aftermath of the fire, some of the window bars could be seen strewn across the lawn, along with clothing and childrens toys. The community has been stunned by the tragedy. Jake Presley operates a lawn maintenance business, Leaf Man Lawn Care. His wife Brittany was a second-grade teacher at Reuben B. Myers Canton School of Arts and Sciences in Canton. The older children attended Clinton public schools. District Superintendent Tim Martin told the Clarion Ledger, Clinton is a very close-knit community so when something so tragic like this happens, it affects the entire community. James Williams, a close family friend, told the Ledger that the growing family had been living in the rental house on Old Vicksburg Road for every bit of 12 years. According to the New York Times, the wooden home was only 1,300 square feet, with three bedrooms and one bath to house the eight family members. Clinton, population 25,216 as of the 2010 Census, is an ethnically diverse town with 75 percent identified as white and 23 percent African American. In 2010, the median household income was $56,539, and the per capita income was $26,398. About 9 percent of the population was below the poverty line. The small town has seen two large companies come and go. WorldCom, now Verizon, was headquartered in Clinton from the mid-1990s until 2002, when the Fortune 500 company went bankrupt in a massive accounting scandal. In 2003 the company announced that it was moving its headquarters to Virginia. Auto parts manufacturer Delphi Corporation operated a plant in Clinton from the early 1970s until it closed in 2009. The company moved its production of cable and wiring connectors to its Warren, Ohio facility, at a loss of 280 jobs in Clinton. Credit: US Fire Administration, The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Countless communities across the US repeatedly fall victim to house fires resulting in fatalities. According to the US Fire Administration, an entity of the Department of Homeland Securitys Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), fires of all types and causes kill over 3,000 and injure 16,000 people each year. About 100 firefighters also die on duty each year. Between January 1, 2019 and February 10, 2020, there were 2,479 home fire fatalities in the US. Incidents with multiple fatalities accounted for 744 of these deaths. The states with the greatest number of fire fatalities during this period were New York, 145; Texas, 132; California, 130; Pennsylvania, 129; Michigan, 106; Illinois, 107; and Ohio, 101. Over the 10 years from 2008 to 2017, the US had an annual average of 1,344,100 structure fires, resulting in 3,190 civilian deaths and 16,225 injuries. The number of fire fatalities rose by 9.6 percent over this decade. The leading cause of home fires is cooking, followed by heating and electrical malfunction. In Northern states, fires peak during the winter months when households that have had their heating turned off for nonpayment turn to space heaters and unsafe cooking methods. Those who have lost their electricity resort to candles and other dangerous lighting means. The following are some of the most horrific residential fires in recent years: December 21, 2019: An apartment fire in Las Vegas left six residents dead, more than a dozen injured, and 50 displaced. November 27, 2019: In Minneapolis, Minnesota, five were killed and four were injured in a fire at a high-rise public housing complex. November 21, 2019: Three homeless men died in a fire in an abandoned house in the Queens neighborhood of St. Albans in New York City . May 8, 2019: A fire ravaged a Harlem, New York City apartment, killing six, including four young children and their mother. February 26, 2019: A fire rapidly consumed a mobile home in Imlay City, Michigan, claiming the lives of three young children. February 14, 2019: Four children and their father perished in a fire in their Watertown, New York home. December 9, 2018: Five children were killed, and their mother injured, in a house fire in Youngstown, Ohio . October 1, 2018: A house fire at a vacant property in Hamtramck, Michigan, claimed two lives. August 26, 2018: Eight children, including an infant, were killed in an apartment fire in the Little Village neighborhood on Chicagos west site. A ninth child succumb to injuries the next day. Friends of the Presley family have set up a GoFundMe page to solicit funds to pay for funeral expenses for the family, as well as medical expenses for Jake Presley. More than $72,000 had been donated as of Monday evening, a demonstration of the outpouring of support for the unthinkable tragedy suffered by the family and the injured and grieving father. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel Bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir will pay a visit to Romania on Wednesday and Thursday and the meeting with Romania's Acting Foreign Affairs Minister Bogdan Aurescu is included on the agenda of the first day. The visit takes place in the context of celebrating, in 2020, 25 years of diplomatic relations between Romania and Saudi Arabia and "is part of the shared efforts to strengthen the bilateral relations, both at political and economic level, as well as in other areas, and also to boost the exchange of views regarding the regional and international developments of interest for both states," a Foreign Affairs Ministry (MAE) release sent to AGERPRES on Tuesday informs.According to the quoted source, the agenda of bilateral talks includes aspects related to the assessment of the stage and possibilities of developing the bilateral political dialogue, as well as at sectoral level, including between the business milieus. The talks will also include an opinion exchange on the current security situation in the Middle East. Puro Politics is a weekly podcast hosted by columnist Gilbert Garcia, covering the drama and nuance of local government issues. Produced by Joy-Marie Scott. Listen and subscribe on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher TuneIn& RSS All Episodes Xochil Pena Rodriguez is a political novice whose life has nonetheless been steeped in politics. Rodriguez studied architecture at Rice University and had no desire to ever run for elective office. As the only child of former Congressman Ciro Rodriguez and activist Carolina Pena, however, she spent much of her youth attending political rallies, participating in parades and sitting in on campaign strategy sessions. At the moment, Rodriguez is competing in the Democratic primary for Texas Senate District 19, a 17-county district that went to Republican retired game warden Pete Flores in a 2018 special-election runoff, after more than a century of solid Democratic control. During an interview on this weeks edition of the Express-News Puro Politics podcast, Rodriguez, a former San Antonio assistant city attorney, said she was incredibly frustrated with the result of that special election. At some point, you get frustrated enough, that youve got to step up and be the change that you want to see in the world, she said. On ExpressNews.com: Gutierrez-Rodriguez match likely in Senate District 19 Rodriguez said her parents didnt discourage her from launching the campaign, but tried to make certain she had thought through the implications of her decision. It was really more of, Are you sure? Do you know really fully what that means and the level of work itll take to do? Rodriguez said. Over his final four years in Congress, her father represented U.S. District 23, which covers much of the same territory including small rural communities along the Texas-Mexico border as the area that she currently hopes to represent. His advice on how to approach the district was simple. It was really just to remember that everybody wants to be heard, Rodriguez said. Everybody wants a voice. You cant neglect communities just because its a long drive away. They deserve representation, too. They deserve to see the people who are trying to run to be elected to represent them. I dont intend to just stay in San Antonio. Hear these and other topics discussed on this weeks episode of the Puro Politics podcast. Gilbert Garcia is a columnist covering the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ggarcia@express-news.net | Twitter: @gilgamesh470 Classical and traditional architectural styles have proven their ability to inspire such respect for our system of self-government. Their use should be encouraged. Design must flow from the architectural profession to the government and not vice versa. The Government should be willing to pay some additional cost to avoid excessive uniformity in design of Federal buildings. If a style other than classical is proposed for a project, the order establishes a high bar for getting approval: it would establish a presidential "re-beautification" committee to review designs and would still give the White House final say. The AIA strongly opposes uniform style mandates for federal architecture. Architecture should be designed for the specific communities that it serves, reflecting our rich nations diverse places, thought, culture and climates. Architects are committed to honoring our past as well as reflecting our future progress, protecting the freedom of thought and expression that are essential to democracy. Since public buildings are funded from public moneys, it will come as no surprise that their design can be wrapped up in politics and bureaucracy. Consider the reports that President Trump is contemplating an executive order, entitled Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again, which will provide that for various categories of federal buildings and building projects contracted through the General Services Administration (GSA) and costing more than $50 million.Executive orders emanate from the executive (the White House) rather than the legislative branch (Congress), meaning that they are not subject to legislative approval. If a final executive order is issued, the whiff of diktat in favor of neo-classical design (per Hyperallergic.com, emphasizing ) will be in; modernist architectural design in its various forms, epitomized by Brutalism , will be out.As described in various reports (see, e.g., here here and here ), the draft order embraces a preference for neo-classical architecture by the U.S. Founding Fathers (such as George Washington and Thomas Jefferson) in the late 18th and early 19th century. In so doing, it is claimed, they sought to reflect the values of and and their .More generally, the argument goes--Ironically, perhaps, while the adoption of such architectural form hearkened back to ancient Greece and Rome, it was essentially revolutionary, rather than conservative, in nature.The immediate bogeyman in the proposed order is the GSA Design Excellence Program , which, it is claimed, has expressed a preference for an architectural modernism that fails to incorporateAs a result,In the words of Marion Smith, chairperson of the National Civic Art Society , a non-profit organization that champions the classical style (and which seems to have spearheaded the formulation of the draft order), contemporary architecture has Focusing on the design of federally-funded buildings, Mr. Smith criticizes bureaucrats who Kat readers should be able to get the gist of what is meant by Brutalism from the term itself, but a bit of visual aid wont hurt. Note, from left to right, the Wilkie D. Ferguson, Jr. U.S. Courthouse in Miami and the U.S. Federal Building in San Francisco, and below the U.S. Courthouse in Austin, Texas, all of which are specifically mentioned in the draft order.This is not the first time that the U.S. federal government has been involved in the design of federal buildings. Back in 1962, the Guiding Principles for Federal Architecture were issued. However, if the current draft order is made final, these Guiding Principles will need to be drastically modified.Drafted by then Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan , the Guiding Principles provided that Federal architectureThe draft order reportedly uses these same wordsdignity, enterprise, vigor and stability. In its view, however, modernist styles, such as Brutalism,Notably, in comparison with the contemplated dictate of classical design style in the draft order(modernism shall not be used), the Guiding Principles stated that . The Guiding Principles went on--The proposed mechanism for giving expression to the order will be the Presidents Committee for the Re-Beautification of Federal Architecture. As reported by theFollowing reports of the draft executive order, the American Institute of Architects (AIA), issued the following statement: For this Kat, one can formulate both a pro and contra to the position of the AIA. On the one hand, the notion of a viable democracy, as it took root in the 18th century, placed great emphasis on scope; it would best flourish in a smallish polity, with the sovereign providing services of scale, such as mutual defense.When constitutional federalism was adopted by the Founding Fathers, they took this to heart. Yes, there would be a national government, but the federal system would equally would rest on the vibrancy of the states in giving expression to the needs of local polities.On the other hand, federalism has a legitimate aspiration to achieve some degree of consensus at the national level. To accomplish this, appropriate messaging is important. Neo-classical design of federal buildings constructed and maintained by public moneys might be one form of such messaging. Whether Making Federal Buildings Beautiful Again will provide a satisfactory balance between diversity and coherence in the design of federal architecture lies at the heart of the debate over the proposed order.By Neil Wilkof As the vote-counting trends for the Delhi assembly polls indicated a big win for the AAP, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil on Tuesday blamed the "transfer" of the Congress' votes to the Arvind Kejriwal- led party for the defeat of the BJP. The ruling Shiv Sena said the BJP got only "limited success" in its efforts to "polarise" votes over the ongoing Shaheen Bagh protest. Women have been holding sit-in protests at the Shaheen Bagh against the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, the proposed countrywide National Register of Citizens and the National Population Register. As per the available trends, the Aam Aadmi Party is set to retain power for a third term in Delhi. "The entire Delhi was once in Congress' hand when its senior leader Sheila Dixit was in command. Just four days before polling, the Congress shifted its votes to AAP to isolate the BJP," Patil claimed. The Congress and the AAP had contested separately in the assembly elections. As per the trends available for the total 70 seats, the AAP has won one seat and leading in 60 constituencies. The BJP is leading in 9 constituencies. Patil said continuous efforts were made to "isolate the BJP" across the country and people have seen the way the state government (comprising the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress) was formed in Maharashtra. Similar tactics have been adopted by the Congress in Delhi, he said. "We always get 33 per cent votes in Delhi, and you will see our vote-share would increase further once the results of the Delhi polls are out," the BJP leader claimed. The ruling Shiv Sena said the BJP's style of has been rejected by the people of Delhi. "The BJP is in power in Delhi (at Centre) for a long time. Despite that, the Aam Aadmi Party managed to win the Delhi polls because of its own work," senior Sena leader and Maharashtra Transport Minister Anil Parab said. The BJP tried to "polarise" votes over Shaheen Bagh but its success is limited to only 10 plus seats, he said. "It is quite possible that some AAP MLAs were inefficient; hence those seats went to the BJP," Parab added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gen John Raymond, chief of space operations for the US Space Force, confirmed that two Russian satellites have been following a US spy satellite on Monday A top Space Force official has lashed out at Russia for trailing a US spy satellite with two spacecraft. Gen John Raymond, the chief of space operations for America's newly-minted Space Force, said the two Russian satellites began pursuing the multi-billion dollar US satellite in November and have at times flown within 100 miles it. 'This is unusual and disturbing behavior and has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space,' Raymond said in a statement to Business Insider. 'The United States finds these recent activities to be concerning and do not reflect the behavior of a responsible spacefaring nation.' The US has raised concerns about the matter to Moscow through diplomatic channels, Raymond told Time magazine, which first reported the stalking on Monday. The confrontation marks the first time the US military has publicly identified a direct threat to a specific American satellite by an adversary. Pentagon, White House and Congressional backers have said that Russia's actions demonstrate the need for the Space Force, which became the sixth military branch when President Donald Trump signed the $738billion National Defense Authorization Act into law in December. Space enthusiast Michael Thompson raised concerns one of the Russian satellite's maneuvers on Twitter late last month. He shared the graphic above which shows the path of the US satellite US 245 in blue and the Russian satellite Cosmos 2542 in purple US military analysts first took note of the Russian mission when a spacecraft that was launched into orbit on November 26 - the Cosmos 2542 - unexpectedly split into two about two weeks later. Closer inspection revealed that the second smaller satellite - Cosmos 2543 - had been effectively 'birthed' from the first. 'The way I picture it, in my mind, is like Russian nesting dolls,' Raymond told Time. 'The second satellite came out of the first satellite.' Russia's Defense Ministry confirmed the separation on December 6 and said the purpose of the experiment was to 'assess the technical condition of domestic satellites', according to the TASS news agency. The explanation was called into question in mid-January as analysts noticed the two satellites were flying close by the American satellite dubbed USA 245. The satellite is one of four in a reconnaissance constellation codenamed Keyhole/CRYSTAL - KH-11 for short - which is operated by the National Reconnaissance Office, a secretive intelligence agency based in Virginia. KH-11 satellites' sensors and cameras are said to be focused on foreign adversaries' top-secret military installations. They operate in a polar orbit several hundred miles above the Earth's surface, allowing them to cover its entirety. One of those satellites, the USA 224, is widely believed to have taken the highly-detailed image of Iran's Imam Khomeini Space Center that President Donald Trump posted on Twitter in August. Pictured: Launch of a Soyuz 2-1v rocket carrying the Cosmos 2542 satellite Space enthusiast Michael Thompson raised concerns about Cosmos 2542's maneuvers on Twitter late last month. 'This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known US spy satellite,' Thompson tweeted on January 30. He suggested that Cosmos 2542 may be getting close to USA 245 to take intelligence photos of the satellite or that it could be getting into a position to debilitate it. Russia has a number of communications satellites positioned above the Earth that the Kremlin could use to gather intelligence or even disable or destroy other satellites, according to The Drive. This could potentially usher in a new era of 'space war', where weaponized satellites in orbit attempt to gain ground on satellites from other nations. Thompson shared the graphic above on Twitter which illustrates the distance between the two satellites, with dates on the x axis and kilometers on the y axis Thompson said the satellites' orbital periods were less than one second apart, meaning that Cosmos 2542 is 'loitering around USA 245 in consistent view' A San Antonio native is the new chief financial officer and senior vice president for Whataburger, the company announced Monday. Janelle Sykes, who started in her new position this week, was described as having a "business mind and people heart that matches the brand's values" by Whataburger's president Ed Nelson. Scientists in the US have developed an interactive map of the novel coronavirus spread, that allows users to see the number of cases worldwide, recoveries and deaths, as well as trends in realtime. The map updates every few hours with data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization (WHO), Chinese and other government agencies, including those in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. "Mapping is a powerful tool to tell social, cultural and political phenomena," said Bo Zhao, an assistant professor at the University of Washington in the US. "As a geographer, and in what people call the 'post-truth era,' it's important to weigh in with data sources to show people how things are happening," Zhao said. By zooming in on various countries -- such as China -- users can see the number of cases, recoveries and deaths, as well as trends over time, according to the researchers. The outbreak of the coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China in December, has been declared a public health emergency by the WHO. Tens of thousands have been infected, and hundreds have died so far. Zhao recently produced an online atlas to illustrate the global refugee experience. The coronavirus, he said, is another societal issue that people can gain perspective on by seeing it on a map. According to Zhao, while the Chinese government has been criticised for its response to the crisis, and concerns have arisen about its transparency, China's National Health Commission data is the most accurate available for the country. However, the outbreak is not just affecting China or the city of Wuhan, he added. "It is a global issue, and that's the perspective users can gain from the map. The numbers on display are important, too, because there are more recoveries than deaths," Zhao said. "That can give people encouragement," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has lauded President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for putting up a splendid performance in his first term in government. Speaking at the Government Town Hall Meeting in Kumasi today on the achievements of the Nana Akufo-Addo government in three years, Mr Bawumia was emphatic that records are available to show the good works of the Nana Addo-led government. In fact, in the history of the Fourth Republic, President Akufo-Addo has the best performance for any first term government since 1992. Period! All the worst performances happened under the NDC which holds the record for first, second and third worst performances in the fourth republic but they still want to challenge the best performer, he said. Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Property industry insiders said the State Bank of Vietnams decision to tighten credit would mean pain in the short term for developers but help the sector develop sustainably over the long term. Analysts said the central banks moves would significantly cut off credit to high-risk sectors, especially property. Photo vietnambiz.vn Dr Su Ngoc Khuong, director of Savills Vietnam, said while the central bank has tightened credit to the property sector, developers who have good projects would still be able to raise money from banks, home buyers and partners. Limiting loans to the real estate sector will not create difficulties even for new developers if they can develop their projects professionally. The central bank replaced a previous circular on operational safety ratios for the banking sector with Circular No 22, which came into effect on January 1 this year and focuses on two issues that tighten bank credit to the property sector. They are a reduction of the ratio of short-term funds that can be used for medium- and long-term loans from the current 40 per cent to 30 per cent by September 2022 in four phases, and an increase in the risk ratios of mortgages from the current 50 per cent to 150 per cent and loans for commercial real estate from 150 per cent to 200 per cent. Analysts said the central banks moves would significantly cut off credit to high-risk sectors, especially property. But surprisingly, though the credit tightening would bring new challenges for property developers, many of them are supportive of the policy. Ngo Duc Son, general director of DRH Holdings, said his company has been using leverage a lot in recent years, mobilising funds from customers and commercial banks to develop projects. Using high financial leverage ratio was the only resort left to the company because cost of capital that the borrowers like his company are paying for was very high, averaging between 12 and 14 per cent per year, he said. Leverage refers to the ratio of debt to equity. An excessive amount of financial leverage increases the risk of failure, implying the borrowers facing more difficulties to repay the debt. Also known as gearing, high leverage ratios have hit property developers competitiveness and pose risks to banks that lend to them. Son said thus when banks tighten lending to the property sector, both sides would benefit from a reduction in risk. The property market would adjust to the new situation and develop more sustainably, he assured. Many property enterprises have made plans to ensure funding for future projects. DRH Holdings plans to reduce the pace of development, Son said. An executive at a company developing a real estate project in HCM Citys District 9 said in the past, his company used to develop at least five projects simultaneously, but plans to reduce that to two. Nguyen Hoang of DKBA Vietnam said in the immediate aftermath of the central bank tightening credit, many developers found it difficult to raise funds. But many have since started diversifying their funding sources and no longer rely too much on bank loans, he said. Many have opted to issue bonds, he said. He stressed the need for the Government to create a credit rating system to assess bond issuances by property firms to ensure transparency and safety. Economist Can Van Luc said the central bank wants money to flow into housing segments with actual rather than speculative demand, and so the new policy is likely to have a positive impact on the market. Duong Thi Thanh, deputy director of the SBVs monetary policy department, said before issuing Circular 22, the central bank had outlined a roadmap for banks to adjust their capital structure to ensure safe credit growth while ensuring credit flows to enterprises including in the property business. Some analysts said the credit tightening should have been done much earlier to prevent bubbles and help the real estate market develop in a sustainable manner. Bank credit growth quotas: should they be scrapped? On January 3, the governor of the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) issued a directive on the implementation of key tasks in the banking sector this year. Under it, the SBV will allocate credit growth limits for individual banks this year too to meet the overall 14 per cent growth target set for the sector. The target is equivalent to those in 2018 and 2019. Also like in previous years, the credit growth quotas will be assigned on the basis of assessing each lenders operations and ability to ensure the credit growth safely. The allocation of quotas has in past years enabled the central bank to closely monitor the banking sectors credit growth, helping stabilise the economy. How have quotas affected lenders? Most banks constantly want higher quotas since their profits depend heavily on interest income. Many manage to increase their quotas after using them up before the end of the year. Some resort to repurchase (repo) agreements to meet their customers demand for credit. The repo strategy helps banks circumvent the SBVs credit growth ceiling and benefits both buyers (who lack credit quotas) and sellers (who have leftover quotas), experts said. But over the past few years, the SBV has had to expand credit limits for banks based on their credit quality and the state of the economy. Last year, for instance, it made adjustments to credit limits three times. But banks said that though they had credit growth limits be expanded but they could not take the initiative to disburse loans, thus affecting their credit growth. One question that has cropped up often is Is it time for the central bank to remove credit limits for banks? The central bank began the quota allocation in 2012 after many banks increased their lending by up to 50 per cent, causing a sharp rise in non-performing loans. According to the SBV, the allocation is aimed at both ensuring there is adequate credit to serve the economys needs and controlling its quality, thus precluding bad debts. The Vietnamese economy still relies heavily on credit from the banking sector in the absence of other sources, and so the central bank needs to closely monitor lending to minimise bad debts. But analysts said there are other ways for the central bank to monitor banks lending and minimise bad debts and there is no need to limit their credit. One of them is to control their capital adequacy ratio, they said. The risk ratio for loans given to fund real estate projects has been increased from 150 per cent to 200 per cent and for personal loans for home purchase from 50 per cent to 150 per cent, which would help reduce lending to the two high-risk segments, they pointed out. VNS HCM City property market a magnet for foreign investors The Ho Chi Minh City property sector has in recent years attracted billions of dollars worth of foreign investment due to its growth potential, real estate consulting companies have said. Manila: Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told the United States he is scrapping a bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement, following through on repeated threats to downgrade the defence alliance. The mercurial Duterte, who has made no secret of his grudge with the US and disdain for his country's close military relationship, believed it was time to be more militarily independent, his spokesman said on Tuesday. Rodrigo Duterte is kicking US troops out of the Philippines. Credit:AP "It's about time we rely on ourselves; we will strengthen our own defences and not rely on any other country," Salvador Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting Duterte. Defence ties between the Philippines and its former colonial ruler go back to the early 1950s and are governed by a Mutual Defence Treaty, which remains intact along with an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement made under the Obama administration. Nigerias Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has been criticised by Nigerians after he made public his intentions to secure a loan that would help upgrade the nations broadcasting infrastructure and also NTA to the likes of the American news network, CNN. The minister disclosed his intentions when he appeared before the Senate Committee on Local and Foreign Loans, chaired by Clifford Ordia, to defend the borrowing plan of his ministry. The ministry is applying for a $500 million loan as part of the $29.96 billion loan requested by President Muhammadu Buhari in the External Borrowing Plan (2016 to 2018) for Infrastructure development in the country. According to a report by The Guardian, the minister said if the fund was approved, the NTA could be upgraded to enable it to send out signals that would be at par with CNN, because we have the manpower and the technology. Nigerians react The minister trended on Twitter Monday as he received a backlash from Nigerian Twitter users. Here are some reactions: Nigeria has wasted money on a lot of things since 1960 but if the $500m loan for NTA goes through, it would rank as the top 5 most wasteful use of money ever in the history of television. NTA is dead, let it die. A poor country like Nigeria has better use for half a billion dollars. What do you need $500m for at NTA? To make the production look better so that videos of poverty can become clearer and Nigerians can better see those who ought to fix the problems laugh harder, with their teeth looking whiter and their agbadas more colorful? Fear God. If Lai Mohammed wants NTA to compete with CNN, privatise it. CNN doesnt belong to the American government. Unshackle NTA from Startimes, privatise it and focus on endeavours that directly lift Nigerians out of poverty. Enough of this jamboree style of governance wrote JJ. Omojuwa. Another Twitter user wrote: Lai Mohammed should fear God. Haba! $500m(N180bn) can build 10 world-class cancer hospitals. It can create at least 25,000 SMEs that will improve the lives of at least 5m families. Why does he need a loan of $500m(N180bn) to digitize NTA. What concerns you and I with NTA? Uncle Lai Mohammed, Why should there be NTA stations in all states in Nigeria. As much as it is to create job opportunities, it is not sustainable. Why not have a massive base station in Abuja, one substation in each geopolitical zones and correspondence in each state, another user wrote. Allahabad Bank's net loss for the quarter to December widened to Rs 1,987 crore as against Rs 732.81 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago. The Kolkata-based lender's operating profit rose to Rs 898 crore during the quarter under review, compared with Rs 769 crore in the year-ago period. Total business stood at Rs 3.93 lakh crore in the December quarter, the bank said in a release. It was Rs 3.67 lakh crore in the third quarter of 2018-19. Provision coverage ratio was 82.42 per cent as against 69.64 per cent a year ago. Net non-performing assets (NNPA) of the bank reduced to 5.13 per cent during the three months ended December from 7.70 per cent. Gross NPA during the reporting quarter rose to 18.93 per cent as against 17.81 per cent in the year-earlier period. Allahabad Bank is proposed to be merged with Indian Bank to become the seventh largest lender with a total business of Rs 8 lakh crore. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images To bolster his status in the polls for the Republican primary in New Hampshire in which the incumbent president leads challenger Bill Weld by 81 points Trump held a rally in Manchester on Monday night, where he reiterated a debunked claim that voters from Massachusetts drove up to the Granite State to vote in 2016. Remember last time?, Trump asked the crowd at Southern New Hampshire University. We won the primary tremendously. We shouldve won the [general] election, but they had buses being shipped up from Massachusetts, hundreds and hundreds. And it was very close, even though they did. Trump lost the popular vote in New Hampshire by less than 3,000 votes though his opponent did not need the aid of voters driving over the border to pull off the win. (And as anyone from New England knows, the only real reason for someone from Massachusetts to sneak up to New Hampshire for a day of surreptitious action is to buy fireworks and then hop back on I-93.) Though the New Hampshire secretary of state and attorney general did not find any evidence of widespread voter fraud in 2016, that did not stop Trump and White House senior adviser Stephen Miller from complaining about it early in the administration. I can tell you that this issue of busing voters in to New Hampshire is widely known by anyone whos worked in New Hampshire politics, Miller told ABCs This Week in February 2017. He added, This morning on this show is not the venue for me to lay out all the evidence. Despite a lack of proof for the claim, Republicans have pointed to New Hampshire as a possible site of voter fraud due to the states same-day registration law, which allows residents to register at their polling place on Election Day. Already in Iowa, GOP allies have forwarded false accounts of voter fraud, which have been debunked by the secretary of state: .@seanhannity It's disappointing to see you spread this #FakeNews. Their claims are FALSE. The actual numbers, compiled every month by my office and readily available for anyone to view, tell a much different story, with #FACTS: https://t.co/eq8ew0TvTg Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate (@IowaSOS) February 3, 2020 The suggestion of past voter fraud wasnt the only example of misinformation at Trumps Monday rally: He also miscounted the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the United States, suggested Mexico is paying for the wall, and appeared to get his Revolutionary-era history mixed up: Trump on Concord, New Hampshire: "I love Concord. Oh, Concord. You know how famous Concord is? Concord. That's the same Concord we read about all the time, right?" It is possible he is thinking of Concord, Massachusetts. Daniel Dale (@ddale8) February 11, 2020 At the ceremony (Photo: VNA) The breathing equipment, clean-room suits, gloves and face masks were presented during a ceremony on February 9th at the Noi Bai International Airport. Speaking at the ceremony, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs To Anh Dung said that they are Vietnams best medical equipment at present, being provided for China in the context that Vietnam also needs them for fighting the disease. We hope the equipment will contribute to support Chinese people overcome the current difficult situation, he said. He also confirmed that Vietnam is carrying out drastic measures to prevent the disease spreading and to protect peoples health, while closely working with and sharing experience and study results with the World Health Organization (WHO) and countries, promoting the joint efforts of ASEAN as ASEAN Chair 2020, and standing side by side with China and other countries in the fight against the disease. Expressing his thanks for Vietnams assistance, Chinese Ambassador to Vietnam Xiong Bo asserted that the equipment is a significant encouragement for Chinese people. He stressed that they would be immediately transported to Chinas Wuhan outbreak. The Vietnam Red Cross has also encouraged organizations and individuals to donate medical equipment worth USD100,000 to assist China./. The UK's leading dementia research charity Alzheimer's Research UK has today (11 February) launched a global initiative to revolutionise the early detection of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's. The project will harness and analyse a wealth of digital data to develop signatures of disease - or "fingerprints" - that can be then detected using wearable technologies, such as smart watches. The collaboration aims to secure at least 67m over the first six years, with an ambition to attract up to 100m of total investment by 2030 to build and trial its diagnostic device on a large scale. Initial funds towards the initiative have already been secured from Bill Gates and Iceland Foods Charitable Foundation, and EDoN will now become a focus for the charity's fundraising to secure the further support required. The charity's President, former UK Prime Minister David Cameron, hosted an event to launch the Early Detection of Neurodegenerative diseases (EDoN) initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland last month. Diseases like Alzheimer's, the most common form of dementia, start to develop in the brain up to two decades before symptoms of dementia begin to show. Researchers worldwide now agree that future treatments and preventions will have greatest benefit when given as early as possible in the disease. With potential new treatments for early Alzheimer's on the horizon, Alzheimer's Research UK believes that now is a critical time to act to identify very early brain changes in diseases like Alzheimer's. EDoN sees Alzheimer's Research UK join forces with leading organisations in data science, clinical and neurodegenerative research to collect and analyse clinical and digital health data such as sleep, gait and speech patterns, to develop early digital fingerprints of diseases like Alzheimer's. Carol Routledge, Director of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "Our research shows that 85% of UK adults would be willing to take a test that could tell them if they were in the early stages of a disease like Alzheimer's, even before symptoms show. EDoN aims to harness the growing popularity of digital health technology and big data to revolutionise how we develop early tests for these diseases. Developing digital fingerprints that can be detected using phone apps or wearable technologies like smart watches would provide a low-cost approach to identifying those most at risk of disease. "Identifying the very earliest changes in these diseases would transform research efforts today, giving us the best chance of stopping these diseases before the symptoms of dementia start to get in the way of life." Prof Chris Holmes from the University of Oxford, and Programme Director for Health at The Alan Turing Institute, the UK's national institute for data science and artificial intelligence and an EDoN partner, said: "Artificial intelligence has the potential to transform the learning opportunities from large scale data studies such as EDoN by integrating information from multiple sources, this being an area of strength at the Turing. We will use AI to deliver new insights into the early signals of disease by combining digital data measurements with traditional sources such as brain imaging and memory tests. More accurate and timely detection will enable earlier enrolment for patients onto clinical trials and provide new scientific insight into the initial stages of diseases like Alzheimer's. "The UK is uniquely placed to undertake this work with its expertise in AI and the clinical sciences, coupled with an NHS that is critical to deliver patient benefit. We are delighted to be embarking on this partnership." David Cameron, President of Alzheimer's Research UK, said: "During my time as Prime Minister I witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of dementia on families and made a personal commitment to transform the pace of research efforts across the globe. At the first G8 Dementia Summit in 2013, health leaders committed to finding a disease-modifying treatment for dementia by 2025. As that deadline grows closer, we must focus not only on developing life-changing medicines but how we ensure they reach the right people at the right time. "Early and accurate diagnosis will give future treatments the head-start they need to succeed. EDoN brings together those at the forefront of this early diagnosis movement. Through technology and big data, I strongly believe we are on the cusp of a revolution in how we detect the brain diseases that cause dementia and radically improve the lives of the millions on families facing these heartbreaking diseases." In December 2018, the UK Government committed 79m through the Life Sciences Sector Deal 2 to create the Accelerating Detection of Disease cohort, a group of up to 5 million people to act as a testbed for data-driven discovery. As a partner on that project, Alzheimer's Research UK plans to use the cohort to validate technologies emerging from EDoN on a scale that's not been possible before. Minister for Care, Caroline Dinenage said: "We want to make this the best country in the world to live well with dementia and early detection and diagnosis is a huge step toward improving the lives of those with the condition. Harnessing cutting-edge technology to spot the early signs of dementia can be used to transform research to improve outcomes and even one day, stop this disease in its tracks. "This is an incredibly exciting initiative which has the potential to bring together global partners to transform how we treat dementia as well as to live well with it." ### For further information, or for interviews, please contact the Press Office at Alzheimer's Research UK on 0300 111 5 666, mobile 07500336132 or email press@alzheimersresearchuk.org The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the European Union have signed the new program for support of digital governance in Ukraine worth 25,000 Euros. Oleksiy Honcharuk, the Prime Minister of Ukraine reported that on his Telegram channel. He added that the government's priority is the digitalization of 100% of state-provided services by 2024. In 2020, the Cabinet plans to digitalize 80 percent of the most popular services. "This is the international technical assistance provided by the Ministry of Digital Transformation for the support of projects on digitalization. Ukraine actively aims to implement the Association Agreement's chapter about electronic communications", Honcharuk wrote. He added that the e-governance could become "come in handy" for people. As we reported, the Ukrainian government is actively preparing for the introduction of the second stage of medical reform in Ukraine; in particular, specialized medical care institutions will be connected to the eHealth system, electronic referrals and an electronic patient medical record will be launched by April 1. This was announced by Mykhailo Fedorov, Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Carrickfergus, United Kingdom Tue, February 11, 2020 07:10 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b07fc 2 World same-sex-marriage,same-sex-relationships,Ireland,law Free A Belfast couple were on Tuesday set to become the first same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland after a change in the law. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, were due to wed at 2:00 pm (1400 GMT) in Carrickfergus, near Belfast, after the new legislation came into effect on Monday. It followed campaigning by Amnesty International and partner organizations in the "Love Equality" campaign, which hailed the occasion "a landmark moment for equality in Northern Ireland". "We didn't set out to make history -- we just fell in love," Edwards said ahead of the nuptials in a statement released by the campaign. "We are so grateful to the thousands of people who marched for our freedoms, to the Love Equality campaign who led the way, and the politicians who voted to change the law. "Without you, our wedding wouldn't have been possible. We will be forever thankful." Her soon-to-be wife Peoples added: "While this campaign ends with Sharni and I saying 'I do', it started with people saying 'no' to inequality. By standing together, we've made history." British MPs in London passed legislation last July, while Northern Ireland's devolved government was suspended, to allow gay marriages and same-sex civil partnerships. The move, which brought the province into line with the rest of the UK, was opposed by a group of local lawmakers but they failed in a last-minute bid in October to block its implementation. London spent the intervening months drawing up new regulations to apply to the marriages and partnerships -- with the first permitted to happen this week. In the meantime, Northern Ireland's political parties also agreed to restart power sharing in Belfast. Activists, British MPs including Northern Ireland Secretary of State Julian Smith, and others will celebrate the occasion at a parliamentary event in London later on Tuesday. Sara Canning, the partner of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by dissident republicans in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry last year, helped to campaign for the change. "Of course, this historic moment is a little bitter-sweet. It had been our dream too. Lyra and I should have been an engaged couple now, planning our own wedding day," she said in the statement. Two Houston men have been arrested in connection to a Nov. 19 attempted armored truck heist near Kroger in Willis that left one man dead after he was shot by a Brinks employee. Alan Gillespie, 27, was arrested Jan. 16 and Treveon Poole, 27, was taken into custody Feb. 5. Both men are lodged at the Montgomery County Jail facing charges of aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony. Javahnte Jawun Parker, 27 of Houston, was pronounced dead at the scene. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: From ghost routes to empty bags, how Houston police foil robbers in armored car heist capital of U.S According to Willis Police Chief James Nowak, Parker was shot by the Brinks employee after he, Gillespie and Poole allegedly tried to rob him as he serviced an ATM at the Chase Bank on FM 1097. The black Toyota car at the scene that was used by the men was registered to Parker, Nowak said but was displaying license plates from a different vehicle registered to someone else. The violent incident was first reported around 9:30 a.m. as a robbery with shots fired, Nowak said. Paramedics were already on the scene attempting to revive the fatally wounded suspect when officers arrived. BREAKING NEWS UPDATES: Get your Houston breaking news alerts delivered to your Inbox Nowak said witness reports from the scene and video from adjoining businesses provided leads that were followed up by the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Houston Police Department. Assistant District Attorney Adam McClane with the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office declined to release specific information about the case since it is still under investigation. Police believe two suspects may he involved in this case. One suspect is alleged to have been directly involved in taking the money and the other individual had an indirect, but supportive role, McClane said. Under Texas law, individuals can be criminally liable if they aid, encourage, or assist in a criminal act, but this depends on the specific facts of the case. We will wait to see what law enforcement determines and make charging decisions from there. The DAs office along with Willis police are investigating the incident with assistance from multiple agencies, including the Montgomery County Sheriffs Office, Texas Rangers and Texas Department of Public Safety. cdominguez@hcnonline.com WASHINGTON and LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 About TauC3 Biologics Limited: TauC3 Biologics is a privately held British biopharmaceutical company developing an exceptionally potent and specific, humanized monoclonal antibody, uniquely targeting an especially noxious protein metabolite in the brain of patients with Alzheimer's disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. The company believes that the antibody has the potential to be a standout immunotherapy for these diseases whereas other more advanced tau programs are unlikely to be as efficacious and pose potential safety concerns. The humanized antibody was generated in partnership with LifeArc, a UK medical research charity. Find out more about us at www.tauc3bio.com About LifeArc LifeArc is a self-funded medical research charity. Our mission is to advance translation of early science into health care treatments or diagnostics that can be taken through to full development and made available to patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance and four licensed medicines. Our success allows us to explore new approaches to stimulate and fund translation. We have our own drug discovery and diagnostics development facilities, supported by experts in technology transfer and intellectual property who also provide services to other organisations. Our model is built on collaboration, and we partner with a broad range of groups including medical research charities, research organisations, industry and academic scientists. We are motivated by patient need and scientific opportunity. Find out more about our work on www.lifearc.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter . About AD AD is the most common cause of dementia and represents an enormous and growing global public health challenge. It is a uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no cure or substantially effective treatment. AD currently affects more than 5 million Americans, 7 million Europeans and, in total, about 44 million people worldwide according to the most recent report by the Alzheimer's Association with an estimated cost of more than one percent of global GDP. No disease-modifying treatments have been approved. About PSP PSP is a rare and fatal degenerative neurological disorder affecting about 20,000 people in the United States. It causes progressive impairment of balance and walking; impaired eye movement, abnormal muscle tone, speech difficulties, and problems related to swallowing and eating. Affected individuals also frequently experience personality changes and cognitive impairment. Symptoms typically begin after age 60 but can begin earlier. The exact cause of PSP is unknown. PSP is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson disease, AD, cotrimoxazole degeneration and other neurodegenerative disorders. No disease-modifying treatments have been approved. B oris Johnson has given HS2 the go-ahead despite criticism over its cost and impact on the environment. The cost of HS2 came under fire after a Government-commissioned review found the project could end up costing up to 106 billion. HS2 was allocated 56 billion in 2015, with phase one planned to launch in 2026, although the recent report said it could be pushed back until 2031. The Prime Minister said on Tuesday that to avoid further blow outs in HS2s cost or schedule, a series of measures will be taken to restore discipline to the programme. This will include appointing a minister whose full-time job will be to oversee the project, and changes to the way HS2 is managed. Boris Johnson Gives HS2 The Green Light Addressing the House of Commons, Mr Johnson said his Government had the guts to take the decision to deliver prosperity across the country. In his response to the Oakervee Review conducted by former HS2 chairman Douglas Oakervee, Mr Johnson said it "leaves no doubt of the clinching case for high-speed rail". However, there has been considerable backlash from environmentalists who say HS2 will "push nature to the brink". Installation of the high-speed railway system will lead to the loss or damage of up to 108 ancient woodlands in England, including five internationally protected wildlife sites and put protected creatures such as white-clawed crayfish, the willow tit and the dingy skipper butterfly under threat of local extinction. The Woodland Trust charity said the scheme would shoot a poisoned arrow through the heart of our ancient woods and their wildlife and become a permanent reminder of backward environmental thinking. Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester said he would call for a timetable for work in the north, which has not yet been released. Mr Johnson followed his comments on HS2 by adding there is "no immediate prospect" of construction beginning on a third runway at Heathrow. The Standard takes a look at how much has been spent on the project so far and what the proposed route is: What is the proposed HS2 route? HS2 proposed route / PA Graphics High Speed 1 was the 68-mile railway line from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel in Folkestone in Ken which opened 2008. High Speed 2 is the second, more ambitious project, constituting 345 miles of new tracks. It was announced in 2009 by Labour's last Transport Secretary Lord Adonis and has been supported by successive governments ever since. Phase one of HS2 is planned to run between London and Birmingham, with phase 2 to run in a Y-shaped route, one from Birmingham to Leeds and the other route from Birmingham to Manchester. The initial plan was for the lines to carry 400m-long (1,300ft) trains of up to 250mph, with each train having as many as 1,100 seats, potentially trebling passenger numbers between the cities. Boris Johnson has announced the government is pressing ahead with HS2 / AFP via Getty Images The line, linking London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds on one route, is said to slash journey times by half. Phase one of the route will start at London Euston before running through the north west of the capital. It will then cut through rural areas of the UK, such as Buckinghamshire and parts of the Midlands, before ending up in Birmingham. Mr Johnson said the Government will seek to identify where cost savings can be made in Phase 1 without carrying out a detailed redesign. Before designs for Phase 2b are finalised and legislation is introduced, the Government will introduce an integrated plan for rail in the North, he told MPs. He added: It will, in line with the findings of the Oakervee Review, look at how we can best design and integrate rail investments across the North including Northern Powerhouse Rail between Leeds and Manchester. How much has been spent on HS2 so far? Billions of pounds have already been spent on the project since it was first launched. The price tag set out in the 2015 budget came in at just under 56bn. However, the government has estimated the project's cost will double, with the latest figure rising to 106bn. The 106bn figure comes from a review of the project leaked in January. Corbyn attacks Government over HS2 costs Lord Berkeley however, said independent analysis arrives at a figure of at least 107.92 billion. During the election last year, Boris Johnson said he expected the figure to rise above 100bn. According to the Guardian, by September last year around 7.5bn had already been spent on the project thanks to preparatory work in London and Birmingham, which included demolitions and buying properties along the route. Mr Oakervee's review recommended that work on phase 2b of HS2 from the West Midlands to Manchester and Leeds should be paused for six months to investigate if it could be a mix of conventional and high-speed lines, according to the Financial Times, which has seen a copy of the paper. The review concluded that the Government should "on balance" continue with the 250mph railway, which would initially go from London's Euston station to Birmingham and then to Leeds and Manchester by 2040, but that this is subject to "a number of qualifications". When is HS2 expected to launch? An artist's impression of a HS2 train on the Birmingham and Fazeley viaduct / Press Association Images The railway was always due to open in stages, with phase one initially expected to launch in 2026 and the final section from Crewe to Manchester and Birmingham to Leeds completed by 2033. However, a report by HS2 Ltd chairman Allan Cook said the original plans "did not take sufficient account" of the effect of building a high-speed line through areas that are densely populated and with challenging ground conditions. In 2016, the National Audit Office reported the planned opening date was at risk because the company in charge had missed one third of its own planning and development milestones. Iconic Retailer Opens Medical Use Dispensary in San Leandro OAKLAND, CA and TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Harborside Inc. ("Harborside" or the "Company") (CSE: HBOR), a California-focused, vertically integrated cannabis enterprise, announced today the opening of its San Leandro retail facility. Formerly, San Leandro Wellness Solutions, Inc., the location was fully acquired in October of 2019 and has been operating in a medical capacity but will expand to recreational services in the coming months. This latest opening marks Harborside's fourth dispensary in California. The San Leandro dispensary is strategically located along the busy Interstate 880 corridor between Oakland and San Jose, one of the most heavily trafficked stretches of highway in Northern California. Its location near the Oakland International Airport, San Mateo Bridge and the San Leandro Factory Outlets shopping mall will be convenient for both Bay Area commuters and patients in the heavily populated corridor. The store carries the same inventory as its existing retail locations, including Harborside's own KEY and Harborside Farms lines of cannabis products, and will also offer delivery services. The 7,000 square foot retail facility will be one of three dispensaries licensed to operate in the San Leandro area. "The San Leandro community has graciously welcomed us over the past few months, and the entire team at Harborside looks forward to providing neighboring residents with quality cannabis products and care," said Peter Bilodeau, interim CEO of Harborside. "I commend the executive and retail teams for dedicating their time to this successful opening and we are proud to further establish ourselves as Northern California's preeminent cannabis retailer." About Harborside: Harborside Inc. is one of the oldest and most respected cannabis retailers in California, operating three of the major dispensaries in the San Francisco Bay Area, a dispensary in Palm Springs outfitted with Southern California's only cannabis drive-thru window, two dispensaries in Oregon and a cultivation facility in Salinas, California. Harborside has played an instrumental role in making cannabis safe and accessible to a broad and diverse community of California consumers. Co-founded by Steve DeAngelo and dress wedding in 2006, Harborside was awarded one of the first six medical cannabis licenses granted in the United States. Harborside is currently a publicly listed company on the Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") trading under the ticker symbol "HBOR". Additional information regarding Harborside is available under Harborside's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com . For the latest news, activities, and media coverage, please visit the Harborside corporate website at www.investharborside.com or connect with us on LinkedIn , Facebook , and Twitter . Additional Information Additional information regarding Harborside is available under Harborside's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com , including in Harborside's Listing Statement dated May 30, 2019. Additional information regarding PMACC is available at www.shopharborside.com . This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities. Forward-Looking Information Certain portions of this press release contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, which is also referred to as "forward-looking statements", which may not be based on historical fact. Wherever possible, words such as "will", "plans," "expects," "targets," "continues", "estimates," "scheduled," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "may," "could," "would" or might, and the negative of such expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify forward looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the expansion to recreational services in the coming months, offering of delivery services, and the possibility of manufacturing and distribution on site. Forward looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future events, future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of the times at, or by which, such events, performance or results will be achieved, if achieved at all. The forward-looking statements and information are based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by Harborside, including expectations and assumptions concerning Harborside. Although Harborside believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking statements and information are based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking statements and information because Harborside can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. By its nature, such forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties, which could cause the actual results and expectations to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed. These risks and uncertainties, include, but are not limited to, the results of the due diligence review on the parties on each other are less than satisfactory, or the required shareholder approvals are not obtained. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is given as of the date hereof, and to not use such forward- looking information for anything other than its intended purpose. Harborside, Inc. undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. The CSE has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE Harborside Inc. Soldiers wear protective suits during the arrival of Brazilians repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus, at the Annapolis Air Force Base, in Anapolis city, Goias state, Brazil, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. Dozens of Brazilians landed early Sunday morning at the airbase in the Brazilian state of Goias, where they will spend the next 18 days in quarantine. (AP Photo/Beto Barata) Associated Press Airlines around the world have canceled flights and suspended routes to China amid plummeting demand due to the coronavirus outbreak. However, airlines are also taking other precautions as the virus continues to spread to other countries. We asked flight attendants how they felt about working in air travel during the outbreak here's what they said. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. As the coronavirus outbreak spreads across China and the globe, much of the world has cut itself off from China, with airlines suspending routes to the country as demand for travel to the region plummets. As the number of coronavirus cases approached and passed the total from the 2003 SARS outbreak, cities in China became virtual ghost towns, with quarantines and fears of catching the virus leading people to stay indoors. Many of the world's airlines are no longer flying to China, including the three US airlines that normally fly there, but concerns within the travel sector remain, especially as more cases of the virus are found in other countries. While some passengers may be concerned about flying or passing through global hubs, flight crews spend extended periods on planes and are exposed to significantly more people. "Aviation workers are always on the front line of any communicable disease," said Sara Nelson, the president of the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA. "What's concerning about the coronavirus is that people who are infected and not yet displaying symptoms can spread the disease." As airlines take precautions to prevent the spread of the virus, we asked several flight attendants how they felt about working in air travel, in confined spaces among tons of passengers, during the outbreak. Here's what they had to say. Are you a flight attendant, pilot, or other airline employee with thoughts on the outbreak or the air-travel industry? Email this reporter at dslotnick@businessinsider.com. Story continues "We're definitely worried," a Delta flight attendant said. wuhan coronavirus stopping the spread Indonesian Foreign Ministry via AP "I'm definitely worried, partly because someone can have no symptoms but still have it and be a carrier. You don't realize it till it's too late. "I know of one person who worked a China flight before the quarantine order and then ended up working domestic flights. Crews were afraid to work with them. And that person had to go back to China before our flight suspension started. No one wants to go; people said they'd just call out sick. "Part of the reason we're concerned is that they haven't set up protocols for everything, like how to deal with cleaning up people's food after meals. Plus we were the last airline to suspend flights. "I'm especially worried, and other people are too, that my immune system might not be as strong, because I had health problems tied to the uniforms. I knew people who were severely immunocompromised. It makes me concerned. "I don't remember it being like this during SARS, with people so nervous and skeptical. A lot of my friends at work don't believe it when they hear that the coronavirus isn't that bad. I don't remember doctors dying during SARS, or people talking about whistleblowers. "It's definitely enough to have me worried about working in travel right now." One flight attendant who works for Spirit Airlines said that even at the low-cost US carrier, which doesn't fly anywhere near where the virus originated, cabin crew members were being extra cautious. FILE PHOTO: Passengers wearing masks walk at the Shanghai railway station in China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the novel coronavirus, February 9, 2020. REUTERS/Aly Song Reuters/Aly Song "We are all pretty worried about the coronavirus. "I've noticed that a lot of us are taking extra precautions now (extra hand-washing, wiping down our jump seats and onboard phones with Lysol wipes, and I see a lot more people wearing gloves to collect trash). "I definitely think a lot of the traveling public have started to rethink their travel plans. Flights haven't been as full as they typically are. "Luckily for the cabin crew, though, regardless of how many people we have on board, we still need a fully staffed plane, meaning we are still getting all of our hours." But many other flight attendants said they weren't worried, including a New York-based employee for one of the major US airlines. A woman wearing a face mask rides an escalator at an underpass leading to a subway station in the morning after the extended Lunar New Year holiday caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Beijing, China February 10, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins Reuters "I actually haven't had to work since the outbreak, but I have traveled. I'm not too concerned about catching it, and from the looks of it, most passengers were not either. I only saw about a handful of people wearing masks on my flight to and from Europe the other day. "In my opinion, it's just like another strain of the flu/cold. Symptoms are very similar not that I want it! But I believe that generally healthy people shouldn't be any more concerned about the coronavirus than they are with catching the flu. Hopefully without the flights to China and all of the other precautions they are taking, it shouldn't spread too far. "We aren't letting anyone who has been in China in the past 14 days on any of our flights. I've heard some people who have tried to bypass that, though, but have been removed by government authorities. "I don't think the travel demand will drop either. We are coming up on peak travel season soon, especially with a lot of spring breaks being next month. I definitely could see the demand for the other Asia routes that we are still operating to drop for the time being, but I believe it will not have much of an effect on the airline in general. "I would just recommend that people wash their hands often when traveling, take their vitamins, and don't travel if you are already feeling sick!" The main thing is to be cautious, a Texas-based flight attendant for American Airlines said. wuhan coronavirus masks handwashing Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images "I wouldn't say I'm nervous, but definitely more cautious! Trying to wash my hands a ton, always wearing gloves when picking up trash, sanitizing my bag when I get home, etc. "At this point, I don't see travel demand dropping at all, but if the virus started spreading faster through the US, then I think it would start to fall. "Also, a lot of passengers have asked me for face masks, which we currently do not have onboard or provide. So if they want them, they need to bring their own. "If the virus started spreading more and travel demand dropped, I would assume the airlines would temporarily suspend flights to and from certain cities with the least demand." Ultimately, according to a Qantas flight attendant, the fact that most airlines have suspended or seriously curtailed flights has workers feeling more comfortable. Coronavirus Andrei Samsonov/Getty "We are canceling flights to China from February 9. No idea why it wasn't an immediate cancellation. "I didn't work any of the last flights to China, thank goodness. The 787 [the type of plane on which this flight attendant works exclusively] doesn't go there. I would have called sick if I was rostered any China flights. "I'm not too worried. I think it's no more serious than other flus that have been around. If you're healthy, it's not going to kill you. "Some of my colleagues are worried, but others feel the same as me. "In the end, I think the media are making a bigger deal of it than it needs to be." Read the original article on Business Insider The World Bank is offering technical assistance to China to help battle the coronavirus epidemic but no new loans, the development lenders president David Malpass said. He told Reuters the bank was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to aid China, including offering advice about past health crises, but did not plan any financial assistance because China has ample resources of its own. "My thought is that we all wish them a speedy way to address the coronavirus in China," he said, adding that they have offered technical assistance in the area of health, sanitation and disease policies. "China has its own large international reserves," and new loans are not being considered at this time, added Malpass. The only new China financing approved by the World Bank so far in fiscal 2020 is a $150 million loan here towards a $686 million project to sustain forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River basin. China reported that it held $3.115 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in January. For many of the students I work with, going to the United States is a dream they've long nursed but also one that, even without a travel ban, is hard to achieve. It's not uncommon for some of our top students to be selected for a competitive study-abroad opportunity only to be denied a visa at the last minute, a blow that some students have to endure multiple times. Often, the decisions that come down from the U.S. Consulate seem arbitrary: one sibling granted a visa, the other turned away. And with the new restrictions despite the nominal exemption for educational travel their odds seem set to become even slimmer. When I met a friend of mine, a recent alumna, for coffee before the official ban came down, she launched into a breathless description of her plans to move to the United States next year for work. She hadn't read about the proposed travel ban; when I pulled up an article on my phone and showed it to her, she fell silent, the future she'd imagined dissolving like sugar in tea. Ila Bank Bahrain, a wholly owned retail subsidiary of Bank ABC, has appointed Mohamed Al Maraj as its CEO. Launched in November 2019, ila marks the ABCs foray into retail banking space with a fully-digital mobile only proposition, with a roadmap that starts with Bahrain moving on to other Mena countries. Working on the ila Bank project from inception through to its launch, Al Maraj brings to this role extensive local and international experience in banking, investments and digital transformations. Prior to this appointment, he as the COO of ila Bank. Previously, he played a key role in several group level initiatives including the establishment of Bank ABCs DIFC office, upgrading of its Singapore office, and the launch of B-wallet, and acquiring POS machines for Bank ABCs digital payments subsidiary, AFS. Sael Al Waary, the Deputy Group CEO of Bank ABC, said: Mohameds journey at Bank ABC exemplifies our commitment to promote growth from within. I am confident Mohamed will successfully lead ila Banks young and dynamic team to push boundaries and promote smart banking in Bahrain. Before joining Bank ABC, Al Maraj was a senior associate with the investment bank, Perella Weinberg Partners, in New York. He holds a B Sc in Finance and Accounting from the Wharton School of Business, University of Pennsylvania, US. Two years in the making, ila - a smart, intuitive, agile mobile-only bank - was conceived to offer seamless banking experiences that reflect modern lifestyles, address financial pain points and accelerate inclusion, through its accessibility on ubiquitous smart devices as well as its lowest income threshold to open an account in the market. TradeArabia News Service One of Kuwaits top parliamentarians has been filmed throwing the peace plan presented by US President Donald Trump into a bin. At a meeting of the Arab Inter-Parliamentary Union in Jordans Amman, National Assembly Speaker Marzouq Al Ghanem said that the proposal, which has been perceived as favouring Israel, was destined to die because of its bias. They want us to move Palestine from a central cause to a secondary one, and from the centre to the margins, he said. It will not happen. History is not behind you, geography does not help you, and demography does not play to your advantage. Palestine will return, Jerusalem will return sooner or later. He was then filmed holding up the peace plan and dropping it into a bin. These are the documents of the so called deal of the century, he said, holding a bound file of papers. Their appropriate and real place is the dustbin of history, he said as he threw the file, apparently into a rubbish bin positioned next to him. Last month, US President Donald Trump unveiled a Middle East plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians which the Palestinians have rejected saying it is biased in favour of Israel. Former Sinn Fein Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast Joe O'Donnell (centre) picture leaving the High Court in Belfast with his legal team Kevin Winters(left) and Setanta Marley where they were settling a case concerning state collusion in a murder attempt against Mr O'Donnell. Picture by Jonathan Porter/PressEye A former Sinn Fein councillor and his wife are to receive an undisclosed six-figure sum to settle legal actions over alleged security force collusion in repeated loyalist assassination attempts. Joe O'Donnell, who served as Deputy Lord Mayor of Belfast, claimed police officers and soldiers failed to warn him after a British agent targeted him for gun attacks on his home. His wife, Jacqueline, also sued the PSNI and Ministry of Defence for alleged negligence in a series of suspected paramilitary murder bids between 1987 and 1989. Both actions were stayed at the High Court today, with no admission of liability by either defendant. But a lawyer for Mr and Mrs O'Donnell confirmed the total settlement of the two actions will see them receive a combined six-figure sum. The couple's landmark lawsuits were based on the 2012 findings of a government-ordered review by Sir Desmond de Silva into state collusion with loyalist terrorists. Central to the case was the clandestine role played by Brian Nelson, a UDA man said to have been recruited by British intelligence. Nelson's handlers in in the Force Research Unit (FRU) were aware of his role in selecting Mr O'Donnell and other Sinn Fein representatives as potential victims, it was alleged. But it was claimed that neither warnings nor other preventative steps were taken. Mr O'Donnell's home in the Short Strand district was repeatedly attacked, with shots being fired in through windows of the property, according to legal papers. One of his children was showered by glass in one of the loyalist gun attacks. Some of the incidents were described as drive-by shootings. Reinforced doors, locks and steel shutters had to be fitted as the family lived in continuous fear of further assassination attempts on Mr O'Donnell. Following the resolution reached in the two actions the 68-year-old ex-councillor said: "This brings closure for my family and I after a difficult period of more than 30 years. "It's been a very stressful time for us, but there's also mixed emotions because there are many other people who weren't fortunate enough to survive attacks of this kind. "Our thought are with their families because they deserve closure." Mr O'Donnell's solicitor, Setanta Marley of KRW Law, said the settlements were among the first in actions based on Sir Desmond's review of alleged collusion and the role of Brian Nelson. He added: "These cases are an endorsement of the O'Donnell family's determination to challenge the state on the findings contained within de Silva." Actor Kareena Kapoor will be seen next in Aamir Khans ambitious Laal Singh Chaddha. On Monday, a new picture from the sets of the film surfaced online. It has Kareena posing with crew members. In the picture, Kareena is sitting inside what appears to be a tent, with crew members of the film. She, much like the rest of the team, is wrapped up in warm clothes and a room heater is on for extra warmth. While it is not clear where the pictures are from, previous reports and pictures of Aamir suggest that the team is in Himachal Pradesh for the films shoot. A few weeks back, several pictures of Aamir had emerged online which showed him surrounded by his Himachali fans. Aamir plays the titular character in the Hindi remake of Hollywood classic, Forrest Gump, which starred Tom Hanks in lead role. The team of Laal Singh Chaddha has had extensive shoot schedules in Chandigarh and Jaisalmer. Kareena had been part of the Chandigarh shoot schedule. In pictures from Jaisalmer shoot that leaked online, Aamir was unrecognisable in a dishevelled look. Also read: Esha Deol announces good news, Tara Sharma thinks she is pregnant again. Watch videos Speaking about how she auditioned for the role, a first in her long career, Kareena had told Mid Day: I wouldnt have agreed to do this for anyone except Aamir. He is a genius, and he would want to do the best for his film. If he asked me to audition, it is only because he knew I was perfect for the part. But he wanted to be sure of what he was seeing in me. Theres science to that decision. Speaking about her experience shooting Laal Singh Chaddha with her team, Kareena told Hindustan Times how they had been so accommodative, more so because her young son Taimur accompanied her to the shoot. He had done so when she shot for Veere Di Wedding as well. The film went on to become a success and my son came along with me to the shoot and I think that was the best decision as well. He has to know that his mother works. He has to respect the fact that both his parents work. Saif was like, if you want to continue, take him with you and keep him close. Let him know what you do. And thats what he has done, he is a brave, brave boy. He has come back from a 20-day shoot for Laal Singh Chaddha all over Punjab. And I shoot for 8 hours, rush back to put him to bed and I have a wonderful actor and producer - Aamir Khan, who supports me. Thats what a working mother and a working actor should be. I think things are changing in our world. Follow c@htshowbiz for more Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:53:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close KHARTOUM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sudan agreed Tuesday to send all those criminals with arrest warrants in Darfur to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for trial, Sudan's Sovereign Council said in a statement. "The government's agreement is made on a basic principle related to justice. It is also related to prevention of impunity," Mohamed Al-Hassan Al-Taishi, a member of Sudan's Sovereign Council, was quoted in the statement as saying. The agreement came during the talks between Al-Taishi, heading the Sudanese government negotiating delegation, and leaders of Darfur delegation on Tuesday in Juba, capital of South Sudan, said the statement. During the talks, the two sides agreed on four mechanisms to achieve justice in Darfur, including a mechanism concerned with holding all those facing arrest warrants responsible before the ICC, a mechanism for the special court of Darfur crimes, a mechanism for the traditional justice and a mechanism for issues related to justice and reconciliation. "We cannot achieve justice unless we heal the wounds by justice itself," said Al-Taishi, adding "we cannot escape from facing this without the appearance of those with arrest warrants before the ICC as there are crimes of humanity and war crimes committed against innocent people in Darfur and other areas." Officials belonging to the former Sudanese government are facing charges of alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. On March 4, 2009, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir for allegedly committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur region. INDIANAPOLIS -- Information gathered from routine visits to the doctor is enough to accurately predict a person's risk of developing Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, according to new research led by scientists from Regenstrief Institute, Indiana University and Merck. The researchers developed and tested machine learning algorithms using data from electronic medical records to identify patients who may be at risk for developing the dementia. At least 50 percent of older primary care patients living with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias never receive a diagnosis. And many more live with symptoms for two to five years before being diagnosed. Currently, tests to screen for dementia risk are invasive, time-consuming and expensive. "The great thing about this method is that it's passive, and it provides similar accuracy to the more intrusive tests that are currently used," said lead researcher Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute and a professor at Indiana University School of Medicine. "This is a low cost, scalable solution that can provide substantial benefit to patients and their families by helping them prepare for the possibility of life with dementia and enabling them to take action." Developing machine learning algorithms for predicting dementia The research team, which also included scientists from Georgia State, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Solid Research Group, recently published its findings on two different machine learning approaches. The paper published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society analyzed the results of a natural language processing algorithm, which learns rules by analyzing examples, and the Artificial Intelligence in Medicine article shared the results from a random forest model, which is built using an ensemble of decision trees. Both methods showed similar accuracy at predicting the onset of dementia within one and three years of diagnosis. In order to train the algorithms, researchers gathered data on patients from the Indiana Network for Patient Care. The models used information on prescriptions and diagnoses, which are structured fields, as well as medical notes, which are free text, to predict the onset of dementia. Researchers found that the free text notes were the most valuable to helping identify people at risk of developing the disease. "This research is exciting because it potentially provides significant benefit to patients and their families," said Patrick Monahan, PhD, study author from IU School of Medicine and a Regenstrief affiliate scientist. "Clinicians can provide education on behavior and habits to help patients cope with their symptoms and live a better quality of life." Zina Ben Miled, PhD, M.S., a study author from the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI and a Regenstrief affiliate scientist, said, "The early risk identification allows an opportunity for doctors and families to put a care plan in place. I know from experience what a burden it can be to deal with a dementia diagnosis. The window provided by this test is so important to help improve the quality of life for both patients and their families." In addition to the benefit to families, these methods can also provide significant cost savings for patients and health systems. They replace the need for expensive tests and allow clinicians to screen entire populations to identify those most at risk. Delaying the onset of symptoms also saves a significant amount of money on treatment. The next step is to deploy these machine learning algorithms in real-life clinics to test if they help identify more true cases of dementia as well as to learn how they impact a patient's willingness to follow up on the results. ### About the papers Dr. Ben Miled is first author on "Predicting dementia with routine care EMR data," which has been published online ahead of print in the Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Medicine. Dr. Boustani is the senior author. Other authors are Kyle Haas, M.S. from the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI; Christopher M. Black, PhD, MPH, Rezaul Karim Khandker, PhD, MBA, and Vasu Chandrasekaran, PhD, from Merck and Co., Inc.; and Richard Lipton, M.D. from Albert Einstein College of Medicine. This research was supported in part by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. Dr. Boustani is the first author on "Passive Digital Signature for Early Identification of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia," which has been published online ahead of print in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. Dr. Monahan is the senior author. Other authors are Paul R. Dexter, M.D., a Regenstrief Institute scientist and associate professor of medicine at IU School of Medicine; Anthony J. Perkins, M.S., IU School of Medicine; Stephen Duong, M.A., M.S., Georgia State; Christopher M. Black, PhD, MPH, Rezaul Karim Khandker, PhD, MBA, and Vasu Chandrasekaran, PhD, Merck and Co., Inc.; Richard Lipton, M.D., Albert Einstein College of Medicine; and Craig A. Solid, PhD, Solid Research Group, LLC. This study was supported by Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc. It was also supported in part by the Einstein Aging Study: NIH/NIA 2PO1 AG 003949. More about Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH In addition to his role as a research scientist at Regenstrief Institute, Malaz Boustani, M.D., MPH, is the founding director of the Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science and a professor and the Richard M. Fairbanks Chair in Aging Research at Indiana University School of Medicine. He is also the founding director and chief innovation and implementation officer at the Sandra Eskenazi Center for Brain Care Innovation, in addition to being the director of senior care innovation at Eskenazi Health. More about Patrick Monahan, PhD, M.S. Patrick Monahan, PhD, M.S., is a professor of biostatistics at Indiana University School of Medicine and Indiana University Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI. He is a Regenstrief Institute affiliate scientist as well as director of analytics for the Sandra Eskenazi Center for Brain Care Innovation, IU Cancer Control & Prevention Program, and the Center for Health Innovation & Implementation Science. More about Zina Ben Miled, PhD, M.S. Zina Ben Miled, PhD, M.S., is an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering in the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI and a research scientist in the Center for Health Innovation and Implementation Science. She is also a Regenstrief Institute affiliate scientist. About Regenstrief Institute Founded in 1969 in Indianapolis, the Regenstrief Institute is a local, national and global leader dedicated to a world where better information empowers people to end disease and realize true health. A key research partner to Indiana University, Regenstrief and its researchers are responsible for a growing number of major healthcare innovations and studies. Examples range from the development of global health information technology standards that enable the use and interoperability of electronic health records to improving patient-physician communications, to creating models of care that inform practice and improve the lives of patients around the globe. Regenstrief Institute is celebrating 50 years of healthcare innovation. Sam Regenstrief, a successful entrepreneur from Connersville, Indiana, founded the institute with the goal of making healthcare more efficient and accessible for everyone. His vision continues to guide the institute's research mission. About IU School of Medicine IU School of Medicine is the largest medical school in the U.S. and is annually ranked among the top medical schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. The school offers high-quality medical education, access to leading medical research and rich campus life in nine Indiana cities, including rural and urban locations consistently recognized for livability. Mr. Lau argued no candidate has shown an ability to coalesce the party behind them and he predicted that Ms. Warren, who has been pitching herself as the unity candidate for weeks, would prove the consensus choice of the widest coalition of Democrats in every corner of the country by March 3, Super Tuesday. The memo provides, by far, the most detailed projections released by any campaign of delegate viability heading into Super Tuesday, predicting a three-way race between herself, Mr. Biden, the former vice president and Mr. Sanders, the Vermont senator. She omits Mr. Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., even though he received more support than her in Iowa and could do so again in New Hampshire. Candidates need to reach 15 percent support in each congressional district to win delegates, as well as statewide for statewide delegates. If the early states deliver mixed results for the field, and no seismic event shakes up the top three, the remaining viable candidates for the Democratic nomination as of Super Tuesday will be Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren, the memo predicts. Of Mr. Buttigieg, the memo says, Despite being in the race for a year and effectively tied for second in Iowa, Pete Buttigieg fails to break the 15 percent threshold in any of the Super Tuesday states and is in danger of getting locked out of critical statewide delegates entirely. The memo goes on to foresee struggles for Mr. Buttigieg in more diverse states: He still hasnt answered tough questions about his record in South Bend. The Warren memo said their internal projections show that of the 165 congressional districts that will vote on Super Tuesday, Mr. Sanders and Mr. Biden would currently finish above the 15 percent threshold in 98 percent and 96 percent of them, respectively. Ms. Warren is above that delegate threshold in 65 percent of the districts, the next most. There is then a big drop-off to Mr. Bloomberg (delegate-eligible in 15 percent of districts), Mr. Buttigieg (6 percent), and Senator Amy Klobuchar (5 percent, which is entirely in her home state of Minnesota), according to the projections. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- In only three weeks, Staten Island has seen a troubling spike in bank robberies and related incidents. Between Tuesday, Jan. 21 and Monday, Feb. 10, the New York Police Department responded to seven bank robberies and attempted bank heists -- about two incidents a week. While police were able to arrest and charge two individuals in connection with three incidents, four of them still remain unsolved, with the same man sought in three. Here is a look at all of them: A NOTE, A RED TRUCK AND AN UNFOUNDED BOMB THREAT On Jan. 21 just before 2 p.m., a man with his face covered went through the drive-thru at Santander Bank, located at 1850 Victory Blvd. in Castleton Corners, and sent a note through the pneumatic tubing system demanding money, police said. The man allegedly wrote in the note that he had previously placed a bomb at the ATM located inside the building and that if he drives off with no bills, he will set it off in 15 seconds, according to police. The man did not receive any money and fled the scene driving a red Ford truck. Police released images of of the vehicle later that week. No arrests have been made in connection to this incident. BANK ROBBERY IN GRASMERE Only four days after the first attempted robbery, on Jan. 25, a man wearing a camouflage jacket entered a Santander Bank located at 1320 Hylan Blvd. in Grasmere, approached a teller and passed a note demanding cash, police said. Police asked the public's assistance in identifying a man sought for questioning in connection with a bank robbery in Grasmere. A suspect was arrested in the incident several days later. (Courtesy of NYPD) The man was able to walk away with $600 and fled the bank, according to police. On Monday, Feb. 3, police arrested Ivo Bogdamovic, 49, of 1st Place, Brooklyn, in connection to the heist and charged him with robbery. BIZARRE INCIDENT AT 2 BANKS, INSTAGRAM VIDEO On Thursday, Jan. 30 a man entered a Northfield Bank at 519 Forest Ave. in West Brighton at around 1:30 p.m., announced it was a robbery and left without any money, police said. After only eight minutes, the same man entered the Victory State Bank located at 755 Forest Ave. and, after a brief conversation with a female employee screamed it was a robbery, according to police. I just want yall to know its a mother f-----g robbery, he shouts in a selfie-style video he allegedly posted on social media. Everybody put your hands on the floor. Get your hands on the f-----g ground right now. Nobody reacts to the man, who walks out of the bank, the video shows and police confirmed. Police arrested Augustin Nadreau, 25, of the 100 block of Treadwell Ave., in connection to both incidents. Originally, Nadreau faced reckless endangerment, unlawful possession of marijuana, aggravated harassment and disorderly conduct charges. Later in the week, however, District Attorney Michael E. McMahon upgraded charges to include attempted robbery, affecting the status of a case where Nadreau allegedly threatened in 2018 to bomb a bank if he didnt receive $1 million in cash. NYPD LINKS 3 ROBBERIES; RELEASES IMAGES OF MAN SOUGHT 4 NYPD seeks same man for questioning in four separate bank robberies On Monday, Feb. 10, police released surveillance images of a man wanted in connection with three bank robberies. The first robbery allegedly committed occurred on Jan. 29 at approximately 11:30 a.m. when an unknown man entered a Northfield Bank branch, located at 1481 Forest Ave. in Port Richmond and handed a bank teller a note demanding money, according to police. In that incident, the man walked away with approximately $2,000, police said. Three days later, on Feb. 1, a man entered a Richmond County Savings Bank in Sunnyside, handed a note demanding money, according to police. The man received over $7,000, police said. In the third incident, on Feb. 10, a man entered a Chase Bank location located at 666 Forest Ave. in West Brighton at approximately 1:36 p.m., and handed a bank teller a note demanding money, according to police. The teller complied and the individual fled the scene with approximately $7,500, according to the NYPD statement. Overall, the man received approximately $16,500. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 14:30:26 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 566 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 DENVER, CO / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / AmeriCann, Inc. (OTCQB:ACAN) a cannabis company that is developing state-of-the-art cultivation, processing and product manufacturing facilities, announced that it has collected over $2,000,000 from a previously announced Arbitration Award.AmeriCann had invested approximately $1 million into a cannabis joint venture. On February 5, 2020, AmeriCann received full payment of $2,069,138.43 from an arbitration award.The Company expects to utilize a portion of the proceeds for its planned Building 2 at its Massachusetts Cannabis Center (MCC). The MCC development is permitted for 1 million square feet of cultivation and product manufacturing infrastructure for Massachusetts' adult-use and medical cannabis market. Building 1 at the MCC is a fully constructed 30,000 square foot state-of-the-art cannabis cultivation and processing facility.For more detail on the $2,069,138.43 cash payment received by the Company, please see the Company's recently filed 8-K report which is available at: https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1508348/000143774920002113/acan20200209_8k.htm About AmeriCannAmeriCann (OTCQB:ACAN) is a cannabis company that is developing cultivation, processing and product manufacturing facilities.AmeriCann uses greenhouse technology which is superior to the current industry standard of growing cannabis in warehouse facilities under artificial lights. According to industry experts, by capturing natural sunlight, greenhouses use 25 percent fewer lights, and utility bills are up to 75 percent less than in typical warehouse cultivation facilities. As such, AmeriCann's Cannopy System enables cannabis to be produced with a greatly reduced carbon footprint, making the final product less expensive. Additionally, greenhouse construction costs are nearly half of warehouse construction costs.AmeriCann is also designing GMP Certified cannabis extraction and product manufacturing infrastructure. Through a wholly-owned subsidiary, AmeriCann Brands, Inc., the Company intends to secure licenses to produce cannabis infused products including beverages, edibles, topicals and concentrates. AmeriCann Brands, Inc. plans to operate a Marijuana Product Manufacturing business at the Massachusetts Cannabis Center with over 40,000 square feet of state-of-the art extraction and product manufacturing infrastructure.Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act") (which Sections were adopted as part of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "prospects," "outlook," and similar words or expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "should," "would," "may," and "could" are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any anticipated results, performance or achievements. The Company disclaims any intention to, and undertakes no obligation to, revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, a future event, or otherwise. For additional uncertainties that could impact the Company's forward-looking statements, please see the Company's Registration Statement on Form S-1, which the Company recently filed with the SEC and which may be viewed at www.sec.gov Contact Information:Corporate:AmeriCann, Inc.1550 Wewatta Street2nd FloorDenver, CO 80202(303) 862-9000info@ americann.co @ACANinfo on Twitter@AmeriCann on Facebook@AmeriCannInc on InstagramAmeriCann, Inc on LinkedInSOURCE: AmeriCann, Inc. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 17:36:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close An official of Turkish customs looks at the seized cannabis in Edirne Province, Turkey, on Feb. 11, 2020. Turkish customs officials on Tuesday seized over two tonnes of cannabis during an operation carried out at the Turkish-Bulgarian border gate in northwestern Turkey, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan tweeted. (Photo by Mustafa/Xinhua) ISTANBUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish customs officials on Tuesday seized over two tonnes of cannabis during an operation carried out at the Turkish-Bulgarian border gate in northwestern Turkey, Trade Minister Ruhsar Pekcan tweeted. Custom enforcement teams launched a search operation on a suspicious truck at the Kapikule border gate in the Edirne province, Pekcan said. She noted that the amount of the seized drug was the highest during a single operation conducted at a land border gate. Video footage aired by the Ihlas news agency showed that police teams with specially trained dogs found the cannabis hidden in packages in the truck bed. The vehicle was traveling from Italy to Georgia, Ihlas said, noting that police detained the driver. 11 February 2020 BWA GROUP PLC ("BWA" or the "Company") Extension of Option Exercise Period BWA Group plc, the NEX Exchange traded investment company with interests predominantly in mining resources, announces that the exercise period for the options granted to the Directors of the Company on 11 February 2015, has been extended from 11 February 2020 to 11 February 2023. Each of the three Directors of the Company has options to subscribe for 5,871,262 ordinary shares of 0.5p each in the Company ("Ordinary Shares") at a price of 0.65p per share. The Ordinary Shares subject to these options represent approximately 6.5% of the Company's current issued share capital. The Directors of the Company accept responsibility for the content of this announcement. For further information please contact: BWA Group plc Richard Battersby (Non-Executive Chairman) 07836 238 172 Peterhouse Capital Limited Mark Anwyl Allie Feuerlein 020 7469 0930 Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) Disclosure The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014. Upon the publication of this announcement via a Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain. The Victorian government has lodged a claim over George Calombaris' private assets in a stunning revelation in the wake of his restaurant empire's demise. The 'devastated' celebrity chef placed 22 companies in the Made Establishment Group into voluntary administration on Monday, with advisory and investment firm KordaMentha appointed. Calombaris' financial woes spilled over into his personal assets amid revelations Victoria's Commissioner of State Revenue made a claim against him in January for unpaid land tax on a holiday house at Safety Beach on the Mornington Peninsula. George Calombaris is being sued by Victoria's Commissioner of State Revenue for unpaid land tax on a holiday house at Safety Beach on the Mornington Peninsula Calombaris bought the holiday house for $580,000 in 2013, and it sold for around $1million three weeks ago The four-bedroom home has an expansive outdoor area entertaining area a stone's throw from the beach The claim comes just three weeks after the property, which is owned by Trical Beach Pty Ltd, directed by the chef's wife Natalie Tricarico, was sold for around $1million. Calombaris has also advertised his five-bedroom Toorak home for sale, with both properties being mortgaged to ANZ. It comes as 12 of Calombaris' Melbourne restaurants and venues stopped trading immediately after Monday's announcement, with about 400 workers losing their jobs. Administrators Craig Shepard and Leanne Chesser hope to find people willing to buy into Calombaris' businesses quickly, improving the chances that some staff are retained by the new operators. 'We could have them ready to go by Monday,' Mr Shepard told reporters in Melbourne on Tuesday. Chef Matt Wilkinson has already expressed interest in buying the Crofter Dining Room where he presides. Chairs on the tables at Calombaris' Hellenic Republic restaurant, which closed it's doors on Monday A closed sign posted at the Jimmy Grants restaurant in the emporium in Melbourne's CBD on Tuesday The administrators will spend about a month preparing a report on Made Establishment, but creditors will meet for the first time next Thursday. Employees have been paid outstanding wages and superannuation up to Sunday, the administrators have been told. KordaMentha will verify that is the case, with Mr Shepard stressing any annual leave, long serve leave and severance entitlements will also need to be checked. If the business cannot pay those entitlements through recovered funds, workers may be forced to apply for what they are owed through a Fair Work guarantee scheme. 'The message we're saying to employees is they don't need to navigate that, we'll do all that for them,' Mr Shepard said. Australia's hospitality union - the United Workers Union - and the Victorian Trades Hall Council are determined to help workers get what they are owed. Head of the Victorian Trades Hall Council legal centre Oanh Tran said they are particularly concerned about any workers who were on temporary migrant visas. 'Now not only have they lost their jobs, they have potentially lost the ability to remain in Australia,' she told AAP. 'There are going to be at least some and probably many who are in that really vulnerable position.' Neither KordaMentha or the unions know yet how many workers are on those visas, but the union says at least one has approached them anonymously. Calombaris took to Instagram on Monday evening to say he was 'devastated' by the company decision Calombaris was a judge and host on the hit Network Ten show MasterChef from 2009 until 2019. Pictured with co-hosts Gary Mehigan and Matt Preston The only part of Made Establishment excluded from administration is a chain of four Yo-Chi outlets. The former MasterChef host on Monday evening said he was 'devastated' by the decision. 'It is with deep sadness and regret that today MAdE Establishment has been placed into voluntary administration,' he wrote on social media. 'To all my team, I truly regret it has come to this. On a personal note, the last few months have been the most challenging I have ever faced. 'At this time, while personally devastated, I remain thankful to my family, friends, the MAdE team, our loyal and regular customers. 'I am so sorry all our collective efforts have not provided to be enough. I'm gutted that it's come to this.' Expressing optimism in the Indian market, Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen on Monday said the company is committed to creating 75,000 jobs in the country in three years New Delhi: Expressing optimism in the Indian market, Deloitte Global CEO Punit Renjen on Monday said the company is committed to creating 75,000 jobs in the country in three years. Tweeting a photograph of his meeting last week with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Renjen on Monday said he remains optimistic about India's future. I remain optimistic about #Indias future after meeting last week with @narendramodi ji. During my visit with @PMOIndia, I was pleased to share @Deloittes commitment to create 75k Indian jobs in 3 years. #ImpactThatMatters pic.twitter.com/C540BpxZrb Punit Renjen (@PunitRenjen) February 10, 2020 "I remain optimistic about #India's future after meeting last week with @narendramodi ji. During my visit with @PMOIndia, I was pleased to share @Deloitte's commitment to create 75k Indian jobs in 3 years. #ImpactThatMatters," his tweet said. The company currently has over 50,000 people in India. More charges have been filed and another person has been named in a series of vehicle burglaries across Macoupin, Jersey and other counties. Sean A. Breeden, 18; Shane M. Carney, 18; and Timothy D. Sunderland, 21, all of Granite City, were charged last week with multiple felony counts by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office. Mckenzie A. Land, 20, of Granite City also has been charged with multiple felony counts and is accused of driving the three to various theft locations. Charges also have been filed against an unidentified juvenile. This comes after Breeden, Carney and Sunderland and a juvenile were charged by Madison County prosecutors earlier last week. The group has been implicated in 200 or more auto burglaries and thefts in Jersey, Madison and Macoupin counties. First and foremost, a job well done needs to go out locally to our lead detective at the Jersey County Sheriffs Department as well as the deputy chief of police at the Jerseyville Police Department, Jersey County States Attorney Ben Goetten said Monday. But for the excellent investigative work by our Jersey County detective and JPD deputy chief, these individuals would still be wreaking havoc throughout the area, Goetten said. Once the case began to develop, other agencies put their resources to work and did an outstanding job to bring additional charges in their respective jurisdictions. Sunderland was charged in two separate filings, one for the city of Jerseyville and another for Jersey County. He was charged with 11 counts of burglary without causing damage, one count of residential burglary and theft of a motor vehicle. Those charges stem from incidents on Dec. 20 and Jan. 20. His bail was set at $50,000. He also faces 11 counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession in Madison County. Carney and Breeden were each charged with three counts of burglary, residential burglary, and theft of motor vehicle. All the offenses are said to have occurred Jan. 20. Their bail was set at $50,000 each. Madison County officials have charged Carney with 12 counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession. Breeden has been charged by Madison County with five counts of burglary and one count of stolen vehicle possession. Land was charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit burglary, conspiracy to commit residential burglary and conspiracy to commit motor vehicle theft. According to court documents, on Jan. 20 she drove the other defendants to the crime scenes. Her bail was set at $35,000. Goetten cautioned that people need to remember to lock their vehicles, garage and houses. While these individuals are now behind bars, the threat remains, he said. Its imperative that citizens are diligent in locking their vehicles, garage doors and their homes. Its even more imperative for those of us with concealed carry licenses who may conceal a firearm in our vehicle. As a CCL holder myself, I know its my responsibility to protect that firearm. All Images Credit Vue de monde For the epicurean, every generation has its cast of gastronomic gods with an otherworldly ability to create new and exciting dishes that elevate what is considered avant guard haute cuisine. The Brits have their Heston Blumenthal and Marco Pierre Whites, Americans with James Beard and Thomas Kellers and the French with Alain Ducasse and the indomitable Joel Robuchon, while he was with us. Down under, Australia has its own set of kitchen heroes. Many have trained abroad under the best chefs and come back to apply European techniques to Australias incredible bounty of local ingredients. It is simply called Modern Australian cuisine and arguably no one does it better than Australias culinary royalty, Shannon Bennett and his heir apparent, Chef Hugh Allen at Melbournes Vue de monde. Dining at Vue de monde is a special occasion. Its not the place to go to eat before heading out elsewhere; this must be the final destination of the evening and one that guest will surely savor long after the final fork has been set on the plate. The degustation experience is three-plus hours of culinary nirvana with plate after plate of innovative, exquisite food served with a theatrical presentation. After a quick check-in on the ground floor, guests are escorted to a private elevator and, as ears pop, whisked directly to the 55th floor of one of Melbourne's tallest buildings. The dining room offers a noire palette in the decor designed to direct guests to the focal points of the evening, the outside panoramas, the open kitchen and the evening's steady parade of morsels. There are twenty or so tables strewn around the room where guests peer out over unobstructed cloud line views of the Melbourne skyline and the twinkling of city lights. The tables have a luxurious texture and are covered in kangaroo pelt with a display of smooth river stones that double as salt and pepper shakers and butter vessels. For the cutlery, guest dine with rare silver-plated Christofle cutlery, etched with scrolls of vines and leaves, which are set not on napkins, but on a 100-year old Penfolds Grange Hermitage vine from one of Australias most esteemed wineries. This is the level of detail and perfection that one experiences, even before the first fork enters the mouth. The atmosphere is lively and somewhat festive versus somber and reserved and mainly filled with beau monde couples enjoying a romantic date night. In the center of the room is the cast and crew of the Vue de monde, bustling about in the open kitchen like a finely tuned symphony orchestra creating a concerto of fine Australian cuisine. Vue de monde opened 20 years ago in Melbourne and has been a pillar of the Australian fine dining scene ever since. Back then, it was one of Australias finest culinary talents, Shannon Bennett, who brought his flair for the dramatic to the region. He was destined for success with his pedigree of working in the finest restaurants in Europe and under the tutelage of famed British chef, Marco Pierre White at The Restaurant and Louis XV in Monaco. Fast forward to today, Bennett has become an international food celebrity with several other restaurants and is a television judge on Australias MasterChef series. He remains as culinary director and owner of Vue de monde ensuring that his vision of gastronomic excellence continues to build on his two decades of success and tradition. Chef Hugh Allen His heir apparent is Hugh Allen, a somewhat wet behind the ears, culinary virtuoso who, like his pedagogue, trained in the finest restaurants in Europe before returning back to Melbourne. At only 24 years of age, the wunderkind has reconstructed the Vue de monde menu to rave reviews. His new flavor turns its back on what most may consider the epitome of fine dining, French cuisine, to create something that is on par with and often surpasses previous menus while being authentically Australian. Dining at Vue de monde is an evening of gastronomic theatre at its finest. From the lead actors of chef and cuisine, to the supporting cast of ambiance, flawless service, and the sommelier with his seemingly endless vault of fine wines. And like an incredible performance, the Vue de monde degustation menu dazzles and amuses through 16 acts that ebb, flow and crescendo with each serving. Over the course of the evening the theatrics include an interactive and immersive experience with many of the dishes prepared at your table. After the four-part amuse-bouche, guests are invited to the open kitchen area where a setting of Moonlight Flat Clair de Lune oyster awaits to be shucked and served. They could not be fresher than if you ate them straight from the sea, made even more delectable with the addition of lemon myrtle, seaweed tart, finger lime or horseradish. The bounty from the sea continues with cured kingfish, avocado and Tasmanian wasabi with a presentation that is worthy of the walls in the Guggenheim. The cuisine is all about the celebration of local produce and one of Australias most revered treasures is the Western Australian marron or what that unfamiliar would consider, a giant freshwater crayfish. It is hauntingly delicious and, when served with their mild curry sauce, borders on culinary ecstasy. The meal is accessorized with appetite threatening breads and a parade of palate cleansers, too many to mention, save one, the palate cleanser spectacle of herbs and flowers set in a mortar. An ethereal mist of liquid-nitrogen is then poured which freezes the medley in an instant. At that point, the crisp concoction is pulverized with the pestle and topped with a parsley sorbet. Yes, pretty cool indeed. For the red meats, guests dine on cured kangaroo with asparagus and wild garlic, which is slightly gamey and full of exquisite flavor. Another dramatic dish is the Blackmore Wagyu where Chef Allen presents the rack of large tomahawk steaks from which it comes and discusses their provenance and how they are prepared. The meal closes with the sweet ending of warm Chocolate souffle, speared with a dollop of espresso ice cream that literally melts in your mouth with an abundance of heavenly chocolate decadence. Although the main act is the cuisine, the supporting cast is clearly the beyond exhaustive 92-page wine list detailing their 2000 references from around the world, yet the best of Australian wines clearly takes front row. Vue de monde insists upon excellence when it comes to their wine experience and in fact is one of the few restaurants in the world with two master sommeliers, Dorian Guillon and Carlos Santos Simoes, to ensure the finest selection of wines to accompany each dish. And just as you sit back after the meal and begin to mentally loosen your belt, the gravitas of this amazing meal that youve just had begins to set in. Looking at your watch, you realized that four hours and the better part of the evening is well behind you, yet knowing that it was time extremely well spent. As you begin your goodbyes, thank the staff, and head to the door, you realize that your surprises and exceptional treatment is not over. As a parting gift, a goodie bag filled with treats for the next morning is presented including a brioche loaf made with organic flour from Vue de mondes own bakery, their organic granola, and their own blend of Assam black tea with citrus and fennel. If it hasnt sunk in yet, Vue de monde sets out to blow their guests away with the experience and does so quite successfully. Fine dining is about the details. Details of the ingredients including taste, texture and providence, preparation techniques, and presentation precision. Vue de monde offers an evening of dazzling dishes, cuisine as an art form and gastronomic theater. When it comes to redefining Modern Australian cuisines and Melbournes top shelf of fine dining options, Vue de monde is a hard act to follow. (Alliance News) - Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings Ltd on Tuesday said MGA Inperio Ltd has launched an indemnity cover policy aimed at freelance solicitors in the UK, who following recent regulatory changes, were given permission to provide legal services. Randall & Quilter said the cover, which Inperio established alongside underwriters Accredited Insurance Ltd, is regulated by the UK's Solicitors Regulation Authority. Randall & Quliter was working with Inperio via its subsidiary Accredited Insurance. An indemnity is a protection from financial loss. "The facility, fulfils a growing demand for professional indemnity cover for freelance solicitors regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, following a recent rule change," Randall & Quilter said. In sweeping changes which were effective from November 2019, solicitors were able to provide legal services on a freelance basis. Prior to this, legal work offered by solicitors who were not part of an authorised law firm was limited. Inperio Chief Executive Officer Simon Lovat said: "Since the introduction of the new freelance solicitors regulations in November 2019 the legal industry has been looking for a suitable solution and now we are in a position to offer it." Randall & Quilter shares were flat at 176.00 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The members of the National Association of Economists and Accountants of Cuba (ANEC) presented Miguel Diaz-Canel with its proposals for the revitalization of the Cuban state economy, which include plans for a future Law of Companies on the island. The suggestions came in response to an express request by the government, and range from separating state and business functions, to decentralizing foreign trade, to creating greater financial incentives for export and import substitution, according to the regime's weekly publication Trabajadores (Workers). The official economists also proposed changes in the banking system that favor greater support for companies, transparent and legitimate relations between all economic actors, and a more specific policy to select, train and motivate managers as competent businessmen professionals. The experts also called for the redesigning of the system of indicators to assess compliance with each company's plan, with a greater emphasis on management. Through this they seek to promote greater business autonomy, so that entities can choose their management model, define their suppliers and customers, prices, salaries, and their own charges, without fixed figures. They also endorsed a greater capacity to motivate workers, as well as to manage financial resources, voluntary reserves and investment processes. Other suggestions have to do with approving greater incentives for innovation, and creating spaces for managerial experimentation, different structures by sector, and a revision of the criteria to group, constitute, or consider companies as basic business units; as well as studying state activities that may give way to other forms of management. The proposals, formulated by some 20 researchers and business executives, "began with a study of the obstacles faced by the state socialist company, and possible solutions," says the report. According to Dr. Francisco Borras, one of the authors of the proposals, Diaz-Canel stated that the study makes it possible to "organize thinking" about issues that affect business performance, and asked for "more in-depth conceptual definitions, and even more specificity" about how to unblock entities' economic management. The Cuban economist Pedro Monreal described the proposal as "welcome", but complained that "on a crucial issue like 'the business environment' the proposal does not seem to address reform of central planning." "The absence of references to the possible replacement of the centralized planning system may be a problem in the journalistic article, but, in the end, business's margin for action depends on the planning scheme," he noted in a string of comments on his Twitter profile. "One of the lessons to be drawn from other centralized planning model reform processes is the hapless temptation to believe that technical improvements in management make it possible to shirk fundamental reform in the model," he noted. Regarding the term "unblocking", which Diaz-Canel frequently uses when calling for economic changes, Monreal pointed out that this "could generate a kind of 'engineering' vision of the economy, one suggesting specific gears that are stuck, when reforming a central planning model requires a vision of 'complexity': processes whose components interact in a changing and unpredictable way." Diaz-Canel has stated that 2020 has to be the year in which "everything that is necessary to implement to unleash the productive forces is proposed, but he also cautioned that "this cannot be confused with privatization, because that is not our way." While the island is suffering through one of the deepest economic crises of the last 20 years, with a decrease in revenues from tourism and "medical missions" abroad, two of the government's main sources of funds, the president has been repeating that it is necessary to "unleash productive forces," though without mentioning the measures to do so. In fact, since the beginning of his management, obstacles to the functioning of the private economy have increased. Valentine's Day: Hindu outfit in Goa wants youth to observe 'parents' day' on Feb 14 India oi-Madhuri Adnal Panaji, Feb 11: Right-wing organisation Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) on Tuesday appealed that February 14 be celebrated as "parents' day," instead of Valentine's Day 2020. In a memorandum to the additional collector of North Goa and officials from the state administration, the samiti appealed that February 14 be celebrated as "parents' day", instead of Valentine's Day in order to prevent untoward incidents. "This distorted version of love is being made popular among youth to gain some business, and as a result, the young generation is drawn towards sensuality and immorality," the organisation stated. Incidents of teasing and violent acts on young girls have been reported on Valentine's Day, the outfit said in the memorandum. Valentine's Day 2020: Will not tolerate indecent behaviour, says Bajrang Dal There is a rise in "malpractices" such as consuming alcohol, drugs, smoking and even the sale of contraceptives goes up, indicating rise in immoral relationships, the HJS claimed. "By celebrating "parents' day" publicly, young people will show more respect and love towards their parents," the HJS stated. The Bajrang Dal in Telangana had said that it would not tolerate 'indecent behavior' by youth, who follow foreign culture, on Valentine's Day 2020 in Telangana. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 17:03 [IST] CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Second Century Ventures, the venture capital arm of the National Association of Realtors, announced today that it has made an investment in Updater, a leading digital moving concierge firm that allows Realtors to offer their clients a seamless, frustration-free moving process. Updater was a member of Second Century Ventures' inaugural 2013 REACH Accelerator class, a unique technology growth program that provides companies with education, mentorship, an insight panel and industry exposure to facilitate their launch into the marketplace. "We're changing how moving works for consumers and turning it into an enjoyable, frictionless experience," said David Greenberg, Updater's founder and CEO. "We're excited to deepen our great relationship with SCV and NAR by investing heavily in the real estate industry and by enabling Realtors and property managers to deliver an unrivaled moving experience." Updater plans to use its current investment round to support aggressive growth initiatives. That undertaking includes the recently announced acquisition of Bridgevine, a leading provider of technology for home subscription sign-ups and associated concierge offerings. Bridgevine will become part of Updater's home services division, helping expand app distribution and enhance Updater's suite of products. Mark Birschbach, NAR's senior vice president of Strategic Business, Innovation & Technology, also expressed confidence following Tuesday's announcement. "We are impressed with Updater's business progress and pleased to make an investment to reinforce its successful growth strategy," Birschbach said. "Updater's platform delivers unique value to Realtors, property managers and consumers alike. This investment is well aligned with SCV's mission to support and advance technologies throughout the entire real estate ecosystem." About Updater Updater makes moving easier for the 17 million households that relocate every year in the US. With Updater, users seamlessly transfer utilities, forward mail, connect TV and internet, and much more. Hundreds of the most prominent real estate companies in the US (from real estate brokerages to multifamily and relocation companies) rely on Updater's technology to save clients hours with a branded and personalized Updater moving experience. To learn more, visit www.updater.com. About Second Century Ventures Second Century Ventures is an early-stage technology fund, backed by NAR, which leverages the association's more than 1.4 million members and an unparalleled network of executives within real estate and adjacent industries. SCV systematically launches its portfolio companies into the world's largest industries including real estate, financial services, banking, home services and insurance. SCV seeks to define and deliver the future of the world's largest industries by acting as a catalyst for new technologies, new opportunities, and new talent. The National Association of Realtors is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. SOURCE National Association of Realtors Related Links http://www.realtor.org A former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, and lawmaker representing Plateau South in the National Assembly, Senator Ignatius Longjan is dead. According to his former Press Secretary Mr Wulimen Goyit, the 75-year-old Senator died in the early hours of Monday at the Turkish Hospital in Abuja after a brief illness. Plateau State Governor, Simon Bako Lalong, has expressed shock over the death of Senator Ignatius Longjan who died after a protracted illness. Governor Lalong in a statement signed by his Director of Media and Public Affairs, Dr Simon Makut Machan, described as devastating the death of the Senator who represented Plateau South Senatorial District at the National Assembly. Lalong said the death of the elder statesman is a huge loss to not only his family, the people of Plateau South Senatorial District, but the entire state because of his immense contributions to the development of the state and the nation. Governor Lalong also recalled how the Former deputy governor served Plateau steadfastly and loyally from 2011 to 2015. He added that the senator also played a significant role in ensuring political stability in the state all through the period of various security challenges that the state passed through. The governor recognised the enormous contributions of the lawmaker on the floor of the Senate where he represented his people with so much passion and projected the interests of Plateau and the nation in all his contributions. He sympathised with Longjans immediate family and urged the people of the state to accept the sad event as the will of God and pray for the repose of his soul. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Canadian Palladium Resources Inc. (CSE: BULL) (OTCQB: DCNNF) (FSE: DCR1) (formerly 21C Metals Inc.) (the "Company") is pleased to announce that Vital Drilling of Val Caron, Ontario has started the diamond drilling program on the East Bull Palladium Property. Drilling has commenced with one rig and a second will be added once the logistics are settled and drill sites have had snow removed. The first drill is starting in the western end of the Valhalla zone and will progress eastward infilling gaps and drilling down dip. The plan is to establish a full-service camp within two kilometres of the project when the second drill is delivered to site. The diamond drilling is focusing on expanding the NI 43-101 inferred resource (see news release dated July 3, 2019). Canadian Palladium is pleased that Vital Drilling was able to get mobilized quickly. The fact the property is year-round accessible by a numbered highway has expedited the process. The Company is still targeting to have core available for viewing at the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada Convention in early March 2020. Wayne Tisdale commented, "I am currently onsite with our geological team and look forward to drilling this vastly underexplored property. With Palladium currently at $2250/oz the time is right to us to expand upon our existing inferred resource." The Company also announces that it has granted an aggregate of 3,000,000 incentive stock options to certain directors, officers, employees and consultants of the Company, subject to regulatory approval. The stock options will be exercisable at $0.20 for a period of five years from the date of grant. For additional information please contact: Canadian Palladium Resources Inc. Wayne Tisdale, President and CEO T: (604) 639-4472 Reader Advisory This news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. In particular, forward-looking information in this press release includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the proposed timing and completion of the private placement and the proposed use of proceeds from the private placement. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. We cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. Consequently, there is no representation that the actual results achieved will be the same, in whole or in part, as those set out in the forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the statements are made, and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking information. Some of the risks and other factors that could cause the results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking information include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in Canada and globally; industry conditions, including governmental regulation and environmental regulation; failure to obtain industry partner and other third party consents and approvals, if and when required; the availability of capital on acceptable terms; the need to obtain required approvals from regulatory authorities; stock market volatility; liabilities inherent in water disposal facility operations; competition for, among other things, skilled personnel and supplies; incorrect assessments of the value of acquisitions; geological, technical, processing and transportation problems; changes in tax laws and incentive programs; failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and dispositions; and the other factors. Readers are cautioned that this list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. We undertake no duty to update any of the forward-looking information to conform such information to actual results or to changes in our expectations except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52318 Congress and CPI(M) MLAs staged a walkout in the West Bengal Assembly on Tuesday after TMC's Tapas Roy dissed opposition legislators who were protesting over the absence of ministers in the House. As proceedings of the House began for the second half at 1.30 pm, around 40 CPI(M) and Congress MLAs raised a storm, asking why no minister was present. Roy, who is the minister of state for parliamentary affairs, entered the House talking on his mobile phone amid the furore. As the protesting MLAs asked him the reason behind his delay in coming to the House, a feisty Roy said, "What is the fuss all about?" Following this, the Congress and CPI(M) MLAs demanded the minister's apology, even as he refused, with speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay saying, "What has happened is not appropriate." Soon after this, the CPI(M) and Congress MLAs staged the walkout. However, BJP MLA Manoj Tigga, who was present in the House, did not join the other opposition parties in staging the walkout, nor did he take part in the debate. CPI(M) legislature party leader Sujan Chakraborty said the opposition felt insulted over the conduct of the minister. Speaking to reporters outside the House, Congress leader Asit Mitra said the "aggressive way" in which Roy charged towards the opposition MLAs showed the autocratic nature of the Mamata Banerjee government. Discussion on the Budget speech of the governor started in the second half with no opposition MLAs present. They returned to the House at 2.45 pm after Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee requested them to participate in the debate. Chatterjee said an unexpected situation happened which marred the sanctity of the House. He said that he spoke to both Roy and some opposition MLAs, and both sides hoped such incidents should not happen again. Taking part in the debate, Congress's Mitra slammed the government's claims of law and order improvement in the state. Later, a comment made by him was expunged from the House records. NEW HAVEN A Cheshire man who threatened his then-girlfriend and their infant child, then exchanged gunfire with police, has been sentenced to serve 12 years in prison. Cameron Pernin, 31, was wounded during the shootout but it was not life-threatening. The Cheshire officers were not injured. The episode unfolded on June 22, 2018, when Cheshire police received a 911 call at about 7 p.m. from a friend of Pernins then-girlfriend. The caller reported that her friend was actively involved in a domestic dispute and a possible hostage situation with her boyfriend, according to the Cheshire police arrest warrant. The caller said her friend had been sending her texts and videos of Pernins threatening behavior and that she was barricaded in a room. According to the caller, her friend told her the argument began with Pernin calling their infant child an expletive and telling the child to choke on a baby bottle. The friend also reported to the caller that Pernin had attempted to grab the baby and the friends cellphone and had sprayed pepper spray into the friends face, according to the warrant. Shortly before the 911 caller made that call, she called Pernin on his cellphone and asked him if she could come get her friend and the baby out of the house. But Pernin reportedly told her he would release the mother while holding onto the infant. He also reportedly told the caller that the police didnt stand a chance and that he would start shooting when the officers came to the door, the warrant stated. The 911 caller also told police her friend said Pernin was dressed in riot gear, including a bulletproof vest, as well a gas mask. The friend also said he was armed with gas and a rifle. Cheshire police immediately dispatched a sergeant and four officers to the condominium where Pernin lived with the then-girlfriend and the child. They established a perimeter around the outside of the residence, the warrant said. Shortly after police arrived, the woman, carrying the infant, came out of the condominium from the rear porch. Officers directed her to walk toward them to safety. However, 15 to 30 seconds after the woman came out, Pernin also came outside, stood on the rear porch and began firing his handgun at the officers, according to the warrant. Police officers returned fire and struck Pernin in his hand. The warrant noted Pernin was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time. After being struck on his hand, he went back inside and barricaded himself. The girlfriend and her parents, who had arrived at the scene, then phoned Pernin and pleaded with him to surrender. Police desk personnel also called him and asked that he come out and surrender. He did so, about 20 minutes after he had retreated inside. Pernin was arrested and taken to a hospital for treatment of his wound. The warrant noted that when he surrendered he had a can of pepper spray and a 9 mm handgun holster, but not the gun. Police found the gun on the kitchen counter. When the victim was interviewed by Cheshire police she said that in the early evening of June 22, she and Pernin got into an argument over the baby crying and how Pernin was not helping with the child. Pernin then went into the basement to call his mother. She followed him down there and he pulled out a can of pepper spray. According to the warrant, she told police that Pernin began teasing her with it as he waved it toward her and let out a few small bursts. Then he let out a larger burst that she walked into. At that point she took the infant and their dog up to the a bedroom and put a dresser in front of the door. She then called her mother and Pernins mother to tell them what was happening. The woman said she had a live feed security feature on her cellphone and so was able to see Pernin putting on his body armor downstairs and then walking upstairs to the bedroom. She said he yelled through the bedroom door that if she called her parents or the police, they would get a bullet in the head. After that Pernin began pounding on the door and was able to get into the bedroom. He grabbed her arm, bruising and scratching her. Pernin then grabbed her gun and holster that she had holstered on her waistband, the warrant said. (Police said she has a valid pistol permit.) She knew the gun was fully loaded when he took it from her, the warrant said. She stated she was never so scared for her life. After she began to scream in the hope that someone would hear her, she said, Pernin pointed the gun at her head and at the childs head. However, eventually Pernin went back downstairs. She said that while holding her baby in her arms, she ran past Pernin and out the rear deck door. She stated that once on the rear deck, she noticed that a police officer was outside, holding a rifle and was instructing her to run toward him, the warrant said. She stated that as she was running toward the police officer, she heard several rounds of gunfire. She said that because she had her back toward her rear deck, she didnt know who was shooting at whom. The New Haven states attorneys office contacted the Connecticut State Police to investigate the case, according to the Cheshire police warrant. The state police investigators found 14 spent rifle bullet casings outside the condominium matching the ammunition the Cheshire police officers had in their rifles, the Cheshire police warrant stated. The warrant said three members of the Cheshire Police Department returned fire after Pernin began shooting at them. They were identified as Sgt. Michael Durkee and Officers Vincent Nastri and Michael Aquillino. They did a walkthrough with state police investigators, showing where they were standing during the exchange of gunfire. State police recovered two apparent 9 mm projectiles in the direction where Sgt. Durkee and Officer Nastri were standing, the Cheshire police warrant said. All three reported that Pernin shot first at them before they returned fire. The warrant did not say which of the three shot and wounded Pernin. The warrant noted Pernin was a convicted felon, stemming from his 2008 arrest and conviction for carrying a dangerous weapon. This disqualified him from possessing a handgun. Cheshire police originally charged Pernin with risk of injury to a child, third-degree assault and first-degree threatening. State police charged him with two counts of first-degree attempted assault and criminal possession of a pistol or revolver. Instead of going to trial, Pernin entered into a plea agreement, pleading guilty to first-degree reckless endangerment, third-degree assault and two counts of attempted first-degree assault. He had been held in lieu of $750,000 bail since his arrest. Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Clifford imposed a 20-year sentence, to be suspended after Pernin serves 12 years, followed by five years of probation. randall.beach@hearstmediact.com 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 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 21:42:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAR ES SALAAM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's Selous-Mikumi ecosystem has 15,501 elephants, according to the latest aerial wildlife census released on Tuesday. The aerial wildlife census was led by the Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute (TAWIRI) in collaboration with the Tanzania Wildlife Management Authority (TAWA) and the Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) between October and November 2018. The overall coverage of the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem aerial wildlife census was approximately 110,000 square kilometers. "From the census results that we have released today, it is evident that the government efforts to curb poaching is working," Hamisi Kigwangalla, the Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism when announcing the results of the census in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam. "Now we must remain vigilant, consolidate the efforts so that the elephant population can recover," he said. Simon Mduma, TAWIRI Director-General, said it was encouraging that there has been no further decline in the elephant population of the Selous-Mikumi ecosystem since the 2014 census. "The stabilizing of the elephant population numbers combined with very few incidences of fresh elephant carcasses indicates that poaching has been brought under control," said Mduma. James Wakibara, TAWA Conservation Commissioner, said since the establishment of TAWA in 2016, the conservation authority has dedicated its efforts in the Selous Game Reserve to reduce poaching and address the challenges related to resource management. "These census results will support TANAPA's efforts as they move forward with taking a greater role in protection of the ecosystem," said Allan Kijazi, TANAPA Conservation Commissioner. Regine Hess, the German Ambassador to Tanzania, said: "The census is an outcome of the good cooperation between Tanzania and Germany that have jointly made it possible to carry out this important work." The German envoy said having good data was a crucial basis for decision making. Hess acknowledged the commitment of the Tanzanian government to strengthen environmental protection countrywide, including the upgrading of the protection status of a large part of the Selous to the Nyerere National Park. Germany's Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) supported the Selous-Mikumi 2018 wildlife census with financial support through the Selous Ecosystem Conservation Development Program. The program is funded through KfW Group, a German state-owned development bank, on behalf of the German government and is implemented by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism through TAWA in cooperation with FZS. There may be some good news just in time for Shamrock Shake season. McDonalds ice cream makers are notorious for being constantly broken down, but the fast food giants franchisees are saying there is a new device that will help their employees better manage and tackle any issues with the temperamental machines, according to Business Insider. A software company called Kytch has developed a device that the franchisees can add on to their current machines that will be able to correct any minor malfunctions and provide workers with important information when a machine appears to be broken. Everything comes back to being connected, Kytch cofounder Jeremy OSullivan told the outlet. RELATED: McDonalds Is Celebrating 50 Years of the Shamrock Shake with a New Oreo Shamrock McFlurry Michal Fludra/NurPhoto via Getty One of the main issues that employees run into with the machines is their intensive automated cleaning cycle that could take up to four hours to complete. The new Kytch device is able to make sure this cycle happens when its supposed to, and will correct any mechanical issues caused by human error, such as if the machine is overfilled or under-filled. The device which was first introduced in May 2019 will also be able to anticipate if part of the machine is about to break, using data that it collects, and warn the employees about the issue or if one of the workers is causing the issue. Since its launch, several McDonalds locations across multiple franchisees have implemented the device, though McDonalds corporate is not pushing its locations to do so, Insider reports. RELATED: McDonalds Is Finally Adding Fried Chicken Sandwiches to the Breakfast Menu Providing a restaurant experience that our customers expect is among our top priorities, a McDonalds spokesperson said in a statement to the outlet. McDonalds Corporation and its franchisees are constantly working together on improving and enhancing the restaurant experience so that customers can enjoy McDonalds food where and when they want it. Story continues McDonalds was not able to confirm with PEOPLE that any of their locations have implemented this software. One anonymous McDonalds franchisee who operates three stores in New York, two of which currently utilize the Kytch device, told Insider they think the device will have a positive impact on their employees. This is a stressful job, so if I can reduce unnecessary stress on the managers or the crew, then thats a good thing, they said. According to Insider, some Burger King franchisees have also implemented the device at their locations. Police in China have reportedly confiscated some 38,000 trafficked wild animals in the space of 20 days after Beijing cracked down on the sale of exotic creatures following the outbreak of coronavirus. Officers around the country have investigated 209 relevant criminal cases and 473 administrative cases, punished 690 offenders and seized 2,347 kilograms (5,174 pounds) of wildlife products since January 23, state media reported. Experts believe that the deadly COVID-19 virus, which has killed at least 1,018 and infected more than 43,130 worldwide, has been passed onto humans by wildlife sold as food, especially bats and snakes. Officers around the country have punished 690 offenders and seized 5,174 pounds of wildlife products since January 23, state media reported. Police of Qingyuan last month clamped down on a farmers' market and impounded 1,286 live and dead wild animals (pictured) Eleven unlawful vendors who traded illegal animals were punished by Qingyuan police China ordered a temporary ban on the trade of wild animals on January 26 as the country struggled to contain the novel coronavirus, which is believed to have been spawned in a food market that sold wild animals in the city of Wuhan. Huang Yanzhong, a public heath expert at China's Council for Foreign Relations, said that the sale of rare animals is deeply-rooted in Chinese culture, despite its illegality. The freshness of one's dinner is also prized, leading vendors to flog live animals, which are seen as a sign of luxury. Since the outbreak in Wuhan, calls have been renewed for police to enforce laws against the trade and consumption of exotic species. While in the county of Xuwen in Guangdong Province, forestry police raided the home of a suspected wildlife trafficker on January 30. They found carcasses of 56 wild animals THE KILLER VIRUS MAY HAVE COME FROM BATS, SCIENTISTS SAY The killer coronavirus sweeping across the world may have come from bats, scientists have said. Researchers at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People's Liberation Army and Institut Pasteur of Shanghai came to the conclusion. In a statement, the team said: 'The Wuhan coronavirus' natural host could be bats but between bats and humans there may be an unknown intermediate. Tests of the virus, which has yet to be named, have revealed it targets a protein called ACE2 just like its cousin SARS, the South China Morning Post reported. Tracing the evolution of the virus, the team of experts found it belonged to betacoronavirus, making it structurally similar to SARS. Authorities have pointed the blame on food markets in Wuhan, the Chinese city at the centre of the outbreak that scientists are scrambling to contain. Rodents and bats among other animals are slaughtered and sold in traditional 'wet markets', which tourists flock to see the 'real' side of the country. Advertisement Police across China have launched special campaigns to bust wild animal trafficking rings since last month. Two sellers in Baiyun District of Guangzhou were arrested on January 31 after being caught selling wild snakes and bamboo rats to an undercover reporter who posed as a customer. The vendors charged 300 yuan (33) per kilogram for the snakes and 160 yuan (18) per kilogram for the rats, hidden camera footage shows. While in Hubei Province, where the virus originated, one underground store in Xianning was found to be selling live barking deer and Chinese ferret-badgers after some 56 million residents in the province had to be quarantined because of the fast-spreading illness. The boss of the illegal business was arrested by police on January 28. Officers confiscated one live barking deer, one dead barking deer, nine sheets of deer skin, one live Chinese ferret-badger and one piece of weasel skin, reported Cover News. While in the county of Xuwen in Guangdong Province, forestry police raided the home of a suspected wildlife trafficker on January 30. Officers found the carcasses of 56 wild animals, including those of birds, civet specie, in a freezer. The suspect, 57-year-old Lin admitted his guilt and was detained. The deadly Chinese coronavirus outbreak began at the Huanan Seafood Wholesales Market in Wuhan (pictured), experts confirmed on Sunday after testing samples collected from the place A police officer stands guard outside of Huanan Seafood Wholesale market in Wuhan Elsewhere in Guangdong, officers of Qingyuan last month clamped down on a farmers' market and impounded 1,286 live and dead wild animals being sold there. Eleven unlawful vendors were punished. The deadly Chinese coronavirus outbreak began at a wholesale animal market in Wuhan city, experts confirmed on January 26. Scientists from the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention said tests proved humans caught it from animals at the Huanan Seafood Wholesales Market. It is not clear which animal was carrying the pneumonia-like illness but the market was home to stalls trading dozens of different species, including rats and wolf cubs. The new coronavirus has killed at least 1,018 people and infected more than 43,130 globally Wuhan has launched a campaign to screen the health of all residents to identify potential coronavirus patients. Pictured, a health worker donning a hazmat suit checks the temperature of a man at a centralised observation and isolation station in Wuhan on February 5 The coronavirus epidemic has so far claimed more than 1,018 lives and infected more than 43,130 people in 28 countries and territories around the world - but nearly 99 per cent of infections have been in China. A total of 103 people died in a single day in China's Hubei province on Monday - the highest toll recorded in any one 24-hour period since the outbreak began in December. It comes the same day as WHO experts and scientists have finally arrived in China to help officials there contain and study the outbreak which has now struck at least 42,729 people worldwide. [February 11, 2020] Philips Professional Display Solutions Announces 2020 Product Offerings Philips Professional Display Solutions today announced its upcoming product pipeline on the first date of ISE 2020. A wide range of new digital signage, professional TVs, LED and collaborative solutions will further increase the company's momentum, bring the latest technology to a variety of companies in the education, hospitality, corporate, retail and food and beverage industries across key markets. "Philips (News - Alert) Professional Display Solutions was founded on innovation and we have maintained our reputation for bringing game-changing products to the market. Enabling true transformational change, be it inside the classroom, in a retail store, a corporate meeting room or in hospitality settings," said Chris Colpaert, General Manager for EMEA, AP and NA. "These exciting product launches at ISE 2020 clearly demonstrate our strategy to lead the market forward with cutting-edge, collaborative solutions that make business easier for all." The products unveiled at this year's showcase are: The Philips B-Line The Philips B-Line is a brand new, highly versatile series of Google (News - Alert)- and Crestron-certified UHDPro TVs. The new series will harness the power of Android P and Chromecast built-in to provide the most universal solution for sharing ideas and content from personal devices while in meetings. The product was designed to enhance business efficiencies in meeting rooms, in addition to enabling greater levels of simplicity for the food and beverage industry when it comes to sharing and scheduling content. This product will be available in North America starting in September 2020. The Philips C-Line The brand-new range of interactive PCAP touch screen displays will enable the corporate market to bring new levels of creativity and collaboration to meetings. The product will be available on either an Android or Windows-based platform, customized to meet the end user's needs. In addition to combining the functionality of the Microsoft (News - Alert) Windows PC with a wide range of dedicated apps and features, the C-Line offers seamless screen sharing capabilities, fast setup and best-in-class video conferencing functionality to improve the meetings experience. This product will be available in North America starting in June 2020. The Philips T-Line The new Philips T-Line series was created specifically for educational settings. The product will be available in 65", 75" and 86" variants and will include the latest range of interactive touch displays with narrow bezels. It features 20 touch points, high speed technology and an optimized glass coating to deliver a high-class writing experience. The displays are powered by Android (News - Alert) - the world's most popular OS with more than 2.5 billion active devices - but will support all major operating systems, including ChromeOS, macOS, Windows and iOS. This product will be available in North America starting in Q3 2020. The Philips X-Line The company also announced a new videowall range, made specifically for the corporate environment. The new line will offer superior white balance and accurate color consistency across the high-resolution 55" displays. The hardware will offer static and uniform presenting backgrounds, enabling users to present anything from spreadsheets in Microsoft Excel to slide decks in PowerPoint. This product will be available in North America starting in April 2020. About Philips Professional Display Solutions Philips Professional Display Solutions is a trading name of TP Vision Europe B.V. ("TP Vision") and MMD-Monitors & Displays Nederland B.V. ("MMD"), registered in the Netherlands, with their head offices in Amsterdam. TP Vision and MMD are wholly-owned subsidiaries of TPV Technology Limited ("TPV"), the world's largest manufacturer of monitors and a leading provider of display solutions. TPV specialises in the design and production of a wide range of desktop monitors and LCD TVs. Due to TPV's focus on the core business - the manufacture of IT display products for various industry segments - the company benefits from strong economies of scale and maintains solid relationships with panel makers worldwide. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005808/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] [February 11, 2020] John Marshall Bank Hires Laila Elhajali as Business Development Officer in Arlington John Marshall (News - Alert) Bank recently announced Laila Elhajali as their new Business Development Officer in the Arlington region. Laila joins the John Marshall Bank team as a seasoned professional with nearly 15 years of experience in business development, bank operations and management. She most recently served as a member of the Branch Management team in Alexandria, VA with United Bank, where she was responsible for managing and mitigating operational risks as well as training and developing talent. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005621/en/ Laila Elhajali, Bank Officer, Business Development (Photo: Business Wire) Prior to United Bank, Laila had a long career with Cardinal Bank dating back to 2005, and then transitioning to United Bank after Cardinal's acquisition. During her time with Cardinal Bank, Laila was consistently recognized for her strong performance including 1st Place Awards in Operation Ecellence and a Distinguished Membership in both the Cardinal's Chairman's Club and the Cardinal Elite program. Laila completed her college education in Casablanca, Morocco where she received her Law Degree at the University of Hassan II. Through her international background, Laila contributes to the diverse culture found at John Marshall Bank. "Joining John Marshall Bank is a significant milestone in my banking career. I am looking forward to partnering with the Bank to advance their business development goals and objectives in the Arlington market," stated Laila. "Laila Elhajali is a strong addition to our Business Development team. Her expertise and in-depth knowledge of banking products and services is a powerful combination to help advance our strategic initiatives," stated Bill Ridenour, John Marshall Bank's Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Banking Officer. Laila is currently a dedicated member of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce. She also volunteers at various schools throughout the City of Alexandria and Fairfax County where she supports programs geared towards improving financial literacy. About John Marshall Bank: John Marshall Bank (JMB) is the second largest community bank headquartered in Reston, Virginia with eight full-service branches located in Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Reston, Rockville, Tysons, and Washington, D.C. and one loan production office in Arlington, Virginia. The Bank is dedicated to providing exceptional value, personalized service and convenience to local businesses and professionals in the Washington DC Metro area. JMB offers a comprehensive line of sophisticated banking products and services that rival those of the largest banks along with experienced staff to help achieve customers' financial goals. Dedicated Relationship Managers serve as direct points-of-contact, providing subject matter expertise in a variety of niche industries including Charter and Private Schools, Government Contractors, Health Services, Nonprofits and Associations, Professional Services, Property Management Companies, and Title Companies. Learn more at www.johnmarshallbank.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005621/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:00:31|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close by Marwa Yahya CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi said Egypt is ready to host a special African summit to discuss setting up an African force to fight terrorism on the continent. The Egyptian president made the remarks during a televised speech on Sunday during the opening ceremony of the 33rd African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa. During a closed session, African leaders proposed to convene a special African summit to discuss a counter-terrorism African force, al-Sisi said. "I affirm Egypt is ready to host this special African summit stemming from its responsibility and belief in the importance of this proposed force to achieve peace and security in Africa," al-Sisi said. Three main reasons were behind the proposal of the establishment of African anti-terrorism force, according to Hesham Halby, an Egyptian military expert at Nasser Military Academy. First of all, some African countries still suffer the deteriorations of civil wars and don't have the military capabilities to uproot terrorism, said Halby. Secondly, the mobility among the borders between the African countries facilitated the spread of the cross-border terrorism, like what is happening in the Sahel and Sahara countries that would impact Egypt and Sudan, he said. The third reason is generated by that fact that the African countries are currently witnessing large flows of investment and development momentum that require secured stability, he added. "Terrorism is one of the basic threats for Africa," Halby, also a member of the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs, told Xinhua, adding that it is difficult to initiate or continue any developmental projects in the continent without security. "Establishing an African force to eliminate terrorism will be a point of strength because the solution will be applied by African people, which will make the operations sustainable," Halby told Xinhua. He pointed out that Africa will be ready to establish the force when the political willingness is provided, warning that there is no alternative except for foreign intervention. He added the anti-terrorism force does not have to be very large but should have some special formation that suits to fight the threats of terrorism, noting that Egypt has rich experience in this regard. "Africa doesn't enjoy the luxury of waiting or choosing because it has to fight the infiltration of some present terrorist groups like Boko Haram in Nigeria to its neighbors," he said. Meanwhile, Tariq Fahmy, a political professor at Cairo University, said the timing of proposing the establishment of the force is significant as Egypt is fighting the Islamic State on its lands, especially in Sinai Peninsula. Fahmy suggested that some north and central African countries could share intelligence about terrorists and the proposal could succeed as long as implementation tools are provided. The idea is very "practical," said Samir Ragheb, head of the Cairo-based Arab Institution for Strategic and Development Studies, referring to the Sahel-Saharan force supported by Egypt for fighting terrorism in Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Burkina Faso and Niger. He pointed out that Egypt has already started training forces in Sahel and Sahara countries as well as implemented a mechanism for intelligence cooperation and transfer of expertise. In June 2019, the Egyptian army conducted a military training in Mohamed Naguib military base at the Mediterranean Sea for the Sahel and Sahara countries on means of combating terrorism. In July 2018, Egypt established its counter-terrorism center in Cairo for the regional community of Sahel-Sharan states. Amazon and Sony are the latest major tech companies to announce they will skip the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year owing to concern about the coronavirus AFP/Pau Barrena The US and Japanese heavyweights joined a list of companies that includes Swedish telecoms equipment maker Ericsson and South Korean giant LG that will forego attending the annual gathering that is to take place on February 24-27 this year. "Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020," a Spanish-language statement said. A Sony statement said: "As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona." The Japanese group has maintained an internet news conference on February 24 however to present its new products. The MWC is a major date on tech company calendars and normally draws more than 109,000 people from all over the world to see the latest innovations and gadgets from 2,800 exhibitors. The mobile trade association GSMA that organises the congress said Sunday it was taking drastic precautions this year to ease concerns that it could become a hub for the virus to spread. To date, more than 40,000 people have been infected and more than 900 have died . The Barcelona congress will be off limits to anyone from the Chinese province of Hubei, where the virus first broke out, and visitors from other parts of China will have to show they have been outside the country for two weeks before arriving in Spain. Chinese tech groups ZTE and Huawei still plan to attend but their representatives are to be carefully vetted. ZTE's exhibition stand and equipment will be disinfected daily and all of its booth exhibition staff will come from countries outside of China, mainly from Europe, it said. Meanwhile, personnel will be on hand to take visitors temperatures. Spain has not declared a health emergency and only two cases of coronavirus have been detected in the country so far, one in the Canary Islands and one on the Mediterranean island of Majorca. "Everything will be done to ensure the participant's peace of mind," Barcelona Mayor Jaume Collboni told Antena 3 television. People seen wearing face masks along Orchard Road on 9 February 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore) SINGAPORE Singapore and Malaysia will set up a joint working group to prevent and control the spread of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Singapore has nominated Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, Dr Lam Pin Min, to co-chair the working group, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said in a statement on Tuesday (11 February). The objective of the joint working group is to boost collaborations and enhance communication between both countries, in order to better understand and limit the spread of 2019-nCoV. Senior health officials from both countries will work closely together over the next few days on the setup of the working group. At a video conference on Tuesday, Singapores Health Minister, Gan Kim Yong and his Malaysian counterpart, Dr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, discussed the situations in the respective countries and public health measures, epidemiological findings and clinical management of the disease. The Ministers agreed that it is important for both countries to continue working closely together against the on-going outbreak, especially given the high travel volume between the two countries. Since the start of the outbreak, both countries have been in close touch with one another, including sharing information on cross-border cases, MOH said. As of Tuesday, there are 47 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection in Singapore, including 25 cases of local transmissions. Malaysia has reported 18 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection as of Monday. (INFOGRAPHIC: Yahoo News Singapore) Related stories Coronavirus: Singapore confirms 2 new cases RWS casino employee and 2nd Bangladeshi worker Coronavirus: Showing love for healthcare workers through free coffee and messages of support Coronavirus: How it's spreading in Singapore and the world China virus death toll passes 1,000 as WHO warns of 'bigger fire' A 2009 text message unearthed in the Lawyer X inquiry may shatter allegations police doctored a statement in a notorious murder investigation. Shane Chartres-Abbott Credit:Andrew De La Rue Controversy surrounds an old, unsigned witness statement from lawyer-turned-informer Nicola Gobbo. In it, she claimed a man confessed to her that he organised the murder of Shane Chartres-Abbott, also known as the vampire gigolo. The statement was never used against the man, Mark Perry, who was acquitted of murder in 2014, and Ms Gobbo said in her evidence last week she had never met Mr Perry and accused police of adding it in. But she conceded on Tuesday she could be wrong after Victoria Police lawyers read to her a text message she sent to her police handlers in October 2009 on the day newspapers reported a $1 million reward for Mr Perrys arrest. We still do not understand Spanish flu so no wonder the danger posed by the coronavirus is unquantifiable Spanish flu was treated at first as a bit of a joke. Nobody in May 1918 had the faintest idea it would end up killing more people than any other pandemic in human history. As a recent survey of the literature says, Because of the initial perceived lack of severity of the illness and because of the Spanish sense of humour, the influenza was known popularly in Madrid as the Soldado de Napoles (Naples Soldier), which was the name of a popular song from a highly successful musical, La cancion del olvido, which was playing at the same time at Madrids Teatro de la Zarzuela. The song was so popular that it was deemed to be highly contagious, like influenza. The authors of the survey end by urging the world to never forget the warning posed by Spanish flu. But one lesson of this earlier pandemic is that it can be strangely difficult, either while the disease is taking hold or even with the benefit of hindsight, to establish what is going on. Nobody knows how many people were killed by Spanish flu. The estimates range from 50 million to 100 million. In Britain about 250,000 people died, in France 400,000, in the United States over 500,000, in Iran between 900,000 and 2,400,000, in China between one and nine million, in India perhaps 17 million. Ones senses are soon numbed by such statistics. From August 1918, the disease took on a new, more lethal form, but none of the powers fighting the First World War, which continued until 11th November, wished to admit being weakened by it. The British Prime Minister, David Lloyd George, went down with Spanish flu on 12th September 1918, the day he received the freedom of the city of Manchester, where he had been born. He was too ill to be moved, so for ten days was treated in a committee room in Manchester Town Hall, breathing with the help of a respirator, which he also required on the journey back to London. The severity of his condition, which was touch and go according to his valet, was concealed from the public, and in due course he made a full recovery. We are inclined to expect medical science to be exact. The doctor will tell us what the matter is. But very often, no clear answer is forthcoming. And this is true on a colossal scale with Spanish flu. To this day, it is not clear where the disease started, but it was certainly not in Spain. As a neutral power, Spain had no need to hush up the epidemic, especially as it seemed at first, though highly contagious, not very dangerous. The case of the Spanish King, Alfonso XIII, was widely reported in the foreign press. He recovered, but the illness became known as Spanish flu. According to The National Geographic, Spanish flu may have originated in China: Historian Mark Humphries of Canadas Memorial University of Newfoundland says that newly unearthed records confirm that one of the side stories of the warthe mobilization of 96,000 Chinese labourers to work behind the British and French lines on World War Is Western Frontmay have been the source of the pandemic. American scientists are inclined to trace the outbreak to Camp Funston, at Fort Riley in Kansas, where large drafts of troops assembled prior to departure for Europe, and where there was certainly an outbreak in March 1918 of a disease that was at least similar to Spanish flu, But as Mark Honigsbaum, author of Living With Enza: The Forgotten Story of Britain and the Great Flu Pandemic of 1918, wrote in a hundredth anniversary piece for The Guardian: A rival theory, favoured by the British virologist John Oxford, is that the pandemic began at Etaples, a huge British military camp an hour south-west of Boulogne. With accommodation for up to 100,000 soldiers, Etaples lay on a migratory bird flyway close to the Somme estuary and had all the necessary conditions for a spillover event: wild waterfowl, plus chickens and pigs, living in close proximity to men packed into airless barracks. Etaples also had several hospitals where soldiers whose lungs had been compromised by mutagenic gases deployed on the battlefield were evacuated for treatment. In the winter of 1917, several hundred British soldiers collapsed with influenza-like symptoms and medics at Etaples recorded 156 deaths. At the time, the epidemic was labelled purulent bronchitis because of the yellow pus that oozed from the larger airways of the lungs at autopsy (some medics thought it resembled the lung damage from phosgene gas). Another prominent feature was cyanosis, a distinctive purple-blue discolouration of the lips, ears and cheeks, caused by the loss of oxygen to the heart. Cyanosis was also a hallmark of the pneumonias associated with the Spanish flu an observation that persuaded doctors writing in the Lancet in 1919 that it and purulent bronchitis had been fundamentally the same condition. My great-grandfather, Alexander Ogilvie, was gassed on the Western Front shortly before the end of the First World War, and evacuated, most likely via Etaples, blinded and unconscious to England, where he died of pneumonia on 30th October 1918. A curious feature of Spanish flu was that unlike other versions of the disease, which are most deadly for the old and for small children, it posed the greatest threat to healthy adults aged between 20 and 40. It is possible that older people had acquired a degree of immunity thanks to having caught earlier versions of flu. It is also possible that Spanish flu provoked an over-reaction of the immune system, known as a cytokine storm, so the stronger your immune system was, the worse the effects. Yet another curiosity of Spanish flu is that it was at its most deadly in late summer and autumn, whereas winter is usually the worst time for flu. The head reels at so much uncertainty. Spanish flu defies understanding, and came to be seen as a sad but indistinct event about which not much needed to be said, compared to the endless studies of the actual fighting. No wonder the experts cannot tell us what will happen with the coronavirus, but are profoundly worried about what could happen. The NHS issues studiously calm advice about avoiding contact with other people if you have returned from Wuhan or Hubai Province in China in the last 14 days, and we wait to see how well the condition can be contained. New York : United States President Donald Trump will travel to India later this month on a two-day visit, the White House announced on Tuesday, in what would be his first trip to the country as the president of the United States. The president and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad during the visit from February 24-25, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. His predecessor, Barack Obama, had travelled to India twice, in 2010 and 2015. During a phone call over the weekend, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, she said. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," M R Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, said. Describing this as a significant visit, Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, noted that last three American presidents had made trips to India. "It's essential to send a message to the region that India is a significant partner and the president values that," Aghi said. According to him, India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighbourhood, but in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo Pacific region is part of the international global order. The composition of the proposed board for the regional security network for the south west region, Amotekun, will have the representatives of the Army, the Navy and the Airforce, according to a draft bill put together by the respective state governments to give legal backing to the security network. The board will also have the six states Commissioners of Police, and the states Commandants of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps as board members. Amotekun has as its main functions to gather information and share intelligence about crime, crime in progress, suspicious activities, criminal suspects and other criminal activities. Section 6 of the bill, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, provides for the establishment and composition of the Ekiti State Security Network Agency Governing Board. Although the copy of the bill is adapted for Ekiti State, it is in harmony with the bills adopted by all the states in the south west region. There is established for the Agency a Governing Board (referred to in this Law as the Board), section reads. The Board shall comprise: (a) a Chairman, who shall be a person of proven integrity with experience in security matters and shall be a retired Law Enforcement or Military Officer not below the rank of a Major or its equivalent in the other Security Services; (b) The Commissioner of Police in the State or his/her representative; (c) One member representing the different services of the Armed Forces of Nigeria operating in the State; (d) The State Commandant of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in the State or his/her representative; (e) The Executive Secretary, Ekiti State Security Trust Fund or his/her representative; (f) One representative each of the Community Development Association drawn from the three Senatorial zones the State; (g) The Chairman, Ekiti State Council of Traditional Rulers or his representative; (h) The Ekiti State Amotekun Corps Commander. The board shall have the powers to set the general policy guidelines for the management of the Agency; the administrative guidelines for the conditions and welfare of staff of the Agency; make recommendations to the Governor on the terms and conditions of employment and remuneration of staff of the Agency. It will also be responsible for approving programmes of training for members of the Agency for effectiveness and efficiency in the performance of their functions under this Law; provide a graded command structure for the Amotekun Corps; design and approve the uniform of the different grades of the Amotekun Corps; and appoint suitable persons as members of the State Amotekun Corps. A person appointed as a member of the Board shall hold office on part-time basis for four (4) years and be eligible for re-appointment for one further term of four (4) years, the bill also stated. The bill also provides for the funding of the corps through subventions from the state governments as well as donations. Amotekun Corps is also designed to bear arms under the supervision and approval of the Inspector General of Police. According to Section 18(1) of the bill, Amotekun Corps shall, subject to the approval of the Inspector General of Police have the power to bear licensed arms in the performance of its duties and as may be incidental to the operation of its objectives under this Law. The corps will also have the power to collaborate with and assist the Police and other Security Network Agencies in gathering information about crime, crime investigation, arrest and prosecution of persons suspected or involved in kidnapping, terrorism, cattle rustling, cultism, highway robbery and other criminal activities. It will also be required to disarm unauthorised persons with arms and dangerous weapons and assist crime and accident victims. Section 5(2) categorically states that The Agency shall in the course of carrying out its duties, safeguard the human rights of every person as enshrined in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and other relevant human rights instruments. To ensure that its personnel are people of credible character, the bill provides that besides applying for enlisting in the corps, such persons would receive confirmation from the Divisional Police Officer in his Local Government Area of residence that he/she is of proven character and integrity and has no criminal records. Such persons would also need to be endorsed by the chairman of his/her Local Government Area of residence or the traditional ruler of the community where such a person resides. The bill is expected to be considered by the state assemblies of the six states of the south west and passed into law before the end of the week. Meanwhile, all the governors of the states have received copies of the draft bill and are in the process of forwarding it to the legislature for consideration and passage. A stripper from Texas proved that she doesnt give up easily even when in pain, as a horrifying video shows her falling off a 15-foot high pole, sustaining major injuries and still getting back up to dance. The video of the fall has gone viral for obvious reasons and people can't get over how, even after suffering from broken bones and chipped teeth, she continued dancing. Pole dancing might look easy but everyone knows it sure isnt and yes, even though professional pole dancers do it to entertain, its nothing short of a major risk to their lives. A Twitter user shared the video where the stripper falls off the pole and is seen getting back on her feet and continue dancing in another video posted online. Check out the video here- this sums up my first str*p club experience, i really do hope shes ok pic.twitter.com/fA4Tu1mePL x (@xvreae) February 9, 2020 And heres how she continues dancing even after getting severely injured. bb girl fell off the pole and continued throwing it pic.twitter.com/PhIIYI59Yl AUSTIN (@THEEGEMINl) February 9, 2020 Genea Sky was performing at a gentlemens club in the Lone Star State and video clip of the fall has already garnered around 10 million views on Twitter and more than 33K retweets. She posted a video of herself on Instagram saying, "I pretty much broke my jaw and I have to have surgery on it tomorrow (Monday). I broke some teeth and I got a sprained ankle. I got some stitches, but aside from that, I'm good. I have no broken limbs, I walked away myself. I got up right after it happened." Check out the full post here- People are still losing it watching the videos and they have nothing but praise for the 'superhero' stripper. Agreed. Honestly I have so much respect for her to continue Ney (@itsy0urs) February 9, 2020 Apparently underrated tweet bc bambi (@janaeeebaby) February 10, 2020 Point to be noted. One of the reasons these types of clubs don't attract me at all. In that brief moment between hat falling and her continuing to dance, no one turned their heads, no one flinched, not a single ounce of shock or concern for her well being. And to top it off... NO MONEY ON STAGE?? MON (@M__o__o_n) February 10, 2020 Yaaas queen! What a queen honestly what. (@618bh) February 9, 2020 Damnnn. How the puck she fall and break her jaw and still kept shaking her ass pic.twitter.com/FBXfOEkv23 (@EyeOfTru) February 10, 2020 Hai nah? These women deserve to be millionaires no thanks (@thatssomalaika) February 10, 2020 On point! The visual representation of the show must go on The Underated One (@Fam0usvee) February 10, 2020 Scott Eisen/Getty Images(MANCHESTER, N.H.) -- Even as some New Hampshire voters are still casting ballots in the first-in-the-nation primary, former Vice President Joe Biden is expected to leave the Granite State to head for South Carolina Tuesday night. The departure -- ahead of when results are made official -- is perhaps a sign of the veteran lawmaker's expected potentially poor showing in New Hampshire and the campaign's gamble on a more diverse coalition of voters in South Carolina boosting his presidential bid. "Look, we got a lot of good friends here in New Hampshire but this race isnt over... you got significant portions of the electorate who havent voted yet. And Im going to head to South Carolina tonight and Im going to go to Nevada as Ive said from the beginning, we gotta look at them all, " Biden told reporters from inside a Dunkin Donuts in Manchester, New Hampshire. "And Im feeling good about that, weve got a lot of great friends here who have helped us a lot. Were still mildly hopeful here in New Hampshire. And well see what happens. When pressed by ABC News why he was leaving Tuesday night and what message that sent to voters in New Hampshire still making up their minds as they head to the polls, Biden reiterated that he felt it was time to head down South. "I gotta get to South Carolina I was planning on leaving," he said. " Today Im going down to South I gotta get to Nevada after that, so Im going to South Carolina and to Nevada, and Ive said from the beginning Im going to do that." He has other campaign surrogates in New Hampshire who will stay for the results. Biden has long touted South Carolina as a firewall for his campaign, but pushed back on the notion that South Carolina is do or die for his campaign. No I dont think so. Look, remember, when everybody talks about how everybody won before. Clinton lost the first 9 events, won one, won in Iowa went on to win the nomination. Look the rest of the nation is out there. Theres an awful lot of electoral votes to be had, and were gonna see. I think were going to do well in Nevada and in South Carolina, and well go from there. Well see, Biden said. But on Monday, his campaign signaled what they see as South Carolina's critical importance to his presidential prospects underscoring that the real game in their view comes into view when more diverse states start to have their say. The path to the nomination for Joe Biden runs through South Carolina, Nevada, and Super Tuesday, senior campaign adviser Kate Bedingfield told reporters on Monday. This is Game 2, and were going all the way to Game 7, she said. Hes been very clear hes the underdog here. African American voters are critical to gaining traction--the largely Democratic voting base is expected to make up 12.5% of the electorate in 2020, according to Pew Research Center. In South Carolina, the first primary state in the South, blacks make up nearly 30% of the population and more than 60 percent of the primary electorate. By comparison, New Hampshire is more than 90% white. Meanwhile, outside a polling station in Manchester on Tuesday morning, Biden tried to reassure supporters that he is not writing off the state. Were gonna stay all day and fight for every vote we have and then were heading down to South Carolina, Biden told reporters while pouring coffee and passing out donuts to a group of supporters gathered outside. Asked by ABC News how he plans to rebuild his campaigns momentum, Biden said his campaign has plenty. "Its not about rebuilding momentum, it's about keeping it going, Biden said. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. The Poco X2 will have its maiden sale on Flipkart at 12 noon today. The mid-range smartphone was launched in India on February 4. It is a rebranded version of the Redmi K30 4G, which was launched late-2019 in China. Price, storage & offers The Poco X2 comes in three storage variants, an entry-level 6GB + 64GB storage option priced at Rs 15,999, a 6GB + 128GB storage piece priced at Rs 16,999, and the 8GB + 256GB variant priced at Rs 19,999. It also has three colour options Atlantis Blue, Phoenix Red and Matrix Purple. As part of the launch offers, ICICI Bank credit card customers can choose to avail a Rs 1,000 discount on the purchase of Poco X2 on Flipkart. The same offer is available on easy monthly instalment (EMI) transactions as well. Specs & features Poco X2 features a 6.7-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD panel with a tall 20:9 aspect ratio and a smooth 120Hz refresh rate. The screen has a pill-shaped punch-hole cutout for the dual front camera setup. Under the hood, Poco X2s performance is handled by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 730G processor, paired with up to 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 2.1 internal memory. Poco X2 also supports liquid-cooling for thermal heat management during intensive usage. For photography, Poco X2 has a 64MP quad-camera setup. The primary sensor is a 64MP Sony IMX686 sensor, paired with an 8MP ultra-wide lens, and two 2MP sensors for macro and depth mapping. You can check the review of the Poco X2 on our website soon. Spoiler alert the Poco X2s camera produces excellent images in its price range. For selfies, there is a 20MP + 2MP dual-camera setup. The smartphone also packs a 4,500 mAh battery with support for 27W fast-charging (shipped with the box) via USB Type-C. Poco X2 boots on Android 10-based MiUi 11 for Poco out-of-the-box. There is a side-mounted fingerprint scanner on the Poco X2. The smartphone also features an IR blaster and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Leaders and workers of rival political parties on Tuesday made a dash to temples and held prayers seeking divine intervention as election commission officials readied to count the votes for the Delhi assembly elections. The Aam Aadmi Partys (AAPs) Manish Sisodia prayed at home and his rival Bharatiya Janata Partys Vijay Goel went to the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place ahead of the counting of votes for all the 70 assembly seats at 8am. We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last five years, Delhis outgoing deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia said, according to news agency ANI. Some supporters of the AAP were also seen offering a prayer in Uttar Pradeshs Kanpur for the success of their party for the third time in the national capital. The AAP is locked in a fierce battle with the BJP for the control of the 70-member Delhi assembly. Five exit polls, released soon after voting ended on Saturday, have given the AAP a clear edge and predicted the BJP could win between seven to 23 seats. The Congress, they suggested, would come a distant third either failing to secure any seat, according to two polls, or, at best, winning three seats. Ahead of the voting on Saturday, the Capital saw an aggressive campaign mounted by the BJP as several of its leaders led by Union home minister Amit Shah attacked the AAP. The BJP, looking to bet back to power in the Capital, based its campaign on issues of Hindutva and nationalism and its strident opposition to the protests at Shaheen Bagh against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The AAP stuck to its development agenda and focussed on its work over the last five years, such as fixing government schools and healthcare in the Capital. Arvind Kejriwals AAP had swept the last assembly elections in 2015 winning 67 of the 70 seats. The BJP had got three seats while the Congress failed to open its account. (Newser) After tweeting that he wanted to "shake up the Dems a little bit," President Trump spoke to thousands of supporters at a rally in New Hampshire on the eve of the state's primaries. Senate Republicans "voted to reject the outrageous partisan impeachment hoax and to issue a full, complete and absolute total acquittal," he told supporters at a sold-out arena in Manchester. He mocked the Democrats for the Iowa caucus debacle, saying "nobody knows" who won, the Guardian reports. "The Democrat party wants to run your healthcare but they cant even run a caucus in Iowa," Trump told supporters. In 2016, New Hampshire gave Trump his first GOP primary victory, though he narrowly lost the state to Hillary Clinton that November. His only GOP opponent in New Hampshire this time is former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld. story continues below After Trump said he had been "very distracted" by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi "terribly mumbling" during his State of the Union address last week, supporters chanted "Lock her up!," reports the AP. New Hampshire allows independents to vote in either party's primary, and Trump urged supporters to vote for the "weakest" Democrat. "A lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats, he said. "My only problem is Im trying to figure out who is the weakest candidate. I think theyre all weak." Democrats including Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders also spoke in Manchester on Monday, the Washington Post reports. Sanders contrasted himself with Trump, saying "I will not be lying to the American people every single day about everything." (Read more New Hampshire primary stories.) New grocery market research has shown that Lidl is topping the supermarket league with the highest performance of all multiples here last month compared to January 2019. Kantar's Take Home Grocery Spend survey showed that the German retailer, which has almost 40 stores here, is NI's fastest growing grocer, gaining 0.2% of sales and increasing its share to 6.1% from 5.9% last January. Sainsbury's and Asda fared worse, having seen sales drop by 1.3% and 2.6% respectively, while Tesco's sales increased by 1.7%. Tesco, which has over 50 stores in Northern Ireland, still has the largest share of the grocery sector here with 35.7%. Meanwhile NI's 'symbol' groups, which include the likes of Spar stores and Centra and Mace outlets, saw their sales grow by 0.5% compared to January 2019. They also boosted their share of the grocery market in NI from 7.9% to 8%. Musgrave Group's multimillion pound investment in the convenience retail scene, which produced a number of new Centra stores around NI over the past two years, could have contributed to such growth. Nigel Maxwell, sales director for SuperValu and Centra, says its investment "redfines convenience retail", telling the NI Chamber of Commerce's Ambition Magazine recently that it had refurbished 70% of its Centra stores. "It's an ambitious programme but we have a concept that we know works and that us and our retail partners are happy to invest in." Meanwhile Lidl has been heavily investing in its stores and associated CSR (corporate social responsibility) including mental health campaigns, healthy eating and eco-friendly drives. Deirdre Ryan, head of corporate social responsibility at Lidl Ireland & Northern Ireland, said recently: "Consumers are increasingly conscious of the products they buy. They consider sustainability and waste before they make a purchasing decision. We're constantly looking for ways to help consumers make sustainable purchases, without compromising on quality and value. Summing up the grocery landscape, Matthew Botham, strategic insight director at Kantar, said: "The Northern Irish grocery market was unchanged during the 52 weeks to 26 January 2020 as overall growth stood at 0.0%. "Volume sales have continued to decline and are now down 0.6% year on year. "More frequent trips by shoppers and an average price rise of one pence per item failed to outweigh the impact of falling basket sizes, which dropped by 3.6%. "Sales at Asda and Sainsbury's decreased this month by 2.6% and 1.3% respectively. Although basket sizes have continued to grow at Asda, bucking the market trend to rise by 2.2%, the retailer has seen fewer shoppers coming through its doors. Meanwhile at Sainsbury's, increases in shopper frequency by 3.1%, and pack price by 0.4%, were not enough to outweigh falling shopper numbers and basket sizes. "Overall, Lidl was the best performing retailer. Tesco enjoyed the greatest increase in market share, up by 0.6 percentage points to 35.7%, the retailer's highest share for over four years. Tesco customers made an average of six more trips to the retailer this year, counteracting falling basket sizes." 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 Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's wife Sunita Kejriwal said she could not have asked for a better gift on her birthday than the mandate given by the people of Delhi in the assembly polls. Speaking at the party office, Sunita, a former IRS officer, said the campaigning saw several "ups and downs" but the party members had complete faith in their work. "Delhi people have given me a gift, could not have asked for a better gift. There was anxiety, several ups and downs were going on. We trusted our work. Delhi has made 'kaam' (work) victorious," Sunita said. She also said the personal attacks on her husband during the campaigning were uncalled for. "Fight positively," she advised. Kejriwal's daughter Harshita said she had taken leave from her office to campaign for the party and would join back work in March. "There are many volunteers like me who have taken leave to work for the party and I will be joining back work," the 24-year-old IITian said. According to the latest trends projected by the Election Commission, AAP is leading in 63 out of 70 assembly seats while the BJP is ahead in seven constituencies. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Turkish authorities sanction arrest of 33 suspected FETO ties Copper rises in price Erdogan's spokesman, Biden's adviser discuss Armenian-Turkish relations Armenia deputy defense minister: No one can rule out border tension at any moment New commander elected of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh Armenia official: Those 100 soldiers absence will not assume any change in terms of border tension Millionaire Robert Durst dies aged 78 Reuters: Over 1.13 million cases of COVID-19 detected in US per day Great Armenian poet Razmik Davoyan dies 2 new cases of coronavirus reported in Artsakh Deputy PM Matevosyan: About 1,190 subvention programs implemented in Armenia from 2018 to 2021 243 new cases of COVID-19 confirmed in Armenia Armenia MP: It would be right to put pressure on Azerbaijanis to remove their firing positions Oil is getting more expensive Nearly 10,000 people detained in Kazakhstan in connection with riots Tokayev: CSTO peacekeepers will pull out from Kazakhstan within 10 days Newspaper: Armenia businessmen pay customs duties to Azerbaijanis to go to Iran European Parliament speaker David Sassoli dies Alikhan Smailov appointed Kazakhstan Prime Minister Newspaper: Health minister makes decision full of contradictions in terms of Covid-related restrictions in Armenia Newspaper: Armenia authorities once again showed their being unprincipled, worthless, opposition MP says Germany teacher who had cannibalism fantasies is sentenced to life in prison Israel's military and other security services undergo largest rearmament in years Spain PM calls for a debate to consider COVID-19 endemic disease Flyone Armenia and Pegasus receive permission for Yerevan-Istanbul-Yerevan flights Pope condemns "baseless" ideological misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines Arab foreign ministers to visit Beijing Azerbaijanis stoned an Armenian car on the Stepanakert-Goris road Armenian FM has a phone call with his Polish counterpart Macron travels to French Riviera to discuss internal security issues Artsakh Foreign Ministry: Azerbaijan's aggressive behavior aims to disrupt Russian peacekeepers' activities US COVID-19 cases reach 60 million European Parliament President hospitalized due to immune system dysfunction Washington and Ankara discuss normalization of relations between Armenia and Turkey WHO excludes emergence of deltacron strain In Karabakh Azerbaijanis shelled tractor Indian Defense Minister tests positive for COVID-19 US-Russia talks on security guarantees lasting for seven hours already 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 Facing the need for specialized chips for AI and new applications, internet giants, mobile phone providers and automakers are pouring billions into their own integrated circuits US President Donald Trump does not want to engage with North Koreas supreme leader Kim Jong Un ahead of the presidential elections in November, a report said. According to media reports, Trump has told top foreign policy advisers that he does not want another summit with Norths leader and will be focusing on his re-election campaign. In February 2019, Trump and Kim met to arrive at an agreement but had to walk away empty-handed. Since then, there have been constant attempts from both sides to find a middle ground but met with failure. In October, the working-level talks fell apart leaving the US leader frustrated. Warned against nuclear test Speculations were rife that North Korea might test an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of delivering a nuclear warhead. US Representative to the United Nations Kelly Craft, while speaking at the Security Council, warned North Korea against further missile and nuclear tests. She had raised concerns about Norths indication of intercontinental ballistic missile tests which will bring the US in its range. Read: Kim Jong Un's Aunt Makes An Appearance After Being Presumed Dead For Last 6 Years Craft said that the US has sought to engage in robust diplomacy with the DPRK, but the signs were deeply troubling. Let me be clear, we have not asked North Korea to do everything, before we do anything. We are prepared to be flexible, but we cannot solve this problem alone, remarked the Ambassador after the Council meeting. Craft suggested North Korea avoid provocations and engage in dialogue. Peace is a better way, and peace can only be achieved by doing this together, she said. Read: Donald Trump Calls Kim Jong-un 'man Of His Word' On Denuclearization Later she took to Twitter to assert that North Korea can not achieve greater security and stability with missile and nuclear testing. The Ambassador opined that such tests will rather complicate their ability to negotiate an agreement to address North Korea's security and economic goals. North Korea had recently conducted a nuclear test at the Sohae launch site by going against the process of denuclearisation which drew ire of Trump administration. Read: Kim Jong Un: N Korea Ready To Take 'shocking Actual Action' Against US Read: North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un Holds Party Meeting Ahead Of US Deadline (With ANI inputs) Rithala Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Rithala constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Rithala profile: The Aam Aadmi Party's Mohinder Goyal has won the election from the Rithala constituency against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Manish Chaudhary with a margin of 13,873 votes. In the last election, 66.46 percent of the voters had cast their votes, which amounted to 1.65 lakh votes. The Assembly constituency is part of the North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. AAP's Mohinder Goyal had sought re-election from the constituency, fighting against Manish Choudhary of the BJP, a councilor in the North Delhi Municipal Corporation. Here is a brief profile of Rithala constituency: Constituency Name: Rithala Constituency Number: 6 District Name: North West Delhi Total Electors: 2,48,480 Female Electors: 1,14,760 Male Electors: 1,33,699 Third Gender: 21 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Kulwant Rana of BJP won the seat in 2008 and 2013 polls. He lost to Mohinder Goyal of the AAP in the 2015 polls. This constituency came into existence in 2008 post the delimitation exercise. Demographics: As per reports, Rithala is a Muslim-concentrated Assembly segment with the community forming 30 to 40 percent of the population. The Assembly segment also has a crucial Jat population, which has -traditionally been a BJP votebank. Middle-class areas such as Sector 17 Rohini, Sector 16 Rohini, Sector 11 Rohini and Sector 6 Rohini are part of the constituency. Sunny Sen Most people buy one-two properties in their lifetime We want to be relevant throughout their home journey, said Amit Kumar Agarwal, Founder and CEO of NoBroker, a Bengaluru-based real estate service provider which connects flat owners and tenants directly. The acquisition of society accounting software company Society Connect is a step in that direction. On Tuesday, NoBroker announced that it acquired the company in an all-cash deal, and has absorbed the entire team. That was a requirement we were seeing from the flats that are part of the NoBroker inventory, Agarwal told Tech2. The company has not disclosed the exact details, but the deal is expected to be worth between Rs 1520 crore. Society Connect had raised Rs 45 crore from investors, who have exited during the buyout. With the help of Society Connect, Agarwal said that resident welfare associations will be able to not just manage the entire accounting, but can also keep track of visitors. Our focus has been to provide end-to-end solutions for all aspects of community management and simplify apartment living, he added. Society Connect also brings in 1,50,000 flats, which are already its customers, and counts marquee developers like Ashiana and DLF as its clients. There is also a tangential benefit to the NoBroker brand, Agarwal explains. NoBroker hopes that these 1,50,000 new flats that get added to their inventory will start using some of the other services that the real estate platform provides. The market for organising community management is a big opportunity. There are more than 1,00,000 societies with more than 200 flats in each of them, explains Akhil Gupta, Co-Founder and CTO of NoBroker. Only 10 percent of it is organised. There is a market of 20 million flats, he adds. NoBroker already provides allied services like packers and movers, rent collection and payment, among other things. In the years to come it plans to offer a lot more than these basic services. Right now home loan is a big problem, said Agarwal. We want to solve that too. Whether a homeowner requires a paint job to be done or repair work, NoBroker should be able to provide all of that, claims Agarwal. And theres more. Whether it is Vaastu related queries, or they want a Pandit for Grihapravesh, we will provide whatever the customer wants, said Agarwal. More than a 100 people died in China from the novel coronavirus on Monday, the highest for a day, taking the death toll to 1017 on the mainland. As many as 42744 were infected while an additional 21675 suspected to have the disease, latest figures said Tuesday evening. At least two persons have so far died outside the mainland: One each in Hong Kong and the Philippines. The World Health Organisation (WHO) said 393 cases have been reported from 24 countries so far. The outbreak toll continued to rise as President Xi Jinping made a rare public appearance on Monday in Beijing amid the escalating public health crisis in China. Xi admitted for the second time in two weeks that the epidemic had exposed shortcomings in Chinas disease prevention and control system. The state media released photos of a surgical mask-wearing Xi getting his temperature checked at a hospital in Beijing designated to treat NCP patients and interacting with medical workers. Reuters quoted anonymous sources as saying Xi had warned top officials last week that efforts to contain the new coronavirus had gone too far, threatening the countrys economy, days before Beijing rolled out measures to soften the blow. Xi told local officials during a Feb 3 meeting of the Communist Party oF Chinas politburos standing committee that some of the actions taken to contain the virus are harming the economy, two people familiar with the meeting told Reuters. On Tuesday, reports said China had removed several senior officials over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Top among those punished were the party secretary for the Hubei Health Commission, and the head of the commission -- the most senior officials to be removed so far. The central Chinese province of Hubei continued to be the worst-hit: It reported 2,097 new NCP cases on February 10, with 103 new deaths and 427 recovered. The city at the epicentre of the outbreak, Hubei provinces capital, Wuhan, has restricted the entry and exit of residents from residential buildings, health officials announced. Earlier in the day, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva that there were many areas of concern. In recent days we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today, Tedros said. The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire. But for now, its only a spark. Our objective remains containment. We call on all countries to use the window of opportunity we have to prevent a bigger fire, the WHO chief said. At a conference on the outbreak in Gevena held later on Tuesday, he said there were many aspects of the disease that scientists didnt know about including the infection reservoirs, the transmission dynamics and the period of infectiousness. In China, the governments top medical advisor on the outbreak, Zhong Nanshan echoed Tedros, saying, for example, that it was difficult to predict when the disease will peak. It could be mid-to-late February depending on many variables like control measures, state media quoted him as saying. Zhong is a reputed respiratory expert who is credited by the Chinese government as having discovered the SARS coronavirus in 2003. A new study of 1000 Coronavirus patients led by Zhong has also said that the incubation period for the virus could be 24 days rather than 14 days as previously believed. The study added that fewer than half of the patients in the study showed fever symptoms when they first saw doctors. Besides Zhong, at least three dozen researchers from Chinese hospitals and medical schools were involved in the study. Echoing the WHO chief, the study too showed that much is unknown about the new virus. As the global race for hypersonic weapons intensifies, the U.S. military just decided to abandon one of its fundamental prototype programs. The U.S. Air Force on Monday said it will cancel its Hypersonic Conventional Strike Weapon, known as HCSW (pronounced "Hacksaw"), in order to shift resources to its other program, the Air-launched Rapid Response Weapon (ARRW). Both prototypes are designed by Lockheed Martin Corp. "Due to budget priorities, the Air Force down-selected to one hypersonic weapon prototyping effort this year," spokeswoman Ann Stefanek said. Instead, she said, the service will concentrate efforts on ARRW, which is "on track for an early operational capability in fiscal 2022." Stefanek explained that ARRW -- pronounced "Arrow" -- offers a "unique glide body design as compared to other prototyping efforts." Related: Navy Sets Date for Crucial Hypersonic Weapons Flight Test "We will continue to work collaboratively with our sister services to see how we can most effectively leverage each other's capabilities, ensuring the most prudent use of taxpayer dollars," she said. The Air Force informed Lockheed of its decision on Monday; the service will still continue to work with Lockheed on HCSW until the prototype's critical design review in the spring before the termination, Stefanek said. In its fiscal 2021 budget request unveiled Monday, the Air Force said it needs $382 million for hypersonics research, test and development. Last year, lawmakers gave the service $576 million for the effort. "The HCSW team pioneered significant advancements in hypersonic technology development and integration of existing, mature technologies for use in various hypersonic efforts across the Department of Defense, including Army, Navy, and Missile Defense Agency programs," Stefanek said. "These advancements will serve to expedite the generation and demonstration of various hypersonic weapon capabilities in the near future." The contract for the Hacksaw project was awarded in 2018. It was estimated to cost as much as $928 million over the course of its lifetime. Hypersonic weapons are meant to move at five times the speed of sound or more. While little has been disclosed on either Air Force program, Aerojet Rocketdyne announced last year it would partner with Lockheed on the HCSW endeavor. The company said it has worked on creating both solid-fueled and air-breathing ramjet and scramjet capabilities for hypersonic technologies, and pointed to its successful test of the the X-51A Waverider, a hydrocarbon-fueled and scramjet-powered cruise missile prototype that was the first to achieve hypersonic speeds in 2013. Aerojet in September said it was looking in part to use Waverider as a blueprint for HCSW. Scramjet -- short for supersonic combustion ramjet -- technologies use an airbreathing jet engine that compresses incoming air, but needs to retain extreme high speeds to compress that air. In order to do that, they are first propelled by a booster to reach hypersonic speeds. Meanwhile, the Air Force conducted its first test of the AGM-183A ARRW in June, flying the weapon on a B-52 Stratofortress bomber aircraft at Edwards Air Force Base, California. ARRW, which has a tactical boost-glide body, completed its preliminary design review in March 2019, Lockheed said at the time. A glide-body vehicle reaches high speeds before separating its payload and gliding toward its intended target, according to the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. Like the Air Force, the Navy has also set its sights on glide-body experiments. Last month, Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly outlined a robust schedule for the service, which includes a flight experiment scheduled later this fiscal year. The test will demonstrate the effectiveness of the Navy-designed weapon: the Hypersonic Glide Body. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Read More: Air Force to Send More Than 100 Planes to Boneyard as It Invests in Future Fighters Istanbul, Feb 11 : Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Turkey will never allow US' so-called "Deal of the Century" to threaten peace in the region, the state-run Anadolu agency reported. Erdogan made the remarks in a written message he sent to the Third Conference of the Inter-parliamentary Jerusalem Platform in Malaysia's capital Kuala Lumpur on Monday, Xinhua reported. The Turkish leader said the deal which declared Jerusalem the capital of Israel is nothing more than "a dream" that threatens peace in the region, and Turkey would not allow this dream to come true. "We do not recognize this plan, which means annexation of Palestinian lands, destroys Palestine, and completely seizes Jerusalem," he was quoted as saying by Anadolu. "We never accept this attempt, which accepts a two-state solution on the surface but means legitimising the Israeli occupation under the mandate of the American administration." Earlier, Ankara declared the plan, which was announced by US President Donald Trump at the end of January to stop the conflict between Israel and Palestine, as "stillborn". The people repellent in use. Photo: HBO Look, its not exactly breaking news that understanding context and researching something for accuracy before blasting it to over 70 million Twitter followers are skills that Donald Trump does not possess. But sometimes as was the case last night, when he tweeted a short clip from the current season of HBOs Curb Your Enthusiasm its worth taking a moment to appreciate Trumps impressive lack of these skills, especially when hes posting a clip of a guy who literally named his dog after Bernie Sanders and turning him into the poster boy for, as he calls it, TOUGH GUYS FOR TRUMP. Anyway, heres the tweet: TOUGH GUYS FOR TRUMP! pic.twitter.com/DbjZjGzLWU Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020 The 28-second clip is from Curb Your Enthusiasms season-ten premiere, in which Larry David uses a Make America Great Again hat as a people repellent. In the F-bomb-filled clip, he puts the hat on while driving to get out of a heated confrontation after nearly running into a guy on a motorcycle. Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter about the episode last month, executive producer Jeff Schaffer described David wearing the MAGA hat as such a dissonant image Its like spotting a double rainbow of intolerance, he said. He wanted to wait until the last minute to put it on when he got on set, so it really had a good effect. It was like seeing your uncle the banker doing cosplay, it was bizarre. Context from the full Curb episode aside, David has made his intentions about the MAGA-hat scenes very clear. When asked during an interview at 92Y last month about the possibility of alienating Trump supporters with his use of the hat, David had this to say: Alienate yourselves! Go! Go and alienate! You have my blessing! No I could give a fuck. Check out the clip below: I love Larry David with all my heart and soul. pic.twitter.com/OEDANgVLho Jimmy Traina (@JimmyTraina) February 11, 2020 Also, Trumps tweet doesnt even make sense? Is the biker the tough guy because hes yelling stuff like, What the fuck are you doing, you little fucker? to intimidate Larry David for making a mistake? Or is Larry David, profusely apologizing to the biker before he desperately puts the MAGA hat on to get out of the confrontation, the tough guy despite doing absolutely nothing tough? Does Trump think the MAGA hat looks good in this situation? If we were to attempt to understand the logic of this whole thing, wed be here all day. Woman wearing a face mask crosses a road after the extended Lunar New Year holiday caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Beijing's central business district (Reuters) - A growing number of countries around the world are evacuating or planning to evacuate diplomatic staff and citizens from parts of China hit by the new coronavirus. Following are some countries' evacuation plans, and how they aim to manage the health risk from those who are returning. - The United States authorized the voluntary departure of its government employees and their family members from Hong Kong on Feb 11. On Feb. 6, two planes with about 300 passengers, mostly U.S. citizens, took off from Wuhan for the United States, the State Department said. - Canada, after evacuating 215 last week, flew back 185 Canadians from Wuhan on Feb. 11. All evacuees will be quarantined on the Trenton, Ontario base for two weeks. - Ukraine is preparing to evacuate its citizens from Wuhan on Feb. 11 by special charter plane to Kiev, the country's embassy in China said on Feb. 10. Returning citizens would be put into mandatory quarantine for two weeks. - A second evacuation flight is bringing back another 174 Singaporeans and their family members from Wuhan to the city-state on Feb. 9, Singapore's foreign ministry said. - Thirty Filipinos returned to the Philippines on Feb. 9 from Wuhan, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The returning passengers and a 10-member government team will be quarantined for 14 days. - Britain's final evacuation flight from Wuhan, carrying more than 200 people, landed at a Royal Air Force base in central England on Feb. 9. A plane carrying 83 British and 27 European Union nationals from Wuhan landed in Britain last week. - Uzbekistan has evacuated 251 people from China and quarantined them on arrival in Tashkent, the Central Asian nation's state airline said on Feb. 6. - A plane load of New Zealanders, Australians and Pacific Islanders evacuated from Wuhan arrived in Auckland, New Zealand on Feb. 5, officials said. - Taiwan has evacuated the first batch of an estimated 500 Taiwanese stranded in Wuhan. Story continues - The 34 Brazilians evacuated from Wuhan landed in Brazil on Feb. 9, where they will begin 18 days of quarantine. - Italy flew back 56 nationals from Wuhan to Rome on Feb. 3. The group will spend two weeks in quarantine in a military hospital, the government said. - Saudi Arabia has evacuated 10 students from Wuhan, Saudi state television reported on Feb. 2. - Indonesia's government flew 243 Indonesians from Hubei on Feb. 2 and placed them under quarantine at a military base on an island northwest of Borneo. - South Korea evacuated 147 people on a third chartered flight from Wuhan that arrived on Feb. 12. The country flew 368 people home on a charter flight that arrived on Jan. 31. A second chartered flight departed Seoul for Wuhan on Jan. 31, with plans to evacuate around 350 more South Korean citizens. - Japan chartered a third flight to repatriate Japanese people, which arrived from Wuhan on Jan. 31, bringing the number of repatriated nationals to 565. - Kazakhstan, which previously evacuated 83 people from Wuhan, will send two planes to China on Feb. 10 and Feb. 12 to evacuate its citizens. Out of 719 Kazakhs remaining in China, 391 have asked to be repatriated. - Spain's government is working with China and the European Union to repatriate its nationals. - Russia said it would begin moving its citizens out of China via its Far Eastern region on Feb. 1, regional authorities said. It plans to evacuate more than 600 Russian citizens currently in Hubei, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said. A first Russian military plane took off on Feb. 4 to evacuate Russian citizens from Wuhan, the RIA news agency reported. - The Netherlands is preparing the voluntary evacuation of 20 Dutch nationals and their families from Hubei, Foreign Minister Stef Blok said. The Netherlands is finalising arrangements with EU partners and Chinese authorities. - France has evacuated some nationals from Wuhan and said it would place the passengers in quarantine. It said it would first evacuate nationals without symptoms and then those showing symptoms at a later, unspecified date. - Swiss authorities said they hope to have about 10 citizens join the French evacuation of nationals from China. - A plane brought 138 Thai nationals home from Wuhan last week. They will spend two weeks in quarantine. (Compiled by Aditya Soni and Milla Nissi; Editing by Susan Fenton) Premiere Vision penetrates the Chinese market. The textile trade show, one of the largest in the world, will launch its first event in China next November, within the structure of the Fashion Source fair, as explained by the group in a statement. The objective is to complement the Fashion Source offer, which houses both producers of raw materials, clothing, fashion brands, and accessories, in the first part of the value chain. Premiere Vision already has had a local presence in China since 2004 and had two commercial offices in Shanghai and Beijing. The event will allow the group to establish a position in China, a country that, looking beyond the current health situation, is expected to become the largest market for fashion and luxury in the world in 2025, explains the group in a statement. Premiere Vision has two other editions in Paris, held this week, and in New York. Fashion Source is one of the biggest fairs in Asia and takes place twice a year in Shenzhen. The fair is organized by GL events Pengcheng Exhibition, owned by the group specialized in GL Events. In turn, GL is also co-owner of Premiere Vision together with the Premiere Vision Association. A Chinese student, who was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, has been discharged from the hospital in Tyumen, regional Health Department chief Inna Kulikova said. "Her lab tests indicate that she has recovered. We have discharged her today," she said at a briefing. Head of the Russian consumer watchdog in the Tuymen region Galina Sharukho added that the Chinese student would continue attending university classes. "The Chinese national poses no danger to other people," TASS cited her as saying. Kulikova pointed out that the student had received the usual treatment for flu symptoms. Another four Chinese students were taken to the hospital along with the sick girl. "The students who arrived on the same flight from China remain in quarantine, and once the quarantine is over, they will be discharged. They have tested negative for the coronavirus," Kulikova pointed out. The total number of coronavirus cases recorded in China has exceeded 42,700, while the death toll has passed 1,000, while more than 4,000 patients have recovered from the virus. Coronavirus cases have also been reported in 24 other countries. Two coronavirus cases were identified in Russias Trans-Baikal and Tyumen regions on January 31. Both cases involved Chinese who were taken to the hospital. According to medical sources, both of them were infected with a mild form of the coronavirus. The High Court has ordered the case of an art teacher at Blackrock College in Dublin for 34 years to be reconsidered by the Labour Court after it overturned a finding in her favour in relation to her legal status as an employee. Since 1984, Valerie Coyle was employed on a series on fixed-term contracts which were renewed at the start of the academic year for nine months. During school holidays between June and August, she had to sign on for Job Seeker's benefit. In 2016, she put in a claim that she was entitled to redress under the Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act of 2003 and also entitled to a contract of indefinite duration. The college resisted her claim and argued she was a permanent employee notwithstanding that she was not paid during the holidays when she was on "lay-off" periods. A Workplace Relations Commission adjudication officer found she was a fixed-term employee, had been treated less favourably than other teachers and directed she be place on an annual 12-month salary. She was also awarded 5,000 compensation. The college appealed to the Labour Court which set aside the adjudication officer's decision. It found she was a permanent employee and not entitled to the provisions of the fixed-term legislation. It said she was employed on a 39-week contract, was laid off each June and resumed work in September. She brought an appeal to the High Court arguing, among other things, the Labour Court erred in law. Mr Justice Charlies Meenan ruled the Labour Court should rehear her case. He said that in reaching its finding the Labour Court did not appear to have any regard to a letter from the college's solicitor which acknowledged she was not employed during the summer but regarded her as a permanent employee as she always had an expectation of returning to work after the holidays. The judge could not see how the Labour Court could have made its finding in light of that "clear admission in open correspondence from the solicitors to the college". He also found the hearing before the Labour Court was unsatisfactory. He said if Ms Coyle had been refused an opportunity to give evidence, as she alleged, this would amount to a departure from fair procedures and legally undermine the Labour Court's determination. By-elections kick off in Giza, Upper Egypts Malawi on Tuesday 5 months before the current House of Representatives expires Alaa Qandil, the spokesman of Egypt's National Electoral Commission, has announced that voting in the by-election of the two districts of Giza and Malawi in Upper Egypt kicked off on Tuesday. Qandil said the two by-elections are being supervised by 300 judges, and that a second day of voting will be held on Wednesday. Four candidates are competing in Giza's by-election, the most prominent of which is high-profile businessman Mohamed Abul-Enein, the owner of Ceramica Cleopatra Group and chairman of the Egyptian-European Businessmens Council. Abul-Enein, who is fielded by the parliamentary majority party Mostakbal Watan (the Future of a Homeland), joined parliament for the first time in 1995 when he was appointed by then-president Hosni Mubarak. In 2000, Abul-Enein won the seat for Giza district, and soon became head of parliament's housing committee. In 2005, Abul-Enein won the Giza seat for the second time, and was later elected as head of parliament's industrial committee. Sources close to Abul-Enein said he decided to run even though this current parliament will expire in July. New parliamentary elections are scheduled to be held in Egypt in November. Sources said that Abul-Enein hopes winning the Giza by-election will prepare the ground for having a seat in Egypt's 2020-2025 parliament when elections are held in November. Abul-Enein will face three candidates, all of whom are independent. The National Electoral Commission decided to hold a by-election in Giza district after its representative Mohamed Dessouqi died of a heart attack on 30 November. As for the by-election in Malawi district, which is in Upper Egypt's Minya governorate, seven candidates will compete. Six are independent and one, Mohamed Abdel-Hakim, is fielded by the Mostakbal Watan Party. Ahmed Sharmookh, Malawi's former MP, also died from a heart attack on 8 December. The results of the two by-elections will be announced on Wednesday night. Search Keywords: Short link: "Serving in the military changes you. The shades and degrees of change vary for everyone, but no one is ever the same as... Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Panu Wongcha-um and Panarat Thepgumpanat (Reuters) Bangkok, Thailand Tue, February 11, 2020 12:59 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c3bcd 2 SE Asia shooting-incident,Thailand,army,apology Free Thailand's army chief apologised on Tuesday for a rogue soldier, whose 19-hour shooting rampage killed 29 people and wounded 57 over the weekend, stunning the country. At times wiping away tears, Thai Army Chief General Apirat Kongsompong said during a 90-minute press conference that the army will help compensate all the victims and their families. "I, as army chief, would like to apologise and say how sorry I am for this incident which was caused by a staff of the army," Apirat said. "In the minute, the second that the perpetrator pulled the trigger and killed, in that minute he is a criminal and no longer a soldier," he said. The soldier, Sergeant Major Jakrapanth Thomma, was shot dead by security forces on Sunday after he had stormed the Terminal 21 shopping centre in the northeastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima the day before. The 32-year-old had started the killing early on Saturday, shooting his commanding officer and the commander's mother-in-law over a business dispute. He then drove to his army base, stole more assault weapons and ammunition and shot his way through a Buddhist temple before going to the Terminal 21 shopping centre, where he randomly fired at shoppers and held off police for more than 12 hours. Apirat said the military would investigate the commanding officer who was killed, Colonel Anantharot Krasae, 48, and the housing deal apparently brokered by Anantharot's mother-in-law Anong Mitchan, 63. Apirat said the commanding officer took advantage of the shooter in a land deal where a "promise was broken" over money matters. He said authorities will find out who else was involved in the scheme and he promised a new line of communication so that army personnel could complain directly to the army chief. "The army and I have already instructed this," he said, adding his mission before retirement in October was to make things fairer for army staff. "I dont think any Thai people would like this incident to happen again, so please don't blame the army or berate soldiers," Apirat said. "If you want to blame someone, you blame General Apirat Kongsompong. I accept all criticisms and opinions. You can blame me because I am the army chief," he said. Afghan children stand in a doorway at a settlement in Islamabad, Pakistan, that is home to about 3,000 Afghan refugees. UNHCR/Roger Arnold UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is calling on the world not to let hope fade for millions of displaced Afghans, impacted by more than four decades of unrest in Afghanistan and their host communities in the region. The Government of Pakistan and UNHCR are jointly convening a ministerial meeting in Islamabad next week to send a global reminder about the fate of millions of Afghans living as refugees, many of whom feel the rest of the world may have already abandoned them. This is an impression that we must prove wrong. For more than 40 years, Afghans have continued to flee violence, war, conflict and natural disasters. Neighbouring countries like Pakistan and Iran -- continue to show remarkable generosity by providing refuge to millions of Afghan women, children and men, all with little recognition and decreasing international support. Afghanistan, today, has a population of 35 million people. Nearly 25 per cent are former refugees who have returned home in the last 18 years, while more than a million people are displaced internally. Some 4.6 million Afghans including 2.7 million registered refugees still live outside of the country. Around 90 per cent of them are being hosted by Pakistan (1.4 million) and Iran (1 million). In an upsetting trend, Afghans are the largest group of asylum-seekers currently arriving in Europe. Against this backdrop of ongoing need, global support for the Afghan refugee situation has been on the decline. UNHCR has seen funding levels drop for its already under resourced operations in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran over the years making it hard to invest in Afghan lives and continue support to affected local host communities. More than a million Afghan refugees, living in Pakistan and Iran, are children under the age of 14 with almost three-quarters are under the age of 25. Underfunding severely affects efforts to educate and empower young Afghans in exile, who will play the leading role in rebuilding their communities upon return. Failing to do so brings with it immense risks for an uneducated youth in a region prone to radicalization. The international conference -- on 17-18 February -- highlights the generosity, hospitality and compassion of Pakistan, Iran and other countries in hosting one of the worlds largest and longest-standing refugee populations. It is also an opportunity for international solidarity and responsibility sharing, both to ease pressure on host countries currently under immense strain, and to create the conditions necessary for the sustainable return and reintegration of Afghan refugees to their homeland. Ongoing efforts to achieve a peace settlement in Afghanistan have again generated hope among Afghans refugees about the possibility of return. The conference will be an important precursor for the way forward. For more information on this topic, please contact: CN said it will be forced to shut down significant parts of its rail network if blockades in Ontario and B.C. are not removed. (Getty Images) Canadian National Railway Co. said it will have to shut down significant parts of its rail network in Canada unless the anti-pipeline blockades set up in Ontario and B.C. are removed. Canadas largest railway said in a statement released Tuesday that the blockades set up near Belleville, Ont., and between Prince George and Prince Rupert, B.C., have brought rail activity at those locations to a standstill. Hundreds of trains have been cancelled, the company said, including freight and passenger trains. The impact is also being felt beyond Canadas borders and is harming the countrys reputation as a stable and viable supply chain partner, CN said in a statement. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he is working with the railways and his Ontario counterpart Caroline Mulroney to find a solution, and that the blockage of tracks is dangerous and illegal. Despite the countrywide impact, responsibility for enforcing court injunctions against the anti-pipeline protesters lies with provincial politicians and police, he noted. CNs chief executive JJ Ruest said in a statement that the company has obtained court injunctions for both locations and it is working with local agencies to enforce the orders. He also said that the network disruption could impact the transportation of a wide range of commodities, including food and consumer items, Canadian grain, propane to Quebec and Atlantic Canada and natural resources. Its not just passenger trains that are impacted by these blockades, its all Canadian supply chains, Ruest said. We are currently parking trains across our network, but due to limited available space for such, CN will have no choice but to temporarily discontinue service in key corridors unless the blockades come to an end. Demonstrators set up blockades in British Columbia and Ontario in solidarity with opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wetsuweten First Nation in northwestern British Columbia. Story continues Industry groups are expressing concern about the potential shutdown as shipments are delayed or cancelled. Bob Masterson, the chief executive of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, said in an interview that some of his members are one day away from halting production because goods cannot be shipped. Masterson also said that the blockades are exacerbating what has already been a slowed-down network. CNs potential shut down comes just days after Garneau issued a Ministerial Order requiring the slowdown of trains with 20 or more cars carrying dangerous goods following a derailment of a Canadian Pacific Railway train carrying crude oil in Guernsey, Sask. With files from the Canadian Press Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. NORWOOD, Ohio, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Water Vaccines Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on creating transformative vaccines solving global health challenges, has entered into an exclusive worldwide license agreement for the development of a Streptococcus Pneumoniae vaccine with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital ("St. Jude"), the nation's leading hospital dedicated to understanding, treating and curing childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The technology was developed in the laboratory of Jason Rosch, Ph.D., Department of Infectious Diseases at St. Jude. Acute otitis media caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae remains one of the most common infectious diseases worldwide despite widespread vaccination. A major limitation of the currently licensed pneumococcal vaccines is the lack of efficacy against mucosal disease manifestations such as acute otitis media, acute bacterial sinusitis and pneumonia. "We sought to generate a novel class of live vaccines that are fully attenuated and retain all major antigenic virulence proteins," Rosch said. "A live vaccine candidate based on deletion of the signal recognition pathway component ftsY induced potent, serotype-independent protection against otitis media, sinusitis, pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease." In studies, the live vaccine induced a strong serum IgG2a and IgG2b response that correlated with CD4+ T-cell mediated class switching. "We are excited to develop a vaccine that has the potential to provide a significant benefit to a great number of patients worldwide," said Joseph Hernandez, Chief Executive Officer of Blue Water Vaccines. "St. Jude is a global leader in medical research and a beacon of hope for families all over the world facing serious medical conditions. We are thrilled to add this ground-breaking technology to our development portfolio." ### About Blue Water Vaccines Blue Water Vaccines, Inc. is a biopharmaceutical company focused on developing transformational vaccines to address significant health challenges globally. Blue Water Vaccines has partnered with the University of Oxford to develop a novel universal influenza vaccine that protects against all influenza strains. For more information, visit http://www.bluewatervaccines.com. About St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is leading the way the world understands, treats and cures childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. It is the only National Cancer Institute- designated Comprehensive Cancer Center devoted solely to children. Treatments developed at St. Jude have helped push the overall childhood cancer survival rate from 20% to 80% since the hospital opened more than 50 years ago. St. Jude freely shares the breakthroughs it makes, and every child saved at St. Jude means doctors and scientists worldwide can use that knowledge to save thousands more children. Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing and food -- because all a family should worry about is helping their child live. To learn more, visit http://www.stjude.org or follow St. Jude on social media at @stjuderesearch. For further information, please contact: For Blue Water Vaccines: Erin Henderson Director, Corporate Relations Phone: 404-405-6315 ehenderson@bluewatervaccines.com For St. Jude: Michael Sheffield Desk: (901) 595-0221 Cell: (901) 275-9065 michael.sheffield@stjude.org media@stjude.org UNESCO is calling on the government to prioritise promotion of freedom of expression, access to information and gender equality to improve networking and international cooperation between broadcasters. The call comes at the period the UNESCO and non-governmental organisation Farm Radio International are gearing up for World Radio Day Forum scheduled for Thursday, 13 February 2020 in Accra. Celebration of the World Radio Day marks the period the globe celebrate radio and how it shapes lives and public opinion. The agenda is to create awareness among the public and media on the relevance of radio, whip up the interest of decision-makers to ease access to information through radio to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters. Speaking to Class News Jerry Akornor ahead of World Radio Day Forum in Accra, UNESCO Ghana Office National Programme Officer Abdul Hamid Yakubu said: "Government should create an enabling environment for freedom of expression to make sure we live in a democratic space. At the top is the freedom of expression and that's the role of government, laws must be specifically made to empower people to be able to enjoy freedom of expression, access to information and gender equality. This years World Radio Day Forum focuses on diversity in the use of radio, categorised into advocating for pluralism in radio including a mix of public private and community broadcasters, encouraging presentation in the newsroom with teams comprised of diverse society groups, promote diversity of editorial content and programme types reflecting variety of audiences. Meanwhile, Country Director of Farm Radio International Benjamin Fiafor said the government should scale-up granting of licenses to communities to expand the number of community radio stations in the country. How can the government ensure that when we talk about pluralism, Ghana has more community radio stations?", he quizzed. He said: Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out to the widest audience means radio can shape a societys experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programmes, viewpoints, content, and reflect the diversity of audiences in their organisations and operations. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A package of tiny dead birds hidden in a passenger's bag has been confiscated by Customs agents at a Virginia airport. U.S. Customs and Border Protection intercepted the package at Dulles International Airport after the passenger landed on a flight from China on January 27. The passenger told agents that package of dead birds was just cat food. The plastic packaging had pictures of a cat and dog on the outside - similar to what pet treats look like. A package of tiny dead birds hidden in a passenger's bag and disguised as pet food was confiscated by Customs agents at a Virginia airport on January 27 Inside the bag were a number of dead dried birds, which were about 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches long. Agents say the passenger was en route from Beijing to Prince George's County in Maryland when they were caught. The birds are barred from importation to the U.S. to prevent the spread of avian flu. The package of birds was incinerated after being discovered, according to Customs agents. Inside the bag were a number of dead dried birds, which were about 2.5 inches to 3.5 inches long It is likely that the contents of the package wasn't picked up in China because it was disguised as pet food, U.S. agents said. 'These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nation's poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza,' Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBP's Baltimore Field Office, said. 'Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nation's agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases.' Customs agents made no mention of any potential coronavirus risk related to the dead birds. The deadly virus is suspected to have originated in wild animal meat sold in Chinese markets. For the first time in the history of the city and of the United States since 1790 the City of Laredo and the Webb County offices have made a partnership to increase census turnout locally as well as using new online tools from the U.S. Census Bureau to reach out to all Webb County residents. READ MORE: Webb County commissioner, opponent face off over deleted files The Complete Count Committee, created by the partnership, also extends beyond the two government entities as the local school districts, Laredo College and Texas A&M International University as well as some businesses are all forming part of the process. The main goal of the collaboration is to motivate all people of the community to participate in the census through various means and do away with the 28-40% threshold of not counted homes in some parts of South Texas including the Laredo area. The school districts are creating jingles for the census to remind parents to make sure everybody is counted, as in Webb County we have a low percentage of children below the age of 5 years counted, said Webb County Commissioner for Precinct Two Rosaura Wawi Tijerina, who is spearheading the committee. The city and the county are also expected to promote the census by doing promotional items for television such as public service announcements, collaborating with local government offices and businesses to get the people to do the survey, and even give things like pens and stickers to their employees and the public to get the people participating. The 2020 Census counts everyone, including citizens and non-citizens. The 2020 Census is a non-partisan effort to get a complete and accurate count of the U.S. population. We are partnering with organizations at the federal, state and local levels to ensure that everyone is counted, said Dalilah Garcia, media specialist for the U.S. Census Bureau in South Texas. The county committee thus intends to reach all parts of the county from different remote municipalities such as Rio Bravo and El Cenizo along with much farther parts such as the Quad City area. One of the main promotions that will be held and hosted by the City of Laredos internal census committee will be on Census Day, April 1, when the more than 2,000 employees of the city will be encouraged to participate in the census. The department with the most participation will win recognition, according to Director for Community Development Department Marian Tina Martinez. If we get our employees comfortable on what the census is and inform them, they will be able to share that correct information to their families and friends, and the word of mouth is better than any type of advertisement or PSA, Martinez said. The two school districts and the local colleges also have their own committees. They will help bring out the people to conduct the census, especially since this is the first year in which the census can be done online as well as in paper. If you dont feel comfortable filling out the census online and on time, then somebody will be coming to your door if it is not done by a certain time. So, as soon as you get any documentation, you can fill it out electronically and the city will be providing areas like the libraries to fill out the survey, Martinez said. The census is expected to go live and begin taking in peoples responses online on March 12 and begin sending people to houses to do the survey in the month of May for those who do not do it online. Paper rollout for the census will be done in some areas where there is not much movement on the technological front. As for jobs, the census in the Laredo area is still continuing to hire and review applications. We have over 3,300 positions available in the Laredo and surrounding communities with pay rates at $19.50 per hour. The vast majority of our jobs will be hired in January and February of 2020, Garcia said. The employees hired will mainly be responsible for going to the houses of individuals who have not completed their survey electronically by the month of May. We want to make all the community comfortable and make them understand that the census is very important for the community and everyone is touched and benefited by being counted, Martinez said. Census officials note that it impacts everything from school resources, monies for infrastructure, needed services, how much help an area needs in case of a disaster. Also, the census is vital as it helps businesses decide what areas are growing to increase their investment. If we cannot count you, then we do not know that you exist and we cannot provide the resources for that community, Garcia said. So, the residents of Laredo and the surrounding communities need to help their own communities by shaping their own future through the census questionnaire that is only nine questions. The U.S. Census Bureau and officials also point out that people should be aware of any fake schemes that may occur during the survey period, such as phishing. The census never asks people for their Social Security number, bank account information, credit card numbers, money or donations. And they will never contact on behalf of a political party. READ MORE: Winners announced for 2020 Taste of Laredo competition More information about the census can be found at 2020census.gov or by calling their 1-800-923-8282 number to speak with a local Census Bureau representative in case of any questions regarding census-related fraud. Potential cases involving phishing, fraud or scams can all be directed to rumors@census.gov as well. 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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 T he Home Office has given the green light for a chartered flight carrying a number of immigrant detainees to take off from Heathrow Airport on Tuesday morning. The deportation flight to Jamaica was originally supposed to transport more than 50 people said to be in the UK illegally back to the Caribbean nation. However, the Court of Appeal intervened on Monday night following an 11th-hour application by charity Detention Action. A judge ordered the government not to remove anyone who had not been able to access legal advice due to mobile phone outages. Following the order, some detainees were taken off the flight while others were flown out of the country. So, who is being forced to leave the UK and why? How many people are being deported? Protesters in Parliament Square the night before the deportation flight / PA Charity Detention Action said that around 56 people were being held in the two Heathrow Airport detention centres and due to be deported. However, an urgent application to the Court of Appeal has meant less than half that number were eventually put onto a plane bound for Jamaica. When asked how many were on board the flight on Tuesday morning, Chancellor Sajid Javid said he did not know the exact number, adding: "But, I think it is around 20 - or above 20." If that figure is correct, more than half of the detainees destined to be aboard that flight have been allowed, at least for now, to remain in the UK. The order was granted by Lady Justice Simler, who said detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office was satisfied they "had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before 3 February". The exact numbers of who has been removed and who has remained in the UK have still not been released. Who are the deportees? Tajay Thompson (as a young boy) who served half of a 15-month sentence in 2015 after he was convicted of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply as a 17-year-old, who is facing deportation to Jamaica / PA Campaigners including Labour MP David Lammy and the SNP's Stuart McDonald have raised concerns about the deportees pointing to the circumstances which led them to be in the UK and the impact their removal might have. Some of those chosen to be deported are said to have arrived in the UK as children and have no links to Jamaica and have only ever known life in the UK. There are even fears there could be British nationals on board the flight. This is denied by the Home Office. The government claims all those being ousted from the UK have been involved in criminality. However, charities involved in the case say most had only been convicted of one-time drug offences when they were young. Mr Lammy has also claimed that 41 British children could be separated from their fathers if all the deportations go ahead. One man facing deportation to Jamaica, who was convicted of a drug offence as a teenager, told the PA news agency he identifies as British and has no links to Jamaica, after leaving the country at an early age. The Government has come under widespread criticism for the decision to deport 50 people / PA Tajay Thompson served half of a 15-month sentence in 2015 after he was convicted of possessing Class A drugs with intent to supply as a 17-year-old. Mr Thompson, now 23, was brought to Britain as a five-year-old and lives with his mother and younger brother in south London, having only visited Jamaica twice on holidays since. I feel like I was born here. Jamaica is not my country, he said. Its not like Im a rapist or a murderer, Ive made a mistake when I was 17 and its now going to affect my whole life. Mr Thompson said he was groomed by a gang and forced to sell drugs as a teenager and has not re-offended since his release six years ago. Many people have come out in defence of the deportees, with more than 150 MPs signing a letter to the Prime Minister calling on him to stop the flight. There have also been protests outside Downing Street and in Parliament Square. Why are they being forced to leave the UK? The Government has defended its decision saying the detainees are all criminals / David McNew/Getty Images The government says those on board are "serious and persistent offenders" including murderers and sexual offenders. This is being contested by advocates, charities and a number of MPs. The Home Office says under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including when to do so would be a breach of a persons human rights or the UKs obligations under the Refugee Convention. Sajid Javid told BBC Radio 5 Live: "These are all foreign national offenders they have all received custodial sentences of 12 months or more. They are responsible for crimes like manslaughter, rape, dealing in class A drugs. On Tuesday morning, a Home Office spokesman said: We make no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders. The court ruling does not apply to all of the foreign national offenders due to be deported and we are therefore proceeding with the flight. Labour MP Catherine West said: "They are serious or persistent criminal offenders who, in some cases, present an ongoing threat to people in this country and we will put our legal duties first and we will protect the public despite the calls from the Labour Party. Windrush Scandal The Windrush generation, named after Empire Windrush the ship that brought one of the first groups of West Indian migrants to the UK in 1948 / Daily Herald Archive/SSPL via Getty Images There has been widespread criticism of the decision to deport 50 people two years after the Windrush scandal broke. In 2018, it was revealed the government had been wrongly detaining and deporting people from the UK. Many of those affected had arrived in the UK before 1973 and were classed as British subjects from Caribbean countries, known as the Windrush generation. It led to a political scandal, leading to former home secretary Amber Rudd resigning after she inadvertently misled MPs in relation to the Windrush scandal. The scandal led to widespread condemnation of the government practices which had led to so many being wrongly deported. David Lammy asks 'When will black lives matter again?' in impassioned speech to stop Jamaica deportations During the latest legal battle launched by campaigners to save the 50 deportees from being expelled from the country, a report commissioned by ministers into the Windrush scandal was leaked. The report warned the Government the policy - being used to deport the group of people - should be reconsidered in all but the most severe cases. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said two reviews, the Windrush Lessons Learned Review and the Shaw Review, had said the Government should stop deporting people who arrived here as children. A JCWI statement said: Our thoughts are with the families who have just been forced apart by the Government, with the children who have lost their fathers, with the women whove become single mothers overnight. They are British in every meaningful way and if the law allows those people to be exiled, it needs to change. Around 12,000 migrants are thought to be forcibly removed from the UK each year while thousands more leave the country voluntarily. Airlines are paid by the Government to carry detainees on commercial flights, while 2,000 migrants are believed to be forcibly removed each year on planes privately chartered by the Home Office. The use of private flights was paused after the Windrush scandal but have now resumed. Human rights campaigners have criticised commercial airlines that co-operate with deportations, claiming they are complicit in the policy. Pressure from activists in 2018 prompted Virgin Atlantic to announce it would no longer offer seats to the Home Office to forcibly deport people deemed to be illegal immigrants. British Airways has been accused of continuing to take part in the practice but has said it is bound by law to do so when asked by the Government, although it is never told any personal information. Airlines say they can only refuse deportees if they feel there is a threat to the safety or security of the aircraft, its passengers or the individual. Smaller private firms are also paid by the Government to charter flights for groups of detainees but details on the amount of money spent and how regularly the flights leave are scant. Campaigners say the process is not transparent, which means detainees, their families and lawyers are not told the flight details, and this prevents the public from scrutinising the policy. Chandni Chowk Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Chandni Chowk constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Chandni Chowk Assembly Elections 2020: Alka Lamba who made a comeback to the Congress from AAP has only a tragic trajectory to showcase in the current election so far as her performance goes. Despite being the incumbent MLA from Chandni Chowk, Lamba got a pathetic 3881 votes while Parlad Singh Sawhney won with 50,891 votes. Lamba had won the seat in 2015 as an AAP candidate. Sawhney's nearest rival was BJP's Suman Kumar Gupta, who polled a total of 21,307 votes. Chandni Chowk, known as the historical centre of Old Delhi, is one of the smallest constituencies in the National Capital in terms of electorate. Yet, it is one of the most important constituencies in Delhi primarily because of the dominance of various businesses in the area and its historic significance. The constituency went to the polls on 8 February. This year, the Congress fielded former AAP leader Alka Lamba, the BJP gave a ticket to Suman Kumar Gupta, while Parlad Singh Sawhney contested as the AAP candidate. Constituency Name: Chandni Chowk Constituency Number: 20 District Name: Central Delhi Total Electors: 1,13,784 Female Electors: 51,055 Male Electors: 62,723 Third Gender: 6 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: A quintessentially Congress stronghold, Parlad Singh Sawhney was the MLA between 1998 and 2015. In 2015, he lost to AAPs Alka Lamba, who is now back with the Congress. In 2015, the Aam Aadmi Party fielded Alka Lamba, a former Congress leader who had joined the AAP then. She bagged the seat for AAP but had been disqualified as the MLA in 2019 after she rejoined the Congress last year. Additionally, four-term Congress MLA Prahlad Singh Sawhney, who was elected in the 1998, 2003, 2008 and 2013 elections, had joined the AAP in 2019. Demographics: Situation in Old Delhi, Chandni Chowk is among the few constituencies in Delhi where over 40 percent of the population is Muslim. The BJP would be hoping to take the lead in the constituency banking on a potential split in the Muslim votes between the AAP and Congress. Dariba Kalan, Fateh Puri, Jama Masjid, Kashmere Gate, Chandni Chowk, Khyber Pass, Lal Quila and Yamuna Bridge are some of the areas located in the constituency. The trader community, located across markets like Khari Baoli, Darya Ganj, Faiz Bazar, Kinari Bazar, Nai Sarak and Naya Bazar, is also a key electoral factor in this constituency. Chandi Chowk market is one of the oldest and busiest markets in the city. It is also home to residents who have lived in the area ever since their ancestors migrated to Delhi after the 1947 Partition. The markets have a host of shops with goods, including food, books, clothing, electronics, consumer goods, shoes and leather goods. A majority of buildings including 18 notified heritage structures on the stretch in the market commissioned by Mughal prince Jahanara were raised after the 1857 rebellion. Some of them - Shankar Terrace (1937-38), State Bank of India (SBI) building (1861), Rai Chunnamal ki Haveli (1850s), ES Pearey Lal Building (early 20th century; probably around 1930s), Mahavir Jain Bhawan (1910), and Town Hall (1863) - are embellished with splendid facades and are in urgent need of repair. The Red Fort monument is located at the eastern end of Chandni Chowk. The constituency has a rich history dating back to the Mughal and British eras. It also has the famous mosque Jama Masjid and Gurudwara Sisganj. Under a redevelopment plan for the area, the PWD will pave the pedestrian corridors, illuminate the area, plant a variety of trees and place sandstone street furniture on the Chandi Chowk market stretch between Red Fort and State Bank of India building. The plan also includes increased parking space and a curb on motorized traffic. Allentown, PA (18103) Today Mostly sunny and bitterly cold. It will feel like it's in the single digits and low teens.. Tonight Partly cloudy and extremely cold. Wind chills around or below 0 degrees. Kapil Mishra, a former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader who broke away and joined the BJP with a vow to defeat Arvind Kejriwals party is trailing by close to 10,000 against Akhilesh Pati Tripathi of AAP, who had also won the seat in 2015. Congress Akanksha Ola is in the third position. AAP candidate had polled around 34,000 votes according to the election commission data released at 1:45 pm while Mishra had polled 23000 votes followed by 2343 votes polled by the Congress candidate. Mishra has been in the thick of controversies during the election campaign due to his comments, most infamous of which was his encouragement to a crowd of BJP supporters gathered in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that chanted Desh Ke Gaddaron ko, Goli Maaro Salon Ko (shoot the anti-nationals) while referring to those who sat in protest against the act. At one point, Mishra had also suggested that Shaheen Bagh protestors were sponsored by Pakistan and had likened the elections to an India-Pakistan match, raising eyebrows. A day before counting of votes on Monday, Mishra told a news agency that the peoples mandate was with the BJP and he wouldnt be surprised if Arvind Kejriwal gets defeated from the New Delhi constituency. Mishra had also hit out at the AAP for questioning the election commission over alleged delay in declaration of final voting percentage for Delhi polls on Sunday. Tigers team rallied during Sunday Singles to beat Els International Team by two points, increasing the Americans record to 11-1-1 in the biennial event. Unlike Els, Woods juggled captain and playing duties, winning all three of his matches during the week. I talked to Ernie when we were boarding the airplane leaving Melbourne, Woods said Tuesday prior to this weeks The Genesis Invitational. He was obviously devastated, and he put everything he had into that two-year window and tried to change the fortunes of the International Team rebranded the entire side and did some things thats never been done before on either team. He has set a standard that going forward that they now have plan It was tough to see him, you know, not want to be part of it in that way. Im struggling with the same issues because as an American, we have two Cups that were involved in, not just every other year [like] the Internationals and European team. So the responsibilities on an American are a little bit more. Els revealed in a story last week by the Morning Read that he would not be the International Team captain at next years Presidents Cup, to be held Sept. 30-Oct. 3, 2021, at the Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Thats as good as I can do, Els told the Morning Read. I gave it all. This is another change I wanted to make in our team. I get one opportunity, win or lose. You dont get a second chance. There is so much of me that wants to do it, but I know the hardest thing is to step away, PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan told the outlet that Ernie did an amazing job, poured his heart and soul into the event. As he had an opportunity to think about how much he put into it and how much it took out of him and the system he put in place, it was clear he wanted to move the system forward, and that meant having someone else in position to captain, which was one of his vice captains from Melbourne. Els four vice captains at Royal Melbourne were Geoff Ogilvy of Australia, Mike Weir of Canada, Trevor Immelman of South Africa and K.J. Choi of Korea. Even if Woods decides not to pursue a second stint as the U.S. Presidents Cup captain, his presence may still be felt at Quail Hollow. Playing as a captains pick at Royal Melbourne, Woods was the Americans top performer, setting the tone on Sunday in the opening Singles match by beating the Internationals hottest player, Abraham Ancer, 3 and 2. LOS ANGELES (AP) Would-be plotters bent on staging an attack aboard a passenger plane know they've first got to pass through a gauntlet of security measures at an airport, from body scans and spot interrogations to pat-downs and even close scrutiny of their shoes. But a shooting that killed a person and wounded five this week on a Greyhound bus in California illustrates a stark reality about security on buses and trains: Anyone determined to carry out an attack on ground transportation faces few, if any, security checks. The comparative scant security prompted at least one survivor of Monday's shooting on the bus heading from Los Angeles to San Francisco to rethink his future mode of travel. I think I will just fly from now on," Mark Grabban said. He was on the bus with his girlfriend when a passenger who'd been muttering and cursing opened fire. Grabban's perception was that Greyhound worried more about stopping passengers from smoking and talking too loudly than ensuring no one got aboard with a gun. "Its astounding and shameful, the 30-year-old said. Greyhound said that while it does not use metal detectors at all of its locations, its safety practices are similar to other bus companies. Drivers and terminal employees also are trained on security procedures. "An incident of this nature is extremely rare within the bus transportation industry," its statement said Tuesday. Although uncommon, it does not change the seriousness of what occurred. We are continuing to work closely with local authorities as they complete their investigation. In the four years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, some U.S. lawmakers complained that way too little federal money was spent on ground transit security compared with what was spent on airports. Then-U.S. Rep. David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, estimated that $22 billion had gone into airline security in those years, while less than $550 million went to security for buses, trains, subways and ferries combined. There's no indication spending gaps have closed. That's true even though vastly more people get on a bus, train or subway than on planes each day. More than 30 million Americans use ground transit daily, compared with around 2 million who fly. Story continues Violent incidents on buses are extremely rare. But concerns have arisen that with airports more secure than ever, would-be terrorists in particular could see buses and other ground transit as easier targets. The Transportation Security Administration was established in 2001 to fix security holes that allowed for the 9/11 attacks, with a mandate to check 100% of baggage through airports. That level of security would be impossible on the country's sprawling bus and rail lines. More than 70,000 buses operate on 230,000 miles (370,149 kilometers) of roadways, the American Public Transportation Association said. Even if money could be found to pay for metal detectors at bus stations, it would be impossible to have them at every stop along a route, security experts say. The suspect in the California shooting boarded at the East Seventh Street bus station in Los Angeles, according to California Highway Patrol Sgt. Brian Pennings. At the station Tuesday, there were several security guards but no signs of baggage or any other kind of security checks. No metal detector, no wand, nothing, Grabban recalled about the preboarding process Monday. Greyhound has a no-gun policy, but Grabban said a policy isnt enough to stop someone from boarding the bus with a gun and shooting people, as Ive found out. There's no indication federal officials will ever consider making pat-downs, body scans and metal detectors as ubiquitous at bus and train depots as they are at airports. We dont intend to roll out anything like what we have in the airports. We are satisfied at this point, Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske said in 2017. TSA's mandate includes security on all the nation's transportation networks. But the vast majority of the TSA's more than 43,000 security officers work at the over 400 U.S. airports. TSA efforts beyond airports often take the form of partnerships, advice and federal grants. States and municipalities assume more responsibility for their local bus or subway systems, and there's little uniformity nationwide. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority together with TSA officials announced in 2018 that it would become the first mass transit system in the U.S. to install screening equipment that scans passengers for weapons and explosives. The TSA has deployed response teams that have done spot baggage checks on city subway systems, including in Chicago. It's largely to create the perception that there is an active security program more than a realistic chance of catching someone, said Joseph Schwieterman, a transportation expert and economics professor at DePaul University in Chicago. They want anyone thinking of carrying a gun into the system to think twice. Just because passengers don't see security measures at bus and train stations doesn't mean they aren't there, said another Chicago-based security expert, Michael J. Fagel. He said undercover staff are often looking for signs someone might be carrying a gun, while others trained to spot behavior quirks that could indicate trouble monitor depots via surveillance cameras. Few countries have attempted the kinds of security measures for ground transit that could plausibly thwart an attack. Israel is one. At least some Israeli buses are fitted with four or five separated, fortified compartments, which can help limit the deadliness of a bomb or gun attack, said Fagel, who teaches crisis management at the Illinois Institute of Technology. Among measures to boost security on U.S. buses and trains that wouldn't be too costly or impractical would include requirements that riders show IDs that match names on tickets before boarding, Schwieterman said. He said enabling bus and train services to check the names of ticket buyers to see if they have violent criminal records also could help manage risks. As it is now, drivers and passengers are the de facto, frontline security when violence breaks out on buses. That happened during a 2014 attack in which a man screaming everybodys going to die pummeled the driver and caused a Greyhound bus to careen off an Arizona highway, injuring more than 20 people. Passengers were credited with subduing the assailant. Same goes for Monday's attack. Authorities say passengers wrested the gun away from 33-year-old Anthony Devonte Williams and got him off the bus. He was arrested on the side of the road. Officials praised the efforts as heroic, though they didn't immediately provide details. ___ Tarm reported from Chicago. Associated Press writer Michael Balsamo in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Despite coal production being hampered at Dipka mines due to prolonged rains, Coal India Ltd will exceed last year's production figures, a top coal ministry official said here on Tuesday. In 2018-19, Coal India produced 606.89 million tonnes (MT),while dispatch was at 608.14 MT. "Coal India's production was nearly minus 8 per cent till October. So in the last few months the coal production has caught up. Now it has just minus 3.5 percent. And it will go on to be plus at the end of the year. It is going to be healthy percentage over last year's (figures)," Secretary of Coal Ministry, Anil Kumar Jain told PTI on the sidelines of Energies 2020 a biennial conclave. CIL, which accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic production, saw its output decline by six per cent to 241 MT in April-September on account of monsoon. "In fact it would be the highest ever in the country," Jain added. Replying to a query on the spinning of Coal India Ltd subsidiaries into five entities, Jain said though there were some discussions held earlier in that direction, there is no fresh development. "At the moment that is the decision (Coal India remains as it is)," he said. On the overall coal scenario in the country, the official said the production this year will exceed that of last year, though there was some impact due to rains, by the end of the current fiscal it will be covered up. "So we will be exceeding the last year production numbers with a healthy surplus. There has been a setback because one of the largest mines and the largest mine in Asia Deepika that has been flooded. So that has impacted the production. But the coal scenario is very healthy in the country. Stocks at the power plants and mines are much higher than the same period last year," he explained. In September, a non-perennial, seasonal river Lilagarh breached its embankment and flooded the lower benches of Dipka opencast mine of SECL (South Eastern Coalfields), one of the largest open cast mines of CIL with a production capacity of 35 MT per annum. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. On Tuesday a federal judge approved the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint, rejecting claims from more than a dozen states and consumer advocates that the union would hurt competition and ultimately lead to higher prices. The decision by Judge Victor Marrero of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York removes the last big hurdle for the $26 billion deal, originally proposed more than a year ago. The Federal Communications Commission and antitrust officials at the Department of Justice have already signed off. Thirteen states and Washington, D.C. filed suit last year to stop the deal from going through, calling it anti-consumer. In his ruling, Marrero said that over the past 10 years T-Mobile had redefined itself as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make pro-consumer changes. The combination of the two companies, he added, should allow that to continue for the long term. On the flip side, Marrero noted that Sprint, which has struggled to compete against the larger AT&T and Verizon, was falling farther and farther short of the targets it must hit to remain relevant as a significant competitor. But New York Attorney General Letitia James, who led the multistate effort to fight the merger, said the decision marks a loss for every American who relies on a wireless phone in day-to-day life. She added that the states were reviewing their options, including a possible appeal. From the start, this merger has been about massive corporate profits over all else, James said in a statement. And despite the companies false claims, this deal will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets. Her thoughts were echoed by George Slover, senior policy counsel at Consumer Reports. "From the moment this merger was announced, it was clear that it went against what is needed to give consumers the benefits of competition, Slover said. This merger should never have made it out of the corporate boardroom. Story continues T-Mobile and Sprint have long argued that the merger was needed if the two companies hoped to compete against Verizon and AT&T. Even combined, the pair will place a distant third in terms of the number of subscribers. Officials for T-Mobile and Sprint cheered the decision, saying that while there are some loose ends to tie up, including perhaps more litigation, the deal could close as early as April 1. Weve said it all along: The new T-Mobile will be a supercharged un-carrier that is great for consumers and great for competition, T-Mobile's CEO, John Legere, said in a statement. Like the other major carriers, T-Mobile has been slowly expanding its 5G network. In December it flipped the switch on what it called the first nationwide 5G network, though it still leaves vast sections of the U.S. without coverage. According to telecommunications experts, 5G speedsfive times faster than 4G connections at peak performancewill pave the way for the instantaneous response times required to safely perform robotic surgery and operate self-driving cars that communicate with other vehicles and road infrastructure. The technology will also allow consumers to download a movie in just 5 seconds. By combining forces with Sprint, T-Mobile says it will be able to supercharge its 5G coverage, with the hope of boosting capacity within a few years to 14 times what it would be on its own. As part of the merger deal, the company has pledged to cover 97 percent of Americans with its network within three years and 99 percent of Americans within six. And if the companies dont make good on those promises within that six-year time frame, theyll be required to make payments that could exceed $2 billion, according to the FCC. T-Mobile is pledging not to raise prices or charge extra for 5G service for at least five years. And the companies plan to sell, as outlined in an earlier agreement, Sprints prepaid division, Boost Mobile, to Dish Network, effectively creating a fourth carrier. But Slover said thats not enough to offset the loss of an established fourth carrier. Even under the best of very uncertain circumstances, Dish won't fill the gap left by Sprint's exit for years, if ever, he added. 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. WASHINGTON The Justice Department announced charges Monday against four members of Chinas military on suspicion of hacking into Equifax, one of the nations largest credit reporting agencies, in 2017 and stealing trade secrets and the personal data of about 145 million Americans. This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people, Attorney General William Barr said in a statement. The charges underscored Chinas quest to obtain the personal data of Americans which Beijing can use to propel advances in artificial intelligence and espionage and its willingness to flout a 2015 agreement with the United States to refrain from hacking and cyberattacks, all in an effort to expand economic power and influence. Though not as large as other major breaches, the attack on Equifax was far more severe. Hackers stole names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of millions of Americans data that can be used to access information like medical histories and bank accounts. This kind of attack on American industry is of a piece with other Chinese illegal acquisitions of sensitive personal data, Barr said in announcing the charges Monday at the Justice Department, citing Chinas theft of records in recent years from the governments Office of Personnel Management, Marriott International and insurance company Anthem. The indictment suggests the hack was part of a series of major thefts organized by the Peoples Liberation Army and Chinese intelligence agencies. Barr said that China can use caches of personal information to better target American intelligence officers and other officials. The biggest of those breaches was the theft in 2015 of roughly 22 million security clearance files from the government personnel office, which keeps track of federal employees and contractors. It quickly became clear that that data was of significant value to the Chinese government: American officials with security clearances, including some of the most senior members of the government, had to reveal foreign contacts, relationships including extramarital affairs, their health history and information about their children and other family members. The breach was so severe that the CIA had to cancel assignments for undercover officers planning to go to China; even though the CIA did not submit its employees information to the personnel office, those officials were often undercover as State Department or other American officials. Then it got worse. Hacks into Anthems database and Starwood hotels later taken over by Marriott appeared to be orchestrated by the same or related Chinese groups. The United States assessed that China was building a vast database of who worked with whom in national security jobs, where they traveled and what their health histories were, according to American officials. The information stolen from Equifax would reveal whether any of those officials are also under financial stress and thus susceptible to bribery or blackmail. The charges against members of the Chinese military were unusual, Barr said. The Justice Department rarely secures indictments against members of foreign militaries or intelligence services, in part to avoid retaliation against American troops and spies, but Barr said it has made exceptions for state-sponsored actors who hacked into U.S. networks to steal intellectual property or interfere in U.S. elections. The nine-count indictment accused the Chinese military of hacking into the companys computer networks, maintaining unauthorized access to them and stealing sensitive, personally identifiable information about Americans. Months before the attack, the government warned Equifax that its network contained a vulnerability, but the company did not patch it, according to government documents. The defendants Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Lui Le, all members of the Peoples Liberation Army exploited that weakness in May 2017 to break into the network and conduct weeks of surveillance and steal Equifax employee login credentials before filching the trade secrets and data. They masked their activity by using encrypted communications and routing their internet traffic through 34 servers in nearly 20 countries, including Switzerland and Singapore, according to prosecutors. Katie Benner is a New York Times writer. Even as U.S. authorities have taken the drastic steps of quarantining residents returning from China, and temporarily banning foreign visitors who recently traveled to affected Chinese regions, they have urged the vast majority of U.S. residents to go about their regular activities. But there are exceptions. People who returned from China on or after Feb. 3 have been formally quarantined or asked to stay home. And behind the scenes, local public health officials have launched painstaking efforts to reach "close contacts" of people with confirmed cases of the virus, dubbed 2019-nCoV, asking them to self-quarantine and submit to ongoing monitoring. So what exactly is a "close contact"? It's an intuitive-sounding term, but has a clinical definition that varies by infectious disease. The deadly measles virus, for example, can linger in a place for hours, in the air and on surfaces, after an infected person has spent time there. Coronaviruses are generally passed through droplets, requiring close physical contact with a sneeze or other body secretion. How a virus is spread, and the severity of the illness it causes, determines how public health departments decide how many people are at risk of contagion and how many resources go into notifying them. When it comes to measles, officials broadly publicize every known location an infected person frequented in the days before being diagnosed, and try to track down people who came in contact with that patient who have not been vaccinated. For the new coronavirus, guidelines from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention define "close contact" as anyone who has been within 6 feet of a person infected with the virus for a "prolonged period of time," as well as those who have had direct contact with the infected person's secretions. These guidelines are then interpreted by local public health departments. The European Union's health agency offers a descriptive definition: someone living in the same household as a patient; someone who has had face-to-face contact with or been in a closed environment with a patient; or a health care worker directly caring for a patient. It's also any plane (and by extension, train or bus) passenger sitting within two seats, in any direction, of an infected person. The World Health Organization flags health care providers and household members, as well as anyone who has been within 3 feet of a confirmed case once the infected person had symptoms. Translating those guidelines to real people and their daily movements is at the heart of what public health departments around the country do for any infectious disease. Local investigators work with patients to find out where they were and what they did in the days before they were diagnosed. They identify anyone who might be at risk for infection, track them down and help monitor their health. Depending on how close the contact was, health officials may ask the contact to temporarily stay away from others. As of Monday, tens of thousands of people in mainland China were confirmed to have the disease, and hundreds had died. But in the U.S, there have been just a dozen cases so far, nearly all among people who recently returned from the country of 1.4 billion. State and federal health officials stress that the risk of getting the virus in this country remains low. Santa Clara County in California has reported two confirmed cases of the virus, both in people who recently traveled to China. Anyone who lived with one of those people would be considered at high risk, said Dr. Sarah Rudman, an assistant public health officer with the county. They are monitored for symptoms, and asked to stay home and away from others for two weeks. To date, the only two people known to have caught the virus via human-to-human transmission in the U.S. live with someone who got it in China. Health care workers also are given special consideration. Li Wenliang, a 34-year-old doctor in Wuhan, China, where the outbreak began, raised early alarm bells about the virus after several cases appeared in the hospital where he worked. He ultimately contracted the illness and died on Feb. 6, according to hospital officials. Multiple other health care workers in China have contracted the virus as well, according to Chinese officials. There is some case-by-case decision-making in assessing risk, Rudman said. Whether a health professional was wearing gloves, a mask or other protective equipment, and what kind of interaction they had with the patient, all factor in. And because they work with people who are sick and may be at higher risk from infection, health care workers may be asked to take more extreme precautions. Santa Clara County's public health department asked at least five people to go on two weeks of paid leave after a man who visited the hospital where they worked later tested positive for the virus. Some investigations are easier than others. A coronavirus case recently diagnosed in Wisconsin involved someone who got off a plane from Beijing, went straight to a medical facility while wearing a mask, and has been isolated at home since, according to Public Health Madison & Dane County. Earlier cases were not so straightforward. One factor that has made the investigations particularly challenging is confusion over whether the virus can be spread by an infected person who is not showing symptoms. Health departments say that, given the uncertainty, they are taking a cautious approach and looking for any contacts going back three days before symptoms started. "Fortunately, we have so few cases, so we can do that," Rudman said. Rudman declined to say how many people are being monitored in Santa Clara, but noted that having so few cases has meant she and her colleagues have had time to be methodical about who might be at risk. She hopes that will provide comfort to others in the community. As for the rest of us, even casual contact with an infected person, such as crossing paths on the street or briefly being in the same room, is thought not to pose much of a risk, though CDC officials stress there is still a lot to learn about the new virus. And the best protection in those instances also can ward off other unwanted visitors this time of year: flu and colds. The latter are often the result of four other coronaviruses that are responsible for a good chunk of winter illnesses. This KHN story first published on California Healthline, a service of the California Health Care Foundation. New Delhi: As the counting of votes for 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly begins on Tuesday (February 11) amid tight security, leaders of AAP, BJP and Congress party leaders gave mixed reactions. Here's what they said: On Delhi Assembly poll outcome, BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said, I thank the people of Delhi. I thank our party workers for their hard work, they've done a lot. I accept the mandate of the people of Delhi and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. I hope he'll perform well as per the expectations of the people. We couldn't perform well, we'll evaluate this. Sometimes we get discouraged when results are not as per our expectations but I would like to tell our workers to not be disheartened...Compared to 2015 our winning percentage has increased, Tiwari added. Arvind Kejriwal said."I thank the people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time. This is the victory of the people who consider me as their son and voted for us. This is the day of Lord Hanuman who has blessed the people of Delhi. We pray that Hanuman Ji keeps showing the right path to us so that we continue to serve people for the next five years," Kejriwal added." Manish Sisodia said, "I am happy to become the MLA from Patparganj assembly constituency again. BJP tried to do politics of hate but people of Delhi chose a government that works for the people." Raghav Chadha, AAP's winning candidate from Rajinder Nagar, said, "People of Delhi have proven that Delhi's son Arvind Kejriwal isn't a terrorist but a true patriot. He's working for nation-building, the work he's doing is what constitutes patriotism. What BJP is doing, isn't patriotism." Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said, "I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi for AAP's victory in Delhi Polls 2020. People have shown that the country will be run by 'Jan Ki Baat', not 'Mann Ki Baat'. BJP called Kejriwal a terrorist but couldn't defeat him." Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram said, "AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022." Kapil Mishra, BJP candidate from Model Town constituency, said, "I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi." Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav said, "I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal ji. I also thank the people of Delhi who rejected the politics of hate, betrayal, and destruction. After the result of this election, BJP will not remember any Bagh." BJP MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir said, "We accept #DelhiElectionResults and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal." BJP MP Parvesh Verma said, "I accept the result. We will work hard and give a better performance in the next elections. If this election would have been on Education and Development, then Education Minister (Manish Sisodia) would not have been trailing." West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said, "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said, "I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. The mandate given by the people of Delhi has shown that they will vote on work and development." Former MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, "There are several seats wherein the difference between BJP and AAP is less than 1,000 votes. BJP workers are excited. The vote share of BJP being shown is increasing by about 10%." Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan tweeted, "Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country." BJP MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir said, "We accept #DelhiElectionResults and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal." MK's MK Stalin took to twitter to congratulate Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP in Delhi Assembly election saying "I congratulate @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty for forming government yet again in Delhi, on a massive mandate. This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics. Federal rights and regional aspirations must be strengthened in the interest of our country." Delhi Congress Chief Subhash Chopra said, "I take responsibility for the party's performance, we will analyse the factors behind this. The reason for the drop in our vote percentage is due to politics of polarization by both BJP and AAP." "People of Delhi have accepted Arvind Kejriwal as their son," says AAP's MP Sanjay Singh. "We were already aware of it. The question is - what happened to BJP which was making big claims?" said Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath when quizzed about his party's performance in Delhi Assembly Election 2020. AP candidate from Model Town, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, who is leading over BJP's Kapil Mishra, said, "I thank everyone who has expressed their confidence in Arvind Kejriwal. People want a govt that takes care of its citizens. People of Delhi have voted for development; I thank them." Congress MP AR Chowdhury said, "Everyone knew that Aam Aadmi Party will return to power for the third time. Congress's defeat will not send a good message. The victory of AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party & its communal agenda is significant." Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari said, "Trends indicate that there is a gap between AAP-BJP, but there is still time. We are hopeful. Whatever the outcome, being the state Chief I am responsible." AAP's Saurabh Bhardwaj said, "People of Delhi have accepted our governance model. At the counting centre, right now, I can see I am getting double the votes as compared to the BJP candidate." "Wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win," says Sanjay Singh, AAP MP on early trends. Ahead of counting, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari told reporters, "I am not nervous. I am confident that it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Do not be surprised if we win 55 seats." BJP Rajya Sabha MP Vijay Goel said, "We are assured that BJP government will be formed in Delhi with a majority." In the 2015 assembly poll, the AAP had won 67 seats, the BJP 3, while Congress failed to open its account. In Assembly election 2020, AAP hopes for a second consecutive term, and the BJP is optimistic of gaining majority by cashing in on the popularity of Prime Minister Modi, while the Congress is hoping for a revival. Notably, Congress was in power for 15 years at a stretch in Delhi under the leadership of former Chief Minister late Sheila Dixit till the party lost to AAP in 2015 Assembly polls. Due to the financial shortfall, ATR has slashed 90 percent of its own programming and dismissed 45 percent of its staff. Ukraine's first and currently only television channel in the Crimean Tatar language says it is on the brink of shutting down operations due to lack of government funding. ATR hasn't received US$2 million that the government allocated for the channel in this year's state budget, a statement by the channel said on February 10, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) reported. The channel said it received US$610,000 on its account on December 28, but couldn't access the money because banks were closed that day so it had to return the money, as required by law. Read alsoRFE/RL: Ukraine's only English-language TV channel shuts down A portion of the US$2 million that was allocated this year was transferred to ATR's account, but the channel said the state treasury had blocked access to it. In response, ATR has launched a fundraising campaign and is broadcasting from an empty studio without presenters and guests. ATR is a part of a media holding that is majority-owned by Lenur Islyamov and initially stopped broadcasting in Crimea after the occupying Russian authorities refused to issue a broadcasting license after annexing the Ukrainian peninsula in 2014. It resumed broadcasting on June 17, 2015, in Kyiv via satellite throughout Ukraine, including in Crimea, supported mostly with government money. Islyamov said in a statement that without the channel, Ukraine will never get back Crimea. "We know who our focus group is. We know it is the people who support us, those people who know about us, and those who want to return to Crimea with us," he said. "Without us, we won't be able to return to Crimea. We are the bridge that is being laid to Crimea." Due to the financial shortfall, ATR has slashed 90 percent of its own programming, dismissed 45 percent of its staff, reduced news broadcasts, and stopped broadcasting live, Islyamov said. In addition to ATR, a children's TV channel and a radio channel are part of the holding. Separately in January, Ukraine's public broadcaster shut down international broadcasting and closed its Crimean Tatar-, Arabic-, and English-language departments. This is the room that scares the crap out of the Democratic establishment: a college gymnasium in Keene, N.H., packed to the rafters with nearly 2,000 Bernie Sanders fans joyfully noodle-dancing to a Vermont-based jam band playing a raucous cover of the Talking Heads song Burning Down the House. A little while later, Sanders takes the stage, accompanied by his wife, three children and two grandchildren. Thank you, Twiddle! he says. Then he stops to reflect on how far hes come since his ragtag campaign surprised everyone in 2016. When he presented his agenda four years ago, he says, the corporate establishment said, Too radical! Boo! the crowd yells. And the political establishment said, Too radical! Boo! And the media establishment said, Too radical! Boo! But you know what the people of New Hampshire said? And the crowd erupts into cheers and applause. For all anyone knows at this point in the primary season, this man is the front-runner for the Democratic nomination, as likely as any candidate to be the partys representative against President Donald Trump in November. Sanders got the most votes in last weeks bungled Iowa caucuses and leads the polls for Tuesdays New Hampshire primary. While the other candidates strain to persuade waffling voters to take a chance on them, Sanders commands the deep loyalty of his adoring base of young people and the far left. As his rivals squabble about experience and electability, Sanders is cruising by unscathed. If Sanders wins here, will he be unstoppable? And if so, then what? The party mandarins are sure hes a disaster in the making, a recipe for re-electing Trumpthat American voters will never go for a 78-year-old democratic socialist with an expensive, disruptive agenda. That, in the words of the celebrity consultant James Carville, whos been stumping in New Hampshire for the long-shot moderate Michael Bennet, we dont have time for left-wing fantasies in this country. Story continues Its up to the Democratic Party to rescue America from Trump, but instead, Carville says, its out in some goofy la-la land. Party insiders remember what the Republicans went through four years ago, when the establishment candidates circular firing squad allowed their own implausible party crasher to run away with the primary. Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaking at his GOTV Rally at the Lebanon High School in Lebanon, N.H. on Feb. 8, 2020. | Tony Luong for TIME One solution to this stressful situation is just to relax and give in to the Bern, and thats what Ellen Mendelson did. I was a Biden person in the beginning, the 56-year-old social worker says, zipping up her coat after Sanderss speech ended. The former vice president seemed tried and true, and she was skeptical that Sanders would appeal to voters outside New England. She went to see Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar speak, too. But none of them moved her to tears the way Sanders does. I dont know if its realistic, if he can really do all those things hes talking about, Mendelson says. Part of me is doubtful, honestly. But I do believe if there are enough of us following him, change can happen. It feels like the right thing to do at this moment. We need big change. Its a weird moment for a party that for three years has poured its energy into fighting Trump at every turn. Suddenly, the Democrats seem gripped by a low-grade panic, confronting the reality of a difficult primary with no consensus to be had. Somehow, up against a president they regard as a joke, a failure and a threat to the republic, theyre all flogging unity while running in different directions. A field that began with an embarrassment of richesa record-setting 25 major candidates, including many truly big-time resumesis now down to this odd lot of flawed hopefuls. Partisans find themselves seized by the paralyzing fear of making the wrong choiceor the sense that the right one doesnt exist. In a normal political year, the first contests in Iowa and New Hampshire are supposed to winnow the field and define its themes. But all Iowa established was the fields abject confusionand the potential for a long and contentious slog to an indeterminate endpoint. With Sanders coasting, the other candidates have developed ever more baroque rationalizations: Biden insists the first four contests are really a single group, Warren advisers are touting a delegate strategy that looks all the way to the convention, the previously little-known Amy Klobuchar seems to be experiencing a boomlet, and the billionaire New Yorker Mike Bloomberg appears to be getting national traction with his unprecedented TV blitz. Guests at Elizabeth Warren's Derry GOTV Event at the Tupelo Music Hall in Derry, NH on Feb. 6, 2020. | Tony Luong for TIME And so the candidates sprint across New Hampshire, making a single, frantic plea: cant we all just get along? Even Sanders, whose fans consider him too pure for the vulgarities of politics, has his finger in the wind these days, recasting the theme of his rallies (Bernie Beats Trump) and arguing that hes the electable candidate. At this unprecedented moment in American history, he says, let us win here in New Hampshire, let us win the Democratic nomination, let us defeat Donald Trump and transform this country! An hour north and a day prior, the line to see Pete Buttigieg stretches out the door and around the parking lot of a high school in Lebanon, N.H. The 38-year-old former South Bend, Ind., mayor was treading water in the polls here until his strong showing in Iowa. Now, as freaked-out moderates cast about for an alternative to rally around, hes getting crowds nearly as big as Sanders. Buttigieg is introduced by the local congresswoman, Annie Kuster. I am so fired up from spending the day with PootPete BeetPete Buttigieg! she says. Explaining how she decided to support him, Kuster lists some of his policy positions, to silence from the crowd. But what she was really drawn to, she says, is his temperament: Whether he agrees with you or disagrees with you, hes going to be calm, hes going to be respectful, hes going to be thoughtful, she says. For this, there are loud (but polite!) cheers. Buttigieg is so poised and polished and squeaky-clean that some find him creepy. He inspires passionate hatred in the online left; the Sanderista podcast Chapo Trap House recently described him as a rat-faced CIA operative who probably kills dogs for fun. (There is no evidence Buttigieg has ever been in the CIA or killed a dog for any reason.) But to the people gathered here, this squareness is a balm. I hear people say, if the only choice is between a revolution or the status quo, that doesnt leave much room for them, he says, and hundreds of heads nod in relieved recognition. This is Buttigiegs first appearance since the release of an attack video by the Biden campaign, which ridiculed his experience with brutal sarcasm. While Biden was helping pass the Affordable Care Act and negotiate the Iran nuclear deal, it taunted, Buttigieg was navigating his city through such challenges as microchips for pets and decorative lights on bridges. A few minutes into his speech, Buttigieg uncorks his response: Some people say, what business does the mayor of South Bend, Indiana, have running for president, he says. You dont have a big office in Washington, D.C. You havent had decades of experience in the Capitol. You come from a community in the industrial Midwest that isnt even one of the biggest cities in America. To which I say: that is very much the point. Its a clever answer that epitomizes his deftnessand also, to some, his smarm: the confidence to turn a desperate attack back on his opponent, but also the fetishization of life in the heartland that rivals find infuriatingly smug. After his speech, Buttigieg gets questions about NASA, disability policy and Venezuelapart of which he answers in halting Spanish. I am very, very worried, says Marianne Burke, a 62-year-old special-ed teacher. Im terrified. Weve got to get it together as Democrats. But she cant make up her mind either: Buttigieg is inspiring but inexperienced; Klobuchars debate closing was powerful, but does she have a chance? She worries that the strong economy is giving Trump a boost and doesnt understand why no one seems bothered by his outrageous behavior. I just want to be inspired, she says. Im so tired of Trump and everything he represents. We need somebody whos going to bring out the best in all of us. Perhaps Buttigieg, whos elevated inoffensiveness to an ideology, is the right vessel for this yearning for unity. But these days Democrats dont feel like they can trust their own instincts. Theres a pervasive longing for a deus ex machinasomething to free them from the pain of making this decision, with its awful weight. Wont someone just figure it out for them? Kathy Parsonnet, a 65-year-old artist, has found her thoughts drifting to former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg, even though hes not on the ballot here. I never would have thought I would find him appealing, she muses. I dont love billionairesIm more of a socialist myself. But there are a lot of people in this country who look at money as a sign of success. And he is different from all the other candidates. Later that night, all the candidates appear at a party dinner in Manchester, and Buttigieg tries the small-town pride line again. The section of Sanders fans in the stands boos him, and starts up a chant: Wall Street Pete! Senator Bernie Sanders at the New Hampshire Democratic Partys McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club Event in Manchester, N.H. on Feb. 8, 2020. | Tony Luong for TIME At a community college in Manchester, Elizabeth Warren is among friendsher constituents. The crowd of volunteers whove shown up to do get-out-the-vote canvassing is largely made up of Massachusetts residents whove made the short drive up from the Boston area, hoping to convince their New Hampshire neighbors that their beloved senator still has a chance. Once an industrial bastion, New Hampshire has increasingly become a Boston exurb, a collection of bedroom communities of affluent college-educated professionals. That demographic could be Warrens sweet spot, but shes had a hard time breaking out of it. And her third-place finish in Iowa put her in a difficult position: the voters looking for an electable moderate have ruled her out as too far left, while those looking for a progressive have overwhelmingly chosen Sanders instead. (Most of the attendees I speak to at Sanderss events tell me they considered Warren at some point, but decided Sanders was stronger.) Now, Warren is frantically trying to respond by narrating the viral moment that made her a superstar of the anti-Trump resistance back in 2017. Three years ago yesterday, Mitch McConnell tried to throw me off the floor of the United States Senate for reading a letter, she saysa letter from Coretta Scott King opposing Jeff Sessions, Trumps first attorney general. And he said those words that have been printed on T-shirts, embroidered on pillows and tattooed on peoples bodies: nevertheless, she persisted. There are cheers, whistles and a shout of Attagirl! from the crowd. The message is obvious: Warren plans to persist in this fight just as she persisted in reading that letter. Ive been winning unwinnable fights all my life, she says. By the end, the crowd is chanting, War-ren! War-ren! as she does a little dance onstage. Standing in the back with her 18-month-old son in a stroller, Danielle Piemonte wishes more people could see what she sees when she looks at Warren. She worries that Warren is getting pushed out of the frame by all the hype around Sanders and Buttigieg. She herself once considered Buttigiegshe liked what she heard from him on Pod Save Americabut came to find him inauthentic, she says. Piemonte says she was forced to leave her job at a Boston-area nonprofit due to the high cost of childcare, an issue Warren has emphasized. She likes Sanders, too, but finds him kind of abrasive. I dont want another old white man, she adds. Im ready for a competent, capable woman. Former Vice President Joe Biden speaking at his GOTV Event at Ashworth by the Sea in Hampton, N.H. on Feb. 9, 2020. | Tony Luong for TIME Its a good day for Joe Biden, relatively speaking. In Hampton, N.H., a healthy crowd of 200 or so people has come to see him speak in a wood-paneled hotel conference room. Biden starts on time and seems energetic. He cracks some jokes and plants a kiss on a woman he recognizes in the front row. But within a couple of minutes, Bidens mind has drifted back to 1972, and hes off reminiscing. What follows is 15 solid minutes of death and misery: story after story about people losing loved ones, losing jobs, getting terminal cancer. Bidens own lengthy experience of loss mingles with anecdotes from other people hes met in an unending stream, culminating in a story about hungry kids at a food bank. After spending nearly a year as the national frontrunner, Biden has suddenly tumbled, his fourth-place finish in Iowa taking the wind out of his sails. His campaign has gone through a shakeup and hes retooled his presentation, trying to seem forceful by suddenly and randomly shouting. For a candidate whose political situation isnt particularly hopeful, the whole thing is a giant bummer. Hes framed his run as an act of dutycalled out of retirement by a compulsion to save the country from Trumpbut as his political stock plummets and other candidates in his mainstream lane struggle for oxygen, its started to seem almost like sabotage instead. A young woman raises her hand in the question-and-answer portion. Im going to be a little bit mean, she says. So, youre arguably the candidate with the greatest advantage in this race. Youve been the vice president, you werent burdened down by the impeachment trialthat is, not stuck in Washington like the sitting senators, she means. How do you explain the performance in Iowa, and why should the voters believe that you can win the national election? Its a good question, Biden says. Number one, Iowas a Democratic caucus. You ever been to a caucus? No, you havent. Youre a lying, dog-faced pony soldier. Biden goes on to explain that he sees the first four states as a single bloc, that his overwhelming support in the black community has yet to manifest itself, and that hes at a disadvantage in New Hampshire against the two New England candidates. But its his bizarre turn of phrase, though clearly meant teasingly, that gets picked up from this exchange, batted around Twitter by incredulous haters marveling at the off-key folksiness of a man whose slang has gone out of style. Bidens supporters try to look on the bright side. He does get tired and ramble a bit, says John Stevens, 73, the CEO of a tech company from just up the road in Statham. But talking for that long in front of this many people, Id probably do the same thing. His wife Renata Stevens, a retired teacher, says shes trying to stay hopeful, but the campaign has her worried. Can any Democrat beat Trump? To be honest, I think the chances are slim, she says. Trump has such a strong base, no matter what he says, people support him. Its very depressing. The Stevenses were once friends with their Republican neighbors but find it hard to look at them anymore. Theyre racist. We just never saw it before, John Stevens says. Its like youre walking around with all these people and suddenly they turn out to be aliens. The Stevenses say theyll do anything to defeat Trump; they just wish they knew what to do. Terry Shumaker waves away the bad polls and the smug pundits writing off Biden so soon. A Concord-based lawyer and former ambassador to Trinidad, Shumaker supported Biden in his first presidential run, in 1988, and has the vintage buttons to prove it. He also co-chaired Bill Clintons campaign here in 92, when an unexpected surge in New Hampshire revivified the campaign of the Comeback Kid. Shumaker understands why so many of his fellow Democrats are worried, but he thinks itll all work out. The stakes are so huge this timethats whats driving the indecision, he says. I was for Hillary last time, and unfortunately the party didnt fully come together after the primary. But that was because people didnt recognize the danger of Donald Trump. They do now. This time, people are well aware that he could win. Stafford G. noted, You're right that climate change is affecting the lake; and much of the rest of the world. But I think we should remember that geologists have shown that at some time in the distant past (maybe the last ice age about 12,000 years ago) the lakes extended hundreds of miles inland, helping create the Great Plains. In a sense, humans are the ones who've encroached on the lake. Yet, we're disturbed, if not disgruntled that it's reclaiming some of its old territory. Offering an undiscovered world of modern Chinese fare, Yauatcha Riyadh sets the bar high on culinary offerings in the capital. With world-class locations around the globe including India and the U.K., Yauatcha Riyadh adds to the brand's burgeoning international presence through its first footsteps into the Middle East. Led by inimitable and award-winning Chef Stanley Lum Wah Cheouk whose unbridled passion for authenticity and originality has produced a menu which packs a punch. Unforgettable dishes include the Crispy Duck Salad, the ultimate crowd-pleaser: Wagyu Beef Puff Rolls and an array of decadent dumplings. Desserts curated by Chef Ahmad Saeed feature the moreish Chocolate Pebble and his masterpiece Raspberry Delice made up of lychee, Madirofolo chocolate, and raspberry. The grand pre-opening week began with an extensive sampling of menu highlights against an atmospheric sound mix unique to Yauatcha Riyadh created by DJ Frozen. Regional influencers demonstrated their enthusiasm for the venue with a stream of social media action throughout the evening. Esteemed invitees included gaming giant Saudi Gamer, food aficionado Hisham Baeshen, lifestyle legends Nia Amroun, Nada Al Harthi and Mawaddah Tak, model superstar Ratana and beauty maverick Judy Nachabe. A private dinner was also held for members of the local and regional media with titles such as Caterer Middle East, Zahret AL Khaleej and Al Rai newspaper in attendance. Celebrity TV presenter Lulu Al Hasan also made an appearance as well as stations: MBC, CNBC Saudi and Sky News who reported live from Yauatcha Riyadh as the night unfolded, capturing the pervading energy throughout the restaurant. The pre-opening week culminated in the Grand Opening private dinner on Thursday 6 February held by Al Khozama Management Company. Ambassadors from the Chinese, Mexican, Albanian, Georgian, Finnish, Greek, Dutch, Zambian, South African, Danish and Italian embassies were present alongside friends and family of Al Khozama Management Company. The evening strayed past midnight as guests thoroughly enjoyed this "new hotspot in Riyadh". "The reaction to Yauatcha Riyadh has been nothing short of spectacular. The sheer enthusiasm for such an innovative and immersive dining experience in Riyadh proves the capital of the Kingdom is open to new and exciting culinary journeys. Aligned with KSA's Vision 2030, Yauatcha Riyadh speaks to its core pillars of innovation and progressivism. We are very proud to be part of this groundbreaking shift in KSA's history," says Grant MacPherson, Senior Vice President of Restaurants for Hakkasan Group. Guests were also particularly moved by Yauatcha Riyadh's distinctive and diverse decor from the star-lit ceiling in the bar area to the plush indoor seating to the cozy yet cosmopolitan outdoor rooftop replete with verdant foliage and Cherry Blossoms, offering guests a sophisticated enclave away from the bustle of city life. Yauatcha Riyadh is now open. For bookings please visit: www.yauatcha.sa or call: +966-920-006-555 ABOUT HAKKASAN GROUP Hakkasan Group is a renowned worldwide hospitality company with establishments across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Its namesake is taken from its Michelin star restaurant that set the best-in-class standard for the diverse brands in the group's collection. Its 'brand first' philosophy creates restaurant, nightlife and daylife venues into a world-class hospitality portfolio, all with a focus on service, design, and innovation that together, craft remarkable experiences for its guests. Its restaurant properties include Hakkasan, with 12 locations worldwide, Ling Ling, Yauatcha, Sake no Hana, Casa Calavera, Herringbone and Searsucker. Concepts under the nightlife umbrella are Hakkasan, Omnia, Jewel and 1Oak Nightclub; and daylife brands include Omnia, Wet Republic and Liquid. For more information, visit www.hakkasangroup.com ABOUT AL KHOZAMA Al Khozama Management Company is the Kingdom's leading developer and manager of luxurious commercial properties. Al Khozama owns and manages a portfolio of properties, including hotels and resorts, offices, retail operations and more. Named by the World Travel Awards as Saudi Arabia's leading luxury hospitality company for 2015, Al Khozama manages eight hotels, including Al Faisaliah Hotel, Al Faisaliah Suites, Al Faisaliah Resort& SPA, Al Khozama Hotel, Bay La Sun Hotel & Marina, Al Khozama Residence. For more information, visit: alkhozama.com ABOUT YAUATCHA Yauatcha is a Chinese dim sum teahouse with two restaurants in London, in the heart of Soho and in the City, offering an all-day grazing experience. Launched in Soho in 2004, Yauatcha gained immediate critical acclaim and received numerous prestigious awards including a Michelin star. Yauatcha City opened in May 2015 following the success of the Soho restaurant. Yauatcha provides a unique dining experience, offering authentic dim sum with a contemporary influence. The renowned menu includes a wide selection of dim sum and a list of over 19 types of tea. The original design concept by Christian Liaigre offers full view of the kitchens allowing passers-by to witness the preparation of the expertly made dishes. Yauatcha is a part of Hakkasan Group, which has pioneered Chinese fine dining globally through its Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurants Hakkasan Hanway Place and Hakkasan Mayfair. Yauatcha also has restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, India, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Contact: Georgie Bradley [email protected] +971-551-021-078 +971-42-460-234 SOURCE Hakkasan Group Related Links http://www.hakkasangroup.com Firecracker films have been commissioned by Channel 5 to produce a one-off documentary, The Great British Urine Test: The National Health Check. The programme will be produced by Firecracker Scotland, with Executive Producer Elspeth OHare. The show was commissioned by Dan Louw at Channel 5. Doctor and TV personality, Dr Christian will host the doc. Alongside Dr Amir Khan, Dr Christian get an insight into the state of the nations health using tests that will decode the secret messages in participants urine. To carry out the National Health Check, the programme has placed Pee Pods in four major cities, and invited members of the general public to participate. The results will reveal which city drinks the most alcohol, which city consumes the most fast food and which comes out the highest when it comes to drug taking. Elspeth OHare, Creative Director at Firecracker Scotland commented: It is extraordinary what we can now tell about our health and lifestyle from our pee; from early signs of cancer and markers for pollution to how much booze weve drunk and what weve eaten in the last week. We loved working with Dr. Christian Jessen and Dr. Amir Khan who used their expertise, empathy and humour to bring this ground breaking science to life. Commissioning Editor, Dan Louw added: I was shocked when I found out that weve all been flushing away a vital diagnostic tool that could stop us from getting ill. We laughed when we first thought about doing this show, but Ive been genuinely inspired by the incredible science being done in this area which actually has the power to change the way we think about our bodies. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px} Share this story It was one of Portlands best-loved restaurants, home to a popular Southern brunch, some signature skillet-fried chicken and even a spin-off location at the airport. And when The Country Cat closed after 12 years in Montavilla last summer, it left a big hole in what had been one of Portlands most enjoyable dining neighborhoods. This March, the old Country Cat space will come back to life as Lazy Susan, a new restaurant from Nora and Andrew Mace -- the talented former Tusk pastry chef and Le Pigeon chef, respectively -- along with silent partner Earl Ninsom, the Bangkok-born restaurateur behind some of Portlands best restaurants, including Langbaan, Hat Yai and Eem. According to Portland Monthly, which first reported on Lazy Susan, the new restaurant will have a neighborhood bar and grill vibe, with chilled seafood, whole roasted dover sole and house-aged steaks seared over charcoal -- simple food done right. After a remodel, Lazy Susan will hold about 64 seats, with some tables holding actual family-style lazy susan turntables. Dinner service will start from Wednesday to Sunday and eventually expand to seven nights a week, with weekend brunch of buttermilk pancakes, steak and eggs, breakfast sweets and seasonal pies from Nora Mace, one of Portlands top pastry chefs, to follow. In addition to the Maces, Lazy Susan will be home to chef Julian Calcott (Eem), bartender Michelle Ruocco (Han Oak) and wine pro Danny McGeough (Le Pigeon). Lazy Susan will open in March at 7937 S.E. Stark St. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. By PTI NEW DELHI: The Home Ministry on Tuesday said it has no information on any group called the 'Tukde Tukde Gang'. Replying to a written question in Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said the ministry has no information on whether the terminology 'Tukde Tukde Gang' is based on specific inputs provided by law enforcement agencies. "No such information has been brought to the notice of the government by any law enforcement agency," he said. The reply came in response to questions by Congress members Vincent H Pala and Jasbir Singh Gill. The questions included whether an organisation called the 'Tukde Tukde Gang' has been identified and catalogued by the Home Ministry or any central/state law enforcement agency, whether the terminology 'Tukde Tukde Gang' is based on specific inputs and whether the ministry or intelligence agency has drawn up a list of alleged leaders and members of the 'Tukde Tukde Gang'. A former Army medic has been sentenced to 35 years in prison for arranging to have his mistress stab his wife to death in 2014. Michael Walker, 40, was sentenced on Monday in Honolulu, Hawaii, after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in September, about a week before his trial was scheduled to begin. He admitted to hatching the plot to have Alisa Jackson, the woman he was having an affair with, kill his wife Catherine Walker while he was working in the emergency room at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Jackson, who carried out the fatal stabbing at the Walkers' home on the Aliamanu Military Reservation, was also sentenced on Monday. She received a 30-year sentence after pleading guilty to murder in 2015 under a deal with prosecutors which saw her avoid a life sentence in exchange for helping secure an indictment against Michael Walker. Jackson, 29, described in court how she stabbed Catherine Walker multiple times with a kitchen knife and then waited half an hour to ensure she was dead. She also provided prosecutors with information about her coded messages with Michael Walker, in which they discussed having Jackson commit the killing while he was at work so that he would have an alibi. Former Army medic Michael Walker, 40, was sentenced to 35 years in prison on Monday for arranging to have his mistress stab his wife Catherine (above together) to death in 2014 'Our goal from the very beginning was to hold everyone responsible for Catherines death accountable,' Assistant US Attorney Tom Brady said Monday. Catherine Walker's father, Douglas Plotz, said his family supports a lower sentence. 'We wholeheartedly forgive her,' he said. 'I want Ms Jackson to know that.' Catherine Walker also forgave Jackson, Brady said. 'On the night she was stabbed to death, Jackson asked her if she forgave her,' Brady said. 'As she was being stabbed, Catherine, replied, yes.' Alisa Jackson (pictured), who carried out the fatal stabbing, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday Under a deal with prosecutors, Michael Walker faced 24 to 30 years in prison. But US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said she sentenced Walker to a longer term because he orchestrated the killing. Mollway, who agreed to sentence Jackson to a range of 30 to 33 years, said she wanted to make sure Walker's sentence was longer than Jackson's. 'Ms Jackson wielded the knife that killed your wife,' Mollway said. 'And that was a terrible, terrible deed. But it does appear to me that you were in control. That she did what she did because you wanted her to. And you knew she had mental health problems.' After meeting through an online dating site in September 2014, Michael Walker told Jackson he was married and that his 'deepest desire' was to have his wife gone, but he couldn't divorce her, prosecutors have said. Michael Walker told Jackson he couldn't simply divorce his wife because of financial concerns and stood to receive $400,000 in life insurance, Brady said. Michael Walker pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September and admitted to hatching the plot to have Jackson kill his wife Catherine (pictured together) while he was working in the emergency room at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu They plotted the killing in emails, in person and in text messages where they called each other 'daddycakes' and 'babygirl', according to Walker's plea agreement. On November 14, 2014, they met in a military reservation's gym parking lot, where Jackson said she would kill Catherine Walker that night, Brady said. He described how the two came up with a text messaging code to let Jackson know whether she should enter the home through a window or use a key near the back door. If Michael Walker texted, 'good', that would mean use the window and 'bad' would mean the key. Walker texted 'bad', Brady said, and at about midnight Jackson walked to the Walkers' house at Aliamanu Military Reservation and found the key, Brady said. Jackson said in court previously she 'went inside and grabbed a knife and went upstairs and stabbed her'. The Walkers (pictured) had been married for more than 11 years at the time of the killing During that 2015 testimony, Jackson revealed that she was taking medication for depression and psychosis. Defense attorney Birney Bervar said afterward that prosecutors were basing their case on a mentally unstable woman. Brevar said his client had been having an affair with Jackson but that he loved his wife very much and did not want her dead. The couple had been married for more than 11 years at the time of the killing and were about to undergo in-vitro fertilization after a decade of trying to conceive a child, Brevar said. After Monday's sentencing, Michael Walker apologized to his wife's family. 'I love Cathy very much and I would do anything if it could bring her back,' he said. In 2016, a military court found Walker guilty of child pornography charges that surfaced during the murder investigation. In 2017, Walker was convicted of sexually abusing a child, physically assaulting a child, and wrongfully communicating a threat. He was reduced in rank from sergeant to private, sentenced to 10 years confinement, and received a dishonorable discharge, the Army said. Elizabeth Holmes Getty Elizabeth Holmes' lawyers have asked a federal judge to throw out the US government's case against the Theranos founder. The US indicted Holmes in 2018 for 11 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud through Theranos, which claimed to be able to conduct a medical blood test from just a single drop of blood. Holmes' attorney argued the government's case against Holmes was too vague and full of "fudging language." She also argued the company's technology was not as unreliable as portrayed by the prosecution, and that it is usual for blood tests to have "error rates." Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Lawyers for Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes told a federal judge on Monday the US government's prosecution against Holmes is too vague and should be thrown out. The US government indicted Holmes along with former Theranos president Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani in June 2018 alleging nine counts of wire fraud and two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud over Holmes' blood-testing company Theranos, which claimed to be able to conduct an accurate blood test from just a single drop of blood. The company, which at one point was valued at $9 billion, imploded in 2018 after questions started to arise over whether its technology actually worked. The indictment claims Holmes and Balwani duped patients, doctors, and investors by exaggerating the capabilities of what they knew to be faulty technology. Per CNBC, Holmes' attorney Amy Saharia argued Monday that the government indictment is "full of ambiguity and fudging language." Saharia also refuted the claim that Theranos' technology didn't work per the Mercury News, pointing to two specific instances cited by the prosecution involving an HIV test and two pregnancy tests. "All tests have error rates [...] The government should not be permitted to try a case with anecdotes when incorrect blood tests are a fact of life," she said. Story continues US government prosecutor John Bostick replied that the defence has had plenty of time to clarify the meaning of the indictment. "The defense has been litigating this case for 20 months now. If they truly didn't understand the nature of the allegations they would have raised this issue earlier," he said. Bostick also said Theranos' claim that it had obtained approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) was a ploy to reassure patients of its technology's accuracy, per Bloomberg. US District Judge Edward Davila is currently weighing the defence's request to dismiss, and asked both sides about the "implicit misrepresentations" Theranos allegedly made. The trial of Holmes and Balwani is due to start in August 2020, and if found guilty the pair could each face 20 years in prison. Read the original article on Business Insider The UAE-based NMC's board has asked its joint non-executive chairman Dr B R Shetty and vice-chairman Khaleefa Butti Al Muhairi to absent themselves from board meetings while their shareholdings in the company are reviewed. The company announced that it has been informed by Dr Shetty that he and his advisers are in the process of carrying out a legal review in order to verify the total interests of Dr Shetty, his associated family members and his associated family holding companies in the ordinary shares of the company. The review also has implications for the holdings and interests of Saeed Mohamed Butti Mohamed Khalfan Al Qebaisi and Al Muhairi, it said. This suggests that the holdings and interests of Dr Shetty, Al Qebaisi and Al Muhairi have been incorrectly reported historically to the company and the market, the statement said. Dr Shetty owns 19.22 per cent stake as of May last year, while NMC vice-chair Muhairi and Qebaisi owned 15.82 per cent and 7.66 per cent, respectively, as of January 28, according to Refinitiv data. The board has asked Dr Shetty and Al Muhairi to absent themselves from further board discussions until clarification of these matters and pending a board decision about their ongoing roles as directors of the company, it said. Dr Shetty and Al Muhairi have informed the company that they remain supportive and long-term investors in the company. The companys operations continue to perform strongly, and the company expects to report full-year 2019 results in-line with managements expectations, it said. The board has also repeated its request for clarity from each of the shareholders in relation to the number of shares owned by them which are pledged, otherwise used as security in any form of financial instrument or are subject to other arrangements under which third parties (eg banks, financial institutions etc.) have the ability to sell those shares without prior approval from the respective shareholder, it said. NMC Health had on Monday said it had received two preliminary approaches from private equity firms. The offers from US-based KKR and GK Investment for the UAE-based healthcare group sent its shares up 11 per cent in early deals and came weeks after it faced a short-selling attack from Muddy Waters. NMC said no discussion has taken place on the terms of any potential offer. The latest disclosures came at a time when NMC shares were shorted by Muddy Waters in December, which alleged that the company manipulated its balance-sheet and inflated the prices of assets it purchased. It was a clever move to announce this even though at a very early stage, a trader said, adding this would give the shares some respite. - TradeArabia News Service The Indian equity market continues trading on a strong note but is off the high point of the day with Sensex up 265.19 points or 0.65 percent at 41244.81, and the Nifty gained 88.70 points at 12120.20. Nifty Energy gained 1.5 percent led by GAIL India which jumped over 5 percent after better than expected Q3 numbers followed by NTPC, Reliance Industries, ONGC and Power Grid. Metals along with the pharma index added a percent each. The top gainers from the metal space included JSW Steel which jumped 4 percent followed by JSPL, Hindalco Industries, MOIL, Tata Steel and Vedanta. Pharma stocks are also buzzing led by Glenmark Pharma, Piramal Enterprises, Dr Reddy's Labs, Aurobindo Pharma, Cipla and Divis Labs. However, the FMCG index slipped into the red dragged by Godrej Consumer, Colgate Palmolive, Jubilant Foodworks, Nestle India, United Spirits and Proctor & Gamble. The stocks which moved the most with respect to volumes included Remsons Industries which zoomed 20 percent. There were pending buy orders of 2,650 shares, with no sellers available. It was trading with volumes of 12,540 shares, compared to its five day average of 796 shares, an increase of 1,474.98 percent. New Delhi Television was quoting at Rs 33.65, up Rs 5.60, or 19.96 percent. There were pending buy orders of 17,314 shares, with no sellers available. It was trading with volumes of 10,337 shares, compared to its five day average of 1,165 shares, an increase of 787.60 percent. Taj GVK Hotels & Resorts was quoting at Rs 208.50, up Rs 15.85, or 8.23 percent. It was trading with volumes of 114,646 shares, compared to its five day average of 6,198 shares, an increase of 1,749.67 percent. Share price of Parag Milk Foods fell over 14 percent. It was trading with volumes of 1,713,504 shares, compared to its five day average of 15,882 shares, an increase of 10,689.10 percent. India VIX shed 2.53 percent and was trading at 13.85 level. The top gainers from Sensex are NTPC, Maruti Suzuki, Power Grid, IndusInd Bank and Bajaj Auto while the top losers included Nestle India, Bharti Airtel, Mahindra & Mahindra, Hindustan Unilever and Sun Pharma. 124 stocks hit new 52-week high on BSE including Shilpa Medicare, Inox Leisure, AB Fashion, Relaxo Footwear, Galaxy Surfactants, Balkrishna Industries, Welspun Corp, Divis Laboratories, Phoenix Mills, VIP Industries, Tata Elxsi, JB Chemicals and Bajaj Finance among others. 165 stocks hit 52-week low on BSE including Engineers India, Parag Milk Foods, Sical Logistics, Gayatri Projects, J&K Bank, Engineers India, TCI Finance and DB Corp among others. About 1057 shares have advanced, 1260 shares declined, and 151 shares are unchanged. : Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd. Technavio has been monitoring the automotive drivetrain market and it is poised to grow by USD 45.36 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 3% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005583/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global automotive drivetrain market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Surging demand for automobiles has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, improper balancing of propeller shafts might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Automotive Drivetrain Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Automotive Drivetrain Market is segmented as below: Application 2WD AWD/4WD Others Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30713 Automotive Drivetrain Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive drivetrain market report covers the following areas: Automotive Drivetrain Market Size Automotive Drivetrain Market Trends Automotive Drivetrain Market Industry Analysis This study identifies use of carbon fiber for making drivetrain components as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive drivetrain market growth during the next few years. Automotive Drivetrain Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive drivetrain market, including some of the vendors such as American Axle Manufacturing, BorgWarner, GKN (Melrose Industries), Magna International and ZF Friedrichshafen. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive drivetrain market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Drivetrain Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive drivetrain market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive drivetrain market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive drivetrain market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive drivetrain market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005583/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ New York Sues Trump Admin Over Policy Barring Residents From Trusted Traveler Programs New York Attorney General Letitia James announced on Feb. 10 that shed filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over a new rule that bars residents of the state from participating in the federal governments Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP). Under the new policy, which came into effect on Feb. 6, New York residents are no longer eligible to apply for or renew their membership in programs such as Global Entry and other programs that allow for faster entry to select countries for preapproved travelers. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said the policy was in response to a recent New York state law that prohibits U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from accessing information, such as criminal histories, maintained by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). Without this information, the CBP is unable to complete security checks for its TTP applications and renewals submitted by New York residents, the department said. The law, known as the Drivers License Access and Privacy Act, or the Green Light Law, allows individuals to obtain a New York drivers license without a Social Security number, regardless of their citizenship or lawful status in the United States. It also bars the release of the applicants personal information to federal immigration authorities except when requested under a court order or judicial warrant. It was enacted in June and took effect in December. James has claimed that the administrations move was political retribution for the States enactment of legislation that the federal government disfavors. She argues in her complaint (pdf) that the administrations decision to bar New York residents from the programs poses a threat to New York residents safety and the states economy; directly harms hundreds of thousands of individual residents; and interferes with New Yorks rights as a sovereign state. New Yorkers will not be held hostage by an Administration intent on restraining the sovereign rights of states, while it simultaneously enacts discriminatory policies across the country, James said in a statement. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo backed the lawsuit, accusing the administration of unfairly and illegally targeting the state. James argues that the policy contravenes the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004, which called on the DHS to create an international registered traveler program for use by all states and territories of the United States. She also said the program is punitive in nature and is intended to single out New York and force the state to change its policies to conform with federal ones. The state also claims that the admins policy change is unconstitutional because it violates the Fifth Amendments equal protection guarantee, the Tenth Amendments guarantee of equal sovereignty among the states, the Tenth Amendments prohibition on coercive federal action, and the Administrative Procedure Act. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad F. Wolf explained in a statement on Feb. 6 that the federal government was forced to make the policy change to ensure the integrity of their travel programs. He said the CBP uses the data shared by the DMV for national security purposes to ensure safe and lawful trade and travel, helping officers to make an evidence-based assessment of individuals seeking to enroll in the program. Its very clear: this irresponsible action has consequences, Wolf said about the Green Light law. An aspect of the law which Im most concerned about is that it prohibits the DMV from providing ICE and CBP with important data used in law enforcement, trade, travel, and homeland security. ICE uses the information as they investigate and build cases against terrorists, and criminals who commit child sexual exploitation, human trafficking, and financial crimes. Unfortunately, because of this law, they can no longer do that. The CBP expects the move to affect up to 200,000 New York residents who are seeking to renew their membership. The policy change will also affect vehicle exports because the state law hinders the DHS from validating documents used to establish vehicle ownership. Wolf said in a more recent statement on Feb. 9 that the TTP ban had nothing to do with illegal aliens receiving drivers licenses. NY is the ONLY state to shut off CBP [Customs and Border Protection] access to DMV records used for law enforcement purposes in our homeland security mission, Wolf wrote on Twitter. Without access, CBP cannot vet Trusted Traveler applicants. Its that simple. I made clear to the governor yesterday that suspending Trusted Traveler Programs for NY had nothing to do with drivers licenses and everything to do with the breakdown in information sharing, he added in another statement. The DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. [February 11, 2020] TauC3 Biologics Limited and LifeArc Announce their Selection by the Program Committee to Present at Tau2020 during the Lightning Round Poster Presentation WASHINGTON and LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TauC3 Biologics Limited and Life Arc have been selected by the Tau2020 Global Conference Program Committee to present at Tau2020, being held in Washington, D.C., February 12-13, 2020. Their poster entitled Immunotherapy for TauC3, a Critically Important Factor in Tau Propagation will be presented by Dr. Daniel G. Chain, PhD, President & CEO of TauC3 Biologics on Wednesday, February 12th between 1:45-2:45p.m. during the Lightning Round Poster Presentation. This presentation session will include 10 invited poster presenters, providing an extended opportunity to present their research to the larger Tau2020 audience. Further information about the conference which is hosted by the Alzheimers Association, CurePSP and the Rainwater Charitable Trust can be found at https://alz.org/tau2020/overview.asp About TauC3 Biologics Limited: TauC3 Biologics is a privately held British biopharmaceutical company developing an exceptionally potent and specific, humanized monoclonal antibody, uniquely targeting an especially noxious protein metabolite in the brain of patients with Alzheimers disease and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy. The company believes that the antibody has the potential to be a standout immunotherapy for these diseases whereas other more advanced tau programs are unlikely to be as efficacious and pose potential safety concerns. The humanized antibody was generated in partnership with LifeArc, a UK medical research charity. Find out more about us a www.tauc3bio.com About LifeArc LifeArc is a self-funded medical research charity. Our mission is to advance translation of early science into health care treatments or diagnostics that can be taken through to full development and made available to patients. We have been doing this for more than 25 years and our work has resulted in a diagnostic for antibiotic resistance and four licensed medicines. Our success allows us to explore new approaches to stimulate and fund translation. We have our own drug discovery and diagnostics development facilities, supported by experts in technology transfer and intellectual property who also provide services to other organisations. Our model is built on collaboration, and we partner with a broad range of groups including medical research charities, research organisations, industry and academic scientists. We are motivated by patient need and scientific opportunity. Find out more about our work on www.lifearc.org or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter . About AD AD is the most common cause of dementia and represents an enormous and growing global public health challenge. It is a uniformly fatal neurodegenerative disorder with no cure or substantially effective treatment. AD currently affects more than 5 million Americans, 7 million Europeans and, in total, about 44 million people worldwide according to the most recent report by the Alzheimers Association with an estimated cost of more than one percent of global GDP. No disease-modifying treatments have been approved. About PSP PSP is a rare and fatal degenerative neurological disorder affecting about 20,000 people in the United States. It causes progressive impairment of balance and walking; impaired eye movement, abnormal muscle tone, speech difficulties, and problems related to swallowing and eating. Affected individuals also frequently experience personality changes and cognitive impairment. Symptoms typically begin after age 60 but can begin earlier. The exact cause of PSP is unknown. PSP is often misdiagnosed as Parkinson disease, AD, cotrimoxazole degeneration and other neurodegenerative disorders. No disease-modifying treatments have been approved. Contacts Daniel G. Chain, PhD, President & CEO, TauC3 Biologics; [email protected] ; +44 (0)203 743 3938 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Hashem Abedi, left, is on trial accused of helping his brother commit murder in the Manchester bombing. Right, emergency services on the scene after Salman Abedi detonated his device. (PA Images) The family of the Manchester Arena bomber claimed thousands of pounds in benefits - some of which was used to finance the deadly plot, a court heard. Samia Abedi the mother of bomber Salman and his brother Hashem had received more than 2,000 a month in payments, even after she left the UK for Libya. Salman killed himself when he triggered a bomb estimated to be 36kg that killed 22 people and injured 260 at an Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in May 2017. The bomb was in a paint tin filled with homemade explosive TATP place inside a money tin and surrounded by shrapnel. His brother Hashem, 22, is on trial accused of planning the attack with Salman. Prosecutor Duncan Penny QC said last week that Hashem is just as responsible for the murder of the 22 people killed as was his sibling. Abedi denies the charges against him. Hashem Abedi, the brother of Salman Abedi, denies the charges against him. (Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire) On Monday, the jury heard how money from Samia Abedis benefits payments, which continued to be paid to her after she left the country in October 2016, were accessed to pay for a 300 industrial-sized battery and other alleged bomb-making equipment from B&Q. Jurors were shown how Samia Ahmed was receiving 2,147 a month, including housing benefit and working and child tax credit. A bank card connected to her account was used to withdraw thousands of pounds in cash, with a series of withdrawals usually worth 50, 250 and 300 being made. Read more on Yahoo UK: Brother of Manchester bomber 'just as responsible for causing so much death', court told Manchester bomber spotted on camera moments before 36kg homemade bomb blast 'We have come to slaughter' email was used to buy chemicals before Manchester Arena bombing The welfare payments continued up until May 19, 2017, three days before the Manchester Arena bombing. Bomber Salman Abedi was also paid 1,002.54 as part of his student loan in early January of that year, and four cash withdrawals of 790, 710, 800 and 700 were made from his RBS account on January 23, 2017. Story continues He reported his card lost the next day, claiming there had been a fraud. A further student loan payment was made at the end of January, worth 2,258. On Monday, the court also heard how Salman Abedi met convicted terrorist Abdalraouf Abdallah in prison four months before the attack. Abdallah was convicted of preparing terror acts by helping people and funding terrorism in 2016. The trial continues. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- A mining company has withdrawn its request for the federal governments permission to dig up minerals near the vast wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp, saying it plans to submit an application that proposes a smaller area for the project. The Army Corps of Engineers disclosed last summer that it was weighing a permit for Twin Pines Minerals to mine for titanium dioxide less than four miles from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. Critics feared the project could cause irreparable harm to the swamps fragile ecosystem, which serves as habitat to alligators, bald eagles and other protected species. (Photo: pixabay) The idea of getting paid for stories you compose during vacations is exciting. If you enjoy writing, you might have already considered stepping up to a new level and becoming a professional author. In such a case, sharing your travel experience is an excellent occasion to start. Foreign countries and their exotic landscapes can bring multiple scenarios to a creative person. And our tips will give you a better understanding of how to sell your stories and cover some travel expenses this way. Decide what you will write Travel writing is a broad concept. You can write a short article, a guide, or a novel about your exploration of distant shores. If you don't have any particular genre in mind, you may end up writing your personal travel diary, which is not the thing you can sell. Explore the market and figure out who may agree to publish your stories to get started with your portfolio. Writing short stories or essays will pave your way to magazines that still publish them among other issues. Look out for online editions and decide what travel content they will most likely buy. Create a schedule Exploring far away countries is exciting. However, if you want to become a travel writer you need a lot of time to write. It is the same as having a freelance job. Once you have decided what kind of story you need to create in order to sell it, you have to put writing on your daily schedule. Even if your vacation is a short one, you will have to get ready with your story fast. And of course, you may need to put down some details immediately. So take several hours every day, sit somewhere you can concentrate, and take on your story. Start a blog As a future professional writer, you have to take marketing seriously. While it can be difficult to think of promoting while no one has published your story yet, starting a blog is a great idea. It will be excellent if you also take your own pictures and post them along in your profile. As a writer, you will enjoy posting in the blog. Perhaps, you have been doing it for a while and it has pushed you to sell your stories. Anyway, stay present online, and you will find it easier to reach publishers and gain followers. Use reader-friendly language Unlike the vocabulary of your academic papers, your travel stories should sound informal and friendly. Read popular blogs and pay attention to how their authors communicate with readers. Drop cliches, introductory elements, and excessive adverbial modifiers. At the same time, try to keep your narrative logical and consistent. Use the vocabulary that is easy to understand. Set a friendly tone and don't be afraid of readers' criticism. Send your story to publishers If you enjoy writing, you may be happy just posting your stories in a blog. The point of being a professional writer, however, is to sell your content to publishers. Look for some printed or online editions that issue stories like the one you have written. Contact their editors and ask if they may consider publishing your story. Sounds straightforward, but that is exactly what a beginning writer can do. Great fiction authors have literary agents giving their manuscripts in the right hands. You can start with as little as sending your story to a popular magazine and wait for its verdict. Look out for the sites to place your writing If you intend for your travel writing to be published in some particular edition, don't hesitate to contact the editor. However, it is worth looking for several options. Consider online media as well-they can give access to your story, and more people may get interested in reading your travel blog or subscribing to your social media. Internet marketing is a powerful tool that will help you get started selling your stories. Besides, you can possibly find more online editions interested in your travel writing as compared to a few glossy magazines still in print. As soon as you sell your first stories, congrats! Now you are a professional writer indeed. Here are a few more tips to help you grow in creating meaningful content on traveling. Read a lot and chase great stories To become a great writer, you certainly need to read. This way you can find out what a great story is and how it is arranged. Subscribe to popular travel blogs and read a bit of fiction. See how you can describe your own experience to make it fascinating. Travel as much as you can Besides writing, traveling is another thing you need most. Assign your homework to professional essay writers and take a small trip. If visiting foreign countries is your passion and you want to get paid back for it, you have to invest time in your journeys. You may also need to save for a while to take this trip, but you have to plan it at least once or twice a year. Do not get upset with rejection Most professional writers didn't get successful overnight. Be prepared that editors will reject your stories. Stay open to any comments or suggestions about your writing-this way you will learn what other people expect. Hear what other people say but stay committed to your passion. See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party`s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said that people of Delhi have given a historic victory to the AAP in the assembly polls, while reciting a victory song in his address to the supporters at the party office here on Tuesday (February 11). Singh said, "The people have proved that Arvind Kejriwal is the son of every house in the national capital." Slamming the BJP, he said, "Even after the BJP used all its power and resources, the people chose Arvind Kejriwal. The Chief Minister has done everything in his power to work for the people of Delhi." Sanjay Singh said that Delhi has given the mandate to its son and that it is a victory for the whole country, adding "The people of Delhi gave a clear message that politics will be over issues. Kejriwal dedicated everything to the common people of the city. Congratulations to all of you. We are heading towards a bigger margin." Addressing the party workers at the AAP headquarters, Singh said that the BJP used "all its power, hate, money and energy in Delhi, but the people gave the mandate to its son", referring to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. "That day, Kejriwal had said that on February 11, his `family` in Delhi will show that he is not a terrorist, but a true patriot," he said, adding that Delhi has now proved that Kejriwal is a true patriot and Delhi`s son. Without taking his name, he also took a dig at BJP leader Kapil Mishra`s remark that this election was akin to the "India vs Pakistan" battle. "Hindustan has won," Singh said before chanting `Bharat Mata ki jai`. Notably, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading on 63 seats and the BJP on 7, while Congress has failed to open its account. Prominent among those who are leading in their respective constituencies include Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has taken a lead of 4,387 votes over BJP`s Sunil Kumar Yadav from New Delhi constituency. 11.02.2020 LISTEN Embracing the number one issue affecting our industry today, the British Business General Aviation Association (BBGA) is putting sustainability at the heart of its annual conference theme next month. Returning to Luton Hoo Hotel, UK, on Thursday 5th March, the Association is pleased to confirm that environmentalist, former MEP and World Bank representative, author Stanley Johnson will be this years keynote speaker. The conference, to be hosted at Luton Hoos historic and grand Mansion House venue this year, will also address the importance of Future Aviation Strategy 2050 with Paul Maynard MP, Minister for Aviation and Major Infrastructure, followed by a workshop discussion. BBGA and its membership have provided input to FAS 2050, highlighting how the unique characteristics of business and general aviation can make a valued contribution. We are on the precipice of an exciting new world in aviation encompassing alternative fuels; modern renewable powerplants; new eVTOL models, said Marc Bailey, BBGA CEO. Our recommendations for a sustainable future include maximising use of airspace, performance based navigation and multiple approach paths to minimise noise and fuel burn, as the need to invest in sustainable fuels. There will be a session focused on air travel and SAF with EBAAs head of environment Bruce Parry, plus Thorbjorn Larsson, General Manager, Air BP UK and the Nordics and Bryan Stonehouse, Global Biofuels Manager at Shell Aviation. A session on illegal charter and a call for regulation and legislation, heightened in light of the high profile and tragic Sala accident, will be chaired by BBGA Chair and Partner, Air Law Firm, Aoife OSullivan, together with Dave Edwards, CEO of The Air Charter Association (ACA), David Kendrick, Head of Airline Licensing and Consumer Issues at the UK CAA and Simon Williams, Director of Civil Aviation, Isle of Man Aircraft Registry. In the afternoon BBGA will address the pre-requisites for a sustainable (operationally viable) future for our airports, including the smaller airfields under threat from closure. James Dillon-Godfray, Head of Business Development at London Oxford Airport will lead the debate with Miles Thomas, Environment Manager at Farnborough Airport, (the worlds first carbon neutral airport) and Douglas Mancini, Chair of Fairoaks 2020, the lobby group for Surreys Fairoaks Airport. In the second stand-alone talk, biologist Rod Arnold will highlight how the British Antarctic Survey (and David Attenborough) relies on business aviation as an enabler for climate change research. As Head of the BAS Air Unit, Rod oversees the operation of five de Havilland Dash 7 and Twin Otter aircraft active in the polar regions, delivering science to the Antarctic and Arctic. The aviation industry has found itself firmly in the spotlight since the beginning of the year and much has been directly related to sustainability. The title, theme and timing of our conference is especially relevant, added Marc Bailey. Sustainability is extremely pertinent to the next generation, as we heard at last weeks Corporate Jet Investor Conference in London* and EBAAs AirOps 2020 in Brussels. We are pleased too to be joining forces with our sister organisations in tackling this issue. Marc will be joined by Tim Alderslade, CEO of Airlines UK; Martin Robinson, CEO of AOPA UK; Athar Khan, CEO of The Air Charter Association in discussing this hugely importantly topic. Stanley Johnson leads a diverse and interesting speaker line up this year, adding to what we are sure will be an informative and educational event. We are also holding a so far untitled and undisclosed 30 minute session in the afternoon which will inevitably lead to a call to action. As before, BBGA will use the occasion to present the Michael Wheatley outstanding contribution to industry award. This will be presented at the start of the conference at 09:30 hrs. Recent recipients were Penny Stephens, CEO of Inflite Group (2019); Philip Lammiman (2018) and Andrew Walters (2017). The day will conclude with a Networking Gala Dinner. Around 150 delegates are expected. James Logan High School students walk out of class during a walk out demonstration in Union City, Calif. on March 14, 2018. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Trump Administration Launches One-Stop Shop Website for School Safety The Trump administration on Feb. 10 unveiled the launch of a new website that it says parents, students, educators, and law enforcement can use as a one-stop shop to address threats to school safety across the United States. The website was launched Feb. 10 by the Department of Education, Health, and Human Services; Department of Homeland Security; and Department of Justice and aims to provide resources to address various threats related to safety, security, and support in schools, the Justice Department said in a news release. All students deserve a safe learning environment, and the Federal School Safety Clearinghouse is an essential resource for information and best practices, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, chair of the Federal Commission on School Safety, said in a statement. The website equips decision makers with resources for developing, customizing, and implementing actionable school safety plans, she said. Among the resources available on the School Safety Clearinghouse is an assessment titled the School Safety Readiness Tool, which allows users to evaluate the safety of their school across 10 foundational elements of school safety. It also provides a wide range of information, including on mental health services in schools, threat assessments, emergency planning, and physical security. It also provides expertise on exercises designed to help schools and local law enforcement prepare for incidents. School safety is the number one priority of parents across the country, which is why the president directed DHS and other federal agencies to form a task force and provide schools, teachers, parents, and law enforcement with resources to identify, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate threats, said Chad Wolf, acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, in a statement. With these resources, schools and law enforcement will be better equipped to handle a crisis. Department of Homeland Security Under Secretary Chad Wolf speaks during a meeting at the White House in Washington on Oct. 29, 2019. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo) The websites launch this week coincided with the approaching second anniversary of the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 dead. President Trump met with several families of the Parkland shooting victims in the Oval House on Feb. 10 to discuss safety, briefing the group Stand with Parkland on the newly launched website. Stand with Parkland, which backed the creation of such a tool to assist schools, has also urged Congress to pass universal background checks on gun purchases, something Trump briefly embraced before backing away from it earlier in his presidency. Max Schachter, the father of student Alex Schachter, who was among the 17 killed in the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting, praised the clearinghouse as a huge step forward, the Sun Sentinel reported. Its the most significant action government has taken to educate schools to prevent acts of targeted violence, Schachter said. I want every principal to go on this website. You can have the key to everlasting life, but if nobody knows about it, it doesnt do any good. Schachter, who set up an advocacy organization, the Safe Schools for Alex Foundation, has also pushed for government and law enforcement to improve security measures in schools by installing bulletproof doors and ballistic-resistant glass. Others, however, such as Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter Jaime was killed in the shooting, said that while the clearinghouse is a good step, it doesnt address the issue of gun violence. The Associated Press contributed to this report. RUSSIAVILLE, Ind. (WFLI) An Indiana State Police investigation has led to a suspect into possible rape in Russiaville. 29-year-old William A.J. Neer of Russiaville is facing criminal charges for rape and sexual misconduct with a minor. Neer was already being held in the Howard County Jail on related criminal charges stemming from an investigation conducted by the Russiaville Police Department. According to police, detectives began an investigation after a 15-year-old girl reported that Neer had allegedly raped her. [February 11, 2020] Inotrem Expands Series B Financing to 58 Million With a Mix of Equity and Debt, Adding New Investors Fountain Healthcare Partners, Kreos and Bpifrance Inotrem S.A., a biotechnology company specialized in the development of immunotherapies targeting the TREM-1 pathway with potential applications for acute and chronic inflammatory syndromes, announced a 5M capital increase financed by Fountain Healthcare Partners, a leading Irish venture capital firm with offices in Dublin and New York. This fundraising brings Inotrem's Series B financing to a final closing amount of 44 M. In addition, the Company secured a 13 M credit line from Kreos Capital, Europe's largest provider of specialty finance to growth companies, and a 1 M loan from Bpifrance, France's public investment bank, bringing the fundraising to a total of 58 M of equity and debt. The financing will support Inotrem's R&D effort, in particular of its lead drug candidate, nangibotide, which is currently undergoing a global multicentric Phase IIb trial in septic shock patients (ASTONISH trial) in 5 European countries and the United States, and of a companion diagnostic tool aimed at selecting those septic shock patients that are more likely to respond favorably to treatment. Financing will also allow the Company to expand its TREM-1 franchise to address chronic inflammatory diseases. "With Fountain Healthcare Partners joining our pool of world-class investors, Inotrem is in an ideal position to advance its market-breaking technology platform centered on the TREM-1 pathway and bring new immunotherapies to patients and the medical community" said Jean-Jacques Garaud, CEO of Inotrem. Based on a novel approach of immunomodulation which targets the TREM-1 pathway, Inotrem has developed a proprietary technology platform and leverages its extensive knowledge of the TREM-1 pathway biology to develop programs in several indications with inflammatory syndromes for which there is a major and today unsatisfied therapeutic need. Its lead compound, nangibotide, targets septic shock which is the ultimate complication of sepsis. The incidence of septic shock continuously raises and mortality remains elevated (35%) in developed countries. There is currently no specific mechanism-based therapy approved for this indication. Inotrem's solution has the potential to become the first mechanism-based treatment for septic shock. "Inotrem has demonstrated its ability to reach several critical milestones and we are delighted to back this team. The TREM-1 pathway is extremely compelling and has great potential to bring solutions to patients that today lack effective therapies", indicated Ena Prosser of Fountain Healthcare Partners. In conjunction with the finacing, Ena Prosser of Fountain Healthcare Partners will become a member of Inotrem's Board of Directors, and Aris Contantinides of Kreos Capital will become an observer on Inotrem's Board of Directors. About Inotrem Inotrem S.A. is a biotechnology company specialized in immunotherapy for acute and chronic inflammatory syndromes. The company has developed a new concept of immunomodulation that targets the TREM-1 pathway to control unbalanced inflammatory responses. Through its proprietary technology platform, Inotrem has developed the first-in-class TREM-1 inhibitor, LR12 (nangibotide), with potential applications in a number of therapeutic indications such as septic shock and myocardial infarction. In parallel, Inotrem has also launched another program to develop a new therapeutic modality targeting chronic inflammatory diseases. The company was founded in 2013 by Dr. Jean-Jacques Garaud, a former head of research and early development at the Roche Group, Prof. Sebastien Gibot and Dr. Marc Derive. Inotrem is supported by leading European and North American investors. Inotrem is a French Tech 120 company: it was chosen to join the program launched by the French President of the Republic and the Prime Minister to support the development of fast growing startups. For more information please visit: www.inotrem.com About Fountain Healthcare Partners Fountain Healthcare Partners is a life science venture capital fund with offices in Dublin, and New York. Founded in 2008, Fountain is Ireland's largest dedicated life science venture capital fund with more than 294 million under management. Fountain invests in entrepreneurs and companies with disruptive technologies or products that have a clear pharmacoeconomic benefit and a defined pathway to commercialisation, value enhancement and exit. Fountain typically leads or co-leads its investments and has sourced private and public deals from start-ups, corporate spin-outs and turnaround situations. The Fountain Healthcare Partners team brings to investees over 70 years of collective experience in the pharmaceutical industry, corporate venture capital and VC across multiple investment and market cycles. For more information please visit: www.fh-partners.com About Kreos Capital Kreos Capital is the leading provider of growth-debt financing to high-growth companies in Europe and Israel with revenues up to EUR 300 million. Since 1998, as the pioneer growth debt provider across Europe and Israel, Kreos has completed 540 transactions and committed more than EUR 2.3 billion in 16 different countries. Kreos is dedicated to supporting management teams and their equity investors with flexible loan structures for all stages of a growth company's development and to address the needs for growth capital, working capital, acquisition financings, lower mid-market buy-outs, roll-up strategies, banks re-financings as well as pre- and post-IPO financings. Kreos's most recent fund, EUR 700 million Kreos VI, was launched in January 2019. The Kreos global team has extensive debt financing, management and equity investing experience, covering the markets in Europe and Israel from its locations in London, Tel-Aviv and Stockholm. About Bpifrance Bpifrance is the French national investment bank: it finances businesses - at every stage of their development - through loans, guarantees, equity investments and export insurances. Bpifrance also provides extrafinancial services (training, consultancy...). to help entrepreneurs meet their challenges (innovation, export). For more information, please visit: www.bpifrance.fr and presse.bpifrance.fr View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200210005416/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Advertisement The Pentagon is setting up 11 quarantine camps on military bases near major airports across the US in anticipation of an influx of American citizens returning from China in need of monitoring for the deadly coronavirus that is now being called COVID-19. The 13th US coronavirus case was confirmed in California on Tuesday. The deadly strain, which is now being called COVID-19, has killed 1,116 people and sickened more than 45,000 worldwide since the outbreak began in Wuhan, China, in late December. The Department of Defense approved a request from the Department of Health and Human Services early this month for the possible use of military facilities to accommodate 1,000 people who may have to be quarantined upon arrival from overseas through the end of the month. Now, with five planes having returned to the US with evacuees from Wuhan in the past two weeks, the number of people detained under quarantine is approaching that originally agreed upon number. Pentagon officials designated new facilities last week near airports in Hawaii, Illinois, Texas, California, Georgia, New York, Washington state, Washington DC, New Jersey and Michigan to house additional travelers. The camps will be set up next to 11 major airports around the US. On February 1, the Associated Press reported that they would house as many as 250 people each. In Wuhan, medical staff are working in full ICUs to care for coronavirus patients in isolation. So far, the virus is not spreading in the US, but hospitals are bracing for a potential influx of patients of the new virus that's sickened 13 Americans The facilities are located on the following bases: JB Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii - by Daniel K Inouye International Airport (HNL) Great Lakes Training Center Navy Base, Illinois - by O'Hare International Airport (ORD) Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas - by Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) March ARB, California - by Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) Travis AFB, California - by San Francisco International Airport (SFO) Dobbins ARB, Georgia - by Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) Fort Hamilton, New York - by John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City Naval Base Kitsap, Washington - by Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Joint Base Anacostia, Washington DC - by Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey - by Newark International Airport (EWR) Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan - by Detroit Metropolitan Airport (DTW) On February 2, officials announced a federally-mandated 14-day quarantine for any American citizen returning to the US after traveling to Wuhan within the previous two weeks. Americans returning from China who did not visit Wuhan are screened at one of 11 approved airports and then subject to a self-isolation quarantine in their own home for 14 days - what scientists consider to be the coronavirus incubation period. Any foreign national who has traveled to China in the last 14 days has been banned from entry. Some 800 Americans evacuated from Wuhan on government charter flights are currently under federally mandated quarantines at Fort Carson in Colorado and Travis Air Force Base and Marine Corps Station Miramar in California. The first 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan, who arrived in the US on a government charter flight on January 29, were finally cleared to leave March Air Reserve Base on Tuesday following a two-week quarantine. The evacuees were seen throwing their face masks into the air in celebration after passing their final health screenings. The first 195 Americans evacuated from Wuhan were finally cleared to leave March Air Reserve Base on Tuesday following a two-week quarantine. The evacuees are seen throwing their face masks in celebration after passing final health screenings The passengers on the first evacuation flight are seen disembarking from the plane on January 29 No cases of coronavirus have thus far been confirmed from any of the US quarantine locations. On two cruise ships, however, the virus has spread with alarming speed among quarantined passengers. There are now more than 66 cases confirmed on the Diamond Princess, currently docked in Japan. Among the ship 3,700 ship passengers, 45 Japanese people, three people from the Philippines, four from Australia, one from each Canada and Ukraine and 11 Americans have all been infected. An American man on the ship, Matthew Smith, spoke to CNBC about the 'depressing' experience on Monday. 'Imagine being trapped in your bathroom,' Smith, from California, said as he described passing the bleak days away confined in his room. The Diamond Princess cruise ship is currently under a two-week quarantine after a previous guest, who didn't exhibit any symptoms on board, tested positive for the coronavirus. Officers in protective gear seen entering the ship on February 7 An American man on the ship, Matthew Smith, said he feels 'trapped' aboard the Diamond Princess, which is docked in Japan At a press briefing on Tuesday, the World Health Organization said it had decided on the name COVID-19 after consulting with the Food and Agriculture Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health. 'We had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual, or group of people,' said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. WHO also wanted a name that was 'pronounceable and related to the disease,' he said. The new name comes from 'coronavirus,' the type of virus that causes the disease. Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can cause the common cold and some more serious diseases, including SARS, which killed 800 in 2002-2003 and the Middle East respiratory syndrome, which continues to cause sporadic cases and is believed to jump to humans from camels. Tedros said having a name for the new disease is important to prevent the use of other names that might be stigmatizing. There are more than 43,000 cases worldwide so far and more than 1,000 deaths as of Tuesday The Freight Transport Association (FTA) has expressed disappointment that the promise of frictionless trade between the UK and the EU has been replaced with a promise that trade will be as seamless as possible, as the UK government confirmed plans to introduce import and export controls on EU goods at the border after the transition period ends on 31 December. But the FTA also welcomed aspects of yesterdays announcements about the UKs future relationship with Europe, which the FTA said provided much-needed clarity for logistics operators, even if it was not the frictionless trade between that logistics companies and their customers had been promised. In a speech yesterday at a Border Delivery Group stakeholder event, the UKs de facto deputy Prime Minister, Michael Gove whose official title is Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster confirmed that all UK exports and imports will be treated equally, noting that this will mean traders in the EU and GB will have to submit customs declarations and be liable to goods checks. He also confirmed that the policy easements put in place for a potential no deal exit will not be reintroduced, as businesses have time to prepare. Gove said one thing businesses can do to prepare for border controls was by making sure they have an Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number, and also looking into how they want to make declarations such as using a customs agent. We will ensure facilitations currently available to rest-of-the-world traders will also be open to those trading between GB and EU. He added: The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow. Yesterdays announcement coincided with a related announcement that UK customs agency HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had extended the deadline for businesses to apply for customs support funding to 31 January 2021. To date, applications have been made for around 18.5 million out of a possible 26 million meaning there is at least 7.5 million left to claim from HMRC. This is aimed at GB-EU traders and does not apply to the flow of trade between Northern Ireland and Ireland, or between Northern Ireland and GB, the UK government said. Elizabeth de Jong, FTAs UK policy director, said yesterdays announcements about the UKs future relationship with Europe provide more much-needed clarity for logistics operators, and his assertion that there will be no extension to the transition period gives businesses a finite deadline to which to work. The news of funding to help industry prepare for operation outside the EU is certainly welcome, whatever the outcome of the negotiations. She continued: Mr Gove put to rest (UK Home Secretary) Sajiv Javids assertion that industry had plenty of time to prepare. It is encouraging for industry that he said he does not underestimate what needs to be done and that he has his civil servants focussed on capturing and providing industry with the details we need we hope within the timeframes we need to prepare. As representatives of the logistics industry, we are naturally disappointed that the promise of frictionless trade has been replaced with a promise that trade will be as seamless as possible but not until 2025, with a more realistic but costly make do and mend approach to be employed until then. Industry will need the support of government during this period to Keep Britain Trading effectively. Goves latest comments contradict promises he himself made as a leader of the Vote Leave campaign ahead of the UKs EU referendum in 2016, when he said the UK would still be able to trade freely within Europe even if it left the EU. In a speech in London four years ago, he said: There is a free-trade zone stretching from Iceland to Turkey that all European nations have access to after we vote to leave, we will remain in this zone. By being part of that free-trade zone, we would have full access to the European market, but we would be free from EU regulation which costs us billions of pounds a year. The British International Freight Association (BIFA) did not to comment directly on the shift in direction away from frictionless UK-EU trade towards full customs declarations, but it welcomed the extension of the customs support funding period and noted yesterdays official statement from Jesse Norman, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, that from 1 January 2021 the way businesses trade will change, and they need to prepare for life outside the EU, including new customs arrangements including for example, the need to make customs declarations to import and export goods between the UK and the EU once the UK is outside of the EUs customs territory. Robert Keen, director general of BIFA, commented: During many meetings with both HM Treasury and HMRC over the last three years, BIFA has highlighted the concerns of our members regarding the capability of the Customs brokerage sector to increase capacity, at a time when that sector already faces a shortage of staff of suitable quality. We emphasised that it could take up to a year to train staff to be fully conversant to prepare a range of basic Customs declarations, even if there was a sufficient number of trainers to train those staff, as well as relevant courses for them to attend. So, the news of a further extension to the deadline for this funding is very welcome, and we are encouraging our members who believe they might benefit to apply; if they have not done so already. BIFA noted that grants are being made available for all customs intermediaries and traders completing customs declarations with the aim of supporting training and the upgrade of IT systems. Keen added: This scheme is intended to help support the extra demand for customs brokerage services associated with the UKs departure from the EU, as well as issues associated with the replacement of the current system used to process customs entries. BIFA said the grants could be used to support a business that is extending and taking on new staff, or to help train an existing employee to start completing customs declarations for the company. Training can be delivered by an external provider, or an in-house trainer. More information on how businesses can apply, and a link to the online application page are available at www.customsintermediarygrant.co.uk or GOV.UK. Pershing Resources Moves to Increase Exploration Project Holdings in Nevada RENO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Pershing Resources Company, Inc., ("Pershing Resources" or the "Company") (OTC PINK:PSGR) is pleased to announce that it has acquired a 100% mineral rights interest in the Klondyke Gold and Silver Project (the "Klondyke Project") within the Klondyke Mining District of Central Nevada. The Klondyke Project is located 9 miles south of Tonopah, and 14 miles north of Goldfields, Nevada, within the Walker Lane Mineral Trend or Belt. According to data compiled by the Nevada Bureau of Mines & Geology, past production from Tonopah and Goldfields combined is reported to be greater than 7 million ounces gold and 200 million ounces silver. This is part of the more than 50 million ounces of gold and 437 million ounces of silver previously mined from the Walker Lane Trend. The Klondyke Project includes at least six historically documented gold and silver mineral occurrences and is located approximately 2.5 miles southwest of Pershing Resources' Tonopah SIN / Divide Project. As of the effective date of November 21st 2019, the Company entered into a 20 year term lease/purchase option agreement (the "MGC Agreement") on unpatented claims in an area of interest which covers approximately 25 square miles within the Klondyke Mining District with Mountain Gold Claims LLC, (MGC) based in Reno, Nevada. Under the MGC Agreement, the Company has made an initial lease payment of $5,000 and, is required to make annual advanced royalty payments and work commitment expenditures. Annual advanced royalty lease payments will escalate to $10,000 for the second year, and $15,000 in the third year, and will continue to escalate to a cap of $100,000 after the fifteenth year. Annual work commitment expenditures will start at $5,000 in the first year of the MGC Agreement and are capped at $50,000 by the third year. MGC will retain the right to a quarterly production royalty payment equal to 3% of the Net Smelters Return Royalty (the "NSR Royalties) on the Klondyke Project so long as the MGC Agreement remains in effect. The Company has the right to purchase the first 1% of the NSR Royalties for $1,000,000 by or before the fifth anniversary (November 21st 2024) and, the Company has the right to purchase a second 1% of the NSR Royalties for $4,000,000 by or before the tenth anniversary (November 21st 2029). The Company can terminate the MGC Agreement upon giving written notice of termination to MGC at least 30 days prior to each anniversary date of the agreement. MGC has agreed to take the first lease payment in the form of 400,000 shares of the Company's restricted common stock and 100,000 redeemable warrants. Each redeemable warrant grants MGC the right to purchase up to 100,000 restricted shares at the price .04 until December 10th 2020. In addition, under the terms of the MGC Agreement, MGC will provide historical exploration data and, will provide geologic consulting services for the Klondyke Project on an as needed basis. Additional information about the Klondyke Project can be found on the Company's website at: https://www.pershingpm.com/projects/the-klondyke-project. About Mountain Gold Claims, LLC Mountain Gold Claims, LLC is a privately held mineral exploration company focused on gold, silver, and gem exploration and resource development in Nevada. MGC currently has a number of projects and ownership interests in Nevada's Great Basin. About Pershing Resources Company Pershing Resources is a precious and base metals exploration and mining development company with projects in Arizona and Nevada. The Company is based in Reno, Nevada and is currently focused on the development of its 100% owned New Enterprise Project near Kingman Arizona.. The New Enterprise Project is located between the Mineral Park Porphyry Cu-Mo mine (20 miles to the northwest) and the Baghdad Cu-Mo mine (45 miles to the southeast). Pershing Resources is committed to responsible mining practices. Sign up for email news alerts on the Company, at: http://ir.pershingpm.com/ Forward-Looking Statements The information contained in this press release as well as the information on the Company's website is provided solely for the reader's general knowledge. Such information is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all matters pertaining to the Company. Certain statements included herein and on the Company's website, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward looking statements reflect management's current knowledge, assumptions, judgment and expectations regarding future performance or events. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to the Company's management. When used in this press release and on the Company's website, the words "estimate," "project," "believe," "anticipate," "intend," "expect," and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance and/or achievements of the Company or of the gold mining industry in general to be materially different from future results, performance and/or achievements expressed or implied by those forward-looking statements. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include uncertainties related to fluctuations in gold, silver and other commodity prices, uncertainties relating to interpretation of drill results and the geology of the Company's properties, uncertainty of estimates of capital and operating costs, the need for cooperation of government agencies in the development of the Company's mineral projects, the need to obtain additional financing to develop the Company's mineral projects, the possibility of delay in development programs or in construction projects, and uncertainty of meeting anticipated program milestones for the Company's mineral projects. All forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. The Company has no obligation, and expressly disclaims any obligation, to update, revise or correct any of the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Contact: Pershing Resources Company, Inc. 200 South Virginia Street, 8th Floor Reno, NV 89501 Phone: 775-398-3124 Email: j.adams@pershingpm.com http://www.pershingpm.com/ SOURCE: Pershing Resources Company, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576044/Pershing-Resources-Announces-Lease-of-The-Klondyke-Gold-and-Silver-Project Sen. Rachel May, D-Syracuse, represents the 53rd Senate District in the New York State Legislature. Assemblymember William Magnarelli, D-Syracuse, represents the 129th Assembly District. Assemblymember Pamela Hunter, D-Syracuse, represents the 128th Assembly District. By Rachel May, William Magnarelli and Pamela Hunter | Special to Syracuse.com The Republican Party is running false and irresponsible ads in our Congressional district to frighten the public and smear Democrats. Why? Because we stood up last year in New York state to align our criminal justice system with fundamental American values. Every American knows the two basic principles of our legal system: An accused person is presumed innocent until proven guilty, and everyone is equal under the law. However, before this year in New York state, we had moved far away from those principles. We were incarcerating people for months or years while they awaited trial, even for misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies. Meanwhile, certain people, ones who had enough money to pay bail, were treated differently and allowed to await trial out of prison. And that meant they could keep their jobs, keep supporting their families, keep in close touch with their lawyers, keep using cell phones and the internet, and have a far better likelihood of a successful outcome at trial. As a result, people of limited means were neither being presumed innocent nor being treated equally under the law. And statistically, the burden of this failed system was falling disproportionately on communities of color, where policing is heaviest and minor infractions are most likely to result in arrest. Our criminal justice reforms aimed to change these imbalances. Most people who face accusations of misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies have been allowed to await trial out of jail. This does not mean that dangerous criminals have flooded New York communities. What it means is that poor New Yorkers are being treated in court the way rich New Yorkers have always been treated. It means families have been reunited and people are back at work, paying their rent, finishing school. It also means the crime rate could well go down, since every day spent in jail increases the likelihood that someone will commit a crime in the future. It also means that jails will not be used to deal with people suffering from mental illness or drug addiction. They belong in treatment, not jail. It is disheartening to see those in our justice system who call for keeping such people in jail, when, in fact, they should be advocating for more mental health and drug treatment instead. Jail again is not the answer. This only increases the risk to the public upon their release. There have been a few cases emphatically, not a flood of cases that raise legitimate concerns about the parameters of these reforms. Some of the highest profile cases that opponents of reform have used to stoke fear and anger are actually not the result of the new laws. They were cases where prosecutors chose to bring lesser charges than they might have brought, or judges chose not to assign bail. But the new laws have brought attention to the fact that some felonies that are classified as nonviolent, like aggravated vehicular manslaughter or reckless endangerment with a loaded weapon, are acts most people see as violent. As legislators, it is our job to review the effects of laws and revise them as necessary. But we should bear in mind that any crime where bail is set is a crime where rich defendants will face preferential treatment over poor defendants, which flies in the face of our most cherished ideals about justice. The GOP attack ad uses lies and exaggeration to prey openly on public fear and appeal to prejudicial notions about who should and should not go to jail. It is one more example in a long history of the Republican Partys efforts to divide and polarize Americans. The media and the public should reject this deliberate fearmongering. See also: Should a judge be free to lock up any dangerous suspect? A NY bail reform dilemma Onondaga County legislators ask state to amend bail reform laws Commentary: Bail reform offers opportunity to invest in people, not jails Green cars were the dominant theme at the Indias biggest motor show 2020. The dominant theme of the 15th edition of the biennial India Auto Expo 2020, India's biggest motor show, at the sprawling India Expo Mart in Greater Noida, near Delhi, was clearly electric vehicles. At present, there are about 4,000 electric cars on Indian roads, which is just about 0.1 per cent of the close to 3.5 million cars sold last fiscal. Auto honchos said the opportunity is big if only the charging stations come up throughout the country. However, undeterred the Chinese automakers queued up to take over the Indian mart, which is the world's fourth largest automobile market despite temporary slowing economy and slumping sales for a year and half. Sale of automobiles declined almost 15 per cent in 2019, the worst in over a decade. The impact of the downturn was felt at the motor show with a host of regular participants like Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, BMW & Mini and almost all of the two wheeler industry giving it a miss this time. Yet, there were many new entrants as well from across the border in China. Auto honchos hope, the lure of the new models will create excitement that will help revive consumer sentiment. Maruti Suzuki, India's biggest car maker, made its global premiere of electric concept vehicle Futuro-E at the event. Futuro-e introduces cars in a coupe-styled SUV model. The concept falls under 'Mission Green Million' initiative that focuses on selling green cars (CNG, hybrids and electric). The concept Futuro-e will introduce a fresh global design perspective to the Indian automobile landscape. The car is an electric SUV-coupe defined by its bold and sporty characteristics, Kenichi Ayukawa, managing director at Maruti Suzuki, said. He said concept Futuro-e has been conceptualized and designed in India by its young and bright team. It's rival Mahindra and Mahindra, the third largest car maker and the first Indian car maker that launched electric cars in the country, launched eKUV100, an electric compact SUV priced at ` 8.25 lakh. The car gets the all-new power train called mStallion that produces peak power output of 40kW and maximum torque of 120Nm. Mahindra claims that the car can go up to 147KM in single charge. The homegrown company has also promised two more EVs - XUV300 at an estimated price tag of ` 10 -13 lakh and Atom, the compact electric car for last mile connectivity. We don't know when it would be launched. Hyundai launched its first long range electric sport utility vehicle, Kona, in 2019 while MG Motors joined the race with the launch of ZS electric vehicle in January 2020. Tata Motors, India's biggest automaker by revenues, which displayed Nexon EV, at a starting price of ` 13.99 lakh, the most affordable electric car in the country and it claims to offer upto 312 kms of battery range on a single charge. Another electric car called Altroz EV based on the recently launched combustion engine Altroz, was also on display as it announced its plan to launch four electric cars over the next two years. Tata Motors is also planning to roll out an electric low-floor bus and an ultra electric truck. Mercedes-Benz, India's biggest luxury car maker, showcased its first electric SUV. The German car maker said its luxury EQC, to be launched by April 2020 will be powered by a 408PS motor that generates 760Nm torque. The claimed range is 470 km. MG Motor, the British brand owned by SAIC Motor, the Chinese biggest automaker, showcased the production ready version of the Vision E Concept in the form of Marvel X that was earlier showcased in the Shanghai Auto Show 2017. This car, based on the Marvel X electric SUV, is powered by two electric motors, one with 114 bhp and one with 70 bhp. Auto makers such as German Volkswagen, MG Motor India, subsidiary of SAIC Motor and Skoda Auto India showcased their array of EVs at their pavilions to entice potential buyers. French car maker showcased Renault K-ZE, but there is no word on the launch date. Chinese Great Wall Motor, Chinese largest SUV maker, which has earmarked ` 7,000 crore for Indian operation, showcased its Ora R1 hatchback electric vehicle at Auto Expo 2020. This according to the company will be the most-affordable electric car in India. Its rival Haima Automobile in China also showcased a 5-seater electric hatchback called Bird Electric EVI which would be launched in India at the end of this year and priced around ` 10 lakh. The Kia Soul EV is the first electric car from the company that we can expect to launch in India. The car was earlier showcased at the 2019 Los Angeles Motor Show and the company is not planning to launch the car soon. Shared mobility will drive large scale adoption of electric vehicles and we will offer widest range of electric vehicles at affordable prices, Pawan Goenka, MD at Mahindra and Mahindra, which has invested ` 1,700 crore till now on developing electric vehicles, said. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) Lawmakers on Tuesday called on the leadership of the House of Representatives to act and begin discussions on the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN, following Solicitor General Jose Calidas petition seeking to cancel the existing license of the media network. Cagayan De Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Agusan del Norte Rep. Lawrence Fortun allied with the administration and minority blocs, respectively urged their colleagues to exercise Congressional power amid an intrusion from a different branch of the government. Wala pang signal sa itaas (theres no go signal from the leaders). Now is the time to insist on our powersotherwise we lose by default, Rodriguez told CNN Philippines The Source. Were appealing to our colleagues, especially the leadership, that this is a case where another branch is intruding by filing, he added. Fortun, for his part, advised members of the lower chamber not to succumb to fear especially when basic human rights such as freedom of expression and of the press are concerned. My appeal to my colleagues in the House is to think, consider that as members of the legislature of a supposedly democratic republic, we cannot wallow in a climate of fear especially when basic fundamental freedoms and rights are threatened, the lawmaker said. Eleven bills seeking to renew ABS-CBNs legal mandate remain pending before the House committee on legislative franchises. A counterpart bill in the Senate has also not moved at the committee level. RELATED: Lawmakers confident of votes to renew ABS-CBN franchise Rodriguez earlier said the lower chamber wont be able to set hearings on the issue pending a green light from its leaders, including Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. Cayetano in December said the franchise renewal bills may be tackled early this year, but no specific timeline was set. In the upper chamber, lawmakers are also confident that a measure renewing ABS-CBN's franchise will be taken up soon. Senate Majority Leader Migz Zubiri said majority of the Senators back the proposed franchise extension. "You can say majority. I can't give you the exact number, but on my head count, majority support it. I don't think it will have a difficult time here in the Senate," Zubiri told reporters. ABS-CBN franchise valid; petition has no basis Both Fortun and Rodriguez also labeled the Solicitor Generals petition as a move without basis. Rodriguez cited Rule 66 of the Rules of Civil Procedure, which provides that a quo warranto petition can be filed against a person who intrudes, usurps, or unlawfully holds or exercises public office, position or franchise. He said the parameters do not apply to ABS-CBNs case, as the broadcasting giant holds a valid franchise. The problem also here is the Supreme Court is not a trier of facts, the Supreme Court is a trier of questions of law," Rodriguez said. "The Supreme Court should just really dismiss this outright that's the best thing for them to do." Fortun also said he foresees the high courts dismissal of the plea, as the power to repeal franchises resides with Congress. Calida on Monday ran to the court with a very urgent motion seeking to cancel ABS-CBNs legislative franchise. The governments top lawyer cited "highly abusive practices including alleged foreign ownership issues and lack of operation permits. The high court has given the network ten days to submit its comments on Calidas petition. ABS-CBN earlier denied committing any violations, saying the petition is part of an effort to shut the network down. CNN Philippines' Alyssa Rola and Melissa Lopez contributed to this report. WILTON State and federal authorities said three men were arrested and 50 pounds of marijuana seized after a 200-mile car chase on Monday that started near the Canadian border and ended in Saratoga County. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents said they stopped two suspicious cars near Route 37, after one was seen illegally entering Canada and re-entering the United States in the Massena area. A Chevrolet Tahoe fled shortly after being stopped, setting off the chase. Troopers pursued the vehicle from Ellenburg to Plattsburgh in Clinton County and the federal agency said the pursuit was terminated after more than an hour due to safety concerns. A Customs and Border Protection helicopter joined in the chase to locate the vehicle as it traveled south on the Northway. The vehicle was spotted again near Lake George and troopers in that area resumed the pursuit on the Northway. Two cars were struck during the pursuit, resulting in hospitalization for one person who had non-life-threatening injuries, State Police said. The chase ended in Wilton when the car stopped on the off-ramp. The driver, Nelson Reyes, 39, had 50 pounds of marijuana, and one of his two passengers, Lewis Espinal, 31, had Oxycodone on him, state troopers said. All three occupants were arraigned in Wilton Town Court. Reyes, of New York City, is charged with criminal possession of marijuana, fleeing a police officer in a vehicle and resisting arrest. He was released on his own recognizance. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Espinal, of New York, was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance and resisting arrest. He and Jerson Norberdo, 20, of the Bronx, were sent to Saratoga County Jail on parole violations. Norberdo was also charged with resisting arrest. Troopers said he was a fugitive from Rhode Island. The Franklin County Sheriffs Department also assisted in the case. "This is a great example of various law enforcement partners working together, said Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia. Thanks to the hard work of our agents and our partners, our communities are safer. University of Bayreuth researchers, together with scientists from Italy and China, have for the first time systematically investigated under which conditions, and to what extent, sulphur-containing arsenic compounds are formed in rice-growing soils. To date, these thioarsenates have not been taken into account in assessments of the health effects of rice consumption. In the journal Nature Geoscience the scientists present their results and identify the urgent need for research with a view to protecting consumers from health risks. A new measuring method for thioarsenates The research team, headed by the Bayreuth environmental geochemist Prof. Dr. Britta Planer-Friedrich, has developed a measuring method by means of which thioarsenates in rice soils can be reliably detected. Up to now, the methods routinely used to monitor arsenic in rice fields have not been sufficient for this purpose. This is because they are not able to identify sulphur-containing arsenic compounds as such, or to distinguish them from oxygen-containing arsenic compounds. This shortcoming is highly problematic in terms of possible health risks. At least one organic sulphur-containing arsenic compound discovered in rice fields is already known to be carcinogenic. This makes it all the more important to specifically detect organic sulphur-containing arsenic compounds, and to examine them for their toxicity. Presumably, these compounds have been confused with non-toxic organic oxygenated arsenic compounds up to now due to inadequate measurement procedures. Limit monitoring for all toxic arsenic compounds "The uptake of the various thioarsenates in rice plants and the potential risks to human health arising from them urgently require further research. Rice is the world's most important foodstuff and secures the basis of life for more than one half of the world's population," explains Planer-Friedrich, and calls for legally defined limits to be set for all toxic arsenic compounds in future. "Analytical procedures for limit monitoring, which correctly detect all of these compounds, must become routine", says the Bayreuth scientist. At the moment, there is only a legal limit for inorganic oxygenated arsenic compounds, while organic oxygenated arsenic compounds are still categorized as non-toxic. New approaches for forecasting methods With their new measuring method, the researchers have observed the formation of sulphur-containing arsenic compounds over long periods of time in rice fields in Italy and China. It turns out the amounts of thioarsenates occurring are linked significantly to the pH-values of the soils and other easily measurable parameters. "These findings contain valuable starting points for the development of forecasting methods. If in future we could predict, without great technical effort, on which rice fields particularly large or only small amounts of sulphur-containing arsenic compounds are to be expected, it would be an important contribution to the assessment of health risks", says the Bayreuth PhD student and first author of the study, Jiajia Wang MSc. Urgent need for research on opportunities and risks The authors of the new study consider further research to be indispensable in order to be able to scientifically assess the health risks posed by thioarsenates. For example, the exact transport routes with which these arsenic compounds are transferred from the rice fields to the rice grains, and to what extent, must be clarified. Studies in Bayreuth laboratories have already confirmed that sulphur-containing arsenic compounds can enter the rice plant and even reach the rice grain. However, based on our current state of knowledge, it cannot be ruled out that the total arsenic contamination of rice harvests could even decrease if sulphur-containing instead of oxygen-containing arsenic compounds are formed in the soil. This would be the case if sulphur-containing arsenic compounds were largely retained in the soil, or if rice plants were less able to take up these compounds. At the University of Bayreuth, these relationships are being investigated in the research groups of Prof. Dr. Britta Planer-Friedrich and of plant physiologist Prof. Dr. Stephan Clemens. The German Research Foundation (DFG) and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) are supporting these interdisciplinary research projects. "Our further studies will show whether thioarsenates as a whole represent a risk or an opportunity for the production of rice containing the lowest possible amounts of arsenic, which is hazardous to health. Only then can further directives for water or soil management in rice fields and the targeted breeding of new rice varieties be developed," says Planer-Friedrich. ### NEW YORK The defense rested its case Tuesday in Harvey Weinsteins rape trial without the disgraced Hollywood mogul taking the witness stand, setting the stage for closing arguments in a landmark #MeToo trial punctuated by graphic testimony from six accusers. As expected, Weinstein chose not to testify, avoiding the risk of having prosecutors grill him on cross-examination about the vile allegations. Asked as he left court if he was thinking of testifying, Weinstein said: I wanted to. Defense lawyer Arthur Aidala added that Weinstein was ready, willing, able and actually quite anxious to testify and clear his name but didnt do so because his lawyers felt prosecutors failed miserably to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Jurors are expected to hear the defenses closing argument Thursday, followed by the prosecutions closing Friday. Jury deliberations are slated to start Tuesday. Court is closed Wednesday and again on Monday for holidays. By not testifying, Weinstein followed the example of defendants in other high-profile sex crimes cases. The include Bill Cosby, who didnt take the witness stand either time he was tried for drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home. After a mistrial in 2017, a second trial resulted in the comedians conviction. Weinstein, 67, is charged with raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on a different woman in 2006. Other accusers were called as witnesses as part of a prosecution effort to show he has used the same tactics to victimize many women over the years. Weinstein has maintained any sexual encounters were consensual. The Associated Press has a policy of not publishing the names of people who allege sexual assault without their consent. It is withholding the name of the woman accusing Weinstein of raping her in 2013 because it isnt clear if she wishes to be identified publicly. After the jury left for the day, Weinsteins lawyers sparred with prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon over her plan to mention in her closing argument that his physical appearance has changed significantly since the time of the alleged assaults. Weinstein has hobbled into court each day with a walker, parking the device behind the defense table. His lawyers say its needed because of recent back surgery, but Illuzzi said it seemed more like a prop put there to sway jurors sympathies. Michael R. Sisak and Tom Hays are Associated Press writers. The history of democracy tells you that nationalism and (majority) religion is an unbeatable combination. What light does the Delhi result throw on this? Lets expand the argument. If you can also deftly throw in socialism, it makes for a proposition cast in titanium. Nothing can challenge or hurt it. Weve been living through this reality since 2014, the Narendra Modi-Amit Shah era. This has awed pundits on all sides. Arun Shourie had famously called the BJP, Congress plus cow. Another eminent friend of mine in Kolkata, who has followed the politics of the Left closely for decades, suggests a rewrite after the latest budget. Now, he says, Narendra Modi is nothing but Prakash Karat plus CAA, or the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Now you can see why the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has a 92% (seats won in May 2019) success record against the Congress, with a 23% lead in votes. When Rahul Gandhi goes temple-hopping, it looks like a spectacle, unconvincing, and worse, defensive. As if to say, see, I am Hindu too. This is also why the Left died in West Bengal. Then, Congress leaders ask for evidence of surgical strikes and Balakot, are ambivalent on Article 370, triple talaq and Sabarimala and call Modi a chor. Mamata Banerjee took away their socio-populism, and unlike them, she is happy to dress in any religions colours even the hijab on its festivals and be as nationalist as Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. Indias older parties are either not getting this change, or are unwilling to accept this reality. How does a tiny and young party like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) then defy these odds to seal its second near-clean sweep in Delhi, within nine months of finishing a distant third behind the BJP and Congress in the May 2019 Lok Sabha elections? Because, while nationalism plus religion and socialism is a killer combination electorally, none of these are beyond the reach of any of your rivals. No one party has a copyright on Bharat Mata, Lord Ram, Ram Charit Manas or socialism/welfarism/populism. Watch the victory speeches by Kejriwal and his key leaders today. Theres been plenty of Bharat Mata ki Jai, Vande Mataram, praise for Lord Hanuman and temple visits without pomp and bandobast. For months now, Kejriwal and his party have faced woke condemnation over their silence on Jawaharlal Nehru University (which Rahul Gandhi visited in 2016), Jamia Millia Islamia, Shaheen Bagh, the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and other such issues. Also, over their teerth yatra, pilgrimage-type schemes. Their success lies in the fact that they held their nerve. If they had succumbed to this pressure even a little, to come up to the standards set for liberalism/secularism on Twitter, Amit Shah would have sent them not just a box of mithais, but the entire halwai shop. They would then have lost both, the gods and the nation, and let these be the BJPs monopoly. Not only did they not do it, Kejriwal himself sang the Hanuman Chalisa on TV, sounded sincere and convincing, and a bhakt of the Hindu gods, rather than that of the two-member ruling pantheon today. If you are a non-bigoted, god-fearing Hindu, which is a large majority of Hindus, this is a more convincing expression of religiosity and faith than a Jai Shri Ram shouted menacingly or in anger and resentment. Further, it gives no offence to other religions, including Islam. Just as a Muslim cannot be judged for looking, sounding, praying like a Muslim, this is merely a mirror image of a Hindu publicly expressing his religiosity. None is setting a code of conduct for the other and insisting that it be followed, on the threat of, who knows, even citizenship. And on nationalism, please do remember that among the first steps the Kejriwal government took was to announce ex-gratia payments to the families of soldiers killed in action at a scale unprecedented in India. It voted with the BJP government on Article 370, welcomed the surgical strikes and Balakot rather than express any scepticism at all about the armed forces claims. On welfare, they devised their own giveaways and, just like Modi and his Ujjwala and other schemes, ensured efficient and leak-proof delivery. The combination of nationalism-welfarism-religion was established. The most important tactical approach lay in not attacking Modi or the BJP on any of these. The big takeaway from this election is that the larger Modi-Shah method has been, and can be gamed. Nobody can take Modi away from the BJP. No leader seems to be rising anywhere at this point who could conceivably challenge Modi even in 2024. But you can surely deny them the exclusivity over their winning formula, and make the contest much less one-sided. The views expressed are personal. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 18:36:45|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close An English teacher is teaching an online class at an elementary school in Changsha, central China's Hunan province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Xue Yuke) The "homebody economy" often refers to booming on-demand streaming services, including online shopping, food delivery, online education and etc. JINAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- As people are suggested to stay at home amid the novel coronavirus epidemic in China, the "homebody economy" is reaching a wider population across the country. You Xiaoling taught the first online class in her 22-year career as a teacher. Zhang Weijia set a morning alarm for online grocery shopping on his phone. Zhang Tao began seeing doctors online. The homebody economy often refers to booming on-demand streaming services, online shopping, food delivery, online education, working from home and gaming apps that can satisfy people's demand in the comfort of their own homes. "I didn't know it's so convenient buying groceries on apps," said Zhang Weijia, who is from Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province. Like many, Zhang broke his habit of shopping in the local markets, and opted for fresh food delivery apps to avoid going out. Due to such popularity, many apps have experienced pressure on supplies and manpower and started capping daily orders. So Zhang gets up early in the morning to place orders. A deliveryman waits at the entrance of a residential community to deliver packages in Xi'an, northwest China's Shaanxi province, Feb. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Xiao) JD Fresh, the fresh food arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD, saw orders rising 215 percent year on year in the first nine days of the Chinese Lunar New Year, company data showed. Another fresh food delivery app Missfresh has seen its orders surge by 300 percent year on year during the epidemic outbreak, according to Wang Jun, CFO of the company. "Our industry is often restrained by people's traditional consumption habits," Wang said. "With more people getting their hands on these services now, we expect the market to continue expanding and new business opportunities to emerge." Other industries such as online teaching are also seeing users surge as schools across China are required to delay the opening of the spring semester. "Online broadcasting is the 'trendiest' way of teaching I've ever seen in my career," teased You Xiaoling, who teaches at a high school in east China's Fujian Province. You and many of her colleagues are new to online broadcasting, despite it being popular among their teenage students for several years. "I ask my students to type '111' on the bullet screen if they understand me," You said. The bullet screen shows viewers' real-time comments and messages, a method popular on Chinese streaming sites. Some teachers ask students for likes during the broadcast just as many online celebrities do, You said. Over 20 online education agencies have rolled out free courses for students since the epidemic outbreak. Xueersi, one of the agencies, said student numbers surged on Feb. 1 when it launched free courses online, with an average of over 2 million viewers at each class. Like teachers, many doctors have also forayed into online businesses as medical resources are stretched amid the epidemic. On Feb. 8, China's National Health Commission issued a notice requiring health administrations at all levels to give full play to online medical consultations in the prevention and control of the epidemic. Dozens of hospitals in Shandong Province have opened online fever clinic services, along with several hospitals in east China's Zhejiang Province. China's online platforms including Alibaba and JD.com have also launched free consultation services, where thousands of professional doctors from all over the country are providing medical services. Alibaba's service homepage received nearly 400,000 visits within 24 hours after being launched on Jan. 24, and Zhang Tao, from Qingdao in Shandong Province, is one of the users. "Getting an initial diagnosis at home is very convenient," Zhang said. "I plan to use it in the future even if it costs some money." 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. In a progressive move to bring all genders and communities together, the Bhubaneshwar civic body has roped in members of the transgender community to collect pending taxes from public in the city. The Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will take the help of transgender community to collect a pending amount of Rs 11 crore. The BMC has signed an agreement with TG Swikruti Self Help Group to get transgender on board in a bid to recover held taxes and license fee in the capital city of Odhisa, according to a report by India Today. The BMC selected 10 members from the transgender community and formed a team. They were imparted training in tax collection procedure using POS machines. They are also provided a uniform, an identity card and a vehicle for the purpose. The group visits door- to -door of the tax defaulters' with messages like, " Pay your tax, get blessings from us". The members on their day one of duty collected an amount of Rs 70,000. The members will caryy out the drive for the entire month and submit a report to BMC. The members will be paid on the basis of the amount that is being collected by them. The community has expressed gratitude and happiness over the move and thanked BMC for introducing this practice for tax collection. BCCL "I am thankful to BMC and state government for giving us the opportunity to carry out this noble work and earn a living for ourselves. This also brings us to mainstream," Meghna Sahu, a member of the transgender community and President of Swikriti told India Today. Over the past few years, efforts have been made to uplift the transgender community in the country. However, transgenders feel there is lot more to do in the fight for equality. Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) protested at the office of the European Union in Abuja on Tuesday. The opposition pa... Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) protested at the office of the European Union in Abuja on Tuesday. The opposition party said it was protesting against the deplorable state of affairs in the country. The protest, which took off from the partys campaign headquarters at Maitama, was led Sulieman Nazif, PDP deputy chairman (north). Nazif and other PDP leaders were led into the EU office. The demonstration is the third the party has undertaken. Three weeks ago, Uche Secondus, PDP national chairman, and other leaders of the party went to the supreme court to protest against the sacking of Emeka Ihedioha, as governor of Imo state. The partys leadership also took its protest to the UK high commission and the US embassy over Ihedioha. Calaveras County Board of Supervisors 2019 View Photo San Andreas, CA Adopting a proposed road safety plan is among this weeks to-do list for the Calaveras County Board of Supervisors. Public Works officials are recommending the board approve a Local Road Safety Plan (LRSP), developed to provide an overview of safety strategies, projects, and progress. Geared to reducing overall collisions in Calaveras County by December 2023 by 25 percent and fatal and severe injury accidents 50 percent by December 2025, the plan would be updated annually to provide quantifiable evidence of implementation and progress. Officials point to 2017 statistics showing that 18 people lost their lives in vehicle accidents in Calaveras County, mainly due to human error, and hope to focus the next big wave of projects in the county on increasing local road safety in collaboration with partnering agencies and organizations. Among other regular agenda items is a presentation by TSS Consultants, which manages the countys tree mortality program. Since it began in October of 2017, the company will report that 23 projects involving the cutting and removal of over 7,400 trees have been completed. Seven more planned projects are in various stages and a limited return of several hundred right-of-entry forms remains a principal constraint to implementing work. As the work continues under a disaster declaration the county can anticipate up to 75 percent program cost reimbursement. TSS Consultants shares that its field observations in Calaveras and Amador counties confirm the latest research from the University of California and the U.S. Forest Service, which report that mortality of ponderosa and sugar pines has tapered off but that the mortality of true fir has increased since 2017. The supervisors will also proclaim this Kindness Week in Calaveras County, further deeming the jurisdiction as a Random Acts of Kindness Zone. They will also declare February 2020 Civil Grand Jury Awareness Month in the county. Tuesdays meeting will open to the public in the supervisors chambers (891 Mountain Ranch Road) in the government center following an 8 a.m. closed session with legal counsel on two matters of anticipated litigation. When the Israeli Cabinet convened on Feb. 9, it was obvious to just about everybody in attendance that there would be no annexation of West Bank lands, no matter how small, until after the March 2 elections. At a campaign rally in Maale Adumim the evening before, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the United States and Israel were busy mapping out the area and that Israel will not be acting immediately to impose sovereignty on any part of it. The morning of the Cabinet meeting, David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel, provided additional clarity, tweeting, Any unilateral action in advance of the completion of the committee process endangers the Plan & American recognition. This statement came from the man who provided momentum to the long-standing aspiration of the right to impose Israeli sovereignty on at least part of the West Bank before the upcoming election. Now, he had deflated the rights annexation balloon once and for all. That Friedman is popular among the settlers and acts as their lobbyist in the White House did not soften the blow. If anything, it put Netanyahu on the defensive. With three weeks left until the elections, Netanyahu was forced to put out a fire in his own camp while racing to win 61 seats for the right-wing-ultra-Orthodox bloc. What makes the situation all the more frustrating for him is that Netanyahu himself had fanned the flames when he promised annexation. The settler leadership and his ministers from Yamina are not making life easy for him. They have called on him to show leadership by declaring the unilateral annexation of West Bank territories without US support. They even invoked former Prime Minister Menachem Begin, who announced the annexation of the Golan Heights in 1981 without first informing the Americans. There will never be a better time to impose sovereignty on our homeland, tweeted Defense Minister Naftali Bennett Feb. 8. I call on Prime Minister Netanyahu to bring the annexation of Judea and Samaria [West Bank] up for an immediate vote by the government. Mr. Prime Minister, we will stand by your side. Without [Israeli] sovereignty, we will get a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital. Netanyahu was livid. From the prime minister's perspective, Bennett and his colleagues are little more than a bunch of ingrates. Not only did they fail to hoist him on their shoulders after presenting them with President Donald Trump's plan, which includes recognition of the settlement blocs and the Jordan Valley as part of Israel, now they were attacking him mere days before a momentous election. This was the energy that Netanyahu brought to the Feb. 9 Cabinet meeting. Sounding genuinely angry, Netanyahu told the ministers, In Washington, on my last visit, we made history. This plan is the result of accelerated and joint work by the staffs. This requires precise mapping of these territories, the entire territory. The work has begun. The Israeli team has begun work, however, the Americans are saying very clearly, We want to give you the recognition, and we will give it to you when the entire process has been completed. Netanyahu then raised his voice and pounded on the table, asserting, This recognition is the main point. This is what we have brought. I brought it, after joint work. We do not want to endanger this. To all those tweeting from outside and even from within the government, we have done the work. We will complete the work. Therefore, the work is underway, and I hope it will be completed very soon. It was obvious to everyone that the remark about those tweeting was directed straight at Bennett, in response to his tweet the previous night. Later, there were sharp exchanges between Likud ministers and Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich after he attacked Netanyahu. You wont win a single vote by firing off your gun inside the APC [armored personnel carrier], Smotrich lashed out at the prime minister. From where you stand now, you would support [Palestinian] statehood if the Palestinians meet all the conditions. The squabbling in the Cabinet meeting and Netanyahus jabs at Yamina ministers might suggest that the right-wing is in chaos and that the prime minister is losing his temper over it, but the truth is that the possibility of the disappointed annexationists to cause real harm to the right-wing bloc is limited. Furthermore, as much as the settlers and Yamina leaders keep taking jabs at Netanyahu, by warning him that without annexation, the right will lose power, their ability to force him to do what they want is also limited. Right-wing voters have nowhere else to go, and Netanyahu is well aware of this. The chances of voters from the ideological right crossing party lines and voting Blue and White are practically nil. That is why Netanyahu feels at liberty to do what he wants with Yamina. The truth is that Netanyahu has been picking a fight with Yamina and Bennett, the party's chair, for the past few days. He is doing so to persuade Yamina voters to cast their ballots for the Likud instead, so he can reduce the gap between his party and Blue and White. He considers Yamina to be an easy target, with seats ready for him to pick off, and unlike in the April 2019 and September 2019 elections, Netanyahu is not waiting until the final days of the campaign to do it. He is already working to win over voters from the right. At an election rally in the Jordan Valley on Feb. 10, Netanyahu said that the real reason he appointed Bennett as defense minister was to ensure that he doesnt go with [Blue and White leader Benny] Gantz. He went on to say, Blue and White almost had a coalition, but then, at the last minute, I made the move of appointing Bennett to Defense. Netanyahu was doing more than just disparaging his own defense minister. He was actually accusing him of planning to join a center-left government. The implicit message was that Bennett is capable of betraying the right-wing bloc again. The conclusion, at least according to Netanyahu, is that anyone who wants to ensure that the right under him retains power should vote for the Likud. At the same time, there are reports that Netanyahu is making an effort to convince rabbis aligned with the religious Zionist movement to abandon Bennett and join forces with him for the exact same reason. It looks like this is just the beginning. Over time, Netanyahu's offensive will become even more brutal and intense. Netanyahu has no plans to ease up on Yamina. They will demand annexation, and he will continue to claim that Bennett is already on his way to a government headed by Gantz. So far, Netanyahu has managed to seize control of the commotion over annexation on the right. He has had numerous conversations with the Yesha Council leadership, communities on the right and Likud supporters, not to mention senior Likud leaders. He has the same message for all of them: The Trump plan is historic, and Israeli sovereignty can be imposed on West Bank territories after the election, if he is elected. He talks about the sensitive situation with the United States and asks them to let him work with Trump, as he has been doing all along. As noted, those calling for immediate annexation have nowhere else to go. They have no voting options apart from the right. That is why their disappointment over the failure to annex the territories now will not hurt Netanyahu. All the rumbling on the right might be creating a chaotic atmosphere, but it will not harm the unity of the right-wing-ultra-Orthodox camp, just as arguments across the divide between Blue and White and Labor-Gesher-Meretz will not harm that bloc. The two camps have become a permanent fixture in Israeli politics. As the deadlock in the polls indicates, there has been no significant shift in strength between them. Lindsay Lohan's father has been arrested over a domestic violence dispute with his estranged wife. Michael Lohan, 59, was taken into custody on Monday after Kate Major went to police and claimed that he'd attacked her at her home The Hamptons, according to a police report obtained by DailyMail.com. Major, who filed for separation from Lohan after one year of marriage in 2015, said he became violent with her after she confronted him about his internet browsing history, which apparently showed that he had been searching for escort services in Houston while he was on a trip there. In a handwritten statement included in the police report, Major describes how Lohan allegedly threw plastic clothing hangers at her before grabbing her by the throat, leaving her with visible bruises. She claimed that Lohan threatened to stab her and berated her as she tried to get away from him, calling her a 'braindead whore'. Lindsay Lohan's father Michael Lohan was arrested on Monday after an alleged domestic violence dispute with his estranged wife Kate Major (pictured together in 2010) Officers are seen taking Lohan into custody outside Major's apartment in Southampton DailyMail.com captured a photo of Lohan being led to a police vehicle in handcuffs outside Major's apartment in Southampton, New York. He was booked on one count of 'criminal obstruction of breathing' and one count of second-degree harassment, according to the police report. A deputy wrote in the report that Major was looking for her pet hamster when Lohan began throwing hangers at her. He then grabbed her hand and squeezed it so hard that the 'hamster ball' she was holding shattered. The fight escalated as Lohan threw Major's cellphone to the ground and grabbed her by the neck, the report states. As Major tried to free herself from his grip, Lohan shouted insults at her, calling her a 'waste of life' and a 'whore'. Lohan also allegedly told Major that he 'could stab her and get away with her'. Major left the home and immediately went to see her attorney, who accompanied her to the Southampton Village Police station. The deputy who wrote the report said there were visible bruises on the right side of Major's neck and her voice was hoarse. Lohan (pictured with daughter Lindsay in 2002) was booked on one count of 'criminal obstruction of breathing' and one count of harassment, according to a police report Major's handwritten statement in the report reads: 'Michael has been following my car and also called the police on me. Today he got extremely violent and threatened to stab me. He called me a whore and threw hangers across the room. 'He threw my phone. Put his hand around the left side of my neck with his hand. My neck hurts and is bruised pushing into my throat in rage. He also grabbed my right wrist causing the hamster wheel to crack. My right wrist is bruised and sore. 'He said he just wanted to stab me and end it all. He kept saying I was brain dead - I leave too many lights on and I'm a waste of life. He threatened to call the cops and put me away for 20 years. 'This has been an ongoing an abusive controlling hell of a life. Today he really scared me and I was scared to call 911 and my hand is sore and hard to write. 'When he was choking me, my throat is all hoarse and in pain now. When I was looking for the hamster he kicked me on the right side of my butt as I bent down.' Lohan and Major tied the knot in 2014 and separated a year later. They have two sons together - seven-year-old Landon and five-year-old Logan. This is not the first time Lohan has been accused of domestic violence against Major. Two prior incidents were noted in the police report, including one in 2011 which saw him arrested after he allegedly 'tried to throw Major off a balcony'. The report states that the first incident took place in 2009 when Lohan pushed Major during an argument. Lohan and Major (pictured in 2010) tied the knot in 2014 and separated a year later. They have two sons together Lohan's criminal record dates back to 1990, when he was investigated for insider trading while working on Wall Street. He was ultimately convicted of criminal contempt of court and served three years in prison. His daughter Lindsay, one of four children he shares with ex-wife Dina Lohan, began modeling while he was in prison and was at the peak of her Hollywood career by the time he was released in 1993. Lohan was arrested for violating his probation in 1997 after he flew to Napa, California, to visit Lindsay, who had been hospitalized for an asthma attack while filming The Parent Trap. Lohan is seen in a mugshot taken after he was arrested for attacking Major in 2011 He was arrested once again in 2004 after getting into a fistfight with Dina's younger brother Matt Sullivan. While awaiting sentencing on attempted assault charges in that case, Lohan was involved in a DUI car crash that saw him serve another prison sentence. Dina filed for divorce from Michael in 2005 and it was finalized two years later. He got engaged to Major, a tabloid reporter, in 2010 and they maintained an on-again, off-again relationship for the next several years. The tumultuous relationship was depicted in the fifth season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab, where Lohan was treated for his long history of alcohol and cocaine abuse. Major and Lohan welcomed their first son Landon in January 2013, followed by their second son Logan in December 2014. The couple lost custody of both children in November 2015 after they were filmed engaging in a violent fight in front of the kids. Major filed for legal separation soon after. Major also has a rap sheet. She was arrested for a DUI in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2014 and was sentenced to eight months in jail. In December 2018, she was arrested for commandeering a bus full of people and attacking its driver while she was drunk. She pleaded guilty to a third-degree disorderly conduct charge in that case last April. Major is seen leaving court in Pennsylvania on April 17, 2019, after she pleaded guilty to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a drunken incident on December 25, 2018 Owner Marco D'Amore - Brand Ambassador Amy Riolo -Executive Chef Pasquale Rinaldo It is an honor and a privilege for us to have been invited to share our unique cuisine, culture, and terroir with American audiences, says Ristorante DAmore Owner Marco DAmore. The word Caprese means much more than mozzarella and tomatoes, and Ristorante DAmore Capris team is headed to the US to prove it! The Italian island of Capri has been synonymous with romance, beauty, mouthwatering cuisine and la dolce vita for decades! Since its opening in 1996, Ristorante DAmore Capri has been a top summer dining destination for tourists and locals alike. As a token of appreciation to its many American clients, restaurant owner Marco DAmore and Executive Chef Pasquale Rinaldo decided to embark on their first American culinary journey in order to offer NY and DC residents a taste of the sweet life in Capri during American heart month! The first stop on their American tour is The James Beard House for the sold-out Under the Capri Sun dinner. Cooking, for me, is love and passion, but at the same time it is also tradition and innovation. It is the scent of my home and my homeland that I share with my guests, says Chef Pasquale Rinaldo. The evenings menu features updated interpretations of classic Caprese dishes by Chef Pasquale Rinaldo as well as a selection of Pizzaiolo Antonio Fuscos Neapolitan favorites. Each pizza he creates is unique and without upsetting its soul, it can satisfy any palate, anywhere in the world. The dinner concludes with Chef Pasquale Rinaldos Panettone di Capri which is currently sold internationally. Each course will be paired with Terranera wines. In Washington DC, the culinary duo will also spread the love DAmore-style at Stellina Pizzeria (on Washingtonians Top 100 Very Best Restaurants 2020 List) where they will be hosted by Chef/Pizzaiolo/Co-Owner Matteo Venini. The Valentines Day event called From Capri with Love will be open to the public from 5-10 PM on a first come, first served basis. The chefs will prepare a family-style, three-course menu comprised of pizza fritta, ravioli Capresi, Chef Pasquale Rinaldos panettone and a bottle of wine. The events are made possible by the generous contributions of Ristorante DAmore, Goeldlin Collection, Grande Cheese, Olitalia,Gustarosso, Latteria Sorrentina, Ristorante del Pino, Molino Dalla Giovanna, Terranera Winery, Melissas Produce, Amy Riolo, LIFeSTYLE, Blackhawk Imports, Nomad, and Alma Gourmet. About Ristorante DAmore Capri Known for its cuisine which represents both the traditional flavors of one of the worlds most decadent islands and cutting-edge Italian trends, the food served at Ristorante DAmore is a reflection of the magical charms of its natural surroundings. Continuously run by Capri-natives the DAmore family, Ristorante DAmore is an annual winner of the Trip Advisor Excellence Award since 2013. About Chef Pasquale Rinaldo Known for his anticipated segments on the popular Italian cooking show La Prova del Cuoco, Chef Pasquale Rinaldo is an internationally recognized authority on Neapolitan and Amalfi-Coast cuisine. A Naples native, Chef Pasquale has a passion for incorporating lush, local ingredients grown in the foothills of Mount Vesuvius and ripened under the Capri sun with cutting edge techniques and traditional flavors. As the Executive Chef of Capri landmark, Ristorante dAmore,, Chef Pasquale turns out dishes that evoke as much love as the owners last name, Amore! About Special Guest Pizzaiolo Antonio Fusco Born on the foothills of Mount Vesuvius, Antonio Fuscos love of pizza began as a child, when he used to steal money from his parents to buy flour and brewers yeast to play with! He began working in his familys pizzeria as a teenager and decided to make it a career. In 1996 he joined the Mario Leonessa Group and led the team to consolidate and relaunch Ristorante Del Pinos pizzeria. The popular pizzaiolo is proud to represent different brands, including the "Molino Dalla Giovanna", "Latteria Sorrentina" and "Gustarosso" which enables him to perform demonstrations, classes, and events in various parts of the world. For more information or to schedule media interviews, please contact Amy Riolo Brand Ambassador, Ristorante DAmore Capri by emailing amy@amyriolo.com. Sorry! This content is not available in your region CNBC Anchor Announces Primary Challenge Against Ocasio-Cortez Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, a former anchor at CNBC, said on Tuesday that shes challenging Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) in the Democratic primary later this year. Ocasio-Cortez, 30, stunned political observers in 2018 when she defeated longtime incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and took the seat representing New Yorks 14th District, which includes parts of the boroughs of Queens and the Bronx. Shes drawn media attention from both sides of the spectrum for her positions, comments, and actions. Caruso-Cabrera spent more than 20 years at CNBC, covering a wide range of stories. The network said Tuesday she wouldnt be a contributor any longer. I am the daughter and granddaughter of working class Italian and Cuban immigrants, Caruso-Cabrera said in a statement. I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that Ive had. Thats why Im running. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera attends a screening of The Beaver at the Walter Reade Theater in New York City on May 4, 2011. (Donna Ward/Getty Images) Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) speaks at a press conference on the Capitol on July 15, 2019. (Holly Kellum/NTD) According to her campaign website, Caruso-Cabrera learned about achieving the American dream while watching her parents and grandparents work long hours. The Wellesley College graduate, a former Univision producer, has little information on her positions on the site. Caruso-Cabrera wrote a book in 2010 called You Know Im Right: More Prosperity, Less Government. The book calls for fiscal conservatism, limited government, and personal responsibility, according to its description. Caruso-Cabreba is the fifth Democrat to announce a challenge to Ocasio-Cortez. The others include city Councilman Fernando Cabrera, activist Badrun Khan, and leasing consultant Jose Velazquez. The Republican primary will feature eight candidates, including housing specialist Israel Ortega Cruz, retired police officer John Cummings, and entrepreneur Scherie Murray. The New York primaries will take place on April 28. Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal thanked the people of Delhi for trusting him for the third time. (Image: Twitter/@ AamAadmiParty) The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to get a comfortable victory in Delhi, trends from the Election Commission have indicated. Kejriwal, who is set to become the chief minister for a second term, received praise and congratulations from many sources, several unexpected. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, under whose leadership the BJP fought the Delhi Assembly elections, congratulated the Kejriwal-led AAP saying, "Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. February 11, 2020 In a prompt reply, Kejriwal thanked PM Modi and said, "I look forward to working closely with the Centre to make our capital city into a truly world class city." My best wishes & congratulations to Mr Kejriwal and the AAP on winning the Delhi Assembly elections. Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 11, 2020 Rahul Gandhi, the former chief of Congress, which was decimated in Delhi, expressed his congratulations in a tweet, where he said, My best wishes & congratulations to Mr Kejriwal and the AAP on winning the Delhi Assembly elections. Among other political leaders who wished Kejriwal were NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and Nitin Gadkari among others. As per the latest from Election Commission, AAP has won 50 seats and is leading in 12 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP is a distant second winning six seats and leading in two seats. The Congress has not even won from a single seat. Spains Royal Family owns the spotlight in a series of new portraits released Tuesday to celebrate the new year. King Felipe, Queen Letizia and their daughters Princess Leonor, 14, and Infanta Sofia, 12, dazzle in the images shot by photographer Estela de Castro inside the Royal Palace in Madrid. The stylish royal mom stuns in a pink Carolina Herrera floral embroidered gown she debuted at the enthronement of Japanese Emperor Naruhito back in October. As with that event, Letizia, 47, teams the gown with the equally dazzling Fleur de Lys tiara nicknamed La Buena (The Good One), which she first wore in February 2017. Letizia also donned the tiara which features three entwined Fleur de Lys set in platinum for a state dinner at Buckingham Palace later that year alongside Queen Elizabeth, Prince Charles, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and fellow glam royal mom Princess Kate, who wore a stunning pale pink lace Marchesa gown with two pieces that were once favorites of Princess Dianas: A pair of pearl Collingwood earrings and the Lovers Knot tiara. In another shot, Queen Letizias elegant outfit is completed with the blue and white sash of the Dame Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III bearing fleur de lys diamond brooch and the joyas de pasar (the jewels that are passed on) diamond earrings and bracelets. Spanish Royal House Queen Letizia | Spanish Royal House King Felipe It was all very easy. They are used to posing. They were relaxed and collaborating at all times, photographer Estela de Castro tells El Pais about the photoshoot, which also features Letizia wearing a red piped sheath dress from her go-to designer Herrera. This is also a rewear as Letizia first wore the dress on a visit to Covadonga in northwest Spain in September 2018. In a third photo, Letizia debuts the same Herrera shift design in blue. The Kings knew my work and thats why they decided that I was in charge of the photos, adds de Castro. They didnt put any conditions on me. They told me to do my job as I considered best. Story continues King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain | Spanish Royal House Elsewhere the photo session at the Royal Palace in Madrid includes a portrait of King Felipe VI proudly wearing the uniform of a Captain-General in the Spanish army. The Spanish Royal Family | Spanish Royal House Royal children Princess Leonor and Infanta Sofia are also pictured, both together and individually. Princess Sofia | Spanish Royal House Princess Leonor | Spanish Royal House Spanish Royal House I wanted the Princess and the Infanta to have one in black and white like the one I do every year to my nephews, de Castro tells El Pais about his decision to photograph the sisters in such a way, before joking, Of course, they (the royals) were quieter! As part of the formation of the joint venture, Trilogy contributed all of its assets associated with the 172,675-hectare Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP"), including the Arctic and Bornite projects, while South32 contributed US$145 million, resulting in each party owning a 50% interest in Ambler Metals. The funds will be used to advance the Arctic and Bornite projects, along with exploration in the Ambler mining district. Ambler Metals is an independently operated company controlled by Trilogy and South32 through a four member Board of Directors. Trilogy has appointed James (Jim) Gowans, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Trilogy and Kalidas Madhavpeddi, a Director of Trilogy, to the Ambler Metals Board. South32 has appointed Simon Collins, Chief Development Officer of South32 and Pat Risner, President of South32's Hermosa Project, to the Ambler Metals Board. The current ownership structure of Ambler Metals is set forth below. Ambler Metals Board Members The joint venture is controlled by an experienced team of respected and talented individuals. Messers Collins, Gowans, Madhavpeddi and Risner each have extensive careers in the mining industry and collectively, they have worked all over the world and on various commodities. Simon Collins: Mr. Collins is the Chief Development Officer of South32 based in Vancouver. Prior to this role, Mr. Collins was Head of Corporate Development of South32. He brings over 25 years' experience in the resources industry, working in senior leadership and business development roles. More information about Mr. Collins is available at www.south32.net. Jim Gowans: Mr. Gowans is currently Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Trilogy. Mr. Gowans has experience in Alaska, having worked for Cominco Limited where he oversaw the completion of a feasibility study and the subsequent design and construction of the Red Dog Mine. Mr. Gowans then operated the Red Dog Mine for three years following its commissioning. More information about Mr. Gowans is available at www.trilogymetals.com. Kalidas Madhavpeddi: Mr. Madhavpeddi has an extensive career in the mining industry spanning over 30 years including Chief Executive Officer of CMOC International and Senior Vice President of Phelps Dodge Corp. (now Freeport McMoran). More information about Mr. Madhavpeddi is available at www.trilogymetals.com. Pat Risner: Mr. Risner is the President of South32's Hermosa Project located in Southern Arizona. He is an experienced mining operator, having worked in technical, planning and operational roles in both the United States and Australia. With strong leadership experience in mining health, safety, and environment, he is regarded as an industry expert in complex project planning and development. More information about Mr. Risner is available at www.south32.net. Ambler Metals LLC Management To ensure a successful startup of the joint venture, management from Trilogy and South32 will take on interim roles. Darryl Steane, South32's Business Development Manager will take on the duties as Interim President of Ambler Metals; Elaine Sanders, Trilogy's Chief Financial Officer will take on the duties as Interim Vice President Finance of Ambler Metals; and Robert (Bob) Jacko, Trilogy's Senior Vice President Operations will take on duties as Interim Vice President Operations of Ambler Metals. The technical team of Trilogy, who have been operating the UKMP in northwest Alaska, will be transitioning to Ambler Metals. The team has been busy preparing programs to advance development and exploration of the assets. The Company anticipates communicating more details, including the 2020 work programs and budgets later this month. Although the interim management team of Ambler Metals is located in Canada and the United States, it is anticipated that the permanent management of the joint venture will be based out of Alaska. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, the use of proceeds from South32's subscription payment, the successful startup of Ambler Metals, the timing of the 2020 work programs and budgets and the anticipated location of Ambler Metals' permanent management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving the startup of Ambler Metals' success of exploration, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2018 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. Related Links www.trilogymetals.com Lugano, Switzerland, 11 February 2020 - The European Society for Medical Oncology is pleased to announce that Lillian L. Siu, Professor at the University of Toronto and Medical Oncologist at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, Toronto, will receive the TAT 2020 Honorary Award in recognition of her pivotal contributions in the development of new anticancer drugs, particularly with respect to phase I trials in head and neck malignancies. The award will be presented during the ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress 2020, to be held in Paris, France, 2-4 March. (1,2) The TAT Honorary Award was established in the early 1990s to acknowledge distinguished cancer drug development experts who have devoted a major part of their careers to the discovery and development of better anticancer medicines. Over the past years, Siu has majorly advanced the field of early drug development, as Director of the Phase I Programme and Co-Director of the Bras and Family Drug Development Programme at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. She holds the BMO Chair in Precision Genomics and is also the Clinical Lead for the Tumour Immunotherapy Programme at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. Throughout her career, Siu has been involved in the development of numerous novel cytotoxic agents, molecularly targeted agents and immunotherapeutics, providing scientific and clinical direction for protocols design, endpoints and implementation. She has a track record of publications in the areas of innovative clinical trial designs and methodology and has also led multiple investigator-initiated early phase trials focusing on molecular and immune mechanisms of resistance to immune checkpoint blockade. On accepting the award, Siu said: "I am immensely honoured to receive this award, which is particularly special to me as it recognises my work in the field of early drug development as impactful for the community. The TAT Congress is a unique nexus that catalyses advancements in oncological therapeutics by translating emerging knowledge in cancer biology and host immune system into clinical applications, and by incorporating technological advances to decode and characterise tumours and their microenvironment. With a growing armamentarium of anticancer agents, it is an exciting time to be an early drug developer." In addition to her research involvement, Siu is also devoted to educating the next generation of medical oncologists: she has been a Professor of Medicine at the University of Toronto since 2009 and has mentored over 40 junior investigators. "It is a very rewarding endeavour to train the next generation of early drug developers, and even more gratifying when many of these trainees subsequently return to their home countries and successfully build their own research programmes," she said. Looking at the future, Siu sees the evolution of oncology drug development "very much individualised for each patient, based on dynamic molecular evaluations of their disease and their immune system, through the incorporation of novel algorithms and technologies such as artificial intelligence, and the use of adaptive clinical trial designs that are enhanced by real world evidence." ### Notes to Editors Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress 2020 Official Congress Hashtag: #TAT20 References (1) ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress 2020: https://www.esmo.org/meetings/esmo-targeted-anticancer-therapies-congress-2020 (2) Prof. Siu will deliver her keynote lecture entitled "Rear view mirror and crystal ball of oncology drug development" during the TAT 2020 opening and welcome session, Monday 02 March, from 9:00 to 9:30 in Amphitheatre Bordeaux About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With more than 25,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 160 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. ESMO is committed to offer the best care to people with cancer, through fostering integrated cancer care, supporting oncologists in their professional development, and advocating for sustainable cancer care worldwide. Visit http://www.esmo.org About ESMO Targeted Anticancer Therapies Congress 2020 The TAT Congress is a well-differentiated ESMO event focusing on early phase drug development and translational research. The TAT Congress series has been at the forefront of revolutionary transformation in early drug development and has succeeded in broadening the conversation on phase I trials to include a wide circle of stakeholders. The EU's chief negotiator has immediately rejected a plea by Sajid Javid to protect the City's access to EU financial markets after Brexit. The Chancellor had called for a reliable equivalence process for financial services rules on which a durable relationship can be built with the EU. But just hours after the proposal was published Brussels' chief negotiator Michel Barnier dealt a blow to Boris Johnson's negotiating strategy. "I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear to certain people in the United Kingdom bearing authority that they should not kid themselves about this - there will not be general, open-ended, ongoing equivalence in financial services," he said. Mr Barnier added that the EU would "retain a free hand to take our own decisions" and would simply not negotiate with the UK on this point. The Chancellor had said the Government wanted to conclude a full range of equivalence assessments by June 2020 - allowing the UK and EU to respect each other's rules. But he also said the UK would keep the freedom to diverge and regulate in a different way from the rules set in Brussels. "Each side will only grant equivalence if it believes the other's regulations are compatible," he wrote in the City AM newspaper. "But compatible does not mean identical, and both the UK and the EU have at different times recognised the importance of focusing on regulatory outcomes. "We will no longer be rule-takers, but we remain committed to the highest international standards of financial regulation and to shaping global rule-making." The question at stake is whether EU authorities would call the shots on whether UK firms were complying with EU regulations to trade on the continent. I would like to take this opportunity to make it clear to certain people in the United Kingdom bearing authority that they should not kid themselves Michel Barnier If that were the case, the UK would be a less attractive location to base a financial institution in because it could be frozen out of EU markets at the whim of European regulators. Under a more "durable" agreement as suggested by Mr Javid, market access would be backed at treaty level and it would be harder to freeze out UK firms. If this were the case, banks and other financial institutions could base themselves in the UK knowing they might not be frozen out by EU regulators one day to the next. As a result of Britain's departure from the EU, City firms will lose their automatic "passporting" rights to keep doing business on the continent. Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Mr Barnier added that "the opening of our markets, access to data, and equivalencies for financial services will be proportional to the commitments made to meet a true level playingfield" in the UK staying tied to EU regulations. Some member states like France see Brexit as an opportunity to expand their financial services sectors at the expense of the UK, which has historically dominated. By Maha El Dahan and Nafisa Eltahir DUBAI (Reuters) - Indian sugar production estimates for the 2019-20 are unlikely to be revised significantly upwards from 26 million tonnes when the Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) meets to review figures, the trade body said on Tuesday. Vivek Pittie, president of ISMA, told an industry conference in Dubai that the meeting will be held on Feb.25. "If you ask me, I don't see significant upward revision," he said. Sugar production in India, which vies with Brazil as the world's biggest sugar producer, was hurt by drought in 2018 that forced farmers to curb cane planting, while flooding damaged crops in key growing regions in 2019. As a result, the trade body has said that the country's 2019-20 sugar output could fall 21.6% to 26 million tonnes, the lowest level in three years. For its output estimate, ISMA took into account production from Maharashtra at 6.2 million tonnes. But it could be revised slightly upwards to 6.5 million tonnes, Pittie said. The trade body also estimates more than 800,000 tonnes of sugar cane production will be diverted to ethanol in the 2019-20 season. This an increase of over the 500,000 tonnes from the previous season. "India has a lot of surplus cane and surplus feedstock which can be made into ethanol," Abinash Verma, the director general of ISMA, said. More quantities can be diverted when sufficient capacity is created in the country, he said, adding that current capacities are at 3.5 billion litres, which are much less than the requirement of 5.11 billion litres. The trade body said that it does not expect any big changes to the country's sugar export policy. Last year, India's government, hoping to rid the country of its vast surplus stocks, approved a sugar export subsidy of 10,448 rupees ($145.58) a tonne for the 2019-20. That spurred complaints from rival producers Brazil and Australia to the World Trade Organization (WTO). On Sunday, Dubai's Al Khaleej Sugar, which operates the world's largest port-based refinery of the sweetener, said the Indian subsidies had created an unfair market. Story continues Meanwhile, Ravi Krishnamurthy, head of sugar for the Indian subcontinent at Chinese commodities trader COFCO International, said sugar exports from the Asian country was likely to pick up in February. Global sugar buyers are growing nervous as a much touted surge of Indian sugar exports has so far failed to materialise, with some mills remain reluctant to sell even as global prices traded near 2-1/2-year highs. "We could be in for a small surprise because good flows have been happening, trades have happened and we could anticipate the line up of February to be as high as half a million tonnes which is quite substantial," Krishnamurthy said. (Reporting By Maha El Dahan and Nafisa Eltahir; Editing by Shri Navaratnam and Arun Koyyur) The founder of the Liberal Party of Ghana, Kofi Akpaloo, has said he would sue the Electoral Commission (EC) if it does not compile a new register for the December presidential and parliamentary elections. He said the creation of the new regions in Ghana by the government makes it mandatory for the EC to compile a new register for this years elections. Mr Akpaloo explained on Dwabirem on CTV on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 that all the regions have unique codes on the register, therefore, new codes would have to be created for the electorate in the new regions that have been created. He told show host Appiah Kubi that the EC cannot use the code of the Volta Region for residents of Oti Region because the latter is a new region and must be given a unique code. I will go to court and put an injunction on the 2020 elections if the EC doesnt compile a new register because the creation of the new regions, alone, makes it compulsory for a new register to be compiled, he said. He added: All the regions have unique codes and, so, you cannot use Western Region code for Ahafo; or Volta Region code for Oti, that will be illegal. Source: Class News Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video AMC evaluating power-projection capabilities in Defender-Europe 2020 By Devon L. Suits, Army News Service February 10, 2020 WASHINGTON -- The Army's strength lies in its capacity to project power, said Army Materiel Command's top officer, who will be evaluating AMC's ability to move and sustain more than 20,000 service members and close to 23,000 pieces of equipment during exercise Defender-Europe 20. "The training event over in Europe, and later in the Pacific, will allow us to see ourselves at all three levels: tactical, operational and strategic," said AMC Commander Gen. Gus Perna during a Defense Writers Group event Tuesday. "It will reinforce where we think we are in terms of materiel readiness." Defender-Europe includes the deployment of a division-sized force from the U.S. to locations across the continent. Arriving forces will leverage Army prepositioned stocks, or APS, for their equipment, and travel to multiple training areas. The Army has seven APS regions, each designed to improve deterrence and reduce deployment timelines, officials said. AMC maintains oversight for the program and manages the necessary storage and maintenance of each equipment set. "Army prepositioned stocks allows the president of the United States to make decisions, and allows [the Army] to execute rapidly," Perna said. "The equipment will be ready and capable of going out and executing its mission. That is what Army Materiel Command has been driving [to achieve]." Earlier this year, Soldiers assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, received a short-notice deployment to the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility. Upon their arrival, Soldiers drew APS equipment stored in the region, highlighting the capability, Perna said. During the upcoming Defender series of exercises, AMC will evaluate the current equipment at each APS location and make any necessary adjustments, Perna said. Moreover, leaders at all levels will have the opportunity to "see themselves" and their capabilities, and execute changes to further the needs of the force, he added. "I see Defender-Europe helping us illuminate and magnify the potential of APS," Perna said. "We have gone to great lengths to ensure that a unit can get on a plane, fly over, and then draw that equipment rapidly. And that equipment is going to have all of the [necessary] capabilities so [Soldiers] can get to where they need to be." In addition to Defender-Europe, AMC leaders have already started to prepare for Defender-Pacific in 2021. During this exercise, the force will have to deal with the "tyranny of distance," an added challenge that influences movement within the region, he said. 3D PRINTING The Army is also progressing its additive manufacturing capabilities, the general said, with the recent designation of the Rock Island Arsenal-Joint Manufacturing and Technology Center in Illinois as a Center of Excellence for Advanced and Additive Manufacturing. Commonly known as 3D printing, additive manufacturing fabricates parts from plastic and other materials -- layer by layer. In the future, Soldiers will be able to "print" the necessary parts or equipment to maintain their mission, Perna said. "Three years ago, when I started on this, I would tell you the industry was way ahead of us," he said. "In my personal opinion, the United States Army has caught up. "We are already improving readiness because of this capability." The Rock Island facility will serve as the central hub and provide a bulk of the Army's 3D printing capabilities, he said. Beyond the center, the Army will leverage "25 depots, arsenals, and plants" and division-based 3D print capabilities to provide support. "We have already purchased the equipment that we're putting into Rock Island Arsenal. I renovated a whole warehouse with the vision that someday the whole thing will be filled [with equipment]," he said. "We have already purchased equipment for the depots, arsenals and plants selectively, and we are doing limited testing at the division level right now." Finding a way to tie all the facilities together digitally is one of the core challenges Perna is currently facing, he said. At the moment, personnel use shared spreadsheets and databases to handle the Army's 3D printing process. The goal is to have a central database, of sorts, that Soldiers can access and request specific parts for print, he said, adding AMC is currently working through academic institutions to find a solution. Another hurdle with the additive manufacturing process stems from inadequate "government-purpose rights" to print particular parts, he said. The Army Acquisition, Logistics and Technology community is working to obtain those rights. "Industry needs to know that I am not trying to take over their supply chain," he said. "I want to be able to react to readiness drivers on the battlefield in a timely manner. "I just need the government-purpose rights to produce a capability for equipment that we bought," he emphasized. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:23:58|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close PHNOM PENH, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen said Tuesday that some countries' extreme restrictive measures to curb the novel coronavirus outbreak are causing discrimination and panic. The prime minister made the comments at a groundbreaking ceremony for a new road in the city, adding "discrimination and panic are more dangerous than the novel coronavirus itself." The prime minister said he is happy that the Cambodian people are not discriminating against Chinese tourists and investors. "Some hotels in (northwest Cambodia's) Siem Reap Province have not only welcomed Chinese tourists, but given them a discount." By extending profound condolences to the Chinese government and people, the prime minister said Cambodia is confident in China's ability to control and contain the virus, wishing those affected by it a speedy and full recovery. Cambodia confirmed the first case of novel coronavirus on Jan. 27, after a 60-year-old Chinese man from the central Chinese city of Wuhan was diagnosed. The man was discharged from hospital Monday after complete recovery. Hun Sen said so far, there have been no new confirmed cases of the virus in the Southeast Asian country. LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a competitive tender process, HH Global has been awarded a multi-year contract by Co-op and Nisa, covering print and point of sale. The deal will see HH Global supporting The Co-operative Group's marketing activities across their entire estate of over 2,500 Co-op stores and also provide support for Funeralcare, Insurance and Membership. The services in scope include point of sale (POS), direct mail, marketing print, operational print, ticketing and warehousing. The work will go-live on 1 April 2020, before which work will be transitioned for all departments, each with their own requirements. As part of the contract implementation, HH Global will open a new office in Manchester to support this and other clients based in the region. Robert MacMillan, CEO at HH Global, said: "We are delighted to secure The Co-operative Group family of businesses, and are excited about the opportunity to work with such great clients. The win demonstrates the strength of our proposition and, in particular, the appeal of our solutions to leading retailers. This is another new client that is moving to our model from a manufacturing / hybrid solution, which I believe is further confirmation of our approach. This win increases the momentum we have in securing and servicing fast-moving retail clients, and will contribute to the continuation of our market-leading growth. We are now looking forward to completing a successful transition period and starting our partnership with Co-op and Nisa." Gemma Kidd, Head of Creative Services at Co-op explained: "Over the last 18 months we've reviewed our agency ecosystem, with print and POS production being a key area of this. Following a market review and tender process, we chose HH Global because of the quality of their people, their ability to understand and satisfy our diverse business units, and the reassurance they were able to give us around transition and taking care of the staff that work on the account. We're really excited to welcome them into our agency roster and see how their collaboration with us and our other partners can add value for all our marketing teams." As part of the agreement, HH Global will provide both on-site and near-site account management support, from Manchester for Co-op. The account will also be supported from HH Global's office in Wakefield. The announcement follows several recent new business wins for HH Global in the UK retail sector, (including ASDA and JD Sports), and the announcement in December 2019 that Blackstone are taking a strategic minority equity stake in the business. About HH Global Founded in 1991, HH Global is a leading global outsourced marketing execution provider. Applying proven processes, industry-leading technology, and the deep expertise of over 1,300+ employees, we develop innovative solutions that drive down the cost of our clients' physical marketing procurement and content development, while improving quality, sustainability, and speed to market. SOURCE HH Global Related Links http://www.hhglobal.com Hyundai Motor Expands Partnership with U.S. Government to Support Further Exploration of Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies But First Snides Remarks: So What Happened GM, Screwing Around With Electric I Guess - GM Hydrogen Fuel Cells Mark 50 Years of Development The U.S. Department of Energy will receive five additional NEXO vehicles to support its research of hydrogen technology Hyundai will support the installation of a small-scale hydrogen refueling station in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area WASHINGTON, D.C., Feb. 10, 2020 Hyundai Motor Company today announced the expansion of its partnership with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and its support of the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program. Hyundais commitment aims to increase technical collaboration to better understand challenges and to collect and publish independently validated data from demonstrating fuel cell technologies and hydrogen infrastructure under real world operating conditions. This partnership, along with other collaborations with global industry partners, will help address technical barriers and enable progress in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across applications and sectors. As part of the partnership, Hyundai will provide the DOE with five NEXO fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) for use in various regions of the country including Washington, D.C., to help advance research and development of fuel cell technologies. Data from the vehicles and infrastructure will be collected, analyzed and published to identify additional research needs in key areas such as durability, performance and reliability. Activities will also help support training and workforce development programs. In addition to supporting the U.S. Federal Government's advancement of fuel cell technologies, Hyundai will contribute funding to install a small-scale hydrogen fueling station in the Washington, D.C. area this fall, previously developed through the Department of Energys H-Prize H2Refuel competition Hyundai Motor is proud to partner with and support the U.S. Department of Energys Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program as part of our commitment in supporting the transition to clean energy, said Euisun Chung, Executive Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. With the potential for application across multiple industries, we firmly believe that hydrogen fuel cells are necessary for a sustainable future. We are delighted that our technologies can help the U.S. Department of Energy as it continues to explore the future potential of hydrogen. The Trump Administration is committed to utilizing every source of energy to ensure Americas transportation needs and challenges are aptly met and resolved, said Under Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes. To meet this commitment, it is essential that we collaborate with industry. We are pleased to partner with Hyundai to help advance fuel cell and hydrogen technologies and ensure our nations sustainable transportation future. Hyundai provided its first NEXO SUV to the U.S. Department of Energy in 2019. The additional five vehicles will support the Department of Energy through the work to accelerate the progress of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies across a diverse range of applications. This will include work with the Department of Energys partners such as the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, as well as other agencies and stakeholders. Hyundai and the U.S. Federal Governments cooperation in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies dates back to 2004, when the South Korean automotive corporation and its affiliate Kia Motors Corporation offered 33 fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) for the U.S. Department of Energys Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project. From 2012 to 2017, Hyundai took part in the U.S. Department of Energys fuel cell vehicle confirmation program, which was launched to help validate the performance of emerging hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. In December 2018, the wider Hyundai Motor Group (The Group) including automotive affiliates Hyundai Motor Co. Kia Motors Corp. and parts-maker Hyundai Mobis Co. announced its long-term roadmap Fuel Cell Vision 2030 plan, as it reaffirmed its commitment to accelerate the development of a hydrogen society by leveraging its global leadership in fuel cell technologies. As part of this plan, Hyundai Motor Group will boost its annual fuel cell systems production capacity to 700,000 units by 2030. In 2017, Hyundai became one of the 13 founding members of the Hydrogen Council, which has grown into a global coalition 81 leading energy, transport and industry companies with a united long-term vision to foster the transition to clean energy with hydrogen. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung was named co-chair of the Hydrogen Council in January 2019 and has helped to accelerate significant investment in the development and commercialization of hydrogen fuel cell sectors. Through his role, he has encouraged key stakeholders around the world to increase their backing of hydrogen as part of the future energy mix with policies and supporting schemes. Today, a separate memorandum of understanding was inked between the U.S. Fuel Cell & Hydrogen Energy Association (FCHEA) and H2Korea a South Korean private-government body promoting hydrogen convergence at the FCHEA office in Washington, D.C. to strengthen cooperation between the two countries to vitalize the global hydrogen economy. Morry Markowitz, President of FCHEA and Jae-do Moon, Chairman of H2Korea have agreed to exchange hydrogen technologies, propose joint policies and establish organizations to promote international cooperation on scaling-up the hydrogen industry. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriza Pinandita (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 10:43 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063ba083 1 National coronavirus,outbreak,health-ministry,Harvard-University,nCoV,Wuhan-coronavirus Free The Health Ministry has dismissed a study conducted by researchers from Harvard University that found the country should have already confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. A study by researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health suggested that Indonesia should have confirmed cases of the viral outbreak already, considering the high air-travel volume from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China, to the country. The ministrys research and development agency head Siswanto said the study was based only on mathematical calculations to predict the spread of the novel coronavirus. Basically, the study is only a mathematical model to predict the spread of the virus with independent variables based on the volume of international travelers, he told journalists on Monday. Read also: Indonesia should have confirmed coronavirus cases by now: Study He added that, to date, there were not any patients who tested positive for the coronavirus, based on the results of examinations in his offices laboratory. The ministry has examined 59 out of 62 specimens from people suspected of being infected with 2019-nCoV. All 59 specimens have tested negative. We have examined them properly. It [the study] is only a prediction, Siswanto said. We should instead be grateful as we have no cases despite the prediction of at least six confirmed cases. The ministrys disease control and environmental health director general, Anung Sugihantono, said the ministry had received 62 specimens from 28 hospitals in 16 provinces. Three of the specimens were still under examination. The Harvard study stated that Indonesia's zero confirmed cases "may suggest the potential for undetected cases in these locations given the expected connection before travel control measures were implemented. With an average daily number of passengers of about 100 people, the model showed that Indonesia should have confirmed one to 10 cases of the novel coronavirus infection. Researchers also found that Cambodia and Thailand had confirmed cases lower than the model predicted. An epidemiologist with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Marc Lipsitch, said in the study posted on the pre-print server medRxiv that the virus had likely reached Indonesia. Undetected cases in any country will potentially seed epidemics in those countries. As of Tuesday, a total of 1,011 people had died from the disease and more than 42,000 others had tested positive for the virus across the globe, as reported by AFP. (syk) Distinguished Programs has promoted Mark King to regional sales executive. In his new role, King will work with clients throughout Southern California. King has more than 25 years of experience in the insurance industry. Prior to his joining Distinguished Programs in 2006, King was director of commercial accounts at Wausau Insurance Co. Distinguished Programs is a national insurance program manager providing insurance programs to brokers and agents. Topics California As the U.S. Census Bureau celebrates the opening of offices across Wisconsin, minority leaders in Madison are seeking reassurance that everyone will be counted. Most households will begin receiving invitations next month to submit basic information name, age and relationship of everyone living there. But work is already underway to find some of the traditionally hard-to-count populations, including those who are homeless, transient or dont speak English. The bureau is also scrambling to hire field workers to reach those populations and others who dont respond to the questionnaires. The 2020 Census will be the first to allow internet responses, which the bureau hopes will improve the response rate. But amid a global decline in survey participation, general distrust in institutions and lingering suspicions over Trump administration efforts to include a citizenship question, this years census could be one of the most challenging in recent history. Elated by its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, a senior Aam Aadmi Party leader on Tuesday said it would contest all upcoming local polls in Maharashtra. The AAP delivered a crushing defeat to the BJP in the Delhi Assembly polls, results of which were declared today. Preeti Sharma Menon, national executive Member of AAP in Maharashtra said, "AAP Maharashtra has decided to contest all forthcoming local elections, including BMC, replicating Delhi model of pragmatism, performance and people centric policies." She said the party was trying to get connected with like minded people to put a force together to counter the established political parties. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government has approached the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal seeking additional 270 days to complete resolution process of 105 group The Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA) has also requested the appellate tribunal to release 55 other entities from moratorium, so that they can discharge their debt obligations. Certain protection and reliefs were granted to the 55 entities through an order passed by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on October 15, 2018. In addition to the 55 entities, the ministry has also asked the to release nine from the scope and operation of the October 2018 order, according to an affidavit filed by the ministry with the appellate tribunal. Lalpur Wind Energy, Etesian Urja, Khandke Wind Energy, Ratedi Wind Power, Wind Urja India, Tadas Wind Energy, Kaze Energy, Jharkhand e-Governance solutions Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam are the nine "For the remaining 105 domestic group entities, extend the scope and operation of the order passed by this tribunal on October 15, 2018 for an additional period of 270 days from the date on which the resolution framework is approved by this tribunal, to enable the new board to successfully complete the resolution of Group," as per the affidavit. Passing an interim order on October 15, 2018, the had stayed all proceedings against group companies, whose total debt is Rs 94,215 crore. Besides, the MCA has asked to approve the composition of the Creditors' Committee of five SPVs of IL&FS Transportation Networks (ITNL) constituted in accordance with the resolution framework, which includes all financial creditors, including IL&FS group companies that have provided financial debt. It has also asked to "direct that voting by the Creditors' Committee of these 5 ITNL Sale SPVs be held expeditiously to consider and vote on the H1 bid value and that the New Board may be permitted to proceed with the resolution process of these 5 ITNL Sale SPVs under the supervision of Justice D K Jain and NCLT". According to the affidavit, IL&FS has an aggregate debt of Rs 94,215 crore, in which Rs 10,173 crore (around 10.79 per cent) is collectively from public fund creditors as pension funds, provident funds, employee welfare funds, gratuity funds and army group insurance funds etc. Rs 44,075 crore debt, which is 47 per cent, is collectively from the commercial banks, the affidavit said. Moreover, the aggregate debt of its four key holding companies -- Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services (IL&FS), IL&FS Financial Services, IL&FS Transportation Networks Ltd (ITNL) and IL&FS Energy Development Company Ltd (IEDCL) - is almost 51 per cent, which is Rs 48,000 crore. Besides, these four companies also provided loans to other IL&FS group entities accounts to Rs 26,154 crore, which is around 80 per cent of the total loan provided by the group. According to the government, in the absence of any group insolvency framework currently exisiting under Indian law, the resolution of the IL&FS group, which is spread across multiple jurisdictions and business verticals, is a taste case for "Group Insolvency" in India and represents a "watershed moment" in the relatively recent and evolving IBC laws. IL&FS group comprised of 302 entities, of which 169 entities are incorporated in India and 133 entities outside. Australia's ban on travellers from China amid the coronavirus crisis could result in job losses as the nation's tourism market plummets. The Government put a 14-day ban on foreign travellers who have left or passed through mainland China from coming to Australia - which began on February 1. The ban came as the coronavirus started spreading through the Asian nation, but the drop in tourism has been catastrophic for local businesses in Brisbane. Tourist House Souvenirs in the city's CBD has been forced to reduce staff hours amid falling profits. Tourist House Souvenirs in the city's CBD have been forced to reduce staff hours amid falling profits 'You don't want to cut anyone's hours down but you have to do what you need to do to pay for your rent and pay for your stock,' owner Kristy Nasrawi told The Courier Mail. 'We're easily down 30 per cent down so far and February has only just begun so a big, big hit. The Chinese bring in a lot of money for tourism, hospitality and retail and are the big spenders.' Nation-wide souvenir store Australia The Gift have seen profits drop by almost half in Brisbane. Manager Stephen Coleman said tourists from China make up one third of their customers. 'We're about 40 per cent down on what we would normally take because tour groups are not coming through,' Mr Coleman. Nation-wide souvenir store Australia The Gift have seen profits drop by almost half One Student, a student accommodation company Brisbane's CBD, also reported a decline in bookings because of the travel bans. CEO Tim Weston said the majority of students booked in are confident they'll be able to land when the ban has lifted. Many students who were meant to arrive from China within the last ten days have deferred. Money exchange companies have also felt the effects of the ban. Bureau de Change claimed they haven't sold any Chinese yen or Hong Kong dollars since the ban began. The federal government admitted the ban has taken a toll on the tourism industry, which is losing an estimated $1billion a week. Patients infected by the coronavirus rest at a makeshift hospital at Wuhan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, 05 February Health Minister Greg Hunt has warned the travel ban will likely be extended as the worldwide death toll surges towards 1000. 'We expect it will continue. We're not putting a timeframe on it,' the minister told The Australian. Australia currently has 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus while four Australians are among 65 newly-confirmed cases aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama in Japan. Daily Mail Australia has contacted One Student, Tourist House Souvenirs and Australia The Gift for comment. LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a short time, challenger banks have won cardholders over with their unique mobile-only banking model, differentiated from High Street offerings by touting foreign exchange features, budgeting tools, spend analytics and easy cheque splitting. But consumers aren't breaking up with High Street just yet. According to new research published by Auriemma Group, challenger banks are being used as a complement to, not a replacement for, traditional banking products. Currently, 13% of credit cardholders have a mobile-only current account with Monzo, Revolut and/or Starling. And 44% of credit cardholders without a mobile-only current account could be persuaded to switch to one. This small, but notable figure shows curiosity in the mobile-only banking model. "Challenger banks market themselves as innovators in the payments space," says Jaclyn Holmes, Director of Research at Auriemma Group. "From graphic cues like bright-coloured and vertical cards to their digitally focused approach, these banks are trying to visually and experientially differentiate themselves from their High Street counterparts." These benefits and differentiators alone, however, are not enough to instill full confidence in challenger banks. Nearly all (96%) of those who had a current account with a traditional bank prior to opening one with a mobile-only provider say that they have kept their traditional account open. There are several factors likely at play in this decision. Many who are uninterested in challenger banks express satisfaction in their current offerings (58%), prefer banks with physical locations (42%) or don't know enough about them (28%). In effect, challenger banks are charged with informing the consumer about who they are and what makes them better. While some focus on the strength of their digital offerings to make this point, others have taken innovative steps to address the perceived need for in-person service. Starling Bank, for example, partnered with the postal service to offer cash deposits in a physical location for its account holders. This partnership offers a consistent physical footprint (i.e., the post office) for the bank as traditional bank branches continue to close across the UK. While offering a physical location for some banking activities is one solution, other mobile-only providers focus squarely on self-service options. These are especially important for younger cardholders, who, according to Auriemma's research, are less likely to see branches as a critical component of the banking relationship. "Although the absence of a branch footprint is currently an obstacle for challenger banks, its importance may wane as the industry becomes more digital," says Holmes. "As the industry shifts, we can expect consumers to become more comfortable with mobile-centric banking solutions." Challenger banks cultivated enthusiasm around innovative tools and features, many of which currently exist in the High Street digital experience. It appears even basic tools could be enough to keep these cardholders from looking elsewhere. Many of those who find tools important most often cite bread-and-butter functionalities that are already a part of online banking-spend alerts, reports, and automatic transfers. "Challenger banks are bringing digital tools to the forefront of the customer experience, but consumers will continue looking to legacy providers for everyday banking needs," says Holmes. "High Street Banks have given little reason to look elsewhere, and although challengers have their merits, it's unlikely that cardholders will transition their entire banking relationship to them in the near term." Survey Methodology This Auriemma Group study was conducted online within the UK by an independent field service provider on behalf of Auriemma in November 2019, among 855 adult credit cardholders. The number of interviews completed on a monthly basis is sufficient to allow for statistical significance testing between sub-groups at the 95% confidence level 5%, unless otherwise noted. The purpose of the research was not disclosed nor did the respondents know the criteria for qualification. About Auriemma Group For more than 30 years, Auriemma's mission has been to empower clients with authoritative data and actionable insights. Our team comprises recognised experts in four primary areas: operational effectiveness, consumer research, co-brand partnerships and corporate finance. Our business intelligence and advisory services give clients access to the data, expertise and tools they need to navigate an increasingly complex environment and maximise their performance. Auriemma serves the consumer financial services ecosystem from our offices in London and New York City. For more information, visit us at www.auriemma.group or call Jaclyn Holmes at +44 (0) 207 629 0075. Canada aims to ban single-use plastics by the end of next year and that will likely include plastic bags, forks and straws, Jan. 30 Alex Ballingalls article on the banning of single-use plastics made abundantly clear the scale of the plastic waste that is produced by Canada and the need for a ban of single-use plastics. What needs to be covered, however, is the alternatives that will be available once single-use plastics have been banned. I believe that the most suitable replacements to single-use plastics lie in the alternatives that plastics were once meant to replace. Single-use plastic bottles can be replaced with glass bottles that can be sold back to the manufacturer for reuse. Single-use plastic bags already have multiple alternatives with paper bags and reusable cloth bags, both of which are already provided by some grocery stores. Additionally, it is important to help people understand the effect continual reliance on single-use plastics will have on the overall health of the public. In a study conducted in 2018 in Paris, it was discovered that micro-plastics can enter the body through the air. These micro-plastic particles can cause adverse health effects to the bodys airway and lungs; one of these potential health effects being cancer. (Photo : Screenshot From NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Official Facebook Page) solar orbiter NASA has joined forces with the European Space Agency spacecraft for an interesting mission of seeing the Sun's top and bottom. The next decade should look interesting as a Solar Orbiter rocket is tasked with a mission to take pictures from the top and the bottom of the Sun. This launch took place on Sunday Night just as the Oscars were being given away during the 2020 Academy Awards. Quite an important mission to happen low key, the Solar Orbiter illuminated the dark sky of Florida's Atlantic coast, which was a bit low-key to put the spacecraft into orbit around the scorching sun. This collaboration between NASA and the European Space Agency has become one of the most successful collaborations in space exploration in history! For now, the Solar Orbiter will make sure that its instruments are working well and prepare the necessary additional research and improvement for a full decade of more solar discoveries. Read Also: Another Fail!? Boeing Experiences another Problem with the Starliner Capsule The sun in a new perspective Have you ever noticed that we do not have many photos of the sun? This is due to the lack of equipment and preparedness for an actual mission to be launched for us to understand the sun better. The Solar Orbit is said to travel in an ecliptic way just like other planets and travel around the sun documenting the whole journey. An external complication that the Solar Orbiter has to endure The Solar Orbiter will have to cross paths with Venus after Christmas day, and this will result in Venus sucking the Solar Orbiter out of its natural rotation. We can expect this to take place around 2025, and this disorientation might even result in 17 degrees, which may cause the Solar Orbiter to get a good view of the Polar Regions. The instruments of the Solar Orbiter There are 10 specific scientific instruments that the Solar Orbiter uses, and they are used to measure the magnetic fields and particles of the solar wind. Of course, there are also high powered cameras in the mix to take extra high-quality pictures of the moon. One thing about this camera is that they have heat-resistant windows that serve as protection from extreme temperatures and harsh conditions that the Solar Orbiter may find itself in space. The partnership of NASA and the European Space Agency The tasks were divided among the two agencies as the European Space Agency took charge of creating the spacecraft along with its instruments and NASA funded the Atlas 5 rocket, which was used to launch it into space. Read Also: The Shores of the Mid-Atlantic: NASA's New Rocket Launch Site Space exploration has become a global endeavor as different agencies are working together to make sure that the extraterrestrial field is better discovered for the good of mankind in general. The sun is just one of many inter-agency collaborations, including NASA and the European Space Agency. We can look forward to many more collaborations in the future. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Samsung is due to unveil the Galaxy Z Flip here soon and prior to that theres now a new leaked ad for the phone in a Thom Browne Edition. Thom Browne is a New York City-based fashion designer and brand, which has now apparently partnered with Samsung to make a special edition version of the flippable foldable. Samsung has partnered with luxury brands before, so this isnt really anything new or entirely unexpected. Whats more intriguing is the weird advertisement for this variant of the device. Advertisement You can see the ad for the Thom Browne model of the Galaxy Z Flip in the tweet video below. Its definitely off the wall compared to most of Samsungs other ads, and feels like the weird trailer for some upcoming Christopher Nolan film. But, it is high-end fashion, so perhaps that has something to do with it. The Galaxy Z Flip Thom Browne Edition is no doubt expensive I realize the last part of that statement sounds a little ridiculous. Because lets face it the Galaxy Z Flip is already going to be an expensive device at its rumored $1,400+ cost. But take another look at the Thom Brown version. It comes in larger, more high-end packaging. It also appears to come with a case, a pair of Galaxy Buds+, and a Galaxy Watch Active 2 all with a matching Thom Browne design. Advertisement Theres even an extra watch strap. With all of that, and with the Thom Browne name, this version of the phone is likely to cost upwards of $2,000 or more. Though since this hasnt officially been announced theres also no official price for it. This isnt the first time the phone has leaked in an ad either. Just over the weekend Samsung played a full-length ad for the phone during the Oscars. It wont be a global release These sorts of special projects dont always get global coverage. The Thom Brown Edition of this phone doesnt appear to be any different. Advertisement The ad ends with a shot of the box and all of its contents. And just below that in the bottom right hand corner Samsung lists that it will only be available in certain countries. Which means it wont be available everywhere. Chances are that that has something to do with the fashion brand. It would make sense to target and release the phone in the countries where the brand itself and Samsung already have consumer reach. A US and UK launch would be no surprise. Especially since Thom Browne is a fashion brand from the US. For now though theres no official word on where you can pick this up. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law that forbids California state employees from taking taxpayer-funded business trips to expos or conferences in Texas. California adopted the sanctions in response to a 2017 Texas law allowing foster care and adoption agencies to deny services based on religious beliefs. Opponents decried the law for giving the child-placement agencies legal cover to discriminate against LGBT people and others. Supporters said the law does not have a discriminatory effect because it requires the child placement agencies, upon refusal to work with a family, to make referrals to other organizations. Paxton, in a statement Monday, called Californias ban economic warfare and an attempt to punish Texans for respecting the right of conscience for foster care and adoption providers. The law California opposes does not prevent anyone from contributing to child welfare, Paxton said. Boycotting states based on nothing more than political disagreement breaks down the ability of states to serve as laboratories of democracy while still working together as one nation the very thing our Constitution intended to prevent. A case generally has to escalate from lower courts before it reaches the Supreme Court, but the high court has exclusive jurisdiction over civil disputes between two or more states. For subscribers: California travel ban to Texas over LGBT adoption bill could spell trouble for tourism industry California lawmakers passed the ban on state-funded travel in a law, which became effective at the start of 2017. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra did not immediately respond to a request for comment. But in mid-2017, when adding Texas to the list of restricted-travel states, he said it was because California will not tolerate discrimination. The ban affects 11 states, including Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and South Carolina; one of the states, Oklahoma, has imposed a retaliatory ban on California. Discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back, Becerra said. That's why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it. For subscribers: Texas House approves bill that would allow private adoption agencies to deny adoptions based on religion The action Monday marks the latest battle between the largely liberal California and the red state of Texas in a long-running feud, which has lately been playing out not just in the political arena but more and more in federal court. Texas is leading the multi-state suit seeking to strike down the Affordable Care Act, for example, while California leads a coalition of states defending the ACA. The two states are on opposite ends of lawsuits that will determine the future of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows children of undocumented immigrants reprieve from deportation while they study and work. The Texas v. California legal clashes also underline the increasing influence of politics on the types of cases that the attorney general decides to pursue. Religious liberty has become one of Paxtons passion issues throughout his tenure. Just within the past year, he has sued the city of San Antonio for rejecting Chick-fil-A from its airport because of company leaderships anti-gay marriage views. And Paxton has said he will not defend a state agency being sued for punishing a Waco judge who wont officiate same-sex marriages because of her religious beliefs. Ricardo Martinez, CEO of Equality Texas, said the California travel ban is just one example of the economic effects that discriminatory legislation can have. He added that Texas foster children have slept in state offices for years in part because of a lack of placements. Paxtons religious liberty excuses are a false argument to continue his clear and ongoing war on LGBTQ Texans, as evidenced by the dozens of actions he has taken against our community while in office, Martinez said. WASHINGTON President Donald J. Trump has been acquitted, but some Democrats want to keep investigating the events that lead to his impeachment. Stymied in their quest for more evidence in the Senate trial, some Democrats want more answers about Trumps overtures to Ukraine and his related actions domestically. Others, including the Speaker of the House, appear wary of that approach. In fact, the question of more investigations is one the seems to divide the Connecticut congressional delegation. I think theres lots of stories that have not been told, said U.S. Rep. Jim Himes, D-4, a member of the House Intelligence Committee that lead the impeachment investigation. Congress has a duty to continue to undertake oversight. Thats not optional. Thats what we do. Were far from clear in telling the whole story. Himes noted that he wanted to hear more about the actions of the presidents personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani and the State Departments treatment of the former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine and other diplomats. In contrast, Rep. Jahana Hayes, D-5, indicated she didnt see a clear role for more investigation. I dont thats even something to consider right now, Hayes said. We did it. We presented the evidence. As things come out, I dont know what happens next. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday we have no plans for specific Ukraine actions, including subpoenaing former National Security Adviser John Bolton, whose book manuscript, that was leaked in part during the impeachment trial, contained more information about Trumps quest for political investigations from Ukraine. A spokesperson for the House Intelligence Committee declined to say the committee possesses more documents from its Ukraine investigation that it has not released yet. In January, the committee published a trove of new information that it obtained from Giuliani associate Lev Parnas, including text messages exchanged between Parnas and a Connecticut candidate for Congress. When asked Wednesday if the House Intelligence Committee has Ukraine-related documents it has not released yet, Himes said I think so, but qualified he is a little behind on what has been released and what we have. A member of the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, U.S. Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said Thursday, "All of the investigative committees are in the process of where to go from here... It's a dialogue." U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Wednesday, more oversight of Trump is needed because he believes the administration has not changed its ways. The problem is the corruption is ongoing, Murphy said. Giuliani was in Ukraine digging up more dirt in the middle of the impeachment trial. Were not going to try the president again but it doesnt mean we shouldnt be continuing our vigorous oversight. Murphy on Thursday called on the non-partisan Government Accountability Office to assess whether the Trump administration is improperly classifying documents to keep them secret. The now infamous transcript of Trumps call with the president of Ukraine in July was moved to a classified server by the administration, before it was released publicly. With their suspicions on high alert, Courtney suggested Democrats will put the administration under a microscope when military aid is distributed again this year. Certainly, as far as Ukraine is concerned, there is going to military assistance in the budget this year and I think you are going to see a push to put as many handcuffs on this administration about making sure that Rudy Giulianis agenda does not interfere with the assistance that an ally like Ukraine needs, he said. Republicans have repeatedly criticized Democrats for endless investigations, starting before the impeachment inquiry. Between the investigation of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, the impeachment inquiry and numerous other examples of Congressional oversight into Trumps campaign, businesses and governance, many Republicans feel the president has already been subjected to undue and unfair scrutiny. Trump for his part has blasted such investigations at various times as a witch hunt. I believe the American people are tired of the endless investigations and false investigations that have been coming out of the House from the beginning, said White House Counsel Pat Cipollone on Monday. It is a waste of tax dollars, it is a waste of the American peoples time, and I would argue, more importantlymost importantlythe opportunity cost of that, the opportunity cost of that. What you could be doing, what the House could be doing working with the President to achieve those things on behalf of the American people is far more important than the endless investigations, the endless false attacks, the besmirching of the names of good people. Never mind new investigations, Democrats are also waiting for answers on inquiries they issued months ago. The Supreme Court is expected to rule in March in a case involving Trumps refusal to turn over his tax returns to congressional investigators. The U.S. Court of Appeals is also expected to issue a decision in a case involving the House Judiciary Committee's fight to subpoena testimony from former White House Counsel Don McGahn. There is clearly some subpoenas that have not been litigated, McGahn in particular, who I think should testify before Congress, said U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney, D-2. Outside the courts, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., is awaiting answers from the Department of Justice about Trumps requests or lack thereof for investigations. Blumenthal and other senators are waiting to hear from the Department of Justice Inspector General about whether Attorney General William Barr had received or acted upon pressure from the president or the White House to open investigations into any individuals. Blumenthal, with Democratic Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, sent a letter demanding the inspector general investigate this question in November 2019. The letter was a follow-up after Harris made the same request of the inspect general back in May of 2019. The senators have not yet received a response, Blumenthals office said. The president has not spoken with the attorney general about having Ukraine investigate anything relating to former Vice President Biden or his son, DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said in September. The president has not asked the attorney general to contact Ukraine on this or any other matter. The attorney general has not communicated with Ukraine on this or any other subject. Nor has the attorney general discussed this matter, or anything relating to Ukraine, with Rudy Giuliani. emilie.munson@hearstdc.com; Twitter: @emiliemunson Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman listed seven indicators of recovery -- global sentiment, NIP, IIP, PMI manufacturing index, forex reserves, gross GST collection and secondary markets -- in the Indian economy. The LIC-owned IDBI Bank has met all but one parameters to exit the Reserve Bank of India's prompt corrective action (PCA) framework under which the central bank puts partial restrictions on weak banks. Popular tea cafe chain Chaayos has raised $21.5 million in an equity and debt mix (Series-B2 round) led by Silicon Valley-based investment firm Think Investments. Read for more top stories from the world of business and economy: 1. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman lists 7 green shoots in Indian economy Replying to the debate on Union Budget 2020 in Lok Sabha, Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman enumerated the seven early signs of revival in the economy namely- Global sentiment, NIP, IIP, PMI manufacturing index, forex reserves, gross GST collection and secondary markets. 2. IDBI Bank all set to shun the weak bank tag with LIC lifeline A bulk of the bank's NPAs are facing the bankruptcy proceedings where adequate provisions have been made. The bank expects to get the benefit of write-backs as and when the recovery takes place. 3. 'Very competent doctors': Nirmala Sitharaman takes dig at Manmohan Singh in Lok Sabha Comparing fiscal discipline under the Modi government with that of Manmohan Singh government (2009-2014), Sitharaman said that the previous regime had failed to contain fiscal deficit numbers. 4. Syndicate Bank Q3 net profit quadruples to Rs 434.82 crore as bad loans shrink The net interest income, the difference between interest earned and interest expended, for the December quarter of the ongoing fiscal was pegged at Rs 1,871.39 crore. 5. Chaayos raises $21.5 million in fresh round of funding; to increase store count to 300 Popular tea chain Chaayos led by Sunshine Teahouse Pvt Ltd raised $18.5 million of primary capital from Think Investments and other investors, and $3 million debt investment from InnoVen Capital in the said round. VANCOUVERLast Thursday, a plane chartered by the U.S. government to evacuate people from the epicentre of a deadly virus outbreak touched down at the Vancouver International Airport to refuel. Edward Wang and the other Canadians on board stepped off. I got off and could literally see my home, the Richmond, B.C., resident said. And smell the fresh Vancouver air. But the familiarity of home was short lived. The Canadians on the flight changed planes for their next destination Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Ontario, and the 14-day quarantine that awaited them. Four days have passed since about 215 Canadians on two different flights checked in for their stint at CFB Trentons Yukon Lodge, a hotel used by the military that is located on the base. A third plane is expected at the base Tuesday, where passengers travelling back to Canada from Wuhan, where the virus was first discovered, will also pass two weeks in quarantine. The 14 days corresponds to the maximum incubation period and the risk of contracting novel coronavirus is still considered low in Canada there are seven total confirmed cases across the country. About 70 to 80 more people who have been in the area around Wuhan in the last two weeks are entering Canada every day, following advice to get on commercial flights back to the country if they can, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada. Those individuals are being asked to self-quarantine for two weeks in their homes. So what can hundreds of civilians do on a Canadian Forces base for two weeks, especially when contact between quarantined individuals is discouraged? They may not have all the comforts of home, but the quarantined Canadians report being well provided for at CFB Trenton, located about 200 kilometres east of Toronto. Warm parkas and insulated gloves were handed out by the Red Cross for those whose available clothing was suited more to a mild Wuhan winter than a snowy Canadian one. For Myriam Larouche, a 25-year-old student from LAscension, Que., who lived and studied in Wuhan for five months before the evacuation, that was the perfect sign that she was back in her home country. I missed snow so much, she said Monday, on the fifth day of the quarantine. In videos she sent to the Star, a small pileup of the white stuff could be seen out the window of her bedroom at the Yukon Lodge, and surrounding the parking lot where she goes to walk around and get some fresh air. The quarantined Canadians were told to wear surgical masks when they do this, in case they are infected with the novel coronavirus and at risk of exposing others. The area around the lodge offered a view of mostly low concrete, buildings and bare trees. With the right attitude, it made for a pleasant walk. Finally, outside getting some fresh air. Im not the only one doing it today, Larouche said in a video sent to the Star. Its a beautiful day today. Its not too cold. Its not too sunny, but its perfect. The quarantined individuals were given plastic bags with face masks and gloves, which theyve been asked to wear whenever they leave their rooms. They also got enough toiletries and laundry detergent for their two-week stay. The rooms are simply appointed but functional and each person has their own bathroom. They have televisions to watch TV and movies Larouches favourite movie shes seen since being quarantined is Akeelah and the Bee, which she caught on TV. The rooms are also outfitted with desks, where Larouche has been keeping up with her homework despite leaving the city where her university is located. She said the food on the base has been all right. Officials bring meal boxes to her room containing a hot main course and some snacks. On Monday, Canadas chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said the Public Health Agency of Canada was working with those quarantined and the provinces theyre from to figure out how to get them back home. Some, like Edward Wang, are still a five-hour flight from where they live, despite being back in the country. Others are Canadian citizens who have been living in China a long time, Tam said, and that can make it complicated to determine what their next destination will be. Tam said it is still the plan to lift the quarantine for passengers from the first two evacuation flights after 14 days at CFB Trenton. Read more about: BEIJING The daily death toll in China from a new virus topped 100 for the first time, pushing the total fatalities above 1,000 Tuesday as the World Health Organization announced a new name for the disease caused by the virus. Despite the official end of the extended Lunar New Year holiday, China remained mostly closed for business as many remained at home, with some 60 million people under virtual quarantine. In Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced a new name for the disease caused by the virus COVID-19 saying officials wanted to avoid stigmatizing any geographic location, group of people or animal that might be linked to the disease and to make it clear it was a new coronavirus discovered in 2019. Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks, the WHO chief said, adding that the name was agreed upon by officials at WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Here are the latest developments: PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SACKED With the death toll reaching 1,016 in mainland China and no end in sight, heads are beginning to roll. While no central government-level officials have lost their jobs, state media reported Tuesday that the top health officials in Hubei province, home to the epicenter of Wuhan, have been relieved of their duties. No reasons were given, although the provinces initial response was deemed slow and ineffective. Speculation that higher-level officials could be sacked has simmered, but doing so could spark political infighting and be a tacit admission that the Communist Party dropped the ball. The virus outbreak has become the latest political challenge for the party and its leader, Xi Jinping, who despite accruing more political power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, has struggled to handle crises on multiple fronts. These include a sharply slowing domestic economy, the trade war with the U.S. and push-back on Chinas increasingly aggressive foreign policies. A total of 42,638 virus infections have been recorded on the Chinese mainland. MAJOR CHALLENGES AHEAD Zhong Nanshan, a leading Chinese epidemiologist, said that while the virus outbreak in China may peak this month, the situation at the center of the crisis remains more challenging. We still need more time of hard working in Wuhan, he said of the central Chinese city where the outbreak started. Speaking by teleconference to doctors in Wuhan, Zhong said the priority is to separate the infected from the healthy in their city. We have to stop more people from being infected, he said. The problem of human to human transmission has not yet been resolved. Without enough facilities to handle the number of cases, Wuhan has been building prefab hospitals and converting a gym and other large spaces to house patients and try to isolate them from others. RISKS OF RESTARTING BUSINESS The crossing of more grim thresholds has dimmed optimism that the near-quarantine of some 60 million people and other disease-control measures are working. The restart of business poses a risk of further spreading the virus, but China has little recourse, said Cong Liang, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, the countrys main economic planning body. Without the reopening of businesses, in the short term, it will affect the supply of medical material and in the long run, it will affect the supply of all kinds of production and life materials and will make the control and prevention efforts on the front line unsustainable. The target of defeating the epidemic will not be reached, Cong said at a news conference. HONG KONG In Hong Kong, authorities evacuated some residents of an apartment block after two cases among those living there raised suspicion that the virus may be spreading through the buildings plumbing. It was reminiscent of the SARS outbreak that killed hundreds in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The biggest number of connected cases in that outbreak were in one apartment complex where the virus spread through sewage pipes. Health officials called it a precautionary measure after a 62-year-old woman diagnosed with the virus Tuesday was found living 10 floors below a man who was earlier confirmed infected. The womans son and daughter-in-law, who live with her, were among seven new cases reported last week in the city, where a total of 49 people have been infected. The 34 households evacuated live above or below the woman and share the same sewage system. A modified toilet drainage pipe in her unit may have helped spread the virus and officials are checking if any other units have made such alterations while they disinfect the building. GLOBAL FLOW OF MAIL DISRUPTED Postal operators in the United States, China, Singapore and elsewhere said the suspension of flights to slow the virus spread was having a major impact on the global flow of letters and parcels. The United States Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it was experiencing significant difficulties in dispatching letters, parcels and express mail to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, because airlines have suspended flights to those destinations. It said the USPS said can no longer accept items destined for China until sufficient transport capacity becomes available. The Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency for postal cooperation between its 192 member countries, said the flight suspensions would impact mail delivery for the foreseeable future. The Chinese mail service, China Post, said it was disinfecting postal offices, processing centers and vehicles to ensure the virus doesnt spread via the mail and to protect postal staff. The virus does not survive for long on objects. It is therefore safe to receive postal items from China, China Post said. EVACUEES LEAVE QUARANTINE IN U.S. A group of 195 evacuees were cleared Tuesday to end a two-week quarantine at a Southern California military base where they had been staying since flying out of China. After everyone at March Air Reserve Base passed their final health screenings, they threw their face masks into the air and hugged, said Dr. Nancy Knight of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These individuals have completed their quarantine. They pose no health risk to themselves, to their families, to their places of work, to schools or their communities, she told reporters of the group, who arrived Jan. 29 aboard a chartered flight from Wuhan. They have been watched more closely than anyone else in the United States. There have been 13 confirmed cases in the United States, including seven in California. More than 460 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Of those, 135 are quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo. ___ Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London, John Leicester in Paris and Amy Taxin in Riverside, California, contributed to this report. Ford Motor Co. revealed Friday that it was shaking up its senior management team, following its announcement earlier last week of a disastrous fall in profits for 2019 and lowered earnings expectations for 2020. Ford reported on Tuesday that it had made just $47 million the previous year, down from a profit of $3.68 billion in 2018, a decline of nearly 99 percent. Fords stock price was battered in trading the following day, plunging 9.5 percent, its biggest drop in nine years. On Friday, the company announced that it was appointing Jim Farley to the role of chief operating officer, and that 53-year-old Joe Hinrichs, who had served in the role of president of the automotive unit, was retiring. While the executive shuffling was intended to placate investors, it found a sour response, with Fords share price falling a further 1 percent after the announcement Friday. Ford Motor Company Headquarters in Dearborn, Michigan. (Photo credit: Dave Parker) Fords falling profits and management shake-up herald an acceleration of its years-long restructuring efforts and corresponding attacks on workers globally. The company, along with General Motors, Fiat Chrysler, VW, Nissan and other global automakers, is seeking to make workers pay for stagnating sales and a looming economic downturn, and major investments to develop electric and autonomous vehicles. In its calculations, Ford fully expects to rely upon the cooperation of the bribed United Auto Workers union executives, who have spent decades facilitating the companys attacks on workers. Despite Fords multi-year restructuring and cost-cutting efforts, it has been relentlessly punished by Wall Street and finance capital for not implementing its jobs bloodletting with what they view as the necessary speed and ruthlessness. The companys share price has been steadily driven downward since mid-2014, despite years of record profits, and last September, the rating agency Moodys downgraded Fords credit rating to junk status. Farley, formerly president of new business, technology and strategy, is now positioned as the most likely successor to current CEO Jim Hackett, whose fate is viewed as increasingly precarious by industry analysts. Perhaps it could be nine months from now, or it could be 18 months from now, but they will make an announcement that Hackett is retiring and Farley takes over as CEO, David Whiston, an auto analyst with financial services firm Morningstar, told Yahoo Finance. Michelle Krebs, analyst at Autotrader, told the Detroit Free Press, It is no surprise that after the dismal quarterly earnings report came out that something had to giveThe launch of the new Explorer was disastrous, and Joe Hinrichs, who was in charge of manufacturing, among other things, took the fall for it. Meantime, Jim Farley won the credit for turning around Europe, so he was rewarded and looks as if he is set up to replace Jim Hackett, whenever he steps down. Farleys turnaround of Ford Europe under his leadership from 2015 to 2017 entailed a wave of cost-cutting, including buying out salaried workers and ending production of less profitable models. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal in 2016, he summed up the companys relentless drive for profit at all costs, saying, The goal is very simple. It is vibrant and sustainable profitability, that we make a return in good times and bad. The now-departed Hinrichs was also viewed by industry analysts as playing a key role in cultivating the companys particularly close relationship with the UAW. Wall Street had pressed Hinrichs to accelerate the companys job and cost-cutting plan even if this threatened a revolt by autoworkers against the UAW. Farley is likely to be a more cutthroat taskmaster, but he will encounter no more resistance from the corporatist trade union apparatus than Hinrichs did. Ford experienced the worst financial performance of the Detroit Three last year, which all saw year-over-year declines, with GMs profits down 17 percent, to $6.58 billion, and Fiat Chryslers down 9 percent, to $4.8 billion. All are engaged in a race to shed costs and jobs, as they seek to offset the effects of shrinking markets and the significant capital investments needed to dominate emerging technologies and business models. Over the last year, while General Motors has shuttered plants and slashed thousands of hourly and salaried jobs in the US, Ford concentrated the bulk of its job cuts outside the country, hammering Europe and Brazil with mass layoffs and plant closures. In Canada, Ford has slashed hundreds of jobs from its Oakville, Ontario, assembly plant, with 400 laid off just last week following the end of the production of the Flex SUV, in a warning shot aimed at the upcoming contract negotiations with Canadas Unifor union. In the 2019 labor agreement, the UAW gave Ford the greenlight to close the Romeo Engine plant, 42 miles north of Detroit, cutting 600 jobs, and the removal of higher-paid workers through so-called voluntary buyouts. The deadline to accept these packages expires in late February and early March. If Ford is not able to cull the number of legacy workers it wants, it will impose involuntary layoffs. Ford began the year by quietly rolling out layoffs at its stamping plant in Chicago Heights and has recently reduced the length of shifts at its assembly plant in Chicago. The company has been pushing for layoffs at the Chicago plant and may seek to carry them out in March, according to a recent Facebook post by UAW Local 551 Chairman Coby Millender. Much has been made in the press of the companys bungled release of the new Explorer SUV model in 2019 and its impact on profits in the latter half of the year. There have been numerous reports of the Explorer being plagued with defects, with many vehicles being shipped from Chicago Assembly, where they are produced, to Flat Rock Assembly near Detroit for repairs. A worker at Chicago Assembly described managements disorganized and chaotic implementation of production for the new model, with workers being blamed for not being able to produce a greater volume of the more complex models. They didnt distribute the work area correctly, he said. We cant keep up. I dont think management ever took that into account. I dont think they planned it out that they needed more people. The line was completely new, and so its like you had to start over again but with more complicated vehicles, and you have to push, push, push, and youre just pushing them down the line. And management doesnt want to admit they were wrong. Workers confront impossible demands for greater productivity, enforced through video cameras and other technologies sanctioned by the UAW, and a new round of mass layoffs. The news contract also allows Ford to expand the number of low-paid temps to replace higher paid legacy workers. Autoworkers can and must fight back, but it is impossible to do so through the UAW, which has long served as an arm of the companies. New organizations, rank-and-file factory committees, are required in order to defend jobs, advance workers interests and reverse the decades of concessions and givebacks. We urge workers interested in joining the fight to build rank-and-file committees to contact us today at autoworkers@wsws.org. If they build with it, solar power will come. And it will be possible because, very quietly, for the past six years inventors with three different skillsets have been creating concrete blocks that produce energy. In the past year, as their innovation got closer to market, the noise the developers made about SolaBlock, headquartered in Easthampton, got louder. Last fall, the trio Patrick Quinlan, co-founder and CEO; Jason Laverty, co-founder and COO; and Scott Longley, the chief supply chain officer built a wall with SolaBlock at Chicopee Mason Supplies. In a demonstration in October, their informational slide show was powered by the 12-foot wall, built with 56 SolaBlocks. The wall has continued to generate from 250 to 480 watts of power daily, depending on the weather. You could run 40 to 50 light bulbs off the wall, Longley says. The bigger the wall you have, the more power you can generate. Adds Quinlan, The potential is huge. He imagines what savings could be possible, for instance, when the product is used to build schools, hospitals and other commercial and municipal structures. If the sound barriers that run along 138 miles of the (Massachusetts Turnpike) were rebuilt with SolaBlock, for instance, Quinlan says, That would generate enough power to take 6,900 homes off the grid. Each of the developers has a specific role. An inventor with three decades of experience in renewable energy technology development, Quinlan, 65, knows how to create energy by accessing natural resources. He worked on General Motors Co.s EV-1, an early electric car, and he was President Bill Clintons renewable energy adviser. Three of Quinlans projects are in the Smithsonian museums, including a remote-controlled model of a flying dinosaur that achieved flight. Laverty, 42, has been a union bricklayer since 1999. Hes the one who people call when a historic steeple topples, and he has taught members of the U.S. Marine Corps how to lay blocks to build protective bunkers with the materials at hand. Longley, 49, has supply chain knowledge. Hes worked for HP, Apple and Sun Microsystems. His work with Apple included being part of the team that brought the companys first Intel-based MacPro to market. The trio is proud of the technology they are developing and fired up about the benefits. SolaBlock makes use of vertical space. It cant get covered by snow or ice, thus diminishing its effectiveness. Its economical to install and it generates electricity in the same region where it will be used. SolaBlocks look like typical concrete blocks, except each is fronted with a thin, cobalt-blue layer that provides the solar-voltaic boost. The solar units in each block interconnect to one another; as soon as a buildings walls are constructed, the blocks are activated by an electrician, and then the power possibilities begin. The developers call SolaBlock urban solar solar that is vertical and doesnt require sprawling, empty fields, solar thats built into a buildings walls. Its a way for us to utilize space that is not currently being put to a good use, Longley said. Quinlan and Laverty are distant relatives. Years ago, over a Thanksgiving dinner, Quinlan ran his idea for solar installed in concrete blocks by Laverty. Each time we talked about it, we got more excited about the idea, Quinlan says. The two met Longley while pitching their idea to River Valley Investors last spring. They have been working together since. In total, for over six years, they have been drawing on their own funds and sweat equity to develop the blocks and get them patented as intellectual property. While they didnt receive funding from the investor group, SolaBlocks inventors are in the process of seeking grants or loans from private equity funders. Last spring, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center offered a grant that provided funding to train students at Minuteman Regional Vocational High School in Lexington in the technology, build two demo walls the one in Chicopee and one in Lexington and test the product. The design was finalized with the manufacturers last fall, but its still very much a dialogue, Quinlan says. The trio needs to withstand three months of testing by Intertek to meet Underwriter Laboratories safety standards. Then the SolaBlocks will be certified for sales. When the blocks first go to market they will be available in two sizes, and later there will be five. Quinlan says they are creating a buzz in the industry. At the ribbon-cutting event in October, SolaBlocks inventors were joined by local elected officials, including Easthampton Mayor Nicole LaChapelle. They met with LaChapelle in mid-January to discuss the potential for using SolaBlock in future developments in Easthampton, but could not offer details. LaChapelle has said that one day the SolaBlock developers will be looked at as innovators, but also heroes. Schools of the future that are built using SolaBlock can save on power and generate electricity in the summer for an air-conditioned environment that could benefit the whole community, Quinlan says. Or it could run a generator in a hospital. We think its a tremendous opportunity. Equity benchmark indices bounced back on Tuesday after two days of losses as investors globally continued to weigh the economic impact of ongoing coronavirus outbreak. A slowdown in the rate of new infections provided some relief, but the market players still worried over the wider global economic impact. On the domestic front, the market sentiment was lifted by buying in metals, banks and auto stocks. At the closing bell, the BSE S & P Sensex was up by 237 points to 41,216 while the Nifty 50 ticked up by 76 points at 12,108. Except for Nifty FMCG which slipped marginally, all sectoral indices at the National Stock Exchange were in the positive terrain with Nifty metal advancing by 0.8 per cent, financial service by 0.6 per cent and auto by 0.4 per cent. Among stocks, GAIL emerged as the top winner by gaining 5.9 per cent at Rs 129 per share. JSW Steel gained by 3.8 per cent and Hindalco by 1.6 per cent. Auto major Maruti accelerated by 1.94 per cent while State Bank of India was up by 1.8 per cent. The other prominent gainers were Bharti Infratel, Power Grid Corporation of India and Adani Ports. However, Yes Bank slipped by 2 per cent to Rs 36.80 per share. Bharat Petroleum Corporation, Mahindra & Mahindra and Britannia also traded with a negative bias. Meanwhile, Asian share markets traded higher even as doubts grew about how quickly China's factories can get back to work given that the coronavirus continues to spread and deaths mount. The Shanghai Composite was up by 0.39 per cent while Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged by 1.26 per cent. South Korea's Kospi gained by about 1 per cent. Japan's Nikkei was closed for a holiday. The total number of deaths in China has topped 1,000, well past the toll from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 worldwide. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shocking footage has revealed the moment a school bus overturned after a Mustang driver sped through a red light and the two vehicles collided. Terrified students can be heard screaming as they try to find their footing and get out of the vehicle after the smash in Perry County, Ohio. However bus driver Danny Hupp, 74, remains calm throughout the incident and helps direct the 25 children out and onto the road. Dramatic footage shows the moment a school bus was overturned and 25 students sent sliding into the wall after a crash in Ohio In a clip released by the Ohio State Highway Patrol of the December 19 incident the students are seen looking at their phones and sitting quietly on the drive. However they are then hit by a Ford Mustang at the intersection of State Route 13 and State Route 204. The passengers are thrown into the air and pushed against the side walls as the vehicle turns over and slams back to the road on its side. The students try to hold onto their seats as they come to a rest again and start screaming in terror at the scary crash. The students are first seen sitting calmly on both sides of the vehicle as they are driven home in the footage Despite the shock, bus driver Mr Hupp remains calm and in his seat, assessing the situation before he starts helping instruct the children. He then makes sure all of the students safely get off the bus and then makes his own way down the overturned vehicle towards the back exit. Student Ayden Lutz told ABC6: 'We were pretty lucky, honestly. The whole front end of the bus was basically in pieces. The bus was hit by a Ford Mustang after the car's driver ran a red light, with the impact sending the students flying Bus driver Danny Hupp, 74, kept everybody calm and gave instructions for the students to move towards the back door and get out of the bus 'I just remember the bus sliding to the left and it flipped me, hitting the ceiling.' Eight of the students and Mr Hupp were taken to hospital after the crash, but none suffered serious injuries. The driver of the Ford Mustang, Joseph Thornton, 42, who ran the light was also taken to hospital and said to have serious injuries, reports Sky News. Speaking after the incident, troopers said he had been driving on a suspended licence and the case has been referred to the Perry County Prosecutor. A supporter of the Aam Aadmi Party shouts slogans while others listen to a speaker as they gather to celebrate initial results showing the party in the lead, at their party office in New Delhi. (Image: AP) Technology at times transcends reality to extents that arent imaginable. While it ends up defying reality, it isnt always positive -- sometimes it can take a really dark trajectory -- somethings weve seen in shows like Black Mirror. However, now we have a real-life instance that can be perfect for another Black Mirror episode. MBC A Korean television show has used VR to reunite a mother, Jang Ji-sung, with her deceased seven-year-old daughter Nayeon, who passed away due to an unnamed disease. Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation created a realistic-looking VR simulation of the daughter that would talk with her mother, in a digital VR space, calling the episode Meeting You. Initially, the mother was hesitant to touch the simulation in the VR space, however, later the simulated daughter asks her to hold her hand to which she agreed to. The creators looked at even the slightest elements in detail to make sure she looked just like she used to. Her mothers first words when she sees her simulation, Oh my pretty, I have missed you, as she is stroking the digital simulation and weeping. She was equipped with a Vive VR headset, along with touch-sensitive gloves that make the experience close to real. The girl is seen playing and talking to her mother questions like whether she misses her or if she ever thinks about her, to which her mother responds I do it all the time. MBC During the video, the girl runs up to her mother and gives her a flower, saying, Mother, you can see that I'm not hurting anymore, right? As the nine-minute episode ends, the daughter says shes feeling tired and lays down to sleep, with the mother bidding farewell. Jang shared about this experience in a blog post, stating, Three years later, I now think I should love her more than miss her and feel sick so that I can be confident when I meet her later. I hope many people will remember Nayeon after watching the show. Volunteers in Beijing take part in the prevention and control work of the novel coronavirus epidemic. [For Women of China] Although not medical workers on the frontline of combating the novel coronavirus, women volunteers from across the country have made great efforts such as provision of free publicity, registration and inspection, and contributed to the prevention and control in the vast hinterlands of the ongoing battle against the epidemic since its outbreak in Wuhan, the capital city of Central China's Hubei Province. Women volunteers in Beijing are preoccupied with community-level prevention work. Their tasks include speaking with local people about healthy tips from door to door, comprehensive inspections of the flow of people in residential compounds, and looking out for and reporting any suspected cases to health authorities. Women in Huzhou, a city in East China's Zhejiang Province, have volunteered to publicize information about the novel coronavirus prevention. They urged local people to minimize outdoor activities, wear facial masks, maintain personal hygiene, and not visit relatives and friends during Spring Festival holiday. For their part, women volunteers in rural areas of Quzhou, another city in Zhejiang, have conducted door-to-door visits to local elderly people, women and children, publicizing the knowledge about the prevention and control of coronavirus epidemic, and made phone calls and sent brochures to their neighbors. Women volunteers in Tonggu, a county in East China's Jiangxi Province, took milk, fruit and bread to on-duty police officers, traffic police and medical workers on the frontline of battling the novel coronavirus epidemic. The association of women volunteers in Xiaogan, a city in Hubei, has raised fund among local citizens and enterprises for frontline medical treatment. Apart from conducting inspections and registration of returnees and new residents, women volunteers in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality and Sichuan Province have called on locals to strengthen personal protection, keep good hygiene and healthy habits, ensure stable commodity prices, and say no to rumors on their own initiative. Similar actions have been taken by women volunteers in Anhui, Hunan, Hainan and Shaanxi provinces during the Spring Festival holiday. Volunteers in East China's Zhejiang Province conduct door-to-door visits to explain epidemic control to local residents. [For Women of China] Volunteers in Tonggu County, East China's Jiangxi Province, visit local on-duty police officers and medical workers on the frontline of combating the deadly virus. [For Women of China] Volunteers in Southwest China's Sichuan Province publicize epidemic control work. [For Women of China] Volunteers in South China's Hainan Province distribute brochures about the novel coronavirus. [For Women of China] (Women of China) Election May Offer Nation the Choice It Needs Commentary As the phantom candidacy of Joe Biden sinks slowly, lifelessly to the ground, the question increasingly on Democrats minds is not only which of their shrinking band of candidates can beat President Donald Trump but which of them can even stagger to the finish line. Of their remaining front liners, Pete Buttigieg is too young and cocky, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is too old and phony, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) too dowdy, Andrew Yang too weird. What remains are two outsiders, each of whom bears only a tangential relationship to the Democratic Party: opportunistic plutocrat Mike Bloomberg, a Democrat-turned-Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat; and democratic socialist Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), with no major party affiliation. Amazing as it sounds, one of those two is likely to be the nominee. Although tipped as the frontrunner by a compliant media, Biden, all bluster and no brains, was never a serious candidate: He has failed every time he has sought an office higher than senator from Delaware, with the sole exception of the vice presidency, bequeathed to him by President Barack Obama. True, Biden had name recognition, and polled well in the black community, thanks to his association with Obama. But of smarts, charisma, intelligence, accomplishment, and just plain common sense, Biden has none. He will not be the nominee. Indeed, his only usefulness was during the sham impeachment proceedings against the president. Having failed to celebrate Mueller Time as they had hoped during the Russian-collusion hysteria, the Democrats needed another proximate cause to damage Trump before the campaign season began in earnest. And so in desperation they seized upon Trumps harmless July 25, 2019, phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, in which he asked Zelensky for help in investigating possible wrongdoing by Biden and his neer-do-well son, Hunter. Aha! They cried: Trump solicited a foreign power to dig up dirt on a political rival! Never mind that the Joe Biden of last summer was already a Potemkin Village of a candidate, all hair and teeth and no substance. The Democrats had to prop him up in order to make their charges against Trump stick. They failed. Instead, the real buzz has long belonged to a far more formidable opponent: Bernie Sanders. The blustering Brooklynite isnt even a registered Democrat but these days that hardly mattersTrump didnt finally settle on the GOP as his political affiliation until 2012, having switched parties multiple times since 1987. Like Trump, Sanders is a political outsider who doesnt need a party to spread his message via a mesmerized and, in his case, adoring media. In 2016, Trump effected a hostile takeover of the Republican Party, demolishing more than a dozen party stalwarts, including the dynastic hulk, Jeb Bush. Sanders would have done the same to the Democrats in 2016, except that the Democrats rallied around their own Jurassic candidate, Hillary Clinton, and euchred Sanders out of the nomination that rightfully should have been his. Now hes back, for what he knows will be his final shot at the nomination. At 78, and having recently suffered a heart attack on the campaign trail, Sanders is five years older than Trump, and would far and away be the oldest man ever elected to the White House should he go all the way. He would also be the first openly socialistsome might say communistcandidate ever to win the White House. The mainstream Democrats know this, too, which is why the party regulars are so desperately trying to stop him. To them, a Sanders candidacy would be an unabashed disaster, as Americans time and again overwhelmingly tell pollsters that they wont vote for socialism. Sanders, they think, would get slaughtered by Trump in the general election, especially in the Electoral College. Insiders are hoping against hope that Klobuchar, the least controversial of their mainstream candidates, might turn out to be the silver bullet, but so far shes failed to catch fire. Nor will she. So Mike Bloomberg is their last, best hope. The pint-sized Bostonian, 77, was an effective mayor of New York City in the post-Giuliani years but hes already backpedaled on his successful, but now anathema to radical Democrats, stop-and-frisk policing policies that disarmed young, mostly black and Hispanic, criminals before they had a chance to use their illegal weapons. A dedicated opponent of the Second Amendment, Bloomberg also plays to the Democrats anti-gun mania, which gives him a leg up on Sanders, whose home state of Vermont is one of the most gun-friendly in the country. If Bloomberg becomes the stop-Sanders candidate, we could be looking at three geriatrics battling for the White House going into the conventions. They have a lot in common. Two of them are immensely wealthy (although Bloombergs personal fortune dwarfs Trumps); two of them were born in New York City outer boroughs (Sanders and Trump), and the other was its mayor; two of them (Sanders and Bloomberg) are Jewish running in a country that has never elected a Jewish president. And yet this, perhaps, is the choice the nation needs. For the Democrats, the party of the little guy, running Bloomberg, one of the richest men in the world at the top of their ticket seems like the height of hypocrisy; that hes also a lifestyle bully and anti-constitutionalist makes him even more of a difficult sell. But hes likely the only thing standing between them and the Bernie Brigades. The young, radical Democrats have fallen in love with Sanders and will be furious if they think hes been cheated again out of whats rightfully his: the opportunity to go up against the hated Donald Trump. A TrumpSanders race, however, at least would be honest, and would give Americans a real choice. A stark contrast between gilded capitalism and redistributive democratic socialism. America First vs. America Last. Socialists have been trying to put one of their own in the White House for more than a century: This is their chance to finally put up, or shut up. Lets hope the Democrats give it to us so we can settle this ideological argument once and for all. Michael Walsh is the author of The Devils Pleasure Palace and The Fiery Angel, both published by Encounter Books. @dkahanerules Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times. French English Paris, February 11, 2020 6 p.m. Fiscal 201-2020 third quarter revenue up 8.9 percent Growth of 4.3% in France International business up 14.4 percent Confirmation of Guidance The SII engineering consulting group has released its revenue figures for the third quarter of fiscal 2019/2020. Management board chairman Eric Matteucci commented that: The dynamic first half growth of the SII group continued, resulting in revenue of 499.85m for the first three quarters". SII group global performance was again good in the third quarter. Business was driven internationally thanks to the Group's geographic diversification strategy. SII group growth remains in line with its development program. We are therefore confident of meeting our announced annual targets." In m 3rd quarter (to December 31) 2018-2019 2019-2020 Change Organic growth* First quarter revenue 147.61 162.57 +10.1% +10.4% Second quarter revenue 148.04 163.33 +10.3% +10.5% Third quarter revenue 163.16 173.95 +6.5% +6.7% Nine-month revenue 458.81 499.85 +8.9% +9.1% Of which : France 247.82 258.47 +4.3% +4.3% Of which : International 210.99 241.38 +14.4% +14.7% * Excluding acquisitions and the effect of exchange rates (2018-2019 exchange rates applied to 2019-2020 revenue) Dynamic teams and client confidence allowed the SII group revenue to post three quarter revenue of 499.85m (+8.9%). Growth continues both in France and internationally with revenue up 4.3% and 14.4%. Third quarter revenue was 173.95m, a rise of 6.5% year on year. Business driven growth in the first three quarters SII group revenue in France was 258.47m in the first three quarters of the fiscal year (+4.3%). Final quarter business produced revenue totaling 89.27m (-0.6% on Q3 2018-2019). The business environment for the sector in France, combined by one less billing day than in the previous period, impacted business but did not compromise the Group's global prospects. Growth also continued internationally to generate 241.38m in revenue (+14.4% on the first three quarters 2019-2020). Business over the quarter rose 15.3% year on year to 84.67m thanks to strong business in: Poland (+24.4%), Romania (+30.6%), Chile (+35.0%), Canada (+39.9%), Morocco (+19.7%) and Colombia (+14.7%). Germany stabilized over the quarter (+1%) but there was a decline in Spain (-4.8%), the Netherlands (-7.5%), Czech Republic (-13.9%) and Belgium (-19.5%). Outlook for fiscal 2019-2020 Considering the business and financial performance of the first nine months, the SII Group specifies its objectives for 2019-2020: A revenue of between 685 million and 695 million, representing 8.5 to 10% growth; An increase in operating profit of the same rate. *** Next financial announcement: Fiscal 2019-2020 revenue, Tuesday, May 12, 2020 after the close of trading - Contacts: SII - Eric Matteucci - +33 (0)1.42.84.82.22 Media relations: CIC Market Solutions - Stephanie Stahr - +33 (0)1.53.48.80.57 - To receive all our press releases, register on our website: www.groupe-sii.com Compartment B of Euronext Paris LEI: 96950044FWV7YEJCKR65 About SII As a trusted technology partner, SII provides high value-added solutions for the IT projects of many large corporations. It relies on a staff of expert engineers and on methods at the cutting edge of quality standards to carry out its activities in: - Technology Consulting (IT, electronics and telecommunications) - Digital Services (IT technology and networks) SII has opted for a corporate structure that offers the responsiveness and flexibility associated with local-level services, with nine regional offices in France and eighteen more in other countries on four continents, all of which have access to all of the Groups operational resources and can provide effective services to major corporations international operations. The SII Group posted revenue of 631.4m in fiscal 2018-2019, which ended March 31, an increase of 12.6 % percent (of which 13.1% in organic growth), and has been expanding its operations and its growth has outpaced that of other firms in its sector. ATTACHMENT: Revenue by quarter In m Q1 2019-2020 Q2 2019-2020 Q3 2019-2020 Nine months 2019-2020 France 85.52 83.68 89.27 258.47 Change of which organic growth* +7.0% +7.0% +7.3% +7.3% -0.6% -0.6% +4.3% +4.3% International operations 77.05 79.66 84.67 241.38 Change of which organic growth* +13.9% +14.4% +13.7% +14.1% +15.3% +15.6% +14.4% +14.7% SII Group total 162.57 163.34 173.94 499.85 Change of which organic growth* +10.1% +10.4% +10.3% +10.5% +6.5% +6.7% +8.9% +9.1% *: excluding the impact of the years acquisitions and exchange-rate fluctuations (previous years exchanges rates applied to current years revenue) Attachment A man who telephoned and harassed his girlfriend with almost 6,000 phone calls has been jailed for 21 months. Kevin Dunleavy pleaded guilty at Letterkenny Circuit Court in Co. Donegal of carrying out the tirade of abuse against partner Caoimhe Crossan during what was described in court as a "toxic relationship." Over a three-month period from March until June in 2019, 33-year-old Dunleavy made 5,757 telephone calls to Ms Crossan. Dunleavy became so obsessed with his girlfriend, who is also the mother of his son, that he forced her to take her phone everywhere with her so he knew where she was. He even called on her on Facetime and made her scan the place she was so he knew exactly where she was. He pleaded guilty to a number of charges including coercive control, harassment and making threats to damage property. In what is the first successful prosecution of coercive control in the country, Judge John Aylmer sentenced the accused to a total of two-and-a-half years but suspended the final nine months of the sentence. Coercive control is the way an abusive person, currently or previously an intimate partner, gains and maintains power and control over another person by subjecting them to psychological, physical, sexual, emotional or financial abuse, regardless of gender or sexuality. Detective Garda Darren Carter had revealed family and friends of Ms Crossan, a mother of three, were genuinely fearful for her safety from Mr Dunleavy. He gave a detailed account of a number of incidents in which the accused threatened and attacked Ms Crossan. On one occasion he came into the Travellers Inn in Milford and pulled her out by the collar of her jumper and gave her a severe beating, including several punches to the head. He also burnt her clothes and broke her hair straighteners to prevent her from going out. The couple had known each other since they were both 14 years old and had been going out since 2012. In her victim impact statement to court, Ms Crossan said the first four years of the relationship were good and that Dunleavy was a good partner and father. However, he became possessive and he also began to cheat on her. During the spate of harassment, Ms Crossan went to stay in a hotel so Dunleavy could not find out where she was. He telephoned her and threatened her and the recordings of his threats were played in court. 'Mark my words, I'll get you tomorrow night' In the chilling calls, Dunleavy is heard screaming to Ms Crossan "Ill kill you, I'll kill you stone dead. I'll cut your throat out. I'll get you. Mark my words, I'll get you tomorrow night." On June 9 last, Gardai arrested Dunleavy. However, when being questioned the accused closed his eyes and refused to answer any questions. Sgt Carter added that he believed that there was a genuine threat that Dunleavy would cause serious harm to Ms Crossan. He said the accused had a total of 121 previous convictions for various offences including drugs, burglary and also breaching barring orders as well as a raft of traffic offences. However, barrister for Dunleavy, Mr Peter Nolan asked Sgt Carter if he was aware that Ms Crossan had visited the accused in prison on several occasions and even given him 100. He also said that he had a "love letter" from Ms Crossan to Mr Dunleavy given to him in prison in which she signed off "I love you, lots of love, your sweetness, Caoimhe." Sgt Carter said he was not aware of this but suggested this could be a sign of the coercive control which Ms Crossan was experiencing. Taking to the witness stand, the accused admitted his guilt to the offences and also confessed that he had got involved with another woman during his relationship with Ms Crossan. Its your fault the relationship broke down?, asked Mr. Nolan. Yes, the accused responded. He said he had last seen his son in January and had been scheduled to see him on one particular occasion but the date had been changed by Tusla. Ms Crossan had visited him in prison, he indicated, and had sent him an assortment of clothing items. 'The relationship is over' But he told the court: The relationship is over. In my last call to her, I told her I wanted nothing more to do with her. Mr Nolan read out details of the Probation and Welfare report on his client and agreed that it was not very positive where Mr Dunleavy was concerned. His client planned to leave Donegal and go to work in Dublin. Passing sentence, Judge Aylmer said it was clear from the probation report that Dunleavy had a number of difficulties. However, he added that he has been a model prisoner and that he was using his time in prison well. He sentenced him to a total of two-and-a-half years but suspended the last nine months of the sentence. He also ordered Dunleavy to stay off drink and drugs and stay out of Donegal unless for court appearances or to have scheduled access to his son. He also ordered him to undertake whatever domestic violence courses he was offered while in prison. Stephen Mangan has admitted he's 'bracing himself for more abuse' from fans ahead of The Split's second series, revealing that viewers question him in the street over his character's cheating. The London-based actor, 51, portrays barrister Nathan Stern in the hit BBC legal drama, which seems him betraying his wife Hannah, played by Nicola Walker. He appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning alongside his co-star Annabel Scholey, 36, who plays his sister-in-law on the programme, which returns this evening at 9pm. Speaking to presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, Stephen admitted that his character's shady antics have seen viewers express their disappointment in the actor in real life. Scroll down for video Stephen Mangan (pictured) has admitted he's 'bracing himself for more abuse' from fans ahead of The Split's second series after viewers questioned him in the street over his character's cheating scandal The 51-year-old London-based actor portrays barrister Nathan Stern in the hit BBC legal drama, which seems him having an affair on his wife Hannah (played by Nicola Walker) (pictured together) 'I got a lot of grief actually because when my character started out, he seemed quite a normal, very loyal, fun, maybe slightly boring husband,' explained Stephen. 'And then it was discovered that I was on a list, one of those dating websites, sort of adultery websites, and I had people, lots of people, coming up to me in the street saying how could you cheat on Nicola Walker.' He continued: 'People were very upset with me, so I'm bracing myself for more abuse.' The Split, helmed by award-winning writer Abi Morgan and executive producer Jane Featherstone, is set in the fast-paced, messy world of Londons high-end divorce lawyer circuit. It follows the three Defoe sisters, Hannah (Nicola Walker), Nina (Annabel Scholey) and Rose (Fiona Button) and their formidable mother Ruth (Deborah Findlay). Stephen appeared on Good Morning Britain this morning alongside his co-star Annabel Scholey (pictured) who plays his sister-in-law on the programme Speaking to presenters Kate Garraway and Ben Shephard, Stephen (above) admitted that his character's shady antics had seen viewers express their disappointment in the actor in real life At the end of the first series, which averaged 5.7 million viewers, Hannahs formerly rock-solid marriage was beginning to crack following the devastating revelation of Nathans affair. The second series begins three months after the first, despite the debut season airing two years ago. Speaking about the decision to make more episodes, Stephen said: 'If you're going to make a second series you have to top the first series. 'You have to do something as good if not better, otherwise what's the point of coming back?' The Split airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight. For the past month, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex have been enjoying life outside of the spotlight. After stepping away from their roles as working members of the British royal family, the public and press are no longer privy to the Sussexes every move. Since Megxit the duke and duchess have been living a fairly stress-free life on Vancouver Island in Canada where theyve become relative homebodies, spending time with their son, Archie, and planning this new phase of their life. Though their break from the royal family was shocking the royals have come around in support of the Sussexes. The duo has also said that though they are no longer working royals, they will always support the queen and uphold the legacy of The Crown, In fact, Queen Elizabeth just requested that Markle and Prince Harry return to the U.K. for a royal event. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have promised to always support the queen When they initially announced Megxit the duke and duchess hoped to work as part-time royals. Unfortunately, that was not really possible. Instead, the pair have stepped away from their royal duties completely. However, though they are no longer senior royals Markle and Prince Harry have decided that they still have a duty to Queen Elizabeth and the royal family. We intend to step back as senior members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen, they said in a statement. It is with your encouragement, particularly over the last few years, that we feel prepared to make this adjustment. We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages. Later, after the details of their split were finalized, Prince Harry said in a speech that he had the utmost respect for his grandmother and is incredibly grateful for the support his family has shown him in recent months. This is how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been making money Though Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are setting up their charity, and the duchess is actively looking for an agent and manager to represent her finding their footing financially is going to take a bit of time. Still, after paying the $3 million back to taxpayers for the renovations of their U.K. home, Frogmore Cottage, the Sussexes are already adding to their personal $30 million net worth. Last week, Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex flew to Miami where the duke spoke at a JP Morgan event. The princes speech to 425 bankers was about facing his grief after the death of his mother. While in Miami the pair stayed at Markles best friends Serena Williams estate and dined with Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez. The Sunday Times is reporting that the Sussexes were paid $1 million (760,000) for the speech though nothing has been confirmed. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are required to do this royal event Though the Sussexes are in charge of their own lives they are still members of the British royal family. As a result, when the queen calls, they answer. It looks like the duo will be headed back to the U.K. next month. According to the Sunday Times, Queen Elizabeth has requested their return for the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey in London on March 9. The event is a part of the final round of engagements the Sussexes are committed to before they fully begin their new royal life. They will attend the service as president and vice-president of the Queens Commonwealth Trust. The British press and public arent exactly pleased about Megxit so we shall see how the Sussexes are received in one of their last official royal events. In context: As larger companies buy up more and more smaller firms, it becomes increasingly important for watchdogs to keep tabs on acquisitions. That's why the FTC has initiated a study into several major players in the tech industry. It wants to see how these corporations handle smaller takeovers that are not subject to governmental oversight. On Tuesday, the US Federal Trade Commission opened an antitrust investigation into several tech companies, including Microsoft, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Google, and the latters parent company Alphabet. The probe is looking into the firms acquisitions over the past several years. Specifically, the FTC is focussing on buyouts that were not required to be reported to the Commission and other agencies by the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Act. Under the HSR Act, companies must file paperwork with the FTC and the Department of Justice before completing mergers or buyouts. The filings are used to determine whether they are anticompetitive or not. Many smaller mergers are not bound by HSR rules. Digital technology companies are a big part of the economy and our daily lives, said FTC Chair Joe Simmons. "This initiative will enable the Commission to take a closer look at acquisitions in this important sector, and also to evaluate whether the federal agencies are getting adequate notice of transactions that might harm competition. This will help us continue to keep tech markets open and competitive, for the benefit of consumers. Not all acquisitions are required to file under the HSR Act, only those that meet a specific value must file. The FTC will audit all past transactions since January 1, 2010. It said that it is not looking to bring law enforcement actions against the companies, but rather to gain an insight into how the firms handle mergers and takeovers. The study will focus on smaller pickups that are not subject to HSR scrutiny. Among other things, the Commission seeks insight into how smaller companies perform after being bought out. While it says it is not looking for a reason to slap any of the companies with fines or other penalties, should it stumble across any flagrant violations, it will likely take appropriate action. The firms have been issued Special Orders, requiring them to turn over any information or documentation related to unreported acquisitions. The FTC did not state a deadline for the submission of such materials. Masthead credit: Mark Van Scyoc via Shutterstock Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 04:32:49|Editor: yan Video Player Close by Nick Kolyohin JERUSALEM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of international diamond industry representatives have gathered and expressed worries about the profit prospects at the International Diamond Week in Israel. The event is held from Monday to Wednesday at the Israel Diamond Exchange located in the Israeli central city of Ramat Gan, where is a complex of buildings that is considered to be one of the leading diamond industry centers of the world. Ramat Gan mayor, Carmel Shama Hacohen, expressed his vision at the opening ceremony about expanding of Israel's diamond district with new massive, advanced buildings to be added to the current ones. About 200 exhibitors and 300 business buyers of diamonds from around 20 countries arrived at the convention. It is the largest of Israel's annual event in the diamond industry. Among participants were diamond leaders from around the world, including presidents of main diamond bourses and heads of leading companies and organizations in the field. President of Russian diamond giant Alrosa, Sergey Ivanov, said at the event during his keynote speech that last year was very challenging to the diamond industry. He mentioned the negative circumstances, like "global financial and economic instability, continuous geopolitical tensions, trade wars." Furthermore, shifts at the diamond industry itself accrued, including "structural changes in jewelry sales, technological advancements, and of course, evolving perception of a new generation of consumers." The technological innovation didn't pass the diamond industry, and after many years of development, the lab-grown diamonds become a real alternative to the mined diamonds. Diamonds produced by humans are cheaper, conflict-free, mining free. Their production chain would make it more difficult for criminals or militias to use that precious material to finance atrocities. During the festive event, participants from the traditional diamond industry spoke about the emerging competition of artificial diamonds as not a critical threat to the established business. The overall attitude to human-made diamonds was like fake diamonds, not the real thing, a synthetic, shining invention that can't possess the heritage and the symbolism of the original, rare, and hard to find natural material. "Though we believe that lab-grown diamonds will not affect our product in the long term, and blend in its own niche, it's of crucial importance to take actions aimed at clear differentiation between natural diamonds and the laboratory-grown ones," stressed Ivanov. World Federation of Diamond Bourses president Ernie Blom told Xinhua that he is happy with the 2019 diamond jewelry turnover of 87 billion U.S. dollars, and in 2020 he hopes it could be higher. But some other participants expressed worries about the industry situation. The diamond export from Israel reduced by 20 percent in 2019, said in an interview with Xinhua, Boaz Moldawsky chairman of the Israel Diamond Institute. Moldawsky stressed that Israel is a leading country in the diamond industry, with seven-billion-U.S. dollar deals in 2019. During the event, exhibitors showed merchandise total worth around one billion U.S. dollars, stated the organizers. The primary purpose of the convention is to bring more new clients and deals to the Israel Diamond Exchange. The market based on the trust gained over time fueled with face-to-face meetings. Chairman of the International Diamond Week Ezra Boaron told Xinhua that he believes buying natural diamonds is a way to express values of family and marriage. On the contrary, the keynote speaker at the event Martin Rapaport, president of the Rapaport Group, debated if the young generation would continue to see and cherish the traditional values of the mined diamonds. Rapaport even argued how the less willingness of the young generation to get married would affect the power of the diamond industry negatively. He concluded that the meaning of diamonds meaning is in their worth, natural scarcity, and emotional value that brings financial value. The young people are more aware of their shopping environmental footprint. They genuinely care about the impacts of what they buy on the world and humanity. Diamond consumers are getting more and more interested in the origin of diamond jewelry. The flow of information allows a better understanding of the world. "They want to be sure it is non-conflict, responsibly sourced, provides a benefit to society, that human rights at every stage of pipeline are duly respected, environment and people not harmed," stressed Ivanov. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 18:07 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063daabd 1 National IS-returnees,IS-sympathizers,mahfud-md,Islamic-State,terrorism,terrorism-in-Indonesia,terrorists Free The government has decided not to repatriate Indonesian citizens who joined the Islamic State (IS) movement, Coordinating Legal, Political and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD announced. He said President Joko Jokowi Widodo and the Cabinet made the decision because the interests of the hundreds of millions of citizens in the country outweighed those of the 689 who, he said, had become foreign terrorist fighters in Syria and Turkey. The government and the state has to ensure that the 267 million people in Indonesia are safe from the threat of terrorism, Mahfud said after a Cabinet meeting at the Bogor Presidential Palace in West Java on Tuesday. If these foreign terrorist fighters come back they can become a new virus that makes those 267 million people feel unsafe. Jokowi expressed his personal objection to the repatriation proposal last week, but said that the final decision would be made after meeting with the Cabinet. Read also: 'If you asked me, I'd say no': Jokowi personally against repatriation of Indonesian IS members Mahfud said the government would nevertheless collect data about the numbers and identities of the citizens who had allegedly joined IS and that young children might be repatriated, depending on their circumstances. Children under 10 will be considered on a case-by-case basis: for example, if they have parents there or not, he said. He added that the Cabinet did not discuss the citizenship status of the IS supporters during the meeting. The main thing is that the [IS supporters] will not come home because we want to provide a feeling of safety for all the people who are here, he said, explaining that the government wants to protect the nation from the 'terrorist virus'. By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijans trade turnover with its southern neighbour Iran increased by 11 percent year-on-year in 2019, amounting to $500 million, Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said on February 11. "Iranian entrepreneurs invested $3.5 billion in Azerbaijani economy. In addition, 1,614 Iranian companies operate in industry, construction, agriculture and other sectors in Azerbaijan, the official said while addressing the event on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran held in Baku. Mustafayev also said that last year, 400,000 tons of cargo was transported through the North-South international transport corridor, which is 45 percent higher than the same indicator in 2018. He also mentioned that flights are carried along the Baku-Tehran, Baku-Tabriz and Baku-Mashhad routes. Futhermore, he emphasized that Iran was one of the first countries that condemned the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories. The fair position shown by Iran regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is fully consistent with the spirit of ties between the two peoples, Mustafayev said. He noted that Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Iran in both bilateral and multilateral formats. Activities of bilateral working groups played a large role in the development of Azerbaijan-Iran ties, adding that mutual trust promotes mutual investment, he mentioned. For his part, Irans Ambassador to Azerbaijan Javad Jahangirzadeh said that relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are at the highest level. He noted that numerous contracts signed between the two countries as well as joint projects in the field of economy, trade, industry, agriculture, education and tourism, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, confirm the potential for developing relations. Iran wants to have good relations with all neighboring countries. Based on common religious, cultural and historical ties, I can say that the Iranian-Azerbaijani brotherhood and friendship is eternal. Sincere relations between President Ilham Aliyev and President Hassan Rouhani are a strong foundation for relations between the two countries, Iranian ambassador noted. Jahangirzadeh added that there are innumerable indicators proving the strengthening and development of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan. Iran is the country most visited by Azerbaijani citizens, and this fact is an indicator of fraternal relations between the two peoples. Mutual visits by officials of both countries, extensive trade relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are an indicator of relations at the highest level, he stressed. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 00:33:29|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Forty-eight percent of German voters believe that the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party would be part of the federal or a state government in the next ten years, according to a survey conducted by the market research institute YouGov on behalf of the German Press Agency (dpa) and published on Tuesday. Only 29 percent of survey respondents expected the AfD not to be part of a government by 2030, the online survey of more than 2,000 German voters found. According to the survey, 59 percent said the AfD should not be part of either the federal or a state government, while 19 percent said participation at both federal and state level would be "alright." Following the political backlash after the election of Thomas Kemmerich of the Free Democratic Party (FDP) as the first premier of the state of Thuringia with the support of AfD votes, Germany's center parties are fiercely debating how to deal with the left and the right parties. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has had to intervene from her visit to Africa, saying that the Thuringia vote had to be reversed. Since then, the governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) saw party leader Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer step down. According to the YouGov survey, 54 percent of Germans said that the events in Thuringia had "damaged their trust in democracy." For 34 percent, the AfD was the main beneficiary of the events surrounding the election in Thuringia, the survey noted. The governing coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party (SPD), on the other hand, was considered beneficiaries of Kemmerich's election by only three percent each. Asked which German parties had been "harmed" by the Thuringia vote, 28 percent of respondents named the FDP, 26 percent the CDU and six percent the AfD, according to the YouGov survey. The survey was conducted just before Kramp-Karrenbauer announced on Monday that she was not planning to run for the chancellorship in Germany and would resign as CDU party leader. Chinese smartphone maker Huawei has confirmed that its first smartphone made without access to Google apps will be released in the UK later this month. The Mate 30, which goes on sale for 899 on February 20 in the UK, was originally revealed in September last year. But it did not receive a UK release date due to its inability to support Google Mobile Services apps such as YouTube, Gmail and Maps. Huawei was unable to support Google's full suite of apps on the Mate 30 because of trade restrictions placed on the company by the US. The US effectively blacklisted Huawei in May last year amid ongoing allegations that the company is a threat to American national security which Huawei has denied. The new Mate 30 Pro will therefore launch in the UK with EMUI 10, Huaweis own smartphone operating system based on Android 10. A Huawei Mate 30 Pro smartphone on display in a Huawei brand store at the Aviapark shopping mall in Russia. Mate 30 Pro became the first Huawei smartphone to go without Google Mobile Services 'We are delighted to bring the Mate 30 Pro, a device which unleashes the full potential of the smartphone, to the UK,' said Anson Zhang, managing director of Huawei's UK consumer business group. 'Huawei prides itself on delivering stand-out experiences for our customers and the Mate 30 Pro is the ultimate expression of that philosophy, redefining what is possible on a smartphone.' Huawei has been able to use its own version of Android Google's operating system for mobile devices because it is open source and therefore freely available. But it hasn't had access to the Google Play Store, which hosts the millions of apps available on Android. The Chinese firm has therefore promoted and enhanced its own 'Huawei App Gallery' as an alternative. The Mate 30 will be sold exclusively through Carphone Warehouse. Instead of Google Mobile Services, Huawei launched its own version of Google's Play Store, the Huawei App Gallery To make up for the lack of Google apps, UK customers who order the new Mate 30 Pro will also get a pair of its noise-cancelling FreeBuds 3 wireless headphones and a Huawei Watch GT2. 'This device does not come with Google Mobile Services, so we have a dedicated VIP support team on hand for you once purchased,' the Carphone Warehouse website says. The Mate 30 comes with a 6.53-inch display as well as a quadruple rear camera system which includes two 40-megapixel lens, an eight-megapixel lens and a 3D depth-sensing camera. Huawei's announcement comes on the day rival manufacturer Samsung is due to unveil its own new line of flagship smartphones, as well as a new foldable device. The Korean tech giant ran an advert for the new 'Galaxy Z Flip' during the Oscars on Sunday night. Click here to read the full article. Bong Joon Ho was standing inside the nascent Academy Museum, a 50,000 square-foot assemblage of cavernous rooms yet to be filled with Hollywood exhibitions, and he was contemplating the mayhem of awards season. It was two days before the Oscar ceremony, but the Korean director has been in promotional mode since Parasite won the Palme dOr in May. A genial, soft-spoken creative now elevated to pop-star status, he leaned in and smiled as nominees in the Best International Film category made their way to the stage for remarks at the official Academy cocktail party. I get it now, Bong said. I get how this whole system works. He shrugged. But was that good or bad? I think its both, he replied, then sped off to the front of the room on cue, smiling for another set of cameras. More from IndieWire Forty-eight hours later, Bongs long-term investment came to fruition in the most exciting, unorthodox series of Oscar wins in recent memory. As Bong picked up four trophies, Parasite went from being the first Korean feature nominated for any Oscars to a historic Best Picture win, the first for any non-English language movie in the Academys 92 years. The Parasite wins injected the ceremony with bursts of emotion and cultural significance. It holds tremendous value for the foreign-language market in the U.S., and for Korean cinema in particular. But as the Oscars have opened up to the world, is the world truly opening up to the Oscars? Hollywood is an industry that welcomes outsiders. Since 2010, nine of the 10 Best Director wins went to filmmakers from other countries. The 2020 outcome follows last years aggressive Netflix campaign for Alfonso Cuarons Roma, though Cuaron was already an established Hollywood presence when he made his delicate Mexican drama. Bong, by contrast, spent the past two decades rising in stature on the festival circuit and accruing a cult following in the U.S. To win the Academys approval, he had to put himself at the center of the machine. Story continues At the urging of his distributor, Bong moved to Los Angeles in early January with his wife and son, mitigating the campaign-season challenge of flying out from Korea whenever an event called for it. (He initially wanted to bring the family dog, too, but eventually nixed the idea.) He managed to keep working on a range of new projects, but even the purest artist has to cosplay politician on the awards trail. The journey of the international Oscar campaigner can be a strange, alienating experience. For all the noise they must endure, candidates often contend with strange moments of solitude, caught in a cultural disconnect and the need to perform. That phenomenon was especially pronounced this year with foreign-language films scoring nominations across seven categories, from Best Picture and Best Documentary to Best Actor (lest we forget the long-overdue first nomination for Pain and Glory star Antonio Banderas). No longer the Best Foreign Language Film, the Best International Film category continued to highlight the disconnect as the Best Picture win for Parasite rendered the category redundant. Why celebrate the best international film when the Oscars could be dominated by them, anyway? Nevertheless, the Academys Best International Feature branch worked overtime to comb through its options for that category. In previous years, the shortlist gave Academy members nine titles to vote on for a five-film category; for the first time this year, the Best International Feature Committee pushed the list to 10 and opened the voting process to all Academy members who watched the films. As the party circuit intensified throughout the weekend, its international visitors stood out in contrast to the famous faces. At the annual Women in Film gathering at the Sunset Room, Honeyland filmmakers Tamara Kotevska and Ljubomir Stefanov joined their subject, Haditze Muratova, who lives a rural existence cultivating honey in a remote mountainous region. Nearby was the heroic Dr. Amani Ballour, a Syrian refugee who spends the bulk of The Cave running an underground hospital as bombs drop from above. Brazilian documentarian Petra Costa mused on how her nominated The Edge of Democracy stirred up conversations about the countrys fascist inclinations. Meanwhile, the clock kept ticking for Bong. At a Friday night party for Parasite hosted by Vanity Fair, a Neon staffer asked him how he was holding up. He flashed one of his unassuming smiles. Its almost fucking over, he said. When Parasite won the Palme dOr, Bong never could have anticipated the commitment to come. This year, attendees should consider themselves warned: There were 22 nominations this year for Cannes premieres (and only one title, Quentin Tarantinos Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, hailed from the U.S.). The festivals long-term overseer, artistic director Thierry Fremaux, has mixed feelings about that development. Noting the national focus of other countrys ceremonies Spain has the Goyas, France has the Cesars he wondered if the Oscars should consider a similar approach. Maybe it would be good, he said, for America to celebrate its own cinema. At the Spirit Awards, the Honeyland co-directors hovered on the outskirts of the crowd as Stefanov lit up a cigarette outside the giant white tent. He was already resigned to losing. You know, we were sitting over the last few days with the other nominees, more experienced guys like Pedro, and I dont like these things, he said, and exhaled. I want to be able to work on other projects. I love spending time with other filmmakers, but not at all these fancy cocktails for two weeks in a row. Come on! Its too much! A few hours later, Bong won the foreign language film prize in anticipation of his Sunday victory. After tomorrow, I can finally go home, he told journalists backstage. Thats what makes me happiest. But the Spirit Awards provided a very different reminder that the concept of foreign-language film may be losing its currency. Best Film winner The Farewell, a movie shot largely in China with Mandarin dialogue, scored the biggest victory of the day. In her rousing speech, Wang expressed a desire to show a different side of what an American family looks like. Backstage, as Wang and her team toasted the victory, producer Andrew Milano chatted about the process that allowed The Farewell to escape any kind of foreign designation. Heres the funny thing, he said. The script was in English until we got close to really making it. So to be honest, we knew that itd be in Chinese, but in a way, the fact that it started in English was a big deal because when I read it, I read it as an American movie. The next day at the Oscar ceremony, industry figures milled about on the red carpet before the show, buzzing about the potential of a Parasite victory and the wider presence of foreign-language cinema among the nominees. Early in the night, the movie revealed its momentum with an Original Screenplay win. Trevor Groth, the former Sundance programming director who works at Neon owner 30 West, celebrated at the bar. You know whats good about this? he beamed. Looking ahead. 30 West and Neon staffers were seemingly everywhere in the Dolby, contemplating the films imminent victory and its pervasive success. In the lobby, Neon co-founder Tim League recalled his first nomination for the Belgian thriller Bullhead at now-defunct Drafthouse Films. (It lost.) Hopefully now there will be a ripple effect, he said, where international film isnt stigmatized. The energy in the room as Parasite won one award after another suggested, at least for the evening, that was the case. Upstairs at the Governors Ball after the show, Sony Pictures Classics co-president Michael Barker mused on the outcome. His company led the charge for years on foreign-language crossover hits, including previous Best Picture nominees Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Amour. With Parasite, Barker said, the outcome spoke less to cultural process than the specific escapism of the movie in question. Its not even a foreign film, not really, he said. Its a genre film, like Get Out. He rebuffed the notion of a foreign-language boom. Its not about jacking up prices for foreign films, he said. We have to lift up the little ones. Every film is different. At the Parasite after party at Soho House, partygoers noshed on Korean food and bopped their heads to K-pop. Fremaux milled about and admitted that his perspective had evolved since the previous night. I think its a good thing, actually, he said. The Oscar and Cannes can fight for cinema together! In another room, an ebullient Neon staffer hinted at the future as the Parasite team arrived with Oscars in hand. Well, shit, it broke all the rules, he said. Now everyones gonna go to Cannes with their pocketbooks open! Meanwhile, Bong blew off the Vanity Fair after party to hold a press conference for Korean media, where it was already well into the next day. He already had plans to escape the campaign mayhem; on February 12, hell be at the Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis for a public discussion of his work with film critic-turned-Amazon-executive Scott Foundas. As he breezed into Soho House, Bong spotted Portrait of a Lady on Fire director Celine Sciamma, who was snubbed by the Oscars but came to town for her single Spirit Award nomination. He handed her his Best International Feature statue. You should be holding this, he said. The DJ turned up Hits From the Bong as the filmmaker slid into a mosh pit of Korean peers, programmers, and marketing executives, most of whom work far from traditional Hollywood. Bong made his way to the corner, juggling an Oscar in one hand and a beer in the other. Give him space! someone shouted. He spent the next hour picking up and putting down both objects as well-wishers continued coming his way. Shortly after 1 a.m., the Bongtourage headed for the exit, as partiers speculated about after-party plans at a karaoke bar in Koreatown. But just as quickly came word that this one bash was off-limits to anyone beyond the filmmakers inner circle. Bong had left the building and returned to his world. Best of IndieWire Sign up for Indiewire's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. WASHINGTON - Rush Limbaugh was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, when President Donald Trump recognized him at the State of the Union and first lady Melania Trump draped the award around the neck of the conservative talk-show host. Hours earlier, Trump had told television anchors that he had wanted Limbaugh, who has been diagnosed with lung cancer, to attend the speech, according to people familiar with the meeting who spoke on the condition of anonymity. The Washington Post was not invited and did not attend the luncheon. Limbaugh was an unexpected guest of the president, and Trump praised him during the speech. "Rush Limbaugh: Thank you for your decades of tireless devotion to our country. Rush, in recognition of all that you have done for our nation, the millions of people a day that you speak to and inspire, and all of the incredible work that you have done for charity, I am proud to announce tonight that you will be receiving our country's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom," the president said. During the two-hour, off-the-record lunch, several participants said the president was in a good mood and predicted a speech of about one hour and 25 minutes. The president covered a wide range of topics during the meeting. When he was asked about Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, saying he had learned a lesson during impeachment, the president said he'd done nothing wrong: "It was a perfect call." Trump said he would participate in the general election debates in the fall, after weeks of indecision within his campaign and complaints from the president himself. He claimed his approval numbers among black voters climbed higher after he hosted rapper Kanye West at the White House in 2018. Trump also suggested that he would win by a large margin in November if numbers among black voters continued to rise. On the 2020 Democratic race, Trump said that Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., was "nastier and smarter" than the other contenders and that he couldn't quite figure out why former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg was gaining strength, attendees said. The president said that he was not sure who his general-election opponent would be and that a brokered convention might be the outcome among the Democrats. At one point, Vice President Mike Pence, who attended the lunch, said the state of Indiana had stepped in and helped Buttigieg with an economic grant when his city was struggling and while Pence was governor, attendees said. Trump expressed frustration with former national security adviser John Bolton, who the president said had turned on him. Trump also mocked Bolton by saying that he always wanted to be called "ambassador," even internally at the White House, and that his ambassadorship to the United Nations in the mid-2000s was a recess appointment. Trump also said he wanted to block Bolton's forthcoming book from being published, according to two people familiar with knowledge of the lunch. The White House has only said that the book has classified information and that Bolton needs to make changes to the book. Bolton is said to allege that Trump tied aid to Ukraine to politically motivated investigations of his opponents, and people familiar with the project say it is unflattering to the president. The president told the anchors that Bolton could have written the book once Trump left office but that doing it while Trump is still in office "is not right." The president also touched on foreign policy. He said that Iran did not seek to inflict maximum damage when it launched a strike last month on bases used by U.S. troops in Iraq but that war with Tehran was "closer than you thought." Among the anchors who attended the luncheon were CBS News's Norah O'Donnell and Margaret Brennan, PBS's Judy Woodruff, Fox News Channel's Bret Baier, ABC News's David Muir and George Stephanopoulos and NBC News's Lester Holt, the people familiar with the meeting said. White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham declined to comment on the meeting. "I'm not going to comment on an off-the-record lunch because I actually have ethics," she said. Storm Ciara cancels 8:45am and 2:15pm sailings This morning's sailings have been cancelled due to Storm Ciara's ongoing wrath. The 8:45 am and 2:15 pm crossings between Douglas and Heysham and back were confirmed as cancelled earlier this morning. Passengers booked on these sailings can amend their booking online, or contact Reservations on 01624 661661 (IOM) or 08722 992 992 (UK) to make alternative arrangements. An update on the 7:45 pm sailing from Douglas to Heysham will be issued by 5:30 pm. Such ritual expressions date back thousands of years, particularly in Waititis native New Zealand Garcia said. They became very common there and in New Zealand some 50 years ago, spread to Canada and in the last several years have gained a foothold in the United States, mainly at cultural institutions. Waititi then unexpectedly exposed the practice to a mainstream audience of more than 20 million Oscar viewers, many of whom were no doubt left wondering just what to make of it. BOWIE, Md., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The MIL Corporation (MIL) is pleased to announce its 40th anniversary in business. A mid-sized government contractor, the organization supports the federal government through cyber, engineering, financial, and information technology services at over 20 different agencies. With roots as a start-up company established in 1980, MIL began around a small dining room table and has grown to over 800 employees today. From the start, the founder, CEO & President, Maurice I. Long, Jr. envisioned a company that placed high value on synergistic relationships with its employees and customers alike, providing the best value to customers amidst an ever-changing industry. "Over the years, I've been fortunate to work with, and for, amazingly talented employees and customersindividuals who were passionately dedicated to conducting mission critical work for the Homeland," said Long. "To keep competitive over the last four decades, MIL has focused on improving and enhancing our corporate infrastructure in all aspects of our customer service delivery. This emphasis on continuous improvement not only enhances our competitiveness but also provides increased efficiencies and productivity to our valued customers." Since its inception, MIL has successfully competed for multiyear, multimillion-dollar federal contracts. In 2019 it amassed nearly $150M in revenue with agencies such as the U.S. Department of the Navy, U.S. Department of State, and the International Trade Administration. Proving its commitment to staff, MIL has been honored with a list of workplace awards. Most recently: 2019, 2018, 2017: Top Workplaces Award ( Washington, D.C. ), The Washington Post ), The Washington Post 2019 & 2018 Certified Great Workplace, Great Place to Work 2018 Great Place to Work: Best for Diversity and Small & Medium Sized Business, Fortune 2018 Above & Beyond Award, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve, Department of Defense "As we look forward, MIL's is dedicated to discovering new opportunities for corporate growth, employee engagement, and customer satisfaction providing advanced opportunities for MIL personnel and clients alike," said COO Marisa Daley. "Because we are the people making a differencetoday and well into the future." MIL is headquartered in Bowie, Md., operating across the country with offices in Lexington Park, Md., McLean, Va., Arlington, Va., and Charleston, S.C. About MIL The MIL Corporation (MIL), a CMMI Level 3 rated company established in 1980, provides federal agencies with professional services in the areas of financial management, information technology, engineering, and cybersecurity. www.milcorp.com. SOURCE The MIL Corporation Related Links http://www.milcorp.com Powerful New Email Features are the Latest Improvement in the Company's Quest for Fully-integrated Solutions IRVINE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Leading online business platform Kajabi has announced the release of Kajabi Email, a powerful new enhancement to the platform's existing email capabilities. The new Kajabi Email solution allows online business owners to communicate with their audiences in a way that feels even more seamless from the first touch to the final sale. The new email editor experience rolled out to all Kajabi user accounts, at no additional cost, yesterday. "We talk with the business owners who use Kajabi all the time, and one of the biggest frustrations is the growing complexity of the marketing tech stack," explains Kenny Rueter, Kajabi co-founder and CEO. "Every improvement we make, every new functionality we release, is with the aim to minimize the number of tools people need and create a truly all-in-one platform that turns their content into a viable business." Kajabi CEO and Co-founder Kenny Rueter The rollout fits in beautifully with Kajabi's passion for eliminating the need for technical know-how while supporting advanced marketing functionalities and creating compelling online course experiences. The new Kajabi Email features robust capabilities that meet and, in many cases, exceed existing third-party email solutions: A visual editor with fully-customizable plug and play templates. Improved deliverability with on-the-fly email subject line validation to improve opens and keep spam flags down. Better review and approval features, including the ability to view email designs as web pages. A redesigned dashboard, with metrics to help Kajabi customers make better decisions and gain actionable insights about email performance and campaign results. Drop and go countdown timers and video preview links with no coding required. "Together, these features are powerful on their own; yet what makes it groundbreaking is the built-in integration with the existing Kajabi platform, without the frustration inherent in third-party apps and APIs," explains Jeremy Saenz, Kajabi's chief product officer. "It's the right "next step' in our work to create a powerful and holistic business solution for our customers." The launch follows the recent announcement of Spectrum Equity's minority growth investment in Kajabi, a strong signal that the company's all-in-one approach is on a solid path. Kajabi customers have already generated more than $1 billion in sales delivering rich educational media experiences to over 41 million paying students. Other recent upgrades to the Kajabi ecosystem include: Kajabi Mobile App - a ready-made mobile app, free with every Kajabi account, eliminating the need for business owners to integrate a white label app service, and allowing them to create better customer engagement with ease. Kajabi Pages - a completely overhauled page builder experience, made to be more powerful and less complicated than other solutions on the market, with a built-in library of popular page types, page sections, elements, transition animations and themes. The information product industry is highly competitive and demanding, and Kajabi is passionate about creating solutions that grant entrepreneurs and SMEs the ability to provide value by focusing on what they do best - creating and selling educational content without any requirements for technical skills. By integrating these solutions directly into the existing platform, Kajabi is eliminating the need for tricky third-party integrations and APIs, allowing more time to build content on a system that's designed from the ground up to support sales. About Kajabi Founded in Irvine, California, in 2010, Kajabi is an all-in-one platform for entrepreneurs, experts, and influencers to build, market, and sell educational content. With Kajabi's growing array of strong web design tools, users have a single ecosystem in which they can publish, market, and sell webinars, articles, online courses, and other digital products. Tens of thousands of entrepreneurs rely on Kajabi to build and manage their online businesses, and the company has helped these stakeholders generate over $1 billion in sales from 41 million customers to date. For more information, visit: https://kajabi.com/ Press contact: Dan Edelstein pr@inboundjunction.com SOURCE: Kajabi View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575821/Kajabi-Announces-Email-Relaunch-for-Robust-All-in-One-Digital-Business-Platform Thousands of Kenyans, along with a number of African leaders, streamed into Nyayo National Stadium Tuesday to attend the funeral of Daniel arap Moi, Kenyas second president, who died last Tuesday while undergoing treatment at a Nairobi Hospital. Kenyans remembered Moi in different ways in a ceremony that seemed to have brought the country together. The youngest of Mois sons, Gideon Moi, led the nation in eulogizing his father. This was our father, an elephant time memory and a compassionate heart. Throughout his years of service, he taught us to have tough feet, but keep a soft heart. Our father was a forgiving man, said the younger Moi. Several heads of state present eulogized the former president as a Pan-Africanist, who contributed significantly to the unity of the continent. Sahle-Work Zewde, Ethiopias president, was among the regional leaders present. We will always remember the fundamental role he played in the formation of our regional organization IGAD back in 1986 but also the contribution he has made in the revitalization of IGAD in 1996 when he was heading the organization, the role he has played in Sudan, to bring peace between Sudan and South Sudan, and in Somalia are also big achievements this region has registered, said the Ethiopian leader. A woman walks past memorial placards for former president Daniel arap Moi, at his state funeral in Nyayo Stadium, in Kenya's capital of Nairobi, Kenya, Feb. 11, 2020. South Sudan President Salva Kiir talked about how Moi was instrumental in the birth of his country, by playing a significant role in the comprehensive peace agreement with Khartoum in 2005. As the president of the republic of South Sudan, South Sudan is the product of his work and will remain his legacy. My people respect and honor late president Daniel arap Moi, said Kiir. Daniel arap Moi took over Kenyas presidency upon the death of the countrys first president, Jomo Kenyatta, in 1978, and ruled until 2002. Moi was accused of serious rights violations including torture and political killings. For this, he faced local and international criticism. One of those tortured was Kenyas former prime minister, Raila Odinga, who nevertheless eulogized Moi as a great leader. He also made some mistakes; I was for example one of the victims, but he was also forgiving like I am also forgiving, and we made our peace and we shook hands and we worked together to bring this country a new constitution. So we remember him for the good things that he did which we want to carry forward as we move to unite our country and bring it together, Odinga said. Herman Manyora, a political analyst based in Nairobi, said that the president led the country at a critical time, the Cold War era, when the push and pull between Western and Communist interests made other neighboring countries collapse. When you put the bad things people talk about, against the great things he did, I think you could give him 70 percent. You know he was president at a time when there was turmoil in Africa, Manyora said. Moi was 95. His burial is scheduled for Wednesday. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as he departs for travel to North Carolina from Washington, U.S. February 7, 2020. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst/File Photo Reuters President Donald Trump on Monday retweeted a Twitter account with the handle @SexCounseling. In the tweet, the user praised Trump, writing, "The people are happy with President Trump and they see how poorly he is being treated." Trump has spent the past several days in vengeance mode as he rails against House Democrats who impeached him. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. President Donald Trump retweeted a Twitter account with the handle @SexCounseling on Monday. In the tweet, the user praised the president, writing, "The people are happy with President Trump and they see how poorly he is being treated." The user sent the tweet in response to an earlier tweet the president posted that thanked a New York Post columnist for writing a favorable piece. "Thank you to @mirandadevine of the New York Post for your interesting (and correct) column today," Trump's tweet said. "'Trump has gained 20 points since Impeachment began in October. He gets 67% on economy. Nonwhite approval of Trump is also at a high: 28%, up 10 points in a year. Nice one, Nancy.'" trump retweets sexcounseling Donald Trump/Twitter The Republican-controlled Senate acquitted Trump last week of the two charges against him abuse of power and obstruction of Congress after a bruising impeachment trial. On the day after his acquittal, Trump gave a bizarre speech from the White House podium in which he excoriated the "liars" and "leakers" who he said were trying to undermine his presidency. Since then, the president has been in vengeance mode, railing against House Democrats and the impeachment witnesses who testified against him. On Friday, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the top Ukraine expert on the National Security Council, was abruptly fired and escorted out of the White House on Friday along with his twin brother, Yevgeny, who also served on the NSC but was not involved in the impeachment inquiry. Vindman is a decorated war veteran and Purple Heart recipient. Story continues Vindman was given no explanation for his dismissal, but his attorney suggested in a statement to Insider that the Army colonel was forced out as retaliation for testifying against Trump in the impeachment hearings after receiving a congressional subpoena. Shortly after, Gordon Sondland, the US's ambassador to the European Union and another pivotal impeachment witness against Trump, was recalled from his post. Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, hours before Alexander Vindman was dismissed, that the White House planned to package his removal as part of a broader effort to slim down bureaucracy in the foreign-policy apparatus. But Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., blew up that flimsy justification when he tweeted, "Allow me a moment to thankand this may be a bit of a surpriseAdam Schiff," referring to the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and the lead House manager who oversaw witness testimony in Trump's impeachment hearings. "Were it not for his crack investigation skills, @realDonaldTrump might have had a tougher time unearthing who all needed to be fired. Thanks, Adam! #FullOfSchiff," Trump Jr. tweeted. Read the original article on Business Insider The top five source countries of new immigrants to Canada were India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and the United States of America. Immigration from India and Nigeria is booming. A quarter of Canadas immigrants arrived from India in 2019 The top five source countries of new immigrants to Canada were India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and the United States of America. Immigration from India and Nigeria is booming. A quarter of Canadas immigrants arrived from India in 2019 The top five source countries of new immigrants to Canada were India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and the United States of America. Immigration from India and Nigeria is booming. A quarter of Canadas immigrants arrived from India in 2019 The top five source countries of new immigrants to Canada were India, China, the Philippines, Nigeria, and the United States of America. Immigration from India and Nigeria is booming. Kareem El-Assal Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A India was by far the main source country of new immigrants to Canada in 2019. China was the second leading source country, followed by the Philippines, Nigeria, the United States, Pakistan, Syria, Eritrea, South Korea, and Iran. Total New Immigrants in 2019 341,180 1. India 85,585 2. China 30,260 3. Philippines 27,815 4. Nigeria 12,595 5. United States of America 10,800 6. Pakistan 10,790 7. Syria 10,120 8. Eritrea 7,025 9. Korea, Republic of 6,110 10. Iran 6,055 India is number one India accounted for 25 per cent of the 341,000 immigrants welcomed by Canada. The Indian share of Canadas newcomers has increased significantly in recent years. Back in 2015, India made up 14 per cent of Canadas newcomers. India is easily Canadas leading immigrant source country for the following reasons. It is the second-largest country in the world in terms of population, which means it has a huge pool of potential immigrants. It also has a significant middle-class population with high levels of English language proficiency and education, who also have professional backgrounds that meet Canadas immigrant selection criteria. Indian nationals comprise the majority of applicants under the H1-B Temporary Skilled Worker Program in the United States. Approval rates for the H1-B visa program have declined under the administration of President Donald Trump. This has resulted in Indian nationals living in the U.S. choosing to apply for Canadian permanent residence. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs Immigration from China remains stagnant While nearly 86,000 Indian nationals were granted permanent residence in 2019, China was a distant second with 30,000 of its citizens becoming new immigrants to Canada (9 per cent of all of Canadas newcomers). The number of newcomers from China has remained stagnant in recent years, hovering around 30,000 immigrants, even as Canada continues to increase its intake. It is difficult to determine precisely why this is the case but there are two possible reasons: Chinas rising standard of living is reducing its citizens interest in settling abroad, and Canadas higher English language standards. It is estimated that English speakers represent less than 10 per cent of Chinas population (compared to over 10 per cent of the Indian population). Immigration from the Philippines is declining Immigration from the Philippines has been steadily declining over the past five years. In 2015, more than 50,000 Filipinos obtained permanent residence, but this figure dropped to 28,000 in 2019. Due to this sharp decline, the Philippines has fallen behind China as the third leading source country of Canadas immigrants. This is because Canada has significantly reduced its intake under the Caregiver Program. The overwhelming majority of immigrants admitted through the Caregiver Program come from the Philippines. Canada is welcoming more immigrants from Nigeria Immigration from Nigeria has been booming in recent years. Previously, Nigeria was sending about 5,000 immigrants a year to Canada, but this figure has doubled to 11,000 in 2018. Last year, nearly 13,000 Nigerians obtained permanent residence. Nigerian nationals have an advantage when applying under Canadas economic class programs because they are native English speakers. The recent travel ban imposed by the United States on some Nigerian nationals may create an added impetus for Nigerian immigration to increase further in 2020 and beyond. American immigration to Canada is flat Despite the notion that U.S. President Donald Trump is causing more people who disapprove of him to move from America to Canada, the evidence shows this is not the case. Nearly 11,000 U.S. citizens immigrated to Canada in 2019, which is consistent with figures over recent years (about 3 per cent of Canadas new immigrants come from the U.S. each year). Canada welcomes immigrants from 175 countries Canada is perhaps the most open country in the world for immigrants, welcoming newcomers from 175 countries each year. This is due in large part to the fact that Canada became the first country to launch an objective, points-based economic class immigration system in 1967. Since this major development, Canada has seen its immigrant source countries diversify significantly. Canadas economic class immigration system does not take into account a candidates country of origin. In addition, Canada does not have per-country quotas in place. As long as applicants meet Canadas economic class eligibility criteria, they are welcomed by the country with open arms. Find out if you are eligible for any Canadian immigration programs Kareem El-Assal is the Director of Policy & Digital Strategy at CanadaVisa. 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved DETROIT, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- motormindz, Inc., the automotive industry's premier consultancy, announced today that Steve Beahm, former FCA Senior Vice President, Head of Maserati, Passenger Car Brands & Mopar, and Joe Bakaj, former Vice President, Product Development Ford of Europe will join their globally recognized team. Mr. Beahm enjoyed 32 exemplary years at Chrysler/FCA where he was viewed as a strategic leader with a proven track record in both the Industrial and Commercial organizations. Steve began his career working in multiple regional offices holding a variety of leadership roles in Service, Parts, Sales and Marketing. In 2009, he was promoted to VP of Sales for all FCA brands. During his tenure, FCA was the fastest growing OEM in the United States. In 2014, Steve joined FCA's Leadership team as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, serving on the Commercial, Product and Industrial committees. He was awarded the North American Supply Chain executive of the year in 2015. Mr. Beahm also ran Maserati North America where he moved the headquarters to Auburn Hills, Michigan with the other FCA brands. He concluded his career with FCA running all Passenger Car brands (Dodge, Chrysler & FIAT) as well as Mopar, FCA's service and parts organization. He was at the helm when Dodge introduced the Redeye and Mopar launched the 1,000 horsepower Hellephant. In a statement, Beahm said, "I am excited to join a team of industry peers that are all focused on innovation and delivering game changing solutions to our industry. I'm humbled to be working with respected leaders like John Felice, Don Johnson and Jim O'Sullivan, just to name a few of the leaders on the motormindz bench." Mr. Bakaj spent 34 successful years at Ford Motor Company where he was recognized as one of the auto industry's leading global product development executives. Joe began his career in Ford's UK based product development center at Dunton and progressed quickly through management roles in Ford of Europe Powertrain, Chassis and Vehicle Engineering. Joe came to North America as Vehicle Engineering Director for Trucks in 2000 and led vehicle engineering for the F150, winning the North American International Autoshow Truck of the Year during his tenure. In 2002 he went on to Lead Mazda's global product development team based in Japan. He returned to Europe in 2005 and was appointed a Corporate Officer and Vice President Product Development where he led Ford's first wave of global programs. In 2011, Bakaj was appointed Vice President Global Powertrain where he initiated and co-chaired Ford's global CO2 strategy forum and developed and implemented Ford's next generation engine, transmission and electrification strategies. He ultimately led the development of the 1.0L, 3-cylinder Eco boost engine, which was recognized as an industry innovation leader, winning the "International Engine of the Year" award for six consecutive years. In 2013 he took on an expanded role as Vice President Product Development where he led the planning and development of Ford's latest C car platform and had Global lead for the Transit Commercial vehicle line. Under his leadership Transit went on to become the best-selling commercial van in the US and the best-selling commercial vehicle brand in Europe. Joe also led the strategic planning and business case development for Ford of Europe's next generation BEVs. In a statement, Bakaj said, "I was really attracted to motormindz's vision and strategic approach to shaping the future of the industry. I have worked closely with mindz such as Jim O'Sullivan, John Felice and Bruce Coventry in the past and have great respect for their knowledge and industry insights. I am very proud to be joining the team." At the end of 2019 were other notable additions to the team, including Mark Potesta, John Marx, Barry Burris, and Mark Kudla. Mark Potesta has over 30 years of proven leadership in innovation, global business P&L's, and sales. He is an expert in development of EE architectures and delivering market impactful products with strong value propositions. Mark has held SVP and CTO positions along with other senior executive positions at Gentherm, Panasonic, Delphi, and GM. John Marx joined with 27 years in the automotive industry. He has held global product strategy and business planning executive leadership positions at the OEM and tier one level while working at Ford, Visteon, Gentherm, and Jabil. John has driven profitable growth through product portfolio innovation and new market expansion. Barry Burris has worked globally with distributors and dealers for Nissan and Infiniti. With 35 years of sales, marketing and network knowledge, Barry excels at integrating wholesale and front-line best practices to deliver optimal results. Mark Kudla joined the network with over 30 years of advising startups and working at Ford and FCA. At FCA, he was responsible for FCA's NAFTA product portfolio, including the 10-year product plan, "white space" initiatives and business case analysis for new programs. "Having such impressive executives join the mission, illustrates how motormindz continues to attract the largest network of automotive and technology subject-matter experts ever assembled," said Jeff Van Dongen, CEO, motormindz. "These additions will help us continue to elevate, iterate, and innovate our unique model to produce ever more intelligent, viable, and scalable solutions for OEMs, dealers, tiered suppliers and fleets. Bringing this kind of real-world experience, proprietary access, and operational leverage together enables us to rapidly identify and expand new product ecosystems that capitalize on the opportunities brought on by the ever-evolving automotive consumer, by helping our clients learn what they need to know, rather than repackaging what they already know." About motormindz: motormindz is the industry's premier automotive consultancy serving OEMs, technology providers, mobility, and automotive retail. We've brought together the largest network of C-Suite automotive and technology subject-matter experts ever assembled into a model that delivers on unique operational leverage to transform new and emerging technologies into proven solutions. We advise and invest to accelerate companies of all sizes, enabling new ecosystems that capitalize on the opportunities brought on by the evolving automotive consumer. Our real-world experience, proprietary access, and expertise uniquely enable us to help our clients learn what they need to know, rather than repackage what they already know. Our experts know the business, do the work, and own the results. For more information, please visit www.motormindz.com. SOURCE motormindz inc. Related Links http://www.motormindz.com The law enforcement officers involved in a deadly shooting early Monday morning in Marshall County are on leave as the State Bureau of Investigation probes the case. The name of the person killed by law enforcement hasnt yet been released. The Marshall County Coroner couldnt be reached for comment Monday afternoon. Steve Guthrie, an assistant chief deputy for the Marshall County sheriff, declined to provide details of the case or release the name of the slain person. He said theres no indication the law enforcement officers actions violated any policies or laws. The deadly shooting happened early Monday morning when the sheriffs office and several local police departments were called to a domestic-related situation outside Albertville. Officers who were involved in the shooting are on leave, according to the sheriffs office and the Albertville police department. They will be afforded the opportunity to seek counseling from the incident, said Albertville police Chief Jamie Smith in an email to AL.com. Guthrie said the sheriffs deputies will be able to meet with a counselor on Tuesday. The sheriffs office will decide after that meeting whether the deputies can return to work, Guthrie said. Guthrie and Smith said they are thankful the officers werent injured during the incident. The State Bureau of Investigation is probing the case at the request of the sheriffs office and Albertville police, said Capt. Jason Peek in a news release from the state law enforcement agency. Its standard procedure to have an outside agency investigate officer-involved shootings, Guthrie said. Peek said the findings of the investigation will go to the Marshall County District Attorneys office. University Museum is hosting Fields and Figures art exhibit by Jason Franchuk CARBONDALE, Ill. Local artist Mary Pachikaras passion for art began in grade school. Now 80, Pachikara recalls drawing in her notebooks instead of listening to her teachers in class. Her love of art never stopped for Pachikara, including over the 35 years of living in Southern Illinois and capturing what she saw in vivid watercolors. Pachikara is hosting her second solo exhibit, Fields and Figures, at the University Museums Mitchell Gallery. The opening reception is Feb. 21 from 4:30 to 8 p.m. Pachikara will discuss her watercolor works at 5:30 p.m. The exhibit runs through June 20. My inspirations are the beautiful Southern Illinois landscapes and people around me, Pachikara said. The exhibit includes 65 paintings that range from vibrant, to monochromatic and contemplative. Whats striking is Marys ability to convey such strong emotions and such a profound sense of place, Wes Stoerger, the museums curator of exhibits, said. I feel it will stir similar emotions in the audience. Stoking a childhood passion When Pachikara was a young girl, her father gave her watercolor paints with two brushes. This only deepened her curiosity and enjoyment in art. In her adult years, she received a formal education in art at SIU's School of Art and Design. One lesson she shared, Compared to painting in oils which can be slow and deliberate, watercolor is spontaneous. It demands a higher degree of drawing skill. There is little room for error. But when it works, the result is much better than anticipated, she said. Endless, magical local subject material Pachikara moved to the Carbondale area when her late husband Punnoose, a surgeon, joined St. Joseph's Hospital in Murphysboro. She has been in the region over 40 years. I was so impressed by the beautiful lakes and farmlands, she said. I knew if we settled here, Id have enough subject matter for the rest of my life. And I was right. For a landscape artist, this place is a mecca. Its a beautiful, eternally changing area. Still prolific at age 80 That girl who doodled flowers in her notebooks never stopped doing so. Time flies when you are doing something you love to do, Pachikara said. A peek of the works you will see in Pachikaras show is available at www.marypachikara.com. Located in Faner Hall, University Museum is open Tuesday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. The museum is closed on Sundays and Mondays. World health authorities now have a name for the coronavirus illness. The World Health Organization on Tuesday proposed an official name for the illness caused by the new coronavirus: COVID-19. The acronym stands for coronavirus disease 2019, as the illness was first detected toward the end of last year. The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, noted that the new name makes no reference to any of the people, places or animals associated with the coronavirus. The goal was to avoid stigma. Under international guidelines, the W.H.O. had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease, he said on Twitter. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Staten Island historian with an extensive knowledge of the boroughs African-American past made a presentation on the subject for Black History Month on Monday at the College of Staten Island, Willowbrook. Debbie-Ann Paige covered the Islands African-American history from the time of slavery to the beginning of the modern era in her presentation titled Know Our Past Know Ourselves: A Sankofa History of Staten Islands Racial Past. Sankofa is a word used in the Twi language of Ghana that can be translated to go back and get it." In historical context, it refers to the idea of honestly reviewing history to better understand the present. Information is the tool that you use to slice through the noise, Paige said. People are going to say what theyre going to say and I cant stop them -- nor do I want to. Through the presentations, organized by the colleges Office of Student Life and co-sponsored by the Department of History, Paige said she hopes to accurately convey the Islands history in the context of the African American experience. For instance, when New York finished its gradual emancipation process begun in 1799 and finished 1827, Staten Island had one of the states highest slave populations -- something Paige said still affects the borough today. Other portions of the history include Sandy Ground -- the nations oldest settlement of freed black people -- , the boroughs prominent role in the Underground Railroad, and the poor treatment of black soldiers stationed in Fox Hills during World War II. Paige spent much of her childhood in the Park Hill apartment complex built near the same barracks that held those soldiers and moved away with her husband, whom she met during her time at CSI, when he joined the Navy. She said that during her time here, in the 1970s and 80s, she experienced racism, and was worried when she returned that her daughter would have to deal with the same problems. I didnt really know how afraid Id be for my child, Paige said to close an anecdote about a time her daughter told her she was going to hang out with white children in another neighborhood. In modern times, Paige sees signs of hope, but said that more work needs to be done. I see mixed-race children walking hand-in-hand with their white grandparents, and that gives me hope, she said. But we have to keep having the conversation. Paige will be making the same presentation at CSIs St. George campus, 120 Stuyvesant Pl., from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 24. A council has been blasted for spending 50,000 on laying tarmac over stone paving blocks in a historic market town - for health and safety reasons. Lincolnshire County Council has been criticised for forking out thousands of pounds of taxpayer's cash on turning the centre of Stamford into an 'eyesore'. Town hall bosses are forking out the money as part of a 50,000 repair scheme which began in November following reports of people tripping over uneven slabs. Lincolnshire County Council has been criticised for forking out thousands of pounds of taxpayer's cash on turning the centre of Stamford into an 'eyesore' The council said the work follows numerous cases of people tripping over uneven paving slabs But residents have slammed the move to replace the stone setts with tarmac on the High Street, which boasts picturesque Grade I-listed Georgian buildings. Stamford was the first town in Britain to be given protected status as a conservation area in 1967. Locals say the work to lay the tarmac in busy shopping areas including Broad Street and Ironmonger Street is not in keeping with the character of the area. They have accused the local authority of making the town, which also features 17th and 18th century architecture, look like a 'car park or children's playground'. Florist Paula Bell, 39, of Stamford, said: 'The money would have been better spent on relaying the stones evenly, rather than this monstrosity of an eyesore. 'It's is a huge waste of taxpayers' money, and looks truly awful. The character of the place has been completely lost. Residents have slammed the move to replace the stone setts with tarmac on the High Street, which boasts picturesque Grade I-listed Georgian buildings Locals say the work to lay the tarmac in busy shopping areas including Broad Street and Ironmonger Street is not in keeping with the character of the area 'People come here to enjoy the architecture, but the first thing your eyes are drawn to now is this tarmac.' Catering manager Sian Chapman, 47, of Stamford, added: 'The place looks like a car park now or a school playground. I can't believe they have paid contractors to do this. 'It's going to put people off coming here in future, the cobbled look was much more fitting for an area like this. 'The pavings were uneven, but just mend those - don't tarmac over the entire high street. It's just a cheap fix.' Other residents took to social media to express their dismay at the decision to tarmac over the town centre's main shopping areas. Jennie Beal wrote on Facebook: 'That's hideous. When will the council stop trying to ruin the town. 'They need to remember this was the first conservation town for a reason!' Residents have taken to social media to express their dismay at the decision to tarmac over the town centre's main shopping areas Sandija Gurina added: 'If stones were all done properly it would be all just fine as in many historical towns around the world. 'I nearly fell on my face on the path in the front of Stamford Endowed schools main building. 'That really is shocking, they are so loose there. Tarmac doesn't look good at all on the high street, sorry, safer, yes, but it could be done differently.' John A Voigt added: 'Its funny how the council make you jump through hoops when its anything to do with a historical building but laying tarmac in an area with so many grade one listed buildings is ok.' The council said the work follows numerous cases of people tripping over uneven paving slabs. Tory Councillor David Brailsford, for Stamford West, said: 'As part of the ongoing pavement works in Stamford town centre, the highways team found two small areas that would need to be tarmacked. 'As well as the stones lifting and becoming unsafe for pedestrians, tests carried out on the ground beneath these areas have shown that the base isn't suitable. 'The cost of the base works and then resetting the stones, plus the ongoing maintenance and repair of them - and the risk to pedestrians where they lift - means they're not a viable option for the two areas. 'The pedestrian crossing at Broad Street and Ironmonger Street, and the parking area opposite Marks and Spencer will need to be tarmacked. 'Vehicles moving about in both these areas has compounded the issues and caused further damage to the stones. 'In both areas they're salvaging the stones for use elsewhere in the town centre.' - Medtec China has released Visitor Sample 2019 SHANGHAI, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Reccently, the demand for medical devices such as protective clothing and masks soared, as did demand for devices including POCT testing reagents for the IVD industry, nucleic acid extraction devices, gene sequencing technology, medicalimaging devices such as CT scanners; monitoring devices such as ECG monitors and blood gas analyzers; ICU products such as ventilators and ECMO; and medical robots. Therefore, new regulations were released to speed up the medical device approval process, while the authorities are working to improve production capacity for medical devices and ensure stable supply. In the future, the medical device industry will enjoy a broader space for development and policy support. Medtec China will always support the development of the industry with providing high quality resource. Medtec China 2020 will be held in Shanghai World EXPO Exhibition & Convention Center from September 14 to 16, and is expected to attract 30,000+ professional visitors. Tens of thousands of professional buyers' choice; Medtec China visitor sample 2019 released Medtec China 2019 received 28,057 visitors, an increase of 33% compared to 2018, of which 61% of the visitors attended the show for the first time, and 96% of the visitors were looking for new suppliers or sourcing. Most visitors were engineers in R&D, manufacturing, purchasing, and quality management, and came from 5,481 medical device manufacturers, including BD, Johnson&Johnson, Medtronic, Abbott, BRAUN, Olympus, Roche, Siemens, Stryker, Smith&Nephew, GE, Philips, Boston Scientific, Zimmer, Alere, Shimadzu, Omron, WWIN, Microport, Mindray, Tuoren, WEGO, Shinva, Neusoft, Lepu, yuwell, AMT, PINS, Venus Medtech, Liaoning Yinyi, Double Medical, Guangzhou Improve Medical, BGI, and Autobio, etc. The above-mentioned well-known enterprises have different purchasing requirements for disposable medical materials, surgical instruments, medical electronics, medical imaging devices, medical laser devices, medical optics and endoscope devices, clinical laboratory devices, implantable and Interventional apparatus, cardiopulmonary bypass and blood processing devices, sanitizing and sterilizing devices and equipment. Please download Medtec China 2019 visitors sample for details. It is classified and sorted according to the medical device products that are highly sought after by visitors to 2019 Medtec China, covering the company names and titles of visitors. The report is only available for a limited time; please download it right now. With 21 categories of exhibits and 17 featured exhibiting areas. Industry leaders gather at Medtec to lock in vast business opportunities. As the leading event of medical device design and manufacturing in China with 15 years of rapid development in the industry, Medtec China has brought in hundreds of high-quality suppliers from 27 countries, which provided 21 categories of exhibits such as design, raw materials, components, manufacturing equipment, processing technology, OEM, testing and certification, regulations and market consultation. Medtec China 2020 is going to be held over two halls for the first time. Upgraded to include 17 exhibiting zones for rubber and plastic medical materials, adhesive products and medical components; medical automation; IVD, life science and laboratory technologies; electronic components, motor and motion control; medical packaging; testing, metrology and inspection supplies; contract manufacturing services and 3D printing. At present, it has already attracted nearly 400 well-known industry brands such as Mikron, LeeDon, Maider, Clariant, DSM, Nissei, Teamtechnik, Harmotronics, BMF, Toradex and Qt Company to exhibit. Click to view the Floorplan. To discover more, please visit: www.medtecchina.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088044/Medtec_China.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088048/Medtec_China_Visitors.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088043/Medtec_China_Exhibitors.jpg [Go here for more about violence and unrest] When Robert L. Williams walked out of Elmira state prison three years ago, he was a free man for the first time in nearly 15 years. He was 43 and had spent half his life in prison. His last crime spree had ended in a gun battle with the police. He told relatives he wanted to get to know his teenage son. He was glad to get home, his grandmother, Mary Williams, said. He was spending time with his son. But six months later, his son died after shooting himself by accident, and Mr. Williams went into a downward spiral, falling back into using heavy drugs, she said. His drug use led to a run-in with the police during which they used a Taser to arrest him. Then, over the weekend, he attacked, the police said. He shot at two officers in a police van on Saturday night, wounding one, then walked into a Bronx precinct the next morning and opened fire, hitting a lieutenant. The Bexar County Sheriffs Office is investigating after a 6-year-old child found a relative dead Tuesday morning in south Bexar County, according to Sheriff Javier Salazar. Deputies responded to the 1900 block of Sandy Circle at around 8:30 a.m. for a call about a 37-year-old man found lying in his backyard suffering from extensive trauma, Salazar said. Salazar wouldn't elaborate on what the trauma was but said it was obvious it was a homicide. This is important to us to figure out exactly what happened, Salazar said. This was a very, very violent scene, there is no way else to describe it. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The incident is believed to have occurred sometime Monday night. The child, along with his mother and several other children went to the residence before school to check on the man, Salazar said. The man lived alone, so investigators are trying to determine who else was in the house Monday night. Salazar said deputies don't believe the incident was random, citing the remoteness of the residence. We don't believe that the community at large has anything to worry about with the location of this, the sheriff said. Salazar said investigators will be at the residence for a while as they process the crime scene and canvas the area. The adult female and the children were taken from the residence and will be provided with counseling resources, Salazar said. The sheriff's office is waiting for an official cause of death from the medical examiner but is treating the incident as a homicide. The department is asking for anyone who may have information to reach out to BCSO by calling 210-335-6070 or by email at bcsotips@bexar.org. We would love as much information as you can give, Salazar said. You may think its not much, but it could break the case wide open. 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 TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) Registration for the next school year is just around the corner, and some parents will be registering their children for the first time. Starting school is a big step in a child's life, making sure they are mature enough to handle a full day of education is important for their future. "You know if they come into kindergarten and they just arent ready, but they know just enough where they move on to first grade it just builds and builds from 1st grade to 2nd grade to 3rd grade and each year could be a little more difficult than the last for that child," said Kara Meyer a kindergarten teacher Burnett Creek Elementary School. That's why education professionals recommend waiting to enroll your child until they are able to perform daily tasks independently. "Can they get their coat on independently, can they stand in a line, can they listen to a story or do a task quietly and independently for roughly 10 minutes at a time without needing a lot of assistance and redirection," added Meyer. Those are all things parents should ask before enrolling their children in kindergarten. Counselors say enrolling children into kindergarten before they are ready can sometimes have negative effects. "We do see that sometimes it does hurt their confidence when they feel like the others are progressing faster than they are," said Jerilyn Brooks a Counselor at Burnett Creek Elementary School. While some children are able to start kindergarten before they are five years old, educators say age is a factor in maturity. "The developmental readiness comes with age, not necessarily what they know academically, "added Meyer. If parents do decide to wait on enrolling their kids in school, education professionals say there aren't any negatives in doing so. "From my experience, I haven't seen any negatives from holding your child back. Trust your gut. If you feel like theyre not ready, then wait that extra year, "added Brooks. The Tippecanoe School Corporation will host Kindergarten Roundup for the 2020-2021 school year Wednesday, April 8 at all 11 of its elementary schools. For more information on registration click here. A human skull was discovered by a hunter in the woods behind a diner in Patterson, N.Y. at the same location a missing Danbury womans car was found abandoned in 2017, according to published reports. Investigators and uniform officers were sent to the scene at the Putnam Diner and processed the remains, Putnam County Sheriff Robert Langley told the Daily Freeman. A hunter found the remains behind the diner off Route 22 and contacted authorities, the Kingston, N.Y., paper reported. LaelCira DeLima, of Danbury, has been missing since Oct. 20, 2017, when authorities said she left her house around 5 p.m. Police have not yet identified the remains, a forensic process that can take days if not weeks. Danbury Mayor Mark Boughton said he had heard Monday that authorities found a skull across the Connecticut line in N.Y., but he could not infer anything about the missing person case. If we were investigating, Id tell you but wherever the body is found, its their case, he said. Boughton said any confirmation about the identity of the remains would have to come from the Putnam County coroner. The coroners office could not be reached Monday evening. Calls to the Putnam County Sheriffs Office and New York State Police also went unanswered. Weeks after she was reported missing, police found a red Honda Accord belonging to DeLima parked at the diner. Employees noticed the car had been there for some time before contacting authorities, The News-Times previously reported. Lt. Chris Carroccio of the Danbury police said at the time there was no clear indication that DeLimas disappearance was the work of foul play. He said police interviewed dozens of people connected to the missing woman, including those in Brazil. Police renewed their calls for the publics help in locating DeLima last November. Carroccio recalled at the time that DeLima had left her house, locking the door behind her, and told her family she was going out to the pharmacy, but never returned. She was last seen wearing a black v-neck shirt and blue jeans, police said. Staff writer Rob Ryser contributed to this story. The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has threatened to demand the removal of heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies for failing to appear before it to defend queries by the Auditor-General of the Federation, Anthony Ayine. The committee also warned the MDAs against sending representatives whenever they are summoned to the legislative complex. The chairman of the committee, Mathew Urhoghide, issued the threat on Tuesday during a public hearing on the Auditor-Generals report in which Mr Ayine queried many MDAs for violating audit laws. While some MDAs appeared before the panel to defend queries raised in the report, others sent representatives and some had no representative present at all. Some of the agencies invited to the public hearing were Auditor-General of the Federation, Accountant-General of the Federation, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA). Others were the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Debt Management Office (DMO), National Pension Commission (PenCom), Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), Head of Service of the Federation, and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While the Group Managing Director of the NNPC, Comptroller-General of the NCS and PenCom sent representatives, DPR, NBS, HoS, FIRS, INEC and DMO had no representatives. Only the Executive Secretary of PTAD, Chioma Ejikeme, was at the hearing in person. Auditor-Generals query Both the Senate and the Auditor-General had on several occasions queried MDAs for failing to submit audited reports. Past assemblies had also blamed this trend on the late passage of the nations annual budgets. Mr Ayine in a report in 2018 said more MDAs have refused to submit their accounts for review since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office. He said 324 MDAs failed to submit their accounts for audit in 2016, while 215 MDAs failed to submit in 2015. In each of the 22 previous years before that, the highest number of non-submissions was 148, in 2014. He, however, did not list the defaulting agencies. This is even as he called for stringent sanctions on the agencies. The extensive violation of statutory financial reporting obligations by Parastatals is of great concern, he noted. Stringent sanctions, including withholding financial releases and sanction of the Chief Executives should be imposed on defaulting Agencies who do not render timely accounts, as provided in the Constitution and Financial Regulations. Senates query Reacting to this, Mr Urhoghide noted that non-appearance of the heads signify their admittance to the queries in the report. He explained the importance of their appearance because of oaths that will be taken and could be used as evidence should a matter be taken to court. For those agencies that are already talking of representatives, please it is not going to be allowed. You will go back and tell your principals [to come] because we are going to subordinate you to oaths and anything you tell us, tomorrow if anybody decides to go to court, for people to have proper justification and evidence to show that you came before the National Assembly with what you said. So if you are going to answer these queries through proxies, it is unacceptablethere are serious consequences that have been earmarked in our financial regulations. If you spend money without authorisation and the regulation says you should be removed from office, that is what we are going to tell the president of this country and the executive must comply. So nobody is going to shave your head when you are not there. Even if you dont appear, it only means that you have accepted the guilt and we are going to write about you. If it is true that his recommendation to us and you have not been able to defend yourself, you will be charged, he said. Mr Urhoghide further cited exigencies as reasons why the committee had not cleared the backlog of reports from the office of the auditor-general since 2015. Since 1999, there has been an ugly story that the auditor-general of the federation normally brings its audited accounts to the National Assembly but somehow we have not had the time to sit down with the agencies of government. You are here to answer queries that have been raised against you, your organisations and some of your persons in the capacity that you have functioned. We have the reports from 2015 that was sent to the National Assembly by the Auditor-General of the Federation sometimes ago. These reports ought to have been considered but for certain exigencies, the Senate has not been able to consider these reports. 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, are already in arrears and the procedure is that after getting the audited reports from MDAs, including foreign missions and courts, in accordance with the provisions of section 85 of our constitution, these reports are sent to the National Assembly through the public accounts committees of both houses. No excuse by any agency of the government will be taken, he warned. This is even as he noted that the Senate is determined to clear all the backlogs of all the auditor-generals reports that have been sent since 2015. We have given ourselves timelines to finish 2015 and move to 2016. By the time you clear yourself from 2015 and we give you certificate of discharge, we will subordinate you to 2016 depending on the query. He assured that the committee will implement the same procedure to all to ensure fair hearing. Advertisements The committee, however, could not continue with the investigative hearing as it honoured the demise of one of its colleagues, Ignatius Longjan (APC, Plateau South) by suspending all parliamentary activities. The next hearing was scheduled for February 13 at 3 p.m. Not the first warning The latest threat from the lawmakers is not the first. Year after year, both the Senate and the House of Representatives make the same complaint and issue very similar threats. The lawmakers even vowed to suspend the passage of the annual budget of the said agencies but ended up approving their budgets anyway. A similar threat was issued in 2018 when the Senate said it would not pass the budget of agencies that failed to submit audited reports to the Auditor-General. Only last week, the House of Representatives said it will name and shame Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) that refused to appear before it with their audited reports. The House Committee on Public Accounts commenced an investigation into the allegations of deliberate and reckless refusal by non-treasury funded MDAs to render accounts to the Office of the Accountant-General to the Federation (OAGF). Last week also, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, gave the same warning. He even asked defaulting agencies to submit their audited reports by Monday. NEW HAVEN A city man was recently arraigned on charges imposed after he allegedly placed several harassing phone calls to attorneys representing the now late Fotis Dulos, according to court records. Adam Davenport, 31, of Warren Street, was arrested Jan. 29 and charged with second-degree harassment, according to records on file in at Superior Court. He was arraigned Friday. According to an arrest warrant affidavit by Officer Dylan Carlson, attorneys Norm Pattis and Kevin Smith reported in October that they had received more than 30 calls from a person who seemed to be the same individual, including on October 15, when Pattis allegedly received seven calls between 8:19 and 8:45 p.m. and Smith reported receiving three calls between 8:39 and 8:45 p.m. Pattis and Smith said they have received threats in the past, but they have not taken them seriously until they received a call stating that Smith is not safe and its going to be real easy man, real easy, Carlson said in the warrant affidavit. Smith advised us that he felt threatened by the recent phone calls, that stated he is not safe. Smith and Pattis told Carlson they believed the calls were connected to the case of missing New Canaan mother Jennifer Dulos. Fotis Dulos was charged with killing her before taking his own life in January. Fotis Dulos left a note proclaiming his innocence in the case. In a voicemail to Pattis, the subject specifies the person he is defending is going to jail and that Pattis should go to jail for defending him, according to the warrant affidavit. Carlson called and spoke to the individual who left the voicemail, who identified himself as Adam Davenport and admitted to making the calls, according to the affidavit. Davenport stated that he is following the Jennifer Dulos Case and is extremely upset with what is happening and how the case is progressing. Davenport stated he is particularly upset at how Pattis talks about the case to the media and believes he is spreading false information. The calls on Oct. 15 were intended to get a rise out of Pattis and Smith, Davenport allegedly told Carlson, according to the warrant affidavit. Davenport stated he did not intend on threatening Pattis or Smith, Carlson said. He told us that the phone calls would cease immediately and he would apologize to Pattis and Smith. Davenport is next scheduled to appear in court Feb. 21. william.lambert@hearstmediact.com Tri-State COVID cases surge, but number falls in Washington County While the number of new COVID-19 cases in the Tri-State area skyrocketed in the past week, the number cooled slightly for Washington County. Across the nation, hundreds of school districts are trapped in a death spiral of declining enrollment that forces dramatic budget cuts which then trigger more student departures. State officials, who have the power to merge or dissolve districts to create more financially stable systems, are often reluctant to interfere in a process that can raise issues of class and race and brims with emotional implications for how communities define themselves. In Wisconsin right now, there are deep anxieties in the legislature about a dissolution process that went awry after residents in Palmyra-Eagle, a rural district near Milwaukee in fiscal distress, repeatedly voted to dissolve the district but were rebuffed by an appointed panel controlled by the state school boards association. The district now faces severe layoffs this summer after more than 100 students, unsure of the districts fate, enrolled in surrounding districts. This has created a bit of an uproar in Madison, said CJ Szafir, the vice president of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty, an influential conservative think tank in Milwaukee. We know there needs to be more district efficiency. The question for us is if the state should take a carrots or sticks approach to this. It Starts With the Lines But Wisconsin is not unique. Large swaths of the nation are undergoing dramatic demographic shifts due to urbanization, a changing economy, and declining birth rates. Despite that, district linesunlike voting boundaries that are redrawn every decademostly have gone unchanged, creating a patchwork system of sparsely populated school districts and overcrowded schools. Because school funding is so closely linked to student enrollment counts, this has caused deep disparities. Many policymakers now blame stagnant district lines for the nations spotty but widespread teacher-shortage crisis, outcome and opportunity gaps between student groups, and the exponential growth in the amount of money America has spent on its K-12 system in the last 30 years. It hasnt always been this way. Between 1930 and 1960, states aggressively shuttered one-room schoolhouses and consolidated sparsely populated districts with their neighbors as part of a wartime effort to reduce K-12 costs, standardize instruction, and improve academic outcomes. Though there were 120,000 school districts in the country in 1930, there were fewer than 21,000 in 1960. But that effort slowed in the 1960s when white parents in communities around the country lashed out at the federal governments attempt to force local school districts to racially integrate with neighboring districts. Today, there are about 13,500 school districts in the country, and a growing number are in fiscal distress because of rising pension and health-care costs and dwindling tax revenue after precipitous drops in student enrollment. But only nine states give themselves explicit authority to dissolve their school districts, according to EdBuild, a national advocacy group that pushes for reform of state funding and district maps. States are mandated [by their constitutions] to provide for every kid in the state an adequate and equitable education, said Rebecca Sibilia, the CEO of EdBuild. By not consolidating and dissolving districts in financial trouble, theyre completely abdicating that responsibility. Drastic Action When states do have the right to shutter financially insolvent school districts, decisions can be swift. In Oklahoma, for example, the state board of education voted in 2016 to dissolve Grant-Goodland Public Schools, a rural, 118-student district in the southeastern part of the state whose administrators were under investigation by the FBI for embezzling money. Only nine states in the nation give themselves the explicit power to dissolve a district, according to Edbuild, an advocacy organization that pushes for states to overhaul their K-12 spending methods. They are: Arkansas Kentucky North Carolina Oklahoma South Carolina South Dakota Texas Vermont Washington Source: Edbuild Vermont, which in 2016 had more than 280 school districts for 80,000 students, is undergoing a consolidation process that involves incentivizing local school districts to merge with their neighbors to receive a series of tax cuts. (Communities that dont comply receive a tax hike.) The state, which spends around $18,000 per student, one of the highest rates in the nation, has successfully consolidated 150 districts in the last five years, though the process is very contentious and, in some communities, has been tangled up in court. A bill in South Carolina would allow the state to take over a district in fiscal distress, though several black school board members in the state say the law is a violation of local control and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, arguing it would disproportionately affect majority non-white school districts. Wisconsin embodies many of the conditions that would seem to make dissolution a necessary tool, at the same time illustrating why the process is so messy, emotional, and nearly impossible to carry out. More than a quarter of its 446 school districts are in fiscal distress, according to the states school board association, due to a series of statewide tax cuts, an aging population, and a changing economy. Wisconsins Experience Residents in Wisconsin grew deeply suspicious of state lawmakers, district administrators, and teachers unions in the 1940s and 1950s as the state consolidated some 5,000 school districts, many of them tiny, into 500 within a period of six years. That wiped out the community identity of hundreds of small homestead towns, according to Campbell F. Scribner, a University of Maryland K-12 historian who has extensively studied Wisconsins K-12 governance model. That hostility only intensified in the 1960s and 1970s during the busing wars. Conservatives who moved to the suburbs took up the cause of local control, Scribner said. While they were busing black kids across district boundaries, conservatives started saying, No, no, no, we have local control. You cant bus anybody. That thwarts any effort by the state to consolidate or dissolve districts. Wisconsins dissolution process was overhauled in 1990 and effectively punted the authority to the states school board association. So far under that process, no district has been allowed to dissolve. With so many districts in the state in fiscal distress, and the state curtailing how often districts can go to voters for more money, many residents were watching the Palmyra-Eagle process closely. In November, more than four months after Palmyra-Eagle residents voted to dissolve, a panel made up of one state appointee and five school board members from a variety of towns from across the state, was dispatched to the district to decide whether it should dissolve. If the answer was yes, the panel also would have decided where to send the students and staff, and how to divvy up the districts debt and assets. As the meetings progressed, panel members quickly realized the complications of the towns troubles: community schisms, plummeting enrollment, and widespread disagreement about whether the district is salvageable. Compounding the panels dilemma, only two of the surrounding eight districts originally wanted any of the districts students. One of those two, Whitewater, pulled out of a plan to split Palymyra-Eagle in half once administrators realized none of the Palmyra residents wanted to attend the district. More Cuts Ahead After the panels 6-1 decision to keep the district alive, panel members, local administrators and community members all said the process felt rushed, relied too much on emotion rather than fact, and was incongruent with the states expansive open enrollment system and antiquated funding formula. The panel was faced with a question that had no perfect answer, said Wisconsin State Superintendent Carolyn Stanford Taylor, whose appointed member was the only member who voted to dissolve the district. Palmyra-Eagle administrators now face the prospect of more than $2 million of cuts in the coming six months in order to keep the district operating. And last week, the district was sent a bill: It owed more than $15,000 to the state to pay for panel members hotel costs, food, and time spent in the district. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 13:51:03|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close Afghan security forces gather at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, capital of Afghanistan, Feb. 11, 2020. At least six people, including an assailant, were killed and 12 others wounded after a suicide bomb explosion struck outside a military university in western side of Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, Afghan Ministry of Interior confirmed. (Photo by Mahmoud Khaled/Xinhua) KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least six people, including an assailant, were killed and 12 others wounded after a suicide bomb explosion struck outside a military university in western side of Afghan capital Kabul on Tuesday, Afghan Ministry of Interior confirmed. "One suicide bomber detonated his explosive roughly at 7:00 a.m. (local time) in Char Rahi Qambar locality, Police District 5. As a result, three military personnel and two civilians were killed and 12 people, including five civilians, sustained wounds," the ministry's spokesman Nasrat Rahimi wrote on Twitter. The spokesman added that the number of casualties may change. The blast occurred outside Marshal Fahim National Defense University when military cadets and university staff were arriving and waiting to enter the compound, eyewitnesses told Xinhua earlier in the day, adding the nature of the blast was suicide car bombing. The explosion also damaged several vehicles running along the busy road, they said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. The same university was attacked by a suicide bomber in late May last year, and Islamic State (IS) militants claimed responsibility for the bombing. China's coronavirus outbreak has tested the limits of free speech on the country's heavily censored online and social media, with a brief window of liberalisation that opened during January subsequently slammed shut by authorities. While censorship in China has tightened under President Xi Jinping, questions of transparency around the current outbreak are especially sensitive after Beijing's cover-up of the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic fuelled suspicion and mistrust, and led to official calls for openness this time around. The period from January 19 to February 1, when public concern about the coronavirus exploded just as China was gearing up for the Lunar New Year holiday, saw an uncharacteristic loosening. Online buzz about the outbreak flourished, with netizens largely unfettered in criticising local authorities - but not central government leaders - over their handling of the crisis (file photo) But censors have in the past week shutting down WeChat groups and scrubbing social media posts, according to Chinese reporters. Authorities have also reprimanded tech firms that gave free rein to online speech. Pictured, a cashier in a plastic gown works at the checkout of a supermarket in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, on Monday While censorship in China has tightened under President Xi Jinping, questions of transparency around the current outbreak are especially sensitive after Beijing's cover-up of the extent of the 2003 SARS epidemic fuelled mistrust. Pictured, a masked shopper wearing a plastic bag is seen outside a supermarket in Wuhan, the epicentre of the outbreak, on Monday The new coronavirus has killed at least 1,018 people and infected more than 43,130 globally Online buzz about the outbreak flourished, with netizens largely unfettered in criticising local authorities - but not central government leaders - over their handling of the crisis. That liberalisation has come to end, with censors in the past week shutting down WeChat groups and scrubbing social media posts, according to Chinese reporters. Authorities have also reprimanded tech firms that gave free rein to online speech. 'Xi Jinping has made it clear that he expects efforts to strengthen "the guidance of public opinion" to be increased,' said Fergus Ryan, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) who studies Chinese social media. 'We've already seen around 300 more journalists dispatched to Wuhan and surrounding areas to report on the outbreak. It's highly likely their brief is to paint a rosier picture of the government's relief efforts rather than engage in any muckraking or critical reporting.' The cyberspace regulator, Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC), did not respond to phone calls or to requests for comment sent by fax. Li Wenliang, 34, succumbed to the deadly contagion in the early hours of Friday morning local time, despite attempts to resuscitate him, the hospital which was treating him said. China's censorship machine was tested last week when the doctor died after catching the coronavirus The medic caught the public's attention after he was reprimanded by police and accused of spreading 'fake news' for warning on social media of 'SARS at a Wuhan seafood market'. Pictured, mourners pay their respect to Li during a vigil ceremony in Hong Kong on Friday China's censorship machine was tested last week when Li Wenliang, a Chinese doctor who had been reprimanded for issuing an early warning about coronavirus, died of the disease, triggering widespread outrage as well as mourning. Online media outlets were permitted to report on Li's death, but not the anger it had engendered, and early discussions on social media calling for the Wuhan government to apologise to him later disappeared. A notice sent to editors working for an online Chinese news outlet and seen by Reuters asked them not to 'comment or speculate' on Li's death, 'do not hashtag and let the topic gradually die out from the hot search list, and guard against harmful information.' Online media outlets were permitted to report on Li's death, but not the anger it had engendered, and early discussions on social media calling for the Wuhan government to apologise to him later disappeared. Pictured, medical staff settle down a coronavirus patient after he moved into the isolation ward in a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, on February 6 Last week, however, CAC announced that it had punished some websites, mobile applications and social media accounts for publishing illicit content on the outbreak, saying it wanted to foster a 'good online atmosphere' amid the country's efforts to contain the epidemic Sarah Cook, the China media bulletin director at Freedom House, said that previous crises had also seen brief windows of openness, such as the deadly 2011 crash of a high-speed train and the devastating 2008 Sichuan earthquake, when domestic journalists and social media users felt emboldened. 'At the same time, initially, officials might be a bit flat-footed and distracted dealing with an unexpected crisis so things slip through the cracks. Even censors within some social media companies may be sympathetic to some of the content and let it through,' she said. The brief window of media freedom came after officials in Wuhan, where the outbreak started, admitted that it was much worse than anticipated and were heavily criticised for their move in January to reprimand eight people for 'spreading rumours' on the emergence of the virus - one of whom was Li. Chen Qiushi, a Chinese citizen journalist reporting from Wuhan, has been missing since 7pm local time Thursday when he said he was going to visit a makeshift coronavirus hospital Mr Qiushi's mother has also posted a video on social media (pictured) Last week, however, CAC announced that it had punished some websites, mobile applications and social media accounts for publishing illicit content on the outbreak, saying it wanted to foster a 'good online atmosphere' amid the country's efforts to contain the epidemic. A notice circulated by CAC last week that was seen by Reuters asked audio and video platforms to step up control on 'harmful information and rumour' related to Wuhan virus. It also asked them to stick to official media such as Xinhua and People's Daily, 'not to push any negative story, and not to conduct non-official livestreaming on the virus.' Some investigative articles published by local media outlets from Wuhan have also been deleted. Chen Qiushi, a citizen journalist who was sending dispatches from Wuhan over Twitter - which is blocked in China - including images of corpses in the city's hospitals, has been forcibly put under quarantine since Friday, according to his family and a friend managing his account in his absence. Many Chinese Internet users have turned to black humour or shared images, songs and other art forms in private WeChat groups to express their dismay. One phrase widely shared mocked how many Internet pages and content were now showing 'server not found' or '404'. '404+404+404+404+404=2020,' said the shared post. Goose Island today has a mix of manufacturers, distribution centers and loft offices. Chicagos zoning rules prohibited residential development until the city in 2017 created a new land use plan for a 3.7-mile stretch of industrial land along the river. The changes put the wheels in motion for riverfront properties such as Sterling Bays proposed $6 billion Lincoln Yards development and the planned redevelopment of 37 acres just south of Goose Island owned by broadcast company Tribune Media. The National Health Commission also reported 2,478 new confirmed cases of the illness, bringing that total to 42,638 as of Monday. Health authorities in China reported on Tuesday 108 new fatalities attributable to the novel coronavirus, bringing the national death toll to 1,018. This is the first time more than 100 people have died from the disease in a single day on the mainland, according to South China Morning Post. Read alsoAP: Mainland China virus cases rise again after earlier decline The National Health Commission also reported 2,478 new confirmed cases of the illness, bringing that total to 42,638 as of Monday. Of the new deaths, 103 were in Hubei province the epicentre of the novel coronavirus epidemic and five in other provinces. As millions of people in China prepare to return to work, Beijing has made clear that the reopening of businesses must not be hampered by "crude and oversimplified" restrictions. As many as 160 million people are expected to be returning to their cities of employment over the following week, according to Xu Yahua, director of the transport services department at the Chinese ministry of transport. The coronavirus outbreak coincided with the Lunar New Year travel season, when millions of migrant workers traditionally travel to their homes to spend the holiday with their families. As part of China's response to the outbreak, the holiday season was extended to February 18. Jihadists killed at least 30 people and abducted women and children in a raid in northeast Nigeria's restive Borno state, a regional government spokesman said on Monday. The attack Sunday evening targeted the village of Auno on a key highway linking to regional capital Maiduguri. The jihadists stormed in on trucks mounted with heavy weapons, killing, burning and looting before kidnapping women and children, state government spokesman Ahmad Abdurrahman Bundi said. They targeted travellers who had stopped for the night and torched vehicles. AFP journalists saw the smouldering wreckage of trucks, buses and cars lining the road at the scene of the attack. The jihadists "killed not less than 30 people who are mostly motorists and destroyed 18 vehicles," Bundi said in a statement after visiting the scene. The assault, some 25 kilometres (15 miles) west of Maiduguri, occurred in an area where fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been active, mounting roadblocks to target security forces and civilians. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. 'Burnt alive' Witnesses said jihadists set alight 30 vehicles in the raid, including trucks that had stopped overnight on their way to Maiduguri. "Many of the drivers and their assistants who were sleeping in the vehicles were burnt alive," said Babakura Kolo, a member of a state-backed anti-jihadist militia. The jihadists combed through the village, looting and burning shops and property before withdrawing, he said. Kolo told AFP the militants took away three buses carrying women and children to Maiduguri which had parked in the village for the night. "We still don't know how many women and children they took away but the number is huge," he said. The jihadists stormed in on trucks mounted with heavy weapons, killing, burning and looting before kidnapping women and children, according to a state government spokesman. By AUDU MARTE (AFP) Auno lies on the 120-kilometre highway linking Maiduguri to Damaturu, a major regional city in neighbouring Yobe state. The highway has been increasingly targeted by ISWAP militants in recent months. Jihadists disguised as soldiers have set up roadblocks to abduct and kill passing travellers and have above all targeted Christians and members of the security forces. The UN has complained of an upsurge of violent attacks in recent weeks across the conflict zone. The increase comes after the Nigerian army last year launched a new strategy that saw it withdraw troops from remote bases into larger so-called "super camps". Map of Nigeria locating towns of Maiduguri and Damaturu between which dozens were killed Sunday night a suspected jihadist attack.. By (AFP) The military says the tactic has helped to stem jihadist attacks but local residents and aid workers say it appears to have bolstered the jihadists by leaving vast swathes of territory unprotected. Last month four Nigerian soldiers were killed and seven injured when the jihadists attacked troops positioned in Auno. The decade-long Islamist insurgency has killed 36,000 people and displaced around two million from their homes in northeast Nigeria. The jihadists have split into rival factions with one group affiliated to Islamic State group and the other loyal to longtime Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau. The violence has spread to neighbouring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, prompting the creation of a regional military coalition to fight the insurgents. Video PlayerClose To curb the spread of novel coronavirus pneumonia, over half of China's provincial-level regions have paired up with all the cities in Hubei, following central government's "pairing-up support for Hubei" policy. WUHAN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) "Pairing-up support for Hubei!" China has stepped up its fight against the novel coronavirus as it released a plan for over half of China's provincial-level regions to aid cities in Hubei, where the epicenter city of Wuhan is located. As of Sunday, Hubei had reported 29,631 confirmed cases. Besides Wuhan with over 16,000 patients, five cities in the province have seen more than 1,000 confirmed cases, and the rest see climbing figures. Aid for those smaller cities, which face increasing challenges but with limited resources, remains urgent. According to the plan, the other provincial-level regions have paired up with all 15 cities and Shennongjia forest district (with Wuhan excluded) across Hubei. Besides a massive influx of medical staff and equipment, supplies have poured in as well. Medical team members hold banners meaning "Triumph" before leaving for Hubei Province at Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital in Hangzhou, capital of east China's Zhejiang Province, Feb. 9, 2020. [Xinhua/Han Chuanhao] The National Health Commission on Sunday said a total of 11,921 medical personnel from almost all the provincial-level regions have been dispatched to Hubei to aid the epidemic fight. As of Sunday, Huanggang near the provincial capital of Wuhan had reported 2,252 confirmed cases and 45 deaths. According to the health commission of central China's Hunan Province, two batches of 274 medical members have begun working there. Zeng Puhua, vice president of the affiliated hospital of the Hunan Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, has been working around the clock in the SARS treatment-model hospital of Huanggang since late January. "The daily number of confirmed cases remains high here. The medical staff change shifts every six hours, and each doctor is in charge of seven to 10 patients," Zeng said. "Previous clinical experience has proven that traditional Chinese medicine plays an active and effective role in the treatment of pneumonia-related epidemics," Zeng said. Three patients receiving integrated treatment of traditional Chinese and Western medicine were discharged on Feb. 7. Members of the fourth medical team of Shanxi and their colleagues cheer for each other before leaving for Hubei Province at Wusu International Airport in Taiyuan, capital of north China's Shanxi Province, Feb. 9, 2020. [Xinhua/Chai Ting] After 12 hours of continuous driving, seven emergency medical vehicles arrived in Wuhan, along with 60 medical workers from south China's Guangdong Province. Six hours later, a tent hospital was erected and began operation. The small-scale hospital equipped with portable medical devices can perform basic clinical functions and "can operate on its own for seven to 10 days without local support," said Zhang Gangqing, leader of the medical team. Meanwhile, four batches of medical staff totaling 318 critical care and respiratory specialists from southwest China's Chongqing Municipality have been summoned and sent to the cities of Wuhan and Xiaogan since late January, according to the local health commission. Four medical vans covering outpatient services, special examinations, drugs and devices, and power supply have been sent as well, said Xing Dianguo with the commission. "More medical staff will be dispatched to our pairing-up city soon," Xing said. A medical team member (L) of the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University says goodbye to her family member via mobile phone at Changsha South Railway Station in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 8, 2020. [Xinhua/Chen Zhenhai] On Sunday, 2,500 kg of fresh navel oranges harvested in Chongqing's Fengjie County arrived in Wuhan. The vitamin-rich oranges will be given out to frontline medical staff, said Xiao Gongxun, director of Fengjie's orange industry development center. Xiao said the batch of fruit worth 250,000 yuan (about 36,000 U.S. dollars) was donated by 11 growers and dealers, and picked, cleaned and packaged within two days thanks to local volunteer farmers and residents wanting to help. Southwest China's Yunnan Province has mobilized its major vegetable and fruit farms. "Everyone on the farm basically depends on the Wuhan market. Now it's going through difficulties, and we want to send our love," said Sheng Guilin, owner of an eggplant farm in the city of Mengzi. Besides eggplants, the farm purchased seven other types of vegetables. With the help of volunteer farmers and local residents, over 40 tonnes of fresh vegetables have arrived in Wuhan so far. In the meantime, 22 tonnes of bananas, donated by all the 93 households in a village under Hekou County, were collected and sent to Hubei. Among the donors, 47 are registered impoverished households. The residents of Miandian Township under Jianshui County also loaded trucks with over 100 tonnes of onions within just half a day, before transporting the crops to the city of Huangshi near Wuhan. The Yunnan agricultural department said it has increased staff members to step up approval and inspection processes and enhance vegetable allocation and transportation to Hubei. Members of a medical team attend a ceremony before leaving for Hubei Province in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, Feb. 3, 2020. [Xinhua/Guo Cheng] Pairing-up assistance plays an important role in China's development. The pairing of developed and underdeveloped, disaster-hit and other areas is almost ubiquitous in China. Under such a framework, capital, skilled workers and all sorts of resources have been channeled to the country's vast western regions including Tibet and Xinjiang, to help the reconstruction of quake-stricken areas in Sichuan, and the anti-poverty campaigns across China. This ability to "concentrate resources to solve major problems," as Chinese often describe it, is a notable advantage of China's socialist system that has helped the country overcome major challenges over the past decades. (Yue Wenwan, Dong Xiaohong, Zhang Yuqi, Shuai Cai, Liu Fangqiang, Ding Le, Pan Qiang, Xiang Dingjie, Liu Fangzhou, Luo Xin, Zhou Huimin, Yan Xiangling also contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Pan Xu, Wu Xinsheng, Meng Jing, Ma Xiaodong, Tian Jianchuan, Zheng Mengyu, Min Zuntao, Liu Bin, Li Xiaobo, Liu Meizi, Qin Guanghua; video editor: Liu Yuting) (Source: Xinhua) Two teenagers have been charged with the murder of a 15-year-old boy who was found stabbed to death last week. Babacar Diagne was pronounced dead at the scene on grassland in the Wood End area of Coventry last Wednesday, having suffered multiple stab wounds. West Midlands Police said two boys aged 15 will appear before magistrates in Coventry on Tuesday charged with murder, while a 17-year-old boy and a girl aged 15 are still being questioned by officers. Babacar was found collapsed on grassland at around 7pm on Wednesday, February 5. Babacar Diagne (pictured) was pronounced dead at the scene on grassland in the Wood End area of Coventry last Wednesday, having suffered multiple stab wounds As well as charging two boys over his death, detectives have also arrested a 17-year-old boy. He was arrested in Coventry shortly before 10am on Monday and is being questioned on suspicion of murder. Detective Chief Inspector Scott Griffiths, who is leading the investigation, said: 'We're making excellent progress and our work continues. 'We are offering all the support we can to the family of Babacar as they continue to try to come to terms with what has happened.' Meanwhile, staff at Babacar's former school, John Willmott School in Sutton Coldfield, have paid tribute to their former pupil Meanwhile, staff at Babacar's former school, John Willmott School in Sutton Coldfield, have paid tribute to their former pupil. Tracey Peters, headteacher, said: 'Our school community is shocked and deeply saddened by this news and our thoughts are with Babacar's family and friends. 'We are helping and supporting students and staff during this difficult time. 'Babacar was full of personality and everyone knew him. 'Today we held a special assembly in his memory and we have opened a book of condolence where students can pay tribute to their former classmate and friend.' Anyone with information about the death is urged to contact police via Live Chat at west-midlands.police.uk, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. Senior NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik on Tuesday mocked the BJP and said the massive mandate to the AAP in the Delhi polls was due to people there accepting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders' appeals "not to vote for anti-nationals". With counting of votes on, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party has already secured a majority in the 70-member Delhi Assembly and is well on its way to win over 60 seats, leaving the BJP way behind with wins on a handful of seats. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai, Malik said, "Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders appealed to the people of Delhi to not vote for anti-nationals, so the people there voted for the AAP." "It seems people are tired of BJP's of hatred and pressure tactics. The BJP ensured there were legal cases against several AAP leaders and MLAs. Several inquiries were conducted to demoralise AAP workers but nothing worked in favour of the BJP," he added. He said the NCP had tried to forge an alliance with the AAP in Delhi and the Congress should also think on similar lines to avoid division of votes in the future. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Policymakers, economists and professionals from government, industry and academia will explore key issues facing U.S. businesses relating to U.S. tax reform and global developments at the 21st Annual Tax Policy & Practice Symposium presented by the Tax Council Policy Institute (TCPI), Feb. 13-14, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Washington, D.C. The two-day symposium is titled, "Hindsight is 2020: What the TCJA (Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) and Global Developments Tell Us about the Future of Tax." Among key topics will be: the real world effects of the TCJA and how it has changed thinking about global investment; how efforts by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to reform international tax standards could impact the U.S. tax system; and what some significant recently proposed changes to the U.S. tax system might mean for the future of tax. KPMG LLP, the U.S. audit, tax and advisory firm, is program manager for the 2020 event. Phillip Swagel, director of the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, is scheduled on Day One to deliver the keynote address, which will examine economic forces that are poised to shape the U.S. budgetary outlook, including both spending commitments and revenue sources. Also on Day One, Michael Desmond, chief counsel, Internal Revenue Service and assistant general counsel, the U.S. Department of the Treasury, will offer commentary prior to the program's luncheon. The TCPI's Pillar of Excellence Award will be presented during the Day One luncheon to Grace Perez-Navarro, deputy director of the Center for Tax Policy and Administration at the OECD. On Day Two, Pascal Saint-Amans, director of the OECD's Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, will address the symposium via video on the current state of the digital tax project at the OECD. A panel at the event that will offer a U.S. response to the OECD director's comments will include: Randy Gartin , chief tax counsel Republican staff, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee; , chief tax counsel Republican staff, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee; Beth Bell , Democratic tax counsel, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee; , Democratic tax counsel, U.S. House Ways and Means Committee; Tiffany Smith , chief tax counsel, Democratic staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee, and , chief tax counsel, Democratic staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee, and Mark Warren , chief tax counsel, Republican staff, U.S. Senate Finance Committee. Congressional commentary in support of the TCJA will be presented via videos on Day One from Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), chairman of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee; Rep. Kevin Brady (R-TX), ranking member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee; U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), and U.S. Rep. Mike Kelly (R-PA). TCPI's 21st Annual Tax Policy & Practice Symposium is aimed at CFOs, chief tax officers, vice presidents of finance, attorneys, accountants and controllers from companies large and small. The full agenda can be accessed here. For more details, including registration information, please visit TCPI's website at www.tcpi.org. The Tax Council Policy Institute (TCPI), which was created in 1997, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit and non-partisan public research and educational organization. TCPI was created to help bring about a better understanding of significant federal tax policies that impact businesses and the national economy through careful study, thoughtful evaluation and open discussion. TCPI is affiliated with The Tax Council, an association established in 1966 for senior-level tax professionals who work together to promote sound federal tax and fiscal policies. Contact: Robert Nihen KPMG LLP 201-307-8296 [email protected] On Twitter: @rgnihen SOURCE Tax Council Policy Institute WASHINGTON (AP) Democratic presidential contenders stretched beyond the facts on policy and sometimes on their own records Friday in their New Hampshire debate. Amy Klobuchar called out Pete Buttigieg for an evolution on health care that he didnt acknowledge. Joe Biden told only part of the story when he boasted about a success as vice president in getting troops home from Iraq. A look at how some of their claims from Manchester, New Hampshire, compare with the facts: KLOBUCHAR, on Buttigiegs evolution on health care: And Pete, while you have a different plan now, you sent out a tweet just a few years ago that said henceforth, forthwith, indubitably, affirmatively, you are for Medicare for All for the ages. BUTTIGIEG: Just to be clear, the truth is that I have been consistent throughout in my position on delivering health care for every American. THE FACTS: Klobuchar, a Minnesota senator, is right. Before he launched his presidential campaign, Buttigieg sounded supportive of Medicare for All. The former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, isnt now. In February 2018, he was involved in a Twitter exchange as liberals were pressing Democratic politicians to back a government health plan. When/where have you ever heard me oppose Medicare for All? he asked in a Feb. 17, 2018, response to an activists query. A day later, he tweeted out a column he wrote as a Harvard University senior, saying hed been on record on this one since 2004. On the same day, he sent out a separate tweet: Gosh! Okay ... I, Pete Buttigieg, politician, do henceforth and forthwith declare, most affirmatively and indubitably, unto the ages, that I do favor Medicare for All, as I do favor any measure that would help get all Americans covered. Now, if youll excuse me, potholes await. ___ BIDEN, saying President Barack Obama asked him to get 156,000 troops out of Iraq: I did that. THE FACTS: True, but that's not the end of the story. Obama asked Biden to take the lead in efforts to withdraw troops and coordinate efforts to maintain stability in Baghdad. What Biden did not mention was that some of the troops had to go back. Obama and Biden failed to win agreement from the Iraqi government to keep a limited number of U.S. troops there after December 2011. That was the deadline for a complete U.S. pullout under a deal negotiated by the Bush administration in late 2008. Biden was still vice president when Obama was compelled to return American troops to Iraq in 2014 after the rise of the Islamic State extremist group. Story continues ___ ANDREW YANG, tech entrepreneur: We have record high corporate profits in this country right now. THE FACTS: Corporate profits are high, but theyre not at record levels. Companies earned $1.84 trillion in profits in 2018, slightly below the $1.86 trillion earned in 2014, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. But as a share of national income, corporate profits were 6.6% in 2018. Thats down from 7.6% in 2012 and significantly below the peak of 8.9% in 1929. ___ Associated Press writers Hope Yen in Washington and Michelle Price in Las Vegas contributed to this report. ___ EDITOR'S NOTE A look at the veracity of claims by political figures. ___ Find AP Fact Checks at http://apne.ws/2kbx8bd Follow @APFactCheck on Twitter: https://twitter.com/APFactCheck Warning: Some may find the images in the social media post below graphic or disturbing. U.S. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists seized a package at Washington Dulles International Airport that contained small dead birds. A press release from CBP confirmed the package was in a passenger's bag. It happened on Jan. 27. when the passenger arrived on a flight from Beijing, China. The individual was heading to Prince George's County, Maryland, officials say. CBP specialists found a package with photos of a cat and dog on it during a baggage examination. The passenger said the package was cat food. Officials say inside the package was "a bunch of unknown small birds, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length." The small birds are from China. According to CBP officials, they are prohibited for import because of the possible threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture seized and destroyed the birds by incineration. These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nations poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza, said Casey Durst, director of field operations for CBPs Baltimore Field Office. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nations agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases. In the United States, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regulate the importation of animals and animal products into the country. Two San Antonio men who ran a roofing company have been sentenced to prison for scamming their clients, most of whom were elderly. Mark Anthony Rodriguez, 45, who was previously convicted in a murder-for-hire plot in the 1990s, was sentenced Monday to 15 years in prison. He pleaded no contest to the charge of theft $30,000 to $150,000 and was found guilty, according to a statement Monday by the Bexar County District Attorneys Office. His business partner, Richard Bruce Stevens, 54, was sentenced Feb. 5 to 15 years in prison after he pleaded no contest to the charge of theft $300,000 or more. The men were first accused of taking money to repair roofs that never were completed when they were owners of Durizon Roofing in 2015. The scheme continued into 2016. Durizon Roofing told customers they were bonded and insured, but were not, according to the statement. At the time of the mens arrests, San Antonio police said the men would collect insurance checks from customers who had hailstorm damage, but never performed the work. Authorities believe the men may have scammed their victims of as much as $600,000. These defendants preyed on some of our most vulnerable residents, Bexar County District Attorney Joe D. Gonzales said in the statement, adding that these were people who trusted the men who promised to repair hail-damaged roofs and paid thousands of dollars only to be left with roofs in disrepair. How to avoid scams Prosecutors urge consumers not to fall for unsolicited sales pitches and urge the following: Watch out for immediacy. Say no if someone tells you that you must take the deal as soon as possible. Take the time to verify any licensing the vendor tells you he or she has. Do an online search to see reviews. Corroborate any information that person has given you from an independent source. Be cautious about secrecy. If you're being told to keep the deal between the two of you, say no. Beware of untraced forms of payment. A deal in cash makes it hard to prove a crime has been committed - and it may also be a guarantee the scammer won't come back unless they think you have more cash to steal. Source: Bexar County District Attorney's Office See More Collapse Rodriguezs conviction wasnt his first brush with the law. In 2011, Rodriguez was released from prison after he was convicted in a murder-for-hire plot involving his brother, Michael. The siblings reportedly paid $2,000 to a man named Rolando Ruiz Jr., to kill Michael Rodriguezs wife, Theresa Rodriguez, to collect $400,000 in insurance money. Theresa Rodriguez was shot to death July 14, 1992, in the garage of her North Side home. She was 29. The brothers and two other accomplices pleaded guilty in 1995 and were sentenced to prison. Michael Rodriguez also was one of the Texas 7, who escaped from prison and went on a crime spree during which an Irving police officer was killed. The men went on the run and eventually were caught in Colorado. Michael Rodriguez was executed on Aug. 14, 2008, in Huntsville. Mark Rodriguez was sentenced with a repeat offender enhancement and faces a parole revocation on the murder charge. After Stevens completes his 15-year prison term, he will have to serve 41 months in federal prison on wire fraud charges. Dawn McCraw and Brandon Jackson, assistant district attorneys, prosecuted the cases in the 227th state District Court. Elizabeth Zavala covers county and state courts in San Antonio. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | ezavala@express-news.net | Twitter: @elizabeth2863 The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) will be taking part in this years OUTing the Past Festival the international celebration of LGBT+ history that runs during LGBT+ History Month. Shakespeare is one of the four faces of this years festival, and SBT will be exploring the bisexual voices of his Sonnets and hear a performance of poetry by LGBT+ Poet Laureate Trudy Howson as part of a series of short talks on Wednesday (12th February) from 12.30pm to 6pm, at the Shakespeare Centre, Henley Street, Stratford-upon-Avon. Booking is not necessary, and entrance is free. Ever dazzling and intense, and resonating as deeply personal poems, Shakespeares Sonnets nevertheless seem trapped by long-held critical and narrative assumptions. How instead might we recognise the poems many-sided genders and sexualities? How might we set them free in our time and culture? Dr Paul Edmondson, head of research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, will be joined by special guest Luke Turner, author of the bisexual memoir Out of the Woods, who will be reflecting on how we might reclaim the bisexual experience from the past, and how we write about it today. This talk takes place between 5pm-6pm. Other talks include: 12.30-1pm, Queer eye for the museum: V&A curator Dan Vo will discuss how the existence of queer lives is evident across place, time and culture. 1pm-1.30pm, Byron and the Lion King: Cheryl Morgan looks at a play, ancient texts and archaeology to see how ideas of sexuality and gender change with time. 2pm-2.30pm, Bloomsburys Hidden Neighbours: A lesbian love triangle? Jane Trays queers the story of Caroline Spurgeon, a leading Shakespeare scholar of the 20th century, who was the first woman in the UK to become a Professor of English Literature. 2.45pm-3.15pm, Creating the queer archive. Jessica Heath discusses the relationship between archives and queer history, using the work undertaken as part of her placement for archive studies. 3.30pm-4.30pm, Trudy Howson reads her work, and talk about her poetic inspirations and what it means to her to be LGBT Poet Laureate. Items from the SBTs museum, library and archives that relate to LGBT+ history will be on display from 10am-3.30pm, and copies of a new source guide collating these items will be available. North Korea has dispatched 500 Red Cross workers to its border with China in an attempt to prevent the spread of coronavirus. The workers will be used 'for border quarantine operations', the Red Cross said, without saying where exactly they were sent or when. North Korea has officially denied having any coronavirus cases, but reports have suggested people are dying from the disease in the border city of Sinuiju and that infections may have reached the capital Pyongyang. North Korea has dispatched 500 Red Cross workers to its border with China in order to help with 'quarantine operations' as coronavirus continues to spread North Korea has not officially confirmed a case of coronavirus, though reports have suggested people died from the disease near the border and the infection has reached Pyongyang Kim Jong-un's regime, which keeps all public health data as a closely-guarded state secret, cancelled a planned military parade in the capital on Saturday with no warning given. The annual event, to commemorate the founding of the countrys armed forces, typically draws huge crowds and is overseen by Kim himself - but this year did not go ahead and its absence was not noted by state-owned newspaper Rodong Sinmun. Rodong has carried several statements by public heath officials urging people to watch out for suspected cases, warning the fate of the nation is at stake. It has also published images of workers in hazmat suits disinfecting buses and trains in cities including Sinuiju. North Korea has closed its borders to all international travellers, while road and rail links with ally China have either been closed or severely restricted. Any North Korea citizen travelling outside the country will have to submit to health checks on their return, while all those arriving in the capital will also be tested. Foreign emissaries, including from the UK, were have been instructed to stay inside a drab Soviet-era concrete diplomatic compound in Pyongyang. Coronavirus has spread to almost 30 countries worldwide infecting more than 42,000 people and killing 1,000 - more than the SARS outbreak of 2003 North Korea's public health system is almost non-existent, with the country perilously low on crucial supplies of medicines and other medical supplies. If the virus begins to spread widely, then it could prove devastating to the nation's 25million inhabitants who largely live in poverty. The new strain of the coronavirus, temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV, originated in Wuhan in central China about a month ago from an unknown source. It has since spread to 30 countries and affected more than 43,000 people around the globe. There have been two confirmed cases of the virus in Russia, with 144 people quarantined in a camp in Siberia over fears they have the infection. Health officials say the illness is capable of spreading before symptoms show and about 20 per cent of patients become severely ill. The symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath and can progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure. By Monday evening the coronavirus death toll topped 1,000 - surpassing the number of deaths counted during the 2003 SARS virus outbreak. A leading Fianna Fail TD has warned he will not serve in government in any coalition involving his party and Sinn Fein. Fianna Fail's new and returning TDs and senators will debate the issue when its parliamentary party meets on Thursday at midday in Leinster House. But ahead of that, the party's justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan has warned that Sinn Fein's manifesto election promises, if implemented, would turn the country into Venezuela. Frontbench Fianna Fail TDs are divided on whether the party should consider sharing power with Sinn Fein after the dramatic general election results. Leader Micheal Martin has not ruled it out, saying their are significant incompatibilities between his party and Sinn Fein. But some of his TDs are more strongly opposed to any such coalition. Mr O'Callaghan told RTE that there was no purpose in going through the charade of talks with Sinn Fein about coalition options. He pointed out that Sinn Fein had done the same and refused to meet other parties about setting up a government after the 2016 general election. He added: No one voted to compel Fianna Fail to go into government with Sinn Fein and that its voters would be "annoyed" if the party did so. It was up to the collection of the estimated 74 left-wing TDs now elected to the new 33rd Dail to come together, including Sinn Fein, and put their plans for a government to the public, added Mr O'Callaghan. However, he went further and revealed that he would refuse to serve in a government, if the opportunity arose, involving Sinn Fein. He would sit on the Fianna Fail backbenches, he told RTE. I wouldn't serve in any [such] government, he explained. Mr O'Callaghan was also highly critical of Sinn Fein's manifesto, which he argued, if rolled out, would be a "disaster" for Ireland and "turn the country into Venezuela". In a shocking incident of Delhi Police brutally attacking students, yet again, the protesters marching to the Parliament were stopped, beaten up and assaulted. The reports from the hospital where injured students are being treated suggest that women have injuries on their vaginas, with Delhi Police seemingly acting as a group of goons out on a rampage. More than 10 students of the Jamia Millia Islamia who participated in an anti-CAA march towards Parliament, have been admitted to the Jamia Health Centre for injuries in their private parts, according to a report by India Today. Speaking to India Today TV, the resident doctors at the health centre said that some of the students have been shifted to Al-Shifa hospital. "More than 10 woman students have been hit on their private parts. We have found blunt injuries on some of the protesters," the doctors said. AP On February 10, Jamia students attempted to cross a police picket and march to the Parliament to protest the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The scuffle broke when students started the march from the varsitys gate number 7, which has been the protest site since December 16, and were stopped near Holy Family Hospital.The students were carrying the Indian flag and anti-CAA placards. They attempted to cross the barricades and stood over them before police began their assault. Talking to IANS, Safoora, one of the core members of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) claimed, "I was caught between 4 policemen who refused to budge even though they saw that I couldn't breathe at all and I was fainting...I fell down. I was between their legs for more than 5-6 minutes. They kept ignoring me." "One of my friends found me...he saved me. I wouldn't be alive otherwise. When he begged them to give me space to breathe they kept taunting him. It was terrorising," she added. Jamia. For those who insisted that there was no police brutality. pic.twitter.com/4jiwAVXZ7M Rana Ayyub (@RanaAyyub) February 10, 2020 Just when you think the Delhi Police cannot possibly stoop any lower, they begin attacking women's vaginas, literally. As per news reports, this has been confirmed by doctors who have treated those brutalized.#Jamia #PoliceBrutality #Delhi https://t.co/Aj4aB7uVxT Audrey Truschke (@AudreyTruschke) February 10, 2020 Delhi Police is spraying some substance in air at the protest site. Multiple students are complaining about stomach ache.#JamiaMilliaIslamia pic.twitter.com/MylmvUvZu4 Jamia Millia Islamia (@jamiamillia_) February 10, 2020 This lady police officer was pinching breast of female protestors.She was not wearing any name badge.#Jamia #JamiaProtests #ShameonDelhiPolice pic.twitter.com/VAM0xMMnZV Anam Iqbal (@zealouspirit) February 10, 2020 The doctors who attended the injured students stated, "Most of the injured students have complained about being hit on the stomach, others have talked about severe neck pain due to dragging from the neck." Answering on the claims that the students were hit on their private parts, the medical officer said, "No such complaints have been conveyed to us." A senior varsity official said: "Though there was no baton-charge by Delhi Police but some instances of scuffle had left minor injuries to our students. Najma Ma'am went to see them." Najma Akhtar is Jamia's Vice Chancellor. This isnt the first incident of police brutality against Jamia students. Over the past few months, the cops have been hostile towards students from certain universities, including the Jawaharlal Nehru University. In December 2019, the police launched an attack on the students of Jamia and stormed the varsity, injuring hundreds of students. The recent incidents of attacks by Delhi police and their reluctance to stop the ongoing violence is not only hampering the law and order situation in the national capital but also taking away publics trust. Another confirmed case of coronavirus was reported here on Tuesday, bringing the total to 28. The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the latest patient is a 30-year-old Chinese woman who is an acquaintance of the country's third patient with the disease. Los Angeles authorities are seeking the public's help in identifying two women who robbed their dates after meeting them at an exclusive restaurant. The Los Angeles Police Department's Commercial Crimes Division share in a release that the two suspects met the two victims at 'an exclusive restaurant in West Los Angeles' on October 28, 2019, at approximately 9.35pm. Authorities say that the group then went to one of the victim's residence on the 6500 block of Lindenhurst Avenue, where the women were said to have mixed the victims' drink. Scroll down for video The two suspects met the two victims at 'an exclusive restaurant in West Los Angeles' on October 28, 2019, at approximately 9.35pm. They then went back to one of the victim's residence on the 6500 block of Lindenhurst Avenue Suspect 1 is said to have stayed inside the residence with one of the victims while the other woman was said to have gone outside with the other victim. The second suspect is said to have gone inside to use the restroom, failing to return and leaving the victim outside perplexed. When he went inside to check on the woman, the man discovered that both women were gone. He also found his friend lying unconscious in the home's downstairs bedroom area. It was then that the women mixed the men's drink, enacting a plan to get the two victims separate from each other Police were called to the scene and took the men to a local hospital. They also learned that the watches were stolen from the home Authorities soon learned that both of the watches had been stolen. They released video showing outside the Los Angeles residence where the incident occurred. Paramedics were called to the scene and transported the victims to a local hospital. They are listed as being in stable condition. They describe one of the women (Suspect 1) as being 20-30-year-old, with blond hair. She is said to be between 5'3" and 5'5" and weigh approximately 140-150lbs. The second suspect is described as being 20-30-years-old, with a red wig. She is said to be between 5'3" and 5'5", weighing approximately 140-150lbs. She is said to have tattoos of hearts and butterflies on her stomach. 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 New Delhi, Feb 11 : Even as the Congress registered its lowest vote percentage at less than five per cent in the Delhi elections, party leaders were busy on Tuesday in touting different reasons for the party's debacle that came after a bit of resurgence seen in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. As per the latest Election Commission figures available, the AAP has garnered 53.65 per cent of the votes polled in the February 8 elections, the BJP 38.47 per cent and the Congress 4.31 per cent. The Congress, which again failed to open its account in the Delhi Assembly like in the 2015 elections, was unable to even save the security deposits of its candidates in almost all the seats it contested, barring one. Four seats were left for ally Rashtriya Janata Dal of Bihar. The party's best electoral performance in the Delhi Assembly elections came in 2003 when it bagged 48 per cent of the votes polled. In 2008, the figure was 40 per cent. In the 2015 Assembly elections, the Congress had got 9.7 per cent votes though it failed to win even a single seat. After former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit took charge of party affairs ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the party's vote share increased to 22 per cent compared with the AAP's 18 per cent even though it failed to win a single Lok Sabha seat. However, after her demise in July 2019, it only seems a downhill journey for the Congress. Congress' Chandni Chowk candidate Alka Lamba claimed that the party lost due to "excessive polarisation" of voters in Delhi. "The BJP went ahead with its communal agenda and the Congress was a victim of collateral damage," she remarked. Another party leader Sharmistha Mukherjee said: "The BJP has divisive politics, Arvind Kejriwal has smart politics, but what are we doing? Can we honestly say that we've done all to put our house in order? We are busy capturing the Congress whereas other parties are capturing India. If we are to survive, it's time to come out of our exalted echo chambers!" She blamed intra-party rifts for the poll debacle. A Congress insider echoed the view: "The Congress has been a divided house in Delhi since 2010 when the Commonwealth Games were organised. In the Nirbhaya case in 2012-end, many Congress leaders saw an opportunity to dislodge Sheila Dikshit from the Chief Minister's post. As a result, the party lost power in 2013 to Kejriwal. Then Ajay Maken took over the Delhi unit leadership in 2015 and the party lost all seats it contested." Nanny McPhee star Raphael Coleman died in South Africa while jogging as he trained to take on animal poachers, it emerged today. The 25-year-old Extinction Rebellion activist had 'no prior health problems' when he collapsed on Friday following an apparent heart failure. His mother, novelist Liz Jensen, today said his shocking death was 'too much to bear' before adding, 'It is hard to imagine how life will continue'. The 25-year-old Extinction Rebellion activist, seen at a protest in London, had 'no prior health problems' when he collapsed on Friday following an apparent heart failure Coleman (left and as a child, right) played Eric Brown in the 2005 Nanny McPhee film alongside Emma Thompson Pictured in 2005 Mrs Jensen tweeted: 'We are heartbroken but so proud of him and his work to protect our Heaven on Earth. He inspired so many people and was so loved. 'He was beautiful and wise and it's hard to imagine how life will continue. But it must and will - and he'd want that. We were so lucky to have him, he brought such joy. 'It's every parent's worst nightmare. It seems he died of heart failure - he was running and laughing when he collapsed. It was blessedly quick.' Coleman played Eric Brown in Nanny McPhee and today Eliza Bennett, who played his onscreen sister Tora, also paid tribute in a tweet. 'I was so heartbroken to hear about Raphael. After we worked on Nanny McPhee, he dedicated his life to protecting wildlife and fighting climate change. Im honoured to have crossed paths him & my heart is with his family in this dark time.' Coleman gave up a career in science to campaign with Extinction Rebellion, which called him a 'burning bright soul who will be deeply missed'. In a statement referring to the activist by his new name, Iggy Fox, the group said: 'He died while exercising in South Africa as part of a training to stop animal poaching. 'Iggy died as he lived: trying to make the world a better place, training to stop poachers in Africa and surrounded by trees and people who cared about him. 'Iggy's future was so bright and to think that it is over breaks our hearts. We are in mourning but we are also celebrating his life which he lived so fully.' Yesterday, Coleman's stepfather Carsten Jensen wrote on Facebook that Coleman has passed away on Friday after he could not be revived. Under the name Iggy Fox, Coleman ran Extinction Rebellion's social media and spoke at demonstrations Coleman's novelist mother, Liz Jensen, today said his shocking death was 'too much to bear' before adding, 'It is hard to imagine how life will continue' Coleman (right) stars alongside Eliza Bennett, Thomas Sangster, Sam Honywood, Jennifer Rae Daykin and Holly Gibbs in Nanny McPhee 2005 In a long and heartfelt post on Facebook, Coleman's stepfather, Carsten Jensen, described how he and Coleman were 'so close' His mother Liz Jensen wrote on Twitter: 'Rest in peace my beloved son Raphael Coleman, aka Iggy Fox' The former child actor, who appeared alongside Emma Thompson in the 2005 film, died without 'prior health problems', Mr Jensen confirmed. In a long and heartfelt post on Facebook, he wrote: 'To die young. I guess there's nothing that makes you see death as unfair and meaningless as when a young person dies. 'It's life itself that's sabotaged. It just happened to my wife, Liz, whose youngest son, Raph of only 25, died last Friday. 'He collapsed without prior health problems in the middle of a trip and could not be restored. I got to know Raph when he was six years old, and we were so close.' Tributes have poured in for Coleman, which described him as 'one of the most beautiful souls you could hope to meet'. The former child actor had no 'prior health problems' when he died, his stepfather confirmed. Pictured in Nanny McPhee Extinction Rebellion tweeted: 'He was 25, had given up a career in science to join XR and fought hard for the cause, especially for Indigenous rights. 'Iggy will be deeply missed by us all' Another added: 'So very, very sorry for your loss of such a wise and exuberant young man. RIP Iggy Fox.' Warren Draper posted: 'The greatest tribute we can offer is to continue your work and build a better, braver, brighter world for all.' Coleman ran eco group Extinction Rebellion's social media and spoke at demonstrations. Mr Jensen told how he was 'arrested again and again' and was one of the first and most active members of the group. After his starring role in Nanny McPhee, he went on to feature in the 2009 American horror film, It's Alive, as Daniel Davis. In the same year he also starred as Edward in Edward's Turmoil and The Fourth Kind as Ronnie Tyler. At 18 he travelled to Thailand where he pursued his passion for science and became a biologist. Tributes have poured in for Coleman, describing him as 'one of the most beautiful souls you could hope to meet' He later went to Costa Rica and Indonesia where he qualified as a diver before working for Extinction Rebellion. Speaking to the Extinction Rebellion newspaper, The Hourglass, he described his wish for a 'future' when he was questioned in a police interview. He said: 'I'd quite like a future. Right now, my future is on fire, and in Brazil, they're killing the firefighters.' Extinction Rebellion tweeted earlier: 'He was 25, had given up a career in science to join XR and fought hard for the cause, especially for Indigenous rights. 'Iggy will be deeply missed by us all.' A tribute to Coleman will be held at the Brazilian Embassy in London at 6pm on Thursday. _________ The word brackish has appeared in 19 articles on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on Feb. 3 in Mexicos Last Countercultural Coast by Freda Moon: It was my final day in Zicatela and I wanted to make the most of it. So, despite an aversion to tours, I signed up for an evening trip to the bioluminescent Manialtepec lagoon. For 350 pesos (about $17), along with five other travelers I was chauffeured to the lagoon, where we were introduced to our captain and his crew, a father and his grade-school-age son Id been warned that the moon, one day shy of full, might drown out the bioluminescence. But when the captain instructed us to dip our hands over the side, we left comet-like trails through the warm, black, brackish water as thousands of tiny aquatic organisms defended themselves with light. When we stopped, I lifted my dress over my head and threw myself overboard, my arms and legs turning the water blue and gray as the water became alive. The best bang for your buck! This option enables you to purchase online 24/7 access and receive the Sunday, Tuesday & Thursday print edition at no additional cost * Print edition only available in our carrier delivery area. Allow up to 72 hours for delivery of your print edition to begin. Print edition not available for Day Pass option. After returning for a second season on 17 January, it's already been confirmed there'll be a season three. Netflix dropped a video of Principal Groff posing as an art historian as he discusses each of the character's promotional posters: THE shot which killed Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fired from a distance of six or seven feet, a firearms expert has told the Central Criminal Court. The jury in the trial of Aaron Brady (28), accused of the capital murder of the detective, was also shown a shotgun which a garda ballistics specialist said is similar to the firearm used in the fatal shooting. Det Gda Seamus O'Donnell, of the Ballistic Section, said that he carried out a number of examinations of items recovered from the scene at Lordship credit union. This included a green shotgun cartridge found near Det Gda Donohoe's body which he said was made by a Spanish ammunition manufacturer and was normally used to shoot various types of birds or small animals. The firearms specialist told the 15-person jury that he also carried out test shots to determine the range from which the fatal shot which killed the detective was fired at. These tests, the court heard, were carried out at the indoor firing range of the Ballistics Section based in Garda Headquarters. Expand Close Aaron Brady (pictured) denies killing Det Gda Adrian Donohoe / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Aaron Brady (pictured) denies killing Det Gda Adrian Donohoe The witness was giving evidence in the trial of Aaron Brady who denies the murder of Adrian Donohoe, who was then a member of An Garda Siochana acting in the course of his duty, at the Lordship Credit Union in Bellurgan, Co Louth, on January 25, 2013. Mr Brady, of New Road in Crossmaglen, Co Armagh, also denies robbery of approximately 7,000 in cash and assorted cheques from Mr Pat Bellew at the same location on the same date. Det Gda O'Donnell said that, having reviewed material including post mortem images of Det Gda Donohoe, established that the shot impact pattern of the wound to his right eye measured approximately 60mm in diameter. The witness said he took a number of test shots at an A4 folder from various distances between 8 feet and 4 feet. He told the court that a gunshot from 7 feet gave a shot impact pattern of 64mm, while firing the weapon from a distance of 6 feet gave a shot spread pattern of 52mm. The witness agreed with prosecuting counsel Brendan Grehan SC that, based on these tests, Det Gda Donohoe was struck between 6 feet and 7 feet from the tip of the shotgun muzzle. These tests, he told the court, were carried out with a 12 gauge Beretta model semi-automatic shotgun, which he said in his opinion was similar to the weapon which fired the fatal shot at Det Gda Donohoe. A 12 gauge Beretta semi-automatic shotgun was then produced in court and made safe by Det Gda O'Donnell, before being shown to the jury. The witness agreed with Mr Grehan that the firearm was being used for illustrative purposes and was not the gun used at the Lordship credit union. The court previously heard that the shotgun used in the killing of Det Gda Donohoe has not been recovered. Det Gda O'Donnell will continuing giving evidence tomorrow morning. Earlier the court heard from a number of PSNI police officers who carried out searches in south Armagh in the days after the shooting. PSNI constable Andy Moore gave evidence that he was on patrol with the district support unit covering south Armagh on January 27, 2013. Constable Moore said that morning he was made aware of what had happened in Lordship two days previous. The witness told the court that he was on patrol covering areas that the vehicle may have passed through. At around 10am he drove on to Cumsons Road, off Chalybeate Road, and became aware of a burnt out vehicle on the right hand side of the road. He said he believed it to be a Volkswagen Passat but that it had "been completely burnt out and reversed into a laneway". Constable Moore told Lorcan Staines SC, prosecuting, that the road leading towards the burnt out vehicle "isn't great" but that after a bend it "deteriorates, it gets a lot worse". He said he alerted his colleagues and opened up a Serious Crime Scene Log which the court heard is used in any serious incident to record actions by police officers and other resources. Constable Chris Chain said he was tasked with the PSNI tactical support group tasked with carrying out a planned search the following day after the car was discovered. He told the court that in a search around the car at 12.50pm he found one Harp lager tin and placed it in an evidence bag. Five minutes later he discovered a lighter and also placed it into an evidence bag. Later Constable Chain, who was wearing a full forensic suit, was directed towards and seized what was described as "carry bag of assorted items" in the search site. In cross examination, the witness told defence counsel Justin McQuade BL that he could not recall what was in the bag and that it was logged as a "bag with assorted items". Judge Stanochs extensive experience in business and civic service make him an invaluable asset to our board." Community Health Charities announced today that Hennepin County District Court Judge (retired) John M. Stanoch joined the CHC national board of directors, adding his significant expertise to an impressive roster of top executives in health and social impact. Judge Stanochs extensive experience in business and civic service make him an invaluable asset to our board, said Thomas G. Bognanno, CHC president and CEO. His incredibly diverse skillset will help us continue to expand our impact, building stronger, healthier communities. Judge Stanoch currently serves as Chair of the Medica Foundation Board of Directors as well as Vice Chair for the Medica Board of Directors. His previous roles include President of Qwest Communications in Minnesota and North Dakota, Minnesota's Chief Deputy Attorney General, and Hennepin County District Court Judge. He also has held executive leadership positions in the civic sector, serving as President and CEO of Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Upper Midwest, Interim President of the Science Museum of Minnesota, and Interim CEO of the Minneapolis Regional Chamber of Commerce. Judge Stanoch received a B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a J.D. from the Mitchell Hamline School of Law. He has been active in a wide range of community and professional organizations in the Twin Cities and currently serves on the boards of AchieveMpls, the strategic nonprofit partner of the Minneapolis Public Schools, the Board of Visitors of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Letters and Science, and the Minnesota Council of Churches Foundation. At the last board meeting, Judge Stanoch was elected to the CHC national board of directors by unanimous vote and will assume his official duties at the next board meeting hosted by the Cleveland Cavaliers in March 2020. About Community Health Charities Community Health Charities has been raising awareness and resources and empowering people to take action to improve health and wellbeing for over 60 years. We support education, treatment, and prevention for those with health challenges; bring organizations together to improve community health; provide individuals with opportunities to get involved; and increase the capacity of nonprofit organizations. Visit https://healthcharities.org or @healthcharities. Last month, a new bill that would allow non-citizens who are either authorized to work or to stay permanently to vote in New York Citys municipal elections was introduced in the City Council. Sponsored by Council member Ydanis Rodriguez, a naturalized U.S. citizen himself, the bill would enfranchise 500,000 to 1 million legal immigrants in New York City with the right to vote locally, including me. Im a journalist from Indonesia who has lived in the United States for the last five years. In 2018, I moved from Boston to New York City to continue covering issues related to politics and community news for various American publications, which I had begun doing in Boston as a graduate student at Emerson College. As a non-citizen immigrant invested in my city, I believe we should be given the right to vote in local elections, which have a significant impact on residents lives, whether they are a citizen or not. Like many non-citizens in this city, Im heavily engaged in what goes on in my neighborhood. Yet, I still lack the ability to turn my civic awareness into one of the most basic acts of civic engagement: a vote. Sure, non-citizens can participate in community organizing and other civic-adjacent activities, such as paying city and state taxes (which we're legally obligated to do), but were still not allowed to vote. The new bill would give non-citizen residents in New York City the legal right to vote in municipal elections for mayor, comptroller, borough president, public advocate and City Council seatsand all municipal ballot measures. I would be allowed to cast my vote for the next Queens borough president, for example, but not allowed to participate in deciding whether Gov. Andrew Cuomo or President Donald Trump gets another term. Representation for non-citizens is especially important in a city largely powered by immigrants. By New York Citys own estimates, immigrants own 52 percent of local businesses and contribute $195 billion to the citywide GDP. Our tax dollars fund government services, yet we are not allowed to put our two cents in about how our communities are run. Disenfranchised groups have fought against taxation without representation throughout U.S. history. But even before women and African Americans won the right to vote, immigrants were legally allowed to cast votes in many states up until these rights were rolled back around the 1880s. In rallying support for the bill, Rodriguez focused on this basic American principle. I can tell you what is un-American denying people who pay their taxes the right to choose representatives that will voice their concerns and representatives that will determine where their money is allocated, Rodriguez said of the new bill. It is un-American to leave them out of that process. Advocates from 45 policy and immigrant rights groups joined him and other city officials at City Hall to publicize the proposed bill. So far, at least 26 other council members have expressed their support. There are those who oppose the bill even while touting New York Citys immigrant identity as its most valuable strength. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, while expressing sympathy for the bills motivations pivoted to changing federal immigration law. My view is we need to fix our immigration system, de Blasio argued when asked at a press briefing late last month whether he supported the municipal voting bill. "We need comprehensive immigration reform with a pathway to citizenship for everyone who's here and qualifies. I think citizenship is an achievement and it connects to certain rights and privileges including the right to vote." It doesnt make sense, however, to promote immigration reform while denying those most affected by the systems flaws the chance to be heard. Then, there are Trump-style detractors who oppose the bill for reasons grounded in xenophobia. Republican Council members Joe Borelli and Eric Ulrich both posted their reasons to vote no against the bill on Twitter. Borelli claimed that non-citizen voting would dilute and devalue the vote of citizen voters. He also accused the law of being a ploy to change the citys district lines. Contrary to Borellis beliefs, democracy is not a zero-sum game; giving voting rights to non-citizens does not take away the rights of citizen voters. The addition of non-citizen voters would not affect district lines either, since districts are determined primarily by population size, a figure that already counts all residents regardless of citizenship. Similarly, Ulrichs patronizing statement that the bill would be very confusing for non-citizens doesnt carry weight. The proposed bill puts forth safeguard measures to guarantee it will be carried out lawfully. Plus, anyone who can navigate the intricate U.S. immigration system can understand whether they can vote and how to do so. Non-citizen New Yorkers ability to participate in electing someone to represent their best interests at City Hall might change a districts electorate, which is perhaps why some electeds are so keen to kill the bill. Take Council member Kalman Yeger, a Brooklyn Democrat whose district includes Bensonhurst and Midwood, neighborhoods where foreign-born residents make up 54 percent and 42 percent of these communities. Yegers rhetoric against some minority populations has been so troubling that last year he was kicked off the Councils Immigration Committee. Yeger has suggested the municipal voting bill isnt progressive because it devalues citizenship. But what does that really mean when two-thirds of Americans wouldnt pass a basic citizenship test? Borelli suggested voting rights for non-citizens should be decided by the citys citizen voters in the next municipal election instead of being considered by the council. It would be better if council members, whose job it is to understand the intricacies of the laws better than most voters, would just pass it. But, if it cant get the votes or de Blasios approval, I wouldnt be against putting the measure on the next election ballot because voting on the policies that affect New Yorkers is good, and everyone should be encouraged to do more of it. The Palestinians have abandoned their request for a vote at the UN Security Council Tuesday that they hoped would reject the peace plan of President Donald Trump, whose administration has put heavy pressure on critics, diplomats said. Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favor, the minimum required for adoption provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats told AFP. A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the United States has placed "very strong pressure" on other countries on the Security Council, including threats of economic retribution. Despite the setback, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will go ahead Tuesday and address the Security Council about Trump's January 28 plan, which paves the way for Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank but also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state. "Consultations are still ongoing," Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said of the proposed resolution. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged Abbas to cancel his trip, accusing him of dwelling on the past and calling on him to focus on the future. The United States would be certain to exercise its veto to any resolution that criticizes its plan. But diplomats said it was far from certain that the Palestinians could pull off a repeat of the December 2017 vote in which all 14 other Security Council members denounced Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. - Heated talks on resolution - The United States has proposed a series of amendments to the draft resolution that could come up for a vote at the session attended by Abbas. In proposals seen by AFP, the United States would significantly alter the text to remove references to lines before the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel captured the West Bank, as being the basis of peace. It would also cut out a statement that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal, a position taken by virtually every country except the US and Israel. The United States is also seeking to eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. The Trump plan calls for recognition of the contested holy city as Israel's undivided capital, while establishing a Palestinian capital on its outskirts. While recognizing that the Trump plan "departs from the internationally endorsed terms of reference and parameters," the US wants the resolution to state that the Security Council "welcomes discussion on this proposal to advance the cause of peace." Diplomats cast doubt on whether a vote could take place even at a later date, considering the wide divergences in positions. - Divisions under surface - The Palestinian leadership has enjoyed the backing of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the Trump plan. But individual countries' positions are more complicated. In the midst of pushing for the UN resolution, Tunisia abruptly withdrew its UN ambassador, raising speculation that the Arab state had come under pressure from Washington. After appearing Thursday at the United Nations, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser who has spearheaded his Middle East push, said there was a "ton of cracks" in opposition to the plan. He pointed to divisions within the European Union, which failed to issue a joint statement critical of the plan amid dissent from a handful of countries such as Hungary, led by the right-wing populist Viktor Orban. Of the four European Union members that hold seats on the Security Council, two of them -- Germany and Estonia -- looked ready to abstain from a vote criticizing the US plan, diplomats said. The other two members are France and Belgium. A fifth European Union member that was on the Security Council, Britain, left the bloc at the end of last month. Israel and the United States have also been optimistic of winning at least muted backing from Arab states traditionally supportive of the Palestinians, with Gulf monarchies united with Israel in their hostility to Iran. The ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates attended Trump's unveiling of the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later held a breakthrough meeting with Sudan's top general. Netanyahu has hailed Trump's plan, under which Israel would maintain sovereignty up to the Jordanian border even if there is a Palestinian state. SPRINGFIELD After years of anticipation, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced Tuesday that a formal agreement is nearly final for a proposed $55 million housing project at the historic Elm Street block at Court Square. After much discussion with all of the stakeholders, I am pleased to be able to finally announce that we have reached terms for an agreement which is agreeable and beneficial for all parties, Sarno said in a prepared statement. The long-vacant at 13-31 Elm St. will include market rate housing, aided by an $11 million investment by MGM Springfield, according to previously announced plans. The city and MGM Springfield have been working on a project agreement with the preferred developers, Winn Development LLC and OPAL Real Estate Group LLC. The developers are planning a renovation that would build 60 units of market rate housing and 14 workforce apartments restricted to tenants earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. The project also includes first-floor retail space. An announcement of the formal agreement is expected in the very near future, Sarno said. MGM Springfield is under a requirement by the city and the Massachusetts Gaming Commission to create at least 54 market-rate, upscale apartments in the area of its nearly $1 billion casino. The agreement for the Elm Street block will need approval from the City Council, Sarno said. The Elm Street block has been mostly vacant for decades, and Sarno said the restoration project is another major economic development project for our city. This pivotal project adds to the list of projects that naysayers said would never happen in Springfield, Sarno said. The Elm Street block is owned by the Springfield Redevelopment Authority. Sarno praised the efforts of the developers, MGM Springfield, his city team, Gov. Charlie Baker, and City Councilor Michael Fenton, who is chairman of the Casino Oversight Committee, among others. 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. Planned Texas border wall would cut off congregants from their church, 'burden' religious practice Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Plans to build part of President Donald Trumps border wall near a levee in Donna, Texas, are being challenged on claims that it will burden churchgoers by cutting them off from easily accessing their church building. According to KRGV, the U.S. government has been awarded about six acres of land to the west of Donnas international bridge by a federal court to construct part of the border wall. Since Trump took office in 2017, the administration has authorized the construction of border fencing along the U.S. southern border to prevent illegal border crossings, hundreds of thousands of which occur each year. The Trump administration wants to build a wall south of Alamo over a flood levee where several homes are located in Donna. The federal government filed condemnation actions in December. The governments request was granted by federal courts in Texas and Louisiana in January. In Donna, the land in question is owned by as many as 88 people, KRGV reports. Advocates say that building a wall on the levee in Donna will cut off houses on the south side of the wall from the rest of the Rio Grande Valley. Among the residents who could be impacted is Yolanda Hernandez and her family. Hernandezs family has owned land in that area for over 100 years. Hernandez is also a member of the Templo La Hermosa Church, which has been around since the 1930s. Should the wall be constructed, lawyers say, it will be built on the path to the church and cut off Hernandez and others from attending Templo Hermosa Church. I am a member of the church and my parents were part of the building of this church, Hernandez told the local television news outlet. Normally we have about 20 [attendees]. We have more members but they dont show up. Ricky Garza of the Texas Civil Rights Project and another attorney representing landowners impacted by the wall plans went before federal Judge Randy Crane on Wednesday asking that the land not be handed over to the government until the concern about the church and other concerns are resolved. Garza told the local ABC affiliate that the border wall will deter people from attending the Templo La Hermosa. Hernandez agreed. "That is going to substantially burden your religion, Garza said. That is going to impact your ability to practice because you won't be able to go to the church and choose the type of religious practice that suits your conscience." Hernandez said she has been in talks with U.S. attorneys. "I talked to one of the attorneys, and they told me that they were going to make arrangements to leave the gate open on Sunday mornings, Hernandez said, adding that it would be open for special events such as weddings and funerals as well. However, Garza would like to see such accommodations in writing. He argued that even if the gates are left open, there will still be a burden on passersby to go through a security checkpoint. You'll have to get a number from Border Patrol to pass through the gate, Garza was quoted as saying. You'll be unsure if that gate is going to open or not. Whether if the power goes out if something is going to block that church from being accessed. Hernandez believes that people still may not come to church because they will use the excuse the gate is closed. But ultimately, she believes that the people who really want to come to church will come to church. Last year, Congress acted to protect five locations in the Rio Grande Valley from border wall construction, one of which was the La Lomita Chapel in Mission, Texas. The Diocese of Brownsville, which filed a lawsuit against the border plans, claimed that the construction of the wall would have cut off the historic chapel from those that worship there. Dundalk Institute of Technology is set to host its very first Public Health Fair this coming Saturday, February 15th on the campus. The event, which has been organised by trained nurses, midwives and academics from DkITs Department of Nursing, Midwifery & Early Years, is to take place in the Muirhevna Building on the DKIT campus on Saturday from 10 am- 2 pm. According to a statement released on the DKIT website, the event includes a variety of public health talks, check-ups and demonstrations relating to topics such as cancer care, healthy bones, infection control, mental wellness, heart health, ageing well and becoming a mother. The event has been designed by the coordinators to provide the general public with an opportunity to meet one-to-one with health professionals and academics in the college and to educate people on general wellbeing and health. Visitors will have the opportunity to undertake different types of general testing such as blood pressure and sugar monitoring by professionals. The event is also to include a CPR workshop through the Hands for Life, Irish Heart Foundation programme. There will also be a selection of demonstrations and interactive stands from organisations such as the National Cancer Care programme, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda, The Louth Hospital Dundalk, Maire Keating Foundation, Irish Skin Foundation, Happy Bones and others. The event has been organised by Dundalk Institute of Technology as part of the 2020 celebrations for the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife which was established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in honour of the two hundredth anniversary of the year of Florence Nightingales birth, the foundational philosopher of the modern nursing practice. This is the beginning of a full calendar of events organised by the institution as part of the year-long celebration. The event is free of charge and open to adults of all ages. WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the administrations third state dinner in April, for King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, the White House announced Tuesday. The fancy, black-tie dinner a diplomatic tool often reserved for Americas staunchest allies -- is part of a state visit scheduled for April 21 to celebrate close ties between the two countries, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. The visit will celebrate our two countries close friendship and shared history, and reaffirm our commitments to stand together to address todays global challenges, Grisham said in a statement. King Felipe and Trump met in the Oval Office in June 2018 during a royal tour of the U.S. to mark the 300th anniversaries of the founding of New Orleans and San Antonio, cities with historical ties to Spain. Trump, at the time, praised the outstanding relationship between the U.S. and Spain and cited excellent co-operation between them on trade and military defence. Just about everything you can have, Trump said. So we love Spain. The relationship has weathered a few bumps in the road, however. One area of co-operation has been a long-term agreement that allows the U.S. to use two military bases in Spain. But with Trump threatening Europe with tariffs, it has been suggested that Spain might eventually dangle the base deal as leverage. Spains new foreign minister, Arancha Gonzalez Laya, told the Spanish daily El Pais in an interview published Sunday that she wants to find a meeting point and a balance in which the United States finds things it considers important and Spain too. Obviously, access to the American market for Spanish products is important. The interview followed a telephone conversation she had with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Gonzalez Laya has said she plans to visit the U.S. in February. A pre-Iraq war meeting in 2003 in the Azores between President George W. Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar represented a new peak for Spains standing with the U.S. But the subsequent decision by Aznars successor, Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq after he took office in 2004 soured ties considerably. Barack Obamas arrival at the White House saw relations improve, and he and Zapatero were seen as good friends. The relationship has held steady with Trump first hosting former premier Mariano Rajoy in 2017, although Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has yet to make or receive a visit. Trump opposes socialism. The Trump administrations previous state dinners were for France in April 2018 and Australia in September 2019. ___ Associated Press writer Ciaran Giles in Madrid contributed to this report. ___ Follow Darlene Superville on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/dsupervilleap LONDON Burberry stopped short of issuing a sales and profit warning last Friday, but now Morgan Stanley has done it for them. On Tuesday the bank wrote a research note that Burberrys comments about the impact of the coronavirus might imply a downgrade to 2019-20 earnings in the region of 5 percent. The bank pointed out that Burberry is the soft luxury company with the highest retail sales exposure to Chinese nationals, and was the first of its peers to issue an official warning about the material impact of the coronavirus on its operations in mainland China and Hong Kong. Some 40 percent of Burberrys sales come from Chinese customers buying both at home and abroad. As reported on Feb. 7 Burberry said 24 of its 64 stores in mainland China were closed, with the remainder operating with reduced hours and seeing significant footfall declines. Burberry added that the spending patterns of Chinese customers in Europe and other tourist destinations have been less impacted to date, but given widening travel restrictions, we anticipate these to worsen over the coming weeks. Morgan Stanley is assuming the ongoing disruption will cause a 50 percent to 60 percent drop in Burberrys sales to Chinese nationals over the coming two months. (Burberrys fiscal year ends on March 31.) The bank said the sales drop would result in an approximate 3 percent reduction to its own full-year sales estimates for the brand. Those figures do not take into account Burberrys wholesale business. It added that Burberrys operating profit could see up to a 10 percent drop in the second half of the year, implying a mid-single-digit downgrade to FY20 earnings, which is how it got to the 5 percent. Morgan Stanley said it would expect Burberry to recover part of that lost sales growth in fiscal 2020-21, assuming the impact from the outbreak is temporary, and the situation normalizes by April. The bank was quick to add that should the drop in sales be more severe than its 50 percent to 60 percent assumption, or should the impact on sales last longer than just two months, earnings could see a more meaningful cut. Story continues It also said that with regard to the impact of the virus, Burberry stands apart from its peers. While this upcoming headwind was largely expected by the market, particularly after similar warnings from other brands (such as Nike and Pandora), interestingly the luxury sector has so far proved to be particularly resilient from a share price performance perspective, the bank wrote. Investors are seemingly looking past these imminent downgrades, which are not expected to affect the solid, underlying, structural growth drivers of the sector. Given Burberrys ongoing turnaround, the bank warned that the British brand might be seen by the market as slightly more vulnerable compared to other more established companies such as LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Hermes and Kering, particularly given that the virus outbreak will delay the inflection point in Burberrys sales and profits growth expected over the coming couple of quarters. More from WWD The White House on Monday asked Congress for $25.2 billion (19.52 billion) for NASA in 2021, the agency's biggest budget in decades, calling for steady increases over five years to meet President Donald Trump's goal of landing astronauts on the moon and Mars. The request would boost the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's budget by 12 percent for the fiscal year that starts October 1, with nearly half of the funds going toward the "Moon to Mars" program, which includes development of lunar landers, robotic rovers, heavy-lift rockets and new spacesuits. "They are backing up our vision for a renewed era of discovery by giving NASA ever-increasing budgets every year," NASA administratorA Jim Bridenstine said on Monday after the White House released its plan. "Now we must deliver." The Trump administration called on NASA early last year to reorganize its exploration program to send humans to the moon by 2024 and to Mars in the next decade, accelerating a previous timeline and increasing its 2020 budget by $1.6 billion. The 2021 fiscal year budget, one of the largest overall spending increases for NASA since the 1990s, doubles down on the "Moon to Mars" project, which NASA projects will cost $71.1 billion over the next five years, according to a blueprint sent to Congress on Monday. NASA's budget is estimated to increase steadily over the next five years to fund the program, peaking at $28.3 billion in fiscal year 2023, primarily going to privately developed lunar landing systems. The budget includes $529 million for robotic trips to Mars, including a mission to return soil samples back to Earth and map near-surface water ice deposits that could inform future human missions to the red planet. Separately, the Trump administration's $740.5 billion budget request for national defense in 2021 allocates $15.4 billion for the U.S. Space Force, which was established on December 20 as an independent service under the Air Force. [February 11, 2020] Grandstream Becomes a SkySwitch Approved Device Supplier TAMPA, Fla. and BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SkySwitch , the leading channel-exclusive white label Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) provider, has announced that Grandstream, a provider of award-winning SIP unified communication solutions, has become an approved supplier to its North American network of resellers and their customers. SkySwitch and Grandstream will deliver, through the reseller-exclusive SkySwitch online store, world-class unified communication endpoint solutions to customers of SkySwitch's reseller community. SkySwitch has certified a wide range of Grandstream's VoIP endpoint solutions, including their GRP series phones as fully interoperable with the SkySwitch telephony platform, making the line of devices available to over 500 resellers in the USA and Canada. The certified Grandstream solutions are available for purchase directly from the SkySwitch online store, as well as Grandstream's certified channel partners. SkySwitch resellers can now utilize Grandstream's powerful, easy-to-use and cost-effective endpoint solutions while taking advantage of seamless purchasing, provisioning, warranty support and shipping. "The GRP series from Grandstream is a carrier-grade solution that promises to fill the need for modern desktop devices that can be mass deployed and managed by cloud voice providers," said President and Founder of SkySwitch, Eric Hernaez. "We are very happy to add this new line to the list of fully supported devices available to our community of resellers. By bringing Grandstream into the online SkySwitch store, our resellers now have the convenience of purchasing directly through their reseller dashboards, which they use day-today, and have the ease of mind that provisioning and shipping will always be a smooth process." Founded in Boston, MA, USA in 2002 as one of the first VoIP manufacturers, Grandstream's award-winning solutions are now relied on in over 150 countries across the world. They offer all the endpoints that SkySwitch resellers need to build state-of-the-art voice, video, data and mobility solutions, complete with industry-leading pricing and feature sets. In addition to being one of the leading manufacturers of IP Phones, Grandstream provides conferencing, mobility, facility access, physical security, intercom/paging, Wi-Fi and analog-to-VoIP solutions. Grandstream solutions offer the ideal IP phone for every user, provide powerful wireless mobility options, simplify facility management and introduce innovative integration possibilities. "The relationship between Grandstream and SkySwitch is a natural one, as we are both focused on building customizable and easy-to-use solutions for the rapidly growing service provider marketplace," said CEO of Grandstream, David Li. "By joining forces with SkySwitch, we can offer service providers and resellers throughout North America a solution that thrives in flexibility, features, affordability and ease-of-deployment. We look forward to a long and successful partnership with SkySwitch and to working with them to educate, train and engage their reseller community." About SkySwitch SkySwitch is the US-based, next-generation communications platform provider offering white labeled Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) solutions to telecommunication and business technology resellers across North America. Customers include MSPs, agents, interconnects, ISPs, WISPs and VARs. SkySwitch provides resellers with the competitive advantages required to succeed in today's overcrowded marketplace by combining best-in-class customer support, with an advanced cloud-based UCaaS platform, delivering feature-rich voice, video, text and fax communications. About Grandstream Grandstream Networks, Inc. has been connecting the world since 2002 with SIP Unified Communications products and solutions that allow businesses to be more productive than ever before. Our award-winning solutions serve the small-to-medium business and enterprises markets and have been recognized throughout the world for their quality, reliability and innovation. Grandstream solutions lower communication costs, increase security protection and enhance productivity. Their open standard SIP-based products offer broad interoperability throughout the industry, along with unrivaled features and flexibility. Contacts SkySwitch Andy Abramson, CMO [email protected] 747-777-8100 ext. 4611 Grandstream Phil Bowers [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/grandstream-becomes-a-skyswitch-approved-device-supplier-301002851.html SOURCE SkySwitch [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Software engineer Gautami Tagare planned her trip to Thailand in November. She approached the travel agency Thomas Cook for the best prices and sealed the deal. Out for the Rs 40,000 for the whole trip, she has already paid half the amount to confirm her travel. By the end of December and all of January, the scare of coronavirus took over the world and neighbouring countries of China were given a warning. International airports across the world started screening travellers to ensure the sick were given proper treatment. Air India announced the cancellation of flights to China and Hong Kong until further notice and private carrier IndiGo suspended its flight till February 20. Those who were planning to travel are considering either cancelling their trips or postponing till things get better. Gautami says, We can see that the virus is a global issue and Thailand is considered under high alert. I didnt want to travel in such a situation, but the airlines arent willing to consider a refund. She received a mail from the agency that the government has ensured a safe to travel notice. The information received from the travel agent as compared to the news said otherwise is causing scare and confusion among travellers. Balu Ramachandran, senior vice president of Cleartrip, tells Metrolife that they have observed a 30 to 60 per cent drop in bookings to China and some other countries in Southeast Asia since the news of coronavirus outbreak. Governments around the world, including India, are taking steps to restrict the further spread of the virus. The government has announced that the e-visa regime has been cancelled for travellers from China or those who have visited China in the recent past, and that they need to apply in person to come into India, he adds. However, travel companies are willing to offer alternative travel plans for their customers. Rajeev Kale, President and Country Head Holiday, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Ltd, says, We havent seen any significant spike in cancellation but we are offering them the option to defer their travel or choose from the range of alternative destinations or a future travel voucher enabling them to travel later as per their convenience. The destinations include places such as France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, Georgia, Iceland, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Maldives, Mauritius and Myanmar. Daniel Dsouza, President and Country Head, Leisure, SOTC Travel, says, We are focused on the safety of our customers and are recommending alternate destinations such as Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Jordan, Egypt, Mauritius, Srilanka and Seychelles. At SOTC Travel, the interest and security of our customers is of prime importance. Following strict protocols Cruises are also closely monitoring the global development regarding the virus outbreaks. They are focused on protecting the health and safety of the guests and crew alike. TIRUN, the Indian representative of Royal Caribbean Cruises, is denying boarding to any individual who has travelled from, to or through mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau in the past 15 days. Varun Chadha, CEO of the cruise company, says, There will be mandatory specialised health screenings performed of anyone who holds passports of these countries. We will also deny entry to anyone who is running a fever or has low blood oximetry. If a passenger or crew member falls ill while sailing, the protocol will include professional medical treatment, quarantine of unwell individuals from the generalship population and intensified ship cleaning, air filtration, and sanitisation procedures. Airport screening is compulsory Theres been a strict screening at the Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru for passengers coming from Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and transit passengers from China. The spokesperson of the BIAL answers commonly asked questions to Metrolife: Whats the screening process like? All passengers from the above-mentioned countries are screened at the Aerobridge by the Airport Health Organisation and doctors from the State Health Department before they emerge into the terminal. Passengers, if found positive in the process of thermal scanning, are shifted to the designated hospital in the city by an EMRI-108 ambulance, and the process is followed by the State Health Department. If a passenger is tested positive at the Airport, the impacted area will be sanitised and fumigated. The international arrival zone is sanitised/fumigated every six hours. Airlines have been making in-flight announcements regarding the virus with dos and donts. Every passenger arriving from the above locations is expected to fill out a self-declaration form and submit this to the Airport Health Officer (APHO). The entire process is strictly monitored and reported to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare everyday. What are the precautionary methods taken by the authorities? BLR Airport has taken the following actions to generate awareness: Guidelines for interactions with flights and passengers from the impacted zones have been communicated with all agencies. Dedicated awareness sessions have been conducted for the entire airport community. Information has been posted across points at the airport where such passengers gather. Posters in the form of advisories have been published across the arrival zone of the airport. Advisories have been circulated via emails to employees. Hand sanitisers have been placed at all arrival zones. Face masks have been made available at the airport pharmacy. What are some of the things passengers need to keep in mind when travelling? Check on advisories issued by each of the countries and refer to the WHO guidelines. Other factors including free trade agreements (FTA) that will take effect in 2020 and the penetration of international brands like Zara, H&M and Mango will also favour the industrys growth. The sector has made significant progress, especially in yarn and dyeing, through IT applications, as reflected in improved productivity, accelerated production and reduced labour force. According to Truong Van Cam, Vice President of the Vietnam Textile and Apparel Association, more than 2.5 million tonnes of yarn were churned out in 2019, of which over 1.5 million tonnes valued at about US$4 billion were exported. Fabric output also increased six times and export value clocked up US$2.1 billion, he added. The Fourth Industrial Revolutions impacts on production mindset and methods are tangible. An example is Duc Quan Investment and Development JSC in the northern province of Thai Binh, which has doubled its yarn output to 17,000 tonnes per year through the application of Big Data in production and management. Garment 10 Corporation JSC has also used online business management software DIP BMS.NET to better monitor transactions of distribution chains. Members of the Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) such as Hoa Tho Textile-Garment Joint Stock Corporation, Viettien General Garment JSC and Nha Be Joint Stock Corporation have joined the trend. Vinatex General Director Le Tien Truong said technological applications offer workers stable jobs with higher incomes while helping the group double its profits. Optimising the achievements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution has become an inevitable trend. However, this has met with a range of difficulties, especially a severe shortage of labourers who can use the new equipment. Humans, particular technicians, play a key role in the process, said Vinatex Managing Director Cao Huu Chien, adding that the group has mobilised different resources for personnel training. The Prime Minister has also agreed to upgrade the Hanoi Industrial College for Textile, Garment and Fashion to the Hanoi Industrial Textile Garment University, creating a major personnel training channel for the sector, he said. Jerome Powell warned coronavirus is very likely to impact US economy but said it is too soon to gauge full blowback. United States Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell assured Congress on Tuesday that the national economy is in a very good place, but also cautioned that the potential threat from the coronavirus in China and concerns about the toll deficits could take on the worlds largest economy. We find the US economy in a very good place, performing well, Powell told the US House of Representatives Financial Services Committee. The US economic expansion, now in its 11th year and the longest on record, has continued to be boosted by receding trade war risks and stabilizing global growth, Powell noted, adding that the Feds current target range for short-term borrowing cost appropriate to keep the expansion on track. But the Fed chair did not shy away from potential growth disrupters on the horizon. Powell warned that there will very likely be some effects on the United States of the coronavirus outbreak that is expected to dent growth in China and is spreading economic pain beyond Chinas borders through supply chain disruptions. The question we will be asking is will these be persistent effects that could lead to a material reassessment of the outlook, he said, adding that it is too early to know. Powell noted the continued strength in the US jobs market where unemployment continues to hover near 50-year lows. But he did highlight areas of concern including disparities across racial and ethnic groups and a lower number of prime working-age individuals in work or actively looking for jobs compared with most other advanced economies. Powell further noted that productivity gains have been subpar throughout this economic expansion, and that business investment and exports were weak in the second half of 2019 after disputes with major trading partners. US factory output also declined for the same reason. The Fed chair also warned about the growing federal deficit, which is forecast to reach more than one trillion dollars this year despite a relatively strong economy, after a Republican-led overhaul of the tax system reduced revenues. Putting the federal budget on a sustainable path when the economy is strong would help ensure that policymakers have the space to use fiscal policy to assist in stabilizing the economy over a downturn, he said. Powells characterisation of modest US economic growth did not support President Donald Trumps claim during last weeks annual State of the Union Address when he declared, We are moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never going back. What Trump characterised as an unprecedented economic boom is by most measures in line with the steady, modest growth trajectory he inherited from the previous administration of President Barack Obama. The economy grew a respectable but unspectacular 2.3 percent in 2019, matching the average pace since the Great Recession ended a decade earlier. Gov. Kristi Noem drafts bill limiting 'action civics' This legislation prohibits colleges and schools from directing, requiring or compelling students to protest or lobby as part of a grade or a class. San Salvador (AFP) - The head of El Salvador's parliament on Monday accused President Nayib Bukele of an "attempted coup" after soldiers entered the building while Bukele demanded lawmakers approve a military loan. Bukele had "attempted a coup d'etat" against the legislative assembly on Sunday, said Mario Ponce, of the conservative National Coalition Party (PCN), after meeting with fellow political party representatives. "We cannot respond to the executive branch with a gun to our head," he said, calling on the government to engage in dialogue. Bukele called an extraordinary weekend session of parliament to ask it to approve a $109 million loan to equip the military and police to fight against violent gangs. The loan has pitted the executive against lawmakers in a country with one of the world's highest murder rates. Before Bukele's entry on Sunday, armed police and soldiers with rifles and wearing body armor entered the chamber and stood guard -- a move not seen since the end of the country's civil war in 1992. "If these good-for-nothings (lawmakers) do not approve the Territorial Control Plan this week we will call them to hold a session again next Sunday," Bukele said in a speech to supporters outside the parliament. Bukele, who took office last June, has pledged to tackle gang violence and intends using the loan to better equip the military and police, but lawmakers refused to sit for an extra session over the weekend to debate the issue. In response to the troops, the Speaker of Parliament indefinitely suspended Monday's plenary session, whose only agenda item was the loan requested by Bukele. The president harshly criticized the postponement on Twitter, accusing the legislative members of "lying... as always." "It is not with whims or authoritarianism that things will move forward," responded opposition MP Jorge Shafick Handal, of the major political party Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN). Story continues The presence of troops prompted international cries of concern. The European Union on Sunday expressed "great concern" over the "confrontation" between Salvadoran institutions. Amnesty International said the deployment of armed police and military personnel in front of the legislature brought back memories of the "darkest moments" in El Salvador's history. El Salvador is one of the world's most dangerous nations -- excluding those enduring an armed conflict -- with an average of 35.6 homicides per 100,000 people last year. There was no police or military presence visible around the legislative building on Monday. "It was frightening to see so many soldiers and policemen in Parliament," Marcos Salguero, a restaurant owner in the center of the capital, told AFP." Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 10:55:45|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close NEW DELHI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Counting of votes began in Delhi on Tuesday, after the February 8 Assembly polls amidst a high-pitched electoral battle. The "Exit Polls" conducted by various agencies have indicated the return of the state's current ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), while the country's main ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would be a distant second. The final results are likely to be announced by the evening. There are a total of 70 Assembly constituencies. In the last Assembly elections, held five years ago, the AAP won a record number of 67 constituencies, while the BJP candidates only won three constituencies. The country's grand old party -- the Indian National Congress (INC), which ruled in Delhi for three consecutive five-year terms between 1998 and 2013, had failed to win even a single Assembly constituency in 2015. It maintained a low profile in this month's polls too. If the AAP manages to win, this would be its third consecutive victory. The outcome of the Delhi polls assumes significance even as it witnessed one of the most politically charged campaigns. The BJP had deployed its almost entire senior leadership into electioneering, hoping to defeat the AAP. ANDRITZ to Supply Pulping Equipment and Technology for UPM's New Eucalyptus Pulp Mill in Uruguay UPM is investing USD 3 billion to build a 2.1 million tpy eucalyptus pulp mill in Uruguay. Beyond the pulp mill, the investment includes a pulp terminal in the port of Montevideo as well as investments in local facilities in Paso de los Toros. Feb. 11, 2020 - ANDRITZ announced that it will supply energy-efficient and environmentally friendly equipment and processes for all main process islands in fiber production and chemical recovery for UPM's new pulp mill to be built near Paso de los Toros in central Uruguay. When operational, the eucalyptus pulp mill will have an annual production capacity of 2.1 million tonnes. Start-up is scheduled in the second half of 2022. The value of the order was not disclosed. ANDRITZ said that the core equipment will originate largely from its operations in Finland, which will result in a significant positive employment impact for its staff there as well as the company's workshops where a large part of the core equipment for this contract will be manufactured. The ANDRITZ scope of supply includes a complete wood processing plant, the world's largest single-line fiberline, a new EvoDry Pulp Drying System with two energy-efficient pulp drying lines, an energy-efficient black liquor evaporation plant, an HERB recovery boiler, a biomass-fired power boiler (fuels include bark, harvesting residues and sludges from the mill), and a complete white liquor plant. ANDRITZ noted that it also supplied a complete pulp mill in Fray Bentos, Uruguay, which was started up successfully in 2007 and is now owned by UPM. ANDRITZ Pulp & Paper is a global supplier of equipment, systems and services for the production and processing of all types of pulps, paper, tissue, and board. To learn more, please visit: www.andritz.com SOURCE: ANDRITZ Go to a related article on PaperAge.com: UPM Says "Full Speed Ahead" for USD 3 Billion Pulp Mill Project in Uruguay - Jan. 3, 2020 New Orleans police named a suspect accused of stealing multiple carts from artists in Jackson Square, according to a report on Monday from FOX 8. The station said authorities have an arrest warrant out for Landon Semones, 42, for theft of artists' carts that went missing on Jan. 31. Kenneth Cook, one of the victims of the cart thefts, said he heard the count is up to 13 carts, but NOPD said Semones is wanted for 11 counts of theft. "(The police) can't find him, and the artists are on edge," Cook said. It isn't immediately clear how many carts were found. Police haven't located any carts or supplies, but one artist interviewed by FOX 8 said his cart was recovered from the Mississippi River, where reports of carts and art supplies were spotted floating. I lost a photo book that had probably 30 years of work in it of all my favorite artwork, and I lost about 10 watercolors that I had just done and they were probably some of the best that I ever did, Bob Clift said to the television station. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Jackson Square artists hit by theft of carts containing supplies, artworks Its among the most iconic of New Orleans scenes: artists seated at easels outside the iron fence around Jackson Square, painting or drawing p Cook said he saw at least two carts gets fished out of the river. The cart thefts have hurt the affected artists financially after some lost hundreds to thousands of dollars worth of supplies, Cook said. A portrait artist in Jackson Square on and off since the 70s, he not only lost his cart -- with it went his chairs, an easel, pastels and many other supplies needed for him to make money. "My ability to make money was cut off a month ago," Cook said. "(Artists) are saying they have no money." But the outpouring of donations has been abundant, he said, with a few galleries and friends of the community sending art supplies to artists in need. There is even an upcoming fundraiser planned for Wednesday evening at Cafe Istanbul. The move by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) to transfer over 3,000 non-local teachers from North Eastern Kenya over terror attacks has been instantly met with frantic resistance from the regions leaders. From holding back-to-back crisis meetings to storming the local TSC offices and even threatening to sue the teachers employer, leaders from Wajir, Mandera and Garissa counties have loudly made their anger known. READ ALSO: 4 police officers arrested for assaulting Raila's cousin Ijara MP Sophia Abdi Noor locking TSC offices in Garissa on Monday, February 3. Photo: K24 TV. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Orodha ya vitu atakavyozikwa navyo marehemu mstaafu rais Daniel Moi Ijara MP Sofia Abdi Noor epitomised this wrath when she dramatically stormed the Garissa TSC offices and locked them up in protest. Such fury is understandable. In the absence of the teachers, children in the region risk missing out on the quality education received by learners elsewhere in Kenya. They will be seriously disadvantaged when sitting for national exams. But the supposed concern from the leadership smacks of hypocrisy and explains exactly how the region has found itself staring at a major crisis. Teachers from other parts of the country working in the region have become soft targets of terror attacks, with dozens either killed or injured by al-Shabaab militants in recent years. Three were killed in January 2020. The attacks visited untold psychological terror on many other teachers, prompting a mass exodus of tutors from the region as the TSC turned down their pleas for transfer; probably hoping that a lasting solution was on the way. The crisis left the education sector in the region on the verge of collapse as many schools were closed due to lack of teachers. It is not just the education sector that was affected by the attacks Two Cuban doctors kidnapped by al-Shabaab militants in Mandera and driven to Somalia are now marking their tenth month in captivity. Many local and international humanitarian groups have withdrawn from the region as a result. In the face of such danger, the TSC was left with no option but to take the drastic decision and officially withdraw its terrified members. It was the only option left; the only right thing the commission could have done. Notably though, the local leaders who are now protesting remained silent when the teachers were being attacked. They remained silent despite credible reports that local residents, including local teachers, were often warned of pending al Shabaab attacks but did little to tip the security agencies or share the word with the non-local teachers, who would always be vulnerably butchered in the dead of the night. While the government has done its best to keep the country safe from the al Shabaab in recent years, it goes without saying that such efforts cannot be entirely successful without the cooperation of locals. As President Uhuru Kenyatta once said, security starts with you and me. Without the cooperation of locals and with the militiamen enjoying protection from some residents, even security agencies have been ambushed by the death merchants, with many police officers losing their lives in the process. It must not be lost on Kenyans that some top leaders from the region have, in the wake of deadly terror attacks in the past, vowed to name individuals sponsoring the terror gang, only to later renege on the promises. Many of them were nowhere to be seen or heard as the country mourned lives lost in attacks in the region. Such implicating gestures did little to reassure the teachers that they were safe, and that a solution was forthcoming. The panicked tutors thus worked in fear and could justifiably not deliver. While all Kenyans are free to work and live in any part of the country, it is hard, if not impossible, to work in an environment of fear; worrying day and night that terrorists will strike. This explains the poor results recorded in the north lately. As the local leaders protest, they must thus engage in deep soul-searching and discuss what they must to do to complement government efforts to make the region safe for all. They must join hands with other leaders and sectoral stakeholders in the region and ensure that the known criminal elements are smoked out. They must instill in the civilian population the need to share information with security agencies for the common good, making it clear that terrorists win when Kenyans are segregated. They must help get a lasting solution to the crisis and give non-local professionals and entrepreneurs a reason go back to North Eastern. The writer is Milan Kiplagat, a regular commentator on social, economic and political affairs. The views expressed in this opinion article are his and do not represent the position of TUKO.co.ke. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Harare, Zimbabwe (PANA) - Zimbabwe has drawn a sharp rebuke from stakeholders over nepotism fears, after the government recently extended a tax exemption to Chinese telecommunications conglomerate, Huawei Technologies Co Crooked Tree Arts Center to open new exhibits The Crooked Tree Arts Center has already celebrated the New Year and is now gearing up to welcome in 2022 with three new exhibits. President Donald Trump will travel to India later this month on a two-day visit, the White House announced on Tuesday, in what would be his first trip to the country as the president of the United States Washington: President Donald Trump will travel to India later this month on a two-day visit, the White House announced on Tuesday, in what would be his first trip to the country as the president of the United States. President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi! The trip will further strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people. The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 10, 2020 The president and First Lady Melania Trump will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad during the visit from 24 to 25 February, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. His predecessor, Barack Obama, had travelled to India twice, in 2010 and 2015. During a phone call over the weekend, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, she said. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," MR Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, told PTI. Describing this as a significant visit, Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, noted that last three American presidents had made trips to India. "It's essential to send a message to the region that India is a significant partner and the president values that," Aghi told PTI. According to him, India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighbourhood but in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo Pacific region is part of the international global order. The Army Corps of Engineers will spend $85.35 million this year to begin deepening parts of the Mississippi River navigation channel between Baton Rouge and the river's mouth to 50 feet, 5 feet deeper than at present, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, announced Monday. And President Donald Trump's proposed fiscal year 2021 budget, also released Monday, includes another $45.7 million for the dredging project, but no money for the long-discussed new lock on the Industrial Canal or the "Morganza to the Gulf" levee project. "The Mississippi River Basin has an unprecedented impact on our national economy, global competitiveness and American job creation. Modernizing our infrastructure and deepening the river to 50 feet will help strengthen Louisianas dominance in domestic and international commerce," Scalise said in a news release. This is fantastic news for the Port of New Orleans and the entire Lower Mississippi River,said Brandy Christian, the port's president and chief executive officer. The deepening project will allow modern "New Panamax" vessels, built larger than past ships to use the widened Panama Canal, and "Post Panamax" vessels that may be too large even for the canal, to travel as far north as Baton Rouge, as long as their superstructure fits below the Crescent City Connection bridge in New Orleans. In its 2018 report recommending congressional approval, the Corps concluded that the deepening project would result in benefits averaging $127.5 million a year to the nation's economy, compared to the average annual cost of $17.7 million for maintaining the deeper channel. In all, 256 miles of the river will be deepened where it passes through four of the nation's top 15 ports: the Plaquemines Port, Harbor and Terminal District; the Port of New Orleans; the Port of South Louisiana; and the Port of Baton Rouge. The state will have to shoulder more than $100 million of the estimated $237.7 million project cost, including $39.4 million of the dredging costs, and $80.2 million for pipeline and utility adjustments. At least half of the utility relocation cost would be picked up by the owners, rather than the state, because of provisions included in permits allowing them to use the river bed. The southernmost part of the river, between Venice and the river's mouth, will be overdredged to 54 feet, aimed at increasing the time before maintenance dredging will be required. Top stories in New Orleans in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up Sediment dredged from the lower river will be used to build about 2.2 square miles of new wetlands in the federal Delta National Wildlife Refuge and the state's Pass A Loutre Wildlife Management Area. In upriver locations, where a dozen "river crossings" straight reaches between river bends will be dredged, the sediment will be deposited in deeper water just downstream and allowed to flow downriver. The $951.3 million unfunded Industrial Canal project calls for a 22-foot-deep by 110-foot-wide lock between the Holy Cross and St. Claude neighborhoods. The project has long been opposed by local residents concerned about its plan to replace bridges and to dredge contaminated sediment from the canal. The 92-mile-long Morganza levee system, first approved by Congress in 1993, has yet to receive any federal funds. The state and local parishes have already funneled nearly $500 million into a first lift of earthen levees averaging 12 feet above sea level, enough to provide protection from surges caused by a storm with a 2 percent chance of occurring any year, a so-called 50-year storm. Local and state officials, joined by Scalise and other members of the state's congressional delegation, have unsuccessfully urged Congress to appropriate the 65 percent federal share of the project's cost, about $2.1 billion. The state and local governments will put up $1.1 billion of the project's cost including money already spent to raise the system to between 18 and 20 feet above sea level, to block surges caused by a 100-year storm. The Corps' 2020 funding also includes $25 million for Algiers drainage improvements that are part of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Control Program, known as SELA. The budget also includes $18 million for containment dikes along the Calcasieu River and Pass system in Calcasieu and Cameron parishes, $500,000 for Iberia Parish wastewater improvements, $2 million for Livingston Parish environmental infrastructure projects, and $40.6 million for improvements to the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway in northwestern Louisiana. Mark Schleifstein covers the environment and is a leader of the Louisiana Coastal Reporting Team for The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate. Email: mschleifstein@theadvocate.com. Facebook: Mark Schleifstein and Louisiana Coastal Watch. Twitter: MSchleifstein. President Michael D Higgins has donated some 700 books to libraries across Dublin. The collection includes some from the presidents own personal library accumulated over his term of office. The books include titles acquired by Mr Higgins for his own personal research, and those presented to him from a wide range of sources on his local, national and international itineraries. Many of the volumes are personally inscribed by the author or donor, with some of them marking historic events attended by the president. President Higgins today donated over 700 books to the Public Library Service, at Cabra Library, which is part of the national network of public libraries, Libraries Ireland. Read more at https://t.co/NabCfVsOVr pic.twitter.com/WIDiIKYQRI President of Ireland (@PresidentIRL) February 11, 2020 The collection is diverse and multilingual and consists of an eclectic mix of subject areas, spanning childrens and adults material, including fiction and non-fiction, print and audio. The president visited Cabra Library, where he donated part of the collection today. Speaking at the event, Mr Higgins said: Books have been very important in my own life, even these days I am surrounded by books and I enjoy it. I think that in relation to child development its wonderful to see, particularly now the young parents and fathers as well as mothers introduce reading early on. If I had a wish for the children of Ireland into the future they would all have access to reading, to a musical instrument and be able swim and then you have the greatest equipment for life. Libraries are so important, they will be used evermore in the future. Its a valuable part of the public. Books are published to be read. Its very possible to do everything that is modern in a technological sense and at the same time have people who want to speak about books and help people in relation to making choices. Asked which are his favourite books from the collection, he replied: I have spent a great deal of time (reading) history and biography. I think the historical and biographical (collection) is where I would have spent most time on. Library users will soon be able to access the books across the citys libraries. Dublin City librarian Mairead Owens said: Were delighted President Higgins has chosen to donate his personal collection to our libraries. President Higgins has made education and the promotion of independent critical thought a cornerstone of his presidency, and he has spoken on a number of occasions of the importance of public libraries, and of public spaces. He chose to make this donation to Irish libraries because he views libraries as places that help people to nurture their inquisitive natures, and books as windows onto a wide variety of worlds, both real and imagined. The collection reflects the presidents status and interests as a linguist, poet, sociologist and former politician. A beautifully worded bilingual label has been provided for insertion in each book. February 11, 2020 - Laws can have important effects on public health risks and outcomes, while research can provide key evidence to inform effective health-related laws and policies. An introduction to the increasingly influential field of legal epidemiology is presented in a special supplement to the Journal of Public Health Management and Practice (JPHMP). The journal is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer. The supplement is titled Advancing Legal Epidemiology - defined as "the scientific study and deployment of law as a factor in the cause, distribution, and prevention of disease and injury in a population." Assembling nine original research papers and three expert commentaries, the special issue presents "a compelling and diverse body of research that exemplifies how legal epidemiology can help public health practitioners and policy makers recognize opportunities for achieving better health outcomes through law and policy," according to an introduction by Betsy L. Thompson, MD, MSPH, DrPH, Director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention (DHDSP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and supplement Guest Editors Lindsay K. Cloud, JD, and Lance Gable, JD, MPH. Evaluating the Evidence for Policies on Community Health Workers A paper by Erika B. Fulmer, MHA, of the DHDSP and colleagues reports on the use of a policy research continuum, including legal epidemiology, to support the development of a community health worker (CHW) workforce. Incorporating CHWs into healthcare teams is a promising strategy to prevent and control cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes - particularly in disadvantaged groups such as racial/ethnic minorities, people of lower socioeconomic status, and rural populations. "However, there is limited information examining the impact of state CHW policy interventions," the researchers write. They applied the DHDSP's policy research continuum, which incorporates legal epidemiology, to CHW workforce development policies. An early-evidence assessment identified policy interventions with a strong evidence base, while policy surveillance provided an overview of the legal landscape supporting such policies. This enabled implementation studies showing how CHW workforce policies were carried out in different states, including qualitative information on early outcomes. A future policy impact study will examine short- to long-term outcomes, helping to tailor workforce development strategies and maximize the public health benefits of the CHW approach. The DHDSP's policy research continuum "can speed development of tools and resources to enhance decision-making and identify interventions to improve public health impact, use resources wisely, and account for dollars spent," Ms. Fulmer and coauthors write. Examining the Impact of Pregnancy-Specific Alcohol Policies A paper by Sarah C.M. Roberts, DrPH, of the University of California, San Francisco and colleagues examines the impact of state-level pregnancy-specific alcohol policies on the health of infants. Using multiple data sources along with original legal research, the analysis included more than 40 years of data with more than 150 million births. "State-level alcohol pregnancy policy environments have become more punitive over time," the researchers write. However, few studies have examined whether these policies actually improve health. The new study focused on whether health impacts of pregnancy-specific alcohol policies differ among women at different levels of education, as an indicator of socioeconomic status. The results suggested that pregnancy-specific alcohol policies were more likely to have harmful health effects in women with higher educational status. More than half of policies studied were linked to increased rates of preterm birth and low birth weight for women who had at least a high school education. These included both supportive policies, such as Mandatory Warning Signs; and punitive policies, such as defining alcohol use during pregnancy as child abuse/neglect. In contrast, policies related to reporting alcohol use during pregnancy - whether or not this information was used for child welfare purposes - were linked to lower rates of adverse birth outcomes among women with less than a high school education. "Public health professionals should take the lead on identifying and developing policy approaches that reduce harms related to alcohol use during pregnancy," Dr. Roberts and coauthors conclude. ### Co-sponsored by the DHDSP, in collaboration with Temple University's Center for Public Health Law Research, the JPHMP supplement seeks to introduce the principles and applications of legal epidemiology to the practicing public health community. Drs. Thompson, Cloud, and Gable conclude: "As chronic and noncommunicable health conditions continue to imperil the health of many in our communities, legal epidemiology provides a powerful tool to gain greater insights and pursue more effective public health strategies that will benefit us all." Click here to read "Variations by Education Status in Relationships Between Alcohol/Pregnancy Policies and Birth Outcomes and Prenatal Care Utilization." DOI: 10.1097/PHH.0000000000001069 About Journal of Public Health Management and Practice Journal of Public Health Management and Practice publishes articles which focus on evidence-based public health practice and research. The journal is a bi-monthly peer-reviewed publication guided by a multidisciplinary editorial board of administrators, practitioners and scientists. Journal of Public Health Management and Practice publishes in a wide range of population health topics including research to practice; emergency preparedness; bioterrorism; infectious disease surveillance; environmental health; community health assessment; chronic disease prevention and health promotion; and academic-practice linkages. About Wolters Kluwer Wolters Kluwer (WKL) is a global leader in professional information, software solutions, and services for the clinicians, nurses, accountants, lawyers, and tax, finance, audit, risk, compliance, and regulatory sectors. We help our customers make critical decisions every day by providing expert solutions that combine deep domain knowledge with advanced technology and services. Wolters Kluwer reported 2018 annual revenues of 4.3 billion. The group serves customers in over 180 countries, maintains operations in over 40 countries, and employs approximately 18,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered in Alphen aan den Rijn, the Netherlands. Wolters Kluwer provides trusted clinical technology and evidence-based solutions that engage clinicians, patients, researchers and students with advanced clinical decision support, learning and research and clinical intelligence. For more information about our solutions, visit http://healthclarity.wolterskluwer.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @WKHealth. For more information, visit http://www.wolterskluwer.com, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube. Prince William and Kate Middleton, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, are expected to tour bushfire-affected regions of Australia. Australian PM Scott Morrison was expected to issue the formal invitation for the royal visit later this week. The Australian government has been in discussions with Kensington Palace about the bushfire tour. No dates or locations had been settled as yet. The PM was expected to propose dates and a program in his letter to the palace. The trip would be Prince William and his wife Catherines second visit to Australia as a married couple, The Guardian reported. In a message of support on Instagram in January, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said they were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the loss of life and wildlife in the fires. "We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others," the message read. Torrential rain was expected to extinguish all the remaining bushfires in New South Wales this week, after a horror season in which 2,400 homes were destroyed in that state alone. Thirty-two people died in fires across Australia. Thousands of Palestinians gathered in the West Bank to reject President Donald Trumps initiative in the Middle East and express support for the Palestinian leadership, which is trying to enlist the support of the UN to pass a resolution contrary to the plan, AP reported. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to deliver a speech at the UN, but there will be no vote on the resolution. Palestinian officials denied that the resolution was withdrawn, but diplomats said many members, including European countries, rejected the wording in a common draft. Trump's plan supports Israel in nearly all of the most controversial issues in the long-standing conflict. It would allow Israel to annex most of the occupied West Bank, including Jewish settlements inhabited by hundreds of thousands of people and which most of the international community consider illegal. Palestinians categorically rejected this plan. Protesters filled Al Manar Square in Ramallah. They waved Palestinian flags and held posters condemning the plan. According to the Palestinian PM Mohammad Shtayyeh, all Palestinians and all factions, national and Islamic, support President Mahmoud Abbas. All the streets are crowded, he said adding that this is a Palestinian answer. Google recommended Star Trek fans read an article on neo-Nazi website the Daily Stormer. The recommendation came as part of Google's news feature, which is supposed to recommend stories and websites that might be of interest to users, based on their previous browsing. The tool appears to have picked up that certain people were interested in Picard, the recently released Star Trek series. But it then directed those people to look at an article on the far-right website, popping up a link on their screen. The article was advancing a conspiracy theory that everyone talking positively about the series in comment sections were being paid by the studio behind it. The Daily Stormer regularly pushes white supremacist stories as well as Holocaust denial and other neo-Nazi talking points. 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 It was removed from large parts of the internet in 2017, in the wake of a fatal white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. When the problem was raised on Twitter, Google's Danny Sullivan, who works as the company's search liaison, explained that the issue had arisen in Google's discover feed. He said that content in that feed was supposed to keep to the same rules as Google News, meaning that such content should be filtered out. But he explained that the problem had arisen because the site had moved to a different site. "Our apologies for this," he wrote. "The site had previously been blocked from showing in Google News surfaces, including Discover, for violating our news content policies. It shifted domains. "We should've caught the change but didn't. We're taking steps to avoid this in the future." The Daily Stormer has been forced to move around the internet as it attempts to stay online. Various companies that provide the infrastructure that keep it on the web have refused to support it because of the views espoused on the site. Photo credit: HAAH/Chery From Car and Driver Chinese state-owned auto company Chery is looking to sell a compact SUV called the Vantas in the United States. The company claims it's also going to assemble them in the U.S., but there's no official timeline, price information, or further details yet on such a plan. The announced importer, Hale and Associates, is staffed by numerous U.S. auto-industry veterans. Nearly two decades after Malcolm Bricklin tried importing the Chery brand to America, the state-owned Chinese automaker is coming back againand this time, it's bringing an attractive-looking SUV. Or so we're led to believe. For the last 20 years, every Chinese automaker keeps hiring auto industry veterans from the U.S., Europe, and Japan to write the same script, only to backtrack in the face of the highly mature, supercompetitive U.S. car market, where even the most established players can struggle to make ends meet. The newest message is that Chery's premium brand, Exeed, will reskin its TX SUV, which it launched at Frankfurt in 2017, and call the vehicle Vantas. Photo credit: HAAH/Chery Chery, which opened a Frankfurt design studio in 2018, intends to sell the Exeed TX in Europe sometime after this year. Sometime later, it's going to sell the Vantas to Americans and build it in as yet unspecified U.S. factories. The TX is a compact SUV built on an Chery-specific platform that can accommodate hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, and battery-electric powertrains. There's no word on what a U.S.-spec Vantas would cost or where it would sell. The importer, Hale and Associates Automotive Holdings (HAAH), is based in Irvine, California. Several months ago, the company signed a deal to import Zoyte, another Chinese automaker that has a joint venture with Ford in China. The Hale in Hale and Associates is Duke Hale, a four-decade car industry veteran who led U.S. sales at Volvo and Mazda, directed operations at Isuzu, and was once CEO of Lotus. His most recent position, before founding HAAH in 2014, was vice president of customer service and parts at Jaguar Land Rover. It's worth noting that Chery has a joint-venture plant with Jaguar Land Rover in China. Story continues HAAH counts two Hyundai long-timersChris Hosford, who spent 20 years directing the U.S. PR team, and Bob Pradzinkski, with 26 years in top sales rolesout of its dozen or so U.S. employees. Others have held sales, development, and marketing jobs at Mazda, Volvo, Toyota, and Nissan, among other major automakers. They include chief revenue officer Michael Davis, who on the HAAH website counts as one of his major accomplishments the unsuccessful $300 million relaunch of MG in the U.S. Eight years ago, Car and Driver was the first U.S. car publication to test-drive a Chery, and granted, the cars have improved since then. Could it happen? It could always happen. But now that Geely-owned Volvo is pushing Polestar, Hyundai is pouring billions into the Genesis brand (which is matching Jaguar in U.S. sales), and Faraday Future, financed by China, is on the way out, let's just say it's really hard to sell cars in this country. You Might Also Like The family of a severely-disabled man who was living at a Long Branch nursing home has filed suit against the facility alleging administrators failed to protect him from being molested by a registered sex offender who was also residing there as a patient. William Schymanski, 67, was charged with aggravated criminal sexual contact in May 2018 after officials from Monmouth Care Center called police to report he was found molesting another patient, who has cerebral palsy and is non-verbal, according to a police report. That charge remains pending along with an accusation Schymanski failed to properly register his current address under Megans Law. In a lawsuit filed in Superior Court in Monmouth County, the mans family says Monmouth Care Center officials were aware of Schymanskis history as a sex offender, but did not provide proper supervision. My brother requires 24/7 care. When he needed to be placed in a facility, I thought they were going to serve his best interests and be safe," the mans brother and legal guardian told NJ Advance Media. "I trusted them. This incident changed that. The brother asked not to be named because it would identify the alleged victim. An administrator at Monmouth Care Center declined to comment Monday on the lawsuit. Court records do not list an attorney for the nursing home. Staff at the facility saw Schymanski attempting to pull down the mans pants in April 17, 2018. His brother told police he didnt receive a voicemail about the incident until three days later, according to the police report. The incident was not reported to police, according to the attorney for the alleged victim, Daryl Zaslow. Police were called May 1 after Schymanski was again seen with the other patient - this time molesting the man as they both sat in wheelchairs, police said in the report. Schymanski was arrested and charged at the time, and has since been transferred to another facility. Schymanski denied molesting the man when confronted by officers, according to the police report. New Jerseys Megans Law database lists Schymanski as a Tier 2, repetitive compulsive sex offender from a 1985 sexual assault conviction. Zaslow said that after the April incident, the Monmouth Care Center failed to do mandatory reporting or research that would have brought Schymanskis past history of assault to their attention. He alleges the center also violated multiple statutes, such as the New Jersey Nursing Home Residents Bill of Rights, by not properly monitoring residents or notifying local law enforcement or state authorities of the initial incident. Its just horrible," said Zaslow of the Edison-based law firm Eichen Crutchlow Zaslow LLP. "These are our most vulnerable people and (Monmouth Care Center) swept it under the rug. Theyre under a legal obligation to protect these members of our society. 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. The UK's labour market enforcement director Matthew Taylor. (PSA) The government is in the dark about the scale of worker exploitation across the UK, Britains employment tsar has warned. We are to a certain extent in the dark about the scale of these issues, Matthew Taylor said. We dont know enough about whats going on. Speaking exclusively to Yahoo Finance UK, he said he hoped to launch one of the most far-reaching studies on the issue later this year. If it happens, it really will be a game-changer, he said. Read more: Taylor warns EU migration curbs could fuel people smuggling Taylor was appointed as the governments interim director of labour market enforcement last year, after carrying out the Taylor Review of the gig economy. The role involves overseeing several UK agencies that enforce workers rights covering everything from minimum wage payment to modern slavery cases. His comments come as the government confirmed on Tuesday it will continue naming and shaming employers who under-pay the minimum wage, though only for sums above 500. Thousands of firms failing to pay minimum wage While more data is needed, official research suggests workers are particularly at risk of exploitation in sectors such as agriculture, care, construction and car washes. Taylor told Yahoo Finance UK he wants the government to do more to educate workers on their rights, rather than focusing mainly on punishing badly behaved employers. The former adviser to ex-prime minister Tony Blair said employment rights were a job for society as a whole and hopes workers can be empowered to speak up when they see violations. The comments come after research last month suggested hundreds of thousands of people were being paid below minimum wage. A study by the Resolution Foundation think tank said calculating the exact number was difficult if not impossible, but estimated it was more than 350,000 people. Read more: High earners and wealthy face tax hikes in UK budget In an interview in his government office in London last month, Taylor said he welcomed the research and admitted the government need to be more proactive in enforcing rights. The think tanks analysis of a single month suggested HMRC caught only 1,500 out of around 11,000 underpaying firms. Story continues However, Taylor said many were unintentional, very small-scale breaches, such as employers failing to immediately increase pay when minimum wage rates rise. People need to be aware thats not 11,000 bosses rubbing their hands going, How can I not pay poor people the minimum wage. Enforcement has also improved and budgets increased, Taylor argued, saying an awful lot more firms would breach minimum wage law without HMRCs investigations. Employers were fined a record 17m ($22m) in 2018-19. Not just about catching bad people Taylor backed reforms to help workers know their rights. (PA) Taylor noted government agencies look at an enormously wide spectrum of labour issues, from workers buying their own uniforms to forced labour by organised crime gangs. The slightly depressing thing is some of these problems have been around for quite a long time, Taylor said. The jobs tsar said he would welcome stronger penalties for companies that break the rules, and backed the revived naming-and-shaming scheme. However, he admitted current resources were not commensurate with the problem, but said they could be better used through wider reform. Taylor, also chief executive of the RSA charity, backs current government plans to roll different enforcement teams into a new employment body. Its focus should be not just...catching bad people doing bad things, but also empowering workers and encouraging firms to do the right thing. Lessons from the smoking ban More government guidance could have an enormous impact, Taylor said. Officials should educate workers, firms, unions and trade bodies on common issues, such as pay entitlements for carers when traveling between jobs or security guards expected to arrive early for shifts. His approach appears to be gaining traction. The government vowed on Tuesday to make its online advice more accessible, provide thematic guidance and even visit new firms to educate them on minimum wage law. From April, employers will also have to give contractors a statement of their rights on day one in a reform proposed by Taylor, encouraging workers to highlight issues themselves. Taylor also welcomed a government advertising campaign to raise awareness over holiday pay, a major issue in the UK. About 1.8 million people do not receive holiday pay owed, and a recent survey found widespread confusion over the entitlements of temporary, shift, agency and zero-hour workers. Non-payment of holidays should be seen as minimum wage infringement for the lowest-paid, Taylor said, allowing HMRCs 500-strong minimum wage enforcement team to tackle the issue. Ultimately though, Taylor thinks public support and awareness is needed to successfully enforce workers rights. Taylor pointed to the smoking ban, introduced in 2007 when he was part of Blairs government. The ban worked because everyone accepted the principle, Taylor said. Similarly, employment rights are a job for society as a whole, not just for enforcement agencies. I cant ever envisage a world where there are enough people to visit every single business every single year, he said. Sudan reconsidering role in Saudi war on Yemen: Minister Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 7:53 AM Sudan says it is reconsidering its participation in Saudi Arabia's war on Yemen and drawing down its forces. "Currently, there is a revision of the whole war in Yemen, even among the coalition's principal countries, and there is an opinion that military activities will not solve the problem, and will likely to compound it," Information Minister Faisal Mohamed Salih said Sunday. Khartoum, however, would not be able to suddenly pull out of the six-year-old war and would instead be gradually reducing troops, he told an African Union summit in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa. "We think that the current efforts will soon lead to a decrease in combat activities, which will be replaced by negotiations," Salih added. Late last year, Sudan's Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok announced that his country had cut the number of troops participating in the conflict from 15,000 to 5,000. Earlier this month, a report revealed that a security company based in the United Arab Emirates, which is Saudi Arabia's second partner in the war, had lured thousands of Sudanese youths to the Emirates before sending them to wars in Yemen and Libya. They were promised to work as security guards in the UAE on high salaries, but were instead sent to hostile areas. Thousands of Sudanese protesters have waged a campaign on social media against UAE policies, calling on the government to maintain the dignity of the Sudanese. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack near the entrance to the government-run defence university Kabul: A suicide bomber killed five people near a military academy in Afghanistan's capital, Kabul, on Tuesday, the interior ministry said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack near the entrance to the government-run defence university, the Marshal Fahim Military Academy, at the beginning of the morning rush hour. Five including three military personnel and two civilians were killed, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told Reuters, adding that 12 people were wounded, five of them civilians. The academy, modelled after European war colleges to train Afghanistan cadets, has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an Islamic State-claimed assault last May. Militant attacks on the Afghan and US-led security forces have continued over recent months even as the United States and Taliban militants pursue talks to finalise a peace pact. Aldi has announced it will stock a brand new range of PGI Welsh Beef products across over 50 stores, a move hailed as a 'much needed boost' for the industry. The retailer has unveiled 13 different products, including a selection of fillet, ribeye and sirloin steaks, giving shoppers more opportunities to purchase locally-sourced produce. The products were launched at an Aldi store in Cardiff by Welsh government's rural affairs minister Lesley Griffiths, who hailed the chain for backing local farmers. The commitment has also been well-received by the Welsh livestock industry given the uncertainty producers face over future trade deals. The Farmers Union of Wales (FUW) said the move is a 'step in the right direction': Farmers in Wales produce excellent, sustainable, quality PGI Welsh Beef and PGI Welsh Lamb and we are confident shoppers wont be disappointed, deputy president Ian Rickman said. I can only encourage other supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and anyone else who is involved in the food supply chain to follow suit. He also used the opportunity to remind the Welsh government that the decision to leave the EU presents an opportunity to revisit procurement laws and policies. Aldi is setting an example with their commitment and I urge the government to remember that we now have an opportunity to revisit procurement laws and policies in a way which ensures public bodies also lead by example in terms of supporting local farming businesses. We must place further emphasise on the benefits of local procurement and work to ensure that the principles laid down in the Plan for Local Procurement are adhered to in a way which results in investment in and benefits to UK businesses, Mr Rickman said. NFU Cymru Glamorgan chairman Jonathan Huntley added that the commitment 'very welcome news' for the livestock industry in Wales. It is great to see the supermarket backing the industry in this way and recognising the high welfare and environmental standards that PGI Welsh Lamb and Beef are produced to, he said. This commitment comes at a time of uncertainty for the industry with our future trading relationship with the EU27 post 2020 yet to be decided, therefore Aldis move to PGI Welsh Beef provides some welcome news to farmers. Aldis commitment to PGI Welsh Beef comes after the successful launch of PGI Welsh Lamb in 2016. 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Sgt. Christopher Carranza, 403rd Wing Public Affairs / Published February 10, 2020 KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. (AFNS) -- Members of the 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, commonly known as the Hurricane Hunters, are the cornerstone for data gathering efforts within storm environments. When they're not flying into hurricanes, they're providing aerial weather reconnaissance for atmospheric rivers over the Pacific Ocean. "There is no off-season for us. After the hurricane season is done, we roll into the winter storm season and part of that is providing support for atmospheric rivers off the West Coast," said Lt. Col. Ryan Rickert, 53rd WRS aerial reconnaissance weather officer. "ARs are flowing columns of water vapor that produce vast amounts of precipitation when they make landfall. The heavy amounts of precipitation can turn into extreme rainfall and snow, which then can cause flooding and mudslides." The Hurricane Hunters are scheduled to perform "AR recon" from January through March. Scientists, led by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego, working in partnership with the 53rd WRS, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service and Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, will be on standby to fly through atmospheric rivers over the Pacific to gather data to improve forecasts. The Hurricane Hunters expect to fly approximately 12 storms during that period, deploying up to three planes per storm. "We're trying to improve the forecast of atmospheric rivers on the West Coast, because it matters to the people who manage water and deal with the hazards of flood and debris flows," said F. Martin Ralph, AR Recon program principal investigator and Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes director at Scripps. "We're all working together to try and figure out how to make the forecast better and AR recon's data gathering is a vital part of that." Two WC-130J Super Hercules from the 403rd Wing staged at Travis Air Force Base, California, then moved to Portland, Oregon, and U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii. A Gulfstream IV from NOAA's Air Operations Center is also staged out of Portland. "In many cases ARs are great for the state of California, because they bring 90% of the state's annual precipitation," Ralph said. "But when the ground is already saturated and more water is added, it can cause hazards, so knowing what is coming helps people to prepare." ARs have a great economic impact on California and its residents, Ralph said. They are the dominant cause of flooding and play key roles in drought in West Coast watersheds. Flood costs average about $1 billion a year and produce 25-50% of the water supply in key areas of the West. During AR missions, the 53rd WRS fly up to 30,000 feet to capture as much atmospheric data as possible. The data compiled by dropsondes can create a vertical profile from the aircraft to the surface of the ocean for the research team and forecasters to input in their models. "We have somewhat of a void in collecting data over the ocean. Satellites have trouble seeing through clouds, thus having an aircraft releasing dropsondes in those areas significantly improves our data and the forecast models." said Anna Wilson, field research manager of the Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes. "We have a lot of room for accuracy and prediction improvements, and aerial weather reconnaissance is vital to gathering data from within the atmospheric rivers with lead times of about three days to help improve our weather models." The data collected from the aircraft is uploaded to forecast models, but the three primary models utilized by the research teams are the Naval Global Environmental Model, the European Center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts and NOAA's Global Forecasting System which is produced by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction. "The observations gathered by the WC-130J definitely help bridge the gaps in data," Wilson said. "It would be great to have more aircraft, because we have found in our results that all the spatial coverage helps make the impact larger, which helps predict where an atmospheric river will make landfall." Atmospheric rivers, which average 200-500 miles wide, have their own categories from 1 to 5. Category 5 indicates the most hazard, Ralph said. "Having the Air Force here on site doing the flight planning with us is extremely helpful on both sides, it makes us more effective and efficient. It's awesome being able to have them here in person," Wilson said. "We have a robust team with national and international participation that use the gathered data and input for three of the global forecast models." While the aircraft and aircrews can be staged at different locations, an additional team, working hand-in-hand with the research team at Scripps, is in charge of mission development and coordination with the flying aircrew. "Being on site really helps prevent miscommunications between the research team and the assets the 53rd has to offer," Rickert said. "As soon as the research team finds an area of interest for weather observations, we immediately start coordinating a flight plan that is feasible for our crews and make adjustments for times and fuel." Rickert said gathering data from any weather flight ultimately helps the people on the ground who will be affected. "Gathering data from within storm environments is inherently dangerous, but we perform this service all the same, whether it is flying into a CAT 5 hurricane or an AR 5, we collect data in hopes to improve the weather forecast and in turn save lives in the process," Rickert said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A Delhi-based lawyer was killed and his friend seriously injured when the car they were travelling in fell into a ditch by the side of Ganga canal road at Dudhli village near here, police said on Tuesday. The accident took place on Monday when 38-year-old lawyer, Nishan, was returning home from Hardwar along with his friend Shubham, they said. After the accident, the victims were extricated from the vehicle and shifted to hospital, where the lawyer was declared brought dead, police said. Shubham, a resident of Pitampura in Delhi was seriously injured in the accident and is undergoing treatment at the hospital, they said. (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 News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 06:33 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063aeded 1 World Jokowi,Indonesia,Australia,Youth,Education,unity,speech,Canberra Free From Netflix to unicorn start-ups, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has called in a speech for greater unity among Australia and Indonesias younger generations, especially as the latter nation looks forward to a demographic bonus. President Jokowi opened his speech with a signature Australian greeting, saying G'day, mate before speaking about relations between the two countries and their young people at Parliament House in Canberra on Monday. The younger generations of Indonesia and Australia have been brought up with similar values. They are brought up in a democratic society, and theyre familiar with Netflix, Instagram and Facebook while actively exchanging international perspectives, he said. Indonesia is currently facing a demographic bonus, where 63 million of its citizens are between the age of 16 and 30 and it is projected to become the fourth-largest economy with a Gross Domestic Product of US$10.5 trillion, according to President Jokowi. Most of [the youth] have a global outlook and are keen to innovate. Indonesia currently has a decacorn company and four unicorn start-ups that are driven by young people, the President said. Read also: Avengers, assemble: Jokowi calls for Indonesia, Australia to unite against challenges Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that the relationship between the two countries in education was strong, as thousands of Indonesian young people are studying in the country. Our educational connection has already run deep with 16,000 young Indonesian leaders studying in Australia every year, he said. Morrison also said he was delighted that Australias Monash University had been approved by the Indonesian government to operate in the country. Im delighted that the first university in the world to establish a branch campus in Indonesia will be Australias Monash University. Monash Indonesia will contribute powerfully to Indonesias economic, social and technological development, the prime minister said. President Jokowi proposed a youth program dubbed Ausindo Wave that is focused on encouraging closer ties between Indonesia and Australias youth. The anchor of our relationship three decades from now is the youth. We already have great assets, where 160,000 Australian students are learning Bahasa Indonesia and 21,000 Indonesians are currently studying in Australia, the President said. (mpr) Topics : Jokowi Indonesia Australia Youth Education unity speech Canberra HALIFAX - Further measures are coming to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters, federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan told a meeting on fishing gear innovation Tuesday. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A North Atlantic right whale feeds on the surface of Cape Cod bay off the coast of Plymouth, Mass., on March 28, 2018. Federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan says Ottawa will announce further measures aimed at protecting the endangered North Atlantic right whale in the coming weeks. Jordan didn't release any details during a short speech to a fishing gear innovation summit in Halifax. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP, Michael Dwyer HALIFAX - Further measures are coming to protect the endangered North Atlantic right whale in Canadian waters, federal Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan told a meeting on fishing gear innovation Tuesday. Jordan wouldn't provide details during a short speech in Halifax, but she said the new steps would be unveiled in the coming weeks. "One of the biggest challenges we face today is figuring out how to continue to have a lucrative fishing industry while also protecting our ocean and the life it sustains," she told a gathering of more than 250 harvesters and fishing gear manufacturers from Canada, the United States, Iceland and Norway. "As you know the North Atlantic right whale is endangered, and it's our shared responsibility to keep them safe." Canada has already taken such steps as lowering vessel speeds and altering fishing seasons in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and Jordan said fishing gear marked to identify such things as the country, region and fishery in which it is used will be introduced this year. "If the whales happen to get entangled during the northern migration, Canada and the U.S. can clearly tell where the entanglement occurred," she said. "Those changes will be put into action this season." Jordan stressed that Canada's trade relationships depend on "us doing our part to protect the ocean." The North Atlantic right whale population currently stands at about 400 animals, with fewer than 100 breeding females. Jordan told the meeting that nine new calves were born this winter, two more than last year and the highest birth rate since 2016. Since 2017, at least 29 North Atlantic right whales have died in U.S. and Canadian waters, most of them killed by entanglements with fishing gear and collisions with ships. Rob Martin, a commercial fisherman with 40 years of experience in the lobster and scallop fishery off Massachusetts, told the summit that he's been testing breakaway rope as part of research with the New England Aquarium in Boston. Martin said plastic sleeves inserted over cuts made at various intervals along ropes are designed to break at just over 771 kilograms of force the amount generally required for large entangled whales to free themselves from gear. He said the biggest concern was how much load the altered rope could haul in lifting traps in different sea conditions, but the tests showed the rope has potential. "Nothing is 100 per cent, but I think it's a good start if it saves one whale," Martin said. Amy Knowlton, a leading right whale research scientist with the New England Aquarium, said the ropes with plastic sleeves were tested against control ropes of 1,800-kilogram strength. "What we found was there was actually very little difference in the breakage between control ropes and sleeved ropes," she said, adding that when the ropes broke it was not during the hauling of gear. Philippe Cormier, president of New Brunswick-based Corbo Engineering, is working on 15 initiatives in the Atlantic fishery, including tracking and monitoring right whales and testing breakaway gear. "There's an urgent need for short-term solutions before we can implement a 100 per cent ropeless fishery," Cormier said. He said testing of the so-called "weak rope" with a breaking strength of 771 kilograms was carried out last year in the snow crab fishery, which typically uses rope with a breaking strength of between 4,500 and 6,300 kilograms. Cormier said it generally took longer to haul traps with the 12.7-millimetre diameter rope and its hydraulic gear, but it was possible using lower tensions in both normal and rough weather. He said it remains to be seen whether fishermen will be allowed to harvest crab using weaker ropes in areas where whales are present and whether the fishermen will be willing to use the ropes. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. She exuded old Hollywood glamour when she walked the red carpet at the Academy Awards on Sunday. And Salma Hayek nailed casual chic as she arrived in London from Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon. It was a busy few days for the actress, 53, who revealed she had to accompany her friend and manager to the ER on Oscars night after she suffered an arm injury. Travel: Salma Hayek, 53, nailed casual chic as she arrived in London from Los Angeles on Tuesday afternoon Still wearing her sparking blue dress, Salma shared snaps of herself and her friend Evelyn O'Neill in the hospital as the staff tended to her injury. Alongside the post, Salma wrote: 'As the parties were just getting started my date, friend, and manager, Evelyn ONeill had a little accident. 'I had to rush her to the ER where we spent the rest of the Oscar night until the sun came up. Thank you to the doctors and the staff of Cedars-Sinai for your professionalism and kindness. 'And Evelyn, Ive never seen anyone take so much pain with so much grace! You are a champ.' Help: It was a busy few days for Salma who revealed she had to accompany her friend and manager Evelyn O'Neill to the ER on Oscars night after she suffered an arm injury Pals: Still wearing her sparking blue dress, Salma shared snaps of herself and her friend in the hospital as the staff tended to her wounds Salma wrote: 'As the parties were just getting started my date, friend, and manager, Evelyn ONeill had a little accident' Ouch: Evelyn appeared to have sustained an arm injury as Salma shared a photo of her swollen wrist MailOnline has contacted representatives for Salma for further contact on the extent of her manager's injury. Salma tried to keep a low profile as she arrived in London, where she lives for some of the year with her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault. The film star donned a knee-length black coat which she paired with matching trousers for the day. Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Salma also sported a large pair of sunglasses and a black cap. Accompanied by a man who appeared to be carrying her luggage, the actress completed her look with black trainers. It comes after Salma previously opened up to InStyle about 'how big of a risk it was to come to the United States in the first place and start again as an actress.' Out and about: Salma tried to keep a low profile as she arrived in London, where she lives for some of the year with her billionaire husband Francois-Henri Pinault Outfit: The film star donned a knee-length black coat which she paired with matching trousers for the day Casual: Letting her brunette locks fall loose down her shoulders, Salma also sported a large pair of sunglasses and a black cap The actress was 'doing really well' on the soap circuit in Mexico before she came to the United States to start a career in film, but her eyes were set on the prize - directing and acting for the big screen. She opened up to the outlet on her struggle to launch Frida, a film that she produced and was later nominated for at the Oscars. 'I had to fight for eight years to get Frida off the ground. Nobody wanted to make a story about a Mexican Communist artist with one eyebrow. It was really hard. But I had a vision for it. And Im proud that I produced it too. 'There was no Oh, can I please have a credit? No, no, no. I made that s*** happen.' Low key: Accompanied by a man who appeared to be carrying her luggage, the actress completed her look with black trainers Looking back at an InStyle cover she did in 2009 for the Color! issue, she pointed out what she sees as the innate racial bias of cover story selections in the early 2000s. 'Some magazines in the early 2000s wouldnt put me on their covers precisely because I was a woman of color. And with pride, she also pointed out the ageism that she faces as a woman in Hollywood: 'I was also 42. Remember that I was told I would expire at 30? Here I am, 42 years old and still on the cover of magazines.' Despite the fact that it wasn't 'a popular thing to do' years ago, Hayek has 'been an activist for women for more than 25 years.' 'Things have changed a lot for women in Hollywood since then. We are still getting paid less than men by a lot. But its getting better little by little. Now, at 53, Im getting to play the best parts of my life.' A so-called coronavirus super-spreader has fully recovered from the disease and thanked the NHS for his treatment. Steve Walsh, from Hove in East Sussex, is still in quarantine at Guys Hospital in London, having contracted the disease at a conference in Singapore. He earned his "super-spreader" moniker in reports because he stopped off for several days at a French ski chalet where five Britons were later infected with the virus. Mr Walsh has also been linked with five more cases of coronavirus in the UK, including two doctors one of whom worked at a Brighton surgery that has temporarily shut. Steve Walsh, who has been linked to cases of coronavirus (Sky News) Speaking from hospital, Mr Walsh said in a statement: I would like to thank the NHS for their help and care whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus. As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus, I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England. The County Oak Medical Centre GP practice in Brighton is cleaned after being temporarily closed following reports of a member of staff contracting the coronavirus (PA) I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed. When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves. I also thank friends, family and colleagues for their support during recent weeks and I ask the media to respect our privacy. Mr Walsh reportedly volunteers as a scout leader and works for gas analysis company Servomex. A spokesman from the Scouting Association told Yahoo News UK: We are aware that an individual from the Brighton area who volunteers with the Scout Movement is suffering from coronavirus. He contracted the virus while out of the UK. This volunteer has not been to any Scout meetings since his return to the UK. We wish him well and hope he recovers soon. A spokesman for the company, which appears to be based in Crowborough, East Sussex, told the Daily Telegraph: We are very pleased that Steve Walsh has made a full recovery. We continue to provide support to him and his family. We are working with public health authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff and communities and wish anyone with the virus a quick and full recovery". By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Several people were injured in Assams Dima Hasao district on Tuesday when the bandh supporters clashed with the police. The clashes broke out at district headquarters Haflong. Some women were among the injured. Some of the injured were admitted to a hospital at the hill town. According to reports reaching here, the trouble broke out when the police tried to disperse a group of bandh supporters that was out there on the streets to enforce the bandh and allegedly attacked a motorcyclist and damaged his vehicle. The police used batons and fired tear gas shells as the bandh supporters allegedly attacked the personnel with stones. When reports last came in, the situation was said to be very tense. The Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPF), an organisation of some tribal communities, such as Naga, Kuki, Hmar etc, had called an indefinite bandh from Tuesday morning demanding the creation of a separate autonomous district with the separate autonomous council for these communities of the district. Former advisor to U.S. President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election on November 15, 2019 in Washington, DC. President Donald Trump early Tuesday blasted federal prosecutors for seeking a prison term of between seven and nine years for his longtime ally Roger Stone, a Republican political operative convicted of lying to Congress in the Russian election meddling probe. Prosecutors on Monday had called for that long prison term by citing the seriousness of Stone's crimes, which included lying to Congress about his contacts with the document disclosure group WikiLeaks during the 2016 presidential elections, and pressuring an associate, comedian Randy Credico, to endorse his lies. Hours later, Stone's defense lawyers in their own sentencing memorandum called on the judge to impose a much lighter sentence, one of mere probation, with no time at all spent behind bars. Trump weighed in on the dispute soon afterward on Twitter, writing that prosecutors' call for a lengthy stint in prison for Stone was "disgraceful!" Tweet In a follow-up tweet early Tuesday morning, the president expanded on his criticisms and raised suspicions that he may be considering a pardon for Stone. "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump wrote. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them." "Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" Trump TWEET The White House declined to comment when asked if Trump would pardon Stone. The dueling legal filings came in advance of Stone's Feb. 20 sentencing in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., where Stone was convicted last fall in the case lodged by former special counsel Robert Mueller. "Stone's lies to Congress and his obstructive conduct are a direct and brazen attack on the rule of law," prosecutors said in their sentencing memorandum. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a range of 87 to 108 months in prison for Stone, according to the prosecutors' filing. Prosecutors said that would be a fitting punishment for the 67-year-old. However, as much as 62 months of that recommended sentence comes from an enhancement under federal guidelines related to witness tampering. And prosecutors acknowledged that Judge Amy Berman Jackson could consider the effect of that enhancement when she crafts Stone's sentence, as well as "Credico's own acknowledgement at trial that he and Stone routinely exchanged text messages with hyperbolic language and Credico's post-trial contention that he did not seriously believe that Stone intended to do him physical harm." But later Monday, Stone's lawyers in their own filing disputed the sentencing guideline calculation detailed by prosecutors. They argued that a correct calculation would show a suggested prison term of between 15 and 21 months. But they also called on Jackson to depart downward from those guidelines and give Stone a sentence without any time in prison. Among other factors they cited in their argument was unspecified health issues he has. "It is respectfully submitted that the Court should impose a non-Guidelines sentence of probation with any conditions that the Court deems reasonable under the circumstances," the lawyers wrote. "Stone does not seek to minimize the seriousness of the charges of which he has been convicted indeed, he is painfully aware of the severity of the situation," the lawyers wrote. But, they added, "As a 67-year-old first time offender convicted of serious but non-violent crimes, Roger Stone's history and characteristics support a sentence below the advisory Guidelines range of imprisonment." "As detailed in the accompanying letters from his family and friends, Roger Stone is far more than the persona he projects in the media. As those who know him well attest, he is a man devoted to his friends and family, but also someone who has repeatedly extended himself well beyond the normal range to assist virtual strangers," the filing said. The defense submission included multiple letters supporting Stone, including ones from his wife, Nydia, who wrote, "I have hard time envisioning life without my husband." "If Roger is sent to jail, I will have no means to support myself and there are no savings to fall back on," Nydia Stone wrote. Other letters testified to Stone's friendship, loyalty, excellent advice, and compassion. But prosecutors noted in their filing that "the House Intelligence Committee investigation that Stone obstructed was examining allegations that 'the Russian government, at the direction of President Vladimir Putin, sought to sow discord in American society and undermine our faith in the democratic process.'" In particular, that committee was eyeing claims that Russia was involved in the decision by WikiLeaks to publish documents related to the 2016 presidential election, which included emails stolen by Russian agents from the campaign chief for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and from the Democratic National Committee "Stone knew the gravity of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation when he obstructed it comby giving false testimony and tampering with a witness," prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memo. "Indeed, Stone acknowledged as much in his opening statement before the Committee. Stone chose consciously, repeatedly, and flagrantly to obstruct and interfere with the search for the truth on an issue of vital importance to all Americans," the memo said. "This Court should impose a sentence that accurately reflects the value the judicial system places on the need to allow witnesses to testify truthfully without threat or interference, and the importance of testifying truthfully under oath." Stone's sentence also needs to reflect the seriousness of his offense and the fact that he was fully aware of the crimes being committed, prosecutors argued. "Stone's criminal conduct was not an act of desperation," the memo said. "Rather, his conduct was undertaken purposefully, by someone who knew exactly what he was doing." "Stone was not compelled to testify falsely before Congress," prosecutors wrote. "He could have told the truth, or he could have declined the invitation to testify altogether." "Instead, Stone chose another option: he lied to Congress and then he tampered with a witness who could expose those lies," the memo said. "Stone's goal, at the outset, was to obstruct the Committee's search for the truth. Last month, Credico said in a letter to the judge that Stone does not deserve to go to prison despite having engaged in "lowbrow character attacks," spun "conspiracy tales" and threatened to steal the comedian's dog. "I am writing to respectfully yet fervently implore you not to sentence Roger Stone to prison," wrote Credico in his letter to Jackson. "It is not justice" to send Stone to prison, Credico wrote. "It is cruelty." Credico had testified how Stone tried to get him to back up Stone's lies to Congress about his contacts with WikiLeaks. Related Egypt to set up its first oil and gas exploration website to help foreign investors President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with the CEO of Bechtel Corporation, Brendan Bechtel, in Cairo on Tuesday, and discussed ways to boost cooperation with the US firm. El-Sisi expressed his appreciation for Bechtel's projects in Egypt's oil and gas sector, adding that Egypt is keen for its megaprojects to benefit from the corporation's expertise in the fields of transportation, construction and water treatment, a statement from the president's office read. The US businessman stated that his company is hoping to increase its operations and its projects in Egypt, referring to the upcoming petrochemical complex planned for the Suez Canal Economic Zone that is currently being discussed with the petroleum ministry. El-Sisi also met on Tuesday with the CEO of British Petroleum (BP), Bernard Looney, to discuss cooperation with the firm and its operations in the country. The president also expressed his hope that BP will increase its investments and operations in the country, according to a presidential statement. El-Sisi also said that Egypt gives priority to the private sector's participation in the energy sector, pointing to the successful partnership with BP in training and honing the skills of cadres and its support for educational initiatives and financing of scholarships for Egyptian graduates at major British universities. Looney expressed his appreciation for meeting with El-Sisi, adding that it this is his first foreign business trip since assuming his position this month, and this was due to the importance of Egypt, the presidential statement read. Looney added that Egypt is a strategic partner for BP, praising what Egypt has achieved in the energy field and in state infrastructure in general and in oil and gas sector infrastructure in particular. The meetings took place on the sidelines of the first day of the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2020). Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly and Petroleum Minister Tarek El-Molla attended both meetings. El-Sisi opened the trade show earlier on Tuesday. It will run until Thursday and is set to see the participation of more than 270 local and international industrial experts, along with 1,600 participants. Search Keywords: Short link: Longtime Republican operative Roger Stone deserves to spend as long as nine years in prison for lying to Congress to protect President Donald Trump and other crimes, U.S. prosecutors told a judge. Stone, 67, who was convicted in November, argues hes been punished by his public trial and loss of professional standing. His age, health, and status as a first-time offender convicted of a non-violent crime dont warrant a prison sentence, he said in a court filing Monday. He asked for probation. Stone is due to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington on Feb. 20. Roger Stone obstructed Congresss investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath and tampered with a witness, the U.S. said in its filing. And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this court and the rule of law. If the governments argument is accepted by the judge, Stones sentence would be the longest of those sent to prison as a result of Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe of Russian meddling. Former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort is serving 7 1/2 years for bank fraud and other crimes, and Michael Cohen, the presidents onetime personal lawyer, is doing three years behind bars. Trumps first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, is also due to be sentenced after pleading guilty to lying to federal agents. He has asked for permission to withdraw that plea and his Feb. 27 sentencing date has been cancelled by the judge. The U.S. case against Stone -- the last person charged in Muellers 22-month probe -- included evidence that Trump knew about WikiLeaks plans to release emails damaging to his rival, Hillary Clinton. Stone lied to Congress to protect the president, prosecutors said. Stones lawyer, Bruce S. Rogow, didnt return a call seeking comment on the governments recommendation. The government said in its memorandum that Stones sentence should be consistent with federal sentencing guidelines for his crimes, a range of 87 to 108 months. Stones sentence should be enhanced because he used threats of violence in his campaign to keep a possible intermediary with WikiLeaks -- comedian and talk show host Randy Credico -- silent about the scheme, telling Credico in writing to Prepare to die, prosecutors said. It doesnt matter whether Stone had a serious plan to harm him, the U.S. said. Credico testified that Stones threats concerned him because he was worried that Stones words, if repeated in public, might make other people get ideas, the government said. But Stone rejected the claim, saying Credico made it clear he didnt consider anything Stone said as a threat. Stones indecorous conversations with Randy Credico were many things, but here, in the circumstances of this nearly 20-year relationship between eccentric men, where crude language was the norm werent threats of physical harm, his lawyers wrote. Stone and Credico engaged in an ongoing dialogue in which each used harsh language as a matter of course and it was understood between them that, as Credico put it, it was all bark and no bite, the lawyers said. Federal prosecutors also argued that Stones sentence should be enhanced because after he was indicted he posted an image of the judge overseeing the case with a crosshair next to her head and violated a court order by repeatedly posting about the case on social media. Shortly after last years verdict, Trump complained about Stones conviction on Twitter. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The United States government is studying the best course of action as the Philippines moved to scrap the two-decade-old Visiting Forces Agreement. The US Embassy in Manila on Tuesday confirmed it has received from the Philippine's Department of Foreign Affairs a notice to terminate the VFA calling it a "serious step with significant implications for the US-Philippines alliance." "We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests," the US Embassy said in a statement. "Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples," the consulate added. The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnel in the country. Among its controversial provisions are the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes locally. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement Under the pact, the VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Expiration will take effect 180 days from the time either party notifies the other. Upon the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin on Tuesday sent the US Embassy a notice of termination marking the start of the 180-day period from when the VFA will be effectively scrapped. Malacanang: Nothing can salvage VFA Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo in a statement stressed this is the Philippines' final decision. "The President will not entertain any initiative coming from the US government to salvage the VFA, neither will he accept any official invitation to visit the United States," Panelo said. In a speech Monday night, Duterte disclosed that US President Donald Trump is "trying to save" the VFA. Duterte said he insisted on abrogating it. Panelo said the President has not talked to Trump recently and that his information may have come from "emissaries" in the US Embassy. In discussing his decision to scrap the VFA, Duterte called the US rude for meddling in the Philippines' local affairs. Duterte threatened to end the VFA in January in response to US' cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's tourist visa. Dela Rosa acknowledged that the revocation of his visa may have something to do with alleged extrajudicial killings under his watch as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018. Malacanang said US senators' repeated calls for the release of Senator Leila de Lima an opposition lawmaker detained on drug charges since 2017 was also among the reasons for Duterte's move to end the VFA. The US' 2020 budget law includes a provision that bans Filipino government officials involved in De Lima's imprisonment. The American Senate also passed a resolution in January seeking to deny US entry to and freeze the assets of Philippine officials "responsible for extrajudicial killings" and the "prolonged detention" of De Lima. Although Trump has not criticized any of the Philippines' policies, Panelo said the American Senate serves as "the voice of the US government" and that revoking Dela Rosa's visa was an executive matter. Still, the Philippines is hoping for even warmer ties with the US, a long-standing ally, Panelo said. READ: PH prefers self-reliance but open to VFA with other countries Malacanang Senate sidestepped Duterte pushed through with the termination even after the Philippine Senate passed a resolution calling for a thorough review of the VFA before coming to a decision regarding its fate. In a Senate hearing last week, the senior diplomat pushed for a "vigorous review" of the VFA instead, saying the continuance of the agreement "is deemed to be more beneficial" for the Philippines. He highlighted the benefits that the Philippines has been getting from the VFA: military assistance, financial grants, and deterrence against possible attacks from other countries, among others. After that hearing however, Panelo said Duterte has not changed his mind and was ready to instruct Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to ask Locsin to send the notice. Senate President Vicente "Tito" Sotto III in a chance interview with reporters said Duterte has the final say as chief architect of the country's foreign policy. However, he shares some colleagues' view that the Senate should be consulted on the termination of any treaty the same way the ratification of an agreement needs its concurrence. "We thought that a review was proper, we thought that we should have been consulted... Nevertheless, the chief architect of the foreign policy is the President," Sotto said. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon stressed that ending the VFA is as good as terminating two other major military agreements the Mutual Defense Treaty, which states that each country would come to the defense of the other in case of an attack by a foreign country, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows the US military to use and control five bases in the Philippines. "If the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot stand alone, because the basis of the EDCA is the VFA, and if the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot be effective. If the VFA and EDCA are no longer effective, then the MDT, as mentioned by Sec. Locsin, would be inutile and would serve no purpose," Drilon said in an impromptu interview with reporters prior to Palace's announcement. 11.02.2020 LISTEN The Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly (ANWA), Aminu Mohammed Zakari has disclosed that President Akufo-Addo has ordered for the rehabilitation, paving and construction of roads and drains in his Municipality. According to him, all contractual agreements relative to roads and drain rehabilitation have already been signed and copies handed over to him. In a release sighted by Modern Ghana, the MCE said "Works to be carried out in Mamobi East, Mamobi West and Kwao Tsuru ranges from Resealing, Pavements, new Roads and Drains." Below is a copy of the press release: PRESS RELEASE! ALL HON. ASSEMBLYMEMBERS OF ANMA AND RESIDENTS OF AYAWASO NORTH MUNICIPALITY I am pleased to inform Honourable Assembly Members and the general populist of the Ayawaso North Municipal Assembly that after vigorous and incessant lobbying by the MCE, Hon. Aminu M. Z. and other senior government officials, H.E the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has ordered rehabilitation, as well as the paving and construction of Roads and Drains in the municipality. All contractual agreements relative to that have already been signed and copies given to Hon. Aminu M. Z., the Municipal Chief Executive (MCE). Works to be carried out in Mamobi East, Mamobi West and Kwao Tsuru ranges from Resealing, Pavements, new Roads and Drains. This is yet another indication that H. E. Nana Akufo-Addo is a listening president and is poised to develop Ghana, particularly in the Ayawaso North Municipality. BELOW are the specific details of the projects to be undertaken. 1)STORM DRAIN AT KWAO TSURU 2)LOVERS HOTEL AND BETHEL ROADS 3)ACCRA NEW TOWN SCHOOL AREA ROAD 4)BABAGORO AREA ROAD 5)AGBAAJENA JUNCTION ROAD 6)MAMOBI LINK ROAD 7)JUBILEE CHURCH AREA 8)ROAD BEHIND MARWAKO RESTAURANT 9)WHITE HOUSE AREA ROAD 10)BRUKUTU ROAD 11)ASSEMBLYS OF GOD CHURCH ROAD 12)BETHEL ROAD 13) HAJIA SALA GURUMAH ROAD 14)MAMOBI ON THE WAY ROAD 15)PAVING ALONG MAMOBI STORM DRAIN PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 14:01:05 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 984 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NMI") (TSXV:NMI) today announced details of the Term 1 planned work program for the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project ("Lofdal") in northern Namibia. As was recently announced (Company press release dated January 27, 2020) the Company has entered into an agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") to jointly explore and develop Lofdal. Following the first meeting of the Management Committee formed by NMI and JOGMEC, the objectives of the initial Term 1 work program have been agreed to as follows:Complete a 7,700 m drill program at Area 4 with the objective to double the current mineral resource and deliver an updated NI43-101 reportComplete 1,500 meters of exploration drilling on two priority satellite deposit targetsUndertake further metallurgical test work on sorting, magnetic separation, flotation and gangue acid leaching to refine the process flow sheetThe $3,000,000 Term 1 work program will be undertaken from February 2020 to March 2021 and will be sole funded pursuant to a firm non-refundable commitment by JOGMEC. Following completion of the Term 1 program, JOGMEC has the right to earn a 40% interest in the Project by funding an additional $7,000,000 in exploration expenditures and may earn an additional 10% interest by funding an additional $10,000,000 in exploration expenditures. Further details of the agreement are provided in the Company release dated January 27, 2020.Area 4 ResourceThe Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project is located 450 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Windhoek in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia (Figure 1). The project area covers 314 square kilometers centered on the Lofdal carbonatite complex which hosts a number of rare earth occurrences, including the Area 4 deposit. Mineralization at Area 4 is dominated by xenotime, which is highly enriched in heavy rare earths. Value drivers at Lofdal are dysprosium and terbium as opposed to praseodymium and neodymium which are the value drivers in light rare earth deposits.Current mineral resources for the Area 4 deposit are estimated to be 2.88 Mt of indicated mineral resources at a grade of 0.32% TREO1 yielding 9,230 t of REO, of which 7,050 t are estimated to be heavy rare earth oxides ("HREO") and 3.28 Mt of inferred mineral resources at a grade of 0.27% TREO yielding 8,970 t of REO, of which 6,700 t are estimated to be HREO. The current mineral resource has been drilled to depths of between 125 - 225 vertical meters.Planned drilling will test for extensions of the mineralization along strike and to vertical depths of 250-300 meters. Figure 2 shows a typical drill section with the outline of the current mineral resource and planned drill holes to test for extensions of the mineralization to a vertical depth of 300 meters. The Management Committee has set an objective to double the size of the mineral resource through the provision of 7,700 meters of diamond drilling at Area 4.Exploration DrillingThe Area 4 deposit is one of several rare earth occurrences know within the Lofdal carbonatite complex and the Company has evaluated a number of these occurrences with detailed mapping, geophysics and drilling. There are two priority heavy rare earth targets that have not been drill tested and a total of 1,500 meters of diamond drilling has been allocated in Term 1 to investigate xenotime mineralization at the Northern Splay and at Dolomite Hill (Figure 3).Metallurgical ProgramsA number of sequential processing stages have been recommended for treatment of the xenotime mineralization at Lofdal and include upfront sorting, magnetic separation, flotation and gangue acid leaching to produce a mineral concentrate. Each of these stages will be further evaluated during Term 1 through metallurgical test work programs at the appropriate facility/laboratory. Provision has also been made to re-evaluate gravity processing techniques. The initial focus will be on XRT and XRF sorting using an 18 tonne representative sample that has been prepared by Light Deep Earth at their test facility in South Africa. Sorter tests will be conducted by Rados International using a Rados XRF sorter and by IMS Engineering using a Steinert XRT sorter. Products generated from this first step test work will be utilized for subsequent process stage test work.Namibia Critical Metals is the operator for the Lofdal Joint Venture with JOGMEC and will provide updates on the progress of the drilling and metallurgical programs as results become available.Figure 1 - NMI project areas in Namibia highlighting location of the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project near KhorixasFigure 2 - Drill section 550E showing limits of current mineral resource and proposed drill holes to test for extensions of the mineralization to a vertical depth of 300 metersFigure 3 - Geology of the project area showing the location of the Area 4 deposit and the two exploration drill targets at the Northern Splay and Dolomite HillAbout Namibia Critical Metals Inc.Namibia Critical Metals Inc. holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The Company also has significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization.At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the sediments hosting the recent Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified but not yet sampled. Detailed soil surveys are planned over this highly prospective area.In addition to Lofdal, the Epembe Tantalum-Niobium Project is also at an advanced stage with a well-defined, 10 km long carbonatite dyke that has been delineated by detailed mapping with over 11,000 meters of drilling. Preliminary mineralogical and metallurgical studies including sorting tests (XRT), indicate the potential for significant physical upgrading. Further work will be undertaken to advance the project to a preliminary economic assessment stage.The Kunene Cobalt-Copper Project comprises a very large area of favorable stratigraphy ("the DOF") along strike to the west of the Opuwo cobalt-copper-zinc deposit. Secondary copper mineralization over a wide area points to preliminary evidence of a regional-scale hydrothermal system. Exploration ta Hollywood superstar Brad Pitt has said that he wrote all of his acceptance speeches this award season but took some help from few of his "funny friends". Pitt's witty and self-deprecating speeches had led to speculation that the actor had hired a professional speechwriter. But that's not true, Pitt, who won the best supporting actor Oscar for his role in "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood", said. "Historically, I've always been really tentative about speeches, like they make me nervous. This round, I figured if I'm going to do this, let's put some real work into it, try to get comfortable. This is the result of that," Pitt said post his win for the Quentin Tarantino film. "No, I definitely write them. I have some funny friends, I have some very funny friends that help me with some laughs, but no, it's gotta come from the heart," he added. Asked if he was having the time of his life, Pitt said it has been a "special run". "I hope not! I hope I got other s**t going on. But it has been a really special run, and again, it's a community I love and friends that I've made over thirty years. It's meant a lot to me, truly." Prior the his Oscar win, the actor told Variety on the red carpet that his close pal David Fincher helps him with his speeches. "My man Fincher, we trade barbs every week," he said. During the award season, Pitt had often made fun of his single status and what his tinder bio would reflect. He also made political wisecracks, telling the BAFTA audience that he was going to name his trophy "Harry", after Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle's decision to step down as senior royals. His Oscar speech was more reflective and emotional but equally charming. Noting the 45 second limit for speeches at Oscars, the actor quipped about the impeachment trial, saying his time on stage was "45 seconds more than the Senate gave John Bolton this week". The actor joked that Tarantino might make a movie on it and in his true revisionist style, create an ending where "the adults do the right thing". The line was a sly dig at the Senate voting against allowing witnesses during President Donald Trump's impeachment trial. He graciously thanked co-star Leonardo DiCaprio and said director Tarantino was "one of a kind". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW YORK - Prosecutors in Brooklyn said Monday they intend to seek the extradition of a nephew of convicted Mexican drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, a notorious underworld figure who is on the FBIs most wanted list for the murder of a federal agent over three decades ago. The U.S. Attorneys Office for the Eastern District of New York announced the unsealing of an indictment charging Ismael Quintero Arellanes with conspiracy to distribute heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana, as well as unlawful use of arms. Quintero Arellanes, 49, is accused of being an associate of the Caro Quintero drug trafficking organization, a faction of the Sinaloa cartel, prosecutors said. He was arrested in Mexico at the end of January. Caro Quintero, his uncle, is accused of distributing massive amounts of illegal narcotics and also in the kidnapping and murder of DEA Special Agent Enrique Camarena in Mexico in 1985. After spending years in prison in Mexico, Caro Quintero was freed in 2013, a decision that angered Washington. A Mexican federal court has issued a warrant for his re-arrest, but he remains at large. Ray Donovan, special agent-in-charge of the DEAs New York Division, said in a statement Monday that Quintero Arellanes arrest and indictment are indicative that the walls are closing in on members of the Sinaloa cartel. If extradited and convicted, Quintero Arellanes faces a minimum sentence of 20 years in prison. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The CBI on Tuesday carried out searches at eight locations in Delhi, Gurugram and Dehradun after registering a case against Educomp Solutions Ltd (ESL), its subsidiary and directors for allegedly defrauding an SBI-led consortium of 13 banks to the tune of Rs 1,955 crore, officials said. A senior CBI official said that agency sleuths carried out searches on the premises of Educomp Solutions, Edu Smart and its directors in the three cities. The central probe agency has booked ESL, its Managing Director Shantanu Prakash, Guarantor Jagdish Prakash, its subsidiary Edu Smart Services Pvt Ltd and Directors Vijay Kumar Choudhary and Vinod Kumar Dandona on the complaint from State Bank of India on behalf of the consortium of banks, he said. The case was registered on February 10. According to CBI officials, the account of ESL was declared a non-performing asset in 2016. In a complaint to the CBI, the banks alleged that the ESL was availing various credit facilities from the consortium. Highlighting the misdeeds, the banks said that accused persons, in furtherance to their criminal conspiracy, facilitated diversion of funds, got loans to related parties written off, booked sales without contractual obligations, and forged documents not only to get the facilities sanctioned from the bank, but further used them to siphon off the funds, thereby cheating the bank to the extent to an extent of Rs 1,955.36 crore. After the meeting, Rahul alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government has 'gone to war against its own people' and urged the NHRC to act decisively to protect the 'constitutional rights of our citizens'. New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC) has sent a notice to the Uttar Pradesh government days after a Congress delegation led by senior party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met top officials of the rights panel and sought action against alleged police atrocities on anti-CAA protesters in the state, an official said on Monday. The Congress on 27 January moved the NHRC demanding action against alleged police atrocities on the protesters in the state, claiming that victims have been made accused in case-related FIRs and no police officer has been named. The delegation had met the NHRC chairperson and other senior officials, and made a detailed 31-page representation which included videos and photographs as "evidence" of alleged atrocities and human rights violations in the state. After the meeting, Rahul alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government has "gone to war against its own people" and urged the NHRC to act decisively to protect the "constitutional rights of our citizens". "The NHRC has taken cognisance of the issue after a Congress delegation visited the commission recently and met the top officials. A notice has been issued to the chief secretary in this connection and response has been sought in six weeks," the official said. Priyanka Gandhi on Twitter said, "Happy to see the Honorable NHRC taking cognisance of our complaint. We are hopeful that NHRC chairman will ensure justice to the aggrieved." She also shared a copy of the notice. "The NHRC has been requested to intervene into the matter as the complicity of the government of Uttar Pradesh in wilful repression and brutalisation of the people protesting peacefully amounts to violation of human rights and demands full and urgent attention of the commission," the notice stated The commission said it has also received some other complaints alleging "high-handedness and excessive use of force" by the police in Lucknow and Kanpur districts during protests against the CAA and the NRC. The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFEC) has re-entrenched, its admonishment to the youth to end hate speech now! In September 2019 GIFEC kick started this drive in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and launched the project, dubbed "ICT and Media: Efficient Tools for the Youth in Preventing Violent Extremism". The project aims at preventing violent extremism using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to safeguard human values, counter negative behaviors and violent extremism online. It coincided with the call by the President of Ghana, His Excellency Nana AddoDankwaAkufo-Addo at the maiden Kofi Annan Peace and Security (KAPS) Forum. The President at the forum underscored the urgent need to tackle the issues of endemic poverty, illiteracy and bad governancewhich are enablers to cultivate extremist ideas. He further called on Nations to provide a platform for robust engagement on global peace and security and adopt new strategies to counter the shared and unprecedented threat of terrorism and violent extremism in the sub-region. A call, which came in at the right time as GIFEC and UNESCO, had set out a campaign on countering violent extremism. The youth focused sessions in the first phase trained three hundred (300) young men and women in the Ashanti and Western North Regions. Beneficiaries who were thankful for the transformational experience from the workshop. The participants were made up of teachers, members of religious bodies, students from senior high schools and tertiary institutions, entrepreneurs and people from the informal sector. UNESCO as a key stakeholder in forging a culture of peace puts young people at the very heart of efforts in educating the populace on the root causes of violent extremism, as there is a growing concern of several young persons are recruited on a daily basis to join groups with extremist ideologies such as al-Qaeda. It has, therefore, become necessary to make the Ghanaian youth aware and equip them with the requisite digital skills, which are fundamental to stimulate the prevention of violent extremism and make them active participants and change agents of the information and communication society. Mr. Abraham Kofi Asante, the Administrator of GIFEC at the maiden launch noted that the disarming process of violent extremism must begin with human rights and the rule of law, with dialogue across all lines by empowering the youth through education and skills for decent jobs as technological and cultural competencies are required to sharpen the youth's critical thinking. Such interventions must start very early in homes, communities and on the benches of schools he ended. The training gave an expose on the youthsrights and responsibilities and youth empowerment to enable them channel energies into a productive future. The final stage of the training was on advance technical enlightenment on social media, this session allowed the development and finalization of media productions of animations, infographics, fact sheets, videos and imaginary and audio-visual modules to be used during the online prevention campaigns. The third phase encapsulates an online no hatespeech campaign. Hate speeches can be classified as words that are abusive and threatening, which are spoken or written to express prejudice against a particular group or individual, especially based on race, religion, gender and ethnic origin. As the use of the internet has become more pervasive and the main source of information amongst the youth, GIFEC is relentlessly pushing the No Hate Speech Online Campaign to help educate and eradicate the menace. The campaign aims at combating hate speech by mobilizing young people to speak up on their human rights and democracy online. As mentioned early on, a balance of fundamental rights and principles, including freedom of expression and the defense of human dignity needs to be established. The campaign seeks to reduce the acceptance of hate speech both online and offline, through human rights education and awareness-creation, youth participation and media literacy. It provides the youth, educators, and campaigners with efficient tools to combat and ultimately prevent violent extremism, hate speeches and cyberbullying, which are some of the current technological challenges. GIFEC is currently on a social media campaign with the hash tag #NoHateSpeech as its rounding up and encouraging youths to nip in the bud hate speeches and to pledge support to the cause. Source: Israel Norshie/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A federal judge has approved T-Mobile's $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint. Long opposed by consumer advocates, the mega-merger will combine America's 3rd and 4th-largest wireless carriers. In the decision filed Tuesday, Judge Victor Marrero wrote, "The resulting stalemate leaves the Court lacking sufficiently impartial and objective ground on which to rely in basing a sound forecast of the likely competitive effects of a merger." From CNBC: The ruling clears one of the final hurdles for the deal, which still can't close until the California Public Utilities Commission approves the transaction. Attorneys general from New York, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and D.C. originally brought the lawsuit to block the deal following approval from the Justice Department of Federal Communications Commission. The states had argued that combining the No. 3 and No. 4 U.S. carriers would limit competition and result in higher prices for consumers. The companies had argued their merger would help them compete against top players AT&T and Verizon and advance efforts to build a nationwide 5G network. T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to certain concessions to the government before the agencies cleared the deal. The companies told the FCC they would deploy a 5G network covering 97% of the U.S. population within three years of closing the deal. Sprint also agreed to sell Boost Mobile, Virgin Mobile and other prepaid phone businesses, as well as some of its wireless spectrum to Dish Network for $5 billion before gaining approval from the Justice Department. With the Aam Aadmi Party leaders and workers basking in the glory of capturing Delhi for a third time in a row, the party insiders as well as its detractors on Tuesday attributed the party's stunning poll victory to a slew of schemes involving freebies to Delhiites. IMAGE: An AAP worker, dressed as party chief Arvind Kejriwal, celebrates along with others at party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo "Free electricity up to 200 units of power and almost next to nil charges over that, free rides for women in public transport buses, up to 20,000 litres of free water per month and free pilgrimage for senior citizens have paid us after all," confessed a party worker, heaving a sigh of relief over the electoral results. The party workers recall that in the run up to the assembly elections, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders had in their interactions with voters during poll rallies had duly emphasised upon various Delhi government schemes, providing for a host of services to people either free of cost or at a highly subsidised rates. Haryana Home Minister Anil Vij too on Tuesday in Chandigarh described the AAP win in the Delhi Assembly polls as a victory of freebies. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader made the assertion on Twitter as trends indicated that the AAP would sweep the Delhi polls. 'Delhi ke chunaav mein muddhay haar gai, muftkhori jeet gai (in the Delhi elections, issues lost, freebies won),' he wrote on his Twitter handle. The apparent reference was to cheap power and water besides free bus rides for women in the capital. BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya too on Tuesday said 'freebies' given out by the AAP led to its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls. The AAP dispensation had last October launched free rides for women in public transport buses on Bhai Dooj, asserting that it would empower women and ensure their safety in the national capital. The move was considered as a political step seeking support of women living in the national capital, said an upbeat AAP leader, adding the party was sure that it would benefit the party in the assembly elections. Kejriwal had also announced free power consumption up to 200 units and 50 percent subsidy for those consumers using 201 to 400 units per month. Later, tenants were also brought under the ambit of the scheme. Until now, tenants would not be able to avail 50 per cent government subsidy on consumption of electricity of up to 400 units. The Arvind Kejriwal-led government had also announced a complete waiver of water arrears for people living in colonies categorised as E, F, G and H. Consumers of the other four categories (A-D) were given a rebate ranging from 25-75 per cent on their long-pending dues. The AAP government also decided to waive development and infrastructure charges for new water and sewer connections in the city. Kejriwal, who was also the chairman of the Delhi Jal Board (DJB), had in November said that people would have to pay just Rs 2,310 now to get new water and sewer connections. The government had also launched 'Mukhyamatri Tirth Yojana' under which senior citizens were offered free pilgrimage. Eleven of Australia's most dangerous terrorists are set to be released from prison and could be walking the streets this year. They include Islamic extremist Abdul Nacer Benbrika - who in a police recording fifteen years ago called on his supporters in Melbourne and Sydney to 'cause maximum damage'. Five terrorists behind bars in New South Wales and six in Victoria due to be released - but will likely face a battle from police to keep them in jail. A series of terror-related convictions in recent years mean a record number of extremists could be freed in upcoming months unless authorities intervene. Abdul Nacer Benbrika - the man responsible for Australia's largest ever terror plot - is among eleven across the country due to be released from prison this year Sydney baggage handler Bilal Khazal was found guilty of making a terror manual and could also be released from prison Police in New South Wales may use continuing detention orders to keep those on the verge of release off the streets, The Australian reported. The orders, which have never been used, mean extremists could be kept behind bars for three years after their original sentence has finished. In December, the Counter Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill was passed making it significantly harder for terrorists and their supporters to get bail or parole. In Victoria, meanwhile, police commissioner Graham Ashton said international discussions were underway over the release of Benbrika on parole. 'Of the people being released, he's probably been the highest profile offender. Hes someone were maintaining a close dialogue with the commonwealth about regarding his pending release,' Mr Ashton said. Benbrika was heard in the police recording telling his followers in 2005: 'If we want to die for jihad, we have to have maximum damage. Maximum damage. Damage their buildings, everything. Damage their lives.' Authorities are looking to use new powers to keep terrorists in jail past their sentence. Murat Kaya (pictured) has already been freed from prison The terror plot is still the largest ever in Australia. He is reportedly still spreading propaganda in prison and contacted through an intermediary those behind the 2016 Christmas Day terror plot. Three people were jailed last year over the plot to blow up Melbourne's Federation Square. Murat Kaya was arrested in terror raids in Melbourne in May 2016, shortly after the arrest of his younger brother Kadir Kaya, associates Paul James Dacre, Antonio Alfio Granata, Shayden Jamil Thorne (pictured) and ringleader Robert 'Musa' Cerantonio. Thorne is also due to be released It is understood neither Benbrika nor Sydney baggage handler Bilal Khazal, who was found guilty of making a terror manual and is also due to be released in 2020, have renounced their extremism. Fears of re-offending come after terrorists Khaled Sharrouf and Ezzit Raad both travelled to Syria after their release from Australian prison. One of the eleven men due to be released this year Murat Kaya has already been freed from prison. Kaya was arrested in terror raids in Melbourne in May 2016, shortly after the arrest of his younger brother Kadir Kaya, associates Paul James Dacre, Antonio Alfio Granata, Shayden Jamil Thorne and ringleader Robert 'Musa' Cerantonio. Thorne is also due to be released this year. He was dubbed the 'tinnie terrorist' after plotting to sail a fishing boat from northern Australia to overthrow the Philippines government. His release in January came despite a judge finding Kaya having contempt towards non-Muslims and Australian law. Coronavirus infected 27 foreigners in China, 2 dead: Beijing Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 10:28 AM China says dozens of foreigners in the country have been infected with the coronavirus, two of whom have died, as the total death toll from the epidemic inside the country is approaching 1,000. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Monday that the two foreigners who had died of the viral illness are an American and a Japanese man. This is while the death toll from the outbreak inside Chin has passed 900 on Monday, with 40,000 confirmed infections across the country. The virus, with a mortality rate of about 2 percent, was first reported in December in a seafood and poultry market in the provincial capital of Wuhan, with a population of 11 million people. Virus spread could be tip of iceberg: WHO The fast-spreading virus quickly passed the China borders and prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to send a team of experts to the capital Beijing for on Monday to help assess the outbreak. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said there had been "some concerning instances" of transmission from people who had not been to China. "The detection of a small number of cases may indicate more widespread transmission in other countries; in short, we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg," he added. Chinese return to work Millions of Chinese are returning to work from the Lunar New Year holiday, which was extended due to the outbreak. A large number of China's factories and stores, and major international manufacturers, however, remain closed as part of an attempt by authorities to prevent further spread of the virus. The shutdowns, which are having a major impact on the Chinese economy, are also threatening some big car makers with a shortage of supplies. Meanwhile, Chinese media reported that the central bank pumped $129 billion into the financial system on Monday. According to the report, the money has gone in via "reverse repos," which is a reverse repurchase agreement. A reverse repo is a process in which the central bank purchases securities from commercial banks through bidding, with an agreement to sell them back in the future. 60 more positive cases on Japan cruise ship Around 60 more people have been diagnosed with the coronavirus on a cruise ship that has been in quarantine since arriving off the Japanese coast early last week, with some 3700 people on board. The new cases brought the total number of infected to about 130 on board. The ship is expected to stay in quarantine until February 19, the WHO said in a tweet. "The period will be extended beyond the 19 Feb. as appropriate only for close contacts of newly confirmed cases. They need to remain in quarantine for 14 days from last contact with a confirmed case," it added. Coronavirus imminent threat to health: UK The United Kingdom declared on Monday that the virus outbreak "constitutes a serious and imminent threat to public health." Britain says it has so far recorded four cases of the illness, all of whom are being quarantined for 14 days. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address A cargo ship crew member is being tested for coronavirus after docking at Port of Hastings on Monday, after a journey from China. A spokesman from Victoria's Department of Health and Human Services said the man had fallen sick with a "mild illness" and was being tested for novel coronavirus as a precaution. Port of Hastings. Credit:Sandy Scheltema He was taken from the ship to hospital on Monday. If the man tests positive for the virus, it would be the fifth case recorded in Victoria. Victorian health authorities say there is a low likelihood the man is infected, because he had not disembarked when the ship docked in China and it had been more than 14 days before symptoms developed. Test results are expected later on Tuesday. Concerns: Indeeds office, in Capital Dock, Dublin, under went a deep clean by staff in protective clothing More than 1,000 staff at tech firm Indeeds Irish offices will return to work on Wednesday after a suspect case of coronavirus in Singapore was found to be negative. Family members of an Indeed employee in Singapore have tested negative for the coronavirus, the company said. The tests on the family took place after the member of staff in the Asian country told the company they were potentially exposed to virus. On Monday around 1,000 Dublin-based staff at the tech multinational were told to stay away from their offices until February 17 to prevent possible exposure to virus. However, a spokesperson for Indeed today said it anticipates all employees who have been working from home will return to their offices on Wednesday following the negative test results. We would like to thank them for their cooperation, patience and understanding as this situation evolved, the spokesperson said. There have been no cases of the coronavirus in Ireland so far and more than 30 patients have tested negative for the illness. Indeed said it took the decision to ask staff to work from home after family members of an employee in the Singapore office were tested for coronavirus, including one person who was hospitalised with pneumonia. The Irish and Australian offices were shut as a precaution because some staff who had visited Singapore were also in the company's Dublin and Sydney office recently, Indeed said. Meanwhile, it emerged today that tests have been carried out on 65 patients suspected of having the coronavirus and all have proved negative so far. Dr Cillian De Gascun, Chair of the Coronavirus Expert Advisory Group, a sub group of the National Public Health Emergency Team, said: "We're continuing to monitor reported transmission events in the UK, Singapore, and Germany but the number of confirmed cases in the EU remains low, and no new countries have reported cases in the last 24 hours. Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health, Dr Tony Holohan said: "We remain prepared for a confirmed case of Covid-19 (Coronavirus)." "The Irish health system is currently operating a containment strategy in line with global practice, and all our efforts are focused on identifying suspected cases as they arise and initiating measures to prevent onward transmission of the virus. He said the National Public Health Emergency Team continues to coordinate response efforts between the Health Service and other Government Departments and agencies, to ensure a comprehensive response in the event of a confirmed case." Anyone returning from China in the last 14 days, and experiencing symptoms associated with Covid-19 (Coronavirus), is instructed to self- isolate and contact the health service via phone or email. Over 4,800 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) packs have been distributed to GP Out of Hours Services, Public Health Departments and GP Practices. A further 1,200 PPE packs are due to go out to GP practices today. The National Ambulance Service also has detailed plans in place and is working closely with other agencies to ensure a co-ordinated response to possible cases." Covid-19 (Coronavirus) is spread through contact and droplets so good cough and sneeze hygiene, with regular hand washing, is the best way to keep well. The general public is encouraged to inform themselves on prevention measures issued by HSE and to follow HPSC for regular daily updates. SAGINAW, MI A Bay City man has learned his sentence for having sexually assaulted a younger female relative. Saginaw County Chief Circuit Judge Darnell Jackson on Monday, Feb. 10, sentenced 20-year-old Ezekiel R. Blackmon to two to 15 years with the Michigan Department of Corrections. Jackson gave Blackmon credit for 134 days already served in the county jail. Jackson also ordered Blackmon to register as a sex offender until Jan. 1, 2045. A jury in January found Blackmon guilty of second-degree criminal sexual conduct. The charge is limited to touching and is a 15-year felony. The same jury found Blackmon not guilty of assault with intent to commit sexual penetration, a 10-year felony. Jurors deliberated for about three hours before delivering their verdicts. Both charges related to the same victim, prosecutors have said. Testimony during the trial alleged Blackmon assaulted a relative over several years when she would have been in middle school and Blackmon was 15 through 18. The crimes occurred in Saginaw County, prosecutors have said. In October, Blackmon had pleaded guilty to two counts of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct. Judge Jackson later allowed Blackmon to withdraw his plea because he would not sentence Blackmon under the Holmes Youthful Trainee Act, which would have sealed Blackmons record. Charges were initially authorized against Blackmon in March 2018. His trial before Jackson had begun on Wednesday, Jan. 8. Jury finds Bay City man guilty of sexually assaulting young relative By Rasana Gasimova The State Committee on Work with Diaspora has met Azerbaijanis living in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. During the visit to Saudi Arabia, a delegation of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora met the Azerbaijanis living in the city of Ar-Riyadh. High on the agenda of the meeting was the establishment of the Coordination Council in line with the Strategic Route Map, establishment of the Azerbaijani houses for compatriots living abroad, launching diaspora map and recruitment of the campaign materials on the social networks. Addressing the meeting, Fuad Muradov, the Committee Chairman, called on Azerbaijanis to be active on social networks and join a large diaspora family. Azerbaijanis spoke about the challenges they face, and exchanged views on the projects to be implemented in this country with the purpose of promotion of Azerbaijans national and cultural values in the Saudi Arabia. The State Committee on Work with Diaspora also visited the UAE and held a meeting with the Azerbaijanis living in Dubai. Chairman of the State Committee Fuad Muradov informed the participants about the activities of the Committee, implemented projects - establishment of Coordination Councils in different countries of the world, Summer Camps of Diaspora Youth, founding of Azerbaijani houses and weekend Karabakh schools and other important projects. The delegation and participants exchanged views on the proposals and problems of Azerbaijanis living in Dubai during the meeting. They emphasized the importance of opening an Azerbaijani school in the city where they live, organizing language courses or their online teaching. It was noted that such meetings would play an irreplaceable role in terms of getting to know and helping young people. Establishing a Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis living in Dubai was also discussed. Consul General of Azerbaijan to Dubai Javidan Huseynov highly appreciated the meeting with the Azerbaijanis living in Dubai and emphasized that such meetings play a peerless role in promoting Azerbaijan and organizing of our compatriots. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz - Government has settled in full debts owned BDCs - This was revealed in a statement signed by the BDCs CEO, Senyo Hosi - According to the BDCs the debt which accrued between July 2011 and July 2015, was estimated at 1.43 billion dollars - Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in The New Patriotic Party (NPP) government has completed the payments of debt owed Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (BDCs). This was revealed in a statement signed by the Chief Executive Officer of the BDCs, Senyo Hosi. The debts owed by government had accrued between 2011 and 2015. READ ALSO: Galamsey saga: Ekow Ewusi drops names in petition to BNI boss According to the Chambers CEO, Mr. Hosi, government made the final payment, which included interest on January 13, 2020. In all government made payments to the tune of one billion dollars to the BDCs. ATTENTION: Read the best news on Ghana #1 news app. Install our latest app for Android and read the best news about Ghana The statement issued by the Chamber on Monday, February 10 indicated that the money received was now due for redistribution to beneficiary banks and petroleum service providers. YEN.com.gh earlier reported that the UK Crown Court ruling revealed that Ghana went into a fictitious agreement with Airbus, an arrangement which the UKs Serious Fraud Office describes as fraudulent. The document from the UK Crown Court further states that Airbus failed to prevent persons associated with it from bribing others concerned in the purchase of military transport aircraft for the government of Ghana. READ ALSO: University of Ghana SRC President allegedly spends GHC 66,138 from students dues Between July 1, 2011, and June 1, 2015, the government of Ghana went in an agreement with Airbus to purchase three military aircrafts. President Akufo-Addo is a "wicked old man" - Angry protester fumes | #Yencomgh READ ALSO: Heartbreaking: Video of Chinese nurse consoling daughter from afar during Coronavirus crisis goes viral Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 17:38:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close TIANJIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Medical student Li Rui's experience of donating blood was a little different than usual. Besides completing a physical examination and blood screening, Li, 25, also had her temperature taken and reported her travel history at a blood center in northern China's Tianjin Municipality. In the lobby of the center, medical workers wearing disposal gloves carefully wiped chair arms and door handles with disinfectant, sprayed alcohol on the ground from time to time, and kept blood donors lined up at least one meter apart from each other. "Amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, the number of blood donors is much smaller than usual," said Li, who studies at Tianjin Medical University. "I am a medical student. I know the importance of blood donation at this special time." According to the blood center, the number of blood donors at the center was about 1,200 from Jan. 23 to Feb. 8, down 60 percent from the same period last year. In Tianjin, more than 90 percent of blood donations come from the mobile blood collection vehicles on the street. Blood from Tianjin Railway Station, the largest blood collection point in the municipality, contributes about one-third of the annual blood supply of the city. "We used to collect up to 300 units of blood every day at the donation point," said Li Hongzhu, deputy director of the Tianjin Blood Center. "Since the coronavirus outbreak, we once collected only two units a day." "Affected by the epidemic, we have also reduced the blood supply to hospitals to about 300 units every day," said Li. "In the past, our daily blood supply could reach 600 to 800 units." The blood consumption in hospitals has to be reduced. "We can only offer blood to patients in urgent, dangerous and critical situations," said Li Daihong, a doctor at the First Central Hospital of Tianjin. "Some surgeries have been postponed or suspended." Tianjin has activated a first-level emergency response to contain the spread of the epidemic. In response, the blood center only opens eight donation points across the city and leaves another six in flexible opening hours. All the mobile blood collection vehicles and stations carry out regular disinfection. The center also provides a 24-hour hotline for blood donation appointments. "After taking good personal protection measures, it is safe to donate blood during the epidemic," said Li. "As a medical worker, although I am unable to go to the front line to combat the disease, I can still help patients," added Li Rui. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: Delegation of Azerbaijan's State Committee on Work with Diaspora held a number of official meetings in Qatar within the framework of the visit to Arab countries. The meetings were widely covered in foreign media. Chairman of the State Committee Fuad Muradov met with Qatar's Minister of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs Yousuf bin Mohammed Al-Othman Fakhroo. The official Twitter account of the Ministry wrote about the issues of cooperation between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Qatar, the role of the heads of the states in the development of bilateral relations, as well as the meeting that discussed issues related to Azerbaijanis living in Qatar. (https://twitter.com/adlsaqa/status/1226807854537072640) During the meeting of the delegation with the Speaker of the Parliament of Qatar Ahmed Bin Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud, the sides discussed the development of relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and Qatar in various fields, the activities of legislative bodies and inter-parliamentary friendship groups of the two countries, relations of general interest. Qatar Parliament's website reports on the meeting attended by Rashid bin Hamad Al-Madadi, Chairman of the Qatar-Asian Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group and the Ambassador of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Qatar Rashad Ismailov either (https://www.shura.qa/ar-QA/Pages/MediaCenter/News/10022020-1). The meeting of the State Committee delegation with the Speaker of Parliament was also covered by several news agencies of Qatar. (http://m.oananews.org/news.php?id=556698,https://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/article/11/02/2020/Shura-Council-Speaker-meets-Azerbaijan-official) During the visit, the Chairman of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora also met with Qatar's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Soltan bin Saad Al-Murakhi. During the meeting, the sides exchanged views on the relations between Azerbaijan and Qatar, as well as perspectives of mutual cooperation. The meeting was covered by the Ministry's website and the Qatar Tribune news portal (https://mofa.gov.qa/en/all-mofa-news/details/2020/02/10/minister-of-state-for-foreign-affairs-meets-chairman-of-the-state-committee-on-affairs-with-diaspora-of-the-republic-of-azerbaijan), (http://www.qatar-tribune.com/news-details/id/182878/muraikhi-meets-azerbaijan-official). A Mount Laurel man was arrested last week and charged with four crimes for sharing child porn online, authorities said Monday Marco Pulcini, 56, was arrested Friday at his home in Mount Laurel, Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina said in a news statement. Local investigators took up the case after receiving information from U.S. Homeland Security Investigations about Pulcinis online activity - which included using file-sharing software that let others access child porn files on his computer. Authorities arrived at his home with a search warrant, and took several electronic devices, which will be examined by detectives from the prosecutors High-Tech Crimes Unit. Pulcini was released after a first appearance over the weekend in Superior Court of Burlington County in Mount Holly. The New Jersey State Police and Mount Laurel police also assisted in the investigation. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. 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. Tigard police are now issuing $265 tickets for red light running caught on camera at OR 99W and Hall Boulevard. Tigard has installed three new red light cameras at various intersection in the city. Two cameras are currently active. The camera at Southwest Hall Boulevard was the first installed. Another camera was activated late in January at OR 99W and Southwest 72nd Avenue near Fred Meyer. When cameras are installed, the city offers a 30-day warning period before tickets are sent to drivers. The 30-day period for the Hall camera ended Monday. Photo traffic enforcement cameras take high-resolution photos and videos of infractions that then are reviewed by police. Once a violation is confirmed, the ticket is mailed to the motorist. The ticket includes a photo and a link to the video. The fine amount is set by the State of Oregon. Tigard police note that the equipment at these intersections has the capability to monitor speeding violations. This option is being considered. For more details log onto www.tigard-or.gov/police *** WILSONVILLE 8 a.m.: Crash on I-5 northbound at the Wilsonville exit on the left shoulder. #pdxtraffic Crash with lots of vehicles involved I-5 NB in Wilsonville. On the left shoulder, but expect slowing just north of the Boone Bridge. pic.twitter.com/BCsnYqqp9w PDX Traffic Alerts (@TrafficPortland) February 11, 2020 *** NORTHWEST PORTLAND 7:48 a.m.: Injury crash reported on Northwest 24th Avenue and Raleigh Street. *** OUTER SOUTHEAST PORTLAND 7:37 a.m.: Crash on Southeast 115th Avenue north of Holgate Boulevard. *** ALOHA 7:23 a.m.: Crash on Southwest 185th Avenue and Blanton Street. *** PARKROSE 7:21 a.m.: Injury crash on Northeast 122nd Avenue and San Rafael Street. *** ORCHARDS 6:56 a.m.: Crash on Fourth Plain Boulevard at 117th Avenue. *** TRIMET MAX ORANGE AND YELLOW 6:51 a.m.: TriMet reports MAX Orange and Yellow lines are now disrupted due to the mechanical issue near PSU South/SW 6th & College St. Shuttle buses serving riders from Interstate/Rose Quarter to Clinton/SE 12th Ave. Riders should expect delays. Update 7:14 a.m.: TriMet reports MAX Orange and Yellow lines are resuming normal operation in downtown Portland following an earlier disruption. Expect delays of at least 30 minutes in both directions through 7:45 a.m. as service is restored. *** GREEN LINE MAX 6:40 a.m.: TriMet reports MAX Green line delays toward Clackamas eastbound out of downtown Portland due to a mechanical issue near PSU South/SW 6th & College St. Station. *** MARQUAM BRIDGE 6:34 a.m.: A crash on I-5 northbound just north of the bridge near the I-84 eastbound ramp is blocking a lane. Traffic is backed up to before the Macadam Avenue exit. *** Crews with Washington County Roads will close lanes on Cornelius Pass Road at its intersection with Germantown Road, 9 a.m.-3 p.m. through Thursday, Feb. 13. Drivers should expect delays. This is the first move in a larger project that will add safety features to the Germantown, Cornelius Pass and Old Cornelius Pass roads intersections. Eventually the county will place a traffic signal at the intersection. Map of the construction zone on Northwest Cornelius Pass and Germantown roads.Washington County Roads Cornelius Pass and Germantown roads meet at an unsignalized "T" intersection in northern Washington County. The county believes traffic volumes, speed and unusual intersection geometry contribute to crashes in this area. Construction is scheduled through late May. Read more about the project here. bit.ly/CPGintersection Check back throughout the morning for the latest commuting updates and follow us on Twitter: @trafficportland Googles browser will begin to be much safer in terms of insecure mixed content downloads starting with Chrome 82. Thats according to a recently reported blog post from the company that highlights exactly how and why the company is blocking those. For clarity, mixed content downloads is a term that refers to downloads that are loaded over an insecure HTTP connection. In particular, those occur when those downloads stem from a site that is itself loaded over a secure HTTPS connection. Starting from Chrome 82, Google will be blocking executable files from being downloaded in those circumstances. The change here actually falls in line with other recent changes Google has been making to security on the web. Namely, the company has been pushing to stop the abuse of cross-site cookie sharing. But its also begun to push web developers to utilize more secure HTTPS connections. That includes recent changes to Chrome 80 for Android wherein the browser automatically tries to use HTTPS even on sites that arent set up that way. Advertisement With this change in place, sites will also be forced to ensure that their download connections are at least as secure. That will also help prevent downloads from being hijacked or swapped out by bad actors, ensuring users are safer with their downloads overall. The timeline for full blocking of mixed content downloads in Chrome Now, full blocking of mixed content downloads wont be in place with Chrome 82. Instead, Google is giving developers apt time to implement changes needed to ensure their content is secure. That means that a console warning will be in place from version 81 but end users wont see a warning until Chrome 82. Those are slated for mid-March and late-April, respectively. User-side blocking wont start happening until Chrome 83, tentatively set for release in June. Initial blocking will only be put on executable files. Those are files that execute to run or install a program or app such as those with .exe or .apk file extensions. Advertisement Chrome 84, in August, will add in blocking of archive files such as .zip and .iso files. Chrome 85 is expected to land in September. That will add in another layer of blocking, specifically for non-safe types such as PDFs and other documents. Finally, from Chrome 86, Google will implement blocking on remaining file types. That will include audio, video, images, and text extensions. Version 86 of Chrome is expected to arrive around an October timeframe this year. What about Android and iOS? As noted above, Google is already pushing web developers to make sites that utilize HTTPS connections for Android gadgets. The same holds true for Apples iOS devices. Thats not surprising because Android usually falls in line with desktop platforms in terms of Chrome features. But its going to be a bit slower in terms of blocking mixed content downloads for mobile. Advertisement The search giant will be delaying the implementation of first warnings about and then blocking the downloads for Android and iOS. For those platforms, the process will be a full version number behind. So warnings on mobile devices will start in Chrome 83 and then step forward with each successive version number in a similar to the timeline outlined above. A soldier of the Colombian National Army stands guard during an operation to eradicate coca plants at a plantation in Taraza, Antioquia province, Colombia Sept. 10, 2019. (Luis Jaime Acosta/Reuters) Colombia Aims to Eradicate More Than 321,000 Acres of Coca in 2020 BOGOTA, ColombiaColombia hopes this year to eradicate 130,000 hectares (321,237 acres) of coca, the base ingredient in cocaine, Defense Minister Carlos Holmes Trujillo said Feb. 10. A wide variety of methods will be made available to remove the coca plants, the minister said, including the possible re-introduction of aerial spraying of the herbicide glyphosate. The country has come under constant pressure from the United States, the principal destination for cocaine, to reduce coca cultivation within its borders since the end of 2017, when the area taken up by coca plantations hit 209,000 hectares (516,450 acres). The coca crop in 2017 had the capacity to produce 921 tonnes of cocaine, according to the U.S. government. Regarding the eradication target, we set a goal of 130,000 hectares, taking into account all the available tools, Trujillo told journalists. The goal for coca eradication in 2020 is 30 percent higher than the previous year, when the Andean country managed to destroy a little more than 100,000 hectares of coca using manual removal techniques. Colombia suspended aerial fumigation of glyphosate in 2015 after the World Health Organization said the herbicide was harmful to the environment and health, potentially causing cancer. President Ivan Duques government is working to meet various health and environmental requirements demanded by the Constitutional Court so it can restart aerial fumigation, possibly in the first half of this year. Drug trafficking has long-fed Colombias internal armed conflicts. The National Liberation Army (ELN) Leftist rebel group, dissidents from the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillaswho demobilized under a 2016 peace dealand criminal groups all make money from the trade, according to security sources. After years largely out of the public eye, former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick is enjoying his time back on the campaign trail. Its been amazing, he told MassLive Tuesday. On Tuesday, he visited over 30 locations in New Hampshire on primary day, starting at 5:30 a.m. Were about two-thirds of the way through and taking a little break, said Patrick in the late afternoon. 88 New Hampshire Primary 2020 Patrick currently stands at 1% of the national polling average but argues for voters to not count him out. Even after entering the already crowded 2020 Democratic presidential race late and continuing to poll low nationwide, he was able to financially outraise his competitors in Massachusetts in the final quarter of 2019. Patrick will be heading to South Carolina on Wednesday and then to Nevada at the end of the week. Ive been in South Carolina as I have been here, more than any of the candidates, said Patrick, of New Hampshire. These two states are very important to our strategy and the campaign. Related Content: Artificial atoms create stable qubits for quantum computing Quantum engineers from UNSW Sydney have created artificial atoms in silicon chips that offer improved stability for quantum computing. In a paper published today in Nature Communications, UNSW quantum computing researchers describe how they created artificial atoms in a silicon 'quantum dot', a tiny space in a quantum circuit where electrons are used as qubits (or quantum bits), the basic units of quantum information. Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak explains that unlike a real atom, an artificial atom has no nucleus, but it still has shells of electrons whizzing around the centre of the device, rather than around the atom's nucleus. "The idea of creating artificial atoms using electrons is not new, in fact it was first proposed theoretically in the 1930s and then experimentally demonstrated in the 1990s - although not in silicon. We first made a rudimentary version of it in silicon back in 2013," says Professor Dzurak, who is an ARC Laureate Fellow and is also director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility at UNSW, where the quantum dot device was manufactured. "But what really excites us about our latest research is that artificial atoms with a higher number of electrons turn out to be much more robust qubits than previously thought possible, meaning they can be reliably used for calculations in quantum computers. This is significant because qubits based on just one electron can be very unreliable." Chemistry 101 Professor Dzurak likens the different types of artificial atoms his team has created to a kind of periodic table for quantum bits, which he says is apt given that 2019 - when this ground-breaking work was carried out - was the International Year of the Periodic Table. "If you think back to your high school science class, you may remember a dusty chart hanging on the wall that listed all the known elements in the order of how many electrons they had, starting with Hydrogen with one electron, Helium with two, Lithium with three and so on. "You may even remember that as each atom gets heavier, with more and more electrons, they organise into different levels of orbit, known as 'shells'. "It turns out that when we create artificial atoms in our quantum circuits, they also have well organised and predictable shells of electrons, just like natural atoms in the periodic table do." Connect the dots Professor Dzurak and his team from UNSW's School of Electrical Engineering - including PhD student Ross Leon who is also lead author in the research, and Dr Andre Saraiva - configured a quantum device in silicon to test the stability of electrons in artificial atoms. They applied a voltage to the silicon via a metal surface 'gate' electrode to attract spare electrons from the silicon to form the quantum dot, an infinitesimally small space of only around 10 nanometres in diameter. "As we slowly increased the voltage, we would draw in new electrons, one after another, to form an artificial atom in our quantum dot," says Dr Saraiva, who led the theoretical analysis of the results. "In a real atom, you have a positive charge in the middle, being the nucleus, and then the negatively charged electrons are held around it in three dimensional orbits. In our case, rather than the positive nucleus, the positive charge comes from the gate electrode which is separated from the silicon by an insulating barrier of silicon oxide, and then the electrons are suspended underneath it, each orbiting around the centre of the quantum dot. But rather than forming a sphere, they are arranged flat, in a disc." Mr Leon, who ran the experiments, says the researchers were interested in what happened when an extra electron began to populate a new outer shell. In the periodic table, the elements with just one electron in their outer shells include Hydrogen and the metals Lithium, Sodium and Potassium. "When we create the equivalent of Hydrogen, Lithium and Sodium in the quantum dot, we are basically able to use that lone electron on the outer shell as a qubit," Ross says. "Up until now, imperfections in silicon devices at the atomic level have disrupted the way qubits behave, leading to unreliable operation and errors. But it seems that the extra electrons in the inner shells act like a 'primer' on the imperfect surface of the quantum dot, smoothing things out and giving stability to the electron in the outer shell." Watch the spin Achieving stability and control of electrons is a crucial step towards silicon-based quantum computers becoming a reality. Where a classical computer uses 'bits' of information represented by either a 0 or a 1, the qubits in a quantum computer can store values of 0 and 1 simultaneously. This enables a quantum computer to carry out calculations in parallel, rather than one after another as a conventional computer would. The data processing power of a quantum computer then increases exponentially with the number of qubits it has available. It is the spin of an electron that we use to encode the value of the qubit, explains Professor Dzurak. "Spin is a quantum mechanical property. An electron acts like a tiny magnet and depending on which way it spins its north pole can either point up or down, corresponding to a 1 or a 0. "When the electrons in either a real atom, or our artificial atoms, form a complete shell, they align their poles in opposite directions so that the total spin of the system is zero, making them useless as a qubit. But when we add one more electron to start a new shell, this extra electron has a spin that we can now use as a qubit again. "Our new work shows that we can control the spin of electrons in the outer shells of these artificial atoms to give us reliable and stable qubits. "This is really important because it means we can now work with much less fragile qubits. One electron is a very fragile thing. However an artificial atom with 5 electrons, or 13 electrons, is much more robust." The silicon advantage Professor Dzurak's group was the first in the world to demonstrate quantum logic between two qubits in silicon devices in 2015, and has also published a design for a full-scale quantum computer chip architecture based on CMOS technology, which is the same technology used to manufacture all modern-day computer chips. "By using silicon CMOS technology we can significantly reduce the development time of quantum computers with the millions of qubits that will be needed to solve problems of global significance, such as the design of new medicines, or new chemical catalysts to reduce energy consumption", says Professor Dzurak. In a continuation of this latest breakthrough, the group will explore how the rules of chemical bonding apply to these new artificial atoms, to create 'artificial molecules'. These will be used to create improved multi-qubit logic gates needed for the realisation of a large-scale silicon quantum computer. ### Research collaborators and funding Other authors on the paper include Drs. Henry Yang, Jason Hwang, Tuomo Tanttu, Wister Huang, Kok-Wai Chan and Fay Hudson, all from Professor Dzurak's group, as well as long-time collaborators Dr Arne Laucht and Professor Andrea Morello from UNSW. Dr Kuan-Yen from Aalto University in Finland assisted the team, while Professor Kohei Itoh from Keio University in Japan provided enriched silicon-28 wafers from which the devices were made. The qubit devices incorporated nano-scale magnets to help enable qubit operation, and these were designed with support from a team led by Professor Michel Pioro-Ladriere at Universite de Sherbrooke in Canada, including his PhD student Julien Camirand Lemyre. The project was funded with support from the Australian Research Council, the US Army Research Office, Silicon Quantum Computing Proprietary Limited, and the Australian National Fabrication Facility, with Drs Saraiva and Yang acknowledging support from Silicon Quantum Computing. The Canadian team received support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the National Science Engineering Research Council of Canada. This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Four lawyers who prosecuted political operative Roger Stone have resigned in protest after their sentencing recommendation was overruled and slashed by Donald Trumps justice department. Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed and Michael Marando quit the case while Democrats demanded an independent investigation into what they described as a dangerously politicised and corrupt justice department. The growing crisis raised fresh questions over the role of William Barr, the attorney general who has been criticised as a partisan Trump loyalist. Stone, 67, a self-described dirty trickster, was found guilty last November of seven crimes including obstruction of justice, lying to Congress and witness tampering. He was the sixth former Trump aide to be convicted in cases triggered by special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors had requested that Stone serve seven to nine years behind bars, arguing that his actions showed contempt for this Court and the rule of law. But just before 2am on Tuesday, Trump registered his disapproval in a tweet, claiming without evidence: The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! In an extraordinary move on Tuesday afternoon, a new court filing cut the proposed sentence recommendation and sought to rebut the prosecutors arguments, suggesting that seven to nine years would be too harsh. While it remains the position of the United States that a sentence of incarceration is warranted here, the government respectfully submits that the range of 87 to 108 months presented as the applicable advisory Guidelines range would not be appropriate or serve the interests of justice in this case, the filing said. Among the mitigating factors, it contended, are Stones advanced age, health, personal circumstances and lack of criminal history . The four prosecutors abruptly resigned from the case. Zelinsky and Kravis left from their positions as special assistant US attorney and assistant US attorney in DC respectively. Story continues The justice department is supposed to operate independently of the White House in criminal investigations and prosecutions, but Barr has proved a fierce defender of Trump. He claimed that Muellers investigation exonerated the president when the final report suggested otherwise. Speaking in the Oval Office, according to a pool report, Trump denied speaking to the justice department about the case but claimed that he would have the absolute right to do so. The president said of the prosecutors: They ought to be ashamed of themselves I think its been disgraceful. The president declined to say whether he might consider commuting Stones sentence. The attorney general, William Barr, has been criticised as a partisan Donald Trump loyalist. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPA Amid a growing outcry, senior Democrats protested against the decision. Chuck Schumer, the Senate minority leader, wrote to justice departments inspector general, Michael Horowitz, requesting an investigation into the reduced sentencing recommendation This situation has all the indicia of improper political interference in a criminal prosecution, Schumer wrote. I therefore request that you immediately investigate this matter to determine how and why the Stone sentencing recommendations were countermanded, which justice department officials made this decision, and which White House officials were involved. Adam Schiff, chair of the House intelligence committee and lead impeachment manager, said: I do not take a position on the proper prison term for Mr Stone, but it would be a blatant abuse of power if President Trump has in fact intervened to reverse the recommendations of career prosecutors at the Department of Justice. He added: Doing so would send an unmistakable message that President Trump will protect those who lie to Congress to cover up his own misconduct, and that the attorney general will join him in that effort. Coupled with the presidents blatant retaliation against those who helped expose his wrongdoing, the Trump administration poses the gravest threat to the rule of law in America in a generation. Others expressed concern about what they saw as an unprecedented act of political interference. Sharon McCarthy, a former Manhattan federal prosecutor now in private practice, told the Bloomberg news agency: The idea of our president interfering with the criminal justice system in such a way is extraordinary and frightening. If I were the prosecutor on that case I would submit my resignation. The final decision on Stones fate will rest with US district judge Amy Berman Jackson, who repeatedly took a harsh tone with Stone during the trial in Washington. She barred Stone from social media last July after he repeatedly flouted a gag order. Related: 'Can't even run a caucus': Trump tries to rattle Democrats on eve of New Hampshire Wow, another Stone prosecutor, Jonathan Kravis, resigns as an AUSA. No ambiguity here. https://t.co/yeoyJZ25gR pic.twitter.com/zNf7vFnZZV Andrew Prokop (@awprokop) February 11, 2020 A President who intervenes in the criminal justice system to help his allies, while punishing people like Lt. Col. Vindman for telling the truth, represents a real danger and the Committee will get to the bottom of this. 2/2 (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) February 11, 2020 Schumer calls for IG probe into DOJ overruling prosecutors to give Roger Stone lighter sentence. Nadler says his panel will get to the bottom of it. Schiff says Trump administration represents the gravest threat to rule of law in a generation. McConnell declines to comment Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 11, 2020 Trump regularly claims exoneration in the Russia investigation. In his special counsel report, Mueller did not establish a criminal conspiracy between Trump aides and Moscow but did outline extensive contacts between the campaign and Russian sources and numerous instances of possible obstruction of justice by the president or his aides. The election strategies of AAP and BJP were clear from the first day First: The "Centre" has shifted decisively to the Right; Second: Hindus are angry with any public support of Shaheen Bagh; Third: The Muslims of Delhi have radicalised and Fourth: The BJP's messaging was severely confused, talking muscular nationalism while displaying utter impotence in dealing with a "liberated zone" emerging in the capital of an ostensible nuclear power. Why do I say this? The election strategies of AAP and BJP were clear from the first day. The AAP completely dissociated from national issues and focussed on local tangibles like mohalla clinics and schools, where the party was strongest. The BJP, for its part, decided that it would sweep under the carpet its atrocious performance at the local council-level. Instead it focussed on "national issues". The problem was that even there, its electoral message was severely confused. On one hand it said, "Look at these awful people at Shaheen Bagh." On the other, given Delhi law and order is controlled by the BJP, it looked weak and unable/willing to dismantle a veritable "liberal zone" in the heart of the National Capital. After all, how do you appear "tough on security" when you demonstrate incompetence in the very heart of Delhi? On the other hand, the AAP played it smart. It recognised that it wasn't going to win an election based on esoteric issues like national versus anti-national. Consequently it focussed on governance and gave up its anarchist tag, refused to institutionally support the Shaheen Bagh protests and decided to do some Hindu appeasement by going to temples and reciting Hanuman Chalisa. In short, it completed its transition from a non-governmental organisation, to an actual functioning government. There is a huge subtext here: That opposing CAA/NRC/NPR and the abrogation off Article 370 is no longer acceptable to a vast majority of Delhi voters. As a simple example, the one party that virulently supported all these "anti-national" platforms, the Congress, was wiped out. However, even here one needs nuance. Two AAP leaders broke party lines Amanatullah Khan who represents Shaheen Bagh and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. The former seems to be winning his Muslim-majority constituency by a huge margin. The latter is riding a wafer-thin nail-biter in the Hindu-majority constituency of Patparganj. What do we make of this? First, that the Muslims of Shaheen Bagh, who have radicalised, have doubled down in support of an extremist, who it seems has some links with Sharjeel Imam. On the other hand, despite being an excellent administrator, Sisodia gets very mixed results because even his lukewarm support for Shaheen Bagh turned a large number of his voters against him. At the same time, we should not ignore that the BJP vote share went up by 10 percent, but of this, only three percent was from the AAP with the rest entirely from the Congress and others. What this shift means isn't very clear yet. All of this represents a resounding defeat for the BJP: For being weak in law and order, for allowing protesters too much room and mocking its own campaign platform. It is equally a validation for AAP, rewarding not just performance but also rewarding its refusal to go looney Left and adopt fashionable anti-Hindu positions. Make no mistake, while it does show that nationalism isn't a BJP monopoly, it also shows that the vast majority of Indians are fundamentally nationalist at their core and there are limits to what they will tolerate. The message is clear: To the BJP, the Delhi voters said, "Perform and make good on your tall claims of being tough on security"; to the AAP, they said stick to local issues and tone down your anarchism and Hinduphobia. The less said about what voters said to the Congress, the better. In 2008 D. Jordan was appointed CEO of First Horizon National Corporation (NYSE:FHN). This report will, first, examine the CEO compensation levels in comparison to CEO compensation at companies of similar size. Then we'll look at a snap shot of the business growth. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This process should give us an idea about how appropriately the CEO is paid. View our latest analysis for First Horizon National How Does D. Jordan's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, First Horizon National Corporation has a market capitalization of US$5.1b, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth US$4.3m over the year to December 2018. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at US$897k. We note that more than half of the total compensation is not the salary; and performance requirements may apply to this non-salary portion. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations from US$4.0b to US$12b, and the median CEO total compensation was US$6.4m. Most shareholders would consider it a positive that D. Jordan takes less total compensation than the CEOs of most similar size companies, leaving more for shareholders. However, before we heap on the praise, we should delve deeper to understand business performance. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at First Horizon National has changed from year to year. NYSE:FHN CEO Compensation, February 11th 2020 Is First Horizon National Corporation Growing? On average over the last three years, First Horizon National Corporation has grown earnings per share (EPS) by 21% each year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down 5.9%. Overall this is a positive result for shareholders, showing that the company has improved in recent years. While it would be good to see revenue growth, profits matter more in the end. You might want to check this free visual report on analyst forecasts for future earnings. Story continues Has First Horizon National Corporation Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 12% over three years, some First Horizon National Corporation shareholders would surely be feeling negative emotions. It therefore might be upsetting for shareholders if the CEO were paid generously. In Summary... First Horizon National Corporation is currently paying its CEO below what is normal for companies of its size. Many would consider this to indicate that the pay is modest since the business is growing. 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 D. Jordan receives, but it would be good to see improved returns to shareholders before the remuneration grows too much. In this case we may want to look deeper into the company. There are some real positives and we could see improved returns in the longer term. So you may want to check if insiders are buying First Horizon National shares with their own money (free access). 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. The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) was recently invited to become a member of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS). The central bank said the BIS membership will facilitate it and Vietnams banking network to access the highest principles and standards of the global financial system, thereby helping to accelerate the domestic financial-banking systems integration into the world and enhance the capacity and competitiveness of the system and the whole economy. As a BIS member, the SBV will directly engage in the formation of standards, principles, criteria and practices of the worlds financial, monetary and banking activities, creating chances to deal with specific issues of the economy and the domestic financial-banking system. This marks a new stride in the international integration process of the SBV as well as the whole banking system, the bank noted. On January 14, the BIS Board of Directors the highest decision-making body of the BIS invited the SBV and the central banks of Morocco and Kuwait to become members, raising the membership to 63. This is the BISs first such expansion since 2011. In its press release, the BIS said it is set to expand its central bank membership base and increase collaboration in its work as a forum for international cooperation as well as a hub for central banks and other financial authorities. The BIS, founded in 1930 and based in Basel city of Switzerland, is an international organisation of central banks, and it is even considered the central bank for central banks. It aims to promote cooperation among central banks and other agencies to ensure monetary and financial stability around the globe./.VNA Vietnam will not use exchange rate as a tool to boost trade: SBV The State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) has many times affirmed that Vietnam has no intention of devaluing the local currency to gain advantages in trade with its partners. ALEXANDRIA, Va., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In celebration of Safer Internet Day, National PTA and PTAs across the country are bringing communities together for a better internet by hosting over 160 events nationwide. The events are part of the PTA Connected initiative and are anticipated to reach as many as 10,000 families. "Safer Internet Day encourages parents, students and educators to come together to discuss trending digital issues and empowers them to use technology responsibly, respectfully, critically and creatively. PTA has been working for over five years to address the online safety issues that are on the minds of families and connect them to tools and support," said Leslie Boggs, president of National PTA. "Together with our PTA Connected sponsors, our association is proud to host events nationwide and share resources that help families navigate today's digital world." Through the events, families will receive information about digital well-being and technology use to help address hot topics, such as screen time, social media, location sharing and other digital decisions. Parents and kids will also work together through real-life scenarios of online behavior and have open conversations to ensure they are using technology productively and responsibly. Among the events that will be held across the country: National PTA will also be part of the official national convening for Safer Internet Day 2020, a family night event in Mountain View, Calif and a Be Internet Awesome event with Google in New York City with Connecticut PTA, New Jersey PTA and New York State PTA. "At PTA, we believe in a positive, hands-on approach to parenting in the digital age," said Nathan R. Monell, CAE, National PTA executive director. "We hope the events help families have productive, ongoing conversations about their digital lives and activities and help them have fun, learn, connect and grow together." National PTA launched its PTA Connected initiative in 2018 to formalize and build on its work in the digital space in response to the growing needs and interest of parents nationwide. PTA Connected is designed to educate and engage families in digital wellness, security, access, equity and literacy. To date, over $750,000 in funding has been awarded to PTAs to host PTA Connected events with over 500 PTA Connected events across the country, reaching over 25,000 families. NortonLifeLock is the presenting and founding sponsor of PTA Connected. Additional founding sponsors include Facebook, Google and AT&T. TikTok is a supporting sponsor of the initiative. "National PTA is grateful to NortonLifeLock, Facebook, Google, AT&T and TikTok for supporting our association's efforts and helping give families the tools to be successful online," added Boggs. For more information about PTA's celebration of Safer Internet Day and to find an event in your community, visit PTA.org/SaferInternetDay. About National PTA National PTA comprises millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools. PTA is a registered 501(c) (3) nonprofit association that prides itself on being a powerful voice for all children, a relevant resource for families and communities, and a strong advocate for public education. Membership in PTA is open to anyone who wants to be involved and make a difference for the education, health and welfare of children and youth. For more information, visit PTA.org. SOURCE National PTA Related Links http://www.pta.org In C.ALLA's showroom, located in via del Lavoro. 85, at Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna), the new autumn/winter collection is ready to be discovered and admired. In describing this season's collection Carlotta Checchi says that she was "fascinated and inspired by the contrast between the mischievous darkness of the forest at night and the purity of the satin." Carlotta named her company after a beautiful flower, full of symbolism. "This name embodies and reflects various concepts - she explains: class, grace, and sinuousness." The new collection is elegant and stylish. Without losing sight of sensuality and eroticism, C.ALLA's shapes and designs are modelled on and perfectly fitted to the female body. The atelier not only produces panties, bras, nightwear, corsetry, tailor-made bridal underwear, but also men's underwear. The fabrics used by C.ALLA include satin, lace and chiffon, muslin, tulle, organza, and the dermatologically and toxicologically-tested silver thread which promotes hygiene with its antiseptic properties. The atelier offers three lines: The Basic line, characterized by essential elegance, the Luxury line, designed in the name of preciousness, and the Silver line, which is characterized by the innovative use of silver fiber. C.ALLA's Lingerie is produced in Italy, and precisely in Emilia-Romagna. "I choose 'Made in Italy' as this is crucial to the ethos of my brand - the entrepreneur emphasizes as I believe it is essential to support and boost Italian creativity and our country's great tradition." Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088395/Calla_Lingerie.jpg Contact: Alberto Rochira, Press Office, +39 335 7040604, [email protected] SOURCE C.alla srl BEATRICE Seeking to challenge the prosecutors theory that Joshua Keadle killed a 19-year-old Peru State student and dumped her body in the Missouri River, the defense Tuesday focused on another possibility to explain Tyler Thomas 2010 disappearance and presumed death: hypothermia. The Omaha woman's body never was found, which has made how she died one of the central issues at trial. For the first two weeks, Doug Warner of the Nebraska Attorney Generals Office, laid out the state's case, showing how Thomas' and Keadles paths came to cross early the morning of Dec. 3, 2010, and establishing Keadle's motive to see that she didnt return. By Keadles own account, Thomas had threatened to report him for rape after he backed out of a deal to drive her to Omaha that morning in exchange for a sex act. Keadle told investigators she was so angry she refused to let him give her a ride back to campus. So he left her there, alive, he says. This week, the defense worked to bolster its theory that something else happened to Thomas after that, whether she drunkenly fell in the river or jumped. VANCOUVERMajor railway shutdowns are being predicted around the country. There are sit-ins and street protests blocking major intersections in Toronto. Ports being tied up in Vancouver. How has an Indigenous groups decade-long fight become a national cri de coeur? First there is the cause: The Wetsuwetsen hereditary chiefs crusade against a proposed pipeline on their territory. But the second part of the answer lies with a national network of activists, who cut their teeth organizing Canadas largest climate marches. They have helped turned the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs message into a firestorm that politicians suddenly cannot ignore. By Tuesday, protest groups across Canada had blocked rail lines at six locations from British Columbia to Nova Scotia, forced a meeting with Carolyn Bennett, Canadas Minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, by occupying her office for 24 hours, and attempted to block B.C.s legislators from entering their Parliament building on the day of the speech from the throne. The stream of protests are over Coastal GasLinks 670-kilometre natural gas pipeline from British Columbias northeast to Kitimat on the coast, which is opposed by hereditary chiefs of the Wetsuweten, one of the Indigenous groups with territory along the pipes planned route. The hereditary chiefs have said they will do everything they can to stop Coastal GasLink from building a gas pipeline through Wetsuweten territory, even if that means breaking a B.C. court injunction granted Dec. 31, 2019. Mounties have arrested 28 protesters in Wetsuweten territory in recent days, according to B.C. RCMP. But unlike last winter, when a similar temporary injunction was enforced by the RCMP, this was no longer just a local struggle. Climate activists from across the country galvanized by months of climate strikes and naming colonialism and capitalism as major villains in the plight of climate change have taken up the hereditary chiefs message as the embodiment of everything they believe is wrong with Canadas approach to the environment. Smogelgem, head chief of the Sun house of the Likhtsamisyu clan of the Wetsuweten, said its been a long time coming. This has already become a global movement to reclaim our planet, and reclaim it so it does not kill us, Smogelgem said Tuesday. Because it will. The Coastal GasLink pipeline will supply a $40-billion LNG Canada export facility in Kitimat. The company has signed agreements with all 20 elected First Nation councils along its path, but hereditary clan chiefs of the Wetsuweten nation, who are leaders under the traditional form of governance, say the project has no authority without their consent and are attempting to block its progress despite the injunction. Theyre not fighting alone. When the B.C. Supreme Court granted Coastal GasLink the injunction late last year, the nations climate activists were swiftly put on notice that the injunction may soon be enforced by the police, and were told to get ready to protest. The key link was a group called the Porcupine Warriors a collective of Indigenous youth based in Toronto who speak out about environmental issues. Some of their members were on scene at the blockades in Wetsuweten territory. Vanessa Gray, an Aamjiwnaang First Nation member based in Toronto was in touch with Wetsuweten members when the injunction was granted to the company. Its always a concern when police are arresting matriarchs, when the police are sending helicopters over the healing centre, when police use intimidation tactics on an unarmed, peaceful Indigenous people, Gray said Tuesday from Toronto. And so its a lot of collaboration with other Toronto groups ... to work with non-Indigeous allies to put these events together. Gray has connected with activists like Clement Cheng who organizes with Rising Tide and Climate Justice Toronto. These groups have used the contacts and strategies they gained during climate protests to organize protests supporting the hereditary chiefs in Torontos financial district, and at the local offices of Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland and Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations Carolyn Bennett. Cheng, who said he offered his perspective to the Star as a settler youth, said youth activism in Canada has evolved a lot in the last year to the point that young supporters are ready and eager to get out for the Wetsuweten chiefs. Since January 2019 when the first invasion happened, we saw the eruption of the youth global climate movement, Cheng said. When we really needed to be a coherent and powerful and unified voice... this all came together. That includes hubs of climate activist groups across the country, Cheng said, and a trove of young people trained in skills like phone banking and organizing demonstrations. And this new generation of climate activists see the issues of Indigenous rights and the environment as intertwined. If we want to effectively halt the climate crisis we need to stand up to colonial violence, he said. We show up for the climate by showing up for Indigenous struggles. Harsha Walia, an immigrant rights activist based in Vancouver, said the solidarity protests did not come suddenly, but were sparked by the recent arrests of pipeline protesters. They have spent the course of the last ten years building global alliances and networks of solidarity groups. Its not an instant spark, Walia told the Star. Walia said she first met Wetsuweten land defenders when some joined in on protests against the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics happening on stolen land. She visited Wetsuweten territory on various occasions to learn about their efforts to defend the ecosystem. In Toronto, more than 100 protesters blocked a rail line on Saturday, stopping at least 68 trains between Toronto and Montreal as well as Toronto and Ottawa. The blockade affected more than 14,000 customers, according to Via. Walia is now an unofficial co-ordinator, publicist and communications liaison for the dozens of solidarity actions, some of which are ongoing campaigns and some of which are individual protests, promoting them on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. She describes the growing movement as decentralized, but said Wetsuweten leaders have put together a detailed online supporter tool kit. The outrage the people feel at this moment about all levels of government, RCMP and Coastal GasLink as complicit in the violent forced removal of Indigenous people from their territory in an era of so-called reconciliation. The hypocrisy is stark and this is angering people who are protesting, Walia said. In Toronto, more than 100 protesters blocked a rail line on Saturday, stopping at least 68 trains between Toronto and Montreal as well as Toronto and Ottawa. The blockade affected more than 14,000 customers, according to Via. In Regina on Saturday, a driver plowed through a group of protesters who had formed a blockade on the Albert Street Bridge. Meanwhile other supporters of the northern B.C. Indigenous group staged a protest at the provinces legislature ahead of the throne speech. The premier cancelled his post throne speech news conference due to the protests, and footage from the scene showed protesters barring several politicians and journalists from entering the legislature. Since Thursday evening, when demonstrators set up blockades in British Columbia and Ontario, CN says more than 150 freight trains have been halted. The ongoing blockades sit near Belleville, Ont., and near New Hazleton in northwestern B.C. Via Rail says 157 passenger trains have also been cancelled, affecting 24,500 travellers on routes between Montreal and Toronto and Ottawa and Toronto. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau says he is working with the railways and his Ontario counterpart Caroline Mulroney to find a solution, and that blockage of tracks is dangerous and illegal. But for activists like Gray in Toronto, the stakes are high. Her First Nation community is in a part of Ontario known as chemical valley due to the proximity of polluting industrial projects. I believe that the violence that we are seeing today of the removal of Indigenous people from their own lands for a Canadian court enforced injunction is the same thing that happened to my own territory, Gray said. (The Wetsuweten) still have clean water. They have a healing water. Correction Feb. 12, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version that misstated the name of Coastal GasLink in one reference. As well, the previous version misspelled Clement Chengs surname. With files from Wanyee Li and Jacob Lorinc Joanna Chiu is a Vancouver-based reporter covering both Canada-China relations and current affairs on the West Coast for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @joannachiu Read more about: Tens of thousands of Iranians poured onto the streets of Tehran on Tuesday (February 11) morning to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, against a backdrop of escalating tensions with the United States. Many directing their anger towards U.S. President Donald Trump. Relations remain particularly strained between the countries after a U.S. drone strike killed top Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad in January. Iran quickly retaliated with a missile attack against a U.S. base in Iraq days later. Speaking to the crowd gathered by Tehran's Azadi Tower, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said the U.S.' agenda for his country was to reverse Iran's 41 years as an Islamic republic. Rouhani also said Trump's administration lied about the reasons it targeted Soleimani. The Japanese government has conferred one of its highest national honours, the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star on the former Minister of Budget and National Planning, Udoma Udoma. The honour is one of the highest orders under the Order of the Rising Sun established in 1875 by Emperor Meiji. It was the first national decoration awarded by the Government of Japan. An imperial decoration conferment ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, February 12, in Abuja, a statement by the former ministers media consultant, Akpandem James, said on Tuesday. Senator Udoma Udo Udoma received The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, one of the highest orders awarded in the name of His Majesty, the Emperor of Japan, in recognition of his contributions towards strengthening bilateral relations and promoting friendship between Japan and Nigeria, Mr Akpandem said. Mr Udoma, a lawyer and former senator, served as a minister between 2015 and 2019. Mr Udoma became the first Nigerian to receive the Order of the Rising Sun award from the Government of Japan. The badge features rays of sunlight from the rising sun. The order is awarded in the name of His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and is awarded to those who have made distinguished achievements in international relations, promotion of Japanese culture, advancements in their field, development in welfare or preservation of the environment. The Order of the Rising Sun comprises Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun; The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star; The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Neck Ribbon; The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette; The Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays; and The Order of the Rising Sun, Silver Rays. New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers on Tuesday (February 11) started celebrations at its Delhi office ahead of the announcement of final results for the 70-member Assembly seats as the incumbent party is all set to sweep the Assembly election 2020 in the national capital. Wearing caps and holding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's posters, the AAP supporters have congregated at the party headquarters to mark the victory celebrations. The party is set to win 50+ seats, BJP 13 +, while the Congress is yet to open an account in the national capital's Assembly polls. List of AAP, BJP, Congress candidates leading and trailing Here's how BJP, Congress, AAP leaders reacted on results Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has maintained a solid lead of 8000 votes in his New Delhi constituency against his rival candidate Sunil Yadav since early trends started coming in. The New Delhi constituency has a history of being represented by a Chief Minister. AAP workers in Mumbai's Andheri also celebrate the party's performance in the Delhi Assembly election 2020. Punjab unit workers of the AAP in Amritsar are also celebrating as trends indicate a lead for the party. Election Commission's official trends also indicated that Aam Aadmi Party is leading on 52 seats and Bharatiya Janata Party is leading on 18 seats. On the contrary, Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari said, "Trends indicate that there is a gap between AAP-BJP, there is still time. We are hopeful. Whatever the outcome, being the State Chief I am responsible." Notably, the AAP is contesting on all 70 seats, while the BJP has fielded its candidates on 67 seats and left three seats for its allies -- two for JD-U and one for LJP. Congress fielded its candidates on 66 seats and gave four seats to its ally RJD. A 35-year-old man was booked for allegedly giving triple talaq to his wife over phone in Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh, police said on Tuesday. An offence was registered against Mohammed Ramzan under Muslim Women (Protection of Rights on Marriage) Act, 2019, which bans instant triple talaq, Bhalumada police station in-charge Ramnath Armo said. According to complainant Afsana Bi (30), her husband said talaq (divorce) thrice to her over phone at around 5 pm on Sunday. Afsana Bi had married Ramzan, a resident of Kholi village under Chachai police station of Anuppur district, in April 2012 and the couple has a five-year-old daughter. The complainant said her husband had started ill- treating her soon after their marriage and threw her out of his home three years ago, following which she has been staying with her mother and brother. The woman filed a complaint with the police on Monday and the probe is underway, Armo said. Under the law that came into force last year, triple talaq can attract a prison sentence of upto three years and a fine. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Videos Sorry, there are no recent results for popular videos. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday exonerated its former special director Rakesh Asthana and deputy superintendent of police Devender Kumar in the 2018 bribery case registered by then agency chief Alok Verma, two CBI officers said. The agency has concluded there was no evidence whatsoever to suggest that Asthana had ever demanded or been paid any bribe to save Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana, the complainant in the case, in its probe against controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Asthana was booked on allegations of criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act on October 15, 2018. A day later, Dubai resident Manoj Prasad, who was in Delhi, was arrested. DSP Devender Kumar was taken into custody a week later. The CBI apprised a Delhi court of the exoneration of Asthana while filing a charge sheet against Manoj Prasad, who was arrested a day after the high-profile case was lodged. It has kept an investigation on his brother Somesh Prasad, based in Dubai, pending because a letter rogatory (LR) a judicial request for information sent to the authorities there is awaiting a response. We didnt find any evidence against any public servant. In fact, examination of call details record (CDR) including WhatsApp calls and chats of Manoj and Somesh Prasad over a period of time didnt reveal any connection with any CBI officer, said one of the officers cited in the first instance. Subsequently, there was no recovery of bribe money or any calls to link Asthana with Manoj Prasad and his brother Somesh Prasad the private persons named in the FIR, the officer added. The FIR, which brought into the open a feud between Verma and Asthana, named senior IPS officer Samant Goel (currently the Research and Analysis Wing chief) as well in the FIR. The clean chit to all public servants in the case means Goel is exonerated as well. Interestingly, Verma is currently under the CBIs scanner in at least three enquiries pertaining to influencing probes while he was heading the premier investigating agency and attempts to induct tainted officials into it. The ministry of home affairs is also conducting a departmental enquiry against him. Sana was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate, the anti-money laundering agency, in July last year. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), during an enquiry in 2018, had said that Sana was repeatedly changing his statement and should be treated as a suspect. Asthana, currently the head of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), has maintained throughout that the FIR against him was planned by Verma after he exposed the CBI directors corrupt activities before the cabinet secretary in August same year. Asthana had informed the CVC and the government that Verma took ~2 crore from Sana. He refused to comment on the clean chit given to him on Tuesday. Many in the agency termed it an effort by Verma to thwart Asthana from becoming the CBI chief by framing him in a false corruption case. The government had to send both on forced leave at that time while the CVC conducted an enquiry into the allegations against Verma. CVC indicted Verma for suspected corruption, interfering in probes and attempts to induct tainted officers following which the PM-led selection committee removed him on January 10 last year. He was given the post of director general of fire services and home guards but he chose to resign. Verma didnt respond to the text message sent by HT. Sharing details of the investigation, the second officer cited above said that according to the procedure, the case was examined at eight levels in the CBI up to director Rishi Kumar Shukla and a majority of officers including the legal team opined in favour of closing the investigations against Asthana and Devender Kumar. Several CBI officers and the legal team had earlier expressed the opinion that the FIR was too weak and wont stand judicial scrutiny as the allegations were flimsy and cited the fact that no bribe money had been recovered. The FIR stated that Manoj Prasad told Sana about his good connections in CBI and that his brother Somesh would help him get out of the Moin Qureshi case, being investigated by a special investigation team (SIT) led by Asthana since 2017. Sana further claimed when he met Somesh Prasad in Dubai, he was told that Asthana will surely do the work as he (Somesh Prasad) had managed the officers investments in Dubai and London for the past many years. The businessman added he saw Asthanas photo on Someshs WhatsApp account and paid the first instalment of ~1 crore to Manoj Prasad in Dubai, and later ~1.95 crore to Manojs contact Sunil Mittal on December 12, 2017, in the Press Club of Indias parking area on Delhis Raisina Road. Sana also alleged that he paid ~25 lakh on October 10, 2018, and 25,000 dirhams (around ~500,000) and 30,000 dirhams (around ~600,000) to Manoj Prasad in Dubai around the same time. While he was in Dubai in December 2017, he claims, Somesh Prasad also made him listen to conversations of two CBI officers on the phone, and one of the voices was that of Asthana. Sanas lawyer didnt respond to HTs calls. ANTWERP, Belgium, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PAC-Man, the video arcade game which took the world by storm in the '80s, turns 40 this year. There are few images as iconic as PAC-Man, developed by Toru Iwatani for the Japanese developer Namco, which sits proudly at the heart of gaming's evolution - so influential it was to gaming culture and gamers alike. As part of PAC-Man's 40th Anniversary, Kipling, the Belgian luggage brand, has revealed a limited edition on-the-move luggage collection, that's sure to be gobbled up by fans of the yellow dot chomping legend. Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Monday directed all the school managements in the state not to prevent any student from appearing in Class 10 and 12 board examinations due to non-payment of fees, an official release issued here said. His directive came after several such incidents, where students defaulting on payment of fees were not allowed to sit for the exams, were reported from across the state in the past. Chairing a meeting of the Education and Literacy department, Soren asked the officials to ensure that such incidents are not repeated during the upcoming board examinations, it said. The chief minister said the rule applies to all public, private and Coal India Limited-run schools, the release added. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Retail mogul Yusaku Maezawa has launched another competition, offering to invest a total of 10 billion Japanese yen ($91 million) in the businesses of 10 entrepreneurs. The Japanese billionaire announced on Twitter on Friday that he would look to expand the businesses he picked, with the aim of them listing on a stock exchange, according to a translation. He shared a link to a website outlining the terms of the competition, which explained that entrepreneurs had to email their business proposals to enter, including details as to how they would spend the funds among other information. It also specified that entrants were required to pay 100,000 ($910) Japanese yen to enter, as a "screening fee," to be transferred within three days of submitting their proposal. Maezawa and his management staff would then send questionnaires to applicants who pass the screening stage, followed by initial and final interviews. Any proposals which don't pass the screening stage would be notified of the result with written comment from Maezawa, the website stated. It also said that Maezawa would look to own around 20% of the business through his investments. Entrants had until just before midnight Tokyo time on February 16 to apply for the competition. Tweet 1 In separate tweets, Maezawa explained that the 1 billion Japanese yen was just a guide of investment per business and that the "Maezawa fund" could allocate as much as 3 billion yen to each company. Maezawa also said he could be flexible with the size of his stake in the business, ranging from 10% to close to 50%. The billionaire said entrants' businesses could have already received investment from venture capital firms and other companies. At the same time, Maezawa said applicants could also use the opportunity to start a new business, "launch a student venture or increase the size of the company you have taken over from your parents." He explained to potential entrants that they would not have to return the funds if they made a mistake, adding that "failure to start a business is a big plus of a life experience, and if you succeed, that's fine." Tweet 2 This is not Maezawa's first attempt to make his Twitter followers happier, as the businessman gave away 1 billion Japanese yen at the beginning of the year as part of a social experiment. Maezawa also attracted attention after canceling his public search for a "life partner" to accompany him on his trip around the moon on Elon Musk's SpaceX Starship rocket. The billionaire started out selling records from his home but went on to found Japan's largest fashion retail website, Zozotown, in 1998. Clarification: This story has been updated to reflect a change in the amount that entrants are required to pay as a screening fee. The engineers behind Google's short-lived Bookbot a robot created within the company's Area 120 incubator for experimental products have launched their own startup to bring the sidewalk delivery bot back to life. The secretive startup called Cartken was formed in fall 2019 after Google shuttered an internal program to develop a delivery robot a move that was prompted by the tech giant's decision to scale back efforts to compete with Amazon in shopping. Amazon acquired robot maker Dispatch to help build its Scout delivery device. Google harnessed the talent of its own engineers and logistics experts to develop a sidewalk robot within the walls of Google's Area 120 incubator. But the project faltered after just a few months, as Google pulled back from retail delivery. Cartken was founded by engineers of the Bookbot program as well as a logistics expert who was once in charge of operations at Google Express, the service integrated last year into Google Shopping. Area 120 is a low-key version of Google's famous X moonshot factory, a place where small teams rapidly build new products in which they have a personal interest. Since 2016, Area 120 has produced around a dozen apps and services, including a crowdsourced transit app, an educational video platform, a virtual customer service agent for small businesses and an emoji-based guessing game. Bookbot stood out as Area 120's first publicly announced hardware project. The Google project incubator formed a group in early 2018 to explore autonomous robots. Around the same time, the city of Mountain View decided to allow pilot programs for personal delivery devices (PDDs). Discussions between Area 120 and Mountain View began in the summer of 2018, and by late February 2019, the Bookbot began operating one day a week for the city's library system. Apart from its book-collecting duties, the electric six-wheeled device worked in a similar way to the delivery robots made by Amazon, Starship Technologies and Marble. The 32-inch tall Bookbot, which is pictured below, was equipped with a suite of sensors for autonomous operation and could be remote-controlled by a human operator if needed. The robot was designed to carry up to 50 pounds of cargo, and traveled on sidewalks at a maximum speed of 4.5 miles per hour. Story continues Bookbot image from website The Google Bookbot (photo from Google) Users could request a pick-up of books via the library's website. The Bookbot would then navigate to their home and text them when it had arrived. Once the user had deposited the books in the cargo compartment, the robot would return to the library, where workers would check in the materials. Google team leader Christian Bersch told SilconValley.com at the time that the pilot project would last nine months. "Right now, we just want to learn how this would work, how it operates and what kinds of problems we'd run into," he said. On its first run on city sidewalks, "people thought it was super cool, and were breaking out their cameras," Tracy Gray, Mountain View's Library Services Director told TechCrunch. "There were no accidents, no technical issues and no vandalism." The biggest problem wasn't interest or operations. It was Google. The Bookbot fell far short of its nine-month pilot. The project quietly ended in June, after less than four months. The Bookbot was actually operational in Mountain View for only 12 days, not including two days missed for rain. It covered a total of 60 miles, and served just 36 users, Gray said. Gray does not know why Area 120 canceled the Bookbot. "It was definitely a benefit for library customers and a great project all around, but I believe Google's Area 120 went in another direction," she said. Area 120 has never explained why it canceled Bookbot. Google didn't comment for this article. However, Bookbot's demise coincided with a strategic shift within Google. In May, just a month before Bookbot ended, Google merged its online shopping service Google Express into Google Shopping, essentially conceding that it could not compete with the retail giants of Amazon and Walmart. As its retail efforts faded, Google spun out its Project Wing drone delivery technology and suspended the Bookbot's development. That wasn't the end of the little robot. Bersch left Google in July, along with Jake Stelman, the co-founder of Area 120's autonomous robotics group, according to LinkedIn profile data. In October, the engineers incorporated Cartken Inc., along with Ryan Quinlan, an operations manager who had worked at both Amazon and Google Express, and another software engineer from the Bookbot team. Cartken is still very much in stealth mode, and declined to comment on this story, as did Google. However, a Korean trade delegation to Silicon Valley in October was told the company had "developed a delivery robot that combines unmanned autonomous vehicles and artificial intelligence." Cartken's website says that it will offer "low-cost delivery through automation," with an earlier version specifying "low-cost last-mile delivery." A semi-obscured product image appears to show a matte black variant of the Bookbot with wheels, lid and head- and tail lights. Neither Google nor Cartken would say whether the startup uses any technologies developed at Area 120, nor whether Google was funding the young company. Google has a tradition of spawning autonomous vehicle companies. The head of its self-driving car project, Chris Urmson, went on to form Aurora, now valued at more than $2.5 billion, while two other Google engineers formed Nuro, which unveiled a road-legal delivery robot last week. But the process of driving away from Google hasn't always gone as smoothly. In 2016, a group of engineers led by Anthony Levandowski left Google's self-driving car program to form their own autonomous logistics company, Otto, that was quickly acquired by Uber. That led to an epic trade secrets battle that Levandowski is still fighting. Dr Lawrence, referring to the messy entanglement of the Government and private enterprise in what has become known as WA Inc, said she would set new standards, new priorities and a "new direction" for government. PERTH: Western Australia's new Premier, Dr Carmen Lawrence, promised yesterday to end the Government's involvement with big business. First published in The Sydney Morning Herald on February 13, 1990 "I will be ensuring a different approach to the Government's relations with business, in which our role will be to create and maintain the economic environment in which business can prosper," she said. Dr Lawrence was elected unopposed to replace Mr Peter Dowding, who resigned at the start of yesterday's two-hour State Labor Caucus meeting. She is Australia's first woman Premier. The Minister for Police, Mr Ian Taylor, was elected unopposed as Deputy Premier. The Minister for Economic Development and Trade, Mr Julian Grill, also resigned from Cabinet. The former Deputy Premier, Mr David Parker, retained a lesser job in the ministry, although many Caucus members thought he too should go to the back bench. PHOENIX A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that a 2016 Arizona law barring anyone but a family member or caregiver from returning another persons early ballot will remain in effect while the state appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court. The order from the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals means the law banning so-called ballot harvesting will remain in force through the March 17 presidential preference election. Only Democrats are voting in that election after the Republican Party chose to forego a primary. The appeals court last month found the law and and a separate practice of throwing out ballots if a voter went to the wrong precinct have discriminatory effects on minority voters. The ruling also said the ballot harvesting ban was enacted with discriminatory intent. State Attorney General Mark Brnovich plans to ask the high court to overturn the decision. The Supreme Court in 2016 refused to block the ballot harvesting law, overturning the 9th Circuit. The case has since had a trial where a judge ruled the law was legal, and a three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit also found the law was properly enacted. The ruling Tuesday by the 9th Circuit came in response to a lawsuit by the Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, and state Democratic Party. The ballot harvesting law made it a felony to return someone elses ballot to election officials in most cases. Republicans pushed the legislation through the Legislature over objections of Democrats, arguing that so-called ballot harvesting can lead to election fraud. Republican Gov. Doug Ducey signed it, saying it would ensure a chain of custody between the voter and the ballot box. The stay issued Tuesday by the appeals court will stay in place at least 90 days. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 12:41:55|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close JINAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- As people are suggested to stay at home amid the novel coronavirus epidemic in China, the "homebody economy" is reaching a wider population across the country. You Xiaoling taught the first online class in her 22-year career as a teacher. Zhang Weijia set a morning alarm for online grocery shopping on his phone. Zhang Tao began seeing doctors online. The homebody economy often refers to booming on-demand streaming services, online shopping, food delivery, online education, working from home and gaming apps that can satisfy people's demand in the comfort of their own homes. "I didn't know it's so convenient buying groceries on apps," said Zhang Weijia, who is from Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province. Like many, Zhang broke his habit of shopping in the local markets, and opted for fresh food delivery apps to avoid going out. Due to such popularity, many apps have experienced pressure on supplies and manpower and started capping daily orders. So Zhang gets up early in the morning to place orders. JD Fresh, the fresh food arm of Chinese e-commerce giant JD, saw orders rising 215 percent year on year in the first nine days of the Chinese Lunar New Year, company data showed. Another fresh food delivery app Missfresh has seen its orders surge by 300 percent year on year during the epidemic outbreak, according to Wang Jun, CFO of the company. "Our industry is often restrained by people's traditional consumption habits," Wang said. "With more people getting their hands on these services now, we expect the market to continue expanding and new business opportunities to emerge." Other industries such as online teaching are also seeing users surge as schools across China are required to delay the opening of the spring semester. "Online broadcasting is the 'trendiest' way of teaching I've ever seen in my career," teased You Xiaoling, who teaches at a high school in east China's Fujian Province. You and many of her colleagues are new to online broadcasting, despite it being popular among their teenage students for several years. "I ask my students to type '111' on the bullet screen if they understand me," You said. The bullet screen shows viewers' real-time comments and messages, a method popular on Chinese streaming sites. Some teachers ask students for likes during the broadcast just as many online celebrities do, You said. Over 20 online education agencies have rolled out free courses for students since the epidemic outbreak. Xueersi, one of the agencies, said student numbers surged on Feb. 1 when it launched free courses online, with an average of over 2 million viewers at each class. Like teachers, many doctors have also forayed into online businesses as medical resources are stretched amid the epidemic. On Feb. 8, China's National Health Commission issued a notice requiring health administrations at all levels to give full play to online medical consultations in the prevention and control of the epidemic. Dozens of hospitals in Shandong Province have opened online fever clinic services, along with several hospitals in east China's Zhejiang Province. China's online platforms including Alibaba and JD.com have also launched free consultation services, where thousands of professional doctors from all over the country are providing medical services. Alibaba's service homepage received nearly 400,000 visits within 24 hours after being launched on Jan. 24, and Zhang Tao, from Qingdao in Shandong Province, is one of the users. "Getting an initial diagnosis at home is very convenient," Zhang said. "I plan to use it in the future even if it costs some money." Former Taoiseach Brian Cowen is making "slow and steady progress" after suffering a "very bad stroke and a bleed to the brain" last July. His wife Mary and daughters, Sinead and Meadhbh, provided an update on his health at the Laois-Offaly election count in recent days. Mrs Cowen said on Midlands 103 radio that she "really couldn't say" when the former Taoiseach will be able to return home and that he has a "long road" ahead of him. She said he is more positive, though, and that he is making progress. Mr Cowen is continuing to receive treatment but is no longer in a full hospital setting following a bleed to the brain last July. Brian is now starting to see the progress himself, Mary said: "He's beginning to see progress now himself which is very encouraging for him, whereas we've seen progress before him because we've been with him from day-one when he was very seriously ill." He's very encouraged by what he's doing at the moment, he's very determined and hopes to walk again and get out and come home soon. She said that Mr Cowen "hadn't been feeling well for a few days" before collapsing and suffering a stroke. He was due to attend to the Beacon on July 4 for a routine procedure. However, that night, he "collapsed and he had a very bad stroke and a very bad bleed to the brain", Mrs Cowen said. He was transferred quickly to St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin where he was resuscitated and transferred to the ICU. He remained in Vincent's for five months. "He is now in rehab and that's what he is at at the moment," Mrs Cowen said. He is now working on his rehabilitation, undergoing various therapies and strengthening up in the gym with various exercises. Mary and her daughters attended the count centre in Portlaoise to watch Barry Cowen be returned to the Dail for the third time. It was the first time he was elected without his brother by his side. But, Mary said, Brian was keeping a close eye in the hospital: "He is watching with great interest: he would be here [at the count] if he was well enough. He still has great interest. He is in good spirits." Mary was joined by her daughters, Sinead and Meadhbh. Sinead told Midlands 103 that "it has been very difficult" for the whole family, while Meadhbh criticised the "uncalled for" negative comments that appeared on social media in the wake of her father's illness. "He is a person, at the end of the day, and he went through a really traumatic time," she said. Mrs Cowen said she ignored any negative comments made about her husband in the wake of his health scare and insisted that the overall response was a positive outpouring of well wishes. She thanked those who passed on messages of support to Brian, herself and their family. A Pakistani national has been apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) for illegally entering Gujarat's Kutch district after crossing the India- Pakistan border, an official said on Tuesday. The accused, Shoaib Ahmed (38), a resident of Shah Nawaz Bhutto Colony in Karachi town of Pakistan's Sindh province, appeared to be a drug addict, he said. Some Pakistani currency, an identity card and 150 grams of a "sniffing powder" were seized from his possession, the BSF said in a release. "The Pakistani national was apprehended when he tried to enter India near Dholavira on Monday night. He was held from near the border pillar number 1024 by the BSF patrolling team. He appears to be a drug addict," Inspector General, BSF, Gujarat Frontier, G S Malik said. After preliminary questioning, he was handed over to local police on Tuesday morning, the official said. After production in court, he will be shifted to the Joint Interrogation Centre in Bhuj for detailed questioning by different security agencies, an official at Balasar police station in Kutch said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Mumbai, Feb 11 : Kalki Koechlin has introduced her newborn baby girl Sappho to the world and thanked her team of doctors who did not give up on her even after a 17-hour-long labour. Image Source: IANS News Kalki took to Instagram, where she shared a string of photographs of her along with her daughter, and boyfriend Guy Hershberg and also the team of doctors, who helped her with child birth. Image Source: IANS News "So thankful to the whole team at Tulip Women's Care and to my to doctors @docsheetalsabharwal and @drrvpunjabi who simply refused to give up on me even when after 17 hours I was so tired I begged them to take the baby out anyway they could and they said no, you've come this far and you're going to have your natural waterbirth, and an hour later Sappho was born. You guys are miracle workers!" Kalki captioned the images. The 35-year-old in September opened up about her relationship with Hershberg, an Israeli classical pianist. She had previously married to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in 2011 but separated after two years. -- Syndicated from IANS The Palestinians have abandoned their request for a vote at the UN Security Council on Tuesday that they hoped would reject the peace plan of President Donald Trump, whose administration has put heavy pressure on critics, diplomats said. Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favour, the minimum required for adoption provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats told AFP. A diplomat, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that the United States has placed "very strong pressure" on other countries on the Security Council, including threats of economic retribution. Despite the setback, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas will go ahead on Tuesday and address the Security Council about Trump's January 28 plan, which paves the way for Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank but also allows for a demilitarised Palestinian state. "Consultations are still ongoing," Palestinian chief negotiator Saeb Erekat said of the proposed resolution. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, urged Abbas to cancel his trip, accusing him of dwelling on the past and calling on him to focus on the future. The United States would be certain to exercise its veto to any resolution that criticises its plan. But diplomats said it was far from certain that the Palestinians could pull off a repeat of the December 2017 vote in which all 14 other Security Council members denounced Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. The United States has proposed a series of amendments to the draft resolution that could come up for a vote at the session attended by Abbas. In proposals seen by AFP, the United States would significantly alter the text to remove references to lines before the 1967 Six-Day War, in which Israel captured the West Bank, as being the basis of peace. It would also cut out a statement that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal, a position taken by virtually every country except the US and Israel. The United States is also seeking to eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. The Trump plan calls for recognition of the contested holy city as Israel's undivided capital, while establishing a Palestinian capital on its outskirts. While recognising that the Trump plan "departs from the internationally endorsed terms of reference and parameters," the US wants the resolution to state that the Security Council "welcomes discussion on this proposal to advance the cause of peace." Diplomats cast doubt on whether a vote could take place even at a later date, considering the wide divergences in positions. The Palestinian leadership has enjoyed the backing of the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the Trump plan. But individual countries' positions are more complicated. In the midst of pushing for the UN resolution, Tunisia abruptly withdrew its UN ambassador, raising speculation that the Arab state had come under pressure from Washington. After appearing Thursday at the United Nations, Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser who has spearheaded his Middle East push, said there was a "ton of cracks" in opposition to the plan. He pointed to divisions within the European Union, which failed to issue a joint statement critical of the plan amid dissent from a handful of countries such as Hungary, led by the right-wing populist Viktor Orban. Of the four European Union members that hold seats on the Security Council, two of them -- Germany and Estonia -- looked ready to abstain from a vote criticising the US plan, diplomats said. The other two members are France and Belgium. A fifth European Union member that was on the Security Council, Britain, left the bloc at the end of last month. Israel and the United States have also been optimistic of winning at least muted backing from Arab states traditionally supportive of the Palestinians, with Gulf monarchies united with Israel in their hostility to Iran. The ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates attended Trump's unveiling of the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later held a breakthrough meeting with Sudan's top general. Netanyahu has hailed Trump's plan, under which Israel would maintain sovereignty up to the Jordanian border even if there is a Palestinian state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) YARDLEY, Pa., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Crown Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CCK) (Crown) (www.crowncork.com) has published its 2019 Sustainability Report detailing its environmental, social and governance achievements from fiscal years 2017 and 2018 and previewing focus areas for its next set of sustainability goals. The report explores how Crown's global workforce and commitment to process and product innovation have enabled the Company to grow in ways that benefit customers and shareholders while minimizing impact on the environment. The full report is available online at https://sustainability.crowncork.com. "We are very proud of the strides we have made in the last two years to become an even more sustainable Company," said John Rost, Ph.D., Vice President, Global Sustainability and Regulatory Affairs at Crown. "These achievements were made possible by the inspiring efforts of our global team as well as the fundamental benefits of our primary product metal packaging. As a material, metal supports the circular economy, protects our customers' products by delivering outstanding shelf life and provides an unparalleled return on investment at every level." Highlights from the 2019 report include: Making Progress Against 2020 Sustainability Goals (as of December 31, 2018) Achieved 94% of its Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction target, with a 9.43% decrease in GHGs per billion standard units (versus 2015 levels). Absolute emissions have decreased by 1.7% even as total production has increased by 8.4%. Decreased energy consumption by 6.23% in its metal packaging plants, surpassing its goal of 5% reduction in usage per billion standard units (versus 2015 levels). Reducing Environmental Impact Aluminum consumption is on a four-year downward trend, even as the Company has increased production of beverage cans by almost 10% in that period. In 2018, several of Crown's European sites achieved zero waste to landfill and less than 10% of total waste generated across the Division's 61 locations was sent to landfill. The Florence, KY (U.S.) operation of the Company's Transit Packaging Division produces plastic strap made from nearly 90% recycled material, significantly reducing dependency on new raw material consumption. Using Renewable Energy 6.7% of Crown's global operations are currently using renewable electricity. 100% of Crown's U.K. facilities have been powered by direct supply of renewable electricity since 2018. 100% of electricity in U.S. and Canadian beverage can plants will be matched with wind power generation as of July 1, 2020 . Investing in Employees & Communities Crown's Toluca, Mexico beverage can plant partnered with customers to donate 2.3 million cans of water in the aftermath of the devastating 2017 earthquake in Mexico City . beverage can plant partnered with customers to donate 2.3 million cans of water in the aftermath of the devastating 2017 earthquake in . The Company's Acayucan, Mexico beverage packaging plant initiated programs to educate women in the surrounding rural community about health and wellness and provided entrepreneurial-focused classes. beverage packaging plant initiated programs to educate women in the surrounding rural community about health and wellness and provided entrepreneurial-focused classes. Crown's Brazilian operations implemented several initiatives that contributed to the educational development of local public school students and provided safe, healthy extracurricular activities. Programs included workforce training, music lessons and Judo classes. The Company's Transit Packaging facility in Bangalore, India supported 1,000 students with free midday meal assistance and invested in upgrading nine schools, including seven preschools. supported 1,000 students with free midday meal assistance and invested in upgrading nine schools, including seven preschools. Each May, in conjunction with National Women's Health Week, Crown provides access to on-site mammograms at its corporate headquarters in Yardley, PA (U.S.). To date, the unit has conducted over 800 screenings. Continuing the Journey To further elevate its commitment to sustainability, Crown is laying the groundwork for its next set of sustainability goals. Focus areas will include climate, resource efficiency, circularity, social change, product stewardship and governance and ethics. Goals will formally be announced in early 2020 and progress against them will be reported annually. The Company is already making headway in several of these areas: Crown joined RE100 in 2019, pledging a total transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2050. The Company committed to the Science-Based Targets Initiative, which requires it to set specific goals for reducing GHG emissions. These targets, to be announced in 2020, will align with global temperature limits set by the Paris Agreement of 2015. Crown recently announced plans to reduce water usage in its global operations by 20% from 2019 levels by the end of 2025. These efforts will decrease the Company's water usage by over 500 million gallons annually. The 2019 report has been organized and prepared in accordance with GRI Standards: Core option. Though it has traditionally followed a biennial reporting schedule, Crown will release its next report in early 2021 to formally wrap up its 2020 sustainability goals and provide insight into its new objectives. About Crown Holdings, Inc. Crown Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is a leading global supplier of rigid packaging products to consumer marketing companies, as well as transit and protective packaging products, equipment and services to a broad range of end markets. World headquarters are located in Yardley, Pennsylvania. For more information, visit www.crowncork.com. For more information, contact [email protected] For editorial inquiries: Nicole Zampino, Senior Partner, Finn Partners; Tel: (212) 529-2234; Email: [email protected] SOURCE Crown Holdings, Inc. Related Links http://www.crowncork.com Nirbhaya's parents and the Delhi government moved a trial court on Tuesday seeking fresh death warrants for the four death row convicts for her gang rape and murder. Additional Session Judge Dharmender Rana issued notice to all the convicts and said it will take up the matter on Wednesday. The victim's parents told the Delhi court that the convicts were making a mockery of the law and frustrating it. The application was moved after the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convict. The Tihar jail authorities also filed a status report on Tuesday before the trial court stating that no legal option was preferred by any convicts -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31) -- in last seven day period, granted by the Delhi High Court. The trial court had on February 7 dismissed the pleas of Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities seeking fresh date for execution of the four death row convicts in the case. They had taken note of the high court's February 5 order permitting the convicts to exercise their legal remedies within one week. "It is criminally sinful to execute the convicts when law permits them to live. The High Court on February 5 has permitted the convicts, in the interest of justice, to exercise their legal remedies within one week from same order," the court had said. "I concur with counsel for convicts that death warrants cannot be executed merely on basis of surmises and conjectures. The application is bereft of merit. Same is dismissed. State is at liberty to move appropriate application as and when required," the judge had said. In its order, the high court was critical of the delay caused by the authorities in seeking issuance of death warrants for the convicts as also of the "delay tactics" adopted by the convicts. "All the authorities concerned were sleeping" and waited till December 2019 "for reasons best known to them" to seek issuance of death warrants, the high court said. The Delhi government moved the trial court for issuance of black warrants two years after the Supreme Court in 2017 had dismissed the review petition against the confirmation of death penalty. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case, who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition -- the last and final legal remedy available to a person which is decided in-chamber. Pawan also has the option of filing a mercy plea. The authorities had also informed the court about the Delhi High Court's February 5 order which directed the convicts to take steps within a week, if they wished, to avail any remedy available under the law. The warrants, issued by the trial court on January 7, were later postponed "sine die" by it on January 31, giving the condemned prisoners a reprieve for the second time in two weeks. The date of execution, first fixed for January 22 in Tihar jail, was later postponed for 6 am on February 1 by a January 17 court order. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Six people including the four convicts, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were named as accused. The trial of the five adult men began in a special fast-track court in March 2013. Ram Singh, the prime accused, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar jail days after the trial began. The juvenile, who was said to be the most brutal of the attackers, was put in a correctional home for three years. The juvenile was released in 2015 and sent to an undisclosed location amid concerns over a threat to his life. He, when released, was 20 years old. Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan were sentenced to death in September 2013 by the trial court. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Tedros said the agency wanted to avoid stigmatizing a country or particular group, so it chose a name that did not refer to a geographical location, animals, an individual or a group of people. "Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing," Tedros told reporters. "It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreak." The CO stands for corona, the VI for virus and the D for disease, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of WHO, announced Tuesday at a news conference at the agency's headquarters in Geneva. The flu-like coronavirus that has sickened more than 43,100 people in over two dozen countries now has a name: COVID-19. Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, WHO's chief scientist, said the acronym allows for flexibility for naming new coronaviruses that may emerge in the future. "Coronavirus is a group of viruses that are quite common," Swaminathan said. "There are many known strains of coronavirus. It is possible that there will be another strain of coronavirus. Then that could also be named by the year it appeared." "It's important to have a name that everybody uses both for scientific purposes to compare ... and also to avoid a number of different stigmatizing or other forms of confusing names," she added. The virus had been tentatively referred to as 2019-nCoV. Some people on social media have referred to the respiratory illness as the "Wuhan virus" or "China virus." Once names are established in common usage, especially through the internet and social media, they are difficult to change, WHO officials have said. For example, the "swine flu" and "Middle East Respiratory Syndrome" had unintended negative impacts by stigmatizing certain foods, communities or economic sectors, they said. Since emerging in Wuhan in central China over a month ago, the new virus has spread from about 300 people as of Jan. 21 to more than 43,000 with the number of new cases growing by the thousands every day. The coronavirus pneumonia produces mild cold symptoms in about 80% of patients, Dr. Sylvie Briand, head of WHO's Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness division, told reporters Monday. About 15% of the people who contract the virus have ended up with pneumonia with 3% to 5% of all patients needing intensive care, she said. The WHO's global research and innovation forum met for the first time Tuesday at the organization's headquarters in Geneva. Attendees include representatives of China and other member states, infectious disease experts, bioethicists and major research funders, according to the preliminary agenda. The mission of the forum is to establish a common understanding of the virus and to agree upon priorities and governance framework moving forward. The forum will continue through Wednesday. Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said Monday the team, working with Chinese scientists, hopes to learn the source of the outbreak and the virus's natural host. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak. Genius is often defined in myriad ways. One trusted criterion is the ability to do something extraordinary in a field where others could not and doing something that perhaps will never be done again by anyone else. By that measure, Rush Limbaugh certainly is the genius of talk radio, a genre in which he not merely excelled but that he also singlehandedly reinvented as something entirely different and entirely more powerful and instrumental in American life from what was imaginable pre-Limbaugh. Even stranger still, his ascendance coincided with the presumed nadir of radio itself. It was supposedly a has-been, one-dimensional medium, long overshadowed by television. Even in the late 1980s, radio was about to be sentenced as obsolete in the ascendant cyber age of what would become Internet blogs, podcasts, streaming, and smartphone television. Stranger still, Limbaugh has prospered through two generations and picked up millions of listeners who were not born when he first went national and who had no idea of why or how he had become a national presence. He certainly did not capture new listeners by adjusting to the times. While tastes changed and the issues often metamorphosed, he did not. He remained conservative, commonsensical, and skeptical of Washington and those in it, as if he knew all the predictable thousand faces of the timeless progressive project, whose various manifestations reappear to mask a single ancient and predictable essence: the desire of a self-appointed group of elites to expand government in order to regiment the lives of ordinary people, allegedly to achieve greater mandated equality and social justice but more often to satisfy their own narcissistic will to power. It was Limbaugh who most prominently warned that lax immigration enforcement would soon lead to open calls for open borders, that worry about global warming would transform into calls to ban the internal combustion engine, and that the logical end of federal takeover of health care would be Medicare for All. Story continues The Left and many too who would later become the Never Trump Right thought that Limbaughs worst moment finally came after Obamas 2008 victory, during the post-election euphoria and just days before the January 2009 inauguration. It was a heady time, when the media would go on to declare soon-to-be Nobel laureate President Obama as, variously, a living god and the smartest guy ever to assume the presidency. His supporters often compared him to iconic wartime presidents such as FDR and Lincoln. Americans had been lectured on Obamas divinity even as a candidate, and the evidence had ranged from the mundane of Platonically perfect creases in his trousers, to the telepathic ability to prompt spontaneous electrical impulses in the legs of cable television anchors. In answer to Obamas promise to fundamentally transform America, Limbaugh flat-out said he hoped that the new president would not succeed: I hope Obama fails. Outrage followed. Was Limbaugh rooting for the failure of America itself? In fact, he was worrying about how America might survive the first unabashedly progressive president in over 60 years, now empowered by an obsequious media, a House majority, a veto-proof Senate, and Supreme Court picks on the near horizon. Limbaugh was the first voice to warn that what would soon follow the election was not the agenda that Obama sometimes disingenuously voiced on the campaign trail Obamas ruse of occasionally sounding concerned about illegal immigration, gay marriage, the spiraling debt, a rapid pullout from Iraq, and identity politics but rather a move to the progressive hard-left. What would ensue instead lined up with Obamas senatorial voting record, his prior associations with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright, Bill Ayers, and Father Pfleger, and his occasional slips on the campaign trail: I want you to argue with them and get in their face, If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a knife, and (in the pre-Netflix, preMartha Vineyard estate days), I think when you spread the wealth around, its good for everybody. Once elected, Obama was unbound. He lectured the nation about the wages of the Wests sin: the Crusades, Americas prior role in the world, and its own domestic woes. He instructed Americans on when it was the time to profit and when it was not, the point at which people should concede they had made enough money. And he listed the various reasons that he could not, as some anti-constitutional king, grant unconstitutional amnesties by fiat before he went on to do just that. Prior to Limbaughs national prominence, radio talk-show hosts were not shapers of national culture or politics. Even the few local and regional celebrity radio hosts had little power to influence issues of the day. While local talk radio was more conservative than liberal, it was hardly seen as traditional conservatives answer to the liberal biases of the major national newspapers, network evening news, and public radio and TV, much less the aristocratic pretensions of the Republican Beltway hierarchy. So, what was inconceivable in 1988 was not just that any one person could leap from local prominence to national dominance, but that he could empower (rather than replace) his legions of radio subordinates. Far from making them irrelevant, Limbaugh energized talk-radio hosts. Once he became a national force, hundreds of others became far more effective conservative local and regional voices, partly through the art of emulation, partly through scheduling to lead in to or follow Limbaughs daily three-hour show, partly in the general renewed public interest in talk radio itself. Call that coattails, or force multiplication, but in essence, Limbaugh redefined the genre as something more entertaining, more political, and yet more serious an army of one antidote to the New York and Washington media corridor. How strange that after progressives achieved a monopoly in network news, public television and radio, the Internet conglomerates, Hollywood, and network prime-time programing, they sought to emulate Limbaugh by creating their own leftist version of national talk radio, Air America. Millions of dollars, dozens of talk-radio hosts, and Chapter 11 later, the venture collapsed in abject failure. I wager that more Democrats listened to Limbaugh than to Air America, in the fashion of my late Democratic father, who used to sneak into my office on the farm and listen with me to Rush during the 1991 Gulf War. How did Limbaugh do it? No one really knows because few have been able to duplicate his success, despite a number of gifted hosts who have tried. For all the criticism that Limbaugh was crass, over some 25,000 hours of the syndicated Limbaugh show, there were few embarrassments. And in cases where Limbaugh said something he regretted, he later apologized. He certainly could grow animated but seldom shouted and yelled. He talked about having talent on loan from God but could turn self-deprecatory and compliment callers for insights that he found original and noteworthy, saying, I hadnt thought of that. He mocked identity politics but at work and in life often surrounded himself with talented people who were not white, and he seemed oblivious to any significance of that fact other than that hed found friends and employees who were competent and whom he liked. He was a self-made multimillionaire many times over and proud of it, and yet felt and acted more comfortable with those of the Midwestern middle classes with whom hed grown up. Perhaps the best clue is that Limbaugh was never just a talk-show host at all. Or rather, he redefined the talk-radio three-hour format into something far more expansive than the critical arts of editorializing and answering impromptu listeners calls. In his prime role as unyielding conservative explicator of the daily news without the filters of the Washington and New York commentariat, he combined the jobs of entertainer, stand-up comedian, psychologist, impressionist, satirist, provocateur, therapist, and listener to the nation. Yet ultimately his audience listened because he differentiated between two worlds. On one hand, he saw, with a skeptics eye, the cosmos of progressive and liberal translators who selectively edit the days events and massage their supposed importance to Americans, to present the news in line with liberals preconceived agendas under the guise that such reporting was beyond reproach as professional, disinterested, and entirely based in facts. Limbaugh exploded all those pretenses. But he also saw the other world that was never reported. He did not claim to be a traditional journalist or even an opinion journalist. Instead, he proudly assumed the mantle and collective voice of a conservative Everyman. Or maybe, more dramatically, his listeners saw him as an atoll of traditional sanity in a turbulent sea of postmodern madness. His forte was explaining why nominal conservatives were infected with a fatal virus of wanting to be liked by the mainstream media and the cultural elite and thus often grew in office, moving leftward, as if they had become smarter and more sophisticated than those who had voted for them. People tuned in because they knew in advance that Rush would not weaken or deviate, much less transcend them. There would be no faddish Limbaugh who renounced his prior personas and positions. So his listeners were reassured each day that they were not themselves crazy to express doubt about what the nation was told or instructed. The New York Times story picked up by their local paper, the NPR segment they heard in the car, and the commentary of the ABC, CBS, or NBC evening news anchors were rarely if at all the whole truth and anything but the truth. Limbaugh reminded them that what was purportedly the news was increasingly the output of a rather narrow slice of cocooned America between Washington, D.C., and New York City, offered up by affluent progressives (the drive-bys) who had come to believe that the medias role was not to report events per se, but to do so in a way that would not only educate the otherwise blinkered American masses but would also improve them morally and make them redeemable spiritually. Limbaugh did all that, day in and day out, without any sense of monotony or boredom, but with almost adolescent energy and excitement about just talking to America each day. He never dialed it in. And his audience knew it. Limbaugh himself knew his listeners, not just by class or locale, but through a shared skepticism about the values of coastal America and its inability to show any correlation between proven excellence and an array of letters after ones name or name-dropping on a resume. Does anyone think that a professor of journalism, a Washington pundit, a network anchor, a Senate elder, a president, or even a late-night TV host could host 30 hours of the Limbaugh show without losing most of the audience? He was the Midwestern college drop-out who had bounced around among jobs before he found his natural place. Through that experience, he posed an ancient Euripidean question, What is wisdom? The answer was found in many of his targets: academics, editorialists, celebrities, journalists, government functionaries, and politicos whose bromides Limbaugh made ridiculous, and he instructed millions on how and why their ideas made no sense in a real world beyond their enclaves. Rush was hated by the Left supposedly for his politically incorrect -isms and -ologies; in truth, it was because he so often made them look ridiculous. Limbaugh sounded sane when giddy Stanford grad and Rhodes scholar Rachel Maddow enthused about Robert Muellers daily walls-are-closing-in bombshells much as farmer and Cal Poly graduate Devin Nunes wrote the truth in his House Intelligence Committee majority report while Harvard Law graduate Adam Schiffs nose grew in his minority-report reply, and in the way that supposedly idiotic wheeler-dealer Donald Trump energized the economy after Ivy League sophisticate Barack Obama said it would require a magic wand. In response to Rush Limbaughs announcement that he has advanced lung cancer, millions voiced sympathy, support and shock. Last week, millions asked, What are Rushs chances? The correct answer might be, Not good if it was anyone but Rush. Yet one who can create national talk radio ex nihilo can similarly beat toxic malignancy. His listeners seemed worried not just over Rushs health but about their own equally ominous future of the days events without him. May that day be far off. More from National Review The recently appointed consul of Mexico in Tucson has been removed from his position after a sexual harassment complaint, according to news reports. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico removed Guillermo Rivera Santos from his position, Dolia Estevez, a Sonoran journalist based in Washington, first reported late last month for the Mexican media outlet SinEmbargo. Rivera Santos, who lacked diplomatic experience, was put in charge of the Tucson Consulate in November. Personnel of the Communication Directorate of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the Stars La Estrella de Tucson they did not have official information about the departure of Rivera Santos. In Tucson, the consulates communications department said only that it is operating at full capacity. Tucson has an interim consul, Enrique Gomez Montiel. According to Sin Embargo, Rivera Santos was accused of harassment by an employee who filed a complaint then left her post. Rivera Santos was notified by the general director of the Foreign and Human Resources Service of the SRE, Moises Poblano Silva, of his discharge as head of the Tucson consulate on Jan. 31. La Estrella de Tucson was unable to reach Rivera Santos for comment. Contacta a Liliana Lopez Ruelas at llopez@tucson.com or 807-8479. 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. In case you missed it from our news roundup last week... Last month, the owners of Top Burmese, a Northwest Portland restaurant known for its flaky golden samosas and fermented tea leaf salad, debuted a new 10-seat restaurant in focused on a single dish. It lasted two weeks. Last week, owners Kalvin and Poe Myint closed Kyay Oh, the restaurant based inside of Top Burmeses original, takeout-focused storefront on Northwest 16th Avenue, and moved its namesake dish to the menu at Top Burmeses new 21st Avenue location, where it appears as a special Thursday to Saturday. According to Kalvin Myint says, there were logistical challenges involved in running the restaurant out of a shared kitchen space, both due to the dining rooms small size and the fact that they were unable to secure a liquor license for the space. The noodle dish, a specialty of the city of Yangon that bares a passing resemblance to Vietnamese hu tieu, with its meatballs, quail eggs, greens and (optional) liver, is available at Top Burmese in wet (with broth), dry (without) and plant-based variations, with a dozen possible add-ons and a quartet of pre-set variations offered. So far, I prefer the pre-set dry version, with its vermicelli noodles scented with what I took for sesame oil, a distinctive kyay oh the Myints have kept purposefully healthful by using fresh greens and chicken bones for the small bowl of broth on the side. For those hoping to try kyay oh, youll now have to join the queue at Top Burmese, 413 N.W. 21st Ave., from 5 to 9 p.m., Thursday to Saturday. -- Michael Russell, mrussell@oregonian.com, @tdmrussell Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. According to the police report, the woman who took the infant to the hospital has an address in Congress Heights. Attempts to reach the woman were not successful. Officials did not describe her relationship to the baby. Hundreds of villagers are marooned along rivers and low-lying places in Zimbabwes remote Binga District in Matabeleland North province where heavy rains have been pounding the area in the last three days. A senior regional state official, Farai Marinyame, described the situation as very bad, saying the marooned villagers are expected to be rescued by helicopters Tuesday. We went to the affected areas but could not do much as some of the people are on top of trees and in places surrounded by floods. We have activated all our rescue systems locally and the same has been done nationally. We hope that the Civil Protection Unit will rescue the villagers. When we went there we could only call peoples names from a distance and as a result we dont know the exact number of people trapped by the floods, said Marinyame, who is the Hwange District Administrator. Member of Parliament for Binga North, Prince Dubeko Sibanda, said an estimated 120 villagers are perched on tree tops and mountains in Nsenga, Chinginga, Nsukwale and other areas. The villagers have lost their houses, food, livestock and other precious belongings following heavy rains that started Saturday. I believe that Binga Center will also be flooded if the rains continue falling. Floods left a trail of destruction in Hwange district recently where hundreds of people lost their property worth millions of dollars. Zimbabwes Meteorological Services warned recently that heavy rains will hit some parts of the country. The southern African nation is in the midst of a devastating drought that has left nearly eight million people in need of food aid. The World Food Program (WFP) says of the 7,7 million seeking drought relief aid, about 5,5 million are in rural areas and 2,2 million in towns and cities. The WFP says the situation has been worsened by serious economic problems facing Zimbabwe. Pakistani court allows marriage of kidnapped Christian girl because she had first period Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A court in Pakistan has ruled against the family of a kidnapped Christian girl who was forced into an Islamic marriage, saying in its decision that no law was broken if the girl had already had her first period. The Catholic Charity Aid to the Church in Need-Italy reports that the Sindh High Court in Karachi issued the Feb. 3 ruling in the case of 14-year-old Huma Younus, who was taken from her home on Oct. 10, 2019, and later married to a radical Muslim man. According to the charity, which is supporting the family, judge Muhammad Iqbal Kalhoro and Irshad Ali Shah ruled that the Catholic girls marriage to her alleged abductor, Abdul Jabbar, is valid under Sharia law because the child has already had her first menstrual cycle. Once again justice has been defeated and once again has been proved that our state does not consider Christians to be Pakistani citizens, mother Nagheena Younus told Aid to the Church in Need-Italy after the hearing. Younus parents said their daughters marriage violates the Sindh Child Marriage Restraint Act forbidding the marriage of girls age 18 and younger. Although the law was passed in 2014, it has not yet been applied. We hoped that the law could have been applied for the first time in this case, lawyer Tabassum Yousaf was quoted as saying. But evidently in Pakistan, these laws are formulated and approved only to improve the image of the country in front of the international community, [and to] ask for funds for development and trade Pakistani products on the European market for free. Muslim-majority Pakistan ranks as the fifth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on the Open Doors USA 2020 World Watch List. As the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom reports, its estimated that as many as 1,000 women and girls are forcibly converted to Islam each year in Pakistan, many of whom are kidnapped, married and subject to rape. Last year, Pakistan lawmakers rejected a national bill that would have raised the child marriage age to 18 after it was opposed by Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadari and other officials. According to Aid to the Church in Need, Younus was due to appear in court during last Mondays hearing, as was requested during a previous hearing held on Jan 16. However, Younus was not present for the hearing. The judges ordered a medical examination of the child to verify her age, a request made by the familys lawyer. However, Yousaf does not trust a fair examination will take place. It is clear that since [investigation officer Akhtar Hussain] is in charge, there is a high probability that the test results will be falsified, the lawyer argued. But we keep hoping that the girls minor age will be proven so that she could at least be entrusted to a center for women, and taken away from her rapist. The next court hearing in the matter is scheduled for March 4. But even if the girls age can be verified, the decision to validate the marriage because of menstruation reduces the chance that Jabbar will be held to account for his actions, the charity reports. Nagheena Younus vowed to take the case all the way to the Pakistan Supreme Court if need be. This mornings sentence casts shame on the Pakistani judicial system, ACN-Italy Director Alessandro Monteduro said in a statement. It is unimaginable that Sharia can prevail over the law of the state. We express all our outrage, but we wont give up for Huma and the over a thousand girls that every year in Pakistan are kidnapped, raped, converted by force to Islam and forced to marry their kidnapper. Even today we have learned that all of that is legitimate, because in Pakistan even an 8- or 9-year-old girl can legally be given as a wife if she has already had her period, he added. According to AsiaNews, the court allowed the child to file an affidavit declaring that she got married on her own free will. However, Yousaf contends that such an affidavit can't be filed legally until the child is presented with an identity card number at the age of 18. News of the judges ruling drew much criticism on social media. Underage #Catholic girl Huma Younus & other girls can be married as long as they have had their first menstrual cycle, the High Court in #Pakistan ruled. This is so wrong and disgusting! former European Parliament member Marijana Petir tweeted. I urge the @EU_Commission and the international community to stop all relationship with Pakistan. Popular Pakistani actor, writer and choreographer, Osman Khalid Butt, also voiced his dismay on Twitter. I immediately Googled the Sindh Court ruling thinking there must be some mistake, he wrote in a tweet. How could they consider a marriage valid when it was done under duress, after an abduction & forced conversion? Boy, was I naive. For the past two years, Pakistan has been labeled by the United States State Department as a country of particular concern for tolerating or engaging in severe violations of religious freedom. In addition to the tolerance of forced abductions and marriages as well as societal persecution against religious minorities, Pakistan is the worlds leader when it comes to the number of people imprisoned for blasphemy. According to blasphemy law critic Shaan Taseer, a son of the late Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer, about 200 people or more are in jail in Pakistan on blasphemy charges with as many of 40 of them on death row. A Russian newspaper says that a married couple faces criminal charges for photographs taken at their wedding five years ago and published online that reveal the identity of a counterintelligence officer with Russias main security agency. Kommersant reported on February 11 that Konstantin Antonets and Antonina Zimina were detained in July 2018 in the Baltic Sea exclave of Kaliningrad. The couple have denied the allegations. According to the newspaper, the Federal Security Service, known as the FSB, has been investigating how details of a Kaliningrad FSB officer had been obtained by the intelligence agency in Latvia.* Among the guests who attended the couples wedding in April 2015 was an FSB counterintelligence officer who was a friend and former university classmate of Zimina's. The officer spoke openly about his employer, and at the wedding, he also handed out business cards and posed for photographs with guests, Kommersant said. Zimina's father, Konstantin, told the newspaper that it was common knowledge where the FSB officer, whom he named as Maksim, worked, and that Maksim made no effort to hide it. Other guests in attendance were relatives of Zimina's, who were from Lithuania. Some videos and photographs from the wedding were later published on social media, and reportedly were included in an unspecified Baltic television program, at which time the FSB opened a criminal investigation, Kommersant said. At the time of her arrest, Zimina served as director of a nongovernmental organization, the Baltic Center for the Dialogue of Cultures, and Antonets had been employed as a government lawyer in Kaliningrad, and then later in a private firm in Moscow. Zimina was also affiliated with an organization that advocates for public diplomacy, and her professional interests were identified as "the policy of the Baltic countries towards Russia" and "the identity of the political elite of Latvia." Zimina has been held in the Lefotovo detention center since her arrest. Her husbands whereabouts were not immediately known. Social Media Concerns Russian military and intelligence agencies have grown increasingly concerned about social media and how content posted online by soldiers, officers, or security personnel to platforms such as Facebook or VK can be used to identify people, their affiliations, or even military movements. In 2017, the Defense Ministry called for legislation to ban contract soldiers serving in the Russian military for posting content to social media sites. Last year, parliament passed related legislation that also banned soldiers from using smart phones, or similar devicesmeasures that echoed restriction in place in other countries. The issue of wedding photos inadvertently revealing Russian intelligence officers got renewed public attention in October in a joint report published by RFE/RL and open-source researchers Bellingcat. In that report, two men linked to a notorious Russian military intelligence unit were identified using photos and videos taken at a wedding in 2017 and published online.l The two men were members of unit linked to a series of assassination attempts in England, Bulgaria, and other activities in Europe. The photos have since been taken down. * CORRECTION: This story mistakenly reported that details of a Kaliningrad FSB officer had been obtained by the intelligence agency in Lithuania. When a new pathogen wreaks havoc on the planet, scientists from across the globe race to understand how it behaves and spreads. Now, scientists have found that the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) can survive on metal, plastic, and glass for as long as nine days. A team of scientists from the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (RUB) and the Institute of Hygiene and Environmental Medicine at the Greifswald University Hospital compiled comprehensive findings from 22 studies on coronaviruses and studied how the pathogen behaves. This study, published in The Journal of Hospital Infection, highlights the importance of preventing infection by knowing how long the virus can survive on common surfaces and how to kill it. Coronaviruses, like other disease-causing microorganisms, can linger on common things that people hold. The virus can spread through hands and surfaces, including door handles, telephone receivers, elevator buttons, call buttons, bedside tables, and anything patients in hospitals frequently touch. Study looks at the persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and its inactivation with biocidal agents. Image Credit: asiandelight / Shutterstock Coronavirus can stay for nine days The team has found the novel coronavirus can stay up to nine days on common surfaces, based on their comprehensive analysis of studies about similar pathogens, such as the SARS coronavirus and MERS-CoV. The results show that the viruses can persist or survive on surfaces and remain infectious at room temperature for nine days, with an average lifespan of four to five days. The team also found that low temperatures and high air humidity levels further boost the coronaviruss lifespan. The best way to kill coronaviruses The best way to combat coronaviruses staying on common surfaces, such as glass, metal, and plastic, is by cleaning them with a solution thats 62 percent to 72 percent ethanol, 0.5 percent hydrogen peroxide, or 0.1 percent sodium hypochlorite within one minute of contamination. If these agents are applied at the right time and concentrations, they can reduce the number of infectious coronaviruses by four log steps within one minute. As no specific therapies are available for 2019-nCoV, early containment and prevention of further spread will be crucial to stop the ongoing outbreak and to control this novel infectious thread, the researchers wrote on the paper. The study has limitations since the team only reviewed studies and data from other types of coronaviruses to land their conclusions. Currently, there is no existing data about the novel coronavirus that is spreading in China and across 25 countries around the globe. The team says that the current coronavirus is like previous ones in terms of its ability to live outside the host and their vulnerability to disinfectants. A grave threat to the world The current coronavirus outbreak has taken more than 1,000 people. Two deaths have been reported outside mainland China the Philippines and Hong Kong. On Feb. 10 alone, about 103 people died in Hubei province and the number of new infections reached 2,478. Overall, there are more than 43,103 confirmed cases of the deadly virus, which started in a seafood market in Wuhan City, Hubei Province in the last week of December 2019. Outside of China and across 25 different countries, the confirmed cases have reached 395. The World Health Organization (WHO) has gathered health experts and top scientists in Geneva to try to answer questions about the new illness. Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urge global unity to fight a common enemy that does not respect borders or ideologies. Now officially called N-CoV acute respiratory disease, the illness poses a grave threat to human populations across the globe. In line with this, the WHO will work with top scientists in the hopes to curb the infection and stop the spread of the virus. WHOs strategic objectives include limit human-to-human transmission; identifying, isolating, and providing care for patients early; identifying and reducing transmission from animal sources; addressing crucial unknowns in clinical severity and extent of transmission, accelerating the development of vaccines, diagnostic procedures, and therapeutics, communicating critical risk to all communities, and minimizing social and economic burden through multisectoral partnerships. Kinton Ford at n+1: GEORGE STEINER IS A CHARMING but monstrous narcissist. In November 2001, I spent an amazing evening with him and the Celebrated Poet at the Professor of Poetrys house. Things got started when another Professor, the Poet, and an Artist (the Poets spouse), complained laughingly about the xerox machine in the University English Department. This led to an interesting and moving story of Steiners about his Czech students copying out Middlemarch by hand since access to copying was extremely difficult in Prague: the Czech xerox machines were controlled by the state, lest any samizdat activities got going. more here. Passengers on board a quarantined cruise liner in Japan were dealt another blow yesterday when 60 more people tested positive for coronavirus - almost doubling the total number of the ship's cases to 130. The Diamond Princess ship, which is docked in Yokohama, has strictly confined thousands of passengers to their cabins since last Wednesday. They face a total lockdown until February 19 and are only allowed to exercise on deck for 1.5 hours a day in small groups. The Japanese health authorities began testing on board the ship after an elderly holidaymaker from Hong Kong, who disembarked in late January, was found to be carrying the deadly coronavirus, which has killed 910 people and infected more than 40,000 since it emerged from China in mid-December. Following the high spike in cases, the Japanese government said it was planning to test dozens more elderly people on board and to investigate whether there were any issues with hygiene control. But some passengers have already called for more health checks, questioning why fewer than 300 people have been tested in full. "The worrying thing to me is that they have tested relatively few people on the ship," Kent Frasure (42), from Oregon, said. "The symptoms are still minor. They need to be doing more and testing more people." Mr Frasure's wife, Rebecca, has been diagnosed with the virus and taken to hospital. He is awaiting his own diagnosis after he recorded a temperature above 37.5C and does not know when he will be reunited with his wife. "They said if you're positive you'll know pretty quickly and if not then you won't know for a while," he said. "It makes you little jumpy. Every time there is a knock on the door, you don't know what your status is." Princess Cruise Lines Ltd, which operates the luxury liner, has now offered to fully refund all passengers who were trapped on board because of the outbreak. Fears about the rapid transmission of the disease, which can cause a fever and breathing difficulties, have been heightened by a report that the virus incubation period can last for up to 24 days in some instances. The report, which extracted data from 1,099 cases from 552 hospitals in 31 provinces, also found that the median age of patients was 47, and 42pc were female. But speaking at a press conference Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organisation, said that the overall pattern of the outbreak had not changed. He added that the aim was still to contain the virus, which has now spread from China to some 27 countries worldwide, and that global co-operation was required to end the outbreak. US President Donald Trump said he was confident the outbreak would not continue through spring and summer. "The heat, generally speaking, kills this kind of virus," he said. They always talk about the Democrats, they have enthusiasm, right? Trump told a crowd at the SNHU Arena here. We have so much more enthusiasm, its not even close. Theyre all fighting each other. Theyre all going after each other. You got them all over the place. They dont know what the hell theyre doing. They dont know what theyre doing. They cant even count their votes. Franklin Graham surprised by backlash over UK evangelistic tour Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Evangelist Franklin Graham has said in a media interview that hes surprised to see all the confirmed venues in the United Kingdom pulling out due to his views on homosexuality, even as his supporters have started an online petition calling it bullying and a hate crime. I have been surprised I'm not coming to speak against anybody and I dont name any groups of people, Graham, the son of the late evangelist Billy Graham, told Christian Today, based in the U.K., in an interview. Im coming to tell people how they can have a relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ. Graham plans to tour the U.K. with eight stops starting in May, and the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, which he heads, says more than 1,800 churches across the United Kingdom are cooperating with it to share the Gospel in multiple cities this spring. Currently, he and his team are searching for other venues after all the original locations canceled despite having signed contracts and received deposits. What he's most concerned about is the stifling of free speech for churches. "... If we don't stand up for the right to free speech and freedom of religion, there are lots of churches in this country that meet in public who are at risk," he told Christian Today. "They could be kicked out, they could be forced to go somewhere else, just because of their faith. "We haven't broken any laws and I think it's important for the church that we resolve this matter so that it protects them," he said of possibly pursuing legal action. This isn't the first time the evangelist met opposition from LGBT groups. In 2018, bus ads for his 2018 evangelistic festival were pulled following outcry from LGBT groups. Graham believes that the need for preaching the Gospel in the U.K. is "greater than ever." He wants people to know that we are all sinners and our sins separate us from God. And unless we confess our sins and repent, and believe on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have no hope. The only hope that we have is through Christ, he continued. And so, I'm coming to tell the people of the U.K. how they can have a relationship with God through faith in His Son, and I want people to know what steps we have to take in order to have that relationship. I'm certainly not here to speak against anyone. I'm here to speak for everyone. However, he added, some people dont want to hear that they are sinners. They think that this is hateful and angry speech. It's not. In love, I want to warn people and tell them the steps they need to take to have a right relationship with God, and how they can be sure their sins are forgiven. Jesus, he continued, is the only one to have paid the debt of sin. Graham recently wrote to the U.K.s LGBTQ community, explaining his stand. It is said by some that I am coming to the UK to bring hateful speech to your community. This is just not true. I am coming to share the Gospel, which is the Good News that God loves the people of the UK, and that Jesus Christ came to this earth to save us from our sins, he wrote on his Facebook page. The rub, I think, comes in whether God defines homosexuality as sin. The answer is yes. But God goes even further than that, to say that we are all sinnersmyself included. The Bible says that every human being is guilty of sin and in need of forgiveness and cleansing. The penalty of sin is spiritual deathseparation from God for eternity. In the interview, Graham was also asked about his public support of President Donald Trump, another issue that has caused some to oppose the evangelists tour. I certainly dont support the president in everything he says or does, he explained. I did not campaign for him and Im not campaigning for him now. But if the president does something good for the American people, I certainly will try to support him the best I can. He pointed out that Trump stands for the right to life and defends religious freedom. Meanwhile, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition on CitizenGo launched by Voice for Justice UK, a Christian group that advocates the traditional view of marriage and sexuality defending Grahams tour of the U.K. Graham planned a four-month evangelistic tour of the UK, in hopes of sparking a Revival similar to that spearheaded by his father Billy Graham, in the 1950s, reads the petition, calling for Mr Grahams bullying opponents to be investigated for hate crimes, and for Her Majestys Government to defend the right of Christians to practise and manifest their belief without intimidation or pressure. Graham also wrote a letter to his supporters earlier, urging prayers that God will keep the doors open for him to preach the Gospel in the U.K. For the last two years we have been preparing to go to the United Kingdom and take the Gospel to eight different cities starting in Scotland, going down to Wales, and finishing up in London, he wrote. As we move closer to these events in late May and June, we are experiencing opposition from LGBTQ activists who want to stop this Gospel work. This small but vocal minority is pressuring venues to back out of our contracts because I have said that God defines homosexuality as sin. Several venues have already told us that they are cancelling. New Jersey will spend $6 million on mental health training for school and college employees in response to an NJ Advance Media investigation of the states rising suicide rate among teens and young adults. The state will also form a working group of experts to develop mental health resources, such as best practices for schools. Gov. Phil Murphy announced both initiatives Tuesday morning at Maple Shade High School in Burlington County. Mental health must be prioritized in the same way as physical health, the Democratic governor said during the event. There can be no more shame. There can be no more reticence. Weve lost too many lives. State officials said the $6 million will come from $100 million in taxpayer funds tagged to combat opioid addiction. They note that substance abuse is often associated with mental health conditions. The push to tackle the mental health crisis comes after New Jersey documented 100 suicides in 2017 among people ages 15-24, its highest number since the 1990s. Despite more teens and young adults expressing feelings of hopelessness and depression, NJ Advance Media found that tens of thousands of New Jersey students attend schools without the recommended number of counselors. A shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists also leaves many families struggling to find timely and affordable care when students are in crisis. Nationwide, the number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 increased 56% between 2007 and 2017, far outpacing the increase in suicides among other age groups. Murphys response will allow every public school district or college to send at least one representative to mental health first aid training led by the state Department of Human Services. The training program teaches staff the warning signs and risk factors of youth mental health issues and how to connect students to outside resources. Those who participate in the program will be certified to train others in their school districts. The new working group will include school practitioners, mental health providers, state agencies and mental health advocates. It will be asked to develop resources for districts to support the mental health needs of their students. Along with Murphy, schools and state lawmakers have called for change. Two school districts won voter referendums in November to expand mental health services in their schools, paving the way for extra counseling and support administrators said was desperately needed. The state Senate and Assembly passed a bill in January requiring public schools to screen students in grades 7 through 12 for depression. But Murphy pocket-vetoed the bill without explanation. The governor said Tuesday he didnt sign it because it came at the end of the last two-year legislative session. He said had it come sooner, he would have sat down with lawmakers to discuss any concerns with the measure. But Murphy said hes open to revisiting the legislation. Thats something we want to get back at, he said. NJ Advance Media staff writer Brent Johnson contributed to this report. Adam Clark may be reached at adam_clark@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on twitter at @realAdamClark. 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. Swiss Ambassador to China Bernardino Regazzoni expressed his solidarity to those who suffer under the situation caused by the coronavirus and praised China's efforts put in place. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the relations between China and Switzerland. Watch the video to check out the ambassador's best wishes to the Chinese people. A 35-year-old Libyan national was arrested in eastern Bengaluru for overstaying his visa. Head constable Venkatesh B M and constable Harish Kanarli, both from the Banaswadi police station, went searching homes in AK Colony, Kammanahalli around 3.40 pm on Monday, as part of a drive against foreigners staying illegally. They found four foreigners living there. While three of them showed their documents, including valid passports and visas, Saeed Abduslam Saeed Shakra, from Thaghan, Libya, told the policemen that he had lost his passport and had applied for the extension of visa. He showed a photo of his passport on his phone, which showed it to have expired in 2013. Shakra told the police that he had come to India on a student visa and had applied for a PhD course at a private college. He further said that his family was paying his expenses. Shakra was taken to the police station. An enquiry with the Foreigners' Regional Registration Office showed that his passport had been renewed and was valid until 2020, but his visa expired a year ago. Police are waiting for court directions to deport him. GLASGOW VILLAGE, Mo. (AP) A St. Louis area man has been charged with wounding his girlfriend and fatally shooting her 17-year-old daughter before fleeing the scene with two young children. Forty-one-year-old Gino Branch, of St. Louis, is jailed on $1 million cash only bond on charges of second-degree murder, armed criminal action, first-degree domestic assault, tampering with evidence and two counts of child endangerment. It wasnt immediately known whether he had an attorney. Tom Brenner/Reuters All four prosecutors handling Trump ally Roger Stones court case withdrew on Tuesday just hours after Department of Justice headquarters stepped in to override their recommended prison sentence and push for a shorter term. Prosecutors had asked a federal judge on Monday to sentence Stone to seven to nine years in prison. The Republican operative, a longtime Trump confidant and adviser who spent decades pushing Trump to run for president, was convicted of lying to Congress, witness tampering, and obstructing a congressional probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump reacted volcanically to news of the recommendation in a tweet sent at 1:48 a.m. on Tuesday, calling it a horrible and very unfair situation. And within a few hours, a senior Justice Department official announced that they would override the sentencing recommendation and seek a shorter term. The official told The Daily Beast the department was shocked to see the seven to nine year recommendation. The Department finds the recommendation, as it was filed, extreme and excessive and grossly disproportionate to Stones offenses, the official said. The departments decision to intervene almost immediately after Trumps angry tweets complaining about the miscarriage of justice against his longtime confidant raised concerns about political interference. Those concerns intensified Tuesday afternoon when prosecutors Aaron Zelinsky, Adam Jed, Jonathan Kravis and Michael Marando filed separate notices advising the judge they were withdrawing immediately as attorneys in the Stone case. A federal prosecutor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the apparent involvement of Attorney General Bill Barr in overriding the sentencing recommendation was remarkable. Weve long known that Trump views his political opponents as crooks and his allies as righteous, regardless of the facts or the law. That was plain from his criticism of Jeff Sessions when DOJ indicted two crooked Republican congressmen in 2018; it was plain from his continued support of Manafort up through his conviction. Whats remarkable now is that Barr appears to share that same corrupt view, the prosecutor said. Story continues A current Justice Department official said it was not often DOJ leaps to the defense of people who threaten witnesses and judges, and who commit perjury. President Trump insisted on Tuesday it was ridiculous to suggest he had any involvement in the decision, even while stressing that he could very easily have done so if he had wanted to. I didnt speak to the JusticeI would be able toand I have the absolute right to do it if I wanted to, but I stay out of things to a degree that people wouldnt believe, he said. Roger Stone Found Guilty of Lying to Congress to Protect Trump He said he thought the sentencing recommendation and the whole prosecution was ridiculous but he wouldnt talk about a possible commutation of Stones sentence yet. I think it was a disgraceful recommendation and they should be ashamed of themselves, he added. In a new sentencing memo filed Tuesday, the Justice Department said Stones sentence should be far less than seven to nine years but didnt give a new number. The memo noted that the Justice Department still wanted Stone to be incarcerated but declined to say for how long. Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokesperson, said on Tuesday afternoon that DOJ officials did not consult with the White House regarding their decision to override the initial sentencing recommendation. She also said the decision was not a response to the presidents tweet, and that Barr was not aware of Trumps views before the department decided to override the recommendation. That decision was made on Monday night, she said. A senior DOJ official echoed that statement, saying Trump's tweet had nothing to do with the decision to override the recommendation, and called it an inconvenient coincidence. The official also said Tuesday was not an easy day, and that the way the events of the last 24 hours played out was not ideal. Experts were skeptical of the Justice Departments explanation. Greg Brower, formerly the FBIs top liaison to Congress and a former U.S. Attorney for Nevada, called the move bizarre and unprecedented in his experience. The whole story is obviously not known yet, but the AUSAs [Assistant United States Attorneys] who have withdrawn from the case obviously do know the whole story. We need to hear from them, he told The Daily Beast of the four prosecutors who withdrew. Paul Rosenzweig, formerly deputy assistant secretary for policy at the Department of Homeland Security, told The Daily Beast the DOJs decision should be triggering alarm bells. Three years ago, we predicted that Trumps destruction of norms relating to the rule of law would focus on the Department of Justice. Today that prediction came true. This is an abuse of power so gross as to warrant the gravest concern. Had we not just gone through an impeachment, I would suggest it as an impeachable offense, he said. Elie Honig, a former prosecutor in the Southern District of New York, shared Rosenzweigs concern. There are so many things wrong with this that its hard to know where to start. Trumps tweet was wildly inappropriate and undermined his own Justice Department. The Justice Department compounded the damage by reversing itself - which is virtually unheard of. And now the Justice Department doesnt even have the guts to take a specific stand, but instead contradicts its own career prosecutors while committing to nothing. I have real admiration for the courageous and principled prosecutors who resigned from the case or from DOJ. Stone, a self-described dirty trickster whose involvement with Republican Party campaigns goes back to Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, was convicted in November. A jury found he lied to, and withheld documents from, House Intelligence Committee investigators about his attempts to learn more about Democratic Party emails hacked by Russia to hurt Hillary Clintons presidential campaign. He also tried to pressure a witness, Randy Credico, to do the same. He will be sentenced on Feb. 20. During Stones trial, several former members of Trumps inner circle testified that they saw Stone as the campaigns access point to WikiLeaksa connection they hoped would produce more information on the websites plans to publish hacked DNC emails. Roger is an agent provocateur. Hes an expert in the tougher side of politics, when youre this far behind youre going to have to use every tool in the tool box, Steven Bannon, Trumps former chief strategist, testified. A jury found that Stone knowingly passed along information to the Trump campaign about the emails, then lied to House investigators about it. Stone was one of the first people to join Trumps campaign after he formally announced in June 2015. Although he left just two months later, several former officials testified Stone was still involved behind the scenes. Trump denied knowing anything about communications between Stone and WikiLeaks, a claim that flew in the face of testimony at the trial. 1028431016 Randy Credico and his dog Bianca arrive at court in September after being subpoenaed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller to testify against Roger Stone. Drew Angerer/Getty Jed and Zelinsky, two prosecutors who worked on Special Counsel Robert Muellers probe, signed off on the initial sentencing recommendation for Stone, along with Shea, whom Attorney General Bill Barr named as interim U.S. Attorney for Washington D.C. Judge to Roger Stone: Dont Play With Me Soon after the DOJs announcement, Zelinksy withdrew as an attorney and resigned effective immediately as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for District of Columbia, according to a court filing. He will still work in the U.S. attorneys office in Baltimore. Kravis, who previously worked in the White House Counsels office under President Barack Obama before returning to Justice and working on some of the cases Muellers team brought, told the judge on Tuesday afternoon that he had resigned as an Assistant United States Attorney and therefore no longer represented the government. Jed, another member of Muellers team, dropped out later in the afternoon. He signed a court filing that erroneously called him Aaron Jed and said he was leaving the case. Inside Muellers New Army Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here 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. Photo: Michel Curi/Flickr Read on for the most recent top news you may have missed in Jacksonville. Video of Jacksonville deputy punching, detaining fan at YK Osiris concert being reviewed by police A video circulating on social media shows JSO police officers detaining a fan at a meet-and-greet during a YK Osiris concert on Saturday at VyStar Veterans arena. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. Florida Republicans express anger over Jacksonville attack on Trump supporters registering voters Duval County Republican Chairman Dean Black got a little choked up Monday addressing the media. He and members of the local and state GOP gathered at party headquarters to discuss an attack on some of their volunteers Saturday at Walmart in the Sandalwood area. Read the full story on FIRST COAST NEWS. Jacksonville gets $93 million from feds for port deepening JaxPort calls it a milestone for the project that covers 11 miles of river and a "significant win for Jacksonville." Read the full story on FIRST COAST 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. Q uestion: I believe our managing agent is overcharging all tenants in my building. I have asked the agent to provide a breakdown of the finances but theyve been very reluctant to do so. Do I have a right to see this information? Answer: As a tenant under a residential lease you have a statutory right to seek from your landlord a summary of the service charges incurred in the previous accounting year, certified by a qualified accountant. You also have a right to see receipts and documentation supporting the contents of the summary. If your landlord refuses to volunteer a summary, you should serve them with a written request under s21 Landlord & Tenant Act 1985. The landlord then has up to six months to provide a summary, depending on how their accounting system is set up; failure to comply is a criminal offence. Where your landlord makes available facilities at which to inspect receipts and documents, these must be made available free of charge. If the agent has underperformed over a period of time, you and your fellow leaseholders may wish to acquire the freehold interest from your landlord, form a right to manage company, or apply to the Tribunal to appoint a new manager. These answers can only be a very brief commentary on the issues raised and should not be relied on as legal advice. No liability is accepted for such reliance. If you have similar issues, you should obtain advice from a solicitor. If you have a question for Piers King, email legalsolutions@standard.co.uk or write to Legal Solutions, Homes & Property, Evening Standard, 2 Derry Street, W8 5EE. Questions cannot be answered individually, but we will try to feature them here. MONACA, Pa. Farmers deal with a unique type of stress. It can be hard to deal with and harder to talk about with others. If [the farm] made it for six generations and made it through depressions and floods and hurricanes and droughts, and its going down on your watch, thats very tough to take for a lot of people, said state Sen. Elder Vogel, of New Sewickley. People from all corners of agriculture and healthcare gathered Feb. 6, at Penn State Beaver campus, to talk about the mental health needs of farmers and how best to connect them to services and resources that can help. The roundtable discussion was organized and led by Vogel, who is chair of the senate agriculture and rural affairs committee, and Russell Redding, Pennsylvanias secretary of agriculture. The group didnt solve all the problems, but it got the right people in the room to start the long overdue conversation. The more services, the more people we can get involved to look for these signs and tell them its not your fault, its not the end of the world, Vogel said. We quit milking cows in 2016 when my dad died. And I thought it was the end of the world. But the sun came up the next day, and the suns come up every day since. The roundtable was part of Gov. Tom Wolfs Reach Out PA: Your Mental Health Matters initiative, a multi-agency campaign launched in January to expand resources and support for mental health in the state. Under pressure One of the biggest issues is combating the stigma of seeking help in the first place. Then comes finding the best way to connect farmers with services. Not every path will work for every person. An appointment off farm during the day may be hard to keep, some people mentioned. As telemedicine becomes more advanced, that may be an avenue to help. People could meet with healthcare professionals virtually if leaving the farm is too difficult. Senate Bill 857, a telemedicine bill introduced by Vogel, passed the state senate in October and moved on to the state house. It would establish guidelines for who can provide telemedicine services and give clarity for insurance company reimbursements for those services. But that may not work for everyone, said Cynthia Pollich, with Penn State Extension. Some people may benefit more from being in a room with someone, whether that be formally at a therapists office or informally at an extension office or even the local feed store. That human connection, seeing someone across from you who is nodding their head and understands you, is important, she said. Come together Clifford Wallace, of Beaver-Lawrence Farm Bureau, suggested doing things that involve couples, as men may be more apt to engage if their spouse is there, or combined with other classes or meetings. If you want to get every farmer in our county, you do something at the pesticide update workshop because they all go, because they have to, he said. Others may benefit from informal gatherings, not structured meetings. Jess Peters, a dairy farmer from Crawford County, proposed meeting for a meal without an agenda or a speaker, just to socialize. She knows of a group in her town that meets at a church. Every once in a while one of these meetings will come along and Ill go and just talking to other people, I leave there feeling like a million dollars, Peters said. And sometimes thats enough of a stress release for a week or two weeks I milk every single day, and some days, all I see are my family and my cows. Peters said it can be hard for farmers to jump right from the farm to seeking help from a doctor or therapist. So maybe these meetings within the farming community can serve as a stepping stone to getting there. Jim Martin said the power of peer to peer support cant be underestimated. Martin is director of treatment services at Community Services Group, an agency, based in Lancaster County, that provides mental health and intellectual and developmental disability services. Martin said they can open their doors and advertise their services, but that still wont make people come. Talking to friends, neighbors and other farmers about struggles can normalize it, take away the stigma and encourage people to seek care. It aint easy Some of the challenges facing farmers is knowing what services are available to them in rural areas and then knowing and weighing the costs of those services. For some farmers who are already struggling to meet farm expenses, paying for weekly therapy sessions is not likely to happen. Additionally, many farmers are self-employed, and only carry the bare bones insurance coverage. Another issue is that mental health professionals dont always understand the unique stresses and situations that come with farming. It can make it hard for farmers to connect with their care provider. Frank Hartley, a dairy farmer from Lycoming County, gave an example where other people could switch industries and jobs if the stress of the job became too much. Its not that easy with farming. A sixth generation dairy farmer cant do that, he said. And that makes it a lot more of a challenge when youre working with people in agriculture. Its more than just a job. Its our life. Its a lifestyle. (Reporter Rachel Wagoner can be contacted at 800-837-3419 or rachel@farmanddairy.com.) Amynta Group has announced that PDP Group Amyntas managing general agency specializing in offering insurance and title administration services to auto dealerships will be offering a parametric hail insurance program. PDP Group has partnered with Hailsure Underwriting Managers to offer the new insurance program to auto dealers. A release said that Richard Duer, managing member of Hailsure, helped to develop the first parametric hail program in 2019 for auto dealers in Colorado. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 05:16:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese UN envoy on Tuesday called on the Security Council to review sanctions against Sudan in a timely manner and set up a roadmap for lifting the measures. Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, told the Security Council that China has alway supported the peace proces in Darfur of Sudan, and China welcomes the adoption of resolution 2508, which expressed the intention to regularly review the measures. China has always believed that sanctions are not an end but a means and should always serve the political settlement of relevant issues, said the Chinese envoy, adding that the council should review sanctions against Sudan in a timely manner, and set up a roadmap for lifting sanctions in the light of the latest developments. The UN Security Council on Tuesday unanimously adopted a resolution extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the Sudan Sanctions Committee until March 12, 2021. The western Sudanese region of Darfur has been plagued by a war between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population since 2003. In 2004, the United Nations imposed an arms embargo on the region. One of the big and major events of 2020, Oscars i.e. 92nd Academy Awards ceremony took place on Sunday, February 9, 2020, at the Dolby Theatre Hollywood & Highland Center in Hollywood, CA. The event was telecasted live in India at 6:30 am on Monday, February 10. To know who one the Oscars 2020, viewers were glued to their television screens and watched it. Not only fans but also celebrities too showed their excitement on social media platforms. However, Sunny Leone was clueless about it. Recently, at an event, when Sunny Leone was asked about her opinion on Oscars 2020, she expressed her shock and could believe that the event has already happened. In this video, shocked Sunny can be seen saying, "Oscars are happening now? Or is it over? I live under a rock in Juhu. I thought it was happening now. I am sorry." Apart from that, when she was asked about who will be the winner of Bigg Boss 13, she said, "I don't know who is going to win, I cannot even guess who will win. But I am so happy that I got to be a part of the show. When I went in there, there was complete chaos. There was a huge fight that happened right before I went in. So they were all with a sad face already, so it was really hard to tell about their personality but we had a good time." For those who are unaware, Sunny Leone had brought a surprise birthday cake for Salman Khan on the sets of Bigg Boss 13 in December. The actress has been in the show's season 5 as a contestant. She will next be seen in Malayalam film Rangeela and Tamil film Veeramadevi. Also Read : Bigg Boss 13: Has Asim Riaz Bagged Bollywood Film Opposite Sunny Leone? Thousands of students at Edinburgh University have voted to reject proposals to ban beef in all student union run outlets. A motion to cease the sale of all beef products in Students Association cafes and restaurants was debated on 30 January. At that meeting, the motion received 76 votes in favour, 73.5 votes against, and 5 abstentions. The vote then went to online ballot on Friday 7 February after the meeting failed to pass the threshold of at least 50% of votes in favour. Some 6,000 students took part in the online poll, and the results were announced on Monday. Over half (58%) voted against the motion which would of seen beef removed from the menu. In a statement, the Edinburgh University Students Association said We are pleased that nearly 6,000 of you students voted, showing a highly engaged student membership who want to have their say. The final result was that 58 per cent of students voted against the motion, and as a result the Student's Association will continue to offer beef products as an option in our cafes, restaurants, and shops. The debate took an interesting turn last week, when one third-year student offered to buy steaks for fellow students who pledged to vote against it. The Countryside Alliance responded to the result, applauding the majority of students who rejected this 'illogical' motion. Mo Metcalf-Fisher a spokesman for the rural group, said: We are so fortunate to have a sustainable livestock farming industry in the UK, which should be applauded and celebrated - not demonised. Universities should be buying and selling grass-fed, British red meat. The motion follows moves from the University of Cambridge to stop the sale of beef claiming that that a reduction in consumption can help to reduce the carbon footprint. However a Freedom of Information request revealed some hypocrisy, as the university had spent millions of pounds on over 17,000 flights in 3.5 years, the same length of time it had implemented a red meat ban citing a need to lower carbon emissions. In response, the Countryside Alliance and British farmers organised a letter to the universitys vice chancellor, which called on the ban to be reversed in favour of purchasing sustainable, red meat from local farmers. It follows similar circumstances at the University of East Anglia, which voted last year to ban beef from its student union outlets in a bid to become more environmentally friendly. However, this ban was overturned in December 2019 after students labelled the decision 'wrong and undemocratic', with many highlighting flaws in the justification for the ban. Advertisement By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 10, 2020 | PADUCAH By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 10, 2020 | 06:31 PM | PADUCAH A Paducah Middle School student was removed from class Monday and charged by police after a reported threat. According to a press release from Paducah Public Schools, the student made verbal threats during afternoon classes. When the threat was reported to administrators, the teen was removed from class, student statements were taken and the incident was reported to the Paducah Police Department. A press release from police says they came to the school just after noon. They learned that several students and a teacher heard the boy say he would bring a gun to school and shoot people who were telling him to be quiet. The student was charged with 2nd-degree terroristic threatening and was taken to the McCracken County Juvenile Detention Facility. School officials say that after investigating, police said it was safe for students to attend classes on Tuesday. Parents and guardians were notified of the threat by the school district's automated messaging system. District policy says that any pupil who threatens, assaults, batters or abuses another pupil shall be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including suspension or expulsion. By ANI PARIS: A member of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has said the Pakistani military establishment has been supporting the Taliban and using them against India and Afghanistan. Mustafa Miakheil said that hundreds of madrasas exist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa where the Taliban gets training under the patronage of the Pakistani Army. "Many madrasas are located in Peshawar like the Haqqani madrasa, where some 10 lakh people come to study. When they come out, they engage in terror activities in Kashmir and Kabul. In Pakistan, there are 400 big madrasas. Every year, 200 to 300 Taliban passed out from each madrasa. Who is sponsoring them? It is the army!" Miakheil said. The Pakistan Army claims to have launched operations against the Taliban in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the war against terror. However, civilians are being targeted in those areas while the Taliban breathes free, the activist said. "The situation there (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) is very bad. There are no media. We don't get our rights as Pakistan do not consider as its citizen. We say that we are Pakistanis; they say no, you are `traitors'. We say that we love this country, but they don't believe us. This has been continuing for the past 70 years. Pakistan Army has killed some 70,000 people in the tribal areas. It bombarded our houses. Everything is destroyed there," he added. The Pashtuns have been holding protests in parts of Pakistan and the rest of the world to raise their voice against brutalities by the Pakistani establishment. Recently, security forces arrested PTM chief Manzoor Pashteen for raising voice against the Army over targeting, abducting, and killing the Pashtuns. "Over 70 thousand Pashtuns live as refugees. Some 4-5 million tribal Pashtuns are living away of their houses. We have crude oil and gold reserves, but it is all captured by the army. The army supports the Taliban and then carries out attacks in that area to disburse people" Mustafa noted. Pashtuns make up the majority of the population along the border with Afghanistan. Since 2002, militant violence has forced more than five million people in Pakistan's north-west to leave their homes to seek refuge either in government-run refugee camps or rented houses in peaceful areas. There are no official figures of the total death toll of this war but estimates from academics, local authorities and activists put the number of civilians, militants and security forces killed at well over 50,000. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 21:19:05|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISTANBUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Turkish prosecutors on Tuesday issued detention warrants for 28 suspects over their alleged links to a network believed to be behind a coup attempt in 2016, the state-run Anadolu agency reported. Police launched simultaneous operations in four provinces across the country, including Istanbul and the capital Ankara, upon the order of the Chief Public Prosecutor's Office in Istanbul, said the report. So far, 14 people have been detained in operations, Anadolu added. The suspects allegedly contacted the network headed by U.S.-based Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen via an encrypted mobile phone application, the agency noted. The Turkish government blames Gulen and his network for being behind the failed coup in July 2016, in which 250 people were killed. Fahrettin Altun, communication director of the Turkish presidency, on Tuesday said that Turkey's struggle against the network would continue until it is completely eliminated. Hong Kong: CE urges co-operation in virus fight (To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.) Chief Executive Carrie Lam has called on citizens to fully co-operate and participate in the fight against the novel coronavirus by staying at home as much as possible, particularly those subject to the Governments compulsory quarantine order. Mrs Lam made the appeal ahead of the Executive Council meeting this morning, after some residents were found to have breached their 14-day quarantine. In order to fight this virus, Hong Kong needs the full co-operation and active participation of every member of society. This is a time for social cohesion. This is a time for every one of us to display civic responsibility. She also acknowledged the difficulties in not going out for the full two weeks, but reminded those under quarantine that they were doing a service to the fight against the virus by staying at home, adding that she hoped they were not deliberately refusing to comply. They may have some personal reasons for wanting to go out for a while. So once we catch them we will issue a warning and then we may put the wristbands on them and we may send them to the quarantine centre, so that there is a better assurance that they will comply. Anyone who breaches the compulsory quarantine is subject to a fine of $25,000 and imprisonment for six months. These people will have to shoulder criminal liabilities if they do not comply with the conditions in the quarantine order. Like many other things, there are consequences for non-compliance. But if the individuals do not mind, they are willing to shoulder the criminal liabilities for not complying, then of course we will have to do the law enforcement actions. Mrs Lam also pointed out that the Government was providing quarantined residents with as much support as possible. We will do all we can through the various means to check their compliance. By using the WhatsApp software, by calling them up and also by random spot checks to their homes by the relevant officers. And we will continue to do so. If they need support, and hence, they need to go out, then they could call our hotlines. The colleagues in the Home Affairs Department are running 37 hotlines and the Social Welfare Department has mobilised over 100 colleagues and volunteers to provide services like meals and medicine and other things. The Chief Executive also reiterated the Governments appeal for the public to avoid some social interactions and activities to prevent a community-wide outbreak of novel coronavirus infection. At the moment, we are making this appeal, we are not going for compulsory closures because Hong Kong is a free society. I believe that many of these operators are already taking very strong precautionary measures, that while they are opening their venues for business they are also very concerned about infection. This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Prime minister Boris Johnson unveiled cash for bus and cycle schemes ahead of an HS2 announcement. (Hollie Adams/Getty Images) Boris Johnson has announced HS2 will get the go-ahead, as part of a wider announcement on transport including more services and cheaper fares for bus passengers. The prime minister threw his weight behind the controversial north-south line in a statement in parliament on Tuesday, as part of a transport revolution. He acknowledged poor management but said it did not undermine the case for HS2 in boosting capacity, journey times and regional prosperity. Johnson also unveiled 5bn ($6.5bn) of bus and cycle funding outside London, with plans for more frequent services, 4,000 new zero-emission buses, and simpler, more affordable fares. Dozens of mini-Holland bike schemes are planned for town centres, with 250 miles of new separated cycle lanes. Read more: Government underestimated HS2 risks as 106bn line on the brink Costs have spiralled and timetables over-ran on Britains new high-speed line, with officials accused by a watchdog of under-estimating complexity and risks. The launch date for the first phase between London and Birmingham has slid from 2026 to 2031. Preparation work at more than 250 locations has already cost the government at least 7.4bn, but construction has not begun. A leaked government review suggests costs could balloon to 106bn, compared to an initial budget of 32.7bn at 2011 prices. The project has attracted widespread criticism among many Conservative MPs, while campaigners also fear significant environmental damage. But the potential benefits of the line for business and commuters in better connecting the UK mean it enjoys widespread support among many business and political leaders across Britain. It's time to stop debating and start delivering the new capacity and connections that HS2 will bring to our communities and businesses, said British Chamber of Commerce director general Adam Marshall. The governments announcement on bus investment was welcomed by transport campaign groups after years of government cuts to local bus funding. A study last year found more than 3,000 routes had been cut or abolished. Story continues Read more: War of words over HS2 as expert claims costs 'out of control' This is a significant step change from the government and welcome news for communities up and down the country who have borne the brunt of poor or non-existent local public transport in recent years, said Darren Shirley, chief executive of the Campaign for Better Transport. But Labours shadow transport secretary Andy McDonald said the proposals were nowhere near enough to reverse the damage from years of under-investment. By David Richmond LONDON Niger's government is sounding the alarm about bogus meningitis vaccines and it is not the first time. Five years ago, hundreds of Nigerien people died after receiving fake vaccines. The problem, of course, is not vaccines. It is the widespread distribution of substandard and falsified medical products. And it is a problem that disproportionately affects Africa. The global market for medicines that are substandard (failing to meet quality specifications) or falsified (with the composition, identity, or source deliberately misrepresented) is estimated to be worth up to $200 billion, or 10-15 percent of the total pharmaceutical market. But it could be much bigger: According to the World Health Organization, which relies largely on voluntary reporting by health-care professionals, we may know about "just a small fraction" of all cases. What we do know is that the problem is particularly acute in Africa. In 2013-2017, 42 percent of substandard and falsified medicines found were on the continent. This is undermining Africa's hard-won progress on health, not least by eroding trust in nascent health-care systems. Needless to say, the use of substandard or falsified medicines which range from ineffective to poisonous can have devastating consequences, with the poorest and most vulnerable being hit the hardest. After all, it is those with limited funds and poor access to medical professionals and quality health care who are most likely to buy discounted medicines on the streets, where there is no guarantee that they are real, let alone of high quality. Ultimately, this can result in much higher costs for victims, who must pay more to treat the original illness once it has progressed further, as well as for any side effects from the fake medication, if they survive at all. A 2015 study estimated that, in Sub-Saharan Africa, 122,000 children under the age of five had died in just one year as a result of substandard or falsified antimalarial medications. Moreover, since people don't know what they are taking, let alone the proper dose, falsified and substandard medicines contribute to rising antimicrobial resistance a trend that doesn't discriminate between rich and poor. Yet fake-medicine traffickers have little incentive to stop. It is estimated that every $1,000 traffickers "invest" in counterfeit medicines can yield as much as $450,000 in profit. That margin is 10-25 times larger than that enjoyed by sellers of illicit narcotics. And those massive rewards are not counterbalanced by significant risk. Even when caught, fake-medicine traffickers often avoid prison time. They merely pay a fine and get back to business. Like narcotics trafficking, however, it is a business that depends on and reinforces broader criminal activity, including that of terrorist groups. In fact, fake medicines are trafficked through the same organized-crime networks as illicit drugs and weapons. These networks destabilize communities and countries, particularly in already-fragile regions like the Sahel. Fortunately, seven African countries Gambia, Ghana, Niger, the Republic of Congo, Senegal, Togo, and Uganda are set to take action to address the scourge of fake medicine. This month, the Brazzaville Foundation, of which I am chief executive, will bring together the heads of these states in Lome, Togo, to sign a political declaration and a legally binding agreement committing them to introduce legislation to this end. The agreement will include a clear timetable, and demand tough new criminal penalties. Furthermore, recognizing the critical importance of rigorous enforcement, it will include provisions on capacity building, including community engagement, and on coordination among government agencies. As such, it will lay the groundwork for a broader campaign to ensure that all citizens have access to quality health care, including safe and effective medicines. The Lome Initiative represents an historic opportunity to step up the fight against the trade in substandard and fake medicines. But to subdue this deadly business, which claims hundreds of thousands of African lives every year, more of the continent's leaders must join the fight. And the international community must support them. Some international actors have embraced this imperative. Beyond the WHO, the Council of Europe has created the MEDICRIME Convention, the first international treaty against counterfeit medical products and similar crimes involving threats to public health. And the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has produced a guide to good legislative practices for combating falsified medical product-related crime. But more must be done, and the Lome Initiative can go a long way toward ensuring that it is. To minimize the risks that fake medicines pose to us all, the world must offer its support. David Richmond is chief executive of the Brazzaville Foundation, an independent London-based charity that focuses on African issues. His commentary was distributed by Project Syndicate ( Today was a huge victory for this merger, John Legere, the chief executive of T-Mobile, said in a statement on Tuesday. Known for his exuberant and often pugnacious leadership style, Mr. Legere made use of the court decision to take aim at AT&T and Verizon, using a special sobriquet for each: Look out, Dumb and Dumber and Big Cable we are coming for you and you havent seen anything yet! Marcelo Claure, the executive chairman of Sprint, said the court decision validates our view that this merger is in the best interests of the U.S. economy and American consumers. Letitia James, the New York attorney general and a key plaintiff in the case, warned on Tuesday that the deal would harm consumers. Ms. James, who has argued that the merger would cost subscribers at least $4.5 billion annually, called the ruling a loss for every American who relies on their cellphone for work, to care for a family member and to communicate with friends. She added that the deal was always about massive corporate profits over all else. T-Mobile and Sprint have said they do not plan to raise prices for at least three years. Ms. James left open the possibility of an appeal, adding that her office will continue to fight the kind of consumer-harming megamergers. One potential snag remains: The California Public Utilities Commission, which governs telecommunications services in the state, has yet to sign off on the merger plan. Consumer groups in California have argued that T-Mobiles pledge to deliver faster service at affordable prices is unrealistic. A delayed ignition event associated with a leak of highly volatile compounds from the Mariner East 2 pipeline anywhere in Delaware County would likely encompass a large amount of people, according to written testimony provided to the state Public Utility Commission by Delaware County Emergency Services Director Tim Boyce. Boyces comments came as part of an ongoing formal complaint filed with the PUC by seven Delaware County residents in November 2018 against Sunoco Pipeline L.P. alleging the company failed to give the public adequate notice of procedures to follow in the event of a leak, as required by federal regulations. A Sunoco spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment by press time Tuesday. The Mariner East 2 is a 306-mile pipeline that will carry 275,000 barrels per day of primarily propane, butane and ethane once fully implemented. About 11.4 miles of the 20-inch natural gas liquid pipeline is in Delaware County, stretching down through Thornbury, Edgmont, Middletown, Aston, Chester Township and Upper Chichester before arriving at its destination in Marcus Hook. Texas-based G2 Integrated Solutions, which performed a risk evaluation for Delaware County last year, found that individual fatality risk levels estimated for ME2 fall within a range of other common risk sources, such as a traffic accident, house fire, or fall down the stairs. But Michael Bomstein, the attorney representing the Delaware County residents in the PUC complaint, said Tuesday that there is an important distinction between whether the event occurs and what would likely happen if it does occur. Bomstein said his clients concede that the likelihood of injury from rupture might fall below something like an automobile accident, but there are hundreds of examples of leaks that range from a few gallons to an amount powerful enough to level a house. There are just a lot of instances that show were not nuts here, he said. If it happens to occur and you happen to be close, the outcome could be catastrophic. Bomstein said Sunoco has not adequately informed the public about the risks of things like burning and death with its public awareness program safety flyers, which advise the public to leave the area immediately on foot if they suspect a leak. Boyce said in his testimony that that is not a plausible plan for anyone, at any time, regardless of weather conditions or time of day. They do not adequately inform the public of the true dangers of a possible Mariner East pipeline accident, including the likelihood of burns and fatalities prior to the time first responders could arrive, said Boyce. With respect to emergency communications, our emergency notification system is very good but it takes time to operate. By the time our first responders arrive at the scene of an accident, it could easily be the case that burns and fatalities already have occurred. State Sen. Tom Killion, R-9 of Middletown, also recently decried Sunocos failure to disclose information to emergency management officials in his own testimony for a separate case involving the PUC and Sunoco. Killion noted Sunoco provided an emergency management plan to Chester County last year that was approximately 95 percent redacted, which he called effectively worthless. He is the prime sponsor of Senate Bill 284, which would mandate that pipeline operators provide emergency response plans to PUC for sharing with county emergency services agencies in confidentiality in order to coordinate pipeline incident responses. Boyce noted in his testimony that unlike methane released from a natural gas line, which is lighter than air and would quickly disperse, the products moving through ME2 are heavier than air and tend to concentrate near the ground. As they are released, they would form essentially a low-lying cloud that would flow downwind and downhill into low-lying areas. Due to their highly volatile nature, Boyce said the materials would continue to escape from the impacted pipeline segment until all of the material in the failed segment is released, even after emergency shutoff valves had been activated elsewhere. The cloud can move and flow along the ground for long distances while remaining in the combustible range, said Boyce in his comments. Any ignition source, of which there are many in densely populated Delaware County, can ignite the entire cloud and flash back to the point of release. An ignition event can occur explosively and with lethal overpressure, for which buildings do not provide protection. An unignited vapor cloud presents an extreme hazard to life and property for anyone in or near it. George Alexander, spokesman for Del-Chesco United for Pipeline Safety, told the PUC in May that this flammable cloud could be over a mile long and half a mile wide, as confirmed by the Delaware County risk assessment. The population density, combined with the size of the flammable cloud that would be produced, creates the potential for hundreds of buildings to be set on fire simultaneously and thousands of casualties, if the pipeline should rupture, said Alexander. There are no credible emergency response plans for such a situation. Under U.S. Census data, Delaware County has a population greater than 564,000 with an average density of more than 3,000 people per square mile. The county also has population densities in areas like schools, apartment complexes and nursing homes, Boyce said. In the event of a large, unignited vapor cloud, Boyce said the public in harms way is its own first responder. The only option for them is on-foot, self-evacuation, in the correct direction, assuming they are able to do so, he said. I am confident that a large release of HVLs in Delaware County will find an ignition source, so any such self-evacuation must be rapid to have any hope of success. But rapid evacuation of a hospital or nursing home without injury or death is simply unrealistic even in the absence of a rupture, Boyce said, and those able-bodied members of the public who are able to flee on foot would not have any indication of which way to go or when they might be out of harms way without a portable combustible vapor detector. Most members of the public dont see on-foot self-evacuation as something they can realistically accomplish, especially at night or during inclement weather, said Boyce. I believe people who are capable of doing so will run away from a fire. But it is virtually impossible for the public to accurately assess the size, shape, and extreme hazard associated with an unignited combustible vapor cloud. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 13:05:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China encourages the public to supervise charitable activities, said an official with the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature. Any organization or individual can report illegal charitable activities to civil affairs authorities, charity associations or other relevant authorities, said Guo Linmao, an official with the Legislative Affairs Commission of the NPC Standing Committee. Guo made the remarks in response to questions on irregularities, misdeeds and the lack of transparency in the handling of donated funds and items during the novel coronavirus outbreak. According to Chinese law, civil affairs departments have the responsibility to supervise and inspect charitable activities, including those of the Red Cross societies. "The Red Cross societies should improve transparency and invite public supervision," Guo said. Chinese law also stipulates that charities must not arbitrarily change the use of donated funds and items or designate interested parties as beneficiaries. The handling of donated funds and items must also respect the will of donors. Those who break the law in charitable activities will be punished in accordance with the law, particularly those who secretly distribute, embezzle, intercept or misappropriate donated funds and items, Guo said, adding that the violators could receive administrative, civil or criminal penalties. Oil fell below $50 a barrel to the lowest level in more than a year as prospects for an emergency meeting by OPEC+ withered, raising fears of a supply glut at the same time that the coronavirus is hitting global demand. Futures tumbled 1.5% in New York on Monday. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries is unlikely meet in February to discuss the impact of the conoravirus on oil markets, Azerbaijans energy minister told the RIA Novosti newswire -- leaving the possibility of further production cuts up in the air. Brents so-called red spread -- the difference between December contracts in consecutive years -- sank into bearish contango for the first time since August. This virus has been a shock to the system and the market is waiting to see what happens with OPEC+, said Scott Bauer, CEO of Prosper Trading Academy in Chicago. WTI is nearing the critical $48 support level. Brent spreads have dived from highs in January. Its the perfect storm. PRODUCTION: Drilling rig count remains flat near three-year low OPEC and its allies have struggled to reach a consensus on how to respond to the outbreak in Asia that has sent oil prices plunging to one-year lows and crimped demand. A committee of technical experts proposed curbing production by an additional 600,000 barrels a day during the second quarter. Saudi Arabia has been the strongest advocate for the proposal with support from Iran and Bahrain. Russia, the biggest crude producer within the group, has not yet announced whether it will back the policy. Warning Signs The structure of the futures market also revealed concerning signs of oversupply as the discount on prompt crude now extends all the way through to October contracts. Weve seen a meltdown since the beginning of January, said Muhammed Ghulam, senior associate at Raymond James. Most if not all of the declines are driven by the coronavirus and spreads are indicating demand is very weak. FUEL FIX: Our energy news. Your inbox. A perfect combination. West Texas Intermediate crude for March lost 75 cents to settle at $49.57 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Brent for April delivery fell $1.20 to settle at $53.27 a barrel on the London-based ICE Futures Europe exchange putting the premium over WTI at $3.49. The coronviruss death toll has now exceeded that of SARS in 2002-2003. The outbreak has cut Chinese oil demand by 3.2 million barrels a day, industry consultant FGE said in a note. The country may need to cut crude imports by as much as 1.1 million barrels a day on average over the next four months, according to IHS Markit Ltd. --With assistance from Saket Sundria and Elizabeth Low. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. LONG BEACH, Calif. and SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Universal Technical Institute (UTI), the nation's leading provider of transportation technician training, today announced two new California-based programs to address the state's strong need for skilled workers. The new Early Employment and Welding Technology offerings build on the success of several other recently launched programs in California, including the BMW Military Student Technician Education Program (MSTEP), which trains service members on-base at Camp Pendleton, and allows them to immediately enter careers at BMW dealers as they transition to civilian life. UTI's Welding Technology Program at the Rancho Cucamonga campus opened in 2018. For more than two decades, UTI's industry-aligned training has helped California employers meet ever-increasing demand for skilled talent and contributed to keeping the state's economy moving. From UTI campuses in Rancho Cucamonga, Sacramento and Long Beach , California employers have hired more than 13,000 UTI graduates since 2009.1 UTI's strong industry and employer partnerships in California include Axalta, BMW, Caliber Collision, Crown Lift Trucks, Crown Technical Systems, Eli's Collision Centers, Ford, General Dynamics, Infiniti, Lexus, Lincoln Electric, Penske Automotive Group, Penske Truck Leasing, Peterbilt, Roush Yates Engines and Rush Truck Center, among others. "We work with our employer partners to develop and implement industry-aligned programs that graduate prepared, professional technicians who are ready to work," said Jerome Grant, chief executive officer of UTI. "These two programs give students hands-on real-world training, along with the hard and soft skills to enter the workforce in demand with confidence." Demand for skilled automotive and diesel technicians is strong. The U.S. Department of Labor estimates that, by 2026, there will be more than 1.2 million job openings (100,000 per year on average) in the transportation sector.2 UTI's Early Employment Program is a unique solution. It marries proven post-secondary skills education with on-the-job training. When the program launches, students will apply for local jobs with participating employers as soon as they enroll at UTI's Sacramento campus. The program is designed to immerse students in an apprenticeship-like experience, so they graduate already knowing the culture and processes of their employers, even better positioned to hit the ground running in fulltime industry jobs. Graduates who meet their employers' criteria will also receive reimbursement of school-related expenses and possible other incentives. "The Early Employment Program fast-tracks the engagement between students who could greatly benefit from a technical education and the employers who want to hire them," said Tess Dubois-Carey, UTI-Sacramento campus president. "Students can earn a living and gain industry-specific experience while they're in school, and that is invaluable." UTI's 36-week Welding Technology Program prepares students for certification via the American Welding Society. The program is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and gives students the skills to work in the transportation, construction, structural, pipe and fabrication industries. Welders are increasingly sought after in industries ranging from automotive fabrication and motorsports to aerospace, energy and manufacturing, and are particularly in demand for major infrastructure projects such as ports and dams, bridges and highways. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that there will be more than 488,000 job openings for welders by the year 2028.3 "We are thrilled to be the fifth UTI campus to welcome a welding program," said Larry Hohl, UTI-Long Beach campus president. "The opportunities for skilled welders are plentiful and varied, as welders enjoy the freedom to move from one industry to another, depending on where demand is the greatest." To speak with a campus representative in Long Beach or Sacramento about the Welding Technology or Early Employment programs, please call (800) 834-7308 or visit uti.edu . About Universal Technical Institute, Inc. With more than 220,000 graduates in its 54-year history, Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (NYSE: UTI) is the nation's leading provider of technical training for automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians, and offers welding technology and computer numerical control (CNC) machining programs. The company has built partnerships with industry leaders, outfits its state-of-the-industry facilities with current technology, and delivers training that is aligned with employer needs. Through its network of 13 campuses nationwide, UTI offers post-secondary programs under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute (UTI), Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute (MMI) and NASCAR Technical Institute (NASCAR Tech). The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit uti.edu . Company Contact: Jody Kent Vice President, Communications and Public Affairs Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (623) 445-0872 [email protected] 1 Above data represents UTI graduates from January 1, 2009 to June 13, 2019. UTI tracks graduates' first job as students graduate and leave UTI. The above data does not include hiring of UTI graduates beyond their first job out of school. 2 Source: Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2016-2026), www.bls.gov . The projected number of annual job openings, by job classification is: Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics, 75,900; Bus and Truck Mechanics and Diesel Engine Specialists, 28,300; Automotive Body and Related Repairers, 17,200. Job openings include openings due to growth and net replacements. 3 Based on data compiled from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employment Projections (2018-2028), www.bls.gov, viewed September 10, 2019. The projected number of annual job openings, by job classification is: Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers, 48,800. Job openings include openings due to growth and net replacements. SOURCE Universal Technical Institute, Inc. Related Links http://www.uti.edu Russia is still reviewing the recommendation of the OPEC+ technical panel for additional cuts of 600,000 bpd in response to the slump in oil demand over the coronavirus outbreak, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday, as Moscow continues to avoid a direct comment on last weeks proposal that the OPEC+ coalition deepen the production cuts. Last week, the technical panel of the OPEC+ group recommended extending the oil production cuts agreed last December to the end of 2020, the current president of OPEC, Algerias oil minister, said on Sunday. The panel also recommended deeper cutsof 600,000 bpdto last until the end of Q2. Russia, however, has asked for time to review the proposal at home and as of Tuesday, it was still studying it. Russia is following closely the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the global energy markets. The situation remains highly uncertain, Novak said today, as carried by Russias news agency TASS. Russia is now carefully studying the recommendation of the technical committee in order to assess the situation on the market and take a balanced approach based on the interest of the market as a whole, the Russian energy minister added, not revealing too much about Russias position on the proposal to deepen the production cuts. Representatives of Russian oil companies will meet with Novak on Wednesday, February 12, to discuss the OPEC+ deal, two sources with knowledge of the plan for the meeting told TASS on Tuesday. Russian companies have discussed the OPEC+ production cuts with Novak ahead of previous OPEC+ meetings and decisions. Oil firms in Russia have long balked at continued production cuts, arguing that the cuts hinder their production expansion plans, while giving more market share to U.S. shale. The OPEC+ technical panel will meet again before the ministerial meeting of OPEC and its Russia-led allies currently set for March 5-6, OPEC sources told TASS on Tuesday. At the panel meeting, Russia is expected to tell its partners its position on whether deeper cuts are necessary in Q2 to mitigate the impact of the coronavirus on oil demand. By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: The next government must urgently install a new digital watchdog to protect children online and regulate the industry, leading charities have said. Child and sexual violence support groups called for a review of resources required for gardai to investigate child sex abuse imagery and exploitation. The calls were made on Safer Internet Day 2020 by Barnardos, Children's Rights Alliance, CyberSafe Ireland, Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, One in Four, the ISPCC and SpunOut.ie. The charities said online safety was the child protection issue of our time and called for progress on regulation, empowerment/education and enforcement in the first 100 days of the next administration. The charities called for a five-year digital safety strategy, involving: Publication of a general scheme of bill establishing a digital safety commissioner Digital rights and online safety to be central to the forthcoming Children and Young People's Strategy, with an implementation team and budget Digital literacy programmes in schools and the youth sector to be implemented nationwide over the lifetime of the government Resourcing the gardai to investigate child sex abuse imagery, involving a review of current resources Suzanne Connolly, Chief Executive of Barnardos, said: The next Government needs to recognise the importance of prevention and early intervention, and the need to empower children and parents through education. Chief Executive of ISPCC, John Church, said: It is vital that the next Programme for Government commits to implementing measures including the establishment of an Office of Digital Safety Commissioner. ISPCC Childline is acutely aware of the long-term and devastating consequences which harmful online content, for example, can have on children and young people. Jack Deacon, Deputy Director of SpunOut.ie said: A digital or online safety commissioner is urgently required to both regulate the online space, make it a safer place for our children and young people, and coordinate an effective education programme for children and parents. Alex Cooney, CEO of CyberSafeIreland said: The fact that our latest survey data reveals that almost a third of young children have been upset by material encountered online should be a wakeup call to whoever emerges in government that we must get to grips with childrens internet use. "There have been encouraging promises made in parties election manifestos, but the proof of their commitment will be seeing these translated into a Programme for Government with clear action points and timelines. Last month, the outgoing Government published the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, including provisions for an online safety commissioner. Malis President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has said that his government is open to talks with jihadists as part of an inclusive national dialogue. President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita (IBK) told RFI he instructed his high representative in central Mali, former President Diacounda Traore, to listen to everybody, including those who are effectively in control. It is my duty to explore all possible avenues to reach some kind of peace as the death rate in the Sahel is increasing continuously, said Keita. Having repeatedly rejected contact with islamist insurgents, President Keita has now agreed that Traore should meet jihadist leaders, Amadou Koufa and Iyad Ag Ghali. The two jihadists were prominent leaders of the Malian extremist group Ansar Dine before a French-led military intervention in 2013. They now operate under the banner of an al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM. Traore is also to identify who within the jihadist entourage might be inclined to reason. IBK said his government is doing what his people expressed in a sort of Afghan-like Loya Jirga assembly. I am not that naive. We dont think that suddenly all doors will open, IBK added. But neither are we closed off to dialogue. Rancour against France In the past six years, there has been no official government representative in the northern town of Kidal. Troops including regular army soldiers and re-integrated combatants from armed groups are now moving to the region. Renowned musician Salif Keita and politicians have regularly supported anti-France demonstrations in Mali. To the extent that it was said the French government wondered whether the protests were not used to deflect attention from the shortcomings of the Malian government. I think that Emmanuel Macron knows me sufficiently well and will not entertain the idea that I am capable of such duplicity, said IBK. Where would we be without Serval today? referring to the French military units which were operational in the Sahel until replaced in 2014 by the multi-national Barkhane force. Story continues IBK added that the withdrawal of foreign forces from Mali would be damaging for Mali. The Malian President thinks that the United States might reconsider pulling out from the country. The Americans are not deployed on the ground but provide invaluable intelligence and support to the French army stationed there with its drones, logistics and aerial refuelling for allied troops. I was told that a special envoy for the Sahel will soon be nominated, said President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita. That is a positive sign. The Architecture, Construction, and Engineering Mentor Program of Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia held its annual awards banquet, giving student participants a chance to present the work they have done over the fall semester program. ACE is an after-school mentoring program that gives high school students the opportunity to meet with architects, engineers, and builders to learn about careers in the design and construction industry. Students gain experience in working on a real-world project and compete for scholarships to pursue an ACE career beyond high school. This years student project focused on redeveloping a historic, vacant school into a workforce development center for career awareness, training and business education in the construction industry. Students were tasked with developing a program, budget, floor plans, exterior elevations and other drawings/models to clearly define their proposal. Four local high schools - Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, Howard High School, East Ridge High School and Lafayette High School embraced the project and sent teams to work on the assignment. Two open teams, one meeting at EMJ Corporation and the other at Tinker Ma Inc., included students from other various local schools. The winning team consisted of students from the Chattanooga School of Arts and Sciences. Team CSASs presentation was well delivered. Twelve students divided into four groups to construct a training center, business center and vocation center on the campus, bringing each concept together to create a location that students believe that peers would want to come. Panelists Sarah Page of Franklin Architects and current AIA President, Nic Cornelison of P&C Construction and current AGC East Tennessee chairman, and David Hudson of Artech Design Group were impressed with the groups collaboration and focus on community impact, particularly references to the Glass House Collective initiative and pointedly bringing art into the project as well. Following team presentations scholarships totaling $16,000 were awarded to four ACE students. Sydney Morris of CSAS received the Bruce Simonson/AIA Scholarship, Anderson White of McCallie received the EMJ Scholarship, Jace Holt of McCallie received the AGC East Tennessee Scholarship, and John Lazenby of CSAS received the ACE Mentor Program Scholarship. John Lazenby has also been selected to compete for the CMiC- Allen Berg Memorial Scholarship through the National ACE Mentor Program. ACE is actively recruiting architect, engineer, and construction mentors for the 2020-2021 program. To become a mentor, please register at www.acementor.org. The #1 new super premium American whiskey brand* is now available in the United Kingdom, Germany and beyond NASHVILLE, Tennessee, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Heaven's Door, a collection of American whiskeys created by Bob Dylan and Spirits Investment Partners, is expanding its global presence into the United Kingdom and Germany. Introduced stateside in 2018, Heaven's Door has been lauded on a global scale since inception, garnering top awards in premier spirits competitions, including the 2019 London Spirits Competition, where Heaven's Door Double Barrel Whiskey was named "Whisky of The Year," "Spirit of The Year by Quality," "Spirit of The Year by Value," and "Best in Show." With an ever-increasing demand from consumers and retailers alike, particularly Dylan's established fan base overseas, Heaven's Door is excited to now enter the European market with its inaugural trio of American whiskeys. "This is an exciting milestone for us as we bring Heaven's Door to the U.K. and Germany, where Bob Dylan kicked off his first ever European tour more than 55 years ago," said Marc Bushala, CEO of Heaven's Door Spirits. First introduced two years ago to wide acclaim, and with more than 35 global awards amassed in that short amount of time, Heaven's Door is the perfect melding of art and craft. The Heaven's Door international portfolio includes a Tennessee Straight Bourbon (84 proof, 700ml), Double Barrel Whiskey (100 proof, 700ml) and Straight Rye Whiskey finished in cigar barrels from Vosges, France (86 proof, 700ml). Each bottle features design elements from Bob Dylan's unique ironwork sculptures. The Heaven's Door portfolio is now available in the U.K. and Germany, as well as Canada (750ml). To purchase Heaven's Door, contact your local liquor retailer or visit one of the following websites to order online: U.K. www.amazon.co.uk www.thewhiskyexchange.com www.masterofmalt.com Germany www.weinquelle.com/ www.whisky.de Canada www.bcliquorstores.com www.lcbo.com www.mynslc.com Heaven's Door is distributed in the U.K. and Ireland by DRINKSOLOGY Group and in Germany by Schlumberger GmbH & Co KG. For more information about the brand visit www.heavensdoor.com or engage with the brand on Instagram , Facebook or Twitter . About Heaven's Door Spirits, LLC: Heaven's Door Spirits is a collaboration between legendary artist Bob Dylan and Spirits Investment Partnership ("SIP"). Heaven's Door Spirits is Bob Dylan's first and only consumer brand partnership in his 50 years as a worldwide cultural icon, which makes this collaboration unique and important - a true interplay of art, craft and commerce. Website: www.heavensdoor.com . About DRINKSOLOGY Group When We Are Giants, the UK and Irish based distribution and development company, works exclusively within the alcoholic drinks industry. As part of the renowned DRINKSOLOGY Group, founded in 2009 by Steven Pattison and Richard Ryan and regarded as a pioneering company at the forefront of the premium drinks industry, When We Are Giants has access to a host of disciplines, from marketing to logistics. Distributing over 20 brands across the UK and Ireland, When We Are Giants has collaborated with like-minded agency brands such as the Spirited Union range of rums and Porter's Gin, as well as owned brands, such as Jawbox Small Batch Gin, the Kirker & Greer Irish Whiskey range, Bowsaw American Whiskey and the Ginato Range of gins from Italy. www.whenwearegiants.com @whenwearegiants About Schlumberger GmbH & Co KG Schlumberger Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG, headquartered in Meckenheim, is one of the leading distribution companies for wine, sparkling wine, and spirits of the upmarket category in Germany. Since 1970, Schlumberger has been a competent partner of the gastronomy, the upscale specialist wine and spirit trade and exclusive department stores. A range of over 1,200 selected products is offered: many high-quality wines from the world's most important growing regions as well as an exclusive collection of first-class international spirits. A team of around 80 employees - in the holding company and its subsidiaries, Schlumberger Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH & Co KG, A. Segnitz & Co. GmbH and Bremer Weinkolleg - and a sales organisation consisting of experienced sales managers and agencies represented throughout Germany always provide professional and individual support and advice to customers." About Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan is generally regarded as one of the world's most influential and groundbreaking artists. In the decades since he first burst into the public's consciousness via New York City'sGreenwich Village folk music scene in the early 1960s, Bob Dylan has sold more than 125 million records and amassed a singular body of work that includes some of the greatest and most popular songs the world has ever known. He continues to traverse the globe each year, performing more than 100 concerts annually in front of audiences who embrace his new material with the same passion as his classic output. In recent years, his work as an author and visual artist has further burnished his popularity and acclaim; a worldwide best-selling memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, in 2004, and several major exhibitions of his paintings and iron gates have been shown in recent years at some of the world's most prestigious museums and galleries. Bob Dylan's contributions to our culture have been recognized with numerous honors and accolades. In December 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature by the Swedish Academy "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." In 2012, he was awarded America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama. In addition to winning 11 Grammy Awards, Dylan has achieved six entries in the Grammy Hall of Fame, which honors recordings of "qualitative or historical significance" at least 25 years old. Bob Dylan recently released his 38th studio album, a triple-album set aptly titled, Triplicate. About Spirits Investment Partners: Spirits Investment Partners ("SIP") is a boutique spirits innovation company comprised of a team of highly seasoned spirits professionals with expertise in distilling, blending, brand marketing and finance. 2020 Heaven's Door Spirits. Please Drink Heaven's Door Responsibly. *Based on Nielsen Spirits New Whiskey (launched between 12&18 months) Sales Data ending 10/05/19 Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088709/Heavens_Door_Spirits_Bob_Dylan.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088708/Heavens_Door_Spirits_Three_Bottles.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1023014/Heavens_Door_Spirits_Logo.jpg Toronto, CANADA, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FreshBooks, the #2 small business accounting software in America, with paying customers in 100+ countries, today announced its official launch in the UK. To mark the launch, FreshBooks is announcing a new suite of features designed to help UK-based small businesses grow and succeed, while preparing for Making Tax Digital and future compliance requirements. While FreshBooks has been serving the UK market for more than a decade, recent customer growth has encouraged FreshBooks to increase its focus and investment in the region. In 2019, FreshBooks launched its VAT Return Report to help more small business owners prepare for Making Tax Digital compliance at tax time. As part of its commitment to UK-based small business owners, FreshBooks now offers the following, with more updates planned for 2020: HMRC-approved Making Tax Digital for VAT, making it simple for small businesses to file their VAT return within the FreshBooks platform The ability to connect FreshBooks to bank accounts with the UKs largest institutions - including Barclays, HSBC UK, NatWest, Lloyds Banks, and Santander UK - enabling small businesses to automatically import their bank account transactions and see a full picture of their financial health and tax time readiness Access to an ecosystem of 90+ world-class, complementary apps and integrations, including an integration with GoSimpleTax, a UK leader in online tax returns and self-assessment software Expanded support hours for FreshBooks UK-based customers, made possible by the recent opening of FreshBooks first international office in Amsterdam, Netherlands #imakealiving, FreshBooks travelling event series for people who work for themselves, will be coming to the UK in May 2020 The UK is at the forefront of digital tax compliance and were eager to help small businesses rise to the challenge, said Matt Baker, SVP of Corporate Development and International Expansion at FreshBooks. We recognize that government requirements can be onerous and time-consuming for small businesses. Were confident FreshBooks can help them save time and stay organized, with features specifically tailored to their needs. Since 2004, FreshBooks has helped more than 20 million people and established itself as one of the worlds most popular accounting software platforms for small businesses. The company differentiates itself by offering ridiculously easy-to-use accounting software and delivering best-in-class customer service. FreshBooks is such an intuitive platform which makes it very easy to use. Running a small business can be overwhelming at times as you dont always have the support and staff that larger companies have. FreshBooks many features and readily available customer service take some of this pressure away, says Aylar Farro, Co-Founder of Trekaya Jewellery in London, UK. Along with FreshBooks world-class customer service, the platform connects with more than 90 apps and integrations that make it easier than ever to run a business, including GoSimpleTax. Were excited to be able to join FreshBooks in their growing commitment to UK small businesses, said Amanda Swales, Director of GoSimpleTax. Making Tax Digital is on the horizon and were at the forefront of this change, ensuring the transition will be seamless. The integration with FreshBooks enables small businesses to calculate tax owed and submit directly to HMRC at the push of a button. FreshBooks launch in the UK follows the companys recent partnership with telecommunications and internet service provider, Three UK. Announced in April 2019, FreshBooks is a key partner of Three UKs Three Means Business, a mobile offering designed to meet the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. The offering includes a free six-month subscription to FreshBooks, as well as one of the most data-friendly mobile contracts in the market. In February 2019, FreshBooks announced the addition of bank reconciliation and double-entry accounting to its software, enabling its customers to scale on FreshBooks with confidence and work seamlessly with an accountant. In August 2019, FreshBooks announced JPMorgan Chase & Co. made a strategic investment in the company. Most recently, FreshBooks announced the opening of its first international offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. About FreshBooks FreshBooks is the #2 small business accounting software in America, with paying customers in 100+ countries. The company has helped more than 20 million people process billions of dollars through its easy-to-use invoicing, time-tracking, expense management, and online payments features. Recognized with 10 Stevie awards for the best customer service in the world, the companys mantra is to execute extraordinary experiences every day. FreshBooks is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Learn more at www.FreshBooks.com. Attachment TIRANA, Albania - The new prime minister of Kosovo travelled to Albania for his first official trip Tuesday but while there resisted the idea of participating in a regional co-operation initiative that would improve both countries chances of becoming European Union members in the future. . The leaders of Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro have met regularly in recent months to discuss how co-operation in the Western Balkans could advance separate national efforts to join the EU. The regional initiative has been dubbed mini-Schengen, after Europes Schengen Area that allows passport-free travel between more than two dozen countries. Kosovo declined to take part in the three summits, saying the meetings were meaningless as long as Serbia and Bosnia do not recognize Kosovos 2008 independence declaration. Kosovo is a former Serbian province. Kosovar Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who took office one week ago, said he and Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama talked about speeding up implementation of 77 bilateral agreements instead of focusing on the Balkans and the European Union. Rama responded to Kurtis resistance by saying their two countries should create a joint space of free movement for people, goods, capital and services, which was unimaginable until yesterday due to the resistance from Serbia and other countries. We should do our best to take this process ahead because no one could say we are creating Greater Albania by abolishing our border, Rama added. The six Western Balkan countries are at different stages on the path to becoming part of the EU. While Montenegro and Serbia have already opened accession talks, France and some other EU members blocked Albania and North Macedonia in October from starting the process. The ruling Chinese Communist Party said on it has removed two high-ranking health officials from the central province of Hubei as the death toll in the coronavirus epidemic passed 1,000. More than 95 percent of the 1,018 deaths reported from confirmed coronavirus cases were in the province, whose officials have come under fire, even on China's tightly controlled internet, for actively covering up the seriousness of the coronavirus outbreak in the provincial capital Wuhan in December. Zhang Jin, Communist Party secretary of the Hubei health commission, and its director Liu Yingzi have been removed from their posts after President Xi Jinping sent a key ally to the province to investigate the handling of the epidemic. Former Hubei party deputy Chen Yixin, who is now secretary general of the powerful Political and Legal Affairs Commission in charge of law enforcement, has been sent from Beijing as deputy head of a Beijing-appointed task force in charge of controlling the epidemic, state broadcaster CCTV reported. Chen has reportedly set up a system under which every district must file hourly situation reports to the provincial government, with incentives and accountability mechanisms built in, state media reported. Public anger at the lack of transparency reached boiling point with the death from coronavirus of whistleblowing Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang, who was questioned and harassed by police for "spreading rumors," after speaking out about a SARS-like virus in the early days of the epidemic, when more could have been done to contain it. Activists recently penned an open letter to premier Li Keqiang, calling on the country's cabinet, the State Council, to order officials in Hubei to apologize publicly to Li and seven other medical staff accused of rumor-mongering. Wuhan Communist Party secretary Ma Guoqiang admitted last week that officials could have halted the epidemic if they had imposed travel restrictions sooner. Some five million people are believed to have fled the city before quarantine restrictions were imposed. China remained mostly closed for business on , as officials extended the Lunar New Year holiday people and restricted the movements of huge swathes of China's population. To assuage online criticism that a hastily built 10,000-bed hospital is more like a concentration camp than a place of healing, officials released social media videos of patients square-dancing and practicing Tai Chi outside the facility, which was thrown together from prefabricated units in just 10 days. No food, hot water or medical care The hospital is now full, and officials have continued to requisition large venues as isolation camps for "suspected" coronavirus cases. But family members of people sent there said the facilities offer no food, hot water or medical care. "[Our relative] has been there a whole day and there has been no food offered," a relative of one patient told RFA. "He went in at 4.00 a.m. and hasn't eaten for a whole day. When I brought food to the door for him, the doorman wouldn't accept it." "There was no hot water, either, and he received no injections from medical staff," the family member said. Footage has also emerged of the personal belongings of vacationing students unceremoniously dumped outside dorm buildings that had been requisitioned as quarantine facilities. Meanwhile, there are indications that the coronavirus may incubate for much longer than the 14-day period currently used to manage people under quarantine restrictions. According to health officials in the eastern province of Shaanxi, a 65-year-old woman who returned to the provincial capital of Taiyuan on Dec. 25 from Wuhan was admitted to a county hospital and diagnosed with coronavirus on Feb. 3, some 40 days later. Recent research by Chinese virologist Zhong Nan also indicated that people can carry the coronavirus for up to 24 days without even suffering a fever. Nanjing-based social media user Su Nan said that the spread of the disease is almost impossible to prevent with such a long incubation period, during which carriers may be completely unaware they have the virus. A resident of Wuhan surnamed Wang said she diagnosed with coronavirus after developing a cough and a fever, but had no symptoms in the early stages of the infection, and was unable to gauge how long she had been infected for. State media paint rosier picture Once she was sent to one of the newly built hospitals, she found the facility didn't measure up to its portrayals by official media. "There's no medicine for me to take and no hot water," Wang said. "I haven't received any medication or any injection." "The toilets are a 200-meter trek away, outside. Some people are much sicker than I am," she said. "There is no isolation, just a partition between us." Elsewhere in China, people from Hubei said they were being refused accommodation. The hometowns of Chinese nationals are shown on their national ID cards. "It's because we are visiting from Hubei. I had a four-year-old child with me but that didn't make any difference," one woman told RFA after being denied a hotel room in the southern city of Guangzhou, where she has exceeded the official quarantine period of 14 days. "People who have exceeded the quarantine period should be allowed to stay in any hotel," she said. Faced with increasingly outspoken criticism over the epidemic on social media, government censors have moved to shut down groups and accounts on popular platforms, as well as deleting posts, Reuters reported. "Xi Jinping has made it clear that he expects efforts to strengthen 'the guidance of public opinion' to be increased," Fergus Ryan, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), told the agency. "We've already seen around 300 more journalists dispatched to Wuhan and surrounding areas to report on the outbreak. It's highly likely their brief is to paint a rosier picture of the government's relief efforts rather than engage in any muckraking or critical reporting." A notice circulated by the Cyberspace Administration of China last week called on audio and video platforms to step up control on "harmful information and rumor" related to the coronavirus epidemic. Reported by Fong Tak-ho and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Qiao Long for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. British exports have hit a record high amid booming demand beyond the sclerotic European Union, official figures show. In a sign that Brexit has not held back trade, UK companies sold 689billion of goods and services overseas last year, up 5 per cent on 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics. Goods exports were up 6.4 per cent to around 372billion as a 0.9 per cent fall in sales to the EU was more than offset by a 13.6 per cent rise to the rest of the world. Exports up: UK companies sold 689bn of goods and services overseas last year, up 5 per cent on 2018, according to the Office for National Statistics China is now Britain's third largest export market behind the US and Germany having leapfrogged France, the Netherlands and Ireland. The reports was seized on by ministers as Brexit negotiations about Britain's future relationship with the EU get under way. The Government wants a trade deal with the EU while also seeking to use the UK's new-found freedom from Brussels rules to sign a string of agreements with countries around the world including the US. Trade secretary Liz Truss said: 'The UK is an exporting superpower and these new statistics show that UK companies are exporting record levels of goods and services. As a newly independent trading nation, we will strike new trade deals with key partners across the world, open up new markets and make it even easier for our businesses to meet global demand.' Britain is becoming less reliant on the EU for trade, according to the ONS report. While British firms sold 170.6billion of goods to EU countries in 2019, exports to the rest of the world hit 201.5billion. That meant non-EU countries accounted for a record 54 per cent of exports last year, up from 40 per cent at the turn of the century. Pablo Shah, senior economist at the Centre for Economics and Business Research, said the surge in exports last year may have saved the UK from recession. But striking a cautious tone, he added: 'This exposes significant underlying weakness, and suggests that a slowdown in international trade or in the economies of major export partners could well pull the rug out from under the feet of the UK economy.' A major source of concern is the impact of the coronavirus on China where the death toll has topped 1,000. Exports of UK goods to China rose by more than 40 per cent last year to over 26billion. With the Chinese economy set to slow sharply as the spread of the virus forces factories, shops and other firms to close their doors, it is feared that demand will not be as strong this year. Overall, Britain ran a trade deficit of 29.3billion last year, as 718.3billion of imports outweighed 689billion of exports. There was a goods trade deficit of 129.6billion and a trade in services surplus of 100.3billion. Cars were the biggest goods export, though the value fell 4.5 per cent to 31.6billion amid a shift from diesel engines to greener alternatives. Among the fastest growing exports were fish and shellfish, rising 13.1 per cent to 2.1billion. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 03:33:43|Editor: yan Video Player Close HELSINKI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Finnish medical expert on Tuesday urged citizens to get vaccines, as the current influenza season will become more active over the next few weeks. Eeva Ruotsalainen, deputy chief physician of the infectious diseases unit of Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUCH), told Finnish national broadcaster Yle that the mortality rate of patients with influenza under intensive care or monitoring in Helsinki region is 16 percent, which is higher than usual. "So far 19 people have been in intensive care or monitoring in the HUCH region. About 80 percent of them have had underlying conditions and were not vaccinated," Ruotsalainen was quoted as saying, adding that three of those patients have died. The 16 percent of mortality rate is quite high. On an annual basis, the mortality rate of patients in intensive care or monitoring influenza varies between 10 and 20 percent, Ruotsalainen explained. She urged people, particularly those in risk groups, to get flu vaccines from the local health centers. The risk groups include small children, people over age 65, pregnant women and anyone with an underlying serious disease. The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has imported about 1.7 million injection doses of influenza vaccine, which will be offered to be administered free of charge to those in risk groups. This kind of vaccine can protect against two A viruses and two B viruses, one of which is AH1N1, progeny of swine flu that is now circulating as a seasonal flu, said Ruotsalainen. It takes about two weeks for the inoculation to provide full protection, added Ruotsalainen. She estimated that the influenza season is expected to peak in March, so there is still time to get vaccinated. Sheryl Crow and Nickel Creek will headline this year's Moon River Music Festival at Coolidge Park on Sept. 12 and 13. The 2020 list of performers also includes Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, Ben Rector, Billy Strings, Indigo Girls, Dawes, Robert Earl Keen, Shovels & Rope, Yola, The Jayhawks, COIN, Colony House, Molly Tuttle, Amythyst Kiah, Rebirth Brass Band, The National Parks, Natalie Hemby, The McCrary Sisters, Che Apalache, Strung Like A Horse, and Jill Andrews. Taking the place of previous years Songwriter In-The-Round is a live taping of NPRs Live From Here with Chris Thile to kick off the weekend on Sept. 11 at the VIP ticketholders enjoy premium seating for the event included in their ticket package, while General Admission ticketholders will be included in a pre-sale for the event beginning at Feb. 19 at 10 a.m. and tickets will be available to the general public starting on February 21st. Participating artists will be announced at a later date, but for more information on Live From Here with Chris Thile, visit www.livefromhere.org. Founded in 2014, the city of Chattanooga welcomed Moon River Music Festival into its fold in 2018 after the event had outgrown its previous venue in Memphis. Moon River has worked to build a lasting relationship within the Chattanooga community through local and state level non-profit partnerships, officials said. Non-profit Partners Friends of Outdoor Chattanooga and St. Jude Childrens Hospital of Tennessee are direct beneficiaries of over $20,000 in annual ticket donations. "In just a few short years, Moon River Festival has become one of the most eagerly anticipated annual events in our community, said Mayor Andy Berke. Im thrilled that they will continue to call Chattanooga home, and I look forward to working with Drew and Ellie Holcomb to make the festival even bigger and better in the years to come. Founder Drew Holcomb said, Absolutely thrilled to invite folks back to Coolidge Park in beautiful Chattanooga, TN this September. I could not be more proud of this years lineup and cannot wait to share the stage with them! See you in September. Presale for this years festival kicked off last week and very limited VIP and General Admission Weekend Passes remain. General on-sale for remaining tickets will begin on Thursday at 10 a.m. For all details on VIP & General Admission Weekend Passes and other ticket information, visit www.moonriverfestival.com/ tickets . Also returning in 2020 are Moon River Music Festivals most unique experiences including The Treehouse, Lookout Lodge, Tennessee Tavern and the Outdoor Activity Area. More details on each will be revealed in the coming months. For the most up to date information and to purchase tickets, visit www.moonriverfestival.com. CBI on 4 February sought life imprisonment for Thakur, saying 'rape is a crime of lust, power' and leniency should not be shown to convicts as victims in case were minors New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sentenced Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment till his last breath for sexually and physically assaulting several girls in a shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. Additional Sessions Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha also sent 11 others to jail for life in the case. The court on 20 January convicted Thakur, who once unsuccessfully contested assembly polls on Bihar People's Party (BPP) ticket, of several offences including aggravated penetrative sexual assault under Section 6 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, and offences of rape and gang rape under the Indian Penal code (IPC). In its 1,546 page judgment, the court had also convicted Thakur of offences under Indian Penal Code sections 120-B (criminal conspiracy), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt) and those relating to abetment, Section 21 (failure to report commission of an offence) of the POCSO Act and Section 75 (cruelty to child) of the Juvenile Justice Act. The CBI on 4 February sought life imprisonment "till the remainder of life" for Thakur, saying "rape is a crime of lust and power" and leniency should not be shown to the convicts as the victims in the case were minors. Public Prosecutor Amit Jindal had told the court that the five convicts, Thakur, Dillip Kumar Verma, Ravi Roshan, Vikas Kumar, Vijay Kumar Tiwari, who were convicted of the offences of aggravated penetrative sexual assault and rape should be sentenced to life imprisonment for remainder of life given the heinous nature of the crime they have committed. Verma, child protection officer of District Child Protection Unit; Vikas, member of Child Welfare Committee; Guddu Patel, Kishan Kumar and Ramanuj Thakur were held guilty of the offences of aggravated penetrative sexual assault under the POCSO Act, criminal conspiracy, rape, gang rape, causing hurt, abetment to rape under the IPC and the POCSO Act, and section 75 of the JJ Act. Two of the accused, Rama Shankar Singh and Ashwani, were convicted of the offences of criminal conspiracy and abetment to rape. Besides, women accused, Shaista Praveen, Indu Kumari, Minu Devi, Manju Devi, Chanda Devi, Neha Kumari, Hema Masih, Kiran Kumari, were held guilty of criminal conspiracy, abetment to rape, cruelty to child and failure to report the commission of an offence. Advocate Dheeraj Kumar, appearing for some of the convicts, had said they will challenge the judgment in the higher court. Former Bihar Social Welfare Minister and the then JD(U) leader Manju Verma also faced flak when allegations surfaced that the husband had links with Brajesh Thakur. She resigned from her post on 8 August, 2018. The case was transferred on 7 February, 2019 from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to a POCSO court at Saket district court complex in Delhi on the apex court's directions. The matter had come to light on 26 May, 2018 after Tata Institute of Social Sciences submitted a report to the Bihar government highlighting the alleged sexual abuse of girls in the shelter home for the first time. CHICAGO (AP) The day Margarita Del Pilar Fitzpatrick applied for an Illinois drivers license upended her life. When a clerk offered to register her to vote in 2005, the Peruvian citizen mistakenly accepted, leading to long legal battles and eventually deportation. A decade and a half later, she struggles to find work at 52, is nearly homeless and hasnt seen two of her three American citizen daughters in years because of a secretary of states office mishap. It has derailed our lives, she said in a phone interview from Lima. Immigrants should not be put in this situation. A handful of other immigrants could face a similar fate, or criminal charges, after a mistake in Illinois automatic voter registration system allowed of hundreds of people who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens to register. Sixteen cast ballots. The fiasco in a state with a reputation for election shenanigans triggered a partisan battle, infuriated voter advocacy groups and left immigrant rights activists doing damage control. Its disappointing because the situation could have been avoided, said Lawrence Benito, head of the Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights. They voluntarily told people they were noncitizens. It was not their fault. Voting by noncitizens is forbidden by state and federal laws and is statistically rare. But President Donald Trump has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims that millions voted illegally in 2016. His comments gave a political charge to the issue and put voting modernization efforts such as automatic registration in the spotlight. The political appearance is terrible, Jessica Levinson, a professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, said of Illinois. The political reality is people are looking for any potential sense of error when it comes to noncitizen voting to indicate that things like automatic voter registration give rise to fraud. Illinois made headlines in 2017 when then-Gov. Bruce Rauner was among the first Republicans to sign automatic voter registration into law. The multi-faceted law focuses largely on the secretary of states office, which issues drivers licenses. A programming error wrongly sent data from more than 500 people to election officials, even though when asked if they were U.S. citizens, they hit no on an electronic keypad. Ultimately, 545 people were registered. Its unclear whether some people were confused and mistakenly hit no. About half of the voters appeared to be citizens. One was confirmed as a noncitizen with legal status to live in the U.S. Six others remain in question. Whether that individual, or others yet to surface, could face criminal charges boils down the will of prosecutors. Experts say theres little chance of charges being filed around Chicago, where the Cook County states attorney is a Democrat. However, authorities in more conservative pockets might be more inclined to act. Election officials said they have not been contacted by law enforcement. Stepped-up efforts to crack down on noncitizen voters have netted results elsewhere. In 2018, a federal task force in North Carolina uncovered voting violations that led to charges against 19 foreign nationals related to the 2016 election. It can take years for a noncitizens illegal vote to surface. Immigration authorities might not find out until an immigrant applies to adjust their status, like a green card holder seeking citizenship with a form that asks if the applicant has ever voted. An affirmative answer could disqualify the applicant and lead to deportation. Two of the highest-profile cases, heard in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, also started with the Illinois secretary of states office, which has since changed how clerks discuss voter registration. Fitzpatrick presented both her Peruvian passport and U.S. green card when applying for a drivers license in 2005. She was confused by a clerk who said it was up to you if she wanted to register so she did. Then she voted, saying she did not learn it was illegal until applying for citizenship years later. The government moved to have her deported, which courts upheld. She was removed in 2017. It was the opposite for Elizabeth Keathley, a Philippine citizen in the U.S. on a marriage visa. She applied for a drivers license and was sent a registration card. She voted in 2006. In processing her green card, immigration authorities discovered she had voted, and she was ordered removed. However, judges determined she did not falsely represent herself, allowing her to stay. Shes since become a citizen, and her story was recounted in an off-Broadway play. Keathley, 41, said the threat of being separated from her family was devastating, especially since her daughter was then an infant. She also lost her hospital job. Our lives were turned upside-down, said the Bloomington woman. Chicago attorney Richard Hanus represented both women. He believed Illinois error could work in their favor, since his clients did not misrepresent themselves as citizens. Illinois officials vowed to protect immigrants, including fighting subpoenas. Some voter rights advocates say the state law contains a caveat that could help. It says if a registration is wrongly processed that person shall not be found on that basis to have made a false claim to citizenship. Noncitizen voting isnt common. A 2017 study by the Brennan Center for Justice found roughly 30 incidents of suspected noncitizen voting when it looked at election jurisdictions representing nearly 24 million votes in the 2016 general election. Secretary of State Jesse White said his office takes full blame and issued letters to the people affected explaining that. Immigrant-rights advocates want additional protections. White also countered any insinuation of intentional wrongdoing. This was an error, and there was no effort put forth to hide anything or to cook the books, so to speak, White, a Democrat, said recently at a state Capitol hearing. He said the glitch, covering registrations from July 2018 through December 2019, was fixed. Republicans have called for the system to be suspended after other registration glitches were made public. Theyve also pointed to issues with mistaken noncitizen voter registrations elsewhere, including California. The fundamental right to vote and the sanctity of our democracy is too important to bury our heads in the sand and trust that Illinois state government has everything under control when it clearly does not, Illinois Republican Party Chairman Tim Schneider said after the error was made public last month. Nearly 20 states have approved some form of automatic voter registration with the goal of increasing civic participation. Aside from delays and technical issues, voter groups said repeated problems show Illinois has not done enough to safeguard the system. The state has not fully come to terms with the harm that can be caused with errors like this in our voting system, said Ami Gandhi with the Chicago Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights. Offaly Organic farmer and Green Party candidate Senator Pippa Hackett, Green Party spokeperson on Agriculture, Food & Forestry with Neil Feighery and Mark Hackett at the General Election 2020 count in Portlaoise after receiving 3494 votes. Photo: Alf Harv Despite a surge in support for Sinn Fein, Minister for Agriculture Michael Creed retained his seat in Cork North West. Minister Creed thanked his Fine Gael family and supporters after he was elected on the fifth and final count having exceeded the quota. He said he was "delighted" to have retained his seat. Fianna Fail's agriculture spokesperson Charlie McConalogue retained his seat in Donegal. Having topped the poll in 2016, McConalogue polled 11pc of the first preference votes, down by 6pc since 2016. Sinn Fein's agriculture spokesperson, Brian Stanley, topped the poll in Laois-Offaly. He was elected on the first count with 24pc of the first preference vote, nearly 8,000 votes clear of Fianna Fail frontbencher Barry Cowen in second place. In Galway East/Roscommon, farmer and prominent agriculture commentator Michael Fitzmaurice topped the poll with 13,077 votes seeing him elected on the first count on Sunday. He said there is a responsibility on all those given a mandate by the people to go into the negotiations and make an honest effort to reach an agreement. "I hope that nobody ducks and dives if they are given that opportunity," he said. Green Party farming spokesperson Pippa Hackett received 3,494 first-preference votes in Laois Offaly Tanaiste and former Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney was returned to the 33rd Dail with 9,327 votes (16pc) in Cork South Central. Mr Coveney said it had been "a challenging election" for Fine Gael marked by a strong surge in support for the party over the closing days of the campaign. "I think the importance of stability in Ireland for Brexit and of maintaining and protecting Ireland's economy registered with people." The Delhi election throws up several conclusions. For one, it reinforces an electoral trend that has seen voters buck the national trend and vice-versa Though a stroll in the park for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was expected, with exit polls predicting it would win between 44 and 68 seats, the fact that it has, in fact, won over 60 of the legislative Assemblys 70 seats (63 at the time of writing), reducing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to a single-digit tally (seven) for a second successive time, doesnt bode well for the party governing at the Centre. BJPs record in state elections now looks distinctly iffy. Just before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, it lost three states Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to the Congress. It stormed back in 2019 cashing in on the issue of national security, which gained salience after the Pulwama attack and Indias bombing of Balakot. This added a nationalistic constituency to the partys core Hindutva base and helped it cross the 300 mark in the Lok Sabha. Since then, it has turned in below par electoral performances in Haryana and Maharashtra, before being trounced in Jharkhand by the alliance of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Congress, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), which won 48 of 81 seats. The only takeaway for the BJP was that it was the single-largest party in Haryana and Maharashtra. But even in that round of elections, its fortunes were mixed. In Haryana, it swiftly moved to organise a coalition with the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP), which had explicitly contested against it, and formed a government. But in Maharashtra, the BJPs pre-election (and oldest) ally, the Shiv Sena fell out with it, walked out of the alliance and formed a government with the NCP and the Congress. This was the backdrop to the Delhi elections. Before proceeding, it must be noted that though in terms of numbers the Delhi Assembly is small and though the Delhi administration does not have all the powers of one in a full state, the fact that it is the National Capital gives its Assembly and the elections to it a disproportionate importance. The Delhi election throws up several conclusions. For one, it reinforces an electoral trend that has seen voters buck the national trend and vice-versa. In 2019, they bucked the trend of the end-of-the-year elections in 2018, to give the BJP and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) a huge mandate. In 2019, and now in four elections, they have bucked the 2019 national mandate to severely erode the BJPs numbers. The BJP might claim that it was the largest party in Haryana and Maharashtra, but its tallies were well below its own projections in both states as well as well below the Assembly segment tallies in all four states if we were to look at the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. One big reason for the losses in Jharkhand and Delhi, where it had won all seven Lok Sabha seats and led in 65 of the 70 Assembly segments, was that the national security issue didnt have much traction. The same can be said of the Haryana and Maharashtra elections. In Delhi, the BJP didnt seem to have factored that in when it hit the campaign trail. It persisted with rhetoric fashioned around the threat posed by Pakistan to consolidate an ultra-nationalist constituency. It did something else that is connected. In the fortnight or so leading up to the elections, it tried to paint the protesters against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), 2019, and National Register of Citizens (NRC), especially the gathering at Shaheen Bagh, as a traitorous fifth column. In addition, it tried to paint the Congress and AAP as anti-national, the catch-all characterisation the BJP uses to tar all parties and people who do not agree with its ideology. Whatever the compulsions, it is difficult to see any wisdom or propriety in the spectacle of a BJP MP calling Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal a terrorist. This unfortunately also involved mounting a highly divisive campaign aimed at maligning the Muslim section of the electorate as a fifth column and polarising the electorate in relation to the anti-CAA and anti-NRC protest. Thus, for instance, aazadi, one of the refrains used by the protesters, was taken out of context, twisted and interpreted as an anti-national slogan, despite the fact that pride of place was given to nationalist symbols the Tricolour, the anthem and the Constitution at all demonstrations. In addition, one minister and a candidate for the Delhi election, who incidentally lost, unconscionably led chants saying shoot the traitors, while MP Parvesh Verma said at a rally, "Lakhs of people gather there (Shaheen Bagh). They'll enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, and kill them." Despite being penalised by the Election Commission, he was rewarded by being chosen to move the vote of thanks to the Presidents address in the ongoing Budget Session of the Lok Sabha. This kind of viciousness was perhaps not expected from a party governing the country. With Union Home Minister Amit Shah leading the charge, the Delhi elections saw a number of BJP chief ministers campaigning alongside a large number of Union ministers and MPs and significant resources being channeled into the campaign. This, combined with the kind of campaign the BJP ran, increased the partys vote share by eight percentage points. But since the electorate was polarised, the AAP held on to its vote share. The Congress lost vote share to settle at under five percent of the vote. This meant that AAP secured well in excess of 50 percent of the vote and nailed down a resounding victory. Given the fact that AAP campaigned exclusively on performance and development, the BJP will have to rethink its strategy of polarisation, especially given the fact that facing a more mixed electorate in Jharkhand it lost 12 seats, while the alliance gained 23. Over the next year and a bit, Assembly elections will be held in some big states: Possibly in October or November in Bihar; and in Assam, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu possibly next April or May. The BJP doesnt have much of a stake in the Tamil Nadu elections, but it has significant ones in the three other states. The dynamic of the Assam elections could be dictated largely by the CAA/NRC issue, which will also play a big role in Bengal. If current trends hold towards the end of the year, the Bihar elections could be decided by local and bread-and-butter issues. The BJP/NDA will have to work around that, while the Delhi elections will give the Opposition a boost. From being a political force that ruled the national capital for 15 years in a row, the Congress stands decimated after the Delhi election results, failing to win for the second consecutive time even a seat and its vote share getting reduced to its lowest ever of 4.27 per cent. The grand old party of Indian was out of the race in each of the 70 constituencies by distant margins with 63 of its candidates losing their security deposits. Lack of a credible face, weak strategy and candidates led to the washout of the party in Delhi, where it was seen as an unwilling contestant that lacked the fighting spirit. The Congress did not win any seat in the 2015 assembly elections but had managed to garner a 9.7 per cent vote share. This time, it stood decimated further after it ceded its vote bank. The Congress failed to win the hearts of Delhiites with the work initiated during Sheila Dikshit's rule from 1998 to 2013 and the contest ended as a bipolar one between the AAP and the BJP. This humiliating defeat in Delhi does not bode well for the party with Bihar and West Bengal assembly polls slated later this year. The Delhi results might have a negative effect on Congress prospects in upcoming assembly elections, where it has improved its position by bringing more states under its ambit with the help of allies. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the party's defeat in Delhi is disappointing but claimed that "we have, however, not lost the battle". "The Congress party will go back to the drawing board, recalibrate its policy and strategy and build a new fresh leadership from the grassroots up. We are determined to raise people's voice in Delhi as a responsible opposition and stakeholder in the progress of the national capital," Surjewala told PTI. He added that Delhi polls have taught a lesson to political parties as to how a national party should not conduct a venomous, hate campaign. "It is a rejection of the and leadership of both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah for the vision and vitriolic poll campaign of shooting people, electrocuting them and dividing them, has been decimated by Delhi voters," he said. Congress leader P Chidambaram said AAP's win is a "booster for the confidence" of the Opposition that the BJP can be defeated in every state. He said people of Delhi have defeated the "polarising, divisive and dangerous" agenda of the BJP. Chidambaram said the Delhi vote was close to an all India vote than to a state-specific vote as the national capital is a "mini India". "Remember, when Delhi voted, millions of Malayalees, Tamils, Telugus, Bengalis, Gujaratis and people who came from other states of India voted. If the voters represent the views of the states they came from, the Delhi vote is a booster for the confidence of the Opposition that the BJP can be defeated in every state," he said. The Congress contested the polls this time in alliance with the Rashtriya Janata Dal, fighting on 66 seats and leaving four for its ally. On how the Delhi poll will affect the party prospects, Surjewala said the "Congress party is determined to wrest Bihar all over again from the hands of the NDA and become a political force in coming elections in West Bengal". As Delhi results came in, criticism of the Congress' Delhi unit started gaining traction and many leaders called for "action" rather than introspection. "We are again decimated in Delhi. Enough of introspection, time for action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy and unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all are factors. Being part of the system, I too take my share of responsibility," Delhi Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee said in a tweet. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Thousands of ethnic Dungans have fled ethnic violence in Kazakhstan. They originally came to Central Asia after an unsuccessful revolt against Chinese rule in the 19th century, and maintain a unique language, cuisine, and culture. Multiple people were taken to a Colorado Springs hospital Sunday night after a car crash that police suspect involved drinking. Alcohol was being investigated as a potential factor in the crash, which happened just after 7 p.m. Sunday at the intersection of Astrozon and Chelton roads. One vehicle drove through a red light, colliding with another, police said. The driver, Alex Nelson, was arrested, a police spokesman told The Gazette. Bengaluru, Feb 11 : The resounding victory of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the Delhi Assembly elections is a vote for development politics and rejection of divisive forces, said former Infosys Director and AAP member V. Balakrishnan, here on Tuesday. "The hat-trick of the party in the Delhi elections is all about development politics. The landslide win is refreshing as it gives hope for clean politics and good performance. You get votes and win polls when you deliver what you promise," Balakrishnan told IANS. The six-year-old party swept the polls again winning 58 seats and leading in 4 seats 12 hours after vote count began earlier in the day for the February 8 polls, leaving the opposition BJP way behind with 7 wins and leading in 1, while the grand old Congress failed to open its account again. "The Delhi elections were fought on hope versus hate. AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal led a positive campaign unlike the communal card by the BJP to polarise the electorate. Our focus was on development and on the basis of performance over the past 5 years in the capital," asserted Balakrishnan. Quitting the global software major in December 2013, Balakrishnan joined the AAP in January 2014 after the nascent party stormed to power in 2013 Delhi Assembly polls with Kejriwal as its winning mascot. Though the first AAP government in Delhi lasted 49 days, Balakrishnan stayed in the party and contested the April-May 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Bangalore Central, losing to BJP's sitting member P.C. Mohan. "I continue to be a member of the AAP though not so active as before. The party and its leaders consult me whenever they need my advice or help. The party's Karnataka unit is alive and kicking." On the ruling AAP sweeping the Delhi polls for the third consecutive time, eight months after losing all the 7 Lok Sabha seats in the May 2019 polls, Balakrishnan said the TINA (there is no alternative) factor at the national level enabled the BJP to retain power with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as its leader. "As there was no credible leader from the opposition against Modi, the electorate preferred him for stability and governance at the national level. Our victory in Delhi for the third time in a row demonstrates that a credible leader, like Kejriwal, can't only take on the national parties, like the BJP and the Congress, but also defeat their leaders like Modi and Amit Shah," asserted the venture capitalist. Noting that a huge electoral win at the hustings for a young party like the AAP with its leaders, such as Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia, who hail from humble background and are middle class citizens, Balakrishnan said poll results in states across the country proved that development and clean governance could win the vote. "In a way, our party is redefining electoral politics in the country. With no baggage or legacy of the past unlike other political parties, the AAP is a party of ordinary folks, with middle class background and rooted in values and inner democracy. We stand for clean politics, corruption-free administration and deliver what we promise to the people," reiterated Balakrishnan. An American evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, was released from a hospital in San Diego after a test initially showed the person was not infected, health officials said. The patient showed symptoms of the virus but was released on Sunday back to the base. New testing showed the patient did, in fact, have the diseasemaking it the 13th confirmed infection in the United States. The patient was returned to the hospital. The patient had arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California last week on one of the State Department flights ferrying Americans from Wuhan. This morning, CDC officials advised San Diego Public Health that further testing revealed that one of the four patients tested positive for [Novel Coronavirus], the University of California, San Diego, said in a statement on Monday. The confirmed positive patient was returned to UC San Diego Health for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release. Another evacuee was also sent to the hospital. Tests on that patient were pending. Both patients are doing well and have minimal symptoms, the health system said. The new case is the 7th in California. Eleven patients acquired the virus while in Wuhan; the other two were infected by close contact with two of the patients in the United States. Officials in Riverside County also said Monday that no one among the group of 195 evacuees at March Air Reserve Base has the virus. The group, the first to be evacuated from China, would be allowed to leave on Feb. 12, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the countys public health officer, said in a statement. The patients were held in mandatory quarantine for 14 days. People who have not developed symptoms will have successfully completed their quarantine and will be free to leave the base, Kaiser said in a statement. Health officials said repeated screenings of the patients showed no signs of the illness. Two of the patients showing symptoms of the virus were retested. Tests returned negative. U.S. officials at first declined to place the 195 persons under quarantine, but after one tried leaving the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a 14-day quarantine. Officials in Alaska, where the first evacuation plane refueled before going on to California, said the evacuated Americans cheered when landing. They were happy to be here. They were very much cooperative with the questions, Dr. Christopher Braden, deputy director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, added at a press conference after the group arrived at the base. Four other planes carrying evacuees landed last week, including the one that dropped evacuees off in San Diego. Another group was quarantined at March Air Reserve Base. One was sent to Nebraska and another to Texas. The group in Nebraska was quarantined at Camp Ashland and the other group was quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base. Officials said they expected some of the evacuees to test positive for the virus. From The Epoch Times The trade between Russia and Lithuania reached $4 billion in 2019, despite the recent scaling back of contacts between the countries, Russian Ambassador to Vilnius Alexander Udaltsov told Sputnik in an interview MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2020) The trade between Russia and Lithuania reached $4 billion in 2019, despite the recent scaling back of contacts between the countries, Russian Ambassador to Vilnius Alexander Udaltsov told Sputnik in an interview. "As for trade and economic relations, despite the official course of Vilnius envisaging the scaling back of all contacts with Russia, trade is developing on its own. We are still the first trading partner of Lithuania. Trade has increased in recent years. The year before last, it increased by 40 percent. In 2019, it fell by 14 percent but stood at almost $4 billion at the end of the year," Udaltsov said. The ambassador attributed the trade's decrease in 2019 to the lower supply of Russian mineral products to Lithuania, which accounted for 70 percent of all of Russia's exports to the country. According to Udaltsov, natural gas coming from Russia meets half of Lithuania's need for fuel. The ambassador also stated that Lithuania's share in the total foreign trade balance of Russia was 0.6 percent. Russian-Lithuanian relations have been increasingly strenuous, with Vilnius trying to portray Moscow as an aggressor interested in destabilizing the Baltic region. In 2019, Vilnius listed Russia as one of the key threats to Lithuania's security in the country's National Threat Assessment report. Moscow, on its part, has repeatedly warned that anti-Russia rhetoric in the Baltic states was aimed at justifying NATO's increasing presence. In New Hampshire, it is surprisingly difficult to get away from Tulsi Gabbard. Sticking out of snow banks in front lawns and at forks in the road, the Hawaii congresswomans face is everywhere on signs and banners. Her kind smile looms above streets on billboards in Manchester and across the state. Its a strange sight for anyone who tunes in regularly to CNN and MSNBC, or gets most of their updates on the race from national media, where the drama in the state is framed between Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, alongside a handful of others. In those media conversations, Ms Gabbard is barely an afterthought. She has been maligned by attacks from the former nominee for the Democratic Party, Hillary Clinton, who attacked her unorthodox foreign policy positions including meeting Bashar al-Assad in Syria in 2017 as apparent proof of allegiance to Russia, not the US, in what Gabbard supporters in turn point to as proof of an overly muscular military industrial complex in America, which has engaged in nearly two decades of war in the Middle East. And it is that issue exactly that brought out over 100 voters and volunteers to a veterans hall in eastern New Hampshire in the middle of a snow storm, just days before the election and just as other Democrats were participating in a nationally televised debate that Gabbard was not invited to. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters I think theyre attacking her because shes too progressive, said Jay Mitchell, a retired veteran and member of the branch of the Veterans for Foreign Wars (VFW) in Sommersworth, New Hampshire. But in my mind, its not. Its whats needed. Gabbard has been a pariah in the Democratic Party since at least 2016, when she resigned from her position with the Democratic National Committee amid a heated primary campaign between Clinton and Sanders, in order to endorse the Vermont senator that year. Recommended Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies And in 2020, the 38-year-old military veteran has been campaigning on a message that sounds strikingly similar to Sanders at times, with a focus on ending needless foreign wars and putting an end to Americas long history of regime change conflicts across the globe. On Friday, Gabbard approached the VFW hall quietly as she was being introduced, before patting Mitchell on the back. The two exchanged a few words and smiles, before she took the stage. And, as a candidate who has been attacked mercilessly by members of her own party, she preached unity. People ask me every day, how do we heal the divide in this country? said the Hawaii congresswoman, who is among just a handful of 2020 Democrats who have shown a willingness to go on Fox News which just days later drew her into some trouble after she defended Donald Trump on Hannity for firing members of his administration who testified against him during his impeachment trial. Tulsi Gabbard has focused her campaign on New Hampshire, even moving to the state after renting a property there (AP) She recognised that division has consequences, and said all of the partisan bickering has no upside for the American people: The idea of the American people actually being the ones who are winning is lost in the process, she said. As of election day in New Hampshire, Gabbard has already announced events in the next states that will vote in this years primary, but the Granite State still marks an incredibly important inflection point for her campaign and that of others. The state is known for its tendency to surprise. And, Gabbard may be banking on that as voters head to the polls. She has made the state a major focus of her campaign, having basically moved there after renting a home. Forcing her name into the national conversation is a long-shot, but perhaps not impossible. While she trails candidates like Sanders, recent polls have shown her hovering around 4 or 5 per cent of the vote. And, in a state where some 40 per cent of voters are registered independents who are able to choose which primary to vote in, appealing to Republican-leaning individuals who watch Fox News could tilt things a little bit in her favour. Ozzy Parker, a 54-year-old legal consultant and independent from Dover, New Hampshire, said that hes intrigued by the congresswoman, as he waited for her speech. Joe Biden, he said, seemed like he was going to tank in the state. But, Parker who heavily implied he voted for Trump or a third party in 2016, but did not confirm either way said that one thing that brought him out was the very attacks on her. Why would they bother with such a long-shot candidate, he wondered? Democratic debate: Tulsi Gabbard on joining the national guard the day after 9-11 Shes not on the outrageously progressive side of free everything. She seems practical and realistic, he said. Parker said that he actually liked that she was right there in front of him instead of getting ready for a nationally televised debate. New Hampshire-ites are used to that, he said. And he thinks she has been working hard. In New Hampshire, you get to touch, feel and see, he said of the candidates. And shes been working very hard. In New Hampshire you have to do that. The US Air Force is set to retire more than 100 military planes and to reduce combat flying hours and drone patrols in an effort to free up funding for the newly-minted Space Force. Officials submitted the fiscal 2021 budget request to Congress on Monday, which asks for $207.2billion and details a number of cuts the Air Force intends to make to fit that number. The cuts appear to be the result of the branch ramping up its investment in the Space Force, which falls under the Department of the Air Force. 'We believe that winning in the future will require investing in the right new capabilities now,' an Air Force spokeswoman told Military.com on Monday. 'Within the allotted budget, that means trading some of the old in favor of the new.' The US Air Force is set to retire more than 100 military planes and to reduce combat flying hours and drone patrols in an effort to free up funding for the newly-minted Space Force The budget plan was less ambitious than what the Air Force had projected over the past six months as the branch ultimately decided against divesting entire aircraft inventories, made no cuts or cancellations to major ongoing procurement programs and kept research and development funding stable. 'We didn't get everything we put on the table. Some was walked back,' Air Force Chief of Staff Gen David Goldfein said of the budget in January. 'But we got a lot of what we put on the table.' The planes that are slated to be sent to the Air Force bone yard include: 17 non-nuclear B-1B Lancer bombers 44 A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support mission aircraft Roughly 30 older-model KC-135 Stratotanker and KC-10 Extender refuelers 24 RQ-4 Global Hawk drones 24 C-130H Hercules aircraft By scrapping those older aircraft sooner than previously planned, the Air Force will free up some $4.1billion over the next five years. That money will be used to fund 'many of the critical technology and capability investments in this budget', the spokeswoman said. Retiring those planes will also allow the force to focus more funding on later models, 'driving up the readiness of the fleet', according to Air Force Maj Gen John Pletcher, the deputy assistant secretary for budget at the Air Force's Office of the Assistant Secretary for Financial Management and the Comptroller at the Pentagon. 'To try to ensure we have the capabilities we need in the future, we're going to have to take some risk,' Pletcher told Military.com. 'We can't continue to fund everything today that we do without having to eventually make some tough choices.' The 2021 budget proposal includes plans to increase the fighter inventory with 48 new F-35A Joint Strike Fighters, and 12 F-15EXs. Twenty-four C-130H Hercules aircraft like the one above will be retired under the new budget Seventeen non-nuclear B-1B Lancer bombers like this one will also been scrapped Forty-four A-10 Thunderbolt II close air support mission aircraft like this one will be retired Twenty-four RQ-4 Global Hawk drones like this one are also headed to the bone yard Total pilot flight hours will also been reduced significantly from 1.33 million in 2020 to 1.24 million in 2021. The number of combat air patrols by MQ-9 Reapers will be cut from 70 to 60 per day. Along with the substantial cuts, the Air Force aims to increase its ranks by adding 1,500 new airmen, including 900 in the active-duty component. In the same period, some 6,400 airmen are expected to be shifted into the Space Force. The Pentagon requested an additional $15.3billion for Space Force in a budget proposal last week - $10.3billion of which would be earmarked for research, development, and testing of systems. The budget also asks for $2.4billion for procurement to boost the Space Force as well as $2.6million for operations and maintenance. The Trump administration's plan for military spending reflects the president's desire to see more funds for 'space-related weapons systems and operations'. CONCORD, N.H. For Democrats, this was supposed be a moment to begin easing three years of built-up anxieties. Instead, the launch of the 2020 presidential primary has left the party deeply unsettled and President Donald Trump gleeful about the chaos. Party leaders are on edge over embarrassing technical issues that marred this past weeks Iowa caucuses, as well as lower than expected turnout in the leadoff state. Front-runners Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg face questions about their long-term political viability, while some supporters of the two leading women left in the race Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota are raising alarms about what they view as persistent sexism. Its a hard start, said Laura Keeler, a 35-year-old from Concord, New Hampshire. Indeed, its far from the 2020 launchpad most Democrats envisioned as they eagerly anticipated their opportunity to take on Trump. The turbulent start to this election year has also crystallized the challenges confronting Democrats in trying to mount a formidable challenge to an incumbent backed by an energized and united Republican Party and fortified by a soaring economy. Were capable of shooting ourselves in the foot, warned Jim Hodges, an ex-South Carolina governor who supports former Vice President Joe Biden in the 2020 race. Hodges is among those who predict that Sanders, a Vermont senator who is a self-described democratic socialist, would be a weak general election candidate. With one primary contest complete and the second scheduled for Tuesday in New Hampshire, some sorting of the Democratic field has begun. Though the Associated Press has been unable to declare a winner in last Mondays Iowa caucuses, Sanders and Buttigieg, a former mayor of South Bend, Ind., emerged in an effective tie. Biden, the longtime national front-runner, finished a distant fourth in Iowa. Hes now facing a money crunch, a staff shakeup, and a looming challenge from billionaire Michael Bloomberg. The former New York City mayor isnt competing in the early states, but is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in later contests. Sandwiched in between is Warren, who finished third in Iowa and is struggling for a breakout moment. Some Democrats argue that shes been discounted prematurely, and suggest sexism is at play. Were going to decide after one night in which she placed third, and a strong third, were going to decide there are four candidates left, one of whom finished fourth and one of whom wasnt even running in Iowa, said Christina Reynolds, vice president of communications at Emilys List. It is sadly not surprising because unfortunately its happened way too much in this campaign. Even with the technical glitches and delayed results, Iowa does appear to have rewarded Sanders and Buttigieg with a burst of momentum heading into New Hampshire. Both, however, face questions about their viability. Some party leaders privately view Sanders as a risky nominee in swing states, and for House and Senate candidates in places such as Colorado and Arizona. Sanders is attuned to that concern and has made an appeal for party unity a central part of his pitch in recent weeks. Buttigieg, the youngest candidate in the race at 38, has made a compelling case for generational change, but there are questions about his experience and his appeal to minority voters who are the backbone of the Democratic Party. He struggled in Fridays debate when challenged on the incarceration rates for black residents of South Bend, Ind., where he was mayor for eight years. Its the highest electoral office hes held. Expectations are particularly high in New Hampshire for Sanders, who won the state by more than 20 percentage points in 2016 over Hillary Clinton, the eventual nominee. Julie Pace is an Associated Press writer. Lot 707, 2100, DOB-28/12/2015 Last Calved - 31/03/2019 Service Date -18/08/2019 ADMIRAL Due Date - 25/05/2020 , at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale at An Grianan Estate Donegal on Friday last. In a cattle sale the likes of which has never been seen in this country, 1,870 cattle were auctioned over three days at An Grianan Estate in Burt, Co Donegal. The sale, which began last Thursday and ended on Saturday, comprised the sale of Glenmore Estate's entire organic herd. The cattle were sold after the owners took the decision to leave the dairy sector and concentrate on growing energy crops for renewables. Expand Close Price debate: William Tom Houston, Patsy Gillen and Jim Kee at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Price debate: William Tom Houston, Patsy Gillen and Jim Kee at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. The sale of the Friesian cattle, valued in excess of 1.5 million, was handled by specialist UK-based auctioneers Harrison and Hetherington Limited in conjunction with Ballybofey and Stranorlar Co-op Livestock Mart. According to Johnathan Lucas of Ballybofey and Stranorlar Mart, this was the largest organic herd ever to come to auction in Europe and trade was brisk with prices ranging from 800 to 2,300. There were buyers from all over Ireland, as well as England, Germany and Holland. Lucas explained that the sheer demand for cattle saw 550 animals sold between 11am and 3pm on Thursday. Expand Close Lot 1127 2000- DOB- 13/09/2017. Last Calved- 16/09/2019 Service Date - 08/01/2020. COOLNASOON ART Due Date - 15/10/2020 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 1127 2000- DOB- 13/09/2017. Last Calved- 16/09/2019 Service Date - 08/01/2020. COOLNASOON ART Due Date - 15/10/2020 Livestock exporter Andrew Ewing, who is based in Scotland but comes originally from Omagh in Co Tyrone, described the sale as a great opportunity for buyers. "Because there's so many cattle you get all types to suit different budgets and need. Every client we have has a different budget. These are all pedigree animals and there's a very good atmosphere," said Mr Ewing, who exports beef and dairy cattle to 10 different countries. Expand Close Lot 1140 - 2300. DOB- 04/07/2015. Last Calved- 19/09/2019 Service Date- 11/01/2020. COOLNASOON ART Due Date- 18/10/2020 / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 1140 - 2300. DOB- 04/07/2015. Last Calved- 19/09/2019 Service Date- 11/01/2020. COOLNASOON ART Due Date- 18/10/2020 Expand Close Joe Hamilton at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Joe Hamilton at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. Read More Good genetics Robert Butterfield, from Carnforth in North Lancashire in England said he was looking for cows with good genetics and good feet. "You need good locomotion with dairy cows. We've seen a good variety and there's something for everybody here," he said. "I've bought 20 so far. Mine are middle range at about 1,000 each. It's not typical to travel to a sale but this is the biggest I've ever seen. I've never left the country to get to a sale before," said Mr Butterfield, whose third generation family farm has 600 acres and 350 cattle. Expand Close Lot 1908 - 650 - DOB 26/11/2015 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale at An Grianan Estate. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 1908 - 650 - DOB 26/11/2015 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale at An Grianan Estate. Thomas Colton from Omagh, Co Tyrone, said he was looking for freshly calved cows and was in the market for 15 or so for his 200-strong dairy farm. "I was here yesterday. This is a serious sale and they're cheap," he said. Arthur Black, who used to work on the farm at An Grianan before the new owners took over, said he had come in to have a look to see what the trade was like and described the cattle as very good quality animals. Over the course of the afternoon the Farming Independent spent at the sale on Friday, a number of auctioneers rotated to handle the sale with prices varying between 800 and 1,600. Norman Witherow, a dairy farmer from Raphoe, said there was the potential for the herd to be a fabulous unit but said a lot of the stock were going to England and Northern Ireland. Expand Close Lot 1153 - 1700 - DOB-04/05/2016. Last Calved -26/07/2019 Service Date - 14/01/2020 CARNVIEW Due Date - 21/10/2020 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 1153 - 1700 - DOB-04/05/2016. Last Calved -26/07/2019 Service Date - 14/01/2020 CARNVIEW Due Date - 21/10/2020 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. Mr Witherow said he had never seen a sale on this scale and said he was buying back some of his own stock that had been acquired by the owners of Glenmore. He explained that his family spent a decade milking cows on the farm at An Grianan when they leased a portion of it but sold these cattle when the new owners came in. "I'll come back tomorrow - the prices are fairly good and there's a whole range of cattle. The good cattle are making up to 2,000," he said. Heather Pritchard, pedigree sales and marketing manager with Harrison and Hetherington Auctioneers, told Farming Independent that they had seen a lot of interest from farmers in the UK as the dairy sector was going very well at the minute. "You don't get sales like this - it's very rare. We've done two-day sales before but never over three days. Prices are very good and everything will be sold," said Mr Pritchard. David Beacon from Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, said he had bought five cattle at the sale for his own 140-strong herd and had spent about 5,000 on Friday afternoon. Expand Close Lot 675 - 2000- DOB_ 04/01/2017 Last Calved- 11/05/2019 Service Date - 07/08/2019 OAKCHURCH DE ADMIRAL. Due Date- 14/05/2020 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 675 - 2000- DOB_ 04/01/2017 Last Calved- 11/05/2019 Service Date - 07/08/2019 OAKCHURCH DE ADMIRAL. Due Date- 14/05/2020 at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale. An Grianan farm turns a new leaf to concentrate on renewables The dispersal sale of cattle at An Grianan farm in Burt on the Inishowen Peninsula in Co Donegal marks the end of another chapter in the life of the farm. With 1,870 animals auctioned in a three-day sale which concluded on Saturday, the owners of the country's largest organic herd will now concentrate on renewables for the energy sector. In 2017 Finn Valley businessman, Karol McElhinney of Glenmore Estates, purchased An Grianan farm in Burt for more than 17 million. Earlier this year Glenmore signalled its intention to focus solely on growing renewable energy crops. This led to the sale of Glenmore's herd of cattle by specialist livestock auction company, Harrison and Hetherington, based in Carlisle in the UK. The farm was bought by Mr McElhinney for 17.4 million in 2017. The total estate stands at 2,400 acres, some 1,290 acres of which are designated as organic. In August of 2018, Mr McElhinney announced that Glenmore Estates would be undertaking a redevelopment of the farmyard area of the estate, involving the removal of old infrastructure and construction of a state-of-the-art robotic dairy farm enterprise. Expand Close Lot 707, 2100, DOB-28/12/2015 Last Calved - 31/03/2019 Service Date -18/08/2019 ADMIRAL Due Date - 25/05/2020 , at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale at An Grianan Estate Donegal on Friday last. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Lot 707, 2100, DOB-28/12/2015 Last Calved - 31/03/2019 Service Date -18/08/2019 ADMIRAL Due Date - 25/05/2020 , at the Glenmore Organic Dairy Herd sale at An Grianan Estate Donegal on Friday last. At the time Glenmore said it intended to continue farming the estate's 1,290ac of land organically and said that robotisation would "sustainably increase production" from its dairy business. The company added that it would continue to work with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to ensure environmental protection of the Lough Swilly special protection area overlapping the farm. The farmyard's redevelopment is in addition to extensive land improvement works undertaken at the farm. An Grianan hit the headlines in 1996 when the Graham family were the subject of a very public eviction from the property. The controversial action was taken by National Irish Bank after the family failed to meet repayments on a loan taken out for the purchase of the lands. It was at this time that the estate was purchased by Donegal Creameries. Much of the land was then leased to local tillage farmers and one organic dairy farmer. It was subsequently sold by Donegal Investment Group, formerly Donegal Creameries, to Glenmore Estate. Remember your grandmothers avocado-green kitchen? It could soon be yours. Or maybe itll be pink, mauve, emerald green or buttercup. Anything but white, because the revolt against the white kitchen has begun. Last November, the cover of Elle Decor featured a Steven Gambrel-designed kitchen awash in a shiny turquoise even the ceiling gleamed like an iridescent underwater wonderland. On Pinterest between November 2018 and November 2019, searches for dark green cabinets jumped 367 percent, plum kitchens went up 107 percent and pink kitchen walls spiked 121 percent. For decades now, cabinets have been relegated to white, brown or maybe black, and its been even longer since appliances were allowed to be anything but stainless steel. But the Instagram kitchen invariably a clean backdrop of basic Shaker cabinets, simple subway backsplashes and marble countertops finally has some competition. Jenny Dina Kirschner, an interior designer in New York, recently painted the cabinets pink for a client in Long Island, giving the room a decidedly 80s vibe somewhere between mauve and millennial pink. The color picked up the pinkish tones in the Calacatta Vagli marble countertop. Were starting to see more daring use of color, Ms. Kirschner said. Its a rebellion against the white kitchen. Breaking the mold is risky when 43 percent of homeowners choose white cabinets and a third choose white countertops, according to a 2019 Houzz report. Try something bolder than wood cabinets or black soapstone countertops and you might fail. Unlike an unfortunate coat of paint on the living room walls, the wrong choice of cabinetry could cost a homeowner tens of thousands of dollars. And money aside, its not easy to rip out that chartreuse backsplash if you later regret it. Yet cracks in the color-free facade are emerging. Between 2018 and 2019, BHG.com consumer insights found a 115 percent spike in interest in cabinet paint trends and a 10 percent increase in interest in colorful kitchen cabinetry. And from March 2018 to March 2019, interest in blue and green for paint and home decor rose 50 percent. Navy cabinets have become increasingly popular along with two-toned ones, with choices like blue for the lower ones and blond wood for the uppers. Greens of all shades have been nudging their way onto the stage, too, appearing as emerald cabinetry, avocado backsplashes and sage pendants. In a throwback to the 1970s, the age of wacky colored appliances is also back. Want a retro fridge? Big Chill carries them in colors like beach blue, cherry red and pink lemonade. The appliance company BlueStar offers hundreds of color options, as well as custom colors for its products, letting customers personalize down to the color of the doors, trim and dials. Have a specific shade of purple in mind for your oven? Dacor can match a swatch you provide to the color of its appliances. Anything goes these days, said Gideon Mendelson, an interior designer in Manhattan. He is currently designing a yellow kitchen for a couple on the North Fork of Long Island, which he described as a sophisticated buttercup. Its not going to be sweet and cutesy. Its not quite mustard. Its happier than that. Who doesnt want a happy kitchen? With the world so dreary, a little yellow can go a long way. In these uncertain times, were drawn to colors that dont need to be impeccable, that can hide the messiness of life. Theres a sense of energy and nourishment in bright colors, said Ingrid Fetell Lee, the author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness. Alessandra Wood, the vice president of style for Modsy, an online interior-design service, told me that homeowners are looking for comfort and coziness in design choices, so why not our kitchens, too? In this really unstable world, we are looking for anything that makes us feel comfortable, and we are definitely turning to our homes to do that, she said. Just look at the color Pantone chose for its color of the year: classic blue, because it highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation. Paint companies Sherwin-Williams and PPG also ushered in the new decade with blue as their picks of the year in a collective nod to what might soon be our new neutral call it bluetral. Were also living in our homes differently. After decades of relentless moving, Americans are moving at the lowest rates since the U.S. census began tracking our mobility, with fewer than 10 percent of Americans moving between 2018 and 2019. Baby boomers are aging in place and millennials, facing rising housing costs and stagnating wages, are less likely to house hop. With no plans to stake a for sale sign in the front yard, why commit to the safe and listless colors of a staged house? Greige, that dreary hue that is neither gray nor beige, but took over our homes for over a decade, is decidedly out. The relentlessly white kitchen may be next. It made a lot of sense in the era of house flipping. White looks clean and is unlikely to offend a potential buyer. Who hates white? And if your home is perpetually one renovation away from its next open house, white is a natural go-to color. Its a kitchen designed for future buyers, not the specific tastes of the current inhabitants. But lets face it: White looks clean only when it is clean. The rest of the time, it is not the most practical color for a room that regularly gets splashed with marinara sauce. There is something to be said for a little color to hide the imperfections. Were living in our spaces longer, so theres an extra level of consideration that people are giving to them, Dr. Wood said. Were thinking, How do I make this space into a space that I really feel comfortable in? So if there is no buyer on the horizon, if the kitchen remodel is just for you, the view widens. Why not wash the whole room in turquoise? It doesnt really matter what some fictional buyer might think. You can be you and paint the cabinets pink. The Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it intended to end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country in the most serious threat to their treaty alliance under President Rodrigo Duterte. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet Manila's notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. He refused to provide other details on the drastic step as a diplomatic courtesy. Locsin signed the notice on orders of Duterte, who has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine military's close historic ties with its American counterpart. In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. U.S. military presence in the strategic waterway has been seen as a crucial counterweight to China, which claims virtually the entire sea. Locsin proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues instead of abrogating it. Philippine defense and military officials did not immediately issue any reaction to the government move. The termination of the 1999 agreement would take effect 180 days after Washington received Manila's notice but both could decide to keep the pact during the waiting period, Philippine officials said. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly cancelled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the president's deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the anti-drug campaign Duterte launched when he took office in mid-2016, alarming the U.S. and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Duterte gave the U.S. a month to restore dela Rosa's visa, but U.S. officials have not publicly reacted to the Philippine leader's demand. Locsin outlined in last week's televised Senate hearing what he said were the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The U.S. is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. While the Philippines has the prerogative to terminate the VFA anytime, the continuance of the agreement is deemed to be more beneficial to the Philippines compared to any predicates were it to be terminated, Locsin said. The accord, known by its acronym VFA, took effect in 1999 to legally allow the entry of American forces along with U.S. military ships and aircraft to the Philippines for joint training with Filipino troops. A separate defense pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allowed the extended stay of U.S. forces and authorized them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defense equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. Terminating the VFA would affect more than 300 joint exercises and other activities this year with U.S. forces which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, Locsin said. The U.S. provided more than $550 million in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a chilling effect on our economic relations if the Philippines draws down its security alliance with Washington. American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how U.S. military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants in southern Marawi city in 2017. The U.S. military presence has also been a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed South China Sea, Locsin said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and three other governments have rival claims to the strategic waterway. Duterte first threatened to abrogate the VFA in late 2016 after a U.S. aid agency put on hold funds for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines. The 74-year-old leader has walked back on such public threats before but his government's action on Tuesday has been the most serious indication so far of his intent to set back military relations with the U.S. Aside from threatening to take down the VFA, Duterte has said would ban some U.S. senators from entering the Philippines. He apparently was referring to American senators who sought to ban unspecified Philippine officials from entering the U.S. for their role in the continued detention of Philippine opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, a vocal critic of Duterte's deadly campaign against illegal drugs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) US Attorney General William Barr said the Trump administration will start piling on sanctions on sanctuary cities in what he called a 'significant escalation' against policies that have protected immigrants who are illegally in the states. Declaring that law enforcement officers are being 'put in harm's way by these ideologically driven policies,' Barr announced lawsuits against New Jersey and King County in Washington state, home to Seattle, over immigration policies that offer protections to immigrants who are in the US illegally. 'Let us state the reality upfront and as clearly as possible,' Barr said to an audience of officers at the National Sheriffs Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington on Monday. US Attorney General William Barr speaks at the National Sheriffs' Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington on Monday. Barr used the event to announce the Trump administration was to start piling on sanctions on sanctuary cities 'When we are talking about sanctuary cities, we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society,' he explained. 'Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. This is neither lawful nor sensible.' His remarks coincided with legal action being taken against New Jersey, which is being sued by the Justice Department for violating federal law by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from sharing information about inmates who are undocumented immigrants. Pictured, the state capitol in Trenton, New Jersey. The state is being sued by the Department of Justice for violating federal law by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from sharing information about inmates who are undocumented immigrants King County in Washington state, home to Seattle, is also being sued by the Department of Justice for policies that offer protections to immigrants who are in the US illegally 'When we are talking about sanctuary cities, we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society,' Barr explained Washington state's King County was also hit with a lawsuit over a policy that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using the King County International Airport-Boeing Field for deportation flights. 'Today is a significant escalation in the federal governments effort to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities,' Barr said, adding that the Justice Department would be 'robustly supporting' Homeland Security to use 'all lawful means,' including federal subpoenas, to obtain information about suspects they are seeking to deport. Barr's references were to cities like New York, which have put laws in place that prohibit the sharing of information with immigration officials. 'These policies are textbook examples of misguided ideology triumphing over commonsense law enforcement, and it is the public and the police who pay the price,' Barr said. The Trump administration also is going after California, suing to block a law that took effect Jan. 1 that banned new contracts with for-profit prison companies, including thousands of immigration detention beds that the federal government pays for in the state. US President Donald Trump has been trying since he took office to punish sanctuary cities. In 2017, then Attorney General Jeff Sessions said such cities would not receive grant money unless they gave federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released from prison. A federal judge blocked the punishment from being enforced, and the cities got the money. Federal authorities have tried lawsuits before, suing California over its sanctuary law in 2018. A federal appeals court rejected the bulk of the administrations lawsuit, though Barr said Monday he was hopeful the government would win before the Supreme Court. That hasnt stopped Trump from criticizing the policies and noting, in bloody detail, certain cases where immigrants in the US illegally have committed crimes. On Monday, speaking to the nation's governors, Trump said that it was essential the country comply with immigration enforcement requests. US President Donald Trump speaks during an election rally before the New Hampshire Primary at Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Monday. Trump has been trying since he took office to punish sanctuary cities. 'Jurisdictions that adopt sanctuary policies and instead release these criminals put all of Americans in harm's way,' Trump said. 'I know we have different policies, different feelings, different everything. But sanctuary cities are causing us a tremendous problem in this country. We have stone-cold killers that they dont want to hand over to us and then they escape into communities and they cause, in some cases, tremendous havoc.' But studies have shown immigrants are less likely to commit crime than US citizens. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the Trump administration 'is sacrificing public safety for political expedience' and that it is sad the Justice Department had 'agreed to go along with this election-year stunt.' Hub International Ltd. (Hub), the Chicago-based insurance broker, announced it has acquired the assets of Azur Consulting Services Inc. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Located in Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, Azur Consulting Services provides employee benefits consulting, including group and health benefits solutions. Paul Ethier, president of Azur Consulting Services, will join Hub International Quebec Ltd. (Hub Quebec). The move continues to advance Hubs ongoing Canadian employee benefits growth and services strategy toexpand its best-in-class employee benefits and retirement solution to address the challenges clients are facing in the market. Source: Hub International Ltd. Topics Mergers Residents wait at a rest area after receiving the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine at a mobile station in Hong Kong on Sunday. (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images) Few of the citys older residents have been fully inoculated, leaving them highly vulnerable as the city battles an outbreak of the new variant. Karnataka governor Vajubhai Vala, chief minister B S Yeddyurappa and newly sworn in ministers greet each after the ceremony at Raj Bhavan, in Bengaluru on Feb. 6, 2020. (PTI Photo) Bengaluru: A mere 24 hours after allocating portfolios to 10 defectors, Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yediyurappa came under immense pressure from the new entrants, and was forced to change their portfolios. Ballari mining baron Anand Singh, who was given food and civil supplies, demanded and got a switch to forests, ecology and environment. Another party hopper, B C Patil lost the forest ministry to Anand Singh but got agriculture as compensation. Why do forests matter so much to Anand Singh? Its all tied up with the politics of Ballari district, where the powerful Reddy brothers hold sway. Anand Singh is an old foe of the mining baron brothers. He had earlier wrested an assurance from Yediyurappa that the district would be bifurcated so he can emerge from the shadows of the Reddys and their close associate B. Sreeramulu, who too is a minister. Ballari is the illegal mining hub of Karnataka where the forests and environment ministry would have leverage on the brothers, explained a senior BJP leader. As for B C Patil, he had tweeted even before the portfolios were announced that he had been promised a first class portfolio, and when it was announced he would be the forest minister, he went into a sulk that hadnt been given environment and ecology as well. Explaining Patils midnight lobbying for a more choice portfolio , a senior bureaucrat quipped, The environment and ecology ministries are the ones which give clearances to industries and not the forest ministry. Apart from Patil and Singh, Byrathi Basavaraj, who was given urban development without the Bengaluru-related matter, managed to secure two more plum portfolios: Karnataka Urban Water Supplies and Sewerage Board (KUWSSB) and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC). Arabail Shivaram Hebbar who was allotted a relatively low-key ministry has now been given additional charge of the sugar ministry. Gopalaiah has been allotted the food and civil supplies ministry and Mr Shrimant Patil has been given additional charge of the minority welfare department. So here are the new ministers who managed to get powerful portfolios: Anand Singh: Forest, Ecology + Environment in lieu of Food and Civil Supplies B C Patil: Agriculture in lieu of Forest K Gopalaiah: Food and Civil Supplies in lieu of Small Scale Industries and Sugar Arabail Shivaram Hebbar: Additional charge of Sugar along with Labour Byrathy Basvaraj: Additional charge of KUWSSB and KUIDFC along with Urban Development sans Bengaluru affairs Shrimant Patil: Minority Welfare + Textiles The number of deaths from a coronavirus outbreak in China has topped 900, while an increase in cases in Britain has led the government there to declare the virus a "serious and imminent threat" to public health. Britain reported four new cases Monday, bringing to eight the number of people testing positive for the virus. Health Minister Matt Hancock made the declaration to give the government more power to isolate people in its bid to keep the virus from spreading. The director general of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said Monday that the spread of coronavirus between people who had no history of travel to China could be "the spark that becomes a bigger fire." "In recent days, we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China," he said, citing the new cases in Britain as well as in France. Tedros said an advance WHO team of medical experts arrived in China on Monday to help investigate the outbreak. U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday that he is expecting the coronavirus outbreak to disappear in April because of the warmer weather. "The heat, generally speaking, kills this kind of virus," he said. Also Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping made a rare visit to a hospital in Beijing Monday, speaking with healthcare workers and patients. Xi donned a blue mask during his visit to the Beijing Ditan hospital -- a designated institution treating the coronavirus. Xi, who has largely stayed out of the public eye since the epidemic began in December, also visited a residential community in central Beijing to talk to locals about their daily lives during the outbreak. The Los Angeles Dodgers announced the signing of star outfielder Mookie Betts from the Boston Red Sox on Monday, sealing a blockbuster deal that had teetered close to collapse over the weekend. Betts, the 2018 American League MVP, heads to Los Angeles along with former Cy Young Award-winning pitcher David Price and cash in a deal that sees three top Dodgers prospects head the other way. News of the deal had first emerged last week, with the Minnesota Twins also involved in the complicated transaction. However the deal stalled after the Red Sox reviewed the medical records of Twins pitcher Brusdar Graterol, who had been due to move to Boston as part of horse-trading. That forced the Dodgers into renegotiating with the Red Sox, agreeing to offload more prospects than they had originally intended to complete the signing of Betts and Price. The Dodgers will send outfielder Alex Verdugo, shortstop Jeter Downs and catcher Connor Wong to the Red Sox. In a separate deal with the Twins, the Dodgers have sent Japanese pitcher Kenta Maeda to Minnesota along with minor league catcher Jair Camargo. In return, the Dodgers will now receive Twins pitcher Graterol, a draft pick, and outfielder Luke Raley. Boston's decision to trade away Betts has been met with outrage by Red Sox fans, angry that the club has allowed the 27-year-old to walk away from the franchise in the prime of his career rather than fight to retain him when he enters free agency in 2021. Red Sox owner John W. Henry said in a statement on Monday the club understood the fans' anguish. "In trading a great player, a beloved player, we recognize how incredibly difficult this is for fans who fully understand just how special Mookie is," Henry said. "While the organization in its entirety very much wanted to see Mookie in a Red Sox uniform for the length of his career, we believe in this decision as we are responsible and accountable for both the present and the future of the Red Sox. "We thank Mookie for his incredible contributions, both on and off the field." On the move: Boston Red Sox Mookie Betts has completed his move to the Los Angeles Dodgers The Romanian Red Cross collected 14,500 kg of basic non-perishable foods in the first month since the relaunch of the Food Bank, which is the equivalent of the entire quantity collected during the entire year 2019. The foods collected in December 2019, according to a press release of the Romanian Red Cross, ensured the basic food needs for 2,150 families, for a month. Under the slogan "A Bank for Another," the campaign encourages Romanians to make Food Banking, that is to adopt a new manner of making investments in the future of our society, by making constant donations."Through the Food Bank, we address a real need of the society. Unfortunately, in Romania, 40 per cent of the population fall below the poverty line. The painful statistics show us that, last year, a quarter of the Romanians lived with less than 9 lei per day, while the fact that these persons are always worrying about tomorrow also makes them very vulnerable. Out desire is, ten years since our launch, to have more donations and to help as many families in need as possible, and especially to develop a habit of donating constantly for as many Romanians as possible," said Ioan Silviu Lefter, general manager of the Romanian Red Cross.The packages offered to those in need have a standard weight of 12 kilograms and include 2 liters of oil, 1 kilogram of sugar, 2 kilograms of flour, 1 kilogram of rice, 1 bag of pasta, 4 cans of meat or fish, canned vegetables, biscuits and other non-perishable food stuffs. One package covers the food needs of one family of three for a month and are worth 95 lei as an average.Two hypermarkets are our partners in this ever since our launch 10 years ago and their teams in the stores continue to help with implementing the programmes, by signaling the right food stuffs at the shelf for donations and placing baskets after the cash register, for everyone who wants to make a donation, in every store.The food baskets are available in all the Carrefour stores and in 59 Mega Image stores in Bucharest and in the country, added the Romanian Red Cross. Donald Trump deleted a post on Twitter calling Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg a "total racist" and sharing audio of the former New York mayor endorsing stop-and-frisk policies that racially profile black teenagers. In the resurfaced audio, which was captured at the Aspen Institute in 2015, Mr Bloomberg explains why he supports police performing warrantless searches in black neighbourhoods, which a federal judge determined was carried out unconstitutionally by his police department. President Trump has, however, previously supported the same policy. Mr Bloomberg only recently apologised for pushing "stop and frisk" as the billionaire prepared to announce his candidacy for the Democratic nomination. In 2018, the president called for police departments to bring those policies back after several court challenges and federal intervention. Mr Trump told a meeting of US police chiefs in Chicago that indiscriminate stop and frisk "works" and that his administration is working to "try to change the terrible deal the city of Chicago entered into" with the American Civil Liberties Union, after the organisation threatened to sue the city. The president said the agreement "ties law enforcement's hands". Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters He said: "Gotta be properly applied, but stop and frisk works." In 2013, then-private citizen Trump said on Twitter: "Stop and frisk works. Instead of criticising [former NYPD chief] Ray Kelly, New Yorkers should be thanking him for keeping NY safe." The clip of Mr Bloomberg, which was shared widely on social media, captures the former mayor saying that "the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the walls and frisk them". "Ninety-five per cent of your murders -- murders and murder victims -- fit one M.O.", he says. "You can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. ... They are male, minorities, [age] 16-25." He says cities should "spend a lot of money on a lot of cops in the streets" and "put those cops where crime is, which means in minority neighbourhoods". "So, one of the unintended consequences is people say, 'Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities.' Yes, that's true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighbourhoods", he says. "Yes, that's true, and why do we do it? Because that's where all the crime is." In New York, more than 100,000 stop-and-frisk stops were made annually between 2003 and 2013, including a dramatic spike in 2011 when more than 685,000 people were stopped by police. The majority of the people stopped by police in those cases were young African-Americans or Latinos The ACLU said indiscriminate stop-and-frisk is "unconstitutional, results in enormous racial disparities, erodes community trust in the police, and makes people of colour less likely to report crimes. The group cites a Vera Institute of Justice study that found that young people are 8 per cent less likely to report a violent crime if they've been topped and frisked by police. Donald Trump Jr also shared the clip of Mr Bloomberg on Twitter with the hashtag #BloombergIsARacist. Following the president's since-deleted Twitter post, Mr Bloomberg issued a statement calling the latest example of the president's "endless efforts to divide Americans". "I inherited the police practice of stop and frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused", he said. 'By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95 per cent, but I should've done it faster and sooner. I regret that and I have apologised -- and I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities." 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 There were 4,521,480,071 Internet users as of Dec. 1, 2019. A month later it was closer to 5 billion users. A decade ago there were fewer than a billion social network users. Thats worldwide. That user growth has been a leading indicator of the rise of alternative social networking platforms. Marketers and consumers are always on the lookout for the newest thing with which to engage. For consumers, its social outreach and sharing. For marketers its commerce and sharing. So, the scale of whats available to consumers in both social and retail platforms is huge and more and more alternative platforms are on the way. Its all because of consumers online behavior. Welcome to the marketing Mbius strip: Growth in consumer online activity leads to increased expectations, which leads to newer alternative social and retail platforms built to meet those expectations, which increases consumer activity, which leads to more frequent online activity accompanied by increased expectations, which leads to. . . well, you get the point. Youre probably living the point right now. This behavior and the experiential nature of consumers social and retail behaviors have become more and more commonplace, along with increased expectations. Depending upon the category youre looking at, consumer expectations grow within a range of 18 percent to 25 percent a year. Brands, only manage to keep up by about 5 percent to 7 percent, which leaves a really big gap between what those 4 billion-plus Internet users expect and what brands actually are able to deliver. One thing that hasnt changed is the fact that nature abhors a vacuum. Empty space is unnatural and needs to be filled. Thats physics. The need for more and more platforms so that consumers are able to meet their ever-expanding expectations? Thats marketing. New, alternative platforms are created to try to meet those ever-growing expectations, but expectations are like an oil spill. A spill in one place does not remain isolated. It spreads from one category to another, and thus new expectations beget newer expectations, and online social and online retail have begun to intermingle. Shoppable Social Strategies Consumers live online. They shop online. They share online. They learn online. What theyve shared and learned and what has become part-and-parcel of their lives is that they have access to virtually everything. Now! When they have questions, they search. However, expectations are such that they actually dont want to search for something when they see it online. They want to be able to tap on an image and have access to it. Now! Where is it? Whats in it? What products are those? What clothes are those people wearing? How much do they cost? Where can I find it? They want whats become known as shoppable posts. Tap on an image and know everything about it. Thats what they expect and now, or very soon. Core business-to-consumer platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, and business-to-business platforms like LinkedIn, are not meeting consumer expectations, but all of them are adopting or currently developing shoppable strategies to make them more competitive with the likes of Amazon and Jd.com. Yes, the addition of more pay-to-play platforms means engagement will be more problematic. Alternative e-commerce platforms like TikTok will allow brands more easily to engage consumers who already are migrating or planning to migrate from older platforms that dont meet their expectations to newer alternatives that do. A D V E R T I S E M E N T One thing consistent throughout marketing history is that you dont want to disappoint your consumer. These days, the abundance of options means consumers are not likely to give social or retail sites that disappoint them another chance. Why should they? Their expectations will force them to seek out competitive options on alternative platforms or force brands to offer shoppable content experiences to their consumers across every touchpoint the brand uses to engage the consumer. In a maturing digital/online/social/retail marketplace, tech companies are working very hard to make everything more transactional. Shoppable posts become the off-ramp for having to shop in a store. Social E-Commerce Synergy TikToks ads have a shop now button connected to user-generated content that redirects users to a microsite. Instagram introduced a program that allows retailers with the Shopify network to embed point-of-sales items in their posts. Tap on an item, the price comes up. Tap on a price, more product information comes up. Tap on the link, and you just shopped! Ninety-two percent of recently polled Pinterest users felt the platform helped them make purchasing decisions. Over the past two years, all the major players have been creating formats allowing online users to make purchases in the creative itself. Thats even if they werent initially online to shop, but just to share. From a retail perspective, analytics should be able to point the way to prioritizing the products retailers want to make shoppable. Its also going to necessitate finding ways to blend social and retail seamlessly, because the truth is that most of whats out there and what engages consumers is broader (and less specific) than retail alone. Today, engagement is about awareness and emotion, and awareness and emotion form the doorway for making something desired and thus, eminently sociable sharable and shoppable. The idea of shoppable posts gives consumers the opportunity to buy immediately. Five years ago, marketers might have suggested that consumers would need time to get used to the idea of shopping on mobile devices. With more than 85 percent of U.S. shoppers making purchases online, its a given. With expectations also a given, it will be the tap-on-your-platform-of-choice trend for the foreseeable future. New platforms able to accommodate the entire sales process or at the very least facilitate the sales process will have an added advantage of providing visitation and advertising efficacy. While this is a very big trend and an even bigger idea, brands should start small. Retailers should start with their own social networking efforts and websites. Remember those 4 billion-plus online consumers? With the continuing growth of social media and e-commerce, synergy between the two is going to be massive. That fusion will be the next big thing for social media, particularly for the new social networking platforms coming down the road. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Native integration will make it easy for consumers to tag and shop products, and will make finding product pages easier, more instinctive, and more immediate all of which promises to make online experiences more relevant, more engaging, more customizable, and more profitable for more shoppable ads. A British man managed to pass on the coronavirus to at least 11 other people without ever setting foot in the epicentre of the outbreak in China, in an infectious journey that shows how the deadly virus can spread rapidly around a globalised world. The adult British citizen, who has not been named publicly, caught the virus while attending a conference in Singapore and then passed it on to several compatriots while on holiday in the French Alps, before finally being diagnosed back in the UK. Of those infected by the man, five have been hospitalised in France, five in Britain and one other man on the Spanish island of Mallorca. How did he pass on the new coronavirus so rapidly in so many different places? - Singapore - The man attended a business conference in Singapore from 20-22 January. More than 100 people took part in the conference, including at least one Chinese national from Hubei province, the epicentre of the epidemic that has now left more than 900 dead. - Haute-Savoie, French Alps - He then travelled on to France to spend some days from January 24-28 at the ski resort of Contamines-Montjoie in the Alps with a group of other British citizens staying in two apartments in the same chalet. - Brighton, England - Stricken with fever after his return to the south of England, the man then went to a medical centre in the southeastern town of Brighton where he was diagnosed with the coronavirus. On February 6 he was transferred to the infectious diseases unit at the hospital of St Thomas in London. Five other people who had contact with him at the French ski chalet were then confirmed by the British health authorities to be infected. Some of the staff from The Grenadier pub, which the man went to just before he was hospitalised, have also been placed in isolation. But the pub has stayed open. A medical centre in Brighton said Monday it had temporarily closed for "an urgent operational health and safety reason". The BBC and Sky News said one of the centre's staff members had tested positive for the virus, although this was not officially confirmed. - Paris - Health Minister Agnes Buzyn said on February 8 that five British nationals, including a child, who stayed at the chalet with the man had tested positive. Six other Britons staying in the same chalet were also hospitalised for observation. "They show no serious signs" of those infected having any threat to their lives, added Buzyn. Business owners in the Contamines-Montjoie resort have been keen to avoid any exaggerations of the threat as French families prepared to descend on the area for the half-term ski holidays. Three schools attended by one of the British infected -- the child aged nine -- are closed and 100 have been people tested. All the results have been negative so far. Similar efforts have been made to track down passengers who took a flight from Geneva -- the closest large airport to Contamines-Montjoie -- with the man when he went back to Britain on January 28. - Mallorca, Spain - One member of the group he stayed with in France then sought medical help after returning to his home in Mallorca. The contamination took place between January 25 and January 29, according to the Spanish authorities. The man in Mallorca is "currently in good health. He shows practically no symptom," said Fernando Simon, an official from Spain's health ministry. The Mallorca man's wife and two daughters aged 10 and 7, who were also hospitalised for tests, have shown no sign of infection. - Speed of spread spurs fears - Experts said that the speed of the transmission showed the potential for the novel coronavirus to become a global pandemic. "The recent report of transmission to British nationals in France are a worrying but perhaps not unexpected development," said Paul Hunter, Professor in Medicine, University of East Anglia. "This reinforces the fact that transmission is no longer restricted to China. It is still too early to know when and if the epidemic will become pandemic and whether we will see start to see sustained person to person transmission in Europe." PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CKU Properties, a state leader in custom home designs and construction, will officially launch its new brand as CKU Properties LLC. This is an exciting and important milestone for the company, as they unveiled a new name, logo, and website. CKU Properties LLC Founded by Curran Underwood, the company has grown in five years to employ 90 full-time employees in the tri-state area. Dedicated to the creation of customized homes at a modest cost, CKU Properties LLC is now one of the leaders in custom home construction in Philadelphia. As a Philadelphia native, Curran has worked to ensure CKU Properties LLC is committed to neighborhood development and is at the forefront of revitalization efforts taking place in his home town. "We continue to give back to our community and grow for the future of our community." -CEO Curran Underwood "In addition to custom design, we are pleased to announce the grand opening of CKU Properties Educates. Curran and Matthew (CEO of MGJ Investments Inc.) bring over 30 years of experience in real estate to up and coming entrepreneurs." The collaboration will provide students with courses in financial literacy and corporate business structure. "We look forward to providing the necessary tools to succeed." -Matthew Jackson MGJ Investments Inc. Although housing stats have dropped nationwide during the past five years, CKU Properties has posted substantial gains each year. Curran Underwood reports that they expect this growth to continue at a 10% annual rate. "Over the course of many years and several successful projects later, the entire CKU team has shown that a well experienced, dedicated group can bring value to a project in a number of ways," said Curran Underwood, CEO and Director of Construction. "During the rebuild and of fallen communities in North Philadelphia, the CKU team took great pride in providing high-quality living in communities that were deemed the "ghetto" and inhabitable." About CKU Properties LLC CKU Properties LLC is focused on owning premium-branded homes with efficient operating models primarily in the upscale segment of the home development. As of Jan. 27, 2020, the Company's portfolio consisted of 100+ projects located in the tri-state area. Related Images remodel-project-in-the-inner-city.jpeg Remodel project in the inner city of Philadelphia Related Links http://www.ckupropertiesllc.com SOURCE CKU Properties LLC Related Links http://ckupropertiesllc.com After refusing to sign a pledge of allegiance to the state of Israel, the state of Georgia shut down a media literacy conference featuring journalist and filmmaker Abby Martin at Georgia Southern University. Martin had recently released a documentary critical of the Israeli government called Gaza Fights for Freedom. Now she is suing the state, claiming the decision is a violation of the First Amendment. Along with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Partnership for Civil Justice Fund (PCJF), today she filed a federal free speech lawsuit against the university system of Georgia. Martin was dismayed by the universitys decision: This censorship of my talk based on forced compliance to anti-BDS laws in Georgia is just one level of a nationwide campaign to protect Israel from grassroots pressure. We must stand firmly opposed to these efforts and not cower in fear to these blatant violations of free speech, she said. After I was scheduled to give keynote speech at an upcoming @GeorgiaSouthern conference, organizers said I must comply w/ Georgias anti-BDS law & sign a contractual pledge to not boycott Israel. I refused & my talk was canceled. The event fell apart after colleagues supported me Abby Martin (@AbbyMartin) January 11, 2020 Twenty-eight states have already mandated loyalty pledges to Israel as a means to outlaw dissent. But in December, President Trump passed legislation effectively criminalizing the Boycott Divestments and Sanctions (BDS) movement that aims to put pressure on the Jewish state through economic action, along the lines of the anti-Apartheid struggle in South Africa. The law mandates that any public institution would be subject to losing all funding if the government deems that they are not doing enough to stamp out anti-Semitism, which, it explicitly states, includes any criticism of the Israeli government. In December, MintPress reported that the British government under Boris Johnson is planning to introduce similar legislation. The hyperbolic notion that conservatives are the ones being persecuted on college campuses has made blatant censorship campaigns against people for criticism of Israel, or other progressive protests, go completely ignored, Martin wrote. CAIRs Legal Defense Fund Senior Litigation Attorney Gadeir Abbas said, There is no place where free speech is more important than on campus. And this attempt to suppress Abbys views denying students, academics, and others from hearing her lecture is as brazen as it is illegal. In adopting this anti-BDS law, Georgia has prioritized the policy preferences of a foreign country over the free speech rights of Americans, like Abby, who speak on this states college campuses. The PCJF likened the BDS movement to the boycotts of the civil rights movement in the mid-twentieth century, its Executive Director Mara Verheyden-Hilliard described the laws as extraordinary, outrageous, illegal and unconstitutional. In 1956 Martin Luther King and his movement were criminalized for carrying out boycotts, as Southern states passed legislation to penalize their behavior, only for it to be later struck down by the Supreme Court. This is what Martin and the alliance of non-governmental organizations is hoping will happen here too. Why should I have to contractually pledge loyalty to a foreign country? she asked at her press conference today. In 2016, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed a law requiring any person or organization entering into a contract with the state worth at least $1,000 sign an oath promising that they would not oppose the Israeli government in any fashion. CAIR has reason to believe they could overturn the law its Georgia Executive Director, Edward Ahmed Mitchell, called blatantly and hilariously unconstitutional. In 2018, Bahia Amawi, a Houston-based childrens speech pathologist who worked with autistic, speech-impaired and other developmentally disabled children, lost her job after she refused to sign a similar document. Amawi had been at her job for nine years previously without a problem. CAIR took up Amawis case and managed to overturn every Texas boycott law on the grounds of their unconstitutionality and she is now free to return to work. They appear confident of a similar victory in Georgia. Martin began as a citizen journalist covering the Occupy movement in her native California. From 2012 to 2015 she hosted the show Breaking the Set on RT. In the famous D.N.I. report into alleged Russian interference into the 2016 election, the U.S. government accused her of promoting radical discontent in America, something she appears to wear as a badge of honor. Her current documentary series, Empire Files, is broadcast on TeleSUR English. However, due to sanctions against the Venezuelan government, Gaza Fights for Freedom was crowdfunded. She is also the host of Media Roots Radio. Correction | An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the state of Georgia shut down a screening of Abby Martins documentary film Gaza Fights for Freedom. Feature photo | Journalist Abby Martin announces a federal free speech lawsuit to overturn Georgias unconstitutional Israel boycott in partnership with CAIR and the Partnership for Justice Fund. Photo | Facebook Screenshot Alan MacLeod is a Staff Writer for MintPress News. After completing his PhD in 2017 he published two books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. He has also contributed to Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, Common Dreams the American Herald Tribune and The Canary. COLLEGE PARK, Md. - A Coast Guard lieutenant accused of stockpiling guns and targeting Supreme Court justices, prominent Democrats and TV journalists is appealing his prison sentence of more than 13 years. Christopher Hassons defence attorneys filed a notice of appeal on Tuesday, less than two weeks after U.S. District Judge George Hazel sentenced the 50-year-old man to 160 months in prison. The notice says Hasson is asking the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to review his conviction, judgment, sentence and all other adverse rulings and orders in the case. Hasson pleaded guilty in October to possessing unregistered and unserialized silencers, being a drug addict in possession of firearms and illegal possession of tramadol, an opioid painkiller. Justice Department prosecutors didnt charge him with any terrorism-related offences, but the judge agreed to apply a terrorism enhancement that significantly increased the recommended range of a prison term under the federal sentencing guidelines. Prosecutors recommended a 25-year prison sentence for Hasson. They called him a domestic terrorist who appeared to be planning attacks inspired by the manifesto of Anders Behring Breivik, the Norwegian far-right terrorist who killed 77 people in a 2011 bomb-and-shooting rampage. In a 2017 letter he apparently wrote to a neo-Nazi leader, Hasson identified himself as a white nationalist of more than 30 years and advocated for focused violence in order to establish a white homeland, according to prosecutors. Prosecutors also claimed Hasson drew up what appeared to be a computer spreadsheet hit list naming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Democratic presidential hopefuls, including Elizabeth Warren. He also mentioned several network TV journalists, including MSNBCs Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNNs Chris Cuomo and Van Jones. Defence attorneys urged Hazel to spare Hasson from prison and sentence him to jail time served since his February 2019 arrest. Hassons lawyers accused Justice Department prosecutors of fabricating a bogus narrative that the married father of two grown children was planning a terrorist attack. In February 2018, Hasson searched online whether Supreme Court justices are protected, two weeks before he searched for the home addresses of two Supreme Court justices, according to a prosecutor. During Hassons Jan. 31 sentencing hearing, Hazel said he believe d the officer was preparing to carry out a mass casualty assault as a way to act out his white nationalist views. Hasson told the judge he has never harmed anybody in his life and wasnt planning to hurt anyone in any way, shape or form. Adm. Karl Schultz, the Coast Guards commandant, said in statement that Hasson would be involuntarily separated from the Coast Guard. Investigators found 15 guns, including seven rifles, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition when they searched Hassons basement apartment in Silver Spring, Maryland. In September, Hazel refused to dismiss the gun charges against Hasson. The judge rejected a defence argument that charging Hasson with unlawful possession of firearm silencers violates his Second Amendment right to bear arms. New Delhi, Feb 11 : A court here on Tuesday sentenced NGO owner Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment for the remainder of his life in connection with the sexual and physical assault of several girls at his shelter home in Bihar's Muzaffarpur district. Additional Session Judge Saurabh Kulshrestha had on January 20 convicted 19 accused including Thakur and nine women in connection with the case. Thakur, a former Bihar People's Party legislator, was held guilty under Section 376 (rape), 376D (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code. He was also found guilty under Section 6 and 17 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 75 of Juvenile Justice Act. The court, however, acquitted one accused. The case pertains to the allegations that several girl inmates of the shelter home were sexually assaulted. Thakur heads an state-funded NGO named Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti which ran the shelter home. The matter came to light following a audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Thakur was the prime accused in the case while others were employees of his shelter home and Bihar Social Welfare Department officials. The case was transferred from Bihar Police to the CBI in July 2018. The court had on March 20, 2019, framed charges against the accused for offences of criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against minors. The case was, however, transferred from a local court in Muzaffarpur to the POCSO court at Saket here last year on the Supreme Court's directions. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The Philippines has finally sent the United States a notice to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement, marking the start of the 180-day period from when the two-decade military pact will be effectively scrapped. Malacanang on Tuesday confirmed that the document has been signed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Tedoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr. and sent to the US government. "The notice of the termination has been sent and the effectivity of that would be 180 days from the receipt of the US government of such notice," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo told a media briefing. After the Palace's press conference, Locsin announced on Twitter that Deputy Chief of Mission John Law of the US Embassy in Manila has received the notice of termination. "As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development," Locsin said. Panelo, who also serves as Chief Presidential Legal Counsel, said there is no need to wait for any response from the US government, since the VFA itself says it can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Article 9 of the VFA states, "This agreement shall remain in force until the expiration of 180 days from the date on which either party gives the other party notice in writing that it desires to terminate the agreement." The termination notice preempts what could have been a discussion on the VFA during the bilateral dialogue being eyed by the US State Department in March, Panelo said. The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnel in the country. Among its controversial provisions are the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes locally. Locsin earlier said he will he will insist on negotiating these issues should the VFA be reviewed. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement In a Senate hearing last week, the senior diplomat pushed for a "vigorous review" of the VFA instead, saying the continuance of the agreement is "is deemed to be more beneficial" for the Philippines. He highlighted the benefits that the Philippines has been getting from the VFA: military assistance, financial grants, and deterrence against possible attacks from other countries, among others. READ: PH could lose up to 10 billion in aid if VFA ends, Locsin says After that hearing however, Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte has not changed his mind and was ready to instruct Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to ask Locsin to send the notice. Making good on a threat The VFA was brought to light in January after Duterte threatened to scrap it in response to US' cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's tourist visa. Dela Rosa acknowledged that the revocation of his visa may have something to do with alleged extrajudicial killings under his watch as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018. Malacanang said US senators' repeated calls for the release of Senator Leila de Lima an opposition lawmaker detained on drug charges since 2017 was also among the reasons for Duterte's move to end the VFA. The US' 2020 budget law includes a provision that bans Filipino government officials involved in De Lima's imprisonment. The American Senate also passed a resolution in January seeking to deny US entry to and freeze the assets of Philippine officials "responsible for extrajudicial killings" and the "prolonged detention" of De Lima. Malacanang has repeatedly denied that there are state-sanctioned killings, and stressed that the De Lima's drug cases are now being tried by the country's independent courts. Although US President Donald Trump has not criticized any of the Philippines' policies, Panelo said the Senate serves as "the voice of the US government." Still, the Philippines is hoping for even warmer ties with its long-standing ally, Panelo said. READ: Trump trying to save Visiting Forces Agreement, Duterte says What happens to other PH-US deals? The Philippines and the US have two more major military agreements the Mutual Defense Treaty, which states that each country would come to the defense of the other in case of an attack by a foreign country, and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, which allows the US military to use and control five bases in the Philippines. Panelo said Malacanang will wait for the Senate's findings on how the termination of the VFA would impact these two other deals. Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon, however, said there is no more sense in reviewing it. "Because what will we review if the VFA has been in fact terminated?" Drilon said, warning of its consequences. "If the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot stand alone, because the basis of the EDCA is the VFA, and if the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot be effective. If the VFA and EDCA are no longer effective, then the MDT, as mentioned by Sec. Locsin, would be inutile and would serve no purpose," Drilon said in an impromptu interview with reporters prior to Palace's announcement. The Senate approved a resolution Monday to thoroughly review the VFA before coming to a decision regarding its fate, but this was also overrun by the delivery of the termination notice. Photo: Getty Images. Photo-Illustration: Intelligencer Last week, the Trump administration opened another front in the ongoing war on expertise. After battling diplomats, generals, spies, scientists, and journalists, the president and his minions are now trolling architects. If Trump signs the executive order that has been circulating in draft form, new federal buildings will follow a mandated preference for the classical style. Let Doric columns and entablatures spring from the land. All other aesthetic approaches will be deemed officially ugly. And because nobody in the United States seems capable of resisting the presidents provocations, the architecture world has responded with a fugue of protest first one voice, then another, gathering into a hosanna of indignation. The professions national organization, historians, preservationists, critics, and even classical-minded architects have issued statements decrying the prospect of a government-dictated style as reminiscent of Stalin and Albert Speer. Im saving my outrage. The White Houses proposed architectural edict is a boneheaded idea cooked up by a crackpot cabal of ideologues who hate not just modern architecture but modernity itself. Yet on the scale of Trumps iniquities, the move barely registers. This administrations attack on the natural environment is far more dire than anything it could wreak on the built environment. The executive order doesnt censor architects or stifle creativity in the country at large. It confines itself to however many federal courthouses, embassies, and passport offices the government can get built in the regimes remaining (I hope) months or (please, no) years. It doesnt portend architectural apocalypse. A broad-brushed stylistic preference is not a crushing burden compared with the more mundane restrictions architects contend with every day. Clients fears, donors egos, lenders rules, a budget-review process that strips away all nonessential and therefore interesting design details, the supply chain for steel and glass, the deeply ingrained habits of the construction industry these are the conditions that lead to widespread homogeneity in contemporary architecture. Most critics have reacted less to the administrations specific biases than to the idea of government-mandated aesthetics with an explicit ideological agenda. Thats distasteful, but architecture is already inherently political because it costs a lot of money and takes place in public. At the local level, historic districts, zoning rules, building codes, and town ordinances already build in highly specific preferences: the ratio of glass to masonry, for instance, the presence of a stoop or bay, the massing of a tower. These regulations exist to prevent the worst possible outcomes, not to guarantee great architecture, but finding creative ways to deal with them is exactly what architects do. Like everything Trump touches, the edict is bizarrely polarizing, forcing the public and professionals to take sides in a debate that doesnt really exist. Its been a long time since Ive heard a die-hard modernist reject neoclassicism on principle, or vice versa. Preservationists fight equally hard for endangered works of all aesthetic persuasions. A few architects have built careers on profoundly personal expressions. But many firms refuse to cultivate a house look, and they swear allegiance to no ism. The idea of a distinct style has lost its potency. Now, though, the administration is trying to turn the complex, fluid history of style into one more hard border. The draft order declares that the government has been erecting buildings that only an eggheaded elitist could love. Depressingly, architects and critics have rushed to prove its point. I can understand why. I too am tempted to join in defending the targets of the orders anti-modern ire or in pointing out that once-hated federal buildings can become beloved in time. I might also suggest that attacking Brutalism (a period that was pretty much over by the Reagan years) and Deconstructivism (specifically, Morphosiss two-decade-old design of the Federal Building in San Francisco) shows that the administration cant even keep its hatreds up to date. I could remind the wannabe style czars that the round of embassies currently under construction will represent the nation abroad with dignity and grace. But aesthetic arguments inevitably hit an impasse, devolving into juvenile attacks on other peoples taste. Its a losing game. The document dishonors classicism, miscasting it as a symbol of nostalgia rather than a shape-shifting tradition with promiscuous political associations. So its disconcerting to see opponents make a similar mistake. A fulminating Times editorial interpreted the term classical as narrowly as possible: In other words, federal buildings, most of all federal courthouses, should resemble Roman temples as closely as possible although presumably without any statues of false gods in the lobby. Perhaps its true that Trumps crew craves overscale knockoffs, a nation sprinkled with Caesars Palaces. Its possible the government will hand out federal jobs only to the tiny club of architects who not only work in an acceptably retro mode but also have experience with large structures, complicated programs, and stringent security requirements. Maybe the symbol of Trump-era design will be a concrete-sheathed tower with a cute, little portico and a colonnaded blast wall the kind of thing Ayn Rands Howard Roark might have dynamited. But that doesnt have to be what we get. At the turn of the 20th century, American architects routinely shipped themselves off to the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, where they learned to draw scrolls, cartouches, corbels, and mascarons, then applied their training to the eras loftiest institutions, like the New York Public Library, Washingtons Union Station, and the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House. In the FDR era, a more stripped-down version of antiquity-inspired design yielded Art Deco, the American version of which became ubiquitous in post offices, libraries, courthouses, and government buildings. A strain of classicism runs through all-white modernism, too, from Le Corbusier to Richard Meiers Getty Center to the bleached ribs of Santiago Calatravas Oculus. Its not surprising to see Trumps dumb grumps conclude that architecture they dont like must be in the wrong style but that doesnt mean the rest of us need to agree. The ratio of hackwork to masterpieces remains roughly constant from age to age, from ism to ism. And if style is no guarantor of good taste, then it follows that the classical style is not a condemnation to tastelessness. What if, rather than invoking Speer, architects took the new edict as the kind of challenge they generally relish? Designers could try to satisfy both benighted bureaucrats and their own sense of honor, not by trotting out a tired set of mannerisms but with inventiveness by coming up with one more neo-neo-neoclassical-revival revival that is simultaneously familiar and forward looking. Its been done before. Roy Kells, who died in hospital on Sunday, was a well-known businessman in Fermanagh . He was also a leading figure in the Orange Order and was in his 80s. Paying tribute, the DUP leader Arlene Foster said: "In his professional life Roy Kells made a huge contribution across Northern Ireland, but he remained most definitely a Lisnaskea man through and through. "Through some extremely difficult times, Roy not only sustained the business, but oversaw its expansion within Co Fermanagh and across Northern Ireland, and it is now one of Northern Ireland's best-known family firms. Roy's faith, his family, and his dedication to serving the public have been the hallmarks of his life. "It is notable that so many of the staff who work across the SD Kells stores have been there for many years. Their dedication to the company was only matched by Roy's dedication and care for them. My thoughts today are with the Kells family and all those who will miss Roy the most." The SD Kells firm was founded by his parents who retired in 1964, and Roy Kells built up a drapery and furnishing business all over Northern Ireland. The company has outlets including those in Enniskillen, Omagh, Lurgan, Lisnaskea, Banbridge, Larne, Belfast, Irvinestown, Newtownards and Portadown. In 2013, Mr Kells received the Lifetime Achievement Award in the Fermanagh Business Awards. He described the award as "an utter surprise and most unexpected", and attributed it to the staff and company directors. Roy Kells built up the company in times of great challenges during the Troubles, and he served in the UDR, where he rose to the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. In 1981 he narrowly escaped death when a gunman fired at him through a shop window. The late Mr Kells made a significant contribution to the Orange Order, in many different ways. He was a member of Fawney Heroes LOL329 in Lisnaskea, and he held the position of County Grand Master of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland from 1999-2003. He was Deputy Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Ireland from 2003-2004. He was recognised for his long commitment to the institution by receiving The Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Orange Community Awards in 2018. Grand Master Edward Stevenson, who presented the award, said that it was given in recognition of Mr Kells' "entrepreneurial prowess as well as his contribution to the provision of employment and the local community generally". In the mid-90s many nationalists boycotted SD Kells stores at the height of the Drumcree parade dispute, and in 1998, the car used to transport the Omagh bomb was left outside one of the shops. Paying tribute yesterday the Reverend Mervyn Gibson, Secretary of the Grand Lodge of Ireland, said: "Roy Kells was the leading Fermanagh Orangeman of his generation. He served his country and he was a leading Northern Ireland businessman. "He always had time to talk and to offer advice. He will be a great loss to his family and to the Orange institution." In another tribute an Orange spokesman said: "Roy Kells was highly influential and well-respected by senior officers and by brethren alike, and he can be rightly described as a lifelong Orangeman, having joined the institution as a young man." Mr Kells is survived by his wife Shirley, adult children David, Ian, Andrew and Catherine, and the wider family. The funeral takes place today at 2pm in Holy Trinity Parish Church, Lisnaskea. By Geoffrey Smith Investing.com -- The travel sector got some relief from whats been a miserable 2020 so far on Tuesday, as German-based Tui cashed in on the collapse of Thomas Cook to post a healthy 6.8% rise in sales in the three months through December. Tui stock rose 11.4% by 5:30 AM ET (1030 GMT), its biggest intra-day gain since the day its venerable U.K.-based rival folded in October. The company reported it had its best quarter ever in bookings from the U.K., expanding its market share there as expected. The news is evidence that the passing of Thomas Cook has made a decent dent in sector-wide overcapacity, and EasyJet stock and Ryanair stock both rose 2.5% in response. The news is the second big boost for the tour operator and airline group in a week: last Friday Tui had announced the acquisition of Hapag-Lloyd cruises, bolstering one of its more profitable divisions and releasing a considerable book gain in the equity value of its joint venture with Royal Caribbean (assuming the deal closes in the summer as expected). Just as importantly, the companys airlines division posted a 14% increase in underlying profit on what it called improved booking trends for its Winter program, suggesting that neither the slowdown in Germany nor the long shadow of Brexit have depressed big-ticket discretionary spending in either of its two biggest markets. Extrapolating that trend, Tui raised its full-year revenue guidance to growth of just under 10% from around 5% previously. Whether or not that transfers into higher earnings will depend on when the companys 737 MAX aircraft return to service. Tui said it has now leased replacement capacity for the full fiscal year, after Boeings recent update indicated that the planes would not get clearance to fly until after the peak summer season. It also shaved 5% off its central estimate for what the grounding would cost it this year. But that is likely to be a win-win either way, given that Boeing (NYSE:BA) is likely to be on the hook for substantial compensation. Story continues The figures suggest that as long as the coronavirus outbreak doesnt become a pandemic, then Tui should be well set for the year, with pent-up demand in the U.K. a valuable insurance against a possible slowdown in Germany as the labor market there weakens. In that context, the stocks weakness in the last weeks may prove to have been a decent entry point. Even after todays gains, its still not over the gain line for the year. At less than 15 times earnings and with a dividend yield of 5.33%, there are certainly more expensive stocks around. Like its planes, Tuis stock is still not quite clear for take-off. It warned again on Tuesday about the risks of disruption from the post-Brexit trade talks, and the coronavirus could still easily take a big toll on passenger numbers, given the recent publicity generated by superspreader events outside of China. Shares in On the Beach, one of Tuis biggest rivals in the package tour business, are still down over 10% for the year, having given up much of its gains after a less detailed trading update last week. Still, on a day when European stocks are back at record highs, those look like concerns for another day. Related Articles KKR rules out offer for NMC, Italian-backed group confirms interest India stocks higher at close of trade; Nifty 50 up 0.63% IKEA brand owner appoints Abrahamsson Ring as CEO What is it about the Imtiaz Ali brand of films that makes every believer of love and the most practical minds want to keep their eyes peeled on the screens? Is it the portrayal of the (seemingly) real characters looking for love and in the process, themselves, that have found a home in the corner of many hearts? The setting of a scene has as much to do with the story as the characters who are telling their stories. Thats where the moment is born, one youll remember for the things you loved or didnt so much long after the runtime is over. Sometimes, youll imagine yourself in a situation like that. Thats what love stories do: they take you from where you are at that moment and transport you into a world you wish for, identify with. Then theres the case of the cities and how they play such a crucial part in taking the story forward. For Imtiaz Ali, its always coming back to Delhi and seeing it from his eyes, what makes the city come alive. When we speak of Delhi, we imagine a melting pot of lively people meeting loads of colour and culture. Who can forget the Himalayas that stand strong and tall as yet another backdrop of a love story penned and directed by Ali. Imagine if Ilsa had never walked into Ricks bar, would there be the heartbreak the latter was reminded of, or Paris, the city they fell in love in? Rick tells Ilsa as theyre parting, Well always have Paris, and thus one of the most romantic movie dialogues was born in 1942. In the eight stories written for celluloid by Imtiaz Ali, this is a trend we have seen repeating itself in one way or another. As Meera from 2009s Love Aaj Kal said: All couples think theyre special, which makes them exactly like one another. Even when love has been the central theme, its not the sappy kind that one has to feel closeted about enjoying. Romance is a genre far wider than just dancing around trees, or professing love by performing a stunt or a dance number. Its a fabric of our souls. Its a driving force. And if that makes you a hopeless romantic, then wheres the joy in finding hope through a pragmatic approach? Just let it flow. Rumi: In the seven stories, with the eighth releasing soon, theres a perfectly good explanation about how love is a spiritual journey, the one we hope to take to grow into the people your partner (or soulmate if youve managed to find that part of your soul) intends to grow old with. As Rumi has been quoted saying, lovers dont meet each other somewhere. Theyre in each other all along. This is the reason why one finds the same theme repeating itself because love today (aaj) or tomorrow or yesterday (kal) will remain the same, even when the characters have evolved into the era (yug) they live in. Rumis influence on the writer-director Imtiaz Ali is an important one. The stories he tells come with a message in them, and usually with a Rumi quote to explain the theme or the point where the story leaves itself. Think the serious, compelling love of Jordan for his Heer that he is able to make music only after he feels pain from the heartbreak that he realised after a spiritual awakening through Sufism. via GIPHY Think Harry and his travel guidance that ends up guiding him towards what he missed the most - explained through Rumis quote: What you seek is seeking you - which he was looking for his home having fled his country and his people only to find home in a person, the woman he falls in love with. Having said that, one might even notice how love has been compared to seeing God in the person you love. Victor Hugo explored this concept in Les Miserables, followed by a recent Bollywood song, also starring Shah Rukh Khan. Snapshots from Jab Harry Met Sejal. (YouTube) Women and their strength: They have had a voice ever since Ali came out with his first film. They are bold, verbose and not easily intimidated through curve balls life throws at them. A loss of a bag or a ring might make them cry but theyll find a way to counter that. You feel their anger, pain and angst even if you dont agree with it all. Your heart might have broken the number of times theirs did on screen until you collected yourself and realised that theyre characters. Then you might ask yourself if theyre really. If theyre someone you know from real life. That girl you see sitting alone in a cafe mulling over something, or the girl you see shedding one too many tears in the metro/local train or the girl whom you see every day at work and think you know her; theyre all those characters youve seen before or will become more aware of noticing the next time. While were on the topic, its important for me to add that crying is a cleansing process, its like that storm described by Haruki Murakami that you feel inside you and thats why you need to let it rain every once in a while. Everything becomes clearer when the dust settles. You get a better view through the windshield and the window pane. A snapshot of Love Aaj Kal featuring Sara Ali Khan, Kartik Aaryan, and Lodhi Art District in New Delhi. (YouTube) Graffiti, art and the Easter eggs: You would have seen graffiti in Michael Jackson videos back in the 80s because it was all a part of a revolution, even termed as vandalism or a criminal offence at the time. With artists like Banksy, and landmarks like the Berlin street art and the famous Lennon Wall in Prague, this kind of art and its expression has found a voice. In India, St+art has been working on making art districts by painting walls of residential buildings and other government buildings around the country to convey a message. In Mumbai, one of the first murals was that of Dadasaheb Phalke, the father of Indian cinema, which can be viewed at a crucial landmark in the city, where the boundaries of town meet the suburbs. This was a collaborative effort between Ranjit Dahiyas Bollywood Art Project and St+arts festival back in 2014. Imtiaz Ali films have these as a recurrent theme that also serve as Easter eggs. As a viewer, I noticed how Geet and Aditya both offer a hint into what the next scene is going to be. Aditya is asked to present a geet (song) where he describes the capricious bubbly girl that Kareena Kapoors character was. Then she talks about running to catch a train and nearly missing it, explained in the way she stops Aditya from leaving (dialogue and train sounds are heard in the background). In 2009s Love Aaj Kal, there are neon signs indicating Mango People, Pratigya, and even a milestone that reads 0 km - indicating that love aaj and kal meet here. Snapshots from 2009s Love Aaj Kal. (YouTube) 2015s Tamasha has a reference to 2011s Rockstar, a spray-painted We Should Kiss Now indicating a crucial point in the latter film that changes the course of the lead characters lives and everyone related to them. Tamasha also beautifully portrays the angst of a break-up in the scene preceding Agar Tum Saath Ho. Here too, we see a graffiti wall probably to indicate the jumbled thoughts Ved is going through at that moment. A snapshot from Agar Tum Saath Ho, Tamasha. (YouTube) A snapshot from Heer Toh Badi Sad Hai, Tamasha. (YouTube) In the soon-to-release Love Aaj Kal, art and graffiti plays a crucial role. We see messages like, Dont touch my soul with dirty hands, A lovesick girl portrayed through a spray painted heart and a girl vomiting smaller hearts, Woh pehli baar jab hum mile, See you on the dark side of the moon (Pink Floyd reference, anyone?) and a profound message like, those who come from nothing... to love. A snapshot from Love Aaj Kal trailer. (YouTube) Haan Main Galat, touted to be the party song of this generation is a colourful artsy set that tends to sum up the theme of this new-age romantic drama. Some of the things I noticed here were: messages like Phir baatein kar rahe ho, Justice Chaudhary kehwe OBJECTION MILORD!, F**k this (without the asterisks), the film posters of Maine Pyaar Kiya and Qayamat Se QayamatTak that bring back the 90s element. Thats not all though, there are neon signs that say 2+2=5 (a generation of overthinkers?), the words Romeo Juliet and Once Upon A Time as neon signs and a lot more. Haan Main Galat set. (Sony Music India/YouTube) Explaining the song video, filmmaker Imtiaz Ali says, This video is a museum of film. The old film posters, the graffiti and everything else you see here is symbolic and means something in the film. It captures the freshness, the nostalgia and the overall vibe of Love Aaj Kal. Heres looking forward to yesterday and todays love in the 2020 version of Love Aaj Kal. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON ALBANY Albany County District Attorney David Soares and five of his staffers are about to find themselves in new positions on the witness stand. A judge paved the way Tuesday for the lawyer of convicted double-murderer Edward Ted Mero to subpoena Soares and the staffers to testify about a former prosecutor on the Mero case who was also doing side work for Cheryl Coleman, Meros defense attorney. Ex-Assistant District Attorney Steven Sharp, who made $112,164 a year leading the offices General Felony Unit, drew up appellate briefs for Coleman in cases outside Albany County without Soares' knowledge or approval. Sharp resigned in August 2018 after the arrangement came to light, and after Soares said Sharp, one of his top prosecutors at the time, had violated an office policy. Last month, state Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch scheduled a hearing on Feb. 21 to let Mero's attorney, Matthew Hug, make his case that the Coleman-Sharp business relationship tainted Mero's trial in 2017. On Tuesday, Lynch issued a ruling that will allow Hug to call witnesses on Feb. 21 that include Soares, chief assistant David Rossi, deputy chief assistant Cheryl Fowler, special counsel Christopher Horn, Assistant District Attorney Linda Griggs and Cecilia Walsh, the district attorneys spokeswoman. Hug has also subpoenaed Sharp, now an assistant public defender in Albany, and Coleman, who retired recently, to testify. Mero, 32, a former city water worker, is serving 50 years to life in Great Meadow Correctional Facility in Washington County for the murders of Megan Cunningham and Shelby Countermine, both 23. The burden to win a new trial is on Mero, not prosecutors. To get Lynch to dismiss the conviction, Hug must prove his case by a preponderance of the evidence more than 50 percent. In court papers, Hug noted that Kathryn Conklin, a former attorney at Coleman's firm, previously testified it was "common knowledge" in the office that Sharp worked for Coleman. Hug argued it is likely the information was, in turn, widely known throughout Soares' office. Hug, who was joined in court Tuesday by defense attorney Trey Smith, alleged in court papers that Soares' office was "basically trying to contain a public relations outbreak which has already gone viral." Hug and Smith argued that Soares and the staff members have information that is "reasonably likely to be relevant and material" to the hearing for Mero, the judge noted. Smith said witnesses should have to answer whether similar business relationships like that of Sharp and Coleman may have existed in Soares' office. "Until we have those answers, we do not know how big of a problem" it may have been, Smith said. Assistant District Attorney Vincent Stark, arguing for Soares, filed a motion to quash Hug's subpoena for all staffers except Rossi, who prosecuted the Mero case with Sharp. Lynch rejected Stark's effort. Lynch, however, also rejected an attempt by Hug to subpoena Stark. Hug wanted to question Stark about a conversation Hug said took place between Coleman and Stark. Lynch said Stark's involvement was recent and not relevant to the situation between Sharp and Coleman. Lynch said he ordered the Feb. 21 hearing because neither the defense nor prosecution informed him about the Sharp-Coleman business relationship before the Mero trial, which Lynch presided over. He said it deprived him of an opportunity to question Mero about the conflict to determine whether the defendant was okay with it. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The relationship was not publicly revealed until 2018 when Hug made the argument during an appeal on behalf of Jordan Prusinski, another Coleman client in an unrelated case who was prosecuted by Sharp. After Sharp resigned, he was quickly hired by Public Defender Stephen Herrick. At Mero's trial in 2017, Sharp delivered the opening statement, telling jurors: "Two young women forever linked by a common killer. That killer, ladies and gentlemen, is sitting just a few feet away from all of you the defendant, Edward Mero." Countermine vanished after she met Mero for a would-be $500, five-hour prostitution encounter at Mero's parents' Albany home on Dec. 3, 2014. More than five months passed before Countermine's remains were found in the woods in Coeymans in an area where Mero had worked for the city of Albany Water Department. Countermine's face had showed signs of blunt force trauma. Cunningham, who was Mero's roommate at 12 Arcadia Ave., was initially thought to have died in a fire with no foul play. The home she shared with Mero went ablaze on Jan. 27, 2013 and it initially was ruled accidental. Police investigated the death only after Countermine's body was discovered. They found evidence that was inconsistent with an accidental fire. In addition, no soot was found in Cunningham's lungs. Evidence showed she was possibly dead before the blaze started. Mero also told several coworkers before and after the fire that he knew how to start a fire and get away with it. He also told a date that he could make people disappear. Mero later told two inmates in the Albany County jail he killed Countermine and told one inmate he killed both women. Soares, elected in 2004, will have to testify as he faces a Democratic primary challenge from Matthew Toporowski, a former prosecutor in the office who announced his candidacy officially this week. NJSC is also ready for this contract to be considered by a new independent unbundled operator Andriy Kobolev, Chairman of Naftogaz-Ukraine's Board said that the company is ready to discuss the extension of the contract on gas transit with the Russian Federation. He said this on the air of one of the Ukrainian TV channels, UNN correspondent reports. "We are ready to discuss the extension of the contract. We are also ready for this contract to be considered by a new independent unbundled operator. In order to do this, Ukraine needs to complete the implementation of European legislation governing the Ukrainian gas market. And then the conditions for the extension may be better than the conditions that are currently in force. For Ukraine," Kobolev said, commenting on the statement made by Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak that they were considering an extension of a contract with Ukraine in 2020. As we reported earlier, Serhiy Makogon, the Chairman of LLC Operator of Gas Transmission System of Ukraine, stated that the transit of natural gas from Russia to Europe through Ukraine had amounted to 2,55 billion cubic meters in January 2020, while transit services had been paid at the rate of 5,52 billion cubic meters. "The paid capacity is used at 46%," he said. Take command of the RSK9 and save Earth from the invasion of energy parasites in this shmup with a unique twist: you only gain attack power by exposing your ship to danger or taking damage! Review keys available Tooling U-SME, the leading provider of manufacturing training solutions, will utilize the DoD grant to develop relevant, manufacturing-focused training for the current and future manufacturing workforce that will help ensure the DoD's technological superiority. Through their partnership with Tooling U-SME, TalentGro will incorporate newly created educational resources into their workforce training and apprenticeship programs. "We are pleased to be in this partnership with Hamilton-Ryker to support manufacturers as they seek advanced manufacturing training solutions," said Jeannine Kunz, vice president of Tooling U-SME. "Together, we will help keep defense manufacturing up to date with the latest in advanced technology and processes, to help create a skilled workforce that sustains the U.S. defense innovation base." TalentGro is the workforce development division that seeks to close the skills gap by finding and developing talent to meet the demands of today's workforce. In addition to the traditional registered apprenticeships, the division also offers pre-apprenticeships, group apprenticeships and intermediary services to give employers options for developing their workforces. "Providing apprenticeship opportunities is both effective and rewarding. This grant allows us to offer scholarships in both pre-apprenticeships and apprenticeships for manufacturing companies across the nation," said Chief Operating Officer, Shari Franey. "Our goal is to recruit transitioning military and veterans, as well as diverse and superior civilian talent into manufacturing opportunities." TalentGro offers a wide variety of customizable training programs and intermediary services designed to prepare today's civilian and veteran workers with the skills and knowledge needed by employers in key industries. To learn more about how the grant could work for you as an employer, go to Grant Scholarships one-pager. About Hamilton-Ryker For more information about TalentGro's parent company, Hamilton-Ryker, and the additional Total Workforce Solutions they offer including a plan for Workforce 2020, visit www.hamilton-ryker.com. About Tooling U-SME Tooling U-SME delivers versatile, competency-based learning and development solutions to the manufacturing community, working with more than half of all Fortune 500 manufacturing companies, as well as 600 educational institutions across the country. A division of SME, a nonprofit that connects all those who are passionate about making things that improve our world, Tooling U-SME can be found at www.toolingu.com. Contact Shari Franey Chief Operating Officer (615) 291-2009 [email protected] SOURCE Hamilton-Ryker TalentGro Related Links https://www.hamilton-ryker.com By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijan ranks first among the CIS countries for the purchasing power of pensions as it increased pensions by two times in 2019. The country also plans to spend record $1.7 billion for social protection of its citizens in 2020. As of January 1, the insured part of labor pensions will grow by 16.6 percent as a result of indexation in accordance with the annual growth rate of average monthly nominal wages in 2019, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population has reported. The indexation will cover 93 percent of pensioners, which is about 1.12 million people. The Labor Ministry reported that additional funds to finance the growth of pensions will amount to 47 million manats ($27.6 million) monthly, which makes up more than 560 million manats ($329.4 million) per year. These funds will be allocated from the income of the State Social Protection Fund. As a result, the average monthly pension will increase from 262 to 300 manats. In addition, the amount of pension capital recorded in the insured part of personal account is also increased by 2.6 percent from January 1, the report said. The pensions are being increased in accordance with the order On indexation of labor pensions signed by the president on February 6, 2020. Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Sahil Babayev noted that as a result of the implementation of the revolutionary package of social reforms in Azerbaijan, the size of the minimum salary, as well as allowances and scholarships, nearly doubled and the minimum pension amount increased by 72.4 percent. Babayev said that in general, the average volume of pensions in Azerbaijan over the past 16 years has increased eight times, salaries have increased 11 times; in addition, allowances and scholarships have repeatedly increased. As part of the reforms carried out in the pension sector in Azerbaijan, the minimum pension level was increased two times in 2019. First, the minimum amount of pensions increased to 160 manats, and then, according to the presidential decree dated October 1, 2019, it increased to 200 manats. Thus, this year this figure increased by 72 percent. In general, the growth of pensions covered 660,000 pensioners in the country. Note that expenses for social benefits and pensions in Azerbaijans state budget for 2020 are projected at 3.244 billion manat ($1.912 billion), which is by 770.5 million manat ($454.169 million) or by 31.1 percent more than in 2019. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - The head of Libya's Government of National Accord (GNA) team to the meetings of the 5+5 Joint Military Committee has said that they presented a "practical" proposals to end the fighting in the country, but these were not accepted due to the "intransigence" of the rival Libyan National Army (LNA) Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon, had to address and answer a question that is related to employees days before the online retail store announced the big winners of its HQ2 sweepstakes. One of the employees of Jeff Bezos asked him a difficult question during an all-hands meeting on Thursday in Seattle. The question raised by the employee was about the lessons Bezos learned from the recent bankruptcies of Sears and other online retail stores. Bezos replied: "Amazon is not too big to fail. In fact, I predict one day Amazon will fail. Amazon will go bankrupt. If you look at large companies, their lifespans tend to be 30-plus years, not a hundred-plus years." This is based on recordings by the CNBC News. The Amazon CEO added that the key to avoiding the death of the company is to be obsessed with the customers and not to worry about one's self or just simply avoid looking inward. He said: "If we start to focus on ourselves, instead of focusing on our customers, that will be the beginning of the end. We have to try and delay that day for as long as possible." Bezos owns the biggest online retail store in the world. He is also the richest immigrant in the U.S. and in the world. He has accumulated most of his wealth in diverse businesses. However, his main source of wealth is Amazon. At present, the company is winning the massive-cloud computing market and has introduced a more upgraded and developed technology by adopting Alexa, voice command for smart homes, that controls devices through audible commands. However, employees at Amazon are expressing concern about the rapid pace of the company's expansion. In the last eight years, the company's workforce has grown more than 20 times, or more than 600,000 employees. In addition, the price of the stock has quadrupled since 2013. The company announced this week that will have expansion and will be opening offices in New York's Long Island City and the Virginia suburbs in Washington, D.C.. They also plan to add 25,000 jobs in each location. Meanwhile, this is not the first time that Bezos was asked about the company's scale and employees. In March of last year, he was asked during their all-hands meeting if whether or not Amazon and other tech companies needed to be regulated because of their sizable market and influence. Bezos said during the meeting in March that, "It's a fact that we're a large company. It's reasonable for large institutions of any kind, whether it be companies or governments, to be scrutinized." According to eMarketer, Amazon is expected to capture around 48 percent of the country's online sales this year and that is up from 43 percent in 2017. In another report by the Synergy Research Group, Amazon is the leader by far when it comes to cloud computing infrastructure that has captured an estimated 34 percent of the total U.S. market. Bezos also said that Amazon has its own story of success and that it should not get bundled with other tech companies. He said that an example of this is the story about how Amazon helped to improve the lives of its customers as well as its different business model compared to other tech companies. Bezos said: "Facebook is not the same as Google, and Apple is not the same as Amazon. I don't want to fight this kind of big tech impression - I want to just talk about Amazon." Kolkata, Feb 11 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described Aam Aadmi Party's triumph in the Delhi Assembly polls as the victory of democracy and said people did not want divisive politics. Banerjee, who called up AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on his party's resounding success, later told media here that the BJP was losing every poll now. "Democracy has won in Delhi. BJP is losing every poll everywhere. People do not want divisive politics," she said. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text SANTA FE, N.M., Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Thornburg Investment Management (Thornburg), a global investment firm that oversees $44 billion1, today announced that Perpetual, a diversified financial services company serving Australians since 1886, has made a commitment to Thornburg's Multisector Opportunistic credit strategy. "We look forward to partnering with Thornburg and accessing their Multisector Opportunistic credit strategy via a separately managed account and their upcoming fund for Perpetual Private's Implemented Fixed Income Portfolio and Fixed Income Model Portfolios respectively," said Theo Sofios, head of multi-manager for Perpetual. "Thornburg provides our portfolios with a simplified and transparent exposure to an unconstrained credit strategy." The Multisector Opportunistic strategy is global and income-oriented with a flexible mandate focused on paying an attractive, sustainable yield. The portfolio invests in a combination of income-producing securities with an emphasis on higher-yielding fixed income. The strategy was incepted in 2008 and is co-managed by Jason Brady, Jeff Klingelhofer, Lon Erickson, and Christian Hoffmann. "We're excited to bring our investment solutions to institutions in Australia and begin our first partnership in the country with Perpetual," said Thornburg President and CEO Jason Brady. "As active managers, we believe our prudent, risk-adjusted approach to portfolio construction in Multisector Opportunistic provides the long-term, steady income that many Australian investors seek." Since 2018, Thornburg has partnered with Australian-based Terrain Placement Services to offer investment solutions to Australian super funds and institutional investors. About Thornburg Thornburg Investment Management is a privately-owned global investment firm that offers a range of multi-strategy solutions for institutions and financial advisors. A recognized leader in fixed income, equity, and alternatives investing, the firm oversees $44 billion1 as of December 31, 2019 across mutual funds, institutional accounts, separate accounts for high-net-worth investors, and UCITS funds for non-U.S. investors. Thornburg was founded in 1982 and is headquartered in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At Thornburg, we believe unconstrained investing leads to better outcomes for our clients. Our culture is collaborative, and our investment solutions are highly active, high conviction, and benchmark agnostic. When it comes to finding value for our clients, it's more than what we do, it's how we do it: how we think, how we invest, and how we're structured. For more information, visit www.thornburg.com . Media Inquiries Michael Corrao Director of Global Communications Thornburg Investment Management Tel: +1 (505) 467-5345 Email: [email protected] This should not be considered an endorsement or recommendation by any such client of Thornburg Investment Management, Inc. or the advisory services provided to such client. 1 Includes $42.6 billion in assets under management and $1.5 billion in assets under advisement as of December 31, 2019 SOURCE Thornburg Investment Management Related Links www.thornburg.com Natalie Bassingthwaighte and her family are set to make the move to Byron Bay. The Wollongong-born former Neighbours star, her drummer husband Cameron McGlinchey and their two children have sold their home in Melbournes bayside Brighton (pictured above). Theyll be renting first before buying acreage in the hinterland. The redundant Brighton home cost $2,525,000 shortly after selling her former Elizabeth Bay apartment for $830,000. The couple, who wed in 2011, have been together since 2006 when they met while in the band Rogue Traders, which is reforming. Im ready for the next chapter in my life, she told her social media followers. Bassingthwaighte has also closed her childrens clothing label Chi Khi. She soon finishes up as Roxie Hart in what she has described as her dream role in the production of Chicago in Melbourne. Theyre joining the rush of Melburnians making the move to the NSW hot spot for influencers. Model and Myer ambassador Elyse Knowles and boyfriend Josh Barker did it last year, fresh from winning The Block Elsternwick. The couple have been renting a home 700m from Tallow Beach, with plenty of space for their much photographed Weimaraner dogs Isla and Harlow. It came with an established organic fruit tree orchard, including mangoes, bananas and papaya. The big news out of Byron this week was the entrepreneurial sea-changers Tom Lane and wife Emma are seeking buyers for their organic business incubator, The Farm at Ewingsdale. The buyers are being offered the whole, or just a stake in the farm. This article first appeared in The Sunday Telegraph. FLOWOOD, Miss., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Another Broken Egg Cafe, one of the fastest-growing breakfast and brunch concepts in the nation, is excited to open its second location in Mississippi on February 10, 2020. The new Flowood location will bring fans of the daytime cafe and residents the same award-winning upscale breakfast, brunch, and lunch they have grown to love at the Ridgeland, MS location. Another Broken Egg Cafe Cinnamon Roll French Toast & Mimosa The new cafe will be open daily from 7 AM - 2 PM featuring the traditional menu items guests have come to love, like Biscuit Beignets, Cinnamon Roll French Toast, Crab Cake Benedict, and Shrimp 'N Grits. Alongside a slew of Signature Cocktails including Lemon Blueberry Mimosas, ABE Famous Infused Mary, and Spiked Salted Caramel Cold Brew. The menu will also feature a variety of rotating seasonal selections and gluten-friendly options year-round. What may surprise guests familiar with the brand on their first visit will be the completely redesigned interior of the cafe. The cafe will be the first in the region to open with the "New South" design Another Broken Egg Cafe introduced in 2019. The new design boasts a more modern, lighter, brighter concept that honors the brand's southern-inspired heritage while elevating the brunch experience and expanding the bar. This cafe will mark the 4th location for Gouras Restaurant Group. With three existing locations in Mississippi and Tennessee. "Opening this location in the growing southern town of Flowood, on the outskirts of the bustling Jackson was an easy decision," said George Gouras, the Owner/Operator of Gouras Restaurant Group, LLC. Prior to the official grand opening on Monday, February 10th, the cafe will be hosting two private events to give the community a sneak peek at the new cafe and raise funds for two fantastic local charities. "These Friends and Family Day events are a great opportunity for us to start getting to know the community of Flowood," said George Gouras. "By serving community members delicious food, we will get to build new relationships, all while supporting two great charities." The new restaurant located at 1720 Old Fannin Road, Flowood, MS., will mark the 70th location for Another Broken Egg Cafe. Visit www.anotherbrokenegg.com for details. About Another Broken Egg Cafe Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC operates upscale breakfast, brunch and lunch restaurants that specialize in award-winning, Southern-inspired menu options with innovative twists like the Lobster & Brie Omelette, Chicken & Waffles and the Cinnamon Roll French Toast. A robust menu of hand-crafted signature cocktails includes the award-winning ABE Famous Infused Mary. Another Broken Egg Cafe is the largest and fastest-growing franchised daytime-only concept in the country, with 70 locations in 13 states and dozens more in development. Another Broken Egg Cafe was named by FSR magazine as one of its 14 Restaurant Chains Ready for Lift-Off in 2018 and was recognized as one of its Top 10 Best Full-Service Restaurant Deals in 2019. For more information about franchising opportunities, please visit anotherbrokenegg.com/franchising. Media Contact: Michael Fandel, Galiant Solutions, Inc. [email protected] 970.567.7390 SOURCE Another Broken Egg of America Franchising, LLC. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers in Amritsar are celebrating as trends indicate a lead for the party. Party workers are hopeful of AAP's victory and forming the government. AAP lead on 57 seats, as per the early trends by the official website of the Election Commission on Tuesday. The BJP, on the other hand, is leading on 13 seats, according to the EC website. The Congress is yet to open its account. The trends are available for all 70 seats as of 11.58 am. The counting of votes for 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly began amid tight security at 8 am today.Delhi went to polls in a single-phase on February 8. AAP, BJP, Congress, JDU are the main political parties in the fray. The primary fight is between the ruling AAP and the BJP which is seeking to make re-entry into the state in the capital after over 20 years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nirmala Rajasekar started her concert with a varnam in Raga Sahana, in Telugu, seeking divine grace. Without a doubt, the optimal way to hear Indian classical music is in the intimate baithak setting, with the required close proximity between artistes and audience resulting in inspired performances. The recent Saraswati veena recital by US-based Vidushi Nirmala Rajasekar was a true delight; the maestro explaining her music to the appreciative audience in an unhurried leisurely recital that stretched over three hours. The baithak was held under the VSK banner of patron Vinod Kapoor, who has been bringing baithak concerts to discerning Delhi audiences for decades. Nirmala Rajasekar started her concert with a varnam in Raga Sahana, in Telugu, seeking divine grace. The Carnatic Sahana is akin to the North Indian Sahana, but with differences. Singing the composition while playing as was traditional, gave the performance an added dimension; as did the expert accompaniment on the violin by Vidwan Raghavendra Rao. On the mridangam was Vidwan Thanjavur K Murugaboopathi and on the ghatam Vidwan Ramani. Nirmala shared that that the entire team had arrived from Chennai the day before just for the baithak concert. Carefully choosing the items she presented, Nirmala presented diverse Ragas with elan. Explaining her choice of Raga Malahari she shared that it was not very popular as a choice for concerts, it was the Raga in which 14th century Purandaradas had composed 4 geetams conventionally taught first to young students. After a soulful aalap, she played a composition by Muthuswamy Dikshitar, in whose musical tradition she is an eighth generation practitioner. (Muthuswamy Dikshitar incidentally also played the veena; there is an interesting story of how his veena floated to him in the river Ganga, while he was immersed in it, in Banaras.) The composition, dedicated to Ganapati in Sanskrit was Panchmatanga. Moving next to Tyagarajas compositions, the vainika played his Rama bhakti samarajyam in Raga Shuddhabangala. She played a vivaadi Raga next, Number 36 in the Melakarta system, Raga Chalanata. The composition in Tamil was by Kooteswara Iyer; again Nirmala prefaced the composition with an aalap. In Kapi Narayani she played the popular Tyagaraja composition sarasa sama. The main piece, on request was in Raga Keervani; one was impressed with the wide range of Ragas presented, with a view to offer many diverse moods. Her technique on the instrument is impeccable; the long slow meends visable proof of her absorption of varied musical influences. Her emphasis is on the melody, and exploring the mood of the Raga fully, rather than focusing on laya or a display of virtuosity. Her passion for her instrument was verbalised by her I consider it to be the biggest blessing that I was given this instrument, the veena, when I was just 6. I think of it as my first born; I pray for many lives to be re born as a veena player. Today, there is no life for me without my veena. Chatting with the maestro after the concert, she talked about her journey in music. I began training in the veena when I was 6; I always wanted to be a professional. I started playing when I was 13 years. When my father was posted in Iran in 1986, I stayed on in Chennai with my grandfather as I could not take the veena there; the Khomeini regime was very strict. When I used to visit my father in Iran for the summer holidays, I used to have to practice on a guitar! On her Gurus, Nirmala said, How they give you parts of themselves! I believe you connect with a Guru only with great luck; it doesnt happen without a past link. Today I have only one Guru still alive, Kamala Aswathamaji, but I have learnt from many, including T.R.S. Subramaniam sir, Deva Kottai Narayana Iyengar sir, G. Chenamma amma, Sitarama Sarma sir and E.P. Alameluji. I have sat with veena maestro S Balachanderji too, and absorbed from him. After marriage, I moved to the US, but kept coming back to Chennai every year to continue training and performing. About 14 years, I quit working and devoted myself exclusively to practice. Managing the house and kids and a job and music was too much; though I would wake up at 4 am! Constantly experimenting with the veena, Nirmala has come up with smaller sized instruments, using cedar wood to experiment with the tonal quality, instead of the usual jackwood. I asked about a memorable concert; Nirmala laughed, A memorable concert was in Turkey, at the festival in honour of Rumi. Ours was the first Carnatic concert ever, and while we were playing the first piece, the audience started clapping enthusiastically! Now I got worried, as at school and college functions, if you hear claps too soon, its a sign for the artists to get up, as they are not appreciated!. But my agent came running up to the stage and reassured me!! In a lighter vein, Nirmala shared it has been said, that Tyagarajas music can be compared to grapes; its sweet, easy to eat, no complications there. Shyama Sastrys compositions can be compared to bananas; you have to make the effort to peel to taste the sweetness. Dikshitars music is like a jackfruit; you have to peel, oil your hands as the fruit is so sticky, and then eat it, but the quality is so superior. In conclusion, Nirmala said, You cant talk about music you have to experience it. Truly her sublime concert endorsed that. Shailaja Khanna writes about music, musicians and matters of music 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 shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Li Bao Ge Group Limited (HKG:1869). 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 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. 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 Li Bao Ge Group Li Bao Ge Group Insider Transactions Over The Last Year Independent Non-Executive Director Lung Tak Wong made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for HK$580k worth of shares at a price of HK$0.29 each. That means that an insider was happy to buy shares at around the current price of HK$0.34. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. In this case we're pleased to report that the insider purchases were made at close to current prices. While Li Bao Ge Group insiders bought shares last year, they didn't sell. The chart below shows insider transactions (by individuals) over the last year. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date! Story continues SEHK:1869 Recent Insider Trading, February 10th 2020 Li Bao Ge Group is not the only stock that insiders are buying. For those who like to find winning investments this free list of growing companies with recent insider purchasing, could be just the ticket. Insider Ownership I like to look at how many shares insiders own in a company, to help inform my view of how aligned they are with insiders. 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 11% of Li Bao Ge Group shares, worth about HK$38m, according to our data. But they may have an indirect interest through a corporate structure that we haven't picked up on. Whilst better than nothing, we're not overly impressed by these holdings. What Might The Insider Transactions At Li Bao Ge Group Tell Us? The fact that there have been no Li Bao Ge Group insider transactions recently certainly doesn't bother us. But insiders have shown more of an appetite for the stock, over the last year. Overall we don't see anything to make us think Li Bao Ge Group 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. 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. North Korea, which has been hit by a series of UN sanctions, is illegally importing more and more oil and continues to bring in luxury cars and alcohol, according to an annual report delivered Monday to the UN Security Council. "The DPRK violates the resolutions through illicit import of petroleum," the report said, which was conducted by experts responsible for monitoring the application of sanctions. North Korea has "increased procurement including through a notable increase in the number of these larger foreign-flagged tankers directly delivering to the DPRK on multiple occasions," the experts said, without identifying their origin. In 2017, several sets of international sanctions were imposed on Pyongyang, limiting its oil imports and banning its exports of coal, fish and textiles, in order to push the country to stop its nuclear and ballistic weapons programs. To date, the measures have been unsuccessful. It has nonetheless continued to develop its arsenal, analysts say, despite two high-profile summits between leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. Negotiations between the Pyongyang and Washington have deadlocked over issues of sanctions relief and what the North would be willing to give up in return. The UN Panel of Experts said they received, as in the previous year, a report from the United States with satellite images and data covering the period from January 1, 2019 to October 31. The US report purportedly showed that North Korea exceeded the authorized import quotas for refined oil. "The Russian Federation and China requested more conclusive evidence to make a judgement," said the report, seen by AFP. The document also noted that "the DPRK continued to flout UN Security Council resolutions through illicit maritime exports of commodities, notably coal and sand." Pyongyang also "continued to import luxury goods and other sanctioned items, including luxury vehicles, alcohol and robotic machinery." The country has continued "to access international banking channels in violation of UN sanctions, mainly by using third-party intermediaries," the report found. North Korea "continued illegally to acquire virtual currencies and to conduct cyber-attacks against global banks to evade financial sanctions." China, which is often suspected of helping North Korea despite the sanctions, said Monday in a statement from its UN mission that it had "always faithfully and seriously fulfilled its international obligations". This was despite the "huge losses" suffered by Beijing from implementing UN decisions, it said. "It is imperative for the Security Council... to make necessary adjustments to the sanctions measures especially in areas concerning the livelihood" of North Korean citizens, it said in the statement. China proposed a resolution in late 2019, along with Russia, that would allow for the lifting of certain bans, particularly on fishing and textiles. Several sets of international sanctions have been imposed on Pyongyang, limiting its oil imports and banning its exports of coal, fish and textiles The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is rapidly spreading across the globe, with the highest magnitude taking a toll on mainland China. Scientists are racing to find a vaccine or a treatment to help contain the virus spread. Now, a team of scientists and health experts in Australia may have found a breakthrough to fight the deadly virus. The experts at The University of Sydney and NSW Health, consisting of 10 scientists and 10 pathologists, have grown the 2019-nCoV virus in the labratory. The team sequenced the virus, which will shed light on how it behaves, replicates, and spreads. Further, the team has carried out the testing and isolated the virus to study eight variants. They produced two full genome sequences for the coronavirus, which were based on wide tests of the remaining patient, who is quarantined at Westmead hospital. This cutting-edge work will expand access to faster, reliable diagnostic testing for infected patients not just here in NSW but around the world. Being able to cultivate the novel coronavirus with samples from NSW patients as opposed to trying to mimic it from synthetic specimens is a terrific breakthrough, Professor Dominic Dwyer NSW Healths Director of Public Health Pathology and a member of University of Sydneys Faculty of Medicine and Health, said. Were proud to be able to share our discovery with the World Health Organization, and international researchers and clinicians, so together we ultimately help save lives, he added. These are coronaviruses (colored transmission electron microscopy image). Image Credit: Photo: Dr. Fred Murphy & Sylvia Whitfield/CDC Australian coronavirus toll With this new breakthrough in the battle against the deadly novel coronavirus, which has now taken the lives of more than 1,000 people, mostly in mainland China. The death toll of the current coronavirus outbreak has surpassed that of the SARS outbreak in 2003. The number of infected people increased to more than 42,000. In Australia, there are 15 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, while 14,500 people have been screened at Sydney airport since Feb. 2, with 57 people manifesting symptoms and required further testing. All of the persons under investigation have been cleared. For those who tested positive in the confirmatory test for the coronavirus, five individuals were from Queensland, four in Victoria, 4 in New South Wales, and two from South Australia. Among all these confirmed cases, five have recovered while the others are in a stable condition. The Department of Health also confirms that all of the patients came from Wuhan, China, where the virus originated. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the novel coronavirus as a global health emergency, prompting countries to impose travel bans and allowing various companies and health experts to race toward curbing the spread of the virus. What is coronavirus? The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a type of coronavirus, which is akin to other outbreaks in the past, including SARS that originated in China and MERS-CoV, which came from the Middle East. The virus causes a respiratory illness, which was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. The common signs and symptoms include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. In more severe cases, people may experience pneumonia-like symptoms, the difficulty of breathing, and severe acute respiratory syndrome or respiratory distress. Global health officials warn that the current cases could be just the tip of the iceberg as the virus spreads at a rapid pace. The mode of transmission is through direct contact with droplets as an infected person sneezes and coughs, while new reports hint that it may be spread through aerosols. The virus easily spreads with more than a hundred deaths and thousands being infected each day. The World Health Organization (WHO) and partner organizations plan to visit the outbreak ground zero in Wuhan, China, to investigate the magnitude of the virus spread. Social media users heaped praise to the Englishman artist who decided to make something attractive out of the flattened chewing gum.The journey started a decade ago when the Englishman discovered that the Britain's pavements are covered in ugly patch Image Source: IANS News Social media users heaped praise to the Englishman artist who decided to make something attractive out of the flattened chewing gum.The journey started a decade ago when the Englishman discovered that the Britain's pavements are covered in ugly patch Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 11 : Social media users heaped praise on an artist who decided to make something attractive out of the flattened chewing gum. The journey started a decade ago when the Englishman discovered that the Britain's pavements are covered in ugly patches of the unsightly white blobs. The artist toured the British capital for 15 years, sculpting and repainting scraps of gum discarded by passers-by and painstakingly turned these blots on the landscape into eye-catching things of beauty. Some of his best works have been shared on his Instagram account which are appreciated by social media users. A user wrote: "Your work is out of this world!" Another wrote, "Super inspired by all of your work and love everything you do!! Got to visit London twice and was always on the look out for your stuff!! Keep up the hard work and I hope you reach your goal!" A post read, "Well done to you Ben, love your work." "The world is in your hands," read another post. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing before the United Nations Security Council, angrily rejected US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal on Tuesday as a gift to Israel and unacceptable to Palestinians. Waving a copy of a map that the US plan envisions for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Abbas said the state carved out for Palestinians looks like a fragmented "Swiss cheese." His appearance came as a draft UN Security Council resolution is being circulated that would condemn an Israeli plan to annex its settlements in the West Bank, in what would amount to a rebuke of the Trump plan. The draft text, circulated to council members by Tunisia and Indonesia, would face a certain US veto, but nonetheless reflected some members' dim view of the peace plan that Trump rolled out two weeks ago with great fanfare. Abbas called on Trump to disavow the plan and seek a return to negotiations based on existing UN resolutions that call for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 border lines.He urged the Security Council to hold an international conference to implement a settlement. "The US cannot be the sole mediator," he said. Suggesting violent protests could break out, Abbas said that "the situation could implode at any moment. ... We need hope. Please do not take this hope away from us." Later he said Palestinians would not "resort to terrorism." Trumps plan, the product of three years' effort by senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, would recognize Israels authority over West Bank settlements and would require the Palestinians to meet a difficult series of conditions to be allowed to have a state, with its capital in a West Bank village east of Jerusalem. Released on Jan. 28, the plan drew immediate Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. Although Trump's stated aim was to end decades of conflict, the plan he advanced favored Israel, underscored by the absence of Palestinians from Trump's White House announcement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side. While the Palestinians have rejected the plan, a number of Arab governments have said it represents a starting point for a renewal of long-stalled negotiations. Abbas said the deal is not an international partnership but rather a proposal from one state supported by another state to be imposed on Palestinians. "This is the state that they will give us," said Abbas. "It's like a Swiss cheese, really. Who among you will accept a similar state and similar conditions?" Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Abbas of being unrealistic. "President Abbas refused to be pragmatic. He refuses to negotiate. He is not interested in finding a realistic solution to the conflict," Danon told the Security Council. Search Keywords: Short link: New Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020, New Delhi Election Results 2020, New Delhi Vidhan Sabha Polls Results 2020, New Delhi Election 2020 Winner Name and Vote Count: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is seeking re-election from the New Delhi assembly seat is leading by 29,597 votes in New Delhi seat. The constituency had looked like becoming a tough contest with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). With votes already cast on February 8 to elect the 70 members of the Delhi Legislative Assembly and the counting of votes is to be held on Tuesday, February 11. Exit polls have given a clear projection for Arvind Kejriwal being re-elected even if the range varies from 44 to 68. If one sees the voter turnout, Delhi recorded approximately 62.59% which was 2% more than the turnout for the Lok Sabha elections of 2019. New Delhi assembly constituency came into being in 2008 after delimitation. AAP candidate Arvind Kejriwal is contesting against BJPs Sunil Yadav, who is the president of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha, and Congress candidate Romesh Sabharwal, who has ties with the Congress student wing, the National Students Union of India. In the post-India Against Corruption movement, Arvind Kejriwal won the seat by a margin of 25,000 votes against then 3-term Congress chief minister Sheila Dikshit in 2013. Further, he repeated a similar performance in 2015 by winning against BJP candidate Nupur Sharma. That election was one which took everyones breath away with AAP winning 67 of the 70 seats. The BJP won 3 seats and the Congress could not win even 1 seat. The term for 70-member Delhi assembly will come to an end on February 22. New Delhi assembly constituency has a total 1,37, 934 electors with 76, 061 men and 61,855 women. The election campaign has been squarely based on AAPs governance over the last 5 years seeing significant changes in healthcare, education, water, and power supply. The BJP, on its part, has focused on nationalism and how the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act have been fuelled by AAP and the Congress. Kejriwal has kept away from siding with the protests and is said to have applied soft Hindutva touches so as not to alienate the Hindu vote. Highlights For all the latest National News, download NewsX App YEREVAN. A meeting between Armenian President Armen Sarkissian and King of Jordan Abdullah II Ibn Al Hussein Al Hashimi took place today at the Presidential Palace, the Office of the President informed. President Sarkissian welcomed the high guest and said in particular that the visit of the King of Jordan is historic and significant. He expressed hope that there would be many occasions to host His Majesty in Armenia. Our two nations are ancient. Your nation represents the essence and axis of Islam; You, Your Majesty, as well as your family, are descendants of Prophet Muhammad. Armenia as country which was the first to adopt Christianity, not only has good relations with Jordan but we two have a lot to tell each other, the President of Armenia underscored. President Sarkissian expressed confidence that potential, which the two countries could reach in the future, would be much more that it is today. The King of Jordan Abdullah II said that the two countries are linked by good friendship and history. We have great reverence towards the oldest Christian Church which is represented not only in Jerusalem but in our country too. It represents part of our past and is a beautiful element not only of our present but also of our future, he underscored. H.M. Abdullah II recalled warmly President Sarkissians visit to Jordan. At the meeting, the President of Armenia raised the issues of a visa free regime for the citizens of Armenia travelling to Jordan and signing the agreement on the avoidance of double taxation. The interlocutors noted that great opportunities exist for cooperation in the areas of high-tech, education, science, and healthcare. Stressed was the necessity of expanding the already existing student exchange program, as well as the establishment of a direct air link between the capitals of the two countries Yerevan and Amman. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:53:53|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close NAIROBI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan gender rights campaigners on Tuesday urged authorities to set up a database for sexual offenders in a bid to enhance their rehabilitation. Uwemedimo Esiet, convener of the ninth African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR 2020) said that innovative strategies are required to tackle sexual violence against women and girls in areas including urban slums and remote villages. "We have a duty to eradicate the menace of gender and sexual violence by coming up with a database to identify their names, location and general behavior," said Esiet. "A database for sexual offenders will in many ways boost speedy prosecution of cases and rehabilitation aimed at reintegrating them back into their communities," said Lavender Akinyi, a volunteer of Polycom Development Project that works for women welfare in Kibera slums, Nairobi. She said that an inventory of sexual offenders will enable law enforcement agencies and communities to identify their whereabouts and the potential risk to vulnerable demographics like young girls living in urban slums. "Both the government and community-based rights groups should have access to information on sexual offenders and undertake progress on their rehabilitation in order to mitigate future threats," said Akinyi. Kenya is hosting the ninth African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights (ACSHR 2020) to discuss policy and legislative tools that can be harnessed to advance the reproductive health agenda for youth living in urban slums. The conference is a buildup of the International Conference on Population and Development(ICPD 25) held in Nairobi in November 2019. This is the remarkable moment a heroic 82-year-old shopkeeper fought off a robber using just her walking stick. Aaron Mountford attempted to steal from the till at AJ and J Newsagents in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, in September last year. But June Turner, who has run the store for 45 years, was caught on CCTV as she refused to hand over any money and began going hell for leather with her walking stick as he came behind the counter. Footage shows Mountford, disguised with a blue sleeping bag wrapped around his head, demanding cash and cigarettes. Jane Turner fighting the robber off with her walking stick (SWNS) Ms Turner can be seen in the footage hitting Mountford, 28, with her stick and clobbering him over the head as he went for the till. After beating her to the ground, Mountford fled the shop with just 50 and six packs of cigarettes. After an appeal to hunt the robber down, homeless Mountford was arrested days later. On Friday, Mountford who is already serving a four-and-a-half jail term, was sentenced to a further two years after admitting robbery at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court. READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK: The judge also awarded Ms Turner 250 from the High Sheriff for her bravery. Detective constable Simon Chawner, of Staffordshire Police, said: This was a violent and aggressive attack on a vulnerable elderly woman for the sake of stealing just 50 in cash. Although we dont recommend that people take matters into their own hands, the actions of the woman in this case were brave and selfless. Were glad that Mountford has now been sentenced. Mountford wrapped his head in a blue sleeping bag (SWNS) June Turner with her walking stick. (SWNS) Speaking at the time of the raid, fearless June said she was prepared to defend her family business "by any means necessary". Ms Turner, who has three grandchildren and lives in Hanley, said: "I acted on instinct really. I thought there's no way he's having the money we work so hard to make. Story continues "I wish I'd had something a bit harder with me, so I could have finished him off and knocked him out. "I thought it was some sort of set-up but then he came up to the counter and said 'I want your money'. "I said 'you're not having my money' and with that he came round the back of the counter and got some money from the till. "I saw him with a 20 note in his hand and then I couldn't find the panic button so I got my stick and I really belted him with it. I went hell for leather on him. Kabul: At least six people were killed and 12 others injured after a suicide bomb explosion took place outside a military university in Kabul on Tuesday, the Afghan Ministry of Interior confirmed. "A suicide bomber detonated his explosives-laden car at around 7 a.m. in Char Rahi Qambar locality, Police District 5. As a result, three military personnel and two civilians were killed and 12 people, including five civilians, sustained wounds," Xinhua news agency quoted the Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi as saying. The spokesman added that the number of casualties may change. The blast occurred outside Marshal Fahim National Defense University when military cadets and university staff were arriving and waiting to enter the compound, witnesses told Xinhua. The explosion also damaged several vehicles running along the busy road, they said. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. The same university was attacked by a suicide bomber last May. The Islamic State terror group had claimed responsibility for that attack. Turkey-backed Syrian rebels have shot down a government helicopter in the countrys opposition-held northwest, according to rebel leaders and Turkish state media. The military helicopter was shot down south of Idlib city, where rebels supported by Turkish artillery were advancing near the town of Nairab in Idlib province to push back Russia-backed forces, Abdulah al-Shami, a commander in a coalition of mainstream rebel factions, told Reuters news agency. Turkish state broadcaster TRT Haber reported that rebels downed a helicopter believed to belong to the Syrian government. Turkeys defence ministry confirmed that one Syrian helicopter was shot as the Turkey-backed rebels mounted an offensive and Syrian government forces had left Nairab. There was no immediate comment from the Syrian government. The shooting down of the helicopter happened as government forces came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria, which would bring the road under Syrian President Bashar al-Assads full control for the first time since 2012. With backing from Russia, Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in the last rebel stronghold in Idlib province and parts of nearby Aleppo, triggering a humanitarian crisis with some 700,000 people fleeing their homes. Hundreds of civilians have also been killed, according to the United Nations. Syrian government attacks have killed 13 Turkish soldiers in Idlib this month, prompting a deadly military response from Ankara amid concerns over an escalation of violence in the countrys nearly nine-year war. Addressing developments on Tuesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Syrian government will pay a very heavy price for attacking Turkish troops in Idlib. We gave the necessary responses to the Syrian side at the highest level. Especially in Idlib, they got what they deserved. But this is not enough, it will continue, he said in a speech, adding he would on Wednesday announce a detailed plan on how to handle developments in Idlib. Serious escalation Since the new offensive began in December, government forces have recaptured more than 600 square km (148,263 acres) of territory and in recent days have taken control of dozens of towns and villages. Last week, they recaptured the crossroads town of Saraqib, on the strategic M5 highway. Turkey has several military personnel stationed there to prevent further Syrian advances after eight of its soldiers were killed by Syrian shelling in early February. A Russian delegation arrived in Ankara on Saturday to hold talks aimed at stopping clashes. On their final day of talks, a second Syrian attack on Turkish troops in the Taftanaz area killed five more troops. Ankara has said it retaliated to both attacks, destroying several Syrian targets. It said it would drive back al-Assads forces unless they withdraw by the end of the month. It also told the Russian team that attacks against Turkish posts must stop immediately. The Russians left Turkey after talks ended on Monday, a Turkish diplomatic source said, with no apparent agreement. The Kremlin said on Tuesday all attacks on Russian and Syrian forces in Idlib had to stop. Stephen Lecce, Ontarios education minister, claims to be fully committed to combating racism and improving equity and opportunity for [Black and racialized] children. Yet his government is seriously hampering that necessary work. Last springs devastating cuts to legal aid impacted a wide swathe of programming, including efforts to support families challenging school suspensions and expulsions far too often meted out to racialized youth. The repercussions continue to reverberate. Legal projects focused solely on helping families push back against severe disciplinary measures were piloted in both Ottawa and Toronto last year. After the provincial cuts to Legal Aid Ontario, only Torontos TAIBU Community Health Centre received further funding. Ottawas program was not renewed, despite having provided crucial interventions for over 40 families. In fact, suspensions were completely withdrawn in 14 instances and shortened in 32 instances. Two expulsions were completely halted. Those numbers represent renewed hope for dozens of young people facing a variety of barriers. And the need remains, says Abdirizak Karod, executive director of the Somali Centre for Family Services, which operated the program. Now, a local community-based organization aims to fill the void through a new partnership with the University of Ottawas Faculty of Law. The plan is to provide an array of legal services to low-income families of all backgrounds, including similar school-related legal help, says William Felepchuk, executive director at Muslim Family Services of Ottawa. While this is good news, it demonstrates how current provincial policies are forcing marginalized communities to fend for themselves. Law is what structures fairness in our society. Not having access to legal help can mean people are denied their rights or dont get fair opportunities and benefits, points out University of Ottawa law professor David Wiseman. He oversees the establishment of the legal clinic with a team of law students. Racialized families should have legal recourse considering their children are more likely to experience bias in the education system. The latest evidence of that is found in a recent interim report on the Peel District School Board. Provincially appointed investigators wrote that they consistently heard painful accounts of traumatic experiences in schools and school communities that speak to systemic and historical disparities between and across racial, ethnic and cultural groups with respect to access to programming, services, academic achievement, transitions to post-secondary education and the workforce, hiring, and promotion, as well as discipline measures both in education and employment. At the Toronto District School Board one of the few boards collecting race-based data on rates of expulsions and suspensions Black, Indigenous, Middle Eastern and mixed students were disproportionately represented in the numbers, according to the Caring and Safe Schools 2017 report. Farah Aw-Osman, executive director of Ottawas Centre for Resilience & Social Development, laments the loss of necessary legal support for families. Proactively, his centre is running two new federally funded projects that place outreach workers and clinicians in several elementary and secondary schools to bridge cultural divides. Attendance is up, parents are engaged in the schools and these programs are empowering the youth to advocate for themselves, says Aw-Osman. He echoes a constant refrain among service providers: governments save millions of dollars in the long run when they invest in communities upfront. Provincial cuts to legal aid have meant fewer people are eligible for support altogether, adds Dana Fisher, local vice-president for the Society of United Professionals Legal Aid Ontario Local. Stringent adherence to the rules means anyone making slightly above $22,000 a year is excluded from even simple legal advice, let alone full representation in court. That makes it harder for vulnerable families to find help addressing poor housing conditions, unjust treatment at work or school, or other legal issues. Its quite devastating that in order to receive access to justice you have to go to the community because the government is no longer providing these crucial services, Fisher told me. Shes right; the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario clearly has it all wrong when it comes to equity and opportunity. Its costing us dearly. Amira Elghawaby is an Ottawa-based human rights advocate and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: is an Ottawa-based human rights advocate and a freelance contributing columnist for the Star. Follow her on Twitter: @AmiraElghawaby Read more about: A view of an empty booth at the Singapore Airshow in Singapore By Tim Hepher and Jamie Freed SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Singapore kicked off Asia's largest aerospace event under heightened scrutiny on Tuesday as thousands of visitors shunned the Singapore Airshow over coronavirus fears, while all eyes were on a sensitive fly-off between U.S. and Chinese fighters. Organizers hailed a "strong show of support" as the city-state's defense and trade ministers inaugurated the Feb. 11-16 event, with official forecasts of attendance scaled down to 40,000 trade visitors from 45,000 on Sunday. Officials said they had taken extra precautions including heat-screening of attendees for signs of fever. But foreign reporters and delegates estimated well below 10,000 people were attending on opening day, usually the show's busiest, and another signature of air shows - big-spending military delegations - was less evident than in the past. Some spaces where exhibitors including Chinese planemaker COMAC had pulled out were turned into "rest areas" or roped off. Over 70 companies have pulled out of one of Southeast Asia's top economic events, citing fears over the outbreak. Those fears have spilled over to broader concerns over demand for aviation, one of the industries most exposed to the epidemic that has killed more than 1,000 people and infected over 40,000, mostly in mainland China. UK-based consultancy Ascend by Cirium, which tracks schedule data worldwide, estimated over the weekend that flights involving China had halved compared to normal levels. "The numbers are even worse this week, more like 60-70% down over pre-crisis schedule and changing daily," head consultant Rob Morris said in a post on Twitter on Tuesday. Still, some companies announced deals at the show including European turboprop maker ATR . It said Papua New Guinea airline PNG Air would become a launch customer for a short take-off and landing version of its ATR 42-600 with an order for three aircraft. Story continues Boeing said lessor BBAM had commissioned the planemaker to convert three 737-800 passenger jets to freighters to serve the growing e-commerce market and express air cargo. The deal is part of a push into the lucrative services sector as the planemaker looks to boost margins. Korean Air Lines <003490.KS> ordered Pratt & Whitney engines for up to 50 Airbus A321neo jets. It is also due to enter talks to be part of Pratt's repair network for other airlines, matching Delta Air Lines and Lufthansa . U.S.-CHINA FIGHTERS The visual highlight of the show, perhaps the most intriguing in terms of choreography, was the prospect of near-sequential displays by U.S. and Chinese fighters. It marks a rare sight of an operational J-10 Chinese fighter unit display team sharing skies with U.S. top-line military jets, the F-22 and F-35 stealth fighters. China and the United States, which this year signed a Phase 1 deal aimed at easing trade tensions between them, have been jostling for influence in Asia as China seeks to lay claim over part of the South China Sea. Singapore has a close military relationship with the United States, training regularly with U.S. forces and permanently basing squadrons of its aircraft in America. The United States brings F-35B to Singapore a month after it approved sale of 12 jets to the city-state. "This is a furtherance of our relationship and our bilateral ties with Singapore," U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper said. Last year, Singapore also signed an agreement with China for joint exercises, defense dialogue and logistical cooperation. "Singapore is walking a tightrope between its alliance with the United States reflected in decision to buy F35 and concerns about antagonizing China," one Western defense delegate said, noting the two displays were due to be separated by a gap. (Reporting by Tim Hepher and Jamie Freed; Editing by Himani Sarkar) The National Liberal Party (PNL) Government will not ban subsidizing the gigacalorie for the domestic consumers, but it will protect, through subsidies, the consumers who are really vulnerable and for whom the payment of an invoice is a real challenge, assures the dismissed Minister of Economy, Energy and Business Environment, Virgil-Daniel Popescu, in a Facebook post. He says that the Termoenergetica infrastructure is failing not because someone wants to sabotage the mayor, Gabriela Firea, but because in the nearly four years of her mandate she has done nothing."In the absence of administrative performance, Mrs. Firea has lately made typical statements for a mayor who knows that will lose the election. She has been accusing imagined sabotages for a few days, believing that Bucharest people do not see the reality of their city. Termoenergetica infrastructure is failing every day not because someone wants to sabotage the mayor, but because precisely Mrs. Firea is sabotaging herself by the fact that during the almost four years of her mandate she did nothing," says Popescu.He stresses that the Ministry of Economy and Energy, through ELCEN, provides quality services, but Termoenergia, through the Bucharest City Hall, prefers not to change the decades-old pipes, "affecting the very health of Bucharest residents".General Mayor Gabriela Firea said on Monday that she maintained her opinion that the malfunction of the primary network supplying districts 2 and 3 was "an industrial sabotage".The general manager of the Termoenergetica, Alexandru Burghiu, specified that the failure was the largest in the history of the system and presented a graph with real-time monitoring of flow rates, pressures and temperatures. Burghiu also showed that on that day, Termoenergetica requested ELCEN a temperature of 96-98 degrees, but the delivered temperature was 119 degrees Celsius.Gabriela Firea was of the opinion that this incident also had a political implication, because "the administrator of ELCEN is a PNL [the National Liberal Party] Bucharest member". AGERPRES Chinese smartphone vendor Vivo has pulled out of the upcoming MWC Barcelona event, the mobile industrys biggest annual exhibition, joining other major technology companies that have withdrawn participation over concerns about the coronavirus crisis. Based on the present situation, we have decided to withdraw from our debut at MWC 2020 and other related events later this month in Barcelona, Spain, said Vivo in a statement on Tuesday. The health and safety of our employees and the public are our top priority. With that decision, Vivo has also cancelled the launch of its new Apex 2020 5G smartphone at the event. The company, based in Dongguan in southern Guangdong province, said its various activities are being evaluated and that revised plans will soon be announced. Other major tech companies that have recently decided not to take part in MWC Barcelona because of the coronavirus outbreak include South Koreas LG Electronics, Swedish telecommunications equipment maker Ericsson, software provider Amdocs, US chip firms Intel and Nvidia, Japans Sony Corp and NTT Docomo, and Amazon Web Services, the cloud computing subsidiary of Amazon.com. Vivos new Apex 2020 5G Android smartphone. Photo: Twitter Those cancellations have come as the coronavirus outbreak has resulted in 1,018 deaths, recorded mostly in mainland China, as of Tuesday. There were also 43,112 confirmed cases around the world. Vivo, the worlds sixth biggest smartphone vendor last year, is the only one of Chinas major Android handset suppliers to withdraw from MWC Barcelona so far. Huawei Technologies, Oppo, Xiaomi Corp and ZTE Corp are still taking part in the annual trade show, which will be held from February 24 to 27. The event, which is expected to have more than 109,000 attendees, will focus on the theme limitless intelligent connectivity delivered by 5G mobile systems. Those four companies, however, have scaled back on staff taking part in MWC Barcelona. Some firms have already sent assigned employees to Spain amid fears of more travel restrictions being imposed on mainland travellers and a further reduction of flights to and from China, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Story continues Countries like Italy, for example, have suspended passenger flights to and from China after two virus cases were confirmed in the country in late January. The GSM Association, which organises MWC Barcelona, said in a statement last week that cleaning and disinfecting of the exhibition areas will be stepped up. It also committed to educate staff as well as exhibitors on how to clean and disinfect stands and offices. Other measures include encouraging a no handshake policy among the events attendees. 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. This article Chinese smartphone giant Vivo pulls out of worlds biggest mobile trade show over coronavirus concerns first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. In a market environment in which the majority of day-to-day traders are retired, moved on, or fired within a decade or less, the reaction to events of a type that have not been seen in that timescale tend to be overdone. This suits the more seasoned traders who decided not to retire but to trade on their own account or for hedge funds because they can let these less-experienced traders skew the price before stepping in and scooping up big profits from corrections based on reality. Indeed, a realistic examination of the actual figures involved in the current coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak that began in Chinas Wuhan province reveals that the true impact on the Chinese economy the key bulwark of support for the oil price is likely to be minimal. In fact, while there are many reasons to be short oil but the coronavirus is not one of them. Leaving the hysteria of inexperience to one side for the moment, it is certainly true that the coronavirus has spread far beyond its initial outbreak radius around central Wuhan, with cases now having been reported in over 20 countries. It is equally true that at the time of writing this flu-like virus has caused around 900 deaths out of about 41,000 reported cases or a mortality rate of around 2 percent. Although it is always advisable to build in some sort of leeway into any figures be they GDP growth or export numbers or imports of Iranian oil that come from China, for seasoned market observers, in empirical terms each of the numerical elements are miniscule compared to other similar outbreaks. In Asia itself, for example, the 1997 outbreak of H5N1 Bird Flu caused 455 deaths from 861 cases in 18 countries, a mortality rate of 52.8 percent, the 2013 H7N9 Bird Flu outbreak caused 616 deaths out of 1,568 cases, a mortality rate of 39.3 percent, and according to the U.S.s Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - the 2009 H1N1 flu outbreak that began in Asia as well, resulted in around 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths in the U.S. alone. According to a CDC report on 2012, the total number of deaths from the 2009 H1N1 was at least 284,500. As it stands right now, for those in the U.S., the mortality rate from the regular flu-like illnesses and related pneumonia is over three times higher at around 7 percent than from the coronavirus. Even the lesser virus outbreaks that have started in or gathered pace in Asia or the Middle East have been much more virulent and deadly than the current coronavirus: 2012 MERS (2,494 cases, 858 deaths, 34.4 percent mortality rate), 2002 SARS (8,096 cases, 774 deaths, 9.6 percent mortality rate), and the 1998 Nipah virus (513 cases, 398 deaths, 77.6 percent mortality rate). All of which means that the economic impact on China the key global demand element in the global oil pricing matrix will not be anywhere near as severe as many in the markets appear to think. Overall, Rory Green, Asia analyst for TS Lombard, in London, told OilPrice.com last week, expects just a one-off one and a half percentage point shock to Chinas Q1 year-on-year GDP growth, necessitating pushing back the previous projection of an economic stabilization in Q1 back to Q2 this year instead. Related: Are Oil Markets Overreacting To The Coronavirus? Beijing has improved its crisis management since the 2003 SARS virus and its reaction this time around to the coronavirus has been much quicker and more efficient, he said. The political pressure on Beijing is such that, once the virus is contained, China will launch a substantial stimulus package to more than offset the economic and political reputational cost of the quarantine, he added. Although there is very limited time in the calendar for households to take extended breaks - meaning that despite pent-up demand, 2020 full-year tourism, cinema and restaurant sales will be negatively impacted - in contrast, industry should recover quickly: industrial production, imports and exports will overshoot pre-virus growth trends in Q2 this year, he underlined. This said, in addition to the empirically illogical hysteria in much of the markets surrounding the potential impact of the coronavirus, there also appears to be some incorrect conflation in the oil pricing matrix of the in reality- distinct elements of Chinese economic activity and Chinese demand for oil, which are not the same at all. Even if as seems extremely unlikely, given the aforementioned factors Chinese economic activity did fall off a cliff for a while, metaphorically speaking, it does not follow that it will import less oil, even if it is also refining less, although even the refinery part of the equation is a moot point. It is a number of the independent refiners in China that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus but only because of factors such as being landlocked and/or having limited storage facilities. In Shandong, for example, the government has banned trucks registered in other provinces to ship out products, together with imposing other travel-related rules. By contrast, other refineries located along the coast and with extensive storage facilities have been able to maintain their usual high (100 percent plus) run rates, according to various independent sources, including the 400,000 barrels per day Hengli plant. In addition, the cheaper pricing and greater availability of oil elsewhere provide China with a tremendous opportunity to build its strategic petroleum reserve at a faster pace and at a lower price. Related: U.S. Set To Extend Iraq Waiver For Energy Imports From Iran This would be entirely in line with the economic and philosophical model of China being implemented by President Xi Jinping, which is the practical application of the virtue of self-reliance, implemented through a broadening and deepening of the Communist Party mandate across all strategically important sectors of the economy, including of course oil and gas supplies. More specifically, as analyzed in depth in my new book on the global oil markets, Chinas approach to securing energy flows is twofold. Firstly, it involves cultivating multi-layered relationships with countries that hold massive quantities of relatively cheap but high-quality oil and gas reserves that can absolutely be relied upon for decades to provide China with such energy flows (such as Iran and Iraq). Secondly, it involves developing Chinas own oil and gas field reservoirs and, as an adjunct to this, continuing to build up its own strategic petroleum reserve in the meantime, just as the U.S. did before it discovered and recovered its own game-changing oil and gas shale resources. Chinas use of Iran and Iraq as proxy oil and gas resources can be realistically regarded as exactly the same template used by the U.S. when it had limited resources, in that case with the longstanding deal with Saudi Arabia. In sum, the understanding struck in 1945 between the then-U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt and the Saudi King at the time, Abdulaziz, onboard the U.S. Navy cruiser Quincy in the Great Bitter Lake segment of the Suez Canal was that the U.S. would receive all of the oil supplies it needed for as long as Saudi had oil in place, in return for which the U.S. would guarantee the security both of the country and of the ruling House of Saud. Recent deals between China and Iran and Iraq before public outcry pushed them to the backburner are exactly in this mold. By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clever Closet UK, the specialists in discrete under stairs and loft storage units for the home, has announced its expansion plans to create 500 new jobs across the UK during 2020. Clever Closet, a sister company of Dragons' Den winner, Smart Storage in Ireland, is looking to recruit across: Birmingham, Bristol, Camberley, Coventry, Crawley, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham and Stevenage. This expansion also includes roles in Newport in Wales, as well as Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland. The firm is planning to create the new roles in: engineering/installation, logistics, operations, manufacturing, sales & marketing. The company was founded by CEO Paul Jacob, a former construction engineer, as he addressed a family storage crisis at home, and to date, the business has sold more than 40,000 patent-approved storage units. Paul Jacob, Clever Closet CEO, said: "Based on our significant growth and success to date, we see this expansion in the UK as natural next step for the business. We've observed that both new and existing homes in the UK are generally inadequately built to cater for the modern family, and many fail to provide the required storage space for smart and affordable living." He continued: "Our customised storage units are specifically designed to tackle this 21st Century living problem, by optimising the storage space available, while integrating these clever units seamlessly within the design of the home environment. The days of excessive shelving, unattractive hanging space and overflowing shoe cupboards are over." Clever Closet plans to primarily target the 11.5 mill UK semi-detached homes, and with its new expert nationwide fitters, aims to service approximately 1% of these homes per annum, which is 115,000 storage unit installations. As part of the company's growth and investment plans, it will also look be actively looking to build partnerships with all tiers of UK housebuilding firms. Colour images available on request: For careers information, apply here: https://clevercloset.co.uk/careers. About Clever Closet Established in 2011, Clever Closet UK specialises in discrete home storage solutions, and has expanded steadily to become the largest provider of under stairs storage in the UK, and via its sister company, Smart Storage, in Ireland. The award-winning company originated as a solution to a family 'shoe storage crisis' faced by CEO Paul Jacob, which prompted him to design an under stairs storage unit for his own home. The product was then showcased on Dragons Den in Ireland in 2012, and expansion quickly began throughout Ireland, and then the UK as a direct to consumer product. The storage units are custom designed for traditionally under-utilised areas in the home such as under the stairs and in the loft. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088207/Clever_Closet_Storage.jpg (TSX.V:) (OTCQX:) ("Skeena" or the "Company") is pleased to announce additional gold-silver drill results from the 2019 Phase I surface drilling program at the Eskay Creek Project ("Eskay Creek") located in the Golden Triangle of British Columbia. Four surface drill rigs were utilized for the 2019 Phase I program in the 21A, 21E and HW Zones to infill and upgrade areas of Inferred resources to the Indicated classification. Drill hole results reported in this release are from the 21A, 21E and HW Zones. Reference images are presented at the end of this release as well as on the Company's website. Phase I Eskay Creek Drilling Highlights: 11.53 g/t Au, 247 g/t Ag (14.82 g/t AuEq) over 31.30 m (SK-19-172) - 21A Zone 15.02 g/t Au, 70 g/t Ag (15.96 g/t AuEq) over 18.26 m (SK-19-171A) - 21A Zone 1.51 g/t Au, 355 g/t Ag (6.24 g/t AuEq) over 21.00 m (SK-19-201) - 21E Zone 2.83 g/t Au, 44 g/t Ag (3.42 g/t AuEq) over 25.00 m (SK-19-208) - 21E Zone Gold Equivalent (AuEq) calculated via the formula: Au (g/t) + [Ag (g/t) / 75]. Reported core lengths represent 80-100% of true widths and are supported by well-defined mineralization geometries derived from historical drilling. Grade capping of individual assays has not been applied to the Au and Ag assays informing the length weighted AuEq composites. Processing recoveries have not been applied to the AuEq calculation and are disclosed at 100%. Samples below detection limit are nulled to a value of zero. 2019 Drilling Continues to Intersect Increased Grades, While Confirming Widths Infill drilling within the 21A Zone continues to improve upon historically defined grades as demonstrated by 2019 Phase I drill hole SK-19-172 which intersected 14.82 g/t AuEq over 31.30 metres. This drilling confirms the 21A Zone thickness as indicated by the nearest historical drill hole in the current mineral resource model which is located 20 metres down-dip and intersected slightly lower grade mineralization of 7.63 g/t AuEq over 26.90 metres (CA89-080). Likewise, additional up-dip confirmation was provided by drill hole SK-19-061 which averaged 10.56 g/t AuEq over 27.50 metres and correlates very well with previously reported thickness from 2018 Phase I drill hole SK-18-023 that intersected 14.57 g/t AuEq over 31.50 metres. Mineralization within this portion of the 21A Zone is dominantly hosted within the footwall rhyolite sequence with only a minor contribution from the mudstones (refer to attached section). Current Status - Eskay Creek Drilling Four surface-based drill rigs are currently on site at Eskay Creek. The Company anticipates commencement of the surface 2020 Phase I infill and exploration drilling program in mid-February 2020. The remaining analytical results from the 2019 Phase I drilling program will be disclosed once all information has been received and validated. About Skeena Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company's primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Eskay Creek mine, which contains a combined Indicated and Inferred 4Moz, 4.4 g/t gold-equivalent open-pit resource. The Company recently completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) on Eskay Creek which highlights an after-tax NPV 5% of C$638M, 51% IRR and a 1.2-year payback. Skeena is also exploring the past-producing Snip gold mine. On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited, Walter Coles Jr. President & CEO Qualified Persons Exploration activities at the Eskay Creek Project are administered on site by the Company's Exploration Managers, Colin Russell, P.Geo. and Adrian Newton, P.Geo. In accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Paul Geddes, P.Geo. Vice President Exploration and Resource Development, is the Qualified Person for the Company and has prepared, validated and approved the technical and scientific content of this news release. The Company strictly adheres to CIM Best Practices Guidelines in conducting, documenting, and reporting its exploration activities on its exploration projects. Quality Assurance - Quality Control Once received from the drill and processed, all drill core samples are sawn in half, labelled and bagged. The remaining drill core is subsequently securely stored on site. Numbered security tags are applied to lab shipments for chain of custody requirements. The Company inserts quality control (QC) samples at regular intervals in the sample stream, including blanks and reference materials with all sample shipments to monitor laboratory performance. The QAQC program was designed and approved by Lynda Bloom, P.Geo. of Analytical Solutions Ltd., and is overseen by the Company's Qualified Person, Paul Geddes, P.Geo, Vice President Exploration and Resource Development. Drill core samples are submitted to ALS Geochemistry's analytical facility in North Vancouver, British Columbia for preparation and analysis. The ALS facility is accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for gold assays and all analytical methods include quality control materials at set frequencies with established data acceptance criteria. The entire sample is crushed and 1kg is pulverized. Analysis for gold is by 50g fire assay fusion with atomic absorption (AAS) finish with a lower limit of 0.01 ppm and upper limit of 100 ppm. Samples with gold assays greater than 100ppm are re-analyzed using a 50g fire assay fusion with gravimetric finish. Analysis for silver is by 50g fire assay fusion with gravimetric finish with a lower limit of 5ppm and upper limit of 10,000ppm. Samples with silver assays greater than 10,000ppm are re-analyzed using a gravimetric silver concentrate method. A selected number of samples are also analyzed using a 48 multi-elemental geochemical package by a 4-acid digestion, followed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) and Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectroscopy (ICP-MS) and also for mercury using an aqua regia digest with Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectroscopy (ICP-AES) finish. Samples with sulfur reporting greater than 10% from the multi-element analysis are re-analyzed for total sulfur by Leco furnace and infrared spectroscopy. Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Table 1: Eskay Creek Project 2019 Phase I length weighted drill hole gold and silver composites: HOLE-ID FROM (m) TO (m) CORE LENGTH (m) AU (g/t) AG (g/t) AUEQ (g/t) ZONE SK-19-096 4.70 5.50 0.80 0.49 47 1.12 21A SK-19-096 32.50 33.00 0.50 0.61 18 0.85 21A SK-19-100 ASSAYS PENDING SK-19-101 22.16 22.70 0.54 1.28 5 1.35 21A SK-19-128 ASSAYS PENDING SK-19-130 ASSAYS PENDING SK-19-133 1.40 3.35 0.03 <5 0.03 HW SK-19-144 28.00 30.00 0.20 8 0.31 HW SK-19-150 69.72 70.75 1.03 4.09 5 4.16 21A SK-19-155 67.00 69.55 2.55 2.51 9 2.63 21A SK-19-158 64.84 66.70 1.86 2.12 6 2.20 21A SK-19-162 92.00 93.00 0.24 31 0.65 21A SK-19-165 ABANDONED 21A SK-19-165A ABANDONED 21A SK-19-165B 80.40 82.40 2.00 2.25 63 3.08 21A SK-19-165B 87.77 100.55 12.78 2.34 5 2.41 21A SK-19-165B 108.00 110.00 2.00 1.98 78 3.01 21A SK-19-168 ABANDONED 21A SK-19-168A 90.50 102.00 11.50 4.96 107 6.38 21A SK-19-168A 108.50 113.00 4.50 1.10 5 1.17 21A SK-19-171 ABANDONED 21A SK-19-171A 98.24 116.50 18.26 15.02 70 15.96 21A INCLUDING 100.30 101.50 1.20 13.25 <5 13.25 21A AND 101.50 102.00 0.50 19.20 <5 19.20 21A AND 104.50 106.00 1.50 10.05 61 10.86 21A AND 106.00 107.50 1.50 41.50 200 44.17 21A AND 107.50 109.00 1.50 26.90 288 30.74 21A AND 109.00 110.50 1.50 14.30 224 17.29 21A AND 110.50 112.00 1.50 24.80 5 24.87 21A AND 112.00 113.00 1.00 15.45 8 15.56 21A SK-19-171A 132.50 137.00 4.50 1.01 14 1.20 21A SK-19-172 91.50 122.80 31.30 11.53 247 14.82 21A INCLUDING 92.15 92.65 0.50 10.10 109 11.55 21A AND 92.65 93.15 0.50 92.80 1,105 107.53 21A AND 93.15 94.00 0.85 140.00 981 153.08 21A AND 94.00 94.51 0.51 141.50 380 146.57 21A AND 94.51 95.15 0.64 22.60 2,230 52.33 21A AND 95.15 95.90 0.75 21.30 1,110 36.10 21A AND 95.90 96.40 0.50 18.85 906 30.93 21A AND 96.40 96.90 0.50 19.30 2,610 54.10 21A AND 113.65 114.98 1.33 9.42 186 11.90 21A SK-19-172 132.50 133.36 0.86 0.72 5 0.79 21A SK-19-172 140.00 141.00 1.00 1.11 5 1.18 21A SK-19-173 ABANDONED 21A SK-19-173A 94.80 95.86 1.06 0.61 8 0.72 21A SK-19-173A 98.65 101.00 2.35 2.62 5 2.68 21A SK-19-174 91.48 102.05 10.57 3.36 9 3.48 21A INCLUDING 95.00 96.00 1.00 12.65 <5 12.65 21A SK-19-174 117.00 118.10 1.10 0.97 5 1.04 21A SK-19-175 2.50 22.50 20.00 0.90 6 0.98 21A SK-19-175 28.00 53.85 25.85 1.87 9 1.99 21A SK-19-175 56.50 64.00 7.50 1.01 6 1.09 21A SK-19-176 12.00 22.00 10.00 1.01 15 1.21 21A SK-19-176 29.50 37.16 7.66 1.09 6 1.17 21A SK-19-176 43.47 45.20 1.73 0.74 10 0.87 21A SK-19-177 7.50 25.00 17.50 1.00 8 1.11 21A SK-19-177 28.00 45.00 17.00 1.03 14 1.21 21A SK-19-178 5.00 30.75 25.75 1.40 20 1.66 21A SK-19-178 33.75 36.00 2.25 1.04 5 1.11 21A SK-19-178 42.00 48.50 6.50 0.94 63 1.78 21A SK-19-178 53.00 69.90 16.90 0.78 35 1.25 21A SK-19-178 83.00 104.50 21.50 2.04 7 2.13 21A SK-19-178 109.00 110.50 1.50 1.31 5 1.38 21A SK-19-178 115.00 116.50 1.50 0.79 5 0.86 21A SK-19-178 124.03 128.35 4.32 1.64 64 2.49 21A SK-19-179 4.75 35.00 30.25 1.12 22 1.41 21A SK-19-179 41.00 42.50 1.50 0.61 65 1.48 21A SK-19-179 47.00 89.00 42.00 1.10 12 1.26 21A SK-19-179 92.00 118.00 26.00 1.26 28 1.64 21A SK-19-179 121.00 124.00 3.00 1.10 5 1.17 21A SK-19-180 1.50 4.50 3.00 0.31 71 1.25 21A SK-19-180 14.50 23.50 9.00 1.81 7 1.90 21A SK-19-180 26.00 29.50 3.50 1.41 5 1.48 21A SK-19-180 32.50 40.00 7.50 1.04 64 1.90 21A SK-19-180 43.00 58.50 15.50 1.69 5 1.76 21A SK-19-180 62.00 63.50 1.50 0.60 13 0.77 21A SK-19-180 67.00 78.83 11.83 1.45 9 1.57 21A SK-19-180 81.50 99.00 17.50 0.90 5 0.96 21A SK-19-180 104.00 108.00 4.00 1.16 5 1.23 21A SK-19-180 118.50 124.50 6.00 1.29 97 2.58 21A SK-19-180 152.00 153.50 1.50 1.06 15 1.26 21A SK-19-180 169.00 170.00 1.00 1.67 20 1.94 21A SK-19-181 8.50 10.00 1.50 0.95 5 1.02 21A SK-19-181 16.82 33.00 16.18 0.88 5 0.94 21A SK-19-181 36.00 39.50 3.50 0.68 5 0.75 21A SK-19-181 42.65 66.00 23.35 1.51 6 1.58 21A SK-19-181 70.50 104.50 34.00 1.12 20 1.39 21A SK-19-181 110.00 113.00 3.00 0.64 19 0.89 21A SK-19-181 125.00 131.00 6.00 1.53 7 1.63 21A SK-19-181 134.00 139.00 5.00 0.59 12 0.75 21A SK-19-182 2.00 14.50 12.50 0.90 55 1.64 21A SK-19-182 37.70 47.16 9.46 0.77 25 1.10 21A SK-19-182 51.12 63.00 11.88 1.04 6 1.11 21A SK-19-182 66.00 69.00 3.00 0.79 17 1.01 21A SK-19-182 73.24 76.24 3.00 0.73 5 0.80 21A SK-19-183 1.34 17.00 15.66 1.26 54 1.98 21A SK-19-183 22.50 24.00 1.50 0.20 48 0.84 21A SK-19-183 41.50 50.00 8.50 2.74 14 2.92 21A INCLUDING 48.95 50.00 1.05 10.50 28 10.87 21A SK-19-183 53.15 54.50 1.35 0.83 13 1.00 21A SK-19-183 59.95 62.40 2.45 0.77 5 0.84 21A SK-19-183 65.00 71.15 6.15 1.28 17 1.51 21A SK-19-183 78.50 79.75 1.25 0.88 5 0.95 21A SK-19-183 90.00 91.50 1.50 1.70 1,195 17.63 21A SK-19-183 100.00 106.00 6.00 0.72 13 0.88 21A SK-19-183 118.18 118.68 0.50 0.70 9 0.82 21A SK-19-184 1.96 13.00 11.04 1.26 144 3.18 21A INCLUDING 10.00 11.50 1.50 1.68 710 11.15 21A SK-19-184A 2.05 15.50 13.45 1.06 34 1.51 21A SK-19-184A 21.53 23.50 1.97 1.02 5 1.09 21A SK-19-184A 41.00 61.50 20.50 1.05 12 1.21 21A SK-19-184A 64.50 71.65 7.15 1.05 44 1.63 21A SK-19-184A 96.30 99.15 2.85 1.42 5 1.48 21A SK-19-184A 103.50 106.50 3.00 1.56 5 1.63 21A SK-19-184A 115.38 116.00 0.62 0.77 5 0.84 21A SK-19-185 1.50 5.00 3.50 2.80 56 3.55 21E SK-19-186 1.41 8.00 6.59 8.73 27 9.09 21E INCLUDING 3.81 5.00 1.19 20.70 98 22.01 21E AND 5.00 6.50 1.50 17.45 13 17.62 21E SK-19-187 8.50 10.00 1.50 1.15 175 3.48 21E SK-19-187 31.00 32.00 1.00 1.07 5 1.14 21E SK-19-188 13.00 14.50 1.50 0.71 5 0.78 21E SK-19-188 17.17 18.27 1.10 1.48 5 1.55 21E SK-19-189 19.00 20.00 1.00 0.75 5 0.82 21E SK-19-189 29.10 37.00 7.90 1.06 7 1.16 21E SK-19-189 43.00 53.10 10.10 1.13 5 1.19 21E SK-19-190 31.30 32.50 1.20 0.65 8 0.76 21E SK-19-190 37.00 45.50 8.50 1.13 8 1.24 21E SK-19-191 15.48 15.98 0.50 0.89 5 0.96 21E SK-19-191 20.00 29.50 9.50 1.71 27 2.06 21E SK-19-191 41.50 43.00 1.50 0.80 5 0.87 21E SK-19-192 6.00 7.50 1.50 0.81 8 0.92 21E SK-19-192 14.40 15.60 1.20 0.73 5 0.79 21E SK-19-192 24.00 31.74 7.74 1.48 40 2.02 21E SK-19-192 41.50 42.64 1.14 0.72 5 0.79 21E SK-19-193 5.50 8.00 2.50 0.76 6 0.84 21E SK-19-193 13.00 14.25 1.25 1.60 5 1.66 21E SK-19-193 18.00 43.50 25.50 1.76 21 2.04 21E SK-19-194 0.87 2.50 1.63 2.77 18 3.01 21E SK-19-194 10.00 14.50 4.50 1.23 16 1.44 21E SK-19-194A 11.50 19.50 8.00 1.07 16 1.28 21E SK-19-194A 29.00 31.50 2.50 3.95 5 4.02 21E SK-19-195 8.00 14.37 6.37 1.51 50 2.18 21E SK-19-195 17.00 18.38 1.38 0.53 13 0.70 21E SK-19-195 52.00 56.00 4.00 2.32 5 2.38 21E SK-19-196 2.93 5.90 2.97 0.90 5 0.97 21E SK-19-196 11.72 14.00 2.28 1.59 20 1.86 21E SK-19-196 17.67 22.00 4.33 2.66 116 4.20 21E SK-19-197 8.00 10.79 2.79 0.73 10 0.86 21E SK-19-198 11.00 12.50 1.50 25.80 94 27.05 21E SK-19-198A 8.00 9.80 1.80 1.12 7 1.21 21E SK-19-199 6.02 7.67 1.65 1.24 5 1.31 21E SK-19-200 5.75 7.25 1.50 0.74 5 0.81 21E SK-19-200 59.50 67.00 7.50 0.66 10 0.79 21E SK-19-201 28.00 30.58 2.58 1.61 7 1.70 21E SK-19-201 42.50 63.50 21.00 1.51 355 6.24 21E INCLUDING 43.60 45.00 1.40 2.17 1,550 22.84 21E AND 54.90 55.40 0.50 4.24 4,470 63.84 21E SK-19-201 66.50 71.00 4.50 1.37 5 1.44 21E SK-19-202 32.00 33.50 1.50 0.55 69 1.47 21E SK-19-202 36.00 37.75 1.75 1.18 5 1.25 21E SK-19-202 42.22 63.00 20.78 1.21 18 1.44 21E SK-19-202 69.00 70.46 1.46 0.84 40 1.37 21E SK-19-203 ABANDONED 21E SK-19-203A 7.00 8.00 1.00 0.92 5 0.99 21E SK-19-203A 34.00 34.50 0.50 1.11 9 1.23 21E SK-19-203A 37.00 38.16 1.16 1.02 6 1.10 21E SK-19-203A 46.50 54.50 8.00 0.82 7 0.91 21E SK-19-203A 61.00 61.84 0.84 0.70 5 0.77 21E SK-19-204 28.00 31.00 3.00 2.74 5 2.81 21E SK-19-204 33.73 34.43 0.70 1.31 5 1.38 21E SK-19-204 37.25 43.00 5.75 1.31 15 1.51 21E SK-19-204 46.00 49.00 3.00 0.88 5 0.95 21E SK-19-204 54.50 57.69 3.19 1.46 5 1.53 21E SK-19-204 60.50 62.00 1.50 1.10 5 1.17 21E SK-19-205 23.50 28.00 4.50 1.17 5 1.24 21E SK-19-205 33.72 36.00 2.28 0.75 14 0.94 21E SK-19-205 41.10 51.35 10.25 2.78 15 2.98 21E SK-19-206 8.00 9.50 1.50 0.35 6 0.43 21E SK-19-207 5.00 6.00 1.00 0.30 23 0.61 21E SK-19-208 1.90 9.50 7.60 0.64 104 2.03 21E SK-19-208 12.50 25.00 12.50 0.64 31 1.05 21E SK-19-208 37.00 62.00 25.00 2.83 44 3.42 21E SK-19-209 2.00 10.50 8.50 0.64 215 3.50 21E INCLUDING 4.00 4.50 0.50 1.59 1,620 23.19 21E SK-19-209 14.00 19.50 5.50 2.35 159 4.47 21E INCLUDING 14.85 15.35 0.50 13.65 621 21.93 21E SK-19-209 22.50 24.98 2.48 0.75 13 0.91 21E SK-19-209 40.00 45.00 5.00 2.01 158 4.11 21E INCLUDING 44.00 45.00 1.00 2.81 554 10.20 21E SK-19-209 52.05 53.50 1.45 2.59 5 2.66 21E SK-19-210 14.30 17.00 2.70 4.51 114 6.02 21E SK-19-210 30.00 39.50 9.50 0.88 48 1.53 21E SK-19-210 42.90 44.00 1.10 0.85 205 3.58 21E SK-19-211 14.00 17.30 3.30 4.39 105 5.79 21E SK-19-211 26.50 41.50 15.00 1.06 60 1.86 21E SK-19-211 65.50 91.00 25.50 1.31 12 1.46 21E SK-19-212 7.38 14.00 6.62 3.68 35 4.15 21E SK-19-212A 4.25 20.00 15.75 2.06 26 2.40 21E SK-19-213 7.14 20.32 13.18 1.36 29 1.75 21E SK-19-213 22.43 23.45 1.02 1.00 17 1.23 21E SK-19-213 31.94 35.00 3.06 1.34 35 1.81 21E SK-19-214 6.24 20.40 14.16 3.67 25 4.00 21E SK-19-214 24.08 34.50 10.42 0.88 17 1.11 21E Gold Equivalent (AuEq) calculated via the formula: Au (g/t) + [Ag (g/t) / 75]. Reported core lengths represent 80-100% of true widths and are supported by well-defined mineralization geometries derived from historical drilling. Length weighted AuEq composites were constrained by geological considerations. Grade capping of individual assays has not been applied to the Au and Ag assays informing the length weighted AuEq composites. Processing recoveries have not been applied to the AuEq calculation and are disclosed at 100%. Samples below detection limit were nulled to a value of zero. Table 2: Mine grid Phase I drill hole locations and orientations: IRVING, Texas, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- New Mexico Human Services Department , has signed an agreement with HMS (HMSY) to manage the Quality Assurance (QA) module for the states Medicaid Management Information Systems Replacement (MMISR) project. This modular enterprise-wide approach led by New Mexico will lead to more flexibility as well as a more person-centric focus for multiple State agency partners. The QA module includes program integrity; third-party liability (TPL) detection, avoidance and recovery; fraud abuse detection and reporting services; audit and hearing coordination; quality reporting and recovery audit contracting (RAC). Our extensive program integrity product suite featuring thousands of data analytics and the latest artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies was a natural fit to lead this QA module for New Mexico, said Michele Carpenter, senior vice president of Government Services for HMS. We are excited to partner with the State on this forward-thinking and transformational effort to drive further efficiency and improve outcomes across the enterprise. Currently, HMS provides technology and services to more than forty Medicaid agencies and over 200 Medicaid managed care plans; and saves billions of dollars annually for healthcare payers, government programs and other at-risk organizations. About HMS HMS advances the healthcare system by helping healthcare organizations reduce costs and improve health outcomes. Through our industry-leading technology, analytics and engagement solutions, we save billions of dollars annually while helping consumers lead healthier lives. HMS provides a broad range of coordination of benefits, payment integrity, care management and member engagement solutions that help move the healthcare system forward. Visit us at www.hms.com or follow us on Twitter at @HMSHealthcare . VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Universal Copper Ltd. ("UNV", "Universal Copper" or the "Company") (formerly Tasca Resources Ltd.) (TSXV:UNV) announces the Company's Board of Directors has approved and the Company will, subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval, be completing a share consolidation on the basis of one (1) post-consolidation common share for every three (3) pre-consolidation common shares (the "Consolidation"). The Company will not be seeking a new name or trading symbol. Currently there are 38,352,272 common shares issued and outstanding and after the Consolidation there will be approximately 12,784,091 common shares issued and outstanding. The Company will not be issuing fractional post-Consolidation common shares to shareholders in connection with the Consolidation. Each fractional share remaining after conversion that is less than 1/2 of a share will be cancelled and each fractional share that is at least 1/2 of a share will be changed to one whole share. The proposed 3:1 Consolidation will be immediately followed by a private placement of up to 10,000,000 (post consolidation) shares at $0.06 per (post consolidation) share for gross proceeds of up to $600,000 subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. The Board of Directors believe that the restructuring of the Company's shares will help to facilitate the proposed private placement financing. The private placement is subject to TSX Venture Exchange acceptance and the resulting post consolidated securities proposed for issuance will be subject to a four month and a day hold period. The proceeds from the Private Placement will be used for settling certain accounts payable and working capital for the funding of existing operations. The Private Placement will be completed pursuant to certain exemptions from prospectus requirements under applicable securities laws. For additional information please visit the Company's website at www.universalcopper.com ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "Clive Massey" Clive H. Massey President & CEO For further information, please contact: Investor Relations Phone: (604) 644-6794 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. Forward-Looking Statements This news release contains certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking" statements. Forward looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although Universal Copper Ltd. believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in forward looking statements. Forward looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of Universal Copper Ltd. management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by law, Universal Copper Ltd. undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. SOURCE: Universal Copper Ltd. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576018/Universal-Copper-Announces-Share-Consolidation-and-Private-Placement-of-up-to-600000 . , - . , . ... There is no available evidence from large prospective randomized trials The evidence is sparse or only low-level The existing evidence is conflicting or the interpretation of the evidence is conflicting Locally advanced prostate cancer (APC) Q1-8 Biochemical recurrence of prostate cancer after local therapy Q9-19 Management of the primary tumor in the metastatic setting Q20-23 Newly diagnosed, hormone-sensitive/naive prostate cancer (HSPC) including oligometastatic prostate cancer Q24-62 Management of nmCRPC (M0 CRPC) Q63-71 Management of mCRPC Q72-84 Bone and bone metastases Q85-96 Molecular characterization: tissue and blood Q97-112 Heterogeneity of patients with prostate cancer (ethnicity, elderly) Q113-120 Side effects of hormonal treatments and their management Q121-123 The management of men with advanced prostate cancer keeps changing rapidly APCCC focuses on areas where the evidence is limited and that are not covered in guidelines or where guidelines do not provide clear recommendations Compare your treatment strategies with the expert panel votings The results are intended to serve as a guide to clinicians to assist in the discussions with patients as part of a shared and multidisciplinary decision-making process From the 29to the 31of August 2019, the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference 2019 (APCCC) took place in Basel, Switzerland. The report of the APCCC conference was just published in early 2020 in European Urology.While existing guidelines can summarize the existing evidence and form treatment recommendations, there are many areas in the management of patients with advanced prostate cancer where:To address exactly these areas, APCCC prepares a large number of consensus questions that are voted on by a panel of 70 international prostate cancer experts at the end of the conference. For 2019 the following 10 areas have been identified and for each area, a number of questions were discussed and voted on at APCCC 2019:The report of APCCC 2019 summarizes the scientific background on each topic, presents results of the consensus votings per question und discusses the results.Save the date for APCCC 2021 the next APCCC will take place in Lugano, Switzerland, 7-9 October 2021.Be inspired and organize an APCCC satellite meeting for your country or region and discuss the consensus questions relevant to your practice! More information can be found here Successful meetings including publications have been held after the previous APCCC conferences:Written by: Silke Gillessen, MD, Professor and Chair in Genitourinary Oncology Systemic Therapy Research at The University of Manchester and The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, England, and Aurelius Omlin, MD, Head Doctor and Head of Disease Groupe Urogenital, Clinic for Medical Oncology and Hematology, Kantonnospital St. Gallen, St. Gallen, Switzerland; Co-founders of the Advanced Prostate Cancer Consensus Conference (APCCC)Related Content:Watch: APCCC 2019 Video Interviews Conference Coverage: APCCC 2019 articles Here are key events since a 2003 civil war erupted in Sudans western region of Darfur, a conflict the UN says killed at least 300,000 people and displaced 2.5 million. Khartoum agreed Tuesday to hand ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir and others to the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in the conflict, a member of Sudans ruling sovereign council said. 2003: Rebels take up arms Tribal rebels in the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army (SLM/SLA) take up arms against Khartoum, accusing it of marginalising the region. On February 26, 2003, rebels take the town of Gulu in northern Darfur. State-backed Arab militias called Janjaweed respond, leading to allegations of atrocities including murder, rape, looting and burning villages. 2007: International force A hybrid African Union-United Nations force called UNAMID takes over from an African force which has been in the region since 2004. In May 2008, more than 220 people are killed when JEM rebels thrust hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Darfur to Omdurman, just across the River Nile from the presidential palace in Khartoum. 2009: International warrants The Hague-based International Criminal Court (ICC) issues an arrest warrant for then-president Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. It issues another warrant the next year for genocide. Late in 2010, after a lull in fighting which lasts several months, fighting resumes following the breakdown of an accord signed in 2006 with a faction of the SLM. More than 2,300 killed in 2010, according to the UN. 2011: Revolutionary Front In November 2011, Darfurs armed groups form an alliance the Sudanese Revolutionary Front committed to regime change in Sudan. Sudan accuses newly independent South Sudan of working with the JEM, a charge denied by Juba, which Khartoum also accuses of backing armed revolts in its South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions. 2014: Abuses In March 2014, the UN criticises restrictions imposed on humanitarian workers in Darfur and an increase in the number of displaced people. The UN Security Council urges UNAMID to better protect the Darfur population. In October the UN criticises it for playing down alleged abuses by Sudanese forces. In November, Bashir calls for a planned withdrawal of the force, with which Khartoums relations have deteriorated, after the peacekeepers probe accusations of gang rape by Sudanese soldiers. 2016: Ceasefire In a controversial April 2016 referendum the division of Darfur into five states is maintained. The government in June declares a unilateral ceasefire. In August, negotiations break down between Khartoum and rebels on a cessation of hostilities in Darfur, the Blue Nile and South Kordofan. In early September Bashir says that peace has returned to Darfur. That month rights group Amnesty International accuses Khartoum of carrying out several chemical attacks, killing civilians in the West of the country. Khartoum denies the charge. In June 2017, the UN vastly scales down its force under pressure from Washington to slash the budget. 2019: Bashir ousted, talks On April 11, 2019, Bashir is ousted by the military and detained, after four months of popular protests demanding he quit. In August, new Sudanese authorities entrusted with preparing the way for a civilian regime vow to restore peace to conflict-ridden regions including Darfur. 2019: Draft accord On December 22, Sudanese prosecutors open a probe into crimes committed in Darfur since 2003, targeting officials from Bashirs regime. In late December, nearly 50 people are killed over two days in tribal fighting at El Geneina, state capital of West Darfur. On January 24, 2020, a coalition of nine rebel groups from Blue Nile and Darfur, but not South Kordofan, sign a preliminary agreement with the government after weeks of talks. acm-jmy/par SLM CORPORATION President Donald Trump dropped his $4.8 trillion budget for 2021. And despite the affordable housing crisis sweeping the nation in a time of economic prosperity, the proposed budget doesn't look good for housing. The winners in the proposaltitled "A Budget for America's Future"didn't contain any big surprises. NASA would get a 12% budget bump, military spending would inch up and, of course, more money would be allocated for the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. But foreign aid, Medicare, and the Environmental Protection Agency would see deep cuts along with the Department of Housing and Urban Development if the budget is approved. The housing agency would lose 15.2% of its funding, or about $8.6 billion. The Presidents budget proposal provides HUD with the resources to serve Americas most vulnerable populations in an efficient and compassionate manner, said HUD Secretary Ben Carson in a statement. We must remember, compassion is not always how many people we can get on a government program, but rather how many people we can help graduate out of a program and into financial independence. The road to self-sufficiency is one that is sure to improve the lives of all Americans. But many folks are worried about the impact of taking a chunk out of HUD's budget at a time when home and rental prices have hit new highs in many parts of the country. Given that people are struggling with finding affordable housing due to fast-rising home prices and rents, cuts to programs that are designed to help with this very problem could have a negative impact," says Senior Economist George Ratiu of realtor.com. But he notes that this budget is just a proposal. "Congress will wrangle over the details of the budget. Some of the proposed cuts will not make the final cut," he adds. The budget isn't likely to get through the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives and receive bipartisan support in the Senate. It will probably change shape substantially during that process. In the past fiscal year, the White House tried to cut HUD's budget by 16.4%, down to $44.1 billion in gross discretionary funding. It was unsuccessful. "At a time when Americas housing crisis has reached historic heights with the lowest-income people suffering the most severe impacts, proposals to further cut these vital resources are unconscionable and unacceptable," Diane Yentel, president and CEO of the National Low Income Housing Coalition, said in a statement. Where President Trump wants HUD funding to go Not everything in the budget is doom and gloom. Trump's proposal would dedicate $180 million for building about 1,200 new units for senior and disabled Americans. And $2.8 billion would go toward homeless assistance grants, including funding to start an initiative to help more folks find shelters. And it promises to continue the work of Carson, a former surgeon, to remove dangerous lead paint from urban housing. It would also safeguard against carbon monoxide poisoning. The administration has proposed putting $425 million toward mitigating health and safety hazards$90 million more than in the previous year. Home buyers wouldn't be left out in the cold either. The budget sets aside $20 million to modernize the Federal Housing Administration's information technology systems and strengthen reverse mortgages among other improvements. The HUD programs on the chopping block The president has proposed eliminating the HOME Investment Partnerships Program. It provides grants to help states, cities, and communities for building, buying, or rehabbing affordable housing for rent or sale. It can also be used for rental assistance for low-income Americans. Trump expects that state and local governments as well as the private sector will play a greater role going forward. "What this will do will push down the affordable housing issues to the state and local levels," says real estate economist Ken Johnson of Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, FL. This won't affect Middle America as much, where housing prices are still somewhat reasonable (even though they're going up). "The lack of affordability is so dramatic in coastal cities and rapidly growing Southern cities that there's no real market solution," he adds. "They need help from the federal government on this." For the fourth year in a row, Trump is trying to get rid of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program.The program gives money to struggling neighborhoods to create and preserve affordable housing, establish new infrastructure, and carry out economic development projects. Doing away with the two programs would chop $4.8 billion from the budget. In addition, the Choice Neighborhoods program would disappear, saving the government $175 million. It gives grants to areas with distressed public and federally assisted housing. "To support State and local efforts, the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing is working to identify and support successful practices for removing burdensome rules and regulations that raise the cost of housing development," the budget reads. These HUD programs could lose funding The budget promises to preserve the $41.3 billion for rental assistance for the 4.6 million families that currently receive help from HUD. But it would cut a little over $3.5 billion from the funding it normally provides for rental assistance. Renters would be asked to contribute 35% of their adjusted income, up from 30%, to cover their housing costs. Trump expects "renters to shoulder more of the costs," says Ratiu. "But rental growth is outpacing income growth, so this makes it harder for low-income renters to afford their housing. The missing money would be made up for by requiring able-bodied individuals receiving assistance to find work and shoulder more of their housing costs. About $190 million would go toward self-sufficiency programs for those getting support from HUD. "The Budget reflects the Presidents commitment to reforming programs to encourage work and self-sufficiency, and provides targeted but fiscally responsible investments that assist vulnerable low-income households," it reads. Trump also is attempting to reform federal disaster recovery assistance, which is spread out among programs in 17 government departments and agencies. The budget called out HUD's CDBG Disaster Recovery program as "slow, unpredictable, and wasteful." The budget also proposes cutting $225 million from the Native American Housing Block Grant, which goes toward affordable housing. "Time will tell if the budget works," says real estate economist Johnson. "Theres nothing that I see in here thats going to change the problem of the lack of affordable housing. The post President Trump's Budget Proposes Deep HUD Cuts Amid Affordable Housing Crisis appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. A controversial time limit that means women can only keep their frozen eggs for ten years could be overturned. As increasing numbers of women choose to delay motherhood, the Department of Health and Social Care is considering whether to allow them to store their eggs for longer. Currently, after ten years, they must be used in fertility treatment or be destroyed. The only exceptions are for cancer patients and prematurely infertile women, who are allowed to keep their eggs for up to 55 years. Science author and broadcaster Dr Emily Grossman, 41, chose to freeze her eggs at 38 The new Government consultation will consider allowing women who freeze their eggs for social reasons, typically because they have not met Mr Right, to keep them for longer. The practice is becoming more popular. Treatment cycles with frozen eggs rose from 410 in 2012 to 1,462 in 2017. Campaigners and fertility experts have argued that forcing women to use eggs within ten years is arbitrary and has no scientific basis. Scientist and author froze eggs at 38 Scientist Dr Emily Grossman froze her eggs when she was 38, having not yet met the right person to start a family with. Dr Grossman, a science author who has a double first from Cambridge University, said: I am not yet in a position in my life where I want to use my eggs, but I may want to in the future. I would be absolutely devastated if I hit 48, and felt young, vital and energetic, and wanted a child, but some arbitrary rule meant my eggs were destroyed. Now aged 41 and in a relationship, Dr Grossman has followed the debate over the ten-year limit on egg-freezing closely. She believes the procedure allowed her to sidestep her biological clock, so that she could enter motherhood when she was ready, and said her career had also played a role in the decision. Dr Grossman, who lives in north London and appears as an expert on science-based television shows, said: A consultation on the time-limit for egg-freezing is long overdue, and any woman in my position would feel the same way that I do. She added: The ten-year storage limit is completely arbitrary. It is ludicrous that women who had the courage to break taboos and freeze their eggs ten years ago are now facing the destruction of potentially their best chance of becoming a biological mother. Advertisement Women who freeze their eggs when they are younger, ideally under 35, are more likely to fall pregnant if they use them for IVF at an older age. But many are put off by the ten-year time limit, and in 2016 the average age of those opting to do it was 38. The Government will look at whether women are disproportionately affected by the current rules. But there are concerns about women having babies late in life and donating eggs to their daughters. Announcing the consultation, which will also consider the ten-year limit for frozen sperm and embryos, care minister Caroline Dinenage said: A time limit can often mean women are faced with the heart-breaking decision to destroy their frozen eggs, or feel pressured to have a child before they are ready. Sarah Norcross, director of Progress Educational Trust, which has campaigned to change the limit, welcomed the move. Extending the ten-year storage limit will enable women to exercise reproductive choice, freeing women from the shackles of an outdated, discriminatory and unscientific law, she said. Dr Ippokratis Sarris, Director and Consultant in Reproductive Medicine at King's Fertility, said it gave women more choice. 'Every woman should have the right to decide when and how long their viable eggs are kept in storage for, not outdated regulation. We must move on with the times. 'Current regulation on the 10-year maximum for egg freezing without clear medical reasoning is simply out-of-touch with modern practices within IVF treatment and fertility in this day and age.' But Geeta Nargund, of IVF company Create Fertility, warned: This could result in unintended consequences, such as women having children when it may have a negative impact on their health and the long-term welfare of the child. It could also open up the potential for women to donate eggs to their children, which is a complex ethical issue. Sally Cheshire, chairman of regulator the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said: The time is right to consider what a more appropriate storage limit could be that recognises both changes in science and in the way women are considering their fertility. A graphic from the Wildlife Trusts highlighting species at risk from HS2 WARWICKSHIRE Wildlife Trust has voiced its fears about the impact of HS2 on the county's wildlife after the project was given the green light to the project today, Tuesday. Wildlife Trusts from across the country recently published a report highlighting the vast scale of the destruction and impact it says HS2 will cause to nature. It assessed the broad range of impacts across all phases of HS2 on protected wildlife sites, species and landscape restoration projects. In this area, it calculates more than 8.1 hectares of ancient woodland will be lost across South Cubbington, Crackley North, Roughknowles, Broadwells Wood, Sych Wood and North Wood and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust nature reserves within 5 kilometres of the route include Leam Valley, Tocil Wood and Bubbenhall Wood along with a number of Local Wildlife Sites. CEO Ed Green said: The potential damage from HS2 is too great especially while we are facing a climate emergency. Green and sustainable transport is vital, but we wont solve the climate crisis by making the biodiversity crisis worse. Last week, the Wildlife Trusts delivered a letter to the Prime Minister calling for the project to be reappraised. The letter was signed by 66,000 people. The Trusts director of campaigns and policy, Nikki Williams, said: Nature is paying too high a price for HS2. We urged the Government to re-consider in the light of The Wildlife Trusts report which evidenced the serious risk that HS2 poses to nature and to take notice of over 66,000 people who wrote to the Prime Minister asking him to review HS2. "Todays announcement means that it is more critical than ever that the whole project is redesigned before HS2 creates a scar that can never heal. It is vital that HS2 does not devastate or destroy irreplaceable meadows, ancient woodlands and internationally important wetlands that are home to a huge range of wildlife, from barn owls to butterflies. As HS2 contractors get on with bulldozing and building, the public can help wildlife by being alert to works near them. Contact your local Wildlife Crime officer if you believe HS2 Ltd or contractors are undertaking works without permission. Wildlife trusts along the route will continue to advise and engage with HS2 Ltd locally. A federal appeals court in San Francisco on Monday affirmed its ruling, the first by any appellate court, ordering a state to provide gender-confirmation surgery to a transgender inmate. Ten Republican-appointed judges dissented, including the courts first openly gay judge. The Idaho inmate, Adree Edmo, was born male but says she has viewed herself as female since age 5 or 6 and began living as a woman at about 20 or 21. Sexually abused as a child, she pleaded guilty in 2012, at age 21, to sexual abuse of a 15-year-old boy at a house party. She is due to be released from prison next year. Prison doctors diagnosed her with gender dysphoria, the searing emotional stress from a conflict between birth sex and gender identity, and prescribed hormones. Housed at a mens prison, Edmo attempted to castrate herself with a razor blade in 2015. She applied for surgery in 2016 but the prisons chief physician and medical staff turned her down, saying the hormone therapy had lessened her dysphoria and that she had refused to attend other therapy sessions. Edmo sued and won support from medical experts, including psychologist Randi Ettner, an author of the World Professional Association of Transgender Healths Standards of Care, known as WPATH. They said she met their standards for gender-confirmation surgery, including persistent gender dysphoria, at least a year of hormone therapy and the capacity to make an informed decision. A federal judge in Idaho ruled in her favor, accepting WPATHs testimony and finding that the states physicians lacked credibility. A three-judge panel of the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that ruling in August, saying the evidence supported the judges conclusion that prison authorities have been deliberately indifferent to Edmos gender dysphoria, violating the constitutional ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The prison physicians asked the full appeals court for a rehearing and were turned down Monday despite dissents from a majority of the Republican appointees on the 29-judge court. One dissent came from Patrick Bumatay, a former federal prosecutor who became the courts first openly gay judge when he was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by the Senate in December. I hold great sympathy for Adree Edmos medical situation, but courts must apply the Constitution, not our sympathies, wrote Bumatay, whose opinion was joined by six colleagues. He said the Eighth Amendments prohibition on cruel and unusual punishment was intended to apply only to deliberate infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering. Edmos case involves only a difference of medical opinion, Bumatay said, and Idahos denial of the surgery does not constitute the barbarous or inhuman treatment so out of line with longstanding practice as to be forbidden by the Eighth Amendment. In a separate dissent, Judge Diarmuid OScannlain, joined by Bumatay and seven other judges, said the August ruling substitutes the medical conclusions of federal judges for the clinical judgments of prisoners treating physicians. OScannlain said WPATH was not an established authority, but merely a controversial private organization with a declared point of view. And he said the ruling created a split between appellate courts, since the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans refused to order the surgery in a separate case last year, a ruling that the Supreme Court later declined to review. Idahos Republican governor, Brad Little, said he would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the ruling in Edmos case. He said he was encouraged by the dissenting opinions, and was committed to ensuring that Idaho taxpayers do not have to pay for a procedure that is not medically necessary. Meanwhile, Edmos attorney, Lori Rifkin of Berkeley, said Mondays court order moved her client one step closer to surgery. The ruling was based on testimony by the only recognized expert in the field, Rifkin said. Science indicates that this is a medical condition. There is a medical treatment. The Eighth Amendment has required for decades that prison officials provide necessary medical treatment. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko The U.S. military has for the fifth time raised the number of U.S. service members who suffered traumatic brain injuries after an Iranian missile attack on an air base in Iraq last month. The Defense Department said on February 10 that 109 U.S. service members had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, adding that 76 of them had returned to duty. The Pentagon had previously reported that 64 had been injured. President Donald Trump initially said that no Americans were harmed in the January 8 attack on Ain al-Asad Air Base, which came amid tensions over the U.S. killing of a top Iranian general in Baghdad. When asked about possible traumatic brain injuries, Trump said, "I don't consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen." However, the number of reported cases has continued to grow in the weeks after the attack. The Pentagon has said the rising number results from the mild form of injury, which means symptoms take time to manifest. Tehran said the missile attack on Ain al-Asad and another air base hosting U.S. troops in Iraq was revenge for the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran's elite Quds Force, in a U.S. drone strike near Baghdad's airport in early January. William Schmitz, national commander of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, has said the group "expects an apology from the president to our service men and women for his misguided remarks" in downplaying the seriousness of the injuries. Based on reporting by Stripes.com, the BBC, and Reuters Istanbul: Syria and Turkey inched closer to all-out war on Monday as their troops exchanged deadly fire for the second time in a matter of days in Idlib, a contested and ravaged northern province that is the last major rebel redoubt remaining in Syria's nine-year war. Rebel fighters fire a missile towards Syrian government positions in the province of Idlib. Credit:AP The latest hostilities started after shelling by Syrian forces killed five Turkish soldiers and injured five others, according to Turkey's Defence Ministry. The deaths came a week after a previous round of Syrian shelling in Idlib killed eight Turkish military personnel. Turkey's response on Monday included attacks on what it said were "115 regime targets," including mortar positions, tanks and a helicopter. The Turkish attacks killed 101 troops loyal to Syrian President Bashar Assad, the ministry said. The clashes followed a recent decision by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to send more Turkish troops to Idlib: a gamble aimed at slowing the pace of a quickening Syrian military advance. The dates will be announced soon. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's aide Andriy Yermak has said the date of Zelensky's official visit to the United States, which may become a "historic" one, is still unknown. Read alsoZelensky thanks Pompeo for continuous support of Ukraine "There are no dates yet. [U.S. Secretary of State] Mr. Pompeo said [during a recent visit to Kyiv] they should become known in the near future. I think they will complete all internal procedures related to [the failed] impeachment [of U.S. President Donald Trump], and we should get the dates of the visit in the near future. This will be a historic visit by President Zelensky to the United States," he told Ukraine 24 TV channel. Yermak expressed the opinion that Pompeo's visit had become another step that indicated the transition of the bilateral relations to a new level. "A number of issues related to security and energy were discussed. This was another step that indicates that Ukrainian-American relations are reaching a new level," he added. As UNIAN reported earlier, Pompeo arrived in Ukraine and met with Zelensky in late January. The Ukrainian president said that relations between the two countries had only got better after the impeachment trial had been over. She said she hopes readers feel like they were there with me. As she captures those details, shes also staying mindful of the larger issues that transcend this case. The allegations against Mr. Weinstein helped to spur the #MeToo movement; many of the questions raised during this global reckoning with sexual harassment and assault are being addressed in the trial. The Times has reporters who cover the state courts, federal courts and the United States Supreme Court. In addition to reporting on trials, these journalists monitor court dockets for new cases and watch for verdicts, motions or rulings in important proceedings. The work involves foresight, sacrificed lunches, long nights, a working knowledge of legal procedures and an ability to read rapidly. During the Weinstein trial, Ms. Ransom usually updates her article online multiple times daily. In the morning, she often posts a preview of what is expected to happen that day. She updates it during lunch. From The Times headquarters in New York, Jim McKinley, an assistant editor, will typically read it, then a second editor reads it and publishes it. Sometimes, a Metro reporter like Alan Feuer will take notes from Ms. Ransom and help craft the article. When the court reconvenes after lunch, Ms. Ransom updates the article again. The final version, which reflects all of the days major developments, is posted online later that evening and appears in the newspaper the following day. (Regarding lunch, shes trying to figure out how to eat more than mangos and popcorn.) In criminal cases, like the Weinstein trial, there are typically several major points of interest for journalists: the arraignment (when the accused party first appears before a judge), key pretrial motions, jury selection, opening statements, witness testimony, closing arguments, the verdict and sentencing. A third man has been charged with manslaughter over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese people found dead in a refrigerated lorry container in Essex. Gheorghe Nica, of Langdon Hills in Essex, was arrested at Frankfurt Airport in Germany on Wednesday, January 29, by German authorities and the National Crime Agency and appeared before magistrates in Chelmsford on Saturday, Essex police said. The 43-year-old was subject to a European Arrest Warrant and he has been charged with 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. He will next appear at the Old Bailey on March 16. The bodies of 39 people were found in a lorry in Grays in Essex / PA The bodies of 39 people were found in a lorry in Grays in Essex on October 23 and police said post-mortem examinations had given provisional causes of death of overheating and suffocation. Lorry driver Maurice Robinson was charged last year with 39 counts of manslaughter. Police said a 22-year-old man was also arrested in Northern Ireland on Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration. He remains in custody in Essex, the force added. A fourth man, 23-year-old Eamonn Harrison, is due before Dublin's High Court on Wednesday as part of efforts to extradite him from the Republic of Ireland. Harrison, from Mayobridge in Northern Ireland, faces 39 counts of manslaughter and charges of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and conspiracy to traffic people. Eamonn Harrison, 23, faces 39 manslaughter charges over the tragic lorry deaths A police spokesman said: "Our teams are continuing to progress hundreds of lines of enquiry and are working with the National Crime Agency and other law enforcement agencies from across the globe to further their lengthy and complex investigation. "All post-mortem examinations have now been completed and we await the final reports for all 39 victims. The provisional cause of death for those in the lorry was a combination of hypoxia and hyperthermia (overheating) in an enclosed space." The spokesman also appealed for information about two similar haulage vehicle journeys made into Purfleet on Friday, October 11 and Friday, October 18, that police believe were also connected to people trafficking. 39 Bodies found in a container at Waterglade Industrial Park, Grays 1 /46 39 Bodies found in a container at Waterglade Industrial Park, Grays Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estate. PA Thirty-nine bodies, including one of a teenager, have been found in a lorry container in Essex. The bodies were found in a lorry on the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays Sky News A forensic officer inside the cab of a lorry at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images A Police forensic investigation team at the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Jeremy Selwyn Flowers are pictured by a road sign on Eastern Avenue at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays AFP via Getty Images Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry on the industrial estate PA Police activity at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, after 39 bodies were found inside a lorry container on the industrial estat PA Police and forensic officers investigate a lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer Getty Images A Police forensic investigation team are parked near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA People gather to watch as a lorry, in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer, is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images Police officers drive away a lorry in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Gray AFP via Getty Images Police officers drive away a lorry, with black plastic visible at the rear, in which 39 dead bodies were discovered sparking a murder investigation at Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, AFP via Getty Images The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA A lorry in which 39 bodies were discovered in the trailer is driven from the site to a secure location where further forensic investigation can take place Getty Images The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA The container lorry where 39 people were found dead inside leaves Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex, PA Police forensics officers at the Waterglade Industrial Park in Grays, Essex PA Police and forensic officers inspect the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry Getty Images PA Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck, seen at centre, was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurrock AP Jeremy Selwyn An aerial view as police forensic officers attend the scene after a truck was found to contain a large number of dead bodies, in Thurock AP Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England Getty Images Sky News Police stand near the site where 39 bodies were discovered in the back of a lorry in Thurrock, England. The lorry was discovered early Wednesday morning in Waterglade Industrial Park on Eastern Avenue in the town of Grays. Authorities said they believed the lorry originated in Bulgaria and entered the country at Holyhead on October 19. The suspected driver was arrested in connection with the investigation Getty Images Sky News Sky News Sky News Sky News Sky News Sky News Sky News "We believe that these people, or anyone who had knowledge of the journeys, has crucial information to assist our inquiry," he said. (TNS) Research on the benefits of pre-K shows definitively that children who attend are more prepared for kindergarten and feel the assurance that they're "good at school" and belong there, kicking off a confident start to the years of academia to come.While all students benefit, it's shown to especially give children from lower-income homes a leg up, closing an early learning gap often associated with economic status.But for families who live in rural Appalachia, Kentucky, pre-K isn't always an option."Part of it is geographic isolation. Some have no transportation, no buses go there and they don't have broadband access. Having the classroom brought to them is powerful," Dreama Gentry said. She's executive director of Partners for Education at Berea College in Kentucky.In 2016, Gentry and Tennant Kirk, early childhood project director at Berea College's Partners for Education, turned two school buses into pre-K classrooms.At no cost to the families, buses "Rosie" and "Sunny" park in their student's driveways in rural Clay County, Kentucky, to introduce 3- and 4-year-olds to books, letters and numbers.They've served nearly 100 preschoolers and their families.Poverty rates in Appalachian Kentucky are at or have exceeded 20% for more than 30 years. Just 29% of 4-year-olds attended public preschool in 2018, and only a little more than half of the state's children were ready for kindergarten, according to Kentucky's 2018 kindergarten readiness results.The biggest challenge, said Gentry, was finding the right community partners who have a pulse on the community to connect them to the families who might benefit most from the pre-K buses and "keep us from being an outsider, because often, we're seen that way," she said."Once we got that, the rest came into place."It's also the state with the highest number of children living with caregivers other than their parents.For one child who had been removed from his parents and was living with relatives, being left at a pre-K center triggered the trauma of abandonment. Bringing the class to him and building a foundation of trust first were key.Recognizing the need for whole-family support, the more unique piece of the program involves engaging the adults.Other than the early childhood educator, the bus is also staffed with a family navigator who partners with caretakers and parents to set goals like completing a GED, quitting smoking or getting advice on family nutrition."Often parents who are dealing with poverty and little children in these areas don't have the option to talk to anyone. We know if we can build that resilience and mitigate stress, we can benefit both them and the child. The two-generation approach is what stands out," Gentry said.To demystify the formal education setting, once a month families are invited to a gathering at the local elementary school so the parents and children can overcome isolation and build community.The buses also became an information hub. Job-training specialists came to spread the word about their workshops, and people from the food bank came to offer services, too.But the best payoff came from the children."One of the most inspirational moments is when the kids graduated from the bus. They had confidence that many of the caregivers didn't have when they went to school," Gentry said.Recently, the Readiness Bus program has been adopted by local community agencies who continue with its original mission. Fuel Your Pipeline. Close More Deals. Our full-service marketing programs deliver sales-ready leads. 100% Satisfaction Guarantee! Learn more Motorolas new foldable Razr phone has been garnering mediocre notices from early reviewers. If this phone didnt fold in half, it would be a solid mid-tier Android phone, Patrick Holland wrote for Cnet. Even harsher was Adam Ismails verdict in Toms Guide: Between the Razrs questionable build quality, underwhelming performance, middling camera and awful battery life, the folding gimmick neat though it may be isnt enough to save this device. Most reviewers found the Razrs performance underwhelming for a phone priced at US$1,500. To get it so thin, and for it to be able to work without overheating, the company made too many compromises on performance, Sascha Segan wrote for PCMag. Everything here is subordinate to the design, he added, resulting in a phone that looks and feels like a $1,500 statement piece, but sure doesnt perform like one. Although the Razr wasnt as peppy as he would have liked it to be, Motorola found a good power-to-performance ratio with the Razr, Cnets Holland maintained. A Phone With Personality Despite its deficiencies, Holland said, the Razr has something most phones these days lack: personality. And as Jules says in Pulp Fiction, Personality goes a long way,' he wrote. The Razr feels more personal than any phone Ive used. Personality can go a long way in the smartphone market, agreed Bob ODonnell, chief analyst at Technalysis Research, a technology market research and consulting firm in Foster City, California. Weve reached an era where phones are incredibly personal. Thats why I think youre going to find a bunch of people who like the Razr. Its radically different from all the other phones that are out there, he told TechNewsWorld. A D V E R T I S E M E N T In an era when people like to reflect their personality in their phones, this phone does that, ODonnell added. Nagging Durability Issue Although Motorola has assured the public that it thoroughly tested the Razrs durability, doubts remain. Are these things going to last three years like people expect them to? asked Frank E. Gillett, principal analyst at Forrester Research, a market research company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The target audience seems small to me people who value a tiny phone in their pocket above all else, he told TechNewsWorld. The only way to know is to use it for months on end, Holland acknowledged. The best evaluation of the phones durability will come once it has been in the hands of consumers for a significant time, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research, a high-tech research and advisory firm based in Phoenix, Arizona. The mechanical repetitious testing of the phone does indicate some care should be taken with it, he told TechNewsWorld. I expect it is more fragile than most phones, but there are people excited by the new form factor that are willing to take a chance on it. Undersized Battery The Razrs battery life disappointed reviewers. For a phone its size, the battery is on the small side. Ultimately, the Motorola Razr battery size means it has a lower potential maximum battery life compared to other phones, regardless of how you use it, Nirave Gondhia wrote for Android Central. Although he could get through most of day on a single charge, Holland noted, he had to plug in around dinner time. A D V E R T I S E M E N T PCMags Segan got six hours, 54 minutes, of video playback time on his review unit. More scarily, though, other applications consumed more energy than the video player, he added. Thirty minutes of playing Asphalt 8 hit the battery by 10 percent, working out to just five hours of gaming on a charge. Quacking Noise Reviewers also were annoyed by the noise made by opening and closing the phone. How bad is this sound? Holland asked in his review. Its not record skip loud, but its not great either. If I bought this phone, Id think something was wrong and want to swap it. Segan performed his own durability tests on the Razr, opening and closing it 1,000 times without damage. But after a mere 200 flips and to this moment the phone now makes a loud creaking noise when its opened or closed, he wrote. It didnt do that at the start; it opened and closed quietly and smoothly. Now it practically quacks, to the point that I want to get out some WD-40. Screen Divot While reviewers raved over the engineering behind Razrs flexible display, the screen itself received mixed assessments. The Razrs display quality is good, Holland wrote. Colors pop nicely and the contrast is crisp without looking overly sharp. According to Android Centrals Gondhia, the Razrs display lacks the punchiness or peak brightness of a Samsung phone, and opts for a more neutral profile vs. vividly displaying colors like other displays. Toms Guides Ismail knocked the screens brightness. At a peak brightness of just 386 nits, the Razrs screen is far too dim compared to leading flagships from Apple and Samsung, which routinely achieve nearly twice that these days, he wrote. Motorola says bumps and lumps are normal, and youll certainly feel them when scrolling, Ismail added. Our unit has a circular depression right in the center of the top half, and whenever I ran my index finger over that divot, it was never a great feeling. Camera Criticized The 16 megapixel, f/1.7 camera in the Razr was another sore point for reviewers. Photos taken in good light are sharp with impressive contrast. But as soon as youre in medium-to-low light things start to fall apart, Holland wrote. Without optical image stabilization, the Razr compensates with a longer shutter speed, which leads to motion blur, he continued. Video is there. Its fine. No one will be making a film for Netflix with the Razr. Segan described photos he shot with the Razr as soft and indistinct enlarged versions of lower-resolution pix taken with a Pixel 4 or iPhone 11. As the light goes down, he wrote, the Razrs performance declines further, with photos getting dim and noisy. Ultimately, I felt like I was taking pictures with a $250 phone, not a $1,500 one. Foldable Wave Coming Shortcomings aside, the Razr is breaking new ground for the smartphone market. I believe that the Razr is helping to open the way for foldable devices that previous efforts largely failed to do, said Charles King, principal analyst atPund-IT, a technology advisory firm in Hayward, California. However, the Razrs use of older components could hurt it in the very near future, as Samsung readies to launch its own flip phone, the Z Flip. Unless a substantially upgraded Razr is in the works, the Z Flips introduction is likely to present significant challenges to Motorola, King told TechNewsWorld. Meanwhile, consumers can expect more foldables in their future. Foldables will eventually become mainstream, Technalysis ODonnell predicted. They will be what most people will have, because people are looking for larger screens in smaller physical spaces, and the only way to do that is with a foldable display, he said. Folding form factors and dual screens are hot design innovations, noted Tirias Krewell, for not just phones, but for PCs this year, too. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:45:16|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The general office of the State Council, or China's cabinet, issued a guideline Tuesday calling for stronger protection and more efficient utilization of germplasm resources to ensure food security and underpin the foundation of rural revitalization strategy. The country will establish a sound and scientific protection and utilization system of germplasm resources by 2035, with an aim to achieve a top-level germplasm resource pool, said the guideline released by the General Office of the State Council. A comprehensive survey will be conducted to systematically salvage the germplasm resources while a classified protection list will be completed to secure medium- and long-term preservation of resources, the guideline said. It also proposed to explore excellent germplasm resources and genes to push for breeding innovation. CAIRO A member of Sudans ruling council raised expectations on Tuesday that the countrys deposed strongman, Omar al-Bashir, would be sent for trial on war crimes charges to the International Criminal Court in The Hague. Mr. al-Bashir, who was ousted in a popular uprising last year, has been wanted by the international court since 2009 over atrocities in the restive western region of Darfur, where 300,000 people were killed and about 2.7 million displaced, beginning in 2003. The ruling council member, Mohammed Hassan Eltaish, announced on Tuesday that the council had reached an agreement to hand over those facing arrest from the International Criminal Court. But he did not name Mr. al-Bashir, who ruled Sudan with an iron grip for three decades, or give any timeline for transferring him. An official at the International Criminal Court said on Tuesday that the court had received no communication about a handover from Sudans government, and that there were no negotiations at the moment. The official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the court has not made a public statement. (Newser) William Bynum Jr., president of Jackson State University, has resigned after being arrested in a prostitution sting over the weekend. Mississippi state trustees met Monday to discuss choosing an interim leader. Bynum is charged with procuring the services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and possession of marijuana. He held the president's job for less than three years, CNN reports. story continues below Bynum, 57, was arrested at a hotel in Clinton. Police said they made contact with the suspects through "dark web" sites online and agreed to meet them at the hotel, per USA Today. Bynum, who posted $3,000 bond, was one of 17 people arrested in the two-day operation. (Read more prostitution stories.) The Trump administration has proposed $1.5 billion in budgetary allocation for 2021 fiscal for the crucial region, which it said was part of its efforts to ensure that the region remains "free, open, and independent of malign Chinese influence". "The future of the Indo-Pacific, which contains roughly half the world's population and many of the fastest-growing economies, is critical to US security and long-term economic interests," the said in its budgetary proposal for the financial year 2021, beginning October 1, 2020. "The Budget provides $1.5 billion for the Indo-Pacific, reflecting a strong Administration commitment to ensuring that the region remains free, open, and independent of malign Chinese influence," it said. This funding supports democracy programs, strengthens security cooperation, improves economic governance and facilitates private sector-led economic growth, the said. A total of $30 million is included in the budget for the global engagement centre dedicated to countering foreign state and non-state propaganda and disinformation from China, it added. The budget also provides $0.8 billion for the Development Finance Corporation (DFC) for private sector development internationally to support corporate growth in less-developed countries and to provide a transparent, high-quality alternative to "predatory Chinese lending" in the and other strategic regions, it said. In the budgetary proposals, the Pentagon alleged that Beijing continued to violate the sovereignty of nations and expand its control abroad under the pretense of the Belt and Road infrastructure investments. According to the Pentagon, in the Indo-Pacific, the Department of Defense (DoD) is strengthening and evolving US partnerships into a security architecture that helps uphold a "free and open" order. "With India, DoD is expanding military-to-military cooperation and improving interoperability, including by establishing a new tri-service amphibious exercise, TIGER TRIUMPH," the Pentagon said. Sudans transitional authorities and rebel groups from Darfur have agreed that those wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for crimes in the region should appear before the tribunal, officials have said. The announcement was made on Tuesday in Juba, the capital of neighbouring South Sudan, where the two sides are engaged in peace talks. More: We can only achieve justice if we heal the wounds and we cannot escape from facing these without the appearance of those against whom arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court, Mohamed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of Sudans sovereign council, told reporters. Former president Omar al-Bashir, who was overthrown after mass protests last year, is wanted by the ICC, but his name was not mentioned in the statement. Government officials also told news agencies that al-Bashir and other suspects would be handed to the ICC for alleged war crimes in Darfur. It was not specified when the decision would be carried out, and there was no immediate comment by the ICC. Key demand Al-Bashir was sentenced in December by a court in the capital, Khartoum, to two years detention in a correctional centre for corruption in the first of several cases against him. He also faces trials or investigations over the killing of protesters and his role in the 1989 coup that brought him to power. The government and rebels in late January agreed to establish a special court to prosecute those accused of carrying out war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Al-Taishi said he expected the joint committee tasked with drafting the tribunals provisions to soon finish its work. Sudans transitional government has pledged to establish peace in conflict-hit regions, including Darfur, and has restarted talks with rebel groups. Since talks started between the transitional administration and the rebel groups, handing over the former president has been a key demand to reach a comprehensive agreement, Al Jazeeras Hiba Morgan, reporting from Khartoum, said. While the transitional government had previously said handing him over was to be left to an elected government, it seems like they had to make concessions, otherwise the talks would have reached a deadlock. Omar al-Bashir inside a cage at the courthouse during his corruption trial in Khartoum [File: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters] Darfur crimes Conflict spread in Darfur in 2003 after mostly non-Arab rebels rose up against Khartoum. Government forces and mainly Arab militias mobilised to suppress the revolt were accused of widespread atrocities. An estimated 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes. West Darfur had been largely calm since 2010, though there have been occasional skirmishes over the past three years. Violence in the West Darfur region in January has killed at least 65 people and wounded more than 50, as well as displacing thousands, according to an international peacekeeping mission. Following Tuesdays announcement, one of al-Bashirs lawyers was quoted as saying by Reuters news agency that the 76-year-old refuses to deal with the international tribunal which he denounced as a political court. Bashir has said the allegations made by the ICC, the worlds first permanent court for prosecuting war crimes, are part of a Western conspiracy. The Hague-based ICC opened its investigation into Darfur in June 2005, following a referral to the court by the United Nations Security Council. It issued arrest warrants for Bashir in 2009 and 2010 over his alleged role in war crimes including genocide in Darfur province, which he denies. Along with al-Bashir, the ICC indicted two other senior officials: Abdelrahim Mohamed Hussein, who was interior and defence minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time who last month was named by al-Bashir to run the ruling National Congress Party. The dreaded Islamic State's South Asia branch remains active, ambitious and threatening, and has established contacts with other terror groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan, a UN report has warned. The 10th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat said that the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) came under severe military pressure from the security forces of Afghanistan and Taliban fighters towards the end of 2019, leading to its virtual expulsion from what had been its Afghan headquarters in Nangarhar Province. The report said that even though the Afghan authorities took custody of more than 1,400 people, including ISIL-K fighters and their dependants, the terror group remains a threat to regional security. "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan remains active, ambitious and threatening. It continues its online recruitment and propaganda, for which it also conducts outreach activities in religious and academic institutions in Afghanistan, including Kabul University," it said. "It has established informal contact with other terrorist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, which regularly mount attacks on border posts of Pakistan. The approach of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan," the report said. The report added that most of the ISIL-K fighters taken into custody by the Afghan authorities were Afghan nationals but also included foreigners from Azerbaijan, Canada, France, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. It said the impact on the number and geographic distribution of the group's fighters is assessed as significant. Some 2,100 fighters are now in Kunar Province, which has effectively become the group's new Afghan core area, whereas the number of fighters elsewhere in Afghanistan may now be as low as 400, giving a total estimate of 2,500 for the whole country. Up to 25 of them constitute a covert Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan presence in Faryab Province, led by a former Taliban member Qari Salahuddin, the report said. The Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee had in May last year blacklisted ISIL-K, which is also known as 'ISIL's South Asia Branch', 'ISIL Khorasan', 'Islamic State's Khorasan Province' and 'South Asian Chapter of ISIL'. ISIL-K was formed on January 10, 2015 by a former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander and was established by former Taliban faction commanders "who swore an oath of allegiance" to IS and its slain leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to the terrorism backgrounder of ISIL -K on the website of Washington-based nonprofit policy research organisation Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in 2014, Pakistani national Hafiz Saeed Khan was chosen to spearhead IS-K province as its first emir. Khan, a veteran Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander, brought along other prominent TTP members including the group's spokesman Sheikh Maqbool and many district chiefs when he initially pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi in October 2014. IS-K's early membership included a contingent of Pakistani militants who emerged in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province around 2010, just across the border from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Many of these militants were estranged members of TTP and Lashkar-e Islam, who had fled Pakistan to escape pressure from security forces, the organisation said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) , combined cases of syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia, the three most commonly reported STDs, reached an all-time high in the United States in 2018. FAIR Health's findings shed new light on this growing public health issue. Among the results of the FAIR Health study: Claim lines with STD diagnoses, as a percentage of all medical claim lines, increased nationally 76 percent from 2007 to 2018, but the increase was even greater in rural areas98 percent, compared to 77 percent in urban areas. The four STD diagnoses whose associated claim lines had the greatest percent increase from 2007 to 2018 as a percentage of all medical claim lines were: diagnoses whose associated claim lines had the greatest percent increase from 2007 to 2018 as a percentage of all medical claim lines were: Mycoplasma genitalium (MG or Mgen)increased 197 percent; Chlamydiaincreased 149 percent; Gonorrheaincreased 126 percent; and Syphilisincreased 80 percent. The age groups most associated with STDs in 2018 varied by the specific disease. The age groups that accounted for the largest share of claim lines were: Age 41-50 for hepatitis B (29 percent); Age 23-30 for chlamydia (38 percent); and Age 31-40 for syphilis (24 percent). From 2007 to 2018, claim lines with gonorrhea diagnoses as a percentage of all medical claim lines by gender increased 326 percent in males compared to 47 percent in females. In individuals over age 60, hepatitis B was the STD that showed the highest percent increase in claim lines from 2007 to 2018, and claim lines for hepatitis B increased more in the over 60 cohort (149 percent) than in any other age group. The age groups with the greatest increase in claim lines from 2007 to 2018 were: Age 19-22 for chlamydia (90 percent); and Age 23-30 for syphilis (74 percent). FAIR Health President Robin Gelburd stated: "It is central to FAIR Health's mission to use our vast repository of claims data to research public health concerns and support such research by others. We hope this information brings greater clarity to the growing problem of STDs." For the FAIR Health infographic on STDs, click here. Follow us on Twitter @FAIRHealth About FAIR Health FAIR Health is a national, independent nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing transparency to healthcare costs and health insurance information through data products, consumer resources and health systems research support. FAIR Health possesses the nation's largest collection of private healthcare claims data, which includes over 30 billion claim records contributed by payors and administrators who insure or process claims for private insurance plans covering more than 150 million individuals. FAIR Health licenses its privately billed data and data productsincluding benchmark modules, data visualizations, custom analytics and market indicesto commercial insurers and self-insurers, employers, providers, hospitals and healthcare systems, government agencies, researchers and others. Certified by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) as a national Qualified Entity, FAIR Health also receives data representing the experience of all individuals enrolled in traditional Medicare Parts A, B and D; FAIR Health houses data on Medicare Advantage enrollees in its private claims data repository. FAIR Health can produce insightful analytic reports and data products based on combined Medicare and commercial claims data for government, providers, payors and other authorized users. FAIR Health's systems for processing and storing protected health information have earned HITRUST CSF certification and achieved AICPA SOC 2 compliance by meeting the rigorous data security requirements of these standards. As a testament to the reliability and objectivity of FAIR Health data, the data have been incorporated in statutes and regulations around the country and designated as the official, neutral data source for a variety of state health programs, including workers' compensation and personal injury protection (PIP) programs. FAIR Health data serve as an official reference point in support of certain state balance billing laws that protect consumers against bills for surprise out-of-network and emergency services. FAIR Health also uses its database to power a free consumer website available in English and Spanish and an English/Spanish mobile app, which enable consumers to estimate and plan for their healthcare expenditures and offer a rich educational platform on health insurance. The website has been honored by the White House Summit on Smart Disclosure, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), URAC, the eHealthcare Leadership Awards, appPicker, Employee Benefit News and Kiplinger's Personal Finance. FAIR Health also is named a top resource for patients in Dr. Marty Makary's book The Price We Pay: What Broke American Health Careand How to Fix It and Elisabeth Rosenthal's book An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back. For more information on FAIR Health, visit fairhealth.org . Contact: Dean Sicoli Chief Communications Officer FAIR Health 646-664-1645 [email protected] 1 A claim line is an individual procedure or service listed on an insurance claim. SOURCE FAIR Health Related Links www.fairhealth.org In 2015 audio, Bloomberg defends policy, says US police need to be in minority neighbourhoods where all the crime is. Mike Bloomberg is under fire for resurfaced comments in which he says the way to bring down murder rates is to put a lot of cops in minority neighbourhoods because thats where all the crime is. The billionaire and former New York mayor made the comments at a 2015 appearance at the Aspen Institute, as part of an overall defence of his support for the controversial stop and frisk policing tactic that has been found to disproportionately affect minorities. Bloomberg launched his Democratic presidential bid in the United States late last year with an apology for his support for the policy. On Tuesday, after the comments resurfaced, he reiterated his apology and said his 2015 remarks do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity. But the audio of his Aspen speech highlights his embrace of the policy just a few years ago, and suggests he was aware of the disproportionate effects of stop and frisk on minorities. Bloomberg says in the audio that 95 percent of murders and murder victims are young male minorities and that you can just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. To combat crime, he says, put a lot of cops where the crime is, which means in minority neighbourhoods. In the audio, he acknowledges that focusing police forces in minority neighbourhoods means minorities are disproportionately arrested for cannabis possession, but dismisses that as a necessary consequence of the crime in those neighbourhoods. And to get the guns out of the kids hands, Bloomberg says, police must throw em against the wall and frisk em. And they say, Oh, I dont want that, I dont wanna get caught. So they dont bring the gun, he says. Audio of @MikeBloombergs 2015 @AspenInstitute speech where he explains that you can just Xerox (copy) the description of male, minorities 16-25 and hand to cops. Bloomberg had video of speech blocked. Perhaps because of the problematic explanation he gives for #StopAndFrisk pic.twitter.com/Fm0YCi4ZRy Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) February 10, 2020 According to a report in the Aspen Times that also dates from 2015, Bloomberg blocked the release of video of the Aspen Institute appearance, but the Aspen Times reporter uploaded what appears to be the full audio online, and it drew renewed attention Monday after podcaster Benjamin Dixon circulated it on Twitter. #BloombergIsRacist trended, with many comparing him to US President Donald Trump and others calling for those who have endorsed the candidate to withdraw their support. In his Tuesday statement, Bloomberg notes that he inherited the practice of stop and frisk from the previous administration, and noted that by the time he left office he significantly reduced its use. He said: I should have done it faster and sooner. But stop and frisk expanded dramatically on Bloombergs watch, reaching a peak in 2011 when more than 685,000 people were stopped, according to data from the American Civil Liberties Union. While the use of the practice declined significantly after that, Bloomberg stood by the programme even in the face of widespread criticism and legal challenges. The former New York mayor has distanced himself from the policy since launching his presidential campaign as part of a broader strategy aimed at appealing to minority voters, who are a key voting bloc for Democrats. Hes also acknowledged his own white privilege and released policies focused on issues central to some African American communities, such as black homeownership and maternal mortality rates. Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden has long held an overwhelming advantage with African Americans, pointing to their support as a firewall that would provide him with a much-needed primary win in South Carolina at the end of the month. But Biden lost in Iowa and trails in New Hampshire and as his candidacy has become imperiled, recent polling suggests he has lost some African American support. None of his Democratic rivals has yet to truly capitalise on that support, though both Bloomberg and Senator Bernie Sanders have made some inroads. Both have received a number of prominent African American endorsements and have been holding campaign events specifically aimed at the black community. Extremely disturbing On Tuesday, Bloomberg faced sharp criticism from opponents. Businessman Tom Steyer, another Democratic presidential candidate, called the comments extremely disturbing and said that Bloomberg needs to provide an explanation to those who were affected by stop and frisk. Mike Bloombergs remarks in the video are extremely disturbing. The racist stereotypes he uses have no place today, and anyone running for the presidential nomination should disavow them, Steyer added. https://twitter.com/shaunking/status/1227208486121070592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw Symone Sanders, a top adviser to Bidens campaign, called the comments sad and despicable, and said Bloomberg will have to answer for these comments. Trump, who himself has supported stop-and-frisk policies, sent out a tweet with a clip of the audio declaring Bloombergs a racist. Trump later deleted the tweet, but his campaign seized upon its argument. Bloomberg focused the bulk of his statement about the audio on Trump, arguing the presidents attack reflects his fear over the growing strength of my campaign. Make no mistake, Mr President: I am not afraid of you and I will not let you bully me or anyone else in America, Bloomberg said. An Ontario family says it is struggling to make sense of the sudden death of their four-year-old daughter, whose body was found alongside her father's at the bottom of an escarpment west of Toronto. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. An Ontario family says it is struggling to make sense of the sudden death of their four-year-old daughter, whose body was found alongside her father's at the bottom of an escarpment west of Toronto. Keira Kagan and her father, Robin Brown, went missing Sunday afternoon after they went hiking in Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area in Milton, Ont. Their disappearance triggered a massive search that ended hours later when their bodies were found. Keira Kagan is shown in this undated family handout photo. The family of a four-year-old girl found dead alongside her father at the bottom of an escarpment west of Toronto says they will get a chance to view her body today. Philip Viater says he and his wife, Jennifer Kagan, will be going to the coroner's office to say goodbye to four-year-old Keira Kagan, whose body was found Sunday in the Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area in Milton, Ont. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO - Philip Viater Halton regional police have said the pair's injuries were consistent with a fall, and their deaths are not considered homicides "at this point." But the girl's stepfather, Philip Viater, says he and his wife, Jennifer Kagan, believe the deaths were a murder-suicide that took place in the middle of a lengthy custody battle. "We're not doing well," Viater said through tears. "We go through a cycle of stages between sadness, confusion, anger, helplessness." The custody dispute over Keira has been difficult, Viater said early Tuesday, as he and his wife were getting ready to go to the coroner's office to view Keira's body. "We've been traumatized by this man for three years." He said they were incredulous about the police theory that father and daughter had been hiking. "Keira's never been hiking in her life to the best of our knowledge," he said. "When you take Keira out for Halloween, she trips 20 times going down the street. She asks us to carry her all the time." Jennifer Kagan had brought forward an urgent motion on Jan. 28 seeking a court order to suspend Brown's access to Keira or give him only supervised access. Brown had Keira on alternating weekends, including this past weekend, according to court documents. The judge said the motion was "serious," but not urgent because Jewish Family and Child Services a childrens aid society for the Jewish community in Toronto and York Region was investigating and had "eyes and ears on the ground." The group was expected to complete a report on the case before the next court hearing set for Feb. 20, court documents said. Jennifer Kagan, a doctor, and Robin Brown, an engineer, got married in 2013 and separated three years later, after which Kagan left the couple's home in Burlington, Ont., and moved in with her parents in Thornhill, Ont. "Each party has made allegations against the other as to verbal, emotional and sexual abuse," Justice Douglas Gray said in his 2018 decision, following an 11-day trial in the fall of 2017. The judge noted there was "some confirmation" about one incident in which Brown became enraged when one of their dogs picked up a mouse in the backyard and then he shoved the mouse into Kagan's mouth. He later said he had no recollection of the incident. A court-appointed assessor, Dr. Peter Sutton, a psychiatrist with 30 years' experience, was satisfied the incident occurred. Sutton said he spent 230 hours on the case, the second-longest of his career, court documents said. "Throughout the visit Mr. Brown was attentive to and engaged with Keira, aware of her whereabouts and activities, gentle and encouraging, tactful in managing limit setting and appropriately aware of safety concerns," the judge said of Sutton's testimony. But the judge also noted Brown's propensity to lie. Kagan and Brown fought over whether their daughter was allergic to milk. A gastroenterologist opined that it was unlikely the girl was allergic, but might have a mild aversion. After an appointment with the gastroenterologist on May 31, 2016, Brown "absconded with Keira. He refused to return Keira to the respondents care unless she signed an agreement providing for an equal parenting schedule," the documents said. The judge also found that Brown had lied to Kagan, her mother and his employer about earning a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "In this case, the relationship between the parties is so toxic that any form of joint parenting, including parallel parenting, would be doomed to failure, and would only exacerbate the conflict," Justice Gray wrote. The judge noted he was not concerned about Keira's safety, but did award Kagan sole decision-making authority about the child's upbringing provided she sought input in writing from Brown before making major decisions. The judge granted Brown greater access to Keira, including overnight and weekend visits. Kagan appealed that portion of the decision, but lost. Other court decisions over time decreased Brown's access to his daughter. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. Note to readers: This is a corrected story. An earlier version said Brown appealed the original decision and lost. On the heels of a 1:54.3 triumph at the Preferred 3 level at Flamboro Downs eight days ago, Toot Toot N jumped up the class ladder for Team Hensley and came away victorious in Mondays $11,500 Preferred 2 for horse and gelding pacers at The Raceway at Western Fair District. With co-owner Ed Hensley at the lines, Toot Toot N stormed to the front from Post 1 and successfully whacked out fractions of :28.1, :58.1 and 1:26.2 before using a :29.2 closing quarter to win by 1-1/4 lengths over Artistic Pick in 1:55.4. Bettors Western took home third prize. Trainer Ashleigh Hensley co-owns the nine-year-old son of Gotta Go Cullen-Transportiamidfrew, who is now 2-for-3 this season. The 29-time winner has racked up more than $200,000 in lifetime earnings. National Debt took home bragging rights in the $9,400 Preferred 3 for horse and gelding pacers thanks to his 2:03.1 triumph in the affair contested at the distance of 1-1/16 miles. Robert Shepherd got away third and held that position through the opening half while Levis Day carved out fractions of :28.1 and :57.3. Levis Day was still in charge at the three-quarter pole in 1:27.1, but National Debt was in hot pursuit from first over. National Debt kept digging and eventually got up to win by a neck over Levis Day. Third prize went to Mercenary. Sent off as the odds-on favourite, the nine-year-old son of Allamerican Native-Our Inheritance improved his 2020 record to 2-1-0 from three starts. Colin Johnson trains the 56-time winner for owner Francois Morin of Beauceville, QC. The lions share of the purse pushed his overall earnings to $544,952. To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results The Raceway at Western Fair District. Bengaluru, Feb 11 : The Karnataka Congress and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) on Tuesday congratulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for their victory in the Delhi Assembly election even before results for all 70 seats were declared. "Congrats to @ArvindKejriwal and #AAPWinning Delhi. It has gone along expected lines, and despite the vituperative, divisive, high decibel campaign, the BJP lost badly," tweeted Karnataka Congress president Dinesh Gunde Rao here. On the rout staring at the Congress, Rao said for the Congress it's time for a clear cut strategy, an overhaul and clarity at the top. "There's no time to lose," Rao added. In the 70 Assembly segments where elections were held on February 8, the AAP was leading in 62 seats and the BJP way behind in eight seats while the Congress was yet to open its account even seven hours after counting began at 8:00 a.m. in 21 centres across the national capital amid tight security. "Hearty congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty. People of Delhi have showed that 'fascist ideology' will never win their hearts," tweeted former Chief Minister and JD-S president H.D. Kumaraswamy. Highlights Samsung Galaxy Z Flip has been launched as the companys second foldable phone The foldable phone was launched alongside the Galaxy Buds+ The Galaxy Buds+ are the companys second truly wireless offering after last years Galaxy Buds Samsung has launched its second foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip, at Unpacked 2020 in San Francisco, California. The clamshell design phone was launched alongside the Galaxy Buds+ truly wireless earphones, and the much-awaited Galaxy S20 series phones at the event. The Z Flip is the second attempt at launching a foldable phone from Samsung. However, it is very different from the Galaxy Fold that was brought to the market last year. The new foldable device comes with a Moto Razr like clamshell design that sees the device fold from the middle to retract into a manageable form factor that can easily fit into a user's pocket. "At Samsung, we were encouraged by the excitement for the Galaxy Fold. Galaxy Z Flip is an important next step as we look to build the foldable category by bringing to consumers a new form factor, new display and most importantly, a new kind of mobile experience", said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics. "With Galaxy Z Flip's unique foldable design and user experience, we're redefining what a mobile device can be, and what it enables consumers to do." The Galaxy Buds+, on the other hand, has been launched as the successor to the original Galaxy Buds that were introduced as the South Korean tech giant's foray into the truly wireless earphones segment. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip, Galaxy Buds+: Price and availability The Galaxy Z Flip has been announced in a single variant with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The foldable phone will start retail at $1380. The Galaxy Z Flip will be available in limited quantities in Mirror Purple and Mirror Black, starting in select markets including the US and Korea on February 14, 2020, followed by Mirror Gold in select countries. There's currently no word on its availability in India. As for the Galaxy Buds+, the new earbuds will be available starting February 14 at a price of $149. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip: Specifications The device is the company's second attempt at creating a foldable smartphone and brings with itself a design that would remind you of the Motorola Razr phone. However, the clamshell design aside, this one looks like a true blood Samsung phone. There's a 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED display on the device with the highest resolution of 2636 x 1080. There's also a secondary Super AMOLED display that's 1.1-inch size. Under the hood, there's a 7nm 64-bit Octa-Core chipset paired with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of onboard storage. The phone comes running a foldable phone supporting version of the One UI 2.1. For cameras, there's a dual-camera setup inside with a 12-megapixel wide and 12-megapixel ultra-wide lens. The phone also gets a 10-megapixel selfie lens. The whole package will be powered by a 3300mAh battery pack. The phone has been announced to be available in multiple colours, including Gold, which will be available in select countries. Samsung Galaxy Buds+: Specifications The successor to last year's Galaxy Buds brings with them a similar design to the earbuds that were launched last year. However, they do feature some new features and also differ slightly in specs. The new earbuds bring with them AKG-tuned dual-drivers (tweeter and woofer) for improved audio quality. There are also three microphones on each side for better call quality and double the battery life. Samsung claims the Buds+ can last up to 11 hours for music playback and can go on for 7.5 hours while making calls. They also promise 60 minutes of use with just 3 minutes of quick charge. Auryn Secures DIA for Initial Drill Program at Sombrero Copper-Gold Project in Southern Peru Posted by Publisher Internet Auryn Resources Inc. (TSX: AUG, NYSE American: AUG) (?Auryn? or the ?Company? -? https://www.commodity-tv.com/play/auryn-resources-getting-environmental-permits-to-start-drill-campaign-on-sombrero-soon/ ) is pleased to announce that it has received its environmental permit, the Declaracion de Impacto Ambiental (?DIA?), from the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines for its Sombrero copper-gold project in Southern Peru. The DIA covers an area of 1,031 hectares and allows the Company to drill up to 33 holes from 23 platforms on the Ccascabamba Sombrero Main target area, where Auryn has completed the majority of its work to-date within the 130,000 hectare land package (Figure 1). The next step required in the permitting process is to obtain the authorization for Inicio de Actividades (?Start of Activities?), which was filed with the authorities last week. Included in this step is the Consulta Previa (?Social Consultation?), which will be the government authority?s confirmation that the community supports the upcoming drill program as well as future exploration activities. Auryn has prioritized efforts to achieve excellent relations within the Huanca Sancos community through a number of beneficial social programs. A Message from Ivan Bebek, Executive Chairman & Director: ?We are very pleased to have received our DIA less than seven months from the start of our application. I would like to thank our permitting team and the various Peruvian agencies involved for their contributions. ?We view the Sombrero district as a tier-1 exploration opportunity due to its size, the strength of mineralization on surface and the positive historical drilling results at the Fierrazo target. We have demonstrated that Sombrero is the western extension of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, and we believe that we may discover multiple world-class deposits within our land package. This initial program will test the first of four significant mineralized intrusive centers identified by our technical team to-date, as we continue exploring the additional intrusive centers in the coming months.? Michael Henrichsen, P.Geo, COO of Auryn, is the Qualified Person who assumes responsibility for the technical disclosures in this press release. On Behalf of the Board, Ivan Bebek Executive Chairman and Director For further information on Auryn Resources, please contact Natasha Frakes, Manager of Corporate Communications at (778) 729-0600 info@aurynresources.com In Europe: Swiss Resource Capital AG Jochen Staiger info@resource-capital.ch www.resource-capital.ch About Auryn Auryn Resources is a technology-driven junior exploration company focused on finding and advancing globally significant precious and base metal deposits. The company has a portfolio approach to asset acquisition and has seven projects, including two flagships: the Committee Bay high-grade gold project in Nunavut and the Sombrero copper-gold project in southern Peru. Auryn?s technical and management teams have an impressive track record of successfully monetizing assets for all stakeholders and local communities in which it operates. Auryn conducts itself to the highest standards of corporate governance and sustainability. About Sombrero This project consists of the North Sombrero and South Sombrero properties, comprising over 130,000 hectares owned or optioned by Auryn Resources. The copper-gold Sombrero mining concessions are located 340 kilometers SE of Lima in southern Peru and are hosted in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt. This belt is interpreted to be on the north-western margins of this Eocene-Oligocene aged copper-gold porphyry and skarn belt that hosts the Las Bambas, Haquira, Los Chancas, Cotambambas, Constancia, Antapaccay and Tintaya deposits. The project is characterized by a strong structural control and significant copper and gold values from historical surface samples. The principal targets at Sombrero are copper-gold skarn and porphyry systems and precious metal epithermal deposits. Forward Looking Information and Additional Cautionary Language This release includes certain statements that may be deemed ?forward-looking statements?. Forward-looking information is information that includes a proposed financing and completion if a proposed loan amendment as well as information relating to or associated with the acquisition and title to mineral concessions. In addition to the stated conditions to complete the transactions forward looking statements involve other known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different (either positively or negatively) from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers should refer to the risks discussed in the Company?s Annual Information Form and MD&A for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent continuous disclosure filings with the Canadian Securities Administrators available at?www.sedar.com?and the Company?s registration statement on Form 40-F filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available at?www.sec.gov. The Toronto Stock Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Terrorists now use social media to communicate, recruit new followers, and commit crimes, the minister of communication and digital economy, Isa Pantami, has said. Mr Pantami on Tuesday in Abuja said terrorists are exploiting social media, encrypted communications, and the dark web to spread propaganda, recruit new followers and coordinate attacks. He noted that the rapidly evolving phenomenon requires the use of innovative approaches to both counter and prevent terrorism. The Islamic State of Iran and ISIL famously used Twitter for this purpose in 2014 and 2015. Organizations like ISIL usually recruit en masse through the route of social media. Emerging trend, counter-measures Meanwhile, Mr Pantami said the development of new and emerging technologies such as Big Data Analytics, Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence (AI) will help counter and prevent terrorists latest ploys. He said the military and intelligence agencies can use big data to fight the war against terrorism. Data can be analysed to understand background, motives, modus operandi and methods of communication of persons or groups of interest. Mr Pantami cited an example of a project by the Qatar Computing Research Institute, in which big data was used to scrutinise and analyse social media such as Facebook and Twitter in order to locate the origins of supporters of the terrorist organisation ISIS. Availability of internet access to wearables and household devices such as fridges, washing machines, and the IoT technology would ease up processes of monitoring, location tracking, identification, surveillance and gaining access to networks, the minister said. He added that the advent of the IoT presents the connection of devices to not only the Internet but also to each other as IoT enables increased convenience, efficiency, and energy conservation. Machine learning Mr Pantami said the massive increase in computing power and advances in machine learning have made it possible to examine huge amounts of data related to crime and terrorism, to identify underlying correlations and causes. He, however, urged the security agencies in Nigeria to tap into the resources in technology and use them as potent tools for ousting the insurgents. ASM director Caroline Keenan always had an interest in engineering. It was a career shunned by her convent school teachers back in the 1980s when law, teaching and medicine were favoured above all else, but today, even though she is at the forefront of the financial sector here, she gets an engineering fix through her clients. "I remember being told 'you will think about one of the professions' at Assumption Grammar School, but that's just the way it was then. The nun told me engineering was a dirty old job and that put me in my place," says Caroline, who went on to study economics at Queen's University. The mother-of-three grew up in Crossgar, close to her home today. The eldest of four children (two sisters and one brother), Caroline says growing up with a stay-at-home mum was a "pleasure". "Coming home to a meal cooking and the fire lit was a kind of special childhood. We were very lucky," she recalls. Caroline's father worked in construction and came from a farming background. Later in his career he worked for the Roads Service with Caroline looking on admiringly. "I just remember always thinking he was so hard-working and I had a lot of respect for him. I can still remember him working throughout the Troubles and during the holidays I would go around the various building sites with him, having a bit of a nosey and even today, with my own clients, I want to know all about that aspect of their business. It's like a nosiness. I like to know how everything works and I think that's why I had such an interest in engineering," she adds. After her economic degree at Queen's Caroline, who always felt like she missed out on the English university experience, decided to work away from home. She was offered a role at Midland Bank in London where she worked for a year. "It was during that post when I went up to Birmingham University as part of a milk round. I met a partner from Coopers and Lybrand there and she offered to meet for coffee," she continues. An interview followed as well as a job offer at the firm, which is now PriceWaterhouseCoopers. "I started in banking, moved into auditing and then onto tax. It was a great way to get away and work in London and Birmingham because I always felt like I missed out on that experience studying at home," she says. "When I was in that role in Birmingham I remember being asked to write a paragraph for a recruitment brochure. In it I said I planned to go overseas too and I did, I then moved to New Zealand." A new life in New Zealand with her husband Eugene followed and a post-recession landscape coupled with a skill shortage there saw Caroline fast-track her career. "I got promoted through the ranks and although I was there for a two-year secondment I stayed for four," she explains. The couple returned home to Northern Ireland when Caroline's parents became ill. Caroline took up a post with ASM nine years ago. "It was a good time for me to move to a local firm and I wanted an indigenous firm that was part of an international network and ASM is part of Crowe Global which is one of the largest accounting networks in the world, with offices in more than 130 countries. "I also wanted somewhere I could put my mark. I think of myself as entrepreneurial and I've grown the team there," adds Caroline. In a devastating turn of events Caroline's husband Eugene was diagnosed with lung cancer, passing away in 2015. It was an event that has shaped how Caroline works and connects with her clients. "He was a lifelong non-smoker," she says. "He was diagnosed after his 50th birthday and it was a devastating blow. It put things into perspective and it's made me realise that you have to be grateful." Caroline said she continued to "self-motivate" for her sons Matthew (21) and Benjamin (13) and daughter Ella (17). "I'm a great believer in staying positive," she says. "We were very lucky to have Eugene and I think we have got to be positive and I had to carry on with my career so the children could see that and my work colleagues could see that." Twelve weeks after Eugene's passing Caroline lost her father, who was living with her at the time due to a liver condition. "They were both very close and they were great company to each other before they passed," she says. The experience has ignited a philanthropic desire in Caroline, who says she wants to support counselling services for families who have also experienced loss. "We are okay, we had family counselling but I know there are ladies out there in a lesser position and I'd like to be able to help them by doing work in that area, any way I can," she points out. "I'm always very passionate about promoting organ donation too, as I've seen first-hand what the gift of donating does." On a professional level, Caroline says her losses have allowed her to be more "engaging and personable" with clients. She says: "I look at it like everyone is given things to deal with in life and you deal with it. In my case I'm passionate about my job but I can bring another human element to it now, particularly with inheritance tax and that kind of thing." ASM has been operating for 25 years and has 200 staff over six offices in Ireland, four of which are here. Caroline says the firm's USP is its "holistic offering". One of her areas of expertise is advising some of the top multinational firms with a home in Northern Ireland. "Signposting" companies to funding is another area she works in. "I believe we provide a holistic offering of services, predominantly for family-managed firms on succession planning. We talk about expansion, acquisition and mergers. I suppose you could say we are a one-stop-shop of financial services. We're also very hands on and all our clients get a lot of senior time." Looking at the financial landscape here, Caroline says Brexit is high up the worry agenda for many firms. She advises: "It's a case of hold your nerve. The lack of an Executive was a big issue but now we're back we have certainty. "I think it will be those businesses who are innovative and exporting during this time, those who are looking outside of Northern Ireland for business are going to do well too. There is still concern over what Brexit will mean and how it's going to play out and economists are concerned about a potential recession but I think we need to keep going, keep doing the good things we're doing." Caroline is heavily involved in foreign direct investment (FDI) projects. She's played a role in welcoming some of the world's biggest tech firms here, as well as other global organisations. She says "the people agenda" in Northern Ireland is what draws the outsiders in, adding: "For a long time I've been involved in helping where I can when Invest NI hosts businesses here. I explain the tax, finance side of things. They are predominantly US firms but there are also some names from Hong Kong and I enjoy meeting those companies to talk about Northern Ireland and highlighting the selling points because these firms are creating jobs here, high value jobs, and creating the entrepreneurs of the future. "The quality of people we have here is the main thing that appeals to these companies and that's pleasing to see. And when we have big names here growing and being successful that sends out a message. Many people who come to work and live here are also enjoying the lifestyle and the smaller commute times and those are the really good messages going out." Looking at individual sectors suffering most in the uncertain climate, Caroline says retail has been hit hard. She attributes changing consumer trends to the demise of many retail firms, while more positively hotel and leisure clients are reaping the rewards of a burgeoning tourism scene here. Looking to her own future, Caroline has many goals that she's keen to achieve, not all of which are in the financial world. A member on numerous boards, including the Aerospace Defence and Security and Space (ADS), she enjoys shaping decisions and influencing plans but there is one area she is still keen to dig her heels into and that's media commentary. "I do enjoy keeping up to date with what's happening in the economy," she adds. "Some of the plans in government and strategies, health sector reform, the budget and its impact etc, that's the kind of thing I like to interpret and to be able to do that for the lay person is something I'm interested in. "I also like debates, listening to views and sharing my own," she adds. In her current role, Caroline says she loves nothing more than to get out and visit clients where she gets a buzz. Concluding she adds: "In your career you always tend to think, what next. For me that will be in the charity side of things. From counselling to cancer charities when I do have the time, when the children need me less I plan to give back. "Both Eugene and my mother died of cancer and we were lucky to get the support we received, so to help offer that to more people would be a gift." In 2018, a man-bites-dog claim appeared in the journal Psychological Science: In countries with less gender equality, like Algeria and United Arab Emirates, women were more likely to get higher education degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math than they were in more gender-equal countries like Norway and Finland. The authors, psychologists Gijsbert Stoet and David Geary, called this the gender-equality paradox in STEM. The counterintuitive finding brought headlines like the Atlantics dreary The More Gender Equality, the Fewer Women in STEM. Advertisement The stakes here are high. If men and women really have inherently different career preferences, then any attempt to get more women into STEM fields would be misguided and likely to fail. That was certainly how mens rights activists such as Jordan Peterson and conservative think tanks such as the American Enterprise Institute, who have cited the theory, interpreted the results. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Curious about Stoet and Gearys findings, the GenderSci Lab, an interdisciplinary group of scientists and gender studies scholars at Harvard (to which we both belong), tried to replicate them. But their numbers didnt add up. For example, in Poland, 43.63 percent of STEM graduates are women, which would place it fifth for representation of women in STEM out of the 45 countries included in Stoet and Gearys analysis. Yet Stoet and Geary reported a value of 26.9 percent, ranking Poland 20th. Why? Advertisement Advertisement We discovered that Stoet and Geary werent looking at womens share of STEM degrees, as they had claimed, at all. After we sent over some of our results that contradicted Stoet and Gearys, the journal editors investigated, and Stoet and Geary revealed theyd actually used their own undisclosed measure of womens representation in STEM. The case of Algeria highlights a central point of contention. In Algeria, 53 percent of STEM graduates are women. Still, only 9 percent of women college graduates choose a degree in STEM, compared with 13 percent of men. Stoet and Geary had claimed that they were reporting the 53 percent number, but they were actually focusing on the statistic that men were receiving degrees in STEM at a higher rate. Advertisement Advertisement After internal review, Psychological Science required extensive corrections to the published study. In their revised paper, Stoet and Geary maintain that there is a gender paradox in STEM but clarify that it relates to their more obscure measure, which they termed the propensity of women and men to attain a higher degree in STEM. This week, the same journal published a peer-reviewed paper from our group citing conceptual and empirical problems with the gender-equality paradox in STEM hypothesis. The paper shows that the negative association between gender equality and womens STEM achievement does not persist when the measures of gender equality and achievement change. Advertisement Advertisement The focus on propensities is a trend in the broader conversation about the role of social and biological factors in womens and mens STEM achievement. Twenty years ago, biological hard-liners, including Geary, argued that women are biologically less capable in the STEM fields. Now that women are outnumbering men in many scientific and medical fields, outperforming males on many standardized STEM tests, and receiving larger numbers of higher degrees of all sorts than men worldwide, hard-liners such as Steven Pinker and Charles Murray have moved away from such assertions in favor of the claim that women are biologically wired to find less joy in STEM or are simply less interested in it. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Stoet and Geary claim that their formula captures how much women naturally do or dont prefer STEM, which is why they prefer it to the simpler number of women in STEM. Aside from the fact that their formula obscures and minimizes leaps and bounds in numbers of womens university degrees in STEM across all nations over the past several decades, this is a problem for two reasons. First, you cant infer womens preferences about STEM as individuals from the behavior of women as a group defined coarsely by national borders. Second, they claim that womens behavior is not only an expression of their preferences, but that these preferences are innate and biological. Even if the patterns Stoet and Geary report do reflect preferences, that doesnt tell us anything about whence those preferences come. Advertisement Is there a paradoxical relationship between womens achievement in STEM and gender equality? It depends on which countries you include and how you measure gender equality. For the small sample of 45 countries examined by Stoet and Geary, womens STEM achievement does negatively correlate with the World Economic Forums Global Gender Gap Index, or GGGI, which ranks countries based on markers of gender parity. But correlations between womens STEM degrees and nation-level gender equality dont stand up when parts of the equationhow we measure womens STEM achievement and how we measure gender equalityare changed. As we report this week in Psychological Science, when we tested the correlation between womens STEM degrees and Stoet and Gearys own 2019 proposed alternative gender-equality index, a separate index that includes basic measures of well-being such as health, education, and life satisfaction, there was no paradox to be found. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In any case, all nation-level gender equality measures are highly imperfect for understanding the drivers of gender equality. Stoet and Geary naively adopt the GGGI as a social science measure of gender equality, but it was not designed for that purpose, and it should not be used as a measure of gender empowerment or attitudes about gender. For example, Rwanda ranked sixth in the world on the 2015 GGGI due to high representation of women in economic and political life. This outstanding representation stemmed from Rwandas post-genocide sex ratio imbalance, not a campaign to increase womens empowerment. Similarly, a negative correlation between STEM degrees and GGGI rank in a particular countrysay, Luxembourgtells us nothing about whether gender equality is causally related to STEM achievement or a product of other factors such as coeducational opportunities on offer for higher education in STEM in that locality. Women in science have been pushing back the tide of claims about womens lack of interest and ability in STEM for decades. The work continues today. As we see it, the so-called gender equality paradox is a new entry in an old playbook of arguing that biological sex differences, not social inequalities, drive the gender disparities we see in areas such as STEM. But a little digging shows that the paradox is the product not of innate sex differences in STEM interest, but the use of contrived measures and selective data to tell a particular story. HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Capital BlueCross today announced that Gary D. St. Hilaire will leave his position as president and CEO to become president and CEO of Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey on April 6. The Capital BlueCross Board of Directors has appointed Todd A. Shamash as the company's acting CEO, effective upon St. Hilaire's departure. Shamash currently serves as senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, leading the legal, regulatory and governance teams. "We are grateful to Gary for his leadership over the past 15 years," Capital BlueCross Board Chairman Kathryn Taylor said. "His drive, financial acumen, innovative thinking and commitment to the community have made us a stronger company and cemented our position as the leading health plan in our market." Capital BlueCross has been recently recognized for its innovative work with key provider partners, including WellSpan Health and the Smart Health Innovation Lab in Lancaster, and its industry-leading work in population health and analytics. Capital BlueCross was named Best in Member Satisfaction Among Commercial Health Plans in Pennsylvania by J.D. Power and was recognized for a second straight year as a Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania. Shamash has been uniquely involved in all major facets of Capital BlueCross' business for seven years, including strategic partnerships and overall performance, diversification strategy and subsidiary governance, finance, risk exposure and growth. His guidance has been pivotal in Capital BlueCross' emergence as a leading health plan in one of the country's most competitive healthcare environments. "Todd not only has the respect of our board and his industry peers, but of the entire enterprise," Taylor said. "Known throughout the organization for his thoughtful approach and unflappable demeanor, Todd brings both a deep knowledge of the company and its current initiatives, as well as a keen understanding of the industry through his past experience. Todd and our exceptional management team will continue to build on Capital BlueCross' successes as an independent, community-focused health plan and foster the further growth of our subsidiaries in Central Pennsylvania, the Lehigh Valley and beyond." Shamash previously served as deputy chief of staff for the Pennsylvania Governor's Office, where he oversaw healthcare, insurance and all health-related agencies. As senior counsel for Jefferson Health System, he was responsible for the oversight of reimbursement, payer relations and malpractice coverage for the second largest health system in Pennsylvania. He also served as a trustee on the Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund, a commissioner of the Pennsylvania Banking and Securities Commission, and department counsel for the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, helping to establish managed care regulation mechanisms and health insurance regulations. Shamash currently serves as an appointee of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf on the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council, an appointee of the Pennsylvania Senate President Pro Tempore on the Pennsylvania Health Insurance Exchange Authority, and as a board member of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts. "I am excited to build on our successful 82-year history by increasing access to quality healthcare, lowering costs, providing choice for our members and delivering award-winning member service," Shamash said. "Capital BlueCross will continue to be an influential force for exceptional service and significant innovation for our members and our employer groups." St. Hilaire joined the company as its chief financial officer in 2005, and became president in 2010 and chief executive officer in 2012. During his time as CEO, St. Hilaire led the company's transformation into a national, diversified family of companies, driving innovation with patient-focused care models, growth in ancillary services and leading-edge data analytics. "I am extremely excited to take on this new opportunity with Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, an organization whose outstanding ethos and innovative culture is much like Capital BlueCross'," St. Hilaire said. "That said, I am also saddened to leave an organization that I so admire. The mission and the people of Capital BlueCross are second to none, and I know I am leaving it in great hands with an outstanding management team and board of directors." About Capital BlueCross For more than 80 years, Capital BlueCross has served Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley by offering health insurance products, services and technology solutions that provide peace of mind to consumers and promote health and wellness for our members. The company delivers innovative solutions through a family of diversified businesses to create healthier lives and lower healthcare costs. Among these solutions are patient-focused care models, leading-edge data analytics and digital health technologies. Additionally, Capital Blue health and wellness centers provide in-person service and inspiration to help people reach their health goals. Capital BlueCross is an independent licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association. SOURCE Capital BlueCross Related Links http://www.capbluecross.com President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Head of President's Office Andriy Bohdan and appointed President's Aide Andriy Yermak to head this post. Respective decrees No.46/2020, No.47/2020 No.48/2020 were posted on the president's website. Zelensky appointed his adviser for judicial issues Andriy Bohdan as Head of Administration of President of Ukraine on May 21, 2019. Bohdan was born in 1976. He worked as deputy Justice Minister of Ukraine from 2007 to 2010, then deputy minister of the Cabinet of Ministers (2010-2011) and government's commissioner on anti-corruption policy (2013-2014). Yermak was born in 1971. In 1997, he founded International Law Firm and was engaged in the development of the first legislative acts in Ukraine in the field of intellectual property and commercial law. He headed the "Association of Entrepreneurs of Kyiv City." Through 2006-2010, he was aider of the people's deputy from the Party of Regions Elbrus Tadeyev. On May 21, 2019, he held a post of President's Aide for Foreign Policy Issues. RAVENNA, Ohio The former superintendent of a school district in Portage County has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on sexual-assault charges involving two students. Laura Amero, 35, who was superintendent at Windham Exempted Village Schools for just a few months in 2019 before resigning, was in tears Monday as she apologized to the judge before her sentence, the Record-Courier reports. Amero pleaded guilty in November to two felony counts of sexual battery and a misdemeanor count of sexual imposition. Once I lost Windham, I lost my purpose in life. There is a hole that will never be filled again, Amero said, WFMJ Channel 21 reports. I will never be able to positively impact students, which is all I ever wanted to do. Amero was accused of having sex with a 16-year-old male student in 2017 and attempting to have sex with another student two times between 2015 and 2017, when he was 16 and 17 years old. Amero was the principal of Windham Junior/Senior High School when the incidents occurred, records show. Ameros actions left Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman puzzled, according to the Record-Courier. Amero reportedly cited mental-health problems, but the judge was skeptical, the Record-Courier reports. I cant understand how this keeps happening with teachers, principals, superintendents, Pittman said. You know youre going to get caught. The 10-year sentence issued by Pittman was the maximum allowed. Amero also will have to register as a Tier III sex offender. Amero is pregnant, reports say, and although she is scheduled to begin her sentence on April 1, she will be allowed extra time if needed in order to prevent giving birth in prison. The lawyer for Amero plans to appeal the sentence, saying she should have been placed on community control sanctions. He argued that she was receiving mental-health treatment and confessed when she was questioned by investigators last year. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more from cleveland.com: Missing mother of 3 kids left at gas station is found safe Security increased at Akron middle school after threat posted to Snapchat Man who fired shots at vehicle in South Akron arrested after six-minute chase, police say 46 cars broken into in Cleveland Heights in one night, police say Robbers shoot at three men selling ATV via OfferUp app at former Cleveland elementary school Three young kids left alone in van at Cleveland gas station, police say Same men committed two violent Cleveland armed robberies within 90 minutes, police say (Photo : Screenshot From Lynden Professional Services LLC Facebook Page) Equifax hacked The federal prosecutors just recently announced on Monday, Feb. 10, that they will be charging four Chinese hackers who are intelligence officers for illegally collecting information from the credit-reporting giant known as Equifax. This event may be the largest data breach in history, and the United States is now pressing charges! Information of these Chinese hackers According to officials, this hack was made by members of well-known China's People's Liberation Army who have been heading Beijing's aggressive patterns of mining for private data to better their own intelligence operations and to target domestic companies specifically. Read Also: $550 Million Settlement: Is It Enough for Facebook to Stop Facial Recognition? The benefits of these hacks could be used all the way from business to other, more drastic actions. The charges against these hackers The charges took place in a grand jury located in Atlanta with nine different counts of the indictment against the current PLA operatives Wu Zhiyong, Xu Ke, Liu Lei, and also Wang Qian on Jan. 28. The charges include wire fraud, economic espionage, conspiracy leading to computer fraud, and many other offenses. This hack has been described as the biggest theft of sensitive data by hackers sponsored by the state that has ever been recorded. The United States is pressing charges against all four of them. The specifics of this attack The hack was able to obtain certain sensitive financial records, which were about 150 million Americans and also a huge bit of foreigners. The Equifax breach was disclosed in 2017. The company finally agreed to pay a settlement of $650 million dollars after a long two years of lawsuits left and right. How the hackers moved into Equifax The first move of these Chinese hackers on Equifax was on May 13, 2017, and according to the recent indictment, that is the first time they were able to get into Equifax's network. There was reportedly a flaw in the existing software, which was known as the Apache Struts, and the hackers used this as a portal into Equifax's more sensitive data. They were able to obtain login credentials from this target for them to be able to access different parts of the network. Read Also: Suspicious Russian Spacecraft Kosmos 2542 Spotted Tailing on US Spy Satellite USA 245 A huge number of weeks were spent targeting sensitive data with about 9,000 search queries, which would lead to sensitive data such as but not limited to Social Security numbers, and what is worse was passport photos were also dug up by these hackers. Once they were able to obtain the files they wanted, the hackers were crafty enough to change their IP address to make sure that the data mining did not sound any alarms. Equifax's faults on the manner In some ways, Equifax also shared a small chunk of the responsibility because of the failure to uphold security measures to a level of safety. Equifax did not heed warnings about the hackers targeting them and still run their system on very thin security methods. This led the Chinese hackers to attack Equifax. The U.S. is pressing Charges to put these hackers behind bars. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. New Delhi, Feb 11 : To provide further fillip to the water conservation measures being undertaken by DCM Shriram Ltd. under the aegis of its Sustainable Sugarcane Production Program, the company on Tuesday announced signing of the MoU with Rabobank and Rivulis Irrigation India Pvt Ltd. The objective of the MoU is to achieve its goal towards Water Conservation through drip irrigation thereby increasing productivity which would lead to increase in farmer's income. The proposed installation of the drip irrigation systems will cover an area of 5,000 acres in all four units of DCM Shriram Ltd. in all four units of DCM Shriram Ltd i.e. Ajbapur, Rupapur, Hariawan and Loni in Lakhimpur and Hardoi districts of Uttar Pradesh. Speaking at the MoU ceremony, Roshan Lal Tamak, ED & CEO - Sugar Business, DCM Shriram Ltd. said: "The project is being taken up with an aim to increase the yield while conserving water in cultivation of sugarcane. With this project, the cost of cultivation of sugarcane will be reduced along with conservation of water and fertigation thereby increasing the income of the farmers and also reducing the cost of Production." The Indian Institute of Sugarcane Research, Lucknow which is an apex organisation of sugarcane Research in the country, has assessed and certified that due to various agricultural practices and water conservation measures adopted by DCM Shriram sugar factories in its catchment areas in Hardoi & Lakhimpur Kheri districts, there has been an water use avoidance of 275 billion litres of water during last three years. AThe Rs 7,700 crore DCM Shriram Ltd. is a leading business conglomerate with a portfolio of businesses including Agri-Rural, Chlor-Vinly and Value added business which include Fenesta Building Systems. An Irish film director said he was still in touch with Jihad Jane, a wannabe American terrorist who was sentenced to 10 years in a US prison after plotting murder in Waterford. Ciaran Cassidy said Colleen Renee LaRose, was trying to get on with her life after being released from jail. Im in touch with Colleen on and off to see how she is readjusting. She is good. She seems to be adjusting well and seems to be in a very healthy place, said Mr Cassidy. The filmmakers documentary, Jihad Jane, which will be released on Friday, tells the extraordinary story of LaRose and one of the most farcical terrorist cells in history. The 56-year-old woman, who had an appalling life after being abused from childhood, was radicalised on the internet and turned to Islam announcing she wanted to wage Jihad war and become a martyr. She expressed her views openly on the web ringing alarm bells at the FBI. Director Ciaran Cassidy revealed that agents called to her home in Florida and warned her to stop. But this seemed to spur her on and she flew to Waterford where she believed she would be trained as a terrorist for a mission to kill a Swedish artist, Lars Vilks, who had allegedly insulted Islam. She was joined by another American woman, Jamie Paulin Ramirez, who married their cell leader, Ali Charaf Damache, the day after meeting him. But Damache gave no training and possibly used his role just to meet women. Colleen Renee LaRose in March 2010. Pic: WPVI-TV via AFP After months of inactivity, LaRose contacted the FBI and told them she was coming home and was arrested for conspiracy to murder. Gardai watched the Waterford house for six months before arresting Ramirez and Damache who were extradited to the US in 2010 and imprisoned. Ramirez had only left the house four times. Jihad Jane tells the astonishing story behind the headlines that went around the world. Mr Cassidy said he made the film because he was intrigued by the Irish part of the story. There are farcical elements to it but they were threatening to kill someone so you had to treat it credibly, he said. When they were arrested there was a clear picture created that this was a serious, credible threat and that they were dangerous. But when you see the film and you see Colleen get in the car with all her teddy bears you see a different side of who these people are and what was going on. We were interested in telling that side of the story. Both women were extremely damaged. LaRose was raped from the age of eight by her alcoholic father and met a man who pimped her out from 13 and introduced her to drugs. She married one of her customers at 16 who rented her out to other lorry drivers. Ramirez was already married and divorced three times and admitted she had no self-esteem and no friends before she converted to Islam. An undated image obtained on March 9, 2010, of a photo from a website authorities say was maintained by terror suspect Colleen Renee LaRose. Pic: Fox News/AFP Colleen was very personable. She had an extremely bleak background and talked about her anger and alienation but she chats away to people, said Cassidy. She was popular in prison and her attorney found her warm. That was part of the contradiction with Colleen, she was a larger-than-life character. If the circumstances of her childhood had not been so extreme she would have ended up somewhere very different." Colleen said she might have killed someone if she was trained in the right way but a lot of people dont think so. She was fairly transparent. She would be very upfront with people if they asked her. Cell leader Damache was just as incompetent, said Cassidy. If he was a sophisticated terrorist trying to form a terror group he would never have recruited Colleen. The first thing she did was post remarks on the internet and was then talking to people in different counties and was very vocal about her support. She was clearly being watched. Damache went about his way very stupidly. But we had to try to find the balance between farce and ineptitude and knowing he only had to get it right once. You see the indictments against them and you would think things would escalate when they meet up in Waterford and that didnt happen. Was Damache using his position to meet women? Nobody really knows. * For a full interview with director Ciaran Cassidy see Thursday's Irish Examiner. Jihad Jane is released on Friday. People queue to buy protective masks at Mustafa Centre on 8 February, 2020 in Singapore. (PHOTO: Getty Images) SINGAPORE The Ministry of Health (MOH) on Tuesday (11 February) confirmed two new cases of the novel coronavirus, both local transmissions, bringing the total number of cases to 47 here. Both have no recent travel history to China. This brings the total number of local transmissions of the virus, also known as 2019-nCoV, to 25, more than half of the tally. Case 46: RSW casino employee One of the new cases is a 35-year-old male Singapore permanent resident who lives in Johor Bahru and works in Singapore. He had gone to work at Resorts World Sentosa Casino prior to his hospital admission on Sunday. The man reported symptoms last Wednesday and had sought treatment at a general practitioner clinic four days later. He was later transferred to Tan Tock Seng Hospital via an ambulance on the same day and was immediately isolated. He is currently warded in an isolation room at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). A Resorts World Sentosa spokesperson said in a media statement on Tuesday, We have identified employees who have interacted with the staff member recently and instructed them to go on 14 days leave of absence. We will work closely with MOH to monitor their conditions. Deep cleaning, thorough disinfection and sanitisation have been carried out at all areas and touch-points where the employee had come into contact with. Over and above, we have rolled out enhanced initiatives. These include: thermal scanners to carry out temperature screening for all visitors deployed at key entry points; increased frequency of cleaning, disinfection and sanitisation of guest touch-points according to guidelines by the National Environment Agency; and hand sanitisers widely available across the entire resort. We have made it mandatory for all RWS employees to take their temperatures twice daily. Employees are instructed to defer all personal and business travel to Mainland China. Those who have travelled to Mainland China in the last 14 days are placed on mandatory leave of absence for 14 days upon their return to Singapore. Story continues Case 47: 2nd Bangladesh national The second case is a 39-year-old male Bangladesh national who is a Singapore Work Pass holder. Prior to his admission on Monday into the NCID where he is currently warded and isolated, he had gone to work at 10 Seletar Aerospace Heights, the same location where a 39-year-old compatriot, a previous confirmed case, had worked. He reported symptoms last Thursday and sought treatment at a general practitioner clinic the next day. The man had stayed at his rental apartment at Veerasamy Road since developing the symptoms, except to visit the clinic. He went to the NCID on Monday and tested positive for the virus in the afternoon. The MOH has said that the risk of infection from transient contact, such as on public transport or in public places, is assessed to be low for the general public. Nine patients discharged; 7 remain in ICU Nine patients have fully recovered from the infection and have been discharged from hospital. Among them are a 53-year-old female Chinese national and a 35-year-old male compatriot, both from Wuhan where the virus originated. The latest to be discharged is a husband-and-wife pair, both 56, and also Chinese nationals from Wuhan. Of the 38 confirmed cases who are still hospitalised, most are stable or improving. Seven remain in critical condition in the intensive care unit. As of Tuesday noon, 608 of the suspect cases have tested negative for the virus, while test results for the remaining 43 are pending. Contact tracing for the confirmed cases is ongoing, said the ministry. It added that epidemiological investigations and contact tracing have uncovered links between 15 of 25 local transmitted cases with the three currently-known clusters: The Life Church and Missions Singapore, Yong Thai Hang and the private business meeting held at Grand Hyatt Singapore from 20 to 22 January. Contact tracing is underway for the other 10 locally transmitted cases to establish if they are linked to previous cases or persons with travel history to mainland China, the MOH said. As of Tuesday noon, 1,124 close contacts have been identified. Of the 1,021 who are still in Singapore, 989 have been contacted and are being quarantined or isolated. Efforts are ongoing to contact the remaining 32 close contacts, said the ministry. It reiterated its advice for Singaporeans to defer all travel to Hubei province, home to its capital Wuhan, and all non-essential travel to mainland China. Singapore is the territory with the third-highest number of cases outside mainland China, behind Japans 163 and Hong Kongs 49. A total of 135 of Japans cases are aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off the country. Given the heightened risk, authorities last Friday raised Singapores Disease Outbreak Response System Condition (Dorscon) alert level from yellow to orange amid the increase in confirmed cases of the coronavirus. It also announced a series of measures to be taken, including the suspension of inter-school and external activities for schools until the end of the March school holidays and advising event organisers to cancel or defer non-essential large-scale events. (INFOGRAPHIC: Ministry of Health) Death toll surpasses SARS epidemic The novel strain belongs to the same family of coronaviruses as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which killed nearly 800 people globally during a 2002-2003 outbreak and also started in China. It likely originated from Wuhans Huanan Seafood Market, where live animals or products such as foxes, wolf puppies, giant salamanders, snakes, porcupines, and camel meat are sold. Declared a global emergency by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the virus has spread to 27 territories beyond mainland China, sickening over 43,000 people worldwide. The WHO also said that cases of the coronavirus being transmitted by people who have never travelled to China could be the "tip of the iceberg". China's death toll from the epidemic rose to over 1,000 on Tuesday, surpassing the total fatalities globally from the SARS outbreak. On Saturday, the US embassy confirmed that a US citizen died that day in Wuhan. Two territories, Hong Kong and the Philippines, have each reported the death of a patient from the virus. More than 100 people were evacuated from a 35-storey Hong Kong housing block on Tuesday after two residents in different apartments tested positive for the virus. Patients suffering from the new strain may exhibit fever and symptoms of lower respiratory illness such as coughing or difficulty in breathing as well as pneumonia-like symptoms like a runny nose, sore throat, and headache. However, some who have died from it have not displayed symptoms of fever, according to details released by Chinas National Health Commission, potentially complicating global efforts to check for infected travellers as they arrive at airports and other travel hubs. This means that temperature screening, the most common measure being used at transport links and airports to check travellers, may not identify some infected people. Chinese authorities, meanwhile, dismissed two senior health officials from Hubei province where some 56 million people, including Wuhan, have been under lockdown since late last month. They also tightened restrictions in the city, forbidding people with fever from visiting hospitals outside of their home districts and sealing off residential compounds. (INFOGRAPHIC: Yahoo News Singapore) Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: Coronavirus: How it's spreading in Singapore and the world Coronavirus: Singapore and Malaysia to set up joint working group to control spread China virus death toll passes 1,000 as WHO warns of 'bigger fire' Eight days in Wuhan, cut off from the world WHO warns overseas virus spread may be 'tip of the iceberg' BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Twenty-seven foreign nationals have been diagnosed with novel coronavirus, among whom three have been cured and discharged from hospital, two have passed away, and 22 others are isolated in hospitals, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Monday. The figures are correct as of 8 a.m. local time Monday and the two deaths include a Chinese American and a Japanese national, according to spokesperson Geng Shuang. He said the Chinese American and Japanese passed away at 7 p.m. on Feb. 6 and in the early morning of Feb. 8, respectively. Both of them died in Wuhan, Hubei Province. Medical staff had done their utmost to treat the two individuals, and the Chinese side has been in contact with their bereaved families, Geng said. The Chinese side offers its deepest condolences over their passing, Geng said, noting that the United States and Japan have been notified of the deaths through diplomatic channels. "The Chinese side will offer necessary assistance to the U.S. side and the Japanese side, as well as the bereaved families," Geng said. The spokesperson emphasized that China attaches great importance to the health and safety of all foreign nationals in Wuhan, with effective measures being taken to respond timely to their concerns and requests. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also stressed many times that flying out in a rush is not recommended, and the best approach is to stay put and enhance self-protection, said Geng, stressing that the WHO's professional recommendations should be respected. For those countries that wish to bring their nationals home, Geng said China will make relevant arrangements and offer necessary assistance consistent with international practices and domestic epidemic prevention and control measures. Sydney, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Georgia outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Georgia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses The telecommunications sector remains one of the fastest growing areas of the Georgian economy, accounting for between 5% and 7% of GDP. There is still room for further growth, with penetration rates in the mobile and broadband segments relatively low by the standards of European benchmark countries. Growth in mobile broadband has been steady, supported by the auction of spectrum in the 800MHz and 2100MHz bands which has enabled the network operators to expand the reach and capabilities of LTE services. LTE services now cover the vast majority of the population. The regulator during 2019 worked on a framework to develop services based on 5G, though given the existing capacity of LTE it is unlikely that 5G services will be made available by operators before 2022. The country still faces economic challenges, which have impacted on the telecom sector. Revenue from fixed-line voice services has fallen sharply, while revenue from the mobile sector has been under stress from intense competition, compounded by the fall in messaging traffic as subscribers migrate to alternative OTT services. The overall market is largely propped up by the broadband sector, where the number of subscribers continues to increase steadily. The sharp growth in the number of fibre broadband connections has impacted on the DSL segment as customers are migrated from copper to fibre networks. DSL now accounts for only a small proportion of fixed broadband connections. This development reflects the significant increase in investment in infrastructure in recent years, spurred by the governments national broadband plan. Much of the investment in fixed-line infrastructure is earmarked for fibre networks, which will provide backhaul for future 5G services. Key developments: Fixed-broadband sector continues to migrate from copper to fibre; MagtiCom closes down its CDMS service; Report update includes the regulators annual report for 2018, market statistics to November 2019, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Caucasus Online, Georgia Online, United Telecom, Telecom Georgia, Egrisi, SaNet, SilkNet, Georgian Railway Telecom, Akhali Kselebi Table of Contents Key statistics Country overview Telecommunications market Market analysis Regulatory environment Regulatory authority Fixed-line developments Privatisation Number Portability (NP) Licensing and auctions background information Illegal operations Call termination Mobile network developments Unrecognised operators Spectrum auctions Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Mobile market Market analysis Mobile statistics Mobile infrastructure 5G 4G/LTE 3G Mobile data SMS and MMS Mobile broadband Mobile commerce M-banking Major mobile operators Operator statistics Geocell MagtiCom VEON Georgia SilkNet Fixed-line broadband market Introduction and statistical overview Broadband statistics Fixed-line broadband technologies Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks Other fixed broadband services Fixed network operators SilkNet Telecom Georgia (Sakartvelos Telekomi) NewNet Telecommunications (Akhali Kselebi) Egrisi Georgian Railway Telecom (GRT) MagtiCom Telecommunications infrastructure Overview of the national telecom network International infrastructure Appendix Historic data Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Georgia 2019 (e) Table 2 Change in Georgias GDP growth rate 2006 - 2019 Table 3 Growth in retail and wholesale telecom revenue 2013 - 2018 Table 4 Development of telecom sector investment 2016 - 2018 Table 5 Distribution of telecom investment by sector 2016 - 2018 Table 6 Change in the number of fixed number portings 2011 - 2019 Table 7 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2011 - 2019 Table 8 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 9 Change in mobile market retail revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 10 Fall in mobile market voice revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 11 Change in mobile voice traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 12 Decline in SMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 13 Decline in SMS revenue 2010 2019 Table 14 Change in MMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 15 Fall in MMS revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 16 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 17 HSPA/EVDO internet subscribers 2010 2019 Table 18 Development of CDMA and LTE internet subscribers 2012 2019 Table 19 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers 2013 2019 Table 20 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers by operator 2013 - 2019 Table 21 Growth in mobile internet traffic 2010 2018 Table 22 Development of mobile internet traffic by technology 2015 2018 Table 23 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 - 2019 Table 24 Development of mobile ARPU by operator 2010 - 2019 Table 25 Development of mobile revenue by operator 2013 - 2019 Table 26 Growth in the number of MagtiComs mobile subscribers 2007 - 2019 Table 27 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias mobile subscribers 2007 - 2019 Table 28 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias standard mobile internet subscribers 2010 - 2019 Table 29 Growth in the number of SilkNets mobile subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 30 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by customer type 2013 - 2018 Table 31 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by technology 2013 - 2018 Table 32 Change in the proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate 2013 - 2018 Table 33 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 34 Growth in fixed broadband market revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 35 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by major operator 2013 - 2019 Table 36 Fall in the number of DSL subscribers 2008 - 2019 Table 37 Growth in the number of MagtiComs fixed broadband subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 38 Growth in MagtiComs internet revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 39 Growth in the number of SilkNets internet subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 40 Growth in SilkNets internet revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 41 Growth in the number of FttP subscribers 2010 - 2019 Table 42 Change in the number of Wi-Fi subscribers 2010 2019 Table 43 Fall in the number of fixed line subscribers by major operator 2010 - 2019 Table 44 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 45 Decline in the number of fixed-line subscribers by technology 2013 - 2019 Table 46 Decline in fixed-line revenue by technology 2010 - 2019 Table 47 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic by technology 2010 - 2019 Table 48 Growth in international internet bandwidth capacity 2009 - 2018 Table 49 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1999 - 2009 Table 50 Historic - Geocell subscribers 2002 - 2018 Table 51 Historic - Fixed lines in service, annual change and penetration 1995 - 2009 Table 52 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate 1996 - 2016 Table 53 Historic - Fixed-line internet subscribers and penetration 2001 - 2009 Table 54 Historic - household internet penetration 2005 - 2015 Table 55 Historic - fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2001 - 2009 Table 56 Historic - Fibre broadband providers 2010 2016 Table 57 Historic - WiMAX subscribers 2010 2017 Table 58 Historic - Telecom market revenue 2010 - 2016 Table 59 Historic - International internet bandwidth capacity 2001 - 2009 List of Charts Chart 1 Growth in retail and wholesale telecom revenue 2013 - 2018 Chart 2 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2011 - 2019 Chart 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 4 Change in mobile market retail revenue 2010 - 2019 Chart 5 Fall in mobile market voice revenue 2013 - 2019 Chart 6 Change in mobile voice traffic 2010 - 2019 Chart 7 Decline in SMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Chart 8 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 9 Development of CDMA and LTE internet subscribers 2012 2019 Chart 10 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers 2013 2019 Chart 11 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers by operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 12 Development of mobile internet traffic by technology 2015 2018 Chart 13 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 14 Development of mobile ARPU by operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 15 Development of mobile revenue by operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 16 Growth in the number of MagtiComs mobile subscribers 2009 - 2019 Chart 17 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias mobile subscribers 2009 - 2019 Chart 18 Growth in the number of SilkNets mobile subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 19 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by customer type 2013 - 2018 Chart 20 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by technology 2013 - 2018 Chart 21 Change in the proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate 2013 - 2018 Chart 22 - Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 23 Growth in fixed broadband market revenue 2010 - 2019 Chart 24 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by major operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 25 Fall in the number of DSL subscribers 2008 - 2019 Chart 26 Growth in the number of MagtiComs fixed broadband subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 27 Growth in the number of SilkNets internet subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 28 Growth in the number of FttP subscribers 2010 - 2019 Chart 29 Change in the number of Wi-Fi subscribers 2010 2019 Chart 30 Fall in the number of fixed line subscribers by major operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 31 - Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 32 Decline in the number of fixed-line subscribers by technology 2013 - 2019 Chart 33 Decline in fixed-line revenue by technology 2010 - 2019 Chart 34 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic by technology 2010 - 2019 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 United Telecoms Tbilisi network infrastructure Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Georgia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses ALBANY About 400,000 people and $2 billion worth of goods and services pass between the United States and Canada every day. But there are concerns that flow may slow in New York after last week's decision by the Department of Homeland Security to temporarily bar residents in the state from enrolling in the Global Entry program that expedited processing through border checkpoints for pre-screened travelers. During a visit with the Times Union business staff Tuesday morning, Canada's Deputy Consul General for New York, Khawar Nasim, stressed it was not his place to weigh in on American domestic policy, but said it's vital for both countries to maintain the movement of people and trade on the border between New York and its neighbor to the north. "The transit corridor the transit of goods, the transit of people, the transit of ideas works really well between Canada and the United States," Nasim said. "Our concern is maintaining the fluidity of that border and avoiding the thickening at the border. Nasim and Catherine Loubier, the delegate general of Quebec in New York, were in town for their annual "Canada Day in Albany," an opportunity the delegation uses to meet with state legislators and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's office to discuss issues important to New York and one of the state's most important trading partners. During the 40-minute conversation, Nasim and Loubier discussed topics like decarbonization, artificial intelligence and the effect of the new coronavirus on Canadian companies with American footprints. "I think the nature of our industry is that [these companies] have global footprints, and they're starting to see the impact," Nasim said of the coronavirus, which had infected seven people in Canada as of late last week. "Our focus right here is on the North American market, and I would say we're relatively insulated. We haven't seen major announcements from Canadian companies that they have been impacted." Both Montreal's McGill University and the Universite de Montreal are known for their artificial-intelligence research and projects, and Loubier said there is cross-border cooperation in developing the technology. "Both universities are quite involved," Loubier said. "There are talks with companies, with banks, with the financial industry. We all the time bring AI companies from Montreal and showcase them to companies here in the US, and there is cooperation between university and research centers as well." Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. More U.S. companies are investing in Canadian artificial-intelligence ventures, "because of the outstanding labor pool and the quality of labor you can get" from Canadian universities, Nasim said. He added that the consulate has had "a number of discussions" centering on the ethics of AI without taking a policy stance. Both Nasim and Loubier stressed the importance of the U.S. - Canada relationship. "This is a critical relationship for us," Nasim said. "The understanding of how just important it is is reflected in the sheer volume of our trade." Michael.Williams@timesunion.com or 518-454-5018. 'AAP's next target will be Punjab.' IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi party convenor Arvind Kejriwal -- along with his children Pulkit and Harshita -- celebrates wife Sunita's birthday which coincided with AAP's re-election in New Delhi, February 11, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo "Many voters who voted for AAP would still support the BJP's position on CAA-NRC, Ram Mandir and 370... People have voted for AAP because of welfare benefits and governance. They also think Arvind Kejriwal is a better leader in the state," Rahul Verma, fellow at the Centre of Policy Research whose research includes voting behaviour, party politics, political violence, and media, tells Rediff.com's Archana Masih. Why did the BJP fail to storm Arvind Kejriwal's Delhi citadel? The BJP was at a lower base in the Delhi assembly election. They were unable to mount the challenge posed by Arvind Kejriwal and the AAP. There are clear patterns emerging from state polls in the last six months. Opposition parties have an advantage when they have a local leader and when the BJP has no formidable CM candidate in its ranks. Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and now Delhi. In 2019, Delhi got 56% votes and won all 7 seats -- and Kejriwal was third. Even in the 2019 polls, opinion polls suggested a large chunk of Modi voters would vote for AAP in the state election. When an Opposition party is the challenger they have to pinpoint the problems in the BJP's state government on its performance. When they are incumbent they have to perform reasonably well. On that scorecard, the AAP government did fairly well in providing welfare benefits in health, education etc. It built its campaign on local and state issues rather than making it into a national fight with Modi. Kejriwal did not get into a fight with Modi and his personality, but also avoided contesting on the ideological plank. In fact, none of the Opposition parties in the state are contesting the nationalistic pitch espoused by the BJP. If you look at Haryana, Bhupinder Singh Hooda endorsed the revoking of Article 370 and did not oppose the Ram remple. Similarly, Kejriwal did not oppose abrogation of 370 or the Ram remple. He didn't visit Shaheen Bagh. He stayed away from these ideological traps. Do you think AAP would have done better had the BJP not mounted a high-pitched campaign against Shaheen Bagh? It seems so because the December-January opinion polls predicted a sweep for AAP and chances of the BJP going below its 35% vote share. In that sense, the high-pitched campaign by the home minister and prime minister at least kept the BJP cadres enthused. It kept the BJP from not sliding below 30%. The BJP's vote share is 38.8%. The high-pitched campaign made this contest between the BJP and AAP while the Congress collapsed. Basically, both the BJP and AAP have retained their vote share, with the BJP increasing it a little. What do you see as the reasons behind the fall of the Congress vote share from 22% in 2019 to 4% in 2020? The Congress was certain that this would be the picture in the Vidhan Sabha election. In 2019, the Congress was seen as the national alternative -- that is why it came second in Delhi. But at the state level it was largely a contest between AAP and the BJP. The Congress did not campaign, did not put the weight of the national leadership and has performed abysmally. Prashant Kishor tweeted thanking Delhi for protecting India's soul -- does this mean that the election result is a rejection of the BJP's politics? It would be an over-reading or misreading of the mandate. AAP's victory is largely because of its performance and no magic face in the BJP. One cannot say this is a rejection of the CAA or NRC and the BJP's campaign plank because AAP did not contest on these issues. They did not build a narrative on the CAA-NRC. A lot of voters who voted for AAP would still support the BJP's position on the NRC, Ram Mandir and 370. People have voted for AAP because of the welfare benefits from the government. They also think Kejriwal is a better leader and the BJP does not have a clear alternative to offer in the state. Does this boost AAP's national prospects and Kejriwal's ambitions outside Delhi? It was an important election for AAP. If they had lost, they would have been in real trouble. Given they have won by a handsome margin, their next target will be Punjab. If they are able to give the Congress and Akali Dal a scare, then it will help create some realistic national ambition plan for them. Anything before that would be overzealous or over joyous. Delhi was a contest between Kejriwal and Amit Anilchandra Shah. Do the reasons for the BJP's defeat lie with Shah? No. The BJP puts its heart and soul in every election. I don't know in which way Amit Shah can be held responsible for the defeat. Even if Amit Shah wasn't there I don't think the BJP would have done better. The high-pitched campaign brought them the vote share they have, otherwise it could have been worse. Can Kejriwal be a challenger to Modi? Without winning another state, I don't think that it is a realistic ambition. A Conover man was arrested in Lincoln County and faces child sex charges. He was found with a 14-year-old girl, a release from the Lincoln County Sheriffs Office states. First Sgt. S. Grinnell was checking business parking lots around 2 a.m. Feb. 9 when he encountered a suspicious vehicle in a parking lot off N.C. 73, according to a news release from the sheriffs office. Grinnell approached the vehicle parked between two box trucks and discovered two people in the back seat, according to the release. A male and a female were told to exit the vehicle. The female told the officer she was 18 years old and did not have identification. A local records check was performed and the female was determined to be 14 years old. The female told officers that she told the male subject she was 18 years old and they had met on the social media page Snapchat. She aid she sneaked out of her family residence during the night, according to the release. The juvenile was transported to Atrium Health-Lincoln for treatment. ALBANY Days after the federal government abruptly announced that it would no longer allow New Yorkers to participate in several popular expedited travel programs, state lawmakers assailed the change as a political stunt with crippling economic impact, and federal officials blamed the policy on a state law blocking immigration officers' access to motor vehicle records. At least for the moment, it appears that both sides are not budging. The Department of Homeland Security has justified its decision to pull New York from the Global Entry and Trusted Traveler programs, which allow pre-screened travelers to swiftly move through checkpoints at airports and border entries. Federal officials assert that they cannot properly evaluate New York applications for the program in the wake of the so-called Green Light Law that allows undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses and bars federal immigration officers from accessing records from the Department of Motor Vehicles. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, state Attorney General Letitia James and Democratic state lawmakers are accusing federal officials of playing politics and unfairly punishing New Yorkers because they disagree with the new law, which they contend has nothing to do with the expedited travel perks. "The Trump administrations new policy not only negatively impacts travelers, workers, commerce and our economy, but it jeopardizes public safety," James said in a release Monday as she announced a lawsuit against the homeland security department. "No one should ever use our nations security as a political weapon, let alone the commander-in-chief." Cuomo, in Washington, D.C. last weekend for an annual National Governors Association meeting, had reached out to President Donald Trump to discuss the policy change, he said. After a Twitter scuffle and a brief back-and-forth over a potential meeting, Cuomo said Monday that he expected a call from the president to schedule a discussion. "I want to have a meeting," Cuomo said in a WAMC radio interview. "I want to talk about the actual substance in the program." The governor's office had no update on the meeting as of Monday evening. But state lawmakers who represent districts on the U.S.-Canada border said it's not enough to wait for a legal challenge that could take, at the very least, months to resolve. The federal government's decision blocks individuals from enrolling in or renewing their enrollment in affected programs that include Global Entry and NEXUS, the popular initiative that gives pre-screened travelers quickened processing to and from Canada. More common programs, like TSA PreCheck, are unaffected. A group of elected officials from Buffalo, which borders Ontario and is home to the northern border's busiest crossing for vehicle, held a hastily called press conference at the Capitol Monday asserting that the travelers' perks are unrelated to immigration officials' access to DMV records. Any criminal history is recorded in other state and federal databases that federal officers can easily access, they argued. "There is such a thing as state's rights," said Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, D-Buffalo. "We have a right to set this law up to protect the people who live in this state. For the federal government to come in and then want to commit a travesty against citizens who live in and around New York state just because something happened that you didn't like that's not the way this works." In addition to the significant commerce exchange, the lawmakers said Canadians and Americans often travel over the border to eat dinner or go shopping, setting up a potential economic challenge for border districts. CBP spokesman Nate Peeters, citing the pending litigation, on Monday declined to specify what information is specifically available in the DMV database that customs and border officials cannot access elsewhere. He also declined to respond to the assertion that releasing DMV records to immigration officials is unrelated to the Trusted Traveler programs, and that the DHS decision would hurt the New York economy. "However, lack of comment should not be construed as agreement or stipulation with any of the allegations," Peeters said. Meanwhile, federal officials and GOP lawmakers pushed back, casting blame on Democratic lawmakers and the governor for cutting off federal access to DMV records, which is a matter of public safety and national security. They noted that, while more than a dozen other states allow undocumented immigrants to obtain driver's licenses, they do not bar federal officials from accessing the records. On Monday afternoon, the U.S. attorneys in New Yorks four federal districts, including U.S. Attorney Grant C. Jaquith in Albany, issued a joint statement outlining what they said are the consequences of the states new law that blocks immigration-related federal agencies from accessing state motor vehicle records. They said the data block impedes Homeland Securitys ability to conduct active criminal investigations involving citizens and non-citizens who are lawfully present in the United States, not just those who are undocumented. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. The federal prosecutors said that Customs and Border Patrol officers at New Yorks 13 points of entry, and the border patrol agents who secure the border between those entry points, can no longer check the vehicle registrations or drivers license status of individuals seeking to enter or remain in the country. Multiple federal agencies that are subject to the records-access ban, including Homeland Security Investigations, use New Yorks motor vehicle database to assist them in stopping transnational criminal organizations, cybercrime, and offenses involving drug trafficking and money laundering; murder, sexual assault, and other crimes of violence; racketeering and extortion; the illegal use and possession of firearms; economic espionage, telemarketing fraud, and elder fraud; human trafficking; and child exploitation, as well as illegal immigration. A person familiar with border security issues, but not authorized to comment publicly, said that border agents routinely encounter individuals who may be driving stolen cars, vehicles with stolen plates, or using fraudulent licenses. Scanners that check a motorists license verify whether the security features on the document are valid, but do not authenticate the information listed on them, the person said. Jaquith issued the statement with U.S. attorneys James P. Kennedy in Buffalo, Geoffrey S. Berman in Manhattan and Richard P. Donoghue in Brooklyn. Forcing officers who serve as our nations frontline defense against dangerous criminals entering the country to make these important determinations in the dark dramatically diminishes the safety of all, their statements reads. Officials in Cuomos office noted that the New York law narrowly excludes only federal agencies that focus on immigration enforcement from accessing the database, but does not block agencies such as the FBI from using it. But Jaquith said that the FBI is not equipped to deal with every case or incident that may crop up along New Yorks 445-mile border with Canada or at its points of entry. Also, "for federal agencies like the FBI or DEA to get access to this information, they have to agree not to provide it Homeland Security agencies, Jaquith said. It stops the information flow that is so important to law enforcement's work and that we have re-emphasized so strongly in the last 18-plus years since what happened on 9/11. U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Schuylerville, a staunch opponent of the Green Light Law, criticized Democrats for "absolutely [leaving] out federal agencies" as they decided to bar immigration officials from accessing DMV databases. Stefanik, whose district abuts the Canadian border, argued that federal officials must access DMV records to check license plates and stop possible criminals from crossing international lines though she did not draw a connection explicitly between a lack of access to DMV databases and applications for travel perks. "New York state should repeal the Green Light Law," Stefanik, who is an enrollee in the Global Entry program, said in an interview Monday afternoon. "They should stop prioritizing illegal immigrants over law-abiding citizens." 'Insulin or death': New Hampshire voters gripped by skyrocketing drug prices originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A quiet struggle over the skyrocketing price of insulin is turning the 2020 election into a referendum on survival for many New Hampshire families. "It is insulin or death," said Stacey Patterson of Pembroke, New Hampshire, of the 100-year-old drug. "There's no other treatment for Type 1 [diabetes]. There's nothing you can do. If it's $1,000, I'm going to pay $1,000, because I have to. There's no other choice for me." Dependence on life-saving prescription drugs, especially insulin, has dominated discussion on the campaign trail, as skyrocketing prices force families to confront political candidates over solutions. WATCH this story on ABC News Live during special New Hampshire primary coverage, Tuesday, Feb. 11, starting at 7 p.m. ET. PHOTO: Stacey and Katelyn Patterson of Pembroke, N.H., make monthly payments for their diabetic alert dog 'Sawyer' because they cannot afford to buy him outright due to the skyrocketing cost of insulin. (Gina Sunseri/ABC News) "It is terrible," said Brittany O'Donnell, chapter leader of New Hampshire Insulin4all, a nonpartisan grassroots network of people struggling to afford the drug. "It's fear. It's dependability. Everyone's leaning on each other for tips and tricks on how to afford these things, how to obtain these things." Insulin prices have jumped nearly 300% in the last decade, according to the American Diabetes Association. The drug has been used to treat diabetes since 1922, but lax regulation and market pressures have sent prices soaring. MORE: 'Your days are numbered!' House lawmakers get angry over insulin prices "It's not a Democrat or Republican issue. You'll hear from both sides the way that they plan on fixing this," said O'Donnell. "It's not an easy fix, but there are things that can be done." The Trump administration has proposed allowing states to import some prescription drugs from Canada; but biologic drugs, like insulin, would be excluded. PHOTO: Allison Nimlos, of Minnesota, holds up her U.S. bottle of NovoLog insulin and a Canadian box of NovoRapid, which she picked up at a pharmacy in London, Ontario, Canada., June 29, 2019. (Geoff Robins/The Canadian Press via AP) Many of the Democratic presidential candidates also support loosening restrictions on the importation of prescription drugs from overseas. Other proposals include mandated caps on out-of-pocket expenses for prescriptions, indexing the U.S. price of drugs to international rates and government manufacturing of some essential medicines. Story continues "In essence, I feel trapped," said Amanda Bowen, a divorced mother of two teenagers in Goffstown, New Hampshire, who recently applied for Medicaid solely to be able to obtain insulin. MORE: Top 5 economic issues facing the middle class ahead of the 2020 elections Bowen, who lives in her grandfather's home because she cannot afford rent, said monthly supplies of medical equipment and prescription insulin topped $2,000 when she was on private insurance. She currently earns $1,300 or less per month as a freelance photographer. Since there's no cure for diabetes, Bowen needs to purchase a supply of insulin every month for the rest of her life. "My son is Type 1 as well," Bowen said. "He's 14, and I hate to think of what it is that he'll have to go through if this problem isn't addressed." PHOTO: Amanda Bowen, 42, of Goffstown, N.H., tells ABC News the financial burden of being a type-1 diabetic makes her feel 'trapped.' Her father, Ray Clement, of Manchester, N.H., hopes lawmakers will enact a solution. (Gina Sunseri/ABC News) An estimated 7 million Americans need daily injections of prescription insulin to survive. Diabetes can develop at any age, often without any fault of the patient. "Your pancreas no longer produces anything insulin-wise," said Patterson, who was diagnosed at 37. "It affects your mindset. It affects everything: your sleeping, when you work, if you exert activity. It affects everything." Patterson gets health insurance through her employer, a local eye-care chain, where she works 50 hours a week. But with a high deductible and co-pays, the rising cost of insulin is a growing financial burden. "I meet people all the time that are having to make choices between buying their drugs or buying food for their family," said Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., on the stump in Manchester last week. PHOTO: Stacey and Katelyn Patterson of Pembroke, N.H., make monthly payments for their diabetic alert dog 'Sawyer' because they cannot afford to buy him outright due to the skyrocketing cost of insulin. (Gina Sunseri/ABC News) A recent study found one in four Americans with diabetes rations doses of insulin because of cost. Brittany O'Donnell began cutting back on injections of the drug shortly after she aged out of her parents' health insurance plan at 26. "If my pump said it was out of insulin, I still tried to drop back whatever I could," she said. "I would feel terrible." MORE: Medicare for All or single payer: Here's how the 2020 Democrats differ on health care Rationing is also deadly. In 2017, the death of a 26-year-old Minneapolis man from insulin rationing made national headlines and served as a wake-up call for diabetics. "It turned from an 'a-ha' moment to 'I'm angry,'" said O'Donnell. PHOTO: Alec Smith of Minneapolis, Minnesota, died in 2017 after rationing prescription insulin which his family said he could not afford. (Courtesy Nicole Smith-Holt) Alec Smith was a young restaurant manager just starting his career. "Basically, he was asked to pay $1,300 for his month's supply of insulin and he didn't have $1,300 in the bank," said his mother, Nicole Smith-Holt. "He went home without his insulin, and his body was found a few days later. He died." Last June, it happened to newly engaged Josh Wilkerson of Virginia. The 27-year-old was found unresponsive one afternoon by his fiancee. "We had to make the decision to pull him off life support. So he died June 15 because he could not afford his insulin," his mother, Erin Weaver, said. MORE: Health care spending decreases under single-payer systems: Study Two weeks later, tragedy struck again. Jesimya Scherer-Radcliff, a 21-year-old diabetic who had been quietly rationing insulin, died in St. Louis Park, Minnesota. "It's heartbreaking," said Patterson, "because if you knew what it was like to feel yourself slowly dying -- you start to feel heavy, you have trouble breathing and you're still trying to maintain your job." PHOTO: Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., holds an insulin vial as he addresses the media outside the Olde Walkersville Pharmacy, July 28, 2019, in Windsor, Ont. (Carlos Osorio/AP) Many Americans have looked north for a solution, making the trip to Canada where insulin costs just one-tenth of what it does in the U.S. "Insulin's been around a long time. You'd think they'd be able to knock the prices down," said Ray Clement, a retired facilities manager for the Catholic Diocese of Manchester and the father of diabetic Amanda Bowen. MORE: Insulin's high cost leads to deadly rationing Clement voted for Donald Trump in 2016. Bowen supports Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders. "I think our system is fairly decent right now, and I don't think I'd want to play with it," Clement said. "I think once the government gets involved in a lot of things that it's not the most efficient thing we can have. I think private insurance can handle it." PHOTO: A patient holds a vial of insulin during a news conference outside the Olde Walkersville Pharmacy, July 28, 2019, in Windsor, Ont. (Carlos Osorio/AP) Patterson disagrees, believing the only way to stem the rising cost of insulin is some form of government intervention. "I'm not 100% sure if this is the answer, but Medicare for All?" she said. "I would love to be able to walk into a pharmacy, get insulin at a zero dollar copay, and continue to live my life." O'Donnell, whose advocacy group does not endorse candidates, said she's hopeful this presidential election campaign will be a turning point. "I would just love to see a little less pointing fingers and a little more, 'This is the definitive answer,'" she said. "I would love for a candidate to step in and say, 'I want to address this for you now.'" Six months after canceling its release, Universal and Blumhouse are reintroducing The Hunt. The satiric political thriller, which depicts rich, liberal "elites" kidnapping and hunting conservatives, will now hit theaters on March 13. "It just feels right," co-writer Damon Lindelof told Variety about why now is the time to release the movie. "And as more and more people start to see it, weve gained confidence in the fact that this is not a dangerous movie. This is not a provocative movie. This is not a divisive movie. I think the big shift between now and then is that more people have seen it and theyve responded positively." Last year, Universal paused its marketing campaign for the violent film in the wake of the mass shootings in El Paso, Tex., Dayton, Ohio, and Girloy, Calif. Backlash ensued once the premise of the movie was reported on in the media. The Hollywood Reporter noted the script referred to the hunted as "deplorables" the infamous word Hillary Clinton used to describe Trump supporters in 2016. It caught the attention of President Donald Trump, who condemned "racist" Hollywood and tweeted, "The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos. They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!" Emma Roberts in The Hunt. (Photo: YouTube) Producer Jason Blum said the medias coverage at the time was inaccurate, as no one had seen the film. "It was the most talked about movie that no one has ever seen," he told Variety. "So both of us were very eager for people to see the movie and realize that the movie is 100 percent satire and pokes fun at both sides equally." Lindelof added, "It was all about balance, and we felt the movie was actually pretty balanced in terms of the shots that it took. Thats probably what got misreported. The movie that was being presented was slanted, and we didnt perceive it that way." The movie was recently screened for a few journalists. In one scene, per Variety, a liberal hunter shoots a man who says, "Climate change is real." One conservative victim is depicted as "anti-gay, and another rails about illegal immigrants, talks about the Deep State, and fantasizes about going on Hannity to expose a liberal conspiracy. Hilary Swank plays the ringleader of the liberal elites, while GLOW's Betty Gilpin turns the tables on the killers. Lindelof said they are not worried the film will incite violence against Trump supporters. Story continues "Were not concerned and our hope is that if the president talks about the movie again, its because hes seen it versus what he is being told by others," he explained. "Our real hope is that the president sees the movie," Blum noted, adding they will "100 percent" make it available to the president. "The intention was to reflect whats happening," explained Lindelof. Now, the studio plans to "market the film with attitude," according to THR. A one-sheet that debuted Tuesday reads, "The most talked-about movie of the year is one that no ones actually seen," with the films original Sept. 27 release date crossed out. The poster features quotes from news coverage at the time, like when Fox Business host Lou Dobbs called the movie "sick" and "twisted." "We think that people who see it are going to enjoy it and this may be a way to shine a light on a very serious problem in the country, which is that were divided," Lindelof told THR. "And we think the movie may actually, ironically, bring people together." Trump is apparently never named in the film. A new trailer debuted on Tuesday: Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Want daily pop culture news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Entertainment & Lifestyle's newsletter. Klarna engages consumers to enhance its smooth shopping proposition STOCKHOLM, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Klarna, the leading global payments and shopping provider, is proud to announce the launch of its 'Consumer Council'. The global initiative sees Klarna invite consumers to a meet-up and share their thoughts on different themes related to their experiences using Klarna. The meet-ups will take place in all main markets, three times per year. This is yet another step demonstrating Klarna's commitment to get even closer to consumers and to understand what it takes to fulfill Klarna's mission to provide the smoothest and smartest experience when shopping and paying. "At Klarna, we have an amazingly engaged consumer community, which we speak and listen to daily to understand their experiences first hand. We're interested in the good parts, but more importantly we're interested in the areas where we clearly have room for improvement. We're always looking for new ways to support and build Klarna with our community and to solve consumer pain points we may not have thought of ourselves. Gathering direct feedback is extremely important to us and a vital part in meeting consumers needs and ultimately, to provide the best end-to-end shopping experience", Sebastian Siemiatkowski, co-founder and CEO of Klarna. It has become increasingly evident over the past few years that the way consumers shop, spend and save is evolving rapidly and that technology has revolutionised how consumers approach their finances. At Klarna, everything revolves around the consumer and how to provide unparallelled services that allow them to benefit from increased control and joy - everyday. However, as a digital company it can sometimes be hard to regularly meet consumers face-to-face, especially with rapid expansion into new markets. Klarna's 'Consumer Council' will play a key role in facilitating that important conversation and ensure that Klarna is even more responsive to consumer's evolving needs and developing services to solve them. "With the launch of the 'Consumer Council', we are taking our direct consumer dialogues to a new level, enabling them to advise us, and truly placing them at the heart of everything we do. We are extremely proud of the number of consumers that choose Klarna everyday, and with this initiative we want to make sure that they can be equally proud of using our services", continues Sebastian Siemiatkowski. The first 'Consumer Council' meet-ups will take place in London on March 10 and Stockholm on March 16, followed by Manchester, Berlin, and New York during the spring. Each meet-up will have a specific theme tailored to the local market, with the objective to involve consumers across the spectrum in Klarna's mission to become the world's smooothest shopping experience. After the meet-ups, all findings and experiences shared will be summarized in a report. The report will ensure all feedback is properly taken into account when designing, and developing new and existing products and services. Progress on development goals will be made available on local Klarna blogs, where each region will provide regular status updates. Are you interested in being part of the first 'Consumer Council' meet-up? Register your interest for London here, and for Stockholmhere. About Klarna We make shopping smoooth. With Klarna consumers can buy now and pay later, so they can get what they love today. Klarna's offering to consumers and retailers include payments, social shopping, and personal finances. Over 200,000 merchants, including H&M, Adidas, IKEA, Expedia Group, Samsung, ASOS, Peloton, Abercrombie & Fitch, Nike and AliExpress have enabled Klarna's innovative shopping experience online and in-store. Klarna is the most highly valued fintech in Europe with a valuation of $5.5bn and one of the largest private fintechs globally. Klarna was founded in 2005, has over 2,700 employees and is active in 17 countries. For more information, visit klarna.com. For additional information, please contact: press@klarna.com This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/klarna-bank-ab--publ-/r/klarna-launches-global--consumer-council-,c3032573 The following files are available for download: If you never heard of LendEDU, you very likely might have spotted one of their many, many quirky surveys. Take a recent one: Reportedly 62% of student loan borrowers actually would give up their right to vote in the 2020 presidential election if it meant their student loan debt was completely forgiven. Really? Are we driven totally these days by self interest, greed and a bottom-line approach of how much is in it for me? Well, maybe more than might be evident to the naked eye. LendEDU which often uses online surveys of 1,000 adults clearly had a gimmick to get its name out there in order to tout, among other products, ways to refinance student loans. The more you researched lending products at the site, the more they made money. And, according to consumer watchdogs, LendEDU played a little loose at more than a few stops along the way. The site, which was launched in 2014, claims to offer ways to compare the best student loan refinance lenders, the best mortgage lenders, the best picks for personal loans, the best auto loans. The Hoboken, N.J.-based company was pitched as a marketplace for a variety of financial products. Yet what is the best anyway? Equifax breach: How to 'freeze' your credit following news of China military hack Taxes 2020: If you are divorcing, know the rules Expecting unbiased rankings Consumers might rightly imagine that top rankings would be based on objective, unbiased measures. But they would be wrong, according to an administrative complaint released in early February by the Federal Trade Commission. "In fact, LendEDU sold its rankings to the highest bidder," said Andrew Smith, director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection in a statement. Think of this as a "pay-for-play" online business model. Want to be the No. 1 lender? One student loan refinance company agreed to pay LendEDU $8.50 per click for a No. 1 spot and a spot on the rate table, according to the FTC complaint. Story continues And then the same student loan refinance company was asked by LendEDU to nearly double its payments to $16 per click in order to hold onto that No. 1 ranking, according to the FTC filing. College graduates often shop online for ways to refinance student loans. But the Federal Trade Commission said LendEDU led consumers to believe the website offered objective product information when lenders paid for placement. File photo taken at Michigan State University's Fall 2019 Commencement at the Breslin Center on Dec. 14. Such glowing reviews According to the FTC, the customer reviews couldn't be trusted either. "Spent two minutes filling out a form and saved thousands of dollars," read one review. Who wouldn't jump at a fast and easy chance to save big money? Especially when other consumers appear so happy with the results? But LendEDU site touted "fake positive reviews," according to the FTC. The FTC noted, "The vast majority of the reviewers do not appear to have used LendEDU." Only 11 of the email addresses provided by LendEDU's 126 reviewers on Trustpilot, which is a third-party review platform, match email addresses that consumers provided to LendEDU, according to the FTC complaint. "Of those 126 reviews, 111, or 90%, were written or made up by LendEDU employees or their family, friends, or other associates," according to the FTC. One review from "Kenny" stated: LendEDU showed me the light at the end of the tunnel. I was drowning in student loan debt then they showed up with a lifeboat and a warm blanket. The website was easy to navigate and with the help of their customer service team, I saved a lot of money refinancing. I cant thank them enough and would recommend to anyone! Lovely. Such passion. Such imagery a "lifeboat and a warm blanket" for someone drowning in student loan debt. But Kenny apparently had time on the job to write those glowing words. The FTC noted, "The review written by 'Kenny' actually comes from a LendEDU employee using a fake name." And if this doesn't make you sick as a consumer by now, here's another zinger that's not in the FTC complaint. Back in April 2018, the Chronicle of Higher Education unraveled another unsettling development. A top expert on student loan debt named Drew Cloud might have been quoted in The Washington Post and the Boston Globe about some crazy surveys such as 27% of those surveyed would contract the Zika virus to live debt-free. But, forgive me, as the old Joni Mitchell song suggests, we really didn't know "Cloud" at all. The Chronicle wrote that it spent more than a week trying to verify Drew Cloud's very existence. And only then did the company confirm that Cloud was a fake. Nate Matherson, CEO of LendEDU, told the the Chronicle then that Drew Cloud was a "pseudonym that a diverse group of authors at Student Loan Report LLC use to share experiences and information related to the challenges college students face with funding their education." Nothing but a phony dude sending fake emails to journalists, pitching stories and email interviews. Just another show, leave 'em laughing when you go. Matherson and other LendEDU employees did not return emails to provide a comment to the FTC's claims for this column. It's not bad enough that consumers are already stressed out about their debt and really aren't all that certain what to do when it comes to refinancing their student loans. Now, something that supposedly is designed to make things a bit clearer is overrun by clouded judgment. In general, consumer websites can be useful resources to help people do their homework on various products, said Tom Widor, an FTC staff attorney in the division of financial practices at the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. But consumers still need to be aware that they may not be getting the whole story. As a result, he said, it's best to use multiple sources, consider the source of the content, and not give too much weight to just reading customer reviews. "It really is difficult to know if reviews or other content are basically paid-for-play arrangements," Widor said. He said the FTC monitors the marketplace for fake reviews, deceptive influence marketing and the like. In October, for example, the FTC addressed a social media hoax where one firm, Devumi, sold fake followers to actors, athletes, musicians, writers and others who wanted to boost their appeal as influencers. Under a proposed settlement order, LendEDU would be required to pay $350,000 and be prohibited from making the same types of misrepresentations cited in the FTCs complaint. They would need to disclose if compensation is involved in any rankings as well. Yes, I'd imagine that's something consumers would indeed like to know. Contact Susan Tompor at 313-222-8876 or stompor@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @tompor. Read more on business and sign up for our business newsletter. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: FTC warns loan comparison site sold rankings to highest bidders The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad on Tuesday claimed that the SFI has violated "all established principles" by inviting an "outsider" like Jawaharlal Nehru University Students' Union president Aishe Ghosh to campaign for the Jadavpur University elections. The Students' Federation of India (SFI) hit back at the RSS' student wing, saying it too had invited an "outsider" such as Union Minister Babul Supriyo in its programme inside the JU campus in September last year. "After coming to know about the SFI's plans, we took up the issue with the registrar. We told her that an outsider cannot be allowed to campaign within the campus," ABVP JU unit leader Nikhil Das told reporters here. JU Registrar Snehamanju Basu on Monday said, "We have not been formally approached by anyone regarding any programme of Aishe Ghosh. We will decide after considering all angles after getting a formal intimation." The ABVP leader said there would be no objection if Ghosh attends a meeting outside the campus. "We, however, oppose on principle Ghosh's meddling in the affairs of the JU," Das said. Claiming that JNUSU president Aishe Ghosh had become synonymous with anti-fascism protests, the SFI's JU unit on Monday said it has invited her to take part in an anti-CAA rally here on February 14 and she has accepted it. Ghosh will also campaign for candidates of the CPI(M)'s students wing for the JU union election to be held on February 19. Ghosh had suffered head injuries during the violence at the JNU on the night of January 5 as a group of masked people armed with sticks attacked students and teachers, besides damaging property on the campus. The SFI's JU unit leader Ushashi Paul said the ABVP did not have any problem when it had invited Babul Supriyo, who is also not related to the JU, to attend its programme inside the university campus. "But when we are inviting Aishe Ghosh, they have a problem. Is it because she has become the face of student protests?" Paul said. Supriyo was shown black flags and heckled by a section of students at the JU where he had gone to address a seminar organised by the ABVP on September 19 last year. He was "rescued" by state Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar. Later on the same day, properties of the university were ransacked by a group of students allegedly owing allegiance to the ABVP. Referring to that incident, Das said, "We have urged the JU authorities to conduct a full probe into the chain of incidents on September 19, but it is yet to be done."He said an impartial probe will reveal that the ABVP was not involved in damaging of properties at the campus. Das claimed that contrary to perception, the JU is not a stronghold of the Left and there has been an upsurge of nationalist forces like the ABVP in the campus. The RSS-affiliated ABVP has for the first time fielded candidates for eight central panel posts - four in arts and four in engineering faculties - for the February 19 students' union polls in the JU. Besides the ABVP and the SFI, the Trinamool Chhatra Parishad and others are in the fray for the students' union polls to be held after a gap of three years. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Workers dressed in protective clothing, including face masks and gloves, are pictured carrying buckets as they work inside Warmdene doctor's surgery at County Oak Medical Center in Brighton, United Kingdom, after it closed following reports a member of staff was infected with the Novel Coronavirus, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Glyn Kirk//AFP via Getty Images) British Coronavirus Super-Spreader Identified, Says Hes Fully Recovered The British man who is believed to have passed on the new coronavirus to at least 11 people revealed his identity and said hes fully recovered. Steve Walsh, 53, traveled to Singapore for a business conference in January. Before returning to Britain, Walsh visited a ski chalet in France. Five people who also stayed at the chalet tested positive for the virus, French authorities said. Five others in the United Kingdom who had contact with a known case in France also tested positive, British authorities said. And a person in Spain who tested positive was believed to have caught the virus from Walsh, a so-called super spreader, or one or transmits more infections than the majority of sick people do. This is not particularly surprising but it does appear that the index case has passed on the infection to an unusually large number of contacts. As such, he could be termed a super-spreader, infectious diseases expert Dr. Andrew Freedman told The Guardian. Coronaviruses are typically found in animals but in rare cases can jump to humans and begin to transmit person-to-person. The new virus, also known as the Wuhan coronavirus, started in the Chinese city in December 2019 and has infected tens of thousands of people, mostly in China. A British man who attended a conference in Singapore infected others with coronavirus. (AP Infographic) The incubation period of the new virus can be as long as 24 days, according to a new study, and the virus can spread through the air in addition to close contact transmission. Walsh is still in quarantine in a hospital in London but issued a statement saying hes doing well and expressing gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS). I would like to thank the NHS for their help and carewhilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus, he said in the statement, which was sent to news outlets. Walsh said he contacted his doctor and the NHS after learning he had been exposed to a confirmed case of the new virus and was told to self-isolate at home. A welcome to Brighton and Hove sign by the side of the road in Brighton, United Kingdom, on Feb. 11, 2020. Several locations in and around Brighton have been quarantined after a man linked to several coronavirus cases in the UK came into contact with the public and healthcare workers. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves, Walsh said. I also thank friends, family, and colleagues for their support during recent weeks and I ask the media to respect our privacy. Walshs wife and two daughters have tested negative for the virus. Servomex, Walshs employer, organized the business conference in Singapore, where people from South Korea, Malaysia, and the United Kingdom were infected. The County Oak Medical Center in Brighton, United Kingdom, is closed amid coronavirus fears in the city on Feb. 11, 2020. (Chris J Ratcliffe/Getty Images) We are very pleased that Steve Walsh has made a full recovery. We continue to provide support to him and his family, Servomex said in a statement. We are working with public health authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff and communities and wish anyone with the virus a quick and full recovery. EasyJet said that 183 passengers and six crew members were on the flight that Walsh took from Geneva to Gatwick Airport in London on Jan. 28. Crew members were told to monitor their health and none are displaying any symptoms, the airline said in a statement. Public Health Englands Emeritus Medical Director Paul Cosford told Sky News earlier Monday that four new cases confirmed in Britain were not a surprise because of their links to a known case, believed to be Walsh. Chris Whitty, Englands Chief Medical Officer, said in a statement that the new cases were known contacts of a previously confirmed UK case and the virus was passed on in France. The vice president of Equatorial Guinea, who is also the presidents son has been fined for alleged corruption. Authorities previously seized his 107 million Paris mansion and fleet of expensive cars. A French court on Monday ruled against Teodorin Obiang, the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, in a years-long embezzlement process launched by a group of anti-corruption NGOs. Obiang was ordered to pay a 30 million ($32.9 million) fine. He also faces a suspended jail term of three years after a lower court found him guilty on a range of charges relating to graft and money laundering. Additionally, the Paris appeals court confirmed the seizure of his property, including a six-level mansion in Paris which had been valued at 107 million in 2012. The ruling is an important moment, said Marc-Andre Feffer of Transparency International France, which was among the NGOs spearheading the case. It seemed unacceptable to us for France to remain a place where foreign leaders could launder dirty money from the embezzlement of public funds by buying buildings and so on, he told the DPA news agency. In addition to being the vice president of Equatorial Guinea, the 50-year-old Obiang is also the son and the most likely successor of President Teodoro Obiang Nguema, who has ruled the impoverished country for more than four decades. His legal team has one final option for appeal left, they could challenge the Monday veridict before the Cour de Cassation, Frances highest appeals court for criminal cases Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Reuters A US appeals court on Monday denied a request by Apple Inc that it reconsider a decision upholding a finding Apple iPhones infringed VirnetX Holding Corp patents relating to secure communications technology. The US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit declined to reconsider a split decision it issued on 22 November in the long-running litigation. In the November ruling, a three-judge panel of the court voided a jurys calculation that Apple should pay $503 million (389.6 million pounds) for infringing VirnetX patents. But in a partial victory for VirnetX, the Federal Circuit left in place a Texas jurys finding that some versions of the iPhone infringed two VirnetX patents, setting the stage for another trial. Apple had urged all of the judges sitting on the court to reconsider that part of the three-judge panel's decision. by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, February 11, 2020 A proposed privacy bill in Washington state could unleash a flood of frivolous litigation, the major ad industry groups said Tuesday. The Washington Privacy Act, unveiled last month in the state Senate, would give residents new rights to control data about themselves. The proposed bill would specifically empower consumers to access, delete and correct data about themselves, and the right to prevent the use of their data for targeted ads or profiling. The measure also would explicitly prohibit companies from charging different fees, or providing different levels of service, to consumers who do not want their data stored or used by companies. The bill introduced in the Senate (SB 6281) would task the state attorney general with enforcement. But a companion bill in the House (HB 2742) was amended on Friday to include a provision allowing consumers to sue over violations. advertisement advertisement That ability, known as a private right of action, would flood the courts with frivolous lawsuits driven by opportunistic trial lawyers searching for technical violations, rather than focusing on actual consumer harm, the American Association of Advertising Agencies, American Advertising Federation, Association of National Advertisers, Interactive Advertising Bureau, and Network Advertising Initiative said in a letter sent to Washington Rep. Timm Ormsby. A private right of action would expose businesses to extraordinary and potentially enterprise-threatening costs for technical violations of the bill rather than driving systemic and helpful changes to business practices, the ad groups write. Chocolatey Clare founder Clare Tait says more people will choose to celebrate Valentines Day with vegan chocolate, writes Trish Dromey MORE people are buying vegan chocolate to celebrate Valentines Day, says Clare Tait, the founder of Dublin company Chocolatey Clare. The market has changed dramatically since 2016, when Clare Tait set up a small company to sell high-end chocolate bars to vegans, to the lactose intolerant, and to those who appreciate artisan chocolate, which she describes as being at the edge of darkness. Now, people are buying vegan food out of concern for the environment and this extends to chocolate. Ms Tait says that as a result of concerns about climate change, shops are more willing to stock vegan chocolates. Two years ago, when I applied for support, I was told that the vegan chocolate market was too small, but I think this has changed now, she said, pointing to the fact that most supermarkets now stock vegan chocolate. Still a one-person operation, Chocolatey Clare has had sales to 50 outlets and also supplies 10cafes, in addition to selling on its own website. Because of ongoing growth in the demand for vegan products, Ms Tait is considering export opportunities, she says. Chocolatey Clare came about after Ms Tait, along with the rest of her family, went vegan in 2015. But missing the sweetness of milk chocolate, she began experimenting with recipes and found one that she and her family liked. Renting space in a commercial kitchen, she tried out her vegan chocolate at the farmers market in Bray in 2016. This went really well, which was a major boost, says Ms Tait, explaining that her chocolate is produced from ethically sourced, organic Peruvian Criollo beans and that the company name is a pun that many people dont get until they say it aloud. While sourcing the chocolate was expensive and difficult, she paid just 30 to have her Chocolatey Clare logo created. Getting a positive response to her first chocolate bars, she signed up for the Supervalu Food Academy and forged ahead, securing some funding from Dublin City Local Enterprise Office. For the outer packaging, I sourced FSC certified cardboard, which is printed with vegetable-based ink, she says, adding that the eco-friendly company in the North that produces it is also wind-powered. The inner wrapper is made from a plant-based, compostable film, so the chocolate is a plastic-free, zero-waste product, says Ms Tait. In recent months, she has begun selling to some of Irelands new minimum waste stores, which have come into being in response to environmental concerns. The main target market for the chocolate bars, which sell for 3.25 each on the Chocolatey Clare website, is high-end, speciality food stores and health food stores. Using ethically sourced ingredients means the chocolate costs more to produce, but it is a premium product; people who are interested in the provenance of their food are often willing to pay extra for those credentials, says Ms Tait. In addition to selling into food shops, she also sells her range of six bars to some high-end cafes, including the one at the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin Castle. Sales were slow to grow in the early days, but she says that she is now getting some approaches from buyers. Until August last year, Ms Tait was doing all the producing and selling herself, but as interest increased, she decided that the best option to scale the business was to outsource production and she has since devoted her energy to increasing sales. Aiming to grow at a sustainable pace, she is looking at the markets in both Germany and the UK, where the demand for vegan chocolate is high. Meanwhile in Ireland, shes expecting the increase in demand for vegan food to lead to a boost in sales for Chocolatey Clare gift boxes on Valentines Day and also for Mothers Day and Easter. Many countries continue to be on high alert following the coronavirus breakout in China. Airlines have canceled flights to the country. The death toll in the Asian nation continues to climb. On Monday, officials confirmed that 1,016 people had died from the coronavirus, reports New York Times. The number of confirmed infections has risen to 42,638. As the country struggles to contain the disease, scientists have been trying to find out more about the virus. This week, details about how fast the virus spreads have emerged. Tianjin on high alert In the Chinese city of Tianjin, located 70 miles southeast of Beijing, there have been 102 confirmed cases of the coronavirus. An interesting trend developed after 33 patients were linked to a department store in Baodi, a district within the city. The patients had traveled to the store over the last month. The department store has since been disinfected and Chinese health officials are tracking down all residents who may have visited the store over the last month. They have put out alerts in the media, and social media outlets, asking residents who may have visited the store to contact the nearest healthcare facility. Officials estimate that over 11,700 customers may have visited the store in late January. The Chinese government extends the Lunar Year holiday break due to Coronavirus These new revelations come as workers prepare to go back to their jobs after the Lunar Year holiday break. The government had extended the holiday by three days hoping to avoid an increase in the rate of infection. Workers in the busy metropolitan hubs of Beijing, Shanghai, Guangdong, and Shandong will return to work on Monday. There have also been 49 confirmed infections in Hong Kong. While the majority of the infections are in China, the World Health Organization says the disease poses a great threat to the rest of the world if it is not contained. Discuss this news on Eunomia Speaking on Tuesday, the organizations director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said they were monitoring the situation. With 99 percent of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world. Coronavirus infections Infections that have occurred outside of China have been quickly identified and the patients were immediately quarantined. A British businessman who was suspected to have spread the virus in Britain and France spoke for the first time on Tuesday. Steve Walsh contracted the virus in Singapore and later on traveled to France where he is may have infected several people while staying at a resort. His doctors have since released a statement saying that he had recovered from the virus. - The Joint Terrorism Task Force will be the first to be located outside of the United States - The Kenyan-led team will be a multi-agency counterterrorism investigative force based in Nairobi - Forty-two Kenyan sleuths will receive counter-terrorism training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia - The announcement came after President Uhuru Kenyatta's meeting with President Trump at the White House last week Kenya has been chosen as the site for the first Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) to be located outside of the United States, the State Department has announced. The Kenyan-led team will be a multi-agency counterterrorism investigative force based in Nairobi. READ ALSO: 4 police officers arrested for assaulting Raila's cousin FBI and State Department officials pose for a photo with Kenyan police and intelligence officers at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Photo: FBI. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kakamega: Mwanamke ateketeza nyumba baada ya mume kuleta kipusa mwingine The announcement, which was made on Monday, February 10, followed President Uhuru Kenyatta's meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House during last weeks tour of the US. But the initiative to establish a joint terrorism task force began after the al-Shabaab terrorist attack on the DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 16, 2019, a midday attack which claimed 21 lives. It was felt that there was a pressing need for a JTTF that could be met through FBIs training expertise combined with the capacity-building efforts of the State Department Bureau of Counterterrorism (CT Bureau). To this effect, 42 selected Kenyan investigators will receive a 12-week intensive counter-terrorism training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The FBI will administer the curriculum and provide training with assistance from other agencies, as applicable. The FBI and the CT Bureau will collaboratively assess the program. The team will adopt methodologies used by U.S.-based JTTFs and be trained to handle sensitive counterterrorism intelligence shared with the Kenyan government. The investigators will be trained and equipped to investigate all terrorism matters deemed of significant importance to Kenyas National Security Council, the State Department revealed. DCI boss George KinotI has welcomed the training program and partnership between Kenyan investigators and FBI. Photo: DCI Source: UGC Upon completion of the course, the JTTF-K officers will return to Kenya where they will be assisted by an FBI special agent mentor. The US stated that in Kenya, all investigations conducted by JTTF-K will be carried out in accordance with international law enforcement standards and in comportment with human rights. Legal authorities, it noted, will be derived from the Kenyan constitution and international treaties. Cases will be prosecuted in Kenyas courts, which promotes the US goal of enabling foreign partners to successfully counter terrorist threats, the State Department assured. The JTTF-K is being funded by the CT Bureau under the Counterterrorism Partnership Fund, which was established by Congress to build the law enforcement capacity of partner nations on the frontlines of terrorism. It is part of a comprehensive program with Kenya to promote terrorism investigations and prosecutions, enhance crisis response, and strengthen border security. The announcement came at a time when Kenya continues to face sporadic attacks from the Al-Shabaab militant group, particularly in the northeastern and coastal regions. The attacks have resulted in the mass transfer of all non-local teachers based in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera counties. But the US has constantly reiterated its continued fight against terrorism and lauded its partnership with Kenya in the war on terror. During last weeks meeting between Kenyatta and Trump, the two leaders also discussed the prestigious designation of Kenya as the first Sub-Saharan country to begin negotiations on a bilateral trade deal with the United States. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Not everyone who catches Ebola dies of the hemorrhagic virus infection. Some people mount a robust immune defense and recover fully. Yet risk factors for susceptibility to infection and disease severity remain poorly understood. A team at the Center for Infection and Immunity (CII) at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health has used a specially bred population of laboratory mice that mimics human patterns of tolerance and susceptibility to the Ebola virus to identify human immune factors that predict outcomes among people infected with the disease. In a new paper published by Cell Reports, the team describes how they identified differences in immune response among mice who recovered from Ebola and those who perished. Further analysis revealed differences in gene expression between the two groups that account for disparities in immune response. Using machine learning, the team created a model that accurately predicts human disease outcomes based on expression of a small subset of genes. The researchers tested their model using a data set collected from Ebola patients in western Africa; the data set contains details on the presence of types of RNA associated with immune function in people's blood, as well as whether they lived or died after infection. The model predicted the patients' outcomes with 75 percent accuracy, confirming the factors identified as valid in the mouse model were also associated with outcomes among humans infected with Ebola. While the work has not yet been translated into a clinically approved test for use among human patients, the findings could guide the development of new tools to triage patients in resource-poor countries, support immune function among those at higher risk of death, and boost vaccine response among those at greatest risk. "Since the current Ebola therapeutics being tested in the DRC [Democratic Republic of Congo] are most effective when given as early as possible in infection our model could be used to develop tests with a huge impact on clinical care and patient outcomes," says senior author Angela Rasmussen, PhD, an associate research scientist with the Center for Infection and Immunity. Studies of Ebola infection and response among humans have historically been limited by the difficulty of obtaining samples during an outbreak, says co-first author Adam Price, PhD, an analyst at Columbia Mailman's Center for Infection and Immunity. "The human data set we used to test our machine learning model is one of the only ones in existence that contains the information we needed on gene transcription among people infected with Ebola," Price explains. "Human data collected during an outbreak rarely contains the combined breadth and specificity of information scientists need to perform detailed analyses of immune function," says co-first author Atsushi Okumura, PhD, DVM, an associate research scientist at CII. "Mouse models can help fill in the information gaps." Rasmussen points out that by contrast to relying on patient data, the right mouse model can allow for comparatively expedited, low-cost studies to guide the study of human disease and the design of effective medications. "A common criticism of mouse models of Ebola is that they don't faithfully recapitulate human infection, and thus can't be used to develop diagnostic or prognostic tools," says Rasmussen. "Here we show that data generated in our mouse model can be applied to patient data to correctly predict outcomes." Due to its size and low cost, the new mouse model removes research hurdles by making it easier for scientists to perform pre-clinical studies in maximum biocontainment, and with more robust statistical power than can be achieved with larger animal models. Using AI-driven approaches like machine learning to apply this to patients also overcomes the challenge of obtaining human samples. The fidelity of the team's mouse model in replicating human responses to Ebola may prove helpful in understanding other viruses, such as the coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan, China. While much is still unknown about the new coronavirus, Rasmussen explains that the mouse model may be a useful model in guiding further understanding of the disease. ### Adam Price, a bioinformatician at the Center for Infection and Immunity is co-first author. Additional authors are Pryanka Sharma, Methinee Artami, and W. Ian Lipkin of the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; Elaine Haddock, Friederike Feldmann, Kimberly Meade-White, and Heinz Feldmann of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and David W. Threadgill, Texas A&M University Health Science. Center. The study was funded by DARPA (HR0011-17-2-0009), NIH/NIAID (AI10976), and the Intramural Research Program of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. A thirteenth American has been diagnosed with the deadly coronavirus infection spreading around the globe, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials said Tuesday. The patient, of undisclosed sex and age, was under federal quarantine in California after returning from travel in Wuhan, China. Their diagnosis comes after a series of awkward fumbles between the CDC and local health officials. According to a statement issued Monday by the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), the newly-confirmed patient was one of four taken from Marine Corps Air Station Miramar with suspicious symptoms last week. On Sunday, the CDC said its testing revealed the passengers were all negative and sent them back to Miramar. Then, Monday, the CDC told UCSD that one patient did, in fact, have coronavirus, after further testing. So the confirmed patient was transported back to the hospital once more to be put in isolation, along with another patient who had begun to show possible symptoms. Now, both patients' symptoms remain 'mild' and they are in isolation while the staff there awaits the results of the CDC's test on the second potential patient. It comes as the first 195 Americans evacuated from the city, which is the epicenter of the outbreak, were set to be released from federal quarantine on March Air Base in California on Tuesday. There are now 13 people in the US confirmed to have coronavirus, with the latest patient - a person who had been under federal quarantine - becoming the seventh in California The newly confirmed patient was one of the evacuees being held at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego California. Pictured: Newly-arrived evacuees being transported from the airport to the air base, accompanied by CDC officials On Monday, Chinese officials confirmed that the Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, had had its deadliest day since the outbreak began. More than 100 people had died there, pushing the worldwide total past 1,000. On top of declaring the coronavirus outbreak public health emergency of international concern (PHEIC) on January 30, thee World Health Organization Tuesday said the outbreak stemming from China poses 'a very grave threat to the rest of the world.' The outbreak has now reached at least 24 countries outside China and three territories outside the mainland of the origin nation. In an effort to contain the outbreak, which continues to creep toward pandemic status, Wuhan has been on lockdown since January 23. American authorities have rerouted all flights from China through 11 airports, where passengers are now screened for a history of travel to the Hubei province, where the outbreak began, ostensibly at a Wuhan seafood and game market, and symptoms. The first batch of Wuhan evacuees to return to the US (pictured) is set to be released from quarantine at March Air Base on Tuesday As coronavirus cases surpass 1,000 worldwide, a 13th American has been diagnosed with the deadly virus spreading around the globe Anyone who has traveled to Wuhan within the past two weeks is placed under a federally mandated quarantine for 14 days - what scientists consider the outside bound of the virus's incubation period. People who have traveled to China within the past two weeks are subject to a self-isolation quarantine in their own homes for the same period of time. And for the time being, foreign nationals who have been in China in the past two weeks are barred from entering the US. US travel restrictions went into effect on Sunday, February 2. During the two weeks on either side of the restrictions, the State Department scheduled five flights to evacuate American diplomats and private citizens from Wuhan. Those planes have now all returned to the US and their 800-some passengers are being held in quarantines in California, Texas and Nebraska. It's now been two weeks since the first plane arrived in California. As of Tuesday, those first 195 quarantined passengers were set to be released from March Air Base. Two children were, at various points, transported from quarantine to hospitals with fevers, but they and all other passengers from that first flight have tested negative for coronavirus. However, in Japan, another 23 Americans quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship have are among the 136 on board to test positive for coronavirus. In Wuhan, the first American there was reported dead over the weekend. Free Tax Preparation Available to Eligible North County Residents NORTH ADAMS, Mass. Volunteers are organizing at five locations this tax season for low- and moderate-income households, three of which are AARP tax sites. AARP has been hosting tax preparation sites for more than 15 years and, because of the volume of eligible community members, it is by appointment only. You often hear people say they no longer need to file, but if one member of the family unit is older than 65 years, you may be eligible for a Senior Circuit Breaker Tax Credit of up $1,000. In order to file, you must bring your property tax bills and water bills or rental amount. In order to have your taxes done you must bring last year's return and all that would apply of the following: W-2,1099-Int, 1099-Div, 1099R, 1099-SSA, 1099-G, 1099-MISC, 1099-B and any other income. You still need proof of insurance for Massachusetts through a 1095-A or 1095-B. The three AARP tax sites are: Adams Council on Aging at 3 Hoosac St., Adams: 413-743-8333 Harper Center at 118 Church St., Williamstown: 413-458-8250 Spitzer Center at 116 Ashland St., North Adams: 413-662-3125 These three sites have a number of trained volunteers in the advanced level of tax preparation per Internal Revenue Service regulations. Additionally, all the three sites are conveniently located on the BRTA bus line. The Adams and North Adams sites offer reduced lunches to senior citizens although reservations must be made 24 hours in advance of the day. Seniors can have lunch for a $2 donation and get their taxes done at no additional cost. The Berkshire Community Action Council, located at 85 Main St., second floor, does taxes as well for all other low-income taxpayers. The site is manned by Williams College students, also a volunteer assistance tax program. Call 413-663-3014 to book an appointment. Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts and its Department of Business Administration will once again partner with Habitat for Humanity to offer free tax preparation services through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance program. VITA, a program of the IRS, assists taxpayers with disabilities or limited English speaking skills, those 60 years of age or older, or households with income below $56,000 a year. MCLA students will be available to complete both basic and advanced returns, including those with itemized deductions. Call the Habitat for Humanity offices at 413-442-0002 or 413-442-3181 to determine qualification and to schedule an appointment. Walk-ins will also be assisted on a first-come, first-served basis. MCLA students will begin to see clients on Monday, Feb. 10; hours are Mondays from 4-8 p.m., Wednesdays from 4:30-8:30 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in MCLA's Murdock Hall, located at 375 Church St. in North Adams. The program will continue through April 15. Factory farming dispute vexes Spain's coalition government AP - 1 hour ago MADRID (AP) A spat over factory farming is causing tension in Spains left-of-center coalition government, with the farm minister on Tuesday describing the consumer ministers criticism of the... $SPX : 4,670.29 (-0.14%) $DOWI : 36,068.87 (-0.45%) $IUXX : 15,614.43 (+0.14%) Nasdaq100 (NQ) Trying to Bounce Off Weekly Chart Upchannel Support Tradable Patterns - Tue Jan 11, 2:18AM CST The Nasdaq100 (NQH22) is consolidating yesterdays reversal off downchannel support (on the 4hr and daily chart), but remains vulnerable in todays European morning. Significantly, although NQ is... NQH22 : 15,678.50 (+0.45%) QQQ : 380.11 (+0.07%) Federal Reserve's Powell: High inflation 'exacts a toll' AP - Mon Jan 10, 11:01PM CST WASHINGTON (AP) High inflation is taking a toll on American families, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged in remarks to be delivered at a Tuesday congressional hearing, where he is sure... $SPX : 4,670.29 (-0.14%) $DOWI : 36,068.87 (-0.45%) $IUXX : 15,614.43 (+0.14%) Federal Reserve's Powell: High inflation 'exacts a toll' AP - Mon Jan 10, 6:32PM CST WASHINGTON (AP) High inflation is taking a toll on American families, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell acknowledged in remarks to be delivered at a Tuesday congressional hearing, where he is sure... $SPX : 4,670.29 (-0.14%) $DOWI : 36,068.87 (-0.45%) $IUXX : 15,614.43 (+0.14%) US Mint begins shipping quarters honoring Maya Angelou AP - Mon Jan 10, 6:14PM CST WASHINGTON (AP) The United States Mint said Monday it has begun shipping quarters featuring the image of poet Maya Angelou, the first coins in its American Women Quarters Program. $SPX : 4,670.29 (-0.14%) $DOWI : 36,068.87 (-0.45%) $IUXX : 15,614.43 (+0.14%) A California lawyer was arrested by federal authorities who say she was also selling guns and distributing methamphetamine. Sadly, neither are covered under attorney-client privilege. On Monday, feds arrested Orange County lawyer Melinda Romines, 41, for allegedly illegally selling firearms including to an undercover agent. The Anaheim resident was charged with conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license, and with possession of an unregistered firearm, as well as two counts of distributing the illegal drug. ATF worked with local law enforcement to carry out the bust. [READ THE INDICTMENT] The federal indictment, returned last week, says Romines "found guns available for purchase from black market firearms dealers." Feds say Romines served as a broker between black market dealers and paying customers, and conducted business from various parking garages in Los Angeles. She wasn't messing around. Check out the size of the transactions. From Ashley Ludwig, Patch Staff writer with the Los Alamitos-Seal Beach, CA Patch.com: In May 2018, Romines was suspected of selling two firearms in a Los Angeles parking lot. Both a .40-caliber pistol and an AR-type .45-caliber rifle, each missing serial numbers, were sold in that exchange. Officials suspect also suspect Romines of selling a silencer and a high-capacity magazine with approximately 20 rounds of ammunition at that time, officials say. That transaction that netted her $2,600. In October 2018, in another Los Angeles parking lot, she sold a .45-caliber pistol and ammunition to a buyer for $900, the indictment alleges. Romines also allegedly sold nearly a quarter-pound of methamphetamine in two transactions in October and November 2018. A second defendant named in the indictmentSeaira Benson, a.k.a. "Relli," 27, of Compton and Los Angelesis been charged along with Romines with one count of distributing approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine. Authorities are currently seeking Benson. More at the OC Register, Los Alamitos-Seal Beach, CA Patch.com, and KTLA. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More The all-new Land Rover Discovery Sport that makes up half of CJLRs (China joint venture of JLR) business will be tested when the best-seller hit showrooms after parent Tata Motors warned that the lethal coronavirus would most certainly impact financials of the on-going quarter. The UK-headquartered luxury auto brand has nearly cancelled a formal physical presentation of the SUV in the wake of the outbreak of the deadly virus and has instead decided to go for a virtual online launch. A decision, however, has not yet been finally made, a top company executive informed. Speaking to analysts Adrian Mardell, Chief Financial Officer - Jaguar Land Rover Automotive plc, said, The virus will certainly impact Q4 results. To what extent, we'll know over the coming weeks. Though retail JLR volumes in China picked up in January, the spread of the coronavirus and counter measures taken by the authorities including imposition of restricted movements have crippled demand in the last few weeks. JLRs plant in Changshu remained shut though the official holidays are long over and workers were expected to restart production at the plant. JLR China & CJLR staff will return to work in accordance with government guidance, the British brands stated in a presentation. The company further warned that, if the disruption in production continued, it could hit supply chains outside of China as well. Expect Q4 sales to be impacted but too early to quantify and if disruption continues, supply chains outside China could also be impacted, the presentation further added. In the December quarter JLR wholesales in China jumped 36 percent to 12,300 units, outperforming all other markets. CJLR wholesale also jumped 34 percent to 15,400 units. Retail volumes were also up 24 percent to 27,400 units during the quarter as compared to the same quarter last year. The Discovery Sport is due to go on sale on February 20. It's half the volume for the CJLR business. Of course, with the sad event in China at the moment, that launch will be impacted. We're thinking about doing as a virtual online launch rather than a physical presentation initiative which we normally do, but that decision has yet not been finally made, added Mardell. China made up 17 percent of the JLRs worldwide sales by the end of December while the US remained the biggest market for the two brands with a share of nearly 29 percent. By the end of December the China JV business recorded a loss of 49 million Pound, which was higher than the 31 million Pound loss recorded during the same quarter in FY19. A statement released towards the end of January stated that the JV had made a donation of RMB 8 million for the control of the new coronavirus pneumonia and the future prevention of epidemic diseases at primary and middle schools. Monday, China's leader, Xi Jinping, appeared in public for the first time since a big swath of the country was shut down due to the coronavirus. According to the New York Times: President Xi Jinping of China, the authoritarian leader who had been noticeably absent from public view since the coronavirus outbreak escalated into a crisis, toured several public places in Beijing on Monday afternoon. The appearances seemed aimed at countering criticism that Mr. Xi has been aloof amid rising public discontent with his governments struggle to contain the crisis. A day earlier, he held a "rare" meeting of top officials on the crisis. He also went on television. According to CNBC: Chinese President Xi Jinping insisted the country will win the fight against the coronavirus outbreak, saying he will adopt more decisive measures to contain the spread. Speaking on state television Monday, Xi said the country would speed up the development of drugs that have relatively good clinical effects against the deadly pneumonia-like virus. Xi's comments come shortly after China's National Health Commission said it had confirmed more than 3,000 new cases and almost 100 deaths as of Sunday night. The world's second-largest economy now has a total of 40,141 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in the country, with 908 deaths. Reminder: the guy's a dictator. In theory, he doesn't need to do anything. He's got absolute power, and too bad if people don't like it. His government has been pretty secretive up until now, too. That Xi is now acting almost like a Western politician, seeking to rally the people as the coronavirus epidemic ravages a lot of the country and makes China itself a disease pariah globally, rather suggests a dictatorship under strain and trying to shore up support. The BBC called that appearance "rare." Foreign Affairs calls it "a stress test." Or more likely, he's running scared. Foreign Affairs, which has a very good analysis, notes that Xi is definitely being blamed by the Chinese: Xi's system of governance has protected him from significant political fallout from the epidemic but has also created the very conditions that allowed the virus to spread so fast in the first place. Because the Chinese state apparatus is so centralized, information pools around bottlenecks and often fails to reach those who need it most. The mayor of Wuhan noted in a televised interview in late January that he passed information regarding the coronavirus to the relevant authorities early on, but he was not authorized to release that information to the public. Others were no more able to voice their concerns without fear of reprisal. When 34-year old Dr. Li Wenliang first raised the alarm about the virus in a small online chat group in late December, he was detained and forced to sign a statement disavowing his comments. His death from the virus on February 7 provoked an outpouring of grief and anger, as well as calls for freedom of speech across the Chinese Web, with the news of Li's demise garnering more than 1.5 billion views on the social media platform Weibo. Hoping to allay the public's anger, Beijing responded by promising to send a team from the CCP's anti-corruption body to investigate the local government's treatment of Li. for the crisis: The root of the problem is that ruling Chinese communists refuse to permit the free flow of information. In an epidemic, that's deadly; that's precisely what extends the duration of an epidemic, information being the one thing that needs to be shared freely, to prevent panic, to ensure the distribution of medical supplies, to obtain effective cures, to isolate transmission areas. Foreign Affairs explains the details of this well. So the more the Chicoms act like Chicoms, the worse the epidemic gets and the worse the effects. To look at the comments section of the YouTube video about it, it's clear the locals know it. It's possible, and maybe likely, the epidemic will die out before anything really dramatic happens. But there are so many signs of trouble already in China that it raises questions as to whether China's 73-year-old communist regime is going to survive this. Quite apart from the disease, the country is already in a dry tinder state, with an extended uprising in the semi-Westernized Hong Kong side on China's coast and a vast Gulag-like detention of millions in the restive Islamic far west. Its economy is faring poorly, and President Trump's trade squeeze on China has already forced a quick capitulation. Now with the coronavirus striking at Wuhan, the physical center of the country, the flashpoints go across the country. But it's not just the physical center that's significant about this Wuhan outbreak it's also the industrial center, not the only one, but a very important one. The economy was bad before with just 6% reported growth (down from a customary 9% - 10% clip), but now it stands to get very bad, with quarterly forecast cut to 4.5% (a 25% drop on the quarter), which in China is a perfect condition for revolt. Here's a story about China's 1Q smartphone sales being cut in half. Here's another from Bloomberg saying two thirds of China's economy is now idled, and oil consumption has tumbled 20%. It's bad. And the regime's only legitimacy up until now has been in providing prosperity to the people since its communist philosophy after 70 years excites no one. Without the prosperity -- and with Wuhan's citizen journalists showing penned-up people crying in despair for help from their balcony windows -- the inevitable question to follow is why the regime is needed? Now there are open signs of unrest and dissent. Here's a passage from the Wall Street Journal about how it's going for Xi: The Chinese leader also faces anger and frustration over the government's response to the outbreak, emotions that swelled Friday with the death from the virus of Li Wenliang, a young doctor punished for trying to raise an early alarm. In the province of Hubei, the center of the outbreak, hospitals are overwhelmed, medical and food supplies depleted, and some 60 million people are held under the largest quarantine in history. The virus first emerged in December in the industrial city of Wuhan, the capital of Hubei. While much of the nation's anger is directed at local authorities, blamed for trying to cover up the outbreak, many people also are channeling fury at the censorship and rigid, centralized authority that Mr. Xi has galvanized over the past seven years. ...and... Anger, frustration and fear have spread among many of the Chinese trapped in quarantined cities, drawing rare outbursts of resentment. During Mr. Li's visit, he asked a gathered crowd if they were getting used to the isolation, according to a video that went viral on China's social media. "Don't we have to get used to it?" one person said in an unusually defiant tone toward China's second-highest leader. Quote: "The myth surrounding him has shattered." Translation: Mandate of Heaven going down fast. Do epidemics take down empires? Based on what I've found in research, apparently not by themselves, but they can be big contributors if a place is already in a weakened state. The Roman empire, the Maya, and others saw their declines advanced by plagues and the demoralizing impact such events have on populations. The human situation in Wuhan is particularly heart-rending. There are more than 1,000 dead now. The scenes of people being dragged kicking and screaming to internment camps, where, if they didn't have the coronavirus when they entered, they sure as heck would if they got forced to stay in one, were disturbing, as I wrote about here. From China's citizen journalists, filming scenes, there's this. And this. And this. And this. It reminds me of Albert Camus's existential masterpiece "The Plague." Glance at the Wikipedia summary, and all you can think is "Wuhan." There's not just a plague hitting China hard now, there's also the broader picture that harsh dictatorships frequently wear out and collapse at about their 75-year-point. Think 'Soviet Union' or PRI Mexico -- and democracies often have sharp turning points at their 75 year marks. China's right there around 75. Year of the Rat is year one in the 12-year cycle in the Chinese calendar, and even if that means nothing to us, it's likely many Chinese people are noticing that there's a new cycle starting. It doesn't take long for perception to become expectation. As strong and developed as China appears now, the other thing we know about supposedly strong, stable totalitarian dictatorships is how fast they can go. Unexpectedly, they like to say. Image credit: YouTube screen shot from Reuters, CCTV, South China Morning Post. Six convicted extremists have committed another terror offence after being released from prison since 2013, official figures show. They make up 3 per cent of the total number of terror offenders (196) freed in the seven-year period, according to information released on the eve of a Commons vote on a law that would keep them prison for longer. Lord Keen, the advocate general for Scotland, said the figure only covered offenders in England and Wales who were convicted for a further terror offence from January 2013 onwards. All those convicted of an offence under the Terrorism Act who have been released on probation are closely managed by the National Probation Service, he added. HM Prisons and Probation Service works closely with law enforcement partners to share information and manage the risks that these offenders present in custody and on probation to reduce the risk of reoffending, and to support them to reintegrate into the community. Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Show all 22 1 /22 Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Armed police officers on Streatham High Road. The Metropolitan Police warned people to stay away from the Streatham area boguta37/PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings The man was shot dead by police after two stabbed in 'Islamist-related' terror attack in London boguta37/PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Sudesh Amman, the attacker, has been named as a convicted terror offender who was released from prison days ago Metropolitan Police/PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Items left on the pavement at the scene in Streatham High Road Isis supporter Amman was just 18 when he was jailed in December 2018 after police found a stash of bomb-making manuals and other propaganda. Now 20, he had declared his own wish to carry out a terror attack and stockpiled a combat knife, air gun and black flag at his family home in London PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings He was being monitored by undercover police and being followed as part of a proactive counterterrorism operation when he started the rampage in Streatham AP Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Amman was able to stab two people before being shot dead by armed officers outside a busy row of shops Gabriel Video/PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A woman reacts as police officers interview people near to the scene Getty Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings An armed police officer on Streatham High Road Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy DOrsi said Amman was wearing a fake suicide ves Gully/PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police forensic officers work outside of a Boots store AFP via Getty Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police officers at the scene Getty Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A police forensic officer works at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Items left on the pavement at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A police officer on the scene Dave Chawner/SWNS Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police forensic officers are seen near the site Reuters Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police officers on the scene outside an Iceland supermarket Andy Bullemor/SWNS Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police are seen near a site where a man was shot Reuters Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A policeman secures the site of the incident EPA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A view of the scene Megan Tobeck Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Armed police at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A view of the scene Michael Owens Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings Police forensic officers at the scene PA Streatham attack: Man shot dead by police after stabbings A Police officer is seen near a site where a man was shot Reuters The repeat offenders are believed to include a trio of plotters who called themselves the Three Musketeers, and an Islamist who was jailed twice in five years for spreading terrorist propaganda. But the number only includes those formally prosecuted for a second time, rather than terrorists who remain under security service surveillance, or whose continued offending has not been detected. Usman Khan and Sudesh Amman, who launched knife rampages after being freed from jail, are not among the six because they were shot dead during the attacks and no formal legal proceedings were launched. The statistic also omits terror plotter Mohiussunnath Chowdhury, who was initially cleared of charges over his first attack at Buckingham Palace, and other extremists who were referred to Prevent rather than being prosecuted in the first instance. Lord Anderson, the former Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation, had requested the figure in the House of Lords. He said that although recorded terrorist reoffending was very low, it was hard to assess the effectiveness of de-radicalisation schemes inside prisons. But the case for ending automatic release of terrorist prisoners is strengthened by recent atrocities, and the risk of copycat attacks, he added. The proposed law would prevent terror offenders on standard determinate sentences from being released automatically at the half-way point - as Khan and Amman were - and instead force the Parole Board to assess the risk they pose after serving two thirds of the term in jail. Lord Anderson and his successor, Jonathan Hall QC, have both warned that the change risks creating a cliff-edge where the board refuses release until the end of a sentence and terrorists have to be freed without any licence restrictions. 'Three Musketeers' Naweed Ali, Khobaib Hussain and Mohibur Rahman planned an attack after meeting in prison during terror sentences (West Midlands Police) The Ministry of Justice said it would ensure that released terrorists were subject to robust safeguards, which could include notification requirements, restrictions on travel and communications, and curfews. Critics have warned of the potential security risk of keeping extremists in jail, where terrorist networking and radicalisation is rife. There are about 224 terrorist prisoners but up to 800 flagged extremists, amid questions over de-radicalisation programmes and the closure of two of three flagship separation centres meant for radicalisers. Chowdhurys trial heard how he met fellow jihadis including the Parsons Green bomber at HMP Belmarsh, and an alleged terror attack was launched against prison officers inside a high-security jail last month. Among the six terrorist prisoners who formally reoffended were the Three Musketeers cell, who planned a Lee Rigby-style massacre after meeting while in jail for supporting al-Qaeda. Also believed to be included in the figure is a former London council worker who was jailed twice within five years for disseminating terrorist publications. Khalid Baqas first sentence apparently did little to change his views, as he resumed spreading jihadi CDs and leaflets and was jailed again in July 2018. The Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Bill was introduced to the House of Commons on Tuesday and will be debated by MPs on Wednesday. Ministers moved to bring in the laws as an emergency after the Streatham attack and aim to pass the legislation before the next terror offender is due to be released from prison on 28 February. Mark Latham has slammed solar energy and claims it did nothing to help after the heaviest downpour in 30 years sparked widespread power outages. The One Nation New South Wales leader blasted the renewable resource on Tuesday after severe wet weather battered New South Wales over the weekend. He said 'solar bottoms out' and is the 'most irresponsible' public policy 'experiment' in Australia's history. One Nation New South Wales state leader Mark Latham has slammed solar energy claiming it failed to work when heavy rain fall caused massive power outages He said 'solar bottoms out' and is the 'most irresponsible experiment' the Australian government has ever conducted Data from the Australian Energy Market Operator appears to support Latham's claim solar power played a negligible role during the height of the deluge (stock image of solar panels in The Ponds in north-western Sydney) 'When it does rain, it shows how ineffective solar panels can be,' Mr Latham wrote on Facebook. 'Currently in NSW, the energy grid is being powered up 93% by Black Coal, 4% hydro, 2% wind and ZERO solar. 'In truth, renewables are the wildest, most irresponsible experiment in the history of Australian public policy.' Data from the Australian Energy Market Operator appears to support Latham's claim solar power played almost no role during the height of the deluge on Sunday afternoon. At 6am on Sunday morning, according to the AEMO data, solar energy in New South Wales represented zero per cent of fuel usage. Black coal usage sat at 83 per cent, with solar power generating 0MWh towards the state's consumption. Later on in the day though, the data shows an increase in solar power usage to six per cent at 1pm and three per cent at 5pm as the storm continued to lash Sydney and surrounding regions. A wet and windy Bondi in Sydney's eastern suburbs is pictured during the record-breaking rainfall on Sunday The AEMO also pointed out their fuel mix graph did not include any power 'generated by rooftop solar' as it 'exists behind the meter'. The NSW government has also reported the use of solar, wind and bioenergy power has more than doubled from four to nine per cent between 2013 and 2017. Utility and large commercial solar operations - those over 100kW - have also shown large growth in that time period, according to a report by the state government. In 2017, large operations generated 400MW of the state's solar output per year. Fuel mix data shows though solar power usage (pictured at two per cent at 6pm on Sunday) did rise to as much as six per cent during the record-breaking rain storm Total solar growth across all scales has grown nine-fold from 200MW per year in 2010 to 1800MW per year in 2017, the report said. Solar advocacy body Solar Citizens told Daily Mail Australia in response to the politician's comments Australians were tired of 'people like Mark Latham playing petty politics with energy'. 'It's time to get on with the transition to clean low cost fuels like wind and solar. Millions of Australian households investing in solar panels can't be wrong,' the body's national director Ellen Roberts said. 'Renewables enable a more stable energy supply during extreme weather events. 'Community microgrids, connecting local renewable energy sources, will mean that towns and communities to keep their electricity supply even if poles and wires are impacted by storms and fires.' Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday called upon BIMSTEC countries to improve their early warning dissemination system and capacity building for protection of cultural heritage sites from natural disasters. The heritage sites must be preserved for future generations at any cost because they not only represent cultural identity of a nation but are also a driving force for the country's economy, the chief minister said. Patnaik said this while inaugurating the second BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020 (BIMSTEC DMEx-2020), hosted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven nations of south Asia and south east Asia. Noting that the theme of the exercise is focused on restoration of heritage sites damaged in natural disasters, Patnaik said, "The BIMSTEC countries are a great repository of ancient heritage with numerous cultural heritage sites susceptible to various kinds of natural disasters." The member states of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Substantial damages to monuments during Gujarat earthquake in 2001 and the 2005 tremor in Nepal are a reminder of the threat to heritage sites, Patnaik pointed out. The chief minister said, Odisha is vulnerable to calamities as the state faced more than 100 cyclones since 1891. "It is important to undertake adequate documentation, proper identification and grading of heritage sites," Patnaik said. NDRF Director General SN Pradhan, State DGP Abhay, Odisha Chief Secretary A K Tripathy, representatives from five member countries and other dignitaries were present at the inaugural ceremony. While five countries Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal - are participating in this exercise, two other member countries Bhutan and Thailand, could not make it due to travel advisories issued by their governments. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Laura Dern may not know who Baby Yoda is, but she certainly knows Jerry Harris from Cheer. (Netflix: 1; Disney+: 0?) The Best Supporting Actress winner freaked out over the Navarro College cheerleader while he was interviewing celebrities on the Oscars red carpet for The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Thats right, Harris took a page from Ms. I Will Not Not Be Rich and is making these 15 minutes of fame work for him! All of the biggest names at the Academy Awards stopped to obsess over Jerry, including Natalie Portman, Brad Pitt, and Robin Roberts. Jerry, this is what I want to say to you: You got this! You can do this, Jerry! Dern mat talked the mat-talk king. Because my daughter was giving me some mat talk as I was driving in the car. And we love you and we love your big beautiful heart. She ushered over her Little Women and Marriage Story directors Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, who were also ecstatic over Harriss presence. Well, mostly Gerwig. I watch your show while Im pumping every night! she screamed. Come for Laura Dern, stay for Jerry Harriss face when he finds out what Gerwig meant by pumping. Related The young Singapore-based company Osome, which provides services in Accounting (https://osome.com/sg/accounting-services-singapore/), Taxation, Corporate Secretary, HR & Payroll, is pleased to announce that it has received the status of Xero platinum partner. At the moment only 3 other companies in all Singapore have this title. This status is the highest level that Xero offers to its partners. Osome was able to get this achievement only three months after it reached the gold level, which is a clear demonstration of how fast the company is developing. Osome is proud to work with Xero, providing accounting for its customers through leading software so that they can access their documents anytime. Osome creates its services to help business owners get rid of routine work and papers burdens. The important feature of the platform is a completely secure chat, used as a web service and a mobile application. Clients send documents in any format, and they get processed by artificial intelligence, conveniently sorted in such a way that all receipts and invoices are linked to certain transactions and the necessary forms are filled out. Cloud storage provides quick access to any document of interest from anywhere with an Internet connection, from any device. Osome establishes a direct connection with Xero and the client's bank for secure data exchange. All documents will always be in one place, protected by encryption at the bank level. The company continues to focus on the development and improvement of automated functions, while Osome Chartered Accountants provide proactive advice and response within 15 minutes, focusing on the individual needs of their customers. With Osome, entrepreneurs use electronic signatures instead of a bunch of papers and easily chat with their specialists instead of visiting the office. In addition to accounting, Osome also provides tax reporting, ensuring that all reports are in perfect condition and submitted on time. Their specialists also advise on affordable benefits for small and medium-sized businesses. "Accounting is the core of our business and it is absolutely imperative that we provide the best possible service. Having Xero confirm this is the case means a lot. The whole team is extremely excited", says Dr Konstantin Lange, Osome COO. The company now provides its services in Singapore, the UK, and Hong Kong. Osome is already trusted by more than 2,600 clients from around the world. Osomes rapid rise from Gold to Platinum status only goes to demonstrate the power of cloud accounting. Their team has successfully capitalised on the benefits of cloud adoption to expand globally, with footprints in Singapore, Hong Kong and the UK. Not only did this supercharge their growth, it also aided their clients in their digital transformation journeys by creating a more seamless and cost-effective workflow. It has been a great partnership with Osome and we hope to continue supporting them as they set the pace in the accounting industry, says Kevin Fitzgerald, Managing Director - Asia, Xero Xero was founded in 2006 in New Zealand and since then has strengthened its reputation as one of the best accounting tools on the market. The company provides extensive support to its partners in order for them and their clients to achieve their goals, develop and grow. The company has over 2 million subscribers and operates in over 180 markets. Prosecutors said they ultimately were not able to conclude that Chase intended to enter false information in a case file. According to the report, Chase said he believed that the colleague had verified the work and simply had not signed off on it. The former employee said he eventually did review Chases work in the case and found it to be sound. Royal, 47, visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in the capital Queen Letizia of Spain was seen celebrating Safer Internet Day 2020 in Madrid Queen Letizia of Spain cut a stylish figure in a silk black blouse and high-waisted check grey skirt as she stepped out in Madrid today. The Spanish royal, 47, visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in a bid to help raise awareness of the online issues brought about by cyber bullying, and to celebrate Safer Internet Day 2020. The mother-of-two teamed her skirt, which featured jagged edge detail, with a pair of elegant black heels - and completed her outfit with silver stud earrings and an oval-shaped ring. During her visit, Letizia met with members of staff and shared her support for the need for parents, educators and professionals to educate children on being safe online. Queen Letizia of Spain, 47, looked radiant in a black blouse and a grey check grey skirt as she celebrated Safer Internet Day 2020 in Madrid today The mother-of-two (pictured) oozed style and sophistication as she visited the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia The Spanish royal, who showed her support of the country's bid to promote stronger internet security, smiled at the cameras as she attended the annual event The royal wore her brown hair down and finished her look with a touch of bronzer and a swipe of glossy lipstick. The annual event, which Letizia also attended last year, aims to raise awareness of issues such as privacy concerns, cyberbullying, disinformation and exposure to potentially harmful content online and helps promote a safer online environment. This year's event, which also saw talks by Rosa Diaz, general director of INCIBE and Maria Zabala, CEO of iWomanish, focused on the motto: 'A better internet starts with you: together we learn cybersecurity'. Letizia's appearance comes just days after she joined her husband King Felipe, 52, during a visit to the Holy Family-Penaflor Foundation, which was awarded 'School of the Year 2019' by the Princess of Girona Foundation, in Sevilla. Queen Letizia (left and right) teamed her smart ensemble with a pair of black heels and silver stud earrings The royal (pictured) wore her dark locks loose as she posed for a picture alongside others at the event in Madrid During the visit, the queen toured the school and posed for photos in the assembly hall with staff and students, before joining the students for a game of chess. Queen Letizia is the mother to Princesses Leonor, 14, and Sofia, 12, with husband King Felipe, whom she married at the Almudena Cathedral at Royal Palace, Madrid, in May 2004. She had previously worked as a reporter for the news channel 24 Horas where she held a weekly anchor position on the show Informe Semanal and also a position on the daily morning news programme. In 2003, just months after getting engaged to King Felipe, she left her job as a reporter. The Queen of Spain, who undertook her first solo engagement on June 23, 2014, attended public high school and completed a degree at the Complutense University of Madrid. She later gained an MA in Audiovisual Journalism at the Institute for Studies in Audiovisual Journalism. Letizia (pictured) completed her stylish look with a gentle touch of bronzer and a swipe of glossy lipstick February 11, 2020 NASA is looking for more astronauts to launch to the space station, fly to the moon and maybe journey to Mars. The space agency announced Tuesday (Feb. 11) that it will accept applications for its next class of astronaut candidates from March 2 through March 31. The new recruits, the 23rd group to be selected over the past 60 years, will become part of NASA's Artemis program to move humanity beyond Earth orbit and build upon two decades of astronauts living and working in space. "We're celebrating our 20th year of continuous presence aboard the International Space Station in low Earth orbit this year, and we're on the verge of sending the first woman and next man to the moon by 2024. For the handful of highly talented women and men we will hire to join our diverse astronaut corps, it's an incredible time in human spaceflight," said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine. "We're asking all eligible Americans if they have what it to takes to apply," he said. NASA to hire more Artemis astronauts. Click to enlarge in pop-up window. (NASA) In response to receiving a record number of applications during its last recruitment more than 18,000 people applied for the 2017 class NASA has increased its eligibility requirements and added a new step to the application process. As in past years, applicants need to be U.S. citizens and either have a degree in the sciences or engineering or be qualified as a test pilot. Candidates must also be able to pass a physical for long-duration spaceflight, including vision correctable to 20/20 in each eye (eyeglasses and LASIK are allowed) and be able to fit into both NASA's spacecraft and spacesuits. New this year is the requirement for a master's degree in a STEM field, including engineering, math or biological, physical or computer science. Alternatively, those applying can have completed a doctor of medicine or osteopathic medicine degree, or two years of towards a Ph.D. program in a related science, technology, engineering or math field. Candidates must have at least two years of related professional experience or at least 1,000 hours of pilot-in-command time in jet aircraft. In addition, all applicants will, for the first time, take an online assessment that will require up to two hours to complete. Details about the online assessment were not yet available, but according to NASA, it is "consistent with modern hiring practices across the government and industry." "With the increased interest level that we experienced in our previous application period, we made the decision to move several assessments to the beginning of the process as a pilot, to help ensure that the applications that are evaluated by the Astronaut Rating Panel best reflect the requirements of the position," NASA's astronaut selection website explained. Applications will be accepted through the USAJobs website beginning on March 2. The number of people who will be selected is still to be determined. "We target the number of people based on the missions that are planned. So you look at the missions that you have today, look at what the normal retirement rate is and then you figure out what all the jobs are supporting the design folks, executing the plans, training and fly outs and still flying the space station 24/7. So we base it off of that," Mark Geyer, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, told collectSPACE on Monday. NASA expects to select the new class in mid-2021, when they will begin at least two years of basic training before becoming eligible for flights on Boeing's Starliner and SpaceX's Dragon commercial crew spacecraft, Russia's Soyuz spacecraft or NASA's Orion spacecraft flying on the agency's new Space Launch System (SLS) heavy-lift rocket. NASA's corps currently includes 48 active astronauts, including the 11 members of the 2017 class who graduated in January. NASA has been recruiting astronauts since 1959 with the selection of the original Mercury 7 pilots. To date, more than 350 Americans have been chosen for the corps, with 347 qualifying for spaceflight assignments. Country towns will get an extra 100 GPs qualified to deliver babies and treat patients in rural hospitals under a Morrison government plan to help address the shortage of doctors in regional and remote areas. Regional Health Minister Mark Coulton will on Wednesday announce the government will fund advanced training in obstetrics, emergency medicine and general practice for 100 trainee doctors from next year at the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine. An extra 100 rural GP specialists will be trained under the plan. The extra training is part of the government's March 2019 promise to develop a national rural generalist pathway to channel more doctors to the regions. It allocated $62 million over four years in last year's budget to kick-start the project. "The Australian government remains committed to boosting the number of doctors in regional and remote areas," Mr Coulton will say in a speech to the Rural Doctors Association of Australia lunch in Canberra. USS Iwo Jima Completes Type Command Sea Trials Navy News Service Story Number: NNS200210-01 Release Date: 2/10/2020 8:22:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jessica Kibena, USS Iwo Jima Public Affairs MAYPORT, Florida (NNS) (NNS) -- The Wasp-class amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) completed Type Command (TYCOM) Readiness Evaluation Five (RE-5) sea trials, February 5, 2020. Sea trials are conducted after Continuous Maintenance Availability (CMAV) to test operational capabilities of equipment that was corrected over the last year during the yard period, and to train Sailors on how to operate gear, so that the ship can meet all of its warfare mission areas and be ready for any exercise or operation that might come up. "Sea trials is a milestone in the life cycle of the ship, particularly coming out of the maintenance phase," said Scott Brickner, Iwo Jima's operations officer. "It gives us an opportunity to validate the status of our equipment to make sure that it operates properly as designed, and if we do have some shortfalls, we can make sure that they get corrected." The ship completed engineering equipment evolutions and tested combat systems equipment and operational equipment. "Our crew has been fantastic," said Lt. Cmdr. Michael Castillo, Iwo Jima's damage control assistant. "The ramp up from what we've done in November to where we are now is almost unprecedented in the amphibious fleet. We certainly had our challenges but we responded, and now it's just working the time that we need to fix these issues so we can get through the training cycle and get this ship certified." Iwo Jima is scheduled to go through a basic training phase. "We have to get through the training cycle and get all of these maintenance issues worked out, operate our gear, get the ship certified for taking amphibious craft and taking aircraft," said Castillo. "Once we are certified, then we can be a ready ship and be a capital asset to the United States Navy" NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address More than a year after a hairstylist and her two daughters were found shot to death in a luxury home near Leon Springs, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators still havent determined who was responsible and that he isnt prepared to clear anyone. Salazar described the hairstylists boyfriend, Charles Edward Wheeler, 32, as a person of interest in the case but said thats not the same as calling him a suspect. Theres a lot of folks that wish I had just closed this investigation a long time ago, the sheriff said in an interview Monday with the San Antonio Express-News. But theres a lot of folks that dont have the power over me to make me do that. And so Im going to keep this investigation open. And as long as the FBI keeps asking me for evidence so that they can keep digging, Im going to keep giving it to them. Wheeler has not been charged in the case, and his attorneys say he had nothing to do with the deaths. Salazars remarks underlined that 13 months after the triple slayings in the exclusive Anaqua Springs Ranch subdivision, investigators still havent reached a conclusion as to who killed Nichol Leila Olsen, 37, and her daughters 10-year-old London Sophia Bribiescas and 16-year-old Alexa Denice Montez. The Sheriffs Office is the lead agency in the investigation. The FBI, at Salazars request, has been assisting. Bob Owen /Staff photographer Salazar said the federal agency has capabilities beyond those of local law enforcement. As an example, he cited behavioral analysis. But he did not indicate whether that has played a role in the Anaqua Springs Ranch case. Nor did he elaborate on what kind of evidence the investigation has turned up. The victims friends and family members, as well as Wheelers lawyers, have expressed impatience with the investigation, saying the wait for answers has become excruciating. Salazar said Monday that he felt for the victims families but saw no reason to rush the investigation because there is no statute of limitations for murder. On ExpressNews.com: A single mother, her millionaire boyfriend and how their storybook romance ended in horror Olsen and her daughters were found dead on the morning of Jan. 10, 2019, at the $1 million, 4,500-square-foot house they shared with Wheeler, a former rodeo competitor and oil and gas entrepreneur. Wheeler told investigators hed left the house around 10 p.m. the night before after arguing with Olsen and went to stay with his parents, search warrant affidavits show. Autopsies revealed that Olsen and Alexa had each been shot once in the head. London suffered a gunshot wound to her head and neck. All three were lying close together in an upstairs hallway of the home. Their bodies were cold and rigid. A handgun was found near Olsen. Wheeler reported finding the bodies when he returned home around 9 a.m. that morning. Days after the killings, the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office ruled that Olsen committed suicide. It said the girls were victims of homicide, but authorities have never indicated who is believed to have killed them their mother or someone else. Salazar said that despite the medical examiners ruling, he is keeping an open mind about whether Olsen actually killed herself. He also questioned whether Olsen killed her daughters. Courtesy photo /Carlos Montez Jr. Until you can show me definitively that she killed both of those little girls, then Im not prepared to call Nichol Olsen a murderer, Salazar said. To me, thats the worst thing that a parent could be accused of. And far be it from me to accuse any parent of that. ... Im just not ready to make that leap. If the FBI can help me either prove or disprove that one way or the other, Im going to use every tool to my advantage. On ExpressNews.com: Father losing patience with sheriffs office about his daughters killing as Anaqua Springs investigation remains open Salazar said hes not ready to publicly clear anyone. When the time comes and were able to completely clear anybody in this case of any wrongdoing, I will absolutely be the first one to stand there and do it, the sheriff said. But Im not there yet. Just like Im not ready to put anybody in jail or call anybody a suspect. Referring to Wheeler, Salazar said: For anybody to infer that I am calling somebody a suspect based upon the words person of interest is incorrect. Those two terms are not interchangeable. Attorney Therese Huntzinger, who represents Wheeler, said his family hopes the case will be resolved soon. The Wheeler family hopes and prays that Sheriff Salazar and the FBI if they are still involved prioritize this investigation and bring closure to all involved and impacted by this tragedy, Huntzinger said in a text message to the Express-News. The youngest victims father, Hector Bribiescas, recently complained publicly that the Sheriffs Office hasnt adequately communicated with his family or kept them updated on the investigations progress. On ExpressNews.com: Mourners reject suicide ruling in triple shooting at gated community in San Antonio area Salazar agreed that the grieving dad is entitled to answers. As a dad myself, I can understand where Mr. Bribiescas would like more information, the sheriff said. Hes gone through what a parent should never, ever have to go through. His little girl was ripped from his life literally in an instant. 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 According to a new global study commissioned by Four Seasons, almost everyone surveyed, across geographies and age groups, valued more vacation time over more money if given the choice, reaffirming that time continues to be the greatest luxury of all. The study of adults from the US, UK, China and the *GCC revealed that more than half of Millennials (54%), Gen X (53%) and Boomers (56%) would opt for more vacation days over more compensation. Only Gen Z many of whom have the luxury of more time yet seek financial independence value a raise (62%) over more days off (38%). By contrast, the wish list for how we spend our time while travelling is much more universal, spanning all generations surveyed. Reflecting our ongoing quest for self-fulfilment, travellers of all ages seek meaningful and personally fulfilling experiences, both big and small, that leave them feeling more interested in different cultures, more engaged with the world, and more deeply connected to themselves and others. "As we continue to innovate the Four Seasons guest experience, our global market research provides insight into how travellers prioritise and value time, both generationally and across regions," says Christian Clerc, President, Global Operations, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. "Today's travellers are seeking purpose through authentic experiences, returning home with a different understanding of the world around them. As a luxury hospitality company, we are at the forefront of this shifting consumer desire, and it inspires how we curate the guest experience, ensuring travellers leave Four Seasons with a sense of deep connection to the community and the destination's culture." What Comfort Zone? Travel can often lead us to do things we never dreamed possible, casting aside our daily routines so that we can experience the world differently. When it comes to life post-vacation, the key to "coming home different" might be taking part in transformative experiences that push us and broaden our horizons. The survey found that younger travellers Millennials and Gen Z are bigger risk-takers compared to Boomers; however, nearly all (95%) respondents agreed that a vacation is when they would be most likely to step outside of their comfort zone. In fact, more than a third of travellers have done something while on holiday that they didn't know they could, like trying a new sport or learning a new skill to challenge themselves mentally and physically. This is particularly true for respondents in China, where two-thirds (66%) of Chinese adults surveyed say their travel style is better described as "getting out of their comfort zone" versus other markets (45%). Come Home Different Collectively, we see the world differently after having been on vacation, with travel offering us time to reflect, be our best selves and embrace new ways of thinking. Reinforcing the notion of a "post-vacation glow," more than half (51%) of global respondents noted feeling more motivated, more optimistic (46%) and more patient at work (42%) after a holiday. Close to 4 in 5 (79%) Americans agree that after a vacation, they are more productive in the workplace. In the UK, nearly 3 in 5 respondents who've "come home different" say they did so with greater positivity or optimism, more appreciation for their loved ones (45%), better understanding of others' motivations (39%) and greater ability to manage stress (38%). After taking time off, adults from the GCC are maintaining their vacation happiness for significantly longer than other respondents, at an average of 26 days versus 15 in other regions. UK residents maintain their vacation happiness for only 11 days on average, the shortest amount of all respondents. Broadening personal horizons can also produce lifelong benefits. Nearly 3 in 5 respondents reported adopting new interests as a result of their travels, such as listening to new music (43%), learning new languages (36%) and appreciating new forms of art (36%). Younger adults are especially eager to take a new path to self-fulfilment while on vacation, with three quarters of those under 40 picking up a new hobby or interest. The most popular travel takeaway? Universally, the most common new interest across age groups and regions is cooking or eating new foods (56%), reinforcing the importance of unique and authentic dining experiences, something that Four Seasons is known for the world over. #FSTakeYourTime With 24 extra hours in 2020, what will you do with more time? Four Seasons believes in real, tangible transformation through connection to the world and the people around us, no matter how much time one has. This leap year, take a pause with Take Your Time: Daily Discoveries, a collection of Four Seasons experiences that require no more than 1 day, 1 hour or even 1 minute. Whether a quiet moment of meditation, an hour spent walking historic grounds, or full-day guided expedition, curated experiences driving deeper connections are available at properties worldwide, brought to life by the people of Four Seasons. Read on for a sampling of #FSTakeYourTime offerings. 1 Minute Moscow, Russia: Chimes of Spasskaya Sip a glass of Champagne on the balcony of a Four Seasons Imperial Suite, listening as the chimes of Spasskaya Tower ring out through Red Square. Hoi An, Vietnam: A Goodnight Kiss The body resonates with healing vibrations as it's bathed in the evocative music of singing bowls during the spa's nightly ritual. Set intention in writing, and then release a wishing candle onto the lotus pond as we say goodnight to the earth. 1 Hour Mexico City, Mexico: Top of The Hill Wander the sunlit halls and take in city panoramas from the terraces of Castillo de Chapultepec, a massive 18th-century castle atop Chapultepec Hill, within walking distance of Four Seasons. Sydney, Australia: Scale New Heights Take it one step at a time. The 360-degree views after a challenging 1,332-step walk up the towering Sydney Harbour Bridge are well worth the climb. 1 Day Athenian Riviera, Greece: Slow Down on the Sea Cruise the Aegean aboard a traditional kaiki boat and embrace a slower pace of life. Go fishing, see ancient sites, swim in the Saronic Gulf and savour local flavours during a romantic sunset dinner aboard a private vessel. Langkawi, Malaysia: Natural History Glide through a maze of 550 millionyear-old cliffs and tangled mangroves and spot Langkawi's Flying Five on the Mangrove and Eagles Safari with Four Seasons, followed by a trip to the Geopark Discovery Centre and a family barbecue on a private villa patio. *GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates About Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Founded in 1960, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is dedicated to perfecting the travel experience through continual innovation and the highest standards of hospitality. Currently operating 117 hotels and resorts, and 45 residential properties in major city centres and resort destinations in 47 countries, and with more than 50 projects under planning or development, Four Seasons consistently ranks among the world's best hotels and most prestigious brands in reader polls, traveller reviews and industry awards. For more information and reservations, visit fourseasons.com. For the latest news, visit press.fourseasons.com and follow @FourSeasonsPR on Twitter. Methodology Notes The survey was conducted by Wakefield Research among 5,000 adults ages 18+ in 4 markets, with 2,000 in the UK and 1,000 in each of the following markets: US, China, and GCC, between December 16 and December 23, 2019, using an email invitation and an online survey. Gen Z is defined as 18 to 22 year olds born since 1997; Millennials (or Gen Y) as 23 to 38 year olds born between 1981 and 1996; Gen X as 39 to 54 year olds born between 1965 and 1980; and Boomers as 55 to 73 year olds born before 1965. Results of any sample are subject to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the percentages expressing the results. For the interviews conducted in this study, the chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or minus by more than 2.2 percentage points among the UK sample, and by more than 3.1 percentage points among the US, China and GCC samples, from the result that would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons in the universe represented by any of the samples. For more information or to discuss the full study or regional breakdowns please contact [email protected]. Contact: Matthew Levison [email protected] 646-274-3631 SOURCE Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts Related Links https://www.fourseasons.com Congress granted women the right to vote on June 4, 1919, a bittersweet moment for many who had fought for equality for decades. To commemorate the centennial of the ratification in 1920, enshrined in the 19th amendment, new tours and exhibitions can be found across the country. Theres been a huge interest in the centennial and voting rights, said Deborah Hughes, president of the National Susan B. Anthony Museum and House in Rochester, N.Y. Upstate New York This national landmark, where Anthony was arrested for voting as a woman before that activity became legal, receives over 13,000 visitors each year. The $15 daily admission for adults includes a tour, while Votercade 2020, a free series of daylong events with artistic and philosophical discussions, runs until Oct 3. In Seneca Falls, N.Y., well-known as the official birthplace of womens rights, a new self-guided tour, Celebrate 100, suggests places to visit for those interested in the topic. Stops include Wesleyan Chapel (where the first convention was held in 1848), the National Womens Hall of Fame in the rehabilitated Seneca Knitting Mill (opening this summer,) and the home of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, chief organizer of the convention. The Ukrainian National Guardsman was sentenced to 24 years in the Italian prison. Ukraine has information allowing to state that Vitaliy Markiv, a Ukrainian National Guardsman sentenced by an Italian court to 24 years in prison on charges of complicity in the killing of an Italian journalist and his Russian interpreter in the Donbas warzone, is in fact not guilty, according to the newly-appointed chief of Ukraine's Presidential Office, Andriy Yermak. "The issue of Vitaliy Markiv was brought up at all meetings, including those with the Pope and Vatican State Secretary, and president shared with the delegation the contents of those meetings," Yermak told Ukraine 24 TV Channel, Segodnya reports. "He said that he had told the Pope the whole story in detail. The Pope said the following: 'You struck me in the heart. I realize that when you came as president and dedicated so much time to telling the story of just one Ukrainian citizen, I believe you are president of peace.' To him, it was very important emotionally, and I believe they had a really good connection. He promised to provide help." Yermak added that he was assured Vatican would play an important humanitarian role in Markiv's case, as well as in the issue of Donbas settlement in general. As UNIAN reported earlier, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte have discussed the case of Ukrainian guardsman Vitaliy Markiv, who has been convicted and sentenced to 24-year imprisonment in Italy. "I understand that the Prime Minister cannot influence the Italian court. But I showed in detail what happened there, at what distance he [Markiv] was from the murder scene. And that we have to take the man [back home]," the president said, according to the presidential press service. UNIAN memo. Deputy commander of a platoon of the Ukrainian National Guard's first battalion, senior sergeant Markiv was detained in Italy on June 30, 2017, on suspicion of the murder of Italian journalist Andrea Rocchelli and his Russian interpreter Andrei Mironov amid a mortar attack in Donetsk region in May 2014. According to the Ukrainian investigation, the two were killed in shelling by Russian-led troops. Ukrainian National Guard officials insisted that the Ukrainian battalion was not armed with mortars in 2014. The jury in the court of Italy's Pavia on July 12, 2019, sentenced the Ukrainian guardsman to 24 years in prison. He is also to pay compensation to Rocchelli's family. Zelensky ordered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office to immediately address the issue of Markiv's return to Ukraine. On November 20, Ukraine filed an appeal against Markiv's verdict. It is to be considered by a Lombardy appellate court in the spring of 2020. [February 11, 2020] Webb Fontaine Awarded Contract With the Government of the Central African Republic DUBAI, U.A.E, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Webb Fontaine, a leading provider of solutions for trade facilitation powered by Artificial Intelligence and new generation of IT systems, has been awarded a three-year contract to set up, operate and manage a series of Customs-related services in the Central African Republic (CAR). Expected to go live in February, the e-Customs portal will provide operators with a secure and paperless environment for the electronic management of Trade Import or Export Declarations (TID or TED) by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry. In addition, it will support the online submission of Customs Pre-Arrival Declarations allowing Customs administration to perform valuation and classification prior to the arrival of goods. Moreover, operators are also given access to an Import Duties and Taxes Simulator and Trade-related information. Webb Fontaine will also be tasked with setting up a Centre of Excellence that will enable the customs administration to progressively carry out classification and valuation of imported goods. Didier Reymond, CEO at Webb Fontaine said: "The agreement between Webb Fontaine and the Government of the Central African Republic is part of the country's drive towards digitization and is a huge step in the right direction for he trade community of the CAR. It will mark a significant improvement of the business climate through the dematerialization of certain commercial procedures and provide the Government with a customs valuation database self-updating itself throughout the trade process." The implementation of the e-Customs portal will provide the CAR with a range of online services that will greatly save time by reducing travel, delays and costs related to the customs clearance of goods. Mr. Ange Maxime Kazagui, Minister of Communication and Media, and Spokesperson for the Government of the Central African Republic, outlined the authority's expectations saying: "Our Government is looking forward to the outcome of this partnership with Webb Fontaine. A first of its kind in CAR, the introduction of the e-Customs portal is a significant step in our current modernization reforms and will not only help us improve the customs revenue of the country, but also reinforce the capacity of customs officers through the Centre of Excellence." The launch of the e-Customs platform will contribute to a decisive step in the establishment of a digital economy throughout the CAR. About Webb Fontaine: Trusted?by governments globally, Webb Fontaine provides industry wide solutions?to?accelerate?trade development?and modernization. The company uses?unique?technology including Artificial Intelligence to?enable?countries to?emerge as?leaders?in the?future of trade. Knowledge transfer?is at the core of Webb Fontaine; comprising of a team of experts who work across the world, empowering local communities and?governments. As an industry leader with the largest R&D centres in the industry, Webb Fontaine is constantly developing international trade practices connecting countries, borders and people. For more information visit www.webbfontaine.com View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/webb-fontaine-awarded-contract-with-the-government-of-the-central-african-republic-301002507.html SOURCE Webb Fontaine [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Feb. 11 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: A meeting was held at the Turkmen Foreign Ministry with EU Ambassador to Turkmenistan Diego Ruiz Alonso, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen Foreign Ministry. The Turkmen side expressed its readiness to assist and support the activities of the EU mission, the report said. During the meeting, issues of cooperation between Turkmenistan and the EU were discussed. The role of cooperation within international organizations was noted, and the parties also considered further steps to expand relations in various fields. The parties regularly discuss major projects in the field of development of transport systems and regional energy infrastructure. In particular, at this stage, a draft legal framework agreement is being prepared on future gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Europe. The project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan, as previously noted by the parties concerned, is optimal for this task. Further, Turkmen fuel can reach Turkey, which borders European countries. Turkmenistan is implementing EU technical assistance projects, in particular Erasmus Mundus, a student exchange program. The number of Americans diagnosed with coronavirus has reached 13 as the death toll in China has exceeded 1,000. The American patient was diagnosed in San Diego on Monday, according to ABC News. They had arrived on an evacuation flight that landed in San Diego on February 5 where passengers were then to be quarantined for 14 days. Four patients were taken for testing, one of which was confirmed to have contracted coronavirus. The Center for Disease Control said the patient and one other who has test results pending are doing well and with have minimal symptoms. Related: Everything You Need to Know If You're Traveling During the Coronavirus Outbreak (Video) Chinas National Health Commissions said Tuesday that a total of at least 42,638 people in the country have contracted coronavirus and 1,016 of them have died. On Monday alone, there were 108 coronavirus deaths in China, 103 of which were in Wuhan, the capital city of the Hubei province, where the epidemic first broke out. A similar number of deaths on Sunday prompted officials from the World Health Organization to visit. At least 319 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed outside of China. But only one person, a 44-year-old man in the Philippines, has died of the disease outside Chinese borders. Passengers wearing respiratory masks walk across a terminal towards the check in counter at Rome's Fiumicino airport. | TIZIANA FABI / Getty Meanwhile, countries around the world are continuing their precautions to prevent the disease from spreading. Specifically, Italy is prepared to expand coronavirus screenings to train stations. The country has been screening all passengers at airports since the beginning of the month. Over the course of three days, Italian health officials checked about half a million passengers and only found eight people with fever. However, if the outbreak worsens, Italy is prepared to expand its health checks to all train stations. We imagine that it could happen and therefore we're ready, and if it were necessary we would act in a matter of hours, Angelo Borrelli, head of Italy's Civil Protection service, told the Corriere della Sera. %image1 Italys three coronavirus cases are from Italian nationals who had been in China and are all currently receiving care in isolation at a hospital outside of Rome. Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam, head of the national steering committee for nCoV-caused disease prevention and control, made the remark at a meeting in Hanoi on February 10. At the event, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said there are 22 units nationwide capable of testing for 2019-nCoV at present, and eight other laboratories can be mobilised for the work. He affirmed that the country doesnt lack materials for testing if the facilities operate at their full capacity. The Ministry of Health supports and encourages all scientific and technological units to engage in developing and producing materials and equipment for viral tests, Long added. Regarding the repatriation of Vietnamese in Wuhan city of Chinas Hubei province the epicenter of the epidemic, Deputy Foreign Minister To Anh Dung said under the Prime Ministers direction and on the basis of the citizens wish, on February 10, the Foreign Ministry worked with the Vietnamese Embassy in Beijing and relevant agencies and localities to carry 30 Vietnamese people, including students, their relatives and tourists, back to the country from Wuhan. After the plane landed at Van Don International Airport in Quang Ninh province, the 30 citizens got sterilisation and health examination. All of them are currently in stable health condition and have been put in quarantine, he said. On February 9, this aircraft transported medical equipment and supplies that the Vietnamese Government, people and Red Cross Society presented to China, and also brought 11 Chinese nationals back to Wuhan. The Health Ministry reported that as of 9:30am of February 10, there had been 40,554 confirmed nCoV cases in 28 countries and territories, including 40,171 cases in China. The number of related fatalities had reached 910, including 908 in mainland China, one in the Philippines, and one in Hong Kong (China). Vietnam had recorded 14 cases, including three successfully cured and 11 currently under treatment at medical establishments. Aside from the 14 cases tested positive for the virus, 745 samples had been tested negative. Eighty-two people are in quarantine while 517 others having close contact with the confirmed cases are under health monitoring at present. OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hough Ear Institute (HEI), a nonprofit based in Oklahoma City, is proud to announce that its pharmaceutical partner, Auditus LLC (Auditus), a wholly owned subsidiary of Otologic Pharmaceutics Inc. (OPI), has entered into an agreement with Oblato Inc. (Oblato). Oblato assumes exclusive rights to a drug known as NHPN-1010 to advance clinical research aimed at preserving and possibly restoring hearing. Hearing loss is commonly caused when repeated, or overpowering noise energy causes the ear to act like an engine in overdrive, which causes toxins to accumulate in the sensitive sensory cells and nerves of the inner ear. NHPN-1010 short-circuits this cascade of events and soaks up the harmful toxins. HEI and the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF) jointly discovered the NHPN-1010 technology and licensed it to OPI for commercial development in 2010. OPI led a successful phase 1 clinical trial to demonstrate safety in 2015. HEI continued to conduct research with the drug, and recently discovered that it has the ability to regenerate and reconnect damaged nerve endings on surviving hair cells, which was once thought to be irreversible. As part of the agreement between Auditus and Oblato, Oblato is expected to initiate a phase 2 clinical trial to evaluate the potential of the drug to prevent and treat hearing loss. Follow-up studies may test efficacy for treating tinnitus and improving ability to understand speech in the presence of background noise. Worldwide, 466 million people suffer from disabling hearing loss, one in seven individuals experience tinnitus and over 324,000 registered cochlear devices have been implanted. At this time, no drug treatment or cure exists for noise induced hearing loss (NIHL) or tinnitus. Dr. Richard Kopke, CEO of HEI, said a team effort brought the technology to this stage. "The research team at HEI, Dr. Robert Floyd and Manu Nair of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation (OMRF), as well as Dr. Richard Gammans, CEO of OPI have been collaboratively performing extensive preclinical and clinical research of this therapy, thanks to generous research grants from the Department of Defense (DOD), which we hope will bring relief to millions of people worldwide who suffer from NIHL and cochlear implant trauma," Kopke said. "Funds from many generous donors and investors from the Oklahoma City community and beyond made the impossible possible through innovation," Kopke said. "OPI investors including Innovation to Enterprise (I2E), the Chickasaw Nation, OMRF, INTEGRIS Baptist Medical Center (IBMC), the Oklahoma Life Science Fund, REHCO, LLC, Presbyterian Health Foundation; significant grant funding from the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science & Technology (OCAST); as well as funding from generous donors worldwide have all played a significant role in moving this research forward. Under the leadership of Stan Hupfeld and then Bruce Lawrence, IBMC's generous collaborative support established the foundation that led to these breakthroughs. About the Hough Ear Institute The Hough Ear Institute (HEI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization committed to restoring hearing worldwide through research, teaching and humanitarian efforts. About Oblato, Inc. Oblato, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Korean biotech company GtreeBNT, is incorporated in Delaware and has its principal place of business in New Jersey. Since 2016, the company has been developing a new drug, OKN-007, to treat glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Currently, clinical trials are ongoing to investigate the safety and efficacy of a combination therapy with both OKN-007 and temozolomide for patients with newly diagnosed GBM. The company has lately acquired worldwide exclusive rights of NHPN-1010 for the prevention and treatment of human hearing loss and its relevant diseases, balance disorders, tinnitus and noise induced traumatic brain injury. Media Contact: Chloe Cumbie 405-808-4837 (C) [email protected] SOURCE Hough Ear Institute Kendallville, IN (46755) Today Some clouds this morning will give way to generally sunny skies for the afternoon. High 27F. Winds S at 10 to 20 mph.. Tonight Some clouds. Low around 25F. Winds SW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Results Include 3.95% CuEq Across 11.39 Metres and 4.06% CuEq Across 8.23 Metres Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Rockcliff Metals Corporation (CSE: RCLF) (FSE: RO0) (WKN: A2H60G) ("Rockcliff" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the 2019 drill program on its 100% owned Tower property has discovered a copper-bearing extension to the existing Tower deposit. The discovery holes are located immediately south and up to 200 metres (m) from drill holes intersected in the Tower deposit. The copper rich massive sulphide mineralization of the Tower deposit is traceable using electromagnetic geophysical surveys. A similar, priority one electromagnetic geophysical anomaly termed the the Tower South Anomaly has been identified 700m south, and along strike of, the Tower deposit. This high priority target remains untested and is now drill ready. A total of 26 holes totaling 11,030m were completed in late 2019. Significant highlight assays within the Tower deposit and along strike to the south of the Tower deposit include: TB-045: yielded 13.28% CuEq across 4.15m TB-047: yielded 13.30% CuEq across 3.81m TB-049: yielded 8.34% CuEq across 2.34m TB-055: yielded 3.95% CuEq across 11.39m TB-058: yielded 8.71% CuEq across 4.84m TB-063: yielded 4.06% CuEq across 8.23m Rockcliff's President and CEO Alistair Ross commented: "The extension of the mineralized zone by 200 metres to the south and towards the high priority Tower South Anomaly, especially finding thicker intersections near surface, bodes well for the updated NI 43-101 resource estimate update currently underway. The infill drilling also continues to confirm our previous understanding of the deposit. We look forward to completing the technical reports on the Tower, Talbot and Rail deposits later in the first quarter of this year." The significant down-the-hole assays from the 2019 Tower drill program are tabled below: Hole # Actual drill Intercept in metres Cu% Zn% Au g/t Ag g/t CuEq% Description from to length TP19-038 221.60 226.67 5.07 2.32 0.52 0.29 13.04 2.84 extension hole TP19-039 210.10 213.70 3.60 1.87 0.92 0.31 10.48 2.53 extension hole TP19-040 379.50 382.26 2.76 0.28 0.10 0.03 1.56 0.36 Infill hole TP19-041 459.15 461.60 2.45 1.99 1.34 0.28 8.71 2.77 infill hole TP19-042 444.65 446.90 2.25 1.31 0.26 0.24 7.00 1.64 infill hole TP19-043 612.60 614.00 1.40 0.98 1.42 0.22 3.37 1.71 infill hole TP19-044 393.20 394.50 1.30 0.70 0.50 0.10 2.93 0.99 infill hole TP19-045 208.35 212.50 4.15 8.22 1.63 5.75 53.60 13.28 infill hole TP19-046 589.85 591.85 2.00 2.79 0.88 0.25 13.75 3.42 infill hole TP19-047 287.30 291.11 3.81 8.91 2.41 4.34 52.85 13.30 infill hole TP19-048 242.00 246.85 4.85 2.08 0.42 0.56 12.71 2.75 infill hole TP19-049 350.64 353.23 2.59 6.71 1.93 0.87 30.40 8.34 infill hole TP19-050 317.92 322.78 4.86 3.69 0.63 0.68 21.20 4.60 infill hole TP19-052 274.29 276.31 2.02 5.79 1.22 0.80 29.26 7.08 infill hole TP19-053 678.34 681.82 3.48 0.77 0.14 0.21 5.33 1.03 infill hole TP19-054 462.02 464.05 2.03 1.17 2.11 0.13 2.48 2.09 infill hole TP19-055 233.00 244.39 11.39 3.00 1.07 0.53 18.84 3.95 extension hole and 249.62 256.63 7.01 1.07 0.08 0.15 4.07 1.24 TP19-057 341.96 342.97 1.01 0.69 0.24 0.08 3.53 0.87 extension hole TP19-058 238.52 243.36 4.84 7.83 0.27 0.72 29.31 8.71 infill hole TP19-059 474.62 477.05 2.43 1.83 0.53 0.23 8.67 2.28 infill hole TP19-060 176.08 179.36 3.28 1.14 0.12 0.16 8.06 1.37 infill hole and 542.48 542.91 0.43 4.25 1.63 0.73 18.17 5.55 TP19-061 410.53 412.22 1.72 0.42 0.11 0.05 11.14 0.60 extension hole TP19-062 548.47 554.38 5.91 0.91 0.07 0.18 4.21 1.10 infill hole 560.44 560.79 0.35 1.72 1.03 0.16 6.60 2.29 TP19-063 245.56 253.79 8.23 3.26 0.60 0.53 21.26 4.06 extension hole with 245.76 247.00 1.24 10.49 2.45 2.48 79.41 13.89 and 264.56 265.80 1.24 0.98 0.32 0.06 4.71 1.19 and 276.10 276.76 0.66 1.42 0.14 0.12 7.83 1.63 m =metres represent down hole thickness as true thickness is not currently known, g/t = grams per tonne, CuEq** = copper equivalent values used: US$3.00 copper, US$1.15 zinc, US$1400 ($45.02/gram) gold, US$20.00 ($0.64/gram) silver. 100% metal recoveries were applied. CuEq = Cu grade % + (Zn grade % X Zn price per lb / Cu price per pound) + (Au grade g/t X Au price per gram / Cu price per tonne) X 100 + (Ag grade g/t X Ag price per gram / Cu price per tonne) X 100. Holes TP-051 and TP-056 were not in the assay stream as they were used 100% for metallurgical and ore sorting studies. The numbers may not add up due to rounding. Drilling continues to confirm the high-grade nature of the Tower deposit. Additional near surface drilling intersected high-grade copper mineralization that extends the Tower deposit 200m southward. Rockcliff's geophysical surveys (airborne, surface and bore-hole) have confirmed a high priority exploration target, termed the Tower South Anomaly, located approximately 700m south of the current limit of the Tower deposit. Drilling is planned for the Tower South Anomaly and surrounding area to determine the copper potential to the south of the Tower deposit (see figure 1 below). Presently, the Tower deposit is identified as a remobilized, single, steeply dipping, high-grade, Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide (VMS) lens that is located immediately below a 100m thick layer of Paleozoic limestone cover. The Tower deposit consists of stringers and massive sulphide lenses of chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite and sphalerite. Drilling has intersected the deposit and the extension mineralization over a strike length of 850m and to a vertical depth of up to 600m. The Tower deposit remains open along strike and at depth. Within the property limits, the Tower deposit and the Tower South Anomaly are associated within a 12-kilometre-long arcuate trending magnetic horizon hosting several additional untested conductive airborne targets considered by the Company to be worthy of follow-up exploration. Figure 1: Left Image: Tower deposit with associated airborne VTEM Tower Anomaly and VTEM Tower South Anomaly (untested). Right Image: Tower Deposit with associated surface VTEM Tower Anomaly and TDEM Tower South Anomaly (untested) To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3071/52311_a0c5aec7d4c48abb_001full.jpg Mineral Resource Statement The following Mineral Resource estimate was prepared by Generic Geo Inc. with an effective date of March 18, 2019. Category Volume (m3 x 1000) Density (tonnes/m3) Tonnage (tonnes x 1000) Cu % Zn % Ag (ppm) Au (ppb) Thickness (m) Indicated 334.901 3.237 1,084.186 3.73 1.05 17.279 546.878 2.06 Inferred 418.647 2.994 1,253.522 1.99 1.02 9.777 268.192 2.26 Notes: CIM definitions were followed for the estimation of mineral resources. Mineral resources are estimated at a Cu cut-off of 0.5%. Specific Gravity measurements were taken on a portion of the samples and where actual measurements were not available an average of 3.00 was used. Mineral resources are not mineral reserves and do not have demonstrated economic viability. Given the tonnage, grade and orientation of the deposit, Generic Geo Inc. considered the Tower Copper Deposit to be reasonably amenable to extraction using underground mining methods. There are no known factors related to permitting, legal, title, taxation, socio-economic, environmental, and marketing or political issues which could materially affect the mineral resource at the time of reporting. The QP opinion (Generic Geo Inc.) is that the sample preparation, security, analytical procedures, and collar, survey, lithology and assay databases were adequate to be used for 3D modelling and resource estimation after the QA/QC review was completed and all issues were resolved. The quality of the drill database used for the resource estimation was excellent. The Mineral Resource estimate for the Tower deposit was prepared Mr. Kelly Malcolm P.Geo (APGO #2864) who is an independent Qualified Person for the purpose of NI 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects. Additional drill hole information from the 2019 Tower drill program is highlighted below: Hole# UTM-E UTM-N Dip (deg) Azimuth (deg) Length metres TP19-038 486093 5980752 -50 305 272 TP19-039 486133 5980791 -49 308 260 TP19-040 486178 5980683 -53 305 437 TP19-041 486682.5 5981232.3 -51 283 548 TP19-042 486178 5980683 -60 305 527 TP19-043 486636.5 5981065 -58 284 653 TP19-044 486219 5980725 -58 305 475 TP19-045 486304 5980948 -47 301 269 TP19-046 486682.5 5981232.3 -61 283 641 TP19-047 486324 5980930 -55 303 341 TP19-048 486140 5980838 -66 285 311 TP19-049 486324 5980930 -62 305 404 TP19-050 486236 5980836 -66 303 398 TP19-051 486261 5080950 -54 287 244 TP19-052 486320 5980998 -64 305 335 TP19-053 486636.5 5981065 -62 284 713 TP19-054 486048 5981193 -61 103 521 TP19-055 486061 5980711 -50 305 275 TP19-056 486159 5981195 -54 109 224 TP19-057 486108 5980675 -52 305 404 TP19-058 486159 5981195 -61 119 281 TP19-059 486682.5 5981232.3 -48 275 536 TP19-060 486687.4 5981306.7 -63 285 602 TP19-061 486154 5980639 -53 305 509 TP19-062 486048 5981193 -65 103 602 TP19-063 486028 5980671 -50 305 308 Quality Control and Quality Assurance Samples of half core were packaged and shipped directly from Rockcliff's core facility in Snow Lake to TSL Laboratories (TSL), in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. TSL is a Canadian assay laboratory and is accredited under ISO/IEC 17025. Each bagged core sample was dried, crushed to 70% passing 10 mesh and a 250g pulp is pulverized to 95% passing 150 mesh for assaying. A 0.5g cut is taken from each pulp for base metal analyses and leached in a multi acid (total) digestion and then analyzed for copper, lead, zinc and silver by atomic absorption. Gold concentrations are determined by fire assay using a 30g charge followed by an atomic absorption finish. Samples greater than the upper detection limit (3000 ppb) are reanalyzed using fire assay gravimetric using a 1 AT charge. Rockcliff inserted certified blanks and standards in the sample stream to ensure lab integrity. Rockcliff has no relationship with TSL other than TSL being a service provider to the Company. Ken Lapierre P.Geo., Vice-President, Exploration of Rockcliff, a Qualified Person in accordance with Canadian regulatory requirements as set out in NI 43-101, has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information that forms the basis for the disclosure contained in this press release. About Rockcliff Metals Corporation Rockcliff is a well-funded Canadian resource development and exploration company, with a fully functional +1,000 tpd leased processing and tailings facility as well as several advance-staged, high-grade copper and zinc dominant VMS deposits in the Snow Lake area of central Manitoba. The Company is a major landholder in the Flin Flon-Snow Lake greenstone belt which is home to the largest Paleoproterozoic VMS district in the world, hosting mines and deposits containing copper, zinc, gold and silver. The Company's extensive portfolio of properties totals over 4,500 square kilometers and includes eight of the highest-grade, undeveloped VMS deposits in the belt. For more information, please visit http://rockcliffmetals.com Twitter: @RockcliffMetals Linkedin: Rockcliff Metals Corp Facebook: Rockcliff Metals Corporation For further information, please contact: Rockcliff Metals Corporation Alistair Ross President & CEO Phone:(249) 805 9020 aross@rockcliffmetals.com Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements contained in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although Rockcliff believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. The Canadian Securities Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52311 In her Budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to facilitate doubling of milk processing capacity from 53.5 million MT to 108 million MT by 2025. Prima facie, the arithmetic of the milk industry makes that a tall order. At least achieving the goal within the stated deadline seems so. Milk production for 2018-19 stood at 187.7 million tonnes, according to data by the Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare. The numbers taken together show that less than 30 percent of the milk in India comes from the organised sector. The rest is through the unorganized sector. But there is a problem when the Finance Minister wants to double milk processing capacity. Just look at the chart alongside. Milk production has been increasing only at 6-7 percent each year. The Finance Minister wants processing capacity to increase at double this rate. Is this feasible? It must also be noted that the food processing industry has not been given any financial incentives. Hence the flow of money into this sector will possibly be slow. Thus, to expect processing capacity to grow at 15 percent year on year (it is only at 15 percent growth per annum that you can double capacity in five years time) appears a bit unrealistic. There is a second problem. To get all milk into the organised sector will not be easy. Traders and middlemen will not want to lose their hold over unorganised farmers who are compelled to sell their milk at Rs 18-22 per litre as compared to the Rs.26-36 paid by the organised sector. It may be recalled that when the government of Maharashtra tied up with NDDB to start a cooperative in Maharashtra that became operational in October 2016, the 30 odd cooperative dairies in the state, most of whom were politically well-connected, were under immense pressure to increase their payment to farmers from to Rs 26 per litre, up from Rs 20-22 per litre. This was lower than the Rs 32-36 per litre paid by Gujarats cooperatives. Maharashtras dairy cooperatives tried to disrupt milk supplies, and finally, the state government itself agreed to give these cooperatives a subsidy of around Rs 2 per litre to help them pay the Rs 26 per litre price to farmers. A similar thing is happening in Uttar Pradesh too, where exploitation of farmers, and the hold of middlemen, is vicious. There is a third problem the Finance Minister has not taken into account. The rate of growth of milk production in India has begun to decline, even though demand for milk remains strong. One reason for this is the cattle slaughter ban. As a result, many traders refuse to pick up old cattle buffaloes or cows from farmers. Consequently, farmers who got Rs 20,000 to 25,000 per old cattlehead, now get nothing. Conventionally, the farmer used this money and added another Rs 20,000 (borrowed or through savings) and purchased another young cattlehead. This way his future milk earnings were assured. Now with the unsold old cattle, the farmer loses his income potential. Not surprisingly, growth rates of milk production in India have begun to slow down. Milk production increased by 7 percent in 2017-18 over 2016-17. But the following year, it fell to 6 percent. As a result, the biggest loser is the farmer. His community alone lost around Rs 30,000 crore each year (not counting the loss of future business). Worse, he had to pay for the upkeep of old cattle. Because of this flawed policy, the economy could be losing multiple times the Rs 30,000 crore that farmers lose each year. Expect the dairy industry to gradually drift to the eastern part of India. Most eastern states have refused to enforce cattle slaughter ban laws (it is a state subject). These states have lots of foliage. It will enhance rural prosperity there. But it will take a few years more. It is difficult to see the milk processing capacity grow in the face of these odds. The Finance Minister can be optimistic. But she must first back this optimism with money for more food processing industry plants. Without that, even refrigerated vans and wagons will become a fantasy as they would be unaffordable and relegated to being mere showpieces. It may be recalled here, that during Verghese Kuriens time, the NDDB designed railway tankers which were insulated, not refrigerated, and which could take milk 2,000 km away, without losing more than 1.5 degrees of temperature inside. That was a realistic solution. Today, Amul uses the railways extensively. Refrigeration as a solution needs a lot more value addition. This requires huge investments in food processing. The budget hasnt made any provision for incentives for this sector. Without that, refrigeration may become another pipe dream. 2 police officers shot at Walmart in Arkansas, suspect killed: Police originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Two police officers were shot while responding to an incident inside a Walmart in Forrest City, Arkansas, on Monday morning, police said. The shooting unfolded after police got a call around 10:24 a.m. about an individual making threats inside the Walmart, Forrest City Police Chief Deon Lee said at a news conference. MORE: NYPD cops shot in the Bronx in 2 separate 'assassination' incidents, 1 suspect in custody The suspect -- identified by the St. Francis County coroner as 40-year-old Bobby Joe Gibbs -- was killed, Lee said, and the injured officers are expected to be OK. PHOTO: Forrest City, Ark., Mayor Cedric Williams, left, holds a news conference after two police officers were wounded and a gunman was killed in an exchange of gunfire at a Walmart store in eastern Arkansas, Feb. 10, 2020. (Adrian Sainz/AP) Eugene Watlington, a seasoned detective, underwent surgery, Lee said. Lt. Eric Varner, who has been on the force for over a decade, has been treated and released from the hospital, Lee said. PHOTO: Forrest City police officers Eric Varner and Eugene Watlington in undated photos. (Obtained by ABC News) Arkansas State Police's criminal investigation division did not say who shot the suspect, but said there was an "exchange of gunfire" and prosecutors "will determine whether the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers today was consistent with Arkansas laws." Forrest City is about 90 miles east of Little Rock. PHOTO: Police tape blocks off a Walmart store parking lot in Forrest City, Ark., on Feb. 10, 2020. Police say at least three people, including two officers, have been shot at this Walmart in eastern Arkansas. (Adrian Sainz/AP) "The prayers of the ASP are with the 2 Forrest City officers that were injured," the state police tweeted. The prayers of the ASP are with the 2 Forrest City officers that were injured this morning in a shooting at Walmart. The ASP Criminal Investigation Division has been requested to conduct an investigation of the incident. Please stay away from the area if at all possible. AR State Police (@ARStatePolice) February 10, 2020 Walmart spokesperson Scott Pope said in a statement, "We are aware of the incident that took place at our store in Forrest City." "We will continue to work with the Forrest City Police Department to assist in their investigation," Pope said. ABC News' Joshua Hoyos, Rachel Katz and Taylor Dunn contributed to this report. TOKYO, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Popular Japanese real-estate developer Global Agents announced the much-anticipated February 2020 opening of their new hotel brand, /slash. This new brand seeks to revolutionize the traditional hotel business in Japan and offer what could be called the next generation of digital hotels. The first branch will open a mere five-minute walk from bustling Kawasaki Station (Kanagawa Prefecture). The first-floor lobby doubles as a spacious Cafe & Bar space where travelers can mingle with locals, and enjoy endless free beer during the daily Happy Hour. With a total of 95 rooms, /slash offers guests a unique toss-up of digital-art aesthetics, (even room numbers are displayed digitally), and a high-tech smart-hotel experience. Guests have complete control over their room through a fully integrated application developed especially for /slash, which customers can find on the iPhone provided in each room. The application has several useful functions, including an alarm system based on bed movement, lighting adjustment, and control of the 80-inch projector screen built into every room. Guests can connect their personal devices to watch any of their favorite shows in their own private theatre space. The first-floor lobby doubles as a spacious Cafe & Bar space where travelers can mingle with locals and enjoy endless free beer during the daily Happy Hour. Combining digital art, vivid ambient lighting and floral art, the lobby/cafe is a perfect place to have a snack, enjoy a glass of wine while reading a book, or simply escape the hustle and bustle of the city. In addition, guests can also enjoy unlimited free hot drinks at the top floor mini-kitchen which opens out to an incredible rooftop terrace with stunning views of the Kawasaki area. /slash is the sixth brand and latest hotel from Japanese developer Global Agents. CEO Takeshi Yamasaki notes that "We chose to base this new brand on the symbol [/] because it's such a beautiful and simple mark that symbolizes many things. It can represent exclusivity or inclusivity and division and fractions, but further use of the slash has developed in the technological sphere. Every URL you visit contains slashes. It has become a unique symbol that is part of our daily life. Inspired by its simplicity and complexity combined, and its ability to transcend time, /slash Kawasaki tries to push boundaries of what a hotel can offer. Like the symbol, we push for a unique and simple experience, full of multi-functionality and playfulness." Global Agents was founded in 2005 and has enjoyed great success in the Japanese rental market with Social Apartment, their brand of co-living spaces. The company has grown at an exponential rate with the opening of new five lifestyle hotels in 2019, including a new iteration of "UNWIND" Hotel in Hokkaido, and three new branches of their urban street-art brand "THE LIVELY." Media Contact: Zacharie Coskun [email protected] +81-3-6433-5792 Related Images lobby-cafe-bar.jpg /LOBBY/CAFE & BAR The first-floor lobby doubles as a spacious Cafe & Bar space where travelers can mingle with locals, and enjoy endless free beer during the daily Happy Hour. rooms.jpg /ROOMS Guests have complete control over their room through a fully integrated application developed especially for the hotel. reception.jpg /RECEPTION Guests can enjoy modern Digital Artwork on the digital displays also in the shape of [/] (slash). terrace.jpg /TERRACE Combining digital art, vivid ambient lighting and floral art, the cafe terrace is a perfect place to have a snack, enjoy a glass of wine while reading a book, or simply escape the hustle and bustle of the city. Related Links /SLASH Official Website Global Agents Official Website SOURCE Global Agents Co. Ltd Hear How Enterprises are Modernizing with Kubernetes, Hybrid and Multi Cloud; Keynotes from Rob Carter, CIO FedEx and Corey Quinn, The Duckbill Group DataStax today announced that registration is now open for Accelerate 2020 in San Diego (May 11-13, 2020) and London (June 2-3, 2020). Accelerate attendees will gain insight into how leading companies are using NoSQL, share best practices, and discover what's on the horizon for DataStax products as well as Apache Cassandra. The conference will feature speakers from global leaders such as Adobe, Alibaba, Capital One, Cisco, Confluent, Constant Contact, Dell.com, Deloitte, Ericsson, FedEx, GE Digital, ING, Intuit, Target, Visa, and more. "NoSQL is taking over the world," said Cate Lochead, CMO at DataStax. "Without NoSQL, you can't scale, perform or move at the speed your business needs to move to survive. At Accelerate, enterprises and users will learn first hand how to modernize their business and skillset to be part of the NoSQL wave." Click to Tweet: What are you waiting for? DataStaxAccelerate San Diego and London registration now open! Don't miss amazing keynotes in San Diego from FedEx CIO Rob Carter @QuinnyPig at the world's largest cassandra NoSQL event! Register today: https://www.datastax.com/accelerate The three-day event in San Diego will include hands-on workshops, exclusively sponsored by AWS and designed for Cassandra developers, architects, and administrators. Many of the world's top CIOs will share how they are transforming business with cloud native technologies and ecosystems that include Kubernetes, Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, and more. Additionally, the project chair for Apache Cassandra will provide a keynote on the upcoming release of Apache Cassandra 4.0. Accelerate San Diego attendees will also hear keynotes from: Rob Carter, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Office, FedEx Corey Quinn, Cloud Economist, The Duckbill Group Nate McCall, Apache Cassandra Chair Chet Kapoor, CEO, DataStax Jonathan Ellis, Technology, DataStax Ed Anuff, Product, DataStax Sam Ramji, Strategy, DataStax Denise Gosnell, Chief Data Officer, DataStax In addition, breakout sessions for both Accelerate San Diego and London will be decided by an elite Call For Papers committee, including: Vinay Chella, Cassandra committer from Netflix Dikang Gu, Cassandra committer from Instagram Dinesh Joshi, Cassandra committer from Apple Aaron Ploetz, NoSQL Engineering Lead from Target Nate McCall, Apache Cassandra Chair The DataStax Accelerate Diversity Scholarship Program, also announced today, provides financial support to people from traditionally underrepresented and/or marginalized groups in technology and/or open source communities. Scholarship applications are due on Friday, March 6, 2020. "Our goal is to provide the best content and experience for everyone interested in learning how NoSQL enables business agility. By launching our new diversity scholarship, we are ensuring just that. We are 100 percent committed to having fully inclusive events at both San Diego and London. We look forward to the great discussions and learnings that happen when you bring the NoSQL, Cassandra community, and DataStax customers together," concluded Lochead. The San Diego conference will be held at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort on May 11-13, 2020. Register here for the San Diego event. The London conference will be held at 133 Houndsditch on June 2-3, 2020. Register here for the London event. Resources: DataStax Accelerate 2020 Conference Video: The World's Largest Apache Cassandra NoSQL Event Blog: Who's Ready for Accelerate 2020? Registration is Now Open for San Diego and London Blog: DataStax Accelerate Expands to London in June 2020 Blog: Contributing to the Cassandra Community With Your Story Blog: DataStax Accelerate 2019 Rewind: IBM (Watch Video) About DataStax DataStax is the company behind the leading NoSQL database built on and Apache Cassandra. DataStax helps enterprises and users scale, perform and move at the speed businesses need to survive. DataStax is an experienced partner in on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployments and offers a suite of distributed data management products, cloud services, and developer tools. We make it easy for enterprises and users to deliver killer apps that crush the competition. More than 400 of the world's leading enterprises including Capital One, Cisco, Comcast, Delta Airlines, eBay, Macy's, McDonald's, Safeway, Sony, and Walmart use DataStax to build modern applications that can be deployed across any cloud. For more information, visit www.DataStax.com and follow us on Twitter @DataStax. 2019 DataStax, All Rights Reserved. DataStax, Titan, and TitanDB are registered trademarks of DataStax, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Apache, Apache Cassandra, and Cassandra are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005807/en/ Contacts: Francisca Fanucchi Public Relations DataStax +1 415-299-1558 Francisca.Fanucchi@DataStax.com Embraer's Profit Hunter aircraft, the E195-E2 is seen during the Singapore Airshow media preview on February 9, 2020 in Singapore. Embraer will likely have a "huge opportunity" in the Asia-Pacific aviation market in the coming years, according to the president and CEO of the Brazilian plane-maker's commercial aviation division. That would come largely as airlines seek to service routes beyond major cosmopolitan areas that have previously fueled "explosive growth" in the Asia-Pacific region over the last few decades, Embraer's John Slattery told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Monday. "For airlines to start serving the secondary, tertiary and fourth-tier markets with frequency, they cannot do that with (Boeing) 737s and (Airbus) A320s because the trip cost is too high," Slattery said, in reference to popular models by its American and European peers. "They have to right-size their aircraft." This, he said, will require a business model that will "run in parallel" to the incumbent strategy of airlines across the spectrum, from low cost to network carriers. "Over the course of the next 20 years, almost 3,000 aircraft are going to be delivered in this region below 150 seats," Slattery said. "We own 35% of the market share today, at Embraer, we're the market share leader (of planes) below 150 seats," he said. "We want our fair share of that wallet size of the opportunity going forward." An Illinois federal court entered a final judgment on January 30, 2020 against David Goulding, the former Chief Compliance Officer of The Nutmeg Group, LLC, a registered investment adviser that the SEC previously charged with fraud for misappropriating client assets and misrepresenting the value of fifteen investment pools. In an order issued on January 21, 2020, the court found that Goulding aided and abetted Nutmeg's violations of the Investment Advisers Act of 1940. The court found that Goulding helped Nutmeg commingle investor funds with personal assets, misled investors about the value of their investments, oversaw flawed internal systems and methods for valuing and reporting investments, and transferred investor money to companies controlled by his family. The court also found that Goulding acted recklessly by taking on his compliance role despite "his complete lack of qualifications for that job." Goulding - who earlier was enjoined from violating the antifraud provisions of Sections 204, 206(1), 206(2), and 206(4) of the Advisers Act - is ordered to pay a total of $28,935 in disgorgement and prejudgment interest. The SEC previously barred Goulding from associating with any registered investment adviser. The court also entered a final judgment on January 30, 2020 against two companies owned by Goulding - David Goulding, Inc. and David Samuel, LLC - for receiving ill-gotten gains derived from misconduct by Goulding and his father, Randall Goulding. The litigation was handled by Andrew Shoenthal, Robert M. Moye, and Benjamin J. Hanauer of the Chicago Regional Office with assistance of Sheila Meaders and Sara L. Renardo. The investigation that led to the SEC's action was conducted by Mr. Shoenthal and Ann Tushaus of the Chicago Regional Office and was supervised by Paul A. Montoya. The US recorded 1,485,764 new COVID cases on Monday - the highest single day infection total of the pandemic - though deaths climbed by a relatively low 12 percent to 1,906. Those figures come as the more contagious Omicron variant rages across the country. The numbers were a slight increase from the 1.171 million new cases last Monday, January 3. Deaths this week increased by 12 percent from the 1,688, recorded last week according to a DailyMail.com analysis of Johns Hopkins University data. On Monday, the United States has reached a new record for number of Americans hospitalized with Covid, with 132,646 currently admitted with the virus. It is yet another marker set during the US's record, Omicron-fueled, virus surge. Despite rising hospitalizations, though, not as many Americans are dying from the virus as were in previous surges. But not all of these hospitalizations are directly caused by the virus. Many people who go to the hospital for reason outside of Covid, such as injury or other ailments, are being tested while there. Deaths growing at a slower rate with 1,648 Americans dying from the virus every day - an 11 percent increase from two weeks ago. This signals either the effectiveness of the vaccines, or the more mild nature of the new strain. Omicron cases are continuing to rise in the U.S but deaths caused by the virus are not following at the same rate, signaling the variant that has ground much of America to a standstill is not making people as sick as the Delta variant. Cases have more than tripled over the past two weeks alone, up from 198,326 per day to 709,850 per day. You've got to have some sympathy for Fianna Fail - it had its guns trained so much on its Siamese twin, Fine Gael, that it didn't see the real enemy, Sinn Fein, coming over the hill. For four years, Fianna Fail thought it was enough to just slag off Fine Gael and government would fall into its lap, the way it always did in our previous Tweedledum-Tweedledee system. In the end, there were no big ideas from Fianna Fail, no overarching vision for Ireland and our society. It was just a sense of entitlement that 'it's our turn'. Fianna Fail even ran its campaign old-style, with leader Micheal Martin giddily running around the country shaking hands and doing the ham act. And getting the digs in, as European Minister Helen McEntee discovered when Mr Martin dismissed her as just an "OK" Minister for Brexit. Because, before Brexit, he explained, she was responsible only for mental health. Or something. It was gutter stuff, and not beholden of a statesman. It took a real statesman, Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, to come in and say that Ms McEntee had done an outstanding job on Brexit. Nor did the public buy into Mr Martin's old blather. They are tired of this Punch and Judy politics, with Fianna Fail blaming Fine Gael for everything under the sun. And vice-versa - Fine Gael flung plenty of mud as well. For the real irony of all this squabbling is that the two parties were in a confidence-and-supply arrangement and Fianna Fail propped up Fine Gael in government. The public saw through that arrangement as well, which is why so many of them went for Sinn Fein. And for wherever that leads us. But the really depressing thing was the realisation that Mr Martin hadn't really changed after all his boom-to-crash experience, and that it was still all about a desire to just get elected. This was the party which wrecked the economy, after all - more than once. And, on the basis of its election promises and populism, there was no guarantee Fianna Fail wouldn't endanger the public finances again. Throughout the campaign, Mr Martin failed to explain how his party would pay for all its projected spending increases and promises. He just tetchily pointed to Fine Gael's promises - as if two wrongs make a right. But Martin was in cabinet when the ship went down in 2010. He should know better. He has a special responsibility for moving us on from the boom-to-bust cycle and not bankrupting the Exchequer. It was almost like our Troika experience had become a nuclear option that could always be used again. The Troika would certainly have had a sense of deja-vu watching our election. It would have seen Fianna Fail propose a SSIA-type scheme for first-time house-buyers in which the State matches their investment three to one. And so driving up prices and overheating the sector - again. It would have seen Fianna Fail propose a doubling of child benefit for the first month of a baby's life, missing the point entirely about rearing a child. Childcare costs come later in a sustained way, when the child has grown. Immediately after birth, the parent - or both parents - are most likely to be with the child continuously and so do not necessarily need the extra money. So what difference would one month's fillip make? It was more gesture politics from Fianna Fail. Meanwhile, we were promised lots more nurses and consultants, while Fine Gael offered to push out more free healthcare and was having second thoughts on pensions. Populism was everywhere, including of course from Sinn Fein - with bells on. There is nothing wrong with ideas. In fact, we could have done with some. For example, Fianna Fail has a historical record on large-scale social housing, so why didn't it make the dramatic proposal of a new Cabra or Finglas on a greenfield site outside Dublin, where there is plenty of land? Even as a once-off building project to ease the housing crisis. But, as with the health service, Fianna Fail was as bereft of ideas as Fine Gael was. As for dealing with Brexit, Mr Martin slagged off Ms McEntee and yet the talent that he had waiting for us was Willie O'Dea and Eamon O Cuiv. Fresh faces they are not. Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins, meanwhile, were on the naughty step after the Votegate controversy. But the real problem with Fianna Fail's campaign was its failure to stand up for middle Ireland and articulate a new and positive vision. Instead, the party continued playing tribal politics against Fine Gael, thought short-term and, more alarmingly, seemed to have learned nothing from the reckless overspending that brought the IMF to our shores. Now that Sinn Fein is the dominant force on the horizon, has Fianna Fail's moment come too late? For businesses big and small, choosing the right web-hosting solution is challenging. Plenty of hosting options are available, and each has its advantages and disadvantages. Shared hosting is the most common option and involves sharing limited resources with other websites. In the end, this limits the control and power that businesses have over their websites. Fortunately, another option is available: a dedicated server with dedicated resources that aren't shared with other websites. However, what are the advantages of choosing dedicated web-hosting solutions? Knowing the benefits makes it easier to understand why dedicated servers are growing in popularity for businesses and for personal use alike. A Dedicated Server Doesn't Share Resources In most cases, space is what comes to mind when business owners think about web-hosting resources. However, the resources also include the server's random-access memory and central processing unit. When websites have dedicated web hosting, they don't have to share any of these resources. As a result, they won't experience much slowdown during spikes in used bandwidth. In general, websites that receive low to medium amounts of traffic benefit the most from shared hosting. If they receive a lot of web traffic, it's in their best interest to invest in dedicated hosting. A dedicated hosting option is the best way to prevent server slowdowns during heavy traffic use because more resources are available. Dedicated Servers Allow for Administrative Control When dealing with a shared server, individual website owners aren't given administrative control over the server. This makes sense because multiple websites share the same server. Thankfully, this isn't the case with dedicated hosting solutions. With a dedicated server, the owner of that server gains root access to it. This allows the owner to customize the server using any configuration style. For example, the owner can install programs directly onto the server. He or she can closely monitor server usage as well. Then, the owner can quickly spot potential problems before they affect the website. Access to a Unique IP Address Each server has its own IP address, which is a numeric identification of each server's internet location. If there are multiple websites on the same server, they all share the same server IP address. What does that mean for business owners? When their websites share the same IP address as spam sites, they could have lower search engine results pages or SERPs. With dedicated hosting, however, this isn't a problem. That server gets its own IP address and only shares it with one site. For an e-commerce site that processes credit cards, having a unique IP address is important. It ensures the safety of not only the website but also the clients that visit the website. Higher Percentage of Uptime When using shared hosting, website owners have no say when the server goes down for maintenance. With dedicated hosting, the owner can choose when to do maintenance so that the downtime is more convenient for the business. While no server can have a perfect 100% uptime, companies can get close to this with dedicated hosting. In general, dedicated hosting offers an uptime of close to 99.9%. To sweeten the deal, these solutions allow website owners to choose when that 0.1% downtime occurs. Having a higher uptime is good, especially for businesses that sell goods via their websites. Any time the websites are down because of server maintenance, they lose possible sales. As a result, it's best to choose a server that has the highest uptime. Enjoy Higher Security With Dedicated Hosting The last and most important benefit of dedicated hosting is the higher level of security that comes with not using a shared server. As mentioned, shared servers can hurt the SERPs of websites. The reason is that search engines can blacklist the server's IP address. Websites that are on the same server with a website that has its IP address blacklisted suffer the consequences as well. This often happens on websites that get hit with copyright infringement. The bad news doesn't stop there. Authorities have the right to shut down entire servers. It doesn't matter what other websites use the severe as long as one of them broke the law. Unfortunately, most websites don't know if they're sharing a server with an illegal internet website. This makes it nearly impossible for websites on a shared server to protect themselves. Businesses and Websites With a Lot of Traffic Should Consider Dedicated Hosting Numerous advantages come with dedicated hosting solutions. For big businesses or websites that receive a lot of traffic, the benefits far outweigh the pitfalls. Honestly, the biggest drawback is the higher price tag. Shared servers are the cheapest way to get a website online. However, not having to share a server with other websites is often worth the higher price tag alone. [ Read an excerpt from The King at the Edge of the World. ] Elizabeth Is strategy was driven by expediency. Having been excommunicated by Pope Pius V, and out of step with Catholic Europe, she needed allies. In writing to Sultan Murad III, Elizabeth drew parallels between Protestantism and Islam. Both abhorred idolatry and intercession, and both relied on their books, the Bible and the Quran, for direct contact with God. The Sultan replied issuing a new law for his subjects that if Elizabeths agents and merchants shall come from the domain of Anletar [Angleterre] by sea with their barks and with their ships, let no one interfere. Elizabeth pressed further east than the Ottomans and dealt directly with the Safavid Empire in what is now Iran. If the Reformation can be classed as Britains first Brexit, then as now, having cut ourselves off from Europe, we urgently needed to forge alliances elsewhere. Image The policy had been formulated by Elizabeths spymaster, Sir Francis Walsingham, and it soon reached a breathtaking level of pragmatic realpolitik. The newly formed Levant Company began an illegal trade shipping old tin and lead, stripped from deconsecrated churches and monasteries, to the Ottomans to reforge as armaments. Old church bells became cannons and shells, used to bombard Christian armies. Even Oliver North might have balked at that. It goes to show that the British have never been off the pace in terms of geopolitical cynicism. The King at the Edge of the World looks through the other end of the lens, and sees first England and then Scotland from the viewpoint of a displaced hero from Constantinople. Mahmoud Ezzedine, a Muslim physician and an endlessly forbearing man of sweet goodness, rapidly becomes the innocent victim of these diplomatic exchanges. His downward-spiraling life is a series of incidents in which he is exploited as a pawn in a game of international political chess. He is tricked into joining a delegation to London by a courtier who has eyes for his wife. He is stranded there when he is gifted by his countrys ambassador to Elizabeth. He is further isolated when he is passed on to provide care for an epileptic nobleman in a bleak outpost of Cumberland. And, finally, he is lost at the very end of the world when he is sent on to Edinburgh, to inveigle his way into the affections of the Scottish King James VI, poised to become the English King James I upon Elizabeths death. An essentially tender and passive man, Ezzedine finds sustenance in his Islamic faith as his dignity is stripped away. Phillips, the author of the acclaimed novel Prague, is at pains to remind us of the superiority of Asia, sometimes to a fault. His principal character is so full of yearning for his lost Constantinople, and so committed to reminding us of the relative backwardness of the British Isles, that one begins to question his lack of intellectual curiosity. It is possible to comprehend his despair at being lost in the rugged wilds of the northeast, but it seems rum that a mind as fine as Ezzedines can take no pleasure in the London theater of his day, the wit of its court or its fledgling struggles toward the scientific mentality. He enjoys the company of Elizabeths resident eccentric magus, Dr. John Dee, and they swap herbal medicinal cures, but it seems overly tentative not to move beyond Dee to Francis Bacon, or to have Ezzedine read Christopher Marlowe, or listen to Lancelot Andrewes preach. Despite this narrowness of vision, the book is a delightfully rich fruitcake and an old-fashioned pleasure to read; its plot is an intricate set of intersecting mechanisms and locks and keys, which, when they finally all fall into place, provide the reader with the gawping satisfaction of having been well and truly fooled. And then fooled again. That conjurers panache of a reveal is achieved through cleverly withheld information, alluring blind alleys and pungent red herrings. Sentence by sentence, the book blends the leanness of a taut thriller with the marbled fatness of Elizabethan prose. Combining those two is quite the juggling act. When it comes to entertainment, people enjoy seeing bad guys get their punishment more than seeing them be forgiven, a new study reveals. But even though they don't enjoy the forgiveness stories as much, people do find these narratives more meaningful and thought-provoking than ones in which the bad guys receive their just deserts. "We like stories in which the wrongdoers are punished and when they get more punishment than they deserve, we find it fun," said Matthew Grizzard, lead author of the study and assistant professor of communication at The Ohio State University. "Still, people appreciate stories of forgiveness the most, even if they don't find them to be quite as fun." The study was published online recently in the journal Communication Research and will appear in a future print edition. The study involved 184 college students who read short narratives that they were told were plots to possible television episodes. advertisement The students read 15 narratives: one-third in which the villain was treated positively by the victim; one-third in which the villain received a just punishment; and one-third in which the villain was punished over and beyond what would have been a suitable penalty for the crime. For example, one story involved a person stealing $50 from a co-worker. Participants read one of three possible endings. In one scenario, the victim bought coffee for the thief (under-retribution/forgiveness); in another, the victim stole a $50 bottle of whiskey from the thief (equitable retribution); and in the third version the victim both stole his money back and downloaded porn onto the thief's work computer (over-retribution). Immediately after reading each scenario, the participants were asked if they liked or disliked the narrative. More people liked the equitable retribution stories than those that involved under- or over-retribution, Grizzard said. The researchers also timed how long it took the readers to click the like or dislike button on the computer after reading each of the narratives. advertisement They found that readers took less time to respond to stories with equitable retribution than it did for them to respond to stories with under- or over-retribution. "People have a gut-level response as to how they think people should be punished for wrongdoing and when a narrative delivers what they expect, they often respond more quickly," Grizzard said. When the punishment did not fit the crime, the participants took a bit longer to respond to the story with a like or dislike. But why they took longer appeared to be different for stories with under-retribution versus stories with over-retribution, Grizzard said. The reason why may be explained by the next part of the study. After the participants read all 15 narratives, they rated each story for enjoyment ("This story would be a good time, fun, entertaining") and appreciation ("This story would be meaningful, moving, thought-provoking"). Participants thought stories in which the bad guys were over-punished would be the most enjoyable and those in which the bad guys were forgiven would be the least enjoyable to watch. Equitable punishment was in the middle. But they also said they would appreciate the stories about forgiveness more than the other two types of narratives. So the participants may have paused slightly before responding to the forgiveness stories to reflect, because they saw them as more meaningful, Grizzard said. But while they also paused for the over-punishment narratives, they did not find them more meaningful, only more enjoyable, he said. That suggests the pause may have been simply to savor the extra punishment the villain received. "It appears to be the darker side of just enjoying the vengeance," he said. Overall, the results suggest that a fair and just retribution is the "intuitive moral standard" that comes to us easily and naturally, according to Grizzard. "But seeing a lack of punishment requires a level of deliberation that doesn't come to us naturally. We can appreciate it, even if it doesn't seem particularly enjoyable." Minister for Planning, Professor Gyan Baffour has said in line with the service charter by Private Enterprise Federation (PEF), it will not only fulfill the promise of President Akufo-Addo but also emphasise Governments commitment to private sector developments and citizens' participation. According to him, it must be the duty of industry players to ensure they do not only abide by the charters but rather it becomes their daily references to the services they deliver to the public. Speaking at the launch of Service Delivery Charters, Reports on Administrative Corruption And PEF Public Institutions Services Delivery Awards in Accra, the Minister said As we launch this service charters developed by the various agencies in the fight against corruption in Ghana, I urge you to strongly ensure the adherence of PEFs Service Delivery Charters to ensure it become a living document." He said he is confident in the private sector growth for national development, efficient and quality service delivery for citizens satisfaction in wealth creation. The Minister also revealed that in its attempt at eradicating corrupt practices in the country, it has also been informed that some of the existing licensing regimes in this country have so many lapses. He however noted that some delays are the causes of the problems. He emphasized that it is for this reason PEF is at the center ensuring the requisite business development support services are available and capacity is built for sustainable private sector led development that seeks to wipe out corruption. Quoting President Akufo-Addo on the agenda for jobs, creating prosperity, equal opportunity for all, Prof Gyan Baffour stated, Building Government machinery that works remains a major role of Government over the medium term. This entails undertaking institutional reforms as well as strengthening the capacity of public sector institutions to deliver public goods and services efficiently. He added that specific strategies to be implemented include the realigning of institutions to address conflicting mandates and improve coordination. Prof Gyan Baffour further mentioned that modernising the public service institutions for efficiency, productivity, improving leadership capabilities on delivery in the public service will improve accountability in the public service by introducing a Citizens Charter. He was confident that restructuring State Owned Enterprises will help make them more productive and efficient. The Minister charged National Commission on Civic Education (NCCE) to continue educating and sensitizing citizens on their rights and responsibilities as enshrined in the constitution. In her Presentation, Legal Practitioner with Kasser Law Firm, Clara Kasser-Tee revealed that anytime a citizen makes or triggers the system on the basis of complain on allegations of corruption, there will be an immediate attention. She said If each Agency is leaving small complains of corruption to CHRAJ or Special Prosecutor, I am sure this will help in the fight against the canker. The Legal Practitioner noted that although some Institutions had the Service Delivery Charters, it was advisable to review to identify gaps and improve on them. She added that transparency was one of the Service Delivery Charters aims since one of the problems associated with corruption identified was delays adding that some Institutions did not know what to do. Programmes Director, STAR-Ghana Foundation, Ibrahim-Tanko Amidu noted that corruption tends to affect the poor and vulnerable in the society as they have no option than to pay higher prices for goods and services. He said Corruption poses an essential threat to Ghana and if we dont tackle it, it will begin to generate into something that will be more unpleasant for us Mr. Amidu hinted that STAR-Ghana has taken a stand to be more active in the fight against corruption adding that it two years ago provided approximately GHc14 Million to 25 Organizations to undertake various actions across the country. The Private Enterprises Federation (PEF) believes that it will promote responsible businesses and safeguard the environment for enhanced productivity. Background The Private Enterprise Federation (PEF) is a non-profit, non-political, autonomous institution under the Ghana Companies Code, Act 179. PEF seeks to promote the creation of an enabling environment for a competitive and profitable Private Sector Growth in the country. It also improves the business environment for enhanced competitiveness through advocacy and capacity building. It also provides business development information and market linkages. An underwhelming India suffered their first ODI whitewash in more than three decades as New Zealand completed a 3-0 sweep with a five-wicket victory in the third match here on Tuesday. It is the first whitewash for India in 31 years in a series in which all matches have been played. They were beaten 5-0 by the West Indies back in 1989 in an away assignments. Henry Nicholls scored 80 (103 balls) and Martin Guptill made 66 off 46 balls as the Black Caps scored 300 for five in 47.1 overs. Colin de Grandhomme smacked 58 not out off 28 balls at the end to help seal the win with 17 balls to spare. Earlier, India had scored 296 for seven after being put into bat, thanks to K L Rahul's (112) fourth ODI hundred. Chasing a sub-par 297, New Zealand got off to a flying start as Guptill and Nicholls put on 50 off just 40 balls. Overall, they added 106 for the first wicket. Gupitll smacked six fours and four sixes as the Indian new ball bowlers suffered an onslaught. Shardul Thakur (1-87) and Navdeep Saini (0-68) struggled to find their rhythm and were taken for runs, while Jasprit Bumrah went wicket-less in the entire series. Yuzvendra Chahal (3-47) provided the breakthrough, bowling Guptill in the 17th over. At the other end, Nicholls scored a half-century off 72 balls and anchored the innings. He added 53 runs with Kane Williamson (22), but Chahal struck twice more and Ravindra Jadeja (1-45) removed in-form Ross Taylor (12) for cheap. New Zealand were reduced to 189for four in the 33rd over at that stage. De Grandhomme took centre stage then and smashed a half-century off only 21 balls. His explosive knock included six fours and three sixes, as his fifth wicket partnership with Jimmy Neesham (19) came off only 31 balls. India's fielding was lax and failed to build pressure on the Black Caps, an apt representation of their struggles in this series. This was after Rahul's first hundred at number five helped anchor the Indian innings. He hit nine fours and two sixes, and rescued India from a precarious 62 for three. He put on 100 runs with Shreyas Iyer (62 off 63 balls) for the fourth wicket, and later on another 107 runs with Manish Pandey (42 off 48 balls) for the fifth wicket. Hamish Bennett finished with 4-64 from ten overs. New Zealand had won the toss and opted to field. The hosts made two changes, with Kane Williamson returning from injury. Spinner Mitchell Santner came in for Tom Blundell. India made one change with Manish Pandey included ahead of Kedar Jadhav. India made another poor start. Kyle Jamieson (1-53) bowled Mayank Agarwal (1), who has suffered a torrid tour of New Zealand thus far. The big blow came when Virat Kohli (9) was out caught at third man in the seventh over. Prithvi Shaw provided the initial flourish with 40 off 42 balls, but he was run-out going for a suicidal second run in the 13th over. Iyer and Rahul then anchored the Indian innings. The former batted steadily and reached his half century off 52 balls, his third 50-plus score in this series. But Iyer couldn't carry on, out caught off Jimmy Neesham (1-50). It was down to Rahul then, who crossed 50 off 66 balls. His partnership with Pandey progressed well as India reached 250 in the 45th over. Rahul's hundred came off 104 balls, and he perished in a bid to accelerate. This is where India's innings fell apart, as Pandey also holed out off Bennett shortly afterwards. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Multi-millionaire Tom Cruise's daughter has been making ends meet by hawking her old clothes online at a significant markup, DailyMail.com can disclose. Isabella 'Bella' Kidman Cruise has been selling items such as Dr. Martens boots and Stella McCartney sunglasses on Depop, a UK website similar to eBay but just for clothes. So far, the 27-year-old hasn't had much luck with only four out of her 13 items being sold, netting her $807 (625). Still up for grabs are various tops, jackets and a jumpsuit. Bella, whose father is worth an estimated $570 million, even put a tagline stating: 'Everything must go. Free postage within the UK. No refunds. Not responsible after postage.' It seems Bella is hoping to turn a profit with her used clothes, selling items for much more than what they are worth - as some tops are marked up by $85. Multi-millionaire Tom Cruise's daughter Isabella has been making ends meet by hawking her old clothes online at a significant markup, DailyMail.com can disclose The 27-year-old has been selling items such as Dr. Martens boots and Stella McCartney sunglasses on Depop, a UK website similar to eBay but just for clothes. She listed these boots for around $190. The regular black and brown version of these boots cost around $170 It seems Bella is hoping to turn a profit with her used clothes, selling items for much more than they're worth - as some tops are marked up by $85. This Reformation top is listed for around $215 while the same style of top is sold directly by the brand for around $130 Last month, she put a thick sheepskin jacket up for sale for $195 (150) saying: 'Really warm jacket from Out From Under. Never been worn. No tags. Great condition.' She's been using the same profile name as she's used for her private Instagram for years - @beezwell. Depop is relatively unknown in the United States but is liked by reality stars in the UK who are trying to make a quick buck on their used designer labels. Just like her father, Bella is a staunch Scientologist, but has been living away from the rest of the Cruise family Bella, a former art student, also has her own website bellakidmancruise.com where she sells T-shirts that she's designed. Just like her father, Bella is a staunch Scientologist, but has been living away from the rest of the Cruise family for the past five years, who have all relocated to be close to the Church headquarters in Clearwater, Florida. She's taken up base in Croydon - 12 miles outside London - after marrying computer programmer Max Parker in a secret ceremony in 2015. Bella has led a very un-glitzy lifestyle since marrying her 32-year-old husband. They live in a simple three-bedroom semi-detached house, which they bought for $693,000 (535,000) in June 2017, according to the title deeds. The Top Gun actor doesn't appear to be handing any significant chunks of money down to his adopted daughter, despite being one of Hollywood's richest stars with a fortune of $570 million. But it seems there's no hard feelings, as the Church of Scientology 'Poster Girl' appeared in a promo thanking her famous father. In a marketing ad, Bella credited the Church of Scientology for providing the missing piece in her life after undertaking extensive training to become an auditor. Bella has been using the same profile name as she's used for her private Instagram for years - @beezwell. Depop is unknown in the US but is liked by reality stars in the UK who are trying to flog their used designer labels Bella, a former art student, also has her own website bellakidmancruise.com where she sells her own designed T-shirts Bella has taken up base in Croydon - 12 miles outside London - after marrying computer programmer Max Parker in a secret ceremony in 2015. Bella has led a very un-glitzy lifestyle since marrying her 32-year-old husband. Pictured: The couple in London in May 2019 In an email initially shared with London based Scientologists and subsequently published on Scientology blog The Underground Bunker, Bella claimed she was 'drowning in problems' before qualifying for the role. Reflecting on her training, she wrote: 'It turned out it was exactly what I needed. I dragged out the testing and correction, just made it through the drilling and then finally began my auditing adventure, and wow, I wasn't prepared. This IS what I had been searching for. The missing piece.' Bella credited her father, full name Thomas Cruise Mapother IV, her aunt Cass Mapother and various members of the church for helping her through a series of issues while she underwent her training. 'Thank you to my Dad for everything,' she wrote. 'To Cass. To Tash. I would have drowned in my own problems if you hadn't been there to sup me or get me through the preliminaries.' While Bella has settled in one of the most unfashionable parts of Britain, she's not been totally ignored by her family. Bella was adopted by Cruise and his former wife Nicole Kidman in 1992 and her younger brother Connor, 25, also a practicing Scientologist, three years later. But it seems there's no hard feelings, as the Church of Scientology 'Poster Girl' recently appeared in a promo thanking her dad Tom. In a marketing ad, Bella credited the Church of Scientology for providing the missing piece in her life after undertaking extensive training to become an auditor. Pictured: Bella with Cruise and his daughter with Katie Holmes Suri in 2010 Connor, 25, made a secret visit to London over Christmas and had a shave and facial at the trendy barbers Ted's Grooming Room, which has locations all over the capital (left and right). One of its barbers Ali K posted photos of Connor on December 29 enjoying a beard trim and mud facial Connor made a secret visit to London over Christmas and had a shave and facial at the trendy barbers Ted's Grooming Room, which has locations all over the capital. One of its barbers Ali K posted photos of Connor on December 29 enjoying a beard trim and mud facial, captioning it with: Brother Connor from LA is having a shave and a facial treatment. Hope 2 c u soon again. #tedsgroomingroom @theconnorcruise #turkishbarbers #barbershopconnet #masterbarbers #britishmasterbarbers #shaving #beard #facialtreatment It's not known if father Tom also came to visit Bella for Christmas although his movements are always kept top secret. The 57-year-old moved to Florida last year and now lives only a few hundred yards from the global HQ of the Church of Scientology in a two-story penthouse. Last October, he was spotted in the UK giving helicopter lessons to Connor, leading to speculation that he was visiting the UK for the International Association of Scientologists gala dinner, which is held every year at the British headquarters in Saint Hill, West Sussex, and is the biggest event in the Church's calendar. By Kyle Martin Bay City News Service Santa Clara County is starting a new program in San Jose for residents with methamphetamine addictions who need a place to sober up and access services. At the sobering center, which will open March 4 at 151 W. Mission St., local law enforcement and the county will pilot a program to offer meth users and addicts somewhere to spend up to 23 hours and 59 minutes -- just one minute shy of 24 hours -- sobering up before release or a transfer to addiction and substance abuse services. "We're a safety net for people who are most in need," Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors President Cindy Chavez said during a news conference at the center Monday. "One of the things we've seen since 2006 is an increase in the number of people who are primarily using meth and getting into our drug rehab programs to try to focus on addressing that addiction." Chavez said the county has been working on a program to offer police "ways to keep people from coming into custody so we can get them the help that they need" for substance abuse challenges. So the county in October 2017 opened what will now be an expanded sobering center on Mission Street to hold drunken people until they sobered up. But county officials decided that they wanted to open up the center for meth users because the latter drug disproportionately affects county residents with addictions. "We saw an increase in need for those who were using meth and those who were mentally ill -- (people who are) not violent, but just out in the community maybe frightening people or being frightened themselves," Chavez said. "This is an opportunity for us to learn, to pilot, to figure out what we can do to get people who are on the streets with these specific problems and do a hot or warm hand-off to a service." Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen Manley told reporters that the county's courts were recently heavily focused on drugs, with nearly 40 percent of the jail population comprised of people with drug charges. "Now, with the change in public policy, the change in legislation, we have fewer," Manley said. "And where are they now? They are in the streets." Manley, who founded the county's Drug Treatment Court and Mental Health Treatment Court, said county officials have found that "incarcerating people does not change their use of drugs," and instead decided to shift focus on finding new ways addicts and substance abusers can shake their drug habits without going to jail. District Attorney Jeff Rosen at Monday's news conference said, "drug addiction is something that touches almost every family in our county." "We have to get out of this false choice of: we either have them in the jail or we have them on the street," Rosen said. "In the jail, they're not getting better, they're not getting good treatment there. And leaving them on the street doesn't help these people get better." This means the county needs to provide "as many open doors as possible to give people the opportunity to change," Rosen added. According to data from the county, 3,405 individuals were provided substance use treatment in the county in 2019. Those individuals had been admitted into some form of treatment or care 5,000 times. The county found that of those clients, 1,302 said methamphetamine was their primary drug of choice, 938 said alcohol and 641 said marijuana. Rosen said the sobering center is "not all of the tools" the county needs to address meth addiction, "but it is one of the tools that we need." "Certainly there will be a debate as to whether where we're drawing the line is the optimal place to draw the line, but I think that everybody agrees that the jail is not the place where we want to do drug treatment for everyone," Rosen added. He did not specify if local law enforcement would be changing their practices to focus on bringing meth users to the center, but said prosecutors would be discussing that further. Smith did not have specifics on what the sobering center with the methamphetamine expansion will cost the county, but added that it is "somewhere in the million-dollar range." "The key here is that we're creating a system that's an integrated, long-term system to deal with addiction, whether it's alcohol, meth or any other drug," County Executive Dr. Jeff Smith said. "However, we know that in Santa Clara County, meth is a huge problem, disproportionate to other counties, other areas, in the nation. So having this sobering center gives us the opportunity to address an individual's needs where they live at the time they are available," Smith said. He said local law enforcement is used to just putting people in jail who are under the influence of drugs if they happen upon them in the streets. "We know that doesn't work," Smith said. County officials maintain that those who commit more serious crimes than simply being intoxicated, such as those who break into a home or commit a more violent offense, will likely still be prosecuted, arrested and incarcerated. "Different police agencies will make up their own processes," Smith said. "But what we envision and what the sheriff will do is if somebody is in a situation where they would typically be cited and released -- or they would be released but they currently have an intoxication problem that makes the officer fear for the person's safety -- they'll be offered the opportunity to come to the sobering center and get sober." The center was previously staffed by three licensed nurses, six health technicians, seven sobering specialists with either some lived experience, a clinical credential or a combination of the two, a program supervisor, an office manager and two data entry-focused employees, according to the sobering center's program director Tina Sentner. With the new program, the sobering center has acquired an extra part-time nurse, and an additional health technician and case manager, both of whom are full-time, Sentner 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 aerial photo of flooding from an extreme high tide is seen near the Coquille River in southwest Oregon. Associated Press So-called "king tides" occur a few times a year when the alignment and orbit of the Earth, sun, and moon combine to create exceptionally high water levels. A network of volunteer photographers is capturing pictures of the "king tides" in an effort to help scientists, city planners, and policymakers to study and prepare for the effects of climate change. The King Tide Project, which was first created in 2009, can show where flooding might occur and where it is safe to build new housing. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A few times every year, a network of volunteer photographers try to capture so-called "king tides", which affect several coastal communities around the world. The group's aim is to document how high the waterline gets and where the water goes so that the images can be used by scientists, city planners, and policymakers to study and prepare for the effects of climate change. The photos reveal where flooding can occur on specific roads as well as where it is safe to build new housing. "King tides", which is a non-scientific term that is used to describe exceptionally high tides of water, occur when the orbit and alignment of the Earth, moon, and sun combine. Here are some pictures taken by some volunteer photographers that show the scary effects of climate change. A few times a year, when the orbits and alignment of the Earth, moon, and sun combine, so-called "king tides" are produced. AP20034825092850 Associated Press "King tides" is a non-scientific term that is used to describe exceptionally high tides of water. They can cause tidal flooding. Source: National Ocean Service The flooding which is caused by high tides is always a good marker for how the sea level rise will affect coastal communities. AP20034825202359 Associated Press If paired with bad weather, the king tides can create major waves and stormy conditions. Earlier this year, 15-to-20-foot waves in Oregon sucked a man and two young children into the sea. Story continues A woman who was taking pictures of the tides from her house called 911, but the children, aged 4 and 7, both died. Source: Associated Press, KDRV To monitor the flooding, a group of volunteer photographers and scientists teamed up to launch the King Tide Project. AP20034825347891 Associated Press The first King Tide Project launched in 2009 in Australia but it has since spread to New Zealand, Mauritius, coastal states in the US and British Columbia. Source: Associated Press The idea behind the project is to collect as many pictures of king tides around the world as possible so that scientists, policymakers, and even city planners can study and prepare for the effects of climate change. AP20034825248246 Associated Press "A lot of the conversation around climate change was what was happening far away and not about what people were going to be experiencing in their own lives," one of the founders of the project, Marina Psaros told AP. "The goal of the project was to get people thinking more about climate change locally instead of just polar bears." Source: Associated Press The photos are valuable in showing where flooding can occur on specific roads as well as where it is safe to build new housing. AP20034825247549 Associated Press Over time, the pictures show what exact parts of the world are most in danger, whether flooding might occur, or an increase in sea levels. Source: Associated Press Any pictures taken of the extreme high tides can be uploaded with geolocation data embedded on the King Tides Project's website. AP20034825205407 Associated Press There is now even a smartphone app for the project, that makes crowdsourcing images much easier. Source: King Tides Project, Associated Press In Auckland, New Zealand one year, images sent in by people of flooded parks and freeway underpasses, were used by local government to develop a new plan to reinforce a popular, but rapidly eroding beach. AP20034825205246 Associated Press "There's no eureka moment where it all comes into play, but it's an evolving database of information that's there when needed," founder of the New Zealand King Tide Project, Ben Sheeran said. Source: Associated Press This year, scientists, volunteers, and observers documented the winter's final high tide, which occurred off the U.S West Coast on February 8, 9, and 10. They are also preparing to capture more pictures in New Zealand on February 12. AP20034825177911 Associated Press "Seeing [so much water] over such a large area, it really opened my eyes," Olson said. "This is impactful," one volunteer said. Source: Associated Press Read the original article on Business Insider The judge in a contentious lawsuit that tried to stop the long-in-the-works merger between T-Mobile and Sprint is planning to rule in favor of the deal, according to three people briefed on the matter. The verdict, expected Tuesday, will come at the end of an unusual suit filed in June by attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia. The challenge came after federal regulators gave their blessing to the deal, which would combine the nations third- and fourth-largest wireless carriers and create a new telecommunications giant to take on the two largest, AT&T and Verizon. The states argued that the combination of T-Mobile and Sprint would reduce competition in the telecommunications industry, lead to higher cellphone bills and place a financial burden on lower-income customers. Judge Victor Marrero of U.S. District Court in Manhattan presided over the case. Final arguments took place last month. SETTLEMENT: Texas attorney general drops out of multistate T-Mobile-Sprint antitrust suit None of the parties have read the ruling yet, the three people said, leaving open the possibility that the decision includes conditions or restrictions. Both companies are planning to make announcements Tuesday, the people said. Shares in Sprint shot up more than 60% and T-Mobile stock rose about 10% in aftermarket trading. The lawsuit was the final roadblock to the merger, which made steady progress through the approval process since it was announced in April 2018. If the judges ruling goes in favor of the two companies, the deal will create a new telecommunications giant, called T-Mobile, that will have more than 100 million customers. T-Mobile and Sprint have long said the merger was crucial to their futures in an industry challenged by pricing wars that have undercut profits and stalled growth. By combining with Sprint, T-Mobile has said it would be able to accelerate its development of 5G, the next generation of cellular networks. The deal is also important to Sprint, which has bled cash and subscribers in recent years. SoftBank, the Japanese conglomerate that controls Sprint, has been looking to raise cash for its newest tech investing fund. The new company will be led by Mike Sievert, a T-Mobile executive who will take over for John Legere, the face of the company whose contract is up in April. RELEASE NOTES: Get Dwight Silverman's weekly tech newsletter each Monday Legere, the flamboyant, social-media-savvy chief executive of T-Mobile since 2012, helped drive the merger, which won the approval of the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission last year. To get the nod from the government, T-Mobile and Sprint agreed to sell off significant portions of their businesses to the pay-television operator Dish Network as part of a plan to create a potential new major wireless company. Marcelo Claure, the executive chairman of Sprint, became a close ally of Legeres throughout the campaign to secure approval for the deal. Legere made numerous visits to the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department. Claure hosted a fundraiser for Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., who was eventually elected to the Senate in November 2018. Several lawmakers expressed misgivings over Legeres Washington visits, noting the dozens of times that he and other T-Mobile executives stayed at the Trump International Hotel there. The companies have denied doing anything inappropriate to curry favor with federal officials. The deal also represents a victory for Masayoshi Son, the billionaire entrepreneur and outspoken leader of SoftBank, which has recently come under pressure from the activist investor Elliott Management. SoftBanks outsize investments in tech startups, including WeWork, have failed to deliver for investors, and Son has struggled to raise more cash for a new investment fund. He has been trying to unload Sprint for years. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 02:12:37|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The newly released U.S. Middle East peace plan departs from internationally agreed parameters concerning the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, said the four EU members of the UN Security Council -- Belgium, Estonia, France and Germany -- plus Poland, which has just left the council. "In line with the long-standing EU position, we remain committed to a negotiated two-state solution, based on 1967 lines, with equivalent land swaps, as may be agreed between the parties, with the state of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable state of Palestine, living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition," said a joint statement of the five countries. "The U.S. initiative, as presented on Jan. 28, departs from these internationally agreed parameters." The U.S. plan, contrary to UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, recognizes Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital." The U.S. plan was immediately rejected by Palestine and the Arab world. The five EU countries on Tuesday reaffirmed their readiness to work toward the resumption of direct negotiations between the two parties to resolve all final-status issues, including issues related to borders, the status of Jerusalem, security and the refugee question, with the aim of building a just and lasting peace, said the joint statement, which was read out to reporters by Belgian Foreign and Defense Minister Philippe Goffin, who was flanked by representatives of the other four countries. "We call on both sides to exercise restraint and abstain from any unilateral actions contrary to international law and to re-engage in negotiations. We condemn all acts of violence against civilians, including acts of terror, as well as acts of provocation, incitement and destruction," said the statement. "We reaffirm our concern about Israel's settlement activity in the occupied Palestinian territory, which is illegal under international law and constitutes an obstacle to peace and a two-state solution. We are also deeply concerned about potential steps toward annexation after repeated calls for a possible annexation of areas in the West Bank. The annexation of any part of the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, constitutes a breach of international law, undermines the viability of the two-state solution and challenges the prospects for just, comprehensive and lasting peace. In line with international law and relevant UN Security Council resolutions, we do not recognize Israel's sovereignty over the territories occupied since 1967." The five EU countries said they will continue to engage with the parties and relevant stakeholders to revive a political process in line with international law, which ensures equal rights and which is acceptable to both parties. They also reiterated their commitment to the security of Israel, including with regard to current and emerging threats in the region. The joint statement was released ahead of a Security Council meeting on the U.S. Middle East peace plan. By Express News Service KURNOOL: Actor Venkateshs photo appeared on the voter ID of a Kurnool woman. The woman voter, who was shocked to find the actors photo on her voter ID, immediately complained to the officials. Ever since the voter list was published on Friday, several people have been thronging the Kurnool Municipal Corporation (KMC) office to check their names. It is learnt that the officials have so far received 500 complaints from denizens on voter data mismatch such as listing of wrong names and residential addresses. The woman, K Rani (20), belonging to 31st ward in the city, enrolled her name in the voter list recently. But the officials wrongly affixed the actors photo instead of hers. A voter identity card with a photo of Tollywood actor Daggubati Venkatesh. (Photo | EPS) With the voter ID going viral on social media, the civic officials said that they are on the job of correcting the errors in the voter list. There are a total of 4,48,774 voters in 52 revenue wards in Kurnool. Of them, 2,20,191 are male voters, 2,28,502 are female voters and 81 belong to the third gender. The officials displayed the voter list on the notice board at the KMC office and sent the same to ward offices and uploaded it on the website four days ago. Mistakes may have crept in at the time of enrolment at the electoral registration office, KMC election cell in charge Israel said. Dog photo in voter list Eluru: Exposing the indifference of officials in preparing voter list, a dogs photo was featured in the list instead of a voter. A voter named Banni Gara (19) in division 12, was allotted serial number 5, 928 at polling station 194. Taking everyone by surprise, a dogs photo was printed in the voter list instead of Banni Garas. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 17:41:04 Amsterdam, February 11, 2020 The Supervisory Board of Heineken N.V. announces the upcoming succession of Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, following his successful 15 year leadership of the company. The Supervisory Board will nominate Dolf van den Brink, currently President Asia Pacific region and Executive Team member, to be appointed as member of the Executive Board at the companys Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on 23 April 2020 per that same date, for a period of four years. Ensuring a smooth and effective transition, Mr. Van Boxmeer will hand over his responsibilities to Dolf van den Brink on 1 June 2020. Jean-Francois van Boxmeer joined HEINEKEN as a management trainee in 1984. After a number of international management positions, he was appointed member of the Executive Board in 2001. In 2005, Mr. Van Boxmeer was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Heineken N.V. Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented: The Supervisory Board is grateful for the extraordinary contribution of Jean-Francois van Boxmeer in bringing HEINEKEN to where it is today. Under his stewardship, the company more than doubled in size due to both strong organic growth and transformational deals that turned HEINEKEN into the most global brewer, with iconic brands enjoyed by consumers on all continents. Not only did he deliver superior top-line growth and an excellent business performance, he also developed and nurtured a diverse and great talent pool across the world. He will leave behind a company excellently positioned to grow further. For all this, we owe Jean-Francois a heartfelt and huge thank you. Jean-Francois van Boxmeer commented: It has been a great privilege and honour to lead HEINEKEN and to work with so many great people from all over the world over the past three decades. I feel now is the right moment to hand over leadership to the next generation. I am proud of what we have achieved together and I would like to thank the Supervisory Board, my fellow Executive Board member Laurence Debroux and the Executive Team for their support and confidence. I would also like to thank all our employees, who make our business great every day. It is my absolute pleasure to be handing the helm to Dolf. His ability to lead teams, grow our brands and business, in a responsible way, is nothing short of impressive. I am certain that under his leadership the company is in the best of hands to continue to grow. I look forward to work with Dolf in delivering a smooth transition. Dolf van den Brink is a proven strong business leader. Throughout his 22 year career at HEINEKEN he has successfully built high performing teams in both developed and developing markets. He is currently a highly valued member of the Executive Team and successfully leads the Asia Pacific region as President. His successor will be announced in due course. Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented: The Supervisory Board conducted a thorough succession process and is very happy to unanimously nominate Dolf van den Brink as the new Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Heineken N.V. He has proven to be an outstanding leader and member of the Executive Team, winning in our markets, building great teams and growing our brands. Coupled with his leadership experience in all four continents, Dolf van den Brink is the right CEO for the company in the next phase of growth and development, building on Jean-Francois van Boxmeers great legacy. Mrs. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken noted: My family and I are deeply grateful to Jean-Francois for all he has brought to HEINEKEN during his entire career in the company but particularly for his impressive 15 year leadership as CEO. Under his leadership, HEINEKEN has not only delivered impressive growth and shareholder value, but he also preserved and nurtured the heritage and identity of HEINEKEN as a proud, independent and responsible global brewer during the most active era of consolidation that the brewing industry has undergone. During Jean-Francois almost 15 years as CEO, HEINEKEN has completed over 30 billion euros of acquisitions across the globe, to leave HEINEKEN today as the most global brewer. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our support for the nomination of Dolf van den Brink. We are particularly proud of the open, transparent and fair process, which led to his nomination. My family and I are confident that his strong leadership and people skills, combined with his broad international experience, make him the ideal candidate to succeed Jean-Francois in the CEO role. Heineken Holding N.V., a separate entity which owns 50.005% in Heineken N.V., will propose to their Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 23 April 2020 that upon leaving Heineken N.V., Jean-Francois van Boxmeer be appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors on 1 June 2020. ENDS Press enquiries Tim van der Zanden / Michael Fuchs E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-355 Investor and analyst enquiries Federico Castillo Martinez/ Janine Ackermann / Robin Achten E-mail: investors@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-590 NOTES TO EDITORS Jean-Francois van Boxmeer Resume 1961, Belgian nationality Work Experience 2005 Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Heineken N.V. 2001 Member of the Executive Board, responsible for supply chain and technical services, North-West Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Eastern Europe 2000 General Manager HEINEKEN Italia 1999 Vice President and General Manager Grupa Zywiec in Poland 1996 President and General Manager Zywiec in Poland 1993 General Manager Bralima in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 1990 Sales and Marketing Manager Bralima in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 1987 Sales and Marketing Manager Bralirwa in Rwanda 1984 Trainee in production, sales and administration in the Netherlands Independent Board Positions Independent Director at Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.), USA Member Shareholders Committee at Henkel AG, Germany Chairman Board of Directors of National Opera & Ballet, Netherlands Dolf van den Brink Resume 1973, Dutch nationality Work Experience 2018 Regional President APAC & Global Executive Team member in Singapore 2015 Managing Director Heineken in Mexico 2009 Managing Director Heineken in USA 2005 Commercial Director Bralima, in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 2003 International Channel Development Manager, Heineken Global Commerce, in the Netherlands 1999 Senior Brand Manager Pepsi & 7UP, Trade Marketing Manager Food, Vrumona, in the Netherlands 1998-1999 Commercial Management Trainee, Heineken, in the Netherlands Board Positions Board Member China Resources Beer Holdings, Hong Kong Board and Audit Committee member, United Breweries Ltd, India About HEINEKEN HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. HEINEKEN is committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. It employs over 85,000 employees and operates breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp. Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain price-sensitive information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Attachments By Trend Czech Republic wants South-Eastern Europe to have the same level of energy security that it has, Foreign Minister of Czech Republic Tomas Petricek said in an interview with Trend. In this regard, he emphasized the importance of the Southern Gas Corridor, which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe. "The Czech Republic has been involved with the Southern Gas Corridor from the very beginning - during our EU Presidency, we organized the Southern Corridor EU Summit on May 8, 2009. Being a country fully linked to the North-Western European gas market centered in Rotterdam where 100 percent of gas for our country is sold/bought (we have no long-term contract), we would like our EU friends in the South-Eastern part of the European continent to have the same level of energy security that we enjoy," said the foreign minister. Talking about the energy cooperation between Czech Republic and Azerbaijan, Petricek noted that his country imports about one third of its oil from Azerbaijan via the Baku Tbilisi Ceyhan pipeline. "It is oil that has made the Czech Republic, a geographically relatively distant country with size and population similar to Azerbaijan, the 5th biggest trade partner of your country. I think those figures are rather self-explanatory," noted the minister. He also highlighted the role of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway, which was constructed with active participation of Czech companies. "The BTK railway corridor is key to Azerbaijan's efforts to become a transport hub which is essential not only to the diversification of your own economy but also to facilitating transport between Europe and the Asian continent which is, to be sure, not limited to China. This is obviously in the interest of the both of our countries, and it makes us the more proud of the good work done by Czech companies in the construction of this extremely important infrastructure project," added Petricek. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Democratic presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, left, has a photo taken with members of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America at a campaign event Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Providence, R.I. Read more When former vice president Joe Biden entered the 2020 presidential race last spring, he surged to the top of the Democratic polls with support from voters like Gina Seklecki, a corporate executive assistant from central Bucks County. She said she liked the 77-year-olds experience and thought he would be the best to guide us out of this nightmare and begin repairing the massive damage being done every single day by President Trump. But now Seklecki feels that Bidens been weakened by failing to respond forcefully by months of attacks from Team Trump about the business dealings of son Hunter Biden. Yet plans from his rivals like Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren on Medicare for All and universal college are too far left for her. Increasingly, Seklecki told me by email on Monday, shes moving toward a candidate who didnt show up in either Iowa or New Hampshire. Lately I find myself drawn to Mike Bloomberg, she said. His policies are aligned enough with policies I support, especially on gun safety. His ads are scathing, yet dignified. His campaign brutally trolled Trump during the Oscars and it was perfectly executed. Hes got the right temperament and experience to take Trump on and win. He is everything Trump wants to be, but will never be. Seklecki is hardly alone. A new Quinnipiac University nationwide poll on Monday confirmed what you can see just driving around the politically red-to-blue Philadelphia suburbs, where Bloomberg lawn signs are suddenly sprouting faster than the climate-change-powered crocuses, and the former New York mayor is increasingly the talk of the check-out line at Whole Foods. READ MORE: Bernie Sanders is on the Trump track to the White House. Heres why hes not a leftist Trump. | Will Bunch Improbably, incredibly, Mike Bloomberg a former Republican who twice supported George W. Bush, Americas 8th richest man, running in a party thought to be moving left in income inequality is surging out of nowhere toward the top of the 2020 Democratic field, emerging as the centrist rival to the new left-leaning front-runner, Sanders. The 78-year-old Bloomberg seems to have won the Iowa caucuses and Tuesday nights New Hampshire primary with his unconventional strategy of sitting them out. By anticipating Bidens implosion before almost any of the cable-TV pundits did, and then by carpet-bombing March 3 Super Tuesday states like North Carolina and Virginia with ads while all the journalists were distracted by Iowa and the Democrats tech meltdown and while Biden, Sanders, and inexperienced newcomer Pete Buttigieg tear each other apart and the media erases Warren. When I first starting writing this column in my head, I planned to say that Bloomberg won New Hampshire without getting a single vote. But then the tiny ski resort of Dixville Notch voted at the turn of midnight Tuesday, and the New Yorker got three write-in ballots (including, maybe fittingly, one Republican). Sometimes the omens just write themselves! Why is this happening so suddenly? The Democrats Iowa disaster came at the same time as Trumps impeachment acquittal, a Gallup poll (perhaps an outlier) showing surging approval for the president, and economic data that will give voters who dont care about the presidents corruption, crudeness or bigotry a rationale to vote Republican. The whiff of concern about Biden (too feeble), Buttigieg (either too young or too contrived), Sanders (too socialist), Warren and Sen. Amy Klobuchar (too few Y chromosomes) became a New-Jersey-refinery-level stench of unvarnished fear. Suddenly, an oligarch seems the only way to oust a dictator. Each candidate is flawed, David Diamond, a 60-year-old attorney from Napa, Calif., told me by email. Who can beat the narcissistic psychopath in the White House? Thats all that matters. A frustrated backer of early drop-out Sen. Kamala Harris, Diamond was unenthusiastically weighing Warren and he and his wife were seriously discussing leaving the country if Trump is re-elected when he researched Bloomberg and discovered he liked his policies and that they shared a background as middle-class Jewish kids from Massachusetts. It dawns on me that Mike just might be our best shot to beat the lying traitorous con artist, said Diamond, who volunteered for the campaign on Bloombergs website. But affluent suburban voters the ones who drove the Democratic take-back of the House in 2018 are only part of the story. The Quinnipiac poll that showed Bloomberg spiking to 15 percent and third place, behind only Sanders (25 percent) and the fast-fading Biden (17 percent) also revealed that the New Yorkers heavy advertising on African-American media and his backing from some prominent city leaders is winning major support from black voters. Here in Philadelphia, Michael Nutter was mayor when the city received several large grants from Bloomberg Philanthropies on issues such as climate change and juvenile justice and Nutter even landed a paid fellowship with a Bloomberg-affiliated non-profit after leaving City Hall. Today, Nutter is one of a number of former and current big-city mayors all from places where the billionaire has spread philanthropic dough to endorse Bloomberg. Now that effort and those incessant ads are converting voters. Bloombergs mind-boggling Pentagon-sized ad budget $344 million and counting, or more than 10 times what Sanders has spent might not work if he werent selling a brand of cereal that a lot of Democrats are suddenly craving. Sure, he checks off the right boxes for the party faithful on climate and guns, but what voters seem to really like is his ruthless efficiency and his ability to take it to Trump as an in-your-face New Yorker whos an actual billionaire, not a fake one. Cliff Schecter, a veteran Democratic media consultant (and Penn grad) whos now based in Cincinnati, told me more and more of his middle-class and upper-middle-class Ohio neighbors are talking up Bloomberg, because they like the way his TV ads are taking it directly to Trump. He said many are saying I only care about winning. Wearing my tattered B-list pundit hat, and as a political junkie since the day that a 9-year-old boy watched on TV as cops pummeled hippies at the 1968 Democratic convention in Chicago, I find the Bloomberg surge a heck of a story, not quite like anything Ive seen before. But as a human being with a pulse and grave concerns about the health of American democracy, I find it alarming. And the opinion writer in me wants you to know my opinion is still that Warren is the best candidate by far, because her policies would curb the rampant inequality that allows someone like Bloomberg to buy the White House, and because a Warren win would slap back at the patriarchy of which Bloomberg is a charter member. (I laid out the considerable case against Bloomberg when he announced his candidacy in November: You can read it here.) READ MORE: OK Bloomberg: What panicked billionaires dont get about a nation that made them so rich | Will Bunch But heres what else the I only care about winning Bloomberg voters ought to consider: He may not be your best shot at winning. First off, Bloombergs ascendancy is going to tear the Democratic Party in two ahead of November. If the current trends continue, the race for the nomination could come down to primarily Bloomberg and Sanders, whose early victories and dedicated core of young supporters (some of whom, though not all, subscribe to the notion of Bernie or bust) ensure that the left-wing candidate will be viable and stay in the race until the party confab this July in Milwaukee. Then what? If the party elites coalesce to hand the nomination to Bloomberg, or if heaven forbid the convention goes to a second ballot and so-called superdelegates put the billionaire over the top, Milwaukee might give Chicago 1968 a run for its money in the chaos-and-dysfunction department. And a lot of young or left-leaning voters will stay home November 3 or find the 2020 equivalent of Jill Stein (Tulsi? Is that you?) a recipe for a Trump win. But lets suppose Bloomberg gets the nomination without a Milwaukee brouhaha. The Trump campaign will have a field day rallying the presidents Rust Belt, white-working class base against a coastal elitist who wants to take away your gun and your Big Gulp. And those voters now swarming to Bloomberg? Suburban women wont be able to log into Facebook without hearing either from the Trump campaign or their pals at the Internet Research Agency in St. Petersburg about the many, many crude and misogynistic things Bloomberg has said to or about the opposite sex over his many, many years. And the ink hadnt dried yet on the Quinnipiac poll before black political thought leaders on Twitter like New York Times columnist Charles Blow began melting down over Bloombergs reactionary record on racial issues his unbroken support for occupation-style stop and frisk in black and brown neighborhoods, his fighting the lawsuit by the wrongly convicted Central Park 5, etc. In 2016, Facebook ads going after Hillary Clintons past, such as her superpredator remark about young black men, depressed the African-American turnout. Such an effort targeting Bloomberg will be much more robust. Most importantly, the current euphoria over Bloomberg in some quarters overlooks what a profoundly depressing exercise this would be especially for anyone clinging to the quaint, dying idea that a democratic election should be a marketplace not of dollars but of ideas, and may the best man or (heaven forbid, apparently) woman win. No, voters might trudge to their polling place in nine months forced to choose between a full-on authoritarian determined to keep the American presidency by cheating and demagoguery, or a billionaire whos buying the office, holding himself out as benevolent philosopher king. If it comes down to Bloomberg vs. Trump, I will hold my nose and vote for the man who wont let my grandchildren drown from climate change. But no matter who wins, the impossible mission of saving the American Experiment would begin on November 4. Supporters pay their respects during a funeral mass in Tanuan, Philippines, for Antonio Cando Halili, the citys mayor who was shot and killed by a sniper, Aug. 7, 2018. A town mayor tagged by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as a narco-politician was gunned down Monday night in the capital Manila, authorities said. Police Lt. Col. Samuel Pabonito, a local police commander, said the victim, Abdul Wahab Sabal, 45, mayor of Talitay town in the province in Maguindanao in the southern Philippines, was about to enter Mannra Hotel in downtown Manila when he was attacked. His companion told investigators Mr. Sabal disembarked from his vehicle and was walking toward the entrance of hotel when he heard gunshots, Pabonito said Tuesday. Sabal, who was rushed to a hospital, was declared dead upon arrival by attending physicians. His wife and security staff were unhurt in the incident. Capt. Henry Navarro, chief of the Manila Police District homicide section, said Sabals killing could be linked to illegal drugs or politics. Those are angles we are looking at in our investigation, he told reporters. Sabal was among the politicians allegedly linked to the drug trade included in a list Duterte had made public. He was the 22nd local official killed since Duterte took office in 2016 and launched his bloody crackdown on illegal drugs. In October 2019, David Navarro, 50, mayor of Clarin town in the southern Philippine province of Misamis Occidental, was shot and killed as he was traveling to the city prosecutors office. One day earlier, he had been arrested on allegations he beat up a massage therapist in the central city of Cebu. About 6,000 suspected dealers and addicts have been killed since then, according to police official figures while local and international rights groups claim the figure could be five times greater. The majority of those killed were poor people in urban areas and despite the crackdown, drug trafficking has continued, according to officials. Duterte previously released the names of 35 mayors, seven vice mayors, one provincial board member and three congressmen he alleged were involved in illegal drug trafficking. Included in that list was Sabal and his brother, Montasir. Duterte faces two murder complaints before the International Criminal Court in The Hague filed by relatives of some of those killed and by two men who claimed to be ex-members of Dutertes hit squad. It's been a change election in so many ways, but one certainty we cling to is that were stuck in the same old territory when it comes to the election of women to the Dail. There were 35 women elected in 2016, hitting record numbers, up 10 from the previous election. Even then, though, our national parliament was well over 80% male. This time around there were a record number of female candidates who ran, although it was an increase of just two on the 2016 figure, bringing it to 162 candidates. On a plus point, this time around at least one woman ran in every constituency. However, regardless of gender quotas being in operation, and the geographical spread of female candidates, it looks as if there will be a bare increase of female TDs in the 33rd Dail once all votes are counted, possibly as little as 1%. There remain a number of all-male constituencies Dublin Bay South, Limerick City and County, Meath West, Tipperary and Dublin West. In all of the Cork constituencies, Holly Cairns of Social Democrats is the only woman TD, having been elected against the odds, in Cork South West. But the constituencies of Cork East, North West, South Central and North Central are male bastions. The Labour Party has no female TD now. In 2016 a woman had been elected to Cork South West for the first time with the election of Fianna Fails Margaret Murphy OMahony. But she lost that seat this time around. So in this case, one female, albeit of a different political persuasion, replaced another. Other female names to lose out, a number of them high profile, include serving and former ministers. Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty, in Meath East, former Tanaiste and Labour party leader Joan Burton, Solidarity People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger (in the same Dublin West constituency) junior minister Mary Mitchell OConnor in Dun Laoghaire, Labours Jan OSullivan in Limerick City, Fine Gaels Kate OConnell in Dublin Bay South and Catherine Byrne in Dublin South Central, and Fianna Fails Lisa Chambers in Mayo. There is a positive side in that the big winner of this general election is a woman Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald. Her party won 37 seats, 13 of those by women candidates, so now has 35% female TDs. Indeed Denise Mitchell in Dublin Bay North won the accolade of being the ultimate election poll topper winning an incredible 21,344 votes in that constituency. Then you have the Social Democrats with their joint female co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Roisin Shortall. That party had a 57% female election candidate slate. They steadily and thoroughly went about the business of the campaign and managed to get themselves re-elected, as well as the aforementioned Holly Cairns in Cork South West, Garry Gannon in Dublin Central, and likely Cian OCallaghan in Dublin Bay North and Jennifer Whitmore in Wicklow. So in that instance, you would have the highly unusual scenario of an Irish political party albeit a small one dominated by women. Crucially it is also a relatively new party. This means that it is keen to attract new people to its fold, and there is an absence of the frequently off-putting factor of history and tradition; not to mention people in the local organisation trying to control who is in and who is out, as happens with the larger parties. Gender quotas for elections kicked in for the first time in 2016 where 30% of candidates for a party had to be female, or the party faced financial sanction. Women for Election, the not-for-profit organisation which encourages and supports women in Ireland to run for politics, is disappointed at the general election result in gender terms. Three candidates who just won a seat in Dublin Central behind Mary Lou McDonald. At the beginning of the campaign chief executive Ciairin de Buis pointed out that Fine Gael just scraped over that gender quota at 30.5%, Fianna Fail at 31%, Labour at 32% and Sinn Fein at 33%. In the end, Sinn Feins gender figures also ended up being boosted very significantly by its overall success in the election, with only five of its candidates overall failing to make it to the Dail. In contrast to the other parties, People Before Profit had 38% women candidates and the Green Party 41%. Ciarin de Buis pointed out the larger parties seemed to regard the quota as a target, not the minimum requirement. She said there may have been an inevitably about it given the larger parties did not run a balanced ticket. Orla OConnor, director of National Womens Council of Ireland, described the general election as a missed opportunity to break that critical barrier of 30% of womens representation in Dail Eireann. Parties need to develop candidate selection processes that look outside traditional networks like the GAA for example. Claire McGing of the Social Sciences Institute at Maynooth University, who researches women in politics, said more analysis will be needed of the performance of women in the coming days. However, at first glance she believed the lack of progression in female representation was driven by Sinn Fein, Social Democrats, Green Party gains, being offset by Fine Gael, Fianna Fail, and Labour losses. As in previous elections, she said, women TDs seem to have been disproportionally affected by vote swings. From 2025, for Irish political parties, the legal requirement to have a gender balance on the election ticket will rise to 40% female. As of now, the way female candidates appear to be selected and, most importantly, supported, is going to prove a significant struggle for most political parties. Quotas are only a piece of the jigsaw when it comes to getting more women elected to national politics and keeping them there. This is an issue due to be discussed shortly at the new citizens' assembly on gender equality. Our results over the last few days show that it is a subject that needs addressing. Lam Yik Fei / New York Times Nearly a third of the confirmed coronavirus cases in Tianjin, a city of more than 15 million about 70 miles southeast of Beijing, have been linked to one department store, adding to fears about rapid transmission in tightly clustered communities. Of 102 confirmed cases in the city, at least 33 patients worked or shopped at a department store in the Baodi district, or had close contact with employees or customers, according to Tianjin health authorities. Many of them had no history of travel to Wuhan, the city where the outbreak emerged. Officials estimated that 11,700 customers had visited the shopping complex during a period in late January. Authorities said that those customers would be quarantined, and that the store itself, which they did not identify, had been sealed and disinfected. A Louth woman has set up a GoFundMe page to help her sister who was forced to flee China due to the spread of the Coronavirus. Drogheda resident Helen Meegan, set up the online fundraiser to help her sister who had to leave China immediately along with her husband and 7-month-old daughter. Helen, who is originally from the UK but has been living in Ireland for 20 years explained: "They weren't able to bring much with them and whilst I have been able to gather clothes for them and their daughter they have very little money as this trip couldn't have been planned far in advance. "I am trying to help them in anyway that I can but there is no telling how long they will have to stay here as we can't see ahead what the outcome of this virus will mean for China." Helen's sister is also a British citizen and moved to China to teach English as a foreign language. After teaching English in a school for a few years she met her husband who is Chinese and they set up a school together. Helen explained on the GoFundMe page: "They have a 7-month-old daughter and a happy life in Hohhot. But with the outbreak of the coronavirus, the British government advised its citizens to leave if they could. "The heavy toll of the curfews which has mean that only one member of a household could leave the home at a time making even getting food for their family a real difficulty in a country which relies heavily on a self-employed, hand to mouth existence, the seriousness of being arrested should you break curfews that have been set in place, as well as the worry over the virus its self, meant that they made the decision to come to the UK." The Louth woman added: "Any help we can get would be so genuinely appreciated and will go towards feeding them and housing them whilst they wait for news of when it's safe to return to China. Our prayers are with the Chinese people who can't escape this nightmare." So far 900 has been raised of the 5,000 goal. See the GoFundMe here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-for-a-young-family-who-had-to-leave-china Cookie Preferences Cookie List Cookie List A cookie is a small piece of data (text file) that a website when visited by a user asks your browser to store on your device in order to remember information about you, such as your language preference or login information. Those cookies are set by us and called first-party cookies. We also use third-party cookies which are cookies from a domain different than the domain of the website you are visiting for our advertising and marketing efforts. More specifically, we use cookies and other tracking technologies for the following purposes: Strictly Necessary Cookies We do not allow you to opt-out of our certain cookies, as they are necessary to ensure the proper functioning of our website (such as prompting our cookie banner and remembering your privacy choices) and/or to monitor site performance. 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Targeting Cookies We also use cookies to personalize your experience on our websites, including by determining the most relevant content and advertisements to show you, and to monitor site traffic and performance, so that we may improve our websites and your experience. You may opt out of our use of such cookies (and the associated sale of your Personal Information) by using this toggle switch. You will still see some advertising, regardless of your selection. Because we do not track you across different devices, browsers and GEMG properties, your selection will take effect only on this browser, this device and this website. The Minister of State in charge of Tertiary Education, Professor Kwesi Yankah, has commended the management of the University of Education, Winneba (UEW) for judiciously using its Internally Generated Funds (IGF) to undertake massive infrastructural projects in readiness to admit the first batch of graduates of the free Senior High School (SHS) policy. He said the move demonstrated the universitys productive use of its IGF to add on to its existing facilities so as to be well-positioned to admit more of the first batch of the free SHS graduates who would seek admission into public universities this year. He said I am highly impressed about the fact that about 90 percent of projects currently ongoing at all the UEW campuses are being funded internally, saying that such an intervention demonstrated the commitment of the universitys management towards its growth and development. Visit Prof Yankah made the commendation in an interview with the media when he inspected completed and ongoing projects at the Winneba campus of the UEW last Friday. He was accompanied by the Vice Chancellor, Rev Fr Anthony Afful-Broni; the Pro Vice Chancellor, Prof Andrew Ofori-Birikorang; the Registrar, Mr Paul Osei Barimah; the Librarian, Mr Viscount Buer and other high profile staff of the university. The visit was to afford him the opportunity to assess the readiness of UEW in terms of infrastructure to accommodate the unusually high influx of SHS graduates who would come out of the various SHSs across the nation this year. The university with funding from its IGF is undertaking a number of projects at the North, Central and South campuses which make up the Winneba campus and others at the Ajumako, Asante Mampong and Kumasi campuses. Projects The UEW management in anticipation of the high student numbers this year has undertaken a number of projects to be able to accommodate them. Amongst the projects are the construction of an ultra-modern students service centre, a food court, 10 lecture blocks, each to accommodate 500 students, conversion of lecture rooms to an ICT library, renovation of a brail library as well as the construction of lecturers offices. Others are the construction of two storey residential facilities, each with a capacity to accommodate 4,000 students as well as the completion of a five storey lecture block and the renovation of the Amu Theatre at the Central campus which are expected to be completed by March and June 2020 respectively, among many others. Not many GETfund projects He said that although there were not many projects in the university being funded by the Ghana Education Trust Fund, management had shown leadership by investing a chunk of the institutions IGF to expand facilities to augment that of the government. I am indeed very satisfied after inspecting many of the ongoing projects at the UEW being executed by management to increase access as well as provide a congenial learning environment for the students he stated. He explained that government would continue to expand facilities at all the public tertiary institutions in the years ahead so that they would be able to admit the extra students in the wake of the free SHS policy. He admonished the contractors executing the various projects to expedite work to meet the deadlines and ensure that the projects are of high quality to stand the test of time to achieve value for money. Not just numbers He stressed further that government was not only interested in increasing access to tertiary education but would also improve the lecturer-student ratio to enhance effective and efficient teaching and learning to meet international standards. Governments vision is to ensure that the standards at public tertiary institutions met that of other international universities so that it would encourage particularly exchange programmes among them he pointed out. He mentioned that government is mindful of the huge numbers of students that would be seeking for admissions into tertiary institutions this year, and would therefore not sacrifice quality for mere numbers. Touching on ensuring lasting peace and stability, he charged the management to continue to build bridges to ensure peace and stability at the campuses to enhance academic work for the benefit of all stakeholders. Most populated university For his part, Rev Fr Afful-Broni, said that the UEW which is currently the most populated public university in Ghana with a current student population of 85,004, would continue to expand facilities at its six campuses as well as construct more distance education study centres to bring quality teacher education to the doorsteps of potential students. He stated that the vision of the management is to expand and increase access to be able to train the required human capital to contribute meaningfully towards the transformation of the nation. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Sun Kissed Industries Inc. (OTC PINK: SKDI) ("Sun Kissed", "SKDI", or the "Company"), an emerging leader in the CBD Food and Beverage marketplace, is excited to announce that the CEO of the Company's recent acquisition, Products Group Inc, DBA/ Hakuna ("Hakuna"), Mr. Ilan Freeman, was just featured in a comprehensive thought-leadership focus interview on The Fox Magazine's "Dreaming Bigger" Podcast. He was also covered in a print edition feature piece in The Fox Magazine in its latest edition, "The Innovator Issue". Both pieces focus on Freeman's emerging status as a visionary and a primary example of a true innovator in the cannabis and hemp industry. Click here to listen to the podcast. "For folks out there who thought our Hakuna acquisition was just about purchasing strong brand recognition, award-winning products, and a coast-to-coast distribution footprint, should think again," commented Carl Grant, CEO of Sun Kissed. "Ilan is a true thought leader and a rare talent in this industry. And he will be a powerful asset as we expand Hakuna's reach and cultivate a top-tier North American brand in the high-end CBD, cannabis, and hemp space." The Company recently announced the closing of its acquisition of Hakuna. Hakuna is an award-winning CBD-products company, currently nominated for "Best Hemp-Derived CBD Product" by the California Cannabis Awards after winning the DOPE Magazine Best New Product award for Southern California in the non-cannabis/non-tech category in 2017. Hakuna was also just awarded "Runner Up" at the Los Angeles Coffee & Donut Festival People's Choice Coffee Awards for 2019. Hakuna generates significant revenues with a substantial distribution footprint, including over 110 established retail distribution partners across over 20 states in the domestic US market. As covered in the interview, Freeman's primary motivating force to start Hakuna was about sustainability and social responsibility in a high-growth industry. "The main inspiration in creating Hakuna was creating a company that would help leave our world better than when we joined it I also knew that with the cannabis industry transitioning into becoming federally accepted, now is the time to become a pioneer in the movement by becoming an example of socially responsible brand." "Ilan is a star in the making, and we're thrilled to have him in the Sun Kissed family," continued Grant. About Sun Kissed Industries, Inc. Sun Kissed Industries Inc. (OTC PINK: SKDI) is an emerging leader in the CBD-based products marketplace. The Company is pursuing meaningful acquisitions as part of an aggressive M&A strategy designed to position Sun Kissed as a dominant player in a well-defined, high-growth niche within the rapidly expanding CBD sector. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS: This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management's view of Sun Kissed Industries Inc.'s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words "believes," "expects," "intends," "plans," "anticipates," or "may," and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Any statements made in this news release other than those of historical fact, about an action, event or development, are forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the results of Sun Kissed, its subsidiaries and concepts to be materially different than those expressed or implied in such statements. Unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects on Sun Kissed's future results. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. Sun Kissed cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, Sun Kissed undertakes no obligation to update these statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, and also takes no obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties that are not paid for by Sun Kissed. SOURCE: Sun Kissed Industries Inc. Contact: Target marketing agency 112 E 25th Street New York, New York 10010 917-983-2268 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52308 By Abdul Kerimkhanov Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency will work closely with authorities in Qatar to increase inflow of tourists, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev said in interview with Qatari media. He noted that Baku considers Qatar as an important market for Azerbaijans tourism sector, adding that Qatari citizens and residents are eligible for visa on arrival to Azerbaijan with a possibility of a one-month extension. Some 12,459 Qatari passport holders visited the country in 2018. Qatar is one of the important markets for us and next year we will continue working closely with Qatar, attending fairs and trade shows, as well as working closely with media and influencers," he stated. As Nagiyev mentioned, the Agency has launched the global marketing campaign to garner interest from tourists across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. "The campaign reveals Azerbaijans distinctive culture, delectable cuisine, phenomenal shopping experiences and indulgent health and wellness retreats. As we encourage visitors from the GCC to Take another look, we are inviting them to take a more in-depth look at Azerbaijan and immerse themselves in truly genuine cultural experiences. Guests will want to dig deeper into the countrys history and rich cultural heritage as they discover pleasant surprises and hidden gems throughout the year," Nagiyev noted. He recalled that Azerbaijan has a majority Muslim population so visitors can expect halal options aplenty. "The GCC is a key market for Azerbaijan. Ties between Azerbaijan and the GCC have always been close, with lots of cultural and historical touch-points," he said. To meet the growing demand in the region, Nagiyev added, airlines have increased the frequency of direct flights from the Middle East to Azerbaijan. Local carriers like Qatar Airways, FlyDubai, Azerbaijan Airlines, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways, Flynas are providing tourists with convenient flight routes to facilitate travel. "The new initiatives are expected to improve Azerbaijans ranking among countries with a high tourism contribution towards national GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council 2018 Impact Report. It is forecast to be at six percent per annum over the course of the next 10 years ranking it amongst the worlds top 20 high potential countries," Nagiyev emphasized.. He further informed that Azerbaijan has driven an exceptional year of growth in tourism across the stunning capital city Baku and other key regions of the country, with international visitor numbers up by 11 percent year to date. Touching upon the markets with a significant increase in visitors, he listed India (70 percent), China (64 percent), the UK (27 percent), and Germany (22 percent). "Major investments are being made with the launch of local representative offices in target markets, and roadshows to connect with tour operators from a B2B perspective. We already have six representative offices in Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and India, with two more in the pipeline for 2020. Next year we are planning to expand the network and open new representative offices in Ukraine and South Korea. We are also working on developing new tourism products and creating new experiences for incoming tourists," he told. Speaking about the plans of the Agency, Nagiyev underlined the need to increase the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from three million to five million in the next few years. "We plan to double the current in-bound tourism by 2023. Excellence is at the core of everything we do: we are constantly developing the infrastructure in the regions. Our award-winning international airport is now connected with over 20 airlines and more than 70 direct flights to various destinations across the globe," Nagiyev noted. Diplomatic relations between Qatar and Azerbaijan established on 14 September 1994. The two countries have a wide range of business and investment opportunities. The strong ties established between the two countries create new opportunities for businesses and investors to create joint ventures. Despite the high level of political cooperation, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Qatar is not big although there are more opportunities to expand it. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Qatar reached $3.6 million in 2018. Almost the entire amount of trade turnover accounted for the export of Azerbaijani products to Qatar. Currently, Azerbaijan is mainly exporting food and agricultural products to Qatar. In 2016, Joint Economic, Commercial and Technical Commission was established between the governments of the two countries. The first meeting of the Commission was held in Azerbaijan in January 2017, and the second one was held in Qatar in February 2019. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Central Bureau of Investigation on Tuesday gave a clean chit to former CBI Special Director Rakesh Asthana and R&AW Chief Samant Goel in a bribery case registered by the agency in 2018. The CBI has chargesheeted Dubai-based private person Manoj Prasad, whom it had earlier arrested. The CBI also found the call details between Prasad and complainant Sathish Sana Babu. The investigating agency has moved an application in the court contending that further probe against his brother, Somesh and Sunil Mittal, is required. According to the CBI officials, there is "no evidence" that shows Asthana ever demanded or paid any bribe to save complainant Babu in the money laundering case related to the controversial meat exporter Moin Qureshi. The CBI also concluded that there was no connection between Asthana and Prasad. The CBI also stated that "there was no role of any public servant" in the discussion Babu had with Prasad. CBI Director Rishi Kumar Shukla agreed with Investigating Officer Satish Dagar and four others in the hierarchy that "no case" was made out against public servants, including Asthana. Asthana was booked on the allegations of criminal conspiracy, corruption and criminal misconduct under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act (PC Act) on a complaint filed by Hyderabad-based businessman Sathish Babu Sana. Asthana had strongly refuted the charges. The CBI on October 15, 2018, had registered an FIR against Asthana for allegedly taking a bribe from an accused probed by him in return for ensuring relief and a clean chit in the case. The case against Asthana was lodged after Hyderabad-based businessman Sana in his complaint to the CBI had alleged that he paid a bribe of Rs 2 crore to Asthana to be spared of any action in an investigation linked to meat exporter Moin Qureshi. The money was allgedly paid over a 10-month period, starting from December 2017. Sana was being investigated by an SIT team headed by Asthana when he had accused him of accepting bribes. As per Sana's complaint, he had had met Manoj who claimed to have good relations with Asthana. Sana also alleged that Manoj's brother, Somesh, would help him in getting a clean chit from Asthana. Sana, a close aide of Qureshi, was arrested on July 27 last year by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case. In October 2018, the battle between then Director Alok Verma and Special Director Rakesh Asthana became public, leading the government to intervene in the matter and transfer both the officers. Amy Childs and Amy Hart were back in action on Tuesday as location filming commenced for the current series of Celebs Go Dating. The pair are currently shooting the reality show in the Dominican Republic's Punta Cuna, and they were ready for another scene as work continued at the coastal town's Hard Rock Hotel. Striking a pose on the waterfront hotel's balcony, former TOWIE star Amy, 29, showed off her figure in a distinctive red swimsuit. Hard at work: Amy Childs and Amy Hart were back in action in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday as location filming commenced for the current series of Celebs Go Dating With a deep plunging front, the beachwear showed off her cleavage as she took part in a photoshoot before filming her latest scenes on behalf of the E4 show. Evidently enjoying her tropical surroundings, Amy grabbed a glass of champagne before making herself comfortable on the hotel's outdoor decking. The mother-of-two later covered her swimsuit with high slung sheer summer trousers as the island's 26 degree temperatures cooled. Good times: Evidently enjoying her tropical surroundings, Amy grabbed a glass of champagne before making herself comfortable on the hotel's outdoor decking Looking good: The mother-of-two later covered her swimsuit with high slung sheer summer trousers as the island's 26 degree temperatures cooled Going wild: Amy Hart opted for a leopard print bikini as she prepared to shoot scenes for the new series, while her namesake opted for a deep plunging red swimsuit that fully exposed hr cleavage Loving life: The pair were joined by Celebs Go Dating co-star Olivia Bentley as they frolicked in the pool She added to her look with a smart wide-brimmed Panama hat, while seasonal summer sandals rounded things off. Joining her namesake, former Love Island star Amy Hart also caught the eye in a bold leopard print bikini on Monday. The 27-year old added to her look with a pair of heavily tinted sunglasses as she joined Amy in the Hard Rock Hotel's outdoor pool. Cheers! The girls raised a glass as they took a break during their quest to find love There you go, love: Amy topped up the former Love Island star's glass on Monday Getting involved: This Morning presenter Alison Hammond later joined the girls in the pool Splash-tastic: Olivia, Alison, Amy Hart and Amy Childs are all hoping to find lasting relationships on the show Keen to let their hair down before filming got underway, the champagne flowed as the girls relaxed alongside co-stars Olivia Bentley and Alison Hammond. The four girls join TOWIE's James Lock, soap star Dean Gaffney, Malique Thompson-Dwyer and Love Island's Joshua Ritchie on the forthcoming show. The agencys trusted and skillful dating experts Anna Williamson and Paul C Brunson will also return to give the celebrities a lesson in love. Shady: Amy wore heavily tinted sunglasses as she relaxed in the Dominican Republic Let's talk: The Essex girl was seen having a quiet chat with made In Chelsea star Olivia Hopeful: Amy is on the show after getting her heart broken by Curtis Pritchard in the Love Island villa, while Olivia appears on the show after a failed relationship with Made In Chelsea co-star Digby Edgley This is the life: Olivia and Amy were the picture of relaxation at the Hard Rock Hotel on Monday Pool with a phew! Amy H, Olivia and Amy C showed off their physiques as they let their hair down in front of Punta Cuna's stunning coastline With their acclaimed expertise on relationships and dating etiquette, the dating agents will have no qualms in telling the celebrities where they are going wrong in the dating department. As always junior Client Coordinator and celeb confidante Tom Read Wilson will be ready and waiting for the celebs to divulge all, offering a comforting shoulder to cry on when things go wrong and a warm, lingering embrace to help celebrate a dating triumph when things go right. On her quest for love, Amy Childs enthused: 'I cant wait to walk through those famous agency doors and find out who Anna and Paul have lined up for me! 'I havent been on a proper date in ages, so Im excited - and nervous! - to see what happens. Ive been a huge fan of Celebs Go Dating for years - so to join the agency really is a dream come true, and hopefully itll help me find The One!' In good company: The four girls join TOWIE's James Lock, soap star Dean Gaffney, Malique Thompson-Dwyer and Love Island's Joshua Ritchie on the forthcoming show Tropical: The Dominican Republic will offer an appropriately romantic setting for the new series Let it flow: Olivia cracked open a bottle of bubbly (L) while Amy downed another glass (R) Quite a sight: The two girls caught the eye as they chatted during their appearance in the pool New Delhi, Feb 11 : With another landslide victory for the Aam Admi Party in the Delhi Assembly polls, party chief Arvind Kejriwal plans to rejig his cabinet when he forms the new government. Sources said that Atishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha would be part of Kejriwal's new cabinet. Atishi has won polls from Kalkaji and Chadha from Rajinder Nagar. Both were contributing to the state government in different capacities as advisors before being removed by the Centre, citing their "illegal appointments". Atishi, an alumna of Delhi's St Stephens College and Oxford University, has been praised by the party for her efforts to reform Delhi's education sector. With her reaching the Assembly, sources said that role of Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia would be bit curtailed as she would now be looking after the Education Department. Sisodia, with help of Atishi, who completed her Master's degree in History on a Chevening scholarship and went to Oxford's Magdalen College as a Rhodes scholar, had made an impact in the education system in the national capital. She had served as Advisor to the Deputy Chief Minister on Education, from July 2015 to April 2018, before her removal for holding an unapproved designation. She is also a member of the Political Affairs Committee of the Aam Aadmi Party. Chadha, who is a member of the national executive of the party, is a chartered accountant by profession and the national spokesperson of the AAP. He played a key role in the communication and outreach efforts of the party. He is also the party's in-charge of legal affairs. After the party came to power with a thumping majority in the 2015 Assembly election, Chadha, who specialises in international tax and transfer Pricing, was appointed as an advisor in the Finance Ministry headed by Sisodia. However, in April 2018, he was sacked along with nine other advisors by the Centre, which termed their appointment as illegal. Both of them had contested Lok Sabha polls 2019 but they lost. Sisodia currently has various portfoilios like finance, planning, urban development, local bodies, land and building, education, higher education, training and technical education, revenue, services, vigilance, cooperative societies, information & technology, information and publicity and departments not specifically allocated to any other Minister. Kejriwal would retain Satyendar Jain but there would be change in his portfolios. He currently holds power, PWD, health and family welfare, industries and Gurudwara Elections. He had served as Health and Industries Minister in the first AAP Government from December 28, 2013 to February 14, 2014. Sources said that Kejriwal would drop two members from the previous cabinet. Gopal Rai was Minister of Labour and Employment in previous government, Rajendra Pal Gautam the Water, Tourist, Culture and Arts & Languages Minister and Imran Hussain held the portfolios of food and supplies, environment and forests. Kailash Gahlot was looking after revenue, administrative reforms, information and technology, law, justice and legislative affairs and transport in the previous government. Member of Parliament for Assin South Constituency in the Central Region on the ticket of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Hon. Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, is wondering why the National Democratic Congress (NDC) appears not to be too keen in finding out the real identities of Government Official 1 and Intermediary 5 in Airbus SE bribery scandal. According to him, it is obviously an NDC government official who is being mentioned in the Crown Court ruling regarding the Airbus bribery scandal since no other political party, save the NDC, was in power between 2009 and 2015. The Crown Court at Southwark in the United Kingdom passed judgment on 31st January 2020, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation was fined $3.9 billion for the payment of bribes to secure deals in the five countries named Ghana. The London High Court found Airbus guilty and imposed a fine of three billion pounds (3bn) as penalties. Airbus was charged with five counts of failing to prevent bribery, having used a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries to land high-value contracts. Airbus has admitted paying bribes in order to secure contracts in Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Taiwan. In the case of Ghana, the operations were reported to have taken place between 2009 and 2015; during which former President Mahama served as vice president and subsequently president. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, Hon. Ntim Fordjour wondered why the Minority NDC in Parliament became agitated when he proposed on the floor of Parliament the need for the House to also inquire about the people behind the coded names, Government Official 1 and Intermediary 5. No matter the name that will be mentioned at the end of the investigation, the person will be a member of the NDC because NPP was not in power then. The NDC should rather have called for the probe when the Airbus bribery scandal came up to ascertain the truth in the scandal because NDC was in power and the scandal will affect the image of their party. They [NDC] should have supported my motion when I raised the issue on the floor of Parliament so that if at the end of any investigation, it turns out that there was no wrong-doing on the part of the officials cited in the ruling, Ghana can take the countries that made those lousy rulings (UK, USA & France) on. But if it is established who Government Official 1 and Intermediary 5 are, then the laws of Ghana can deal with them in terms of bribery and corruption," he indicated. Commenting on the reaction of the Speaker of Parliament with regards to Parliamentary Inquiry into the Airbus scandal, Hon. Ntim Fordjour said that Rt. Hon. Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye did not categorically turn down his proposal. What the Speaker of Parliament said in response to my motion was that Parliament has the power to investigate any issue which bothers on public interest which includes the Airbus bribery scandal and nobody can suppress that power but he urges the House to be patient and allow the Special Prosecutor to investigate due to complicity of the case, he asserted. The Assin South MP also disclosed that the Speaker of Parliament was clear with his emphasis that the House can come back to probe the Airbus bribery scandal at any point in time if Parliament deems it fit to make an inquiry into the scandal. Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video At Oracle OpenWorld Europe: London, 12th-13th February, Infosys will present its industry-wide expertise and Oracle-based cloud solutions to enable organisations to transform into live enterprises LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting today announced its presence at Oracle OpenWorld Europe. Infosys leverages Oracle Cloud technologies to empower businesses across Europe to transform into 'Live Enterprises', helping them drive intuitive decisions, automate processes, create new user experiences and reinvent businesses for accelerated growth. One such organisation that has transformed its way of working, in collaboration with Infosys and leveraging Oracle technology, is the University of Nottingham. The UK-based institution wanted to overhaul its academic and student management system to improve productivity and drive growth. To address the complex IT infrastructure that was previously in place, the university rolled out Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions in partnership with Infosys, which is detailed in this case study. The new integrated system is expected to bring dramatic productivity and user experience improvements for both employees and students. Digital security leader Gemalto, a Thales company, has also enhanced its operations leveraging the Infosys and Oracle alliance, by setting up a robust single source of master data management and improving data integrity. Remi Medevielle, Global ERP Program Director at Gemalto, a Thales company, commented: "We undertook an ambitious digital transformation project to integrate our ERP platforms into a single, shared global platform. Our partner, Infosys helped guide us in streamlining and optimizing key processes and automating workloads, ultimately resulting in significant improvements in data integrity and management across our team." Meanwhile, bpost, Belgium's leading postal operator, worked with Infosys to replace a previous Oracle ERP solution with a new system using Oracle Cloud Solutions. This enabled the company to streamline its business processes, while also reducing the cost of future support and maintenance. Olivier Hernandez, CIO Corporate Services at bpost, commented: "Infosys has been a key partner in shaping our work to transform our organisation's digital processes. Whilst many of our processes were previously manual, with the new Oracle Digital Platform we have been able to automate and gather actionable insights on our Sourcing, Procure to Pay and Record to Record processes. Infosys worked with us to optimise and consolidate this using Oracle Cloud Solutions, greatly streamlining our operations." "We're delighted to see continued momentum amongst our customers in Europe as they embark upon their Live Enterprise journey with Oracle-based solutions," said Dinesh Rao, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Applications Services at Infosys. "Europe is a region of intense growth and focus for us, as we continue to invest in our localisation offering here. Together with our partnership with Oracle, Infosys is uniquely positioned to empower our customers with the latest next-generation technologies and agile business processes that increase efficiency, maximise productivity, and improve the user and customer experience, ultimately accelerating our clients' transformation on their Live Enterprise journey." Infosys is a Platinum Cloud Elite level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), and the Infosys Oracle collaboration spans across a wide variety of technologies including but not limited to ERP, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, SCM, HCM, CX, Autonomous Database and Oracle Cloud. About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program - an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners. Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/633365/Infosys_Logo.jpg At least 15 women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missing after a boat overloaded with Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh as it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said. Some 138 people -- mainly women and children -- were packed on a trawler barely 13 metres (40 feet) long, trying to cross the Bay of Bengal, a coast guard spokesman told AFP. "It sank because of overloading. The boat was meant to carry maximum 50 people. The boat was also loaded with some cargo," another coast guard spokesman, Hamidul Islam, added. Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring country after a 2017 brutal military crackdown. With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have tried to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand by attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre journey. In the latest incident, 71 people have been rescued including 46 women. Among the dead, 11 were women and the rest children. Anwara Begum said two of her sons, aged six and seven, drowned in the tragedy. "We were four of us in the boat... Another child (son, aged 10) is very sick," the 40-year-old told AFP. Fishermen tipped off the coast guard after they saw survivors swimming and crying for help in the sea. The boat's keel hit undersea coral in shallow water off Saint Martin's Island, Bangladesh's southernmost territory, before it sank, survivors said. "We swam in the sea before boats came and rescued us," said survivor Mohammad Hossain, 20. Coast guard commander Sohel Rana said three survivors, including a Bangladeshi, were detained over human trafficking allegations. An estimated 25,000 Rohingya left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank. - 'Tragedy waiting to happen' - Begum said her family paid a Bangladeshi trafficker $450 per head to be taken to Malaysia. "We're first taken to a hill where we stayed for five days. Then they used three small trawlers to take us to a large trawler, which sank," she said. Shakirul Islam, a migration expert whose group works with Rohingya to raise awareness against trafficking, said desperation in the camps was making refugees want to leave. "It was a tragedy waiting to happen," he said. "They just want to get out, and fall victim to traffickers who are very active in the camps." Islam said in the past two months dozens of Rohingya reported approaches from traffickers to his OKUP migration rights group. "Human smuggling and trafficking in the Bay of Bengal is particularly difficult to address as it requires concerted effort from multiple states," the Bangladesh head of UN agency the International Organization for Migration, Giorgi Gigauri, told AFP. "The gaps in coordination are easily exploited by criminal networks." Since last year, Bangladeshi authorities have picked up over 500 Rohingya from rickety fishing trawlers or coastal villages as they waited to board boats. Trafficking often increases during the November-March period when the sea is safest for the small trawlers used by traffickers. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal to send back some Rohingya to their homeland, but none have agreed to return because of safety fears. The charity Save the Children called on Myanmar to "take all necessary steps to ensure the Rohingya community can return to their homes in a safe and dignified manner". "The tragic drowning of women and children... should be a wake-up call for us all," the group's Athena Rayburn said in a statement. Houston Police Department Officer John Daily had seen his comrades battle cancer or fight through repeated injuries to get back on the street. Lying in a hospital bed with severe burns covering more than half his body, Daily used those stories as motivation to return to the job he loved. He slowly started using a walker. Eventually he began to hit the gym for treadmill work and light weightlifting. On Friday, more than a year after a driver plowed into his squad car on Christmas Eve 2018 leaving him trapped inside the burning vehicle Daily reported back to work. He had undergone 39 surgeries with four more still on the horizon. He needs to take physical tests with his doctors and the department to return to patrol in the Southeast Division. Hes currently assigned to administrative duty, but hes nearing full strength. Ive just been thinking about my family and thinking about all the other officers in the department and how Ive witnessed a lot of them go through some horrific things, Daily, 26, told the Houston Chronicle on Tuesday. Theyve made it through and were able to continue their careers, so I figured, why cant I? Dailys return comes months after charges were dismissed against the man originally accused of striking the officers vehicle. DNA analysis revealed that Cesar Collazo, who initially was charged with two counts each of intoxication assault of a peace officer and failure to stop and render aid, was a passenger in the Lincoln Navigator that struck Dailys SUV, records show. Collazos charges were dismissed last May, and he was released from custody. The driver was identified as Leonel Moreno, 39, who fled the scene on foot and is currently in Mexico, according to officials with the Harris County District Attorneys Office. He faces two felony counts of failure to stop and render aid. He remains a fugitive, and prosecutors are working on extraditing him back to the U.S., officials said. Daily suffered third-degree burns on more than 50 percent of his body. The other officer in the SUV, Alonzo Reid, suffered less severe burns and recovered faster. Daily and Reid were assisting another officer around midnight when a driver plowed into their Chevy Tahoe, with its lights and sirens activated, in the 10100 block of Telephone Road. The car flipped and caught fire. During the investigation, a witness gave police a Facebook video that showed Moreno driving the Navigator earlier that day, according to charging documents. Moreno purchased the car from Collazos brother six months prior, records say. Immediately after the wreck, Daily said some people at the hospital were skeptical that he would pull through. He was in a coma for a period of time. His twin brother Michael Daily, also a Houston police officer, never doubted him, he said. The brothers both graduated from the police academy in 2017. He was the first to tell people that I walked in, and I would walk out, John Daily said. Over the course of Dailys recovery, donations poured in to help with his medical bills. Food and gift cards helped his parents travel back and forth from their home in California to Houston, according to earlier reports in the Chronicle. He and Reid were named patrol officer of the month. Michael Daily also started working night shifts to care for his brother, according to Badge & Gun, the Houston Police Unions newspaper. I just want to thank everyone for the donations and all the support, Daily said. I would encourage them to keep in touch with other officers who are injured and keep them motivated. julian.gill@chron.com Monday night's installment of EastEnders saw Keanu Taylor kidnap Callum Highway as his revenge against the Mitchell family kicks off. The mechanic (Danny Walters) took action after Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) unsuccessfully tried to have him killed over Christmas - and now Keanu is determined to make him pay. Spoiler pictures for the BBC soap show Callum (Tony Clay) bound and gagged as Keanu sinisterly threatens him. Captive: EastEnders spoiler pictures for the BBC soap show a kidnapped Callum (Tony Clay) bound and gagged as Keanu sinisterly threatens him But will how far will he go to ensure the Mitchells get the message? At the end of last week, the hunk snuck back into Walford to see his pregnant ex-lover Sharon Mitchell (Letitia Dean), where he made it clear he wanted to them to be a family. Next on his agenda was bad boy Ben, who at the end of last year ordered Martin Fowler (James Bye) to murder him following the revelation that Keanu was the father of Sharon's baby and not his dad Phil (Steve McFadden). However, Martin couldn't go through with the deed and instead allowed Keanu to sneak out of the country on the pretence he was dead. Revenge: The mechanic (Danny Walters) took action after Ben Mitchell (Max Bowden) unsuccessfully tried to have him killed over Christmas - and now Keanu is determined to make him pay. But on Monday, Keanu returned to Albert Square hellbent on punishing those who wronged him - namely Ben. As Callum was at home preparing for his police assessment, the fugitive paid a visit to the wannabe policeman and attacked him before bundling him into the back of his car. Ben was later in for a surprise as he arrived to find Keanu, who was lying in wait, very much alive and kicking. His threats to Keanu fell on deaf ears as Keanu revealed that he was calling the shots and informed Ben that he had to do exactly what he says should he ever want to see his boyfriend again. And in a first look at Tuesday's episode, things don't look good for Callum as he's held captive in a grotty, disused paper mill. Nemesis: Ben Mitchell has taken everything from Keanu, he even tried to get Keanu killed, so Keanu is back and he wants to put Ben through what he went through Actor Danny recently teased Keanu's revenge in the run-up to the sopa's dramati 35th anniversary episodes. He said: 'Well Ben Mitchell has taken everything from Keanu, he even tried to get Keanu killed, so Keanu is back and he wants to put Ben through what he went through. 'Ben wanted Keanu dead, so Keanus hell bent on revenge of course, he wants to make him feel that hes lost everything. 'Its essentially like a game of chess, and to get to the King, which Keanu sees Ben as, he needs to go after the most precious thing to him, and thats Callum' Will Ben managed to save Callum? Or will Keanu take the ultimate revenge? The explosive EastEnders scenes air Tuesday at 7.30pm on BBC One. Actress Cynthia Nixon told a hockey rink filled with Bernie Sanders supporters to stop booing Hillary Clinton, after the 'Sex and the City' star told the crowd she had supported the former secretary of state for president in 2016. 'Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, we're not going to do that here,' Nixon said, as a chorus of boos echoed around the Whittemore Center at the University of New Hampshire Monday night. Nixon shushed the crowd and explained why she had liked Clinton - she'd be the first woman president. 'And I thought she was unbeatable,' Nixon admitted. 'And let me tell you, four years ago I listened to Bernie and I loved what he was saying,' she added. Actress Cynthia Nixon told a crowd of Sen. Bernie Sanders not to boo - after she brought up how she had supported the former secretary of state's presidential bid in 2016 Nixon has since felt the Bern. Monday night's rally - which features the Strokes and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - marked Nixon's first full day on the campaign trail on behalf of Sanders, who she endorsed via video on Friday. Nixon is no stranger to progressive politics having run to the left of Democratic incumbent Andrew Cuomo for New York governor in 2018. And while her best-known character is the sarcastic super lawyer Miranda Hobbes in 'Sex and the City,' she gushed about Sanders like the more love-crazy character, Charlotte York. 'You know, did you ever do this, did you ever think like, I'd like to fall in love. I'd like to meet the one,' she asked the crowd. 'And you make a list of what that person might be like?' In short, in politics, Sanders fit the bill, much like 'my wife,' Nixon said to big cheers. 'That's the thing about Bernie, we love him and we want to fight for him,' Nixon argued. Clinton was booed at an event for Sanders in Iowa as well, at the urging of Rep. Rashida Tlaib, one of the members of the so-called squad. Tlaib permitted the crowd to heckle Clinton over comments the 2016 nominee had made in a documentary on Sanders, saying that 'nobody liked' the Vermont senator. The Michigan Democrat later apologized for her actions, which had riled up Clinton allies, and exacerbated intra-party tensions. Sanders picked up Nixon's endorsement on Friday. 'I want Bernie because I know he's for me, but I want Bernie even more because I know he's for all of us,' the actress said in a video sent out by Sanders' campaign. Earlier Monday, she told a crowd of supporters, 'Im here because Im all in for Bernie Sanders. And it took me a while to get here but Im here. And Im *here.* My feet arent just wet - Im all in. My whole body.' She told the crowd that it was a 'mirage in the desert' to find a candidate who is going to please everyone. 'Stop worrying about who other people are going to vote for,' Nixon said. 'Whose America do you want to live in?' She also said the Vermont senator, who identifies as a democratic socialist, is 'hands down the best chance we have to defeat Donald Trump.' 'And don't let anybody tell you different,' she added. Nixon was just one of the celebrity sidekicks brought to the Granite State by the leading Democratic candidates. Besides Nixon's appearance with Sanders, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg got a boost from actor Kevin Costner who appeared alongside him at events on Monday. Actor Tim Robbins also traveled to the Granite State in support of Sanders, while Buttigieg benefitted from an appearance by 'Back to the Future' actor Michael J. Fox over the weekend. Sen. Elizabeth Warren received similar help from the politically active actress, Ashley Judd several days back. Actor Michael J. Fox (left) stumped for former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg (right) in New Hampshire on Saturday 'Back to the Future' star Michael J. Fox dubbed Mayor Pete 'a very stable Rhodes scholar,' at an event Saturday in Keene, New Hampshire 'Sex and the City' star Cynthia Nixon endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders on Friday and appeared on the campaign trail in New Hampshire with him Monday Cynthia Nixon (left) who ran for New York governor in 2018 welcomes Sen. Bernie Sanders (center) and his wife Jane (right) onstage at a campaign event in Rindge, New Hampshire Actor Tim Robbins (left) knocked on doors for Sen. Bernie Sanders (right) in New Hampshire and appeared alongside the Vermont senator at a campaign stop Sunday in Hanover, where Dartmouth University is located Actor Tim Robbins (left) made his endorsement of Sen. Bernie Sanders (right) official in December appearing with the 2020 hopeful at a Venice Beach, California rally Actor Kevin Costner endorsed Pete Buttigieg in December in Iowa (pictured) and returned to the campaign trail Monday in New Hampshire to stump for the young ex-mayor The campaigns have sent the celebrities out on solo missions - and they've played the role of opener for the candidates. For two days straight, Sanders had a celebrity introduce him. On Sunday, it was Robbins, who officially endorsed the Vermont senator at a Venice Beach, California rally in December. There, Robbins appeared alongside Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez - a rising political star on the left, who is coming to Sanders' rally on the campus of the University of New Hampshire Monday night. Robbins told supporters Sunday that he had been knocking on doors on behalf of the senator in the Granite State. Robbins said he supported Sanders 'because he has got the broadest coalition.' Fox, stumping for Buttigieg in Keene, New Hampshire on Saturday, dubbed the ex-mayor 'a very stable Rhodes scholar,' playing up the 38-year-old's smarts. The actor was referencing Trump's characterization of himself: 'a very stable genius.' 'That's what the "J" stands for,' Fox joked - as if that's how Trump would spell 'genius.' Fox also joined Buttigieg and his supporters at Saturday night's big McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club dinner Saturday night in Manchester. On Monday it was Costner, who endorsed Buttigieg in December, who added star power to the former mayor's event in Nashua. Actress Ashley Judd did several solo events for Sen. Elizabeth Warren in New Hampshire in the run-up to Tuesday's Granite State primary The Warren campaign sent Judd out on the campaign trail by herself on Thursday. 'This is the most euphoric I have ever been to support the candidate,' Judd told a crowd in North Hampton, according to Salon. The actress played up all of Warren's plans, saying that the former Harvard Law professor doesn't just study 'why American families go bankrupt,' Judd said, 'she abso-f***ing-lutely does something about it.' Even though the Obama years were known in Washington for the parade of celebrities who waltzed through, former Vice President Joe Biden hasn't had any stars tag along on his campaign stops. He has had Olympic figure skater Michelle Kwan on the trail in both New Hampshire and Iowa. Through through her State Department work and role on Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign she's more political animal than celebrity these days. Biden has had a number of Hollywood donors, according to FEC records on OpenSecrets.org, including Tom Hanks, Rita Wilson, Josh Gad, Christina Aguilera and Dionne Warwick. Andrew Yang, who made the Democratic debate stage on Friday though is still polling in the single digits, has had a number of celebrity endorsements - though didn't utilize them in the Granite State. Comedian Dave Chappelle helped Yang in Iowa, pulling the 2020 hopeful onstage during a comedy show on Iowa State's campus in the run-up to caucus night. Chappelle also hosted two South Carolina comedy shows on behalf of the candidate. New Delhi, Feb 11 : A Delhi court on Tuesday issued notice to four convicts in Nirbhaya rape and murder case on an application filed by the Delhi government and Tihar jail authorities seeking issuance of a fresh date for their hanging. The court was told that "no legal remedy" is preferred by the convicts during the one-week time granted to them by the Delhi High Court. The High Court had on February 5 given them a weeks' time to avail of their legal remedies. The time period ended on Tuesday following which the city government and jail authorities moved the court. The matter is slated to be heard at 2 p.m. tomorrow. The case pertains to the gang-rape and murder of a 23-year-old girl in the national capital in December 2012. The execution of the four convicts, originally scheduled for January 22, was postponed to February 1. But it was deferred again on January 31 after Mukesh filed an application before a Delhi court contending that other convicts are yet to avail of the legal remedies and that they cannot be hanged separately. Three of the four convicts -- Vinay, Akshay and Mukesh -- have exhausted their legal remedies. The fourth convict, Pawan, has not yet availed of the remedy of curative and mercy petitions, which will be the last judicial and constitutional resort for him. President Donald Trump used his State of the Union Address last week to urge Congress to greenlight a plan that would provide federal tax credits for scholarships to private schools and other education services, offering the largest stage yet for one of his administrations key education priorities. The next step forward in building an inclusive society is making sure that every young American gets a great education and the opportunity to achieve the American Dream, Trump said. Yet, for too long, countless American children have been trapped in failing government schools. States have sought to rescue these students with tax-credit scholarship programs, he said, gesturing to invited guests Stephanie Davis, a mother from Philadelphia, and her 4th grade daughter, Jayinah, who is on the waitlist for Pennsylvanias tax-credit scholarship program. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, vetoed an expansion of the program last year. Trump said a scholarship had become available for Jayinah. (A federal official later confirmed that U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos planned to personally contribute to the cost of her enrollment at a private school.) Now, I call on the Congress to give 1 million American children the same opportunity Janiyah has just received, he said. Pass the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, because no parent should be forced to send their child to a failing government school. He also called for an expansion of career and technical education and touted his administrations recent guidance on prayer in schools. While Republican members of Congress stood and heartily applauded the education themes in Trumps one-hour and 20-minute address, the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act has not advanced in Congress since DeVos first championed it a year ago. Trumps renewed pitch came on the eve of the Senates vote to aquit the president in his impeachment trial and at the start of an intense election year. It was included among other lofty proposals in his annual address, setting the stage for possible efforts in the next year andif he wins re-electionin a second term. And a mention of education is significant as even DeVos has acknowledged Trump hasnt made it a key priority. Multipurpose Scholarships The push also comes at a polarizing time for school choice in general: 2020 Democratic presidential candidates have questioned their partys position on charter schools, which have generally been more broadly accepted by both parties than tax-credit and voucher programs. The school choice proposal Trump hailed calls for up to $5 billion in federal tax credits that would provide a dollar-for-dollar match in exchange for contributions to scholarship programs in participating states. Currently, 18 states have tax-credit scholarship programs. Under the Trump administration plan, a taxpayer could receive a tax credit of up to 10 percent of his adjusted gross income in a given year, directing that money toward his childrens education instead. DeVos has said those scholarships could go beyond providing tuition to private schools. In a back-to-school tour last year, she painted a picture of families using the tax credits to customize an education according to a students individual needs using private tutoring, home school, educational materials, and other supplementary services. Tonight, the president delivered a strong message in support of Americas students and their futures, she said in a statement after the speech. Every student, parent, and teacher should be excited by this bold agenda to free them from a government system that limits their success. But the Education Freedom Scholarship bill, and the administrations other school choice pitches, have been considered a long shot from the start. In 2018, a GOP-controlled Congress rejected a much smaller proposal of $1 billion in school choice grants included in Trumps annual budget proposal. And there is even division among organizations that typically align with the Trump administration on school choice issues. The conservative Washington think tank the Heritage Foundation, for example, has suggested that vouchers and tax-credit scholarships are better left up to states to administer and that a federal program may open the door to greater government intervention in private schools under future administrations. Last year, Trump made a short, unspecific reference to school choice, but he hasnt spent much time on education in his past remarks. Advocates for vouchers and tax-credit scholarships say they provide needed flexibility for families, particularly in areas with underperforming public schools. Despite what you might hear tomorrow from both sides, expanding opportunity and choices for kids is not a partisan issue, the Center for Education Reform, which supports private school choice, tweeted the day before the Feb. 4 address. Opponents Sound Alarm But some education groups have argued that private school choice programs channel public funds, or forgone tax dollars, away from supporting and improving the public schools the majority of students attend, undermining them in the process. This bill provides individuals and corporations a dollar-for-dollar credit, which operates less like a tax incentive and more like a direct transfer of taxpayer funds away from the public education fund and into private schools. The tax credit is a shell game designed to hide that the program is a voucher, the National Coalition for Public Education, a group of education and civil rights groups that oppose public funding for private schools, said in a statement. After the speech, groups including advocates for the separation of church and state and national teachers unions were quick to criticize the Trump administration plan. Parents and educators have rejected these programs, knowing that a childs opportunity for success should not be left to chance, National Education Association President Lily Eskelsen Garcia said in a statement. They agree that if were serious about every childs future, elected officials need to listen and get serious about doing what works. This means providing resources to our neighborhood public schools so that students have inviting classrooms, a well-rounded curriculum, class sizes that are small enough for one-on-one attention, and support services such as health care, nutrition, and after-school programs for students who need them. Civil rights organizations have also sounded alarms that private school choice programs may support enrollment at faith-based schools that may bar or restrict admission to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students or students with LGBTQ parents. The Education Freedom Scholarship Bill, sponsored by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Bradley Byrne, R-Ala., prohibits states participating in the federal program from actions that discriminate against, or otherwise disadvantage faith-based schools. Trumps push for its passage comes after his administration supported Montana parents who argued in a major education case before the U.S. Supreme Court that the state violated their religious liberty when it prohibited recipients of state-level tax-credit scholarships from using them at religious schools. The court is expected to rule in that case by late June. Flight with about 20 people takes off, after legal battle and calls to halt deportations due to civil rights concerns. The United Kingdom government has proceeded with a deportation flight to Jamaica with what it calls foreign national offenders on board, against the backdrop of a legal battle and strong backlash from civil rights organisations. On Monday evening, Court of Appeal judge Lady Justice Simler ordered the Home Office not to carry out the scheduled deportation of some people amid concerns that mobile phone outages had prevented them from having access to legal advice while in detention in two centres near Heathrow Airport. She said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3. On Tuesday morning, a Home Office spokesman said: We make no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders. The court ruling does not apply to all of the foreign national offenders due to be deported and we are therefore proceeding with the flight. The case has provoked angry reactions, coming at a time when the Windrush scandal is still fresh in everyones memory. Labour Party Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said some of the detainees arrived in the UK as children and have no memory of Jamaica. A report commissioned by the Home Office, which was leaked last year, reportedly advised the government to consider ending the deportation of foreign-born offenders who arrived in the UK as children. Earlier reports said 56 people would be deported, but a smaller number left early on Tuesday, leading some to believe the government had respected the court order. In an interview with Sky News on Tuesday as he defended the move, Chancellor Sajid Javid said he did not know the exact number of people deported, but I think its around 20, above 20. He added: There is no connection between the Windrush generation and this flight every single person on the flight is a foreign national offender, they are not British, they are not members of the Windrush generation and they are all guilty of serious crimes, of receiving custodial sentences of at least 12 months. Al Jazeeras Nadim Baba, reporting from London, said: We dont exactly know who has gone and who is here. We have spoken to one detainee who came under that court order on Monday night, who says he is very depressed. He has been in and out of detention because of his immigration status after serving 15 months in jail for a drugs offence, which he committed when he was 17 years old. He is saying hes not a danger to British society, and more than that he has no family to go back to in Jamaica. He is very worried if he does get put on a flight, he will be destitute when he gets there. #Jamaica50 shows the devastating impact the UK's restrictive and often racist immigration laws have on people laws that are made possible by the consistent and dehumanising framing of immigration as a problem that needs to be 'controlled' Maya Goodfellow (@MayaGoodfellow) February 11, 2020 Bella Sankey, of Detention Action, said the campaign group believed that some of the people who were due for deportation were not on the flight because they were covered by the court order. She tweeted: We understand that some, possibly all, of these individuals may have been ultimately removed from the flight but we are currently trying to clarify this. Earlier, Sankey said removing those detainees covered by the order would have meant the Home Office was breaking the law. When you get to the middle of the country, and that just might be my bias, but they seem very set in their ways. More traditional, Ms. Dickinson said. It surprised me that theyd consider him. In interviews with dozens of voters across the Granite State, its clear that Iowa is on their minds, even if they dont like to admit that a state many are eager to disparage might influence their decision making. The New Hampshire primary electorate tends to be a bit less ideologically liberal in Democratic races: More than 40 percent of New Hampshire voters are independent (officially called undeclared) a significantly greater share than either party can claim and independents are allowed to participate in either primary. With Mr. Trump facing little opposition, many are expected to flock to the more competitive Democratic primary race. Dante J. Scala, professor of political science at the University of New Hampshire, says the idea of New Hampshire as a fiercely countervailing force is more political lore than fact, at least when it comes to Democratic primaries. In the 2000 and 2004 cycles, the state echoed the choices of Iowans, picking Al Gore and John Kerry. One similarity: Like Iowans, New Hampshire voters decide late in the process. A month ago, polling showed that less than one-third of registered Democratic primary voters had definitely settled on a candidate. The late-breaking nature of the electorate gives events in the final week before voting like the Iowa caucuses or Friday nights debate significant influence to shift the race. Michael Arnow, 66, said he had been considering Ms. Klobuchar but was leaning toward Mr. Buttigieg after seeing how well he performed amid the craziness of Iowa. As he waited to get into a packed town hall meeting with the former mayor on Thursday afternoon, he worried that Mr. Sanders could not defeat Mr. Trump his main criterion for assessing the field. Advertisement Iran taunted the United States today as huge crowds gathered to mark the 41st anniversary of the country's Islamic revolution. Crowds waved banners vowing 'death to America' and staged mock 'hangings' of Donald Trump as they marched through the centre of a freezing Tehran today. President Hassan Rouhani told the crowds it was 'unbearable for the United States to accept the victory of a great nation and that a superpower has been driven out of this land'. The 1979 revolution overthrew the US-backed Shah of Iran and created today's Islamic Republic, making the two countries sworn enemies. Today's rally comes just weeks after they teetered on the brink of war following the US drone strike which killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Iranian demonstrators stage a mock Donald Trump 'hanging' at a rally in Tehran today, with many of the crowd holding signs saying 'Down with USA' and 'Down with Israel' while others hold posters of deceased warlord Qassem Soleimani One Iranian woman holds her country's flag while another carries a ripped American banner next to a mocking image of Donald Trump as they gather for the rally in Tehran's Azadi Square today Huge crowds march through the centre of Tehran today to celebrate 41 years since the Iranian revolution which ousted the American-backed Shah and created today's Islamic republic An American flag is burned by protesters in Tehran's Azadi Square today while others hold signs declaring 'Down with USA' Today Iranians waved national flags and held portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, who founded the Islamic republic after returning from exile in Paris. Taunting the US, Rouhani told the crowds that 'it is natural for them to have dreamt, for 41 years, of returning to this land, because they know that we are one of the most powerful countries' in the Middle East. Some marchers held banners vowing 'death to America' and 'we will resist until the end' while others burned American and Israeli flags. Young men posed for selfies in front of a row of coffins draped in US flags and bearing the logos of companies seen as symbols of American imperialism. Women in black dress held portraits of current supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as general Soleimani who was killed in the US drone strike last month. 'I'm here to support the authority of the Islamic republic,' one participant, Yasser Mohammadi, 37, told AFP. 'Maybe we have some problems internally, like the economy and mismanagement, but this won't stop us supporting our Islamic republic. 'We want to show the world that what the US is doing is wrong, including the killing of Soleimani.' Female students wave Iranian national flags during today's rally, which comes just weeks after a US drone strike killed Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and left the two countries teetering on the brink of war One member of the crowd holds up a giant portrait of Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force who was regarded as a terrorist by Washington but hailed as a hero in Iran An Iranian man wears a Donald Trump mask as the crowd stages a mock 'hanging' of the US president in Tehran today A woman waves a burned American flag during today's commemorations, more than four decades after the revolution which made Tehran and Washington bitter enemies A man walks along a Tehran street holding an effigy of Donald Trump during today's nationwide 41st anniversary celebrations State television showed crowds on the streets of the northern cities of Rasht and Tabriz, dressed in woolly scarves and hats and holding umbrellas, seemingly undeterred by heavy snowfall. 'Securing our country and our region depends on our unity, and participation in this rally is a symbol of this unity,' said Hadi Khamenei, brother of the supreme leader. The US-backed government was ousted in 1979 after months of protests against the regime forced Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi to flee the country. Later that year, November radical students demanding the shah's extradition seized 52 hostages at the US embassy in Tehran and held them for 444 days, prompting Washington to sever ties. Relations worsened again in 2018 when Donald Trump abandoned the nuclear deal negotiated by Barack Obama, re-imposing tough sanctions which have crippled Iran's economy. An Iranian man wears a Qassem Soleimani mask in tribute to the Quds Force commander who died near Baghdad in January Iranians attend a ceremony marking the 41st anniversary of the 1979 Islamic Revolution which established today's republic Tensions reached their height in early January when Iranian general Soleimani was killed by a US drone strike in Iraq. Washington regarded Soleimani as a terrorist and said he was planning 'imminent' attacks against Americans but his death sparked a huge outpouring of public mourning in Iran. Tehran vowed revenge and the two nations teetered on the brink of war as Trump threatened to retaliate against any attack by targeting Iranian cultural sites. Iran eventually hit back by launching a missile barrage against US bases in Iraq, causing considerable damage. Trump claimed victory after no US troops were killed in the missile attack, although dozens were later revealed to have suffered brain injuries. The Iranian regime then faced a wave of anger at home after the country's revolutionary guards accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing dozens of Iranians. Demonstrators hold a caricature of President Donald Trump with a tattered U.S. flag in front of the Azadi monument today Iranians hold pictures of Donald Trump and British prime minister Boris Johnson during today's protest in Tehran By Abdul Kerimkhanov Central Asian countries of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan have reached an agreement on the joint construction of two hydropower plants (HPPs) on the Zarafshan River in Tajikistan, the Uzbek Energy Ministry has said in a statement published in local media. At the first stage, it is planned to build the 140 MW Yavan hydroelectric station with an estimated cost of $282 million, which will designed to generate 700-800 million kWh. In the next stage, the parties will consider the possibility of building a 135 MW hydroelectric station on the Fandarya River with an estimated cost of $270 million, with 500-600 million kWh generation capacity. As was noted in the statement, the generated electricity will be exclusively for Uzbekistan needs. "The project will help maintain the peak capacity of the unified energy system and create jobs during the HPPs construction and operation" the statement reads. The projects implementation was discussed during the meeting between Tajik Deputy Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Shoimzoda Jamshed Shodi and Uzbek First Deputy Minister of Energy, Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov in Tashkent, Uzbekistan on January 28 to discuss. The parties discussed the procedure and the terms for equity participation in the construction and operation of hydropower plants. After reaching common agreements, more details will be stipulated in an Electricity Purchase Agreement and Project Feasibility Study, the statement added. Diplomatic relations between Uzbekistan and Tajikistan were established on October 20, 1992. After assuming power in December 2016, the current head of Uzbekistan, Shavkat Mirziyoyev, firmly stated that he intends to improve relations with its neighbors. In November 2017, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Uzbekistan announced "deep changes in the Tajik-Uzbek relations". Since early 2018, more than 10 checkpoints have opened on the border of the two countries. Uzbekistan has restored the Galab-Amuzang railway line. Shavkat Mirziyoyev visited Dushanbe with an official visit on March 9-10, 2018. The president of Tajikistan and the head of Uzbekistan signed over 27 documents during the visit. In particular, the parties determined the deadlines for demining the Tajik-Uzbek border, abolished visas and agreed to fully restore air traffic. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz The North accounted for 87 per cent of all the poor people in Nigeria in 2016, the World Bank has disclosed in a new report. The report titled Advancing social protection in a dynamic Nigeria, released on January 28, 2020, was described as a detailed analysis of the social protection sector in the country. The report noted that social protection measures implemented by the government in Nigeria had not been able to address the high level of poverty, as well as the negative impact of conflicts and natural disasters. In the comprehensive report, obtained by one of our correspondents, the World Bank observed that although Nigeria was a richly endowed country, it had a larger proportion of the worlds extreme poor than any other nation. The report further noted that most of the poor in Nigeria were found in the Northern part of the country. The North-West, specifically, was described as home to almost half of all the poor in the country. Nigerias President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari, (retd.), is from Katsina, a state in the North-West, which like other parts of the North, has produced a larger proportion of Nigerian leaders. Looking at inequality in the country, the report said, Nigeria experiences high inequality along geographic lines, with poverty mostly concentrated in the North and in rural areas. Poverty in the northern regions of the country has been increasing, especially in the North-West zone. Almost half of all the poor lived in the North-West and the North accounts for 87 per cent of all the poor in the country in 2016. Poverty rates in the southern zones were around 12 per cent with little variation across zones. The South-South zone saw the most significant drop in poverty from 2011-2016. Poverty was significantly higher in rural areas of the country in 2016. An estimated 64 per cent of all poor lived in rural areas and 52 per cent of the rural population lived below the poverty line in 2016. In contrast, the poverty rate in urban areas remained stable at 16 per cent between 2011 and 2016. Painting the picture of a relatively prosperous South and an impoverished North, the report stated, Regionally, the North lags far behind the South in every human capital outcome.People in the Northern regions are also more vulnerable to falling into poverty. The report established a link between poverty in the North and the Boko Haram insurgency. According to the World Bank, most of the youth recruited by Boko Haram are jobless, a development which made them more prone to radicalisation. It noted that the activities of the Boko Haram insurgents in the North-East since 2014 had created a sense of failed political promise. It added, Disasters and conflict have displaced many Nigerians, especially in the North-East. According to estimates provided by the International Displacement Monitoring Centre, there were more than two million internally displaced persons in Nigeria as of 31 December 2018. In 2018 alone, more than 600,000 Nigerians were displaced due to natural disasters and more than 540,000 were displaced due to conflict and violence. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Capital Consortium for Pediatric Device Innovation (NCC-PDI) announced today that the application deadline for its annual "Make Your Medical Device Pitch for Kids!" competition is extended one week to Feb. 22 at midnight EST. Innovators and startup companies with devices in the pediatric cardiovascular, orthopedic and spine, or NICU sectors are invited to apply for a share of up to $250,000 in FDA-funded awards and access to a newly created NCC-PDI pediatric device accelerator program led by MedTech Innovator. Submissions are being accepted now at https://medtechinnovator.org/pediatricapply/ Up to 30 companies will be selected for the first round of competition scheduled for March 23, 2020 at the University of Maryland, College Park. Up to 10 finalists chosen from that event will compete for $250,000 in grant awards in Toronto, Canada on October 4. Finalists also receive a spot in the MedTech Innovator 2020 Accelerator Pediatric Track, which provides a customized curriculum and in-depth mentorship. Finalists will be announced in May, 2020. This is the ninth competition in seven years hosted by NCC-PDI, one of five FDA Pediatric Device Consortia Grant Program members supporting the development and commercialization of pediatric medical devices. NCC-PDI is led by the Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation at Children's National Hospital and the A. James Clark School of Engineering at the University of Maryland. Additional consortium members include accelerators Medtech Innovator, BioHealth Innovation and design firm partner Archimedic. "This year's competition focuses on three medical device areas of critical need for pediatric patients, so we want to give innovators as much time as possible to prepare their submissions," said Kolaleh Eskandanian, Ph.D., MBA, PMP, vice president and chief innovation officer at Children's National Hospital and principal investigator of NCC-PDI . "Our goal is to support devices that will improve care for children by helping them advance on the pathway to commercialization. We have seen how this competition can provide significant momentum for pediatric innovations, so we want to encourage as much participation as possible." To date, NCC-PDI has mentored over 100 medical device sponsors to help advance their pediatric innovations, notes Eskandanian, with six devices having received either their FDA market clearance or CE marking. Along with the positive exposure of presenting at this competition, she notes that the success of NCC-PDI's portfolio companies is attributed to funding, mentorship, support from partners and facilitated interactions between device innovators and potential investors. Eskandanian notes that enhancing access to resources for pediatric innovators is one aim of the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, a first-of-its-kind campus focused on pediatric healthcare innovation, currently under development on the former Walter Reed Army Medical Center campus in Washington, D.C. With its proximity to federal research institutions and agencies, universities, academic research centers, as well as on site accelerator Johnson & Johnson Innovation JLABS, the campus will create a rich ecosystem of public and private partners which, like the NCC-PDI network, will help bolster pediatric innovation and commercialization. Opening is scheduled for December 2020. About Children's National Hospital Children's National Hospital, based in Washington, D.C., celebrates 150 years of pediatric care, research and commitment to community. Volunteers opened the hospital in 1870 with 12 beds to care for Civil War orphans. Today, 150 years stronger, it is the nation's No. 6 children's hospital. It is ranked No. 1 for newborn care for the third straight year and ranked in all specialties evaluated by "U.S. News & World Report." Children's National is transforming pediatric medicine for all children. In 2020, it will open the Children's National Research & Innovation Campus, the first in the nation dedicated to pediatric research. It has been designated twice as a Magnet hospital, demonstrating the highest standards of nursing and patient care delivery. This pediatric academic health system offers expert care through a convenient, community-based primary care network and specialty outpatient centers in the D.C., metropolitan area, including the Maryland and Northern Virginia suburbs. Children's National is home to the Children's National Research Institute and Sheikh Zayed Institute for Pediatric Surgical Innovation and is the nation's seventh-highest NIH-funded children's hospital. It is recognized for its expertise and innovation in pediatric care and as a strong voice for children through advocacy at the local, regional and national levels. For more information, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. About the University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park is the state's flagship university and one of the nation's preeminent public research universities. A global leader in research, entrepreneurship and innovation, the university is home to more than 40,000 students,10,000 faculty and staff, and 280 academic programs. Its faculty includes two Nobel laureates, three Pulitzer Prize winners and 58 members of the national academies. The institution secures $514 million annually in external research funding. The university's Robert E. Fischell Institute for Biomedical Devices seeks to catalyze the transformation of basic research into clinical practice and commercial success. The Institute aims to drive innovation by immersing creative and energetic scientists and engineers in a nurturing and rewarding research environment where engineered health systems are conceived of and investigated. The Institute is comprised of staff, resources, facilities, and a network of experts who not only facilitate prototyping and manufacturing expertise, but who also facilitate venture creation, intellectual property creation, and product passage through various clinical, regulatory and reimbursement hurdles. For more information about the University of Maryland, College Park, visit www.umd.edu. About MedTech Innovator Based in Los Angeles, Calif., MedTech Innovator is the premier nonprofit startup accelerator in the medical technology industry. Its mission is to improve the lives of patients by accelerating the growth of companies that are transforming the healthcare system. MedTech Innovator matches healthcare industry leaders with innovative early-stage and emerging growth medtech companies for mentorship and support. Founding sponsors include Johnson & Johnson and RCT Ventures, and annual program sponsors include Baxter, Boston Scientific, NIPRO Medical, Olympus Medical Systems, W. L. Gore, Asahi Intecc, BTG, Fujikura, HOYA, Jabil, JOHNAN, Maxim Integrated Ventures, EdgeOne Medical, Experien Group, Greenlight Guru, Proxima Clinical Research, Westwood & Wilshire, and Ximedica. The organization's industry partners include AdvaMed, Health+Commerce, MedTech Strategist, and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati. For more information about MedTech Innovator, visit https://medtechinnovator.org/ and follow @MedTechAwards on Twitter SOURCE Childrens National Hospital Laura Ortman will perform a free evening of musical improvisation at Bridgeports Housatonic Museum of Art on Thursday, Feb. 20, in connection with a new exhibit, The Hypogean Tip, by Rachel Owens. Ortman will engage the scaffolded sculptures of Owens exhibit by playing violin, as well as employing native instruments and digital effects, beginning at 5:30 p.m., in the Burt Chernow Galleries. The exhibit explores both Bridgeports and the larger nations past. Comprised of sculptures, including large-scale casts in broken glass from the porch of the home of Mary Freeman (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) and works cast in coal and marble dust, the show considers the underlying causes for the decimation of the historic Little Liberia section of Bridgeport. The exhibit is on view through March 21. With varied natural and urban instrumentation, Ortmans experimental music is known for compositions that alternate lyrical intimacy with layered inventiveness, often experimenting with four-track tapes and remixing her own audio catalogue in an evolving dialogue with herself, according to a news release. Laura Ortmans music has a strong connection to visual art, and even describes her compositions as sculpting sound, Robbin Zella, Director of the Housatonic Museum of Art, said in the release. Were thrilled to have her create a musical performance that engages directly with this exhibition. Laura Ortman (White Mountain Apache) is a Brooklyn, N.Y., composer, musician and artist. She produces solo albums, live performances and film/art soundtracks and frequently collaborates with artists in film, music, art, dance, multi-media, activism and poetry. In 2008 she founded the Coast Orchestra, an all-Native American orchestral ensemble, and in 2019 she participated in the Whiney Biennial. The Housatonic Museum of Art, 900 Lafayette Blvd. in Bridgeport. Thursday, Feb. 20, 5:30 p.m. Free admission. 203-332-5052, HousatonicMuseum.org California's March 3 primary election is right around the corner, and there are a number of important dates and rules to keep an eye on. Here's everything you need to know about how to vote in the primary: Do I have to be a registered Democrat to vote in the presidential primary? No, but you cannot be registered with a different party. You can vote in the Democratic primary if you are registered as "no party preference," and should simply request the Democratic ballot in person at your polling place. No additional action is needed beyond checking your voter registration online and ensuring you are either a registered Democrat or registered as "no party preference." The deadline to change your voter registration is February 18. What about voting by mail? You can request a vote-by-mail ballot up until February 25. This can be done by emailing your county's elections office; click here for a list of contacts. If you are registered as "no party preference," you will have to go through a process to obtain an early ballot that includes the Democratic candidates for president. To receive a Democratic ballot as an unaffiliated voter, you will have to fill out and print a form requesting the ballot and then mail that request in. Some may find it easier to simply change their registration to "Democratic" and send an email asking for an absentee ballot, since it eliminates the step of having to fill out the request form before actually receiving a ballot. If I'm voting by mail, what happens if the candidate I voted for drops out after I submitted my ballot? Then that's just bad luck. Once your early ballot is submitted, there's nothing you can do. The South Carolina primary is scheduled for February 29, and it's certainly possible someone drops out after South Carolina but before Super Tuesday on March 3. If you're afraid of that uncertainty, consider voting in person, if possible. What should I do on March 3 if I'm a Republican? If you want to cast a ballot for President Donald Trump or former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld in the Republican primary, you can do so only if you're a registered Republican, as voters with "no party preference" are not allowed to participate. It's unclear if Weld will still be in the race at that point as Trump's other Republican challenger Joe Walsh dropped out ahead of the New Hampshire primary. Why is California voting so early this year? In 2016, California held its presidential primaries in June, but by that point Trump had already become the presumptive Republican nominee, and Hillary Clinton had a large delegate lead over Bernie Sanders. Then-Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill in September 2017 that slid California's primary up to Super Tuesday in 2020; Secretary of State Alex Padilla said this was done to give the state more influence. "Candidates will not be able to ignore the largest, most diverse state in the nation as they seek our country's highest office," Padilla said at the time. "California has been a leader time and time again on the most important issues facing our countryincluding immigration, education, and the environment. The Prime Time Primary Act will help ensure that issues important to Californians are prioritized by presidential candidates from all political parties." What else is on the ballot? There are a number of local races and ballot measures. Click here to check out The Chronicle's voter guide. Eric Ting is an SFGATE digital reporter. Email: eric.ting@sfgate.com | Twitter:@_ericting Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Tue, February 11, 2020 07:08 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063af567 2 Food Tiffanys,cafe,London Free The American jeweler is to open its first ever cafe in Europe in Harrods in London on Feb. 14. A raspberry jam-filled croissant for breakfast, Charles Lewis truffle roasted chicken for dinner or a Faroe Islands smoked salmon sandwich with cream cheese and chives for a snack... These are just some of the options on the menu of Tiffany & Cos new Blue Box Cafe in London. Read also: What it's really like to have 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' in New York At a time when the New York jeweler is busily renovating its Fifth Avenue flagship store, which will not reopen until next year, the brand is branching out in Europe with a new eatery. The very up-market Harrods of Knightsbridge will soon be home to a high-concept venue in Tiffanys signature robins egg blue. As for the menu, Tiffany will focus on classics which have been staples at its New York cafe. From a culinary point of view, the new venue will be an American outpost in Europe, offering Central Park salad, Big Apple apple pie and New York cheesecake. As a concession to British natives, the Blue Box Cafe will, however, offer scones with clotted cream and also provide a wide selection of teas. If the new London address turns out to be as successful as the American Blue Box, which opened on New Yorks Fifth Avenue in November 2017, it will be advisable to book well in advance to get a table. Also on the subject of planning, if you are considering a birthday gathering, be warned that the cafes signature Blue Box Celebration cake, a sumptuous concoction of white chocolate, salted caramel and vanilla (a steal at only 65), must be ordered in advance. Topics : Tiffanys cafe London Close Eight patients who tested positive for coronavirus released from hospital Britons quarantined on a coronavirus-hit cruise ship in Japan will be evacuated as soon as possible, the government has announced. We hope the flight will be later this week, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) said, as some passengers were allowed to leave the ship after two weeks in isolation. It came as the death toll from the virus, known as Covid-19, passed 2,000 in mainland China, with over 74,000 cases reported. Follow the latest updates Asian News International A group of researchers studying 'flammable ice' or methane hydrate in the cold and dark depths of the Sea of Japan has found microscopic creatures flourishing amidst living conditions that are immensely inhospitable for harbouring life. Methane hydrate is formed when methane gets trapped inside the molecular structure of ice. According to a news release by the University of Aberdeen, colonies microbes were discovered inside bubbles of oil and water scattered throughout frozen sheets of this substance. This new finding can give us an idea about the possibility of extreme life forms existing on other planets. The initial discovery of these fascinating microhabitats stemmed from broader research by Professor Ryo Matsumoto from Meiji University in Japan, who was analysing the feasibility of 'flammable ice' as a cleaner fuel source. Dr Glen T Snyder the lead author of the paper that was published in the Scientific Reports journal noticed an unusual powder-like substance when he was melting a piece of methane hydrate. The powder consisted of tiny spherical structures with dark coloured cores. By utilising special techniques of analysis developed by the University of Aberdeen, Dr Stephen Bowden from the University's School of Geosciences revealed that the oil was being broken down by microenvironments residing within the methane hydrate, informed the release. Dr Bowden stated: "In combination with the other evidence collected by my colleagues, my results showed that even under near-freezing temperatures, at extremely high pressures, with only heavy oil and saltwater for food-sources, life was flourishing and leaving its mark." Dr Snyder added: "The methane in 'methane hydrate' is known to form as microbes degrade organic matter on the seafloor." "But what we never expected to find was microbes continuing to grow and produce these spheroids, all of the time while isolated in tiny cold dark pockets of saltwater and oil. It certainly gives a positive spin to cold dark places, and opens up a tantalising clue as to the existence of life on other planets." Dr Bowden said: "It certainly changes how I think about things. Providing they have ice and a little heat, all those frigid cold planets at the edge of every planetary system could host tiny microhabitats with microbes building their own 'death stars' and making their own tiny little atmospheres and ecosystems, just as we discovered here. ~Company also provides update on initiatives to improve financial performance~ TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Namaste Technologies Inc. ("Namaste" or the "Company") (TSXV: N) (FRANKFURT: M5BQ) (OTCMKTS: NXTTF), today announced its wholly owned subsidiary, CannMart Inc. ("CannMart"), has added premium craft cannabis brand Kief Cannabis Co. ("Kief") to its product line and signed a supply agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis ("AGLC"). Additionally, Namaste continues to make strides to improve its overall financial performance and increase efficiencies through consolidation of specific web properties. Namaste welcomes Kief, a pure craft cannabis company in which Namaste holds a minority position and certain product purchasing rights, to its marketplace. Kief recently received its Health Canada licence and its premium quality leaf products are expected to join the CannMart family of premium brands offered for medical patients on CannMart's website and through its network of B2B sales channels. CannMart has also signed a supply agreement with AGLC, the agency responsible for regulating and distributing cannabis to Alberta's licensed retailers and the sole legal online retailer for recreational cannabis at www.albertacannabis.org. Alberta represents the fifth provincial government to contract with Namaste's CannMart for cannabis product distribution with more licensed retailers than any other province. "We are committed to offering a diverse selection of cannabis products across the full spectrum of consumer segments throughout Canada and therefore we are very excited to be working with Kief and the province of Alberta," said Meni Morim, CEO of Namaste Technologies Inc. "The addition of Alberta is particularly important as we are seeing repeat orders from our provincial agency customers. The company believes that there is a growing demand for premium cannabis brands as consumers seek both the quality and consistency that is painstakingly cultured by the craft grower. While our B2B business continues to flourish with the agreement with Alberta Gaming, Liquor & Cannabis, we also continue to take decisive action to improve our overall business performance by streamlining our legacy lines of business and adding new brands to CannMart." CannMart prides itself by offering customers a wide range of high-quality cannabis products at a fair price and has developed an impressive catalogue of product offerings through sales, distribution, and consignment agreements with leading cannabis brands. A prime example of a leading brand is Kief, the newest member to CannMart. Kief offers sought-after, true craft premium flower and concentrates. The Kief management team is made up of cannabis enthusiasts collectively dedicated to pushing every strain to its highest potential and represents the evolution of the industry to offer premium products at a premium price. CannMart works with each brand included in its portfolio to ensure high-quality products are available to medical patients online at cannmart.com or in licensed retail cannabis stores in select provinces. CannMart continues to strive for excellence in product production, packaging and delivery of cannabis products in a highly regulated environment. From the initial legalization of medical cannabis to Cannabis 2.0, CannMart seeks to uphold a reputation for offering high-quality brands and products, with efficient and approved packaging and superior distribution performance. This is the appeal of CannMart to licensed producers, cannabis brands and provincial agencies, which are looking to Namaste's CannMart to supply a broad range of high quality products in approved packaging on a timely basis. Provincial Sales Channel In the second half of 2019, CannMart expanded its business by aggressively entering the B2B sector and signing distribution agreements with provincial cannabis distributors. With the recent addition of the province of Alberta, CannMart now distributes cannabis products throughout Western Canada utilizing the respective provinces' brick-and-mortar cannabis stores or retail distribution chains. CannMart recently entered into a supply agreement with the AGLC, the government agency in Alberta which oversees the distribution of cannabis products to licensed retailers around the province and operates the only legal online cannabis website in Alberta, www.albertacannabis.org . With over 400 retail locations open throughout the province, Alberta has more licensed retailers open for business by a wide margin than any other province. CannMart has also executed supply agreements with the provinces of British Columbia and Manitoba, and sells cannabis products through the Saskatchewan Liquor & Gaming Authority ("SLGA") to permitted wholesalers in the province of Saskatchewan. In addition, CannMart has signed a supply agreement with the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation also referred to as the Ontario Cannabis Store ("OCS"). The OCS is the sole legal online retailer and wholesaler for recreational cannabis for Canada's most populous province. Namaste believes that more and more licensed producers and provincial agencies are recognizing CannMart's value proposition and expertise in e-commerce, production, packaging and distribution in a highly regulated industry. With recent policy changes in the province of Ontario, Namaste and CannMart are looking to expand its growth potential by offering these services to a wider market including retail dispensaries. Technology Updates Technology continues to be a core tenet of Namaste and it continues to expand its powerful Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities to improve the overall online customer buying and consuming experience. An example of this progress is NamasteMD, which provides easy, secure and direct access to health care professionals for consultations. NamasteMD has been completely redesigned and re-implemented, improving performance, user experience and enabling rapid deployment into new markets. A significant change to the NamasteMD patient process flow is the integration of our AI powered cannabis recommender, into the Namaste MD flow. Patients completing their NamasteMD consultation, now see AI powered, personalized recommendations as the last step of the process, and can be automatically directed to CannMart for product fulfillment. This reduces friction and optimized the customer experiences across these two assets. Geographic Consolidation Namaste continues to work to control costs and pursue those opportunities that bring the most value to the Company. Data analysis of internal key performance indicators and a thorough review of legacy businesses has identified opportunities to consolidate certain divisions and online websites that are not meeting the financial scrutiny necessary to succeed in the competitive cannabis markets, as standalone sites. The Company is streamlining its online businesses to focus on fewer sites, while setting up more diverse options for customer marketing, as a stepping stone towards our vision of creating a global cannabis marketplace. The net result is Namaste is consolidating 14 international websites, driving cost efficiencies with minimal impact to revenue and customers. The following six websites remain with the highest concentration of customers and revenues, where our international customer base can continue shopping without interruption: Namaste Vapes UK Namaste Vapes Canada Namaste Vapes France Namaste Vapes Germany Everyonedoesit UK Australian Vaporizers Finally, expansion to certain markets such as the United Kingdom has been paused due to changing domestic medical cannabis government and insurance regulations that make such expansion financially risky. As Namaste enters 2020, it continues to concentrate on opportunities with a clear path to positive return on investment and seek out new opportunities around the globe to leverage the Company's advanced technology and expertise in highly regulated markets. Option Grant Namaste today announces that it has granted, effective December 7, 2019, an aggregate of 200,000 stock options (each, an "Option") to the Company's chief financial officer in accordance with the terms of the Company's stock option plan. Each Option is exercisable into one common share in the capital of the Company (each, a "Share") at a price of $0.325 per Share, being the closing price of the Shares on the TSX Venture Exchange on December 6, 2019, for a period of five years from the date of grant. The Options will vest in equal tranches every six months over a 36-month period from the date of grant. About Namaste Technologies Inc. With headquarters in Toronto, ON, and offices in both B.C. and around the globe, Namaste Technologies is a leading online platform for cannabis products, accessories, and responsible education. The company's 'everything cannabis store', CannMart.com, provides customers with a diverse selection of hand-picked products from a multitude of federally-licensed cultivators, all on one convenient site. Namaste's global technology and continuous innovation address local needs in a burgeoning cannabis industry requiring smart solutions. For further information about Namaste, please visit NamasteTechnologies.com Information on the Company and its many products can be accessed through the links below: NamasteTechnologies.com NamasteMD.com Cannmart.com NamasteVapes.ca Everyonedoesit.ca FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements contained herein that are not historical in nature contain forward-looking information. Forward-looking information can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "expect", "likely", "should", "would", "plan", "anticipate", "intend", "potential", "proposed", "estimate", "believe" or the negative of these terms, or other similar words, expressions and grammatical variations thereof, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" happen. The forward-looking information contained herein is made as of the date of this press release and is based on assumptions management believed to be reasonable at the time such statements were made, including management's perceptions of Namaste's standing in the online marketplace for cannabis products, the Company's goals regarding B2B and B2C clients, the Company's pursuit of agreements with additional government agencies, the significance of the arrangements with government agencies, the Company's goal of offering CannMart's e-commerce, production, packaging and distribution services to a wider market, future growth, results of operations, operational matters, historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, and management's beliefs that there is a growing demand for premium cannabis, that additional brands on the CannMart platform will improve overall business performance, that NamasteMD's re-design will have a positive effect on the user experience, that offering fewer online sites will drive cost efficiencies with minimal revenue impact and that Namaste's technology and innovation address local needs in the cannabis marketplace. While we consider these assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available to management, there is no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. By their nature, forward-looking information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. A variety of factors, including known and unknown risks, many of which are beyond our control, could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information in this press release. Such factors include, without limitation: risks relating to the Company's ability to execute its business strategy and the benefits realizable therefrom, risks specifically related to the Company's international operations, and risks relating to the market price of the Common Shares. Additional risk factors can also be found in the Company's current MD&A and annual information form, both of which have been filed under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release or has in any way approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release. SOURCE Namaste Technologies Inc. New Delhi: Security personnel deployed in large numbers near Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University during Jamia students' protest march to Parliament against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizen (NRC), in New Delhi on Image Source: IANS News New Delhi: A protester who fell unconscious due to heat and suffocation during a protest march to Parliament organised by Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizen (NRC), being Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the Centre and the Delhi government on a petition filed by a student who lost vision in his eye during the violence in Jamia Millia Islamia on December 15 last year. A division bench of Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice C. Harishankar sought a response from the Central government, Delhi government and Delhi Police on the petition and slated the matter for April 30 for further hearing. The student named Minhajuddin has sought compensation and registration of FIR against police personnel. The petitioner has also sought a court-monitored probe by a committee or a special investigation team (SIT) into the incident. Protests against the newly-enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had turned violent on December 15 near Delhi's Jamia Nagar. Several buses were set afire during the violence in which police and protesters sustained injuries. [February 11, 2020] Jacobs Strengthens Cyber Team with Strategic Hire of SVP DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE:J) has hired Caesar Nieves as the senior vice president of its cyber business within the company's Critical Mission Solutions (CMS) line of business. In this role, Nieves will provide senior leadership, strategic vision and focus for Jacobs' cyber business as the company expands its cyber footprint across this rapidly growing sector. "Growing Jacobs' cyber business is a key element of our Critical Mission Solutions line of business strategy," said Jacobs Executive Vice President and COO of Critical Mission Solutions Dawne Hickton. "Caesar's strong leadership experience directly supports our growth and continued development and deployment of innovative solutions across an ever-expanding client base." Nieves brings more than 20 years of senior-level experience as a business and technical leader directly supporting U.S. Government clients and successfully growing a cyber business. He served in leadership roles at Engility, Unisys, Dell and Booz Allen Hamilton. In these positions, he was responsible for the growth and execution of business units focused on cyber, C4ISR and systems engineering, primarily for U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Homeland Security clients. Most recently, he served as vice president of corporate growth and strategy at CALIBRE Systems in Alexandria, Virginia. "I am encouraged by Jacobs' commitment to strengthen and grow its cyber business," said Nieves. "Jacobs challenges conventional cyber approaches by applying deep domain and mission understanding with creative solutions to meet the continuously evolving cyber threats facing national government and private sector clients globally." Nieves earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Systems Organization and Management at Hampton University and a Master of Business Adminisration in Information Systems Management from Regis University. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow by solving the world's most critical problems for thriving cities, resilient environments, mission-critical outcomes, operational advancement, scientific discovery and cutting-edge manufacturing, turning abstract ideas into realities that transform the world for good. With $13 billion in revenue and a talent force of approximately 52,000, Jacobs provides a full spectrum of professional services including consulting, technical, scientific and project delivery for the government and private sector. Visit jacobs.com and connect with Jacobs on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements as such term is defined in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provided by the same. Statements made in this release that are not based on historical fact are forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements. For a description of some additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements see our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 27, 2019, and in particular the discussions contained under Item 1 - Business; Item 1A - Risk Factors; Item 3 - Legal Proceedings; and Item 7 - Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, as well as the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: Kerrie Sparks 214.583.8433 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/jacobs-strengthens-cyber-team-with-strategic-hire-of-svp-301002217.html SOURCE Jacobs [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro offloaded 20,000 pounds of uncut cocaine seized from known drug-transit zones of the Eastern Pacific Ocean worth approximately $338 million at Naval Station San Diego on Feb. 10, 2020. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) US Coast Guard to Unload Nearly 20,000 Pounds of Seized Cocaine Worth $338 Million The U.S. Coast Guard said on Feb. 10 that it would unload nearly 20,000 pounds of cocaine seized in recent months from what it described as known drug-transit zones of the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The haul is worth approximately $338 million. The total haulthe result of eight interceptions made between mid-November and mid-Januaryis being offloaded at Naval Base San Diego by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Munro. The cocaine was seized as a result of joint efforts between four separate Coast Guard cutter crews. The crew of the Coast Guard Cutter Munro offloaded 20,000 pounds of uncut cocaine seized from known drug-transit zones of the Eastern Pacific Ocean worth approximately $338 million at Naval Station San Diego on Feb. 10, 2020. (John Gibbins/The San Diego Union-Tribune via AP) The Coast Guard is cooperating with numerous other U.S. agencies from the departments of Defense, Justice, and Homeland Security to fight transnational organized crime, including drug cartels, according to a media advisory. Surveillance video showing interceptions in real-time has been uploaded by the Coast Guard. The fight against drug cartels in the Eastern Pacific Ocean requires unity of effort in all phases from detection, monitoring and interdictions, to criminal prosecutions of these cases by U.S. Attorneys in districts within Florida and Texas, the advisory stated. A Coast Guard spokesperson told The Epoch Times that in fiscal year 2019, a total of 207.9 metric tons of cocaine were confiscated. The amount seized in that year was worth an estimated $6.14 billion and also resulted in 611 people being detained. In fiscal year 2018, a similar amount was seized by the Coast Guard209.62 metric tons valued at about $6.1 billion. In that year, there were 602 people detained. Crew members from the cutter Thetis hoist interdicted drugs seized in international waters of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, on Nov. 16, 2019. (PO1 Mark Barney/U.S. Coast Guard via AP). In December, Trump said everything that needed to be done to declare Mexican cartels terrorist organizations had been completed, but that he would hold off on any action at the request of Mexicos president. At the request of a man who I like and respect, and has worked so well with us, President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, we will temporarily hold off this designation and step up our joint efforts to deal decisively with these vicious and ever-growing organizations! Trump said on Twitter. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Matthew Kroll told The Epoch Times previously that there has been an upward trend in drug seizures, largely as a result of cartels switching their primary smuggling routes away from the Caribbean after the United States increased its presence there. A lot of energy was put into the Caribbean side over the last 10 to 15 years, he said. After we started upping our presence in that area, the natural shift was to go the other way. Trump said last year that the United States is losing 100,000 people a year to what is happening and what is coming through from Mexico, referring to drug trafficking. Last month, the Mexican government updated the number of citizens classified as missing to more than 61,000. According to Reuters, most of that number are victims of the countrys war with drug cartels, which have become increasingly violent. The recent Coast Guard interceptions were part of Campaign Martillo, a regional initiative targeting illicit trafficking that threatens security and prosperity at the national, regional, and international levels. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 08:12 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b2d33 1 Editorial #Editorial,IS,IS-returnees,IS-sympathizers,ISIS,Islamic-State Free Citizenship should be a basic human right and governments around the world should make it a priority to protect these rights. Citizenship is not a license that expires upon misbehavior, the United States Supreme Court justices stated in 1958 when they ruled that it was unconstitutional to revoke citizenship and impose the condition of statelessness as a punishment for a crime. Only four years earlier, the United Nations adopted the 1954 Conventions on Statelessness, which was followed up in 1961 with another convention dealing with the reduction of statelessness. Indonesia is not a signatory to either UN convention, so it has no obligation to abide by them. If anything, this could be the legal justification if and when the government finally decides to reject the return of Indonesian nationals who joined the Islamic State (IS) movement. While there is no official decision on whether to repatriate 660 Indonesian citizens from former IS strongholds, President Joko Jokowi Widodo has signaled his disapproval of the proposal, although his religious affairs minister has said the government would keep such an option open. But setting aside the legal and moral considerations for not allowing any individual to become stateless, repatriating these former IS fighters should have a more practical implication. If the government decides not to repatriate them, then no country might accept them and these people would become stateless and be further radicalized. We can never know for sure about the state of mind of these former IS fighters, but we can take some comfort from the fact that some of them have expressed regret and disappointment about their decision, if not belief, to join the extremist group. Shamima Begum, a British national who joined the IS in Syria at the age of 15, has appealed to the United Kingdom to let her return home and was quoted as saying in an interview: I hate the Dawla [IS] so much. In a video published on the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) website, some Indonesians who were repatriated from Iraq recounted the horror from the war and admitted that they were deceived by the promises of life in a caliphate IS made online. If such confessions are not persuasive enough for the Indonesian authorities to let these former IS fighters and their family members return, and the government is concerned about the prospect of these people establishing a caliphate here, then it is doubting its own capabilities. In this new era of massive government surveillance, it would be very difficult for former IS fighters to drop off the radar and go rogue. The government also has another trick up its sleeve to deal with these former radicals. It already has a long-established deradicalization program that, despite widespread criticism of its efficacy, these former IS fighters could join. Coordinating Politics, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD has said the government would make a decision on the fate of these former IS fighters in the next couple of months. Time is of the essence here. The more the government hesitates, the greater the prospects are of these people drifting away into the unknown. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 23:34:22|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping presides over a meeting and listens to report on the epidemic prevention and control work of Beijing at the center for disease control and prevention of Chaoyang District in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. Xi on Monday inspected the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) The Chinese economy is bigger, more resilient in capacity, and more reasonable in structure. BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping's comments on the Chinese economy have boosted confidence that the world's second-largest economy will come through the novel coronavirus epidemic with great resilience, potential and leeway. Xi said the fundamentals of China's long-term economic development remain unchanged and the epidemic's impact on the economy is short-lived, during an inspection tour of the epidemic prevention and control work in Beijing on Monday. He made the comments as China's economy comes under pressure from factories suspending production and reduced consumer spending amid the country's quarantine measures in the battle against the novel coronavirus outbreak. The epidemic and relevant quarantine measures are believed to have a negative impact on the Chinese economy to some extent. But now the Chinese economy is bigger, more resilient in capacity, and more reasonable in structure. China's GDP was less than 14 trillion yuan (around 2.03 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2003 when SARS broke out. Now, it is nearly 100 trillion yuan. The large increase creates more capacity for China to buffer external and internal shocks. The economy used to be driven by manufacturing and exports. Now, although they produce a substantial portion of the country's GDP, the service economy and digital economy are playing more prominent roles, especially in hedging economic risks and uncertainty amid the epidemic. After the epidemic is brought under control, retail and consumption activities are expected to heat up and make up for the losses incurred during the quarantine period. Staff members work at a workshop of Skyworth in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020. Chinese authorities are carefully balancing efforts to control the novel coronavirus epidemic and minimize its impact on the economy as millions of people head back to work Monday after an extended holiday. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) The sound fundamentals of the Chinese economy are unshakable amid the epidemic. But that should not be the excuse for optimism without caution. During his Monday tour, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called for greater efforts to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the economy and strive to achieve this year's economic and social development goals and tasks. Supportive measures have been taken. The central bank has added a total of 1.7 trillion yuan into the banking system to boost liquidity and stabilize financial markets. The central authority rolled out a favorable policy for small and micro-sized businesses, with supplies of power and raw materials, logistic services, and financial assistance put into place to help them resume production soon. Small-and-micro-sized companies are significant contributors to the Chinese economy, providing around 80 percent of employment, over 60 percent of GDP, and more than half of the tax revenue. Swift and targeted supportive policies should help avert widespread bankruptcies and large-scale layoffs, which are detrimental to Chinese society. A batch of companies has carefully resumed work, and more will do so in the coming days. Social and economic operations are awakening from their time off due to the epidemic. Confidence should be restored that the coronavirus outbreak will leave the Chinese economy unscathed in the long-run. Headline indices of the Hong Kong stock market finished session higher on Tuesday, 11 February 2020, as investors risk sentiments underpinned on expectations Beijing will add further liquidity into the financial system to help lessen the blow of the deadly coronavirus and after the NDRC emphasized the top priority at the moment is going back to work and resuming production. At closing bell, the benchmark Hang Seng Index advanced 1.26%, or 352.54 points, to 27,583.88. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index was up 1.45%, or 154.09 points, to 10,808.52. China's central bank has pledged it would use tools to support key sectors, having already pumped billions of dollars into the money market to stabilise confidence. Sentiment was supported by comments from central bank advisor Ma Jun that China should consider lowering benchmark deposit rate to enable banks to reduce lending rates for businesses. More than 300 Chinese companies are seeking bank loans totalling at least 57.4 billion yuan ($8.2 billion) to help cope with the disruption, The death toll from the coronavirus epidemic in mainland China soared past 1,000 on Tuesday with a record daily rise in fatalities, although the number of new confirmed cases fell. There were 2,478 new confirmed cases in mainland China on Feb. 10, down from 3,062 on the previous day, bringing the total to 42,638. Investors became more confident as the number of newly confirmed cases outside epicentre Hubei province dropped. Blue chips rose across the board. HSBC (00005) rose 1% to HK$58.65. HKEX (00388) was up 0.7% to HK$270.2. Tencent (00700) put on 2.1% to HK$409. China Mobile (00941) inched down 0.6% to HK$66.45 after the MIIT said it would allocate spectrum reserved for 5G indoor coverage to China Telecom and China Unicom for sharing. AIA Group (01299) advanced 1% to HK$79.9. Geely Automobile (00175) soared 5.7% to HK$14.48 after the company said it is in talks with Volvo Car AB regarding a possible merger. But other automakers were mostly weaker. BYD Company (01211) dipped 3.5% to HK$45.35. Brilliance China Automotive (01114) fell 1% to HK$7.03. GAC Group (02238) slid 2.2% to HK$8.285. Great Wall Motor (02333) was flat at HK$5.52. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Planned Parenthood and the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, objecting to the administrations rule requiring Obamacare insurers to bill separately for abortions. The rule, scheduled to take effect June 27, would require health-insurance companies that participate in the Affordable Care Act marketplace to send a second bill to patients for abortions, separate from their bill for other healthcare. Patients will have to pay using two separate checks, two money orders, or two electronic transactions. In their lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Planned Parenthood of Maryland and the ACLU argue that the rule has an unstated purpose, namely to make it so expensive and burdensome for insurance companies to provide abortion coverage that the companies stop providing it. The administration has not identified a single quantifiable benefit from the final rule to weigh in the balance against these costs, the suit states. The administration argues the rule is intended as another precaution in preventing taxpayer funding of abortion coverage. Pro-life advocates raised concerns that many Obamacare patients receive tax subsidies to assist them in paying their premiums. If billing for abortions is mixed with billing for other healthcare, abortions could easily end up being paid for with taxpayer dollars, they argued. Federal funding for abortions is illegal under the Hyde Amendment except in cases of rape or incest or when the mothers life is in danger. The Trump administrations new insurance rule is another attack on abortion care, designed solely to push safe, legal abortion further out of reach, said ACLU attorney Meagan Burrows. The administration itself admits this rule has no quantifiable benefit its sole purpose is to create extra red tape for millions of people across the country, said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. We will not stand for this administrations attempt to shame people and keep them from accessing health care. More from National Review By Trend Over 2.1 million tourists from Iran visited Turkey in 2019, which is 5.05 percent more compared to 2018, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism. The share of Iranian citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in 2019 amounted to 4.67 percent. According to the ministry, 134,768 tourists from Iran visited Turkey in December 2019, which is 23.51 percent more compared to December 2018. The share of Iranian citizens in the total number of foreigners who visited Turkey in December 2019 amounted to 6.27 percent. Over 2.1 million tourists visited Turkey in December 2019, which is 10.11 percent more compared to December 2018. Slightly more than 45 million tourists visited Turkey in 2019, which is 14.11 percent more compared to the previous year. Just over 14.9 million tourists visited Istanbul in 2019, while he number of Antalya's visitors exceeded 14.6 million. The remaining 15.5 million tourists visited other cities of the country. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz EDEN MINE By S. M. Hulse A book can be carried by a strong voice, and thats what we get with Jo Faber. A gifted amateur artist in the town of Prospect, in rural northwestern Montana, the narrator of S. M. Hulses second novel, Eden Mine, is anchored by her brother, Samuel, who is seven years older and the only family she has left. Their father died in a mine collapse before Jo was old enough to remember him, and their mother was murdered by an alcoholic ex-boyfriend when Jo was 10. Now 22, Jo is in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down by a stray bullet on the night of her mothers murder, and somehow, Eden Mine starts with even more bloodshed: Samuel has set off a bomb outside the county courthouse. Jo processes her brothers act as a strangely futile gesture, a particularly violent tantrum, designed to protest the governments seizure of their childhood home, on land their family has owned for five generations, to build a new road. Samuel sets the bomb off on a Sunday morning in an ill-conceived attempt to avoid casualties; he doesnt know about the new church across the street from the courthouse. Several members of the congregation are injured, the preachers young daughter is left in a coma and, with Samuel in hiding, Jo is left to face the consequences. The novel shines when Jo inadvertently strikes up an odd friendship with the preacher, Asa Truth. Asa wants to understand what made Samuel commit an act of terrorism, and in their time together Jo begins to realize she doesnt know her brother as well as she thought. Its not that what Samuel did truly surprises Jo; hes always been drawn to extremism, always deeply troubled searching for meaning in dangerous places. But he was also devoted to Jo; to take one example, he trained their mule to accept a paralyzed rider so she could ride him by herself. After they are orphaned, he goes so far as to rescue her from foster care by spiriting her into the mountains. I remember the worry, she thinks now. What if they sent me to foster care anyway, kept me away from Samuel forever? Second makeshift hospital in epicenter Wuhan delivered, put into operation People's Daily Online By Tian Doudou, Han Chenglin (People's Daily) 13:32, February 10, 2020 China's second makeshift hospital to battle against the novel coronavirus in epicenter Wuhan on Feb. 6 completed acceptance testing by the city's urban construction department and health commission after 10 days of construction. The first batch of medical teams have entered the hospital, received the first batch of patients of the novel coronavirus pneumonia on Feb. 8. The decision to build the hospital, located on the bank of Huangjia Lake in the Jiangxia district, was made by Wuhan immediately after the first makeshift hospital Huoshenshan broke ground on Jan. 25, the first day of the Chinese New Year. The Leishenshan Hospital was requested to be built in half a month. In face of the rapid spreading of the novel coronavirus, the hospital expanded its total designed construction area three times from 50,000 square meters to 75,000 square meters and finally 80,000 square meters. It's designed capacity was also expanded from 1,300 beds to nearly 1,600 beds. The size of Leishenshan is twice as that of Huoshenshan. The Leishenshan Hospital uses modular design based on layout of field hospital, and includes three major areas: one for treatment, one for medical workers' logistical support, and one for auxiliary treatment. CNBC covered the whole construction process of the Leishenshan Hospital in articles, pictures and videos, saying the construction of the new facilities echoes the rapid completion of Beijing's Xiaotangshan hospital in 2003 built to treat patients affected with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). During an interview of Philippine newspaper Watchmen Daily Journal, an 84-year-old historian said she admired the Chinese government for their "efficiency and effectiveness in responding to the need of its people," noting that such speed was just like magic. CNN noted that the "cohorting," or zoning of the patients in the Leishenshan Hospital is very important, citing Emergency medicine physician Dr. Solomon Kuah who helped the International Rescue Committee coordinate the construction of emergency hospitals during a 2014 Ebola outbreak in West Africa. Such design can effectively make up for the deficiency of the hospital, and it's necessary to divide patients of differing levels of contagiousness. Both the lockdown of Wuhan and the Chinese New Year made it extremely difficult to seek materials and labors for the construction of the hospital. However, the employees of the Wuhan branches of the China State Construction Engineering, China State Railway Investment Construction Group, China Construction Science and Industry Corporation, China Construction Industrial & Energy Engineering Group, and China Construction Third Engineering Bureau showed great enthusiasm for contributing their power, applying to go to the "frontline". The number of constructers at the site kept growing, from hundreds to thousands. As of Feb. 4, there were over 1,000 managers and nearly 8,000 workers working at site day and night, and more than 1,400 large machineries and transportation vehicles were running busily. A total of 3,000 container houses, as well as 3,300 sets of mechanical and electrical installation tools have been shipped to the construction sites. "What makes the construction speed is the innovation of China's construction technology," said Wu Hongtao, secretary of the Party committee of China Construction Third Engineering Bureau First Engineering Co., Ltd., who directed the construction at site. He introduced that both Leishenshan and Huoshenshan Hospitals adopted cutting-edge construction technologies, and used as many assembly parts as possible to reduce field workload and save time. Besides, the construction and integral hoisting were carried out in an alternative manner, which maximized the efficiency. As a result, the Leishenshan Hospital was finally completed in just 10 days, and will make full contribution to the battle against the novel coronavirus. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Congress candidate in Vikaspuri, Mukesh Sharma, on Tuesday conceded defeat even as the counting of votes for the Delhi assembly election was underway. Mukesh Sharma was up against the Aam Aadmi Partys Mahinder Yadav and Sanjay Singhs of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Yadav had won the seat in the last assembly election held in 2015. Follow live updates here As I acknowledge my defeat, I thank all the voters and Congress workers of Vikaspuri constituency and hope that there will be all-round development of the area, Sharma tweeted in Hindi. I will continue to fight for the all-round development of Delhi, Vikaspuri and Uttam Nagar assembly constituencies in future as well, he added. Vikaspuri is a suburban assembly seat under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Early trends show that the ruling AAP is leading on 53 seats, while BJP is ahead on 16 as counting of votes for the Delhi assembly elections began on Tuesday morning, according to C-Voter data. The Congress party is leading on one seat, show trends. The exit polls, at least five of them, have predicted a comfortable win for the AAP in Delhi. The AAPs leaders, including chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, have expressed confidence that they will be given the mandate to govern Delhi for the third time. MV Agusta motorcycles in India receive huge discounts for existing MotoRoyale stocks. MV Agusta motorcycles in India get massive discounts as a result of ending the partnership with MotoRoyale group; an indirect effect of Norton Motorcycles going into administration in the UK. MotoRoyale is the dealership network under which the Italian brand, MV Agusta had been selling its products in the country. Prior to this, five premium motorcycle brands have been operating in India under MotoRoyale: MV Agusta, Norton, FB Mondial, SWM and Hyosung. MotoRoyale (or more popularly known as Kinetic MotoRoyale), the one-of-a-kind multi-brand superbike sales network, was started back in May 2016 in Pune with MV Agusta as the first exclusive marque. Hence, Indian motorcycle enthusiasts have associated the group with the Italian brand from the very start. All the brands under MotoRoyale (except Hyosung) cater to a niche audience who wish to own something much more exclusive than the regular premium offerings. This fact is quite evident in any MotoRoyale product; be it in terms of design, exclusivity, global image or pricing (which is much higher than a similar-spec alternative from the likes of Yamaha, Honda, Kawasaki, BMW Motorrad or Ducati). The chain of troubles started when Norton Motorcycles failed to pay a tax bill and ended up with a winding-up or liquidation order under the UK governments insolvency law. The financial turmoil delayed a joint project by Norton Motorcycles and Kinetic MotoRoyale, under which a 650cc middleweight motorcycle (650 Atlas) was planned to be manufactured for India as well as some Southeast-Asian markets. The main highlight of the joint venture was a 30,000-unit manufacturing facility in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra; of which construction had already started. The project was a relief for many potential buyers of MotoRoyale products (especially the ones from MV Agusta) since the prices could have had gone down by a good margin. In India, MV Agusta mainly sells four models: Brutale 800, Dragster 800 RR, Turismo Veloce 800 and F3 800. Ex-showroom prices start at around Rs 15 lakh and go all the way up to Rs 22 lakh. At one point, the top-of-the-line limited-production MV Agusta F4 RC was also on sale in India. With an ex-showroom cost of around Rs 50 lakh (on-road: more than Rs 60 lakh), there is only one example of the F4 RC in the country. With the current confusion in business and finance, you may find a good deal for the standard motorcycle range at one of the seven Kinetic MotoRoyale outlets across the country. Source Who is the richest child in Georgia - GeorgianJournal Mandate in Delhi against politics of hatred, CAA-NRC: Mamata congratulates AAP India oi-PTI Howrah, Feb 11: Congratulating AAP over its stupendous victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that people have rejected the "politics of hatred and division" and have given a "mandate against CAA and NRC". The TMC supremo said that the Delhi Assembly poll result is a reflection of the good work done by the Kejriwal government in the last five years and the saffron party has got a "befitting reply for torturing students and women" in the national capital. She was referring to the attacks on Jamia Milia Islamia and JNU students and incidents of molestation of Gargi College students in Delhi. BJP will face similar results in the 2021 assembly polls in Bengal, Banerjee said. BJP's Gautam Gambhir accepts defeat in Delhi "BJP is losing one election after another - this has been an ongoing trend. It began in Maharashtra, then in Jharkhand and now in Delhi. Everywhere the trend is very clear - the people are rejecting BJP and its politics of hatred," Mamata told reporters in Howrah. Claiming that the people had voted against CAA and NRC in the Delhi polls, Mamata said there are important issues like unemployment, economy, industry, price hike and development but the Centre is focussing only on the politics of hatred. "Arrogance and the politics of vendetta have crossed all limits since BJP returned to power at the Centre for the second consecutive time. The country is burning," she said. On the dismal performance by Congress in the Delhi polls, Mamata said Congress scores wherever regional parties are not strong enough to counter the BJP. Earlier in the day, Banerjee had called up Kejriwal to congratulate him on AAP's resounding victory in the Delhi polls. Later, in a tweet Banerjee said leaders playing on faith and divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded. "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal as #DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded," she tweeted. Addressing a rally in Bankura district, Mamata, who is among the harshest critics of BJP, mocked the saffron party over its string of defeats in the assembly polls post 2019 Parliamentary polls and said it has "got a befitting reply for torturing students and women in New Delhi". "One state after another is slipping out of BJP's grip, and the party will soon lose all states under its control," she claimed. "They (BJP) will face similar results in the 2021 assembly polls in Bengal. Only development will work. CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected," she told the gathering. Loss for BJP means it is out of power in Delhi for 27 years Mamata and Kejriwal have shared a cordial relationship over the years. The Delhi chief minister had come out in support of his West Bengal counterpart during the general elections in 2019 and also during her face-off with the Centre over the erstwhile Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar. Mamata on her part had condemned attacks on Kejriwal during the general elections and lashed out at BJP over the issue. The TMC had also thrown its weight behind AAP for the Delhi polls. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 18:33 [IST] DETROIT - The Trump administrations budget proposal scraps a loan program that could help an upstart electric vehicle companys plans to reuse the now-closed General Motors factory in Lordstown, Ohio. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this Nov. 28, 2018, file photo, snow covers the perimeter of the General Motors' Lordstown plant, in Lordstown, Ohio. The Trump administrations budget proposal scraps a loan program that could help an upstart electric vehicle companys plans to reuse the now-closed General Motors factory in Lordstown, Ohio. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File) DETROIT - The Trump administrations budget proposal scraps a loan program that could help an upstart electric vehicle companys plans to reuse the now-closed General Motors factory in Lordstown, Ohio. In a summary of the budget for the coming fiscal year, the administration said Monday it wants to eliminate the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing Loan Program, which was created in 2007 to foster development of fuel-efficient vehicles. Lordstown Motors Corp., a new venture thats trying to reopen the former Lordstown GM factory east of Cleveland to build electric trucks, is considering asking for a $200 million from the loan fund. Its also getting a $40 million loan from GM. But its not clear just yet whether the loan programs demise would cut off money for Lordstown Motors. There are still just over seven months left in the current budget year, and the program still has more than $17 billion available to loan, according to the Department of Energy, which runs the program. Lordstown Motors said Monday that is has not yet applied for the loan and that it is just one of several financing options under review. "We will factor this new information into our decision-making process, but our business model stands on its own without it," the company said in a statement. Lordstown Motors could still apply for a loan during the current budget year, the Energy Department said. Eliminating the program could be problematic for President Donald Trump, who campaigned on bringing back manufacturing jobs to Ohio, a key state in his re-election campaign. Trump lambasted GM for plans to close the Lordstown plant and then praised the new electric truck venture. According to a summary of Trumps budget plan, the administration wants to eliminate the loan program and others because the private sector should have a primary role in taking risks on new commercial projects. The governments best use of taxpayer funding is in earlier stage R&D, the document says. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, a Democrat who represents the area and has been helping Lordstown Motors with the loan application, said he plans on talking with the Trump administration and is optimistic there is a way to make sure the money is available. I can't see why they wouldn't want to be a part of this, Ryan said Monday. It would be something we could work on together, and at the end of the day this will lead to jobs with good wages and benefits. 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. These type of public-private partnerships, he said, are needed to help create a new manufacturing economy and rebuild the middle class. The Advanced Technology Vehicles manufacturing program started under the Obama administration with $25 billion, the Energy Department said. It loaned $5.9 billion to Ford Motor Co. to upgrade its factories to build efficient vehicles, and another $1.45 billion to Nissan Motor Co. to retool a Tennessee factory to build electric vehicles. Nissan repaid its loan, as did Tesla Inc., which got $465 million to ramp up its Fremont, California, plant. ____ Seewer reported from Toledo, Ohio. ___ Based on updated figures from Department of Energy, this story has been updated to correct the amount of money available to be loaned to $17 billion, not $9 billion, the size of the Nissan loan to $1.45 billion, not $1.6 billion, and when the loan program was created to 2007, not 2008. A Pa. candy company that won the right to the iconic Clark bar is resurrecting the classic candy - and even giving them away for Valentines. It is the Boyer Candy Co. of Altoona that is spreading the love in the form of the chocolate covered peanut butter crunch candy originally developed in Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Business Times reports. Boyer CEO Anthony Forgione is quoted in the story as saying: We will be releasing Clark Bars in Pittsburgh this Friday. We are also giving out free bars in several locations in Pittsburgh on Valentines Day. Background from the Pittsburgh Business Times: Boyer purchased the rights, recipes and equipment to produce Clark Bars in September 2018. But Clark Bars have only been sold in clear cellophane wrappers at the companys factory outlet store. Stores in southwestern Pennsylvania have been without the treat for more than a year. Previous plans to bring the iconic Clark bars in their bright red wrappers back for Thanksgiving 2019 were scrapped due to production issues. READ MORE: Pair of $3,000 puppies dog-napped from Pa. kennel Woman found in blood-soaked blanket; man accused of imprisoning her for sex: Pa. cops Its lunacy: Pa. cops still busting plenty of people for pot despite de-criminalization, report says Pause for a cause: No one wakes up saying, Im going to kill somebody with my car Finger gun by Down syndrome girl, 6, triggers Pa. school to call cops, mom says Cards 4 Haley: Strangers touched by story of girl run over by tractor show their big hearts I heard him yelp: Pa. dog on leash killed with bow and arrow in backyard Pa. judge accused of calling black juror Aunt Jemima Chen Qiushi, an outspoken Chinese lawyer and citizen journalist, has been missing since February 7, after telling family he planned to visit Wuhans hospitals. The IFJ urges Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the location of Chen and ensure journalists freedom of movement and safety from intimidation when reporting. Chen Qiushi is an influential citizen journalist with more than 400,000 followers on YouTube , 250,000 followers on Twitter and 740,000 on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. The journalist travelled from Beijing to Wuhan on January 24 where he filmed and reported about the situation in Wuhan, covering the lack of resources to deal with the epidemic, the lack of capacity at hospitals, the rising death tolls and the misconduct of civil servants. Chen livestreamed interviews with patients through Weibo, allowing them to speak out about the coronavirus. Since Chens disappearance his Weibo account has been taken down. Chens mother said her family lost contact with Chen on February 7. At 6pm that day, he told his family he would visit Feng Cang hospital in Wuhan to talk to patients with the coronavirus. Authorities are reported to have since told Chens family that he is being forcibly quarantined in an undisclosed location. As a citizen journalist, Chen is known for closely following a number of cases, including the detention of citizen journalist Fang Bin and the interrogation of activist Hu Jia by Chinese authorities. Chen also travelled from Bejing to Hong Kong in August 2019 to report on the anti-government protests. Chen was quoted in Hong Kong as saying that authorities advised him to return to China. The IFJ said: We are incredibly concerned by the disappearance of Chen Qiushi. Journalists, including citizen journalists, are critically needed during national emergencies in imparting stories from everyday people and providing insights that may greatly assist the publics right to information and inform response efforts in times of crisis. The IFJ calls on Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the location of Chen, allow him contact with his family and to provide guarantees for his safety. Umberto Lay, architect, pastor, and former congressman, enjoyed Shen Yun at the Gran Teatro Nacional in Lima, Peru, on Feb. 8. (NTD Television) LIMA, PeruWorld-renowned Shen Yun Performing Arts has been touring the globe for 13 years, reaching more and more cities every year. In Lima, Peru, at the Gran Teatro Nacional, four performances over the weekend of Feb.89 were completely sold out. Umberto Lay, architect, pastor, and former congressman, enjoyed the first performance of New York-based Shen Yun on Feb. 8 and left inspired. It touches you, the beauty, the aesthetics, it really touches you, Lay said. Really impressive perfection. The choreography, the message they convey. It really is an ancient art that has been updated. It doesnt look old-fashioned, on the contrary, very up-to-date, combined with modern technology. All that makes it a show that is unparalleled. Shen Yuns mission is to revive the once-lost traditional Chinese culture and share it on the worlds stage through the art. The ancient Chinese civilization is said to be divinely inspired, and Lay felt this spirituality speaks to us in the modern world today. I believe that this message [of Shen Yun] is very relevant to the current situation of mankind. Umberto Lay He felt one key theme of the performance was a reminder to return to spirituality. Its very necessary in the modern world, or the post-modern world we are living in, where the only thing that is worthwhile is the present, to live in the moment, no values, no ideals, Lay said. I believe that this message [of Shen Yun] is very relevant to the current situation of mankind. In ancient China, Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism were cornerstones of civilization and permeated every aspect of society. Lay added that this was different from his own faith, but the idea of returning to spirituality and higher ideals in and of itself is universal and beneficial. The appeal or word of encouragement to return to spirituality is very, very important. I think everyone will understand it in their own way, but I think it is very important to get out of the material, out of this materialistic humanism that we live in, and to recognize again that we are matter, but also a spiritual part, which is the most important thing, Lay said. [Spirituality] has an effect on behavior, based on values. I think it is very important. Its something that has been lost tremendously in recent times, Lay added. Lay wanted to encourage Shen Yun in return, urging them to persist in defending this tradition that is ancient, but with values. I think its important as a message to the new generations that have been born in a world that has lost its values, its ideals. I think the work theyre doing is very important, he said. With reporting by NTD Television. The Epoch Times considers Shen Yun Performing Arts the significant cultural event of our time and has covered audience reactions since the companys inception in 2006. YEREVAN. The government is conducting an audit in Vanadzor, where there is a reference to the Bright Armenia party (BAP). Edmon Marukyan, the chairman of this opposition party and head of the Bright Armenia faction in parliament, said this at a press conference today. "The [Vanadzor] municipality has numerous SNCOs, kindergartens, community institutions, houses of culture," he emphasized. And one of the questions in that audit is as follows: to find out who are from Bright Armenia in the institutions, and so on. What is this after the revolution? How should I describe? A clear political order has been given to find out if there are any BAP-member employees in Vanadzor institutions. There is no other party name. Our representatives have photographed that plan, sent it to us, we are awaiting clarifications related to it." Learn the art of tease from leading members of the local burlesque scene. Topics change weekly and are for both new and experienced performers of all backgrounds. Pre-registration recommended. Flexi-tease: Flexibility for the Stage with Joy Coy $15 Flexibility is achievable for everyone! This class will focus on active flexibility training exploring mobility, increasing range of motion, improving balance and posture, and reducing tension in the body. You will also learn how to use your flexibility on stage. Becoming more flexible is a full mind-body experience. Freeing your body, frees your mind! FIVE prepaid students are the minimum required for this event. Send prepays via Paypal to: joycoyabq@gmail.com About Joy: Known as the "personification of sunshine and seduction", Joy Coy is a burlesque performer, strip-teacher and producer based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. A transplant to the Twin Cities, Joy got her start in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she produces the New Mexico Burlesque Festival, coming back for the second year Valentine's Day weekend at the Historic KiMo Theatre. She is an instructor at the Twin Cities Burlesque Academy and the co-producer of Naked Girls Reading Twin Cities. A classically trained dancer with a flair for theatrics, this plant powered pixie is best known for her flexitease, nerdlesque productions, and bewitching themes. For 2019, the Catoosa County heriffs Office responded to approximately 50,671 calls for service. This is a 2.5 percent increase from the previous year. Still, with the increase in call volume, the Sheriffs Office maintains an average response time of 10 minutes or less, where the national average is 18 minutes. Domestic Violence is still a major concern for the Sheriffs Office; however, mental illness is fast becoming a bigger issue. These two issues can sometimes be combined as well. We have made it a goal in previous years and continue to strive to reach 100 percent of having all of our deputies complete the 40-hour Crisis Intervention Training, mental health response, and better understanding training. We have increased our traffic enforcement in an effort to reduce accidents and injuries. With the growing number of vehicles on our roadways, it is imperative that everyone adheres to the rules and laws of safe driving. From 2018 to 2019, we saw a 6.8 percent decrease in traffic accidents and an 18.5 percent decrease in injuries reported in accidents. We feel these reductions are in direct correlation to our enforcement efforts. One of the duties of the sheriff is the transportation of inmates to and from other facilities for sentences, warrants, or court orders/appearances. On any given day, we could have multiple deputies all over the state of Georgia or in surrounding states picking up and delivering inmates. Most of the alternative sentencing reform placed the burden of transportation on the sheriff, instead of the state like it is for a prison sentence. In 2019, deputies spent 1,852 man-hours on 670 transports that covered over 81,500 miles. We hope to see a slight reduction in bringing prisoners back from prison for hearings with the addition of a video system that was installed in the courtroom this year and linked to a number of prisons in Georgia and the Catoosa County Jail. Deputies were also busy filing 5,397 incident reports, serving 3,293 warrants, and processing 3,463 civil papers. 1,556 of those incident reports were assigned to an investigator for further investigation, and 208 sex offenders were registered in Catoosa County. We are pleased to continue to see a reduction in our part 1 crimes of 4.5 percent from 2018 to 2019. Part 1 crimes are what the federal government tracks for crime statistics such as murder, rape, burglary, motor vehicle theft, etc. Since 2015, we have seen a 35 percent decrease in our total number of part 1 crimes. Our School Resource Officers taught CHAMPS (Choosing Healthy Activities and Methods Promoting Safety) to 844 5th graders over 328 instructional hours. CHAMPS is a valuable tool that families can use to further their conversations about drugs, alcohol, internet safety, bullying, and so much more. SROs also had instructional time with about 350 7th grade students to recap on the CHAMPS lessons one more time. Our children are a target of so many negative things, this day and age, that we feel it is imperative we continuously warn them about these dangers. The Catoosa County Detention Center is a 248-bed facility that processes and houses offenders for all law enforcement agencies in Catoosa County. For 2019, the Detention Center processed 3,931 offenders, and the average daily population was 241. Two notable objectives that were achieved in 2019, were the reserved parking spaces for a safe exchange area in front of the Sheriffs Office, and the Cold Fire Tactical fire extinguishers. With the increase of online sales and the need for a safe area to make transactions, the Sheriffs Office designated two parking spaces in front of the Sheriffs Office as a safe exchange area with 24-hour video recording. With recent vehicle fires, deputies were unable to deploy standard fire extinguishers inside the passenger compartment, due to it removing the oxygen from the fire and anyone in the passenger compartment. The Cold Fire Tactical fire extinguisher is a vegetable-based product that actually removes the heat from the fire allowing the first responder to operate in the same area and get occupants to safety. Two extinguishers were purchased for each frontline car. 2019 concluded our fourth annual compliance service review for CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies), and we go before the full Commission March of 2020 and expect to be reaccredited for another four years. CALEA serves as the premier credentialing association for public safety agencies nationally and provides accreditation services for law enforcement agencies, public safety communication centers, public safety training academies, and campus security agencies. The standards are promulgated by a board of 21 commissioners, representing a full spectrum of public safety leadership. The assessment process includes extensive self-assessment, annual remote web-based assessments, and quadrennial site- based assessments. Additionally, candidate agencies are presented to the Commission for final consideration and credentialing. The Catoosa County Sheriffs Office is one of 10 Sheriffs Offices in the state of Georgia that chooses to adhere to the nationally recognized professional standards of CALEA and maintain accreditation. 2020 will be another busy year in continuing the implementation of a new records management system that will serve the Sheriffs Office and Detention Center, Catoosa 911, Catoosa Fire, Fort Oglethorpe Police, and Ringgold Police. We anticipate going live on this new system, September 2020. We are also moving forward on developing a work-release program that we hope to break ground on in the first quarter of 2021. Catoosa County Sheriff Gary Sisk There has been no shortage of Democratic polling in advance of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary. The results have been fairly consistent in recent days, with Sanders and Buttigieg running 1-2. Amy Klobuchar has seen gains, while Joe Biden has been fading. If the polls are accurate, Biden, Klobuchar and Warren should finish 3rd to 5th in some order; it remains to be seen if any (or all) of them are able to meet the 15% threshold for delegates. For the Republicans, Donald Trump is averaging 83.3%, with former Gov. Bill Weld of neighboring Massachusetts at 9.5%. 22 delegates will be allocated proportionately to candidates getting 10% or higher. The suspense, if any, is whether Weld will cross that 10% threshold. Three small towns in New Hampshire will cast the first votes at midnight. The most famous of those is Dixville Notch. Those first votes should appear in the tables below once they are counted. The rest of the state votes during the day Tuesday. Many polling places close at 7:00 PM, with the remainder closing at 8:00 PM. The first results are expected during the 7:00 PM hour. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:04:32|Editor: yan Video Player Close BEIRUT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- An officer and a solider were shot dead at the Ouzai police station in Lebanon's capital of Beirut, local LBCI TV channel reported on Tuesday. The report said the two were killed after intervening in a dispute between a citizen and his arrested brother. Security forces told LBCI that Hassan Al Hussein, who was visiting his arrested brother, released 25 other people who were previously detained at the Ouzai police station following the clash with the officer and his soldier. US' 'embedded irrationality' eroding optimism in JCPOA: Iran's nuclear chief Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 3:00 PM The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says unilateral withdrawal of the United States from a landmark and multilateral nuclear deal with Iran, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), has undermined the agreement, which could serve to prove that diplomacy is the most viable option for tackling toughest international issues. Ali Akbar Salehi made the remarks while addressing the "International Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts" in the Austrian capital, Vienna, on Monday. "It was a dominant belief that the JCPOA could set a model in this regard . But, unfortunately, this euphoria didn't last long. With the embedded irrationality in the US administration's mindset, such optimism is fading away so quickly," he said. He urged Europe, as a main stakeholder of the deal, to play its role in keeping the JCPOA alive through living up to their commitments without paying heed to the US administration's "unjust pressures." "Unfortunately, the US administration has not yet come to its senses in recognizing the reality on grounds and keeps on inflicting harm on our people as well as the people of the entire region while creating and supporting terrorist groups such as ISIS (Daesh)," Iran's nuclear chief added. The JCPOA, better known as the Iran deal, was signed between Tehran and six major world powers -- the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany -- in 2015 and has been ratified in the form of a United Nations Security Council resolution. But US President Donald Trump, a stern critic of the landmark deal, unilaterally pulled Washington out of the JCPOA in May 2018, and unleashed the "toughest ever" sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism in an attempt to strangle the Iranian oil trade. Under Washington's pressure, the three European signatories to the JCPOA have so far failed to protect Tehran's business interests under the deal against the American bans. This May, Iran began to gradually reduce its commitments under the JCPOA to both retaliate for Washington's departure, and trigger the European trio to respect their obligations towards Tehran. On January 5, Iran took a fifth step in reducing its commitments, and said it would no longer observe any operational limitations on its nuclear industry, whether concerning the capacity and level of uranium enrichment, the volume of stockpiled uranium or research and development. Elsewhere in his speech, Salehi said as a member state to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran maintains that in line with Article IV of the NPT, nothing "shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the parties to the treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination." The AEOI head emphasized that nuclear security and safety measures must be utilized to support such objectives and functions. Late last month, a group of Iranian lawmakers submitted a motion to the parliament calling for the Islamic Republic's withdrawal from the NPT after the three European signatories to the JCPOA failed to meet their contractual commitments following the US's exit. A member of the Iranian Parliament's Presiding Board, Mahmoud Sadeqi, said that the motion had been prepared after the European trio triggered a dispute mechanism devised in the deal, which could lead to the restoration of UN Security Council Sanctions against Iran. Salehi further said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expected to assist its member states "upon their request and on a non-discriminatory basis, in their efforts to enhance a sustainable nuclear security regime based on their national needs and priorities." Iran believes that "nuclear security activities of the Agency should be funded with no string attached by the donors," he added. "Iran has taken upon itself to enhance further the mechanisms of its nuclear security throughout the country, through its own resources and also by utilizing the agency (IAEA) and other member states' potentials," the Iranian nuclear chief said. He emphasized that the Islamic Republic is updating the regulations regarding the security of radioactive sources and the relevant guidance on control and combating illicit trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The cast of JTBC's Monday-Tuesday drama titled "War of Prosecutors" have shared their goodbyes to everyone. The finale of this drama is already fast approaching and the cast expressed their final thoughts on the drama. Prosecutor Lee Sun Woong who is portrayed by Lee Sun Gyun is a cold but cute prosecutor with an upright spirit, shared that everyone on the show gavein a lot of effort and it was fun on their set. He also added that they have finished filming a month before the final episode so he has been definitely watching the last six episodes and the re-runs. Lee Sun Gyun said that he is using the drama as a tool to sooth his loneliness of missing the people he has worked with. Lastly he said that he is very thankful to all the viewers who loved the drama 'War of Prosecutors' and continued asking to the viewers to please keep on watching until the end of the drama. The Korean Australian actress Jung Ryeo Won portrayed the memorable character of prosecutor Cha Myung Joo, who is equipped with remarkable talent, a strong sense of responsibility, passion, and self-confidence. She expressed, that the script of the show as well as the directing was like gems. The set was contained with amazing actors that she got along really well. She experienced an enjoyable time filming and because of this, she feels proud and happy even though the show is almost ending. She expressed her thanks to all the viewers who've watched until the end. Lee Sung Jae portrayed the prosecutor Jo Min Ho expressed that he feels a bit sad that it is time to say goodbye to the drama. He shared that he felt happy to be able to create an awesome project with good people. He wished that the actors and staff of the drama that he has worked with will stay healthy. Lee Sung Jae ended by giving thanks to all the viewers of the drama who stayed around until the end. The person in charge of the drama's humor having the role of the kind chief prosecutor Hong Jong Hak was played by Kim Kwang Gyu expressed that he is sincerely grateful to director Lee Tae Gon who helped and lead them so well that the set of the show was overflowing with the sound of refreshing laughter all the time. He said that he is also grateful for the hard work of the warmhearted actors and staff. Kim Kwang Gyu also shared his hopes to return with another season while giving thanks to the viewers. Oh Yoon Jin, a prosecutor and working mom expertly portrayed by Lee Sang Hee shared her farewell message that she met amazing people and was so happy while filming that she cannot express it in words. She added to share her affection for the drama by calling it an amazingly enjoyable experience and thanked all the people she worked with. And lastly, Jeon Sung Woo, who was the youngest of the cast and played the role of the youngest prosecutor Kim Jung Woo expressed, that in the six months he has worked with good people in an enjoyable and comfortable filming set with a family-like atmosphere. He will always remember the happy filming atmosphere and thinks that it will give his heart strength in the future. He also ended his statement by thanking the who've watched until the end. New Delhi, Feb 11 : A Court of Inquiry has been initiated against a retired Indian Army Colonel after two soldiers wrote to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh that while serving, the Colonel allegedly had sex with a civilian female employee inside his office. The soldiers from infantry battalion in the complaint had stated that they had made a video clip of the incident after they were victimized by the officer. Sources said the Colonel was stationed in Abohar in Punjab when the incident took place. He has retired now. The soldiers of 25 Rajputana Rifles wrote to the Defence Minister that they were being victimised for having exposed the deeds of the Colonel. They alleged in their complaint that they made the video in order to teach the Colonel a lesson as he used to mistreat them. The Colonel, since retired, but will still face the inquiry under the Army rules and regulations. The Indian Army also stated that during the inquiry, it will also be probed whether the soldiers alleged tried to blackmail the Colonel. 1.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard The deeper we fall into the hell of Donald Trumps presidency, the harder it is to keep hope alive. Ive been trying to channel my mother for answers and I dont believe in channeling. So it comes as no surprise to me at all that a Quinnipac poll shows Joe Biden lost 22% of his support among black voters, with Michael Bloomberg as the chief beneficiary, with a gain of 15% support among black voters. Of course, Amy Klobuchar is having a moment among more conservative-minded Democrats. The top two contenders are Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, with Elizabeth Warren losing ground. America is divided, which was the whole point of Putins interference to help Donald Trump. Anyone who saw Trumps announcement in 2016 knew that unity is not his thing. I doubt Trump read Machiavellis The Prince, but you dont need to be formally educated in divisiveness to know how to divide people. Just as you dont need to know what fascism is to be a fascist. From a selfish perspective, I found some comfort in that poll. Unlike back in 2016, there is a quantifiable measure of divisions among Trumps opposition. We could not see then the unquantified things that allowed him to prevail. Today we can see the divisions, but we also see they can shift. We also see that some shifts matter more than others, such as the shift black voters support. And until now, even admitting to being afraid was something I never did in public because it looks weak. But there it is. Im terrified of Trump getting a second term, because America wont survive it. It wont survive the Trump familys lavish spending, their even more lavish gifts to their friends in the maga swamp and the structural damage to the aspects of the economy that affect people who work for a living. America wont survive the divisiveness. Trump is feeding his most dedicated loyalists with rhetoric so toxic that they will turn on a conservative Republican like John Bolton the second Trump issues the order. The poisonous mix of fake news from Russia and bullying tactics by a faction in the Bernie camp is a dictators sweet spot. It can only further complicate an environment that can be deadly to democracy. I fear that American wont survive the corruption of justice, corruption that is reminiscent of the Soviet Union. Rudy is gathering evidence, meaning manufactured information on the Bidens, because Trumps idea of campaigning is criminalizing opponents and opposition in general. That may be something he learned from Putin, Melania or someone else. While Nancy Pelosis House of Representatives continues to fight for oversight by co-equal branches of government, Moscow Mitch continues to play Grim Reaper. Over four hundred bills continue to languish while Senators confirm unqualified people to the courts in a process that looks more like speed dating than actual confirmation. And just a reminder, this is what McConnell had in mind when he refused to consider Obama nominees to the bench and, for that matter, in diplomacy too. He was keeping these positions open for a bunch of party hacks. No other reason. While Im white, Im still a Jewish immigrant who has been critical of Donald Trump since the day he arrived on the scene. So I can relate to the willingness to give up things in the name of getting rid of Donald Trump and the Republicans who enabled him. And while were at it, yes, I support Nancy Pelosi. She, even more than Chuck Schumer, has shown a capacity to manage Trump and get under his skin unlike anyone else. Shes to Trump what Hillary Clinton was the Vladimir Putin. Of all times in American history, we need a Speaker who understands that preserving the good about the old rules means defeating Trump under existing rules we dont like. But she should also know how to employ new rules. We saw Speaker Pelosi using a new rule when she tore up Trumps speech. Sure, we heard about how somehow it was undignified for the Speaker to tear up the speech, this from a man who turned the State of the Union Address into a spoof of its former dignified self. But come on, she spoke for every one of us without saying a word. Yes, it broke existing protocol, but then so did Trumps invitation to foreign adversaries to interfere in our elections. Honestly, I have to say that the Speaker tearing up that speech was the smaller faux pas. We need a candidate who can defeat Trump, and we will have to sacrifice something to do it. But that doesnt mean we have to sacrifice whats left of our increasingly fragile democracy. It means that even if Bloomberg and Steyer dont need a foreign adversary to buy their way into the office, we need to make sure we arent jumping from a deep fryer to a boiling pot. Bloomberg, especially, opted to use his money to meet financial requirements while skipping interacting with voters. Hell have to show his hand in a debate. Can Bloomberg himself take Trump on in an unrehearsed setting? If so, does he understand that being accountable to himself alone is not good enough? We already have that. The other candidates have to look at themselves and their policies to figure out whats missing. What is it about them that has yet to win the confidence of people who have the biggest stake in making Donald Trump a one-term president? The candidate Democrats choose will carry an incomprehensible burden of responsibility to Americans, the nations of the world, and to the sustainability of the planet itself. They wont be able to do everything within five minutes or even five months of getting into office because, thanks to Trump and the Republicans, our institutions are damaged, as are relationships that affect our national security. We may need to sacrifice getting the candidate we love to get the one who can beat Trump, even if its in the eyes of Americans who think and vote differently than we do. Just barely winning isnt enough. This election has to be a resounding defeat of Trump, his Republican party, and the authoritarian corporate socialism they represent. When we show up, we do win. Voters showed that even when Republicans found new ways to damage the structures of our election system and just plain cheat. The people who are Americas heart and soul still won in 2008, 2012, and 2018. We can do it again. In the name of saving America democracy, we may have to reunite with compromise. Otherwise, we will have to live with the consequences. Just because marijuana is legal in many states doesn't mean many residents can grow it in their backyards or even smoke up in their homes. Buzzkill. Homeowners associations often place restrictions on marijuana, such as barring homeowners from smoking in common areasor even growing cannabis in their own backyards in some cases, according to a recent report from the National Association of Realtors. The report is based on a September survey of nearly 3,700 residential and commercial Realtors across the country. "Landlords and HOAs are having to think about how marijuana is both used and grown within a home," says Jessica Lautz, vice president of research at NAR. "[Even though] it's legal, you might run into issues. ... You may have restrictions on your ability to use marijuana in your home or in common areas." Marijuana has been approved for medical use in 33 states and Washington, DC. Of those, 11 states and the District of Columbia also permit recreational use. However, marijuana remains illegal under federal law, which categorizes it as a Schedule 1 drug. Is marijuana giving the real estate market a high in states that permit it? In places where marijuana has been legal for three or more years, more than a third of Realtors, 36%, said that they're aware of HOAs having restrictions on homeowners growing the plant in their own (unfenced) backyards; 42% said HOAs have restrictions on growing it in common areas; and 25% said HOAs have restrictions on it being grown inside the home. The states that legalized cannabis early on are also experiencing a shortage of inventory, which about a quarter of Realtors attribute in part to the more permissive laws. Out-of-state buyers began moving to Colorado when the first recreational pot dispensaries opened in the state in 2014. The state has also been attracting folks thanks to its strong economy, growing tech sector, and outdoorsy lifestyle. "We saw a huge growth in marijuana properties," says real estate agent Rona Hanson of NRG Realty in Lakewood, CO. She specializes in the sale of properties where folks can live as well as plant cannabis. "People wanted to home-grow separate from the house, or in the basement where they could filter the air so it didnt reach up to the living area, says Hanson. But since the state laws have changed limiting the number of plants folks can grow, she's had more sellers trying to unload their properties than interest from buyers. It can also be tough to sell a "grow house," where cannabis has been cultivated. About a quarter of real estate agents reported having problems finding buyers. "The smell and moisture can sometimes remain in the property," says Lautz. There can also be electrical wiring problems that are costly to fix. It's harder to tell what it's done for home prices. In states where folks have been allowed to blaze for fun since 2016, 27% of Realtors reported they had seen a decrease in residential property values near dispensaries. But 12% said they had seen the value of such properties increase. In states where weed was legalized before 2016, 18% of Realtors reported a decline in home prices, whereas 7% reported an increase. Landlords may be a buzzkill Renters involved in the marijuana industry also face problems. About half of Realtors reported seeing lease clauses prohibiting tenants from growing marijuana on their rental properties in states where legal and recreational marijuana was legalized before 2016. In states that have legalized weed since 2016, only a quarter of Realtors reported the same restrictions. Nearly a fifth of landlords refused to let their tenants pay their rent all in cash. Because of its contested legal status, the marijuana industry is primarily cash-basedso many banks won't accept money from the business. Tenants who derive their income from marijuana are likely to want to use that cash to pay their bills. Its a little too early to tell if theres a universal decision on whether its good or bad for real estate," says NAR's Lautz. "Theres no doubt its causing some complications. The post Is Legal Marijuana Getting Local Real Estate Markets Highor Is It a Buzzkill? appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. Technavio has been monitoring the low-voltage MOSFET market and it is poised to grow by USD 892.58 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005690/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global low-voltage MOSFET market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Increased investments in data centers has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, complexity of technological transitions might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Low-voltage MOSFET Market is segmented as below: Type 41-150 V MOSFET 0-40 V MOSFET Geographic segmentation APAC EMEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30724 Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our low-voltage MOSFET market report covers the following areas: Low-voltage MOSFET Market Size Low-voltage MOSFET Market Trends Low-voltage MOSFET Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing investment in smart city projects as one of the prime reasons driving the low-voltage MOSFET market growth during the next few years. Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the low-voltage MOSFET market, including some of the vendors such as Infineon Technologies, ON Semiconductor, Renesas Electronics, STMicroelectronics and TOSHIBA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the low-voltage MOSFET market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist low-voltage MOSFET market growth during the next five years Estimation of the low-voltage MOSFET market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the low-voltage MOSFET market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of low-voltage MOSFET market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005690/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ On behalf of former director of the National Security Service of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan, his lawyers have submitted a statement of claim to the first instance court of general jurisdiction of Yerevan against DARESKIZB LLC (Armenian Times newspaper) with the claim to publicly refute the information that, according the plaintiff, is defamatory information published in the article entitled Do I have honor or not? and posted on www.armtimes.com on January 12, 2020, remove the published article and oblige publication of the text of refutation, as well as the claim for compensation for non-material damage caused to honor and dignity, as reported Vanetsyans lawyer Lusine Sahakyan. The statement of claim also states a claim for compensation for non-material damage in the amount of AMD 2,000,000 (two million) and, in case the court satisfies the claim, all the funds of the compensation for non-material damage will be geared towards charity. Armenian Times newspaper had published an article that was entitled Do I have honor or not? Mishik, Artur, Arik and stated that Armenian Times newspaper has facts that a campaign is being held against Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyans wife and daughter, Mariam Pashinyan and that the media outlets implementing the campaign are under the guidance of former director of the National Security Service Artur Vanetsyan. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hold a meeting at UN Headquarters in New York on Sept. 24, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Trump to Visit India in Late Febuary President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit India on Feb. 24-25, the White House announced Monday. The President and The First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modis home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhis life and leadership of the Indian independence movement, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement. During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip will further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, she added. The trip would mark Trumps first visit to India as the president. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House in Washington on Aug. 24, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) The White House notice of Trumps visit comes just after the U.S. Department of State on Monday said it approved a possible sale of military equipment to Indiaan Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) for an estimated cost of $1.867 billion. A release from the U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency noted that the proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defensive partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region. India intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces, and to expand its existing air defense architecture to counter threats posed by air attack, the U.S. statement continued. This will contribute to Indias military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between India, the U.S., and other allies. India will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces. Reuters reported on Monday, citing unnamed defense and industry sources, that India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion sale for military helicopters from U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin. The Epoch Times reported in November that the U.S.-India strategic defense partnership entered a new phase with both countries engaging in joint training events to enhance military relations and build up skills in disaster response. Kashish Parpiani, a Research Fellow with Observer Research Foundation in Mumbai, India, told The Epoch Times at the time that Indias Modi government placed special emphasis on formal agreements with the U.S.that mostly pertain to geospatial mapping and communications. Experts say these and the wider military cooperation between the two nations is of significance due to a U.S.-India geopolitical alliance vis-a-vis China. The State Department in early November 2019 released a report (pdf) on how it is working with allies and partners to implement a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and specifically mentioned in its report that the U.S. strategic partnership with India is strengthening. In the report, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that free, fair, and reciprocal trade, open investment environments, good governance, and freedom of the seas are goals shared by all who wish to prosper in a free and open future. He referred to India as the United Statess strategic partner. We are increasing the tempo and scope of our work with allies, partners, and regional institutions such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN); the Mekong states; the Pacific Islands countries, and our strategic partner India, to address shared challenges and advance a shared vision, Pompeo said. President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend Howdy, Modi! at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2019. (Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images) Earlier in September 2019, Modi visited the United States and attended a rally event joined by Trump at the NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas. Tens of thousands of Indian Americans also attended the event, dubbed Howdy, Modi,a massive show of support between the two leaders and nations. Today, we are witnessing a new history and a new chemistry in the making, Modi told the crowd at the time. Energy of NRG is a witness of synergy between India and the U.S. You have never had a better friend as president than President Donald Trump, Trump said at the event. Under PM Modis leadership, the world is witnessing a strong, sovereign republic of India. Venus Upadhayaya and Bowen Xiao contributed to this report. Havent gotten your flu shot yet? Then consider this: About 10,000 Texans die each year from influenza-related causes. So far, in the 2019-2020 flu season, the virus has led to the deaths of 15 children in our state. Nationwide, over the past four months, there have been about 20 million flu cases, 180,000 hospitalizations and 10,000 deaths from the flu, according to preliminary data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Sixty-eight of those who died were children. Thats not cause for panic, but it is ample reason to take sensible precautions to guard against influenza. We shouldnt let concerns about novel coronavirus, which began in China and has spread to 27 other countries, including the U.S., overshadow the dangers posed by the flu. We have to keep things in our perspective, Dr. Peter Hotez, dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and co-director of the Texas Childrens Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, told the editorial board. We have a real killer in our midst. Its influenza. While coronavirus has claimed more than 900 lives worldwide since China first reported an outbreak on Dec. 31, an estimated 61,200 died from flu-related illnesses in the 2018-2019 season. Already this year, several Texas school districts have had to cancel classes after an increase in flu-related absences. A CDC map of flu activity shows a bright-red swath the highest level of influenzalike illness across most of the country. That includes Texas, which has been hard-hit this year, especially in the northern parts of the state. Want to protect yourself from the flu? Heres what you need to know: 1. Flu vaccines can't give you the flu. The flu shot is made with dead viruses and a nasal spray vaccine uses weakened viruses that can't infect the lungs. 2. Flu vaccine can save the lives of children. A 2017 CDC study found that they reduced the risk of flu-associated death by half in children with high-risk medical conditions and by almost two-thirds in healthy children. 3. People over age 65 have a higher risk of flu-related illness and death, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That group accounts for 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. See More Collapse If there is an immediate concern about the prevailing infectious disease of the day in our community, it is influenza, Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, told the editorial board. Thats why we urge Harris County residents to take steps to reduce chances of getting the flu. By now, we should all know the drill: Wash our hands frequently. Cover our face with an elbow when we cough or sneeze. Limit our contact with other people if we do get sick. Most importantly, get a flu shot. Shah likens it to wearing a seat belt. That doesnt completely eliminate the risk of being in an accident, but it does reduce the likelihood of serious injury. Getting a vaccine doesnt completely take away the chance of getting the flu, but it does lower our risk. Thats important not only for our health, but to protect those in at-risk groups such as children, the elderly and anyone with a suppressed immune system. Meanwhile, vigilance, not fear, is the watchword for the coronavirus. The same practices that minimize the risk of getting the flu covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, for instance will help reduce the already tiny chances of contracting the new virus, too. Shah and other public health officials are monitoring the spread of the new respiratory illness, but he stressed that the threat to Texans is low. At last count, there were 12 confirmed cases in the U.S. So far there have been no cases in Texas. We do not have novel coronavirus in our community. So you can go to Chinatown, Shah said. You can be around children at school who are Chinese American or of Chinese descent. You can go to work with somebody who is Asian American. Theres no reason for alarm and no cause to avoid or stigmatize the Asian community. When we give in to fear, it can make such stigmatization easier, but its still wrong. Helpfully, Harris County Health is posting updates about coronavirus and information about flu prevention on its website at www.hcphtx.org COV. Thats a good place to start. Arming ourselves with facts will keep our whole community healthier. So will getting a flu shot. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Students from Southern California will have an opportunity this week to talk with NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station. The Earth-to-space call will air live at 1:20 p.m. EST Thursday, Feb. 13, on NASA Television and the agency's website. NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Andrew Morgan will answer questions from students from Rancho Verde Elementary School in Apple Valley. The school plans to inspire students in the California high desert to take an interest in high-tech careers through the live conversation with the astronauts and accompanying education activities. The event will take place at Granite Hills High School, 22900 Esaws Road, Apple Valley. Media interested in covering should contact Zoee Widener at [email protected] or 760-247-8001 x20021. Linking students directly to astronauts aboard the space station provides unique, authentic experiences designed to enhance student learning, performance and interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). Astronauts living in space on the orbiting laboratory communicate with NASA's Mission Control Center in Houston 24 hours a day through the Space Network's Tracking and Data Relay Satellites (TDRS). For nearly 20 years, astronauts have continuously lived and work on the space station, testing technologies, performing science and developing the skills needed to explore farther from Earth. Through NASA's Artemis program, the agency will send astronauts to the Moon by 2024, with eventual human exploration of Mars. Inspiring the next generation of explorers the Artemis Generation ensures America will continue to lead in space exploration and discovery. Follow America's Moon to Mars exploration at: https://www.nasa.gov/topics/moon-to-mars Follow NASA astronauts on social media at: https://www.twitter.com/NASA_astronauts See videos and lesson plans highlighting research on the International Space Station at: https://www.nasa.gov/stemonstation SOURCE NASA Related Links http://www.nasa.gov The first float was sponsored by Moutai Group. A giant bottle of Moutai and colorful balloons on the float sparkled with the flashes of the parade-watchers' cameras. On the float, a banner reading "Stay Strong, Wuhan" sent well wishes to the people of Wuhan, China, which is currently battling a novel coronavirus epidemic. The banner represented the wishes of Chinese people all over the world. In featuring this message on their float, Moutai Group expressed the sincerity of their feelings for the people of Wuhan, as well as their dedication to help. As the first thing anyone would see in the parade, this float's important message could not be missed. The Year of the Rat officially kicked off last month. However, this year's lunar new year was more challenging than usual. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia is being addressed by the efforts of all of China. "Actually, I am not that scared of Coronavirus. It is just one of many things we deal with globally," a woman in the parade said. A young girl in the parade expressed her wishes to Chinese people: "I'm sorry that people are going through that. Stay strong, it'll pass. Be strong Wuhan. Be strong China!" Chinese Consul General in New York Huang Ping, Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez, State Senator Brian Kavanagh, Mayor of New York City Bill de Blasio, Lieutenant Governor of New York Kathy Hochul, and others attended the event, where they extended their best wishes to the public. SOURCE Moutai Group James Marsden was based in Australia for a year while filming Superman Returns. And the American actor, 46, has now revealed his favourite local haunt during his months living in Sydney in 2005 and 2006. He lived in Paddington and his pub of choice was the Royal Hotel on Glenmore Road. Scroll down for video 'I lived nearby': Hollywood actor James Marsden has revealed his favourite local haunt during his months living in Sydney in 2005 and 2006 James spoke about his memories of Sydney while promoting his latest film, Sonic the Hedgehog, with his co-star Ben Schwartz. Radio presenter Ryan Fitzgerald joked: 'The last time you were in Sydney, the Royal Hotel in Paddington [had a] photo up of James that said, "Do not serve this man."' His co-host, Michael Wipfli, added: '[There are] rumours of you arriving in Sydney and effectively moving into the pub.' Drinking with the stars! James lived in Paddington while filming Superman Returns and his favourite pub was the Royal Hotel on Glenmore Road 'I guess I did [like the Royal], I don't really remember it... oh yes, the Royal! I lived nearby,' the Hollywood star replied. James lived in a converted loft in the old Royal Hospital for Women, and would frequently wander down to the pub for a drink. In May 2018, James spoke to The Daily Telegraph about living in Sydney for 11 months while filming Superman Returns. Nostalgic: James lived in a converted loft in the old Royal Hospital for Women, and would frequently wander down to the pub for a drink At the time, he said he would visit Bondi or Tamarama or ride a seaplane out of Rose Bay when he wasn't spending time in Paddington. 'One thing I didn't get to do that I regret is going up to Byron Bay,' he added. Sonic the Hedgehog is released to Australian cinemas on February 14 BEIRUT Rebels shot down a Syrian military helicopter in northern Syria on Tuesday, killing its crew members in a fiery crash, while the government kept up its relentless bombing campaign on the opposition-held region, with an air strike in which seven civilians died, activists and news reports said. The violence in Idlib province came as government troops moved closer to capturing the last rebel-controlled section of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria, which would bring the road under the full control of President Bashar Assads forces for the first time since 2012. With support from Russia and Iran, Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in Idlib and parts of nearby Aleppo provinces, unleashing a humanitarian crisis with 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border. Nearly a quarter of the 3 million people in Idlib and nearby areas have fled. Terrified families piled onto trucks and other vehicles, clogging muddy rural roads in yet another harrowing exodus in the conflict, now in its ninth year. Hundreds of civilians have died in the latest fighting, according to the United Nations. The Syrian helicopter gunship was shot down by insurgents amid fighting near the village of Nairab as rebels, backed by Turkish artillery, tried to retake it after losing it last week, according to opposition activists. Associated Press video showed the helicopter spiraling from the sky and breaking up as fire poured from its fuselage, just before it crashed. Two bodies could be seen on the ground. Turkeys official Anadolu news agency reported that the pilot and two others aboard were killed, while opposition activists reported that only two crew members were on board. Hours later, a Syrian air strike hit the city of Idlib, the provincial capital, killing seven people and wounding nearly two dozen, according to the Syrian Civil Defense, also known as White Helmets. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the air strike killed 12 civilians, half of them children, and wounded about 30. Opposition activists said the airstrike on Idlib, home to about 800,000 people, was carried out in response to the downing of the helicopter. The fighting recently escalated with two separate clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops, killing 13 on each side, including five Turkish soldiers who were killed Monday. Turkey, a main backer of the rebels, has rolled armored vehicles into Idlib, apparently to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. The country is home to some 3.6 million Syrian refugees and is concerned about more streaming in. Bassem Mroue and Suzan Fraser are Associated Press writers. Law Offices of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP If you would like to know more about the Penske Truck Leasing Co., lawsuit, please contact Attorney Nicholas J. De Blouw today by calling (800) 568-8020. The Los Angeles employment law lawyers at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that Penske Truck Leasing Co., failed to provide their California employees with meal and rest periods as required by California law. Penske Truck Leasing Co., class action lawsuit, Case No. 20STCV04055, is currently pending in the Los Angeles Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here. According to the lawsuit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Penske Truck Leasing Co., alleges the company (a) failed to provide PLAINTIFF accurate itemized wage statements, (b) failed to properly record and provide legally required meal and rest periods, (c) failed to pay overtime wages, (d) failed to pay minimum wages, (e) failed to reimburse employees for required expenses, and (f) failed to pay wages when due, all in violation of the applicable Labor Code sections listed in Labor Code Sections 201, 202, 203, 204, 210, 226(a), 226.7, 510, 512, 1194, 1197, 1197.1, 1198, 2802, and the applicable Wage Order(s), and thereby gives rise to civil penalties as a result of such alleged conduct. Additionally, the complaint further alleges Penske Truck Leasing Co., committed acts of unfair competition in violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code 17200, et seq. (the UCL), by engaging in a company-wide policy and procedure which failed to accurately calculate and record all missed meal and rest periods by PLAINTIFFS and other CALIFORNIA CLASS Members. As a result of DEFENDANTs intentional disregard of the obligation to meet this burden, DEFENDANT allegedly failed to properly calculate and/or pay all required compensation for work performed by the members of the CALIFORNIA CLASS and violated the California Labor Code. If you would like to know more about the Penske Truck Leasing Co., lawsuit, please contact Attorney Nicholas J. De Blouw today by calling (800) 568-8020. Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today. ***THIS IS AN ATTORNEY ADVERTISEMENT*** This blog covers software patent news and issues with a particular focus on wireless, mobile devices (smartphones, tablet computers, connected cars) as well as select antitrust matters surrounding those devices. 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. Former President of Kenya, Arap Moi, remains one of the foremost leaders of decolonisation of Africa and a founding father of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), according to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Mr Osinbajo, who represented President Muhammadu Buhari today at the State Funeral for the late Arap Moi at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, Kenya, was among leaders who delivered tributes in honour of the departed African leader. According to him, many of us in Africa will remember him in particular for the pioneering work that he did especially with respect to regional cooperation. He was, as we have heard, very instrumental in the resuscitation of the East African Community along with President Museveni and others. He was also very instrumental in COMESA and even the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, IGAD. IGAD is the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, an eight-country trade bloc in the Continent, composed of countries on the Horn of Africa and the Nile Valley, including Kenya. Mr Osinbajo also said via a press release sent in Monday evening that, these are the precursors of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement arrangements we are making today and to which almost every African country has subscribed. And it will define the future of trade and relations in Africa. Thanking God for the life of the former president, Mr Osinbajo added: we believe that the Almighty God whom he served through his life has already received him even now. Meanwhile, the host president, Uhuru Kenyatta, in his remarks regarded the former President Moi as a peacebuilder, an educationist and nationalist. He said Mr Moi worked with his father, Jomo Kenyatta, to ensure the socio-political and economic development of Kenya. Other leaders who paid glowing tributes to the late former President, included Presidents Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, among others. The late Moi was the second and longest-serving President of Kenya, from 1978 to 2002. He died on February 4 at the age of 95. Mundka Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Mundka constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election, Mundka profile: Dharampal Lakra of the AAP defeated BJP's Azad Singh by over 19,00 votes. Earlier in the day, Singh was leading by over 1,000 votes. The seat was held by Sukhvir Singh of AAP in the outgoing Assembly. Mundka, which is situated on the outskirts of the city, has a large number of voters with farming background, compared to other parts of the Union Territory. In the 2015 Assembly polls, the constituency recorded a polling percentage of 63 percent, with 1.61 lakh out of the 2.61 lakh voters exercising their franchise. The AAP replaced its sitting MLA Sukhbir Singh Dalal with Dharampal Lakra for the election, while the Congressfielded Dr Naresh Kumar. The BJP fielded Azad Singh, the brother of former Delhi chief minister Sahib Singh Verma and the uncle of Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma, the BJP MP from West Delhi. Mundka went to polls on 8 February. Constituency Name: Mundka Constituency Number: 8 District Name: North West Delhi Total Electors: 2,61,341 Female Electors: 1,18,872 Male Electors: 1,42,441 Third Gender: 28 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The constituency was created in 2008. In the election that year, Manoj Kumar of the BJP won the seat. In the 2013 polls, Rambir Shokeen, an Independent, won the seat. In the AAP wave of 2015, Sukhbir Singh Dalal won the seat. Demographics: It is a rural constituency comprising of several villages, unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters. Some of the villages include Tatesar, Jaunti, Ladpur, Kanjhawla, Nizampur Rashidpur, Karala, Mohd. Pur Majri, Madanpur Dabas, Rasulpur, Hiran Kudna. Brahmins and Jats are an important part of the electorate. It has a sizeable number of Muslims. In fact, there were reports suggesting that BJPs Haryana ally, JJP, had an eye on this seat owing to its Jat vote bank. Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa offered prayers at the famous Lord Venkateswara temple at nearby Tirumala on Tuesday and left for Colombo, winding up his five-day tour of India. Rajapaksa, who stayed at the heavily guarded TTD Guest House on the hills overnight after his arrival on Monday evening, came to the over 2,000-year old shrine just before the crack of dawn and spent about an hour, officials said. Clad in the traditional attire of white shirt and silk dhoti, the 74-year old Lankan leader, an ardent devotee of Lord Venkateswara, was accorded a traditional reception by top authorities and conducted to the sanctum sanctorum, amid chanting of Vedic hymns by priests. Rajapaksa witnessed the weekly Ashtadala Paada Padmaradhana ritual, in which priests performed 'archana' to the idol of the presiding deity Lord Venkateswara using 108 golden lotuses, a temple official told PTI. The visiting leader was presented a sacred silk cloth, a holy memento and sacred prasadam by the temple officials. He had arrived on the hills on Monday by road from Renigunta airport, about 20 kms from here. After a brief halt in the guest house on his return from the temple, Rajapaksa left for Colombo from Renigunta. This is Rajapaksa's maiden visit to the temple as Prime Minister. He had visited the shrine and paid his obeisance to Lord Venkateswara on several occasions in the past as the island nation's President and also after demitting the high office, officials said. Rajapaksa, who arrived in India on Friday on his first overseas tour after being appointed as Sri Lankan prime minister in November last year, had visited Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya after his engagements in New Delhi. On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had held talks with Rajapaksa, elder brother of Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, covering the entire expanse of bilateral ties between the two countries including in areas of defence and security. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Nigerian presidency said via social media on Monday that it is calling for a delay in the Eco, the West African single currency that is set to be unveiled this year. "Nigeria's position on the Eco is that the convergence criteria (between states) have not been met by the majority of countries" which will adopt this common currency, said the Nigerian presidency on its Twitter account. "There therefore has to be an extension of time on the take-off of the single currency, according to the tweet. Nigeria has its own currency, the Naira. The Eco single currency remains highly controversial, as after more than 25 meetings on the subject, the 15 member countries of the Community of West African States (ECOWAS), an agreement was finalized in December that it would be launched in 2020. Eight of the 15 ECOWAS countries use the CFA franc, but were looking to cut financial ties to France, their former colonial power. France currently hosts half of these countries foreign exchange reserves. Many were surprised when Cote dIvoires President Alassane Ouattara made the announcement while meeting with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron. Nigeria, a member of ECOWAS, and other Anglophone West African countries said they were not in agreement, as the Eco did not meet the requirements adopted in the region to set up the single currency. Thank you for reading! Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a subscription to continue reading. By the time they reach menopause - which officially begins one year after a woman's last period -; many women think they have their lives figured out. Careers are well established; children are grown and independent; and there's more time for leisure and self-care. Yet many women in their 40s and 50s are surprised to suddenly notice changes on their skin, including acne and age spots. Fortunately, dermatologists from the American Academy of Dermatology say that while many of these changes are inevitable due to hormones, there is a lot women can do at home to lessen these effects. Although fluctuating hormones during menopause can result in a number of skin changes, these don't need to be disruptive to daily life. With the right care, women can continue to have healthy, blemish-free skin during midlife and beyond." Diane S. Berson, MD, FAAD, board-certified dermatologist To care for your skin during menopause, Dr. Berson recommends the following tips: Soothe dry skin: During menopause, estrogen levels decrease, leading to changes on the skin such as dryness and itching. This can be especially noticeable when the air is dry. To help prevent dryness, wash your skin with a mild cleanser, as regular soap may be too drying. After bathing or showering and throughout the day, apply a moisturizer with hyaluronic acid or glycerin. Don't forget to apply the moisturizer to your jawline and neck. Relieve itch: To help soothe itchy skin, apply a cool, wet compress. To make a cool compress, soak a clean towel or washcloth in cool water and wring it out until damp. Apply it to the skin that itches. After removing it, apply moisturizer. You can also relieve itchy skin by taking a colloidal oatmeal bath. This soothing product is available in most drug and beauty stores. When bathing, make sure to use warm, not hot water, and pat your skin dry -; instead of rubbing -; to avoid further irritation. Treat and prevent acne: Due to fluctuating hormones, some women develop acne during menopause. If you have acne, wash your skin with a cleanser containing benzoyl peroxide. However, if the cleanser dries out your skin, stop using it and opt for a mild cleanser instead. You can also consider applying a product containing adapalene to prevent breakouts. Always be gentle with your skin. Avoid vigorously scrubbing your skin or picking and squeezing at acne, as this can lead to scarring. In addition, avoid acne products that dry out your skin, as this can worsen acne. If these tips don't work, see a board-certified dermatologist, who can prescribe treatments for post-menopausal acne. Treat and prevent age spots: If you've spent ample time in the sun without sun protection, you may see the effects now. Age spots and larger areas of darker skin can appear on your face, hands, neck, arms or chest. Skin cancer and pre-cancerous growths can also become more common. To prevent age spots, protect your skin from the sun. Before going outdoors, apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher to all skin not covered by clothing. This can help fade age spots, prevent new spots from forming and reduce your risk of skin cancer. Remember to take other sun-protective measures as well, including seeking shade and wearing protective clothing, such as a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. If the appearance of age spots bothers you, there are many products available that may help lighten the spots. Many fade creams and lotions are available without a prescription and may help improve the appearance of age spots, depending on how dark the spots are. Look for products that contain hydroquinone, glycolic acid or kojic acid. Apply these products daily for two months. Your dermatologist can also prescribe creams and lotions to help with age spots and perform in-office procedures, such as peels or lasers, to further fade the pigmentation. "Remember, since skin cancer can sometimes look like an age spot, and since your risk of skin cancer increases with age, it's important to perform regular skin self-exams during menopause," says Dr. Berson. "Doing so can help you detect skin cancer early, when it is most treatable. If you notice any new spots on your skin, spots that are different from others, or spots that are changing, itching or bleeding, make an appointment to see a board-certified dermatologist." These tips are demonstrated in "How to Care for Your Skin During Menopause," a video posted to the AAD website and YouTube channel. This video is part of the AAD's "Video of the Month" series, which offers tips people can use to properly care for their skin, hair and nails. In the last week, Romney has been on the receiving end of a presidential tirade and an onslaught of criticism from the presidents son, White House officials and some conservatives. Romneys niece, Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, declined to defend him, saying she disagreed with his decision. On Thursday Trump complained that Romney used his Mormon faith as a crutch in guiding his vote to convict and on Monday, during a meeting with the governors, Trump again blasted Romney. Company plans to file a Normal Course Issuer Bid (NCIB) and purchase up to approximately 1% of common shares TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - The Board of Directors of TMX Group Limited today declared a dividend of $0.66 on each common share outstanding, payable on March 13, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2020. TMX Group hereby advises that this dividend is designated as an "eligible dividend" for Canadian income tax purposes. The Board of Directors also approved a plan to repurchase up to 560,000 of our common shares issued and outstanding by way of an NCIB, subject to regulatory approval. These common shares represent approximately 1% of our common shares outstanding as of February 7, 2020. "The share buyback speaks to the high level of confidence we have in our strategy and ability to deliver solid operating results. Returning capital to shareholders by way of an NCIB will also offset the impact of dilution created by the exercise of share options," said John McKenzie, Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer of TMX Group. The company plans to make its filing for an NCIB with Toronto Stock Exchange during the first quarter of 2020. For the results of the quarter ended December 31, 2019 for TMX Group, please click on the following link: http://www.tmx.com/investor-relations/. Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information Certain statements in this press release constitute "forward-looking information" as defined in applicable Canadian securities legislation, which are not historical facts but are based on certain assumptions and reflect TMX Group's current expectations. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations. We have no intention to update this forward-looking information, except as required by applicable securities law. This forward-looking information should not be relied on as expressing our views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. Please see "Risks and Uncertainties" in the 2019 Management's Discussion and Analysis of TMX Group for some of the risk factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from current expectations. About TMX Group (TSX-X) TMX Group operates global markets, and builds digital communities and analytic solutions that facilitate the funding, growth and success of businesses, traders and investors. TMX Group's key operations include Toronto Stock Exchange , TSX Venture Exchange , TSX Alpha Exchange , The Canadian Depository for Securities , Montreal Exchange , Canadian Derivatives Clearing Corporation , and Trayport which provide listing markets, trading markets, clearing facilities, depository services, technology solutions, data products and other services to the global financial community. TMX Group is headquartered in Toronto and operates offices across North America (Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and New York), as well as in key international markets including London and Singapore. For more information about TMX Group, visit our website at www.tmx.com . Follow TMX Group on Twitter: @TMXGroup . SOURCE TMX Group Limited STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- New Yorks top crime-fighting canine unit has welcomed five new members. On Friday, five canine and officer teams graduated from the MTA Police Departments (MTA PD) explosives detection and anti-terrorism training, making the dogs official officers of the MTA PD. With the new additions, MTA PD now employs approximately 50 canine officers, making it one of the largest canine explosives detection forces in the country. However, entry into these exclusive ranks is hard to come by, with only about 3% of canines tested graduating from the program. The MTA PD canine unit is crucial to our counter-terrorism efforts and keeping the public safe, said Acting MTA Chief of Police Joseph McGrann. Our canine officer teams maintain a watchful presence over the MTAs entire system every hour of every day, patrolling our stations, platforms, trains and parking lots. To complete the program, officers and canines underwent an extensive 12-week explosives detection course at the MTA PDs training center in Dutchess County, the only mass-transit-specific training center in the nation. The facilities feature various indoor and outdoor training areas, complete with buses, cars, trains and subway platforms to prepare the dogs for any situation they may face in the line of duty. Canines are typically a year-and-a-half old when they complete the MTA PDs training program and can serve for eight or nine years before retiring from the force. The following five officers and canines -- named in honor of fallen police officers, firefighters and members of the United States Armed Services -- were recognized at Fridays graduation ceremony: Police Officer Salvatore Surletti and Canine Goose, honoring FDNY Lieutenant & USAF Master Sgt. Christopher Raguso Police Officer Tommy Long and Canine JD, honoring NYPD ESU Police Officer John DAllara Police Officer Richard Denicker and Canine Chris, honoring NYPD Sergeant Christopher Christodoulou Police Officer Ashley Torres and Canine Artie, honoring Nassau County ESU Police Officer Arthur Lopez Police Officer Daniel Bradbury and Canine Joey, honoring FDNY Firefighter Joseph Henry TOP DOGS This past summer, MTA PDs Canine Unit was named the most well-trained in the state of New York after being awarded first place for overall department teams at the United States Police Canine Associations (USPCA) certification competition in Albany. The USPCA, the countrys oldest and largest police canine organization, is considered the most difficult canine certification to receive, with judges grading teams within 100th of a point. The canines compete in various categories, including obedience, agility, evidence search, suspect search and criminal apprehension. The obedience category, conducted without a leash, tests the dogs walking control and distance control, as well as obedience recall and ability to heel at different speeds. The agility category ensures the dogs are in proper shape to conduct their duties, including hurdles, catwalks, broad jumps and crawls. During the evidence search portion, canines and officers are given 30 seconds to identify, find and retrieve two specific items within a defined area. During the suspect search, canines are given four minutes to identify a suspect hidden within one of six boxes on an open floor. The criminal apprehension category places the canine and officer in a series of simulated scenarios in which they must apprehend a criminal. WASHINGTON (AP) The Justice Department will take the extraordinary step of lowering the recommended prison time for Roger Stone, an ally of President Donald Trump, a federal official said Tuesday, just hours after the president condemned the recommended sentence as very horrible and unfair. The official said there was no contact with the White House before the decision was made to lower the sentence recommendation. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision. The person would not say what the new recommendation would be. On Monday night, prosecutors had recommended Stone serve seven to nine years behind bars after being convicted of charges including lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. In a tweet early Tuesday, Trump said the case against Stone was a miscarriage of justice. It was not immediately clear what prompted the reversal. But it is exceedingly rare, particularly in a high-profile case like Stone's, for the Justice Department to reverse its own prosecutors on a sentencing recommendation. Normally, United States attorneys have wide latitude to recommend sentences on cases that they prosecuted. Sentencing decisions are ultimately up to the judge. The Justice Department plans to refile the recommendation later Tuesday. Stone was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Federal prosecutors also recently softened their sentencing position on former national security adviser Michael Flynn, saying that they would not oppose a probation of punishment after initially saying that he deserved up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI. The Flynn prosecution is also being handled by the U.S. Attorneys office in Washington. The White House referred questions about the decision to the Justice Department. In the sentencing memorandum filed Monday evening, prosecutors asked for Stone to serve between 87 and 108 months in federal prison a sentence they said was in line with federal guidelines. Such a sentence would send a message to deter others who might consider lying or obstructing a congressional probe or tampering with witnesses, they said. The prosecutors wrote in the court papers that Stones actions were not a one-off mistake in judgement and that he decided to double and triple down on his criminal conduct by tampering with a witness for months in order to make sure his obstruction would be successful. Stone has denied wrongdoing and consistently criticized the case against him as politically motivated. He did not take the stand during his trial and his lawyers did not call any witnesses in his defense. Witnesses in the case testified that Trumps campaign viewed Stone as an access point to the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks, which was in possession of more than 19,000 emails hacked from the servers of the Democratic National Committee and tried to use him to get advance word about hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. Prosecutors charged that Stone lied to Congress about his conversations about WikiLeaks with New York radio host Randy Credico who had scored an interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2016 and conservative writer and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. During the 2016 campaign, Stone mentioned in interviews and public appearances that he was in contact with Assange through a trusted intermediary and hinted at inside knowledge of WikiLeaks plans. But he started pressing Credico to broker a contact, and Credico testified that he told Stone to work through his own intermediary. Earlier testimony revealed that Stone, while appearing before the House Intelligence Committee, named Credico as his intermediary to Assange and pressured Credico not to contradict him. After Credico was contacted by Congress, he reached out to Stone, who told him he should stonewall it and plead the fifth, he testified. Credico also testified during Stones trial that Stone repeatedly told him to do a Frank Pentangeli, a reference to a character in The Godfather: Part II who lies before Congress. Prosecutors also charged that Stone had threatened Credicos therapy dog, Bianca, saying he was going to take that dog away from you. Illinois has one of the strictest biometric privacy laws in the nation. The 2008 law mandates that companies collecting such information obtain prior consent from consumers, detail how theyll use it and specify how long the information will be kept. The law also allows private citizens, rather than just governmental entities, to file lawsuits over the issue. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence made an unannounced stop at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware Monday night to attend the dignified transfer of two U.S. soldiers killed in Afghanistan over the weekend. Sgt. 1st Class Javier Gutierrez of San Antonio and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rodriguez of Las Cruces, New Mexico, were killed Saturday in an attack that occurred in Nangarhar Province. Both were 28 years old and assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group based at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The contest between AAP candidate from Patparganj Manish Sisodia and BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi was nothing short of a thriller which Sisodia finally emerging victorious with a margin of 3,000 votes on Tuesday. Sisodia, who is also Deputy Chief Minister, is seen as the key figure in Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's education and healthcare push in the national capital, was trailing after 10 rounds of counting earlier in the day. His victory has silenced those who questioned his decision to declare support for the Shaheen Bagh protesters in the face of a polarizing campaign by the BJP. Since morning, Sisodia sat silently at a counting booth in his assembly constituency calculating the results from different booths. However, post 11th round of counting, he kept on increasing the lead over his rival. "It is the victory of education," said Sisodia after he was declared winner, waving to his supporters with the victory sign. As he came out of the counting centre, he enthusiastically stood atop a vehicle with the party flag and waved it. Then along with party workers, he held a small road show in the area thanking the voters of Delhi. The AAP, which had won 67 out of 70 seats in the 2015 assembly polls, pulled another historic victory in Delhi. According to the Election Commission, the AAP has already won five seats Aand is leading in 58 seats. The BJP has so far won one seat and is leading in six others in the national capital. The Congress has once again drawn a blank. GREENWICH Testing is underway to determine what caused raccoons at Greenwich Point to become very sick and die, police said on Tuesday. Police said the departments animal control officers have responded to several reports of dead or very sick raccoons at Greenwich Point over the last 10 days. The animals were tested for the rabies virus, although police said there was no immediate indication the animals suffered from the rabies virus. Police said those results will be available Wednesday. Due to the discovery of the animals in a small area and as a precaution, the Greenwich Police Animal Control Section, in conjunction with the Greenwich Health Department, will also be testing the deceased animals for distemper and parvovirus, police said. While distemper and parvovirus are not a concern for humans, they are contagious to canines. The results for those tests, police said, may take several days. Police urge all dog owners walking at Greenwich Point to ensure the dog is on a leash and under control. Do not let your dog go near any dead or live wild animals, police said. The department urges dog owners to ensure their dogs are up to date on rabies, distemper and parvovirus vaccinations. Anyone who walks in the park and sees a dead, sick or distressed raccoon should not touch or approach the animal. Instead, they should call the Greenwich Public Safety Communications Center at 203-622-8004. She told police Brown broke a cabinet while angry and kicked in a door when she locked him out because she was scared. She told police he broke a mason jar "in a fit of rage" a few weeks ago, cutting himself so badly that he bled all over the kitchen floor and needed stitches, according to court records. "(She) advised she and Brown first started having issues when Brown began bringing women around her and portrayed these women to be his 'friends,'" according to charging documents. "(She) later found out Brown had actually been having sexual relations with these women ... This is when the mental and physical abuse began. (She) advised Brown made some allegations towards her after going through her cell phone, and she saw this as a 'red flag' that she bypassed and saw this as the first sign her privacy was being invaded as if she were being monitored by Brown." She told police she obtained proof Brown had cheated on her and confronted him, leading him to throw things and break things around the home, court records state. She told investigators that last June he pushed her on her back while she was pregnant with her youngest child and held her wrists to the bed so she couldn't move, causing bruising, court documents state. Pete Buttigieg lobbied on last attack on Bernie Sanders Monday night and agreed with a voter who complained 'f***' when the former mayor talked about President Donald Trump. Buttigieg made his final plea to New Hampshire voters ahead of the state's crucial primary, bringing in actor Kevin Costner to introduce him to voters before the polls open. The former South Bend mayor launched dual attacks - against Sanders who has taken the lead in the polls on the Democratic Party in New Hampshire and against President Trump, who held a mile 30 miles down the road in Manchester. When Buttigieg started to tear into Trump's federal budget plan, a vocal voter in the crowd yelled: 'F***.' 'Well said,' Buttigieg responded as the audience whooped and cheered. Pete Buttigieg agreed with a voter who complained 'f***' when the former mayor talked about President Donald Trump Buttigieg attacked President Trump's budget plan, which was released on Monday He told voters Trump 'thinks we're suckers.' 'The President thinks we are suckers,' he said. 'And this is our chance to send a completely different message that he will hear.' His comments came as he slammed Trump's $4.8 trillion budget proposal, which was released by the White House on Monday and slashed social safety net programs like food stamps and the Children's Health Insurance Program. His 'budget shows the exact opposite' of what he promised, Buttigieg said fo Trump. 'Wouldn't it be nice to put the chaos behind us?' he asked voters, who cheered 'Pete, Pete, Pete.' In his last rally before the primary voting starts, Buttigieg also lobbied a grenade at Sanders, who has raced ahead of him in the polls in the past two days. 'And that's where I parted ways with my friend Senator Sanders, who has a different approach. I'm concerned that the idea that you got either be for a revolution, or you must be for the status quo, paints a picture where most of us cant see ourselves,' he said. Actor Kevin Costner campaigned for the former mayor Buttigieg also lobbied a final attack on Bernie Sanders, who is leading in the polls The pressure is on Buttigieg, who came out Iowa in the lead but has seen his polling numbers drop to second place. The youngest candidate in the field, he declared himself the winner of the chaotic Iowa caucuses and went on the victory tour stopping by all five Sunday morning political affairs shows, doing national TV interviews, and posting record crowd numbers at his New Hampshire rallies. And, like any frontrunner, he became a target. Buttigieg was the main punching bag for other Democrats at Friday night's debate in Manchester. Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar teamed up to hit him on his lack of experience the former South Bend mayor has never held national office and Bernie Sanders knocked him for taking donations from wealthy contributors. At times during the debate, Buttigieg a Rhodes scholar who speaks seven languages looked shocked to be under going the kind of criticism he probably rarely has heard from adults in the room. He has soldiered on but now he needs a win on Tuesday. Candidates spent the final day of campaigning racing across the state before ending with their big closing rallies. Buttigieg had three events on Monday. And voters are making the rounds to check out the candidates. Polls have showed a third of New Hampshire voters remain undecided, making the last 24 hours in the state crucial for the candidates ahead of Tuesday's primary. Buttigieg and Sanders attacked each other directly on Sunday as they criss crossed the state. 'I'm running against some guys, Pete Buttigieg, who have raised campaign funds from over 40 billionaires,' Sanders, 78, told a crowd of nearly 600 supporters in Hanover, repeating his criticism of the former mayor's donors that he's been using for the past week. It's a charge his supporters have taken up. At a Democratic Party event in Manchester Friday night, Sanders supporters booed Buttigieg, 38, during his remarks and blasted him as 'Wall Street Pete.' Five new polls out on Sunday showed Sanders leading Buttigieg in the state: by 7 points in a CNN poll; 3 points in a Boston Herald poll; 2 points in a Boston Globe poll; 10 points in an Emerson University poll and 4 points in a CBS News poll. And Buttigieg also attacked Sanders by name when he was on the stump. The former mayor of South Bend attacked Sanders for his talk of a 'revolution,' saying most people don't share that vision. 'I respect Senator Sanders, but when I hear this message go out that you're either for a revolution or you got to be for the status quo, that's a vision of the county that doesn't have room for most of us,' Buttigieg said. He also criticized Sanders' Medicare-for-All universal healthcare plan. 'What we could do without is a plan so expensive that Senator Sanders himself freely admits he has no idea how it's supposed to be paid for,' he said. Buttigieg also drew fire from Klobuchar and Biden about his lack of experience - he has never held national office - but he has fought back by arguing 'mayors get things done.' Biden launched a vicious attack on Buttigieg over the weekend. 'I do believe we're a party at risk if we nominate someone who's never held an office higher than mayor of South Bend, Indiana,' the former vice president told a crowd at the Rex Theatre in Manchester Saturday afternoon. Bernie Sanders is leading almost all polls in New Hampshire Joe Biden has dropped to fourth place And at an event later in the day he said of Buttigieg, 'This guy's not a Barack Obama.' And his new ad, which put the two candidates' records side-by-side, was tougher on Buttigieg than the digs Biden deployed onstage. The campaign has been pushing the ad on social media, where it's racked up $2.7 million views on Twitter and 69,000 views on Facebook. While Biden helped get the Affordable Care Act passed giving healthcare to 20 million Americans, the ad boasted, Buttigieg 'installed decorative lights under bridges giving citizens of South Bend colorfully illuminated rivers.' And while Biden saved the auto industry after the 2008 crash, the spot said, Buttigieg 'revitalized the sidewalks of downtown South Bend by laying out decorative brick.' Former Lok Sabha MP and Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit: Kharab tab lagta hai ke jab hamarey bhi sthal sena adhyaksh, ek sadak ke, matlab gundey ki tarah apne bayaan detey hain. (I feel bad when our Army chief makes speeches like a street thug) Whats there in their (Pakistan) Army. Some mafia-type people. But why does our Army chief also speak in this way. See, we have culture, dignity, depth and strength. We are seen as an example in the world. If we also behave in this manner, it makes us small). (Image: Twitter/@_SandeepDikshit) Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit, whose mother Sheila Dikshit was the last Congress leader to rule the national capital, predicted earlier that the party would not fare well in the Delhi Assembly election. Blaming the Delhi unit of the Congress party for adopting a lackadaisical approach, he said on February 10 that their loss was looming large. A day before the vote counting for the high-octane February 8 election began, Dikshit said: I believe the Congress will perform very badly. I knew it from September itself. He added it was evident from the laxity exhibited by the Delhi in-charges of the party. Dikshit further said: ... Two-three people from Delhi Congress and All India Congress Committee (AICC) can directly be held responsible for ruining the campaign. Blaming the top brass of Congress leadership, the politician upheld the exit poll results, stating the final results would be similar to the predictions. He further said: No one else is to blame. After Congress loses the Assembly polls, different stories will be told to cover up the real reason behind the poor performance. Notably, he was not the only party leader to predict doom for Congress ahead of vote counting on February 11. Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singhs wife Preneet Kaur, who is also a parliamentarian, also predicted that the future of Delhi Congress is bleak. There is nothing much for Congress in the Delhi Assembly elections. The exit polls have already predicted that the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will form the government in Delhi. In the run-up to the elections, the Congress party too had pushed its bigwigs such as Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into campaigning. However, their efforts couldnt even match the vigorous energy and tone of the campaigns led by the Bharatiya Janata Partys stalwarts, and AAPs development rhetoric. Besides, the Congress party, which had contested 66 of the 70 constituency seats, had struggled to finalise their list of candidates for the Delhi elections amid reports of fissures ahead of the polls. With agency inputs Armenian law-enforcement authorities have brought criminal charges against a senior police officer who was seemingly caught on video brutally beating a man together with three other individuals. The blurry video was first posted by the NewsMedia.am on its website and widely circulated by Armenian media in November. It showed four men punching, kicking and swearing at the victim. One of them then forcibly put a gas mask on his head while another started hitting his shoe soles with a truncheon. The Armenian police were quick to launch an internal inquiry into the scandalous video that caused outrage among viewers and prompted serious concern from the countrys human rights ombudsman. A police statement issued afterwards said one of the violent individuals shown in the footage turned out to be the head of the police department of Chambarak, a small town in Armenias northeastern Gegharkunik province. The officer, Narek Simonian, was suspended as a result, the statement said, adding that the police are now trying to identify the other men involved in the violent interrogation. A separate, criminal investigation was launched by another law-enforcement body, the Special Investigative Service (SIS). Armenias Office of the Prosecutor-General reported on Monday that the video depicts the interrogation of a man who was taken to a police station in Yerevan in November 2008 on suspicion of an attempted burglary. In a statement, it said that Simonian and several other policemen subjected the man to inhuman, degrading and brutal treatment after he refused to confess to the crime. According to the statement, Simonian has been charged with serious abuse of power as part of the ongoing comprehensive, full and objective investigation. Investigators are doing their best to identify all individuals responsible for the torture, added the prosecutors. Ill-treatment of criminal suspects has long been commonplace in Armenia, with law-enforcement officers threatening and beating suspects to extract confessions. They have rarely been prosecuted for such illegal practices until now. She's known for fronting the show in typically demure ensembles alongside her co-host Dan Walker. But Louise Minchin appeared to take a style risk as she was compared to Austin Powers by viewers while hosting Tuesday's edition of BBC Breakfast. With Dan, 42, poking fun at her 'barrister'-inspired look, the TV presenter, 51, opted for retro chic as she sported a ruffled blouse with a sharp green blazer - bearing a striking resemblance to the famous spy character from the Swinging Sixties. Groovy baby! Louise Minchin was compared to Austin Powers (Mike Myers pictured in The Spy Who Shagged Me in 1999) by viewers while hosting Tuesday's edition of BBC Breakfast Daytime anchors Louise and Dan discussed Storm Ciara, which has blasted across Europe with 110mph winds that left at least one person dead and brought torrential rain, flash floods and widespread damage to the continent. Discussing the windy conditions, Match of the Day star Dan said: 'Around 3000 homes are still without power, all because of Storm Ciara which battered the UK. 'The bridge linking Edinburgh and Fife is closed until tomorrow due to some of these conditions.' Despite highlighting the severity of the weather, viewers were drawn to Louise's outfit instead, with many insisting she's taken inspiration from film star Austin, played by comedian Mike Myers. Light-hearted fun: The TV presenter, 51, was also ridiculed by her co-host Dan Walker, who poked fun at her 'barrister'-inspired look Kooky: The host opted for retro chic as she sported a ruffled blouse with a sharp green blazer - bearing a striking resemblance to the famous spy character from the Swinging Sixties Fans tweeted: 'Is Louise, auditioning for a part in Austin Powers? 'Is Louise Minchin dressed as Austin Powers this morning on @BBCBreakfast ? #yeahbaby 'I was thinking Louise was rocking the Austin Powers look. Yeah baby, yeah! 'Channelling her inner Austin Powers this morning': Viewers were drawn to Louise's outfit instead, with many insisting she's taken inspiration from film star Austin 'Louise has an Austin powers thing going today!? Lovely though.... Louise channelling her inner Austin Powers this morning. #BBCBreakfast.' [sic] Dan also joked about his colleague's eccentric ensemble as he shared a snap of the pair following their TV appearance with the caption: 'Enjoying working alongside my barrister this morning on #BBCBreakfast #JudgeJudy.' Taking the comparisons on the chin, Louise wrote on Instagram: 'Good morning, I seem to have pulled off the barrister look this morning. Even @mrdanwalker is a little bit scared. #BBCBreakfast.' Playful: Taking the comparisons on the chin, Louise said: 'Good morning, I seem to have pulled off the barrister look this morning. Even @mrdanwalker is a little bit scared' Louis Tomlinson's BBC Breakfast interview Louise Minchin: 'What was it like being at the centre [of One Direction]?' Louis Tomlinson: 'It was incredible. It was such a drastic life change for us all it's interesting, and what was amazing for us is we had each other. I've often looked across to other solo artists and thought how difficult it must be to come into fame on your own, whereas we always had each other, which helped us enjoy the whole ride really.' Dan Walker: 'Do you feel that at some stage that "oh, I've put too much of yourself in there", or is that part of helping you in writing that way, about the loss of your mother and your sister and other things?' Louis: 'I think because of where I started my career on the X Factor and you know, there's always been a camera on me, and I've always given a lot of myself, it's kind of all I've known in my career really. I almost use that to my advantage and I'm brave enough to talk about these things. The [One Direction] lads have texted me saying "well done" and that, which is proper nice.' Louise: 'A lot of them are on their second albums, aren't they?' Louis: 'Yeah, yeah What you saying, I've got some catching up to do?' Louise: 'You've had a bit of a spat with Zayn, haven't you? How's that going?' Louis: 'God, youre proper going in here today.' Dan: 'The fans would like to know.' Louis: 'Yeah they will, but people pick up on every little thing I say Im just not ready to have that conversation yet, thats fair enough.' Dan: 'Is there potential of One Direction getting back together?' Louise: 'Come on!' Louis: 'Youve ticked them all off trauma, Zayn and were finally on this one! Ill give you the answer I give everyone. Its inevitable. I dont know when. Wed be stupid not to.' Advertisement Earlier this month, the presenting duo hit headlines as Louis Tomlinson vowed he'll never appear on their show again after they pressed him to discuss his grief following the deaths of his mother Johannah Deakin and sister Felicite. The former-One Direction star, 28, is currently promoting his new album Walls, yet the pair touched on the tragic loss of his mother, who died two years ago, his sister, who passed away last year, and his boy band past - including reported tensions between him and ex-bandmate Zayn Malik. Despite the interview getting off to a pleasant start, Louis became noticeably uncomfortable when Dan asked about how he approaches songwriting with regards to 'the loss of your mother and your sister and other things?' Louis' mother Johannah died of leukaemia in December 2016. His sister Felicite, 18, died last March after an accidental overdose. Following the appearance, Louis took to Twitter to tweet to his 33.5 million followers: 'Defo wont be going on there again Haha! Love to all my fans for always having my back.' Dan replied to his social media post: 'Sorry you feel like that. It was nice to speak to you on #BBCBreakfast this morning. Can I ask what you are upset about?' The musician responded: 'I was upset that you continued to ask me about my grief. It goes without saying how hard it is to lose both people so close to me. The least I ask is that you respect my decision of not wanting to be asked in interviews about something so painful. 'I'm lucky enough to have a creative outlet for me to talk about grief this doesn't however give you the right to talk about it for gossip purposes.' He then tweeted: 'Anyway f**k the negativity now. It's been a siiiiick week.' Dan continued to discuss the matter on the micro-blogging site, however, posting: 'Hi Louis. We were asking you about the song on your new album about your mum. We know it's painful which is why we didn't dwell on it. No intention to upset you or be 'gossipy' about it at all. That's not our style on #BBCBreakfast' A BBC spokesperson defended the interview, telling MailOnline on Monday afternoon: 'We wanted to cover all aspects of Louis' life that have influenced his new album and feel the questioning was fair.' Drama: Earlier this month, the presenting duo hit headlines as Louis Tomlinson vowed he'll never appear on their show again after they pressed him to discuss his grief Once you reach age 65 and are eligible for Medicare, sorting through your options can be tricky. Add in any layer of complexity to the maze i.e., jumping in and out of the workforce, dropping and picking up coverage and look out. The program comes with rules lots of them. And if you don't follow those guidelines, you might end up paying a price for it. "You could be accruing late-enrollment penalties that last your lifetime," said Elizabeth Gavino, founder of Lewin & Gavino in New York and an independent broker and general agent for Medicare plans. Altrendo Images | Getty Images While most people sign up for Medicare at age 65 because they either no longer are working or don't otherwise have qualifying health insurance, the ranks of the over-65 crowd in the workforce have been steadily growing for years. And in some cases, that means employer-based health insurance is an alternative to Medicare. Among people ages 65 to 74, the share projected to be working in 2026 is 30.2%, up from 26.8% in 2016 and 17.5% in 1996, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For those ages 75 and older, 10.8% are expected to be at jobs in 2026, up from 8.4% in 2016 and 4.6% in 1996. The basic rules for Medicare are that unless you have qualifying insurance elsewhere, you must sign up at age 65 or face late-enrollment penalties. You get a seven-month window to enroll that starts three months before your 65th birthday month and ends three months after it. You could be accruing late-enrollment penalties that last your lifetime. Elizabeth Gavino founder of Lewin & Gavino Generally speaking, if you (or your spouse) have group coverage at a company with 20 or more employees, you can delay signing up for Medicare. Some workers sign up for Part A (hospital coverage) because it typically comes with no premium and then delay Part B (outpatient care) and Part D (prescription drug coverage). For 2020, Part B comes with a standard monthly premium of $144.60 and Part D's base premium is $32.74. Higher earners pay more for both. Even if you sign up for Medicare at age 65, you can drop it later if you want to switch to qualifying employer-based coverage. (You also could keep Medicare and pair it with your large-group employer plan, in which case Medicare would be your secondary insurance). Regardless of whether you delay Medicare or drop it, it's important to make sure you're aware of a few potential snags. For starters, if the work-based coverage comes with a health savings account, you cannot contribute to it if you remain on any part of Medicare, including just Part A. Also, make sure that your employer plan would be considered "creditable" coverage for both Parts B and D. Your insurance company should provide you with that information. "Those HSA plans might be okay for Part B but not Part D," Gavino said. Additionally, if you have a Medicare supplement policy i.e., "Medigap" you'd have to drop that, as well. And those policies have their own rules for enrolling, which means you might face medical underwriting if you reapply down the road. There also are deadlines to be aware of when you eventually do lose your coverage and want to switch to Medicare, and, often, requirements for proof that you had qualifying coverage. First, once you stop working, you get an eight-month window to enroll or re-enroll. You could face a late-enrollment penalty if you miss it. For each full year that you should have been enrolled but were not, you'll pay 10% of the monthly Part B base premium. You also must have Part D coverage whether as a standalone plan or through an Advantage Plan within two months of your workplace coverage ending, unless you delayed signing up for both Part A and B. If you miss that window, you could face a penalty when you do sign up. That amount is 1% of the national base premium for each full month that you could have had coverage but didn't. More from Personal Finance: This small profession aims to fill a gap in financial services 1 in 3 consumers fear they will max out a credit card How to safeguard your retirement savings from this risk Likewise, if you'd want an Advantage Plan which delivers Parts A, B and typically D you only get two months from when your work coverage ends. If you miss that, you'd have to wait until the next enrollment period. For those who may cycle in and out of the workforce and therefore in and out of workplace insurance: Each time you lose the coverage, the eight-month window restarts, said a spokesman for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. In other words, if you go to another employer that offers qualifying coverage before that timeframe runs out, you're in the clear. The next time you drop it, that window restarts. However, remember that for drug coverage, it's two months. As for providing proof of coverage: Once you no longer have it through work, the insurer should mail you a letter showing the dates you were covered in its plan. Pullenvale ward councillor Kate Richards has blamed "faceless men" for her disendorsement by the LNP and said the "truth will be revealed" over allegations levelled against her by her own party. Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner has repeatedly stood by Cr Richards, despite the party stripping her of preselection for the ward she won in 2016, and in Tuesday's council meeting spoke again warning of any prejudgment against her. Pullenvale ward councillor Kate Richards has said a faction in her own party had been trying to vilify her for years. Credit:Tammy Law Cr Richards has continued to act as the LNP administration's party whip in council chamber meetings and remains a party member after being disendorsed by the LNP in December. The Crime and Corruption Commission has confirmed they are investigating allegations made by the party, which the LNP refused to reveal. Palam Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Palam constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Palam Assembly Elections 2020 | Counting of votes in the Palam Assembly constituency in South Delhi too place on Tuesday. According to the Election Commission's website, Aam Aadmi Party's Bhavna Gaur won the seat with a margin of 32,765 votes. Gaur received 92,775 votes against BJP's Vijay Pandit who received 60,010 votes. Palam was one of the four constituencies in Delhi that the RJD had contested. The party's candidate Nirmal Kumar Singh had to forfeit his deposit as he managed to receive just 552 votes. Here is a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency name: Palam Constituency number: 37 District name: South West Total electors: 227210 Female electors: 102220 Male electors: 124977 Third gender: 13 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The constituency came into existence in 2008. Dharam Dev Solanki of the BJP was the first MLA after the delimitation process. He retained the seat in the 2013 polls before losing to AAPs Gaur by over 30,000 votes in the last elections. Demographics: Coming under the Dwarka subdivision of South-West Delhi district, Palam is a residential area and is host to the Indira Gandhi International Airport. It is considered a BJP stronghold where the OBC community constitutes around half of the population. There are also a sizeable number of Jats, Brahmins and members of the Scheduled Caste (SC) community. The constituency has an influential Purvanchali population, which reportedly influenced the Bihar-based RJD to try its luck in the upcoming polls. You are here: Business China has granted licenses to three major telecom firms to share a spectrum for 5G indoor coverage, in the latest move to push 5G commercialization. China Telecom, China Unicom and China Broadcasting Network will share the 3,300-3,400 MHz spectrum for 5G indoor coverage, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. This is the first time for China to license public mobile communication frequency resources to multiple firms for shared use. The three companies will leverage the co-development and sharing of 5G indoor access networks to cut costs and boost efficiency, the ministry said. China's 5G sector has been developing at a fast clip since the country greenlighted 5G commercial use last June. Medtronic plc MDT is scheduled to report third-quarter fiscal 2020 results on Feb 18, before the opening bell. In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.3%. Moreover, the bottom line outpaced estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average being 4.7%. Lets see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement. Key Catalysts We are upbeat about Medtronics successful execution of growth strategies, such as therapy innovation, globalization and increase in economic value. Combined with the demographics of an aging population, these positives opened up wide opportunities for the company, which might get reflected in the upcoming quarterly results. The therapy innovation space has been seeing multiple developments. Under Cardiac and Vascular Group (CVG), new therapies are helping the company gain traction from the rapidly-growing MedTech market for left ventricular assist device, transcatheter aortic valve replacement, drug-coated balloons, atrial fibrillation ablation and insertable diagnostics. This momentum might have also continued in the fiscal third quarter to drive the companys earnings performance. Medtronic PLC Price and EPS Surprise Medtronic PLC Price and EPS Surprise Medtronic PLC price-eps-surprise | Medtronic PLC Quote There has been a gradually stabilizing trend in the global cardiac rhythm and heart failure (CRHF) market. In second-quarter fiscal 2020, both the CRM replacement devices, namely pacemakers and CRT-D replacement grew sequentially for the first time in several years. In the following quarter, the company is expected to have once again registered strong growth in its ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator) and CRT (cardiac resynchronization therapy) product lines, banking on product launch and creation of meaningful markets. Strong demand for the company's Micra transcatheter pacing system, Valiant Navion thoracic stent graft, VenaSeal Closure System, TYRX absorbable antibacterial envelope and Reveal LINQ product lines along with a robust performance in TAVR franchise is steadily bumping up Medtronics revenues within this niche. This upside might have been a sustaining catalyst in the quarter to be reported as well. Story continues Medtronics global pacemaker share is benefiting from unique feature differentiation in the conventional pacemakers including the Reactive ATP feature, which resulted in differential reimbursement in Japan.This too might get reflected through the upcoming quarters result. Within TAVR, Medtronic is once again expected to have recorded a solid uptick in the United States owing to its expansion into the low-risk patient population post the launch of Evolut PRO+ TAVR system in the late fiscal second quarter, which already started boosting its procedural implant volumes. This uptrend might find a reflection in the upcoming earnings announcement. Further, following CMS final TAVR NCD memo published in June, many new TAVR centers in the United States are striking partnership deals with Medtronic. This too is expected to have contributed to Medtronics top line in the fiscal third quarter. However, this developmental phase is likely to have been upset by weakened sales of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) as a result of market share loss (due to the regulatory approval of Abbotts competitive product HeartMate 3) and US DCBs as well as the persistent headwind in CRM replacement devices, thanks to longer-life batteries introduced several years ago. Moreover, in the last reported quarter, Medtronic implemented a number of changes to its manufacturing processes for the direct product line, which temporarily stalled supplies. This might have impeded revenue growth in CRHF high-power during the yet-to-be-reported quarter. Overall, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fiscal third quarters CVG revenues is pegged at $2.89 billion, indicating a 3.8% rise from the year-ago reported number. Additionally, within Restorative Therapies Group (RTG), the company is likely to have witnessed solid progress in the period under review, particularly in Brain & Pain divisions despite challenges in the Spine market. Medtronics integrated robotics and navigation platform Mazor X Stealth is expected to have fueled growth in Neurosurgery business alongside spurring demand for the core spine implants. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the fiscal third quarters RTG revenues stands at $2.12 billion, implying a 4.7% improvement from the last reported figure. Within Minimally Invasive Therapies Group (MITG), the company is expected to have delivered higher revenues, banking on sturdy sales of Advanced Stapling and Advanced Energy products. Innovations within its Tri-Staple (including EEA circular stapler and Tri-Staple 2.0 re-loads) and LigaSurefranchise (including LigaSure Exact Dissector)might have aided growth. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the to-be-reported quarters MITG revenues is pegged at $2.2 billion, suggesting a 3.7% gain from the last reported quarterly number. Within Diabetes, Medtronic is likely to have retained U.S. patient demand for its MiniMed 670G hybrid closed loop system in the fiscal third quarter. Outside the United States, the company is witnessing buoyant demand for 640G system. The unveiling of MiniMed 670G in several international markets is also on track, which in turn, might have consistently perked up its international diabetes revenues. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Diabetes revenues is pegged at $614 million, hinting at a 0.7% increase from the prior-year reported figure. What the Quantitative Model Predicts Per our proven model, a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to deliver a positive earnings surprise. But this is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Medtronic has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Medtronic carries a Zacks Rank #3. Stocks Worth a Look Here are a few medical stocks worth considering from the same space with the right mix of elements to surpass expectations this earnings season. DexCom, Inc. DXCM has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +12.27%. Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. TNDM has a Zacks Rank of of 2 and an Earnings ESP of +86.44%. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. Nevro Corp. NVRO has a Zacks Rank of 3 and an Earnings ESP of +3.45%. Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020? Last year's 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Dont miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys. Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Medtronic PLC (MDT) : Free Stock Analysis Report DexCom, Inc. (DXCM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Nevro Corp. (NVRO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Tandem Diabetes Care, Inc. (TNDM) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research Ranveer Singh, who is the face of many brands in India, recently made headlines when his avatar on the 'Singapore noodles' product did not do well with the Singaporeans. Many brands in the Indian market have products that are inspired by the evergreen cultures and traditions of different countries across the globe. However, a pack of Singapore noodles that has surfaced online having Ranveer Singh's face has left many netizens puzzled with its approach. Bollywood star Ranveer Singh, who is the ambassador for Chings Desi Chinese, has been reportedly accused of cultural misappropriation. Ranveer Singh in Native American headgear In an image shared online, Ranveer Singh can be seen dressed up in Native American headgear endorsing Desi Chinese (Indian Chinese) on a pack of Singapore noodles. A Singaporean shared the picture on Facebook and wrote "So confused, what the hell is this? Found it online, and their website says, Chings Secret is an Indian brand of Indian Chinese cuisine aka Desi Chinese cuisine with products which include instant noodles, instant soups, cook up soups, Desi Chinese masala, sauces and schezwan chutney." The person who shared the image, also wrote two questions in the caption- "Whats a Singapore curry instant noodle? and What does a Native American headdress have to do with Singapore or noodles?". Check out the post here: Ranveer Singh's Teenage Photo Send Fans Into A Frenzy; Compared Him With Jayeshbhai Ranveer Singh's leaked pic from 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' gets fans impatient Here's what netizens have shared about the same He's a really well-known Bollywood star, who much like Pierce Brosnan will clearly take up any brand endorsement for money. Hindi filmstar playing Native American selling Singapore noodles for a Chindian brand. https://t.co/WbYCD0jQKM Brown Sahiba (@Rajyasree) February 10, 2020 Meanwhile, the quote above the head reads "I love Desi Chinese". Huh? Ha ha ha. Chris Razukas (@hellochris) February 10, 2020 What were they thinking??? Jumana Naguthanawala (@JumanaMN) February 10, 2020 Deepika Padukone Rejected Three Films With Husband Ranveer Singh? Read Here Ha ha. Stranger things happen in Bollywood. Its like the Mad Hatters Party here on most days. Brown Sahiba (@Rajyasree) February 11, 2020 That's Ranveer Singh in his regular outfit! Krishna (@Itskrishna_k) February 11, 2020 Ranveer Singh Jets Off To Gujarat To Complete Shooting Of 'Jayeshbhai Jordaar' (Image courtesy: Ranveer Singh Instagram) Photo: Corey Leopold/Flickr Missed the most recent top news in San Antonio? Read on for everything you need to know. Sergeant from San Antonio killed in Afghanistan attack, per US Army officials Read the full story on KPRC2 / Click2Houston. San Antonio veteran completes toughest rowing competition in the world Read the full story on KENS5. City checking on self-quarantined San Antonio residents via phone Read the full story on KENS5. 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. Sgt. 1st Class Javier J. Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, died Saturday, Feb. 8 from wounds he sustained during a combat mission in Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. His team set a world record for their boat class. For nearly 50 years, Buckner Children and Family Services in Beaumont has offered hope to children who must be separated from their family for one reason or another. Buckner is part of the larger international organization that was started in Texas by a Baptist preacher from Tennessee with $27 and just three kids. The first small home for orphans was opened near Dallas and eventually expanded to 3,000 acres and provided shelter for thousands of children. Children who have been abused or neglected come to us through CPS (Child Protective Service), said Laura May, executive director of the Beaumont branch, which will be celebrating its Golden Anniversary in 2020. We have a shelter and assessment center where they can stay for up to 90 days. At that point, they go into foster care. Our job is to make sure the children know they are special and important. May said that Buckner is not only for foster children. The organization also provides several prevention programs aimed at families who need extra support. Special programs presented at local schools address self-esteem, bullying and anger management. In addition, Buckner offers special day camps at lower income apartment complexes in an effort to reach even more families. We help strengthen the family bond and teach communication. The goal is to get children prepared for school, and to teach parents how to help the kids meet their goals, May said. We also offer crisis intervention. All of these services are free. For the children who age out of foster care, Buckner provides continued support by teaching life skills, helping teens identify goals, filling out college applications, finding grants and housing. Every five years, we do a reunion for kids who have been in our program, May said. They see this as a family. They like to stay in touch. How to help Looking to help a child in need? Buckner Children's Village offers many volunteer opportunities. For more information about, call 855-734-1478 or go to buckner.org/beaumont/. The organization will host a free foster care and adoption information meeting 5:30-6:30 p.m. Monday at 9055 Manion. Contact Cameka Hart at 409-866-0976 or email chart@buckner.org. Can't make it Monday? The meeting will be offered again on March 9 and April 13. See More Collapse We live in a day and age where we see a lot of violence on television, May said. We continue to try to minister to our families and kids to let them know there is hope and that their future can be different. Not all people are bad or mean. We try to give them the strength to heal and go on to be successful. There is hope and opportunity for a better life. The foster care program ministers to 120 children annually. The prevention programs reach nearly 600 families each year. We are here for them, May said. We let them know that they are safe and we will try to find a good home for them. Its amazing how love and care in only a short time can affect their lives. In a short period, they can feel safe and loved. Government forces battling rebels in northwestern Syria took full control on Tuesday of a key highway, over which they lost control in 2012, linking the country's four largest cities. The latest gain marked another step in the government's advance against Syria's last rebel-held pocket, where intense fighting has displaced 700,000 civilians since December. The remaining rebel fighters and some three million civilians are being pushed ever closer to the Turkish border by the regime's inexorable northward push. The M5 motorway which links the capital Damascus to the second city of Aleppo through the cities of Homs and Hama has been a key government target for years. On Tuesday, government and allied forces retook the Rashideen al-Rabea area near Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. "That means they control the entire M5 for the first time since 2012," Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the UK-based war monitor, told AFP. The government's advance also helps secure Aleppo, the country's former industrial hub, which still comes under sporadic rocket fire from holdout rebel groups. The war in Syria, which started with a popular movement against President Bashar al-Assad's rule that was brutally repressed, has killed more than 380,000 people in nine years and displaced around half of the country's population. The Islamic State group's once sprawling "caliphate" has collapsed, and the number of front lines been reduced by recent government gains. But aid groups have warned that one of the conflict's worst humanitarian catastrophes yet could be unfolding in Idlib, with staggering numbers of families sleeping rough in sometimes sub-zero temperatures. "You shouldn't have a war in what is essentially a giant refugee camp," the head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, Jan Egeland, told CNN in an interview. The Idlib region is a dead-end for hundreds of thousands of people who were forced to flee or were evacuated from formerly rebel-held territory elsewhere in Syria. Some have moved four times or more since the start of the war but there is nowhere for them to go after Idlib, with the Turkish border to the north and government forces in the other three directions. Turkey, which has troops deployed in several locations in northern Syria, continues to support rebel groups battling the Assad regime or acting as proxies against Kurdish forces. With Russia, it is the key foreign broker in northern Syria but a 2018 deal aimed at averting a major offensive has failed to take hold. On Monday, artillery fire by government forces killed at least five Turkish soldiers in Idlib. Ankara said it responded and "neutralised" 101 Syrian forces. It was not possible to verify that claim on the ground, and neither state media nor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported any casualties on the government side. While the spat heightened fears of yet another deadly escalation in the region, analysts argued that the tense geopolitical tango between Russia and Turkey was still on. "There's a deal between Russia and Turkey for the piecemeal retaking of Idlib in exchange for the disposal to Turkey of Kurdish areas," Fabrice Balanche, a geographer and Syria expert, said. Turkish President Recep Tayyip "Erdogan is distrustful of Syria and Russia, who might be tempted to... seek a broader reconquest than planned," he said. Balanche said the deal between the two powers was that the Syrian army could secure the M5 but should not yet seek to retake Idlib city. Turkey, which already hosts the largest number of Syrian refugees, needs time to handle the huge numbers of people massing at its border, Balanche said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Col. Kovel, who lived in Alexandria, Va., was born in Brooklyn and had lived in the Washington area since 1973. He served two tours of duty in Vietnam and became an officer in the Defense Logistics Agency. After his military retirement, he worked for defense contracting organizations. Lawyers for Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former automotive executive, argued yesterday in a Dutch court for the release of internal documents relating to his dismissal by Nissan and Mitsubishi. Mr Ghosn, former chairman of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in 2018 but fled to Lebanon last December. He launched a court case in the Netherlands against the Japanese car makers in July, arguing his firing was unlawful. Yesterday's hearing at the Amsterdam District Court was the first public session in the case. Mr Ghosn is seeking 15m in damages from the car makers, who he says violated Dutch labour laws. A lawyer for Nissan-Mitsubishi dismissed demands by Mr Ghosn's legal team for documents to be released. Mr Ghosn's lawyers claim he was unfairly dismissed as chairman of Nissan-Mitsubishi BV, a Dutch-registered entity, because the details of the allegations were not shared with him. "Nissan and Mitsubishi publicly shamed Ghosn," attorney lawyer Roeland de Mol told the court. "Their reports and accusations were never put to Ghosn. There was no due process." Mr De Mol said Mr Ghosn wants "a full debate on the reasons of [his] dismissal. We need the information in his file to be able to do that. Mr Ghosn is ready for a fight". Mr Ghosn is seeking access to documents relating to internal Nissan and Mitsubishi investigations, which the car makers used to substantiate his dismissal on allegations of financial misconduct. His defence team has argued the documents will show the firms were aware of Mr Ghosn's activities. Lawyer Eelco Meerdink, representing Nissan-Mitsubishi, said Mr Ghosn's team was "going on a fishing expedition". "Their requests are very broad. And it can be no surprise that there are many reasons why we cannot agree to them," he added. Reuters If China's lockdown has not worked, there is another unpalatable truth to face: that the coronavirus might not be possible to contain. The coronavirus epidemic could spread to about two-thirds of the world's population if it cannot be controlled, according to Hong Kong's leading public health epidemiologist. His warning came after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said recent cases of coronavirus patients who had never visited China could be the "tip of the iceberg," The Guardian wrote. Prof Gabriel Leung, the chair of public health medicine at Hong Kong University, said the overriding question was to figure out the size and shape of the iceberg. Most experts thought that each person infected would go on to transmit the virus to about 2.5 other people. That gave an "attack rate" of 60-80%. "Sixty per cent of the world's population is an awfully big number," Leung told the Guardian in London, en route to an expert meeting at the WHO in Geneva on Tuesday. Read alsoCoronavirus: China gets back to work as death toll reaches 1,018 media Even if the general fatality rate is as low as 1%, which Leung thinks is possible once milder cases are taken into account, the death toll would be massive. He will tell the WHO meeting that the main issue is the scale of the growing worldwide epidemic and the second priority is to find out whether the drastic measures taken by China to prevent the spread have worked because if so, other countries should think about adopting them. The Geneva meeting brings together more than 400 researchers and national authorities, including some participating by video conference from mainland China and Taiwan. "With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," the WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in his opening remarks. To date China has reported 42,708 confirmed cases, including 1,017 deaths, Tedros said. Leung one of the world's experts on coronavirus epidemics, who played a major role in the Sars outbreak in 2002-03 works closely with other leading scientists such as counterparts at Imperial College London and Oxford University. Read alsoAnother Ukrainian on board Diamond Princess gets infected with coronavirus MFA At the end of January, he warned in a paper in the Lancet that outbreaks were likely to be "growing exponentially" in cities in China, lagging just one to two weeks behind Wuhan. Elsewhere, "independent self-sustaining outbreaks in major cities globally could become inevitable" because of the substantial movement of people who were infected but had not yet developed symptoms, and the absence of public health measures to stop the spread. Epidemiologists and modellers were trying to figure out what was likely to happen, said Leung. "Is 60-80% of the world's population going to get infected? Maybe not. Maybe this will come in waves. Maybe the virus is going to attenuate its lethality because it certainly doesn't help it if it kills everybody in its path, because it will get killed as well," he said. Experts also need to know whether the restrictions in the centre of Wuhan and other cities have reduced infections. "Have these massive public health interventions, social distancing, and mobility restrictions worked in China?" he asked. "If so, how can we roll them out, or is it not possible?" There would be difficulties. "Let's assume that they have worked. But how long can you close schools for? How long can you lock down an entire city for? How long can you keep people away from shopping malls? And if you remove those [restrictions], then is it all going to come right back and rage again? So those are very real questions," he said. If China's lockdown has not worked, there is another unpalatable truth to face: that the coronavirus might not be possible to contain. Then the world will have to switch tracks: instead of trying to contain the virus, it will have to work to mitigate its effects. LONDON - Provisional postmortem examinations of 39 bodies found inside a shipping container in southeast England concluded the victims from Vietnam died of a combination of a lack of oxygen and overheating in a closed space, police said Tuesday. The bodies were found Oct. 23 in the English town of Grays, east of London. Police said the people who died ranged in age from 15 to 44. The 31 men and eight women are believed to have paid people traffickers for their clandestine transit into England. Our teams are continuing to progress hundreds of lines of enquiry and are working with the National Crime Agency and other law enforcement agencies from across the globe to further their lengthy and complex investigation, Essex county police said in a statement. The revelations came as police made strides to identity suspects in the network believed to be responsible for the smuggling operation. Gheorghe Nica, of Basildon in eastern England, was detained at Germanys Frankfurt Airport on Jan. 29. The 43-year-old appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates Court on Saturday. He faces 39 counts of manslaughter and one count of conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration. A second man, who is 22, was arrested in Northern Ireland Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration. He remains in police custody in southeast England but has not been charged or named yet. Another suspect from Northern Ireland, Eamonn Harrison, 23, is being held in Ireland on charges of manslaughter and conspiracy to traffic people. He has a Dublin High Court hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Prosecutors allege that Harrison drove the container to the port of Zeebrugge in Belgium, where it was put on a ferry to England and picked up at the other end by Maurice Robinson Robinson, who also is from Northern Ireland and has been charged with manslaughter. Harrisons lawyers have argued that Britain should not be able to seek his extradition from Ireland because the alleged offences took place in Belgium. Indeed, watching birds or squirrels onscreen is no substitute for the outdoors. At least if they are outside and see a squirrel, they can smell or dig, Millan said. And dogs want to be with their own kind. They would never go to Best Buy and get a television. Farm aid legislation that its Republican sponsors contend is bigger and bolder than what Democratic Gov. Tony Evers proposed earlier this year would provide farmers with tax credits and health insurance deductions that would cost about $36 million annually if it can get through the Legislature on time. The package of five bills is more than four times as expensive as Evers $8.5 million proposal, and includes an estimated $9 million in annual health insurance deductions for sole proprietors such as farmers and a three-year targeted tax credit for the states smallest farms that would cost about $27 million per year. The GOP effort also includes amended versions of two of Evers bills. Several of the items brought forward by Republicans were included in Evers 2019-21 budget, including similar health insurance deductions for self-employed individuals. However they were removed by the Republican-led Legislature. Farmers would be able to apply the tax credit to up to 66% of property taxes on buildings exclusively used for farming. The credit would be capped at $7,500, and claimants would have to make at least $35,000 in annual farm income to be eligible for the credit. Farmers already pay virtually nothing in income taxes because of an agriculture and manufacturing tax credit Republicans created in 2011. At a committee meeting Tuesday, Rep. Travis Tranel, R-Cuba City, estimated the credit to cost $27 million. He pointed to the states recently announced added tax revenue as a potential source of funding. This bill would put $27 million directly into the pockets of farmers at a time when their number one issue is cash flow, Tranel said, describing the credit as a short-term fix. In the first year, farmers would be able to request the credit from the Department of Revenue. It would transition to a refundable tax credit in the two following years before the credit sunsets. Some Democratic lawmakers, including Evers, have questioned whether the bill will get money to farmers in a timely fashion, but Tranel said funds should be available by late spring or early summer. With the agriculture industry struggling, hundreds of Wisconsin farms shuttered last year. Wisconsin farmers received more than $432 million in federal aid between September 2018 and November 2019, according to data provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Rep. Amy Loudenbeck, R-Clinton, said about 85% of Wisconsin farmers were self-employed in 2017. Of the estimated $9 million cost of the insurance deduction provision in the bill, about $2.5 million would go to farmers, while the remainder would go to other self-employed small businesses. This is I think a really progressive tax bill, said Rep. Dave Considine, D-Baraboo. The rest of that is going to go to the working poor. The GOP proposal also would direct UW-Madison to compile a report on ways to best serve the states farmers and conduct research on technology specific to agriculture. Another bill would require the Wisconsin Economic Development Corp. to work with the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection to increase state exports of farm products including milk, meat and crop produce. Under the bill, up to $5 million would be allocated to expanding exports in the 2021-23 fiscal biennium. Evers had originally proposed spending $1 million on expanded exports, with funds made available immediately. Republicans also amended Evers bill to award grants to dairy processing plants only if they produce no more than 50 million pounds of processed product per year. The grant would provide $1.2 million split over two years to eligible plants. Evers initially proposed dairy processing grants and increasing dairy export spending in his 2019-21 budget, but the items were stripped by Republicans. With the Assembly expected to adjourn this month and the Senate likely closing out the session next month, the bills have little time to reach Evers for his signature. Were on a very tight time frame, Assembly Agriculture Committee chairman Gary Tauchen, R-Bonduel, said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) condemns the brief detention of journalist Hussein Ali Gesey, a correspondent for the privately-owned independent Five Somali TV, by South West State authorities in Burhakaba town of Bay region on Tuesday 11 February, 2020 over a Facebook post deemed critical. According to Fuad Abdi Mohamed, the director of the Nairobi-headquartered Five Somali TV who spoke to SJS, Hussein Gesey was arrested around 9:00 a.m (local time) after he was summoned to the police station by the Burhakaba District Commissioner, Abdi Mohamed Ahmed. Another colleague journalist in Burhakaba also told SJS that Hussein Gesey was questioned about his Monday 10 February Facebook post that criticized the allegedly deteriorating security of Dinsor, another district within Bay region, before he was detained. He was released after spending more than nine hours in detention without charge. Burhakaba District Commissioner, Abdi Mohamed Ahmed told SJS that he ordered the arrest of the journalist after he was instructed to do by the South West States Minister of Interior, Mohamed Abukar. He did not specify why he was told to jail the journalist. After his release, journalist Hussein Gesey told SJS that he was released without charge but was warned against criticizing the state on the social media. I got my freedom at 6.20 p.m. I was not charged. The police officers informed me that they will re-arrest me and even beat me should I write my views on Facebook in the future, the journalist told SJS. While we welcome his release, condemn this blatant violation against the right to freedom of expression by our colleague journalist Hussein Ali Gesey who works for Five Somali TV, Abdalle Ahmed Mumin, the Secretary General of Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) said Authorities in South West State of Somalia should respect the freedom of expression which is basic human right and is guaranteed in the Somali Constitution. Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) is worried about the increased cases of arrests of journalists and media practitioners after expressing critical views on social media platforms to which many journalists opted to use for airing their public views due to the growing censorship on majority of the media outlets. (CNN) -- Four men have been arrested in Northern Ireland over the murder of journalist Lyra McKee, whose killing last year sparked outrage and calls for talks by rival political factions. According to a statement from Police Service Northern Ireland, the four were arrested in Londonderry on Tuesday morning under the Terrorism Act. The anti-terror legislation was used because the New IRA dissident Republican group admitted responsibility for McKee's killing, the police said. In a statement to a local newspaper, the group claimed McKee's death was an accident and apologized. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were taken into custody in Belfast. McKee was shot dead in April 2019 amid rioting in the Creggan area of the Northern Irish city, which is referred to as Derry by Irish nationalists and as Londonderry by British unionists. McKee, who was 29, was standing close to a police vehicle on April 18 when she was wounded by a single gunman firing shots into a residential area. She died soon after from her injuries, police said. She was the first journalist to be killed in the United Kingdom since 2001, according to the nonprofit Committee to Protect Journalists. McKee had been identified as a rising star in journalism, and spent much of her career reporting on the reverberations of sectarian conflict in her home country. Her funeral was attended by leaders of British and Irish politics, and a mural dedicated to her has been painted in Belfast. Police have also renewed their call for witnesses. "I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved, I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us," Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said in a statement Tuesday. He added: "I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyra's murder." The police also asked for the public to share mobile phone footage of the incident. This story was first published on CNN.com, "Four arrested over the murder of Northern Irish journalist Lyra McKee" Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and baby Archie might be heading back across the pond soon! The Sunday Times has reported that Queen Elizabeth II requested that the Sussexes join the rest of the royal family for the Commonwealth Service for Commonwealth Day at Westminster Abbey in London next month. The service is set to take place on March 9. The couple attended the same service last year alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton when Meghan was in her third trimester of pregnancy. While the family has been residing in North Saanich on Vancouver Island, Canada, since the bombshell announcement that they were losing their HRH titles and stepping down from their royal duties, they are expected to come to the U.K. with their almost 10-month-old son, Archie, for their final round of royal engagements before going back to Canada. Harry and Meghan step down27 The couple, who plans to become financially independent from the royal family, has been keeping busy in their time out of the spotlight. A source previously told ET that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise appearance at a JP Morgan gathering in Miami, Florida, last week. While Harry spoke at the event, he was not a keynote speaker and Meghan did not have a speaking engagement at all during the gathering. It is unknown if the royal couple was paid to attend the event, but according to The Sunday Times, they reportedly earned $1 million for their appearances. If the Sussexes return to the U.K. for Commonwealth Day, it will be the family's first visit back since January. After the announcement, Meghan returned to Canada to be with baby Archie, leaving Harry behind to work out the details with his family. At the time, a source told ET that Harry's talks with Queen Elizabeth and other senior members of the family went well. "The discussions were all extremely friendly and constructive because the common goal was clear, as was the desire to reach a successful conclusion," the source said. "Everyone is pleased." Story continues ET's royal expert Katie Nicholl previously opened up about the toll Harry and Meghan's decision has taken on his brother, Prince William, and sister-in-law Kate Middleton. "This has come as a shock to the whole family. This is seismic. This has had a huge impact on his brother on his sister-in-law," Nicholl recently told ET. "I think both of them are still reeling from the news, coming to terms with the reality of this situation." As for Harry himself, Nicholl added, "Harry really is putting on a brave face throughout all of this. He's positive about his future, but he's very, very torn. He's very sad about leaving his family. He's very sad about leaving the United Kingdom." This article originally appeared on ET Online Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 10:23:42|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- There is a strong strategic rationale that the Trump administration should extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START) with Russia, an expert said. Frank Rose, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, made the remarks in a recent interview with Xinhua when the critical nuclear arms control deal started the one-year countdown to expiration. New START verifiably limits each country to 1,550 deployed nuclear warheads and 700 deployed strategic delivery systems. If the treaty fails to be extended before next February, the nuclear arsenals of the United States and Russia will be unconstrained for the first time in decades. The onsite verification and inspection regime of New START provides the United States insights into Russian strategic nuclear forces and allows the United States to maintain an effective deterrent, said Rose. The ramification of the treaty almost a decade ago was also closely connected with the U.S. strategic modernization program. "New START helped pave the way for bipartisan support for the strategic modernization, the two things are working together," Rose noted. "But what I would say is that bipartisan consensus is very fragile and if you start moving pieces of that consensus, it's going to be very hard to put them back together again," the arms control expert cautioned. Rose said that New START also played a role in maintaining the cohesion of the U.S. alliance with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Given the Trump administration's style of managing relationships with allies, a decision not to extend New START would likely lead to belief that the Trump administration's stewardship of these policies may increase threats to Europe, he said. Russia has indicated a willingness to extend the treaty unconditionally. The Trump administration, however, has expressed doubts and has yet to officially reply. Rose, who served as assistant secretary of state for arms control, verification, and compliance in the Obama administration, indicated that it is hard to predict if the Trump administration will save the treaty ultimately. Critics of New START said the treaty has failed to address Russia's development of new strategic systems, the emerging technology in outer space and cyber space, as well as the changing international environment. Rose acknowledged that those concerns are valid and important while highlighting that the extension precisely provides time to work through these tough issues. The global arms control regime is facing a critical moment. After years of accusation game, Washington and Moscow successively abandoned the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty last August, leaving New START the final linchpin of U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control. 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. The hormone estrogen plays many critical roles in men and women, in both healthy tissues and in cancer. In breast and gynecologic cancers, estrogen sends signals to tumors instructing the cancer cells to grow out of control. In recent years, studies have shed light on the growth-promoting role of estrogen in breast cancer. In endometrial cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus, estrogen is known to play a critical role in tumor development, yet many insights from how it affects breast cancer do not apply to endometrial cancer. New research, published today in the journal Cancer Research, outlines findings scientists hope will advance our understanding of endometrial cancer and lead to more effective treatments. "We started out with a question of how estrogen signaling works in endometrial cancer," said Adriana Rodriguez, lead study author. "Most of what we know about estrogen receptor comes from work in breast cancer, although we know that estrogen receptor affects different genes in the two cancer types. In this study, we went looking for which proteins influence estrogen receptor in endometrial cancer cells." Rodriguez is a PhD student at the University of Utah and is a member of the Jay Gertz Laboratory at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U). The researchers discovered that a protein called ETV4 plays a key role in how estrogen communicates with endometrial cancer cells. Estrogen sends pro-growth signals to the cells, and estrogen receptor carries out these signals. The study found that when ETV4 was removed from endometrial cancer cells, estrogen signaling was greatly reduced, subsequently leading to diminished tumor growth. "To our surprise, we found that ETV4 helped to promote estrogen signaling in two ways: first, it was telling estrogen receptor where to bind in the genome; and second, it was causing more estrogen receptor to be active," said Jay Gertz, PhD, a cancer researcher at HCI and assistant professor of oncological sciences at the U of U. Gertz's lab led the study. "If we can find out what is causing ETV4 to be active, then we have a chance of reducing growth-promoting estrogen signaling in uterine tumors." Gertz's lab used state-of-the-art genomics techniques and collaborated with several research teams with different expertise to expand the study. Using tissue from human tumors growing in mice, the team analyzed ETV4 and estrogen receptor in endometrial cancer. "Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer and the fourth most common cancer in Utah women," says Gertz. "Unfortunately, this cancer is on the rise and there are limited treatments for the disease. We believe this study lays the groundwork for future research into ways of blocking estrogen signaling in endometrial cancer." ### The study was supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute, including P30 CA042014; the National Institutes of Health/National Human Genome Research Institute, including R00 HG006922 and R01 HG008974; and Huntsman Cancer Foundation. Other study contributors include the Barbara Graves, Bryan Welm, and Margit Janat-Amsbury labs. Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah is the official cancer center of Utah. The cancer campus includes a state-of-the-art cancer specialty hospital as well as two buildings dedicated to cancer research. HCI treats patients with all forms of cancer and is recognized among the best cancer hospitals in the country by U.S. News and World Report. As the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in the Mountain West, HCI serves the largest geographic region in the country, drawing patients from Utah, Nevada, Idaho, Wyoming, and Montana. More genes for inherited cancers have been discovered at HCI than at any other cancer center in the world, including genes responsible for hereditary breast, ovarian, colon, head, and neck cancers, along with melanoma. HCI manages the Utah Population Database, the largest genetic database in the world, with information on more than 11 million people linked to genealogies, health records, and vital statistics. HCI was founded by Jon M. and Karen Huntsman. An Indian has been diagnosed with the novel in the UAE, bringing the total number of confirmed infection cases to eight, the country's health ministry has said. The death toll in China's outbreak has gone up to 1,016 while the confirmed cases of infection have soared to 42,638, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday. The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) said on Monday that the Indian was infected after he interacted with a recently diagnosed person. "The Ministry of Health and Prevention announced today the eighth confirmed case of new in the UAE, which is an Indian who had interacted with a recently diagnosed person," it said in a tweet. On Sunday, the ministry said that the two new patients, a Chinese national and a Filipino, had been diagnosed with the disease and were receiving medical care as per the highest health standards available in the country. It said that all health facilities will continue to report any new cases suspected to have coronavirus. Last week, a family of four who arrived from Wuhan for a holiday in Dubai were diagnosed with coronavirus. A fifth patient, who also arrived from the Chinese city, was confirmed to have been infected with the virus, but is reportedly in a stable condition. China and countries around the world are scrambling to contain the spread of coronavirus which fiirst surfaced in Wuhan city in the Central Hubei province of China. Apart from China, two deaths have occurred in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Besides Germany, Britain and Italy, other European nations with cases of the virus include France, Russia, Belgium, Sweden, Finland and Spain. The New Zealand governments ban on anyone entering the country from China, apart from NZ citizens and residents, has provoked shock and anxiety among immigrants, foreign students and workers. The ban is the first such action taken in decades and was imposed despite no cases of the novel coronavirus being reported in New Zealand. No similar restrictions were placed on travel between NZ and Samoa last year, when the negligence of both governments caused measles to spread from NZ to the impoverished Pacific island country and killed 83 people. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has repeatedly warned against travel bans to combat coronavirus, saying such restrictions can have the effect of increasing fear and stigma, with little public health benefit. Despite this, the US, Australia, New Zealand and several other countries have banned most inbound travel from China. These decisions were politically motivated. In New Zealand, the Labour Party and its coalition partner, the right-wing nationalist NZ First, have long scapegoated Chinese and other Asian immigrants for inequality, the housing shortage and public services that are under-resourced due to decades of cuts and austerity. Both parties will campaign for an election in September by whipping up nationalism to divide the working class and divert attention from the governments failure to alleviate poverty. The promotion of anti-Chinese xenophobia is also part of the efforts to integrate New Zealand with the Trump administrations trade and economic war and preparations for military conflict with China. The government has labelled China and Russia major threats to the international order and has enthusiastically supported a greater US military presence in the Pacific to counter China. The pro-government Daily Blog has seized on the coronavirus to repeat its demands for a large scale increase in Army, Navy and Air Force and turning the country into a fortress against immigrants. Thousands of Chinese students are affected by the travel ban, with a major impact on the New Zealand economy. In 2018 there were 36,000 students from China, almost a third of all foreign students studying in the country. It is not known how many have been barred from travelling to New Zealand, but the University of Auckland estimated nearly 3,000 of its 4,000 Chinese students could be turned away. Courses are due to begin in the first week of March. The New Zealand Herald noted that international education brings in $5.1 billion a year and is New Zealands fourth largest export earner, supporting 47,500 jobs. Auckland University vice-chancellor Stuart McCutcheon told Radio NZ on February 4 that the travel ban came completely out of the blue. There was no consultation, we knew nothing about it we dont know the justification for it. He added: We dont know the basis on which the ban will be lifted. We dont know when its likely to be lifted. The International Students Associations Sabrina Alhady told the Herald all Asian students were feeling stigmatised. They are getting questions: Are you from China? she said. Its really quite awful at the moment. A Chinese student in Wellington, who asked not to be named for fear of repercussions, told the World Socialist Web Site he was concerned by the sudden imposition of the ban: Universities, travel agencies, have their opinions been consulted? Where are the democratic processes, the checks and balances? The government is really powerful in emergency situations. I cant travel back to China now, as I wouldnt be able to get back in [to New Zealand], he said. What Im worried about is how long will this ban last? Will it really be 14 days? I dont think so. The virus will probably last a month or two. Chinese students will not be able to come back here. The student believed the Chinese government could have acted earlier to stop the spread of the virus and the situation could have been better to some degree. During the more than five years he has been in New Zealand he commented that he had seen a constant decline and deterioration in relations with China and the travel ban was a dream come true for right-wing nationalists like NZ First. It provides a very good opportunity for racist sentiments that used to be dormant to reappear, he said. He noted that the Trump administration was using coronavirus to argue that China is a threat, engagement is wrong, containment is self-evident. Unfortunately, this is the trend towards nationalism. The world is being separated into blocs. This outbreak will definitely cause great economic trauma in China and around the world. We are in a very dangerous political situation. The future could be very dark, there could be war. This virus outbreak shows it is very important for us to work together rather than just isolate ourselves, and we have to think about whether our current political and economic system actually has the potential to further collaboration. The WSWS also spoke to a Chinese worker in Auckland, who said that there is a lot of fear-mongering in the media and the attempts to debunk myths about the coronavirus were too little, too late. A lot of social media and mainstream media outlets are trying to spread fake news, he said. The biggest story right after the outbreak was a video of a Chinese woman eating a bat. This was later confirmed that it was a lady eating a home-bred fruit bat and it had nothing to do with the virus. The video was republished by the NZ Herald, which falsely claimed it was filmed in China, triggering numerous anti-Chinese comments. In fact, it was filmed in Palau. The Herald also republished an article linking the coronavirus to part of a secret biological weapons program in Wuhanbased on unsubstantiated claims by an Israeli intelligence source. China doesnt have democracy and people are not really happy, the worker told the WSWS, but the campaign to smear China would only strengthen the Chinese government by making people see it as a lesser evil. The US started it and then in New Zealand and all around the world there is this travel ban. Im worried about it as an immigrant. There have been some extreme cases of racism from the ultra-right in New Zealand, saying they should take out all the Chinese immigrants. Hopefully things will not escalate to that level, which would be really bad for everyone. He had seen a lot of anger in the immigrant community towards the Labour-led governments anti-immigrant policies and racist outbursts, but many migrants feared speaking out publicly. The death toll in China from the new coronavirus epidemic jumped on Wednesday, as the chief of the World Health Organization urged countries to work together against the "grave threat" posed by the outbreak. The WHO is holding a conference in Geneva on combating the virus, which has killed more than 1,100 people in China and spread to dozens of countries around the world. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said viruses could have "more powerful consequences than any terrorist action". Although 99 percent of the infections are in China, where it remains "very much an emergency", it also "holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world", Tedros said at the conference, where the virus was officially named "COVID-19". The case of a British man who passed on the virus to at least 11 other people -- without having been in China -- has raised fears of a new phase of contagion abroad. "We have to use the current window of opportunity to hit hard and stand in unison to fight this virus in every corner," Tedros said, warning that a failure to act would lead to far more cases in the future. WHO sent an advance team to China this week for an international mission to examine the epidemic, where more than 44,000 people have now been infected. Chinese authorities have locked down millions of people in a number of cities, but another 94 deaths were reported on Wednesday in the hardest-hit province of Hubei, the central province where around 56 million people are under lockdown. The mortality rate remains relatively low at around 2 percent. - 'Bigger fire' - Several governments have banned arrivals from China and major airlines suspended flights in a bid to keep the disease away from their shores. Most cases overseas have involved people who had been in Wuhan, the quarantined central Chinese city where the virus emerged late last year, or people infected by others who had been at the epicentre. The Briton caught the virus while attending a conference in Singapore and then passed it on to several compatriots while on holiday in the French Alps, before finally being diagnosed back in Britain. The 53-year-old said Tuesday he had fully recovered, but remained in isolation in a central London hospital. "The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire," Tedros said on Monday. - 'I'm scared' - The biggest cluster of cases outside China is aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan, where 135 people have been diagnosed. The ship has been in quarantine since arriving off the Japanese coast early last week after the virus was detected in a former passenger who had disembarked in Hong Kong. More than 100 people were evacuated from a 35-storey Hong Kong housing block Tuesday after two residents in different apartments tested positive for the virus. People were forced to leave as health officials in masks and white overalls scrambled to work out whether the virus had spread through the complex of about 3,000 people. "Of course I'm scared," a 59-year-old resident, who gave her surname as Chan, told AFP. The United States said Tuesday it had authorised non-essential consulate staff to leave Hong Kong "out of an abundance of caution" linked to the virus. - Torrent of criticism - Chinese authorities dismissed two senior health officials from Hubei and tightened restrictions in the capital Wuhan, forbidding people with fever from visiting hospitals outside of their home districts and sealing off residential compounds. Local authorities both in Wuhan -- where the virus is thought to have emerged in a market selling wild animals -- and Hubei have faced a torrent of criticism for hiding the extent of the outbreak in early January. The death of a whistleblowing doctor from Wuhan has sparked calls for political reform in China. Most deaths and cases are in Hubei. "The problem of human-to-human transmission has still not been solved in Wuhan," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist, as saying. "I believe that with enough venues, enough doctors, better protective gear and our various support teams, the situation in Wuhan should improve quickly, but it is still at a rather difficult stage," he said, forecasting a mid- to late-February peak in the outbreak. Toward the end of January, Zhong had expected a peak in a week to 10 days. President Xi Jinping has largely kept out of the public eye since the outbreak spread across the country. But he emerged on Monday, pictured wearing a mask and having his temperature taken at a hospital in Beijing. Xi called the situation in Hubei "still very grave" and urged "more decisive measures" to contain the spread of the virus. The virus has infected thousands in China and spread to dozens of other countries A Hong Kong police officer (L) wearing protective gear gestures as a resident (R) prepares to enter a housing estate where residents tested positive for the new coronavirus Chart showing global cases and deaths per day since January 25, when the total number of cases reached over 1,000 since the start of the epidemic. Steve Walsh of Britain says he has fully recovered, but he remained in hospital isolation and is believed to have passed on the virus to at least 11 other people -- without having been in China [February 11, 2020] Trilantic North America Acquires Stake in Gorilla Commerce Trilantic North America, a leading private equity firm, announced today that it has acquired a substantial interest in Gorilla Commerce (the "Company"), an e-commerce platform specializing in the development and sale of home and pet products through direct-to-consumer channels. Co-Founders and Co-Chief Executive Officers Jennifer Bernstein and Marissa Saporta continue to own a meaningful equity stake in the business and will continue to lead the Company through its next phase of growth. Founded in 2014 in Westport, Connecticut, Gorilla Commerce operates as a direct-to-consumer home and pet product development platform, utilizing a data-driven approach to product category selection through a systematic assessment of underlying market characteristics. The Company manages over three thousand SKUs across more than 30 product categories through a portfolio of brands that includes Gorilla Grip, Kangaroo and Sofa Shield, among others. "Jen and Marissa have developed an incredibly powerful system that harnesses data to capitalize on both the growth of the home goods product market and channel shift dynamics resulting from e-commerce penetration," said Jamie Manges, Partner at Trilantic North America. "At Trilantic North America, we remain dedicated to partnering with exceptional founder-owned businesses and are increasingly focused on investing in next generation companies that are leveraging technology to disrupt traditional consumer categories. We're trilled to partner with Gorilla Commerce, which exemplifies both these core attributes, and are excited to help guide the Company through its next chapter of development." "We're incredibly proud of the robust system we've built over the last five years and to partner with Trilantic North America, who shares our vision for the potential of our platform," said Bernstein. "Our partnership will fuel the continued growth of our existing product portfolio, accelerate the introduction of new products and enable our entry into new sales channels and geographic markets," said Saporta. Lincoln International acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Gorilla Commerce on the transaction. Kirkland & Ellis LLP provided legal advice to Trilantic North America. About Trilantic North America Trilantic Capital Management L.P. ("Trilantic North America") is a private equity firm focused on control and significant minority investments in North America. Trilantic North America's primary investment focus is in the business services, consumer, and energy sectors. Trilantic North America currently manages six private equity fund families with aggregate capital commitments of $9.6 billion. Trilantic North America has been recognized by Inc. Magazine's 2019 list of Top 50 Founder-Friendly Private Equity Firms. For more information, visit www.trilanticnorthamerica.com. About Gorilla Commerce Gorilla Commerce is dedicated to bringing our customers premium and functional household products at reasonable prices. As the owners and developers of brands including Gorilla Grip, Sofa Shield, Kangaroo, Grip Master, Ninja, GripMAX, Mighty Monkey and the Connecticut Home Company, our vision is to continuously innovate and improve our products based on customer needs and current industry trends. For more information, visit www.gorillacommerce.co. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005102/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] NORRISTOWN An Abington man is on his way to jail after he admitted to possessing child pornography. Keith Henry Lucas, 49, of the 100 block of North Easton Road, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 111/2 to 23 months in the county jail after he pleaded guilty to a felony charge of possession of child pornography in connection with incidents that occurred between April and May 2019. Judge Steven T. ONeill, who accepted a plea agreement in the case, also ordered Lucas to complete three years probation following parole, meaning Lucas will be under court supervision for about five years. Lucas also faces a 15-year requirement to report his address to state police in order to comply with Pennsylvanias Sexual Offender Registration and Notification Act. The judge ordered Lucas to comply with all recommendations set forth by court officials as part of sex offender supervision. At the time of Lucas arrest last May detectives alleged more than 100 images and 500 video files of child pornography were found on Lucas electronics equipment following the execution of a search warrant by detectives. The investigation began on April 10, 2019, when an Abington detective working with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was conducting an Internet investigation to identify people possessing and sharing child pornography. During that investigation, detectives located a computer on a file sharing network that was configured to share files with others, according to the arrest affidavit filed by Abington Detective Rick Beaghley. When investigators directly connected to the computer they downloaded 18 video files between April 10 and April 28 and determined the files depicted children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts or poses, according to the criminal complaint. Investigators traced the computer to Lucas residence and showed up there on May 3 with a search warrant, court papers indicate. During the search, detectives seized computer equipment and a hard drive. At that time, Lucas allegedly admitted to downloading movies and videos containing child pornography, according to the arrest affidavit. A forensic examination of the hard drive uncovered more than 100 images and 500 video files depicting children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts or poses, detectives alleged. These files included children engaged in sexual acts with adults and other children, being bound by ropes and bestiality, Beaghley alleged in the arrest affidavit. Other charges of criminal use of a communication facility were dismissed against Lucas as part of the plea agreement. Prosecutors said county detectives, along with specially trained detectives from police departments countywide, routinely work with the task force to protect children from Internet predators by aggressively investigating Internet crimes that exploit children. A tilt slab showroom/warehouse, Unit 1 at 270 Settlement Road, sold to national retailer Makin Mattresses for $1.75 million. CVAs Craig McKellar said the property sold just three weeks after being put on the market and prior to the campaign closing date. Fawkner A stone mason business looking for more space to expand their business to include distribution, wholesale, manufacturing has snapped up 42-44 Jessica Way for $5.6 million. ICR Property Groups Julian Materia and Raff de Luise negotiated the deal. The propertys current tenant, Adaptalift Group, is moving out to a larger premises. In another deal, the pair negotiated the sale of a property leased to Fawkner Body Repairs at 1259 Sydney Road for $3.05 million to a Queensland-based investor. Moorabbin Investor interest in petrol stations saw an ex-United service station on the corner of Warrigal Road and Cochranes Road sell off-market through Nichols Crowders Matt Nichols for $2.3 million. The purchaser was active in the service station market and was expected to upgrade the building and rebrand, Mr Nichols said. Fitzroy Michail Shalit and Andrew Waddell from Gross Waddell negotiated the sale of 80 Johnston Street for $980,000. The property has a ground-floor shop, lounge, kitchen and bathroom facilities with three offices/bedrooms on the first floor and car parking for two vehicles. Mentone A large 9084 sq m industrial site on two titles has sold through Crabtrees Real Estates Luke Pitcher and Megan Miles for $5.05 million. Sold for the first time in 34 years, 1 & 2 Steele Court includes an existing office and factory of 1097 sq m, along with substantial yard, and was sold with a short-term tenancy to Keller. LEASES Melbourne A fully fitted tenancy on Level 3 at 580 Collins Street has been leased to Fastrack Technology in a deal negotiated by Colliers Internationals Alissa Woods and Milly Stockdale. The 96 sq m office, offered with a turnkey office fit-out, was leased for gross face rent of $550 per sq m. We are seeing strong demand for small suites in Melbournes CBD, Ms Woods said. The office at 580 Collins Street. Thornbury St Vincent De Paul has secured a large High Street space on a long-term lease. Fitzroys agents Ervin Niyaz and Terence Yeh negotiated a 5+5+5-year deal with the not-for-profit agency for the ground floor of 885 High Street owned by AMC Invest Pty Ltd where it will open a new Vinnies store. Thomastown St Vincent De Pauls has also been expanding further north. They will open another Vinnies at 256 Settlement Road after securing a 1000 sq m showroom in a 5-year lease negotiated by Leedwell Propertys Nick Segran. Coburg Employment service Match Works will open at 7 Harding Street, joining Telstra, Maxima and Drummond street services in the building. The group signed up for 131 sq m on the ground floor retail at a rate of $50,000 per annum on a 3+2+2 year lease, or a building rate of $381, in a deal negotiated by CVA's Craig McKellar. Melbourne Hacer Group has signed up for 320 sq m at 31 Flinders Lane, bringing occupancy in the building to 100 per cent. Colliers Internationals Alissa Woods and Adam Davy said Hacer will use the space on level 5 as a site office for its 17 Spring Street project. Asking rents in the building are understood to be around $670 to $700 per sq m (gross). Camberwell Shoe supplier Step Ahead will move into 775 Burke Road, one of two recent deals on the retail strip. Step Ahead leased a 100 sq m space for 80,000 per annum net from Prowse Burns Philip Prowse. In another deal, Primal Physiotherapy took a 372 sq m showroom over two levels at 780-782 Burke Road at $96,000 net on a 5+5 year term. Dandenong South A 5825 sq m building at 11-13 Quality Drive has been leased to Columbia Australia on a 5+5 year rental for $450,000 plus GST and outgoings, Simple Industrial Commercials Tony Aminian said. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Kazakhstans Ambassador to Iran Askhat Orazbay and representatives of Qazvin Chamber of Commerce have discussed ways of promoting cooperation between Irans Qazvin region and Kazakhstans Aktau. As Iranian media reported, Askhat Orazbay has expressed the importance of improving the cooperation between Qazvin, which is one of the major Iranian industrial provinces, and Port Aktau in Kazakhstan. He added that both sides boast capacities to this end. Orazbay stressed that Iranian side made practicable proposals, one of which is creating a hub. He further noted that Port Aktau, which is also considered a free economic zone, has also been proposed for exchanging goods. "Officials of Port Aktau will travel to Qazvin in the near future. Kazakhs Embassy in Tehran is optimistic that both sides will achieve good and workable results during the trip," he stated. Orazbay called Kazakhstan as a very good place for investment, as 70 percent of foreign capital flowing to the five Central Asian countries enter through Kazakhstan. "Iran can export fresh and dried fruits, cement and certain industrial machinery and import chemical materials, metals, as well as some other items in exchange," Orazbay added. Note that in November, Kazakhstans ex-president Nursultan Nazarbayev, in a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, called for the expansion of mutual cooperation between the two countries in different fields. During the meeting in Kazakhstan's Nur-Sultan, Nazarbayev voiced his satisfaction in the current state of bilateral relations, and at the same time noted that Kazakhstan and Iran should try to further enhance their interactions in different fields. Zarif and Nazarbayev met on the sidelines of the Astana Club meeting in the Central Asian countrys capital. Bilateral ties, regional developments as well as other international issues were the topics discussed by Nazarbayev and Zarif during the meeting. Before meeting with Nazarbayev, the Iranian foreign minister held a meeting with his Kazakh counterpart, Mukhtar Tleuberdi. During the meeting, the two sides discussed trade and economic cooperation, especially within the Caspian Sea Legal Regime, ports, air transport cooperation and consular relations. Diplomatic relations between Kazakhstan and Iran were established on January 29, 1992. Kazakhstan supplies barley, wheat, rolled iron, meat, sunflower seeds and rapeseed to Iran, while importing pistachios, dates, apples, plastics, tableware and meat processing equipment from Iran. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz It is virtually impossible to understand the depth of sorrow that the family of Charlotte Murray have endured over the past seven years. They have had to come to terms with the knowledge that the man she was engaged to killed her. That alone is an awful burden for them to shoulder. But greater anguish was heaped on them by the callous behaviour of Charlotte's killer, Johnny Miller, in that her body has never been found. The family and police repeatedly have called on Miller to tell them how and where he disposed of the body, but he has refused to give up his secret. That has ensured that the family cannot find the closure that they so desperately yearn for. Seeing Miller convicted and jailed for life, with the judge saying he must serve at least 16 years before he can be considered for parole, the family have obtained justice, but that is not enough. They are being denied the basic right of being able to bury Charlotte, to give her a grave that the family can visit and to feel that, in a way, she has come home at last. Even the judicial process is not yet complete as Miller is appealing against his conviction and that will add further salt to the wounds of Charlotte's family until that court hearing is completed. The judge, police and Charlotte's identical twin sister all pointed to the consequences of Miller's silence - how it was denying her family closure and the ability to properly grieve their loss. It is suspected that Miller disposed of the body in an effort to cover his tracks and deny police any forensic evidence. If that was the case his refusal to give up the whereabouts of her remains is a cruel tactic which adds immeasurably to the suffering of the Murray family. Many people will agree with Charlotte's sister Denise's call for local politicians to bring in a law compelling convicted killers like Miller to tell the authorities where they have hidden a body. In the absence of any such admission, parole would be denied. That would be seen as justice and a proper penalty for those who would ensure that the suffering of the bereaved family would continue as long as they lived, not knowing where their loved one's body was hidden or how they died. As the law stands, 49-year-old Miller could be released on parole at the age of 65. Under a new Charlotte's Law, quite rightly in the eyes of many, he would not be able to look forward to that. She's newly single and ready to paint the town red. On Monday morning, after partying the night away at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, Vanessa Hudgens, 31, stepped out for solo outing in Los Feliz for a cup of coffee. The former Disney alum looked darling as she had her eyes glued to her phone while heading about her morning. Looking good: On Monday morning, after partying the night away at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party, Vanessa Hudgens stepped out for solo outing in Los Feliz for a cup of coffee She wore a simple white maxi dress with small little strawberries all over it complete with a pair of Gucci loafers. Her black fanny pack was flung across her chest as the bag draped behind her on her back. The Bad Boys For Life star wore her long dark hair pin straight complete with a pair of large gold hoops. Her attire: She wore a simple white maxi dress with small little strawberries all over it complete with a pair of Gucci loafers The night before, the actress stepped out for a night of fun for the Vanity Fair Oscar Party in Beverly Hills. She arrived donning a shorter hairstyle in a royal purple Vera Wang gown and Jimmy Choo shoes. Her dress had a plunging neckline complete with a long train that she appeared to be having fun with. Keeping busy: The actress had a hard time looking away from her phone after picking up a cup of joe On the go: The actress appeared to embrace the sunshine as after fueling her morning This Oscars week appearance comes just one month after it was announced that Vanessa and her longtime boyfriend Austin Butler had called it quits. The two spent nearly nine years together shortly after her 2011 split from Zac Efron. While the two have yet to make statements regarding their relationship status, neither have been photographed together in months after spending the holidays apart. Sunshine! Vanessa appeared to be enjoying the sunshine after traveling abroad the past couple of months Last night: The Hollywood star stunning in a royal purple gown by Vera Wang as she arrived at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party Dress appreciation: She took to her Instagram on Monday afternoon to appreciate her gown for the evening Technavio has been monitoring the electric wheelchairs market and it is poised to grow by USD 708.8 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 6% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005653/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global electric wheelchairs market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Increasing number of orthopedic and neurologic disorders has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high cost of electric wheelchairs might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Electric Wheelchairs Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Electric Wheelchairs Market is segmented as below: Product Dry-battery electric wheelchairs Wet-battery electric wheelchairs Geographic segmentation North America Europe Asia ROW To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30763 Electric Wheelchairs Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our electric wheelchairs market report covers the following areas: Electric Wheelchairs Market Size Electric Wheelchairs Market Trends Electric Wheelchairs Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing adoption of front-wheeled electric wheelchairs as one of the prime reasons driving the electric wheelchairs market growth during the next few years. Electric Wheelchairs Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the electric wheelchairs market, including some of the vendors such as Drive DeVilbiss Healthcare, Invacare, Pride Mobility Products, Roma Medical and Sunrise Medical. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the electric wheelchairs market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Electric Wheelchairs Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist electric wheelchairs market growth during the next five years Estimation of the electric wheelchairs market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the electric wheelchairs market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of electric wheelchairs market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005653/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ RIO DE JANEIRO - The Brazilian federal prosecutors office filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to suspend the appointment of a former missionary as head of the government body responsible for protecting uncontacted and recently contacted indigenous groups. The suit asks for the suspension of Ricardo Lopez Dias naming to the post, citing an evident conflict of interest and a possible reversal in Brazils long-established no-contact policy with such indigenous communities. The lawsuit also alleges a threat of genocide and ethnocide for indigenous people. Funai had no immediate comment on the suit. Prosecutors argue that to pick Dias, the indigenous affairs agency known as Funai, had to change its internal regulations and remove a prior requirement that meant the units co-ordinator-general had to be a career public servant. The suit says the move weakens Funais institutional capacity to protect self-determination and the lives of indigenous peoples. In recent interviews before his nomination was made official by the Justice Ministry last Wednesday, Dias said he would not seek to evangelize indigenous groups. But his work in the Amazon in 1997-2007 as a member of the New Tribes non-profit group has worried activists and human right defenders. Currently called Ethnos360, the Florida-based group sends missionaries from local churches around the world, many to indigenous territory. Brazil officially counts 28 groups of isolated indigenous peoples in the Amazon and the administration of President Jair Bolsonaro has said that indigenous groups should be integrated into Brazilian society. The president also believes their protected lands can hinder the countrys full economic potential. By Peter Nurse Investing.com - European stock markets edged lower Monday, as the partial reopening of factories across China was offset by signs of greater concern about the disease in Europe. At 03:40 ET (0840 GMT), the U.K.'s FTSE index was trading 30 points, or 0.4%, lower, France's CAC 40 was down 34 points, or 0.6%, while the DAX lost 55 points, or 0.4%. The Euro Stoxx 50 index, which measures the movement of blue chip stocks in the eurozone, fell 17 points, or 0.5%. The U.K. on Monday declared the virus a "serious and imminent" threat to public health, a measure that allows for the forcible quarantining of people suspected of carrying the disease. That follows growing fears of 'superspreader' events, illustrated by the confirmation of five cases in a French ski resort at the end of last week. The disease's symptoms can remain undetected for 14 days, and the cases in the resort were traced back to a single British business traveller to Singapore, who had apparently re-entered the U.K. while showing no symptoms. Workers in China travelled back to offices and factories around the country after the extended Lunar New Year holiday, A report that Apples main manufacturer, Foxconn, got the green light to resume some production has helped the overall tone, but a large number of workplaces still remain closed and many white-collar workers will continue to work from home. Elsewhere though, Kia Motors said it would stop production at all three of its sites in South Korea due to shortages of components, while over the weekend, Bloomberg reported that major copper producers were in talks with Chinese customers to let them defer purchases due to the collapse in near-term demand. The Chinese government pledged $10 billion to help fight the virus while the Peoples Bank of China moved to keep liquidity ample Monday through reverse-repurchase agreements. Even so, the death toll from the disease has officially overtaken that of the SARS outbreak almost two decades ago. China reported an additional 89 deaths on Sunday, bringing the total number of deaths in the mainland to 908, with over 40,000 people affected. Story continues The death of a whistleblower doctor last week and the disappearance of citizen journalists in Wuhan who were reporting on the outbreak have also raised suspicions that the scale of the outbreak may be being understated. Turning back to Europe, in corporate news, shares in Daimler (DE:DAIGn), the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars and trucks, rose 0.4% following a report that the German luxury carmaker plans to cut up to 15,000 jobs to cut costs in the face of a global demand slowdown. The group had said in November that it would cut at least 10,000 jobs and reduce staff costs by around 1.4 billion euros ($1.5 billion) by the end of 2022, but the newspaper Handelsblatt reported that these numbers would be significantly exceeded. Shares in Air France KLM (PA:AIRF) rose just 0.4% after announcing strong traffic numbers for January, rising 2.7% year-over-year. The group, which owns the French and Dutch flag carriers, also noted that its January traffic figures were barely affected by the coronavirus outbreak. Also, shares in Exor (MI:EXOR) climbed 4.1% after Reuters reported the investment group, which controls carmaker Fiat Chrysler, is in exclusive talks to sell reinsurer PartnerRe to Frances Covea in a deal which could be worth around $9 billion. Elsewhere, the oil market has edged lower Monday, after posting a fifth straight weekly loss last week. Combined losses over five weeks stood at more than 22% for both benchmarks, leaving them in bear market territory. AT 03:45 AM ET (0845 GMT), U.S. crude futures traded 0.7% lower at $50.00 a barrel and the international benchmark Brent contract fell 0.6% to $54.15. Related Articles Nightmare for Global Tech: Virus Fallout is Just Beginning European shares fall as coronavirus fears persist Irish Bank and Property Stocks Lead Slide After Sinn Fein Surge Residents of Baghdad rushed to have snowball fights or take photographs Tuesday as the Iraqi capital woke carpeted in white by only its second snowfall in a century. The last recorded snowfall in the city was in 2008, but it was a quick and mostly slushy affair, and prior to that, it had been a century since Baghdad saw any flakes. Iraqis young and old said it was the first time they had ever seen snow falling in Baghdad. Snowfall may continue until Wednesday given the very cold weather, said Amer al-Jaberi, media head of the Iraqi Meteorological Centre. This cold wave came from Europe, he told the AFP news agency. The people of Baghdad are more used to heat than cold. The highest temperature recorded in the capital was a searing 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit), a record it has neared several times in recent years. South of the capital, snow also carpeted the Shia holy city of Karbala, which draws pilgrims from around the world to its famed shrines, the golden-domed mausoleums of Abbas and Imam Hussein. Snowfall is more common in northern Iraq, where snow covered the war-battered city of Mosul, but in the centre and south, there is rarely enough precipitation. Iraq has been hit by a succession of extreme weather events in recent years. In 2018, chronic water shortages sparked a health crisis in the centre and south but the following year, heavy rains caused deadly flooding and significant damage to homes and crops. Blistering temperatures then hit the north triggering wildfires and scorching crops. Experts say Iraq lacks the funding or infrastructure to cope with climate change and the desertification of once productive land. Prince William and Kate Middleton are coming to Ireland next month, Kensington Palace has announced. The members of the Royal Family made the announcement following Prince Charles' visit to Cork in the summer of 2018. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official visit to Ireland between Tuesday 3rd March and Thursday 5th March, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office," a statement posted to Kensington Palace's Twitter account posted. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official visit to Ireland between Tuesday 3rd March and Thursday 5th March, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office #RoyalVisitIreland pic.twitter.com/hIE7dZ6wYR The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) February 11, 2020 We look forward to welcoming The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Ireland next month #RoyalVisitIreland https://t.co/tVPIZsYnRU British Embassy (@BritEmbDublin) February 11, 2020 It has not yet been confirmed where in Ireland the pair will visit on their trip. The Queen visited Ireland in 2011 in what was described by outgoing Tanaiste Simon Coveney as a "watershed moment" for British-Irish relations. Bamako, Mali (PANA) - A military chief of several pro-government groups and member of the Malian operational commandment mechanism (MOC), Yoro Ould Daha, was assassinated Sunday in the region of Gao by unidentified gunmen, reliable sources said here Tuesday The word lays like a time bomb, ticking away. It could explode at any moment. It is divisive and polarizing. It has both political origins and religious connotations, making it a double-jeopardy topic to steer clear of at social gatherings. To some, it is a label that advances righteous causes and promises to liberate. To others, it attacks righteous causes and implements dangerous agendas. Feminism. What Is Feminism? The definition of feminism can be different based not just on who you are, but what time period is being discussed. This is partially due to the fact that what feminism was at its outsetis not what it is now. The first feminists stood up for women as cherished equals to mensomething the Bible certainly agrees with. But over time, feminism became corrupted and fell farther from Gods truth. What path do modern feminists need to walk to get back to Gods beautiful intentions for women? Lets take a closer look at this movement to better understand its origin, its successes, its failures, and its future from a Biblical perspective. The History of Feminism from the Beginning The first wave of feminism officially began in 1848 with the Seneca Falls Convention, originally known as the Womens Rights Convention, in Seneca Falls, New York. Spearheaded by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, and later by Susan B. Anthony, this movement was populated by ardent anti-slavery activists. In fact, Stanton and Mott met 8 years prior at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London. Despite traveling around the world with their husbands to fight for the liberation of slaves, these women were denied admittance to the convention based solely on their sex. The irony is palpable. While fighting discrimination, these women were discriminated against. It was at the 1840 all-male world convention to liberate slaves that this pair of female crusaders resolved to hold a convention of their owna convention to liberate women. At that first convention, Stanton delivered an impassioned speech mirroring the Declaration of Independence, proclaiming, We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men and women are created equal! This discourse, known as The Declaration of Sentiments, began with 19 abuses and usurpations of women which included denying women the right to vote, to own property, to pursue higher education, to obtain profitable employment and equal pay, and to retain custody of children in the case of separation or divorce. Many of these grievances were rooted in the claim of a religious persecution, not just a civil one. In fact, most of feminisms founding mothers were deeply religious women. These abuses made a woman physically alive but civilly dead, according to the first feminist manifesto. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions, signed by one hundred attendees (68 women and 32 men), was ratified, and the womens rights movement was born. How Biblical Was the Early Womens Movement? The most conservative of Christians today would be hard-pressed to disagree with every item on the list of grievances. Indeed, many Christians would agree with them all. When you consider the ideal woman espoused in Proverbs 31, we see that she had many liberties that the 1800s woman did not. This virtuous woman in Scripture: Operates a business. (vs. 24) Has her own income and the prerogative to use that income as she sees fit. (vs. 16) Is a property owner. (vs. 16) Is the CEO of a vineyard. (vs. 16) It would seem that many if not all of the original abuses that the founding mothers of feminism fought are abuses that Scripture does not condone. It is not surprising that the abolitionists and early womens rights activists found a common cause with one other. The Successes of the Early Womens Movement By 1890, 42 years after the first womens rights convention, Many states had enacted laws granting married women property rights, equal guardianship over children, and the legal standing to make contracts and bring suit. Nearly one-third of college students were female In two western territoriesWyoming and Utahwomen voted on an equal basis with men. But full suffrage nationwide remained stubbornly out of reach. It took another 29 years, but women were finally granted the right to vote with the passage of the 19th amendment in 1919. The first wave of feminism influenced society in a very positive and Biblical way. Where Did Early Feminism Go Wrong? Despite moving society in a righteous direction, the most serious overstep of early feminism was perpetrated by its strongest driving force, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. In 1895, Stanton published The Womans Bible, a heretical anthology challenging the authority of Scripture in all things gender related. This was a bridge too far for her early feminist sisters, who fought for the proper application of Scripture, not an overhaul of Scripture. During the annual convention of the National American Woman Suffrage Association (NAWSA), both Stanton and her book were publicly censured. What began as a righteous fight for the first feminist, consumed her. The rights of women became all-encompassing to Stanton, and her zealousness caused her to enshrine womanhood as a deityan idolization that would, unfortunately, be fully realized in subsequent waves of this movement. The seeds of a dangerous extreme were there from the beginning, and they were poised to bloom. Todays Feminism from a Biblical Point of View With some critical areas of liberation left undone from the first wave of the womens movement, modern feminists could have returned to the Biblically sound voices of founding mothers like Lucretia Mott and Susan B. Anthony. But they didnt. Instead, they have followed in the footsteps of their most strident mother, Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Subsequent waves of feminism have departed from its Christian underpinnings, challenging Scripture in four key areas: 1. Modern Feminism Is Anti-Male. An anti-male shift has been brewing for decades in the feminist camp, but this mentality has come to the forefront recently. Dr. Philip Carl Salzman, Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at McGill University, tells us what modern feminism is really about: Contemporary feminism is not a liberation from sexism. It is true that feminism rejects anti-female sexism. But in place of anti-female sexism, it does not advocate gender-blind standards; it does not advocate treating individuals as complex human beings; it does not reject reducing people to their sex/gender. On the contrary, feminism, as indicated by its name, is a movement that sees people as defined by their gender, and lobbies for the interests of females. In short, feminism does not reject sexism, but advocates anti-male sexism. Modern feminism furthers the divide between the sexes. It elevates women at the expense of men, which is, ironically, the very type of injustice the early feminists fought against. Now, they are creating this injustice themselves. 2. Modern Feminism Is Anti-Family. Feminism has waged war with the family. In a shocking new book, Full Surrogacy Now: Feminism Against Family, Sophie Lewis declares, Where pregnancy is concerned, let every pregnancy be for everyone. Let us overthrow, in short, the family. Why would Lewis want to destroy the bedrock institution of every healthy society since the dawn of humanity? She claims that the family is the headquarters of discomfort, coercion, molestation, abuse, humiliation, depression, battery, murder, mutilation, loneliness, blackmail, exhaustion, psychosis, gender-straitjacketing, racial programming, and embourgeoisement. Thatis quite a list. Lewis is not alone in her condemnation of the family as the source of all evil. In an essay included in Frontline Feminism, Ellen Herman identifies the familyespecially, the western patriarchal, bourgeois, and child-centered, nuclear familyas the most important source of womens oppression. Women are oppressed by the very relationships that birth and raise them, according to modern feminism. These thoughts are extreme, but they are not new. Simone de Beauvoir, a radical second wave feminist, expressed the same ideas almost fifty years ago: As long as the family and the myth of the family and the myth of maternity and the maternal instinct are not destroyed, women will still be oppressed. According to militant modern feminism, family is a myth. The maternal bond is a fiction. These illusions are the source of womens oppression. The haven that God created to nurture mothers, fathers, and childrenis destroying women. So, feminists like Lewis, Herman, and Beauvoir are engaged in an all-out war on the family, which is an all-out war on the very institution God created to nurture and protect women. 3. Modern Feminism Is Anti-Mother. Betty Friedan is credited for ushering in the second wave of feminism with her 1963 game-changer for gals, The Feminine Mystique. The Washington Post said that with this book, Friedan almost single-handedly launched the second wave of feminism. And yet the mother of modern feminism had a very low opinion of motherhood. How low? She compared women who embrace motherhood fulltime to concentration camp victims. The women who 'adjust' as housewives, who grow up wanting to be 'just a housewife,' are in as much danger as the millions who walked to their own death in the concentration camps They have become dependent, passive, childlike; they have given up their adult frame of reference to live at the lower human level of food and things. The work they do does not require adult capabilities; it is endless, monotonous, unrewarding. American women are not, of course, being readied for mass extermination, but they are suffering a slow death of mind and spirit. (The Feminine Mystique, pgs. 367 & 369) The work of the mother is unfulfilling, mundane, and remedial. It causes a womans mind and spirit to die a slow and painful deathaccording to the mother of modern feminism. And she birthed a movement that has marginalized the mother ever sinceclaiming that her work is mindless and her accomplishments are insignificant. Now, a chorus of austere voices join Friedan from the modern feminist movement, with Simone de Beauvoir insisting, No woman should be authorized to stay home to care for her children, and Sarrah Le Marquand demanding, It should be illegal to be a stay-at-home-mum. God validates the struggle of women to become mothers in the stories of Sarah, Rebekah, Hannah, and Elizabeth. And He validates the arduous work we do in Proverbs 31. Modern feminism does not. 4. Modern Feminism is Anti-Life. You will find feminists today who do not tow the strident party line of being anti-male, anti-family, and anti-mother. But there is one area that is non-negotiable. Abortion. Reproductive rights are enshrined at the center of the modern feminist platform. The right to end life in the womb throughout all 40 weeks of pregnancy is sacrosanct. You cannot waiver on this issue and be a feminist today. Well, you can try, as some feminist groups havebut they wont let you. Headlines were made in 2017 when several pro-life womens groups tried to join the Womens March in Washington D.C. Three such groups were listed as partners of the event at one point. All were subsequently removed when pro-abortion groups complained. Bustle, a massive online womens magazine, stated the position of modern feminism succinctly in an article titled, Why You Cant Be Pro-Life & A Feminist: You cant be pro-life and a feminist because the pro-life movement inherently advocates for the subjugation of women, and there's no way to get around that fact. If there is no way to be pro-life and be a feminist today, then many Christians face a dilemma when considering the demands of the modern womens movement. There is no way to get around that fact. So, Can You Be a Christian and a Feminist? That depends on how you define feminism. If you align yourself with the original goals of feminism and want to see them fully realized, then there is a case to be made. But feminism is not what it used to be. The loudest voices in this movement today say that in order to be for women, you must be against men, against families, against mothers, and against life in the womb. You must be against what God is for. Its hard to be a Christian when you stand with those who oppose God. But, before we judge We must seek Gods perspective, not our own. Can I just say, in a moment of complete transparency, that I wanted to end this article by proving all the ways that modern feminism is wrong, dropping the mic, and walking away. As a woman who left behind a graduate degree and a career that I loved to homeschool five kids, Ive had quite a few nasty names hurled at me by feminists for leaving the workforce. Ive studied this topic intently and written about it for years. I authored an ebook describing all the ways modern feminism marginalizes and attacks women like me. So yes, indicting modern feminism, dropping the mic, and walking away is pretty enticing. But I cant. God wont let me. Because the second I hammer the gavel, God reminds me that only He is qualified to judge the condition of someones heart. Only He is qualified to determine the status of someones soul. We can judge the fruit, and we shouldbut only God knows what is at the root. And at the root of many unrighteous political positions are wounded people, in this case, women. Society treats women much better than it did when the first wave of feminism began, but women are still silenced, marginalized, belittled, and abused. Women still encounter prejudice in society and in the church. If you cant see what women face today, I encourage you to look harder in a sincere spirit of humility. The injustice that created the bitter roots of modern feminism does not excuse the unrighteous fruit, but understanding the injustice does foster empathy and compassion. And these are necessary ingredients for healing. Gods Priority for Modern Feminism As Christians, we must realize that Gods priority is not to indict the modern feminist. His priority is to heal her. In order for her to heal, we must look through Gods lens and see the wounds, past and present, that create and sustain her. Deep-seated wounds can fester for generations. Only a balm from our Heavenly Father can heal such wounds. For the brokenness of the daughter of my people I am broken; I mourn, dismay has taken hold of me. Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then has not the health of the daughter of my people been restored? (Jer. 8:21-22). God wants to heal his daughters. He wants to heal the bitter root feeding modern feminism. And He wants to use His children to apply the balm. That isnt an easy task, especially when the wounded daughters lash out at us and try to destroy what we love, what God loves. But we must remember that God loves all of his daughters, even the wounded ones. Especially the wounded ones. We must love them too. Catherine Segars is an award-winning actress and playwrightturned stay-at-home-momturned author, speaker, blogger, and motherhood apologist. She launched the Mere Mother website in October 2019, which delves into critical issues that marginalize mothers in our culture. This homeschooling mama of five is dedicated to helping mothers see their worth in a season when they often feel overwhelmed and irrelevant. You can find Catherines blog, dramatic blogcast, and other writings at www.catherinesegars.com and connect with her on Facebook. Photo Credit: GettyImages/robeo Catherine Segars is an award-winning actress and playwrightturned stay-at-home-momturned author, speaker, podcaster, blogger, and motherhood apologist. This homeschooling mama of five is the host of CHRISTIAN PARENT/CRAZY WORLD, a Life Audio podcast about raising godly kids in an ungodly world, and she is matron of the Mere Mother website, which delves into critical cultural issues that affect families and marginalize mothers. Catherine helps parents navigate through dangerous secular landmines to establish a sound Biblical foundation for their kids. You can find Catherines blog, dramatic blogcast, and other writings at www.catherinesegars.com and connect with her on Facebook. Listen to Catherine's FREE podcast - Christian Parent, Crazy World, available now at LifeAudio.com! Elated over their thumping victory in the Delhi Assembly polls and taking a dig at the BJP which has been riding high on the patriotism wave, AAP candidates asserted that the mandate given to them has proved what true nationalism is. The people of Delhi have explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate, AAP's prominent face Manish Sisodia said as he clinched victory on the Patparganj seat. Sisodia, who retained his seat for the third time, said the BJP indulged in " of hate", but people refused to be divided. "I am happy to have won the Patparganj seat again. The BJP indulged in of hate, but I thank the people of Patparganj. Today, Delhi's people have chosen a government which works for them and explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate," he told reporters. Sisodia, who was the Deputy Chief Minister and led the government's education reforms agenda, defeated BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi by a margin of over 3,500 votes. Raghav Chadha, who replaced sitting MLA Vijender Garg in Rajinder Nagar, defeated BJP's Sardar RP Singh by a margin of over 20,000 votes. "Mangalwar ko Bajrang Bali ne maza chakha diya (Lord Hanuman taught a lesson to BJP on Tuesday)," he told reporters. "Delhi's citizens have proved today that what Arvind Kejriwal did in the last five years was true nationalism. Delhi's voters have proved that Kejriwal is a true patriot. They have given their mandate to Kejriwal's model of governance. We will serve the people of Delhi more than we did in the last five years," he added. Atishi, who won from the Kalkaji seat, said "kaam ki rajneeti" ( of work) has won. "It was clear that people of Delhi had made up their minds about Arvind Kejriwal. They voted for him on the basis of his work. It's 'kaam ki rajneeti' which has won over the politics of hatred," Atishi told reporters. Atishi, who was trailing in the early trends, surged towards victory and defeated BJP's Dharambir Singh by a margin of over 11,000 votes. "Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in @AamAadmiParty and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhi's Govt. Schools the best in the country and now we'll make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi!," Atishi tweeted. Both Chadha and Atishi contested Assembly polls for the first time. They had unsuccessfully tested waters in the Lok Sabha elections last year. Hinting at the party's expansion of the Delhi model to other parts of the country, Gopal Rai said what can happen in Delhi can also expand to the whole country. "The whole country needs change. I urge my volunteers to prepare themselves. Get ready. What can happen in Delhi can expand to the whole country," he told reporters. Rai, who was a minister in the previous Arvind Kejriwal-led government, retained the Babarpur constituency by defeating BJP's Naresh Gaur. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) LAS VEGAS - Nevadas Democratic Party has announced new paper-based balloting for its early vote starting Saturday as it scrambles to reconfigure plans and avoid tech problems and reporting delays that mired Iowas first-in-the-nation caucuses. The party, which dumped its original plan to have people cast early caucus votes with an app downloaded on iPads, is working to simplify the process and build in additional redundancies that minimize errors, according to a memo from executive director Alana Mounce released Tuesday. Volunteers will use iPads loaded with a PDF of the Nevada voter roll to check in voters who show up to participate in four days of early voting, according to Mounces memo. Each voter will be given a card with the voter registration ID number and a PIN, both of which the voter will enter when checking in online via a Google form. Voters will then fill out paper ballots ranking their top choices for the Democratic presidential nominee. Paper ballots will be collected and taken to processing hubs, where theyll be scanned to read results. Early vote results will be kept secret until the main caucuses have started on the afternoon of Feb. 22, and any early votes cast will be added to those made in person at caucuses. The memo does not address how the party plans to share the early vote results with volunteers leading more than 2,000 precinct caucuses on Feb. 22, the main voting day. Nevada had originally planned to have volunteers use an app similar to the one used last week in Iowa, created by the same firm, to share that info and tabulate final results. The Nevada Democratic Party has not offered any timeline for providing more details. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, February 11) A community journalist from an alternative media outfit and four human rights members from left-leaning groups were formally accused with illegal possession of firearms, ammunition and explosives. This, after the Tacloban City Prosecutors Office on Monday found probable cause to charge Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Altermidya correspondent; Marielle Domequil, Rural Missionaries of the Philippines-Eastern Visayas finance officer; Mira Legion, Bayan-Eastern Visayas staff; Marissa Cabaljao, People Surge Network spokesperson; and Alexander Abinguna of Katungod Sinirangan Bisayas Karapatan, who on February 7, were arrested by Leyte police and military in simultaneous raids based on the search warrant issued by Judge Eligio Petilla from the Regional Trial Court Branch 44, renewing fears of a crackdown on dissenters of the current administration. Cabaljao was caught with her one-year-old baby. Legion and Cabaljao were allowed to post bail amounting to 120,000 each while no bail was granted to Cumpio, Domequil and Abinguna. Aside from facing complaints over supposedly violating the law on firearms and ammunition, Cumpio, Domequil and Abinguna were also charged for allegedly violating Section 3 of Presidential Decree 1866 or the Unlawful Manufacture, Sales, Acquisition, Disposition, Importation or Possession of an Explosive or Incendiary Device." Aside from the five individuals, now called the Tacloban 5, Rogelio Berino of the Samahan han Gugti nga mga Parag-uma was included as respondent in the case filed by the polices criminal investigation and detection group. Berino was not around during the early morning raid, but was included by government authorities in their complaint. Tacloban 5 is currently detained at the municipal police station in Palo town. Organizations have condemned the activists detainment and called for the immediate release of the five individuals, with the National Union of People's Lawyers saying the arrest order suited a premeditated planting of firearms and explosives. International rights group World Organisation Against Torture noted that since President Duterte became the country's chief, "human rights defenders have faced relentless vilification and red-tagging, and have been repeatedly subjected to trumped-up charges and lengthy pre-trial arbitrary detention, with the aim to discredit their legitimate work and to silence all critical voices." Left-leaning groups have been routinely tagged by government officials as fronts for communist rebels a charge that they have vehemently denied. CNN Philippines' Catherine Modesto and Wilmark Ali contributed to this report. Asia's biggest air show opened in Singapore Tuesday under the shadow of a deadly coronavirus outbreak that has forced companies to withdraw, kept visitors away and is battering the aviation industry. The biennial Singapore Airshow attracts hundreds of global aerospace firms and airlines to the financial hub, where they negotiate multi-million-dollar deals and watch spectacular aerial displays by fighter jets. But the virus -- which has killed more than 1,000 in China and spread to more than two dozen other countries -- is overshadowing this year's event. Singapore has so far reported 45 cases, and the city-state last week raised its health alert level to the same as during the deadly 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. Over 70 exhibitors decided to skip the air show and withdrawals include US aerospace giant Lockheed Martin, which makes warplanes and defence equipment, Canada's Bombardier and plane maker De Havilland. At least 10 Chinese companies have also pulled out after Singapore imposed a ban on people travelling from China in a bid to stem the spread of the virus. Organisers decided to push ahead but with precautions in place, such as limiting public tickets, screening participants with thermal scanners to detect fevers and asking them to greet one another by waving from a distance or bowing, instead of shaking hands. The enormous exhibition centre hosting the show, filled with a dizzying array of equipment from mock-ups of plane interiors to tanks and machine guns, looked emptier than at previous editions and few major deals are expected this year. - 'Worse than SARS' - Some 930 exhibiting companies are attending and around 40,000 trade attendees from more than 45 countries are expected during the four-day event, down from the previous edition of the show in 2018 when over 54,000 trade participants and more than 1,000 companies took part. Nevertheless, major players, such as Boeing -- seeking to recover from a crisis sparked by fatal crashes involving its 737 MAX model -- and Airbus, were still in attendance and some deals were signed. They included one by Franco-Italian plane maker ATR, which announced Papua New Guinea airline PNG Air would be a new plane's launch customer with an order for three. Despite Chinese exhibitors pulling out, China's air force sent an aerobatics team to take part in the aerial displays that are a highlight of the show. The Chinese fighter jets put on their display just ahead of US warplanes, a rare instance of the rivals' military aircraft in the same airspace. While Beijing and Washington have long been jostling for influence in Asia, Singapore maintains good ties with both. The mood is expected to remain subdued in Singapore this week as airlines reel from the impact of many nations barring Chinese travellers over the coronavirus outbreak. Aviation consultancy Ascend by Cirium said in an analysis this week there was a reduction in flights from and within mainland China by roughly 25 percent, and predicted the impact on the industry could be worse than during the SARS outbreak. "China is a larger part of the global economy and global airline traffic than in 2003," said Joanna Lu, the group's head of consultancy for Asia. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak, like the current coronavirus, began in China before spreading to many countries, and killed hundreds. The International Air Transport Association said it was too early to assess the full damage, but noted that during the SARS outbreak, Asia-Pacific airlines lost an estimated $6 billion in revenues. The tourism industry as a whole will suffer "a massive negative blow" due to bans on arrivals from China, said Rajiv Biswas, Asia-Pacific chief economist at IHS Markit. mba-sr/qan AIRBUS GROUP BOEING MARKIT LOCKHEED MARTIN IHS Global Insight BOMBARDIER NEW YORK A federal judge has cleared a major path to T-Mobiles $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint, as he rejected claims by more than a dozen states that the deal would mean less competition and higher phone bills. Though the deal still needs a few more approvals, T-Mobile expects to close it as early as April 1. Once that happens, the number of major U.S. wireless companies would shrink from four to three. T-Mobile says the deal would benefit consumers as it becomes a fiercer competitor to the larger Verizon and AT&T. The deal would also create a new, but smaller competitor as satellite TV company Dish pledges to build a next-generation, 5G cellular network. A group of state attorneys general tried to block the deal, arguing that having one fewer phone company would cost Americans billions of dollars in higher bills. Consumer Reports said the three remaining companies would have fewer incentives to compete on prices and quality. Judge Victor Marrero in New York said Tuesday that the companies insistence that the deal would cut prices and the states insistence that the deal would raise prices essentially cancel each other out. Instead, he chose to rely on what wireless executives have done in the past and what they commit to doing in the future in an industry that is changing rapidly. T-Mobile has pushed in recent years such consumer-friendly changes as restoring unlimited data plans. Marrero said he found that T-Mobile executives were credible at trial in promising to continue competing aggressively with AT&T and Verizon. The judge also agreed with the companies that Sprint was at best struggling to even tread water and would not last as a national wireless competitor. He also said that he is persuaded that the U.S. Justice Departments side deal with Dish, which sets up the satellite TV provider as a new wireless company, would reduce the threat to competition. Marreros decision comes after the Justice Department already approved the deal. Another judge still needs to approve the Dish settlement, a process that is usually straightforward but has taken longer than expected. A utility board in California also has to approve the deal. New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of the leading attorneys general in the case, said her office was considering an appeal. She said Tuesdays ruling marks a loss for every American who relies on their cell phone for work, to care for a family member, and to communicate with friends. Gigi Sohn, a fellow at the Georgetown Law Institute for Technology Law & Policy, said that while consumers are often promised benefits from mergers, what they are left with each time are corporate behemoths that can raise prices and destroy competition. Sprint shares jumped $3.42, or 71%, to $8.22 in midday trading after the ruling came out. T-Mobile shares rose $8.64, or 10%, to $93.17. Verizon shares fell nearly 3% and AT&T nearly 1%. T-Mobile launched its bid for Sprint in 2018, after having been rebuffed by Obama-era regulators. T-Mobile CEO John Legere had seen President Donald Trumps election and his appointed regulators as a good opportunity to try again to combine, according to evidence during the trial. T-Mobile, which promised not to raise prices for three years, repeated previous arguments that the combined T-Mobile and Sprint will be able to build a better 5G network a priority for the Trump administration than either company could alone. In his ruling, Marrero said that while both Sprint and T-Mobile will provide 5G service without the combination, their standalone networks would be more limited in scope and take longer to build. The deal got the nod from both the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission, thanks to an unusual commitment to create a new wireless player in Dish. T-Mobile agreed to sell millions of Sprints prepaid customers to Dish. T-Mobile also has to rent its network to Dish while the fledgling rival built its own. Dish is also required to build a 5G network over the next several years. Dish co-founder Charlie Ergen said in a statement that the ruling will accelerate its ability to deploy 5G and that its growth as a new competitor will bring lower prices, greater choice and more innovation to consumers. The states had said that Dish wasnt certain to succeed as a wireless company and was far smaller than Sprint, and the resulting wireless market would still be worse for consumers. Dish has spent about $21 billion over a decade buying wireless spectrum, the airwaves for transmitting data and calls, although Dish hasnt done much with it. Analysts have long been skeptical of whether Dish intends to build its own network or sell the spectrum to others. Now Dish faces up to $2.2 billion in fines if it fails to create a 5G network that serves 70% of the country by 2023. Some analysts have said that Dish has potential as a viable competitor, but a big question is when. Even if it meets the 2023 government-imposed deadline, it still wont reach as many potential customers as Sprints current-generation 4G network does today. George Slover, senior policy counsel for Consumer Reports, said Sprint was an established carrier with a track record of spurring competition, while Dish is an unproven newcomer that will have to build its mobile phone network and services from scratch. The coalition of state attorneys general that brought the case were led by New York and California and were joined by Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Wisconsin and the District of Columbia. T-Mobile, based in Bellevue, Washington, is owned by the German telecommunications company Deutsche Telekom. Sprint is based in Overland Park, Kansas, and is owned by Japans SoftBank. ___ AP Technology Writers Matt OBrien in Providence, Rhode Island, and Mae Anderson in New York contributed to this story. At least two civilians and four military personnel killed in bombing that targeted government-run military academy. A suicide attack targeting a military academy has killed at least six people in Kabul early on Tuesday, in what was the first major assault in the Afghan capital in months. Along with the six two civilians and four military personnel killed, 12 other people, including five civilians, were wounded in the attack, said Nasrat Rahimi, the Ministry of Interior spokesman. The Ministry of Defense, however, said five people were killed in the attack that took place at the gate of the Marshal Fahim Military Academy at approximately 7am (02:30 GMT), Reuters News Agency reported. It was a big explosion that rocked our house. We also heard gunfire afterwards. Ambulances rushed to the area quickly, resident Samiullah, who goes by one name, told AFP. A security source speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP that the attacker was on foot when he targeted a vehicle near a checkpoint as it was entering the academy, known as Sandhurst in the Sand in reference to the famous British school. At least six people have been killed in the first major attack in the Afghan capital in months [Omar Sobhani/Reuters] The military academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an ISIL-claimed assault last May that left six people dead. Marshal Fahim Military Academy The academy is named after Mohammed Fahim, Afghanistans late vice president and a military commander of the Northern Alliance that fought the Taliban. It was inaugurated in 2013. British troops in Afghanistan oversaw the establishment of the academys officer school and training programme. It was also the site where US Army Major General Harold J Greene died the highest-ranking US military officer to be killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Greene, then deputy commander of NATOs transition force in the country, was shot and killed by an Afghan soldier in a so-called insider attack that was later claimed by the Taliban in August 2014. No immediate claim of responsibility No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes after nearly three months of relative calm in the capital. Tuesdays blast comes as Washington and the Taliban wrangle over a possible deal that would see US troops begin to leave Afghanistan in return for security guarantees from the Afghan armed group. The Taliban have refrained from attacking major urban centres, though violence in the provinces has continued, bringing frequent attacks on Afghan and US security forces. The last major attack in the capital was in November 2019, when at least 12 people were killed by a minivan packed with explosives that targeted a foreign security companys convoy during Kabuls morning rush hour. The Taliban today control or hold sway over nearly half of Afghanistan and are at their strongest since the 2001 US invasion that toppled the armed group. The US and the Taliban had been negotiating for a year and were on the brink of a deal in September 2019 when President Donald Trump abruptly declared the process dead, citing continuing Taliban violence. Talks were later restarted in December in Qatar, but paused again following an attack near the US-run Bagram military base in Afghanistan. As talks have fluctuated, violent attacks in the country have raged, with the number of clashes jumping to record levels in the last quarter of 2019, according to a recent US government watchdog report. A Boston police officer shot a man who stabbed a person multiple times and then tried to attack the officers partner Monday night, authorities said. The two officers were on patrol around 11:37 p.m. when they noticed two men in an altercation outside 208 Adams St. The policemen stepped out out of their vehicle and tried to intervene, Boston Police Department Commissioner William Gross said in a statement. These officers witnessed two adult males fighting, Gross said. One of the adult males was wielding a knife and actively stabbing the victim. A 48-year-old man is accused of stabbing a 32-year-old man once in the neck and twice in the back. When one officer tried to break up the attack, the suspect allegedly tried to stab the officer, police said. The officers partner then shot the man in the thigh, according to Gross. Police immediately used first aid on the suspect and applied a tourniquet to his leg. Boston EMS took both men to local hospitals, where they are both in stable condition, the commissioner said. The officers were not injured during the confrontation. Authorities will interview both men to try to find out what led to the fight, according to the commissioner. Police did not say whether any charges were filed against the alleged suspect. It was a very violent attack, Gross said. The commissioner urged anyone with information about the incident to call 1 (800) 494-TIPS. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:58:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close ALGIERS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Algerian Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum denied Libya's UN-backed government was discontented over his meeting with General Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army. Boukadoum made the remarks in a statement to reporters during an open session of the Algerian parliament on Tuesday. He stressed that Algeria's position is "clear towards the brothers in Libya, either in Tripoli or Benghazi." Boukadoum had made a surprise visit to Benghazi on Feb. 5 during which he met with Haftar and other officials as part of a new course Algeria started to end the Libyan crisis based on a peaceful political solution through dialogue. Oxx, a London, UK and Stockholm, Sweden-based focused B2B software investor, raised $133m to back Europes most promising SaaS companies from series A and beyond. The fund is backed by leading investors, including British Patient Capital, Pool Re, PFR, OurCrowd and a number of other institutions, family offices and high net worth individuals. Founded by Richard Anton and Mikael Johnsson in 2017, Oxx invests broadly across software applications and infrastructure, with a particular interest in five key themes data convergence & refinery, future of work, financial services infrastructure, user empowerment, and sustainable business. The firm uses a model that encourages portfolio companies to build sustainable businesses that can retain market dominance, rather than push for a one-size-fits-all growth at all costs model. Oxxs current portfolio companies are: Apica, a Performance monitoring tool for companies with complex IT infrastructures Codility, a comprehensive tech recruiting platform for hiring at scale Funnel, an automated performance reporting and intelligence for businesses ThinkTank, a cloud-based stakeholder engagement system for enterprises Zift, a provider of a Channel sales, marketing and operations technology platform. Anton and Johnsson are joined by Robert Easton, who was previously head of several Carlyle Group funds, as Senior Adviser. FinSMEs 11/02/2020 This service applies to you if your subscription has not yet expired on our old site. You will have continued access until your subscription expires; then you will need to purchase an ongoing subscription through our new system. Please contact The Chanute Tribune office at 620-431-4100 if you have any questions by Rose Ingberman | Coyotes Correspondent | Mon, Feb 10th 9:41pm EST In return, the Penguins acquired forward Jason Zucker from the Wild, per GM Jim Rutherford. (Penguins Media Release) Fantasy Impact: Galchenyuk is a back-line winger who was getting minimal ice time, so fantasy players should not be concerned with his loss. Zucker has 29 points in 45 games. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ross B. Taylor (The Jakarta Post) Perth, Australia Tue, February 11 2020 Know thy neighbors: Students from Western Australia color traditional Kamasan paintings in a studio in Denpasar, Bali, as part of learning local culture. President Joko Jokowi Widodo visited Australia from Saturday to Monday to further cement the good relations between the two neighbors. (JP/Zul Trio Anggono) As President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo addressed the Australian Parliament in Canberra on Monday, officials from both countries can now breathe a little easier in the knowledge that the bilateral relationship is in good shape. Australia continues to enjoy a positive working relationship between the Australian Federal Police and the Indonesian National Police that goes a long way to keeping over 1.2 million Australians safe while vacationing in Bali each year. The respective defense forces are increasing their communications and activities as our region becomes less stable. 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 Michigan senators on Tuesday gave their final approval to additional tax breaks for Switch, the company behind a West Michigan data center. Switch initially came to the legislature and secured specialized tax breaks for data centers in 2015. In 2016, the company signed an agreement with the state allowing it to operate virtually tax-free at the site. But in 2019, the company claimed an ambiguity in state law resulted in Gaines Township - the municipality where the data center is located - charging Switch property taxes related to school debt and millages. Senate Bill 455, sponsored by Sen. Jim Stamas, R-Midland, would exempt Switch from paying property taxes levied by a local unit of government to pay for its obligations, along with regional enhancement property taxes, certain mills for operating purposes, and sinking fund taxes from the revised school code. Late last year, the legislation squeaked through the House with a 55-53 vote. On Tuesday, senators voted to concur in House changes to Senate Bill 455 25-12, which included tying the bill to House Bills 5187 and 5188 - which aim to hold schools harmless by having the general fund reimburse the School Aid Fund for dollars lost because of the additional Switch tax breaks. Those bills also passed the Senate Tuesday in 35-2 and 34-3 votes, respectively. All three bills will now head to Gov. Gretchen Whitmers desk for consideration. The votes come after Switch reached an agreement with local school districts, who initially pushed back against the bill on grounds that the company was trying to avoid paying its fair share to support public education. House changes to the legislation scaled back the initial ask from Switch and would exempt the company and its clients from personal property taxes but require the company to pay real property taxes. An analysis from the nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency estimates the legislation would initially save Switch and its clients $242,000 in taxes. The amount of foregone tax revenue would rise as investment in the pyramid increases, according to the analysis. Back in 2015, Switch projected it would create 1,000 jobs in Michigan. As of November 2019, the company had created 74 full-time jobs and 800 construction jobs. Related coverage: Lawmakers gave big tax breaks to Switch data center. Are they working? Switch data center seeking additional tax breaks from Michigan lawmakers Switch, schools reach tentative agreement over controversial tax breaks Turkey says 5 soldiers killed as Syrian army advances in Idlib Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 2:49 PM Five Turkish soldiers have been killed in an attack by advancing Syrian government forces against a Turkish military post in northwest Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry says. According to a statement by Turkey's Ministry of National Defense on Monday, the attack on the base in the Taftanaz area in the volatile Idlib province also wounded five Turkish soldiers. Taftanaz is situated some 17 kilometers northeast of the eponymous provincial capital. Reuters quoted an unnamed source from a Turkish-backed militant group as saying that the Syrian army troops had shelled the Turkish base. It also cited some witnesses that Turkish choppers flew into the area to evacuate the wounded. Last week, seven more Turkish troopers were killed in Idlib after their position came under shelling from Syrian government forces. The Syrian army, backed by Russian air cover, has already regained almost all territories once controlled by terrorists, except portions of Aleppo and large swaths of Idlib, the last stronghold of Takfiri militants. Turkey claims 115 Syrian govt. targets hit, 101 destroyed Later on Monday, Ankara claimed that its forces have hit 115 Syrian government targets and destroyed 101 of them in retaliation for the attack on Turkish soldiers in Syria's militant-held northwest. Issuing a statement, Turkey's Defense Ministry said its forces will continue to retaliate any attacks on its troops, who are manning observation posts in the far northwest of Syria. "Up to now, 115 (Syrian) targets were immediately fired upon, and 101 elements were neutralized according to initial information from various sources," the ministry added. The statement then said, "It was found that three tanks and two mortar positions were destroyed, while one helicopter was also hit." In August last year, Syrian troops commenced an ongoing full-scale offensive to flush terrorists out of these two regions and so far have made significant advances. The Syrian army says it is resolute to crush militants in these two regions and pave the way for the safe return of the displaced to their homes. However, Turkey, which supports some militant groups in Idlib, has recently boosted its military presence in the flashpoint province to impede increasing advances by the Syrian army troops. An unnamed militant commander told Reuters that militants had launched an attack against the Syrian army troops near the recently-liberated Saraqib city with the help of Turkish military earlier on Monday. The news agency also cited witnesses as saying that Turkish troops had shelled Syrian military positions in the region. Turkey, which currently hosts some 3.6 million Syrian refugees, claims that the Syrian government's operation in Idlib will send more refugees to the Anatolian country and that it cannot absorb any more. Ankara has also called on Damascus to pull back in Idlib by the end of the month or face Turkish action. Over the past four years, the Turkish military has staged at least two unauthorized invasions into northern Syria to push back against Kurdish militants, which Ankara accuses of harboring subversive intentions against the Turkish administration. Syria has denounced the offensives, saying it would respond in kind if the need arose. The fresh Turkish deployment in Idlib came as Turkish and Russian officials, whose countries support opposing sides in Syria's nearly nine-year war, met in Ankara to discuss the fighting in the last major enclave of militants. The two sides held three hours of inconclusive talks over the weekend, agreeing to meet again next week. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Disinfectant is sprayed on a vehicle entering the Korea Defense Language Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The facility will house the third batch of evacuees from the coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan, who are scheduled to arrive Wednesday. / Yonhap By Kang Seung-woo A third government-chartered plane flew to the coronavirus-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan, Tuesday, to evacuate 170 Koreans and their Chinese family members. According to the foreign ministry, the flight left Incheon International Airport at 8:39 p.m. and is due to return to Gimpo International Airport Wednesday morning. "The charter flight plans to bring back 170 citizens and their immediate family members, including Chinese nationals," Vice Health Minister Kim Gang-lip, who doubles as deputy head of the central disaster headquarters, said in a regular media briefing earlier in the day. "Those who pass through the Chinese authorities' quarantine check will be able to board." He added a foreign ministry quick response team, comprised of doctors, nurses and quarantine officials, would be on the plane. According to the government, currently there are 230 people slated for evacuation from the capital of Hubei Province, which has been locked down since Jan. 23 due to the coronavirus epidemic that has killed more than 1,000 people in China. The third evacuation flight came a day after the Chinese government approved the charter flight retrieving Koreans and their spouses and children who hold Chinese passports. "We received official approval for the flight last night," Kim said. Gov't advises against traveling to Southeast Asia Seoul city offers coronavirus information in 12 languages Couples in dilemma over wedding ceremony amid coronavirus fears A government-chartered Korean Air flight flew to Wuhan twice late last month to extract 701 citizens, but the Chinese government was reluctant to allow their family members with Chinese nationality to leave the city to avoid negative sentiment from people there over "preferential treatment." As a result, some Koreans chose to stay in Wuhan. The Korean consulate general in Wuhan had informed the Chinese evacuees of the need to prepare documents, such as marriage certificates, to verify their family status. Upon arrival, they will be transported to the Korea Defense Language Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, 80 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and quarantined there for 14 days, the incubation period of the virus. The first two batches of evacuees from Wuhan are temporarily staying at two other state-run facilities, one in Asan, South Chungcheong Province, and the other in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province. The evacuation plane also delivered face masks and medical supplies to provide to the consulate general in Wuhan and residents of the city. According to the government, those who have not applied for the evacuation flight appear to have decided to stay in Wuhan due to their jobs, but it said there is no envisaged plan to send a fourth flight. I salute the university professors who support the competition and look forward to yet another year of networking with the promising financial professionals of the future...IARFC Trustee Chair and CEO, H. Stephen Bailey, MRFC. For 2020, the following students will be gearing up for their live presentation to IARFC Trustees and US Chapter Board Directors: Abigail Adams and Zachary Wakamatsu, Utah Valley University Associate Professor Dr. Luke Dean Allison Biddix and Michael Austin, Western Carolina University Dr. Patrick Payne Jackie Battles, University of North Texas Adjunct Professor Dave Ragan Our students really rose to the challenge provided by the IARFCs National Financial Plan Competition, observed Dr. Patrick Payne of Western Carolina University. It expanded their horizons and encouraged them to dive deep into the planning process. We are very proud of them and their hard work on this competition! The National Financial Plan Competition is organized through the IARFC for undergraduate students in a curriculum related to Financial Services and supported in part by IARFC members and corporate backers such as 2020 sponsors Money Concepts Capital Corp. and Envestnet MoneyGuide. This competition gives students an exercise in real-world practices that of analyzing a clients situation and critically thinking a course of action. In many cases, professors have used this exercise as part of their curriculum. Participants were given a fictional case study of a family and an overview of their financial picture. From that data, teams were asked to produce a financial plan with recommendations for current and future action. I am extremely proud that our competition prepares students for their financial services career. Developing a financial plan is at the core of what we do. By participating in the event, the teams gain valuable experience in how that process works. I salute the university professors who support the competition and look forward to yet another year of networking with the promising financial professionals of the future. IARFC Trustee Chair and CEO, H. Stephen Bailey, MRFC. The competition will be judged this year by the IARFC Trustees and the US Chapter Board of Directors. Both Boards will convene in Cincinnati, OH for their annual meeting where the actual live presentation finals will take place on Thursday, April 23. For information on the IARFC National Financial Plan Competition and how to become a Corporate Sponsor or an Individual Donor, visit https://www.iarfc.org/events/nfpc. Matiala Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Matiala constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Matiala Assembly Elections 2020 | Incumbent AAP MLA Gulab Singh defeated Rajesh Gahlot of the BJP by winning 1,39,010 votes against Gahlot's 1,10,935. The Matiala constituency has the largest electorate and also the highest number of first-time voters, which are 7,184. It is one constituency where wooing the big constituent villages will hold the key to political power. The constituency, which is part of the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, is situated close to the Haryana border and went to the polls on 8 February. It was predicted that the constituency would see a triangular contest between the incumbent AAP MLA Gulab Singh Yadav and his predecessors Sumesh Shokeen of the Congress and Rajesh Gahlot of the BJP. On 23 January, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal took out a roadshow in the Matiala Assembly constituency, surrounded by scores of supporters. Kejriwal, atop an open yellow coloured jeep, waved to the public and shook hands with them as his roadshow moved through the narrow lanes of the Matiala Assembly. He was accompanied by Matiala MLA Gulab Singh Yadav, PTI reported. Holding placards in support of various schemes of the government, including free healthcare, and electricity, AAP supporters danced to the tune of 'Lage Raho Kejriwal' (the party's anthem), the report said. Here is a look at Matiala Assembly constituency:w Constituency name: Matiala Constituency number: 34 District name: South West Total electors: 3,47,396 Female electors: 1,57,589 Male electors: 1,89,777 Third gender: 30 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The constituency came into existence in 2008 after the delimitation exercise. While Congress' Shokeen won the seat in the 2008 polls, he was defeated by BJPs Gehlot in 2013. In the last elections, AAPs Yadav trounced Gehlot by over 47,000 votes. Demographics: It is a significantly rural constituency and is also known to be the largest constituency in the Union Territory. Jats, Ahirs, Tyagis are the dominant sections of the electorate, while there are several migrants from the Poorvanchal region too. The lawmakers and tribal leaders said that native American burial sites in Arizona have been destroyed by the construction crews to build the US President Donald Trump's border wall between US and Mexico. According to international reports, the authorities have confirmed that 'controlled blasting' has started in Organ Pipe Cactus National Movement at Tohono O'odham Nation which is a United Nations-recognised natural reserve about 185 kilometres west of Tucson. UNESCO has designated Organ Pipe which is also known as Monument Hill as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976 and has called it 'a pristine example of an intact Sonoran Desert ecosystem'. However, the officials have claimed that the aim of the project is to construct a steel barrier 30-feet long which will run for 43 miles on the national parkland. Read - Palestinians Rally Against Trump's MidEast Plan O'odham was not consulted While reacting to the news, a Democratic lawmaker reportedly called the destruction as 'sacrilegious' and added that the federal government failed to consult the Tohono O'odham Nation whose people buried warriors from the rival Apache tribe there. According to the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources, Grijalva the destruction which she saw is against the indigenous groups who were laid to rest. Read - Delhi Elections: Development Trumps Communal Politics Declares Stalin As AAP Soars Ahead Grijalva further said that Trump administration is 'basically trampling' on the history of the tribe and its ancestors. Tribal chairman Ned Norris Jr told a local media outlet that even though the land is now controlled by the White House, the people have inhabited the area since 'time immemorial'. According to international media reports, an internal report from the National Park Service has said that Donald Trump's signature campaign promised in 2015 would destroy up to 22 archaeological sites within Organ Pipe alone. However, Trump administration has pulled hundreds of millions of dollars from several government accounts to construct a barrier through 450 miles between US and Mexico. Earlier this month, the government had also announced that the wall had reached the 100-mile mark by replacing the existing portions of the wall with new, enhanced designs. Nearly half a mile was constructed brand new in the Rio Grande Valley as no wall had previously existed. Read - Trump Campaigns As 2nd Amendment Warrior Read - Trump Proposes $150 Million In 2021 Budget To Build Nuclear Reserve (With agency inputs) Big companies dominate the sector with companies like BP (NYSE: BP), Chevron (NYSE: CVX), ExxonMobil (NYSE: XOM), and Royal Dutch Shell (NYSE: RDS-A) (NYSE: RDS-B). The fundamental landscape of the Canadian oil and gas sector has undergone significant changes during the last five years. And now there are very positive signs that serve as good evidence of the continued commitment to high environmental standards and focus to sustainability. Moreover, case studies show the adaptability and resilience of the Canadian oil and gas sector to this landscape that has changed dramatically over a very short period of time. Moreover, according to Deloitte Canada, Canadian crude oil prices are expected to strengthen and natural gas prices are expected to continue to improve in 2020 and even more than during 2019. AOC Is Putting All Its Eggs Into One Basket In Canada Advantagewon Oil Corp., (OTC: ANTGF) has identified numerous opportunities in Canada over the course of the last six months. And they have just announced the company has sold all of its remaining US assets to Emerald Bay Energy Inc., (OTC: EMBYF). The assets mainly comprise of 30 oil and gas leases currently producing approximately 15 bbs/day of oil. The company has received both a cash payment of Fifty Thousand Dollars ("50,000.00") CDN and the Corporation Sixty Million ("60,000,000") common shares of EBY which are valued at Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ("$300,000.00") CDN. But going into further details of the deal, these shares will be held in trust by the Corporation's assignee until the last day of the year at which point, or prior to the deadline, EBY will purchase them back for a pre-set price of $300,000.00 USD. Moreover, if EBY would choose not to purchase back the shares it issued, all of the 60,000,000 Common Shares will then be returned to EBY's treasury and a Royalty Structure will be formed to debut on Jan 1st, 2021. This royalty structure will pay the Corporation a maximum of Four Hundred Thousand Dollars ("$400,000.00") USD and once the Corporation has received the $400,000.00 USD from EBY, the royalty interests will revert fully to EBY. Story continues Additionally, the Corporation will also receive the return of Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ("$250,000.00") USD from the Railroad Commission of Texas. Namely, this is due to a bond the Corporation had to post to the Commission as otherwise it could not commence operations in the State of Texas. The Corporation intends on using the funds it will receive from the Railroad Commission of Texas to secure another Canadian based well and for general working capital purposes. On the beginning of the month, the company already announced it is expanding and advancing its Canadian operations by entering into an agreement whereby it acquired a working rights interest to a former operating well that has a historic production record of between 20 and 30 Barrels of Oil Per Day ("BOPD"). Along with this agreement, the company is also committed to funding and implementing a workover program with the purpose of recommissioning the well that it is acquiring. Once this initiative is complete and the well is both recommissioned and restored, the company's working interest becomes the entire pie, 100 percent to be exact. Why Is AOC different? When it comes to the oil industry, the majority of your business models exploit the resource and then run away. And in today's world that is putting an emphasis on sustainability as we only have one planet to live in, this is nothing more than a poor business model. And no company should be drilling those wells if they don't have the financial capacity to take care of the obligations they themselves created. For that reason, Canada's Supreme Court ruled last year that insolvent or bankrupt companies must clean up their wells before paying back creditors. It is really no different than kids playing with their toys and going and starting something else without cleaning up what said they've already made a mess of. But not AOC. During 2019, Advantage achieved several important milestones in its focused transition phase, as demonstrated by its results that met expectations. These achievements have positioned the Corporation for a step change in oil and condensate production in 2020, enhancing the company's portfolio of investment opportunities while preserving its low-cost and low-risk business model. It is thanks to its expertise that the company is continuously building consistent cash flow from low cost and low risk oil wells. And after its uniquely enhanced recovery strategy is successfully applied, AOC will repeat the process throughout the oil pool to maximize output and minimize cost and risk. So it sure seems it has made all the right preparations for a good year ahead, in Canada! US Sector Is Eyeing New Legislative Sanctions Regarding Climate Change The oil and gas sector contributes to around $1.5 trillion to the US gross domestic product, employing about 880,000 workers. But the most important fact is that the US recently moved from being a net importer of oil and petroleum products and natural gas to a net exporter as a part of a global seismic shift in world oil and gas markets. Unfortunately, this also triggered the fact more than half of US greenhouse emissions. In 2017, a study found that only 100 companies were responsible for 70% of greenhouse emissions, we can only imagine how far this number has gone. Oil companies are forced to take actions regarding climate change but legislation, if stricter, will surely make them do it more quickly. This is also creating a problem for recruitment as more and more young people are willing to make a positive difference and for that reason shift away from the oil and gas industry due to poor practices. It is no secret the legacy of old and idle oil wells are California's toxic multibillion dollar problem potentially threatening the health of all those nearby and handing over taxpayers quite a clean-up. But for now, the giants are managing to stay well above water despite quite heavy industry headwinds. ExxonMobil (NYSE: COM) shares have lagged behind their peers lately but its optimal integrated capital structure and status in the energy space have helped it come up with industry leading returns. Although the company's chemical business underperformed with significantly lower than expected returns, it still owns some of the most prolific upstream assets globally. America's second energy company's, Chevron (NYSE: CVX), shares have also struggled lately along with other energy stocks but they still did better than their peers as a whole. But Chevron at least earned a status as one of the most suitable globally to achieve a sustainable production ramp-up as its existing project pipeline is the among the best in the industry. And they managed to achieve a 40% reduction in expenses since 2014. But by the looks of it, making oil companies more responsible for their footprint with stricter legislation can do quite a bit of harm to both of their upper and bottom lines. Outlook Canadian oil and gas companies are adapting to the new landscape as they are forced to focus on being leaner and becoming more efficient by adopting new technologies and ways of designing, structuring and operating projects, all while reducing greenhouse gas emissions in support of environmental sustainability. In April last year, report entitled Four Years of Change' came out by business information provider IHS Markit, showing that between 2014 and 2018, operating costs fell by more than 40 percent on average with reliability improving even up to 50 percent in some cases, and the price of oil required to cover the costs and earn a return on investment on a non-mining oil sands project was reduced from approximately US$65/bbl to the mid US$40/bbl. So, it seems that Canada might indeed be the new promised land for oil companies. And AOC is already one step ahead by adopting this awareness perspective that is clear from its strategy and consequent efforts. 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All rights reserved. By Easton Sanders Feb. 10, 2020 | 09:34 PM | MCCRACKEN COUNTY The meeting kicked off with McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer giving his presentation once more on why he believes they should implement the proposed insurance tax. His presentation covered the following information: The county having spent from savings for over a decade. The counties bond rating decreasing due to poor financial condition. The tax rate being 14 percent lower than in 1990. The PVA property evaluation conundrum. Deferred costs such as paving, equipment, & property maintenance. Research into comparable counties. The effect of the pension crisis on the county. "I can tell you that myself and the three commissioners have put an incredible amount of time into trying to get to the bottom of this. We don't like taxes, we know people don't like taxes, we've got to pay the taxes ourselves too." Clymer continued, "The way I look at it, you keep your own property up, you want your street, neighborhood, and block to be nice, don't you want your county to be nice too? We just know certain things have to be done to get us up to speed." Many citizens showed up to share their concerns over the proposed tax, which would impose a 6.9 percent rate on auto insurance, and a 4.9 percent rate for casualty, fire, and other risks. The Fiscal Court shared that they felt there was no other way around imposing the new tax because of the financial situation the county is in due to past decisions. After public discussion and a short recess, the Fiscal Court unanimously approved the new tax. Commissioner Jeff Parker shared his thoughts on the increase. "We are paying for mistakes of past courts, we inherited a lot of this." he said, "When we took office the first thing we did was an audit and found out we were broke. Two years prior to that there had not been an audit. We're stuck with it. We're stuck with fixing it." At Monday's meeting, the McCracken County Fiscal Court voted on and passed an insurance premium tax. Cargills edible oils business in Indias today announced the re-launch of its flagship refined oil brand, NatureFresh Acti-Lite. The brand has been re-launched with a new campaign that features star celebrities Sonakshi Sinha and Neil Bhoopalam. With this re-launch, the brand intends to make a difference in the lives of its consumers by bringing to them, a product that delivers on the promise of lower oil absorption. The brand has strengthened its position in the space of light cooking by giving consumers the benefit of further 15% lower oil absorption. This claim has been tested and certified by a reputed NABL accredited lab to ensure that the product delivers on what it promises. This new campaign, featuring Sonakshi Sinha & Neil Bhoopalam consists of three TV films which explore three instances of micro-moments shared between a young couple at home. It focuses on making an age-old habit around the use of tissue for soaking oil from fried food such as samosas, pakodas and pooris, seemingly redundant, by using the catchphrase Tissue ko uska asli kaam karne do. These three TV films will be aired in the brands target markets of North & East India, with special focus on Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and Bihar. In addition to TV, its a 360-degree campaign, that will include print, digital, in-shop promotions and on ground activations across these target market. Speaking on the launch, Subin Sivan, Marketing Head, Cargills oils business in India said, Lighter food is the number one category driver for refined oils in India and our consumers are increasingly gravitating towards eating lesser oily food. As a brand NatureFresh Acti Lite seeks to enable its consumers to pursue a healthier life with the benefit of 15% lower oil absorption. We are excited to release our new campaign featuring Sonakshi Sinha, whose appeal and popularity is high with our target group. Commenting on this, actress Sonakshi Sinha said, It feels great to be associated with NatureFresh Brand. Incidentally, it also becomes my first cooking oil endorsement. The times we are in, food is something that we watch very closely from a health perspective. Here is a refined oil, which has low oil absorption and lets you have those moments of guilt-free indulgence. I really enjoyed working on the three-film campaign, as my role went beyond the regular endorsement. Commenting on the campaign, Janmenjoy Mohanty, Regional Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas said Some ideas come from simple life observations. Just like the one we found for Nature Fresh, that tissues had an important place on every health-conscious persons plate of fried food. Enter Nature Fresh Acti-Lite, and tissues can do what they were always meant to do, and not pull extra oil out of food. We feel this brings out the products uniqueness very well, aided by a well-crafted execution and some great performances from Neil and Sonakshi Creative Agency: Lowe Lintas Director: Vishwesh Krishnamoorthy Creative: Janmenjoy Mohanty Production House: Corcoise Films T hose aged under 35 spent just eight minutes on news websites per week during the 2019 General Election, according to new research. The data, presented to the London Press Clubs annual debate at Stationers Hall, showed a clear lack of interest in mainstream news among those group in Generation Z and the early bracket of Millennials. The research, conducted by Reuters Institute, identified that those under the age of 35 spent just two minutes a day looking at current affairs, compared to 22 minutes every week for over 35s. The findings were presented to a panel of guests who joined to examine whether traditional publishers can survive without post-Millennials. One of the main reasons for the decline among younger people was a change in mindset, as baby boomers tend to view news as a duty while younger people see it as more of a chore. Nic Newman, Senior Research Associate for Reuters, said: The core reasoning was the different expectations that these generations have, rooted in the ways they grew up. Older generations see news as a duty, as part of the democratic process, while younger generations are more likely to think of the news as a chore, or what they can get out of the news. In a sense, its a transactional sense of news thats quick and easier to access.. Elsewhere in the study it was found that young men and women both dedicated less than one per cent of their phone use on BBC News during the election period, instead preferring to focus on communication apps such as Instagram and Snapchat. The debate then considered how younger people can be reintroduced to mainstream news, with the panel suggesting newsrooms become more diverse. Debates are held by the London Press Club each February in association with the Stationers and Newspaper Makers Company. They have focused on equal opportunity and pay for women journalists, and the battle for survival of freedom of the press. With more than three-quarters of our TDs being men, Ireland once again has one of the least balanced political systems in Europe, writes Ciairin de Buis We make up more than half the population, so why are less than a quarter of our elected politicians women? Cork East, Cork North West, Cork South Central, Cork North Central not one woman elected to the Dail. Social Democrats councillor Holly Cairns of Cork South West was the only woman elected across any of the Cork constituencies. No woman elected in Limerick city or county. Dublin West is all men, as is Tipperary and Donegal. My day job is that Im the CEO of Women for Election. We train and support women to succeed in politics. We are non-partisan, so we train and support women across all parties and none, of all political hues across the country. We want to see more women elected, we want a balanced political system. All the research shows that more diversity leads to better decisions, and better decisions lead to better politics. Women, in all our diversity, need to be part of our political system. With a political system where more than three-quarters of those representing us are men, we have one of the least balanced political systems in Europe. As part of our training sessions in Women for Election, we often have contributions from elected representatives tell us about their experience how they came to be a candidate, what they found the campaign like, and life since being elected. These are well able, confident women women who have served in council chambers, worn mayoral chains, sat in the Dail chamber, and been around the Cabinet table. Almost to a woman, they tell us they were asked to run. And usually they were asked more than once. While this election saw, for the first time, at least one woman running in every constituency, it didnt see a huge increase in the number of women running. Less than a third of those who came looking for our votes were women. It may be stating the obvious, but if women werent on the ticket, women werent going to get elected. While some of the smaller parties ran balanced tickets, the larger parties didnt. So while the Social Democrats saw women making up more than half of their candidates, and more than 40% of the Green Party ticket were women, the larger parties seemed to regard the gender quota requirement as a target rather than the absolute minimum required. Gender quotas were introduced in Ireland because there were so few women in Irish political life. Its important to remember that gender quotas only get women onto the ballot paper its then up to the electorate to elect our representatives. Political parties are now required to run at least a 30/70 balanced ticket, or they will lose half of their State funding. The 2011 election was the last election before the quotas came into place, when only 15% of the candidates were women, and only 25 women were elected to Dail Eireann. And we can see that gender quotas work the 2016 general election saw women making up around 30% of candidates, and 22% (or 35 TDs) of those elected. Last weekends election was the second since the introduction of gender quotas. We saw a similar number of candidates, and it looks like a similar number of women will be elected. While were still waiting for the final figures, its clear that we are not going to see any seismic shift in the numbers of women in Dail Eireann. General Election 2020 was never going to be the election where we saw a balanced Dail because not enough women were on the ballot papers. Fine Gael just about met the gender quota requirements, with women making up 30% of their candidates. Fianna Fail werent much better than their great rivals, with 31% of their candidates being women. Sinn Fein were marginally better, with women making up 33% of those running on their ticket. So, given that the three larger parties in the State did not field a balanced ticket, we were never going to see a balanced Dail. I go back to those women who contribute to our training sessions. Women who were elected and serving their communities, women who were asked to run. Why is it that the smaller, newer parties can run a balanced ticket? Why arent the larger parties asking more women to run? There isnt a townland across Ireland where women arent active and involved in their local community so why arent the parties asking them to run? Weve seen over the weekend that politics and political life can be harsh and brutal and it is a wonderful opportunity and privilege to work on behalf of your communities. The campaign for the next election has already started. Next time around, the political parties need to ask more women to run. If you know a woman who would make a good political representative, ask her to run. And if you are that woman, say yes. Ciairin de Buis is chief executive of Women for Election, a not-for-profit organisation which encourages and supports women in Ireland to run for political office. The brother of the Manchester Arena bomber was a dopey teenager nicknamed goofy who enjoyed alcohol and ecstasy but was scared of his older brother, a court has heard. Hashem Abedi dressed in Western clothes, and looked like a 'usual teenager in the area,' his defence counsel has said. Abedi, 22, specialised in rolling big spliffs and was involved in a gang war in Manchester, when he was attacked with a hammer, the Old Bailey was told. But he was scared of his older brother, Salman, who had hit him 'a few times', and hid his drug taking from him, Stephen Kamlish QC, defending said. Hashem Abedi (left) was scared of his brother Salman (right) who had hit him a 'few times', a court heard File photo dated 22/05/17 of the scene close to the Manchester Arena after the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert Hashem Abedi is accused of the murder of the 22 victims and the attempted murder of others after allegedly helping Salman buy chemicals and make the bomb. The nephew of the owner of a Stockport takeaway where Hashem Abedi worked, appeared at the Old Bailey, screened off from members of the victims' families. Both of them had an interest in smoking cannabis and Hashem liked to take other drugs as well, including the tranquilizer Tramadol and the party drugs ecstasy and MDMA, as well as drinking alcohol, Mr Kamlish said. The takeaway worker drove a BMW which they nicknamed the 'hotbox' because they would drive it to a park and as they smoked cannabis, the car would fill up with smoke. The 22 victims of the terror attack during the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena in May 2017 'Most people couldn't smoke weed in their homes, in front of families,' Mr Kamlish said. In January 2017, the worker and others bought a 1/4oz of cannabis from a drug dealer whose name began with L, and went to Deansgate in central Manchester to smoke it. 'Sometimes you and he would make an extra large spliff?' Mr Kamlish asked. 'Yes, that was his speciality,' the colleague said. 'Hashem said he could not go home, I'm too messed up and reason was that his brother Salman disapproved,' Mr Kamlish added. They went to Archie's restaurant to 'sober him up and make him more presentable' and he thought his brother wouldn't notice, Mr Kamlish added. The defence barrister said that Hashem Abedi was 'scared' of his brother and called him 'Big Brother.' 'He never wanted his brother to know he smoked weed or did anything naughty,' he added. Little Saffie Roussos (left) was one of the victims of the Manchester attack which Salman Abedi carried out. Court artist sketch dated 27/01/20 by Elizabeth Cook of Hashem Abedi (right), younger brother of the Manchester Arena bomber, in the dock at the Old Bailey in London accused of mass murder The colleague told police that Hashem was a 'little bit here and there' as a Muslim and he would complain about brother making him go to the mosque. 'He complained about his brother making him do a lot of things, he just wanted to chill,' the witness said. Hashem Abedi was nicknamed 'Goofy' after the dopey Disney cartoon character, the court heard. 'He was clumsy, a little stupid, and like Goofy,' the witness told police. On Hashem Abedis' birthday in April 2017, the friends went to a party with others in Manley Park, Whalley Range when they subjected him to 'birthday beats' which was a 'fake beating, like a college fraternity you see in films,' Mr Kamlish said. File photo dated 23/05/17 of the scene close to the Manchester Arena the morning after the terror attack at an Ariana Grande concert 'He was so worried that Salman would see he'd been taking drugs and been roughed up, he got you to look for eye drops and you and he drove off to a distant Tesco,' he said. There was fighting between youngsters in Moss Side and Rushholme and the colleagues' younger brother was stabbed in the chest. In the same fight, Hashem Abedi allegedly got 'hammered', by being hit in the face with a hammer and, in May 2016, a teenager was killed. 'After that, people tended to stay on the streets less in that area and people's parents tried to get them not to be on the street so much - stabbing, hammerings and beatings - people who might have been seen on the street in the first half 2016 would be absent in the second half.' Hashem Abedi denies 22 counts of murder and further counts of attempted murder and conspiracy to cause explosions and the trial continues. Facebook on Tuesday launched its 'We Think Digital' programme, under which the social media giant will provide digital literacy training to 1 lakh women across seven states, including Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar. "In partnership with National Commission for Women (NCW) and Cyber Peace Foundation, the program aims to provide digital literacy training to one lakh women across seven states through the year," a statement said. The programme will start with the state of Uttar Pradesh and expand to other states including Assam, West Bengal Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand and Bihar, it added. We Think Digital, Facebook's global digital literacy programme, was announced in 2019 during the second edition of its South Asia Safety Summit. The training program has been designed with a focus on digital literacy and citizenship, addressing issues around privacy, safety, and misinformation. "We believe that women should have equal access to economic opportunities, education and social connection that the internet provides. Working closely with experts from across different walks of life, we are constantly innovating and designing activities that will enable digital learning and change in the community," Facebook India Director of Public Policy Ankhi Das said. As part of the program, the company will partner with agencies from both government and civil society to design learning modules to equip people with skills, including the ability to think critically about what they see online, report harmful content and how to communicate respectfully, the statement said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Foreign investors bought more Vietnamese stocks than they sold in January, snapping a month-long streak as net buyers after offloading shares in the last five months of 2019. Foreign investors buy more Vietnamese stocks than they sell in January. The foreign players net purchase of equity on Vietnams stock exchanges amounted to some 1.97 trillion VND (84.4 million USD) in the month. They transacted more than 20.6 trillion VND worth of Vietnamese shares, accounting for 15.68 percent of the markets total transactions. Targeted stocks in the month include PetroVietnam Low Pressure Gas Distribution (PGD), Mobile World Corporation (MWG), Hoa Phat Group (HPG), Vietinbank (CTG), and dairy firm Vinamilk (VNM). Net foreign buys of the five stocks were 1.02 trillion VND, 588 billion VND, 433 billion VND, 170.6 billion VND, and 166 billion VND, respectively. Becoming net buyers on Vietnamese stock exchanges, foreign players have shown their rising confidence in the nations economy and investment opportunities in its stock market, especially in the context of global stock market volatility. Securities firms have forecast a brighter outlook for the local stock market this year. They said Vietnam would have more opportunities to lure foreign capital on the back of robust economic growth, and the revised securities law which is expected to help upgrade the markets status. Experts from the SSI Securities Corporation (SSI) said that foreign trading activities will increase this year thanks to many supporting factors, especially the exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Besides, the global provider of benchmarks, analytics and data solutions FTSE Russell is considering to upgrade Vietnam to secondary emerging market status from a frontier one. However, Vietnam needs to work more to meet criteria on payment required for its status upgrade. The benchmark VN-Index on the Ho Chi Minh Stock Exchange (HOSE), VN Indexs VNX Allshare, and the VN30-Index finished January at 936.62, 816.56 and 848.63 points, decreasing 2.54, 3.43, and 3.46 percent, respectively. The local market was moving sideways with the global market, which is whacked by the novel coronavirus outbreak./.VNA Foreign investors buy net $2 million on UPCoM in January Foreign investors in January bought a total net value of VND46 billion (nearly US$2 million) worth of shares on the Unlisted Public Company Market (UPCoM). Tributes have been paid to a woman who tragically lost her life in a collision involving a truck on Smith Street in Cork city centre yesterday. Maeve Murphy, aged in her 50s, from the north side of the city, was knocked down around 4pm on the narrow street which connects Oliver Plunkett Street to South Mall. She was taken to Cork University Hospital by ambulance but later passed away. The popular local woman worked in The Mall shop on South Mall and was well known by traders and customers. She had previously worked in Mayne's Chemist for many years before the premises was turned into a pub, now called Arthur Mayne's. Local traders were shocked and saddened by her sudden passing. Eleanor Searles of MJ Galligan's designer fabric shop said the death had shocked her. "She was fabulous in the chemist. She had a real insight for it. She was years with Mayne's. "Every time my mother's prescription was up, she'd be on the ball and would ring her up. "She kept herself very well. You'd see her heading to the gym with her rucksack on her back. "She was very astute with illnesses. If you were sniffling at the counter in the shop, she'd tell you what to do and what to take. "She was very helpful and was a very conscientious person. There was a young fellow who used to come into the shop who had special needs and she was very good to him. If there was an elderly person in the shop, and they were struggling to make their tea, she would help them." Kathleen Kennedy of Hickey's store said she saw the ambulances yesterday but did not realise someone she knew was involved in the tragedy. We knew her. She shopped here and I would have shopped down there. She was always just very pleasant, refined and gentle. She was very sincere. "She was coming in and out of here very regularly. There is a big network among the people who work in the city and camaraderie." Gardai are appealing for anyone with information, particularly any road users who may have dashcam footage of the area from the time of the collision, to contact Gardai at Anglesea Street on 021 452 2000 or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. A lot of the Americans working there used to do work for GM, but this was a whole other job for them and for much less pay than they made at GM, she said. Its a story of globalization that takes place inside this factory in Ohio. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci predicted that U.S. President Donald Trump is going to lose the 2020 election and former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg is the "best of the available" candidates to win. Scaramucci publicly fell out with his former boss in 2019. He has since been a frequent, vocal critic of the president. "The consensus of the elites is that President Trump is going to get re-elected, and so that's why I actually think he's going to lose," he told CNBC's Hadley Gamble on Tuesday at the Milken Institute Middle East and Africa Summit. "Elites are typically wrong about this stuff," Scaramucci added. "They said there was no chance he can get the nomination, there was no chance that Hillary Clinton could be beaten (in 2016)." He also argued that Trump's chances have been hurt because he has not expanded his base since he was first elected. "Most great presidents, in their first term, figure out a way to expand their base," he said. "He's hammered down consistently on the same level of people and, despite the economic data, he's missile-locked at about 42%." The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the interview, which took place in early morning hours Washington time. Scaramucci, who is founder and managing partner at investing firm SkyBridge, said: "We need to, as investors, prepare for his electoral defeat in November." Four suspected street-level drug dealers landed behind bars in a couple of recent raids, according to the Laredo Police Department. READ MORE: Alleged cartel leader captured, charged with murder in Nuevo Laredo Authorities said the execution of the search warrants was the result of an investigation into the street-level sale of narcotics from the residences. The first case unfolded at about 9:46 a.m. Feb. 6, when the LPD narcotics and vice unit executed a search warrant at a home in the 200 block of Latour Drive in the J.S.J Estates. Officers detained two men who were found inside the home. LPD identified them as David Saldana Jr., 22, and Israel Saldana, 18. Police seized from the residence 11 clear plastic baggies with marijuana, 20 Smart Cart vape cartridges, one Maverick 88 shotgun, 24 Winchester 12-gauge rounds, two handgun magazines and seven 9mm Hornady rounds. David Saldana and Israel Saldana were arrested and charged with possession of marijuana. The case remains under investigation. A second raid was reported Feb. 7. The LPD narcotics and vice unit along with the crimes against property unit and patrol officers executed a search warrant in the 1800 block of Reynolds Street in central Laredo. Authorities found Yahaira Munoz, 22, and Fernando Julian Serna, 22, and a 38-year-old woman inside the residence. A search of residence yielded 89 Xanax and a folded piece of paper containing marijuana in the room where Munoz and Serna were located. READ MORE: Damage that caused Spectrum outages revealed Munoz and Serna were each charged with manufacturing, delivery of a controlled substance. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 03:15:42|Editor: yan Video Player Close WARSAW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Apart from the damage it caused, Storm Ciara also blew wind turbines efficiently in Poland, setting new record highs of wind powered energy in the country. While Storm Ciara -- known as Sabine in Poland and Germany -- roared with gusts up to over 100 kilometers per hour, green energy enthusiasts were rejoicing as the amount of energy provided by the clean, renewable source of power surpassed 30 percent of the energy delivered to the Polish Power Grid for the first time over the weekend, Polish Press Agency reported on Tuesday. The storm hit Poland from the west on Sunday and continued blowing until Monday evening. The Polish Power Grid said that wind turbines had contributed 5 gigawatts (GW) to the total demand of 23.6 GW, meaning that wind energy supplied over 21 percent of the total on Monday morning. From Sunday night to Monday, the respective figures were 4.8 GW and 30 percent as energy demands were lower. Poland held the largest onshore wind farm auction ever in Europe last December with a total volume of 2.2 GW being auctioned off. A report by the Polish Wind Energy Association estimates that offshore wind projects could offer 77,000 jobs and provide about 60 billion zloty (15.39 billion U.S. dollars) to the gross domestic product (GDP). The Israelis and Palestinians met in New York today, but it was in opposition to US President Donald Trumps peace plan. After addressing the UN Security Council, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert held a joint press conference in a New York hotel suite where each called the other a man of peace. Abbas is a man of peace" and "opposed to terror, Olmert said, adding that after having more meetings with Abbas than any Israeli leader, he believes the message should be that Abbas is the only partner for peace. We will not accept this plan, Abbas told the UN Security Council, calling Trumps proposed maps of Palestinian territory Swiss cheese. But while rejecting Trumps proposal as an Israeli-designed annexation plan, Abbas also rejected violence and called for Israeli-Palestinian peaceful coexistence. Let us coexist in peace, he said. Trump and [Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin] Netanyahu are not waiting for the Palestinian approval on this deal, Abbas said in an English translation of his remarks to the UN Security Council provided by the Palestinian mission to the UN. The announcement came as a provocative short notice for the Palestinian people that this Israeli/American vision is already underway to confiscate/annex what remains on the ground. US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft described the Trump plan as an opening bid to stimulate discussion, not a take-it-or-leave-it ultimatum. I think that the presidents vision for peace has allowed for a conversation on hope, Craft told journalists after the UN meeting today. We just need to make certain that the two parties, who are the only ones who can make this happen, come to the table. But former US Middle East peace envoy Martin Indyk said Crafts portrayal of Trumps plan as flexible and not an ultimatum was not true. Under the plan, Israel gets to annex East Jerusalem, the Jordan Valley and ALL the Israeli settlements independent of any Israeli-Palestinian negotiations, Indyk wrote on Twitter. Five European Union nations France, Belgium, Germany, Estonia and Poland issued a joint statement saying that while they value efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Trump plan departs from the internationally agreed parameters they remain committed to. In line with the long-standing EU position, we remain committed to a negotiated two-state solution, based on 1967 lines, with equivalent land swaps, as may be agreed between the parties, with the State of Israel and an independent, democratic, contiguous, sovereign and viable State of Palestine, living side by side in peace, security and mutual recognition, the five EU members said in a joint statement delivered by Belgiums foreign minister. "The US initiative, as presented on Jan. 28, departs from these internationally agreed parameters." Such statements aside, the Trump administration declared victory over the fact that the Security Council backed off issuing a resolution supporting the old parameters for a two-state solution, and mocked what it called the calcified Palestinian position. Today, by not putting forward a polarizing resolution, the United Nations Security Council demonstrated that the old way of doing things is over, a senior US administration official told journalists in a statement. For the first time on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the council was willing to think outside the conventional box, and not reflexively fall back on the calcified Palestinian position, which has only allowed the failed status quo to continue. We are optimistic that countries are keeping an open mind with regard to our Vision for Peace, and are willing to have an honest and open discussion on it as a possible basis to restart negotiations for a realistic two-state solution, the White House statement continued. Current Print Subscribers will be prompted to either login to their current site user account or to create a new one. A confirmation email will be sent when a new user account is created, which must be confirmed within three days in order to provide uninterrupted online access through your Print Subscription. Once the email address is confirmed please provide your Account Number to activate your Print Subscription Service. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) refused to answer an interview question on whats the first state you think you can win, instead replying that her campaign is about talking to people all across this country as she trails in the polls heading into Tuesdays New Hampshire primary. Warren, speaking with NPR on Monday, pivoted when asked directly by host Steve Inskeep where she hopes to come out on top in the Democratic primary race. I just dont frame it that way, Warren said. Earlier in the interview, she called the race the fight of her life. Warren currently sits tied for fourth in the RealClearPolitics New Hampshire polling average ahead of Tuesdays vote. The senator told reporters Sunday that she didnt start by doing polls a year ago, and I still dont do polls. When challenged by Inskeep over why she was not performing better in New Hampshire which neighbors her home state of Massachusetts Warren countered by saying she had gotten great crowds, but that she was not rubbing shoulders with billionaires and corporate executives. This is about repairing our democracy, really putting it down at the grassroots, she said. Warren then retreated when Inskeep asked her about her wine cave attack on former South Bend, Ind., mayor Pete Buttigieg in December. Look, Im not here to criticize other candidates, Warren said Monday, after she accused Buttigieg of catering to wealthy donors during the Democratic debate. Warren also explained how she had taken on staff and support from many of the former Democratic candidates, including fellow Senators Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, and Kirsten Gillibrand, after they had been squeezed out because of money. I try to incorporate their ideas, incorporate their people, she stated. Weve hired a lot of staffers from those campaigns and brought in a lot of volunteers because we need to be a Democratic Party that embraces ideas, and those ideas should be the ideas that help working people. Thats my lifes work, and thats why Im in the fight. More from National Review *** The incoming Swedish EU Presidency (July-December 2009) may still remain in favour of Turkey's controversial EU bid, despite June 2009 EU Elections' results, but it has "very strong demands on Turkey"'s obligation to respect EU Rules, said the Head of Swedish Foreign Ministry's Press Service, Cecilia Julin, to "EuroFora", reacting to critical Press reports.- "I know (that) the link is often made also to Sweden's position on Turkey"'s controversial EU bid. Indeed, "we (Swedish EU Presidency) are very much engaged in the future membership of Turkey, but not without fullfiling all the Criteria".- "It's very clear that we (Swedish EU Presidecny) have very Strong Demands on Turkey, in a sort of concept for Future membership of the Union, ...which will be a Long Process...", she stressed.This means, in particular, "the Copenhagen Criteria (on Human Rights, Democracy and Rule of Law), and also the adaptation to the Acquis of the European Union".- "If you listen to what Mr. Bildt (the Swedish Foreign Minister) says on Turkey at different occasions, it's very clear : We want Turkey to become part of the Union, in the Future. But we want it to fullfil all the Criteria : The Acquis of the European Union. That's very clear", she concluded.The Senior Official of the Swedish Foreign Ministry was reacting to critical Press Reports, from Brussels' Journalists invited by EU Commission's secretariat to Stockholm, who claimed that Bildt was abusing of a ..."Whip" (sic !) against Cyprus, by "threatening" the presence of UNO's Peace-keeping force at the "Green line" which separates the island's Government-controlled areas from the territories occupied by Ankara's army, if Nicosia didn't accept any political solution, regardless of Turkey's demands, before the end of 2009.Governing AKEL Party's new Secretary General, Andros Kyprianou, reacted by declaring that no-one can threat the People of Cyprus : -"We shall decide for our Future, and nobody else", he reportedly said, asking to "keep calm". "In order to find a Solution soon, certain basic Principles must be respected", he stressed, calling those who feel an urgency to use their influence on Turkey. Other Political Parties were more critical.This was a reference to recently reported statements by Turkish Minister Bagis, Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan and Turkey's National Security Council (a Military-Political body), accused to push towards a partitionist "2 States" solution, contrary to UNO SC Resolutions for Cyprus' reunification.December 2009 is a crucial moment for EU's appraisal of Turkey's controversial EU bid, because EU Council has decided to review then Ankara's compliance with the European position on the recognition of Cyprus' Government, which was clearly set out by an EU reply of 21 September 2005 to Turkish Prime Minister Tayip Erdogan's claims, refusing to recognize even the existence of EU Member Cyprus, in controversial statements he made to London (former EU chair) on July 29, 2005.EU Parliament's latest Resolution on Turkey, adopted on March 2009 in Strasbourg, warned Ankara that "the non-fulfillment of Turkey's commitments... by December 2009, may further seriously affect the process of Negotiations" with the EU.In practice, the issue boils down to Ankara's "embargo" against Ships and Airplanes using Cyprus' seaports or airports at the strategic EU island, which traditionaly hosts one of the World's biggest Shipping flags. EU has already "freezed" 6 relevant Chapters in EU - Turkey Negotiations since December 2006, after Ankara refused to fullfil a commitment it had undertaken when EU had decided to open controversial "accession" negotiations with Turkey, back on December 2005.- "As far as EU - Turkey relations are concerned, it's clear that Turkey needs to fullfil its obligation of full, non-discriminatory implementation of the additional Protocol (to "EC-Turkey Association Agreement"), This is an important issue....and should be addresseed as soon as possible as it clearly affects the pace of the accession negotiations.Issues covered by the Declaration of September 2005 will continue to be followed up, and progress is urgently awaited", warned earlier in Strasbourg the out-going Czech EU Presidency (former vice-Prime Minister Alexander Vodra).But the Head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry's Press Service, Cecilia Julin, dismissed "interpretations" by "some" that Foreign Minister Carl Bildt was reportedly "threatening" Cyprus with consequences on the UNFICYP, if it doesn't accept any solution until December 2009, while Turkey is reportedly delaying in an attempt to impose a partitionist "2 States" solution.On the contrary, Julin, stressed that "Sweden has strong demands on Turkey'"s respect of "Copenhagen Criteria and EU Acquis".Meanwhile, Sweden is "concerned" about the risk of "Stalemate" in Cyprus' Talks, but is well aware that "the main responsibilities lie with the two leaders and the UNO", Europe playing only a role of "facilitator".After carefully verifying, the Head of Swedish Foreign Ministry's Press Service, stressed to "EuroFora" that Bildt's reference to UNFICYP "was not linked to a Threat", and dismissed those who "interpreted" it so.On the contrary, the Swedish EU Presidency acknowledged the fact that Peace Talks are mainly for the UN and the leaders of the Cypriot communities, EU's role being limited into that of a "facilitator".As for Turkey's reported attempts to impose a "2 States' solution", the Head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry's Press Service sharply replied by stressing that Turkey must respect the "EU Acquis" rules.In particular :- "Basically he (Bildt) underlined that it's the leaders of the two communities in Cyprus and the UN that have the main responsibilities for solving the problem", started to say the Swedish Senior Official to "EuroFora", referring to the above-mentioned "briefing".- "But the EU had a role in sort of pointing out the benefits and facilitating a little bit the outcome for the settlement of the whole Cyprus' issue", she added.- "And he did state the Fact, that the rest of the World (i.e. USA, etc) will, of course, look at the differend issues which are at the table, and the future of the UN Peace keeping force is part of what is at the table", she admitted.- "I understand that some have interpreted that as a Threat, by the Swedish Minister" "But", in reality, "it's a statement of a Fact, that, when we'll look at the differend issues, one of the issues on which we shall have to take a stand on, is the future of the UN Peace keeping force in Cyprus".Indeed, one of the questions usually raised for a Solution of Cyprus' issue is what International and/or European or other Guarantees, by a Peace-keeping force, might be needed afterwards, eventually for a transitory period.Questioned anew by "EuroFora" whether (according to critical Press Reports) this could be taken as a veiled warning that, if Cyprus didn't accept any Turkish demand for any solution whatever, it might be left alone to face Ankara's Military Invasion/Occupation, she denied :- "He (Bildt) didn't say it in that way"... "It was not linked to a threat, or anything like that", the Head of the Swedish Foreign Ministry's Press Service stressed.On the contrary, "he (Bildt) underlined that the main responsibility lies with the parties concerned on the island". "The EU can try to facilitate and show the benefits of reaching a settlement. But also, when the EU and the rest of the World (i.e. USA) will have to look at it, they will look at all the Facts on the table, and the presence of the UN Peace-keeping force is one".And "he (Bildt) didn't speak about that at all", she replied to "EuroFora" question on Turkey's reported attemps to impose, in one way of another, a partitionist "2 States solution".Asked whether Bildt's aim was to incite both parties to move forward efficiently, she agreed :- In fact, "the EU is really very concerned with the Stalemate in the situation. Yes !", the Head of Sweden's Foreign Ministry's Press Service anounced. That's why Bildt "was hoping for the two parties (i.e. for Turkey's also) to engage and break, a little-bit, the present stalemate, come to a solution of the issue" of Cyprus.But, replying to a "EuroFora"s question on the risk, denounced by several politicians in case of strict Time Deadlines, for Turkey to provoke a stalemate and wait for the time to come to impose a partitionist "2 States' solution", she reacted by pointing at Turkey's obligation to respect "EU Acquis" :- "Turkey must fullfil the EU Acquis : That's clear !", the Swedish Senior Official stressed.More details are expected when Swedish Prime Minister Reinfeldt will debate his Programme with new MEPs at EU Parliament's plenary mid-July in Strasbourg, that he has visited already in 2008.Foreign Minister Carl Bildt became familiar with Strasbourg's CoE last year, when Sweden chaired the PanEuropean organization of Human Rights. As EU chairman-in-office, he will also chair the 27-member States strong EU Group inside the 47-member States strong CoE.Minister for EU affairs, Cecilia Malmstrom is well known at EU Parliament, where she has been an active MEP of the Liberal Group for many years, following also Press Freedom issues.Both have already made various statements at "EuroFora", on differend topical matters. At any given time, at least 10 Aam Aadmi Party volunteers are guarding the strong rooms across the national capital to avoid any mishandling of the EVMs ahead of the counting on Tuesday. A strong room is the place where the EVMs are kept for the time after the polling is done and before counting takes place. The Election Commission has established 21 strong rooms across the city to keep the EVMs after the polling for the 70 Assemblies in Delhi completed on Saturday. Aam Aadmi Party, the outgoing party in power in the Delhi Assembly, has alleged that Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), used for polling on Saturday in Delhi, were being taken away for tampering illegally. Speaking to IANS, a senior party leader said at least 10 AAP volunteers are guarding the strong rooms across the city all the time by working in shifts. "There were reports that there can be tampering of the EVMs. Also, we are confident that the results are in our favour and so the party has decided to keep a close watch on the strong rooms. We have deployed at least 10 AAP volunteers and workers outside the strong room to keep a close watch all the time," the party leader said, demanding anonymity. A meeting was called by AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal at his residence on the night of February 8 after the polling ended. The leader said the meeting was called after the party received inputs that the EVMs are not being handled properly. "The decision of keeping a close eye on the EVMs was taken in the meeting with Kejriwal. Our volunteers are also guarding the strong rooms in night," the leader added. The volunteers and party workers are working in shifts to ensure the EVMs are secured. The 21 strong rooms are situated in nine of the 11 districts of the city. The districts with two strong rooms are -- North, South West, South East, and Shahdara. There is one strong room each in New Delhi, South, East, North East and North West districts. The party volunteers, guarding the strong room at the Commonwealth Games Village for seven assemblies -- Trilokpuri, Kondli, Patparganj, Laxmi Nagar, Vishwas Nagar, Krishna Nagar and Gandhi Nagar, told IANS that they are checking all the vehicles coming and going inside the premises. "We are scanning the cars coming out and going in the premises. We cannot trust anyone. The opposition can do anything to temper the results," said one of the volunteers. Another one said they are also taking breaks in shifts. "We don't go for rest or eating collectively. One or two go, while other remains. We are being asked that at least 12-15 are on duty all the time," said the volunteer, adding that AAP workers have come from different constituencies for guarding. The security deployed at the strong rooms is multi-layer security including police and paramilitary forces. The security deployed outside told IANS that the EVMs are kept under CCTV security and the volunteers of different parties can see the footage. The polling for the 70 Assemblies in Delhi was done on February 8 and the counting will be done on Tuesday. A Co Kildare woman stranded in one of Chinas largest cities due to coronavirus has said that she is struggling to find transportation from mainland China to reach Europe and return home to Ireland. Hannah McGrath is originally from Maynooth and she teaches English at a school in the city of Nanjing, capital of Chinas eastern Jiangsu province. Hannah has self-quarantined in her apartment and she said that the city is locked down and under quarantine with those suspected of being infected by the deadly respiratory disease being rounded up by authorities and barriers in place preventing people from leaving the city. Speaking to the Leader, Hannah explained that in recent days that she has self-quarantined in her apartment in the city. She said: The holidays were extended because of the coronavirus and schools in Nanjing might not be open until March, its not been so bad but being confined to your apartment is hard mentally, you cant even go for a walk outside. Ive had groceries delivered to my door over the last few days, Ive not been in contact with other people. On Thursday, February 13 Im hoping to catch a flight out of mainland China to reach Dublin, but Im struggling to find transit taking people from mainland China. I want to try avoid Hong Kong because everyone there is under quarantine, but the word is not many airlines are taking people from mainland China. The price for flights has increased exponentially over the last few days, its either break the bank or have three stops and now its looking like Ill have to pass through Beijing to reach Europe, maybe stopping in Frankfurt or Moscow before I reach Dublin, hopefully I wont have to go near London because a lot of people coming from mainland China are quarantined there now. Its been rough but well get there hopefully, explained Hannah. Meanwhile, back home in Maynooth Hannahs family are praying that she will come home safe. According to her mum Grace McGrath, who is a choreographer for Naas Musical Society, the last few weeks since the coronavirus outbreak has been chaotic and worrying for them as a family. Were terribly worried and its a scary as a parent knowing that shes in China when this coronavirus is spreading. Were all keeping our fingers crossed that she comes home to Ireland soon, hopefully on Friday, said Grace. Meanwhile the family intend to liaise with the HSE and other government bodies when Hannah returns home, as they do not know if she will be quarantined or not. She could be quarantined here in Ireland or elsewhere, we just dont know yet, explained Grace. More than 910 people have died globally from the coronavirus with more than 360 cases reported outside of mainland China, although no such cases have been reported in Ireland the HSE has said it has measures in place such as isolation rooms and masks to be distributed to GPs across the country. Alzheimers Foundation of America The Alzheimers Foundation of Americas 2020 national Educating America Tour is kicking off on Feb. 25 with a free Alzheimers and caregiver educational conference at the University of New Mexico. The conference, which is open to everyone, is designed to connect people with information about Alzheimers disease, brain health, and dementia care giving. Participants have the opportunity to interact with Alzheimers experts, ask questions, network, and obtain a free memory screening. More than 41,000 New Mexico residents are living with Alzheimers disease; many others are caring for a family member with Alzheimers. As those numbers grow, its critically important to connect people with information that can help them if Alzheimers enters their lives, said Charles J. Fuschillo, Jr., AFAs President and Chief Executive Officer. This conference will help individuals learn about Alzheimers disease, caring for someone who has Alzheimers and support resources that are available to help. We invite everyone to attend. There will be several informative sessions led by dementia and care giving experts, including: Unraveling Alzheimers Disease: John DenBoer, Ph.D., will provide an overview of Alzheimers disease, and will talk about distinguishing Alzheimers from normal cognitive aging. He will also offer potential ways to improve brain health and wellness. Dr. DenBoer is Founder, CEO and Chief Medical Officer of Smart Brain Aging. Creating Your Long Term Care Team: Having a strong network is essential for caregivers to reduce stress, prevent burnout, and ultimately provide the best care possible. Attorney Michael C. Sparks, from the Senior Citizens Law Office in Albuquerque will show how to build that support structure to aid in caregiving. He will also provide tips for long term care planning, discuss different long term care options and their benefits, and details that everyone should know when planning their long term care strategies. He will also teach attendees how to navigate legal, financial, health, and housing issues in their planning efforts Innovative Activities Preserving Functional Ability: Learn how thinking outside the box when programming activities allows for greater success and helps maintain high level of functioning. Theresa Thorland, MS/MA/CTRS/ACC, owner of Activity Director Certification Services, will discuss the importance of activity programming in helping someone with Alzheimers disease improve their quality of life. She will teach new, innovative programming ideas and share examples of personal experiences to help make caregivers lives a little easier. Theresa will provide tips on how you can turn daily activities into opportunities for joy, and how to make quality use of leisure time. Free, confidential memory screenings will be conducted throughout the day. The conference will be in UNMs Student Union Building, Ballroom C, from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. For more information or to register, please visit www.alzfdn.org/tour. Those who cant attend the conference or have immediate questions about Alzheimers disease can contact AFAs National Toll-Free Helpline at 866-232-8484, or through the Internet at www.alzfdn.org, seven days a week. Alzheimers conference Feb. 25, 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. UNM Student Union Building, Ballroom C Today Barack and Michelle Obama are empty nesters: Their daughters, Malia, 21, and Sasha, 18, are both away at college. And Michelle, for one, is enjoying it: "[Life] is so good," Obama, 56, told Oprah Winfrey on Saturday during Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life In Focus tour in Brooklyn, New York. But when the Obamas moved into the White House in 2009, Malia was 10 and Sasha was 7. Raising kids in the public eye was tough, Obama told Winfrey. "Every weekend was hard following these little girls around," Obama said. "We had to worry about what parties they were going to, whether there was alcohol, I had to know who the parents were, so every weekend for me was hard." When asked by Winfrey if there was a "running theme" of advice Obama had for her daughters while they were growing up, she said it was to live their own lives. "What I tell them is ... that they have to walk their own walk," Obama told Winfrey. "They cannot define themselves by looking at each other or looking at me or their dad. They have to take the time to get to know themselves give themselves a moment to figure out who they want to be in the world, not who they think I want them to be, not what the rest of the world says about them, but to really think about how they want to shape their lives and how they want to move in this world. "So, I don't want them measuring themselves by external influences, and for young girls, that is hard to do." In addition to the big life stuff, now that Malia is a junior at Harvard and Sasha is a freshman at University of Michigan, Obama said she also texts her daughters daily reminders, like, "Did I ever tell you to remember things like are you eating some green things?" Obama said. "Gosh, I give them so much advice that they are sick of me." With no kids at home, Obama said she has energy and time to spend figuring out her next chapter in life. "[Barack and I] have more emotional time, emotional energy. It's just me and him and [the family dogs] Bo and Sunny and dinner. And they don't talk, the dogs." "Marriage is hard and raising a family together is a hard thing; it takes a toll," Obama said. "But if you're with the person, if you know why you're with them, you understand that there is a friendship and a foundation there that may feel like it goes away during some of those hard times, but it's something that we always come back to. And we're coming back to that point where we see each other again." Like this story? Like CNBC Make It on Facebook. Don't miss: The book that impacted Serena Williams' life: 'It's about change and I'm not good with change' From 'The Alchemist' to 'Blink': Books that Kobe Bryant loved to read The life rule Ray Dalio taught his son about success Advertisement Between a guard of honour formed by hundreds of school children, a brave young boy led a marching band in front of hearse carrying his sister's coffin. Michael Sakr, 13, choked back tears as he took off his blazer at the end of his sister Veronique's funeral on Tuesday, and picked up a drum to join his band mates. He then led the band down a street lined with more than 500 mourners in a show of respect to Veronique whose life was cruelly snatched away in an alleged drink drive accident at Oatlands, on February 1. Her funeral came a day after cousins Antony, 12, Angelina, 11, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, were farewelled in a huge service at Our Lady of Lebanon church in Harris Park. Thousands who crammed into the Santa Sabina College chapel in Strathfield, where Veronique had just started Year 6, heard how after learning of the tragic accident, Michael asked: 'Dad, how do I do it?'. His dad answered: 'Do what?'. To which Michael replied: 'Live my life without her?'. Scroll down for video Michael Sakr, 13, bravely leads a marching band at the front of the funeral procession for his 11-year-old sister Veronique, who was killed in the Oatlands tragedy on Saturday, February 1 Michael and his bandmates walk ahead of the hearse carrying his sister Veronique's coffin, as hundreds of school kids lined the street in a guard of honour Bridget Sakr (in blue dress) is supported by her partner Craig MacKenzie, and Danny and Leila Abdallah (end left and right) whose three kids were killed in the same accident at Oatlands, in Sydney's north west Michael (right) comforts his mother Bridget (centre) as Veronique's white coffin is loaded into the hearse High above the heads of thousands of mourners, Veronique's coffin is carried out the Santa Sabina College chapel A picture of Veronique is lofted high into the air at the completion of the emotional funeral Veronique Sakr, 11, died alongside her three cousins when they were struck by an allegedly drunk and speeding driver at Oatlands, Sydney, on February 1 A brave Michael supported his mother Bridget into the school chapel for the funeral service where mourners heard how the siblings shared a 'beautiful and unrivalled' bond. Veronique and her cousins Antony, 12, Angelina, 11, and Sienna Abdallah, 9, died when they were struck by an accused drunk driver at Oatlands, in Sydney's north west, on February 1. Through tears, Mrs Sakr told mourners her 'heart is in agony', but she is comforted knowing her Veronique is now in heaven with 'the angels and saints'. 'Our Veronique is with you right now, with our father and all our angels and saints.' Mrs Sakr revealed the final conversation they shared the day Veronique was killed. 'She said to me on the day she went to heaven: 'Mummy, you know I love talking to older people and younger people',' she said. A day after speaking glowingly about the Abdallah children, Monsignor Shora Maree told mourners how an encounter Veronique was simply 'unforgettable'. 'Her teachers said that at the end of a long day, whenever they saw Veronique her smile gave them a lift,' Mons Shora said. 'The family said they have been contacted by people saying: 'I met your daughter once and I can't forget her'.' Adorned with pink flowers, Veronique's white casket sits and a large picture were front and centre during Tuesday's service Veronique''s father Bob leans down and plants a kiss on his daughter's white casket during Tuesday's funeral service A day after burying three of their children, Danny and Leila Abdallah held hands and watched on from the front row during the service for Veronique The white coffin of Veronique Sakr is carried into the chapel for her funeral on Tuesday Leila and Danny Abdallah, whose three children were killed in the same accident, bravely arrive at Veronique's funeral. Their own children were farwelled on Monday New South Wales Premier Gladys Berijiklian (pictured) and Jenny Morrison, the wife of Prime Minister Scott, attended their second funeral in as many days The hundreds gathered heard how despite her age, she had already pledged to care for her parents in later life. 'Bridget, you said that because of the way she saw you take care of your parents, Veronique has said: 'I'll take care of you mum when you grow old'. Her older brother Michael laughed as the chapel was told how Veronique has always been a 'bossy' sister. 'She was bossy to you as a brother, well what's she going to be like with Jesus up there?' Monsignor Shora joked. The congregation also heard how Veronique's parents Bob and and Bridget had pledged to forgive alleged drunk driver Samuel William Davidson. In a statement released ahead of the funeral, the Sakr family said Veronique had an 'incredible sense of compassion and empathy for others'. 'She always opened her kind heart to everyone who was in need of a friend,' her parents said. 'Our beautiful girl embraced all that life had to offer. She loved to dance, kick a ball, rock-climb and endlessly swim in the pool or beach.' Pink flowers adorned the top of Veronique's white coffin, which was carried into the funeral by her pallbearers including her father Bob and step-father Craig Hundreds of mourners make their way into Santa Sabina School chapel for the funeral Bridget Sakr with her children Michael and Veronique, 11, in a photo she posted at Christmas time 'Veronique will always be loved and eternally missed. She was an angel on earth and now is in heaven', the parents said. In the wake of the tragedy, the families of the four children pledged to set up a road safety charity in their honour. Danny and Leila Abdallah - whose three children were farewelled on Monday - and the Sakr family made the announcement on Tuesday. 'We intend for establish a charitable foundation to honour the memories of Veronique, Antony, Angelina and Sienna,' the families said. '(It will be) for the purpose of improving road safety programs and initiatives across Australia.' The Abdallah family has mostly carried the load in being the public face of the disaster, frequently visiting the crash site and making numerous public statements. Michael holds his mother Bridget's hand for support during a visit to the scene of the tragedy Veronique's father Bob and brother Michael embrace as they visit the scene of the accident Veronique's family said in the statement released on Sunday they were 'devastated' by the loss of 'our beautiful girl' in the horrific crash Chehade Sakr posted this photo as he wrote of the shock of losing his youngest cousin at just 11 years old, and his heartbreak that his own son wouldn't get to grow up with her Leila Abdallah made the extraordinary act of forgiving the driver who allegedly killed the four children and injured three others. Veronique's parents pledged to do the same. Mrs Abdallah was praised by Monsignor Shora Maree during her three children's funeral on Monday, as was her husband Danny for the love and strength they showed in grief. 'Leila you said the words of forgiveness that stunned the world. That doesn't come from something human, it comes from the divine,' he said. 'Wow. What an inspiration for all of us. We've seen the renewal of faith for many.' Thousands of mourners packed into the Our Lady of Lebanon co-cathedral to farewell the three young Abdallah children Leila Abdallah comforts her heartbroken daughter Leanna as her husband Danny shakes a mourner's hand during the funeral The four children were walking in a group along Bettington Road to buy ice cream on a 40C degree night when they were struck. Three other kids with them were injured, with their cousins Charbel Kassas still fighting for life in hospital. Truck driver Samuel William Davidson, 29, has been charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter. Police will allege he had a blood alcohol level of 0.150 when he lost control of his 4WD, drove up the kerb and hit the group of children. Welcome Guest! You Are Here: Fencing is set to make its debut in the government's Khelo India programme during the upcoming Khelo India University Games, to be held in Bhubaneswar from February22 to March 1. Fencers from across the country are excited to take part in the Khelo India University Games. "The Khelo India University Games will be very good for fencing since there are not too many competitions for us. So, the more competitions take place the better it is for us. The fencers in India will get exposure by playing in the Khelo India University Games," said Jagmeet Kaur, who will be part of the Guru Nanak Dev University team. Jagmeet, who won a gold (team event) at the South Asian Games last year, added that Khelo India has become a brand now. Ena Arora, who will be part of the Punjabi University team, expressed that with continued support from the government, Indian fencers will perform much better at the national and international levels. "It's great that the government is supporting fencing through the Khelo India University Games. With continued support, I am sure that Indian athletes will perform well at the national and international levels. We will have better chances to win medals at the highest level," said the 22-year-old. Udaivir Singh, who will play for the Guru Nanak Dev University, said that the Khelo India University Games will provide much-needed exposure to many fencers in the country. "The Khelo India University Games will be a big boost to our sport since we don't have too many competitions. The more exposure the better it is for the athletes. The level of opponents is very low in India. "I have been training in France for the last one-and-a-half years and the fencers there are much better in comparison to the fencers in India," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Trade finance provider Upstream Working Capital has opened an office in Dublin and plans to provide up to 100m in funding over three years to businesses across the country. The US-backed lender has been active in Northern Ireland since 2011, lending to small and medium enterprises (SMEs). It is now opening an office in Sandyford Business Park, with funding to support transactions of up to 10m per client. The company provides invoice financing, trade finance and asset finance. Upstream said access to working capital, to fulfil orders and fund sales growth, is often the limiting factor for businesses. It said it provides solutions delivering cashflow to fund growth as part of client companies' overall funding mix. Trade and invoice finance typically allows companies selling goods to borrow short term against their sales invoices. Aidan Dolan, head of business development in the Dublin office, said the expansion was a "natural progression". "We see great opportunities as Ireland is set to be the strongest growing eurozone economy in 2020 with forecasts ranging from 3.5pc to 5pc GDP growth," he said. Alternative lenders have grown rapidly since the financial crash, initially while the traditional banks were unable to fund risk, but with continued growth during the economic recovery. When future historians look for the last, documented instance of Republican political courage in the Trump imperium, theyll look to one man: Sen. Mitt Romney. In one extraordinary speech on the floor of the United States Senate on Wednesday, the Utah senator made remarks that were both utterly moving in their absolute humanity and totally damning in their vivid rebuttal of GOP capitulation to a bankrupt White House. I swore an oath before God to exercise impartial justice, Romney told a nearly empty chamber around 2 p.m. on Wednesday, two hours before the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump. As The Washington Posts Dana Milbank wrote, Romney, fighting back tears, paused for some 12 seconds to collect himself before continuing. The grave question the Constitution tasks senators to answer is whether the president committed an act so extreme and egregious that it rises to the level of a high crime and misdemeanor. Yes, he did, Romney said, as the Senate gallery filled with journalists recording his remarks for the ages. For me, the most profound part of Romneys speech was his reminder to his GOP colleagues of the responsibilities invested in them by the Constitution, the very responsibilities they so thoroughly abdicated during the Trumps fixed trial. Dressed in a dark blue suit, white dress shirt, and blue tie, Romney, a devout Mormon and the GOPs 2012 presidential standard-bearer, looked like a throwback to a less complicated time when there were politicians that most Americans would recognize as textbook Republican. That matters because the Republican Party that Romney represented just eight years ago is dead and buried, never to return. If impeachment proved anything, it proved that the GOP is now a wholly owned subsidiary of the Trump Organization. Romneys remarks were all the more striking when theyre placed along the spineless surrender of fellow Republican Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Ted Cruz of Texas, who were both viciously lashed by Trump in 2016, but who nonetheless fell into line and voted to acquit. Maine Sen. Susan Collins, who plays a maverick on television and who voted in favor of calling witnesses, sided with her Republican colleagues on acquittal, even as she called Trumps behavior wrong. It was the same kind of transactional and fleeting courage pioneered by former Arizona Sen. Jeff Flake, who made late-career fame out of publicly holding up the nomination of now-Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh to the U.S. Supreme Court, but who ultimately voted to confirm a flawed candidate. Not Romney. I am aware that there are people in my party and in my state who will strenuously disapprove of my decision, and in some quarters, I will be vehemently denounced, he said Wednesday. I am sure to hear abuse from the President and his supporters. Does anyone seriously believe I would consent to these consequences other than from an inescapable conviction that my oath before God demanded it of me? In this space last week, I compared the current U.S. Senate to the weak-willed Roman Senate of antiquity that caved to the excesses of the most tyrannical emperors out of sheer self-interest. History also remembers that the Emperor Nero ordered Seneca, his onetime counselor, to commit suicide when he fell out of favor. Romney might well have committed political suicide. And it was equally clear that, like Seneca, there were principles more important to Romney than mere self-preservation. With my vote, I will tell my children and their children that I did my duty to the best of my ability, believing that my country expected it of me, he said adding, were all footnotes at best in the annals of history. But in the most powerful nation on earth, the nation conceived in liberty and justice, that is distinction enough for any citizen. In this diminished time, its more than enough. John Micek is the opinion editor and political columnist for PennLive/The Patriot-News in Harrisburg, Pa. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 ... are you reading now? Catch And Kill: Lies, Spies And A Conspiracy to Protect Predators, Ronan Farrow's blindsiding account of his attempt to make public investigations into Harvey Weinstein's alleged sexual abuses. It's as gripping and fantastical as any 21st century thriller. I thought I knew a bit about the subject, not only because over the years I had heard rumours within the industry but also because I like to think I generally 'keep up', but Farrow's book is a terrifying expose of the dense, tangled web of power in New York City that conspired to protect its own. The book makes me question my naive faith in the principles of those who make the news, who in this case ultimately failed to respond to hard evidence. Yet Farrow's account simultaneously has me hollering three cheers for the courage of those journalists, publishers and editors who did eventually break the story, including Farrow himself. Actress Joanna Scanlan (pictured) revealed she would take Lissa Evans' Old Baggage with her to a desert island ... would you take to a desert island? If I had the misfortune to be stuck on a desert island I would need to read something soothing but just acidic enough to tickle the grey matter. Lissa Evans' Old Baggage would do the trick beautifully. Every line suggests whole volumes of back story which would fire my own imagination and keep me going till that rescue boat appeared on the horizon. If it never did, then at least I would be thoroughly entertained as I clawed the sand, heaving for my last breath. Set between the wars, it is a dazzling comic drama which tells of an unfortunate series of events among former suffragettes who hope to indoctrinate the next generation of youngsters. With the doughty Mattie Simpkin at its heart, the emotional tapestry of this novel is so rich it makes you laugh and cry at the same moment. I had the challenge of reading Old Baggage for Audible and had to stop several times to do both. Joanna confessed The Young Elizabeth by Jean Plaidy (pictured) was what gave her the reading bug ... first gave you the reading bug? I read buckets of books as a child including any by Enid Blyton, Josephine Pullein-Thompson and Angela Brazil I could lay my hands on, but it was a duo of slim volumes written in the year of my birth, 1961, by Jean Plaidy that really gave me the bug The Young Elizabeth and The Young Mary Queen of Scots. The books recount the augural childhoods of these two ineffably sublime queens. Who knew that the Scottish queen was actually French, surrounded by friends all called Mary, and a child bride? Jean Plaidy was one of at least eight pen names of Eleanor Hibbert who published more than 200 books, and good ones too, though these and one other, about Thomas More's daughter Meg, were her only foray into writing for children. I went on to study the Tudors and then read history at Queens' College, Cambridge, so these tales cast a long shadow. ... left you cold? To my shame I have never even attempted The Handmaid's Tale. Even when its popularity came second time round following the TV series. I am so pathologically frightened of dystopian fiction, I never managed to get beyond the front cover. I know that the whole point of dystopian fiction is that it is in fact all about now not the future, but I'm terrified of a read that doesn't give me enough familiar handles to grab hold of in Chapter One. Even though every storymaker makes up their own rules, I don't welcome the jolt into quasi-technological sounding names and weather I can't recognise. Not that I'm accusing Margaret Atwood of either of those things because I haven't read her. I know, my loss. Joanna Scanlon is a judge for the Comedy Women in Print Prize 2020. Entries close March 2, 2020. For more information visit comedywomeninprint.co.uk The level and complexity of the work required to advance the health of communities is far beyond what any one sector can achieve alone." -- CSPHS Director Gianfranco Pezzino, MD, MPH The Public Health National Center for Innovations and the Center for Sharing Public Health Services (CSPHS), today announced grant awards totaling nearly $1.5 million to support collaborations between governmental public health, healthcare and social services. Provided as part of the Cross-sector Innovation Initiative (CSII), the funds will advance the efforts of 10 grantees to implement innovative multisector partnerships between governmental public health, healthcare, and social service organizations, along with the engagement of their communities, with the ultimate goal of aligning the three sectors work to improve population health, well-being, and equity for all. The initiative breaks new ground as it seeks to create an unprecedented effort toward achieving systems alignment between public health, healthcare and social services, supporting strategies that address both population-focused efforts and the social needs of individuals. Through their support of community-based efforts, the collaborations will elevate the focus on population health, thereby improving the health and well-being of the people they serve and the communities in which they operate. This new trend holds promise, and this initiative can be even more far-reaching and impactful with additional partners and long-term commitments, said PHNCI Chief Innovations Officer Jessica Solomon Fisher, MCP. Bringing these three sectors together for this grant opportunity along with the engagement of the community -- has the potential to achieve unprecedented improvements in health and equity, and innovative solutions to complex problems that impact the health and well-being of communities everywhere. The grants, made possible with support from the Princeton, N.J.-based Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, provide up to $150,000 to each of the 10 grantees to implement alignment innovations over the next 24 months. The initiative will emphasize the role and value of health departments in cross-sector collaborations while increasing understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities that these collaborations represent for health departments. The level and complexity of the work required to advance the health of communities is far beyond what any one sector can achieve alone, said CSPHS Director Gianfranco Pezzino, MD, MPH. We can achieve far greater results by working together and using innovation to make lasting improvements in population health outcomes. Working together means not only working across sectors, but also ensuring the community is engaged as an equal partner. The alignment innovations being implemented by the 10 grantees vary widely by focus, partner involvement, and level of collaboration. However, all involve high levels of partner trust, a shared vision and goals, community involvement, strong support from governance, and a specific goal to improve population health and achieve health equity. Funded initiatives will address a range of topics, including structural racism through policy, creating sustainable financing structures, and the root causes of inequitable birth outcomes. One initiative aims to develop a set of strategies to engage housing residents to improve physical and mental healthcare coordination, while another will work to infuse community voice in governance and leadership structures. In addition to receiving funding to support their collaborative efforts, each grantee will also receive technical assistance and the opportunity to participate in a CSII Learning Community designed to facilitate peer exchange and share expertise. As learnings are captured, they will be evaluated and widely disseminated to the field through a variety of tools, resources, stories and other communication materials. This is a truly groundbreaking effort that will help us to better understand what facilitates or impedes cross-sector collaborations, the unique role of governmental public health in these efforts to align different sectors, and the value of this work to all partners involved, said Monique Shaw, MPH, Program Officer for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The 10 grant recipients and their project titles are: Better Health Together (WA): A Collaborative Approach to Communtiy Equity in Spokane County, WA Cabarrus County Partnership for Children (NC): Substance Use Network: A Collaborative System of Care for Pregnant Mothers with Substance Use Disorder, Their Infants, and Families Case Western Reserve University (OH) (pending execution of grant agreement): The Health Improvement Partnership: (pending execution of grant agreement): Cuyahogas Quest to Achieve Equity: Applying Community-Based System Dynamics to Tackle Structural Racisms in Greater Cleveland Chatham County Public Health Department (NC): Equity for Moms and Babies Realized Across Chatham (EMBRACe) Health Education Council, Serving Populations at Risk (CA): West Sacramento Accountable Community for Health: Working Together to Promote Healthy Lives & Happy Hearts: A Multi-Sector Alliance of Health, Local Government, and Community Partners Dedicated to Health Equity Focused on Access to Healthy Food, Improved Walkability, Community Connection, and Tobacco Prevention. Hennepin County Public Health Department (MN): Community Health Improvement Partnership in Hennepin County: Focus on Community Mental Well-Being and Housing Stability Ledge Light Health District (CT): Engaging Community to Pursue a Healthy and Equitable Future by Addressing Structural Racisms Minneapolis Health Department (MN) (pending execution of grant agreement): Minneapolis Highrise Health Alliance: Leadership and Action for Healthier Minneapolis Public Health Authority Residents Mountain Area Health Education Center (NC): Mothering Asheville: A Community-Centered Health Movement to Address Institutional Racism, Implicit Bias, Access to Care, and Social Determinants of Health as Root Causes of Birth Inequities Napa County Health and Human Services Agency, Public Health Division (CA): Aligned Through Design: Improving Health Equity in Napa County Through Shared Data and Human-Centered Strategies For more information, contact Travis Parker Lee at tlee@phnci.org. About the Center for Sharing Public Health Services Since 2012, CSPHS has served as a national resource on cross-jurisdictional sharing (CJS), building the evidence and producing and disseminating tools, methods, and models to assist public health agencies and policymakers as they consider and adopt CJS approaches. CJS is a strategy that involves collaboration between health departments across jurisdictional boundaries. The purpose of CJS is to deliver public health services and address problems that cannot easily be solved by a single organization or jurisdiction. Based on steps along the Roadmap to Develop Cross-Jurisdictional Sharing Initiatives, the CSPHS and its companion website COMPASS provide access to tools, methods, and models to help explore, prepare for, plan, implement, and improve a CJS arrangement. About the Public Health National Center for Innovations Since 2015, PHNCI, a division of the Public Health Accreditation Board, has aimed to identify, implement, and spread innovations in public health practice to help meet the health challenges of the 21st century in communities nationwide. PHNCI acts as a leader to coordinate and align national initiatives and share innovative ideas as communities transform to improve health outcomes. At the core of PHNCIs current body of work are learning communities comprised of statewide coalitions, health departments, and other agencies implementing the systems transformations and innovations needed to improve public health practice and health outcomes. BEIJING - The daily death toll in China from a new virus topped 100 for the first time, pushing the total fatalities above 1,000 Tuesday as the World Health Organization announced a new name for the disease caused by the virus. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A cleaner walks through a deserted compound of a commercial office building in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism that its disease control measures like isolating major cities might be working, while Japan reported dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) BEIJING - The daily death toll in China from a new virus topped 100 for the first time, pushing the total fatalities above 1,000 Tuesday as the World Health Organization announced a new name for the disease caused by the virus. Despite the official end of the extended Lunar New Year holiday, China remained mostly closed for business as many remained at home, with some 60 million people under virtual quarantine. In Geneva, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced a new name for the disease caused by the virus COVID-19 saying officials wanted to avoid stigmatizing any geographic location, group of people or animal that might be linked to the disease and to make it clear it was a new coronavirus discovered in 2019. Having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks," the WHO chief said, adding that the name was agreed upon by officials at WHO, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization. Here are the latest developments: In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping wearing a protective face mask speaks to residents as he inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work at a neighbourhoods in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism that its disease control measures like isolating major cities might be working, while Japan reported dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. (Pang Xinglei/Xinhua via AP) PROVINCIAL HEALTH OFFICIALS SACKED With the death toll reaching 1,016 in mainland China and no end in sight, heads are beginning to roll. While no central government-level officials have lost their jobs, state media reported Tuesday that the top health officials in Hubei province, home to the epicenter of Wuhan, have been relieved of their duties. No reasons were given, although the province's initial response was deemed slow and ineffective. Speculation that higher-level officials could be sacked has simmered, but doing so could spark political infighting and be a tacit admission that the Communist Party dropped the ball. The virus outbreak has become the latest political challenge for the party and its leader, Xi Jinping, who despite accruing more political power than any Chinese leader since Mao Zedong, has struggled to handle crises on multiple fronts. These include a sharply slowing domestic economy, the trade war with the U.S. and push-back on China's increasingly aggressive foreign policies. A total of 42,638 virus infections have been recorded on the Chinese mainland. People wearing protective face masks walk on a street in the Central, the business district of Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from new virus has topped 100 for first time, with more than 1,000 total deaths recorded, the health ministry announced Tuesday, as the spread of the contagion shows little sign of abating while exacting an ever-rising cost. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) MAJOR CHALLENGES AHEAD Zhong Nanshan, a leading Chinese epidemiologist, said that while the virus outbreak in China may peak this month, the situation at the centre of the crisis remains more challenging. We still need more time of hard working in Wuhan, he said of the central Chinese city where the outbreak started. Speaking by teleconference to doctors in Wuhan, Zhong said the priority is to separate the infected from the healthy in their city. We have to stop more people from being infected, he said. The problem of human to human transmission has not yet been resolved. Without enough facilities to handle the number of cases, Wuhan has been building prefab hospitals and converting a gym and other large spaces to house patients and try to isolate them from others. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, wearing a protective face mask receives a temperature check as he inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work at a neighbourhoods in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism that its disease control measures like isolating major cities might be working, while Japan reported dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. (Pang Xinglei/Xinhua via AP) RISKS OF RESTARTING BUSINESS The crossing of more grim thresholds has dimmed optimism that the near-quarantine of some 60 million people and other disease-control measures are working. The restart of business poses a risk of further spreading the virus, but China has little recourse, said Cong Liang, secretary general of the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's main economic planning body. Without the reopening of businesses, in the short term, it will affect the supply of medical material and ... in the long run, it will affect the supply of all kinds of production and life materials and will make the control and prevention efforts on the front line unsustainable. The target of defeating the epidemic will not be reached, Cong said at a news conference. HONG KONG In Hong Kong, authorities evacuated some residents of an apartment block after two cases among those living there raised suspicion that the virus may be spreading through the building's plumbing. A passenger wearing a protective face mask enters a subway station at the railway station as they arrive in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) It was reminiscent of the SARS outbreak that killed hundreds in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. The biggest number of connected cases in that outbreak were in one apartment complex where the virus spread through sewage pipes. Health officials called it a precautionary measure after a 62-year-old woman diagnosed with the virus Tuesday was found living 10 floors below a man who was earlier confirmed infected. The womans son and daughter-in-law, who live with her, were among seven new cases reported last week in the city, where a total of 49 people have been infected. The 34 households evacuated live above or below the woman and share the same sewage system. A modified toilet drainage pipe in her unit may have helped spread the virus and officials are checking if any other units have made such alterations while they disinfect the building. GLOBAL FLOW OF MAIL DISRUPTED Postal operators in the United States, China, Singapore and elsewhere said the suspension of flights to slow the virus spread was having a major impact on the global flow of letters and parcels. The United States Postal Service informed its counterparts around the world on Tuesday that it was experiencing significant difficulties in dispatching letters, parcels and express mail to China, including Hong Kong and Macau, because airlines have suspended flights to those destinations. It said in the note that until sufficient transport capacity becomes available,it would no longer accept mail from other countries that transits via USPS to China, Hong Kong and Macau. That would start immediately, the note said. The Postal Service told AP that hiatus only affected transit mail and not letters and parcels posted in the United States. The Universal Postal Union, a U.N. agency for postal co-operation between its 192 member countries, said the flight suspensions would impact mail delivery for the foreseeable future. The Chinese mail service, China Post, said it was disinfecting postal offices, processing centres and vehicles to ensure the virus doesn't spread via the mail and to protect postal staff. The virus does not survive for long on objects. It is therefore safe to receive postal items from China," China Post said. EVACUEES LEAVE QUARANTINE IN U.S. A group of 195 evacuees were cleared Tuesday to end a two-week quarantine at a Southern California military base where they had been staying since flying out of China. 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. After everyone at March Air Reserve Base passed their final health screenings, they threw their face masks into the air and hugged, said Dr. Nancy Knight of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These individuals have completed their quarantine. They pose no health risk to themselves, to their families, to their places of work, to schools or their communities, she told reporters of the group, who arrived Jan. 29 aboard a chartered flight from Wuhan. They have been watched more closely than anyone else in the United States. There have been 13 confirmed cases in the United States, including seven in California. More than 460 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Of those, 135 are quarantined aboard a cruise ship in Yokohama, near Tokyo. ___ Associated Press writers Maria Cheng in London, John Leicester in Paris and Amy Taxin in Riverside, California, contributed to this report. China reported its highest daily coronavirus death toll Tuesday, the 103 additional fatalities pushing the total past 1,100 and providing a somber warning that the epidemic represents "a very grave threat to the rest of the world." All but two of the 1,115 deaths attributed to the outbreak that emerged in December have been in mainland China. The virus is continuing to spread into other countries: Almost 500 of the 45,182 confirmed cases are outside China. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week reported the 13th case in the U.S. "The rise in mortality cases is concerning," Ogbonnaya Omenka, an assistant professor and public health specialist at Butler University's College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, told USA TODAY. "In China, health workers are overstretched, and diagnostic processes are not keeping up with the cases." Omenka said testing and confirming cases takes longer because of a shortage of diagnostic tools. And supportive treatment is not available for many cases because of the shortage of facilities and health workers, he said. For the latest on coronavirus: Get USA TODAY's Daily Briefing in your inbox A team from the World Health Organization arrived in China this week to lay the groundwork for a larger international team that will aid the Chinese effort while learning traits of the outbreak that could help scientists contain its spread, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. "With 99% of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," Tedros said. "Its hard to believe that just two months ago, this virus which has come to captivate the attention of media, financial markets and political leaders was completely unknown to us." Quarantine ends for some American evacuees In the U.S., almost 200 people evacuated from Wuhan, China, on the first charter flight from the country were being released Tuesday, said Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She said the 195 people had been monitored for symptoms of the respiratory virus for the past 14 days, the maximum incubation time. None had common symptoms such as fever or coughing. Story continues Of the 800 people evacuated on five separate charter flights, only one person has been confirmed with coronavirus, Schuchat said. Spreads easier than SARS but less lethal Schuchat said coronavirus seems to spread more easily than SARS severe acute respiratory syndrome but appears to be less lethal. SARS, which originated in China and spread globally in 2003, killed about one in 10 people. So far, the death rate for coronavirus is about 2% in China, and that figure might drop as China counts people with milder cases. The transmissibility of the virus may be more similar to that of the flu or the common cold, she said. "It may be with additional cases, particularly if they dont involve symptoms or very mild symptoms, that it will be very difficult to block the spread," Schuchat said. US workers at Hong Kong consulate given OK to leave The State Department has authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency employees at the U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong. One death and 49 coronavirus cases have been reported in the administrative region of China. The decision to allow employees and their families the option of leaving was made "out of an abundance of caution," a department spokesperson said in a statement. The status will be reviewed in 30 days, the statement said. Coronavirus, explained: Everything you need to know about the deadly virus Coronavirus gets new name WHO announced a formal name for the coronavirus COVID-19. Tedros said officials needed a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people. It also had to be pronounceable and related to the disease, he said. "Having a name matters, to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing," he said. "It also gives us a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks." The new coronavirus could become a pandemic: What is that? Should I be worried? 13th US case confirmed The CDC confirmed the 13th U.S. coronavirus case Monday. The case, detected in California, involved a patient under a federal quarantine order at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar near San Diego after recently returning from Wuhan. Wuhan and Hubei province are where the outbreak of respiratory illness caused by the virus was discovered in December . The CDC said it was conducting a thorough "contact investigation" of the person who has tested positive to determine whether friends, relatives or others are should be considered high-risk. About 800 Americans evacuated from Wuhan remain under quarantine. World coronavirus summit underway WHO, which declared a global emergency two weeks ago, on Tuesday convened a two-day global forum to encourage international action and fast-track new tests, treatments and vaccines. The forum, meeting in Geneva with some experts attending remotely, includes scientists, researchers from public health agencies, regulatory experts and bioethicists with expertise in research emergencies. "We want you to know that we stand with you in solidarity and we wish you courage, patience, success and good health in these extremely trying circumstances," Tedros told participants. Chinese doctor dies: He had been censured for warning about coronavirus Employees wear a protective masks whilst carrying vegetables from trucks at a hospital on Feb. 10, 2020 in Wuhan, China. Japan may let elderly exit quarantined cruise ship In Japan, the government is considering a plan to release some elderly passengers with chronic illnesses from a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama over coronavirus infection fears, multiple media outlets in Japan reported. One hundred seventy-four of the 3,700 people aboard have tested positive for the virus. The government had asked about 3,600 passengers and crew members to stay on board during the two-week isolation period through Feb. 19. About 80% of the 2,666 passengers are 60 or older; 215 are in their 80s and 11 are in their 90s, authorities say. Masahiro Kami, head of the nonprofit Medical Governance Research Institute, told Kyodo News that elderly people with chronic illnesses that stress from confinement to cramped cabins could make them "susceptible to virus infection and risk their lives." Outbreak: A look inside the cruise ship quarantined by the coronavirus This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coronavirus: China logs most deaths in a day as total surpasses 1,000 Precision medicine refers to medicines developed as per an individuals genetic profile that helps as a guide for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Major driving factor for precision medicine market are demand for customised and personalized medicine, growing awareness about the possible applications of precision medicine, growing diagnosis and screening of genetic diseases, increase of risk factors such as UV rays, pollution, cancer among others. The larger investments and the associated development of better infrastructure is a silver lining of the market for precision medicine market. The market constraints include concerns of data security and privacy, high diagnostic costs, stringent regulations and standards, reimbursement policies and regulatory framework, limited knowledge about the application of test and techniques, lack of research and evidences creating hindrances in its application. The nascent nature of the technology has led to a limited application of the precision medicine. Thus low volumes is a strong barrier as it increases the cost of the final product to customers. The scarcity of trained professionals is acting as a drag on the market. Precision medicine is an upcoming branch in the healthcare industry with the focus on determining appropriate approaches effective in treating patients based on environment, genetics, and lifestyle factors. Recent advances in genomics and cancer has propelled this particular branch to the forefront. The global precision medicine market report by Market Research Future (MRFR) asserts several determinants and challenges for the period between 2019 and 2025 (forecast period). Get a FREE Sample Copy of Report with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/925 Precision Medicine Market Competitive Outlook Intel Corporation, Sanofi Pharma, Roche Holding AG-Br, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., AB-Biotics SA, Cepheid Inc., Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, InnVentis, Pfizer Inc, ABBOTT LABORATORIES, ASURAGEN, INc., bioMerieux SA, HealthCore, Inc., IBM, Glaxosmithkline Plc (GSK), Almac Group, Ltd., Medtronic, Randox Laboratories Ltd, Qiagen, BIOBASE GmbH (Subsidiary), Molecular Health GmbH, GE Healthcare, Novartis, Precision for Medicine, LABORATORY CORPORATION OF AMERICA HOLDINGS, CETICS Healthcare Technologies GmbH, Quest Diagnostics Inc., Caris Life Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, and Intomics A/S are some of the eminent names in the global precision medicine market. Precision Medicine Market Outlook Global precision medicine market is expected to exhibit 12.64% CAGR during the forecast period to touch a valuation of USD 126.14 billion by 2025. It is primarily driven by cancer care and advances in palliative care. Development in next-generation sequencing technologies, rising prevalence of genetic diseases, potential for targeted therapies, and integration of big data healthcare companies with pharma & biotech companies. The cure in rare diseases and the scope of artificial intelligence assisting in the drug development process can widen the market scope drastically. For instance, two novel drugs BAN 2401 and Anavex 2-73 were approved by federal agencies for patients with Alzheimers disease. But concerns of data privacy can hamper the market growth. Precision Medicine Market Segmentation Analysis The global precision medicine market has been segmented into ecosystem players, sub-markets, and therapeutics. Based on ecosystem players, the global precision medicine market has been segmented into diagnostic companies, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology companies, healthcare IT specialists/big data companies, and clinical laboratories. The diagnostic tool companies segment accounted for a market value of USD 16.27 million in 2017. Based on sub-markets, the global precision medicine market has been segmented into pharmacogenomics (PGX), targeted therapeutics, companion diagnostics, biomarker-based test, molecular diagnostics, and others. Based on therapeutics, the global precision medicine market has been segmented into infectious diseases, cancer/oncology, cardiovascular disease (CVD), central nervous system, and others. Precision Medicine Market Regional Analysis The Americas, Asia Pacific (APAC), Europe, and Rest-of-the-World (RoW) are prime regions of interest which have been discussed in detail in the global precision medicine market report. The Americas is anticipated to dominate the global market during the forecast period due to advances in genome mapping, and initiatives in gene sequencing. In 2015, the U.S. government launched the Precision Medicine Initiative for encouraging new developments in the sector. The Europe precision medicine market can be the second-largest due to adoption of precise diagnostic tools, electronic health records, and drugs prescribed solely for the disease. Investments in the sector due to the large scope in targeted therapies can drive the global market growth. Mergers and acquisitions can further facilitate market growth. The APAC region had accounted for a market share of 14% in 2017. It can exhibit a robust CAGR during the forecast period due to emerging developments in healthcare infrastructure and rise in expendable income levels of patients. Precision Medicine Industry Update Evotec, a German drug development company, has decided to partner with Bayer AG for expanding their treatment options focusing on womens health. In collaboration with Celmatix Inc, it is planning to determine the effects of precision medicine for the treatment of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) among women. Both companies will investigate new drug targets and high-technology platforms. Get More Information on Precision Medicine Market Research Report Global Forecast till 2025 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/precision-medicine-market-925 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a major decision earlier this year to leave the royal family. Now that theyve started adjusting to daily life in their current home of Vancouver Island, Canada, the two are starting to lead a very different lifestyle than once before. The duke and duchess came under fire last year for using private jets on many occasions, despite their dedicated environmental work. But now that the duke and duchess dont have a royal family income, will they continue to fly private? Prince Harry and Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images The royal family tends to use private planes and helicopters for security purposes The royals are members of one of the worlds most important families. With that said, when they take trips to different parts of the world, it isnt always feasible for them to fly on commercial aircraft the way most people do. Safety and security are of the utmost importance, and commercial flights naturally pose a bit more of a security risk, since the royals wouldnt know everyone theyre flying with. For that reason, the royals do tend to take private aircraft, despite that they care greatly about the environment. Harry and Meghan split their transportation between private and commercial Harry and Meghan travel often nowadays, and they did even more so when they were working royals. And there were certainly times when the two flew private aircraft. Last summer, the two came under fire for flying four private jets in a span of a little more than a week. Since the two seem to care deeply about the environment, some critics accused them of being hypocrites. When Harry and Meghan left for their tour of Southern Africa back in 2019, they decided to fly commercial after the public wasnt receptive to the number of private jets they had used. However, when royals fly commercial, its not as though they walk through security and wait at the gate like most people do. They tend to get on and off the plane without almost anyone even noticing theyre there. The two might fly commercial more often based on their new income Harry and Meghan gave up a lot when they left the family. While giving up the royal life meant a much more peaceful outlook (hopefully), the royals also gave up their royal income. And doing so means theyre no longer receiving the millions of dollars they had been receiving from the British government. Meghan and Harrys lower income (though they definitely still have plenty of money), combined with their general care for the environment, might mean theyll travel on fewer private aircraft than they did as royal family members. The Sun reported that Meghan took a budget flight worth $175 back to Canada after meeting with the royals upon returning from her hiatus. The flight might have been a combination of saving money and helping the environment. The royals will continue to make safety a priority Though Harry and Meghan might do their best to fly commercial when they can, their safety is still a priority. And the two likely would spare no expense to fly private if it meant ample security and very little risk. The two seem genuine about their love for the environment, so they would likely be open to flying commercial if it made sense for their family. However, we cant say we fault them for flying private when necessary. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 14:06 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063caa77 1 Business Indonesia,Saudi-Arabia,fund,farmers,fisheries,Bayarind-Artha-Nusa,digital-payment Free Saudi Arabia will provide Rp 1.4 trillion (about US$102 million) to help empower farmers and fisherfolk through the establishment of a sharia-based digital payment platform to channel the funds. PT Indonesia Mecca Tower, which has been appointed by the Saudi Arabian government to carry out the project, will cooperate with PT Bayarind Artha Nusa Internusa to provide and run the digital payment platform, which would distribute the funds in the form of soft loans to farming and fishery corporations. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the cooperation between the two companies was signed in Jakarta on Monday witnessed by chairman of the National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas), Suharso Monoarfa, who facilitated the cooperation. Speaking to reporters following the signing of the cooperation agreement, Suharso said the digital payment would directly target 350 farming and fishery corporations across the country. He said farmers and fisherfolk could receive loans from the payment platform to meet their daily or their farming needs. Bappenas also facilitates the establishment of the corporations, which would be owned by farmers and fisherfolks. Currently, as many as 68 corporations have been approved to benefit from the program, out of the targeted 350 corporations within the next five years, Luwarso, a commissioner of Indonesia Mecca Tower, said after the signing ceremony. About 60 percent of those groups of farmers and fishermen are based in Java. Suharso said the digital payment project would significantly support the governments effort to empower the countrys farmers and fisherfolk. (ydp) Jackson State University President William B Bynum Jr arrested in prostitution sting Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment William B. Bynum Jr., the president of Jackson State University in Mississippi, resigned effective immediately Monday after his arrest over the weekend at a Clinton hotel on charges of procuring the services of a prostitute, giving a false statement of identity, and possession of marijuana. The 57 year old was arrested in a sting along with 16 others, according to police sources cited by the Clarion Ledger. Mark Jones, spokesman for the city of Clinton, told the Ledger that the two-day sting operation led to eight felony charges and explained that the alleged offenders were contacted through online "dark web" sites, where services were discussed and a local chain hotel was the agreed meeting place. Shonda McCarthy, director of Jackson State University Art Galleries, was also charged with procuring the services of a prostitute and possession of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle. Bynum was released from custody Sunday after posting a $3,000 bond, while McCarthy was released the same day after posting a $2,000 bond, police records show. I wish we hadnt arrested anyone, but were going to do all we can do to ensure that criminal activity is not going to transpire in the city of Clinton, Clinton Police Chief Ford Hayman told CBS News' Clinton affiliate WJTV. Quiana James, a Jackson State University student, said she always felt proud to have Bynum as her schools president but said she was embarrassed by the arrest. I see him around campus all the time. Ive held conversations with him and he just seemed like a nice guy, like a family guy, she said. I was proud to have him as my president and so to see this, its kind of like, Wow Im embarrassed.' At his formal installation ceremony at Jackson State University in October 2018, Bynums daughter, Chelsea Bynum-Grant, praised her father for his faith, according to a release from the school. Your love for God and your faith continually grow stronger year after year, milestone after milestone, she said. Your love for education and commitment to giving back to the community is admirable. You spent well over 25 years dedicated to showing young people that they are more than capable of stepping out of that bubble and achieving their goals in life and desires. After taking the oath of office at the event, Bynum, in the spirit of a preacher, said: For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11. At the installation ceremony which came 16 months after Bynum took over the financially troubled HBCU, he said he would meet the challenges with faith. I fear not. I dont care about the challenges were going to face. I worry very little about the things that we are up against, which are significant burdens, challenges, and hurdles. I fear not, he said. As I tell my staff, I can literally see it, yall. I can literally see it because of the covering of God and knowing that indeed we are going to be just fine. He then quoted his favorite motto: Look back and thank God, look forward and trust God, look around and serve God, look within and find God. Ricky D. Robinson, a businessman and longtime friend of Bynum, also declared that he had been made president of Jackson State University by Gods design. On Monday, the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning named Thomas Hudson as Acting President of Jackson State University. We are extremely pleased that Thomas Hudson has agreed to serve as Acting President, Hal Parker, president of the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, said in a release. As both an alumnus and a current staff member, he has a deep love for and understanding of the campus and all it means to the students, faculty, staff, alumni and the state. Magnificent views of the city below created a real estate bonanza On a chilly Saturday morning, with a three-quarter moon lingering in a deep-blue sky, Sam Elliott and I stand atop Orchard Knob, site of Maj. Gen. Ulysses Grants headquarters during the Battle of Missionary Ridge. To our right, in the far distance, rises majestic Lookout Mountain. In front of us, about a mile away, rises its smaller cousin, Missionary Ridge. As we discuss this pivotal battle, our only other companions are triumphant soldier figures atop Union monuments that dot this small hill in a working-class neighborhood in east Chattanooga, Tenn. Its not surprising, Elliott, a Chattanooga attorney and historian, tells me. Despite the parklike setting, most locals avoid this historic ground, considering it more a cemetery than a recreational area. My objective is to explore the distant ridge, where hundreds of stories lurk. Unlike the improbable but wildly successful assault by 54,000 Federals on November 25, 1863, a day after the Union Armys capture of Lookout Mountain, our journey is far less taxing; we must merely navigate traffic instead of dodge Confederate fire from atop Missionary Ridge. Mostly farmland in 1863, the approach to Rebel positions was long ago ravaged by developers. This is the story of the Missionary Ridge visitits about how the 19th and 21st centuries co-exist in Chattanooga. And bones. Lots of bones. From its northern tip to a southern edge that sneaks into Georgia, the Missionary Ridge battlefield is roughly seven miles long. Massive chunks are missing in places in the ridge, Elliott says, as if scooped out like ice cream. In the 1950s, a quarter-mile section of the ridge was blasted away for construction of U.S. Interstate 24. Some of the natural ravines provided ideal cover for Yankee advances to the crest of Missionary Ridge, thinly defended by about 45,000 Confederates commanded by 46-year-old Braxton Bragg. The ridge is stunningly steep in places, begging the question: What the heck were the Federals thinking? Union losses at Missionary Ridge were 5,824 (753 killed, 4,722 wounded, and 349 missing). Confederate casualties are believed to be about 6,700 (361 killed, 2,160 wounded and nearly 4,200 missing, mostly prisoners.) In 1890, Congress authorized the creation of the Chickamauga & Chattanooga National Military Parkthe first, and still largest, such park protected by the U.S. government. Beginning in the late-19th century, monuments commemorating Union sacrifice were dedicated on Missionary Ridge, and cast-iron plaques were placed denoting positions of the armies. Along the crest, seven reservations covering key areas of the battle are maintained by the National Park Service, which preserves and tells the story of the epic assault. As Chattanooga expanded, a residential neighborhood sprouted atop the ridge, unsurprising given the magnificent view of the city and valley below. Its an odd scene today: In a tony neighborhood on winding, two-lane Crest Road, a cannon denoting a Confederate battery position points into a 20th-century house; historical plaques stand steps from houses and driveways; and monuments appear in front yards. All the markers, monuments, and cannons are owned and protected by the National Park Service. Yards from the front door of an impressive house on Crest Road, stands an isolated upright cannon tube. Few stop to examine the monument to Edward Phelps, the Union 3rd Brigade commander who was mortally wounded here 156 years ago. Its no wonder: Parking is scarce all along the narrow road. On the afternoon of November 25, the 34-year-old colonel led men from Ohio, Indiana, and Kentucky up Missionary Ridge. Their objective: Push the enemy from defenses bristling with artillery. Those in front would be the safest, so we all ran our best, as it was almost certain death to be slow and behind, Lawrence Gates, a lieutenant in the 74th Indiana, wrote of the assault days after the battle. The voice of the five cannons, which fired upon us, the bursting of shells in our ranks and over our heads, and the loud hurrah and yell of our brave boys with the occasional war cry: Chickamauga nearly deafened my ears. Weakened by illness and unable to ride his horse, Phelps, according to a postwar account, was carried up the ridge by four soldiers. We were completely tired out when near its top, Gates recalled, but the gallant Phelps was with us, and when he commanded: Fix Bayonets! Forward Boys! Charge! it was done with a will. In the assault, Gates regiment suffered low casualties: 18 soldiers killed or wounded. But Phelps, a lawyer, was mortally wounded in the chest. His remains were returned to his grieving wife in Toledo, Ohio, where he received a military funeralanother victim of the mad ambition of reckless traitors, according to the local newspaper. Lookie here! Lookie here! says Elliott, pointing to one of the ice cream scoopsa route Yankees took when they advanced up the ridge. We drive north on Crest Road, passing a historical marker in the corner of a front yard denoting ground defended by Confederates under Maj. Gen. William H.T. Walker. Then we slowly pass a ranch house with one of those Missionary Ridge oddities: In the front yard, 25 or so paces from the front door, a cannon marks the nearby position of an Arkansas battery. One of the residents sometimes lets her grandchildren play on the cool lawn ornament. (The NPS has occasionally told residents to remove holiday lights from cannons during Christmas season.) At the corner of Glass and Campbell streets, Elliott and I stand in the Pennsylvania Reservation, near the 73rd Pennsylvania monument. Above us rises now-heavily wooded Tunnel Hill, vigorously defended by veterans under Confederate Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne. In 1863, ground below the hill was part of the Glass Farm; now its covered with mostly older, 20th-century homes and bears no resemblance to its war-time appearance. On the afternoon of November 25, 143rd New York Lt. Col. Joseph Taft, temporarily in command of the 73rd Pennsylvania, led a charge up Tunnel Hill. Examining the steep terrain, Elliott and I marvel at the audaciousness of the assault. Crazy, he calls it. Taft, born in Mississippi in 1838, was working in his Massachusetts-born fathers bookstore in Houston, Texas, when the Lone Star State seceded in February 1861. Both were opposed to secession; Taft eventually made his way to New York, where he became a major in the 143rd New York. A thorough disciplinarian and a model soldier, the red-headed Taft was killed during the Missionary Ridge attack. For Gods sake hold the position reportedly were his last words. The 25-year-old officer is buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery, about four miles from where he died. From his Crest Road house, 67-year-old retiree Doug Eckert has a birds-eye view of history. In his front yard, a large plaque denotes the position of Confederate Maj. Gen. Thomas Hindmans Division. Across the road, Missionary Ridge drops off precipitously. On any given Sunday, says Eckert, the former president of the neighborhood association, someone with out-of-state license plates will slow down and take pictures of that cast-iron plaque in the front yard. They may not know what took place here. But Im sure they try to imagine 1863. Retreating Rebels probably fled through Eckerts yard. In 2017, Eckert found a musket ball on the ground near the birdbath in his front yard. His next-door neighbor found a Minie ball in a crevice in his driveway. Neal Thompson, a neighborhood resident since 1958, lives on the most unusual property on Missionary Ridge. Two cannons in the front yard of his home mark the position of Confederate Captain John Mebanes battery. One of the bronze tubes, yards from the front porch of Thompsons 1922 house, points directly between his door and front window. Doesnt bother me a bit, he says of the artillery piece, a popular target of photographers. The 70-year-old attorney rattles off history like a caffeinated auctioneer. Thompson is a distant relative of Andrew Jackson, the 7th U.S. president. His ancestors in the 5th Tennessee, part of Brig. Gen. Otho Strahls Brigade, defended the southern end of Missionary Ridge, about 1.25 miles south of his house. Another, a captain in the 6th Georgia, was killed at Antietam. After an ice storm in 1960, Thompson says, work crews broke their chainsaws on Civil War lead and iron encased within toppled limbs and trees. In 1988, a friend of Thompsons discovered a cannonball embedded in an oak on his ridge property. He tells of the discoveries of scores of battle artifacts in the neighborhood and on his propertypieces of skillet, grapeshot, bullets, horseshoes. Across Crest Road, where Thompson owned another home, he believes Confederates kept their artillery horses. This yard, he says as we walk those grounds, is full of metal. And then there are the grisly finds. In 1961, when he was 12, Thompson was at the McCallie School, a private prep school below Missionary Ridge, when the remains of a Yankee soldier were found there. I saw the bones myself, he says of the find on the old Rev. Thomas Hooke McCallie property. The skull, too. The body had first been unearthed in 1879 and reburied on the spot. Periodically over the years, bones of other soldiers have been uncovered, too. Who knows what other secrets will someday be revealed in this unusual neighborhood on a Tennessee ridge? John Banks is the author of the popular John Banks Civil War blog. This story appeared in the April 2020 issue of Civil War Times. Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration over the reported release... Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration over the reported release of 1,400 repentant Boko Haram members. Borno State Government on Tuesday announced that about 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects have been released in trenches by the military and rehabilitated into the society. This was disclosed by Borno State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Jato. Reacting, Suleman in a post on Tuesday, queried the action, even as he wondered the fate of soldiers who fought Boko Haram following the insurgents release. The outspoken cleric further described the Buhari adminstration as a kindergarten leadership. Apostle Suleman on his Twitter page wrote: Heard that 1,400 repentant Boko Haram members have been released. I want to believe its not true. What will be the motivation for soldiers to risk their lives fighting a sect that will always be later released? This is kindergarten leadership at its peak, if its true very wrong. Meanwhile, the latest attack by Boko Haram terrorist sect at Auno near Maiduguri in Borno Statehad left about 30 people dead. HOUSTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three people were shot Monday morning inside a Walmart in the U.S. state of Arkansas, and one suspect was killed by police. According to local media reports, two police officers were among the injured in the shooting in Forrest City, about 150 km northeast of Little Rock, the capital city of Arkansas. Local media quoted police as reporting that officers were called to the Walmart Supercenter after a man in his early 40s began making threats, saying he was going to blow up the Walmart. The suspect was approached by the officers and he reportedly opened fire. The suspect was shot dead. One officer was airlifted to the Regional Medical Center while the other was taken to a local hospital. The police have blocked off the street adjacent to the store along with the store itself. With a population of around 15,300 at the 2010 census, Forrest City is located between Little Rock and Memphis, Tennessee. Washington, D.C.--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today filed charges against an Ohio-based businessman who allegedly orchestrated a digital asset scheme that defrauded approximately 150 investors, including many physicians. The SEC alleges that Michael W. Ackerman, along with two business partners, raised at least $33 million by claiming to investors that he had developed a proprietary algorithm that allowed him to generate extraordinary profits while trading in cryptocurrencies. According to the SEC's complaint, physicians in particular made investments in two entities, Q3 Trading Club and Q3 I LP, when they were introduced to the digital currency investment opportunity by one of the business partners who also is a physician. The SEC's complaint alleges that Ackerman misled investors about the performance of his digital currency trading, his use of investor funds, and the safety of investor funds in the Q3 trading account. The complaint further alleges that Ackerman doctored computer screenshots taken of Q3's trading account to create the illusion that Q3 was highly invested in cryptocurrencies and was extraordinarily profitable, holding assets of as much as $310 million. In reality, as alleged, at no time did Q3's trading account hold more than $6 million and Ackerman was personally enriching himself by using $7.5 million of investor funds to purchase and renovate a house, purchase high end jewelry, multiple cars, and pay for personal security services. "As alleged in our complaint, Ackerman lured investors, many in the medical profession, into falsely believing that he generated extraordinary profits from his algorithmic trading strategy," said Eric I. Bustillo, Director of the SEC's Miami Regional Office. "Ackerman exploited popular interest in digital assets as a means to obtain millions of dollars for his personal use." Many fraudsters take advantage of the trust that having something in common creates, such as a common profession. The SEC's Office of Investor Education and Advocacy and the Division of Enforcement's Retail Strategy Task Force have issued an Investor Alert with tips on how investors should avoid investment decisions based solely on common ties with someone recommending or selling the investment. The SEC's complaint, filed in federal court in New York, charges Ackerman with violations of the antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. The SEC seeks a permanent injunction, disgorgement plus pre-judgment interest, and a civil penalty. In parallel actions, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission filed charges against Ackerman arising from similar conduct. The SEC's continuing investigation is being conducted by Alexander Charap and Kathleen Strandell in the Miami Regional Office and supervised by Jessica M. Weissman and Glenn S. Gordon. The SEC's litigation is being led by Amie Riggle Berlin and supervised by Andrew Schiff. The SEC appreciates the assistance of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security. Sen. Elizabeth Warren lashed out at billionaire candidates - and candidates who 'suck up' to billionaires as she visiting polling places on the day of the New Hampshire primary. 'That's one of the big questions here, how is our democracy going to work going forward - do you have to either be a billionaire or suck up to a billionaire in order to get the Democratic nomination?' she asked a pack of reporters gathered around her Tuesday. Warren was likely taking aim at former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg who is shooting up in national polls. A Monmouth University poll released Tuesday of voters nationwide had Warren tied with former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg for third place among the Democratic contender with 13 per cent support each. Bloomberg was right behind them, earning 11 per cent support from Democrats and Democratic leaning voters. Sen. Elizabeth Warren blasted 'billionaire' candidates and candidates who 'suck up' to billionaires as she made polling place stops in New Hampshire on Tuesday Sen. Elizabeth Warren was likely taking aim at former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg is who moving up in national polls But she could also be referencing Pete Buttigieg who she's criticized for taking donations from billionaires. Warren's campaign manager sent out a memo to supporters Tuesday to explain how she could went the nomination, but it doesn't consider Buttigieg's ascent a factor While New Hampshire votes today, Bloomberg's not even on the ballot - though earned some write-in votes in the Granite State already. Warren could also be talking about Buttigieg who bested her in the Iowa caucuses. She's gone after him for taking money from billionaire donors and hosting a high-dollar fundraiser in a 'wine cave' in California's Napa Valley. Billionaire Tom Steyer is also in the race, though has been polling in the single digits. Warren's criticism comes as reporters asked the Massachusetts senator about her campaign's longevity. 'We built a campaign to last,' she said. 'We're in 30 states now.' 'And remember, when I made the decision at the beginning not to spend 70 per cent of my time sucking up to billionaires and corporate executives and lobbyists and instead to fund my campaign through grassroots, it gave me more time to do town hall,' she continued. 'So I have already done town halls in 29 states and Puerto Rico.' Also on Tuesday, her campaign manager Robert Lau sent out a nearly 2,000 word memo to supporters to explain how she can still win the race. The New York Times obtained a copy of the memo, which described Sanders - who willl likely win Tuesday's New Hampshire primary - as having a 'ceiling,' meaning he'll only be able to achieve a certain level of support. The memo also predicted Biden's campaign collapsing, though didn't take into account Buttigieg gaining steam. Instead it suggested that the former South Bend mayor would lose ground once the primary races were held in more diverse states. 'If the early states deliver mixed results for the field, and no seismic event shakes up the top three, the remaining viable candidates for the Democratic nomination as of Super Tuesday will be Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and Elizabeth Warren,' the memo said. Warren came in third place in Iowa - after Buttigieg and Buttigieg just about tied for first. It was a strong showing for the first-time presidential candidate, and Warren topped that off with a solid New Hampshire debate performance. But Warren's narrative of good-enough has not gotten her much media attention in New Hampshire, compared to the narrative of a dueling 38-year-old mayor and 78-year-old democratic socialist, especially with expected frontrunner Vice President Joe Biden's campaign faltering. In Iowa, Biden came in fourth. New polls also show growing support for Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota moderate who had memorable moments during Friday's debate. The Real Clear Politics polling average on New Hampshire primary day had Klobuchar with 11.7 per cent - third in the race, behind Sanders and Buttigieg, and Warren tied with Biden at 11 per cent in the Granite State. Mumbai: Kalki Koechlin has introduced her newborn baby girl Sappho to the world and thanked her team of doctors who did not give up on her even after 17-hour-long labour. Kalki took to Instagram, where she shared a string of photographs of her along with her daughter, and boyfriend Guy Hershberg and also the team of doctors, who helped her with childbirth. "So thankful to the whole team at Tulip Women's Care and to my to doctors @docsheetalsabharwal and @drrvpunjabi who simply refused to give up on me even when after 17 hours I was so tired I begged them to take the baby out any way they could and they said no, you've come this far and you're going to have your natural water birth, and an hour later Sappho was born. You guys are miracle workers!" Kalki captioned the images. The 35-year-old in September opened up about her relationship with Hershberg, an Israeli classical pianist. She had previously married to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap in 2011 but separated after two years. Nigerian national Cynthia Samuel-Olonjuwon has held the post of assistant director-general and regional director for Africa at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) since November 2017. Based in Abidjan in Cote dIvoire, she has been a member of the senior management team at the ILO Regional Office for Africa for more than nine years, during which she has played an important role in the development and implementation of regional strategies to deliver quality programmes and fostering opportunities for cooperation and alliance building throughout the region. On her first official visit to Egypt for the annual meeting of the managers of ILO offices in the African countries Samuel-Olonjuwon talked about the mandate of the oldest UN agency and the future of work on the African continent. We often hear that youth hold the key to future progress, so how can Africa best capitalise on its youth? An educated and skilled youth labour force is key to ensuring effective youth participation in the world of work. Consequently, Africa must work to offer solutions to the daunting labour-market challenges facing the youth. Youth are the future of the continent, and yet approximately 54.5 million young people are not in education, employment or training (NEET). Furthermore, unemployment in Africa is high. For instance, in North Africa, the youth unemployment rate is more than 30 per cent and even higher at over 40 per cent for young women. In addition, informality involves 95 per cent of young workers on the continent, and a staggering 72 million African children are working, accounting for almost half of child labour globally. Thus, for the continent to encourage and benefit from its youth, important strides should be made to reduce the burdens of informality, unemployment, and their NEET status. In 2019, the ILO celebrated its centenary and the 60th anniversary of its presence in Africa. Last August, the ILO Global Youth Employment Forum took place in Abuja, Nigeria, resulting in an action plan for youth employment over the next decade. The ILO also leads the Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth, a UN platform to promote youth employment. How can African economies create more jobs? The realities we see in most African economies unemployment, informality, working poverty, especially for youth and women to a large extent stem from one major challenge: labour demand is insufficient to absorb the large and growing labour force. Put simply: there are not enough jobs for the people looking for work. Poverty, low wages, and poor working conditions are the outcome of this basic problem. This means that we must find ways to stimulate labour demand in other words, the number and quality of jobs on offer. Because of the dependence on low-value-added commodity production in most African countries, the only way to achieve this is through a process of industrialisation and structural adjustment. The Abidjan Declaration, which was adopted by the ILOs African constituents governments, workers and employers at the conclusion of the 14th African Regional Meeting in Abidjan, Cote dIvoire, in December, recognises this and clearly states that we must come up with pro-employment policies that can stimulate demand and transformation. This means, in particular, a new approach to macroeconomic and sectoral policies that target those industries and value chains that can create as many jobs as possible. Focusing on and promoting employment-intensive investment is also very important. This has been very successful in Asia, but now we are seeing a few African countries like Rwanda and Ethiopia trying to embark on a similar path. However, more work is still needed, and many countries still have a long way to go with regard to implementing sound pro-employment economic policies. Having a skilled labour force is vital, but this can only be a successful strategy for employment if at the same time jobs are created that can absorb people coming out of training. Therefore, the starting point must be on the demand side, and that is why the ILO is advocating for so-called demand-led growth strategies for the majority of African countries. You once said that informal youth employment stood at 95 per cent of the youth labour force in Africa. To what extent is this a problem? It is a real problem to have 95 per cent of African youth in informal employment. This is mainly because decent work deficits are more pervasive in informal employment as opposed to formal employment. Informal employment exhibits the major tenets of decent work deficits, including poor security in the workplace, poor or absent social protection, poor prospects for personal development, a lack of freedom of expression, and the poor exercise of fundamental rights at work. These jobs are therefore precarious in nature and work to disadvantage the youth. This leads to a lack of stability in their personal and professional lives. If overlooked, informal employment among youth has the potential to have significant and serious social repercussions. Youth unemployment can lead to social exclusion and unrest. How can this informality be contained? Resolving this issue is particularly important considering that almost one fifth of the global labour force and nearly one third of the global youth labour force will be from Africa in 2030. We must continue to strategically promote the transition from informality to formality embodied in ILO Recommendation 204. This includes reducing informal employment by lowering the cost of transitions to formality and increasing the benefits of being formal by promoting a greater awareness of the advantages and protection that come with formalisation, such as business-development services for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs), access to the market, productive resources, credit programmes, and training and promotional programmes to upgrade informal economy units. This will ensure that enterprises are transitioning to formality and that the jobs available for the youth are decent ones. Noting the existing deficits in the informal economy, we must also recognise the innovations that young people have come up with. A comprehensive diagnostic of the informal economy is a good starting point to get a better understanding of on what and how young people are engaged and the support that they need to facilitate the effective transition to formality. In addition, the negative perception of the informal economy must be changed to a positive one since this is a sector that sustains households and the potential exists to make it more productive. In 2019, 60 per cent of all workers in Africa were classified as moderately or extremely poor. In 2020, extreme working poverty and moderate poverty are projected to reach 30.2 per cent and 23 per cent in Africa, respectively. The implications of these high figures are that workers are faced with poor incomes, thereby deepening poverty and increasing inequality. Additionally, high work poverty also induces low productivity growth, which in the case of Africa is already one of the lowest in the world. Research has shown that factors such as education and skills, including disentangling the skills mismatch, are key to increasing productivity. We must ensure that educational curricula support the demand for skills. This must be at all levels, including an emphasis on vocational training. Furthermore, technology adoption in order to improve efficiency should be core. This is why the ILO is undertaking specific programmes such as Boosting Decent Jobs and Enhancing Skills for Youth in Africas Digital Economy in partnership with the International Telecommunication Union. How does the ILO encourage womens work? Tackling gender inequality in the world of work is a priority of the Abidjan Declaration. This requires removing obstacles for women to enter the labour market and creating equal opportunities for women and men to participate. It also requires measures to address the significant gender gap in the quality of jobs. This includes measures to reduce the unequal burden on women for care and household responsibilities, as well as to address occupational segregation and other forms of gender discrimination such as the gender pay gap. Last year, the ILO adopted a ground-breaking Convention, C190, which recognises the right of everyone to a world of work free from violence and harassment, including gender-based violence. The ILOs Decent Work Agenda promotes equality and equity to encourage both men and women to contribute to the world of work. The ILO has a gender policy that explicitly supports the participation of women. Furthermore, a number of programmes exist that promote youth employment and focus on young women to take into account the challenges that they encounter. The ILO is also making deliberate efforts to increase women managers in its management structures and continues to advocate for inclusive processes in the world of work more broadly. It provides support to its tripartite constituents to promote gender equality. Achieving gender equality and womens empowerment is critical to the ILOs aim of decent work for all women and men and is at the heart of the ILOs mandate, beginning with its Constitution adopted some 100 years ago. Over the years this vision of womens equality and empowerment in the world of work has been reinforced by the ILO tripartite constituents through international labour standards, declarations, and resolutions. The ILOs work on gender equality and womens empowerment is also integral to the Leave No One Behind vision of the 2030 Agenda and will be key to achieving all the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), including number eight on decent work. The ILO Action Plan for Gender Equality 2018-21 is the organisations main tool for womens economic empowerment. This results-based Action Plan is fully aligned with the SDGs and the UN System-Wide Action Plan on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-SWAP) and reflects the ILOs commitment to joining our efforts with those of the UN family and others to support the implementation of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda. The plan sets out five building blocks to encourage more women to enjoy more decent work conditions. These include extensive research, data and consultations on womens labour; a high road to a new care economy and strengthening womens control over their time; valuing womens work fairly; raising the voices and representation of women, especially in higher managerial positions; and ending violence and harassment in the world of work. Our tripartite constituents acknowledge that business as usual will not be enough to achieve gender equality, support the five building blocks proposed, and have called for commitments and concrete actions. All ILO interventions are country and context specific and take into consideration the fact that the needs of one country might be different from those of another while putting these blocks into action. How is climate change affecting jobs in Africa? The effects of climate change will alter the structure of employment in Africa. New jobs and new job families will emerge, and others will disappear or become unsustainable, and enterprises must find ways to organise work and production differently. The ILOs Green Initiative aims to scale up the ILOs office-wide knowledge, policy advice and tools for managing a just transition to a low-carbon, sustainable future. There is an increased focus on enabling youth to take better advantage of the growing employment potential of environmentally sustainable sectors. This includes strengthening youth-centred interventions that cater to their inherent strengths and comparative advantages, among them the development of markets and value chains for green products and services, support for young green entrepreneurs and the greening of existing youth-owned enterprises, as well as support for developing skills systems that better prepare youth for the use of new technologies. *A version of this article appears in print in the 13 February, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly. Search Keywords: Short link: Afghan laborers work on the renovation of Darulaman Palace in Kabul on Aug. 1, 2019. (WAKIL KOHSAR/AFP via Getty Images) Afghanistan Reconstruction Programs Sustained More Than 5,100 Casualties in 16 Years More than 5,100 casualties were inflicted among the Americans, Afghans, and allies working on U.S.-funded reconstruction programs in Afghanistan from 2002 to 2018, according to the first-ever official count. For years, SIGAR has spent considerable effort to track the financial costs of reconstruction and stabilization activities in Afghanistan, Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) John Sopko told Department of Defense officials in a report made public on Feb. 11. However, little effort has been made up to track the human coststhe number of people killed, wounded, or kidnappedto accomplish these activities. This has left policymakers with an incomplete picture of the true cost of our efforts in Afghanistan, Sopko said. The U.S. military entered Afghanistan in 2001 after it learned that the radical Islamic Taliban government that controlled the country had given sanctuary to al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden while he planned the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks in New York and Washington that killed almost 3,000 men, women, and children. The financial costs to date of the reconstruction programs first launched in 2002 by President George W. Bush total nearly $137 billion, according to SIGAR. The human costs measured by SIGAR through Dec. 31, 2018, have been immense as well: Using multiple casualty-related sources, SIGAR conservatively identifies 5,135 casualties in Afghanistan associated with reconstruction or stabilization missions. The total reconstruction-related casualties include 2,214 killed and 2,921 wounded. The report also identifies 1,182 individuals who were kidnapped or went missing. During this period, at least 284 Americans were killed in Afghanistan while performing reconstruction or stabilization missions. This includes 216 U.S. service members and 68 U.S. civilians (government employees, contractors, and those with unknown statuses). An additional 245 U.S. service members and 76 U.S. civilians were wounded; 100 other allied service members were killed and 105 wounded; another 124 third-country nationals were killed, 87 wounded and 59 kidnapped. 1,578 Afghans were killed, 2,246 wounded, and 1,004 kidnapped. These include 1,447 Afghan civilians killed, 2,008 wounded, and 1,003 kidnapped. Of the Afghans killed, 65 were bystanders. Data collected by SIGAR shows that the majority of casualties occurred during the height of the reconstruction efforts between 2008 and 2011. There were 818 casualties related to security activities: 346 killed and 472 wounded. This was the most dangerous activity for Americans. Of the 346 people killed while performing security-related activities, 195 were Americans, including 154 U.S. service members and 41 U.S. civilians. There were 257 casualties related to humanitarian activities. Included in this category are casualties and kidnappings that occurred while providing health and education services to local communities, providing food aid, supporting displaced populations, and other activities aimed at alleviating the suffering of the Afghan people. The figures made public by SIGAR dont include those killed, wounded, or kidnapped during regular combat operations, counter-terrorism operations, attacks on convoys carrying non-reconstruction materials, or assaults on Afghan government sites. More than a fifth of the total casualties, 1,527, occurred during attacks on road construction projects, while the smallest number, 50, came during reconstruction-related counter-narcotics operations. While the Taliban controlled all of Afghanistan in 2001 at the outset of the long-running U.S. involvement, the rebel group today dominates about half of a country that has been ravaged by war since before the Soviet invasion of 1979. President Ronald Reagan directed lethal U.S. aid be given to anti-communist Afghan forces resisting the Soviet invasion, but the Taliban established control of the country following Moscows withdrawal in 1989. The United States and Taliban are now engaged in negotiations in Qatar to end the conflict. President Donald Trump was elected in 2016 in part on his promise to end U.S. involvement in endless wars such as the nearly two-decade-long effort to free Afghanistan from the Taliban. The reconstruction effort has been plagued by waste, corruption, and inefficiency that SIGAR has documented since the watchdog operations creation by Congress in 2008. Sopko has led SIGAR since 2012. Among SIGARs most recent investigations, it found a $3.1 million training compound in Herat, Afghanistan, constructed for 100 women members of the Afghanistan National Police (ANP), was completed without being connected to an electricity source and hasnt been used since its completion in 2018. A similar compound near Jalalabad that cost $6.7 million to build has never been used, because of fire hazards that were never addressed during construction. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc Aligarh, Feb 11 : The AMU Students Coordination Committee has submitted a memorandum addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, seeking his intervention over police action against anti-CAA protesters in Kanpur on Monday. The committee also demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. The memorandum alleged that the state police, instead of allowing peaceful protests, is aggravating the situation by indulging in "wanton brutalities". The committee demanded President's intervention to prevent deterioration of law and order. Earlier on Monday night, hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University students, including a large number of girl students, took out a candle-light march on the campus in protest against the police action on anti-CAA protesters in Kanpur. The UP police on Monday tried to remove the protesters from the Mohammad Ali Park in Kanpur. The protesters accused the police of resorting to lathi-charge, but senior officers denied it. The anti-CAA protesters are back in the Mohammad Ali Park and are continuing their protests against the new citizenship law. Meanwhile, former AMU Students Union vice president Hamza Sufiyan, who is among the four students whose surety of Rs 1 lakh has been seized by police, said he was being 'framed' by district authorities for the violence on December 15, despite providing documentary evidence and call records, to the Human Rights Commission to prove he was not in Aligarh that night. Sufiyan said in the statement that the police was 'harassing' him even though the CCTV footage showed he was not present during the clash at Baab-e-Syed Gate of the university on December 15. LONDONA businessman from England who contracted the coronavirus from China and may have spread it through his wide travels thanked Britains National Health Service (NHS) after he recovered. Steve Walsh issued a statement Tuesday after being the focus of intense media coverage once it became apparent that he may have unwittingly helped to spread the new coronavirus to Europe. Walsh had come into contact with the virus after a business trip to Singapore in January. He then went to a ski resort in the French Alps, potentially infecting other people before he was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized. I would like to thank the NHS for their help and care, Walsh said. Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus. Five Britons who stayed with Walsh at a chalet in the Alps have been diagnosed with the virus, including a 9-year-old boy. Another man who stayed at the French ski resort was discovered infected after returning home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. His case prompted French health authorities to test 61 other children and family members at the resort and temporarily close some schools there, but they all tested negative. Walsh said as soon as he realized he had been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, he spoke to his doctor and public health authorities. I was advised to attend an isolated room at the hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed, he said. When the diagnosis was confirmed, I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves. It is unclear exactly how it is transmitted, but experts think it is spread mostly by droplets when people cough or sneeze. Health officials warn it can take up to 14 days for those who have been exposed to show symptoms. Most people have only mild symptoms such as a fever and runny nose, but some develop pneumonia. Those who have fallen severely ill have been mostly over 60 with other health problems. Walsh flew to Singapore for a Jan. 20-22 event sponsored by his employer, Servomex. The company, based in the town of Crowborough, 35 miles south of London, makes industrial sensors sold around the world. In a statement, Servomex said it was working with public health authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff and communities and wish anyone with the virus a quick and full recovery. Europe has reported 43 confirmed virus cases. One infected woman in Russia has recovered and was discharged from the hospital, local officials said. Russia has halted most of its air traffic to China, suspended trains to China, closed the Russian border with China and Mongolia, and temporarily stopped issuing work visas to Chinese citizens. By Danica Kirka Johannesburg: Uganda is scrambling to respond to the arrival of the biggest locust outbreak in parts of East Africa in decades, while the United Nations warned "we simply cannot afford another major shock" to an already vulnerable region. An emergency government meeting hours after the locusts were spotted inside Uganda on Sunday decided to deploy military forces to help with ground-based pesticide spraying, while two planes for aerial spraying will arrive as soon as possible, a statement said. Aerial spraying is considered the only effective control. A farmer's son raises his arms as he is surrounded by desert locusts in Katitika village, Kenya. Credit:AP The swarms of billions of locusts have been destroying crops in Kenya, which hasn't seen such an outbreak in 70 years, as well as Somalia and Ethiopia, which haven't seen this in a quarter-century. The insects have exploited favourable wet conditions after unusually heavy rains, and experts say climate change is expected to bring more of the same. Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's (FAO) senior locust forecasting officer, said Kenya has received "waves and waves of swarms" since the beginning of the year from the Horn of Africa, and "over the weekend they moved on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border into Tanzania." New Delhi, Feb 11 : With Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leading in 57 seats after several rounds of counting, it now seems appears certain that the 'broom' is set to retain power while BJP might have to remain content with minor increment in its tally. The Congress, like 2015, remains without a seat in the assembly -- so far -- but this time with even less vote share. According to data by Election Commission of India, AAP was leading on 57 seats with 53.23 per cent vote share, looking set for a third term in the Delhi assembly. The 'broom' (AAP's symbol) was followed by BJP which was leading in 13 seats and had a vote share of 39.06 per cent. The Congress was trailing on all seats and looks to have lost a considerate part of its vote share from 2015. According to trends, Congress had only 4.15 per cent of the vote share, almost half of 2015 where it had 9.7 per cent share. Image Source: IANS News In 2015, AAP had won 67 seats with vote share of 54.3 per cent. With this, AAP became the first party in Delhi to win with 67 seats in the history of Delhi assembly elections. The BJP was able to get only 3 seats with vote share of 32.3 per cent. Among the big players, Arvind Kejriwal was leading from New Delhi by 8,277 votes. His nearest candidate Sunil Yadav from BJP received 6,384 votes. However, Kejriwal's right hand man and Delhi's Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia was struggling from Patparganj constituency as he trailed by 2,182 votes against BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi. -- Syndicated from IANS The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge leave after a visit to City Hall in Bradford to join a group of young people from across the community to hear about life in the city A ROYAL couple may be meeting with a Sinn Fein Taoiseach in just three weeks time. Prince William and Kate Middleton will make an official visit to Ireland in March, Kensington Palace confirmed today. Expand Close Celebrating: Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, centre, enjoyed a successful election / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Celebrating: Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, centre, enjoyed a successful election The Duke and and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Ireland for three days between between March 3 and March 5. The trip, which comes in the direct aftermath of General Election 2020, with the Government of the 33rd Dail may still be in flux. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald is currently frontrunner to form a working coalition and potentially become the next Taoiseach. The Queen visited Ireland in 2011 in what was described by outgoing Tanaiste Simon Coveney as a "watershed moment" for British-Irish relations and the upcoming visits may well be even more monumental. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official visit to Ireland between Tuesday 3rd March and Thursday 5th March, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office #RoyalVisitIreland pic.twitter.com/hIE7dZ6wYR Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) February 11, 2020 In August 1979, Prince William's Great grand uncle, Lord Mountbatten was killed in an attack by the IRA off the coast of Ireland while on a fishing boat. With the Troubles hanging over the country, there was no visit by a British monarch for decades. Elizabeth II was the first monarch to visit the Republic in a century. Today a statement from the official Kensington Palace Twitter page confirmed that the couple will be coming in three weeks time. The statement reads: "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake an official visit to Ireland between Tuesday 3rd March and Thursday 5th March, at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office." Video of the Day In January, it was rumored that William and Kate were interested in taking part in a series of engagements as part of a two-day visit to Ireland. The most recent Royal visit saw Prince Charles' visit to Cork in the summer of 2018. It has not yet been confirmed where in Ireland the pair will visit on their trip, however, the royal couple will reportedly take in Cork and Dublin, in their first-ever trip to Ireland for the pair. Its not just beer anymore. Corona stole the headlines, and thats saying something for a month that included impeachment trials, almost war in the Mideast and (!) locusts. But liquidity uber alles. Even in the face of all the real and potential bad news, markets fared pretty well. Traders continued to BTFD and to treat interlopers who wondered if stock markets occasionally go down with (barely) tolerant amusement. Lets hope the fun continues. I think it probably will, but coronavirus, in particular, looks like something that could derail things. I think its already sure to have many negative impacts throughout Asia, especially China. And this isnt your fathers China. Big impacts there WILL be felt across the worlds economic landscape. Lets hope the virus itself stays mainly contained within the Middle Kingdom, and that they find a way to kill it, and quick. Gold had a couple of thrusts higher. Its consolidating a bit now, which is fine. I think there are still many higher highs ahead of it and that we should position accordingly. The January MIF was a massive success, the busiest ever. I think its possible the next one, right ahead of PDAC in Toronto, might top it though. RSVP while there are seats open. We had to close the list for Vancouver and may have to again for Toronto. Eric Coffin May you live in interesting times. The quote above is, of course, Chinese and is also, of course, intended as a curse, not a blessing. It tells you a lot about China, a country with 5000 years of history. The Chinese have had more than their share of war and disruption. Interesting times dont necessarily equate to good times. Usually, its quite the opposite. China is going through one of those interesting times now. Its too early to say how serious the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak will be. But it doesn't look good. This could easily become a deadly problem even outside the borders of China, though its isnt yet. Right now, for western markets at least, its a baby black swan. The pullback you can see in the S&P500 chart below isnt too scary. It hasnt even breached the 50-day moving average, something it did three times in just the last year. Its early days though. Its early days for all of this and the fact that China was slow off the mark with both reporting and quarantine isnt helping. Ive seen scores of market commentators childing others for sowing panic. Theyre drawing comparisons to SARS and Swine Flu. In the case of both those viruses there was plenty of early stage melodrama and short-term market impacts that quickly petered out. Basically, were being told to BTFD, and many are. Those bullish cynics may be right at the end of the day but its too early to assume it. The chart below is already a couple of days out of date, but helps get across the point that, in terms of speed of spread this virus shouldnt be shrugged off. Note that this a log scale chart. Confirmed cases of Coronavirus, in a couple of weeks, already exceed the ultimate total for SARS and, at the current rate of 2000/day, will pass the ultimate total for Swine Flu by mid-February. (Confirmed cases are 17.2k on February2, 2020) Its already clear that The Wuhan virus is travelling faster. We dont have an accurate estimate for the N-0 value, the number of new cases created by each existing case. That will define the speed of spread. We also dont know the mortality rate, though the current guess is in the 2-3% range. Thats bad, but how bad really depends on the ultimate number of cases before it either burns itself out or we get a vaccine. There have been plenty of commentators pointing out that the common flu kills about 10,000 people in the US per year. Thats a valid point. But it ignored the mortality rate, which is whats spooking medical professionals. The common flu infects millions (at least) in the US every year. Its mortality rate is about 0.04% on average. The best early estimates of the mortality rate for Wuhan are 50 times higher. Still not really highas long as its not spreading too fast. Speed of spread is unknown for Wuhan and will probably stay that way until there are at least several weeks of statistics outside China. Its known now that China started reporting late. That messes up the statistics. There are also unconfirmed stories that the medical system in and around Wuhan is limited to +/-2000 test kits per day because of supply issues. We dont know if thats true but its worth noting that the last 3-4 days increases are all suspiciously close to that 2000 number. That doesnt make sense for a number that should be a geometric progression. There are also many stories and videos being leaked from Wuhan, purporting to be from medical professionals, that claim the true number of infected patients is several times the reported total. Theres simply no way to know whats really happening over there. Thats why watching what happened outside China is so important. The good news there is that most countries got onto the task of isolating patients much faster. The chart above shows the effects of the SARS virus on retail sales and industrial production in China during the 2003 outbreak. There was a real impact, but it was relatively mild and short lived. It would be nice to think well see a repeat this year with Wuhan. Thats the bullish argument but, frankly, it already feels a bit naive. One example of why I think that is the copper price. The chart below shows the percentage changes in the copper price after the SARS outbreak in 2003 and the current Wuhan outbreak. Copper only dropped 5% during the SARS outbreak and recovered quickly. So far this time, copper is off 11% and is showing little sign of stabilizing yet. The drop may be exacerbated by New Years closure of the Shanghai Metals Exchange, but thats only part of the story. In 2003 China was growing much faster than today, even before the virus outbreak. And its much more indebted now. I have no doubt the Bank of China will try and flood its markets with liquidity. I just dont know if there will be as much multiplier effect this time. Weve already seen quarantine and travel restrictions imposed on a vast scale compared to 2003. Its very likely both the size of the quarantine area and the length of the closures will increase. New flight restrictions and business and school closures are still being announced daily. Keep in mind too that that Chinas share of the world economy is about four times higher than it was in 2003. The outside impacts will be a lot bigger. The Chinese are among the worlds biggest spending tourists now. 150 million Chinese travel overseas each year. You can toss that spending out the window until it looks like the Wuhan flu has cleared up. Thats real money. Of course, Chinas importance to metals and mining is far larger than its tourism impact. I sent out an SD Alert a week ago urging caution when if comes to base metals and patience in waiting for bottoms. I didnt love doing that, but the table below shows you why I felt compelled to. It shows Chinas share of world consumption of several metals, bulk materials and manufactured products, compared to 2003. For most major metals, and for iron ore, steel and coal, China IS the market. Any major, extended, dislocation in China demand hits metals hard. The downward move in copper in the chart on the previous page may be an over reaction. Well know better over the next few weeks and months. But, viewed in the context of Chinas dominant position in the demand side, the reaction so far by metals prices isnt surprising. My view expressed in the SD Alert hasnt changed. At some point, maybe soon, there will be a great buying opportunity in base metals. But we should wait for a bottom, not try to get ahead of one. As you can see from the bottom of the list, a big pullback in China wont do tech and industrial products any favors either, but more of that demand is supplied by domestic companies. The impact in those sectors may be less visible in western markets, though there will be impact. At this point, this is all conjecture. I dont want to sound like Im crying wolf. This is a fast-moving situation though. Ignoring it could lead to a lot of portfolio damage, not to mention human misery. Governments worldwide are working hard to assure everyone things will be fine. Plenty of comparison are being made to the annual flu epidemic which routinely kills thousands with little fanfare and certainly no panic. Thats all true. This may prove to be a tempest in a teapot like so many market scares before it. That said, in situations like this I prefer to watch not what they say, but what they do . For governments that keep telling us to stay calm, theyre not acting too calm themselves. The level of action, size of the population quarantined, and travel and border restrictions are, literally, unprecedented. As noted above, I think the number of cases outside China will be the most important determinant of ultimate market reaction and economic impact. I think the short-term impact on Chinas economy is large. Thats baked in the cake at this point. Knock on effects elsewhere will depend on whether this virus is taking hold overseas. So far, the number of ex-China cases is low and growing slowly. There isnt a lot of evidence, yet, that there has been much transmission outside of travellers returning from Wuhan. If that doesnt change, I expect markets will calm down. Western governments have gotten onto this fairly fast. They are only dealing with a couple hundred cases worldwide. If, and its still a big if, transmission rates outside China are the same as within, well know in a week or two. If we see confirmed cases outside China at 1k, then 2k, then 4k in the space of a few weeks, all bets are off, but theres no evidence of that yet. For now, we need to stay alert and watch developments. Some markets have already priced in a big impact and we could see near term bounces in some areas. Those bounces will only hold if things dont get worse, however. Beijing has made it clear its going to throw everything, and the kitchen sink, at the market to try and retain calm. Overseas futures were trading several percent blow the last close, but I wouldnt put it past Beijing to step in and buy if it thinks things are turning fast enough. The Bank of China injected $175 billion in liquidity into the system on day one. Short selling is banned for an undetermined period. I dont think banning short selling ultimately helps much but it shows Beijing isnt kidding around. Xi sees the potential for his legacy to be Corona virus, not economic growth and stability. Hes not having that. Dont be surprised if we a massive spending/stimulus/infrastructure program announced once the worst appears over with the virus. Thats another reason I think we could see a great bounce and trading opportunity in base metals once the virus subsides. Things look brighter for the gold and silver markets. The gold below is a thing of beauty. A lot of the recent buying was fear induced, which I dont like, but we take the market were given. Gold will settle back as soon as virus fears calm, then were back to bond yields, currency and Wall St determining price. The last Journal editorial was a long walk though my argument that we could see a long decline in the US Dollar. I also noted that the move could be derailed at times by USD fear buying. Weve seen lots of that in the past couple of weeks, as the USD chart in the middle of the previous page shows. The USD rallied on uncertainty. That didnt hamper the gold price at first. Gold too was helped by fear buying not only of gold but of bonds. The chart below shows the real 10-year yield. It fell back into negative territory as yields approached October lows. A large chunk of the US yield curve has inverted again. Negative real yields are as good a predictor of higher gold prices as the level of the USD, some would say even better. I still think weve got even higher gold prices coming, though the markets view of the coronavirus will make for plenty of short-term swings, both ways. Continued massive liquidity injectionswith China now in on the actand the general market euphoria means Wall St will keep gaining unless a days headlines are terrible. Things are already at, if not beyond, the stage of dangerous speculative excess across several sectors. As Keynes was fond of saying however the market can stay irrational longer than you can stay solvent. Im not suggesting we should all go short the S&P. The same positive factors for gold are also positive factors for equities. Indeed, a continuation of the Wall St rally will be downward pressure on gold, even with other positive factors going for it. Whatever you want to blame it on, high demand for bonds means that the US yield curve has inverted for the second time in a year. Many consider it a meaningless signal, and one that tends to crop up well in advance of an economic slowdown. Thats true, but its also one of the most reliable advanced signals of a coming recession, regardless of why it happens. Were now about eight months from the start of last years curve inversion, and the lead time in the past averaged eight months. There are few signs of weakness in the US economy, but the change in US Leading Indicators has gone negative for the first time since 2009 and advance employment indicators are also flattening. I dont think the partys over, yet, but we might be getting last call soon. I hope the markets quick calming about coronavirus is right, mainly because of the human misery its causing. Dont start ignoring the issue though, not until weve clearly turned the corner or there is a vaccine. Dont underestimate how much damage a longer slowdown in Asia can wreak. Its a big part of the world now. If Asia gets the flu, the rest of us are going to have an allergic reaction, at a minimum. So far, the damage is contained to China, though its still spreading. Its still just a black cygnet. Keep in mind though, that black swans are defined as much by the market backdrop they occur in as their independent size. An event that passes with little market damage early in a market cycle can be the swan that breaks the bulls back near the peak of the cycle. I dont think theres any doubt which end of the cycle were near right now. Thats what makes coronavirus, or African locusts or anything else so dangerous. Dont feed the swans and dont lose your gold exposure. BENSALEM, PA / ACCESSWIRE / February 10, 2020 / Law Offices of Howard G. Smith announces an investigation on behalf of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. ("Sally Beauty" or the "Company") (NYSE:SBH) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. On February 6, 2020, Sally Beauty announced its first quarter 2020 financial results in a press release. Therein, the Company reported net sales of $980.2 million, a 0.9% decline over the prior year period. According to Sally Beauty's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") Chris Brickman, the shortfall was due, in part, to "implementation-related technology disruptions" which "led to product pricing issues, the misapplication and unintended increase of promotional discounts, and a resulting disruption of [the Company's] planned marketing activities during the quarter." On this news, the Company's share price fell $2.48, or over 15%, to close at $13.50 per share on February 7, 2020, on unusually heavy trading volume. If you purchased Sally Beauty securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com, or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Contacts Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Howard G. Smith, Esquire 215-638-4847 888-638-4847 howardsmith@howardsmithlaw.com www.howardsmithlaw.com SOURCE: Law Offices of Howard G. Smith View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/575999/INVESTOR-ALERT-Law-Offices-of-Howard-G-Smith-Announces-Investigation-on-Behalf-of-Sally-Beauty-Holdings-Inc-SBH-Investors Renu Begum holds a picture of Shamima Begum, her youngest sister who fled Britain to join the Islamic State extremist group in Syria, during an interview with media in central London, Feb. 22, 2015. Although some legal experts say she is eligible, Bangladesh has again rejected opening its doors to a British-born woman of Bangladeshi descent who joined the Islamic State militant group at age 15 and has been stripped of her U.K. citizenship as a result. Shamima Begum, now 20 and living at a camp in Syria, lost an appeal last week against the British governments decision to remove her citizenship. A special tribunal upheld the moves legality, saying it did not make her stateless because she could seek Bangladeshi citizenship because her father was born in the South Asian nation. Her father is a Bangladeshi national. So, according to our citizenship law, Shamima Begum is eligible for getting Bangladeshi citizenship, Shafique Ahmed, a barrister and former law minister from Bangladeshs ruling Awami League government, told BenarNews. Any person whose father or grandfather was born within the territory of what is now Bangladesh can apply for citizenship, he said, citing the Citizenship Act of 1951, which dates to when Bangladesh was part of Pakistan. [Shamima] should apply to the Bangladesh authorities for citizenship, but the decision belongs to the government, he said. The government can consider her application to grant citizenship, provided she must be under strict watch, Ahmed said. He was alluding to when Begum became radicalized and left England to join Islamic States self-proclaimed caliphate in the Middle East five years ago, but also said she was known to have since become repentant about that decision. Assaduzaman Khan Kamal, Bangladeshs home minister, agreed that Begum would be eligible but said it would not matter. Shamima is not a Bangladeshi citizen. She was a British citizen. She joined the Islamic State and that is why the British government revoked her citizenship. We will not allow her to get Bangladeshi citizenship, the minister told BenarNews on Tuesday. Yes, she may have the right to apply before the government for citizenship. But we also have the right to reject her application. Why should we admit a person as a Bangladeshi national whom the U.K. rejected for terrorism? he said. In February 2019, Bangladeshs government said it would not allow Begum to enter the country. Her case came to light then through an interview she gave to BBC News from a refugee camp in Syria, shortly before Islamic States last bastion there fell to Syrian Kurdish forces. In the TV interview, Begum, then 19, pleaded to British authorities to allow her to return to the country of her birth. But she was criticized for making comments during the interview, where she seemed to justify an IS-linked suicide bombing that killed 23 people at a concert hall in Manchester in May 2017. In the days leading up to the interview, Britains Home Office notified Begums mother that it was stripping her daughter of her U.K. citizenship. Shamima Begums father, Ahmad Ali, a Bangladeshi national who has returned to his ancestral town of Sunamganj after emigrating to Britain in the mid-1970s, said the family was working with an English solicitor to weigh the legal options left in his daughters case. We are also examining the position of Bangladesh government, Ali, 61, told BenarNews. I am not sure what punishment she may get if tried in Bangladesh, he said of Begum, the youngest of his four daughters. Shamima Begums mother, Asma Akhter, is a British national living with the couples other daughters in East London. A gross violation Meanwhile, community groups and activists in Bangladesh are pressing their government to consider granting Begum citizenship and allowing her into the country. Nur Khan, a former executive director of Ain-O-Salish Kendra, a Bangladeshi human rights advocacy group, criticized the British decision to deprive Begum of her U.K. citizenship. Making a person stateless is a gross violation of human rights, he told BenarNews. Shamima could have made a mistake by involving herself in the terrorist outfit, IS. But this does not allow any government to revoke her citizenship. I hope both the British and Bangladesh governments will understand it, he said. In his view, the young woman now languishing in a Syrian camp could contribute in a big way to Bangladeshs counterterrorism and de-radicalization efforts. We can utilize her to disseminate the message that terrorism cannot bring any good to the human civilization, Khan said. If launched, such a campaign would have a profound positive impact on the youths. In July 2016, five young Bangladeshi men carried out the countrys deadliest terrorist attack to date, an overnight siege at a cafe in Dhaka that left 29 people dead. The Islamic State claimed responsibility but Home Minister Khan and other senior government officials have adamantly denied that IS has any presence in Bangladesh. Begum made a mistake by joining IS without understanding that the Islamic State is completely against the spirit and guidelines of Islam, said Hafez A.B.M. Hezbullah, a professor of Islamic studies at the Islamic University in Kushtia. According to the Quran, any person who becomes repentant after committing any crime is eligible for getting mercy. So, from the Islamic point of view, Shamima can be pardoned, he told BenarNews. However, another leading Islamic scholar in Bangladesh offered a different opinion. This is true that a repentant person can get mercy, but it is hard to decide whether Shamima is genuinely repentant, Maulana Farid Uddin Masud told BenarNews. Usually, we see very few people actually change from within. Over the past five years, GlaxoSmithKline's (NYSE:GSK) stock price has been on a roller coaster, but more down than up. As of Feb. 10, the stock price's five-year return is negative 2%, significantly underperforming both the healthcare technology and pharmaceutical sectors. Compared to its peers, the U.K.-based company has not proven to be a great investment over that time span. But what about the next five years? Will investors who buy its stock today be rewarded in the future? New joint venture with Pfizer Before looking ahead, let's look at where GlaxoSmithKline stands right now. The company had a good year last year with its stock price up 30.4% in 2019. But the stock is down about 5% this year, plunging around 4% on a weak fourth-quarter earnings report on Feb. 5 where it missed earnings estimates. Earnings were down for the quarter, year over year, but up slightly for the full year. But the company is on the precipice of big changes that could alter its trajectory over the next few years. Last August, GlaxoSmithKline acquired a majority stake in Pfizer's (NYSE:PFE) consumer healthcare business, bringing together GSK's Sensodyne, Voltaren, and Panadol brands with Pfizer's Advil, Centrum, and Caltrate brands. The joint venture is now the market leader in over-the-counter products, with a share of 7.3% compared to 4.1% for its nearest competitor. By 2022, the combination is expected to generate annual savings of about $900 million -- or 700 million pounds (GBP). About 25% of the savings will be to support innovation and growth opportunities. GSK expects the deal to be accretive to total earnings in the second year after closing. The spinoff will cost $3.1 billion (GBP2.4 billion), comprised of cash costs of $2 billion (GBP1.6 billion) and non-cash costs of about $1 billion (GBP800 million). Plus, there is an additional one-time cost of $744 million to $900 million (GBP600 million to GBP700 million) to prepare the consumer healthcare segment for separation. In the third year, the plan is to spin it off as its own company as GSK focuses on its pharmaceuticals and vaccines businesses, and its research and development pipeline. With the split, officials said the two companies will have better capital structures to invest and generate growth. The company is also reviewing its prescription dermatology business as a potential spin-off. "All of this aims to support future growth, deliver significant value creation, and set up two new leading companies in biopharma and consumer healthcare, each with the opportunity to improve the health of hundreds of millions of people, GSK's CEO Emma Walmsley said on the fourth-quarter earnings call. Big transition For the next three years, as the company prepares to split into two, there will be lots of restructuring. Last week, the company announced that about 720 jobs will be eliminated in its vaccine division in Belgium -- with most of the cuts at the managerial level. This coincides with a planned increase in R&D investments to strengthen its pipeline and launch new products. "As GSK increases its investments in R&D and in the launch of new products, this program aims to reinforce a common approach to R&D between the pharma and vaccine divisions, by improving the allocated funding and the decision-making concerning which vaccines or drugs to develop. This program will also allow the company to become more efficient," according to GSK's press release. GSK is currently developing drugs to treat ovarian cancer and HIV, among others, that show great promise. With the increased investment in R&D, the company will be relying on these and other drug treatments to propel it into the future. But don't expect much growth in the next couple of years as the company works through this transition period. In fact, the company projects earnings losses in 2020. With these changes it's making now, GSK is positioning itself for future growth. By 2022, the company expects to see cost savings from the spinoff and a sharper focus on R&D and new drugs. Investors may want to wait until those expense savings materialize in 2022 before investing, but in five years, that investment could look like a good opportunity. Only time will tell. Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Member of Parliament for Suame, Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, has disclosed that a bill has been laid before parliament about the ban on importation of accident and overage cars. According to him, a decision has not been taken yet by parliament but discussions on the bill will commence soon in parliament about the ban. Speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia program, he explained that there have been rising concerns about the importation of these cars which somehow contribute to accidents in the country. "Theres a global concern about the Co2 emission from vehicles especially the overage ones which scientifically are contributing to global warming. So all these issues will come up in the discussion in parliament, so I cannot say that a ban has been placed yet," the Suame MP stated. Currently, overaged vehicles are allowed into the country after the payment of penalty but Government is considering a complete ban on the importation of vehicles which are 10 years old and also prevent the importation of salvaged vehicles. (Salvage vehicles are those that have been involved in an accident or vehicles that are flooded). German car-maker, Volkswagen, Nissan, and Toyota are various vehicle manufacturing companies that have plans to set up assembling plants in Ghana to serve the Ghanaian market and other countries. In a related development, the Automobile Dealers Union Ghana has welcomed the decision. Speaking on the same platform, Prez of the group, Eric Boateng, explained that they will support the government's decision to ban the overage and accident cars because they contribute to most road accidents in the country. "In as much as we understand how beneficial these cars are to some Ghanaians, we are concerned about their safety," he added. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video (Alliance News) - Ocado Group PLC on Tuesday said its revenue growth was driven by increased demand, but its loss widened in its most recently-ended financial year due to increased costs. The stock was 0.9% lower in London in early trade at 1,205.50 pence a share. The FTSE 100-listed online grocer said its pretax loss widened in the 52 weeks ended December 1 to GBP214.5 million from GBP44.4 million a year prior due to an increase in operating expenses. Ocado said its administrative expenses grew by 88% to GBP314.2 million year-on-year, while distribution costs were 18% higher, at GBP571.8 million. In addition, finance costs more than doubled to GBP30.9 million from GBP14.7 million the year before. The company explained that in February 2019, a fire destroyed the Andover customer fulfilment centre, including the building, machinery and all inventory held on site. As a result of this capacity constrain, Ocado said it had agreed with Wm Morrison Supermarkets PLC to withdraw temporarily from the Erith customer fulfilment centre and so to release additional capacity to Ocado.com, but this meant that Ocado was responsible for all the fixed costs at this site whilst it is in early stages of growth. Also, there is a net cost of GBP88.0 million relating to the Andover customer fulfilment centre associated with the write off of assets lost in the fire. Elsewhere, Ocado said it had made two investments into technologies and know-how to "revolutionise the way customers access fresh food", and two smaller investments in robotics start-up company and a 3D printing company. More positively, Ocado reported revenue growth of 9.9% during the year to GBP1.76 billion from GBP1.60 billion a year earlier, driven by an increase in the average number of orders per week. "We are pleased to report results which show strong momentum in the business. Although statutory results reflected a combination of factors, including the impact of the Andover fire, the underlying performance of Ocado Retail and the successful growth of Ocado Solutions were very encouraging," said Chief Executive Tim Steiner. Ocado Retail is a 50/50 joint venture between Ocado Group and Marks & Spencer PLC, while Ocado Solutions helps grocers around the world develop on-line grocery services. Looking ahead, Ocado said it expects revenue growth of 10% to 15% in its current financial year, with operating margins improvement. The company said it also expects to recover insurance proceeds related to Andover fire "over time". By Evelina Grecenko; evelinagrecenko@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Paris, 7 February 2020 (SPS) - The Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders has issued an urgent appeal to the Moroccan authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Sahrawi activist, Mahfouda Bamba Lafkir, imprisoned in Morocco, demanding her immediate release. In a statement published Friday, the Observatory also asked the Moroccan occupation authorities to provide "medical care necessary to improve the health of the Sahrawi prisoner, who suffered a serious deterioration of her health due to the refusal of the prison administration to transfer her to hospital". The observatory indicated that "the serious situation that Saharawi political activist Mahfouda Bamba Lafkir has been going through since her arrest on 15 November 2019, as part of her struggle for her right to self-determination, has worsened as a result of the difficult conditions in which she was arrested as well as the systematic refusal of the Moroccan occupation authorities to provide her with the necessary medical care". "Given the gravity of the situation, the Observatory renewed its request to the Moroccan occupation authorities to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the Sahrawi activist, as well as to all human rights defenders in Occupied Western Sahara ". "Ms. Mahfouda Bamba Lafkir, as well as all the Sahrawi defenders detained in Moroccan prisons, must be released," declared the Observatory. It added that "Morocco must immediately open a thorough, independent, effective and impartial investigation into the ill-treatment to which she has been subjected, while identifying those responsible for these violations and bringing them to justice in accordance with international instruments for the protection human rights, in accordance with the provisions of the Declaration on Human Rights Defenders adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on December 9, 1998, in particular its articles (1 and 2.12) ". (SPS) 062/SPS/T MONTGOMERY, Ala. - A meeting with nearly 80 black pastors in Detroit. A speech before a black Democratic organization in Montgomery. A rally at a historically black university. A tour of Martin Luther King Jr.s church. An early voting kickoff at an African American museum. All in the past two weeks. While Michael Bloombergs rivals battled it out in majority-white Iowa and New Hampshire, the billionaire presidential candidate aggressively courted the black voters critical to any Democrats chance of winning the nomination. The effort, backed by millions of dollars in ads, has taken him across Southern states that vote on March 3, from Montgomery, Alabama, this week in Raleigh, North Carolina, and Chattanooga, Tennessee, states where African American voters can decide a Democratic primary. His pitch is one of electability and competence hoping to capitalize on black Democrats hunger to oust President Donald Trump. But as he courts black voters, hell also have to reconcile his own record as mayor of New York and past remarks on criminal justice. Bloombergs outreach aims squarely at former Vice-President Joe Biden, who is banking on loyal black voters to resuscitate his bid after poor showings in Iowa and New Hampshire. Who can beat Donald Trump? Thats what people care about, said former Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, who is among the black leaders endorsing Bloomberg. Nutter says Bloombergs record of accomplishments outweighs the damage of flawed policing. Bloomberg has no doubt been helped by his limitless financial resources and his strategy to focus on states conducting primaries on Super Tuesday. One of the worlds richest men thanks to a net worth of roughly $60 billion, Bloomberg has spent more than $300 million of his own money on advertising, including spots on black radio stations, a Super Bowl ad that featured an African American mother who lost her son to gun violence and a national ad touting his work with President Barack Obama on gun legislation and a teen jobs program. Hes also racked up endorsements from African American mayors and held events with key figures in the black community, including a meeting with black pastors in Detroit and a speech at an Alabama Democratic luncheon. Much of the outreach has been aimed at middle-age and older voters, who turn out more reliably, and appeals to a sense of pragmatism. Bloomberg may not be the candidate you know best, the campaign argues, but hes the best poised to beat Trump. On Wednesday, Georgia Rep. Lucy McBath endorsed him, citing his record on gun violence prevention. McBath ran for Congress in 2018 after her teenage son was shot to death in a car over a dispute about loud music. She was the first Democrat elected to her seat since 1979. A new poll shows signs of success for Bloomberg, whose support has been hovering around 1 in 10 Democratic voters in most national polls. The Quinnipiac University poll, which was conducted after the Iowa caucuses but before New Hampshires primary, found Bloomberg with 15% support nationally, up from 8% in a late-January poll. That put him about even with Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and slightly ahead of Pete Buttigieg, who essentially tied with Sanders in last weeks Iowa caucuses. The poll showed Sanders leading, with 25% nationally. During a recent rally at historically black Alabama State University, Bloomberg drew several hundred people, who chanted I like Mike! prompting a dry response from the understated candidate. Better they do that than they dont do that, he said. Louretta Wimberly, a retired educator from Selma, Alabama, watched the rally and reconsidered her support for Biden. Shes felt a longtime connection with the former vice-president, but she likes what shes hearing from Bloomberg. Ive been following him because he is speaking to the things that we black women in Selma and in the Black Belt want public education, health care and infrastructure, Wimberly said. Voters like Wimberly dont often raise Bloombergs record in New York, but his critics do. For them, his criminal justice policies there specifically his embrace of a practice known as stop and frisk that disproportionately affected people of colour remain a mark on his civil rights record that cannot be erased by his recent apologies. The issue flared up again this week when comments he made in a 2015 Aspen Institute speech resurfaced. In the audio, Bloomberg says the way to bring down murder rates is to put a lot of cops in minority neighbourhoods because thats where all the crime is. Bloomberg apologized for supporting the practice just days before he launched his 2020 bid in November, and repeated that apology on Tuesday, saying the remarks do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity. But the timing of his apologies strikes some as politically expedient. He should have done it when it mattered. Now he just looks like someone whos willing to say anything to get elected president, said Hawk Newsome, president of Black Lives Matter New York, who said younger black voters in particular will not be willing to give Bloomberg a pass on his record on policing. What hes selling we already bought, paid for and returned. The prominent activist the Rev. Al Sharpton, who fought with the mayor over stop and frisk, said Tuesday he told Bloomberg in a phone call moments after his November apology that its going to take more than one speech, but its a step in the right direction. Sharpton said that Bloomberg had an upside and a downside as mayor but that his biggest strength as a presidential candidate is his argument that hes the best one to take on Trump. Thats especially true if Biden his pitch to black Americans has been that hes the most electable in November continues to slip, leaving voters thinking that Bloomberg may have a better shot in November, Sharpton said. But Bloomberg also is viewed skeptically by some younger and progressive voters wary of putting another rich man in the White House. And its far from clear that his cool, business-like approach to campaigning will connect with voters. A tour guide at Kings church asked the people gathered around them to join in song. While others followed her lead, singing and clapping to This Little Light of Mine, Bloomberg ignored the request and carried on with introducing himself to people and shaking their hands, until the singing stopped. On the stump, Bloomberg appeals more to the pragmatism of voters who want to beat Trump and get things done. James May, the former mayor of Uniontown, Alabama, said before a Bloomberg speech at a Democratic Party leader luncheon that Bloombergs accomplishments as mayor were enough to earn his support. If he does that when he becomes president, hes my kind of guy, May said. As for Biden? Hes good, too, but not quite good enough. Bloomberg has so far been shut out of debates, allowing him to largely avoid tough public questioning of his record. That could change next week when Democrats hold their next debate. Bloomberg needs to meet a polling threshold in two more polls to make the stage for the first time. Maurice Hawkins, an Air Force veteran from Virginia Beach, Virginia, plans to vote for Biden on Super Tuesday, but he said Bloombergs history with the stop-and-frisk police tactic wouldnt stop him from supporting the former mayor. Hawkins said Democratic voters can be too rigid about a candidates history, particularly on issues where the country has evolved, such as criminal justice. Biden has had to answer for his own record, including helping craft the 1994 crime bill, which critics blame for the mass incarceration of minorities over two decades. Biden has proposed a plan that would reverse parts of that bill. Hawkins, who is black, said he attended a Bloomberg speech in Norfolk, Virginia, last week because hes considering backing Bloomberg if Biden isnt in the race when Virginia votes. I wanted to hear what he has to say, Hawkins said, because I think because were in a really turbulent primary, we dont know whos gonna come out of it. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban stated on Tuesday that presently there is "no risk" regarding the payment of pensions and wages and mentioned that the Liberal government is preparing an ample review of the legislation regarding the pension system, so that it becomes "sustainable, in the medium and long term". "We await the CCR [Constitutional Court of Romania] decision. Regardless of the Constitutional Court decision, we will implement our objective to ensure the calculation of the pension using the basic principle of contributiveness, obviously, with the exception of the pensions of the military. This was our political decision. The context in which the draft law was adopted by colleagues of mine in Parliament was a context of such a nature that it raised all discussions and later attacks at the CCR. We prepared a team that conducts an ample study regarding the pensions system in Romania, the development of the pension system in Romania, the injustices, the inequities in the system, a comparative study of the pension systems that function in other countries in the EU so that we have a very clear model and we are preparing an ample amendment of the legislation which, truly, would allow a pension system that is firstly sustainable, on the medium and long-term (...)", said Ludovic Orban, at Gandul Live.Asked if at this moment there is a risk in regards to the payment of pensions and salaries, Orban mentioned: "There is no risk at this time"."Besides, we also provided for the sums necessary for 2020 in order to support the increasing of the pensions provided by law. On the other hand, we announced publicly, we made it no secret, we are following carefully the economic development, we are watching with great attention the development of income to the state budget, to the state social security budget. Moreover, we are trying to build some realistic prognoses that take into account the international situation, so that we can make decisions that stand. We will increase pensions certainly, there is no doubt regarding this, but you can't say 100 pct right now, for now we provided the sums necessary to increase them in agreement with the Pension Law in force," Ludovic Orban said. AGERPRES STOUGHTON, Mass., Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Collegium Pharmaceutical, Inc. (COLL) today announced the pricing of its offering of $125,000,000 aggregate principal amount of 2.625% convertible senior notes due 2026 (the notes) in a public offering registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Collegium also granted the underwriter of the notes a 30-day option to purchase up to an additional $18,750,000 principal amount of notes solely to cover over-allotments. The notes will be senior, unsecured obligations of Collegium and will accrue interest at a rate of 2.625% per annum, payable semi-annually in arrears on February 15 and August 15 of each year, beginning on August 15, 2020. The notes will mature on February 15, 2026, unless earlier repurchased, redeemed or converted. Before August 15, 2025, noteholders will have the right to convert their notes only upon the occurrence of certain events. From and after August 15, 2025, noteholders may convert their notes at any time at their election until the close of business on the scheduled trading day immediately before the maturity date. Collegium will settle conversions by paying or delivering, as applicable, cash, shares of its common stock or a combination of cash and shares of its common stock, at Collegiums election. The initial conversion rate is 34.2618 shares of common stock per $1,000 principal amount of notes, which represents an initial conversion price of approximately $29.19 per share of common stock. The initial conversion price represents a premium of approximately 35% over the last reported sale of $21.62 per share of Collegiums common stock on February 10, 2020. The conversion rate and conversion price will be subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events. Except as described in the immediately following sentence, Collegium may not redeem the notes prior to February 15, 2023. If the asset purchase agreement for the Nucynta Transaction (as defined below) is terminated in accordance with its terms, or Collegiums board of directors determines that the Nucynta Transaction will not close or the Nucynta Transaction does not close by March 13, 2020, then the notes will be redeemable, in whole and not in part, at Collegiums option, on a redemption date occurring on or before May 29, 2020, at a cash redemption price equal to 101% the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, plus the applicable premium described in the preliminary prospectus supplement for the offering of the notes. In addition, the notes will be redeemable, in whole and not in part, for cash at Collegiums option at any time on or after February 15, 2023, but only if the last reported sale price per share of Collegiums common stock exceeds 130% of the conversion price for a specified period of time, at a redemption price equal to the principal amount of the notes to be redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the redemption date. Story continues If a fundamental change (as defined in the indenture for the notes) occurs, then noteholders may require Collegium to repurchase their notes for cash. The repurchase price will be equal to the principal amount of the notes to be repurchased, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to, but excluding, the applicable repurchase date. Collegium estimates that the net proceeds from the offering will be approximately $120.4 million (or approximately $138.6 million if the underwriter fully exercises its option to purchase additional notes), after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. Collegium intends to use the net proceeds from the sale of the notes, together with cash on hand and borrowings under its credit facility, to fund the purchase price of Collegiums previously announced acquisition of assets related to Nucynta ER and Nucynta from Assertio Therapeutics, Inc. (the Nucynta Transaction). Collegium intends to use the remaining net proceeds, if any, for general corporate purposes. The offering of notes is not contingent on the consummation of the Nucynta Transaction. If the Nucynta Transaction does not close and Collegium does not use the proceeds to redeem the notes, Collegium intends to use the net proceeds for general corporate purposes. Jefferies LLC is acting as the sole book-running manager for the offering. Collegium has filed a registration statement (including a prospectus), which was declared effective on November 6, 2019, and a preliminary prospectus supplement with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC) for the offering of the notes. You may get these documents free by visiting EDGAR on the SEC website at www.sec.gov or by contacting Jefferies LLC, Attention: Equity Syndicate Prospectus Department, 520 Madison Avenue, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10022, or by telephone at 877-821-7388, or by email at Prospectus_Department@Jefferies.com. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the notes, nor shall there be any sale of the notes 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 Collegium Collegium is a specialty pharmaceutical company committed to being the leader in responsible pain management. Collegiums headquarters are located in Stoughton, Massachusetts. Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Nucynta Transaction, the financing for the Nucynta Transaction, the completion of the offering and the expected amount and intended use of the net proceeds. Collegium may, in some cases, use terms such as predicts, forecasts, believes, potential, proposed, continue, estimates, anticipates, expects, plans, intends, may, could, might, should or other words that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements represent Collegiums current expectations regarding future events and are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those implied by the forward-looking statements. Among those risks and uncertainties are risks related to the Nucynta Transaction, market conditions, the satisfaction of the closing conditions related to the offering and risks relating to Collegiums business, including those described under the heading Risk Factors in Collegiums Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2019 and other filings with the SEC, and in the preliminary prospectus supplement related to the offering filed with the SEC on February 10, 2020. Collegium may not consummate the offering described in this press release and, if the offering is consummated, cannot provide any assurances regarding its ability to effectively apply the net proceeds as described above. Any forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date of this press release. Collegium does not undertake any obligation to update the statements included in this press release for subsequent developments, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by law. Contact Information Alex Dasalla adasalla@collegiumpharma.com There are green shoots despite the slowdown in global economic activity over the past 18 months. The pace of growth in global economic activity accelerated to a 10-month high in January, according to the latest PMI survey data. Growth is strengthening in both manufacturing and services and the pick-up is broad-based, with output growing in all economies covered in the surveys. New orders recorded their strongest rise for 10 months in January, while business optimism rose to a nine-month high. Manufacturing growth was at its best since last April. Declining international trade volumes remain a headwind for the sector, but there are positive signs, too, with new export orders close to stabilising. Activity is much stronger on the services side of economies. New orders and employment expanded at a healthy pace, while business sentiment has firmed considerably. The improving global backdrop, as well as reduced uncertainty around Brexit, have seen a marked improvement in Irish data. If we turn to the US, a pick-up in activity is also visible in survey data and robust labour market reports for the month. There are also signs of a rebound in activity in the UK. The global economy has started 2020 on a firmer footing. Financial markets, though, remain cautious, and are pricing in rate cuts in the US and UK. Ten-year bond yields are down, while oil prices have fallen by 18%, and stock markets have turned more volatile. The main reason is the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus in China. With vital global supply lines likely to be impacted, it may have knock-on effects in other economies. ECB president, Christine Lagarde, warned last week that the virus outbreak is a potential risk to global growth. We would expect a fall-back in global PMI surveys in February and March, snuffing out the green shoots of recovery for now. We may have to wait until the spring or early summer to see if recent green shoots reappear and are real. - Oliver Mangan is chief economist at AIB PHILIPSBURG:--- This week's competition for secondary school students in order to protect the coral reefs in St Maarten has been launched by the Nature Foundation St. Maarten, IHE Delft Institute for Water Education and Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. The project aims to create a sense of ownership by the island population by generating awareness amongst students, the local government, donor organizations, businesses and the people of St. Maarten about the loss of corals and its potential consequences for the islands economy. This will be achieved by organizing a competition in which local students are challenged to propose a project that will positively contribute to the protection of St Maartens precious marine environment and primarily their coral reefs. The coral reefs on Sint Maarten are deteriorating quickly and are extremely threatened due to diseases, pollution, large amounts of wastewater discharge into the ocean, Hurricane Irma, overfishing and rising ocean temperatures. It is time to be seriously concerned about the health of corals on St Maarten, as coral reefs are of great importance to our tourist industry, the health of our fish stocks, clarity of our waters, biodiversity and the protection from storms. It is time to act now in order to save our coral reefs for the future urged Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern Manager of the Nature Foundation St. Maarten. The Coral Competition Team, consisting of a Nature Foundation staff member, a Marine ecologist and a specialist from the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education, will be visiting secondary schools on the 9th and 10th of March 2020 in order to present the Coral Competition to the students of St. Maarten. Besides, these presentations are also focused on learning about coral reefs, their importance, their numerous threats and how students can help to ensure coral reefs for the future. Secondary schools and schools with students within the ages from 12 until 19 years old, are urged to request a presentation appointment from the team by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. , in order to provide opportunities for their students to participate in the competition and learn about coral reefs stated the Nature Foundation St. Maarten. To participate in the Coral Competition, students are asked to form groups of maximum 4 students and come up with a Proposal to Save St. Maarten Coral Reefs. Students may choose to work with students from any school, however all participating students should be between 12 until 19 years old and each student is only allowed to participate in one proposal. Their proposal presentations shall have no boundaries when it comes to creativity on presenting and saving coral reefs. In addition, the proposal should be executable by the Nature Foundation with about USD $4000. Student groups can register for the project before Friday the 27th of March 2020 by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with their proposal name, their names and their contact details. In May an award day will be organized whereby student groups can present their proposal in a creative way during a science fair. A total fund of $1500 will be available for the three best student teams, whereby the winning team can win $800, in addition businesses will be asked to include prize donations for the best proposals to save St. Maartens coral reefs explained Melanie Meijer zu Schlochtern. A grant of $4000 will be donated to the Nature Foundation St. Maarten in order to implement a project from the proposal of the winning student team, whereby the winning students can potentially assist in executing the project. It is not only about developing ideas and raising awareness. We want to see impact and therefore a grant of $4000 will be donated to the Nature Foundation St. Maarten to implement the winning project together with the winning student team commented Erik de Ruijter van Steveninck, Aquatic and Marine Ecologist at the Water Science and Engineering Department at the IHE Delft Institute for Water Education. The economy of St. Maarten mainly depends on marine based activities, generating approximately USD 58 million annually, through coral reef associated tourism and fisheries. The number of tourists has been increasing tremendously and is expected to continue so in the future. However, development of local tourism, on top of global impacts on coral reefs, puts enormous pressure on the vulnerable ecosystem functions (e.g. wave protection) and services (e.g. coralline beaches, fisheries and activities like snorkeling, boating, and diving) provided by corals. Without adequate environmental planning and management, St. Maartens valuable marine resources run the risk of serious degradation. This might, in turn, make the island less attractive for tourists and thus will negatively impact the islands vulnerable economy. Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga has tithed more than $400,000 since 1986, allowing families to stand on their own and build stronger, more stable communities around the globe, said officials. Tithing is a part of Habitat for Humanitys international program where affiliates are encouraged to contribute a portion of their undesignated cash contributions each year to international work with a sister affiliate. These annual contributions are used to better the lives of people living in poor communities. Habitat is dedicated to transforming lives in Chattanooga, but we recognize that there is a tremendous need outside of our city limits, said Madison Bradford, development and communications manager of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. If we are to live out our mission that everyone has a safe, decent, affordable place to call home then tithing is a component of our mission. Chattanoogas local Habitat chapter partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Haiti in order to assist with the overwhelming need of affordable and safe shelter that the country faces. Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The countrys lack of affordable and safe shelter compounds rampant disease and lack of access to safe water, perpetuating a cycle of generational poverty. Last year, Habitat Chattanooga tithed $4,000 to Haiti, said Ms. Bradford. Prior to the tithing partnership with Haiti, we tithed to countries in Africa. Habitat Chattanoogas tithing has led to the construction of 146 homes to date, and along with other affiliates that tithe to Habitat Haiti, they have helped 60,000 families. More than 600 delegates are gathered this week at the UN Headquarters in Geneva to discuss an issue that is still of concern to at least 60 countries: mine action. This is the 23rd International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers (NDM-UN), and it has been interesting to follow how the agenda has evolved over the years, from focusing on technical matters related to the risky job of demining a single square metre of land to addressing challenges of information management and finding best ways to build lasting national institutional capacity to oversee the mine action industry and ensure it operates in a way that is both safe and efficient. Another interesting area of concern lately is around the environmental impact of mine action. Although the international communitys attention remains on the release of land and clearance of mines and explosive remnants of war across thousands of square kilometres in more than 60 countries, what has been most scrutinized in recent years is how these devices are being removed. The large-scale excavation of soils, clearing of vegetation, and use of explosives to destroy discovered munitions and stockpiles represent a new area of concern as we strive to do things better and find balanced solutions that are cognizant of the planet and of the millions of people living in the long shadow of war. New challenges These new challenges led to the recognition from within the industry that the impact of mine clearance must also be viewed as altering the geographies in which it takes place. This is the reason why the NDM-UN will have its first session on mainstreaming environment and climate change into mine action planning and operations, an initiative by the Norwegian Peoples Aid, a long-standing partner of UNDP. UNDP has been a strong advocate for including mine action into the development debate and, more recently, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Together with the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining, we are working on tools and methodologies that allow the integration of mine action planning and reporting into broader national development processes, particularly those involving SDG frameworks. The impact of landmines and explosive remnants of war has grown in scale and complexity over the past 23 years. There has been a proliferation of hard-to-detect improvised explosive devices and an intensification of warfare in urban areas, particularly in the Middle East, which made the challenge of rendering areas safe a much more complex endeavour than the traditional demining of the past. Detailed evidence Mine action is heavily dependent on the use of accurate detailed evidence. When this doesnt happen the results can be deadly. Our work to link mine action to the SDGs relies on the technical data and information management systems used by the mine action centres that we support around the world to help ensure that prioritization and planning are based on expected human development outcomes and expanding the development opportunities of war-torn societies. Clearly the important humanitarian work of mine clearance must continue apace and supporting the release of land so countries and communities can further develop is also UNDPs focus. But what is becoming more evident is that through a greater appreciation for the 17 SDGs and their interlinkages, the mine action sector is moving towards closing some of the policy and operational gaps between delivering humanitarian support and building the foundations for sustainable development. Read more about UNDPs work on mine action here. A detailed agenda of the 23rd International Meeting of Mine Action National Directors and United Nations Advisers, that ends on 14 February, can be seen here. EUGENE, Ore. Eugene Springfield Fire is weighing all the options ahead of PeaceHealth's plan to stop providing medication to them through their Pyxis systems. Under the current system, paramedics can access PeaceHealth's Pyxis system, which is an automated medication dispenser. By using their thumbprint for security, first responders take the amount of medicine they need to replenish supplies on their emergency vehicles. In September 2019, former Eugene Springfield paramedic Edward Blake was accused of drugging and raping a woman. Prosecutors say Blake raped a second woman beginning in 2017, but it's not clear if she was also drugged. Typical drugs carried in emergency vehicles include fentanyl, midazolam, and ketamine. Although court documents do not specify where Blake allegedly acquired the drugs involved in the case, the documents do allege that he used fentanyl and midazolam against at least one of the women. In a statement PeaceHealth said they have decided to end the practice of allowing EMS personnel to access their Pyxis systems starting in June. They said it comes in light of recent local and national cases of illegal drug theft involving EMS personnel employed by outside agencies. PeaceHeath said they made the decision after thoughtful consideration and discussion with their EMS partners and are working closely with them to find an alternative source for these important, potentially life-saving medications. EMS chief JoAnna Kamppi said they first learned about the change in the fall. RELATED: PEACEHEALTH CUTTING DRUG SUPPLY TO EUGENE SPRINGFIELD FIRE Kamppi said they still hope to work with PeaceHealth to get medications and are all looking at options. One would include doing all pharmaceutical ordering in-house and holding on to the supplies themselves. Kammpi said they are looking at ways to securely store medications and exploring where to keep them. MORE: PARAMEDIC ACCUSED OF RAPE FACING MORE CHARGES They already have the ability to buy medications and have had to in the past when there was shortages. She said they may look at buying a machine similar to Pyxis but says that could be expensive. Blake faces multiple felonies, including rape, sodomy and strangulation. In a statement, Eugene Springfield Fire Chief Chris Heppel called the recent arrest and charges filed against a former Eugene Springfield Fire employee deeply disturbing. He said they are actively supporting the criminal investigation and working closely with their regulatory partners to ensure their pharmaceuticals are secure, safe, and appropriately administered every day. US Charges Chinese Military Officers With 2017 Equifax Hack By Masood Farivar February 10, 2020 Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with hacking U.S. credit reporting giant Equifax in 2017 and stealing the personal data of nearly half of all Americans, U.S. law enforcement officials announced on Monday. In one of the largest data breaches in history, the four Chinese hackers broke into the computer networks of Atlanta-based Equifax, stealing 145 million Americans' names, birth dates, and social security numbers, the driver's license numbers of at least 10 million Americans, and the credit card numbers of about 200,000 U.S. citizens, according to a nine-count federal indictment returned last week. The four are also accused of stealing trade secrets, including database designs. " The scale of the theft was staggering," U.S. Attorney General William Barr said at a press conference in Washington. "This theft not only caused significant financial damage to Equifax but invaded the privacy of many millions of Americans, and imposed substantial costs and burdens on them as the have had to take measures to protect against identity theft." The four Chinese hackers were members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute, according to the indictment. The were were identified as Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Liu Lei and face charges of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit economic espionage and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. They have not been arrested. Barr said the Chinese hackers broke into Equifax's computer networks through "a vulnerability" in the company's dispute resolution website." Once in the network, the hackers spent weeks conducting reconnaissance, uploading malicious software, and stealing login credentials, all to set the stage to steal vast amounts of data from Equifax's systems," Barr said. The Justice Department does not normally bring criminal charges against members of a foreign country's military or intelligence services. This is only the second time that federal prosecutors have charged members of the Chinese military. In 2014, the department indicted five members of the PLA's cyber espionage arm with stealing confidential business information from U.S. companies and a trade organization. The Equifax hack was one of several major Chinese-perpetrated data breaches of U.S. entities in recent years: - Beginning in 2013, hackers working for the Chinese government stole millions of highly sensitive personnel files from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the agency that manages the federal government's civilian workforce. - In 2015, two Chinese hackers broke into the computer systems of U.S. health insurer Anthem, stealing the personal data of at least 78 million Americans. The two hackers were indicted in 2019. - In 2018, American hotel chain Marriott International revealed that hackers had stolen personal details of nearly 500 million guests at its Starwood reservation system beginning four years earlier. The breach was attributed to Chinese hackers. Barr said the cases reveal "China's voracious appetite for the personal data of Americans." Other Justice Department cases show a Chinese "pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions" targeting trade secrets and confidential business information, Barr said. The indictment comes as the administration of President Donald Trump has ramped up efforts to counter Chinese economic espionage. In November 2018, the Justice Department announced it would collaborate with the FBI to combat Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property. The initiative has led to more than a dozen China related indictments over the past year and half. The FBI is conducting roughly 1,000 investigations into suspected Chinese theft of U.S. intellectual property, with many expected to result in criminal charges against individuals and companies later in the year, U.S. law enforcement officials said last week. "They're not just targeting defense sector companies," FBI Director Christopher Wray said at a China Initiative conference last week. "They're also targeting cutting-edge research at our universities." In a statement, Equifax said it has "made significant progress and investments" in the last two years since the 2017 hack to protect consumer data. Between 2018 and 2020, the company is spending $1.25 billion on enhanced security and technology, CEO Mark W. Begor said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The African Union has awarded Morocco two awards, in recognition of its efforts in the fight against climate change and the transformation of farming in Africa. Morocco grabbed the climate change best performance award, and the 2020 best performance award for the implementation of the 2014 Malabo Declaration on the transformation of African agriculture. The prizes were awarded to Morocco Monday on the occasion of the 33rd AU Summit held in the Ethiopian capital, in recognition of its efforts to upgrade the development of the continent. The steps taken by Morocco, part of a visionary strategy for the development of renewable energies, place the Kingdom at the forefront of the fight against climate change in Africa. Today, the kingdoms expertise is sought everywhere on the continent, from the Sahel region to the island states, which already benefit from the know-how developed by Morocco in this area, intrinsically linked to the future of Africa. In the field of agriculture, the Green Morocco Plan was cited during the summit as a model that many African countries wish to draw inspiration from in their efforts to meet the expectations of their populations in terms of sustainable development. President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Xi said the situation at the moment remains very serious but expressed confidence that China can certainly obtain a full victory in the fight against the epidemic. BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday stressed resolutely winning the people's war against pneumonia epidemic caused by the novel coronavirus. Wearing a mask, Xi, also Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, visited a residential community, a hospital and a district center for disease control and prevention in Beijing. The inspection came at a time when many people outside the epidemic center of Hubei Province resumed work after an extended holiday. Xi said the situation at the moment remains very serious but expressed confidence that China can certainly obtain a full victory in the fight against the epidemic. President Xi Jinping inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) He first went to the Anhuali Community in Chaoyang District to learn about the epidemic prevention and control at the primary level and stressed the role of community in effectively containing the spread of the epidemic. At Beijing Ditan Hospital, a designated institution treating the novel coronavirus pneumonia, Xi checked the treatment of hospitalized patients at the monitoring center and talked to medical staff on duty via a video link. Xi called on medical staff to continue to improve the diagnosis and treatment plan, save patients at all costs and reminded them to take good self-protection. President Xi Jinping talks to medical staff on duty via a video link at Beijing Ditan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) "HEROIC" WUHAN At the hospital, Xi talked to frontline medical workers in three hospitals in Wuhan receiving infected patients with a telemedicine system, encouraging them to resolutely carry on the fight to defend the city, capital of Hubei. Xi expressed deep condolences to those who died from the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak and extended sympathy to their bereaved families and stressed that the whole Party, armed forces and people of all ethnic groups in China should stand together with the people of Hubei and Wuhan. "Wuhan is a heroic city, and people of Hubei and Wuhan are heroic people who have never been crushed by any difficulty and danger in history," Xi said, speaking to officials fighting the epidemic in Hubei in a video-conference. Noting that Hubei and Wuhan are the top priority for epidemic prevention and control, Xi called for greater efforts in hospital admission, treatment, social management, public communication and unified commanding in the epidemic prevention and control work. He also urged more caring for the frontline medical personnel. President Xi Jinping inspects the center for disease control and prevention of Chaoyang District in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Bin) ECONOMIC IMPACT SHORT-LIVED Leaving the hospital, Xi went to the center for disease control and prevention of Chaoyang District. Xi presided over a meeting and listened to report on the epidemic prevention and control work of Beijing. Xi highlighted the urgency of putting in place targeted measures to address the rising risk of epidemic spread following the post-festival travel peak, called for efforts to work out more effective treatment plans to reduce the rates of infection and mortality and demanded resolute punishments on illegal activities such as price gouging. Xi stressed that the fundamentals of China's long-term economic development remain unchanged and the impact of the novel coronavirus epidemic on the economy is short-lived. He called for greater efforts to minimize the impact of the epidemic on the economy and reach goals and tasks of economic and social development this year. Close attention must be paid to employment and large-scale layoffs should be avoided, he added. President Xi Jinping checks the treatment of hospitalized patients at the monitoring center and talks to medical staff on duty via a video link at Beijing Ditan Hospital in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi) XI THE COMMANDER Xi is the commander of the people's war against the epidemic. Over the past few weeks, he has called multiple meetings, heard reports, made important instructions on the prevention and control work and discussed the topic with foreign leaders. One message is consistent and crystal clear: People always come first. Xi has stressed putting people's lives and health as the top priority. On Jan. 25, Xi chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and demanded that epidemic prevention and control be taken as the most important task. In the last week of January, Xi entrusted senior officials to inspect epidemic control work in Wuhan, made instructions to Party organizations, members and officials as well as the military and met with the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. In early February, Xi again chaired a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on epidemic prevention and control and later a high-level meeting on overall law-based governance, requiring strong legal guarantee to epidemic control. Under Xi's leadership, China has carried out national mobilization, across-the-board deployment and swift responses, adopted the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures and launched a people's war against the epidemic. Though the battle remains arduous, especially in Hubei, the number of daily new confirmed cases outside the province has been dropping for six consecutive days since Feb. 4. In the past week, Xi also discussed epidemic control when he met with Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen in Beijing and spoke over the phone with Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud and U.S. President Donald Trump respectively. Xi told King Salman that the strong measures China has taken are not only responsible for the health of the Chinese people, but have also made huge contributions to the world's public safety. According to statistics of the WHO, the outbreak has affected about two dozens countries but all with limited cases. "We would have seen many more cases outside China...if it were not for the (Chinese) government's efforts and the progress they have made to protect their own people and the people of the world," Tedros, the WHO chief, said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:19:50|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close YANGON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Two companies from Myanmar donated a batch of disposable masks to China to bolster its efforts to combat the novel coronavirus. A total of 36,000 disposable masks were handed over by Young Insurance and Htoo Thit to the Chinese embassy in Myanmar. "The Chinese government has done a very good job fighting the outbreak. I wish the medical staff working the front line are healthy and hope they can overcome the virus as soon as possible," said Thiha Aung, chairman of Young Insurance. Zaw Lin, director of Htoo Thit, said, "Our aim is to help as much as we can to encourage our neighbor." "Our embassy plans to send these donations to the areas which are in need without delay," Li Xiaoyan, charge d'affaires of the Chinese embassy in Myanmar, told Xinhua, adding that these donations showed the deep "Paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two peoples. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 09:44:36|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Fighters of the UN-backed Libyan government forces patrol in frontline in Tripoli, Libya, on Feb. 11, 2020. Libya's United Nations-backed government on Monday accused the rival east-based army of "intransigence" by refusing to agree to a ceasefire proposal during the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks in Geneva. (Photo by Amru Salahuddien/Xinhua) TRIPOLI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Libya's United Nations-backed government on Monday accused the rival east-based army of "intransigence" by refusing to agree to a ceasefire proposal during the Libyan 5+5 Joint Military Commission (JMC) talks in Geneva. "The committee negotiated with the UN Mission about a ceasefire in all of Libya, disengaged forces, return of displaced people, and ending the bloodshed between the Libyans," General Ahmad Abu-Shahma, head of the UN-backed government's military committee, said in a statement. "However, it (the proposal) was not approved eventually due to intransigence and rejection of the other party that refused to withdraw from residential areas where the clashes are. Thus, we did not approve or sign it," the statement explained. The first round of the Libyan 5+5 JMC talks in Geneva concluded on Saturday. The Commission was agreed upon during the recent Berlin conference on Libya. Five military representatives from each one of Libya's rival parties have been chosen to negotiate ceasefire and reach a comprehensive political settlement in Libya. According to the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), the Commission constitutes one of the three intra-Libyan tracks UNSMIL is organizing, along with the economic and political tracks. The east-based army had been leading a military campaign since April 2019 in and around Tripoli, attempting to take over the capital city from the UN-backed government. The fighting killed and injured thousands of people and forced more than 150,000 civilians to flee their homes. The rivals agreed to a ceasefire on Jan. 12, but both parties exchanged accusations of breaching the truce. Jussie Smollett was indicted Tuesday in Chicago by special prosecutor Dan Webb on charges relating to accusations that the actor paid two acquaintances to stage an anti-gay and racist attack on him in January of last year. A Cook County grand jury returned a six-count indictment charging Jussie Smollett with making four separate false reports to Chicago Police Department officers related to his false claims that he was the victim of a hate crime, Webbs office said. The former Empire actor is scheduled to appear in court February 24, according to a local Fox affiliate. Smollett, who is a gay African-American, told police last year that two men attacked him as he was walking home around 2a.m. on January 29, 2019, punching him and putting a noose around his neck while shouting, this is MAGA country, along with racist and anti-gay slurs. Chicago police chief Eddie Johnson later announced that Smollett had hired two acquaintances of his, brothers from Nigeria, to stage the attack in order to raise his public profile. The brothers later sued Smolletts attorneys for defamation, saying the actor, whom they worked with on Empire had directed every aspect of the attack, including throwing a chemical substance on him. In February, Smollett was indicted by a grand jury on sixteen charges, including a felony charge for filing a false police report, after evidence from an investigation suggested he had in fact staged the attack in an attempt to boost his career. However, all charges against him were abruptly dropped and his record wiped clean shortly thereafter, sparking a public outcry. After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smolletts volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case, the Cook County States Attorneys office said in a statement. Later in August, a Chicago judge appointed Webb as special prosecutor to probe how local officials handled the case against Smollett. Story continues Smollett continues to deny that the attack was fake. I want you to know that not for a moment was it in vain. Ive been truthful and consistent on every single level since day one, Smollett said in March. More from National Review ISTANBUL Defendants facing lengthy prison sentences for allegedly trying to overthrow the Turkish government with an environmental protest and their supporters said on Tuesday they expect a verdict in the long-running trial soon and accused the government of using the case to criminalize opposition voices. A prosecutor last week asked the Istanbul court in a formal legal opinion to sentence three of the 16 defendants to solitary confinement for the rest of their lives for allegedly organizing demonstrations in 2013 to save central Istanbuls Gezi Park, where the government wanted to build a shopping mall. At least eight people were killed in the police crackdown. Six others, including a filmmaker, lawyer and professor, face up to 20 years in prison for aiding and abetting the alleged wrongdoing, while the prosecutor wants the case files for seven defendants who have fled overseas to now be separated from the main trial. All the defendants are terrorism suspects, he argued. They deny the charges, contending that the protests against then-Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogans government that spread to all but one province in the country was too large and dispersed for any one group or individual to start or stop it. Gezi cannot be treated as an uprising or attempted coup, because each citizen [came] of his own will to voice his objections and defend his rights. Its not just the names that appear in the indictment, but the millions of people who took to the street to express their democratic rights who are on trial, Mucella Yapici, a city planner who faces life in prison, said in joint statement at a press conference. Osman Kavala, a civil society activist, and Yigit Aksakoglu, an early childhood education specialist, are the two others who could be sentenced to life imprisonment. Kavala is the only jailed suspect and on Tuesday spent his 833rd day behind bars, despite a European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) order in December that Turkey free him due to the absence of evidence of criminal activity. His detention had the ulterior purpose of silencing rights activists, the Strasbourg court said. Kavala and his co-defendants return to court for the next hearing on Feb. 18. Sources close to the matter said the court may allow an additional hearing for final defense arguments but that they believed it remained eager to issue a verdict ahead of March 10, the last day Turkey can file any objections to the ECtHR ruling on Kavalas detention. Turkey and other signatories to Europes convention on human rights must comply with the ECtHRs rulings, but the presiding judge has argued it wasnt legally clear to him that the order was binding and has refused to free Kavala. If the court were to convict Kavala, it may believe it has rendered the European court decision against his prolonged pretrial detention irrelevant, Emma Sinclair-Webb, Human Rights Watchs senior Turkey researcher, told Al-Monitor. There is a dramatic lack of evidence and a lack of willingness to probe the evidence, she said. Massive procedural violations have made this an unfair trial. At the last hearing in January, defense lawyers stormed out of the courtroom to protest the judges refusal to recuse themselves after violating trial rules by allowing a witness for the prosecution to testify without cross-examination or defense lawyers even present. Lawyers also objected to the court permitting a police officer convicted of killing Ali Ismail Korkmaz, a 19-year-old university student, to join the case as a complainant against the defendants because he had suffered a toe injury while kicking Korkmaz during the Gezi protests. The right to a fair trial and right to defense are being restricted, said Yapici, 68, who was already tried and acquitted in 2015 of charges that she organized the protests. Judges who have expressed dissenting views over Kavalas incarceration have been replaced. Erdogan entered the fray after Kavalas 2017 arrest, accusing him of financing the protests with support from George Soros, the American philanthropist. He has repeatedly depicted the park protests as an effort to push him from power, and these interventions have led observers to doubt the court can retain its independence. Tayfun Kahraman, who heads the Istanbul municipalitys earthquake risk management department and faces up to 20 years in prison, said the defense had destroyed the 657-page indictment and proved that none of them had engaged in a crime at Gezi, but that he still expected a verdict soon and their democratic struggle awaited harsher times. The protests at Gezi were at the time the biggest challenge yet to Erdogans Justice and Development Party (AKP), in power since 2002. Since then, Erdogan has expanded his authority, fighting off a military coup in 2016 and winning election to a vastly empowered executive presidency in 2018. Dissent has been largely stifled with thousands of Erdogans opponents in prison or in self-imposed exile in a post-coup clampdown. What the AKP wants from this case is to intimidate and criminalize the opposition. The legal system has been instrumentalized for this end, Cevahir Efe Akcelik, head of the Chamber of Environmental Engineers, told the news conference. He is not charged in the case. Since 2013, Erdogan has occasionally mooted reviving his construction plans for Gezi but has thus far resisted, focusing instead on grander projects. A construction boom has powered Turkeys economy, which has tripled in size during Erdogans tenure but sharply slowed since 2018 and swollen public- and private-sector debt. The AKP government has unabashedly based Turkeys economy on construction [but] its a requirement of my job as a city planner to try and protect our natural resources, Yapici said in an interview. Now I am being tried on groundless charges that I sought the violent overthrow of the government with a peaceful protest. I believe this situation is temporary but something universal [where] global capital is using governments to realize their ends. Universal solidarity is all that will save the world, and maybe then I will be saved too, she said. Taking full responsibility of his party's poor show in the Delhi Assembly polls, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari on Tuesday said his future role in the party is an internal matter. Tiwari, who led the Delhi BJP through its impressive victories in civic body polls in 2017 and Lok Sabha elections last year, failed to pass the test of fire as his party suffered a humiliating defeat at the hands of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managing to win just eight of the 70 assembly seats. On being asked if he considered stepping down after the BJP's defeat in the assembly polls, he said, "It is an internal party matter. I will let you know if anything like that happens." Out of the eight assembly seats the BJP won, three were under Tiwari's Lok Sabha constituency North East Delhi. The party won four seats in East Delhi constituency represented by BJP MP Gautam Gambhir and one in South Delhi represented by party MP Ramesh Bidhuri. In the remaining four Lok Sabha constituencies, the party was routed by the AAP. Each of the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi comprise 10 assembly segments. Tiwari, who fought the Lok Sabha elections as a Samajwadi Party candidate in 2009 against Yogi Adityanath in Gorakhpur, joined the BJP ahead of assembly polls in 2013. In 2014, he was fielded by the BJP from North East Delhi which he won. In November 2016, he was given responsibility to head the Delhi BJP owning to his Purvanchali background. The term of Delhi BJP president is for three years, and Tiwari has already completed his stipulated tenure and is currently on extension, a BJP leader said. Party sources claimed that Tiwari could be replaced with a new face and he might be given some other responsibility in the party or the government at the Centre. Leading the BJP that was out of power in Delhi for over two decades, Tiwari had tweeted earlier that the party will form government by winning 48 seats, and dared his critics to save his tweet. Tiwari laughed off his tweet saying he had tried to boost the morale of the party workers through his assertion. "I am state president, so I take the responsibility for this defeat. My estimate based on some factors has proved wrong but what possibly could you do with my tweet, just keep it saved," the Delhi BJP chief said when asked about his tweet. The BJP, which is out of power in Delhi for more than two decades, won just three seats in the 2015 Assembly elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) El Progreso, Departamento de Yoro, Honduras, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- With the purpose of providing more opportunities and promote labor insertion, the Honduran Secretary of State, Secretary of Labor and AZUNOSA joined efforts and signed a tripartite agreement that seeks the promotion of employment among returned migrants. The agreement was signed by Secretary of State of Honduras, Mr. Lisandro Rosales, Secretary of Labor Mr. Carlos Madero and Azunosas Corporate Affairs Manager Mr. Nelson Merino. The agreement will benefit 100 Hondurans during the cane harvest season that begins in October. This is the first agreement of this nature. AZUNOSA is the first private company that specifically seeks to engage returned migrants back into the economy by offering 10% of its workforce, giving an opportunity to Hondurans who have returned and are looking for new work opportunities. In this alliance, all 3 parties will be involved: the Secretary of State will provide the contact and information of candidates through the Center for Returned Migrant, the Secretary of Labor will oversee the hiring process and Azunosa will monitor and provide feedback on their performance. This is an effort to avoid irregular migration, but also to offer a second chance to those who have returned and integrate back into society. We have seen the conditions in which our fellow countrymen return after being deported, we want to contribute to improve their lives conditions, and as a private company what we can do is provide jobs. We must support each other, as Hondurans, we must push forward and join efforts to promote development said Nelson Merino, Corporate Affairs Manager for Azunosa. Requirements and opportunities According to the agreement, the opportunities are open to male returnees aged between 25 and 50 who live near or are from the communities closer to the mill, such as: Aldea Agua Blanca Sur, El Progreso, Yoro, Aldea La Sarrosa, El Progreso, Yoro, El Negrito, Yoro, El Progreso, Yoro, Santa Rita, Yoro. All located in Northern part of Honduras. Employment and experience Applicants must meet one of the following: - Experience in agricultural work and knowledge in the use of field tools. - Technicians in electricity, industrial mechanics, automotive mechanics, and/or bachelor's degrees in quality control. The Company has generated a significant number of jobs that indirectly impact and benefit more than 13 thousand people; in this way, Azunosa contributes to the creation of wealth. The Company purchases annually from more than 450 local suppliers, which is equivalent to about 600 million lempiras in annual purchases. In addition, it generates 36 million kilowatts of clean energy per year. For more: https://azunosa.com/noticias/employment-returned-migrants/ Attachment Photo: CTV News B.C.'s provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry The latest update from B.C.'s top health officer indicates the virus does not appear to be spreading within the province. Adrian Dix, Minister of Health, and Dr. Bonnie Henry, provincial health officer, issued a joint statement on the novel coronavirus in British Columbia: "B.C. continues to have only four confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV. All four cases are in stable condition and are recovering in isolation at home. All close contacts of these cases are being followed closely by public health officials and remain asymptomatic." The statement also indicates that as of February 7, the BC Centre for Disease Control has tested a total of 371 samples for 2019-nCoV and only four have come back positive as of this time. As for the evacuation plane that stopped in Vancouver, "the aircraft refuelled and proceeded to Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Trenton in Ontario. No crew members or passengers remained in B.C. "We want to reassure people that the risk of this virus spreading within B.C. remains low at this time. Now is the time for tolerance. We call on all British Columbians to come together as a community to help one another. In this time of uncertainty, this is not only the right response, but the necessary one. Fear obstructs the important work of our public health officials to protect the health and safety of British Columbians." Health officials are pleading with people who may have come in contact with the virus, either through travel or close contact with someone who has recently visited the Hubei province in China to call public health officials and self-isolate for 14 days. "The most important measures to prevent all respiratory illnesses, including 2019-nCoV, remain cleaning your hands regularly, avoiding touching your face, coughing or sneezing into your elbow sleeve, disposing of tissues appropriately and staying home and away from others if you become sick." Jeff Bezos' stake in Amazon.com Inc barely budged over the past decade. That's started to change. Bezos sold two million shares, worth $US4.1 billion, as part of a pre-arranged trading plan between January 31 and February 6, according to regulatory filings. That's the largest seven-day selldown by any executive tracked by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, which began in 2012. Amazon chief Jeff Bezos offloaded more than $6 billion of the company's stock in a week. Credit:AP WhatsApp co-founder Jan Koum sold $US4 billion of Facebook shares in 2016, but that took months. Laurene Powell Jobs divested more than $US6 billion of Walt Disney Co shares in 2016, though it wasn't part of a trading plan. For Bezos, it's a sharp reversal from years of relative restraint even as the value of his Amazon stake eclipsed 12 figures in 2017. His increased pace of sales this year might be a result of his 2019 split from MacKenzie Bezos. The pair divorced in the state of Washington, where Amazon is based and the couple lived. It's a community property state, meaning all assets and debt acquired during a marriage "will be divided equitably by the court if the couple cannot negotiate an agreement", according to the website of McKinley Irvin, a family law firm in the region. Loading The terms of their divorce - at least those publicly disclosed in stock filings and a single tweet by MacKenzie Bezos in April - show that Jeff Bezos retained 75 per cent of the couple's stake in Amazon as well as interests in The Washington Post newspaper and rocket company Blue Origin. The pair may have agreed to a cash payment in return for such an uneven split, according to divorce lawyers. "It's possible the agreement provided for some cash transfer," said Peter Walzer, founding partner of law firm Walzer Melcher and a past president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. "Cash is king." Bezos, 56, has plenty of other expenses. As well as supporting Blue Origin to the tune of $US1 billion a year, his lifestyle has become increasingly glamorous. He owns properties on both coasts and 42,000 acres of desert scrub in Texas. He's been house-hunting for a mega-mansion in Los Angeles, according to the New York Post, and has reportedly started making waves in the art world. The move represents the latest turn in the case against Flynn, who pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. Federal prosecutors once suggested probation for Flynn, then shifted to include prison time, and then said in a late January court filing that probation remained a reasonable sentence. Wiluna Operations Update Perth, Feb 12, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Blackham Resources Ltd ( ASX:BLK ) ( FRA:NZ3 ) ( OTCMKTS:BKHRF ) is pleased to announce the successful commissioning of its Rod Mill and new Ball Mill motor, both of which will provide for significantly higher throughput, thereby increasing production, reducing unit processing costs and improving cash flow.As highlighted in the Company's Dec'19 Quarterly Activities Report (refer ASX announcement 16 January 2020), the Company had completed the refurbishment of the Rod Mill prior to the end of 2019. Commissioning was held over during the new-year crossover period. The Rod Mill has now been successfully commissioned, providing 20% additional grinding capacity and throughput. Further optimisation of the milling circuit is now underway.Also, as disclosed in the Company's Sep'19 Quarterly Activities Report (refer ASX announcement 14 October 2019), a mill motor failure that disrupted production for several days was finally replaced in recent days. The previously reinstated original mill motor had caused some throughput restrictions, particularly as a result of its inability to operate in the normal high temperatures experienced during summer in Wiluna. Blackham recently received a newly constructed mill motor which was successfully installed and commissioned over this last weekend.The Company also reports that it is currently assessing its short to medium term planning in the prevailing record Australian dollar gold prices, which have been sustained for some time now. The company anticipates that the current economic environment should provide further opportunities to take advantage of its inherent operational flexibility at the Wiluna operations during the transition to the sulphide operations.Furthermore, Blackham has recently implemented additional hedging activities, with gold forward sales contracts as at the date of this report being for 6,000oz at an average price of A$2,328/oz, maturing by 30 April 2020. Blackham also has additional revenue protection via put options, which provide the Company the right (but not the obligation) to sell 20,000oz at a minimum price of $2,018/oz between Feb'20 and Jun'20 inclusive.About Wiluna Mining Corporation Ltd Wiluna Mining Corporation (ASX:WMC) (OTCMKTS:WMXCF) is a Perth based, ASX listed gold mining company that controls over 1,600 square kilometres of the Yilgarn Craton in the Northern Goldfields of WA. The Yilgarn Craton has a historic and current gold endowment of over 380 million ounces, making it one of most prolific gold regions in the world. The Company owns 100% of the Wiluna Gold Operation which has a defined resource of 8.04M oz at 1.67 g/t au. In May 2019, a new highly skilled management team took control of the Company with a clear plan to leverage the Wiluna Gold Operation's multi-million-ounce potential. Children in India need a non-competitive environment for learning skills suited for future space exploration, according to a former NASA engineer. "To learn skills needed for current trends in modern space exploration, it is important that kids learn to make mock-ups early in school," noted David Cheuvront, a retired engineer at NASA Johnson Space Center in the US. These mock-ups using simple, easily available building materials like cardboard are a means of expressing engineering design, he said. "This way, kids learn to make honest evaluations of materials, designs, check their usability, they learn to draw, there is 3D modelling, sometimes there is written requirement where they need to describe things," Cheuvront told PTI. Cheuvront was in India last month to interact with the students of Shiv Nadar School in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. The former NASA engineer explained that while participating in such model-building exercises, children describe things they need, and look for the right words for each of them. "The critical Issue with what's going on with Indian is what I call 'chalk and talk'," said Australian astronomer Sam Gibbs, an amateur astronomer and science educator, who was also one of the experts interacting with the students. Gibbs pointed out that in India there is a deficit of skills-development among kids pursuing Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) fields. According to Gibbs, the teaching approaches of schools in India depend a lot on textbooks, which needs to be immediately addressed. For kids to become successful in STEAM, Cheuvront added, their needs to focus on three things -- skills, skill development, and skill development happening in a non competitive environment. "This emulates to some extent, what everybody does in creative fields," Gibbs added. "Our hope is to give students the chance to do what they expressively manage to do in their own special way and learn skills at the same time. "And we hope to connect with engineering and science and art that through a non-competitive event," he said. For improving kids' education to be in line with modern trends in space exploration, Gibbs and Cheuvront said increasing childrens' participation in amateur astronomy is the key. "Amateur astronomers are making several important contributions. With open databases, amateur astronomy has become a very innovative field, with schools for instance participating in things like developing robots for astronomy," Gibbs said. "There's a series of robotic telescopes around the world that anybody can access. It brings in a very diverse participation from schools across the world," he added. Both Gibbs and Cheuvront believe that schools in India need to start building skills-based education using these freely available astronomy resources. "Provide exposure to students with project-based work and get them out of the classrooms to a creative space where they learn skills that complement what they learn in their academic studies," Gibbs said. Chevrount pointed out that the industrial and corporate sectors now increasingly look for people with special skills and talent. "If you're someone who pushes straight A grades across the counter, it's generally not enough these days to get the job you want, especially in the space industry," Chevrount said. He added that it is also very important for kids to learn to collaborate in a group like in a working organisation. "That's something they don't normally get in a school," Chevrount said. According to the scientist, children should not just be engaged in rote-learning, or trying to do things in only the way they have been taught. "That will not help the kids keep up with what's happening in the world right now," he said. For example, we are seeing within the rocket industry how they are doing new things and solving new problems like how SpaceX is developing its reusable rockets," Chevrount added. If humans are to colonise and get water from the moon to refuel the rockets and landers, over and over, instead of throwing them away after one use, more skill-based creative learning is needed, the former NASA engineer said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New research has shed fresh light on how the build-up of two proteins in the brain might affect the activity of genes involved in Alzheimer's disease. Researchers at the University of Exeter worked in collaboration with Eli Lilly and Company to examine the brains of mice carrying mutations in the genes for the proteins amyloid and tau. The build-up of both proteins in specific regions of the brain is known to play a role in Alzheimer's disease. In a paper published today in Cell Reports, the researchers found evidence that the levels of gene activity changed dramatically as tau and amyloid accumulated in the brain. The team, funded by Alzheimer's Research UK and Alzheimer's Society, observed significant changes in the levels of genes involved in inflammation in the immune system, which became more active as tau levels increased. The research also highlights new pathways potentially involved in the progression of Alzheimer's disease, and adds weight to theories that brain inflammation is a key component in the build-up of tau. First author Dr Isabel Castanho, of the University of Exeter, said: "Our results suggest that the genes which are disrupted through the build-up of tau and amyloid in the entorhinal cortex region of the brain influence the function of the immune response in the brain, which is known to be a key component of Alzheimer's disease." The team analysed the build-up of each protein in the brain and the expression of genes associated with them as the mutant mice got older. They observed a build-up of both tau and amyloid, with these changes associated with widespread changes in gene expression - particularly in the case of tau. This is interesting because it suggests that the accumulation of tau might have more dramatic effects on gene regulation in the brain than amyloid. Furthermore, a number of the identified genes are known risk factors for Alzheimer's disease, and overall the changes observed in mice mirror those seen in human Alzheimer's disease brains. Professor Jonathan Mill, of the University of Exeter Medical School, who led the project said: "Currently, no treatments are available that can change the course of Alzheimer's disease. Understanding the interaction between genes and progression of the disease will help us identify new targets for treatment, which we hope will one day lead to drugs that can effectively treat this terrible disease." Dr Sara Imarisio, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Research UK said: "Genetics plays an important role in the development diseases like Alzheimer's and teasing apart the processes contributing to disease is crucial in the hunt for new breakthroughs, which will change lives. Future research capitalising on genetic findings like this is a top priority for dementia researchers around the world. It's only thanks to the generosity of our supporters that Alzheimer's Research UK is able to fund vital dementia research like this." Dr James Pickett, Head of Research at Alzheimer's Society, said: "We're proud to be funding research like this which plugs gaps in our knowledge about Alzheimer's disease, and lays strong foundations for the development of new lifesaving treatments. Through research we will beat dementia. We owe it to the 850,000 people in the UK currently living with dementia to understand the condition better and find a cure." ### The full paper is entitled 'Transcriptional signatures of tau and amyloid neuropathology'. Bombay blood group is a rare blood type that was first discovered in a patient of Bombay, now called Mumbai. It is a rare condition and has been reported in 1 of 10,000 individuals in India and 1 in a million people in Europe. People with Bombay blood group appear that they have an O blood group; however, they suffer from a reaction if they are transfused with any other blood group including O blood. Why does this happen? This happens because the person lacks an antigen called the H antigen. The H antigen is a precursor protein that gives rise to the A and B antigens, on the basis of which people are classified into the A, B or AB blood groups . Normally, people with the O blood group do not convert H to A or B. Thus, they have large amounts of H antigen. On the other hand, people with Bombay blood group have the O blood group, but have one difference - they do not have the H antigen. They are said to have the Oh blood group and are described as h/h. Some of these individuals can make a small amount of H antigen, which appears in the secretions. These people are said to have the para-Bombay phenotype. It is also important to remember that people with Bombay blood group can donate blood only to those of this group. Because Bombay blood group is very rare, a database of individuals of this blood group is maintained so that these individuals can help each other at times of need. The situation is even more difficult if a person with a Bombay blood group develops thalassemia, a condition that requires frequent blood transfusions. Women with Bombay blood group may theoretically deliver babies with hemolytic disease of the newborn if the baby does not inherit the same blood type, though such cases are not known as yet. Some tips to remember if you have Bombay blood group: Enter your name in one of the databases that keeps information about individuals with Bombay blood group. If you are in good health, do consider donating your blood to those of the same blood group in times of need. At the same time, it is better not to donate at regular camps but only when the need arises to prevent wastage of blood. Try to maintain a healthy lifestyle and as far as possible, avoid situations that will raise the requirement for blood. Finally, the presence of the Bombay blood group does not mean that you suffer from any illness. It just means that you are a little different. In fact, it also means that you are special, for you can help some individuals whom many others may be unable to help. The Daily Beast Fox News White House correspondent and perpetual nemesis of Jen Psaki thought he had Joe Bidens press secretary cornered on Monday when he asked her why the president is still referring to COVID-19 as a pandemic of the unvaccinated when so many people are getting breakthrough infections. He was wrong.I understand that the science says that vaccines prevent death, Doocy began, before undercutting that basic truth. But Im triple-vaxxed, still got COVID. Youre triple-vaxxed, still got COVI Harrison Ford showed his effortlessly cool style Monday while heading to a talk show taping in Los Angeles. The 77-year-old actor wore a dark blue dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up along with blue jeans as he headed into the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio in Hollywood. He added a bit of flair with a black leather belt with silver buckle and tip and accessorized with a watch and sunglasses. Hollywood star: Harrison Ford showed his effortlessly cool style Monday in a dress shirt and jeans while heading to a talk show taping in Los Angeles Harrison was on his cell phone while heading into the studio, but smiled and acknowledged his fans after the call. The Chicago native can next be seen in the upcoming adventure film The Call Of The Wild based on the 1903 Jack London novel of the same name. Harrison will portray gold hunter John Thornton in the film that will mark the live-action directorial debut of Chris Sanders, 57, best known for co-writing and co-directing Disney's Lilo & Stitch [2002] and DreamWorks' How to Train Your Dragon [2010]. The Call Of The Wild will be released on February 20 by 20th Century Studios. Fan favorite: The 77-year-old actor acknowledged his fans while heading into the Jimmy Kimmel Live studio in Hollywood Phone call: The Stars Wars star fielded a phone call while heading into the chat show studio New movie: The Chicago native can next be seen in the upcoming adventure film The Call Of The Wild based on the 1903 Jack London novel of the same name It originally was going to be released on December 25, 2019, but was pushed to February 20 after the acquisition of Fox by Disney to accommodate the release of Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker and Spies In Disguise. The Call Of The Wild will be the first film released under the 20th Century Studios name following its rebranding from 20th Century Fox after the acquisition. The 1935 version of the film starring Clark Gable as Jack Thornton was the last film released under the Twentieth Century Pictures named before it merged with Fox Film to become 20th Century-Fox. Coming soon: The Call Of The Wild starring Harrison as John Thornton will be released on February 20 by 20th Century Studios Harrison has been married since 2010 to actress Calista Flockhart, 55. They have a son together Liam, 19, who the actress adopted at birth. He also has been attached to the upcoming untitled Indiana Jones film due out in 2021. Harrison first portrayed globe-trotting archaeologist Indiana Jones in the 1981 action-adventure film Raiders Of The Lost Ark. A cat saved his sleeping owner from a fire after biting her on the neck and meowing to wake her up. Lyosha the tomcat sank his teeth into Dina Nikolayevna's neck after the 79-year-old's fridge and electric cooker caught fire at her Russian flat. Once the pensioner woke up she frantically sought help from her neighbours who called the fire service. Firefighters arrived at the flat in Chelyabinsk within five minutes and put out the blaze, saving Ms Nikolayevna's life. Dina Nikolayevna hugs her cat Lyosha after the animal woke her up during a fire at her flat in Russia, giving her time to call her neighbours who summoned firefighters Lyosha (pictured covered in soot after the fire) sank his teeth into her neck and frantically meowed, eventually rousing Dina as the fire spread through the flat The cat had initially tried using his claws to scratch the pensioner on the cheek but to no avail. Lyosha then sank his teeth into her neck and frantically meowed, eventually rousing Dina as the fire spread through the flat. Emergency workers believe Ms Nikolayevna was just minutes from being killed by carbon monoxide poisoning but was saved by the loving cat. Stroking the animal, Dina said 'it's too early for me to die' as she celebrated surviving the fire and reaching her birthday today. The fire was caused by a short circuit, it is believed, laying waste to 160 square feet of the woman's apartment. Pet groomer Evelina Kornienko, who was called in to clean the cat which was covered in soot, has now started a campaign for a bravery award for the moggie. 'This loyal 15-year-old cat saved the life of his owner showing perseverance and courage,' she said. 'He could have huddled under the bed and everything would have ended very sadly.' Emergency workers believe Ms Nikolayevna was just minutes from being killed by carbon monoxide poisoning but was saved by the loving cat (pictured) The pensioner's granddaughter Evgenia Ponomareva (pictured) said the cat was also known to jump around the telephone until his owner realised she needed to answer it Damage from the fire which laid waste to 160 square feet of the woman's apartment in Chelyabinsk, Russia Kornienko said: 'Many will agree with me that this cat deserves a medal for heroism. To say I am proud of this hero is an understatement. 'I am frenzied in admiration and stood up to applauded him. 'He saved himself, his granny and all the neighbours who could have suffered from the fire. He was not scared.' The cat used to live with the pensioner's daughter but moved in with a 'lonely Ms Nikolayevna after her husband died. Her granddaughter Evgenia Ponomareva said the cat, whose name is a diminutive form of Alexey, is multi-talented. Ms Nikolayevna is deaf and when her phone rings, the cat jumps around it until the pensioner realises she needs to answer it, she said. 'If the cat jumps in the corridor, it means someone is at the door and granny needs to look through the peephole.' For some time, he was presidents shadow, followed him everywhere, whispered in the ear provoking countless memesHe quarreled with journalists, claimed he rarely met Kolomoysky though he was his lawyer, he complained that nobody liked him, sang Vakarchuks songs in the airport. And now he is leaving, being replaced with another noticeable character from Zelensky team President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has fired Andriy Bohdan from the position of the head of his Office. Such decree appeared today, on February 11 on the website of the head of the state. Former aide of Zelensky, Andriy Yermak will chair the Office of President instead of Bohdan. Who is Anfriy Yermak? Andriy Yermak, the Head of the Presidents Office Open source Andriy Yermak was born in Kyiv on November 21, 1971. In 1995, he graduated from the Institute of International Relations of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv having received master degree in international private law. The same year, he received license for law practice. In 1997, Yermak founded international law firm, took part in developing first legal acts in spheres of commercial law and intellectual property. President Zelensky appointed Andriy Yermak as his aide on May 21, 2019. On this position, Yermak in fact took over all international negotiations of Ukraine, and first of all, with the Russian Federation. In particular, European Truth agency reported that Yermak was holding unofficial talks with Russia about Donbas and prisoner release. According to journalists, Yermak was responsible for two formats of negotiations - with the head of Russian government Vladislav Surkov and the Russian Vice Prime Minister Dmitry Kozak. The third direction of Yermaks activisty is the Normandy format and everything associated with it. In this area, he acts together with Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko. By the way, you can read about Kozak and Surkov and their work in the Ukrainian direction here. Recently, the media has repeatedly reported the conflict between Bogdan and Ermak, although the latter has denied it. Recently, the media have been reporting about the conflict between Bohdan and Yermak, though the latter one denied this. What will Bohdan be remembered for? We have already reported about Bohdan after his appointment, and you can see some information here. What did Andriy Bohdan do in the office? Firstly, with Bohdan, the position of the head of the Presidents Office turned to one of the centers of influence. In particular, Prime Minister Oleksiy Honcharuk admitted he was taking advise from Bohdan and Yermak about the candidates for ministers. Secondly, for a long time Bohdan was perhaps the closest person to Zelensky. Photos, where the head of the Presidents Office constantly whispers something to the president, have become a meme. By the way, later Bohdan told what he had whispered. Thirdly, Bohdan was considered by many to be Kolomoysky's man. He told himself how often he talked to the oligarch. Fourthly, it is, of course, constant scandals or just somewhat unusual situations. Bohdan, in fact, also started with the scandal in a new position. He was demanded to be fired because the appointment violated the lustration law. Bohdan replied that there were no violations. Later, journalists found out that Bohdan was combining civil service and legal practice bypassing the law, and illegally used concealed numbers and public security services. And more... There was also a resignation letter where he wrote by own volition from the moment of volition (which, apparently, has appeared). There allegedly was a fight with the head of the Security Service of Ukraine Ivan Bakanov, as media reported,but the information was not confirmed. That, however, did not stop Bohdan from frank trolling. There were scandalous allegations that the Servant of the People Party has mentally ill people. And that Bakanov makes such a law enforcement officer as he himself. Bohdan also complained that nobody loved him. Fifth, it is his trip to Saint-Tropez for a wedding of Andriy Dovbenko, a controversial lawyer accused of running shady schemes at the Justice Ministry. Some very interesting photos were taken there. For example, where one of the gendarmes handcuffed Bohdan. And of course, there was that clash with Klitschko, which has not ended with anything good for Bohdan at the moment. Well, singing Vakarchuks songs in Paris as such is the final chord. We'll leave the country's politicians continue to grapple with the political landscape and new horizon as talks begin around forming a new government. It won't be an easy task for any side and tough decisions will have to be made by some to sacrifice political promises for power and glory, while others may decide that principles are more important. Farmers and the population of rural Ireland have not deserted the main parties as other constituents have in their droves, but some have to ask themselves some serious questions at this point. The price of cattle in marts makes no sense and anyone paying what can only be described as exorbitant prices needs to stop and ask themselves, 'will I be rewarded?' Farmers may not be in farming to make money, but it's clear as day that the prices being paid for cattle in marts - no matter how much grass there is at the moment or due to grow over the coming weeks - will leave many farmers burnt by the factories when they go to sell such cattle later this year. Prices of 1,300 now for bullocks would have to see the same cattle fetch in the region of 1,800 at the factory door. Does anyone paying these prices really think they can achieve this? 4.20kg+ and that's just to cover your costs. We're all optimists, with farmers leading the pack on that, but quite clearly some are setting themselves up for a serious fall. We've been through a number of years of poor beef prices, but beef finishers need to stop and ask themselves if this policy of 'eternal hope' should continue. I recently spoke to two farmers on both sides of this bull market. The seller, a suckler farmer said he needs all he's getting and more for his business to be sustainable, while the buyer said he has no chance of squeezing a margin out of cattle at these prices. For the beef industry to work, all parts of the chain need their fair share. Unfortunately, as was demonstrated in 2019, deciding what's fair is a complex and divisive business. So, as a new government sorts itself out in the coming days and weeks, beef farmers need to look at the reality facing them - continue to operate in the volatile market that is the cattle business or think about investing in a different farming future. And that does not mean failure, it simply means questioning the status quo and figuring out if it serves you best. Congratulating AAP over its stupendous victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said on Tuesday that people have rejected the " of hatred and division" and have given a "mandate against CAA and NRC". The TMC supremo said that the Delhi Assembly poll result is a reflection of the good work done by the Kejriwal government in the last five years and the saffron party has got a "befitting reply for torturing students and women" in the national capital. She was referring to the attacks on Jamia Milia Islamia and JNU students and incidents of molestation of Gargi College students in Delhi. BJP will face similar results in the 2021 assembly polls in Bengal, Banerjee said. "BJP is losing one election after another - this has been an ongoing trend. It began in Maharashtra, then in Jharkhand and now in Delhi. Everywhere the trend is very clear - the people are rejecting BJP and its of hatred," Banerjee told reporters in Howrah. Claiming that the people had voted against CAA and NRC in the Delhi polls, Banerjee said there are important issues like unemployment, economy, industry, price hike and development but the Centre is focussing only on the of hatred. "Arrogance and the politics of vendetta have crossed all limits since BJP returned to power at the Centre for the second consecutive time. The country is burning," she said. On the dismal performance by Congress in the Delhi polls, Banerjee said Congress scores wherever regional parties are not strong enough to counter the BJP. Earlier in the day, Banerjee had called up Kejriwal to congratulate him on AAP's resounding victory in the Delhi polls. Later, in a tweet Banerjee said leaders playing on faith and divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded. "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal as #DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded," she tweeted. Addressing a rally in Bankura district, Banerjee, who is among the harshest critics of BJP, mocked the saffron party over its string of defeats in the assembly polls post 2019 Parliamentary polls and said it has "got a befitting reply for torturing students and women in New Delhi". "One state after another is slipping out of BJP's grip, and the party will soon lose all states under its control," she claimed. "They (BJP) will face similar results in the 2021 assembly polls in Bengal. Only development will work. CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected," she told the gathering. Banerjee and Kejriwal have shared a cordial relationship over the years. The Delhi chief minister had come out in support of his West Bengal counterpart during the general elections in 2019 and also during her face-off with the Centre over the erstwhile Kolkata police chief Rajeev Kumar. Banerjee on her part had condemned attacks on Kejriwal during the general elections and lashed out at BJP over the issue. The TMC had also thrown its weight behind AAP for the Delhi polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) TBILISI -- The U.S. Embassy in Tbilisi says it is "disappointed" with the conviction and sentencing of Georgian opposition leader Gigi Ugulava in what the jailed politician has called a politically motivated case. In a statement released on February 11, the embassy said it supports political dialogue between the South Caucasus nations ruling Georgia Dream party and opposition figures aimed at resolving disputes over the electoral system and other issues. However, it said it was "disappointed that the timing and context of the conviction and sentencing of an opposition leader [on February 10] has put the dialogue at risk." "An environment conducive to the successful continuation of the dialogue requires an independent, transparent judicial system free of political influence." "We call on all sides to remain committed to the political dialogue, as well as further refinements to the electoral code, as the best way to create the conditions for free and fair elections," it added. The statement comes after U.S. lawmakers recently expressed frustration over what they called "backsliding" on Georgias commitments to build democratic institutions in the country, a development that could potentially result in the United States reducing support to the Caucasus nation. Georgian opposition parties have complained that the country's electoral system unfairly favors the ruling Georgian Dream party. The country's Supreme Court sentenced Ugulava, who helped organize the protests, to three years and two months in prison on charges of misusing public funds while he was mayor of the capital. It was Ugulava's second conviction on similar charges, in a case the opposition says is politically motivated. A number of criminal cases have been opened against leaders of the opposition amid mass protests against tycoon Bidzina Ivanishvili's ruling Georgian Dream party and its government. Dozens of former officials have been arrested on abuse-of-power and corruption charges since Georgian Dream came to power in 2012 after defeating then-President Mikheil Saakashvili's party in an election. Ugulava, mayor of the capital from 2005 to 2013, was first sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in prison in September 2015 on similar offenses but was freed in January 2017 after a court reduced his sentence. In 2018, Ugulava was sentenced again, to 15 months in prison, in the same case, but his sentence was considered to have been served. The Supreme Court's February 10 ruling regards a new case of alleged misspending of funds, and the time he has already served will not count against it. "This is a shameful decision made by the Ivanishvili regime," Tina Bokuchava, a leader the opposition United National Movement, told reporters. Critics accuse Ivanishvili of running the country from behind the scenes. Ugulava, one of the leaders of the European Georgian Party, said he had pleaded not guilty and that the verdict was a "legal farce." "The fact is that the path chosen by the opposition frightens Ivanishvili," he told reporters before going to prison. The United States and the European Union have called on the Georgian government, political parties, and civil society to engage in a "calm and respectful dialogue." A group of 12 nongovernmental organizations in Georgia on February 11 called Ugulava's case "a continuation of political persecution against opponents." "We call on the Georgian authorities, the ruling party, and the country's informal ruler -- Bidzina Ivanishvili -- to stop exercising selective justice against their opponents and dissenters, to promote a constructive resolution of the political crisis, and instead of party interests, prioritize the interests of the population and the country's development," a statement by the group said. With reporting by Reuters Such prowess, of course, makes starlings a bittersweet inheritance, the bird that even Audubons website recently informed readers that its O.K. to hate. Starlings have been known to drive other native bird species from nests and backyard feeders; they pilfer grains from farmers fields and storage sheds and corrode surfaces with their droppings. On the plus side, they are one of the worlds most proficient exterminators, yearly consuming millions of pestilent insects, grubs and worms. Their dazzling murmurations exquisitely synchronized midair swirls of their gigantic flocks can black out skies. The males have been known to decorate their nests with flowers to attract mates and fumigate their dwellings with fresh herbs to repel unwanted pests. Still, perched up here as Ive been in my sixth-floor aerie over the years, I find that the starlings great intelligence and vocal skills have most beguiled me, as they have so many over the ages. Pliny the Elder once claimed that starlings can be taught to speak lines of Latin and Greek. In late May 1784, in a Viennese shop, Mozart heard a starling singing a motif strikingly similar to the allegro movement of his Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major. He ended up buying the bird and grew so attached that when it died three years later, he held an elaborate funeral procession and composed a poem for the beloved bird, burying it in his yard. As one translation reads: A little fool lies here/Whom I hold dear/A starling in the prime/of his brief time. Its not merely the starlings powers of mimicry but the apparent inventiveness that so enthralls. Most birds have a signature call that they repeat over and over again. Starlings also make things up as they go along, trying out different riffs, injecting new clauses midsentence, suggesting that a property of human language known as recursion may like so many other widely shared phenomena: tool use, culture, self-recognition, empathy, grieving not be exclusive to us. Indeed, it came as no surprise to me to read back in 2006 that a scientific study was done of starlings, analyzing their vocal capabilities to better understand the origins of human language. Lucky for me, I have long had a working lab right here outside my living-room window. Nothing lifts my spirits more than to see starlings alight there throughout the day, roll their heads to let the breeze comb their neck feathers and then let loose over Brooklyns tumbledown rooftops with madcap soliloquies, outpourings of which the Bard would have been proud. Lovely how such slight and flitting beings can knock us humans off our pedestal of self-importance and exceptionalism. How each time they alight, they seem to make a whole city recede, rendering it a mere perch for their passing purposes and these words little more than a poor translation. Friedrich Joussen, CEO of the Tui Group, announces the travel company's record January. (Peter Steffen/picture alliance via Getty Images) Tui, the worlds largest travel group, saw a huge influx of new customers as a result of the bankruptcy of its former rival Thomas Cook, which went broke in September 2019, it said on Tuesday. January this year was very, very strong, Tui CEO Fritz Joussen told journalists on an earnings call on Tuesday. Tui (TUI.L) in the UK had the biggest month of bookings in its history, it said. The surge in new bookings helped the company withstand the financial impact from the Boeing 737 MAX ban. The 737 MAX planes were grounded last March after two fatal crashes and the ban is expected to be extended until mid-2020 or even later. Read more: 'Designed by clowns, supervised by monkeys': Damning Boeing emails published The Hanover-headquartered travel company said that the ongoing ban on the Boeing aircraft will drag it down during this current financial year, as it will cost between 220m ($240m, 186m) and 245m to lease new planes, but that it is expecting some still-to-be-negotiated compensation from Boeing. For the financial year ending in September Tui said it expected underlying core earnings (EBIT) of between 850m and 1.05bn. The coronavirus outbreak has not so far impacted travel demand, according to the chief executive, however he noted that this was also down to the fact that European consumers do not normally book Asian vacations at this time of year. Tui is clearly capitalising on TCG's demise and less customer choice, confirmation of compensation from Boeing is reassuring and the results reflect a heavy dose of in-built conservatism given the cost measures, suggesting the top end of guidance may be achievable, said Barclays in a note. Tui shares surged by almost 12% in London on Tuesday morning. $500m (N182bn)Loan: PDP Blasts Lai Mohammed,Says the Request is A Pipe To Service Presidency Cabal The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, to perish the thought of further mortgaging the future of our country by securing $500 million dollars (N182 billion) loan, purportedly for upgrading of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA). The party also urged the National Assembly to save the nation by refusing the request by President Muhammadu Buhari to plunge our nation into more debt through his request for additional $29.9 billion dollars loan, in which the said $500 million and other unexplained subheads are embedded. In a statement signed by the National Pulicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, the PDP implores the National Assembly to reject the clear attempt by the cabal in the Buhari Presidency to worsen the economic situation in our country via the use of phony projects as guise to draw foreign funds to service their selfish economic and political interests. The statement reads in parts. The party notes that under the Buhari Presidency, our foreign debt has accumulated to $83 billion dollars with nothing to show other than excruciating unemployment rate, decayed infrastructure, a worsening governance system, escalated insecurity and unprecedented poverty. The PDP alerts that the request for the approval of $500 million is aimed at setting the stage for further fleecing of our nations economy as the Federal Government under the Buhari administration has shown no commitment towards nation building, transparency and accountability in governance. Moreover, the Federal Government has failed to present details of the requested $29.9 billion dollars loan in which the $500 million being requested by the Minister of Information and Culture is embedded; a development that points to nothing but the corruption in the Buhari administration. While counselling the Minister to perish the thoughts of $500 million, the PDP charges him to use his appearance at the National Assembly to give account of the funds so far released to the Ministry of Information and Culture which has been plagued by cases and allegations of corruption under his watch. The party also charges Lai Mohammed to immediately provide answers to circumstances surrounding the reported National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) N2.5 billion fraud. The PDP urges the National Assembly to shelve all requests for foreign loans until the Buhari Presidency heed to the demand by Nigerians to open its books and publish details of all financial transactions on foreign loans as well as spending from the federation account so as to secure our economy from the bazaar of the corrupt cabal in the Buhari Presidency. JINAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- East China's Shandong Province has sent 1,266 medical personnel to join a battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic in Hubei Province, where the epicenter city of Wuhan is located. The most recent four medical teams consisting of 698 doctors and nurses from across Shandong have been summoned and scheduled to depart for Wuhan this week. The medical staff have been or will be working at hospitals, temporary hospitals and centers of disease control across Hubei, the Shandong provincial health commission said. Liu Jia is a nurse from the neurology department of Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. She had grown her hair long and was about to take wedding photos. But her wedding had to be postponed due to the epidemic. Before departing for Hubei, she had her hair cut to reduce infection risks and make putting on and taking off protective suits more convenient. At Shandong Provincial No. 3 Hospital, within one day over 500 medical staff signed up to join an emergency medical team to Hubei, including the 50-year-old critical care specialist Li Pibao. "In principle those above 45 can't join the team. But I'm not the only one over the age limit to join," said Li, also the hospital's deputy head. The number of troops diagnosed with traumatic brain injury following Iran's ballistic missile attack on Al Asad airbase, Iraq has now risen to 109, the Pentagon said Monday. The latest figures represent a dramatic increase from the last Pentagon injury report published in late January, which listed 74 TBI victims. They also mean that at least 5% of the estimated 2,000 U.S. troops at Al Asad suffered from the concussive effects of about 15 Iranian missiles fired at the airbase. All 109 cases of TBI have been diagnosed as "mild traumatic brain injury," the Pentagon said in a statement, but the injuries were deemed serious enough to send 48 of those troops to medical facilities in Landstuhl, Germany, or the U.S. for further evaluation. The numbers could go up again, the Pentagon said, but added that about 70% of the total of 109 troops diagnosed thus far with TBI have already returned to duty in Iraq. Related: Still Misunderstood: How Traumatic Brain Injuries Affect America's Veterans The Jan. 8 missile attack on Al Asad was retaliation for a U.S. drone strike at Baghdad International Airport on Jan. 3 that killed Iranian Quds Force leader Qasem Soleimani. In a White House news conference on Jan. 4, President Donald Trump said initial reports indicated that there were no injuries to U.S. troops from the Iranian attack. When reports of TBI surfaced, Trump likened the injuries to "headaches," drawing criticism from veterans groups. "We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty," Pentagon Press Secretary Alyssa Farah said in a statement accompanying the most recent assessment. Last week, Pentagon chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said at a Pentagon briefing that those who suffered TBI at Al Asad could be eligible for Purple Hearts, but noted the service branches would make final decisions on the awards. -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com. Read More: Bye Bye, BRRRT: Air Force Wants to Retire 44 A-10 Warthogs Since mid-January, US troops in northeast Syria have cut off Russian patrols nearly a dozen times and forced them to turn back or take roundabout routes to reach their destinations. These cutoffs have clustered along two roads leading to American military positions, delineating zones of US influence, including critical infrastructure, four months after Trumps withdrawal decision. The traffic incidents also coincide with the US military building up bases in northeast Syria, which indicates America is reasserting itself in the area as it puts the brakes on Russian attempts to expand. The Russian patrols often change their direction when they see American armored vehicles nearby, said Ivan Hassib, a local journalist who is covering the unfolding US-Russian patrol drama and has witnessed three traffic stops along the M4 highway. Whereas the Americans, the opposite theyre following Russian patrols like a police officer chases a thief. US President Donald Trumps decision to pull forces from the northern border in October gave way to a Turkish invasion targeting the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the US local ally in the fight against the Islamic State [IS]. Two weeks later an agreement between Moscow and Ankara contained the offensive. According to that deal and two other deals between Damascus and the SDF under Russian auspices Russian and Syrian government troops deployed to the east and west of a new zone of Turkish control on the border. Russian troops took over several abandoned US military bases and established several more, including a helicopter base at the airport in Qamishli city. Before the Turkish invasion and the Turkish-Russian agreement, you didnt see Russian armored vehicles. ... Today there are dozens, maybe more, Hassib said. In the immediate aftermath of the American withdrawal, Russia seemed poised to replace the United States as the main foreign power in northeast Syria, a strategic and economic victory achieved at no cost not least because Moscow has exclusive rights to rebuild the Syrian oil and gas sector and most reserves are located in the northeast. But Trumps decision to remain in Syria to secure the oil deferred this scenario. The US military, having abandoned the northern border, reinforced bases in Deir ez-Zor and Hasakah provinces in effect, shifting the weight of the US Syria presence east, toward the Iraqi border. And recent diplomatic moves indicate US support for the SDF in talks to end the civil war pending another American presidential about-face. One of the bases the United States is building up is located at Tal Baydar, on the M4 highway 20 kilometers (12 miles) from a Russian military point in the town of Tal Tamr. On multiple occasions during the second half of January, US armored vehicles arrived at the outskirts of Tal Tamr and prevented Russian patrols from heading east on the M4 highway toward Tal Baydar, said Hassib, who witnessed two incidents. Hassib also reported Jan. 27 on US forces blocking a Russian patrol, which had set out southward from the border town of Amuda, from entering the M4. The Russian patrols appear determined to access this stretch of the M4 highway, which links Syrias second largest city, Aleppo, with northeast Syria and then Iraq. But in addition to the US base at Tal Baydar on the M4, American forces also control a nearby airfield. Just south of the M4 the United States has a base at the Wazeer rest stop; it also recently took over a YPG point in the city of Hasakah, and is building a base in Tell Brak. As a result the M4 is a red line right now east of Tal Tamr until Qamishli on the Turkish border, Hassib said. This includes traveling east along the road and southeast of it. US troops have drawn another red line in the northeasternmost corner of the country, around the city of al-Malikiyya. The Rmelan oil fields and the Semelka border crossing with Iraq are nearby, as well as several American military points. Like the M4, the Russians have repeatedly tried to access the al-Malikiyya countryside in recent weeks. On Jan. 18, a Russian patrol was heading [from Rmelan] toward the Khan al-Jabal crossroad, which goes toward Semelka. ... The Americans parked armored vehicles along the road and didnt let the Russians pass, a resident of al-Malikiyyah, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Al-Monitor, recounting the episode as he witnessed it. The SDF and residents asked the Americans to open up the road so people could pass, and asked the Russians to go back. ... Its a public road, he added. The hourlong standoff was resolved in that manner, before being repeated three days later in roughly the same area it was the same type of incident and the same result, the resident said. The Russians also made an unsuccessful attempt on the al-Malikiyya countryside Feb. 4. Its become the talk of the street: The SDF is mediating between the Americans and Russians, and reconciling them. ... The SDF has become a guarantor power, said the al-Malikiyya resident. He was referencing the guarantor status granted to states overseeing a series of failed cease-fire and de-escalation agreements in Syria. In early January, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported on a Russian delegation photographing the Semelka crossing. The repeated Russian attempts to access the al-Malikiyya countryside indicate that Moscow has its eye on Semelka, the lifeline for humanitarian supplies and an entry point for commercial goods and military aid destined for the SDF, as well as military and logistical equipment for US forces. Despite their frequency, the chance these US-Russian traffic standoffs will spiral into open conflict seems low. These incidents all get worked out at military channels, sometimes at the colonel level, sometimes at the one-star level, sometimes at the three-star level, US special envoy for Syria James Jeffrey said Jan. 23. On Feb. 5, Jeffrey attributed the incidents peaceful resolution to the professionalism of the troops on the ground, beginning with our troops, before noting that any commander would be concerned about this, and we call upon the Russians to adhere fully to the deconfliction agreements weve made with them. This years patrol drama indicates that US troops will not allow their Russian counterparts to access Americas post-withdrawal zone of influence, including critical infrastructure such as the M4 highway and the Semelka crossing. The US military is effectively putting the brakes on the Russian expansion in northeast Syria that followed Trumps pullout decision. The Americans are making the Russians move in those areas next to the Turkish presence, and only those areas, Hassib said. This includes the eastern edge of Turkeys latest border acquisition, as well as the region adjacent to the Turkish border in the countryside around Darbasiyah and Amuda and parts of Qamishli. On the ground the Americans, right now, are doing the opposite of the decision to withdraw from the area they are really making sure to have the main role, Hassib said. Thunder Bay, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - White Metal Resources Corp. (TSXV: WHM) ("White Metal" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding ("MOU") with Luxury Investments One Hundred and Ninety Two (Pty) Ltd. ("Luxury Investments"), Kalahari Copper Ltd. ("Kalahari"), and Newco Management Team of South Africa ("NMT"). Along with White Metal, these three parties have agreed to work together on examining small-scale production possibilities in areas of Namibia covered by Exclusive Prospecting Licences ("EPL") controlled by White Metal (EPL 7071) and Kalahari Copper (EPLs 7082, 7079, 6998, 7081). Luxury Investments has been successfully running a small-scale mining operation in Namibia for over two years, producing approximately 200 to 250 tonnes per month of copper concentrate at a grade of 30% Cu. These small-scale operations are in close proximity to the EPLs held by White Metal and Kalahari. The parties will work in collaboration to see if the concept of small-scale mining would be effective on the Okohongo Cu-Ag deposit (White Metal) and any other prospects within the above mentioned EPLs. White Metal has recently received from the Namibian Government (Ministry of Environment and Tourism), the required Environmental Clearance Certificates ("ECC") for Exclusive Prospecting License 7071 (the "Taranis Property") and EPLs 7028, 7029, and 7030 (the "Altan" or "DorWit Property"), and with this the Company can begin its exploration programs in Namibia. The approved ECC documents give clearance for the Company to proceed with planned geophysical surveys and drilling programs in the coming months. The Taranis and DorWit properties are held by White Metal's 100% owned Namibian subsidiary companies Aloe 238 and Aloe 237, respectively (see Company news release dated June 18, 2019). Story continues Michael Stares, Interim President & CEO of the Company, stated, "I am very encouraged by the potential opportunities to develop small-scale mines within our licences and look forward to working with the group. We are also pleased to have received the EEC clearance from the Namibian Government as we can now begin implementing our planned work programs and advance the properties." The Taranis Property (EPL 7071), covering about 19,850 ha, includes the Okohongo Copper-Silver Deposit ("Okohongo Project") which has been outlined by historical drilling that shows it extends over 600 metres in strike length and 400 metres down-dip, and is open in all directions (see INV Metals news release dated August 3, 2011). The Okohongo deposit, situated within the Kaoko Belt of northwest Namibia about 700 km northwest of Windhoek, is hosted by metasedimentary stratigraphy and shows some similarities with stratiform sediment-hosted Central African Copperbelt deposits of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This deposit contains historical Inferred Mineral Resources of 10.2 million tonnes grading 1.12% Cu and 17.75 g/t Ag, using a 0.3% Cu cut-off (INV Metals Inc. NI 43-101 Technical Report, Effective Date March 31, 2011). Table 1 provides a sensitivity analysis of these historical resources with respect to various cut-off grades of copper. Table 1. Sensitivity analysis of historical Mineral Resources for the Okohongo Copper-Silver Project, Namibia. A 0.3% Cu cut-off is highlighted as the base case presented in 2011. %Cu Cut-off Specific Gravity Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) Cu (tonnes) Ag (ounces) Resource Category 0.0 2.45 11,691,539 1.01 15.85 117,645 5,957,874 Inferred 0.1 2.45 11,682,796 1.01 15.86 117,640 5,957,640 Inferred 0.2 2.45 11,453,414 1.02 16.13 117,219 5,940,047 Inferred 0.3 2.45 10,196,456 1.12 17.75 114,046 5,818,534 Inferred 0.4 2.45 9,535,538 1.17 18.66 111,731 5,719,226 Inferred 0.5 2.45 8,705,239 1.24 19.73 107,993 5,522,454 Inferred 0.6 2.45 8,142,684 1.29 20.50 104,877 5,366,572 Inferred 0.7 2.45 7,366,110 1.35 21.61 99,810 5,116,714 Inferred 0.8 2.45 6,379,793 1.45 23.16 92,402 4,750,190 Inferred source: NI 43-101 Technical Report on the Okohongo Copper-Silver Property in Northwest Namibia, INV Metals Inc.; Prepared By: Caracle Creek International Consulting (Pty) Ltd., South Africa, Effective March 31, 2011. The DorWit Property (EPLs 7028, 7029, and 7030), which is subject to a binding letter of intent with RZJ Capital Management LLC (see Company news release dated October 16, 2019), is located about 150 km east of Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia. The Property covers about 65 km of prospective stratigraphy on the Namibian portion of the Kalahari Copper Belt, which extends eastward into Botswana, a region of active copper exploration and development (e.g., Cupric Canyon Capital; Kalahari Metals Ltd.; MOD Resources Ltd.). Six historical copper deposits occur within the DorWit Property along with other zones with anomalous copper in historical drill core intercepts that the Company believes can be expanded upon through further exploration. Historical resource estimates contained within the Property were published by the Geological Survey of Namibia (Resources of Namibia, 1999) and are summarized in Table 2. Table 2. Historical Mineral Resources from the Dordabis-Witvlei areas, Namibia. Deposit Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) EPL Dordabis98 290,000 1.70 - 7030 200,000 0.50 - 7030 Gemsbokvley214 447,000 1.75 - 7028 Christiadore104 1,200,000 2.27 - 7028 Highlight drill holes: 2.5% Cu over 9m; 2.9% Cu over 7m; 3.7% Cu over 5m Deposit Tonnes Cu (%) Ag (g/t) EPL Okasewa 6,000,000 1.85 7.00 7028 Malachite Pan 2,625,300 1.36 7.47 7029 2,368,400 1.11 6.19 7029 Witvlei Pos 2,850,000 1.52 - 7029 The Company is treating the tonnages and grades reported in Table 1 and Table 2 as historical mineral resource estimates. These historical estimates do not use categories that conform to current CIM Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves as outlined in National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and have not been redefined to conform to current CIM Definition Standards. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimates as current mineral resources and the Company is not treating the historical estimates as current mineral resources. Investors are cautioned that the historical estimates do not mean or imply that economic deposits exist on the properties. The Company has not undertaken any independent investigation of the historical estimates or other information contained in this press release nor has it independently analyzed the results of the previous exploration work in order to verify the accuracy of the information. The Company believes that these historical estimates and other information contained in this news release are relevant to continuing exploration on the properties. Technical information in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Dr. Scott Jobin-Bevans (P.Geo.), Vice President Exploration and a Director of White Metal, who is a Qualified Person under the definitions established by the National Instrument 43-101. About White Metal Resources Corp (TSXV: WHM): White Metal Resources Corp. is a junior exploration company exploring in Canada. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.whitemetalres.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors of White Metal Resources Corp. "Michael Stares" Michael Stares President & CEO, Director Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For further information contact: Michael Stares 684 Squier Street Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, P7B 4A8 Phone: (807) 628-7836 Fax: (807) 475-7200 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52301 TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Red Pine Exploration Inc. (TSX-V: RPX) (Red Pine or the Corporation) is pleased to announce that it has mailed the meeting materials in connection with the annual and special meeting of shareholders of the Corporation to be held on March 11, 2020 (the Meeting). The Meeting materials are available under the Corporations profile on www.SEDAR.com and at http://docs.tsxtrust.com/2156 . At the Meeting, among other things, shareholders will be asked to approve a consolidation (the Consolidation Proposal) of the Corporations outstanding common shares (the Common Shares) on the basis of up to one (new) for ten (old) Common Shares (up to 1:10). Approval of the Consolidation Proposal will provide the Board of Directors (the Board) with the discretion to determine the actual consolidation basis within this range. Please note that if the Consolidation Proposal is approved, no more than one consolidation will take place there will be no successive consolidations without the further approval of the shareholders. Furthermore, approval of the Consolidation Proposal does not mean that a Common Share consolidation will occur, as the Board will have the discretion not to proceed with any Common Share consolidation if it is deemed to be in the best interests of the Corporation not to do so. Proposed Consolidation Ratios As of January 31, 2020, the Corporation had 477,222,387 Common Shares issued and outstanding. Following the completion of the proposed Consolidation, the number of Common Shares of the Corporation issued and outstanding will depend on the ratio selected by the Corporations Board. The following table sets out the appropriate number of Common Shares that would be outstanding as a result of the Consolidation at the ratios suggested below. Selected Proposed Consolidation Ratios(1) Approximate Number of Outstanding Common Shares (Post Consolidation)(2) (3) 1 for 2 238,611,194 1 for 3 159,074,129 1 for 5 95,444,477 1 for 7 68,174,627 1 for 10 47,722,239 Notes: The ratios above are for information purposes only and are not indicative of the actual ratio that may be adopted by the Board of Directors to effect the Consolidation, which, if the Consolidation Resolution is approved, may be one new Common Share for up to every ten (10) issued and outstanding Common Shares. The exact number of Common Shares outstanding after the Consolidation will vary based on the elimination of fractional shares, and certain other factors. Based on the number of outstanding Common Shares as at the date hereof, being 477,222,387 Common Shares. The Board is recommending that shareholders approve the Consolidation Proposal at the Meeting. The Corporation is not expected to change its name or trading symbol in conjunction with the Consolidation Proposal. All outstanding convertible securities such as stock options and warrants will also be affected by the Consolidation Proposal, if approved. The Board proposes to reduce the number of Common Shares of the Corporation in order to increase its flexibility with respect to potential business transactions, including any equity financings, if determined by the Board of Directors to be necessary and/or desirable. The Consolidation is subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Corporation, any required regulatory approvals as well as the TSX Venture Exchange. About Red Pine Exploration Inc. Red Pine Exploration Inc. is a gold and base-metals exploration company headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Corporation's common shares trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RPX". Red Pine is the Operating Manager of the Wawa Gold Project and is focused on expanding the existing gold resource on the property. For more information about the Corporation visit www.redpineexp.com Or contact: Quentin Yarie, CEO, (416) 364-7024, qyarie@redpineexp.com Mia Boiridy, President, (416) 644-1856, mboiridy@redpineexp.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This News Release contains forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, the proposed Consolidation Proposal and the concomitant consolidation of the issued and outstanding Common Shares within the range approved by shareholders of the Corporation. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as may, should, expects, plans, anticipates, believes, estimates, predicts, potential or continue or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. These statements are only predictions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our or our industrys actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Consolidation of the Common Shares will depend on the receipt of all required shareholder, stock exchange and regulatory approvals. Further development of the Wawa Gold Project will be dependent on the Corporations ability to raise financing in the capital markets. Although the Corporation has been successful in the past in obtaining financing there is no assurance that it will be able to obtain adequate financing in future or that such financing will be on terms advantageous to the Corporation. Although Red Pine believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information in this news release are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information, which only applies as of the date of this news release. Red Pine disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, other than as required by law. Instead, what emerged was a one-party state with Mr. Moi at its center who demanded blind loyalty from government officials by asking them to sing like parrots after his own tune. During his reign, freedom of speech was curtailed, ethnic violence proliferated and dissent was crushed, with many opposition figures detained and tortured in the much-dreaded Nyayo House torture chambers. Mr. Mois body laid in state for three days less than a kilometer away from that building. Mukoma Wa Ngugi, son of the prominent Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiongo, said theres no reason Kenya shouldnt have become a nation where resources work for the citizenry, and reserves of wealth invested for future generations. Mr. Ngugi, the author, was among thousands who ran afoul of Mr. Moi for criticizing his government. He was imprisoned and then forced into exile. But for years, before leaving Kenya, the family received death threats, said his son, Mr. Mukoma. Their home was raided, and his siblings couldnt find jobs or get passports to leave the country. Effigies of his father were burned on television, he said. Even though the author and his family have since traveled freely back to Kenya, I deeply miss the me, the Mukoma that would have grown up in Kenya, said Mr. Mukoma, who is now an associate professor of English at Cornell University, writing in an email. In a way now, we are always absent from that other life. For some, Mr. Mois passing brought back the roiling emotions linked to growing up under his rule. A 2013 report from Kenyas Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission noted that, under Mr. Mois rule, security forces killed hundreds of people possibly thousands in various massacres in the region with the stated goal of disarming the population and combating cattle rustling. Abdikader Ore Ahmed, a former lawmaker, said he and his family were affected during the 1984 Wagalla Massacre, which targeted ethnic Somalis in northeastern Kenya. Stepping off the plane in Puerto Escondido, on the Pacific Coast of Oaxaca, I gulped the thick, tropical air. After three days in Mexicos high-elevation capital, inhaling the vital, pungent smell of sea and damp vegetation felt like a resuscitation. I hired an authorized taxi and drove northwest from the airport, passing papaya farms and low hills strewn with boulders. The landscape was bright green and pale yellow with pops of fuchsia bougainvillea and flame-hued lantana a planter box ornamental at my home in California that here grows to the size of an apple tree. There were delays: a young man on horseback wrangling a white steer and a crew of road workers with machetes waging an endless war against the encroaching jungle. Finally, we turned off the highway and onto a narrow dirt lane lined with branch-and-barbed-wire fence and tall grass that lashed the windows, as if wed entered a dusty carwash. With each oncoming vehicle, the taxista played the worlds slowest game of chicken. My plan was to spend the next five days hopping from one beach enclave to the next along the Costa Chica, which stretches from the neighboring state of Guerrero to roughly the middle of the Oaxacan coastline. My family has been visiting the Small Coast, which is famous for its wild surf, since before I was born. Ive often wondered if the murderous waves that initially drew my dad and uncles but make the water much too treacherous for casual beachgoing are what has saved the area from the Cancun-esque overdevelopment thats been the fate of many of Mexicos most beautiful coastal places. Instead, the Costa Chica has developed slowly and organically over decades. Its economy, long based on subsistence farming and fishing, now includes a modest tourism industry. The area is relatively hard to get to (there are no direct international flights), but that like all the areas peculiarities ends up being a strength rather than a weakness. The outsiders who end up on this stretch of Pacific coastline are here for a reason. Beyond its bohemian surf towns, the coasts evolving culture includes world-class art and architecture at Casa Wabi, a sleek, modernist artists retreat and exhibition venue designed by Pritzker award-winning architect Tadao Ando, among others; a small but notable gay community in the town of Zipolite; and the New Agers and yogis at Mazunte. Settling in at Casa Tiny By the time we were passing Casa Wabi, which was founded by Bosco Sodi, one of Mexicos most celebrated contemporary artists, I was painfully hungry. Between Wabi and Hotel Escondido, the glamorous $325-a-night boutique hotel next door, Id assumed thered be somewhere, anywhere, to eat nearby. A palapa-style beachfront seafood shack, a simple tienda something. It seemed I was wrong. The road dead-ended in sand and the driver pointed to a wooden gate built into a wall of dry tropical forest. There, but out of sight, was my lodging for the night, a diminutive cabin I had been daydreaming about since the year before, when Id profiled its Mexico City-based architect, Aranza de Arino. It was Arinos first major project (she was a recent graduate at the time); photographs of the simple structure, which is listed on Airbnb, had stayed with me. And suddenly, there I was. Before I could fully consider my situation no one in sight, no phone or Wi-Fi, food or transportation my suitcase was on the sand and my driver was gone. I dragged my roller bag along the serpentine path through a tunnel of trees, lizards rustling at my feet. The owner, Claudio Sodi (Bosco Sodis younger brother) had messaged me that his caretaker, Juan, would be there to meet me. But when I arrived at Casa Tiny, with its pitched roof of poured concrete and monumental doors of local parota wood, the key was in the lock. Juan was nowhere in sight. It was just me and the Henry David Thoreau-inspired cabin (copies of Walden, in several languages, occupied a nearby shelf). I admired the textural contrast of smooth concrete against pebbled floors, the basket of rustic must-haves (mosquito coils, a portable speaker, a deck of cards, candles and matches), the sturdy earthenware and rusty two-burner stove. A long concrete table was the cabins focal point; on it was a decorative bowl of apples, cucumbers, green oranges and a few spotted bananas. I opened the minifridge. Empty. This confirmed my fears: I might be eating fruit for the next 24 hours. Casa Tiny was as minimalist as promised, a magical escape from the things (cell service, internet, distractions) I was suddenly, shamefully alarmed to be without. It was approaching the hottest part of the day, a bad time for a walk. But I was hungry and needed to know what Id gotten myself into. I cut over to the ocean on a deteriorating path through a field of cactuses. The beach was long and wild. At one end, a wall of sculpted stone stood like natures monument to itself; at the other, the sand seemed to stretch to the horizon. Scorching, it poured into my sandals, punishing my feet. Finally, I arrived at Hotel Escondido sweaty, thirsty and overwhelmed by the frenzy around me. The hotel, which had been booked for a wedding, was closed to the public. The event, I was told, would be one of their biggest ever. But recognizing I was in a bind, the hotel manager invited me in. I found a cool spot beneath a fan, ordered a pina colada and some food to go. While my marlin ceviche and guacamole with chapulines (salty, crunchy, fried grasshoppers) was being prepared, I stepped out for my first glimpse of Casa Wabi next door. Id missed the only public admission of the day. But with a wink, the staff at Hotel Escondido encouraged me to go anyway. At a break in the compounds fence, I tentatively entered. Having read about Wabis design, Id been expecting a museum. A gallery. A showy institution. But instead I stood in an open-air ceramic workshop surrounded by dense foliage, with outdoor tables, half-completed projects and a large kiln. I wandered through a maze of head-high bramble carved with winding paths. Here and there, structures rose above the sea of green an elegant brick tower mid-construction, an abstract pavilion of clay, and a long, black, rectangular building that looked like a modernist museum. But when I got closer, I noticed floor-to-ceiling cubbies and white birds. It was a chicken coop. This, I realized, was Casa Wabi. All of it. It wasnt a single structure so much as an idea about how art can, and should, function in the world. Back at Casa Tiny, I spent the afternoon between a faded hammock and the cabins small, rectangular pool. I floated in the translucent green water as dove-like birds hopped through the understory and a huge black insect buzzed overhead, so loud it could pass as a distant jet. When the light through the cabins shutters turned pink, I headed for the beach. The moon was nearly full, and the shoreline was a mess of white caps, foam and spray. A single pelican glided above the shoreline, riding the updraft from the crashing waves. Down the beach, I could see the lights of the wedding party, but when I returned to Casa Tiny, it was impossibly dark. So dark that when I crawled into bed in the cabins life-threatening, rail-less loft, I was disoriented by what looked like stars flickering a mayday signal overhead. Fireflies had found their way in through the open windows. Geckos chirped. Mosquitoes whirred. I awoke covered in bites, yet better rested than Id been in months. Next stop: surf town While the Casa Wabi enclave is a baffling mix of cosmopolitanism and casualness, my next stop, Brisas de Zicatela, is a rowdy, bohemian surf town. After a 40-minute ride I was deposited at La Punta (The Point) as the area, just south of Puerto Escondido, is known by locals and Hostel Frutas y Verduras, a brightly painted backpacker hostel where Id booked a modest room with shared bath for 500 pesos (about $27) a night. After my time alone at Casa Tiny, the scene at La Punta was a culture shock. An international crowd of beautiful people wore the beachs unofficial uniform: women in ultrashort jean cutoffs and blond dreadlocks, and muscular young men in bare feet and man-buns, arms scrawled with tattoos. Everyone seemed to be with someone a friend, lover or soon-to-be-lover and music pulsed constantly, as if Id arrived at a never-ending party. I longed to be back at Casa Tiny. Over the next two days, I lay under a palm-frond umbrella on the party-ready beach, people-watching. I sipped a mezcal cocktail at a feet-in-the-sand beach bar with swings as stools. I ate at a palapa-roofed restaurant run by a charming Argentine couple, watching them pass babies back and forth, sipping wine and mate, socializing with friends. I watched body surfers get tossed by La Puntas shore break but didnt dare go in myself. Not there. Instead, I walked and watched, walked and watched. When I got tired of watching, I hopped a cab to Puerto Escondidos Playa Puerto Angelito, about 4 miles north a local beach thats sheltered and swimmable. On a Sunday afternoon, it was crowded with families and vendors. I sat at a plastic table and ordered a dozen fresh oysters for 100 pesos (less than $5.50) from Los Buzos, a simple palapa-style seafood spot. Puerto Escondidos local beaches were more my scene, and I returned the next day, this time to Playa Carrizalillo, on another little bay with white sand and gentle surf. A restaurant Id been wanting to visit for years, Almoraduz which serves cocina de autor, as innovative, modern cooking is called here was nearby, so I stopped in for a late lunch. Again, I ordered oysters. This time three immaculate half shells arrived on a smoldering bed of hot rocks, their glistening flesh bubbling in butter and oregano. They were aromatic and pricey: 180 pesos, or about seven times what I had paid the day before. Despite an aversion to tours, I signed up for an evening trip to the bioluminescent Manialtepec lagoon. For 350 pesos (about $17), along with five other travelers I was chauffeured to the lagoon, where we were introduced to our captain and his crew, a father and his grade-school-age son. They wrestled the small skiff through a tangle of overlapping lines, pulling it to the narrow dock. The water was glassy, and the air, at nearly 8 p.m., was balmy and motionless. I was buzzed from my after-dinner mezcal and the rush of easy adventure. Id been warned that the moon, one day shy of full, might drown out the bioluminescence. But when the captain instructed us to dip our hands over the side, we left comet-like trails through the warm, black, brackish water as thousands of tiny aquatic organisms defended themselves with light. When we stopped, I lifted my dress over my head and threw myself overboard, my arms and legs turning the water blue and gray as the water became alive. On to Zipolite: Welcome, naughty friends The next day, I shared a taxi with German backpackers, dropping them in the little hippie town of Mazunte before continuing to Casa Sol Zipolite, a boutique hotel by the founders of Mexico Citys Red Tree House, a favorite from my childless days. (It, like Casa Sol, doesnt allow kids.) Id been a fan of the couple behind the hotel, Craig and Jorge, for years, so when the pair bought a former nudist resort on this remote stretch of Oaxacan coast, I was curious. Zipolite is known for its openly nude beach, one of the few in Mexico, and the week I arrived was a particularly amusing moment for a first visit. A convention of swingers mostly older Americans had descended on the tiny pueblo. The hotel next door had a sign out front, Welcome, naughty friends, which became a running joke among the guys at Casa Sol. Every night, Ernesto, Craigs and Jorges right-hand man and the soul of Casa Sol, hosts a happy hour for guests, who gather for margaritas and conversation. During my stay, the place which often has reservations a year in advance was uncharacteristically quiet. It was just me and two couples. After drinks, I tagged along with one of them, Renee and Matt, from Vancouver. Around my age, theyd offered to help me find my way from Casa Sols cliffside perch in the dark. I took Ernestos advice and hopped a cab to Mazuntes Pizzeria. The area around Zipolite is overrun with Italian restaurants, so in the spirit of If you cant beat em, join em, I found a seat at an outdoor table beside a blazing pizza oven and beneath string lights. The place seemed to be run almost entirely by kids, including a teenage girl who manned the kitchen, rolling dough with an empty Corona bottle and baking beautifully charred, Neapolitan-style pizza. A boy who looked no older than 14 was the pizzerias lone server and covered the tables like a seasoned professional. At the long table beside me, there was a group that I imagined were foreign exchange students on vacation. I struck up a conversation with one of them, a young woman from London. She was there, she said, working on her trauma likely a guest at one of several spiritual and healing centers in the area. She mentioned that there was a jam session at a bar around the corner and invited me to join. Id had just enough wine to agree. The bar was packed with young seekers from around the world, dancing ecstatically. Later, when I asked Craig, a former professor from Oregon who still wears the round-framed glasses of a big city architect, about the Mazunte scene, he described the crowd as dress-up hippies. Wannabes. Zipolite, he said with a wry smile, has the real thing you can spot them from their gray ponytails. Its easy to poke fun at a place like Zipolite. But during my five days on the Costa Chica, I was struck again and again by how different these countercultural enclaves some of coastal Mexicos few remaining pockets of weirdness and eccentricity, artists and bohemians are from one another. While its tempting to dismiss places like this as not the real Mexico, whatever that means, they are spectacularly varied. Like Mexico itself. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:06:49|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close BANGKOK, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Thai Army Chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong on Tuesday apologized to the general public for the carnage done from the weekend mass shooting by a soldier in Thailand's northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima. "I take all the blame and I promise to offer recruit to the Thai Army for the children of those killed in the shooting," said Gen. Apirat. Speaking to the press on Tuesday, Gen. Apirat extended profound sorrow to the families of the victims of the massacre. The army chief explained that the junior army soldier-turned-killer knew well where the military armories were placed in his work place; and therefore, it was not difficult for him to get access to the restricted weaponry. From now on, stricter security measures will be adopted at all military's armories, he said. The non-commissioned army officer, Jakrapanth Thomma on Saturday shot dead his supervisor and the mother-in-law of his supervisor before stealing guns and ammunition from the Surathampithak army camp and rushed off to a rampage, opened fire at innocent people indiscriminately, including shoppers at the Terminal 21 shopping mall. Gen Apirat explained to the media that the motive behind the gunman's evil act was related to a dispute over a property deal with his commanding officer and a relative. Apirat also said that he will set up a division to accept complaints from junior officers if they are taken advantage of by their superiors. The complaints will be kept confidential, he added. "No one wants this to happen. Don't blame the army. Don't blame soldiers. They could be discouraged. Blame me. I take all the blame for that," he said. [February 11, 2020] Neil Sahota, an IBM Master Inventor and United Nations AI Subject Matter Expert, Joins Nirveda Cognition's Advisory Board GLENDALE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nirveda Cognition , a Cerracap Ventures incubated, Enterprise Document Intelligence company, announced that IBM Master Inventor, United Nations AI Subject Matter Expert, and Professor at UC Irvine Neil Sahota has joined the company's advisory board. For the past 20 years, Neil has worked with Global Fortune 500 companies and world government leaders to foster innovation and develop next-generation products and solutions powered by AI. "Neil Sahota brings a wealth of knowledge, expertise, strategic relationships, and a proven track record of pioneering and influencing the evolution and adoption of AI technologies in the enterprise," said Mani Veluthakkal, CEO of Nirveda Cognition. "His global reach and experience are a great fit for where we are headed ad we are grateful to have his support to help us achieve our next phase of growth." "Data is the fuel for AI; however, having quality data is a big challenge. Nirveda Cognition helps solve a big chunk of this problem by using AI to help fuel productivity and smarter decision making. Thanks to their Enterprise Document Intelligence platform, enterprises can improve data quality, decrease processing time, and shrink costs on their data service needs," said Neil Sahota. "I'm excited to be a part of Nirveda Cognition. Their cutting-edge solution fulfills a $2.9 trillion dollar market of AI augmentation by 2021, where document analysis market size is expected to grow to 3.8B, at a CAGR of 54.5% from 2019." Neil's work experience spans multiple industries and he is one of the few people selected for IBM's corporate service corps leadership program that pairs leaders with NGOs to perform community-driven economic development projects. Neil also partners with entrepreneurs to define their products, establish their target markets, and structure their companies. He is a member of several investor groups like the Tech Coast Angels and assists startups with investor funding. About Nirveda Cognition Founded in 2017, Nirveda Cognition is an artificial intelligence company developing an enterprise document intelligence platform to enable organizations to make data-driven decisions, faster and smarter. Based in Glendale, CA, Nirveda Cognition is backed by leading early-stage venture investors including Cerracap Ventures and Mexico Ventures. https://www.nirvedacognition.ai/ Contact: [email protected] Call: 949-309-8598 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/neil-sahota-an-ibm-master-inventor-and-united-nations-ai-subject-matter-expert-joins-nirveda-cognitions-advisory-board-301003077.html SOURCE Nirveda Cognition [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal thanked people of Delhi for reposing faith in his government for the third time. I thank people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time. This the victory of the people who consider me as their son and voted for us, he said on Tuesday afternoon while addressing his supporters at party headquarters after it became clear from the trends in counting of votes that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is going to form the government in Delhi. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live Updates This is the day of Lord Hanuman who has blessed the people of Delhi. We pray that Hanuman Ji keeps showing the right path to us so that we continue to serve people for the next five years, Kejriwal added. He also said that victory is a sign that this is the beginning of a new kind of politics. Kejriwal will visit the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place in central Delhi on Tuesday, news agency IANS reported. He had visited the temple a day before Delhi went to polls on February 8, for which the BJP had mocked him. Kejriwal had invoked the lord on February 5 too that had provoked barbs from the BJP. BJP is troubled since I read Hanuman Chalisa. I desire that they read it daily too. They will find peace and their language will improve too, the AAP chief had said in his February 5 tweet. The AAP started as a political novice and quickly gained traction for its new kind of politics. In 2013, just a year after it was formed, the party won the Delhi Assembly elections, ending the rule of Congress. In fact, Kejriwal defeated Congress stalwart in Delhi and former chief minister late Sheila Dikshit from the New Delhi constituency. Though the AAP government fell after being in office only for 49 days, its politics impressed the voters of Delhi and they gave it a massive mandate of 67 out of 70 seats in 2015. That also gave a crushing blow to Congress, which has not been able to revive since then. The party drew a blank in 2015, and is staring at a duck this time too. Kejriwal centred his partys campaign on the planks of good governance and development, and asked people to vote for his party only if they are satisfied with the work. Trends show AAP is set for stunning victory, and is likely to win 63 seats, just four short of its 2015 tally. The BJP, which had won just three seats in 2015, looks set to improve its tally but is still below the double digit mark. DIXVILLE NOTCH, N.H. - Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg won the votes of a tiny New Hampshire community that barely hung onto its tradition of being among the first to cast ballots in the presidential primary. Dixville Notchs five residents cast their ballots just after the stroke of midnight Tuesday in the first 2020 Democratic presidential primary vote in the nation. Bloomberg received three write-in votes, one from a Republican and two from Democrats. The remaining votes went to Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Polls were opening later Tuesday in the rest of the state, some starting at 6 a.m. The first-in-the-nation presidential primary follows last weeks Iowa caucuses, which was plagued by technical issues that left both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg claiming victory. The small community, located near the Canadian border, had been in the spotlight for nearly 60 years for casting votes just after midnight in the countrys first presidential primary and in November general elections after latex balloon inventor Neil Tillotson bought the Balsams resort and arranged for the early voting at the hotel. The resort closed in 2011, but voting continued in a ski lodge or at a former culinary school nearby. This is the First time Ive ever picked up a Democrat ballot, said Tillotsons son Neil, who is the town moderator. I looked through the field of Democrat candidates and looked for someone that I could connect with on policies and could get things done. I believe Mike Bloomberg can win the presidency in November and get things done in a way I feel good about, Neil Tillotson said. For years, Dixville Notch attracted many political candidates and a lot of media. Its believed to have reached its peak voting population in 1988. In the general election that year, 34 residents voted for Republican George H.W. Bush, and three voted for Democrat Michael Dukakis. This time around, only Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet visited Dixville Notch prior to the vote. The lack of attention by 2020 candidates underscores the precarious situation the community is in. Last year, the attorney generals office said Dixville Notch needed another official in order to hold a primary election after a person who previously held that role moved away. That left Dixville Notch with just four total residents. If the community couldnt find a fifth person in time to fill a selectman vacancy, if would have needed to contact the secretary of states office for assistance in joining nearby municipalities in order to vote , according to the attorney generals office. Last month, resident No. 5 became Les Otten, a developer who is working to expand and reopen the Balsams. At the moment, the importance of the tradition of voting in Dixville seemed as though it was something that needed to be paid attention to, he said last month. It was something that was crying out for somebody to step forward and say, Ill be the fifth guy. Two other areas, Harts Location and Millsfield, offer midnight voting in New Hampshire. Harts Location, a small town in the White Mountains, started the early voting tradition in 1948 to accommodate railroad workers who had to be at work before normal voting hours. Harts Location suspended the midnight voting in 1964 and brought it back in 1996. Millsfield, which is 12 miles (20 kilometres) south of Dixville Notch, had midnight voting as far back as 1952, but stopped after a while. It revived the tradition in 2016. Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size A monster storm bearing down on the United Kingdom has swept a flight from New York to London in record-breaking time. It took the British Airways plane less than five hours to make the 5541-kilometre stretch on February 9, clocking a top speed of 1327 kilometres per hour to arrive more than 80 minutes ahead of schedule. That's the fastest time for a passenger plane crossing the pond since the same airline retired its famed supersonic Concorde in 2003. As Ciara now dubbed "the storm of the century" charges into Britain, airlines are taking advantage of unusually strong wind currents over the Atlantic to make history. But they are also riding a weird quirk of physics a fast-moving global conveyor belt long known to migrating birds and airlines alike. So how do winds affect flight time? What is the jet stream? And could supersonic planes like the old Concorde that once made the trip in less than three hours ever stage a comeback? Advertisement What are jet streams? Think of a river. As winds sweep through the upper atmosphere, jet streams are the fast-moving currents carving through their heart. They drive the world's weather, acting as conductors on high in the global circulation system. They flow from west to east, in line with the Earth's rotation, which is why it's faster to travel in that direction too. In the case of the record-breaking New York to London flight, planes travelling the opposite way took almost three hours longer. In Australia flights west to Perth from Sydney or Melbourne will be at least half-an-hour slower than the other way around. Much of what we now know about jet streams is credited to bomber pilots flying during WWII, but the phenomenon was first noticed by a Japanese meteorologist in the 1920s and is also found in the gases of Jupiter and Saturn. The currents form when hot and cold air collide and can reach speeds of more than 440 kilometres per hour. According to Craig Burke, a senior aviation meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology, the wind has to be faster than 100km/h, or it's not a jet stream. A vortex within a jet stream on Jupiter recorded in May, 2019 by NASA's Juno spacecraft. Credit:Getty Images Usually, each hemisphere has two main jet streams a subtropical stream and a stronger polar jet that runs at a lower altitude, though others can form. Down south, the polar jet mostly encircles Antarctica, sometimes sweeping across to the tip of South America, and slingshotting ships along the bottom of the world. But the most widely known polar jet cuts through the Northern Hemisphere, low enough to batter climbers on Mount Everest. It reaches its fastest speeds about 10 kilometres off the ground, where planes fly, and its underbelly can reach the ground in howling westerly winds. It is at full strength in winter, when it draws on the cold air usually locked in circulation around the Arctic by the Polar Vortex. Sometimes it brings wild weather in its wake, famously pulling Hurricane Sandy to shore in the US in 2012 and now storm Ciara in the UK. Advertisement Not long before Ciara was making landfall, a huge downpour was hitting NSW and much of south-eastern Australia. Burke said that fire-quenching rain was actually triggered by a collision in the upper reaches of the atmosphere overhead between a humid subtropical stream and a polar jet. How do planes use jet streams and what are tail winds? Jet streams have been harnessed for air travel since the 1950s. Meteorologists such as Burke are now embedded in air traffic control centres all across the world to war game the day's best flight paths based on where the winds are blowing. Predictions are getting better all the time, he says, drawn from satellite data, weather balloons and even sensors in the planes themselves. Where once the skies were a highway, with just a few routes mapped out, now experts continuously tinker to catch the fastest winds or avoid those blowing the wrong direction, even mid-flight. Loading In the case of that record British Airways flight, US meteorologist Ryan Hanrahan said pilots jumped on the strongest part of the northern polar jet, known as the jet streak, which created tail winds of more than 320 km/h and helped spawn storm Ciara. All up it took the plane just four hours and 56 minutes to get from JFK to Heathrow beating a previous subsonic record for the crossing of five hours and 13 minutes set by a Norwegian flight about a year earlier. A Virgin Atlantic Airbus that landed at Heathrow moments behind the British Airways flight was only a minute slower, another plane the following morning just three minutes behind. "The polar jet must have lined up so perfectly with London," Burke says. "It was remarkable." Advertisement Polar jets are strongest in winter, he says, including in Australia, where they can reach 200 to 300 km/h. But weaker subtropical streams are most common overhead, particularly in summer. A lot of other winds affect flight notably headwinds, which are strong winds into which a plane is taking off for lift, and tailwinds, which push along the plane from behind. "Of course, jet streams can give really favourable tail winds," Burke says. Do jet streams cause turbulence? Aviation safety expert Geoffrey Dell says the wind currents can shave up to two hours off a long-haul flight flying east into Australia. But while they can save fuel and time, they can also cause headaches for pilots and passengers alike. "If you're facing down a stream blowing the wrong way, you might have to drop altitude or shift course," Dell says. "Even if you're going the right way, it can be a bumpy ride. The air tends to get a bit rough around the edges of a jet stream." Advertisement A phenomenon known as clear air turbulence, which is virtually impossible to detect with either on board instruments or the naked eye, is often associated with the wild currents. Indeed, the hurricane-force winds of the jet stream howling over North America grounded scores of flights even as it helped others smash records. A British Airways spokesman stressed the airline always put safety ahead of speed records. "But our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time," he said. Hostesses model 1970s Pucci uniforms in front of Lockheed's supersonic transport full-size mockup. Credit:Getty Images What's the difference between subsonic and supersonic flight? While that flight made headlines when it broke the record for the fastest subsonic crossing, it didn't break the sound barrier. Down on the ground, its top speed of 1327 km/h would have felt faster than the speed of sound, which stands at 1236 km/h, but the plane was already tangled up in a strong push of air from the jet stream, meaning the dial in the cockpit likely hovered closer to 1054 km/h. Dell says supersonic flight travelling past the barrier requires much more power. Think fighter jets and rockets, or a bullet fired from a gun. There's a distinctive boom, like a crack of thunder. But it's not impossible. More than 40 years ago, commercial planes were crossing the world at twice the speed of sound on board the famed supersonic Concorde (or its Soviet equivalent dubbed the Tu-144). Advertisement Those in power in Ghana, take what they want because they can do it with impunity and they intuitively feel it's their right to such an act. A normal person can be very good but since power corrupts the mind, that same person can be a beast to resort to cruelty and selfishness for his survival. Ghana is not different, like other African countries, Ghanaian politicians in order to hold on to power must rely on certain factors, such as intimidation and the act of putting fear in the people, if they consider any hostility as a threat to the government. I know Ghanaians to be very brave and intelligent people but at the moment, it is clear that there is something terribly wrong in Ghana. People fear for their lives because of Akufo Addo and therefore, have nothing to do with politics. Even after the brutal murder of journalist Ahmed Hussein-Suale, the landscape of Ghanaian journalism has changed completely that Ghanaian journalists can no longer write about the incompetence and corruption in Akufo Addos government. Everyone wants the better of Ghana, yet nobody wants to talk despite that things are going bad in the country but the question is: if everyone fears to die what can a country achieve? Politics in Ghana is not okay and it will never be okay because selfishness, greed, hate, and jealousy govern the country. If you are an intelligent Ghanaian who wish Ghana to be a successful country today and in the future for your children and great-grandchildren before you cast your vote, ask Nana Akufo Addo these questions and if he can provide you an answer, go on with your vote but if he couldnt find another political party in Ghana to vote for them. 1. Can Akufo Addo tell Ghanaians how much new currencies of 100 and 200 denominations were printed and submitted to the Central Bank of Ghana? 2. His government has an economist, including the Vice-President, Bawumia, who is also an economist. When money loses its value, adding large currencies to its circulation, act as a catalyst to depreciate the currency severely, yet they did it. What was the reason behind that? If nobody knows the reason Akufo Addo government did that, you can read this from an article I wrote on January 24, 2020. ModernGhana reference: Why Akufo Addo's Government Issued The New Currencies Of 100 And 200 Ghana Cedis 3. If someone steals a penny from the government coffers and another person steals 20 GHC, both are crimes. In Ghana, at the moment are two crimes making headlines. 500 missing excavators and an Airbus corruption scandal. Why Akufo Addo did appoint the Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu to investigate the Airbus corruption scandal, without much interest in investigating the 500 missing excavators? 4. Why some developing and developed countries have taken their nationals from China, since the outbreak of the coronavirus but the Ghanaian government has declared that nothing will force them to go for the suffering Ghanaian students in China? If Akufo Addo doesnt care about Ghanaians caught in the middle of an epidemic, will that convince that he cares about the suffering Ghanaians? 5. Before the NDC lost the elections to NPP in 2016, the ex-Ghanaian leader left many projects, including educational and medical institutions but Akufo Addos government has abandoned the projects. Can intelligent Ghanaians ask Akufo Addo, are the projects for Ghana or for the NDC? 6. If he really cares about Ghanaians and interested in their welfare as he wants everyone to believe, why did his administration neglect projects a country needs urgently for educational and medical purposes? 7. Lets assume in the next ten years, the NDC will no longer be in power. Will Akufo Addo continue to neglect those projects which have cost Ghana millions of dollars? 8. Many Ghanaians believe that NDC is the most corruptible political party in Ghana, the reason they gave the NPP the opportunity to come and find solutions for corruption in the country. In fact, Akufo Addo promised to eradicate this economic cancerous virus in Ghana, yet today, Ghana stands in the third position as a corrupt country in the world. Can intelligent Ghanaians ask him how this happened? 9. How can Akufo Addo convince Ghanaians that his administration can do better if given another opportunity in the next general elections if his first years have been a catastrophe? Again, can Akufo Addo tell Ghanaians, which is important in his administration: mission, core values or vision? Because has failed in all the three. 10. If in the past, he has failed to respond to, evaluate and learn from his mistakes and that of his ministers, what assurance can he give to the suffering Ghanaians to be a better leader? Using your right to vote is one way to exercise your citizenship. It allows citizens to protect their freedom and make democracy work. Voting can influence future political decisions that will directly or indirectly affect the future of voters. Therefore, before you cast your vote, think deeply before it becomes a waste. Broadcaster Nana Aba Anamoah has slammed the media for entertaining politicians in the country. According to her, the media is the source of chaos because they invite politicians to address issues they have no knowledge about. Nana Aba Anamoah, in an interview on Accra FM, blamed the media for exaggerating issues and creating problems for the government. The media exaggerates; the media creates a lot of problems. It is not the politicians because the politicians know nothingIf you invited NPP and NDC reps who know nothing about economics to appear on your morning show to speak on the economy, what will you expect to happen? Politicians know nothing apart from trying to score political points and if the media does not invite them, how then will they be able to incite their followers against the otherThat wont be possible. So, if there will be chaos, it will be triggered by the media, she said. Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video A Wuhan doctor believes that long testing may decreases the chances of a patience survival. Hence, Dr Zhang Xiaochun seeks the support of social media to accelerate coronavirus testing. Dr. Zhang has initiated a social media drive to make screening simpler for coronavirus. It gained wide support from the public urging action to get faster results. The doctor commented on a report that it is needed to be expedient with the worsening epidemic. The toll from the ravaging coronavirus has infected 40,000 people and claimed 900 lives in China. With Wuhan as the ground zero for the virus, the lack of supplies is limiting precious treatment to patients. A shortage of nucleic acid testing kits is another problem to detect a positive infection, but using CT scans to detect pneumonia to isolate patients is a stop gap to detect positives and treat them. One sign of infected individuals are lesions in their lungs which could be detected through CT scan. But the testing kits are needed more than ever. Right after the online proposal, the government include the use of CT scans in the national diagnosis and treatment plan. All doctors in Hubei were ordered to use it for unconfirmed coronavirus infections. Kits are the last option to use in order to confirm a positive result. Also read: Coronavirus Updates: Pangolins Possible Link to Outbreak, Hoax Mass Killing Story of 20k Chinese Spreads Fast response from the government underscores the severity of the epidemic in Wuhan where infections and deaths are prevalent. China has locked down the city of Wuhan to control the spread of the coronavirus and keep the infection from spreading anymore than it has. Speeding up coronavirus testing will lessen the positives from getting worse and stop the virus. The contagion is passable from animals and humans with breathing complications from colds which is worse than SARS. Yuan Xiuhua who lives in Wuhan had a fever and lesions in her lungs last January 22. She requested a test for the coronavirus, but there was a shortage of kits due to many infected. She now has diarrhea with fever and is currently confined at home. So far, she has called for medical help, but no tests can be given yet. Hence, she needs to wait. Coronavirus-positive residents of Wuhan were placed in quarantine centers as direct by the government. Jiang Chaoliang, the party secretary of Hubei said that efforts will be done to test everyone if they are infected. Diagnosing for positive infection is done by a nasal or throat swab from a feverish patient, with symptoms. Local centers will test the sample to detect positive infections by polymerase chain reaction. Shortage of kits for coronavirus testing is not encouraging for everyone, threatened by the contagion. Even CT scans are not without risks due to radiation exposure. Acquiring more testing kits will be important for testing centers in China, especially Wuhan where it is grim. Related article: Wuhan Coronavirus Outbreak Continues, China Government Under Fire @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. A ban on townhouses in Brisbane's low-density suburbs is expected to be given final approval by Brisbane City Council on Tuesday, despite the state government expressing strong reservations. In a letter to the council dated February 4, Planning Minister Cameron Dick wrote to city planning chairman Matthew Bourke approving the council's proposed amendment to its planning legislation. Apartment buildings and townhouses will be banned in low density suburbs of Brisbane. Credit:Tammy Law "I continue to have ongoing concerns about the long-term impacts of the proposed amendment on housing choice, diversity, affordable living and market confidence in the Brisbane local government area," Mr Dick wrote. He noted the council had committed to working for greater diversity in housing types despite the ban, to support the need for housing choice. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday questioned senior Congress leader and former minister G M Saroori in connection with its probe into terror attacks in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir. Saroori, 67, who is Jammu and Kashmir Congress vice president and three-time legislator from Inderwal constituency of Kishtwar, was served a notice under Section 160 CrPC by the NIA, asking him to appear before it to answer "certain questions" relating to a case registered by the probe agency in the district in 2018. "The questioning lasted for nearly one-and-a-half hour from 3.30 pm and my father assured full support to the NIA in its probe. He reached the office at the scheduled time at 11 am but the investigating officer was late," Shariq Saroori, the son of the Congress leader, told PTI. Shariq said his father made it clear to the NIA that his family is nationalist by core and their house is guarded by the CRPF round-the-clock, when he was asked about the disclosure made by some arrested persons that someone was dropped in a lane leading to their house. Earlier, G M Saroori said he does not know why he was summoned by the NIA. "I was outside and had reached Jammu this morning. Do you think I have any connection with Hizbul Mujahideen or Osama (a slain terrorist)," he told reporters outside the NIA office. The communally sensitive Kishtwar had been rocked by a series of terror incidents since November 2018 after the hilly district was declared terrorism-free over a decade ago. The longest surviving Hizbul Mujahdeen terrorist, Mohammad Amin Bhat alias "Jehangir Saroori", is dubbed as the brain behind the revival of terrorism in the district. Terrorists shot dead senior BJP leader Anil Parihar and his brother Ajit Parihar on November 1, 2018, while RSS functionary Chanderkant Sharma and his PSO were assassinated on April 9, 2019. The militants also snatched the service rifle of the deputy commissioner's PSO on March 8, 2019, and the rifle of the PSO of the People's Democratic Party district president on September 13 last year. The NIA is investigating the terror cases. The first major success against terrorists in the district was registered on September 28 last year when security forces killed three ultras, including the mastermind behind the killings, Osama Bin Javed, in Ramban district. In September last year, Saroori's brother Mohammad Shafi was among a dozen persons booked in two separate FIRs for their alleged links with Hizbul Mujahideen but was not arrested. Shafi refuted having any links with the group and said the allegations against him were "politically motivated". He said he was open to a fair probe and hopeful that the truth would prevail. "My father also raised the issue of my uncle (Shafi) with the investigating officer who clarified that he is not linked with Hizbul Mujahideen," Shariq claimed. He said the Congress leader made it clear to the investigating officer that Hizbul MUjahideen terrorist (Bhat) is not linked with the family. "Saroori was added to his alias after the BJP came to power in the erstwhile state in coalition with the PDP. Earlier he was only known by the code name of Jehangir. No question was asked about Osama," Shariq said quoting his father. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Katzs is moving into the Heights. The 24-hour New York-style restaurant and bar has officially announced it will open its latest Houston-area location in the Heights in the fall of 2020. The new eatery will be located next to the new H.E.B. at 2300 N Shepherd Dr. Katzs gives a nod to the New York spirit, but is really designed for the Heights, architect Michael Hsu said in a news release. Theres a wraparound porch and a lot of space for people to hang outside. Its got a playful, social, neighborhood feel. Austin architectural firm The Office of Michael Hu has been retained to design the location. The firm has been charged with creating a location that has the feel of a bustling New York deli and bar with a low, glazed tile wall and striped awnings, but retains a style suited for the Heights, complete with rounded parapets and corners. Katzs currently has locations on Westheimer in Montrose and The Woodlands. The new restaurant will reportedly have seating for 130 where patrons can order from the large menu. The interior design will invoke the nostalgia of a New York train station by combining vintage elements with the layering of textures, according to the news release. Steel and glass will connect the interior and exterior dining experiences, and a large skylight and ample windows will allow natural light to filter into the space. The bar area will feature a screen over the bar comprised of hexagonal oak rods that function as a wood veil to shield the bar shelving. Small globes will break the consistency and add whimsy, making it a perfect place to relax with a cocktail and conversation. Also coming with this new location will be a new logo for Katzs, designed by Houston ad agency The Hucksters. The spirit of what we are doing is the being led by our passion to be our best with our staff, food, service, and design, said Barry Katz. For more information, visit: www.katzsneverkloses.com or call (713) 521-3838. Avenue Supermarts said on Wednesday it has collected Rs 4,098 crore from the recently concluded qualified institutional placement (QIP issue) from participants such as government of Singapore and ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund among others. Avenue Supermarts, the promoter of retail store chain DMart, cleared the issue and allotment of 2 crore shares of face value Rs 10 each to eligible qualified institutional buyers at the issue price of Rs 2,049 per equity share. The QIP issue of Avenue Supermarts opened on February 5, 2020 and closed on February 10. The firm said it has allotted over 5% of portion in QIP issue to Lone Cypress, government of Singapore, Europacific growth fund and ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund. Market capitalization of Avenue Supermarts crossed the Rs 1.50 lakh crore mark for the first time ever on Monday. Avenue Supermarts share price rose 11% to hit its all-time high of Rs 2,537 per share. Also read: Avenue Supermarts' Radhakishan Damani becomes India's 6th richest person Avenue Supermarts became the 18th most valuable company on BSE in terms of market capitalisation. Avenue Supermarts' market capitalisation stood at Rs 1,55,948.65 crore on BSE. That catapulted Avenue Supermarts founder to the position of India's sixth richest person on Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Damani's net worth is now more than Gautam Adani ($10.8 billion) and Sunil Mittal ($9.6 billion). The past year has been particularly good with Avenue Supermarts stock gaining 68.7%. In comparison, Sensex rose 12.13% during the period. The stock has gained 35.14% since the beginning of this year. By Aseem Thapliyal India targets $5 billion in defence exports in 5 years The government is planning a big push to defence exports from the country by expanding its current export basket, to include arms and ammunitions as also missile systems and fighter jets. It has set a target of $5 billion for defence exports from the country. India, a major importer of defence equipment, has been steadily making a presence in the defence products export front as well, although in a limited way, exporting minor products such as blankets, soft armor, bombs etc. The country exports several defence and related products to a number of countries, including major export market like the US, Australia, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, South Africa and Sweden. India currently exports minor defence products such as passive night sight over-vest with 2 plate, helmet, PE panel, bomb suppression blanket, soft armour panel, cartridges, MK-4 sleeping bag complete with inner lining, modules and programming cards, brake parachute with pulley, repair kit and manual for brake, unit level switch board (ULSB) Mk III, rifle, costal surveillance system, DO-228 aircraft, spare parts for radar like power supply module card radar distribution card, amplifier, bus bar interface card, bullet-proof vest, rail detonators, shelter SDGM, technical platform, 155x52mm cal barrel, laser transmitter, mine protected vehicle and primer and ammunition, over-vest, helmet, soft armour panel, etc to some 42 countries. The export list has countries ranging from Azerbaijan to the United States, minister of state for defence, Shripad Naik, informed the Rajya Sabha in a written reply on Monday. He, however, said the cost of the items and quantum of foreign exchange earned varies from company to company" and the ministry did not keep a record of the quantum of foreign exchange earned. Indian defence product exports to Australia included 5.56x45mm Ball MK N(SS109) cartridges, while it exported protective headgear and hard armour plates to Azerbaijan, helmets, bomb suppression blanket and soft armor panels to Germany, sleeping bags to Guinea, mortar shell covers to Israel, hard armour plates to the Netherlands and the US, radar parts, bullet proof vests and helmets with accessories to Singapore, detonators to South Africa and night vision binoculars to Thailand. Indian exports to Qatar, Lebanon, Iraq, Equador, Uruguay, Japan and Egypt primarily comprised body protecting equipment, Naik said in his written response. The minister was responding to a question in Parliament after the biennial Defence Expo in Lucknow that drew more than 1,000 Indian and foreign companies and more than 40 foreign delegations. Under the 'Make in India' flagship programme outlined in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi government has been laying emphasis on defence manufacturing in India to build up the country's manufacturing base, and ensure jobs for all. India is the second largest importer of defence equipment just behind Saudi Arabia in 2019, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. In his speech at the DefExpo last week, Modi urged foreign manufacturers to set up base in India. He said export of defence equipment from India was worth about Rs2,000 crore in 2014, the year he took office. In the last two years, it had gone up to Rs17,000 crore and in the next five years, Indias target was to export of $5 billion worth of military hardware which is about Rs35,000 crore, Modi said. Salvation Detective investigates Mayflower voyage Former police sergeant and now Salvation Detective Tony Francis spoke to a Norwich audience recently of how he has used his sleuthing skills to unravel the spiritual heritage of the USA. Kevin Gotts reports. The state Senates unanimous support last week of legislation that would make the states out-of-court settlements more transparent is an encouraging step forward for New Mexicans who want to know how their tax dollars are being spent, and the state House must not let this good-government bill die before the end of the legislative session next week. For far too long, out-of-court settlements between plaintiffs and the state General Services Departments Risk Management Division have been subject to a gag order of at least six months. The out-of-court settlements contain allegations against public officials and/or the agencies they worked for of workplace discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, personal injury, wrongful death and other claims. One such example was Alisha Tafoya Lucero. About a month after her appointment as secretary of the New Mexico Corrections Department in June 2019, Tafoya Lucero signed a $195,000 settlement with the state to resolve a 2013 lawsuit she had filed against the Corrections Department. Tafoya Lucero, a deputy warden seven years ago, said she was paid far less than a male colleague with the same title and accused the Corrections Department of violating state law requiring fair pay for women. The deal between a Cabinet secretary and the department she runs wasnt revealed until last week, after the expiration of a six-month confidentiality period imposed by the current state law. Taxpayers should have known last summer Tafoya Lucero sued and received a $195,000 settlement, in addition to her $156,000 current annual salary. There was no reason for six months of secrecy after the ink on her check dried. When the public is footing the bill for attorneys to represent public officials and state agencies accused of wrongdoing, and are also on the hook for court judgments and out-of-court settlements, the payouts for lawsuits and tort claims should be made public in a timely manner, however vigorously disputed by those being sued. (That, after all, is the case for city and county agencies.) Senate Bill 64, approved by the Senate on a 38-0 vote Saturday, accomplishes that. The bill would amend the state law that requires settlement records be kept confidential for at least 180 days, instead requiring the state to publicly disclose legal settlements when theyre signed by the parties involved or upon a final judgment, whichever comes first. Under current state law, settlements can be suppressed from the public eye for even longer than the six-month confidentiality period. The Journal has reported many settlements arent revealed after six months due to loopholes regarding when the six-month clock starts. This good-government bill addresses those issues and also removes an existing penalty for those who break confidentiality provisions. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham took the state a big step forward last summer when GSD started publicly listing settlement agreements once the 180-day clock ended. Documents about out-of-court settlements long believed out of reach to anyone without an inside source were suddenly popping up in email inboxes. In September, about 70 settlements totaling more than $8.5 million were published on the states Sunshine Portal. And this year, Lujan Grisham opted against enforcing a provision in at least two settlements authorized at the end of her predecessors term aimed at extending the secrecy period in those cases for several years, not the typical 180 days. Republican Sen. Sander Rue of Albuquerque, one of the bills sponsors, has been an outspoken supporter and is correct when he says taxpayers have the right to know how their tax dollars are being spent. Settlements should absolutely be made public without conditions. Unfortunately, Senate Bill 64 does not mandate the public posting of settlements. It should be rectified at some point to reflect Lujan Grishams more transparent and accountable policy. But, for now, House representatives should join their Senate colleagues and pass this legislation before the 30-day session ends Feb. 20. It will be a big step forward for New Mexicans who deserve and pay for open government. This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers. Ambrane strengthens its TWS category, with the launch of Vibe Beats. The TWS Earbuds, come with Google Assistant and Siri support along with the nifty functionalities such as Active Noise Cancellation(ANC), aptX Audio Technology and Long Battery Life. The wireless earbuds are available for purchase via both online and offline stores. The TWS earbuds are compatible with both Android and iPhone users. Ergonomically designed, the earbuds allow longer hours of usage with utmost comfort. The earbuds feature advanced 5.0 Bluetooth technology for uninterrupted and seamless connection up to 10m range. Unlike other earbuds, each earbud of Vibe Beats has dual microphones for ultra-clear wireless calling even in surroundings with ambient noise. Powered by Qualcomms cVc 8.0 noise cancellation technology the earphone blocks background noises, for the best possible call quality. The TWS Earbuds come with touch sensors, that are designed to give an incredible audio experience supported by Qualcomms QCC3020 chipset and aptX audio technology. Being Voice assistant enabled, the buds support both Google Assistant and Siri, so make calls, play music and do much more even when you are away from your device. With 5 hours of playtime on a single charge and up to 30 hours of battery life with a fully charged case, the earbuds are a perfect music companion for your travels. The Earbuds come with the multifunction touch button function to control volume, change tracks, pickup and reject calls as well as activate Voice assistant. Being IPX4 rated (Sweatproof) the earbuds are an ideal partner for gym, travel or any outdoor activity. Available in shades of Black, Vibe Beats are pocket-friendly, handy and easy to carry. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. By Andrew Ujifusa and Evie Blad UPDATED President Donald Trumps proposed budget would shrink U.S. Department of Education funding by nearly 8 percent in part by consolidating 29 major programsincluding Title I aid for disadvantaged students and funding for charter school expansioninto a single, $19.4 billion block grant. Trumps spending proposal for fiscal 2021, released Monday, would cut the Education Departments budget by $5.6 billion, reducing it to $66.6 billion, a 7.8 percent decrease. Its new Elementary and Secondary Education for the Disadvantaged block grant, meanwhile, would represent a $4.7 billion cut from the combined current funding levels for the 29 programs that would be merged. If the proposal were to be adopted, the federal government would no longer guarantee support specifically for the programs and policy areas being folded into the block grant. Most programs authorized by the Every Student Succeeds Act would be consolidated into this new block grant, according to the department. Separately, the budget proposal would boost special education grants to states to nearly $13 billion, an increase of $100 million, and would provide a significant increase for current state grants for career and technical education. Although the new consolidated funding stream is described as a block grant, the administrations budget documents also state that it would distribute the money using the current Title I formulas under the Every Student Succeeds Act, which direct funding districts. Education Department funding for Title I is currently $16.3 billion. Different states will spend their share of the block grant differently, and thats okay, U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said during a presentation of the spending proposal Monday. In fact, thats what we hope they will do. Frank Brogan, the assistant secretary of elementary and secondary education,, said that the block grant proposal actually continued a recent decline in the number of specific programs funded by the main federal K-12 law and was not truly a dynamic and totally new approach. We can walk and chew gum on this one. We can provide much greater local control and still have accountability, Brogan said during a presentation of the budget Tuesday. Other programs whose funding would be merged into this new block grant include Title II grants for educator preparations (which currently gets $2.1 billion in federal funding); 21st Century Learning Centers, which back after-school programs ($1.3 billion); and Title IV block grants for academic enrichment and student well-being ($1.2 billion). Funding for programs that focus on special student populations such as migrant and homeless students, Native Hawaiian and Alaskan students, and rural education and community schools funding, also would be folded into the block grant. While the administration painted this proposed block grant as a large, flexible program, critics of the budget said it was a way to conceal cuts to important priorities. Daniel Domenech, executive director of AASA, the School Superintendents Association, said in a statement that, Once again, unsurprisingly, the president has released a budget proposal that is bad for students, bad for schools, and bad for public education. Change on Charters The new block grant would absorb $440 million for the federal Charter School Program grants. This move would eliminate funding specifically allocated to help charter schools expand. That marks a significant departure from past Trump budget proposals, which have sought to increase funding for the program. Congress has approved increases for the charter grant during the Trump administration. In a statement, Nina Rees, the president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, called the Trump budget chilling. In a separate interview, Rees said including the charter funding in block grants would risk diluting the purpose of the program. The grants are particularly useful for small, community lead charter founders who lack start-up capital from larger charter networks, she said. And, at a time when some states have debated new restrictions on charters, the change could leave the funding susceptible to the political whims of leaders who dont favor the schools. When you block grants, you leave it up to states to decide how to spend the money. And in those instances where the state education chief and the governor are charter school friendly, hopefully they will keep a line item for charter schools. If theyre not in favor, theyre probably going to invest the money in something else, Rees told us. This administration wants to be known, especially secretary DeVos, wants to be known as the secretary who has promoted school choice. ... So in light of that, it is ironic that they would lump this program into a large block grant with all these other set asides and programs that they normally dont support. Elsewhere, Trumps fiscal 2021 spending blueprint would provide $2 billion to career and technical education, which is approximately a $700 million increase. Trump signed a reauthorization of the federal law for CTE in 2018, which was a priority for his administration on the K-12 front, and he highlighted CTE in his State of the Union address last week when he asked Congress to back his plan to offer vocational and technical education in every single high school in America. The administration says its latest budget, through the pitch for $700 million more for CTE, provides resources to assist students too often forgottenthose who would like to pursue good-paying trades without getting a four-year degree. And the budget also includes a Trump proposal introduced last year for Education Freedom Scholarships, which rely on $5 billion in annual federal tax credits designed to support more education options, including vouchers and others. In addition, the proposed budget would eliminate Public Service Loan Forgiveness, which teachers can use to eliminate federal student loan debt under certain circumstances. Funding for Regional Education Laboratories, which work in ten regions to improve academic outcomes, and State Longitudinal Data Systems, which support states work to manage, analyze, and use education information, are also eliminated in Trumps budget pitch. Past Proposals and Rejections Trumps budget proposal marks the fourth straight time the president has sought to cut the Education Departments budget. Congress has essentially ignored his previous education spending blueprints and approved small increases for the department in each of the past three federal appropriations bills. Theres no particular reason to think Capitol Hill would treat this newest proposal much differently. Rep. Nita Lowey, D-N.Y., the chairwoman of the House appropriations committee, called the newest Trump budget pitch a disastrous repeat of previous pitches. Just as we did last year, House Democrats will write responsible appropriations bills that invest in American families and communities, Lowey said. Sen, Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., the chair of the Senate education committee, said in a statement that he would carefully consider the presidents recommendations, but that it is Congress job to set spending priorities and pass appropriations bills. He did praise the Education Freedom Scholarships plan for providing low-income families more of the same choices that wealthier families already have for schooling their children. Last year, Trump proposed a 10 percent cut to the Education Department that would have shaved 10 percent off the agencys roughly $71 billion budget. As in past years, the administration proposed eliminating $2.1 billion in Title II aid for educator training, $1.2 billion for after-school programs, and $1.1 billion in Title IV block grants for academic enrichment and student well-being. However, the spending bill Trump signed at the end of 2019 actually increased the departments budget by $1.3 billion up to $72.8 billion. None of the 29 programs he sought to eliminate funding for were actually axed. And Title II and Title IV grants actually got increases, as did aid for disadvantaged students under Title I and special education funding for states. While Capitol Hill might give the cold shoulder to Trumps budget pitch, theres a very good chance it could become a running feature in the 2020 presidential campaign. Democratic candidates, for example, could tie Trumps proposed education cuts to U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos (who is remarkably unpopular with Democrats ) and use them to argue how Trump does not support struggling schools and students. Other Agencies Elsewhere, funding for Head Start under the Department of Health and Human Services would decline by $58 million $10.6 billion. Meanwhile, the proposed budget for the U.S. Department of Agriculture would impose new restrictions on the Community Eligibility Program, which allows schools or districts with high enrollments of students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals to serve free meals to all students, without individually enrolling them in the National School Lunch Program. The budget proposes only allowing participation for individual schools where at least 40 percent of students automatically or categorically qualify for the subsidized meal programs. That would close a loophole under which some districts qualified all of their schools or groups of schools by combining their enrollment and meal data as an aggregate. Photo: President Donald Trumps budget request for fiscal year 2021 arrives at the House Budget Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Follow us on Twitter @PoliticsK12 . And follow the Politics K-12 reporters @EvieBlad @Daarel and @AndrewUjifusa . President Donald Trump wants to "make America great again." I don't think he is succeeding. In the 1940s, the world looked at Nazi Germany as the "evil empire" when they locked Jews up in concentration camps. So what does this say about Trump's policy of tearing children away from their families at the border and locking them up in cages? In 1939, Great Britain showed her greatness when, in support of her Polish allies, she declared war on Nazi Germany when Germany invaded Poland. What has Trump's policy been for our allies, the Kurds, who have been helping us fight ISIS? He turned them over to their enemies, the Turks. The Australian Dollar (AUD) edged higher against the Pound (GBP) today, with the GBP/AUD exchange rate currently trading around AU$1.925 after Decembers Australian home loans figure beat forecasts and rose from the previous months -0.8% to 3.5%. Westpac Senior Economist Matthew Hassan commented: The detail highlights a few aspects of the rebound through the second half of 2019. Firstly, the upturn is now seeing both prices and volumes rising. Secondly, owner-occupiers are continuing to lead the way, the total value of loans to this segment up 23% since May, with loans to first home buyers outpacing slightly. Today also saw Decembers Australian Investment Lending for Homes report increase proportionally, with the figure rising from 2.5% to 2.8% and further boosting market confidence in Australias economy. However, the Aussies gains are continuing to be compromised by Chinas coronavirus outbreak, with markets becoming increasingly concerned over the likely negative impact that the epidemic will have on the worlds second-largest economy. With China being Australias primary trading partner, market appetite for the risk-sensitive Australian Dollar has continued to remain limited today. Pound Exchange Rates Sink as UK Growth Stagnates in December The Pound (GBP) failed to make any headway on the Aussie after todays release of the flash UK GDP report for the fourth-quarter confirmed forecasts and stagnated at 0%. This further dampened market appetite for Sterling as the UKs economic outlook remains uncertain post-Brexit. The Office for National Statistics said in its statement: The volatility in 2019 can be seen to some extent in all headline sectors, but most notably in production and construction. However, while construction data can often be volatile, the recent volatility in the production sector has been notable, coinciding with the UKs two previously planned departure dates from the EU. Today also saw the UK manufacturing production report for December, which eased by -2.5%, further adding to worries for Britains industrial sector amid rising global uncertainty. Concerns for the UKs retail sector have also risen following this months report from the British Retail Consortium, which showed that sales had dwindled from last months 1.7% to 0%. Helen Dickinson, the BRCs Chief Executive, commented: January saw a return to growth [for retail sales], however, recent political uncertainty and a decade of austerity appear to have ingrained a more thrifty approach to shopping among consumers. Brexit developments are also continuing to haunt British markets today after Michel Barnier, the EUs Chief Brexit Negotiator, said that the City of London would not likely be granted long-term access to European markets. This left some Sterling traders anxious as the economic outlook for the UK continues to look uncertain ahead of the termination of the transition period in December 2020. Could Aussie Sink on Heightened Risk-Off Mood? Pound investors will be looking ahead to tomorrows Autumn Forecast Statement from the HM Treasury. Any dovish indications about the direction of the UK economy, however, would likely prove GBP-negative. Australian Dollar (AUD) traders, meanwhile, will be looking further ahead to Thursdays speech from Philip Lowe, the Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia. However, with Chinas ongoing coronavirus epidemic we could see Mr Lowe take a dovish stance on the health of the Australian economy in the near-term. The GBP/AUD exchange rate is likely to remain volatile this week, as investors continue to assess the damage on the Chinese economy amid the coronavirus epidemic. Any further indications that this could weaken the worlds second-largest economy would have a negative impact on the risk-averse Aussie. WATERLOO One of the Waterloo Regional Airports three runways is slated to close despite objections from general aviation pilots and the airport board. City Council members voted unanimously Monday to authorize Airport Director Keith Kaspari to begin working with the Federal Aviation Administration to decommission runway 6-24. Kaspari had supported closing what is the shortest of the runways because it was in very poor condition, ineligible for federal repair grants and handled less than 3 percent of the airports takeoffs and landings. But the move drew strong objections from local general aviation pilots who said the runway was needed when strong cross winds made it difficult for small aircraft to land safety on the other runways. This issue is too important to the safety of our pilots and to our communitys long-term economic effect, said pilot Joel Harris, who had urged the city to put more study into the issue before closing the runway. Jeff Engel, a pilot who uses the airport for his business, said he didnt believe people understood the impact of the general aviation activity at the airport as opposed to the commercial passenger jets. Nobody talks about the general aviation use at the airport 19,000 flights a year versus 700 flights for American Airlines, Engel said. Any of those 19,000 flights could use 6-24 if the weather dictated that. Its an important part of our infrastructure; its vital to our local economy; it contributes to our economy, he added. Its an asset to the city that really should not be thrown away. Engineers have estimated it would cost roughly $300,000 to patch the runways cracks and up to $1.9 million to rebuild it for longer use. Pilot Todd Loes suggested the $300,000 repair is less than the cost of removing the pavement eventually after its closed. If we turn around and take this asset and close it, it becomes an extreme liability overnight, he said. Airport Board chairman Hugh Field said he believed the board, not the City Council, was in charge by ordinance of determining whether to decommission a runway despite a different opinion from City Attorney Martin Petersen. We have never discussed closing it, Field said. Our goal has been to keep it open as long as we can and, failing that, to come to the council and get approval for some capital improvements to it. Kaspari and council members said the issue came down to cost, given the large number of other capital needs facing the airport and city, and liability for possible accidents on the crumbling runway. Right now we dont have the money, said Councilwoman Sharon Juon. We have to use our funds to benefit the most people when there are no other alternatives. Others noted Waterloo has the only airport in Iowa with three paved runways, while other airports in Cedar Rapids and Des Moines get by with two. They also pointed to light usage on runway 6-24. Councilman Pat Morrissey said he was open to reconsidering the runway closure if the airport board or aviators came up with a way to pay for the repairs. It was unclear exactly how long it would be before reversing the decommissioning could occur.The Couriers most-read 2019 business stories: Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 The African Development Bank, the United Nations, and the African Union on Saturday acknowledged the significant progress made in implementing Agenda 2063 and urged African countries to go further to fast-track economic transformation. The call was made on Saturday at the launch of the first report on the implementation of Agenda 2063 ahead of the 33rd African Union Summit in Addis Ababa. The report provides an assessment of the progress and performance of Africas development between 2013 and 2019. Unveiling the implementation report, President Alassane Ouattara of Cote dIvoire noted that while remarkable progress had been made, the continent still had a long way to hit its development targets. In five years, we have come a long way in implementing Agenda 2063. To go further, Agenda 2063 must be the responsibility of all the member states of the AU, said Ouattara, who is also an Agenda 2063 champion. In January 2013, the African Union adopted Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want as a blueprint for sustainable development and economic growth. The first Ten-Year Implementation Plan of Agenda 2063, which runs from 2014 to 2023, outlines a set of goals, priority areas and targets that the continent aims to achieve at national, regional and continental levels, the report notes. Referencing the African Development Banks critical role in spurring development across the continent, Ouattara said: The Bank is in good hands under President Adesina. He is executing the mandate we gave him with brilliance and vigour very exemplary. Ethiopias President Sahle-Work Zewde, noted that greater cohesion and hard work are required to achieve the Africa of our dream. The Ethiopian government is working with the African Development Bank and other development partners in the implementation of Agenda 2063, as enshrined in the countrys development plans, she added. The African Development Bank President Akinwumi Adesina urged African leaders to accelerate Agenda 2063: We have to make sure, in everything we do, that we bring about implementation faster. The Bank President also called on heads of state to push for the continents pension and sovereign wealth funds to contribute to domestic prosperity. Sovereign funds of Africa are invested elsewhere. We need to take a decision that sovereign wealth funds, pension funds need to be invested in Africa, not elsewhere, Adesina said. Africa also needs to do more to stop illicit capital flows. Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, former AU Chairperson and South Africas Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, called for the involvement of the Diaspora in economic development. They have the skills. Some of them may even have the resources to invest in our continent and even more passion than we have. Working with the AU and the African Development Bank, we need to galvanize the Diaspora, she said. We can learn from what Ghana is doing with its recently launched Year of Return initiative. That is the beauty of Agenda 2063. We must learn from one another. On the reports findings, Dlamini-Zuma identified the Banks High 5 strategic priorities as a strong reflection of results on the ground. In a message read on his behalf at the event, Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres said: Lets do it together. Together, we will achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and Agenda 2063 for all our people. The event was also attended by the President of Botswana Mokgweetsi Masisi, who observed that the achievement of Agenda 2063 clearly required ownership at the country and regional levels. The alignment of the agenda into the planning of countries, with a focus on linkages and impact, will ensure greater results. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires The supreme court has affirmed David Lyon, Bayelsa governor-elect, as the authentic governorship candidate of the All Progressives C... The supreme court has affirmed David Lyon, Bayelsa governor-elect, as the authentic governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress. A five-man panel of justices dismissed the appeal filed by Heineken Lokpobiri, who contested against Lyon in the APC Bayelsa governorship primary election, for being filed out of time. Lokpobiri, who was a minister of state for agriculture, had filed the appeal against the Bayelsa state chapter of the APC and Lyon, arguing he won the partys governorship primary election which was held on September 4, 2019. On November 14, a federal high court in Yenagoa ruled in favour of Lokpobiri nullifying the election that produced Lyon as the governorship candidate of the party. To enable it participate in the governorship election, the APC obtained an interim order from the court of appeal staying the order of the lower court which barred the party from participating in the November 16 governorship poll. The court of appeal in Rivers state upturned the judgement of the trial court which favoured Lokpobiri. he ought to have filed the case not later than September 17, 2019. Isaiah Olufemi, justice of the appellate court, held that the former minister failed to comply with the statutory 14-day period, sayinghe ought to have filed the case not later than September 17, 2019. Aggrieved, Lokpobiri filed an appeal before the supreme court. Emmanuel Ukala, who represented the appellant, argued that the suit filed at the federal high court was not filed out of time as held by the appellate court. He said the 14-day statutory period started to count after the APC submitted Lyons name as its governorship candidate. But Lyon and the party asked the court to dismiss the appeal. They said according section 285 (9) of the 1999 constitution the 14-day period ought to have started immediately the result of the primary election was announced. Reading the judgment, Inyang Okoro said: In conclusion, it is my well considered review that the appellant filed his case at the federal high court outside the 14 days allowed by section 285 (9) of the constitution. His cause of action arose on 4th September 2019 and not 7 September as he contended. Thus, the sole issue in this appeal is resolved against the appellant. Accordingly, the appeal lacks merit and is accordingly dismissed. Lyon emerged winner of the election with 352,552 votes. Sisir Panigrahy By Express News Service BERHAMPUR: An uneasy calm prevailed at Dankalpadu village which lost 10 of its residents in a tragic mishap at Mendrajpur chowk within Golanthara police limits on Sunday. The decorations at the house of the groom U Ashok Reddy fluttered in the wind but there was no movement within nor around. It appeared as if the whole village had fallen into a state of stupor, numbed by the tragedy. Ashok was to get married to G Padma of Chikarada village on Tuesday, but cruel fate not only shattered his dream but also snatched away his two sisters. Ashoks father Sanyasi Reddy, an OPTCL employee, struggled to speak as words choked in his throat. I was supposed to board the bus with my two daughters Sandhya and Mohini and their kids but I stayed back to pickup some materials. I was about to leave on a motorcycle when the shocking news came in. We were to add a new member to our family in a days time but we have lost two, he said. ALSO READ | Ganjam bus tragedy: Odisha government suspends four engineers for dereliction of duty Sanyasis neighbour Santoshini Sahu along with her younger brother Dileswar had also boarded the bus to attend the ceremony. While someone threw Dileswar out of a window of the vehicle, Santoshini was not fortunate enough and was electrocuted. Her mother Sabita could not believe her daughter, a student of Class VI at the village UP School is no more. The school was open on the day. But attendance was nil. Similar is the plight of Rameya Reddys family. Rameyya, who had lost his son Gopal in a road mishap in 2013, was one of those who could not survive the mishap. Leaders of various political parties along with social workers reached the village to console the bereaved families. Local MLA Usha Devi also reached the village and distributed Rs 10,000 each from Red Cross fund among the families of the deceased. However, their visit had little impact on the grief-stricken villagers. While yesterday, all were busy with cremation of the deceased and attending to the injured, on Monday most were seen sitting speechless in their homes. Many families even did not cook food. ALSO READ: Condolences not enough in odisha Meanwhile, officials of Southco, Revenue department and local police visited the mishap spot on the day to conduct probe into the incident. The police are in search of the driver and cleaner of the bus, who fled the spot after the mishap.Sources said four of the nine injured persons, undergoing treatment at MKCG Medical College and Hospital were discharged in the evening. Southco report blames RD dept Bhubaneswar: Power utility Southco is reported to have blamed Rural Development department over the issue of sagging 11 KV line which led to the electrocution of 10 persons at Mendrajpur in Rangeilunda block of Ganjam district. All those who died were travelling in the bus when the vehicle came in contact with the overhead live wire. The preliminary report of Southco maintained that Rural Development department had converted the rural road to a concrete one by almost filling 3 ft to 4 ft and causing less ground clearance of the said road in 2018. In this connection, the Executive Engineer BED-III, Berhampur framed an estimate and submitted it to the Executive Engineer, Ganjam RD Division, Berhampur on July 4, 2018. Moreover, Biswa Ranjan Mohapatra, SDO Kanisi has been constantly pursuing the matter with the RD department for depositing the estimated amount to take up the work immediately on safety ground. However, further inquiry will be carried out to take suitable action against the employees of Southco, if at all found guilty, the report. However, Commerce and Transport Minister Padmanabha Behera had blamed the Energy department and bus driver for the mishap. Dublin, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The "World - Coconuts - Market Analysis, Forecast, Size, Trends and Insights" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. This report provides an in-depth analysis of the global coconut market. Within it, you will discover the latest data on market trends and opportunities by country, consumption, production and price developments, as well as the global trade (imports and exports). The forecast exhibits the market prospects through 2025. Data Coverage Market volume and value Per Capita consumption Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term Production in World, split by region and country Trade (exports and imports) in World Export and import prices Market trends, drivers and restraints Key market players and their profiles In 2018, the global coconut market size increased by 3.5% to $35.6B. This figure reflects the total revenues of producers and importers (excluding logistics costs, retail marketing costs, and retailers' margins, which will be included in the final consumer price). Consumption by Country The countries with the highest volumes of coconut consumption in 2018 were Indonesia (19M tonnes), the Philippines (14M tonnes) and India (12M tonnes), with a combined 72% share of global consumption. Sri Lanka, Brazil, Viet Nam, Papua New Guinea, Mexico and Thailand lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 16%. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of coconut consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by Viet Nam, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. In value terms, India ($10B), the Philippines ($6.7B) and Indonesia ($4.5B) appeared to be the countries with the highest levels of market value in 2018, with a combined 60% share of the global market. These countries were followed by Sri Lanka, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Thailand, Viet Nam and Mexico, which together accounted for a further 20%. The countries with the highest levels of coconut per capita consumption in 2018 were Papua New Guinea (140 kg per person), the Philippines (131 kg per person) and Sri Lanka (124 kg per person). From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of coconut per capita consumption, amongst the main consuming countries, was attained by Viet Nam, while the other global leaders experienced mixed trends in the per capita consumption figures. Production 2007-2018 In 2018, approx. 61M tonnes of coconuts were produced worldwide; leveling off at the previous year. Overall, coconut production continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2012 with an increase of 5.3% y-o-y. Over the period under review, global coconut production attained its peak figure volume at 62M tonnes in 2013; however, from 2014 to 2018, production failed to regain its momentum. The general negative trend in terms of coconut output was largely conditioned by a relatively flat trend pattern of the harvested area and a relatively flat trend pattern in yield figures. In value terms, coconut production stood at $36.3B in 2018 estimated in export prices. Overall, the total output indicated a mild expansion from 2007 to 2018: its value decreased at an average annual rate of -0.1% over the last eleven-year period. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2018 figures, coconut production increased by +35.7% against 2016 indices. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2009 when production volume increased by 50% y-o-y. In that year, global coconut production reached its peak level of $49.4B. From 2010 to 2018, global coconut production growth remained at a lower figure. Production by Country The countries with the highest volumes of coconut production in 2018 were Indonesia (19M tonnes), the Philippines (14M tonnes) and India (12M tonnes), together accounting for 73% of global production. These countries were followed by Sri Lanka, Brazil, Viet Nam, Papua New Guinea and Mexico, which together accounted for a further 15%. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of coconut production, amongst the main producing countries, was attained by Viet Nam, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. Harvested Area 2007-2018 In 2018, approx. 12M ha of coconuts were harvested worldwide; standing approx. at the previous year. In general, the coconut harvested area continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2010 with an increase of 2.5% y-o-y. Over the period under review, the harvested area dedicated to coconut production attained its peak figure in 2018 and is expected to retain its growth in the near future. Yield 2007-2018 In 2018, the global average yield of coconuts amounted to 4.9 tonne per ha, approximately reflecting the previous year. In general, the coconut yield continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2012 with an increase of 4.3% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the average coconut yield attained its maximum level at 5.4 tonne per ha in 2007; however, from 2008 to 2018, yield stood at a somewhat lower figure. Exports 2007-2018 Global exports stood at 555K tonnes in 2018, surging by 49% against the previous year. Overall, the total exports indicated resilient growth from 2007 to 2018: its volume increased at an average annual rate of +7.3% over the last eleven years. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. The pace of growth was the most pronounced in 2018 with an increase of 49% against the previous year. In that year, global coconut exports reached their peak and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term. In value terms, coconut exports totaled $269M (estimates) in 2018. Overall, the total exports indicated a buoyant increase from 2007 to 2018: its value increased at an average annual rate of +7.3% over the last eleven years. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticeable fluctuations being recorded throughout the analyzed period. Based on 2018 figures, coconut exports increased by +107.2% against 2012 indices. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2014 with an increase of 33% year-to-year. Over the period under review, global coconut exports reached their maximum in 2018 and are expected to retain its growth in the near future. Exports by Country Indonesia was the largest exporter of coconuts in the world, with the volume of exports amounting to 290K tonnes, which was near 52% of total exports in 2018. Thailand (70K tonnes) took the second position in the ranking, followed by Viet Nam (57K tonnes). All these countries together held near 23% share of total exports. The following exporters - Cote d'Ivoire (23K tonnes), Malaysia (19K tonnes), the Netherlands (16K tonnes), Mexico (14K tonnes), Guyana (12K tonnes) and India (11K tonnes) - together made up 17% of total exports. Exports from Indonesia increased at an average annual rate of +12.8% from 2007 to 2018. At the same time, Guyana (+97.7%), Viet Nam (+43.2%), Malaysia (+18.9%), India (+11.3%), the Netherlands (+6.8%), Thailand (+6.4%), Cote d'Ivoire (+4.2%) and Mexico (+3.9%) displayed positive paces of growth. Moreover, Guyana emerged as the fastest-growing exporter in the world, with a CAGR of +97.7% from 2007-2018. While the share of Indonesia (+38 p.p.), Viet Nam (+10 p.p.), Thailand (+6.2 p.p.), Malaysia (+2.9 p.p.) and Guyana (+2.1 p.p.) increased significantly, the shares of the other countries remained relatively stable throughout the analyzed period. In value terms, the largest coconut markets worldwide were Thailand ($70M), Indonesia ($65M) and Viet Nam ($22M), with a combined 58% share of global exports. Cote d'Ivoire, the Netherlands, India, Mexico, Guyana and Malaysia lagged somewhat behind, together comprising a further 23%. Among the main exporting countries, Guyana (+104.1% per year) recorded the highest rates of growth with regard to exports, over the last eleven years, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. Export Prices by Country In 2018, the average coconut export price amounted to $483 per tonne, declining by -12.6% against the previous year. Overall, the coconut export price, however, continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2008 an increase of 19% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the average export prices for coconuts reached their peak figure at $553 per tonne in 2017, and then declined slightly in the following year. Prices varied noticeably by the country of origin; the country with the highest price was India ($1,127 per tonne), while Indonesia ($223 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by India, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. Imports 2007-2018 In 2018, approx. 671K tonnes of coconuts were imported worldwide; surging by 26% against the previous year. In general, coconut imports continue to indicate a resilient increase. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2016 when imports increased by 48% against the previous year. Over the period under review, global coconut imports reached their peak figure in 2018 and are likely to continue its growth in the immediate term. In value terms, coconut imports totaled $334M (estimates) in 2018. In general, coconut imports continue to indicate a remarkable expansion. The pace of growth appeared the most rapid in 2011 with an increase of 43% y-o-y. The global imports peaked in 2018 and are likely to see steady growth in the immediate term. Imports by Country Thailand (210K tonnes) and Malaysia (199K tonnes) were the largest importers of coconuts in 2018, reaching approx. 31% and 30% of total imports, respectively. China (60K tonnes) ranks next in terms of the total imports with a 9% share, followed by the U.S. (5.7%). The United Arab Emirates (27K tonnes), the Netherlands (19K tonnes) and Singapore (11K tonnes) followed a long way behind the leaders. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of imports, amongst the main importing countries, was attained by Malaysia, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. In value terms, Thailand ($77M) constitutes the largest market for imported coconuts worldwide, comprising 23% of global imports. The second position in the ranking was occupied by the U.S. ($34M), with a 10% share of global imports. It was followed by China, with a 8.9% share. In Thailand, coconut imports increased at an average annual rate of +30.9% over the period from 2007-2018. In the other countries, the average annual rates were as follows: the U.S. (+12.0% per year) and China (+8.2% per year). Import Prices by Country The average coconut import price stood at $498 per tonne in 2018, falling by -5.9% against the previous year. Over the period under review, the coconut import price continues to indicate a relatively flat trend pattern. The most prominent rate of growth was recorded in 2015 when the average import price increased by 23% year-to-year. In that year, the average import prices for coconuts reached their peak level of $631 per tonne. From 2016 to 2018, the growth in terms of the average import prices for coconuts remained at a somewhat lower figure. Prices varied noticeably by the country of destination; the country with the highest price was the U.S. ($880 per tonne), while Malaysia ($147 per tonne) was amongst the lowest. From 2007 to 2018, the most notable rate of growth in terms of prices was attained by the United Arab Emirates, while the other global leaders experienced more modest paces of growth. For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/ff6g2m Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research. Using the most recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data published Jan. 22, 2020, Stacker set out to identify the jobs with the highest gender pay gaps. Read on to find out exactly what jobs have the highest wage discrepancy between the sexes. This article was first published on theStacker.com Mann testified that Harvey once forced oral sex on her while Maia was in the other room. Mann said she told Weinstein a lie that it was the best shed ever had, and claimed she told Maia about the lie. Maia she doesnt remember hearing about what went on in the room but said Mann did not seem upset or bothered afterward. Invasive green crabs that have caused major problems for native species like eelgrass at Nova Scotia's Kejimkujik National Park Seaside could be the latest solution to reducing plastic pollution in the ocean. Parks Canada has teamed up with a McGill University professor to find a way to turn the shells of the pesky crabs into a biodegradable plastic that could be used to make cutlery, cups or plates. Crabs harvested from the park just south of Liverpool, N.S., will be shipped this spring to Montreal, where Audrey Moores has developed a non-toxic way to transform a polymer naturally found in crustacean shells into a hard, opaque plastic-like material. "What we know is that if we take regular crab shells, shrimp shells, lobster shells, we have very good results, so we're fairly confident that the green crab should not be different," said Moores. Unlike regular plastic, the material that Moores is left with will degrade in the ocean. But more research is needed to find out just how long that process will take, Moores said. It's exciting research for Gabrielle Beaulieu, project manager for the eelgrass conservation restoration project at Kejimkujik Seaside. She stumbled across it recently and wondered if it could help in Kejimkujik's decades-long battle with green crabs. "Invasive species may be detrimental to the ecosystem, however there's always surprise solutions that we have to be open to," Beaulieu said. Moores Research Group European green crabs have been wreaking havoc on eelgrass and soft shell clams at the park since the 1980s. They first arrived in North America in the ballast water of ships from Europe in the 1800s and have been on the move due to warming oceans. There are now just a handful of spots in Atlantic Canada without green crabs, Beaulieu said. "If we can make this invasive species come full circle as a solution to the plastic pollution issue that all the oceans are facing today, I really think that's going to be such a great and innovative way to figure out the invasive species problem," she said. Story continues Thanks to initiatives like the ecotourism campaign Gone Crabbin', two million green crabs have been hauled up at Kejimkujik Seaside Park since 2010, said Beaulieu. Now, there's a year-round place for them to go. "We're really hoping that this project demonstrates an innovative new way of dealing with invasive species," she said. "Certainly as climate change is upon us, there may be more introductions of marine species that we still know nothing about." The power of chitin The key to creating biodegradable plastic from green crabs lies in chitin, one of the main components in crustacean and insect shells. Moores, an associate professor in McGill's chemistry department, crushes the shells to get to the chitin. She then uses a special method she's developed to transform the polymer into a material that will withstand water. "So now you can make a cup out of it that will hold the water because the cup itself is not going to be dissolved by the water," she said. Right now, the plastic material that's created is hard like glass, but Moores said her team is hoping to find a way to make it bendable so it could be formed into disposable cutlery and other single-use items. How many crabs are needed? The first batch of crabs will go to Moores' lab in Montreal this spring, but then the work is moving to Nova Scotia where production of the biodegradable plastics will ramp up. Moores, who visited Nova Scotia last summer, said it's unclear exactly how many crabs would be needed for each cup, but estimated that could mean hundreds of crabs for many kilograms of biodegradable plastic. She's currently looking for a full-time researcher to help with the work. Eelgrass making a comeback Beaulieu said Parks Canada will never be able to eradicate green crabs at Kejimkujik Seaside, but they've been able to control the population so native species like the eelgrass can begin to adapt to the intruder. Submitted by Arnault Lebris She said green crabs had decimated all but two per cent of the eelgrass that was at the park in 1987, but that thanks to conservation efforts, about 34 per cent has been recovered. Last summer, when tourists ventured out in boats and hauled up crab traps, Beaulieu was able to tell them that the trouble-making crustaceans could one day be put to good use. "Most people were a little bit in a state of disbelief that that was even possible," she said. "But a lot of people were really excited to learn that there are solutions to plastics, as well as invasive species, that we still haven't even thought about." MORE TOP STORIES Sochi may alternate a single Russian GP date on future F1 calendars with a new venue in St Petersburg. Hermann Tilke, the designer of the St Petersburg venue called Igora Drive, recently said it will be "certainly capable of hosting Formula 1". So when asked about rumours Liberty Media wants to expand the future F1 calendar from 22 to up to 25 races, Sochi promoter Sergey Vorobyov said that would be "difficult". "It will be difficult for teams to cope with 25 grands prix per season," said Vorobyov, who heads the race promoter Rosgonki. "But I do think expanding the calendar is inevitable. Formula 1 wants another race in the United States, the home market, plus South Africa and Asia. "There will not be another race in Russia - not immediately. When Igora Drive receives the status of a F1 circuit, it is possible to alternate with Sochi or even have two races in a season, but not for at least 2-3 years," he told Forbes Russia. (GMM) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:18:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, visits a quarantine center at Nanhu Street in Wuchang District of Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 11, 2020. Sun is leading a central government team guiding the epidemic control work in Hubei. She urged Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan to make greater efforts and take more decisive measures to resolutely win the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic. (Xinhua/Chen Yehua) WUHAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Sun Chunlan has urged Hubei Province and its capital city of Wuhan to make greater efforts and take more decisive measures to resolutely win the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic. Sun, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, is leading a central government team guiding the epidemic control work in Hubei. Visiting a quarantine center and two temporary hospitals established in a gymnasium and an exhibition center in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, on Tuesday, Sun stressed efforts to add more hospital beds and improve admission and treatment capacity to leave no patients unattended. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Sun expressed her gratitude to the medics sent from Shanxi, Shandong and Sichuan provinces to Wuhan to aid the epidemic control work. "Answering the call of the country's leadership, medical workers across the country came to the front line without hesitation and fully demonstrated the spirit and strength of unity," Sun noted. Sun asked Hubei and Wuhan to ensure supporting services and protective medical products for medical personnel, adding that shift work schedules should be set up to safeguard their health and safety. "When Wuhan wins, Hubei wins. When Hubei wins, China wins," said Sun, calling for greater confidence and tenacity to win the battle. Sun also thanked the Wuhan Asia General Hospital, a Hong Kong-funded hospital, for offering 400 beds to treat the patients. In the face of the epidemic, Hong Kong compatriots and the people of Wuhan fighting hand in hand have shown the strong cohesion and vitality of the Chinese nation, said Sun. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said he does not know how long it would take to bring the relationship between Ukraine and Russia back to what it used to be before the war. "I don't know how many years it would take to restore the relationship to the level it used to be at before the war. I think this is impossible for many people in our country. Again, it's a matter of generations. Perhaps it is possible for future generations. Perhaps. Time heals all wounds," Zelensky said in an exclusive interview with Interfax. Russia can start resolving the problem itself right now, he said. "If the presidents sat down at one table and agreed to set an example of understanding that things can't go on the same way and it's time to end the war - I mean this very level of conversation: listen, let's agree that you are on your own, and we are on our own, but if we have peace, let's talk about pragmatic relations," Zelensky said. If there is no war, Ukrainians and Russians can maintain their relations in this pragmatic way, he said. "That is, Russians won't see the red carpet rolled out for them in Ukraine, but if they come to us when there is peace, if they come, for instance, to Truskavets [a mineral water resort in the Lviv region], they would hear: okay, pay the money, stay and get treatment here. These would be pragmatic economic relations," Zelensky said. "But I can't even imagine what steps have to be made and how long it would take for you to be welcomed as close people," he said. Related Former Sudan president Bashir sentenced to two years in detention for corruption Sudan's government and rebel groups in Darfur agreed on Tuesday that all those wanted by the International Criminal Court should appear before the tribunal, a list that includes ousted president Omar al-Bashir. Bashir, who has been jailed in Khartoum since he was toppled after mass protests last year, is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in Darfur. Information Minister Faisal Saleh did not specifically name him when announcing the move, but said the decision applied to all five Sudanese suspects wanted by the ICC over Darfur. Bashir is one of the five suspects. The government and the rebel groups reached an agreement during a meeting in South Sudan's capital Juba that included "the appearance of those who face arrest warrants before the International Criminal Court", said Mohamed al-Hassan al-Taishi, a member of Sudan's sovereign council. Taishi also said that the two sides agreed to create a Darfur special court to investigate and hear cases including those investigated by the ICC. That court would try Darfur suspects not indicted by the ICC, said Nimri Mohamed Abd, chief negotiator of the Darfur people in Juba. He said Darfur groups and Sudan's government had agreed to "fully cooperate with the International Criminal Court", and that the timing of the handover would be decided in final negotiations. Bashir's lawyer said the ex-president refused to have any dealings with the ICC because it was a "political court". Bashir has said the allegations made by the ICC, the world's first permanent court for prosecuting war crimes, are part of a Western conspiracy. A spokesman for the ICC declined to comment. The Hague-based court issued its first arrest warrant for Bashir in 2009 - its first for a sitting head of state - and a year later issued a second one. Genocide Charges Bashir faces five counts of crimes against humanity for murder, forcible transfer, extermination, torture and rape; two counts of war crimes for attacks against civilians; and three counts of genocide for killings and creating conditions meant to bring about the destruction of the targeted group, allegedly committed between 2003 and 2008 in Darfur. Sudan's civilian government, which is running the country under a three-year transition with the military, has been seeking to make peace with rebels in Darfur and other neglected regions which had been fighting Bashir's government for years. Darfur rebels and residents have long demanded that Bashir should be tried. Conflict spread in the impoverished western region in 2003 after mostly non-Arab rebels rose up against Khartoum. Government forces and mainly Arab militia mobilised to suppress the revolt were accused of widespread atrocities and genocide. In Khartoum, where protesters gathered outside the prime minister's office to call for a faster transition, opinion was split on whether Bashir should be sent to The Hague. "He should go straight to the criminal court because want peace in our country by any means," said one young woman who gave her name as Reem. "If the (Darfur) movements want him to go, no problem. He's already a war criminal in their view." But another protester, Mowafeq Othman, said handing Bashir over would undermine Sudan's courts. "Don't hand him over, this would mean Sudan's judiciary is weak - so long as he is a Sudanese citizen, regardless of anything else, he should be tried here," he said. A Sudanese court handed Bashir a first, two-year sentence in December on corruption charges. He also faces trials or investigations over the killing of protesters and his role in the 1989 coup that brought him to power. Search Keywords: Short link: Former West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus had his officers work as his personal posse to initiate an unwarranted, racially motivated surveillance and arrest of a black Portland man as a favor to the chiefs fishing buddy. The case had no ties to West Linn. The city recently negotiated to pay $600,000 to the target of the rogue investigation, Michael Fesser, 48. West Linn police also have agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Fesser. The settlement is one of the largest in the state resulting from a wrongful arrest claim, Fessers lawyer Paul Buchanan said. It ends a federal lawsuit that Fesser filed in the summer of 2018. This case vividly illustrates a ready willingness on the part of the West Linn police to abuse the enormous power they have been given, and a casual, jocular, old-boy-style racism of the kind that we Oregonians tend to want to associate with the Deep South rather than our own institutions, Buchanan said. Attorney Andrew Campbell, who represented West Linn in court, did not respond to a request for comment Monday night. The brazen misdeeds by West Linn police include making a surreptitious audio recording of Fesser at work without a warrant or court order, arresting him without probable cause with the help of Portland police and seizing his cash, cellphone and documents without a search warrant, court records show. The case file includes a raft of racist and crude text messages between West Linn police and Fessers boss at the time, aimed at Fesser and others. The West Linn detective who led the investigation against Fesser deleted the offensive texts from his phone and claimed they werent of a racist or homophobic nature, but they were found on another phone, according to the records. Fesser, a father of eight who now runs a prison ministry and transitional program to support men getting out of prison, said he took legal action so this doesnt happen to another black man, including his two teenage sons. Ever since that arrest, I was terrified to go to West Linn, Fesser said. This has to be exposed, and it has to stop. My game my rules The West Linn investigation began in February 2017 after Fesser brought concerns of racial harassment by co-workers to his boss at the time, Eric Benson, owner of A&B Towing in Southeast Portland, court records show. Fesser said other employees called him racist slurs and one asked him how he liked a Confederate flag that was fastened to a pickup parked in the tow companys lot. He had worked for the company since 2004, mostly managing its car auctions, selling impounded, abandoned and other cars. It was his job to record the amount of the sales, receive deposits and payments from bidders and handle the cash transactions. After Fesser complained about a hostile workplace, Benson went to Timeus, his friend in West Linn who he had joined on four or five fishing trips. Terry Timeus (CQ), West Linn Chief of Police speaks Thursday about indictments in the case of Elma Magkamit (CQ), Woodburn who is suspected of taking nearly one and a half million dollars from the city of West Linn. Magkamit spent five years as the Finance Director for the city of West Linn. SWL.27indict.BW.700.4-27-06 BRENT WOJAHN (?s-909-1931) (info-Terry Timeus -655--6214) LC- THE OREGONIANLC- THE OREGONIAN Benson convinced the police chief to investigate unsupported allegations that Fesser was skimming proceeds from the car auctions, according to court records. Benson said he believed his company should have been earning more from the auctions and that Portland police wouldnt respond to his concerns. Timeus sent a text message to Benson on Feb. 21, 2017, saying his detective was finishing up a sex crimes case and will have your case ready to go before Saturday If I hear more, Ill let you know. On Feb. 25, 2017, the West Linn police conducted surveillance of Fesser at his job. Police that day relied on an associate of Bensons to record Fesser at work using an audio app called Swann View. Benson also watched a live feed from company video surveillance cameras, according to evidence obtained during the litigation. Benson provided real-time updates to West Linn Detective Tony Reeves, text messages show. As the surveillance went on, Benson and Reeves exchanged sexually explicit and homophobic banter, referencing themselves and the police chief, and made racist comments about Fesser, their text messages revealed. At one point, Benson told Reeves that he regretted Fessers arrest wasnt going to happen in Clackamas County because he had hoped to make sure he was with some real racist boys. Benson added: Dreams can never come true I guess and followed up, writing, Oh did I say that? Im a bad person. I have some anger issues going on with him right now. At another point, Benson sent Reeves a photo of his dog. Reeves messaged, Hope Fesser doesnt get her in the law suit. Benson wrote back, Hahaha. She is not a fan of that type of folk. She is a wl (West Linn) dog. Although Reeves later admitted that officers hadnt found any signs of wrongdoing by Fesser during the surveillance, he told another West Linn officer, along with five Portland officers, to stop Fesser as he headed home from work that day about 5 p.m. My game my rules, Reeves wrote to the tow companys owner just before police moved in. Reeves continued in texts to Benson: Its better that we arrest him before he makes the complaint (of race discrimination). Then it cant be retaliation. Fesser recalled seeing lights and sirens behind him and so he pulled over at Southeast 106th and Foster. Im thinking theyre going to go by, he recalled in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday. But multiple police cruisers surrounded his black Range Rover. A Portland sergeant told him that the Portland officers were just there to help West Linn police. West Linn? It has to be a mistake, Fesser said he thought. I know I havent done anything wrong. Im terrified. Im scared. How do police fire me from my job? West Linn police ordered Fesser out of his SUV. They took his phone, cash and a letter Fesser had written to his boss documenting the alleged racial discrimination he faced at work. They took him to Portlands East Precinct, where West Linn officers questioned him. Reeves asked for the passcode to Fessers cellphone, but Fesser didnt disclose it. Reeves said in a deposition later that he sought the passcode in case I was able to obtain a search warrant to search his phone. Fesser was then taken to the downtown jail in Portland, booked on an aggravated theft allegation and released. That night, Reeves had notified Benson that West Linn police had found a letter in Fessers car about the work place and discrimination and Benson alerted his fishing buddy, according to text messages obtained by Fessers lawyer. Benson texted Chief Timeus at 6:26 p.m. that day, asking: Can I get extra patrols for a bit at my house? Yep, send me your address, Timeus responded by text. Ill handle it. About two days later, West Linn police called Fesser, who had gotten a new phone with the same number, and told him to come to their department to retrieve his belongings. Afraid to go on his own, Fesser waited for his wife to drive with him there. Once he arrived, Reeves told Fesser that he was fired from his job and ordered him to not return to A&B Towings property. How do police fire me from my job? Fesser said he thought. Before he left, Reeves told Fesser, Stradley says hi. Indictment based on shady witnesses That was a reference to then-West Linn police Lt. Mike Stradley, a retired veteran Portland police officer who used to work on the gang enforcement team. Stradley had told Reeves that Fesser was a gang associate. Stradley was the one who helped get Portland gang enforcement officers to assist in Fessers arrest. Stradley, though, admitted in a deposition that he hadnt had any interactions with Fesser for more than two decades. He acknowledged that his characterization was based partly on who he remembered Fesser was hanging out with in the late 1980s and 1990s and that he saw Fesser attend gang-related trials. Fesser, who grew up in North and Northeast Portland, had been convicted in 2001 of using his phone in the commission of a drug-trafficking offense and sentenced to four years in prison. He has had no other convictions since. The afternoon after Fesser went with his wife to the West Linn Police Department, Fesser attended his Multnomah County arraignment and learned prosecutors had declined to file the theft charge. The case was dismissed, though it could be revived in the future. Months went by. Fesser checked daily with the court to see if the charge had been refiled. In September 2017, he filed a suit in Multnomah County courthouse against Benson and A&B Towing, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. That lawsuit led Benson to press West Linn police about Fessers theft charge, court records show. West Linn police, in turn, asked the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office to revive the case. In November 2017, based largely on grand jury testimony by Reeves and Benson and statements from two witnesses who West Linn police described as shady and dirty, Fesser was indicted on five counts of first-degree theft, according to court records. As Fessers lawsuit against the tow company was pending, lawyers for Fessers ex-boss offered to have the criminal charges against Fesser dismissed if Fesser dropped the civil suit, Buchanan said. Fesser wouldnt accept that. Lead West Linn detective in case gets promotion Nearly a year after Fessers arrest, his lawyers finally received the damning text messages between Benson, the tow company owner, and Reeves, the West Linn detective. They came through an exchange of evidence in Fessers suit against A&B Towing. Only after he received the text messages did he understand that racism, cronyism and impropriety of the officers conduct and motivations, Fessers lawyer wrote in court documents. And only after he received the texts were all criminal charges precipitously dropped. In March 2018, Benson and A&B Towing agreed to pay Fesser $415,000 in damages, wages and attorney fees to settle his discrimination suit in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The settlement included a clause that Fesser wouldnt bring any further legal action against the company or its agents. As his federal civil case then progressed against West Linn police, the departments lawyers urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that West Linn officers were acting as the agents of the tow company and therefore couldnt be sued based on the state settlement. This assertion is virtually an admission of misconduct, Buchanan, Fessers lawyer, responded last month. Defendants were not seeking to engage in legitimate law enforcement. Rather, the officers were acting based on a striking and alarming personal malice, racism, and desire to protect a good old boy from the West Linn community. West Linn police admitted in court records that they conducted audio surveillance of Fesser without a court order and seized his phone without a warrant. Reeves was investigated and disciplined for failure to properly document the seizure of Fessers cash after his arrest, according to his deposition. He also acknowledged that he didnt document the seizure of Fessers cellphone and didnt record the interview of Fesser in Portland both violations of West Linn police policy. Reeves, according to deposition records, also had deleted his Feb. 25, 2017, text message exchange with Benson and maintained that there had been no homophobic or racist remarks sent between them, according to court records. Fesser and his lawyer already had the text messages from Bensons phone and knew that to be false. Its unclear the level of discipline Reeves received. He was promoted to sergeant in March 2018. Timeus, the police chief, said in a deposition that he heard his friend Benson use a racist slur at least a half a dozen times. Timeus admitted to having used the racist slur himself but said he couldnt recall if it was when he was police chief or if he used it when referring to Fessers cases, according to his deposition transcript. Timeus retired in October 2017 amid allegations that he drove drunk while off duty. He received more than $123,000 in a separation agreement. Stradley resigned as a West Linn lieutenant on Jan. 16, 2018, and started working the next day as a police trainer at the states basic police academy for the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, where hes a supervisor. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Subscribe to Facebook page Survivor All-Stars contestant Jacqui Patterson unveiled her incredible six pack on Monday night's episode of the show. And now, the 52-year-old Byron Bay marriage celebrant has revealed the secret to behind her shredded physique. While her fit physique was being admired by her co-stars on Monday, Jacqui explained she had taken up bodybuilding since last appearing on Survivor in 2017. Ripped: Survivor All-Stars Jacqui Patterson, 52, unveiled her body transformation on Monday night's episode of the show, left. She explained she had taken up bodybuilding since last appearing on Survivor in 2017, right 'Two years since I've been on a beach. Since I played last time, I got into female bodybuilding,' Jacqui told her fellow tribe mates. 'At 52, I'm one of the oldest here, but I can bring it just as good as those young girls can,' she added. Her co-stars asked the muscled brunette to do a number of bodybuilding poses. Oh my! Jacqui's co-stars asked the muscled brunette to do a number of bodybuilding poses and she happily obliged Jacqui has largely stayed out of the limelight since appearing on Survivor two years ago after being diagnosed with skin cancer soon following filming for her original series. Speaking to Woman's Day magazine back in August 2017, Jacqui was candid about the shock diagnosis. 'I've had a little sook here and there, but I won't let this beat me!' she told the magazine. That's the trick! Jacqui is pictured at one of her bodybuilding competitions 'I think it might have hit my daughter a little harder, she's quite concerned. My husband and son are just telling me not to worry,' she added. When asked about quitting her job as a marriage celebrant, Jacqui proudly said 'no'. 'I have the best job in the world. I marry people wherever and whenever, all over Australia.' During a past appearance on the The Project, Jacqui encouraged Australians to get their moles checked. Trials: The reality TV star has largely stayed out of the limelight since appearing on Survivor two years ago, after being diagnosed with skin cancer soon following filming for her original series 'If I can say one thing - check your skin, guys. I had an injury on the show. There's been a silver lining to that,' she said. 'My sister noticed an unusual mole on my shoulder. Within the week, I was diagnosed with a grade four melanoma.' Jacqui broke her arm in a challenge against co-star Nicola Zagame in scenes which didn't go to air on the series. When Cristina Tzintzun Ramirez saw that U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro was going to pass on running for the U.S. Senate, the Austin labor leader and community organizer agreed to jump in. She wasnt the only Democrat who saw the opening. In the March 3 primary, shell face 11 candidates for a chance to run against Republican U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Thats five fewer than will appear on the Democratic primary ballot for president. Ramirez is a 38-year-old progressive who has raised about $1 million for her campaign. She supports Medicare for all and the Green New Deal. Shes working toward at least a second-place finish in a race that surely will result in a runoff. But she speaks as if shes already facing Cornyn in a state that got awfully close to purple when Beto ORourke scared the bejesus out of the junior Texas Republican senator, Ted Cruz. Bejesus is an exclamation traditionally attributed to the Irish. I looked it up. Ramirez is part Irish. She was recruited to run by former members of the ORourke campaign. We met over the weekend and over tacos at Tlahco Mexican Kitchen. She proclaimed the salsa good. Austin doesnt know how to make salsa, she added. Thus, it was easy to like her. Her first surname, Tzintzun, is her mothers maiden name. Its pronounced sin-soon. In the indigenous language of the Purepecha, it means hummingbird. Ramirez is fond of saying the Purepechas were the only indigenous warriors the Aztecs couldnt defeat. Names have been a bit of a complication for Ramirez, though part of that happens when women marry and take their husbands surname. Ramirez complicated her story even more by recently saying that Tzintzun is more Mexican than Garcia or Lopez. She said it was a joke and apologized. Her parents divorce figured into her decision to take her mothers surname. Ramirez was about 19 when she adopted it and dropped her Irish fathers surname, Costello. For a while, she and her father were estranged. Her two siblings remain so. Ramirez married and later divorced Jose Manuel Ramirez. She didnt drop his name. They have a son named Santiago. Hes 3 and is called Santi. The candidate thinks about a lot of political and policy issues on the campaign trail. She thinks about the power of community organizing, defining it as work that brings ordinary people together to fix a problem and get a government or corporation to respond. Throughout history, she says, ordinary people have organized to bring about tremendous change. Some of it we take for granted. Community organizing led to womens voting rights, the minimum wage, the right to unionize, Social Security, the Civil Rights Act, marriage equity and environmental protections. Most of the good the government has done has come from community organizing, she said. Ramirez spoke at a Bexar County Democratic forum this weekend, where many such issues likely came up. But she also says its her son thats foremost on her mind. His middle name is Tsanda, which means ray of light. Thats what he is to her. Sometimes, Santi goes on the campaign trail with her. He passes out flyers and likes to carry a megaphone. He shouts out, Vota Tistina. Running for elected office was never on Ramirezs bucket list. Hers probably isnt especially long yet, though it already has a trip to Ireland on it. She traveled to Mexico extensively while growing up, but is now interested in learning more about her Irish heritage. A DNA test showed shes 25 percent Native American, which is Mexican, she said, and 34 percent Irish. Her mother was a campesinos daughter in the Mexican state of Michoacan, and Ramirezs grandfather was among the last braceros who came to the United States legally to work in fields. Ramirezs father was a hippie (her word) and a University of Texas drop-out who went to Mexico in the late 1970s. Their children grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and Dallas, and in homes in which social justice issues were part of family conversations. She remembers how unjust she felt seeing her family work incredibly hard but remain incredibly poor. After graduating from UT, she was hired to head a workers rights group. It led her to found the Workers Defense Project and then Jolt, which engages young Latinos to vote. It has chapters all over the state. Shes on leave from the organization. Its probably unlikely that Ramirez, or any of the other Democratic hopefuls in the race, will unseat Cornyn. Texas may not yet be blue enough. But every time a candidate like Ramirez gets out there, more Latino voters, especially young ones, get registered and involved. Its a slow game. Early voting begins Feb. 18 and ends Feb. 28. The March 3 primary will be a prelude, because even more young voters are likely to participate in November. Elaine Ayala is a columnist covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eayala@express-news.net | Twitter: @ElaineAyala Now Open 10 February 2020 Avani Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of the brand new 289-room Avani Central Busan Hotel (www.avanihotels.com/central-busan), in the Republic of Korea. Renowned for its status as the country's main commercial port, home to the Korea Exchange, and a renowned leisure destination, Busan was selected as the perfect host for Avani. The stylish and relaxed Avani Central Busan Hotel offers convenient access to business travellers and holiday makers to enjoy the city's hotspots from the heart of Busan's financial centre Guests to Avani Central Busan Hotel can choose from seven room types, ranging from studio-style accommodations to one-bedroom suites with separate living areas. Each guest room and suites boasts amazing city or mountain views, and in some cases both, no matter the room category, each is designed for optimal comfort and convenience, from flat-screen TVs and free Wi-Fi to rainfall showers and tea and coffee making stations - delivering every amenity for the perfect stay. Business travellers and holidaymakers alike will find all they need at Avani Central Busan Hotel. The Lobby Lounge welcomes visitors with refreshing beverages and light snacks, ideal for a casual business meeting at the open workspace or a respite between exploring the city on one of the comfy sofas. The CUBE all-day dining offers delicious local Korean flavours and international favourites, featuring Avani's honest approach to food by sourcing ingredients locally. The AvaniFit gym is open 24/7 so a workout can fit into any schedule, while the fully equipped meeting room can be arranged to host up to 150 guests for business or leisure events. Avani Central Busan Hotel is conveniently located within the Munhyeon Finance Complex, at the centre of Busan's commercial district, where business travellers can head directly to the Busan International Financial Centre, Bank of Korea's Busan headquarters, and the regional headquarters for several government financial bodies as well as one of the largest musical theatre in Korea - Dream Theatre. The complex also has a direct connection to the Busan subway system and is a 15-minute drive to Korea's bullet train KTX stop and international cruise terminal. For leisure guests, the Avani Central Busan Hotel is only a 30-minute drive to the most popular beach in Korea, Haeundae Beach, while shopping at Seomyon is just a 10-minute walk away. To savour local culture, Jagalchi Fish Market and Gamcheon Village are a short drive, as are the spectacular views from Hwangnyeongsan Mountain. No matter the experience, Avani Central Busan Hotel can assist in curating experiences to enhance any traveller's journey through the seaside town. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Salih Zeki (Kusharkov), the most brutal one among the organizers of the Armenian Genocide, has been left in the shadow of historiography for decades. Arsen Avagyan head of the Department of Bordering Countries at the Foreign Ministry of Armenia, Doctor of Historical Sciences, professor at the Yerevan State University, gave an interview to ARMENPRESS, introducing his study of the Ottoman, Russian and Georgian archives, as well as his discovery of the mystery of Monster Zeki. Salih Zeki was born in 1883 in the city of Samsun, was a Circassian by nationality. His father migrated to the Ottoman Empire in 1864 during the major emigration of Circassians from the Kuban region of Northern Caucasus. In the Armenian sources, or in all memoirs relating to the Genocide or the events of that time, the name Salih Zeki is referred to as the Monster Zeki, who firstly was holding a position in Everek in 1915 and later was the governor of Deir ez-Zor which had the largest concentration camp. According to various reports Salih Zeki organized the extermination of nearly 200.000 Armenians. The problem with Salih Zeki is that there is less information about his past and future life. When we look at the sources, it seems he appeared in 1915, did his brutal work in 1916 and disappeared, Avagyan said. Arsen Avagyan found information about Salih Zeki in the Ottoman, Russian and Georgian sources, but in the Ottoman sources there are nearly 210 officials with the same name who were in office at that time, and this in its turn confuses the researchers. Since I served twice as Armenias Permanent Representative to the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization in 2001-2005 and 2015-2019, and since my monographs and scholarly articles have been published in Turkish in Turkey, in other words I am quite known there, I was allowed to use and examine the Ottoman archive. I conducted a research in the Ottoman archive for six years and collected various kinds of archival documents. In addition, there are also very important materials about Salih Zeki in the Russian archives. I have found some materials from the Georgian archives as well because Zeki lived in Tbilisi in 1925-1933. As for the Azerbaijani archive, my Turkish historian colleagues helped and brought some materials. Salih Zeki played an important role in the establishment of Soviet rules in Azerbaijan, and this is proved by the archival documents. He has been the deputy chair of the commission for developing Azerbaijans Latin alphabet, as well as the editor-in-chief of the Azerbaijani Dai Yildiz journal and Yeni Fikir newspaper, Arsen Avagyan said. Salih Zeki played a major role in the implementation of the Armenian Genocide. He was appointed Governor of Deir ez-Zor for his cruelty and brutality. Salih Zeki was appointed Governor of Deir ez-Zor by the proposal of that time Governor of Syria Abdul Halik Renda. Moreover, Renda stated that the previous Governor of Deir ez-Zor was very compassionate towards Armenians, he didnt kill them, but even provided conditions for the displaced Armenians, but Renda said that someone is needed in order to carry out what has been planned against Armenians. Renda proposed Zekis candidacy, and the latter already had a major reputation in Everek with his cruelty. Many events in the history of the Armenian Genocide are connected with Salih Zeki, for instance a member of the Ottoman parliament Grand Murad together with his 8 friends were hanged by Zeki in Everek, as well as Zeki also exiled the family of Sargis Torosyan, a hero of Dardanelles, by violation of law, Arsen Avagyan said.vagyans research showed that Zeki has used the converted Armenians for killing Armenians. Salih Zeki was using converted Armenians for killing Armenians. He told the converted ones that they should prove their faithfulness and kill their compatriots. Zeki also collected groups from the Chechens of the region and used them for killing Armenians. There are numerous eyewitness and survivors reports which mention the name of Salih Zeki. MP of the Ottoman Parliament Emanuel Emanouilidis says he met with Salih Zeki in 1917, who told him that he regretted that he killed 60.000 Armenians, burnt children, adding that he even wanted to commit a suicide. In 1933 in his short biography written in Moscow Salih Zeki, while describing the extermination of Armenians and the mass bloody actions taking place during the deportation of Armenians, confesses that: as a Governor I bear a responsibility as I have taken part in that terrible act, the Armenian diplomat said. Salih Zeki left Turkey in 1918. In 1920 he was sentenced to death based on the decision signed by the sultan, but this decision remained on the paper and after that Zeki started his communist path where he was presented with the surname Kusharkov. Zeki became a communist, and its worth noting that he has also worked with Armenians at that time. This person cooperated with Armenian communists after killing thousands of Armenians. Moreover, Anastas Mikoyan helped Salih Zeki a lot during his communist activity, he said. Several circumstances linked with Salih Zeki contributed to his real image remain undisclosed for decades. The reports released in the Armenian media in 1918 also played a role on that. The Turkish historiography doesnt deny the existence of Salih Zeki, but there is one problem as there is no study about him in the Turkish historiography, and there is also one interesting factor that those who briefly touched upon Salih Zeki, gave a wrong surname thus contributing to the disappearance of this person from the history. The Armenian newspapers wrote that in 1918 Zeki and his assistant were arrested and then killed by the troops of the Armenian legion near Beirut. According to other reports, Zeki was arrested and killed by Armenians in Syria. But in reality he was in Istanbul at that time, but left for Baku already in late 1918. He was afraid that he would be jailed for his crimes against Armenians. And that happened, the Armenian diplomat said. Salih Zeki was also a target in operation Nemesis. Most of the people working with him knew who he was. No encroachment against him by Armenians has taken place. Salih Zeki died on November 3, 1940, at the age of 57 in Moscow. Interview by Norayr Shoghikyan Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (21) Ziguinchor, Senegal (PANA) - The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Monday donated a batch of medical equipment worth 150 million CFA francs to seven regions of Senegal, an official source told PANA here On February 6, 2020, the Securities and Exchange Commission obtained a partial consent judgment against defendant Ashik Desai, a former executive of Outcome Health, who was charged with fraud in connection with raising nearly half a billion dollars from unsuspecting investors. The SEC's amended complaint alleges that Desai, of Pennsylvania, and three other executives engaged in a fraudulent scheme in which they falsely portrayed Outcome Health as an overwhelming success to investors, clients, and auditors. As part of this scheme, Outcome Health allegedly overstated its revenue in its audited financial statements for 2015 and 2016 by millions of dollars while raising approximately $487 million from investors, who relied on the false financial statements and false representations about the company's growth. The amended complaint charges Desai and the three other Outcome Health executives with violating, as well as aiding and abetting the company's violations, of the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 10(b) of the Securities Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. Desai consented to the entry of a judgment that permanently enjoins him from violating the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b)(5) of the Exchange Act and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The judgment further provides that the amount of any civil monetary penalty will be determined by the court at a later date upon motion of the SEC. The SEC's action against the other remaining defendants continues. For additional information, see Press Release No. 2019-241, November 25, 2019. Iran Says U.S. Killing Of Soleimani Weakens Fight Against Islamic State By RFE/RL February 10, 2020 A high-ranking Iranian military commander who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last month had sought to bring stability to the Middle East, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on February 10. "Commander [Qasem] Soleimani was a man who was pursuing stability and calm in the region," Rohani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. The United States killed Major General Soleimani, who headed Iran's elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, saying that he was planning attacks on Americans. "If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other place. He never did that," Rohani said. Rohani's comments were echoed by the head of Iran's nuclear program, who said on February 10 that Soleimani's killing by the United States has weakened the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the region. Ali Akbar Salehi told a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that Soleimani's killing showed "the U.S. administration has not yet come to its senses in recognizing the realities on the ground." Salehi called Soleimani, who had a leading role in mobilizing Iraqi militias on the ground against IS, "the most instrumental element in combating [the group]." In response to Soleimani's killing, Iran launched missiles on two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. forces, without causing any fatalities. Salehi said Tehran was prepared to launch more strikes. "Be it known as my country strongly retaliated once, it will never hesitate to strike back when necessary," he said. The United States last month imposed additional sanctions on Salehi's Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and on Salehi himself, freezing any assets he had within U.S. jurisdiction. In Vienna, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said Tehran was still not offering the IAEA explanations regarding the discovery of uranium particles in a warehouse near Tehran. "We call on Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in monitoring and inspecting Iran's facilities, and in addressing all of the agency's questions," Brouillette said. With reporting by Reuters and AP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/iran-says-u-s- killing-of-soleimani-weakens-fight-against- islamic-state/30427052.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 Interest in the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerces second annual procurement opportunities event was so strong that organizers had to turn people away. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Interest in the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerces second annual procurement opportunities event was so strong that organizers had to turn people away. It may be a sign of the times that business-to-business speed-dating events like the one that will be held today at Stantecs downtown offices are now being held across the country. Its an indication that mainstream businesses are reaching out to potential Indigenous-owned suppliers in greater numbers and with heightened determination. This year, there are 31 procurement representatives and 31 businesses that self-identify as Indigenous businesses that will be participating in 15-minute matchmaking meetings. The Indigenous companies participating range from creative services, branding companies, consulting agencies, IT firms and construction companies. And whereas public-sector procurement professionals might have been the only ones who would go out of their way to apportion a certain amount of work to Indigenous companies, this year a host of private-sector companies and organizations like post-secondary institutions and Crown corporations are taking part. Darrell Brown, the chair of the Aboriginal Chamber of Commerce (ACC), said there is increasing demand from the business community to extend their supplier networks to include Indigenous business. A report that came out about a year ago spearheaded by the Southern Chiefs Organization, the Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, and the Rural Development Institute at Brandon University, showed that the greater Indigenous economy is worth about $9.3 billion annually to the province, a much larger economic force than had previously been considered. There are plenty of Indigenous companies providing all sorts of goods and services, but for mainstream companies looking to connect with them, its not always apparent who they are. "This is as much about awareness as it is actual business opportunities," Brown said. But he also knows firsthand both the opportunities and the challenges. His furniture distribution business, Kisik Inc., has been getting in on various kinds of public sector procurement set-asides for more than 15 years. But its not as if everyone is on the same page. "The lack of knowledge at the local (government) offices is sometimes frustrating because they sometimes dont know their own Indigenous procurement policies," he said. With multibillion-dollar companies like the North West Company, Babcock International and all of the post-secondary institutions sending representatives to the event today, Indigenous businesses now dont have to think they have to count on government work to get a leg up. For instance, the University of Manitoba is starting an Indigenous procurement program and Monique Whitehill, a procurement manager at the university, said shes glad to have the chance to start taking the steps to create pathways to Indigenous achievement and economic reconciliation. "The university has done a lot regarding Indigenous student achievement but we are also recognizing economic reconciliation is important as well," she said. "We are like a small city. We buy so many things. We are looking to find matches, to learn about Indigenous suppliers we dont even know about and to find partnerships and ways to work together." Among other things, one of the reasons those potential partnerships are undiscovered is that Indigenous-owned businesses do not always declare themselves as such. For instance, Christian Clavelle has been building his business, Canadian First-Aid Training, for close to 15 years without playing the Metis card, even though he has always been proud of his Metis heritage. Clavelle will participate in the event and is scheduled to speak to participants. He does not make a point of declaring the companys Metis roots, but is happy to have the chance to investigate some of the procurement opportunities that Indigenous companies might be able to take advantage of. 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 entire reconciliation process that is on-going is driving more decisions this way and there is an importance tied to it," he said. But he is quick to point out that he has no misconceptions about what the expectations are. "There are no free rides," he said. "I have worked hard for every single ounce of success weve had." He said even if there is more willingness from businesses to establish partnerships with Indigenous suppliers, there are responsibilities attached to that. "There are good businesses and bad businesses regardless of what background they have," he said. martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca As trends indicate an easy return to power for the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi, former Janata Dal-United vice-president, Prashant Kishor, thanked the people for "standing up to protect" the country's soul. Photograph: ANI/Twitter "Thank you, Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India!" Kishor's tweeted. Kishor was expelled from the JD-U, a short while ahead of the Delhi assembly elections, following a tiff with party chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over the Citizenship Amendment Act. While JD-U MPs and Nitish Kumar had sided with the BJP, Kishor had expressed his dissatisfaction with the party's decision on the topic. JD-U had also participated in the Delhi polls, with its candidates contesting on three seats alongside BJP. None of them, however, have been able to take the lead as the counting process enters the mid-rounds. Kishor had on January 30 said that he will announce his future plans post the outcome of Delhi elections. "I will formally speak about my plans for the future on February 11 in Patna (Bihar). Until then I am not speaking to anyone," Kishor said. JD-U sacked Kishor along with Pavan Varma for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities. [car groaning] lisa lerer Do do you think thats the brakes? clare toeniskoetter I think so. lisa lerer Should we not take this car? [LAUGHING] It seems slightly concerning. [car groaning] jessica cheung Oh. clare toeniskoetter Weve gone this far. lisa lerer OK, well. You know. jessica cheung You know. archived recording 1 Heres your Accuweather forecast. A winter weather advisory in effect today. Clouds and some snow, sleet and archived recording 2 And were just a few short days away from the primary in New Hampshire. We are flooded with presidential candidates. And archived recording 3 If it wasnt already, the ground is cracking underneath Iowa in terms of being the first caucus in the nation. archived recording 4 So many things to interpret. We dont even have a headline. archived recording 5 We dont. And its unclear, actually, when we will get these results. archived recording 6 Everybodys working really hard, and voters show up and expect to have their vote counted. archived recording 7 I mean, I dont care for the caucus situation one bit. archived recording 8 Ive always maintained that the New Hampshire primary is a far better way to determine how people feel about the race. Its a direct vote. clare toeniskoetter Theres a Tulsi sign. jessica cheung This is a nice neighborhood. clare toeniskoetter Theyre cute houses. jessica cheung Yeah, they look like dollhouses. lisa lerer Well, theyre very, like, colonial. gps voice Your destination is on the right. lisa lerer So thats probably oh, this is 11. Oh, it looks nice. [knocking on door] speaker Hi. jessica cheung Hi. Were from The New York Times. Im here to meet Atlan Schmidt. woman Yes, he lives next door. jessica cheung He lives next door! OK, so sorry. interposing voices So sorry. Sorry to bother you. lisa lerer So sorry. jessica cheung Sorry to bother you. speaker No problem. Bye bye. clare toeniskoetter Bye. lisa lerer Oops. Wasnt it 11? laughter lisa lerer From The New York Times, this is The Field. Im Lisa Lerer in New Hampshire. atlan schmidt Youre in the right place. interposing voices Hello! Sorry. clare toeniskoetter Did you see us go to the wrong place? atlan schmidt No, I didnt. But a lot of people have a lot of trouble navigating this neighborhood. clare toeniskoetter We went to your neighbors. atlan schmidt Come on. Come on in out of the rain. interposing voices Thank you. atlan schmidt Sure. lisa lerer So last week, after a chaotic few days in Iowa, I flew up to New Hampshire on Wednesday night, where I met up with Daily producers Clare Toeniskoetter and Jessica Cheung. jessica cheung Do you want us to take off our shoes? lisa lerer And the race there seemed less agonized than it had in Iowa. For months, Bernie Sanders had been way out in front, with everybody else Joe Biden, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, Amy Klobuchar and the rest of the field trailing far behind. atlan schmidt Want to sit down, or how do you wanna work this? lisa lerer Thats not especially surprising. New Hampshire is a state where independents are allowed to vote in the party primaries. So thats a group that should like him. On top of it, hes the senator from the neighboring state, Vermont, so a lot of people here have known him on a first name basis for decades. atlan schmidt Oh, my name is Atlan Schmidt. Im a software engineer, and Ive been in New Hampshire since 1978. lisa lerer When did you first, first learn about Bernie Sanders? atlan schmidt My family vacationed in Vermont two weeks every year for a long time, and I carried on that tradition for a long time as well. So even back when Bernie was the mayor, I started to know just the name. But when he was the congressman in Vermont, I actually started to follow him. And then he became the senator. I did make a stop up his senatorial campaign office, made a donation and got the senatorial t-shirts. lisa lerer Do you still have the shirt? atlan schmidt Oh, yeah. Oh, I still have the shirt. I really wanted to show my support for the guy and encourage him in his future endeavors. Which turned out to be pretty big. archived recording (bernie sanders) Today, I am proud to announce my candidacy for president of the United States of America. [CHEERING] lisa lerer So in 2015, when Sanders announced he was going to run for president against Hillary Clinton, he finds a lot of support in New Hampshire. atlan schmidt And as we got closer to the primary in New Hampshire, we were doing honk and waves continuously. Every Saturday morning, the Bernie team was out. And the response just got better and better and better as the weeks went by. lisa lerer Even when Hillary Clinton was presumed to be the nominee, even after she narrowly won the Iowa caucuses, Atlan says he could still feel the wave building. atlan schmidt To the point where a really noticeable fraction of the people going by were responding positively to us. So we were very confident in 2016 that things were going to go well. And it did work out that way. archived recording 1 Breaking news. NBC News projects Bernie Sanders has won the New Hampshire Democratic primary, defeating Hillary Clinton. archived recording 2 Bernie Sanders crushes Hillary Clinton in New Hampshire. archived recording 3 This is a shellacking or more. Its a total rout if you look at the state of New Hampshire. 60 percent for Bernie Sanders, Hillary Clinton at 39 percent. archived recording 4 (CHANTING) Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie, Bernie. archived recording (bernie sanders) Thank you, New Hampshire. And now its on to Nevada, South Carolina and beyond. [CHEERING] lisa lerer What do you think New Hampshire liked about him so much? atlan schmidt I think the fact that he speaks his mind very plainly. Were pretty plainspoken here in New Hampshire. I think the things he was advocating were, even back then, things people were feeling the need for. People very much wanted change. My wife, as a state rep, went door to door and a lot of Republicans told her they wanted change. They would have liked the good change that Bernie Sanders could have brought. But if they couldnt get that, they were going to get change anyway. What they ended up doing, of course, is they ended up voting for Trump. And I think those people are still out there, and they still want change. And they want good change. Theyre not happy with what they got. jessica cheung Were in we noticed in our drive up here that were in a really beautiful, picturesque neighborhood. And were in a very beautiful house, and youre a software engineer. And I wonder why someone like you would want a burn-it-down candidate. atlan schmidt Because even though I have a nice job right now, I was laid off from my last job when my job went to Costa Rica. They had me train up my replacements from Costa Rica and then said, thanks, we dont need you anymore. I would like to see a sustainable economy in this country. Im getting to retirement age. Id like to see the opportunity to retire, perhaps with health care, which I wont have otherwise. My life would be better, I think, if President Sanders were running the joint. lisa lerer You think so you think hes going to win here? atlan schmidt I think hes going to win here in New Hampshire, yes. I think he will win a plurality. And I think itll be a comfortable plurality. lisa lerer So with days left before the primary, Sanderss base of support felt pretty secure here in New Hampshire. Our question was, what about the rest of the candidates? Because what we had just seen in Iowa was that Sanders support had been pretty secure there, too. And so, for the most part, the more moderate candidates had been competing with one another for a share of the same group of indecisive voters, voters who were trying to decide which candidate could best beat Donald Trump, and who didnt think that person was Bernie Sanders. And that vote fragmented. The preliminary results from Iowa were showing Sanders and Buttigieg basically neck-and-neck. Warren was in third, and Biden was a very disappointing fourth. But New Hampshire prides itself on being contrary and ignoring the results of Iowa. So we wondered if those voters in New Hampshire who dont support Sanders, if they might start to come together around someone else. clare toeniskoetter Live free or die. Are you guys voting in the primaries? speaker 1 Oh, yeah. speaker 2 Yeah. lisa lerer So you guys hear whats happening in Iowa? speaker 1 Yeah. Bo booty egg, right? Buttigieg speaker 2 Bernie won the caucus, no? speaker 1 No, it was Boot egg. Booty-egg, [laughing] speaker 1 Doesnt Iowa always mess up? [music] lisa lerer Does New Hampshire do it better? interposing voices Absolutely. I would say so. I would definitely. lisa lerer Have you followed whats happened in Iowa? speaker 3 What happened in Iowa? No one knows. [CHUCKLING] speaker 4 I think I was up until 4 oclock in the morning the other night, just thinking it cant last any longer. Cant possibly last anymore. lisa lerer Do you think somebody came out of there looking like a winner? speaker 5 Looks like Bernie and Pete Buttigieg are speaker 6 But thats Iowa. Who cares, right? [laughter] speaker 7 Iowas job is to cull the field. And they didnt do that. They failed, right? I think Michael Bloomberg looks like a political genius at this point for avoiding Iowa. lisa lerer So what do you guys think about Iowa? speaker 8 Uh. speaker 9 Uh. speaker 8 Um, uh, Iowa is just a big clare toeniskoetter Poop. lisa lerer Haha. That might be the quote of the episode. [music] lisa lerer What do you make of Iowa? You think it how do you think that changes the dynamic here? speaker 10 New Hampshire voters are very independent. The results of Iowa really arent going to impact how New Hampshire votes. speaker 11 Oh, good lord, no. Theyre in another country. You need a passport to go to Iowa from New Hampshire. speaker 12 Um, depending on the result, it might, it might. I dont know. Just maybe seeing what those people think could influence what Im thinking as well. speaker 13 I dont know. I think it was interesting. I dont think people expected Joe Biden to do as poorly as he did. lisa lerer Does that change how you view him? speaker 13 No, I dont think so. But I think it might other people, yeah. lisa lerer Are you into him? speaker 13 Id say like 50 percent. lisa lerer And whos the other 50? speaker 13 Probably Mayor Pete. Yeah, yeah. lisa lerer But you dont think the fact that Pete did well and Biden did poorly impacts how you now make your decision? Because I assume you want electability as a thing, like you want speaker 13 Yeah, no, I think I would it swayed me a little bit more towards Mayor Pete. lisa lerer That makes sense. speaker 13 Just seeing the results there, yeah. Yeah. lisa lerer So on Thursday afternoon, three days after the Iowa caucuses, with still no winner called clare toeniskoetter OK, its 3:15 on Thursday. Were at this Pete Buttigieg rally. And they wont let us in, because its at capacity. lisa lerer We shop at an American Legion hall in Merrimack, and the room is already overflowing. clare toeniskoetter Im standing on the stairs trying to get around, and I can see about 40 people just outside, also trying to get in. lisa lerer And actually, before he goes onstage archived recording (pete buttigieg) We are taking no vote for granted. Obviously, we feel a lot of momentum coming here, but I know how New Hampshire doesnt is never told what to do. Folks here think for themselves. lisa lerer Buttigieg comes outside and gives a little speech to everyone waiting outside in the freezing rain. pete buttigieg So if youre here as a supporter, thank you so much for that, and please continue to spread the word. If youre here to make up your mind, please stay tuned. Well continue to be doing events all through the state and hope to earn that support as we go into Tuesday. Thanks so much again. I appreciate your patience. crowd (CHEERING) Doing a great job. All right, great job! lisa lerer And after about 45 minutes of standing around applause lisa lerer were able to talk our way inside. dave hennessey To do what he just did, taking questions like that off the cuff lisa lerer And we meet this guy named Dave Hennessey, whose wife he calls her the boss had just wandered away. dave hennessey Shes going to decide for me tonight, probably, I think. I think she clare toeniskoetter Is this your wife? dave hennessey Yeah, thats my wife. Ive been torn between Biden and Pete. And I love Joe, and when Im looking at him, my big reason for leaning towards Joe is Im dead sure he can beat Trump. Hes convincing me that he can, too. lisa lerer He means Buttigieg. lisa lerer And thats because of Iowa? dave hennessey Iowas was part of it. But the fact that he can think, and Ive seen it before, Ive seen him doing this before, being able to talk the way he does so quickly, so fast. Hell kill Trump in a debate. Absolutely wipe him out. lisa lerer The fact that Pete seems like the winner there we dont know or he did well, is compelling to you. dave hennessey It is compelling. I mean, lets put the elephant in the room on the table. The fact is, though, there are bigots out there. That moron woman out in Im sorry, I shouldnt say but the woman out in Iowa who just discovered Pete was gay, and then said she wouldnt vote for him because the Bible wouldnt allow it. I mean, there are people like that. Even today, in 2020. I think its a problem. I hope to God that that kind of thinking isnt so widespread that it would cost him the election. But it worries me, because we gotta get Trump out of there. clare toeniskoetter Dave, are you worried about the moderate vote being split between Biden and Buttigieg? dave hennessey To be honest, no. Everybody I think most people have the same opinion I have would vote for a rock over Trump. So whoever wins, ultimately, the nominee is going to be anti-Trump. And I think thats priority one, two, three, four, etc. We gotta beat this guy. Hes a disgrace. Hes awful. All my friends, a lot of my friends who are Republicans are not going to vote for Trump. But Im afraid they may sit out. lisa lerer As were talking, Daves wife returns. lisa lerer All right, so the boss is back. alicia hennessey Hi. lisa lerer What do you think? Are you decided? Are you alicia hennessey I like Pete. I think Im going to go with Pete. lisa lerer So youre going to sell him on it. alicia hennessey Might split the vote. dave hennessey Weve done that before, but alicia hennessey I mean, I like Joe, too. But hes just got so much energy. lisa lerer Again, by he, she means Buttigieg. dave hennessey To be clear, we both like Amy. We like Amy a lot. lisa lerer So why not go with Amy? dave hennessey Um. alicia hennessey Theyre both from the Midwest. dave hennessey Yeah, youre talking Midwest, and I think Pete just got and I dont want to lose her out of the Senate, to be honest. I mean, as close as it is, I think shes got to stay in the Senate. lisa lerer Youll notice this is not an entirely satisfying answer. Having now talked to a ton of voters, it feels like theres this thing going on, where a lot of people personally really like Amy Klobuchar, but they sort of assume not enough other people really like Amy Klobuchar. And then we try a version of the moderate question again. jessica cheung Do you think that its more suitable for a moderate, like a Biden or a Pete or a Klobuchar, to go toe-to-toe with Trump? Or do you think a progressive like Bernie Sanders is well suited to go toe-to-toe with Trump? dave hennessey I think its valid, but Im not for Bernie. I know Bernie, I think, pretty well out of Burlington, back when he was mayor of Burlington. Socialism doesnt scare me and all that. I just dont think he can get his programs through Congress. I dont think he can do it. clare toeniskoetter But, are you worried that with the moderate vote being split between Pete Buttigieg and Joe Biden, that that fracturing will mean that Sanders ends up winning the nomination? dave hennessey I dont hear it. Everybody I talk to is saying the same thing. I may be for Bernie, I may be for this and that, but Ill support anybody who is the nominee for the Democratic Party to beat Trump. Thats what I hear. clare toeniskoetter Youre not worried that like you two said that youre going to cancel each other out? So if you vote Biden dave hennessey But see, I dont think the lisa lerer At the Buttigieg rally, at least, this is not proving to be a fruitful line of questioning. Its clear Buttigiegs performance in Iowa is having an influence on some moderate New Hampshire Democrats. Hes got momentum. But the sort of calculation were wondering about, people dont even seem to process the question were asking them. Its so far outside the way they actually seem to be thinking. So we pack up and head to an Elizabeth Warren rally. jessica cheung It is so cold! lisa lerer Warren seems to be in this funny no mans land here in New Hampshire. On the one hand, shes competing with liberal voters for Sanders, but they dont see her as authentic of a liberal choice. But on the other hand, more moderate voters see her big liberal policies as far too damaging to go up in a general election against Donald Trump. mary bishop Im a New Hampshire voter. I have no idea who Im voting for. nancy Me neither. lisa lerer Youre both totally undecided? nancy Totally. mary bishop Totally. Thats why were here. lisa lerer Yeah, youve got to listen. lisa lerer So you find a lot of undecided people at Warrens events, trying to figure out what exactly they think. mary and nancy Were sisters. lisa lerer Oh, youre sisters! mary bishop Yeah. You couldnt tell. lisa lerer No, now I see it. its in the eyes. Its in the eyes. Yeah. sue Im the friend of the sisters. interposing voices And shes the friend of the sisters. lisa lerer And we meet these sisters, Mary and Nancy, with their friend Sue. Theyre all retired, and theyre all really conflicted about what they think about the race. mary bishop Absolutely. And Im very concerned, because there are so many Democratic candidates, that the vote is going to be split and Trump is going to get in again. I mean, you cant have all of those all of the candidates, to me, have good things and bad things about what they want. lisa lerer Right. mary bishop But when youve got five people actually, theres more, but lisa lerer Yeah, five main ones. mary bishop Right. I think the vote is going to be just so split that Trumps going to get in again. lisa lerer So first were thinking, OK, here you go. This is the fractured vote thing. lisa lerer So do you have any preference among those five? mary bishop Oh, I knew you were going to say that. I knew you were. And frankly, I dont. I like Buttigieg. But sometimes I think hes so young. Hes very bright, but hes so young, Im not sure if experience is what I mean, look, Trump had no experience at all, but And who else? Bernie, I dont know. I dont hes got a good attitude, but Im just not certain about his policies. lisa lerer So do you think the party needs to unify around someone? mary bishop Yes, absolutely. lisa lerer Its just who do you do? mary bishop Well, yes. So Ill wait till New Hampshire and see what they say, and Ill go from there. lisa lerer But youre voting in New Hampshire on Tuesday? mary bishop Oh, yes. Oh, absolutely. lisa lerer And you? Are you? nancy Im undecided. lisa lerer Youre undecided? Everyones undecided! nancy I have preferences. I like Elizabeths energy. But then again, the fact that Bernie got such a jump said, well, maybe he has more support. Maybe he could beat Trump. So I said, well, maybe hes better to go with rather than Elizabeth, because he did do so well in Iowa. lisa lerer But then we realized, mmm, not quite. There considering Sanders as one of their choices. nancy And then I wouldnt I still dont think Petes the one. So even though he did well Im glad he did well. lisa lerer So Jess circles back more directly to our favorite question. jessica cheung One question for you. The question is, do you think that Bernie did really well in Iowa as a result of maybe more moderate candidates splitting up the vote among all the other candidates? nancy Hmm. Oh, that the rest of the vote was divided and so Bernie came out on top. jessica cheung The more moderate voters. nancy Yeah. clare toeniskoetter Because you mentioned that you were worried about fragmentation. Is that something that worries you? nancy Yes, yeah. I never thought about that before. It never occurred to me. I understood, I was thinking like, whos going to be the moderate versus the progressive and whos going to take the lead in that, that duel. But um, but I dont lisa lerer Again, no. nancy I might, if I vote for a moderate, I could possibly vote for Amy. lisa lerer New Hampshire Democrats, like Iowa Democrats, are just looking for a winning candidate. New Hampshire just has a little bit more evidence to go on, because they go second. nancy Ive excluded Biden. lisa lerer Why? nancy Um, too old, too out of touch. He is embarrassing. He was very good on CNN last night. He had a town hall. I thought he did very well. But I dont think hes hes just too old. And mary bishop Look at the age of these Hes too old! and were like, Were too old for them to be asking us questions! [LAUGHS] lisa lerer So on Saturday morning, we woke up to a state that looked undeniably aware of what had happened in Iowa. A new poll had just been released that showed Buttigieg surging in New Hampshire and actually polling one point higher than Sanders, at 25 percent. Meanwhile, Biden had plummeted to 11 percent. And at the debate in Manchester the night before archived recording (bernie sanders) Unlike some of the folks up here, I dont have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign [APPLAUSE]. Coming from the pharmaceutical industry lisa lerer Sanders went after Buttigieg. archived recording (pete buttigieg) We need that kind of unification when our nominee is dividing people with a politics that says if you dont go all the way to the edge, it doesnt count. A politics that says its my way or the highway. archived recording (george stephanopoulos) Are you talking about Senator Sanders? archived recording (pete buttigieg) Yes. lisa lerer Buttigieg went after Sanders. archived recording (amy klobuchar) We have a newcomer in the White House, and look where it got us. I think having some experience is a good thing. archived recording (linsey davis) Senator Warren, is that a substantial answer from Mayor Buttigieg? archived recording (elizabeth warren) No. [APPLAUSE] lisa lerer Everyone went after both of them. archived recording (george stephanopoulos) Candidates, welcome. Vice President Biden, the first question is for you. In the last few days, youve been saying the Democrats would be taking too big a risk if they nominate Senator Sanders or Mayor Buttigieg. But they came out on top in Iowa. What risks did the Iowa Democrats miss? lisa lerer And Biden had opened the event by acknowledging the results of Iowa archived recording (joe biden) This is a long race. I took a hit in Iowa, and Ill probably take a hit here. Traditionally, Bernie won by 20 points last time. lisa lerer and basically trying to lower expectations in New Hampshire. archived recording (joe biden) Ive always viewed the first four encounters, two primaries and two caucuses, as the starting point. And so thats how I do it. archived recording (george stephanopoulos) By why are Senator Sanders and Mayor Buttigieg lisa lerer On our way out of the hotel lisa lerer Hello. alex burns Hello. interposing voices Hi. alex burns How you doing? lisa lerer Good morning. lisa lerer We bumped into our colleague, Alex Burns. lisa lerer How are you? alex burns Good. How are you? lisa lerer Enjoying New Hampshire? alex burns I have barely left this hotel. lisa lerer Really? alex burns Yeah. lisa lerer Who, as usual, was thinking smart thoughts after watching Biden debate the night before. alex burns This is actually one of the issues for Biden, if he does poorly in New Hampshire, right? That the process in Iowa is so screwed up, even on a good day, that a candidate who loses Iowa can say, OK, thats not representative of literally anything, right? And theyve got a pretty good case to make. New Hampshire, its not the most diverse state. Its not a state that terribly well represents the national Democratic coalition. It is a primary election, right? And it is a pretty straightforward process. You cant say this is this arcane set of hoops that voters need to jump through. So if you do end up with reasonable turnout here, and Biden gets clobbered again, I dont know that you can write off a second consecutive just really limp finish. lisa lerer Not only is New Hampshire harder to explain away. Biden is the candidate whose entire candidacy is staked on being the electable one. alex burns The bigger picture, right, is that he came into this race as the favorite to win the nomination. He was the front-runner nationally, and he was the front runner in these early states, right? Whatever his campaign is saying now about, you know, never thinking they could win New Hampshire or Iowa is always going to be very tough, he was leading in the polls in these states when he actually announced his campaign. And this is a guy who has presented himself as the one sure bet to win the general election. And his one outcome so far has been a loss, and a pretty embarrassing loss. And by all accounts, from his own team, theyre expecting another loss on Tuesday. lisa lerer Well, Im going to head out and see Biden today, so well see whether anyone shows up. Im Lerer. Its possible I didnt R.S.V.P. speaker OK. No, you did. lisa lerer Oh, awesome. Good, look at me. lisa lerer So across town lisa lerer OK, so Im at this Biden event. Its in a small theater right in downtown Manchester. He got a pretty good crowd. lisa lerer the turnout was better than we expected. lisa lerer All the way, the balcony is full. Theyre filled the space. Theyre even sitting on the stage in front of a sign that says soul of the nation, which of course is a Biden slogan. So lets see how it goes. Im going to try to find some people to talk to. Hey. Hi, sorry to bother you guys. My names Lisa Lerer. Im from The New York Times. Are you guys New Hampshire voters? interposing voices No, sorry. lisa lerer Oh, where are you from? interposing voices Rhode Island. lisa lerer Oh, cool. All right. Ill keep going. speaker 1 OK. lisa lerer Nice to meet you. lisa lerer But then I started walking around. lisa lerer You live in New Hampshire now? speaker 2 No, no, Long Island. lisa lerer Youre in Long Island, OK. speaker 3 Good luck finding a resident. interposing voices Right. [LAUGHTER] lisa lerer Where are you from? speaker 4 Boston. lisa lerer Youre from Boston. And you? speaker 5 New York. lisa lerer New York. speaker 6 New York. Michigan. lisa lerer New York. Michigan, you win! [music] lisa lerer Where are you from? speaker 7 D.C. speaker 8 California. lisa lerer California! speaker 9 Im from Canada. lisa lerer Oh, youre from Canada. Are you from New Hampshire? No. speaker 10 Im from New York. lisa lerer Oh, youre from New York. speaker 11 Jersey, Massachusetts. lisa lerer So what are you doing up here? interposing voices Checking it out. Political tourism. Checking it out. speaker 11 As a Times journalist, how do you account for all of us here and no New Hampshirites? speaker 12 This is not good. This is not good. lisa lerer Do you guys are you Biden fans? speaker 11 No, were trying to do an energy check on Joe. And its not looking good. lisa lerer Are you New Hampshire voters? speaker 13 No. speaker 14 No, were from Rhode Island. lisa lerer Oh. speaker 14 These are also from Rhode Island. speaker 13 Theyre all Rhode Islanders. lisa lerer All five of you? speaker 13 Yeah, were all together. speaker 14 The girl with the green sweater, the lady after her may be from New Hampshire. lisa lerer Hi, Im so sorry to bother you. My names Lisa Lerer. Im a reporter with The New York Times. Are you a New Hampshire voter? speaker 15 Yes. lisa lerer Oh, great. Youre the only one in this entire row. speaker 15 Are you serious? Wow. lisa lerer Yeah, Im serious. Have you seen Biden before? speaker 15 Yes, I did. I think he would be an extremely capable leader, yes. lisa lerer And have you seen Pete? speaker 15 Yes, I have. lisa lerer Thoughts? speaker 15 I think hes perfectly capable, too. Ive seen Amy Klobuchar also. speaker 16 I have a more severe approach. Ill drop a candidate if they dont have their act together. lisa lerer Do you think Biden has his act together? speaker 16 No, not at present. We both like Joe a lot, but thats not where were going at the present time. lisa lerer Where are you going? speaker 16 Im going with Bloomberg. Sorry my wife is going with Bloomberg. Im going with Buttigieg. lisa lerer OK, cool. speaker 16 Yeah. lisa lerer All right, well, thank you guys. Enjoy it. speaker 16 Yeah, yeah. speaker 17 Good luck, sweetheart. Half of this crowd out here is from someplace else. lisa lerer I have been I have found two New Hampshire voters so far. lisa lerer It turns out, in a year where everybody wants to elect a winner, looking like a winner by winning some states really, really matters. And thats why Iowa, despite all the chaos, despite all the confusion, is just deeply in the brains of people in New Hampshire. [music] michael barbaro On Monday, in their final push across New Hampshire ahead of todays primary vote, the Democratic candidates, especially the two leading candidates, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg, made the case that the others message was a losing one. archived recording (pete buttigieg) Knowing how much depends on bringing Americans together, we cannot risk alienating Americans at this critical moment. And thats where I part ways with my friend, Senator Sanders. michael barbaro While the Trump administration's proposed NASA budget for 2021 includes a big boost for human spaceflight, it also would boost funding for the agency's aeronautics division Included in the $25.2 billion budget request for NASA is $819 million for aeronautics research, up from $783 million in 2020. One of NASA's chief aeronautics programs is the experimental X-59 supersonic aircraft being built by Lockheed Martin to pioneer quieter sonic booms for commercial travel. NASA's budget documents released to date did not include the exact funding for the new jet, but the project is vital for the agency's aeronautics division. "In aeronautics, the budget backs all our cutting-edge research on commercial use of supersonic aircraft, all-electric airplanes, and development of an unmanned aerial system that will make flying small drones safer and more efficient in the 21st century," NASA chief Jim Bridenstine said in a statement Monday (Feb. 10) as the budget was unveiled. In the request, the agency continues its funding for the plane, dubbed the X-59 QueSST, for "Quiet Supersonic Transport," an experimental aircraft that is being designed and built to travel faster than the speed of sound while only creating "low booms," or ultra-quiet sonic booms. The X-plane is expected to make its debut flight in 2022. Related: Supersonic! The 10 Fastest Military Airplanes The proposed budget "completes fabrication and testing of the Low Boom Flight Demonstrator in anticipation of its first flight in 2022, which will demonstrate quiet supersonic flight and pave the way for eventual over-land commercial supersonic flight," according to a NASA fact sheet. Lockheed Martin is confident that they will be able to build the plane by the end of 2020, a representative from the company told Space.com . Lockheed is still working towards flying the experimental plane for the first time in 2021, while NASA's budget request states that the plane will make its first low-boom flight in Jan. 2022. "We are still on track for first flight in 2021," Craig Nickol, NASA's Low Boom Flight Demonstrator project manager, told Space.com in an email. "NASA's first flight commitment date to external stakeholders is in early 2022, which includes schedule reserves, but we are still pursuing our work-to date in 2021." A representative from Lockheed Martin explained to Space.com that, following the completion of the high-speed plane, the company will turn the plane over to NASA, who will complete a phase of testing to ensure everything is working correctly. After testing, NASA plans to test-fly the plane over selected regions to gauge the public's reaction to the sonic booms, which will ideally be as quiet as a sonic boom from an ultrafast experimental plane can be. In addition to funding X-59 QueSST, the budget request also proposes increased funding "for investments in ultra-fast hypersonic flight, hybrid-electric jet engine systems that could power future passenger airliners, and research on the safe integration of remotely-piloted aircraft into U.S. airspace." In the request, the agency explicitly states that they are proposing funding not only for the plane, but additionally for "Research to make air travel faster and cheaper and safely integrate drones into the nations airspace," NASA writes in the request. The budget also cites its support of aeronautics research "that contributes to the Nation's technological leadership and supports high-quality jobs." Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Hawaiian coast guards on Sunday have suspended the two-days-search for a Swedish woman who was washed out by an unexpected swell in Oahu on Friday and who vanished after being overwhelmed by a large wave. This incident is tragic and unfortunate. The decision to suspend an active search is always a difficult one, Lieutenant Commander Brock Blaisdell of the Coast Guard Sector Honolulu said. It is a decision based on survivability factors, and time always works against us. Our deepest condolences go out to the Wanerskog family and Hannas friends, Khon2 reported. Hanna Wanerskog, a 20-year-old intern from Sweden working for a nonprofit called Surfing the Nations, was last seen alive on Friday evening at about 6:30 at the northern Oahu Waimea beach. She was at the beach here, close to the rocks, in about ankle-deep water when a swell came in and knocked her and her friends over. Unfortunately, she was swept out, Sr. Chief Petty Officer Jason Bryant of the U.S. Coast Guard told the news station. She was last seen attempting to swim back in, but then a wave overcame her, and that was the time she was last seen, Bryant said. Wanerskog was attending a birthday party of one of her colleagues at the time when she and two friends entered the water. We likely wouldnt have been doing this rescue if it had happened during lifeguard hours. They would have seen her and gotten her out. This is exactly why we need to extend lifeguard hours, Honolulu Emergency Services Department spokeswoman Shayne Enright said to Star-Advertiser. Surveillance camera footage shows how her two friends, who were with her at the time, were equally washed off their feet by the big swell but managed to gain a foothold and crawl back on land. But their friend Wanerskog, who is described by her friends as fearless, strong, determined, and brave, never returned. Emergency services were called in at 7:00 p.m. and the Coast Guard about half an hour later. An extensive search ensued that spanned across the weekend involving drones, jetski, cutters, a helicopter, but the search was considerably impeded by the heavy weather and sea conditions. We do have surf in the 12-15 foot Hawaiian range, Lt. Kerry Atwood, Honolulu Ocean Safety, told Khon2. It doesnt look as big as it really is due to the strong north winds that are kind of beating down the surf, making a rescue effort very difficult today. Weve also had a lot of rain, and our water clarity is very poor due to all the runoff. All we can do is hope and pray. We also want the community to pray, Logan Jacobs, a leading member of Surfing the Nations, said, according to the Star-Advertiser. The mood is pretty somber. (The Surfing the Nations interns) are going through a lot of trauma right now, and there are grief counselors on site. Shes got family on the other side of the world who are grieving, too. Dubai Business Events (DBE), the citys official convention bureau, recorded a total of 301 successful bids for meetings, conferences and incentives in 2019. Set to attract an expected 150,095 delegates to Dubai over the coming years, the winning bids will deliver approximately 620,000 room nights for the city and, added to wins from previous years, means the total expected hotel room night pipeline stood at 1,031,060 at the start of 2020. The citys convention bureau also witnessed steady growth of its Al Safeer Congress Ambassadors Programme, with 342 active ambassadors in 2019, up from 316 ambassadors in 2018. DBE submitted a total of 595 bids in 2019, marking an increase of close to 7 per cent in comparison to 2018, making it the bureaus most active year in terms of bid submissions. This reflected an uplift in the number of events identified in partnership with local associations, businesses and other stakeholders, and the increasing confidence in the citys ability to host them, taking advantage of Dubais strong infrastructure, ease of connectivity, world-class hotels and state-of-the-art venues. Issam Kazim, chief executive officer of Dubai Corporation for Tourism and Commerce Marketing, said: Last year was a significant one for Dubai Business Events, and the successful bid wins are a testament to the citys rapid growth as a leading business and knowledge hub. We would like to thank our partners and stakeholders for their unwavering support in driving the contribution of business events to achieving our overall tourism ambition. With Expo 2020 Dubai approaching, this is set to be a landmark year for the city, providing an unrivalled opportunity to further demonstrate the citys ability to host successful and impactful events of all sizes. Our aim is to build on the momentum we have already gathered and continue to partner with stakeholders and business events professionals globally to pursue opportunities to bid for and secure key events for the city." DBEs notable wins in 2019 included: the Million Dollar Round Table Global Conference set to take place in 2020 with a total of 10,000 delegates in attendance, the 45th World Hospital Congress taking place in 2021 with 1,100 delegates in attendance, and the Geospatial Week being hosted in 2021 which is set to attract 1,500 delegates. Additionally, the citys official convention bureau secured the Asian Congress of Emergency Medicine set to take place in 2025, welcoming 1,300 delegates, as well as the International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property World Congress in 2025, that will bring 1,300 delegates to Dubai. Major incentive travel programmes secured in 2019 included: the Amway Europe Annual Incentive with 3,200 delegates expected, the Sun Hope International Annual Incentive with 2,000 delegates in attendance, and the SAS EMEA Sales Kick Off, which is set to welcome 1,300 delegates, all taking place this year. DBE also won the Amway China Leadership Seminar, which saw 8,000 delegates gather in Dubai last month, and the Enersys Phoenix XL Annual Incentive that is set to welcome 1,000 delegates in 2021. Steen Jakobsen, assistant vice president of Dubai Business Events, said: Dubai has grown from strength to strength each year to emerge as a premier destination for business events. The bid wins secured in 2019 are testament to the citys status as a global knowledge hub and the strong events infrastructure that enables it to attract and host a diverse range of meetings, conferences and incentive travel programmes. To build on this momentum, we are looking forward to hosting a number of in-depth study missions and sales missions over the course of 2020, providing DBE and our stakeholders the opportunity to engage with meeting planners in both their home markets and here in Dubai. Our network of global offices will continue to maintain year-round contact with planners around the world and we will also showcase the citys offerings at major trade shows including IMEX, The Meetings Show, IMEX America and IBTM World. - TradeArabia News Service Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:22:16|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close A voter (3rd R) leaves after casting his ballot during the New Hampshire primary of the 2020 U.S. presidential election in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, the United States, on Feb. 11, 2020. The New Hampshire primary of the 2020 U.S. presidential election began on Tuesday, with the first group of voters casting ballots in several small towns. (Xinhua/Liu Jie) DIXVILLE NOTCH, the United States, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The New Hampshire primary of the 2020 U.S. presidential election began on Tuesday, with the first group of voters casting ballots in several small towns. In Dixville Notch, a northern New Hampshire town close to the Canadian border, all of its five voters showed up at a polling station fully packed with reporters. Hart's Location and Millsfield are two other midnight voting places in New Hampshire, traditionally the first U.S. state to vote in the primary election, while other polling locations will be open hours later on Tuesday. "Midnight voting in New Hampshire, along with New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation status, basically becomes the starting gun for the race," Tom Tillotson, Dixville Notch's election moderator, told Xinhua. Sitting President Donald Trump held a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire Monday evening. Most Democratic presidential contenders are also in the Granite State to make a final push to appeal to voters. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is not competing in the early-voting states, including New Hampshire, received three write-in votes, one from a Republican and two from Democrats at that station, according to an official tally. The remaining votes went to former Mayor of South Bend, Indiana Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders. In 2016, Trump won New Hampshire's GOP primary, although he lost the state to then his Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, in that November by a 0.4-percent margin. According to a tracking poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire for CNN, Sanders is leading the Democratic field in the Granite State with 28 percent support, followed by Buttigieg with 21 percent. Former U.S. Vice President Joe Biden lands 12 percent, Senator Elizabeth Warren 9 percent, Senator Amy Klobuchar 6 percent, U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard 5 percent and tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang 4 percent. New Delhi, Feb 11 : Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said the party's landslide victory in the capital was a blessing of Lord Hanuman. Kejriwal was addressing volunteers at the party office for the first time after he got a clear majority in the Delhi Assembly poll results on Tuesday. Kejriwal had been mocked by the BJP after he recited Hanuman Chalisa on TV and visited a Hanuman temple a day before polling. Addressing the gathering, Kejriwal told the capital's citizens "I love you" in his expression of thanks for the overwhelming mandate. He said it was not just his victory but a victory for everybody. "Delhi has given the message that they will vote for those who will provide schools, cheap electricity and hospitals. This is a new kind of politics. It is a new and good sign for the nation." Kejriwal said a new kind of politics has been born today -- "the politics of work". "This politics will make us of the 21st century India," he said. "It is Tuesday and Hanuman ji has blessed us. We, the 2 crore people of Delhi, will make the city beautiful," the Chief Minister said, thanking everyone for the victory. "My family also supported me. It is my wife's birthday. I had cake, you will also get it," Kejriwal said. "People elected us with high hopes. I cannot do it alone, we all have to work together," he added. Longtime practicing obstetrician-gynecologist and Air Force veteran Dr. Milinda Morris is our choice between two first-time candidates in the state Senate District 13 Republican primary. As a medical professional, Morris, 64, has shown commitment, compassion and maturity that should serve her constituents well in the Legislature. Morris and opponent William Booher both say they strongly support President Donald Trump and have been active in local GOP organizations. To his credit, Booher brings a more libertarian view on social issues than Morris. Booher, a gay African American, also speaks passionately about expanding the diversity within the GOP. And yet, Booher, a Yale-educated financial and corporate strategist, tries to attack political opponents with innuendo instead of facts and is sometimes unprofessional in his social media posts. Morris says she opposes abortion, favors gun rights and strict border security, and supports charter schools and vouchers. But she also shows a refreshing willingness to challenge conservative orthodoxy. When it comes to health care, something she knows a lot about, she says her party is being short-sighted. Serving as an obstetric hospitalist, providing care during labor and managing obstetric emergencies for women who dont typically have an OB/GYN, Morris says she sees a lot of women suffering because they lack health coverage for continuous care. Because of that experience, Morris said she is open to an expansion of Medicaid to deal with these problems and others. What is going on now is costing the system a lot more than if these ladies were getting proper care, she said in endorsing health coverage expansion. Medicaid is eventually paying for this anyway. Morris said her 25 years as a doctor has helped prepare her for serving a diverse district. As a doctor, I take care of everyone, regardless of who they are and what they look like, she said. Thats what I do. GOP voters should give her a chance to make her case in the fall. The hero of the London Bridge attack has revealed he is haunted by the moment he fought terrorist Usman Khan with only a fire extinguisher saying the 28-year-old told him he was waiting to detonate his suicide belt until police arrived at the scene. John Crilly had been on the scene on 29 November last year when Khan, 28, killed two people and injured two others after attending an event on the rehabilitation of prisoners. The 48-year-old today said that he believes sentences imposed on terrorists could become less effective if they continue to be let out before the completion of their time in jail. Speaking on Good Morning Britain today the ex-convict revealed what Khan said to him as police approached. Crilly, a former heroin addict and career criminal, was originally sentenced to life in prison in 2005 (left) after a pensioner was killed by his accomplice in a botched burglary. Pictured, right, Usman Khan, 28 Mr Crilly is pictured right, using a fire extinguisher to fight of the terrorist on London Bridge in November 'When I initially seen him, there was a lady behind me on the stairs and he was at the side of me with his knives, so I was just looking for something to defend myself with and there wasn't much there apart from pictures on the walls'. He said he tried to ask Khan what he was doing, but added that it was 'mostly nonsensical, because it was obviously what he was doing'. 'He didn't say much the only thing I remember him saying the only thing I remember him saying is when I asked him about the belt, he said he was waiting for the police before he blew it', he added. Following the attack in November and a further attack on Sunday 2 February by Sudesh Amman government ministers are facing a deadline of February 27 to pass the emergency terror legislation through Parliament that would end automatic release for offenders after half their sentence. Mr Crilly (pictured above) tackled Usman Khan while believing he was wearing a live suicide belt John Crilly, pictured left with London Bridge attack victim Jack Merritt (right), described the pair as 'close friends' Speaking about how long he believed convicted terrorists should receive in prison Mr Crilly said the offences should be longer because of the 'purpose behind them'. 'Maybe terror offences because of the purpose behind it should have extra added onto it, but I think once you overturn a 15 year sentence, it stops being effective it stops being a punishment and it's just arbitrary. 'If you haven't learnt after 10, 15 years then I don't think we are going to learn. It just makes people angry.' Mr Crilly, who served 13 years in prison for murder before his sentence was reduced to manslaughter, said the way the day is portrayed is more like an 'action movie' and seems surreal'. 'The day was just a celebration of the 'Learning Together' scheme, that has been running. Because it is spread so far up and down the country, it was a chance for everyone to come together. 'The critical part of it is for the people in prison who have never experienced that kind of education or interacted with those kind of educated people. I studied for a law degree.' He went on to say that the situation 'unfolded quickly' and said there had been a lot of people outside on a balcony talking. 'All of a sudden a load of noise started we could hear screaming and female voices. Initially, it wasn't clear if it was horse-play or messing about, within a few seconds it got more intense and there was no doubting something was afoot downstairs.' It was then that he managed to find something to fight Khan with, but by this point, the terrorist, who had previously been jailed for plotting to blow up the London Stock Exchange, had already claimed two victims. Speaking about one of the two victims, Jack Merritt, who died during the terror attack, he said: 'I had known Jack four or five years by then over the years we had got really close.' He added that the day still haunts him and said 'people lost lives you shouldn't have'. Despite having questioned sentences for terrorists he added: 'I have done a lot of prison, in and out, as a petty criminal before I got locked up for a serious offence. But I'm sick of seeing people in jail wasting away who have amazing talent.' South Africa: Beit Bridge border set for major revamp Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says the Beit Bridge border post, one of six large land ports of entry, has been identified for infrastructure development. The masterplan for the development of Beit Bridge has been finalised and we are in the process of appointing a service provider, Motsoaledi said. Addressing the media in Cape Town on Tuesday, Motsoaledi said the service provider will come from one of the five consortia that were approved in 2018. These consortia are made up of construction companies and related professional services, such as engineering firms, Motsoaledi said. Ports of entry will be developed in partnership with the private sector through public-private partnerships and with neighbouring countries, said the Minister. The partnership with our neighbouring countries centres on creating One Stop Border Posts (OSBP). This model means that people and trucks will be processed by both countries under one roof. When we move over to this model, people and trucks will only stop once at a border and be processed by both countries. We are pursuing the OSBP in association with other government agencies, Motsoaledi said. Motsoaledi recently had a fruitful meeting at the Kopfontein border post, with his counterpart from Botswana, on the One Stop Border Post and other immigration issues of mutual interest. It is important to develop these ports of entry to reflect our commitment to easing the movement of people and goods through the ports, the Minister said. Government will also implement the Border Management Authority (BMA) in phases and will prioritise Beit Bridge as one of the areas where it will start with the implementation. Beit Bridge shall have two programmes running more or less at the same time - that is the One Stop Border Post and Border Management Authority, he said. Among other functions, the BMA will facilitate and manage the legitimate movement of persons within the border law enforcement area and at ports of entry. It is our considered view that the BMA will improve service efficiencies at the ports, through integrated operations. It will improve the way South Africa handles border management, so as to assist the country in delivering on regional mechanisms vital for the envisaged integration and free trade area for our beloved continent, Motsoaledi said. The Department of Home Affairs is currently looking at incrementally establishing and rolling out the BMA to designated ports of entry and key segments of the land borderline. Last week, the Portfolio Committee on Home Affairs deliberated on the amendments that were made by the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) when it passed the Border Management Authority Bill in December 2019. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. The life of a rockstar notoriously involves lots of women, and when youre as big as Mick Jagger, the list of conquests reaches the thousands. But now that hes an older man, this Rolling Stone legend isnt dating women from his generation. A beautiful young ballerina has captured Jaggers attention. And although hes 76 years old, Jaggers current girlfriend is only 33. Heres how the couple with a 43-year age gap makes their relationship work. Mick Jagger | Matteo Chinellato/NurPhoto via Getty Images Who is Mick Jaggers girlfriend, Melanie Hamrick? Throughout his long life, Jagger has maintained a reputation as a man with many lovers. In fact, according to HuffPost, his biographer claims that Jagger bedded well over 4,000 women. But there are a few that stand out amongst the crowd Bianca Jagger, the only woman he married, Jerry Hall, mother to four of his eight children, and LWren Scott, who completed suicide. But one woman stands out because of an immense age difference between the couple. Jagger met the lovely Melanie Hamrick in 2014, at one of his concerts in Tokyo. She was in Japan touring with the American Ballet Theatre but was able to attend a Rolling Stones concert with friends during her off time. After catching Jaggers eye backstage, she received an invitation for dinner, and their relationship blossomed from there. The talented ballerina had studied dance from a young age. Most of Hamricks schooling took place at a boarding school in Washington DC, which was dedicated to ballet. As a teenager, she landed a spot with New York Citys American Ballet Theatre summer program. Then she was able to join the company full-time after impressing them when she filled in for an injured dancer at the age of 18. Hamrick spent 15 years with the American Ballet Theatre, performing prominent roles in shows like Apollo, Les Sylphides, and Swan Lake. Hamrick told the New York Times that the companys former associate artistic director, Victor Barbee, called her the best corps dancer [that theyd] ever had. Unlike some of his other relationships, Hamrick has never had an official introduction as Jaggers girlfriend. It seems that their relationship was kept casual for years. They met between their many obligations, but according to Hamrick, thats what keeps their relationship exciting. When we get together, its always like a honeymoon, Page Six reported that she told a pal. Mick Jagger has eight kids with five different women After two years of dating, Hamrick became pregnant with Jaggers eighth child. She was the fifth woman to make Jagger a dad. His other seven children range in age from 49 to 20 and he also has five grandkids and even a great-grandchild. So while Hamrick was only 29 at the time and this would be her first child, Jagger offered plenty of parenting experience. Although hed never given an official statement of their relationship, Jagger did publicly acknowledge Hamricks pregnancy. Their son, Deveraux Octavian Basil Jagger was born in 2016. Hamricks life changed drastically after becoming a mother, and she quit the American Ballet Theatre. Shes now developing her career as a choreographer. A child didnt change their relationship status and although Jagger supports both Hamrick and Deveraux financially, they dont live together full time. In fact, for several years, Jagger would occasionally be seen with other women. The media would constantly question if Hamrick and Jagger were still an item, but after months of not being seen together, they would them attend a public event arm-in-arm. It seems that Jagger, after all his years as a wild rockstar, just cant be tamed. Is Mick Jagger finally settling down? However, after being a casual couple for the last six years, the Rolling Stones icon may have finally committed to his young ballerina. In February of 2019, the Sun reported that Jagger made a commitment to see Hamrick exclusively during their vacation together on the private island of Mustique. And there may be some truth to that report. In the last year, Jagger and Hamrick have been seen together more often, and are even working on a project together. Last year, the couple collaborated on a rock-ballet, titled Porte Rouge. Hamrick choreographed the performance, which is set to songs from the Rolling Stones collection, and Jagger curated the music. After more than half a century as a celebrity, Jagger has had more than his share of wild nights. Its about time that he settles down. But Hamrick is only beginning her thirties. Lets hope that shes also ready to settle down for good, or we may see Jagger back on the market in his eighties. Morley Musick is a journalist who moved to Ajo, Arizona, last year to cover the border. At a tiny local high school, he talked to kids, some of whom commute to the U.S. from Mexico, about how they interacted with Border Patrol. Being an agent actually sounds like a pretty good job, they told him. Thats how he learned about the Border Patrol Explorersthink the Boys Scouts, but for immigration enforcement. He reported on the program for the Nation, charting how Border Patrol uses it to recruit young Latino students and indoctrinate the organizations ideology. I spoke to Musick about the group on Tuesdays episode of What Next. Our conversation has been edited and condensed below for clarity. Advertisement Mary Harris: How did this Explorers program start? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Morley Musick: It was started in Laredo, Texas, in 1984 by a Border Patrol agent and former Boy Scout named Gerald Tisdale. The idea was that there were other law enforcement exploring groups that helped build community relations in instances when people might be hostile to the police or sheriffs. He wanted to establish that for the Border Patrol for, I suspect, similar reasons of people being hostile to agents. So what does it mean to be a Border Patrol Explorer? That means joining a local troupe. Most of the border communities in Arizona and Texas have a troupe, and you learn how to do border enforcement work. How old are these kids? Advertisement Theyre usually 14 to 18. Most of the training scenarios that the Border Patrol Explorers do are about arresting immigrants who are trying to cross through the desert. So inevitably, the exercise requires some first-generation kids to role-play as immigrants and other first-generation kids to role-play as agents. They give them little plastic guns or pellet guns and they tell them to go off into the desert: You guys go hide behind a bush, and you guys track their footprints down and go arrest them. Or immigrants are trying to sneak by on the highway and you do a high-risk vehicle stop. And the immigrants are going to pull out a gun this time, or this time theyll be compliant. Advertisement Advertisement Did they ever do humanitarian work? They do community work, like highway cleanups. Sometimes youll see that parts of highways are maintained by, for example, Border Patrol Explorer Post 251. They also learn first aid as well as the truism that the Border Patrol is the largest humanitarian organization working in the desert. These scouts also compete in regular tactical competitions. You can find videos of these competitions online, with kids simulating raids and scaling climbing walls. These videos have a really intense rock n roll soundtrack. And a lot of times the kids are in almost riot gearthey have shields and things like that. Advertisement Advertisement Its all sort of reflective of the militarization of the police in the U.S. and the increasing ambiguity between fighting wars and doing standard border enforcement or police work at home. Advertisement Advertisement These video trailers that advertise the competitions also include a bit of counterterrorism. Theres one video where theres a bomb made out of Coca-Cola cans, and another where theres an incoming phone call with the words written in Arabic. And all of its scored to a James Bond or Mission Impossible theme. The kids get to think theyre in a movie, but its really dangerous. Advertisement Advertisement I was struck that a lot of the kids you talked to were Latinx. I wonder what that says to you. Border Patrol itself has a really, really high percentage of Latinx agents. And I think the banal fact of it is that most of the people that live in border communities are Latinx, and Border Patrol does its recruiting and community relations there. If Latinx kids really want to affirm to themselves that they are American, this is a way of proving it. Or its about money, a way up into the middle class. There are very, very few other ways. Advertisement Why do they see joining the Explorers program as financially good for them? Because its good training to become an agent. You can form connections with agents who will advocate for you when you do eventually go on to join the Border Patrol. But I think more often than that its seen as interchangeable with pre-military training. They want to join the Army later. If Latinx kids really want to affirm to themselves that they are American, this is a way of proving it. Or its about money, a way up into the middle class. Did you feel like the picture these teenagers got of life in the Border Patrol was accurate? Its hard for me to say because I was never allowed to go on training missions with them, despite the fact that many local reporters had in previous years. I think my affiliation with the Nation probably really hurt me there. I will say that the kids actually got much more access to the uglier sides of Border Patrol work than I had suspected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement What do you mean by that? The Idaho Explorers had actually been taken on a field trip to a detention facility, and they had had an idea: This is where we lock people up. You can see the doors are open. Were feeding them. And then the officers take the Explorers on these things called ride-alongs, where they might get to see actual arrests of a big group of immigrants. I talked to one kid whose agent in charge had allowed him to pick up this 100-pound bundle of marijuana, like the kind migrants sometimes have to carry through the desert as a way of paying off their debts to the cartel. The kids had all gotten to try on the marijuana bundle and see that its really hard for the migrants: This is really heavy, and they have to walk 100 miles with it. Advertisement Did you get any reaction to your piece after it published? From people you were with in Idaho or anywhere else? I asked about the Idaho reaction, and I was told by Gail, the woman I was staying with, that she didnt know anyone who had read it, and she hadnt read it. I got a big internet reaction with thousands of people commenting, This is the new Hitler Youth. My guess is people saw this funny, outrageous cover image that the Nation ran. And thats about as far as they got in the article. So the reaction was people saying, This is really, really bad. And I still harbor some unease about being an outsider and exposing this to liberals in cities or whoever happens to be reading the Nation Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Because theyre going to see it a certain kind of way. I stand by the fact that this program is outrageous and just bad. But you have to take into consideration the factors for why it exists. There are economic factors. These are ex-mining communities for the most part, and nothing has come in to replace that. If no one is proffering an alternative to these kids, and theres so little money for youth programming and career programming in these communities, what are we going to do? Advertisement Advertisement My cursory sense of the matter is that we need to offer explorer troops that provide similar camaraderie and leadership training, but that do things that are important and good, like conserving the desert and improving economic opportunities in Latin America. And my sense is if there were a government that actually offered Border Patrol agents and kids opportunities to do things that make the world better, that address the historical and socio-economic causes of immigration, the kids would jump at it like that. Theyre normal people who want to do good, meaningful things. And as it happens, like they have very few options of good meaningful work to do. They have this option and they take it. Listen to the full episode using the player below, or subscribe to What Next wherever you get your podcasts. KL Rahul struck his fourth career century to rescue the Indian innings from a precarious position and take it to a challenging 296 for 7 in the third and final ODI against New Zealand here on Tuesday. Rahul made 112 runs (from 113 balls), including nine fours and two sixes, as he rescued India from 62/3 in the 13th over after being sent in to bat. He put on 100 runs with Shreyas Iyer (62 off 63 balls) for the fourth wicket, and later on another 107 runs with Manish Pandey (42 off 48 balls) for the fifth wicket. For New Zealand, who have already clinched the series after winning the first two matches, Hamish Bennett finished with 4/64 from ten overs to emerge as the most successful bowler. The home made two changes, with captain Kane Williamson returning from injury. Spinner Mitchell Santner came in for Tom Blundell. India made one change with Manish Pandey included ahead of Kedar Jadhav. India made another poor start. Kyle Jamieson (1/53) bowled opener Mayank Agarwal (1), who has suffered a torrid tour of New Zealand thus far. The big blow came when captain Virat Kohli (9) was out, caught at third man in the seventh over. The other opener Prithvi Shaw provided the initial flourish with 40 off 42 balls, including three fours and two sixes. But, he was run-out going for a suicidal second run in the 13th over. Iyer and Rahul then took charge of the proceedings, and anchored the Indian innings. The former batted steadily and reached his half century off 52 balls, his third 50-plus score in this series. But Iyer could not carry on as he was caught off Jimmy Neesham (1/50) as the ball looped up, for a soft dismissal. It was down to Rahul then, who crossed 50 off 66 balls. His partnership with Pandey progressed well as India reached 250 in the 45th over. Rahul's hundred came off 104 balls, and he perished in a bid to accelerate thereafter. This is where India's innings fell apart, as Pandey also holed out off Bennett shortly afterwards. India lost three wickets for 27 runs in the death overs and could not reach 300 despite the middle-order flourish. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Liverpool and Manchester United have left their Premier League rivals furious after reportedly having had special access to weigh up the candidates to be the new chief executive of the Premier League. The two English giants met with candidates for the position, which had initially been taken up by Susanna Dinnage before the Animal Planet president pulled out of the appointment. Rivals teams including Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham were left particularly irked by Liverpool and United's actions, as reported by The Times. Liverpool and Man United met Susanna Dinnage and other Premier League CEO candidates The Premier League's search to replace Richard Scudamore soon became quite a farce It is alleged Liverpool and United each met three candidates, including Dinnage along with the NBC executive Dave Howe and David Pemsel. According to the Times' report, the meetings are understood to have taken place before any eventual decisions were made by the nominations committee. The search had descended into something of a farce for the Premier League, who initially believed they had filled Scudamore's void after Dinnage accepted the role, before later changing her mind. Dinnages decision, thought to be motivated as much by concerns about the potential problems facing the Premier League as a desire to remain in her current position at Discovery, was of particular embarrassment to Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck. Chelsea chief Bruce Buck headed a nominations committee with Burnley and Leicester input Guardian CEO David Pemsel immediately stepped down from the role due to personal matters Richard Masters was eventually named permanent chief executive in December Buck headed up the nominations committee, along with Burnley chairman Mike Garlick and Leicester Citys chief executive Susan Whelan. Following Dinnage's snubbing of the role, Manchester United's Ed Woodward and Crystal Palace's Steve Parish were added to the committee, as the search to find a successor became more desperate. Another candidate, CEO of the Guardian Pemsel, then had to step down from taking the role after it emerged he had been sending a series of text messages to a young female colleague. Pemsel was due to start work in February but ended up withdrawing from the position, with Richard Masters then requested to continue as interim chief executive. Masters was eventually given the role on a permanent basis and officially appointed chief executive in December. The Chattanooga Zoo announces its herd of giraffes that will arrive at the zoo this spring. Through the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan, the Chattanooga Zoo will receive three male reticulated giraffes from the Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center in New Orleans, La. The three bulls are ages 5 years old, 2 years old, and 14 months old. They all three currently live together as a herd in New Orleans, La. and will be transported to Chattanooga by a professional carrier. From their website: The Freeport-McMoRan Audubon Species Survival Center is one of the facilities run by the Audubon Nature Institute. It is a unique piece of property that expands approximately 1,000 acres in an area south of downtown New Orleans. The FMASSC is historically known for its innovative research in exotic feline reproduction at its research facility, the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species, and its endangered Crane Recovery Programs. Currently, FMASSC runs several programs, including; the Coastal Wildlife Network, which rehabilitates sea turtles and marine mammals; the Crane Recovery Programs, which breeds and releases endangered whooping crane and Mississippi sandhill cranes; the G.U.L.F. Program, which works with sustainable fishery projects in the Gulf of Mexico; and the most recent, the Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife. The Alliance for Sustainable Wildlife is the new partnership between Audubon Nature Institute and San Diego Zoo Global; its mission to become a large breeding center for endangered species of hoofstock and birds. This herd will live in the newly constructed giraffe barn and multiple outdoor lawns that were built as part of Phase I of the Chattanooga Zoos African Expansion. The giraffes will be visible to the public with the opening of the new exhibit this spring. More information about the grand opening of the African Expansion Phase I will come soon. - Museveni was among a host of heads of state and dignitaries who thronged Nyayo Stadium to pay their last respects to Moi - The Ugandan leader attributed Kenya's political stability and peaceful co-existence to the fallen second head of state's leadership - Museveni also hailed Moi as a staunch Christian who adhered to biblical teachings Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has hailed the late president Daniel Moi as a great leader who was dedicated to uniting Kenya and the entire East African fraternity. Museveni was among high profile heads of state and guests who thronged Nyayo Stadium to pay their last respects to the fallen Kenyan leader. READ ALSO: Raila Odinga says he forgave Daniel Moi for his weaknesses President Yoweri Museveni said Moi united Kenya and East Africa t large. Photo: Yoweri Museveni. Source: Twitter READ ALSO: Seneta Moi awavunja mbavu waombolezaji akitoa hotuba katika ibada ya wafu kwa babake In his tribute, the Uganda leader said Moi fostered unity, peaceful co-existence and loyalty among Kenyans and East African community. " Moi and his predecessor Mzee Kenyatta ensured there was loyalty and unity in Kenya and East Africa. I remember Moi was among the leaders who folded KADU to join KANU which was being led by Kenyatta. That means they knew the importance of unity," he said. READ ALSO: 4 police officers arrested for assaulting Raila's cousin The 75-year-old leader attributed the political stability that Kenyan has enjoyed to the foundation laid by Moi and his predecessor. "Kenya has enjoyed peace and political stability for a long time because its leaders realised the importance of unity in advance. The problem you experienced (in 2017) was not a big deal, some of us have seen worse things," said the Uganda leader. He further remembered Moi as a religious man who dedicated his life to serving Christ and the Church. Other leaders who eulogised Moi included Rwanda's Paul Kagame, Ethiopia's Sahle Work-Zewde, Silva Kiir of South Sudan, Nigeria's Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former presidents of Tanzania Jakaya Kikwete and Benjamin Mkapa among other dignitaries. Moi's body will be flown to his Kabarak home where it will be laid to rest on Wednesday, February 12. Transport along the busy Nairobi-Nakuru-Eldoret highway is expected to be disrupted for the better part of Wednesday considering high number of visitors expected to attend the funeral. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Id Like It to Start Over: Justice Ginsburg Says Deadline for Equal Rights Amendment Has Passed As states try to force the United States to adopt the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA), Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has weighed in again on the issue, reiterating her position that she thinks the ratification process needs to start over. I would like to see a new beginning. Id like it to start over, Ginsburg, who has been a strong advocate for the ERA, said during a talk at Georgetown Law on Feb. 10. Theres too much controversy about latecomers. Virginia [came] long after the deadline passed. Plus a number of states have withdrawn their ratification. So if you count a latecomer on the plus side, how can you disregard states that said weve changed our minds? she added. The ERA seeks to ban discrimination on the basis of sex, with supporters seeing it as a critical provision to protect womens rights under the Constitution. The amendment was first proposed in Congress in 1923 and was passed in 1972, when it went to the states for ratification, according to the Alice Paul Institute. Congress gave the states a seven-year deadline, which was then extended until 1982, but only 35 states had ratified the amendment, falling short of the necessary 38 state ratifications, or three-quarters of the 50 states. A new push by advocates in recent years led Nevada and Illinois to ratify the amendment in 2017 and 2018, respectively. In January, Virginia became the 38th state to ratify the amendment, prompting proponents of the ERA to push for its adoption into the Constitution. At the end of January, three statesNevada, Illinois, and Virginiasued the U.S. Archivist, in an attempt to compel the certification of the measures adoption as part of the U.S. Constitution. While the required number of states to adopt the ERA into the Constitution has been reached, the original congressional deadline will likely render questions on whether these ratifications are valid. The Justice Departments Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) issued a legal opinion in early January arguing that the deadline to ratify the ERA had already expired and that it was no longer pending before states. The department added that if Americans wish to adopt the amendment, Congress should restart the process as stipulated under Article V of the Constitution. Meanwhile, five statesNebraska, Tennessee, Idaho, Kentucky, and South Dakotahave voted to either rescind or withdraw their ratification of the ERA. These rescissions have sparked legal debates as Article V is silent on the issue. Another lawsuit, launched in December 2019 by Alabama, Louisiana, and South Dakota, attempts to block the U.S. Archivist (pdf) from accepting ERA ratifications and to honor the rescissions of the five states. The National Archives and Records Administration issued a statement on Jan. 8 saying that it will follow the DOJs legal opinion on the matter of the ERA, unless otherwise directed by a final court order. Ginsburg previously held that she thinks the process to adopt the ERA needs to be restarted for it to be adopted into the Constitution. She told a student at Georgetown Law last year that she hope[s] someday [the ERA] will be put back in the political hopper and well be starting over again collecting the necessary states to ratify it. With the Aam Aadmi Party set to retain power in the capital, its workers on Tuesday celebrated the performance in Mumbai's Andheri. Workers and supporters danced and praised party chief Arvind Kejriwal as AAP is leading on 58 seats out of the total 70, according to official numbers from the Election Commission. Wearing caps with the party symbol and holding banners with the Delhi Chief Minister's photo, workers in Andheri danced to dhol beats. A similar celebration was witnessed in Punjab's Amritsar. Main contender BJP, on the other hand, was far behind with a lead on 12 seats at 12:14 pm. The Congress, similar to the 2015 elections, is looking to draw a blank. The counting of votes for 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly began amid tight security at 8 am today. Delhi went to polls in a single-phase on February 8. . (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Fourteen years after he snapped relations with the BJP, former Jharkhand chief minister Babulal Marandi on Tuesday announced his "wapsi" (return) to the saffron party. Marandi declared that his Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) will merge with the Bharatia Janata Party (BJP) with immediate effect. "A formal merger ceremony will take place on February 17 at Jagannathpur maidan, which is also known as Prabhat Tara maidan, in the presence of BJPs former president and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, present BJP president J P Nadda and BJP vice-president Om Prakash Mathur," Marandi told reporters. Office-bearers of the party, district presidents and members of the executive committee were present in the JVM(P) meeting when the merger proposal was unanimously passed and approved, he said. JVM-P has three MLAs, but two of them--Bandhu Tirkey and Pradip Yadav- have rebelled and the meeting during the day decided to expel them from the party. Marandi will be the lone legislator of the party after doors were shown to the two others. BJP has 25 MLAs presently in the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly. It lost power to opposition alliance of JMM- Congress-RJD in the state polls in the end of last year. The merger announcement ended the speculations about return of Marandi to the BJP. The move was triggered by the fact that even after lapse of over two months of elections, the BJP has yet not appointed its legislature party leader, apparently in the hope of Marandis return "In all, five proposals were unanimously approved by the committees. Two of the important proposals are merger of JVM- Ps legislature party with the BJPs legislature party and JVM-Ps merger with the BJP (in that order)," Marandi said briefing about the meeting. "The other three proposals are, ratifying the expulsions of party MLAs Bandhu Tirkey on January 21 and Pradip Yadav on February 6 and disposal of partys assets as per legal provisions," Marandi said, adding all decisions were taken as per the partys constitution. Tirkey was expelled on the ground of anti-party activities in the run-up to the assembly polls while Yadav was expelled after he met AICCs interim president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi besidesd attending the Congress-sponsored anti-CAA meeting in Godda district, evincing interest to join the grand old party and criticising Marandi. To a query about his quitting the party 14 years ago, Marandi evasively answered "differences do happen even at homes". Asked what role he expected upon merging with the BJP, he said, "Whatever." BJP hailed Marandi's merger decision. In a statement, state BJP president Laxman Gilua said, "The BJP welcomes the proposals of JVM-Ps president Babulal Marandi, which were passed by its executive committee meeting." A host of senior BJP leaders like state unit vice- presidents Hemlal Murmu, Aditya Sahu, Pradip Verma, Samir Oraon, Priya Singh, Pranav Verma, and general secretary Dipak Prakash greeted Marandi's "wapsi" decision. Beginning his career as a teacher before joining the BJP and going on to become a junior minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, Marandi was chosen by the BJP to become the first chief minister of the newly created Jharkhand on November 15, 2000. Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar in that year. The allies of the BJP-led NDA, however, breathed down his neck on one ground or the other and culminated their dissent by crossing the floor in the assembly in March, 2003. The then speaker Inder Singh Namdhari approved a cut motion on budget by voice vote amidst a din, triggering the fall of his government. Soon after, the BJP appointed Arjun Munda as the chief minister and all the dissenting ministers had again become ministers in the Munda Cabinet with Namdhari once again retaining the speakers post. The BJP went to the 2005 assembly polls under the leadership of Munda and the results had left a hung house with independent MLAs holding sway. After a nine-day UPA rule under the leadership of JMM president Shibu Soren, Munda formed the government. Marandi, who was a BJP MP, decided to walk away from the party and formed JVM-P along with some senior BJP leaders in September 2006. After forming the new party, Marandi won an assembly election for the first time in the November-December 2019 polls. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (TNS) During a City Council meeting last week, Chula Vista, Calif., Police Chief Roxana Kennedy told a story about how officers avoided tragedy while responding to a 911 call about a man waiving a small gun around in front of a taco shop on Broadway Street.The first thing the department did was send a drone. It arrived in less than a minute and before any patrol vehicles got to the scene.From a camera attached to that drone, an officer at police headquarters more than a half-mile away from the taco shop could see the man and what appeared to be a small handgun. He told responding officers on the ground exactly what was going on in real-time.The man sat on a bench outside the shop and appeared to be talking to himself while waiving what looks like a gun in the air."He actually took the gun to his mouth," Kennedy said. "And the drone operator is thinking, 'oh my gosh, is this man going to commit suicide right in front of me?' He puts the gun to his mouth, picks up a cigarette, lights it and blows smoke."The man didn't have a gun. It was a lighter that happened to be shaped like one.With that information, responding officers calmly walked to the man and arrested him, without incident, on suspicion of using meth, said Capt. Vern Sallee, who oversees the drone program."If they'd rushed into that with limited information about the call and he spun around because he's scared of the cops and points the lighter at their general direction, we can see how easily that could become a tragedy," he said.It wasn't the first time Chief Kennedy and Capt. Sallee have told that story while touting the department's "Drone as First Responder" program that launched October 2017.Both of them have toured the country, speaking with representatives from the FBI, California Police Chiefs Association and the International Association of Chiefs of Police.As the only law enforcement agency that is part of the FAA's Integration Pilot Program, a program that seeks to establish the ground rules of incorporating drones into the national airspace, the Chula Vista Police Department is shaping drone policy that police departments throughout the country could one day adopt.Since launching in October 2017, the Chula Vista Police Department has dispatched drones to 911 calls 1,509 times and drones have assisted in 224 arrests.In about 36 percent of the time, drones respond to "disturbance" calls. The other most common types of calls are domestic violence, 21 percent; traffic collisions, 17 percent; psychological evaluations, 15 percent; and assaults, 10 percent.Those numbers are expected to increase dramatically in 2020 because Chula Vista recently added a second launch site above Bayview Behavioral Health Hospital on Moss Street and Third Avenue.Data shows that drones were dispatched 237 times in January, compared to 66 times in January 2019.Between the original launch site atop police headquarters and the new one, the police department's drones can now cover the 17 square miles of Chula Vista west of Interstate 805.That area only represents 30 percent of the city, but it is responsible for 70 percent of all 911 calls, Sallee said.The Police Department's ultimate goal is to have drone coverage of the entire city. But without a funding source, that's unlikely to happen any time soon.It would cost about $600,000 to expand the drone program throughout Chula Vista. The biggest expense is personnel costs because of an FAA requirement to have someone maintain a clear line of sight any time the drone is launched.It's not a glamorous job. Someone has to stand on a roof top for 10 hours. It gets so cold up there sometimes that the department had to buy a portable heater.If the FAA allows the police department to launch drones remotely, the costs plummet, Sallee said."There's a human being on the roof for 10 hours," Sallee said. "They need bathroom breaks. It's not comfortable. If it's hot and sunny or windy and rainy they are exposed to those elements. So that's another reason why we need to automate, so we don't have a person up there."Both Kennedy and Sallee view the drones as the future of law enforcement. The chief called them "a game-changer," while the captain described them as "the most transformational technology in law enforcement during my whole career."In addition to potentially avoiding tragic shootings by giving police officers real-time intelligence on 911 calls, drones improve the Police Department's quality of service by clearing non-emergency 911 calls and by responding to calls faster than patrol vehicles.For example, when a store owner calls the police to complain about two people harassing customers in front of the business, the police sends a drone.Sometimes the people are gone by the time the drone gets there. So, instead of sending a police officer, the drone operator simply calls the business owner, tells them the people are gone and clears the call, Sallee said.In terms of response times, drones get to top priority emergency calls almost three minutes earlier than a patrol vehicle, Chief Kennedy said.That gives police officers more time to prepare for the response while simultaneously feeding them live images from what is actually happening at the scene.When the department began telling the community about the drone program back in 2017, there was some reservation from the public."We had questions," said Norma Cazares, local activist and co-chair of the police department's Community Advisory Committee. "One of the things the majority of the group was concerned about was private issues."However, those concerns were put at ease when the department told the commission that it had been in contact with the ACLU and reviewed best practices while coming up with its drone policy.The department committed to not using drones for general surveillance. Instead, drones are dispatched when a 911 call comes in.Additionally, the department committed to transparency measures. Specifically, it established a publicly-accessible website that tracks each drone's flight path including the time and reason for the launch. On top of that, the department keeps daily statistics on how often drones are used and for what reasons. Last year, Botswana legalized hunting of elephants as 'there are too many of them'. The government officially lifted the hunting suspension. More than half a year later, the country is going to auction licences to hunt a total of 70 elephants, in a bid to end human-wildlife conflict. This will be the first such hunt to take place since President Mokgweetsi Masisi lifted the five-year hunting ban last year. Justin Sullivan Overall, elephant population in Africa is on a decline, however, countries like Zimbabwe and Botswana face overpopulation, due to which Botswana legalised their killing to curb man-human conflict. According to Botswanan officials, hunting is necessary to ease conflict between animals and humans. Farmers suffer as their crops and infrastructure is destroyed by elephants roaming outside their feeding zones. Justin Sullivan MSN reports that a spokeswoman for the Department of National Parks and Wildlife said the licences would be for controlled hunting areas and that the auction was open only to companies registered in Botswana. "There are seven hunting packages, of 10 elephants each, available. The seven areas chosen are those most impacted by human-wildlife conflict, especially involving elephants," MSN quoted Alice Mmolawa as saying. Unsplash "Elephants have killed a lot of people and destroyed livelihoods. I think government is doing the right thing in reducing their numbers," said Tiro Segosebe, a Gaborone resident whose home village of Maun is one of the areas most affected. There was outrage on the Internet over Botswana's decision to legalise animal hunting, and the news of the auction has not gone down well either. Zimbabwes method of dealing with elephant over population did not involve cruelty- they sold their animals to China and Dubai and were willing to sell it to any country ready to buy them and bear the cost of transportation. Safer methods which do not involve animal killings should be explored, there must be other ways to solve man-animal conflict than eliminating one. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Its easy to dunk on the Oscars. Its an ostentatious, frothy affair all cake frosting and champagne fizz which lasts, approximately, your whole life. Rich people wearing clothes that cost the equivalent of a small countrys GDP, giving each other gold statues. Sometimes, there will be a "controversial" host, or a surprise win, or a funny speech (our queen, Olivia Colman) but usually its just a lot of shiny, pretty tedium. And you know what? I love it. I love the gowns and, more importantly, judging said gowns. I love a misty In Memoriam. I love a tight-and-bright acceptance speech that hits the triumvirate funny, heartfelt, tearful and I love a proud-parent moment. Diane Ladd just sobbing about her daughter Laura Derns first Oscar win? Come on. With two previous nominations, Laura Derns Oscar win was one of the nights feel-good moments. (Evan Agostini / Invision) Derns win was one of many feel-good moments at the 92nd Academy Awards ceremony on Sunday night. Hollywoods biggest night is often described as "boring" and "irrelevant," but this years show was the most memorable and most relevant Oscars in a long time, Eminem performing an 18-year-old song notwithstanding. (Whatever, it was good.) Obviously, the biggest moment came when Parasite made history as the first non-English-language film to take home the award for Best Picture. Director Bong Joon-ho was already having a very good night; he had already won Oscars for Best International Film, Best Original Screenplay and, notably, Best Director the second Asian to win that award after Ang Lee won it for Brokeback Mountain in 2005 and again for Life of Pi in 2012. Theres an adorable animated GIF circulating of Bong looking down at his statue with an incredulous grin spreading across his face. bong joon ho staring at an oscar in awe pic.twitter.com/s2SjwHZUUW Kathryn VanArendonk (@kvanaren) February 10, 2020 The Best Picture win, however, is a big deal, signalling a shift in what kinds of movies get to become buzzed-about blockbusters. As Bong himself said at this years Golden Globes, "Once you overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films." Subtitles proved not to be a barrier for Parasite, which, by the way, earned an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival, where it also snagged the Palme DOr. Subtitled films are often treated as the domain of the erudite, art cinema set, not mainstream movie-going audiences. As well, foreign-language films often dont have the same kind of promotional engines behind them. Parasites success is encouraging; hopefully it will normalize subtitles which are miles better than dubbed dialogue and widen the pool of what kinds of stories we see on North Americas silver screens. Diversity looks like a South Korean film winning Best Picture at the Oscars, and a director delivering his acceptance speech via translator. Diversity looks like Taika Waititi, the New Zealand filmmaker of Maori and Jewish heritage, who dedicated his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay to "all the Indigenous kids who want to do art and dance and write stories. We are the original storytellers and we can make it here, as well." Taika Waititi, the winner for Best Adapted Screenplay for Jojo Rabbit, delivered the Oscars first land acknowledgment. (Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press) Later, in an Oscars first, he delivered a land acknowledgement. "The academy would like to acknowledge that tonight we have gathered on the ancestral lands of the Tongva, the Tataviam and the Chumash. We acknowledge them as the first peoples of this land on which the motion pictures community lives and works." Its such a simple yet powerful statement, and theres no reason it couldnt be standard going forward. Diversity looks like Hair Love, which tells the story of an African-American dad attempting to style his young daughters hair for the first time, winning Best Animated Short. As producer Karen Rupert Toliver said in her speech, representation matters, especially in cartoons "because thats when we first see our movies and its how we shape our lives and think about how we see the world." Diversity looks like Idina Menzel, a.k.a. Elsa from Frozen, being joined by Elsas from Denmark, Germany, Japan, Latin America, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain for a multilingual performance of Into the Unknown, the Oscar-nominated song from Frozen 2. Its worth noting, too, that for the sequel to its blockbuster animated hit, Disney consulted with Scandinavias Indigenous Sami people for the fictional Northuldra tribe, instead of just appropriating their culture as it did the first time around. Frozen 2 was also dubbed in the North Sami language, and was released at the same time as the English version. Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Idina Menzel (centre) performs with international voice actresses that play Elsa in the movie Frozen II at the Oscars on Sunday. (Chris Pizzello / The Associated Press) Diversity looks like Icelandic composer Hildur Gunadottir winning for Best Original Score for her work on Joker. It looks like the showstopping opening number performed by queer black artists Janelle Monae and Billy Porter. The Academy has long had a diversity problem, as highlighted by Twitter campaigns such as #OscarsSoWhite. And, indeed, the Best Actor/Actress categories looked pretty white save for Cynthia Erivo, star of the Harriet Tubman biopic Harriet and the director category looked pretty male. On Sunday night, we saw all the ways in which diversity made the show better. Homogeneity makes for boring award shows, but more crucially, it makes for boring art. Lets hope next years slate of nominees is more reflective of the art thats being made, and that Parasites win wasnt a one-off. jen.zoratti@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @JenZoratti 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. British voters believe that Tony Blair is Labour's best modern-day leader, according to a new analysis of the general election British voters believe that Tony Blair is Labour's best modern-day leader, according to a new analysis of the general election that today identified Jeremy Corbyn as the main reason the party suffered a humiliating defeat. A mammoth survey of more than 10,000 people found that more than half (53 per cent) of traditional Labour voters who defected to other parties in December did so to expressly prevent the opposition leader becoming prime minister. The hefty work by Tory peer Lord Ashcroft appeared to blow apart attempts by Mr Corbyn's would be successors from the Hard left of the party to pin the blame for the loss on Brexit and other factors. The polling was described as a 'wake-up call' for the party by centrist deputy leadership candidate Ian Murray, who sad the party needed to 'thoroughly change'. It will provide uncomfortable reading for Corbynista leadership candidate Rebecca Long-Bailey, who gave Mr Corbyn's leadership 10/10 in a controversial interview. And even the more mainstream candidates like Sir Keir Starmer have been careful to stay away from anything that looks like an endorsement of Mr Blair, who was prime minister from 1997 - 2010. In his analysis, Lord Ashcroft said: 'It was reported that Labour's official inquiry ''exonerated'' Jeremy Corbyn from any blame for the election result. 'I can only assume this was a compassionate gesture for an already-outgoing septuagenarian leader, because no serious reading of the evidence could reach such a verdict. A mammoth survey of more than 18,000 people found that more than half (53 per cent) of traditional Labour voters who defected to other parties in December did so to expressly prevent the opposition leader becoming prime minister The poll asked 2017 Labour voters why they did not vote for the party in 2019 - they were allowed to give more than one answer The polling was described as a 'wake-up call' for the party by centrist deputy leadership candidate Ian Murray, who sad the party needed to 'thoroughly change' '''I did not want Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister'' topped the list for Labour defectors when we asked their reasons for switching, whether they went to the Tories or the Lib Dems, to another party, or stayed at home. 'Though a few saw good intentions, former Labour voters in our groups lamented what they saw as his weakness, indecision, lack of patriotism, apparent terrorist sympathies, failure to deal with anti-Semitism, outdated and excessively left-wing worldview, and obvious unsuitability to lead the country.' Ms Long-Bailey and deputy leadership candidate Richard Burgon especially have been keen to carry the Corbynbite flame into the next election. Mr Burgon has even gone as far as to suggest a 'peace pledge' which would allow party members to decide if Labour should back military action abroad - designed specifically to avoid a conflict like the Iraq War. But today's analysis found that all voters thought Mr Blair, who took the UK into that conflict, was the party best modern leader - apart from Labour Party members. Even Labour members had him as the second best on 24 per cent, behind Mr Corbyn on 35 per cent - suggesting the party itself is bitterly divided. Mr Murray said: 'This report must serve as an urgent wake-up call for the party. 'Voters abandoned us last year because they did not want Jeremy Corbyn to be Prime Minister, we faced both ways on the constitution, and we adopted a catalogue of unrealistic manifesto pledges. 'One more heave is not enough. We have to thoroughly change as a party and win back voters who have left us for the Tories. 'That starts by recognising that Tory voters are not the enemy they are all potential Labour voters.' India will host the first-ever BIMSTEC nations' conference on "combating drug trafficking" in the national capital this week and it is expected to be inaugurated by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, officials said on Tuesday. The Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the federal agency for drug law enforcement, will organise the two-day conference to be held on February 13-14 at the Vigyan Bhawan here. The conference is the result of the commitment made in this context by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the 4th BIMSTEC summit in Nepal's Kathmandu in 2018. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation comprising seven countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand -- that fall in the littoral and adjacent areas of the Bay of Bengal. "In the changing drug-trafficking scenario, Asian countries are increasingly being affected by drug trafficking and BIMSTEC, being the key link between South Asian and South East Asian nations, is one of the most effective platforms to tackle this global threat," the NCB said in a statement. A recent seizure of 1,527 kgs of methamphetamine in two tranches by the NCB established the fact that the Bay of Bengal region was impregnated with the drug-trafficking menace, it said. While Shah is expected to inaugurate the conference, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan will also be present, besides the diplomats of BIMSTEC nations present in the country. The conference aimed to provide an opportunity to all the member nations to deliberate on the increased threats posed by drug trafficking and the collective steps that were required to negate such threats, the NCB said. The participants to the conference are also expected to discuss the security challenges posed by drug trafficking through the sea route. "Regional maritime connectivity and trade through the Bay of Bengal are imperative for the shared prosperity and economic growth of the entire BIMSTEC region. "However, while providing unhindered maritime access, security challenges at sea and coastlines are a threat. One of the most prominent of such challenges is drug trafficking through sea. It necessitates collaborative efforts at sea amongst the partner nations to combat drug trafficking through sea," the statement said. The conference will also see participation of other central and state intelligence and probe agencies and the best practices deployed by them to curb drugs-related crime will be discussed, it added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The "Europe Fuel Oil Supply and Demand Outlook to 2028" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The Europe Fuel Oil supply-demand outlook to 2028 report s is a comprehensive research on the country-wise Fuel Oil markets in the region. Across the Europe, 26 countries are analyzed in the research, presenting the outlook of supply and demand annually. The forecast period is from 2008 to 2028. In addition, the European Fuel Oil market trends, drivers and restraints are analyzed. The competitive scenario of Fuel Oil in the region is also included in the research. Further, the refining industry in the region is also assessed in detail including refining infrastructure, companies, capacity, and planned projects. The report also details information on the leading Europe refiners and also presents in-detail business profiles of three leading Europe Fuel Oil companies with details of business description, SWOT analysis, and financial analysis. The latest market developments in the Europe and their impact on companies and markets are also detailed in the research work. The report scope includes Yearly forecasts of country wise Fuel Oil supply and Fuel Oil demand from 2008 to 2028 26 Fuel Oil markets across the Europe are analyzed including Albania, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom and Uzbekistan Refining, coking, FCC, and Hydrocracking capacity outlook for each of the refining markets in the Europe are provided from 2015 to 2023 Market trends, drivers and restraints of investing in the Europe Fuel Oil markets CAPEX, commencement, location, company and capacity details of all planned and proposed refining projects in the Europe Business profiles of three leading Fuel Oil companies in the Europe Major recent Europe Fuel Oil news and deals The report enables users to Formulate new growth strategies based on detailed annual Fuel Oil forecasts Gain a clear understanding of the short term and long term outlook of each of the Fuel Oil markets Assess the feasibility of the development of new projects driving the Fuel Oil demand/supply Stay ahead of the competition through detailed insights on Fuel Oil trends, drivers and challenges Get clues from leading companies through detailed business profiles of market leaders Key Topics Covered: 1 Table of Contents 1.1 List of Tables 1.2 List of Figures 2 Introduction to Europe Fuel Oil Markets 2.1 Market Snapshot, 2020 2.2 Europe Fuel Oil Market Size Outlook, 2018-2028 2.2.1 Share of Europe in Global Fuel Oil Market Size Outlook, 2018-2028 2.3 Europe Fuel Oil Supply-Demand Outlook 2.3.1 Europe Fuel Oil Production Outlook, 2008-2028 2.3.2 Europe Fuel Oil Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 2.4 Europe Refining Capacity Outlook, 2008-2023 2.5 Leading Fuel Oil Companies in Europe 3 Albania Fuel Oil Market Overview 3.1 Albania Fuel Oil Market Snapshot, 2020 3.2 Albania Fuel Oil Production Outlook, 2008-2028 3.3 Albania Fuel Oil Demand Outlook, 2008-2028 3.4 Albania Fuel Oil Companies 3.5 Albania Refining Analysis-Current and Upcoming Projects 3.6 Albania Fuel Oil Market Developments 4 Austria Fuel Oil Market Overview 5 Azerbaijan Fuel Oil Market Overview 6 Belarus Fuel Oil Market Overview 7 Belgium Fuel Oil Market Overview 8 Croatia Fuel Oil Market Overview 9 Czech Republic Fuel Oil Market Overview 10 Denmark Fuel Oil Market Overview 11 France Fuel Oil Market Overview 12 Germany Fuel Oil Market Overview 13 Greece Fuel Oil Market Overview 14 Hungary Fuel Oil Market Overview 15 Italy Fuel Oil Market Overview 16 Netherlands Fuel Oil Market Overview 17 Norway Fuel Oil Market Overview 18 Poland Fuel Oil Market Overview 19 Portugal Fuel Oil Market Overview 20 Romania Fuel Oil Market Overview 21 Russia Fuel Oil Market Overview 22 Spain Fuel Oil Market Overview 23 Sweden Fuel Oil Market Overview 24 Switzerland Fuel Oil Market Overview 25 Turkey Fuel Oil Market Overview 26 Ukraine Fuel Oil Market Overview 27 United Kingdom Fuel Oil Market Overview 28 Uzbekistan Fuel Oil Market Overview 29 Leading Fuel Oil Company Profiles 30 Europe Fuel Oil Market News and Deals Countries Covered Albania Austria Azerbaijan Belarus Belgium Croatia Czech Republic Denmark France Germany Greece Hungary Italy Netherlands Norway Poland Portugal Romania Russia Spain Sweden Switzerland Turkey For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/3duv11 View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005566/en/ Contacts: ResearchAndMarkets.com Laura Wood, Senior Press Manager press@researchandmarkets.com 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 Indigenous Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt says successive governments have "failed" to reach the lofty expectations of closing the gap of Aboriginal disadvantage in health, education and employment set a decade ago and a new community-led approach is needed. The annual Closing the Gap report, to be released today, shows a staggering failure to meet targets in improving levels of Indigenous childhood mortality, life expectancy, school attendance and employment. Ken Wyatt. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Mr Wyatt told The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald an Indigenous child mortality rate of 141 per 100,000 twice the rate for non-Indigenous children - "shouldn't be occurring in a first-world nation" and showed governments and agencies "still have a lot of work to do". But the annual report to Parliament threatens to be overshadowed by a fresh round of Coalition infighting over constitutional recognition. Chinese military planes cross median line of Taiwan Strait ROC Central News Agency 02/10/2020 07:43 PM Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) Chinese military aircraft crossed over the median line of the Taiwan Strait and into Taiwan's airspace on Monday for the first time in nearly a year, as Beijing continued military maneuvers near Taiwan for a second straight day. In a statement issued Monday, Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense (MND) identified the Chinese military aircraft as "a certain number of H-6 bombers and escorting planes." They flew over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and into the Western Pacific Ocean around 10 a.m., before returning to their bases via the same route as part of a long-distance training session, the MND said. The escorting planes briefly crossed the Taiwan Strait median line and entered Taiwan's airspace as they flew near the country, but later retreated to the western side of the line after Taiwanese military aircraft, including F-16 fighters, issued multiple radio warnings, the MND said. The last time Chinese military aircraft crossed the Taiwan Strait median line was when two Chinese J-11 fighters did so on March 31, 2019, according to the MND. The MND statement was released after Taiwan media reported that a number of Chinese military planes carried out a long-distance flight mission near Taiwan earlier in the day, flying close to the island's southern coast and into the Western Pacific. It was the second day in a row that Chinese military aircraft were observed flying on a similar path. On Sunday, Chinese J-11 jet fighters, KJ-500 early warning aircraft and H-6 bombers flew over the Bashi Channel south of Taiwan and into the Western Pacific Ocean, before returning to their bases via the Miyako Strait northeast of Taiwan, according to the MND. Taiwan's Air Force responded by scrambling its missile-equipped F-16 jets and mobilizing other surveillance and air defense assets, the MND said. A report carried in China's jingoistic Global Times later confirmed the Sunday drill, quoting Zhang Chunhui (), a spokesperson of the People's Liberation Army of the China Eastern Theater Command. China's military has the resolve and the ability to quell any attempts by Taiwan to separate from China, Zhang said, while reiterating Beijing's stance that Taiwan and its adjacent islands are "inalienable parts of China," the report said. Meanwhile, Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), the country's top policymaking body on China affairs, issued a protest to China on Monday over Chinese military aircraft's "provocative" maneuvers near the Taiwan Strait for a second consecutive day. The repeated "acts of provocation" by Chinese military aircraft and vessels near the Taiwan Strait in recent years have changed the cross-strait status quo and elevated regional tensions, the MAC said in a statement. MAC urged Beijing to stop playing the nationalism card and work more closely with Taipei as both sides of the Taiwan Strait combat the novel coronavirus epidemic that has gripped China and shaken the world. (By Chen Yun-lu, Miu Tsung-han and Joseph Yeh) Enditem/ls NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address [February 11, 2020] Quantum Noise Generation Allows for Secure Wireless Transmissions Due to its inherently unavoidable nature, the addition of quantum noise is an ideal way to mask data for secrecy. Though artificial random noise has been demonstrated as an effective encryption method, it is not truly random and therefore insufficient for blocking the transmission interception of secure data. Ken Tanizawa and Fumio Futami, from Tamagawa University, Japan, propose a cipher system for quantum noise encryption and decryption applications. Tanizawa will present their technique at the Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC), to be held 8-12 March 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, U.S.A. "Our previous work showed that quantum noise masking was effective to achieve secrecy in optical fiber communication. However, as the microwave frequency is three to five orders of magnitude lower than the optical frequency, the quantum noise masking effect at the microwave frequency is too small to achieve enough secrecy in wireless communications," Tanizawa said. "We propose utilizing microwave photonics or optical heterodyne to bridge this gap." In their proposed method, a multilevel optical signal is generated using a seed key, which is then shifted to a target microwave frequency. When light from a local oscillator is mixed into the multilevel signal, quantum noise is naturally added to a simultaneous detection of the system, creating a level of secrecy by masking the microwave multilevel signal. Using a seed key shared ahead of time, a legitimate receiver can retrieve the original data. Without the key, a potential eavesdropper cannot accurately measure the transmission. "Randomness is very important for higher security of the cipher, because eavesdroppers seek a statistical weakness for cryptanalysis," said Tanizawa. "Quantum (News - Alert) noise is theoretically proven to be truly random." Tanizawa and Futami tested their method on plain text data two ways: by transmitting the amplified cipher over a short radio frequency cable, and through a wireless link. In both tests, encryption and decryption were shown to achievable with good signal quality and security against signal interception "Our cipher system is robust and workable in the real world," said Tanizawa. The researchers note their method can be used to handle sensitive data, which will become an even larger issue as wireless communications become more and more ubiquitous. "In the era of 5G and 6G, we believe that many new applications will appear, and that security will be increasingly important," Tanizawa said. These results and additional research will be presented onsite at OFC 2020. Hear from the Research Team "Photonic Generation of Quantum Noise Assisted Cipher at Microwave Frequencies for Secure Wireless Links," K. Tanizawa and F. Futami, Monday, 9 March 2020, Room 1A, 5:15 p.m. PT Registration Information Register before 10 February 2020 and save on a full technical conference pass. Credentialed media and analysts who wish to cover OFC 2020 can find registration and other essential information in the OFC media room. About OFC The Optical Fiber Communication Conference and Exhibition (OFC) is the largest global conference and exhibition for optical communications and networking professionals. For more than 40 years, OFC has drawn attendees from all corners of the globe to meet and greet, teach and learn, make connections and move business forward. OFC includes dynamic business programming, an exhibition of more than 700 companies, and high impact peer-reviewed research that, combined, showcase the trends and pulse of the entire optical networking and communications industry. OFC is managed by The Optical Society (OSA) and co-sponsored by OSA, the IEEE Communications (News - Alert) Society (IEEE/ComSoc), and the IEEE Photonics Society. OFC 2020 will be held from 8 - 12 March 2020 at the San Diego Convention Center, California, USA. Follow @OFCConference, learn more at OFC Community LinkedIn, and watch highlights on OFC YouTube. About The Optical Society Founded in 1916, The Optical Society (OSA) is the leading professional organization for scientists, engineers, students and business leaders who fuel discoveries, shape real-life applications and accelerate achievements in the science of light. Through world-renowned publications, meetings and membership initiatives, OSA provides quality research, inspired interactions and dedicated resources for its extensive global network of optics and photonics experts. For more information, visit osa.org. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005912/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] About 200,000 chain stores of nearly 300 retail companies have resumed normal operation to ensure the supply of daily necessities to lay a solid foundation for winning the battle against the novel coronavirus epidemic, according to the China Chain Store & Franchise Association. (Photo/People's Daily Online) These retailers have promised to guarantee the supply of grain, edible oil, vegetables and other daily necessities, and refrain from forestalling goods and jacking up prices. Their chain stores cover most of cities at prefectural level and above in China. A woman surnamed Chen in Beijing ordered fresh vegetables, chine and cherries imported from Chile from Hema, Alibaba's fresh food supermarket, through its app on the morning of Feb. 8. At 4:10 p.m., a deliveryman delivered the fresh food to her at the scheduled time. The platform has resumed normal operation with a variety of goods, Chen said. A staff from Alibaba said supply of products in Hema remains stable, and it also directly deliver fresh vegetables and fruits to residents together with its vegetable and fruit bases. To provide a safe environment for customers amid the epidemic, the chain stores have carried out disinfection operations and enhance protection of their staff. In general, they disinfect the ground, shopping carts and baskets and handrails twice a day or more. Stable price of daily necessities help reassure people staying home for quarantine, said Zhao Ping, director of the international trade research department under the Academy of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade. Noting that China has established sound reserve mechanism of important materials, including grain and pork, Zhao said its necessary for the country to establish a stable guarantee mechanism of anti-epidemic supplies. A 13th case of the coronavirus in the United States was confirmed Monday, while a person in Maine is being tested for the illness, according to public health officials. A seventh person in California was infected with the virus, named 2019-nCoV. The patient, who has been under federal quarantine, recently returned from Wuhan, China, where the outbreak of the respiratory illness started in December, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. CDC is conducting a thorough contact investigation of the person who has tested positive to determine contacts and to assess if those contacts had high risk exposures, the statement said. Other coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Arizona, Illinois, Washington, Wisconsin and Massachusetts. More than 315 people have tested negative for the disease in the U.S., and 68 patients are awaiting test results, according to the CDCs website. A UMass Boston student was diagnosed with the illness earlier this month. The patient, a man in his 20s, arrived at Boston Logan International Airport after traveling to Wuhan. He sought medical attention and has remained isolated in his off-campus housing since late January, according to the Boston Public Health Commission. The risk of the virus to Massachusetts and the general American public remains low, according to the CDC, though the threat internationally is high. More than 40,500 cases of the illness have been confirmed globally, 40,235 of which were reported in China, according to the World Health Organizations most recent situation report. The country has also seen 909 deaths due to the virus. Only one person outside of China has died from the infection. The death toll in China rose by 97 in 24 hours from Saturday to Sunday, a 15% jump. The number of deaths has surpassed the 774 people who died from the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s, another outbreak that originated in China, the Associated Press reported. Because the 2019-nCoV has caused people to die and there is sustained person-to-person spread in China, two criteria of a pandemic have been met, the CDC said. Its unclear how the situation will unfold, but risk is dependent on exposure, the CDCs website says. At this time, some people will have an increased risk of infection, for example healthcare workers caring for 2019-nCoV patients and other close contacts of 2019-nCoV patients. The first case of a person being tested for 2019-nCoV in Maine was reported Monday, the states Center for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement. The patient agreed to stay home in accordance with federal guidelines. Members of the Colby College community who traveled to mainland China have been isolated and are being monitored out of caution, the school said. The person in Maine who is being tested is not associated with alternative housing provided to some students by Colby, though, according to the agency. This test follows protocols established by the U.S. CDC. At this point, 37 states have sent samples to the U.S. CDC for testing, and the vast majority of those tests have come back negative," Nirav Shah, director of the Maine CDC, said in the agencys statement. In January, the CDC warned people to avoid all nonessential travel to China, and earlier this month, the White House suspended entry of foreign nationals into the county who have traveled to China within the past 14 days. U.S. residents as well as their immediate family members who have visited the Hubei province, where Wuhan is located, are allowed to enter the U.S., but they may be monitored or quarantined for up to two weeks, according to the CDC. The agency made its coronavirus test kits available for domestic and international partners last week. The CDC said it has also continued to upload the entire genome of the viruses online from the confirmed cases in the U.S. A vaccine for 2019-nCoV does not exist, but public health officials have urged people to take preventative measures similar to those taken during the flu season. Precautionary steps include covering coughs and sneezes, washing hands with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds and staying home if ones sick. Related Content: New Delhi, Feb 11 : The election results of Delhi have once again put the focus back on election strategist Prashant Kishor, who was shown the door by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar from the Janata Dal-United for his opposition to the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). So will Bihar Assembly polls be the next battleground for Kishor, who is being lured by the RJD to join the party. Bihar is slated to go to polls in October and November this year, where Kishor and his consultancy firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC) had played an important role for Nitish Kumar in the 2015 polls. Kishor, a former public health expert, who worked with the United Nations was instrumental in the victory of the Grand Alliance comprising -- Lalu Prasad-led Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Congress and the JD-U in Bihar. The Grand Alliance in 2015 won 178 out of 243 seats in the state while the BJP managed to win only 53 seats. However, Nitish Kumar in mid-2017 dumped the Grand Alliance and joined hands with the same BJP which he had decisively decimated in a prestigious battle with BJP. And looking at the demand for Kishor across the country suggests that the RJD will not miss the opportunity to hit back at Nitish Kumar, who ditched the Grand Alliance in 2017. A senior RJD functionary wishing not to be named said that as of now there is no plan to bring in Kishor in the party. "But on number of times Tej Pratap Yadav has made offers to Kishor openly after he was expelled from the party on January 29," he said. He further said that a decision on bringing Kishor lies with Lalu Prasad, who is serving his jail term in Ranchi in fodder scam case. Commenting further, another RJD leader, requesting anonymity said, "Looking at the unceremonial exit of Kishor from JD-U for his opposition to CAA and NRC, the chemical reaction could work as an ointment for both the RJD and Kishor." "So, we are hopeful that Laluji will guide Tejashwi and Tej Pratap both to bring Kishor with the RJD," he said. The party leader further said that the clean sweep by NDA during 2019 Lok Sabha polls as it won 39 out of 40 parliamentary constituencies in the state, provides the clearest evidence that Nitish-Modi combination is a sure shot recipe for success in this part of the Hindi belt. "So to tackle the Nitish-Modi-Amit Shah combine, we need a strategist to guide the Congress and the RJD to a winning formula here," he said, adding, Kishor "perfectly" fits there. Earlier this year, Union Home Minister Amit Shah made it clear that Bihar Assembly polls will be contested under the leadership of Nitish Kumar. Kishor first entered the political arena in 2011 when he met then Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and helped him stitch his third consecutive win in the Gujarat Assembly polls in 2012. However, it was his active involvement in Modi's 2014 Lok Sabha campaign "an election that is a textbook case for everything done right" that catapulted him to instant fame with his 'chai pe charcha' campaign. After the success of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and the Bihar polls in 2015, Kishor was a hot property which every political party vouched for. And the results of Punjab in 2017, Andhra Pradesh in 2019, West Bengal by-polls in 2019, and now Delhi in 2020 will put him further in demand. The only failure for Kishor was in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, where the Congress and the Samajwadi Party combine lost to the BJP despite the campaigns like 'Khat pe charcha' and 'UP ke Ladke'. Following the success of Kishor in several states, the most recent to join the bandwagon is Tamil Nadu's DMK, which has also roped in I-PAC to design its campaign. (Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in) With our whole country getting more tech-savvy and connecting to the world using the internet, cyberattacks by hackers are also on a constant rise. This has created an increased need for skilled professionals in the fields of cybersecurity, and white hackers. Not only India but the world at large lacks the skilled manpower needed to deal with cybersecurity threats. However, one young man is trying to change the status quo. Meet Chaitanya Laxman, a student at Lovely Professional University who has started Edtech Startup ExploitX, to train cybersecurity skills to anyone interested and AdaSEC -- a company that safeguards brands against cyber attacks. We interacted with Laxman to know more about why he started these ventures and what is he trying to achieve in the long run. The 21-year old student entrepreneur Chaitanya Laxman is a 21-year old from Jaipur, Rajasthan, who is studying B Tech at LPU is currently running two startups -- ExploitX and AdaSEC. We wanted to learn more about the two startups and what led to him starting these ventures, to which Chaitanya responded, Edtech companies are changing the face of the education system in India. There have been many companies incepted in the last five years, however, their primary focus is on upskilling individuals and professionals with primitive skills such as software development, Full-stack development or Android/IOS development. They are not focusing on the skills that can fill the gap in the current job market. There are other areas in Information Technology like CyberSecurity, AI and, Blockchain, which require a skilled workforce. With ExploitX, we attempt to create the talent pool and fill those skill gaps. He further added, I have been working in the CyberSecurity domain for the last few years. I have developed many handy penetration testing scripts however technologies like Machine Learning and AI have totally changed my perspective about cybersecurity. We can use them to build incredible tools and push cybersecurity forward. While working on malware, I developed an algorithm that turned into a business idea, which formed AdaSEC. Tackling Current Situation of IT Professionals in India Chaitanya Laxman's ExploitX and AdaSEC have not only identified a talent problem in the country but is actively trying to fix the hole. He said, India is overcrowded with engineering & technology institutions. There are more than 6,214 institutions in the country where more than 2.9 million students enroll each year. Over 1.7 million engineers pass out from these colleges and only 7% of them are employable as others lack the required skillsets. If we look at IBM Indias industry report, a whopping 3 million CyberSecurity professionals are required in the country but the supply is not even 100,000 at present. Also, Tencent report suggests that there are only about 300,000 AI professionals worldwide, but millions of roles available in the job market. Solving the Indian problem When asked how he went about fabricating an Indian-centric approach, Chaitanya Laxman said, There are a lot of problems to be solved in India and therein lies the opportunity for the entrepreneurs to get creative. These problems can translate to a trillion-dollar worth of money and can be further used for developing the country. Im optimistic about it. But we have to keep in mind that mediocre ideas or services will not help India to develop. If he had to do something differently While he started at a young age, Chaitanya has managed to create two successful ventures. However, when we asked him what he would do differently if he was given a chance to do it all over again, he said, I would keep my emotions aside while hiring new people. From my experience so far, I realised that while starting up a new business, one needs to plan cohesively before hiring. It is important that the person you hire is willing to work towards your companys goals and objectives. Because ultimately, they will be the ones who will build up your team. And, if its a misfit, it will certainly cost a lot of money and time for the company. The British government wants its financial center, known as the City of London, to have permanent access to the European market once the Brexit transition period is over, according to the Financial Times. The U.K. stopped being a full member of the European Union on January 31, but it has yet to define its future trading arrangements with the other 27 EU countries. A negotiating paper, caught by a long-lens camera, showed Monday that the government is looking to get a "comprehensive, permanent equivalence decisions" for its financial industry, according to the report. This would mean that the EU would grant market access in specified activities provided that the U.K. follows the same regulatory rules as Brussels. Financial services contributed to about 7% of the U.K.'s total output in 2018, according to a report from the U.K. Parliament. These firms are currently allowed to operate freely across EU nations, which allows U.S. firms based in the U.K. to sell financial products to EU-based companies, for example. However, the EU has signaled that if this is to continue it will depend on whether the U.K. chooses to follow European standards. Recently, French President Emmanuel Macron offered European countries to develop a new mechanism for controlling conventional and nuclear weapons and to conclude a new treaty to ban intermediate and shorter-range missiles. The owner of the Champs Elysees is afraid that by 2021 the worlds largest arms race since the Cold War will begin. Macron stressed that France has reduced its nuclear arsenal to 300 warheads and therefore requires the same from other nuclear powers. There is no multilateral world agreement regulating the number of nuclear warheads in the UK, France, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea nowadays. The arms control mechanism which was formed by the United States and the USSR during the Cold War collapses like a house of cards. At the same time, France plans to spend $ 41 billion by 2025 to modernize its nuclear arsenal and increase the effectiveness of its policy of deterrence. The ambivalent standpoint of Paris is driven by the changed geopolitical situation in Europe after Brexit. The world's nuclear disbalance Macrons rhetoric is addressed primarily to the United States and Russia, as they have more nuclear warheads than France and other countries. In February 2021, the US-Russian Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty on measures for the further reduction and limitation of strategic offensive arms (START-3) expires. In 2010, then US President Barack Obama and his Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev pledged to reduce the number of nuclear charges to 1,550 units, and intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine ballistic missiles and heavy bombers to 700 units. The signing of the START-4 treaty and a further reduction in nuclear warheads are unlikely. Relations between Moscow and Washington have been in the worst condition since the end of the Cold War amid the ongoing aggression of Russia in Ukraine since 2014 and the policy of anti-Russian sanctions of the West, Russian counter-sanctions. After all in 2019, the United States and Russia ceased their participation in the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty (with a range of 500-5500 km), which was considered one of the most important elements of the arms control mechanism in relations between the White House and the Kremlin. At best, Moscow and Washington will extend START-3 until 2026 and upgrade their nuclear arsenals. In 2019, the United States was armed with 1,750 deployed nuclear weapons mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine ballistic missiles and bombers (the "nuclear triad"). The Americans are planning to equip B-21 bombers with supersonic long-range cruise missiles, replace 450 Minuteman missile silos, and to since 2031. 1,600 nuclear warheads, mainly with multiple warheads, are now on combat duty in Russia. Moscow is introducing a Vanguard hypersonic cruise missile system and RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles. At best, Moscow and Washington will extend START-3 until 2026 and upgrade their nuclear arsenals. In 2019, the United States was armed with 1,750 deployed nuclear weapons mounted on intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine ballistic missiles and bombers (the "nuclear triad"). The Americans are planning to equip B-21 bombers with supersonic long-range cruise missiles, replace 450 Minuteman missile silos, and to since 2031. 1,600 nuclear warheads, mainly with multiple warheads, are now on combat duty in Russia. Moscow is introducing a Vanguard hypersonic cruise missile system and RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missiles. Another issue worth mentioning is tactical nuclear weapons, which is not regulated by any of the international treaties. It is intended for delivering targeted strikes, as an option, against large military formations, accumulations of tanks and armored vehicles. There are about 2000 units in the operational service of Russia. These tactical nuclear weapons designed to deter NATO. The missiles of the Russian Iskander-M tactical complexes, which the Russian Federation deployed in the Kaliningrad Region, can be equipped with nuclear weapons and have a range of up to 500 km. US tactical nuclear weapons are much more unpretending - 500 warheads, mostly free-falling airbombs. By 2026, Russia's tactical nuclear stockpile may reach 8,000 pieces. The countries of Asia are actively developing their nuclear arsenals. From 2012 to 2019, China increased the number of nuclear warheads from 240 to 290 units, India from 100 to 140 units, and Pakistan from 100 to 150 units. Beijing plans to increase the number of nuclear warheads to 606 by 2029. There are approximately 25 nuclear charges in the arsenal of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Also, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, the DPRK do not want to abandon medium and shorter-range missiles. France interests After Brexit, France remained the only country in the EU with nuclear weapons. France has four submarines with ballistic missiles onboard and 40 aircraft equipped with cruise missiles. France can adopt the role of guarantor of the EU security, a deterrence factor. Based on Art. 42 of the Lisbon Agreement, the EU member states provide each other with mutual assistance in the field of security and defense. Macron wants to turn the European Union into one of the global centers of power. However, Frances nuclear arsenal requires modernization, and its maintenance is expensive - $ 3.4 billion per year. Macrons rhetorics about the arms race and the importance of nuclear deterrence policies to ensure the security of France and Europe is designed and voiced for the ears of French taxpayers. Macron is not particularly popular in French society with strong protest moods. His intention to invest $ 41 billion to modernize the nuclear arsenal may simply not be understood. The plans of the French leader are Napoleonic. It is planned to replace the Mirage-2000N fighter-bomber with Rafal F.3 multi-functional fighters as carriers for cruise missiles. Until 2035, it is planned to create a hypersonic missile ASN-4G with a nuclear warhead. Macron is not so much afraid of the threat of an arms race in the near future as Europes dependence on the United States and NATO in the field of security. There are American tactical nuclear weapons at military bases in Germany, Belgium, Holland, Italy, and Turkey. In the context of difficult relations with the United States, Macron talked about global nuclear arms control in order to create an occasion for talk about the withdrawal of American tactical nuclear weapons from Europe. Generally speaking, American warheads are not only a deterrent in ensuring European security but also a reason for the constant military presence of the US military in Europe, a factor in keeping it in its orbit of influence. Germany shares Macron's ideas. Johann Wadephul, a member of the ruling German Christian Democratic Union party, said Germany should participate in nuclear deterrence as much as possible. Since 2019, Germany has been assisting France in its development of a sixth generation aircraft capable of carrying nuclear missiles. Although in 2007 German Chancellor Angela Merkel rejected Nicolas Sarkozys offer to share responsibility for a nuclear deterrence policy in Europe. It seems that some European NATO members are do not mind the withdrawal of US tactical nuclear weapons from Europe. In July 2019, the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels leaked confidential information that there were 150 units of American tactical nuclear weapons in European countries. The information was published as a report, which then became viral due to the European media. Two-thirds of the population of those European countries with American tactical nuclear weapons deployed see no point in them. Trump and Putin Factor Macron articulates the same thing that Trump said earlier. The American president proposed concluding a big treaty for all nuclear powers, extending START-3 to tactical nuclear weapons and abandoning medium and short-range missiles. Also, the owner of the Oval Office mentioned in passing about the withdrawal of the American military from Europe, criticizing the European countries - members of NATO for the insufficient contribution to the organizations budget and defense spending. Trump's ideas did not cause enthusiasm either in China or in Russia. The United States offered that the Russian Federation reduces the number of all types of nuclear weapons to 1,550, including the tactical ones. In exchange, the owner of the Kremlin demanded that the White House withdraws their tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, which the Americans did not agree to. Macron makes it clear to Trump that he has to turn the flashlights on himself and begin the nuclear disarmament. After the end of the Cold War, France cut half of its nuclear weapons. In 1996, the French government abandoned mine-based intercontinental ballistic missiles. Macron and Putin are interested in withdrawal of American tactical nuclear weapons from Europe, which is one of the factors of Euro-Atlantic unity and hinders the rapprochement of the EU and the Russian Federation. Macron often discourses of the reasonability of cooperation between the European Union and Russia in the field of security, despite the existing contradictions and disagreements over Ukraine and Syria. The Herrio Curse Macron may face the fate of former Prime Minister of France Edouard Herriot and fall on deaf ears. In the years 1924-25 the radical socialist Herriot offered to introduce pacifism a means of world politics, to carry out disarmament, to peacefully resolve international disputes in courts, he even initiated creatin Pan-European Union. His ideas were not far from the geopolitical realities of the interwar period and could not prevent the growth of revenge and expansionist sentiments in Germany and Italy, which ultimately led to World War II. The same can be said about Macron's proposed international mechanism for controlling nuclear weapons. China, India, and Pakistan will not reduce their nuclear arsenals, which they see as a tool to ensure their security. The experience of Ukraine, which in 1994 easily abandoned Soviet stockpile of nuclear weapons in exchange for international guarantees and 20 years later became the object of aggression by one of the guarantor countries, is very eloquent. It's better to have a nuclear button at hand than the castles in the sky. Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said the Special Criminal Court provides an essential service in combating organised crime and terrorism. In relation to calls from Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald that there should be a review of the non-jury court, the commissioner said he wouldnt be concerned about a review. On suggestions that the court should be abolished, he said the issue didnt currently arise as no one had called for that. Ms McDonalds position on the SCC became a significant issue in the run-up to the election, particularly during one of the leaders debates in which she refrained from offering support to the court, but said it was party policy that it should be reviewed. This drew very strong criticism from the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin. When asked would he have any problem working with a Sinn Fein minister for justice, Mr Harris said he would have a very positive relationship with whoever was the minister. In relation to the status of the garda investigation into the murder of 21-year-old Paul Quinn in Co Monaghan in October 2007 which was another issue enveloping Ms McDonald before the election the commissioner said gardai were determined to bring the perpetrators of the awful crime to justice. Speaking at an official event in Garda HQ, the commissioner said the SCC provided an essential service in dealing with organised crime and threats to national security, particularly from terrorism. We obviously have a situation where organised crime groups and terrorist groups are in a position through fear to thwart jury-led trials and that, unfortunately, is the position we are in, he said. We have to have the arrangements then to deal with those particular type of offenders. He said gardai had a lot of successful prosecutions in the SCC over the years against criminal gangs and terrorist groups: So, we see it as a vital function, a justice function, a criminal justice function, in how we protect the people of Ireland. Questioned about a possible review of the court or its possible abolition, he said: I wouldnt be concerned about a review. I havent heard anyone mention abolition, so the question doesnt arise yet. Asked would he have any problem working with a Sinn Fein justice minister, the commissioner said: Im here to protect democracy. I will work with who is the democratically elected minister of the government and Im sure whoever it is I will have a very positive working relationship. I am here to keep people safe, Im here to provide for the security of the country, prevent crime and protect the people of Ireland, so Im sure whatever minister Im working with well have a positive working relationship. The police chief was also asked about the status of the Paul Quinn murder investigation an issue raised in the final days of the election over past comments made by Stormont minister and senior Sinn Fein figure Conor Murphy that the victim was involved in criminality. Mr Harris said the murder was subject to an examination by the Serious Crime Review Team and indicated he and local officers would receive its final report soon. There will be recommendations and we will work through those, he said. Obviously, theres an element of this which is cross border, so we will work with the PSNI on the recommendations we receive and see what we can do to move forward this investigation. He added: The case is not closed, its not cold, it remains live. He said they want to put the effort in and ensure that whoever carried out the awful crime is brought to justice and said they were determined to do that. Three-year, $1.35 million grant to aid mental health programming in western Kenya NORTHBROOK, lll., and INDIANAPOLIS -- The Astellas Global Health Foundation ("Foundation") and the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), under the direction of the Indiana University Center for Global Health, announced today that the Foundation has awarded a $1.35 million grant over three years to AMPATH to provide 400,000 people with access to mental health programming in western Kenya. AMPATH will integrate mental health services into AMPATH's chronic disease system in public health facilities and broaden population engagement through a mental health awareness campaign. Additionally, AMPATH will provide group transitional housing and care for patients with severe mental health disorders. "The Astellas Global Health Foundation funding will help AMPATH to meaningfully expand our mental health programming, as we are committed to improving access to and quality of mental health care, reducing treatment gaps and empowering patients in western Kenya," said Edith Kwobah, MBChB, MMED, consultant psychiatrist and head of mental health at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya and the Kenyan medical leader of the initiative. "This grant will provide training for community health volunteers to screen for mental health disorders and refer members of the Kenyan community to appropriate care facilities to improve health outcomes for these patients," added Matthew Turissini, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine. Indiana University, which leads the consortium of North American academic health centers within the AMPATH partnership, will serve as the administrator for the grant. According to the World Health Organization, 75 percent of people affected by mental health disorders in low-income countries do not have access to the treatment they need. This is partially due to funding in many of these countries being prioritized to address infectious diseases and the significant stigma of mental illness3. The grant from the Astellas Global Health Foundation will help AMPATH address this treatment gap in western Kenya. "Access to mental health care is a worldwide issue with a particularly significant lack of proper diagnosis and treatment among low- and middle-income populations," said Moyra Knight, president of the Astellas Global Health Foundation. "The important work AMPATH is doing in western Kenya improves the diagnosis and sustains treatment of mental illness for communities in critical need." For the Astellas Global Health Foundation, formed in November 2018, this investment is the first focused on mental health, which is one of the Foundation's key focus areas in improving access to health in low- and middle-income countries where Astellas, a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world, does not have a business presence. Additional priorities for Foundation funding are creating community resilience and providing grants for disaster support. ### About The Astellas Global Health Foundation: The Astellas Global Health Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation that awards grants to support charitable purposes with a focus on improving access to health in underserved global communities, building resilient communities and providing disaster support in order to make a sustainable impact on the health of people around the world, working toward "One World, A Healthier Tomorrow." To learn more about Astellas Global Health Foundation, please visit http://www. astellasglobalhealthfoundation. org . About AMPATH: The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) is a partnership among Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, North American universities led by Indiana University, and the Kenyan Government. Working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, AMPATH created one of Africa's largest, most comprehensive and effective HIV/AIDS management and treatment models. AMPATH has transitioned its successful HIV approach into a comprehensive primary health care system, now serving a population of 8 million people in western Kenya. In addition to providing direct patient care, AMPATH trains health care leaders in North America and sub-Saharan Africa, provides supportive services to help communities sustain their own success, and conducts research. To learn more about AMPATH, visit ampathkenya.org. This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Five days after President Donald Trump was acquitted in the Senates impeachment trial, whatever restraints the Republican Party envisioned for him going forward are being utterly obliterated. The president is ousting impeachment inquiry witnesses like Alexander Vindman and Gordon Sondland with hints at more to come and attacking senators whom he may need down the stretch to support his agenda. Hes defeated the GOPs free-traders and is continuing to shift billions of Pentagon funds toward the border wall, despite Republicans reservations about his use of the national emergency statute. And after initially treating Trump-sought investigations of Joe and Hunter Biden with skepticism, key Senate Republicans are now plowing ahead with probes of their own into their old colleague. The upshot is the Senate GOPs robust anti-Trump wing from four years ago has been whittled down to a handful of Maybe Trumpers. And those who had hoped the president would be chastened by becoming the third president ever to be impeached by the House are doing little to rein him in even though he emerged with a different lesson entirely. Presidential personnel matters are for the president to make, said Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), who criticized Trump for requesting probes into the Bidens but found his conduct not impeachable. He declined to reassess his belief that Trump may be humbled after impeachment: My hope is that the president will have learned something. Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, arrives at the Capitol for the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, in Washington, Friday, Jan. 31, 2020. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) Trump almost surely would have faced outrage from Republicans three years ago for ousting two impeachment witnesses, targeting Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and belligerently going after his critics at the National Prayer Breakfast. But what once was a frantic push and pull between congressional Republicans and the president has now become a nearly party-wide synergy with Trump. They dont embrace the actions or rhetoric of the confrontational and controversial head of their party, but Republicans are done fighting with him as they head together into a November election in which their fates are tied. Story continues I hope thats a last-week phenomenon. And its not going to carry on in the future, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) of Trumps retributions since being acquitted. He declined to implore Trump to put an end to it: Im not going to tell him how to do his job. Efforts to dial back Trumps tariffs have been abandoned. Shifting new money from military priorities to the border wall is met with little outrage. The Senate has yet to pass sanctions on Turkey for its Syrian incursion, which came after Trump withdrew troops in the fall and prompted loud handwringing from Republicans. GOP critics like former Sens. Jeff Flake of Arizona and Bob Corker of Tennessee are gone, replaced by stalwart allies like Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Martha McSally (R-Ariz.), who was appointed to the seat previously held by John McCain (R-Ariz.). The style of how he does things hes different in that sense, said Sen. Mike Braun (R-Ind.), a freshman senator. In general, I like how hes trying to shake things up around here. And attacks on colleagues like Romney, the lone congressional Republican to support impeaching and removing Trump, are met with only mild concern that the GOPs whip counts could be affected. The presidents never been a legislator. And his view of those relationships would be different than ours would, said Sen. Roy Blunt of Missouri, a member of GOP leadership. Our view is the next votes the most important vote. And were going to have it before too long. Where there is occasional dissent, it is on votes forced upon the GOP by Democrats. The minority party is using its procedural powers to try to curb Trumps authority to attack Iran and block the national emergency Trump declared to seize wall funding. But the number of Republicans that support rebuking the president in those areas consistently falls far short of the 67 votes needed to override Trumps impending veto. And even on those symbolic votes, most in the GOP are loath to break with Trump. Overall for Republicans, the story of Trumps presidency is one of a daily outrage only to be replaced by another. GOP senators have learned to embrace the upbeat economy, the tax cuts, the conservative judges and the deregulation. When Trump finds himself embroiled in controversy, these days they wait until the storm passes, knowing another will follow. Things have a short shelf life around here. I think the president, like all of us, is going to be ready to move on, said Senate Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.). Whereas Corker once responded to the president by calling the White House an adult daycare, the current targets of Trumps barbs mostly try not to fire back at him. Manchin, who Trump called munchkin, said being on the receiving end of Trumps vitriol is to be expected. I've dealt with a lot of people like the president before so I can work with anybody and everybody. Sometimes they can't control their own emotions, said Manchin, who Trump savaged during his 2018 re-election campaign. Its not a good way to live your life. Romney mostly refused to engage with Trumps attacks on him Monday, which have ranged from calling him a failed presidential candidate that didnt work hard enough to beat President Barack Obama to alluding to him as among the people who use their faith as justification for doing what they know is wrong, a reference to Romneys remarks on why he chose to vote to remove Trump from office. I dont really have any comment on his reaction. I expect hell say what he believes, Romney said. Romney, like every Republican interviewed for this story, said Trump was entitled to fire Sondland, the ambassador to the European Union, and reassign Vindman, a lieutenant colonel, from the National Security Council after they testified in the impeachment inquiry. The Utah senator did say he admired them for responding to congressional subpoenas. A handful of Republicans did try to delay the firing of Sondland a longtime donor to Senate Republicans in a bid to shield Trump from allegations that he was punishing those who testified against him in the impeachment inquiry. But it doesnt appear there was a full-scale effort to save Sondlands job. Ambassador Sondland was planning on leaving. He had been there for two years, said Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), who Sondland donated to in the past. Tillis, who did not speak directly to Trump, suggested to the White House that we have a little bit longer glide path. But now it is what it is. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) was also working to delay Sondlands firing but downplayed it as a couple phone calls aimed at letting Sondland resign rather than be fired. Johnson was more enthusiastic about digging into Hunter Bidens role at a Ukrainian energy company during the time his father was vice president. Johnson and Senate Finance Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) are requesting the State Department release any documents related to Hunter Biden. The Wisconsin Republican said hes received virtually none. Now that Trumps trial is over, he expects things to pick up as Republicans join the president's call for probes into his enemies rather than urge Trump to move on from the Ukraine saga. We have not been getting document production and the White House has been reluctant during the impeachment, Johnson said. So hopefully now that that's past we'll start getting documents. MOSCOW Ukraines president, Volodymyr Zelensky, fired his chief of staff on Tuesday in a personnel shake-up affecting central figures on the Ukrainian side of the events leading to the impeachment trial of President Trump. The shuffle in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital, offered fresh evidence of how deeply entangled Ukrainian and American politics have become. The new chief of staff, Andriy Yermak, negotiated last summer with President Trumps personal lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, as Mr. Giuliani and American diplomats pressured Ukraine to start investigations that would benefit Mr. Trump politically. Mr. Yermak, who at the time was a senior presidential adviser on foreign policy, has sought to maintain good ties with the Trump administration. The man he replaced, Andriy Bohdan, a former lawyer for the oligarch Ihor Kolomoisky, reportedly became chief of staff last year over Mr. Giulianis objections. Mr. Giuliani was at odds with Mr. Kolomoisky at the time, but later pivoted to working with Kolomoisky associates in his search for evidence against Mr. Trumps political enemies. In the study, 85% (99/116) of children with life-threatening autoimmune conditions had complete or near complete recovery after biomarker was spotted and they were subsequently given appropriate treatment In the study, 85% (99/116) of children with life-threatening autoimmune conditions had complete or near complete recovery after biomarker was spotted and they were subsequently given appropriate treatment A group of life-threatening neurological conditions affecting children have been linked to an antibody which points to potential treatment, according to an observational multicentre study involving 535 children with central nervous system (CNS) demyelinating disorders and encephalitis, published in The Lancet Neurology journal. The findings suggest that the myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody is associated with a wider range of life-threatening autoimmune conditions than previously thought, including neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders and encephalitis, which cause severe neurological (brain and nervous system) symptoms such as vision loss, muscle weakness, and loss of coordination and speech. Because this group of CNS disorders can mimic similar conditions like multiple sclerosis (MS), they are difficult to diagnose correctly. Until around 10 years ago, patients with these demyelinating diseases were considered to have atypical forms of MS, and the prognosis and best treatment options were unknown. Over the last 10 years, multiple studies have shown that several demyelinating diseases (including optic neuritis, myelitis, and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis [ADEM]) associate with the MOG-antibody biomarker, and patients affected by this group of diseases frequently improve with immunotherapy. However, the best treatment approach and long-term outcome remain unknown. Now, this new study suggests that testing for the biomarker could speed accurate diagnosis and help identify the appropriate treatment for some of these disorders. In the study, 85% (99/116) children who tested positive for MOG antibodies and given appropriate treatment had complete or near complete recovery, but 15% (17) experienced moderate to severe disease-related deficits not caused by the treatment (eg, cognitive impairment, epilepsy, vision loss), and one died from their disease. "The diagnosis of many of these patients especially those with encephalitis would have been missed if it were not for the prospective design our study," says Dr Thais Armangue from the Sant Joan de Deu Children's Hospital, University of Barcelona, in Spain who co-led the research. "Identifying these patients is important because most of the children who tested positive for MOG antibodies responded to treatment with immunotherapy." [1] Co-lead author Professor Josep Dalmau from the University of Barcelona explains, "Demyelinating diseases in children can be very difficult to distinguish because they present with similar symptoms and imaging features. Correct and early diagnosis allows for treatment with immunosuppressants, rather than the treatments specifically used in MS that are not effective in most of these diseases. Moreover, it is important to differentiate between those diseases that do not require chronic treatment and others in which prolonged immunotherapy is needed to improve long-term outcomes." [1] MOG antibodies damage the protective covering (myelin sheath) that surrounds nerve fibres in the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord, so messages cannot pass along these nerves effectively, causing symptoms such as vision loss, muscle weakness, and pain. Many children may only experience one MOG antibody disease event, and have no further symptoms. However, some children may be at risk of further relapses months, sometimes years, later. Although there is increasing recognition of MOG-antibody associated syndromes in children, the full range of diseases associated with MOG antibodies remains unknown. To provide more evidence, researchers conducted a prospective study of children (median age 6 years) with suspected demyelinating syndromes (239 children) and encephalitis other than ADEM (296) attending 40 hospitals across Spain between June 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. Participants who tested positive for MOG antibodies were assessed for clinical features, response to treatment (ie, number of relapses), and outcomes over a median follow-up of 42 months. In total, 116 (22%) of 535 children were found to be positive for MOG antibodies, including 94 (39%) with demyelinating syndromes and 22 (7%) with autoimmune encephalitis. Importantly, 24% (28/116) of these children had syndromes not previously associated with MOG antibodies. Among the 64 patients with autoimmune encephalitis, MOG antibodies were the most frequent biomarkers--more common than all other neuronal antibodies combined (22 [34%] vs 21 [33%])--suggesting that MOG antibody testing should be conducted when diagnosing children with suspected encephalitis after excluding infectious causes, particularly as these patients often respond to treatment with immunotherapy. The findings also suggest that younger children with MOG-antibody associated syndromes tend to present with clinical features of ADEM (which is an inflammatory condition that mainly affects the brain), whilst older children are more likely to have signs of optic neuritis (eg, loss of vision, pain in the eye) or myelitis (eg, back pain, weakness in both legs). During follow-up, 33 (28%) of 116 patients positive for MOG antibody disease had relapses. Most of these patients (99/116, 85%) recovered well. However, 17 (15%) experienced disease-related moderate to severe deficits, and one died due to their disease. "Despite advances in diagnostic testing for encephalitis, up to half of cases have no clear cause. Our findings reveal that the spectrum of MOG antibody disease is broader than previously thought and includes autoimmune encephalitis as well as multiple demyelinating syndromes", says co-author Dr Gemma Olive-Cirera from the Sant Joan de Deu Children's Hospital, University of Barcelona, Spain. "In light of our findings, current classifications and terminology of MOG antibody-associated syndromes should be updated." [1] The authors note several limitations, including that this was not a registry-based study, and therefore could not assess the incidence or prevalence of MOG antibody-associated syndromes, and that the follow-up was short, which could result in the frequency of relapses being underestimated. Writing in a linked Comment, Dr Romain Marignier from the Hopital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer, France (who was not involved in the study) describes the research as "a milestone in the understanding of MOG antibody-associated syndromes", and writes: "In view of the very broad clinical spectrum now associated with MOG autoimmunity, the next challenge will be to identify the optimal therapeutic strategy for each clinical presentation. This objective is closely connected to a better understanding of the pathogenic role of MOG antibodies, and the need for early, robust, and specific prognostic factors of relapse and disability." ### NOTES TO EDITORS This study was funded by Mutua Madrilena Foundation; ISCIII-Subdireccion General de Evaluacion y Fomento de la Investigacion Sanitaria; Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional; Pediatrics Spanish Society; Departament de Salut, Generalitat de Catalunya; Marato TV3 Foundation; Red Espanola de Esclerosis Multiple; La Caixa Foundation; and Fundacio CELLEX. It was conducted by researchers from Idibaps-Hospital Clinic University of Barcelona and Sant Joan de Deu Children's Hospital, University of Barcelona. The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf if you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com [1] Quotes direct from authors and cannot be found in text of Article. Peer-reviewed / Observational study / People NATO slams Syrian regime attacks against Turkish troops NATO chief urges Assad, Russia to stop attacks in Idlib, Syria; issue set to be raised at alliance defense ministers meeting. The chief of the NATO alliance on Tuesday condemned the deadly attacks by the Assad regime in Idlib, an area of northwestern Syria supposed to be under a cease-fire. "WE CALL ON RUSSIA TO STOP THESE ATTACKS" We have seen indiscriminate shelling of also civilian targets, and we condemn this because we condemn indiscriminate attacks against civilians, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg told reporters ahead of a NATO defense ministers meeting starting Wednesday. I'm very concerned about the situation in Idlib, because we have seen horrendous attacks against civilians. We have seen, again, that hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee, he added. Stoltenberg also called on the Assad regime and Russia to stop attacks in Idlib and that the issue is expected to be raised at the defense ministers meeting. We call on Assad and on Russia, because Russia provides support to the regime, to stop these attacks, to respect international law and to fully support the UN efforts to try to find a peaceful solution, he said. 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. Former adviser to President Donald Trump, Roger Stone, leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse after being found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election, in Washington on Nov. 15, 2019. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Prosecutors Ask Court to Sentence Trump Adviser Roger Stone to 7-9 Years in Jail Federal prosecutors have asked a judge to sentence President Donald Trumps former campaign aide Roger Stone to serve between seven and nine years in jail after he was found guilty last year on seven counts of obstructing a congressional investigation, making numerous false statements to Congress, and witness tampering during the Russia investigation. Stone was indicted (pdf) in January 2019 and found guilty in November of providing false statements to the House Intelligence Committee about communications having to do with WikiLeaks, in which he allegedly sought to learn more about when the organization would publish damaging emails about 2016 Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. He was also found guilty of obstructing a congressional investigation of Russian interference during the 2016 presidential election and witness tampering. He is due to face sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Feb. 20. In a sentencing filing Monday (pdf), prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington urged to the court to consider a sentence of 87 to 108 months, which it said was consistent with the applicable advisory guidelines and would accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law. The lengthy sentence would send the message that tampering with a witness, obstructing justice, and lying in the context of a congressional investigation on matters of critical national importance are not crimes to be taken lightly, prosecutors from the U.S. Attorneys Office in Washington wrote. Foreign election interference is the most deadly adversar[y] of republican government,' prosecutors wrote, quoting Alexander Hamiltons Federalist Paper No. 68. Investigations into election interference concern our national security, the integrity of our democratic processes, and the enforcement of our nations criminal laws. These are issues of paramount concern to every citizen of the United States. Obstructing such critical investigations thus strikes at the very heart of our American democracy. Roger Stone obstructed Congresss investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath, and tampered with a witness. And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this court and the rule of law. For that, he should be punished in accord with the advisory guidelines, they added. Stones defense has maintained that the 67-year-old did not have an actual inside connection with WikiLeaks and that there is reasonable doubt that he lied to congressional lawmakers. They have asked the court to avoid sending him to jail, KPLR reported. In the end, the investigations yielded no evidence of the involvement of any American with the Russian government or any agent operating on its behalf to interfere in the 2016 election. It is also undisputed that Roger Stone had nothing to do with obtaining the compromised emails or providing them to WikiLeaks, Stones attorneys reportedly argued. The Roger Stone Legal Defense Fund website, which asks members of the public to donate to legal expenses, states that Stone and his family have been forced out of their home, used up all of their savings, and lost most of their insurance, due to the two-year legal case. Stone is one of several of President Trumps associates who faced charges as a result of then-Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. At the time Stone was found guilty in November, President Trump said the charge was a double standard like never seen before in the history of our country. So they now convict Roger Stone of lying and want to jail him for many years to come. Well, what about Crooked Hillary, Comey, Strzok, Page, McCabe, Brennan, Clapper, Shifty Schiff, Ohr & Nellie, Steele & all of the others, including even Mueller himself? Didnt they lie? he wrote on Twitter. Trump was himself acquitted on Feb. 5 by the Senate on two charges of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress regarding his alleged dealings with Ukraine, ending the third impeachment trial in U.S. history. by Larissa Faw , February 11, 2020 Tailored Brands has appointed Starcom as the companys media agency of record in the U.S. and Canada for all of its retail brands, including Mens Wearhouse, Jos A. Bank, Moores Clothing for Men and K&G. The appointment follows a formal review. Previously the work was handled in-house. Annual billings are estimated at $80 million. The win coincides with the arrival of Carolyn Pollock as Chief Marketing Officer at Tailored Brands. The client seeks to interject more data-driven analysis into its media planning and buying which is critical as we look to reach a younger and increasingly digital-first customer, says Pollock. Tailored Brands continues to undergo a major internal and external makeover. Last March, the company named Dinesh Lathi to the top job, joined by new hire Rich Hansen, who previously served with both Walmart and eBay, as head of strategy and analytics. advertisement advertisement "In a world of slow or declining foot traffic, a strong ecommerce business will be an essential driver of growth," said Lathi during an earnings call. Tailored is also revitalizing its advertising across its various brands. Last summer, to that end, Men's Wearhouse continued to pivot further away from promotional price messaging to introduce its first-ever culture-driven lifestyle campaign encouraging men to present their better selves. The "Good on You" creative, developed with EP+Co, launched with a long-form film, shorter brand spots and various vignettes that highlighted different mens stories. They were shown on broadcast and via paid social content. SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda explains that Science of Identity Foundation's teachings are "rooted in the foremost Hindu and yoga scripture, Bhagavad-gita (Song of God)," and that the "essential teachings of the Bhagavad-gita are that individuals should cultivate their love for God, their love for others, and use their lives for the well-being of others, being guided by the Lord within their hearts." He explains that the teachings of the Bhagavad-gita have been handed down for thousands of years in what is called a sampradaya, or disciplic succession, and that "the Science of Identity Foundation was established to share the teachings and practices of karma and bhakti yoga so that individuals can easily understand, utilize, and apply such teachings and practices in their own personal lives to achieve greater inner peace and happiness, a more purposeful life, and a fearless death." Some people may wonder how they can join Science of Identity Foundation. Jagad Guru explains that it's not something one can join. Rather, "yoga is a process of self-discovery and of cultivating your love for God and for all living beings. You don't need to join anything." Jagad Guru Siddhaswarupananda then goes on to describe the difference between sanatana-dharma and what is often referred to as religion. He explains that "understanding one's true identity, and understanding one's relationship with God and one's love for God, has nothing to do with joining or quitting a particular faith." In this regard, sanatana-dharma refers to "the truth which exists whether you believe it or you don't believe it," and the path of yoga is "a quest to discover that truth." To live an enlightened life, Jagad Guru says that "the first and foremost requirement to make spiritual advancement is sincerity." To help a person maintain spiritual practices and focus when material life presents so many constant distractions, the ancient yoga scriptures prescribe a very simple process the "hearing and repeating of sacred mantras." The conclusion of the article is that "everyone's spiritual journey is an individual path. It is not something you join." Link to the Q & A Article https://sif.yoga/yoga-wisdom/science-of-identity Official Site and Social Media https://sif.yoga/kirtan https://twitter.com/sif_yoga https://www.facebook.com/TheScienceofIdentityFoundation Media Contact Jeannie Bishop 808-367-2633 [email protected] Related Images logo-of-science-of-identity.jpg Logo of Science of Identity Foundation Related Links Other News Yoga Wisdom SOURCE Science of Identity Foundation Activists push for renaming the station to commemorate victims of Nazi atrocities. The Holocaust Memorial Charitable Foundation "Babyn Yar" and Memory March NGO appealed to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko with a request to rename Dorohozhychi subway station, located in close proximity to the territory of Babyn Yar, according to Yevhen Horodetsky, head of Memory March. The organizations standing behind the initiative propose changing the subway station's current name, Dorohozhychi, to Babyn Yar, to commemorate the tragedy that took thousands of lives of Kyiv Jews during the Nazi occupation of the city. Read alsoUkrainian film agency to invest US$2.1 mln in "Babyn Yar" movie Preserving historical memory is one of the main goals that the initiators of renaming say they have set. UNIAN memo. During World War 2, Nazis murdered and buried in mass graves in the territory of Babyn Yar over 30,000 Kyiv Jews. In the first two days of mass executions alone, 33,771 people were killed, while there was no official count of slain children under three years old. It is near the subway station Dorohozhychi that the historical site of the entrance to the tract, which has become a mass grave, is historically located. Appropriate appeals were sent to the Kyiv Mayor's Office in late 2019. Representatives of the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Foundation held public hearings, consultations, and discussions regarding the idea. According to the Foundation, city residents have positive feedback and are ready to consider, as well as support the renaming initiative. The City Mayor's Office said special commissions would be set up to consider the issue and the project's possible implementation. Associate Education Planning Specialist, Dakar, Senegal Organization: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Country: Senegal City: Dakar, Senegal Office: UNESCO Cluster Office Senegal Closing date: Thursday, 5 March 2020 Deadline to apply: 5 March 2020 Title: Associate Education Planning Specialist Domain: Analysis, planning, management and monitoring of education and training policies Grade: P-1 / P-2 Position number: 6SNIEP0051PA Organizational Unit: Pole de Dakar of the UNESCOs International Institute for Educational Planning (IIEP-Pole de Dakar) Duty Location: Dakar, Senegal Type of contract: Project Appointment Length: 1 year renewable (subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds) Annual salary: USD 37 460 annual net base salary plus annual variable post adjustment of USD 12 624 Deadline (midnight, Paris time): 5 March 2019 UNESCO Core Values: Commitment to the Organization Integrity Respect for Diversity Professionalism Organizational Setting Pole de Dakar is the International Institute for Educational Plannings (IIEP) Africa-based office located in Dakar, Senegal. IIEP is a UNESCO specialized institute with a mandate to strengthen Member States capacity to plan and manage their education systems. The Pole de Dakar, is renowned for its cutting edge educational sector analyses and supports African countries in developing realistic and credible education system development plans in support of the Education 2030 agenda, an essential part of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Through a well-crafted and targeted capacity development approach, Pole de Dakar contributes to the creation of diagnostic analyses, sector plans and pedagogical tools. In concert, these contribute to more relevant and sustainable educational policies across Africa. Pole de Dakar is also actively involved in knowledge creation for the education sector in Africa. For more information about its activities, please follow this link: Pole de Dakar Overview of the functions of the post Under the overall authority of the Director of IIEP, the Head of the Pole de Dakar, and the direct supervision of program managers, the incumbent contributes to activities related to the analysis, planning, implementation, management, and monitoring of education and training policies in selected African countries. The overarching goal is to ensure quality and equal education for all with a focus on lifelong learning opportunities in the formal and informal sectors. In collaboration with other Pole de Dakar staff, the incumbent will participate in research activities in selected countries, and whose subsequent outputs will be subject to internal validation procedures, under the responsibility of the Head. More specifically, the incumbent will be assigned the following tasks: 1. Assist selected African countries in developing, implementing and monitoring policies that provide quality and equal education and are focused on lifelong learning opportunities in the formal and informal sectors: a. Support the development and thematic diagnosis of education and training sector and sub-sectors; b. Support operational planning of educational policies (i.e. education policy orientation documentation, simulation models, education sector plans, expenditure medium term financial frameworks, budgeted action plans, etc.); c. Support the strengthening of dialogue between ministries of education and training and ministries of finance; d. Support and advise on the implementation of education policies; e. Support monitoring and evaluation in the implementation of education policies. 2. Participate in a portfolio of activities in selected countries : a. Assist with developing and sustaining political and education policy management and planning dialogue with the highest authorities of target countries; b. Assist to dialogue, exchange and coordination with development partners in countries. 3. Support international initiatives for the Education 2030 Agenda: Yesterday, Christian Mosco of Volusia County, Florida was sentenced to ten years in prison after impersonating two assistant state prosecutors and attempting to use a fake court document to drop charges against himself. Mosco had previously been busted for extortion. According to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, the new charges include "two counts of falsely impersonating an officer, practicing law without authority, two counts of fraudulent use of personal identification and criminal process under color of law and uttering a forgery." From ClickOrlando: The Volusia County Clerk of Court's office thought the document seemed suspicious and contacted the state attorney. After an investigation, the two offices determined the document was fraudulent. "The defendant employed threats, scams and theft in an attempt to further his criminal plans," State Attorney R.J. Larizza said in a news release. "Had he used his talents for positive and law-abiding activities, he would not be on his way to the State Prison System." WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has announced this year's roster of rare disease change-makers, the 2020 Rare Impact Award honorees. These exceptional individuals, organizations and industry innovators will be honored for their outstanding work for the rare disease community on May 15, 2020, in Cleveland, Ohio. The 2020 Rare Impact Awards program will take place at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame , an iconic venue and top visitor destination in Cleveland. "We live at a time of unprecedented advances in medical care for patients with rare diseases, and this year's honorees are being recognized for their unique and innovative contributions," said Peter L. Saltonstall, President and CEO of NORD. "We are incredibly grateful for the dedication of those who are making progress a reality through their extraordinary work. At NORD, we are proud to honor these special people, groups and companies with Rare Impact Awards for their achievements, and this year are thrilled to do so in a setting truly befitting their superstar status." This year's honorees are as diverse, unique and rocking as the rare community itself. The 2020 program will feature: A Lifetime Achievement Award being presented to Janet Woodcock , MD , Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food & Drug Administration , Director, Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, US Food & Drug Administration The Abbey S. Meyers Leadership Award going to NORD's Rare Cancer Coalition Rare Impact Awards being bestowed upon the leadership team at the Clinic for Special Children; Charlene York , Ohio Rare Action Network Volunteer Ambassador; Erica Barnes , Minnesota Rare Action Network Volunteer Ambassador; Julia Vitarello , Founder and CEO of Mila's Miracle Foundation, in partnership with Timothy Yu , MD, Attending Physician, Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children's Hospital; Norman Winnerman , volunteer with the Cornelia de Lange Syndrome Foundation and NORD; Patrick James Lynch , Founder and CEO of Believe Limited; The Honorable Randi Clites, State Representative from Ohio ; The Honorable Sherrod Brown, Senator from Ohio ; and Grammy Award-winning guitarist Peter Frampton , patient and advocate with The Myositis Association. 2020 Industry Innovation Award honorees include Alnylam Pharmaceuticals for Givlaari; AveXis for Zolgensma; Daiichi-Sankyo for Turalio; Genentech for Rozlytrek; Global Blood Therapeutics for Oxbryta; and Vertex Pharmaceuticals for Trikafta. An annual event, the Rare Impact Awards program is hosted by NORD, the leading independent advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of patients and families impacted by rare diseases. It is part of the Living Rare, Living Stronger NORD Patient and Family Forum, a conference held in a different location each year that brings the rare community together with health care professionals, medical students and advocates for learning, sharing and connecting. The Rare Impact Awards are presented with support from Agios Pharmaceuticals; Alnylam Pharmaceuticals; Amgen; BioMarin Pharmaceutical; bluebird bio; Genentech; GlaxoSmithKline; Horizon Therapeutics; Incyte Corporation; Principia Biopharma; and Vertex Pharmaceuticals. About the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) is the leading independent advocacy organization representing all patients and families affected by rare diseases. NORD is committed to the identification, treatment and cure of more than 7,000 rare diseases, of which approximately 90% are still without an FDA-approved treatment or therapy. Rare diseases affect over 25 million Americans. More than half of those affected are children. NORD began as a small group of patient advocates that formed a coalition to unify and mobilize support to pass the Orphan Drug Act of 1983. For more than 35 years, NORD has led the way in voicing the needs of the rare disease community, driving supportive policies and education, advancing medical research and providing patient and family services for those who need them most. NORD is made strong together with over 300 disease-specific member organizations and their communities and collaborates with many other organizations on specific causes of importance to the rare disease patient community. Visit rarediseases.org . SOURCE National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) Related Links https://rarediseases.org A group of students from Kids Lives Matter, a nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of children in underserved areas, served as youth Special Awarding Agency judges during the 2019 Science and Engineering Fair of Houston. Have you ever wondered which over-the-counter pain medicine Ibuprofen, acetaminophen or aspirin dissolves the fastest in an acidic stomach? Lemon juice could be the key to this discovery. Or, could recyclable materials be used as solar ovens to harness the suns heat to cook food? Students from across southeast Texas will attempt to answer these questions and more at the 61st annual Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH). The event presented by Chevron and the University of Houston STEM Center runs from 8 a.m. 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 15 at the George R. Brown Convention Center. SEFH attracts more than 1,000 middle school and high school students (grades 7-12). Projects span 17 science fair categories ranging from medicine and health to physics and mechanical engineering. Heather Domjan, SEFH executive director and interim director of the UH STEM Center said students from Kids Lives Matter, a nonprofit organization that enriches the lives of children in underserved areas, will get to compete in the fair for the first time this year. The students come from Houstons Third and Fifth Wards, and their research is inspired by what theyve learned in STEM Zone Saturday, an educational outreach collaboration between the UH STEM Center and the nonprofit organization. They have never conducted a scientific and engineering project in this manner and have dedicated themselves to overcoming their circumstances to start a positive trajectory toward careers in science, technology, engineering and math, said Domjan. What they are doing reflects the true spirit of scientific research. WHAT: 61st Annual Science and Engineering Fair of Houston WHO: More than 1,000 middle and high school students from across Southeast Texas WHEN: 8 a.m. 6:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 15; judging will run from 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Public Day for the community to visit the projects runs from 4:306:30 p.m. WHERE: George R. Brown Convention Center, Hall E, 1001 Avenida De Las Americas, Houston, 77010 (click here for directions and parking information) SPECIAL NOTE: The SEFH awards ceremony will take place at the University of Houston Student Center South, Houston Room from 1-3 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 22. First and second place winners advance to the Texas Science and Engineering Fair (TXSEF) at Texas A&M University on March 28. Grand award winners will be eligible to compete in the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) 2020 in May in Anaheim, California. Gabrielle Union consulted the cast of Pose to educate herself about the LGBTQ+ community after her step-daughter came out as transgender. The 47-year-old actress' husband Dwyane Wade, 38, revealed his wife spoke to the cast of the FX show after Zaya, 12, came out. Pose follows the story of New York City's African-American and Latino LGBTQ+ community in the in the 1980s/1990s, starring Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez and Indya Moore. Learning more: Gabrielle Union consulted the cast of Pose to educate herself about the LGBTQ+ community after her step-daughter came out as transgender (Pictured Sunday) Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he added: 'Me and my wife Gabrielle, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community and we are proud allies as well. We take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously.' He said: 'Once Zaya, our 12-year-old, came home ... first, Zion. I don't know if everyone knows, originally named Zion. 'Zion, born as a boy, came home and said, "Hey, so I want to talk to you guys. I think going forward, I'm ready to live my truth. And I want to be referenced as she and her. I'd love for you guys to call me Zaya." 'So, that was our job to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship we have. My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of Pose. 'We just tried to figure out as much information as we [could] to make sure we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.' 'So, that was our job to go out and get information, to reach out to every relationship we have. My wife reached out to everybody on the cast of Pose. 'We just tried to figure out as much information as we [could] to make sure we give our child the best opportunity to be her best self.' 'Once Zion came home and said, "Call me Zaya" and was ready to take on this, I looked at her and said, "You are a leader. It's our opportunity to allow you to be a voice." Right now it's through us, because she's 12 years old, but eventually it will be through her.' Ryan Murphy's hit FX show is heading into it's third season as it follows the LGBTQ+ community in the underground ball culture set in 1980s New York. Murphy made history in 2017 when the show premiered by featuring the largest number of transgender cast members ever. The show's breakout star, Billy Porter, has had a meteoric rise to A-list status since the show took off and has become a darling of the red carpet. Pose! The show follows the story of New York City's African-American and Latino LGBTQ+ community in the in the 1980s/1990s, starring Billy Porter, MJ Rodriguez and Indya Moore Iconic: Murphy made history in 2017 when the show premiered by featuring the largest number of transgender cast members ever He performed a spectacular opening number with Janelle Monae to kick off the 92nd Annual Academy Awards this week. Wade and Union - who also share 14-month-old Kaavia - are very 'proud parents' of Zaya and felt it was their duty as parents to help her through her journey. Speaking on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, he added: 'Me and my wife Gabrielle, we are proud parents of a child in the LGBTQ+ community and we are proud allies as well. We take our roles and responsibilities as parents very seriously. 'So when our child comes home with a question, our child comes home with an issue, our child comes home with anything, it's our job as parents to listen to that, to give them the best information we can, to give the best feedback we can. Adding: 'And that doesn't change because sexuality is now involved in it.' In December, Dwyane spoke out after Zaya was criticized for wearing a crop top and fake nails in a family photo on Thanksgiving. 'I watched my son from day one becoming to who she now eventually is coming to,' he said. The United States has commended Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal for agreeing to finalise the Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) for the regulation of passengers, personal and cargo vehicle traffic among the four countries, calling it a positive step forward for regional connectivity. "We commend Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal for agreeing to finalize the Motor Vehicles Agreement that will regulate passenger, personal, and cargo traffic between these countries. A positive step forward for regional connectivity! AGW," tweeted State_SCA, US State Department's bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs (SCA). In a meeting in New Delhi last week, the BBIN nations had deliberated upon a proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the implementation of Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA) The meeting was held to discuss the passenger and cargo protocols that are to give effect to the MVA for the Regulation of Passenger, Personal and Cargo Vehicular Traffic among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, and Nepal signed on June 15, 2015. The delegation had recalled commitments made at the highest political level for implementation of the BBIN MVA and the importance of trade, economic cooperation, and people-to-people contact, through enhanced regional connectivity, including through facilitation of regional cross-border road transport, as per a joint statement released after the meeting, as per a joint statement released after the meeting. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [February 11, 2020] Telit Partners with Sternum to Offer Real-Time Embedded Cyber Visibility and Security for IoT Devices TEL AVIV, Israel and LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Telit, a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) enablement, today announced its partnership with Sternum, the multilayered cybersecurity solution providing real-time embedded protection for IoT devices. Sternum's solution can be built into Telit's xE910 module family to give Telit's customers in-depth visibility and security for their entire device fleet. This comprehensive visibility provides real-time alerts of cyber breaches, prevented attacks, device malfunctioning and more, enabling rapid responses to security incidents. To ensure safer and more secure connectivity, Sternum's Embedded Integrity Verification (EIV) solution will be integrated onto Telit's ME910 IoT modules. EIV will validate every operation within any IoT device where Telit's module is installed, operating like an on-device firewall. Sternum's solution ensures overall device integrity at all times, as well as the protection of sensitive data within the device. Telit will offer enhanced security services by enabling Sternum's Real-time IoT Event Monitoring System (RIEMS); this enables OEMs to identify attacks on individual devices in real time through their personal dashboards. Telit will offer these security enhanced modules to manufacturers of cellular-enabled products across industries, including medical, industry 4.0, smart cities and more. "Telit's cellular modules are embedded in over 150 million OEM IoT devices," said Alon Segal, Senior Vice President of Software & Services, Telit. "We continue to invest in leading edge technology to secure and enable our customers. With Sternum's technology, we add real-time embedded protection for smart devices, allowing Telit to provide even more secure productsand to continue to lead the IoT market by providing innovative security services to our clients." "Partnering with Telit marks a significant shift in the IoT device market, indicating that on-device, real-time cybersecurity is now critical and scalable," said Natali Tshuva, CEO of Sternum. "Telit's ability to offer cybersecure modules for IoT cellular connectivity not only provides device manufacturers security but also gives unprecedented visibility into the cyber health of entire fleets. With the global proliferation of IoT devices and more sophisticated cyber breaches, a holistic solution that sits on the device is the future of IoT cybersecurity." About Sternum Sternum, the multilayered cybersecurity solution offering real-time, embedded protection for IoT devices, was founded in 2018 by a team of highly experienced research, development, and business leaders, many coming from the Israeli Defense Forces' (IDF) elite 8200 unit. With a profound understanding of embedded systems, deep insights into defenders' and attackers' mindsets, and a goal of creating a new standard of cybersecurity for IoT devices, Sternum set out to build uncompromising, innovative technology. Sternum's product suite consists of two key solutions: Embedded Integrity Verification (EIV) and RIEMS (Real-Time IoT Event Monitoring System); both answer the unique needs of IoT device manufacturers in medical, industry 4.0, smart cities, energy, and beyond. Sternum is based in Tel Aviv, Israel. About Telit Telit (AIM: TCM), is a global leader in Internet of Things (IoT) enablement, with an extensive portfolio of wireless connectivity modules, platforms, virtual cellular IoT operator services, and professional services, empowering hundreds of millions of connected 'things' to date, and trusted by thousands of direct and indirect customers, globally. With nearly two decades of IoT innovation experience, Telit continues to redefine the boundaries of digital business, by delivering secure, integrated end-to-end IoT solutions for many of the world's largest brands, including enterprises, OEMs, system integrators and service providers across all industries, enabling their pursuit of enterprise digital transformation. Copyright 2020 Telit Communications PLC. All rights reserved. Telit, Telit OneEdge and all associated logos are trademarks of Telit Communications PLC in the United States and other countries. Other names used herein may be trademarks of their respective owners. Media Contacts Telit Leslie Hart +1 919-415-1510 [email protected] Gaby Lechin Valerie Christopherson GRC for Telit +1 949-608-0276 [email protected] Sternum Garrett Krivicich Headline Media [email protected] +1 786 233 7684 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telit-partners-with-sternum-to-offer-real-time-embedded-cyber-visibility-and-security-for-iot-devices-301001112.html SOURCE Telit [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com\broadband-stimulus's Homepage ] By Azernews By Abdul Kerimkhanov Azerbaijan State Tourism Agency will work closely with authorities in Qatar to increase inflow of tourists, Chairman of Azerbaijan's State Tourism Agency Fuad Nagiyev said in interview with Qatari media. He noted that Baku considers Qatar as an important market for Azerbaijans tourism sector, adding that Qatari citizens and residents are eligible for visa on arrival to Azerbaijan with a possibility of a one-month extension. Some 12,459 Qatari passport holders visited the country in 2018. Qatar is one of the important markets for us and next year we will continue working closely with Qatar, attending fairs and trade shows, as well as working closely with media and influencers," he stated. As Nagiyev mentioned, the Agency has launched the global marketing campaign to garner interest from tourists across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region. "The campaign reveals Azerbaijans distinctive culture, delectable cuisine, phenomenal shopping experiences and indulgent health and wellness retreats. As we encourage visitors from the GCC to Take another look, we are inviting them to take a more in-depth look at Azerbaijan and immerse themselves in truly genuine cultural experiences. Guests will want to dig deeper into the countrys history and rich cultural heritage as they discover pleasant surprises and hidden gems throughout the year," Nagiyev noted. He recalled that Azerbaijan has a majority Muslim population so visitors can expect halal options aplenty. "The GCC is a key market for Azerbaijan. Ties between Azerbaijan and the GCC have always been close, with lots of cultural and historical touch-points," he said. To meet the growing demand in the region, Nagiyev added, airlines have increased the frequency of direct flights from the Middle East to Azerbaijan. Local carriers like Qatar Airways, FlyDubai, Azerbaijan Airlines, Air Arabia, Etihad Airways, Gulf Air, Jazeera Airways, Flynas are providing tourists with convenient flight routes to facilitate travel. "The new initiatives are expected to improve Azerbaijans ranking among countries with a high tourism contribution towards national GDP, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council 2018 Impact Report. It is forecast to be at six percent per annum over the course of the next 10 years ranking it amongst the worlds top 20 high potential countries," Nagiyev emphasized.. He further informed that Azerbaijan has driven an exceptional year of growth in tourism across the stunning capital city Baku and other key regions of the country, with international visitor numbers up by 11 percent year to date. Touching upon the markets with a significant increase in visitors, he listed India (70 percent), China (64 percent), the UK (27 percent), and Germany (22 percent). "Major investments are being made with the launch of local representative offices in target markets, and roadshows to connect with tour operators from a B2B perspective. We already have six representative offices in Germany, Russia, Saudi Arabia, UAE, China and India, with two more in the pipeline for 2020. Next year we are planning to expand the network and open new representative offices in Ukraine and South Korea. We are also working on developing new tourism products and creating new experiences for incoming tourists," he told. Speaking about the plans of the Agency, Nagiyev underlined the need to increase the number of tourists coming to Azerbaijan from three million to five million in the next few years. "We plan to double the current in-bound tourism by 2023. Excellence is at the core of everything we do: we are constantly developing the infrastructure in the regions. Our award-winning international airport is now connected with over 20 airlines and more than 70 direct flights to various destinations across the globe," Nagiyev noted. Diplomatic relations between Qatar and Azerbaijan established on 14 September 1994. The two countries have a wide range of business and investment opportunities. The strong ties established between the two countries create new opportunities for businesses and investors to create joint ventures. Despite the high level of political cooperation, the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Qatar is not big although there are more opportunities to expand it. The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Qatar reached $3.6 million in 2018. Almost the entire amount of trade turnover accounted for the export of Azerbaijani products to Qatar. Currently, Azerbaijan is mainly exporting food and agricultural products to Qatar. In 2016, Joint Economic, Commercial and Technical Commission was established between the governments of the two countries. The first meeting of the Commission was held in Azerbaijan in January 2017, and the second one was held in Qatar in February 2019. Here are Tuesday's biggest analyst calls of the day: Facebook, Nvidia, Boston Beer & more Published Tue, Feb 11 2020 8:58 AM EST The live population clock of Egypt's official statistics agency CAPMAS showed the 100 million milestone was recorded at 2:30 p.m Egypt's population has officially hit 100 million people, the live population clock of the country's official statistics agency showed on Tuesday. The Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) live counter showed that the swelling population at home recorded 100 million at 2:30 p.m. The number excludes Egyptians living abroad, who are estimated at over 13 million people, according to Egypt's Emigration Minister Nabila Makram. Saudi Arabia houses the lion's share of Egyptian expatriates, with over 2 million people . Cairo is ranked Egypt's most populated governorate with 9.9 million people, followed by Giza with 9.75 million people then Nile Delta's Sharqia with 7.536 million, CAPMAS data showed. Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi has repeatedly said that the current rate of population growth poses a threat to the nation and holds back its development plans. Officials describe the the matter as a "catastrophe" that demands immediate attention from the state , just like the country's war against terrorism. Last year, Egypt launched a two-year initiative dubbed, "Two Is Enough", to lower fertility rates and encourage people, specially those in rural areas, to have fewer children. The program is mostly locally financed, with the Social Solidarity Ministry spending EGP 75 million Egyptian pounds ($4.7 million) and the UN providing EGP 10 million. Search Keywords: Short link: Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients with the new coronavirus inside an isolated ward at a hospital in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China on Feb. 6, 2020. (China Daily via Reuters) Pentagon Names 11 Military Bases as Potential Coronavirus Quarantine Centers The Pentagon said it has named 11 military bases that could serve as potential quarantine areas for U.S. coronavirus cases after being asked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Department of Defense (DOD) named installations near 11 major airports that could house additional passengers if HHS facilities become filled, according to a news release. The list of bases and installations include Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, near Honolulu International Airport; Great Lakes Training Center Navy Base, close to Chicagos OHare International Airport in Illinois; Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base, Texas, located near Dallas Fort Worth International Airport; Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, close to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport; Fort Hamilton, New York, located near John F. Kennedy International Airport; Naval Base Kitsap, Washington state, near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; Joint Base Anacostia, Washington, for passengers traveling to Virginia; Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, for Newark Liberty International Airport; and Fort Custer Training Center, Michigan, near Detroit. These are tertiary locations, and HHS already has primary and secondary locations identified that are not DOD facilities, the DOD said in a statement. Up to 20 people can be housed at these locations along with HHS staff, the agency said, adding that HHS workers, not the Pentagon, will oversee the quarantines. Should routine monitoring of the evacuees identify ill individuals, HHS has procedures in place to transport them to a local civilian medical facility, the DOD said. DOD personnel will not be in direct contact with the evacuees and will minimize contact with personnel supporting the evacuees, according to Pentagon statement. HHS will also ensure that no evacuated personnel are transferred to any DOD installation if they are infected or ill. So far, in the United States, 13 cases have been confirmed in California, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, Washington state, and Arizona. In China, the virus has prompted regime officials to initiate lockdowns in dozens of cities after it locked down Wuhan, Hubei Province. The 13th coronavirus patient was an American who was among a group that was flown from Wuhan by the U.S. State Department, according to health officials. He arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego last week, and he was taken to a nearby hospital after officials confirmed he contracted the disease. Passengers board buses after arriving on an airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) This morning, CDC officials advised San Diego Public Health that further testing revealed that one of the four patients tested positive for [novel coronavirus], the University of California, San Diego, said in a statement. The confirmed positive patient was returned to UC San Diego Health for observation and isolation until cleared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Health officials in Riverside County, California, announced on Tuesday that 195 Americans who were evacuated from around Wuhan have been released from a 14-day quarantine at the March Air Reserve Base. None of the patients tested positive for the virus. All 195 evacuees have completed final health check and pose no health risk, the CDCs Dr. Nancy Knight said, adding that they are safe to reenter their communities. TEHRAN, Iran Hundreds of thousands across Iran marked the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Tuesday amid some of the highest tensions ever between Tehran and the U.S. in the past four decades. While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech in Tehrans iconic Azadi Square denouncing the U.S., he also focused on encouraging the country to vote in upcoming parliamentary elections, even after officials disqualified thousands from running, including 90 current lawmakers. Iran views high turnout as a vote of confidence in the countrys Shiite theocracy, something it wants to show as public anger still simmers over the country accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January that killed all 176 people on board. Tehran for days denied its forces shot down the passenger plane before admitting to it in the face of mounting Western pressure. The shoot down also marred funeral processions that drew millions of mourners for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. We should not withdraw from the ballot boxes, Rouhani called out to the thousands in the crowd who rallied in the city in freezing winter weather. The ballot boxes are our savior. Theres also anger over Irans long-faltering economy, which has been hard hit by the American sanctions. In November, protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50% blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police. Amnesty International says more than 300 were killed in violent protests and a subsequent government crackdown. Irans government did not release any death toll though lawmakers said thousands were detained. Rouhani called on voters to still turnout despite possible complaints and criticism. I beg you not to be passive, he said. State media said the rallies took place in more than 5,000 cities, towns and districts all around Iran. This years anniversary celebrations come amid ever-increasing bitterness between Tehran and Washington. Tensions have spiked since President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from Irans nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. A series of attacks across the Mideast culminated with the U.S. launching the drone strike that killed Soleimani in January. Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. forces in Iraq, injuring over 100 U.S. troops. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a tweet advised Trump to change his policies on Iran after the turnout for the anniversary showed that Iranians are united. Iranians turned out in huge numbers to rally on the 41st anniversary of their revolution and to honor their fallen heroes, he said. State television referred to this years anniversary as Soleimani Dawn. His image could be seen on signs carried by demonstrators, as well as a large poster off to Rouhanis side during his speech. The Iranian president spent much of his speech praising Soleimani, calling him both a great military commander and a senior diplomat. Soleimani headed the paramilitary Guards expeditionary Quds Force, which works across the Mideast with allies in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. The U.S. has long blamed Soleimani for the spread of powerful roadside bombs in Iraq that killed and wounded American troops after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Those taking part in the demonstration in Tehran, in which protesters burned American and Israeli flags, offered harsh criticism of the U.S. America cant do a damn thing through the sanctions, said Ozra Shahbakhti, 50, repeating an earlier comment made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Even if we die from poverty and hunger we will not compromise with America, no way. Im telling this to officials, foreigners and America. Ali Akbar Nikkei, 36, put the blame directly on Trump. You stretch your hand for friendship towards us and then you assassinate our great general and consider this a victory? Nikkei said. You are too desperate to bring Iran to its knees. Irans Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest over the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The shah, fatally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini then returned from exile and the government fell on Feb. 11, 1979, after days of mass demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and security forces. Iran later would vote to become an Islamic Republic, a Shiite theocracy with Khomeini as its first supreme leader with final say over all matters of state. Anger over America allowing the shah into the country to receive cancer treatment in New York would later spark the takeover of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran by student militants and the subsequent hostage crisis, which kindled decades of enmity. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE While some of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams legislative priorities have moved quickly through the Legislature, her proposed New Mexico Opportunity Scholarship has struggled to gain traction. That could be changing, however, as a revamped proposal to cover tuition for an estimated 55,000 higher education students by plugging the gap left by an existing lottery-funded scholarship passed its first House committee Monday. A similar bill has also been filed in the Senate, and the Democratic governor said Monday that her administration has listened to concerns about the initial bill and reworked it accordingly. This works for everyone, Lujan Grisham told reporters about the revised proposal, before later adding: This is universally fairer and more productive. Several university leaders from around New Mexico spoke in favor of the retooled bill during Mondays meeting of the House Education Committee, which passed the measure 11-2. Richard Bailey, president of Northern New Mexico College in Espanola, described higher education institutions as engines for the states economy. What this bill does is serve as a supercharger for that engine, Bailey said. Dan Arvizu, the chancellor of New Mexico State University, also spoke in support but warned that long-term funding to the scholarship program would have to be maintained. We do not want to be in a position where we make a commitment to a cohort of students, only to not be able to provide that funding in the future, Arvizu said. Under the revamped bill, the new scholarship program would be phased in over two years. For the 2020-21 school year, the bill calls for $26 million to be spent on two-year scholarships for students attending community colleges, trade schools or four-year institutions that offer associate degrees. Recent high school graduates and adults ages 24 and older who head back to school would be among the students eligible for the tuition help. For the following year, the scholarship could be expanded at a higher price tag to cover tuition costs of qualifying students at four-year universities. Also, and unlike the initial version of the bill, the revamped proposal calls for opportunity scholarships to be awarded after the state lottery scholarship which covers most tuition costs but before other sources of financial aid, including federal Pell Grants. That would allow lower-income students to use federal financial aid to cover student fees, textbooks and other expenses. Marc Saavedra, executive director of the New Mexico Council of University Presidents, said the changes were made after repeated meetings between top Governors Office staffers and university leaders. They really did listen to a lot of things we brought to their attention, Saavedra said, referring to the Lujan Grisham administration. He also said delaying full implementation of the lottery scholarship program for another year would give four-year institutions more time to prepare. Lujan Grisham unveiled the tuition-free college plan in September, touting it as a way to make higher education more accessible for New Mexicans and bolster the states long-term economy. If we build a diversified economy and provide every chance for New Mexicans to build a career and start a family here, they will stay, Lujan Grisham said in a statement. But the idea quickly ran into questions from legislators, some of whom questioned whether money to pay for the scholarship program would be better spent helping low-income students, rather than made more broadly available to state residents. Skeptics have also questioned whether encouraging more New Mexicans to attend college could lead to a spike in unprepared students enrolling in universities statewide. Even during Mondays debate, some lawmakers suggested certain students might still be excluded under the revised plan, while other legislators said it might not go far enough. I still dont see this as being all the way there, said Rep. G. Andres Romero, D-Albuquerque, who voted for the bill. The two Opportunity Scholarship bills are House Bill 14, sponsored by Rep. Tomas Salazar, D-Las Vegas, and Senate Bill 323, sponsored by Sen. Bill ONeill, D-Albuquerque. Funding for the lottery scholarship program would have to be authorized in a $7.6 billion budget bill that passed the House and is pending in the Senate. The 30-day session ends Feb. 20. Former best friends: Camilla Zeidan (right) is accused of inventing 'Brayden' Spiteri to catfish ex-girlfriend Renae (left) An inquest into a hairdresser's suicide has heard how her ex-lover denied 'catfishing' her but later changed her story and claimed the victim had 'wanted' her to pretend to be her boyfriend. Extraordinary excerpts of police interviews with Camila Zeidan emerged on Tuesday during an inquiry into the death of Renae Marsden, 20, at Sydney's The Gap on August 5, 2013. The coronial inquest is investigating whether Renae had learned Camila had allegedly 'catfished' her for more than a year by concocting a fake love interest, 'Brayden Spiteri', before she apparently plunged to her death. Brayden was apparently behind bars at Goulburn jail but could not take visitors as he had traded his rights away for a shorter sentence. But an inquest presided over by Magistrate Elaine Truscott heard claims this week that Brayden was controlled by Camila all along. In a police interview, 20 days following Renae's death, police told Camila call logs indicated she was, in fact, Brayden. Camila denied that: 'No. I know that a lot of people think that I am (Brayden),' she said. 'Everyone is against me'. Camila Zeidan, in 'Soho' shirt, claims she deleted the final text message she received from Renae Marsden 'accidentally' - but NSW police today took aim at her statements in court The inquest has heard that 'Brayden Spiteri' was a concocted to 'catfish' Renae Marsden. This photo above is one picture that Renae thought was Brayden (it is not) FIERY TEXTS BETWEEN RENAE AND CATFISH BOYFRIEND BRAYDEN Fiery texts exchanged between Renae and 'Brayden' were revealed in court, where the suicide victim flatly said 'nothing' he said 'ever makes sense'. The messages, read out in court, saw Renae tell Brayden 'goodbye don't contact me' after she pushed him on contradictory statements he apparently made about seeing his lawyer. 'I don't know what to believe with you you hardly see him yet you've been 'in meetings',' Renae said in one text, in an exchange that lasted over a full day. 'You continue to break my heart over and over again . that was the last time . I once was your life, that's how much it's changed.' Following an apology, Brayden later asked Renae: 'Got your periods?' Renae said: 'Brayden don't, I'm serious, I'm not coming back this time unless you change'. Advertisement 'I wish I was where Renae is now. Wherever she is, I just want to have the peace she is feeling now. We could be together.' 'Do you think she is really gone?' But Camila changed her tune during a police search of her home in September 2013. She admitted 'I was sending the text messages to Renae' prior to travelling to the United States in March. 'She wanted me to pretend to be Brayden,' Camila said. The police officer said 'why, why did she want you to pretend to be Brayden?' Camila replied: 'I don't know. I just did it because she wanted me to . I didn't do anything else, what's going to happen to me?' Detective Inspector Brett Bell told the inquest a text message exchange read out loud in court did not show the relationship was a 'pretend scenario'. In text exchanges over several years, Renae showed some scepticism of Brayden and took issue with apparent contradictions in his stories. 'I don't know what to believe with you .... you continue to break my heart over and over again,' she said in one series of messages. From Renae's final text message to claims of Camila 'seeing' Brayden - accused catfisher's first police interview In her initial police interview, Camila Zeidan told police the last message she received from the suicide victim said: 'I'll always love you'. But she claimed she 'accidentally' deleted the 20-year-old's last message when she tried to forward it to the victim's mother, Teresa Marsden. Asked why, Camila said: 'I don't know, my phone does that sometimes, I was trying to send it to (the girl's mother) Teresa but it deleted it instead'. She told the officer Renae had texted her 'something like, 'you'll always be my best friend, I'll always love you, hope one day you'll forgive me.' The court heard that Camila told a police officer she didn't believe the suicide victim's situation 'was serious' when she received the final text that evening. But that afternoon, Camila had allegedly messaged the young woman's mother while under the guise of Renae's faked boyfriend Brayden, the inquest heard. The text warned Renae's mother Teresa to 'sort your daughter out' as she was suicidal. On Tuesday, Detective Senior Constable Brett Bell branded statements Camila had provided to police variously as 'incorrect' and as making 'no sense'. Counsel assisting the inquest Sasha Harding asked Mr Bell if that was 'possibly incongruous?' Mr Bell told the inquest: 'Yes, I wouldn't believe that to be correct because it was enough for Brayden's phone to message that there was a threat to kill herself, yes'. In the police interview, Camila also described her relationship with Renae as also not being sexual in nature. But an email from Renae to Camila which offered 'phone sex' during a holiday and sex 'in bed' later was different to what she had told police, Detective Bell said. Camila also claimed to police that she had once met Renae's boyfriend once at The Brewery, a pub in Windsor, in Sydney's north-west, and that he had long hair. 'It's my opinion that never occurred,' Mr Bell said, adding that Camila's description of Brayden was different to the pictures of him that Renae had in her possession. Renae Marsden's parents Theresa and Mark, with their daughter Monique, speaking to media outside the inquest Camila's claims to police that Renae had got a SIM card for Brayden also came under scrutiny. Camila claimed to officers that Renae had wanted to buy Brayden a SIM card, but couldn't buy one at the store because she had no identification. Camila claimed that's why her contact details were associated with Brayden's SIM card. But Officer Bell said that explanation 'doesn't make sense' as prepaid SIMs don't require identification to purchase from a store, only upon registration online. Camila was in court on Tuesday with her father, as were Renae's mother, Teresa, father, Mark and extended family. The magistrate presiding over the inquest, Elaine Truscott, apologised to Camila and her family for harrowing scenes that occurred outside court on Monday. A friend of Camila's fell over in a media scrum and members of Renae's family screamed at Camila and her supporters as they ran to their car. Camila's lawyer, Brett Longville, told the court it was 'quite unsavoury', leading Ms Truscott to 'extend my apologies' to the family. 'I did not subpoena her to be pilloried by any member of the community and to have to run a gauntlet of media,' the magistrate said. The inquest continues. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. The new coronavirus, though most serious in China, holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director general of the World Health Organization, said at a forum in Geneva on Tuesday. As the outbreaks health implications have mounted, so has its political toll: It is already one of the most significant crises for the central government in decades. Chinas ruling Communist Party dismissed two health officials in Hubei, the province at the center of the epidemic, and replaced them with a leader sent from Beijing. They were the first senior officials to be punished for the governments handling of the outbreak. This week, the Chinese authorities urged factory workers and farmers to get back to work. But at the same time, other officials warned that there may be new outbreaks in the coming weeks particularly in three populous provinces, Zhejiang, Guangdong and Henan as migrant workers return to their jobs after the Lunar New Year break. They also highlighted the role of clusters, which they defined as two or more infections within a relatively small area, in accelerating the diseases spread. Wu Zunyou, the chief epidemiologist of Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a news conference on Tuesday that there had been nearly 1,000 clusters in China, with 83 percent occurring within families. But schools, factories, shopping centers and medical facilities also contributed to the spread, he said. In Tianjin, more than 600 miles from Wuhan, officials have taken drastic steps to contain a cluster of cases linked to the department store in the district of Baodi. An outbreak in that city could be especially troublesome for the central government: It is only a half-hour from Beijing by high-speed train. At least 33 of the citys 102 confirmed patients worked or shopped at the department store, or had close contact with employees or customers, according to local health authorities. Of those, many including the latest patient, a 31-year-old woman announced on Tuesday had no history of travel to Wuhan. Japanese financial authorities will allow companies to delay submitting mandatory reports if they cannot meet the deadlines due to the coronavirus outbreak in China. Listed companies are required by law to submit quarterly earnings reports and other mandatory documents to the state on a regular basis. A firm whose business year ends in March needs to submit by mid-February its earnings report for nine months through last December. But the virus outbreak has prompted Japan's Financial Services Agency to make exceptions for affected businesses. Included are firms which have found it difficult to carry out auditing activities at their subsidiaries in China. The Tokyo Stock Exchange also plans to allow affected companies to postpone the announcement of their yearly and quarterly earnings reports. But TSE officials say they will ask the companies to disclose potential damage to their businesses from the outbreak, as that is important information for investors. US to exempt Iraq from sanctions against Iran, Iraqi officials say Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 9:58 AM The United States has announced to Iraq its readiness to renew sanctions waivers allowing the country to continue importing gas and electricity from Iran, Iraqi officials say. The Associated Press cited what it called three senior members of Iraq's government as saying that the US State Department has conveyed its willingness to extend the waiver. Baghdad, however, must be able to formulate a timeline by the end of the week, detailing a plan to wean itself off the Iranian gas, the report said. The demand has long been in the US government's itinerary in a bid to to pry Baghdad away from Tehran's perceived orbit, but Iraqi officials have time and again asserted that the call is unviable, at least for the foreseeable future. The last such waiver was granted in October and is set to expire on February 13. US President Donald Trump reimposed unilateral sanctions on Iran's energy and finance sectors in November 2018 following his decision to withdraw from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal signed between Tehran and six major world powers. "The American side has announced to us their readiness" to extend the exemptions, said one of the three officials, who reportedly spoke on condition of anonymity. The Iraqi officials said the new waiver would be a test of Baghdad-Washington relations after the US assassinated top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani and Iraq's anti-terror commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis in a drone strike last month. Following the attack, Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill, demanding the withdrawal of all foreign military forces led by the United States from the country. In response, the Trump administration threatened to shut off Iraq's access to its oil money in a bank account in New York. Gas imports from Iran generate as much as 45 percent of Iraq's 14,000 megawatts of electricity consumed daily. Iran transmits another 1,000 megawatts directly, making itself an indispensable energy source for its Arab neighbor. Iraq and Iran share a 1,400-kilometer-long border. For their run-of-the-mill maintenance, Iraqis depend on Iranian companies for many things from food to machinery, electricity, natural gas, fruits and vegetables. The administration of Trump is pressing Iraq to stop buying natural gas and electricity from Iran or at least show signs that it is reducing the imports. The US has also urged Iraq to establish contracts with US companies. The Iraqi cabinet reportedly moved toward placating US conditions to extend the sanctions waiver in late January by approving six oil contracts awarded by the Oil Ministry in April 2018 that would increase domestic gas supply in over two years. "We expect to sign soon," said an industry official from one of the three firms awarded the contracts. The official asked not to be named in order not to compromise ongoing talks with the government, the report said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Impeached American president Donald John Trump wants a 25% reduction in the military fund designed to deter Russian aggression against the U.S., no reason, why are you asking, no really, why, you seem kind of obsessed. According to Defense Department budget documents unveiled Monday, Trump plans to cut a military fund designed to offset Russian aggression in Eastern Europe by 25%. From U.S. News: Budget proposals for fiscal 2021 released Monday afternoon call for $4.5 billion for the European Deterrence Initiative, a fund started by the Obama administration in the aftermath of Russia's 2014 invasion of parts of eastern Ukraine and annexation of the Crimean Peninsula, which sparked a conflict that continues to inflict casualties on both sides. The latest proposal represents a precipitous drop from the $6 billion enacted for the current fiscal year and $6.5 billion the year before. Congress approved funding in line with administration requests for those years. Trump has repeatedly expressed criticism of U.S. programs like the EDI that provide training, resources and money for foreign governments throughout Europe, calling on other U.S. partners to do more. The president has previously raided this fund as a workaround to pay for a wall along the southern U.S. border after Congress refused to allocate those funds. Defense Secretary Mark Esper is expected to make an announcement later this week on how the military will pay for additional border wall construction, CNN reports, after Defense budget officials on Monday said that decision was not yet final. Read more: Trump Proposes 25 Percent Drop in Fund Designed to Deter Russia [usnews.com, Paul D. Shinkman, Feb. 10, 2020, at 4:35 p.m.] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:19:33|Editor: yan Video Player Close MOSCOW, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Russia is open to dialogue with the United States, if its interests are taken into account and Washington stops interfering in its internal affairs, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Tuesday. "Refusal of cooperation and of partnership in some areas has become the norm in Washington," Ryabkov was quoted by RIA Novosti news agency as saying. "For our part, we invariably confirm openness to dialogue, resolving any issues in the search for mutually acceptable solutions, but, of course, only on the basis of mutual respect, consideration of interests and equality," said Ryabkov. Commenting on Washington's intention to allocate over 700 million U.S. dollars in 2021 to counteract Russia, Ryabkov said the move will fail. Ryabkov says Washington can spend its money how it chooses but ignores the obvious fact that it is simply impossible to solve a number of global problems without Russia, he said. South Africa: The social compact Africa needs to thrive The Africa Continental Free Trade area is more than a trade agreement, it is a game-changer that will transpose the steady Africas GDP from good to great. It, however, requires the united effort and social cohesion from all citizens of the continent. Managing diversity will be the glue that African Nations will have to stock up on in 2020, as the work is well cut out for us to improve the culture of respect for all human rights. A social compact we need has to transcend beyond the needs of organised formations in business, labour and civil society. It has to inspire better active positive citizenry from all citizens in the continent. Managing diversity has to be embraced as the fundamental basic by all who take up leadership positions in societies. The appreciation for democracy will be more meaningful to all Africans if it has a firm solidarity to close the gaps on inequality and exhibit the ability to destroy the cultural norms that still perpetuate sexism, racism, xenophobia. The miss management of diverse rich cultures that bind us together has to be reversed collectively. The World Economic Forum in Davos meeting this year discussed how the world leaders have to regain trust and bring about the systemic change needed to restore our world to a sustainable path, suggesting that we adopt stakeholder-based approach capitalism that rewards inclusive growth and focuses the power of our financial markets on long-term investing. For Africa, the envisaged plan to implement the Africa Continental Free Trade area in July this year will be a strong catalyst to achieve the sustainable development goals in the continent faster. The incoming Chairperson of the African Union, President Cyril Ramaphosa has a long history in leading and managing diversity in South Africa. In 1987 as the Secretary-General of the National Union of Mineworkers, Ramaphosa received the Olof Palme prize in Stockholm for his leadership in the struggle for human rights and dignity. Other Laureates include Mr Kofi Anna from Ghana and Dr Denis Mukwege from the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Ramaphosas leadership should be able to create political and financial momentum to achieve the empowerment of women and young women in line with the 12 identified critical areas of concerns outlined in the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Yes, South Africas policy of 50 per cent inclusion of women in senior management portfolios and decision-making areas has started to gain momentum. Cindy Bezuidenhout, the lead analyst at Lightstone Property, says female buyers have been steadily increasing since 2016, noticeably overtaking the male and married couple markets in Johannesburg. It is imperative for Africas future that the adoption of policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality is infused within the key performance areas for the Intra Africa trade to thrive. The South African National Development Plan vision 2030 that President Ramaphosa also championed advocates strongly for a social contract to contribute substantially to providing the political, economic and social conditions for our long-term development. In the State of the Nation Address last year, President Ramaphosa shared with the nation his dream of a new Smart City with skyscrapers, schools and universities, factories built on sustainability principles and his understanding of the future of work. This dream will be a game-changer that young people of Africa should start preparing themselves to influence and participate in. It is potentially a legacy in the making we could all benefit from, its genesis persuades us to start to re-imagining trade in Africa, re-imagine the Africa Brand we all can grow together, the Africa we all want. As the co-chair of the International Labour Organisation on the future of work, President Ramaphosa is well-positioned to influence leaders to activate such dreams and start to invest in the skills needed for the future. The world is charging forward with the focus on the industries such as Advanced Manufacturing, Aerospace, Aviation, Travel and Tourism, Financial Services, Media, Mining, oil and gas. However, all these trade agreements, industrial focus areas and dreams will not be materialised if Africans fail to have a strong social compact that is inclusive, respectful of human rights and is united for the future for a prosperous Africa and a better world. I am hopeful that President Ramaphosa as the Chair of African Union will declare 2020 as the year of Ubuntu in Africa, and make his chairship to be about Ubuntu. This ancient African philosophy means far more than the English translation of I am because you are or humanity towards others, it is truly a belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. Its essence is in the productive human relations, it is in the respectful relations with the environment we live with and the honest governance of men. The spirituality of Ubuntu saved us from Apartheid before and emancipated us to a constitutional democracy we all cherish. This means improving our attitudes towards free movement of Africans in the continent, it means celebrating the other genders, instilling open mindedness in conversations in those ACFTA negotiations boardrooms and keeping with the ideals of the founding fathers of the AU central to our government service delivery programmes from Nyanga East to Addis Ababa. These are not my highly opinionated words but the teachings of Mildred Holo, the woman in the crowd of the United Democratic Front that defeated the Apartheid system. A leader whose concern was not to merely fight the unjust regime but to restore our humanity and to became Abantu eluntwini and be sincere to the future we want. Ayanda Holo writes as Director: International Media Relations at the GCIS. *This article appeared in the Daily Post, Nigeria on 10 February 2020 This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Israeli PM condemns vandal attack on Arab village Vows to hold perpetrators accountable, 170 tires slashed (ANSAmed) - TEL AVIV, FEBRUARY 11 - Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday ''condemned'' an attack by vandals who slashed the tyres of 170 cars and left Hebrew graffiti on the walls of a mosque in the northern Arab village of Jish. He said that he "strongly condemns the graffiti and property damage in the village of Jish. We will find the lawbreakers and bring them to justice. We will not accept any attacks on our citizens." Jish, known as Gush Halav in Hebrew, is in Galilee. The town's mayor told local media that it was the third time Jish had been targeted in similar attacks in recent years. The latest hate crime prior to this one, he said, had been in April 2019.(ANSAmed). By Express News Service KOLKATA: The Unique Identification Authority of India has decided against giving permission for setting up special Aadhaar camps in Bengal after a form seeking NPR Receipt/TIN Number triggered massive confusion in the state. Though the officials assigned for enrolling and updating Aadhaar details claimed that it was an old form, applicants alleged that they found no clarity in the process as it was given to hundreds of applicants already. The application form seeking NPR (National Population Register) number came to light last week when a large-scale protest was organised in Kolkatas Watgunge area after the news spread regarding the distribution of such forms. An official of the state government said that the form was an old one which was used till 2016. We asked the UIDAI to stop giving permission for setting up special camps and it responded. From now no such special camp will be held in Bengal, he said. West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee has been a vocal critic of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the National Register of Citizens. Kolkata has 100-odd permanent Aadhaar centres and special camps were organised to avoid the heavy rush of applicants at the permanent centres to either enrol or update Aadhaar. ALSO READ | Kolkata Municipal Corporation puts Aadhaar drive on hold after anti-NPR protests Not only the people living in Kolkata, but the problem will also be more acute in rural areas in the backdrop of ongoing agitation against amended citizenship law and the NRC, said the official. Two bank officials, who distributed the forms in question, were arrested and booked under non-bailable charges after Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) mayor Firhad Hakim lodged a complaint with the police. In a small pocket like Watgunge, 35 people have already been given the form on Tuesday last week. Now you can only guess that how many such forms were distributed in the state, said Sheikh Azmat, a resident of Kidderpore. Worse, the special camp in Kolkata where the forms in question were distributed was put up after the Trinamool-run Kolkata Municipal Corporations request for Aadhaar enrolment and update due to paucity of permanent centres. Is NPR/PIN necessary for Aadhaar? Field is not mandatory while filing particulars in the Aadhar enrolment form. At the same time, an Aadhaar applicant having NPR receipt or survey slip of the form is required to mention it. Alternatively, those having TIN can also be quoted. What is Tax Identification Number (TIN)? In India, TIN is officially called Permanent Account Number (PAN). PAN is not mandatorily issued to all. Every individual or entity who has a taxable income must obtain PAN. What do Bengal officials say? The Unique Identification Authority of India asked to stop giving permission for setting up special camps and it responded. No such special camps from now on. An official of the state government said that the form was an old one which was used till 2016. UN Secretary-General will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday and will hold meetings with Imran Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi New York: UN chief Antonio Guterres will visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, in Kartarpur during his visit to Pakistan next week. The UN Secretary-General will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday and will hold meetings with prime minister Imran Khan and foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on that day and speak at an event on sustainable development and climate change. Guterres will travel to Kartarpur to visit a holy site, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters on Monday. The UN chief is expected to visit one of the most prominent Sikh pilgrimage sites next Tuesday. Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the world's largest Sikh Gurdwara. On 17 February, Guterres will also speak at the International Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan, which is being organized by the Pakistan government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), along with High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. He will participate in a high-level panel discussion and other events at the conference. Guterres will also meet Pakistan president Arif Alvi. The Secretary-General will be in Lahore on 18 February, where he will meet students and attend an event on Pakistan's polio vaccination campaign. He will visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib before returning to New York on 19 February. In November last year, the UN chief welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan, saying it paved the way for interfaith harmony and understanding. "We welcome Pakistan and India opening Kartarpur Corridor today connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites, paving way for interfaith harmony and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims to holy shrines", spokesperson for the Secretary-General had tweeted. The Kartarpur Corridor links Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. It was opened by Khan on 9 November in a historic people-to-people initiative between the two countries. The Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is located across the Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in the Gurdaspur district of Punjab. According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in the future. On Monday, a 'devastated' Calombaris placed 22 companies in his MAdE Establishment Group into voluntary administration The once-bustling restaurants of ex-MasterChef judge George Calombaris have suddenly fallen silent in the city where he was once hailed a culinary king. Each of Calombaris Melbourne restaurants were closed for business on Tuesday as news broke that his empire had been placed into the hands of administrators. His once flagship restaurant Gazi on the corner of Exhibition and Flinders Street - a short stroll from Melbournes main rail hub - was locked up as office workers gazed inside at chairs neatly stored on tables. The once neon glow of its Elektra dining hall was dark. It was once the venue of Calombaris acclaimed Press Club restaurant, which was positioned in an old newspaper building. Down the street at Melbournes busy Emporium food hall, Calombaris trendy souvalaki joint Jimmy Grants was an awkward pocket of despair in the otherwise heaving food court. Daily Mail Australia watched confused diners staring at the prominently placed business, with some stopping to take photos. Jimmy Grants at Melbourne's Emporium shopping centre was deserted on Tuesday after George Calombaris' empire went into administration Brunswick's Hellenic Republic has seats on tables after the backlash against its owner George Calombaris Similar scenes greeted diners across inner Melbourne with Jimmy Grants in Richmond and Fitzroy closed. So too was the former Hellenic Republic in Brunswick, which like Calombaris other flagship restaurants recently underwent re-branding. It remains unclear what will become of the chefs 400-odd staff that are still employed by his company MAde Establishment Group. Several former employees, who were previously vocal in their condemnation of Calombaris, would not respond to questions posed by Daily Mail Australia. It has been a rapid fall from grace for the once beloved MasterChef judge, who became public enemy number one when he was revealed as a wage thief. While some diners expressed sadness at seeing the lights go out at Calombaris restaurants, his plight is quietly being celebrated by many ex-employees who vented online. Jimmy Grants in Richmond was all quiet on Tuesday after news that the former MasterChef giant's business had collapsed George Calombaris' Jimmy Grants in Fitzroy was closed for business on Tuesday Calombaris' 12 restaurants and food venues in Melbourne will stop trading immediately, with up to 400 workers at risk of losing their jobs Calombaris was scarcely known outside the culinary scene when he hit Australian screens a decade ago as one-third of the MasterChef judging panel. But he quickly became one of the most recognised faces on Australian television and built a restaurant empire on the back of his success. Now, the feisty Greek-Australian finds himself at risk of seeing his success evaporate almost as quickly as it emerged. The former Masterchef darling's city flagship Gazi was closed after the disgraced chef went into administration Gazi was a ghost town after George Calombaris' failure was completed this week in Melbourne Jimmy Grants busy Melbourne CBD shop was shut up tight on Tuesday The celebrity chef has been plagued by scandal in and out of the kitchen in the years since his television debut on the wildly successful cooking show. From a $7.8 million underpayment saga, an overturned conviction for assaulting a teenager at a A-League match and his departure from the show that made him a household name - his somewhat sudden fall from grace culminated on Monday with the collapse of his restaurant empire. A 'devastated' Calombaris revealed 22 companies in his MAdE Establishment Group had gone into voluntary administration. Calombaris' 12 restaurants and food venues in Melbourne have stopped trading immediately. The only part of the business excluded from administration is a chain of four Yo-Chi yoghurt outlets. Scroll down for video The Melbourne-based restaurant empire, founded by Calombaris, operates 18 venues including the Press Club, Gazi and Hellenic Republic (pictured) The former MasterChef took to Instagram on Monday evening to say he was 'devastated' by the decision The management of MAdE, which is backed by former Swisse CEO Radek Sali, met with creditors earlier on Monday before the announcement was made. 'Craig Shepard and Leanne Chesser of KordaMentha restructuring were today appointed Voluntary Administrators of 22 companies in the MAdE Establishment Group,' the advisory and investment firm said in a statement. 'The appointment excludes the [smaller offshoot, yoghurt store] Yo-Chi operations which will continue to trade as usual. All other venues have stopped trading immediately. 'Employees have been paid all outstanding wages and superannuation up to the date of the appointment. A 'gutted' Calombaris revealed his 'personal devastation' at the crumbling of his restaurant empire. 'Although we have all continued to work tirelessly and overcome the many challenges we have recently experienced, it is with deep sadness and regret that today MAdE Establishment has been placed into voluntary administration,' he wrote on social media. 'To all my team, I truly regret it has come to this. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your loyalty and friendship. 'I am so sorry all our collective efforts have not provided to be enough. I'm gutted it's come to this.' Confirming his first presidential visit to India, the White House on Tuesday, confirmed that US President Donald Trump will visit India on February 24-25. Moreover, the Trump administration confirmed that he will be accompanied by the First Lady Melania Trump and will visit Delhi and Gujarat. The trip - which is his first foreign visit since his impeachment acquittal, will strengthen U.S.-India strategic partnership, stated the White House. PM Modi had previously held a mega rally in Texas last year - 'Howdy, Modi!' where he shared the stage with Trump. Donald Trump to visit Sabarmati Riverfront during India visit, says Gujarat CM Rupani Trump to visit India on February 24-25 President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi! The trip will further strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people. The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 10, 2020 Trump depicted as 'footballer' in Mar-a-Lago's Super Bowl party ahead of impeachment vote Trump to visit Sabarmati riverfront Earlier on January 30, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani revealed that Trump will visit the Sabarmati Riverfront in Gujarat during his India visit. India had invited Trump to grace the Republic Day parade as chief guest, but due to scheduling issues, Trump could not plan his visit to India from January 24-26. Prominent leaders like Japan and Israel prime ministers Shinzo Abe and Benjamin Netanyahu respectively have visited the riverfront previously. Trump's predecessor, Barack Obama, had travelled to India twice, in 2010 and 2015. Netanyahu urges Gantz to fire adviser who compared US Prez Donald Trump to Adolf Hitler US to discuss a trade deal with India As a precursor to long-term Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between New Delhi and Washington, US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer will be on India's visit to finalise the trade deal. India has reportedly sought to restore preferential trade status under the Generalized System of Preference (GSP), which was terminated by the Trump administration last year. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," M R Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, told PTI. Donald Trump blames 'wind' for his hair in viral picture, asks 'if they look good' Trump's Senate acquittal, Howdy Modi Recently, the US Congress - which is controlled by the Democratic party, impeached Donald Trump on December 18, 2019, on both charges - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. But the Senate - controlled by the Republicans, voted to acquit Trump on both charges, with only one Republican lawmaker - Mitt Romney voted to charge Trump of high crimes. Trump was impeached when a formal House inquiry found that Trump had solicited a foreign power - Ukraine's - help in his 2020 re-election bid by withholding military aid to Ukraine unless Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky made a public announcement of a probe into former Vice-president Joe Biden. Previously, in September 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a week-long visit culminating in the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly. Prior to his UN Address, he gave an electrifying address in Houston to over 50,000 members of the Indian diaspora at a mega community, while sharing the stage with several top American leaders including Trump. In the US President's address, Trump celebrated the India-US relationship and said that together the countries will deepen their ties. The UK High Court on Tuesday began hearing on an appeal by embattled liquor baron Vijay Mallya against Westminster Magistrates' Court order extraditing him to India to face alleged fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crore. In July, last year, The Royal Court of Justice had granted Mallya permission to appeal against the magistrates' court's extradition order, which was signed off later by former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid. During July's hearing, Mallya's counsel Clare Montgomery had told the two-judge bench of the Royal Court of Justice that her client would not receive a fair trial in India, be subjected to a "trial by media, and the judicial process would be coloured by political bias; (and that) the prison conditions in India would breach his basic human rights." Mallya had later told reporters after being granted the permission to appeal that he was "glad" at the ruling and reiterated his offer to the consortium of Indian banks to return their money. "I still want the banks to take all the money. All they have to do is to leave me in peace," he said. 63-year-old Mallya flew out from India in March 2016, and has been living in the United Kingdom since then. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ALBANY The Albany County Legislature unanimously approved hiring Kevin OConnor as the countys part-time director of economic development on Monday without a clearly established salary. OConnor would report to County Executive Daniel McCoy. The position is one McCoy has wanted to fill for years. In 2016, he proposed hiring Matthew Cannon, who at the time was his former campaign spokesman. Before that the position had been vacant for several years. Cannon withdrew his name from consideration for the job after legislators questioned whether he had the necessary experience. At the time, McCoy proposed a $120,000 salary for the job. The countys 2020 budget includes a budget for a full-time department director at $124,848. OConnors proposed salary and exact job description was not included in the resolution the legislature passed approving his hiring. In an interview on Tuesday, he said he expected to meet with McCoy this week to finalize job details. Legislators were told O'Connor's pay may vary depending on the number of hours he works per week. OConnor said his initial focus would be helping to re-start the office, which has been vacant for years, building on an upcoming economic development study the county will be releasing and collaborating with local economic development groups. He said Albany is the only county in the region without a countywide economic development official. He took the job in part because McCoy had been helpful a decade ago when he relocated his former company Firstlight Fiber in downtown Albany. I dont plan on doing this for 10 years, he said. I wanted to be helpful to the county executive. McCoys office declined to comment on the hiring, saying he planned to discuss it at his State of the County speech Thursday. Legislator Mark Grimm, R-Guilderland, said he supports the hire and hopes OConnor will help make the county more business-friendly. Hes well-respected in the business community, he said. We definitely need someone who could pull everything together and put the right people in the room. OConnor said he would continue in his consulting business as needed but his work with the county would be his main pursuit. His consulting work has been with private equity firms doing due diligence on telecom deals outside of New York, he said. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Part of his focus will be bringing businesses from outside the state and the Capital Region to the county, rather than trying to siphon businesses from surrounding counties, he said. I think there some real opportunities for Albany County if were able to organize and make it useful to business investment, OConnor told the legislatures Economic Development committee. OConnor founded First Light Fiber, then called Tech Valley Communications, in 2000, before selling the company to a private equity firm in 2013. He remained the companys CEO until his retirement in 2013. The following year he started his consulting firm, the Albany Consulting Group. He had previously worked at the CEO of the Center for Economic Growth and as the states deputy commissioner for the Department of Economic Development. NEW DELHI Prime Minister Narendra Modis governing party suffered a major setback in elections in New Delhi on Tuesday winning far fewer seats in the capital districts Legislative Assembly than expected after a bitter campaign that it tried to turn into a referendum on Mr. Modi and his Hindu nationalist platform. On Tuesday, election results showed that Mr. Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, or B.J.P., picked up five more seats in the assembly than it won in the last election here, in 2015. Still, the showing was a major disappointment, falling short of expectations and the seats needed to beat the opposition, the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party, or A.A.P., to take over the critical office of chief minister for Delhi. Taking over that office was a priority for the B.J.P., amid nationwide anti-government protests against Mr. Modis policies that are now entering their third month. Mr. Modi swept national elections last year and quickly set his sights on winning big in the capital. The protests are directed at the citizenship law passed by Mr. Modis government that opponents say discriminates against Muslims. The unrest has posed the biggest challenge yet to the prime minister and has taken on more issues, evolving into an expression of resistance against what many demonstrators see as a long-term plan by his party to redefine Indias secular foundation and turn it into a Hindu-centric state. TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sparton Resources Inc. (TSXV.SRI) ("Sparton" or the "Company") announced today that it has acquired an additional fourteen (14) mining claim units (the Claims) adjacent to and nearby the 3 former Sir Harry Oakes Mining Leases (the Leases) held under option in the Matachewan gold mining area of northern Ontario. Sir Harry Oakes is one of Canadas most successful mining figures, who originally acquired claims central to this land package in the 1930s. See Sparton News release dated September 25, 2019. CLAIM PURCHASE AGREEMENTS Sparton has executed Purchase Agreements with two owners to acquire a 100% interest in the 14 claim units. This increases the total size of the property held by Sparton in the area to approximately 600 hectares or 1500 acres. For the purchases on closing Sparton will pay a total of 2,000,000 common shares of the Company as to 1,000,000 shares to each of the owners. In addition, each owner will be eligible to receive a 2% Net Smelter Return Production Royalty from any production on their vended claims and 50% of this royalty may be purchased by the Company at any time for the sum of USD$2.5 million dollars. One claim owner will be reimbursed exploration expenses of approximately $6,850 spent on its claims which include a portion of the aero-magnetic survey. TECHNICAL INFORMATION Five of the Claims are contiguous to the three Oakes Leases and others adjoin the 14 claim units staked earlier by Sparton in the same general area. The others cover the interpreted strike extension of the zone tested by the Oakes shaft and the drill holes completed there. Other claims cover favourable host rocks such as syenite porphyry that host mineralization on the Leases and also at the nearby Young Davidson Gold Mine. All the Claims are accessible from Ontario Highway 566 and four of them have been covered by the drone supported aero-magnetic survey completed over the leases in late 2019. A distinct magnetic anomaly is associated with the Oakes zone and extends onto the newly acquired adjacent Claims. The technical information reviewed to date indicates that limited detailed exploration has been carried out on the new Claims. SUMMARY Sparton has strategically acquired these new claims to eliminate fragmented ownership of any discovery made on the Oakes leases and adjacent Claims, stated A. Lee Barker Company CEO. It is not often the opportunity arises to enlarge a strategic and historically significant property in an active mining area. Our due diligence work has confirmed some of the historic data available, and the results of the magnetic survey have indicated a distinct zone which may be associated with the mineralization there. Literature indicates that Sir Harry Oakes acquired the original property in order to pursue a geological model based upon his discovery of the Lakeshore Mine. The testing of the model has never been completed and can now be enhanced using modern geological and geophysical techniques. We plan a detailed exploration program on the Leases and nearby Claims to begin as soon as possible and hope to duplicate the success Sir Harry Oakes had at the Lakeshore Mine in Kirkland Lake. Closing of the Purchase Agreements is contingent upon receipt of regulatory approval. A. L. Barker M.A.Sc., P. Eng., P. Geol. is the Qualified Person under NI 43-101 for the technical information in this news release and has reviewed all available data for the Property and approved the contents of this news release. For more information contact: A. Lee Barker, M.A Sc., P. Eng., P.Geol. President and CEO Tel./Fax: 647-344-7734 or Mobile: 416-716-5762 Email: info@spartonres.ca , Website: www.spartonres.ca 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. Forward-Looking Statements Information set forth in this news release involves forward-looking statements under applicable securities laws. The forward-looking statements contained herein include, but are not limited to, financings and transactions being pursued, and all such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation. Although the Company believes that the expectations represented in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct and, accordingly, undue reliance should not be put on such forward-looking statements. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein. We Seek Safe Harbour Representative image Shares of Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) climbed almost 2 percent in morning trade on BSE and looked on course to break their losing run of the last three consecutive sessions on February 11. Shares of the company saw some traction after the global brokerage firm Credit Suisse gave an 'outperform' call on the stock with a target price at Rs 740. The brokerage, assessing the quarterly earnings of M&M, said the company's India auto segment fared better than expected while the farm equipment sector (FES) came in-line. Impairment charge dragged consolidated auto performance of the company, Credit Suisse said, adding that the EBIT numbers beat the estimates on account of better than expected auto segment margin. Credit Suisse is of the view that M&M's tractor segment performance was in-line both on revenue and margin. M&M registered a massive 72.8 percent year-on-year (YoY) fall in Q3FY20 profit due to a one-time impairment provision. The bottom line fell to Rs 380.19 crore for the quarter ended December 2019, from Rs 1,395.96 crore in same period last year, company said, adding excluding exceptional and one-off items, the profit stood at Rs 934 crore against Rs 877 crore, a growth of 7 percent YoY. M&M said exceptional items in standalone financial results of Rs 600.56 crore for the quarter represented provision for impairment of certain investments. Revenue from operations during the quarter fell 6 percent YoY to Rs 12,120.3 crore, with a 6.2 percent decline in automotive business and 7.7 percent fall in the farm equipment segment. Shares of M&M traded 0.87 percent up at Rs 532.65 around 10:57 hours IST. Disclaimer: The views and investment tips expressed by investment experts on Moneycontrol.com are their own and not that of the website or its management. Moneycontrol.com advises users to check with certified experts before taking any investment decisions. In order to better fight against the novel coronavirus, some residential communities in Wuhan, Central Chinas Hubei province, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, have taken measures such as setting up disinfection sheds and using drones for inspections. Since Feb. 8, Hanyang Jindi Lanfeixian Community in Wuhan has begun using a disinfection shed at the only entrance and exit for pedestrians. The disinfection shed was installed on Feb. 7 and put into use the next day, with a humidifier spraying disinfectant on residents going in and out. Residents also have to have their temperatures taken. In the western part of the Daqiao Modern Industrial Park in Jiangxia Economic Development District, Jin Hua operates a drone to start his daily inspection tasks every morning. Since Feb. 1, the community has used drones to conduct daily inspections in the mornings and afternoons. Wang Qiang, manager of the property management company, said that there are 38 high-rise buildings in the community, with a total area of nearly 600,000 square meters, but only 14 buildings have completed construction and are occupied here. As the premises are not fully occupied, the current monitoring measures are not able to cover all the areas. As many residents like to gather together, the management company decided to use drones to carry out inspections. On the first afternoon that drones were used for monitoring, the company found that villagers had gathered on the rooftop of one building to play cards without wearing masks. Staff immediately called road patrol personnel to persuade them to leave and eliminate the hidden danger of cross-infection. Wang Qiang said that in the past, security guards took an hour to inspect the community. Now, thanks to the use of drones, it takes less than 10 minutes. Furthermore, many communities in Wuhan are using WeChat mini programs to conduct online surveys to collect residents daily body temperature readings. The questionnaires can be filled on a daily basis, which not only solves the difficulties of household inspections, but also improves efficiency and protects the privacy of residents. BOGOTA (Reuters) - Uber has told the Colombian government it is considering taking its dispute with the Andean country to international arbitration, the company's general manager for Latin America told Reuters on Monday. Citing violation of a trade deal with the United States for escalating the dispute, the ride-hailing firm said its initial calculations suggest damages from suspending its service in Colombia will exceed $250 million. Uber departed Colombia on Friday after a court in December ruled the company had violated competition rules and ordered it to cease operating. Prior to its departure, Uber said it had 2.3 million active users in Latin America's fourth-largest economy, as well as 88,000 drivers. "We are considering this option as well as other legal recourses (in Colombia)," Uber's George Gordon said in a telephone interview. He said Uber wants to return to Colombia but added that it was up to the government to find an outcome. "We want to come back but it is a question of when and how," he said. "When? As soon as possible. How? That is up to the government. They could resolve it today if they wanted." At Davos, President Ivan Duque told Reuters technology companies were welcome in Colombia, but said they had to operate on a level playing field. In a statement, the company said Colombia's decision constituted censorship that went against freedom of expression online and internet neutrality, saying it had been unfairly treated. "In contrast to the measures taken against Uber, other companies from Colombia and elsewhere have not been subject to the same treatment and continue operating in the country," Uber said. "This will allow our competitors to grow their market share in Colombia at Uber's expense." Uber said Colombia's actions had failed to provide it with the same favorable treatment it grants other companies and that it had breached its obligations to U.S investors under the trade accord. While it proceeds with the options available to it, Uber said its clear preference is to find a quick and friendly solution to the dispute. (Reporting by Nelson Bocanegra; Additional reporting and writing by Oliver Griffin; Editing by Franklin Paul and Dan Grebler) Asia US Charges Four Chinese Military Hackers in 2017 Equifax Breach -- WASHINGTONThe United States has charged four Chinese military hackers in the 2017 breach of the Equifax credit-reporting agency that affected nearly 150 million American citizens, Attorney General William Barr said on Monday. This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people, Barr said in announcing the indictments of four members of the Chinese Liberation Army in connection with one of the largest data breaches in US history. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The announcement is the latest in an aggressive campaign by American authorities to root out Chinese espionage operations in the United States. Since turning the spotlight on China in 2018, the US has snared a growing group of Chinese government officials, businesspeople, and academics pursuing American secrets. Roughly 147 million people had information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and drivers license data, compromised by the Equifax breach. The hackers spent weeks in the Equifax system, breaking into computer networks, stealing company secrets and personal data. The hackers routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location. Equifax chief executive Mark Begor said the company was grateful for the Justice Department investigation. It is reassuring that our federal law enforcement agencies treat cybercrimeespecially state-sponsored crimewith the seriousness it deserves, he said in a statement. US officials have said Chinese hackers were behind a massive breach at the Office of Personnel Management, which came to light in 2015 and involved the compromise of sensitive personal data submitted by applicants for US government security clearances. That breach exposed the names, Social Security numbers and addresses of more than 22 million current and former US federal employees and contractors, as well as 5.6 million fingerprints. Chinese hackers are similarly suspected of being behind a massive breach at hotel group Marriott International Inc. The Equifax hack fits into a pattern of past Chinese cyber attacks, said Michael Daniel, a former White House cybersecurity coordinator, because the stolen data can support other spying efforts. Its primary utility would be in developing potential targets for approach by intelligence operatives or feeding artificial intelligence machine learning tools, said Daniel, who currently serves as president of the Cyber Threat Alliance, a cybersecurity information sharing group. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, urged tougher action to counter Chinese hacking. The Chinese Communist Party will leave no stone unturned in its effort to steal and exploit American data. These indictments are good news, but weve got to do more to protect Americans data from Chinese Communist Party influence operations, he said in a statement. The Equifax data breach, because it was so large and involved so much sensitive financial information on so many Americans, had far-reaching implications for Equifax and the consumer credit industry. The company agreed to pay up to US$700 million (1.01 trillion kyats) to settle claims it broke the law during the data breach and to repay harmed consumers. The scandal sent the company into turmoil, leading to the exit of its then-CEO, Richard Smith, and multiple congressional hearings as the companys slowness to disclose the breach and security practices were challenged by lawmakers. Policymakers and consumer groups have questioned how private companies could amass so much personal data, sparking efforts to bolster consumers ability to control their information. Both the Senate Banking and House of Representatives Financial Services Committees are considering legislation that would require companies to better protect consumer data. You may also like these stories: US Evacuees From Virus-Hit Wuhan Quarantined at California Air Base American Dies of Coronavirus in China; Five Britons Infected in French Alps On Thai Buddhist Holy Day, Gunmans Carnage Shatters Temple Peace There is no question that pretty much all of the biggest names in Hollywood attend The Acadamy Awards. From film stars to TV personalities, these well-known A-listers not only come together to celebrate the years film achievements but also to dominate the red carpet with their most glamorous looks. Blac Chyna | Amy Sussman/Getty Images While many are used to seeing Hollywood elite some of which who arent actors attend this annual award show, Blac Chynas red carpet appearance caused fans to ask the same question: why was she even there? Chynas Oscars appearance baffled Twitter users The 2020 Oscars may have had its fair share of surprising moments, but nothing was more unexpected than Blac Chynas presence on the red carpet. Though its common for A-listers who arent actors to attend this annual award show, the model bewildered fans by showing up, especially since she had zero involvement in the ceremony or any of the nominated films. After catching a glimpse of Chyna on the red carpet, many fans took to Twitter to express confusion over her Oscars appearance. How tf did Blac Chyna finesse her way into the #Oscars, one fan tweeted. How did Blac Chyna get an invite to the #Oscars ??? What movie she in??!! another fan questioned. Blac Chyna at the #Oscars who would have thought this day will come, another person commented. Even actor Billy Eichner was just as shocked as fans to see the model attend the movies biggest night, tweeting, Loved her in Marriage Story, referencing the Oscar-nominated film starring Adam Driver, Scarlett Johansson, and Laura Dern. Loved her in Marriage Story. https://t.co/MLnKQPHVqr billy eichner (@billyeichner) February 9, 2020 She recently clarified her reason for attending the Oscars After the mother of two stunned everyone by attending the Oscars, she took to Instagram to set the record straight on why she was in attendance. Headed to the Oscars with my Award winning engineer @titojustmusic, Chyna captioned a video of her and music producer Christopher Trujillo singing music together as they drove to the event. Trujillo, who is best known as Tito JustMusic, is a music producer who has worked closely with many stars in the industry, including Ariana Grande, Meghan Trainor, and Mariah Carey. Hes also produced the soundtrack for the 2012 film Think Like a Man and was even the sound engineer for the 2010 drama film For Colored Girls. While it remains unclear how he became good friends with Chyna, it appears that they have a pretty solid relationship, especially since he asked her to be his plus one to The Academy Awards. Though Chynas appearance at the Oscars took many people by surprise, this wasnt the first time shes attended a red carpet event for an award show she had no involvement in whatsoever. Back in January 2020, the former Rob & Chyna star attended the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards. Blac Chyna attends the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards | David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images A few months before that, the mother of two walked the red carpet at the 2019 Video Music Awards. Seeing as though she is a big-named celebrity, it doesnt come as a shock that she gets invited to these A-list events. Whether or not there is a reason behind her attending these star-studded shindigs, theres no denying that she dominates the red carpet. Abdullah, a Rohingya who uses only one name, shows his refugee identification card at a coast guard station on St. Martins island in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, after he was rescued when the boat that was supposed to take him to Malaysia sank in the Bay of Bengal, Feb. 11, 2020. At least 15 people drowned when an overloaded boat carrying 138 Rohingya refugees to Malaysia struck a slab of coral in shallow water and capsized in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, the Bangladeshi coast guard and survivors said. Rescuers saved 72 people after the 40-foot wooden boat capsized off the southern island of St. Martins, according to Lt. Comdr. Sohel Rana, chief of the coast guard station in Teknaf, a sub-district in Coxs Bazar district. The boat capsized on their way to Malaysia near St. Martins, Rana told BenarNews. Weve recovered 15 bodies. Among the rescued passengers were 46 women and four children, he said, adding that two of the survivors were Bangladesh citizens, One of the survivors who identified himself as Abdul also told BenarNews that he dialed the emergency number 999 and asked the coast guard to launch a rescue operation after the trawler began taking on water. Our boat capsized after it had hit a big slab of sunken stone near St. Martins, Abdul said. Coast guard reached the spot immediately, but we were 138 in that wooden boat, he said. Many are still missing. A man named Zubair, another survivor from the Balukhali Rohingya camp, also confirmed to BenarNews that the boat hit what he described as a stone slab before it sank. But Coast Guard spokesman Hamidul Islam blamed overloading. The boat was meant to carry maximum 50 people, he told AFP news service. The boat was also loaded with some cargo. Two survivors told BenarNews that they each spent 30,000 taka (about $353) as a down payment to traffickers who had promised them better life in Malaysia. Now our dreams got shattered, said Anwara Begum, a refugee at the Kutupalong camp who said she once owned a home in Myanmars Rakhine state. But thank God, we are still alive. About 740,000 Rohingya from Rakhine state fled their homes beginning in August 2017 after Myanmars military launched a brutal offensive in response to deadly attacks by a rebel group on government security posts. The Rohingya who crossed the border into southeastern Bangladesh joined thousands of other Rohingya who had previously fled Myanmar, bringing the number of refugees in camps in and around Coxs Bazar district to more than 1 million. Mohammad Rakibul Islam Khan, an official at the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commission in Bangladesh, told BenarNews that Rohingya refugees were often willing to take risks with a perilous sea journey to secure a better future for their children. They are desperately trying to avail a better living and consider Malaysia to be the best place to move, Khan told BenarNews. Bangladeshi authorities said they had blocked more than 600 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, who attempted to sail to Malaysia last year. Human traffickers have become active in this period as the sea remains calm in the winter, Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews in November. Myanmar classifies Rohingya Muslims as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and denies them citizenship, despite claiming roots there that go back centuries. In a joint statement, the U.N. refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration said they were ready to offer assistance to the needs of the survivors and expressed sadness over this tragic loss of life. Tun Khin, chairman of U.K.-based Burma Rohingya Organization, said Rohingya refugees had been trying to escape from their camps. As soon as Myanmar authorities return citizen rights to Rohingya, the problem of boat people could be stopped, he told Radio Free Asia, an online news service affiliated with BenarNews. So, we call Myanmar government to return citizen rights to all Rohingya. Athena Rayburn, Coxs Bazar manager of the humanitarian agency Save the Children, said the incident should serve as a wake up call that Rohingya families were willing to risk their lives to escape a life of misery and suffering in refugee camps. Such tragic incidents are caused by desperation, she said. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event: AP A Wall Street Journal op-ed published by a pair of former US Marines has called presidential candidate Pete Buttigiegs military experience into question. Greg Kelly, a host at conservative Newsmax TV and a former pilot in the US Marine Corps, and Katie Horgan, a Marine officer deployed in Iraq for 13 months between 2006 and 2012, wrote the piece. Throughout the op-ed, Mr. Kelly argues that the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has overstated his military experience, painting the candidate instead as a careerist who used his connections to land a cushy paperwork job for the majority of his time in the service. The usual route to an officers commission includes four years at Annapolis or another military academy or months of intense training at Officer Candidate School. ROTC programs send prospective officers to far-flung summer training programs and require military drills during the academic year, Mr Kelly wrote. Mr. Buttigieg skipped all thatno obstacle courses, no weapons training, no evaluation of his ability or willingness to lead. Paperwork, a health exam and a background check were all it took to make him a naval officer. According to Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan, officers who entered the service through direct commission were begrudged by combat veterans and were often called pomeranian princes. Most of Mr Kelly and Ms Horgans criticisms were rooted in the idea that Mr Buttigieg wasnt actually involved in combat yet uses language to suggest he was. The closest he came to combat was ferrying other staffers around in an SUV: In his campaign kickoff speech last April he referred to 119 trips I took outside the wire, driving or guarding a vehicle. Thats a strange thing to count. Combat sorties in an F-18 are carefully logged. Driving a car isnt, Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan wrote. Mr Buttigieg does walk a fine line between presenting himself as someone who experienced danger and someone who experienced combat. Mr Buttigiegs first television ad in Iowa showed the candidate walking amongst rubble carrying a military rifle and starting with the phrase As a veteran The image is clearly meant to evoke ideas of armed men and women fighting for the homeland. Story continues However, Mr Buttigieg has refused to refer to himself as a combat veteran when pressed. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Mr Buttigieg drew a distinction between himself and combat veterans during a bus tour in Iowa. It kind of felt like combat when the rocket alarm went off. But I dont feel prepared to use that term for myself, he said. Rocket alarms feeling like danger are not enough to warrant his bragging, according to Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan. Candidate Buttigieg takes every opportunity to lean in on those months in Afghanistan. Questions ranging from student debt to Colin Kaepernick to gun control prompt him to reference his military stint, sometimes indignantly, the authors wrote. I dont need lessons from you on courage, he lectured former Rep. Beto ORourke in an October debate, political or personal. Two months later he told Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Let me tell you about my relationship to the First Amendment. It is part of the Constitution that I raised my right hand and swore to defend with my life. That is my experience, and it may not be the same as yours, but it counts, Senator, it counts. The duo also criticised the media, claiming that the press frequently brings up Mr Buttigiegs military service, but frequently ignores his Democratic opponent Representative Tulsi Gabbards own experience. Ms Gabbard has been a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard since 2003 and was deployed for a year to Iraq in 2004 and for a year to Kuwait between 2008-2009. Debate moderators and other journalistshardly a veteran among themeagerly sell Mr. Buttigiegs narrative. Debate moderators often point out that he served in Afghanistan and, if Tulsi Gabbard isnt there, is the only veteran on the stage. When Ms. Gabbard is present, the moderators seldom mention her military experience, which dwarfs Mr. Buttigiegs, the writers said. Ultimately, it seems the pair believe only those who have engaged in combat should exploit their military service to further their political aspirations. In our experience, those who did the most in war talk about it the least, they said. Serving in a support or noncombat role is honorable, but it shouldnt be the basis of a presidential campaign. A single strain of mumps virus has dominated the US since 2006, and is responsible for many of the large numbers of cases seen across the country in the widespread 2016-17 outbreaks. In a paper publishing February 11 in the open-access journal PLOS Biology, Pardis Sabeti from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard and colleagues analyze over 200 whole mumps virus genomes from patient swab samples, providing insights not obtained in standard public health surveillance efforts. An unusually high number of mumps cases were reported in the US in 2016 and 2017, despite high rates of vaccination. The recent resurgence is partly explained by reduced vaccine-induced immunity but it was unclear how much genetic changes in the circulating viruses might be contributing to this. The researchers sequenced whole mumps virus genomes from 203 patients, mostly from Massachusetts during 2016/17, but including 43 from other states collected between 2014 and 2017. Combining the whole genome sequences with epidemiological data, their analysis demonstrates the extent to which the disease is circulating in the United States, connects outbreaks previously thought to be unrelated, and traces transmission between communities. The research indicates the value of high-quality genomic data in public health surveillance of mumps and suggests future efforts should incorporate whole genome sequencing. Pardis Sabeti says: "Understanding sequence data for pathogens like mumps virus can help understanding of the spread of infectious diseases more quickly and allow researchers to detect changes in the genome that could affect disease severity or the effectiveness of vaccines and diagnosis." ### Peer-reviewed; Experimental study; Cells In your coverage please use this URL to provide access to the freely available article in PLOS Biology: https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3000611 Citation: Wohl S, Metsky HC, Schaffner SF, Piantadosi A, Burns M, Lewnard JA, et al. (2020) Combining genomics and epidemiology to track mumps virus transmission in the United States. PLoS Biol 18(2): e3000611. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000611 Funding: Funding was provided by: NIH NIAID U19AI110818 (Broad Institute); NIH NIAID U54GM088558 (J.A.L.); Howard Hughes Medical Institute (P.C.S.); Harvard University Burke Global Health Fellowship (P.C.S.); Amazon Web Services Cloud Credits for Research (P.C.S.). The project described was supported by award number T32GM007753 from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (E.H.B.). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist. World Socialist Web Site reporters spoke with those attending Monday nights demonstration in London demanding an immediate halt to all deportations, including 56 Jamaicans whose status remain in limbo. Clifton Clifton, a mechanic from London, said, Im here to support this demonstration against the deportation of these people. I think its all wrong. Theyve been taken to the detention centre and just kept there, ready to be shipped out without any money, nowhere to go to. You imagine, youve lived somewhere for 40 years and then youre taken with just the clothes you are wearing and are shipped to another country and have to survive by yourself. Its illegal. Its a criminal offence. I think if something like that were to happen to me, its the end of my life. Imagine, you have a career, work, a family. The upheaval, just sent away, like youre not human, an animal, locked up in this place, where your day-to-day routine is just being locked up and then youre shipped out to a country where you dont know anyone, no way to survive, you dont know where you are. Your parents came to this country and fought to provide everything you have and then all of that is taken from you. Some people have been working for over 40 years. Shona Pollock Shona Pollock from East Ham in London explained, Im here to oppose the British governments racist policy of deporting the Windrush generation. People from my church who have been here for more than 50 years, pensioners in their 70s who served the NHS, are being deported for the crime of having lost their passports. Shona said Prime Minister Boris Johnsons actions mirrored those of the Trump administration in the US and other governments around the world. I see it happening in India with Modi, with Assad in Syria. Im so upset that Britain, which used to be a bastion of tolerance and liberal values, has gone down the route of intolerance. And frankly, this is the beginning of what I consider to be a type of racist fascism. Increasingly I fear for the future of democracy in Britain. Anne, who works as a librarian, said, Im here to protest this injustice that is taking place. The unfairness of what theyre doing is just incredible. They shouldnt be allowed. Its inhumane. They should wait for the inquiry which they had over the [Windrush scandal]. Theyve done this undercover, with no sense of justice. Its just so unfair. Lionel Lionel said, I am tired of this system cheating people who have come here when they were young, who helped to build this city. After the Second World War, they asked us to come hereour parents and our ancestors. They asked them to come here, and we helped to build this city from rubble. Now all they are doing is deporting our people, treating the poor people like they are criminals, and yet the biggest criminals are right in this place here: Parliament and all around. This is a global system. These people know, and they have been playing this game for years. Divide and rulethats their main objective. We are brothers, we are connected. But they want to divide us, so it is up to us to change the status quo. The whole system has us tied up in work. This is a plantation! We just come and work, give our eight hours, now we get a little pay, and we think we are someone. But its the same plantation. Our children are no longer looked after the way they used to be, with a mother at home, husband goes out to work and brings the bread in. Now, the families are divided. This is how they want us, divided. Divide and rule, and they conquer. We have to change this, and we are doing this for our children and the children after us. Shian Harris Shian Harris said, Its unacceptable that these people are going to be deported, who clearly have a right to be here. I think that its incredibly concerning that it seems increasingly that the ability to have secure citizenship is predicated on being white in this country. Its part of a long history of racism which is destroying peoples lives, and its getting much worse. Who has the right to consider who does or doesnt have rights? To be treated with basic dignity and humanity is closing down, and we are seeing that in the UK. People who are refugees and asylum seekers are being completely ignored, and that has now been expanded to anyone who isnt considered British under a very narrow, racist point of view. Its a classic racist tactic. You see this going back to Jim Crow, justifying violence against people of colour by claiming criminality. Even if someone had committed a crime, they are still a citizen of this country. They still have the right to be here. It is incredibly concerning that they are taking away these rights as a way of justifying these restrictions, and that is why it could go much further. Toto Wolff wants Mercedes' Formula 1 team to be "cost-neutral within the next two years". Amid speculation the Daimler board may be inching towards pulling the plug, the Austrian is quoted by German-language media as hitting out at "lunatics" who are spreading rumours online. He was speaking at the reveal of Mercedes' 2020 livery, featuring a brand new red presence on the livery in deference to major new five-year sponsor Ineos. "The contract with Ineos is the cornerstone of our future plans for participation in Formula 1," Wolff said. "We work for the long term. We like the platform that Formula 1 provides, but at the same time we are negotiating with the owners of the commercial rights and there are still issues that need to be addressed. "However, as I said, the contract with Ineos indicates our desire to continue our successful program in Formula 1. Obviously everyone involved wants to resolve the issues before 2021," he added. "There seems to be the basis for a successful future but, as with Lewis (Hamilton's contract), we are still talking about it and I would not like to comment before putting it on paper." As for the rumours of a gradual withdrawal from Formula 1, Wolff aimed fire at those who promote such stories. "It always amazes me that one of these lunatics writes something on a website and then this pointless story is repeated on many other sites even if it is clarified by the CEO of Daimler the next day," he said. Wolff revealed that, with the $175 million budget cap coming in for 2021, Mercedes can aim towards having a "cost-neutral" F1 involvement soon. "That is exactly what we aim for," he said. "The costs for Mercedes decrease every year. "At the same time, we are generating billions of dollars in marketing value, meaning that Formula 1 offers one of the best returns on investment. That is why F1 continues to make absolute sense for us." (GMM) New Delhi, Feb 11 : After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) swept the Delhi Assembly elections with a clear majority on Tuesday, its national convener Arvind Kejriwal called a closed door meeting of senior party leaders to chalk out the future course of action. The meeting, which is yet to start, will feature all the senior party leaders, including Manish Sisodia, Gopal Rai and Sanjay Singh. According to party insiders, the leaders will plan the swearing-in ceremony, besides finalising other details as the AAP gears up to form government in the national capital. A special meeting is to be held by councillors in North Cork to draw up a battleplan aimed at persuading the government to locate a new elective hospital for the county in Mallow. At present the Health Service Executive (HSE) is looking at building the hospital at sites in Curraheen, Cork Docklands or at St Stephen's Hospital, Glanmire. The Kanturk/Mallow Municipal District Council had previously written to Minister for Health Simon Harris on the issue. At a recent meeting councillors discussed his reply to them, which only noted that he had received their correspondence. Municipal district chairman, Cllr Bernard Moynihan, declared that Harris "had gone into hiding." He said anyway there is no point pursuing him because there will soon be a new Minister for Health and they need to prepare a case for Mallow to be the site for the new elective hospital. "It's urgent now that we be super prepared. There is plenty of space on the grounds of the existing hospital to build a new one," he said. Cllr Pat Hayes pointed out that Mallow is ideally positioned for such a facility as it is on the crossroads of Munster and has very good road links. Cllr Gerard Murphy said that getting a new hospital there would serve the needs of the people of North Cork and it is no reflection on staff at Mallow General Hospital "who are all doing a tremendous job". He said it would make sense to locate the elective hospital there as it would ease the pressure on existing city hospitals. A number of councillors had said that the issue of the location of the new hospital had come up during the election canvasses. Many had been told that it is important the hospital is located in North Cork or if not the best alternative is the St Stephen's Hospital campus as it is close to the M8 (Cork-Dublin motorway) and on the northern side of the city. Plans are in place for a new northern ring road which would link the M8 to the N22 (Mallow-Limerick road). The new road will run extremely close to St Stephen's Hospital and thus provide it with very good connectivity to all of North Cork. "We need to make the strongest case for Mallow that we can now," Cllr Hayes said. Cllr Moynihan said all the region's councillors need to go away to do their homework in advance of a special meeting which they intend to hold in Annabella House, Mallow on the afternoon of Friday, March 6. GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip The Israeli army continued bombing Hamas targets this week in the Gaza Strip, which army spokesman Avichai Edrei said comes in response to rockets and incendiary balloons being launched from the Gaza Strip toward Israel. Israel's retaliation for earlier volleys included authorities' decision Feb. 2 to keep cement from entering the Gaza Strip and reduce the number of Gaza merchants allowed to enter Israel. On Feb. 5, Israel decided to reduce the fishing zone in the Gaza Strip from 15 nautical miles to 10. Hamas which rules the Gaza Strip and concluded truce agreements in March 2019 with Israel under Egyptian sponsorship said the current escalation stems from public anger at Israel's lack of commitment to the truce understandings, and expresses Palestinians' rejection of the US peace plan announced Jan. 28. Yet Hamas has refrained from making any statements about the escalation. Al-Monitor tried to contact Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem to ask about the movements silence, but to no avail. Talal Okal, a political analyst and writer for the West Bank-based newspaper al-Ayyam, told Al-Monitor Israel is leading this escalation with the aim of forcing the Gaza Strip into a calm-in-exchange-for-calm equation. But, he wonders, if Palestinians halted their marches and aborted the violence in exchange for Israeli incentives, then what are they expected to do when Israel revokes the incentives? Asked about Hamas silence regarding the current escalation, Okal said Hamas is in a quandary in Gaza, especially as the marches resulted in thousands of wounded and hundreds of dead but failed to achieve any tangible results. This is pure failure, a kind of surrender to Israel," he said. Okal also noted that, as Israel's March 2 general elections approach, its escalation though limited aims to demonstrate to voters that it can deter any attacks and protect its people. At the same time, Israel's unsettled political situation might be contributing to its limited response to the escalation. Tayseer Mohsen, a political science professor at Al-Azhar University in Gaza, told Al-Monitor, This politically unresolved period on the Israeli side does not give anyone the freedom to decide to wage war." Mohsen pointed out that the Israeli army sometimes just targets empty areas in Gaza, which avoids wide escalation but still leads the Israeli public to believe the army is targeting Hamas infrastructure. This is part of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's political and strategic calculations. Netanyahu, Mohsen said, fears broad escalation would prevent him from forging new normalization ties with Arab countries. Netanyahu wants to neutralize Gaza to create a favorable environment for US President Donald Trumps [peace] plan, Mohsen added. Hassan Abdo, a political analyst close to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, told Al-Monitor Israeli drones are constantly hovering over Gaza looking for a target, to drag Gaza into a limited wave of escalation that would allow Netanyahu to gain votes in the upcoming elections. The factions in Gaza are responding with minimal doses of rockets that hardly cross the border. Ibrahim al-Madhoun, a political analyst close to Hamas, told Al-Monitor, The Palestinian factions in Gaza are trying to express their anger at Israels failure to implement the understandings" and at the US peace plan, and they feel helpless in the face of young Palestinians' anger. It's hard to know if Hamas is even giving the go-ahead for the use of rockets and incendiary balloons coming from the Gaza Strip, though it is likely, he said. I think Hamas indirectly approves of whatever is coming out of Gaza. In addition to its military ability to control the field, there is no doubt that the movement should be able to logically persuade the factions to stop firing shells, which up until now have been based on individual actions, he added. As for Israel's failure to comply with the truce understandings, Okal said Israel often doesn't commit to its agreements. Netanyahu fears that if he commits to the truce, he could be perceived as weak or as caving in to pressure especially as he is already criticized heavily whenever Gaza concessions are involved. Mohsen said, The Israelis only accepted the truce understandings because they were under pressure, and as soon as calm returned, they reneged on what was agreed upon. He said Palestinians should continue to place pressure on Israel through mediators. He expected Israel to soon reverse its decisions regarding traders, cement and the fishing zone, for fear the situation in Gaza would deteriorate to the point of affecting Israel negatively. Madhoun pointed out that Israel is still not good at dealing with Hamas and is trying to pressure it. This could result in four scenarios, he said: The situation remains unchanged; things escalate a bit more; a wide military confrontation ensues; or the nearly 13-year siege on the Gaza Strip is lifted and a long-term calm prevails. Amid Pressure From U.S. Sanctions, Iran Reaches Out Publicly To China By Golnaz Esfandiari February 10, 2020 With tensions high between the United States and Tehran, Iran's attempts to reach out to China have increasingly been put on public display. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has made several trips to China in the past year. That includes one highly publicized visit Zarif made to Beijing in late December and early January when the commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corp was assassinated by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. More recently, Zarif has tweeted messages in Chinese to mark the Chinese New Year, to praise Beijing's efforts to control a deadly outbreak of the coronavirus, and to express solidarity and support with the Chinese people. "Iran stands with China," Zarif wrote in Chinese on February 4 in a tweet that also quoted a verse by 13th-century Persian poet Saadi. "The sons of Adam are limbs of each other, having been created of one essence," Zarif wrote in a Chinese translation of the Persian poet's work. "When the calamity of time affects one limb, the other limbs cannot remain at rest." In another tweet, Zarif said he'd expressed "gratitude and appreciation" to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for what Zarif described as "successful measures" to fight the coronavirus. Zarif referred to the Chinese foreign minister as his "good friend." He also criticized the United States for, in his words, "taking advantage" of the situation. That remark appeared to refer to controversial comments made by U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross, who'd suggested that the coronavirus outbreak in China could be positive for the U.S. economy. "Regardless of adversity, Iran has always stood by the Chinese people," Zarif tweeted on January 23. In a recent interview with China's Phoenix Television that was posted online and shared widely, Zarif spoke a few words in Chinese to describe what he said was solidarity between Tehran and Beijing. In another online video, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Musavi spoke Chinese to express support for China during the difficult times the country is facing due to the coronavirus. Iran also has donated some 3 million surgical masks to China to help combat the spread of the virus. 'Look To The East' Policy Analysts say Tehran's public diplomacy efforts appear to be an attempt to strengthen the perception that Iran has a "solid international partnership" with China at a time Tehran faces international isolation and pressure. "My impression is that part of this rhetoric is aimed to show Iran's goodwill towards Chinese authorities. But mainly, it is public-relations activity toward the entire international community," Jacopo Scita, an Al-Sabah doctoral fellow at Durham University, told RFE/RL. "Iran has a great need to show it is not isolated, and, again, these gestures are usually associated with strong international partnerships." Iran has faced crippling U.S. economic sanctions since 2018, when Washington withdrew from Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with world powers. Those sanctions include an oil embargo that has denied Tehran its main source of revenue and resulted in a shrinking economy. Meanwhile, Iran has increasingly promoted its so-called "Look to the East" policy -- to China, as well as Russia -- for trade, support, and international partnerships. But analysts say China has not yet given Tehran the support it seeks. "Iran hopes to count China, along with Russia, as a partner in the face of growing U.S. pressures to isolate it -- both in helping it bypass sanctions, and in being a political partner in fora like the United Nations," said Dina Esfandiary, a fellow at the Century Foundation think tank in New York. Esfandiary said that "China has not been as forthcoming as Iran hoped, likely because of its own difficulties with the U.S." Scita notes that despite China's position as the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, Beijing is unlikely to jeopardize its relationship with the United States in order to build better ties with Iran. "However, so far Beijing has been Tehran's lifeline against U.S. sanctions," Scita said. "China has been the only major customer that kept buying Iranian oil after the expirations of waivers, while the level of trade between the two countries has decreased but remains tangible." In fact, Washington has announced sanctions against several Chinese firms in recent months for defying the U.S. sanctions against Iran. Analyst Esfandiary says Iran and China have been partners "through thick and thin, but the strength of the relationship oscillates depending on each country's relationship with the U.S. and the importance of the country at any given time to the other." Big Plans, Shrinking Trade In 2016, Chinese President Xi Jinping became one of the first world leaders to visit Tehran following the completion of the nuclear accord -- a pact that resulted in the lifting of sanctions against Iran in exchange for significant restrictions on its nuclear program aimed at preventing Tehran from developing nuclear weapons. During the visit, Iranian President Hassan Rohani vowed a "new chapter" in relations between Tehran and Beijing, while promising to increase economic ties worth up to $600 billion within the next 10 years and build a stronger partnership as part of a 25-year plan. The two countries then signed more than a dozen agreements, covering areas such as the economy, security, and nuclear cooperation. Esfandiary said that "it remains to be seen how much of this actually materializes under U.S. pressure." Trade between Iran and China has also been significantly impacted by U.S. sanctions. China relies on the Middle East for its energy supplies. It has condemned the U.S. sanctions and expressed its commitment to the 2015 nuclear deal. But in a report released in January, China's General Administration of Customs said trade with Iran had dropped during 2019 by about one-third. Iranian crude-oil exports to China averaged around 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) during the second half of 2019 compared to 400,000 bpd during the first half of the year, according to estimates by energy-sector monitor S&P Global Platts. In 2018, Iran exported about 650,000 bpd to China, according to S&P Global Platts and shipping sources. Scita says the economic gridlock Tehran is currently facing makes China "an indispensable partner." But he says that ties between the two countries will depend on Iran's international situation. "If the path opened by the [nuclear deal] is relaunched, it is very much possible that Sino-Iranian relations will expand and find a new normal beyond the sanctions economy," Scita concluded. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/amid-pressure- from-us-sanctions-iran-reaches-out- publicly-to-china/30426856.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 The average price of a ton of Napa Valley wine grapes rose almost 4 percent in 2019, according to the years Grape Crush Report. But experts say the report may not reflect true market conditions. The report, released Monday by the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), listed Napas average price per ton of wine grapes in 2019 as $5,797, up from $5,572 per ton in 2018. And the region isnt alone in its growth: 10 of the states 17 grape pricing districts were commanding higher prices per ton of grapes than they had in 2018, according to data from the CDFA. Thats a surprising number, industry members said, considering the state of the industry this year, which faced a decline in consumer demand for the first time in 25 years and is still grappling with an oversupply with its roots in a historically large harvest in 2018. That coupling has birthed a glut market of sorts, though the numbers on the Grape Crush Report dont seem to reflect those conditions. Glenn Proctor, partner at the Novato-based grape and wine brokerage firm Ciatti Company, said the numbers in the report might still be drawing heavily upon long-term contracts between growers and wineries. Some of these contracts could be five or 10 years old, he added, and operate around gradual appreciation in the prices of grapes contracted for. He pointed to the price of a ton of Napa Chardonnay, listed by the report at $2,983 per ton. In August, we had Chardonnay available in Napa, and it wouldnt have been priced at ($2,983) it would have been more like $2,200 or $2,000, Proctor said. Prices negotiated by contracts might vary noticeably from pricing on the spot market (so named for the on the spot nature of purchases). As wineries and other producers discover the range of prices and products available, they could balk at their existing agreements with growers. What weve been seeing on the market is wineries giving notices to end their grape contracts, because theyre trying to build supply and price flexibility, Proctor added. California in 2019 crushed around 3,890,000 tons of grapes, according to the report, an almost 10% decrease from the more than 4,280,000 tons crushed in 2018. That, too, might be a skewed measurement of industry production, according to Steve Fredricks, president of Novato-based Turrentine Brokerage. The numbers reported by this Preliminary Crush Report can be deceiving, Fredricks said in a press release. Many tons throughout California were not harvested by lack of demand by wineries. The crop report does not show the number of tons that were left on the vine. Fredricks point is one echoed by other industry members, including Proctor. Proctor estimates the true wine grape crop yield in 2019 could have produced a figure between 4,050,000 and 4,150,000 tons had it all been crushed. That could mean as many as 250,000 tons left on the vine grapes that could not sell at any price, according to Erica Moyer, a partner at Turrentine. That could falsely elevate average district price, she said in a press release. Jeff Bitter, president of the Allied Grape Growers, said last week at the Unified Grape and Wine Symposium that demand for grapes would not support production larger than 4 million tons. Though 2019s tonnage falls under the 4 million mark, Proctor said, it did not deflate existing supply enough to recalibrate the market something industry experts like Bitter have called for in the wake of the changing supply-demand dynamic. The value and consumer recognition of the Napa Valley name does shield Napas industry from the more volatile fluctuations of the general market, Proctor said. Still, though, the region isnt entirely exempt from feeling the whiplash of changing supply and demand. I do think Napa will be insulated more than other areas in the state because of that value to consumer, but itll be interesting to see how long the market uncertainty lasts, Proctor said. He pointed to the rising price of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes by the ton more than $8,000 per ton, according to the crush report. Just because thats the listed average price doesnt mean buyers will be willing to pay at those levels, he said. If youre selling grapes at $7,000 to $8,000 per ton, youd need to sell $70 or $80 dollar bottles of Cabernet on the retail market, he said, adding that there are plenty of labels that sell for prices well below that range. I can tell you some of the activity were seeing on the bulk market from private labels has Cabernet going at much lower pricing. Although the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon crop decreased 12 percent from 2018 to 2019, this years harvest, at more than 78,000 tons, was still the second largest in history, according to Turrentine Brokerage Vice President Brian Clements. Turrentine broker Mike Needham noted in the same press release that while prices listed by the report had increased, the spot market weighted average for Napa Valley Cabernet had dropped 50 percent in the last year. Those dips are reflective of the broader industry trends, Proctor said. Napas a unique place, he added, but the markets the market. You can reach Sarah Klearman at (707) 256-2213 or sklearman@napanews.com. 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. Repatriating Romania's gold reserve would cost 10-20 times more than the commission paid to the Bank of England for storing it there, said, on Tuesday, the Governor of the National Bank of Romania (BNR), Mugur Isarescu, in a press conference. "We will respect the law, the vote of the Parliament. But we sent our point of view, to the Government, to the Parliament, and we showed the true costs of repatriation, because in the public many statements were made and many untrue things were waved around. Both on costs and on the gold in London, what other countries are doing. Once more, we say: We have done nothing more than what other countries have done. And if they repatriated their gold from abroad, from London or New York, and reached the ratio that we have: 50 pct at home, 50 pct abroad," Isarescu said.According to him, the transport costs are very high, especially those regarding insurance."It costs us much more than the reasonable commission the Bank of England asks, if we keep there. It costs us 10-20 times more. And I believe that our colleagues from the select directorate were quite timid in saying all the costs. There are very high insurance costs for any transport of precious metals. The transport from the middle of London to Heathrow costs us very much, if we were to bring it by plane," the head of the central bank mentioned.Finally, Parliament will be the one to decide, Isarescu added.President Klaus Iohannis sent to Parliament, on November 20, a re-examination request of the law initiated by Liviu Dragnea and Serban Nicolae that mandated the repatriation of the gold reserve of the National Bank of Romania.The National Liberal Party (PNL) and the Save Romania Union (USR) contested this law at the Constitutional Court, but their actions were rejected. AGERPRES SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EquityBee , the startup employees stock options funding solution is pleased to launch in the United States and announce its recent funding round of $6.6M. The round was led by Group11, with participation from Battery Ventures and LocalGlobe. In the past year EquityBee enabled hundreds of Israeli startup employees to exercise their stock options, and now it will leverage its experience and vast Investor Community to support the U.S. market. In the United States, Startup employees, the company builders, forgo 50% of $60 Billion in unexercised stock options every year. When employees leave their startup, they have a limited amount of time to exercise their stock options before they expire. The cost to exercise can reach hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of dollars, as the employee is required to purchase their stock as well as potentially pay substantial taxes on the theoretical profit at the time of exercising the options. Very few employees have these financial resources available, causing 50% of employees to forgo their stock options, lose their hard-earned equity and the right of participating in the future success of the company they helped to build. EquityBee connects the startup builders with its Investor Community. This enables the builders to obtain all of the capital they need to exercise their stock options and pay the taxes, become a shareholder and take part in the company's success. EquityBee Investors Community includes thousands of investors from all over the world, including family offices, funds and accredited investors looking for a new way to invest in companies that were previously inaccessible to them. The employee and the investors share a portion of any future exit gains. EquityBee has taken over the Israeli market and brings its global experience to the U.S.: In the past year alone, EquityBee has helped hundreds of employees from more than one hundred different companies including Taboola, MyHeritage, SimilarWeb, MagicLeap, IronSource and many more. "As a serial entrepreneur and being part of the startup sphere for the last 15 years, I have witnessed countless employees, colleagues, and friends lose out on a significant part of their compensation because they couldn't afford to exercise the options they worked so hard to earn. EquityBee is changing the situation and helping startup builders. We have successfully solved this problem for Israeli employees, and now EquityBee is ready to support every startup builder in the US," says Oren Barzilai, CEO of EquityBee. "Our mission is to enable all startup builders to own their hard-earned equity and their share from the company they helped build." "The US is home to over 525,000 tech companies employing over 11.2 million tech workers of whom 6 million work for private tech companies. While inconceivable, as it stands today, a vast amount of these workers do not get to exercise or finance their stock options thus lose annually about about $30 Billion. This is why we invested in EquityBee. EquityBee aims to solve this massive market failure and help millions of employees realize what is rightfully theirs. The solution the company offers is a no brainer for all parties involved: the employees, the startup companies employing them and the investors using EquityBee. After witnessing their success in Israel, Group 11 is excited to be a leading backer of EquityBee in their important mission to help U.S. employees. The sky's the limit for EquityBee and we're excited to be on their team and Board of Directors," says Dovi Frances, Founding Partner at Group 11. About EquityBee Founded by Oren Barzilai, CEO, Oded Golan, CPO, and Mody Radashkovich, COO. Barzilai and Golan are serial entrepreneurs and childhood friends. Barzilai founded Tapingo which was acquired by GrubHub in 2018 for $150 million. EquityBee raised $8.3M to date, from leading VCs including Group11, Battery Ventures, LocalGlobe , as well as CEOs and entrepreneurs. As part of the recent funding round, Dovi Frances, General Partner and founder of Group11, a leading Silicon Valley fintech VC, is joining the company's Board of Directors. For more information about EquityBee, please visit the company's website . SOURCE EquityBee Related Links https://equitybee.com/ With a population of approaching 125 million and relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, Mexicos telecom sector retains significant potential for growth. Sydney, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Mexico outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mexico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses With a population of approaching 125 million and relatively low broadband and mobile penetration, Mexicos telecom sector retains significant potential for growth. The market is still dominated by the incumbent Telmex and Grupo Televisa, which together retain about two thirds of subscribers. A regulator newly set up in 2013 has enforced measures aimed at removing barriers to foreign investment and at reducing the market share of the dominant operators. These reforms will go far to making Mexicos telecom market more competitive. One result of competitive pressure is the decision of Telefonica Group to exit the Mexican telecoms market, a process which is being undertaken in stages which includes the sale of fibre assets, the migration of mobile subscribers to AT&T Mexicos network and the return of spectrum concessions to the regulator. The Group sold units in Guatemala and El Salvador in March 2019. In the fixed broadband sector significant changes are underway, with the main cable TV providers Megacable and Grupo Televisa widening their bundled services offerings, and with some important market consolidation. The fibre sector has shown particularly strong growth during the last two years as the key operators expand their network reach beyond the core densely urban areas. The mobile market also continues to undergo considerable changes in the wake of regulatory efforts to curb the market dominance of Telcel. Although the MVNO segment has only a very small market share it continues to attract investment, and new players enter the market each year. A wholesale mobile network operating in the 700MHz band was set up in 2018 and will reach the vast majority of the population by 2025. Developments in 5G have been slow given the existing capacity of LTE, though the auction of spectrum in the 600MHz band (among the first globally) by late 2020 will stimulate the sector as operators launch services from 2021. Story continues This report provides statistics and analyses on Mexicos fixed-line market, as well as an overview of regulatory developments. The report also reviews the mobile market, including a range of statistical data as well as subscriber forecasts. In addition, the report covers the fixed and mobile broadband sectors, including an assessment of technological and regulatory developments. Key developments: Regulator confirms 600MHz auction for end-2020; Movistar to hand back spectrum concessions as it exits Mexican market; MNOs prepare to shut down legacy GSM networks; Regulator rekindles SIM card registration program; America Movil develops m-payment platform with banks; Report update includes the regulator's market data report to June 2019, telcos' financial and operating data to Q3 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: America Movil (Telcel, Telmex), Megacable, Cablemas, Cablevision, Grupo Televisa, Maxcom, Sistemas Interactivos de Telecomunicaciones (SIT), Axtel, Megafon, InterCable, CFE, , AT&T Mexico (Iusacell, Nextel Mexico), Movistar (Telefonica Mexico), Globalstar, Unefon, Virgin Mobile, Weex, Alestra, Maxcom, Marcatel. Henry Lancaster January 2020 Table of Contents Key statistics Regional Latin America Market Comparison Telecom Maturity Index by tier Market Leaders Market Challengers Market Emergents South America Telecom Maturity Index Central America Telecom Maturity Index TMI versus GDP Mobile and mobile broadband penetration Fixed and mobile broadband penetration Country overview Telecommunications market Historical overview Market analysis Telecoms reform Regulatory environment Regulatory authorities Fixed-line developments Privatisation Deregulation Foreign investment rules Mobile network developments Spectrum auctions Mobile Termination Rates (MTRs) Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Roaming Telecom legislative reform SIM card registration Mobile market Market analysis Mobile statistics General statistics Mobile infrastructure Digital networks 4G (LTE) 2G Other infrastructure developments Open networks Satellite mobile IoT Mobile data SMS and MMS Mobile broadband Major mobile operators Telcel Movistar AT&T Mexico Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) Mobile content and applications Mobile economy Fixed-line broadband market Market analysis and statistical overview Government support Municipal broadband Broadband statistics Fixed-line broadband technologies Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) network Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks Other fixed broadband services Fixed network operators Introduction Telmex/America Movil Megacable Grupo Televisa Telecommunications infrastructure Overview of the national telecom network National network infrastructure developments Smart infrastructure Smart grid technology Data centres Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Mexico 2019 (e) Table 2 Change in the number of employed in the telecom sector 2011 2019 Table 3 Change in telecom sectors contribution to GDP 2009 2019 Table 4 Share of telecom market revenue by sector 2017- 2018 Table 5 Change in telecom revenue and annual growth 2009 - 2019 Table 6 Development of fixed-line and mobile sector revenue 2015 2018 Table 7 Foreign investment in telecoms 2011 2019 Table 8 Increase in the number of mobile number of portings 2009 2017 Table 9 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Table 10 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by major operator 2009 2019 Table 11 Development of mobile market revenue and investment 2009 2018 Table 12 Development of the number of repaid / postpaid subscribers 2010 2019 Table 13 Change in the proportion of prepaid / postpaid subscribers 2009 2019 Table 14 Distribution of spectrum by band 2020 Table 15 Distribution of spectrum by operator 2020 Table 16 Growth in the number of Movistars LTE subscribers and penetration 2016 2019 Table 17 Decline in SMS traffic 2006 2020 Table 18 Change in the proportion of mobile data traffic by network technology 2015 2019 Table 19 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Table 20 Change in the market share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator 2014 2019 Table 21 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by main operator 2013 2019 Table 22 Growth in the number of Telcels subscribers and annual change 2009 2019 Table 23 Development of Telcels churn, monthly minutes of use and ARPU 2008 2019 Table 24 Change in the number of Telcels prepaid and contract subscribers 2016 2019 Table 25 Development of Telcels wireless revenue 2010 2019 Table 26 Growth in the number of Movistars mobile subscribers 2009 2019 Table 27 Movistar minutes of use and ARPU 2008 2019 Table 28 Development of Movistars financial data 2006 2019 Table 29 AT&T Mexico revenue 2015 2019 Table 30 AT&T Mexico ARPU 2018 2019 Table 31 Growth in the number of AT&T Mexicos mobile subscribers 2009 2019 Table 32 MVNO share of the mobile market by subscribers 2014 2018 Table 33 Change in the number of mobile subscribers by main MVNO 2014 2018 Table 34 Change in the proportion of broadband lines by data rates 2014 2019 Table 35 Broadband lines by data rates 2017 2018 Table 36 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Table 37 Change in market share of broadband subscribers by operator 2014 2019 Table 38 Change in market share of broadband subscribers by platform 2014 2019 Table 39 Growth in the number of cable modem broadband subscribers 2009 2019 Table 40 Growth in the number of Megacables cable modem subscribers 2009 2019 Table 41 Change in Megacables ARPU 2007 2019 Table 42 Growth in the number of Cablemass cable modem subscribers 2009 2019 Table 43 Change in the number of Televisas RGUs by sector 2016 2019 Table 44 Growth in the number of Cablevisions cable broadband subscribers 2009 2019 Table 45 Decline in the number of DSL broadband subscribers 2009 2020 Table 46 Growth in the number of Infinitums DSL subscribers 2009 2019 Table 47 Growth in the number of FttP broadband subscribers 2013 2019 Table 48 Decline in the number of wireless broadband subscribers 2013 2020 Table 49 Change in the number of satellite broadband subscribers 2013 2019 Table 50 Change in market share of fixed lines by operator 2014 2019 Table 51 Change in the number of Telmexs fixed-line RGUs 2009 2019 Table 52 Decline in the number of Telmexs fixed-line subscribers 2015 2019 Table 53 Development of Telmexs revenue, EBITDA 2011 2019 Table 54 Growth of Megacables revenue by sector 2010 2019 Table 55 Growth in the number of Megacables fixed-line subscribers 2012 2019 Table 56 Decline in Megacables fixed-line ARPU 2012 2019 Table 57 Growth in the number of Televisas telephony subscribers 2016 2019 Table 58 Development of Televisas financial data 2017 2019 Table 59 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2009 2024 Table 60 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 2000 2009 Table 61 Historic - Proportion of prepaid / postpaid subscribers 2000 2009 Table 62 Historic - DSL broadband subscribers 2001 2009 Table 63 Historic - Mobile market share of subscribers by major operator 2001 2009 Table 64 Historic - Mobile market revenue 2001 2009 Table 65 Historic - Telecom revenue and annual growth 1998 - 2009 Table 66 Historic - Internet users and annual change - 2000 2018 Table 67 Historic - Dial-up internet subscribers 2000 2012 Table 68 Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers 2003 2009 Table 69 Historic - Average fixed-line traffic per line 2014 2016 Table 70 Historic - Market share of fixed line traffic by operator 2014 2016 Table 71 Historic - Telecom sector contribution to GDP 2004 2009 Table 72 Historic - cable modem broadband subscribers 2001 2009 Table 73 Historical - Fixed lines in service, annual change and teledensity 1996 2009 Table 74 Historic - Megacable cable modem subscribers 2001 2009 Table 75 Historic - Cablemas cable modem subscribers 2002 2009 Table 76 Historic - Cablemas financial data 2012 2014 Table 77 Telcel Historic - subscribers and annual change 2000 2009 Table 78 Historic - AT&T Mexico subscribers 2000 2009 Table 79 Historic - Movistar subscribers 2001 2009 Table 80 Historic - Infinitum DSL subscribers 2002 2009 Table 81 Historic - Cablevision cable broadband subscribers 2002 2009 List of Charts Chart 1 Latin America Overall Telecoms Maturity Index Chart 2 Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index Market Leaders Category Chart 3 Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index Market Challengers Category Chart 4 Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index Market Laggards Category Chart 5 South America Telecoms Maturity Index by country Chart 6 Central America Telecoms Maturity Index by country Chart 7 Latin America Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita Chart 8 South America mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration Chart 9 Latin America fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration Chart 10 Change in the number of employed in the telecom sector 2011 2019 Chart 11 Change in telecom revenue and annual growth 2009 - 2019 Chart 12 Development of fixed-line and mobile sector revenue 2015 2018 Chart 13 Increase in the number of mobile number of portings 2009 2017 Chart 14 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Chart 15 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by major operator 2009 2019 Chart 16 Development of mobile market revenue and investment 2009 2018 Chart 17 Development of the number of repaid / postpaid subscribers 2010 2019 Chart 18 Change in the proportion of prepaid / postpaid subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 19 Growth in the number of Movistars LTE subscribers and penetration 2016 2019 Chart 20 Change in the proportion of mobile data traffic by network technology 2015 2019 Chart 21 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Chart 22 Change in the market share of mobile broadband subscribers by operator 2014 2019 Chart 23 Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers by main operator 2013 2019 Chart 24 Growth in the number of Telcels subscribers and annual change 2009 2019 Chart 25 Change in the number of Telcels prepaid and contract subscribers 2016 2019 Chart 26 Development of Telcels wireless revenue 2010 2019 Chart 27 Growth in the number of Movistars mobile subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 28 Development of Movistars financial data 2009 2019 Chart 29 Growth in the number of AT&T Mexicos mobile subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 30 MVNO share of the mobile market by subscribers 2014 2018 Chart 31 Change in the number of mobile subscribers by main MVNO 2014 2018 Chart 32 Change in the proportion of broadband lines by data rates 2014 2019 Chart 33 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Chart 34 Change in market share of broadband subscribers by operator 2014 2019 Chart 35 Change in market share of broadband subscribers by platform 2014 2019 Chart 36 Growth in the number of cable modem broadband subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 37 Growth in the number of Megacables cable modem subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 38 Change in Megacables ARPU 2007 2019 Chart 39 Growth in the number of Cablemass cable modem subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 40 Change in the number of Televisas RGUs by sector 2016 2019 Chart 41 Growth in the number of Cablevisions cable broadband subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 42 Decline in the number of DSL broadband subscribers 2009 2020 Chart 43 Growth in the number of Infinitums DSL subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 44 Change in market share of fixed lines by operator 2014 2019 Chart 45 Change in the number of Telmexs fixed-line RGUs 2009 2019 Chart 46 Development of Telmexs revenue, EBITDA 2011 2019 Chart 47 Growth of Megacables revenue by sector 2010 2019 Chart 48 Growth in the number of Megacables fixed-line subscribers 2012 2019 Chart 49 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2009 2024 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment Exhibit 2 South America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country Exhibit 3 Central America - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Country Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Mexico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg nbombourg@budde.com.au Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 The sentencing of Michael Flynn, President Trump's former national security adviser, has been postponed indefinitely. Flynn, 61, had pleaded guilty in the Russia election interference probe but last month he asked a judge for permission to withdraw his plea. Judge Emmet Sullivan agreed to the postponement after federal prosecutors filed a motion on Sunday to delay a number of approaching deadlines that would ultimately make Flynn's sentencing on February 27 unlikely to happen. A judge has indefinitely postponed former national security adviser Michael Flynn's sentencing on a charge of lying to the FBI District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan announced on Monday that he was canceling the sentencing hearing 'until further order of the court.' In a big plea reversal, Flynn's lawyers argued that prosecutors violated a plea agreement that he struck with them because they demanded he give false testimony. Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general, lasted only 22 days in the job in the early days of the Trump's administration. He was being investigated for his contacts with Russians when he was removed and eventually pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. His lawyers claimed that after Flynn changed his legal team in June, prosecutors demanded that he admit falsely that he knowingly lied in filing forms with the Justice Department that concealed work his lobbying firm did for the government of Turkey. Flynn, a retired US Army lieutenant general, lasted only 22 days in the job in the early days of the Trump's administration. They are pictured together on the campaign trail in October 2016 'Michael T. Flynn hereby moves to withdraw his plea because of the government's bad faith, vindictiveness, and breach of the plea agreement,' defense attorney Sydney Powell wrote. Prosecutors had earlier said Mr Flynn was entitled to avoid prison time because of his extensive cooperation, with a different stance taken after he hired new lawyers who leveled accusations of misconduct against the government. A judge has since rejected those claims. In the January court filing, defense lawyers said the Justice Department is attempting to 'rewrite history' by withdrawing its recommendation that Mr Flynn be sentenced to probation and by suggesting he had not been forthcoming or cooperative. Flynn had already admitted his guilt under oath in December 2017, but is now asking a judge if he can withdraw his guilty plea. (File pic: court sketch from an appearance in December 2018) 'Michael T. Flynn is innocent. Mr Flynn has cooperated with the government in good faith for two years. He gave the prosecution his full cooperation,' Mr Flynn's lawyers wrote. 'He endured massive, unnecessary, and frankly counterproductive demands on his time, his family, his scarce resources, and his life. 'The same cannot be said for the prosecution, which has operated in bad faith from the inception of the 'investigation' and continues relentlessly through this specious prosecution.' Flynn pleaded guilty in December 2017 to lying to the FBI about his contacts with then-Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak during the presidential transition between Barack Obama and Trump. The case has taken a tortured path since then. Flynn admitted lying to FBI agents about his dealings with the Russian ambassador during the presidential transition but he is now attempting to withdraw the guilty plea he entered two years ago in a case prosecuted by special counsel Robert Mueller He cooperated extensively with the government throughout 2018, but in December of that year a sentencing hearing was abruptly postponed midway through at Flynn's request after scathing criticism from Judge Sullivan raised the prospect that he might send him to prison, even though prosecutors hadn't recommended that at the hearing. The judge recommended up to six months of prison time in his case, alleging he was not fully cooperating or accepting responsibility for his actions. Flynn asked that the hearing be put off so that he could continue cooperating with prosecutors in hopes of avoiding any prison time. But the Justice Department opted not to have Flynn testify in the Virginia trial of a former business associate, saying that shortly before trial, he changed his account and contradicted his own past statements - making him unreliable as a witness. Flynn's lawyers rejected the government's characterization of him in their new filing. Listen here If you know me even a little bit, you know that Im a total tech geek! I love learning about anything new in the world of emerging technology, AI (artificial intelligence), ML (machine learning), VR (virtual reality), AR (augmented reality), IoT (internet of things) and anything else you can think of. The future possibilities are super exciting but at times can also be scary as hell. Tech is a double-edged sword. It can be used for good, or evil, even though technology itself is neutral. (Well, except for Facebook. On the record, I think its evil and not to be trusted any further than the Chinese government. Thats a whole different story and rabbit hole we wont dive into today.) On my podcast, Capability Amplifier, I chatted with David Ewing Duncan the author of Talking To Robots. Its one of the coolest books Ive read in a long time. Its half non-fiction and half fiction, and chock-full of (you guessed it) robots! Twenty-four to be exact. From teddy bear bot to sexbot to Facebook bot to warrior bot and even God bot! Related: Meet the Investment World's New Warren Buffett Heres the concept; David interviewed some of the greatest thinkers of our time like Kevin Kelly, the founding executive editor of Wired magazine, Tim O'Reilly, the founder of O'Reilly Media and the person who popularized the terms "open source" and Web 2.0, and Brian Greene, an American theoretical physicist, mathematician, and string theorist whos been a professor at Columbia University since 1996. He asked them What kind of robot would you want to meet or be afraid to meet in the future? The book is structured to give us some possible future scenarios. Davids opinion (and mine) is that we are at a pivotal moment in human history where we are about to have the power to build robots that we've thought about and were trying to understand ourselves. Its about trying to understand our emotions and how things might play out in different scenarios. It's a little bit playful, it's a little whimsical and at times, makes fun of our culture. It was an absolute pleasure chatting with David about his book at the Near Future Summit and I highly recommend checking it out. The next step is yours - listen and subscribe directly to this episode at www.MrBz.com/CA Related: The Green Berets Who Traded Bullets for Bourbon Talking to Robots With David Ewing Duncan #5 Vital Aspects That Make a Podcast Show Succeed Copyright 2020 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved Photo: amete/Getty Images/iStockphoto Seven people reportedly died in a garment factory fire in India this weekend, according to reports from local news sources. On Saturday night, the Nandan Denim factory in Ahmedabad caught fire, which raged through Sunday morning. According to a 2018/2019 annual report, the factory works with a number of major brands, including Ann Taylor, Zara, Ralph Lauren and Polo, and Target. The Indian Express reports that the fire started in the shirting part of the factory, where there was no ventilation. The cause of the fire is still unknown, but police reportedly said that a preliminary probe revealed there was only one exit on the first floor, which was accessible only by a ladder, and there were no fire safety measures in place. A representative from the Labour and Employment Department said that the factory would be closed until further review of the safety initiatives in place. While its rare, its not unheard of for garment workers to die while on the job. In December, a fire at a handbag factory in Delhi killed 43 workers, and the 2013 collapse of Rana Plaza in Bangladesh killed over 1,000 garment workers. The Nandan factory has certifications from eco-friendly groups like the Better Cotton Initiative, Global Organic Textile Standard, and Oeko-Tex, though those primarily certify the safety of the chemicals used in manufacturing. Nandans annual report has a Social, Health, and Safety section that reads, Our goal remains to achieve zero fatality and we are committed to achieving this through the effective management of health and safety risks. Police are still investigating the factors which led to the accident. This content is from: Asia Pacific Wang Chuang also sheds light on the trend to combine civil and administrative cases, and the development of the talent pipeline The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Tamil Nadu government to request the state governor to apprise it of his decision on the mercy plea of a convict in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. A bench of justices L Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta gave this direction to the state government after it submitted to the bench that the state Cabinet has already passed a resolution and recommended to the governor to order premature release of all seven convicts in the case. The Tamil Nadu government submitted to bench that it, however, does not have any information about the governor's decision on the mercy petitions filed by the convicts under Article 161 of the Constitution. At this, the apex court bench asked the state government to itself ask the governor about his decision on mercy pleas of the convicts, observing that it cannot issue any direction to the governor. The bench, however, observed that the governor "cannot sit indefinitely on a file". The Article 161 empowers the governor to pardon a convict in any criminal case. The bench was hearing a plea of 46-year-old A G Perarivalan who has sought suspension of his life sentence in the case till the CBI-led Multi-Disciplinary Monitoring Agency (MDMA) probe is completed. Appearing for Tamil Nadu government, advocate Balaji Srinivasan at the outset submitted to the bench that they have no information as to what decision the governor has taken on the mercy petitions of the convicts. "The Cabinet had passed a resolution on September 9, 2018 for the premature release of the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convicts and recommended it to the governor. We have no information as to what decision the governor has taken on the mercy petitions filed by the convicts under Article 161. We cannot control the decision of the governor as he is a superior authority," he said. To this, the bench said, "You (state) can ask him as the courts cannot direct the governor. He cannot sit indefinitely on the file. As governor is the representative of the state government, you can request him to know about his decision". Senior advocate Gopal Sankarnarayanan, appearing for Perarivalan said that a direction in this regard may help the state government in knowing the governor's decision. The bench said it is not passing any order and deferred the matter for hearing after two weeks. On January 21, the apex court had asked the state government to inform whether a decision has been taken by it on a mercy petition of a convict in the case. Perarivalan through his counsel had contended that though the state has taken a decision on his mercy petition but his application is pending with the governor. The MDMA was set up in 1998 on the recommendations of the Justice M C Jain Commission of Inquiry which had probed the conspiracy aspect of Gandhi's assassination. It is headed by a CBI official and comprises officers from the Intelligence Bureau, the Research and Analysis Wing and the Revenue Intelligence, among other agencies. The top court had on January 14, expressed its displeasure over the latest status report filed by the MDMA on its probe and said it wanted to know about the progress made in the ongoing investigation in the past two years. Perarivalan's counsel had earlier said his role was only limited to procuring nine-volt batteries, which were allegedly used in the improvised explosive device (IED) that had killed Gandhi. On March 14 last year, the apex court had asked the MDMA to file a status report with regard to a Letter Rogatories (LR) sent to Sri Lanka for examining one of the accused, Nixon alias Suren, who is lodged in a Colombo jail. The top court had earlier dismissed a plea of Perarivalan seeking recall of the May 11, 1999, verdict upholding his conviction. It had said the material brought on record before it does not inspire confidence to interfere with the verdict in which Perarivalan and three others were initially awarded death sentence, which was later commuted to life term. The CBI had earlier submitted that Perarivalan had even visited Jaffna in Sri Lanka in the first week of June 1990, besides attending a public meeting along with other conspirators which was addressed by former Prime Minister V P Singh on May 7, 1991 in Tamil Nadu. Perarivalan's counsel had submitted that he was just a 19-year-old when the incident took place and had no knowledge of what he was doing and for what purpose the batteries were purchased. Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991 at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally. Fourteen others, including Dhanu herself, were also killed. Gandhi's assassination was perhaps the first case of suicide bombing which had claimed the life of a high-profile leader. In its May 1999 order, the top court had upheld the death sentence of four convicts -- Perarivalan, Murugan, Santham and Nalini -- in the assassination case. In April 2000, the Tamil Nadu governor had commuted the death sentence of Nalini on the basis of the state government's recommendation and an appeal by former Congress president and Rajiv Gandhi's widow Sonia Gandhi. On February 18, 2014, the top court had commuted the death sentence of Perarivalan to life imprisonment, along with that of two other prisoners - Santhan and Murugan - on grounds of a delay of 11 years in deciding their mercy pleas by the Centre. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Jane Fonda had just begun a speaking tour against the Vietnam War when she was arrested in Cleveland. After her first speech at a college in Canada, Fonda -- who will return to Northeast Ohio in May to mark the 50th anniversary of the Kent State University shootings -- flew to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport on Nov. 3, 1970, where she was accused of fraudulently bringing drugs into the country and assaulting a police officer. All charges were eventually dropped. My first speech was given at a college in Canada and when I re-entered the US at the Cleveland airport all my luggage was seized and gone through, Fonda wrote on her website in 2009. They discovered a large bag containing little plastic envelopes marked (in red nail polish) B, L, Dsignifying breakfast, lunch and dinner- that contained the vitamins I took with each meal. They confiscated that as well as my address book (which was photocopied) and arrested me for drug smuggling. I told them what they were but they said they were getting orders from the White Housethat would be the Nixon White House. I think they hoped this scandal would cause the college speeches to be canceled and ruin my respectability. I was handcuffed and put in the Cleveland Jail, which is when the mug shot was taken. That shot of Fonda -- with shaggy bangs and dark hair, her clenched fist raised in power -- became iconic. Heres the earlier mug shot, taken at the Cuyahoga County Sheriffs Department: Mug shot of Jane Fonda taken at the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department in November 1970. Writes Vogue: The unruly haircut was not for Fondas fans, boyfriends, husbands, or careerit was for her. And in it she would earn her first Oscar for Best Actress in Klute (from which the haircut gets its name). With this haircut and a single mug shot, she would emblazon herself onto the collective consciousness as a symbol for women who wont back down. You can even buy a mug of Fondas mug on her website. Fonda was detained for hours, and the Plain Dealer story on Nov. 6 said Fonda garnered the biggest crowd in recent history at Clevelands Central Police Station. The story quotes lawyer Fred Jurek, who compared Fondas 1970 look to her earlier shots in Playboy. Now shes mixing with all these hippies and she dont look so good anymore. Wrote Fonda: "Headlines across the country had the story of me being jailed on suspicion of drug smuggling. I was released on bond and months later, after every pill had been tested in a lab (with taxpayers money!) The charges were dismissed and there were a few paragraphs hidden in the back of papers that they were vitamins, not drugs. The Plain Dealer from Nov. 10, 1970. Two years later, Fonda was dubbed Hanoi Jane and roundly criticized after a trip to North Vietnam, when she pleaded for U.S. pilots to stop the bombing on the Voice of Vietnam radio and posed with North Vietnamese troops on an antiaircraft gun. On May 4, 1974, Fonda came to Kent State as part of the fourth commemoration of the shootings, to discuss political activism and the role of young people in bringing about the end to the Vietnam War. Now 82, the two-time Academy Award winner and star of Netflixs "Grace and Frankie has been arrested five times over the past few months in Washington, D.C. for protesting in Fire Drill Fridays, a series of weekly climate change demonstrations that have garnered celebrity support. TAT slashes revenue target for 2020 BANGKOK: The tourism sector is heading for its first revenue contraction in a decade as Chinese tourists, the biggest source market, remain under lockdown amid fears of a pandemic. tourismeconomicsCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Tuesday 11 February 2020, 02:42PM Tourists and commuters shop in the Ratchaprasong intersection area in Bangkok on Jan 28. Photo: Pattarapong Chatpattarasill / Bangkok Post The coronavirus outbreak led the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to chop the 2020 revenue target to B2.91 trillion, after battling many negative factors since the beginning of this year. The revised target is 3.4% lower than the B3.01trn in tourism revenue logged in 2019 and weaker than the previous target of B3.16trn. TAT Governor Yuthasak Supasorn said the revised target reflects the impact of the virus, with all of the agencys overseas and domestic offices using statistics and forward trends for their estimates. He expects the National Economic and Social Development Council (NESDC) to soon adjust its tourism forecast, which will not be far from the TATs new target. The decline in revenue is mostly due to the downturn in international receipts, which stand at B1.78trn, down 7.7% from B1.93trn last year. Before Chinas ban on group travel, the NESDC estimated that Thailand would receive 41.8 million international arrivals this year, slightly higher than the TATs previous target of 40.8mn. The TAT has reduced its estimate to just 36mn travellers. Some 36 million tourists is the highest number we might achieve this year," Mr Yuthasak said. "If the situation gets worse, the figure may plunge to 35 million. But the agency is maintaining its targets for the domestic market, which should generate B1.13trn from 172mn trips nationwide this year though the coronavirus has started to impact schoolchildren as field trips are cancelled to avoid possible infection in busy areas. A clearer scenario for Thai tourism should be seen after Feb 20, said Vichit Prakobgosol, president of the Association of Thai Travel Agents. By then, nearly all Chinese travellers will have returned to the mainland and passed the 14-day incubation period, Mr Vichit said. Tour operators in China convinced us that if the Chinese government can control the situation by this month, tour groups are most likely to come back within two months, he said. Meanwhile, the National Tourism Policy Committee, led by Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, will hold a workshop with the private sector on Feb 13 to brainstorm additional aid measures for the tourism industry. Read original story here. Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin addresses the media after casting his vote in Ireland's national election in Cork, Ireland, February 8, 2020. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls Mary Lou McDonald will heap pressure on Micheal Martin to go into government by presenting him with a ready-made coalition. This is a premium article Premium articles will soon be available only to Independent.ie subscribers. Sinn Fein will seek to get the Green Party and Social Democrats on board before talking to Fianna Fail about forming a government. Eamon Ryan will be offered the climate change portfolio and Roisin Shortall health, in a multi-party coalition. Sinn Fein will insist it takes the housing portfolio. The position of Taoiseach would be on the table in talks with Fianna Fail, the Irish Independent understands. The move comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar cleared the path for Sinn Fein to form a coalition with left-wing parties or Fianna Fail. Sinn Fein won the most votes so the onus is on it to try for a government with left-wing parties or Fianna Fail, Mr Varadkar told the Irish Independent. Fianna Fail is also leaving it to Sinn Fein to seek to put an alternative left-wing coalition together. However, without Fianna Fail, the other parties dont have the numbers to achieve a majority. A string of Fianna Fail TDs also stated their opposition to government with Sinn Fein. Labour leader Brendan Howlin will also be contacted but he has indicated a reluctance to deal with Sinn Fein. The opening rounds of negotiations will focus on seeking common ground on housing, health and economic policies. Ms McDonald might yet have the backing of the Greens and Social Democrats to become Taoiseach. But this would be yielded in negotiations with Fianna Fail - at a price. The finance minister's job would also be up for grabs between Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail. Sinn Fein will appoint a negotiating team for coalition talks as soon as possible. Senior Fianna Fail figures said they would allow Sinn Fein to form a government with the other left-wing parties. "If they want Venezuela or whatever let them go off and put it together," a senior source said, before adding: "We won't be helping them." Meanwhile, Sinn Fein's ard chomhairle met last night to sign off on its negotiation priorities. Speaking ahead of the talks, Ms McDonald said she would approach Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in the coming days - but insisted her preference was for a government without either party. "In talking to everybody the real litmus test is therefore how much change you can agree and how much change can be delivered." She said "the mathematics of this Dail are tricky" and that the "two-party system is broken forever". The ard chomhairle meeting was attended by a number of senior figures in Sinn Fein who are based in Northern Ireland, including former leader Gerry Adams, deputy leader Michelle O'Neill, party chairman Declan Kearney and the North's Finance Minister Conor Murphy. Mr Murphy was forced to apologise last week for linking murder victim Paul Quinn to criminality in 2007. Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD Barry Cowen frankly stated that his party did not have a mandate to go into government and suggested that it would be better off in opposition. "I don't believe 22pc of the vote is a vote of confidence in our ability to govern," Mr Cowen said. "I don't believe losing a few seats is an indication of success. [Sinn Fein] needs to take its ambition seriously now and ensure we get a government from the left." Mr Cowen said Ms McDonald and the left should "form a government, find the 22bn and off they go". A number of senior Fianna Fail TDs were yesterday agreeing with Mr Cowen's suggestion the party should go into opposition and conceded that this could result in Micheal Martin stepping aside. Mr Cowen's comments came as it looked like Fianna Fail was set to see up to 13 outgoing TDs lose their seats. There were a number of high-profile casualties for the party including Lisa Chambers, Timmy Dooley and Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher. As the results were coming in one councillor in Cavan, John Paul Feely, said he was "baffled" that Mr Martin was remaining party leader. "I think if he had any decency he would have stepped aside at this stage," he said. Meanwhile, smaller parties such as the Green Party and the Social Democrats looked like they would make significant gains when the final votes are counted. The Labour Party did not look like it would be making major gains. Solidarity-People Before Profit also looked likely to lose a seat but had a surprise win through Gino Kenny retaining his seat. TORONTO - The federal health minister and her Ontario counterpart are urging people not to give in to misinformation and stigma surrounding the novel coronavirus, adding that Canada continues to do its part to combat the global health emergency by containing cases of the illness to this country. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Federal Minister of Health Patty Hajdu speaks as Ontario Minister of Health Christine Elliott and Toronto Mayor John Tory at a news conference on Covid-19 in Toronto on Tuesday February 11, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn TORONTO - The federal health minister and her Ontario counterpart are urging people not to give in to misinformation and stigma surrounding the novel coronavirus, adding that Canada continues to do its part to combat the global health emergency by containing cases of the illness to this country. Patty Hajdu and Christine Elliott met Tuesday in Toronto's Chinatown, along with Mayor John Tory, to address the discrimination and loss of business they say some in the Chinese-Canadian community have felt. The two health ministers also toured Sunnybrook Hospital, which treated Canada's first patient with the virus, and Hajdu praised the response from health-care providers, who she says have learned valuable lessons from the SARS outbreak in 2003. "The collaboration that we have at the local, provincial and federal levels is really paying off in our ability to work together and ensure people are supported so that we can do our global part to prevent the spread of disease around the world," she said. The virus has killed 1,016 people among 42,638 confirmed cases in mainland China, and infected more than 43,000 people globally. In Canada, there have been seven confirmed cases of the illness. The federal government has agreed to provide $2 million to the World Health Organization to help vulnerable countries prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak beyond China. Hajdu said in addition to that effort, Canada must continue to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring for cases of the illness as part of the effort to contain its spread. "This is our global contribution to reducing the risk of a pandemic," she said. "If Canada can take care of its own country in terms of reducing our rate of infection, in fact, we're supporting the entire global population's health." Elliott said the province's health-care system is working and the risk from the virus remains low. She stressed that the virus is an international situation and is not related to any one group of people. "There's still a lot of discrimination out there," she said. "We want to make sure that people know it's safe to go out. It's safe to come to your favourite restaurants ... it's safe to go shopping." Tory praised the collaborative work of all three levels of government during the response, and asked people across the province to support people in the Chinese-Canadian community who have been impacted by some of the stigma and misinformation surrounding the virus. "What we must not do is allow ourselves in anyway to stigmatize or to stop patronizing the businesses of or otherwise treat differently any group of people," he said. "I think, in particular, of our Chinese-Canadian population ... which is so positive a contributor to the well-being of Toronto and to Canada." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. Sinn Fein TD David Cullinane has said that he did not set out to offend anyone with remarks he made while celebrating his election in Waterford. Mr Cullinane was recorded saying What we say is, up the Republic, up the Ra, and tiocfaidh ar la at an event after his election. The video of the newly elected TD has since been widely shared on social media and many people have called for an apology for the remarks. Speaking on WLR FM today, Mr Cullinane said that some people have sensationalised what was a throwaway comment. Obviously it would have been better had I not said it, lets be honest.. it will be sensationlised by some, some will make more of it than what it actually is. It was exuberance, it was a celebration night, it was emotional, it was all of that. "In the context of a time period where I was reflecting on (hunger striker) Kevin Lynch, a young man who was giving his life at the time. And that is the context in which it was said. These things happen in the context of an election celebration - all sorts of things are said. "Obviously I would have preferred had it not been said and it is a distraction in some respects. It is not a huge issue. Mr Cullinane said he didnt realise it was being videoed. It wasnt a conscious thing, it was a throwaway comment in some respects at the end of a very emotional speech talking to Sinn Fein supporters. "I think most reasonable people will see that. "Ive dealt with it, I have said what I have said, I have moved on already and Im focused on the future. Asked if he was sorry if he offended anyone, he added: Yes, of course I am, because I dont set out to offend anybody. Fresh calls for Sinn Fein TD to apologise for 'Up the 'RA' remark David Cullinane ecelbrates topping the poll in Waterford Earlier: There have been fresh calls for a Sinn Fein TD to apologise for using the phrase 'Up the Ra' at a celebration event. David Cullinane defended the use of the term and insists it wasn't inappropriate. European Affairs Minister Helen McEntee believes he should say sorry for the remarks. "There should be no political representative from any party shouting 'Up the 'RA' whether it was five days ago, five weeks ago or five years ago. It just shouldn't happen. "So, like a lot of people, I would expect an apology and I think a lot of people who were impacted and whose family were impacted by the IRA would expect an apology." Fianna Fail TD Brendan Smith has also said that Mr Cullinane should apologise. "The IRA was a prescribed organisation, a paramilitary organisation, and any commentary be it in text or in song or in any other type of commentary is not acceptable in regard to a paramilitary organisation." However, Sinn Fein TD for Cork South Central, Donnachadh O'Laoghaire insists David Cullinane has explained the context of the remarks. Last night, Mr Cullinane said the he was "very excited and very proud of the vote we got in Waterford. "The 30-second clip was part of a broader and longer speech that I gave where I was reflecting back on the hunger strikes, reflecting back on the fact that Kevin Lynch stood in the Waterford constituency back in 1981. "He was someone that inspired me and inspired many republicans, the comments were made in that context. "I know some people will think the comments were about the here and the now and the future, they weren't. "It was reflecting back on that time in Irish history that I'm proud of and those hunger strikers and it was I suppose part of the excitement of the night when we were celebrating that victory. My comments were about the past, they were not about the future, the IRA is gone as everybody knows. Sinn Feins Matt Carthy said Mr Cullinanes chant was understandable if maybe not advisable given the circumstances. In this context, David clearly wasnt at a meeting, he was at a celebration function, I understand, in the early hours of the morning celebrating what was a truly phenomenal result from Sinn Fein in Waterford, the Cavan Monaghan TD told RTEs Morning Ireland. He was putting the result in a historical context, talking about some of the key moments along the development of the republican politics and in the course of his summation he probably got a little bit carried away with himself. If we were going to be judged on what we said in the early hours of the morning in a bar with our closest friends and supporters, I think wed all be a little apprehensive as to what could be found on a camera phone. People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett said the comments were just "Republican nostalgia". "I think that was a little bit of hyperbole among Republicans. "I don't see it as some kind of sign of some sinister agenda operating behind the scenes - honestly. More like Republican nostalgia." Additional reporting by Digital Desk A disappointed Cllr Noel Cribbin has described the loss by Marcella Corcoran Kennedy of her seat in Leinster House in Saturdays general election as "a loss for North Offaly." Marcella, a native of Ferbane in West Offaly, lost her seat after being emphatically outpolled by fellow incumbent Carol Nolan. Corcoran Kennedy was the only outgoing TD in Laois or Offaly to lose her seat. Brian Stanley, Barry Cowen, Charlie Flanagan, Carol Nolan and Sean Fleming were all returned. A downbeat Cllr. Cribbin said: "This really is a sad day and I am disappointed that Marcellas hard work over the last years was not recognised in the election result. "She has proven to be a valuable advocate for North Offaly and for my own town of Edenderry. "She has been front and centre to all improvements in Edenderry over the last number of years and has been instrumental in securing funding for housing, infrastructure and regeneration in the town," he claimed. "Funding such as the 20 million secured for Edenderrys schools over the last six years, the 5 million in the 27 new social houses on Killane Drive, the 1.8 million in the new library on the old Tesco site, and the inclusion of the site in the 2040 Town and Village Regeneration Plan, which will allow for the drawing down of significant funding in the coming years, would not have happened without Marcellas tireless work," he added. Cllr Cribbin congratulated Minister Charlie Flanagan on retaining his seat in Laois in the election. He also congratulated the other four candidates elected in Laois-Offaly. "Theres still a massive amount of work to be done in Edenderry and in North Offaly and there is no doubt that Marcellas loss is a loss for all in the whole constituency. We must, however, look forward now and get on with the job in hand. Over the next weeks, senior politicians will negotiate to form the next Government. "Regardless of the outcome of those negotiations, I look forward to continuing my work to ensure the people of Edenderry have the housing, infrastructure and amenities required to meet the needs of a thriving community." The Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak will cut China's LNG demand by 2.9 million tonnes in 2020, said business intelligence provider ICIS in a new report. ICIS has calculated a provisional net gas demand loss of 3.95 billion cu m (bcm) as a result of the outbreak. This translates to a net loss of 2.9 million tonnes of LNG, as pipe imports and domestic production are expected to remain unaffected during the outbreak. ICIS Forecast Highlights: Asian spot LNG prices hit record low on virus impact and broader oversupply. European TTF gas prices hit a 16-year low but LNG will continue to arrive into Europe. China is forecast to import 3.1million tonnes of LNG in February 2020, down 1.2million tonnes from imports in February 2019. The impact of the Wuhan coronavirus is the main reason for the downward revision. Total China LNG demand for 2020 is now forecast to reach 65.5million tonnes, with 2021 imports rising to 71.8million tonnes. The ICIS East Asia spot LNG price closed at $2.95/MMBtu on Monday, the lowest ever settlement. The April Asia spot LNG market is trading below the European TTF gas benchmark - this will mean that sellers will push more cargoes into Europe in the second quarter with Europe acting as a market of last resort. Supply growth is focused on the US where LNG exports are forecast to rise to 58.5million tonnes in 2020 from 36.5 million tonnes in 2019, according to the ICIS demand forecast. Falling global gas prices trigger concerns for developing US LNG production. US seller margins are under closer scrutiny, especially as TTF gas prices fall closer to US Henry Hub feedstock costs. Key Chinese sectors hit by Coronavirus: Industrial, power generation, transport and commercial sectors in China will be the hardest hit by the virus. Industrial demand: The manufacturing sub-sector is expected to be the hardest hit. The wider petrochemical sector is affected by the outbreak, but analysis has shown that plants that use gas a feedstock are largely unaffected. An examination of the enforced longer public holidays, which differ region to region, has also fed through to a wider disruption in the factory supply-chain. ICIS has calculated a net gas loss of 1.14 bcm to the industrial sector, relative to a non-outbreak scenario. Power: While the government has requested power generation to continue to match demand, ICIS expects electricity consumption to fall mainly from the commercial and manufacturing sectors. A net gas loss of 1.35bcm in power generation has been calculated. Commercial: ICIS has assumed a near-total shutdown of non-essential commercial activities malls, restaurants, attractions throughout the prolonged public holidays, resulting in a total gas loss of 0.46bcm. Transport: ICIS has considered region-specific decline rates over the initial outbreak period of February and March, based upon a given regions response to the epidemic. For example, Hubei has banned all transport movement. As a result, ICIS has calculated a net gas loss of 1bcm. Residential: ICIS assumes no negative impact on gas demand within this sector. If anything, the quarantines may cause a slight increase in gas demand as people remain at home during the outbreak. TradeArabia News Service THE Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) is working to connect to more destinations outside Asia to significantly grow its international traffic. Andrew Acquaah-Harrison, chief executive advisor at GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), said the airport operator is pursuing to link Cebu to Auckland (New Zealand), Brisbane (Australia), Istanbul (Turkey), Helsinki (Finland) and Delhi (India). He said GMCAC is working with Turkish Airlines and Finnair for the Istanbul and Helsinki routes, respectively. Harrison projected the Indian market is growing significantly, thus the need for Cebu to open connections to the South Asian country. The private consortium is also working to connect Cebu to more destinations in the west. Harrison said the prospective connections to San Francisco in the US and Vancouver in Canada, will probably be made in the next 12 months. By the second quarter of this year, flag carrier Philippine Airlines is reviving its Cebu to Los Angeles route while Qatar Airways is bringing back its direct flight from Doha to Cebu. The US, Europe and the Middle East markets have been growing at more than 15 percent, Harrison said at the investment forum organized by the Mandaue Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The airport executive projected that the Chinese and Korean markets will continue to drive MCIAs international traffic. Korea remains our top market. About 60 percent of Koreans prefer Cebu as a top destination in the Philippines, Harrison said at the forum attended by businessmen. He noted that the traffic from China has grown sixfold in two years, becoming Cebus second largest market. Citing government data, Harrison said about 53 percent of foreign visitors entering the Philippines go through Cebu as their gateway. In the last six years, MCIAs air connectivity grew to 35 domestic and 26 international destinations. Harrison said the consortium has remained committed to pursuing the airports 50-year development plan which includes the construction of a new runway, third terminal and a rail transport system from the airport. Story continues In 2019, MCIA handled 12.66 million passengers, up 11 percent from 11.38 million in 2018. International passengers grew significantly, hitting 4.29 million, up 14 percent. Domestic traffic remained a key driver, rising 10 percent to 8.37 million in 2019. Air traffic volume also rose seven percent to a total of 107,794 flights from January to December 2019. International and domestic flights grew 12 percent and six percent to 25,439 and 75,010, respectively. Emily Dhurandhar was part of a collaboration that reviewed what holds women back and what institutions can do to help. Today (Feb. 11) is the fifth annual International Day of Women and Girls in Science, a commemoration to emphasize that females should have full, equal access to the sciences and encouragement to participate in them. Although this effort may someday lead to a bright future of gender equality in academia, the road to get there is long. One Texas Tech University researcher is now part of a nationwide collaboration hoping to shorten the journey by providing a roadmap. Emily Dhurandhar, an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology & Sport Management, is one of the authors of "Turning chutes into ladders for women faculty: A review and roadmap for equity in academia," published today in the Journal of Women's Health. Statistics show that women are underrepresented in the highest levels of academia, particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine; they are less likely than men to achieve tenure; and they constitute less than one-third of full professors. Black and Hispanic women face even greater disparity. Such factors contribute to women leaving academia at a disproportionately higher rate than men. "Some close female friends and colleagues from my postdoctoral fellowship and I started our faculty positions and had children around the same time," Dhurandhar said. "We were all running into so many issues when striving for tenure that we started a chat group to brainstorm and exchange ideas. The issues we were troubleshooting seemed to be universal to all women faculty striving to get tenure and succeed in academia, so we decided to write this manuscript." The article presents what its authors term "chutes" and "ladders" respectively, the things that prevent women from rising within academia or drive them out altogether, and the policies and strategies institutions can adopt to help women stay and advance. Chutes include biases against marriage or having children; shortages of working-mother role models and female mentors in general; student evaluations, which consistently rate men higher than women; and grant-funding disparities. Culturally, women are more likely to be the caregivers of children and/or parents, leading to a more difficult work/life balance. "Sometimes the hours of academia being outside a typical 9-5 workday makes for challenging childcare situations for example, dinners with visiting speakers or faculty candidates or early-morning or weekend data collection in the clinic with study participants," Dhurandhar said. "There also is an expectation to travel to conferences to present research and connect with collaborators, which comes with the hidden cost of either additional childcare to help my husband when he is home alone with the kids, or travel for the kids to join me and childcare at the conference site itself, or the cost of travel for my mother-in-law to come with me so she can watch the kids. "It is frustrating that the infrastructure of academia, like many industries, was built with the expectation that faculty will be living in a single-income family structure, where one spouse is always available for household duties, and this has yet to change." The ladders Dhurandhar and her coauthors suggest include mentoring programs, particularly with senior women faculty members; equitable pay; using rubrics and peers or third parties for standardized evaluations; and family-friendly policies such as paid family leave, access to childcare, reimbursement for work-related childcare expenses and scheduling networking events during the workday. "To show a real commitment to gender equality, supportive policies at all institutions should provide the infrastructure needed for dual-earning households to succeed without overburdening themselves, or without one spouse having to sacrifice their success," Dhurandhar said. "Women need to be educated and empowered to understand their worth when they have a career. Their role at home can, and should, change if they are expected to contribute equally, if not more, to the financial stability of the family. But ultimately, the demand to change the status quo in the household has to come from women, and women first have to believe the burden of household and childcare duties should no longer be on their shoulders alone." Other researchers in the collaboration represent the University of Florida, the University of Alabama-Birmingham, Drexel University, the University of Connecticut and Penn State University. Thailand became the latest country to turn a Holland America Line cruise ship away from its ports, sparking concern for the 2,257 passengers and crew desperate to disembark after almost two weeks at sea. Fearing some guests aboard the Westerdam may be infected with the deadly new coronavirus, Thailands Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced in a short Facebook post Tuesday that hes directed authorities to refuse entry into a port near Bangkok. Operated by Holland America Line, a brand owned by Miami-based cruise giant Carnival Corp., the ship has been refused entry by at least three other ports. Guam, Manila and Yokohama sent it away on concerns over the virus, which has killed more than 1,000 people since it was first reported late last year in Wuhan, China. The refusal and quarantine of cruise ships are the latest efforts by governments around the world seeking to contain the outbreak. Carnivals Diamond Princess and its 3,700 passengers are quarantined in the port of Yokohama as authorities battle an increasing number of infections on board. Onboard the Westerdam, some passengers took to social media after learning about Thailands refusal. We are actively working this matter and will provide an update when we are able, Holland America Line said in a statement, adding its aware of the reports about Thailands refusal. We know this is confusing for our guests and their families and we greatly appreciate their patience. In a blog post Monday evening, the operator announced the ship was headed to Laem Chabang port -- about 50 miles east of Bangkok -- where passengers would disembark and end their journey on Feb. 13. Holland America Line has said that the vessel is not in quarantine and it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board. The ships plight is adding to Carnivals woes sparked by the virus. The Westerdam departed Hong Kong on Feb. 1 on a 14-day Taiwan and Japan cruise. With 1,455 guests and 802 crew, the passengers were originally scheduled to disembark at Yokohama Feb. 15, according to blog posts on Holland America Lines website. The ship has sufficient fuel and food provisions to last until the end of the voyage, according to an earlier Holland America Line blog post on its website. Disturbing Newport Beach Find Like 'Breaking Bad' on Oregon Coast Published 02/08/2020 at 6:50 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Newport, Oregon) It was like a scene out of Breaking Bad on the central Oregon coast Saturday: an illegal dump on a beach near Newport that was not only disturbingly unsightly but possibly chemically dangerous. Among the bags of semi-burned garbage were loads of meth-making materials. (All photos courtesy Charlie Plybon). Newports Charlie Plybon is the Oregon Policy Manager for the Surfrider Foundation, a group that works to forward environmental stewardship and legislation. A morning stroll on a nearby beach yielded a pile that had a repugnant story to tell. This was not brought in by the days raging king tides, although Plybon did find plenty of such material on the beach. Went down to my local beach access to photograph the Oregon King Tide but was greeted with loads of debris, some unrecognizable and from a distance but most was clearly from around here - including a mound of dumped trash, 8 feet high, bagged and partially burned and covered with driftwood, Plybon said. Plybon said there were about 20 or 30 black trash bags filled with all sorts of garbage, and with the driftwood on top someone had set it all afire. Apparently, he surmised, the tide had put it out. Plybon gathered a couple of volunteers and called Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD), who eventually arrived later in the day to haul the trash away. In the meantime, however, they made some disturbing discoveries. Many of the fixings for methamphetamine were found (bleach bottles, butane, lye, etc.), Plybon said. Yeah, I couldnt stop thinking about Breaking Bad during all this. Cause that meth stuff is toxic. Among the photos Plybon posted on Facebook Saturday was of a prescription bottle of antidepressants with the name of the patient still visible (which Oregon Coast Beach Connection wont publish as this is now a criminal investigation). Also inside the bags were mail items, but Plybon could not tell if it was for the same individual. Plybon and OPRD alerted Oregon State Police to the illegal materials and provided all evidence. OPRD hauled away the garbage and sent it to the dump, which weighed the mess in at a whopping 1590 pounds. Plybon also found a fishing buoy, lots of sundry plastic items, and in a particularly nasty bit of irony he found a bottle of dishwashing liquid that touted its ability to help wildlife. Plybon was incensed by the finds. After all, his work with talking to the Oregon Legislature was a big factor in keeping the Jordan Cove LNG project from going forward on the southern Oregon coast. Now hes got his eye on this issue. Illegal dumping has become one of the worst problems along the coast in rural areas, he said. And for our lawmakers, this kind of crap should be enforced. This kind of dumping is considered a misdemeanor and should be a felony. See you in a Salem. Plybon said king tides also dumped enormous amounts of microplastics at Otter Rocks beaches again, saying they looked like last years incident. Newports chapter of Surfrider will be holding a cleanup of the areas beaches on February 15 at 11 a.m. These are held largely because of recent tidal events like this. Volunteers will meet in the parking lot at Agate Beach State Recreation Site next to the Best Western Hotel in Newport. Bags and rubber gloves will be provided, but volunteers are encouraged to bring their own. See https://newport.surfrider.org. More photos of the dump below: Hotels in Newport - Where to eat - Newport Maps and Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted KAMPALA Police in Kampala have arrested four Cameroon nationals and three Ugandans for allegedly printing and dealing in counterfeit notes. The group was arrested in operations conducted in different areas of Kampala such as Cham Towers, Crystal Valley Hotel in Mengo, Nsambya and Mpererwe. Addressing journalists in Kampala on Monday, February 10, 2020, Mr Fred Enanga, the police spokesperson, said the operation was conducted following intelligence gathered in the last two months Mr Enanga further revealed that the four Cameroon nationals are international fraudsters known in Mexico, Nigeria and Austria. He said they were found with forged documents, fake dollars, Black dollars and chemicals. He named the Ugandans as Mugume Wilson aka Mugisha arrested from Crystal valley Hotel in Mengo, Behangana Geoffrey, alias Kazungu, arrested from Nsambya, Nakiggudde Amina, a resident of Mpererwe and Masagazi Tom, a boda boda rider, working at Mini price helping her in transportation and distribution of the counterfeit notes. Criminal Investigations Directorate (CID) records of 2018 show Ugandans lost 11 billion shillings to land and property fraudsters. People were duped with fake money making deals, fake land titles, and duplicate foreign currencies. Police cautioned public against being lured into illegal businesses that excite them thinking they would accumulate wealth in hours. The public has also been warned to be careful with fraudsters with swift profit-making deals yet their target is to defraud unsuspecting people. Related The BJP continues to campaign in support of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Mamta Banerjee government-ruled state of Bengal. Under this, Abhinandan Yatras are being carried out from place to place, party leaders, MPs are reaching the doorstep of the people. Meanwhile, to strengthen this campaign, the Union Home Minister and former BJP National President Amit Shah is coming to Kolkata. They can come here in the first week of March. The party's national secretary Rahul Sinha expressed this possibility during a press conference at the state BJP headquarters. On this matter, he said that the Union Home Minister will put forth his views on the need of this law and opposition to the ruling Trinamool Congress. He will participate in the programs in Kolkata. However, it has not yet been ensured by the Home Minister's office, even though the state BJP has decided to schedule Shah's visit to Bengal. Sinha said that this law has been enacted to provide citizenship to refugees living in India after being tortured from Bangladesh. For your information, tell us tell you that the purpose of CAA is to give citizenship, not to take away citizenship. With this, the party is conducting an awareness campaign at the national level. An attempt is being made to stop this law in Bengal. It is being said that we will not show the paper while there is no question of showing the paper. The purpose of this law is to give refugees citizenship, but those who do not show the paper, will they be able to stay in this country in future? It should be considered. He said, will live in the country, but will not obey the law, will not obey the constitution. This is nothing but a traitor. Also Read: Testing of deadly coronaviruses on these organisms US vs Iran: 109 US service members were injured in the Iran missile attack Demand raised to keep Donald Trump in jail for many years for lying to Parliament Terror funding case: Decision against Hafiz Saeed again, now hearing on February 18 ASHGABAT, Turkmenistan, Feb. 11 By Huseyn Hasanov Trend: President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received newly appointed EU ambassador to Turkmenistan Diego Ruiz Alonso, who delivered his credentials, Trend reports referring to the Turkmen government. The sides stressed ensuring of energy security, diversification of supply of energy resources to the world markets among the priority aspects of cooperation. The diplomat said that the EU hopes for effective cooperation with Turkmenistan. At the meeting, the parties exchanged views on the aspects of enhancing partnership in a number of key spheres, including political, economic, legal, humanitarian and environmental spheres. During the conversation, the sides confirmed a mutual intention to strengthen effective partnership in such strategic spheres as environmental protection, adaptation to the climate change, diversification and digitalization of the economy, private sector support, water resources management, democratization of society, ensuring of human rights, investments in youth affairs and others. Special attention was paid to the formation of new international transport routes on the Eurasian continent as a result of globalization of the world economy. Turkmenistan and the EU regularly discuss big projects in the field of development of transport systems and regional energy infrastructure, the report said. In particular, at this stage, a draft legal framework agreement on further gas supplies from Turkmenistan to Europe is being prepared. The interested sides previously stressed that the project of laying a 300-kilometer gas pipeline along the bottom of the Caspian Sea to the shores of Azerbaijan is optimal for this task. The Turkmen fuel may be further supplied to Turkey, which borders with the European countries. Issuing a warning to the BJP hours after it was decimated in the Delhi Assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the saffron party was now gradually becoming "a stateless entity" and her state will be the one to drive the last nail into the Bharatiya Janata Party's Earlier, Banerjee rejoiced over the Aam Aadmi Party's emphatic win in Delhi calling it a triumph of democracy and said the people did not want divisive politics. Banerjee, who made a phone call to AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on his party's resounding success, told the media that the BJP was losing every poll now. Later, addressing a meeting in Bankura, Banerjee said she had come with a great news. "The BJP has been defeated in Delhi. I called up Kejriwal and congratulated him profusely. We work together". Referring to the string of losses suffered by the BJP in assembly election of various states since late 2018, she said: "It is gradually becoming stateless. It is being vanquished everywhere. In the assembly polls in 2021, we will perform its last rites." "Money cannot save BJP," she said, asking women to blow their conch-shell like bugles ahaed of war. "The ululation and the sound of the conch-shells of my mothers and sisters are more potent weapons than BJP's money," she said. Banerjee recalled that there was a time when the BJP was disturbing the AAP government a lot. "We (many non-BJP regional parties) had then rushed to his side. Today, we are very happy that despite the bigotry and narrow-minded politics of hatred, it has turned out to be a victory of the people. The politics of hatred did not work this time." "It's a victory of democracy. I congratulate the people of Delhi." The Trinamool Congress chief said though Delhi has a small area, the BJP-led Centre had used all its might to "capture the state". "Despite unleashing its might (with top leaders Modi, Shah campaigning) and also its allies to capture the state anyhow, the BJP has lost," she said. Banerjee said the reason was people don't like the BJP's "despicable and divisive politics". "People want basic amenities -- jobs, food, clothing and shelter, development and peace. So politics should be for peace and development, and for the good of the country and its people," she said. Recapitulating the election results post the Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee said while the Congress-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party combine was running the government in Maharashtra, the BJP also lost Jharkhand. "Last year, they were defeated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In between, they somehow managed to win the parliamentary elections. But, after they won the second term at the Centre, they came out with all audacity and political vendetta. As a result, the country is burning," she said. In an apparent reference to the new Citizenship Amendment Act, Banerjee said the country had more important issues like unemployment, economy, development, industry and price hike. Banerjee charged the BJP with using "so-called" NGOs and heretic organisations to spread lies. "In the name of so-called NGOs and so-called heretic organisations, they only spread garbage of lies, rumour, and are spending money as if through a hose pipe. And, they are spreading all such rumours and false propaganda between communities," she said. A driver was taken to a hospital with serious injuries after crashing into a light post in Berkeley on Tuesday morning, police said. Officers responded around 9:20 a.m. to a report of a solo-vehicle crash at the intersection of San Pablo and Ashby avenues. Indias MakeMyTrip Rewards Exec for Loyalty Work With Group CEO Promotion MakeMyTrip Group has elevated Rajesh Magow, co-founder and CEO of its India business, to the role of group CEO, where hell oversee its leading brands, MakeMyTrip, Goibibo, and Redbus, the company said on Tuesday. Co-founder Deep Kalra is rising from group CEO to the newly created role of group executive chairman. Kalra will help oversee product innovation and expansion, geographic growth, business model innovation, and corporate development for Indias largest online travel company. MakeMyTrip Group announced the leadership moves at the same time as its financial results for the 2020 fiscal third quarter, which closed at the end of 2019. During a call with investment analysts, the executives cautioned that the groups growth may moderate. In Indias upcoming fiscal year, the economy is likely to grow at the slowest pace in a decade, they said. That will temper travel sales. Magow and Kalra also cited the coronavirus, whose uncertain trajectory may put a damper on demand for outbound travel. Indias domestic airline sector has been in turmoil, especially with the collapse of Jet Airways last year. But recovery is in the air. We are back to the same level of capacity as it was before Jet went down, Magow said on a call with investment analysts. Loyalty Plays Since 2018, Kalra and Magow have pushed a traveler loyalty effort. The company now has 139,000 members of its paid subscription program and 1.1 million members of its free plan. The companys subscription program, MMT Double Black, is a luxury twist on the loyalty program. Customers pay a fee in the style of Amazon Prime to get access to members-only benefits, such as no fee for canceling trips. The group continues to invest in its free loyalty program, too. MMT Black Loyalty, which debuted in July 2017, lets travelers earn vouchers redeemable toward future bookings. For context on this subscription trend as a tool for driving loyalty, read Travel Megatrends 2020: Subscription Travel Is the Next Frontier of Loyalty. Story continues The loyalty programs generate money, but they also costs money, too. The costs helped contribute to marketing and sales promotion expenses rising by 3.2 percent, year-over-year, to $151.4 million for the quarter. The news wasnt all bad, though. The total marketing and sales promotion expenses represented 73.3 percent of total adjusted revenue, down from the 80 percent range as a share of the revenue more common in recent years. For the quarter, MakeMyTrip grew its adjusted revenue by 13.4 percent, year-over-year, to $206.7 million. Its adjusted operating loss declined to $11 million, from $22 million a year earlier. During the quarter, MakeMyTrip Group processed $1.7 billion in gross bookings, a rise of about 18 percent, year-over-year. This figure represented sales of 8.2 million room nights booked independently and 8.4 million room nights booked in packages. MakeMyTrip didnt provide a meaningful update on a recently announced probe by the Competition Commission of India into its relationship with hospitality company Oyo. The investigation may take up to two years. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. DES MOINES Iowans purchasing a gun or ammunition could have a sales tax-free holiday similar to the one families get every August on clothing, shoes and some school-related items. A House Economic Development subcommittee voted 2-1 Tuesday to establish a three-day period around the Fourth of July holiday when sales of firearms and ammunition would not be subject to the state sales tax. I think its a good idea, said Rep. Tedd Gassman, R-Scarville. Rep. Terry Baxter, R-Garner, said several other states have a similar sales tax holiday on purchases of guns and ammunition, and he would like to see it occur here several months before Iowas fall hunting season so gun buyers could get acclimated to their new weapons and have a chance to practice at a gun range before moving into the field. It really does bring a safety factor that I think would be a real positive, Baxter said. He added that a sales tax exemption also would honor those men and women in arms who fought for the country and the nations heritage of Second Amendment rights. However, Rep. Dave Jacoby, D-Coralville, questioned whether the state should be in the business of picking winners and losers with its sales tax policy. I think it sets a terrible precedent, said Jacoby, who wondered why the state doesnt offer a tax holiday for canoes and fishing gear in advance of fishing seasons, using the same logic. I dont equate tax freedom with the Fourth of July, I guess why not for Christmas? You could give a gun for a Christmas present. Why not Columbus Day? he asked. I dont quite tie the two together freedom and a sales tax holiday for guns and ammo. Rep. Charlies McConkey, D-Council Bluffs, who was not a subcommittee member but attended the meeting to express his concern, said he did not necessarily want to use the Fourth of July celebration as a vehicle for encouraging the sale and use of firearms. Jacoby said he would be in favor of considering a sales tax exemption that has more of an across-the-board impact of helping families and schoolchildren. House Study Bill 648 now moves to the full House Economic Development Committee for consideration. Love 7 Funny 0 Wow 1 Sad 0 Angry 6 Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who congratulated her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal whose Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was poised to retain power in the national capital following Saturdays assembly elections, said people have rejected the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work. Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) will be rejected, said Banerjee, according to ANI. The firebrand Bengal CM who also heads the Trinamool Congress has been a trenchant critic of the citizenship law and the NRC and last month stopped work on the NPR in her state. She has been at the forefront of anti-CAA protests in Bengal and has gone to record to say that she would not implement the CAA and the NRC. The CAA fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who arrived in India on or before December 31, 2014. Like many other opposition leaders, Banerjee claims that that the CAA is divisive and discriminatory because it makes religion a test of citizenship. The BJP ran a hyper-nationalistic election campaign in Delhi where it deployed a phalanx of top leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union home minister Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other Union ministers while the AAP ran its campaign on strength of its development work and policies. Mamata Banerjee faces a tough challenge from the BJP in the Bengal assembly elections scheduled for next year. The BJP which won 18 of the states 42 Lok Sabha seats in the general elections has been on a relentless drive to increase its footprints in Bengal. "New, dockable, waterfront properties are becoming extinct around here. There is very little acreage on the market. I've been buying and selling actively in this market for over 35 years. You can't touch these prices for this kind of private acreage on the water; and getting dock permits is a long shot anymore. The only reason this came about now, is because it was tied up in a family trust for decades. This would have been developed years ago," said Terry Clayton, the managing partner of Florida Land Sales, LLC, the group behind this offering. Since the property was preserved for so long in a natural state, the woods are dramatic with massive oaks and towering palms. It has an "original Florida", feel that is hard to find outside of public parks. Learn more about the developer www.gulfbreezeshores.com/about-us/ . The surrounding area draws visitors from all over the country. Crystal River and Homosassa Springs are famous for snorkeling and Scalloping. Much of the region is forever-wild parkland, honeycombed with hiking trails and waterways. There are beaches and coastal towns lined with shops and restaurants to explore and fun community festivals; and on any given day, you'll find people gathering along the water's edge. Watching sunsets is practically a local sport. New County Maintained Paved Roads No Monthly HOA Dues Granddaddy Oaks High Speed Internet Florida's Nature Coast Easy Drive to Tampa Minutes to Crystal River Florida Deep Water Dockable Bring Your Own Builder No Time Frame to Build For more information and to get an invitation to the Sell Off event visit www.gulfbreezeshores.com or call 888-873-2328. Offered by Gulf Atlantic Land Sales LLC Broker SOURCE Gulf Atlantic Land Sales, LLC Broker Related Links http://www.gulfbreezeshores.com IDEA Public Schools recently canceled a multimillion-dollar lease for a private jet and San Antonio Spurs tickets after a wave of negative backlash. State officials should dig a bit deeper to ensure IDEA and other charter management organizations, or CMOs, operating in Texas are behaving ethically and in the best interest of all Texas students. Representatives from IDEA have said the money for the private jet and Spurs tickets came from donations. Its CEO said the jet and the tickets were acquired to reward committed educators and reduce workload for organization members who may have to visit IDEA schools across Texas, Louisiana and Florida. As taxpayers and education policy professors, were glad IDEA wants to reward its teachers and administrators, but these financial decisions raise an important question lawmakers should consider: Can a privately run educational system using primarily taxpayer money and operating across multiple states be effectively monitored? CMOs are similar to traditional public schools in some ways, but they differ in others. For example, they are not managed by elected school boards. Instead, IDEA and others have privately appointed boards that may not share the interests of the communities they serve. IDEA recently stopped allowing business deals between school leaders and their relatives, which included an instance in which IDEAs uniform vendor was partially owned by the husband of Chief Operations Officer Irma Munoz. Traditional school districts already have rules against this. IDEA CEO Tom Torkelson also received more than $550,000 in total compensation in 2017. The president and superintendent of IDEA received more than $400,000 in total compensation in that same year. Although attracting top talent is probably a priority, these salaries are significantly greater on a per-student basis than those of typical school district leaders, which should raise questions about how taxpayer public-education dollars are being spent. Special education enrollment in IDEA schools does not reflect state or national averages, as just 5.4 percent of IDEA students receive special education services, compared with 9.6 percent statewide. This means in areas where IDEA enrollment is strong, traditional public schools serve a disproportionate share of students with disabilities, which can cause a financial strain on public schools. Teacher turnover is also a critical issue. For the state, the average experience for teachers is 11.1 years, compared with 5.1 years at IDEA campuses. IDEA is expanding, especially in Texas, partly with support from philanthropic organizations and the federal government. IDEAs goal is to go from approximately 50,000 students in nearly 50 schools to 100,000 students nationwide by 2022-23. In just one year, from 2016-17 to 2017-18, enrollment at IDEA schools in Texas increased from about 29,000 to 36,000. At the very least, this growth should warrant some attention from state officials and taxpayers who want to ensure tax dollars are used efficiently. Otherwise, districts may find their new campuses underenrolled if charters open in close proximity. Take El Paso, one place IDEA is expanding. Some districts have declining enrollment, while others have passed more than $1 billion in bonds to build and modernize campuses. Yes, it is true that public school districts and other public organizations can engage in corruption, and fail to embrace its community or act with the best interest of taxpayers. But they are monitored. IDEA and other CMOs must be carefully monitored just as public schools are. We have personally visited IDEA campuses and know their educators are passionate about serving students, but any organization that receives taxpayer money and educates children must have checks and balances to ensure that policy decisions efficiently use public resources so students benefit to the maximum extent possible. David DeMatthews is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. David S. Knight is an assistant professor of education finance and policy at the University of Washington. A senior coalition commander said the US Army vows to continue the fight against Islamic State militants as it maintains its partnership with and training of the Iraqi security forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) in Syria. "Our mission here in Iraq and Syria under Operation Inherent Resolve has remained unchanged," said Air Force Maj. Gen. Eric T. Hill, who is the commander of Special Operations Joint Task Force- Operation Inherent Resolve. He said IS militants were still in hiding, and that they may try to take opportunity from what happened in Iraq, referring to the US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qassim Soleimani and senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al- Muhandis. The attack brought US-Iranian tensions to a boil and saw the region sit on the brink of war. Maj. Gen. Hill said the coalition was making sure to maintain the pressure on IS militants and preventing them from resurfacing. He said the US was working in Syria on protecting the oil infrastructure to secure oil revenue for its partner there; the SDF, and to help them maintain their efforts in detaining some 12,000 IS members in their prisons. "We are concerned greatly with the prisons and the detainees that we have." He said the US Army was working with the international community to try and come up with solutions to the problem of the detainees. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday took a dig at former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying "the situation was not good when the economy was managed by very competent doctors". While speaking on fiscal deficit numbers in Lok Sabha, Nirmala Sitharaman made multiple jibes at the opposition Congress, without naming Dr. Manmohan Singh. Comparing fiscal discipline under the Modi government with that of Manmohan Singh government (2009-2014), Sitharaman said that the previous regime had failed to contain fiscal deficit numbers. She said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, maintained the fiscal deficit under 4 per cent of the GDP throughout its regime. While the fiscal deficit was always more than 4 per cent, even touching 6 per cent, during the second stint of Manmohan Singh government. In 2008-09, the fiscal deficit had reached 6.1 percent of GDP, which rose to 6.6 per cent in 2009-10. It stood at 4.9 per cent and 5.9 per cent in 2010-11 and 2011-12, respectively. In 2012-13 it again came down to 4.9 per cent and by the year 2013-14, it had come down to merely 4.5 per cent of GDP. On the contrary, the fiscal deficit was in a range of 4.1 per cent to 3.5 per cent during the Modi government, she said. "From 2014-15 till today, under PM Narendra Modi, both the tenures then and now, we respected FRBM (Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management) Act always every year," she said. Also Read: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman lists 7 green shoots in Indian economy FRBM is an Act of the Parliament which intends to bring transparency and accountability in the conduct of the fiscal and monetary actions of the government. It targets phased reduction of fiscal deficit. "Very often we are questioned about fiscal deficit numbers; are you taking care of it; is their going to be a breach; how are you are counting," Sitharaman said in a reply to discussions on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha. Also Read: Budget 2020: FM Nirmala Sitharaman pegs FY20 fiscal deficit at 3.8%; nominal GDP growth at 10% for FY21 Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2020 speech proposed reducing fiscal deficit by 30 basis points to 3.5 per cent of GDP in 2020-21. She invoked the escape clause to take a 50 basis points leeway for FY20, taking the revised estimate to 3.8 per cent of the GDP. "We estimate a fiscal deficit of 3.8 per cent in RE 2019-20 and 3.5 per cent for BE 2020-21," the Finance Minister said in her Budget speech. By Chitranjan Kumar The big picture: Amazon's Echo devices and Alexa are nearly synonymous with the term "smart speaker." The latest figures from analyst firm, eMarketer, confirm that as nearly 70% of the smart speaker market belongs to Amazon. Google holds second place with around 38% while other brands, including Apple's HomePod, Sonos One, and Harmon Kardon Invoke bring up the rear collectively at 18%. Amazon's early investment into smart speakers appears to be paying off as the company continues to hold a hefty lead in the smart speaker market. However, as the market matures, competitors are steadily gaining ground on Amazon. Since Amazon first introduced the Echo, it has built a convincing lead in the US and continues to beat back challenges from top competitors, said Victoria Petrock, a principal analyst at eMarketer. We had previously expected Google and Apple to make more inroads in this market, but Amazon has remained aggressive. By offering affordable devices and building out the number of Alexa skills, the company has maintained Echos appeal. This news isn't exactly a revelation. Amazon was the first one out of the gate with its Echo speakers. Since then, the company routinely puts their devices on sale to practically give them away. Amazon is also making almost anything into an Echo device including a smart ring and glasses. This strategy not only increases market share, but also mind share as consumers will typically think of Amazon when it comes to smart speakers. Increased market share also gives Amazon a "trojan horse" to sell its Prime subscription and services. It isn't all great news for Amazon, however. While Amazon continues to dominate the smart speaker category, its market share has been trending downward since 2017 while all other brands have been moving upward. Though it seems that smart speaker adoption seems to be leveling out as Amazon and Google put their digital assistants, Alexa and Google Assistant respectively, in other products. Earlier this year, Sonos filed suit against Google for allegedly stealing its speaker technology. Part of the litigation is frustration by Sonos executives for the way that Amazon and Google market their smart speakers. Customers are more likely to buy a $30-50 Echo Dot or Google Home Mini that sounds decent rather than spend $200 on better sounding Sonos speakers. Amazon also prominently displays its Echo products on the Amazon front page which gives it a distinct advantage over competing smart speakers that are sold on the Amazon storefront. As the Election Commission trends show a clear victory for AAP in Delhi assembly elections, AAP MP Sanjay Singh spoke to Republic TV about his comment on BJP leader Kapil Mishras statement. Sanjay Singh after seeing the trends made a comment saying that India has won, this was targeted towards BJP leader Kapil Mishras old remarks where he had said Delhi elections is going to be India vs Pakistan. He also spoke about the personal attack made by BJP leader Parvesh Verma on Arvind Kejriwal. Sanjay Singh speaks to Republic TV When asked about his comment stating Hindustan has won in connection with BJP leader Kapil Mishras old remarks, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, Ask BJP about it. Adding further, when asked about the effect of BJPs personal comment against AAP leader Kejriwal, Sanjay Singh said, I just want to say that yes BJP has incurred a loss because of this as well. The two crore families in Delhi have proved that their son is not a terrorist but a deshbhakt. Read: Delhi has said Kejriwal is 'not a terrorist', Hindustan saved: AAP leader Sanjay Singh BJP leader Parvesh Verma calls Arvind Kejriwal a 'terrorist' Earlier on January 28, BJP MP Verma had called Kejriwal a terrorist during his campaign. He had also said, "Lakhs of people gather at Shaheen Bagh. People of Delhi will have to think and make a decision. They will enter your houses, rape your sisters and daughters, kill them. There is time today, Modi Ji and Amit Shah won't come to save you tomorrow." He was then banned for four days from campaigning. He was again banned from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, roadshows and interviews for 24 hours over his statement against Kejriwal. Read: BJP's Parvesh Verma who called Kejriwal "terrorist" accepts defeat, says 'will work hard' Election Commission trends As per the trends released by the Election Commission, the current deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia has won the Patparganj seat after trailing for a long time against BJPs Ravinder Singh Negi. On the other hand, the BJP candidate from Model Town, Kapil Mishra is trailing against Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. The overall trends also show a victory for AAP, as they are leading by 63 seats. Read: Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Kishor embrace the win as AAP is set to return in Delhi Read: Delhi election: Counting of votes begins; early trends shows AAP crossing halfway mark Karawal Nagar Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Karawal Nagar constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Karawal Nagar Assembly Elections 2020: Four-time MLA from Karawal Nagar and BJP candidate Mohan Singh Bisht is leading wit ha margin of almost 9,000 votes. Trailing behind is AAP's Durgesh Pathak with, 21,713 votes. The Karawal Nagar Vidhan Sabha constituency in the northeast region of Delhi, is going to be a closely followed fight with the seat being former Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra's stronghold. Mishra was sacked from the ruling party in Delhi and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in August 2019. For the 2020 Assembly election scheduled on 8 February, AAP has fielded Durgesh Pathak, while the BJP and Congress have fielded Mohan Singh Bisht and Arbind Singh respectively. Mishra, who has been fielded as the BJP's candidate from the Model Town constituency, courted controversy recently when he tweeted on 23 January that the upcoming polls will be a contest "between India and Pakistan". Mishra was criticising the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in different parts of the city and tweeted, "India vs Pakistan 8th February Delhi. There will be a contest on Delhi Roads between India and Pakistan on February 8." The Election Commission on 25 January imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban on Mishra. Past election results: BJP fielded Bisht in 2013, when he won by a margin of around 3,000 votes after a close fight with the AAP candidate. However, in the 2015 election, Mishra, who was fielded as the AAP candidate, won an easy victory over Bisht. The constituency has traditionally supported the BJP, with the saffron party's candidates winning the seat since the 1993 election until the 2015 polls, when the then AAP candidate Mishra won. BJP's Bisht is a four-time MLA from the constituency, winning the seat from 1998 to 2015. Here is a brief description of the Assembly constituency: Constituency number: 58 Total electors: 2,81,331 Male: 1,57,726 Female: 1,23,593 Transgender (as of 2015): 16 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 69 percent Polling stations: 213 BREAKING NEWS: High level Department of Justice officials are intervening to try to shorten Roger Stone's still-unannounced prison sentence, multiple news agencies report on Tuesday. The Department of Justice is backing away from its sentencing recommendation of between seven to nine years in prison for Trump confidant Roger Stone, a department official told the AP. Impeached president Donald John Trump called that proposed prison sentence for his dirty-tricks-doer pal "unfair." As Mark wrote about earlier today on Boing Boing, Trump tweeted just this morning that the case against Stone was a "miscarriage of justice." Here we are, America. Say farewell to the rule of law. From AP: The Justice Department will take the extraordinary step of lowering the recommended prison time for Roger Stone, an ally of President Donald Trump, a federal official said Tuesday, just hours after the president condemned the recommended sentence as "very horrible and unfair." The official said there was no contact with the White House before the decision was made to lower the sentence recommendation. He spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity to discuss the decision. The person would not say what the new recommendation would be. On Monday night, prosecutors had recommended Stone serve seven to nine years behind bars after being convicted of charges including lying to Congress, witness tampering and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. READ MORE: Feds back away from Stone sentencing proposal [Reporting by MICHAEL BALSAMO, ASSOCIATED PRESS] Previous Boing Boing posts on Roger Stone's wild ride. BREAKING: Department of Justice headquarters has stepped in to try to shorten Roger Stone's still-unannounced prison sentence, a senior Department official confirmed to The Daily Beast https://t.co/AQbpUBOEAa The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) February 11, 2020 The Department of Justice will backtrack on its request that Trump ally Roger Stone get up to nine years in prison. Trump had called the recommendation "unfair." Story from @davidgshortell https://t.co/3PdegHyhy0 Jamie Ehrlich (@jamie_ehrlich) February 11, 2020 We are in complete Alice-in-Wonderland, Orwellian version. Really really bad. Plainly politically infected. "The Justice Dept is expected to file a new sentencing memo Tuesday walking back its one-day old recommendation that Roger Stone serve seven to nine years in prison." Harry Litman (@harrylitman) February 11, 2020 Breaking News: In a highly unusual intervention, top Justice Department officials are intervening to seek a shorter sentence for President Trump's former adviser and longtime friend Roger Stone, after the president called prosecutors' recommendation unfairhttps://t.co/QFRyamTeBw The New York Times (@nytimes) February 11, 2020 Again, the greatest super power in the GOP is shamelessness. We are seeing it w/ Trump and the sycophants around him. Barr says this right after he stepped in to reduce the sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone. That happened hours after Trump complained about it on Twitter. https://t.co/4diNc9T7No Erick Fernandez (@ErickFernandez) February 11, 2020 "Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!," Trump tweeted shortly before 2:00 a.m. A few hours later, the DOJ appears to be scrambling to help spare Trump's former advisor Roger Stone. https://t.co/O92mLahkrP via @vice Greg Walters (@thegregwalters) February 11, 2020 Justice Department to backtrack on request to give Roger Stone up to 9 years in prisonhttps://t.co/56nqOZ6laO It's Dee-LAN-Oh (@DelanoMassey) February 11, 2020 NEW: Roger Stone might not be spending 7 to 9 years in prison for lying to protect his old boss, after all. https://t.co/OqTyonJr6k VICE News (@vicenews) February 11, 2020 Adds #7 Justice Dept. moves to reduce longtime Trump associate Roger Stone sentencing rec. hours after Trump complains on Twitter. "That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department," the official said. https://t.co/iL0VOyUW8f Heidi Przybyla (@HeidiNBC) February 11, 2020 Justice Dept. to reduce sentencing recommendation for Trump associate Roger Stone, official says, after president calls it 'unfair' https://t.co/3qiZ9zv69a tales from a banana republic Bill Bishop (@niubi) February 11, 2020 Afghan police arrive at the site of an explosion near the military academy in Kabul, Afghanistan on Feb. 11, 2020. (Rahmat Gul/AP) Suicide Bomber Kills 6 People in Afghan Capital A suicide bomber targeting a military academy in Afghanistans capital on Tuesday killed at least six people, including two civilians and four military personnel, the Interior Ministry said. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the bombing in Kabul, but both the Taliban and terrorists from the Islamic State group regularly stage attacks in the city, targeting Afghan forces. Along with the six killed, 12 other people, including five civilians, were wounded in the attack, said Nasrat Rahimi, the Interior Ministry spokesman. An Afghan man reacts near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Reuters/Omar Sobhani) The attack happened at a police checkpoint near the entrance to the Marshal Fahim Military Academy, located on the outskirts of a western Kabul neighborhood, he said. Local TV channels showed images of Afghan security forces blocking off the main road leading to the blast site from far away. The academy has been attacked in the past. Last May, a suicide bomber killed six people there. The school is sometimes called Sandhurst in the Sand, in reference to the famous British school. Its named for Mohammed Fahim, the countrys late vice president and a military commander of the Northern Alliance that fought the Taliban. It was inaugurated in 2013 and British troops in Afghanistan oversaw the establishment of the academys officer school and training program. Afghan security forces keep watch near the site of a suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Reuters/Omar Sobhani) The academy was also the site where U.S. Army Maj Gen. Harold J. Greene lost his lifethe highest-ranking U.S. military officer to be killed in the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Greene, then deputy commander of NATOs transition force in the country, was shot and killed by an Afghan soldier in a so-called insider attack that was later claimed by the Taliban in August 2014. The Taliban today control or hold sway over nearly half of Afghanistan and are at their highest since the 2001 U.S. invasion that ousted the Taliban who harbored the late al-Qaida terror network leader Osama bin Laden. Chinese President Xi Jinping, wearing a protective face mask, receives a temperature check as he visits a community health center in Beijing on February 10, 2020. China reported a rise in new virus cases on Monday, possibly denting optimism that its disease control measures like isolating major cities might be working, while Japan reported dozens of new cases aboard a quarantined cruise ship. (Image: AP) Nearly half of the population of planet earth is actively using the digital spaces to communicate and connect with the global audience. #BeAware, a study conducted by Social Media Matters, Do Your Thing and Institute for Governance, Policies, and Politics revealed that 53% Indians have faced online abuse on Social Media Platforms. Out of these, only 66% reported the incident to the platform, from which 52% reported the cybercrime to the police as well. Nearly half of the population of planet earth is actively using the digital spaces to communicate and connect with the global audience. #BeAware studied the awareness and perception of community guidelines and social media reporting mechanisms present on social media. The questionnaire included open and close-ended questions for the participants to share their experiences. A total of 1067 users participated in the study from across India between the period of December 2019 to January 2020. Institute for Governance, Policies & Politics (IGPP) in their statement said that the research study was done to understand the efficacy of reporting mechanism and community guidelines of social media platforms. It has analysed the responses of nearly a thousand participants based on their experience, perception, and feedback particularly on the issue of hate speech, online abuse, and online financial fraud. The respondents are covered across states, age-groups, and gender. It is found that online users in the age-group of 22-25 are more exposed followed by above 30. Furthermore, nearly half of the participants are female and transgender who faced such negative experience largely and also reported the case more than male members. However, most netizens are of the opinion that there is a need to raise awareness of reporting mechanism and community guidelines of social media platforms through various methods such as online safety workshop. The study also stated that 53% of Indian Online Users are not aware of the existing community guidelines by Social Media Platforms. These guidelines primarily set the tone and state policies of the social media platform to deal with violation of rules, illicit cyber behaviour, etc. on social media platforms. 62% of the respondents said that they are aware of the reporting mechanisms but a large number i.e. 73% users recommending escalation of initiatives to raise awareness about community guidelines and reporting mechanisms. 53% of the respondents also believed that some improvisations are required to build an efficient reporting mechanism on the Social Media Platforms. #BeAware also gathered users recommendations to raise awareness regarding the reporting mechanism of social media in India. 24% respondents believed that offline awareness will help in letting users know about them, 23% believed that online awareness will do the needful and 23% of the respondents selected a combination of various methods to increase awareness. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. PITTSFIELD, Mass. The Board of Health approved amendments to the body art regulations but will continue to not allow minors to get tattoos. After hearing from some tattoo shop owners Wednesday during a public hearing, the board voted to approve amendments to the "Rules and Regulations Pertaining to the Practice of Body Art" without changes to their original amendments. "Thank you for coming in and you educated us on what you are dealing with and have made some very good points," Chairman Alan Kulberg said. The board opened up the floor to the public and first heard from April Shepard, owner of Rock'n Ink at 1500 East St., who asked the board to consider allowing tattoo shops to tattoo minors with permission from their parents or guardian. "At that age they can get their permit, they can drive, they are capable of working, and have a little more independence," she said. "I think 16 is reasonable." As it stands to get a tattoo from a shop in Pittsfield you have to be 18 or older. The city only allows minors to get limited piercings with consent. Shepard said her main concern was kids getting tattoos from amateurs in unsafe conditions. She said these amateurs often work with unsanitary tools and know little about bloodborne pathogens. "If my own children went to an underground artist that was not licensed or in an unclean facility I would be upset," she said. "When they could get something professionally done." She hoped that if minors had this outlet they would be less likely to go somewhere else. Shepard said this is the practice in other communities. She added that this also allows tattoo shops the opportunity to fix botched tattoos minors may have had done unprofessionally. "There is a local artist that has been working out of his home and there are a lot of young kids coming in my shop wanting to get their stuff fixed," she said. "I would like to be able to help with some of these mistakes." Kulberg said this concern never dawned on him. "We haven't really considered kids going to someone and getting botched or getting tattoos in cosmetically sensitive areas," he said. "We are making a value judgment here." Shepard said she did not think kids younger than 16 should be allowed to get tattoos and noted she would never give a minor even with a parent's consent a face tattoo. The board also heard from Wes Lamore, owner of Intradermal Designs at 409 North St., who did not think the city should consider this. He felt the board should put its efforts toward stopping "underground tattoo artists." He said he always has younger visitors in his shop and always offers them the same advice. "I asked them what the most important thing to them was when they were 12, when they were 16, and even 18," he said. "None of these things are the same and if you put something permanent on your body, I am not sure if they even have the mental faculty to know what they want at that age." He said a lot of his business is covering up tattoos people got when they were younger and even if the board lifted this policy, he would not change his own practice. Lamore added that consent can also cause issues especially if a parents share custody. "It puts us right in the middle of it and that has happened a few times," he said. "It is not our fault and we had a legal guardian there. It is more of an ethical thing." The board saw both sides of the issue and Stephen Smith asked if there was any detriment health wise getting a tattoo so young. "Before I make a decision, I would want more information," he said. "I want to know the impact on the health of a young person getting a tattoo. They are still growing and will it affect their skin?" Lamore thought it was more of an ethical consideration. He said the tattoo would really only become distorted if they gain a lot of weight. Shepard and Lamore both agreed that there are plenty of options of minors who want tattoos. Shepard said it is not a big deal to drive to another community that allows tattoos with consent. She said a lot of kids go to Vermont and are charged an exorbitant amount of money. Lamore added that there is nothing illegal about home tattoos and anybody can buy a kit online. He said it only becomes illegal if someone without the proper certification charges for a tattoo. He said people often barter for tattoos and he did not think allowing minors to get tattoos professionally done would change this. Although the board sympathized with allowing for cosmetic changes to botched tattoos they wanted more data in relation to minors seeking out underground artists when they cant get something professionally done. They were also hesitant to change the way Pittsfield does things just because minors can get tattoos just outside of the city. They also did not think the change would be accepted by the greater public. Other than the age restriction, Shephard and Lamore had no concerns with the amendments. Director of the Department of Health Gina Armstrong quickly highlighted two changes. Tattoo shops must sterilize equipment each week that equipment is used and new tattoo store owners must prove their experience with a resume. "We really want to see evidence that they had that experience otherwise they would have to apply for an apprentice permit," she said. In other business, the board approved the demolition of 619-621 Fenn St. "All avenues for possible rehabilitation have been exhausted," Kullby said. "Looks like at one time it was a nice place." The board heard from senior sanitarian Andy Cambi who said the structure is on the verge of collapse and is a public safety concern. "The roof is collapsing and it has a big open area," he said. "There is no heat or hot water and it is open to the elements." Cambi said they have tried to contact the owner about repairs but to no avail. He said the owner has been issued $1,750 worth of fines to date. A friend of the owner made an inquiry about rehabilitation and that he sent off a copy of the order but has not heard back. He added that there has been no interest in receivership. BERKSHIRE, England, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AAR (NYSE: AIR) subsidiary Airinmar, the leading independent global provider of component repair management and new aircraft warranty solutions, has signed a three-year support services agreement with flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL). Working in conjunction with PALs Aircraft Material Management team, Airinmar will provide a full suite of support services covering both new aircraft warranty and value engineering. The services will supplement PALs current activities and focus on maximizing the recovery of PALs new aircraft warranty entitlements and reducing the cost of component repair. Safety remains the cornerstone of PALs operations. We are pleased to work with Airinmar and appreciate their commitment to provide value engineering support which is vital to meeting PALs safety and efficiency goals. We look forward to leveraging their comprehensive engineering knowledge and expertise to help drive down our operational maintenance costs and thereby contribute to our overall sustained improvement goals, stressed Capt. Stanley K. Ng, PAL SVP - Airline Operations Group. Airinmars new aircraft warranty management services will cover the identification, claim and recovery of the multiple aircraft warranty entitlements provided by Airbus, Boeing and Bombardier and their suppliers. Airinmars value engineering support will provide cost oversight services to assure compliance with PALs contracted component repairs and minimize component flight-hour out-of-scope repair charges. We are committed to working alongside PALs Material Management team and assisting in reducing maintenance costs across PALs multiple fleet types. said Peter O'Dea, Airinmar Head of Sales and Business Development. We are delighted to add PAL, the flag carrier of the Philippines and one of the most established commercial airlines in Asia, to our global customer base. For more information on Airinmars industry-leading warranty solutions, click here . # # # About AAR AAR is a global aerospace and defense aftermarket solutions company that employs more than 6,000 people in over 20 countries. Headquartered in the Chicago area, AAR supports commercial and government customers through two operating segments: Aviation Services and Expeditionary Services. AARs Aviation Services include Parts Supply; OEM Solutions; Integrated Solutions; and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) Services. AARs Expeditionary Services include Mobility Systems and Composite Manufacturing operations. Additional information can be found at www.aarcorp.com. About Airinmar Airinmar has supported airlines, MROs, OEMs, helicopter operators and military programs for 35 years through the delivery of its tailored component repair and warranty management support services, which deliver reduced repair expenditure, improved component availability and enhance operational efficiencies. Airinmar is a subsidiary of global aviation aftermarket leader AAR (NYSE: AIR ). About Philippine Airlines Philippine Airlines (PAL) is the flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered in Manila, PAL was the first commercial airline in Asia. Operating out of its hubs at Ninoy Aquino International Airport of Manila, Mactan-Cebu International Airport of Cebu, Clark International Airport and Davao International Airport with a fleet of 91 aircraft, PAL serves 31 destinations in the Philippines and over 45 internationally destinations in 23 countries. This press release contains certain statements relating to future results, which are forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are based on beliefs of Company management, as well as assumptions and estimates based on information currently available to the Company, and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical results or those anticipated, including those factors discussed under Item 1A, entitled Risk Factors, included in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2019. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize adversely, or should underlying assumptions or estimates prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described. These events and uncertainties are difficult or impossible to predict accurately and many are beyond the Companys control. The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. For additional information, see the comments included in AARs filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Attachment Janta malik hai (People are the judge). This was what Bihar chief minister and Janata Dal (United) president Nitish Kumar said when asked about the Delhi assembly results on Tuesday. His one-line comment on the sidelines of function organised to unveil a statue of RSS ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay in Patna sums the pessimistic mood in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in Bihar where assembly elections are due later this year. Nitish Kumars JD (U) contested two seats in Delhi assembly seats Burari and Sangam Vihar and finished second on both constituencies. In Burari, it got 22.72% of total votes polled against 1.11% of the RJD, while in Sangam Vihar, the JD (U) got 28.73% votes. The party for the first time contested polls in alliance with the BJP in any state outside Bihar. All the three regional parties from Bihar, the JD (U), RJD and the LJP failed to open their account in the Delhi polls. The party is emboldened with its performance vis-a-vis the performance of the BJP. Successive setbacks in Jharkhand and Delhi polls have once again put the BJP under pressure ahead of Bihar assembly elections, said a NDA leader wishing not to be named. We got more than 50,000 votes, came second on both the seats. Those who were putting question marks on JD (U) need to introspect themselves, said JD (U) spokesperson Rajeev Ranjan Prasad, hinting at the opposition tirade. Moreover, the result of the Delhi elections has been received with a sense of relief by the JD(U) as the party will now be even more hopeful that Nitish Kumars detractors in the BJP will be kept on a tight leash. The BJPs tally in Delhi remained in single digit. After the Lok Sabha polls last year, several BJP leaders in the state had begun to make statements that time had come for the saffron party to stake claim for the chief ministers post, thereby threatening to end the alliance with the JD(U). The matter was put to rest by the then BJP national president Amit Shah who announced, not once but twice that NDA will contest polls under Nitish Kumar. But NDA sources said that Kumar will once again have an upper hand when it comes to seat-sharing talks. Despite the hammering in Delhi, the BJP unit in Bihar has put up a brave face. The election result of Delhi has reflected the local sentiment of the voters and it has nothing to do with Bihar politics. BJP as well as our NDA allies, JDU and LJP are busy in strengthening the organisational structure at the grassroot level in Bihar. NDA will sweep the 2020 assembly election in Bihar under the leadership of CM Nitish Kumar, said BJP spokesperson Nikhil Anand. If AAP won on development agenda, it augurs well for the JD (U)-BJP combine in Bihar, said JD (U) leader Major Iqbal Haider. There is no hole in the alliance and NDA is a strong force in state, he added. Political observers are waiting for likely repercussions of the Delhi results to show up soon. But one thing is clear that the JD (U) is losing its credentials and is blindly supporting the BJP policies. We do not see any difference between the BJP and the JD (U). Emotive politics does not pay always, said political analyst, D M Diwakar of A N Sinha Institute for Social Studies. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Richwood, TX (77531) Today A mix of clouds and sun during the morning will give way to cloudy skies this afternoon. High around 60F. Winds NE at 10 to 15 mph.. Tonight Overcast. Low near 50F. Winds light and variable. A forensic voice analyst has claimed that a covert recording of three republicans discussing a murder bid on police compared with other alleged known recordings of the men provides strong to moderate support they are the suspects. The undercover MI5 recordings allegedly captured the trio, 51-year-old Colin Duffy, 50-year-old Henry Fitzsimons and 57-year-old Alex McCrory discussing the failed murder bid in December 2013. The claim was made by Prof Peter French, who, however, accepted that in the case of Mr Fitzsimmons, one of the recordings provided for his voice analysis, was not even him. Prof French, who has more than 35 years experience in the field of voice analysis, told Mr Justice O'Hara, that even having discounted that recording, and reviewing the findings, including analysis of other materials, it "provided modest to strong support", Mr Fitzsimmons was one of those secretly recorded. In cross-examination by defence QC Elis McDermott for Mr Duffy, she agreed that voice analysis evidence was not the same as fingerprint or DNA evidence and when used in criminal proceedings should only be relied upon in conjunction with other evidence. The Chairman of the Forensic Speech Laboratory told the court sitting without jury that, in the case of Mr Duffy, his findings provided the same "moderate to strong support". In respect of Mr McCrory, his findings allegedly provided "very strong support". Prof French said he had also analysed a second covert recording said to be of Mr Duffy in Spain. The expert said that in relation to the recording, it provided "very strong support" that the person in question was the accused. Mr Duffy faces no charges arising out of this covert recording, said to have been made during a family holiday, but which allegedly had him discussing an arms and explosives deal. Before giving his evidence a prosecution lawyer said the recordings used for comparison in the case of Mr Duffy, taken from a press conference and from a custody cell, were accepted as coming from him, while those recordings allegedly of Mr Fitzsimmons and Mr McCrory were not. Later during cross-examination Prof French agreed there was no data base or statistical information which may be used to compare his findings and that the "science" remains in very much in the same position as when he first began in the business. Prof French said comparison findings are very much based on case work experience and that there can be a variation in the findings between experts analysing the same material. The trio, whose addresses can't be given at this time, deny preparing and directing terrorism, and membership or professing to be members of the IRA. Fitzsimons and McCrory are also charged with and deny attempting to murder police in the convoy, and possessing of the two AK47 assault rifles and ammunition used in the 2013 attack. They were allegedly covertly recorded and videoed under an MI5 operation "code name Op Idealistic", carried out in Demesne Park, Lurgan, owned and operated by Craigavon Council, the day following the gun attack on a police convoy in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast on December 5, 2013 in which 14 shots were fired at the three vehicle patrol by two gunmen. BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhuanet) -- While the people of China are making all-out efforts to curb the spread of novel coronavirus, some comments made by certain Western media outlets are blatant rumors, discrimination and racism. They went so far as to even tag the novel coronavirus as "China virus". The Wall Street Journal of the United States carried an article by Walter Russell Mead who used an outdated phrase to mock the Chinese people under the epidemic. Instead of offering solidarity and support, these media outlets and officials have chosen to spread prejudice and panic playing a shameful role that could discourage the collective campaign most needed at the time. Zepp-LaRouche, founder and president of the Schiller Institute in Germany, has exposed the "ugly face of racism" of linking the coronavirus with any specific country and rebuked the use of other racist terms. "If Europe and the U.S. want to be credible in talking about 'human rights' and 'western values' then they should join hands with China and cooperate on the fight to defeat the coronavirus," Zepp-LaRouche stressed. Combatting the epidemic is more than just the battle against the disease; it is a test of morality which these media outlets have failed to pass. The crisis of the novel coronavirus outbreak will be over, but racial discrimination seems a disease more difficult to eradicate. In the fighting against the virus, the Chinese government has been taking the most comprehensive and rigorous prevention and control measures with a high sense of responsibility for people's health. It is the unswerving efforts of the whole nation that have helped keep the mortality rate at the current level and prevented the epidemic from becoming a global pandemic. Nevertheless, despite the isolated racial discrimination, it is sympathy, unity, rationality and conscience that define the community with a shared future for humanity. An anti-terrorism court in Pakistan on Tuesday accepted a plea of Mumbai attack mastermind and Jamat-ud-Dawa chief (JuD) Hafiz Saeed to club all six terror financing cases against him and his aides, and announce the verdict on completion of the trial. The anti-terrorism court or ATC had indicted Saeed and others on December 11 in terror financing case in day-to-day hearing. "The anti-terrorism court of Lahore accepted the plea of Saeed and his close aides seeking delay in the verdict in two concluded terror financing cases against them till the trial in other four such pending cases is complete," a court official told PTI after the hearing. According to the petition, four other terror financing cases against Saeed, Zafar Iqbal, Yahya Aziz, Abdul Rehman Makki are pending before the same ATC. "As evidence has been in progress, the court may announce the verdict in six cases including the ones already concluded once the trial is completed," it said. The official said the court after accepting Saeed's request, ordered the prosecution to present witnesses in other four cases against the JuD leaders on Wednesday. "The court will announce the verdict once all witnesses are produced and cross examination is done," he said. The deputy prosecutor general opposed Saeed's plea and argued that the trial in two cases against him and others has already been completed and under the law the court may announce the verdict. He requested the court to reject Saeed's plea and announce the verdict. On last Saturday, Lahore ATC judge Arshad Hussain Bhutta had deferred the verdict against Saeed in two terror financing cases till February 11. Deputy Prosecutor General Abdul Rauf Wattoo told the Dawn TV that some six cases against Saeed and others are pending before the same court and presentation of evidence in remaining four cases is in progress. "Hearing of all four remaining cases will be concluded simultaneously at the end of the week and after that the court will issue its verdict," Wattoo said. Saeed and other JuD leaders were produced before the ATC in high security. In the two concluded cases, the prosecution had produced some 20 or so witnesses in the ATC who testified against Saeed and his close aides for their involvement in terror financing. Saeed has already recorded his statement before the court in two terror financing cases against him in which he pleaded "not guilty". The cases of terror financing have been registered against him in Lahore and Gujranwala cities on the application of the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab police. Cross examination of prosecution witnesses against Saeed and his three close aides by the defense counsel has already been concluded. The Counter Terrorism Department 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 lodged at the Kot Lakhpat jail in Lahore. The cases were registered against Saeed and others in Lahore, Gujranwala and Multan for collection of funds for terrorism financing through assets/properties made and held in the names of Trusts/Non Profit Organisations including Al-Anfaal Trust, Dawatul Irshad Trust, Muaz Bin Jabal Trust, etc. According to the CTD, investigation launched into financing matters of proscribed organisations - JuD and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) - in connection with implementation of UN Sanctions against these Designated Entities and Persons as directed by NSC (National Security Committee) in its meeting of January 1, 2019 chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan for implementing the National Action Plan. "These suspects made assets from funds of terrorism financing. They held and used these assets to raise more funds for further terrorism financing. Hence, they committed multiple offences of terrorism financing and money laundering under Anti Terrorism Act 1997. They will be prosecuted in ATCs (Anti Terrorism Courts) for commission of these offences," the CTD said. 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 United States has also welcomed Saeed's indictment by a Pakistani court, urging Islamabad to ensure a full prosecution and expeditious trial of the charges against him. GUYSBOROUGH, N.S. - A nurse who assessed Lionel Desmond two months before the mentally ill veteran killed his family and himself in 2017 says his symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder appeared to be getting worse during a period in 2016 when he wasn't receiving any treatment. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The Desmond Fatality Inquiry is being held at the Guysborough Municipal building in Guysborough, N.S. on Monday, Nov. 18, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan GUYSBOROUGH, N.S. - A nurse who assessed Lionel Desmond two months before the mentally ill veteran killed his family and himself in 2017 says his symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder appeared to be getting worse during a period in 2016 when he wasn't receiving any treatment. Heather Wheaton, a mental health crisis clinician, told a provincial fatality inquiry Tuesday she met Desmond on Oct. 24, 2016 when he showed up with his wife Shanna at the emergency room at St. Martha's Regional Hospital in Antigonish, N.S. At the time, Wheaton filled out a mental health assessment form, noting the former infantryman was suffering from interrupted sleep, nightmares, loss of appetite, aggression towards objects, conflict with his wife and increasing anger, depression and anxiety. As well, Wheaton noted that Desmond was diagnosed with PTSD in 2011, had paranoid ideas about his spouse, lacked concentration and was "not sure how to live as a civilian" since his discharge from the army in 2015 eight years after he served in Afghanistan. "Very brief stability and then problems getting worse since then," she wrote in her notes on Oct. 24, 2016. Wheaton concluded that Desmond had thoughts of suicide, but she stressed he did not seem to have a plan or any real intent. A psychiatrist later assessed Desmond's risk of suicide as "low." Wheaton's notes indicate Desmond received treatment at the Ste. Anne's Hospital operational stress injury clinic in Montreal between June and August of 2016, but Desmond said there had been a two-month gap in follow-up treatment because of a snafu with the federal Veterans Affairs Department. The inquiry has heard that after Desmond was discharged, he and his wife lived in New Brunswick, where a Veterans Affairs case manager supervised his ongoing care but there was a gap in 2016 when Desmond returned to his home in Upper Big Tracadie, N.S. Wheaton said Desmond and his wife were waiting for a phone call from Veterans Affairs to confirm a new case worker in Nova Scotia and they were hoping the department would make arrangements for him to see a private therapist, whose fees would be covered by Ottawa. In notes she took that day, Wheaton found Desmond was having "trouble navigating the Veterans Affairs system and worried about what they will offer and what they will cover." Wheaton agreed when asked if it was sometimes difficult for her to access medical records from outside Nova Scotia's eastern zone or to share records with other agencies outside the provincial health authority. She also said patients were often required to get their own records before they could be shared. Inquiry counsel Shane Russell told Wheaton: "I take from your note that a recurring theme with Lionel Desmond is this concept of trying to get care but it just seems to be not happening." On Monday, a lawyer representing the attorney general of Canada told the inquiry that Desmond's case manager was working on finding the services he needed in Nova Scotia, but there was some dispute over where he would have to go Halifax or Cape Breton. The gap in services is important because the inquiry is examining whether Desmond and his family had access to adequate mental health services. The inquiry, which started hearings Jan. 27, is also investigating whether the Desmond family had access to domestic violence intervention services and whether health-care providers who interacted with the former corporal were trained to recognize occupational stress injuries or domestic violence. Wheaton, a nurse with more than 20 years of experience, told the inquiry she did not receive any formal training regarding domestic violence. When Russell asked if that kind of training would be useful, Wheaton said she felt capable of making a proper evaluation by using a mental health assessment form. "I believe that we evaluate the risk," she testified. "(But any) information about domestic violence, specifically, I wouldn't say no to. Any information that helps us to be more sensitive or more aware is welcome." The provincial court judge overseeing the inquiry, Warren Zimmer, asked Wheaton if the assessment tool had specific indicators regarding domestic violence or homicidal inclinations. Wheaton replied:"If there's a cue of any kind if somebody has anger, for example we would explore that fairly extensively with the person and ask for examples. "(It's) with an awareness that if a person is going to act out violently towards another person, more often than not that's going to occur in their intimate relationships." On Jan. 3, 2017, Desmond fatally shot his 31-year-old wife, their 10-year-daughter Aaliyah and his 52-year-old mother Brenda before turning the gun on himself in the family's rural home. The day before, Desmond was released from St. Martha's Hospital by a psychiatrist who determined the 33-year-old former soldier was not a threat to himself or anyone else. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. By Michael MacDonald in Halifax Stock pickers are generally looking for stocks that will outperform the broader market. And while active stock picking involves risks (and requires diversification) it can also provide excess returns. To wit, the Extra Space Storage share price has climbed 72% in five years, easily topping the market return of 52% (ignoring dividends). However, more recent returns haven't been as impressive as that, with the stock returning just 16% in the last year , including dividends . Check out our latest analysis for Extra Space Storage While markets are a powerful pricing mechanism, share prices reflect investor sentiment, not just underlying business performance. One imperfect but simple way to consider how the market perception of a company has shifted is to compare the change in the earnings per share (EPS) with the share price movement. Over half a decade, Extra Space Storage managed to grow its earnings per share at 12% a year. That makes the EPS growth particularly close to the yearly share price growth of 11%. That suggests that the market sentiment around the company hasn't changed much over that time. In fact, the share price seems to largely reflect the EPS growth. The graphic below depicts how EPS has changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). NYSE:EXR Past and Future Earnings, February 11th 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. Dive deeper into the earnings by checking this interactive graph of Extra Space Storage's earnings, revenue and cash flow. What About Dividends? As well as measuring the share price return, investors should also consider the total shareholder return (TSR). Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. Arguably, the TSR gives a more comprehensive picture of the return generated by a stock. As it happens, Extra Space Storage's TSR for the last 5 years was 105%, which exceeds the share price return mentioned earlier. And there's no prize for guessing that the dividend payments largely explain the divergence! Story continues A Different Perspective Extra Space Storage shareholders are up 16% for the year (even including dividends) . But that return falls short of the market. The silver lining is that the gain was actually better than the average annual return of 15% per year over five year. It is possible that returns will improve along with the business fundamentals. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 1 warning sign for Extra Space Storage you should know about. We will like Extra Space Storage better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider buying. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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. The World Health Organization is reporting progress in efforts against a deadly virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO officials reported Sunday on the fight against the Ebola virus in two of the countrys eastern provinces: North Kivu and Ituri. Officials have blamed Ebola for the deaths of 2,251 people out of 3,429 cases of the disease. That is a fatality rate of 66 percent. The Ebola epidemic has received less attention in the news media than the novel coronavirus, which has spread from China to other countries. However, health officials continue to work to slow the spread of Ebola. Matshidiso Moeti is supervising WHOs operations in Africa. She says the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is not the same as it was several months ago. Moeti told VOA that she is seeing more hope than before. The number of cases per day is very much reduced than they were a few weeks ago, soon after we had some violent attacks and had to stop, she said. Moeti confirmed that armed groups attacked centers providing treatment for the Ebola virus early in the outbreak. Some organizations had to withdraw from North Kivu province over safety concerns, she added. More than 100 armed groups are reported to be active in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, the areas most affected by the outbreak. The United Nations noted more than 300 attacks on Ebola health care workers last year. Six people were killed and about 70 others injured. Some of those harmed were patients. Moeti admits that violence in the area and local resistance toward international efforts to contain the spread of the virus continue to cause problems. However, she said, the situation has greatly improved. People understand the seriousness of the problem and cooperate more. New infections are being identified and treated earlier. The WHO is now working more with local people, Moeti said. She added that new methods in dealing with the virus appear to be working. What is very important really is the security aspect, she said. The most recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo started in August of 2018. It is the tenth epidemic to hit the country since 1976. This outbreak is the second largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded. An outbreak that started in West Africa in 2014 was blamed for more than 11,000 deaths. Ebola sickened 30,000 people before the outbreak ended in 2016. Im Mario Ritter, Jr. Lisa Shlein reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter Jr. adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. ______________________________________________ Words in This Story fatality n. a result in death epidemic n. a situation in which a disease spreads quickly among a large number of people per preposition for each outbreak - n. a sudden rise in the number of cases of a disease; a sudden or violent increase in activity aspect n. a part of a larger issue Given his history, registered Republican-turned-independent-turned-Democrat Michael Bloomberg was always going to have to work to convince Democrats he was one of them. On Monday night, recently surfaced 2015 audio from Bloombergs Aspen Institute remarks on controversial stop-and-frisk policing in 2015 shows why. Audio of @MikeBloombergs 2015 @AspenInstitute speech where he explains that you can just Xerox (copy) the description of male, minorities 16-25 and hand to cops. Bloomberg had video of speech blocked. Perhaps because of the problematic explanation he gives for #StopAndFrisk pic.twitter.com/Fm0YCi4ZRy Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) February 10, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Bloomberg: Ninety-five percent of murdersmurderers and murder victimsfit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops. They are male, minorities, 1625. Thats true in New York. Thats true in virtually every city [inaudible]. And thats where the real crime is. Youve got to get the guns out of the hands of people that are getting killed. So you want to spend the money on a lot of cops in the streets. Put those cops where the crime is, which means in minority neighborhoods. So one of the unintended consequences is people say, Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities. Yes, thats true. Why? Because we put all the cops in minority neighborhoods. Yes, thats true. Why do we do it? Because thats where all the crime is. And the way you get the guns out of the kids hands is to throw them up against the wall and frisk them and then they start Oh, I dont want to get caught. So they dont bring the gun. They still have a gun, but they leave it at home. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Those comments were apparently controversial enough in real time that, the Aspen Times reported in 2015, Bloomberg requested that video of the event not be made public. We basically honor the wishes of our speakers, and Mayor Bloomberg preferred that we not use the video for broadcast, the institutes chief external affairs officer told the Aspen Times. He did not give a reason nor did we have any reason to ask for one. We often feature speakers who prefer that their presentations not be videotaped. It was a line of argument that Bloomberg made repeatedly however, digging himself into a theoretical vortex that somehow resulted in this 2013 radio interview. Advertisement Advertisement Mike Bloomberg defending Stop-and-Frisk in 2013: I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little. pic.twitter.com/KpdKgUALsL (@upmtn) February 11, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Heres the text of that portion of the interview: One newspaper and one news service, they just keep saying, Oh, its a disproportionate percentage of a particular ethnic group. That may be, but its not a disproportionate percentage of those who witnesses and victims describe as committing the [crime]. In that case, incidentally, I think we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little. Its exactly the reverse of what theyre saying. I dont know where they went to school, but they certainly didnt take a math course. Or a logic course. The techniques and strategies used during Michael Bloombergs tenure at New York City mayor were a known vulnerability in his new life as a Democratic presidential candidate. During his 12 years as mayor, Bloomberg advocated for the citys stop-and-frisk policy, which gave police officers wide latitude to aggressively stop and search anyone vaguely suspected of a crime. There was even an official furtive movements category for reason of arrest. As a result, New York City police piled into minority neighborhoods, making millions of stops targeting black and brown young men in the name of deterrence. In 2013, a federal judge ruled the tactics a violation of the constitutional rights of largely minority communities. Bloomberg stood by stop-and-frisk even as it was phased out at the end of his term and then undone under his successor. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement The racial disparity at the height of the stop-and-frisk era, which began under then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, is startling. Of 575,000 stops conducted in 2009, black and Latino people were nine times as likely as white people to be targeted by the police (even though, once stopped, they were no more likely to actually be arrested), according to the New York Times. In 2011, police officers made about 685,000 stops; 87 percent of those stopped were black or Latino. As a Democratic presidential candidate, Bloomberg has made a U-turn after years of defending his approach even after the courts ruled it unconstitutional. I was wrong, Bloomberg said in November before getting into the presidential race. And I am sorry. Whether thats enough to convince minority voters remains to be seen. Over time, Ive come to understand something that I long struggled to admit to myself: I got something important wrong, Bloomberg said. I got something important really wrong. I didnt understand back then the full impact that stops were having on the black and Latino communities. I was totally focused on saving lives, but as we know, good intentions arent good enough. MANILA The Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it would end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country, in the most serious threat under President Rodrigo Duterte to their 69-year treaty alliance. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that Manilas notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The termination would take effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep it. Locsin signed the notice on the order of Duterte, who has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine militarys close historic ties with its American counterpart. The U.S. Embassy in Manila acknowledged receipt of Manilas notice and said Washington will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests. This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippines alliance, the embassy said in a statement. Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples. In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the 1998 security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. U.S. military presence in the strategic waterway has been seen as a crucial counterweight to China, which claims virtually the entire sea. Locsin proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues, including criminal jurisdiction over erring American troops, instead of abrogating it. Philippine defense and military officials did not immediately issue any reaction to the government move. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the presidents deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the bloody campaign Duterte launched when he took office in mid-2016, alarming the U.S. and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Duterte gave the U.S. a month to restore dela Rosas visa, but U.S. officials have not publicly reacted to the Philippine leaders demand. Duterte said in a speech late Monday that President Trump has moved to save the agreement but added that he rejected the idea. He accused the U.S. of meddling in Philippine affairs, including seeking the release of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, whom he has accused of involvement in illegal drugs. She has dismissed the allegation as a fabricated charge meant to muzzle dissent. America is very rude. They are so rude, Duterte said. Locsin outlined in the Senate hearing what he said were the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The U.S. is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism. Jim Gomez is an Associated Press writer. Thai health authorities have barred a cruise ship from docking that has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan out of concern over a new virus, although no cases have been confirmed on board. The chief of the Department of Disease Control, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand. He said the ministry will further consider how to deal with the ship's situation. It began its cruise on Jan. 16 in Singapore. Shipowner Holland America Line says there are no known cases of the virus on board. The virus has caused problems for the cruise industry. Japan's health ministry has confirmed 135 cases of the disease aboard Carnival Corp.'s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, Japan. The ship's 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain under quarantine until at least Feb. 19. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakulhad indicated on his Facebook page several hours before the official announcement that the ship would be denied entry. He posted his declaration after Holland America announced it was sailing to Laem Chabang, where passengers would disembark on Feb. 13 to take flights home from Bangkok. The announcement by the shipowner attracted much attention among Thai social media users. Holland America had already announced that passengers would receive a complete refund. It said a scheduled departure of the Westerdam on Feb. 15 from Yokohama had been canceled and planned departures after Feb. 28 were being assessed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is just plain bad at his Medicare-for-all math, according to the Democratic presidential rivals trying to overcome his lead in New Hampshire's Tuesday primary. As polls show Sanders leading both in the state and nationally, the candidates have taken aim at his flagship health proposal, charging that Sanders hasn't been forthright about its steep costs - and corresponding tax increases - required to give every American a generous, government-funded plan. Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg praised Sanders for "being honest" that Medicare-for-all would be expensive - but only so Buttigieg could stress that it would likely mean higher taxes for middle-class Americans. On Sunday, former vice president Joe Biden suggested Sanders was asking Americans to "buy a pig in a poke" - an old-fashioned colloquialism that refers to something bought or sold without the buyer knowing its value ahead of time. And at Friday's debate, Biden said Sanders is "unwilling to say what the damn thing's gonna cost." Biden went a step further and seemed to rule out Sanders and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in Friday's debate At the same debate, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., called Medicare-for-all "not real." Sanders's Democratic rivals are hitting him in a sensitive place. The self-described "democratic socialist" frequently is on defense for proposing expansive new government programs without detailing how to pay for them. It's a similar case with his Medicare-for-all bill; Sanders has proposed about $16.2 trillion in potential new revenue to pay for what outside experts suggest could cost about $32 trillion over a decade. Here's how Sanders would pay for the program, if he were able to enact it as president: - His largest source of funding would come from raising taxes in a roundabout way - that is, erasing certain tax breaks. Sanders wants to eliminate the tax break given to employers for providing workers with health coverage, which gave rise to the country's system of employer-sponsored coverage in the mid-20th century. He'd also get rid of the deduction people can take on their taxes for medical expenses exceeding 7.5% of their income. Eliminating tax breaks related to health care and insurance would raise $4.2 trillion over 10 years, according to Sanders's campaign. - He would also raise payroll taxes and charge individuals and families a premium. Employers and workers already contribute payroll taxes to pay for programs including Social Security and Medicare. Sanders wants to create a new 7.5% payroll tax to fund Medicare-for-all, but it would only be paid by employers to ensure that lower-income individuals wouldn't see their taxes increase. Such a levy would raise $3.9 trillion, according to the campaign. Sanders has also advocated for a new tax that could affect families who earn as little as $29,000 a year. He would charge a 4% income-based premium to households. That would equal $844 for a family of four earning $50,000 - but Sanders argues that sum is far less than what these families already pay for private health plans. The new premium tax would raise $3.5 trillion, according to the campaign. These proposals, along with a few other smaller revenue streams, would get only half of the way to paying for overhauling the country's health-care system - if the limited analysis available is even close to the actual cost. But here's the catch: The cost of Medicare-for-all could be highly variable, depending on how much the government pays doctors and hospitals. Right now, providers get much lower rates from Medicare and Medicaid compared with private insurance. The government would be under heavy pressure to pay them more if every single American were moved to a government plan. And on this point, Sanders has been relatively candid - even though it has earned him criticism from his Democratic rivals. "Nobody knows" how much Medicare-for-all would cost and it's "impossible to predict," Sanders told CBS News last month. - Sanders's October heart attack may have aided his campaign's efforts, The Washington Post's Michael Scherer, Holly Bailey, Sean Sullivan and Annie Linskey report. His staffers thought it was unusual when he spoke while seated at an event, which he normally doesn't do. He told them he felt a tightness in his chest and was rushed to the nearest urgent care center. Sanders was turned away because there were too many other patients, but he ultimately underwent surgery at a hospital. Later, Sanders staffers were surprised to learn that his hospital procedure ended up attracting new volunteers. "A few days after the heart attack, before it was clear that Sanders would recover, Pete D'Alessandro, his Iowa director, found something unusual at a regional office in Des Moines near his home," the Post reporters write. "The candidate was hospitalized, but the number of volunteers working the phones had roughly doubled." Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., a Sanders campaign co-chairman, said big crowds came out to support the candidate who was absent and on bed rest, many with stories about their own health scares. - New Hampshire voters want Sanders - and the other candidates - to spend much of their time talking about Medicare-for-all. Twenty-eight percent of likely Democratic primary voters in the state consider health care the most important issue in picking a candidate, The Post's Amy Goldstein reported from Concord, New Hampshire. "This first-in-the-nation primary state is also at the leading edge of Americans' frustration with flaws of the U.S. health-care system," Goldstein wrote. "In conversations as well as in standing-room-only audiences at town hall gatherings with the presidential candidates, the system's flaws come up often: the expense of prescription drugs, a scarcity of mental health services, coverage gaps, care difficult to afford even for people with private insurance." The small state of New Hampshire particularly sensitizes candidates to voters' most pressing health-care needs because they meet in intimate settings. Goldstein reported on how candidates heard in 2016 from victims of the opioid crisis. Back in 2008, union workers printed purple T-shirts and stickers saying "I'm a health care voter," which contributed to President Barack Obama's rapid focus on what grew into the Affordable Care Act. The state has the nation's third-highest proportion of residents with job-based insurance that features a high deductible. "Campaign gatherings here seem to be nudging the Democratic field beyond its running internal dispute over whether the country should shift to a single-payer health-care system," Goldstein reported. "Candidates are bringing up mental health needs and the pain of worrying about medical bills on top of diagnoses. " The owner of the former Lone Star Brewery complex is exploring options for the ill-fated property, including possibly selling it in an auction. Lone Star Brewery Development Inc. filed for bankruptcy reorganization in January, halting a foreclosure auction of the roughly 32-acre site at Lone Star Boulevard and Probandt Street, which has been the subject of multiple failed revitalization attempts over the years. The entity, owned by Houston-based private equity fund Parkview Capital Credit, reported just over $30 cash on hand and debts of about $27 million in its bankruptcy petition. That includes $12 million owed to BridgeInvest, a Miami firm it took out a loan from to avoid foreclosure on the property in 2018. At a creditors meeting Monday, attorney Thomas Rice said Lone Star is in the process of hiring commercial real estate firm JLL to sell the site before May 1, assuming the lender agrees. Now Playing: Photographer Richard Woody captured this first-hand look inside the Lone Star Brewery, which has been vacant for more than two decades. Video: WoodyTV Theyve outlined for us the process to go ahead and market and sell the property (in) an auction-like procedure that would be conducted in the next 60 days, he said. The brewery and an adjacent property are assessed at $30 million, according to the bankruptcy petition, though the Bexar Appraisal District valued them at $11 million, property records show. Another option could be for Lone Star to find a partner to help redevelop the property and pay off the debt owed to BridgeInvest. Lone Star and Parkview would likely stay involved in the project, Rice said. Were on a dual track, he said. Were not going to take the brakes off the sale process if theres not a reasonable chance of reorganization. The brewery closed in 1996, and beer company Pabst owns the Lone Star brand. Past efforts to redevelop the dilapidated complex have been stymied by costs, bankruptcies and environmental issues. The most recent plan, which involved turning it into shops, offices, apartments, a hotel and a park, fell through in 2017. National retail developer CBL Properties pulled out of the project after discovering that its partner, Mark Smith of San Marcos-based Aqualand Development, had a history of legal and financial problems. CBL received an anonymous letter claiming that Smith, Aqualands president, filed nuisance lawsuits against former business partners. Parkview took control of Lone Star Brewery Development, the entity Aqualand used to buy the brewery site, in 2017. Later that year, developer NRP Group sued Lone Star for not refunding a $550,000 deposit after a deal to buy part of the land for an apartment complex fell through. Lone Star disputes the claim. madison.iszler@express-news.net Luxembourg recently organised an economic mission to the UAE and signed partnership agreements with UAE entities. The mission concluded with a day dedicated to Luxembourgs presence at Expo 2020 Dubai site which will take place from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. The mission was chaired by HRH the Crown Grand Duke and directed by the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for the Economy, Etienne Schneider, and in the presence of the Minister of Finance, Pierre Gramegna, said a statement. This will be the 24th participation in a universal exhibition for the Grand Duchy. The Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy, Etienne Schneider, said: The Expo 2020 Dubai aims to promote innovation and sustainable development. This profile of the exhibition fits perfectly with the promotional efforts of Luxembourg and will make it possible to assert many skills 'Made in Luxembourg'. Finance Minister Pierre Gramegna said: The universal exhibition will be an excellent opportunity for Luxembourg to showcase the innovative nature of the Luxembourg financial centre with the international community. In accordance with the motto of the expo Connecting Minds, Creating the Future, our financial centre contributes to a world that is better connected and better prepared for future challenges by tracing the path of sustainable development. Luxembourg was the first country to officially confirm its participation in Expo 2020 Dubai which aims to welcome more than 25 million visitors, 70 per cent of whom will come from outside the UAE. Having been among the first countries to receive a building permit, work on the Luxembourg pavilion began in August 2019. At the end of the press conference, three partnership agreements were concluded between Luxembourg and key UAE entities; these will enable the Luxembourg pavilion to function optimally during the duration of the exhibition, it said. A partnership agreement has been signed between the Groupement d'interet economique (public-private partnership) Luxembourg @ Expo 2020 Dubai and the Jumeirah Group for the operation of the restaurant in the Luxembourg pavilion, said the statement. Cooperation with the renowned international hotel chain provides for the provision of full catering services by Jumeirah, with the direct involvement of Luxembourg chef Kim Kevin de Doodt and the support of students from the Luxembourg Hotel and Tourism School (EHTL) of Diekirch. For its part, the EHTL has concluded a general partnership agreement with RAK Porcelain Europe Luxembourg - the worlds largest producer of ceramics from the UAE. RAK Porcelain is one of the 6 official sponsors of Luxembourg @ Expo 2020 Dubai and exclusive supplier of sanitary ware, ceramic coverings and tableware for the pavilion. The partnership is based on the exchange of knowledge and allows students and members of the teaching staff cooking and restaurant service of the EHTL to participate in training cycles on tableware. The partnership was concluded for a period of five years. Finally, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the EHTL and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), a hotel management school based in Dubai and associated with the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland. The agreement allows EHTL students and teachers to access the EAHM accommodation facilities for the duration of their stay in Dubai. On the third and last day of the mission, HRH the Grand Duke and the ministers Etienne Schneider and Pierre Gramegna visited the site of the Luxembourg pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai. They also met the president and chief executive officer of Emirates Airline & Group and chairman of the Expo 2020 Senior Committee, Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, and Reem al Hashimi, Minister of State for International Cooperation and general manager of the Expo office, it stated. TradeArabia News Service Council members Jody Czajkoski and Raymond McDonald are hoping for support to hold a special election in May that would place stricter term limits on elected council members. According to information from the city, Czajkoski and McDonald placed the item on the councils Wednesdays workshop agenda that would call a special election to change the citys charter and limit council members to just two four-year terms unless they want to make a bid for mayor. Currently, council members can serve two four-year consecutive terms, wait at least four years and run for council again. For Czajkoski, the limits would avoid recycled candidates and encourage others to run for council. We dont need to be leaders; we need to be fathers he said. We need to build young people up and let them take over an get out of the way. Serving eight years as a council member and then eight years as a mayor, thats 16 years. Thats plenty. Give someone else a change. Build someone else up. However, Mayor Toby Powell disagrees with Czajkoski and did not support having the discussion placed on the councils agenda. He added allowing council members to run again after a four-year break is critical to keeping needed experience on the council. I disagree with (Czajkoski), Powell said. I am not in favor of changing our present charter at this time. I think we have a good working charter on term limits. Since the early 1990s, Councilman Seth Gibson is the only member to serve more than two four-year terms. Gibson first served from 1994 to 2002. After 10 years, Gibson successfully ran again in 2012 and then in 2016. Gibsons term ends this May. Former Councilwoman Marsha Porter, who served on the council from 2008 through 2016, has filed to run this May for Gibsons position along with Carl White and Curt Maddux. She agrees with Powell and said former members bring the experience back to the council. She noted it takes time to gain that level of experience. It takes a while to figure things out, she said. Its a whole different learning set. You are elected for four years, so depending on your learning curve you have two years to get things done. So when you are re-elected, you have experience. I would say there is no substitute for experience. Councilman Duane Ham said the city has term limits, adding if the public is unhappy with the service of a council member, they can vote them out of office. Seth Gibson is the only one to come back and serve 16 years and the people voted him back in because he did a good job, Ham said. If you dont like (a council member) get out and vote. That is term limits. Ham said there is a learning curve for new council members and the years spent service help provide the experience needed to continue governing the city. At the end of the day, the voters will decide what they want, Ham said adding changing the charter is circumventing the system. Keeping good people from coming back to serve their community is a sad thing. The council will meet at 2 p.m. Wednesday in the council chambers, 300 West Davis, to discuss the issue. cdominguez@hcnonline.com BANGALORE, India, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global market size of Big Data and Business Analytics was estimated at USD 171.39 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach USD 512.04 billion by 2026, rising at a CAGR of 14.80 percent between 2019 and 2026. Big Data analytics is the process of analyzing, storing and arranging huge data sets in order to discover trends and other useful information which can be used for further business decisions. Furthermore, companies implement big data analytics to increase the organization's sales; improve efficiency; and enhance logistics, customer service, and risk management. Big Data analytics can further be used for faster and better decision making by academics, analysts and business users, using data that was previously inaccessible or unusable. These features have pushed for the widespread adoption of big data and business analytics and has in turn impacted the market growth. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-3K13/global-big-data-and-business-analytics By Industry, it is found that the manufacturing segment led the global big data and business analytics market in 2018 and is expected to retain its dominance over the forecast period. The main factors driving the adoption of Big Data Analytics in the manufacturing industry include increased demand for minimizing manufacturing defects and improving supply chain management. However, availability of skilled manpower and high implementation costs cause budget constraints in small and medium-sized enterprises, which is expected to impede the growth of the Big Data and Business Analytics market. Furthermore, during the forecast period, the BFSI sector is expected to grow at the highest growth rate due to the rapid increase in data form transactions, risk management, and personalized product offerings to the customers. Inquire For Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Manu-3K13/global_big_data_and_business_analytics_market TRENDS INFLUENCING BIG DATA AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS MARKET SIZE Growth in the global Big Data and Business Analytics market is driven by increased adoption of Data analytics tools by various organizations for enhanced and quicker decision-making and gain competitive advantage through timely analysis and action on knowledge. For example, according to a survey conducted by Forbes in North America in 2017, 53 percent of the U.S. and Canadian companies are using big data analytics to boost their service efficiencies and increase their revenue growth. In turn, companies embrace Big Data and Business Analytics to enhance productivity and maximize customer experience, thereby creating a lucrative opportunity for market growth. in 2017, 53 percent of the U.S. and Canadian companies are using big data analytics to boost their service efficiencies and increase their revenue growth. In turn, companies embrace Big Data and Business Analytics to enhance productivity and maximize customer experience, thereby creating a lucrative opportunity for market growth. Growing demand for cloud-based big data analytics software among small and medium-sized businesses is driving growth in the big data market and business analysis. The need to gain better insights into business planning is growing, and emerging technologies such as social media analytics are expected to provide lucrative opportunities for global market growth. REGION WISE BIG DATA AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS MARKET SHARE North America dominated the Big Data and Business Analytics market in 2018 and is expected to maintain its position over the forecast period. The major factors driving market growth in this area include the rise in cloud services adoption among various industry verticals and the adoption of advanced analytics solutions among SMEs. dominated the Big Data and Business Analytics market in 2018 and is expected to maintain its position over the forecast period. The major factors driving market growth in this area include the rise in cloud services adoption among various industry verticals and the adoption of advanced analytics solutions among SMEs. Due to the development in the banking & insurance industry and the adoption of new technologies such as IoT and big data, Asia-Pacific is expected to see the highest growth rate during the forecast period. Inquire For Regional Report: https://reports.valuates.com/request/regional/ALLI-Manu-3K13/global_big_data_and_business_analytics_market BIG DATA AND BUSINESS ANALYTICS KEY MARKET SEGMENTS: By Component Software Service By Deployment Mode On-Premise Cloud By Analytics Tools Dashboard & Data Visualization Self-Service Tools Data Mining & Warehousing Reporting Others. By Application Customer Analytics Supply Chain Analytics Marketing Analytics Pricing Analytics Spatial Analytics Workforce Analytics Risk & Credit Analytics Transportation Analytics. By Industry Vertical Manufacturing BFSI Healthcare Government Energy & Utility Transportation Retail & Consumer Goods IT & Telecom Education Others. By Region North America U.S. Canada Europe UK Germany France Rest of Europe Asia-Pacific China India Japan Rest of Asia-Pacific LAMEA Latin America Middle East Africa Key Market Players IBM Corporation Oracle Corporation Microsoft Corporation SAP SE Fair Isaac Corporation SAS Institute Inc. TIBCO Software Inc. Teradata Corporation Amazon Web Services Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP Others BUY Now @ https://reports.valuates.com/api/directpaytoken?rcode=ALLI-Manu-3K13 SIMILAR REPORTS: 1. GLOBAL BIG DATA AS A SERVICE MARKET The global Big Data as a Service market size in 2017 was USD 16,000 million and is expected to reach USD 48,900 million by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of 15 percent in 2018-2025. Big data as a service (BDaaS) is the delivery of statistical analytical tools or knowledge that lets companies understand and use insights obtained from broad information sets to gain a competitive advantage. Global data as a service market is growing at a fast pace due to the increasing demand for statistical analysis to manage the massive amount of unstructured data generated by organizations almost at regular intervals. Due to the presence of established players such as Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Development L.P., International Business Machines Corporation, and so on, North America dominates the market. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2W227/global-big-data-as-a-service-market 2. GLOBAL BIG DATA SOFTWARE MARKET Big data software is used to coordinate, handle, and analyze the huge amounts of data that digital networks, goods, and systems generate. In 2019, the global market size for Big Data Software was USD 24,580 million and is expected to reach USD 4,0670 million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 7.4 percent in 2021-2026. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4Z184/global-big-data-software-market 3. BIG DATA IN OIL AND GAS MARKET For a few sectors, the idea of big data and analytics is fairly new, but the oil & gas sector has been one of the largest users of this technology, as the industry deals with a large volume of data to make many technical decisions. It is anticipated that the increasing need to improve productivity will be one of the primary drivers of growth for big data in the oil and gas industry until 2022. Companies benefit greatly from applying Big Data technologies to recognize and optimize upstream oil and gas data as it helps them to remain competitive during discovery, planning, and field development. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1F225/global-big-data-in-oil-and-gas 4. GLOBAL BIG DATA SECURITY MARKET The global Big Data Security market size in 2019 amounted to USD 14,540 million and is expected to reach USD 27,790 million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 9.6 percent in 2021-26. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2W225/global-big-data-security-market 5. GLOBAL BIG DATA ANALYTICS IN HEALTHCARE MARKET In 2017, the global size of the Healthcare market for Big Data Analytics was USD 11,900 million and is expected to reach USD 48,500 million by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of 19.2 percent in 2018-2025. Technological advances and the widespread use of cloud delivery systems led to the introduction of big data analytics in North America's healthcare market. Increasing use of big data analytics for healthcare-related applications, such as cost-effective medication, population health insurance planning, and diagnostic approaches in the Asia-Pacific region, has also enabled vendors to invest in big data analytics for healthcare. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4Y183/global-big-data-analytics-in-healthcare 6. GLOBAL HADOOP BIG DATA ANALYTICS MARKET The increasing volume of structured & unstructured data and the need to store, manage and analyze data are driving the growth of the Hadoop big data analytics market. The Hadoop Big Data Analytics market's service segment is projected to grow at the highest CAGR over the forecast period. View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4D182/global-hadoop-big-data-analytics 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 analysts 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/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/valuatesreports Linkedin - https://in.linkedin.com/company/valuatesreports Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/valuatesreports/ Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1082232/Valuates_Reports_Logo.jpg Although Martin Chedondo took the position of Zimbabwe's ambassador to China in 2019, his history with China goes back to nearly 50 years ago when he received training from Chinese instructors while fighting for the liberty of his own country. Martin Chedondo (Photo/haiwainet.cn) From the brave and passionate Chinese instructors, I learned about the revolutionary history of China and the Long March spirit of the Chinese people, which inspired the revolutionists in Zimbabwe, said Chedondo. According to the ambassador, Zimbabwe has a large Chinese community, which has not only contributed to Zimbabwe's economic and social development in various fields such as mining and agriculture, but also actively assumed its social responsibilities. Chedondo pointed out that China has firmly supported Zimbabwe in the regard of choosing a development road that suits the conditions of the country. While Zimbabwe was restrained by western countries since it attempted to take back its land from the colonists, China provided assistance to Zimbabwe, said Chedondo. As the economy in Zimbabwe is recovering and the country is speeding up to improve the business environment, the country encourages Chinese enterprises to invest in Zimbabwe, Chedondo noted. While he expects to expand the people-to-people exchanges between China and Zimbabwe, Chedondo hopes to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the regard of agriculture. It is a miracle that China managed to maintain food security for a population of 1.4 billion, he said, adding that Zimbabwe would like to introduce advanced technologies from China to improve its agricultural development system. Controversial 'second wave' feminist Germaine Greer has launched a brutal attack on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. The 81-year-old questioned whether Meghan Markle, 38, has been 'faking love' with Prince Harry, 35, and also cast doubt on how true their marriage has been. 'All I can think is she'd better be in love. If she's been faking it all this time, oh boy, what misery,' she said, speaking to Australia's 60 Minutes. 'How many orgasms will it take? How many fake groans will get her through this?' The outspoken writer went on to slam the couple's star-studded wedding in May 2018 - which was flooded with famous faces including Oprah and George and Amal Clooney - as 'terrible.' Germaine Greer, 81, has launched a scathing attack on Meghan Markle, 38, and Prince Harry, 35. Pictured, at Loose Women in London on 13 November Speaking of Meghan. the feminist said: 'All I can think is she'd better be in love. If she's been faking it all this time, oh boy, what misery,' Pictured, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex attend 'The Lion King' European Premiere at Leicester Square on July 14, 2019 in London 'The marriage was terrible too, because it was full of showbiz personalities, as if Meghan lived in a completely artificial world,' she explained. 'The whole point about showbiz - it's not real, and it won't sustain you.' The claims come just days after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a trip to Miami where Prince Harry spoke at a JP Morgan 'billionaire's summit' at a luxury five-star hotel in Miami. It's thought the two could have earned up to $1 million for the gig - during which Harry spoke about his mental health and therapy. Until the trip, the couple had been holed up with their nine-month-old son Archie at a $14 million waterfront Vancouver Island mansion after announcing their bombshell news that they would be 'stepping back' as 'senior royals' in early January. Meanwhile, a source previously told US Weekly that more than two years after giving up acting to marry Prince Harry, Meghan has been 'actively looking' for a manager or agent for future projects. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with their baby son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor meeting Archbishop Desmond Tutu at the Desmond & Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation during their royal tour of South Africa on September 25, 2019 in Cape Town, South Africa Germaine also slammed the couple's marriage as 'terrible,' arguing it was 'full of showbiz personalities.' Pictured, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle kiss outside St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle after their wedding Meghan quit her role in the US legal drama Suits in 2017 after becoming engaged to the Duke of Sussex and joining the Royal Family as a working member. The source said: 'Meghan is actively looking for representation. She has begun outreach. 'It can be a manager or an agent, but she's reaching out to people to find someone to represent her for future professional projects.' There has already been some indication that a return to her former career is on the cards for Meghan as the mother-of-one looks at various avenues for income. She has already signed a voiceover deal with Disney in return for a donation to an elephant charity. And in a moment that certainly raised eyebrows, the Duchess joked that she and Harry attended the premiere of The Lion King in London, to 'pitch' for work, footage from the 2019 event revealed. The Duke was also filmed touting his wife's voiceover skills to Disney boss Bob Iger at the occasion in July. (Photo : Screenshot from Official Facebook Page of NASA) The National Aeronautics and Space Association(NASA) is asking for help from amongst car manufacturers to help design and create a new lunar rover for the Artemis program set in the year 2024. This is going to be a mission on about landing the next man on the Moon and this time coming with the first woman. In line with this endeavor, they are hoping to use the great minds of car manufacturers to create a more sustainable lunar rover for that mission that can ferry the pair to and from the desired destination, which would be the Lunar Poles. Read Also: NASA is Launching A Rocket From A Less Heard Facility in Mid-Atlantic This Sunday Lunar Rover Plans NASA, although asking for help, has made it clear to the manufacturers that this would be no mere vehicle that has been ever designed before. It has to go above and beyond with its specifications and would deliver and perform flawlessly. This will be one of the two key components that would depend on the mission's success or failure. It will need to be human-rated, meaning that humans can operate the vehicle, unpressurized as to like an open cabin, and lastly, be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment and gear for communications. The Artemis Program Set to be the biggest and most ambitious expedition as of writing. The program will reach for the stars like never before and make the human footprint larger than it was ever before. The Artemis Program will be a series of expeditions in three phases. First will be in 2020, an uncrewed flight to test the Space Launch System and Orion spacecraft together. Next up would be on 2022, Artemis II, the first crewed flight test of the Space Launch System Orion, is targeted for launch in 2022. Finally, the one where we actually see if humans can achieve success outside the confines of our earth would be set in 2024. NASA will land astronauts on the Moon by 2024 on the Artemis III mission and about once a year thereafter. The main goal is to ready humans for the chance of really going to Mars, and this is a vital stepping stone in which they need to pass to achieve said goal. Besides the soon-to-be-designed land rover, the other part of the operation would be to use highly advanced robotics that is fully automated to ferry gear across impassable terrain during the expedition. This is to lessen the load of the astronauts as well as bring vital pieces of equipment and resources back for study. Read Also: We Can Now See How The Universe Looks Like Using AI As of now, NASA has only sent about two letters of Requests For Information to different car manufacturers out and for sure would send out more due to the complexity of the project and the diverse opinion of engineers and architects around the world. As this will be the first of many projects that they will have to go through in order for us to live amongst the start, we first have to pull all our resources together to be able to achieve that dream. The faster and more efficient humans got on this living outside mother Earth will definitely not just be a dream anymore, but a reality. First stop, the Moon. Next stop, Mars. Read Also: Will Lynchburg Be the Start of the Mars Expedition? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Health Secretary Matt Hancock this week declared the coronavirus outbreak a serious and imminent threat to the British public. More than 42,000 people have contracted the new strain now named as COVID-19 which originated in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people in central China, and there have been more than 1,000 deaths. It is not, of course, the first highly contagious flu-like virus to start in Asia and spread fast nor will it be the last. In 2003, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) another coronavirus virus that was dubbed the Angel of Death killed nearly 1,000 people before it abated. The new virus is proving to be more infectious than SARS, has caused more cases in a fraction of the time and now exceeds the number of fatalities (although SARS had a mortality rate of almost 10 per cent compared to 2 per cent for COVID-19). But what did we learn from SARS, what is the role of the so-called super-spreaders, and how can we use that to stop this new strain? Here, David Quammen, the author of an award-winning book about the SARS epidemic, draws on research by scientists worldwide and his own detective work to show the making of a potential pandemic. Back in late February 2003, SARS got on a plane in Hong Kong and went to Toronto. Its arrival in Canada was unheralded but then, within days, it began to make itself felt. It killed the 78-year-old grandmother who had carried it into the country, killed her grown-up son a week later, and spread through the hospital where the son had received treatment. Rather quickly it infected several hundred other Toronto residents, of whom 31 eventually died. Cathay Pacific aircrew wear masks at Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport to protect against a killer outbreak Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) in April 2003 One of the infected was a 46-year-old Filipino woman, working in Ontario as a nursing assistant, who flew home to the Philippines for Easter, started feeling sick the day after arrival (but remained active, shopping and visiting relatives) and began a new chain of infections on the island of Luzon. So SARS had gone halfway around the world and back, in two airline leaps, over the course of six weeks. No one could be sure, at that early stage, whether the SARS agent was a virus, a bacterium or something else. In the meantime, it had also arrived in Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and Beijing. Singapore became another epicentre. It reached Beijing by at least two modes of transport, one of which was China Airlines Flight 112, from Hong Kong, on March 15. (The other route was by car when a sick woman drove up from Shanxi province.) Flight CA112 took off from Hong Kong that day carrying 120 people, including a feverish man with a worsening cough. By the time it landed in Beijing, three hours later, 22 other passengers and two crew members had received infectious doses of the coughing mans germs. A 90-year-old man is transported between hospitals during the SARS outbreak of March 2003 in Hamburg, Germany From them it spread through more than 70 hospitals in Beijing yes, 70 infecting almost 400 staff, other patients and visitors. Two aspects of what made SARS so threatening were its infectiousness and its lethality. Another ominous trait was that the new bug, whatever it might be, seemed so very good at riding on aeroplanes. Hong Kong was merely the gateway for its international dispersal but it was close to its origin. The whole phenomenon had begun quietly, several months earlier, in the southernmost province of mainland China, Guangdong, a place of thriving commerce and distinctive culinary practices. On November 16, 2002, a 46-year-old man from a city 80 miles northwest of Hong Kong came down with fever and respiratory distress. That he triggered a chain of other cases (his wife, an aunt, her husband and daughter) strongly suggests SARS was what he had. He has been described as a local government official, but the only salient aspect of his profile, in retrospect, is that he had helped prepare some meals, of which the ingredients included chicken, domestic cat and snake. Snake on the menu wasnt unusual in Guangdong. Its a province of unsqueamish carnivores, where the list of animals considered delectable could be mistaken for the inventory of a pet shop or a zoo. People wearing masks in the business district, Central, in Hong Kong, during the 2003 SARS outbreak Three weeks later, in early December, a restaurant chef in Shenzhen, another sizeable Guangdong city, fell ill with similar symptoms. Feeling sick, he commuted home to a hospital in another city, Heyuan, where he infected at least six healthcare workers before being transferred to Guangzhou, about 130 miles to the south-west. Not long afterwards other such illnesses started occurring in Zhongshan, 60 miles south of Guangzhou. Within the next few weeks, 28 cases were recognised there. Symptoms included headache, high fever, chills, body aches, severe and persistent coughing, coughing up bloody phlegm and progressive destruction of the lungs, which tended to stiffen and fill with fluid, causing oxygen deprivation that in some cases led to organ failure and death. Thirteen of the patients were healthcare workers and at least one was another chef, whose bill of fare included snakes, foxes, civets (smallish mammals, distantly related to mongooses) and rats. Then a seafood wholesaler who had visited Zhongshan checked into a Guangzhou hospital and triggered the chain of infections that would circle the world. This seafood merchant was Zhou Zuofeng. He became the first superspreader of the SARS crisis. A super-spreader is a patient who, for one reason or another, directly infects far more people than does the typical infected patient. Chongqing, China, Asia - A female butcher is standing in front of a butcher shop that sells poultry No one seems to know where Zhou picked up his infection. He ran a shop in a major fish market, close to other live markets, including those that offered domestic and wild birds and mammals. The infection took hold, caused coughing and fever, and drove him to seek help at a Guangzhou hospital on January 30, 2003. In two days he infected at least 30 staff. Zhou himself would eventually become known as the Poison King. He survived the illness, though many people who caught it from him directly, or indirectly down a long chain of contacts did not. One of those secondary cases was physician Liu Jianlun, 64, a professor of nephrology at the teaching hospital where Zhou had first been treated. Professor Liu began feeling flu-like symptoms two weeks after his exposure to Zhou, and then seemed to get better well enough, he thought, to follow through on plans to attend his nephews wedding in Hong Kong. He and his wife took the three-hour bus ride from Guangzhou on February 21, crossed the border, spent an evening with family, and then checked into a large hotel called the Metropole, favoured by businessmen and tourists, in the Kowloon district. They were given room 911, across from the elevators in the middle of a long corridor, a fact that became central to later epidemiological investigations. Two fateful things happened that night at the Metropole. The professors condition worsened; and at some point he seems to have sneezed, coughed, or (depending on which account you believe) vomited in the ninth-floor corridor. In any case, he shed a sizeable dose of the pathogen that was making him sick enough to infect at least 16 other guests and a visitor to the hotel. Professor Liu thereby became the second known super-spreader. Among the hotel guests sharing floor nine was that 78-year-old grandmother from Canada. She had come to visit family and then spent several nights at the Metropole hotel, along with her husband. Her room was 904, just across the corridor and a few steps down from Professor Lius. Her stay overlapped with his for only one night. Maybe they shared a ride in the elevator. Maybe they passed in the hallway. Maybe they never laid eyes on each other. No one knows. What is known is that, the next day, the professor awoke feeling too sick to attend any wedding and instead checked himself into the nearest hospital. He would die on March 4. One day after Professor Liu left the Metropole, the grandmother left, too. Infected but not yet symptomatic, and feeling fine, she boarded her flight home to Toronto taking SARS global. Apart from a few aftershock cases in early 2004, SARS hasnt reappeared in humans . . . so far. But now something very much like it, the Wuhan coronavirus, is spreading across the world. The scenario in 2003 could have been much worse. SARS was an outbreak, not a global pandemic. There were just over 8,000 cases, 774 died, not 7 million, as might have happened. Several factors contributed to limiting the scope of the outbreak, of which good luck was only one. Another was the speed and excellence of the laboratory diagnostics finding the virus and identifying it by scientists around the world. And another was the brisk efficiency with which cases were isolated, contacts traced and quarantine measures instituted. One further factor was inherent to the way SARS affects the body: symptoms tend to appear before, rather than after, a person becomes highly infectious. That order of events allowed many SARS cases to be recognised, hospitalised, and placed in isolation before they hit their peak of infectivity. With flu and many other diseases the order is reversed, with high infectivity preceding symptoms by days: the danger, then the warning. That probably helped account for the scale of worldwide misery and death during the 19181919 influenza [so-called Spanish flu] which killed an estimated 50 million: the bug travelled ahead of the sense of alarm. And that was before globalisation. Everything nowadays moves around the planet faster, including viruses. When the Next Big One comes, we can guess, it will probably conform to the same perverse pattern, high infectivity preceding notable symptoms. That will help it to move through cities and airports like an angel of death. Is the current coronavirus going to become such an event, such a global scourge, such an angel of death? Too soon to tell. If it does, we needed to be ready for it yesterday. And if it doesnt, the Next Big One is still coming, and we need to start getting ready for that one tomorrow. Adapted from Spillover: Animal Infections And The Next Human Pandemic by David Quammen, published by Vintage at 12.99. David Quammen 2012. Available from amazon.co.uk. Chevron Corp. has ramped up output at a key Venezuela oil project to levels not seen in almost a year, offering a thorny reminder of how U.S. sanctions are failing to deliver a knockout of Nicolas Maduros regime. The U.S. is eyeing tougher sanctions that could target Russian producer Rosneft PJSC and potentially affect Chevrons waiver at a time when tensions between the two countries are escalating anew. Maduro, meanwhile, is considering giving foreign producers operational control at some fields to bring in added cash and, perhaps, to nudge other U.S. oil companies to lobby for their own access to Venezuelas huge oil reserves. The likely goal is to make it so attractive, companies start to lobby harder in the U.S., said Raul Gallegos, a Bogota, Colombia-based director at Control Risks, an international consulting firm. RELATED: Venezuela weighs privatizing oil as it faces economic freefall Chevrons waiver, which expires in April, has benefited both countries, mitigating the collapse in Venezuelas production and hindering further expansion by Russia and China. At the same time, it allows Chevron to remain the lone U.S. producer in a country with an estimated 302.8 billion barrels of oil reserves and a dysfunctional state oil company thats seen output fall by 74% since 2009 to about 792,000 barrels a day, according to the latest OPEC report. Other U.S. oil companies, meanwhile, say theyre locked out. This is an America Last policy, said Ali Rahman, director of Delaware-registered Erepla Services LLC, in an interview. The sanctions hurt American business interests -- other than the select few granted licenses -- more than anyone else. In 2018, Erepla entered into a potentially lucrative contract with state-controlled Petroleos de Venezuela SA to provide oilfield and marketing services to three fields. Soon after, the Trump administration tightened its sanctions, putting operations on hold. It sought a waiver similar to Chevrons, Rahman said, but never got a sign-off. FUEL FIX: Now more than ever, you need our energy news in your inbox The debate comes as Chevron has helped restore production at the Petropiar upgrader it runs as a joint project with PDVSA, according to people familiar with the operation. The upgrader turns the areas tar-like oil into refinery-ready Hamaca crude for export. After being closed for parts of 2019, the site is now producing about 130,000 barrels a day of crude, the people said, asking not to be identified because the information is private. On paper, PDVSA controls Petropiar as majority owner, but Chevron has kept the oil flowing and helped repair the industrial facilities needed to refine the tar into marketable crude, the people said. Ray Fohr, a Chevron spokesman, said the San Ramon, California-based oil major is focused on its base business in Venezuela and is in full compliance with the law. He said PDVSA directs work processes in the area where the upgrader is located, including decisions made regarding the use of light oil and plant stops and restarts. Overall, Chevron had a production decline in 2019 compared with 2018, he said. If Chevron is forced to leave Venezuela, he wrote, non-U.S. companies will fill the void and oil production will continue. He declined to address specifics on the upgrader. The waiver debate is complex, according to Control Risks Gallegos, the author of a book on Venezuelas oil industry. If you do away with waivers, it doesnt immediately mean oil production goes down and Maduro is out, he said in an interview. The primary concern of the U.S. is the interests of oil companies, and access to the resource. --With assistance from Lucia Kassai. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. "Hey TKC, noticed that a lot of people are sick after the Chiefs parade. Do you think it's possible that the Chinese virus was spread in the crowd?" NO, YOU DOLT, THE WU-TANG THREAT FOR KANSAS CITY IS THANKFULLY LOW RIGHT NOW!!! BUT STANDING IN THE COLD ALL DAY AROUND A BUNCH OF BOOZING FANBOYS PROVED EFFECTIVE AT SICKENING MANY LOCALS!!! Fanboys Suffer Party Hangover Doctors say Kansas City seeing spike of flu cases after Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory The flu season hit early this year and doctors have been seen a steady number of cases with two noticeable spikes coming at the first of the year and the past two weeks while Kansas City was celebrating the Chiefs Super Bowl title. Show-Me Local Official Reports Missouri, CDC collaborate to assure health of residents amid coronavirus outbreak KANSAS CITY, Mo. - While the number of confirmed coronavirus deaths rises, the state of Missouri continues to work with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to protect its residents. Randall Williams, Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services director, said in a news release that DHSS has partnered with the CDC and "local public agencies" to monitor the situation. Nasty 'Whataboutism' Only Serves To Stifle Debate Not Provide Accurate Information Coronavirus Is Bad. Comparing It to the Flu Is Worse There's a deadly virus spreading throughout China right now, but Self magazine has a calming message for Americans: "For perspective," the publication tweeted Thursday, "the flu is a bigger threat in the US." Human Toll Rises Death toll from coronavirus exceeds 1,000 The death toll from the new coronavirus surpassed 1,000 on Monday as governments around the world work to contain the outbreak. Officials announced Monday that 1,016 people in mainland China have died from the coronavirus and that 42,638 people had contracted the infection, The New York Times reported. Far East Secret FAIL China hid the severity of its coronavirus outbreak and muzzled whistleblowers - because it can Nearly six weeks after China announced the coronavirus outbreak, there's still a surprising amount we don't know about this newly discovered disease. But one thing is becoming clear: China's silence in the earliest days of the crisis may have made it worse. EPIC Population Scale Coronavirus may infect over 500K in Wuhan before it peaks, study says The deadly coronavirus may spread to more than 500,000 people in the Chinese city of Wuhan before the epidemic hits its peak, according to a new study. London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine developed a model that shows one in 20 people in Wuhan, the outbreak's center, will come down with the illness before the spread of the virus starts to slow down, Bloomberg News reported. Trade War Context 4 charts show how SARS hit China's economy nearly 20 years ago The new coronavirus - believed to have first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan - is often compared to SARS, which originated in China's Guangdong province in November 2002 before spreading globally. The two diseases come from the same large family of viruses that usually infect animals but can sometimes evolve and spread to humans. Global Struggle To Answer Sickness Fears With Science The global fight against coronavirus The human race is locked in a battle against something five million times smaller than us. The novel coronavirus that has emerged from the Wuhan in China has gone from an unknown enemy to feared worldwide, in a matter of months. A local question that also serves as an indictment of our public education system and the social media information age . . .Our answer, with respect to the fact that the. . .Reminder:, that's not a good comparison because the troubles in China could be far more deadly than the American sickness that is mostly cured with chicken noodle soup.Still . . .All of this leads us to real world news sources that take reporting of this threat far more seriously than Chiefs fans who are already planning next year's Super Bowl party for survivors . . .Developing . . . Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The Zamboanga Peninsula is joining the list of regions closing off their areas to pork amid fears about the spread of African Swine Fever in Mindanao, local authorities said. The region's Task Force on Animal Disease said Tuesday it will be enforcing a 60-day total ban on the entry of pork and pork products to manage, contain and control the spread of ASF. Harly Literano, Quarantine Officer of the Bureau of Animal Industry, said the total ban will be implemented once a resolution is released by the regional office of the Department of Agriculture. They are still waiting for a copy of the resolution as discussed in their meeting on Monday, she added. However, Literano said checkpoints on regional boundaries have been set up already with personnel from DA, the Bureau of Animal Industry Veterinary Quarantine Services and local government staff. The checkpoints were placed in Tukuran, Aurora and Tambulig in Zamboanga del Sur, Rizal in Zamboanga del Norte and all seaports and airports in the region. Literano said there will be no confiscation of hogs and its meat products since the region does not have a disposal area. "The items will only be returned back to its origin," she explained in a phone interview. It was in Davao Occidental where ASF was first reported to have reached Mindanao. The whole province has been placed under a state of calamity after 10,000 hogs were affected by the disease. This triggered other provinces even in Visayas to enforce bans on the entry of live pigs and pork-based products. Iloilo, Cebu, Misamis Oriental, Davao City, Mati City in Davao Oriental and Southern Leyte, among others have imposed bans on pork from affected areas. The first cases of ASF in the country were found in Luzon, particularly in Bulacan, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Rizal and Cavite, before it entered Mindanao. Although ASF does not pose health risks to humans, people can still carry the virus and infect animals. The virus quickly spreads in an affected hog, which could lead to death after three to five days, threatening food supply. Stringer Leah Agonoy contributed to this report. COLUMBUS, Ohio - Testing of two people suspected to have the new coronavirus came back negative, according to the Ohio Department of Health. That includes an unidentified person from last Wednesday who was suspected to have coronavirus, and someone who got sick sometime after Thursday afternoon. The Health Department also announced Tuesday afternoon that a new person is sick and being tested. Details about the person were not released. Thus far, four people have tested negative for coronavirus in Ohio. That includes two Miami University students who had returned to Ohio after traveling China. The Ohio Department of Health has clamped down on information about suspected coronavirus infections in the state, and has instructed local health departments to not confirm or deny any suspected cases. The department instituted a new procedure about announcing new suspected infections and negative test results, with updates released only on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. When new suspected infections are announced, the department doesnt share the location in the state, whether the patients traveled overseas, how sick they are or other details. The department has said it is trying to balance the publics interest with patient privacy. There have been 13 confirmed U.S. cases of the virus from Wuhan, China. In China, 1,017 people had died from the coronavirus, most in Hubei Province, where the virus originated, according to the New York Times. Over 42,000 people have been infected across 26 countries, although the vast majority of the cases -- and fatalities -- have occurred in China. Read more stories from Columbus: Ohio House bill would ban gay conversion therapy Ohio House bill would prohibit medical procedures for transgender youth Gov. Mike DeWine gets F in marijuana policy report card Ohio medical marijuana created an estimated 4,275 jobs: report Ohio House plan phases out EdChoice vouchers, creates new income-based Buckeye Opportunity Scholarship program Group trying to overturn Medina LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance goes to Ohio Supreme Court Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder wants EdChoice vouchers based on income, not school report cards Private school voucher supporters sue state over EdChoice delay ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) ("Aureus" or the "Company") (www.AureusNOW.com) an emerging leader in the food brand development industry which owns the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand ("Yuengling's Ice Cream" or "Yuengling's") (www.yuenglingsicecream.com) including all intellectual property and its distribution at select retail locations announced today that it will no longer need it's Regulation A as a source of funding for company operations. "I'm happy to disclose that our efforts to bring in equity capital have finally gained traction. The board has agreed that we no longer be issuing Regulation A shares to provide funding. We will be making announcements to our shareholders, about the new capital structure, as the agreements are completed in the next two weeks." Stated Everett Dickson CEO, Aureus. About Aureus, Inc. Management and ownership recently changed hands. The new focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry, with a focus on ice cream. Aureus owns the assets and trademarks of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand, and the exclusive right to market and sell the products of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers. About Yuengling's Ice Cream Developed by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. Yuengling's Ice Cream is a super-premium ice cream, which means it has a butterfat content of 14% or greater. In addition to having high butterfat, Yuengling's also has low overrun (or a lower amount of air). This makes the ice cream less whipped and much more dense. Yuengling's also is constantly working to keep its product as "clean" as possible, by using as few ingredients as necessary, and those that are used are of a very high quality. The brands Yuengling's is most similar to are Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's. David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014 and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brands next stage of development, The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation, as it has been since 1935, is a separately owned and run company from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery. Safe Harbor Statement This communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of US Highland, Inc and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results. For More Information Contact & Media Inquiries: Aureus.now@gmail.com 404.885.6045 www.AureusNow.com Twitter: www.twitter.com/AureusNow SOURCE: Aureus Incorporated View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575975/Aureus-Inc-Announces-Suspension-of-its-Reg-A-as-a-Funding-Source CALIFORNIA A new bill from a California lawmaker is looking to turn the right to vote into an obligation. Assemblyman Marc Levine proposed bill AB2070. The bill would require anyone who is registered to vote to cast a ballot in every election. The law would be enforced by the Secretary of State. But, the legislation neglects to suggest any repercussions should you choose not to vote. Levine wrote in part, "California is a national leader on expanding voting rights to its citizens This is not a time to be complacent at the ballot box," he said in a press release. Levine said he just wants to encourage voting in California, even if it means forcing people to do it. We need to change the culture of voting, Levine said. We need to make it something that people expect to do, that they know its a civic obligation and with greater turnout, we can have far more positive results. However, several people feel this takes away the freedom to have the option to vote or not, with this bill. Freedom is a two-sided coin, Jack Wilkinson said. Youre free to vote or not to vote. You cant force people to do something unless youre controlling the outcome of what they do, which is what this bill will lead to. Some countries like Belgium and Australia fine people for not voting. In Bolivia, if people cannot prove they voted, their salary can be withheld at the bank. To read more about this bill, CLICK HERE. President Donald Trump on Tuesday denied asking his attorney general to roll back prosecutors' recommendation that longtime advisor Roger Stone face serious jail time after the Justice Department did a sudden 180-degree turn in court and every prosecutor on the case quit. The Department of Justice dramatically reversed its demand to jail Stone for up to nine years in a move announced Tuesday hours after Donald Trump slammed it on Twitter as a 'miscarriage of justice.' The reversal prompted the extraordinary decision by three experienced federal prosecutors to remove themselves from the case with one resigning his position with the government entirely. Trump stood by his decision Tuesday afternoon, calling the original recommendation a 'disgrace,' and terming the proposed sentence 'ridiculous.' President Donald Trump called the original sentencing recommendation for longtime advisor Roger Stone a 'disgrace,' and called the proposed sentence 'ridiculous.' Prosecutors filed a new recommendation following his late-night tweet 'I thought it was ridiculous,' Trump said. 'No I didn't speak to the Jus I'd be able to do it if I wanted. I have the absolute right to do it. I stay out of things to a degree that people wouldn't believe. But I didn't speak to them. I thought the (original) recommendation was ridiculous, I thought the whole prosecution was ridiculous,' Trump vented. 'I look at others that haven't been prosecutors.' He said he considered it an 'insult to our country.' He called them 'the same Mueller people that put everybody through hell.' But he also maintained: 'I have not been involved.' 'I think it's a disgrace. See what happens.' Trump declined to say whether he was considering commuting Stone's sentence, whatever it turns out to be. But he did suggest another man he considers a political enemy, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, might face a military investigation. 'We sent him on his way to a much different location, and the military can handle him any way they want. General Milley has him now. I congratulate General Milley,' Trump said, referencing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Mark Milley. 'He can have him. And his brother also,' Trump said. 'We'll find out,' he added, without explanation. According to its updated filing, which came after Trump's overnight tweets: 'The defendant committed serious offenses and deserves a sentence of incarceration that is 'sufficient, but not greater than necessary' to satisfy the factors set forth in' sentencing guidelines. 'Based on the facts known to the government, a sentence of between 87 to 108 months' imprisonment, however, could be considered excessive and unwarranted ... Ultimately, the government defers to the Court as to what specific sentence is appropriate under the facts and circumstances of this case,' the updated memo said. Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Donald Trump's confidant Roger Stone to serve between seven and nine years in prison after his conviction in November 2019 A senior Justice Department official told ABC News "it does appear" the the prosecutors asked to be taken off the case as a form of protest. But the official denied Trump's nearly 2 am tweet played a role in the turnaround, calling it an 'inconvenient coincidence.' Stone has been a Trump confidant for decades, and served as an informal advisor during his 2016 presidential campaign. Trump's denial came after prosecutors filed a new memo in the Stone case leaving it to the judge to recommend the appropriate sentence. Leaders at the department, which is headed by Attorney General Bill Barr, found it extreme and excessive, and disproportionate to Stone's offenses, one official said. Shortly after the announcement, the lead prosecutor in the case, Aaron Zelinsky, used a court filing to announce that he had resigned 'effective immediately' as a special assistant U.S. attorney in Washington, D.C. He retains a federal post in Maryland. A second, Jonathan Kravis, followed him shortly afterwards, resigning from government service as an assistant U.S. attorney. A third federal prosecutor, Adam Jed, also withdrew as counsel to the government in the case. Later Tuesday, it was revealed that prosecutor Michael Marando withdrew from the case. Kravis served in the public integrity of the Justice Department, served in the White House counsel's office under Barack Obama, and clerked for Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer. Jed clerked for Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens. All four used court filings to announce their departures, apparently to the surprise of their own colleagues in an unmistakable sign of protest. Zelinsky was a member of Mueller's team, but remained after Mueller departed to work on the Stone case. Trump had tweeted in the early hours of Tuesday morning: 'This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!' Just before midday, the DOJ announced its walk back but one official told Fox News the decision had been made before Trump's Twitter rant. All three were seasoned prosecutors who worked on special counsel Robert Mueller's team. The official did not explain why the reversal had not been announced until after the tweet. The DOJ has not said what sentence it will now seek. The move prompted immediate anger and derision from Democrats with Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer saying: 'They'll probably recommend the presidential medal of freedom!' He said he was asking the Department of Justice Inspector General to investigate whether Bill Barr had directed the reversal. Veteran 'dirty trickster' Stone is due to face sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on February 20, after a jury in November found him guilty on seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. Attack: Democratic congressman Bill Pascrell likened Trump and the DOJ's move to a banana republic Trump tweeted Monday night: ''This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!' (pictured: at a campaign rally in Manchester last night) Prosecutors will now have to ask the judge for permission to abandon their initial recommendation and submit a new one. 'We look forward to reviewing the government's supplemental filing,' Stone's lawyer, Grant Smith, said in an email to Reuters. It is extremely rare for Justice Department leaders to reverse the decision of its own prosecutors on a sentencing recommendation, particularly after that recommendation has been submitted to the court. Normally, United States attorneys have wide latitude to recommend sentences on cases that they prosecuted. Sentencing decisions are ultimately up to the judge, who in this case may side with the original Justice Department recommendation. Long-time consigliere: Roger Stone has been advising Donald Trump on politics for more than 20 years, including in 1999 during his first putative White House run Jackson, the judge, has repeatedly scolded Stone for his out-of-court behavior, which included a social media post he made of the judge with what appeared to be crosshairs of a gun. The judge barred Stone from social media last July after concluding that she repeatedly flouted his gag order. Besides, judges invariably frown upon crimes that they see as perverting the functions of the criminal justice system, such as making false statements or obstructing an investigation. The Justice Department plans to refile the recommendation later Tuesday. Federal prosecutors also recently softened their sentencing position onFlynn, saying that they would not oppose a probation of punishment after initially saying that he deserved up to six months in prison for lying to the FBI. The Flynn prosecution is also being handled by the U.S. Attorneys office in Washington. The White House referred questions about the decision to the Justice Department. Stone is one of several people close to Trump who faced charges stemming from then-Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Trump has the power to pardon people for federal crimes, although he has yet to use it in the cases of other former aides convicted in the wake of the Mueller investigations. His tweet hunted he could use that power, or his power to commute sentences if Stone were to get the level of custody demanded by prosecutors. Stone's own defense had asked for probation. Senior Democratic lawmakers expressed amazement at the move but Trump loyalists said they now hoped Mike Flynn - the disgraced former national security advisor who is currently trying to get out of his guilty plea to lying to the FBI - would also get 'clemency.' Outrage: Senior Democratic lawmakers including senators Chuck Schumer - the Senate minority leader - Chris Van Hollen and Sheldon Whitehouse all expressed anger at the move to abandon the call for a nine-year sentence Trump-world reacts: Mike Huckabee, the former Arkansas governor whose daughter Sarah was the White House press secretary, was among the president's supporters calling for Mike Flynn to also be affected by the apparent presidential intervention into a prosecution During the trial, prosecutors pressed their case that Stone lied to lawmakers about his outreach to WikiLeaks - the website that disclosed many hacked Democratic emails ahead of the 2016 U.S. election that proved embarrassing to Trump's Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton - to protect Trump from looking bad. Stone, who has labeled himself an 'agent provocateur' and has the face of former President Richard Nixon tattooed on his back, was charged with obstructing justice, witness tampering and lying to the U.S. House of Representatives' Intelligence Committee during its investigation into Russian election interference. Stone's colorful trial featured references to the film 'The Godfather Part II,' an impression of Senator Bernie Sanders by prosecution witness Randy Credico, and testimony by political heavyweights including former Trump campaign chief executive Steve Bannon and former Trump deputy campaign chairman Rick Gates. Those witnesses said they believed Stone had inside information about when WikiLeaks might release more damaging emails about Clinton. In truth, he had no such information. Stone was also accused of tampering with Credico's testimony, when Credico was summoned to testify before Congress and speak with the FBI. In emails and texts, Stone told Credico among other things: 'Prepare to die,' 'You're a rat. A stoolie,' and 'Stonewall it.' Prosecutors also charged that Stone had threatened Credicos therapy dog, Bianca, saying he was 'going to take that dog away from you.' Lahore, Feb 11 : An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Lahore on Tuesday adjourned the hearing of two terror financing cases involving against Hafiz Saeed, the leader of the banned Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) who mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack, till February 18. The ATC was to initially announce its verdict against the JuD chief on February 8, reports The Express Tribune. A two-member bench headed by Justice Qasim Khan will now hear the case on February 18. Saeed is nominated in about 29 cases pertaining to terror financing, money laundering as well as illegal land grabbing. The verdict was reserved against him in two cases on February 6, Dawn news said in a report. On February 8, the ATC delayed announcing its verdict in the terror financing cases and had decided to hear arguments on February 11 (Tuesday) on the application to hear all cases first before announcing the verdict. The terror financing cases were filed by the Counter-Terrorism Department's (CTD) Lahore and Gujranwala chapters. The case filed by CTD's Gujranwala chapter was initially being heard in a Gujranwala ATC but was shifted to Lahore on the directions of the Lahore High Court. During the trial of both cases, the court recorded the statements of 23 witnesses. The JuD chief was arrested by CTD in July last year, while he was travelling from Lahore to Gujranwala. Prior to his arrest, 23 first information reports had been registered against JuD leaders at CTD police stations of Lahore, Gujranwala, Multan, Faisalabad and Sargodha in July 2019. According to the CTD, JuD was financing terrorism from the massive funds collected through non-profit organisations and trusts, Dawn news reported. These non-profit organisations were banned in April last year as the CTD, during detailed investigations, found that they had links with the JuD and its top leadership. The crackdown on JuD last year followed a warning by Paris-based Financial Action Task Force to Pakistan to deliver on its commitments to curb terror financing and money laundering. Nurses in Wuhan, China, wearing protective gear gave a thumbs-up after shaving their hair. China Xinhua News/Twitter Chinese nurses heading to Wuhan are shaving their heads to help them fight the coronavirus epidemic more effectively. Having no hair achieves a few things: It prevents the infection from spreading via exposed hair and also makes it easier to put on and take off protective gear. Time pressure for medical staff in Wuhan is extreme, and saving even a few minutes a day is seen as worthwhile. Extreme measures being taken include wearing adult diapers instead of taking bathroom breaks. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Some Chinese nurses are shaving their heads to reduce the risk of cross contamination while fighting the coronavirus at hospitals in Wuhan. Shaved heads are just one example of sacrifices medical staff are making as they head to the front line of the epidemic. As of Tuesday morning, the novel coronavirus, formally known as 2019-nCoV, had killed more than 1,000 people and infected nearly 43,000. A video posted by the state-run People's Daily, China's largest newspaper, shows nurses from the Shaanxi province shaving their heads before shipping out to Wuhan. As well as limiting the ways pathogens can spread, having no hair also makes it easier to put on and take off protective hazmat suits, according to a video posted by China's official Xinhua news agency. Shan Xia, who works as a nurse at the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, shaved all of her hair at the end of January, China Daily reported. China Xinhua News (@XHNews) February 10, 2020 Hospital staff in Wuhan are going to extreme lengths to save time and get to more patients, including wearing adult diapers instead of taking bathroom breaks. The virus is taking a physical toll on medical staff, leaving some with skin bleached white from disinfectant and their faces marked by lines from masks digging into their skin. Story continues The emotional toll is apparent as well, with some doctors passing breaking point as they struggle with an ever-increasing volume of cases. "I think it is a strain for every doctor and every nurse in Wuhan, both physically and mentally," a Beijing-based therapist named Candice Qin told The Washington Post. "We know that patients are worried, but we should bear in mind that doctors are just as human as well." Read the original article on Business Insider Indian-origin South African filmmaker Anant Singh has credited his special bond with Nelson Mandela for inspiring him to tell socially relevant stories. South Africa gears to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Mandela's release from prison after spending 27 years as a political prisoner. He was eventually released on February 11, 1990 to negotiate South Africa's peaceful transition to democracy from decades of white minority rule. "This date will be remembered as one of the most significant days in the history of the world a watershed event that changed South Africa forever. Madiba's release from prison set our nation on the course of liberation and culminated in the first democratic elections four years later," Singh, who has produced two short films to be screened at the celebrations in Cape Town, said. Recounting his meeting with Mandela, Singh said, "I met Madiba two weeks after his release in Durban, where I spent an exceptional hour with him. His gentle, caring and modest nature struck me. It is still the most momentous engagement I have ever had." The relationship would develop into a personal one that would see Mandela grant Singh the coveted rights to film Mandela's book Long Walk to Freedom', which won numerous local and international awards. My career in the film industry was catalysed by the call Madiba (a term of endearment given to Mandela by the country people) and the ANC made in the 1980's for people to speak out against apartheid. Heeding that call, I made 'A Place of Weeping', the first anti-apartheid film made in South Africa, which we did while being on the run from the security police... I have tried to tell important South African stories that are socially relevant. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A former spokeswoman for the Peruvian Parade, a more than 30-year-old parade that originated in one of the countrys largest Peruvian-American enclaves, is suing the parade committee, alleging it owed thousands of dollars to city employees, vendors and even the woman crowned queen of last years parade. A lawsuit filed on Thursday by Carmen Gisela Ochoa, of Cedar Grove, alleges a list of financial improprieties and secrecy by members of the group formed to manage the parade that she says have run the organization into financial ruin. All of it has left the city without its premier cultural celebration by taking it out Paterson - where the parade originated. The lawsuit names the organizations former president Mario Lopez, treasurer Dora Valencia and president Guillermo Garcia as defendants. Lopez denied the suits claims to NJ Advance Media, saying its vindictiveness on Ochoas part. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court of Passaic County, looks to pry open the parades books which have so far been kept secret so committee members can see the extent of the financial ineptitude," Ochoa said. For me, its annoying to have to go to court to try to see the books, Ochoa said in Spanish on Monday. This is eight years of my life Ive wasted promoting this on behalf of the culture of my country. Its lamentable to have to go through this. By the end of 2015, when Carlos Tello, the organizations former president finished his term that year, the organization was flush with cash with $40,000 in the bank and net assets totaling $48,293, the suit says. But in 2016 and 2017, the first two years of Lopezs tenure as president, the organization hemorrhaged money, losing $56,924, it says. And last year, various unidentified vendors complained of checks bouncing, with one vendor responsible for most of the parades floats complaining on the day of the parade itself, claiming he had not been paid and that Lopez had been dodging his calls, the complaint said. And the parades crowned queen claimed that she had not been paid the $1,000 in prize money. The woman was eventually paid around November, said Ochoa. Several vendors complained to Ochoa, who was the only one answering the phone, she said. Just days after receiving checks signed by Lopez, angry vendors would call Ochoa to tell her that their checks had bounced. Additionally, $750 in cash from a raffle was also unaccounted for, with Lopez answering cryptically when Ochoa pressed for details. I dont know," Lopez responded, according to Ochoa. It must be in the water." The lawsuits claims are unfounded and is a matter of vindictiveness, Lopez said. Before December, Ochoa never complained, Lopez said in Spanish on Monday afternoon. But after the December election where she was passed over as president, Ochoa began firing shots in the air, he said. I dont know what shes talking about, said Lopez, referring to the alleged loss of more than $56,000 by the organization. In the last year, she felt a bit mortified because she had hoped to become president. She decided to stay on the executive committee. So this is vengeance on her part. Ochoa maintains she had been emailing the organization asking to look at the organizations finances as far back as September. According to Lopez, the organization presents its balances to the committee every year. Lopez was not opposed to opening up the books to Ochoa, he said. Calls to Valencia and Garcia were not immediately returned. In 1986, Peruvian Parade Inc. formed in Paterson as a non-profit organization to create and run the Peruvian Parade to be held annually on July 28, Perus Independence Day. The city has one of the largest Peruvian communities in the country, with approximately 10,000 Peruvians, or nearly 7% of the citys 148,678 residents, according to Census Bureau statistics. For decades, the parade would start in Passaic and wind its way through Clifton before ending in Paterson at Market, Mill and Cianci streets, officially named Peru Square by the city. But in 2019, after owing the city $18,000 for police and public workers overtime, the parade skipped over Paterson, instead ending in Passaic. For me, it was very sad that we had to skip Paterson, the cradle of the Peruvian community, due to financial problems that the organization just didnt know to handle," Ochoa said. A call and email to Kathleen Long, Patersons business administrator, to inquire if the organization had an outstanding balance, was not immediately returned. The real reason Ochoa is suing the parade organization and Lopez and other administrators is her attempt to supplant the parade with a newly formed organization that Ochoa hopes will get the contract to run the annual parade in Paterson, Lopez believes. Ochoa denies being part of that group, which she says was formed by Tello. Lopez plans to file a counterclaim, seeking damages for the claims Ochoa has levied against him, he said. But for Ochoa, the lawsuit is merely to enforce transparency for the organizations finances. Im seeking transparency, Ochoa said. As a member of the executive committee, I want to see the books. If theres nothing to be worried about, why deny access?" Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Surf lifesavers have made an elderly man's wish come true by helping him dip his feet in the ocean in a random act of kindness. Len Stevens, who 'just wanted to get his feet wet', was helped to the shore line by volunteer lifesavers at Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday. The Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club shared a touching image of lifesaver Brian Dreves helping Mr Stevens into the water. 'Len Stevens just wanted to get his feet wet, so how could we not make it happen for him,' the photo was captioned. Len Stevens, who 'just wanted to get his feet wet', was helped to the shore line by volunteer lifesavers at Kings Beach on the Sunshine Coast on Sunday Mr Dreves' daughter Eliza, who volunteers as the Vice Patrol Captain at the club, was there to watch the emotional moment. She told Daily Mail Australia Mr Stevens' own daughters approached the volunteers and asked for help to grant the elderly man's wish. 'Lens daughters came down and asked if we could facilitate their 96-year-old father getting down to the water's edge to get his feet wet. Of course we couldnt say no to such a lovely man,' Ms Dreves said. 'My dad was the Volunteer Surf Lifesaver pictured helping him. He stood and chatted to Len for a good 30 minutes.' The volunteers helped Mr Stevens to roll his walking frame into the waves and spent time talking to him and his daughters. Ms Dreves said: 'It was the loveliest atmosphere. Lens family were so so happy and Len had a big smile the whole time.' She said she was thrilled with the overwhelming response the gesture had received online. 'I originally posted it as just a nice positive thing for our clubs social media channels and it went crazy from there. It shows that people love good news when were so often surrounded by bad news,' Ms Dreves said. Facebook users were quick to praise this act of kindness. 'Thank you so much. What a wonderful thing to do. Thank you for caring and helping an old man feel the beautiful ocean on his feet,' one said. 'Good on the lifeguards for making his wish a reality. This would have meant a lot to him,' another wrote. 11.02.2020 LISTEN If this is how politics is always going to be done in Ghana, then God save us. When a politician embezzles funds and State assets, his political party members rally in support of him, defending him/her to the hilt without looking at the merits of the accusations levelled against them. A court in the United Kingdom, London to be precise, has ruled that Airbus have employed illegal tactics prohibited by international company laws to win massive sales contracts in some countries among which were six African countries including Ghana, my beloved but sinking country. Subsequently, America, France and the UK courts have fined the Airbus aviation company a sum total of 3 billion of which Airbus have gladly accepted culpability, payment and gleefully thanking their star that the case never went into full trial where they could have ended up paying higher than that or some of the company's leaders ending up in prison. According to the UK court decision, some Ghanaians were induced to the tune of 5 million to facilitate Airbus winning a hefty sales contract from the government of Ghana to sell military aircraft(s) to Ghana. In plain statement, the company bribed one "elected Ghana government official 1" through one "Ghana intermediary 1" who is very close to that government official 1. This contract took place between years 2011 and 2015. Reasoning as human beings but not as beasts of the jungle, who could the "elected Ghana government official 1" be? Even in the animal kingdom, the primate apes or a pride of lions will be able to tell you who their number 1 within their kingdom is. Have you ever heard of a male lion or a male chimpanzee marking their territory? If they are not the supreme leaders hence the primus inter pares, how could they aggressively mark their territory and defend it to the hilt with all others succumbing to their authority? Coming back to Ghana and into human community, is it not the president who is the 1st Gentleman of the State hence the elected government official 1? Please, fellow Ghanaians, don't let us play ignorance to be seen as ignorant fools by our contemporary Whites. The NDC are vehemently saying that the "elected government official 1" can never be former President John Dramani Mahama. Could it be Rockson Adofo then? They go on to say that even if someone had been bribed 5 million, Ghana as a nation never lost anything and no one is complaining about having lost money. Sammy Gyamfi, who is said to be a lawyer, either by graduation or profession, I can't tell, makes a big fool of himself by his defence submissions. If his calibre reflects how Ghana lawyers are, then God help Ghana again. Does he not know that the bribe given to whoever the government official 1 is will be reflected in the total cost of the aircraft to Ghana? If the aircraft (plane) was going to sell to Ghana for say 50 million, because bribe has exchanged hands, it will sell for about 60 million. The price being inflated by 10 million out of which 5 million will have been used to bribe that greedy bastard "elected government official 1" Have Ghana not lost money here? If the illegality committed by Airbus was not grave, a serious crime, would the courts in America, France and the UK find them guilty? Would Airbus be happy to pay a fine of 3 billion in order that the case does not go for full trial? When I listen to Ghana FM radio stations in the morning, I get very annoyed at the nonsense always being spewed by some NDC phone-in callers or even their lawyers, trying to defend former President Mahama as having done nothing wrong even if he was the one codenamed "elected Ghana government official 1" Some of them even go to the extent to question why President Nana Akufo-Addo should refer the case to Hon Martin Amidu, the Special Prosecutor, to investigate it. They claim His Excellency the President Nana Akufo-Addo knows very well that Hon Martin Amidu does not like former President John Dramani Mahama. Also, Martin Amidu knows exactly who the person being referred to in code is, they assert. If he knows the person, should that render him ineligible to do his job in all honesty? This does not raise the question of conflict of interest, please, Sammy Gyamfi and Co who always exhibit typical Ghanaian-mindedness in their political discourse. Again, their argument doesn't sound credible to me. What did John Dramani Mahama do to be hated by Martin Amidu? Was the Office of the Special Prosecutor not created to deal with official corruptions in case institutional corruption could be curtailed, if not totally gotten rid of from Ghana? Why then should he be obstructed from investigating an official corruption that has dented the image of Ghana internationally? If John Dramani Mahama is not the one alleged in the court ruling, why should NDC be worried to mount such a gargantuan defence wall in favour of him? They go on to say, Martin Amidu was the Attorney General in 2011, he advised the government to purchase the aircraft from Airbus. Yes, he must have advised and put his signature to some documents saying it was good to purchase the aircraft. However, was he aware that some bribes were exchanging hands and if he did, did he authorise it? If he knew and did authorise it, then he will be ensnared by his own investigations and himself dealt with by the laws of the land. Why then are the NDC afraid that he conducts investigations into the factual findings by the noble UK court? Let me tell the NDC in particular and Ghanaians in general that in the UK, laws work unlike in Ghana where justice is known to be sold to the highest bidder. A UK judge will never dare take bribe to twist justice as it has been proved to happen in Ghana all of the time. Therefore, their ruling on the Airbus offering bribes and someone in Ghana taking bribes to aid Airbus win lucrative sales contract(s) in Ghana is factual. NDC, stop defending the indefensible by your disgraceful analyses. You make other intelligent and wise Ghanaians be seen in the eyes of Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin etc., as fools and the sons and daughters of shithole countries. When you talk about the Airbus scandal, they quickly jump for equalisation using the missing excavators. Nonsense, the excavator issue is one thing, criminal of course, and the Airbus scandal is another. Don't use equalisations to indirectly seek the abrogation of investigations into both criminal activities. The law should take its full course. Martin Amidu should not miss this golden opportunity handed to him on a silver platter. If he does, he will lose my respect for him forever and ever. Rockson Adofo Tuesday, 11 February 2020 Monetization of ML is N years away We like to say that big tech has become expert at monetizing private behavioral data but I dont think thats true. I was looking for a statement my brain remembers from googles Eric Schmidt about everything we do now is ML but google search is a goldfish now and I only got recent stuff. Interestingly, it surfaced these two Schmidt statements: Hes consistent. That 5 year number isnt budging. Are the biggest big tech companies monetizing their big datasets? I think the answer in 2020 is sort of, and doesnt involve particularly advanced statistics. At amazon, even really good product recommendations arent (I suspect) driving sales growth more than fast shipping. For FB & G, my ML questions are: Does ML improve the quality of their core offering (search for G, feed for FB) Does it improve the performance of ads? (for any stakeholder) Does it enable development of new things that diversify their product offering For me, the answers are no, maybe, and no. G search has gotten worse as theyve focused on recency in the index, gotten more tolerant of synonyms, and gotten less strict about quoted phrases. And no, they havent diversified their core revenue stream is still ads and in Gs case that income may be drying up. The maybe is does ML improve ads. Theres some statistical work that goes into deciding what to show to who. The platforms use the word optimization in their config dashboards. Having bought ads, but never worked on these systems internally, I suspect theyre just sorting by click rate per ad per keyword. I could believe theres some fancy clustering happening here, but I dont see AI-level stats used for categorization in a way that moves the revenue needle. Maybe Im wrong. I dont think this is a controversial claim; the big 5 tech companies arent AI companies. Their continuing user traffic would be monetizable with early 00s yahoo technology distributed systems yes, but no advanced statistics necessary. My point theyre monetizing their traffic but not their data. Google has only one valuable proprietary dataset Well two if you count email. Id pay $1000 to read someones gmail, but I dont see that happening until theyre really strapped for cash. But theres another dataset that google has proprietary access to, has been sued for collecting, but still has running in the basement: Google books, their scanning project which gave them access to OCRd full text of tens of millions of books under copyight. Books are the information thats worth money. My mental hierarchy of information value is: Actual secrets: passwords, real-time locations of things, kompromat In-house operational data used to run companies or governments, including payment streams of what people are buying Up-to-date expert research like janes.com or whitepapers. CRS, which is mostly open now on fas.org, is in this category. Science papers, which are still relatively closed, are here too. Books Wikipedia Paywalled news (WSJ) Non-paywalled news (huffpo) Hokey free content like this blog Gibberish farms like wikihow and about.com Google today is like a library that only has the bottom three categories. Not just that, but it creates optimization loops that bid for trash like wikihow thats clearly not written by an expert. A search engine used by serious people would remove this junk from their index. Google has access to wikipedia I guess, but wikipedia also has its own search engine. Also, you know what wikipedia is mostly based on? Books. If you look at the trend of NLP research and question-answering systems, its reasonable for G to release a system that can answer questions based on information in books. At first it will let you query a specific set of books. Later it will merge facts and claims across them. Hella useful if youre writing an essay and just need some quotes. It will be for school-age essay-writing what the calculator was for math a game-changer that questions our cultural expectations around this educational activity. Eventually useful for anyone who uses knowledge in any way. Heres the problem: Theyll claim to own the derived product Because facts are facts, after all. A question-answering bot is a transformative work. G will claim to claim to own the expert system generated from the book, and offer zero money to the copyright owners. This will do to non-fiction books what youtube did to music: drive down the price in ways that makes distribution only economical for low-margin platforms. It could give G a monopoly on the market and create a disincentive for production of new knowledge. If Id published a non-fiction book in the last 100 years Id put $10 right now into a class action to prevent this product from hitting the market. Google will force us to create a new format for information by removing the profitability from the existing one. Its not like they didnt tell us they were doing this. Their mission statement was to free the worlds information. Small wonder they dont understand privacy. In this case were talking about information thats protected by IP rights. When you free something that belongs to someone its called stealing. Stealing is evil, of course, and evil has only been on the menu since 2018. So no surprise on the slow start. Appendix Theres a thread about this on HN. Arguments I liked in there: Publishing a summary doesnt violate copyright. Probably right, but publishing every possible summary of a book doesnt have case law and is much more like a substituitable good. And releasing an expert system based on a book is more like every summary than a single summary. In my opinion this is like Gs problem with yelp / genius infoboxes scraping an entire site and deterring you from clicking through. Im not a lawyer or an expert on IP law, so I dont know if theres case law for yelp v google on US soil. Also Genius watermarked their lyrics so the apostrophes read out red handed in morse code. Airbnb uses ML successfully to rank search results. From this comment. I think the person was trying to say that FB & G are using ML effectively, but they just posted this paper on ML-based ranking at airbnb. Re-sharing here because I liked the paper, draw your own conclusions about the rest. Maps and street view are a valuable proprietary dataset. (from the same comment as the airbnb paper). Yeah, maybe. I think about this a lot because maps is a product that I hate but kind of must use. I think street view is silly; a digital database of storefronts would be useful, a shitty 2.5d VR game is not useful. Is G maps better than DBs published by the government? Maybe. For streets, probably. For finding retail businesses, not sure if there were a city-published DB of businesses by category Id give that a shot. Ive tried to use the open street map version of G maps and never got it to work. Amazon has asked a federal court to let it depose President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Mark Esper, arguing that hearing from them was essential to determining if they had intervened against the internet company when the Pentagon awarded a multibillion-dollar defence contract to a competitor. Amazon claims that Trump used "improper pressure" on the Pentagon to prevent the tech giant from winning the a $US10b contract as part of an attempt to harm the company's chief executive, Jeff Bezos. Credit:AP The request, which was unsealed on Monday, escalates a legal battle over a major cloud computing contract to modernise the Pentagon's operations, called the Joint Enterprise Defence Infrastructure project, or JEDI. Amazon Web Services, the largest cloud provider, was widely considered the front-runner for the $US10 billion contract, but in October, the Defence Department surprised analysts when it awarded the project to Microsoft, the No. 2 provider in the market. Amazon challenged the decision in December, claiming that Trump used "improper pressure" on the Pentagon to prevent Amazon from winning the contract as part of an attempt to harm the company's chief executive, Jeff Bezos. Trump has criticised Bezos, who also owns The Washington Post, a publication that has reported aggressively on the Trump administration. "The question is whether the President of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of the DOD to pursue his own personal and political ends," Drew Herdener, an Amazon spokesman, said in a statement. By Express News Service BENGALURU: Its been a weekend of art and culture. Friday evening saw the opening of Mystical Hues with the works of prominent artists, including JMS Mani and Ganapati Hegde, on display at the Taj West End. In addition, the works of artists from Nepal and Sri Lanka are also on display. The idea is to promote upcoming artists, many of whom have a lot of talent. We want to give them a platform to showcase their work, says Shilpa Dugar, founder of Krisla Arts, an online art gallery that has conducted shows in London and Bengaluru. This time, the paintings on display revolve around the theme of greenery and nature. Some of the participant artists include Senathipati from Chennai, Bandana Kumari from Bhopal, Amit Bhar from Kolkata, Suresh Gulage from Pune, Roy K Johm from Kerala. For Dugar, who has been working on curating the show over the last three months, it has been particularly fruitful since a part of the proceeds are being donated to an organisation called Vasantharatna which helps the families of martyrs. When I met Subhashini who lost her husband at the age of 36, she told me that most people assume that they are looking for sympathy and empathy. But most of them are worried about childrens education and although they earn a bit financially, they need help, she says, adding that she hopes the lives of wives of jawans improve. The lives of widows in rural India are very difficult, and we are hoping to help them out, she adds. She goes on to emphasise that in addition, these artists are doing some great quality work. Im hoping that those who buy the art work look at the cause they are purchasing it for, in addition to the aesthetic value, she says, adding that owing to space constraints, only a limited number of artworks are being showcased. Show is on at Taj West End, Race Course Road till Feb 17. New data has revealed how average NSW Police response times vary widely across Sydney. Officers from Surry Hills police area command, who also cover Moore Park, Paddington and Darlinghurst, took an average of four minutes and 34 seconds to respond to urgent calls reporting serious incidents like violent assault, robbery, domestic violence, sexual assault and break-ins. The response time was the fastest in the state in the year to 2019. Surry Hills police officers took an average of four minutes and 34 seconds to respond to urgent calls reporting serious incidents. Credit:Isabella Porras Meanwhile in Camden, Oran Park, Richmond, Castle Hill, Kellyville and Northmead emergency callers wait more than twice as long to hear the sound of sirens as those in inner city areas like Paddington, Newtown, Potts Point and Balmain. MATTOON A home daycare provider in Mattoon has been charged with aggravated battery of a 6-month-old boy, causing "shaken baby" type injuries that required an extended stay at St. Louis Children's Hospital. The Coles County State's Attorney's Office has filed a felony charge of aggravated battery to a victim under age 13, with a possibility of permanent injury, against Carmen M. Petak, 49, of Mattoon following an investigation conducted by the Mattoon Police Department. Petak and her appointed attorney, Stephanie Corum, could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon. Mattoon Deputy Chief Sam Gaines said Petak, who is a former Illinois State Police trooper and was a Mattoon auxiliary officer before that, voluntarily turned herself in to custody on Friday after a warrant was issued for her arrest earlier that day. Petak was released from the Coles County jail on Tuesday after posting the $2,500 bond amount that was set in her case. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Feb. 20. Gaines said the charge alleges that Petak shook the 6-month-old boy, referred to as K.K. in the court file, while he was in her care on Jan. 23. Gaines said the infant's mother subsequently picked him up early from the daycare that day after hearing he was sick and she then took him to Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center. K.K. was later transferred to St. Louis Children's Hospital. Sarah Bush Lincoln medical staff contacted the police due to K.K.'s symptoms of vomiting and lethargy and the absence of visible outside trauma being indicative of brain bleed caused by "shaken baby" type injuries, Gaines said. St. Louis staff later determined that the infant was suffering from brain bruising and a bilateral retinal hemorrhage that would cause symptoms to occur within an hour of him being shaken, he said. "That really helped us narrow down the time frame," Gaines said. The deputy chief said this medical information prompted investigators with the Mattoon Police Department to meet with Petak on Feb. 4 for another interview, during which she reportedly admitted to shaking the infant. He said the police then turned their investigation report over to the state's attorney's office to review for possible charges in court. K.K.'s mother has discussed the case and gave an update on her son's condition to WCIA this week, saying that he is now doing much better and is showing strong signs of recovery. She could not be reached for comment Tuesday afternoon (JG-TC is waiting to name K.K. and his mother until they can be contacted directly). Gaines said the infant is doing well since his release from the hospital but cautioned that "shaken baby" injuries can produce health issues in subsequent years, such as seizures or speech impediments. "They are just going to have to give it time and see what happens when the boy grows up a little bit to see if there are any issues," Gaines said. Mug shots from the JG-TC Contact Stroud at (217) 238-6861. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 3 Angry 13 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. By Abdul Kerimkhanov Fully occupation of seven electoral districts out of 125, as well as partially occupation of three constituencies in Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh, as a result of the Armenian aggression have been reflected in the interim report of the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission of 29 January 2020. Azerbaijani Foreign Ministrys said these in its official website on February 10, while commenting on the February 9 snap parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan. In order to grant the constitutional rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) expelled from these territories, 523 polling stations were set up throughout Azerbaijan, the ministry said. "The IDPs from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan, deprived of voting in their home towns, exercised their voting rights in these polling stations arranged specially for them," the statement reads. The MFA informed that the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region took part in the elections in Khankendi and Shusha constituencies and became the elected representatives of the region. As was recalled, Azerbaijans Central Election Commission and the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region, invited the Azerbaijani citizens of Armenian origin in the region occupied by Armenia to participate in the parliamentary elections voting. Note that on 9 February 2020, snap elections took place to the Parliament of Azerbaijan. The elections were held in full compliance with the Constitution of Azerbaijan, the Electoral Code and the international obligations of Azerbaijan. Some 5,573 polling stations were set up throughout the country, and according to preliminary data of the Central Election Commission. Slightly less than half (47.81 percent) of voters took part in voting and exercised their voting rights. "The highest number of registered candidates in the elections so far - 1,314 candidates - have been running for the parliament, and this indicates the comprehensiveness and fairness of the candidate registration process, as well as the competitive electoral environment. The elections were also marked by such moments as a significant increase in the number of registered women candidates compared to the previous elections, ensuring broad pluralism with the representation of candidates from 19 political parties," the statement reads. As many as 883 international observers, who came to the country at the invitation of the Azerbaijani side, and about 78,000 local observers monitored the elections process. At the same time, 199 representatives from 132 foreign media joined the observation of the elections. "The absolute majority of both international and local observers confirmed that the elections were free, democratic and transparent. If any election-related shortcomings are recorded, they will be seriously investigated," the statement reads. The parliamentary elections of 9 February 2020 constitute the next important step in the democratic development of Azerbaijan. Around one million Azerbaijanis were expelled from their homes in the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding seven regions of Azerbaijan as a result of Armenian occupation in the war in early 1990s. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Signboards for plastic surgery hospitals in Gangnam, Seoul. / Korea times file By Kim Jae-heun Plastic surgery hospitals here are refusing to take Chinese customers amid growing concerns over the coronavirus. One popular plastic surgery clinic located in Gangnam, the country's most vibrant district, has put up a notice stating that it will not receive Chinese customers or those who have visited China within the last 14 days. The hospital made the decision due to the reluctance of local customers visiting places popular with Chinese medical tourists. This doesn't bode well for many other clinics that took similar action as over 30 percent of foreign patients in 2018 were Chinese. According to the Korea Health Industry Development Institute's report, in 2018 a total 378,967 Chinese received cosmetic surgery here. Americans and Japanese ranked second and third, respectively, but their combined number only amounted to 87,776. Still, the hospitals had no choice but to stop receiving Chinese customers when the third victim diagnosed with the new coronavirus here reportedly visited a plastic surgery clinic in Gangnam on Jan. 22 and 24. The patient, a Korean man who returned home from Wuhan in China on Jan. 20, visited Glovi Plastic Surgery hospital twice along with this friend. He is thought to have spread the virus to the sixth confirmed patient. A medical tourism insider said the situation is worse than when the Chinese government banned its people from visiting Seoul in economic retaliation for deploying American missile defense system THAAD here in 2017. This time, Beijing has officially banned overseas group tours as of Jan. 27. "We are witnessing a decrease in the number of both Chinese and Korean patients amid growing concerns over the spread of the new coronavirus...This is because Chinese (patients) visit local cosmetic surgery hospitals and domestic patients want to avoid them," said a plastic surgeon at a hospital in Gangnam under the condition of anonymity. "We barely have any patients scheduled to undergo plastic surgery this week and only a few are visiting to receive minor treatments. I think the situation will not get better this month. If things don't change, small hospitals could close down," a plastic surgeon added. Other cosmetic surgery clinics still receiving Chinese customers have strengthened their preventive measures to block the epidemic in their hospitals. One of the biggest plastic surgery hospitals iWell in Gangnam has adopted thermal cameras to check visitors' body temperatures upon entry. If a temperature above 37.5 degree Celsius is recorded, an alarm goes is raised. The clinic staff has to wear face masks and frequently use hand sanitizers. Those who have visited China in the last two weeks or have respiratory symptoms and fever are banned from entering the hospital. Nine suspects arrested in slew of Phuket drug raids, three found with illegal firearms PHUKET: Phuket City Police have arrested nine suspects for drugs in a series of raids that landed only 12 pills of methamphetamine (ya bah) and 15.2 grammes of crystal meth (ya ice), along with 2.6 kilograms of kratom leaves. drugscrimepolice By Eakkapop Thongtub Tuesday 11 February 2020, 12:48PM In total nine drug suspects were arrested. Photos: Phuket City Police However, three of the suspects were found in possession of illegal homemade firearms and a slew of ammunition ammunition. According to a report made available on Sunday (Feb 9), the series of raids were led by Lt Col Jalan Bangpraserd. The first arrest reported was that of Phuket native Nathee Thee Thianmanee, 25, at a house on Trang Rd in Phuket Town after he was found in possession of one kilogram of kratom leaves. Nathee was also found in possession of a handgun made to fire shotgun shells and another handgun made to use a magazine to fire 9mm bullets. Police also seized 64 9mm bullets, 27 .38-calibre bullets and two shotgun cartridges. Nathee was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 5 drug and possession of illegal firearms and ammunition. Kiattichai Nueng Sangsinlert, 34, was arrested in front of a KFC outlet at a Caltex petrol station on Chao Fa East Rd in Chalong after he was found with 4.15g of ya ice, drug-taking equipment, a pack of plastic bags, and a notebook containing details of drug transactions. He was also found with 13 9mm bullets, two .38-calibre bullets, one mobile phone and other 11 items which police did not identify in the report. Police continuing their investigation into Kiattichai also searched a house in Soi Malikaew, Rassada, where they seized a red-black Honda Click motorbike valued at about B15,000. Kiattichai was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell and illegal possession of ammunition. Boonting Arm Oppatham was arrested with 0.11g of ya ice and a drug-taking equipment at house on Wiset Rd in Moo 4, Rawai, near Chalong Circle. He was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug. Theeraphan Pun Puakped, 21, was arrested with one pill of ya bah and a drug-taking equipment at a room in an apartment building in Soi Chao Fa 49 in Moo 2, Chalong. He was taken to Chalong Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 1 drug. Four other suspects were arrested at an apartment building in Moo 3, Rassada, noted the report. Thanathip Max Thipnet, 28, was found with 11 pills of ya bah, 10.25g of ya ice. Jatuporn Jack Jankaew, 19, was found with 0.62g of ya ice and drug-taking equipment; and Watchasin Nu Rodklongtan, 22, was found with one kilogram of kratom leaves. The fourth suspect, Klanarong Bank Promchai, 29, was arrested after he was found with just 0.07g of ya ice, one digital scale and a drug-taking equipment, but also a homemade zip gun made to fire .38-calibre bullets. All four were taken to Phuket City Police Station. Thanathip and Jatuporn were charged with possession of a Category 1 drug with intent to sell. Watcharin was charged with possession of a Category 5 drug, and Klanarong was charged with possession of a Category 1 drug and possession of an illegal firearm. The report also noted the arrest of Khetsopon Khet Thongsakul, 22, who was found with 600g of kratom leaves at a house in Soi Kingkaew 7, on Rassadanusorn Rd, in Rassada. Khetsopon was taken to Phuket City Police Station and charged with possession of a Category 5 drug. Three private schoolgirls who filmed themselves at a McDonald's drive-thru and shared it to TikTok are under police investigation for their 'idiotic' behaviour. The clip showed students from Melbourne's prestigious St Catherine's School driving through what appeared to be the Prahran fast food restaurant, in the city's south-east. Victoria Police said the school reported the video, which was uploaded to one of the girls' social media accounts before being deleted. 'It is alarming to see underage drivers behind the wheel of the car and not wearing seatbelts,' Victoria Police said. 'This behaviour is idiotic and will not be taken lightly.' Police will be in contact with the girls, their families and school. They say young people are three times more likely to be killed in a collision. Emojis were used in the video in an attempt to cover the St Catherine's emblem on two of the girls, but it was visible as they moved around. St Catherine's is an independent Christian day and boarding school for girls that describes itself as 'committed to nurturing and empowering independent and globally responsive young women'. The school charges over $33,000 for students to attend Year 7. The TikTok clip showed the schoolgirls in the front seat of a car giggling as they made their way through the drive-thru without seat belts. A thirteen-year-old drove her friends through a McDonald's drive-thru in Prahan (pictured), Melbourne for a TikTok video The unlicensed driver was reported to be no older than thirteen, according to the Herald Sun. The teen behind the wheel told her friends: 'Guys, I know how to drive. I'm not even pressing the pedal because I don't need to.' Her friends then repeatedly yelled for her to brake, to which she replied: 'I don't need to brake yet'. St Catherine's said they are aware of the video and released a statement from deputy principal Robert Marshall. 'The school is aware of an isolated incident that occurred outside of school hours involving three students. This incident occurred while they were under the supervision of a family guardian,' Mr Marshall said. 'As this remains a private matter for the families involved, the school will not comment any further at this time.' The three St Catherine's students filmed at McDonald's Prahran in Melbourne's south-east It is believed a family member was in the backseat of the car, but they could not be seen in the video. The footage went on to show a quick argument over who would order, before the three girls delivered a popular social media chant. 'Can I get a Big Mac, super serve of fries, why are you staring at me please go get my apple pies,' they said. They proceeded to ask for four Big Macs, 20 chicken nuggets, three large chips, a McFlurry and a chocolate milkshake. The video ended with the drive-thru attendant asking: 'Was that a medium?' The road laws in Victoria state that a driver must be at least 16 and pass a learner driving test before being eligible to get behind the wheel. A learner must also only drive with a fully licensed adult in the passenger seat with them. Canadian epidemiologist Bruce Aylward speaks during a press conference at the United Nations European headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7, 2016. Aylward will lead an international team of experts in the study of China's novel coronavirus outbreak. (The Canadian Press/AP, Keystone) Renowned Canadian Epidemiologist to Lead Coronavirus Study Team OTTAWARenowned Canadian epidemiologist Bruce Aylward will be leading a team of World Health Organization experts in China to study the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Aylward arrived in China today to lay the groundwork for the larger international team tasked with learning more about the virus and Chinas public health response to it. Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of WHOs health emergencies program, says the teams mission will be to learn what investigations into the virus have already been carried out in China and to understand what has been one of the largest public health responses in history. But first, Ryan says Aylward and his team will be looking to the origin of the virus and the severity of the disease. Aylward is a veteran of past infectious disease outbreaks, having directed WHOs 2,000-person response to the West Africa Ebola outbreak. He joined WHO in 1992, and worked in the Middle East, Western Pacific, Europe, North Africa and Central and Southeast Asia in the field of immunization and communicable disease control; he has been responsible for a major overhaul of the way WHO responds to health emergencies. In China, Aylward and his team of about 10 experts will collaborate with Chinese scientists and public health officials to decide which parts of the country to visit, and which unanswered questions to tackle first. We want to learn more about the virus, to learn more about the investigations that have been carried out by Chinese scientists and epidemiologists, to understand the nature of the public health responsewhich reaches right from the lowest level of the community right the way through the system to the top, Ryan said. Meanwhile, a second Canadian plane carrying evacuees from the quarantined region of Hubei, China, has landed at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southern Ontario. Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne said the plane departed Wuhan with 185 passengers on board. Myriam Larouche, one of the 213 Canadians who were flown in Friday from the Chinese epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, says life under quarantine at the base feels like summer camp. By Laura Osman mercedes factory REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh Daimler AG is reportedly considering up to 15,000 layoffs, as reported by German newspaper Handelsblatt. The German automaker, which owns brands like Mercedes-Benz, Maybach, and Smart, had previously announced it would eliminate at least 10,000 jobs by 2022. A Daimler spokesperson said the company is "aiming to cut a low five-digit figure of jobs worldwide by the end of 2022" as it looks to reduce roughly $1.5 billion in personnel costs. The industry is facing tough times, with automakers announcing 80,000 planned jobs cuts in 2019. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Automaker Daimler AG is reportedly considering up to 15,000 layoffs in the coming years, according to German newspaper Handelsblatt. Daimler announced in December that it would slash its headcount by an amount in the "five digits" by 2022 in order to squeeze $1.5 billion of savings from its spending. If the report of the 15,000 layoffs proves correct, Daimler would be well on its way to carrying out the reorganization as it adapts to an industry-wide shift to electric vehicles. "Daimler and the General Works Council agreed on key points in order to streamline the group structure and thus increase efficiency and flexibility," a spokesperson told Business Insider, referring to the company's deal with its workers' labor union. "Part of this involves reducing personnel costs by around 1.4 billion Euro by the end of 2022," they said, adding that "as mentioned in December 2019, Daimler is aiming to cut a low five-digit figure of jobs worldwide by the end of 2022." The spokesperson declined to comment on the Handelsblatt report. Sources had told Handelsblatt that Daimler is considering a mix severance payments, early retirement and partial retirement for workers whose jobs it eliminates. It's not clear if the 15,000 job cuts would represent the entirely of the company's planned "five figure" workforce reductions, or just a first installment. The auto industry has been facing tough times as demand withers and the push toward electric or alternative fuel vehicles charges ahead. Automakers have announced at least 80,000 job cuts planned over the next few years, and Daimler itself announced three separate profit warnings to investors in 2019. Read the original article on Business Insider Marines and sailors with Kilo Company, Battalion Landing Team 3rd Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, conduct a live fire range during a pre-deployment training exercise at MAGTF Training Command/Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center at 29 Palms, California, Nov. 11, 2018. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Dalton S. Swanbeck The Department of the Navy wants to reduce the size of the Marine Corps by 2,300 troops, it revealed on Monday in its fiscal year 2021 budget request. The department said that the move is part of efforts to free up resources to "reinvest in modernization and increasing lethality." The FY2021 active-duty end strength for the Marine Corps is pinned at 184,100 in the latest budget request. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Department of the Navy revealed in its latest budget request that it wants to reduce the overall active-duty end strength of the Marine Corps by 2,300 Marines. The fiscal year 2021 budget request "funds an active duty end strength of 184,100" for the Marine Corps, the Department of the Navy said in an overview of its planned budget for the coming fiscal year released Monday. The department said that the current plan for the "reduction of active duty Marine Corps end strength is part of larger reform initiatives aimed at internally generating resources through divestitures, policy reforms, and business process improvements to reinvest in modernization and increasing lethality." The reduction is expected to apply to less critical aspects of the Corps, such as those that "do not have a defined requirement in the National Defense Strategy." In the FY 2020 budget request, the Navy projected a steady increase in the active-duty end strength of the Marine Corps, but that no longer appears to be the case. Last summer, Marine Corps Lt. Gen. David Berger, now the commandant of the Marine Corps, told the Senate Armed Services Committee that a smaller Corps might be necessary should resources be constrained. "Among the most significant challenges I will face as the Commandant if confirmed will be to sustain readiness at high levels for our operating forces while concurrently modernizing the force under constrained resource limits," he said, USNI News reported. Story continues "We will need to conduct a deliberate redesign of the force to meet the needs of the future operating environment," Berger told lawmakers. "We will also need to divest of our legacy equipment and legacy programs and also consider potential end strength reductions in order to invest in equipment modernization and necessary training upgrades," he added. The Department of the Navy reduced its overall budget by $3 billion compared to last year's budget. Overall, the US military will increase in size by roughly 5,600 troops, the Department of Defense budget request revealed, according to Military Times. Read the original article on Business Insider Data could be transmitted through lasers a thousand times faster than current internet cables after a major breakthrough, scientists have said. The new research uses terahertz quantum cascade lasers that could send data around the world at speeds unimaginable using current technology. The lasers could be used to vastly speed up data communications, according to the researchers behind the study, which is published today in the journal Nature Communications. The study saw researchers make a breakthrough in the control of terahertz quantum cascade lasers, which they say could be used to transmit data wirelessly over short distances at a speed of 100 gigabits. Current ethernet connections work at 100 megabits a second, a thousand times less quick. The specific kind of lasers are different because they send out light in the terahertz range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which is largely used to analyse chemicals. But by turning them to use to send data, they could provide much faster connections for research facilities, hospitals, satellite communications or any other situations where very fast network connections are required. 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 To be used to send to data, the lasers need to be switched off about 100 billion times every second. That requires precise control, and engineers have so far been unable to do it. Recommended This is life under the longest internet shutdown in history Now researchers think they have found a way of controlling that very fast modulation, using sound and light. "This is exciting research," said John Cunningham, Professor of Nanoelectronics at Leeds. "At the moment, the system for modulating a quantum cascade laser is electrically driven - but that system has limitations. "Ironically, the same electronics that delivers the modulation usually puts a brake on the speed of the modulation. The mechanism we are developing relies instead on acoustic waves." When an electron passes through the optical part of the laser, it travels through a host of "quantum wells" that throw out a pulse of light energy. An electron can emit a number of those photons, and that is controlled using soundwaves to vibrate those quantum wells in the new experiment. "Essentially, what we did was use the acoustic wave to shake the intricate electronic states inside the quantum cascade laser," said Tony Kent, Professor of Physics at Nottingham. "We could then see that its terahertz light output was being altered by the acoustic wave." The research is not perfect, and more control is still needed before the lasers could be used reliably to transmit data. But with further work they could lead to major breakthroughs in transmitting data. "We did not reach a situation where we could stop and start the flow completely, but we were able to control the light output by a few percent, which is a great start," said Professor Cunningham. "We believe that with further refinement, we will be able to develop a new mechanism for complete control of the photon emissions from the laser, and perhaps even integrate structures generating sound with the terahertz laser, so that no external sound source is needed." Several of the Duggar kids might be all grown up now with families of their own, but that doesnt necessarily mean theyve flown far from the nest. In fact, only one Duggar has left the state of Arkansas so far, and several of the Duggar kids are living on the familys property still. In recent months there has been great debate over what outbuilding Josh and Anna Duggar call home since theyve sold their farmhouse and moved back onto Duggar-owned land. Are they living in a guest house or do they actually reside inside a windowless warehouse on the property? There is some evidence to suggest the warehouse theory holds water. Josh and Anna sold their farmhouse for a tidy profit in 2019 Josh and Anna purchased a foreclosure back in 2016 for just $55,000, according to Radar Online. The five-bedroom home was expansive enough for their growing family and likely would have been big enough to house a few more children, too. In 2019, however, the duo decided to sell the property. It took a few months, but eventually the house sold for $285,000, which was just $15,000 under their asking price. Even with renovations, the couple walked away with a cool profit. When news of the real estate move hit the mainstream media, publications were quick to surmise the troubled couple was headed for divorce. That didnt happen though, instead, they welcomed their sixth child together. Josh and Anna havent moved into a new home yet Even though the sale of the home happened way back in the summer of 2019, the couple hasnt laid down roots in a new home. Instead, they moved back onto the Duggar family property. With acres of land at their disposal, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have plenty of room to house their extended family, In fact, that was Jim Bobs dream when he was building the house. Even with plenty of space, fans are wondering why the eldest Duggar son is living on the property and exactly where on the acreage he lays his head. Do Jim Bob and Michelle want to keep Josh close so they can monitor him? There have been some talks of the couple keeping a close eye on Josh since his 2015 scandals, including banning him from using social media. Another option is that Josh and his wife are being punished for a recent string of familial problems, hence their rumored current set up. So, where are the couple living on the compound really? It would seem as though the couple is living in a warehouse on the property. There are a few hints that give their location away. The warehouse/garage in question was used when Abbie Burnett was trying on wedding gowns before her trip down the aisle, note Reddit users. In the footage, the family is seen setting up a gathering in the building. Outside footage clearly showed where on the property they were headed. The same fixtures seen during the bridal event are seen in Annas Instagram pictures. Anna has also been posting a ton of photos from the familys main house, indicating that they clearly live on the property. While there are at least three inhabitable guest homes on the property theyve long been accounted for. The proper guesthouse is reserved for actual guests, like other families associated with the Institute of Basic Life Principles. The second outbuilding is a pool house that had been previously utilized by Grandma Mary until her tragic death. While the pool house is technically vacant, it seems like Josh and Anna may have been living inside the warehouse prior to Mary Duggars passing. A third building on the property is occupied by Joseph Duggar, his wife Kendra, and their two children. The log cabin was gifted to the couple by Mary when they married and was moved from one location to another to accommodate their growing family. Its roughly 600 feet from the familys main home, according to Pop Culture. An aspiring model has revealed how her dreams were crushed after an explosion left her with third degree burns on her face surgeries - forcing her to undergo 25 surgeries, before having to relearn how to walk, talk and even open her mouth. In November 2014, real estate agent, Delaney Rose, 21, from Texas, was hanging out with her friends in front of a bonfire. Her friend, Cameron, who was standing next to her, saw that the fire was going down, so he grabbed a gasoline container to top up the fire. However, as soon as he did that, the can exploded, setting him and Delaney on fire. Pain: Delaney Rose, 21, suffered devastating injuries, including third degree burns to her face, when a gas can exploded in a bonfire in 2014. She is pictured with her resulting scars Before: The realtor, pictured before her accident, had always dreamed of being a model Recovery: Delaney, from Texas, has learned to live with her injuries, and will now cover her scars with makeup, as seen In sheer panic, they called an ambulance that drove them to the hospital, where she found out that 16 per cent of her body was covered in third degree burns. For the first month, she underwent 25 surgeries to reduce the scarring including deep FX erbium laser and in-office light therapy laser. As soon as she was well enough to leave the hospital, she would visit Cameron daily. However, three months later, sadly Cameron passed away due to the extent of his burns. The grief she felt over losing her best friend and facing the outside world and being mocked by strangers over her scars, caused Delaney to develop depression. She spent a further six months in a rehabilitation facility, where she had to learn how to walk, talk and write again. She faced a lot of criticism over her appearance. One day when she walked into a restaurant, a little boy started crying because he thought she looked like the 'monster' in his nightmares. Experiences like this caused her to shy away from the public and cover her face up with makeup until recently she decided to fully embrace her journey and inspire others through social media. She now has an impressive 10,000 followers on Instagram under the handle, @delaneyrose.realty. 'Back in November 2014, right after I had just turned sixteen, some of my friends and I were at a bonfire get together out in the middle of nowhere in Texas,' Delaney said. 'My friend, Cameron, saw that the bonfire was going out so he grabbed a gas can trying to start it up again. When he did that, the gas can exploded catching us both on fire. 'I was quickly put out, but I still suffered third degree burns to sixteen per cent of my face, hand, and both my legs. Cameron was burned ninety-five per cent of his body and three months later, he passed away from his body giving out. Devastation: After the accident Delaney, pictured in hospital, discovered that 16 per cent of her body was covered in the burns Treatment: In the first month after the incident, Delaney, pictured in hospital, had to undergo 25 surgeries Agony: As part of her treatment, Delaney received FX erbium laser treatment in an attempt to heal the scarring on her face. She is pictured after a procedure Moving on: Delaney has learned to embrace her scars, and now feels confident enough to go out in public without makeup 'The hardest part was losing Cameron. I struggle with survivor's guilt and wish he would've made it out alive so we could be burn survivors together. 'I was in the hospital for a month; learning how to write, walk, and even open my mouth properly again. When I got out of rehab, I would still go up to the hospital to see Cameron before he passed away. 'His death has been and still continues to be extremely hard for me, but I know he is always with me. I've had over twenty-five surgeries on my face to try to correct the scarring. Changes: 'Being sixteen at the time of the accident meant that I had to grow up extremely fast,' Delaney, pictured with a friend before the accident, said 'I was confused and felt lost; I didn't feel comfortable in my own skin to the point I wouldn't go in public without applying layers of makeup on my face and I would never wear shorts or skirts so people couldn't see the burns on my legs. 'Straight after when I'd go out in public, I had people call me names and point, even some kids would run away. 'Being sixteen at the time of the accident meant that I had to grow up extremely fast and my self-confidence was non-existent until recently I've come to embrace my scarring and tend to not wear makeup to cover up my burns. 'It has been a long recovery; at first my plastic surgeon would inject my face with steroid injections to try to break up the scar tissue. 'Then we advanced to laser surgery where he would basically re-burn my face. I've had six FX erbium laser surgeries and in office more than twenty small laser procedures.' Delaney says that along with the grief of losing her friend, she struggled a lot with her self-esteem and that her psychological recovery is still ongoing. She is now learning to love her skin and appearance and not to hide it. She admits that after losing her job as a model since the accident, she felt demotivated until recently when she achieved her dream of becoming a real estate agent. 'I am six-foot tall and very active; I enjoy anything outdoors especially beach volleyball. I have played volleyball my whole life but when I went off to college, I decided to call it quits,' she said. Something new: After the accident, Delaney lost her job as a model, and she says her confidence was shattered as a result Day by day: Delaney, pictured recently, said, 'My life has been a constant uphill battle since the accident. I have struggled for years from depression and social anxiety' 'I'm a different person': She says that her life has completely changed as a result of the accident, but it has also taught her how strong she really is 'Before my accident I was an aspiring model who was auditioning with multiple agencies after me but due to the accident it never worked out. 'My life has been a constant uphill battle since the accident. I have struggled for years from depression and social anxiety. 'There's not a day that goes by where I don't look at myself in the mirror and not remember that night. People were so mean. 'They would gasp and just stare and whisper but one time a little boy started crying when I went into a restaurant because he thought I looked like a monster he had in his nightmares. 'I had to grow up really fast. I switched high schools to get away from that town and the people gossiping about me all the time. 'My mom has been my rock ever since, during my time in the hospital she stayed with me every day and has never left my side since. I wouldn't be where I am today without her. 'It has completely changed my life. I'm a completely different person because of it. It will get better, don't let what other people think about your appearance get you down because you are so strong and brave. 'Wear your scars like wings because you have conquered something other people could never fathom. 'Each day is a new day and I challenge you to go out there embracing your burns with pride, show people that nothing can stop you.' Three-year-old Madeline Mejia was back in her father's arms Monday night after she was abducted from their Florida home earlier in the day, authorities said. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement announced in a statement just before noon on Monday that Madeline was safely rescued by authorities. It took only hours for them to find the car that had taken her on a highway in Tallahassee, more than 200 miles from her home in Apopka. Lester Mejia had loaded the toddler into his car in their driveway around 6 a.m. Monday when he ran into the house to grab his keys, he told CNN affiliate WFTV. He heard her scream and ran outside to see his daughter being taken away in a black Honda with Texas plates, the outlet reported. Mejia followed the car, the outlet reported, but did not have his cellphone and had to return home to call the police. An Amber Alert was issued and FDLE agents searched for the car from the air, the agency said. Agents spotted the car in Tallahassee and sent authorities on the ground after it. FDLE agents and Florida Highway Patrol troopers in the area stopped the vehicle and were able to rescue the child. Lt. Kim Montes told WFTV the little girl 'was scared' and that the situation was 'very traumatic.' Four suspects -- three men and one woman -- were taken into custody, troopers told the station. 'It was anguish not knowing what was happening to my daughter,' Mejia said. 'I'm happy for my baby coming back.' Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration over the reported release... Apostle Johnson Suleman of Omega Fire Ministries, has lashed out at President Muhammadu Buhari adminstration over the reported release of 1,400 repentant Boko Haram members. Borno State Government on Tuesday announced that about 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects have been released in trenches by the military and rehabilitated into the society. This was disclosed by Borno State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Jato. Reacting, Suleman in a post on Tuesday, queried the action, even as he wondered the fate of soldiers who fought Boko Haram following the insurgents release. The outspoken cleric further described the Buhari adminstration as a kindergarten leadership. Apostle Suleman on his Twitter page wrote: Heard that 1,400 repentant Boko Haram members have been released. I want to believe its not true. What will be the motivation for soldiers to risk their lives fighting a sect that will always be later released? This is kindergarten leadership at its peak, if its true very wrong. Meanwhile, the latest attack by Boko Haram terrorist sect at Auno near Maiduguri in Borno Statehad left about 30 people dead. The amount of US Fulbright scholarship funds available for Hungarians will be doubled from Ft 200 million to Ft 400 million by 2022, state secretary Zsigmond Perenyi of the Innovation and Technology Ministry announced on Monday. The Hungarian government will increase its contribution from Ft 50 million to Ft 200 million in order to match the US contribution. Four former ministers and 20 ambassadors have received Fulbright scholarships, Perenyi underlined. The Fulbright programme was launched for Hungary in 1978, and it has operated it jointly with the US since 1992, Deputy Chief of Mission Marc Dillard of the US Embassy in Budapest said (pictured on top). According to head of the exchange programme committee Karoly Jokay, the number of Fulbright scholars could be increased from 40 to 60 by 2022. MTI Photo: Kovacs Tamas Antarctic penguin colonies have declined by more than three quarters in the last 50 years as reduced sea ice and warmer oceans have led to krill shortages. Every chinstrap penguin colony on Elephant Island had seen breeding pairs numbers drop since the last survey in 1971, with some having declined by up to 77 per cent. Overall, the number of chinstrap penguins has fallen by almost 60 per cent, from 122,550 pairs 50 years ago to 52,786 today thanks to climate change. Scroll down for video Antarctic penguin colonies have declined by more than three quarters in the last 50 years as reduced sea ice and warmer oceans have led to krill shortages Accompanying a Greenpeace expedition, researchers from the Stony Brook and Northeastern Universities in the US travelled to the important habitat of Elephant Island north east of the Antarctic peninsula to survey penguin populations. Researchers also conducted the first surveys of large chinstrap penguin colonies on Low Island, which is thought to have around 100,000 breeding pairs. The numbers of Krill the small shrimp-like creatures upon which the penguins primarily feed are thought to have fallen as a result of both a reduction in sea ice and warmer oceans, both of which have been brought about by climate change. 'Such significant declines in penguin numbers suggest that the Southern Ocean's ecosystem has fundamentally changed in the last 50 years,' said expedition research lead and ecologist Heather Lynch of Stony Brook University. 'The impacts of this are rippling up the food web to species like chinstrap penguins,' Dr Lynch added. 'While several factors may have a role to play, all the evidence we have points to climate change as being responsible for the changes we are seeing.' The findings come shortly after Antarctica experienced a record-breaking high temperature of 64.9F (18.3C) on February 6 this year. The former record high set in the March of 2015 was 63.5F (17.5C). To highlight the plight of the penguins, Greenpeace activists have also installed a number of 'disappearing' penguin ice sculptures in capital cities around the world including in Buenos Aries, Cape Town, Seoul and Tokyo. The organisation which is demanding governments protect marine wildlife by establishing a Global Ocean Treaty also installed a two-metre-tall ice sculpture of a penguin mother and chick beside the River Thames near St. Pauls Cathedral. Every chinstrap penguin colony on Elephant Island had seen breeding pairs numbers drop since the last survey in 1971, with some having declined by up to 77 per cent Overall, the number of chinstrap penguins has fallen by almost 60 per cent, from 122,550 pairs 50 years ago to 52,786 today thanks to climate change 'Penguins are an iconic species but this new research shows how the climate emergency is decimating their numbers and having far-reaching impacts on wildlife in the most remote corners of Earth,' said Greenpeace's Louisa Casson. '2020 is a critical year for our oceans,' she added. 'Governments must respond to the science and agree a strong Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations this spring, that can create a network of ocean sanctuaries to protect marine life and help these creatures adapt to our rapidly changing climate.' To highlight the plight of the penguins, Greenpeace activists have also installed a number of 'disappearing' penguin ice sculptures in capital cities around the world including in Buenos Aries, Cape Town, Seoul and Tokyo, pictured The organisation which is demanding governments protect marine wildlife by establishing a Global Ocean Treaty also installed a two-metre-tall ice sculpture of a penguin mother and chick beside the River Thames near St. Pauls Cathedral, pictured Accompanying a Greenpeace expedition, researchers from the Stony Brook and Northeastern Universities in the US travelled to the important habitat of Elephant Island north east of the Antarctic peninsula to survey penguin populations BEIRUT - Throughout Syrias civil war, Maad al-Khalaf helped other Syrians find shelter in the opposition enclave in the northwest as they fled government military advances around the country. Now hes the one in need of refuge as a swift offensive overwhelmed his home village. He joined hundreds of thousands in Idlib province scrambling to escape the widening, multi-front assault by President Bashar Assads forces, squeezing into whatever structures they can find in a shrinking territory. There is no house of concrete or of mud or even a chicken coop that is not inhabited, the 41-year-old al-Khalaf said. People are in dire need of any shelter. Even a tent sometimes is not available. The son of a prominent landowning family in Qmenas, an ancient Aramaic village, al-Khalaf fled with his family of five to a nearby town as the bombs began to fall. Within three days, that was swept up in the offensive as well, so they ran farther to a village near the Turkish border, 30 kilometres (18 miles) from the front line. There, they now live in a tent on a piece of farmland donated by a relative. More relatives moved in as well. Winter wind sweeps through the new settlement, where 30 families huddle in 15 tents set up in the mud, sharing one toilet, one sink and a huge sense of relief that they are out of harms way, at least for now. Nearly a quarter of the 3 million people in Idlib and surrounding areas have surged north as Russian-backed government forces advanced in recent weeks, determined to capture the last remaining opposition-held territory. Terrified families piled on trucks and vehicles, sitting on top of mattresses and blankets, clogging sludgy rural roads in harrowing scenes of exodus that have been recurrent in Syrias conflict, now in its ninth year. Around half the territorys population had already been displaced from other parts of Syria, so formal camps are full. People are setting up tents in farms or sheltering in half-constructed buildings with no windows or doors in temperatures below freezing. Almost half of the 700,000 uprooted since Dec. 1 are children, the U.N. estimated. Schools have stopped, 26 immunization centres closed, threatening new outbreaks of diseases, and some 53 health facilities no longer operate, including three directly hit in airstrikes or shelling. More than 370 civilians were killed since December, according to the U.N. While it may not be the biggest single wave of displacement nearly a million were on the move after a government offensive a year ago this may be the most dire. This is truly the worst humanitarian crisis because of lack of resources, the surge in displacement over short periods, weaker emergency responses and because shrinking areas outside of government control means a major problem in providing shelter, said Mohammed Hallaj, a co-ordinator for the areas Response Coordination Group, which works with U.N. agencies to assess needs. For the millions who refuse to live under government rule, this is their last frontier with few places to run to. Turkey, the oppositions last friend, is already home to 3.6 million refugees and wont open the concrete blast walls it erected along most of the border for a new wave. In one swift move over just a few days, government troops captured more than 600 square kilometres (230 square miles). The forces immediate goal seems to be to control the strategic highway running across Idlib and linking northern Syria to Damascus. An opposition fighter said the government and Russia have adopted a typical scorched earth campaign that drove them from areas along the highway. He called opposition losses catastrophic, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the military situation. The rapid advances sparked rare clashes with Turkey, which has troops in the region to monitor a 2018 cease-fire deal. Turkey has sent in thousands of reinforcements, but the buildup didnt stop government advances, only deepening the panic among residents and their skepticism over Ankaras motives. The opposition fighter said it remains ambiguous why Turkey has been unable to stop the government troops. Turkey says it has co-ordinated its deployment with Russia. Aron Lund, a Syria expert, wrote that Turkey may be seeking new leverage with Russia, which has positioned itself as Idlibs kingmaker. Ultimately, he said, neither Moscow nor Ankara will want to let Idlib ruin their strategic relationship. Russia, meanwhile, has thrown its weight behind Damascus push. Nothing, including hospitals, has been spared. Opposition activists said Russian warplanes were behind an airstrike on the main hospital in Ariha village in late January that killed at least 10 people. Moscow dismisses the allegations. Dr. Tayseer, a surgeon there who was previously displaced from southern Syria, said that after one missile hit, he emerged from hiding in the basement to help; then a second and third missile struck. The hospital was destroyed, Tayseer was slightly injured, and his top anesthesiologist was mortally wounded. Strikes on health facilities are always a precursor to clearing out the civilian population, said Tayseer, who asked that his full name not be used to protect his family. He moved to Idlib city and volunteered in hospitals there. Repeated displacement, he said, is the fate of those who refuse government rule. We are citizens without a nation. We are either displaced, killed, imprisoned or detained. Over 100 villages and towns recently captured by the government are now ghost towns. The U.N. estimates some 144,000 of the recently displaced moved to Turkish-administered Syrian areas to the north. Nearly 250 families travelled even further, to Raqqa in the Kurdish-controlled east. A 36-year-old woman from Saraqeb fled with her family in the middle of the night soon before the town was captured. They went to Idlib city and found residents in a panic, fearing imminent attack and searching for places elsewhere to live. Her family has found an apartment in the Turkish-administered town of Jarablus on the border. Expecting government forces to keep surging, she said her next move will be out of Syria. I cant take it. I will leave by any means, she said, asking to remain anonymous because she is from a well-known family. Al-Khalaf works in Idlib city but keeps his family in the village. As he spoke by phone from his office to the AP, thuds of bombs and airstrikes could be heard. Over the past years, al-Khalaf, once a senior government official before joining the opposition, used his local relations to build a network to find unused houses, warehouses and concrete shelters for the displaced flowing into the opposition enclave. He has used his contacts to find homes as part of his work with Violet, an organization offering emergency and aid services. Now many of those he helped lodge are fleeing again. Al-Khalaf is constantly fielding calls from those seeking help. Since mid-December, more than 6,000 requests have come into Violets hotline, which co-ordinates accommodation and offers free transportation for the displaced and their furniture. Finally, al-Khalaf had to use the hotline himself. As he fled Qmenas, he had to decide what to leave behind: 19 jerry cans of newly pressed olive oil worth nearly $600, electrical appliances, the furniture of his bedroom and the memories that come with it and his living room, where he had received many a guest from his network of friends. His family packed lentils, rice, pickles and burghul and the childrens books and school bags. His four children were top of their class but had to be pulled out of school to flee before grades came in. Al-Khalaf fought back tears remembering his childrens many questions: Why is it like this? Why did they leave home? And why is the Syrian army advancing? My (seven-year old) daughter asked why the rebels are not fighting back. Why is your phone ringing all the time, Baba? ___ Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut contributed to this report. [February 11, 2020] Kaiku: Search for Forgiveness Emoji Intensifies - Former President Picks a Winning Design HELSINKI, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Forgivemoji, a campaign searching for an emoji to symbolise forgiveness, is nearing its conclusion. From hundreds of design ideas by the general public, the former president of Finland, Tarja Halonen, has picked a winning candidate. The emoji chosen by Halonen features two hands giving a thumbs-up sign in front of a heart background. The design highlights the positive emotional side and the peace-building effect of forgiveness. Halonen's choice will next be presented to Unicode, the consortium controlling the official emoji selection. "The current climate of discussion can often be very polarised. I would like for online conversations to have more empathy, moderation, and a willingness to acknowledge one's mistakes. As emojis are nowadays an inseparable element of communication between people, so that is why the world needs an emoji that says 'I forgive you," Halonen states. "Finland has a great reputation as a global force in both peace-building and in technology. The Forgivemoji campaign unites these two Finnish strengths in an ingenious way. I hope my particiaption in this campaign helps the forgiveness emoji to be accepted into the official emoji fold," Halonen says. The global Forgivemoji campaign originated in Finland in late 2019, stemming from the realisation that the official emoji catalogue currently contains more than 3,000 emojis but so far none of them symbolises forgiveness. "President Halonen was exactly the right person to pick a winning emoji candidate. The purpose of an emoji for forgiveness is to build bridges between people, just as Halonen has done both during and after her presidency," says Tuomo Pesonen, Communications Director at the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland who were the initiating force behind the Forgivemoji campaign. Other organisers of the non-denominational Forgivemoji campaign included CMI Crisis Management Initiative, Clear Channel, PR agency Kaiku Helsinki, Finn Church Aid, the Deaconess Foundation, Felm, and Church in Helsinki. Forgivemoji in your pocket in 2021? The Forgivemoji campaign attracted major publicity in the international media. The story was picked up by BBC, The Guardian, and ABC Australia, among others. In social media the campaign reached more than two million people worldwide. The campaign invited the public to send their own designs on what a forgiveness emoji should look like. From hundreds of submissions, former president Halonen chose a design which the campaign will next present to the Unicode organisation via an official emoji application. Criteria for new emoji include factors such as necessity, predicted usage frequency, and clarity. Based on the application, the Unicode consortium will decide whether the Forgivemoji will be included as part of the official emoji selection which is updated annually. If the emoji passes Unicode's criteria, different device manufacturers and service providers will first modify the design to fit their own use. The earliest possible date for the emoji to be available publically is in late 2021. You can follow the next steps of the Forgivemoji campaign online at forgivemoji.com and on Twitter and Instagram through the handle @forgivemoji and the hashtag #forgivemoji. Contact: The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland Tuomo Pesonen Communications Director [email protected] +358-50-378-0041 This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/kaiku/r/search-for-forgiveness-emoji-intensifies---former-president-picks-a-winning-design,c3031712 The following files are available for download: https://news.cision.com/kaiku/i/emojikampanja,c2746190 Emojikampanja https://news.cision.com/kaiku/i/halonen-12,c2746191 Halonen 12 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kaiku-search-for-forgiveness-emoji-intensifies---former-president-picks-a-winning-design-301002505.html SOURCE Kaiku [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 08:14:05|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Participants hold placards during a special prayer meeting held for China in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Feb. 10, 2020. A special prayer meeting was held for China on Monday in Noida. The participants, mostly young students, came to express their solidarity with Chinese people -- especially the doctors and paramedical staff who are on the forefront working with dedication. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) Wild storms at a Sydney beach have unearthed a long-demolished relic from the Jazz Age. Erosion following abnormally high tides and torrents of rain at Coogee Beach in Sydney's east over the weekend have brought two pylons from the long-forgotten Coogee Pleasure Pier to the surface. The storms took metres of sand off multiple beaches around the Sydney region including Collaroy, south Palm Beach, Coogee, and Stockton Beach in Newcastle. But beach-goers on Tuesday were surprised to find the concrete pylons had emerged after almost 90 years underground. Beach-goers on Tuesday were surprised to find the concrete pylons had emerged after almost 90 years underground at Coogee Beach The pier was built in 1928 as a seaside resort modelled on similar seaside pavilions in England. According to Randwick Council, crowds gathered to watch the first pylon being drilled into the sand in July 1926. Main attractions included a 1400-seat theatre, a 600 capacity ballroom and a 400-seat restaurant. The pier also had a shark net to ease the minds of 800,000 anxious swimmers within the first four months of construction in 1929. The pier was built in 1928 as a seaside resort modelled on similar seaside pavilions in England Main attractions included a 1400-seat theatre, a 600 capacity ballroom and a 400-seat restaurant As the crowds thinned in the early '30s, storms damaged the building and the pier was demolished in 1934-35. The last time the pylons came to the surface was following storms in 2016. Coogee beach was closed to swimmers on Tuesday as dangerous rips were reported and waves reached two-metres. Sydney has received a third of its annual rainfall during the last four days, as the heaviest rain in 30 years inundated the city. Water lapped at the back fences of properties along the beach in Collaroy More damaging conditions are expected for the upcoming weekend when swells could reach 2.5m on Friday, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster told Daily Mail Australia. 'This could be very damaging for the north coast, especially as the tropical cyclone currently off the coast of New Caledonia moves south and south west,' she said. 'It won't directly impact the New South Wales coast but it will bring challenges such as hazardous surf conditions.' Haiti - Europe : $1M euros for a clean energy project for cooking The project to reduce the vulnerability of the populations of the Carrefour / Leogane watershed, aims to increase the use of clean energy for cooking while improving the quality of wooded areas and mangroves. This project, carried out in partnership with the international NGO Caritas Switzerland, is funded by the European Union to the tune of 1 million euros from the 10th European Development Fund. More specifically, this project aims to set up a workshop for the production of stoves and "pellets" (a small cylindrical stick from the compaction of sawmill residues, sawdust and shavings) in a technical training center. The 39-month project targets more than 7,000 households in low-income urban areas of Carrefour and Leogane. HL/ HaitiLibre The Supreme Court, on Tuesday, dismissed an appeal challenging the All Progressive Congress (APC) governorship primary election in Bayelsa State. Heineken Lokpobiri, a former minister, filed the appeal before the apex court. Mr Lokpbiri had approached the apex court, asking it to declare him the winner of the APC governorship primaries held in the state. He claimed that the party wrongly gave the ticket to David Lyon who eventually contested and won the governorship election. Emmanuel Ukala, who is the lawyer to Mr Lokpobiri, argued that the appeal by his client was yet to be determined before APC submitted the name of Mr Lyon to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as its candidate. But a five-member panel led by Mary Odili, on Tuesday, held that the appellant filed his case outside the 14 days allowed by law. Reading the lead judgment of the apex court, Justice Iyang Okoro said, The sole issue is resolved against the appellant. Accordingly, the appeal lacks merit and is hereby dismissed. Mr Okoro said that section 285(9) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) does not admit any extension of time when it comes to pre-election matters. The apex court said Any party seeking redress must file within the 14 days period. The appellant cause of action arose on 4th September when he was not declared the winner and not 7th September, it said. The court held that Mr Lokpobiris appeal lacks merit and accordingly dismissed it. Lower courts earlier decisions The Port Harcourt Division of the Appeal Court had on January 11 ruled that Mr Lokpobiris petition was filed out of time. Justice Isaiah Olufemi in the judgment said Mr Lokpobiri failed to comply with the statutory 14 days period, saying that he ought to have filed the case not later than September 17, 2019. The matter was filed on September 18, outside the 14 days statutory period. The petition was not filed within time, he said. It will be recalled that Mr Lokpobiri, a former Minister of State for Agriculture, had approached the Federal High Court to challenge the emergence of Mr Lyon as the governorship candidate of the APC in Bayelsa. He had prayed the court to declare him the candidate of the APC, saying that he and not Mr Lyon won the partys governorship primaries in the state. The lower court presided by Jane Inyang had ruled outside his prayers, declaring that APC had no candidate for the election. The appeal court, however, held that although Mr Lokpobiri had the right to contest the outcome of the partys governorship primaries, he only did so outside the stipulated time. The court further held that the parties were right to challenge the lower courts decision which said that APC had no candidate for the November 16, 2019 governorship election in Bayelsa. It consequently, set aside the judgment of the lower court, describing it as having erred in law. MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2020) Prosecutors in the Austrian city of Wels have charged a 57-year-old urologist from the Salzkammergut region east of Salzburg with sexual abuse of 109 minors, Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung reported on Monday. According to the publication, the cases of abuse happened in several regions of Austria and in Egypt from 2000 until the arrest of the suspect in January 2019. Moreover, according to the investigators, 40 of the abused boys were under age 14 at the time of abuse. It was also revealed that the doctor had persuaded several people to create pornographic videos involving minors, and also gave the children hemp. As a result of his actions, serious damage was caused to the health of at least three boys. According to the publication, the pedophile faces up to 15 years in prison, in addition, he can be sent to a special facility for criminals with mental disorders. If youre able to walk without pain, give a silent shout-out to your cartilage. Every time you take a step, this flexible tissue absorbs the load and transfers it to the bone, allowing you to move freely. But unlike bone, if cartilage gets damagedby injury, wear and tear, or inflammationit cant regenerate. Over time, the damaged tissue degrades, and walking becomes progressively more painful as the bones come in contact with each other. Eventually, youll develop osteoarthritis, which is the most common form of arthritis and affects approximately 31 million Americans, says Lesley Chow, an assistant professor of bioengineering and materials science and engineering at Lehigh Universitys P.C. Rossin College of Engineering and Applied Science. And while there are some surgical interventions, you eventually hit a point where youre in so much pain and have such a loss of mobility that you need a total knee replacement. Effective interventions dont yet exist because cartilage is so difficult to reproduce synthetically. Any new tissue that does form doesnt have the same properties as native cartilage and does not integrate well with the underlying bone it is supposed to protect. But if a biomaterial could be developed that successfully directed regeneration of the entire osteochondral (osteo for bone, chondral for cartilage) tissue, cartilage injuries could be treated earlier and degeneration could be slowed or halted altogether. If we can intervene when you first have that injury, this therapy would have the potential to buy you 10 or more years, or maybe youd never need a knee replacement, says Chow. Thats the dream. For Chow, its a dream that got one step closer to reality when she received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award from the National Science Foundation. The award supports work she and her team are doing to develop a biomaterial that promotes regeneration of the complex osteochondral tissue interface. Specifically, refining their 3D-printed material to provide the exact signals to cells that enable the formation of tissue organized in the same way as natural tissue. CAREER grants are considered one of the more prestigious recognitions given by the NSF. They are awarded annually in support of junior faculty members across the U.S. who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding research, excellent education, and the integration of education and research. Each award provides stable support at the level of approximately $500,000 for a five-year period. We know that we have cells within our body that are capable of regrowing these tissues, but what if we arent giving them the right cues? says Chow. We think a lot about the chemical and physical cues we offer to cells. What wed like to be able to do, for example, is change the chemistry of our biomaterial while retaining the same mechanical property. This is very difficult to do because these properties are inherently tied to each other. My lab has developed a platform where we can change these cues independently of each other. The effort to regenerate osteochondral tissue via biomaterials isnt new. There are countless ways researchers have done it, says Chow. But its not clear exactly how the materials work, so well-defined design rules are elusive. For example, researchers cant say what specific mechanical property or porosity is required, or what biochemical cue must be delivered to achieve a specific cell response. Chow wants to establish a set of design criteria to eliminate the guesswork. The teams 3D-printed scaffolds have already yielded promising results. Prior to printing, they synthesize peptidesshort segments of proteinsto either promote bone or cartilage formation. They attach these peptides to biodegradable polymers and add the resulting peptide-polymer conjugates at a desired concentration during 3D printing to fabricate a peptide-functionalized material. Its like a color printer, says Chow. Say you want to print your bone-promoting scaffold first and then you want to transition to your cartilage promoting. You just switch your printer heads. Its like switching colors. So within the same print, you end up with one biomaterial that has both bone- and cartilage-promoting peptides in one continuous scaffold. The polymers Chow is working with can also have different molecular weights, meaning they can be short or long chains. Using different molecular weights allows them to present the same chemistry (because the short and long chains are made from the same polymer) but exhibit different mechanical properties (the longer chain will result in a stiffer material). My hypothesis would be that a stiffer material would drive the cells to produce bone and a softer material will drive cells to produce cartilage, says Chow. Cells can feel their environment, and they respond to different stiffnesses in different ways. So what were trying to do is make materials where we can independently control these properties to find out how cells respond to these subsets of materials. So change the chemistry but dont change the mechanical properties or architecture, change the architecture but dont change the mechanical properties, or change the mechanical properties but dont change anything else. The award will help Chow and her team better understand how cells respond to their platform so they can fine-tune it. Their work focuses on making the optimal material that elicits a response that yields both bone and cartilage tissue. The ultimate goal, however, is twofold: a biodegradable implant that could be inserted after injury to ward off or delay future tissue degeneration and debilitating pain, and a fundamental understanding that can be translated to other cell types, such as skin cells, for better treatments for people like burn victims. We want this to be a springboard for those interested in other tissue systems, says Chow, who is affiliated with Lehighs Institute for Functional Materials and Devices (I-FMD). People who want to better understand the properties they need to develop in their own materials to regenerate other tissues of interest. ### About Lesley W. Chow Lesley W. Chow joined Lehigh following her postdoctoral training at Imperial College London and PhD at Northwestern University. Her research interests focus on the design of novel biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications. Building on her previous experience with supramolecular design and biomaterial fabrication, the Chow Lab combines different materials and advanced fabrication techniques to generate scaffolds with architectures and spatially organized functionality that resemble native biological tissues. Chow is particularly interested in utilizing 3-D printing and self-assembly approaches to organize synthetic polymers, natural biopolymers, and peptides into hierarchical structures and compositions. These scaffolds serve as platforms to deepen understanding about how native tissue organization affects cell and tissue function across length scales and improve clinical translation of biomaterials. The Chow Lab is currently focused on approaches to improve regeneration of musculoskeletal tissue interfaces, such as the osteochondral interface between bone and cartilage. Recreating these complex interfaces poses a significant engineering challenge as native tissues possess gradients in biochemical, structural, and mechanical properties that are critical for normal biomechanical function. Her team is developing biomaterials-based strategies to guide spatial cell behavior and tissue formation to engineer tissues that mimic these structure-function-property relationships. Related Links: COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new bill in the Ohio House would ban conversion therapy -- programs intended to end same-sex attraction and make a gay person straight -- on the same day as other lawmakers announced they want to ban doctors from prescribing hormone blockers or perform surgeries on transgender youth. The conversion therapy bill is sponsored by Rep. Mary Lightbody, a Columbus-area Democrat. Human beings are complex, and each individual is unique," Lightbody said in a statement. "As children grow, we all learn about the world and develop an identity that expresses who we are at heart. This legislation affirms the right of young people to develop their own gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation without those in the medical community trying to change their minds. Conversion therapy is also called reparative therapy and often has a religious focus. Most people who attend conversion therapy programs are teenagers or young adults. People who undergo conversion therapy are at higher risk for suicide, and the American Psychiatric Association and the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommend against using it, calling it ineffective or dangerous. Nineteen states and Washington, D.C. ban conversion therapy. North Carolina and Puerto Rico have partial bans. In Ohio, seven cities -- Athens, Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, Kent, Lakewood and Toledo have banned conversion therapy. In a sign of how LGBTQ rights have become a cultural flashpoint, earlier Tuesday, Republicans held a press conference to announce a different bill -- one that would prevent transgender people under age 18 from beginning medically transitioning to the gender they identify with. Lightbody said she is working with a coalition of organizations that want her anti-conversion therapy bill to pass, including Equality Ohio, the Human Rights Campaign, Equitas Health, Kaleidoscope Youth Center, the Mental Health & Addiction Advocacy Coalition, the National Association of Social Workers- Ohio Chapter, the Ohio Psychological Association and the Ohio School Psychologists Association. Republican co-sponsors on the bill include Reps. Rick Carfagna of Delaware County and Brett Hillyer of Tuscarawas County. The legislature has a GOP supermajority, and bipartisan support on Democratic bills increases their chances of passing. Read more stories from Columbus: Ohio House bill would prohibit medical procedures for transgender youth Gov. Mike DeWine gets F in marijuana policy report card Ohio medical marijuana created an estimated 4,275 jobs: report Ohio House plan phases out EdChoice vouchers, creates new income-based Buckeye Opportunity Scholarship program Group trying to overturn Medina LGBTQ nondiscrimination ordinance goes to Ohio Supreme Court Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder wants EdChoice vouchers based on income, not school report cards Private school voucher supporters sue state over EdChoice delay The listed new-energy arm of state-owned power giant Huaneng Group has completed all of the steps for its privatization from Hong Kongs Stock Exchange, amid investor indifference toward the broader sector. New energy equipment-makers and solar and wind farm operators have blown hot and cold among investors since bursting on the scene about a decade ago, amid uncertainty about their potential without government support. Sentiment has been mostly indifferent to negative over the last few years, as many governments, including Chinas, have begun withdrawing support for the group in a bid to force them to be commercially viable on their own. Huaneng Group, one of Chinas top state-owned power producers, first disclosed its intent to take its Huaneng Renewables Corp. Ltd. unit private in September. Just before the announcement, the companys shares were trading at HK$2.17 ($0.28), well below the HK$2.50 it sold shares for at the time of its Hong Kong listing in 2011. In a Feb. 7 post on its website, Huaneng Group said the buyout had been completed, with holders of more than 90% of the listed companys shares agreeing to the buyout. The deal marks the biggest-ever privatization of a Chinese state-owned enterprise from Hong Kong, and also the biggest-ever privatization of a Hong Kong-listed energy company. The parent had offered HK$3.17 per share in the buyout, representing a nearly 50% premium over its previous trading price. In afternoon trading Tuesday, the stock approached that amount, up 0.32% at HK$3.16. Shares of the listed company will cease to be listed in Hong Kong after the close of trade on Feb. 24. At the time of the privatization, the company had an enterprise value of HK$90 billion and a market value of HK$33.4 billion. Huaneng decided to delist the new energy unit after it was undervalued for a number of reasons, including investor concerns about its reliance on government subsidies that are now being reduced for many of Chinas new-energy power producers, said Zhang Xiaochao, an executive at Huaneng Groups new energy arm. He added the companys capital-raising potential had failed to meet earlier expectations, and that after the privatization Huaneng Renewables would return to its status as a wholly owned unit of Huaneng Group. New-energy companies trading in Hong Kong, including not only Huaneng Renewables but also names like Huadian Fuxin Energy Corp. Ltd. and China Longyuan Power Group Corp. Ltd., have been generally undervalued in recent years, an energy analyst told Caixin. He added that Huaneng may try to relist the company in China a step taken by a number of Chinese companies that believe they can get better valuations by listing on domestic stock markets in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Huaneng Renewables move follows a similar privatization last year for one of its peers. That saw state-owned power company State Power Investment Corp. Ltd. privatize its clean-energy project business, China Power Clean Energy Development Co. Ltd., from Hong Kong. Contact reporter Yang Ge (geyang@caixin.com) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:26:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KAMPALA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Uganda on Monday airlifted an assortment of pesticides and spray equipment to the northeastern region where desert locusts have spread to six districts. Aggrey Bagiire, Ugandan minister of state for agriculture, told reporters here that the pesticides would be used by ground sprayers. "We have done an emergency procurement of chemicals and pesticides to be used to spray the locusts," the minister said, as the assortment was loaded into two military helicopters in the capital Kampala. "I want to tell the people of this country and to give them comfort that the pesticides are safe," Bagiire said. Uganda's disaster management department said in an update on Monday that the locusts, which entered the country on Sunday from neighboring Kenya, had spread to six districts, namely Moroto, Amudat, Nabilatuk, Nakapiripit, Napak and Abim. The Ugandan government has deployed over 2,000 troops and civilian personnel to help fight against the locust invasion. Uganda last experienced a major locust invasion 70 years ago, which caused immense damage on crops, according to the agriculture ministry. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, the desert locust is considered as the most destructive migratory pest in the world and a small swarm covering 1 square km can eat the same amount of food in one day as 35,000 people. Home owners in Sydney's affluent northern beaches have been left concerned after catastrophic storms on the weekend washed away 25 metres of sand. Images taken on Tuesday showed residents looking at the damage done by the horror storm that has left 50,000 without power. Water lapped at the back fences of properties along the beach in Collaroy. Residents looked concerned as they watches the water get closer to their homes. Images taken on Tuesday showed residents looking at the damage done by the horror storm that has left 50,000 without power Water lapped at the back fences of properties along the beach in Collaroy. Residents looked concerned as they watches the water get closer to their homes Erosion rapidly began on Sunday evening with more expected on Monday. 'Basically, the next few hours will be critical,' University of NSW coastal researcher Mitchell Harley told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'After that, the risks will drop significantly.' He warned another threat of further beach erosion could emerge next weekend. 'Plenty of sea foam going into backyards, but erosion risk dropping. Impact to houses spared, ready to go again for next weekend's forecast massive waves and already eroded beaches,' Dr Harley later posted on Twitter. The erosion damage already caused could possibly take months to repair. The sea foam was mid-calf deep in one Collaroy street overlooking the beach. 'It's incredible. I am down at the beach all the time but [have never seen] anything like this,' one resident told the Sydney Morning Herald. More damaging conditions are expected for the upcoming weekend when swells could reach 2.5m on Friday, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster told Daily Mail Australia (map pictured) Erosion rapidly began on Sunday evening with more expected on Monday Locals took to social media on Sunday night with photos of Collaroy Surf Club surrounded in sea foam. 'Its a couple of feet thick from the pool to flight deck,' one resident posted on Instagram. Another added: 'Weird sea foam on the king tide at Collaroy tonight. It was almost as deep as a man and covered the whole foreshore.' Waves up to six metres high propelled by the gale force winds are threatening to wash away beachside mansions in echoes of the storm that carved 15m off the coastline and wrecked seven Colloroy beachside properties in 2016. Sydney has received a third of its annual rainfall during the last four days as the heaviest rain in 30 years inundated the city But there are many waves far bigger that could cause significant damage. 'Erosion of the beaches inevitable which could impact properties that are close to the beach,' Weatherzone told Daily Mail Australia on Sunday. 'The swell is huge. There's been 13.9m waves record off Sydney, which is ridiculous.' Sydney has received a third of its annual rainfall during the last four days as the heaviest rain in 30 years inundated the city. More damaging conditions are expected for the upcoming weekend when swells could reach 2.5m on Friday, a Bureau of Meteorology forecaster told Daily Mail Australia. 'This could be very damaging for the north coast, especially as the tropical cyclone currently off the coast of New Caledonia moves south and south west,' she said. 'It won't directly impact the New South Wales coast but it will bring challenges such as hazardous surf conditions.' CANBERRA, AustraliaAustralias highest court ruled Tuesday that the government cant deport Aboriginal people as part of its policy of ridding the country of foreign criminals. The High Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that Indigenous Australians cannot be deported even if they do not hold Australian citizenship. Lawyers welcomed the legal recognition of the original Australians unique place in a country that was claimed by Britain in the 18th century without a treaty. The Australian government was assessing the surprise rulings implications on immigration policy. The court had heard the case of two men who were born overseas but identified as being from Indigenous tribes: Brendan Thoms and Daniel Love. Thoms, 31, was released after 501 days in immigration detention within hours of the court ruling that his Indigenous status entitled him to live in Australia. Brendan has had 500 sleepless nights worrying he could be deported at any time, and that is now thankfully at an end, his lawyer Claire Gibbs said. He is very happy to have been released and to now be reunited with his family at long last, she added. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said the Home Affairs Department would review other cases that might be affected by the precedent. The High Court delivered a significant judgment today which has implications for our migration programs, Tudge said. The court had created a new category of persons that was neither an Australian citizen nor a non-citizen, he added. The government attempted to deport the men on character grounds in 2018 after they served prison sentences for violent crimes. The government has been criticized for deporting some criminals who have lived in Australia since where were children but had never become citizens. The court found that Thoms, 31, who was born in New Zealand to an Indigenous Australian mother, was an Aboriginal Australian. Thoms had lived in Australia since he was 6, is accepted as a member of the Gunggari tribe and is recognized as a native title holder of their traditional land. But a majority of judges was not convinced that Love, 40, was Indigenous and was accepted as a member of the Kamilaroi tribe. He was born in Papua New Guinea to an Indigenous Australian father and has lived in Australia since he was 5. His lawyers say he will provide more evidence of his Aboriginality and another trial could be held to decide the issue. Both Love and Thoms were placed in immigration detention and threatened with deportation on their release from prison after serving sentences for unrelated crimes. Love has had his visa restored since his lawyers initiated court action in 2018 and lives on the Gold Coast. Thoms had been in immigration detention in Brisbane for 16 months since he completed a six-month prison sentence. The court found Aboriginal Australians have a special cultural, historic and spiritual connection to Australia which is inconsistent with them being considered aliens in the meaning of the Australian constitution. Gibbs said the government had used its constitutional powers to deal with aliens inconsistently, unfairly and, now weve proven, unlawfully. This case isnt about citizenship. Its about who belongs here, whos an Australian national and whos a part of the Australian community, Gibbs told reporters outside court. The High Court has found that Aboriginal Australians are protected from deportation. They can no longer be removed from the country that they know and that they have a very close connection with, she added. Gibbs said both Love and Thoms would sue the government for wrongful detention. Both of my clients have suffered severe embarrassment about being Aboriginal men in immigration detention and theyve been subject to a lot of ridicule, Gibbs said. So its been a very, very tough time for them both. Mary Crock, professor of public law at Sydney University, described the decision as radical. She noted the case arose from Australias increasingly tough policies of deporting non-citizens who break the law, some to countries where they dont speak the language or have any real connections. I see it as a very positive development, Crock said. The case only went to the High Court because Australia uniquely has been trying so hard to deport so many different people. I cant think of another country that has gone as far as we have towards locking up and then trying to deport people who literally have no other country that they deeply belong to, she added. The Law Council of Australia, the nations top lawyers group, welcomed the courts confirmation that the question of membership of Aboriginal societies is outside of the legislative power of the Australian Parliament. Indigenous Australians make up 3 per cent of the population and are the most disadvantaged minority group in a range of measures. Indigenous Australians die younger than other Australians and are overrepresented in prisons. Samsung will host its Galaxy Unpacked event on February 11 in the US where the company is expected to unveil a host of new products, including its flagship smartphone series, the Galaxy S20 series. The South Korean tech giant has already teased the arrival of its vertical folding smartphone, the Galaxy Z Flip, which is also expected to be launched alongside. In case you managed to dodge the massive flood of leaks, here is a brief report on everything that Samsung is expected to unpack at the 'Galaxy Unpacked 2020'. Samsung Galaxy Unpacked launch event time and live-stream Samsung will be hosting the live launch of the Galaxy S20 series, the Galaxy Z Flip, and the Galaxy Buds+ on February 11 at 11 am PST. Indian viewers can watch the live-stream on Samsungs social media channels on February 12 at 12.30 am. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip specifications, features, and everything else we know Samsung has already teased the Galaxy Z Flip during the Oscars 2020 but did not list of its specs. The vertical folding smartphone is rumoured to sport a taller-than-usual 22:9 aspect ratio for its 6.7-inch Infinity-O Flex screen. The display is said to have a Full HD+ 1,080 x 2,636 resolution with a hole-punch cutout for the 10MP front-facing camera. When folded, the Galaxy Z Flip will have a tiny 1.06-inch Super AMOLED cover display with Gorilla Glass 6, if we go by the rumours. Performance engine on the Galaxy Z Flip is said to feature Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+, paired with 8GB RAM and 256GB UFS 3.0 internal memory. Storage can reportedly be further expanded up to 1TB via microSD. For optics, the foldable smartphone would get two camera sensors positioned next to the cover display with a 12MP f/1.8 main lens and a 12MP 123-degree ultra-wide sensor. Galaxy Z Flip will reportedly have a 3,300 mAh battery with 15W fast charging and 9W wireless charging support. Samsung Galaxy S20 series specifications, features, and everything else we know Samsung is expected to launch three new Galaxy S20 series smartphones in a total of five variants. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ will reportedly come in 4G LTE and 5G variants, whereas the more-premium Galaxy S20 Ultra will only be available in a 5G-compatible network. All the three smartphones will feature a hole-punch cutout on the Infinity-O Super AMOLED display and up to 120Hz refresh rate support. The Galaxy S20+ has been the most-leaked among the three smartphones. Leaked live images of the Galaxy S20+ show a quad-camera setup on the back with a 12MP 1.8m primary sensor that would capture more light. The other three sensors would include a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 64MP telephoto shooter and a macro lens. The Galaxy S20+ is expected to launch with Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 processor with X55 modem for 5G connectivity. Some regions may get the Galaxy S20+ with Exynos 990 chip. The screen is said to be between 6.63-6.7-inch tall on the Galaxy S20+ with a 20:9 aspect ratio. The Galaxy S20 Ultra will reportedly feature Samsungs custom 108MP primary sensor on the back. Tipster Evan Blass has also uploaded images that reveal the exact camera specifications of the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Along with the 108MP primary wide lens, the Galaxy S20 Ultra will feature a 12MP ultra-wide lens, a 48MP periscope telephoto lens with up to 100x hybrid zoom, and a DepthVision camera. For selfies, there will be a 40MP front camera on the Galaxy S20 Ultra. Lastly, the Galaxy S20 Ultra 5G will have a massive 5,000 mAh battery with support for 45W fast charging. The charger would reportedly refuel the 5,000 mAh cell from zero to 100 in 74 minutes. Samsung Galaxy Buds+ Another device that Samsung is expected to launch at the Galaxy Unpacked event is the Galaxy Buds+. The new truly wireless earbuds will succeed the Galaxy Buds launched last year. Galaxy Buds+ is rumoured to get Spotify integration and also come with a dedicated Gaming Mode. Further, the buds are rumoured to get a larger 85 mAh battery, compared to the 58 mAh battery found on each bud of the original Galaxy Buds. In case you thought the upgraded Galaxy Buds+ would feature Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) to compete against Apples AirPods Pro, you might get disappointed. Recent reports suggest that Samsung has dropped the plans to launch the Buds+ with ANC. Google at Galaxy Unpacked 2020 Android-maker Google has confirmed its presence at Samsungs Galaxy Unpacked 2020. The search engine giant has not had its something exciting announcement yet. We speculate it to be something regarding foldable form factors and their compatibility with Androids developer tools. Googles Android 10 comes with native tools for foldable smartphones. Kyiv to step up its foreign policy after new head of Office of Ukrainian President appointed More attention will be given to Kyiv's foreign policy after Andriy Bohdan was relieved of his duties as head of the Office of the Ukrainian President and Volodymyr Zelensky's advisor Andriy Yermak was appointed to this post, leader of the Servant of the People parliamentary faction David Arakhamia said. "Yermak was usually in charge of foreign policy issues. Most likely, changes will occur in this field," Arakhamia said in comments to the Nash TV channel on Tuesday. Yermak is not a new addition to the presidential team and no fundamental policy changes should be expected, he said. President Zelensky earlier relieved Bohdan of his duties as head of the Office of the Ukrainian President and appointed Yermak, most recently an advisor to the president, to this post. SKOPJE, Macedonia - Lawmakers in North Macedonia unanimously ratified an agreement Tuesday to make the landlocked country in southern Europe the 30th member of the NATO military alliance. All 114 lawmakers present in the 120-seat parliament voted in favour of ratification. A NATO flag was raised outside the building during a brief ceremony. The vote took place several weeks ahead of schedule because the current parliament is set to dissolve at the end of the week, ahead of an election planned for April 12. Spain is the only existing NATO member that has not yet approved North Macedonias accession; its parliament is expected to hold a ratification vote in March. Joining NATO and the European Union has been a priority for the former Yugoslav republics leaders, but a dispute with neighbouring Greece over the countrys name deterred progress for more than two decades. North Macedonia previously was known as Macedonia, a name it shared with a Greek province. A 2017 deal with Greece to break the deadlock called for renaming the smaller and younger country North Macedonia. In return, Greece agreed to drop its objections to its neighbours NATO and eventual EU membership. Greece was the first country to ratify North Macedonias accession to the western military alliance. By joining this alliance, we are not simply joining an international organization, North Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski told lawmakers before the vote. Membership of the worlds most powerful military-political alliance is a privilege, but also a huge responsibility. He described the vote as a major step in completing Macedonian statehood and a (guarantee) for our territorial integrity and sovereignty. North Macedonia and Albania hope to start membership talks with the EU that were blocked in October by France and the Netherlands. The United States and its European allies backed the two countrys efforts to start the EU talks, fearing competition for influence in the Balkans from China and Russia. By Bernard Rowan The Chinese people and the world remain gripped by panic about the Wuhan virus. A virulent strain of coronavirus, referring to the shape of the virus' molecules, the Wuhan virus has stricken tens of thousands and killed nearly a thousand so far. The overreaction outside China concerns me. Wuhan is a major city in Hubei province, about 850 kilometers from Shanghai, and one of the world's most populous. The virus is believed to have originated from there; from people eating snake meat infected by the virus from snakes consuming bats. I think that's the best guess anyway. In response, China has locked down cities, workers aren't working, and travel has dwindled, even during the famous and cherished New Year's holiday season. Many streets look ghostly. People wear breathing masks. Few go to restaurants. The race to create a vaccine continues. We should pray for success. I hope all concerned encourage China to show openness to foreign expertise, both in containing the spread of the virus and in researching a vaccine. Now isn't the time for superpower arrogance or defensiveness on any score. The Wuhan virus is a serious health issue, surpassing SARS as a killer. All of us, including the young and elderly, need to take suitable precautions. We should learn the symptoms, contact our doctors should any symptoms arise, and of course, we shouldn't think of traveling to affected places. This is all standard for similar public health crises. However, what grips many countries outside China concerns me. It reflects blindness to "the log in one's own eye." There is talk of closing airports to Chinese flights. Quarantines occur in various ports and places. Reasonable actions face people traveling from Wuhan. The same doesn't occur for other maladies. The world panics over this virus to a degree greater than greater health issues facing us. China and the Chinese now firmly represent and act on a global scale. Chinese people travel everywhere. They enrich our world and add to the possibilities of human experience. We pay more attention to China because of jealousy, fear, and ignorance. Cicero, in his famous work, "On the Commonwealth," uses the people's reaction to a solar eclipse as a metaphor for blindness. In the same way, many nations see Wuhan as coming to a place near us, fast and certain. We miss the death that's more likely in our eye. In the United States, over two million people have contacted influenza. Over 8,000 have died! That dwarfs the Wuhan coronavirus at this point, and I'm not aware of anything like quarantines, travel bans, increased international travel and airport protocols. In the USA, the story looks like a footnote to the Wuhan virus. It's not viewed with the panic caused by the Wuhan virus. Fearmongers take to social media and spread hyperbole and fake information. We should remember driving on highways kill far more. Deaths from guns, suicides, poor care of the infants and elderly, opioids, cancer and heart disease all kill more. We're taking these public health dangers too little to heart in our own places and spaces. Add in septicemia, diabetes, liver disease and strokes. I read in The Korea Times that Koreans also face this issue. There has been progress with President Xi after the THAAD matter. Many Chinese visit Korea and Koreans visit China. There are some cases reported of Wuhan coronavirus in Korea and coronavirus in bats. The government considers what actions to take. As President Moon has signaled, South Korea will act with measured and reasonable precaution. The greater killers to panic over are well-known and they aren't the Wuhan coronavirus. Bernard Rowan (browan10@yahoo.com) is associate provost for contract administration and professor of political science at Chicago State University. He is a past fellow of the Korea Foundation and former visiting professor at Hanyang University. In the late afternoon of August 7, 1974, a trio of prominent congressional Republicans traveled to the White House with an ominous message for President Richard Nixon. The nations 37th president had been immensely popular within his party. Moreover, he had been elected to a second term overwhelmingly just two years earlier, winning 49 of the 50 states, and garnering 520 electoral votes to only 17 for Democratic candidate George McGovern. Now, however, the scandal known as Watergate had Richard Nixon reeling. House Minority Leader John Rhodes of Arizona told the president that three articles of impeachment adopted by the Judiciary Committee were certain to be approved. With seven Republican members of the Committee having voted for them, he described the situation as very gloomy. Even worse, Senators Barry Goldwater of Arizona and Minority Leader Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania told Nixon that no more than 15 Senators were prepared to back him in a Senate trial. Two days later, with the end of his presidency inevitable, Richard Nixon resigned. Widespread bipartisan condemnation of his egregious misconduct had taken its toll. The differences between the thoughtful, sad, bipartisan process that drove Nixon from office and the hateful, gleeful, rabidly partisan impeachment of Donald Trump are obvious. The first left a man humbled and humiliated, a fate that a large majority of Americans believed he richly deserved. The second left a president standing tall and a nation even more deeply divided than it was in the first place. Nonstop attacks The brutal truth, voluminously documented in words and actions, is that the Democrats have been out to get Donald Trump from the moment he stunned the world by defeating Hillary Clinton. There was never even the pretense of working with him for the national interest, the kind of perfunctory goodwill newly elected presidents are traditionally accorded. Following Barack Obamas election in 2008, for instance, Democrats not only demanded such deference from Republicans, but werent the least reluctant to ascribe racial animus to anyone who dared withhold it. Where Trump was concerned, however, some Democrats were ludicrously calling for his impeachment on the very day he was inaugurated. Some seventy House members even boycotted the inauguration. This, of course, was after they had spent the preceding two months whining about the electoral college, trying to get electors to change their votes, hitching their stars to mindless recount efforts, and remaining largely silent in the face of violent anti-Trump demonstrations across the country. The nonstop attacks escalated in intensity after Trump took office, their scope limited only by the imagination and paranoia of those who hated him. Far from hoping that he would succeed for the good of the nation, Democrats were obsessed with making him fail for the good of themselves. And, of course, they were aided every step of the way by their usual allies in the mainstream media. For a while, Special Counsel Robert Mueller was their man, their hero, the guy who was going to prove that Trump colluded with the Russians to get himself elected. When he came up empty handed, however, he, too, became the target of their wrath. Baseless assertions Also asserted, but similarly unavailing were claims that Trump had violated the Logan Act and the federal Constitutions emoluments clause. Just last Friday, in fact, a unanimous panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit dismissed a suit brought by 215 Democratic members of Congress alleging a violation of the emoluments clause. Some Democrats have even gone so far as to question Trumps mental competency, suggesting that the 25th Amendment be invoked to remove him from office. Against this background, a Democratic impeachment effort was inevitable, the next logical machination of hateful, sore-loser partisans who simply refuse to accept their defeat four years ago. Hence, what the nation wound up seeing and needlessly enduring - was the diametric opposite of the broad bipartisan consensus that had driven Nixon from office. That it was doomed to fail was also inevitable. House Speaker Nancy Pelosis behavior at Trumps State of the Union Address was fittingly descriptive of the impeachment fiasco. Contemptuous of protocol and ignoring her role as representative of that body, she not only refused to accord Trump the customary introduction accorded a president, but also demonstrably tore up his speech following its delivery. Pelosis message to her party was clear. Go right ahead. Hate. And then hate some more. Daniel Leddys column On the Law appears weekly. Follow him on Twitter. His email address is column@danielleddylaw.com. United Nations, Feb 11 : The UN Security Council (UNSC) is scheduled to hold a meeting on Tuesday on US President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, also known as the "Deal of the Century", an official said here. Both UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov will speak at the meeting, Xinhua news agency quoted Farhan Haq, deputy spokesman for Guterres, as saying on Monday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is expected to make a statement at the briefing. Palestine will also submit a draft resolution to the UNSC, according to Riyad Mansour, the country's Permanent Representative in the UN, On January 28, Trump revealed his controversial plan, also known as the "Deal of the Century", calling for a two-state solution while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital". He outlined the 80-page plan, which has been rejected by the Palestinians, at the White House along with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it proposed a "realistic" two-state solution. During a meeting of Foreign Minister at the OIC headquarters in Jeddah on February 3, the pan-Islamic body rejected the plan and urged its 57 members not to help implement it or "cooperate with the US administration's efforts to enforce it any way or form". Requested by the Palestinian leadership, the OIC meeting came two days after the Arab League rejected the plan, saying that it "does not meet the minimum rights and aspirations of Palestinian people". Almost 1,500 churches and service buildings have been made legal over the past three years A cabinet committee tasked with legalising the status of unlicensed Christian places of worship on Tuesday approved the legalisation of 82 churches and service buildings that had been operating without a permit, the cabinet said in a statement. This brings to 1,494 the total number of unlicensed Christian places of worship and service buildings that have been granted legal status so far, the cabinet said. Christians make up around 10 percent of the 100 million population of Egypt, a predominantly Muslim country. In 2016, Egypts parliament approved a long-awaited law regulating the building and renovation of churches. The committee to legalise the status of unlicensed churches was established in 2017 by the prime minister. The 10-member committee comprises one Christian representative, six government officials from several ministries, representatives from the national security apparatus, the intelligence apparatus, and the administrative control body. During its meeting on Tuesday, the cabinet also reviewed the situation of security requirements for legalised churches. Search Keywords: Short link: Tom Steyer (L), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg (R) listen as former Vice President Joe Biden (C) speaks during the Democratic presidential primary debate at Drake University on January 14, 2020 in Des Moines, Iowa. Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is favored to win the New Hampshire Democratic primary Tuesday, but markets give him low odds of winning the White House and are betting on a victory by President Donald Trump. Analysts said the primary will be important, however, because it could add some clarity to the path of moderate candidates running against the left-leaning Sanders. It may also give an early look at where former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg might fit in, once he joins primary races on Super Tuesday. Bloomberg, a successful businessman and founder of Bloomberg L.P., is not in the New Hampshire primary, but he is the Democratic candidate that might be most palatable to markets. "We're trying to figure out if there's a moderate alternative to Bernie SandersIf Pete Buttigieg puts up big numbers, that's two states in a row where he puts up big numbers," said Dan Clifton, head of policy research at Strategas Research. "And he's establishing himself as that moderate alternative. The key to me is do the moderates end up splitting the vote, allowing Bernie Sanders to get a larger lead?" The market mood going into the New Hampshire primary is very different than just eight days ago, when the Iowa Democratic caucuses took place and Sanders was expected to make a big showing. Sanders is viewed by many on Wall Street as negative for the stock market for his policies on health care, taxes, and energy. But the Iowa caucuses were far from smooth, and Democrats had difficulties determining the outcome, with no winning candidate immediately apparent. Buttigieg, former Mayor of South Bend, Ind., took the most delegates, even though Sanders was leading in the polls. Former Vice President Joseph Biden, who was leading nationally, came in fourth. Biden was leading Monday by a tiny 0.3 percentage points over Sanders in national polls, on average, according to RealClearPolitics.com. Japan Feb. 10, 2020 Seiji Yano Sachiko Arai Shinji Takeuchi Koji Fukuda Hirokazu Taniguchi Akihiro Nishiyama Azusa Tanimoto Kaname Yamashita Shigeki Nanjo Toru Kumagai Ryohei Katayama Makoto Nishio Yi-Long Wu Hiroshi Nishihara Takushi Yamamoto Mitsutoshi Nakada Seiji Yano January 21, 2020 Japan Japan Japan Hiroe Yoneda Japan KANAZAWA,/PRNewswire/ --In 20 40% of patients with cancer, metastasis (the development of secondary tumors) in the central nervous system (CNS) occurs. CNS metastatis impacts negatively on a patient's quality of life, and is associated with a poor health prognosis. In a form of cancer known as ALK-rearranged non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), CNS metastatis is known to persist when drugs targeting primary tumors are used. Now,from Kanazawa University and colleagues have investigated the origins for the resistence to such drugs, and tested a new therapeutic strategy on a mouse model.The researchers looked at the drug alectinib. Although used in standard treatments for advanced ALK-rearranged NSCLC, approximately 20 30% of patients treated with alectinib develop CNS metastatis, which is attributed to acquired resistance to the drug.By treating mice first injected with tumor cells with alectinib daily for 16 weeks, the scientists obtained a mouse model displaying alectinib resistance. By biochemical analyses of the mouse brains, Yano and colleagues were able to link the resistance to the activation of a protein known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). This activation is, in turn, a result of an increase in production of amphiregulin (AREG), a protein that binds to EGFR and in doing so 'activates' it.Based on this insight, the researchers tested the effect of administering drugs used for inhibiting the action of EGFR in combination with alectinib treatment. The experiments showed that a combination treatment of alctinib with either erlotinib or osimertinib two existing EGFR-inibiting drugs prevented the progression of CNS metastasis, controlling the condition for over 30 days.The scientists conclude that the combined use of alectinib and EGFR-inhibitors could overcome alectinib resistance in the mouse model of leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LMC), a particular type of CNS metastasis. Quoting Yano and colleagues: "Our findings may provide rationale for clinical trials to investigate the effects of novel therapies dual-targeting ALK and EGFR in ALK-rearranged NSCLC with alectinib-resistant LMC."Non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) and small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) are the two types of lung cancer. 85% of all lung cancers are of the NSCLC type. NSCLCs are less sensitive to chemotherapy than SCLCs, making drug treatment of the highest importance.Alectinib is a drug used for treating NSCLC, with good efficiency. However, 20-30% of patients taking the drug develop secondary cancer in the central nervous system (CNS), which is associated with an acquired resistance to alectinib. Seiji Yano from Kanazawa University and colleagues have now made progress towards a novel therapy against this resistance: a combination of alectinib with other drugs.The drugs that Yano and colleagues tested in combination with alectinib on a mouse model were of a type known as epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors, including osimertinib and erlotinib. Both are being used as medication for treating NSCLC. The former was approved in 2017 as cancer treatment by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the European Commission. Yano and colleagues obtained results showing that EGFR inhibitors counteract resistance to alectinib and have therefore potential in novel therapies for NSCLC and secondary cancers in the CNS., Miyako Satouchi,, Koshiro Ohtsubo,, Mei-mei Zheng,, and. Osimertinib overcomes alectinib resistance caused by amphiregulin in a leptomeningeal carcinomatosis model of ALK-rearranged lung cancer,published online onDOI: 10.1016/j.jtho.2020.01.001URL: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1556086420300228https://nanolsi.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/en/Nano Life Science Institute (NanoLSI), Kanazawa University is a research center established in 2017 as part of the World Premier International Research Center Initiative of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. The objective of this initiative is to form world-tier research centers. NanoLSI combines the foremost knowledge of bio-scanning probe microscopy to establish 'nano-endoscopic techniques' to directly image, analyze, and manipulate biomolecules for insights into mechanisms governing life phenomena such as diseases.http://www.kanazawa-u.ac.jp/e/As the leading comprehensive university on the Sea ofcoast, Kanazawa University has contributed greatly to higher education and academic research insince it was founded in 1949. The University has three colleges and 17 schools offering courses in subjects that include medicine, computer engineering, and humanities.The University is located on the coast of the Sea ofin Kanazawa a city rich in history and culture. The city of Kanazawa has a highly respected intellectual profile since the time of the fiefdom (1598-1867). Kanazawa University is divided into two main campuses: Kakuma and Takaramachi for its approximately 10,200 students including 600 from overseas.Vice Director of Public Affairs WPI Nano Life Science Institute (WPI-NanoLSI) Kanazawa University Kakuma-machi, Kanazawa 920-1192,Email: nanolsi-office@adm.kanazawa-u.ac.jp Tel: +81-(76)-234-4550 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kanazawa-university-research-combined-drug-treatment-for-lung-cancer-and-secondary-tumors-301001822.html SOURCE Kanazawa University Seoul city said Tuesday it has launched a telephone and online consulting service for foreigners on the novel coronavirus. The Southwest Global Center, a support organization for non-Korean residents affiliated with the city government, operates the information line in eight languages English, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Pakistani, Nepalese, Mongolian and Uzbek. The center will receive reports, provide consultation and, when requested, escort potential patients to hospitals. The service is available via phone (02-2229-4900), KakaoTalk messenger service (swsgc), email (hotline@swsgc.co.kr) and the internet ( ). Foreigners speaking Japanese, Thai, Arabic, Russian and Indonesian languages will be transferred to the Seoul Global Center. The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen today on the 10th anniversary of his death. Kate Middleton, 38, arrived with Prince William, 37, for a rare joint engagement with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall at the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) in Loughborough. The royal donned a black military-inspired jacket, teamed with a long black skirt and matching bag, all of which were designed by McQueen. It seems only fitting that she would pay tribute to the late designer, whose label was behind her iconic wedding gown and has been a go-to of the royal since her marriage to Prince William in April 2011. Stylist Susie Hasler, who runs Styled By Susie, told FEMAIL the Duchess' outfit was 'quite fitting' for the occasion, and told how the distinctly British ensemble was that of a 'future queen' rather than a duchess. The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute the late fashion designer Alexander McQueen, today on the 10th anniversary of his death, while attending a joint engagement at the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) in Loughborough She said: 'Its very different to the type of outfit we are used to seeing on her. It has a very masculine twist to it, but I also like how shes kept some femininity to her overall look with earrings. 'Shes dressing like a future queen rather than a duchess - shes making a massively positive statement. 'Kate has had an ongoing relationship with the design house for significant occasions. The designs are always wonderfully high fashion, and distinctly British.' The luxury fashion house was founded by British designer Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992 and taken over by creative director Sarah Burton following his sudden death in 2010. Kate worked closely with Burton to create the lace and satin custom-made gown worn on her wedding day, estimated to have cost around 250,000. The Duchess has continued to commission the label to create bespoke clothing for official events, as well as customising ready-to-wear pieces and accessories. Earlier this month, Kate dazzled in a stunning white and gold McQueen gown at the Bafta awards - which she first wore in 2012. The gown was tweaked slightly to make it subtly different from its first outing eight years ago. Kate worked closely with Sarah Burton to create the lace and satin custom-made gown worn on her wedding day in 2011 (pictured), estimated to have cost around 250,000 The Duchess has continued to commission the fashion house to create bespoke clothing for official events as well as customising certain ready-to-wear pieces and accessories. She is pictured with the Duke of Cambridge on their wedding day The team behind What Kate Wore pointed out this year's iteration featured more structured shoulders and more fitted sleeves than the original, which was worn to a state dinner in Malaysia in 2012. The sleeves of the BAFTA gown were also lined, taking away the sheer effect of the original. The mother-of-three added a touch of glamour to the outfit by pairing it with new accessories, including a pair of shimmering 525 Jimmy Choo glitter heels and an Anya Hindmarch clutch bag, as well as a new jewellery set. Kate reached for a familiar McQueen favourite when getting dressed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018. She wore a primrose yellow silk tailored coat by McQueen that she'd previously worn on no less than three high profile occasions. Earlier this month, Kate dazzled in a stunning white and gold McQueen gown at the Bafta awards (right) which she first wore in 2012 (left) on the Diamond Jubilee Tour in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia The royal was first seen in the designer piece for the christening of Princess Charlotte back in July 2015 and again a year later for the Trooping of the Colour in June 2016. At Princess Charlotte's Christening in 2015, she wore the primrose yellow silk tailored coat to the ceremony at St Mary Magdalene Church at Sandringham. Kate teamed her investment piece with an over-sized Philip Treacy hat and Jimmy Choo heels. Kate reached for a familiar McQueen favourite when getting dressed for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in May 2018, donning a primrose yellow silk tailored coat by the fashion house (pictured) Kate wore the coat once again a year later for the Trooping of the Colour in June 2016, paired with a large fascinator with a pastel pink flower Kate donned a stunning pale pink satin McQueen dress at the wedding of her sister, Pippa Middleton, to James Matthews in May 2017 For Prince George's Christening in October 2013, Kate wore a stunning cream ruffled suit by Alexander McQueen. The Duchess once again wore McQueen to the the baptism of her third child Prince Louis in July 2018 at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace, donning a cream coat dress. She teamed the ensemble with a very striking hat by Jane Taylor, consisting of a wide cream band trimmed with white flowers, and accessorised with new pearl cluster earrings. Susie went on: 'The Duchess has turned to McQueen because the style suits her colouring and her body shape.' The royal wore similar McQueen ensembles to the christenings of all three of her children. Pictured left to right, Kate at the Christenings of Prince George in 2013, Princess Charlotte in 2015 and Prince Louis in 2018 'With a range of soft hues that complement her skin tone - from pale pinks, blues and greys - Kate always looks striking in McQueen. 'Because Kate has an athletic, boyish figure, shes able to carry off those extra details on Alexander McQueens designs - such as peplum details, which adds shape to narrow hips. 'Kates style has significantly changes over the years - its taken on a more formal, conservative, structured styled.' The Duchess also donned a stunning satin McQueen dress at the wedding of her sister Pippa Middleton to James Matthews in May 2017. As well as her pale pink maxi dress from McQueen, Kate wore an elegant fascinator from milliner Jane Taylor and 7,500 Kiki McDonough earrings as she and her father Michael Middleton accompanied Pippa into the church. In 2019, the royal wore McQueen clothing and accessories publicly on 17 different high-profile occasions. Kate wore McQueen to attend Easter Service at St Andrews Cathedral, Sydney, Australia in 2014 (left) and the Trooping the Colour ceremony in London in 2017 (right) Today's engagement is thought to be the Cambridges' and Prince Charles and Camilla's first joint official outing as a foursome since 2011, when they attended a concert in aid of The Prince's Trust. It comes as the Royal Family continues to adjust to the shift in responsibilities in the wake of Megxit, which saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex step back from their roles as senior royals. Charles, Camilla, William and Kate will be given a tour of the facility where they will meet patients undergoing gym rehab sessions and visit the prosthetics workshop. The royal swept her hair back into an easy-to-manage half-up hairstyle - perfect for keeping flyaways under wraps on a cold and blustery day - and added a pair of simple silver drop earrings. She finished the look with a pair of long suede black heeled boots. WASHINGTON Rudy Giuliani, President Trumps personal attorney, is reemerging as a central figure behind efforts to continue investigating Democrats ties to Ukraine with work on a new documentary about Hunter Biden, three Republican sources familiar with the project told Yahoo News. Giuliani and his production team, led by veteran California Republican fixer Tim Yale, have been conducting interviews for the documentary, according to two of the people familiar with the effort. They have also approached potential investors in the film, showing them trailers with footage of former Vice President Joe Biden and actors portraying Hunter Biden and Ukrainian officials, according to one of those sources. Giuliani did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Yale, Giulianis partner on the documentary, also didnt return requests for comment. Just a few months ago, in the midst of the impeachment proceedings, Giuliani had become politically toxic for Trump, and some Republicans were urging Trump to dump him. But since Trumps acquittal last week in the Senate, Giuliani is attempting to retake the reins of the Ukraine investigation conducting interviews and promising to deliver evidence to the Justice Department. Rudy Giuliani and Hunter Biden. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: AP, Teresa Kroeger/Getty Images) It is unclear what wrongdoing Giuliani hopes to prove. Hunter Biden was a paid board member of Burisma, a Ukrainian energy company with a history of corruption, while his father, Joe, served as vice president and was involved in efforts to pressure Ukraine to fight corruption. Though Hunter Biden, who had no prior experience in the energy sector, has been widely criticized for creating the appearance of a conflict of interest, there has been no evidence that his father took any action to benefit his son. Giuliani appeared on Fox News over the past weekend, promising documents that would prove accusations of wrongdoing against Hunter Biden. He has also said he is planning to reveal more documents in public when Senate Republicans begin holding public hearings in their investigation of the Bidens, said one person familiar with the effort. Story continues A lawyer representing Hunter Biden did not respond to a request for comment. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham, one of the three Republican senators overseeing the broad effort to investigate the Bidens, said Sunday on CBSs Face the Nation that Trumps Justice Department created a process that Rudy could give information [to them] and they would see if its verified. Attorney General William Barr said Monday that the Justice Department had an open door for information regarding Ukraine, including any evidence Giuliani provides, but cast doubt on the veracity of all intelligence coming out of Ukraine. We cant take anything we receive from the Ukraine at face value, he told reporters. Rudy Giuliani on "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" on Feb. 9. (Fox News) Its unclear how close Giuliani still is with Trump or the White House. Some Republicans have given him broad credit for helping carry Trump to acquittal, but a source close to the administration noted that Giuliani has created more problems for Trump than hes fixed. Following his acquittal, Trump thanked dozens of lawmakers in his hourlong victory speech at the White House last Thursday, but he notably left out Giuliani while handing out praise. A White House aide declined to comment on Giulianis activities, saying those questions should be directed to Giuliani. Pressed by Fox News Maria Bartiromo Sunday, Giuliani declined to say precisely if the Trump administration or Trumps supporters would be launching their own investigation of the Bidens and Ukraine, or whether he supported the ongoing Senate investigation outright. But the new documentary is the latest, and starkest, example that Giuliani is leading the way on the renewed effort. He also produced a separate program on Ukraine on the pro-Trump network One America News that aired in December. And hes been touting his podcast, including an interview with the former Ukrainian diplomat who touched off allegations of corruption against Hunter Biden, Andrii Telizhenko. One of the sources, who watched trailers put together to pitch the film, described it as more of a satirical mockumentary, and less serious than Giuliani and Trumps previous effort to get Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. Giulianis earlier bid to investigate the Biden family, which witnesses in the House impeachment probe said was directed by Trump, led to the House charging the president with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Both Trump and Giuliani have repeatedly denied they tried to coerce an investigation of the Bidens disputing sworn testimony from government witnesses. Rudy Giuliani and Andrii Telizhenko, in a photo posted on Telizhenko's Facebook account last May 22. (Andrii Telizhenko/Facebook) Two days after the Republican-led Senate acquitted Trump on both charges, the White House removed one witness, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, and his twin brother from the National Security Council. The president also recalled another witness, Gordon Sondland, who gave some of the most stunning testimony of the impeachment probe, from his post as U.S. ambassador to the European Union. In the meantime, the Republican pursuit of the Bidens appears to be continuing full speed, even as Joe Bidens presidential prospects are dimming after a fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses. Yahoo News reported last week that agencies including the Treasury Department were rapidly turning over documents to Senate Republicans investigating Hunter Biden. Similarly, Giulianis efforts to investigate the Bidens appear to be moving forward. He approached potential investors for the new documentary last month, offering a trip to Ukraine with him and his production team, according to one of the sources familiar with the project. Giuliani jettisoned his old team, including operatives Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, months ago, after they were indicted for funneling foreign money to Republicans. Giuliani already has some competition, however. Former Trump campaign adviser Michael Caputo is out with a documentary called The Ukraine Hoax, which repeats many of the same allegations leveled at Hunter Biden for his work with Burisma. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: With the Assembly likely to adjourn this month, Republicans are looking to push through a number of Tougher on Crime bills and controversial legislation related to testing of evidence in sexual assault cases. The Assembly also is scheduled to take up votes Tuesday to rein in efforts to disrupt free speech on campus, money laundering and drunken driving penalties. The Senate is likely to adjourn sometime next month, providing little time for all the bills to proceed. Sexual-assault kits: The Assembly is due to vote on a bill to create the first statutory guidelines for how to process sexual-assault kits, which could help preserve physical evidence to aid in prosecution. The legislation is aimed at preventing a backlog in testing evidence in sexual assault cases. Last year Democratic Attorney General Josh Kaul and a coalition of sexual-assault victim advocates called on Assembly Republicans to take up a bill to create statutory requirements for who should collect and store sexual-assault kits, and when. Republican lawmakers have introduced a competing measure that would impose more compressed timelines for processing sexual assault kits. But it also contains controversial and only tangentially related proposals Democrats have rejected, putting the entire effort at risk. The proposals include allowing sexual assault victims access to private school vouchers even if they wouldnt otherwise qualify based on their income, and requiring law enforcement to notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement of immigrants in the country illegally who are under arrest for sexual assault. Crime bills: Several bills before the Assembly come as part of a GOP-led Tougher on Crime initiative that would increase criminal penalties and likely expand both the adult and juvenile prison populations. The bills include: increasing penalties for intimidating a victim of domestic abuse; revoking parole, probation or extended supervision if a person commits a crime while serving his or her sentence; expanding the types of juvenile crimes that can result in incarceration; and barring offenders serving time for certain violent crimes from being released on parole or extended supervision. Democratic Gov. Tony Evers, who has the power to veto the bills, has said he opposes any measures that would increase the states prison population. He has advocated for a different package of bills aimed at reducing the states prison population. Student conduct: The Assembly is also scheduled to vote on a bill to codify protections for public speakers on University of Wisconsin campuses. The rules were adopted last year by the UW Board of Regents and would require disciplinary action against students who disrupt public speeches. Under the rule, interfering twice in a speakers event results in suspension, and a third instance results in expulsion. Evers has said he likely would veto such a bill, calling it the speech police in reverse. Money laundering: Another bill before the Assembly would create a statute addressing money laundering in Wisconsin. The punishment for money laundering facilitating a transaction with illegally obtained funds or engaging in such a transaction in a concealing nature would be a misdemeanor if the amount is $2,500 or less and a felony if more than that. Transactions over $100,000 would constitute a Class F felony, punishable by a fine not to exceed $25,000 or imprisonment not to exceed 12 years and 6 months, or both. Wisconsin statute doesnt currently define money laundering, meaning any such cases have to reach federal guidelines or be tried as other crimes such as theft. Drunken driving: Representatives will also vote on legislation to increase the mandatory minimum sentence for fifth and sixth drunken driving convictions to 18 months. Currently, such a conviction results in a fine of at least $600 and a six-month sentence. Another bill would extend how much time prosecutors have to pursue drunken driving cases, with exceptions. The prosecution time limit for a misdemeanor drunken driving charge would be extended from three years to six years. The time limit to prosecute a drunken driving ordinance violation would be extended from two years to three years. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 A 33-year-old man was arrested on Monday by Vikhroli police in Mumbai for allegedly killing his wife for refusing to bring money from her maternal home, an official said. Ronald Victor Montero hit his wife Emma Joseph Fernandez after a fight last Tuesday and then got her admitted a local hospital where she died of severe internal injuries on Thursday, he said. "The post-mortem report of Rajawadi Hospital revealed the injuries were due to assault. Her mother said Monetro used to beat up Emma over money. He was arrested for murder on Monday and sent to police custody till February 14," he added. The two got married in 2017 after meeting in 2012 while working at a BPO, police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As weve seen rent rising in D.C., black residents are being displaced because they are the only group of people in the District whose income has remained relatively flat, Crawford said. This is Chocolate City. Black people spent years trying to build their own institutions from schools to banks to hotels when private practices and public policies didnt serve them. . . . Now that the things are changing, they should be able to stay in their homes and enjoy the prosperity. Palestinian officials have denied reports that a UN Security Council resolution condemning US President Donald Trumps Middle East plan has been withdrawn, as Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas prepared to address the Security Council on Tuesday. Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), said a draft resolution was still being circulated and described rumours that the United States had exerted pressure on member states to obstruct the resolution as unfounded. We are continuing the process of consultation with various countries in a way that doesnt contradict the principles of the resolution, he said in a tweet. Reports that the resolution promoted by the Arab Group and the non-aligned movement has been withdrawn are unfounded. Reports that the resolution promoted by the Arab Group and the non-aligned movement has been withdrawn are unfounded. The draft resolution has been distributed.We are continuing the process of consultation with various countries in a way that doesnt contradict the principles Dr. Saeb Erakat (@ErakatSaeb) February 10, 2020 Trump last month unveiled his long-delayed Middle East plan, which was strongly supported by Israel but condemned by the Palestinian leadership and people. The plan envisions a disjointed Palestinian state that turns over key parts of the occupied West Bank to Israel and favours Israel on key contentious issues including borders, the status of Jerusalem, and Jewish settlements. Erekat, who has arrived in New York with Abbas, said reports about the Palestinian leadership pulling the draft resolution were part of a vicious war against Palestinians. He also stressed that Abbas would address the Security Council as planned. Divisions under the surface The original draft resolution, co-sponsored by Tunisia and Indonesia and backed by the Palestinian delegation, said Trumps plan violates international law and Security Council demands for a two-state solution based on the borders of Palestine before the 1967 war. It would have expressed the councils determination to examine practical ways and means to secure the full implementation of its relevant resolutions, including enforcement measures under Chapter 7 of the (UN) Charter, which cover military and non-military means. After lengthy negotiations and revised drafts through the weekend, and the circulation of a drastically amended text by the US, the Palestinian delegation decided against putting any draft in blue a final form for a vote, diplomats told The Associated Press news agency. Erekat said since the resolution has not been put in blue, it cannot be said to have been pulled. The Palestinian leadership has the backing of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the plan. But individual countries positions are more complicated. In the midst of pushing for the UN resolution last week, Tunisia abruptly withdrew its UN ambassador, raising speculation that the Arab state had come under pressure from Washington. After appearing on Thursday at the UN, Jared Kushner, Trumps son-in-law and adviser who spearheaded his Middle East push, said there was a tonne of cracks in opposition to the plan. He pointed to divisions within the European Union, which failed to issue a joint statement critical of the plan amid dissent from a handful of countries such as Hungary, led by the right-wing populist Viktor Orban. Of the four EU members that hold seats on the Security Council, two of them Germany and Estonia looked ready to abstain from a vote criticising the US plan, diplomats told the AFP news agency. The other two members are Belgium and France, which is a permanent member and therefore has the power to veto resolutions. The United Kingdom, which is also a permanent member of the Security Council, left the EU at the end of last month. Israel and the US have also been optimistic of winning at least muted backing from Arab states traditionally supportive of the Palestinians, with Gulf monarchies united with Israel in their hostility to Iran. The ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) attended Trumps unveiling of the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later held a breakthrough meeting with Sudans top general. Advertisement Dangerous storms raged across the deep South dumping heavy rains on Mississippi and Alabama on Monday, triggering 'life-threatening' flash floods that inundated roads and forced schools to close. Flood alerts and warnings are in effect 7million people stretching from eastern Texas to western North Carolina through Tuesday morning with three to seven inches of rain predicted to fall in flood watch areas. Dozens of roads were left under water in low-lying areas across the Tennessee Valley after hours of rain pummeled the area, trapping cars in flooded streets in downtown Birmingham. Harrowing video of the extreme weather shows downed trees, vehicles leaving wakes behind them on flooded roads in Yazoo City, Mississippi, and neighborhoods under water. Large swathes of North and Central Alabama were placed under a flash flood warning Monday evening. Many parts of Alabama are still reeling from heavy rain last week, and the severe weather is forecast to last for through Wednesday. Dangerous storms are raging across the deep South dumping heavy rains on Mississippi and Alabama on Monday, triggering flash floods that have inundated roads and forced schools to close. The Hueytown Police in Alabama shared pictures of flooded neighborhoods above This photo shows severe flooding at Halls Creek at 14th Avenue North in Bessemer, Alabama Many parts of Alabama are still reeling from heavy rain last week, and the severe weather is forecast to last for through Wednesday. A worker pictured carrying a wooden plank to help a neighbor move their camper from flooding conditions in Decatur, Alabama on Saturday following a week of severe rain Severe rain and flooding closed several roads in Alabama on Monday including this one on First Street North at Fourth Avenue North About 1.30p CST, the National Weather Service office in Birmingham warned that 'life-threatening' flash flooding was occurring in Tuscaloosa County. Alabama suffered the brunt of the heavy rains that swelled streets and left cars stranded in deep water. Students in Jefferson County and Lawrence County in Alabama were dismissed early due to the dangerous floods. Several school districts in Mississippi also dismissed students early on Monday. More than two inches of rain fell during the day in some areas. The National Weather Service reported another four inches could fall by Tuesday evening. The pounding deluge is expected to continue in the next coming days. In addition to the flash flood risk, the South may see severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, brief tornadoes and hail, affecting 2million people from eastern Texas through northern Louisiana and central Mississippi, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Weather Prediction Center. Virginia Drive in Hueytown, Alabama was closed due to flooding that swamped the area on Monday These photos show flooded driveways approaching homes in Canton, Mississippi on Monday evening Video footage showed major flooding near the Saginaw Pipe Plant in Alabaster, Alabama on Monday The water was so high it approached the entry way of the Saginaw Pipe Plant in Alabaster, Alabama The region that faces a flood risk through Tuesday due to heavy rain pictured above hitting Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Georgia the hardest while bringing warm temperatures to Florida After Tuesday the potentially severe storms are expected to move across the region. Flash flood warnings and watches are in place stretching from eastern Texas into the western Carolinas. The Tennessee Valley Authority said some of its rivers and lakes had received as much as 400% of their normal rainfall for this time of year. Monday's flood watch and alerts pictured above affection areas of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia The rain forecast through Friday shows that Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and Georgia will see up to three inches of rain Excessive rain will pound the South Monday evening into early Tuesday Meteorologists predict the severe weather will last through Wednesday evening In Homewood, Alabama, the ground was so saturated with water that it could no longer support trees, sending some toppling into the streets. On Monday more than 4,000 homes and businesses in Mississippi lost electricity due to power outages in the severe weather. The storm system will also effect the East Coast, bringing light to moderate snow through Tuesday morning in New England, but less than an inch of snow is predicted to accumulate. By Thursday the system will pummel the East Coast with heavy rain from New England to northern Florida. In the Midwest snow and winds are possible as well in New England. For those still busy hedging on the spread of the coronavirus, a more sustainable threat to energy investments continues with the disappointingly dull impact of the much-lauded Phase One trade deal between Washington and Beijing. In a few days time, China is set to halve tariffs on $75 billion of imports from the United States, reciprocating a similar move by its western counterpart as part of an interim trade deal. The reductions will come into force on February 14 at 1:01 p.m. local time (05:01 GMT) and will see punitive tariffs for some 1,717 types of US goods lowered from 10% to 5% on some goods and from 5% to 2.5% for others. Unfortunately, U.S. energy producers that are looking forward to a financial windfall by boosting exports to China could be in for a big disappointment. Thats because the pathway for renewed deliveries of key energy commodities such as LNG from the U.S. to China remains unclear weeks after a "phase one" trade deal was struck. The revelation adds another blow to the battered energy sector, with natural gas prices recently plunging to a decade-low of $1.79/MMBtu--the lowest nominal Henry Hub price since 1998--with the U.S. gas market 2-3 Bcf/d oversupplied. Source: Business Insider Energy Exports Decline The phase one deal included a pledge by China to make $52.4 billion worth of additional energy purchases including crude oil, LNG, refined products and coal across the next two years. However, it did not give a breakdown of specific product purchases. Tariffs for U.S. crude oil, which was first targeted in September, will be lowered to 2.5% from 5%. There is really no clear indication yet as to whether this reduction will boost flagging exports. U.S. exports of crude oil to China, the worlds biggest crude importer, hit a record high in 2018. In 2019, however, they were nearly halved to 6.35 million tonnes, with zero imports in December as the trade war between the worlds two largest economies dragged on. Related: OPECs Oil Production Plunges, But It May Not Be Enough But whats particularly discouraging is the LNG situation. Imports of the super-chilled fuel from the U.S. clocked in at just 258,955 tonnes in 2019, far lower than the 2.15 million tonnes imported in 2018. That represents a tiny fraction of Chinas total LNG imports of 60.25 million tonnes during the year. No LNG imports from the U.S. have been delivered to China since March 2019, with China's 25% retaliatory tariff on U.S. LNG staying in place through the trade deal. As Ken Medlock, senior director of the center for energy studies at Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy, told S&P Global, its highly unlikely that other LNG suppliers will be willing to relinquish market share for the sake of a U.S.-China trade deal. Unless China removes or lowers the 25% tariff it slapped on U.S. LNG in June 2019, its going to be a tough call for Chinese gas buyers to purchase more of the commodity. Further, most of China's LNG imports are under long-term contracts with China trying to diversify its LNG imports from sources other than the U.S., such as Australia, Russia, Qatar and Mozambique. Beijing will also likely not be in a hurry to buy more energy products from the US simply because its not going to be under much pressure to do so. During the trade negotiations, Washington failed to make specific reference to China's compliance with an aggressive commitment to purchases of U.S. commodities, including energy products such as LNG, and did not highlight imminent plans for "phase two" negotiations. This gives the country plenty of leeway. Propane Receives a Tariff Boost While the LNG outlook is not good, some industrial commodities are likely to receive a substantial tariff boost. On top of the list is propane, after Beijing scrapped an additional 5% tariff on propane shipments from the US. China imports propane from the US and other countries and turns it into petrochemicals such as propylene. US propane exports tumbled from 1.5 million tonnes in 2018 to just 2,443 tonnes last year. The same can, however, not be said for methanol, ethylene glycol (MEG). In June 2019, China imposed tariffs of 25% on US methanol and MEG; unfortunately, they were not affected by the Jan 15, 2020, deal. China imported only 75,118 tonnes of methanol from the US in 2019, down from 109,000 tonnes bought the previous year. Meanwhile, US MEG exports to China clocked in 69,600 vs.147,890 tonnes purchased the previous year. These were just a tiny part of Chinas total methanol and MEG imports of 9.7 million tonnes 9.03 million tonnes, respectively, over that timeframe. By. Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Ilkin Seyfaddini Trend: Uzbekistan and Great Britain discussed the current state and prospects of expanding trade, economic and investment cooperation, Trend reports citing Uzbek media. These issues were discussed at the meeting of Ambassador of Uzbekistan to the UK Said Rustamov with the UK Minister for Investment at the Department for International Trade Graham Stuart in London on Feb. 10. The British minister noted the considerable success achieved by Uzbekistan in implementing comprehensive reforms, particularly in economic liberalization and increasing investment attractiveness. This achievement, which has already been reflected in the improvement of Uzbekistan's position in the UN rating "Doing Business", as well as recognition of Uzbekistan by the British magazine "The Economist" as "country of the year", opens wide opportunities for increasing bilateral trade turnover and volumes of investments as well as expanding cooperation in technological, financial and educational spheres, the news report said. The sides also discussed issues of conducting a number of joint events in the near future, including a session of Uzbek-British Industry and Trade Board in London. Furthermore, British companies were invited to participate in Tashkent International Investment Forum to be held in Uzbekistan on March 5-6, 2020. [February 11, 2020] Europe's Largest Innovation Platform STARTUP AUTOBAHN Presents 40 New Pilot Projects - Powered by Silicon Valley's Investor Plug and Play Tech Center STARTUP AUTOBAHN, the open innovation platform powered by Silicon Valley's Investor Plug and Play Tech Center is approaching the finale of their seventh program round. To highlight the work developed in the program, 27 startups from around the world will showcase the 40 joint pilot projects together with the platform's industry partners at EXPO Day in Stuttgart, Germany on February 13. More than 220 startups have taken part in the STARTUP AUTOBAHN powered by Plug and Play platform since 2016, generating 320 pilot projects in areas that include mobility, production, and enterprise. Over 60 of these pilots have already been implemented, making STARTUP AUTOBAHN Europe's most successful innovation platform. The global platform is comprised of 29 industry-leading partners, such as Daimler and Porsche from Germany, DXC Technology from the USA, Motherson from India, and Yanfeng Automotive Interiors from China. The projects and implementations launched from STARTUP AUTOBAHN, range from the development of new sustainable materials for use in luxury vehicle interiors, to innovative methods of autonomous vehicles inproduction facilities, and Augmented Reality solutions for more intuitive assembly operation. As an example, Mercedes-Benz and startup Circulor have partnered this round to utilize Circulor's blockchain technology to record and eventually reduce carbon emissions coming from the automotive manufacturer's battery supply chain. The technology tracks the carbon emissions produced by manufacturers of vehicle batteries. The data will be used by Mercedes-Benz to develop in the future, a new line of passenger vehicles with a carbon neutral footprint. Israeli startup Ottopia and T-Systems (News - Alert) have partnered to commercialize the startup's patent pending technology, enabling the safe remote control of vehicles. With the goal of providing an automotive-grade platform to automotive OEMs, Tier1 suppliers, and various commercial fleet managers, teleoperation will save resources and save lives. At its current stage, the team is able to demonstrate live from Stuttgart, the teleoperation of a vehicle in Tel Aviv. For additional information about these projects and many others from the program, access the extended release here: https://startup-autobahn.com/news/press-release/europes-largest-open-innovation-platform-startup-autobahn-presents-40-new-pilot-projects-at-expo-day/ View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005078/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] While the AAP's thumping victory in Delhi polls is being projected as validation of its development model, several state governments have already taken a cue from the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation's flagship Mohalla clinic scheme and are replicating it. "People have proven that Kejriwal model of governance is better... and in our model a common man is at the centre," Kejriwal had said after his post 2015 poll victory. Now after his party's stupendous victory in this year's assembly polls, it is said that the opening of nearly 500 Mohalla clinics since 2015, where doctor consultation, medicines and lab tests can be availed free of cost, played a vital role in tilting the balance in favour of the IRS officer-turned-politician. Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, Karnataka and UT of Jammu and Kashmir have already announced that they would be replicating the initiative. The Delhi government spends as high as Rs 400 crore per year for maintaining Mohalla clinics and it has plans to expand it to 1,000 clinics with a target of covering 10,000 to 15,000 population in every area. The clinics drew international attention too, with former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and ex-Norway prime minister Gro Harlem Brundtland commending the AAP's scheme. Another former UN secretary general Ban Ki-Moon in fact visited one of the clinics in Delhi to have a first-hand knowledge about its functioning. According to media reports, the T H Chan School of Public Health of Harvard University wanted to study the model of these Mohalla clinics and prepare a case report on how primary health care can be delivered in urban neighbourhoods through the public system. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As part of a broader push to reach Massachusetts voters, Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg is opening a campaign office in Springfield. In a press release issued Tuesday morning, the campaign announced former Philidelphia Mayor Michael Nutter would host the opening of the campaigns Springfield office at 182 Worthington St. at 4 p.m. We are opening an office in Springfield so that supporters in Western Massachusetts can help spread the word about Mikes vision for the country, said State Director Jordan Overstreet. We are excited to have our National Campaign Co-Chair Mayor Michael Nutter on hand to celebrate this expansion of operations ahead of the Massachusetts primary. Bloomberg was the mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013. Bloomberg was a late entry into the Democratic race, announcing his candidacy in November of last year after expressing dissatisfaction with the Democratic field. He announced he would personally finance his campaign and would not accept donations. Bloomberg has spent more than $300 million in advertising since November. Members of the public are invited to attend the office opening and can RSVP for the event here. According to Politico, Bloomberg won the votes of Dixville Notch, the town famous for being the first to cast its ballots in the New Hampshire Primary. Bloomberg received three of the towns five votes. Related Content: A Fianna Fail TD has had to suspend her Facebook account after a "sinister" fake page was created in her name which implied the deputy was "dismissive of victims of child sexual abuse". Waterford TD Mary Butler was re-elected to the 33rd Dail retaining her seat after she finished behind Sinn Fein's poll-topping David Cullinane. However, since her re-election, she has been in the middle of what she has called a "co-ordinated campaign of online hate and harassment". Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:35:50|Editor: Lu Hui Video Player Close A sanitation worker disinfects a garbage bin near a bus stop in Hefei, capital of east China's Anhui Province, Feb. 11, 2020. The disinfection work of garbage bins in key regions of the city are required to be carried out twice a day since Jan. 25 by local authorities in Hefei. (Xinhua/Zhang Duan) A Lincolnshire farm has opened up a brand new market after it was given the green light to export 25,000 British cabbages into Malaysia. Naylor Farms has recently secured a three year contract to export 10,800 tonnes of round cabbage to Malaysia. The family family been growing vegetables near Spalding since 1909. But four shipments of fresh cabbages had been held up at the Malaysian border because of a gap in regulations. The UK's Department for International Trade (DIT) worked with Naylor Farms to release around 25,000 round cabbages from the Malaysian Quarantine and Inspection Services. DIT worked with the farm business to get temporary approval for their cabbages to be imported into Malaysia. The Malaysian government has also formed a committee to review their food import regulations, including those that apply to vegetables. Trade Policy Minister Conor Burns said: By getting rid of red tape, we can open up markets and create new opportunities for British businesses to sell their produce around the world. This is good news and I look forward to working with the Malaysian government to find a permanent solution so that Malaysian people can continue to enjoy great British vegetables. Simon Nayor, owner of Nayor Farms, said the move is a 'massive step forward' for his business. This has not only been a step forward for us but also for other companies wishing to import their goods to Malaysia so it has been a win-win situation for everyone. Part of DITs work is to lower market access barriers in key economies around the world to make it easier for British businesses to trade internationally. Market access barriers make British exports less competitive than locally produced goods and services. In some cases, they can prohibit imports entirely. A study by the OECD suggests all G20 economies could see increased exports by more than 20% in the long term, if trade barriers were halved globally. [February 11, 2020] Q. R. Payne Mega Corporation Passes Seven Figure Threshold in First Year of Business Q. R. Payne Mega Corporation joined the business enterprise last year as a holding corporation, and has since then grown aggressively. One spotlight entity that Q. R. Payne Mega Corp. holds stake in is All Hours Company L.L.C, a music marketing firm that has posted positive value to the Corporation's overall net worth. All Hours Company L.L.C is a music marketing firm that caters to independent music recording artists. In 2019, All Hours Co. raked in a majority of its revenue from artist management splits, and music streaming platforms. Streams are the new album sales in the music industry, and All Hours Co. had no problem generating millions. Songs like Trust Issue, written by Tajh Virgil, and I'll Wait, written by Pharaoh Washington lead the way in 2019 and accounted for more than 2.2 million of the company's total count. Other entities uch as Quad Seasons Outdoor Care, and Quron Payne Music L.L.C, also contribute to the corporation's growth in 2019. Quad Season Outdoor Care, a landscaping company, brought in most of its revenue throughout the summer and fall; and Payne's music catalog (Quron Payne Music L.L.C) produced over 2.5 million streams through the year. We asked Q. R. Payne Mega Corporation's CEO, Quron Payne, about this milestone and what this meant for the future of Q. R. Payne Mega Corp., and he said, "This is huge for us, we've found our niche in a market and only plan to grow it from here. We are adding more services, and plan to service more artists in the coming years. We will also continue searching for new investment opportunities to grow the Corporation." Continued business growth and personal growth seems to go hand-and-hand for Payne as he prepares for Law School this upcoming fall. Payne is currently finishing up his undergraduate degree at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and plans to start the University Of Wisconsin-Madison's Law program shortly after graduation. "Although I haven't received my Acceptance Letter from UW-Madison's Law School yet, all my eggs are in that basket, I will be a Badger. After my visit and after conversing with the students and faculty, University Of Wisconsin-Madison is my home," Payne said. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005377/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Nestle announced bringing KitKat Gold to Hungary, making the country one of the first European markets of the candy bar, according to a press release. This is not the first time Nestle decided to bring a special edition of the chocolate bar to Hungary. Two years ago, KitKat Ruby, made from a special Ruby cocoa beans appeared on store shelves, while last year saw the debut of the Matcha tea flavored, green-colored KitKat. The new KitKat Gold is unique not only for its characteristic gold packaging but also because of the flavor achieved by blending caramel into its white chocolate coating. KitKat Gold uses UTZ-certified cocoa beans sourced as part of the Nestle Cocoa Plan. It has no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Nestle says that it strives to respond to changing consumer habits with the launch of KitKat Gold, as customers are constantly looking for newer flavors. In line with this trend, this special edition of KitKat had a limited launch in 2018 in Australia and New Zealand, where local fans launched a petition to retain the flavor variant. The popularity of the product convinced the company to keep it on the shelves, while also expanding distribution to other countries, including Hungary. Photo courtesy of KitKat Thirty businesses have been shortlisted for the Cork Business of the Year awards that will be announced later this month. Hosted by the Cork Business Association (CBA) the overall winners will be named at their black-tie Presidents Dinner on February 22 at the Vienna Woods. What started off as a potentially great friendship between Real Housewives of Atlanta stars Kenya Moore and friend to the show Tanya Sam now appears to be permanently damaged. Kenya Moore 2019 | John Lamparski/Getty Images Moore claims she supported Sams desire to become a mother only for Sam to return the favor by throwing unnecessary shade to fit in with the rest of the cast. But Moores latest actions have viewers pissed with her and they believe shes taken things too far. Kenya Moore brings a woman on the show who accuses Tanya Sams fiance of flirting In an episode that aired weeks ago, Moore caused hysteria when she questioned the group about infidelity in relationships. Moore asked a seemingly general question about whether or not the ladies in the group would want to be notified on if their significant other was flirty or cheating with another woman. Though all the ladies agreed they would, the problem was that Moore was indirectly referencing a situation involving Sam and her fiance. In an unseen clip that was used in a reference to the conversation, Moore and co-star Cynthia Bailey were approached by a vendor in Baileys wine cellar known as the cookie lady. According to the woman, Sams fiance not only flirted with her at a local bar, but he claimed he was single and asked for her contact number. Source: YouTube Moore did not reveal the conversation to the group during the discussion but both Bailey and Kandi Burruss were privy to the information. When Moore asked Sam what the status of her relationship with her fiance was, Sam responded that her love life was close to perfect. Moore chose to not reveal the details to Sam but took pleasure in knowing of the alleged interaction. Source: YouTube After Sam caught wind of Moore withholding the alleged flirting debacle, she decided to reveal some shady information regarding Moore wearing a wig. Moore has prided herself on only wearing her natural hair to coincide with her successful natural hair product line. Moore was pissed over Sams revelation and when she confronted her about it, she brought the cookie lady to the meeting to divulge about her exchange with Sams fiance as payback. Fans slam Kenya Moore for introducing The Cookie Lady Sam and Moore had a heated exchange during their meeting regarding the wig fiasco. Moore took offense to Sam sharing that she wore a wig and claimed that it jeopardized her business as it appeared she was partaking in false advertising practices. Sam disagreed. Source: YouTube Fans were not pleased with Moores behavior, especially in terms of her ambushing Sam at their meet up. Viewers expressed their disgust with Moores seemingly messy behavior by the ambush and also let it be known that Moores overall reaction was unwarranted especially because her wearing a wig was pretty obvious. They let their opinions be heard loud and clear during a live chat of the Feb. 9 airing of RHOA. Kenya Moore and Tanya Sam 2019 | Prince Williams/Wireimage Kenya is disgusting the way shes talking to Tanya only proves that shes a horrible person, one viewer wrote. You should be able to sit with anyone and have a [sic] intelligent conversation. Kenya is disgusting the way shes talking to Tanya only proves that shes a horrible person. You should be able to sit with anyone and have a intelligent conversation. #rhoa I'mThankful (@rcbird1021) February 10, 2020 Source: Twitter Kenya is mad that people saw the wig that they already knew she wore, one viewer commented. Kenya is mad that people saw the wig that they already knew she wore #RHOA pic.twitter.com/5NI5Qd9mlK (@sinclairnerds) February 10, 2020 Source: Twitter Fans also scolded Moore for speaking about Sams potential relationship drama when she herself has her own marital issues. Kenya did all that my husband at the table with Tanya just for Bravo to turn around and show us yet another scene of her husband ignoring her existence, another viewer noted. Kenya did all that my husband at the table with Tanya just for Bravo to turn around and show us yet another scene of her husband ignoring her existence #RHOA pic.twitter.com/lKbCmXQzVn MIKE (@hshtgmike) February 10, 2020 Source: Twitter Moore is standing by her interaction with Sam. She firmly believes that Sam could have tarnished her brand with the wig incident. Sam, on the other hand, is disappointed in the lengths she says Moore went to in order to be shady. In a landmark judgment that came from the Australian High Court on Tuesday, Australia can no longer deport its indigenous people even if they are not born in the country. According to media reports, the High Court in Australia was hearing a case of two men who were not born in the country and were convicted of crimes, facing a jail term of more than a year. Daniel Love and Brendan Thoms were born overseas but one of their parents was an indigenous Australian citizen. Read: Australian MasterChef Judge Expresses Sadness Over Restaurant Empire Collapse Australian High Court judgment As per media reports, Daniel and Brendan had been living in Australia on permanent residency visas but had never applied for citizenship in the country. The Australian government was treating them as foreigners and was planning to deport them to their country of birth. Their visas were revoked in 2018 after the two men were convicted in crimes and Thoms had been living in a detention camp for more than a year now. The men decided to challenge their deportation in Australia's High Court, wherein a 4-3 ruling the bench said that the men must be treated as citizens and can, therefore, remain in the country. Love, however, is still facing a hearing to determine his Australian heritage. Read: Australian Parliament To Call For Israel To Return Principal Claire Gibbs, a lawyer for the two men while talking to the media said that the case was not about their citizenship, it was about who belongs to Australia and who is an Australian national and part of the Australian community. She further highlighted the fact that Thoms had been living in a detention camp for more than a year now and called on the Australian government for his immediate release. Read: Australia: Bottle Shop Staff Uses Pallet Of Beer To Lock Thieves Inside Cold Room As per media reports, Australia's conservative government has in recent months launched an immigration crackdown where they have been deporting hundreds of foreigners convicted of crimes and is also stripping off their citizenship if they are a dual-nationals. The move by the Australian government has seen many being deported to countries they had left when just children. According to reports, Australia has nearly 700,000 indigenous people and most of them are still living way below the social and economic indicator. Read: Deluge In Australia Drenches Fires And Eases 3-year Drought Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. A House panel weighing new rules for self-driving cars was divided between those wanting to get out of the way of innovation and those who emphasized safety over speed to market. There has been bipartisan support in Congress for a federal policy that would make it easier to test self-driving cars on public roads. But some lawmakers are reevaluating that approach after a series of high-profile crashes that are under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board. A hearing of the House Consumer Protection Subcommittee on Tuesday showed that many lawmakers are enthusiastic about the economic promise of self-driving cars and the potential for the technology to reduce fatalities on U.S. highways. But questions about safety and liability, which kept the bill from becoming law two years ago, are still very much on the minds of key lawmakers. Rep. Frank Pallone, chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said NTSB investigators showed that an Uber test vehicle in a March 2018 crash couldnt detect pedestrians unless they were in a crosswalk. Other NTSB investigations have shown that self-driving cars havent been able to detect common road hazards, he saidanother indication that there are dangers that could shake public support for the technology. Troubling safety incidents, regulatory black holes, and lax oversight threaten to disrupt this critical balance and the future of this technology itself, Pallone said. Regulators must have the expertise to understand self-driving technology and not just rely on the assurances of technology companies. But too many regulations will slow down the rollout of autonomous vehicle technology, putting America behind other countries trying to take the lead in self-driving cars, said Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, a Washington Republican. China has made it a top national priority to develop self-driving cars first so that its economy benefits, she said. Story continues The U.S. has fallen behind, and we will continue to fall behind if we fail to act, Rodgers said. If we fail, this transformative technology will go abroad. Revisiting Automation In the three years since the House last took up automated vehicle legislation, the auto industry has backed off projections for a quick transition to driverless cars. Most automakers and tech companies today think any near-term deployment of AVs will be limited to specialty vehicles, like the cargo shuttles by Nuro that the Department of Transportation gave permission to test last week. And while the DOT is maintaining a hands-off approach to regulating, the NTSB has recommended that the department require more testing and proof of safety before large numbers of vehicles are allowed on public roads. Its more clear than ever before that its going to be a while before a large number of self-driving cars are on our roads, so Congress has the time to get the legislation right, says William Wallace, manager of safety policy at Consumer Reports. That means putting safety and consumer rights first, Wallace says. The only bill that should see the light of day out of Congress is one that includes clear, strong rules of the road for driverless cars and sufficient resources for NHTSA. The public doesnt want to be unknowing, unwilling, and unsuspecting test subjects as automakers roll out new technology, said Cathy Chase, president of Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, a Washington watchdog group. In a recent poll, 85 percent of other road users said they have concerns about sharing the roads with experimental cars. It is easy to lose public confidence, and it is hard to get it back, Chase said. Congress needs to prod the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to issue minimum standards not only for self-driving cars but also to mandate proven crash-avoidance features available today, like automatic emergency braking and lane departure warning, Chase said. Another vital need is event data recorders for all self-driving cars being tested on public roads, said Jeffrey Tumlin, director of transportation for the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency, a city body that operates transit systems and monitors road safety. Every safety incident involving a self-driving car should be documented in a national database accessible to the public, he said. We cant just hope that the industry can dramatically reduce road injuries, Tumlin said. We need the industry to prove they can do so in dynamic, urban environments like San Francisco before they are allowed to deploy at scale. Deploying self-driving technology when its 10 percent better than a human driver will save more lives than waiting until its 75 percent to 90 percent better, said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO of the Consumer Technology Association. We cant wait for everything to be perfect, Shapiro said. Every day we delay, were literally killing people. 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. After a challenging year that included thousands of canceled flights due to the Boeing 737 Max grounding, Southwest Airlines has shared some positive news. The Dallas-based air carrier will share $667 million from its 2019 income with employees, a record high in the company's 46-year profitsharing history, it announced in a press release. [February 11, 2020] General Dynamics Mission Systems Awarded $883 Million Contract to Modernize U.S. Army Training Programs FAIRFAX, Va., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics Mission Systems announced today it was awarded a contract for the Army Consolidated Product Line Management Plus (CPM Plus) Program from the Army Contracting Command in Orlando, Florida. CPM Plus is an eight year, single-award, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity, cost-plus fixed-fee/firm-fixed price contract with a ceiling of $883 million. Executing the contract will improve the Army's individual and collective expeditionary training systems at unit home stations and the major Combat Training Centers, including Military Operations on Urban Terrain training sites, live fire and digital ranges and additional training facilities located worldwide. "Modernizing the training experience is one of the Army's six modernization priorities," said Chris Brady, president of General Dynamics Mission Systems. "This award increases the viability, relevancy, and alignment of the Army's current live training systems while bridging to the future Synthetic Training Environment that will be delivered to soldiers worldwide." General Dynamics will focus primarily on the extensive Live Training Transformation (LT2) Product Line, the Common Training Instrumentation Architecture, and the Live Training Engagement Composition for the Project Manager for Soldier Training portfolio within the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training and Instrumentation. The operational focus will be implemented through an agile, capabilities-based organization to evolve the LT2 Family of Training Systems. The intent is to reduce total ownership cost and operational complexity, to increase technology agility and concurrency, and to enable enhanced Soldier training effectiveness. General Dynamics' expanded seamless Product Line Engineering approach will build upon the Project Manager for Soldier Training's investments to extend product line governance, processes and tools supporting new training domains such as Virtual Training Systems and the Synthetic Training Environment. CPM Plus is a follow-on contract to CPM Next, which was awarded to General Dynamics in 2015. General Dynamics Mission Systems is a business unit of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD). More information about General Dynamics Mission Systems is available at gdmissionsystems.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/general-dynamics-mission-systems-awarded-883-million-contract-to-modernize-us-army-training-programs-301003154.html SOURCE General Dynamics Mission Systems Your next smartphone may flip open to reveal its screen and fold up when you are ready to put it away just like the old-school clamshell phones from the 1990s. The question is: Is that something we even want anymore? Tech companies like Samsung, Motorola and Huawei sure hope so. Many of us realized a few years ago that the smartphones we had were already very good and their successors were only slightly better so we have been holding on to our phones longer and longer before upgrading. That hurts those companies bottom lines. So in an effort to come up with something new and exciting that will make us spend our dollars, phone makers are bombarding us with so-called foldables. They include Samsungs $1,380 Galaxy Z Flip, which was unveiled on Tuesday, and Lenovos $1,500 Motorola Razr, which was released last week. Theres something off about all of this. For years, tech companies experimented with new phone designs driven partly by consumer surveys, which brought us handsets with bigger screens, longer battery life and sharper cameras things we really wanted. But folding phones are not something most of us have asked for. PATRICIA OConnors husband pleaded guilty to falsely reporting to gardai that his wife was missing when he knew she was already dead. A jury heard Augustine OConnor (75) entered his guilty plea before the trials of four people charged over his wife's death got underway. While Mr OConnor, known as Gus, was referred to in evidence throughout the trial, the jury did not know before today that he has admitted a charge of impeding the apprehension of an offender. The jury was told of his plea as the prosecution closed its case in the joint trial of murder accused Kieran Greene (35) and three other people. Expand Close Victim Patricia OConnor / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Victim Patricia OConnor Mr Greene's then-partner and Patricias daughter Louise O'Connor (41), her ex-boyfriend Keith Johnston (43) and their daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) are charged with impeding a murder prosecution. Patricia OConnor (61), a retired hospital cleaner, was allegedly murdered on May 29 that year at the house at Mountainview Park, Rathfarnham she shared with family including her husband, their daughter Louise, granddaughter Stephanie and Mr Greene. Her dismembered remains were found scattered in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14, that year. She died from blunt force trauma to the head caused by at least three blows from a solid implement. This afternoon, senior investigating officer Inspector Brian OKeeffe agreed with Conor Devally SC, for Mr Greene, that his client went to Rathfarnham Garda Station in June 12, 2017, when he was voluntarily interviewed. He was free to go and returned for further interviews the next day. He said he had a fight with Patricia OConnor; that she first attacked him and he was thin on detail but this resulted in her lying bleeding profusely on the bathroom floor. He brought gardai to Wexford where a hair was found at the gravesite where he said he had temporarily buried her, and he was arrested, detained and further interviewed, Insp OKeeffe agreed. There was a great deal said about what happened in the aftermath of Ms OConnors death, Mr Devally said. In those interviews, Mr Greene had said he was the only one involved in the physical altercation. Insp OKeeffe agreed it would be fair to say Mr Greene said he acted alone in removing her from the house, in driving her from the scene, covering up or hiding her presence and subsequently returning to dismember her body and distribute the remains. In the interviews, Mr Greene said some of what he claimed to have done was so Louise and the kids would not find out. Insp OKeeffe agreed with Mr Devally that the interviews if taken at face value would give a picture that Mr Greene was the only person involved in any violence on the deceased or attempt to cover up. Mr Devally said harvesting of CCTV and other garda man hours resulted in the net being spread wider. Gus OConnor was spoken to on June 14 because he had reported his wife missing on June 1. This was voluntary and in relation to the circumstances under which he made that report, the jury heard. After the CCTV was examined and other matters were looked at, Mr OConnor was arrested on September 2, 2017, he wasnt alone and he was under suspicion of involvement in murder. Insp OKeeffe agreed. Mr OConnor was detained, questioned and released. Insp OKeeffe agreed it would be fair to say as he listened to Mr Greene on June 12 and 13, there was no basis to arrest any other parties because of what he said. Other factors emerged whereby it was reasonable to arrest Gus OConnor and other persons in September, Mr Devally said. Insp OKeeffe agreed that when someone was arrested for a serious offence, it was not permissible to re-arrest them on a whim for the same offence. New evidence had to be sworn before a judge. The jury heard on December 9, Mr Greene was on remand in Cloverhill prison when he made a new statement. Mr Devally said a couple of steps were taken as a result of that. More than a couple of steps were taken, Insp OKeeffe said. He agreed they included a search of the Dodder where vegetation was cut back and two hacksaws and an axe were found, and this would not have happened without the additional information Mr Greene gave in Cloverhill. One of the hacksaws had human hair snagged in the blade and this was sent for analysis. A warrant was sought for the re-arrest of Mr Johnston, who had previously been arrested for the same serious offence. Insp OKeeffe agreed this involved going to a district court to indicate a reason to a judge the reason for the re-arrest. Subsequent to that, the co-accused were charged with the offences they are now on trial for. Insp OKeeffe said a lot of investigative actions were taken. I think there was also a charge brought against Mr Gus OConnor, Mr Devally said. Insp OKeeffe said there was, and he was charged on October 18, 2018. Mr OConnor had been part of this trial but on the first date on which it was listed for hearing, some weeks ago, he took a step which dispensed with the need to continue with his trial, that was to plead guilty to an offence, that he made a report that his wife was missing on June 1, 2017 when he knew she was already dead and in doing so impeding the apprehension of an offender or perpetrator, Mr Devally said. That is correct, Insp OKeeffe said. Mr Devally said in the wake of what was found of the river bank, Mr Johnston was re-arrested and asked if there was any re-arrest of anyone else. No, Insp OKeeffe said. He confirmed that Gus OConnor was invited to react to what Mr Greene had said about him. Insp OKeeffe agreed with prosecutor Roisin Lacey that after Mr Greene initially admitted something awful he was allowed to go home because at that stage the gardai had so little to go on. It was believed that the torso was that of a male, he said. There was very little to go on until they went to the grave, saw what was there and were able to incorporate that with what was said in the interviews. The trial continues before the jury and Mr Justice Paul McDermott tomorrow. W&M education, sociology professors unite to study English language learners Interdisciplinary collaboration: Intersecting in their areas of teaching and research, Sociology Professor Jennifer Bickham Mendez (left) and Katherine Barko-Alva, assistant professor of English as a second language/bilingual education, continue to find ways to work together and help each other across disciplines. Photo by Jennifer L. Williams Photo - of - Hide Caption Intersecting in their areas of teaching and research, two William & Mary professors continue to find ways to work together and help each other across disciplines. Sociology Professor Jennifer Bickham Mendez and Katherine Barko-Alva, assistant professor of English as a second language/bilingual education, connected soon after Barko-Alva came to W&M four years ago. Currently, they are analyzing data for a joint research project. Bickham Mendez had been paying attention to English learners in K-12 settings as an offshoot of her research on the immigration of Latin Americans to Williamsburg, and with Barko-Alvas expertise, they were able to launch programs to support students and parents while laying the groundwork for collecting data. Katherine brings all this wealth of knowledge from the education point of view, Bickham Mendez said. So it was like a match made in heaven. All the things I dont know, she knows. Barko-Alva quickly counters. And the things that I am not familiar with, Jennifer has them, she said. They are studying how English learners in a high school develop a sense of belonging and how they can be supported better as they transition to a new context. In this case, students were from Central America and Mexico who had come to the U.S. one to two years earlier and at the time were ages 15 to 19. The data includes classroom observations in ESL high school classrooms, informal interviews with teachers and semi-structured interviews with 10 high school students. Research questions included asking how English language acquisition fits into students strategies for making social connections at school, and how does ESL instruction in which English learners take a separate class from their native English-speaking counterparts influence students efforts to make social connections that help produce belonging. Among our preliminary findings what we have found, at least for our English learners who are coming from another setting into a new learning environment, is the importance of community and family, Barko-Alva said. And were trying to tease out how those two constructs can be embedded to help them understand how schooling in the U.S. works, how they can be successful. Bickham Mendez and Barko-Alva will present their research at the annual meetings of the Latin American Studies Association later this year in Guadalajara, Mexico. Their plan is then to submit the paper for publication. This project is just a part of what the two have worked on together, as they have frequently shared students in their different classes and have formed a strong mentoring relationship, according to Barko-Alva. Having a female researcher, full professor, who has gone through the academic and professional process of establishing a research agenda, Barko-Alva said. Someone who is bilingual, invested in our community, and who is also selfless, kind and willing to take on and collaborate with someone who is new to area and was in the process of learning to navigate William & Mary, to me, has been a blessing. Its been such a wonderful learning and collaborative experience. Bickham Mendez said Barko-Alvas contributions to the project have been absolutely invaluable because, for example, she had never done research in a school setting, so learning the nuances of working in K-12 ESL contexts was key to their collaboration. I have learned so much from Katherine, Bickham Mendez said. This is truly where teaching and research come together in so many different ways because we share both teaching and research interests. So really there were so many different ways that we could collaborate. Katherine will be in my class in a few weeks as a guest speaker. Two programs in local schools are part of the work. Bickham Mendez teaches a course where her W&M students provide weekly tutoring and mentoring for students at James Blair Middle School. A number of Barko-Alvas ESL education students are in the class and will work with emergent bilingual learners there. Barko-Alva went to middle and high school events to support Spanish speakers and started a bilingual family academy that will meet regularly in the evenings in collaboration with the local English for Speakers of Other Languages and world languages K-12 department. The first one took place last year and featured approximately 60 participants. I approach community partnerships, and I know Katherine does too, with what can we do? Bickham Mendez said. What can we as educators, researchers, concerned community members do? And then the research comes later. The research grows out of that. Diego Rodriguez Cabrera 19, who was an ESL student himself in K-12, took classes with both faculty members and worked in the school community program. As a student, it is rare to find meaningful and tangible experiences when attempting to apply theory to real-world situations, Rodriguez Cabrera said. However, when a student can find such experiences, it is truly transformative. I believe this class was crucial for my decision to continue in the fight for a fair and just educational system. It provided me with tangible experience and scholarship that I will continue to investigate so I can truly make an impact in education. Barko-Alva, who was an English language learner after emigrating with her family from Peru, communicates tremendous passion for supporting and learning from K-12 students and their families as they make their transition to the U.S. school system. She also involves her W&M students in school setting experiences so that they can learn from them. You need trust, Barko-Alva said. You need to build trust with the community a learning dialogue and relationship. Because you cant expect to go inside a classroom and say: Im a researcher, let me collect data, and then leave the classroom. This mutual and ongoing relationship needs to be authentic, collaborative and didactic. Early trends show that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is leading in the New Delhi constituency, from where he had contested the February 8 Assembly elections against BJPs Sunil Yadav and Congress Romesh Sabharwal. In all, there are 34 candidates in fray from the New Delhi seat. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live Updates Kejriwal had won from New Delhi constituency in 2015 Assembly elections in which his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) gave a stunning performance and won 67 of the 70 seats. Out of seven seats in Delhi, from which AAP ministers contested the Assembly polls, the highest drop of around 13 percentage points, when compared to the 2015 poll data, was recorded from New Delhi. The constituency recorded 52 per cent voter turnout, as against 65 per cent in 2015. Experts, however, said it is difficult to gauge what high or low turnouts could translate to in terms of poll results. New Delhi is a VIP constituency with a large number of voters who are government employees. After casting his vote on February 8, Kejriwal had said he is hopeful that AAP will form the government in Delhi for the third time. I am hopeful that people will vote on the basis of work done in Delhi, and that AAP will form the government in Delhi for the third time, Kejriwal had said. New Delhi, in the past, has been represented by former chief minister late Sheila Dikshit of Congress In the 2015, Kejriwal had defeated BJPs Nupur Sharma by over 30,000 votes from New Delhi seat. Kejriwal got 57,213 votes in 2015 while Nupur Sharma polled 25,630. Congress leader and former Delhi minister Kiran Walia managed to garner only 4,781 votes. None of the Above (NOTA) option was taken by 465 voters. Kejriwal had first contested from the New Delhi seat in 2013, just around a year after he formed AAP. Kejriwal had spectacularly defeated three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit by over 25,000 votes from the New Delhi constituency. Till then, New Delhi was considered a stronghold of the Congress. Twenty one centres have been set up for counting of votes on Tuesday, Delhis Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said on Sunday. The Delhi assembly elections concluded on Saturday evening. The exit polls have predicted that AAP will win a two-third majority with some giving it a three-fourth majority in the 70-member assembly. By Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing before the United Nations Security Council, angrily rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal on Tuesday as a gift to Israel and unacceptable to Palestinians. Waving a copy of a map that the U.S. plan envisions for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Abbas said the state carved out for Palestinians looks like a fragmented "Swiss cheese." His appearance came as a draft U.N. Security Council resolution is being circulated that would condemn an Israeli plan to annex its settlements in the West Bank, in what would amount to a rebuke of the Trump plan. The draft text, circulated to council members by Tunisia and Indonesia, would face a certain U.S. veto, but nonetheless reflected some members' dim view of the peace plan that Trump rolled out two weeks ago with great fanfare. Abbas called on Trump to disavow the plan and seek a return to negotiations based on existing U.N. resolutions that call for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 border lines. He urged the Security Council to hold an international conference to implement a settlement. "The U.S. cannot be the sole mediator," he said. Suggesting violent protests could break out, Abbas said that "the situation could implode at any moment. ... We need hope. Please do not take this hope away from us." Later he said Palestinians would not "resort to terrorism." Trumps plan, the product of three years' effort by senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, would recognize Israels authority over West Bank settlements and would require the Palestinians to meet a difficult series of conditions to be allowed to have a state, with its capital in a West Bank village east of Jerusalem. Released on Jan. 28, the plan drew immediate Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. Although Trump's stated aim was to end decades of conflict, the plan he advanced favored Israel, underscored by the absence of Palestinians from Trump's White House announcement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side. Story continues While the Palestinians have rejected the plan, a number of Arab governments have said it represents a starting point for a renewal of long-stalled negotiations. Abbas said the deal is not an international partnership but rather a proposal from one state supported by another state to be imposed on Palestinians. "This is the state that they will give us," said Abbas. "It's like a Swiss cheese, really. Who among you will accept a similar state and similar conditions?" Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Abbas of being unrealistic. "President Abbas refused to be pragmatic. He refuses to negotiate. He is not interested in finding a realistic solution to the conflict," Danon told the Security Council. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Advertisement An American man stuck on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked off Japan reveals he feels 'trapped' aboard the boat where it 'can be a little bit depressing' as they await clearance from officials to take off. Matthew Smith, 57, is one of 3,700 passengers aboard the ship, operated by Carnivals Princess Cruises, thats being held at the port of Yokohama, south of Tokyo. Theyre being inspected and evaluated by officials after the company announced it was quarantining the ship for two weeks after a previous guest, who didnt exhibit any symptoms on board, tested positive for the coronavirus. 'Imagine being trapped in your bathroom,' Smith, from California, said to CNBC, describing passing the bleak days away confined in his room. American man Matthew Smith, 57, is one of 3,700 passengers stuck aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise held in Japan and says it feels like being 'trapped' in a bathroom Carnivals Princess Cruises quarantined the cruise ship for two weeks after a previous guest, who didnt exhibit any symptoms on board, tested positive for the coronavirus. Officers in protective gear pictured entering the ship on February 7 'I recognize the situation both the ship and Japanese health officials were put in and I'm maintaining my confidence that they're going to conclude if we're not symptomatic and we don't pose a risk and we'll be able to leave after the 14 days,' Smith said But Smith says hes 'maintaining his confidence' that he and his wife Katherine will not test positive for the novel coronavirus and that the ship will take off in nine days when the quarantine ends. 'I personally believe it will go very well. The getting us into quarantine and basically keeping us in the cabin as much as practical under the circumstances. They've been letting us up in small groups to let us get air, which is obviously necessary,' he said. 'I recognize the situation both the ship and Japanese health officials were put in and I'm maintaining my confidence that they're going to conclude if we're not symptomatic and we don't pose a risk and we'll be able to leave after the 14 days,' he added. 'When you look at how many days remain, it can be a little bit depressing,' Smith said. Princess Cruises says the quarantine\, which started on February 5, will end on February 19 'unless there are any unforeseen developments.' A passenger stands on a balcony on board the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship at Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama on Friday February 7 Health officials pictured on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship This map shows the coronavirus epidemic worldwide. The San Diego case marks the 13th US case of the outbreak. Worldwide there have been 1,013 deaths from coronavirus A map based on data from flight and cell phone data tracking by Southampton University researchers shows how 60,000 out of some 60,000 people who left Wuhan after the coronavirus outbreak began but before the city was locked down have crisscrossed the globe He commended the ships crew saying theyre handling the quarantine 'very well'. 'I give Princess and the captain of this vessel an A plus-plus on their response to this. They faced a situation that I expect they had no plans for.' While Smith and the other passengers are confined to their suites, the ships crew comes by at least three times a day for meals and to deliver medication, water bottles and fresh towels. 'We have been more comfortable than most on board. We have nothing but huge sympathy for the other passengers, he said. On Monday Princess Cruises confirmed an addition 66 cases of coronavirus on the ship, bringing the total number of passengers infected to 136. Among the infected are 23 Americans and many have already left the ship for medical assistance. The new strain of the coronavirus that originated in Wuhan in central China about a month ago has since spread to effect more than 40,000 people around the globe. Smith shared this picture of his view from the docked cruise ship on his Twitter account Monday Smith commended the ships crew saying theyre handling the quarantine 'very well'. The ships crew comes by at least three times a day for meals and to deliver medication, water bottles and fresh towels. Smith shared this picture of his lunch on Monday 'I give Princess and the captain of this vessel an A plus-plus on their response to this. They faced a situation that I expect they had no plans for,' Smith said On Monday he shared this update showing how cruise crew brought him medication Health officials say the illness is capable of spreading before symptoms show and about 20 percent of patients become severely ill. The symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath and can progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure. Smith has been posting updates on his Twitter on the quarantine situation. 'Yes, 66 new cases have been id'ed on board, and I do feel bad for those people, but because life goes on . . . here was lunch: tater salad, three bean something, and pork adobo. And Coke! No complaints here,' he posted Monday with a picture of his lunch. Coronavirus cases have been confirmed in at least 24 countries, although only two of the confirmed deaths occurred outside China. So far 13 have been confirmed in the US with the latest being a patient in San Diego, California diagnosed on Monday, who is said to be 'doing well' exhibiting minor symptoms. Roger Stone Hollis Johnson/Business Insider All four prosecutors who were part of the team of Justice Department lawyers handling the US government's case against the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone withdrew from the case on Tuesday. The withdrawals came after senior DOJ leadership publicly rebuked the prosecutors and sought to lower their initial sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years for Stone. The DOJ's top brass announced that they would seek a lesser sentence for Stone after President Donald Trump went to bat for him and called the initial recommendation "horrible and unfair." The DOJ's Tuesday's reversal left former career prosecutors flabbergasted. "DOJ needs to register as a Republican political action committee," Jeffrey Cramer, a longtime former prosecutor who spent 12 years at the department, told Insider. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. All four Justice Department prosecutors handling the US government's case against the longtime GOP strategist Roger Stone withdrew from the case on Tuesday, hours after a senior DOJ official told reporters that the department was "shocked" by prosecutors' sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years. The senior official told The Washington Post that the department "was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the Roger Stone case" made on Monday. "That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department," the official said. "The department finds the recommendation extreme and excessive and disproportionate to Stone's offenses. The department will clarify its position later today." The four prosecutors who subsequently withdrew after that announcement are: Aaron Zelinsky, Jonathan Kravis, Adam Jed, and Michael Marando. The DOJ's new sentencing memo in Stone's case was signed only by John Crabb, Jr., the acting head of the criminal division of the US attorney's office in Washington, DC. Story continues Early Tuesday, President Donald Trump complained on Twitter about prosecutors' initial sentencing recommendation. "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump tweeted. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" The DOJ's Tuesday's reversal left former career prosecutors flabbergasted. Jeffrey Cramer, a former federal prosecutor who spent 12 years at the DOJ, didn't mince words when reacting to the news, telling Insider that the "DOJ needs to register as a Republican political action committee." "Impossible to overstate how alarmed people should be right now," said Susan Hennessey, a managing editor at Lawfare who was previously an attorney for the National Security Agency. Stone was convicted last year on seven counts of obstruction of justice, false statements, and witness tampering. The unnamed senior official told The Post that the DOJ's decision to recommend a lesser sentence was made before Trump tweeted. But the timing of the announcement is likely to raise more questions about the coziness between Trump and the DOJ. Those questions intensified when Trump ousted Attorney General Jeff Sessions in late 2018 and replaced him with William Barr, who has been sharply criticized as acting more like Trump's defense lawyer, allowing him to use the DOJ as both a sword against perceived opponents and a shield for loyalists like Stone. The special counsel Robert Mueller's office charged Stone in January 2019 with one count of obstruction of justice, five counts of making false statements to the FBI and congressional investigators, and one count of witness tampering, in connection with his contacts with people linked to the radical pro-transparency group WikiLeaks. The charging document against Stone contained a slew of details about his false statements to Congress about his interactions involving WikiLeaks; his extensive communications with the far-right commentator Jerome Corsi and the radio host Randy Credico about WikiLeaks' document dumps in summer 2016; and his prolonged efforts to prevent Credico from testifying to Congress or turning over information to the FBI. In their original sentencing recommendation, prosecutors wrote that "a sentence consistent with the Guidelines is appropriate based on the nature and extent of Stone's conduct, the length of time it transpired" nearly two years "and the matter of significant national importance that it centered upon." "I don't see how a prosecutor *could* explain this," Renato Mariotti, a longtime former federal prosecutor, wrote on Twitter. "Yesterday they told the judge that a sentence of seven to nine years was appropriate for Roger Stone. Today they're supposed to argue that they were wrong yesterday? Any judge would ask: What changed between yesterday and today?" Hennessey said that while US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson, who is overseeing Stone's case, is unlikely to go along with the DOJ's shift, the move "would still give Trump cover to pardon Stone outright which presumably is the long game here." Mimi Rocah, a former federal prosecutor from the Southern District of New York, tweeted that former DOJ employees were "absolutely freaking out" over the Stone sentencing reversal and Barr's recent revelation that the Justice Department was working with Rudy Giuliani, Trump's personal lawyer, to set up a direct channel to obtain information Giuliani got from Ukrainian sources about former Vice President Joe Biden. Barr's "red carpet treatment" of Giuliani, Rocah said, is particularly unusual given that Giuliani is the subject of an SDNY investigation into his efforts to get foreign dirt on Trump's political rival ahead of the November election. Bradley Moss, a national-security lawyer, tweeted: "I do not envy the DOJ lawyers who are going to have to convince the judge that political pressure was not applied to suddenly backtrack on their sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone." Read the original article on Business Insider Its up to you, Massachusetts, to decide what to do, Ms. Warren instructed. Supporters looked back at her, murmuring. She realized why. And to the people of New Hampshire! she amended. On the eve of a contest she had hoped to win (and probably will not, according to polls) one week removed from a caucus she had hoped to win (and certainly did not, according to Iowans) Ms. Warren has arrived, almost imperceptibly, at a precarious stage. In a primary adjoining her own state, it is Senator Bernie Sanders, another New Englander, and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., who are leading in polls. Hoping to turn New Hampshire into a two-person race, the pair have been slinging fresh insults: Mr. Buttigieg suggested on Monday that nominating Mr. Sanders would risk alienating Americans at this critical moment. Mr. Sanders, contrasting his online fund-raising army to Mr. Buttigiegs cadre of high-dollar donors, said he would not go to rich peoples homes and get advice from millionaires and billionaires. And after a chaotic virtual tie in Iowa, both campaigns on Monday requested a recanvass of certain caucus precincts. The UK will find it hard to conclude a free trade agreement (FTA) in the 11 months that remain of London's self-imposed deadline and, if it fails to do so, there will be a huge hit to the economy here. The Central Bank of Ireland believes that in the event an agreement cannot be reached, the economy here will be 4.9pc smaller by 2028 than it would have been had the UK stayed in the European Union - while unemployment will push sharply higher by more than 1.6 percentage points. "The 11-month timeframe to conclude an EU-UK FTA is ambitious when benchmarked against the typical duration of successful trade negotiations between countries and trading blocs in the past," economists Thomas Conefrey and Graeme Walsh wrote in a report. Those figures are the equivalent of 9.5bn, based on 2018 data, and 90,000 jobs fewer than there would have been had the UK remained an EU member. Even in the event an FTA is signed in the talks with the EU, led by Michel Barnier, Irish output would fall by around 3.5pc in the long run, the economists wrote. "In each scenario, the impact of Brexit is initially transmitted to the Irish economy via the traded sector. The reduction in traded sector output would arise due to the fall in demand for Irish exports," they said. This hit would then feed into lower profits from exporting firms, which would cause a drop in output and investment in the non-traded sector and would have the effect of increasing the jobless rate. "Whatever the precise nature of any future deal, no arrangement will replicate the degree of trade and economic integration of EU membership, creating significant challenges for exposed sectors, particularly agri-food," they added. The average implied tariff on meat is estimated under World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms at close to 50pc, while that on dairy is over 30pc. "The imposition of tariffs on this scale would substantially reduce, or potentially eliminate, UK demand for Irish exports of these goods," the report said. Non-tariff barriers would also be highest under a WTO arrangement and these would amplify the negative impact on trade in agri-food products, it added. Outside the food sector, the report authors warned that manufacturing supply would be hit by new trading arrangements. They said: "It is possible that exports to the UK would also be affected by non-tariff barriers which could make trading with the UK more cumbersome." Some studies forecast that the losses for Ireland could exceed those of the UK, although the Central Bank calculations show the impact is lower here in all cases but a free trade agreement, in which the losses are the same as the UK's at 3.5pc. FILE PHOTO: Gold bars and coins are stacked in the safe deposit boxes room of the Pro Aurum gold house in Munich By Brijesh Patel (Reuters) - Gold prices fought for traction on Tuesday as the dollar held firm and investors opted for riskier assets after a fall in the number of new confirmed cases of coronavirus eased some of fears over global economic impact. Spot gold was down 0.1% at $1,570.08 per ounce by 10:19 a.m. EST (1519 GMT), having touched its highest since Feb. 4 at $1,576.76 on Monday. U.S. gold futures shed 0.4% to $1,573.60 an ounce. "Gold is slightly down in tandem with another round of new highs across the board in equity markets, as there has been some conversation that the impacts from coronavirus are slightly overdone," said David Meger, director of metals trading at High Ridge Futures. However, "dips in gold are still been fairly bought very readily... given the strength seen in global equities and the fact that gold continues to hold up so well." Global finiancial markets scaled new highs as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed in China and the country's factories slowly returned to work. After more than 1,000 deaths, the China's foremost medical adviser on the epidemic said infections may be over by April, with the number of new cases already declining in some places. Further limiting gold's appeal, the dollar hit a four-month high against a basket of rivals on safety buying and Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's upbeat view of the U.S. economy. The U.S. central bank kept benchmark interest rates unchanged at its January policy meeting, citing moderate economic growth and a strong jobs market. Powell also cited a potential threat from the virus and concerns about the economy's long-term health in his latest testimony to the house panel. "Gold's longer-term bullish backdrop will remain primarily supported on physical demand from central banks and rising risks to the global growth that will trigger another wave of worldwide stimulus," Edward Moya, a senior market analyst at broker OANDA, said in a note. Story continues Gold, which is used as an insurance against economic risks, tends to appreciate on expectations of lower interest rates, which reduce the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion. Among other precious metals, palladium dipped 1% to $2,329.64 an ounce, silver eased 0.3% to $17.70, while platinum rose 0.6% to $966.58. (Reporting by Brijesh Patel in Bengaluru; Editing by Marguerita Choy) The Congress on Monday put up a brave face, saying the exit polls, which have predicted a maximum of just one seat for them in Delhi Assembly elections, could not be taken as gospel truth and exuded confidence that the party will be able to improve its tally. The party did not win any seat in the 2015 assembly polls. Delhi went to polls on February 8 and the counting of votes will be taken up on Tuesday. The partys incharge for Delhi PC Chacko on Monday said that they may not be forming the government, but they were confident of performing better than the projections in the exit polls. We will definitely improve. Moreover, the exit polls are not the gospel truth. We are confident of winning a few seats, said Chacko. However, many other Congress leaders said that if they end up with no representation in the assembly for the second time in a row, their plans for revival in Delhi could take a major hit. It is a matter of worry, especially because the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are vying for the same vote bank. If voters have moved to an alternative, it tmeans that they did not think we have anything extra to offer, said a senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior party leader who is also contesting elections said all blame cannot be put on AAP wave. The leader said that if the senior leadership wanted they could have put in more efforts on campaigning and the party would have been in a better position. Till the last leg of the elections, no one was talking about the Congress. The AAP and the BJP were both campaigning with their most senior and popular leaders, but we had the big rallies only at the fag end of the campaign, said the leader. Members of the partys central leadership also said that it is not just the partys future that is at stake but the political careers of several party heavyweights will be decided by Tuesdays results . After losing the election in 2015, former MLAs such as Mateen Ahmed, Mukesh Sharma, AK Walia and Narendra Nathwho have held their seats for multiple termswere given tickets from their home turfs this time. The BJP, too, was banking on a good show by the Congress, at least on some seats, to dethrone the AAP as they were confident that the party could cut into the AAP votes. Tanvir Aijaz, political scientist and professor at Delhi Universitys Ramjas College, said that if the Congress wants to bounce back they will have to come up with a strong narrative to counter the AAP and the BJP in Delhi. They will need a two pronged narrative to counter the AAP and the BJP strongly. To fight the elections on Sheila Dikshits work was not a great move, especially in view of the fact that the AAP came to politics by discrediting her government. The voters bought the AAP narrative in 2015 itself, AIjaz said. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON On Monday, Canadas iconic Mounties invaded a checkpoint set up by the Unistoten house group of the Wetsuweten Nation. As Wetsuweten matriarchs stood holding a ceremony on a bridge that leads to lands Canada covets, red dresses fluttered in the breeze in honour of the missing and murdered women, girls and two-spirit people. RCMP officers arrested the women and other land defenders. Then they set about removing the dresses, Unistoten Camp said on Twitter. All the land acknowledgments in the world cannot undo this dastardly defiling of reconciliation. To understand why, take a moment to visualize what Truth and Reconciliation means. If I were to hazard an educated guess, the word past would dominate these fleeting visions. Past colonizers. Past atrocities. Past treaties. Reconciliation in this framework would mean comforting the few people left over from the past as they hanker for a time long gone, hoping theyll see reason and join us in our modern, progressive ways. Wed be so wrong in our wilful ignorance of our continued thievery. That we includes colonial settlers as well as immigrants (but not descendants of those who were enslaved and forced to come here). Immigrants may come here from lands impoverished by European colonizers, drawn to the riches of the West. Once here and settled, we have a responsibility to not simply preen and simper to please the white gaze but to seek accountability for the source of that wealth. If we all did that, it would quickly become apparent that the colonizers unrepentant actions, of pillaging the land and shoving its people out of the way in a quest for profit, continue to this day. Whether this be mining for precious stones or oil or flammable gas. Wed also see how the colonizers institutions the media, the police force, the courts all work in service of its government. How else would we explain a media that highlights, say, suburban folks who dont want sidewalks to infringe on their front yards (on city-owned property) but makes only passing nods to Wetsuweten Nation folks in British Columbia who are protesting a 670-km-long gas pipeline going through their 22,000 square kilometres of ancestral land that was never ceded to Canada (and which the B.C. Supreme Court acknowledged in 1997)? Police officers remove an elderly woman from the road where protesters demonstrating in solidarity with Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs opposed to construction of the Coastal GasLink natural gas pipeline across their traditional territories were blocking an entrance to the port in Vancouver. THE CANADIAN PRESS How else would we explain the Mounted police force, created almost 150 years ago to clear the plains and the Prairies of Indigenous peoples to make way for western settlement, now showing up with officers in tactical gear, helicopters, dog teams and drones, citing settler law on Wetsuweten lands and plucking off its people to plough the way for a private company? A company whose actions not only violate the land and its people, but goes on to hurt the planet? How else would we explain a B.C. Supreme Court ruling that pipeline protests harmed the interests of Coastal GasLink, when it comes from the same settler court system that tried to do away with Indigenous systems of governance? It was the federal government that enforced the vicious Indian Act that created elected band council chiefs (who support the pipeline) despite the long-standing existence of hereditary chiefs (who oppose it). No, we dont think of this at all. Were too busy with our little lives. Our traffic woes, work stresses, kids schools, planning our next vacation. The Wetsuweten Nation consists of five clans who have unanimously opposed the pipelines. Last Thursday, the RCMP raided a checkpoint set up by the Gidimten clan and arrested seven people. Each clan has house groups with the authority to defend its territory. On Monday, the RCMP invaded the checkpoint set up by the Unistoten house group. In doing this, the officers were simply continuing a long tradition of violation, of raiding Indigenous homes and forcibly taking their children, of turning a blind eye to the more than 1,000 missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, preferring instead to blame it on the poverty and abuse they themselves helped create. Of the few media still trying to cover this, the RCMP tried to stop them. They threatened to arrest journalists for taking photos, dumped another journalist in a ditch, without access to the internet. Organizations such as Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Canadian Association of Journalists have denounced this. Its a war zone out west, but we live in oblivion interrupted by a few blips from TV or the odd news in the paper. If we know all this now, its despite the barriers. Its from digital channels that can bypass mainstream ones that allow the land defenders to reach out globally to create solidarity movements. On the weekend, protesters blocked access to the Vancouver Port in B.C.. Police arrested at least 33 people there. Indigenous youths are sitting in front of B.C. Parliament in Victoria. In Winnipeg, they have been occupying the office of the Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal. There have been rallies and protests in Edmonton, in Ottawa, in Toronto. Protesters blocked an arterial VIA rail route connecting Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto at Belleville, Ont., for the fourth straight day on Monday. The protesters know unless were somewhat inconvenienced, we wont pay attention to their trauma. What can we do about it? The Unistoten camp has a handy supporter tool kit. The real question is, however, when we know what the problem is and we know we can do something about it, will we? As actions against the Coastal GasLink pipeline on Wet'suwet'en territory continue, it is useful to understand the difference between Wet'suwet'en hereditary chiefs who oppose the pipeline, and the band council members who have supported it. Read more about: New York, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Solar PV Tracker Market 2020-2024" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05228053/?utm_source=GNW Our reports on global solar pv tracker market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by declining cost of solar energy. In addition, rise in investments in renewable energy is anticipated to boost the growth of the global solar pv tracker market as well. Market Segmentation The global solar pv tracker market is segmented as below: Technology Solar PV, CSP Product Single-Axis Trackers Dual-Axis Trackers Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA Key Trends for global solar pv tracker market growth This study identifies rise in investments in renewable energy as the prime reasons driving the global solar pv tracker market growth during the next few years. Prominent vendors in global solar pv tracker market We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the global solar pv tracker market, including some of the vendors such as Arctech Solar Holding Co. Ltd., Array Technologies Inc., Convert Italia SpA., First Solar Inc., Heliogen Inc., IDEEMATEC Deutschland GmbH, Mahindra Susten Pvt. Ltd., NEXTracker Inc., Soltec Energias Renovables S.L. and SunPower Corp. . The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05228053/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ What looked on Jan. 28 to be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus greatest achievement a joyous ceremony at the White House during which President Donald Trump gave the Israeli right the best diplomatic gift of all time has since turned into an electoral burden. This about-face is due to Netanyahus inability to realize the promise he made to impose sovereignty on the West Bank before elections scheduled for March 2. As Trump said at the ceremony, his plan gives Israel 30% of the territory on the West Bank and allows it to annex all of the settlements after the formation of a joint committee to finalize the details. Netanyahu ignored this little condition, and with the encouragement of the American ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, told Israeli journalists after the ceremony that sovereignty would be enacted immediately, that he would gather the government to authorize it upon his return to Israel. It turned out that this had not been coordinated with White House seniors Jared Kushner and Jason Greenblatt, the architects of the plan, who rejected sovereignty before the elections and before the joint committee completed its work. Netanyahu was thus forced to retreat, and after several days of silence on the subject admitted on Feb. 4 that the highly significant move would be postponed until after the elections, if he is elected. At a campaign event in Beit Shemesh, he said, When we win, we will impose Israeli law on all the Jewish settlements in the Jordan Valley and Judea and Samaria [West Bank]. Netanyahus retreat on such a big promise so damages his credibility on the right that it could have electoral repercussions. In the September elections, the Likud received around a quarter of the settler vote, or about a mandate and a half, and even more than that from religious Zionists in general and the ideological right that supports the concept of the Land of Israel. In the meantime, the settlers' Yesha Council isnt wasting time and has launched a campaign to push for enacting Israeli sovereignty over the West Bank. Yossi Dagan, head of the Samaria Regional Council, said on Feb. 2 that Netanyahu must impose sovereignty now even if the administration in Washington opposes it. According to Dagan, Trump must be told, We truly respect you, but the State of Israel is a sovereign nation. We will impose sovereignty whether you change your mind or not. Dagan further said, We all respect the president of the United States, Trump, who leans in Israels favor much more than his predecessors, but Mr. Prime Minister, we elected you in an election in the State of Israel, we didnt elect Trump, we didnt even elect Jared Kushner. The State of Israel is not a banana republic. We wont be a tool for the internal intrigue within the White House. Sovereignty is the right and strategic thing. Its what the citizens of the State of Israel expect of you, and this is what you declared at the White House. David Alhayani, head of the Yesha Council, remarked to Al-Monitor, I made a big mistake. The Americans have led us astray. I was in Washington. We sat with a senior member of Trumps administration who told us, If in 48 hours the Palestinians dont join the agreement, you can enact sovereignty. The fact of the matter now is that there is zero sovereignty, and without the agreement of the Americans, Netanyahu cant annex a millimeter. We should take this agreement and throw it in the trash. Its an existential threat to the State of Israel. On Feb. 4, Yesha Council leaders erected a protest tent in front of the Prime Ministers Office in Jerusalem. Smelling blood, the leaders of parties to the right of Likud rushed to the scene to join in demanding immediate sovereignty on the West Bank. Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman challenged Netanyahu, asserting that if Netanyahu brings the issue before the Knesset, his party would back the move, meaning there would be a majority of at least 63 Knesset members for annexation. He further said that if the sovereignty issue isn't presented to the Knesset now, nothing will happen after the election. Netanyahu wont enact sovereignty over a grain of sand in Judea and Samaria, Liberman said, taunting the prime minister. Transportation Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Knesset member Ayelet Shaked, both from Yamina, also visited the tent to distinguish themselves from Netanyahu. Smotrich said, In order for the right to win, we have to impose sovereignty here and now! In order to make sure there is not a dangerous diplomatic process at the end of which an Arab state divides the Land of Israel, we have to impose sovereignty here and now before the election. This is our demand to the prime minister. This is our expectation of him, and we will stand behind him and give him our full backing in order to enact this step. Shaked remarked, We are at a historic moment: Either we impose sovereignty or it will be the [missed opportunity] of the century, and the threat of the century, because its very important what we start with. If the first step will be the imposition of sovereignty, then its clear that a terrorist Palestinian state wont be created, but if the first step is negotiations to create a terrorist Palestinian state, then we wont [have the chance to] enact sovereignty. How has Netanyahu responded to such pressure from the right? He hasnt released an official statement walking back his intention to immediately impose sovereignty, choosing instead to bury it in the campaign speech he delivered in Beit Shemesh and with a caveat: Only if we win can we impose sovereignty. A senior diplomatic source told Al-Monitor that Netanyahu feels misled by the Americans. Netanyahu heard clearly that if the Palestinians dont respond positively to the offer, he could impose sovereignty on some of the settlements at the least. Later it was made clear to him that Kushner opposed immediate annexation and wanted the government formed after the March 2 elections to take the step. Netanyahu has now adjusted his campaign to emphasize that no one besides him, certainly not Blue and White leader Benny Gantz, can realize the American promise of annexation through the deal of the century. At the same time, he is highlighting his other diplomatic achievements, like meeting with Sudanese leader Abdel Fattah al-Burhan in Uganda on Feb. 3 and furthering the possibility of normalizing relations with Khartoum, one of Israels enemies. Netanyahu's advisers take solace in that even if the Likud loses mandates, they will be picked up by the parties in the right-ultra-Orthodox bloc that support Netanyahu. Boris Johnson's Brexit deal could lead to a "time border" in the Irish Sea, according to a House of Lords report Boris Johnson's Brexit deal could lead to a "time border" in the Irish Sea, according to a House of Lords report. Last year, the European Parliament backed proposals to stop the one-hour clock change which extends daylight hours in summer across Europe. Either permanent summer time or winter time would be chosen and the changes would come into effect from 2021. The House of Lords EU Committee's report - Clock changes: is it time for change? - is released today and states that a time border between Northern Ireland and the Republic would have "enormous practical implications". Peers have warned that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Withdrawal Agreement could see Northern Ireland legally obliged to be one hour ahead for six months every year. It would mean that Northern Ireland would follow summer time hours, even when people in Great Britain wind their clocks back by 60 minutes in the autumn. Peers have suggested that any EU shift in timekeeping might mean that Northern Ireland will have to follow suit due to the terms of the Prime Minister's deal. "Were this proposal to become EU law under its current single market legal basis, Northern Ireland may be obliged under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to align with the EU and thus institute a time border with Great Britain," said the report. The group of cross-party peers have called on the Government to "give urgent further consideration" to the impact the Brexit agreement could have if the EU does decide to make the summer time switch permanent. "Our inquiry has demonstrated that any such decision at EU level would have implications for the UK, notwithstanding UK withdrawal from the EU," wrote the peers. Business minister Kelly Tolhurst, giving evidence to the committee last year, said: "Anything that would create a time border in Northern Ireland we are completely opposed to, and so is the Irish Government." A woman sick from the coronavirus was released from a San Diego hospital this week after a labeling error on samples to be tested for the virus led officials to incorrectly indicate that she was not infected, federal authorities said on Tuesday. The samples had not even made it into the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions laboratory when the agency mistakenly indicated to officials at the hospital that the results were negative. The woman, who was among hundreds recently evacuated to the United States from China and under quarantine at a military base, was erroneously discharged from the hospital and sent back to the base because of the error. She was among three quarantined evacuees at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego whose samples, likely oral or nasal swabs, were not admitted to the laboratory because of a label mix-up and went untested, said Kristen Nordlund, a spokeswoman for the C.D.C. It was unclear exactly what the labeling error was and which agency had been responsible. A top Sudanese official said Tuesday the country's transitional authorities and rebel groups have agreed to hand over former autocratic president Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court for war crimes, including mass killings in Darfur. Al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military last year amid a public uprising, is wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide related to the Darfur conflict. Since his ouster in April, he has been in jail in Sudan's capital, Khartoum, on charges of corruption and killing protesters. Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the Sovereign Council and a government negotiator, said the council agreed with rebel groups in Darfur to hand over those wanted by the International Criminal Court to face justice in The Hague. He didn't mention al-Bashir by name. Al-Taishi did not say when they would transfer al-Bashir and others wanted by the ICC, and the transitional administration would need to ratify the ICC's Rome Statute to allow for the transfer the former president to The Hague. He spoke in a conference in South Sudan's capital, Juba, where the government and rebels hold talks to end the country's decades-long civil war. In the Darfur conflict, rebels among the territory's ethnic Central African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. The government responded with a scorched earth assault of aerial bombings and unleashed the Janjaweed. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes. Along with al-Bashir, the ICC has indicted two other senior figures in his regime Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, who was interior and defense minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time who last month was named by al-Bashir to run the ruling National Congress Party. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Description Amity Education Group announces the launch of Amity International Incubator with "Breakfast and Learn Series" focusing on critical topics for the Long Island community. The first series topic (Tuesday, February 11) discusses the new I/A OWTS Nitrogen Reducing Septic Systems and the importance of reducing nitrogen load to improve our water quality. Suffolk County and New York State have made this a priority to address the significant levels of nirtogin in our waterways and ground water. Our panel of experts (from Suffolk County, Wastewater Works, Save The Great South Bay and Brookhaven National Lab) will discuss nitrogen levels, the new I/A OWTS systems and the Suffolk County reclaim our water program. The panel discussion begins promptly at 8:00am. Complimentary admission for lauch event, must RSVP. Children who bully and violate other children are often re-enacting and expressing their own rage. Unless she is a genuinely deranged psychopath (a true rarity), I suggest that the monster who bullied you in school was most likely also a wounded, desperate, degraded child whose twisted instinct was to target the only person she saw who was perhaps more wounded and vulnerable than she. The woman who had been expected to become Germany's next chancellor has decided not to run for the top job, a source in her Christian Democratic party (CDU) said yesterday, throwing into confusion the race to succeed Angela Merkel. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is CDU leader and a protegee of the chancellor but she has faced growing doubts over her ability to replace Ms Merkel, who has led Germany for 15 years but plans to stand down at the next federal election in the country, due in autumn 2021. Last week Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer's inability to impose discipline on the CDU in the eastern state of Thuringia dealt a fresh blow to her credibility. The regional CDU branch defied her by backing a local leader helped into office by the anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD), thereby shattering a postwar consensus among established parties of shunning the far-right. Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer's decision not to run for chancellor will leave a big question mark over Germany's future direction just as its economy, the fourth largest in the world, flirts with recession, and as the European Union is struggling to define itself after Brexit. Ms Merkel has loomed large on the global stage since 2005, helping to steer the EU through the eurozone crisis and opening Germany's doors to migrants fleeing wars in the Middle East in 2015 - a move that still divides the bloc and her country. Sigmar Gabriel, a former leader of the Social Democrats (SPD), junior partner in Germany's ruling coalition, told the mass-selling daily 'Bild' that he expected a snap federal election as the two main parties - Ms Merkel's conservative bloc and the SPD - are struggling to unite their different factions. But analysts played down that risk. "This is largely a CDU internal issue," said Holger Schmieding at Berenbank. "None of the candidates to succeed AKK (Kramp-Karrenbauer) toys with the idea of leaving the coalition with the centre-left SPD and/or triggering snap elections." He put the risk of the SPD quitting the coalition early at no more than 25pc. Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer (57) won a vote in December 2018 to succeed Ms Merkel as CDU leader. But many have remained unconvinced of her leadership credentials. The far-right scandal in Thuringia proved to be the last straw for Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer, whose ratings plummeted last year after a number of public gaffes, including poking fun at transgender people in a light-hearted carnival speech. Her erstwhile rivals for the party leadership - Friedrich Merz and Jens Spahn - have been circling with intent. Businessman Mr Merz has quit asset manager BlackRock to focus more on politics and Mr Spahn, now health minister, has cut a dynamic figure during the coronavirus crisis, jetting to Paris and London to co-ordinate the European and G7 response. Yesterday, shortly after news broke of Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer's plan to step aside, Mr Merz tweeted: "Now's the right time to provide impetus via economic and financial policy measures." He said cutting taxes would boost private households' purchasing power and the ability of companies to invest. Mr Spahn and Markus Soeder, leader of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the CSU, both said they respected Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer's decision and stressed that the cohesion of their conservative alliance was now essential. The CDU source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer would remain party chair until another candidate for chancellor has been found. She believes the same person should serve as both chancellor and party leader and will organise a process in the summer to fill both roles, the source added. Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer wants to remain as Germany's defence minister and Ms Merkel supports her on that, a German government spokesman said. Alexander Gauland, honorary chairman of the far-right AfD, said Ms Kramp-Karrenbauer had failed to implement the CDU's policy of ostracising the AfD and added that such an approach was unrealistic in the long-term. "Its party base has long since recognised this and has thrown the CDU, with its policy of exclusion, into chaos," he added. Reconstruction and stabilization activities in Afghanistan have left 5,135 people killed or injured during a period of 17 years following the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban, according to a new report by a U.S. government watchdog. The report released late on February 11 by the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) found that 2,214 people have been killed in largely U.S.-led projects to rebuild the country. SIGAR, which monitors the billions of dollars Washington spends in the war-ravaged country, said the deaths were the result of Taliban and other militant attacks from 2002 through 2018. Another 2,291 people were wounded in projects from infrastructure construction to building schools across Afghanistan. The survey also identifies 1,182 individuals who were either kidnapped or went missing. More than 70 percent of those killed or injured and about 86 percent of those kidnapped were Afghans, mostly civilians, according to the report titled The Human Cost Of Reconstruction. The deaths included 284 Americans, both civilian and military. The majority of casualties occurred during the height of the reconstruction efforts between 2008 and 2011, the report shows. With reporting by dpa and AP Police have filed assault charges against a Florida truck driver who let a pit bull loose on officers, who fired at the animal, killing it. Ringwood police charged John Baker, 54, of Spring Hill, Florida, with five counts of aggravated assault on a police officer, one for each of the officers who attempted to stop him on Greenwood Lake Turnpike on Monday, Ringwood Police Chief Joseph Walker said. During the stop, Baker, who police later charged with being intoxicated, let his pit bull loose and it lunged at the officers. "The officer ordered him not to let the dog loose, Walker said. "And somehow I cant tell you whats in his mind he let the dog loose. As the dog charged the officers, one Ringwood police officer shot once and another shot four times, killing the dog, said Walker. The first shot did not stop the large dog, which Walker believed might have weighed as much as 100 pounds. The incident started as a pursuit in Wanaque, when the tractor trailer hauling luxury boats was driving erratically, Wanaque Detective Capt. Angelo Calabro said. Officers attempted to pull the truck over, but Baker led them on a chase. When officers finally arrested Baker, his blood alcohol content was nearly seven times the legal limit of .04% for commercial drivers, said Calabro. Bakers blood alcohol content was three times the New Jersey limit of .08% for regular drivers, he said. Baker faces a slew of charges from Wanaque Police, including operating a commercial motor vehicle while intoxicated, reckless driving and eluding, Calabro said. As of Tuesday afternoon, Baker was being held in Passaic County jail. One of the officers who shot the pit bull is a former K-9 handler from the Passaic County Sheriffs Office. Both officers were OK on Tuesday, but the shooting initially left them shaken up, said Walker. Both officers were animal lovers, said Walker. They were upset. Its the last thing anyone wants to do. Rodrigo Torrejon may be reached at rtorrejon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @rodrigotorrejon. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Thirty years ago, Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of imprisonment by South Africas apartheid regime and instantly galvanized the country, and the world, to dismantle the brutal system of racial oppression. Raising a clenched-fist salute and striding purposefully from the gates of Victor Verster prison, Mandela, then 71, made it clear he was committed to ending apartheid and establishing majority rule and rights for all in South Africa. His release gave many South Africans their first view of Mandela because during his imprisonment the regime banned the publication of images of him and his speeches. And then, suddenly, he was on national television, urging massive changes. Comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all, Mandela said hours after his release, speaking to throngs of supporters at Cape Towns City Hall. On Tuesday, current President Cyril Ramaphosa, who held the microphone during Mandelas address, dramatically returned to the City Hall to address the nation, saying Mandelas stirring address was a speech that birthed a nation. Just over four years after his release, Mandela was elected president in the countrys first all-race elections, leading South Africa out of decades of violently imposed discrimination. Under his leadership, South Africa drafted and passed a constitution widely praised for upholding the rights of all, becoming one of the first to explicitly endorse gay rights. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission took South Africa on a compelling, painful path to air the injustices perpetrated during the more than 40 years of apartheid rule. Mandela, and then South African President F.W. de Klerk, who freed him, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their work to peacefully end apartheid and for laying the foundation for a new democratic South Africa. Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu, himself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, marked the 30th anniversary of Mandelas release. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison to dazzle South Africa and the world with his warmth and human values, wrote Tutu and his wife, Leah, in a short statement. Circumstances and priorities change over time, but good values dont go out of fashion. We miss him. Love and blessings. Magnanimous, charismatic and inclusive during his one term as president which ended in 1999, Mandela led South Africa to a new era of democracy. In retirement he remained active in encouraging rights for all. Todays South Africa is dogged by serious problems of inequality, poverty and violence, largely a result of the stubborn legacy of apartheid. Some South Africans have criticized Mandela for making too many compromises, especially to the white minority, which continues to enjoy prosperity. Standing beside a statue of Mandela at Cape Town City Hall Tuesday, Ramaphosa said the country still struggles with racial divisions and inequality and strives to live up to Mandelas legacy. Millions of our people continue to live in poverty ... the divide between haves and have-nots continues to widen, said Ramaphosa. Ramaphosa said Mandelas release was a defining moment in our onward march toward democracy in a statement to mark the anniversary. But inequality, especially as defined by race and gender, remains among the highest in the world. Unemployment is deepening and poverty is widespread. Violence, including the violence that men perpetrate against women, continues to ravage our communities, Ramaphosa said. He urged all South Africans to take inspiration from Mandelas legacy to work together to help solve these problems. Former president de Klerk also emphasized the challenges that South Africa faces, including inadequate education, health and municipal services, and unacceptable levels of inequality, poverty and unemployment. The last president of apartheid said that South Africa in 2020 is emphatically on the wrong road: it is headed not toward a New Dawn but toward very dark and threatening storm clouds. He urged South Africa to follow Mandelas example and return to the road of freedom, toleration and non-racialism. ___ Meldrum reported from Johannesburg. Six days after they started, the Iowa caucuses are over, sort of. On Sunday, following a reevaluation of 55 precincts, the Iowa Democratic Party (IDP) awarded 14 delegates to South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, and 12 to Vermont senator Bernie Sanders. But the results aren't so straight forward: both the Associated Press and the New York Times have refused to formally call the race, citing multiple errors in how the results were collected and counted. In fact, according to the Times, internal IDP emails confirmed that the party wouldn't fix errors found roughly 5 percent of the official tally sheets. A lawyer for the IDP told the Times that where there is "incorrect math," it "must not be changed to ensure the integrity of the process." As confounding an explanation as that is, it's completely in line with how the 2020 caucuses were managed. The results were initially delayed because the party insisted that all 1,765 precincts in the state report their totals via an untested app developed by the sinisterly named Shadow Inc., a tech company with ties to Democratic officials, as reported by The Intercept. On the day of the caucuses, precinct captains had trouble downloading or signing into the app, and the understaffed IDP headquarters was overwhelmed with precinct captains calling for technical support or trying to submit their tallies over the phone. Even after getting the information in, the IDP released it in a slow drip, sowing even more confusion about which candidate won and when, if ever, the party would put out all of the results. On top of all that, new transparency rules helped reveal that some precincts were awarding more delegates then they had to give. In the wake of this debacle, many establishment Democrats are calling to revamp the Iowa caucuses. Joe Trippi, a Democratic strategist who worked on the presidential campaigns of Walter Mondale and Howard Dean, told the Journal, "Youre not going to see the Iowa caucuses be first in 2024." Illinois senator Dick Durbin said, "The Democratic caucus is a quirky, quaint tradition that should come to an end." And Tom Perez, the head of the Democratic National Committee (DNC), said of the caucuses on CNN Sunday, "Im frustrated. Im mad as hell everybody is." Story continues It's not just Democrats criticizing the process, either. Speaking to POLITICO, David Yepsen, a prominent political reporter with the Des Moines Register, said, "This fiasco means the end of the caucuses as a significant American political event. The rest of the country was already losing patience with Iowa anyway and this cooks Iowa's goose. Frankly, it should. The real winner tonight was Donald Trump, who got to watch his opponents wallow in a mess. A lot of good Democratic candidates and people who fought their hearts out here for... nothing." Iowa's caucuses have been first in the nation since the Democratic Party opened up its nominating process after the disastrous 1968 Democratic National Convention. Until then the process was controlled mostly by party officials. Des Moines Register opinions editor Kathie Obradovich explained that Iowa scheduled their newly-open caucuses so early because their multiple-stage process is so long and cumbersome (the caucus itself is just the first stage, followed by miniature versions of the big Democratic Conventions), saying "the old story is that they figured out how long it would take to print all the paperwork on their elderly mimeograph machine." App failures aside, technology has rendered mimeographs moot but early caucus date remains. The IDP has strong financial motivations not to lose their place as the first stage of a presidential election. According to the Wall Street Journal, local officials estimated that in just the last week before the caucuses, hotel revenue hit topped more than $11 million, on top of being a boon to restaurants and event spaces across the state. In the last 13 months, more than $63 million has been spent on Iowa political advertising. In other words, Iowa Democrats will need serious convincing to change the status quo. In the New York Times, Michael Tomasky proposed an aggressive idea for the DNC to strong-arm Iowa and New Hampshire into giving up their first and second status in favor of bigger, more representative states like Michigan and Floridaby stonewalling them. The DNC can't directly dictate when states schedule their primaries, but it can do things to keep candidates from campaigning there, like threatening to bar from debates if they do so. This doesn't solve one of the fundamental problems with caucuses though: the fact that they're caucuses. The caucus is an extremely undemocratic process, similar to the Electoral College, in that it penalizes candidates with a lot of support concentrated in small areas and disproportionately rewards those whose supporters are widely dispersed. That dynamic had consequences in the 2020 caucus. Buttigieg won a lot of smaller caucus sites while Sanders handily won the popular vote by 6,000 votes, even though he and the other senators runningElizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were prevented from campaigning during the recent impeachment trial. Caucuses are also open only to people who can show up at their polling location and stay for potentially several hours at a set time. If you can't get off work then, or can't get a ride, have no public transit, can't find childcare, are disabled, or have to be out of town, you're effectively disenfranchised. Satellite caucuses are supposed to remedy this, but they're the same system offered at potentially more convenient times. And turnout for caucuses is low: only about 176,000 people out of 600,000 registered Democrats showed up this year, a bump of around 5,000 in 2016 but still down from a record high in 2008 and lower than the campaigns had hoped. Kentucky, Nevada, North Dakota, and Wyoming still use caucuses, but since 2016 Alaska, Colorado, Kansas, Hawaii, Maine, and Washington have switched to primaries. Ultimately the decision in Iowa to keep the caucuses or switch to a more democratic way of choosing a nominee is on the Iowa Democratic Party, and after the shitshow last week they might be motivated to make the change just to avoid future embarrassment. State Democrats in both Alaska and Washington voluntarily changed from caucuses to primaries in 2019. But often, entrenched political organizations are slow or completely unwilling to change without massive pressure. And that pressure will have to come from Iowans themselves. Ironically, voting may be the solution to the caucus problem. While caucuses are managed and funded by state parties, primaries are run by the states themselves, which would allow Iowans to cut the IDP out of the decision-making process. In 2016, a coalition of businesses in Denver petitioned for a ballot initiative to get Colorado to switch from caucuses to primaries, an initiative that passed by 29 points. The 2020 election will be Colorado's first primary since then. Overhauling the Iowa caucus is far from impossible. Today, more than 50 years after its inception, it's painfully obvious that the system is flawed, inaccurate, and anti-democratic. There's no reason to let it dominate any elections beyond 2020. All These Bernie-Can't-Win Takes Are Making Me Think He Can The Oh Not Sandersers are coming out in forceand their nervousness seems to be driven by the strength of the Sanders campaign. Originally Appeared on GQ Health officials have raised concerns over the increasing spread of the novel coronavirus disease as new cases are confirmed in persons without any travel history to China. The Director-General of the World Health Organisation, Tedros Ghebreyesus, during the daily press briefing on the status of the disease on Monday, said the detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire, but for now, its only a spark. As at Sunday, five British citizens had contracted the virus in the French Alpine town of Contamines-Montjoie. Also on Monday, the U.K. said it confirmed new cases linked to a British man who went to a conference in Singapore. The increasing number of cases are beginning to spark concerns as there is no known cure or vaccine available to curb the spread. Mr Ghebreyesus said recently, there are some concerning instances of onward 2019nCoV transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France and in England. Our objective remains containment. We call on all countries to use the window of opportunity we have to prevent a bigger fire, he said. Rising numbers Officials of the UN agency said the number of people who are getting infected ofv2019-nCoV has been increasing and the World needs to remain on guard. As of 6.am Geneva time Monday, there were 40,235 confirmed 2019nCoV cases in China, and 909 deaths. Outside China, there are 319 cases in 24 countries, with 1 death. Mr Ghebreyesus said the overall pattern of the disease has not changed as 99 per cent of the cases and deaths are still reported from China and most cases are mild. About two per cent of cases are fatal which of course is still too many, he said. He also added that the agency is working on getting answers on where the 2019-nCoV outbreak is going. A lot of people are asking, where is the 2019nCoV outbreak going? Is it getting better, is it getting worse? We are doing several things to answer those questions, he said. The WHO chief said it has sent a team of advance experts to China to work with scientists in China in helping the world find a headway to curbing the spread of the new coronavirus. An advance team of WHO experts has just arrived in China, led by Bruce Aylward, to lay the groundwork for the larger international team. WHO Executive Director, Michael J Ryan at the coronavirus press conference in Geneva. [PHOTO CREDIT: World Health Organisation] Bruce and colleagues will be working with their Chinese counterparts to make sure we have the right expertise to answer the right questions. The Head of WHOs Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness division, Sylvie Briand, said the coronavirus pneumonia produces mild cold symptoms in about 80 per cent of patients. World Health Organisation Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus and Head of WHOs Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness division, Sylvie Briand, at the coronavirus press conference in Geneva. [PHOTO CREDIT: World Health Organisation] About 15 per cent of the people who contract the virus have ended up with pneumonia with three per cent to five per cent of all patients needing intensive care, she said. The respiratory disease, which has killed over 900 people, is capable of spreading through human-to-human contact, droplets carried through sneezing and coughing, and germs left on inanimate objects. Symptoms of the disease can include a sore throat, runny nose, fever or pneumonia and can progress to multiple organ failure or death in some severe cases. Diagnosis building Advertisements With the increasing rise in new confirmed cases of the disease and no respite on when the outbreak will be over, WHO is assisting countries, especially the low and middle income countries, establish diagnosis capacity, in the eventuality of its spread to their territory. So far, 168 laboratories around the world (Nigeria inclusive) now have the right technology. When it broke out in December in Wuhan, China, many countries did not have the right technology to diagnose the disease. Mr Ghebreyesus said WHO is working to equip laboratories with the capacity to rapidly diagnose 2019nCoV cases. World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus at a coronavirus press conference in Geneva Without vital diagnostic capacity, countries are in the dark as to how far and wide the virus has spread and who has new coronavirus or another disease with similar symptoms. We have now identified 168 labs around the world with the right technology to diagnose 2019nCoV. On Friday, WHO said it sent medical supplies such as masks, gloves, gowns and diagnostic tests around the world. The UN health agency is discouraging stockpiling of protective gear, saying the limited items need to be saved for regions most impacted by the virus. The price of protective gear has increased, while availability has decreased, WHO officials said. Mr Ghebreyesus said WHO have sent kits to Cameroon, Cote divoire, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and some other countries. Many of those countries have already started using them and another shipment of 150,000 for 2019nCOV tests is being assembled in Berlin on Tuesday and is destined for over 80 laboratories in all regions. Last week, the Africa CDC conducted training in with 12 countries, using tests sent by WHO. Further training are still expected to take place. In 2010, Facebook was a very different company than it is today. It had fewer than a fifth of the 2.5 billion monthly users it has today. It had no mobile advertising revenue, and its total revenue was a little under $2 billion, far less than the $70.7 billion the company generated last year. Back then, as the company was growing, its new chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, suggested that Facebook should explore ways to lower its tax burden by creating a place to park foreign profits in a friendly jurisdiction. In Facebook's case, that jurisdiction was Ireland, where other tech companies had built European offices for that same purpose. Around the same time, the Internal Revenue Service started to crack down on these types of corporate maneuvers by tech companies. The agency launched a team to pursue big-name tech companies, and Facebook drew its attention. It makes sense that the IRS took an interest, since companies moved assets and profits to locations with little-to-no corporate income tax, allowing them to stash money outside the reach of the United States. The IRS argues that Facebook underestimated the value of the tangible assets associated with the entity it set up in Ireland. In Facebook's case, that meant it avoided paying the 35 percent corporate tax rate on what the IRS says is $21 billion worth of assets. Facebook paid a lower rate as a result of a 2017 tax law and says that it is actually owed a refund since those assets were worth less ($14 billion) at the time. The case has been going on since 2010, though it has stalled at times due to IRS budget cuts designed to curtail what some lawmakers believed were overly aggressive investigations. In fact, Pro Publica reported that the IRS, at one point, wasn't able to move forward with a case because it couldn't afford an expert. Now, we're about to see the fight escalate as the case goes to court in the next week. The stakes could be high for both parties, with Facebook potentially on the hook for $9 billion in taxes. The IRS also has a lot on the line. If Facebook wins (which analysts seem to believe is likely), it would set a precedent and make it harder to pursue these types of cases in the future. That could be a big deal for the government considering the number of tech companies with cash-flush Irish subsidiaries. For example, in 2018, Apple said it had $252 billion in cash held overseas and paid $38 billion in one-time taxes. If the IRS is unable to win against Facebook, it could embolden other companies to challenge the agency's determination that they owe taxes on the estimated value of assets held outside the United States. It could also encourage those companies to move even more profits to those locations. ALBANY Two Capital Region contractors are facing charges after authorities said they did not have workers compensation insurance coverage for their employees. The office of state Inspector General Letizia Tagliafierro said Segundo Loja and Robert A. Lutz both "put their employees at risk," by not having insurance coverage. Loja, owner of N.Y. Power Construction Corporation, faces charges of falsifying business records, failure to secure compensation and fraudulent practices, all felonies. Authorities said Loja submitted a certificate claiming he had workers' compensation insurance when he did not carry a policy. Lutz, owner of Roberts Roofing & Remodeling, faces felony charges of offering a false instrument for filing and fraudulent practices, and a misdemeanor charge of failure to secure compensation. Authorities said Lutz claimed his company had no employees when filing an application for a building permit in July 2019. But witnesses claimed they saw three people working on the site, none of whom had insurance coverage. Both Lutz and Loja were arraigned in Saratoga Springs. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Workers compensation insurance provides critical protections to safeguard both the business and the worker, Tagliafierro said in a statement. Companies that disregard this important legal requirement put their employees at severe financial risk especially in the construction fields. I thank our law enforcement partners for their ongoing support to ensure that contractors put the necessary protections in place for their employees. Loja, of Albany, told the Times Union on Monday he planned on fighting the charges. Lutz, of Ballston Spa, could not immediately be reached for comment. Michael.Williams@timesunion.com or 518-454-5018. Dubai Investments Park (DIP), a wholly-owned unit of Dubai Investments, said more than 97 per cent of the total leasable land area of 17 million sq m within the unique integrated commercial, industrial and residential community in the Middle East region has been leased out. DIP pointed out that the master-planned complex, designed and developed to provide immaculate facilities, setting new standards in the region, has attracted investments worth over Dh42 billion ($11.4 billion) within two decades, thus signifying the emergence of DIP as a successful business model, facilitating a conducive environment. Considered one of the largest integrated developments in the Middle East, DIP has confirmed a sustained and progressive growth in the investment portfolio. Today it is a booming community, with over 12,000 residential units, more than 160,000 residents, six schools, five operational hotels as well as serviced apartments, a hospital and four clinics, 313 staff accommodation buildings, 20 million sq. ft of office space, more than 4,200 tenants, 645 warehouse factories and industrial facilities, 25 office buildings, and 18 showrooms, said the statement. In line with reiterating the developments robust brand equity and integrating the uniqueness through enhanced value creation aligned to futuristic vision, DIP has unveiled a new logo and will continue to remain as a hot spot for investors with its ideal location and proximity to key business destinations, it added. On its solid performance, general manager Omar Al Mesmar said Dubai Investments Park has witnessed qualitative growth in investments over the last 20 years. "The growing investment figures testify the trust among the investors and reiterate DIPs commitment towards reinforcing positive perceptions of the developments competitiveness. Today, as one of the top investment locations in the UAE and the larger Arab region, DIP is continually enhancing infrastructure, services and regulations and increasing ease of doing business, headed in the right direction and reaping fantastic results," he added. Over the last few years, DIP has witnessed a sharp increase in its sub-leasing, thus reflecting the surging optimism in the regional business environment, coupled with the growing reputation of DIP as the preferred business destination. DIP has consistently developed its road network and upgraded its infrastructure and facilities, which continues to attract new tenants and the proximity to the Expo 2020 site has added to the strategic advantage of the development. It has constantly imitated efforts towards the enhancement of various infrastructure facilities and has invested in excess of Dh1.5 billion only towards development of infrastructure, it added.-TradeArabia News Service The real estate market was stagnant in 2019 and it will continue to be soft in 2020, when many businesses and contractors are expected to go bankrupt because of the lack of projects. Meanwhile, commercial banks have tightened lending to fund real estate projects. Nguyen Van Dinh, deputy chair of the Vietnam Real Estate Brokers Association, said the supply is short in Hanoi and HCM City. There are only medium- and high-end products, while there are very few low-cost products. No estate firm is interested in low-cost apartments and there are almost no new projects in Hanoi and HCM City. Only a few projects which received licenses in the past are still developed in some areas of Ha Dong, Dong Anh and Gia Lam, while there is no new project. He said in order to help people approach housing products, the state needs to accelerate the development of low-cost housing products in urban projects. He believes that land will still be the major projects to catch the biggest interest from investors in 2020. The real estate market was stagnant in 2019 and it will continue to be soft in 2020, when many businesses and contractors are expected to go bankrupt because of the lack of projects. Meanwhile, Handico 5s managers think that affordable houses located in the areas with connected infrastructure will still be attractive and lead the real estate market in 2020. According to CEO of Savills Vietnam Neil McGregor, the market supply will heavily depend on the policies and approval by state management agencies on the implementation of new projects. This will also be the factor stimulating the real estate ecosystem which comprises architectural design and construction. However, it is difficult to predict when the policies on market supply will be loosened by the government. In general, real estate developers are still ready to launch new projects soon after they get licenses. Therefore, the supply is expected to see improvement in the next two years. A real estate developer in Hanoi said he still cannot fulfill all necessary procedures for one of his projects for the last three years to launch products on the market. Novaland, one of the biggest Vietnamese real estate firms, has sent an urgent appeal for help to the Minister of Construction. Bui Thanh Nhon, chair of Novaland, said it needs support from the State, or it will face bad debt of VND50 trillion and thousands of jobs will be lost. Nhon asked for permission to continue developing Water Bay project to help the corporation have revenue sources and reassure 200 foreign investors that disbursement for the project will continue. Water Bay, covering an area of 32,224 hectares, located in district 2, HCM City, has been suspended for two years because of legal problems. Thanh Mai Big shot investors in real estate M&A push Vietnams real estate market is currently one of the most attractive in Southeast Asia, with many opportunities for domestic real estate developers to find partners and investors in the form of mergers and acquisitions. ALTON Wesley Dugan from Alton High School and Natalie Ellebracht from Marquette Catholic High School in Alton were honored as the February Students of the Month on Feb. 10 by the Alton Godfrey Rotary Club. Dugan, the son of Dennis and Lisa Dugan of Alton, is an Illinois State Scholar and ranks at the top of his class. He is a member of the National Honor Society and treasurer of Mu Alpha Theta. He is also a recipient of the Platinum Alpha Award. Dugan was Junior Marshall at last years graduation ceremonies and has been an active member of the Rocketry Club, serving as a team leader of the organization. He has been a member of the Redbird swimming team for four years and was selected as a Scholar Athlete for that activity. As a member of the Rocketry Club, he has developed a passionate interest in spacecraft design. As a result of this interest he plans to become an aerospace engineer and will attend the University of Illinois majoring on that field. Ellebracht, the daughter of Mark and Monica Ellebracht of Alton, has attended Marquette for the past four years and is senior class president. She is a member of the Student Council, helping to plan many events held on the schools campus. Ellebracht is vice president of the Breast Cancer Awareness Club that focuses on raising funds for cancer research, She participates in the Campus Ministry, is a member of the National Honor Society and is a recipient of the DAR Good Citizenship award. She is very active in community and church activities and has earned over 330 service hours since her freshman year. She is a volunteer in community and church activities at St. Ambrose Church and is a member of the Encounter Youth Choir. Her goal is to attend either Maryville College or Illinois State University majoring in Communication Sciences and Disorders. She hopes to ultimately earn a masters degree in Speech-Language Pathology. Dugan and Ellebracht were presented recognition plaques at the meeting. Students selected for this honor are eligible to compete for a $6,000 scholarship that will be presented to one of the students honored as a Student of the Month during the school year. Manila, Feb 11 : The Philippines has officially notified the US about the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the two countries, a top diplomat said on Tuesday. "The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the US has received the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed Manila's move to end the military agreement that allows the US forces to conduct large-scale joint military exercises in the Philippines, Xinhua news agency reported. Panelo said President Rodrigo Duterte directed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday night to tell Locsin to send the notice of termination to the US government. The termination process will begin "180 days from the receipt of the notice of the termination". "From what I read from the agreement there is no need for the (reply of the US government). There's no response needed," Panelo said, adding Duterte can terminate the VFA himself. "As the president said, it's about time we rely on our own resources. We need to strengthen our own capability as a country relative to the defense of our land," Panelo said. Duterte decided to scrap the VFA after the US cancelled the American visa of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, the President's longtime aide. Moreover, Duterte was offended by calls of some US senators to free detained Senator Leila de Lima, who has been detained over drug-related charges since February 2017. The Philippines and the US signed in 1998 a VFA, allowing joint military operations. The Philippine senate ratified the agreement in 1999, seven years after the closure of the last US base on Philippine territory. Angela Merkel is under growing pressure after party allies said the process of selecting a new heir should be accelerated, potentially spelling an early exit for the German chancellor if she fails to contain a spiraling crisis. A day after her handpicked successor, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, announced she would no longer pursue the top job, the influential head of Merkel's parliamentary caucus and a top official from the Bavarian CSU sister party of her Christian Democrats joined a chorus of voices demanding a quicker resolution. A shortened timeline could make it more difficult for Merkel to serve out her fourth term, which is slated to end in September 2021. Ralph Brinkhaus, the CDU/CSU caucus leader, said Tuesday that there "quickly" needs to be a decision about who will run to replace Merkel and suggested that a party conference to settle the issue should be brought forward from December. "If we spend three quarters of a year debating about personnel, that's also not a good thing," Brinkhaus told reporters in Berlin. "On the other hand, it is the case that we need to make decisions in the party, so we should take the time to take the appropriate decisions." The attack on the succession plan - which foresees a candidate selected by this summer and approved at the December convention - raises the question of whether Merkel can hold on to power. Whoever is chosen may decide to try and push her out before the end of her term or trigger early elections. While AKK, as Kramp-Karrenbauer is known, presented the timetable, Merkel was seen as approving it by pledging to involve herself closely in the process. Now she needs to decide whether to publicly disown it. "Parties need to be led, so the time frame that was put forward yesterday was in my view no time frame that has a chance of being implemented," the CSU's parliamentary leader in Berlin, Alexander Dobrindt, told reporters. "We need decisions now to achieve clarity." Brinkhaus and Dobrindt weren't alone in their criticism. CSU party leader Markus Soeder and the CDU premier of the state of Hesse, Volker Bouffier, also want the succession process to be expedited. Merkel's entire legacy is riding on who takes over. While AKK, dubbed mini-Merkel by local media, held off Friedrich Merz - a challenger from a more conservative faction within the party - in a tight contest in December 2018, he is now back in contention, and there is a history of bad blood between him and Merkel. The renewed contest to replace Merkel will determine the party's future direction at a time of global upheaval, from trade disputes to the environment and role of the European Union in the aftermath of Brexit. Germany, along with France, set the mood music in the EU, and a more conservative party leader will inevitably alter the power dynamics. Merkel, who was at the height of her powers during the Greek crisis, has seen her stature diminished on the domestic stage by the refugee crisis of 2015 that also saw the rise of the far right. In fact, winning votes back from Alternative for Germany, will be one of the key challenges for whoever takes over from her. So far, potential contenders have held their fire and nobody has called for breaking the coalition and calling a new election. The theory goes that as long as Merkel is overseeing the succession process, a more centrist candidate could have the upper hand. AKK was unable to stamp her authority on the party since taking charge of the CDU in December 2018 and was humiliated last week when a local chapter in eastern Germany defied her orders and threw its lot in with the AfD. OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California has made a $40 million contribution to Blue Shield of California Foundation to support its efforts to help end domestic violence and to make California the healthiest state. Blue Shield of California Foundation is an independent, nonprofit organization that is funded entirely by contributions from Blue Shield of California. Blue Shield is a tax paying, nonprofit health plan that serves more than 4 million people in the Golden State with a mission to help all Californians have access to high-quality health care at an affordable price. Blue Shield caps its net income at 2% and has contributed more than $120 million in funding to the foundation during the past three years. "We are deeply committed to improving the health and wellbeing of the people and the communities we serve," said Paul Markovich, president and CEO of Blue Shield of California. "The foundation has an incredibly positive impact through its programs and partnerships with community-based groups across the state." The foundation has an independent governance structure and mandate. It is focused on three areas to advance its mission: In 2019, the foundation awarded 115 grants totaling $33.4 million to improve lives, including: $2.4 million to support efforts to eliminate domestic violence in Northern California . to support efforts to eliminate domestic violence in . $2.2 million (including 2018) to support U.S. Census Bureau outreach in 2020 to help at-risk communities get appropriate funding for social and health services. (including 2018) to support U.S. Census Bureau outreach in 2020 to help at-risk communities get appropriate funding for social and health services. $350,000 to Mujeres Unidas y Activas, to support the California Domestic Worker Coalition to test a new leadership and organizing model and identify policy innovations for domestic workers' health and economic security that could influence the future of work and health. Here is a breakdown of how foundation grants were made across the state in 2019: Sacramento Valley 2 $ 500,000 SF/Bay Area 11 $ 2,593,638 Central 10 $ 2,802,590 Los Angeles 20 $ 3,916,000 South 16 $ 3,100,000 Statewide 42 $ 18,645,582 National 14 $ 1,832,673 "Blue Shield of California's continued investment in the Foundation speaks to the strength of its commitment to creating a healthier California and to improve health and well-being for our state's most vulnerable communities," said Raymond Baxter, president and CEO of the Blue Shield of California Foundation. "With Blue Shield of California's support, we are working with partners across the state to achieve our bold goal: to make California the healthiest state with the lowest rates of domestic violence." About Blue Shield of California Foundation Blue Shield of California Foundation is one of the state's largest and most trusted grantmaking organizations. Our mission is to build lasting and equitable solutions that make California the healthiest state and end domestic violence. For more information, visit www.blueshieldcafoundation.org. About Blue Shield of California Blue Shield of California strives to create a health care system worthy of our family and friends that is sustainably affordable. We are a tax paying, not for profit, independent member of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association with over 4 million members, 6,800 employees and more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare health care service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $500 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation since 2002 to have an impact on California communities. For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com. Or follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. CONTACT: Mark Seelig Blue Shield of California 510-607-2359 [email protected] SOURCE Blue Shield of California Related Links https://www.blueshieldca.com T-Mobile US Inc. won court approval for its $26.5 billion takeover of Sprint Corp., defeating a state-led lawsuit that sought to block the industry-altering wireless deal. The decision by a district judge in Manhattan is a huge win for T-Mobile and its owner Deutsche Telekom AG, as well as SoftBank Group Corp., Sprints parent. The combined company, which will operate under the T-Mobile name, will have a regular monthly subscriber base of about 80 million -- in the same league as AT&T Inc., which has 75 million subscribers, and Verizon Communications Inc., which has 114 million. After the merger, T-Mobile will have more spectrum -- the frequencies through which wireless signals are transmitted -- than any other carrier. This larger capacity will give the combined company an advantage as the industry transitions to the next generation of wireless technology, the much-faster 5G standard. SETTLEMENT: Texas attorney general drops out of multistate T-Mobile-Sprint antitrust suit The ruling comes almost two years after the deal was first announced. The states lawsuit was the last major hurdle to the deal after it secured the blessing of regulators at the Federal Communications Commission and Justice Departments antitrust division. It still needs approvals from Californias utility board and a federal judge in Washington who must sign off on the Justice Department settlement. Deutsche Telekom shares rose as much as 3.6% to 15.40 euros in Frankfurt. Shares of Sprint soared 66% to $7.95 in pre-market trading in New York after closing at $4.80 Monday in New York. T-Mobile extended gains to as much as 8.4% to $91.88. The ruling is also a victory for Dish Network Corp. co-founder and Chairman Charlie Ergen, who is buying assets from the two carriers to set up a new wireless network. With his companys core satellite TV business in decline, Ergen has amassed a trove of airwaves to build a state-of-the-art network. YOUR SERVICE: Here's what the T-Mobile/Sprint merger could mean for its customers Concessions To win federal approval, T-Mobile and Sprint had agreed to sell multiple assets to Dish in order to create a new fourth competitor. The new Dish wireless network will start life with about 9 million subscribers. T-Mobile and Sprint havent renewed the merger agreement since it lapsed on Nov. 1. And while there have been not hostile discussions of several issues, including price, T-Mobile has suggested there could be new terms. T-Mobile Chief Executive Officer John Legere said last week he was still optimistic that the deal would go through, though the terms could change. If the agreement needs to be amended, including possibly price, we would handle that very swiftly after the deal was approved, he said. As far as negotiation leverage goes, Sprints in a tough spot, said Walt Piecyk, an analyst with LightShed Partners. Sprint has no alternative but to take whatever DT and T-Mobile offers them, he said. Theres really nothing else they can do. RELEASE NOTES: Get Dwight Silverman's weekly tech newsletter each Monday T-Mobile and Sprint had been the most aggressive U.S. wireless companies in terms of price competition in recent years, forcing AT&T and Verizon to follow moves like ending service contracts and adopting unlimited data plans. The proposed combination came under fire from lawmakers and consumer advocates who said it would lead to higher prices and fewer services, especially for poor and rural consumers. The companies had pursued a combination for several years, but a proposed deal was twice rejected as anti-competitive under the previous administration. After the FCC approved the deal, the all-Democratic group of attorneys general filed suit. The Justice Department then gave its approval, leading to a rare split between states and the federal government over antitrust enforcement. This is exactly the sort of consumer-harming, job-killing mega-merger our antitrust laws were designed to prevent, New York Attorney General Letitia James said at the time. Tackling Concerns Legere tried to address these concerns by promising to not raise prices for three years. He is credited with helping to remake T-Mobile into an industry maverick, and pitched the Sprint takeover as a way to compete against industry leaders Verizon and AT&T. Legere announced in November that he will be handing off the job to Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert in May, but plans to remain on the combined companys board. One of their central pitches was that the deal would advance the introduction of 5G. The companies pledged to FCC Chairman Ajit Pai in May that they would deploy a 5G network covering 97% of the U.S. population within three years and 99% within six. --With assistance from Stefan Nicola, Chris Dolmetsch and Courtney Dentch. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Huseyn Safarov - Trend: Conclusions and statements voiced by the OSCE/ODIHR mission regarding the early parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on Feb. 9 are biased and have nothing to do with reality, the founder of the expert-analytical network PolitRUS Vitaly Arkov told Trend. According to Vitaly Arkov, this is just one of many attempts of European structures to put pressure on the leadership of Azerbaijan, especially since the minor violations indicated in the report of the OSCE/ODIHR observers are purely technical in nature and did not affect the voting results. "It is important to note that in their anti-Azerbaijani rhetoric, these structures are not independent, but only fulfill a certain task assigned for them. There is a clear task to punish Azerbaijan for its desire to return its territories occupied by the neighboring state, for its truly independent foreign policy and its refusal to take part in the Western campaign against its main historical allies and fraternal peoples - Russia, Turkey and Iran," the Russian expert said. Moreover, as the expert noted, Azerbaijan is not the first one among the post-Soviet states to the address of which accusations such as "non-transparent elections" by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Bureau for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) are voiced. "So, recently, in November and December 2019, OSCE/ODIHR characterized the elections in the lower chambers of the parliaments of Belarus and Uzbekistan in almost the same way, which caused fair outrage not only in Minsk and Tashkent, but also in other states," Vitaly Arkov said. "The head of the State Duma Committee on Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Leonid Slutsky gave a rigorous assessment of the preconceived and politically biased statements of the OSCE/ODIHR during the PACE winter session in January 2020 in Strasbourg by urging his colleagues for objectivity," the expert added. According to the political analyst, every year, Azerbaijan improves its positions in the authoritative rating of the most powerful countries in the world. "The large-scale economic and political reforms initiated by President Ilham Aliyev will allow Azerbaijan to enter a new period of its development and strengthen its leadership in the region," the expert added. Nevertheless, as the political analyst noted, contrary to the expectations of representatives of the Azerbaijani opposition, all international observers, with the exception of the OSCE/ODIHR mission, almost unanimously stated that the elections to the Azerbaijani Parliament were held at a high level. "Despite the naive expectations of the opposition, reports of international observation missions greatly disappointed them. They failed to question the election results and democracy in Azerbaijan. Contrary to the forecasts of some circles that hoped to justify their political impotence with the help of their expected electoral failures, there were not any serious violations at polling stations; on the contrary, everything was organized at a high level. Representatives of the opposition had to be content with methods familiar to them, such as distributing all kinds of video clips and negative, unfounded comments on social networks, which indicates the political insolvency and inability of the opposition to compete," the expert concluded. On April 6, 2013, three U.S. troops were killed by a suicide bomber while running a security patrol for an aid mission to donate books to an Afghan school in northeastern Badakhshan province. On August 6, 2010, six American medical aid workers were among 10 killed in trying to deliver health care to Afghans in southern Zabul province. The incidents were cited in a report released Tuesday by the Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR) on the "The Human Cost of Reconstruction In Afghanistan," which estimated that at least 5,135 casualties have been incurred in humanitarian and reconstruction efforts to build roads, canals and other projects since 2002. The report said that at least 284 Americans were killed in Afghanistan "while performing reconstruction or stabilization missions" -- 218 U.S. service members and 68 civilians. Related: US Officials Fudged Numbers to Show Victory in Afghanistan: Report Another 245 U.S. service members and 76 U.S. civilians were wounded, SIGAR said. In addition, 100 troops from coalition partner nations were killed and 105 wounded. Additionally, 124 third country nationals on aid missions were killed, while 87 were wounded and 59 were kidnapped, the report said. The report also identified a total of 276 casualties in U.S. aid efforts associated with "insider attacks," or assaults by Afghan soldiers or police. Those are similar to the one last Saturday in eastern Nangarhar province that killed Sgt. Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, and Sgt. Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, of Las Cruces, New Mexico. On Monday night, President Donald Trump left a campaign rally in New Hampshire to attend the return of the remains of the two soldiers assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), Eglin Air Force Base, Florida, to Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. According to SIGAR, 59 U.S. service members have been killed in insider attacks and another 49 wounded in reconstruction and stabilization efforts in Afghanistan. SIGAR billed the report as the first attempt at an official accounting of the risks involved in humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan and "the number of people killed, wounded or kidnapped while doing these activities." The total reconstruction-related casualties included 2,214 killed and 2,921 wounded. The report also listed 1,182 individuals who were kidnapped or went missing. The toll for both Afghan civilians and troops involved in the U.S. efforts was staggering --1,578 killed, 2,246 wounded and 1,004 kidnapped. "These include 1,447 Afghan civilians killed, 2,008 wounded, and 1,003 kidnapped. Of the Afghans killed, 65 were bystanders," the report said. In its conclusion to the report, SIGAR said that "while considerable effort is made to track the amount of U.S. dollars spent, this review shows that we do not adequately capture the human cost of conducting reconstruction and stabilization projects while combat operations are still ongoing, especially [among] third country nationals and Afghans." In the past, SIGAR reports have often been met by pushback from the U.S. military or the State Department on the methods used and the objectivity of SIGAR officials, but there was no immediate questioning of the latest report by government officials. In an appendix to the report, the U.S. Agency of International Development, part of the State Department, said that USAID "thanks SIGAR for exploring this important topic." The report relied on data provided by the service branches, the Defense Casualty Assistance System, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and other sources, SIGAR said. The release of the report came as the Trump administration increasingly questions the U.S. commitment to Afghanistan, where more than 2,400 U.S. troops have been killed since 2001. U.S. efforts to broker a ceasefire between the Taliban and the Kabul government have stalled. In December Defense Secretary Mark Esper said that the U.S. was considering withdrawals to bring down the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan from an estimated 13,000 to 8,600. The release of the SIGAR report also coincided with a hearing Tuesday of the Senate Armed Services Committee on Afghanistan. In his testimony, retired Army Gen. Jack Keane, chairman of the Institute for the Study of War and an advisor to Trump, said "I share every member's frustration" with 18 years of war in Afghanistan, but he called for maintaining a reduced U.S. presence in Afghanistan to protect the homeland. In his opening statement, Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Oklahoma, the Committee's chairman, said that "A precipitous U.S. withdrawal would give terrorist groups in Afghanistan free rein to regroup tired forces, plot against American interests and execute terrorist attacks." -- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com Read More: Army Pours Cash into Long-Range Missile Development, New Infantry Rifles NISKAYUNA - Plans to build a Holocaust memorial on Route 7 moved a step closer to becoming reality with the approval earlier this week from the town Planning Board. The panel voted unanimously Monday night to grant final site plan approval for the construction of the Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial on two acre of land east of Pearse Road and Most Holy Redeemer Cemetery. The land was donated by the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese, which operates the cemetery. "I would say you would see ground-breaking within two years, " Niskayuna Planner Laura Robertson said Tuesday. She said building permit plans for the memorial must now be submitted to the town. Once the plans are in, town planning officials and the professional team of experts who designed the memorial would meet. Barring any concerns about the project, construction could begin soon after. Dr. Michael Lozman, a Colonie orthodontist who was the driving force behind creation of the memorial, thanked the lawyer, engineer and architects who volunteer their time and skills on the project. "They felt deep in their heart that they were doing something of significant value, trying to improve our society, trying to show that something of educational value may help fight against prejudice and bigotry and hatred, and I commend them for that," he told the crowd at Monday's meeting. He also thanked the Planning Board. On Tuesday, Lozman declined to discuss what the memorial might cost, but stressed that the nonprofit Capital District Jewish Holocaust memorial's fundraising committee would be continuing their efforts to raise the money to pay for the project. He said the memorial is needed more now than ever in light of the rising tide of anti-Semitism and Holocaust deniers as well as the aging and death of Holocaust survivors. I think it is particularly important to make sure that we do not forget, and that we learn from the past, so that we can all move forward together as a family," he added. "This is not going to be just a structure that is going to stand by itself, this is a memorial that's going to be used for the purpose of educating the public and students." After the original design that included a box car and model gas chamber got pushback from residents at a public hearing, Lozman regrouped. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Neil Golub, head of Price Chopper, began coordinating meetings every couple of weeks with a dozen members from Lozman's Capital District Jewish Holocaust Memorial group and the Jewish Federation of Northeastern New York headed by Robert Kovach. The group consulted architects, educators and the Anti-Defamation League's Holocaust education program. They unveiled a redesigned memorial early last year and held two more public hearings. The re-design by Dembling & Dembling Architects features six sides like the points of the Star of David. It includes quotes from local survivors and pebbles that visitors can place to pay their respect, a common tradition in Jewish cemeteries. An arch over the memorial exit will read "Never Again." One panel on the memorial features a representation of a boxcar. Another panel is reminiscent of the fencing used at concentration camps. Quotes would also be included on each panel, which could be from local survivors. Plans call for thick vegetation to serve as a buffer to reduce the impact on homeowners around the planned site, some of whom had opposed the location, citing the fact that they fought long and hard to keep the area residential. Representative image The government on Tuesday said it is considering a uniform fishing law for sustainable development and management of fisheries in the exclusive economic zone of the country. Minister of State for Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying P C Sarangi also told Lok Sabha that the government is seriously contemplating setting up a platform for fish exports that would eliminate middlemen. Total fish production in the country stood at 134.22 lakh tonnes in 2018-19, as per government data. In accordance with the recommendation of the National Policy on Marine Fisheries, 2017, the government is "considering a uniform fishing law for sustainable development and management of fisheries in the Exclusive Economic Zone of India", according to a written reply. The reply was given by Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying Giriraj Singh. Territorial waters, that are up to 12 nautical miles from the baseline, come under the jurisdiction of respective coastal states and Union Territories. Waters from 12 to 200 nautical miles fall under EEZ. At least three members from Kerala raised issues related to fishermen during the Question Hour. Speaker Om Birla asked the minister to call a meeting of members from coastal areas to discuss issues. Sarangi also said the government is seriously contemplating a platform for exporting fish without middlemen and that revolutionary steps are being taken to increase income of fish farmers. During the Question Hour, Sarangi informed the House that advisories are continuously issued to fish farmers and exporters, among others, that they should not use hazardous chemicals for preserving fish. His reply came to a query by BJP member Maneka Gandhi on steps being taken by the government against use of formalin to preserve fish. She also flagged excessive use of antibiotics for growing shrimps. The ministry is also planning to upgrade the physical infrastructure for pisiculture in the country and is implementing various schemes/programmes for development of fisheries, including creation of infrastructure, as per the written reply. The photo shows a clear border between Trumps bronzer and the stolen cadaver skin that enshrouds the remainder of his head. He looks like Hannibal Lecter when he stole a different persons face to escape from prison. STEPHEN COLBERT "He looks like he just got hit in the face with a pumpkin pie. He looks like he stuck his head in a volcano. He looks like a paint sample card from Home Depot. JIMMY FALLON As you see from this very real photo of Trump arriving at the White House on Friday with the wind exposing his hairline, he looks just like he went to the beach wearing a dog cone. Trump only cares about the top 1 percent, even when hes applying sunscreen to his face. Looks like he stuck his face in an empty bag of Doritos and sucked up the dust. SETH MEYERS Now, for some reason Trump was upset about this photo, so he tweeted, More fake news. This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean! You know things are bad when Trump is thanking the wind. His hair and the wind do not have great history together. And what does that mean? And hair looks good? Thats the definition of narcissism. [Imitating Trump] My face looks like I got a chemical peel at Jiffy Lube, but hair looks good. STEPHEN COLBERT Residents of Baghdad rushed to have snowball fights or take photographs Tuesday as the Iraqi capital woke carpeted in white by only its second snowfall in a century. The last recorded snowfall in the city was in 2008, but it was a quick and mostly slushy affair -- and prior to that, it had been a century since Baghdad saw any flakes. Iraqis young and old said it was the first time they had ever seen snow falling in Baghdad. The city's iconic palm trees were daintily outlined in white, and the tarpaulins of the long-running anti-government protest camp in Tahrir Square in the city centre were sprinkled with snow. People on their way to work stopped their cars to snap pictures or break out into impromptu snowball fights. "Snowfall may continue until Wednesday given the very cold weather," said Amer al-Jaberi, media head of the Iraqi Meteorological Centre. "This cold wave came from Europe," he told AFP. The people of Baghdad are more used to heat than cold. The highest temperature recorded in the capital was a searing 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit), a record it has neared several times in recent years. South of the capital, snow also carpeted the Shiite holy city of Karbala, which draws pilgrims from round the world to its famed shrines, the golden-domed mausoleums of Abbas and Imam Hussein. Snowfall is more common in northern Iraq, where snow covered the war-battered city of Mosul, but in the centre and south there is rarely enough precipitation. Iraq has been hit by a succession of extreme weather events in recent years. In 2018, chronic water shortages sparked a health crisis in the centre and south but the following year, heavy rains caused deadly flooding and heavy damage to homes and crops. Blistering temperatures then hit the north triggering wild fires and scorching crops. Experts say Iraq lacks the funding or infrastructure to cope with climate change and the desertification of once productive land. A snowball fight amid the palm trees -- young boys enjoy only the second snowfall in a century to carpet Baghdad and central Iraq The only previous snowfall in Baghad in the past century was a short and mostly slushy affair in 2008. Tuesday's snowfall was more substantial An Iraqi man snaps pictures of the ultra-rare snowfall in Baghdad, a city where summer temperatures can hit 51 degrees Celsius (124 degrees Fahrenheit) Snow carpets Iraq's main northern city of Mosul, nestled on the banks of the River Tigris YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) indicates that every Armenian who would fall under the control of the Azerbaijani authorities, regardless of his or her status, is subjected to a life threat, Foreign Ministry of Armenia said in a statement made over the ECHR ruling on Saribekyan and Balyan vs Azerbaijan case. Armenpress presents the MFAs statement: On January 30 the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Saribekyan and Balayan vs Azerbaijan. It is related to the death circumstances of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia Manvel Saribekyan at the Military Police Department of the Ministry of Defense of Azerbaijan. On September 11, 2010, Manvel Saribekyan due to bad weather conditions lost his way in the borderline of Tavush region of Armenia and found himself on the Azerbaijani side. A month later Saribekyans body was returned to the Armenian side. According to the Azerbaijani version the Armenian shepherd had committed suicide at the Military Police Department of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. It should be recalled that the Azerbaijani side had initiated criminal proceedings against Manvel Saribekyan on obviously false charges and forced him to appear on the Azerbaijani TV by means of torture. The European Court of Human Rights has concluded that the fundamental human rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter: the Convention) of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia were breached, particularly substantive and procedural aspects of the Right to Life (Article 2 of the Convention), as well as breach of Article 3 of the Convention prohibiting torture, as the European Court of Human Rights undoubtedly ruled that Saribekyan was subjected to very serious and cruel suffering and that it was carried out intentionally on a detained person under the exclusive control of the Azerbaijani authorities. The ruling is unprecedented: for the first time the European Court of Human Rights has found Azerbaijans responsibility for the deprivation of life of the citizen of Armenia and established that the citizen of the Republic of Armenia died as a result of the violent actions of others, notably personnel at the Military Police Department of Azerbaijan. This ruling once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is overtly violating its international human rights obligations. It also indicates that every Armenian who would fall under the control of the Azerbaijani authorities, regardless of his or her status, is subjected to a life threat. The Republic of Armenia will continue its consistent efforts to ensure security of the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian people and achieve justice. Confidence in low reserve, Joe Bidens campaign lumbered into Tuesdays New Hampshire primary trying to claw its way into a third-place finish that would help justify going forward after expected back-to-back losses. Biden told NBC News on the eve of the primary that he could probably survive a fourth-place showing here. Still, those around the former Vice President were skittish about what Tuesdays results could bring, including the possibility he could slip to a distant fifth. Senator Bernie Sanders and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg appear to be duking it out for the win, while Biden was jostling with the likes of Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar. I think hes holding his own, but it aint easy, said state Sen. Lou DAllesandro, a longtime Democratic figure in New Hampshire and a captain of Manchesters political machine. If Amy beats him, itll tell him to work a hell of a lot harder than he has been. I think the thing that killed Joe Biden is losing Beau. Beau Biden was Joe Bidens son who died after a battle with brain cancer. He also worked on DAllesandros campaigns. Former New Hampshire Gov. John Lynch acknowledged Bidens uphill fight ahead, saying the campaign would do well in New Hampshire but is heading toward friendlier states like Nevada and South Carolina. And New Hampshire political kingpin Billy Shaheen, whose wife is a Senator and former Governor, put it bluntly: Im nervous, he said. A sign for Joe Biden seen on a stack of chairs at a GOTV event in Hampton, N.H. | Tony Luong for TIME The official lines coming from Bidens headquarters in Philadelphia were that early losses are surmountable. Iowa and New Hampshire are racially homogeneous, and polls suggest Biden will fare better in more diverse states, where he has built up enormous reserves of goodwill with black voters. Campaign aides are suddenly historical experts on 1992, when Bill Clintons upstart presidential campaign started 1-for-11 and 2-for-15 on his way to the nomination. Story continues Rank-and-file voters, too, seemed indifferent toward the prospect of a Biden blow-out. If he doesnt win here, it doesnt matter, says Dan Bergeron, a member of the Manchester school board. But it seemed an argument of necessity, as Bidens one-time aura of inevitability has evaporated as his rivals worked harder and kept a busier schedule. He is getting out-spent on television and online ads. His get-out-the-vote machine is dwarfed by others. His events drew fewer people than his rivals, his fundraising lagged them and his energy did, too. Where his rivals sparked excitement, Biden sought sufficiency. Im still not sure. He didnt lock me down. Ive been trying to get locked down, but I cant get there, said Nick Pangaro, a 68-year-old retiree from Hampstead, N.H., who is leaning toward Klobuchar. Im responsible for the rest of this country. The primary here is that important. After retooling his campaign leadership after his Iowa loss, Biden is tweaking other parts of the operation. He walked into his final event before New Hampshire votes to Carrie Underwoods The Champion as a signal that hes still holding onto hope and pivoting to a soundtrack a little lighter on throwback tunes and a little heavier on Southern twang. One of the lyrics? I am invincible. Biden takes pictures with supporters at his GOTV Event in Hampton, N.H. | Tony Luong for TIME Yet even those who have endorsed Bidens campaign have nagging doubts about his ability to win. There are a lot of people in New Hampshire who are hunters, said state Rep. Ben Baroody of Manchester, who owns 11 guns and endorsed Biden last week. I grew up with a gun in my hand. We have Democrats in the Sportsmens Caucus. If hed leave the N.R.A. alone, hed be doing better. Hes saying, Im going to get you, and thats not helping. For his part, Biden is testing new lines, including a series of questions that look past the primary and toward a potential head-to-head with President Donald Trump, who was speaking across town in a sort of counter-program to the Democrats. Are you all ready to get rid of a President who call generals to their faces losers, dopes and babies? Biden asked his crowd. I know I am. Are you ready to get rid of a President who calls traumatic brain injury a headache? I know I am. Are you ready to get rid of a President who awards a Presidential Medal of Freedom on Rush Limbaugh? I know I am. First, though, Biden will have to win the nomination. And his odds appear to be dwindling by the day. Thats why the campaign is using more and more of Jill Biden, the wife of the former Vice President, to offer some of the sharpest critiques of the campaigns immediate rivals. Anyone can have a plan. Anyone can want to turn a page, she said Monday evening. But plans dont mean a thing if you cant get them done. Promises dont mean anything if you cant deliver. Bidens team recognizes the need for a change in the narrative, if not the trajectory of the campaign itself. They are projecting confidence that thing will improve when the campaign moves beyond the early nominating states and into the bigger contests that start next month. Still, though, confidence is not the overwhelming emotion in Bidens crowds. Anxiety is. Prince Harry may have entirely given up his duties as a senior member of the royal family, but even before the infamous "Megxit," the Duke of Sussex has been keeping an eye on the crown ... his own hair crown. While it is evident that hair loss is something that runs on their family, the 35-year-old Prince has taken extra effort not to be "Royal's Next Top Bald Heir" just like his father, Prince Charles and brother Prince William. According to Mayo Clinic, anyone can experience hair loss, but it is very common among men. There are also numerous factors leading to a man to slowly lose their crowning glories, such as family history, hormonal changes, medical conditions, medications, radiation therapy, hairstyle treatment and excessive stress. While Prince Harry's case is obviously caused by his genes, an expert previously claimed that his crown's bald patches worsen the day after he married Meghan Markle in May 2018. In an interview with The Sun, the doctor from Manchester's Crown Clinic also suggested that if Prince Harry does not want to be like his brother, the only solution to his advanced male pattern baldness is a hair transplant. "There has been a significant acceleration of his baldness in the last year, and Harry is now losing his hair as rapidly as his brother William," Dr. Asim Shahmalak said. The doctor said that Prince Harry should be commended for not resorting to dying his hair darker to hide the baldness. "He clearly has a wife in Meghan who loves him no matter what the state of his hair," the expert added. However, it looks like the Duke of Sussex is not just working on leading an independent life with Meghan, but also improving his image by addressing his baldness at such a young age. According to reports, Prince Harry has been seeking hair thickening treatment in a prestigious clinic even before turning his back on the royal family. A source told The Sun that the sixth heir to the throne is getting his regular treatment at Philip Kingsley Trichological Clinic in London's Mayfair. "This company is so prestigious. It's one of the best places in the world. It's got a whole range of different treatment plans," the source said. The insider added that the Prince's first visit "caused a real stir" in the clinic and revealed that the 38-year-old Meghan also visited the clinic before their wedding three years ago. Philip Kingsley boasts an extremely wealthy, famous, and well-connected list of clients, including royalty, actors, models and athletes. The royal insider added that treatments from the said hair loss clinic also cost a fortune, as it is the go-to place of the rich and famous people with the same problem as Harry's. Philip Kingsley earned the name "Hair Doctor" during his 65-years in the business. His legacy continues even after he died at the age of 86 in 2016. While the source did not go into detail with the type of treatment Harry is getting in the said clinic, he confirmed that the Prince's visits went well. READ MORE: Royal Crisis: Queen Elizabeth II Actually Prevented More Damage From Meghan Markle, Prince Harry Exit Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang's Daily Briefing Online on February 11, 2020 2020/02/11 First, I'd like to share some figures with you. According to the latest data from the National Health Commission (NHC) this morning, between 00:00 and 24:00, February 10, altogether 716 cured and discharged cases were newly reported in China's mainland. As of 24:00 February 10, a total of 3,996 people have been cured and discharged from hospital in China's mainland. Between 00:00 and 24:00, February 10, there were 381 newly reported confirmed cases in China (excluding Hubei), marking the seventh day of declining. Q: First, according to a report leaked to media, which was issued to the UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, North Korea imported refined petroleum and exported some $370 million worth of coal with the help of Chinese barges, violating existing sanctions. Was China aware of this? Second, the U.S. on Monday announced charges against four members of the Peoples Liberation Army for hacking Equifax, a credit reporting agency in 2017, in allegedly one of the largest hacking cases in US history. What is China's response? A: On your first question, I understand this annual report by the expert panel of the UNSC 1718 Committee hasn't been officially released yet, therefore its content should be strictly confidential at this stage. China is concerned over its leakage. We offer no comment on relevant news reports. On your second question, the Chinese government's position on cybersecurity is consistent and clear. We firmly oppose and combat cyber attacks of any kind. China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity. The Chinese government, military and relevant personnel never engage in cyber theft of trade secrets. It has long been an open secret that the US government and relevant departments, in violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations, have been engaging in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber stealing, spying and surveillance activities on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals. From the case of WikiLeaks to Edward Snowden, the US hypocrisy and double standard on cybersecurity have been fully revealed. According to plenty of information that has been made public, US agencies have been engaging in cyber intrusion, surveillance and monitoring activities on foreign governments, institutions, enterprises, universities and individuals, including on its allies. China is also a victim of this. We have lodged stern representations to the US and asked it to make explanations and immediately stop such activities. Q: Some foreign financial institutions and media believe that the NCP epidemic will trigger a domino effect on China's economy, have a major impact on global supply chain and lead to a slowdown in world economic growth. What is your comment? A: At last week's press briefing on inter-agency NCP prevention and control held by the State Council Information Office, officials of the National Development and Reform Commission and other related departments talked about how China's economy will be affected. To sum up, it all depends on the effects of the epidemic prevention and control measures. We believe our economic fundamentals that support China's long-term growth will remain unchanged, and we are capable of minimizing the epidemic's impact on our economy. In fact, international institutions including the IMF and the World Bank noted that China has enough policy space to deal with the epidemic and China's efforts have effectively reduced the risks the world economy may be exposed to. Today China's GDP accounts for around 16 percent of the global total and contributes over 30 percent to world economic growth. If our economy is impacted, there will inevitably be spillover effects on other countries and even the world economy. Therefore, by fighting against the NCP, China is safeguarding both its own country and the world. When you are supporting and helping China, you are in fact safeguarding the common interests of all countries. Faced with a public health crisis, one cannot protect oneself by taking a "beggar-thy-neighbor" approach or overreactions. The urgent task for everyone is to defeat the virus together and restore normal state-to-state exchange and cooperation as soon as possible. Only by doing so can we support steady world economic growth and anchor expectations around the world. Q: Azerbaijan held parliamentary elections on February 9. I wonder if China has a comment? A: China congratulates Azerbaijan on the smooth parliamentary elections it just held. We wish its people greater success in their national development endeavors. As Azerbaijan's good friend and good partner, China attaches high importance to this bilateral relationship. We stand ready to work together to enhance mutual support, pursue high-quality BRI cooperation and bring bilateral relations to a new height. Q: The U.S. on Monday indicted four members of the Chinese military for breaking into a credit-reporting agency. Do you have any comment? A: Please refer to my earlier reply to the Reuters. Q: Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is visiting India. In an interview on February 9, when asked about the "debt traps" China's Belt and Road Initiative has laid out for other countries, he said that Sri Lanka has received a lot of benefits from being part of the BRI. Sri Lanka's external debt towards China is only 12% of its overall external debt, and they have not defaulted. They used the money to build infrastructure. What is your comment? A: We commend these comments made by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. China and Sri Lanka share a strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship. Based on Sri Lanka's development needs, China offered loans to support its infrastructure building and other major domestic projects concerning people's livelihood. These projects and loans have boosted Sri Lanka's economic growth, created a large amount of local jobs and contributed to the country's sustainable development. Those outcomes have been commended by the government and people of Sri Lanka. China stands ready to strengthen BRI cooperation with Sri Lanka to deliver more benefits to the two peoples. Q: In a speech to the National Governors Association, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said competition with China is happening at the federal level, the state level and the local level, and China is exploiting the free and open political systems of the US to exert influence and seek infiltration at all these levels. He urged governors of US states and territories to take such competition seriously and adopt a cautious mindset when engaging in cooperation with China. What is your comment? A: Mr. Pompeo's remarks reveal a shocking disregard for the actual course of China-US relations. We are firmly opposed to this speech fraught with Cold-War mentality and political prejudice. China follows the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics with the leadership of the CPC as its defining feature. This path is a historical choice made by the Chinese people. We will stay true to it and forge ahead for greater progress. Anyone seeking to stand in our way forward should think twice. Since the very beginning when the PRC and the US started engaging with each other, the difference in our political systems has been clearly recognized by both. That is also why the three China-US joint communiques emphasized mutual respect, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and equality. It seems Mr. Pompeo is not familiar with these documents, or perhaps he just doesn't want to bother. Over the four decades of diplomatic relations, China and the US have generally moved forward our bilateral ties despite some trials and turbulence, which has brought tangible benefits to the two peoples and made important contributions to peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia Pacific and the world beyond. This is a fact that is not to be disputed, nor erased by somebody simply saying a few words. Sub-national cooperation and people-to-people exchanges constitute an important part of China-US relations. It meets the shared wish and serves the common interests of the two sides to strengthen sub-national and people-to-people interactions. Thus, it is perplexing that the US Secretary of State should obstruct such exchanges on purpose and go against the wish of the people, instead of playing a facilitating role. China's diplomatic missions and civil groups in the US have been following international law and bilateral agreements. Their interactions with the US governments at all levels are to promote mutual understanding, exchanges and cooperation, thus legitimate, lawful, open and aboveboard, and beyond reproach. Mr. Pompeo should step out of his Cold War mindset and ideological prejudices, show his respect to the history and basic facts concerning China-US relations, stop smearing China's political system, and stop undermining bilateral exchanges and cooperation. Q: You mentioned yesterday that as of 08:00 on February 10, 27 foreigners in China had been diagnosed with the novel coronavirus pneumonia. Any updates as of today? Could you tell us their nationality or other details? A: I briefed you yesterday on the related situation. After checking with the relevant department, there have been no newly confirmed cases of foreigners in China today and the number of cured and discharged cases of foreign nationals has risen from 3 to 7. Q: Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov said on February 10 that the Russia-China relationship is leading the modern international relations and a model of stability and strength. The interactions between the two heads of state will go in accordance with the schedule. President Xi Jinping will participate in events commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Soviet Union's victory in the Great Patriotic War in May and visit St. Petersburg in July, while President Putin is expected to visit China in the second half of the year. What's your comment? A: China fully agrees with Ambassador Denisov's positive comments on China-Russia relations. Under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Putin, the China-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership of coordination has entered a new era. No matter how the international landscape may change, China and Russia have always adhered to the principle of partnership instead of alliance and dialogue instead of confrontation, and conducted practical cooperation in various fields on the basis of equality, openness and mutual benefit. Faced with a complex and volatile external environment, China-Russia relations have shown strong stability and endogenous dynamic, which is insusceptible to external disturbance or influence. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the victory of the Second World War and the founding of the United Nation. It is also the start of the "Year of Scientific and Technological Innovation" in China and Russia. Our bilateral relations are presented with new opportunities. The two sides will maintain the good momentum of close high-level exchanges, fully implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strive for more outcomes of cooperation in various fields and jointly contribute more to world peace and tranquility. Q: Senate of Pakistan passed a resolution on February 10 expressing full solidarity and support to China in combating the NCP. It appreciated the Chinese government's measures to combat the virus and protect Pakistani students in China. It also said that Pakistan will work together with China to fight the epidemic. I wonder if China has a comment? A: China highly appreciate the resolution passed by the Pakistani side. China and Pakistan are iron-clad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners with a tradition of mutual assistance. This resolution stands as further testament to the unwavering friendship between our two countries and peoples. It shows once again that we, as a community with a shared future, can always rely on each other in difficult times. China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and other members of the international community to combat the epidemic and contribute to global public health. With a highly responsible attitude, we will also enhance communication and coordination with Pakistan and do our best to ensure the health and safety of Pakistani nationals in China. Q: Could you update us on the latest situation of infection among foreigners in China? And I would like to confirm whether the number of confirmed cases, deaths and discharged cases released by the National Health Commission every day includes those of foreigners in China? A: On your first question, I briefed you on the situation yesterday. After checking with the relevant department, there have been no newly confirmed cases of foreigners in China today and the number of cured and discharged cases has risen from 3 to 7. On your second question, my information is that cases of foreign nationals are included in the NHC figures. Q: Pakistanis and Nepalis are among the few international students remaining in Wuhan. Cambodia and some African countries have also left some of their students in Wuhan. Is China taking active measures to convince these countries to keep their nationals in Wuhan and keeping flights between these countries open? Also is there a list of countries which have said they do not plan to evacuate citizens from Wuhan? A: China attaches great importance to the health and safety of all foreign nationals in Wuhan, Hubei province. We have taken effective measures to timely respond to their concerns and requests. WHO DG Tedros also stressed many times that flying out in a rush is not recommended, the best way being stay put and enhancing self-protection. For those countries that wish to take home their nationals, China will make relevant arrangements and offer necessary assistance consistent with international practices and our domestic epidemic control measures. WHO also stressed many times that it does not recommend imposing travel and trade restrictions on China. As some countries have taken such excessive steps as suspending flights, ICAO has also issued bulletins and encouraged all countries to follow WHO recommendations. We hope the professional recommendations of WHO and ICAO will be respected. Q: According to reports, the World Health Organization will host a global research and innovation forum in Geneva from February 11 to 12. Experts from the Taiwan region will attend the meeting online. Taiwanese media say they're participating under the name of Taipei. What's your comment? A: We highly value the health and wellbeing of our Taiwan compatriots. After the epidemic broke out, the National Health Commission has been timely and actively updating the Taiwan region on our control measures and the information of people from the Taiwan region who have been confirmed NCP cases in the mainland. The Taiwan region's participation in WHO technical activities must be arranged after being agreed by the Chinese side through consultations under the one-China principle. According to the arrangement reached by China and the WHO, China has replied to the WHO that we agree to the participation of the Taiwan region's medical experts in this forum. It is despicable for the Democratic Progressive Party authority to hype up this issue and conduct political manipulation over it. The rainbow crossing at Woodside High School in Wood Green, north London. (SWNS) A headteacher has been inundated with homophobic abuse after painting a level crossing outside her school in LGBT colours. Gerry Robinson, head of Woodside High School, in Wood Green, north London received hundreds of vile and abusive messages after a rainbow crossing was painted outside the gates. The crossing became the first in Britain to be painted in the rainbow colour scheme to mark LGBT History Month. Despite the abuse Ms Robinson has vowed to continue her work for equality. I am hugely proud of our students in their successful campaign to have the first rainbow crossing outside a school in the UK, Ms Robinson said. The crossing is the first of its kind in the UK. (SWNS) "This rainbow crossing stands for our commitment to championing equality, for our childrens rights to be respected and able to thrive as themselves, in school and beyond. "I am enormously grateful to Haringey Council for supporting this important cause and for championing both equality and student voice. "The hundreds of abusive messages regarding Woodside's work on equality will not deter us from continuing our work. "In fact, it only encourages us further for we do not want our students to go out into the world and face such hate." READ MORE FROM YAHOO NEWS UK: She added: "Never has there been a more important time to stand up to hate in all its forms and education is a key part of that." The school posted on Twitter: "Our rainbow crossing has been up less than 4 days & we have had over 200 abusive messages. "This may seem shocking to some, but for the LGBTQI+ community, threats, aggression & hate is a regular occurence. "Education is critical in addressing this LGBT History Month." The crossing was funded by Haringey Council. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- The Wyoming Legislature is gearing up for its budget session. I have been watching what bills are being considered and if we can read the tea leaves on legislative intent. It should be evident to all Wyomingites that things are starting to get desperate. With desperation, we either wind up proposing bold common-sense solutions or grasping at straws. We know how much the Right thinks that the Left hates straws, so let the grasping begin. Wyomings two-faced legislature largely backs the GOP talking points of free market capitalism but, based on the bills they are proposing, they push all our chips in on right-wing socialism. The Legislature is expected to proceed with a bill on tolling I-80 because we cannot afford the other roads that connect our state. Wyomings small cities cannot afford to operate on their current revenue, so there is a straw to siphon funds from large cities to give to smaller towns, all the while carping about the rising cost of providing high-quality public education. There is more socialism for the coal industry, as Governor Gordon wants a $25 million slush fund to aid its survival. Governor Gordons request seems to mirror President Trumps strategy as he obtained a $28 billion slush fund to buy off farmers and ranchers in order to cover up his disastrous trade wars. Dont worry Wyoming farmers and ranchers; right-wing socialism will continue to fill your trough as it has since the Homestead Act. The Emergency Water Projects Bill will ensure that Goshen County irrigation district mismanagement of a taxpayer-owned irrigation tunnel that collapsed be rewarded instead of prevented. Emergency loans to cover ineptitude instead of legislative oversight were standard practice in the Soviet Union, so true to form, the Wyoming GOP uses taxpayer dough to go on with the Potemkin show. Way to go WYO! I am certain the proponents of the Emergency Water Bill will fight the Medicaid expansion bill. They are more worried about a collapsed agricultural artery than the arterial health for all residents. They view Medicaid expansion as the wrong kind of socialism, because it benefits everyone instead of the few. Hypocrisy continues, as angry Republicans seem to think local control is just fine for managing public schools but when local control gets negative reviews from right-wing media outlets, then the Nanny State is gleeful to propose legislation to trigger their base. When local municipalities propose zoning for buildings or unique ways to address the lack of affordable housing, House Bill 22 seemingly mocks progressive ideas by hypocritically eroding local control. Lets see if the Wyoming legislature proposes the same for addressing the shortfall in convoluted public school funding. Local control is discouraged when it comes to benefiting the populace but when it comes to robbing our public lands; again they push all-in. The 2018 Farm Bill, a taxpayer-funded bonanza for farmers and ranchers, permanently authorizes the use of the Good Neighbor Act for collaborative work on BLM and National Forest Lands (USFS). The Wyoming Legislature has seized on this provision in its HB0056 proposal. While the GNA has been sold as a way to address issues that cross federal, state and private lands, it is really Wyomings stalking-horse provision to eventually take over federal lands. Combined with the weakening of the National Environmental Policy Act, the GNAs being implemented by the County Commissioners that generate funds will be returned to the state instead of to the BLM or USFS. This process ensures the decline of land management agencies to the point where there is no legal barrier to take these public lands and leaves the public unaware that their lands are being stolen. Dont worry says the GOP, they will manage it just like the U.S. taxpayer-owned Goshen Irrigation canal; they will abuse it until it collapses. On the bright side, the Wyoming Legislature realizes additional revenue is needed. They are sticking to the tried and true: seeking revenue from the simple pleasures of drinking, sleeping, driving and smoking. All these pleasures are considered revenue generators and bills are being prepared to tax you, because Wyoming lags behind other states in the taxation rate of these products. I dont know about you, but prices for these items are not lower in Wyoming, so expect more cross-border shopping when the GOP raises these rates. Despite this, Wyoming offers unbelievable value for the average citizen. I feel extremely blessed to live in a state that has more money than common sense. However, those that need it the least are drinking from a fire hose, while those that need the most help cannot even get a straw. Greg Hunter is a former candidate for the U.S. House Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 BERLIN Even before Chancellor Angela Merkels chosen successor announced this week that she would step aside, sending German politics into deeper disarray, there were complaints about German leadership in Europe. Ms. Merkel lacked vision, was long the refrain of her critics at home and abroad. The chancellor of 14 years was risk-averse. Her nation, as a whole, had yet to shed the inhibitions that came with its history, leaving it unwilling or unable to take a decisive role in defending the multilateral system, even as President Trump has moved to trash it. Those concerns will come into even sharper focus this week, with the opening on Friday of the annual Munich Security Conference, the foreign-policy worlds answer to the World Economic Forum in Davos, where analysts and diplomats from all over will gather to discuss the security challenges facing the world. It is telling that, 30 years after German reunification, Germany and its stagnant government, split ideologically and with Ms. Merkel in her last year in office, will barely feature on the agenda. Ms. Merkel herself wont be in Munich. But the German question will be a prime topic of discussion among those taking part. A Belfast couple on Tuesday made history by becoming the first same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland, following a landmark change in the law last year. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, tied the knot in an afternoon ceremony in a hotel in Carrickfergus, near Belfast, after the new legislation came into effect on Monday. The legal change followed campaigning by Amnesty International and partner organisations in the "Love Equality" coalition, which hailed it as "a landmark moment for equality in Northern Ireland". "We are literally living the dream, it's incredible," Edwards, a waitress from Brighton on the British mainland, told the domestic Press Association news agency shortly after the service. "We didn't expect to be the first couple, it's coincidental." Her new wife, Peoples, a senior care worker from Belfast, added: "We fought so long and hard for this opportunity to be seen as equal and now we are here and it's just amazing." The pair paid tribute to the activists from the Love Equality campaign who led the years-long push to liberalise the British-ruled province's marriage laws. They also thanked the politicians who eventually voted for the change. "Without you, our wedding wouldn't have been possible," they said. "We will be forever thankful." - 'Religious battle' - British MPs in London passed legislation last July, while Northern Ireland's devolved government was suspended, to allow gay marriages and same-sex civil partnerships. The move, which brought the province into line with the rest of the UK, was opposed by a group of local lawmakers but they failed in a last-minute bid in October to block its implementation. London spent the intervening months drawing up new regulations to apply to the marriages and partnerships -- with the first permitted to happen this week. In the meantime, Northern Ireland's political parties also agreed to restart power-sharing in Belfast. Peoples and Edwards, who have been together for six years, had originally planned to enter into a civil partnership, and held a ceremony marking that commitment months ago. But when they learned of the imminent law change, they opted to get married as soon as it was possible. They blamed a "religious battle" between local politicians for the years of delay in being able to wed. "They (politicians) sort of battled between each other and it took Westminster to push it forward and here we are, it's happened," said Peoples. The couple's married name is now Edwards-Peoples. Activists, British MPs including Northern Ireland Secretary of State Julian Smith, and others will celebrate the landmark at a parliamentary event in London later on Tuesday. Sara Canning, the partner of journalist Lyra McKee who was killed by dissident republicans in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry last year, helped to campaign for the change. "It has been massively helpful to channel my feelings into this," she said. "I felt the need was there to speak about something, that maybe a difference could be made. "And we could see something that Lyra and I were passionate about coming to fruition." Robyn Peoples (L) and Sharni Edwards (R) tied the knot at a hotel near Belfast, after the new legislation came into effect on Monday The law change brings the province into line with the rest of the UK CLEVELAND, Ohio City Council gave final approval Monday to tax incentives sought by developers to help convert underused property on Clevelands West Side into new housing. One project, Market Square, would involve razing the struggling Market Plaza built in the 1980s across Lorain Avenue from the West Side Market. Harbor Bay Real Estate Advisors plans to replace it with about 300 market-rate apartments and about 40,000 square feet of retail space. The second project, Tinnerman Lofts, would redevelop the former home of a stove manufacturer and of Vista Printing on Fulton Road into about 50 market-rate apartments. The ordinances approving the economic incentives will become effective once signed by Mayor Frank Jackson. That likely will happen quickly. The Jackson administration sought approval for both incentive packages. In both cases, the incentives included tax-increment financing for 30 years. Approval of the TIF allows new tax revenues from the projects to be used to help pay for the projects. Taxes for Cleveland schools are not affected. The Market Square, expected to cost about $135 million, was granted tax abatements for 15 years. After that, tax-increment financing will divert about $4 million from new taxes to help pay for the project. City Council also approved a $2 million deferred loan to the developers. The company is financing the project through the Port of Cleveland. The Harbor Bay project involves construction of what is billed as the largest mass timber structure in the country a nine-story building with apartments and commercial space. The project would have underground parking that would also benefit the West Side Market and a park. Councilman Kerry McCormack, who represents Ohio City, praised the project Monday because it will also take advantage of its access to mass transit. The site is just feet away from RTAs West 25-Ohio City bus/rapid station. The company plans a second phase which would connect directly to the RTA station. Demolition and construction could begin as soon as March, the company has said. The Tinnerman Lofts project, expected to cost about $10 million, also qualifies for tax abatement, after which the tax-increment financing would become effective. It is expected to divert about $265,000 back to the project. The developer, the Dalad Group of Independence, previously secured $1.7 million in state historic preservation tax credits for the project at 2048 Fulton Road near Lorain Avenue. The project will include a few commercial spaces in addition to market-rate apartments. The site was once home to stove manufacturer Tinnerman Steel Range Co. More from Cleveland City Hall Cleveland City Council votes to cancel charter issues that propose shrinking council, slashing members pay Incentive packages for two Ohio City development projects clear Cleveland City Council panel, near final approval Growing economy, income tax revenues fueling Clevelands budget, allowing city to plan ahead, Mayor Frank Jackson says Cleveland plan for reducing single use bags could involve fees to protect retailers, exemptions for the poor Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson signs legislation to eliminate fines, jail time and court records for low-level marijuana possession Martin Hauserman made a career as keeper of Clevelands history, documenting city government and life of the people Get insider texts about Cleveland City Hall on your phone from Robert Higgs. Cut through the clutter of social media and communicate directly with cleveland.coms City Hall reporter, just like you would with your friends. Sign up here and give it a try. Its just $3.99 a month, which works out to about 13 cents a day. German online bank N26 has told customers it's pulling out of the U.K. because it won't have a license to operate there after Brexit. The Berlin-based firm launched in Britain in October 2018, about six months before the country's exit from the European Union was initially due to take place. At the time, N26 CEO Valentin Stalf told CNBC the move was a "no-brainer for us, independent of Brexit." "With the U.K. having left the EU at the end of January, we will in due course no longer be able to operate in the U.K. with our European banking licence," the firm said in announcement to clients Tuesday. "Therefore, we are writing to share the news that we will be leaving the U.K. and closing all accounts." "We are sorry to be leaving and we understand this will be disappointing for our customers." The company said it will close down all U.K. accounts on April 15 and is advising customers in the country to transfer their funds to alternative bank accounts. Memorial Presbyterian Church's halls were filled with the sounds of music on Sunday evening. Titled "Sacred Songs, Sacred Places," was part of Memorial Presbyterian's "Vespers" concert series, which features music from both local artists and musicians from throughout the Midwest. Director Megan Farison led the Memorial Presbyterian Church Chancel Choir to perform an arraignment of songs featuring two pieces written by Midwest composers specifically for the event. One of the songs, titled "What Does the Lord Require of You?," was written by composer Meredith Brammeier, in honor of both the Chancel Choir and Glenn Stuart, a member of the choir who who passed away on May 9, 2017. Brammeier also performed her piece on the piano on Sunday. "Meredith did such a beautiful job with this piece, and presenting the joy and liveliness that really represented Glenn," Farison said. Born and raised in the Midwest -- with a career that has taken her across the United States and Europe -- Brammeier currently teaches music theory, composition and musicianship at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, California. The concert also featured a special guest in the form of Stuart's daughter, Ruth Stuart-Burroughs, who served as guest oboist for three songs in the program. The choir also performed "O Master, Let Me Walk With Thee," dedicated to the choir by Lansing-based composer Ryan Jones. The office of Delhi BJP wore a sombre look as Assembly poll results trickled in on Tuesday dashing the party's hopes of returning to power in the national capital after two decades. While early trends showed the party leading in 19 seats, party spokespersons and debate panellists were busy interacting with print and electronic media and maintained that the tally will rise. But the numbers continued to drop, belying their expectations. "We did not expect this. Although our leaders said that the BJP will form the government, a decent number of seats was expected by all of us," said a senior office bearer of the state unit. By noon, it was clear that Aam Aadmi Party had swept the assembly election for the second consecutive time. Delhi BJP convener of media team for elections Ashok Goyal, however, said he expected an improvement, even as the party was leading in less than 15 seats out of 70. "Our vote percentage has improved. There are 15-18 seats on which our candidates are trailing by thin margins so it would be too early to say anything," he said. Posters were also seen at the party office featuring its leader Amit Shah's pictures with a message that the party neither becomes arrogant with victory nor gets disheartened with defeat. "Vijay se hum anhakari nahi hote, haar se hum hatash nahi hote (Victory doesn't make us arrogant, and defeat doesn't dishearten us)," the posters read. Shah was the force behind the BJP's high octane campaign in the national capital, where the party had deployed more than 200 of its MPs, Union ministers and many chief ministers. As the final tally emerged, the BJP managed to win just eight seats in the Delhi Assembly. Two of the three sitting MLAs, including Leader of Opposition in outgoing Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, retained their seats. Gupta, a former Delhi BJP president, won from Rohini defeating his AAP rival by 12,648 votes. "My victory is due to the hard work of party workers and senior leaders who supported my campaign. Rohini people reposed faith in the work I have done in the constituency," he said. OP Sharma retained the Vishwas Nagar seat for the third time in a row. However, Jagdish Pradhan, sitting MLA from Mustafabad, lost to his AAP rival. The victory margin of BJP candidate in Laxmi Nagar -- Abhay Verma -- a Purvanchali and vice president of Delhi unit was the smallest among all winners in the party. Verma defeated sitting AAP MLA Nitin Tyagi by a thin margin of 880 votes. Ajay Mahawar, district president of North East Delhi, won by a margin of 28,370 votes, the highest for BJP candidates, in Ghonda constituency. He defeated sitting AAP MLA Sridutt Sharma. Anil Bajpayi, who quit the AAP to join the BJP during Lok Sabha polls last year, retained Gandhi Nagar seat. He was disqualified as a member of the Assembly under anti-defection law. Bajpayi defeated his AAP rival Navin Chaudhary and former Delhi Congress president Arvinder Singh Lovely. He won by 16,457 votes. Badarpur candidate Ramvir Singh Bidhuri defeated AAP's Ram Singh Netaji in a cliff hanger by a thin margin of 3,719 votes. Other BJP winners included Mohan Singh Bisht from Karawal Nagar. He defeated senior AAP leader Durgesh Pathak by 8,223 votes. Jitender Mahajan defeated sitting AAP MLA on Rohtas Nagar seat Sarita Singh by 13,241 votes. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An Algerian military court on Monday upheld a 15-year prison term for the brother of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and two ex-intelligence chiefs convicted of conspiracy against the state, a lawyer said. The once mighty Said Bouteflika, 62, was long seen as the real power behind the presidency after his brother suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013. He had served as a key presidential aide but was detained in May last year, a month after Bouteflika quit office weeks into mass protests against his bid for a fifth presidential term. In September Said Bouteflika, along with several other senior regime officials, was sentenced by a military tribunal to 15 years in jail for "conspiring" against the state and undermining the army's authority. Their convictions were the most high-profile in a string of prosecutions of prominent politicians and businessmen after Bouteflika was pushed out in April after two decades in power. A court in Blida, south of Algiers, began hearing an appeal against the sentences on Sunday behind closed doors and amid heavy security. Algeria's state prosecutor sought an increased penalty of 20 years in jail, lawyers said, but the court confirmed the original sentences. Police cars block access to a road near a courthouse in the Algerian city of Blida where the appeal hearing was held. By RYAD KRAMDI (AFP) "Said Bouteflika, General (Athmane) Tartag and General (Mohamed Lamine) Mediene received 15 years in prison. The initial verdict was confirmed," lawyer Boudjemaa Guechir told AFP. Mediene, known as "Toufik", headed the powerful Department of Intelligence and Security for 25 years and was sentenced in September alongside the former president's brother. Also in court were Mediene's former right-hand man, Tartag, and Louisa Hanoune, who had served as secretary general of the left-wing Workers' Party. Guechir, who represented Hanoune, said her initial sentence of 15 years was reduced to three years in prison. The four defendants were accused of having met in March 2019 in a bid to derail plans by the army high command to force the departure of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Said Bouteflika allegedly wanted the intelligence bosses to dismiss the army chief of staff at the time, General Ahmed Gaid Salah. Defence lawyers had hoped the four would be released after Algeria's balance of power shifted following the December 23 death of Gaid Salah at the age of 79. "The person who, in our opinion, was at the origin of these proceedings has passed away," Mediene's lawyer Farouk Kessentini said ahead of Monday's decision. An Algerian anti-government protest movement that began almost a year ago and brought down Bouteflika has continued, demanding the dismantling of the political system and its representatives who have been in power for several decades. Phoenix, AZ, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A young father from Wyoming is back home with his family after complications from the flu caused him to have a lifesaving double lung transplant at Dignity Health St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Centers Norton Thoracic Institute in Phoenix, AZ. Michael Bise, 30, not only received the gift of life at St. Josephs he and his wife also welcomed a baby girl into the world at the same hospital just weeks after Bises transplant. A dedicated team of doctors and nurses from several different specialties coordinated a plan that allowed Bise, who was in the early stages of recovery, to be in the delivery room for his daughters birth. It meant everything to me to be in the delivery room and support both my wife and daughter, said Bise. It was quite an experience. Shortly after ringing in the New Year, Bise was diagnosed with Influenza A which caused him to develop acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Bises health deteriorated and he was flown to Phoenixs St. Josephs Norton Thoracic Institute, one of the nations largest and busiest lung transplant centers. Bise was in dire need of a new set of lungs to save his life. When you hear of people dying from the flu, its typically from a severe case of acute respiratory distress syndrome, said Rajat Walia, MD, medical director of lung transplantation at St. Josephs Norton Thoracic Institute. The condition causes a persons lungs to fill with fluid, making it difficult and at times impossible to breathe, and this can deteriorate to irreversible scarring or fibrosis which is what happened in Michaels case. The exact number of flu patients diagnosed with ARDS is unknown. However, fewer than 40 percent of hospitalized patients with confirmed influenza develop acute-pneumonia which can progress to ARDS in some cases. ARDS is a deadly diagnosis for about half of the patients who develop the condition, according to Dr. Walia. Before arriving for care in Phoenix, Bise was treated at several hospitals in Wyoming and Colorado, however, his condition continued to digress. The man, who was once described as being as strong as an ox, was put on a type of life support machine to help him breathe. The extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine (ECMO) essentially uses an artificial lung to help circulate a patients blood. Bises pregnant wife, Marisha, was told that her husband would need a lung transplant if he was going to return home to his family. This was a heartbreaking message she had to relay to her two older children and their loved ones in their small town of Wheatland, WY. We went to my parents house and everyone came over, said Marisha. I think they already knew the severity, but we had to tell them that Mike wouldnt recover with his own lungs. The only way he would survive is from a double lung transplant. Bise was too ill to undergo a lung transplant in Colorado after developing a rare infection, so he was referred to Norton Thoracic Institute located at Dignity Health St. Josephs Hospital and Medical Center. Norton Thoracic Institute has a national reputation of excellence and innovation when it comes to caring for patients with complex and severe thoracic conditions. When we heard of Michaels case, we knew the risks were high but a lung transplant was his only option of returning to his family, said Dr. Walia. There was no question in our mind that this was the right thing to do. In April, the Norton team was able to quickly coordinate an emergency medical air transport to take Bise from Colorado to its center in Phoenix, Ariz. Once he arrived, a skilled team of thoracic specialists monitored Bises condition as he waited for a lung transplant. Less than two weeks after arriving in Phoenix, Bise received the news he and his family had been waiting for. I was in the store and Michael Facetimed me and he had a big grin on his face, said Marisha, who had temporarily relocated to Phoenix to support and advocate for her husband. He said he got listed and I thought, thats not possible! Bise was quickly rushed to the operating room where thoracic surgeons Michael Smith, MD, and Chirag Patel, MD, performed a successful and complex double lung transplant. The operation required two experienced transplant surgeons because Michael was critically ill. We knew going into the operating room that this was going to be a complex transplant due to the amount of scar tissue surrounding Michaels lungs, said Dr. Smith. With years of expertise on our side, our skilled team was able to carefully remove the damaged lungs and implant new ones, allowing Michael to once again breathe on his own just three days later. Post-transplant, Bise started down the road to recovery as his wife started preparing for the arrival of their third child. The transplant coordinators worked alongside Dr. Claudia Chambers obstetrics team at St. Josephs to help transfer Marishas prenatal care from Wyoming to Phoenix as her husband was still in the hospital recovering from surgery. Less than a month after his transplant, Bise was in the hospitals inpatient rehabilitation unit undergoing physical therapy when he received the call that Marisha was going into labor. In just over an hour, a team of doctors, nurses and coordinators from multiple departments across St. Josephs worked together to ensure Bise was in the delivery room to welcome his daughter into the world. Harper Bise, a healthy baby girl, arrived in May. In August, the Bises returned home to Wyoming and are creating new memories as a family of five. Bise continues to regain muscle mass after spending several months in the hospital. One of his favorite things to hold in his arms his wife and children. Its nice to know we have some promise in the future after being told so many times that he wasnt going to be here, said Marisha. We wouldnt have gotten through this experience without the support of our family and friends. As for Michael hes looking forward to taking care of his family. Im living life to the fullest and not taking it for granted, said Bise. ### Attachment F ive teenagers have been charged with murdering 18-year-old Clinton Evbota in south London. Two 17-year-old boys, a 15-year-old and an 18-year-old will appear in court on Wednesday over the fatal stabbing in Camberwell. Police were called at 8:21pm on October 10 to a stabbing on the Brandon Estate. Officers attended and found Clinton suffering stab injuries. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 9:14pm. A post-mortem examination gave Clintons cause of death as multiple stab wounds. Enquiries led by Met Police Specialist Crime Command detectives continue. A 16-year-old boy from Camberwell was charged with murder in December and appeared at Bromley Youth Court. Details of further appearances await. ROME (Reuters) - Italy's future is threatened by its diminishing birthrate, President Sergio Mattarella said on Tuesday, as new data showed the population had shrunk once again in 2019. Italy's growing demographic crisis, with births falling and life expectancy rising, is one reason for its chronically stagnant economy, and the situation is getting worse. National statistics agency ISTAT said there were 435,000 births last year, down 5,000 on 2018 and the lowest level ever recorded in Italy. Deaths totaled 647,000 in 2019, some 14,000 more than the year earlier. "This is a problem that concerns the very existence of our country," Mattarella said shortly after the data was released. "The fabric of our country is weakening and everything must be done to counter this phenomenon." "As an old person I am well aware of the falling birth rate," added Mattarella, who is 78. Italy's overall population fell by 116,000 to 60.3 million, with a steady rise in migrant and immigrant births helping to offset the declining domestic birth rate. Many other European countries are suffering similar challenges, especially in ex-communist eastern Europe, while Germany has also seen a decline in domestic births partly offset by increased migrant and immigrant births. Birth rates have held up better in France and Britain. Italy's population had risen virtually every year since World War One, hitting a peak in 2015 at 60.8 million, but has since started to decline. ISTAT said the gap between births and deaths was getting wider, with just 67 newborns last year for every 100 people who died. Ten years ago there were 96 births for every 100 deaths. Life expectancy in Italy has continued to push up, hitting 85.3 years for women and 81 years for men -- one of the highest rates in Europe -- while the average age in Italy is now 45.7. Successive Italian governments have promised to do more to boost births, but have so far failed to resolve the problem. Story continues The current administration has offered lower income couples grants of up to 160 euros ($175) per month to help cover costs during the first year of a baby's life and also promised young families up to 3,000 euros a year to cover nursery charges. ($1 = 0.9159 euros) (Reporting by Crispian Balmer; Editing by Gareth Jones) BOSTON A man who threatened bank tellers with a bomb before robbing banks in Worcester and Revere pleaded guilty to the crimes on Monday. Samuel Jose Baptista, 27, pleaded guilty to two counts of bank robbery in federal court. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman scheduled his sentencing for June 11, said Christina DiLorio-Sterling, spokeswoman for U.S. Attorney Andrew Lelling. Baptista admitted to robbing the TD Bank in Worcester on Oct. 20, 2019. He demanded $10,000 from the bank teller and threatened to detonate a bomb if he was not handed the money, she said. Six days later he robbed the East Boston Savings Bank in Revere, demanding $20,000 and again threatening tellers with a bomb, she said. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, she said. The crimes were investigated by the FBI and Worcester and Revere police, DiLorio-Sterling said. Newly-elected Green Party TD Malcolm Noonan will be meeting his party colleagues this evening to discuss their options and the possibilities around potentially being part of a new Government. A number of issues are on the table as the various new Dail groupings attempt to find their footing, with all seats now filled. "We are willing to talk to everybody, but we are only talking to people on our terms," he said, following his stunning election victory to the fifth seat in Carlow-Kilkenny. "We will meet as a Parliamentary Party in Leinster House. We will sit down and look at the options and our red lines in terms of discussions. "It's no secret that there have been discussions with the Soc Dems and Labour about some form of an alliance or going in as a bloc to any potential negotiations. But I think we could be looking at a protracted period where the parties trade off with each other - Fianna Fail have now left the door ajar for Sinn Fein, which I don't think they should have stated at the outset of the election they wouldn't go into government because you can't ignore them. They are now the largest party in the country. "I think it's going to be an interesting few weeks. We need stability - Brexit is by no means resolved, there are lots of issues and lots on the statute book that still needs to be legislated for. So we do need to form a government as soon as we can, but it needs to be a stable government that is going to last the full five years." Noonan was joined at the count center by family, friends and supporters. As it gradually became clear that sitting Fianna Fail TD Bobby Aylward would struggle to bridge the gap in transfers, the mood switched from apprehension, to 'dare to believe', and then - finally - elation. "Thrilled. We didn't expect it. We left here yesterday evening thinking there was too much of a gap to make up with Bobby," he told the Kilkenny People. "But the transfers from Adrienne Wallace were just quite stunning, and that kept us in the race. That's the beauty of the PR system in Ireland. While there are winners and losers, and it's cruel - my heart goes out to Bobby because he's a good friend of mine - we are delighted to have made this breakthrough in Carlow-Kilkenny." In 2011, the party's TD Mary White crashed out with 2,072 first preferences, a figure which was bettered by about 500 votes by Noonan in 2016. He polled 3,549 also in the 2015 by-election here. On this occasion, his first preferences reached 4,942. What was the difference between this election, and previous ones? "I think a lot of things," he says. "Perhaps it wasn't the climate election; perhaps it was a social agenda, and I think that's important too - that we take cognisance of that. But there's no doubt we were trying to bring across in our message the issue of climate biodiversity that had to be addressed. I bring across my track record in terms of a local public representative for the last 15 and a half years. I think it was important too we just went on the doorsteps and listened to people, listened to their stories. I think that's what was important. "Our national standing looking at the exit polls, from Friday 7% gave us a good chance. From the previous time to that, I think we went into 2016 on 2%. So, that was obvious we were going to make gains - it was just a matter of where. But then that massive Sinn Fein surge - wow - who could have seen that? It was incredible. Kathleen got a whopping vote, and congratulations to her." Hospital assessor rates Pardee among top 250 in U.S. Pardee UNC Health Care has achieved the Healthgrades 2020 Americas 250 Best Hospitals Award, placing the hospital in the top 5 percent of nearly 4,500 hospitals assessed nationwide for its superior clinical performance as measured by Healthgrades, a resource that connects consumers, physicians and health systems. We are honored to be named one of the best 250 hospitals in the country by Healthgrades, said Jay Kirby, president and CEO of Pardee UNC Health Care. At Pardee, we strive to provide high-quality, compassionate care to each person and family we serve. I am grateful for the dedication of our physicians, staff, board of directors and leadership for their hard work in achieving this recognition. From 2016 through 2018, patients treated in hospitals receiving the Healthgrades Americas 250 Best Hospitals Award had, on average, a 26.6 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award, as measured across 19 rated conditions and procedures for which mortality is the outcome. And during that same period, if all hospitals performed similarly to those achieving the award, 161,930 lives could potentially have been saved. For example, patients treated for Respiratory Failure in hospitals achieving the Healthgrades America's 250 Best Hospitals Award have, on average, a 24.5 percent lower risk of dying than if they were treated in hospitals that did not receive the award. Pardee was previously recognized by Healthgrades as a 2019 Americas 250 Best Hospitals and with the 2018 Distinguished Hospital Award for Clinical Excellence. Recipients of the Healthgrades Americas 250 Best Hospitals Award are recognized for overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of care. During the 2020 study period (2016 through 2018), these hospitals showed superior performance in clinical outcomes for patients in the Medicare population across at least 21 of 32 most common inpatient conditions and procedures as measured by objective performance data (risk-adjusted mortality and in-hospital complications). At 9:49 a.m. Jan. 4, a man began following a 33-year-old woman until he forced her to the 200 block of West 87th Street, where he assaulted her, police said. Carlos Hernandez pictured at Burning Bones Press, a printmaking studio he runs with Christopher Masterson. Photo: Myke Toman Photo: Myke Toman Carlos Hernandezs art shows up all over town. If youve ordered takeout from Pinks Pizza over the past few years, the top of the box bears his work, a kneeling wrestler or a hand with the index finger and pinky raised, both with big, black, folk art-style text that reads: Go to sleep, wake up, make a costume change, then watch cartoons all day. He also designed the crown-clad Dia de los Muertos skull label for the Santo black Kolsch sold by St. Arnolds Brewing Co. So even if Hernandez isnt a known name around Houston, his work has nevertheless found its way inside many homes. And as an artist and owner of the Burning Bones Press, hes traveled all around the country for gallery showings, printing press seminars and artist-in-residence doings, like a recent stay in Nashville with the storied Hatch Show Print. And on his travels, Hernandez found other major cities would have occasional events celebrating printing presses and the work they do. Especially up north, they have these print crawls, he says. You expect something like this in Portland (Oregon). But we dont have one here. This thing where you visit all these printmaking studios. Its like a beer crawl. You get a stamp when you visit each place. And at the end you gather at the local watering hole. For this Houston Print Crawl, the watering hole will be House of Blues downtown. But first, art enthusiasts can visit one of 10 printing studios. There they can see how different sorts of printmaking work, buy art and other printed merchandise and enjoy savoring a creative process with others who like the same thing. Houston Print Crawl When: noon-5 p.m. Feb. 15 Details: Free, burningbonespress.com Admittedly, the process will require a bit of time in the car. Hernandez talks about the work done by Lady Lazarus, located at U.S. 290 and Beltway 8, far from Burning Bones, which Hernandez runs with his business partner Patrick Masterson on Yale Street in the Heights. But its worth the trip, he says. They do super high-end printmaking for movies and things like that. But the idea is that you can see all these different places and how they do their work. Hernandez mentions that Burning Bones is a co-op, so there are numerous artists who work in the space, whose work will be on display. The studio has been open for nine years, started by Hernandez and his business partner Masterson, a master printer. A Lubbock native, Hernandez has been based in Houston for nearly 30 years, a period that found him drumming with the Flaming Hellcats and also making art, including concert posters for area shows. In 2001, he started fusing his love of rock n roll with his affinity for Day of the Dead art in creating tributes to musicians who had died: Day of the Dead Rock Stars. Burning Bones Press quickly evolved from a two-man operation into a large cooperative. It provides space and resources for artists who can pay a monthly fee to become members. Nearly two dozen members are currently working at Burning Bones. And Burning Bones is just one of 10 locations on the print crawl. Hernandez feels like visitors will appreciate the 10 studios for the differences in what they produce. Each will offer a particular behind-the-scenes look at how they operate, some will allow visitors to participate in demonstrations. Many will be selling prints made on-site. A lot of studios have popped up just since we started, and now there are a lot of them, Hernandez says. I think part of it is the maker society now. People are excited about making things. It wasnt always like that. And printmaking is part of that scene. And theres an education process to this. People seem interested in how a these studios work. So we have a map, you can pick one up at one of the studios and start your journey. The 10-stop tour will take crawlers to both small presses and larger institutionalized spaces. The Printing Museum on Clay Street is among those participating, as are studios at the Glassell and the University of Houston. Its a good representation of a growing thing in Houston, Hernandez says. With some big players and some smaller studios. This is an exciting time for printmaking in the studio. Its good for Houston, and its good for the arts. Houston Print Crawl stops: Andis Applewhite Studio, 915 Merrill Burning Bones Press, 1518 Yale Eileen McLellan Studio, 1243 Arlington The Glassell Print Studio, 5101 Montrose Moran/Valverde Studio, 303 E. 11th Lady Lazarus, 5829 W. Sam Houston Parkway, Suite 103 Magdalene Boltz-Wilson, 405 Martin The Printing Museum, 1324 W. Clay University of Houston, 4188 Elgin, No. 424 University of Houston Clear Lake Printmaking Studio, 2700 Bay Area Blvd. Houston Print Crawl When: noon-5 p.m. Feb. 15 Details: Free, burningbonespress.com andrew.dansby@chron.com A deportation flight carrying 17 foreign national offenders back to Jamaica has taken off despite a last-minute order from the Court of Appeal. On Monday night a Court of Appeal judge ordered the Home Office not to remove anyone scheduled to be deported on the flight from two detention centres near Heathrow Airport, after lawyers launched urgent proceedings amid concerns mobile phone outages had prevented access to legal advice. Lady Justice Simler said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they "had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3". The judge granted the order without a court hearing following an urgent application on paper by charity Detention Action. The charity argued that some of the detainees at Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth detention centres still do not have a functioning mobile phone, following issues with an O2 phone mast in the area. However, the Home Office maintained that that order did not apply to all of the detainees and the flight has gone ahead with some of them still on board. Some 17 people have been deported on a flight to Jamaica but Downing Street said 25 were prevented from being deported as a result of the Court of Appeal ruling. Around 56 people were originally thought to have been due to be deported. A Home Office spokesman said: We make no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders. The court ruling does not apply to all of the foreign national offenders due to be deported and we are therefore proceeding with the flight. Bella Sankey of "Detention Action" said the campaign group believed that some of the people who were due for deportation were not on the flight because they were covered by a Court of Appeal order. She said: "We understand that some, possibly all, of these individuals may have been ultimately removed from the flight but we are currently trying to clarify this." Earlier, Ms Sankey said removing those detainees would have meant the Home Office was breaking the law. She tweeted: "We are speaking to individuals clearly covered by the Court of Appeal order prohibiting their deportation who have been removed to the airport and told they are being deported. @ukhomeoffice are you really going to try and break the law tonight?" Speaking about the flight, Ms Sankey said she believes the deportation was an early show of strength from the Government on its agenda on these issues. She said: I think what has been incredibly positive is the mounting public and political concern and I think this is probably the most controversial charter flight we have seen. I think there is increasing awareness about the real injustices happening to people that have been in this country all of their lives and who are being ripped apart from their families. I think this is the beginning of a real shift in terms of how much the Government is held to account for its policies in this area. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Alexandra Valencia (Reuters) Llanganates, Ecuador Tue, February 11, 2020 10:09 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b9326 2 Environment ilama,ecuador,children Free At dawn on a cold morning characteristic of Ecuadors highlands, about 20 children got ready to show off their skills in a llama race on Saturday. Dayana Toapanta, at just 10 years old, is one of the most experienced riders and decided to return this year after recovering from a hard fall. It gives me a lot of excitement and my heart says that I can win or not, said Toapanta while adorning a llama with green ribbons in the community of Sacha, located in the Cotopaxi province south of Quito. The race known as Llamingada takes place every year in Llanganates National Park, one of the most important wetlands on the planet that covers nearly 850 square miles (2,200 square km). The goal of the event is to raise awareness among indigenous communities about the importance of the parks care. The first rays of sunlight illuminate the mountains as riders between 4 and 12 years old dressed in ponchos and traditional fur and leather riding pants, known as zamarros, begin to gather at the Laguna de Anteojos, where the race will begin. Each child arrives with their llama at the lake, which has an elevation of 4,000 meters. The competitors have raised the animals, training them for work in the fields and racing competitions. Read also: Sempur English Camp in Bogor preps children for brighter future Jaimito makes me happy, but Pichirilo (her other llama) gives me problems because he is badly behaved, said Toapanta, who finds time to care for her four llamas between her studies. She dreams of becoming a lawyer. Jaimito is my friend, she said before winning the race. Home to about 300 lagoons and cloud forests, the park was recognized by UNESCO in 2008 because of its importance as a habitat for waterfowl. Ecuadors environmental authorities promote llama breeding and reproduction in the region, noting the animal does not damage the ecosystem of wetlands and paramos like other livestock. Llamas are also highly valued by the areas indigenous groups as they are a key mode of transport for those moving goods from the mountains to main roads. The llama has a lower environmental impact because its leg has a pad shape and so it does not affect the compaction of the land, Diego Bastidas, regional director of the Environment Ministry told Reuters. Topics : ilama ecuador children A plan to infect invasive fish species with herpes has sparked complaints about its 'secrecy'. The Federal Government is keeping the results secret of its final recommendations into the $15million National Carp Control Plan. The plan will involve introducing the herpes virus into waterways to kill off the introduced species. The proposal became dinner table conversation back in 2016 when deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce famously ranted about 'carpageddon' during Question Time. The federal government is keeping the results secret of its final recommendations into the $15million National Carp Control Plan (stock image) The Department of Agriculture has recently received final recommendations around a National Carp Control Plan, reports ABC news. However it's undergoing a final review before the details can be sent on to state and territory governments. The government's refusal to release the details for the plan is causing frustration among environmentalists and fishing groups. South Australian ecologist Faith Coleman has been following the proposal since it was first brought up. Groups around The Coorong area of the Murray River in South Australia (pictured) are concerned about a lack of government transparency She's read all 13 background reports and still doesn't believe there is enough of a backing from the science. Ms Coleman told ABC news she's particularly concerned details around where the money is being spent is being kept under wraps. 'To me it's incredibly important that we're open about where our government money is spent and what the final recommendations are,' she said An commercial fishing group in the Lower Lakes and Coorong area shares a similar view on the government's plan. The federal government is fine-tuning a $15 million dollar plan to control carp number (stock image) The Southern Fisherman's Association Chair Garry Hera-Singh said the public has a right to know what's going on. 'I'm bewildered, I'm gobsmacked. I can't understand why this information currently is not out and not available to the public,' he said. The Department of Agriculture said the next step will involve bringing in a number of committees before any decisions are made. 'Governments will need to consider a range of policy matters; undertake relevant legislative approval processes, implementation planning, communication and stakeholder engagement,' the statement said. The plan is being developed because of the environmental impact of carp's overpopulation on waterways like the Murray Darling Basin. Carp are breeding in plague proportions in the The Murray River (pictured) which is causing a decline in native fish populations (stock image) Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce went red in the face during parliament in 2016 shouting about the need to introduce the virus to control the species. His infamous rant involved him repeatedly yelling about carp and herpes while the surrounding ministers struggled to contain their smirks and laughter. 'We are afflicted with this disgusting mud-sucking creatures, bottom dwelling mud-sucking creatures, for which the only version of control is a version of herpes to try and get rid of these disgusting mud-sucking creatures,' Mr Joyce said. 'No we don't want to deal with carp,' he continued. 'We gotta get rid of the carp. But we don't want to have to deal with carp.' LIMASSOL, Cyprus, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BDSwiss was honoured to be awarded "Best Forex & CFDs Trading Provider for 2020" by the International Investor Magazine Awards, announced during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos-Klosters , Switzerland on January 21st. Having received consistent recognition throughout 2019, BDSwiss kick-starts the new decade with yet another prestigious award added to its arsenal. International Investor Awards provide news and insights on topics ranging from world markets, investing opportunities to industry analysis, has established as an awarding body dedicated to recognising excellence in all industries and at all levels, across the globe. Among their audience are institutional investors, private banks, CEOs and COOs of global corporations. The award comes as yet another testament to the broker's unwavering commitment to developing and providing excellence in operations, transparency, optimal execution and fair-trading conditions. BDSwiss most recent awards also include "Best Trading Conditions 2019", by acclaimed finance magazine and awarding body, World Finance and "Best Forex Trade Execution 2019" award by Global Forex Awards. Never complacent, BDSwiss remains committed to its vision, to offer high-quality services to retail forex traders and partners. About BDSwiss Group : BDSwiss Group is a leading financial group, offering Forex and CFD investment services to more than a million clients worldwide. BDSwiss as a brand was established back in 2012 and has since then been providing top-class products, a wide range of platforms, competitive pricing and fast execution on more than 250 underlying CFD instruments. BDSwiss complies with a strict regulatory framework and operates its services on a global scale under different entities. With 200+ personnel, BDSwiss Group's holding company is located in Zug, Switzerland and maintains its operating offices in Berlin, Germany and Limassol, Cyprus. Watch BDSwiss Group Corporate Video& find out more: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8EZw2QAFyE Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1087210/BDSwiss_Group_Logo.jpg Contact: marketing@bdswiss.com Related Links https://www.bdswiss.group/ SOURCE BDSwiss Group The Victorian government wants superannuation payments for all Australian workers to rise to at least 15 per cent, as part of a new deal to bolster the retirement savings of women, couples, carers and gig-economy workers. Women could receive higher super payments than their male colleagues and get their super entitlements when on maternity leave, under a blueprint for sweeping reform from the Daniel Andrews' Labor government. The state's submission to the Commonwealth inquiry into retirement incomes calls for no delay to a planned 12 per cent super increase, with a fast track to 15 per cent. The Andrews government wants to fast-track 15 per cent superannuation. Credit:Jessica Shapiro Victorian Treasurer Tim Pallas says he also wants to see an end to what he calls the "discrimination" against mothers, carers and workers in the rapidly growing gig economy under the present super system. Yun Hyong-keun's "Burnt Umber & Ultramarine" (1991) / Courtesy of PKM Gallery By Kwon Mee-yoo Works of the late artist Yun Hyong-keun (1928-2007), one of the "dansaekhwa" Korean monochrome painting artists known for his use of colors representing heaven and earth, are drawing attention in New York. The David Zwirner gallery is hosting a solo show of Yun's work at its Chelsea location in New York, centering on the artist's later work, created between the late 1980s and '90s. This is the second time for David Zwirner, one of the most prestigious galleries in the world, to present Yun's work in New York. Yun created abstract compositions reflecting Korea's modern history including Japanese colonial rule, the Korean War (1950-53) and the post-war dictatorships. The artist worked strictly with two colors ultramarine and burnt umber, each representing heaven and earth, respectively in simple yet profound strokes on linen or hemp canvases. Yun Hyong-keun in front of his work at his Seogyo-dong studio in Seoul in October 1989 / Courtesy of PKM Gallery "I want to make paintings that, like nature, one never tires of looking at. That is all that I want in my art," Yun wrote in 1976. The gallery explained that Yun's pieces "engage with yet transcend Eastern and Western art movements and visual traditions." According to David Zwirner, Yun's work exhibits the sophistication and restraint of traditional Korean scholarly painting, while also reflecting the artist's unique sensitivity to color and materials. The exhibit chronicles subtle changes in Yun's work over time. The abstract forms in Yun's paintings become larger and darker in the early '90s and the edges become more defined by the mid-90s. The exhibit was featured in a New York Times' article, which described Yun's work as "enthralling." Will Heinrich wrote, "The dansaekhwa group were artists who found a bridge between Western-style modern art and Korean aesthetic traditions, not necessarily with strict monochrome, but in an overall focus on material surfaces and minimal elegance." Yun Hyong-keun's "Burnt Umber & Ultramarine" (1989) / Courtesy of PKM Gallery For Yun's distinct use of two colors, Heinrich compared it to a spiritual experience. "I think what fascinates me is the way that every black rectangle, whether tall and narrow or one of several, echoes the shape of the canvas it's painted on. It makes them into paintings within paintings, or like shadows peeled up off the ground and reattached to the objects that cast them," he wrote. A major retrospective on Yun was held at the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Korea in 2018 and traveled to the Palazzo Fortuny in Venice, Italy as a collateral event to the 58th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, receiving positive reviews. The New York show runs through March 7. The artist's Korean representative PKM Gallery will also hold a solo exhibition of Yun's work in April. The website will feature a database of all oil and gas projects in the country Egypt has signed an initial deal with the worlds largest oilfield services company, Schlumberger, to set up the country's first oil and gas exploration website, the petroleum ministry said on Tuesday. The website will offer and promote investment opportunities for oil and gas search and exploration, in a way that "helps global oil firms take decisions regarding putting new investments into Egypt," the ministry said in a statement sent to Ahram Online. The new website will feature a database for information on all stages of drilling, exploration and production of oil and gas projects, with the aim of enhancing project follow-up and achieve effective decision-making, the ministry said. The deal is part of the digital transformation of Egypt's oil and gas sector, the ministry said. The Egyptian government is pushing towards digitisation of government services and payments more broadly, as part of a move towards modernisation. The signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Schlumberger took place during the first day of the of the Egypt Petroleum Show (EGYPS 2020), which is being held under the theme of "North Africa And the Mediterranean: Delivering The Needs of Tomorrow." Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi opened the exhibition, which will see the participation of more than 270 local and international industrial experts, along with 1,600 participants. About 14 countries are participating in the event alongside 15 international petroleum companies and more than 450 exhibitors. In a separate statement, the ministry said an initial deal had been signed with British Petroleum and Schlumberger to work together on the digital transformation of the search and exploration market in the east Mediterranean region. Search Keywords: Short link: Comments to Sharechat go through an approval process. Comments which are defamatory, abusive or in some way deemed inappropriate will not be approved. It is allowable to use some form of non-de-plume for your name, however we recommend real email addresses are used. Comments from free email addresses such as Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail, etc may not be approved. Posted on: February 11, 2020 2:33 PM [ACNS, by Staff Writer] The Anglican Church of Canada launched a podcast last week (3 February) entitled Sacred Teachings: Wisdom of the Land. The podcast is an eight-part series featuring indigenous speakers, who will share their insights, wisdom, traditions and stories about the sacredness of creation. In a trailer for the podcast shared on Facebook, Ginny Doctor of the Mohawk Turtle Clan said that the series would explore the meaning and importance of the natural world to the First Peoples of the land. She said: it is our responsibility to live in harmony and balance with all of creation. In this time, when young people across the globe are calling out for justice and for all of us to stop destroying our natural world. We offer to use some wisdom and reflections to inform and inspire the way forward. The first episode features Archbishop Mark MacDonald, the National Indigenous Anglican Archbishop. He talks about St Francis of Assisi and reflects on the idea of being in communion with creation. Since 2007, Archbishop Mark has served as pastoral leader to indigenous peoples in the Anglican Church of Canada. The podcast initiative is a joint project between Indigenous Ministries and Anglican Video. Indigenous Ministries supports the indigenous peoples of Canada First Nations, Inuit, and Metis spiritually, socially, economically and politically. Their page on the Anglican Church of Canadas website says that as active participants in the life of the church, we strive for reconciliation with the Anglican Communion and work towards Indigenous self-determination. Anglican Videois part of the internal communications system of the Anglican Church of Canada. It produces video resources for parish and individual use, as well as producing documentaries on spiritual topics. The podcast can be found on Vimeo, Spotify and Podbean. Vietnam has decided to trial the use of antiretroviral drugs to treat people infected with the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Chu Ngoc Anh, the Minister of Science and Technology, said Monday that the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases, in collaboration with the HCMC Hospital of Tropical Diseases, the HCMC Pasteur Institute, the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology and other entities, would try to treat 10 infected people with a fixed dose combination of antiretroviral drugs called Lopinavir/Ritonavir, for four weeks. This medication, used in the treatment and prevention of HIV/AIDS, has already been used by Thailand in combination with a flu medication named Oseltamivir to treat its nCoV patients. Doctors and other experts would then report on the treatments effectiveness and safety, among other criteria, and propose a treatment plan involving the antiretroviral drugs within 12 months, Anh said. Vietnam is also working on creating test kits utilizing molecular biology techniques to test for the virus, creating a fast-detecting system to filter out different nCoV strains, and studying the viruss characteristics. The country has already developed a test kit for the nCoV which could provide results in just 70 minutes as opposed to the previous four hours. It has also successfully cultured and isolated the nCoV in the lab, allowing quicker test results and paving the way for development of a new vaccine, it announced last week. As of Tuesday, Vietnam had confirmed 15 infected cases, the latest being a three-month-old girl in the northern Vinh Phuc Province, a grandchild of one of the previously infected patients. Six infected patients have been discharged from hospitals so far. The global death toll has reached 1,018, with 1,016 dying in mainland China, and one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong. China on Tuesday defended Pakistan and Nepal governments' decision to not to evacuate their citizens from the coronavirus-hit Wuhan city despite their desperate pleas, saying it has taken "effective measures" to respond to the concerns of the stranded foreign nationals. Hundreds of Pakistani and Nepali students are still held up in Wuhan and some of them have said that they feel abandoned by their governments which were sacrificing them in order to keep their relationships with China strong. While India, the US, Sri Lanka, Japan, Bangladesh and many other countries have evacuated their nationals from Wuhan over concerns of them contracting the virus, Pakistan declined pleas by its stranded citizens in the city to airlift them. Pakistan's Ambassador to China Naghmana Hashmi earlier said that Pakistani students should not be evacuated from Wuhan as the medical facilities back home do not meet the standards required to treat a patient diagnosed with the coronavirus. A number of Pakistani students stranded in Wuhan have been tweeting regularly appealing to the government to evacuate them, citing India and other countries' moves to airlift their nationals. India has airlifted 647 Indians and seven Maldivians from the worst-hit Hubei province through special Air India flights on February 1 and 2. Indian officials say there are still 80 to 100 Indian nationals held up in the virus hit province. Asked about China's reaction to the plight of Pakistani and Nepali students, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said that China attaches great importance to the health and safety of all foreign nationals in Wuhan, Hubei province. We have taken effective measures to timely respond to their concerns and requests. Chief of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also stressed many times that flying out in a rush is not recommended, the best way being stay put and enhancing self-protection," Geng said. The entire Hubei province has been under lockdown since January 23 as a measure to contain the spread of the deadly virus. The death toll on Monday shot up to 1,016 with 108 new fatalities, reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of infection have soared to over 42,600, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday. Geng said China will make relevant arrangements and offer necessary assistance for those countries who want to evacuate their nationals. WHO also stressed many times that it does not recommend imposing travel and trade restrictions on China. As some countries have taken such excessive steps as suspending flights, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) has also issued bulletins and encouraged all countries to follow WHO recommendations. We hope the professional recommendations of WHO and ICAO will be respected," Geng said. He also praised Pakistan Senate resolution expressing full solidarity and support to China in combating the coronavirus. "China and Pakistan are iron-clad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners with a tradition of mutual assistance," Geng said. China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and other members of the international community to combat the epidemic and contribute to global public health, he said. With a highly responsible attitude, we will also enhance communication and coordination with Pakistan and do our best to ensure the health and safety of Pakistani nationals in China, he said. Pakistan's Ambassador Hashmi told a meeting here on February 7 that there were over 1,000 Pakistani students in Hubei province. Of this, 729 were in provincial capital Wuhan. All are in fine health and nobody has been affected, she had said and asked them to stay firm, to have faith and to be patient. Nepal too has not responded positively to the appeals made by Nepali students urging their government to evacuate them. China on Monday said the the SARS-like coronavirus outbreak coronavirus outbreak infected 27 foreign nationals in China and two of them -- an American woman and a Japanese man -- have died. While China has not given the details of the foreign nationals who contracted the virus, reports said four Pakistanis were being treated for the coronavirus attack. Pakistan had joined other world airlines in suspending flights to China over virus fears, raising eyebrows here considering Islamabad's all-weather ties with Beijing. However, it later resumed the flights. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maya Lu from Tengen, South Germany, is reportedly the worlds youngest tattoo artist having picked up the needle when she was only 2-year-old. The 9-year-old works at the studio Psyland 25 at Tengen and is a proficient artist with advanced level skills, techniques, and designs, suggest reports. Maya started her career inking scribbles onto her parent's feet when she was barely a toddler and initially used a tattoo gun, Mayas nonbinary parent, Lily Lu told the reporters. They said that the child grew up mostly spending time at the family studio creating her abilities and polishing them over the years. Read TikTok Brings Back 'LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Tinder' Challenge, Adds Own Twist Read Jennifer Aniston's Most Adorable Childhood Throwback Pictures From Her Instagram; See Pics The parent said that Maya had mostly been devoid of parental supervision and is a product of inspiration that she channeled in the art space at the studio. They added that the child had developed her own style, however, most of what she learned was taught to her by heavily tattooed Lily Lu. Lily further explained to the reporters that Maya had acquired her parents tricks and techniques to create her own original designs, and perhaps picked a few skills from the friends at the tattoo studio. They said that Maya progressed over the years as she started to paint motifs and later advanced to stenciling the tattoo motifs. Lily wants the child to explore career choices It was a few years later that the kid had started learning different techniques and using bigger and different needles, Lily told the reporters. Maya needed help in the first few years but was eventually able to make tattoos entirely on her own, suggest reports. According to the reports, Maya's parent wants to keep the kid distant from feeling pressurized by her artistic skills and would not want the child to consider tattooing as her only career choice. Maya's specialty is monkeys, as shes fond of creating various designs of apes using a big needle, confirmed her parent Lily to the media. Read Dwayne Johnson's Tattoos On His Instagram Could Be An Inspiration For Your Next Tattoo Read How To Install Android Emulator On Windows 10 And How To Use It? Jameela Jamil has broken her silence on social media for the first time since coming out as queer at an inappropriate moment. Last week, the Good Place star was at the centre of criticism after it was announced that she had been cast as a judge and MC on an upcoming HBO voguing competition called Legendary. Jamils involvement in the programme sparked some backlash online, with several people sharing their belief that those cast in the show should have connections to the ballroom scene and LGBT+ community, from which voguing originates. Following the criticism she received, Jamil released a statement on Twitter outlining that she identifies as queer. Now, the actor has released a second statement in which she has admitted her timing was bad. Describing the events as a perfect clusterf*** on Instagram, Jamil wrote an extended caption alongside a selfie that had the word f*** written across it. The sequence of events was insane, a misunderstanding was left uncorrected for too long, and misinformation spread too far, too fast she wrote, London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits Show all 25 1 /25 London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits SOCIAL-Pride-13575800.jpg PA London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160390756.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits AFP-1IE266.jpg AFP/Getty Images London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160388766.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits AFP-1IE25J.jpg AFP/Getty Images London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits AFP-1IE262.jpg AFP/Getty Images London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits SOCIAL-Pride-15064325.jpg PA London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits SOCIAL-Pride-11404395.jpg PA London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 2019-07-06T135655Z-518085815-RC1DC9E56ED0-RTRMADP-3-GAY-PRIDE-BRITAIN.JPG REUTERS London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160394874.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits AFP-1IE25F.jpg AFP/Getty Images London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160394805.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160389308.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 2019-07-06T141501Z-1727001309-RC15E254D610-RTRMADP-3-GAY-PRIDE-BRITAIN.JPG REUTERS London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160386919.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160391640.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits AFP-1IE24L.jpg AFP/Getty Images London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits wenn36683721.jpg Wheatley/WENN London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160392129.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits GettyImages-1160388695.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160390632.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1160390647.jpg Getty Images for Pride in London London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits SOCIAL-Pride-12534864.jpg PA London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1154024961.jpg Dave Benett/Getty Images for The London Pride 2019: The Best Rainbow Outfits 1154024912.jpg Dave Benett/Getty Images for The Then my timing was bad, and in a moment of distress and pain, personal things were blurted out because when you have a secret for decades and youre traumatised, it always feels like it might just f***ing burst out of you at any given moment, even the most inappropriate and unfortunate ones. Jamil then joked that her followers should never have to feel embarrassed about their own journey because she has PEAKED FOR ALL OF US! She continued to thank her fans for the thousands of messages of kindness and personal letters she had received from people coming out to her privately. I dont take it lightly and am happy for you that you felt ready to tell even one person, Jamil wrote. Dont feel bad for hiding it for as long as you need, and move at your own pace. But feel no shame about getting it off your chest and know you arent alone. There is a huge community of people who understand you, respect you and stand with you. The post has since been liked more than 190,000 times and received hundreds of comments from people offering their support. Youre so bold and inspirational even in your darkest moments. Thank you so much for being a good role model for another young queer brown girl, one person wrote. Another added: So much love for this and for all youre doing. However, a third person commented that they believed Jamil should still step down from her role in the HBO show, writing: I still think that you should give your position on Legendary to someone who is more involved and connected with the ballroom scene! Im not blaming you for taking the job but when you hear that transgender people have been wronged and disregarded when they have so much experience in the scene, only because they dont have the following that you have, then you gotta do something sister! [sic] Jamil replied to the user, explaining that she is just a small part of the show. I only signed on because they hadnt managed to sell the show for two years even though its SO amazing, she wrote. Megan [Thee Stallion] and I jumped on board to make sure it got made, because it is 90 per cent ballroom talent on and off screen. We are just here to bring our followings to the show, and to support and celebrate these talented and inspiring people. We really are a small part of the show, and when people see it, they will see that. The participation of a huge number of people in festivities and marches on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in the country is the best answer to the White House and tyrants, IRNA reported referring to the Iranian President Hassan Rouhani According to him, there is no such great day as the day of the victory of the Islamic revolution for Iranian and the mass participation of the people this year shows that people attach great importance to their freedom and independence. Rouhanis remarks came on Tuesday the ceremony marking the anniversary of the Islamic revolution in Iran. He called the mass participation of the people in the marches on the anniversary of the Islamic Revolution a response to the US policy of maximum pressure, the assassination of General Soleimani, as well as the deal of the century of the US to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. [February 11, 2020] Remine Announces North Texas Regional Information Systems (NTREIS) Adoption of API and Add/Edit Products Remine, a leading real estate technology company, announced today that North Texas Real Estate Information Systems (NTREIS), a regional Multiple Listing Service (MLS), is implementing Remine's add/edit and RESO Web API solution to better serve its 38,000 members. The partnership comes at a time when real estate professionals are demanding seamless solutions and cohesive end-to-end workflows that revolutionize the home buying experience. "Our product suite includes add/edit, database, API, SSO, compliance, document creation, e-signature, transaction management, and mortgage solutions - a single platform that can be tailored to serve a variety of needs," said Jonathan Spinetto, COO of Remine. "Having NTREIS adopt our add/edit and API products reflects the necessity for innovative end-to-end solutions." Remine's add/edit solution transforms the workflow surrounding listing creation by enabling real estate professionals to spend less time shuffling paper input forms and more time gathered around the kitchen table with their client - focusing on what's important. The sleek add/edit solution is mobile centric, which allows agents to start the listing from the listing appointment and then finish it later. In addition, the listing input API allows vendors and brokers to submit listings via their internal tools. "We live in a day and age where consumers expect to see their real estate professional leveraging technology that is intellgently designed," said John Holley, CEO of NTREIS. "Today's consumers demand ease of use and take comfort in knowing that something won't be scribbled down incorrectly - that a leaf of paper, tied to their future, can't simply be misplaced." Key features that solve add/edit needs include inviting a photographer, uploading unlimited high-resolution images, videos and virtual tours. Remine's AI engine allows for keyword suggestions, and pricing analytics bringing MLS data to life. "We are excited to equip NTREIS with technology that unlocks innovation across their marketplace," said Remine CEO Mark Schacknies. "Our add/edit solution dramatically speeds the time it takes to create a listing, and our API is agile, well-documented and built to provide transparency." The implementation of RESO Web API, another solution within Remine's product suite, makes it simpler for MLSs to manage, distribute and track their data securely, while also providing detailed reporting to brokers so they can monitor and manage their data in a transparent manner. About Remine From search to keys, Remine has revolutionized the home-buying experience by developing a seamless product suite, effectively creating a digital real estate journey. Established in 2017, Remine is a fast-growing technology company that serves over 1,000,000 real estate professionals in both the U.S. and Canada. Today, Remine leads the market in innovation with best-in-class technology that efficiently connects mortgage lenders, real estate agents, and consumers in one streamlined experience. The privately held company is headquartered in Northern Virginia, with offices in Chicago, Seattle, Toronto, and Irvine, California. About NTREIS NTREIS is a real estate information and technology solutions provider for North Texas - serving 40,000 MLS subscribers and 14 Shareholder REALTOR Associations. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005301/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Zonetail (TSXV: ZONE) is pleased to announce it has signed an agreement with one of the world's leading on-demand food pick-up and delivery services. The Zonetail hotel mobile platform provides hotel guests access and interaction with the hotel's amenities and services as well as connecting those guests to neighboring restaurants, stores, services, and attractions, in the immediate vicinity of their hotel. Through the Zonetail hotel app, this partnership will offer hotel guests extensive choice and flexibility for all of their dining needs, with over 100,000 restaurants coast to coast. Hotel guests will have the option of pickup or delivery straight to their hotel room door. Hotel guests are a large segment of the food delivery market and though this partnership Zonetail provides a very unique opportunity to offer those services directly to those hard-to-reach hotel guests. Mark Holmes, Zonetail's CEO, said, "This partnership is exactly the type of service that hotel guests need, offering guests a wide variety of dining options and delivery right to the hotel room." Holmes went on to say, "As Zonetail continues its rollout to over 25,000 hotels across the U.S., we will continue to build strong partnerships with industry leaders like this, to bring considerable value and convenience to our end users." Zonetail also announces the accepted resignation of Reetu Gupta from the board of directors. Mark Holmes, President and CEO of Zonetail, said, "We truly thank Reetu for everything she has done for the Company, and fully understand her decision to step down from the board due to her very busy schedule. We're pleased that Reetu remains a significant shareholder, and as President and CEO of the Easton's Group of Hotels, as well as President and CEO of The Gupta Group, she continues to be a strong supporter and client of the company." Zonetail is currently exploring candidates to fill the board seat. About Zonetail Zonetail Inc. (TSXV: ZONE) is a mobile technology and marketing company providing two world leading mobile platforms for hotels and condominiums. The Zonetail platforms provides hotel guests and condo residents access and interaction with building amenities and services as well as connectivity to neighboring restaurants, stores, services, and other local businesses. Zonetail has signed agreements with over 25,000 hotels and 2,000 condominium buildings in the U.S. and Canada. The Company has offices in Toronto, Ontario and San Dimas, California. For more information, please visit https://www.zonetail.com. For more information, contact: Mark Holmes, President and CEO, Zonetail Inc. Telephone: (416) 583-3773 ext. 228 mark@zonetail.com Legal Disclaimer and Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements that relate to Zonetail's current expectations and views of future events. In some cases, these forward-looking statements can be identified by words or phrases such as "may", "will", "expect", "anticipate", "aim", "estimate", "intend", "plan", "seek", "believe", "potential", "continue", "is/are likely to" or the negative of these terms, or other similar expressions intended to identify forward-looking statements. Certain matters discussed in this announcement contain statements, estimates and projections about the growth of Zonetail's business, potential distribution partnerships and/or clients, and related business strategy. Such statements, estimates and projections may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time-to-time. Zonetail undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The recipient of this information is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by Zonetail in light of its experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments and other factors Zonetail believes are appropriate, and, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Although Zonetail believes that the assumptions underlying these statements are reasonable, they may prove to be incorrect. Given these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, prospective purchasers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52290 Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 06:31:58|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close CHICAGO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- It took a while for Larry Cowley to build his paper lantern craft. It is not the first time for the 10th grader at Wendell Phillips Academy High School on the south side of Chicago to try his hands on Chinese culture. "One of my friends, she knows a little bit of Chinese that I'd be trying to talk a little bit," Cowley told Xinhua. "I know about the Great Wall of China; red is a lucky color... and it's like a billion people." The boy gained his first knowledge of China through a culture program when he was at the sixth grade. By building red paper lantern craft on Monday, Cowley was participating in a similar cultural program with a dozen boys at his school. "They helped me with that. I know I'm learning new stuff," Cowley said. The boy is most curious about the Great Wall. "I always wanted to see it. I wanna know how long it takes for a person to walk all the way through, I doubt somebody can do that." At the Monday event, which was jointly organized by China General Chamber of Commerce Chicago (CGCC Chicago) and Youth Guidance, CGCC Chicago brought two books to the school students, a pop-up book about Chinese New Year and a book explaining the auspicious patterns in China. The event is an opportunity to know more about China. "It makes me intrigued about the Chinese lunar year. I'm actually enjoying the activity," Lewis Patyk, a 12-year grade student of the school, told Xinhua. "I think it's very creative." Patyk attended a Chinese New Year festival when he was young. "It was amazing. It was so colorful, so creative. It was like if you blink your eye (you) can miss something." "I love the culture, the food. I just love everything about China," the boy stressed. "I know that you all are really good in science, technology, arts, maths. I know that you all are really good at mathematics," he told Xinhua. "How much creativity effort you all put into your food and your culture is one of the oldest cultures in the world." "I was thinking about going to China. I want to see what China is actually like, actually experience the culture. I really wanna experience it for myself." Rebecca Langan, director of external affairs of Youth Guidance, a counseling and a violence prevention program in Chicago committed to school-based programs that enable children to overcome obstacles, focus on education and ultimately succeed in school and in life since 1924, hailed the event as "an opportunity to share cultural dialogue, to learn more about the Chinese culture and to give the students an opportunity to hear from people that look different from them that are different in many ways, but still human." "Phillips is a school where these students were interested in learning. They were interested in talking to people that they had never met before and they were happy to do the event after school," Langan said. "They really didn't know anyone that was from China and they were curious. They wanted to learn more about the culture." Addressing the event on behalf of CGCC Chicago, Daniel Li, manager of Wanxiang America Corporation, talked of Wanxiang America's sponsorship of U.S. high school students to study in China in summer programs, saying CGCC encourages all its members to do so. "We believe people-to-people exchange is the foundation for nation-to-nation relationship. We get to know each other, then we build a trust, we avoid the miscommunication," he said. Wanxiang America is a member of CGCC Chicago, which represents more than 200 Chinese businesses in nine states in U.S. Midwest. Established in 1904, Wendell Phillips Academy High School registers 602 students in 2019-2020 academic year. The Philippines has notified the U.S. that it's terminating a 22-year-old military agreement, which can be ended with 180 days' notice, just hours after President Rodrigo Duterte said President Donald Trump was trying to save the deal. The notice to terminate the 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement - which sets the terms for joint exercises and engagement of American soldiers in the Philippines - has been transmitted to the U.S., presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said Tuesday. Scrapping the agreement would be the first concrete step by the Philippines to cut defense ties with the U.S., a move that Duterte had signaled since his six-year term started in 2016 and as he realigned his foreign policy toward China. The Philippines and the U.S. signed in 1951 a mutual defense treaty that binds the nations to defend each other if attacked. "Trump, and the others, are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement," Duterte said in a speech in Manila on Monday night. "I said, I don't want it," according to the official transcript. The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines confirmed Tuesday that it had been informed of Duterte's intent to scrap the agreement, but it said it remained committed to the relationship between the two countries. "This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippines alliance," the embassy said in a statement. "We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests." Scrapping the military deal will bring the Southeast Asian nation closer to China, and U.S. support for Philippine military will likely be reduced, said Malcolm Cook, senior fellow at ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore. "As with many other decisions made by President Duterte, China appears to be the biggest winner and Philippine external security the biggest loser," Cook said. The Philippines may find it difficult to access millions of dollars in military aid, and trade relations may also be hurt once the pact is terminated, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin said last week. Joint military activities - including training for thousands of Philippine and American soldiers - will also be severely curtailed, he added. The 74-year-old Duterte revived his threats to end the military pact with the U.S. last month after the U.S. canceled the visa of his former police chief who oversaw his deadly drug war. Duterte said the nation's military ties with the U.S. didn't solve the decades-long communist insurgency. The Philippines' leader has previously questioned whether the U.S. would defend the Philippines if China were to seize disputed shoals and reefs in the South China Sea - skepticism that has persisted in the Southeast Asian nation for decades. Beijing has built several artificial structures in the Spratly Islands where Manila also has claims. Philippine fishermen and vessels resupplying Philippine-occupied features in the waters have also been harassed by Chinese ships. photo: Matthew Childers Nicolette Polek is the author of Imaginary Museums: Stories (Soft Skull Press). She is a recipient of a 2019 Rona Jaffe Writers' Award, and has been published in Chicago Quarterly Review, New York Tyrant, Hobart, Fanzine and elsewhere. She grew up in northeastern Ohio and lives in Maryland, where she is working on her first novel. On your nightstand now: The Collections of Barbara Bloom; Jana Benova's Honeymoon, which I hope will get translated into English and whose book Seeing People Off I recommend; Megan Boyle's LIVEBLOG; Kathryn Scanlan's forthcoming collection The Dominant Animal; and the Bible. Favorite books when you were a child: A Mango-Shaped Space, about a 13-year-old who finds out she has synesthesia. I made this title into my first e-mail address. Also, Regarding the Fountain and the rest of Kate Klise's books, told in memos, letters and other pieces of evidence. I enjoyed books that strung together found objects to make a story, like it was a pasta necklace. I liked field guides on birds and wildflowers. Top five authors: This changes, but writers I love to return to are Joy Williams, Lydia Davis, Dorthe Nors, Clarice Lispector and Chelsey Minnis. Book you've faked reading: All the President's Men, assigned in high school. There was a year that I didn't do much homework and started watching movies. I spent a lot of time sitting by Lake Erie, reading like, Richard Brautigan, and later Candide, which I also may have faked reading. Books in your bag: The Missing Pieces by Henri Lefebvre, which is a winding catalogue of unfinished, destroyed, lost and erased work throughout history, and These Possible Lives by Fleur Jaeggy, a book of three micro-biographies of Thomas De Quincey, John Keats and Marcel Schwob. Books you've bought for the cover: The Fitzcarraldo Editions copy of John Keene's Counternarratives. The first edition copy and the Vintage Contemporaries edition of Nicholson Baker's The Mezzanine. NYRB books that I find at book sales. Book you hid from your parents: I still shouldn't say. Books that changed your life: Land of Green Plums by Herta Muller made me love reading again; a book that follows a group of students in Communist Romania. It's poetic and political, challenging and filled with beauty. The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Stern showed me about being playful with form. It was published in 1759, but still, there's a torn-out chapter, a blank page, a blackened page, a marbled page that at the time would have been different in every copy. There is a squiggle in the middle of a paragraph to show the way a man waves a stick in the air. Books you most want to read again for the first time: Us by Michael Kimball. Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante, a book that put me in so much despair that I read it in one sitting without getting up to turn on the light after the sun set. It would be cool to read The Rings of Saturn by W.G. Sebald for the first time while completing his walking tour of Suffolk. The American software giant behind Photoshop and Acrobat is ramping up its investment in Australia just as its local rival Canva embarks upon a significant expansion into the US. Adobe, now the second-most valuable software business in the world behind Microsoft with a market value of $US178 billion ($266 billion), said the region was the fastest-growing in the world for the tech giant. "The Australia-New Zealand market is totally a priority for Adobe, we are investing in a market for growth," local head Suzanne Steele said. Local managing director Suzanne Steele said Adobe was growing quickly in Australia. Credit:Jesse Marlow On Tuesday Adobe launched its Adobe Experience Platform in Australia, built on Microsoft Azures data centre infrastructure, as part of a push for greater market share. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 00:42:30|Editor: yan Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The White House announced on Tuesday that the Spanish king and queen will pay a state visit to the United States in April. Spanish King Felipe VI and his wife Queen Letizia will be welcomed at the White House by President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump on April 21, said the White House in a statement. The visit is expected to reaffirm bilateral commitments to address global challenges together, according to the statement. The Spanish royals made a six-day trip to the United States in June 2018, during which they were also hosted by Trump at the White House. Kejriwal tsunami: How AAP's quirky social media tactics translated to more votes India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 11: Social media has always played an important role to reach out to potential voters. It was the first time used by Barack Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He took advantage of Twitter as a social media tool to interact with the people. In India, it was the then chief minister of Gujarat Narendra Modi who gained popularity on Twitter back in 2009. Delhi Chief Minister also used digital media to reach out to even the last Aadmi in the national capital, which did bring good results for them. Delhi Elections: These memes will leave you in splits This time too during the Delhi assembly election 2020, AAP used its social media campaign with its catchy one-liners, memes and parody clips which conveyed good things achieved by the Kejriwal government in the areas of health, power, transport and education. And definitely, the BJP and the Congress, have a lot of catching up to do. As per the latest trends so far, the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is on course to return to power in the national capital. The AAP is way ahead of its challenger BJP. The Congress has been routed in the polls. It all started when the AAP had set up its smart and innovative poll campaign for elections on February 8. It has targeted the newer generation, the first time voters who may not be comfortable with complex political jargon. And the man behind the transformation is a 23-year-old Abhijeet Dipke who hails from Pune. He has been heading the IT AAP's IT team since 2013. The party treats social media as an important tool during the campaigns. Delhi: Close contests result of straight fights, Congress has become irrelevant: Dr. Shastri Their quirky style of campaigning has taken the opposition by surprise. AAP's message is simple, clear and at the same time funny. Take a look: No!!! First go out and VOTE! https://t.co/N87Jggt4Co AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 8, 2020 The night before results day. pic.twitter.com/QldhNV9GMK AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 10, 2020 Ye Aam Aadmi ka election hain, Aam Aadmi hi jeetega.#Vote4Jhadu pic.twitter.com/0xrkv0jLsd AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 8, 2020 Bijli sasti kaun karayega... Free mein paani kaun dilayega...#Vote4Jhadu pic.twitter.com/2lHZqgpthY AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 8, 2020 Delhi, we love you Our love for you will never fade.#ProposeDay pic.twitter.com/dlfHNBnrGx AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 8, 2020 Have you seen this movie? pic.twitter.com/YjcTv743Zq AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 7, 2020 Have you heard this song? pic.twitter.com/gNEhhI0PuG AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 7, 2020 The mega-hit Broadway production, "Hamilton," is set for a 2021 release date on the big screen. The "Hamilton" movie will be released on Oct. 15, 2021 and is set to feature the original Broadway show cast. This includes the "Hamilton" creator and lead star, Lin-Manuel Miranda. "Hamilton" was filmed four years ago during a live show at the Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City. The Walt Disney Co. purchased the rights to the film and are looking forward to sharing the Tony award-winning musical on the big screen. "Lin-Manuel Miranda created an unforgettable theater experience and a true cultural phenomenon, and it was for good reason that 'Hamilton' was hailed as an astonishing work of art," Disney chief executive and chairman Bob Iger said. "All who saw it with the original cast will never forget that singular experience. And we're thrilled to have the opportunity to share this same Broadway experience with millions of people around the world." The announcement was also shared on Twitter by Miranda and used the #Hamilfilm. Miranda also stated in a recent interview with Variety that the timing of the 2016 filming was important because just a week later, the original cast members were no longer part of the shows run. "What I'm most excited about is there will be a point at which, you all have that friend who brags, 'I saw it with the original cast,'" Miranda told Variety. "We're stealing that brag from everyone. Because you're all going to see it with the original cast." Hamilton. With The Original Broadway Cast. Filmed onstage at The Richard Rodgers Theatre. In A Theater Near You. October 15, 2021.pic.twitter.com/z4ohfWXzi3 Disney presents:Hamilton.With The Original Broadway Cast.Filmed onstage at The Richard Rodgers Theatre.In A Theater Near You.October 15, 2021. #Hamilfilm Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 3, 2020 "Hamilton" is notable for its use of Hip-hop and for featuring a diverse cast. It won 11 Tony Awards and the Pulitzer Price for drama in 2016. The production tells the life of Alexander Hamilton, his relationship with other founding fathers, and his legacy in shaping the U.S. government. The show was inspired by the 2004 book "Alexander Hamilton" by Ron Chernow. A Congressional report on the Indo-Pacific region has said that India could lead to a "greater willingness" to resist "Chinese assertiveness" and move closer to the US while not abandoning multilateral approaches. China has been trying to spread its influence in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific region. To counter Beijing, the US has been pushing for a broader role by India in the strategically important region. India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China's rising military maneuvering in the region, which is a large swathe of land and sea stretching all the way from the west coast of the US to the shores of east Africa. "Most analysts consider that the Modi/BJP victory in spring 2019 parliamentary elections has empowered the Indian leader (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) domestically and on the global stage. Given Modi's reputation for a muscular foreign policy, this could lead to a greater willingness to resist Chinese assertiveness and move closer to the United States while not abandoning multilateral approaches, independent Congressional Research Service said in a report. In its latest report "Indo-Pacific Strategies of US Allies and Partners: Issues for Congress" the Congressional Research Service said that the challenges with the United States loom: many Indian strategic thinkers say their country's national interests are served by continued engagement with Russia and Iran, and thus contend there will be limits to New Delhi's willingness to abide "America's short-term impulses." While New Delhi generally welcomes the US Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, Indian leaders continue to demur from confronting China in most instances, the CRS said, which is an independent research wing of the Congress. The CRS prepares periodic reports on issues of interest of lawmakers for them to take informed decisions. The CRS reports are not considered as an official view of the Congress. Thus, Prime Minister Modi, the report said, has articulated a vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and India has engaged Russia, Japan, Australia, and other Indo-Pacific countries as potential balancers of China's influence while remaining wary of joining any nascent security architectures that could antagonise Beijing. While India endorses the United States' Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy, its own approach differs in significant ways, it said. According to the report, New Delhi broadly endorses the Free and Open Indo-Pacific strategy pursued by Washington, and India benefits from the higher visibility this strategy provides for India's global role and for its immediate region. Despite its interest in working more closely with the US, India has not fully relinquished the nonalignment posture it maintained for most of the Cold War (more recently pursuing strategic autonomy or a pragmatic and outcome-oriented foreign policy), it said. It continues to favour multilateralism and to seek a measure of balance in its relations with the United States and neighbouring China, the report added. New Delhi sees China as a more economically and militarily powerful rival, and is concerned about China's growing presence and influence in South Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Thus, Prime Minister Modi has articulated a vision of a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and India has engaged Russia, Japan, Australia, and other Indo-Pacific countries as potential balancers of China's influence while remaining wary of joining any nascent security architectures that could antagonise Beijing, the CRS said. The CRS said that under the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Modi, interest in developing stronger ties intensified, and the two countries have developed more bilateral dialogues at all levels of government, supported each other on areas of mutual concern, and bolstered educational and cultural exchanges. Analysts point to mutual respect for democratic institutions, as well as shared strategic and economic interests, that have allowed the relationship to flourish. Japan and Indiaboth of which have long-standing territorial disputes with Chinahave sought to increase their bilateral cooperation in apparent response to alarms raised by China's actions over the past decade perceived as too assertive or even aggressive, it added. Many analysts see engaging India in a broader security framework as the primary challenge to establishing a quadrilateral arrangement, CRS said. "The United States has treaty alliances with both Japan and Australia, and they have also developed a sophisticated security partnership in the past decade. India, however, appears to have been more reluctant to sign on to international commitments from its legacy as a 'non-aligned movement' state and is more reluctant to antagonize Beijing, CRS said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senior RJD leader Manoj Jha on Tuesday said the biggest message from the Delhi Assembly polls is for the BJP that "poisonous" campaign and statements will not work. He said the message has also gone out to Bihar where assembly polls are due next year, and to the rest of the country. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) had contested the Delhi election on four seats in alliance with the Congress. The alliance was staring at a massive defeat in the national capital. "We are not at all disappointed, people have given their mandate (for AAP). The biggest message is for the BJP that poisonous campaign and statements will not work," Jha told reporters. "The message has also gone to Bihar and the rest of the country. Hopefully, the BJP would do course correction and ask its leaders to shun divisive politics," the Rajya Sabha MP said. Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly was held on Saturday. According to the Election Commission's website, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party is leading in 58 seats, while the BJP is ahead in 12. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Patna, Feb 11 : Bihar Chief Minister and JD-U chief Nitish Kumar on Tuesday just said "public is supreme", when asked to comment on the Delhi assembly poll results. Nitish Kumar was speaking to reporters after inaugurating a statue of Jan Sangh leader Deen Dayal Upadhyay at Rajendra Nagar here. The JD-U contested the Delhi assembly polls in alliance with the BJP and had fielded two candidates. Its candidates are way behind the rival Aam Aadmi Party at both the seats, as per initial trends. Nitish Kumar has last month had sacked party Vice President and political strategist Prashant Kishor, who joined hands with Arvind Kejriwal's AAP for the Delhi poll campaign. Kishor thanked Delhi voters for "standing up to protect the soul of India". Counting of votes is still underway in Delhi where the AAP is heading for a big win with leads in 58 seats, according to the Election Commission's website. ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Designzillas, one of Orlando's top digital marketing agencies, was recently recognized for its exemplary work at the American Advertising Federation (AAF) Orlando ADDY Awards. Each year, the AAF's Orlando chapter honors excellence in advertising that cultivates the highest creative standards in the industry. Designzillas was recognized with a Silver ADDY in the Microsites category for the Orlando Economic Partnership's Live, Work, Play initiative. "We're honored to be recognized alongside Orlando's other leading agencies," said Johnny Hughes, CEO at Designzillas. "The Orlando Economic Partnership is an outstanding organization and we designed their Live, Work, Play website with user experience top of mind. The result was a site that reflects what it truly means to live in Orlando." Designzillas has won several ADDYs in the past. Most notably, the agency was recognized in 2018 with two Silver ADDYs for its work with Crunchy Tech and Lockbusters Escape Game at the local level before going on to win Silver and Gold at the district level. In 2016, the agency also took home a Best of Show and Gold for Everglades Boats and Silver for Buca di Beppo. "This new website is a tool for our community to support the talent recruitment efforts of our major employers, as well as grow Orlando's workforce in key areas," said Danielle Permenter, Senior Director of Regional Talent Initiatives at the Partnership. "We couldn't be more excited about the launch of this new asset for our region." The agency has rapidly grown since its founding in 2007, representing clients across a variety of industries in the United States. Designzillas has enabled its partners to dominate online and drive long-term growth for their businesses. For more information about Designzillas and its Growth Partnership solution, visit Designzillas.com . About Designzillas Charging ahead in its 13th year of successful partnerships, Designzillas is a top digital marketing agency in downtown Orlando, comprised of experienced web designers, developers and marketers. The agency works across a variety of industries to inspire action through the company's Growth Partnership solution, which includes digital services such as web UX design, web development, inbound marketing, SEO, custom branding and more. For media inquiries, contact: Tina Fleming Designzillas (407) 637-2833 [email protected] SOURCE Designzillas Related Links https://www.designzillas.com OTTAWA Feb. 10, 2020 Canada Sandy Buchman /CNW/ - With National Resident Awareness Week (Feb. 1014) upon us, we want to recognize the contributions of the more than 10,000 medical residents who deliver care to Canadians from coast-to-coast-to-coast.This period in a physician's career is not always easy. In our most recent physician health survey, more residents reported burnout and depression than practising physicians. Too often, they're required to be at work when ill or distressed, and are often lacking collegiality in their work environments. These factors contribute greatly to the health and well-being of our residents and we must work together to create environments where they can flourish.This is one of the reasons the CMA is proud to collaborate with Resident Doctors ofto invest in programs that can help, such as their Resiliency Curriculum. Together, we'll be looking at what else we can and must do to make a difference.Now, let's take a moment to thank our residents the future of our profession for their commitment and hard work.Dr.President, Canadian Medical Association Since 1867, the Canadian Medical Association has been the national voice of Canada's medical profession. We work with physicians, residents and medical students on issues that matter to the profession and the health of Canadians. We advocate for policy and programs that drive meaningful change for physicians and their patients. SOURCE Canadian Medical Association Iraq's newly appointed prime minister Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi has a difficult task ahead as he seeks to form a new government. He is facing widespread lack of confidence from public protestors, as well as ongoing pressure from the country's traditional political forces to adhere to their terms. Iraqs most senior Shiite cleric, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, hinted during his Friday sermon that he may have concerns about Allawi's ability to successfully form a government. The sermon was delivered Feb. 7 on Sistanis behalf by his representative Ahmed al-Safi. The new government must earn the people's trust, be capable of calming the situation and restoring the prestige of the state, Safi said. This position comes at a time Allawi is facing considerable rejection from the Iraqi public. Kadim Isawi, senior adviser to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, also warned Allawi to not appoint any minister from the Popular Mobilization Units, threatening that Sadr will overthrow Allawi's Cabinet in three days if he does so. A day before Sistanis sermon, Allawi threatened to refrain from fulfilling the task he was entrusted with if the attacks on protesters continued. This comes in tandem with attacks on protesters in Najaf by the supporters of Sadrs movement known as the Blue Hats group. Sadr played a key role in naming Allawi as prime minister-designate. Rahman al-Jubouri, senior researcher at the Regional Center of the American University of Iraq, Sulaimaniyah, agreed that Allawi has a very difficult task. The process of forming an independent government in the midst of this tremendous pressure from the street and from the political parties that support him in public while pressuring him behind the scenes will be almost impossible. He added, There is a regional war raging inside Iraq. The West seeks to break Iran's hegemony over the country while Iran wants to dominate it. I don't think Allawi will pass the vote of confidence test. If he aligns with the traditional powers he will find himself in conflict with the street with no [political] cover. Allawi is the first Iraqi prime minister to be rejected by the street before being officially tasked to head the government. His photos, bearing the mark X, were brandished in Tahrir Square in central Baghdad and in other protest squares in the central and southern provinces. This has not happened before with his predecessors. Protesters have been chanting against him in the squares for more than two months. This echoes the great rejection that Allawi is facing at the grassroots level, in a challenge that no official in the Iraqi state had previously faced. Allawi will be in a quagmire. If he decides to get the support of all the major blocs he would have to yield to their terms, Kawa Hassan, Vice President of the Middle East and North Africa program at the Brussels-based East-West Institute, told Al-Monitor. This would take us back to the quotas system, which is the main problem plaguing the current political system. He added, There is a large possibility that Allawi fails to form a government. His situation is fragile, especially in light of the continuing attacks on the protesters. Allawi was not spared the threat of political blocs of withholding their vote for his government. On Feb. 5, the State of Law Coalition led by Nouri al-Maliki, with 25 seats in parliament, threatened to withdraw confidence from him if he forms a government imposed on him by the political parties, according to a press release issued by Ali al-Baiji, a member of parliament for the coalition. According to Kifah Muhammad, adviser to Kurdistan Democratic Party chief Massoud Barzani, Allawi is under great pressure from the political blocs. He wrote on Twitter Feb. 4, If Allawi refrains from forming a government, it will not be because of the protesters but rather because of pressure from the parties seeking to secure their quotas of ministries and positions. Farhad Alaaldin, head of the Iraqi Advisory Council, believes Allawi is up for hard and difficult negotiations with the political forces. He explained that the political forces are keen on getting their electoral representation, which may contradict what Allawi proposed in his government program. He told Al-Monitor, The rumors about Allawi reneging on his task to form a government are incorrect and not possible at the present time. He still enjoys the support of the main powers, but he said he would pass on forming the government if he finds himself forced to make specific choices imposed on him. Allawis nomination as prime minister-designate came contrary to the specifications set by the protesters in Iraq. Protesters reject naming any figure having previously assumed any public office, holding a non-Iraqi nationality or affiliated with any political party. Allawi, a former minister of communications in Malikis government from 2006 to 2014, holds non-Iraqi citizenship. To this date, Allawis position remains fragile and he may not be able to fulfill the task assigned to him. Political blocs could abandon him at any moment as he was not nominated by the largest parliamentary bloc, nor was he named by the protesters. He seems to have become prime minister-designate just like his predecessor Adel Abdul Mahdi who was nominated as a result of a deal between the Fatah Alliance led by Hadi al-Amiri and the Sairoon Alliance led by Muqtada Sadr. The nature of the bloc that supports Allawi is still not clear, Yahya al-Kubaisi, adviser at the Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies, told Al-Monitor. While the Sairoon Alliance with 54 members of parliament expressed a clear and public position, the Fatah Alliance with 48 members of parliament has yet to expressly voice its full support to Allawi. Practically, no one knows exactly the number of parliamentarians supporting him. Hussein Allawi, national security professor at Nahrain University, told Al-Monitor, The rejection of Allawi by most of the Iraqi people and young protesters would weaken the political forces insistence on seeing him form the government. Most likely Allawi will not succeed in forming his government. If he does succeed, his government will be deficient or rejected by the street and the supreme Shiite authority Sistani. All available indicators show that he will end up losing support, either from the street or from the political forces. Either way, Allawi could be heading toward an impossible mission. This Sunday in the Anglican Cycle of Prayer, Anglicans around the world will be praying for the Church of the Province of Central Africa. Here, the Anglican Communion News Service introduces the Province and suggests items for prayer. The Church of the Province of Central Africa serves four countries: Botswana, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe. There are 15 dioceses within the province, and the primate is Archbishop Albert Chama, the Bishop of Northern Zambia. The first Anglican missionary to the province was Bishop Charles Mackenzie, who arrived in Malawi in 1861 with the British explorer David Livingstone. The Church was inaugurated as a province in 1955. Though the Province is one, the issues facing each country vary though all are hit by a mixture of drought and flood caused by climate change. Botswana Botswana used to be one of the poorest countries in the world, but has since become one of the worlds fastest-growing economies. However, life in Botswana is not without its challenges and the country has been among the hardest hit by the HIV and Aids epidemic. Botswana has the third-highest prevalence rate for HIV and Aids and the disease has orphaned many children. The Mothers Union was established in Botswana in 1972 and has more than 1,400 members. Their outreach projects currently include a day care centre, a street children project, a prison ministry, visiting the sick and campaigning against gender-based violence and human trafficking. Malawi The United Society Partners in the Gospel (USPG) are currently working with the church in Malawi and have four areas of focus: education for girls, protecting livelihoods, management of the environment, and hygiene and sanitation. The church is working with partners to improve access to schooling and to provide girls with educational materials, including hostels for girls at secondary boarding schools, as well as taking education for girls into communities and educate via the radio. An estimated 74 per cent of the population lives below the poverty line. The church is trying to combat this by providing training in vocational skills and financial literacy, linking communities to banking services, encouraging the formation of income generation co-operatives, and providing training in business marketing. To assist managing the environment, they are working to promote reforestation; provide training in sustainable farming practices; protect water sources and promote better waste management. Many rural communities in Malawi have severely limited access to safe drinking water because water sources are often contaminated. The church is raising awareness of issues relating to hygiene and sanitation, encouraging the use of bio-sand water filters, and restoring and constructing wells. Zambia One of the biggest issues facing Zambia at the moment is gender-based violence (GBV). USPG and the Mothers Union are both working towards reducing womens vulnerability and GBV. They are doing so through providing information so that women will be aware of their rights. They are helping women to overcome the stigma of speaking out and supporting women in becoming financially secure so they will not have to rely on their abusers. They are challenging negative stereotypes against women that leave them susceptible to mistreatment, and encouraging positive male role models to step forward so that young men can see others treating women with respect. Zimbabwe The church in Zimbabwe is serving the country through supporting community-led development, and through offering a programme to tackle HIV stigma. A research programme carried out by the Anglican Church, UNAIDS and the Zimbabwe National Network of People Living with HIV has been uncovering what like for people with HIV. The research is now helping policy-makers to develop national HIV strategies. It is hoped that the research will be used to help break down HIV stigma in the church, helping people to talk more openly about Gods care for people with HIV. In the Diocese of Manicaland, the church is taking an approach to HIV stigma that is linked to income generation and livelihoods. A number of communities in the diocese are being encouraged to kick-start their own income generation projects. The church brings the community together to discuss their concerns, identify local skills and resources, then formulate an action plan to make a difference. Prayer Please lift up Archbishop Albert Chama, his bishops and their clergy and people in your prayers; pray too for efforts to alleviate climate change-related disasters in the region; and for efforts to tackle HIV and Aids. Former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho, center, smiles after a press conference at the National Assembly, Tuesday, to announce his bid for the April 15 general election as a member of the main opposition Liberty Party of Korea (LKP). He is joined by LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn, right, and former National Assembly Speaker Kim Hyung-o, leader of the LKP panel for selecting election candidates. Korea Times photo by Bae Woo-han By Do Je-hae Former North Korean diplomat Thae Yong-ho who defected to the South in 2016, has announced his bid for the April 15 general election, saying his winning of a National Assembly seat will show South Korea's matured democracy to North Koreans and eventually expedite unification. Thae, a former minister at the North Korean Embassy in London and the highest-ranking diplomat to defect to the South, will join the race as a member of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). He arrived here with his family three years ago and has found a new life as an analyst on North Korea affairs. With his unique background, he could likely emerge as one of the key figures to watch in the elections. Previously, a North Korean defector served in the Assembly as a proportional representation lawmaker; but Thae will be the first to run in a constituency, according to former Assembly Speaker Kim Hyong-o, who leads the LKP's candidate selection panel. Thae is expected to run in a constituency in southern Seoul where the LKP has strong support. He said that one of the biggest reasons for participating in the election was his "deep frustration" at the North Korea policy of the Moon Jae-in administration. "After starting my life in Seoul, I tried to explain the North Korean regime's strategies and intentions to the outside world and have them reflected in government policy. Unfortunately, the current policies on North Korea and unification have gone in the wrong direction. I have been deeply frustrated by this," the former diplomat said during a press conference at the Assembly, Tuesday. He expressed his wish to heal the deep division among conservatives and liberals in South Korea. "After observing Korean society, one of the most remarkable things was a dichotomous way of thinking that liberals are pro-unification and conservatives are anti-unification. If such misunderstandings and hatred toward each other continue in the form of a South-South confrontation, we will never be able to overcome our fate as a divided nation. One of the reasons I will be running in the general election is to contribute to our society in overcoming division and taking one step closer to unification." He said that his election could reassure North Koreans of a life in the South, and that's why he chose to become a candidate of a constituency, not a proportional representative. "By being elected by voters of a district, I want to show my former North Korean diplomat colleagues and workers overseas who will watch the situation via the internet, and moreover to all North Korean citizens, how a true free democratic system and representative democracy work," he said. "If North Korean people and elite see that a life-long North Korean diplomat, Thae Yong-ho, can become the representative of a district elected by South Korean people as an Assemblyman, this will speed up unification." Thae, who has consistently denounced the Kim Jong-un regime, said his activities have not been restricted or interfered with by the Moon administration, which has been seeking engagement with the North. But he was negative about current North Korea policy, commenting, "As I have always said, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un does not have any real determination for denuclearization." He said that his experience and knowledge of the North Korean regime gives him an advantage in establishing realistic policies on North Korea. "I hope the Moon government will regard me not as an opposition candidate but as a partner in unification policy," he said. Chinstrap penguins are exquisitely adapted to their environment. They live and breed in some of the worlds harshest conditions, nesting in the windblown, rocky coves of the Antarctic Peninsula, a strip of land comprising the northernmost part of the frigid continent. In water they are precision hunters, darting after krill, the tiny shrimp-like crustaceans that are their sole food source, utilizing barbed tongues engineered for catching the slipperiest of prey. On land, these 2-2.5-foot-tall flightless birds are prodigious mountaineers, able to scale rocky escarpments in spite of their ungainly waddle. Their perfect adaptation to local conditions makes them the ideal barometer for the future of the region. If anything changes in the marine environment, the health of chinstrap penguins will be one of the most reliable indicators. They are the canaries of the Southern Ocean. And these endearing, black and white emissaries from Antarctic waters are starting to disappear. Scientists Noah Strycker and Steven Forrest from Stony Brook University counting penguins on Snow Island in the South Shetlands of Antarctica, on Jan. 31, 2020. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME Scientists conducting a chinstrap census along the Antarctic Peninsula have discovered drastic declines in many colonies, with some seeing population reductions of up to 77% since they were last surveyed, about 50 years ago. The independent researchers, who hitched a ride on a Greenpeace expedition to the region, found that every single one of the 32 colonies surveyed on Elephant Island, a major chinstrap outpost, had declined. Overall, the islands total chinstrap population had dropped by more than half, from 122,550 breeding pairs in 1971 to 52,786 in January 2020. Such significant declines suggest that the Southern Oceans ecosystem is fundamentally changed from 50 years ago, and that the impacts of this are rippling up the food web to species like chinstrap penguins, says Heather J. Lynch, associate professor of ecology & evolution at Stony Brook University in upstate New York, who designed the study. There is something broken in the Southern Ocean, adds ornithologist Noah Strycker, a member of the penguin census team, and the author of the 2015 book The Thing with Feathers. Our best guess on why that could be is climate change, which we know is hitting the Antarctic Peninsula region harder thanpractically anywhere else in the world except the Arctic. Warming waters reduce the sea ice and the phytoplankton that krill depend upon for feeding and survival. Ocean acidification, a side effect of increasing global carbon emissions, also impacts their ability to reproduce. Story continues A chinstrap penguin nesting at Spigot Peak, in Orne Harbor on the Antarctic peninsula, on Feb. 6, 2020. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME For the past five weeks Stony Brook scientists have joined forces with robotics and drone specialists from Bostons Northeastern University to survey relatively unstudied chinstrap penguin colonies along the western coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Chinstraps prefer rocky, windblown sites for nesting, because they provide the best conditions for keeping eggs safe and dry. Those conditions make research difficult: the scientists endured freezing temperatures, wind, rain and snow to reach the coastal rookeries by small inflatable motorboats, then scrambled among the colonies counting penguins by hand. The robotics team backed up the survey with drone footage. When they return to the lab, members of that team will use the findings to teach computers how to identify nests using artificial intelligence for help in future surveys. Yang Liu and Vikrant Shah, from North Eastern University, launch a drone from a Greenpeace inflatable. They will later use machine learning to do an automated count of penguin colonies on Elephant Island. The drone counts are later compared to the manual counts done by another team of scientists. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME Scientist Noah Strycker from Stony Brook University Scientist uses a clicker to count chinstrap penguins on Quinton Point, Anvers Island in the Antarctic, on Feb. 4, 2020. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME The researchers surveyed 56 colonies in 37 days. So far, theyve only released numbers from the Elephant Island sites, which were the first to be surveyed. The final report will be published in a few weeks. But those initial findings appear to be consistent across most colonies. From whatever limited data we have from the 1980s, chinstrap populations appear to be down by over half, says biologist Steve Forrest, the team lead on the expedition. On Jan. 31, 2020, 26 days into the expedition, Forrest motored around the Presidents Head promontory on Snow Island to scout for potential survey sites. Some 30 years ago, researchers documented a colony there, but Forrest had heard rumors from passing boats that it had disappeared. The sea was too rough for a census that day, but it didnt matter. Peering through a pair of binoculars, Forrest saw no evidence that there were any penguins left on the island at all. I was hoping that we might find the colony after all, he says. But not finding one is more along the lines of what we expected. Some of the older surveys in the more difficult-to-reach areas are unreliable conducted at a distance, by boat so an exact assessment of how much has changed in the last three decades is impossible. Still, Forrest says, he is confident that chinstrap populations are declining, particularly in the South Shetland Islands (including Elephant Island) off the coast of the Peninsula. I saw a lot of abandoned nesting places, so I am inclined to believe that it is a real decline, but the precise extent is uncertain. A chinstrap penguin colony on Elephant Island, Antarctica on Jan. 17, 2020. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME While the numbers of chinstraps may be on the wane, the researchers saw a marked increase in gentoo penguin populations. Gentoos, which have red-orange beaks and lack the distinctive black band around the throat that gives chinstraps their names, are much more flexible about what they eat and the conditions under which they breed. This means that they can more easily adapt to changes in their environment. Forrest calls them climate change winners for their ability to thrive in conditions that threaten chinstraps at least in the short term. Strycker calls the process by which the upstarts take over chinstrap areas gentoofication. Strycker, a committed birder who chronicled his attempt to spot more than half the planets bird species in a single year in a 2017 book called Birding Without Borders: An Obsession, a Quest, and the Biggest Year in the World admits that ultimately, its not even about the penguins. Its about krill. Krill are the foundation of the marine food system the fish that eat them are the fodder for the fish on which almost every ocean predator relies. The fish that we humans eat also primarily rely on krill as a food source. If krill populations are unhealthy, it means trouble down the line for everyone else. But krill, in their krillions, are hard to study. the fluke of a humpback whale at Anvers Island, Antarctica, on Feb. 3, 2020. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME Icebergs outside the coast of Anvers Island in Antarctica. | Christian Aslund Greenpeace and TIME Thats where the chinstraps come in. Like certain whale species, chinstraps are krill specialists, but they are relatively easier to track compared to whales, with their erratic migration patterns. Chinstrap penguins reliably return to the same rookeries year after year to breed, so by assessing colony health over time, scientists can get a better idea of how the krill they depend on are doing. Which is why we should care about a bunch of penguins going missing from a remote island that no ones ever heard of, says Strycker. Penguins give us an idea about what is going on in the ocean around us. The ocean processes that are changing in the Antarctic are similar to the processes that are changing everywhere else in the world. Humans may not have evolved to catch krill the way chinstraps do, but our fate is tied to the tiny crustaceans all the same. Three southern women wait at the border gate on the afternoon of February 6. They traveled in Chinas Guilin town for a month but spent most of the time indoors since transportation was restricted. They then traveled four hours by train to Fangchenggang City before taking a taxi to the border. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Sky Gold Corp. (TSXV:SKYG)(OTC:SRKZF)("Sky Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the acquisition of a second gold property known as the "Virginia Property", in Central Newfoundland, contiguous to the north-eastern portion of the Queensway Gold Project, owned by New Found Gold Corp. ("New Found Gold"). The Virginia property is approximately 5.7 kilometers north-east of New Found Gold's drill hole ("NFGC-19-01") which intersected 92.86 g/t Au over 19.0 meters (see Mexican Gold Corp., Press Release dated January 26, 2020)*. The Virginia Property comprises 100 hectares and is also located 8.2 kilometers north-east of the Company's recently acquired Mustang Eastern Property (see SKYG Press Release January 31, 2020), The property is located 3.3 kilometers north-east of the village of Glenwood, which is situated on the Trans-Canada Highway, 25 kilometers west of an international airport in Gander. The southeast corner of the Virginia property is adjacent to the Gander River and accessed by trails from the Salmon Pond road. The Virginia property hosts the "Virginia Holdings" Prospect (National Mineral Inventory Number: 002E/02/Au 006), located approximately 0.6 km north of the Gander River. The prospect consists of quartz veining developed over a 35 meter wide zone within sheared gabbro and graphitic shale (main shear) (Manor Resources Inc., press release, 1992). A second shear zone is hosted in gabbro is developed 35 meters north of the main shear. Anomalous soil and till samples, followed by trenching led to the discovery in subcrop. Grab samples collected from the main shear reportedly assayed up to 9.0 grams per tonne gold (g/t Au) and up to 109.6 g/t Au from the sheared gabbro (Manor Resources Inc., press release, 1992).* A larger property was initially explored by Noranda Exploration Company Limited, but no record of this assessment work was submitted. Over the area from 1988 to 1992, AVIP Resources (later Manor Resources Inc.) conducted a lake sediment geochemical survey, till sampling and panning, chemical and petrographic analyses of pan concentrates, prospecting, geological mapping, geophysical surveys (magnetic and VLF), diamond drilling and trenching (source: W.A. MacPherson Associates Inc., 1993 assessment file GSB# NFLD/2244). On, or near, the current Virginia property, four diamond drill holes were reportedly completed, comprising 278.7 meters (average depth 70 meters), with the best intercept being 0.26 g/t Au over 0.74 meters. Drill holes were directed at magnetic and electromagnetic (EM) anomalies. * Gold values on adjacent properties in similar rocks, and assays based on historical work, are not representative of the mineralization on the property, have not been verified, and should not be relied upon.) President, Mike England states: "The acquisition of the Virginia property increases the Company's land holdings in this active, emerging gold district, fueled by the recent success of New Found Gold's drilling on the Queensway Gold Project. The Company is actively reviewing additional properties for acquisition in the district, through our network established in Newfoundland." To earn a 100-per-cent interest in the "Virginia Property" from an arms-length party, the Company will make a one-time payment of $20,000 cash, the issuance of 400,000 common shares of the company. The underlying vendor retains a 1.5 per-cent net smelter royalty (NSR), with an option by Sky Gold to purchase 0.5% for $0.5 million at any time. This transaction is subject to TSX Venture Exchange approval. Qualified Person Catherine Fitzgerald, P.Geo., a Qualified Person under National Instrument 43-101, is the Qualified Person responsible for reviewing and approving the technical contents of this news release as they pertain to the Newfoundland projects. About Sky Gold Corp. Sky Gold Corp. is a junior mineral exploration company engaged in acquiring and advancing mineral properties in Canada and the USA. The Company owns the Evening Star property, located 12 kilometres southeast of Hawthorne, NV, which is prospective for gold mineralization and carbonate replacement deposits (CRD) base and precious (silver and gold) mineralization; and several properties in Newfoundland, Canada, that are prospective for gold mineralization. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Mike England" _______________________________ Mike England, CEO&DIRECTOR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Telephone: 1-604-683-3995 Toll Free: 1-888-945-770 Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This news release contains forward-looking statements, which relate to future events or future performance and reflect management's current expectations and assumptions. Such forward-looking statements reflect management's current beliefs and are based on assumptions made by and information currently available to the Company. Investors are cautioned that these forward looking statements are neither promises nor guarantees, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause future results to differ materially from those expected. These forward -looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances. All of the forward-looking statements made in this press release are qualified by these cautionary statements and by those made in our filings with SEDAR in Canada (available at WWW.SEDAR.COM). SOURCE: Sky Gold Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576048/Sky-Gold-Acquires-Second-Gold-Property-in-Central-Newfoundland-Contiguous-to-New-Found-Golds-Queensway-Gold-Project Venezuela will file an international lawsuit against the US government due to damage to Venezuelan companies inflicted by US sanctions, said President Nicolas Maduro, Press TV reported. Maduro said, "we should immediately prepare an international lawsuit before the court of justice against the United States government for the damage that is intended to be done to the Conviasa company and to national companies of Venezuela." "A global lawsuit against the policy of aggression and sanctions of coercive measures. Venezuela will seek justice in international courts," he added. "We will seek international justice with a lawsuit against the government of Donald Trump. I have ordered this and I ask for all the support from the national general public, all the support for this international claim," Maduro noted, while being applauded by the crowd. The US entered on February 7 the Venezuelan state airline Conviasa and its fleet on the sanctions list. US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said Maduros regime relies on this company. Parliament's speaker, Juan Guaido, declared himself the interim president of Venezuela at the end of January 2019 amid protests against Nicolas Maduro. The opposition accused Maduro of falsifying the results of the presidential election in which he won. Guaido was supported by the US and several European and Latin American countries. Russia, China and some other countries supported Maduro. The Trump administrations war on so-called sanctuary cities and states is being taken to a new level, with a court battle looming in New York over a rule that may keep hundreds of thousands of residents from enrolling in a program meant to speed reentry in the country from abroad. In some parts of the country, local law enforcement officials are being pressured, or even threatened, to defy laws meant to protect immigrants. On Monday evening, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it had filed several new lawsuits against the states of California and New Jersey for state policies that ban the use of private detention facilities and prohibit state officials from sharing information with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, respectively. Another lawsuit also filed Monday against Washington states King County, which includes Seattle, challenges a policy prohibiting ICE contractors from using the King County international airport to deport or transfer detained immigrants within the country. Attorney General William Barr announced the latest legal actions while speaking at an event for the National Sheriffs Association, implying that more would likely be on the horizon as DOJ plans to review the practices, policies, and laws of other jurisdictions across the country, as well the the actions of certain district attorneys who have adopted policies of charging foreign nationals with lesser offenses for the express purpose of avoiding the federal immigration consequences of those nationals criminal conduct. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. (Hans Pennink/AP) On Friday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Attorney General Letitia James announced that the state would sue the Trump administration over a new rule by the Department of Homeland Security that would block New York residents from enrolling or renewing their membership in Trusted Traveler Programs, including Global Entry, which expedite screening at airports and border crossings for pre-approved travelers. This is political retribution, plain and simple, James said of the move by DHS, which was announced last Wednesday on Fox News by acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf one night after Trumps State of the Union address, where he railed against New York and other sanctuary cities. Wolf informed state officials of the decision in a letter Wednesday, blaming it on the states new Driver's License Access and Privacy Act, better known as the Green Light Law. The act, which went into effect in December, allows undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses and prohibits the state Department of Motor Vehicles from sharing information with federal immigration authorities except by court order. Story continues A Global Entry kiosk in Los Angeles. (Reed Saxon/AP) Wolf claimed that without access to DMV data the U.S. Customs and Border Protection which oversees the Trusted Traveler Programs subject to the suspension could not properly vet applicants to the Trusted Traveler programs. In an email to Yahoo News, a CBP spokesperson said that CBP no longer has access to arrest histories for DUIs, DWIs and other offenses that would disqualify New York state residents from membership in Trusted Traveler Programs. But Cuomo and other state officials dispute that point, noting that criminal records, outstanding warrants, and other information included in the DMV database is still accessible to DHS via the FBI. There is no rational basis for this politically motivated ban, Cuomo said in a public statement Friday, accusing the Trump administration of extortion. On a call with reporters last week, acting deputy Homeland Security secretary Ken Cuccinelli told reporters that applications by 50,000 to 80,000 New Yorkers to one of the Trusted Traveler Programs would be rejected. By the end of 2020, he said, roughly 175,000 New Yorkers will be kicked out of the Trusted Traveler Programs when their current memberships expire. The change will also affect approximately 30,000 commercial truck drivers, who will lose access to an automated screening system that allows them to quickly pass back and forth through Ports of Entry along the border between New York and Canada. These are all unfortunate consequences of New Yorks Green Light Law, said Cuccinelli. He cautioned other states against adopting similar policies, and urged state lawmakers in New York to revoke their law. If they don't, folks in New York are going to gradually see a greater impact on [their] convenience of travel, he said. The move to ban New York residents from these Trusted Traveler Programs is just the latest, and arguably most aggressive escalation of the Trump administrations ongoing efforts to penalize states, cities and counties where officials have adopted policies to limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. (Alex Brandon/AP) Since the early days of his campaign for president in 2016, Trump has regularly railed against sanctuary cities like New York and San Francisco, accusing them of providing safe havens for violent criminals in the country illegally. But in the context of immigration, sanctuary is an ambiguous, highly political term that covers any state and local policy designed to limit cooperation with federal immigration officials. The most common type of sanctuary policies are those that prohibit local law enforcement from detaining people on ICEs request after being released on state or local charges. The practice of issuing detainers has created legal problems for local law enforcement agencies. In the years before Trump took office, multiple federal court rulings deemed the ICE detainers unconstitutional, prompting hundreds of cities and counties around the country to adopt policies against complying with them. These policies do not affect the ability of states to prosecute and punish crimes, only what happens to defendants when they are released. If someone commits manslaughter, someone commits arson or any whole host of crimes, the local criminal justice system is going to bring people to justice, John Amaya, who served as deputy chief of staff at ICE under the Obama administration. Amaya expressed frustration over Trumps characterization of sanctuary cities as places where no one is being punished for crimes being committed. It misrepresents the idea that, by virtue of these individuals not being transferred into ICE custody, theyre essentially getting away with murder, said Amaya. That couldnt be further from the truth. Passengers wait to pass through a TSA security checkpoint at JFK International Airport in New York. (Mark Lennihan/AP) But from its earliest days, the administration has based its immigration policy on this misleading premise, since one of Trumps earliest executive orders called for the expansion of controversial partnerships between ICE and local law enforcement agencies. Although an early attempt by former Attorney General Jeff Sessions to cut off federal funding to states and cities with sanctuary policies was quickly blocked in federal court, the administration has continued to seek other means of penalizing jurisdictions that refuse to carry out its immigration enforcement agenda. In April 2019, Yahoo News reported that, over the previous two years, ICE had apparently begun targeting immigrant communities in these jurisdictions for large-scale enforcement operations, including a series of raids across North Carolina that lasted four days and resulted in 200 arrests. ICE officials said the aggressive approach was warranted by the dangerous policies of local officials. One such official was Garry McFadden, who was elected last fall as sheriff of Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte, the states most populous city. One of his first acts as sheriff was to terminate a previously existing partnership between the Mecklenburg County Sheriffs Department and ICE, quickly making him the subject of the federal immigration enforcement agencys ire. Ive been receiving threats since I got in office, McFadden told Yahoo News last week. In recent months, McFadden has become increasingly concerned for his safety and that of his family, as ICE officials have publicly blamed him for releasing violent criminals into the community by not honoring ICE detainers. I go to church with a gun. I go to the movies with a gun. I grill with a gun. I am preparing for whatevers gonna come to me, he said, accusing ICE of creating hysteria and confusion among the public through misleading press statements and social media posts that spotlight people on ICEs radar whove been arrested for violent crimes in Mecklenburg County and other non-cooperative jurisdictions. They blame me for any harm that may come to a family member, said McFadden, emphasizing that it is not up to him but rather a judge or state magistrate to decide when to release a person whos been charged with a crime. Im simply following an order, he said. Trump delivers the State of the Union address, flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Feb. 4, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images) Though McFadden accused ICE of fueling the fire, he also noted that tensions have been particularly heightened by politicians like Rep. Dan Bishop, a Republican from Charlotte who, along with Vice President Mike Pence, criticized McFaddens reckless policies during his special election campaign for Congress last fall. During his State of the Union address on Tuesday night, Trump made clear that sanctuary cities would once again be in his crosshairs as he campaigns for reelection in 2020, calling out last months arrest of an undocumented Guyanese man accused of raping and murdering a 92-year-old woman in New York City, as he pledged to work with Congress to pass legislation allowing victims or their families to sue sanctuary cities. ICE has posted alerts on social media showing the photos and names of undocumented immigrants arrested on criminal charges in sanctuary jurisdictions, with the label Public Safety Threat. Whats really troubling is the president is picking up right where he left off after calling everyone coming across the border from Mexico a criminal and rapist, said Amaya, echoing McFaddens fears. Now [hes] using the bully pulpit of the presidency to expand on it, and calling for people to take matters into their own hands. _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Personnel wearing protective suits wait near an entrance at the Cheung Hong Estate, a public housing estate during evacuation of residents in Hong Kong (Kin Cheung/AP) The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has passed 1,000 people, health authorities announced early on Tuesday morning. The daily number of deaths from the virus has also topped 100 for the first time as the contagion continues to spread. Though more offices and stores in China have reopened after the extended Lunar New Year break, many people appear to be staying at home. Public health authorities are watching closely to see whether workers returning to cities and business resuming worsens the spread of the virus. A traffic policeman adjusts his mask on a street in Beijing (Andy Wong/AP) Another 108 deaths were reported over the previous 24 hours, the National Health Commission said in a daily update. That increased the total to 1,016 deaths, well beyond the toll taken by the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS which comes from the same family of coronaviruses as the current deadly pathogen. Newly confirmed cases fell slightly to 2,478 from 3,062 the day before, bringing the total to 42,638 on the mainland, some of whom have since been cured and released from hospital. The updates come as health authorities confirm one of the hundreds of people recently evacuated from China to US military bases has the virus, with the person joining 13 confirmed cases across the country. The outbreaks persistence is dimming optimism that the near-quarantine of around 60 million people and other disease-control measures might be working. The UK, meanwhile, declared the virus a serious and imminent threat to public health and said it would forcibly detain infected people if necessary. France tested scores of children and their parents after five British tourists contracted the virus at a ski resort. The director-general of the World Health Organisation said the agency is still unable to predict where the outbreak is heading but that he believes there is still an opportunity to contain it. In recent days, we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The detection of the small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire, but for now, its only a spark. In Beijing, there were few signs of activity. The capitals broad avenues were largely free of traffic and thousands of rental bikes stood in long ranks with hardly a customer. Tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City remained closed, as did schools, and many people worked from home, hoping to avoid crowds. Iris Ke, who works for an advertising company, said she plans to wait until next week to go back to the office. We just need to have a little more sense of self-protection, said Ke. Life goes on anyway. How come we stop going outside or stop working simply because of fear of disease? We cant do that. The detection of the small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fireTedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus Those shops and restaurants that did open found few customers. At the Sanyuanli market in Beijing, the stalls were stocked with pork, mutton, seafood and vegetables and shoppers wore face masks. The number of customers here is down a lot, maybe by more than half, said Liu Ying, who sells walnuts, cashews and other specialities. But you can see a lot of people calling in orders, so were slowly getting busy again. The Beijing city government told residential compounds in the capital to close their gates, check visitors for fever and record their identities. The government also warned people to strictly abide by regulations requiring wearing of masks in public and to avoid group activities. More than 440 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Soldiers wear protective suits during the arrival of Brazilians repatriated from Wuhan, China, the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak (Beto Barata/AP) Of those, 135 are from a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Japans Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government was considering testing everyone remaining on board of the 3,711 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess, which would require them to remain aboard until results were available. Britain issued its imminent threat declaration after a British man who caught the virus in Singapore in January appeared to be linked to several other confirmed cases in Europe. Five Britons, including a 9-year-old boy, contracted the virus in the French Alpine ski town of Contamines-Montjoie after staying in the same chalet as the British man. Jerome Salomon, the head of Frances national health agency, said 61 people including the boys schoolmates were tested and proved negative for the virus. Shaheen, a three-term governor-turned-two-term senator, is the de facto leader of the states Democratic Party. Her center-left politics are popular with the voters and she is widely expected to win re-election easily in November. Klobuchars politics are almost a mirror image of Shaheen. I dont always see things in the extremes. I see things in the gray areas. If you are sick of the extremes, you have a home with me, Klobuchar said at a rally in Manchester on Sunday. It was a message that matched the crowd. One of her biggest applause lines was a shoutout to Republican Sen. Mitt Romney for his vote on impeachment. Klobuchars avoid-the-extremes approach is resonating with Democrats like Sally Kelly, a former state representative from Chichester, N.H., standing outside the state Democratic Partys McIntyre-Shaheen 100 Club fundraising dinner in Manchester Saturday night: Im supporting (Klobuchar) because we are so diverse and were so hurting. The country is in pain, and she is the one I believe whos going to bring it together. She can work across the aisle. GODFREY How to Franchise: Learning More about the Franchise Business Model will be presented at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the Godfrey Village Hall, 6810 Godfrey Road. The program is being presented by the RiverBend Growth Association, the city of Alton, the village of Godfrey, and the Illinois Small Business Development Center for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. Many people across China returned to work on Monday. They were coming back after the government extended the Lunar New Year holiday in an effort to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. However, the World Health Organization, WHO, said it is concerned about the spread of the virus among people who have not traveled to China. Deaths from the international epidemic rose to 908. Ninety-seven of those deaths were reported on Sunday. It was the largest increase in a single day since the outbreak began in the Chinese city of Wuhan in December. As of Monday, two of the deaths had taken place outside of mainland China. In another case of infections outside of China, the Diamond Princess cruise ship with 3,700 passengers and crew remained quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama. The ship has 135 confirmed cases. In Britain, the government said on Monday that the number of confirmed coronavirus cases there had increased to eight. Officials declared the virus a serious threat. The action gives the government powers to quarantine people suspected of being infected. Across mainland China, 3,062 new cases were confirmed on Sunday. The total number of cases is now more than 40,100, Chinas National Health Commission said. Wu Fan is the vice-dean of Shanghai Fudan University Medical school. Wu said there was hope the spread might soon begin to drop off. However, the chief of the World Health Organization said there had been concerning examples of people who were infected and had not been to China. This may mean there is more widespread transmission in other countries, he said. A team of WHO experts has arrived in Beijing to help investigate the outbreak. Reuters news agency estimates that the virus has spread to at least 27 countries and territories. More than 330 people outside of mainland China have been infected including two deaths, one in Hong Kong and another in the Philippines, Reuters reported. The outbreak of the new coronavirus is now deadlier than the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in 2002 and 2003. Chinas Communist Party leaders have ordered people to stay home, canceled flights and closed factories and schools. Ten extra days were added to the Lunar New Year holiday. But even on Monday, many offices remained closed. Wuhan is in Hubei province. The area of 60 million people has been hardest hit by the outbreak. Travel there is mostly banned with train stations and airports closed and roads blocked. Im Susan Shand. The Reuters News Agency and the Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _____________________________________________ Words in This Story epidemic - n. an occurrence in which a disease spreads very quickly and affects a large number of people outbreak - n. a sudden start or increase of fighting or disease cruise - n. to travel on a boat or ship to a number of places as a vacation Alberta is a tyrannosaur graveyard. There rest great carnivores of the Cretaceous, such as Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, Daspletosaurus and, of course, Tyrannosaurus rex. Now, paleontologists in the province have announced the discovery of Canadas oldest known tyrannosaur: Thanatotheristes degrootorum, or the Reaper of Death. With its razor-sharp teeth and formidable two-ton frame, the newly discovered species terrorized the region some 79.5 million years ago. Though smaller than T. rex, it still measured about 30 feet long and about 8 feet tall. The new species was at least 2.5 million years older than its closest relatives, which may provide insight into when tyrannosaurs grew from small carnivores into the apex predators that perished 66 million years ago. Prior to the discovery, we knew all the most famous tyrannosaurs like T. rex, Albertosaurus, Gorgosaurus, were all coming from the last 10 or so million years of the Cretaceous, said Francois Therrien, a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology in Drumheller, Alberta, and an author on the paper. Now, with the new species weve actually pushed back the record of tyrannosaurs. T reasury rising star Rishi Sunak is set to get an enhanced role working with the Prime Ministers office on big spending schemes after this weeks reshuffle. The move could create rivalries with Chancellor Sajid Javid, who one Tory source said would be left to announce the tax rises needed to pay for increases in spending on key services. Mr Sunak is understood to have hosted Boris Johnson and partner Carrie Symonds at his Yorkshire constituency home during the leadership contest, and was given a high-profile media role during the general election. Other rising stars set for promotions on Thursday are prisons minister Lucy Frazer, who piloted the law making upskirting an offence, and Victoria Atkins, the minister for women, who has impressed No 10 with her competence and enthusiasm. Some Tory MPs hope that former defence secretary Penny Mordaunt, who backed Jeremy Hunt in the leadership battle, will return to the Cabinet. Oliver Dowden, the Paymaster General, could replace Culture Secretary Baroness Morgan who wants to step down from government. Former Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell is understood to have been on a recent list of potential candidates for President of the COP26 environmental summit, replacing Claire ONeill who was fired 10 days ago. Mr Mitchell quit the Cabinet in 2012 after being accused of calling police officers plebs. Michael Gove, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, has been linked to the COP26 role because he has the PMs ear and, as a former environment secretary, has a deep understanding of the policy trade-offs. But he is also tipped to get a beefed-up position masterminding post-Brexit negotiations with the EU. The COP26 summit in November will be the biggest international gathering in Britain this year and a figure with Cabinet experience is seen as a must to persuade leaders to sign a deal on climate change. The COP26 president needs to be someone who can get on a plane to Beijing or America and get to talk to the senior people, said an insider. A 1930s registered Houston landmark and an ultra-modern Memorial smart home are among the top 10 most expensive homes sold in Houston in the first month of the new year, according to data provided by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR). The No. 8 most expensive home sold last month was originally built in 1935 by renowned architect Hiram Salisbury. Located at 2116 Chilton Road in River Oaks, the historic home was completely transformed in 2017 by the Houston architect Robert Dame, according to the HAR listing. The property is a registered Houston landmark and offers historic charm with a modern twist. The home sold on Jan. 17 for between $2.9 million and $3.3 million, data shows. BB&T seeks permission to delay lawsuit response BB&T Corp. has requested permission from a federal judge to file its next response on March 13 involving its lawsuit against Hitachi Vantara Corp. The lawsuit was filed Nov. 26 in U.S. District Court in Winston-Salem. The bank claims Hitachi Vantara is responsible for what the bank calls a catastrophic outage that kept millions of customers from using online and mobile-banking services for over 15 hours. BB&T extended branch hours on Feb. 23-24 and Feb. 26, 2018, and called in employees. Hitachi filed a dismissal request Jan. 22, claiming the bank failed to follow its operational advice. BB&T is required to file its next response by Wednesday. Hitachi has agreed to the extension. Hitachi is being sued for breach of contract, unfair and deceptive trade practices, and gross professional negligence in how it sold, installed and maintained the hardware. A private school principal is adamant a five-year-old Cook Island boy cannot have long hair, even if it is part of his culture. A Queensland family says they were told Cyrus Taniela had to abide by school rules and cut his hair during his first week of prep. The family has been planning a traditional haircutting ceremony on the boy's seventh birthday for years, and planned to invite 100 family members. A Queensland family says they were told Cyrus Taniela (pictured) had to abide by school rules and cut his hair during his first week of prep In Cook Island culture, cutting a boy's hair for the first time is a rite of passage, although there is no set age for the ceremony. Australian Christian College Moreton said principal Gary Underwood has spent time in the Cook Islands and 'is an enthusiastic supporter of Islander people and their customs.' In a statement on its Facebook page, the school also said 'Respecting the College's policies, procedures and guidelines allows the College to be consistent across its many cultural groups.' Mr Underwood said all students have to follow school policy, which requires that all boys' hair is neat, tidy and not hanging over their faces. 'Extreme styles' such as ponytails and buns, like Cyrus wears, are not permitted. The decision could open the school up to a complaint to the Queensland Human Rights Commission. A complaint is something Cook Islands Council of Queensland president Archie Atiau says he would support. Mr Underwood said all students have to follow school policy, which requires that all boys' hair is neat, tidy and not hanging over their faces. Pictured: Cyrus and his sister Mr Atiau says he is also concerned about the boy's mental health. 'Not only now, but the long-term effects if he gets to adulthood and realises that he didn't get the opportunity (to have the ceremony),' Mr Atiau said. 'The family should make the decision as to when his hair is cut.' Cyrus' mother Wendy says the family has been planning a traditional haircutting ceremony on the boy's seventh birthday for years. She said it would be a big cost to bring forward the ceremony planned to be held in Sydney and attended by more than 100 family members. '(The principal) said, can't you just bring the ceremony forward?' Ms Taniela told the Cook Islands News. 'But this is a big cost, and we have other family commitments. We don't all drive BMWs.' Cyrus's father Jason wanted to continue the haircutting tradition because it meant so much to him, Ms Taniela told the news outlet. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Qusthan Firdaus (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Wed, February 12 2020 Discussions on repatriating former fighters of the Islamic State (IS) movement and their families have intensified in Indonesia four months after the killing of IS leader Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi last October. In contrast, developed countries have been dealing with this problem more intensively since IS suffered a major defeat in mid-2017. 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 Tender Board, the independent regulator of Bahrain Government procurement activities, said a total of 182 tenders were awarded or launched in 2019 in implementation of the Government Action Plan for 2018-2019, including the GCC Development Programme. This comes in line with the directives of HRH Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa to enhance infrastructure across the kingdom, stated Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning Minister, Essam Khalaf. Bahrain had awarded a total of 89 projects worth BD199.3 million ($525.5 million) in 2019. Of these, 44 were in the construction and maintenance sector, 23 in the sanitation sector, eight in the roads sector and 14 in the services sector. Meanwhile, 93 tenders, with an estimated of cost BD106.6 million, were launched during the same year, including 14 in the roads sector, 27 in the sanitation sector, 41 in the construction and maintenance sector and 11 in the services sector, said the minister. Khalaf pointed out that the Works Ministrys requests to finance a number of key service projects within the GCC Development Programme had been approved. These projects, he stated, are directly related to the lives of citizens and residents. In this regard, 20 tenders had been awarded or launched within the GCC Development Programme, at an estimated cost of BD146.7 million, he added. Meanwhile, the Tender Board said it had opened 16 bids related to six tenders for three purchasing authorities. Of these, four were opened for Bahrain Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (BTEA) and one each for Tatweer Petroleum and Bahrain Airport Company (BAC). The Tatweer tender was for the supply of Lufkin Spares for five years, while the BAC tender was for supporting infrastructure for (BIA) Network & Communication Fiber Ring at Bahrain International Airport. Three applications were received for this tender, it added. Bahrain Tender Board said the bidding process was attended by representatives of the companies participating in the tenders. In line with the Tender Boards guidelines on competitiveness and fairness, the bids will be assessed on all relevant technical and financial criteria before being awarded to the best fit candidate, it added.-TradeArabia News Service She's been candid about her childhood battle with a stutter in the past, making it her mission to raise awareness of the condition. And Emily Blunt has revealed overcoming the speech impediment has made her children become more empathetic as she features in the March issue of Marie Claire. Alongside a high-fashion cover shoot for the publication, the actress, 36, who shares daughters Hazel, five, and Violet, three, with husband John Krasinski, touched on the misnomers of stammering, her upcoming film A Quiet Place II and expressing an interest in learning how to play the ukulele. 'I encourage them to embrace differences': Emily Blunt has revealed overcoming her stutter has made her children become more empathetic as she features in March's Marie Claire The screen star previously admitted the road to overcoming her speech impediment hasn't been a smooth one as she revealed a teacher once told her to 'spit out' her words when she was younger. Ensuring her children learn how to accept the differences of others, the media personality said: 'I encourage empathy in my kids and embracing differences and not being scared of them, or teasing people for them, you know? 'Making mistakes or feeling like you have something that causes you to make mistakes, is a good thing. Its how you learn and its how you grow.' 'When you go through something like that, you establish a real sense of kindness. And youve got to be kind to yourself and youre going to be kind to other people.' The picture of sophistication: The actress, 36, dazzled in a high-fashion cover shoot for the publication Family first: Londoner Emily shares daughters Hazel, five, and Violet, three, with husband John Krasinski (pictured in December) The Devil Wears Prada actress also spoke out to dispel the misconceptions of stuttering, insisting the condition is 'neurological'. She explained: 'The [lack of] information out there, or the way people misconstrue what it is, is the main issue. Because stutters dont feel misunderstood. 'Its not psychological. Its not that youre nervous, its not that youre insecure, its not that you cant read, its not that you dont know what you want to say. Its neurological, its genetic, its biological. Its not your fault.' Candid: The screen star has been vocal about her childhood battle in the past, making it her mission to raise awareness of the condition 'You have to be kind to yourself and others': The media personality ensures her children learn how to accept the differences of others 'Making silly voices and mimicking people was very liberating for me': The award-winning thespian also shared her love for acting aided her speech fluency In character: The film star has been on a promo trail for her upcoming horror A Quiet Place Part II, written and directed by her partner John, 40, set for release on March 20 (pictured) The award-winning thespian also shared her love for acting aided her speech fluency as she recalled: 'When I was 12, my class teacher was this really cool guy called Mr. McHale. He asked me if I wanted to do a class play, and I said no. 'And he said, "I think you can do it. Ive heard you doing silly voices and mimicking people. So if you did it in a silly voice, would you consider doing it? Why dont you do it in an accent?" And that was very liberating for me as a kid. Suddenly, I had fluency.' The TV and film star has been on a promotional trail for her upcoming horror A Quiet Place Part II, written and directed by her partner John, 40, set for release on March 20. Similarities: On connecting with her character Evelyn, Emily said: 'What I love is, it has deeper themes of how far youd go to protect your family' 'I'm really loving it': Aside from her successful career and being a doting parent to her two children, the blonde beauty has revealed she's picked up a new hobby. Impressive: The shoot was captured by Red Hook Labs' photographers Genesis Gil, Lucci Mia, and Denise Hewitt, a public-benefit studio which establishes arts education in public schools In good company: The stunning actress beamed with delight as she posed alongside one of the Red Hook Labs photographers The first movie followed the story of the Abbott family, who lead a quiet life in the woods, evading alien creatures that hunt by sound. Out now: The March 2020 issue of Marie Claire is available on newsstands now On connecting with her character Evelyn, Emily said: 'What I love is, it has deeper themes of how far youd go to protect your family, that idea of releasing your children out into the big bad to protect them and what all parents feel.' Aside from her successful career and being a doting parent to her two children, the blonde beauty has revealed she's picked up a new hobby. The Mary Poppins star said on her secret talent: 'I just started learning the ukulele. I dont know if Im talented at it, but Im keeping it secret until I become talented at it. But Im really loving it.' In the magazine shoot, captured by Red Hook Labs' young photographers Genesis Gil, Lucci Mia, and Denise Hewitt, Emily channeled her inner model as she dazzled in elegant ensembles by Dior, Alexander McQueen, Kate Spade and Balenciaga. The March 2020 issue of Marie Claire is available on newsstands now. WASHINGTON - Three years after the opening of the Smithsonians landmark Museum of African American History and Culture, momentum is building toward the creation of a museum dedicated to American womens history. The House of Representatives on Tuesday passed a bill to establish the museum inside the Smithsonian network and take steps toward funding and construction. The vote was 374-37. Seeing role models doing things we all aspire to can change the course of someones life, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., one of the bills principal sponsors. Women and men of all ages deserve to see and be inspired by the remarkable women who helped shape this nation. Our country should know the names of its history-making women, said Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbias non-voting delegate. Women have helped the United States since our founding, despite not being recognized for our many accomplishments. Linda St. Thomas, spokeswoman for the Smithsonian, said the existing museum network already makes a point of showcasing the historical contributions of American women through displays in venues like the African American museum, the Air and Space Museum and the Museum of American History. A new facility, she said, would naturally gather some of these existing artifacts and displays together while developing its own dedicated programming. We look forward to working with Congress and supporters nationwide to illuminate the profound impact women have had on the American story, Secretary of the Smithsonian Lonnie Bunch said in a statement. Prior to assuming his current post last year, Bunch was the founding director of the African-American History Museum. A similar bill, co-sponsored by Democrat Dianne Feinstein of California and Maine Republican Susan Collins, is working its way through the Senate. The senators staffs did not immediately respond to questions about the status of the bill. The path from congressional approval to opening day can be a long one. The bill to create the African American museum passed in 2003 but the museum itself didnt open its doors until September 2016. St. Thomas said if the Senate also gives its approval, the discussion will turn to funding. She said she expected the new museum to be 50/50 funding project between government money and private donations. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has put forth an official estimate that a proposed 350,000 square foot museum would cost $375 million to build. The 400,000 square foot African American History museum cost $540 million and was funded through a similar 50/50 public-private partnership. Jacksonville, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - ATP Flight School is pleased to announce an enhanced partnership with SkyWest Airlines. In an update to their current partnership with ATP, SkyWest Airlines has increased tuition reimbursement to $17,500 for pilots training with ATP Flight School, reaffirming their shared commitment to developing the industry's best pilots. ATP Flight School Training Center To view an enhanced version of this image, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6924/52326_7f8b7d142488f909_001full.jpg ATP provides students with quality airline-oriented flight training; taking students with zero experience and paving a way to a successful commercial airline career with the SkyWest Airlines Pilot Pathway Program. After graduates complete the Airline Career Pilot Program in nine months, they are guaranteed a flight instructor job in order to gain the required flight hours needed to fly commercially. As an ATP flight instructor, pilots are then eligible to apply for the SkyWest Airlines Pilot Pathway Program and, once accepted, begin incrementally receiving the $17,500 in tuition reimbursement. Flight instructors in the SkyWest Pilot Pathway Program also receive career mentorship, enhanced company seniority and a guaranteed first officer interview, and more. This innovative approach to airline pilot recruitment takes an early investment in a pilot's career. It actively promotes the profession and makes it more attainable by helping ease the financial barrier aspiring pilots can face. "For over 35 years, ATP has consistently delivered the most efficient path to successful airline pilot careers," said Michael Arnold, Director of Marketing, ATP. "We are proud to work with SkyWest on continuing to invest in the career success of our students, offering greater opportunity, and supporting the nation's next generation of airline pilots." "We're pleased to enhance our ATP partnership and advance our commitment to proficient aviators," said Tracy Gallo, SkyWest Airlines Vice President Flight Operations. "We appreciate our ATP partnership and look forward to bringing more exceptional pilots to fly SkyWest's growing fleet." Media Contact: Michael Arnold Director of Marketing ATP Flight School 904-595-7950 pr@allatps.com SkyWest Airlines Corporate Communications 435-634-3553 corporate.communications@skywest.com Related Images atp-flight-school-training-center.jpg ATP Flight School Training Center Related Links ATP Flight School and SkyWest Airlines Partnership ATP Flight School Program Information To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52326 A London Film School graduate of Guatemalan origin, Sebastian Lojo, who has several shorts under his belt, finished a feature debut The Ghosts (Los Fantasmas) that has been unveiled in the Bright Future Competition at the International Film Festival Rotterdam 2020. Lojo returned to his home country of Guatemala to shoot his first feature-length offering, anchored in the authentic environment of the country. One of the missions of the IFFR has is bringing forth underrepresented cinema and talents. The Ghosts, co-produced by Argentina, fits the bill, as the film has been made in a country without much of a film infrastructure, though the film's overall appearance and resonance are far from the DIY, home-video type of movies. Set in Guatemala City, the film mostly follows Koki, a young, charming man working as a tour guide. While his friendliness is certainly a desired character trait for working with foreign visitors, it overshadows the fact that he is a part of a scheme running petty thievery upon the unwitting tourists. Moreover, to carve out an additional stream of income in unstable economic times. and given his vulnerable position in the social food chain in the lower rungs, he employs his charisma and charm under the veil of the night as a pick-up artist. He, rather rationally, targets men in bars who are subsequently robbed during the heat of passion. The Ghosts eschews the rags-to-riches template as its rags-to-a -little-more-rags observation centers on the fragile and volatile position in the (shadow) economy of the country. Koki is a part of larger operation, the base being a hotel where middle-aged Carlos works as a receptionist and night guard. Carlos manages contact between tourists and Koki, while Koki rewards him with bringing drunk and aroused gentlemen to his hotel to rent rooms. A win-win economic microsystem. Carlos, however, has also another aspect to his personality, an alter-ego of a masked, oily and beefed-up wrestler performing in a ramshackle squared circle. Lojo's first feature offering gravitates by design to the socio-economic dramas that often brush shoulders with films somewhat pejoratively labeled "poverty porn". The lower social rungs, blue collars, bleak outlook and making ends meet all combine within the structure of a downward spiral and imminent threat. Even though The Ghosts checks all the boxes, the writer-director goes against the predictable in form and style. First of all, The Ghosts is not a social realist drama, yet the stories fit the mold. Lojo and his cinematographer Vincenzo Marranghino depart visually from the usual vein of rawer social realism in favor of a more stylized and saturated image more apt for a noir thriller from the outskirts of society. In the current age of fluid cinema, forms, genres and styles blend arbitrarilyy and the mercurial landscape is the ground from which Lojo's debut emerges. Rather than being built on a linear storyline, the film branches into daily vignettes rounded not solely around Koki and Carlos but also other characters cut from similar cloth. The Ghosts is a collective portrait thought up with a documentary sensibility but rendered in a narrative film with the central plotline of Koki's "career" downfall that epitomizes the whimsicality of the position of people on the margins. There is a difference between Koki and Carlos, even though they live and breathe in the same environment. Lojo benefits from the day-night dialectics of Koki and Carlos combining different emotional palettes. Koki's seduction, his musings on life around a girlfriend, his play with his son in a park and getting beaten up to a pulp provide one side of the equation. Carlos, however, is not on such a dour receiving end. Even though he comes from the same socio-economic side, his position is much more stable and he even gets to call the shots at certain moments. Carlos is in the position of power and Koki is not. The Ghosts addresses also this kind of power dynamic within a similar social class, especially when Carlos is driven by businessman-like vigor. For Koki, the optimistic perspective is only several shades of poverty. The Ghosts title refers to aimless wandering, which Koki happens to personify, though other minor characters widen the scope without altering it, such as an elderly prostitute seen strolling the street in pursuit of clients. The imagery adds greater range and resonance in the context of Koki and Carlos' situation. Lojo is operating more in the horizontal space of decentralized storytelling rather than focusing on the linear chain of events regard to the plotting. This gives him larger leeway also for spatial narration within the district that characters inhabit that comes to stand for their social fabric and economy. The Ghosts thus becomes an eco(nomic)-social thriller, a stylized docudrama borrowing documentary practices of observation to construct a collective portrait within a narrative of fiction. T he Love Island villa - which has been looking pretty packed since the Casa Amor twist ended - bid farewell to two housemates in a public vote. Rebecca Gormley and Jordan Waobikeze packed their bags and bid farewell to the Cape Town abode after being revealed as receiving the lowest amount of votes in the latest public reckoning. Speaking after leaving the villa, the duo - who coupled up just days ago after the drama-filled Casa Amor twist took place - revealed that they wont be continuing with any romance in the outside world. Rebecca admitted: In the villa it got to a point where things went to a standstill and I didnt see things progressing. It wasnt going anywhere. And I think if you want to be with someone things should be progressing every day, not at a standstill. It became a friendship rather than being in a romantic couple. Love Island 2020: Series 6 - In pictures 1 /126 Love Island 2020: Series 6 - In pictures ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV Siannise ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV Paige plays the couple challenge. ITV Connagh and Mike chat. ITV ITV Sophie interrupts Connagh, Mike and Nas' chat. ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV Twins Jess and Eve on their double date ITV Leanne and Mike chat after his date ITV ITV Rex Features ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV ITV Love Island contestants were flabbergasted as it was revealed XX's favourite sex position was the butter churner ITV2 Eve and Jess Gale ITV Laura Whitmore ITV Leanne Amaning and Mike Boateng ITV The girls around around the fire pit ITV Shaughna enters the villa ITV Paige and Ollie ITV Sophie ITV Shaughna and Callum ITV Siannise and Nas ITV Sophie and Connor ITV ITV Leanne enters the villa ITV ITV ITV ITV Jordan agreed: It started well with Rebecca because we were lusting after each other a bit. Then all of a sudden, we werent spending a lot of time together during the day and the times we were spending together, the conversation wasnt flowing. We started off with loads of chemistry then the foundations of a relationship, like common interests and personality traits werent as much of a match as we thought they would be. Revealing who they want to win, both Rebecca and Jordan heaped praise on Siannise Fudge and Luke Trotman.< I want them to win, theyre my favourite couple, Rebecca said. Considering I was in a love triangle with them a couple of weeks ago! Now Im like, Team Luke and Siannise. Lukes such a cool guy, a funny guy and hes really nice. Him and Siannise together, I love it, theyre so cute together. The couple with the second fewest votes was revealed to be one-time favourite Nas Majeed and new addition Eva Zapico. Their exit will be shown in Tuesday nights episode. A total of 14 people now remain in the villa and while 12 of them are coupled up, Shaughna Phillips and Demi Jones are single after being dumped by Callum Jones and Nas Majeed, respectively. Police bullets went through the windows of a supermarket and a pharmacy during the Streatham terror attack, a watchdog has revealed. One woman was taken to hospital after being injured by flying glass as officers opened fire on Sudesh Amman. The 20-year-old Isis supporter was being followed by undercover police on foot when he grabbed a knife from inside a shop and started attacking people. FLINT, MI -- A former Davison teacher accused of recording a nude 14-year-old girl at a Clio-area tanning salon will face up to five years in prison when hes sentenced in April. Jacob R. Emmendorfer, 43, of Montrose Township, pleaded guilty Monday, Feb. 10 in Genesee Circuit Court to one count of capturing/distributing an image of an unclothed person. The plea came in exchange for two counts of using a computer to commit a crime and a single count of child sexually abusive material being dropped. The charges are connected to an alleged incident that took place April 29, 2019 at Tropi Tan, 4180 W. Vienna Road, in Vienna Township. Detective Sgt. Jason Murphy of the Genesee County Sheriffs Office previously testified in Genesee District court that Emmendorfer said he saw a light on underneath the tanning bed in the room next to his indicating it was activated. Emmendorfer then entered the adjoining room, took off his jacket, and stood on top of the tanning bed with his phone in hand that was set to record, Murphy testified. Teacher accused of recording nude teen at tanning salon bound over Emmendorfer didnt see anyone, but heard movement, and got down off the tanning bed, Murphy testified. Police knocked on the door of the tanning booth a few minutes later and took Emmendorfer into custody. Frank Manley, Emmendorfers attorney, questioned if there were any videos or photos retrieved. Murphy testified there were not. Murphy testified Emmendorfer told him that he fantasized about looking into other rooms where people were tanning and used those fantasies while masturbating. Emmendorfer told Murphy hed planned on masturbating to the video shot the day of the alleged incident if there were images of a naked person. The alleged victim testified she was unclothed when she spotted the phone. Case stalls against teacher accused of filming nude teen at tanning booth Manley also questioned if there was any way for Emmendorfer to know if the person in the tanning booth next to his was a 14-year-old girl. Murphy testified Emmendorder stated hed seen a pile of clothes on the floor that looked like girls clothes but there was no way to tell the age of the person. He was placed on unpaid leave from Davison Community Schools after the investigation began, but Manley said he has since been terminated from the district. He admits he made a mistake, said Manley. Hes accepted responsibility and is moving forward with his life. Davison teacher accused of filming nude 14-year-old girl at tanning salon Visitors to three Department of Conservation campgrounds in the northern Coromandel will enjoy a brand new shower and toilet facilities over coming weeks. DOC is investing more than $3 million into upgrades at popular camping grounds at Waikawau Bay, Stony Bay and Fletcher Bay near the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula. The improvements at the three campgrounds are important as the department strives to deliver the best possible experiences for visitors enjoying conservation areas, says DOCs Hauraki-Waikato-Taranaki regional director Dan Heinrich. The Coromandel Peninsula is one of our regions most visited locations, and the northern parts of the peninsula are popular with campers willing to venture beyond the usual holiday and camping locations, says Dan. Weve got an important obligation to provide assets to meet the demands of visitors and protect the environment in these beautiful places. Work on 10 new toilet and shower blocks at the Waikawau Bay campground has already been completed, with the improvements including a water reticulation system fed by a natural spring near the site. Dan says the feedback so far from visitors has been very positive. Visitors our staff have spoken to absolutely love the improvements weve made at that site. Theyve been really impressed, and our project team has done a great job. Work is underway to install two new toilet and shower blocks at the Stony Bay campground, with water sourced from a local stream. At nearby Fletcher Bay campground also a key location for people using the Coromandel Coastal Walkway - work is also about to commence on two toilet and shower blocks. Water conservation is an important aspect of providing toilet and shower facilities at the camping grounds, so all sites have automatic shut-off systems to minimise water consumption. The systems give 30-second bursts of water from taps and showers, limiting water use. Waikato Regional Council provided valuable advice on resource consent matters on technical matters to the projects. DOCs 2025 stretch goals include enriching 90 per cent of New Zealanders lives through connection to nature and heritage, and 90 per cent of visitors to conservation areas rate their experience as exceptional investments like these contribute to our organisation achieving those goals, says Dan. Members of the public seeking to book spots at Coromandel campgrounds can do so online, at this webpage. Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 11 : The Kerala opposition on Tuesday slammed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for his relief announcements regarding floods and said that he should get the "Oscar award for the best announcements". Before leading the entire opposition out of the Kerala Assembly, Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said that the 'Rebuild Kerala Initiative' (RKI) floated by the Vijayan government soon after the worst ever floods in a century that hit Kerala in 2018 has not even started. "Vijayan just now said it will take another three years for it to be completed. The tenure of this government will be over soon (May 2021). Vijayan should be given the Oscar for the best announcements, be it in the annual budgets, RKI or any programme. After the floods, even the first instalment of Rs 10,000 each to the affected is yet to be fully given. Now he says he will do a series of programmes. He has used the funds for RKI given by the World Bank for day-to-day running of the state," said Chennithala. But Vijayan said that things are moving according to plan and after the 2018 floods, the 2019 floods also took a heavy toll on the state and to some extent, pushed aside the programme of rehabilitation. "Everything can't be done in one year. A total of Rs 4,765.27 crore was received in the Chief Minister's Distress Relief Fund through various sources, of which, Rs 2,630.68 crore have been utilised. 6.92 lakh families affected in the 2018 floods have been paid Rs 10,000 each while we are yet to receive anything for the 2019 floods. We have asked for Rs 2,150 crore," Vijayan said. Indian Union Muslim League legislator P.K. Basheer sought to move an adjournment motion to discuss the delay in the RKI initiatives of the government. "Whatever the CM is saying is his imagination, as nothing to the extent of what he announced has taken place under the RKI. Everything is on paper only and the promised payments to many are yet to come. There are cases, where many are yet to get their homes reconstructed and continue to live elsewhere. Things are bad in Malappuram district, which was affected in both the floods. We wish you will look into the lapses and rectify things," said Basheer. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text In his new role at Camp Bow Wow, a $125+ million-dollar brand, Houghton will focus on enhancing the company's operational support structure for its high-growth franchise network. As the leader of operational initiatives, Houghton will implement new technologies and innovative processes to propel the company forward as the leader in the pet care industry. "We're thrilled to welcome Todd to Camp Bow Wow, and are confident that his decades of experience in the franchise business will serve as an asset to optimize our operations support and drive franchise owner profitability," said Julie Turner, President of Camp Bow Wow. "With over 170 open Camps across the United States and Canada, Todd will be instrumental in amplifying our strategic and sustainable operations for Camp Bow Wow's continued growth." "Joining the largest pet care franchise is an incredible opportunity. I'm excited to create an exceptional experience for our Franchise Owners and customers by establishing process-driven operations for the brand," said Houghton. "As a pet parent myself, I'm truly passionate about the services we provide Campers across North America, and our commitment to ensuring all dogs lead healthy and happy lives." In his previous position, Houghton oversaw field and corporate-owned operations, and was directly responsible for implementing efficient business processes and metrics-based financial management. For more information about Camp Bow Wow, to find a location near you, or to become a franchise owner, please visit campbowwow.com . About Camp Bow Wow: In 20 years, Camp Bow Wow, the largest pet care franchise, has sold more than 230 franchises in 42 states and Canada. The company is a $125+ million-dollar brand, with over 170 open locations and more than 50 in the process of opening across North America. For 10 consecutive years, the company has been ranked in Entrepreneur's Franchise 500 list. The Camp concept provides the highest levels of fun, safety and service for its Campers, and peace of mind for their parents. Dogs romp together in an open-play environment and pricing is all-inclusive. The Westminster, Colorado-based company started franchising in 2003, and today over 70% of franchises have women in ownership positions. In addition to day care and overnight Camp, the company also offers grooming services and a rewards-based dog training program. The Camp Bow Wow brand family also includes The Bow Wow Buddies Foundation , a non-profit organization dedicated to providing urgent medical care funds to dogs who are either homeless or whose parents cannot afford to pay their veterinary bills. Since September 2017, Camp Bow Wow is a wholly owned subsidiary of Mars, Incorporated. SOURCE Camp Bow Wow Related Links http://www.campbowwow.com Peter Phillips (left) and Autumn Phillips during day five of Royal Ascot at Ascot Racecourse in 2019 The Queens grandson, Peter Phillips, and his wife Autumn have described their separation as sad but amicable, and the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship. The couple are in the process of divorcing, and will share custody of their two daughters. A spokesman for pair, who wed at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle in 2008, said the decision was taken after many months of discussion, and they informed the Queen and their families last year. Canadian-born Autumn will not return to her home country, but will remain in Gloucestershire where they will co-parent nine-year-old Savannah and seven-year-old Isla. The spokesman said: They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship. The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and, although sad, is an amicable one. Expand Close Queen Elizabeth. Photo: PA / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Queen Elizabeth. Photo: PA The couples first priority will remain the continued well-being and upbringing of their wonderful daughters, Savannah and Isla. Both families were naturally sad at the announcement, but fully supportive of Peter and Autumn in the joint decision to co parent their children. Both Peter and Autumn have remained in Gloucestershire to bring up their two children where they have been settled for a number of years. The couple requested privacy and compassion for their children while the family continues to adapt to the changes. Video of the Day Phillips, 42, son of Elizabeths daughter Princess Anne and 15th-in-line to the throne, and Autumn, 41, met in 2003 at the Montreal Grand Prix, when he worked for the Formula 1 racing team BMW Williams and she worked at the BMW hospitality suite. They married at the queens Windsor Castle residence near London, the scene for a number of recent royal weddings including that of another of Elizabeths grandsons, Prince Harry to his American wife Meghan. Phillips has no royal title and has tended to stay out of the limelight. He did, however, organise a giant street party in front of Buckingham Palace to celebrate the queens 90th birthday in 2016. The Sun said the monarch, 93, would be very upset by the news, which comes on the back on a series of major setbacks for the royal family. Harry and Meghan plunged the Windsors into crisis last month when they announced they wanted to cut back on official duties. That led to a deal which means they will retire as working royals to spend more time in Canada and the United States. Meanwhile, the queens second son Prince Andrew also stepped down from public duties in November over his connections to sex scandals involving late U.S. financier Jeffrey Epstein. The queen must wonder what she has done to deserve this, the Sun quoted an unnamed senior royal source as saying. Peter Phillips has always been a favourite of hers and Prince Philip and she will be crestfallen by this, especially on top of all the other bad news. It makes you wonder whats going to happen next. ABC News/KTRK-TV(HOUSTON) -- A 20-year-old man who survived a crash into a utility pole died after he was electrocuted when stepping out of his vehicle and onto the downed power line. The incident happened late Saturday night in Texas City, Texas when Fabian Garnica and his girlfriend were driving north on Highway 146 and collided with a utility pole on the side of the road, according to ABC News Houston station KTRK-TV. Both Garnica and his girlfriend, Destiny Wallace, were injured in the crash but both survived the single-car crash. However, when Garnica stepped out of the vehicle to inspect the damage he stepped directly onto the downed power line he had just knocked over and was electrocuted. Wallace was taken to the emergency room after the accident and found out during medical treatment that she was in fact pregnant with Garnicas baby. Garnicas family told KTRK that they were devastated over his death and held a vigil on Monday night at the spot where he died. Police are now investigating the cause of the crash and warning others that no matter how panicked you are after a collision with a utility pole, it is always safest to stay inside your car. "If you're in a vehicle, you need to stay inside the vehicle until we can arrive on scene," said Texas City EMS Director Wendell Wiley. "We can assess and see if the power lines are still hot. If they are, we can contact the light company. Your safest place is inside the vehicle." Garnica attended Texas City high school with Wallace and turned 20 a month ago. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. AAP celebrates victory with Kejriwal, Sisodia photo The Aam Aadmi Party Twitter handle has posted a set of two photos of chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Mansih Sisodia. The first photo is of the duo taken some years ago while the second one is the most recent one with them celebrating party victory in the Delhi Assembly election. The caption of the photo is For many more years to come... Subhash Chopra takes responsibility for Congress debacle in Delhi polls Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra has taken responsibilty for the partys debacle in the assembly election, Speaking to news agency ANI, Chopra said, I take the responsibility for the debacle of the party in Delhi Assembly Polls. I had less time, but still I put all my efforts. I have never seen such politics in Delhi ever, where voters got influenced by the advertisements done by AAP and voted for it. AAP wins Timarpur seat, takes final tally to 62 The last result in the Delhi Assembly election has gone in favour of the ruling AAP. The party has won the Timarpur seat, taking its final tally to 62 in the 70-member assembly. AAPs Dilip Pandey defeated BJPs Surinder Pal Singh (Bittoo) by 24144 votes. Arvind Kejriwal to hold meeting of party MLAs tomorrow Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal will hold a meeting with the newly elected party MLAs at his residence on Wednesday. The ruling party has made a clean sweep in the Delhi assembly election. The CM and his deputy Manish Sisodia have retained their seats - New Delhi and Patparganj - respectively. BJP wrests Badarpur from AAP in closely-fought election BJPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri has won the Badarpur assembly seat. In a closely-fought election, he defeated AAPs Ram Singh Netaji by 3719 votes. The saffron party has wrested this seat from the AAP which won it in 2015. With this, BJP has won eight seats in the Delhi assembly election. It is a distant second to the ruling AAP which looks set to win 62 seats. Kejriwal receives his MLA certificate Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal received his MLA Certificate from the Returning Officer of the New Delhi constituency. The AAP convener retained his assembly seat, defeating BJPs Sunil Kumar Yadav by 21,697 votes. Kejriwal had won from the New Delhi seat by 31, 583 votes in 2015. AAP convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal receives his MLA certificate, having won the New Delhi seat. ( AAP / Twitter ) Kailash Gahlot retains Najafgarh, improves victory margin Aam Aadmi Party candidate Kailash Gahlot has won from the Najafgarh constituency. The Delhi transport minister defeated Ajeet Singh Kharkhari of the BJP by 6,231 votes in one of the last few results to be declared in the Delhi assembly poll. Gahlot has improved his victory margin this time, having won by just 1,555 votes in 2015. BJP wrests Rohtas Nagar from AAP BJPs Jitender Mahajan has defeated his nearest rival, Sarita Singh of AAP, to win the Rohtas Nagar seat. Mahajan won by 13, 241 votes. Singh was the sitting MLA in this east Delhi assembly constituency. AAPs Dharampal Lakra, trailing initially, wins Mundka AAP has retained the Mundka assembly seat. Party candidate Dharampal Lakra, who was trailing in initial rounds, won over BJPs Azad Singh. AAP retains Matia Mahal seat, Shoiab Iqbal wins by over 50,000 votes AAPs Shoaib Iqbal wins from Matia Mahal assembly seat, defeating BJPs Ravinder Gupta by 50, 241votes. Congress candidate Mirza Javed Ali was a distant third, having polled just 3,409 votes. Maashaa Allah: Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj tweets on Delhi results Filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj tweets his thanks to Delhi on the assembly election victory. Maashaa Allah. Subhaan Allah. Dilli tera laakh laakh shukraana Vishal Bhardwaj (@VishalBhardwaj) February 11, 2020 Subhash Chopra resigns as Delhi Cong chief Subhash Chopra has tendered his resignation from the post of Delhi Congress chief, reports ANI. The party has failed to win any seat in these elections just like the 2015 polls. AAPs Vinay Mishra wins from Dwarka, party tally goes up to 55 AAP retains Dwarka assembly seat, taking its tally to 55 seats. It is leading on seven other seats. Party candidate Vinay Mishra defeated Pardyuman Rajput of the BJP by 14, 387 votes. In the initial rounds of counting, Rajput was leading over Mishra. AAPs Aadarsh Shastri had won Dwarka in 2015 by a much bigger margin of 39,366 votes. Wont let you down: AAPs promise to Delhi AAP has made a Promise Day promise to Delhi, saying we wont let you down. In a tweet, the party thanked Dilli for electing it again. Thank you Dilli for electing us again. On this #PromiseDay, we promise to serve you with the same zeal for another term. We won't let you down. Dilli, we love you pic.twitter.com/Cup2menKvs AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 BJP bags Laxmi Nagar by just 880 votes The BJP has won the Laxmi Nagar assembly seat by a narrow margin. Party candidate Abhay Verma defeated AAPs Nitin Tyagi by just 880 votes. This is the seventh seat that the BJP has won in this election so far. It is leading in one more. Tyagi was the sitting MLA from this east Delhi seat. Girish Soni retains Madipur seat AAPs Girish Soni has retained his Madipur seat. He defeated Kailash Sankla of the BJP by 22, 719 votes. However, Sonis victory margin this time has shrunk by around 7,000 votes. He had won from here in 2015 by 29, 387 votes. Congress Jai Prakash Panwar came in the third spot. People have rejected both BJP & Cong: Ex-Haryana Cong chief Ashok Tanwar Reacting to the AAP victory in Delhi assembly polls, former Haryana Congress chief Ashok Tanwar on Tuesday said people have rejected both the BJP and the Congress, and opted for a third alternative. Delhi assembly poll results have shown that people have rejected the main national parties, the BJP and the Congress. While people have seen policies of the BJP and are fed up with them, they are not seeing any hope in the Congress as an alternative. So, wherever a third credible alternative is available, people will now go for it, Tanwar told reporters in Chandigarh, reports PTI. AAP retains Kondli, Kuldeep Kumar defeats BJP candidate Kuldeep Kumar of AAP has won from the Kondli reserved constituency after trailing initially. He defeated BJPs Raj Kumar by 17,907 votes. AAPs Manoj Kumar had won this seat in 2015. AAP posts another meme as it continues its victory run The Aam Aadmi Party continues to post witty tweets as the party continues with its victory run in the Delhi assembly polls. The latest in the series is a meme from the movie Spiderman - With great power comes great responsibility. Uncle Ben has a message for all the AAPvengers. pic.twitter.com/bdHjVndCVb AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 AAP retains Karol Bagh seat AAPs Vishesh Ravi has won from the Karol Bagh seat. He had won from here in 2015 as well. Ravi defeated BJPs Yogender Chandoliya by over 31,000 votes. Karol Bagh is a reserved constituency. AAP retains Delhi Cantt Virender Singh Kadian of Aam Aadmi Party has won from the Delhi Cantt assembly seat, defeating Manish Singh of the BJP. Kadians winning margin is 10, 590 votes. AAPs Surender Singh had won the seat in 2015. AAP retains Chandni Chowk seat, Congress Lamba a distant third Aam Aadmi Partys Parlad Singh Sawhney has won from the Chandni Chowk seat, defeating his nearest rival, BJPs Suman Kumar Gupta by 29, 584 votes. The party has won this seat in 2015 also but Alka Lamba was the winning candidate for the party. This time, though, Lamba contested from here on a Congress ticket and was a distant third. Thats Janata Ka CM: AAP tweets Kejriwal photo AAP calls Arvind Kejriwal Janata ka CM. The party tweeted a photo of the Delhi chief minister in which he can be seen with folded hands, as results showed the AAP has retained power in the city. AAP turncoat Anil Kumar Bajpai wins from Gandhi Nagar BJPs Anil Kumar Bajpai has won from the Gandhi Nagar assembly seat. He defeated AAPs Naveen Chaudhary by 6, 079 votes. Bajpai had won from this seat in 2015 but on an AAP ticket. The BJP, though in the number two position in the Delhi polls, has so far won only six seats and is leading on two others. AAPs Kartar Singh Tanwar wins Chhatarpur by narrow margin Kartar Singh Tanwar retains Chhatarpur by a narrow margin. The AAP candidate defeated his nearest BJP rival 3, 720 votes. Delhis labour minister Gopal Rai retains Babarpur seat Delhis labour minister and AAP candidate from Babarpur, Gopal Rai, has won. He defeated BJPs Naresh Gaur by over 33,062 votes. Rai had won from this seat in 2015 election as well, albeit with a bigger margin of 35,271 votes. AAPs Somnath Bharti retains Malviya Nagar, increases victory margin AAPs Somnath Bharti has retained the Malviya Nagar assembly seat, defeating BJPs Shailender Singh by 18,144 votes. The AAP leader has increased his victory margin this time, having won in 2015 by 15,897 votes. Looking forward to working with Centre: Kejriwal thanks PM Modi AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal is replying to the congratulatory messages pouring in on the partys victory in the Delhi assembly election. He has taken to microblogging site Twitter to post his thank you messages. Replying to PM Modis message, Kejriwal said he is looking forward to working closing with the Centre to make our capital city into a world class city. Thank u so much sir. I look forward to working closely wid Centre to make our capital city into a truly world class city. https://t.co/IACEVA091c Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 11, 2020 You richly deserve this win: Ex-PM Deve Gowda congratulates Kejriwal Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Tuesday congratulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal over AAPs splendid third victory in the assembly polls and said this win assures the rest of India yet again that desperate acts of communal polarisation has limited currency, reports PTI. You richly deserved this win. It is also a remarkably good sign in Indian politics that your focus on development has paid off immensely, Gowda said in a letter to the Delhi CM. Wishing very best in fulfilling aspirations of people of Delhi: PM Modi Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulates Arvind Kejriwal for his partys victory in Delhi assembly election. The PM wished them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2020 Odisha CM congratulates Arvind Kejriwal on hattrick win Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik congratulates Arvind Kejriwal and his Aam Aadmi Party for their performance in the Delhi Assembly election. Patnaik tweeted, Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal ji and @AamAadmiParty on the hattrick win in #DelhiPolls2020. Best wishes for a successful tenure. AAPs Rajesh Rishi retains his Janakpuri seat AAPs Rajesh Rishi has retained his Janakpuri assembly constituency. He defeated BJPs Ashish Sood by 14,917 votes. Gokalpur seat retained by AAP AAPs Surendra Kumar has won the Gokalpur (SC) seat, defeating BJPs Ranjeet Singh by over 19,000 votes. The party had won from here in 2015 also. AAP crosses half-way mark in 70-member Delhi assembly Ruling Aam Aadmi Party has crossed the half-way mark in the 70-member Delhi assembly. The party had won 37 seats, as per the Election Commission website at 6:09 pm Arvind Kejriwal wins New Delhi seat Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal has won the New Delhi seat defeating BJPs Sunil Kumar Yadav. Kejriwal is all set to return to power for a third term with his party, according to latest results and trends, winning 34 seats and leading in 29 seats. Rahul Gandhi congratulates Arvind Kejriwal on Delhi win Congress leader Rahul Gandhi congratulates AAP on its victory in Delhi assembly election. In a tweet, he said, My best wishes & congratulations to Mr Kejriwal and the AAP on winning the Delhi Assembly elections. The Congress has once again failed to win any seat in this election, a repetition of the 2015 polls. AAP retains Badli seat AAPs Ajesh Yadav has won from the Badli constituency. He defeated BJPs Vijay Kumar Bhagat by 29, 123 votes. Yadav had won from this seat in 2015 as well. AAPs Som Dutt wins from Sadar Bazar seat Aam Aadmi Partys Som Dutt has won from the Sadar Bazar assembly constituency. He has defeated BJPs Jai Prakash. Rajnath Singh congratulates Arvind Kejriwal Senior BJP leader and Union defence minister Rajnath Singh has congratulated Arvind Kejriwal for AAPs victory in Delhi assembly election. AAP MP offers sweets in Parliament premises Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sushil Gupta distributed sweets in Parliament premises to celebrate the partys performance in DelhiPolls2020. AAP leader Sanjay Singh says, Delhi people have given a clear message that elections can be won on the basis of work and development. AAP Member of Parliament Sushil Gupta offering sweets to Congress leader Anand Sharma at Parliament premises. ( ANI / Twitter ) AAP wins Ballimaran seat AAP has won the Ballimaran seat. Party candidate Imran Hussain has defeated BJPs Lata by 36,172 votes. Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Mandir Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Mandir in Central Delhi to offer prayers. He had thanked the deity while addressing party workers earlier. He is accompanied by his wife, party leader Manish Sisodia and others. Manish Sisodia thanks Delhi for respecting five years of work Manish Sisodia, Delhis deputy chief minister and AAPs winning candidate from Patparganj thanked Delhi for respecting the work of five years. In a tweet in Hindi, Sisodia said, Thank you from the heart Delhi....for respecting the work of five years....for respecting education....real patriotism is to provide good quality education while remaining in power. .. ,... .... . Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 11, 2020 Cong performance isnt surprising: Sandeep Dikshit Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit says the partys performance in Delhi assembly polls isnt surprising, reports ANI. Congress performance is not surprising...We were nowhere there. We tried to showcase the work done by Sheila ji but it was done really late because unfortunately Subhash Chopra ji was given the responsibility really late, Dikshit said. Arvind Kejriwal going to Hanuman Mandir Delhi chief minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal has left the party headquarters and going to Hanuman Mandir in New Delhis Connaught Place. We dont do politics of hate: BJPs Manoj Tiwari after Delhi loss After Delhi loss, BJP state chief Manoj Tiwari said the party doesnt practise politics of hate, we do politics of sabka saath sabka vikas. In an indirect reference to anti-CAA protests at south Delhis Shaheen Bagh, the BJP state chief said, lot of things are said during elections but we never wanted that roads should be blocked for 60 days. We opposed that yesterday, we are opposing that today. Hoping for more work in Delhi and not blame game: Manoj Tiwari After congratulating the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for its massive in Delhi, BJP state chief Manoj Tiwari took responsibility for the partys defeat and said the they hope for more work not blame games in the national capital. Biggest gift: Kejriwals wife on AAPs big win Its the biggest gift Ive received (she celebrates her birthday today). This is the victory of truth. I think politics should be done on basis of issues. Political parties should learn that such comments shouldnt be made, said Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwals wife Sunita Kejriwal. Clear message to Opposition: Kejriwals daughter On Arvind Kejriwals clean sweep in Delhi, daughter Harshita says the Opposition has received a clear message that communal politics doesnt work anymore, instead votes are polled on basis of development, especially in terms of education and healthcare. Manoj Tiwari congratulates Arvind Kejriwal Thank you to all the voters of Delhi. Thank you to all the workers for their hard work We respectfully accept the mandate of the people of Delhi, Manoj Tiwari tweeted and congratulated Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal as the party leads in 63 seats. BJP accepts mandate, will act as constructive opposition: Nadda BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday said his party accepts the mandate given by the people of Delhi and it will play the role of a constructive opposition. Congratulating Arvind Kejriwal and AAP for their victory in the Delhi assembly election, Nadda said in a series of tweets that the BJP hopes the AAP government will work for the overall development of the national capital. I love you: Arvind Kejriwal tells Delhiites Addressing people from the AAP office, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed his love for Delhiites who have overwhelmingly voted in the partys favour. Dilli walon ghazab kar diya aap logon ne! I love you, he said. Arvind Kejriwal thanks Lord Hanuman after Delhi votes in AAPs favour Arvind Kejriwal thanked Lord Hanuman after Delhi voted overwhelmingly in AAPs favour. This is the day of Lord Hanuman who has blessed the people of Delhi. We pray that Hanuman Ji keeps showing the right path to us so that we continue to serve people for the next five years, he said. Kejriwal thanks Delhi for AAPs massive sweep Kejriwal thanked the people of Delhi for ensuring AAPs third term in the national capital. He thanked people for trusting their son (Arvind Kejriwal) yet again. AAP all emotional Jan Ki Baat, not Mann Ki Baat: Uddhav Thackeray congratulates Arvind Kejriwal Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi for AAPs victory in assembly election. People have shown that the country will be run by Jan Ki Baat, not Mann Ki Baat. BJP called Kejriwal a terrorist but couldnt defeat him," he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. People of Delhi have proven Arvind Kejriwal isnt a terrorist: Raghav Chadha Raghav Chadha, AAPs winning candidate from Rajinder Nagar says that people of Delhi have proven that Arvind Kejriwal is a true patriot, reports ANI. People of Delhi have proven that Delhis son Arvind Kejriwal isnt a terrorist but a true patriot. Hes working for nation building, the work hes doing is what constitutes patriotism. What BJP is doing, isnt patriotism, he said. Atishi wins from Kalkaji AAPs Atishi has won the Delhi polls from the Kalkaji assembly constituency. She was up against BJPs Dharambir Singh. Post her win, she took to Twitter to thanks the people of Delhi for putting their faith in AAP and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhis Govt. Schools the best in the country and now well make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi!, she said. AAPs Raghav Chadha wins from Rajinder Nagar Aam Aadmi Partys Raghav Chadha celebrated with party workers on winning from Rajinder Nagar assembly constituency. #WATCH Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha celebrates with party workers as trends show he is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency. pic.twitter.com/KTDmilbjrV ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 Manish Sisodia wins from Patparganj AAPs Manish Sisodia has won from Delhis Patparganj. He faced a tough fight against BJPs Ravinder Singh Negi. Akhilesh Yadav thanks Delhi for rejecting politics of hate Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated Arvind Kejriwal as trends reflect clear win for AAP. I also thank the people of Delhi who rejected the politics of hate, betrayal, and destruction. After the result of this election, BJP will not remember any Bagh, he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. Freebies have won: Anil Vij As trends show AAPs win in Delhi assembly election, Haryana minister Anil Vij on Tuesday tweeted freebies have won and issues have lost. In the Delhi election, the issues have lost. Freebies have won, Vijs tweet, roughly translated in English from Hindi, reads. , ANIL VIJ MINISTER HARYANA (@anilvijminister) February 11, 2020 Failed to connect with people: Kapil Mishra concedes defeat AAPs rebel MLA Kapil Mishra who joined the BJP in August last year has conceded defeat. I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi, he was quoted as saying by ANI Sharad Pawar congratulates AAP for sweeping victory Congratulations to Shri. Arvind Kejariwal ji and Aam Aadmi Party workers for achieving a Sweeping Victory in the Delhi Assembly Polls!, tweeted NCP chief Sharad Pawar. After round 10, Manish Sisodia continues to trail After 10 rounds of counting of votes, deputy CM Manish Sisodia continued to trail in Patparganj with 48,493, while BJPs Ravi Negi has so far secured 49,716 and Congresss Laxman Rawat is way behind with 1,874 votes. In Delhi Cantt, AAP ahead by over 5,000 votes After seven rounds of counting, AAP is leading over BJP by 5747 votes in Delhi Cantt assembly constituency. AAP won, bluff and bluster lost: Chidambaram AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022, tweeted senior Congress leader P Chidambaram as AAP continues to lead in over 55 assembly seats. Delhi not with communal forces: Congress In the past two to three months, Delhi has been in a very bad state, especially for students, be it violence at Jamia, JNU or the recent incident at Gargi College, the Congress party said. However, the way Delhi voted and defied the claims of BJP, it is clear that Delhiites do not support communal forces, Delhi Congress chief Subash Chopra said. The Delhi Congress chief took moral responsibility for the partys defeat and congratulated CM Arvind Kejriwal. From Jamia to JNU and now at Gargi College, our daughters are not safe on campus either. Neither the Central Government, nor the Home Minister nor the Chief Minister of Delhi are doing anything. We raised our voice on every issue: @SChopraINC Congress Live (@INCIndiaLive) February 11, 2020 Lt Governor Anil Baijal dissolves Delhi Legislative Assembly Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal dissolved Delhi Legislative Assembly on Tuesday . Gautam Gambhir congratulates Arvind Kejriwal As the Aam AAsdmi Party (AAP) continued to lead in 58 assembly seats, BJP MP Gautam Gambhir congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal, he said, according to news agency ANI. Prashant Kishor thanks Delhi for protecting soul of India Reacting to trends showing AAPs leads in Delhis 58 constituencies, former Janata Dal-United (JDU) vice-president Prashant Kishor thanked the people of Delhi for standing up to protect the countrys soul. Thank you, Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! he tweeted. Kishor was expelled from JD(U), a short while ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, following a tiff with party chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). AAPs Bandana Kumari wins from Shalimar Bagh, supporters begin celebrations AAP supporters have already begun celebrations in Shalimar Bagh,where the party candidate Bandana Kumari has won, securing 24,441 votes. Mamata Banerjee congratulates Kejriwal, says people have rejected BJP West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee congratulated Arvind Kejriwal as AAP is leading in Delhi polls. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected, she said according to news agency ANI. DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded, she tweeted. AAP set to win Delhi as BJPs numbers get better The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) looked set to retain power in Delhi for the third term with a comfortable majority while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to improve its performance in the national capital. AAPs Raghuvinder Shokeen leading from Nangloi Jat constituency Aam Aadmi Partys Raghuvinder Shokeen leading from Nangloi Jat constituency, after sixth round of counting of votes, reports news agency ANI. With 25.72% of vote counted at 11.47 am, AAP has 53.06% of share and BJP, 39.31% With 25.72% of vote counted at 11.47 am, AAP has 53.06% of share and BJP, 39.31%. AAP is leading in 57 and BJP in 13 constituencies. There are 30 seats where the margin is over 5000. AAP leads in 27 of these. There are 9 seats where the margin is below 1000. AAP leads in 5. With 25.72% of vote counted at 11.47 am, AAP has 53.06% of share and BJP, 39.31%. AAP is leading in 57 and BJP in 13 constituencies. There are 30 seats where the margin is over 5000. AAP leads in 27 of these. There are 9 seats where the margin is below 1000. AAP leads in 5. sukumar ranganathan (@HT_Ed) February 11, 2020 BJPs Jagdish Pradhan, AAP leader Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat among candidates with top winning margins The BJPs Jagdish Pradhan from Mustafabad and Mukesh Kumar Ahlawat of the AAP from Sultanpur Majra were among the two of the 70 candidates leading with the highest margin of over 20,000 votes, latest Election Commission data showed. Party wise vote share, according to EC data Things can still change: Kapil Mishra trails but remains hopeful BJPs Kapil Mishra, who is trailing after three rounds of counting of votes, is still hopeful that his vote share will increase by the end of six rounds. At the end of three rounds of counting, AAPs Akhilesh Pati Tripathi is leading with 16,461 votes and BJPs Kapil Mishra is down at 8,667. Congress falters again, yet to open its account A teetering election campaign, a leadership crisis and over-dependence on legacy appeared to be the reasons behind the Congress dismal show in early trends of the Delhi poll results, with the party failing to open its account till 11.20am on Tuesday. The Congress, which ruled Delhi consecutively for 15 years from 1998 to 2013, was staring at a wipeout again after having failed to win any seat in the 2015 assembly elections in the national capital. A senior Delhi Congress leader, who spoke on condition of anonymity, blamed over-dependence on the past for the partys poor show. AAP has 52.29% share and BJP, 40.25% With 20.95% of vote counted, AAP has 52.29% share and BJP, 40.25% . AAP is leading in 55 seats and the BJP in 15. There are 13 constituencies where lead is less than 1000. BJP is leading in five of these and AAP in eight. There are 22 constituencies where lead is more than 5000, and AAP is leading in 20 of them. With 20.95% of vote counted, AAP has 52.29% share and BJP, 40.25% . AAP leading in 55 seats and BJP in 15. There are 13 constituencies where lead is less than 1000. BJP leads in 5 of these and AAP in 8. There are 22 constituencies where lead is more than 5000. AAP leads in 20. sukumar ranganathan (@HT_Ed) February 11, 2020 AAPs Akhilesh Pati Tripathi leads by over 4,000 votes. AAPs Model Town candidate Akhilesh Pati Tripathi said he was relieved when he trailed by just 98 votes in first round of counting. This is a constituency where AAP would generally trail by 1500 votes in first round, he said. As of now he is leading by over 4,000 votes. Manish Sisodia trailing in Patparganj Delhi deputy CM and AAPs candidate from Patparganj is currently trailing while BJPs Ravi Negi is leading by over 2,000 votes. At the end of third round of counting, BJPs Ravindra Negi secured 15,271 and AAPs Manish Sisodia trailed behind with 13,844 votes. People want a govt that takes care of its citizens: AAPs Akhilesh Tripathi I thank everyone who has expressed their confidence in Arvind Kejriwal. People want a government that takes care of its citizens, says AAP candidate Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, who is leading from the Model Town constituency by 4,520 votes. Latest trends AAP workers celebrate in Punjab AAP workers in Punjab were seen celebrating in Punjabs Amritsar as the party has taken a comfortable lead in early trends in Delhi. There is still time: Manoj Tiwari on vote share gap between AAP, BJP Trends indicate that there is a gap between AAP and BJP, there is still time. We are hopeful. Whatever the outcome, being the State Chief I am responsible, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari told news agency ANI. AAPs win against BJP, its communal agenda is significant: Cong Everyone knew that Aam Aadmi Party will return to power for the third time. Congresss defeat will not send a good message. The victory of AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party and its communal agenda is significant, said Congress MP AR Chowdhury, according to news agency ANI. AAPs Durgesh Pathak trailing in AAPs Durgesh Pathak is trailing by over 2,800 votes from Karawal Nagar seat while BJPs Mohan Singh Bisht in the lead. Manish Sisodia faces tough fight in Patparganj Even as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) surged ahead in the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly elections, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is facing a tough fight from Ravi Negi of the BJP for the Patparganj seat. AAPs Atishi trailing in Kalkaji AAPs candidate from Kalkaji Atishi is currently trailing while BJPs Dharambir Singh is leading by approximately 190 votes, according to ECI data. Amid Delhis poll results, silent protest at Shaheen Bagh Amid counting of votes in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly elections, capitals Shaheen Bagh on Tuesday witnessed silent anti-CAA protests, the epicentre of demonstrations for nearly two months. The women protesters have been staging silent protest since the morning, and no person was seen delivering any speech during the demonstration, reporting news agency, reported news agency IANS. Priority is to ensure accuracy in counting: Delhi CEO Delhi chief electoral officer Ranbir Singh on Tuesday said that the poll bodys priority is to ensure accuracy in counting of votes in Delhi assembly election. We have made all the needed arrangements for security. The counting had begun on time with the postal ballots and all the work is being done as per the Election Commission guidelines, Singh told news agency ANI. Followed by counting of the postal ballots, the EVMs counting will begin in each round. Our priority is to ensure accuracy in counting with all checks, Singh said. Kejriwal ahead by over 4000 votes Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAPs New Delhi candidate Arvind Kejriwal is currently leading by over 4000 votes. As on 10 am, Kejriwal secured 7820 votes, while its closest competitor BJPs Sunil Yadav is trailing with 3433 votes in bank, according to data available on the ECI website. In Okhla, the epicentre of anti-CAA protests, AAP first choice In Okhla, the epicentre of the ongoing anti-CAA protests, AAP has been the first choice for the voters. Congresss Parvez Hashmi was trailing from Okhla where the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading. A cryptic message on poster at BJP office A new poster has springed outside BJPs Delhi office that reads Victory doesnt make us egoistic, and defeat doesnt disappoint us, in Hindi. The poster has an image of Union Home Minister Amit Shah who led the BJP campaign charge during Assembly elections. As per C-voters current data, the BJPis leading in at least 20 seats. AAP gears up for celebrations AAPs party headquarters at Rouse Avenue in Delhi is all set for victory celebrations. In line with exit poll predications, the party is currently leading in at least 50 assembly seats. Kejriwal will address the volunteers from the terrace of the party headquarters after the results will be clear. There is also a new banner outside the party office, with the same old slogan Ache honge paanch saal, Delhi me to Kejriwal (The coming five years will be good, Kejriwal will be in Delhi). Congress hopes for good numbers Though the party is currently not leading on any of the Delhi assembly seats, Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra on Tuesday anticipated a good number of seats. We have done a lot of hard work...lets see, I think we should get a good number of seats in this election. All our contestants have worked hard and I am really proud of them, Chopra told ANI. No Machine which has a chip is tamper proof: Digvijay Singh Congress leader Digvijaya Singh took to Twitter to raise EVM tampering issue as early leads for Delhi assembly election started coming in. He said that no machine which has a chip is tamper proof. Would CEC and Hon Supreme Court please have a fresh look on EVM voting in India? We are the largest Democracy in the World, we cant allow some Unscrupulous People to Hack Results and steal the Mandate of 1.3 Billion People, tweeted Congresss Digvijaya Singh. No Machine which has a Chip is Tamper Proof. Also please do for a moment think, why no Developed Country uses EVM, he asked. Congresss Mukesh Sharma accepts defeat I acknowledge my defeat, thanking all the voters and Congress workers of Vikaspuri constituency and hope that there will be all-round development of the area. I will continue to fight for the all-round development of Delhi, Vikaspuri and Uttam Nagar constituencies in future also, Congress candidate from Vikaspuri Mukesh Sharma tweeted as Congress showed no gains in early trends . , , Mukesh Sharma (@MukeshSharmaMLA) February 11, 2020 BJPs Kapil Mishra trailing in Model Town AAPs rebel leader Kapil Mishra, who joined the BJP in August last year, is contesting from Model Town assembly constituency and was trailing as per early leads. Alka Lamba trailing in Chandi Chowk In early trends Alka Lamba, who switched from AAP to Congress last October, is trailing in Delhis Chandi Chowk assembly constituency. Going to register massive win: AAPs Sanjay Singh As early trends show AAP leading in at least 53 seats, party leader Sanjay Singh told agency news ANI to wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win. Congress ahead in Ballimaran seat Improving its tally from 2015, the Congresss Haroon Yusuf is leading from Ballimaran seat. Arvind Kejriwal leading from New Delhi Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal is leading from his turf that is New Delhi constituency. BJPs Sunil Yadav contesting from the seat has said that he wouldnt contest any further elections if he loses the election. AAPs Manish Sisodia at Akshardham counting centre As counting of votes is underway Delhi deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj assembly constituency Manish Sisodia and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ravi Negi were seen at the Akshardham centre. AAPs Manish Sisodia and BJPs Ravi Negi at Akshardham counting centre. ( ANI Photo ) Not nervous, good day for BJP: Manoj Tiwari Minutes before counting of votes across 70 assembly seats began, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari told news agency ANI he wasnt nervous and that it is going to be a good day for his party. He was confident of BJP making the next government in Delhi. In early trends the BJP is leading in at least 14 seats. BJP leads in 13 seats The BJP was seen leading in at least 13 seats in early seats. Mundka, Karawal Nagar, Shalimar Bagh were among the key seats BJP is leading in. In early trends, AAP ahead in 41 seats In early trends Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was seen ahead in at least 37 assembly constituencies including ahead in Bawana, Nerela, Badli, Burari, Kirari, Mangol Puri, Wazirpur, Rohtas Nagar, Model Town, Babarpur, Seemapuri, Vikaspuri, Nangloi Jat, Uttar Nagar, Madipur, Chandi Chowk, Sadar Bazar, Gandhi Nagar, Shahdara, Tilak Nagar, Rajouri Garden, Karol Bagh, Ballimaran, Palam, Harinagar, Laxmi Naghra, Kalkaji, Trilokpuri, Okhla, Deoli, Mehrauli, Matiala, and Delhi Cantt. First leads in favour of AAP According to data provided by C-voter, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 30 seats, while the BJP has a lead in 12 seats. Seat share in 2015 In Delhi assembly election 2015, out of 70 seats the AAP won 67 and the BJP secured three seats. Counting begins Counting of votes for Delhi assembly election has begun. Manish Sisodia tweets a prayer Seeking a third term in the national capital, Delhis deputy chief minister and AAPs candidate from Patparganj on Tuesday began his day by offering prayers at his residence. We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last 5 years, he told news agency ANI. ! Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 11, 2020 10 min to go In 10 min from now, counting of votes polled in February 8 Delhi assembly election will begin. The result will decide if the incumbent AAP will secure a third term or if the BJP or Congress will surprise Delhi by sweeping the polls. AAP eyes hat-rick Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is eyeing a third term in Delhi. The results are not only going to be a referendum on its work in the last five years, but also on AAPs stature as a political party at the national level. The AAP fielded 46 of its sitting MLAs from the same constituencies they contested in the 2015 polls, keeping in mind their good work in their respective areas and their connect with locals. BJPs Manoj Tiwari wants people to save this tweet After exit polls on Saturday predicted big win for AAP, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari defied the predictions and claimed the BJP would win at least 46 seats in the Delhi assembly election. fail.. .. .. EVM .. Manoj Tiwari (@ManojTiwariMP) February 8, 2020 No crackers during victory celebrations: Kejriwals instructions to AAP workers Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday instructed AAP workers to not burst crackers during victory celebrations Party functionaries said though preparations are underway to celebrate the victory in the polls, whose results will be announced on Tuesday, Kejriwal has asked party volunteers not to burst firecrackers as it contributes to pollution. Other preparations to celebrate the victory, including ordering sweets and namkeens, are also underway at the party headquarters in ITO, they said. Wont be surprised if Kejriwal loses from New Delhi seat: Kapil Mishra Aam Aadmi Partys (AAPs) rebel MLA Kapil Mishra on Monday said the peoples mandate is with the BJP and that he wont be surprised if chief minister Arvind Kejriwal lost from his home turf. The peoples mandate is with the BJP. We know the reality as we have worked on the ground. I must say, there is nothing to be surprised if Kejriwal gets defeated from New Delhi constituency, Mishra told ANI. What was absolutely shocking for Arvind Kejriwal The Delhi assembly election 2020 final voter turnout wasnt announced by the Election Commission even 24 hours after polling ended. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and AAP contestant from New Delhi called it absolutely shocking and questioned the EC over the same. Whos up against Arvind Kejriwal in New Delhi BJPs Sunil Yadav is up against chief minister Arvind Kejriwal from New Delhi constituency. The BJP leader has declared he would not contest another election if he lost this assembly poll and will only concern himself with organisational matters. Have Congress voters found an alternative? It is a matter of worry, especially because the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) are vying for the same vote bank. If voters have moved to an alternative, it means that they did not think we have anything extra to offer, said a senior All India Congress Committee (AICC) leader. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, a senior party leader who is also contesting elections said all blame cannot be put on AAP wave. The leader said that if the senior leadership wanted they could have put in more efforts on campaigning and the party would have been in a better position. Fate of Congress heavyweights at stake The Congress on Monday put up a brave face, saying the exit polls, which have predicted a maximum of just one seat for them in Delhi Assembly elections, could not be taken as gospel truth and exuded confidence that the party will be able to improve its tally. The party did not win any seat in the 2015 Delhi assembly polls. We will definitely improve. Moreover, the exit polls are not the gospel truth. We are confident of winning a few seats, said partys incharge for Delhi PC Chacko on Monday. AAP confident, BJP says exit polls will fall flat Counting of votes polled in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly elections is set to take place on Tuesday, with exit polls predicting a big win for the ruling AAP even as BJP leaders maintained that the surveys will fall flat. Strong rooms spread across the city storing the EVMs are being heavily guarded, with a three-layer security ring, Delhi CEO Ranbir Singh has said. Traffic movement affected Traffic movement will remain closed from Bhajanpura towards Gagan Cinema (both carriageways) due to vote counting tomorrow. Motorists are advised to take alternative route, the Delhi Traffic Police tweeted early today. Muni Maya Ram Marg near Guru Nanak Dev Institute of Technology (both carriageways) shall remain closed due to vote counting today. Traffic movement will remain closed on Road number 224 Dwarka from sector 7/9 crossing towards sector 9/10 crossing due to vote counting, they tweeted. What exit polls have predicted All five exit polls have predicted a third term for Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, while the BJP is expected to improve its performance from the 2015 assembly elections when it won only three seats. However, only little is expected to change for Congress, which was in power between 1998 and 2013 but drew a blank in the last assembly polls in 2015. Arvind Kejriwal eyes third term Delhi is all set for results of assembly elections held on February 8. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is eying a third term in the national capital. Most exit polls have predicted AAPs clear win with the party expected to get anything between 47 seats to 68 seats out of the 70 assembly seats. 500 security personnel at each counting centre Until the counting day in Delhi, each centre will be guarded by at least 200 security personnel while on the final day the security will be doubled, a senior Delhi police official has said. Deputy commissioner of police, Sharat Sinha said the strength of Delhi Police each centre will have up to at least 500 personnel on the day of counting, including senior officers of the rank of assistant commissioner of police (ACP). Three-layer security cover at strongrooms The Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh on Monday assured that foolproof security arrangements have been made in and around each of the counting centres. A three-layer security cover has been provided at the strongrooms, as per the election commissions directions. Security around the counting centres and in the areas has also been beefed up, he said. Over 2600 poll officials involved As Delhi gears up for poll results, officials from the poll body said that around 2,600 counting staff, including 33 counting observers, are involved in the counting of votes on Tuesday. Counting begins at 8 am Counting of votes in Delhi assembly election 2020 will begin on Tuesday at 8 am. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Madison Bogisch (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 17:13 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d6170 1 Art & Culture music,orchestra,Sundanese,France,Le-Concert-Impromtu Free To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between France and Indonesia, the two countries combined musical powers to present "Le Concert Impromptu Meets Simpay Panaratas" at the DL Bach Recital Hall in North Jakarta on Saturday. Indonesian composer Dedy Hernawan led the Simpay Panaratas ensemble in an entertaining way. The Sundanese ensemble from West Java consisted of Devi Anggitaningrum on gamelan and tarawangsa (traditional Sundanese string instrument), Bunga Dessri Nur Ghaliyah on fiddle with Sundanese spades, Julaeha on drums and kecapi (zither), Dikdik Pebriansyah on trumpet and bamboo flute and Yossef Fadhilah on tarawangsa. Having performed internationally since 1991, Le Concert Impromtu has been recognized as one of Frances most reputable wind-instrument ensembles. The quintet, established with the intention of preserving French classical music, comprises Pierre Baffus on bassoon, Jean-Christophe Murer on clarinet, Violaine Dufes on oboe, Antonin Bonnal on horn and Yves Charpentier on flute. Read also: Indonesian, Japanese musicians collaborate in contemporary roadshow Local and international guests were presented with an eclectic arrangement of music, a combination of the historic, distinct sounds of the French and the culturally rich and exciting compositions of the Indonesians. Some 14 songs were played by the cross opera, as the two musical powerhouses took turns in presenting parts of their musical heritage. At times, it could feel as if the two were in a power struggle, fighting for the audience's attention. Despite this, the final collaboration brought the two together harmoniously and enthused the audience as Danse des Sauvages and Sabilulungan were played, a perfect representation of the relationship between France and Indonesia today. (wng) ---------------------------- Madison Bogisch traveled to Indonesia under a program with ACICIS Study Indonesia. Characterization studies of early embryonic development are limited, mainly due to the lack of samples and the obvious legal and ethical limitations. The genome editing technique CRISPR/Cas9 represents an important tool to study embryo development. This technique acts as directed scissors that modify specific DNA sequences or genes. The CRISPR/Cas9 technique has potential in the treatment of single-gene mutation diseases, because it can be used to eliminate or repair mutated genes in embryos, and thus prevent the birth of children with genetic diseases. Its application is also useful to study the role of genes in embryonic development, as in the project proposed. However, there are still technical limitations for these applications. On the one hand, it is necessary to modify all embryo's cells and avoid what is called embryonic mosaicism - the mosaic embryos are those that have cells with a correct number of chromosomes and others chromosomally altered-. Also, there is a risk of altering other genes apart from the gene of interest (what is called off-target mutations), which could lead to significant side effects. The research group of Dra. Anna Veiga, group leader of the Regenerative Medicine Program of the Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) and director of R&D in Biology of the Reproductive Medicine Service of Dexeus Mujer, is starting a project called "Genomic edition through CRISPR/Cas9 in human embryos for the study of early embryonic development. EMBRYOCRISPR", in which, through genome editing by CRISPR/Cas9, several genes that are relevant for embryonic development will be studied. The project consists in the development of genetic edition by CRISPR/Cas9 in human embryos to modify some of these genes and evaluate the development of edited embryos in the early stages. Human embryos from the In Vitro Fertilization Program (IVF) of Dexeus Mujer's Health Service will be used in this project. Those embryos are from IVF cycles carried out in this center, that have been voluntarily and altruistically donated for research by their progenitors. Another novelty of this project is the technique used for embryo developmental assessment (morphokinetic evaluation, time lapse) which allows continuous and real-time observation of their development. Cellular and molecular biologists from IDIBELL , who will perform genome editing, and molecular and immunocytochemical analyzes of the edited embryos will collaborate with clinical embryologists with extensive experience in embryonic culture and preimplantation genetic screening techniques of Dexeus Mujer, who will assess the efficiency and safety of genome editing in human embryos, by the analysis of it developmental capacity and characteristics. A pioneering project that will provide essential data It is a unique and pioneering project in Spain, which will require experience in assisted reproduction and genome editing areas. The optimization of the CRISPR/Cas9 method in human embryos will confirm the results of previous studies and evaluate and try to solve the technical problems that this technique currently presents. The study of the involvement of specific genes in the early stages of embryonic development will provide essential data, to establish possible embryonic viability and implantation markers, which could contribute to the improvement of the current results of assisted reproduction techniques. The project has been authorized by the General Directorate of Health Regulation and Regulation of the Ordenacio i Regulacio Sanitaria del Departament de Salut de la Generalitat de Catalunya after having received the approval of the Comision Nacional de Reproduccion Humana Asistida (CNRHA) that considers that there are no ethical, biological or legal objections for the project to be developed. ### Reuters Amazon Web Services said on Monday it was seeking to depose President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper in its lawsuit over whether the president was trying "to screw Amazon" when it awarded a Pentagon contract for cloud computing to rival Microsoft Corp. The Amazon.com Inc unit alleged that Trump, who has publicly derided Amazon head Jeff Bezos and repeatedly criticised the company, exerted undue influence on the decision to deny it the $10 billion contract. Known as the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure Cloud, or JEDI, the contract is intended to give the military better access to data and technology from remote locations. (Also read: Microsoft wins pentagon's $10 billion cloud computing contract ahead of Amazon) An Amazon spokesperson said the "preservation of public confidence in the nation's procurement process requires discovery...particularly in light of President Trump's order to screw Amazon." "President Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to use his position as President and Commander in Chief to interfere with government functions including federal procurements to advance his personal agenda," the spokesperson said. (Also read: Timeline: Amazon challenges Pentagon awarding $10 billion cloud deal to Microsoft) "The question is whether the President of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of the DoD to pursue his own personal and political ends," the spokesperson added. Last month, Amazon filed a motion in court to delay the Department of Defense deal with Microsoft until a court rules on its protest of the contract award. The procurement process has been delayed by legal complaints and conflict of interest allegations. Defense Secretary Mark Esper has denied that there was bias and said the Pentagon made its choice fairly and freely without external influence. Also read: Amazon to protest Pentagon's $10-billion cloud award to Microsoft - WSJ) The nations largest teachers unions want to end active shooter drills while students are in class, contending the practice can trigger trauma instead of confidence in a crisis. Schools should focus on training faculty and staff and pour resources into threat assessment programs, mental health officers, physical security and improving school climate, according to a white paper released Tuesday from the American Federation of Teachers, National Educators Association and Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund. If schools choose to do lockdown or active shooter drills, the groups wrote, they should omit simulations that mimic actual incidents, give parents advance notice and announce the drills before they begin. Unfortunately, (lockdown drills) will be a new social norm, because if we dont train them, they wont know what to do if the real thing happens, said Craig Straw, Texas City ISDs director of security and school safety. About 95 percent of schools across the country hold drills to prepare students and teachers for the possibility of a campus shooting, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The call to rethink active shooter drills comes after several life-like simulations in schools have drawn national attention and criticism. Trainers shot teachers and staff with plastic pellets at one active shooter training at an elementary school in Indiana last spring, although no students were on campus at the time. Parents at a suburban Orlando, Florida, school raged against school officials in December 2018 after they warned of a code red over a loudspeaker and sent automated texts to teachers that there was an active shooter on campus. The administrators did not say it was a drill, and some students were so afraid that they texted their parents good bye messages, according to the Orlando Sentinel. Some schools, including one in Dayton, Ohio, fired blank rounds of ammunition during lockdowns to familiarize students and staff with the sound of gunshots. In Texas, school districts are required by state law to hold several types of emergency drills a year, including lockdown, fire evacuations, shelter-in-place for hazmat scenario and shelter-in-place for severe weather. The Texas Education Agency will release rules this summer about the number of each type of drills schools must conduct, but it currently recommends schools hold at least two simulated lockdowns each school year. The trainings were required after a mass shooting at Santa Fe High School in Galveston County left 10 dead and 13 wounded on May 18, 2018. However, each district differs in how it conducts the exercises. On HoustonChronicle.com: Houston ISD considers metal detectors at some campuses Perhaps no districts in the state have changed how they approach training and preparing for potential shootings more than those located near Santa Fe ISD. Clear Creek ISD, for example, created a local mandate to conduct multiple drills nearly one year before that approach was enshrined in state law. There, school administrators warn parents, teachers and students of the exact date and time of a drill. They use a specialized curriculum about several types of drills for students in kindergarten through 12th grade, and do not use any sound effects or role-playing when conducting the drills. Clear Creek ISD Superintendent Greg Smith likened it to the bomb drills of the 1960s, in which students would hide under their desks in the event of a Soviet missile attack, and routine fire drills that have occurred for decades. Weve tried to do it in systematic way, and weve created some good muscle memory for people to respond to various threats out there, Smith said. That muscle memory came into play in late 2018, when one of the districts elementary schools had to enact what is known as a lockout as police pursued a felony suspect near the campus. Brian Palazzi, the districts director of safe schools, said campus administrators brought all the kids inside, locked all the exterior doors and did not allow anyone to enter or leave until the lockout was lifted. Despite the chaos outside, it was calm inside the school, he said. The teachers got the kids off the playground and things were going on as normal, Palazzi said. The kids werent scared because they had done it before. Other Houston-area districts have chosen to be more realistic. On HoustonChronicle.com: More than a year after Santa Fe High shooting, families still wait for answers School officials in Texas City ISD, also located near Santa Fe, give parents about a weeks notice before a drill but never disclose the date and time beforehand. The district uses an app that flashes warnings across all computers inside a school and on the cell phone screens of every teacher and employee describing the threat or type of emergency situation. Teachers can mark the status of each of their students, indicating whether they are all accounted for and if any are missing or injured. Those reports feed back to a central database, which allows law enforcement and district officials to pinpoint a threat and know where and how to treat students and staff. During lockdown drills, police officials bang on classroom doors to see if students make noise in response, Texas City ISDs Straw said. Only law enforcement officers are allowed to open classroom doors in those scenarios, even if a drill is finished The district does not use actors pretending to be shooters roaming halls, nor does it try to simulate the sound of gun fire. Straw said the district uses the same drill curriculum used by Clear Creek ISD and spends about an hour and a half debriefing with school staff following each drill. For teachers who say this causes stress, weve been doing fire drills for years. Students are used to hearing the sound of the drill and they dont panic, Straw said. Last fall, Northside Independent School District in San Antonio created a simulation video to accompany its active shooter drills. The video, which stresses the run-hide-fight protocol, includes theater students from a Northside high school acting out the three options during a shooting. While the video is shown only to middle and high school students, all grade levels participate in the drills, which happen once each in the fall and spring semesters. The spring exercise typically is unannounced. Students and staff practice getting to secure locations, locking doors, turning off the lights and staying quiet, said Barry Perez, a spokesman for Northside. Our intent when we do the drills is never to scare students,he said. So, youre not going to see any drills where people are going around slamming on doors and banging or simulating gunshots. Those arent part of our drills. Perez emphasized that the drill and the video are one part of a comprehensive security plan that includes bullet-proof lobbies in elementary schools, police officers stationed at every secondary school, security cameras on all school properties and a 24/7 hotline that anyone can call to report suspicious activity. After students at Northsides Hector Garcia Middle School watched the video in their classes last fall, school counselors and principal Tracy Wernli met with any who had concerns. Some kids came and we had an open conversation about it. They were able to ask us those what-if questions, Wernli said. I think that helped a few kids feel a little bit better. With students emotional stability in mind, the schools counselors are advised to be more visible in the days before and after a drill, Wernli said. Special education teachers also call their students parents to let them know of drills in advance. . The teachers unions and Everytown discouraged unannounced drills. They said schools should focus on training faculty and staff and pour resources into threat assessment programs, mental health officers, physical security and improving school climate. And, they said, drills should be coupled with trauma-informed methods to address students well-being, and track data about the effects of drills. shelby.webb@chron.com Tin hats on! It promises to be the first revelatory memoir of the Boris Johnson premiership. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd is writing a book which will lift the lid on sexism in politics, Brexit rows and how MPs work together. Provisionally entitled Don't Be Put Off, it will also be a call to arms for young people to get more engaged in politics. 'It's a blast at the snowflake generation for not getting more involved,' I'm told. There is certainly no love lost between Remainer Rudd and Brexiteer Boris. Former Home Secretary Amber Rudd is writing a book which will lift the lid on sexism in politics, Brexit rows and how MPs work together She campaigned for Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, famously telling a live TV debate that Johnson 'is the life and soul of the party, but he isn't the man you want driving you home at the end of the evening'. Rudd quit Boris's cabinet as Work And Pensions Secretary last September and resigned the Conservative whip in protest against his decision to expel 21 Tory MPs for rebelling against the prospect of a no-deal Brexit. Last October she announced that she would be standing down as MP for Hastings and Rye at the General Election. Rudd's literary agent, Caroline Michel, says the book will be a humdinger. 'It will surprise people,' she tells me. It's not what they will expect and it will be a brilliant book.' Rudd, 56, was once married to the writer and critic, the late AA Gill, and has already shown some literary prowess herself. In 2008, two years before she entered Parliament, she entered a sexual health poetry competition. There is certainly no love lost between Remainer Rudd (pictured) and Brexiteer Boris Rudd, 56, was once married to the writer and critic, the late AA Gill, and has already shown some literary prowess herself Her ode to safe sex Loving You Is So Exciting was such a hit with the judges that she won joint first prize in the over-25s category: a 50 voucher donated by the local chlamydia screening clinic. She is so well-connected that back in the Nineties, film director and producer Richard Curtis recruited her to supply extras when he was making the Four Weddings And A Funeral classic. Rudd arranged for posh friends to be paid 100 a day to mill around in 'smart wedding outfits' during film shoots. Besides re-inventing herself as a writer, former investment banker Rudd is also following her brother into PR. She has been hired as a senior adviser by Teneo a global consulting, strategy and communications firm to offer 'strategic advice'. Brother Roland founded PR company Finsbury in 1994. She's got the hair, she's got the dress Emma Corrin was almost entirely unknown until it was announced that she would portray Diana, Princess of Wales, in the fourth season of The Crown. But the ingenue actress, 24, perfectly recreated the moment when Diana, wearing a Victor Edelstein gown, dazzled New Yorkers at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1989 (with scenes filmed in Manchester standing in for the Big Apple). The blonde, who attended Woldingham, the 37,000-a-year Catholic girls' school in Surrey, has always seemed pre-destined for the part: even before landing the role, she named her dog, a cockapoo, 'Spencer'. But the ingenue actress, 24, perfectly recreated the moment when Diana, wearing a Victor Edelstein gown, dazzled New Yorkers at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in 1989 (with scenes filmed in Manchester standing in for the Big Apple) Bill back on Susanna's sofa When Bill Turnbull appeared on Good Morning Britain last autumn to talk about his prostate cancer, he joked that he would like to replace Piers Morgan on the ITV sofa. Some executive on the channel must have taken him seriously, for I can disclose that former Strictly contestant Bill is to stand in for Piers when the outspoken presenter goes on a week's holiday later this month. It will be the first time that Bill has hosted a programme alongside Susanna Reid since she left BBC Breakfast for ITV in 2014. They had co-presented the show for two years. 'I think Susanna's trying to make me jealous,' Piers tells me. Bill, who left BBC Breakfast in 2016 after 15 years, was spotted in the GMB studios yesterday, learning the ropes. Victoria won't be needled over those tattoos Heavily tattooed Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton admits her love of body art isn't to everyone's taste. 'I was stopped by a older lovely lady at a horse-racing event, who pleaded with me to stop getting tattoos,' admits the 39-year-old cyclist and equestrian. 'They are not ladylike . . . what will they look like when you're 80?' she said. Heavily tattooed Olympic gold medallist Victoria Pendleton admits her love of body art isn't to everyone's taste 'Well, if I reach 80, I'm pretty sure I won't give a damn about what anyone thinks about the ink. I'll be too busy making the most of life. 'I don't think having tattoos makes me any less respectable, or any less thoughtful or conscientious or kind. I'm still the same outrageously normal girl from Stotfold in Beds who looks up to the kind and generous qualities of her mum.' If he's hoping to keep the chances of his peerage alive, it was not the most opportune time for John Bercow to confess his shortcomings. But the former Speaker has never been a stickler for tact. Bercow was giving the keynote address at Funds Congress, a conference for asset managers, at Westminster's QEII Centre late last week, where he admitted: 'I was never a great team player because I always wanted to be team leader.' He also confessed that he 'would have made a lousy Prime Minister'. How magnanimous. Bad nerves? Perry has a tipple for it Cross-dressing ceramicist Grayson Perry admits he's broken his long-held habit of ditching booze as the year starts, because alcohol soothes his nerves. 'I used to give up alcohol for three months of the year, from New Year to my birthday,' he tells me at the Marc Jacobs and Magda Archer collaboration launch party. 'I did it for 20 years. But I'm not doing it this year because I found it was too much. My anxiety got too bad. Drinking helps. I'm a six till nine alcoholic.' Cross-dressing ceramicist Grayson Perry admits he's broken his long-held habit of ditching booze as the year starts, because alcohol soothes his nerves TV presenter Alan Titchmarsh is a king in his own household. 'They are starting to know I am famous,' he says of his four grandchildren. 'The eldest, the seven-year-old, came up to me a few weeks ago and said curiously: "Grandpa, you're Alan Titchmarsh, aren't you?! and I replied: !Yes, I am,! and then he went away. I thought that was marvellous.' Judge approves controversial merger of T-Mobile and Sprint originally appeared on abcnews.go.com A federal judge in New York has approved the merger of T-Mobile and Sprint in a controversial decision Tuesday, siding with the telecom giants over a coalition of state attorney generals who were suing to block two of the largest wireless carriers in the U.S. from combining. The lawsuit from 14 state attorneys general, and the District of Columbia, led by California and New York, was one of the last hurdles T-Mobile had to overcome before it could proceed with buying Sprint for $26 billion. The so-called "megamerger" already has approvals from the FCC and the Justice Department. MORE: Trial begins for state attorney general's lawsuit over T-Mobile and Sprint 'megamerger' New York Attorney General Letitia James called Tuesday's decision "a loss for every American who relies on their cell phone for work, to care for a family member, and to communicate with friends." She said that the deal "will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets." "There is no doubt that reducing the mobile market from four to three will be bad for consumers, bad for workers, and bad for innovation, which is why the states stepped up and led this lawsuit," she added in a statement. James said she was considering an appeal to the decision. PHOTO: An illustration depicts smartphones with the logos of T-Mobile and Sprint, Sept. 19, 2017. (Dado Ruvic/Reuters) Meanwhile, Ajit Pai, the chairman of the Federal Communications Commission argued the the exact opposite, calling the decision a "big win for consumers." "Im pleased with the district courts decision," Pai said in a statement Tuesday. "The T-Mobile-Sprint merger will help close the digital divide and secure United States leadership in 5G." Pai said T-Mobile has committed to bringing 5G to "97% of our nations population within three years and 99% of Americans within six years," especially in rural areas. "This transaction represents a unique opportunity to speed up the deployment of 5G throughout the United States, put critical mid-band spectrum to more productive use, and bring much faster mobile broadband to rural Americans," he added. Story continues The FCC has previously approved the merger, voting along party lines in October. The merger has also secured the green light from the Justice Department. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra tweeted that "even in the face of powerful opposition, we won't hesitate to stand up for consumers who deserve choice & fair prices," leading many to wonder if he was alluding to an appeal coming. "We'll stand on the side of competition over mega mergers, every time," he added. MORE: The FCC approved the T-Mobile-Sprint merger. Now what? T-Mobile and Sprint welcomed the news. John Legere, CEO of T-Mobile, said "now we are finally able to focus on the last steps to get this merger done" in his statement welcoming the "huge victory." "The broad and deep 5G network that only our combined companies will be able to bring to life is going to change wireless," he added. Sprint's Executive Chairman Marcelo Claure said the judge's decision "validates our view that this merger is in the best interests of the U.S. economy and American consumers." "With the support of federal regulators and now this Court, we will focus on quickly completing the few remaining necessary steps to close this transaction," he added. A person in Gallatin County is being evaluated at Bozeman Health Deaconess Hospital after becoming ill following travel to mainland China and will be tested for the novel coronavirus. It's the first reported person under investigation for the virus in Montana, according to the state Department of Public Health and Human Services. The Gallatin City-County Health department emphasized that the person is being tested and monitored, but has not been diagnosed with the virus. Results from testing, done by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are expected sometime this week. Novel coronavirus is the cause of a respiratory illness outbreak that was first detected in Wuhan, China. In the United States a total of 12 people have tested positive for the virus, according to the CDC, out of 398 cases under investigation. Cases have been confirmed in Washington, California, Arizona, Wisconsin, Illinois and Massachusetts. About 42,500 cases of the virus had been confirmed globally by Monday, and more than 1,000 people have died, with the majority in mainland China. Jim Murphy, the state health department's Communicable Disease Control and Prevention bureau chief, said Monday the state has been notified by federal health officials of about 15 people with a recent travel history in China and is working with those people to monitor their health. Matt Kelley, the health officer with the Gallatin City-County Health Department, said Monday the risk to people in the county and state is very low, but that he wanted to make information public to avoid the spread of rumors or confusion. We wanted to share with people who were expressing concern the information we have and we wanted to do that in a consistent way and in a widespread way, Kelley said. Kelley said five people in Gallatin County who have recently traveled to China are working with the state and local health departments to be monitored. The person who is being tested went to the Bozeman hospital after becoming ill. The hospital is taking special precautions to protect employees and others, Kelley said. "This is the first person that weve been monitoring that has shown the symptoms," Kelley said. The risk to anyone in the county remains very low. "The exposure of this person is really small and we don't even know what is making this person ill," Kelley said. "The things we would tell people in Gallatin County today are really the same things we would have told them last week take care of yourselves and take the same precautions that you take for influenza." Murphy said that when people travel from China to the United States, those who are being allowed back in the country are screened by federal health workers for symptoms. Those who are not sick and travel back to their home states are flagged for the state health department. The state then works with local health departments to monitor those people for about two weeks, the longest known incubation period for the virus. Murphy pointed out about 97% of those who have been tested for the virus in the United States have not had it. "We're optimistic that our person is going to also test negative and we should know that mid-week," Murphy said. The CDC has the only lab that can do testing, but Murphy said Montana's state labs should be able to test for the virus by the end of the month. He said the low diagnosis rate shows the screening systems set up at major airports are working. "This person, for instance, was somebody that was on our monitoring list and as a result we were able to reach out and make contact and when something changed in the person's health status, a medical evaluation was going to occur," Murphy said, adding that those on the monitoring list generally have restrictions placed on their movement to limit the possible spread of a potential illness. Montana has had four deaths from influenza this year, with 4,033 cases reported in the state and 186 hospitalizations. All counties have reported at least one case. There is no vaccine for the novel coronavirus, but the CDC recommends people generally avoid spreading respiratory viruses and the flu by avoiding contact with people who are sick; washing your hands; avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth; staying home when you are sick; and cleaning and disinfecting frequently touched objects and surfaces. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 2 Sad 0 Angry 2 A school closed in Les Contamines-Montjoie, near Mont Blanc in the French Alps, where five British nationals including a child tested positive for the coronavirus (Getty) A British businessman who contracted the coronavirus in Singapore is feared to be a super spreader with a higher ability to infect other people, and appears to be linked to 11 other cases. After a conference in Singapore, the man, who is in his 50s, travelled to France where he stayed with his family in a ski chalet in the Alpine resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie. Five people who were in the chalet, including a boy of nine, have tested positive for coronavirus since the man came back to the UK on an easyJet flight. The man, who is now being treated at St Thomas' Hospital in London, has been linked to six other cases five of which were announced on Monday. A man in protective clothing cleans the County Oak Medical Centre GP practice in Brighton after a member of staff contracted coronavirus (Getty) What is a super spreader? Medical professionals are as of yet unsure what makes a person a super spreader, which means they have a higher ability to infect other people with a virus they contracted. It has been suggested some people may "shed" more of the virus into the environment by coughing and sneezing. Some speculate that the immune system of the person might be so good that the person themselves doesnt feel symptoms so carries on transmitting the disease to others. In the early 1990s, an Irish woman nicknamed Typhoid Mary infected an estimated 51 people in the US with typhoid but had no symptoms herself. Read more: UK facing 'major outbreak' of coronavirus, expert warns Canadian mum desperate to be reunited with toddler stranded in China's coronavirus epicentre Brit honeymooner on quarantined cruise ship confirmed as having coronavirus Someone who travels a lot and has contact with many people as was the case with the British businessman could spread the virus to multiple people. It is possible that they got a higher dose of the virus or were infected with more than one pathogen. Specialists say identifying these individuals is vital in keeping the spread of virus under control. [February 11, 2020] Charity Gala Supports Medical Missions to Haiti and Sustainable Solutions to Meet the Needs of Impoverished The C14 Foundation announced this week that its large-scale fundraising costume party will be held Wednesday, June 10, 2020, from 9pm to 2am at the Omnia Nightclub in San Diego. The party historically draws more than 3,000 attendees. Guests often go all-out with theme regalia, high fashion, and masquerade costumes. This year's theme is "Arabian Nights: The Genie Unleashed." Guests will compete for best costume and best dancer awards. Tickets are available through Eventbrite for a donation of $100. Sponsorships offering discount ticket packages for the event are currently available. All party proceeds go toward The C14 Foundation's various charities. For 2020, the Foundation's Board of Directors has selected four charities that will benefit from the 2020 gala: St Jude Clinic (Port-au-Prince, Haiti), Blue Sky Surgical (Port-au-Prince, Haiti), the National Black Nurses Association (NBNA), and its own Soilless Agriculture Project (India and Haiti). This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006035/en/ During the 2019 "Gladiators and Goddesses" themed gala held at The Fillmore in Philadelphia, The C14 Foundation founder, Martina Molsbergen Tamaro, presents an overview of the Foundation's goals and shares photos from the charity efforts it supports, including medical missions to Haiti and other work focusing on developing and applying sustainable solutions to unmet basic needs around the world. (Photo: Business Wire) The C14 Foundation's 2020 charity efforts are geared to cultivate sustainability and empowerment Medical Missions to Haiti The C14 Foundation's medical mission teams to Haiti are made possible through the Blue Sky Surgical Team and the St Jude Clinic outside of Port-au-Prince in an effort to help "fill the gap" in a nation that has no formal healthcare system or infrastructure. Each volunteer mission team includes doctors, surgeons, specialists, pharmacists, dentists, optometrists, and nurses from the US who provide medical treatment to those who have little to no access to healthcare. "Without these visits, provided free of charge by caring and trained volunteers, many of these patients would otherwise suffer and probably die," reports Foundation founder, Martina Molsbergen Tamaro. St Jude Clinic (Port-u-Prince, Haiti) Primary care doctor teams of 12-14 volunteers from the US treat more than 1,000 patients each week at no cost to patients, with teams on the ground four times a year at the St Jude Clinic in Haiti providing much needed life saving medicines to patients who cannot afford them. Blue Sky Surgical (Croix de Bouquet, Haiti) Adult and pediatric surgeons and nurses and specialty care teams of 20-25 volunteers from the US save many lives by conducting between 100-110 on-site surgeries per visit, which are performed free of charge at the Double Harvest Clinic, collaborating with other teams visiting every two weeks each year. National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) National Black Nurses Association (NBNA) provides collaborative community healthcare for women minorities. NBNA is a nonprofit organization of 150,000 African-American nurses, nursing students, and retired nurses. NBNA's cornerstone continues to be to improve the health of African Americans through the provision of culturally competent healthcare services in community-based health programs. NBNA has also supported the FSIL School of Nursing in Haiti and helped to sponsor missions by NBNA members to Haiti. Soilless Agriculture Project (India and Haiti) Many soils throughout the world are depleted of nutrients from overcultivation. The global agriculture workforce is shrinking as fewer young people around the world choose farming as a vocation. Traditional methods are yielding insufficient harvests and placing an overabundance of negative externalities on the environment. Additionally, increasing population pressures on world resources include more competition for fresh water. Agriculture uses up to 70% of the world's fresh water supply, often inefficiently. The OECD projects that by 2030 nearly half of the world's population will live under "water stress" with uncertain water access.* Tamaro explains: "Prospects for growing enough food to sustain our expanding societies is troubling. Hence, taking plants out of soil may hold the key to sustainable food production systems." Modern agriculture techniques can change the poverty equation: The C14 Foundation aims to equip and train poor farmers with new and modern methods to produce safe, consistent, high-quality food throughout the entire year. Two important techniques for ensuring sustainability are proving to be hydroponics and aquaponics: growing plants without soil. These techniques may hold the key to self-supportable food production systems for our entire planet in the future. With plans to launch the program in 2020, The C14 Foundation intends to build out hydroponics and greenhouse facilities and infrastructure in which to teach state-of-the-art agriculture techniques to poor farmers in India and Haiti. It will create reliable, sustainable, and standalone power and water sources for these facilities. Farmers will be permitted to rent out portions of the facilities at a nominal fee for growing and harvesting their crops. The C14 Foundation will form a network and provide a vehicle and means for farmers to sell hydroponically grown foods on the world stage. About The C14 Foundation: Helping the poorest of the poor The C14 Foundation is a nonprofit private organization (operating under the IRS statutes of code 501c3) founded by Martina Molsbergen Tamaro in 2018 with the sole mission of serving the poorest of the poor by cultivating substantive methods and ideas that drive lasting solutions for meeting the basic needs of food, water, good health, and shelter. The C14 Foundation funds humanitarian projects directly and oversees them closely to ensure their success. The Foundation also troubleshoots and builds successful and reproducible working program models that can be replicated by others. The C14 Foundation targets regions with severe malnutrition and insufficient social remedies. In 2019, The C14 Foundation raised over $149,000 in support of its missions, and awarded over $35,000 in grants. For more information, visit: www.TheC14Foundation.org. About the charity gala? General admission: $100 donation Tickets available: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/arabian-nights-the-genie-unleashed-tickets-91163076215 Date: Wednesday, June 10, 2020 Time: 9pm- 2am Location: Omnia Nightclub, 454 6th Ave, San Diego, CA (News - Alert) 92101 Costume ball theme: Arabian Nights: The Genie Unleashed Cash Bar: Must be 21 years or older to attend *Reference: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. "OECD Environmental Outlook to 2030." OECD. Accessed 26 Mar. 2019. www.oecd.org/environment/indicators-modelling-outlooks/40200582.pdf View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006035/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Aam Aadmi Party national convener Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of the party's newly-elected MLAs at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday, senior party leader Gopal Rai said. IMAGE: Delhi CM and AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal hugs party leader Sanjay Singh during his address to supporters after victory in the Assembly polls, at the party's office in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo At the meeting scheduled at 11.30 am, the MLAs will choose the AAP's Legislature Party leader, Rai told PTI on Tuesday. Another AAP leader said the party was considering two dates for the chief minister's oath-taking ceremony -- February 14 and 16. The Ramlila Maidan was being considered as the probable venue for the ceremony, he said, adding that a grand event was being planned. However, the final call regarding the venue was yet to be taken, the AAP leader said. After the selection of the Legislature Party leader, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal will be apprised of it. Thereafter, a notification will be issued. The worlds population is projected to reach 8.6 billion in 2030 and about 10 billion by 2050. Unfortunately, some of the ethnic groups and tribes will have become extinct by the next decade. Some of the tribes around the world have been experiencing a decline in their population because of several factors including malnutrition, epidemics, constant attacks by other superior tribes, and other natural causes. Violence and conflict with the colonialists also contributed significantly to the decline. Some of the tribes on the verge of extinction are mainly those who have spent their lives in seclusion, mostly in the forest or river banks, with little or no contact with the outside world. Here are some of the most threatened tribes in the world. Awa The Awa, also known as the Gauja tribe, is considered the worlds most threatened tribe. They are the indigenous people of Brazil who live in the eastern Amazon Forest and speak the Gauja language. The Awa tribe number approximately 350 people, of which 100 people are secluded from the outside world. The Gaujas originally lived in settlements but adopted a nomadic lifestyle in the 1800s to escape from the Europeans. From the 19th century, the tribe has been under constant attack, especially by the settlers in the region with logging interest. Without government intervention, the Awa and their culture would have become extinct. Although some of the Awa people moved to government settlements in the 1980s, they still depended on forests for their livelihood. In 1982, the Brazilian government received a loan from the World Bank, part of which was to be used in demarcating the land for the Awa people. However, it took the government 20 years to demarcate the land. Despite the efforts to protect the Awa people from extinction, they are still threatened by loggers. Maasai The Maasai people of southern and central Kenya and northern Tanzania are known internationally for their preserved culture, customs, and distinct dressing. They are famous for their jumping dance known as aduma and the warrior spirit (moran). The Massai people are semi-nomads with established settlements near game parks and reserves of the African Great Lakes. The governments of Kenya and Tanzania have tried to encourage the Maasais to abandon their traditional semi-nomadic life but they are reluctant to do so. The Maasai people in Kenya are approximately 850,000 while those in Tanzania are about 800,000. The Maasais face multiple challenges that threaten their future existence. Climate change, especially extended dry seasons and drought have affected their crops and pasture for their livestock which are their main sources of livelihood, living them with no food and water. The declining wildlife and restriction on hunting by the government is a threat to moranism which requires young warriors to kill a lion as a sign of strength. Korowai The Korowai people, known for their distinct treehouses, are found in Southeastern West Papua in the province of Papua, Indonesia. They mainly live close to the border with Papua New Guinea and numbers about 2,500 to 3,000. Until the 1970s, the Korowai people believed that they were the only people in the world as they were unaware of any other people apart from themselves. They speak the Korowai language. Since 1980, some of the people have been moving out of the forests to the nearby villages such as Mu, Yaniruma, Mabul, and Manggel. They are mainly hunters and gatherers and also practice shifting cultivation. The main threat to the Korowai people is the invasion by plantation owners, loggers, miners, and those seeking natural resources on their tribal land. Huli The Huli people are the largest indigenous group in New Papua Guinea, with an estimated population of 90,000-250,000 people. The group is famous for its traditional colorful head wig and face painting. The Huli people are funds in large numbers in the Hela Province and a sizeable number throughout the country. They mainly speak Huli and Tok Pisin languages. Hulis are extensive travelers both in the lowlands and highlands surrounding their homelands. They were not known to the Europeans until 1934 when the Fox brothers killed at least 50 of them. The Huli people are some of the most threatened tribes in New Papua Guinea. Their habitat is increasingly under pressure from natural gas exploration and deforestation. The loss of habitat has also led to the migration of birds whose feathers are used for making the head wigs. There are also claims that other tribes have taken advantage of their illiteracy to cheaply buy land from them, leaving them without settlements. Lopa Lopa people were the original inhabitant of Mustang District in Northern Nepal. The socio-cultural and political center of the Lopa people is Lo Manthang. Lo Manthang is the capital of the old kingdom of Lo and has approximately 876-2,600 people. The Lopas is famous for its mud-brick houses which resemble the Tibetan homes. The walls of their homes are decorated in the inside and whitewashed on the outside. The houses are built of stones including the roofs which are extremely uniform and smooth. Most houses have small holes and no windows to protect against the wind. Lopa people are mainly farmers, merchants, and shepherds. With the Tibetan culture on the verge of collapsing, the Mustang culture will be the only remaining true Tibetan culture. However, the main threat facing the Mustang tribe is modernization. Because of modernization, the Lopa people are slowly abandoning their culture. Houses are now being built with cement and children sent to schools abroad. Rabari The Rabari tribe, also known as Desai or Rewari, is an indigenous tribe of nomadic pastoralists living throughout Northwest India, particularly in the states of Punjab, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. Others are also found in Pakistans region of Sindh Desert. The word Rabari means outsiders, a fair description of their status in India. For over 1,000 years the Rabaris have been roaming the desert and plains of west India, returning to their villages only once in a year. Although they were completely nomads in the past, they are now semi-nomads, with many settling in the cities. Their main source of income is livestock. While the men look after the livestock, women take care of the home and trade milk. There are 133 recognized casts of the Rabari, all of who follow the Hindu faith. Ni-Vanuatu Ni-Vanuatu is a group of Melanesian people native to the Republic of Vanuatu. Ni-Vanuatu is not a single tribe but a mixed ethnolinguistic group speaking a multitude of languages. Today, there are about 100 languages spoken in the island country. Vanuatu is made up of 83 islands, forming a Y-shaped archipelago. It has a total surface area of approximately 4,739 square miles and a population of about 273,000 people. 98% of the population is Ni-Vanuatu and the rest is a mix of Asians, Europeans, and the Pacific islanders. The national language in Vanuatu is Bislama and the official languages are English, French, and Bislama. Bislama is also the first language of the majority of urban ni-Vanuatus. Christianity is the dominant religion among the people, with Protestant accounting for 70% of the population. Drokpa Drokpa is a small community of people living in some small villages in the Dha-Hanu valley of Ladakh. The valley is approximately 160 kilometers from Leh, the capital of the former Himalayan Kingdom. The Drokpa people speak a Dardic language and are mainly Shia Muslims. They are culturally, linguistically, socially, and physically different from the Tibeto-Burman who inhabit much of Ladakh. Agriculture and animal husbandry is the main economic activity of the Drokpas. The highly fertile valley of Ladakh supports vegetable farming. The tribe is highly social and has been known to engage in public display affection such as kissing. Wife swapping is normal among the people without any hindrance. Their culture is also reflected in their dressing and ornaments. Mursi The Mursi is an ethnic group in Ethiopia residing in the Debud Omo Zone close to the border with South Sudan. There are approximately 12,000 Mursi in the country, of which more than half live in the urban centers. Omo River, one of Ethiopias most isolated areas, is home to the Mursi people. The ethnic group speaks the Mursi language, classified as Surmic, belonging to the Nilo-Saharan language family. The Mursi people believe in Tumwi, a force that is greater than them and resides in the sky. The group undergoes several rites of passage. They are well known for the lip plate, a wooden disc or plate won on the lower lips. Nenets Nenets, also known as Samoyed, is an ethnic group native to Arctic Russia (Far North). According to the 2010 census, there are approximately 45,000 Nenets in Russia. The majority of the group live in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug. The name Samoyed translates to self-eater and is no longer in use. Nenets which is the popular name means man. The Nenets speak the Nenets language which belongs to the Uralic language family. The tribe depends on hunting and reindeer herding. Nenets have an animistic and shamanistic belief system that insists on respect for the land and its resources. The requested page is currently unavailable on this server. Back to [RTHK News Homepage] Prince William and Kate in South Wales earlier in February. (Getty Images) The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are understood to be planning a trip to Australia to visit the towns ravaged by the recent bushfires. Prince William and his wife Kate are said to be weeks into preliminary negotiations with Scott Morrisons government for a royal visit which it is hoped will boost international donations to the disaster. The Sydney Morning Herald reports Morrison will extend the formal invitation this week, which is needed to set the plans fully into motion. However, Kensington Palace declined to comment on reports. William and Kate wave as they leave Canberra at the end of the 2014 tour. (Getty Images) Prince William and Kate laid a wreath at the cenotaph during the ANZAC Day march at the Australian War Memorial in 2014. (Getty Images) William and Kate completed a royal tour in Australia in 2014, with Prince George coming along for his first taste of international duty, and charming the locals in a play group. Its not yet known if the couples three children, George, six, Princes Charlotte, four, and Prince Louis, one, would accompany their parents. Read more: Duchess of Cambridge wraps up in navy Hobbs coat for South Wales visit - and it's on sale The visit will be Williams fifth trip down under. He also went in 2011 to tour flood hit areas in Queensland and Victoria. On 4 January, William and Kate shared a message of condolence to those affected by the fires on their Instagram account. Prince George charmed at the play group when he joined his parents on the last tour. (Getty Images) Prince George with his mother at a play group in Australia. (Getty Images) Kate showed her maternal side during their 2014 visit. (Getty Images) Alongside a dramatic image, they wrote: We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event. Bushfires have ravaged the Australian landscape for weeks. (Getty Images) We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others. Its hoped rain will help extinguish the final fires, which have destroyed about 2,400 homes and killed 32 people. Prince William has also launched The Earthshot Prize, to reward those trying to address climate change and ecological concerns. Read more: Peter and Autumn Phillips sadness at marriage split Story continues When he launched it at the end of last year, he said the earth was at a tipping point. The Australian bushfires have been linked to climate change. The news of the trip emerged as William and Kate joined his father and wife near Nottinghamshire today for a visit to Stanford Hall, a defence medical rehabilitation centre. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: One of the first images taken by CHEOPS of its target star, taken after its cover was opened. This star is 150 light-years from Earth. (Image credit: ESA/Airbus/CHEOPS Mission Consortium) A planet-hunting probe has taken its first photos, and they're better than expected! CHEOPS (CHaracterising ExOplanets Satellite), a planet-hunting exoplanet telescope from the European Space Agency (ESA), launched into space on Dec. 18, 2019, atop a Soyuz rocket from Guiana Space Center in French Guiana. After the successful launch, the telescope's cover opened on Jan. 29, 2020; the team behind the satellite waited with bated breath for the device to snap its first images, confirming that everything was working properly and nothing was damaged during launch. Related: The Strangest Alien Planets (Gallery) "The first images that were about to appear on the screen were crucial for us to be able to determine if the telescope's optics had survived the rocket launch in good shape," Willy Benz, a professor of astrophysics at the University of Bern, Switzerland, and Principal Investigator of the CHEOPS mission, said in a statement about this waiting period. "When the first images of a field of stars appeared on the screen, it was immediately clear to everyone that we did indeed have a working telescope." But, not only did these first images confirm that CHEOPS is working properly , they also turned out better than anticipated. The first pictures, Benz said, "are smoother and more symmetrical than what we expected from measurements performed in the laboratory." He added that "these initial promising analyses are a great relief and also a boost for the team." The images themselves are blurry, but that was expected as the telescope had been intentionally defocused to allow for better photometric precision: Defocusing the telescope allows for greater precision because it smooths out the light over many pixels, according to the statement. So, while the image isn't super clear, it's precise, which is necessary for the probe to spot small changes in the brightness of stars outside of our solar system observations that will help the probe to spot exoplanets transiting, or passing, in front of their star. The team will continue to test the telescope and scrutinize the images it takes over the next couple of months. "We will analyze many more images in detail to determine the exact level of accuracy that can be achieved by CHEOPS in the different aspects of the science program," David Ehrenreich, CHEOPS project scientist at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, added in the statement. "The results so far bode well." CHEOPS is designed to spot transiting exoplanets (planets outside of our solar system passing in front of their star) and characterize them. The probe will "make high-precision observations of the planet's size as it passes in front of its host star," according to a mission description from the European Space Agency (ESA) officials. "It will focus on planets in the super-Earth to Neptune size range, with its data enabling the bulk density of the planets to be derived a first-step characterization towards understanding these alien worlds." Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook . Dwarka Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Dwarka constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Dwarka profile: AAP's Vinay Mishra defeated BJP's Parduyman Rajput from Dwarka Assembly constituency by a margin of 14,387 votes. has got 40,207 votes as per the latest trends available at 13.45 pm. A part of the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, the affluent sub-city of Dwarka will go to polls on 8 February. The results of which will be declared on 11 February. The incumbent AAP is expected to be in a close contest with the BJP and the Congress in this constituency. The contest here has taken an interesting turn, with the incumbent MLA Adarsh Shastri quitting the AAP after being denied a ticket. He will now contest as a Congress candidate against Vinay Kumar Mishra of the AAP and Pradyuman Rajput of the BJP. Here is a brief profile of Dwarka: Constituency Name: Dwarka Constituency Number: 33 District Name: South West Total Electors: 1,99,223 Female Electors: 86,101 Male Electors: 1,13,115 Third Gender: 7 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The constituency came into existence after the delimitation exercise. Veteran Congress leader Mahabal Mishra won the seat in 2008 but, the BJP wrested the seat in the 2009 by-polls. BJPs Pradyuman Rajput won the 2013 polls but lost in the following elections in 2015 to AAPs Adarsh Shastri by a massive margin of nearly 40,000 votes. Demographics: A major sub-city in Delhi, often considered Asias largest residential area, Dwarka is one of the most sought-after areas in the city. Its demography is largely cosmopolitan in nature. However, Dwarka, as per media reports, also faces the problem of bad roads, poor street lighting and the lack of security for women. Located in South-West district of Delhi, Dwarka comes under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 12.64 and 0, respectively of the total population. Archaeologists have discovered human bones they believe to be Durham's earliest known resident beneath student halls. A Durham University team unearthed the Iron Age bone fragments in a shallow pit located beneath present-day student digs. The ancient resident had been cremated leaving remains of their skull, forearm and shin which date from 90 BC to AD 60. The finding makes the deceased the city's earliest recorded resident. Scroll down for video Durham University archaeologists have discovered human remains they believe to be Durhams earliest known resident They have dated remains, which they found in a shallow pit, to 90BC-60AD making the deceased the Citys earliest recorded resident 'Although we knew when we discovered the bones that they'd been cremated, we couldn't be sure they were human until we tested them in the lab,' said Natalie Swann, a senior project archaeologist at Durham University. 'When we got the radiocarbon dates back, we were all very surprised to find how early they were. 'This adds to our knowledge of the history of Durham, showing that people were living and dying here long before the well-known medieval occupation of the city.' Pictured is Tintore 2 (Irish Cremated Bone) from the outer, or distal, end of the hand belonging to the city's oldest resident Archaeologists moved into Claypath in Durham city centre, to perform excavation work in 2016 The site was developed and is now operated by student accommodation provider Student Castle From the small fragments, experts were able to establish that the person was an adult, but could not determine their age or sex. The hands-on historians made the find while excavating off Claypath, in Durham City, on a site which has since been developed into Student Castle Durham. Claypath was previously one of three main streets leading into Durham's medieval market place. A team from the University's Archaeological Services unearthed the bone fragments while excavating off Claypath, in Durham City, on the site Initial research had suggested the site had been occupied for 800 years, before the recent revelation puts that figure back to at least 1,960 ago. 'The earliest discoveries on this site are very significant and add to a growing body of evidence for settlement on the Durham peninsula and surrounding area in the Iron Age and Romano-British periods,' said Dr David Mason, Principal Archaeologist at Durham County Council. As well as evidence of the Iron Age cremation, archaeologists found items from medieval rubbish pits and 18th Century street-front buildings. Durham Castle and Cathedral on their rock above the city, and Framwellgate Bridge. Nearby Claypath was one of three main streets leading into Durham's medieval market place The historians said the remains are too 'small and vulnerable' to be displayed publicly, but their discovery is explored, along with the other finds, in a new exhibition at the university's Museum of Archaeology. 'As well as introducing us to Durham's first resident, the "2000 years" exhibition includes beautiful discoveries including as a Middle Age harness pendant,' said Gemma Lewis, the museum's curator. The archaeological excavation took place in 2016 and 2017 as a condition of the planning permission granted by Durham County Council. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 09:29:34|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close TRIPOLI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Ambassador to Libya Richard Norland on Monday urged Libyan authorities to dismantle militias and armed groups in the country. The ambassador made his remarks during a meeting with Fathi Bashaga, interior minister of the UN-backed government. "Amb. Norland met with Interior Minister Bashaga today and reaffirmed U.S. support for ongoing efforts by Libyan authorities to dismantle and disarm militias and armed groups," U.S. Embassy in Libya tweeted. "Such militias represent a serious threat to building a strong, democratic, and unified state in Libya," it warned. Libya has been suffering escalating violence and political instability ever since the fall of the late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011. Srinagar: Three terrorists were also killed inside the Pakistan border across the LOC during India's retaliation after a ceasefire violation by Pakistan on 9 February in the Mendhar sector of Jammu and Kashmir. It is noteworthy that Pakistan has been continuously violating the ceasefire on the LOC in the Mendhar sector and other sectors for the last few days. West Bengal: Centuries-old tunnel found in house excavation, ASI engaged in investigation Sources in the Indian Army have said that on February 9, Pakistan fired on the LOC in Jammu and Kashmir's Mendhar sector in violation of the ceasefire. After this, the Indian Army gave a befitting reply to this nefarious act of Pakistan. While the Indian Army was teaching Pakistan a lesson, 3 terrorists from across the LOC towards Pakistan also got fired. However, it has not been clear yet whether these 3 terrorists were trying to infiltrate India across the LOC. Delhi Assembly Elections 2020: AAP candidate Surendra Kumar leading on Gokalpur seat Ever since the Government of India has removed Article 370 of the Constitution from Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan has become very angry since then. Even after the removal of Article 370, peace of Kashmir is not being liked by Pakistan. Since Section 370 has been withdrawn from Jammu and Kashmir, the ceasefire violations have steadily increased from Pakistan. Pakistan always keeps trying to infiltrate terrorists within the border of India. Delhi Assembly Election 2020: BJP candidate Lata Sodhi leads from Ballimaran seat Prominent security and technology leaders headlining the 2020 Silicon Valley CISO Executive Leadership Summit will include Snehal Antani, Chief Technology Officer at the United States Department of Defense, Asheem Chandna, Partner, Greylock Partners, Patty Hatter, SVP Global Customer Services at Palo Alto Networks, Gary Hayslip, Director of Information Security, CISO, SoftBank Investment Advisors, and Matthew Rosenquist, Cybersecurity Strategist for Intel Corporation MENLO PARK, Calif., Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The road to innovation is littered with risks for the enterprise. The elite among cybersecurity executives stay acutely informed on the advancing nature of digital security threats and develop world-class strategies to stay ahead in the war against cyber crime. This commitment to excellence enables CISOs and cybersecurity leaders to help the organization strike a balance between security and innovation and securely steer the enterprise through these times of unprecedented disruption. Stay informed on the most incisive strategies employed by industry leaders and gain a competitive edge within a secure enterprise by attending HMG Strategys 2020 Silicon Valley CISO Executive Leadership Summit . The event will take place at the Rosewood Sand Hill in Menlo Park, California on March 19, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Click here to learn more and reserve your seat today. We are operating in an era of groundbreaking business transformation, said Hunter Muller, HMG Strategys President & CEO. CISOs and security executives are delivering game-changing leadership and fostering an innovative winning culture. Join our network of premier cybersecurity leaders to learn what it takes to win today and secure the enterprise into the future. The Silicon Valley CISO Summit will open with an HMG Lead, Reimagine, Reinvent Tech Talk, by Snehal Antani, CTO at the United States Department of Defense. In addition to sharing the strategies and insights he has absorbed from working from four organizationsGE Capital, Splunk, The U.S. Department of Defense and a recent startup he is spearheadingAntani will present on the leadership and team skills he learned from the U.S. Department of Defense, and what he wishes he had known before onboarding. Other key sessions will include: An executive panel, Creating Your Future Professional Brand as an IT Security Leader, in which security and search executives from SoftBank Investment Advisers, Alta Associates and Hitch Partners will discuss partnering across the business to establish value within the team and recommendations for security leaders to strengthen their professional brands and accelerate their career paths An executive panel of top technology executives who sit on company boards who will be speaking about the skills necessary to be effective in a board position, and what it takes to become boardroom-ready An executive panel on embracing innovation while driving the digital roadmap to a secure enterprise An executive panel on the use of emerging technologies such as AI, machine learning and behavioral analytics and opportunities for protecting the enterprise, featuring executives from Intel, Palo Alto Networks and FireEye An HMG Lead, Reimagine, Reinvent Tech Talk powered by Presenting Partner Forescout Technologies An HMG Lead, Reimagine, Reinvent Tech Talk powered by Presenting Partner Darktrace Presenting Partners at the Silicon Valley CISO summit will be Darktrace and Forescout, and the Gold Partner will be Sonatype. Info-Tech Research Group will be the Preferred Research Partner. Strategic Partners will include Egon Zehnder, Heidrick & Struggles, Korn Ferry and Spencer Stuart. The Alliance Partners will be Amplify Partners, Glynn Capital, Greylock Partners, Lightspeed Ventures and Sequoia. To visit the Silicon Valley CISO Summit website and register for the event, click here . About HMG Strategy HMG Strategy is the world's largest independent and most trusted provider of executive networking events and thought leadership to support the 360-degree needs of technology leaders. Our regional CIO and CISO Executive Leadership Series, newsletters, authored books, and Digital Resource Center deliver proprietary research on leadership, innovation, transformation and career ascent. The HMG Strategy global network consists of over 400,000 senior IT executives, industry experts and world-class thought leaders. To learn more about the 7 Pillars of Trust to HMG Strategys unique business model, click here . Tom Hoffman 203-221-2702 TomHoffman@hmgstrategy.com A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a5a2bd2-e195-4077-8150-98f830363f6d As the Long Beach Unified School District commits to keeping classes in-person, the city a new testing site opens for LBUSD employees and students only. The city is also ramping up its own testing efforts with a new 3,000-person per... Guangzhou, capital city of south Chinas Guangdong province, has developed smart elderly-care products and services, benefiting more senior citizens. Senior citizens do exercises following a robot. (Photo/Chinanews.com) With new technologies such as the Internet of Things, Guangzhou has established an intelligent system for the elderly based on certain devices, such as watches and walking sticks, to provide comprehensive services for them. With one click on the device, an elderly person can easily call for help. In addition, it can raise the alarm when the user falls and send real-time positioning information to the users family members and nursing workers, which better suits the needs of senior citizens. In Guangzhou alone, the smart device has provided positioning services for more than 100,000 users and assisted in calling for help over 1,600 times for senior citizens in emergency situations. Some companies have developed intelligent beds to make it easier to care for elderly people who cant get around on their own. The existing smart beds can help senior citizens in bed lift up their legs, sit up and so on, and can even be turned into wheelchairs if the users need them. With the continuous development of the smart caring industry, more intelligent devices will be employed to meet the various needs of the elderly, such as cooking, food delivery, feeding, bathing, traveling, and so on. The former CEO of the Console suicide helpline, Paul Kelly, has died in tragic circumstances at his home in Clane, Co Kildare, Independent.ie can confirm. Mr Kelly (62) was head of the charity shut down in 2016 after 464,000 credit card spending by him, his wife Patricia and son Tim was exposed. The state financial and corporate watchdog, the ODCE, has been leading the investigation into Mr Kelly's management of the charity. It is believed the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement got the go-ahead from the DPP in recent weeks to charge him with over ten breaches of company law and fraud during his time at the helm of Console. Mr Kelly was found dead at his home in Alexander Manor, Clane, Co Kildare at 10.30pm by his wife Patricia. The inquiry into Console was extended last year as investigators continued to trawl through computers linked to the company. Former staff members were questioned about allegedly bogus records of board meetings they say they never attended, according to informed sources. They were told the investigation was taking longer than expected due to the complex nature of the alleged breaches of company law. Paul Kelly was questioned by investigators in January last year about his management of the charity. He resigned in June 2016 after lavish spending was exposed. An estimated 600,000 of spending was still being probed as the investigation grew and charges were being considered. It is not known if Mr Kelly was aware he was to be charged with fraud offences at the time of his death. Neither Patricia or Tim Kelly have been charged with any crime, or suspected of any wrongdoing. At the time the scandal was exposed in 2016 Mr Kelly was accused of using Consoles funds for grieving families to pay for a Mercedes car, holidays, and tickets to sporting events. The cost of trips to holiday hotspots Tenerife and Cyprus were among the destinations charged to the suicide bereavement charity Console, according to a HSE audit. Over the course of two years, Console clocked up a foreign travel bill of 71,460. The destinations also included Rome, Australia and Dubai - although no details were provided of who travelled there or the reasons why. Console told the auditors that "all expenditure on travel was for Console purposes". The charity was liquidated with debts of at least 300,000 after it disclosures about Mr Kelly's lavish spending of funds. Mr Kelly, his wife Patricia and their son Tim benefited by almost 500,000 in salaries and cars between 2012 and 2014 when it had an income of 5m from public fund raising and generous HSE grants. Campaigner David Hall was appointed as the interim CEO of Console when the scandal broke in 2016. He confirmed he had been informed of Mr Kellys death yesterday. This is a personal tragedy for the Kelly family and you could only have sympathy for them, he said. I never met Mr Kelly personally, my role was clear at the time - to protect the services and deal with the backlash, he added. There were 12 full-time and 60 part-time staff providing a very significant frontline service to 376 active clients at the time the scandal broke. It was the biggest charitable scandal of the time and affected the trust in the whole charity sector. Many rules and regulations were changed as a result of it, Mr Hall explained. Hyundai and its affiliate Kia ranked sixth in global electric vehicle sales last year. A total of 2.21 million EVs were sold globally in 2019, up about 10 percent from 2.02 million in 2018, according to EV news website InsideEVs on Monday. The tally only included sales of all-electric and plug-in hybrid cars. Hyundai and Kia sold a total of 126,436 cars in the global EV market -- Hyundai 72,950 and Kia 53,477. Tesla of the U.S. topped the list with 367,820 cars sold. China's BYD (229,506 cars), BAIC (160,251 cars) and SAIC (137,666 cars) placed second to fourth, backed by brisk sales in the domestic market. BMW ranked fifth with 128,883 cars. Wednesday, 12th February 2020 Eurozone Industrial Production (MoM) (Dec) Thursday, 13th February 2020 German CPI (MoM) (Jan) Final Friday, 14th February 2020 German GDP (QoQ) (Q4) 1st Estimate German GDP (YoY) (Q4) 1st Estimate Spanish CPI (YoY) (Jan) Final Spanish HICP (YoY) (Jan) Final Eurozone GDP (QoQ) (Q4) 2nd Estimate Eurozone GDP (YoY) (Q4) 2nd Estimate Eurozone Trade Balance (Dec) The Majors It was a mixed start to the week for the European majors. The CAC40 and DAX30 falling by 0.23% and by 0.15% respectively, while the EuroStoxx600 eked out a 0.07% gain. The losses on the day came in spite of the U.S majors finding support through the U.S session to hit fresh record highs. For the European majors, the continued spread of the coronavirus weighed as news hit the wires of infections in Europe. In China, 97 fatalities on Sunday alone took the death toll to 908, with the total number of infected in China hitting 40,171 on the weekend. The continued spread and spike in fatalities on Sunday are expected to further affect the manufacturing sector. The Stats It was a particularly quiet day on the Eurozone economic calendar on Monday. There were no material stats to provide direction on the day. The lack of stats gave industrial production figures out of Italy and the Eurozones Sentix Investor Confidence Index numbers influence. In December, industrial production slumped by 2.7% month-on-month to leave production down by 4.3% year-on-year. Economists had forecast a 0.5% decline in the month and a 0.2% decline year-on-year. From the Eurozone, the Sentix Investor Confidence Index came fell from 7.6 to 5.2. Economists forecast a fall to 4.1. According to the Sentix Report, While there was a clear upswing in the global economy, the outbreak of the coronavirus has changed the situation significantly. Measures taken by the Chinese government to stop the spread show the danger to the economy if the outbreak cannot be contained. The influence on the Eurozone index was relatively minor, however. Germanys Index fell by just 2.1 points. By contrast, the Asia ex-Japan index fell by a more significant 11.3 points. Investors are finding comfort from strength in the U.S economy at the turn of the year. The Index had jumped from 0.7 to 7.6 in January before the minor pullback in February. Story continues There were no material stats from the U.S to provide direction late in the session. The Market Movers For the DAX: It was a mixed day for the auto sector. Daimler bucked the trend on the day, rising by 0.20%. Bearish for the rest, BMW and Continental fell by 1.13% and by 0.97% to lead the way down, while Volkswagen saw a more modest 0.55% loss on the day. Continental found support off the back of news hitting the wires that the company planned to cut as many as 15,000 jobs in an effort to cut costs. It was a bearish day for the banks, however. Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank fell by 0.95% and by 0.88% respectively. Deutsche Lufthansa continued to see red, falling by 0.57%. From the CAC, it was also a bearish day for the banks. BNP Paribas fell by 0.37%, with Credit Agricole and Soc Gen falling by 0.33% and by 1.31% respectively. Things were not much better for the French auto sector. Peugeot and Renault slid by 2.32% and by 1.95% respectively. Air France-KLM joined Lufthansa in the red, falling by 0.52%. On the VIX Index It was back into the red at the start of the week, as the U.S majors hit fresh record highs. Partially reversing a 3.41% gain from Friday, the VIX fell by 2.78% to end the day at 15.0. There were no material stats to provide direction, with positive sentiment towards the U.S economy weighing on the VIX. For now, the U.S equity markets suggest that the U.S economy is more shielded from the likely impact of the coronavirus than Europe The Day Ahead Its another particularly quiet day on the Eurozone economic calendar. There are no material stats due out of the Eurozone to provide the majors with direction. From the U.S, the JOLTs job openings are unlikely to influence following last weeks NFP numbers. FED Chair Powells semi-annual testimony to Congress will garner plenty of attention, however. Economic data from the U.S has supported a more upbeat outlook. How Powell views the impact of the coronavirus on the U.S and global economies will be of interest If the equity markets are anything to go by, investors dont feel that the U.S will feel the effects of the virus on the economy Ahead of Powells testimony, ECB President Lagarde is also scheduled to speak. She has not been too upbeat about the Eurozone economy Expect the continued negative news on the coronavirus to limit any upside in the European majors. News hit the wires in the early hours of the death toll rising to beyond 1,000. There was some support early in the day as China returned to work. The extent of the damage to the economy remains unknown, however, as the virus continues to spread. In the futures markets, at the time of writing, the DAX was up by 95 points, with the Dow up by 57 points. This article was originally posted on FX Empire More From FXEMPIRE: While her son Presley is lashing out at critics of his decision to get a prominent face tattoo, Cindy Crawford is in New York keeping an eye on daughter Kaia during the city's Fashion Week. And on Monday, Cindy, 53, and Kaia, 18, were seen stepping out together bundled up against the rainy weather. The supermodel has taken a keen interest in fostering Kaia's modeling career allowing her to start professionally walking runways once she turned 16. Fashionistas: Cindy Crawford and daughter Kaia Gerber, 18, stepped out together in New York on Monday bundled up against the rainy weather. Model Kaia is working at NY Fashion Week Kaia was dressed in a brown coat over black slacks paired with trainers. She sported sunglasses despite the gray skies and carried a black leather designer purse and a reusable water bottle. Cindy opted for a black puffer jacket and flared jeans along with black trainers. She also added sunglasses and wore black leather gloves. Supermodel: Cindy opted for a black puffer jacket and flared jeans along with black trainers. She also added sunglasses and wore black leather gloves Good genes: Cindy has taken a keen interest in fostering Kaia's modeling career, which started once she turned 16. Kaia is pictured walking for Longchamp, left, and R13, right, on Saturday Cindy shares Kaia and Presley, 20, with husband Rande Gerber whom she married in 1998 following the end of her first marriage to Hollywood star Richard Gere. Kaia made headlines late last year as she embarked on a romance with SNL castmember Pete Davidson, 16. It appears the three-month fling ended following an intervention by her famous parents. And this past weekend, it was Presley who was in the news with his decision to get the word 'misunderstood' tattooed along the cheekbone under his right eye. He debuted the new inking by New York-based artist JonBoy via Instagram late on Friday night. JonBoy also posted to his own Instagram, sharing a photo of himself with Presley and adding the caption: 'Sorry mom'. indelible ink: Kaia's brother Presley, 20, was in the news this weekend after he revealed he had had the word 'misunderstood' tattooed along the cheekbone under his right eye His work: New York-based artist JonBoy did the inking and posted to his own Instagram, sharing a photo of himself with Presley and adding the caption: 'Sorry mom' Both Kaia and her older brother have embraced the trend of amassing multiple tattoos. Kaia has 10 inkings already, including a flower on her wrist, two interlocking arms in the shape of a heart on her shoulder, and a Beatles inspired tattoo that reads 'Strawberry Fields' in homage to the 1967 song Strawberry Fields Forever. Presley's body art also includes his sister's name inked on his arm and the letters 'HAHA' across his fingers. His decision to permanently mark his face, though, was met with disbelief and shock in some quarters and he took to Instagram Live in Saturday to take on his detractors. 'If I thought this was going to ruin my face or I didn't want this, I wouldn't have done it. I think that's a pretty obvious thing,' Presley said. As for why he had it done, he simply offered: 'I don't feel very understood, I guess.' Getting defensive, he said during the social media chat: 'I just wanted to come on here and be like, if anyone has s*** to say to me about this or anything else and my family or how I grew up or anything.' He added: 'I will give you my address, I promise, and you can come say it to my face.' Defensive: Presley Gerber took on his detractors on Instagram Live Saturday, saying: 'If I thought this was going to ruin my face or I didn't want this, I wouldn't have done it. I think that's a pretty obvious thing' The way he was: Presley, like his younger sister, is a model. He's pictured in September 2018 (Alliance News) - Shares in Star Phoenix Group Ltd fell on Tuesday after reporting it is yet to receive the proceeds from a GBP520,000 subscription agreement and added it separately is awaiting clarification for the timing of another payment, which was delayed by the coronavirus outbreak in China. The oilfield services firm was trading 22% lower at 1.65 pence each in London on Tuesday afternoon. The company said it has been advised by investors Thesolia Ltd that it expects to receive the subscription funds by the end of February. "Such proceeds will be subject to a late fee payment," Star Phoenix noted. Under the subscription agreement, announced in January, Star Phoenix will issue 23.6 million shares to Thesolia at 2.21 pence each. Last Wednesday, the company reported that it expects a delay in receiving a USD1 million payment for the sale of Range Resources Trinidad Ltd to Chinese firm LandOcean Energy Services Co Ltd due to outbreak of coronavirus. Star Phoenix on Tuesday said it is "seeking clarification" from LandOcean as to when it will receive the payment. The death toll from the virus outbreak surged past 1,000 on Tuesday. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Voting in New Hampshires Democratic primary has begun, and Mike Bloomberg has won over one small town. Meanwhile, Pete Buttigieg is gaining support from business moguls. (Want this in your inbox each morning? Sign up here.) T-Mobile and Sprint finally make a connection A federal judge is expected to approve T-Mobiles $26 billion takeover of Sprint, perhaps even today, bringing a yearslong merger campaign to an end. The winners: SoftBank, which pumped billions of dollars into Sprint over nearly a decade. The T-Mobile deal turned out to be its best hope of rescuing an expensive bad bet. Bankers from nearly a dozen firms working on the transaction. Deep breath: PJT Partners, Deutsche Bank, Evercore, Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley for T-Mobile; Raine, Centerview, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase for Sprint; and Mizuho and SMBC Nikko for SoftBank. They could split fees of at least $155 million, according to the consultancy Freeman & Company. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 05:57:55|Editor: yan Video Player Close CARACAS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's state-owned airline Conviasa violate international law, said Jorge Alvarez, president of the Chamber of Venezuelan Air Transport Companies, on Tuesday. The only organization with the power to stop a carrier from flying from one country to another is the International Civil Aviation Organization, Alvarez told a local radio station. "From a strategic viewpoint, Conviasa flies to a series of destinations that our country's executive branch considers to be fundamental," said Alvarez. The sanctions coupled with Venezuela's already crisis-hit economy make it "very difficult to find all of the spare parts that guarantee the functioning of the fleet. That affects the country's connectivity," he added. Over the past two years, Venezuela's air traffic has fallen 57 percent despite the efforts of the National Civil Aviation Institute to keep the sector going, said Alvarez. The U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions against Conviasa on Feb. 7, and Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro said his country will file a lawsuit at the International Court of Justice "for the damage caused by the unilateral sanctions." CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SmithGroup, one of the nations leading integrated design firms, has named principal and electrical discipline leader Brian Rener, PE, as the firms Mission Critical leader. Rener will partner with Ed Burton, SmithGroups Science & Technology Practice director, to enhance the firms position as a national leader in the design and delivery of data centers and high-performance computing facilities. Rener brings more than 30 years of experience in the design of critical electrical systems for institutional clients and science & technology facilities across the country. He has designed mission critical systems for a variety of the Department of Energys national laboratories and other government agencies including the Social Security Administration. Most recently, he oversaw the design of a new supercomputing facility, the Dwight and Dian Diercks Computational Science Hall at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. Prior to joining SmithGroup in 2014, Rener led mission critical projects for clients including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Pennsylvania and Microsoft. A nationally-recognized expert in data center engineering, Rener has authored many articles and frequently presents on a range of topics influencing electrical engineering, data center design and mission critical projects in association with partners such as Argonne National Laboratory and the Electric Association of Chicago. The mission critical marketplace is undergoing substantial shifts with increased use of IoT devices, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, big data, edge computing and the deployment of 5G networks, says Burton. Brian has a comprehensive understanding of the complex, evolving issues that clients are facing. He possesses the expertise and drive necessary to deliver strategic solutions to help them create systems that are innovative and resilient. SmithGroups team of science and technology and mission critical experts design flexible, scalable and adaptable spaces to support high-performance computing and reliable data storage. The Science & Technology Practice has delivered cutting-edge, sustainable designs for over 75 mission critical projects, including facilities for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Indiana University, University of Utah, the Salt River-Maricopa Indian Community, Equinix and confidential technology clients. Rener graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering from Michigan State University. He is a registered professional engineer in Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin and 15 other states and is a LEED accredited professional. He serves as Co-Chair on the Village of Lake Bluff Sustainability committee and sits on the editorial board of Consulting-Specifying Engineer magazine. SmithGroup (www.smithgroup.com) is one of the worlds preeminent integrated design firms. Working across a network of 15 offices in the U.S. and China, a team of 1,300 experts is committed to excellence in strategy, design, and delivery. The scale of the firms thinking and organization produces partnerships with forward-looking clients that maximize opportunities, minimize risk and solve their most complex problems. SmithGroup creates exceptional design solutions for healthcare, science and technology organizations, higher education and cultural institutions, urban environments, diverse workplaces, mixed-use and waterfront developments, and parks and open spaces. Attachments Our Divisions Copyright 2021-22 DB Corp ltd., All Rights Reserved This website follows the DNPA Code of Ethics. Houston police are looking for a 28-year-old man who may be responsible for sexual assaulting several women, with as many as three incidents that began last April. Houston detectives named 28-year-old Brandon Jay Carter as the suspect in a string of assaults in west Houston and Greenspoint that started after his release from the Harris County Jail for a criminal trespass charge. Police believe he stalked his victims and waited for them to be alone. So far, Carter has been charged with debit card abuse and one count aggravated sexual assault, with the possibility that he will additional charges of a similar nature, police said. As of Tuesday afternoon, he had not been apprehended. Two warrants for Carters arrest were issued last month, one for debit card abuse linked to the latest, Jan. 5 attack, and another for aggravated sexual assault for a June 18 allegation. In the latest incident, the woman said he ambushed her outside her apartment and forced her back inside at gunpoint, court records show. The charging papers for debit card abuse do not say that she was sexually assaulted but detectives linked the events Tuesday morning at a press conference. During the attack, the suspect covered her face with a hood and bound her with zip ties. He found her debit card and demanded that she reveal her pin number, documents state. While being examined at a hospital, she called police and also noticed that $409 in cash had been taken from her account at an ATM, authorities said. During the June 18 incident, the woman said she woke up to Carter being in her home. The attacker was armed with a pistol and often concealed his face with a mask. After forcing the victims into their residences, he covered their faces, bound them and then stole property. Carter is believed to have ties to the Greenspoint area. Staff writer Jay R. Jordan contributed to this story. nicole.hensley@chron.com Blasting operations for construction of President Trumps border wall in Arizona have begun to disrupt a UNESCO ecological preserve that encompasses Native American ancestral lands and burial grounds. Construction crews have been blasting at Monument Hill, a resting place for primarily Apache warriors, and bulldozing at Quitobaquito Springs, a pilgrimage site, according to the office of Representative Raul M. Grijalva, who recently toured the area in his southern Arizona district. In 1976, UNESCO made Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument an international biosphere reserve, the agencys designation for areas protected to conserve biological and cultural diversity while allowing scientists to study the impact of development. After visiting several sites on Jan. 20 with members of the Tohono Oodham Nation, Mr. Grijalva, the Democratic chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, said that more were at risk. He plans to hold a committee hearing about the damage. You have permission to edit this article. Edit Close Donald Trump to visit India on Feb 24, 25 India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 11: US President Donald Trump will visit India on February 24 and 25. The same was announced by the White House. Trump will visit New Delhi and Gujarat. "The trip will further strengthen the US-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people," the White House tweeted. Meanwhile, preparations are on for a grand event that would be held at Ahmedabad. The visit by Trump is significant in the wake of Pakistan trying to rake up the issue of Article 370 at the UN. Pakistan is being backed by China, but the two nations have not had much success so far with other foreign nations on the issue. US Army officer who testified at Trump impeachment loses W House job Sources said that Trump would stay at the ITC Maurya. During his visit, the emphasis would be on a trade deal. China and Iran would also be discussed during the visit, the official also said. Meanwhile, a grand event on the lines of the Howdy Modi is expected to take place at Ahmedabad. During his visit, Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are likely to sign a short term trade deal. This is aimed at granting US companies more access to Indian markets and also restore the trade benefits for India that were withdrawn last year. The timing of the visit would, however, depend on the timing of the trial by the US Senate. The trial is expected to commence this week and would determine whether Trump would be removed from office or not. Indias ambassador presents his credentials to President Trump at White House It may be recalled that Trump had expressed his inability to take part in the Republic Day celebrations as chief guest in 2018. While the timeline of the visit this year is not exactly known, the official cited above said that they are working out a mutually convenient date. In November last year, Trump while responding to a question on the invitation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, said, "He wants me to go there." "I will be going at some point to India," he had also said. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A recent market study published , on mezcal market offers global industry analysis for 2013-2018 & forecast for 2019-2027.This report also offers a comprehensive assessment of the prevailing market dynamics. After conducting a thorough research on the historical, as well as current growth parameters of the mezcal market, the growth prospects of the market are obtained with maximum precision. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05843781/?utm_source=PRN Chapter 01 Global Economic Outlook The report begins with the global economic outlook, which depicts the world GDP in the key countries and trade penetration of various distribution channels in these countries. The effect of these parameters on the mezcal market is analyzed. Chapter 02 - Executive Summary The executive summary of the mezcal market includes the market country analysis, proprietary wheel of fortune, analysis on demand- and supply-side trends, opportunity assessment, and the recommendations on the global mezcal market. Chapter 02 Market Introduction Readers can find a detailed taxonomy and definition of the mezcal market in this chapter. It is intended to help them understand basic information about the mezcal market. This section also highlights the inclusions and exclusions, to help readers understand the scope of the mezcal market report. Chapter 03 Global Mezcal Market Overview Readers can find the detailed segmentation and definition of the mezcal market in this chapter. The industry assessment of the mezcal market is also carried out. This includes market trends, market dynamics, trade analysis, and supply and value chain. Consumer perceptions on mezcal are explained in the consumer survey analysis and social media sentiment analysis segments of this chapter. It also highlights price point assessment by raw material, the average price of diverse raw materials of mezcal across various regions, and offers forecasts until 2027. Factors influencing the prices of mezcal are also explained in this section. Chapter 04 Global Mezcal Market Analysis and Forecast 2019-2027 This chapter focuses on growth trajectory of the mezcal market across various segments. Based on product type, the mezcal market is segmented into Mezcal Joven, Mezcal Reposado, and Mezcal Anejo. Based on concentrates, it is segmented into 100% Tequila and Mix Tequila. Based on sales channels, mezcal market is segmented into HORECA, specialty stores, modern trade, online retailers, and other sales channels. Based on region, the mezcal market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, APEJ, Japan, and the Middle East & Africa. Chapter 05 North America Mezcal Market Analysis 2014 - 2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of factors affecting growth of the North America mezcal market, along with a country-wise assessment that includes the U.S. and Canada. Readers can also find information on regional trends and regulations in countries across North America. Chapter 06 Latin America Mezcal Market Analysis 2014-2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 Readers can find detailed information on factors such as the pricing analysis and regional trends, which impact the growth of the Latin America mezcal market. This chapter also includes information on growth prospects of the mezcal market across LATAM countries such as Brazil, Mexico, Chile, Peru, Argentina, and the Rest of Latin America. Chapter 07 Europe Mezcal Market Analysis 2014 - 2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 Growth exhibited by the mezcal market in countries such as Germany, the U.K, Italy, France, Spain, Russia, Poland, BENELUX, Nordic countries, and the Rest of Europe is studied in this chapter. Chapter 08 APEJ Mezcal Market Analysis 2014 - 2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 Greater China, India, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand, and the Rest of APEJ are the leading countries in the APEJ market. These are also the prime subjects of assessment in this chapter. Readers can find detailed information on the factors enabling growth in the APEJ mezcal market between 2019 and 2027. Chapter 10 Japan Mezcal Market Analysis 2014 - 2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 This chapter includes a detailed analysis of the growth of the Japan mezcal market. Readers can find information on key market trends and regulations prevalent in this region. Chapter 11 Middle East and Africa Mezcal Market Analysis 2014 - 2018 & Forecast 2019 - 2027 This chapter provides information on how the mezcal market is projected to grow in major countries across the MEA. These include study across GCC Countries, South Africa, Turkey, and the Rest of MEA, during the forecast period of 2019 - 2027. Chapter 12 Competitive Assessment In this chapter, readers can find detailed information about tier analysis and market concentration of key players in the mezcal market along with an analysis of their market presence by region and product portfolio. A comprehensive list of all leading stakeholders in the mezcal market, along with detailed information about each company, which includes the company overview, revenue shares, strategic overview, and recent company developments are provided in this chapter. Some of the market players featured in the report are Bacardi Limited., Craft Distillers, Familia Camarena Tequila, Del Maguey Co., Destileria Tlacolula, Diageo Plc., Don Julio, S.A.de., EI Silencio Holdings INC, Fidencio Mezcal, Brown-Forman Corporation (Grupo Industrial Herradura, S.A. de C.V.), Ilegal Mezcal, Pensador Mezcal, Pernod Ricard, Sombra Mezcal, Pierde Almas, William Grant & Sons Ltd, Sauza Tequila Import Company, and Rey Campero. Chapter 13 Assumptions and Acronyms This chapter includes a list of acronyms and assumptions that provide a base for the information and statistics included in the mezcal report. Chapter 14 Research Methodology This chapter is intended to help readers understand the research methodology followed to reach various conclusions, as well as important qualitative and quantitative information derived about the mezcal market. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05843781/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Egyptian security forces killed 17 militants during a raid on their hideout in the North Sinai capital of Arish, the interior ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. The raid came after security forces received information that a group of terrorists were using the hideout in the Obeidat district to launch violent attacks targeting police and army personnel, the ministry said. The militants exchanged fire with security forces, leading to the death of 11 terrorists. Others fled to an abandoned house in the Hous district and were followed by security forces, resulting in the death of six others. The militants were found in possession of machine guns, three improvised explosive devices and two suicide belts. Earlier this week, the military said it had killed ten terrorists as it thwarted a terrorist attack on a security checkpoint in North Sinai. Egypt is fighting an Islamist militancy based in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula that has gained pace since 2013. Hundreds of security-forces personnel have been killed in attacks claimed by militants, while the military has killed hundreds of extremists as part of an extensive campaign to crush the militancy in the border region. Search Keywords: Short link: The resignation letter submitted by Vladislav Surkov, who was previously in charge of Ukrainian affairs in the Kremlin, has not been signed yet. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said Deputy Head of the Russian Presidential Administration Dmitry Kozak has already started supervising the "Ukrainian direction" and issues of "integration." "I could say that yes, Kozak is engaged in and will continue dealing with Ukrainian affairs and integration issues in his new position. The exact wording will be stipulated in the distribution of responsibilities, which has not yet been formalized," Peskov told journalists, answering a question from an UNIAN correspondent in Russia whether a meeting between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's aide Andriy Yermak [Head of President's Office as of February 11] with Kozak means that the latter will be in charge of the Ukrainian direction in the Russian Presidential Administration. Read alsoZelensky's aide Yermak comments on meeting with Russian supervisor of puppet "republics" Answering a clarifying question from UNIAN what kind of integration Kozak will deal with, Peskov said: "Not between Russia and Ukraine. Russia has many integration processes besides Ukraine, in which it [Russia] has been very successful." Moreover, according to Peskov, the resignation letter submitted by Vladislav Surkov, who had previously supervised the "Ukrainian direction" in the Kremlin, has not been signed yet. "No, not signed yet. We have not announced this," Peskov said. He confirmed Kozak would be the main official in the Russian Presidential Administration to deal with Ukraine. As UNIAN reported earlier, Yermak said he had met with Kozak. According to Yermak, he represents Ukraine in the Normandy Four format (Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany), although he is not an "exclusive negotiator." At the same time, he confirmed that Kozak represents the Russian side at talks with Ukraine. Yermak added they had already discussed lists for future prisoner swaps. KYODO NEWS - Feb 10, 2020 - 21:35 | Japan, All The Japanese government said Monday it plans to engage in full-fledged discussions on achieving a stable imperial succession after Crown Prince Fumihito announces his status as first in line to the throne in a ceremony in April. It was the first time that top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga had referred to such a timing, with parliament calling for early discussion of the matter. (Japan's imperial family) [Photo courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency] The size of Japan's imperial family has been decreasing under the 1947 Imperial House Law that states only males in the paternal line can ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne. The crown prince, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, is scheduled to announce his status as first in line to the throne in the "Rikkoshi senmei no gi" ceremony on April 19, and a series of events related to the announcement will conclude with court banquets on April 21. The emperor and Empress Masako have one daughter, Princess Aiko. Opinion regarding the imperial succession is divided even within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, with a conservative grouping calling for the imperial status of unmarried men from collateral branches of the family to be restored if they wish, as part of measures to ensure stable succession. Speaking at a House of Representatives committee session, Suga, chief Cabinet secretary, said the government has yet to ask the male members of such branches whether they wish the status to be restored or not, and that it has no plan to do so at the moment. Suga acknowledged that government officials have already started hearing opinions from experts on an individual basis and studying various possibilities based on current discussions as the issue of the declining size of the imperial family is an urgent matter that should be tackled without delay. The crown prince's declaration will be the last in a series of ceremonies held for the imperial succession following former Emperor Akihito's abdication in April last year, the first by a Japanese monarch in over 200 years. The emperor's enthronement in May left three heirs to the throne -- the crown prince, 54, the crown prince's son Prince Hisahito, 13, and Prince Hitachi, 84, the uncle of the emperor. The current law stipulates female members of the imperial family have to abandon their imperial status after they marry commoners. Related coverage: Japan, Britain agree to aim for "ambitious" trade deal Japan's former Emperor Akihito briefly loses consciousness Britain's Prince Harry says "no other option" but to step back Wildlife photographer Domenic Biagini captured incredible aerial footage of two separate humpback whale breaches off the coast of Maui, Hawaii, in early February. Biagini, who runs the Instagram Dolphindronedom, posted a series of videos and photos to his profile earlier this month showcasing some of the interesting footage hes captured of humpback whales near the island. This video shows two different whale breaches, both displaying the power and beauty of the humpback whale, as it breaks through the oceans surface and then crashes back down into the water. Humpback whales are known to spend their winters dwelling in waters near southern Japan, western Mexico, and Hawaii; therefore, Hawaii is a prime location for whale watching during the month of February. Hawaii is quickly becoming one of my favorite places to whale watch, Biagini stated in his Instagram caption, and then asked his followers to reveal their favorite locations as well so they could discuss them together. Credit: dolphindronedom via Storyful The Shiv Sena-led Maharashtra government on Tuesday gave the "final" extension till April 8 this year to the Koregaon Bhima Inquiry Commission, which is probing the violence that took place on January 1, 2018 around Koregaon Bhima village in Pune district. The earlier extension was granted to the commission on November 9, 2019 till February 8, 2020. In a notification issued on Tuesday, the state Home department granted the "final" extension till April 8, 2020, and asked the panel to submit its report. The commission comprises former chief justice of Kolkata High Court Justice J N Patel and former IAS officer Sumeet Mullick. Notably, the commission had last month asked the government to wind it up, saying it cannotfunction due to "want of money" and the government did notseem to be "serious" about it. Earlier this month, the government had said that salaries of staff of the commission were released. Violence had taken place near the Koregaon Bhima memorial during the bicentennial celebration of an 1818 battle where the East India Company's forces, which included sepoys of Mahar caste, a Dalit community, defeated the army of the Brahmin Peshwa ruler of Pune. Dalits commemorate the victory as a symbol of defeat of the old Brahmanical order. Pune Police had claimed that inflammatory statements made a day earlier at Elgar Parishad conclave in Pune on December 31, 2017 allegedly backed by Maoists, led to the violence. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) [February 11, 2020] New Simple-to-Use Technology Empowers Quilters to Create, Edit, and Customize any Quilt Design Handi Quilter, Inc., a division of Premier Needle Arts, has introduced a new quilting design creation tool to its line of Pro-Stitcher branded products. Pro-Stitcher Designer software introduces technology that empowers all quilters to create, design, edit, and customize any quilting motif. Pro-Stitcher Designer, which is included with the purchase of the Pro-Stitcher robotic quilting system, replaces a previously-used design tool and promises support and education well beyond what traditional support was able to provide in the past. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005178/en/ Image of the easy to learn and revolutionary design tool, Pro-Stitcher Designer. (Photo: Business Wire) "Pro-Stitcher Designer is an exciting and simple tool that will allow quilters in every genre, the ability to create designs to use in finishing their quilts. It doesn't matter if you quilt by hand, use your domestic sewing machine, or own a longarm machine with computerization, this tool is for all quilters," said Kim Sandberg, Pro-Stitcher trainer and ambassador. "Using Pro-Stitcher Designer, any quilter can design or edit existing designs in all the major file formats or simply print out the designs for easy use." Expanding technology continues to provide simple approaches for quilers of all abilities. Some of the new features found in Pro-Stitcher Designer include: Easily audition quilting motifs and pantographs or design and print original pantographs. Create quilt designs from artwork using Trace tools. Output piecing or applique designs for cutting systems with .svg files. Vector-based software includes free lifetime program updates. "This technology and software have been in development for several years, focusing on the quilter's creative journey. It's a powerful program, yet easy enough for anyone to learn and use. It will definitely bring new opportunities and more precision to the quilting industry," said Brenda Groelz, VP of Marketing/Education, Handi Quilter. "This new software furthers our commitment as a leading brand to bring quilting tools and technology to quilters and the quilting industry." Pro-Stitcher Designer was released to consumers on February 1, 2020, with more than 1,000 downloads. To learn more about Pro-Stitcher Designer and to experience the power of this new creative tool, go to www.ProStitcher.com. Premier Needle Arts (www.premierneedlearts.com) family of brands provides the highest-quality products and services to millions of passionate enthusiasts around the world in the quilting, sewing, knitting, crochet, and other fiber arts communities. Premier Needle Arts has facilities in Vancouver, WA, Columbus, OH, and in Salt Lake City, UT, and is a part of the Blue Point Capital Partners portfolio of companies. Blue Point Capital Partners (www.bluepointcapital.com) is a private equity firm managing over $1.5 billion in committed capital. With offices in Cleveland, Charlotte, Seattle, and Shanghai, Blue Point's geographical footprint allows it to establish relationships with local and regional entrepreneurs and advisors while providing the resources of a global organization. The Blue Point partner group has a 21-year track record of partnering with companies in the lower middle-market to facilitate growth and transformative change. It is one of only a few middle-market private equity firms with a presence in both the United States and Asia, which provides a distinct advantage for its portfolio companies. Blue Point typically invests in businesses that generate between $25 million and $300 million in revenue. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005178/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A 220 kV bus that supplies electricity from the Kalinadi Hydroelectric Project to the grid caught fire on Monday. Notifying about the incident at the power house near Yellapur of Uttar Kannada district happened on Tuesday, KPCL described it as a freak accident. At the Nagjhari Power House of the Kalinadi Hydro Electric Project, the Y phase CT (Current Transformer) of the 220KV North Bus failed and caught fire which is a freak incident. The same was extinguished immediately. All lines and units transferred to south bus and generation continued uninterruptedly, the corporation said in a release. At present, four of the six generating units are in operation as per the load dispatch schedule. Regular maintenance activities to restore the failed instrument is being taken up during day time when power generation from all sources is at a peak, it said. The power is being supplied from the south bus for the time being and the north bus will be repaired soon, an official said. The indictment results from an investigation that began on August 23, 2019, when Cook County Circuit Court Judge Michael Toomin appointed Mr. Webb as a special prosecutor. Judge Toomin directed Mr. Webb to conduct an independent investigation to determine the following: 1) should Jussie Smollett be further prosecuted for the alleged false reports he made to Chicago Police Department officers, and; 2) whether any person or office involved in the Smollett case engaged in wrongdoing, including the Cook County State's Attorney's Office ("CCSAO") or individuals in that office. Pursuant to the first part of Judge Toomin's mandate, in connection with whether to further prosecute Jussie Smollett, the grand jury's investigation revealed that Jussie Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Department officers on multiple occasions, reporting a heinous hate crime that he, in fact, knew had not occurred. Therefore, Mr. Webb has determined that reasonable grounds exist to further prosecute Mr. Smollett. In addition, in accordance with Judge Toomin's mandate, Mr. Webb has also concluded that further prosecution of Jussie Smollett is "in the interest of justice." Several factors went into this determination, including the extensive nature of Mr. Smollett's false police reports, and the resources expended by the Chicago Police Department to investigate these false reports. Another major factor in the OSP's determination that further prosecution of Mr. Smollett is in the interests of justice is that the CCSAO has been unable to provide the OSP with documentary evidence that shows that, in dismissing the Smollett case on the terms presented in court on March 26, 2019, the CCSAO relied on other dispositions of similar cases prior to the Smollett case that would justify this disposition. This issue was important to the OSP because on the day the Smollett case was resolved in court, March 26, 2019, the CCSAO issued a written press release in which it told the public that the Smollett case was being resolved under the same criteria that would be available for any defendant with similar circumstances. As a result, the OSP sought to obtain all documentary evidence within the CCSAO that would identify prior similar case files that were relied on by the CCSAO that would support this public statement. The CCSAO was unable to provide this documentary evidence. In addition, the OSP has obtained sufficient factual evidence to determine that it disagrees with how the CCSAO resolved the Smollett case. On March 7, 2019, the CCSAO approved the filing of a 16-count felony indictment against Mr. Smollett based on evidence that Smollett planned and participated in a staged hate crime attack, and thereafter made numerous false statements to Chicago Police Department officers on multiple occasions. The OSP has obtained evidence showing that at the time of the approval of that indictment, the CCSAO had concluded that the evidence against Mr. Smollett was strong. Yet on March 26, 2019, just three weeks later, the CCSAO made the decision to resolve the charges under the following circumstances: 1) complete dismissal of the 16-count felony indictment; 2) only punishment for Mr. Smollett was to perform 15 hours of community service; 3) requiring Mr. Smollett to forfeit his $10,000 bond as restitution to the City of Chicago (a figure amounting to less than 10% of the $130,106.15 in police overtime pay that the City alleges it paid solely due to Mr. Smollett's false statements to police); 4) not requiring that Mr. Smollett admit any guilt of his wrongdoing (in fact, following the court proceedings on March 26, Mr. Smollett publically stated that he was completely innocent); and 5) not requiring that Smollett participate in the CCSAO Deferred Prosecution Program (Branch 9), which he was eligible to participate in, and which would require a one-year period of court oversight of Mr. Smollett. The CCSAO decision-makers overseeing the Smollett resolution decision have not identified any new evidence they learned of between the time of indictment and dismissal of the indictment that changed their view that the evidence against Mr. Smollett was strong. Regarding the investigation related to Judge Toomin's second directive to the OSP, to determine whether any person or office involved in the Smollett case engaged in wrongdoing, including the CCSAO or individuals in that office, the OSP has reached no conclusions. This aspect of the OSP's investigation continues, and the OSP's findings will ultimately be set forth in a final written report to the Court and for the benefit of the Cook County Board of Commissioners, pursuant to Judge Toomin's August 23, 2019, Order. In connection with Judge Toomin's second directive, Mr. Webb emphasizes that the OSP decision to further prosecute Mr. Smollett is not evidence in and of itself that any individuals within the CCSAO engaged in any wrongdoing in connection with the Smollett investigation. Mr. Webb is the Co-Executive Chairman of the international law firm of Winston & Strawn LLP. "The firm's lawyers and staff, members of the Chicago Police Department, and Cook County Independent Inspector General Patrick M. Blanchard and his staff, have provided invaluable and continuing assistance in the investigation of this matter," said Mr. Webb. Mr. Webb has arranged with counsel for Mr. Smollett, for Mr. Smollett to voluntarily appear for his arraignment, scheduled for February 24, 2020, at 9:30 a.m., Central Time, before the Honorable LeRoy K. Martin Jr., Presiding Judge Criminal Division, of the Circuit Court of Cook County, at which time a trial judge will be assigned to the case. The public is reminded that an indictment is only a charge and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In consideration of Mr. Smollett's right to a fair trial, the OSP will not comment further about the indictment or the OSP's continuing investigation. Attachment Indictment, People of the State of Illinois v. Jussie Smollett SOURCE Winston & Strawn LLP PORTSMOUTH, N.H. - Elizabeth Warren still has a plan for everything. Shes just trying to put a more personal face on them. Being a proud policy nerd helped catapult the Massachusetts senator into front-runner status last summer but may have carried her as far as it can. She has retooled the speech she gives voters at multiple daily campaign stops and has begun stressing that shes been counted out of fights all her life -- only to find a way to prevail. Thats a strategy Warren is hoping to emulate enough to recover her footing in the Democratic presidential primary race. One of the things that I realize is that voters have a right to know not just the policies but also the heart of the person theyre going to pick as president of the United States, she said after a packed event at a church in Portsmouth on Monday night. So I put out all the polices. But I also put more of my heart out there for people. And while shes promoting her softer side publicly, her campaign is using hard-boiled political calculus to try to convince supporters that she can outlast many of her top rivals over the long haul. Warren has begun telling crowds that, when she was in high school, her mother said she would never go to college so she used her babysitting money to pay for applications and secured a debate scholarship. She describes beating incumbent Republican Sen. Scott Brown in 2012, despite once being down by nearly 20 points: I got knocked on my fanny multiple times during that campaign. But you know what I did? I got up each and every time. And a new centerpiece of her speech features a February 2017 episode when Warren was on the Senate floor opposing Jeff Sessions nomination as attorney general and Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell evoked an obscure rule to stop her from speaking. Co-opting McConnells words, Warren has summed up the experience under the slogan Nevertheless, she persisted, which often draws standing ovations. Those changes likely came too late to help Warren in New Hampshires primary Tuesday. But her campaign sees the struggles of former Vice-President Joe Biden as opening up a wealth of new would-be supporters that she could scoop up in states like Nevada and South Carolina, which vote next on the Democratic presidential calendar. Her team sees a winnowing field perhaps eventually setting up a fight between Warren and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a billionaire who is pouring vast swaths of his fortune into the states that vote on Super Tuesday, March 3. Warren has called for a wealth tax on the nations rich, and her message of economic populism could give her a second campaign wind against someone like Bloomberg -- if she can make it that far. A wild card could be Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who generated late-stage enthusiasm in New Hampshire. Still, Warrens campaign is betting that staff infrastructure shes already built in around 30 states means she can play a longer political game than Klobuchar, giving her a path to the nomination -- albeit one that is narrowing the longer she goes without winning a state. Warren has largely refrained from criticizing her top rivals, but in a lengthy memo to supporters on Tuesday, her campaign manager, Roger Lau, laid out contrasts in a way his candidate hasnt. He argued that while others rise and fall, Warren will hold steady throughout a primary battle that is set to be long and protracted. The process wont be decided by the simple horse race numbers in clickbait headlines, Lau wrote in the memo. Thats never been our focus our focus is on building a broad coalition to win delegates everywhere. He said that Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Warrens chief rival for progressive Democrats, starts with a ceiling thats significantly lower than the support he had four years ago. Lau also detailed how Biden entered the race as a front-runner but has seen his support dwindle among several key voting demographics and says Klobuchar is playing catch up on a very short timeline as she tries to match Warrens nationwide organization. Lau suggested that Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, faces his most significant challenge in upcoming states that arent as white as Iowa and New Hampshire. Last weeks Iowa caucuses were too close to call, but Warren finished third, well behind Sanders and Buttigieg. Top advisers point to Warrens highlighting the Senate speech from 2017 as a new and important way to excite voters. The senator mentioned it after a largely forgettable performance in Friday nights New Hampshire debate. It got such a good reaction that she said it on stage before an arena full of cheering Democrats at a state party dinner the next night. Now its the loudest applause line at her rallies. Warren insists the race is still fluid, saying the best evidence of that is incorrect past predictions about who would be the strongest primary candidate to this point. Who was supposed to be in this race today, and who wasnt? I think I wasnt, and a lot of people who were supposed to have locked it up by this point are not here, she said after a rally in Rochester, New Hampshire. The senator also argues that she is the best candidate to unify the Democratic Party, a subtle shot at Sanders, who is calling for political revolutio n. As part of what she see as the unification process, Warren has hired staffers who worked for Democratic White House candidates who left the race, and shes even begun spelling out how shes incorporated their plans into her own: abortion rights proposals from California Sen. Kamala Harris, a paid family leave plan promoted by New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and calls for universal prekindergarten programs that former Obama administration housing chief Julian Castro championed. Shes trying to get the message out that that is part of her platform, said Beth Carta-Dolan, a restaurant owner who met Warren when she stopped at a cafe in Conway, in northern New Hampshires breathtaking White Mountains. So that the people who supported these other people are now being drawn in to understand that she represents them as well. ___ Catch up on the 2020 election campaign with AP experts on our weekly politics podcast, Ground Game. Black Fact of the Day: Feb. 11, 2020- Brought to you by Black365 Nelson Mandela was released from prison after serving more than two and a half decades as a political prisoner, 1990. Brought to you by the Black365 Calendar. Find out more at BlackHistoryCards.com 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 Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded. Kolkata: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described the BJPs dismal performance in the Delhi Assembly Elections as a befitting reply to its atrocities on students and women protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), National Register of Citizens (NRC) and National Population Register (NPR) in the capital. Calling up her Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal and congratulating him for Aam Aadmi Partys hat-trick in victory, the Trinamul Congress supremo also predicted that the saffron party, which has bagged 18 seats out of 42 in the state in the Lok Sabha Election last year, would get the same result next year in the Assembly polls in the state. At a Trinamul workers convention in Satighat of Bankura, Ms Banerjee said, The BJP unleashed atrocities on students and women in Delhi. In return, it got a befitting reply in the Delhi Assembly polls. The politics of hatred did not work this time. It is a victory of the people and their democracy. I congratulate Delhi people. She added, I also called up Mr Kejriwal and congratulated him. The BJP is becoming stateless. It is disappearing everywhere. It will suffer the same fate in the Assembly polls in West Bengal next year when we will perform its last rites. Only the development works will sustain and not the CAA or NRC or NPR. Lashing out at the BJP she had earlier tweeted, Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal as #DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive politics should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded. Studying mumps virus genomes in 2016 and 2017 filled in gaps about how the disease was spreading in Massachusetts and elsewhere in the US In 2016 and 2017, a surge of mumps cases at Boston-area universities prompted researchers to study mumps virus transmission using genomic data, in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and local university health services. As the outbreaks unfolded, the teams analyzed mumps virus genomes collected from patients, revealing new links between cases that first appeared unrelated and other details about how the disease was spreading that weren't apparent from the epidemiological investigation. The teams shared their sequencing data and findings in real-time during the outbreaks, with both each other and the broader scientific community, and now report their conclusions in PLOS Biology. Analyzing viral genomes from an outbreak can show how a virus is evolving and being transmitted -- data that can help public health officials slow and stop the spread of disease. "High-resolution genomic data about a virus, gathered from patient samples, allows us to reconstruct parts of an outbreak that aren't evident at first," said co-senior author Pardis Sabeti, institute member at the Broad Institute, professor at Harvard University, and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "The better we understand transmission chains in situations like this, the better we can inform efforts to control outbreaks and devise strategies to predict and stop them in the future." In Massachusetts, the typical rate of mumps is less than 10 cases per year -- but more than 250 cases were reported in 2016 and more than 170 in 2017, despite high rates of vaccination. Many of the cases were from 18 colleges and universities in the state, including Harvard University, University of Massachusetts Amherst, and Boston University (these three universities met certain criteria to ensure patient privacy protection in this study and agreed to be named in the paper). Other outbreaks flared elsewhere in Boston and across the country around the same time. These patterns of cases raised questions about how much the virus was circulating in the Massachusetts and US populations. To learn more, the research teams paired traditional epidemiological data with analysis of mumps virus whole genome sequences from 201 infected individuals, focusing primarily on the Massachusetts university communities. Mumps insight The viral genomic data revealed details about the Boston-area outbreaks that could not be reconstructed by relying solely on more traditional approaches. For example, the researchers found a clear link between cases at Harvard and an outbreak in East Boston, which were classified as distinct outbreaks during the initial public health investigation. Public health officials first thought the cases in these two communities were unrelated based on several pieces of evidence: epidemiological data, the different demographic makeup of the two populations (older adults with no obvious university connection versus mostly college-aged students), and a long gap between the apparent end of the outbreak at Harvard and the cases in the local community. However, the genomic data indicated that the mumps viruses in the East Boston cases were genetically similar to those in the Harvard virus samples. This finding enabled the teams to identify contacts and transmission links between the university and the wider community. "Even though the two outbreaks were occurring at different places and different times, we were able to show connections between these outbreaks that were operationally informative," explained senior co-author Bronwyn MacInnis, associate director of malaria and viral genomics in the Infectious Disease and Microbiome Program and co-lead of the Global Health Initiative at Broad. "The public health teams could determine that they were essentially dealing with one problem, not two." Understanding such transmission routes can help guide the outbreak response -- for example, by determining whether efforts should be focused more on controlling transmission within a single community or between different ones. "Whole-genome sequencing of patient samples helps us reconstruct the progression of an outbreak," said co-first author Shirlee Wohl, formerly a Harvard graduate student in the Sabeti lab and now a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University. "Traditional outbreak surveillance efforts can help identify possible sources of infection, but whole-genome sequencing can confirm these links and even suggest new, unexplored connections." The team emphasized that this study was made possible by the close partnerships it had with the Massachusetts Department of Health and the health services teams at several universities. "I am proud to be part of the Massachusetts higher education community," Sabeti added. "They worked together and demonstrated the necessity of transparency in outbreak response. This is not a story of mumps at these universities, but of outstanding mumps reporting." Mutating mumps? Another question of particular interest to the local teams was whether a new mutation in the mumps virus -- for example, one that allows it to evade the immune system in a vaccinated individual -- might have sparked the outbreak. Of the infected individuals, 65 percent had received the recommended two doses of the MMR vaccine. However, given the available data, the researchers found no evidence that genetic variants arising specifically during this outbreak contributed to the disease spread. This finding suggests that, in the Boston area, the virus wasn't evolving into one that could dodge vaccine-induced immunity. In addition to the findings related to the Boston-area outbreaks, the study's broader geographic analysis suggested that the mumps virus has been circulating continuously at a low rate around the US, only rarely flaring up into notable outbreaks as in 2016 and 2017. "This whole endeavor demonstrated the value of genetic data to the epidemiological health response, and of data-sharing among collaborating teams," Sabeti said. "One of our goals is to build this capacity in many areas around the world so that public health officials can rapidly mobilize and do this type of analysis whenever they need to." ### Co-first authors on this study include Hayden Metsky (Broad Institute, MIT) and Steve Schaffner (Broad Institute, Harvard University, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health). Co-senior authors on this study are Paul Rota (CDC), Larry Madoff (MA DPH, University of Massachusetts Medical School), Nathan Yozwiak (formerly Broad Institute/Sabeti lab), Bronwyn MacInnis, Sandra Smole (MA DPH), Yonatan Grad (Broad Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health), and Pardis Sabeti. Support for this study was provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (U19AI110818, U54GM088558), Howard Hughes Medical Institute, a Harvard University Burke Global Health Fellowship, Amazon Web Services Cloud Credits for Research, and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (T32GM007753). Paper cited: Wohl S, Metsky HC, Schaffner SF, et al. Combining genomics and epidemiology to track mumps virus transmission in the United States. PLOS Biology. Online February 11, 2020. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3000611 About the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard was launched in 2004 to empower this generation of creative scientists to transform medicine. The Broad Institute seeks to describe the molecular components of life and their connections; discover the molecular basis of major human diseases; develop effective new approaches to diagnostics and therapeutics; and disseminate discoveries, tools, methods, and data openly to the entire scientific community. Founded by MIT, Harvard, Harvard-affiliated hospitals, and the visionary Los Angeles philanthropists Eli and Edythe L. Broad, the Broad Institute includes faculty, professional staff, and students from throughout the MIT and Harvard biomedical research communities and beyond, with collaborations spanning over a hundred private and public institutions in more than 40 countries worldwide. For further information about the Broad Institute, go to http://www.broadinstitute.org. The lawsuit was filed in May by three organizations government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the National Security Archive at George Washington University, and the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR). The groups alleged that the White House was failing to create and save records as required of Trumps meetings and communications with foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. RAPID CITY, S.D. A former pediatrician with the Indian Health Service will spend the rest of his life in prison for sexually abusing four Native American boys over a 12-year period in Pine Ridge, South Dakota. "Innocence was lost and cannot be returned" to these "vulnerable and totally innocent" victims, Judge Jeffrey Viken said Monday before sentencing Stanley Patrick Weber. "You have taken lives" not in the literal sense, but have caused your victims to carry the pain of your abuse with them forever, Viken said while staring at the emotionless defendant. Weber, 71, was sentenced before a packed courtroom at the federal building in Rapid City to the maximum punishments for all eight of his crimes: five life sentences for aggravated sexual abuse and 15-year sentences for his three convictions of sexually abusing minors. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Collins said this was the first time she's requested a life sentence when it wasn't mandatory because such a punishment "is absolutely deserved here." Viken, who said it was his first time handing down such a sentence, said this is the most egregious case of someone abusing their position of power he's seen in his 42 years of defending, prosecuting and judging sexual predators. As an IHS doctor, Weber's role was to help, not harm, his patients who were growing up on one of the poorest reservations in the country and whose rights to health care are enshrined in treaties. He ordered Weber to serve all eight of his sentences consecutively and with his 18-year sentence for committing similar crimes in Browning, Montana, to recognize the fact that each victim was harmed by each separate act of abuse. Viken also ordered Weber whose $8,000 monthly government pension keeps adding to his $1.47 million net worth to pay an $800,000 fine to the U.S. government and an $800 mandatory assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution for the victims will be determined at a later date. One of Weber's lawyers argued that Viken should consider his client's age and existing Montana sentence during the technical sentencing calculation phrase of the hearing. But Weber never spoke and, in a rare move, none of his three private lawyers made any arguments when it came time for the formal sentencing. Weber, who most recently lived in Spearfish, South Dakota, was convicted in September 2019 of sex crimes he committed against boys as young as 9 between 1999 and 2011 at the IHS and his home in Pine Ridge. The jury found Weber guilty after listening to three days of testimony from four official victims, two victims from Weber's Montana trial (one who testified in person and one whose previous trial testimony was read aloud) and a Pine Ridge man who said he was abused at age 16, the federal age of consent. Others, including federal agents who investigated the case and IHS staff who worked and lived next to Weber, also spoke. Weber did not testify. Reign of terror "Dr. Weber's reign of terror is over, and this sentence will ensure that he will never roam free again," Ron Parsons, U.S. Attorney for South Dakota, told the Journal after the sentencing hearing. But "today was about the victims, today was about the men who were irreparably damaged by the conduct of Mr. Weber." A victim in a bright-red shirt cried as he approached a podium and explained that he needs help but can't trust the IHS. For years, the man said, he thought he was the only victim, but he now knows there are many more who are too afraid to come forward. The man's mother looked directly at Weber and called him "an evil person." "You took my child's childhood from him" and he's still struggling as an adult, she said. God will judge you, she said as Weber nodded his head. Another victim in a white shirt said he was a "good kid" before he met Weber. A third victim held a microphone in his cuffed hands and teared up as he explained that he wasn't planning on testifying, but the other victims gave him the courage to speak up. The man, who's serving a prison sentence in South Dakota, looked towards the audience as he explained that Weber has made him view everyone as a possible predator. He then nodded at the other victims and encouraged them to "stay strong." The fourth victim was too upset to testify in person, Collins said. But Collins said he wanted Viken to know that Weber has made intimate relations difficult and that he avoids going to the IHS even though he needs medical help. He said he doesn't understand how Weber could do what he did and fears that his own children will become victims one day. Weber "ruined my life" and justice should mean more than Weber going to prison, said a fifth man who testified at trial. "I have something on my back that I can't take off." The man who was not an official victim at the trial since he was the federal age of consent when Weber allegedly began abusing him said Weber's actions made him struggle with trust issues, suicidal thoughts and alcohol. Julian Bear Runner, president of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, revealed that he was treated by Weber when he was 15 and got an "upsetting feeling" in his stomach when Weber told him that he didn't need to bring his parents to the next appointment. He looked towards the victims and said they could have been in his place if Weber hadn't harmed them. Mark Butterbrodt, a former IHS doctor, said it was "commonly known what (Weber) was doing" as soon as he arrived in Pine Ridge in 1995. But the IHS, FBI, journalists, the tribal council and a state medical organization turned a blind eye or failed to conduct thorough investigations after Butterbrodt complained. He said the IHS retaliated against his reports by withholding pay, threatening to fire him and transferring him to location away from his autistic son. But Butterbrodt said he persisted because he wanted justice for the victims. Butterbrodt's complaints were finally taken seriously when Elaine Yellow Horse then a prosecutor for the Oglala Sioux Tribe remembered in 2015 that Butterbrodt had told her about Weber years ago, according to a Wall Street Journal/Frontline investigation. Yellow Horse reached out to Tatewin Means the Oglala Sioux Tribe attorney general at the time and after tracking down a victim, they passed his name along to investigators. Weber was finally charged in 2017 after an investigation spearheaded by Fred Bennett, a now-retired agent with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Curt Muller, a special agent with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. "When I first started investigating it, I didn't think it was going to come this far" since Weber was a wealthy white man targeting Native Americans, Yellow Horse said after the hearing. "What I'm most excited about is the young men who came forward and how they can start healing," said Yellow Horse, who's now studying law at the University of South Dakota. Next steps It's unclear if Weber will continue to be detained at the Pennington County Jail while he awaits trial on two new charges in South Dakota and serves his 18-year prison sentence after a Montana jury convicted him of four sexual abuse crimes against two boys on the Blackfeet Reservation, where he worked at the IHS in Browning from 1992-1995 before coming to Pine Ridge. Accusations about Weber sexually abusing boys circulated among his co-workers, patients and the wider community when he worked at both IHS locations, the WJS/Frontline investigation found. But some complaints were ignored and not investigated, while others resulted in investigations that cleared him of any wrongdoing. There are three completed or ongoing investigations studying IHS's handling of the Weber case and how to prevent such future abuse, and the IHS is facing a lawsuit from three men who say Weber abused them in Browning. Politicians and government agencies are also working to prevent Weber from receiving his pension. "Justice has been delivered today," IHS Director Michael Weahkee said in an emailed statement. "The actions of this individual were reprehensible, and we sincerely regret the harm caused to the children involved." Weahkee said the IHS is "committed to ensuring a culture of quality, leadership and accountability" and "protecting our patients and preventing their harm to the best of our ability" but the agency recognizes "that rebuilding trust will take time." He encouraged Weber's victims to call the IHS anonymous hotline at 301-443-0658 to set up free counseling services at the IHS or with an outside provider. Therapists attended the sentencing to support the men who testified, and Health and Human Services has reached out to all formal victims and offered to connect them with counseling services, Parsons told the Journal. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 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 A digital forensic analysis conducted by Anthony Ferrante of business advisory firm FTI Consulting concludes with medium to high confidence that Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos smartphone was hacked through a malicious file sent from the WhatsApp account of Saudi Arabian crown prince Mohammed bin Salman. The malware was in an MP4 file attached to a WhatsApp message. FTI Consulting forwarded its findings to United Nations special rapporteurs who released technical elements of the report. Rapporteurs investigate the promotion and protection of freedom of opinion and expression, among other things. FTI Consulting declined our request to comment for our story, stating that all client work is confidential. Saudi Arabias embassy in the United States has denied the allegations. Element of Uncertainty The reason FTI qualified its conclusion likely is because computer forensics isnt always an exact science, and the experts might be limited by the data and evidence they have in hand, said Tim Erlin, VP of product management and strategy at Tripwire. There may also be unanswered questions or alternatives to consider, he told TechNewsWorld. FTIs conclusion suggests they have a sequence of events that makes it likely that the video attachment carried malware, but they either didnt prove causality or cant be sure the crown prince created the hack as opposed to his just forwarding a compromised email, suggested Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group. It rarely gets stronger than this unless the alleged perpetrator confesses, or the intelligence organization gets access to the entire chain of evidence, he told TechNewsWorld. The malware appears to have had a self-destruct built in, making it impossible to have 100 percent concrete proof, noted Liz Miller, principal analyst at Constellation Research. A D V E R T I S E M E N T FTIs investigators did not find even remnants of the malware code on the device, but did find a file with an encrypted downloader that had been delivered with the video, she told TechNewsWorld. WhatsApp, which hosted the downloader, has end-to-end encryption, which prevents investigators from accessing the downloaders contents or code, Miller pointed out. Chain of Events The prince initiated a WhatsApp messaging conversation with Bezos on April 28, 2018, after they met at a dinner in Hollywood. On May 1 Bezos received a message with a video attachment from the princes WhatsApp account. Within hours, the volume of data transmitted from Bezos phone skyrocketed by 30,000 percent, FTI found. Data spiking continued over several months, at rate as much as 106 million percent higher than before the video was received. How did it take months for this to be noticed? wondered Constellations Miller. FTI found that on two later occasions the prince sent messages to Bezos that suggested he had knowledge of his private communications: One, on November 8, 2018, included a photo of a woman strongly resembling Lauren Sanchez, whom Bezos was dating; The other was sent February 16, 2019, two days after Bezos had participated in phone conversations about the Saudis alleged online campaign against him. The UN special rapporteurs have linked the hack of Bezos smartphone to stories in his newspaper, The Washington Post, about the role of the Saudi prince and the Saudi government in the murder of Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Pegasus Threat I cant remember how many times in the past decade Ive read something about a critical security flaw in WhatsApp that allows access to users phones, remarked Oliver Mnchow, founder of security awareness and training company Lucy Security. Im surprised no one told Jeff not to use it after its history of epic security fails, he told TechNewsWorld. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The malware used was most likely mobile spyware such as NSO Groups Pegasus, or, less likely, Hacking Teams Galileo, FTIs analysis suggests. The Saudi Royal Guard acquired Pegasus-3 spyware from NSO Group, an Israel-based firm, FTI found. The spyware also was used against Saudi dissidents. Pegasus spreads through malicious links often sent through chat apps like WhatsApp and Messenger, said Paul Bischoff, privacy advocate at Comparitech. Once on a device, the malware jailbreaks iPhones so that it can track phone calls, texts, keystrokes and location, and access the phones microphone and camera. It also affects Android phones, he told TechNewsWorld. Consumers must maintain a healthy sense of paranoia when it comes to links and attachments, said Rosa Smothers, senior VP of cyber operations at KnowBe4. Think before you click on any links or attachments sent to you, she told TechNewsWorld. Were you expecting the email or attachment? If your spidey sense tingles, call the sender and confirm they sent it. That said, security always ranks high on surveys of the things consumers want, but no one is ever willing to pay for it, remarked Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research. As a result, its never a priority. Security also is challenging because of the rapid pace of technology, he told TechNewsWorld. Artificial intelligence should eventually improve security, but nothing will ever be 100 percent secure. Aftermath of the Hack The UN rapporteurs have called for an investigation into the hack and said the use of WhatsApp as a platform to enable installation of Pegasus onto devices has been well documented. Meanwhile, Facebook and WhatsApp have filed suit against NSO Group Technologies in a U.S. federal court, and a court in Israel has begun hearings to determine whether the NSO Group should have its export license revoked. NSO has denied allegations against it. If someone with Bezos power and position is a target, it doesnt bode well for anyone who doesnt have that level of protection, Enderle observed. It makes you wonder how many other U.S. citizens are being spied on like this by a hostile state. Francesca Wade at the Paris Review: I would venture to guess that Anon, who wrote so many poems without signing them, was often a woman, wrote Virginia Woolf in A Room of Ones Own (1929). In that essay, commenting on the fact that womens lives are all but absent from history, she argues that this is not only a consequence of the ways women have been deprived of the material conditions under which their talents can prosper but also reveals the sort of events and lives historians have traditionally considered worth rememberingprimarily, the public activities of great men. Perusing the index of G. M. Trevelyans History of England, Woolf looks up position of women and is dismayed to find only a smattering of references, mostly to customs of arranged marriage, wife-beating, and the fictional heroines of Shakespeare. Flicking through chapters on wars and kings, she wonders why so little room is left for womens activities in the events that constitute this historians view of the past. It was clear to Woolf that new histories were needed, which would examine the reality of womens lives, their relationships and activities, and the forces that thwarted their ambitions. more here. While most of us have heard or read stories of Kargil War 1999 or the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971, there's no denying that a majority of people learn about the heroic tales of those warriors from Bollywood movies on wars and armed forces. Watching the actors recreate the bravery and courage of soldiers on the battlefield is always fascinating and it is heartbreaking to see the sacrifices our soldiers make every single day for the love and safety of their country. In fact, the actors often inspire youngsters to join the armed forces and selflessly serve their country. Like how Vicky Kaushal's Uri inspired a man to join the army. Twitter/Ajay Devgn There's a charm in wearing a uniform and obviously a great matter of pride and honour for the actors donning it. Probably that's why more and more actors are choosing to do patriotic movies and taking up tough roles. And 2020 seems to be the year when the 'Josh' is going to be really high, thanks to these actors who will army and IAF officers in the upcoming movies. Sidharth Malhotra Sidharth Malhotra is all set to bring the valour of Param Vir Chakra awardee Captain Vikram Batra in his upcoming movie Shershaah. He recently shared the poster of the film on Instagram and wrote, "An absolute honor to be able to paint the big screen with the shades of bravery & sacrifice. Paying an ode to the journey of Captain Vikram Batra (PVC) and bringing the UNTOLD TRUE STORY with #Shershaah." From prepping with the Batra family, to working with the armed forces, Sidharth is pulling the project with all his earnestness. Directed by Vishnu Vardhan, Shershaah also stars Kiara Advani and is expected to release on July 3, 2020. Janhvi Kapoor Dhadak actress Janhvi Kapoor is now all set to touch the sky with her upcoming movie Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl. Janhvi will portray the role of IAF Pilot Gunjan Saxena, the first woman pilot to fly into the combat zone and change the course of Kargil War. The movie also stars Pankaj Tripathi and Angad Bedi and is expected to hit the theatres on March 13, 2020. John Abraham Satyameva Jayate actor John Abraham is all set to play a Special Ops Agent in his upcoming action- thriller, Attack, where he will be leading a team of officers on a mission to rescue hostages. The film is based on hostage crisis and said to be inspired by true events. Attack also features Rakul Preet Singh and Jacqueline Fernandez in lead roles. The movie is slated to release on August 14, 2020. Akshay Kumar Akshay Kumar will be playing the chief of the Anti-Terrorism Squad in Sooryavanshi, the fourth instalment in Rohit Shetty's cop universe. He will play ATS Chief Veer Sooryavanshi in the film that also stars Katrina Kaif and Jackie Shroff. Although we're sure that you've already marked the dates for this one, just in case you didn't know the movie is releasing on March 27, 2020. Ajay Devgn After playing a brave warrior in Tanhaji, Ajay Devgn will now portray Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot Sq. Ld. Vijay Karnik, in his next film Bhuj: The Pride Of India. Bhuj: The Pride Of India is a period drama set during the 1971 Indo-Pak war, that will revolve around the extraordinary courage and efforts of 300 ordinary women from Madhapar village of Gujarat's Kutch; who played a key role in helping India win the war. Its a privilege to present @ajaydevgn sirs first look as Sq. Ld. Vijay Karnik from my upcoming directorial film #BhujThePrideOfIndia . #14Aug2020. pic.twitter.com/5pZiORdXjs Abhishekdudhaiya (@AbhishekDudhai6) January 1, 2020 Karnik was in-charge of the Bhuj airbase during the war, where he reconstructed the destroyed IAF airstrip with the help of those 300 women. It's releasing on August 14, 2020. Donald Trump's supporters believed him when he said he was going to "drain the swamp." Trump's catchphrase tapped anti-Washington views rooted in the exposure of White House deception and corruption during the Vietnam War and Watergate. His was not a new message. In fact, almost every president since Jimmy Carter has made a similar claim to get elected. The extreme nature of Trump's rhetorical assault on Washington, however, has tempered anti-establishment sentiment among Democrats, reestablishing experience as a desirable quality in a candidate. Yet Sen. Bernie Sanders' potency, clear in his strong finish in Iowa, reveals that there is still the desire, left and right, for anti-establishment thinking that wants to blow up the system that seems to ignore problems plaguing average Americans. What many miss is that while touting one's outsider status has become in vogue over the last half century, it means very different things to the two political extremes. Conservatives see Washington, bureaucrats and big government as the establishment that must be tamed, but Sanders, I-Vt., represents a strain of thinking on the left that sees big business as the problem and abhors what they view as the incestuous relationship among Wall Street, K Street lobbyists and Congress. They believe that such forces have corrupted the Democratic Party in the outsider era, pulling its focus away from the concerns of the poor and the working class. While the left has largely lost the fight for control of the Democratic Party since 1976, especially over the past three decades, Trump's radicalism also creates an opening for it. Which sides wins the soul of the Democratic Party may determine whether American government is functional moving forward. Carter was the first man to win the White House by running against Washington, promising to cleanse the stain of Richard Nixon. Carter maintained an outsider's stance for most of his presidency. He looked down his nose at the Washington establishment and its practices, relied on a small inner circle of young Georgia advisers and failed to cultivate relationships with key members of Congress. This proved disastrous, causing Carter's legislative agenda to run aground and providing an opening for Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., to challenge the incumbent president for the Democratic nomination in 1980. "This outsider," Kennedy said of Carter, "can't solve our problems. Even on issues we agree on, he doesn't know how to do it." Kennedy, who had spent nearly two decades in the Senate by that point, had "the contempt of a master machinist for a plumber's helper" regarding Carter, journalist Teddy White wrote. But Kennedy's challenge was stymied by the Iranian hostage crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and by doubts about his integrity stemming from his role in the death of a young woman on Chappaquiddick Island. After 1980, the outsider electoral argument remained compelling, and not just for Democrats. Americans didn't blame a lack of insider knowledge for Carter's failings. It was the opposite: Those running things were corrupt and self-interested, or just incompetent, many believed. This sense enabled Ronald Reagan to argue that government was the problem, and his push for less of it was the solution. But despite their derisive anti-government rhetoric, the Republicans actually grew the size of government over the next 12 years. That explains, in part, why the establishment was vulnerable to the libertarian-tinged arguments of Ross Perot, whose 1992 candidacy received over 19 million votes, a full 19 percent of the popular vote, as an independent, the most votes of any third-party candidate in American history. Perot, the idiosyncratic Texas oil man - and in many ways the progenitor of Trump - surged as he castigated Washington as "a town filled with sound bites, shell games, handlers, media stuntmen who posture, create images, talk, shoot off Roman candles, but don't ever accomplish anything." Bill Clinton, another outsider and another moderate governor of a small Southern state, won that election, defeating Reagan's vice president and successor, George H.W. Bush. Clinton was able to merge establishment connections with an outsider message that borrowed from Perot and from former California governor Jerry Brown, who also ran that year. "People are mad because they see their problems aren't being solved by Washington, and Governor Clinton offers a way out," Clinton adviser George Stephanopoulos said. "It's Washington's not answering people's real needs." Clintonism, however, wedded the Democratic Party much more closely to Wall Street, and represents much of what Sanders has been trying to undo during his three decades in Congress. The Democrats began taking corporate political donations much more eagerly in the mid-1980s, and Clinton embraced that approach. Sanders and other progressives believe that compromise has alienated the Democratic Party from the poor and the working class - a critique that Kennedy originated in his challenge to Carter back in 1980. Yet while George W. Bush's mishandling of Hurricane Katrina, the Iraq War and the economy enabled the next Democratic president, Barack Obama, to claim the outsider mantle, he was no radical outsider who wanted to transform the economy. In fact, many on the left lamented that his stimulus bill addressing the flailing economy in the wake of the 2008 economic crisis was too small and too geared toward tax cuts. They charged that Obama perpetuated and grew bailouts for banks and Wall Street firms, without bailing out average Americans who lost their homes. The resulting deep wells of populist rage intensified anti-Washington sentiment - on both the right and the left. Trump tapped into this anger, fusing it with racial resentment and the cultural anxieties of white Christian conservatives. Trump has presided over "a national politics that feels like a debauched rampage of alienation and dysfunction - depraved and degrading, corrupting everyone who goes near it, always finding surprising new ways to reach lower," as Yuval Levin describes in his new book "A Time to Build." His presidential performance and extreme anti-Washington rhetoric raises an interesting thought experiment: Could Trump be the politician who rescues Washington in the minds of many voters? His radical approach has given the establishment its first opening in decades. Candidates such as former vice president Joe Biden and Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., have stressed pragmatism and government that actually works. Their approach owes to the fact that being anti-Trump means standing for the very things that Trump has tossed aside: time-tested, fact-based processes; deliberation; and a modest, restrained approach. Even those Democrats who are pushing more outsider messages are fairly conventional politicians. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, who is running on an anti-greed message and frequently talks about a rigged system, helped create Obama's Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and has been in the Senate since 2012. Former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg, the one front-runner who is truly a Washington outsider, frequently leans into being an outsider, warning that Democrats "cannot take the risk . . . of trying to confront this president with the same Washington mind-set and political warfare that led us to this point." Yet he's also promoting a return to the traditional model of national political leadership. He is a measured, deliberative figure often compared to Obama - and like Klobuchar and Biden, he often stresses moderation. Even Sanders, a longtime independent democratic socialist who stood outside the two-party system for much of his career, is a creature of the Capitol - one who has worked well with Democratic Party leaders during his decades in Congress. One of the most surprising details about Sanders is that, unlike Warren, he refuses to come out in favor of abolishing the legislative filibuster. But Sanders' economic agenda sets him apart as the true anti-establishment outsider, rejecting corporate donations and giving no quarter to big business. He wants to replace all private health insurance with a government-run program, cancel all student debt, and levy a number of taxes on the wealthy and corporate interests. Sanders' popularity shows that while Trump's recklessness has tempered anti-Washington sentiments among some Democrats, anti-establishment attitudes are still as vibrant as ever on the left. Because for the left, Washington is not the establishment. Wall Street is. And if Sanders is the Democratic nominee, he would work hard to make the case that he is the true outsider, not Trump. - - - Jon Ward is senior political correspondent for Yahoo News, author of "Camelot's End: The Democrats' Last Great Civil War" and host of the "Long Game" podcast. Philippines Notifies US of Intent to End Major Security Pact MANILA, PhilippinesThe Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it would end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country, in the most serious threat under President Rodrigo Duterte to their 69-year treaty alliance. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that Manilas notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The termination would take effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep it. Locsin signed the notice on the order of Duterte, who has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine militarys close historic ties with its American counterpart. The U.S. Embassy in Manila acknowledged receipt of Manilas notice and said Washington will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests. This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippines alliance, the embassy said in a statement. Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples. In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the 1998 security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. U.S. military presence in the strategic waterway has been seen as a crucial counterweight to China, which claims virtually the entire sea. Locsin proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues, including criminal jurisdiction over erring American troops, instead of abrogating it. Philippine defense and military officials did not immediately issue any reaction to the government move. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the presidents deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the bloody campaign Duterte launched when he took office in mid-2016, alarming the United States and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Duterte gave the United States a month to restore dela Rosas visa, but U.S. officials have not publicly reacted to the Philippine leaders demand. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte delivers a speech during the 11th Biennial National Convention and 22nd founding anniversary of the Chinese Filipino Business Club, Inc. in Manila, Philippines on Feb. 10, 2020. (Toto Lozano/Malacanang Presidential Photographers Division via AP) Duterte said in a speech late Monday that President Donald Trump has moved to save the agreement but added that he rejected the idea. He accused the United States of meddling in Philippine affairs, including seeking the release of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, whom he has accused of involvement in illegal drugs. She has dismissed the allegation as a fabricated charge meant to muzzle dissent. America is very rude. They are so rude, Duterte said. Locsin outlined in the Senate hearing what he said were the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The United States is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. The accord, known by its acronym VFA, legally allows the entry of large numbers of American forces along with U.S. military ships and aircraft for joint training with Filipino troops. It specifies which country will have jurisdiction over American soldiers, who may be accused of crimes while in the Philippines, a sensitive issue in the former American colony. A separate defense pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allows the extended stay of U.S. forces and authorizes them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defense equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. A Filipino senator and former national police chief, Panfilo Lacson, said terminating the treaty would reduce the two allies 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty to a mere paper treaty as far as the U.S. is concerned. Some Philippine senators have said the government decision to terminate the treaty, which the Senate ratified, should have the chambers consent. U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary R. Clarke Cooper said in a telephone news conference Monday that abrogating the pact would put at risk more than 300 military engagements, including joint trainings this year between the allies. All the engagements, all the freedom of navigation operations, all the exercises, all the joint training, having U.S. military personnel in port, on the ground, on the flight line, does require that we have a mechanism that allows that, he said. Thats why the VFA is so important. Terminating the VFA would affect the joint exercises and other activities with U.S. forces which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, Locsin said. The United States provided more than $550 million in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a chilling effect on our economic relations if the Philippines draws down its security alliance with Washington. American forces have provided intelligence, training, and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how U.S. military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants in southern Marawi city in 2017. U.S. military presence in the South China Sea has also been a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed waters, Locsin said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam, and three other governments have rival claims in the strategic waterway. Duterte first threatened to abrogate the VFA in late 2016 after a U.S. aid agency put on hold funds for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines. He has walked back on such threats but his governments action on Tuesday is the most serious indication of his intent to set back military ties with the United States. Aside from threatening to end the VFA, Duterte has said he will ban some critical U.S. senators from entering the Philippines. Duterte has also barred Cabinet officials from traveling to the United States and turned down an invitation by Trump to join a special meeting the U.S. leader will host for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in March in Las Vegas. By Jim Gomez The Phoenix Mills rose 1.37% to Rs 885.60 after consolidated net profit soared 29.7% to Rs 91.85 crore in Q3 December 2019 (Q3 FY20) as against Rs 70.83 crore reported in Q3 December 2018 (Q3 FY19). Net sales surged 16.2% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) to Rs 511.79 crore in Q3 FY20. The Q3 numbers were disclosed after market hours yesterday, 10 February 2020. Profit before tax jumped 38.5% to Rs 132.26 crore Y-o-Y. Current tax expenses soared 104.5% to Rs 35.77 crore during the period under review. Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) grew 17% to Rs 259.40 crore in Q3 FY20 from Rs 222.50 crore in Q3 FY19. EBITDA margin remained flat at 51% in Q3 FY20 over Q3 FY19. In the first nine months of FY20, retail segment contributed consolidated revenue of 60% and commercial segment provided 6% during the same period. Commenting on the Q3 performance, Shishir Shrivastava, the managing director of The Phoenix Mills, said that, "We are delighted to report a robust performance across all our verticals during the quarter. Income from our retail portfolio during the quarter was at Rs 3,218 million, up 11% year on year, driven by strong consumption growth at High Street Phoenix and Palladium, Mumbai and Phoenix Marketcity malls in Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai. Operational performance of our commercial portfolio remained steady and we are confident about the growth trajectory of this segment. Our flagship hotel, The St. Regis, Mumbai continues to set higher benchmarks in the hospitality sector and recorded the highest ever average room rental (ARR) of Rs 13,857 this quarter at an average occupancy of 84% in Q3 FY20. Our cash flows from operations remain robust and we are focused on maintaining a strong balance sheet by implementing a prudent capital allocation strategy," he added. The Phoenix Mills is a leading retail mall developer and operator in India and is the pioneer of retail-led, mixed-use developments in India with completed development of over 17.5 million square feet spread across retail, hospitality, commercial, and residential asset classes. The company has an operational retail portfolio of approximately 6.0 million square feet of retail space spread across 8 operational malls in 6 gateway cities of India. The company is further developing 5 malls with over 4.9 million sq. feet of retail space in 5 gateway cities of India. Besides retail, the company has an operating commercial office portfolio with gross leasable area of 1.28 million sq. feet and plans to add approximately 4.0 million sq. feet of commercial office across existing retail properties going forward. 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 CIA and Germanys BND secretly owned and ran for decades a company that made and sold code-writing machines for secret communications to many countries, including India, and easily unencrypted the intercepted messages and shared the intercepted information among a tight group of partners. The Washington Post that uncovered the secret operation from CIA classified documents, in a joint project with German broadcaster ZDF, said the company called Crypto AG was based in Switzerland and was dismembered and sold off in 2018 to separate companies, who were no aware of its antecedents. The Post reported that India was among the companys more than 120 clients, along with Pakistan. The report did not specify, however, any Indian intelligence operation or communication that may have been intercepted, and used, though it mention a few, such as Iranian and Egyptian messages. Countries spy on each other and this is not the first time US intelligence has been found snooping on India. In 2013, secret documents released by US whistleblower Edward Snowden had shown the National Security Agency of the US had accessed computers of the Indian embassy in Washington DC and the permanent mission to the UN in New York in a massive clandestine operation that had gone on till earlier that year. The joint CIA-BND operation was codenamed Thesaurus initially and then Rubicon. It ran from the 1970s to 2018 and has been called one of the most audacious of intelligence operations. It was the intelligence coup of the century, the CIA report said, according to Washington Post. Foreign governments were paying good money to the US and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries. Crypto, the company, was founded by a man named Boris Hagelin, a Russian who fled first to Sweden and then to the United States. The United States and BND took over its control completely in early 1970s, controlled personnel decisions and and designed the compromised devices that also earned them millions of dollars, which they used to fund other operations. The Post said the CIA monitored the Iranians for years, specially during the hostage crisis, as they used Crypto devices. The US was able to quickly pin the blame for a 1986 bombing on a Berlin disco on Libya and passed Argentinian intelligence to the British during the Falklands War in 1982. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) looked set to retain power in Delhi for the third term with a comfortable majority while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) appeared to improve its performance in the national capital as counting of votes for the assembly elections was underway on Tuesday. According to trends by the Election Commission at 11:30am, the AAP was leading in 57 seats and the BJP in 13 of the 70 assembly constituencies. Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP had won a landslide 67 seats in the 2015 assembly elections, and the BJP three. The Congress, which drew a blank in the 2015 assembly elections, did not appear to have made any gains on Tuesday. The results were largely similar to the exit polls that predicted a clear majority for the AAP government and improved performance for the BJP. On Tuesday, AAPs Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh said: Wait for the final results; we are going to register a massive win. The BJPs Delhi chief, Manoj Tiwari, who earlier expressed confidence about his partys performance, told news agency ANI: We are not upset. The initial trend is not in our favour, but the exit polls were good. We are a little behind our estimate but we still hope that we will win. According to EC data at 11:30am, CM Kejriwal was leading from New Delhi over his nearest rival Sunil Kumar Yadav of the BJP by more than 6000 votes. In Patparganj, however, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was trailing behind the BJPs Ravinder Singh Negi by 754 votes at 11:30am. Four rounds of counting, out of 15, have been completed in the constituency so far. Sisodia had come under attack by the BJP for expressing his support for the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protesters in Delhis Shaheen Bagh. Notably, the AAPs Amanatullah Khan was also trailing behind BJPs Braham Singh by just 194 votes in Okhla, the constituency that includes Shaheen Bagh. The area has been at the centre of anti-CAA demonstration since the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) Union government moved to change the law in December 2019. The constituency of Delhi environment minister Satyendar Jain, Shakur Basti, was also headed for a tight contest with the nearest BJP rival SC Vats. As voting for the Delhi assembly elections ended on Saturday evening, five exit polls predicted a comfortable victory for the AAP, with the party expected to win anything between 47 seats (Times Now-Ipsos poll), which was the lowest estimate, to 68 seats (India Today-Axis poll), which was the highest estimate, in the assembly of 70 members. The lowest estimate for the BJP was two seats (India Today-Axis) and the highest 23 (Times Now-Ipsos). The Congress, all polls suggested, would come a distant third either failing to secure any seat, according to two polls, or, at best, winning three seats (ABP News-CVoter). Hindustan Times did not conduct any exit poll and cannot independently vouch for the methodology and the outcome of the different exit polls. Voting on Saturday happened in the backdrop of an acrimonious campaign over the past few weeks. Delhi appeared to see a small dip in voter turnout compared to the 2015 assembly polls, when a record 67.47% voters exercised their franchise. On Monday, the Election Commission announced the final voter turnout as 62.59%. Over the course of the past month, the AAP focused mainly on the issues of local leadership, projecting Kejriwal as the CM, and fought the elections on its governance record particularly improvements in public health, government schools, and providing electricity and water at subsidised rates. The BJP sought votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and banked heavily on polarisation as it made the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, particularly in Shaheen Bagh, a central poll issue and alleged that the AAP was backing the Muslim-dominated agitation. The AAP fielded 46 of its sitting MLAs from the same constituencies they contested in the 2015 polls, keeping in mind their good work, and introduced 23 fresh faces this time, including prominent leaders Raghav Chadha, Atishi and Dilip Pandey, who had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Delhi. BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya on Tuesday said "freebies" given out by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) led to its massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls. The BJP is headed for a crushing defeat at the hands of the ruling AAP in the Delhi polls with trends showing the Arvind Kejriwal-led party well on its way to win more than 60 seats in the 70-member Legislative Assembly. Talking to reporters here about the Delhi poll outcome, Vijayvargiya said, "The issue was about freebies. Kejriwal will say from where the issue of development came into the elections? Freebies announced, especially during the last six months, in Delhi have had an impact on these elections." Queried on whether the BJP's defeat also stemmed from the party not projecting a CM candidate, he said it was a matter of discussion, though he added "We have formed governments even in the states where we had not declared a CM face during the poll campaign." "We have formed governments in Haryana and Tripura," he pointed out. The BJP's general secretary in-charge of West Bengal claimed his party would win elections in the Mamata Banerjee- ruled state (slated in 2021) as well without projecting anyone as CM candidate. He said the BJP would brainstorm on the poll defeat in the national capital though he claimed the party's performance this time was "very good" when compared to 2015. The BJP had bagged three Assembly seats five years ago. Speaking on the recent controversy in Madhya Pradesh over the religious status of tribals in connection with the Census exercise, Vijayvargiya alleged the Kamal Nath-led Congress government was trying to divide the Hindu community. "There is a huge political conspiracy behind the propaganda in the state that tribals are not Hindus. Somewhere, the instruction of Congress president Sonia Gandhi is working behind it," the former Madhya Pradesh minister alleged. The Congress in the state has accused the RSS of trying to get tribals counted as Hindus in the Census. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Prince Harry and Meghan Markles decision to quit the royal family is one of the biggest scandals to hit the monarchy in recent memory. The couple announced their stunning decision at the beginning of January and are expected to make things official this spring. While there are plenty of reasons why Prince Harry decided to step down, the Duke of Sussex recently revealed the real reason he and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, left the royal family. Prince Harry | Chris Jackson/Getty Images for Sentebale Inside Prince Harry and Meghan Markles exit Taking to social media, Harry and Meghan announced their exit at the beginning of the year in what proved to be a shocking move for fans and the royals alike. The couple did not go into a lot of details about why they are stepping down, but they did reveal their plans for the coming months. The two are looking to establish a second home somewhere in North America and will no longer rely on public funds. They are also stepping back from all of their royal duties and will lose their HRH titles as a result. Queen Elizabeth Requests Meghan Markle, Prince Harry & Baby Archie's Return to U.K. for Royal Event https://t.co/0ia1oD19sb People (@people) February 9, 2020 Meghan has remained very quiet in the wake of Megxit, though Prince Harry has opened up about the decision on two separate occasions. And during his most recent public engagement, Harry revealed the real reason why he and Meghan were forced to walk away. Why did the Sussexes leave the royal family? In what proved to be their first joint appearance since their announcement, Harry and Meghan recently attended a summit in Miami. According to Express, Prince Harry was one of the main speakers at the event, in which he talked about his mental health struggles that stem from his mother, Princess Dianas, tragic death. Eyewitnesses say that Harry opened up about his childhood and admitted that he still undergoes therapy to deal with the loss of his mom. He also revealed that living under constant pressure from the British press was something that he did not want Meghan and his son, Archie Harrison, to endure. Princess Diana with Prince Harry, 1986. pic.twitter.com/IoPEOxidHQ History Lovers Club (@historylvrsclub) February 9, 2020 He talked about how the events of his childhood affected him and that he has been talking to a mental health professional, a source shared. Harry also touched on Megxit, saying while it has been very difficult on him and Meghan, he does not regret their decision to step down as senior royals because he wants to protect his family. He does not want Meghan and their son Archie to go through what he did as a child. Considering everything Prince Harry experienced as a child, it is totally understandable that he would want to protect his wife and son from suffering the same fate. Meghan also reportedly shared a few words at the event. The former actress allegedly talked about her love for Harry and how much support he has given her over the past few years. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle face new criticism While it is good to know why Harry and Meghan really left the royal family, they are officially in the hot seat for attending the summit, which was sponsored by JP Morgan. Prince Harry and Meghan have been very supportive about raising awareness of climate change over the past two years. Yet showing up at an event funded by a company like JP Morgan has raised a lot of eyebrows in the environmental advocacy community. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were paid 'up to 775,000' to tell American bankers he has been in therapy for seven years https://t.co/BRE8jjc9sd Daily Mail U.K. (@DailyMailUK) February 8, 2020 JP Morgan has come under fire in recent years for undertaking fracking in the Arctic. This goes against what Harry and Meghan have preached, especially when it comes to reducing fossil fuel emissions around the world. To make the situation even worse, Harry and Meghan were allegedly paid for speaking at the event. The couple reportedly took home between $500,000 $1 million for attending the summit. How do Canadians feel about Megxit? Controversies aside, there is one country that absolutely loves the idea of Harry and Meghan leaving the royal family. Over the past few weeks, Harry and Meghan have been living in a rented house on Vancouver Island and are reportedly looking to remain in the country. The two have a history in Canada, so it makes sense that they are spending time in the area. Meghan lived in Toronto while she worked on the show, Suits, while Harry has hosted an Invictus event in Canada in the past. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry 'Enjoying Quiet Life' in Canada: 'A Weight Has Been Lifted,' Says Friend https://t.co/IY7R3UsDTu pic.twitter.com/bcrqnVN6YY People (@people) February 5, 2020 In light of Prince Harry and Meghans love for Canada, the High Commissioner of Canada to the UK, Janice Charette, recently opened up about the possibility of the Sussexes buying a home in the region. The most important thing is that they have selected Canada as a place they want to spend some time their family, she stated. Were all absolutely delighted because of that. They have moved, at least temporarily, to Canada. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have not commented on the reports surrounding their exit from the royal family. Get ready for a new set of queens showing off their charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. RuPauls Drag Race season 12 is set for its premiere on VH1 during February 2020. However, some fans are wondering if theyll be able to binge-watch it on a streaming platform. Is RuPauls Drag Race on Hulu? Heres what we know about this Emmy-award winning reality series and this subscription service. Are already released seasons of RuPauls Drag Race available on the streaming platform, Hulu? Before RuPauls Drag Race made the switch the VH1 from Logo, the series was available for streaming on Amazon Prime and with a Hulu subscription. According to Decider, the series recently reappeared on both services. Just a few months after Amazons Prime Video added Drag Race Seasons 1-5 to its streaming options, Hulu has outdone them by adding Seasons 1-6 of RuPauls Drag Race, Seasons 1-2 of RuPauls Drag Race All-Stars, and Seasons 1-5 of RuPauls Drag Race: Untucked, Decider wrote. This is the first major deal this World of Wonder production has with a streaming platform, aside from WOW Presents Plus, (though there are no seasons of Drag Race available for binge-watching on WOW Presents Plus in the United States.) While there are a few seasons of regular Drag Race, All-Stars, and Untucked available on Hulu, the upcoming season will premiere on VH1. Brooke Lynn Hytes, Honey Davenport, Vanessa Vanjie Mateo, A Keria Chanel Davenport, Yvie Oddly, Kahanna Montrese, Rajah OHara, Soju, Plastique Tiara, Scarlet Envy, Nina West, Silky Nutmeg Ganache, Shuga Cain, Mercedes Iman Diamond and Ariel Versace of RuPauls Drag Race Season 11 | Jim Spellman/WireImage How can you watch RuPauls Drag Race without a subscription to VH1? Its been a few years since RuPaul premiered the colorful and glittery reality competition series, RuPauls Drag Race. In it, drag performers strut their stuff, each looking to prove theyve Americas Next Drag Superstar. These episodes launched on a weekly basis, originally premiering on the television network, Logo. It then made the switch the VH1, earning a handful of Emmy-awards along the way. Since its premiere, RuPauls Drag Race branched off into a few spin-off seasons. That includes RuPauls Drag Race: All-Stars, RuPauls Drag Race: Untucked, and RuPauls Drag Race UK. Reportedly, Celebrity Drag Race is headed for its television debut, featuring some Drag Race alumni and public figures. However, the new season to premiere is season 12 of this reality series. This season will presumably launch exclusively on VH1, later making its debut on VH1.com, for some fans to stream by providing their cable login information. The next season of RuPauls Drag Race premieres this February This season features 13 new queens, each competing for $100,000, a crown, and the title of Americas Next Drag Superstar. However, this upcoming season of Drag Race will presumably head straight for its television network launch. Theres no word regarding if, or when, this season will be available on Hulu. The streaming platform may release more information as the premiere date gets closer. In the meantime, fans can watch episodes of this reality series on Hulu. As RuPauls would say, its called binge-viewing, Henny! RuPauls Drag Race season 12 premieres on Feb. 28, 2020, on VH1. The eighth meeting of the EPA Committee under the Interim Economic Partnership Agreement (iEPA) between the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) states Comoros, Madagascar, Mauritius, Seychelles, Zimbabwe (ESA-5) and the EU was held in Seychelles on 14 January 2020 and co-chaired by Ambassador Haymandoyal Dillum for ESA-5 and Cecile Billaux for the EU. The Parties reaffirmed the importance of ensuring a smooth implementation of the Agreement to achieve its intended objectives of enhancing trade and supporting sustainable development goals. The Parties took note of the status of implementation of tariff reduction and modification of the tariff nomenclature respectively for all Parties involved and agreed to continue exchanging information thereon. To fully benefit from the iEPA, the Parties recognize the need for appropriate implementation strategies to improve access and diversify exports to EU individual member states. The Parties agreed to undertake further steps towards the development of a common methodology aimed at finalizing a monitoring and evaluation framework for the iEPA. Both Parties agreed this is an important step to define a joint understanding of the progress and remaining challenges as to be able to address those adequately. Both Parties agreed that a dedicated discussion on this matter will take place in the margins of the next round of negotiations in Brussels. The Parties took note that negotiations on the deepening of the iEPA were launched in Mauritius in October 2019 and that the EU would undertake a sustainable impact assessment in support of the negotiations and invited the ESA-5 to participate in the consultations. The ESA reiterated its concern on the application of dock dues levied by the French Overseas Territories having an impact on products from ESA-5. The ESA-5 also called on the EU not to extend the dock dues (Octroi de Mer) after December 2020. The Parties adopted the decision 1/2020 on the technical amendments of the Protocol 1 on Rules of Origin of the ESA-5-EU iEPA. The decision will come into effect on 31 March 2020. The EU took note of the remarks made by Mauritius on the derogation request on salted snoek fish submitted end of 2019 and will consider the needs expressed by Mauritius for flexibility regarding requests for derogations from ESA states in particular when SMEs are involved.\ The Parties reviewed progress relating to the accompanying measures undertaken by the five countries and the implementation status of financial support provided under the 11th EDF. The role of the EUs development instruments in supporting iEPA objectives was acknowledged. The ESA side requested the EU to explore the possibility of shifting funds to the iEPA and identifying new instruments for implementation of the Agreement should there be any EDF unused funds. The EU welcomed the request from ESA-5 states to facilitate cross border investment, setting up of special economic zone as well as sharing of experience in the manufacturing, ICT/BPO and agricultural sectors. In this context, new opportunities arising from such regional initiatives, including projects related to research and innovation will be considered in view of increasing the competitiveness of ESA-5 business operations. The need for capacity building of the private sector was also emphasized. The ESA-5 stressed the need to develop internationally agreed standards for cooperation between jurisdictions. The ESA-5 suggested to hold consultations prior to downgrading of any jurisdictions. Both sides will continue mutual discussions regarding reforms that will be undertaken by ESA States in this area. The ninth meeting of the EPA Committee will take place in Brussels in 2021 at a date to be jointly decided. Partager et informez vous aussi...... 0 shares Share Tweet LinkedIn Articles similaires Congratulations, mysoochi.com got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Mysoochi.com scored 96 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 17 Oct 2016, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. mysoochi.com is very popular in Facebook and Twitter. It is liked by 230 people on Facebook and it has 338 twitter followers. Furthermore its facebook page has 2772 likes. 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Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/MySoochi DESCRIPTION Indian Web portal with unbiased news ACCOUNT CREATED ON 31 Oct 2012 LOCATION TWEETS 969 FOLLOWERS 338 LISTED 1 At the outset of the administration, Mr. Trump courted Mr. Manchin and tried to persuade him to become a Republican. But Mr. Manchin stuck with Democrats in voting against the repeal of the Affordable Care Act and against Mr. Trumps tax bill. Then he crossed party lines to become the lone Democratic vote in favor of confirming Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Some Democrats said Mr. Manchins guilty vote on impeachment surprised them. He had floated the possibility of a censure in the days before the final vote. In the interview, he said he thought it might be a way to get some bipartisan consensus that Mr. Trumps call with Mr. Zelensky was hardly perfect, as the president had repeatedly said. I dont think there was a person among those 100 senators who believed the president had a perfect phone call and didnt do anything wrong. I believe they all know something was wrong, he said. I thought censure would be the way we could get a majority of the vote, and I couldnt even get one Republican to sign on. Mike Plante, a Democratic strategist in West Virginia, said he took the talk of censure as an indication that Mr. Manchin was thinking of voting to acquit. People were pleasantly surprised and happy that he took this step, Mr. Plante said, referring to Democrats. He clearly recognized that this was more than politics as usual. This was history, and he did not miss that moment. But Nick Casey, the former chairman of the West Virginia Democratic Party and a close Manchin ally, said he was not surprised. Joe has never been shy about going into the belly of the beast if he does something that he is very comfortable with. And if people disagree with him, thats their right. He got elected to make decisions, and he made one. His vote caused a bit of a dust-up between Mr. Manchin and the states other senator, Shelley Moore Capito, a Republican. In an interview on Fox News last week, she said the vote was not being received well here at home and said that Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the minority leader, had probably just pulled the noose a little tight and said, Come on, everybody, were going to jump off this cliff together. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 02:31:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close ADEN, Yemen, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A missile attack was carried out by the Houthi rebels against a government army base in Yemen's southern province of Abyan on Tuesday, killing 3 soldiers and injuring 15 others, a security official told Xinhua. "The Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile against the Amajed army base located in the district of Lawdar, northeast of Abyan, causing a huge explosion in the area," the local security source said on condition of anonymity. The security source said that "initial information indicated that around 3 soldiers were killed and nearly 15 others injured as a result of the Houthi attack." Most of the injured soldiers were in critical health condition and transferred immediately to receive treatment at a nearby hospital, according to the source. The Iran-allied Houthi rebels claimed no responsibility for launching a missile attack against the government forces in Abyan so far. Military bases of the Yemeni government forces are frequently targeted by Houthi-fired ballistic missiles in different areas of the country. On Jan. 18, the Houthi rebels launched a ballistic missile against a military base of the newly-recruited Yemeni forces in the northern province of Marib, 170 km east of the capital Sanaa. According to Yemeni medical sources, the Houthi attack that struck a mosque at a military camp of the newly-recruited forces in Marib left more than 111 soldiers killed and nearly 151 others injured. Yemen has been mired in a civil war since late 2014 after the Houthi group stormed much of the country's north and forced the internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi out of the capital Sanaa. The United Nations has been trying to end the war that has killed tens of thousands of people and pushed the country to the brink of famine. Russian state media have welcomed enthusiastically the recent U.S. Senate acquittal of President Donald J. Trump. Having predicted this outcome for his impeachment trial, Russian experts and state-media pundits are anticipating beneficial side effects for the Kremlin as Trump is more Trumpand more Russias Trumpthan ever. Friday Night Massacres Just the Beginning for Acquitted Trump Dmitry Kiselyov, the host of Russias popular Sunday news program Vesti Nedeli, said, Democrats are openly raging, but while theyre licking their wounds, Trump can now objectively afford to pursue a more positive course of action toward Russiajust as he planned all along while being elected for the first term. Russian President Vladimir Putins recent invitation to Trump to attend Victory Day festivities in Moscow this spring is designed to bring the U.S. president ever deeper into the Kremlin fold. Appearing on Sunday Evening With Vladimir Soloviev, politician Sergey Stankevich asserted, Donald Trump has to come to Moscow in May, no doubt about it. He is obligated to be here. Expecting concessions from Trump, the Russian state media are playing along with his agenda, attacking Democrats, the Ukraine whistleblower, and impeachment witnesses. Vesti Nedeli described the ouster of the Vindman brothers as Trump settling the scores against those who dared to speak up against him. It repeated a previously debunked conspiracy theory baselessly claiming Yevgeny Vindman was assigned to review former National Security Adviser John Boltons book manuscript before leaking the draft to the press. Pundits on Vladimir Solovievs show appeared practically giddy about Trumps acquittal and the retaliatory onslaught that followed. Trump pulled out a machine gun and started to purge everyone who ever said a bad word about him, exclaimed Dmitry Egorchenkov, director of the Institute for Strategic Studies and Forecasts, because in his mythologized world, he is now a superhero. Story continues Egorchenkov compared the copy of The Washington Post that Trump held up for the world to see to the severed head of his dead enemy. He couldnt show off the head of [Joe] Biden, so he was holding up The Washington Post instead. (He also held up other papers, including USA Today, but the Post was the grand prize.) Russian experts previously anticipated that the reset in U.S. relations with Russia would have to wait until Trumps second term in office. But Egorchenkov opined that in his mind, Trump already won re-election, which is why the new ambassador to the Russian Federation, John J. Sullivan, arrived with a mandate to improve relations with Russia. For his part, Putin created an opening for mutual cooperation when he proposed during his annual state-of-the-nation address that the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Councilthe U.S., China, Russia, Britain, and Francestart convening together in order to prevent global conflicts. Egorchenkov described the initiative as ingenious since this move would allow Trump to normalize relations with Russia under the guise of pursuing world peace. Russian experts say that moving forward with such a concept would require a blank-slate approach, calling for the removal of Western sanctions against the Russian Federation imposed after Putin seized and annexed Crimea, backed a separatist war that has killed 14,000 people in eastern Ukraine, and worked to disrupt the 2016 U.S. elections and tilt them in Trumps favor. Russia also was caught in 2018 poisoning and nearly killing former intelligence officer Sergei Skripal in Britain. TV host Soloviev suggested Trump could demonstrate goodwill by immediately restoring the status of its closed Russian consulates and diplomatic annexes, shut down after the assassination attempt in the U.K., and lifting U.S. sanctions against Russia. Egorchenkov predicted Trump will promptly accept Putins offer, since he will be making this decision without the pressure of the Democratic Party and free of the influence of 100 to 150 recently fired members of the National Security Council. On another gleeful note, political scientist Dmitry Evstafiev argued that Trump might start to engage in McCarthyism, which will be the first step in the self-destruction of the American system. He predicted the disintegration of existing political institutions in the United States, prompted by Trumps outright rejection of bipartisanship, which will be replaced by the authoritarian system he is striving to create. Evstafiev marveled at the 97 percent GOP votes cast for Trump in Iowa and pointed out that these votes symbolize the hollowing out of the Republican Party, with no viable candidates who could follow in Trumps footsteps. The host, Soloviev, chimed in: Except for his daughter, Ivanka. Evstafiev concurred and suggested that the Trump presidency is currently transitioning into the realm of authoritarian, clan-like regimes, They keep telling us that it is impossible in the United States, but now well find out for ourselves. Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Anne Applebaum remarked last week after a visit to Venezuela, I observed, from Caracas, the finale of the impeachment trial, Romneys last stand, the firing of civil servants. All around me, people nodded wearily: Yes, they said, weve seen this before Venezuela is not the U.S., Trump is not a Bolivarian socialist like [the late Hugo] Chavez, of course everything is different, she said. But it is amazing how familiar Trumps behavior seemed to people who had lived through the decline of their own democracy. Russias State TV Calls Trump Their Agent All of the elements were there, Applebaum wrote: The strongman who made people laugh, who seemed authentic, different, the appeal to fear and anger, and the hatred of elites. Also, the fact that everyone saw what was happening and described it, in real time. Brilliant academics, excellent journaliststhey all knew that the dictatorship was expanding, that Chavezs personal power was growing. But they couldnt stop it. The Kremlin would undoubtedly benefit from America becoming an authoritarian regime, unconstrained by constitutional checks and balances, far removed from defending human rights or promoting democratic values. Trump forever, jeered the Russian state television channel Rossiya-1 host Artyom Sheynin. He asked a U.S. expert sarcastically, Is America finished? 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. The United States and Kenya have set up a Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the U.S Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said on Monday in a press statement. The task force will operate in Kenya. It is the first of such to be located outside the U.S., the statement said. The U.S.-funded task force, which will be led by Kenya, will be a multi-agency counterterrorism investigative force as part of a comprehensive program with Kenya to promote terrorism investigations and prosecutions, enhance crisis response, and strengthen border security. Forty-two Kenyan investigators have already been selected for counterterrorism training in the U.S. The 42 selected Kenyan investigators will receive a 12-week intensive counterterrorism training at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. The FBI will administer the curriculum and provide training with assistance from other agencies, as applicable. The FBI and the CT Bureau will collaboratively assess the program. The team will adopt methodologies used by U.S.-based JTTFs and be trained to handle sensitive counterterrorism intelligence shared with the Kenyan government. The investigators will be trained and equipped to investigate all terrorism matters deemed of significant importance to Kenyas National Security Council. Upon completion of the course, the JTTF-K officers will return to Kenya, where they will be assisted by an FBI special agent mentor, the statement said. Investigations conducted by JTTF-K will be carried out in accordance with international law enforcement standards and in comportment with human rights. Legal authorities will be derived from the Kenyan constitution and international treaties. Cases will be prosecuted in Kenyas courts, which promotes the U.S. goal of enabling foreign partners to successfully counter terrorist threats, the statement added. The FBI said the joint task force initiative began after the Al-Shabaab terrorist attack on the DusitD2 Hotel in Nairobi on January 16, 2019. Fifteen people, including one American citizen, were killed in the attack, according to a BBC report. The East African country, which is a choice destination for western tourists, has a history of terrorist attacks, one of the worst being the 1998 bombing of the U.S Embassy in Nairobi which killed 213 people. The militant group Al-Shabaab, in 2013, killed 67 people in an attack on a shopping mall in Nairobi. The Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2019 placed Kenya on the 21st position among the nations of the world that are most impacted by terrorism. Meanwhile, Nigeria, another African country plagued by terrorism, has for five consecutive years occupied an unenviable third position in the GTI ranking. The FBI, together with another U.S agency, the State Department Bureau of Counterterrorisms (CT Bureau), would be providing training and capacity building for the Joint Terrorism Task Force in Kenya, the FBI said. The FBI is proud to have the opportunity to work with our Kenyan law enforcement partners on this initiative, said assistant director, International Operations Division, Charles Spencer. The first Kenyan JTTF will allow for a sharing of experience, knowledge, and capabilities that will enhance our shared commitment to countering terrorism around the world. For over two decades, the CT Bureau has supported Kenyas efforts to improve its law enforcement capacity to defend its borders and become a counterterrorism leader in East Africa, said Nathan Sales, the coordinator for counterterrorism. The JTTF for Kenya will support the interagency approach required to successfully investigate and prosecute terrorists before they conduct attacks. I look forward to this unit standing up and the results that will surely come. George Kinoti, Kenyas Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, said the U.S has been a valued partner in Kenyas fight against terrorism. I appreciate the effort and resources the FBI and Department of State have dedicated toward improving the capabilities of our officers through training, experience, and insight. Due to globalization and the rapid advancement in technology, terrorists and their sympathizers have also changed tactics and devised new methods to further their agenda. Endeavors such as the Kenyan Joint Terrorism Task Force will allow for a multi-agency approach to achieve common objectives and assist us in obtaining the upper hand against the enemy, Mr Kinoti said. MANCHESTER, N.H. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont won New Hampshires Democratic presidential primary Tuesday night, consolidating support on the left in his second strong showing in as many weeks. Mr. Sanders fended off two moderate rivals, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., and Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota. Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. finished behind them. Only a small fraction of the total available delegates have been awarded in the Democratic primary so far. So what do Tuesday nights results mean for the race going forward? Read on. Bernie Sanders is the front-runner of a muddled race. Mr. Sanders won the most votes in Iowa, even if he narrowly lost the delegate battle. He won the New Hampshire primary. His support among people of color has grown in polls, while his chief competitor for those voters, Mr. Biden, has been fading in the overall contest. He has climbed to the lead in some national polls. And he is raising more money and has more money than any of his rivals who are not billionaires. [February 11, 2020] If You Bought Electronics Containing a Lithium Ion Cylindrical Battery Such as a Laptop, Power Tool, Camcorder or a Replacement Battery, Your Legal Rights and Money Received From Settlements May Be Affected OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The following statement is being issued by Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP regarding In re Lithium ION Batteries Antitrust Litigation. A Federal Court authorized this Notice. This is not a solicitation from a lawyer. Why Are There Settlements? LG Chem, Ltd. and LG Chem America, Inc. ("LG Chem"), Hitachi Maxell Ltd. and Maxell Corporation of America ("Hitachi Maxell"), and NEC Corporation ("NEC") (collectively, the "Settling Defendants") agreed to pay $44.95 million in Settlements to resolve claims that Settling Defendants allegedly fixed the price of cylindrical Lithium-Ion Batteries, causing individuals and businesses to pay more for products like portable computers, power tools, camcorders or replacement batteries for any of these products. A federal court previously approved the Settlements but is now reconsidering them under a revised Distribution Plan, and will also consider Class Counsel's request to reinstate the prior awards of attorneys' fees and reimbursement of litigation expenses. A more detailed notice, which includes additional information about the settlements, is available at the settlement website (www.reversethecharge.com) or by calling 1-855-730-8645. What Is This Notice About? This notice is to inform you about recent changes to the proposed Distribution Plan for the Settlements, extended deadlines to exclude yourself from the Settlements or to object to the Settlements, and Class Counsel's renewed request for attorneys' fees and litigation expenses, before the Court decides whether to finally approve the Settlements with Settling Defendants and the revised Distribution Plan. Am I Included? The Class includes all persons and entities who, as residents of the United States and during the period from January 1, 2000 through May 31, 2011, indirectly purchased new for their own use and not for resale one of the following products which contained a lithium-ion cylindrical battery manufactured by one or more Defendants in this lawsuit or their co-conspirators: (i) a portable computer; (ii) a power tool; (iii) a camcorder; or (iv) a replacement battery for any of these products. "Indirectly" means the product was purchased from someone other than the manufacturer, such as a retail store. What Do The Settlements Provide? The Settlement Fund is $44.95 million. After deducting Court-approved attorneys' fees, service awards, notice and administration costs, and litigation expenses, the remaining Net Settlement Fund will be divided into two funds, a Repealer Fund and a Non-Repealer Fund. The Repealer Fund (90% of the Net Settlement Fund) will be available for distribution to Class Members who are residents of the followng Repealer States: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, District of Columbia, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. All other states and/or jurisdictions are "Non-Repealer" States. The Non-Repealer Fund (10% of the Net Settlement Fund) will be available for distribution to Class Members who are residents of Non-Repealer States. However, the plan for distributing the Settlement Funds is not final and may be changed by the Court after considering any and all objections by Class Members. If the Court determines that further changes to the allocation of the Settlement Funds between the Repealer and Non-Repealer Fund are appropriate, those changes will be posted on the settlement website (www.reversethecharge.com), which also provides more details about the Settlements. How Can I Get A Payment And How Much Will I Receive? Money from all settlements in this case will be distributed together on a per-Class Member basis, but the amount you receive from each settlement will depend on the Court-approved Distribution Plan. No money will be distributed yet. If final approval is granted to the Settlements with Settling Defendants, Class Members who have already filed a valid and timely claim will receive cash payments. The deadline to file a claim has already passed. The deadline was July 19, 2019. If you did not already file a claim, you will not receive a cash payment from the Settlements with Settling Defendants, unless you previously requested to be excluded from the settlement and successfully apply to rejoin the class as described in the Long Form Notice. What Are My Rights? Even if you do nothing, you will be bound by the Court's decisions concerning these settlements. To keep your rights to sue the Settling Defendants regarding Lithium Ion Batteries, you must exclude yourself from the Class in writing by April 13, 2020. If you stay in the Class, you may object to the settlements with Settling Defendants in writing by April 13, 2020. The settlements, along with details on how to exclude yourself from the settlements, re-join the class, or object to the settlements with Settling Defendants, are available at the settlement website ( www.reversethecharge.com) . The Court will hold a Final Fairness Hearing at 2:00 pm on Tuesday, May 20, 2020, at the United States Courthouse, 1301 Clay Street, Courtroom 1, 4th Floor, Oakland, CA 94612, to consider whether to approve the settlements with the Settling Defendants. Class Counsel may request at the hearing attorneys' fees not to exceed 30% of the cumulative Settlement Fund of $113.45 million obtained in this case thus far, or $33,829,176, plus costs and expenses in an amount not to exceed $6,751,735.84 and service awards to the Class representatives in the amount of $10,000 each for the work they have undertaken on behalf of Plaintiffs, and for $25,000 for two government entities. If you object, you or your own attorney may appear and speak at the hearing to comment on the settlements with Settling Defendants and/or on any request for attorneys' fees, service awards for Class representatives, or reimbursement of costs and expenses at your own expense, but you are not required to appear. The hearing may be moved to a different date or time without additional notice, so it is a good idea to check the website for additional information. Please do not contact the Court about this case. Detailed information is available at the settlement website (www.reversethecharge.com) or by calling 1-855-730-8645. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/if-you-bought-electronics-containing-a-lithium-ion-cylindrical-battery-such-as-a-laptop-power-tool-camcorder-or-a-replacement-battery-your-legal-rights-and-money-received-from-settlements-may-be-affected-301003269.html SOURCE United States District Court for the Northern District of California [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Premade simmer sauces have become a big thing for shortcutting Indian cooking at home. Now, Charles Phan, the founder and chef at the Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco, has taken the same approach to Vietnamese fare. He has introduced four braising sauces, two for quick stir-fries and two for slower simmers; each comes with a simple recipe based on one of the restaurants dishes, usually using at least half the jar of sauce. For many seasoning purposes, I liked the nubbly, spicy-sweet chile caramel sauce, recommended for a shrimp stir-fry, but superb with eggplant, chicken or pork belly. The Claypot Chicken quick-braising sauce and Lo Soi Pork sauce for a slow braise were dark, fairly thin and spicy. The ruddy, viscous Vietnamese French braising sauce was quite sweet and to me, less appealing than the others. The Slanted Door braising sauces, $16.95 for 15.5 and 16.75 ounces (depending on variety), Williams Sonoma stores, 877-812-6235, williams-sonoma.com. Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice. OMJASVIN M D By Express News Service CHENNAI: The City Corporation after partially biomining a ten-feet deep landfill in Sathangadu near Thiruvottriyur has found a possible presence of a water body beneath it. The bioming of the 50-year-old landfill in North Chennai opposite to Buckingham Canal began early last month and when a part of the landfill was biomined, a presence of a water channel was found. Corporation officials said they are yet to determine whether it is a narrow water channel leading to a bigger lake down the road or the landfill itself is on top of a water body. When Express visited the dumpyard, which has a legacy waste upto 1.25 lakh cubic metres, just next to the unearthed waste, a small water body like a cesspool is seen with pitch black water mixed with oily chemicals. This was unearthed over the past month and the more waste was removed, the presence of a waterway was clearer. This land was used by the erstwhile Tiruvottriyur Municipality to dump waste for decades, said a Corporation official with the Zone. Ever since Tiruvottriyur Municpality came under the City Corporation limits, the dumpyard was closed and waste from the locality was directly sent to the Kodungaiyur landfill site. Taking a ride alongside the Buckingham Canal Road, alongside which the 17.39 acres landfill is present, there seems to be many small ponds on a row, which are enveloped by water hyacinth. Based on this, say officials, there could be a water body beneath the landfill and only if the biomining is completed, we will know its original size. Currently, hazardous elements like methane from the landfill could have polluted the water beneath which is why it polluted, said the official. Vehicle presence was less here until one year ago as there was no road alongside the stretch of the landfill. Only recently, the Corporation laid a fresh road connecting Tondiarpet and Santhangadu and gave the name Buckingham Canal Road. As vehicle presence is more here, it is important to identify the lost water bodies and restore them. Proposals for restoration works too will be prepared, said the official. Actor Michael Douglas told a crowd in Wisconsin that his Hollywood legend father, the late Kirk Douglas, said he was backing Mike Bloomberg for president. The younger Douglas, 75, appeared before a crowd of Bloomberg supporters, also backing the Democratic presidential candidate, during the opening of a campaign office in Oconomowoc on Saturday when he mentioned his dad's endorsement. The elder Douglas had passed away in his home in Beverly Hills at age 103, just three days before and was laid to rest Friday. The younger Douglas admitted, he didn't know for sure if his father was serious when he mentioned he was for Bloomberg while in the hospital before his passing, WKOW reports. Scroll down for video Actor Michael Douglas told a crowd in Wisconsin on Saturday that his Hollywood legend father, the late Kirk Douglas, told him he was backing Mike Bloomberg for president Michael Douglas ans his son Dylan, 19, are seen in an image the actor posted on Instagram while rallying for Mike Bloomberg in Wisconsin Michael Douglas with son Dylan campaigning for presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg in Wisconsin on Saturday Michael Douglas also shared a sweet snap (above) of him kissing his late father and thanked fans for their support on Sunday evening 'I leaned over close to him, and he said, 'Mike can get it done,'' the younger Douglas told the crowd, to a throng of cheers. The actor was joined by his son, Dylan, 19, at the event and shared snaps to his Instagram of them on the campaign trail over the past week. Michael Douglas also shared a sweet snap of him kissing his late father and thanked fans for their support on Sunday evening. He captioned the snap: ' Thank you so much for your kind and thoughtful words. Our family is so grateful for your support and we send our love to everyone!' On the campaign trail: Michael Douglas poses with Bloomberg supporters in Wisconsin Billionaire Mike Bloomberg pictured with Michael Douglas at the actor's home in New York in 2015 Michael Douglas, who has lent his voice for Bloomberg commercials, said he couldn't think of a better person to serve than the billionaire media mogul, who was also mayor of New York City. Michael Douglas has backed Bloomberg for taking a stand on gun control and his 12 years of leadership in New York following the September 11 terrorist attacks. He called the billionaire a proven leader who reminded him of John F. Kennedy. 'He's just a really, really impressive man,' said Douglas. President Donald Trump will visit India, with stops in the capital New Delhi and the western state of Gujarat, from February 24-25, the White House announced on Monday. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make the trip to "strengthen the United States - India strategic partnership," the announcement said. Gujarat is the home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and was also the home of independence icon Mahatma Gandhi. The White House said that Trump and Modi talked by telephone over the weekend. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Kriti Sanon, who made her debut in 2014 with Heropanti, was off to a slow start in her film career. But after Bareilly Ki Barfi in 2017, the actor received much recognition and has been working in as many films as she possibly can. She does not believe that she is being 'overexposed' with the number of films she is being seen in lately. But Kriti is clear that she does not sign films just for the heck of it. In a chat with Hindustan Times, Kriti's response when she was asked if she is being overexposed was, "I don't think there's anything called 'overexposing'. You are an actor, and you are meant to perform. You should do as much work as you can, which is physically possible. I never think of that!" In 2019, Kriti was seen in four films which included Luka Chuppi, Arjun Patiala, Housefull 4 and Panipat. The actor will be star opposite Akshay Kumar in Bachchan Pandey, and alongside Pankaj Tripathi in Mimi, in 2020. She continued, "I don't want to do something just to fill my three months 'oh khaali hain toh kar leti hoon'. The reason should be right -- why you are doing a film. It should come from within. In my career I have taken that step when I did something because I was free. It doesn't turn out right. It's better to sit at home than do something which you are not fully involved in." Kriti is super pumped about headlining the film Mimi which is about surrogacy. Although she understands that it is a big responsibility on one's shoulder, she feels she is ready for it. Mimi is being directed by Laxman Utekar and produced by Dinesh Vijan's Maddock Films. The film also co-stars Sai Tamhankar, Supriya Pathak and Manoj Pahwa. It is scheduled for release in July 2020. ALSO READ: Did Kriti Sanon Walk Out Of Mohit Suri's Malang? Here's The Truth ALSO READ: Kriti Sanon Wishes To Do A Horror Film Although She Is Not A Fan Of The Genre By Azernews By Rasana Gasimova The State Committee on Work with Diaspora has met Azerbaijanis living in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. During the visit to Saudi Arabia, a delegation of the State Committee on Work with Diaspora met the Azerbaijanis living in the city of Ar-Riyadh. High on the agenda of the meeting was the establishment of the Coordination Council in line with the Strategic Route Map, establishment of the Azerbaijani houses for compatriots living abroad, launching diaspora map and recruitment of the campaign materials on the social networks. Addressing the meeting, Fuad Muradov, the Committee Chairman, called on Azerbaijanis to be active on social networks and join a large diaspora family. Azerbaijanis spoke about the challenges they face, and exchanged views on the projects to be implemented in this country with the purpose of promotion of Azerbaijans national and cultural values in the Saudi Arabia. The State Committee on Work with Diaspora also visited the UAE and held a meeting with the Azerbaijanis living in Dubai. Chairman of the State Committee Fuad Muradov informed the participants about the activities of the Committee, implemented projects - establishment of Coordination Councils in different countries of the world, Summer Camps of Diaspora Youth, founding of Azerbaijani houses and weekend Karabakh schools and other important projects. The delegation and participants exchanged views on the proposals and problems of Azerbaijanis living in Dubai during the meeting. They emphasized the importance of opening an Azerbaijani school in the city where they live, organizing language courses or their online teaching. It was noted that such meetings would play an irreplaceable role in terms of getting to know and helping young people. Establishing a Coordination Council of Azerbaijanis living in Dubai was also discussed. Consul General of Azerbaijan to Dubai Javidan Huseynov highly appreciated the meeting with the Azerbaijanis living in Dubai and emphasized that such meetings play a peerless role in promoting Azerbaijan and organizing of our compatriots. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:36:59|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 560,000 health workers in China's vast rural areas have taken online courses on the novel coronavirus epidemic to enhance their skills in epidemic control as of Monday, an official with the National Health Commission (NHC) said Tuesday. The latest findings about the virus and new knowledge of prevention and control have been added into the online learning materials to keep the health workers updated, Nie Chunlei, head of the department of primary health of the NHC, told a press conference in Beijing. Rural health workers have made great contributions to virus screening and epidemic prevention and control by checking on returning and non-native individuals and people with fever, Nie said. He noted that such work in remote areas is particularly painstaking as rural doctors have to travel long distances to accomplish the tasks. China now has 1.44 million rural medical workers and has health services delivered to all rural areas, Nie said. Stressing that medical workers should report necessary information on infectious diseases in a timely manner in accordance with the law, Nie urged authorities to reduce repetitive data reporting and form filling for primary-level officials and health workers so that they can devote more time and energy to epidemic prevention and control. "Medical facilities in rural areas should focus on virus screening," Nie said, adding that upon detection, they should transfer suspected patients to designated hospitals. He also highlighted that the safety of medical workers dedicated to virus screening at the primary level is an important concern of the government. "We will maintain coordination with competent departments to solve the shortage of protective supplies for rural health workers and make sure local authorities take medical personnel at the primary level into consideration when allocating supplies," Nie said. The political council of Artsakhs (Nagorno-Karabakh Republic) United Homeland Party has decided to endorse Masis Mayilyan, who is running in the presidential elections. This is stated in the statement issued by the political party. During the extraordinary congress of United Homeland Party held on February 9, 2020, the political partys founding chairman Samvel Babayan expressed the partys position and declared that the party is negotiating with active political parties in order to participate in the elections through consolidation of active parties in Artsakh. Today, more than ever, we need unity. Wise people think about consolidating the interests of the public because only through the peoples unity is it possible to overcome crises, and Artsakh is truly in a crisis. Taking this into consideration, the political council of United Homeland Party has decided to endorse Masis Mayilyan, who has registered to run in the presidential elections and is also aware of the fact that the situation is grave and crucial and is concerned about the destiny of the united homeland. In principle, Masis Mayilyan accepts the pre-election platform of United Homeland Party and is ready to implement the objectives upon assumption of office, and the objectives are to create an efficient army, overcome economic stagnation and solve social issues. United Homeland Party is drafting a memorandum on the political cooperation with Masis Mayilyan that will be signed in the presence of mass media representatives soon. Dr. Deirdre Johnston, who is interim associate dean for global education and a professor of communication at Hope College, was among representatives of colleges and universities around the world who met in Saudi Arabia earlier this month through their institutions partnership in the Global Liberal Arts Alliance. Hope is one of 30 colleges and universities in 18 countries that belong to the Global Liberal Arts Alliance, which was formed 10 years ago with the goal of advancing liberal arts education around the world and strengthening member institutions through sharing and relationship building. Johnston and other college and university liaisons to the alliance, one per campus, met at Effat University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 5-7 for the groups 2020 meeting, titled Liberal Arts in Practice. Through a series of panel presentations, the liaisons shared best practices from their campuses on undergraduate research, faculty-led study away, community-engaged service learning, internships, first-year experience, academic and career advising, and student mental health. Johnston made a presentation on Global Mobility & Global/Local Understanding, highlighting how to make immersive global learning experiences mutually beneficial for students and the communities in which they are studying by addressing financial, psychological and systems-level barriers. She was also a discussant for a program on promoting student mental health and wellness. Hope is in the Global Liberal Arts Alliance through its membership in the Great Lakes Colleges Association (GLCA). In addition to Hope and the other members of the GLCA, the Global Liberal Arts Alliance includes colleges and universities in Bulgaria, Ecuador, Egypt, France, Ghana, Greece, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Ivory Coast, Japan, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and Switzerland. By IANS NEW DELHI: Amid counting of votes in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly elections, capital's Shaheen Bagh on Tuesday witnessed silent anti-CAA protests, the epicentre of demonstrations for nearly two months. The women protesters have been staging silent protest since the morning, and no person was seen delivering any speech during the demonstration. ALSO READ: Shaheen Bagh - Mixed reactions to Supreme Court's ruling Sources said that holding a silent protest amid election results also indicates that it might send a wrong message to the people and fuel violence in Jamia. When the media approached them, they refused to speak showing a poster that silence is being observed on the counting day. When asked why? A boy showed placards where it was written that this was because of the election results and Jamia violence. Speaking on the results of the Delhi elections, a protester said they do not support any political party. Sources added that the silent protest will continue from morning to night. Agartala, Feb 11 : Former Tripura Chief Minister and CPI-M politburo member Manik Sarkar on Tuesday described Aam Aadmi Party's victory in the Delhi Assembly polls as a "triumph over BJP's multifaceted attack on the people". The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is set to win 62 out of the 70 seats in the national capital with the BJP poised to bag the remaining eight seats. Describing AAP's victory as an "encouraging development for the struggle of the secular forces against a communal force like the BJP", Sarkar said the saffron party's "all out endeavours and conspiracies" to win significant electoral battles have been totally trashed by the 'aam admi' (common people) of Delhi. "The AAP has been running its government in Delhi in the face of many challenges and obstacles posed by the BJP to provide good governance, including quality education, better health services, water supply and other basic necessities. Finally, the AAP has beaten the diverse challenges and conspiracies and returned to power with a resounding victory," the veteran Left leader told the media. Sarkar said the BJP was taught a lesson for its anti-people economic policies, mis-governance, destruction of democracy, unabated attack on education, students and youth besides the party's failure to provide minimum quantum of jobs to the unemployed people. "Democracy has won in the country's national capital. BJP is of late losing every poll. It shows the people of the country do not want divisive politics," said Sarkar, who was the Chief Minister of Tripura for 20 years between 1998 and 2018. Sarkar also accused the BJP of "snatching away people's rights" and said that the secular forces would be encouraged to fight against communal forces like the BJP. "The entire BJP leadership by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah tried to capture Delhi, but the people of the national capital gave a most befitting reply to them," Sarkar said. The Cayuga County Democratic Committee believes Francis Conole is the best candidate who can defeat Republican U.S. Rep. John Katko in the 24th Congressional District race. The committee met Monday and voted to endorse Conole, D-Syracuse, over two other Democrats, Dana Balter and Roger Misso. The vote tally wasn't revealed, but Cayuga County Democratic Chairman Ian Phillips said a candidate must get a simple majority of the vote to secure the endorsement. "Francis Conole has the unique background, as a central New York native and Iraq War veteran, to beat John Katko in November and bring forth fresh leadership and bold ideas to deliver real results in our region," Phillips said. Conole, a U.S. Navy veteran, is a first-time candidate. He grew up in Westvale and attended Westhill High School in Onondaga County. He attended and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy. As the designation process unfolded, Conole received support from several Cayuga County Democrats. His supporters include Auburn Mayor Michael Quill, Auburn City Councilor Debby McCormick, Cayuga County legislators Elane Daly and Heidi Nightengale, former Cayuga County Democratic Chairwoman Katie Lacey and David McKeon, who has long been involved in the Democratic Party and whose late father, William, chaired the state committee. In a statement, Conole said he's honored to have the Cayuga County Democratic Committee's support. "As I have traveled throughout NY-24, central New Yorkers are telling me that they feel the financial squeeze of rising health care and prescription drug costs, anxiety about the climate crisis affecting our lakes and drinking water, and left behind by career politicians in Washington cozying up to corporations and special interests," he said. Conole continued, "I'm running for Congress to bring forward fresh leadership and bold ideas that deliver real results on these key issues, and I look forward to working with our committee members and grassroots activists to beat John Katko in November and get to work for the people of New York's 24th district." Democrats in Cayuga and Oswego counties initially planned to meet and make a joint endorsement, but the committees held separate meetings and endorsed different candidates. While the Cayuga Democrats went for Conole, Oswego Democrats endorsed Balter. The Wayne County Democratic Committee didn't hold a designation meeting for the congressional seat. Mark Alquist, the committee chair, told The Citizen in January that because of the strength of the candidates, the committee is letting the primary process decide the party's nominee. Another endorsement in the race will come Saturday when the Onondaga County Democratic Committee, largest party committee in the 24th district, meets to designate a candidate. While that endorsement will be significant, it likely won't prevent a primary. The candidates plan on continuing to campaign in the district and letting voters determine the nominee. The primary election is Tuesday, June 23. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 5 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 3 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. Alka Lamba election result 2020 live news and latest updates online - Read about Alka Lamba CONGRESS candidate who is fighting Delhi assembly (Vidhan Sabha) election from Chandni Chowk seat and many more at Firstpost.com. Despite being considered one of the prominent faces in the Congress amid a tepid party campaign for the Assembly polls, Alka Lamba garnered merely 3881 votes till 2.30 pm. Her vote share stood at 5.03 percent, even as Aam Aadmi Party's Parlad Singh Sawhney and BJP's Suman Kumar Gupta left her far behind, getting 50, 891 votes and 21,307 respectively. Alka Lamba, who made a Ghar Wapsi into the Congress after five years, contested from the high-profile Chandni Chowk Assembly constituency. Lamba was previously representing the constituency in the Assembly between 2015 and September 2019, when she was disqualified under the anti-defection law. Lamba had a two-decade-long association with the Congress party before she switched over to the newly formed Aam Aadmi Party in December 2014 but later changed back to the Congress side. As a Congresswoman, Lamba served as the president of the Delhi University Students Union, national president of the National Students Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of the Congress, general secretary of the Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee, and secretary of the All India Congress Committee. An alumnus of St Stephens College, Lambas first taste of electoral politics was during the 2003 Assembly polls when she contested against Madan Lal Khurana but lost. Lamba is reportedly passionate about issues relating to women empowerment, human rights and sustainable development and has spoken extensively on them. In 2006, she was also appointed as the vice-chairperson of the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development, an autonomous body of the Women and Child Development ministry. After joining the AAP, she was given the ticket to contest from Chandni Chowk, which she won by a margin of over 18,000 votes. A few months after the election, she found herself in a controversy when she was charged with vandalism and destruction of property after a shop owner allegedly threw a stone at her. Lamba was also in the line of fire during the 2012 Guwahati molestation case when she identified the name of the victim to the media. Consequently, she was removed as a member of the fact-finding team that probed the incident. Since the beginning of 2019, Lamba was embroiled in a bitter spat with the AAP top brass over several issues. From opposing the resolution to withdraw the Bharat Ratna to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, refusing to campaign for the party in the Lok Sabha elections to seeking accountability from the party after its humiliating loss, Lamba had several run-ins with the party bosses. In September 2019, she finally quit the party citing continuing disrespect for her and joined the Congress party. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkL0ozObLvE Spoiler. German / Aussie entertainer Hans returned to Americas Got Talent this week for his Final performance, with a show-stopping rendition of JLos Lets Get Loud. While he had the crowd on their feet, his love / hate affair with Simon Cowell went another round. The winner will be announced next week. Americas Got Talent airs 7:30pm Saturdays on FOX8. Drugs in a plastic bag on black background. stock photo: iStock by Getty/ Inna Dodor Doctors treating a four-year-old shooting victim found that somebody had placed 151 packages of heroin under his clothing, police in Puerto Rico said on Tuesday. The boy was hospitalised following a shooting on Monday at the apartment his mother and two-year-old sister shared with 26-year-old John Hernandez at a public housing project, Ponce city police captain Joel Gonzalez said. He told The Associated Press the gunmen had chased Mr Hernandez from a drug distribution point in the housing complex and he had fled into the apartment. The attackers caught him there and opened fire, killing him and injuring the boy, who suffered several bullet wounds. Captain Gonzalez said police are investigating who placed the foil-wrapped drugs underneath the boys clothes. Gonzalez said a two-year-old girl and two adults who were in the apartment at the time of the shooting were not injured. He said the childrens mother was not home at the time. No one has been arrested. Associated Press The AAPs Amanatullah Khan on Tuesday widened his lead against Brahm Singh of the BJP in the Okhla assembly constituency, home to Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar where protests against the amended citizenship act are raging. After the fifth round of counting, Amanatullah Khan had 28,970 votes against Brahm Singhs 7296 votes and Parvez Hashmis 1224 votes. The Okhla assembly seat, a Muslim majority area with Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar, was thrust into the national spotlight after protesters blocked a major road demanding the repeal of the contentious citizenship act. Protesters, mainly women, in Shaheen Bagh have blocked an arterial road that connects south-east Delhi with Noida and Faridabad since December 15, 2019. Two incidents of shooting were reported in these areas within a week. The Bharatiya Janata Party made Shaheen Bagh one of its key poll planks with at least two of its star campaigners gagged by the Election Commission for alleged hate speech against the anti-CAA protests. The Aam Aadmi Party, which won the seat in 2015, by a massive margin of over 64,000 votes, alleged that the BJP used the issue for political gains in the light of the Delhi assembly elections 2020. The AAP insists the polls should only be fought on development and welfare. Amanatullah Khan was elected as the member of legislative assembly from Okhla in the 2015 assembly election by defeating Braham Singh after a humiliating defeat in 2013. He had managed only 3600 votes then. The Congress Parvez Hashmi a former Rajya Sabha MP and four-time MLA from Okhla another candidate in the triangular fight in the Delhi assembly elections. The counting of votes is still underway in Okhla constituency. The BJP has never won the Okhla seat since 1993 but they have always fielded a Hindu candidate, except for once in 2009 by-elections in the seat. And that was the BJPs worst performance in the seat in terms of vote share hardly managing 3.12%. The Supreme Court had on Monday issued notices to the Centre and Delhi government on the participation of children after the death of a four-month-old baby of a Shaheen Bagh protester. We have the highest respect for motherhood, highest concern for children and they should not be treated badly, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) SA Bobde told the lawyers of the mothers who are protesting against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act or CAA at Shaheen Bagh. The court had taken suo moto cognizance of the issue after the death of the infant in Shaheen Bagh. The baby had died in his sleep on the night of January 30 after returning from Shaheen Bagh. The United Nations has called for decisive action to rectify unsafe and unsanitary conditions at the Moria refugee camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, as well as at refugee centers on four other islands, amid rising concerns about disease outbreak in the camps. The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is urging Greece to intensify efforts to address alarming overcrowding and precarious conditions for asylum seekers and migrants, a spokesperson said at a press briefing in Geneva on Friday. The UNHCR is calling on the Greek government to implement emergency measures, and expedite its plans to transfer a greater number of asylum-seekers to appropriate accommodation on the mainland. Since July 2019, the Moria camp has quadrupled in size and now hosts 18,342 people in a facility originally built for 2,200. 85% of people living in the camp are refugees; the remainder are classified as migrants. A majority of those living in the camp are families from Afghanistan and Syria, as well as other countries in the Middle East and Africa. A third of the camps population is children under the age of 12, according to the UNHCR. 3,545 people have landed on Greeces shores in the month of January 2020; that number remains on par with the total of 59,000 people whose journey led them to Greece in 2019. Upon their arrival, refugees today are unable to leave the camps due to an EU containment policy which mandates their staying put while their asylum requests are processed. The situation has left Greeces asylum processing system overstretched, with a current backlog of 90,000 cases which has resulted in some refugees spending over a year in the camps. Meanwhile, conditions continue to deteriorate. Migrants stand near an accumulation of garbage in the stream of the Moria refugee camp on February 5, 2020 in Moria, Greece. | Ivan RomanoGetty While some estimates suggest Greece has received over $1.6 billion in financial aid to help refugees, refugee camps remain dangerous and inadequate. On Lesbos, overcrowding has forced refugees to seek shelter in nearby olive groves. In the winter when temperatures drop below freezing refugees are forced to build fires in their thin tents; women and girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence. Many women are fearful of using toilets, showers, or getting food in distribution lines, Human Rights Watch reports. Story continues The situation [for] migrants, including asylum seekers, in the Greek Aegean islands has dramatically worsened over the past 12 months, the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Dunja Mijatovic, said in October after visiting reception facilities on three Greek islands. Mijatovic noted that there is a drastic lack of medical care and sanitation in the camps, calling it an explosive situation. I am an experienced doctor, I have seen many patients in my life, but what I saw there had me crying, Dr. Hana Pospisilova, a volunteer on Lesbos, told The Guardian. If you read about Spanish flu it was exactly like this that [it] began to spread, in overcrowded facilities where people had a viral infection that became a bacterial infection that killed them, Pospisilova said. On Monday, Notis Mitarichi, the Greek Migration Minister announced the governments plan to set up closed camps for asylum seekers in March. Refugees living in closed camps are allowed to enter and leave the camp during the day, but will be locked in at night. These camps, which are expected to accommodate 20,000 asylum seekers, have been developed in response to increased aggression by locals, and recent outbreaks of violence between refugees, locals and police authorities on the islands. Last week, hundreds of asylum-seekers protested the Moria camps deteriorating conditions in Mytilene, the capital of Lesbos. Two riot police squads were dispatched and fired tire gas at protesters. A migrant falls to the ground while fleeing the demonstration on February 04, 2020 in Mytilene, Greece. | Ivan RomanoGetty As the Moria camp has grown and conditioned have worsened, local residents of the island have also reached their breaking point, leading to a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment. The Lesbos community has been abandoned by its own government for almost five years to deal with the consequences of a failed reception system, Sophie McCann, a Medecins Sans Frontieres worker told the Guardian. Like the refugee community, it is tired. The current conservative government, which has held power since mid-2019, has taken a tougher stance on migration. The government passed a law that toughened asylum requirements, increased the number of border patrols, and said it wants to send 200 rejected asylum-seekers back to Turkey every week. In January, the government pledged to build a floating barrier to prevent smuggling boats from landing on Greeces shores, sparking outcry from rights groups. This proposal marks an alarming escalation in the Greek governments ongoing efforts to make it as difficult as possible for asylum-seekers and refugees to arrive on its shores, Amnesty Internationals Research Director for Europe Massimo Moratti said. We are treating patients but nobody is healed, Pospisilova said. Its impossible to heal them in these conditions. There is no easy way for celebrities, is there? They are trolled mercilessly when they speak out on an issue on social media and when they dont, their silence is questioned. This time around, trolls hit a new low when they slammed Parineeti Chopra for her latest post, where she can be seen at the airport wearing a mask as protection from Coronavirus. Well, according to trolls, the actress was 'insensitive' and appeared to be doing some kind of a 'photoshoot', which was highly inappropriate given that the virus has been claiming lives in an alarming number in China. Taking to Twitter and Instagram she posted the pictures with the caption, "Sad, but I guess this is the situation now. Stay safe guys. #Coronavirus #StaySafe." Check out the post: Sad, but I guess this is the situation now. Stay safe guys. #Coronavirus #StaySafe pic.twitter.com/NHAgtMj5H0 Parineeti Chopra (@ParineetiChopra) February 10, 2020 If you look at it on a positive note, it can be seen as a way of telling people to take care of themselves and take precautions to be safe from the deadly virus. But, instead, people went on to take her case left, right and centre. Here are some reactions to her post: God forbid if some of your acquaintance dies, you'll do a photoshoot with sad face in white saree and upload on twitter with caption Sad, but I guess this is the situation now. Stay safe guys. THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) February 10, 2020 You dont need a photo shoot to tell this to people dear Bollywood ki 83B The-Lying-Lama 2.0 (@KyaUkhaadLega) February 10, 2020 God forbid if some of your acquaintance dies, you'll do a photoshoot with sad face in white saree and upload on twitter with caption Sad, but I guess this is the situation now. Stay safe guys. THE SKIN DOCTOR (@theskindoctor13) February 10, 2020 Is this photoshoot necessary on such critical situation?? Lalit Waykole (@lswaykole07) February 10, 2020 It is not a fashion photo shoot opportunity. This virus has killed many people. Please delete this. Sarah_Khan23 (@Zafar_Tigerian) February 10, 2020 Interestingly, its not just Parineeti, but other celebs as well like Ranbir Kapoor and Kartik Aaryan who have been clicked wearing masks, so what's the hullabaloo about? Sadly, trolls have become a parasite in our social media culture and at times, they go beyond a certain level and cross limits, which can really hurt and affect someone. On the work front, Parineeti is gearing up for the release of two films. She will star in Ribhu Dasgupta's psychological thriller The Girl On The Train, adapted from the 2016 Hollywood film of the same name, which in turn was based on Paula Hawkins's 2015 novel of the same name. Parineeti will also be seen in the Saina Nehwal biopic directed by Amol Gupte and the actress has been training hard for the same. Stay strong, Pari! Welcome back to Peter Webers situation, also known as dating a whole mess o women at once to determine which one he wants to marry. Id like to take a moment to thank Jose Luis Antonio, the nice Peruvian man we saw during the credits sequence, for reminding us how very, very strange and not conventional this whole ridiculous Bachelor franchise is. Its always good to get a little reality check, as it were. But hey, enough with the common sense! Peter and his ladies are in Peru for the biannual Winnowing Down to the Final Four ritual! The Bachelor starts the day the way we all should: with a call to his mother. ABC Kidding, kidding. Barbara is supportive as always. You really need to believe whats in your heart, she says. Its the most important thing I can say to you. Good advice, mom but what should your son do if whatevers in his heart changes every 10 minutes? Because Peter is incredibly self-unaware, he thinks the biggest risk he faces is falling for someone that maybe thinks theyre ready for this but theyre not. Yeah, its the women who are the problem, buddy not you. Sure. Whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night. The Bachelor shows up at the womens hotel and gives them this whole make sure you know what you want lecture (again: Pot! Kettle! Black!) and then leaves without taking anyone on a date. Natasha is hoping that shell finally get a one-on-one, but when the first date card of the week finally arrives, it goes to Madison! ABC Peter and Madison meet in the picturesque fishing village called Pucusana, where they stroll on the beach and marvel over the Bachelors brand-new forehead scar. They also go fishing, which means a nice Peruvian man catches fish and lets the tourists pull them in. Later, on a different boat, Madison tells Peter that she really likes him and sees a future with him and thats the only reason shes putting herself through this whole fakakta process. Then they make out on the deck. I can definitely see her as my best friend, says Peter. My best friend that you could also fall in love with. Story continues Hmmm I wonder whats going on at the hotel? ABC Well that escalated quickly. Awww, Im just joshing. Natasha did say that, of course, but it wasnt about Madison specifically it was part of a larger conversation the ladies are having about the overall competition. They all seem pretty sure Madison will come back with a rose, but theyre also hoping against hope that the Suitcase Ninja will come and take her bag away. Unlikely. At dinner, Madison lays down her truth the Lord is her shepherd, and she shall not want to marry a man who doesnt live a life of faith and the Bachelor LOVES it. How much faith you do have, and how important that is for you, I love that, says Peter. Honestly, it inspires me so much. Though he admits that his faith could be stronger, Peter says Christianity is important to him. Plus ABC So yeah he may not be as religious as Madison would like, but shes willing to give him a pass on that for now. Im so glad you said that, she whispers. I needed that. Madison gets the rose and a guaranteed hometown date. You guys, something amazing has happened! ABC Its an honest-to-God miracle Peter finally gave Natasha a one-on-one date! They meet up at the Plaza de Armas for an afternoon of eating and exploring. Peter almost loses his damn mind when he sees a vendor selling arroz con leche (a type of rice pudding) This is my absolute favorite dessert! and Natasha pretends to like it. Im just really excited to get him all to myself, she says. Its scary because hes my only person, but Im not his only person. Wait whats going on here? ABC Whatever it is, it looks cozy. After the dancing awkwardly in public with some locals portion of the date, the duo sits down for some drinks, and Peter has a lot of nice things to say about Natasha. You have always been someone that has shown me more sides than any other woman here, he tells her. I have seen that goofy and that fun side of yours, Ive seen that bold side and that fierce side, and youve been nothing but honest with me. Exactly! So why has it taken you so long to give her a damn one-on-one, buddy? (Also, why did they leave all the souvenirs they bought at the bar? Are the Bachelor Interns supposed to carry them back to the hotel?) The truth is, its pretty clear that Peter hasnt given Natasha a one-on-one until now because he simply doesnt feel it with her. (Even though shes wayyy too good for him.) Im falling in love with Madison, explains Peter. But I dont know if Im there yet with Natasha. So tonight I just have to be very honest with Natasha, and with myself. Ooof I think we all know where this is going, rose lovers. Though Natasha says she really, really, really, really, really does see something special between them, Peter knows he has to come clean. I feel like its just like a friendship with us, he confesses to the camera. Its more that than, like, romantically invested. So, yeah ABC I know what you have to offer someone, and I want you to find that so bad, says Peter. Natasha is disappointed but she doesnt seem that surprised. They share a long hug goodbye, and then we cut to footage of the burly Suitcase Ninja wheeling Natashas bag out the door. Im just going to continue to follow my heart, says Peter. With every hard goodbye, Im just one step closer to why I am here. The next day, Kelsey suits up for her second one-on-one of this journey. She meets him in the countryside of Pachacamac, about 25 miles outside of Lima. And what better way to enjoy the beautiful, rolling hills and valleys than with noisy, gas-guzzling ATVs? ABC Yeah, nature! Eventually, they put the machines away and recline on the grassy mountainside, where Peter asks Kelsey to describe her ideal vision of married life. I want to be able to work a couple days a week but also be at home, she says. I think its important to, you know, raise your kids and be at home with them I just want to be involved in my kids lives but still have something for me. This is a remarkably refreshing answer correct me if Im wrong, rose lovers, but I think its pretty rare for a lady on The Bachelor to declare so clearly that they dont see motherhood and marriage as the be-all-end-all of their existence. When they sit down to dinner, Peter seems amazed that they got through the day portion of the date without drama. We had a fun day, he marvels. It wasnt serious, it wasnt emotional. Its a good step for us! Kids, thats whats known as a backhanded compliment. With hometowns looming, Kelsey gives Peter a little more detail about her family. Her father, whom she hadnt seen for a decade after her parents divorce, got in touch with her after she won Miss Iowa in 2017. We tried to have a relationship again, says Kelsey, but there were a lot of red flags, so we didnt. A few years later, she started talking to her dad again but shes never told her mother. The reason for that is I want to make my own decision about the relationship I want to have [with my dad] before I involve family, explains Kelsey. I dont want outside influences to dictate my relationship with him. That actually sounds pretty reasonable. Is this Kelsey? #Champagnegate Kelsey? I guess she can be (relatively) calm and composed. Peter sees her quiet strength and grace too, and he LOVES it. ABC Great. While hes there, maybe he can get to the bottom of that whole caucus disaster. Question, rose lovers: Would you rather go on a two-on-one or a three-on-one date? The final date this week finds Victoria F., Hannah Ann, and Kelley battling it out for the remaining two roses. Last night when I realized I was going to be on the three-on-one, I was pretty annoyed, says Kelley. And today, Im still annoyed. I cant blame her if you ask me a three-on-one is even more uncomfortable than the gladiator-style two-on-one. Its too small to be a proper group date and too big to be a satisfying showdown with another woman you hate. Its the neither here nor there of emotional torture and Kelley deserves better! Hannah Ann and Victoria F. are children, sighs Kelley, and who wants to be on a three-on-one date with them? (Side note: Kelley is 27, Victoria F. is 26, and Hannah Ann is 23.) Sorry, toots, but rules are rules. Get in the car! The Bachelor (screen grab)CR: ABC | ABC The first sign that things arent going to go well for Kelley on this date comes during that cramped car ride or at least the voiceover we hear during it. Kelley is in full trash-talk mode, saying Hannah Ann is not in the right phase of her life to be in a relationship and that Victoria F. is just, like, a hot mess. Thats all true, but when a woman says I should be fine going into a group date of any kind, shes probably not going to be fine. The date takes place at a beautiful hacienda run by the aforementioned Jose Luis Antonio, who offers to let Peter marry his final lady in the plantations chapel. Im pretty sure thats not going to be necessary, senor. The Bachelor pulls Hannah Ann first, and shes already a wreck, talking about how stressed out she is by the thought that this could be one of our last times talking, she says, her voice quavering. That has just weighed so heavy on me. Peter says hes been worried that Hannah Ann has only shown him the all good side of her and it seems that Hannah Ann came prepared to rebut this concern. ABC I am not going to tell you how long I spent poring over a freeze-frame of this note from Hannah Ann because it would just be too embarrassing. Almost as embarrassing as being a 23-year-old woman who still dots her is with little hearts. Suffice it to say that it took me quite a while to realize that No. 14 was Our mutual dorkiness [sic] and not Our mutual darkness (LOLz). Peter calls her list the sweetest thing ever, but how does it address his concerns about Hannah Anns ability to display a range of human emotions? It doesnt, but I suppose its a good distraction. Meanwhile, all of the waiting and the prospect of being sent home is sending Victoria F. into yet another downward spiral. Kelley, meanwhile, is just chillin ABC Yeah, this is definitely going to be a bait-and-switch. Remember: Whatever the sane, rational choice is, Peter is going to do the opposite. When Kelley sits down with Peter, she reiterates that she likes him, she wants him to meet her family, and points out that not every relationship has to be super-hard and filled with drama. It can be easy and still could be fun. Peter seems confused by this idea. Is this more than just fun for you? he asks. I want this to be more than just fun. Kelley says yes, yes, of course. But does Peter believe her? Lets put a pin in that question and see how his conversation with Victoria F. is going. ABC For the love of all thats holy, woman, you are the queen of MOODS. All Peter did was ask Victoria F. about their last one-on-one date, which ended with her crying in the bathroom before finally accepting the rose. Its like youre attacking me for asking these questions, Peter replies. Im not in a mood. I do feel like you have given me reasons to [long pause] doubt. Gah, this fight again? We all know how this goes: Victoria F. cries about how hard this process is for her and tells Peter that she is very into him (even though she always acts like a pissy bitch). And then Peter will inevitably fall for it and give her yet another chance. Thats exactly what happens. I think at the end of the day I, like, just dont want to get to the end and then, like, lose you, says Victoria tearfully. So its easier to just not have you in the first place. Peters all, There, there, crazy woman, I would never lead you on. (Im paraphrasing.) Guess what happens next. Just guess. ABC Yep, Victoria F. is getting a hometown date. Victoria and I obviously have a really unique relationship, explains Peter. I dont necessarily look at that as a bad thing. WE KNOW. Kelley, who was certain that Peter walked away with Victoria to send her home, still seems confident when she sees him return without that precious date rose. Hes gotta give it to her, right? I mean, shes the grownup here. Shes an attorney for Gods sake. He has to know shes better a better option, right? Right? RIGHT??? ABC Wrong. Peter gives the 23-year-old his final rose of the night, leaving Kelley to wonder what the actual F just happened. (Also, Hannah Ann, why are you sobbing? You won, girl!) Kelley keeps her composure as she says goodbye to Peter. It sucks that it didnt work out, she says. Figure out the things you need to figure out. Once shes in the Reject SUV, though, Kelley doesnt hold back. The four [women] that are left are like little babies, she says. (Side note: Madison is 23, and Kelsey is 28, one year older than Kelley.) They dont really know who they are. As for Peter, shes glad hes not going to waste her time any longer. Thank you for not coming and meeting my family, she says bitterly. Fare thee well, Kelley see you in Paradise! And now, a toast to the Final Four. ABC Is it the group you expected, rose lovers? From the looks of the preview, Victoria F. continues to be a hot mess during her hometown visit, and Madison has been keeping quite a big secret from Peter. Only four weeks left! Before you rest up for next week, let me know your thoughts: Why does Peter keep giving Victoria F. so many chances? Is it me, or was Kelsey almost normal this week? And did that rice pudding look good to you? Post your thoughts below! Related content: Photograph: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images The Swiss government has ordered an inquiry into a global encryption company based in Zug following revelations it was owned and controlled for decades by US and German intelligence. Related: Joe Biden leaves New Hampshire early as Democrats vote in primary live Encryption weaknesses added to products sold by Crypto AG allowed the CIA and its German counterpart, the BND, to eavesdrop on adversaries and allies alike while earning million of dollars from the sales, according the Washington Post and the German public broadcaster ZDF, based on the agencies internal histories of the intelligence operation. It was the intelligence coup of the century, the CIA report concluded. Foreign governments were paying good money to the US and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries. The mention of five or six countries is probably a reference to the Five Eyes electronic intelligence sharing agreement between the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The operation, codenamed Thesaurus and then renamed Rubicon in 1980s, demonstrated the overwhelming intelligence value of being able to insert flaws into widely sold communications equipment. The CIAs success over many years is likely to reinforce current US suspicions of equipment made by the Chinese company Huawei. Neither China or the Soviet Union bought Crypto encryption devices, suspicious of the companys origins, but it was sold to more than 100 other countries. Carolina Bohren, a spokeswoman for the Swiss defence ministry, said in an emailed statement: The events under discussion date back to 1945 and are difficult to reconstruct and interpret in the present day context. Bohren said that following media inquiries about the company, the Swiss government appointed a former federal supreme court judge, Niklaus Oberholzer, in January to investigate and clarify the facts of the matter and report back to the defence ministry in June. Story continues Meanwhile, Switzerland has suspended foreign sales of Crypto products. At their height, Operations Thesaurus and Rubicon provided the US with a powerful intelligence edge. When Anwar Sadat and Menachem Begin were hosted by the former president Jimmy Carter at Camp David in 1978 to negotiate an Egyptian-Israeli peace accord, the US was able to monitor all Sadats communications with Cairo. Iran was also a Crypto customer, allowing CIA and the National Security Agency (NSA) to spy on the revolutionary government in Tehran during the 1979 hostage crisis. US intelligence was also able to eavesdrop on Libyan officials congratulating each other on the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco. According to the CIAs history, the US passed on intercepted communications about Argentinian military plans to the UK during the Falklands war, exploiting Argentinas reliance on Crypto encryption equipment. The CIA and BND agreed the purchase of Crypto in 1970 but, fearing exposure, the BND sold its share of the company to the US in the early 1990s. According to the Washington Post, the CIA continued to exploit the company until 2018, when it sold the companys assets to two private companies. One of those companies, CyOne Security, which is run by former top Crypto employees, issued a statement saying it could not comment on Cryptos history. CyOne Security AG was founded in January 2018. The company operates exclusively in the Swiss market with a focus on state-of-the art security solutions for customers from the Swiss public sector, the statement said. Since the start of its business activities, CyOne Security has been 100% owned by four Swiss private individuals. It is completely independent of the former Crypto AG. CyOne Security has no ties with any foreign intelligence services. The firm did not respond to follow-up questions over how it could be completely independent of Crypto, having inherited its top staff. Cryptos foreign sales business was sold to a Swedish entrepreneur, Andreas Linde. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment but expressed shock when informed by journalists last month about Cryptos history. If what you are saying is true, then absolutely I feel betrayed, and my family feels betrayed, and I feel there will be a lot of employees who will feel betrayed as well as customers, Linde was quoted as saying by the Washington Post, which described him as visibly shaken. In a later interview, Linde said his company was checking all its products for hidden vulnerabilities. We have to make a cut as soon as possible with everything that has been linked to Crypto, he said. Cryptos origins lie in the great conflicts of the 20th century. Its founder, Boris Hagelin, was born in Russia but fled to Sweden during the Russian Revolution. He escaped to the US when the Nazis invaded Norway in 1940, and sold his portable encryption machine to US forces. In the US, Hagelin became friends with William Friedman, who is considered the father of American cryptology, and they remained close after Hagelin moved his company to Switzerland after the war. The two men made a secret agreement in 1951, in the Cosmos Club in Washington, to restrict sales of its sophisticated encryption products to countries approved by the US. When encryption technology evolved from mechanical to electronic in the 1960s, the NSA manipulated the algorithms used by Crypto devices, so they could be quickly decoded. The company started making two versions of its machines secure models sold to friendly governments and rigged systems for everyone else before being taken over outright by the CIA and the BND. The security of Crypto equipment began arousing suspicions after Ronald Reagan made public claims about US intercepts of Libyan officials involved in the 1986 bombing of the Berlin disco, La Belle. Iranian intelligence became suspicious and questioned a Crypto salesman, Hans Buehler, but took no action until about six years later, when they arrested Buehler as he was about to fly out of Tehran. Iran released him only after the company agreed to pay $1m, with funds provided by the BND. Most of Cryptos workforce was unaware of the companys secret, but in 1977, an engineer who had grown suspicious of its algorithms was fired after he traveled to Damascus and fixed the vulnerabilities in the firms products operated by the Syrian government. The link between US intelligence and Crypto was first reported by the Baltimore Sun in 1995, leading several countries to stop buying from the company. Bizarrely, however, Iran continued to purchase Crypto equipment for several years. Asked why he had not asked more questions about the company he was buying, Linde, the new owner of Crypto International, said he viewed the allegations as just rumours. 'In Kejriwal's re-election, we are finally seeing someone who has successfully bridged his Hindu identity with ground-level development triumphing over the BJP,' notes Saisuresh Sivaswamy. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after casting his vote, February 8, 2020. Photograph: Ravi Choudhary/PTI Photo Since May 2014, when Narendra Damodardas Modi stormed to power vanquishing the Congress party and relegating it to the netherworld, the Opposition has tied itself into knots over how to stop him in his tracks. Six years later, with Modi winning a second term as prime minister with a larger number and bigger vote share, and a swathe of assembly elections in between in the company of his trust commander in chief Amit Anilchandra Shah, the Opposition has still not found a magic bullet to stop Modi electorally. Five years ago I wrote on Arvind Kejriwal and the art of stopping Modi-Shah in the aftermath of the unprecedented 67 seats won by an alumnus, both of an IIT and the Kisan Baburao 'Anna' Hazare movement, and it is now time to write of how the Grand Opposition needs to learn its lessons from Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi chief minister's tactic of not engaging the BJP on its home turf -- which meant that polarising issues like Shaheen Bagh, Hindu versus others, responding to hate speech etc were out -- worked wonders for him. The BJP threw everything it had at Kejriwal because its leadership, unlike that of the somnolent Opposition parties, saw clearly what a win for their bete noire actually means. Kejriwal's win, second time on the trot, in the face of a rejuvenated, resilient Bharatiya Janata Party, has the potential to reverberate across polling booths in the country and he has provided a nucleus to the still fragmented Opposition. The BJP could lure Nitish Kumar over to its side, but how do you deal with his politician who is really not a politician? Which is why the saffron brigade was so desperate to deny him another chance at power. We hacks have a short shelf life, what we say is often drowned out in tweetstorms and Facebook outrage, but it is heartening to see -- while laying no claim to or credit for actual strategy -- that Kejriwal's electoral tactic closely followed what I wrote three years ago on how to defeat Modi in elections. There's no brainwave to it, really, just some basic ground rules. Primary one being not to engage the BJP on its terms and to move the debate away from issues that are to its benefit. Which is what Kejriwal did so successfully in the face of extreme provocation, which included being called a 'terrorist' by no less than a Union minister! In the Delhi election the BJP has exposed itself as a party that wants to fight elections on non-issues. It wants the voters to enter the polling booth in an emotive state, and not use their logic or reasoning to exercise their franchise. Because, both its vaunted Gujarat Model on the back of which it won the 2014 election, and the government's abysmal record in governance and development -- which it promised in 2014 but conveniently forgot in 2019 -- are non-starters. On what basis can a government that has presided over the highest unemployment figures in 45 years, or the lowest economic growth in a decade, seek votes in the name of development? Ergo, forgotten, or irrelevant, issues like Pakistan, Partition, Hindutva etc became its calling card. Alas, it may have worked for it in the Lok Sabha election, but to expect a regional election to be swung by emotive issues is to downgrade the voters's sense as well as sensibilities. If 'Kaam bolta hai (work speaks for itself)' did not work for Akhilesh Yadav in the 2017 Uttar Pradesh assembly election, perhaps the mistake was in the nature of the kaam done. In Delhi, in contrast, Kejriwal was sure about the quality of work his government would accomplish -- grassroots stuff that touches people's lives at the bottom of the pyramid as well, so the model of development is not a skewed one. Apart from ensuring that the message of his work reached all around, Kejriwal was also careful that at no time did he target the prime minister in retaliation for the barbs thrown at him. This Kejriwal is a contrast to what he used to be, a shoot and scoot artiste. Maybe power has made him more responsible, perhaps he has realised that Modi cannot be taken on by a Modi V2.0. So his careful eschewing of issues the BJP would have loved to spin the election on. Like his staying away from Shaheen Bagh, for instance. His recital of the Hanuman Chalisa was also part of this carefully constructed persona; like Rahul Gandhi earlier, Kejriwal has realised that only a 'Hinduised' Hindu can take on Modi. But unlike Rahul whose temple runs in the absence of any work to show have proved popular only as memes, Kejriwal had a bank of developmental work to showcase his government's achievements. In that sense, this election is a triumph of the Delhi Model over the Gujarat Model. But the real interesting stuff begins now. The Delhi rout, while an embarrassment for the BJP's new president Jagat Prakash Nadda, is really no skin off Modi-Shah's back. It is a non-state election, never mind the high profile they themselves lent it with their high-octane campaign. They have lost worse, and the real focus is on 2024 anyway. It is here that Kejriwal's win poses problems for the Grand Opposition. Elections, as much as they are about bread and butter issues, are also about personalities. Witness Kejriwal taunting the BJP about the lack of its chief ministerial face for Delhi. Voters would like to see a face attached to the cause they are voting on. Thus, Modi's face is firmly etched with nationalism, Hindu consolidation, cultural regeneration etc (sorry, not Vikas, not anymore). The Opposition's weakness has been the absence of someone who can take Modi on over these issues and to project someone credible to challenge him. In Kejriwal's re-election, we are seeing someone who has successfully bridged being a Hindu with ground-level development triumphing over the BJP. There is no one else in the Opposition camp with these qualities. Yet. In Bengal, Mamata Banerjee no doubt will weather a bruising electoral battle to retain control over Nabanna. But her over-dependence on the Muslim vote rules her out as a viable contestant against Modi. She is dead on arrival, as the film industry patois says. The Opposition has no dearth of satraps who can hold on to their fort by hook or by crook -- as Sharad Pawar engineered things in Maharashtra -- but there is no one with a working game plan that can be replicated across the nation. An IIT-Kharagpur alumnus has now shown that he has the blueprint, but with him as the fulcrum. The rest of the Opposition now need to decide if they want to defeat Modi, or Kejriwal. ESSEX, Mont. The long freight trains climb slowly over Marias Pass, through snow-draped mountains south of Glacier National Park and north of the Great Bear Wilderness, snaking through some of the wildest country in the Lower 48. Some 25 trains a day, each a chain of 90 to 120 cars, make the journey over the Rocky Mountains in northern Montana at speeds up to 25 miles per hour. They have long been a threat to grizzly bears, and last year was the worst with eight of the bears a federally protected species run over by trains. On one day in June, a mother and her two cubs were killed by trains in two separate incidents. The long-term average for grizzly deaths by train is two a year. A train can sneak up on you, said John Waller, the supervisory wildlife biologist for Glacier National Park, as he stopped to watch one chug through the forest. They are amazingly quiet on the down grade and there are a lot of times the sound is blocked, coming in and out of the valleys. The death rate of grizzlies in this region has been rising, attributed not only to trains, but to poaching, cars and the removal of troublesome bears. In 2018, a record number 51 were killed in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem, millions of acres in and around Glacier Park. And last year, 51 bears were killed. In 2017, just 29 bears were killed or euthanized. MISSISSAUGA, ON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - At the request of the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC), Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Nuvo or the Company) (TSX:NRI;OTCQX:NRIFF), a Canadian-focused healthcare company with global reach and a diversified portfolio of commercial products, wishes to confirm that it is not aware of any material, undisclosed information related to the Company that would account for the recent increase in the market price and level of trading volume of its common shares. About Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc. Nuvo (TSX: NRI;OTCQX: NRIFF) is a Canadian focused, healthcare company with global reach and a diversified portfolio of commercial products. The Company targets several therapeutic areas, including pain, allergy and dermatology. The Company's strategy is to in-license and acquire growth-oriented, complementary products for Canadian and international markets. Nuvo's head office is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, the international operations are located in Dublin, Ireland and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada and E.U. approved manufacturing facility is located in Varennes, Quebec, Canada. The Varennes facility operates in a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) environment respecting the U.S, Canada and E.U. GMP regulations and is regularly inspected by Health Canada and the FDA. For additional information, please visit www.nuvopharmaceuticals.com . SOURCE Nuvo Pharmaceuticals Inc. Related Links nuvopharmaceuticals.com Madison Moore warned Joe Biden that the question she was about to ask was going to be a bit mean. Then the 21-year-old student at Mercer University in Georgia launched into a version of what's been asked of the former vice-president since his disappointing fourth-place finish in the Iowa caucuses: "How do you explain the performance in Iowa, and why should voters believe that you can win the national election?" she said. What happened next left her a little shaken by events, Ms Moore said. Mr Biden said it was legitimate question, but then turned the spotlight back on her, asking: "Iowa's a caucus. Have you ever been to a caucus?" When she indicated "yes", he rebuked her. "No, you haven't. You're a lying dog-faced pony soldier," he said. The phrase was an allusion to a line in a John Wayne movie that Mr Biden had used before. But Ms Moore said she was flummoxed at his reaction to what she thought was a legitimate question. "I read an article that he said [Iowa] was a punch to the gut, and I'm not one to just push on wounds," she told 'The Washington Post'. "I'm not trying to humiliate anyone. "He wasn't sitting in at the Senate trials for impeachment, so he had Iowa to himself. "And then you've been a politician for, like, decades. How are you not way above all the other candidates?" In a statement released a few hours later, Ms Moore wrote: "I asked Joe Biden a fair question. "His immediate response was to question whether I had ever attended a caucus. "In my nervousness in the presence of the former vice-president, I nodded 'yes'." Ms Moore has not been to a caucus, she said. She also accused Mr Biden of insulting her, writing: "In reality, it is totally irrelevant whether I've been to a caucus or not. Joe Biden has been performing incredibly poorly in this race. "His inability to answer a simple question from a nobody college student like me only exacerbates that reality." As Mr Biden finished answering the question, he conceded that it was a legitimate question for voters to ask. "It's not a mean question," he said. "It's an honest question." Add CoolSocial badge. Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Cheapchinajordans.net scored 41 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 31 Mar 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 cheapchinajordans homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the cheapchinajordans homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if cheapchinajordans has a Facebook fan page). The total number of people who shared the cheapchinajordans homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the cheapchinajordans homepage on Delicious. 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A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Avenue Supermarts, the hypermarket retail chain D-Mart operator, entered the top 20 stocks list in terms of market capitalisation with a valuation of more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore. The stock gave more than 60 percent return in the last six months. After its run-up, today it was quoting at Rs 2,395.35, down 3.57 percent with a market cap of Rs 1,50,374 crore on the BSE at 1503 hours. It was especially after the Rs 4,000 crore QIP issue launched by the company with a floor price of Rs 1,999.04 per share last week. The company opened its QIP issue on February 5 and closed on February 10 after receiving Rs 4,098 crore at a final issue price of Rs 2,049 per share. The qualified institutional placement issue has received a stellar response from investors including Lone Cypress, Government of Singapore, Europacific Growth Fund, ICICI Prudential Bluechip Fund etc which each received more than 5 percent of the total issue size. CNBC-Awaaz sources had said the demand might be more than Rs 24,000 crore from large investors considering the growth delivered by the company. After the allotment of equity shares in the issue, the paid-up equity share capital of the company stands increased to Rs 6,47,77,46,910 crore, comprising of 64,77,74,691 equity shares, Avenue said in its BSE filing. Hence, the promoter and promoter group's shareholding in the company reduced to 77.27 percent from 79.73 percent at the end of December 2019. Ace investor Radhakishan Shivkishan Damani himself holds 36.04 percent stake in the company, and the rest is held by other promoters. The stock which had listed at a 102 percent premium, at Rs 604 against issue price of Rs 299 has consistently been making investors wealthier. The stock has risen more than eight-fold since March 2017, which proved investors' appetite for shares of the company which beat analyst expectations on all earnings parameters in December ended quarter 2019 despite the economic slowdown and muted festive season. The D-Mart operator reported 53.3 percent year-on-year growth in Q3FY20 profit driven by lower tax cost, and higher revenue and operating income. Revenue from operations grew by 23.9 percent year-on-year to Rs 6,751.9 crore. The company added 7 stores in Q3FY20, and 20 stores in 9MFY20 against 9 stores in 9MFY19. "We expect the acceleration in new store additions will support future revenue growth. We expect revenue to grow at around 26 percent CAGR while margin may improve to 9 percent from 8.2 percent over FY19-22," said Geojit which has a hold rating on the stock. "We continue to like DMart due to consistent strong growth and operational efficiency," it added. The brokerage believes that DMarts strong growth in earnings should continue aided by faster store additions, reduction in debt and tailwinds from GST which will support higher premium in the medium term. At the operating level, its earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBTIDA) increased 30.8 percent year-on-year to Rs 593.1 crore, and its EBITDA margin expanded by 50 basis points to 8.8 percent in Q3 FY20. Manama The Cabinet chaired by His Royal Highness Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, Deputy Supreme Commander and First Deputy Prime Minister, yesterday praised the positive preliminary forecasts of the fiscal results for the year 2019 compared with 2018, which indicate a reduction of the primary fiscal deficit by 85 per cent (excluding public debt interest), and a reduction in the total fiscal deficit of 24pc (including public debt interest). The initial results further revealed an increase in non-oil revenue by 63pc, and a decrease in public expenditure by BD128 million. Furthermore, according to the estimates, economic growth reached 2.1pc in 2019, largely driven by 2.3pc increase in non-oil sector growth. The Cabinet noted that the Kingdom witnessed positive growth in 2019, in parallel with the implementation of the initiatives under the Fiscal Balance Programme and supported by the positive growth of non-oil sectors, itself a result of economic diversification initiatives within Bahrains Economic Vision 2030. The fiscal improvements follow the implementation of a number of reform measures taken by the government as part of the Fiscal Balance Programme, initiated in October 2018. The programme aims to deliver a balanced budget by 2022. Reforms implemented include a government wide spending review and dedicated spending efficiency taskforces, new spending controls, a voluntary retirement scheme for public sector workers and the implementation of VAT. The ministry also announced positive GDP growth figures. According to the estimates, economic growth reached 2.1per cent in 2019, largely driven by a 2.3pc increase in non-oil growth. The Kingdom forecasts strong growth to continue into this year, with GDP expected to expand 2.7pc in 2020. The Minister of Finance and National Economy, Shaikh Salman bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, said: From the outset we have sought to implement an ambitious but balanced fiscal reform package in the Kingdom of Bahrain, with consolidation not being achieved at the expense of economic growth. Todays figures are testament to this approach. The government is 100pc committed to its path of fiscal reform and sustainability, and to delivering a balanced budget by 2022. Among other things, the Cabinet approved a Draft Resolution specifying the regulations and requirements of mobile food truck services within residential locations. The requirements include leaving a distance of at least 20 meters in all directions from neighbouring buildings, and a distance of 50 meters from any road intersection, roundabout or traffic lights. The Draft Resolution further determines the period of service activity from 6 am to 12 midnight, and that food vehicles must leave the residential areas along with all equipment or furniture after completing the provision of their services. The Cabinet approved three MoUs and an Executive Programme, submitted by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, between the governments of the Kingdom of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, to co-operate across various fields, including human resource development, media, electricity and water, as well as co-operation between national committees, regarding the prohibition, use, production, and storing of chemical weapons, and the destruction of these chemical weapons in the Kingdom in collaboration with the UAEs Committee for Goods and Materials Subject to Import and Export Control. The Cabinet reviewed a report submitted by HE the Minister of Health regarding the measures taken to intensify supervision and inspections on retail shops, restaurants, and salons, ensuring the implementation of the cabinet decision taken on this topic. HOUSTON (AP) A federal appeals court in California temporarily halted the deportation of a 5-year-old child who injured his head before immigration agents arrested his family and whose advocates say needs to be seen by a neurologist. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order late Monday that prevents the immediate removal of the boy, his 1-year-old brother, and their mother, who are being held detained at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's family detention center at Dilley, Texas. The appeals court asked for more information from both sides Tuesday and Wednesday. Contributed photo HARTFORD - State Reps. Laura Devlin (R-134) and Brian Farnen (R-132) and the entire General Assembly gaveled in for the 2020 Legislative Session last Wednesday. The current legislative session is a short session, which will run until midnight on Wednesday, May 6. There is much to do in the short three month session, I am hopeful the legislature, as Governor Lamont stated in his speech, can work in a true bipartisan manner to continue moving Connecticut forward, said Devlin. I hope we can all agree that the economic stability and reliability of our residents, and state businesses should always be our first priority as an elected body. We need to protect residents from bad economic policies that hurt their family budgets and cause many to think about leaving Connecticut for lower tax states. Delhi Election Results 2020: Aam Aadmi Party left the two national parties no choice but to accept their defeat even before the counting of votes for Delhi Assembly elections was halfway done. The Arvind Kejriwal-led party convincingly managed to claim a third stint in power at the national capital by winning 62 out of 70 seats up for grabs in the poll fray. The Bharatiya Janata Party remained a distant second with only 8 seats to its name. Congress could not win a single seat this time either. Arvind Kejriwal is set for a third term as Chief Minister of Delhi after he won the New Delhi with a comfortable margin. The incumbent Chief Minister maintained a led all the way and emerged victorious with a difference of 21,697 votes. Kejriwal's deputy, Manish Sisodia did not have an equally easy day, as he trailed for some eight rounds of counting for Patparganj seat, albeit by a small margin. In the end, he managed to push through and pipped Ravinder Singh Negi to win by a margin of 3,207 votes. ALSO READ: Delhi Election Results 2020: Check full list of winners from AAP, BJP It was vindication for AAP's Atishi Marlena, who unsuccessfully contested the last Lok Sabha election from East Delhi parliamentary constituency. The AAP leader managed to widen the lead of seven votes to 11,000 votes to defeat BJP candidate Dharambir Singh for the Kalkaji Assembly constituency. Raghav Chadha, another high-profile candidate from AAP, won the Rajinder Nagar seat from BJP candidate Sardar RP Singh. AAP fielded Chadha from this seat instead of sitting MLA Vijender Garg Vijay, and he managed to increase the winning margin by seven votes to 20,058 votes. As expected, the Okhla constituency once again elected Amanatullah Khan as their legislator, who defeated BJP's Braham Singh by a huge margin of 71,827 votes. The Okhla seat was in the limelight during the course of the campaign for Delhi elections as Shaheen Bagh, where incessant protests against the amended citizenship law are going on, falls under this constituency. BJP leaders had vehemently opposed these protests during their election campaign. ALSO READ: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: AAP back in power with 62 seats BJP managed to win a handful of seats, namely Badarpur, Gandhi Nagar, Ghonda, Karawal Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Rohini, Rohtas Nagar and Vishwas Nagar. BJP faltered a little in its bastion of Rohini, but party candidate Vijender Kumar managed to emerge victorious with a margin of 12,648 votes against AAP's Rajesh Nama Bansiwala. Meanwhile, it was the worst ever performance by Congress in the national capital, as it could not manage even a single seat for the second time in a row and its vote share slipped to its lowest level of 4.27 per cent. On top of that, Congress' 63 candidates lost their security deposits this time. The party had fielded candidates on all 70 seats. Congress was the first to concede defeat, as party spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala held a press conference to congratulate AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. "The people of Delhi have given its verdict. The verdict is against the Congress party. AICC and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee accept the verdict. The result has further strengthened our pledge to make the party strong again," he said. ALSO READ: Delhi Election Results: PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi congratulate Arvind Kejriwal, AAP on landslide victory Sometime later, BJP's national head JP Nadda tweeted that his party accepts the public mandate and is willing to be the opposition in Delhi Assembly. "The BJP respects the mandate given by the people of Delhi. Accepting this mandate, the BJP will play the role of constructive opposition and will prominently raise every issue related to the development of the state," Nadda said on Twitter. Notably, in terms of vote share, this was the best performance BJP had put up in Delhi in the past 27 years. The party secured 38.5 per cent votes during the polls held on February 8. ALSO READ: Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari trolled on Twitter Sri Lanka's main opposition UNP has suffered a split over its move to contest the forthcoming parliamentary polls under a new alliance with many political parties seeking a common symbol. A majority of the working committee members, who met on Monday, felt that the party must face the election under the elephant symbol, senior United National Party (UNP) leader Lakshman Kiriella said. "However, there was opposition to this and the party will meet again on Friday to make a final decision on this," said Kiriella, who is from the camp of former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. A stormy working committee session held on Monday saw opposition leader Sajith Premadasa, who is also the deputy leader of the UNP, walk out in disagreement, his camp claimed on Tuesday. Premadasa wants to forge a new opposition alliance under his leadership. Wickremesinghe, who stepped down to make way for Premadasa to become the main opposition leader after November's presidential election defeat, is not averse to Premadasa forming an alliance but wants it to happen under the aegis of the UNP. Premadasa feels Wickremesinghe is trying to have an indirect control of the alliance curbing him. The Premadasa faction has got a new registration for his new alliance by amending the name and title of a political party which is already registered. Premadasa sought the amended registration of 'Our National Front' to be named 'United People's Force' and make him its leader. At the working committee meeting, Premadasa argued that he was in favour of using the UNP's elephant symbol but many parties planning to join him prefers a common symbol other than elephant. The split in the main opposition party is set to help the electoral fortunes of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. His brother Mahinda Rajapaksa-led Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) seeks two-third majority or 150 seats in the 225 member house in the election which is likely to be held in April. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Unpublished during McKays lifetime, Romance in Marseille is the second novel by the author to appear recently, following the 2017 publication of Amiable With Big Teeth, a book written in 1941 that remained completely unknown until the scholar Jean-Christophe Cloutier stumbled upon the typescript in an archive a decade ago. Together, the books signal a remarkable revival for a writer who, when he died in 1948, had seen all the work he published during his lifetime, including four poetry volumes, three novels, an autobiography and a major study of black life in Harlem, fall out of print. McKay has long been celebrated as one of the most distinguished voices of the Harlem Renaissance his 1922 poetry collection Harlem Shadows is often cited as one of the books that inaugurated the movement but much of his legacy is still underappreciated. Part of the challenge is the sheer breadth of his activity, as a poet, political activist and social critic as well as a novelist. Although he corresponded and collaborated with some Harlem intellectuals, McKay, who was born in Jamaica, spent most of the 1920s outside New York and moved in much broader circles: He met with George Bernard Shaw and worked for Sylvia Pankhurst in London; he saw Isadora Duncan dance in her studio in Nice; he haunted cafes in Tangier with Paul Bowles and Henri Cartier-Bresson. As W. E. B. Du Bois put it, more than any other black intellectual of the era, McKay invented himself as an international Negro. From todays vantage point, McKay looks all the more like the harbinger of a global era. Amiable With Big Teeth, which is set in 1935-36 amid efforts by the Harlem intelligentsia to raise money in support of Ethiopia after it had been invaded by Mussolinis Italy, is an unsparing satire of the shenanigans of self-appointed backdoor diplomats and manipulators of public opinion a historical novel with newfound contemporary resonance. Romance in Marseille, like his sprawling 1929 classic Banjo, also set in the south of France, shows McKay presciently grappling with the destinies of those he calls the outcasts and outlaws of civilizations migrants in thriving port cities central to the flow of global commerce and with the violent upheavals and desperate striving that deposited them there. If McKays two Marseille novels take place during the 1920s era of the high seas black stowaway, as Holcomb and Maxwell note in their introduction, the books more footloose stories of black vagabonds McKays preferred term from around the world washing up together on the shores of Europe forecast the confusion and anguish of what has, nearly a century later, erupted into a global migration crisis. McKays political critique remains biting: In their brutality, his Marseille books insist that, then as now, it is always the poor, the vagabonds, the bums of life who pay the heaviest price for banditry in high places. PORT NECHES The next class of Port Neches-Groves Independent School District preschoolers will attend class at First Christian Church, instead of the West Groves Education Center, which is slated for demolition as part of the districts renovation plan using bond funds voted on in 2019. In order for the bond construction to begin, everybody needs to be out of (West Groves Education Center) by December, Assistant Superintendent Julie Gauthier said at the monthly board meeting. And instead of moving the preschool students and their teachers twice, we are just going to start the school year somewhere else. The location at 5856 Ninth Ave. was chosen after teachers and staff visited six locations, including other churches. We have about 100 students and 10 staff members that we need to house somewhere to have adequate classrooms, Gauthier said. The district currently has four kindergarten through third-grade schools and two fourth- and fifth-grade schools, split evenly between the two cities. Those, as well as West Groves Education Center, will be replaced with two pre-K through second-grade campuses and two third- through fifth-grade campuses one of each in Port Neches and Groves under the bond plan voted on in November. The West Groves Education Center will be the site of the new third- through fifth-grade campus in Groves. The decision to lease the property, along with a board vote Monday authorizing Superintendent Mike Gonzales to sign a contract with a board-chosen architect, VLK, signals the next step toward replacing the districts aging campuses. The contract is all ready to go. He just has to sign it, Project Management Director Gary Whittle said. The next step is the design kick-off meeting, which is scheduled for Feb. 19. We should have a complete design by late summer, for the 3-5 campuses. After the construction of those campuses, the planning process for the other schools will begin. The church lease lasts one year, in case they need to reassess at that time. Citing lack of space, the board also voted to ask for a waiver from the Texas Education Agency for full day pre-K programs, which are mandated under recently passed state laws. PN-G is opting to hold off on operating a full-day pre-K program until they complete construction of the two new campuses, after a possible partnership fell through due to a lack of space. We do not have the facility to house all-day pre-K at this time and in order to apply for a waiver from the state you have to do a formal request for partnerships, Gauthier told The Enterprise. We had one local daycare respond to our request, but after visiting with them, we are both in agreement that is not feasible at this time. The discussion of the partnership was a requirement to apply for a waiver from the Texas Education Agency to be exempted from state law requiring districts with 15 or more students who meet certain eligibility requirements to operate a pre-K program. The board unanimously approved the waiver. We will be able to provide full-day pre-K to those who qualify when our new pre-K-2 campuses are constructed, Gauither said. In the meantime, starting next year, the half-day pre-K will operate as usual at the new site. They will still have their morning and afternoon classes, bus, food service, everything will be the same it will just be housed at First Christian Church, Gauthier said. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Members present in the council unanimously agreed that this was a great loss to the citys economy. They demanded that Mayor Bonthu Rammohan explain under what provisions the EVDM wing was set up. (Photo: DC) Hyderabad: While the state government mentions the system of hawkers with pride, the Enforcement, Vigilance and Disaster Management (EVDM) wing of the GHMC is busy evicting them from the streets. The state government had in a report submitted to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), India, stated that the hawker system in Hyderabad was the backbone of the citys economy with nearly two lakh people engaged in this activity. However, the EVDM has allegedly kicked out about 50,000 hawkers from their spots as part of its enforcement drives. According to highly placed sources, Hyderabad city, which was awarded the title of Creative City of Gastronomy from Unesco recently, had explained the importance of hawkers and their effort in strengthening the economy of the city. The government, in its report to Unesco had said that apart from selling creative food at affordable prices, the hawker community also provided employment for 2 lakh individuals in the unorganised sector. It had pointed out that the information technology community has generated four lakh jobs, but this is only restricted to one part of the city. However, public representatives in the GHMC council meeting held on Saturday alleged that the footpath encroachment removal drive and defacement drive taken up by EVDM has displaced 50,000 hawkers. The allegations were made by MIM MLA Meraj Hussain, MIM MLC Syed Amin Jafri and corporators cutting across party lines. Members present in the council unanimously agreed that this was a great loss to the citys economy. They demanded that Mayor Bonthu Rammohan explain under what provisions the EVDM wing was set up. The members said that they were not against penalising violators, but the harassment and hefty penalties that are being slapped on people were unjustified. The elected representatives also said that the as many as 50,000 hawkers lost their livelihood, which was against the interest of the city's economy. Though the council did not make any effort to reinstate the 50,000 hawkers, the objections did convince the council to rethink the hefty penalties, and a resolution was passed for a committee to be constituted to decide the penal amounts. But the million dollar question which was not answered was how the GHMC would provide employment to the large number of hawkers who have lost their livelihood. A pharmacist said he 'just snapped' when he doused his neighbour in petrol after years of clashes over noise complaints. New Zealand pharmacist James Scott Bowman faced the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal over his actions on August 5, 2017. On that day Bowman doused two of his neighbours and a home in petrol and threatened to set it alight, Stuff reported. New Zealand pharmacist James Scott Bowman doused his neighbour in petrol during a noise complaint dispute before threatening to set the man's house on fire (stock image) The tribunal heard Bowman's wife had tried to talk to their neighbour about noise complaints in the lead up to the incident. When they contacted Noise Control the sound was deemed to be within the appropriate levels and no action was taken. At around midnight that night, August 5, 2017, Bowman went to the home with a petrol can, which he says he didn't intend to use. 'All I wanted to do was send a message that enough was enough,' he said. However he doused both neighbour 'head to toe' in petrol along with the home. It was then a struggle began and another neighbour attempted to intervene but was also doused in the flammable liquid. Bowman, who owns the Paraparaumu Beach Pharmacy in Kapiti, told the tribunal after the incident got out of control he sought out a clinical psychologist for stress management. His lawyer also argued in the years since the 2017 incident there had been no other negative interactions between the neighbours. In criminal proceedings, Bowman was charged with one count of common assault and one of a threatening act. He was sentenced to 120 hours of community work over the charges. The tribunal ordered Bowman to undergo six therapy sessions with a clinical psychologist. They will also require a written letter from the psychologist reflecting their view of Bowman's current state. Sun Pharma Advanced Research Company (SPARC) on Tuesday said the US health regulator has not approved its new drug application for Taclantis, its under development product for treatment of breast cancer. "The company has received a Complete Response Letter (CRL) from the United States Food & Drug Administration (USFDA) for the new drug application (NDA) for Taclantis (Paclitaxel Injection Concentrate for Suspension)," SPARC said in a regulatory filing. SPARC is reviewing the CRL and intends to work with the USFDA as soon as possible to address the concerns raised, it added. As per the USFDA, a CRL is sent to an applicant if the agency determines that it will not approve the application or abbreviated application in its present form. On July 1 last year, the company had announced that the USFDA had accepted for review SPARC's NDA for Taclantis. The company's NDA filing was based on successful demonstration of clinical bioequivalence of Taclantis with Abraxane and associated clinical safety data. Abraxane is indicated for treatment of breast cancer, lung cancer among others. In 2017, USFDA had denied approval to SPARC's new drug application for Elepsia XR, an anti-epileptic drug. Shares of SPARC on Tuesday ended 3.63 per cent lower at Rs 191.15 apiece on the BSE. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) It has been a difficult few months in RTE following the deaths of four award-winning broadcasters, Ryan Tubridy has revealed. Recent months have seen the passing of Gay Byrne, Marian Finucane and Larry Gogan. Keelin Shanley is due to be buried tomorrow after she passed away at the weekend. The much-loved journalist and anchor of the Six One News had been battling cancer for some time. She joined RTE in 1999, and her work on Prime Time won her three IFTA awards, a National Media Award, a Radharc award and a Justice Media Award. In an interview with University College Corks student radio 98.3 FM, Ryan Tubridy said it has been a very strange time following their deaths. Gay Byrne was such a massive figure in Irish broadcasting as well as a colleague, he told students. Larry was also a friend of ours. Marian Finucane, I didn't know as well but she was without question a wonderful colleague. We're very, very close [in RTE] and when somebody goes from the broader family, it's very, very sad. Its difficult, it's been a tough time. He added: It's very strange to have four people who you'd be passing by in the corridor pretty much every other day suddenly not being there. I think it's difficult for the listeners to lose people whose voices they loved and trusted, he said, adding that it is also obviously very difficult for the families of his late colleagues. Particularly Kealan, she was 51 she had kids. Meanwhile, the Late Late Show host also said he was surprised by the results of the general election as just 1% of voters said they saw Brexit as a key issue. "I think that suggests that the media kind of misread what people are interested in. Passengers wearing masks walk outside the Shanghai railway station in Shanghai, China, as the country is hit by an outbreak of the new coronavirus, Feb. 8, 2020. (REUTERS/Aly Song) Coronavirus Patients May Not Show Symptoms for Over 3 Weeks, Study Says The incubation period for the new coronavirus can be as long as 24 days, according to the largest-study yet analyzing patients of the disease. The Feb. 9 study, which has yet to be peer-reviewed, was led by renowned Chinese respiratory doctor Zhong Nanshan and written in collaboration between 37 Chinese researchers. It analyzed around 1,100 patients across 31 provinces and 552 hospitals, and found that the median incubation period is 3 days, lower than a previous estimate of 5.2 days. The maximum incubation period is 24 daysup from previous projections of two weeksthe study found. The researchers also could not exclude the possibility of super-spreadersa sick individual who can infect a large number of others. Rapid Human-to-Human Transmission The study also found further evidence of human-to-human transmission: around 160 people26 percent of non-Wuhan residentsdid not travel to Wuhan recently prior to contracting the virus, nor did they have any contact with Wuhan locals. The 2019-nCoV epidemic spreads rapidly by human-to-human transmission, it concluded. Additionally, only around 1.2 percent of all patients had direct exposure to wildlife. Chinese authorities had previously linked the coronavirus outbreak to the wholesale live animal and seafood market in the suburbs of Wuhan, the epicenter of the viral disease. According to a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, the number of viral infections doubled every 7.4 days during the outbreaks early stages. Zhong previously referred to early February as the peak of the outbreak, although he has since revised this position, saying the peak period could arrive in the coming days. In a Feb. 8 interview with the Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, Zhong struck a positive note but said it would be too early to determine the inflection point based on the current discharge rate and the number of new cases, noting different standards for discharging patients. The researchers also raised concerns about possible transmission through fecal contamination. Scientists first raised alarms around such a prospect upon detecting traces of coronavirus in the fecal matter of the first infection person in the United States. Risks in Sewage The study cited a recent lab experiment, where researchers found that four out of 62 stool samples tested positive to the virus. A separate experiment identified four more patients whose gastrointestinal tract, saliva, or urine specimens tested positive to the coronavirus. Sean Lin, a U.S.-based microbiology expert and former virology researcher for the U.S. Army, said the finding raised a major health concern, especially for those who are under self-isolation at home. When you flush the toilet, things may enter into the buildings sewer system, and if [theres] any contamination with a local water source, then it could be problematic, he told The Epoch Times. Swirling water in the toilet bowl could also cause virus particles to enter the air and create harmful aerosols, which is one reason one should keep the toilet lid down when flushing, he added. From a different perspective, the detection of virus traces in patients gastrointestinal tracts could suggest the virus to be well adapted to other human organs in addition to the lungs and the respiratory tracts. The reported cases of diarrhea, according to Lin, likely indicate a high concentration of the virus in the gut. During the Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, Amoy Gardens, a Hong Kong housing complex in the Kowloon area, saw 321 falling ill as of April 2003, and authorities believed the contamination of the sewer system and human-to-human transmission were both partly to blame for the mass infections. Hong Kong officials evacuated around 100 people from a high-rise residential building on Feb. 10 after two residents on separate floors contracted the coronavirus. The apartments share the same drainage system. The health department staff have collected feces samples for testing. Other Transmission Routes The virus can also be transferred through contact, known as fomite transmissionfor instance, when an individual touches tainted objects before touching ones eyes, nose, or mouth, or other membranous areas, which are more vulnerable to viral attacks. On Feb. 8, Shanghai health officials confirmed that the deadly virus can spread through aerosolsmeaning that one can get sick by inhaling the virus particles in the air. On the same day, the U.K. government classified the coronavirus as an airborne high consequence infectious disease, referring to diseases that can spread through respiratory droplets or aerosol transmission. Additionally, the study found that only less than half of the patients exhibited signs of fever at the onset of the illness, although a majority of them (around 88 percent) developed fever following hospitalization. Advertisement A lorry driver found a Henry VIII gold half-sovereign worth 2,000 while using a metal detector. Sean Sandercock, 38, uncovered the rare item dubbed the 'Holy Grail of metal detecting' during an organised dig in East Devon. Mr Sandercock has become the talk of the metal detecting circuit, and his discovery is now generating interest from coin collectors all over the UK. Although the location of the dig cannot be publicised, Mr Sandercock said it was near an old abbey. Other finds at the site include historic silver coins, including a William III sixpence, dated 1649. Father-of-two Mr Sandercock is planning on selling the coin to the highest bidder to fund a holiday for his family. Sean Sandercock, 38, uncovered the rare item dubbed the 'Holy Grail of metal detecting' during an organised dig in East Devon Mr Sandercock, from Okehampton, Devon, said: 'Everyone wants to know about the coin. I have had hundreds of comments on social media from people all over the UK' Profits from the sale would be split between him and the landowner. THE HENRY VIII GOLD HALF-SOVEREIGN The Henry VIII gold half-sovereign was struck at the Tower Mint in London, showing the King holding an Orb and Sceptre on the throne the obverse, with a Crowned shield held by lions on the reverse. The first Gold Half Sovereign was issued by Henry VIII, with posthumous coins also issued between 1547 and 1551 showing Edward VI's portrait appearing on the body of his father. This was because it had been thought that nine-year-old Edward was too young to rule, so most coins issued following Henry's death still featured his portrait, but as Edward aged the Mint would put his young face on a body similar to that of Henry. Source: Bullion by Post Advertisement Mr Sandercock, from Okehampton, Devon, said: 'Everyone wants to know about the coin. I have had hundreds of comments on social media from people all over the UK. 'It is like the Holy Grail of metal detecting - it's pretty cool. 'I feel like I have hit the jackpot. It will fetch a nice little sum and will pay for a holiday for the family.' A member of the Axe Valley Searchers, Mr Sandercock has only been metal detecting for 14 months and already he has had a good number of finds. He added: 'I found a gold ring which someone had lost 16 years ago so it was nice to give that back. 'I also found a 800-year-old silver strap end of a belt which experts believe could have belonged to high royalty. 'I've been pretty lucky really but the gold sovereign is really special. Someone told me they had been metal detecting for 40 years and never found anything as good as that.' Mr Sandercock said he was asked by a friend if he fancied going metal detecting one day and from then on he was hooked. 'The minute I found my first coin that was it,' he said. 'It is like holding history in your hand and you start thinking about who was the last to hold the coin and what their life was like.' Mr Sandercock said he was asked by a friend if he fancied going metal detecting one day and from then on he was hooked Mr Sandercock said at the weekends, he sorted out his children and then went off for eight or nine hours metal detecting. Organised digs take place on private land once a month and anything that is found valued at more than 500 is sold and the money split between the landowner and the metal detectorist. Mr Sandercock is now is holding out for the maximum price on his find. 'It's not going cheap. I'll hold until I can get maximum value - it's a hell of a find,' he added. I feel like I'm on crazy pills when I watch political commentary lately. I saw a first time voter say she was voting for tr*mp because her brother is in the military and tr*mp's from the military? I just... It almost doesn't matter who the dem candidate is, if people aren't already motivated by tr*mp's awfulness then I don't think any policy or amount of charisma will do it. All the undecided voters have shown me that most people don't really have any values. Reply Thread Link Did anyone correct her on that and say he isn't? Reply Parent Thread Link No, the reporter was going down a line of tr*mp voters for quick interviews. Reply Parent Thread Link I think most people may be too stupid to vote in their own best interests. They interviewed one blonde Karen in NH who literally said she "eni meni meiny moe'd it," and just chose randomly from the names on the ballot. WTF even bother to vote at all if you can't make a choice? And there have been 5 debates so far, and you still can't make a decision? We're doomed. Reply Parent Thread Link All the undecided voters have shown me that most people don't really have any values yup. just look at all Dems literally going for Bloomberg because they were bombarded with ads. or ppl being undecided between Warren or Klobuchar, as if they're not polar opposites. Reply Parent Thread Link Bloomberg becoming a viable candidate is repulsive. He is Trump with a D next to his name that MAYBE cares a bit more about climate change. Reply Thread Link Biden was trump with D next to his name and all the bourgeois libs loved him too Reply Parent Thread Link This is the kind of bull shit that keeps you from being taken seriously. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yep no way could i vote for that racist pos Reply Parent Thread Link sunny: "HE'S NOT A DEMOCRAT!!1!1!" most people: "sounds cool actually" also bernie caucuses with democrats and is on five senate committees it's not like he's a stranger lol Reply Thread Link The fact that anyone still uses hes not a Democrat when Trumps election showed us that Americans hate the institutionalized parties... I mean Jesus friends, get a clue Reply Parent Thread Link That's not what Trump's victory showed. It didn't have anything to do with the parties. You get a clue. Racists elected Trump and the majority of them have always been Republicans. Reply Parent Thread Link mte and they never bring up Bloomberg. He was literally a republican and he helped them keep the senate. He donated to Susan Collins & Pat Toomey. He gave money to Liz Warrens opponent. Can they just admit they don't like Bernie and stop with the dumb excuses Reply Parent Thread Link Yeah is the "he's not a Democrat" argument actually working on anyone outside a few Clinton sycophants. And what does being a Democrat even mean when you have people like Mike Bloomberg and Joe Manchin in the party?? Reply Parent Thread Link I'll admit, I can understand a few things in the 'he's not a democrat' argument, but when the democrats can't get it fucking together as a party, they don't have business saying shit about bernie not "falling into line." cause these motherfuckers are out there blowing shit on the daily. you can't accuse him of not being one of you when you don't have a unified fucking you. they piss me off. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link did you see that woman who was interviewed on msnbc say she voted for bernie specifically because the network cant stand him and shes over it. lmao it was amazinggggg. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Bernie caucuses with the Democrats and then votes with the Republicans against gun control, the Amber Alert and on a measure giving rape victims the right to find out if their attackers had HIV/AIDS. He's also voted against Russian sanctions. Bernie also endorsed an anti-abortion male candidate who was running against a woman Democrat who was pro choice. It's not the first time Bernie has endorsed the male candidate over the woman, in fact, he's done it four times that I know of. Reply Parent Thread Link Im holding out for Liz or Amy but expecting Poot. Reply Parent Thread Link rat king unfortunately Reply Parent Thread Link I think Pete, Amy, or Bloomberg. I wish it would be Warren. Reply Parent Thread Link 2nd goes to pete and I hate it Reply Parent Thread Link IDK, Amy & Bloomberg write-ins could peel off some of his support, though I think anyone going for those two was likely undecided up until now. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Third place is better than first place pic.twitter.com/yLFZUCe1kA Sam Sacks (@SamSacks) February 11, 2020 Very serious people at msnbc are saying third place is where its at so dont you worry Reply Parent Thread Expand Link why is amy still a thing? why is mayo pete still a thing? why is bloomberg becoming more of a thing? Reply Thread Link Answer to all three: Americans are largely uneducated sheep. Reply Parent Thread Link some could say it's a good thing there are so many moderates in the race, they're splitting their own vote and helping bernie. but by the time there's less moderates in the race, bernie will already have the momentum so it's not looking good for them. also once warren drops out it'll get interesting Reply Parent Thread Link I had a dream last night about Tom Steyer. Idek what it was even about (it was NOT a sex dream) but his name was reverberating in my head when I woke up. I guess those incessant radio ads are working, in a very Brave New World kind of way Reply Thread Link white ppl will be the reason 45 may be re-elected and im so over white liberal performativepolitics from ppl who still fuck with their MAGA friends and family w/o making any tries to educate them Reply Thread Link honestly I think if people are still with trump at this point they're very unlikely to budge. that's why bernie is doing so well, he's acquiring a lot of voters that have never voted before Reply Parent Thread Link Even then I feel like no matter how hard white liberals think they can change their MAGA friends itll never work since their mind is already made up based on racism. Reply Parent Thread Link This is true. My sister and I have had so many arguments with my mom but no amount of evil tr*mp does will changer her mind, she fears brown skinned immigrants and that goes above everything else. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yea not to mention a lot of it is social conditioning that has been drilled into them since they were kids. A lot of people were taught to hate democrats even though they couldn't tell you why. Reply Parent Thread Link Ive flipped a few actually. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link yep! fuck educating them. Cut them off! That's exactly what I did post 2016. ETA: Not so much a "flip" but I did convince my senile, evangelical, sweet, but naive grandma that trump/republicans are evil. All I had to do was point out all the facts, imagine that. Edited at 2020-02-12 07:10 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link Bari Weiss AND Amy Klobuchar? Reply Thread Link lol when they showed Bari I was like "ugh really??" and she just HAD to make sure the table knew she hates bernie just as much as the view does LOL Reply Parent Thread Link Imagine being an adult and using a professional setting to declare your hate... for anyone other than Pete? I But seriously, truly embarrassed folks are still doing this shit in 2020. These are the same folks who suddenly want BLOOMBERG as President. Reply Parent Thread Link right? fuck this shit lmao Reply Parent Thread Link Pretty sure she is auditioning for a permanent seat, replacing Abby, at the table. She's guest hosted a few times before... Reply Parent Thread Link I feel like i can confidently say i've been more right about this election than wrong. I was pretty optimistic about Joe Biden falling and Bernie's comeback. I never viewed anyone else as a threat. That said, Mike Bloomberg has leigitimately got me spooked and really down the past week. The other candidates' cash would dry up but Bloomberg's won't. The DNC is on his side, he has superdelegates and, of course, the media. People are seeing Black and Brown voters get disenfranchised before their eyes and they're completely fine with it--not because it will defeat Trump but because it will defeat Bernie. People are really showing their ugly asses and disdain for the poor. For everyone whos called a Bernie supporter unhinged because we reasoned if Bernie doesnt win, this country can and will do much worse than Trump in 2024--i hope you can see that your coddling of the DNC is enabling them to pave the way for any billionaire to buy the elections. They don't even need a a middleman anymore... and if you think they give anshit about kids in cages and climate change.... you have no place calling anyone else unhinged. Edited at 2020-02-11 10:27 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link great comment I think what's keeping me sane is bernie's people power. you can't really buy that magic. you can buy people (which bloomberg is already doing) but the energy and passion for bernie is priceless here. bernie is still way ahead of bloomberg nationally and has only spent about 90 million. bloomberg has spent twice that and is only at 13% nationally. he has a lot of spending ahead of him to keep up. then if bloomberg DOES get into the top two with bernie, think of how much money he's probably going to spend by then. what a contrast. people power versus rich person power. kind of poetic and I think Bernie would eat him for breakfast once those contrasts are really drawn and out in the open Reply Parent Thread Link Spending 300mill on ads isnt even 1% of his wealth whereas a bernie presidency would rightfully tax him 8billion the first year. He has the money for ground operations too. It's going to be a long, drawn out battle that should be ending Super Tuesday. Bernies people are great but we cant just win a majority, we have to win decisively THE majority or else the weasel could rly fuck it up. Reply Parent Thread Link Two things i could see happening 1. Bloomberg flooding the airwaves would cause the reverse effect and make exhaust people of him.... but the Bernie or even Warren campaign can't just wait it out. They need to attack him and highlight his record and how he's buying the election. Americans know our system is rigged and shit like this happens, but theyre still susceptible to it unless you connect the dots for them 2. He needs to be on the debate stage and expose himself. However, the debate stage is still so fucking crowded and so much air time is being taken up by useless people like Klobuchar, Buttigieg, Biden, Yang and Steyer ugh lol Edited at 2020-02-11 10:33 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link Fuck everyone running with a LAST NAME that starts with B. Reply Thread Link my last name starts with f sooo yay! Reply Parent Thread Link omg marianne williamson is that you Reply Parent Thread Link isn't bloomberg paying a lot of his way into this? like idk... maybe i sound dumb, but i don't feel comfortable with that? i don't think someone should be able to buy their way into a primary like he seems to be doing. Reply Thread Link Your feelings are valid. Hes a textbook oligarch. Reply Parent Thread Link Following the primaries super intently from the UK, just need some kind of hope of better things to come after the disaster that was our general election Reply Thread Link The push to repeal right-to-work in Virginia fell apart last week after a fiscal estimate found it would cost the state millions. The empirical basis for that estimate: A survey of CEOs. https://t.co/RvPCz3bhwh Eric Levitz (@EricLevitz) February 11, 2020 democrats are fucking useless Reply Thread Link Im so ashamed of my state sometimes Reply Parent Thread Link Sunny's problem with Bernie is that he isn't a "real Democrat" but has nothing to say on Bloomberge being an actual Republican??? Reply Thread Link mte It makes no sense. Just be honest to your audience and say you don't like Bernie. Reply Parent Thread Link she's smarter than that. i think its intentional because she's rich and doesn't want to pay higher taxes. Reply Parent Thread Link Sudan has agreed to hand ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir and others to the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur, a member of Khartoum's ruling body said Tuesday. The Hague-based ICC has charged Bashir and three of his former aides with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's western region during a devastating conflict from 2003. "Those who have been indicted by the ICC, they have to go there," Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishay, a member of the ruling sovereign council, said in a statement. "One of them is Al-Bashir and (there are) three others," he later told journalists in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, where a government delegation was meeting rebel groups from Darfur. "We agreed that we fully supported the ICC and we agreed... that the four criminals have to be handed over," Taishay said. "We fully supported the claim that the ICC wanted them and they have to be handed over." He did not specify when the decision would be carried out. Taishay said the Juba talks, still ongoing, focused on justice and reconciliation in Darfur, where the United Nations says about 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted. Taishay said they had agreed several mechanisms for achieving peace in Darfur, including the establishment of a special court to investigate crimes in the region. But "first, all those who have been indicted by the ICC should appear before the ICC," he said. - 'Rule based on justice' - A member of the rebel delegation in Juba also confirmed the move. "We have agreed with the sovereign council in Khartoum to rule Sudan based on justice, especially on issues related to the ICC," Nimir Mohamed Abdurahman told reporters. The conflict in Darfur, the size of France, erupted when ethnic minority African rebels took up arms against Bashir's then Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region economically and politically. The ICC has charged Bashir with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the conflict. Bashir has denied the charges. The court has also indicted three of his former aides, Ahmed Haroon, Abdulrahim Mohamed Hussain and Ali Kushied. "We cannot achieve justice unless we treat the suffering of the victims because this is a truth that we can't escape from," Taishay said. Sudanese government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Salih also confirmed that the four would be handed over to the ICC. "Bashir and others will be presented to the ICC court. This is a government decision," Salih told AFP. Bashir was ousted by the army in a palace coup last April after months of protests against his iron-fisted rule of three decades. He was arrested following his ouster and has since been sentenced to two years in a detention centre on corruption charges. Anti-Bashir protesters, residents of Darfur and rebel groups from the region have consistently demanded that the ousted ruler be handed over to the ICC. For years before his toppling and despite the ICC indictments, Bashir had regularly visited regional countries as well as Russia and China. Days before the outbreak of mass protests against him in December 2018, he visited Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, becoming the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. In 2018, Bashir helped broker a tentative peace deal in South Sudan after five years of intense conflict in the world's newest country, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011. The International Criminal Court has charged Bashir with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's western region of Darfur Bashir was ousted by the army last April following months of mass protests against his rule Cryogenic electron microscopy, or cryo-EM, has reached the point where researchers could in principle image individual atoms in a 3D reconstruction of a molecule - but just because they could see those details doesn't always mean they do. Now, researchers at the Department of Energy's SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory and Stanford University have proposed a new way to quantify how accurate such reconstructions are and, in the process, how confident they can be in their molecular interpretations. Cryo-EM works by freezing biological molecules which can contain thousands of atoms so they can be imaged under an electron microscope. By aligning and combining many two-dimensional images, researchers can compute three-dimensional maps of an entire molecule, and this technique has been used to study everything from battery failure to the way viruses invade cells. However, an issue that has been hard to solve is how to accurately assess the true level of detail or resolution at every point in such maps and in turn determine what atomic features are truly visible or not. Wah Chiu, a professor at SLAC and Stanford, Grigore Pintilie, a computational scientist in Chiu's group, and colleagues devised the new measures, known as Q-scores, to address that issue. To compute Q-scores, scientists start by building and adjusting an atomic model until it best matches the corresponding cryo-EM derived 3D map. Then, they compare the map to an idealized version in which each atom is well-resolved, revealing to what degree the map truly resolves the atoms in the atomic model. The researchers validated their approach on large molecules, including a protein called apoferritin that they studied in the Stanford-SLAC Cryo-EM Facilities. Kaiming Zhang, another research scientist in Chiu's group, produced 3D maps close to the highest resolution reached to date - up to 1.75 angstrom, less than a fifth of a nanometer. Using such maps, they showed how Q-scores varied in predictable ways based on overall resolution and on which parts of a molecular they were studying. Pintilie and Chiu say they hope Q-scores will help biologists and others using cryo-EM better understand and interpret the 3D maps and resulting atomic models. ### The study was performed in collaboration with researchers from Stanford's Department of Bioengineering. Molecular graphics and analysis were performed using the University of California, San Francisco's Chimera software package. The project was funded by the National Institutes of Health. Citation: Grigore Pintilie et al., Nature Methods, February 10, 2020 (DOI: 10.1038/s41592-020-0731-1) For questions or comments, contact the SLAC Office of Communications at communications@slac.stanford.edu. SLAC is a vibrant multiprogram laboratory that explores how the universe works at the biggest, smallest and fastest scales and invents powerful tools used by scientists around the globe. With research spanning particle physics, astrophysics and cosmology, materials, chemistry, bio- and energy sciences and scientific computing, we help solve real-world problems and advance the interests of the nation. SLAC is operated by Stanford University for the U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Science. The Office of Science 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. Tacha Reality TV star, Tacha called out the management of Lit Hotel, Abuja after a staff of the hotel reportedly sneaked into her room while she slept. In a live video on Instagram, Tacha shared the details of the hotel while placing a call to the hotel manager to lay her complaints. According to the self-acclaimed serial entrepreneur, a staff entered her room using the master card while she was inside lying on the bed. Tacha said the hotel is not safe and she was going to move to another hotel. Reacting on social media, her fans popularly referred to as Titans have been dropping negative reviews on the hotel across all review pages on the internet, including Google Reviews. Reports even have it that some fans have been sending death threats to the manager of the hotel, after someone alleged that the culprit who sneaked into the reality TV star room had the intention to assassinate her or probably take nude videos while she slept. Another report on social media has it that another female BBNaija star lodged at that hotel months back and the management probably had preference for the other star. Watch Video Below; Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 15:25 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063ce495 1 World Australia,Indonesia,10-new-bali,Bahlil-Lahadalia,BKPM,labuan-bajo,Mandalika,MotoGP-2021 Free Investment Coordinating Board (BKPM) head Bahlil Lahadalia has offered potential investment opportunities in Indonesias 10 new tourist destinations, dubbed the "10 New Balis", to the Australian government. In a visit to Canberra on Sunday, Bahlil had the opportunity to meet with Australia's Trade, Tourism and Investment Minister Simon Birmingham, among other officials. Bahlil revealed that Australia was interested in Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara and Mandalika in West Nusa Tenggara, where Indonesia's 2021 MotoGP motorcycle race is set to take place. There are so many Australian tourists coming to Bali. We expect Australian businesspeople to develop the two areas so that the tourists are not only coming to Bali but also to Mandalika and Labuan Bajo, Bahlil said during the visit, according to a BKPM statement made available to The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Besides tourism, Bahlil is also offering potential investment opportunities in education, mainly in tourism and medical education, to the Australians. Bahlil said he envisioned Australia cooperating with Indonesia to build high-quality educational institutions and/or vocational schools in the 10 New Bali areas. Read also: Diaspora promises to promote '10 New Balis' The visit was a follow up to the Australia-Indonesia Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA), which is expected to push the two countries to become the "economic powerhouse" of Asia-Pacific. Indonesia also hopes to be a hub for Australia and other countries -- in the sense of making products from raw goods coming from Australia and exporting them to, particularly, the Middle East market. In response, Birmingham said that he was interested in developing supporting infrastructure in the said areas. The Indonesian government is aimed at achieving Rp 446 trillion (US$32.58 billion) worth of investment, with construction work targeted to start this year. We have the omnibus bill that can push forward the investment process. This is what weve offered to them. The law allows the BKPM to issue all permits on investment and fiscal incentives, Bahlil said. Bahlil accompanied President Joko Jokowi Widodo for a bilateral visit to Canberra on Sunday and Monday. The President was on a state visit and attended an Annual Leaders Meeting in Australia. Between 2015 and 2019, Australia only invested $1.8 billion making it the 12th-largest investor in Indonesia. (gis) The NATO flag has been raised in front of the parliament building in Skopje as North Macedonia celebrated its impending accession to the Western military alliance. NATO representatives, diplomats, and officials from some neighboring countries joined in the small Balkan nation's celebration of the moment on February 11. The ceremony took place after North Macedonias parliament earlier in the day unanimously ratified the NATO accession protocol -- which will come into effect after the 29th and final member of the alliance -- Spain -- does the same. "By joining this alliance, we are not simply joining an international organization," North Macedonias president, Stevo Pendarovski, told lawmakers before the vote. "Membership of the world's most powerful military-political alliance is a privilege, but also a huge responsibility." North Macedonia was granted a protocol on accession to NATO membership in February last year, after a 2018 agreement with Greece that changed the former Yugoslav republic's name from Macedonia, resolving a decades-long dispute between Skopje and Athens. The United States and European allies have backed Skopje's efforts to join the alliance as a means to slow efforts by Russia and China to increase their influence in the Balkans. Pendarovski said on February 4 that he expected Spain to ratify the protocol next month. "If everything goes according to plan concerning the political process, around March 10 that process should finish. There will remain some technical details that our parliament in Skopje will have to deal with," Pendarovski told reporters during a visit to NATO member Poland. Based on reporting by RFE/RLs Balkan Service, AP, Reuters, and dpa Related Protests rock Beirut as government seeks MPs confidence Lebanon's new government won a vote of confidence from parliament on Tuesday as protesters trying to block the session clashed with security forces, leaving hundreds injured. Smoke wafted through the city as riot police fired tear gas at the protesters, who were seeking to keep MPs from reaching the heavily barricaded parliament. The Lebanese Red Cross said it treated 373 people for injuries, with 45 taken to hospital. Lebanon's new cabinet, formed last month with the backing of the powerful Hezbollah group, is hoping a financial rescue plan that formed the basis of its confidence vote in parliament can help pull the country from a deep financial crisis. Protesters have been demonstrating since October over the worsening economy and a political class they say is deeply corrupt and say the new cabinet is part of the elite they want to oust. "People are suffering and the government is not listening, said Lama Tabbara, 34, an unemployed protester. "It takes a long time to uproot an old rotten tree and that's what the government represents." One of the world's most heavily indebted states, Lebanon must quickly decide how it will deal with maturities including a $1.2 billion Eurobond due in March, part of $2.5 billion owed this year. Speaking just before the vote, Prime Minister Hassan Diab described his government's task as a "suicide mission" that involves trying to put out a quickly approaching "fire ball". "We must be honest and acknowledge that the risk of collapsing is unfortunately not imaginary," he said. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri was quoted saying Lebanon should seek IMF technical help to draw up an emergency plan but should not "surrender" to the IMF because the nation could not bear its conditions. In comments reported by an-Nahar newspaper and confirmed to Reuters by a government source, Berri also said Lebanon should decide whether to pay the foreign debt maturing next month based on IMF advice. Diab said the state's priority would be to preserve scarce foreign currency reserves for critical imports like food, fuel, and medicine. He said that "all possibilities" were being studied for how to deal with Eurobonds maturing this year. Eggs And Paint Lebanon's crisis came to a head last year as slowing capital inflows from abroad led to a hard currency crunch and protests erupted against the ruling elite. Eggs and paint were hurled at the cars of MPs and ministers arriving near parliament, but the session went ahead despite the scuffles. At the start, Berri said an MP had received stitches after being hit in the face and head by stones. Protesters rejecting the new government have called for a new one independent of any political parties, as well as for tougher measures against corruption, along with judicial reform and early parliamentary elections. "If this government keeps thinking this way and doesn't listen to protesters, then we're staying out here to say 'We don't want you'," said Tasnim Kobani, 24. "They've been here for 30 years and they don't understand that we don't want them anymore." Men and women, their faces wrapped in scarves, lobbed rocks at security forces deployed at several locations. Police fired water cannon. Some MPs skirted the clashes, reaching parliament on the back of motorcycles. Crowds chanted revolution, waved Lebanese flags and held signs that said "no confidence". A branch of one of Lebanon's biggest banks, BLOM, was set ablaze. Flames engulfed the bank where people smashed the facade and furniture. Banks have severely curbed savers' access to their money and blocked transfers abroad. The Lebanese pound, pegged at the same level since 1997, has lost more than a third of its value. Credibility At Tuesday's session, Diab read out the government's policy statement, which urges some "painful steps" to address the crisis. It calls for moves including cutting interest rates and seeking foreign help. His government was formed with backing from the powerful, Iran-backed Shi'ite Hezbollah, Berri's Amal Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) founded by President Michel Aoun. It won the confidence vote with 63 in favour and 20 against, with some parties either voting against or boycotting such as former prime minister Saad al-Hariri's Future Movement, the major Christian parties Lebanese Forces and Kataeb, and the Progressive Socialist Party. Senior FPM lawmaker Alain Aoun told Reuters his party was expected to adopt the position that the country needs IMF technical assistance and should draw on IMF advice in its decision on whether to pay the Eurobond. "We need an international financial institution like the IMF to give it (the government's financial plan) the credibility it needs, and that will open the door for us if we want to consider debt re-structuring and negotiating with creditors," Aoun said. Search Keywords: Short link: ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers at Georgia Power's Vogtle 3 & 4 project have completed the final concrete placement inside the Unit 3 containment vessel, which houses the unit's reactor. Completing this milestone is an important step that allows for the installation of machinery that will be used to load fuel into the unit. Last year, the company announced it had ordered the first nuclear fuel load for Unit 3, the first nuclear fuel order to be placed in more than 30 years for a newly-designed reactor in the U.S. Consisting of 157 fuel assemblies with each measuring 14 feet tall, the fuel will eventually be loaded into the Unit 3 reactor vessel to support startup once the reactor begins operating. Enough concrete for a sidewalk from Miami to Seattle A total of 11,700 cubic yards - more than 22,000 tons - of concrete has been placed inside the Unit 3 containment vessel since construction began. In Unit 4, the final concrete placement of the operating deck has been completed, marking the last substantial concrete placement ahead of the containment vessel top lift in the coming months. Since the beginning of the project, more than 680,000 cubic yards of concrete have been placed for the new units, enough to build a sidewalk from Miami to Seattle. Project workforce reaches all-time high In addition, the project workforce has reached an all-time high with approximately 9,000 workers now on site. With more than 800 permanent jobs available once the units begin operating, Vogtle 3 & 4 is currently the largest jobs-producing construction project in the state of Georgia. New construction time-lapse video highlights progress since groundbreaking Georgia Power has released a new video of the nation's only new nuclear units currently under construction. From the removal of four million cubic yards of soil, to historic module and concrete placements, the video includes milestones throughout the project's history. Once completed, units 3 & 4 are expected to generate enough electricity to power approximately 500,000 homes and businesses. The company has also released new aerial photos of the site, and a flyover video highlighting the progress being made at the site of the nation's first new nuclear units in more than 30 years. About Georgia Power Georgia Power is the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company (NYSE: SO), America's premier energy company. Value, Reliability, Customer Service and Stewardship are the cornerstones of the company's promise to 2.6 million customers in all but four of Georgia's 159 counties. Committed to delivering clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy at rates below the national average, Georgia Power maintains a diverse, innovative generation mix that includes nuclear, coal and natural gas, as well as renewables such as solar, hydroelectric and wind. Georgia Power focuses on delivering world-class service to its customers every day and the company is consistently recognized by J.D. Power and Associates as an industry leader in customer satisfaction. For more information, visit www.GeorgiaPower.com and connect with the company on Facebook (Facebook.com/GeorgiaPower), Twitter (Twitter.com/GeorgiaPower) and Instagram (Instagram.com/ga_power). Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain information contained in this release is forward-looking information based on current expectations and plans that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking information includes, among other things, statements concerning the expected schedule for construction and generating capacity of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4. Georgia Power cautions that there are certain factors that can cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking information that has been provided. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on this forward-looking information, which is not a guarantee of future performance and is subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside the control of Georgia Power; accordingly, there can be no assurance that such suggested results will be realized. The following factors, in addition to those discussed in Georgia Power's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018 and subsequent securities filings, could cause actual results to differ materially from management expectations as suggested by such forward-looking information: the ability to control costs and avoid cost and schedule overruns during the development, construction, and operation of facilities, including Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4, which includes components based on new technology that only recently began initial operation in the global nuclear industry at this scale, and including changes in labor costs, availability and productivity; challenges with management of contractors, subcontractors or vendors; adverse weather conditions; shortages, delays, increased costs or inconsistent quality of equipment, materials, and labor; contractor or supplier delay; nonperformance under construction, operating, or other agreements; operational readiness, including specialized operator training and required site safety programs; engineering or design problems; design and other licensing-based compliance matters, including the timely submittal by Southern Nuclear of the Inspections, Tests, Analyses, and Acceptance Criteria documentation for each unit and the related reviews and approvals by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission ("NRC") necessary to support NRC authorization to load fuel; challenges with start-up activities, including major equipment failure, system integration or regional transmission upgrades; and/or operational performance; the ability to construct facilities in accordance with the requirements of permits and licenses (including satisfaction of NRC requirements), to satisfy any environmental performance standards and the requirements of tax credits and other incentives, and to integrate facilities into the Southern Company system upon completion of construction; legal proceedings and regulatory approvals and actions related to construction projects, such as Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 and pipeline projects, including public service commission approvals and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and NRC actions; under certain specified circumstances, a decision by holders of more than 10% of the ownership interests of Plant Vogtle Units 3 and 4 not to proceed with construction, and the ability of other Vogtle owners to tender a portion of their ownership interests to Georgia Power following certain construction cost increases; the inherent risks involved in operating and constructing nuclear generating facilities; and the ability of counterparties of Georgia Power and its subsidiaries to make payments as and when due and to perform as required. Georgia Power expressly disclaims any obligation to update any forwardlooking information. SOURCE Georgia Power Related Links http://www.georgiapower.com It's once again a big zero for the Congress in Delhi Assembly election 2020, the result of which came in on Tuesday (February 11). Just like the last Delhi Assembly poll, none of the Congress candidates could give a fight to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the AAP, led by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, secured yet another massive mandate, the BJP came a distant second but did perform much better than the 2015 Delhi election when the party secured just three seats. The AAP was the winner by a landslide margin as Delhi reposed its faith in Arvind Kejriwal's leadership. On the other hand, Congress candidates like Alka Lamba, Laxman Rawat, Adarsh Shastri and Romesh Sabharwal and their colleagues failed to get onto the scoreboard. Before the counting began, Congress leaders were oozing confidence of putting up a good show but in less than an hour of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) opening, it became clear that the party which had ruled Delhi from 1998 to 2013 was heading towards yet another rout. The national capital recorded a total voter turnout of 62.59 % which is about 2% more than the last Lok Sabha elections held in 2019. Ballimaran assembly constituency which comes under Chandni Chowk recorded the highest voter turnout of 71.6 per cent and the lowest voter turnout was recorded at Delhi Cantonment which stood at 45.4 per cent. In the Delhi assembly poll 2020, Congress contested on 61 out of the total 70 seats in Delhi assembly. Congress didn't contesting on nine constituencies including Burari, Kirari, Madipur, Vikaspuri, Uttam Nagar, Bijwasan, Palam, Mehrauli, Okhla. As per the EC, the total number of electors this year was 1, 47,86,382 out of which 66,80,277 are female and 81,05,236 are male. The number of senior citizens in the voter list is numbered at 2,04,830. Geneva: The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday said "Covid-19" would be the new official name for the deadly coronavirus that was first identified in China on December 31. "We now have a name for the disease and it's Covid-19," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters in Geneva, explaining that "co" stood for "corona", "vi" for "virus" and "d" for "disease". Tedros said the name had been chosen to avoid references to a specific geographical location, animal species or group of people in line with international recommendations for naming in order to avoid stigmatisation. The WHO had earlier given the virus the temporary name of "2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease" and China's National Health Commission this week said it was temporarily calling it "novel coronavirus pneumonia" or NCP. Speaking on the first day of an international scientific conference in Geneva that will look at possible vaccine options to combat the virus, Tedros also said he saw a "realistic chance" of stopping the outbreak. "We are not defenceless," he said. "We have to use the current window of opportunity to hit hard and stand in unison to fight this virus in every corner. If we don't we could have far more cases and far higher costs on our hands," he said. "If the world doesn't want to wake up and consider the virus as public enemy number one, I don't think we will will learn from our lessons," he said. "...We are still in containment strategy and should not allow the virus to have a space to have local transmission." Toll touches 1,000 The toll passed 1,000 on Tuesday after President Xi Jinping called for more "decisive" measures to tackle the outbreak in a rare visit to a frontline hospital. Xi donned a face mask and had his temperature checked while visiting medical workers and patients affected by the deadly coronavirus that has killed at least 1,011 people. The fatalities soared after hardest-hit Hubei province -- the epicentre of the outbreak -- reported another 103 deaths on Tuesday, the highest single-day toll since the virus emerged. At a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing, Xi on Monday called the situation at the epicentre "still very grave" and "more decisive measures" to contain the spread of the virus, said state broadcaster CCTV. Xi has largely kept out of the public eye since the virus outbreak spiralled across the country from Hubei province to infect more than 42,000 people. He appointed Premier Li Keqiang to lead a group tackling the outbreak and it was Li who visited ground zero in Wuhan last month. On Monday, Xi put on a blue mask and white surgical gown to meet doctors at Beijing Ditan hospital, observe the treatment of patients and speak via video link to doctors in Wuhan, state media said. He then visited a residential community in central Beijing to "investigate and guide" efforts to contain the epidemic, said CCTV. Video footage showed Xi having his temperature taken with an infrared thermometer then speaking with community workers and waving at smiling residents leaning out of apartment windows. The outbreak has prompted unprecedented action by the Chinese government, including locking down entire cities in Hubei as well as cutting transport links nationwide, closing tourist attractions and telling hundreds of millions of people to stay indoors. The sweeping measures have turned cities into ghost towns -- but there were some signs of normality returning as many went back to work this week. There will be no app malfunctions during the New Hampshire primary for one simple reason: There will be no apps. In the troubled aftermath of the Iowa caucuses, officials in charge of the states elections on Tuesday are touting their stubbornly analog approach to voting. Rather than overhauling polling places with mobile apps and voting machines, the Granite State has long opted to stick with democracys old faithfuls: pencils and paper ballots. According to officials, not only does the states electoral Luddism result in fewer glitches, but it also acts as an old-school cybersecurity measure. You cant hack a pencil has become something of a catchphrase for New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner in the run-up to the primary. Advertisement Most polling places in New Hampshire use printed voting registration lists, instead of tablets and laptops, to check people in (poll workers in North Carolina, in contrast, recently had trouble with getting poll books to function on laptops). People then receive a paper ballot, though voters with disabilities can use voting machines, as is required by federal law. The machines, however, ultimately mark a physical ballot. The ballots then go through optical scanners that have all their external ports except for the one for power disabled, and which are programmed by computers disconnected from the internet. (In its 2019 report on Russian election meddling, the Senates Select Committee on Intelligence found that paper ballots and scanners, while not perfect, are nevertheless the least vulnerable to cyber-attack compared to other voting systems.) While voting in New Hampshire is not completely lacking in digital components, the core mechanism is pencil to paper, rather than finger to touchscreen. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement New Hampshire is by no means problem-proof. According to the Concord Monitor, the local government is looking replace some of the optical scanners it uses to scan ballots because theyre more than two decades old and still run on Windows XP, which Microsoft stopped supporting in 2014. If the scanners fail, though, the backup plan is to go back to counting votes manually. In general, the state tends to pass up voting technology trends. During the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Al Gore, the state decided not to use the Votomatic punch card ballots that ended up producing hanging chads in Florida, leading to a controversial recount and Supreme Court case. According to Todd Selig, the administrator of the town of Durham in the southern part of the state, New Hampshire has been able to resist implementing many newfangled voting tools because its relatively small and thus easier to handle with existing infrastructure. When youre dealing with really high numbers in terms of votes cast, and if youre limited in terms of the volunteers available to count the votes, you then become very dependent on technology to process all the ballots, he said. New Hampshire has a population of only about 1.3 million. Advertisement Advertisement The traditional way of conducting elections here in New Hampshire is really a great solution and something that you can reliably say is going to continue well into the future, said Jon Morgan, a Democratic New Hampshire state senator and senior director at the cybersecurity firm Area 1 Security, who also added that while hes not completely against using new technologies for elections, but believes they need to be very rigorously tested before implementation. Indeed, one of the few areas where Morgan thinks New Hampshire could actually use an upgrade is voter registration. [Automatic voter registration] has been effectively tested and vetted for any sorts of threats and vulnerabilities, and theyre conducted without any cause for concern all over the country every day, he said. There are 16 states, plus the District of Columbia, that are enacting measures to automatically register the data of eligible voters into a computer system whenever they submit info to the Department of Motor Vehicles or another government agency. The technology enhances the participation of voters in the electoral process. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Though New Hampshires primary is less likely than the Iowas caucuses to end up being a catastrophe, some critics and experts say that there are still various vulnerabilities the states election process. For example, 30 percent of the websites that counties use to report preliminary results dont have basic encryption measures, making it easier for a foreign actor to potentially alter the readouts and sow discord in the process. The states voter databases are also a potential target for hacking, particularly at the town and municipality level, but Selig argues that theyre so decentralized that bad actor wouldnt likely be able to infiltrate a critical mass of files. He said, I cant say it would never happen, but its very unlikely. If it did happen in one jurisdiction, it would be one out of many. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Former Chicago police officer Lowell Houser, 60, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison over the fatal shooting of an unarmed acquaintance in January 2017 A former Chicago police officer has been sentenced to 10 years in prison over the fatal shooting of an unarmed acquaintance in January 2017. Lowell Houser, 60, was found guilty of with the second-degree murder of Jose Nieves last December, before a judge handed down his sentence in a Cook County courtroom on Monday. Despite his 10-year sentence, Houser will get credit for the three years he has spent awaiting trial on an ankle monitor. His jail time can also be drastically reduced with good behavior, meaning he could be released from custody in as little as two years. Speaking during the sentencing hearing, Houser apologized to the family of Nieves' family. 'I sincerely send my condolences,' Houser stated. 'Many times I went over in my mind if there was something I could have done to prevent this, but, unfortunately, I can only look at this in hindsight.' Nieves, 37, lived in the same apartment complex as Houser's partner and the pair were known to one another. According to reports, Houser and Nieves had previously argued on at least one occasion. Houser and Jose Nieves became embroiled in an argument that turned deadly on January 2, 2017 Nieves, a security guard and construction worker, had even reported the officer for harassing him, his sister said at the time. Houser, a 28-year police veteran, was on medical leave for cancer treatment at the time of the shooting - January 2, 2017. According to the Chicago Tribune, Nieves was moving furniture with his girlfriend on the morning of his murder, when Houser drove by and rolled down the window of his car. He allegedly ask Nieves' girlfriend a question to the effect of: 'You know he treats women badly?' Houser got out of his car, and the pair then became embroiled in a verbal dispute before things turned violent. Houser, a 28-year police veteran, was on medical leave for cancer treatment at the time of the shooting. A scene photo is pictured Houser said Nieves made a threatening move and appeared to put his toward the waistband of his pants as if he was about to pull out a gun. Houser quickly opened fire, saying he acted in self-defense. In handing down his sentence on Monday, Judge William Gamboney slammed Houser's use of deadly force. 'Mr. Houser had a multitude of alternatives during his interaction with Mr. Nieves... but he chose probably the most extreme (option) in that list of circumstances, and as a result, we have a 37-year-old man who is dead,' he stated. Houser was the first Chicago officer to be found guilty of murder since the 2018 conviction of Jason Van Dyke for the shooting death of black 17-year-old Laquan McDonald. Besides second-degree murder, Van Dyke was convicted of 16 counts of aggravated battery - one for each bullet the white officer fired at the black teenager. A BJP leader on Monday demanded a ban on burqa, calling it a security threat and provocatively linking it to demon king Ravanas sister Surpanakha. "Burqa should be banned in the country as has been done in several other countries," Raghuraj Singh, who holds a rank equivalent to a minister of state in the Uttar Pradesh government, told reporters. Singh claimed burqa is not worn in countries like Sri Lanka, China, the US and Canada and said it should be banned in India as terrorists can take advantage of it. The BJP leader said people are sporting burqas in Delhis Shaheen Bagh protest against the new citizenship law, and added, The burqa helps terrorists, thieves and anti-socials elements to hide behind it. "Burqa is a threat to national security and has to be banned to crush terrorism," Singh said. Without citing his source, Singh linked burqa to Surpanakha, the demon who has her face disfigured in Ramayana. According to Singhs version, Surpanakha fled to hide in the Arab desert. As her nose and ears were chopped, she used a burqa to hide her face," he said, adding it is not necessary for humans. "In Mecca, a shivalinga was set up by Guru Shukracharya, who was the guru of devils, and from there the burqa tradition started," he said. "This is Hindustan and it will be run as per traditions of the Hindus. This is our wish," he said. Singh, who is part of a cell attached to UP governments labour department, courted controversy earlier by threatening to bury alive Aligarh Muslim University students for raising slogans against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. Bharatiya Janata Party's Aligarh unit spokesperson said Singh holds the rank equivalent to a minister of state in the UP government. Congress leader P L Punia and Aam Aadmi Party's Sanjay Singh condemned Singh's remarks. BJP leader Siddharth Nath Singh, a minister in the UP government, disowned the remarks, saying they reflected Raghuraj's Singh's personal opinion. PTI COR SAB SMI ASH ASH You should really experience the story of Dan Schneider, the Louisiana pharmacist who solved his own sons murder at the hands of a crack dealer and shortly thereafter helped to shut down a pill mill that was flooding the area with OxyContin in the early stages of the opioid epidemic. But you have two options for doing so. One is The Pharmacist, the new Netflix series that lasts about three and a half hours in total. The other is Justice for Danny, the 2017 article from the New Orleans Times-Picayune (now the New Orleans Advocate/Times-Picayune) that the documentary is based on, which you can read in maybe half an hour. As a print journalist with a soft spot for local papers, Im proud to say the latter is the better use of your time. Schneider is a journalists dream come true. Not only does he have an amazing story make that two amazing stories but he also obsessively tape-recorded his thoughts and conversations throughout his experiences, leaving a rich archive of details that otherwise would have been lost. His tale makes more sense in a print profile, where it comes off as the trials and tribulations of an exceptionally tenacious person, than in a documentary, where it feels like a bunch of well-trodden genres all tossed together: true crime, big bad corporation, race relations. Which isnt to deny that all of those are legitimate elements of Schneiders story. He was born in the 9th Ward of Louisiana, but his parents, like many of the wards whites, left for St. Bernard Parish when blacks started moving in. Years later, during the crack epidemic, there would be a recurring story of white kids from St. Bernard heading into the 9th Ward to score drugs and getting murdered. Reading the news reports, Schneider mostly thought, He shouldnt have been there. Then, early one morning in 1999, officers came to his door saying that his son, Danny, had been killed. It turned out that his son was not actually in his room sleeping, as everyone had thought, and that the family had missed the warning signs that Danny was addicted. Story continues I wont spoil the twists and turns the story takes as Schneider hunts down the killer, but the sheer effort is impressive: Faced with a corrupt police department that put little effort into solving drug murders and a crime-infested neighborhood where snitching was off-limits, Schneider put himself at immense risk walking through the 9th Ward, interviewing everyone in sight, putting up a $10,000 reward, and even cold-calling everyone in the area. Eventually, he found an eyewitness and managed to pester her into testifying. Its the story of a grieving father who pursued justice until he got it. Its also an explanation of what it takes to solve a murder when no witness wants to come forward. And its where the second part of the story begins: A few years before Dannys murder, Purdue Pharma had begun selling OxyContin, a powerful opioid painkiller that slowly released each dose over the course of many hours, relieving pain for a longer period of time than had previously been possible. The problem was that it was addictive and dangerous especially when crushed up to be snorted or injected, a technique that drug abusers stumbled on quickly. Schneider started seeing something weird at his pharmacy job: patients who didnt seem to be in much pain when coming in with Oxy prescriptions far bigger than normal, and always from the same doctor. It didnt take much sleuthing to figure out that the doctor was running a pill mill, writing prescriptions to addicts for a few hundred bucks a pop; indeed, the federal government was already on the case before Schneider figured it all out. But it was so difficult to shut down a rogue doctor that Schneider, not the feds, ended up producing the key evidence and testimony. There are some things, to be fair, that the documentary has and the article doesnt. The former spends a bit more time on Schneiders efforts to push the government to better control pill mills, and on later lawsuits against Purdue. The pill-mill efforts generally backfired, unfortunately, because addicts who could no longer go to corrupt doctors often turned to illegal drugs such as heroin. Admirably, the documentary faces these unintended consequences head-on. In addition, the pill-mill doctor Schneider caught, Jacqueline Cleggett, declined to speak to the Times-Picayune but sat down on camera for The Pharmacist. Unlike some other participants in the opioid crisis, she has no regrets, and she spends her time trying to defend herself. Its sad and more than a little uncomfortable, because she suffered brain damage from a car accident and has a history of mental illness, making one wonder if shes really fit to consent to humiliating herself in this way. All told, theres a lot of powerful material here on several different wavelengths a personal story of loss, a whodunit, a region still torn apart by the racial sins of years past, a police department that fails both murder victims and the neighborhoods most wracked by crime, a big corporation that tried to normalize a medicine chemically related to heroin, a greedy doctor who saw her opportunities and took em. Im not sure anyone could have pulled all that together into a coherent four-part documentary. But I do know The Pharmacist winds up feeling scattered in a way that Justice for Danny doesnt, and that the article involves just a seventh of the time investment. The story of Dan Schneider is important. It gives insights into law enforcement, addiction, and the earliest signs of the opioid epidemic a phenomenon that continues to claim tens of thousands of American lives every year. So shut off the TV and read about it. More from National Review S tarting a business can be a daunting task, because, well, where to begin? There were 5.8 million small businesses recorded in the UK at the start of 2019 and more than 200,000 private sector businesses compared to the year before. Competition is rife. So how is it possible to turn a seed of an idea into a fully functioning company? We asked start-up founders at Future Londons Digital Skills for Female Entrepreneurs event, hosted with partners Google Digital Garage, to share what they've learned from doing it themselves. Find a community Find a community, a network of people that share your passion, says YSYS founder and CEO Deborah Okenla. She cites For Working Ladies, Coders of Colour and Pocket among examples of resources entrepreneurs might wish to turn to, to help them build a community. Research the idea Next, its about scrutinising your idea because quitting a job for your side hustle on a gut feeling alone is pretty ill-advised. Having an idea is easy, says Okenla. But next, would-be entrepreneurs need to ask themselves whether there's evidence of demand for that idea. Okenla suggests selecting a small group of people to try it out, using the example of a navigational app. Once theyve said, Ok, Im going to download the app and Im going to use this app, how many people do it and how long are they doing it for? Begin to measure the data and the metrics around that. If, within two weeks, five people download it, three people use it, two people returned it then, youve got your metrics. Then you can say, Actually, if I can do that in two weeks, now what happens if I have three years? She adds: Set yourself a three-month experiment. Say, Im going to go to this event, Im going to run this test, Im going to join this programme. After three months, re-evaluate. Is this now an opportunity for me to leave my job? It might come up that no one downloaded the app and no ones using it. Then youve got to scrap that idea, stay in your organisation, make sure youre paying your bills, think of another idea and run the tests again. Sign-up to a programme Of course there are programmes which can help along the way. Google For StartUps, YSYS six-week course FoundersDoor which guides young entrepreneurs through processes such as devising a market strategy and fundraising as well as Future Girl Corp, for the next generation of female CEOs and founders, are but a few of the options out there. Start a 'to-do list' diary On a more administrative level, start a business diary and making sure you're taking small steps regularly advises Freya Bromley, who runs lingerie business Bloom & Boudoir alongside her role as a copywriter. Every day I tried to do one thing to get me closer to where I wanted to be. Sometimes that was just researching packaging ideas or buying a domain name. I didnt have very much time, but I really had to make that a daily habit, because otherwise it just felt really overwhelming. Get up an hour early Finding it difficult to fit everything in? Bromley began getting up an hour earlier so she could make her idea a reality. When I was having my breakfast, that was time dedicated to thinking about my business and that was the time when I felt most energised and inspired, before I went to work, she explains. And finally... Other ideas which could help turn those business dreams into reality, include keeping on top of your digital skills learning, for instance, how digital marketing works or search engine optimisation and, of course, networking, both in person and on social media. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:10:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Medical team members from Chongqing are seen on a ceremony before leaving for Xiaogan City of Hubei Province, in southwest China's Chongqing, Feb. 11, 2020. A team comprised of 159 medical workers from Chongqing left for Xiaogan City of Hubei Province on Tuesday to aid the novel coronavirus control efforts there. They will work together with the first batch of medical workers who were dispatched there on Jan. 26. (Photo by Huang Wei/Xinhua) Chhatradhar Mahato, a former leader of Maoist-backed Peoples Committee Against Police Atrocities(PCAPA), is likely to join the ruling Trinamool Congress soon, a party leader of West Midnapore district said. TMC secretary general Partha Chatterjee had during his his visit to Lalgarh last week for a party programme had held an hour-long closed door meeting with Mahato. Mahato, who was the most prominent leader of the Lalgarh Movement backed by Maoists, was set free in the beginning of this month by the West Bengal government following a reduction in his life term to 10 years by Calcutta High Court for his good conduct. He was arrested on September 26, 2009 by the state CID from Jhargram district for an attempt on the life of former chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee in Kantapahari area of West Midnapore district on November 2, 2008. His likely joining the TMC could change the political equation in West Bengal's tribal Jangalmahal area, whch comprise the tribal districts of Jhargram, West Midnapore, Bankura and Purulia. Speculations have been rife over the past few months that Mahato is likely to join TMC once he is set free. Commenting on this, Chatterjee, who is also the state Parliamentary Affairs Minister, said he will be happy if Mahato joins the party. "If he (Mahato) joins TMC, there is nothing to be unhappy about," he told reporters. When asked, Mahato had said only time will tell. His joining TMC will alter political equations in the tribal districts, where BJP has made deep inroads in the last two years and bagged all the seven parliamentary seats in the Lok Sabha polls, the West Midnapore TMC leader said. "Chatradhar has a huge mass base among the tribals. If he joins the party it would make a huge difference to the party in the 2021 assembly polls of the state," he said. The BJP state leadership, however, declined to attach much importance to the development. "We are not bothered about this development. It has proved that the TMC and Maoists had joined hands to oust the CPI(M) (from power in West Bengal in 2011). Now they are again joining hands to counter BJP," the saffron party leader Pratap Banerjee said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two rivals should play fair in Jongno district The campaign race has started with two political heavyweights declaring their candidacy for Seoul's central district of Jongno in the upcoming April 15 general election. It represents a big match between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). LKP Chairman Hwang Kyo-ah has joined the race, announcing his bid to run the symbolic constituency in Korean politics, Friday. He will challenge the DPK's candidate Lee Nak-yon. Interestingly it is a contest between former prime ministers of the current and previous governments. Hwang was the last prime minister of the Park Geun-hye administration, while Lee served as the first for the Moon Jae-in government. More importantly, Lee and Hwang will be thrown into a showdown between the liberal and conservative quarters. That's why their fight will set the tone for the entire National Assembly elections which are seen as a vote of confidence in the Moon administration. By extension, who will win the seat in Jongno is likely to set the direction for the next presidential election the two are regarded as strong presidential hopefuls. For starters, the rival candidates should play fair. They need to compete in good faith and must refrain from engaging in smear campaigns. They need to clash over policy proposals and better visions for the future of our society and nation. Yet Lee and Hwang are expected to be lock horns with each other over ideological issues reflecting the growing national divide between the left and right. They may inevitably seek to find find fault with the incumbent and previous governments. If this happens, they will be unable to avoid making the mistake of repeating old-fashioned electioneering and outdated politics. Now is a time for change. Instead of besmirching each other, they should work hard to highlight their own strengths and achievements. Lee and Hwang need to show respect for each other without blindly pursuing a winner-take-all mentality. Lee will seemingly seek to persuade voters to give the governing camp one more chance to complete its reforms and rebuild a country still suffering from the fallout of the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye, ousted for corruption and abuse of power. He may accuse the LKP of blocking Moon's reform measures and inclusive growth policy only the for sake of opposition. On the other hand, Hwang has vowed to take issue with the Moon administration's policy blunders, especially its failure to revive the economy and improve people's livelihoods. He is trying to frame his campaign as a fight against the government. It is important for him to rally supporters behind him and his party. One of challenges Hwang faces is how to overcome his party's factional strife between pro-Park and anti-Park groups. Without overcoming the internal feud and split, he will not fare well in the race. Another issue is how to join with smaller conservative parties, including Rep. Yoo Seong-min's newly created party, to form a united front against the ruling camp. His political fate will depend on how to win over the minds of voters. She went under the knife last year in order to achieve her dream body. And Danielle Lloyd, 36, looked confident and happy as she strolled through the streets of Birmingham on Tuesday morning. The mum-of-four cut a casual figure for her outing and dressed down in a black hoodie and grey coat as she braved the freezing winds of Storm Ciara. Out and about: Danielle Lloyd, 36, looked confident and happy as she strolled through the streets of Birmingham on Tuesday morning The former model carried her iPhone in hand and appeared in high spirits when she flashed a smile while passing by a cafe. She went make-up free and battled with the windy weather which caused an accidental windswept hairstyle. However, the TV personality later payed a visit to the hairdressers and shared a stunning selfie to her Instagram that showed her fresh locks in bouncy curls. Windswept: The mum-of-four cut a casual figure for her outing and dressed down in a black hoodie and grey coat In November, Danielle spoke to Closer magazine about how she underwent a breast augmentation, liposuction and a Brazilian bum life in September. She also took to Instagram to share a snap of her jaw-dropping figure and to discuss her procedures with fans, as she gushed about how 'amazing' her plastic surgeon made her feel the whole time. Alongside a snap where she showed off her ample assets in white lingerie, she wrote: 'Where do I start... I just want to thank @comfortzonsurgery and my surgeon. Luscious locks: The TV personality later payed a visit to the hairdressers and shared a stunning selfie to her Instagram that showed her fresh locks in bouncy curls 'Ive been through a rollercoaster ride in the past with surgery and I was scared but they made the whole experience amazing and now I feel the most confident Ive ever felt. Danielle candidly revealed that after suffering a miscarriage earlier this year she struggled with weight gain, and following her wedding to Michae O'Neill in April she battled low self-esteem. Danielle and Michael announced their engagement in March 2016 after just six months of dating. Confident: The former model carried her iPhone in hand and appeared in high spirits as she flashed a smile while passing by a cafe On Loose Women at the time, she revealed that he presented her with a stunning sparkler which he designed and had made by a jeweller. The couple had to delay their wedding after Danielle became pregnant with their first child together, Ronnie, who was born in September 2017. Their baby was a welcome addition to the bombshell's young brood, three sons - Archie, George and Harry James - who she shares with ex-husband Jamie. Proud family: Danielle married Michael O'Neil in 2019 and the couple share son Ronnie, two years, Danielle also has sons Archie, eight, Harry, seven and George, four In the latest inside look at the big day, she was seen throwing her bouquet at her adoring guests before her pal caught the flowers. After throwing the bouquet, she then ran towards the camera and cheered. On the wedding day last year she was supported by her sons Archie, eight, Harry, seven, George, four, and Ronnie during the ceremony, with the boys acting as ring bearers, ushers and groomsmen in a sweet touch. KENT COUNTY, MI A man cleared in a high-profile sex case says credit-union workers falsified records in an unrelated banking investigation in an effort to bolster the sex charges. Anuj Chopra, 45, contends that recently surfaced emails show workers at Consumers Credit Union targeted him because of the then-pending sex-case and his country of origin being India. He will be going to prison and we will get rid of one foreigner from our beautiful country, a worker e-mailed, according to a lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids. Another worker allegedly outlined efforts to get Chopra for a financial crime. In a reference to the Monopoly board game, he predicted Chopra would go straight to jail. do not collect 200 rupees, the lawsuit said. Chopra, a permanent resident who lives with his wife and daughter in Hudsonville, has been in the United States for 35 years, his attorney said. He filed the lawsuit against the City of Grandville, a Grandville police detective, Consumers Credit Union and two of its employees. Lynne Jarman-Johnson, chief marketing officer for the Kalamazoo-based credit union, told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press: We stand by our employees. She declined to comment further. Grandville City Manager Ken Krombeen also cited pending litigation in declining to comment. Grand Rapids attorney Damian Nunzio, who represented Anuj and Leslie Chopra in criminal proceedings, recently filed the lawsuit on behalf of the husband. Attorney Damian Nunzio talks to his client Leslie Chopra, during a 2017 hearing in Hudsonville District Court. (Daytona Niles|MLive) In addition to (the credit-union workers) acting in concert to fabricate a crime against Anuj, the Defendants also discriminated against Anuj by making negative racial remarks regarding his National Origin in conjunction with the improper conspiracy to fabricate criminal NSF (non-sufficient funds) charges against him, Nunzio wrote. The Chopras made worldwide headlines when they were accused of trying to solicit their daughters teen friends for sex. Nunzio contended that the Chopras were victims of mob mentality when they were falsely blamed for sharing nude photos of a Hudsonville High School student in summer 2016. As the case headed for trial, Nunzio said, he reviewed thousands of text messages of the alleged victim that showed the couple were innocent. He said that the alleged victim and witnesses held to false stories to stay out of trouble. They never thought that (the defense) would get the text messages and unearth the scheme," he said earlier. Chopra was jailed for nearly a year. He was held under a Immigration and Customs Enforcement detainer until a judge ordered his release. Ottawa County prosecutors in May 2018 dropped sex charges after "further investigation uncovered significant exculpatory evidence . Anuj Chopra was charged with human trafficking after he allegedly offered to pay two teen-age boys to take video of them having sex. He said it was a joke. His wife faced charges for sending a selfie in lingerie. While Anuj Chopra was facing the sex charges, Grandville police investigated a check complaint against him. In January 2017, he deposited two checks one for $10,000, the other for $7,500 from his Wells Fargo account into his credit-union account. The credit union put a seven-day hold on the larger check because of a signature irregularity, the lawsuit said. He placed a stop payment on it. He received money from the $7,500 check but was later told he did not have enough funds to cover the check. His brother paid the $7,500 on Jan. 25, 2017, four days before the due date. Anuj received a letter two days later saying the credit union received his brothers check. Then, it was reversed without explanation, causing a default, the lawsuit said. Kent County prosecutors dropped charges in November 2018 after determining Chopra had, indeed, covered the check, the lawsuit said. Prosecutor Chris Becker said his office dismissed the charge when the defense showed it had presented a check within a deadline set by the credit union. Meanwhile, Chopra had contacted Google for information to fight the banking charge. His Gmail account, which he had used to communicate with the credit union, had been shut down Feb. 9, 2017, after eight unauthorized devices attempted to access his account, Nunzio wrote. About five months after the banking charges were dropped, Google provided Chopra with two emails between the credit-union workers regarding his bank account. The emails had been blind-copied to Chopras closed Gmail account. In a Feb. 2 ,2017, email between employees, one of them said the detective told her that Chopra will be going away for a long time. The bank would help make their case stronger, the worker said, according to the lawsuit. I know we received a payment from Anuj to settle his account. Will ask detective if he wants us to return the check to his brother. That will show Anuj did not meet the deadline. He will be going to prison and we will get rid of one foreigner from our beautiful country. On the same day, another credit union worker wrote back. He said he reversed the $7,500 check and erased Chopras phone numbers and emails from his profile so no one could contact him, the lawsuit said. He said Chopra would be preoccupied with sex case, the lawsuit said. The email allegedly said: this is just the cherry on top of the sundae. also his wife is involved. what a sick couple. lets communicate via telephone. no emails or texts discussing this matter per grandville police department (detective). this will hit the news in the next couple of weeks i hope they give us a shout out at the credit union. Noting a then-upcoming court hearing, the worker allegedly wrote that Chopra would go straight to jail. do not collect 200 rupees. Read more on MLive: Is your name really cleared? Sex charges dropped against Hudsonville couple Students nude images led to investigation, couples arrests in other case Parents to stand trial for enticing teens, defense cites mob mentality over nude photos Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:19:57|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has mobilized more than 34,000 officials, government workers and Communist Party members into its 1,100 communities to fight the epidemic. The city's committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Tuesday the figure includes 16,700 employees of government units and state-owned enterprises, who will join the teams of community workers in neighborhoods hit hard by the virus. Working at their side will be another 17,700 CPC members, who will extend their reach to all communities and villages, according to the committee. The latest round of mobilization came at a time when the city's community workers were caught short-handed when combing communities in search of confirmed and suspected patients of the new virus, who authorities have vowed to offer timely diagnosis and treatment. Wuhan, now on lockdown to contain the epidemic outbreak, has reported a total of 18,454 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection. By Sunday, the city had combed 3,371 residential communities and villages. A total of 10.59 million residents had been checked, representing a 99-percent screening rate. US President Donald Trump said Monday he expected the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 900 people to disappear in April due to hotter weather. The virus... typically that will go away in April, he told reporters at the White House, adding: The heat, generally speaking, kills this kind of virus. The SARS-like pathogen has infected 40,000 people since its emergence in China late last year, while the United States has seen 12 confirmed cases of varying severity. Trump praised China -- and its leader Xi Jinping -- for the Asian giants efforts in containing the spread. (I) had a long talk with President Xi... two nights ago, Trump said. He feels very confident... (that) during the month of April, the heat, generally speaking, kills this type of virus. That would be a good thing. For reasons that arent fully understood, flu-like viruses tend to thrive in colder, dryer seasons and the new coronavirus could follow suit -- putting a brake on the outbreak with the arrival of milder weather. But Trumps prognosis is at odds with top US health officials who have cautioned against commenting on the trajectory of the epidemic. The issue is, we dont know, Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters Friday. And any kind of prediction would be ill-advised because we really have so many unknowns, he added. He said that in the best scenario the Chinese would contain the outbreak and there would be a stop to its international spread. But he added that China could fail to control the outbreak or, even if it were successful, the virus could spread to a country without the resources to trace contacts and isolate new cases. A January 31 paper in British medical journal The Lancet warned that, even if the epidemic begins to recede at its epicenter in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in April, it could still grow globally into the second half of the year. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday granted interim protection from arrest to a 22-year-old student-activist in a sedition case lodged for allegedly shouting slogan in support of jailed JNU student Sharjeel Imam at an LGBTQ event here. Justice S K Shinde, who was hearing the anticipatory bail plea of the student, Urvashi Chudawala, said in the event of arrest, the petitioner shall be released on a personal bond of Rs 20,000. The court directed Chudawala to appear before the Azad Maidan police station in south Mumbai, where the sedition case is lodged, on February 12 and 13 for three hours in the morning and thereafter as and when required by the police for questioning. Justice Shinde posted Chudawala's anticipatory bail plea for further hearing on February 24. Chudawala is a student of the city-based Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and also an activist. According to the police, during a rally organised by the Lesbian-Gay-Bisexual-Transgender-Queer (LGBTQ) community at Azad Maidan last week, Chudawala allegedly shouted the slogan "Sharjeel Tere Sapno Ko Hum Manzil Tak Pahuchaenge" (Sharjeel, we will realise your dreams). Imam, a PhD student at the Delhi-based Jawaharlal Nehru University's Centre for Historical Studies, was arrested on January 28 after he was booked in sedition cases lodged across several states for alleged "inflammatory" speeches made during protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. He was arrested from Bihar. The court, while granting relief to Chudawala on Tuesday, noted that the sloganeering may not reflect the applicant's ideology. The judge also asked the police if they had followed guidelines laid down by the HC in the past before registration of cases under the IPC section related to sedition. As per the guidelines, before lodging a case against any person under sedition charge (IPC section 124A), the police have to take the opinion of the district law officer/ prosecutor concerned. Public prosecutor Deepak Thakare told the court in this case no legal opinion was taken before registration of the FIR against Chudawala. He, however, told the court the police had apprehension of anti-CAA and NPR protests along with the LGBTQ event and hence denied permission for the programme. The LGBTQ community had gathered at Azad Maidan on February 1 to protest against the denial of permission for the event and as apprehended by the police, slogans were raised that were unrelated to the programme in question, Thakare said. Chudawala's counsel Mihir Desai argued his client was only reading out slogans from mobile phone sent by someone else and that they had no relation with Imam. According to Chudawala's plea, the slogan in question was taken out of context to allege the petitioner wanted to create hatred against a community. The plea further added that a particular section of the society may not agree with the slogan, but that does not amount to sedition. The Indian Penal Code defines sedition as an offence committed when "any person by words, either spoken or written, or by signs, or by visible representation, or otherwise, brings or attempts to bring into hatred or contempt, or excites or attempts to excite disaffection towards the government established by law in India". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) H arrison Ford took a swipe at President Donald Trump during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live. The Star Wars actor, 77, branded the President a son of a b***h as Kimmel joked about how Trump would respond to Fords new film Call Of The Wild. The late night host, 52, presented Ford with a mocked-up promotional poster for the film featuring pretend reviews from the President. The fake comments were inspired by Trumps famous insistence that his phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, which was at the centre of the recent impeachment inquiry, was perfect. The star didn't hold back as he shared his thoughts on Trump Trump was acquitted by the Senate in his impeachment trial last week, when he was cleared of obstructing Congress and abusing the power of his presidential office. Have you seen the reviews? Kimmel asked before reading out the fake reviews. That call was perfect - Donald J. Trump, he continued. This was a perfect call. It was a great call. Not just a good call, it was a perfect call. The reviews are really pouring in. Ford was amused by Kimmel's mocked-up poster / YouTube: Jimmy Kimmel Live Ford burst out laughing before telling Kimmel: Thats the first thing that son of a b***h has done for me ever. Kimmel then mentioned his next guest Science Bob Pflugfelder, prompting Ford to allude to Trumps stance on climate change. We dont believe in science any more, he said, before asking the audience: Nobody here believes in science any more? The actor has previously spoken out against the Trump administration's attitude to environmental issues. According to the financial plan of AS LHV Group for this year, the revenues of the consolidation group will increase by 29% and expenses by 18% in 2020, resulting in a 33%-growth of consolidated net profit for this year. In terms of business volumes, LHV estimates a 28% increase of the loan portfolio, 25% increase in deposit volumes and 15% increase in assets under management for this year. Key indicators FF2020 2019 Profit before taxes 42.0 31.3 +34% Loans (millions of euros) 2165 1687 +28% Deposits (millions of euros) 3127 2701 +16% Volume of funds (millions of euros) 1576 1374 +15% Cost/income ratio 48.5% 53.2% -4.7 pp ROE (before taxes, owners share) 18.1% 16.2% +1.9 pp Capital adequacy 17.5% 18.0% -0.5 pp * Business volumes have been presented in millions of euros According to the financial plan, the consolidated loan volumes of LHV Group in 2020 will increase by 478 million euros, including corporate loans by 209, retail loans by 199 and loans to financial intermediaries by 70 million euros. The growth in the deposit volumes of 426 million euros is planned mainly on the account of regular deposits in the amount of 575 million euros, with the deposits of financial intermediaries growing by 224 million euros, and those included via deposit platforms decreasing by 373 million euros (according to the plan, these will be replaced by covered bonds in the amount of 250 million euros). The growth in the volume of funds is related to continued payments by clients, but also to the rate of return of the funds, which for larger funds XL and L is estimated at 5.6%. The cost/income ratio is improving thanks to the added Danske portfolio of private individuals at the end of 2019, which increases monthly revenues by as much as 0.9 million euros. Insofar as LHV Group has expressed its wish to replace the foreign deposits involved for this transaction at a higher price with covered bonds in 2020, it will also lower the costs and have a positive impact on the cost/income ratio. According to the financial plan, we will not achieve the 20% pre-tax return on equity set as the target in 2020, since it will not be possible to replace the sharp decline in the management fee of pension funds that occurred in September 2019 in just one year. Story continues Comment by Madis Toomsalu, the CEO of LHV Group: "For today, LHV has become the largest and the fastest growing provider of capital and financial group based on local capital in Estonia. We are now the third largest bank in Estonia in everyday banking and continue to be the second largest management company of pension funds. The financial forecast clearly demonstrates our long-term growth ambitions. In Estonia, we aim to achieve an Estonia-wide increasing customer base. Despite the strong growth in the number of clients, it is our goal to provide top-quality service. We offer home loans to private persons in all Estonian cities, as well as a broad network of ATMs, strong electronic channels and as the only bank in Estonia, free instant payments. We want to become an overwhelming market leader in providing investment services; our most complete service offer so far is supplemented by free trading and safekeeping options of Baltic shares. In the direction of companies, in essence we are able to finance all large Estonian companies. Through our UK branch, we offer the payment services infrastructure to financial intermediaries together with real-time euro and pound payments; as well as liquidity loans on suitable conditions. The goal of our business side in the coming years is to expand the product portfolio and client segments. LHV Varahaldus aims to achieve a high rate of return of pension funds. We can focus on OTC private capital and real estate investments, the estimated rate of return of which is higher than listed securities. In the case of a higher rate of return achieved for our clients, it is also possible to replace the lower management fee by earning a success fee, however since the short periods of the rate of return are difficult to forecast, we have not considered this in our financial forecast. As both the rates of return as well as the benchmark index are public, the investors may nevertheless notionally consider it. In the case of generating the success fee, we will record it in revenues once a year. A good foundation for our future growth is built on the record number of new clients starting from autumn 2019, the revenues earned on the private portfolio of Danske and the improving cost/income ratio. Our loan limits are increasing, and we are able to finance an ever-growing number of clients. We have considered the impairment of loans on a rather conservative level." Financial forecast 20202024 AS LHV Group also discloses the financial plan for the next five years. According to the forecast, the groups revenues will increase by 19% over the next five years on average, while the expenses will increase on average by 11% in a year. Based on the forecast, the consolidated net profit of LHV will be nearly 91 million euros by 2024, considering the average annual growth of 26%. Key indicators FF2019 FF2021 FF2022 FF2023 FP2024 Profit before taxes 42.0 51.1 69.3 87.2 104.4 Loans 2165 2706 3229 3754 4304 Deposits 3127 3830 4427 5209 6004 Funds volume 1576 1395 1571 1761 1967 Cost/income ratio 48.5% 47.6% 41.4% 38.4% 36.4% ROE (before taxes; owners share) 18.1% 20.5% 22.2% 23.4% 23.4% Capital adequacy 17.5% 18.1% 18.3% 18.9% 19.5% * Business volumes have been presented in millions of euros Compared to the end of 2019, the volume of loans, deposits and funds should increase in five years by 2617 million, 3303 million and 593 million euros, respectively. For loans and deposits, this means the duplication of volumes. The improvement of the cost/income ratio is related to higher efficiency, but also to the lower cost base of the financial intermediaries line of business. According to the forecast, the results of 2021 will be adversely affected by the pension reform, as a result of which LHV Varahaldus will have to write down the intangible assets related to the sales costs of clients. This impairment has no cash flow and will not influence net own funds. Starting from 2021, we expect the recovery of pre-tax equity to be over 20% and starting from 2023 aim to reach the level of 20% for the net profit based return on equity. LHV Group publishes five-year financial forecasts to share the companys long-term targets and trends with the investors in a transparent way. The company as well as the economic environment may change significantly in five years. LHV Group will change the financial plan 2020 if a difference of more than 10% between the planned net profit and the financial plan becomes probable. The company will update the five-year plan again at the beginning of 2021 or, if necessary, together with the changes made to the financial plan of 2020. To introduce the financial plans to investors and the press, LHV organises a press briefing at 11:00 on 11 February, at the Tallinn office of LHV (Cityplaza building, Tartu mnt 2) on 21st floor. Please notify us of your participation via email using the address priit.rum@lhv.ee. LHV Group is the largest domestic financial group and capital provider in Estonia. LHV Group's key subsidiaries are LHV Pank and LHV Varahaldus. LHV employs over 440 people. LHVs banking services are used by more than 207,000 clients, and pension funds managed by LHV have more than 176,000 active clients. Priit Rum Communication Manager Phone: +372 502 0786 Email: priit.rum@lhv.ee Attachment PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 15:00:18 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 622 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 ATLANTA, GA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Aureus, Inc. (OTC PINK:ARSN) ("Aureus" or the "Company") ( www.AureusNOW.com) an emerging leader in the food brand development industry which owns the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand ("Yuengling's Ice Cream" or "Yuengling's") ( www.yuenglingsicecream.com) including all intellectual property and its distribution at select retail locations announced today that it will no longer need it's Regulation A as a source of funding for company operations."I'm happy to disclose that our efforts to bring in equity capital have finally gained traction. The board has agreed that we no longer be issuing Regulation A shares to provide funding. We will be making announcements to our shareholders, about the new capital structure, as the agreements are completed in the next two weeks." Stated Everett Dickson CEO, Aureus.About Aureus, Inc.Management and ownership recently changed hands. The new focus is on acquiring specific assets in and related to the food industry, with a focus on ice cream. Aureus owns the assets and trademarks of the Yuengling's Ice Cream brand, and the exclusive right to market and sell the products of the brand. The goal of Aureus in the operation to consolidate all factors that are positive for the Yuengling brand into a synergistic success for Aureus shareholders as well as the next generation of Yuengling consumers.About Yuengling's Ice CreamDeveloped by American businessman Frank D. Yuengling, as a dairy business to help support the Yuengling family brewery during the 1920s Prohibition period, Yuengling's Ice Cream has a strong tradition of making exceptional gourmet ice cream products in central Pennsylvania. The fan-favorite brand continues advancing its legacy and its renowned dairy quality, by using locally sourced dairy ingredients that contain no added hormones. Yuengling's Ice Cream is a super-premium ice cream, which means it has a butterfat content of 14% or greater. In addition to having high butterfat, Yuengling's also has low overrun (or a lower amount of air). This makes the ice cream less whipped and much more dense. Yuengling's also is constantly working to keep its product as "clean" as possible, by using as few ingredients as necessary, and those that are used are of a very high quality. The brands Yuengling's is most similar to are Haagen-Dazs and Ben & Jerry's.David Yuengling and Rob Bohorad revived the brand in 2014 and an American classic was re-born. In 2018, positioned for the brands next stage of development,The Yuengling's Ice Cream Corporation, as it has been since 1935, is a separately owned and run company from D. G. Yuengling and Sons, Inc Brewery.Safe Harbor StatementThis communication contains statements that may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Those statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of US Highland, Inc and members of its management as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based.Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Important factors currently known to management that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-statements include fluctuation of operating results, the ability to compete successfully, and the ability to complete before-mentioned transactions.The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results.For More InformationContact & Media Inquiries:404.885.6045Twitter: www.twitter.com/AureusNow SOURCE: Aureus Incorporated DUBLIN, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Size, Market Share, Application Analysis, Regional Outlook, Growth Trends, Key Players, Competitive Strategies and Forecasts, 2019 To 2027" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global autonomous vehicle market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 35.6% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2027. Autonomous vehicles such as Robo-taxis operate on Autonomous Mobility on Demand (AMoD) service, touted to be one of the most rapidly adopted applications of autonomous vehicles, especially in developed economies such as the U.S., the UK among others. The automotive industry is going to see huge transformation due to growing R&D in autonomous vehicles, strict government regulations & inclination of automotive manufacturers towards the technology. Rising emissions have created a huge demand for fuel-efficient and emission-free vehicles. Robotic assistance is expected to be the solution for the emission-free and fuel-efficient environment. However, unemployment will become a major issue as soon as this technology becomes fully commercial since humans will be replaced by robots. Cybersecurity threats will be higher as terrorists and hackers can exploit it by hacking into multiple models at the same time. Furthermore, huge capital investment and the consequent need to increase R&D expenses may pose a challenge to new entrants in the market. Autonomous vehicles are segmented by level of autonomy into two categories, namely semi-autonomous and fully autonomous. Autonomous vehicles with semi-autonomous technology represent those vehicles in which computer can handle two or more tasks simultaneously, while fully autonomous technologies are those which allow drivers to safely turn their attention away while driving. Fully autonomous is further categorized into two types namely: L4 autonomy and L5 autonomy. In L5 autonomous vehicles, the vehicle doesn't require human interference as it is fully automated. Currently, the L4 vehicles are being monitored by human backup drivers and are geo-fenced whereas L5 vehicles are still being envisioned. Europe represents the largest autonomous vehicle market followed by North America. Europe is anticipated to witness strong growth as countries such as Germany, France, and the U.K., etc. are aggressively focusing on developing related infrastructure to test and deploy autonomous vehicles on a large scale. Developing economies such as China, India, Japan, and South Korea among others are also not lagging behind and are slated to become attractive markets in the years to come. The combination of factors including developing transport infrastructure, rapid urbanization and increased focus on environment & vehicle safety in countries such as China, Japan, and India is contributing towards growing demand in the Asia-Pacific region. Some of the major autonomous vehicle manufacturers operating in the market include Tesla, Inc., Daimler AG, Lyft, Inc., Uber Technologies Inc., Volkswagen AG, Volvo Car Corporation, Waymo LLC, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Company, BMW AG, and Aptiv PLC among others. In addition, a large number of collaboration between technology providers and manufacturers in the market is expected to further strengthen the competitive landscape of the autonomous vehicle market worldwide. Key Topics Covered 1. Preface 2. Executive Summary 2.1. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Snapshot 2.1.1. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market by Type, 2018 2.1.2. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market by Power, 2018 2.1.3. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market by Vehicle, 2018 2.1.4. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market by Geography, 2018 3. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Dynamics 3.1. Market Overview 3.2. Drivers 3.3. Challenges 3.4. Impact Analysis of Drivers and Challenges 3.5. Competitive Landscape 3.5.1. Market Positioning of Leading Autonomous Vehicle Manufacturers, 2018 3.5.2. Strategies Adopted by Leading Manufacturers 4. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Size (US$ Bn), By Type, 2017 - 2027 4.1. Overview 4.1.1. Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis by Type, 2017 & 2027 4.2. Semi-autonomous vehicle 4.2.1. L1 Autonomy 4.2.2. L2 Autonomy 4.2.3. L3 Autonomy 4.3. Fully autonomous vehicle 4.3.1. L4 Autonomy 4.3.2. L5 Autonomous vehicle 5. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Size (US$ Bn), By Power, 2017 - 2027 5.1. Overview 5.1.1. Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis by Power, 2017 & 2027 5.2. Electric cell 5.3. Fuel cell 5.4. Hybrid 6. Global Autonomous Vehicle Market Size (US$ Bn), By Vehicle, 2017 - 2027 6.1. Overview 6.1.1. Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis by Vehicle, 2017 & 2027 6.2. Car (Robo-taxi) 6.3. Van/Shuttle 6.4. Truck 7. North America Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis, 2017 - 2027 8. Europe Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis, 2017 - 2027 9. Asia Pacific Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis, 2017 - 2027 10. Rest of the World Autonomous Vehicle Market Analysis, 2017 - 2027 11. Company Profiles 11.1. Tesla Inc. 11.2. Daimler AG 11.3. Lyft Inc. 11.4. Uber Technologies Inc. 11.5. Volkswagen AG 11.6. Volvo Car Corporation 11.7. Waymo LLC 11.8. Ford Motor Company 11.9. General Motors Company 11.10. BMW AG 11.11. Aptiv PLC For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/9hrcdy 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 On Monday, the Department of Justice released an indictment that alleges the Chinese government was behind the 2017 breach of Equifax that led to 147 million peoples information being stolen. The indictment, which charges four members of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army with carrying out the breach, is, in a way, good news for those of us worried that our stolen information might be used to conduct identity fraud or financial theft. Historically, the Chinese government has not been very interested in stealing individuals money or working with organized crime groups who carry out financially motivated cybercrimes. Instead, the Chinese government appears to be collecting information for espionage purposes. Cybercriminals might be able to steal the Equifax data from the Chinese government, but truth be told, itll probably do a better job of protecting your information than Equifax did. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Back in July, Equifax reached a settlement for the breach, agreeing to pay between $575 million and $700 million to provide identity monitoring to the victims, or a cash payout of $125 to those who already had some form of identity monitoring in place. So many people claimed the $125 that the Federal Trade Commission started encouraging them to take the identity monitoring instead. But the fact that the perpetrators of the Equifax breach are unlikely to use that information for identity theft highlights just how unhelpful many of the identity theft protections built into the Equifax settlement will probably be for those who elected the free credit monitoring option. Whatever the Chinese government plans to do with this informationwhether thats extortion, identifying people in precarious financial positions who might be susceptible to bribery, or simply putting together more comprehensive dossiers on people of interest to themExperian credit monitoring is unlikely to be a significant obstacle for them. Advertisement Advertisement This was also true in the case of the 2015 U.S. Office of Personnel Management breach, when the records of 21.5 million former and current federal employees were stolen from the U.S. government, including security clearance information and fingerprints. That breach was also attributed to the Chinese government, though China later announced it had arrested the hackers it believed to be responsible. In the aftermath of that incident, victims also received a lot of identity theft monitoring services but little that would do anything to protect them from the Chinese government (though, in that case, the CIA did remove officers from Beijing for fear that their covers might be blown). This points to a fundamental problem with how we handle data breaches: Practically all of our remedies for victims assume that the perpetrators are cybercriminals and are designed to protect victims from financial fraud rather than the broader and more nebulous set of consequences associated with cyberespionage. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Cyberespionage has been a big source of contention between China and the United States for several years now, with the U.S. alleging that the Chinese government steals U.S. intellectual property. Interestingly, the indictment released by the Department of Justice makes the case that the Equifax breach was not just an act of political espionage, like the OPM hack, but also an act of economic espionage. Its a strange charge because personal information about individuals is more in line with traditional espionage activity, and its not clear exactly what trade secrets Equifax had that the Chinese government would have wanted. The indictment specifies that the trade secrets stolen by the PLA members were database schemas and the compilation of data within those databases owned by Equifaxin other words, the stolen data and the databases used to store it. But the rest of the indictment makes clear that, in fact, the databases Equifax used to store the stolen data were nothing special and could be easily accessed using standard database queries. And the conception of Equifaxs customers personal data as a form of trade secret is so bizarre it really feels like the U.S. government grasping at straws to turn this into a case of economic espionage and thereby bolster its broader contention that China is busy stealing U.S. intellectual property. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Undoubtedly, intellectual property theft by the Chinese government has been a recurring issue for the United States. An earlier U.S. indictment, in 2014, charged five different PLA officers with acts of espionage directed at steel, solar, and nuclear power companies that more clearly seemed to target trade secrets. And even that indictment was only able to identify one particular filewhich described the piping design for a nuclear power plant and was stolen from Westinghousethat constituted actual economic espionage. This distinction between political and economic espionage was important to the United States government at the time because it was attempting to establish a norm for cyberspace that political espionage was acceptable but economic espionageor governments stealing companies trade secrets to benefit their own, domestic companieswas not. Advertisement Advertisement But the Equifax breach looks an awful lot like political espionage. The stolen information is very far from nuclear power plant plansits hard to see how it could be classified as intellectual property or provide Chinese companies with a clear competitive advantage. The Equifax indictment states, by way of justification for its economic espionage charge: In connection with the management and protection of its databases, Equifax developed and maintained proprietary compilations, designs, processes, and codes that constituted trade secrets. This trade secret information included the above-described personally identifiable information Equifax had acquired at great effort and expense and that enabled it to operate its business and compete in the marketplacethat is, its data compilationsas well as the means by which Equifax accessed and analyzed that information, that is, its database schemas. Advertisement Advertisement In other words, the Department of Justice classified the personal information of 147 million people as a trade secret for the purposes of this indictment (to say nothing of the insecure database Equifax was using to store that information). Its a strange formulation that undermines an otherwise informative indictment detailing how the PLA infiltrated Equifax and the tactics it used to try to cover up its actions. Clearly, a great deal of valuable investigative work went into this indictment, and theres a lot that both the U.S. government and U.S. companies could learn from the facts laid out in it about how to better protect against cyberespionage in the future. But calling everything China does economic espionage and condemning it as such will be about as helpful as 10 years of credit monitoring from Experian. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. Deoli Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Deoli constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Deoli Profile | The Aam Aadmi Party's Prakash Jarwal has won the election from Deoli against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Arvind Kumar by a margin of 40,173 votes. A reserved seat for the Scheduled Castes, Deoli is known to face severe water supply issues. In fact, after the 2019 poll debacle, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and a team had visited the constituency and assured people of action on the issue. This year, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had renominated Prakash Jarwal - a key accused in the 2018 assault against the Delhi chief secretary - for the seat. The constituency will vote on 8 February along with 69 other constituencies in the single-phase Delhi Assembly polls. Counting of votes will be conducted on 11 February. Here is a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency Name: Deoli Constituency Number: 47 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 2,02,275 Female Electors: 86,625 Male Electors: 1,15,637 Third Gender: 13 Reserved: Yes, for SC. Results in previous elections: AAPs Prakash Jarwal is the incumbent MLA from Deoli. Jarwal was also elected the representative in 2013, when he defeated BJP's Gagan Rana with a margin of over 17,000 votes. Prior to him, Arvinder Singh of the Congress, the son of former home minister Buta Singh, had represented the seat in 2008. Demographics: Purvanchali migrants form a major portion of the electorate in the constituency. In fact, AAP and BJP have been targeting this section of the society for electoral benefits. The constituency, which houses largely low income localities, consists of Dakshinpuri Extension, Subhash Camp, Madangir village, Sanjay camp, Tigri Extension, and parts of Sangam Vihar. Located in South district of Delhi, Deoli comes under the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 25.6 and 0, respectively of the total population. Of more than 45,000 cases of coronavirus recorded since the epidemic began, more than 33,000 have come from Hubei, the central province whose capital Wuhan is the epicenter of the infection. There have been more than 1,100 cases in the coastal province of Zhejiang, but a slightly higher number of infections in Henan and more than 1,200 in the southern province of Guangdong. But the Japanese public broadcaster said around 500 Japanese companies or affiliates have operations in Zhejiang. Hello I was wondering how the only organization that offer the Gmat exam , have the worst unprofessional website i have ever seen and also the worst customer services. i am from Egypt , tried to contact them several times via email or phone , no reply . i cannot book my exam for 2 weeks now, as all cards i am trying is not accepted for no reason, i have asked my colleagues they had the same issue. one of them was able to solve it through making a friend from america pay the fees for her. The exam is not cheap ,so why the service is so bad , the website is not organized at all, no customer services and full of ads everywhere. is it Normal that no one here talks about the formal and only website, that should offer support before and after the exam. Thank you, Burma Rohingya Boy Killed as Village Hit by Artillery Shells in Western Myanmar A signboard for Kyauktaw Township / Min Aung Khine / The Irrawaddy SITTWE, Rakhine StateA Rohingya teenager was killed and four others were injured when several shells hit villages in Rakhine States Kyauktaw Township, local residents said, as heavy fighting between the Myanmar military (or Tatmadaw) and the Arakan Army (AA) continued in the area. Artillery shells struck Taungbwe Village at around 4 a.m. on Monday, killing a 15-year-old boy and wounding two teenagers, Kalu, a relative of the boy who was killed, told The Irrawaddy. The boy suffered a head injury and died while being taken to Sittwe Hospital. So [his body] was brought back to the village, said Kalu, adding that the two other teens were receiving treatment at Kyauktaw Public Hospital. Residents of Taungbwe claimed the artillery shells were fired by naval ships sailing upstream on the Kaladan River. Four houses were damaged and a cow was killed in the explosions. An artillery shell fell onto my cowshed. As we were sleeping at the time, were not exactly sure what happened. But it was the naval vessels from the river that fired the artillery shells, Kalu told The Irrawaddy. In two other incidents, a 52-year-old Rohingya woman in Hayar Village and a 25-year-old Arakanese woman in Myauktaung Village were injured by artillery shelling on Monday morning, local residents said. This morning, the naval vessels fired while sailing up and down the river. When they fired while sailing upstream, the artillery shells fell on houses. When they fired while sailing downstream, a woman was hit by shrapnel, Daw Aung Nu of Myauktaung Village told The Irrawaddy. The injured were also sent to Kyauktaw Public Hospital. The Irrawaddy was unable to reach military spokesman Brigadier-General Zaw Min Tun or the Tatmadaws Western Command spokesman Colonel Win Zaw Oo for comment. U Maung Maung, a Kyauktaw Township lawmaker in the Rakhine State parliament, said he heard the sounds of continuous firing. I dont know why they fired. I only heard the sounds. I heard a number of people were injured by artillery shells. I dont know the number exactly, he told The Irrawaddy. The Myanmar military and the AA have recently engaged in fierce clashes in mountains some 16 kilometers to the northeast of the villages, reportedly resulting in deaths and injuries. A woman was killed and three men were injured when artillery struck urban wards in Kyauktaw on Feb. 3. Four civilians were injured when the Myanmar military and the AA clashed near the entrance to Kyauktaw on Dec. 28. A fourth-grade student was killed and a woman was injured in a shooting on Dec. 6. Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko You may also like these stories: Rohingya Robbery Suspect Killed in Gunfight After Refugee Camp Shooting Rohingya Women Killed by Artillery Shell in Myanmars Rakhine Turkish Troops Killed In Attack In Northwest Syria February 10, 2020 Turkey says five of its soldiers have been killed and five others wounded as a result of shelling by Syrian government forces in Syria's northern province of Idlib. The Defense Ministry said on February 10 that Turkish artillery immediately responded to the attack, destroying targets. A war monitor reported that six Turkish soldiers were killed and seven were wounded when Syrian government forces shelled the Taftanaz air base. Four Syrian rebels were also killed, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The clashes come as a Russian delegation arrived in the Turkish capital, Ankara, for talks over rising tensions in Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria. A Russia-backed offensive by Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces in Idlib and the neighboring Aleppo Province has displaced nearly 700,000 people since December, according to the UN. Russia and Ankara, which supports rebel groups in Syria, have agreed to work toward de-escalating the fighting in Idlib and creating a demilitarized zone, but the fighting has continued. Eight Turkish military and civilian personnel and 13 Syrian soldiers were reported killed in an exchange of fire in Idlib last week. Based on reporting by AP and AFP Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/turkish-troops -killed-in-attack-in-northwest- syria/30426736.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 As many as 14 Rohingya refugees died when a boat carrying them capsized off the coast of southern Bangladesh, confirmed a report. According to officials, the Bangladeshi Coast Guards have recovered 14 bodies and rescued 70 others after the boat, headed for Malaysia, overturned off the Bangladesh coast. The Navy and Coast Guard boats are still continuing the search and rescue operation near St Martin's island in the Bay of Bengal. The Rohingya refugees, who have been living in several camps in Bangladesh and particularly in Coxs Bazar, tried to leave the camps on boats headed towards Malaysia. Around 600,000 Rohingyas are confined in Myanmar camps and villages as well and many often try to escape to Thailand or Malaysia through dangerous routes. In December 2019, nearly 100 Rohingya Muslims, including 25 children, were arrested for attempting to flee Rakhine to a southern beach. They had paid several hundred dollars to relocate but were detained for violating the immigration act. Read: Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina Seeks EU's Support For Return Of Rohingyas Myanmar denied 'genocidal intent' Nearly 7,40,000 Rohingya Muslims were forced to take refuge in several camps in Bangladesh after Myanmars military launched a crackdown on the minority group. However, Myanmars government-appointed panel failed to find any genocidal intent behind the displacement of Rohingya Muslims from the Rakhine state. Read: Myanmar Reimposes Internet Blackout Amid Escalating Violence In Rohingya Villages The Independent Commission of Enquiry (ICOE) submitted a 461-page final report on January 20, after holding its 15th meeting in Naypyitaw. The ICOE has not found any evidence suggesting that these killings or acts of displacement were committed pursuant to intent or plan to destroy the Muslim or any other community in northern Rakhine State, said the panel in a statement. Read: UN Fails To Take Action On Order Against Myanmar On Rohingya: Reports Read: Two Days After ICJ Ruling, Rohingya Women Killed, Several Injured In Myanmar Shelling (With inputs from agencies) (Natural News) It appears an effort to mask the danger of the coronavirus from the American people may be in play. This could be an attempt to protect Trumps all-important stock market rally. It has become very apparent that the President values the stock markets constant move to newer highs as a reflection that he has done an outstanding job promoting economic growth. This shortsightedness coupled with Trumps massive ego may have placed his need for self-gratification in front of the welfare of the American people. (Article by Bruce Wilds republished from BruceWilds.Blogspot.com) Thus far many people in my part of the country are unaware of or under the impression, we have little to fear from this virus. Sadly, most Americans pay little attention to breaking news. How many Americans know of the events unfolding in Wuhan, China? The city of over 12 million people has been on lock-down since January 23rd. This coupled with what appears an attempt to deny or cover up the threat of how easily and rapidly the often deadly coronavirus can spread puts all Americans at future risk. The President has even gone so far as to praise Chinas leader Friday morning in a tweet. This seems to conflict with reports that Washington is especially frustrated with Beijing over the crisis. For the last month, the CDC has been offering to send a team of experts to help China combat the outbreak but the Chinese have refused to accept the help. The Presidents tweet can be seen below; Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump Just had a long and very good conversation by phone with President Xi of China. He is strong, sharp and powerfully focused on leading the counterattack on the Coronavirus. He feels they are doing very well, even building hospitals in a matter of only days. Nothing is easy, but.he will be successful, especially as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker, and then gone. Great discipline is taking place in China, as President Xi strongly leads what will be a very successful operation. We are working closely with China to help! 5:31 AM Feb 7, 2020Twitter for iPhone The timing of much of the news being tossed out is becoming very suspicious. This came as many people familiar with what is happening in Asia continue to question whether China is being transparent in telling the world what is happening. Cruise ships across the world are being turned away from ports because they may be carrying infected passengers or crews. The Diamond Princess cruise ship which is anchored in Yokohama, Japan and is under quarantine has now discovered 42 additional cases of coronavirus adding to the 20 confirmed earlier. Airlines have canceled all flights to and from many areas. This brings into question the decision of the CDC to allow thousands of passengers to disembark from a cruise ship returning to New Jersey on Friday morning. This was after more than two dozen Chinese nationals were screened for signs of the virus and four of the passengers were taken to a hospital. Royal Caribbeans Anthem of the Seas was scheduled to depart again Friday, but the company announced shortly before noon the trip would be delayed. Many people think a quick test can be run but officials say it typically takes up to 48 hours for results because samples have to be taken to the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia. Currently, the CDC is giving localities the tools to test for the illness and pushing to speed up this process. The number of confirmed deaths in China from the coronavirus has surpassed 724 and it is reported the doctor who was punished by the police for first reporting the dangerous virus back in December has died from it. In China, the quarantine has expanded to Guangzhou. This means 400 million now under lock-down. This is something the world has never seen, also it means that thousands of factories in China will be shuttered until at least mid-February. On Thursday, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin tried to reassure investors that the outbreak wouldnt seriously disrupt the supply chains of western companies. The lack of parts flowing out of China is starting to cause serious supply-chain disruptions halting production at plants here in America and across the world. In a full-court-press, even National Economic Council Director Larry Kudlow, has been out spouting off about how well the economy is doing and promoting a new tax cut for the middle class. This brings front and center the issue that Trump is not an economist and his economy is being propelled forward from a policy of deficit spending. We must not confuse economic growth with economic strength but that is a subject for another time. Circling back to the crux of this article, why are we not hearing a great deal more about the coronavirus on the mainstream media? Part of the problem is that governments may be covering up how bad the coronavirus outbreak is and the strong possibility it may have been manufactured in a lab as a weapon. Is it a mere coincidence it was first discovered in the same city where China has its only BSL-4 laboratory? Read more at: BruceWilds.Blogspot.com So now, during rehearsals for Unknown Soldier, lyrics like Even dying men have some kind of memory and There are stories left out of history have summoned tears. Me? I sat in the back of the room hearing the song Penelope impeccably Friedmanesque in its crisp syllables crying as quietly as I could. That song is rude, said Daniel Goldstein, the shows book writer and co-lyricist. He and Mr. Friedman began working on Unknown Soldier a decade and a half ago, Goldstein told me a few days later in an interview. In 2006, the Huntington Theater Company in Boston commissioned a new musical from them. Friedman had chanced upon an article in The New York Review of Books about a World War I soldier with amnesia, which he shared with Goldstein. Inspired by A.S. Byatts novel Possession and Tom Stoppards play Arcadia, they began to write a show about present-day characters fumbling into the past. Friedmans score emerged sweeping, strongly melodic, more focused than his usual pastiche style. The actor Erik Lochtefeld, who joined the show for a 2011 workshop and has remained with it since, recalled a conversation in which Friedman told him that people didnt think he could write soaring ballads. But he did. For more than half a century, governments all over the world trusted a single company to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. That company was secretly run by the CIA, which had the ability to read all those communications for decades. Greg Miller at the Washington Post: The company, Crypto AG, got its first break with a contract to build code-making machines for U.S. troops during World War II. Flush with cash, it became a dominant maker of encryption devices for decades, navigating waves of technology from mechanical gears to electronic circuits and, finally, silicon chips and software. The Swiss firm made millions of dollars selling equipment to more than 120 countries well into the 21st century. Its clients included Iran, military juntas in Latin America, nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, and even the Vatican. But what none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence. These spy agencies rigged the company's devices so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages. The decades-long arrangement, among the most closely guarded secrets of the Cold War, is laid bare in a classified, comprehensive CIA history of the operation obtained by The Washington Post and ZDF, a German public broadcaster, in a joint reporting project. Read more: 'The intelligence coup of the century' [washingtonpost.com, Greg Miller Feb. 11, 2020, via techmeme, image modified from a photograph by theglobalpanorama CC BY-SA 2.0 ] In case you've ever wondered why the US national security community is always so freaked out about Huawei https://t.co/GjHgMUczIg Matthew Miller (@matthewamiller) February 11, 2020 For more than half a century, countries all over the world trusted a single company to keep the communications of their spies, soldiers and diplomats secret. The Swiss company, Crypto AG, was secretly owned by the CIA.https://t.co/tStuLX9xgs pic.twitter.com/MBdnKK4rRm Greg Miller (@gregpmiller) February 11, 2020 "what none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence." Holy cow. WHAT a story. It's loooongbut a real thriller. Must read by @gregpmiller https://t.co/6ZjL5Y3F80 C. Stelzenmuller (@ConStelz) February 11, 2020 For anyone who thinks US worries about Huawei and other Chinese tech companies is overblown https://t.co/ctSkptA9MY Alex Finley (@alexzfinley) February 11, 2020 The CIA monitored Iran's mullahs during the 1979 hostage crisis, fed intelligence to Britain during the Falklands War, tracked the assassination campaigns of South American dictators and caught Libyan officials congratulating themselves on the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco. https://t.co/EbVUVPaGn9 Lynda Robinson (@WPLyndaRobinson) February 11, 2020 The CIA monitored Iran's mullahs during the 1979 hostage crisis, fed intelligence to Britain during the Falklands War, tracked the assassination campaigns of South American dictators and caught Libyan officials congratulating themselves on the 1986 bombing of a Berlin disco. https://t.co/EbVUVPaGn9 Lynda Robinson (@WPLyndaRobinson) February 11, 2020 "The Swiss firm made millions of dollars selling equipment to more than 120 countries well into the 21st century. Its clients included Iran, military juntas in Latin America, nuclear rivals India and Pakistan, and even the Vatican." https://t.co/cfh07Icm6v Kim Zetter (@KimZetter) February 11, 2020 Rendering of the Alamo Drafthouse in League City Photo: Alamo Drafthouse Photo: Alamo Drafthouse Alamo Drafthouse has released more details about the chains newest addition in the Houston region, Alamo Drafthouse League City, being built in the Victory Lakes Center on the northeast corner of I-45 and FM 646. The news of the Austin-based chain coming to the area was first announced Jan. 31 by Pat Hallisey, the mayor of League City, in a state of the city address. The 10-screen multiplex, expected to open in the fall, will include an auditorium with a 60-foot large screen called Big Show which will have laser projection and Atmos surround sound. The theater will be the second Alamo Drafthouse in the Houston area, following on the heels of the Katy location which opened in 2018. Were thrilled to be in the beginning stages of adding another Alamo location in the Houston area, said Neil Billingsley-Michaelson, CEO of the Alamo Drafthouse Houston locations. We cant wait to grow the Alamo presence across Houston with this new addition on the I-45 corridor. The venue will also include luxury recliners, 4K projection, in-theater food and beverage service, and a standalone lobby bar serving more than 40 local and regional craft beers. As is usual with Alamo Drafthouse, the programming will feature Hollywood mainstream films as well as art house/indie releases and specialty programming. cary.darling@chron.com For those unaware, American Factory is an Obama-produced documentary that was released on Netflix in late summer 2019. Although undoubtedly those who rendered this documentary sought to show the pros and cons of Chinese corporate involvement in attempting to revive a factory in Americas so-called Rust Belt, specifically in Dayton, Ohio, the overall scope of what was conveyed in the movie and the timing of its release have only fueled support for President Trump's position on China. Moreover, and probably unwittingly, the film has red-pilled more people over both the wider issue of China's growing influence in the world economy and the greater concerns over globalism in general and provided more evidence to support a nationalist policy position. The documentary quickly struck my wife and me regarding the real clash emerging between the American and Chinese understandings of things. First were the clear differences in corporate culture, where the Chinese believe in a dogmatic adherence to the corporation. There truly is a corporate wholeness, with the expectation that all who work for the corporation are to subsume their being into the corporation, regardless of the cost. Adjacent to this, though not unrelated, is the clear understanding that this is ultimately all about one thing: the nationalist interest of China. In every respect, the Chinese employees who were sent to Dayton were instructed that this was for that interest; it was really for China even more than for the corporation. Indeed, throughout the documentary, this solidarity in thought and deed stand out. The Chinese members of this corporation have this overarching unity for whatever the objectives the corporation demanded, but definitely with the greater objective of the national interest. The message here is not globalist, but nationalist it's Chinese nationalism, which demonstrates how our globalist-orientated masters in the West have miscalculated or deceived us, if not both. Beyond this corporate clash of the more individualistic, old-school trade unionistera mentality of the American employees and the much more corporatist and nationalist Chinese, there are also ethno-cultural conflicts. Although there definitely are positive relationships built by many individuals of the two groups, there are also some clear distinctions ones that hearken to another, older documentary, this time on Chinese involvement in Africa, called Empire of Dust. In the latter documentary, there is an obvious case of condescension, often delving into ridicule, by the Chinese master toward the black African subordinates he supervised. Mocking them for their indolence, inefficiencies, seeming paucity of intellect, and general backwardness was present to the point where it would be deemed xenophobia, if not racism, if the words had come from any person of European background. Fast-forward to the more recent American Factory, and what do we observe? Almost identical statements by the Chinese about the Americans they work with. In addition to such statements, they also call Americans self-absorbed flattery-seekers and foreigners (yes, even while living in the United States; to the Chinese, it is the American who is the "foreigner"), and, at one point, they call the Americans little more than donkeys who need to be led around (because, as it's strongly implied, they are just that stupid and obstinate). The message rings out here: the old Chinese view of the Westerner being a barbarian has never left. This is what your new Chinese masters think of you, and they say it with a smile. Imagine what would be said if any white American said the same about either a Chinese or African person! How does this all relate to globalism and its close cousin, multiculturalism? On the one hand, dealing with the latter policy is the continued evidence that the more disparate people are from one another, the harder it is to assimilate them. Just because we are all human beings, that does not mean we are all the same, with the same worldviews, cultural traits, or fundamental ethno-cultural proclivities. Multiculturalism has never worked throughout history. We are in the midst of a perverse cultural experiment that will never work on a grand scale. This becomes very apparent in the movie. Further, we see that globalism undermines one's national interest, regardless of the nation. With respect to what is portrayed in this documentary, we cannot blame the Chinese; they are only taking advantage of the system we in the West have established, brought about by our elites following a course of neo-liberal excessively open free trade-economic policies. Indeed, if anything, we maybe could learn a bit from the Chinese (as even many of the Americans in the movie admitted). They take great national pride and seek to ensure that their people are put before all other people (granted, with some less than savory policies, too). We were promised by our political and corporate betters that opening ourselves up would usher in a glorious New World Order that would engender greater peace and understanding (and that authoritarian states like China would become more like us, keen to embrace rule of law and more basic rights). Yet if there is ever a message one can learn from American Factory, it is this: it was all a lie. Image: Gage Skidmore via Flickr. YEREVAN. I have spoken many times about the importance of establishing municipal police, and I urge the factions to lobby this issue in the National Assembly. Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutyan said this today at a meeting of the council of elders while discussing the issue of extending the use of service parking lots. According to him, the municipality does not have the legislative power to charge more for the number of cars that exceed the original bids. "If there is a law, the city authorities will have mechanisms to act, which means that the municipality will also bear responsibility," he added. Although several council members, including from the ruling coalition, opposed the respective bill, it was passed. Phuket virus checks still ongoing: Officials PHUKET: In the latest mandatory daily update of the coronavirus situation in Phuket, leading officials yesterday (Feb 10) again gave no information about the current state of the 10 tourists last reported to be under observation, or any account of whether any new suspect cases had been identified. tourismhealthChineseCoronavirusCOVID-19 By The Phuket News Tuesday 11 February 2020, 03:59PM Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong at the press briefing yesterday (Feb 10). Photo; PR Dept Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong presided over the press briefing held at Phuket office of Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) in Phuket Town yesterday. Present at the meeting was PPHO Chief Thanit Sermkaew, Deputy Chief Dr Krit Sakulpat, Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol. The Phuket Government, the PPHO and other relevant officers are still screening peoples body temperature at Phuket International Airport, all piers, hotels, department stores, and schools, Vice Governor Pichet said. The PPHO today (Feb 11) will conduct educational activities at the Srinagarindra The Princess Mother School Phuket in order to teach students how to protect themselves from coronavirus, he added. Commercial Affairs Phuket officers went to inspect shops in order to prevent overcharging for face masks. Officers will search and prosecute store owners who sell face masks, as face masks are allowed to be sold only at drug stores or medical-related places, he said. The chief of the Commercial Affairs Phuket office, Sasiwimon Mongkhon, last Thursday reported that her office had investigated 250 complaints of retailers overcharging for face masks, but found none of them guilty enough to be charged. They were just increased prices, she said. However, The Phuket News by that time had already received evidence of one retailer charging B440 for a pack of two face masks. (See story here.) As for the number of people in Phuket who may or may not have contracted the virus, the last report by officials confirming any persons as being under observation on suspicion of being infected was on Jan 31, when Vachira Phuket Hospital Director Dr Chalermpong announced that six more tourists in Phuket were under observation. However, Dr Chalermpong stressed, They are only suspected of being infected, and are under observation only. The six new cases brought to 29 the total number of people in Phuket held for observation since officials started scanning new arrivals for elevated body temperatures on Jan 5. Of those, 19 had been already discharged from hospitals, Dr Chalermpong said on Jan 31, adding that the remaining 10 are in hospital care: eight at Vachira Phuket Hospital, one at Patong Hospital and one at Thalang Hospital. (See story here.) Dr Preecha Prempree, Deputy Chief of the national Department of Disease Control, on Jan 26 ordered every provincial office of the Public Relations Department in the country to provide daily updates on prevention progress and the flu situation in their respective provinces. (See story here.) Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Tuesday that he was told by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo that "notable progress" has been made in talks between the United States and the Taliban on an agreement for a US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan. In a post on Twitter, Ghani said that Pompeo informed him in a telephone call that the Taliban made a proposal "with regards to bringing a significant and enduring reduction in violence." Search Keywords: Short link: ATHENS, Greece, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Diana Shipping Inc. (NYSE: DSX), (the Company), a global shipping company specializing in the ownership of dry bulk vessels, today announced that, through a separate wholly-owned subsidiary, it has entered into a time charter contract with BHP Billiton Freight Singapore Pte. Ltd., for one of its Newcastlemax dry bulk vessels, the m/v Philadelphia. The gross charter rate is US$14,500 per day, minus a 5% commission paid to third parties, for a period of minimum fourteen (14) months to maximum seventeen (17) months. The charter commenced on February 5, 2020. The Philadelphia is a 206,040 dwt Newcastlemax dry bulk vessel built in 2012. This employment is anticipated to generate approximately US$6.09 million of gross revenue for the minimum scheduled period of the time charter. Upon completion of the previously announced sales of one Panamax dry bulk vessel, the m/v Calipso, and one Capesize dry bulk vessel, the m/v Norfolk, Diana Shipping Inc.s fleet will consist of 40 dry bulk vessels (4 Newcastlemax, 13 Capesize, 5 Post-Panamax, 5 Kamsarmax and 13 Panamax). As of today, the combined carrying capacity of the Companys fleet, including the m/v Calipso and the m/v Norfolk, is approximately 5.2 million dwt with a weighted average age of 9.66 years. A table describing the current Diana Shipping Inc. fleet can be found on the Companys website, www.dianashippinginc.com. Information contained on the Companys website does not constitute a part of this press release. About the Company Diana Shipping Inc. is a global provider of shipping transportation services through its ownership of dry bulk vessels. The Companys vessels are employed primarily on medium to long-term time charters and transport a range of dry bulk cargoes, including such commodities as iron ore, coal, grain and other materials along worldwide shipping routes. Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Matters discussed in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides safe harbor protections for forward-looking statements in order to encourage companies to provide prospective information about their business. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements, which are other than statements of historical facts. The Company desires to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is including this cautionary statement in connection with this safe harbor legislation. The words believe, anticipate, intends, estimate, forecast, project, plan, potential, may, should, expect, pending and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are based upon various assumptions, many of which are based, in turn, upon further assumptions, including without limitation, Company managements examination of historical operating trends, data contained in the Companys records and other data available from third parties. Although the Company believes that these assumptions were reasonable when made, because these assumptions are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies that are difficult or impossible to predict and are beyond the Companys control, the Company cannot assure you that it will achieve or accomplish these expectations, beliefs or projections. In addition to these important factors, other important factors that, in the Companys view, could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include the strength of world economies and currencies, general market conditions, including fluctuations in charter rates and vessel values, changes in demand for dry bulk shipping capacity, changes in the Companys operating expenses, including bunker prices, drydocking and insurance costs, the market for the Companys vessels, availability of financing and refinancing, changes in governmental rules and regulations or actions taken by regulatory authorities, potential liability from pending or future litigation, general domestic and international political conditions, potential disruption of shipping routes due to accidents or political events, vessel breakdowns and instances of off-hires and other factors. Please see the Companys filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a more complete discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Update: Officers placed on leave, investigations ordered in growing scandal over rogue arrest of black Portland man Former West Linn Police Chief Terry Timeus had his officers work as his personal posse to initiate an unwarranted, racially motivated surveillance and arrest of a black Portland man as a favor to the chiefs fishing buddy. The case had no ties to West Linn. The city recently negotiated to pay $600,000 to the target of the rogue investigation, Michael Fesser, 48. West Linn police also have agreed to a face-to-face meeting with Fesser. The settlement is one of the largest in the state resulting from a wrongful arrest claim, Fessers lawyer Paul Buchanan said. It ends a federal lawsuit that Fesser filed in the summer of 2018. This case vividly illustrates a ready willingness on the part of the West Linn police to abuse the enormous power they have been given, and a casual, jocular, old-boy-style racism of the kind that we Oregonians tend to want to associate with the Deep South rather than our own institutions, Buchanan said. Attorney Andrew Campbell, who represented West Linn in court, did not respond to a request for comment Monday night. The brazen misdeeds by West Linn police include making a surreptitious audio recording of Fesser at work without a warrant or court order, arresting him without probable cause with the help of Portland police and seizing his cash, cellphone and documents without a search warrant, court records show. The case file includes a raft of racist and crude text messages between West Linn police and Fessers boss at the time, aimed at Fesser and others. The West Linn detective who led the investigation against Fesser deleted the offensive texts from his phone and claimed they werent of a racist or homophobic nature, but they were found on another phone, according to the records. Fesser, a father of eight who now runs a prison ministry and transitional program to support men getting out of prison, said he took legal action so this doesnt happen to another black man, including his two teenage sons. Ever since that arrest, I was terrified to go to West Linn, Fesser said. This has to be exposed, and it has to stop. My game my rules The West Linn investigation began in February 2017 after Fesser brought concerns of racial harassment by co-workers to his boss at the time, Eric Benson, owner of A&B Towing in Southeast Portland, court records show. Fesser said other employees called him racist slurs and one asked him how he liked a Confederate flag that was fastened to a pickup parked in the tow companys lot. He had worked for the company since 2004, mostly managing its car auctions, selling impounded, abandoned and other cars. It was his job to record the amount of the sales, receive deposits and payments from bidders and handle the cash transactions. After Fesser complained about a hostile workplace, Benson went to Timeus, his friend in West Linn who he had joined on four or five fishing trips. Terry Timeus, former West Linn chief of police LC- THE OREGONIAN Benson convinced the police chief to investigate unsupported allegations that Fesser was skimming proceeds from the car auctions, according to court records. Benson said he believed his company should have been earning more from the auctions and that Portland police wouldnt respond to his concerns. Timeus sent a text message to Benson on Feb. 21, 2017, saying his detective was finishing up a sex crimes case and will have your case ready to go before Saturday If I hear more, Ill let you know. On Feb. 25, 2017, the West Linn police conducted surveillance of Fesser at his job. Police that day relied on an associate of Bensons to record Fesser at work using an audio app called Swann View. Benson also watched a live feed from company video surveillance cameras, according to evidence obtained during the litigation. Benson provided real-time updates to West Linn Detective Tony Reeves, text messages show. As the surveillance went on, Benson and Reeves exchanged sexually explicit and homophobic banter, referencing themselves and the police chief, and made racist comments about Fesser, their text messages revealed. At one point, Benson told Reeves that he regretted Fessers arrest wasnt going to happen in Clackamas County because he had hoped to make sure he was with some real racist boys. Benson added: Dreams can never come true I guess and followed up, writing, Oh did I say that? Im a bad person. I have some anger issues going on with him right now. At another point, Benson sent Reeves a photo of his dog. Reeves messaged, Hope Fesser doesnt get her in the law suit. Benson wrote back, Hahaha. She is not a fan of that type of folk. She is a wl (West Linn) dog. Although Reeves later admitted that officers hadnt found any signs of wrongdoing by Fesser during the surveillance, he told another West Linn officer, along with five Portland officers, to stop Fesser as he headed home from work that day about 5 p.m. My game my rules, Reeves wrote to the tow companys owner just before police moved in. Reeves continued in texts to Benson: Its better that we arrest him before he makes the complaint (of race discrimination). Then it cant be retaliation. Fesser recalled seeing lights and sirens behind him and so he pulled over at Southeast 106th and Foster. Im thinking theyre going to go by, he recalled in an interview with The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday. But multiple police cruisers surrounded his black Range Rover. A Portland sergeant told him that the Portland officers were just there to help West Linn police. West Linn? It has to be a mistake, Fesser said he thought. I know I havent done anything wrong. Im terrified. Im scared. How do police fire me from my job? West Linn police ordered Fesser out of his SUV. They took his phone, cash and a letter Fesser had written to his boss documenting the alleged racial discrimination he faced at work. They took him to Portlands East Precinct, where West Linn officers questioned him. Reeves asked for the passcode to Fessers cellphone, but Fesser didnt disclose it. Reeves said in a deposition later that he sought the passcode in case I was able to obtain a search warrant to search his phone. Fesser was then taken to the downtown jail in Portland, booked on an aggravated theft allegation and released. That night, Reeves had notified Benson that West Linn police had found a letter in Fessers car about the work place and discrimination and Benson alerted his fishing buddy, according to text messages obtained by Fessers lawyer. Benson texted Chief Timeus at 6:26 p.m. that day, asking: Can I get extra patrols for a bit at my house? Yep, send me your address, Timeus responded by text. Ill handle it. About two days later, West Linn police called Fesser, who had gotten a new phone with the same number, and told him to come to their department to retrieve his belongings. Afraid to go on his own, Fesser waited for his wife to drive with him there. Once he arrived, Reeves told Fesser that he was fired from his job and ordered him to not return to A&B Towings property. How do police fire me from my job? Fesser said he thought. Before he left, Reeves told Fesser, Stradley says hi. Indictment based on shady witnesses That was a reference to then-West Linn police Lt. Mike Stradley, a retired veteran Portland police officer who used to work on the gang enforcement team. Stradley had told Reeves that Fesser was a gang associate. Stradley was the one who helped get Portland gang enforcement officers to assist in Fessers arrest. Stradley, though, admitted in a deposition that he hadnt had any interactions with Fesser for more than two decades. He acknowledged that his characterization was based partly on who he remembered Fesser was hanging out with in the late 1980s and 1990s and that he saw Fesser attend gang-related trials. Fesser, who grew up in North and Northeast Portland, had been convicted in 2001 of using his phone in the commission of a drug-trafficking offense and sentenced to four years in prison. He has had no other convictions since. The afternoon after Fesser went with his wife to the West Linn Police Department, Fesser attended his Multnomah County arraignment and learned prosecutors had declined to file the theft charge. The case was dismissed, though it could be revived in the future. Months went by. Fesser checked daily with the court to see if the charge had been refiled. In September 2017, he filed a suit in Multnomah County courthouse against Benson and A&B Towing, alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. That lawsuit led Benson to press West Linn police about Fessers theft charge, court records show. West Linn police, in turn, asked the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office to revive the case. In November 2017, based largely on grand jury testimony by Reeves and Benson and statements from two witnesses who West Linn police described as shady and dirty, Fesser was indicted on five counts of first-degree theft, according to court records. As Fessers lawsuit against the tow company was pending, lawyers for Fessers ex-boss offered to have the criminal charges against Fesser dismissed if Fesser dropped the civil suit, Buchanan said. Fesser wouldnt accept that. Lead West Linn detective in case gets promotion Nearly a year after Fessers arrest, his lawyers finally received the damning text messages between Benson, the tow company owner, and Reeves, the West Linn detective. They came through an exchange of evidence in Fessers suit against A&B Towing. Only after he received the text messages did he understand that racism, cronyism and impropriety of the officers conduct and motivations, Fessers lawyer wrote in court documents. And only after he received the texts were all criminal charges precipitously dropped. In March 2018, Benson and A&B Towing agreed to pay Fesser $415,000 in damages, wages and attorney fees to settle his discrimination suit in Multnomah County Circuit Court. The settlement included a clause that Fesser wouldnt bring any further legal action against the company or its agents. As his federal civil case then progressed against West Linn police, the departments lawyers urged the court to dismiss the case, arguing that West Linn officers were acting as the agents of the tow company and therefore couldnt be sued based on the state settlement. This assertion is virtually an admission of misconduct, Buchanan, Fessers lawyer, responded last month. Defendants were not seeking to engage in legitimate law enforcement. Rather, the officers were acting based on a striking and alarming personal malice, racism, and desire to protect a good old boy from the West Linn community. West Linn police admitted in court records that they conducted audio surveillance of Fesser without a court order and seized his phone without a warrant. Reeves was investigated and disciplined for failure to properly document the seizure of Fessers cash after his arrest, according to his deposition. He also acknowledged that he didnt document the seizure of Fessers cellphone and didnt record the interview of Fesser in Portland both violations of West Linn police policy. Reeves, according to deposition records, also had deleted his Feb. 25, 2017, text message exchange with Benson and maintained that there had been no homophobic or racist remarks sent between them, according to court records. Fesser and his lawyer already had the text messages from Bensons phone and knew that to be false. Its unclear the level of discipline Reeves received. He was promoted to sergeant in March 2018. Timeus, the police chief, said in a deposition that he heard his friend Benson use a racist slur at least a half a dozen times. Timeus admitted to having used the racist slur himself but said he couldnt recall if it was when he was police chief or if he used it when referring to Fessers cases, according to his deposition transcript. Timeus retired in October 2017 amid allegations that he drove drunk while off duty. He received more than $123,000 in a separation agreement. Stradley resigned as a West Linn lieutenant on Jan. 16, 2018, and started working the next day as a police trainer at the states basic police academy for the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training, where hes a supervisor. -- Maxine Bernstein Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Subscribe to Facebook page Finance Minister Conor Murphy, Communities Minister Deirdre Hargey and the Lord Mayor of Belfast, Daniel Baker, with Cara McCann (left) from Love Equality NI and Amanda McGurk (right) at Belfast City Hall A Belfast couple is set to make history today ahead of Northern Ireland's first ever same-sex wedding. Robyn Peoples (26) and Sharni Edwards (27) will tie the knot in Carrickfergus this afternoon following a landmark law change in Westminster last year. Campaigners will also mark the occasion with a celebratory event in Westminster. Speaking ahead of her big day, Ms Peoples said her wedding message was one of equality. "Our love is personal, but the law which said we couldn't marry was political. We are delighted that, with our wedding, we can now say that those days are over. "While this campaign ends with Sharni and I saying 'I do', it started with people saying 'no' to inequality. By standing together, we've made history." Ms Edwards said she felt "humbled" their wedding will become a landmark event for equal rights. "We didn't set out to make history - we just fell in love," she said. Read More Joining activists in London will be Sara Canning, the partner of the journalist Lyra McKee who was shot dead by republicans in Londonderry last April. "What a wonderful moment in our history. This really means so much and has brought me some much-needed light in what has been a dark year," she said. "I know Lyra would have been so overjoyed to see this day." Other speakers at the London event will include Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and the Labour MP Conor McGinn, who helped to introduce the legislation. Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Director of Amnesty International, called it "a landmark moment for equality in Northern Ireland". He said: "People in Northern Ireland have had to fight longer, harder and overcome more obstacles to win equal marriage than anywhere else in the UK or Ireland. We are proud of the LGBT community here and the thousands who marched alongside them to ensure this day became a reality. In winning this campaign, we haven't just changed the law, we've changed Northern Ireland for the better." Legislation to oppose the transportation and storage of high-level nuclear waste in New Mexico cleared a State House committee as Holtec International continues to develop a plan to store such waste at a proposed facility near the Eddy-Lea county line. House Memorial 21 was introduced by New Mexico Rep. Matthew McQueen (D-50) intended to prevent the controversial proposal that could see up to 100,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel rods stored on a temporary basis at the site in southeast New Mexico for at least 40 years. It passed the House Energy and Natural Resources Committee on a 8-5 vote, Feb. 1., and was awaiting scheduling for further action as of Monday. Holtec, a nuclear technology company based in New Jersey, applied for a license to build the facility through the federal Nuclear Regulatory Committee (NRC) in 2017, and the application was accepted for review a year later. Since then, numerous environmentalist groups, state officials and industry leaders voiced their opposition to the idea, despite support from local leaders in Carlsbad and other state lawmakers. During a hearing McQueen said that although the project was labeled for interim or temporary storage, it would likely become a permanent waste emplacement as no permanent repository exists. He said the permanent storage of such waste in southeast New Mexico could endanger public safety and multiple industries including agriculture and oil and gas in the area. Its amazing how something that temporary pretty much becomes permanent. I believe New Mexico should not be the nations nuclear waste dumping ground, McQueen said. The Holtec company is talking about a big investment in the area, I get that. And there will be temporary jobs and investment and all the ancillary benefits. I also believe this is a temporary benefit for really long-term or permanent liability for Mew Mexico. The facility threatens our existing economic activity, not only in the area but statewide. John Heaton, chair of the Eddy-Lea Energy Alliance, the organization that devised the plan and sought out Holtec for its development and operation, said the location selected about 30 miles east of Carlsbad and 30 miles west of Hobbs was ideal for its distance from dense population areas and geological stability. He said ELEAs efforts to commission the project followed a recommendation from the Blue Ribbon Commission on Americas Nuclear Future a federal agency created under the administration of former-President Barrack Obama for consolidated interim storage facilities (CISF) to be used until a permanent repository was available. The concept, Heaton said, was to remove high-level nuclear waste from generator sites across the country that are usually near large populations and bodies of water. Opposition to the project, he said, was based on fear instead of science. What concerns us is that many of the comments and assertions in this memorial are not accurate. Theyre not scientifically based. Theyre for the most part hyperbole, Heaton said. All of us have some innate fear. I respect that. People are afraid anytime you say the nuclear word. The fact is today it is very well handled and managed. He pointed to numerous nuclear facilities in New Mexico, including the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant in the southeast, along with Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories. The presence of these other facilities in New Mexico, he said, should allay concerns for the safety of shipping the waste into the state, as they receive and send out shipments of their own. We are a very nuclear state. It surprising that we as a state that our population at large does not have more knowledge about nuclear materials and understand them more thoroughly, Heaton said to the committee. That is a real problem, and its very difficult to overcome because nuclear materials were part of a bomb. We have this innate bias of anything nuclear, even though every one of you have probably had x-rays. Last year, New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham wrote a letter to the NRC and the U.S. Department of Energy opposing the project, calling it economic malpractice for the potential disruption of oil and gas and agriculture in the region. Sarah Cottrell Propst, cabinet secretary of the States Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (EMNRD) testified to the committee that the memorial was consistent with the Lujan Grishams stance. The memorial is consistent with a letter that the governor sent to the NRC and Secretary of Energy (Rick Perry) back in June expressing that the interim storage of high-level radioactive waste poses a significant and unacceptable risk to New Mexicans, Propst said. But Carlsbad Deputy City Manager Wendy Austin touted the economic benefits of the project as creating jobs in the region. She pointed to a similar facility proposed by Waste Control Specialists (WCS) just across the Texas-New Mexico state line in Andrews, Texas. Austin suggested New Mexico capitalize on the opportunity instead of letting it go to the Lone Star State. The WCS would be two miles from Eunice and 17 miles from Hobbs, Austin said, while the Holtec facility would be 30 miles from the nearest city. You need to know without a doubt that there will be one or more interim storage facilities across the United States, she said. You must decide if you want the facility to be just across the border in Texas or should N.M. benefit from this facility. Please do not risk eliminating potentially good paying jobs in New Mexico and please continue to support southeast New Mexico. Dave McCoy with Citizen Action New Mexico countered that while the project could have some economic benefit, it would also add a dire and long-term risk to the State. The entire idea of interim is based on the supposition that there is going to be somewhere else that youre going to put these wastes. And yet, theres no plan for that, he said. These wastes are going to last for millions and millions of years. They are extremely toxic. The idea is to dispose of these in an area where there are gas and mineral resources. This is really not what New Mexico needs. Adrian Hedden can be reached at 575-628-5516, achedden@currentargus.com or @AdrianHedden on Twitter. 2020 the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) Visit the Carlsbad Current-Argus (Carlsbad, N.M.) at www.currentargus.com Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. ST PAUL A mere day before Granite Staters hit the polls , Minnesota's U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar appears to making a last-minute climb toward a potential summit come Tuesday, Feb. 10. According to a Boston Globe/WBZ-TV/Suffolk University poll released Sunday, Feb. 9, Klobuchar has risen to third place in New Hampshire, polling at 14% behind U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont in first (27%) and former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg (19%) in second. Sanders won the state's second-in-the-nation presidential primary in 2016. Emerson College has also polled Klobuchar third behind Sanders and Buttigieg. Klobuchar's rise in the polls comes on the heels of her performance in Friday night's Democratic debate in Manchester, after which her campaign says she has raised $3 million in campaign contributions. One week ago with a semi-home field advantage, Klobuchar slid into fifth place in Iowa's messy Democratic caucuses. According to a Monday news release from her campaign, Klobuchar has also received nods of approval from 25 New Hampshire leaders, including current and former state representatives, from across all 10 counties of the state. Her campaign's New Hampshire state director, Scott Merrick, said Monday that politicians "are lining up behind (her) because they know that she understands the daily struggles of Americans in their communities." "These new endorsers, who come from a wide variety of towns across the state, recognize that Amy sees the obstacles that face urban and rural communities and will work hard to make life better for everyone," he said. ADVERTISEMENT Klobuchar has also been endorsed by New Hampshire's statewide newspaper The Union Leader , as well as The Keene Sentinel and Seacoast Media Group . Suffolk University political research director David Paleologos told the Boston Globe that Tuesday's primary "is really about saving face and finishing third" a spot that appears to be a toss-up between Klobuchar, U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren of neighboring Massachusetts and former Vice President Joe Biden. In partnership with Yuvaa, the campaign will run through 2020 and reach half a million people. The campaign builds over the successes of the Unlabel content series that was launched last year by Instagram and Yuvaa. (Photo: MediaBrief) In the run up to Safer Internet Day, Instagram today announced a new campaign to nurture a safe and supportive community online. In partnership with Yuvaa, a youth media and insights company, the app has launched an Unlabel India campaign, to inspire conversations among youth all across India and initiate positive online dialogue. Instagrams mission is to bring people closer to the people and things they love and thats only possible when they feel safe online. The app has partnered with Yuvaa, known for their purpose driven content, to initiate the campaign in a phased manner. The first phase will begin with a roadshow to 20 cities in 50 colleges, where young Indians will be encouraged to speak up on issues such as mental health, bullying, safe spaces and gender sensitivity. They will also be given guidance on it. The next phase will be about having a sustained engagement with the colleges through kindness clubs, kindness ambassadors and targeted digital campaigns. The campaign builds over the successes of the Unlabel content series that was launched last year by Instagram and Yuvaa. In 2020, the Unlabel India campaign carries forward the same objective, but in the form of a scaled program that aims to positively impact the well-being of Indias Instagram community. The app has also recently launched the Restrict feature to prevent unwanted interactions and started asking for date of birth when creating an account to build a safer experience for the youngest members of our community. SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / If you follow news about the business world, then you must have encountered the term "Blockchain'. Blockchain has been one of the hottest and trending topics for the last couple of years now. If we are talking about blockchain it becomes crucial to mention the terms "cryptocurrencies' and "exchanges' which are the most popular and widely accepted use cases. Without any second thoughts, it is apt to say that the blockchain market has flourished exponentially attracting various small and big enterprises to be part of this unmatchable revolution in the finance world, opening future possibilities for many. A Singapore-based startup, TimeBit is disrupting the blockchain world which was launched in 2019 with the aim of providing financial services to SMEs, individuals & startups, to kick-start their journeys in this booming industry. This was a brainchild of two men Mr. Trang Nguyen now Chief Executive Officer of TimeBit & Mr. Ethan Nguyen, serving as Chief Technology Officer. Mr. Na Dae Il is heading the marketing operations as the Chief Marketing Officer of the project, and Mr. Tuan Anh is heading marketing operations for the South Asian Market. After the initial development stage, Mr. Rishabh Anand was appointed as Chief Strategy Officer to strategize the growth of the company and its partners globally. The team at TimeBit comprises of young & enthusiastic members of over 80 experts who are masters of their fields. This blockchain-based financial service provider who has assisted a myriad of SMEs, startups & individuals to enter the booming blockchain industry, has assisted them in Exchange & Wallet Development, Payment Solution, Copy Trading Platform & Legalities. The product range of TimeBit includes: Timebit Cloud By leveraging Timebit Cloud's core infrastructure, the company allows its clients to own a cryptocurrency exchange or wallet, under their own brand names with fractional investment and waiting time, strong shared liquidity & maximum security. Payment Gateway Timebit's Payment Gateway is devoted to allowing all kinds of vendors for gaining access to the $250 billion crypto market. All the vendors are enabled to accept payments from anywhere in the world and almost instantly from their customers, on their website, by email, or in person at their stores. Master Trading Platform Timebit leverages the model of PAMM (Percentage Allocation Management Module), its Expert Advisors & AI to derive high performing algorithms based on the research & performance of such techniques from the past. This allows new & even experienced traders to invest fearlessly & make profits with Timebit. Connect with TimeBit on social media and get to know about some interesting stuff coming up! Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/timebitex/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/timebitexchange/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/TimeBitvip Telegram: @TimeBitvip Media Contact: Name: Priyanka Anand Email: info@timebit.sg Website: https://timebit.sg/ SOURCE: TimeBit View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576063/TimeBit-Enabling-Thousands-of-SMEs-to-Enter-the-Blockchain-Industry Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 21:00:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tuesday said the Chinese government and military and their relevant personnel had never engaged in cyber theft of trade secrets. Spokesperson Geng Shuang made the remarks when commenting on reports that the United States on Monday indicted four members of the Chinese military for allegedly breaking into the computer networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency. Geng said the Chinese government's position on cybersecurity is consistent and clear. "We firmly oppose and combat cyber attacks of any kind. China is a staunch defender of cybersecurity." He said that it had long been an open secret that relevant departments in the United States, in violation of international law and basic norms governing international relations, had been engaging in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber stealing, spying and surveillance activities on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals. "From the case of WikiLeaks to Edward Snowden, the U.S. hypocrisy and double standard on cybersecurity have been fully revealed," said Geng. Geng said according to abundant information that has been made public, U.S. agencies have been engaging in cyber intrusion, surveillance and monitoring activities on foreign governments, institutions, enterprises, universities and individuals, including its allies. "China is also a victim of this. We have lodged stern representations to the United States and asked it to provide explanations and immediately stop such activities," said Geng. Posted on: February 11, 2020 2:41 PM [ACNS, by Staff Writer] An exchange forum has been organised by Christian universities and theological colleges in Burundi to help them exchange ideas, share resources and build partnerships. Organisers hope that the collaborative project will go a long way in equipping and empowering students with the skills and training to build successful careers. The Bishop of Bujumbura, Eraste Bigirimana, is taking a lead in furthering effective working relationships between the partner institutions. Education is a major concern for Christian leaders in Burundi and Bishop Eraste has a particular passion for education. He has previously spoken about the challenges facing children seeking an education in Burundi. Bishop Eraste, who holds two degrees from Uganda Christian University, also has a strong background in building relationships between higher education institutions, having previously established strong links between the Province of Burundi and Aston University in Birmingham, England. Chancellors from the universities and church leaders have welcomed the introduction of the exchange forum, hailing the rich potential of academic institutions in serving the members of their respective communities in order to help heal the wounds of the civil war and build a prosperous future for Burundi. As educational institutions face recruitment and financial pressures it is more important than ever that they liaise with each other, share resources and bring their own distinctive gifts to the table, Canon Stephen Spencer, the Director for Theological Education in the Anglican Communion, said. This is true within theological education and also within higher education in general. Bishop Erastes initiative is to be welcomed and supported widely. The Colleges and Universities Network of the Anglican Communion (CUAC), which has its tri-annual conference in July in London, is another body that is doing the same kind of thing across the globe. The Burundi forum provides a good example for others to emulate. Burundians recognise the importance of working with other African nations to build their countrys international reputation. Daystar University, based in Nairobi, is one of Africas leading Christian liberal arts universities. It has organised a forthcoming work visit to Burundi in order to discuss how they might work in partnership on future projects. Egyptian student arrested 'psychologically destroyed' Amnesty International urges immediate release (ANSAmed) - CAIRO, FEBRUARY 11 - A lawyer representing Egyptian researcher Patrick George Zaki, who was detained Feb. 7 on arrival at the Cairo airport on charges including "disseminating false news" and "inciting to protest", has said the postgrad student is ''psychologically destroyed''. Zaki was working on gender studies and human rights at the University of Bologna and is now being held in a cell at the Mansoura-2 police station ''alongside criminals'', Hoda Nasrallah, one of the lawyers working on the case, told ANSA. Zaki said Patrick had told of torture at the hands of his investigators. Nasrallah works with the Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR). Philip Luther, Amnesty International's Middle East and North Africa Researcher, said in statement that: ''We call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Patrick, who is detained solely for his human rights work and opinions he has expressed on social media.'' ''They must open an independent investigation into the torture he has suffered and urgently ensure his protection,'' he added. Police have been urged to back their instincts after an evil father laced his children's juice with sedatives and murdered them during the three hours it took for officers to respond to their mother's plea for help. The bodies of five-year-old Zaraiyah-Lily Headland and three-year-old Andreas Headland were found on a bed at their father's Yanchep home in Perth on October 20, 2016. The father, Jason Craig Headland, who was found at the home with self-inflicted injuries, pleaded guilty to their murders and was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 31 years to be served. Inquests into the deaths heard Headland committed the brutal murders to inflict pain on his wife Anatoria Takiwa, who had told him she wanted a divorce. Coroner Sarah Linton said the inquests were 'two of the worst I have dealt with,' The West Australian reported. Five-year-old Zaraiyah-Lily Headland and three-year-old Andreas Headland (pictured with their mother Anatoria Takiwa) were found dead on a bed inside a Yanchep home in October 2016 In her findings, she urged police to 'trust their instinct more' after the inquest was told a police recruit had a 'weird feeling' when the children's mother went to Joondalup police. Ms Takiwa and her friend Katie Cheeseman spoke to the recruit at the station after the mother received a distressing phone call from Headland. 'I'm going to hurt you ... I'm going to break your heart into 50 million pieces. Say goodbye to your kids. This is the last time you're going to speak to them,' Headland said. A police car wasn't dispatched for a welfare check until more than three hours later, with the children being found dead by officers on arrival. Their father, Jason Craig Headland (pictured with Ms Takiwa), pleaded guilty to their murders and was sentenced to life in prison The coroner said in her findings the outcome may have been different if the young officer had backed her initial feeling. 'I can't help wondering whether things might have been different if [the recruit] in particular, as she had the strongest instinctive sense of concern, had been allowed to rely more on her gut instinct... I am not suggesting that the deaths would definitely have been averted, as it is clear Jason had formulated a plan from at least early afternoon, and was intent on putting that plan into effect,' Coroner Linton said. 'In the end, I am left with a feeling of disquiet, as the police recruit who took the initial report had a very strong, instinctive feeling that something was amiss, and it was through the advice of her superiors, and following police procedures, that she was directed to take a less direct path to checking on the children's welfare.' Zaraiyah-Lily Headland and Andreas Headland were drugged, strangled and murdered by their father After Ms Takiwa and Ms Cheeseman had been at the police station for about half-an-hour, the recruit spoke to Headland on the phone and he said he would bring the children there, so the women left. When Headland failed to arrive, the recruit unsuccessfully tried to call him, then called Ms Takiwa and was told Headland might be at the marital home in Yanchep. The recruit created a job in the police system and gave it a priority three, which meant police were required to respond within one hour. Officers visited the home about 10.17pm, which was just under one hour, but three- and-a-half hours since Ms Takiwa went to police with her concerns. A coroner has urged officers to trust their gut after it was revealed that a police recruit had a weird feeling about the incident when it was reported. Pictured: officers attend the Yanchep home following the murders In that time Headland had drugged, strangled and killed his children before attempting to take his own life. During the inquest last October, Senior Constable Christine Barnes became emotional as she read a statement on behalf of her colleagues. 'We'd like to extend our sincerest condolences for the tragic loss of your beautiful children,' the officer said on Wednesday. 'We joined police to save lives and make a difference. On the rare occasion, we are unable to do that. 'We too carry that burden every day. Please accept our deepest sympathy for your loss.' Photo: Tim Sackton/Flickr Missed the most recent top news in Boston? Read on for everything you need to know. Police search for 21-year-old woman last seen getting into taxi at Logan Read the full story on NBC10 Boston. Man seriously hurt in boat repair explosion in Plymouth Read the full story on NBC10 Boston. First African-American woman to graduate from medical school in US is in unmarked grave in Hyde Park Read the full story on Universal Hub. Police union criticizes teachers' participation in Black Lives Matter at School Week Read the full story on Boston Globe. 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. Police in Lewiston, ME are searching for a 21-year-old woman who has been missing for almost two weeks. Police said Zakiya Sheikh of Lewiston was last seen on Feb. 1 getting into a taxi at Boston Logan International Airport. An 83-year-old man doing work on a boats fuel tank on his property was thrown about 12 feet through the air in a fiery explosion in Plymouth on Monday, fire officials said. The Friends of the Hyde Park Branch Library have started raising money for a gravestone for Rebecca Lee Crumpler, who graduated from the New England Female Medical College in Boston in 1864, and whose body currently lies in an unmarked grave in Fairview Cemetery in Hyde Park. Democratic South Africa has skeletons in the closet that it needs to address. One of these is the death of Dag Hammarskjold, the Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN) in a plane crash shortly after midnight on 17 to 18 September 1961. The plane went down as it approached Ndola, a mining town in Northern Rhodesia (today's Zambia) bordering the Congo. On board were 15 other people. Hammarskjold planned to meet Moise Tshombe, leader of the secessionist Katanga province, to find a solution to the conflict in the Congo. All but one, Hammarskjold's bodyguard Harold Julien, died. He succumbed to his injuries six days later in a local hospital. He could have been saved if treated properly. His eyewitness report was also neglected. Foul play has never been eliminated. Hammarskjold had engaged in crucial negotiations bringing the secession of the Katanga province to an end. This was followed with concerns by Western interests. His engagement in the decolonisation of Africa provoked dismay among the white minority settler regimes. The crash, therefore, immediately provoked suspicions that it was not an accident. As recently as September 2019, Antonio Guterres, the current UN Secretary-General stated in a letter to the General Assembly: It remains our shared responsibility to pursue the full truth of what happened on that fateful night in 1961. We owe this to Dag Hammarskjold and to the members of the party accompanying him. However, we also owe this to the United Nations. New evidence substantiates the early suspicions of possible foul play. This means a UN Secretary-General and those in his company were possibly the victims of an attack in air. This ought to be verified. Apartheid South Africa had interests in the region and followed closely the events unfolding in the Congo. It must be taken for granted that there are records, which offer additional information to verify assumptions. But access to classified documents needs a state's active support. New investigations Fifty years after Hammarskjold's death, the Zambian-born scholar Susan Williams published a book which pointed to omissions, flaws and failures of the earlier investigations. It triggered a new inquiry conducted by an independent commission of jurists. It submitted a report in 2013, which concluded: There is persuasive evidence that the aircraft was subjected to some form of attack or threat as it circled to land at Ndola. the possibility that the plane was in fact forced into its descent by some form of hostile action is supported by sufficient evidence to merit further inquiry. As a result, official investigations by the UN resumed. The United Nations Association Westminster Branch in London has provided regular updates on developments since then. In 2017 the former Chief Justice of Tanzania, Mohamed Chande Othman, was appointed as Eminent Person, tasked with further investigations. He concluded in his first report that (an aerial attack) would have been possible using resources existing in the area at the time (and) that there is likely to be much relevant material that remains undisclosed. Justice Othman identified the continued non-disclosure of potentially relevant new information in the intelligence, security and defence archives of member states as the biggest barrier to understanding the full truth about what happened. He stressed that it depends on the UN member states to become active in the search for further evidence in their national archives. The burden of proof had, therefore, shifted to them. They should show that they have conducted a full review of records and archives in their custody or possession, including those that remain classified, for potentially relevant information. In support of Othman's report, Guterres in 2017 recommended that relevant member states appoint an independent and high-ranking official to conduct a dedicated and internal review of their archives, in particular their intelligence, security and defence archives, to determine whether they hold relevant information. The UN General Assembly extended Othman's mandate in early 2018. He presented his second report in September 2019. New information, Othman concluded highlights the fact that there were many more foreign mercenaries in and around Katanga, including pilots, than had been considered by earlier inquiries. These had the logistics and necessary conditions (suitable planes and airfields) to intercept with the plane approaching. For Othman it remains plausible that an external attack or threat was a cause of the crash. New information also confirmed that the crash site was discovered much earlier than officially reported and testifies to the deliberate neglect of the only survivor. As Othman notes, this calls into question the acts of various governments directly after the crash and leaves open the issue of why the earlier crash discovery time was not reported. Othman based his conclusions partly on reports of the independent, high-ranking official appointed by several UN member states. But, states such as South Africa, the US and the UK, where most discoveries could be expected, did not comply. A challenge to South Africa South Africa subsequently assigned a high-ranking official at its foreign relations department in May 2019 with the task to look into potential sources, which could offer new information. But no report has so far been submitted. On delivering his most recent report, Othman recommended: that an independent person is appointed to continue the work; that key member states again be urged to (re)appoint independent high-ranking officials to determine whether relevant information exists within their security, intelligence and defence archives; that a conclusion be reached over whether member states have complied with this process; that key documents be made public. In December 2019 another Swedish draft resolution was adopted to extend Othman's mandate, with a record number of 128 co-sponsoring countries, including South Africa, out of the UN's 193 member states. Once again, the resolution was not supported by the US and the UK. It is one thing for the US and the UK to be unwilling to assess and disclose classified material. It's quite possible that they want to avoid any embarrassment. But South Africa has no reason to want to hide anything. There were plausible reasons for the apartheid regime's refusal to cooperate with the probe into Hammarskjold's death. But these no longer stand under a democratic government. It is inconceivable that the country's archives contain no information on what happened at Ndola. Concerned about apartheid, Hammarskjold had visited South Africa in early 1961. South African agencies and individuals played an active role in the region. This needs to be more closely investigated. Henning Melber is Director emeritus of the Dag Hammarskjold Foundation. He was a member of the Hammarskjold Inquiry Trust. Barney Pityana is affiliated with The 70s Group, an independent gathering of South African political activists from the 1970s. It aims to contribute to informed political and economic thinking in society. By Henning Melber, Extraordinary Professor, Department of Political Sciences, University of Pretoria And Barney Pityana, Professor Emeritus of Law, University of South Africa The round goby, one of the most common invasive freshwater fish in the world, boasts a particularly robust immune system, which could be one of the reasons for its excellent adaptability. This is the result of genome research by an international team of biologists, coordinated at the University of Basel and published in the journal BMC Biology. With its stocky, spotted body, big eyes and large mouth, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) may not be the most attractive of aquatic creatures, but it is one of the most successful invasive species of fish. Within a few years, it has spread rapidly around the world. Usually introduced via the ballast water from ships, the fish has now become the dominant species in terms of numbers in various fresh and salt waters. Its marked ability to adapt to new environments is apparently related to its immune system, as the researchers report based on their genome analysis. Up to 30 times more inflammation genes For this analysis, the researchers read and assembled particularly long genome fragments from a round goby originating in Basel. Because of their length, these fragments produced an exceptionally complete genome, which was used to analyze gene families that were thought to relate to the fish's ability to deal with new environments. Here, the researchers described expansions in specific enzymes known as cytochrome P450. Furthermore, the zoologists found that all the genes deployed in inflammatory immune responses are present in the fish - and, in some cases, up to 30 times more than in comparable species. This may help the round goby to deal with pathogens, thus favoring its successful colonization of waters around the world. But there is still one aspect that has the specialists puzzled: although round gobies are also found in highly polluted water - in ports, for example - they do not differ from other species in terms of detoxification. Colder water than in their natural habitat Furthermore, the researchers came across the genetic basis that allows the round goby not only to produce but also to accumulate osmolytes - substances that affect the osmotic state. These help the fish to deal not only with fluctuations in salinity but also with desiccation and cold. This could also explain why round gobies are also found in the Baltic Sea - that is, in water temperatures far below those of their original habitat. ### The lead author of this international study, which involved about 20 researchers from Europe and North America, is Dr. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser from the Man-Society-Environment (MSE) program at the University of Basel. In addition to Switzerland, the study also involved scientists from Sweden, Germany, the Czechia, Norway, Austria and Canada. Further information Dr. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser, University of Basel, Program Man-Society-Environment, phone +41 31 631 24 41, email: irene.adrian-kalchhauser@vetsuisse.unibe.ch Liz Bonnin never dreamed of being a TV presenter. Now she is one of the leading advocates for science on our screens, writes Esther McCarthy and shes about to bring it to a live stage at the 3Arena Liz Bonnin never saw herself as a TV presenter. She imagined her future in academia, nurturing her passion for science, nature and discovery with the help of a curious mind and a lab coat. It was a passion first honed near her childhood home on the mountains of Provence, and later encouraged by her science teachers in Dublin. But as fate would have it, she would find a way to marry the two. Now one of our best-known TV exports, the qualified biochemist and wild animal biologist has become a respected star, informing and demystifying how nature and our planet in shows like Bang Goes the Theory, How the Earth Works and Blue Planet Live. Early presenting jobs on Top of the Pops and with Zig and Zag on The Den and even a stint with short-lived Irish girlband Chill were a lot of fun, she remembers. But science, her true passion, was always her goal. I had no plan - but Im so glad I had no plan, she says when we meet in Dublin. I was lucky enough that I knew I loved science, so when I did biochemistry, I worked super hard at that and put everything into it. In my 20s, I skimmed through lots of different things but I gave all of those things my everything. It doesnt mean that you have to be stringently following one path because it means you close off doors that might open, that might lead you to something really wonderful. I never planned to be in television, was singing in a band, then I was in RTE working and loving the whole experience still my 20s thinking: Sure, this is the time to be doing all this stuff, always knowing I was going back to academia. Indeed so determined was she to do so that she later returned to college, taking a masters degree in wild animal biology and doing a research project on tigers in Nepal in what she describes as the best year of her life. But chance and the small screen werent done with her yet. When I was doing my masters I thought: God if I could tell a few of the stories that I really care about, about conservation, science on television, wouldnt that be great? And I swear to you, its all about timing. My first job at the BBC after my masters was this science series called Bang Goes the Theory. If they hadnt been in preproduction, just as I finished my exam, I probably would be working in conservation. I would never have returned to television. It was just timing and being open to it. In the coming months, she will take on one of her most treasured jobs yet hosting Planet Earth II Live as the hugely successful show goes on tour, including Dublins 3Arena on April 1. Its her first foray into hosting. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra will accompany, playing the music of Hans Zimmer, who scored Planet Earth 2 Live. Im as nervous as all heck and Im going to probably cry at the first rehearsal because I get so moved by the music and the images anyway. To have that with a live orchestra, I am already getting shivers. At a time when there is so much negativity in the world and we are all quite afraid and we dont know about our future, it is a chance for all of us to come together and celebrate the natural world. Liz, whose mum is from Trinidad and dad French/Martinique, can vividly remember her wonder at nature as she played with her sister in the mountains near her home outside Nice in the South of France. Nature worked its magic when I was very young, I was growing up in the mountains with my sister and we were outside all the time. We just basically spent all of our days outside with our two dogs. There were hedgehogs and birds and snakes and spiders. I was always obsessed with understanding how everything worked. Nature had already sown the seed of me. Moving to Ireland at the age of nine was, she freely admits: a huge culture shock. She spoke not a word of English, but despite struggling in the early months, made lifelong friends and found teachers who encouraged her love of science. Two of her aunts had gone to school in Ireland, and her parents wanted their children to have a good education, prompting their decision to make a new home here. But it was a huge change. I had been outside all the time. The food was very different. For about a year, I struggled and I didnt know English. I had to learn English from scratch once I got here. It was hard for a year, but my besties from school are my family. I really value and cherish my friendships I made ever since I moved over here. I also went to a school that had great science teachers in Ireland. It was there that I found biology and chemistry really easy because thats what I was interested in. I didnt find physics so easy, by the way, or maths. But I was very lucky that I was encouraged by my teachers. So I understand the value of that. Now, I do a lot of campaigns to get more equality with regards to unconscious biases. Even teachers who are well-meaning with regards to science, can have unconscious biases where they encourage boys to do maths and physics and tech engineering and girls to do biology. Science is a way of understanding the natural world of which we are part. For me, science goes hand in hand with just us being human. Currently based in the UK, Bonnin is home to launch Specsavers new OCT technology, a machine that allows opticians view the eye more closely than ever before and detect eye conditions up to four years earlier. Its the kind of tech development that sings to her curious mind. Im short sighted. Ive always known the importance of getting regular checks ever since I was about 15. I also got a weird eye infection about eight years ago where I didnt know what it was. I was using monthly contact lenses at the time, the cleaning fluid started irritating the eye and just kept on getting worse. I didnt know what was happening. It was actually really scary because you imagine the worst. They took very good care of me at the time. But it really made me appreciate how precious our senses are and not least our eyesight. The beauty of this technology is that it can spot abnormalities before any symptoms arise. It takes about a thousand pictures at one time using light and then processes it using amazing technology. Its a bit like an MRI. Not only is it multilayered, but its also 3D. So youre getting an absolute comprehensive image of the eye that can pick up any abnormalities before you as a patient even know theres something up. Shes been working for the BBC for eleven years now, focusing largely on environmental films in the past four, and what scientists and environmental experts have been telling her both on and off camera frightens her. It has made her a passionate supporter of environmental causes and a huge fan of Greta Thunberg. I love her. She is shaking up the status quo that needs to be shook. I was painfully aware of our conservation crises looming they were in full force already. Every single scientist was telling me weve got a massive problem, so I already knew we were in trouble. But since making more hard hitting environmental films, I now understand how the world works. And its not pretty. Here you have this young Swedish girl who sits outside her houses of parliament by herself with a placard. And you have millions of people galvanised in Sydney, in New York and all around the world because of this one individual. I think shes a hero. I think shes extraordinary. She cuts through the noise. And lets take a long, hard look at the people who dont like what shes doing. For me, if you care about your children and your grandchildren, if you have any conscience about how we treat each other, about the place of all these incredible animals that we share this planet with, its about what it means to be alive, about what sustains us. If you have an understanding of the natural world, then you know which side of that line you must stand on. PORTSMOUTH, New HampshireThe night before the New Hampshire primary, Jackie Caron arrived early at a downtown Unitarian church to see Elizabeth Warren give one last stump speech in the state. Caron has been volunteering for the campaignthe first time shes done so in her lifeand described herself as a crazy Warren fan. She wore a T-shirt with an image of the Massachusetts senators profile and the words I AM NOT AFRAID. But Caron herself was in a more anxious mood. Im worried, she said. Im very worried. Advertisement Thats a position many Warren supporters find themselves in as polls open on Tuesday. Warren, who led polls in the state as recently as November, now appears to be locked in a battle for third place with a surging Amy Klobuchar and a struggling Joe Biden. Warren finished third in the Iowa caucuses last week, 8 points behind Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, who have since been trading barbs and largely ignoring their other rivals. Polls suggest Sanders will perform strongly in New Hampshire, too, where he trounced Hillary Clinton in 2016. Pundits sometimes attribute Sanders strength here to the fact that he is a senator of a neighboring state. But Warren is, too, and a disappointing finish here would clearly be a difficult blow. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Marcus Courtney, who flew into New Hampshire from Seattle last week to volunteer for Warren, said that Warren is one of the top two for many undecided voters he has spoken with in the state. He framed Warrens third-place finish in Iowa as a victory: Sanders had been campaigning there for years and still failed to lift turnout, he pointed out, and meanwhile Warren outperformed a former vice president. Klobuchar may have momentum, but she doesnt have the money or the organization to sustain it, Courtney added. But he acknowledged that Tuesday would be critical for his candidate. She has to do very well in New Hampshire, he said, quickly adding a note of optimism: I think shes going to rebound here. Advertisement One woman said she hopes voters arent afraid to choose the person they love. Be brave! her husband chimed in. Speaking to supporters at churches and theaters and school gyms across New Hampshire, Warren herself betrays no sense of anxiety. That may be in part because voters here are anxious enough, and skittish about a race that has so far failed to produce a clear front-runner, let alone a front-runner who can defeat the president in November. Bouncing across the stage in Portsmouth, Warren played the happy warrior. Im in this fight, and I plan to win it! she told the crowd. Fighting back is an act of patriotism. When the battery in her microphone died, she quipped convincingly that she herself still had plenty of energy. She drew boisterous applause for what has become a long list of catchphrases: Big structural change, Ive got a plan for that, any mention of selfies, Nevertheless, she persisted. When Warren announced that her son was in the audience, the crowd politely clapped. When she added that her golden retriever, Bailey, was also thereand available for selfiesthey erupted into raucous whoops. A few clusters of people filed out early, but there was no premature mass exodus like the one the New York Times observed a few days earlier in Concord. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In a state where voters pride themselves on being skeptical arbiters of a sacred process, Warren still attracts a lot of affection and tenderness. A former speaker of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, Terie Norelli, introduced Warren on stage Monday night as our girl. During the Q&A, one woman gushed, I love you! and another said shed brought a PowerPoint she hoped the senator could read. But even the optimists were looking ahead to the next days results with a tinge of wariness. Ive been waiting for this moment for months and months, said Carleigh Beriont, wearing a rainbow-motif Warren shirt and juggling her 18-month-old, Siralina. Beriont and her family have been volunteering for the Warren campaign long enough that Siralina has had time to grow out of a Warren onesie and into a proper Warren T-shirt (Running for president: Thats what girls do). The couple said that as they knock on doors, most people they talk to name Warren as at least their No. 2 choice. They view that as good news. Berionts hope for Tuesday is that New Hampshire voters arent afraid to choose the person they love. Be brave! her husband, Eric Schildge, chimed in. Twelve miles northwest, 7,500 Sanders supporters packed into an arena for a rowdy rally with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Strokes. In Manchester, 11,000 people were cheering for President Donald Trump, who mocked small Democratic eventsOne candidate today had 104 peopleand boasted of his own crowds enthusiasm. Klobuchar was at the American Legion in Rochester, Biden at a Greek Orthodox cathedral, Andrew Yang at a music hall. And back in the church in Portsmouth, Warrens New Hampshire supporters were surging forward for one last selfie line. Rhone Group senior adviser John Bolton, right, shakes hands with NongHyup Cooperative Bank President So Seong-mo, left, at the National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) headquarters in Seoul, Monday. From left are So, NongHyup Cooperative Bank CIO Park Hak-joo, Rhone Group co-founder Robert Agostinelli and Bolton. / Courtesy of NACF By Park Jae-hyuk Questions have arisen from capital market observers as former U.S. National Security Adviser John Bolton revisited Korea this week in the capacity of the Rhone Group senior adviser and met with institutional investors here. According to industry officials, Tuesday, Bolton visited Atinum Partners, the Korea Scientists & Engineers Mutual-aid Association, the Military Mutual Aid Association, NongHyup Cooperative Bank, the Public Officials Benefit Association, the Korea Investment Corporation and KB Insurance. Bolton met with some of them in October 2019, when he visited Korea as the U.S. private equity firm's (PEF) senior adviser. The series of meetings were reportedly intended to attract investments in Rhone's sixth buyout fund worth 3 billion euros ($3.2 billion). Apparently, Rhone did not care about media coverage of its meeting with Korean institutions. Some institutional investors even issued press releases with photos after their meetings with the former White House aide. It is usual for most PEFs worldwide to conceal their relations with potential investors. PEFs also tend to keep their itineraries secret. When Vietnamese PEF Mekong Capital's CEO Chris Freund visited Korea in September 2019 to meet with limited partners here, his company was not only cautious about revealing the list of the limited partners but also with disclosing the purpose of his trip. "It is unusual, but it can be possible," a domestic PEF executive, who requested anonymity, commented on Bolton's behavior in Korea. Rhone Group co-founder Robert Agostinelli, left, and senior adviser John Bolton, second from left, pose with Military Mutual Aid Association (MMAA) CEO Kim Do-ho, center, and other MMAA executives at the association's headquarters in Seoul, Monday. / Courtesy of MMAA The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has joined the growing number of groups that have called on the Nigerian government to free the detained Nigerian journalist, Agba Jalingo, from prison. The union in a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, said the travails of Mr Jalingo appear to be persecution and not prosecution. The letter dated February 10 is signed by the NLC National President, Ayuba Wabba. Mr Jalingo, the publisher of CrossRiverWatch, was arrested on August 22, 2019, over a report alleging that Cross River governor, Ben Ayade, diverted N500 million belonging to the state. Mr Jalingo, who is facing treason charges, is detained in Calabar prison. The court has refused to grant him bail. The NLC told Mr Malami, that Mr Jalingos trial at the Federal High Court, Calabar, has been very unusual and controversial. A secret recording where the trial judge, Justice Simon Amobeda, allegedly made some biased remarks against Mr Jalingo was leaked to the press late last year. The leaked audio was published by TheCable, an online newspaper, on November 14. TheCable reported that Mr Amobeda in the secret recording insisted that Mr Jalingos trial would go on whether or not the defence counsel wanted to withdraw from it, and then cited the case of Ken Saro-Wiwa, the environmental activist and Ogoni leader, who was executed by Sani Abacha-led military administration on November 10, 1995. Based on the leaked audio, Mr Jalingo had demanded his case should be transferred to another judge. Mr Jalingos travail appears to give off the scent of persecution and not prosecution, the NLC president, Mr Wabba said in the letter. Such perception should not be allowed to thrive given that Nigeria is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. Without going into the merits or otherwise of the case, it is important to note that Agba Jalingos case is giving Nigeria a very bad reputation in the international arena as it has been construed that our government has scant respect for the fundamental right to freedom of speech especially of the media. It is important to correct the perception of persecution by putting in place both judicial and administrative processes of ensuring the release of Mr Agba Jalingo from detention. Our concern is that the government should demonstrate that it is only interested in the lawful prosecution and not persecution of Mr. Agba Jalingo. We, therefore, request that the Honourable Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation should use his good offices and secure the release of Mr Agba Jalingo as quickly as possible, the NLC president wrote. The Cross River government Friday took over the prosecution of Mr Jalingos case from the Nigerian police. The detained journalist is scheduled to appear on Friday before a new judge, Justice Justice Sule Shuaibu who is the administrative judge of the Federal High Court Calabar. Amnesty International on Thursday accused Nigerian government and Cross River state government of manipulating the criminal justice system in order to keep Mr Jalingo behind bars. The human right group said Mr Jalingos detention, besides being a stain on Nigerias image, shows just how far (Nigerian) authorities can go to silence critics. A priest was arrested after over 11 kg of charas was recovered from him in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district on Tuesday, police said. A resident of Viyogi village in Banjar tehsil, Bewa Ram was arrested with 11.876 kg of charas in the early hours on Tuesday,Kullu SP Gaurav Singh said. The SP said the accused was a pujari (priest) of a local deity. A team of the Banjar police station raided his premises and recovered the contraband. The charas was grown locally, the SP said, adding that further investigation was on. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Though offices and stores in China have reopened after the extended New Year break, many people are staying home. Chinas daily death toll from new virus has topped 100 for the first time, with more than 1,000 total deaths recorded, the health ministry announced Tuesday, as the spread of the contagion shows little sign of abating while exacting an ever-rising cost. Though more offices and stores in China have reopened after the extended Lunar New Year break, many people appear to be staying home. Public health authorities are watching closely to see whether workers returning to cities and business resuming worsens the spread of the virus. Another 108 deaths were reported over the previous 24 hours, the National Health Commission said in a daily update. That increased the total to 1,016 deaths, well beyond the toll taken by the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS which comes from the same family of coronaviruses as the current deadly pathogen. Newly confirmed cases fell slightly to 2,478 from 3,062 the day before, bringing the total to 42,638 on the mainland, some of whom have since been cured and released from the hospital. The outbreaks persistence is dimming optimism that the near-quarantine of some 60 million people and other disease-control measures might be working. Britain, meanwhile, declared the virus a serious and imminent threat to public health and said it would forcibly detain infected people if necessary. France tested scores of children and their parents after five British tourists contracted the virus at a ski resort. The director-general of the World Health Organization said that the agency is still unable to predict where the outbreak is heading but that he believes there is still an opportunity to contain it. In recent days, we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the U.K. today, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The detection of the small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire, but for now, its only a spark. In Beijing, there were few signs of activity. The capitals broad avenues were largely free of traffic, and thousands of rental bikes stood in long ranks with hardly a customer. Tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City remained closed, as did schools, and many people worked from home, hoping to avoid crowds. Iris Ke, who works for an advertising company, said she plans to wait until next week to go back to the office. We just need to have a little more sense of self-protection, said Ke. Life goes on anyway. How come we stop going outside or stop working simply because of fear of disease? We cant do that. Those shops and restaurants that did open found few customers. At the Sanyuanli market in Beijing, the stalls were stocked with pork, mutton, seafood and vegetables and shoppers wore face masks. The number of customers here is down a lot, maybe by more than half, said Liu Ying, who sells walnuts, cashews and other specialties. But you can see a lot of people calling in orders, so were slowly getting busy again. The Beijing city government told residential compounds in the capital to close their gates, check visitors for fever and record their identities. The government also warned people to strictly abide by regulations requiring the wearing of masks in public and to avoid group activities. More than 440 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Of those, 135 are from a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Japans Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government was considering testing everyone remaining on board of the 3,711 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess, which would require them to remain aboard until results were available. Britain issued its imminent threat declaration after a British man who caught the virus in Singapore in January appeared linked to several other confirmed cases in Europe. Five Britons, including a 9-year-old boy, contracted the virus in the French Alpine ski town of Contamines-Montjoie after staying in the same chalet as the British man. Jerome Salomon, head of Frances national health agency, said 61 people including the boys schoolmates were tested and proved negative for the virus. Amnesty International has condemned the massacre of stranded travellers in Auno village of Borno State, with a call on the Nigerian government to do more to secure innocent citizens. Boko Haram terrorists on Sunday night attacked travellers sleeping in vehicles outside a highway gate locked by soldiers, and killed over 30 persons and abducted some. Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State blamed the military for the attack, saying authorities had ignored repeated requests for a military base to be established at Auno. The governor also said the attack took no place because soldiers had abandoned their duty posts. Mr Zulums predecessor, Kashim Shettima, on Tuesday called on the defence headquarters to set up a probe panel to probe the killings. In its statement Tuesday, Amnesty the massacre of at least 30 travellers by Boko Haram is vicious, and yet another demonstration of the groups disregard for the sanctity of human life. This cruel attack, whose casualties include women and children in their sleep, must not go unpunished, the group said. It said the attack on civilians in transit may amount to possible war crimes. The escalation of Boko Haram violence, and the fact that they have attacked Auno at least six times in 10-months, shows that the security measures implemented by the authorities are not working, Amnesty said. Probe Auno attack Mr. Shettima, now senator representing Borno Central District, said the defense headquarters should inaugurate a probe panel that would transparently generate facts on how 30 passengers lost their lives on Sunday night. The former governor, under whose senatorial district Auno, a village in Konduga local government area, is located, said the resurgence of Boko Haram needs to be checked. Mr. Shettima advised that the investigation panel should, as a necessary condition, request representatives from Borno State Government, Auno community, bereaved families, transport unions, etc. The fact-finding, which should be concluded within days, is to ensure justice and fairness for victims and to prevent future occurrence particularly by looking into the most acceptable and efficient motorists can be managed in the midst of the insurgency that we hope is ended soonest, he said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:24:48|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday asked for efforts to promote women and girls in science, saying that to rise to the challenges of the 21st century "requires dismantling gender stereotypes." In a video message for the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, which falls on Feb. 11, Guterres said that science, which is a collaborative discipline, is being held back by a gender gap. "Girls and boys perform equally well in science and mathematics. But only a fraction of female students in higher education choose to study sciences," he said in the video message released on Monday. He asked for efforts to support the careers of women scientists and researchers, adding that the Women's Empowerment Principles, developed by UN Women, offer guidance for companies and others. "In this year in which we mark the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, let us bring new urgency to promoting women's and girls' access to science education, training and jobs." At present, less than 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women. Only a quarter of artificial intelligence and data professionals are women globally, according to data of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Between 2014 and 2016, only around 30 percent of all female students select fields related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in higher education. Globally, female students' enrolment is particularly low in information and communications technology (3 percent), natural science, mathematics and statistics (5 percent) and in engineering, manufacturing and construction (8 percent), according to UNESCO. In order to achieve full and equal access to and participation in science for women and girls, the UN General Assembly in December 2015 designated Feb. 11 each year as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. William and Catherine will go to Ireland in March. (Getty Images) The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will visit Ireland next month on a royal tour, Kensington Palace has announced. William and Kate have been asked by the Foreign Office to undertake a three day tour, and will travel there on 3 March. It comes shortly after the UK left the EU, leading to political tensions over the land border between Ireland and Northern Ireland. Kensington Palace declined to comment on whether the couple would be making a trip further afield, to Australia, before confirming a visit to Ireland. Charles and Camilla have been to Ireland on numerous occasions, and the Queen visited herself in 2011. Rumours of the trip emerged in January, and The Sun reported the couple would likely visit places in Cork and Dublin. The British Embassy in Ireland tweeted: We look forward to welcoming The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Ireland next month. Further details will be announced in due course the palace said. A factory worker lost his eye after he was glassed by a colleague following a night of drinking in the early hours of Christmas Day. Brent James McDonald, 39, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm at Southport District Court, on Queensland's Gold Coast on Monday over the 2018 incident. The victim needed to have his eyeball removed following the glassing. Brent James McDonald, 39, pleaded guilty to grievous bodily harm at Southport District Court, on Queensland's Gold Coast on Monday over the 2018 incident (stock) McDonald and two others had returned to him home after a night of drinking, the court was told, according to Sunshine Coast Daily. He went to the bathroom at 2am to find his victim asleep on the couch and asked him to leave because he thought he was stealing money. Prosecutor Matt Hynes said McDonald hit the other man in the back of the head before a scuffle took place. He then hit the man with a glass bottle he was holding in his hand. 'It shattered on impact and left significant damage,' Mr Hynes said. 'The complainant has now had the eyeball removed.' Prosecutor Matt Hynes said McDonald hit the other man in the back of the head before a scuffle took place - leading the man to lose his eye (stock) McDonald was breath tested at 8.30am the same day and returned a result of four times the legal limit of 0.05. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half years in prison, and is eligible for parole in a year. McDonald's defence barrister said the defendant had turned to alcohol after his 14-year-old marriage broke down. Judge Katherine McGinness said the victim can no longer work due to his eye being removed. 'You mistakenly believed the complainant was trying to steal from a work colleague as they lay passed out,' she said. Gardai in Dublin are appealing for information to a teenager missing since Sunday. Bradley Sutcliffe, 15, was last seen at around 1pm at his home in Ballinteer. Bradley Sutcliffe He is described at five-foot-eight, of medium build with brown hair and blue-green eyes. When he was last seen, he was wearing grey tracksuit bottoms, a black jacked with a fur lined hood and white runners. Anyone with information is being asked to contact Gardai in Dundrum. Postal worker says his rescue of toddler was God-ordained Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A U.S. Postal Service employee in Maryland, who saved the life of a missing 2-year-old boy walking barefoot along a highway, said hes not a hero and that God ordained that he be there at that time. Keith Rollins saw the toddler, Ethan Adeyemi, who was wet and shivering and had been missing for about 10 hours, on I-95 in Howard County Thursday morning, WUSA90 reported. Police had launched a search with fire personnel, K9 units, aircraft, drones and helicopters from neighboring jurisdictions. But it was Rollins who found the boy while driving. It was God-ordained that I be in that place at that time. Remarkable man, remarkable, he was quoted as saying. I happened to see a little head. I didnt know whether it was a human head or whether it was an animal, so I pulled over and called 911. He said he then carried the child and took him to his vehicle. I had a sweater that I tried to cover him up with, and turned up the heat and I called the police back and said that I had the little boy in my vehicle, and within a matter of minutes, the police were there. When neighbors and officials called Rollins a hero, he responded, "Giving glory to God that I was able to help at that particular time and be in the correct place at the right time. But a hero? Nah, not at all. Another rescue was reported last month in Bellevue, Nebraska, in which Gods intervention was acknowledged. When a photographer, Terry Ingram, was taking photos of eagles, he saw a car flying past him and the driver had lost control while crossing railroad tracks. It hit a fire hydrant and flipped upside down in an icy pond. Terry courageously ran into the freezing water and was able to get one of the car doors open. He heard a young man say, Get me out, its filling full of water. Terry pulled all three men from that vehicle and helped drag them to shore, heroically saving their lives. I panicked when I heard the guy's voice. Get me out, it's filling full of water, Ingram recalled, according to KETV. Once I pulled the door open, the water started going in, and he was coming out. Just seeing those bodies there, I thought they were gone. While the families of the three men called Ingram a hero, the photographer responded, God puts people in places for a reason. I think he told me my cameras dead, go up there and wait. Peter Phillips and Autumn Phillips at Royal Ascot. (Getty Images) Peter Phillips, the Queens eldest grandchild, has confirmed he and his wife Autumn Phillips, will divorce after 12 years of marriage. Phillips, 42, is the elder child of Princess Anne and her first husband Captain Mark Phillips. He met Autumn, 41, when they were both working on Formula One Grand Prix in Montreal. Together, the couple have two young children who theyve promised to co-parent: Isla, seven, and Savannah, nine. Autumn and Peter Phillips and their children Savannah (left) and Isla (right) at Trooping the Colour in 2019. (Getty Images) Who is Autumn Phillips? Autumn was born in Montreal in 1978 to parents Kathleen McCarthy and Brian Kelly. She has a twin brother named Chris, who is now a bricklayer. Autumn also has an other brother, Kevin, and two half-siblings from her fathers second marriage. Autumn watches Zara Phillips with Zara's now-husband Mike Tindall in 2005. (Getty Images) Her parents divorced when she was young. Her mother is a hairdresser, and her father worked as an executive for an electricity company. Her nickname at school was Princess Autumn, perhaps alluding to her future royal connections. She was baptised into the Roman Catholic Church, but converted to the Church of England before she married Peter, so that he would not lose his place in line to the throne. Autumn was invited on a tour of the Western Isles with the royals. (Getty Images) She holds a degree in East Asian studies from McGill University. Autumn has held a wide range of jobs, including being a model, working for Williams F1, which is how she met Peter, and as Sir Michael Parkinsons personal assistant. She was once offered a job with the Canadian Intelligence Services but changed career direction and never took it. How did she meet Peter? According to the Daily Telegraph, Peter was smitten when he first laid eyes on Autumn in her hometown of Montreal, at the Grand Prix. He refused to let official business distract him, and sought her out, getting her phone number and email address the first day he met her, as well as inviting her and her friends to a post-race party. Peter and Autumn Phillips' wedding in 2008 Somewhat conveniently, Autumn had already been planning to move to England. She had accepted a job with a computer firm who wanted her in their UK offices. Autumn confessed to Hello! magazine that it was love at first sight for her too, saying: When Peter smiled at me I thought Okayyyy! Ill definitely meet you at the party. Story continues But, it was weeks before she realised who she was. It wasnt until she was watching television and spotted her new boyfriend standing next to Prince William at his 21st birthday party that she realised who she was dating. Her mother is said to have replied: Oh Autumn, what have you got yourself into? When did they get married? The couple married in 2008 at Windsor Castle. Peter originally planned to propose during a champagne hot air balloon ride, but the weather was bad and they had to cancel. So instead, he proposed in heavy rain while they walked the dog. They married in St George's Chapel in Windsor. (Getty Images) On their wedding day with their families at Frogmore House. (Getty Images) She told the Telegraph: I certainly didnt see the question coming. I looked horrible in my wellies with wet hair. I said yes straight away though. Peter had also travelled to Ontario to get permission from her father before popping the question. The couple sold their wedding photos to Hello! magazine, which divided opinion. But, as Peter was never given a title and is not a working royal, they have had to make their own money as they do not get anything from the crown estate. After their ceremony at the chapel at Windsor Castle, the couple had a reception at Frogmore House. Is Peter Phillips really the Queens favourite? As the Queens first grandchild, Peter is likely to hold a special place in her heart. Its natural she would have taken to his partner, too. The Queen has shown some particular favour to Autumn. The couple is always invited to join the rest of the Royal Family at events like Trooping the Colour, and Ascot, with Autumn sitting next to the Queen in her carriage at Ascot. Queen Elizabeth II with Autumn Phillips going to church near Balmoral. (Getty Images) Autumn and Peter at the Braemar Games with the Queen and Prince Charles. (Getty Images) And while she was simply Autumn Kelly, she was invited to be part of the Queens nine-week tour in the Scottish Western Isles. She was also at an intimate party at The Ritz for the Queens 80th birthday. Autumn is also widely regarded as down-to-earth, a quality the Queen admires and the ease with which she stepped into the family and took it all in her stride is sure to have impressed Her Majesty. Queen Elizabeth and Autumn Phillips at Royal Ascot. (Getty Images) Will she move back to Canada? Rumours are swirling that Autumn is seeking divorce so she can head back to her native Canada. With the couples daughters having dual citizenship, theres word it could be an easy move for them to make. Savannah and Isla are close with their royal cousins. (Getty Images) But, their statement made it clear they wont be heading in the same direction as Harry and Meghan anytime soon. They said: Both Peter and Autumn have remained in Gloucestershire to bring up their two children where they have been settled for a number of years. The couple didnt quite stretch to talk of conscious uncoupling, but the use of the phrase co-parent is not one often associated with the royals. Autumn and Peter are often seen at country events with Peters sister Zara, and Savannah and Isla are close with their cousins. Savannah and Prince George are often seen giggling and whispering together, so the family are sure to want to stay close by for their children. Autumn and Peter Phillips take a seflie at Prince Harry's concert for Sentebale. (Getty Images) Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Style UK: Disinfection workers wearing protective gears and prepare to disinfect against the novel coronavirus in Daerim Central Market, a neighbourhood with one of the largest Chinese population on February 05, 2020 in Seoul, South Korea. Concerns of a global shortage in protective medical equipment could impact the United States in "just a matter of time," Dr. Amy Compton-Phillips, chief clinical officer of Providence Health, said Monday. Health officials are warning that protective gear is becoming a scare commodity amid the coronavirus outbreak. "As long as China is continuing to absorb all the masks, basically, that are being produced, we know that eventually our need is going to outstrip what the world supply chain is managing at the moment," Compton-Phillips explained on CNBC's special "Outbreak" report. On Friday, World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned of a chronic shortage of gowns, masks, gloves and other protective equipment used by medical professionals to help stave off the epidemic. Officials in China are sounding the alarm, urging that hospitals make "reasonable use" of personal protection supplies to prevent "excessive and disorderly use." "That's why we're looking at what are all the other alternatives we can [make use of] to make sure that we can preserve the masks that we do have to use for the best and highest purpose," Compton-Phillips said. Compton-Phillips oversees the Providence hospital system across seven states, including Providence Regional Medical Center, which is the Washington state hospital where the first person in the U.S. to be diagnosed with the novel virus was treated. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, however, does maintain a stockpile of protective supplies in case of shortage. China has boosted its medical mask purchases from companies that provide equipment to hospitals around the world as the country grapples with the epidemic, according to the Wall Street Journal. Former U.S. Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb, appearing alongside Compton-Phillips, expressed hope that American hospitals will be in good position to mitigate a potential supply shortage. Although the virus was first discovered in China in December and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency at the end of January, the risk remains low "The response to this really is a local endeavor and I think we need to look at ways we can backstop local health departments right now and hospitals that are likely to become referral centers if there are outbreaks in major cities," Gottlieb said. "We have time to prepare. We got an early warning here with what happened in China and we should be taking those steps." There have been more than 42,700 confirmed cases around the globe as of Monday, but a large majority of those diagnosed have been in China. Nearly 42,300 have been diagnosed in mainland China and 1,011 have died of the disease in the country, according to Chinese state media. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Who said Valentines Day only had to be for romantic relationships? If you want to get revenge, several zoos, including the Bronx Zoo and the San Antonio Zoo are allowing people to name cockroaches after their exes. CRY ME A COCKROACH The San Antonio Zoo is letting people name a cockroach after an ex and feed it to an animal on Valentines Day. The Texas-based zoo is hosting its first-ever Cry Me a Cockroach event this year, allowing people to name a cockroach after an ex for a one-time $5 donation. You will be able to name a cockroach after your ex, and we will serve it up as an enrichment treat to one of our animals for only $5, the zoo said on its website. And if youre willing to spend just a bit more money, you could even name a pre-frozen rodent for $25, and the zoo will feed it to a reptile. Youll also get a certificate after your purchase to share on social media if youre feeling brave. The best part? You dont need to go to the zoo to join in on the fun. On Valentines Day, the zoo will live stream its Cry Me a Cockroach feeding frenzy on its Facebook page and website, https://sazoo.org/valentine/, which will include a feast by zoo birds and reptiles. The promotion closes on Friday at 6 p.m. and only names submitted through the San Antonio Zoos website will be featured. All names will be submitted anonymously and only first names will be displayed during the feeding event. You can go here to purchase a cockroach or rodent at the San Antonio Zoo. NAME-A-ROACH Returning this year to the Bronx Zoo is Name-A-Roach, giving people the opportunity to symbolically name its 50,000-plus giant Madagascar hissing cockroaches after an ex. The Madagascar hissing cockroaches are the worlds largest roach species reaching nearly four inches long. They get their name because of the hissing noise they emit as a defense mechanism. You can name a cockroach for a one-time $15 donation. The gift comes with a colorful certificate emailed to your loved one announcing a cockroach was named in his or her honor. For a $50 donation, you can send a printable certificate along with both available roach-themed gifts -- a pair of roach socks and a roach scented candle. All orders can be placed at www.bronxzoo.com/roach. The Bronx Zoo has been offering Name-A-Roach for Valentines Day since 2011, and thousands of people from around the world have named cockroaches after their loved one or an ex, according to the zoo. Previous names chosen have been inspired by politics, music, movies and more. Proceeds will help benefit the Wildlife Conservation Society and the Bronx Zoo to further its mission to save wildlife in New York and around the world. FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. Textbook companies have tactics to lock college students into the highest possible price for their products. Because of these companies and our disinvestment in higher education, the cost of a course can significantly outpace the value of the information it offers, so more Oregonians are discouraged from achieving a degree. Colleges tell you your textbook is good for the whole year, so if you need to buy a $330 Spanish textbook, you're actually getting three $110 textbooks. If, like me, you're returning to college after having taken two terms of Spanish, you are paying for three Spanish textbooks when you need only one. These books are loose leaf, so you have to get a binder to hold all the sheets and you need a code for online content, which is a verbatim copy of the textbook. This means you cant get a used textbook, and you can't share one with a friend, check it out at the library, or resell it after youve taken the class. You are locked into paying the maximum possible price for materials that are comparable and sometimes worse than materials you can get from a free language app on your phone. We could instead be using Open Educational Resources free, often peer-reviewed textbooks teachers can download and personalize for their courses. If Oregon colleges worked to develop standards and best practices for these resources, we could work toward an educational system that isn't held hostage by for-profit companies. Max Jensen, Eugene -Late president Daniel Moi's casket was taken to State House for last respect according to state funeral protocols - The cortege then left State House for Nyayo Stadium on gun carriage - A service is currently underway which will be followed by tributes from different leaders The funeral service for late president Daniel Moi is set to kick off at Nyayo National Stadium on Tuesday, February 11. The casket that had earlier on been taken to State House for the final respect arrived at Nyayo stadium around 10am. READ ALSO: Daniel Moi: Laikipia, Samburu residents donate bulls to feed mourners President Uhuru Kenyatta pays his last respect to fallen president at State House. Photo: State House Source: Facebook READ ALSO: Wachina waamua kuvalia mikebe na vifaa vinginevyo mwilini kuepukana na Virusi vya Corona Below is the programme of activities that will take place: 8.00am: Members of the public required to be seated at the Nyayo stadium 8.00am- 10-15am: Select choirs perform before the gathering 8.30am: Ex-president Mois cortege leaves parliament for State House 9.30am: Cortege leaves State House for Nyayo Stadium on gun carriage The casket of the late president leaves State House for Nyayo stadium. Photo: State House Source: Facebook READ ALSO: 6-year-old Nigerian beauty branded most beautiful girl in the world to model in London Fashion Week 10.00 10.20 am: Arrival and sitting of State officials and guests 10.30am: Arrival of President Uhuru Kenyatta and the First Lady Margaret Kenyatta at Nyayo 10.35am: State reception of the cortege bearing the body of the late Daniel arap Moi Daniel Moi's cortege arrives at State House. Photo: Bebeto Ogutu Source: Original READ ALSO: New twist as employees at Chinese restaurant where Kenyan was whipped say it was prank 10.45am.- 12.00am: State Memorial service 12.00-2.00pm: Tributes to the late Mzee Moi 2:15pm: The body of the late Moi leaves the stadium for Lee Funeral Home Remains of the late president will be interred on Wednesday, February 12, at his home in Kabarak, Baringo county. 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 Source: TUKO.co.ke HEATH, Ohio A man and woman are facing multiple charges after they were accused of inducing the early birth of their child, then letting the baby die in their residence. ABC 6 reports Kalina Gillum, 21, and Braden Mull, 25, are charged with involuntary manslaughter, endangering children, abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence. All of the charges are felonies. An indictment shows the birth and death of the baby boy occurred Sept. 18-20, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Jenny Gonzalez-Wells, an assistant prosecutor in Licking County, tells the Dispatch that investigators believe Gillum took 12 misoprostol tablets on Sept. 18. The pills, reportedly obtained from India, were intended to induce an early labor for Gillum, who was in her third trimester, prosecutors say. Gillum gave birth to the baby the next day in the bathroom of the couples apartment, WCMH Channel 4 reports. Prosecutors say the couple did not seek medical attention for the child. The couple went to Licking Memorial Hospital the next day. Officials at the hospital notified police, and officers found the babys body in a trash bag in a shoebox in the apartment, WCMH reports. A report from the coroner indicated there was nothing medically wrong with the baby, the Dispatch reports. Gonzalez-Wells tells the Dispatch that Gillum and Mull already have a child together, but they do not have custody. Prosecutors believe the couple decided they didnt want a second child. Both Gillum and Mull are being held in jail in Licking County on bonds of $150,000 each, reports say. To comment on this story, please visit our crime and courts comments page. Read more from cleveland.com: Ohio ex-superintendent who sexually assaulted 2 students gets 10 years in prison Missing mother of 3 kids left at gas station is found safe Security increased at Akron middle school after threat posted to Snapchat Man who fired shots at vehicle in South Akron arrested after six-minute chase, police say 46 cars broken into in Cleveland Heights in one night, police say Robbers shoot at three men selling ATV via OfferUp app at former Cleveland elementary school Special flu wards set up in tourist hotspots to screen virus THAILAND: Special clinics for monitoring influenza patients will be opened to contain the novel coronavirus as both diseases produce similar symptoms, according to the Ministry of Public Health. healthChinesedeathtourismSafetyCoronavirusCOVID-19 By Bangkok Post Tuesday 11 February 2020, 05:26PM A sign saying masks and hand sanitisers are out of stock, with no dates set for new stock arrivals, is seen near Siriraj Hospital in Bangkok. Photo: Chanat Katanyu Dr Narong Aphikulvanich, deputy director-general of the Department of Medical Services, said that public and private hospitals in provinces popular with Chinese tourists would set up special clinics to examine people being treated for influenza. These special clinics will help with the early detection of novel coronavirus infections, as the two viruses produce similar symptoms, such as coughing, sneezing and fever, Dr Narong said. The Public Health Ministry estimates that 200,000 people are infected with influenza each day, but only a small number seek treatment at hospitals. Dr Tawee Chotpitayasunondh, the ministrys senior medical consultant, said the special clinics would focus on Chinese and other patients involved in tourism activities or who have come in contact with Chinese tourists. These clinics are planned for Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Chon Buri, Krabi and Phuket provinces, he said. As of today (Feb 11), the number of confirmed local coronavirus cases remained at 33, 10 of whom have been discharged from hospital. Two of the nine Thai patients were in critical condition. Another 689 ill people were being monitored for possible coronavirus infection. Dr Tawee said there were positive signs in terms of the trajectory of the virus, including the higher number of recovering patients and the stabilisation of the number of infected patients in China. This indicated the disease was controllable to a certain extent, he said. The Public Health Ministry rejected as untrue a report the virus could travel long distances through the air, like TB bacteria droplets. Coronavirus can travel only a few metres in droplets from coughs and sneezes, it said. The global coronavirus death toll currently stands at 1,016 with confirmed cases exceeding 42,000 in 25 countries, and more than 3,400 patients having recovered, agencies reported. Dr Taweesin Visanuyothin, the ministrys spokesman, said that the ministry is going to supply 70,000 surgical masks to all state-owned hospitals every day to prevent supply shortages. However, he stopped short of saying how long this ministerial initiative would last. MANAHAWKIN, N.J., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NetPinnacle features Stafford Township Superintendent George Chidiac as a featured executive. Providing valuable insight into the career development of an administrative leader in education. George Chidiac first discovered his passion for education when he began his career in 1995 as a teacher of health/exercise science. After receiving his Bachelor of Arts degree from Rowan University, he quickly landed his first job in early childhood education. From his experiences, he became driven to make a lasting impact on early childhood education . George Chidiac During his tenure, George Chidiac was the Special Olympics Coordinator of Ocean County. He received a "Teacher of the Year" Governor Recognition from the state of New Jersey and was a finalist in the hit NBC television show " Fear Factor " representing students with special needs. "My first significant impact came when I implemented a district-wide water safety program by facilitating lifeguard training and utilizing my lifeguard footage on several news broadcasts such as ABC, NBC, and CBS to educate students," stated George Chidiac. After considering several options for his role in educational administration, he accepted the vice-principal position at Barnegat Township School District in 2004. After 13 months as vice principal and director of special services, he was awarded the positions as principal for Barnegat Township School District in 2005. "Serving as principal of Barnegat Township was a tremendous experience for me. Collaborating with administrators and educators, we were able to establish a healthy learning culture and community-based events; MS Bike ride, Breast Cancer Awareness March, March of Dimes, SRTS walking event, Families in Need program to name a few." - George Chidiac, Superintendent of Schools, Stafford Township. George Chidiac realized he wanted to make a positive change for young learners and improve education at a systematic level. These realizations were solidified when accepting the position of Superintendent of Schools for Stafford Township in Manahawkin, NJ, in 2013. Over the past 25 years in various educational roles, George Chidiac has been able to embrace changes to ensure his administrative leadership role in providing the best educational experience possible for his students and subordinates. As superintendent of schools in Stafford Township, George Chidiac has improved standardized test scores, increasing student motivation, and fostering academic achievement through a student-centered approach to education. By realizing the new technologies accessible to his students and educators, George Chidiac collaborated with his administrators to provide state of the art technology into the education process for Stafford Township School District. Establishing SMART Boards, 1:1 Chromebooks for all students, and interactive technology in all classrooms. Administrative leaders like George Chidiac realize the importance of providing the best experience possible to students, staff, and parents. This level of leadership will ensure the number of adolescents enrolled in educational programs will continue to rise for years to come. LinkedIn Twitter YouTube About NetPinnacle.com NetPinnacle interviews executive leaders with actual experience in influencing an industry. We talk with people who've sacrificed to master skills, built something from scratch, and who want to mentor the next generation of executives. We're the leader in sharing personal stories of what it takes to be successful in your industry. Contact: Zak Gaines 856-535-6313 SOURCE NetPinnacle NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- B2B companies overwhelmingly believe it is essential to bring a sense of purpose to their organizations, but they lack the critical knowledge and capabilities necessary to activate successful purpose-oriented initiatives. That is the key finding of a new report, The B2B Purpose Paradox, a collaborative effort conducted by the ANA, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, and the Harris Poll. The study revealed that 86 percent of B2B companies embrace purpose as important to growth, but they are still on the path to implementing purpose so that it influences business and social outcomes. However, only 24 percent said purpose is embedded in their business to the point of influencing innovation, operations, and their engagement with society. This is the "B2B Purpose Paradox." "Purpose has clearly become an integral growth strategy for companies, which is why the ANA created the Center for Brand Purpose last year," said ANA CEO Bob Liodice. "This report shows that the fundamental strategic business challenge is to activate purpose programs that permeate the entire organization and effectively reach their customer communities." Carol Cone, CEO of Carol Cone ON PURPOSE added: "B2B companies are far more advanced in their purpose journeys than we expected. Yet there is a significant gap between companies with a Stated Purposetheir reason for being, beyond profitsand their Activated Purpose, one that is fully-embedded in the organization to influence culture, innovation, operations, and engagement in society." The slow adoption of fully integrated purpose was attributed to purpose feeling more like a PR exercise than an authentic activation (56 percent), purpose not playing a role within the competitive set (51 percent), and lacking the ability to operate with purpose at the center of the business (50 percent). The report defines purpose as "a company's reason for being beyond profits that guides its business growth and impact on society." PURPOSE IMPACTS The report revealed significant support of the role of purpose in B2B organizations: 87 percent feel purpose protects their company's reputation. 75 percent say purpose supports recruiting. 75 percent agree prioritizing purpose had a positive impact on their growth. 64 percent feel purpose is critical or nearly critical to everything they do. ACTIVATING BELIEVERS: INTERNAL PURPOSE AMBASSADORS The report identified a powerful internal constituency to ignite and activate purpose. Called "Believers," they comprise 21 percent of employees within respondent companies, and say their company would be more successful with greater focus on purpose. Believers say purpose can open doors to new customers, guide decision-making, and earn their company a premium price while making a positive impact on society. Believers also are more likely to defend their companies in times of crisis, recruit top candidates, collaborate across the organization, buy from other purpose-driven organizations, and provide better customer service. LEVERAGING PURPOSE FOR GROWTH "While the purpose journey doesn't end, it can always evolve to be more human, engaging, and ultimately more successful," said Wendy Salomon, managing director, reputation and corporate strategy at The Harris Poll. "Establish benchmarks and embed KPIs into organizational strategy, measure progress and pitfalls, and keep pursuing a bold vision for business and social impact." The B2B Purpose Paradox also revealed these additional insights: B2B companies are increasingly embracing purpose as a driver of business growth, contrary to the commonly accepted belief that they lag well behind their B2C counterparts. The C-suite drives purpose strategy within respondent organizations, while HR, corporate strategy, and planning lead implementation. Hybrid B2B/B2C companies (serving both consumers and other businesses) are more effectively integrating purpose than companies that are solely B2B. The financial services, insurance, and professional services sectors lead in purpose, while manufacturing and telecommunications lag, among the eight industries surveyed. B2B companies admire and do business with other companies that are purpose-centric: The majority of B2B purchasing decision-makers choose companies with purpose and are willing to pay more for their products and services. B2B PURPOSE TO BREAK THROUGH IN 2020 The B2B Purpose Paradox comes on the heels of the Business Roundtable's 2019 statement on the purpose of a corporation and the 2020 Davos Manifesto on the Universal Purpose of a Company. METHODOLOGY This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll as a collaborative effort between Harris, Carol Cone ON PURPOSE, and the ANA from June 25 to July 19, 2019 among 259 B2B professionals. All qualified respondents held a title of director or higher, and represented companies in sectors including financial and insurance, health care and allied industries, manufacturing, professional services, and technology and telecommunications. The majority of company revenues ranged from $50 million to $2 billion. Although there is variation across the data given the distribution of responses, an error margin of +/- 5 percent can be applied. To download the full report, please click here. ABOUT THE ANA The ANA (Association of National Advertisers)'s mission is to drive growth for marketing professionals, for brands and businesses, and for the industry. Growth is foundational for all participants in the ecosystem. The ANA seeks to align those interests by leveraging the 12-point ANA Masters Circle agenda, which has been endorsed and embraced by the ANA Board of Directors and the Global CMO Growth Council. The ANA's membership consists of more than 1,600 domestic and international companies, including over 1,000 client-side marketers and nonprofit fundraisers and 600 marketing solutions providers (data science and technology companies, ad agencies, publishers, media companies, suppliers, and vendors). Collectively, ANA member companies represent 20,000 brands, engage 50,000 industry professionals, and invest more than $400 billion in marketing and advertising annually. ABOUT CAROL CONE ON PURPOSE Carol Cone ON PURPOSE is one of the world's leading purpose consultancies, helping organizations harness purpose to advance business and social impact. CCOP's proven approach meets clients along their purpose journey to build reputation, inspire employees, exceed financial targets, and support the greater good. The firm was founded by Carol Cone, who pioneered early social impact initiatives in the 1980s, and created the first research in the field: the Cone/Roper Report in 1993. Cone and CCOP continue to advance knowledge of the field through research, speaking engagements, Purpose 360 Podcast, Purposeful Connections Newsletter, and more. ABOUT THE HARRIS POLL The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S., tracking public opinion, motivations, and social sentiment since 1963, and is part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. Harris works with clients in building 21st-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy, and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Harris's mission is to provide insights and advice to help leaders make the best decisions possible. MEDIA CONTACT ANA John Wolfe Director of Communications Office: 212.455.8011 Cell: 914.659.8663 Email: [email protected] Carol Cone ON PURPOSE Kristin Kenney Senior Associate Cell: 212.256.1536 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Carol Cone ON PURPOSE Related Links https://www.carolconeonpurpose.com A Toms River man was charged with drunken driving twice in two days in after crashes ended with his car hitting a tree, police said. The first crash occurred on the morning of Feb. 6. The 42-year-old man was driving east on Mount Lane and did not stop at a stop sign near the intersection of Vincent Street, according to a statement from the Toms River Police. He drove across Vincent Street and struck bricks lining a property before his car hit a tree, police said. Police were called to the area at 11:54 a.m. and arrested the driver. He was charged DWI and issues summons for reckless driving, failure to maintain Lane, failing to stop for a posted stop sign, open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and other violations, the department said. Two days later, on Feb. 8, police were called to the intersection of Hooper and Church Road at 12:33 p.m. for a report of a crash. Again, they found the same driver had crashed his car into a tree on a property, this time at Silverton Memorial Funeral Home on Church Road, police said. Before crashing into the tree, the man was driving west on Kettle Creek and crossed Hooper Avenue and then ran off the road and struck a curb as he approached the funeral home, according to the statement. He then hit a speed limit sign, the entrance sign to the funeral home and a parked vehicle before his car came to rest at the tree. The man was again charged with for DWI and issued summons for reckless driving, failure to maintain Lane, open container of alcohol in a motor Vehicle and with additional summons, authorities said. Chris Sheldon may be reached at csheldon@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @chrisrsheldon 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. Maliw President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has admitted that his government are now prepared to talk to jihadist groups, as reported by French media. The army has been in recent months been experiencing heavy losses in the hands of Islamic fighters. The Jihadist groups have also stepped up their attacks on both civilians and soldiers in neighbouring countries. The use of different methods According to reports, the unending bloodshed in northern and central Mali has forced Bamako to rethink its strategy. Keita did not reveal what is being done and how the authorities are holding talks with Jihadists groups. Mali government has already announced that it will recruit 10,000 additional soldiers in order to counter the threat. Last week the United Nations' top humanitarian official in Mali, Ute Kollies said that more troops and more guns were not the solutions to Mali's problems. Last year, Islamic militants and ethnic-based militias killed more than 450 civilians in central Mali making it the deadliest year in the region since the country's crisis began in 2012, Human Rights Watch said in a new report on Monday. Militants have even begun pulling men off of public transport based on their ethnicity and killing them, the group said, underscoring how Islamic extremists have inflamed tensions between communities that long-lived in relative peace. Read: Armed Groups Killed More Than 450 Civilians In Central Mali Read: Where It Begins: Young Hungry Locusts Bulk Up In Somalia Islamic extremist groups have been recruiting men from the Peuhl ethnic group to their cause, while in turn the armed Dogon militias that have arisen are accused of supporting Mali's military crackdown on jihadists. Of the 456 civilian deaths, 116 were directly blamed on the Islamic extremists. The remaining 340 killings were acts of communal violence carried out by ethnic-based militias, and the report said the true toll is unknown. Witnesses told investigators that in one instance last year jihadists had stopped two public transport vehicles that were bringing people back from a nearby market. Armed militants then dragged off 11 men who all belonged to the Dogon ethnic group at the checkpoint not far from Sevare. Seven bodies were later found with bullets to the heads; the four others were never found. Read: Dharmendra-Hema Malini Proud Of Esha Deol For Her New Venture, Other Stars Congratulate Read: DCW's Swati Maliwal Calls Gargi College Horror 'unbearable', Assures Support To Students The boat that sank Tuesday was full of Rohingya attempting that journey, Abedin said. The craft may have run aground on a coral reef when it approached St. Martins Island, he said. A second boat also left at the same time as the one that sank but authorities said they have found no trace of it. In 2017, Quarde Alfred was working his nightly shift as a Beaumont ISD janitor when he paused and walked to the front of the classroom he was cleaning. Nobody was in the building but me, Alfred said. I would literally stand in the front of the classroom like, OK, class, this is what we are going to do today. Three years later, Alfred is back at the front of a classroom. But now, its filled with eager, antsy kindergartners listening as he reads a book. Looking back, he cant believe how his life has changed in the last three years. I was just happy to have a job at the time, Alfred said. I didnt have a problem cleaning toilets. I mean, I grew up poor, so I saw dirty all the time. But cleaning toilets allowed me to figure out what it is that I want to do with my life. Alfred is one of about 36 teachers in Beaumont ISD certified by a district-funded program called Grow Our Own, which allows anyone with a bachelors degree to become a certified teacher. It saved my life, Alfred said. I could either be one of two places in the ground, or in a jail cell. But Im in a classroom, you know what I mean? Alfred worked to overcome a life of struggle and poverty growing up, helping to raise his siblings while holding a job and going to school. I grew up in a single-parent household, Alfred said. A lot of the weight fell on my shoulders because I grew up dirt poor in a one-bedroom house with six kids. And sometimes the only time we ate was at school. But that didnt stop Alfred from graduating as valedictorian of his high school. He moved to Houston, where he got a degree in economics. His luck didnt last long. Every job I was getting, it didnt pan out or it was a failure, Alfred said. I remember moving to Atlanta and when I got there I spoke with my sister, and she said, Please come home. Eighteen hours later, a Greyhound bus with Alfred on it pulled up in Rose City at about 3 a.m. To be honest with you, when I moved back to Beaumont I literally thought I had failed, Alfred said. I graduated valedictorian, I got my degree in economics from the University of Houston. I always wanted to go off and be an attorney and be this great person, but life happens. Life happens. Life happened to me, and I hit rock bottom. I had hit rock bottom when I moved back to Beaumont. A few months after envisioning what it would be like to teach at the front of a classroom, Alfred was promoted to custodial supervisor and moved to the day shift at Lucas pre-K. That changed him from being able to work at night to days, which gave him the opportunity to work with and see the children, former Lucas principal Valencia Greenwood said. And the children just dearly loved him. They would just gravitate toward Mr. Alfred because he was so kindhearted. One evening, as Alfred cleaned Greenwoods office, she suggested he take advantage of the teacher certification program, noting that he already had a degree and worked well with children. I told him about the program and he said, You know what, Im going to do it. Im going to do it, Ms. Greenwood, and Im going to prove to you that I can do this, said Greenwood, who is now principal of Charlton-Pollard Elementary. And so, true enough, he went through the entire program expeditiously and completed it. While Alfreds path to the classroom is unconventional, he has used it to connect with the students. The main reason I became a teacher was that I grew up just like a lot of the kids, Alfred said. My background is the same. My story is the same. But I wanted them to see that you can overcome your house, or your life, or your situation. I wanted them to see what success looks like. Kelli McBride of the Texas Education Agency runs the certification for the Grow Our Own program. She said teachers like Alfred are filling a growing need for educators in the district. As an educator myself, I see the need in the districts, McBride said. And weve got a lot of teachers that are retiring, so we always have to replenish that pool. McBride said Alfred is an example of what the teacher certification program can do for individuals, students and the community. When he walks in a room, and especially when I have gone to visit him in the classroom you can tell, he really makes a difference with the students, McBride said. So that is exactly what we look for with every single candidate. They are going out there and making the difference for the schools and the students that they serve. Alfred said connecting with students, and bridging the gap between home and school life, could be the first step in solving discipline and violence issues that have afflicted BISD and the surrounding community. I mean they are fighting in the parking lot, outside of school, Alfred said. These kids are exposed to things that 15, 20, 30 years ago, we didnt hear about. So why would I be someone that would not set the example? In addition to his experiences, Alfred said his identity allows him to be a positive role model for the kids. Sometimes you have to do it alone. I am a black educated man. We are rare. I didnt have anybody that looked like me growing up, he said. I look just like them, my hair is just like them, the way that I talk, my body language is just like them. They see me and they say, He look just like me, and he is a teacher. He uses those experiences to curtail bad behaviors and instill respect in his students, while teaching them how to cope with the stresses of life. BISD is a predominantly black school population and sometimes, especially our boys, they dont have enough role models to say, Hey look, I come from a similar background that you had, but you aint gotta be in that classroom acting like that. You know what I mean? he said. Listen to your teacher. Shes only there to help you, not hurt you. At the end of the day, Alfred said he can effect change starting at the beginning of a childs education and give back to a district that gave him a second chance. I teach kindergarten, and kindergarten and pre-K are the foundational levels. If you can reach them at this age, you have them for a lifetime, he said. If you can get them to enjoy school and understand that learning is a lifelong, not just K-12, but lifelong thing. Alfred does not look down on his time as a janitor. I wanted the learning environment of our students to be clean and conducive to learning, he said. I want people to know that I enjoyed being a janitor. Greenwood said that just as she inspired Alfred to be a teacher, he could inspire students and other potential teachers alike to make the most of their situations. Mr. Alfred definitely could serve as a role model for the kiddos that are in this community, Greenwood said. She described Alfred and herself as products of their communities who set an example with their passion to achieve. We really need mentors to show our kids that they too can rise above where they are, she said. Children certainly today need to see that they can rise above any situation. isaac.windes@hearstnp.com twitter.com/isaacdwindes Heading into Tuesdays New Hampshire primary, a new Quinnipiac University national poll has found a dramatic shift in the Democratic primary race for president with Sen. Bernie Sanders claiming frontrunner status for the first time, overtaking former Vice President Joe Biden. The poll released late Monday showed Sanders gets 25 percent of the vote among Democratic voters and independent voters who lean Democratic, while Biden gets 17 percent, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg receives 15 percent, Senator Elizabeth Warren gets 14 percent, former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg receives 10 percent, and Senator Amy Klobuchar gets 4 percent. No other candidate tops 2 percent. In a Jan. 28 poll, prior to the Iowa caucuses, Biden had a modest lead with 26 percent of the vote while Sanders got 21 percent, Warren had 15 percent, Bloomberg received 8 percent, Klobuchar got 7 percent, and Buttigieg received 6 percent. Biden scrambles to bounce back in frigid New Hampshire after an icy slide to 17 percent, his lowest national number," said Quinnipiac University Poll Analyst Tim Malloy. Is the Bloomberg camp prepping the white horse for him to ride to the rescue? Maybe not yet, but without setting foot in Iowa or New Hampshire, he is suddenly a looming shadow over the primary field," Malloy added. Among moderate and conservative Democrats and Democratic leaners, there is now a close race for the top spot. This group had favored Biden by a wide margin, but his challengers are making inroads. Today, Biden receives 22 percent, Bloomberg gets 21 percent, Sanders gets 17 percent, and Buttigieg receives 12 percent. Biden no longer dominates on the key question of electability, as 27 percent say Biden has the best chance of winning against Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, while 24 percent say Sanders, 17 percent say Bloomberg, and 9 percent say Buttigieg. In the January 28th poll, Biden led on this question with 44 percent, followed by Sanders at 19 percent and Bloomberg at 9 percent. Clearly Biden's fourth place finish in Iowa has hurt the perception of what was his biggest strength - electability, Malloy said. The 2020 presidential election Among all registered voters, Democratic candidates lead President Trump in general election matchups by between 4 and 9 percentage points, with Bloomberg claiming the biggest numerical lead against Trump: Bloomberg tops Trump 51 - 42 percent; Sanders defeats Trump 51 - 43 percent; Biden beats Trump 50 - 43 percent; Klobuchar defeats Trump 49 - 43 percent; Warren wins narrowly over Trump 48 - 44 percent; Buttigieg is also slightly ahead of Trump 47 - 43 percent. President Trump's favorability rating is underwater, as 42 percent of registered voters have a favorable opinion of him, while 55 percent have an unfavorable view of him. However, it is his best favorability rating since a March 7,, 2017 poll, when his favorability rating was a negative 43 - 53 percent. Afghanistan Interior Ministry on Tuesday said six people were killed and 12 others wounded in an explosion near a military academy in the capital Kabul. According to the ministry, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a roundabout close to the Marshal Fahim Military Academy. The Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said two civilians and four army personnel were killed and at least 12 others, including five civilians, were wounded. According to Rahimi, the figures are initial and subject to change adding that the site of the incident has been cordoned off by security forces. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. In a WhatsApp message, a Taliban spokesman told dpa that the insurgents were still investigating whether they were involved in the attack in any way. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the bombing a crime against humanity. Ghani said in a statement that the nation demands an immediate end to the violence and a durable ceasefire. Representatives of the Taliban and the U.S. are currently holding talks in Qatar aimed at ending the war in the country. The European Union Special Envoy for Afghanistan Roland Kobia tweeted following the attack: You want to be heard? Do politics, not butchery. Be it to derail peace talks or to put pressure on them, terrorist attacks are unacceptable and counterproductive. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Published Feb. 11, 2020 Third of three parts Read more about why we went to China. BEIJING When American executives first show up here, many seek out Randy Phillips, the CIAs former station chief in Beijing office who now works as a security consultant. Its then that Phillips, a fit middle-aged man who would not look out of place in a corporate boardroom, tells them the facts of life about doing business in China: The government will restrict access to certain markets. Their companies will likely have to find a Chinese partner, with whom they must share their technology. Legal norms that guide commerce in the United States and Europe wont necessarily apply here. Its a huge market you dont want to pass up, Phillips warns. But keep your eyes open. As the Trump administration seeks to rebalance the trade relationship between the United States and China, the U.S. is taking on a government resistant to relinquishing its tight controls over the domestic economy, a policy designed to not only advantage its own industries but maintain an ordered society. U.S. administrations going back decades have tried to persuade China to move away from central planning and embrace Western-style capitalism where the free market, not the government, determines the path of the economy. But in interviews with Chinese officials, few suggested that China has any intention of making the kind of substantive changes demanded by the Trump administration, such as ending subsidies to favored industries, which allow them to produce goods more cheaply than foreign competitors. Though Americans might be dismayed at Chinas refusal to adapt to their style of capitalism, Chinese officials generally exhibited unyielding confidence that their centrally controlled economy is the right path to prosperity. Asked about U.S. economic grievances, Zhou Mi, deputy director of the Institute of American and Oceanian Study, a think tank housed within Chinas Ministry of Commerce, steadily steered the conversation away from systemic changes toward Chinas willingness to buy more American goods to shrink the trade deficit. Chinese people want to cooperate, Zhou said. Relations with the United States can be more effective if trade is more balanced for both countries, if the U.S. can sell more things we need to us. On its face, China appears increasingly Westernized, with a fast-growing manufacturing sector, luxurious shopping malls and a steady rush of private companies competing with state-owned enterprises. Chinas central government, however, still maintains a heavy hand in the economy to give its industries an advantage in global markets and maintain an ordered society at home concepts as fundamental to the national identity as personal freedom and democracy are in the United States. The Trump administration is hoping to address some of its grievances, including intellectual property theft and Chinas tendency to devalue its currency to aid exports, through a phase one trade deal signed in January. But those who watch Chinas economy closely are skeptical the Chinese will carry through and make substantive changes. The Chinese have never behaved that way before, and its not in their self-interest, said Nelson Dong, a Seattle trade attorney with the law firm Dorsey & Whitney. There are people who have seriously thought about the future of China and decided market reforms are necessary. The problem is that runs against the agenda of the Communist Party. Theyre threatened by this notion of the market and these decentralized pockets of power. Opening up China began opening up to foreign investment in the late 1970s, under President Deng Xiaoping, to try to fix an ailing economy that had failed to keep pace with the rapid economic expansion of neighboring Japan and South Korea. But those reforms have not gone as far as American officials might have liked. From Communist Party leaders point of view, Western political and market-based economic systems have become messy and inefficient, and they can better raise the standard of living for their citizens through a government-controlled system that funnels money to preferred industries. Demand is determined not by the market but by government quotas on industrial and manufacturing output. Foreign companies operating in China are required to allow government officials to sit in their offices to act as de facto minders. A look at Chinas economic performance suggests the model has worked. Seventy years after Mao Zedong led a communist revolution, China has transformed itself from a poor nation of farmers to the worlds manufacturing hub with a fast-growing middle class that is the envy of Asia. Luxury-car dealerships selling Teslas and Bentleys are ubiquitous even in smaller Chinese cities; at night, teenagers dressed in designer brands fill shopping malls in Shanghai and Beijing to dine and mingle. Government officials are quick to note that the trappings of a rising middle class which is what most foreigners see obscure that China is still a developing nation. Despite the wealth of Beijing and Shanghai, nearly half the population remains in the countryside with a standard of living no better than some of the worlds poorest countries. To the governments way of thinking, the priority is to build industries to lift these people out of poverty, too. Subscribe to the FuelFix Newsletter: Get energy, oil, and gas news updates each weekday. When American companies complain about unfair treatment by the government, officials in Beijing will deny they are treated any differently from foreign companies operating in any country. However, behind the scenes, Chinese officials argue U.S. technology and expertise are the price of admission to their fast-growing economy. U.S. leaders long tolerated that position as the American economy benefited from a decadeslong partnership in which the United States supplied the technological know-how and China the manufacturing acumen. Now Chinas ascendency in the global economic order and Trumps move to protect American manufacturing and other industries from globalization have upended the relationship. Redefined relationship The Commerce Department is working on new regulations to limit the sale of U.S. technology such as robotics and artificial intelligence to China while also moving to limit the purchase of electronic components from China, which the U.S. fears could be used to spy on and sabotage American industry and the military. At the same time, China is working to build its own high-tech industries, at least in part to develop supply chains for components such as semiconductors and computer chips should the trade relationship with the United States worsen. Each side appears to be decoupling in certain high-tech sectors they think are particularly vulnerable, said Tim Stratford, a Beijing-based trade attorney with the law firm Covington & Burling. Its not exactly like were getting a divorce. Were redefining the terms of our relationship. Meanwhile, the trade conflict has weighed down both economies. Economic growth in China is at its lowest level in decades, and Beijing is hoping that it can smooth things over with money, or more precisely, buying more products to shrink the U.S. trade deficit and assuage President Donald Trump, who has made the imbalance a central tenet of the trade negotiations. Again and again, Chinese officials emphasized that this could be a boon for Texas energy companies, for whom China is a massive, growing market as economies in Europe and South America struggle. The core of this exchange is to address that deficit issue, and pork and farm goods wont do it, said He Zhenwi, a former top diplomat in Moscow and now secretary general of the China Overseas Development Association, a government economic development agency. Energy has to be in the mix to balance the trade. Not only oil and LNG but all the chemicals. These are much needed in China. Under the recent trade deal, China has agreed to buy $200 billion worth of American goods and services before next year, including more than $50 billion in energy products. Though that might offer Trump a modest victory, more U.S. exports to China wont address longstanding concerns in Washington about Chinas protectionist economic policies and rising global influence. In a speech in December, Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., proclaimed, For the first time in three decades, we are confronted with a near-peer rival that seeks to displace us militarily, economically, technologically and geopolitically. Following World War II, the United States and Europe developed a global system of free trade to try to move nations past the protectionist policies that drove them into economic competition and eventually war. But China is still a developing nation, and, in the minds of Chinese officials, it has every right to employ the same protectionist economic strategies the United States used in the 19th and 20th centuries to build its economy and dominate international commerce, said Dong, the Seattle-based attorney. A case in point is Chinas Belt and Road policy, through which China is funneling billions of dollars a year into infrastructure projects in developing countries in Asia, Africa and South America, giving Chinese contractors a steady stream of work while increasing Chinese influence abroad. From their perspective, institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Trade Organization were all instruments to spread American influence and power, Dong said. So theyre taking a chapter out of our own playbook. Some government and business elites who dominate political life in Beijing hope the country will move toward a market-based economy and reduce the role of the state both at home and abroad. But many observers, both inside and outside China, doubt that Xi and other top members of Chinas Communist Party share that desire. That is a difficult realization for Americans who came to China decades ago, hoping a free-market economy was coming. Some of us have built our whole careers on optimism, said Phillips, the security consultant in Beijing. And some of that was unfounded. Support our journalism Help our journalists uncover the big stories. Subscribe today. Part 1: Can Chinas economy maintain its meteoric rise? Part 2: The growth of Made in China James Osborne has been the Washington energy correspondent for the Houston Chronicle since 2016. Reach him by email at james.osborne@chron.com and follow him @osborneja. Designed by Stephanie Lamm and Jasmine Goldband. *** Taylor, a photographer and cultural documentarian as well as a writer, is not interested in presenting the Green Book as a time capsule. She wants to situate it within Americas ongoing struggle with race and social mobility, and makes the disheartening yet persuasive argument that the problems African-Americans face today from mass incarceration to police brutality to homicide are arguably just as debilitating and deadly as the problems the Green Book helped black people avoid more than 80 years ago. To prove her point, in an extraordinary feat of research, Taylor went on a nearly 40,000-mile road trip to visit 5,000 Green Book sites and photograph many of them. She found that fewer than 5 percent are still in business and 75 percent no longer exist most victims of so-called urban renewal. She witnessed the blight left in their wake: neglected communities that had once been safe havens for African-Americans but are now, she suggests, as unsafe as some of the sundown towns of the past. I saw America for what it is, not what it imagines itself or even aspires to be, she writes. Sorin, the director of the Cooperstown graduate program in museum studies at the State University of New York, also discusses the Green Book, as well as several other travel guides, but Driving While Black is more focused on the history of African-American car ownership and travel, exploring why both have been so important to African-American life. She notes that most blacks couldnt buy homes owing to racist laws and practices, and an automobile was often their most significant purchase. The car was also an essential weapon against Jim Crow; African-American automobile owners could create comfort zones for themselves where they escaped the demeaning treatment awaiting them on public buses and trains. As Sorin points out, The automobile made it more difficult, although not impossible, to enforce racial apartheid while cruising along the highways at 45 miles per hour. She describes well the vital role that black car owners played throughout the civil rights movement: In a segregated society, how else did activists, Martin Luther King Jr. included, travel safely and quickly from city to city and to and from airports? Car pools and taxi drivers got black people to work during the 381-day Montgomery bus boycott. Sorin offers a scholarly examination of the history of black mobility in this country from the antebellum period to now, including the ongoing quest by whites in power to deny or restrict that mobility. She draws a direct line from the past to today, citing data showing that African-Americans are 20 percent more likely to be pulled over than white drivers. And given that a traffic stop can lead to an African-American drivers death, this raises the question: Despite a Hollywood film that presented the subject as a period piece, how far removed are we from the days of the Green Book? Its a question both Taylor and Sorin appear to be asking. As Taylor puts it, America is so blinded by symbolism that it cant or wont tackle the pervasive, relentless forces that created the environment for the Green Book to thrive in the first place. United States officials are reporting an increase in Chinese economic espionage cases. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has about 1,000 cases related to suspected Chinese theft of American intellectual property, U.S. officials announced last week. Officials said that they expect those investigations to lead to criminal charges against several people and businesses later this year. The investigations involve all 56 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) field offices across the country. They involve nearly every industry and part of the U.S. economy, noted FBI Director Christopher Wray. He was speaking at a press conference about the Justice Departments program to fight Chinese economic espionage. "They're not just targeting defense sector companies," Wray said at the news conference, adding "they're also targetingresearch at our universities." The FBI's China-related investigations have grown over the past 20 years and are now at an all-time high, said John Brown. He is the assistant director for the FBI's counter-intelligence office. China-related arrests have also increased in recent years. During a recent 12-month period, FBI agents arrested 24 people in China-related cases, U.S. records show. That is 15 more arrests than five years earlier. Since October 1, 2019, agents have made 19 more arrests. The Justice Department announced action against China in 2018 after it found increasing evidence of Chinese economic espionage. Since then, the department has brought charges in more than 12 Chinese economic espionage cases. Harvard professor arrested Last month, the Department announced criminal charges against a Harvard University professor and two others in the Boston area. Charles Lieber was chairman of Harvard's Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology. He was charged with lying to U.S. officials about his ties to China. Speaking at the recent press conference, federal officials said they think more Chinese economic cases might be coming. Andrew Lelling is the U.S. attorney for the District of Massachusetts. His office is representing the federal government in the Lieber case. Lelling says he expects to announce additional China cases out of Boston. The city and surrounding area are home to numerous well-known universities and research institutions. Richard Donoghue is U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. His office is prosecuting Huawei Technologies for intellectual property theft and violating U.S. sanctions on Iran. Donoghue said he expects an increase in Chinese intellectual theft-related cases, "not only of individuals but of companies." Prosecutions of individuals, prosecution of companies, outreach to (universities) and the technology industry, I think in the long run, that will lessen the chance for conflict between the United States and (China)," Donoghue said. Lelling and Donoghue sit on the justice department's China Initiative working group. It was set up to prevent and prosecute thefts of American technology and intellectual property. China denies it is involved in espionage or intellectual property theft. The Justice Department's push to take action against those accused of espionage has swept up Chinese nationals and Chinese American researchers. That has led to criticism from Chinese American groups and universities concerned about protecting academic freedom. But university and law enforcement officials say both sides are beginning to trust each other. Mary Sue Coleman is president of the American Association of Universities. She said information from the Justice Department and the FBI helps university officials explain to professors and researchers that the threat is real. Im Susan Shand. VOAs Masood Farivar reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. _______________________________________________________________ Words in This Story espionage n. the act of spying or secretly gathering information theft n. the act of stealing intellectual adj. relating to ideas or the mind sector n. a part of an economy that includes certain kinds of jobs attorney n. a lawyer counter-intelligence adj. involving activities that are designed to limit spying or intelligence gathering prosecute v. to hold a trial against a person who is accused of a crime to see if that person is guilty sanction n. a threatened punishment for disobeying a rule or law academic adj. relating to schools or education DES MOINES Iowans seeking to end gun violence came to the Capitol on Monday to press for gun safety laws while gun-rights proponents pressed ahead with proposals to create more situations where Iowans with proper permits could carry weapons legally. A coalition of organizations pushed for what they called common-sense gun laws and spoke against efforts to amend language in the Iowa Constitution to specify Iowans right to own a gun and add heightened legal protection to that right. Backers say the strict scrutiny language is a protection against future attempts by lawmakers to place restrictions on the right to own a gun. Connie Ryan, executive director of the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and a member of the We Can End Gun Violence Iowa coalition, said she is concerned the strict scrutiny provision would bend the arc in a direction that would change the states path and eventually harm children and communities. Were here to say we can end gun violence in Iowa, Ryan told a Statehouse news conference where coalition members supported background checks, raising the gun possession age to 21, and banning things such as assault-style weapons and bump stocks. Meanwhile, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 10-3 Monday to allow Iowans with gun permits to carry a weapon onto school grounds. Committee chairman Sen. Brad Zaun, R-Urbandale, said the goal is to strengthen peoples rights after a period when Second Amendment rights were weakened. As for the proposed change to the constitution, he noted it would have to be approved by the next General Assembly and then go to voters in 2022. Ultimately, it will be up to the voters to decide, he said. The battle over who should regulate firearms played out in a House Public Safety subcommittee hearing Monday on House Study Bill 615. The proposal would pre-empt local zoning regulation of the establishment, use or maintenance of shooting ranges. The bill also would extend the pre-emption of local government regulation of weapons to include firearms attachments and require that if weapons are restricted in a public space, such as a city hall, arrangements must be made to hire armed security or screen people entering the building. Lobbyists for local government objected to the Legislature usurping local control. Scott Peterson of Mount Vernon, representing Iowans for Gun Safety, told the three-member subcommittee that people have more confidence in their local board of supervisors than in the Legislature to make those decisions. Richard Rogers of West Des Moines, representing the Iowa Firearms Coalition, said the groups main focus is to pre-empt local weapons regulations to prevent a patchwork quilt of regulations. The Interfaith Alliances Ryan contended gun legislation should be viewed through the lens of public safety. Nothing in the bill suggested the safety of communities had been considered, she said. Its often in the best interest of the community to have a sense of local control, she said. Republican Reps. Steven Holt of Denison and Jarad Klein of Keota signed the bill to send it to the full committee, which Klein leads. The discussion of the bill exposed a philosophical difference, Holt said. Everyone wants to cut down on gun violence, he said. The difference is in how we get there. He cited a recent Texas church shooting where a gun-carrying person instantly eliminated the threat of a person who shot and killed church members. It is never about the gun, Holt said. Its about the character of the person holding that gun. Gun-free zones, Holt added, are an invitation to crazy people. In addition, a patchwork of local regulations would make it nearly impossible for law-abiding citizens to know if they are following the law as they move around Iowa, Holt said. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 0 Roadshows are integral to fund-raising -- foreign investors get to meet the promoters and query them face-to-face on company prospects. These are typically held a month or two or even a few weeks prior to the scheduled fund raise. Singapore and Hong Kong, besides the US and Britain, are key for Indian firms that embark on roadshows. Corporates dont want to travel to these geographies because of the global alert and health risks, said a senior investment banker, on condition of anonymity. The outbreak of coronavirus is likely to impact fundraising activity this financial year, with Indian firms cancelling or postponing roadshows in the Asia-Pacific region, specifically financial hubs of Singapore and Hong Kong, said three people familiar with the matter. Roadshows are integral to fund-raising -- foreign investors get to meet the promoters and query them face-to-face on company prospects. These are typically held a month or two or even a few weeks prior to the scheduled fund raise. Singapore and Hong Kong, besides the US and Britain, are key for Indian firms that embark on roadshows. Corporates dont want to travel to these geographies because of the global alert and health risks, said a senior investment banker, on condition of anonymity. The brake in roadshows comes amid a busy fund-raising calendar for India Inc. Initial public offerings (IPOs) of equity worth Rs 17,300 crore have approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi); another Rs 24,000 crore awaits approval. Plus, the central government plans share sales to meet its 2019-20 disinvestment target. Some prominent names in the queue for public share sales are SBI Cards & Payment Services, Home First Finance, Bajaj Energy, Easy Trip Planners, Equitas Small Finance Bank, Shriram Properties, Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders, ESAF Small Finance Bank, IRFC and Apeejay Surrendra Park Hotels. Avenue Supermarts is expected to launch a Rs 7,000-crore qualified institutional placement this month, with the aim of reducing the promoter stake. The timelines of some of these could get impacted. The unrest in Hong Kong had impacted shows in the region and the outbreak of coronavirus could lead to outright cancellations. We havent cancelled any roadshows in Singapore so far, but are keeping a close eye on the situation and will take a decision based on what transpires in the next few days, said Amishi Kapadia, group president and global head for merchant banking at YES Securities. We are avoiding roadshows in Hong Kong but are meeting investors in Singapore, the US and UK. Some of the meetings are being converted into video or conference calls. So, its not really impacting deal timelines, said Jibi Jacob, head of equity capital markets at Edelweiss Investment Banking. But video calls are not feasible for firms that plan to raise Rs 1,000 crore or more, say experts. Investors are interested in meeting the promoters face-to-face, not just poring over numbers. They want to see how the promoters present themselves and understand their vision, even quiz them one-on-one. These are things you just cant do over a call or video conference, said a senior investment banker. These meets, he said, are also indispensable for companies that are not well understood or that come with a unique value proposition, with fewer comparable peers. Global investor meets are also getting affected. We have deferred our global investor meet (in Singapore and Hong Kong) due to the outbreak of coronavirus, said ICICI Securities in an e-mail response. The coronavirus outbreak in China and its spread has roiled markets across the world, with Asian equity markets down by 4-6 per cent from their mid-January peak. In China and Asia, near-term business activity and consumption will likely be significantly impacted as people curtail their movements as a preventive measure Given expectations of further escalation in the numbers of infections and deaths related to the coronavirus, anxiety, nervousness and market pessimism internationally should increase globally in the short term, goes a recent note from Franklin Templeton. Photograph: Aly Song / Reuters. Greek lawmaker sanctioned for tearing Turkish flag Ioannis Lagos is one of the most prominent figures of Golden Dawn, a far-right racist political party in Greece. EU lawmaker Ioannis Lagos, who ripped apart a Turkish flag, was penalized, the European Parliaments President David Sassoli announced on Tuesday. For using an insulting language and tearing apart a national symbol, Lagos will lose seven days of his daily allowance and his parliamentary activities will be suspended for four consecutive days starting on Feb. 11. The financial penalty totals 2,261 ($2,469). HE TORE TURKISH FLAG INTO PIECES The incident happened during the last plenary session in January when EU lawmakers were debating the humanitarian situation on the Greek islands. Lagos accused the EU of ignoring the rights of Greeks and described a dramatic situation in Greece. The Greek MEP blamed Turkey for the stream of migrants coming into his country and getting away with whatever it likes. He then tore into pieces a Turkish flag made of paper, and said: Lets put an end to this. In a swift response, the chair of the session called for restraint, adding that such behavior was not acceptable. Sassoli started a sanction procedure against Lagos the following day. Last October, Italian MEP Angelo Ciocca was suspended from five days of activities and deprived of 10 days of daily allowance after throwing a box of Turkish delight during a debate over Turkeys counter-terrorism Operation Peace Spring in northern Syria. New Delhi/IBNS: Nine months after getting crushed by the mighty Narendra Modi-Amit Shah duo in the 2019 General Elections, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came back like a Phoenix in the assembly elections on Tuesday riding on the issues of governance challenging the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s agenda of nationalism. Though the voter turnout was slightly less than the 2015 assembly elections, Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) went passed 60 seats mark (62) to reduce the BJP to single-digit figure reminding the saffron party of its horrific result five years ago in the national capital. Though the BJP picked up the fight in the second and third hours of counting on Tuesday by crossing the 20 seats mark, the AAP came back strong to touch 62, five less seats than the last assembly polls, leaving eight for the BJP and a blank for the grand old party, the Congress. Though Kejriwal looked a happy man as he was not only celebrating AAP's victory but also his wife Sunita's birthday on Tuesday, the campaign trail was not all cheerful over the last couple of cold winter months in the national capital. Almost right from the beginning it was clear that the BJP were sure of raising the nationalistic agenda as the last nine to ten months of Modi 2.0 fulfilled one after the other poll promises including the abrogation of Article 370 and the enactment of Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), which aims to grant citizenship to persecuted non-Muslims who came to India from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan before 2015. Striking a deal with poll strategist Prashant Kishore, whose one of the latest clients is West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's party Trinamool Congress (TMC), just before the polls, Kejriwal played strategically by not playing in the hands of the BJP and slowly building an alternate narrative, which the entire Opposition had failed to construct in front of the Modi-Shah duo in the 2019 General Elections. Freebies After facing the Lok Sabha debacle, the AAP government had resorted to the politics of giving freebies to the people of the national capital. On Aug 1, 2019, Kejriwal holding a press conference had announced people who consume up to 200 units of electricity will not have to pay anything. Also the government had announced that people who consume 201 units to 401 units of electricity will also get 50 per cent power subsidy. Two months later, the AAP government had come up with another idea of giving free rides to women in government buses which was projected as a gift to the sisters on "Bhai Duj". AAP skips Shaheen Bagh and JNU Though the BJP could not afford to lose focus on the Shaheen Bagh protest, where several Muslim women and men are protesting against the CAA for close to two months now, the AAP preferred to stay away from it, if not ignore it. Unlike Congress' Shashi Tharoor who went to Shaheen Bagh in solidarity with the protests, Kejriwal and his party never visited the protest site though not completely discarded the cause of the agitation. When he was asked on a television channel to come clear on CAA, Kejriwal safely said, "What is the need of it? When the country is going through such economic slide, what is the need for such law." Though the students of JNU were beaten up by some masked men in the city, Kejriwal, reminding people that the Delhi Police is under the central government, stayed away from standing beside the protesting students who had got a host of Bollywood celebrities including Deepika Padukone by their side. "If my visit had ended the CAA and NRC, then I would have finished it within five minutes. But my visit would not end it but the central government will have to do it. If the central government rolls back CAA and NRC, then all will go back to their homes and get back to work," Kejriwal had said when he was pestered on why he was not visiting Shaheen Bagh. Trying to rise above politics, Kejriwal on the second last day of the campaign trail even went on to say the person, who had fired in Shaheen Bagh, must be punished doubly if he has any link to the AAP as was claimed by the Delhi Police. "The shooter should be punished no matter which party he belongs to. If he belongs to AAP, he should be punished double. If the normal punishment is 10 years jail term then he must get 20 years jail term if he has an AAP link," he had said. 3 obvious lessons for BJP after Delhi: 1) Ideological issues must be supplemented by a solid governance agenda 2) There has to be a vibrant local unit with mohalla presence, & not merely during polls 3) A chief ministerial face is a must. Modi-Shah cant be a substitute. Swapan Dasgupta (@swapan55) February 11, 2020 BJP's Shaheen Bagh statements go wrong Noting down the number of seats the AAP and BJP have got, it can be well concluded that the people of Delhi have certainly did not approve the words uttered by the BJP leaders including Union Home Minister Amit Shah regarding Shaheen Bagh. While Home Minister Shah's statement that "press the button of BJP (on EVM machine) so hard, that current reaches Shaheen Bagh" had drawn much criticisms, leaders like Anurag Thakur, Parvesh Verma and Kapil Mishra had invited stringent steps from the Election Commission (EC). The Election Commission (EC) had banned Thakur, who had led people to chant "shoot the traitors (Shaheen Bagh protesters)", for 72 hours and Verma, who had said the Shaheen Bagh protesters will enter into the homes of Delhi people and rape women, for 96 hours. Mishra also faced ban from the EC for comparing the Delhi polls with a contest between "India and Pakistan", leading AAP leader Sanjay Singh to say on Tuesday, "Hindustan has won in the fight between India and Pakistan," with a tone of mockery. Not holding back, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was barely seen in the campaign, had termed the anti-CAA protests in the national capital as "political conspiracy" and not a "coincidence". When asked about such statement, Kejriwal's wife Sunita told India Today on Tuesday, "These statements are not good. We should fight and talk on issues." Focusing on developmental agendas Though the BJP tried tooth and nail to steer the election campaign on the nationalistic agendas with even flaunting the construction of "sky-touching" Ram Temple in Uttar Pradesh's Ayodhya, the AAP, led by Kejriwal, wanted people to look into the developmental works. "I appeal to people that vote for me if you think I have worked. Do not vote for me if you think I have not worked. It needs guts to make this statement," the Delhi Chief Minister had said these words keeping his focus on the developmental agendas. "aaa aaaa aaa aaaa aaa aa aaaa aaaY aaaa, aaa aaaa aaa aaaa aaaa aaa aa aaaY aa aaaa" Before elections @ArvindKejriwal made this bold call and the rest is history! pic.twitter.com/MJwBclgokw AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 Soft-Hindutva? Just ahead of the day when Delhi was about to vote, a video went viral on social media where Kejriwal was spotted reciting Hindu devotional hymn Hanuman Chalisa. He even went on to call himself a "Hanuman-bhakt" in the same interview. Indicating a possible new avatar of Kejriwal, who does not want to shy away from his religion, the re-elected Chief Minister visited Hanuman Mandir on Tuesday after registering a landslide victory. Victim card Much like Prime Minister Modi can turn every abuse on him in his favour, Kejriwal seems to have adapted the style in the run up to the Delhi polls. Staying calm and reacting to Parvesh Verma's statement where he had called Kejriwal a "terrorist", the AAP chief had left it up to the voters to decide. Verma was heard in a Jan 25 video saying, "We hear instances of Hindu women picked up by Muslim men... no action is taken as terrorists like Kejriwal are hidden everywhere...Should we fight with Pakistan terrorists in Kashmir or with terrorists like Kejriwal?" In reply, Kejriwal said, "The BJP people are saying Kejriwal is a terrorist. I have worked for you (people) as your son for five years. Now I leave it to you to decide whether I am your son or terrorist." "BJP is calling me a terrorist. Throughout my life, I have struggled for the people, everyday I try to work for the people and this nation. I have provided good education to our children. Does that make me a terrorist?" he said. (Images: AAP and Arvind Kejriwal Twitter handles) Nepal is preparing to bring back its 180 nationals struck in China's Wuhan city, the epicentre of the deadly coronavirus that has killed over 1,000 people, officials said here. The disease emerged in December in a market in central China's Wuhan city that sold wild animals, and spread rapidly. Outside China, there have been more than 350 infections reported in almost 30 places with two deaths, one in the Philippines and the other in Hong Kong. Nepal government is preparing to bring back Nepalese nationals currently residing in Wuhan city of China through a chartered flight of Nepal Airlines in a few days, official sources said. The government is preparing to send the aircraft to China around mid-February after 180 Nepalese nationals who were struck in Wuhan city, registered their names in the Nepalese embassy in Beijing seeking evacuation, the sources said. The government said it is setting up an isolation centre before bringing the Nepalese nationals from Wuhan. Five Nepalese nationals were admitted to a government hospital in Kathmandu for the suspected virus infection after they returned from China last fortnight. However, only one of them was found to be infected and he has already been cured, according to health ministry sources. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak has gone up to 1,016 with 108 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of infection have soared to 42,638, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Asia 15 Rohingya Women, Children Dead as Fishing Trawler Sinks in Bay of Bengal Rohingya refugees rescued after a fishing boat sank early in the morning on Feb. 11 are taken to a nearby jetty in Teknaf Subdistrict, Coxs Bazar. / Supplied At least 15 Rohingya women and children were found dead and several dozen were rescued as a large Malaysia-bound fishing trawler carrying around 120 people capsized and sank early Tuesday morning in the Bay of Bengal near St. Martins Island, according to Bangladeshi rescue officials. Bangladeshi navy commanding officer Commander Zaynal Abedin told The Irrawaddy that the incident took place between 2:00 a.m. and 3:00 a.m. Tuesday and the authorities received the information later through fishermen. We joined the rescue operation sooner after receiving the information, he said, and added that all the Rohingya refugees on board were heading towards Malaysia. The navy headquarters stated that of the 15 deceased, 12 were women and three were children. Seventy-three people were rescued alive, including 24 men, 46 women and three children. There are reports that many passengers are still missing but the numbers have not been confirmed, said Bangladeshi Coast Guard Lieutenant Nayeem ul Haque, who was involved in the rescue operation. He told The Irrawaddy that the coast guard was not sure how the trawler capsized as they found it submerged. We havent had the opportunity to ask survivors about the incident. We just rescued them, brought them to our facilities, administered first-aid, provided meals and they are now resting. The identities of the Rohingya on board, including which camp they came from, could not be confirmed, the officials said, adding that the navy and coast guard continued their search and rescue operations until 10:00 a.m. The coast guard official said the trawler was overloaded with passengers by middlemen who lured Rohingya to travel to Malaysia by sea. We have yet to identify the middlemen, said Lt. Nayeem. We learned that another similar trawler was in the area. We employed our ships and high-speed boats to trace them but did not find them. In Coxs Bazar, the officer in charge of the Teknaf Subdistrict Police Station, Pradip Kumar Das, told local media that preparations were under way for the burial of bodies brought from St. Martin to Teknafs Shah Parir Dwip area. Coxs Bazar District Chief Administrator Kamal Hossain was holding a meeting with top district law enforcement officials on Tuesday and could not answer directly about the implications of the incident for security in the area. A local journalist, who asked to remain anonymous out of fear of reprisal, told The Irrawaddy that he learned Rohingya from Teknaf and Ukhia subdistricts in Coxs Bazar were preparing for the voyage on two large fishing trawlers on Monday night. I was rushing toward Noakhalipara in the night but I was stopped at the security checkpoint at Raju Khal on Marine Drive, the journalist said. There were 120 of them to a trawler and they got on board at about 1:00 a.m. from Noakhalipara in Teknaf, which has a long stretch of coast. Rohingya rights activist and anti-trafficking analyst Nur Khan Liton told The Irrawaddy that this sort of disaster in now common and will likely continue to occur. This type of tragic incident will be repeated as long as the international community cannot assure the Rohingyas better conditions, livelihoods and sustainable repatriation to Myanmar, he said. Basically, they are looking for better lives in Malaysia, as others like them have in the past and will continue to do in the future. We all are responsible for this tragedy, he lamented. The incident took place on the same day that Bangladesh and other countries met for a meeting on the Bali Process on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crime in the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo. It is the fifth planning and preparedness meeting for the Bali Process and focuses on how to effectively raise regional awareness of the consequences of human smuggling, trafficking in persons and related transnational crime. You may also like these stories: Rohingya Robbery Suspect Killed in Gunfight After Refugee Camp Shooting Bangladeshi Army Installs Barbwire Fence Along Rohingya Camps This is by no means a complete roster of all the excellent, ethically produced chocolates on the market. Its a short list of the bars that I buy and eat regularly. All, except Valrhona, are American-made, because thats what I find most easily available. Use it as a starting point to choose your own favorites. This New Orleans chocolate maker specializes in fragrant, tangy bars made from Peruvian and Mexican chocolate, some with Louisiana sugar. One of the first of the new wave of American bean-to-bar makers, this San Francisco company makes exceptional bars with only two ingredients: cacao and sugar. [Learn more about how chocolate is made.] This Northern California outfit gets a lot of attention for its black-fig chocolate bar, but I also love its Belize single-origin drinking chocolate. LAS VEGAS, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / CBA Florida, Inc. ( www.cbafloridainc.com ) (OTC PINK:CBAI) ("CBAI" or the "Company") today announced that its Board of Directors (the "Board") has approved a Plan of Liquidation and Dissolution of the Company (the "Plan of Dissolution" or the "Plan"), subject to shareholder approval. The Company presently intends to hold an annual meeting of its shareholders (the "Annual Meeting") in the second quarter of 2020 for purposes of the election of directors, approving the Plan of Dissolution, and to vote on other related matters and proposals that might arise. If the shareholders approve the Plan of Dissolution, the Company intends to file articles of dissolution, satisfy or resolve its remaining liabilities and obligations, including but not limited to known and unknown contingent liabilities and claims, costs associated with the liquidation and dissolution, taxes payable, and other contingencies and costs. If the shareholders approve the Plan, the Board currently intends to make an initial distribution of at least $0.0048 per share as promptly as reasonably possible thereafter. Prior to the filing of articles of dissolution, the Board will continue to evaluate any strategic alternatives available to the Company in accordance with its fiduciary duties to the Company and its shareholders. David Sandberg, CBAI's Chairman, stated, "After devoting substantial time and effort in identifying and pursuing opportunities to maximize shareholder value, including discussions of a stock sale with multiple parties that ultimately failed, the Board has decided to move forward with a dissolution, subject to shareholder approval. The Board engaged one of the top global economic consulting firms, which recently completed an estimate of certain liabilities of the Company, in order to confirm the Company is in a position to make a cash distribution. In the coming weeks, the Company intends to announce the date of the Annual Meeting and will file preliminary proxy materials." About CBA Florida, Inc. CBA Florida, Inc., formerly Cord Blood America, Inc., does not currently have any active business operations and consists of the cash, receivables, and liabilities remaining post-closing of the sale of substantially all of the Company's assets. Forward-Looking Statements Some statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. The Company uses words such as "anticipate," "believe," "expect," "future," "intend," "plan," and similar expressions to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are based largely on the Company's expectations and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the Company's control. Actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, risks and uncertainties associated with its continuing limited operations, as well as liabilities and third-party claims currently existing or which may arise in the future. The Company encourages you to review other factors that may affect its future results in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of these risks and uncertainties, there can be no assurance that the forward-looking information contained in this press release will in fact occur. The Company does not undertake, and the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences, developments, events, or circumstances after the date of such statement. Investor Contact: Anthony Snow asnow@cbafloridainc.com SOURCE: CBA Florida, Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576058/CBA-Florida-Inc-Announces-Intent-to-Call-Shareholder-Meeting-Proposes-Approval-of-Plan-of-Liquidation-and-Dissolution Getty Images House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to write her own federal spending plan, rejecting Donald Trump's latest budget proposal as "heartless." The Democratic leader, echoed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, used a midday press conference to slam the president's fiscal 2021 spending blueprint over its proposed cuts to social safety net programs like Medicare and Medicaid. "If there is a senior in your family on Medicaid, you are getting cut. ... Two thirds of long term care is paid for by Medicaid. This is a middle-class benefit," Ms Pelosi told reporters, saying Mr Trump's proposed spending reductions would hurt rural hospitals and curb federal opioid abuse treatment programs. Mr Trump's popularity is strongest in rural areas. Mr Schumer, who vowed Democrats will "fight every penny" of the funding amounts proposed by the White House, said the president's election-year spending plan does little to help "average Americans [who are] struggling to keep up." "Trump likes to talk about the 'forgotten man and women,'" Mr Schumer said, contending Mr Trump's policies do little to help that segment of the country. The Senate Democratic leader, citing a staff analysis of the spending plan, contended it "slashes both" Medicare and Medicaid, including calling for $1 trillion in funding reductions to the former and "hundreds of billions" for the latter. Mr Schumer's claim comes one day after Mr Trump said the opposite during an event at the White House with GOP governors. "So we're putting out a plan today that, over a period of not that long a period of time, brings our budget and our deficit down to what it should be, which is close to zero. And I think people are going to be very impressed by it," Mr Trump said. Democrats are far more disgusted than anything close to "impressed." Mr Trump added: "We're not touching Medicare. We want to keep Medicare. We're not touching Social Security. We're making our country stronger again. We're not decreasing Medicaid. But we're doing a lot of things that are very good, including ... tremendous waste and tremendous fraud." Story continues But Mr Schumer told reporters the president "just lies" about such things. On climate policy, Mr Schumer said the White House's spending plan would "make it worse" with cuts to programs that foster solar and wind energy programs. He also noted Antarctica recently had a record high of 64 degrees, but Mr Trump's budget would "douse" the "fire" and then "fire the fire department." Notably, however, when the president on Monday was asked about Medicare and Medicaid, he pivoted in his answer to making threats about America's nuclear arms arsenal. "We're taking good care of our military. We're increasing spending on our nuclear program because we have no choice because of what China is doing, what Russia is doing, in particular. And so we have a very big number in for that," Mr Trump said of his spending plan's proposed $46 billion hike for atomic weapons programs. "Now, at the same time, Russia and China both want to negotiate with us to stop this craziness of spending billions and billions of dollars on nuclear weapons," he said, flashing his dovish side. "But the only way, until we have that agreement, the only thing I can do is create, by far, the strongest nuclear force anywhere in the world," Mr Trump told the state chiefs executive, who were doing the questioning while reporters looked on in the White House's State Dining Room. But Ms Pelosi did not change the subject the next day. "The budget is the heart of the matter, it's where it all begins," she said of lawmakers' work to write yearly agency spending bills. "And this is a heartless budget." Notably, the Democratic leaders noted Mr Trump's plan violates a budget agreement reached last year for fiscal 2021. "We're going to write our bills according to the agreement that we have with the administration," Ms Pelloi said, noting that is what House Democrats did last year. "That's what we will do again." Read more Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies Trump budget built on proposals for conservative base in election year Trump set to divert billions more to border wall from military budget The United States on Tuesday allowed non-essential consulate staff to leave Hong Kong as the city grappled with the coronavirus outbreak. A State Department spokesman said that such workers and their family members were authorised to leave if they wished to do so out of an abundance of caution related to uncertainties associated with the disease, adding that the US consulate in the city would remain open. The move came as Hong Kong confirmed seven new cases on Tuesday, bringing the local tally to 49. Carrie Lam did not receive an immediate response to her pleas to diplomats to rule out travel restrictions for Hongkongers and potential visitors to the city, according to an inside account of a meeting. Photo: Jonathan Wong Separately, city leader Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor earlier pleaded with senior diplomats in the city to help with mask supplies while warning the governments they represent not to impose travel restrictions, the Post learned. Lam spoke with about 50 consuls general and overseas business leaders based in the city in a 1-hour meeting on Monday afternoon, but the envoys did not immediately respond to her appeal, according to several sources. A diplomat present told the Post that Lam insisted her administrations anti-contagion measures were working as she gave an account of the situation in the city, which has confirmed 49 cases of the virus that originated in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Sources said that Lam did not discuss any possible future interventions during the sit-down, instead telling them the government was still at the containment stage in its battle against the virus by reducing cross-border traffic and encouraging social distancing. Lam was said to have appealed to the diplomats to help her governments efforts in sourcing personal protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, amid the global shortage. She did say the challenge the Hong Kong government faces now is not the lack of [quarantine facilities] but the lack of PPEs, a second source who had knowledge of the situation said. The Hong Kong government has ordered 40 million masks from suppliers around the world, but so far only 3 million had been shipped, according to Lam. The citys Hospital Authority previously said its mask supplies would only last a month. Story continues Lam was also said to have told those at the meeting that any travel restrictions against Hong Kong at this stage were unwarranted. Mrs Lam said she noted some countries had adopted travel restrictions on Chinese citizens, and some had imposed those restrictions on Hong Kong residents, said another diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. She emphasised there was no reason for imposing such restrictions as the Hong Kong government had taken measures to contain the spread of the virus, the third source said. Lam said we appeal to you not to impose travel restrictions on Hong Kong residents. The embattled leaders remarks were also interpreted by some in diplomatic circles as a plea not to issue travel alerts against visiting Hong Kong, which would likely lead foreign businesses to do the same for their staff. But the sources said the consuls general did not respond to that request at the meeting, which then moved on to other topics. Another source familiar with the meeting said the gathering was specially arranged but normal given the circumstances. Mondays meeting was also attended by top Hong Kong officials, including deputy leader Matthew Cheung Kin-chung, commerce minister Edward Yau Tang-wah and permanent secretary for food and health Philip Yung Wai-hung. More than 2,100 people have been placed under quarantine at home or in hotels after having recently been in mainland China. Anyone violating a quarantine order could be fined a maximum of HK$25,000 (US$3,220) and jailed for six months, Lam has rejected calls for a full border closure and on Tuesday said such a move was already pointless given the number of local cases emerging. As of Tuesday evening, Hong Kong had 49 confirmed cases of the new deadly virus. One of those patients has died. The Philippines, Kuwait and Taiwan have imposed entry restrictions on Hongkongers since last week, while Italy has banned all flights from the city. Some airlines in the United States and India have cancelled flights serving Hong Kong. South Korea on Tuesday will also screen travellers from Hong Kong more stringently and require them to make health declarations. Local public heath experts have repeatedly warned of the risk of a community outbreak after new patients included those who had no recent travel history to Hubei province, which is at the epicentre of the outbreak, or the mainland, where more than 1,000 people have died from the pathogen. Additional reporting by Christy Leung More from South China Morning Post: This article Coronavirus: United States allows non-essential consulate staff to leave Hong Kong as city grapples with outbreak first appeared on South China Morning Post For the latest news from the South China Morning Post download our mobile app. Copyright 2020. Philadelphia Councilmember Kendra Brooks before being inaugurated on Jan. 6. Brooks benefited from more than $400,000 in outside spending during her campaign. Read more When the U.S. Supreme Court helped open the floodgates for an unprecedented deluge of political spending by outside groups a decade ago, progressive politicians decried the decision as a step toward an oligarchic system dominated by the super-wealthy. In the ensuing years, outside spending has indeed skyrocketed across the country. And on the federal level, it has primarily benefited Republicans. But in Philadelphia, it is the progressive left that that has best capitalized on the new Wild West in campaign finance law following the 2010 Citizens United ruling and other decisions. Liberals have been beating establishment Democrats with the help of outside groups that outspend the candidates themselves. And campaign finance reform is no longer the rallying cry it once was. Its an interesting reality to have folks or groups who may decry Citizens United then utilizing the tools that are made available by it, said Patrick Christmas, policy director for the good government group Committee of Seventy. But in campaigns, people play to win, and I dont think that will ever change. The impact of well-funded super PACs political action committees that can raise unlimited amounts of money but are prohibited from coordinating with candidates campaigns may be greater in Philadelphia than in other places in Pennsylvania because of strict limits on the size of donations that candidates themselves can collect. Candidates in Philadelphia can currently only accept checks of $3,000 or less from individuals and $12,000 or less from PACs. There are no limits on contributions to candidates for state office. Mayor Jim Kenney won his 2015 race with help from a major outside spending campaign supported by the building trades unions. District Attorney Larry Krasners 2017 victory was boosted by almost $1.5 million from the liberal philanthropist George Soros. The most recent example was Novembers unprecedented victory by Kendra Brooks of the Working Families Party, who became the first candidate from outside the two major parties to win a City Council seat in more than a century. READ MORE: How Kendra Brooks and the Working Families Party beat the odds to win in Philadelphia Brooks and her unsuccessful running mate Nicolas ORourke set fund-raising records for third-party candidates in Philadelphia, largely from small-dollar donors, by bringing in more than $350,000. And her campaign was buttressed by the work of hundreds of committed volunteers from an array of preexisting progressive groups. But she also benefited from more than $400,000 in outside spending by the national Working Families Party campaign committee, an eye-popping sum for an at-large City Council race. Im very thankful for my small-dollar donations and people in the community supporting me, but the reality is a lot of the money that came from some of the larger organizations helped us get over the top," Brooks said last week. I couldnt have done it without it. In 2015, Kenney built a coalition of progressives and players from the citys Democratic establishment to beat another candidate with major outside support: State Sen. Anthony Hardy Williams (D., Phila.), who benefited from millions in outside spending by three founding partners of the Susquehanna International Group investment firm in Bala Cynwyd. Its clear that the Supreme Courts Citizens United ruling has allowed a few wealthy outsiders to have the loudest voice in Philadelphias election," Kenney said during that campaign, aiming a barb at Williams. As mayor, I will fight to eliminate the influence of money in campaigning and governance. Kenneys administration hasnt taken significant action on campaign finance reform. Brooks said that while her campaign benefited from good timing in the broader political environment, reducing the influence of money in elections is still important because other outsider campaigns might not be as fortunate. Support for Brooks from the Service Employees International Union and its local chapters is illustrative of the new reality in city elections. SEIU money flowed through numerous channels to boost Brooks and ORourke. The unions money went to the candidates themselves, to the Working Families Partys independent expenditure campaign, to the progressive organization One Pennsylvania, of which the union is a major backer, and to various local groups it has long supported and that took to the streets for the candidates. The union also had hundreds of members who volunteered for the Working Families Party candidates. In some elections, especially in presidential years, it pays members to take time off to work for campaigns. Gabe Morgan, vice president of SEIUs mid-Atlantic-based Local 32BJ, which represents 175,000 service-sector employees, said the union has long backed an array of social justice organizations in Philadelphia many of which activated their members to help Brooks to lay the groundwork for campaigns like hers. You never know when thats all going to come together for a Kendra Brooks, but we do know that without those things existing theres never going to be a Kendra Brooks, said Morgan, whose union represents more private-sector workers than any other in Philadelphia. READ MORE: Philadelphias political machines are stumbling. Who will fill the power void? The lefts slow embrace of outside spending and dark money groups may be going national. The 2018 election was the first in which super PACs aligned with Democrats running for federal office outspent those supporting Republicans. And in the Democratic presidential primary, ads paid for by big-money outside spenders have recently begun flooding the airwaves in key states. The Working Families Party is quick to say that although union-backed progressive groups are using some of the same deregulated campaign vehicles that corporate interests use such as 527-organizations and 501(c)(4) nonprofits, both named for the sections in the tax code that classifies them theres a key difference in how they bring in money: Their funds primarily comes from union workers paycheck deductions, whereas some national conservative groups are funded by billionaire mega-donors. And despite laws that allow them to shield their donors, the major unions are also more transparent in their financial disclosures than many of the conservative groups that spend heavily at the federal level and never reveal their backers. SEIU, for instance, generally discloses its donors through Federal Election Commission filings, whereas some conservative super PACs, like the ones led by Karl Rove, have sought to influence elections with money from large donors whose names never become public. Community-based organizations and labor unions that are rooted here in Philadelphia and have members here in Philadelphia are pretty different than a dark money corporate PAC that is trying to win elections to help their profits, said Arielle Klagsbrun, Brooks campaign manager. Still, much of the support the progressive movement has relied on so far comes from outside Philadelphia. Local 32BJ, for instance, is based in New York and pulls money from members in 12 states and Washington, D.C. Progressives also say that despite their recent success with outside spending at the local level, they would still prefer a different system. Getting big money out of politics is one of our top priorities, which is why we fought for and won public financing of elections in New York state and Washington, D.C.," said ORourke, who is now the organizing director of the Pennsylvania Working Families Party. "Too often its the people with the deepest pockets who get to call the shots in our communities, not those with the best ideas. Another reason for the increase in outside spending in city elections is the nationalization of local politics. Fierce ideological debates were more unusual in City Hall as recently as the administration of Kenneys predecessor, Michael Nutter, who often said, There is no Democratic or Republican way to fill a pothole. But with Congress in gridlock, political groups and donors often from the progressive end of the spectrum at the local level, and from conservatives on the state level have focused on notching policy victories outside of Washington. Before, you would not have thought that there would be big-money PAC attention to city races and city issues, said Randall Miller, a political historian at St. Josephs University. But now big money on both sides are interested in city and state races. In her upset win, Brooks faced opposition from both Republicans and the citys Democratic establishment. Larry Ceisler, a public relations executive and longtime City Hall observer, said the effective use of an outside spending campaign was key to Brooks ability to combat the power of the party machines. Working Families was effective in what they did here, so I would not call it hypocritical," Ceisler said. I would just call it putting up your hands up and saying, If you cant beat em, join em.' And they beat em. GAITHERSBURG, Md., Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading biopharmaceutical company in discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, announced today that the Office of Orphan Product Development division of the FDA has granted orphan drug designation to its leading therapeutic candidate, STP705, for the treatment of Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC). This is the third such designation for this drug candidate, following the designation for Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Cholangiocarcinoma. Sirnaomics lead product candidate, STP705 is a siRNA (small interfering RNA) therapeutic that takes advantage of the Company's proprietary dual-targeted inhibitory property and polypeptide nanoparticle (PNP)-enhanced delivery to directly knock down both TGF-1 and COX-2 gene expression. Sirnaomics has opened Investigational New Drug (IND) applications under the jurisdiction of the US FDA and Chinese FDA for clinical studies for Non-melanoma skin cancers (NMSC), Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), and Hypertrophic Scar (HTS) Reduction. "We are very pleased to reach another significant milestone and very excited to develop our lead product candidate for treatment of HCC with tremendous unmet needs" stated Patrick Lu, PhD, President and CEO. "This third grant of orphan drug designation for STP705 to treat HCC further consolidates our long-term strategy positioning us to take advantage of the regulatory arbitrage by achieving approval in US and then moving to the large market in China." "Receipt of the orphan drug designation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma is a very important step for Sirnaomics. It provides the pathway allowing us to develop STP705 in a devastating oncology disease for which there is currently no effective therapy," stated Dr. Michael Molyneaux, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer. "This orphan drug designation aligns with our mission to alleviate human suffering and target diseases with high unmet clinical need and we anticipate the start of our clinical study for HCC in the second half of 2020." About STP705 (Cotsiranib) Sirnaomics leading product candidate, STP705, is an siRNA (small interfering RNA) therapeutic which takes advantage of a dual-targeted inhibitory property and polypeptide nanoparticle (PNP)-enhanced delivery to directly knock down both TGF-1 and COX-2 gene expression. The product candidate has received multiple IND approvals from both the US FDA and Chinese NMPA, including treatments of Cholangiocarcinoma, Non-Melanoma skin cancer and Hypertrophic Scar. STP705 has also received Orphan Drug Designation for treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis. Preclinical animal models using STP705, have demonstrated a dramatic improvement in T-cell penetration into tumors in the liver with single agent action as well as improvement in the efficacy of an anti-PD-L1 antibody checkpoint inhibitor in an HCC model. This effect may improve other immune checkpoint inhibitor efficacies in addition to those targeting the PD-1/PD-L1 axis. About Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer in adults, and is the most common cause of death in people with liver cirrhosis. It occurs in the setting of chronic liver inflammation, and is most closely linked to chronic viral hepatitis infection (hepatitis B or C) or exposure to toxins such as alcohol or aflatoxin. Certain diseases, such as hemochromatosis and alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency, markedly increase the risk of developing HCC. Metabolic syndrome and NASH are also increasingly recognized as risk factors for HCC. Worldwide, approximately 840,000 people are diagnosed with primary liver cancer each year and about 500,000 of the patients are in China, even though HCC is designated as an orphan drug indication by US FDA. Abundant literature has directly linked high level expression of TGF-1 to liver epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) and tumorigenesis. Inhibition of COX-2 is able to reverse the drug resistance to the chemo drug treatment of HCC and also increased CD4+ T cells within the tumor. About Sirnaomics, Inc. Sirnaomics, Inc., a leading privately held biopharmaceutical company for discovery and development of RNAi therapeutics, is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland, USA, with subsidiaries in Suzhou and Guangzhou, China. The company's mission is to develop novel therapeutics to alleviate human suffering and advance patient care in areas of high unmet medical need. The guiding principles of the company are: Innovation, Global Vision with a Patient Centered focus. Members of the senior management team have a great deal of combined experience in the biopharmaceutical industry, financial, clinical and business management in both the USA and China. The company is supported by funding from institutional investors and corporate partnerships. Sirnaomics has developed a strong portfolio of intellectual property with an enriched product pipeline. The therapeutic areas of focus include oncology and anti-fibrotic therapeutics. Learn more at www.sirnaomics.com. Sirnaomics, Inc. Michael Molyneaux, MD, MBA Chief Medical Officer 401 Professional Drive Suite 280 Gaithersburg, MD 20879 Email: [email protected] Mobile: 217-371-8661 Westwicke, an ICR Company Investors: Stephanie Carrington [email protected] +1 646 277 1282 Media: Mark Corbae [email protected] 203-682-8288 SOURCE Sirnaomics, Inc. Related Links http://www.sirnaomics.com The Seoul Metropolitan Government will raise guardrails along bridges to prevent people from jumping off to their death. It said the guardrails on 20 out of the 31 bridges over the Han River will be raised from 1.10-1.20 m to 2 m to deter people from climbing over them. Three former servicemen have today been awarded more than 10 million in compensation each after 'inadequate' Ministry Of Defence vehicles failed to protect them from improvised explosives. The veterans all suffered serious injuries when roadside improvised explosive devices (IEDs) hit their 'inadequately armoured' vehicles in Afghanistan between 2008 and 2009. Hilary Meredith Solicitors announced that it had secured the settlements for the veterans, with each of the three claimants receiving a 'seven-figure' sum. They had been travelling in Pinzgauer troop carriers, nicknamed 'coffins on wheels' by UK troops because they provided inadequate blast protection from roadside explosives. A fleet of 166 Pinzgauer troop carriers, manufactured by BAE Systems, was introduced into combat operations in Afghanistan by the MoD in April 2007 Simon Quinn, partner and head of military at Hilary Meredith Solicitors, said: 'After a hard-fought and lengthy battle for compensation in which there were very real risks of failure, particularly regarding combat immunity, it has been a privilege to represent these claimants who have shown resilience, perseverance and sheer grit in their determination to achieve justice and hold the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to account. 'The seven-figure settlements we have reached in each case reflect the serious nature of the claimants' injuries together with their subsequent medical discharge from the armed forces. 'It is to be hoped that in any future conflict our troops will be provided with the best equipment available before death or serious injury occurs.' A fleet of 166 Pinzgauer troop carriers, manufactured by BAE Systems, was introduced into combat operations in Afghanistan by the MoD in April 2007, Hilary Meredith said. Rows upon row of Pinzgauer vehicles used and needed by British forces fighting in Afghanistan, pictured here parked at an M.O.D. storage area outside Ashchurch near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire It said that a Royal Marine serving with 42 Commando suffered multiple severe injuries and fractures when the Pinzgauer Vector in which he was a front-seat passenger struck an IED in October 2008. In August the following year, a Pinzgauer truck struck an IED, causing the driver to suffer an above-knee amputation of his right leg, and a Territorial Reserve officer in the front passenger seat to suffer severe psychological and physical injuries. Hilary Meredith said in each case the claimants alleged that their injuries would have been avoided had they been travelling in 'suitably-armoured vehicles'. Proceedings were launched against the MoD on the basis that the decision to supply the Pinzgauer vehicles to troops serving in Afghanistan was negligent, the law firm said. A British Army Pinzgauer troop carrier, burnt out by Iraqis after it was abandoned by fleeing British soldiers in Al Majar Al Kabir, 290 kms southeast of Baghdad, Iraq, June 25, 2003 But the MoD argued that, due to combat immunity, no duty of care was owed in circumstances where the injuries occurred during combat operations, it added. However, after the Supreme Court decided not to strike out similar claims through reasoning that procurement decisions had not been taken in the heat of battle and might not fall within the scope of the combat immunity defence, the MoD agreed in 2016 that it would settle the claims relating to the Pinzgauer vehicles, without any admission of liability, Hilary Meredith said. Following exchange of medical evidence, the awards were negotiated on behalf of each claimant at meetings held in Liverpool and London in December 2019 and January 2020, the law firm added. The MoD has been approached for comment. The local marketer of Caltex products in the country has extended a helping hand to the victims of the recent Taal eruption. Chevron Philippines Inc. (CPI), marketer of Caltex brand of fuels and lubricants, reached out to the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) to help provide relief to those affected by the calamity. CPI Corporate Affairs Manager Atty. Raissa Bautista handed over a check amounting to Php250,000 to PRC Secretary-General Elizabeth Zavalla at the PRC Headquarters in Mandaluyong City. On behalf of our chairman Sen. Richard Gordon and our personnel on the ground, I wholeheartedly thank Chevron for their donation to the victims of Taal, said Zavalla. This is a huge help in the reinforcement of our operations in Batangas and nearby provinces, she added. Following Taals phreatic eruption on January 12, PRC has been distributing water, food and non-food items and providing psychosocial support to more than 5,000 families staying in evacuation centers in Cavite, Laguna and Batangas. Emergency medical units are also on standby to assist evacuees with pre-existing medical conditions. For their part, Bautista noted the companys commitment to the country, especially, when such disasters strike. Chevron has always been committed in relief and rehabilitation efforts amid disasters and calamities, and the ongoing Taal eruption is no exception especially since our host communities in Batangas are affected, Bautista said. Residents of cities and towns in Batangas, where Chevron operates, were forced to flee after Taal Volcano began expelling hazardous ash and smoke. Despite the lowering of Taals status from Alert Level 4 to Alert Level 3 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) on Sunday, hundreds of evacuees have opted to stay put in the evacuation centers while the threat of eruption still remains. As we all wait in uncertainty, we hope to at least lessen the burden on the evacuees by providing them with their basic needs, Bautista added. Story continues Chevron is one of the largest investors in the Philippines and has a long history of partnership with PRC, contributing to relief operations and helping rebuild communities devastated by destructive typhoons in the country. Also read: The post Chevron Extends Help to Taal victims appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. Ray Dalio, billionaire and founder of Bridgewater Associates LP, speaks during the Institute of International Finance (IIF) annual membership meeting in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Friday, Oct. 18, 2019. ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates Billionaire hedge fund giant Ray Dalio thinks the roller-coaster impact of the new coronavirus on markets is likely exaggerated. The fast-spreading virus, which has so far killed 1,018 people and sickened more than 43,000 across 28 countries, "probably had a bit of an exaggerated effect on the pricing of assets," he told attendees of the 2020 annual Milken Conference in Abu Dhabi Tuesday. "Because of the temporary nature of that, I would expect more of a rebound. It most likely will be something that in another year or two will be well beyond what everyone will be talking about." The comments from Dalio the founder of Bridgewater Associates, which manages $160 billion in global investments struck a much calmer tone than many of the analysts and investors who have spoken to CNBC on the topic. Some have warned the disease could evolve into something worse than the flu and that the outbreak could tip China into a technical recession that would impact the rest of the world. Even some Wall Street bulls say they fear the virus could lead to a stock market correction when stock prices drop at least 10% from recent highs and that it currently poses the single biggest threat to the market rally. U.S. markets managed to erase coronavirus-related sell-offs last week, with the S&P 500 scoring a new record close. The S&P and Dow broke four-day win streaks on Friday, but they're still up 3% and 2%, respectively, on the year, with Monday's stock market rally led by tech gains. Advertisement Donald Trump has paid his respects to two US soldiers killed in Afghanistan when a soldier dressed in an Afghan army uniform opened fire with a machine gun. The president traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware yesterday as the bodies of Sgt. Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, and Sgt. Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, were repatriated to the US. The Defense Department identified the dead American soldiers and confirmed six other US soldiers were wounded in the attack during combat operations in Afghanistan on Saturday. Trump saluted and Vice President Mike Pence placed his hand over his heart as transfer cases containing the remains were carried out of a C-17 military plane and transferred to a transport vehicle. As Trump and Pence stood on the tarmac in a falling mist, a woman among the mourners broke free of efforts to hold her back and ran toward the plane. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watch as a US Army carry team moves a transfer case containing the remains of Sgt. 1st Class Javier Gutierrez, of San Antonio, Texas, on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware According to the Department of Defense both Gutierrez and Sgt. 1st Class Antonio Rodriguez, of Las Cruces, died on Saturday, during combat operations in Afghanistan Sgt. 1st Class* Antonio Rey Rodriguez, 28, of Las Cruces, New Mexico, was killed in the attack in Afghanistan on Saturday Sgt. 1st Class* Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, of San Antonio, Texas, was also killed when an Afghan national army soldier opened fire with a machine gun during combat operations President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence (second right) observing the dignified transfer of two US soldiers, killed in Afghanistan, at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware She threw herself on its ramp, crying and screaming, as mourners and an official tried to restrain her. She wailed as the doors on the transfer vehicle closed. Trump and Pence, who had traveled from a rally in New Hampshire, also met with the families before taking part in what is known in the military as a 'dignified transfer'. National security adviser Robert O'Brien told reporters traveling with Trump aboard Air Force One that the president had wrapped up a reelection campaign rally in New Hampshire early so he could be with the families. O'Brien described such moments as 'probably the toughest thing he does as president,' along with visiting wounded soldiers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 'These are terrible sacrifices for the families. And these guys are heroes, they're real warriors and did a great job for the American people,' O'Brien said. 'These are tough times. It's tough for the president but he thinks it's important to be there for the families and recognize them.' Gutierrez was born in Jacksonville, North Carolina. He had also served in Iraq. Rodriguez was born in Las Cruces, New Mexico. President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence watch as a US Army carry team salutes the transfer case's arriving back in the US on Monday Trump saluted and Pence put his hand on his heart as two US soldiers, killed in Afghanistan, arrived back at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, on Monday A US Army team salutes as door attendant Staff Sgt. Tiliyah Tillman closed the vehicle doors after moving the remains of Sgt. Javier Gutierrez and Sgt. Antonio Rodriguez The attack that killed Sgt. Gutierrez and Sgt. Rodriguez happened in the Nangarhar province in Afghanistan on Saturday He deployed eight times in support of Operation Freedom's Sentinel, which began in 2015. Both men were posthumously promoted to sergeant first class and awarded the Bronze Star Medal and Purple Heart. Six US service members have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of 2020, including Saturday's casualties. Last year, 20 US service personnel died in combat there and there were two non-combat deaths. The incident came as Washington has sought to find an end to the war in Afghanistan. Both men killed at the weekend were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. Washington's peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad has been meeting with Taliban representatives in the Middle Eastern state of Qatar in recent weeks. He's seeking an agreement to reduce hostilities to get a peace deal signed that would start negotiations among Afghans on both sides of the conflict. In his State of the Union Address last Tuesday, Trump referenced the peace talks, saying U.S. soldiers were not meant to serve as 'law enforcement agencies' for other nations. BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vade Secure, the global leader in predictive email defense, today published its Phishers' Favorites report for Q4 2019, which ranks the 25 most impersonated brands in phishing attacks. According to this quarter's findings, PayPal remains the top brand impersonated by cybercriminals for the second quarter in a row, with Facebook taking the #2 spot and Microsoft coming in third. The report, which can be read in full here, was developed by analyzing the number of unique phishing URLs detected by Vade Secure and made publicly available on www.IsItPhishing.AI. Leveraging data from more than 600 million protected mailboxes worldwide, Vade's machine learning algorithms identify the brands being impersonated as part of its real-time analysis of the URL and page content. PayPal reigns supreme, again For the second straight quarter, PayPal was the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks. While PayPal phishing was down 31% compared to Q3, the volume was up 23% year over year. With a daily average of 124 unique URLs, PayPal phishing is a prevalent threat targeting both consumers and SMB employees. Illegitimate notes and file sharing keep Microsoft phishing in the spotlight Microsoft remained the primary corporate target in Q4, coming in at #3 on this quarter's Phishers' Favorites list. With 200 million active business users and counting, Office 365 continues to be the primary driver for Microsoft phishing. Cybercriminals seek O365 credentials in order to access sensitive corporate information and use compromised accounts to launch targeted spear phishing attacks on other employees or partners. In Q4, Vade Secure continued to see large volumes of file-sharing phishing, including fake OneDrive/SharePoint notifications leading directly to a phishing page and legitimate notifications leading to files containing phishing URLs. Vade is also seeing the emergence of note phishing impersonating services like OneNote and Evernote. While the campaigns are similar, the key difference is that OneNote or Evernote notes are not files, but rather HTML pages. Thus, the same technology that is used by email security vendors to scan the contents of files doesn't work with HTML pages, which means these emails have a higher likelihood of reaching users' inboxes. Cybercriminals target your money, but impersonate smaller banks For the second quarter, financial services companies accounted for the most brands and most URLs in the Phishers' Favorites report. A difference in Q4, however, is that Vade saw a shift towards phishing customers of smaller banks. One reason for this could be that while large banks have invested in building out security operations centers, incident response and takedown procedures to limit phishing campaigns impersonating their brand, smaller banks may not have the same level of controls in place. Additional key findings within the Q4 Phishers' Favorites report include: Netflix (#4), WhatsApp (#5), Bank of America (#6), CIBC (#7), Desjardins (#8), Apple (#9) and Amazon (#10) rounded out the top 10 most impersonated brands. Despite having only three brands in the top 25, social media increased its share of phishing URLs from 13.1% in Q3 to 24.1% in Q4 2019. This growth was driven by WhatsApp, which shot up 63 spots to #5, and Instagram, which rose 16 spots to #13. Netflix phishing had been a model of consistency, growing for six consecutive quarters, but that trend reversed abruptly in Q4, with a 50.2% drop in unique phishing URLs. In fact, the 6,758 Netflix phishing URLs detected by Vade Secure in Q4 was the lowest total since Q2 2018. For the first time in Phishers' Favorites history, Friday was the top day overall for phishing emails, followed closely by Thursday. Tuesday, Wednesday and Monday took the middle three spots. As usual, Saturday and Sunday were at the bottom. "When it comes to phishing in particular and cyberattacks in general, change is the only constant," said Adrien Gendre, Chief Solution Architect at Vade Secure. "Threats are evolving rapidly and they are becoming more and more credible to end users. This underscores the need for a comprehensive approach to email security combining threat detection, post-delivery remediation and on-the-fly user training as the last line of defense." For full insight into Q4 2019's top 25 most impersonated brands and the latest phishing techniques and attack examples, please read the full report on the Vade Secure blog. About Vade Secure Vade Secure helps SMBs, enterprises, ISPs and OEMs protect their users from advanced cyberthreats, such as phishing, spear phishing, malware, and ransomware. The company's predictive email defense solutions leverage artificial intelligence, fed by data from 600 million mailboxes, to block targeted threats and new attacks from the first wave. In addition, real-time threat detection capabilities enable SOCs to instantly identify new threats and orchestrate coordinated responses. Vade Secure's technology is available as a native, API-based offering for Office 365; as cloud-based solutions; or as lightweight, extensible APIs for enterprise SOCs. For more information, visit www.vadesecure.com For more information, please contact Shift Communications for Vade Secure, [email protected]. SOURCE Vade Secure Related Links https://www.vadesecure.com On day two of the 2020 MAKERS Conference, Chelsea Handler sat down with Judy Blume to discuss the 50th anniversary of the authors beloved book Are You There God? Its Me, Margaret. The two touched on topics like rejection and ageism in Hollywood before pivoting to their complicated relationships with faith. The conversation came after Handler asked Blume whether there were any characteristics of Margaret the main character in Blumes iconic novel that she relates to. Of course, I mean I was that little skinny late developer, Blume said. The religious part ... that's fiction, which is interesting. Handler said it was a big part of why she connected with the book. That's one of the things that resonated with me because I grew up as a Jew and a Mormon. My mom was Jewish and my dad was Mormon, Handler said. But after learning about both religions, Handler decided to follow in her mothers footsteps. I chose Jewish obviously, Handler admitted. Mormonism is so ridiculous. But I related to ... that conflict of religion for both parents. Judy Blume and Chelsea Handler speak onstage during The 2020 MAKERS Conference on February 11, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for MAKERS) The comedian who released her sixth book last year said Blumes book helped her navigate the difficulty of that divide. I [had] just found out my mom was more on top thinking she was Jewish, said Handler. It was a very confusing time. But your books were just such a reprieve for me and such a joy. Blume related, noting that she was also learning her relationship to faith as well. I talked to God, I mean I had a relationship with God that had nothing to do with organized religion, said Blume. But he was my confidant or maybe she, and then I thought he. When Handler asked if Blume still talks to God, she replied, not so much which Handler said is likely connected to ideas of god and spirituality changing. But the 82-year-old said it served a purpose when she was younger. I needed it ... I needed to have that feeling, you know, that I had somebody that I could talk to... said Blume. Somebody who wasn't judgmental. Story continues Its not the first time Handler has spoken out about Mormonism. In a contentious 2012 interview on Real Time With Bill Maher, the comedian pushed back on a CNN contributor who said that the religion has improved millions of peoples lives and created flourishing institutions. But they cant even drink alcohol, Handler countered. They cant have sex, they cant have caffeine, they cant have alcohol ... Unless you accept Jesus Christ as your savior in the Mormon church, you go to hell. Read more about the 2020 MAKERS Conference Follow the 2020 Makers Conference at Makers.com. Dungan Incident Just Kazakhstan's Latest Interethnic Violence By Bruce Pannier February 10, 2020 Interethnic violence has broken out again in southeastern Kazakhstan, this time involving ethnic Kazakhs and members of Kazakhstan's Dungan community. There are various accounts of what sparked the violence between the two groups on February 7 near the town of Kordai in Zhambyl Province. But as often happens in these situations, the violence was fueled by rumors spread over mobile phones and social media, leaving 10 people dead, dozens injured, and thousands of Dungans fleeing across the border into neighboring Kyrgyzstan. The Dungans are a predominantly Muslim group who came into Central Asia from China, where they are called Hui. Dungans are generally considered ethnically Han Chinese but, according to some sources, can trace their origins back more than 1,000 years. According to some sources, Dungans have an Arab-Islamic connection that dates back to the seventh century in the ethnogenesis of the Dungan/Hui. That would make them one of the oldest Muslim peoples in Inner Asia. The Dungans also have a unique language that is neither Chinese nor Turkic. Large numbers of Dungans began arriving in Central Asia during the latter half of the 19th century, when Chinese troops put down revolts of non-Chinese peoples in what is now called Xinjiang. More than 100,000 Dungans now live in Central Asia, concentrated mainly in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan. The Dungans adapted to life under the rule of the Russian tsars as well as Soviet domination. They've also adapted to post-Soviet life in independent Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, though they have maintained their culture. Dungans rarely marry outside their own community. Towns and villages in Kazakhstan like Masanchi -- which bore the brunt of the February 7 violence -- continue to be populated predominantly by Dungans. That made Dungans in Masanchi easy targets for an angry crowd of Kazakhs involved in the area's latest round of violence. Eight people have been killed and some 40 injured in a brawl and a series of clashes in villages in Kazakhstan's southern Zhambyl region. Asylkhan Mamashuly, a correspondent from RFE/RL's Kazakh Service, visited the village and shot these photos of the aftermath. Ethnic Tensions Southeastern Kazakhstan has also seen clashes involving ethnic Kazakhs and other minorities in recent years. In March and April 2007, there was fighting between ethnic Kazakhs and Chechens in Malovodnoye, a village in Almaty Province about 100 kilometers east of the Kordai district. That incident started at a billiard hall but quickly spread to involve hundreds of people from both communities. The Chechens involved were the descendants of people who were forcibly resettled in the area on the orders of Soviet leader Josef Stalin during World War II. In February 2015, clashes also broke out between members of the country's Kazakh majority and ethnic Tajiks in the predominantly ethnic Tajik village of Bostandyk in Turkestan Province. Kazakhstan's Turkestan Province is situated immediately to the west of Zhambyl Province. Ethnic Tajiks were moved there by Soviet authorities during the 1950s to augment the region's labor force. That violence reportedly started after an argument between a young ethnic Tajik man and a purported friend of his, a young ethnic Kazakh man, escalated into a stabbing in which the Kazakh was killed. After the victim's funeral, a large group of Kazakhs went on a rampage in Bostandyk, setting fire to buildings and cars. Authorities Overwhelmed This latest violence in the Kordai district appears to have stemmed from a February 5 "road rage" incident in which an elderly ethnic Kazakh man was purportedly beaten up by an ethnic Dungan driver. There are conflicting reports about exactly what happened in the road-rage incident and how anger in different communities was fueled by claims being made on social media. But 48 hours later, a group of ethnic Kazakhs entered the town of Masanchi, triggering street fights in which hunting rifles, iron bars, sticks, and stones were used. Video of violence in Masanchi posted on social networks attracted more people from neighboring areas to Masanchi and predominantly Dungan villages in the region. Police were overwhelmed. The violence was only brought under control when special security forces from the Interior Ministry arrived. The government in Nur-Sultan has blamed local officials for allowing the situation to get out of control. But the nearby violence in 2007 and in 2015 shows that ethnic tensions exist across southeastern Kazakhstan. Whether people chose to settle in southeastern Kazakhstan or were forced to resettle there, the area is clearly unique and demands special consideration by officials in Nur Sultan. Yet it seems clear that Kazakh authorities have not paid sufficient attention to the region -- leaving critics to predict that the recent violence in the Kordai district is bound to happen again somewhere in southeastern Kazakhstan. The views expressed in this blog post do not necessarily reflect those of RFE/RL Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/dungan-incident- just-kazakhstan-s-latest-interethnic -violence/30427037.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 British Airways has broken the New York-London subsonic flight speed record. The flights record-breaking speed was heavily influenced by 322km/h winds, which helped to propel the aircraft much faster than normal. We always prioritise safety over speed records, but our highly trained pilots made the most of the conditions to get customers back to London well ahead of time, British Airways said. The plane arrived at Heathrow airport about two hours sooner than scheduled and reached a top speed of 1,327km/h during the flight, according to data from Flightradar24. If were not mistaken, BA now retakes the fastest subsonic NY-London crossing from Norwegian, tweeted Flightradar24. Senior CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said these significantly stronger winds have also pushed a dangerous storm to the UK and Ireland. The supercharged jet stream is also responsible for powering Storm Ciara, which has brought damaging wind gusts and massive waves to the UK, Ireland and other parts of Northern Europe this weekend, said Miller. The jet stream is a fast-moving river of air high in the atmosphere, around the height that commercial airliners fly. The jet stream is responsible for carrying weather systems around the planet. Other airlines The high winds saw other flights also surpass the previous New York-London record, including two flights by Virgin Atlantic. Virgin highlighted that these two flights achieved similar times to the British Airways flight while using half the fuel and half as many engines. Its true that we were narrowly beaten by a BA Boeing 747, however, they had twice the amount of engines and burnt twice as much fuel as Captain Chris in our brand new, fuel-efficient Airbus A350-1000, tweeted Virgin Atlantic. A woman stands at a Huawei booth featuring 5G technology at the PT Expo in Beijing on Sept. 28, 2018. (Reuters) Australian Research Council Grants $262 Million to Chinese ResearchIncluding High Risk Huawei The Australian Research Council (ARC) has given over AU$262 million ($176 million) in taxpayer-funded grants over a five-year period to projects involving Chinese organizations, according to information published in the Education and Employment Committee, Education Portfolio 2019. Among the grants handed out by ARC were those for research with potential military applications, including work on advanced materials and coatings, cryptography, quantum computing, next-generation radio technologies, and machine learning. Four of the grants provided were given to Chinese multinational technology company Huawei and were awarded before former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbulls August 2018 decision to bar high risk vendors from participating in Australias 5G network. ARC said in the education portfolio that it had made 230 grants for Australia-China research partnerships since 2014. The portfolio provides a project summary explaining the purpose of the project for each grant. According to its website, ARCs funding programs come under the umbrella of the National Competitive Grants Program (NCGP), which delivers an average of AU$800 million [$538 million] per year to the most dynamic researchers in Australia. ARC says the purpose of handing out grants is to grow knowledge and innovation for the benefit of the Australian community through funding the highest quality research, assessing the quality, engagement, and impact of research, and providing advice on research matters. Grants are awarded to individuals, research teams, and large scale centers through two programs, the ARC Discovery Program, or the Linkage Program. But national security experts fear that taxpayers money could actually be going toward supporting China to develop technology that could be used against Australia in the future, with one expert calling for an investigation into the high volume of Chinese-linked projects. Australian Strategic Policy Institute executive director Peter Jennings told The Australian that as Chinese institutions are obliged to turn over all relevant research to the Chinese military, the large amount of Chinese projects being funded was a shocking failure of due diligence. It really speaks to the appalling naivety of the Australian research community that they can do this, seemingly oblivious to the broader trends of what is happening in Chinese politics, he told the outlet. Frankly, this needs to be investigated. There needs to be some sort of independent process to establish how much of our research capability has essentially been surrendered to Chinese interests in the name of scientific collaboration. A spokesperson for Liberal Tasmania Senator Eric Abetz told The Epoch Times that the ARCs provision of over AU$262 million to research collaboration with Chinese institutions over the last five years, in the context of civil-military fusion, is deeply disturbing. The Chinese government has broadcast it will use advanced technology to enhance its military capabilities, yet our institutions seem oblivious to this reality. The fact hundreds of millions of dollars of Australian taxpayers dollars are finding their way to Chinese institutions for purposes unknown needs to be investigated and stopped. Australians demand full transparency and nothing less, the spokesperson added. However, during the Australian Research Council Amendment Bill 2019 Second Reading on Feb. 11, Labor Senator for Victoria Kim Carr said nothing was done improperly in handing out over AU$250 million over the last five years to Australian researchers and Chinese collaborators. It is totally inconsistent with government policy. According to this, this selective use of these so-called collaborations, we now have to become all too common. Just because its selective doesnt make it right. We should make it clear: if youre going to play to this level of scrutiny, then ASPI [Australian Strategic Policy Institute] is entitled to be scrutinized in exactly the same way. Carr added that collaboration with China and a range of other countries is increasingly important, and that in some areas, its actually vitalin material science, energy, engineering, and computer science. Collaboration with Chinese researchers has also led to life-saving breakthroughs in medical science. Meanwhile, Washington has repeatedly expressed national security concerns over Huaweifounded in 1987 by a former engineer of the Chinese regimes Peoples Liberation Armybelieving it to be a gateway for China to spy on the West and assist Chinese intelligence in stealing secrets. Huawei denies the allegations. Kansas City Police are investigating after two people were shot Sunday evening at a business on St. John Avenue in Northeast Kansas City. Police were called to Northeast Market at 4422 St. John Avenue at around 5:13 p.m. and found two individuals suffering apparent gunshot wounds. Lucknow: An associate professor from Uttar Pradesh's Etah district, who is stranded in Wuhan, has been requesting the Centre to immediately evacuate him and his wife along with 23 other Indians from the Chinese city which is the epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The 35-year-old Ashish Yadav, who works at the Wuhan Textile University, and his wife Neha (30), currently pursuing a Ph.D. in computer science, have been in touch with their families in Uttar Pradesh by sending them a video message almost daily. A family member said: "Since Neha underwent minor surgery in the last week of January, she was advised complete bed rest by doctors for a week. Therefore, they could not board the evacuation flight on the night of January 31." There are 23 other Indian nationals in Wuhan, including students and working professionals. All of them are ready to pay the expenses to return home. They are regularly sending distress messages to every possible authority for help, but there has been no response so far. In a message to her family, Neha said: "We alerted the Indian embassy about our situation. Before the January 22 lockdown of Wuhan, we were told that since the coronavirus incubation period is just 14 days, the situation will normalise by the first week of February. But the situation has now become critical." "Just four days ago, the university authorities sent a team of 15 men, including policemen, doctors and nursing assistants, who inspected our health parameters, and warned us to get hospitalised if our body temperature rose above 37.5 degrees." The couple has sent a letter, asking the authorities in Wuhan to allow them to travel to the airport to board a flight to India. But Wuhan authorities were demanding a direct call or an intervention by the Indian Ambassador or the Minister of External Affairs to allow them to travel. The couple was married in November 2018 and exactly a year later, Neha moved to Wuhan. In a coordinated operation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation, Air India, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, two Special Air India flights were operated between Delhi and Wuhan on January 31 and February 1 that brought back a total of 654 passengers that included 647 Indian citizens. (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech) [SHOCKING] Mars 2020 Rover is so Powerful That it Can Destroy Rocks in the Planet! (Photo : NASA/JPL-Caltech) [SHOCKING] Mars 2020 Rover is so Powerful That it Can Destroy Rocks in the Planet! NASA's Mars 2020 Rover is now ready to be launched in July. The agency's most complex and powerful piece of science equipment that will soon reach planet Mars was reportedly more updated and advanced with the help of its new feature called 'Super Cam.' Mars 2020 rover has a laser that can zap rocks and a new 'Super Cam' On Feb. 7, NASA's Mars Exploration Program announced that Mars 2020 Rover had a newly-installed device that will provide more extensive knowledge about the Red planet. The tool called 'Super Cam' is designed to analyze rocks and minerals that can be found on Mars. Super Cam is evolved from Curiosity rover's ChemCam that will use artificial intelligence to seek out rock targets. Comparingly, this technology will also allow a more accurate and precise target for smaller rocks. Though the Super Cam can be similar to ChemCam, one major thing that differentiates the two devices is Super Cam's most powerful laser beam. The said laser beam is so powerful that it can destroy and zap rocks on planet Mars. According to NASA, the laser beam can "heat materials it impacts to around 18,000 degrees Fahrenheit (10,000 degrees Celsius) - a method called laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy, or LIBS - and vaporizes it." This laser is positioned at the top or on the 'head' of the Mars 2020 Rover and can vaporize rocks even from 20 feet away. Vaporizing rocks are important in the study of NASA since, after vaporizing it, the materials can then be analyzed for particular elements or chemical compounds. Super Cam also includes a green laser that can determine the molecular composition of surface materials. This laser will allow and cause some minerals and carbon-based chemicals even to emit light, or fluoresce. "SuperCam's light sensor also features a shutter that can close as quickly as 100 nanoseconds at a time - so fast that very few photons of light will enter it," said NASA. Mars 2020 rover has an audio recording Aside from the powerful laser beam installed in the Mars 2020 Rover, the device also has a recording microphone that will allow the device's handlers to listen and note the various rocks that Rover will vaporize. "The microphone serves a practical purpose by telling us something about our rock targets from a distance," Sylvestre Maurice of the Institute for Research in Astrophysics and Planetary Science said in a statement. "But we can also use it to directly record the sound of the Martian landscape or the rover's mast swiveling." The audio equipped on the device can be NASA's highlights of Mars exploration since the agency can now input audio to the full-color video recorded by the Mars Rover. Mars 2020 rover launching window Starting on July 17 up to Aug. 5, Mars 2020 Rover will begin to launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida. The scheduled landing of this device is on Feb. 18, 2021. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian attempted to fool her sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner into thinking she dyed her raven locks lighter before they could have the chance. 'Do you guys like it?' the 39-year-old reality star - who boasts 252.6M social media followers - asked via Instastory. 'So Kylie and Khloe thought that they were going to beat me to this hair color. I got 'em!' Monday vs. Sunday: Keeping Up with the Kardashians star Kim Kardashian attempted to fool her sisters Khloe Kardashian and Kylie Jenner into thinking she dyed her raven locks lighter before they could have the chance The 39-year-old reality star - who boasts 252.6M social media followers - asked via Instastory: 'Do you guys like it?' Khloe supportively wrote, 'That's how you win lady' - while Kylie was far less friendly replying via Instastory: 'We know it's a wig @kimkardashian.' The hair-raising sibling rivalry stemmed on Saturday when they all reunited to attend Malika Haqq's baby shower, which was hosted by the 35-year-old Good American co-founder. When Kim showed her 22-year-old half-sister a picture of herself from the Teen Choice Awards circa 2009 on her phone, Kylie gushed: 'That's me! I want to do that too. Me and Khloe are going to do this by the end of the month.' Kardashian continued: 'So Kylie and Khloe thought that they were going to beat me to this hair color. I got 'em!' Khloe supportively wrote, 'That's how you win lady' - while Kylie was far less friendly replying via Instastory: 'We know it's a wig @kimkardashian' How did this start? The hair-raising sibling rivalry stemmed on Saturday when they all reunited to attend Malika Haqq's baby shower, which was hosted by the 35-year-old Good American co-founder (2-L) When Kim showed her 22-year-old half-sister a picture of herself from the Teen Choice Awards circa 2009 on her phone, Kylie gushed: 'That's me! I want to do that too. Me and Khloe are going to do this by the end of the month' Over the years, Kardashian-West has certainly kept her hair artist Chris Appleton busy changing up her tresses, which these days is an ultra-short black bob. The SKIMS CEO next stars in her two-hour wrongful incarceration documentary Kim Kardashian West: The Justice Project, which premieres April 5 on Oxygen. Back in 2018, the aspiring lawyer convinced President Donald Trump granted clemency to first-time drug offender Alice Marie Johnson's life sentence. China has further improved its tax environment by rolling out measures for tax services in order to boost business development. Last November, the countrys State Taxation Administration issued specifications for tax service as well as tax collection and administration, so as to promote uniform and standard online tax services and furthermore to simplify relevant procedures. Fan Yong, a professor from the Central University of Finance and Economics, said online tax service prevails in China now. Online tax service is available for all tax authorities in the country, including collection of tax-related information, application and payment, invoice, tax preference, and handling of certificates, Fan said, adding that only 10 percent of Chinas tax authorities provided online service in 2012. The Hengqin New Area in Zhuhai in southern Chinas Guangdong province is a leader in taxation-friendliness. As 90 percent of enterprises in Hengqin only set up their headquarters there, with their business address in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Macao and other cities, they had to pay high costs for taxation in the past. Now, local taxation bureau in Hengqin provides online services generally covering all tax-related matters through its remote visual taxation service platform V-Tax. Since the launch of the terminal, over 12,000 taxpayers have used the online service, with half of them from Hong Kong and Macao. These taxpayers have searched or downloaded more than 50,000 electronic invoices from the platform. Review procedures have also been greatly simplified. In Beijing, 119 items under five categories for matters related to tax and fee payment without the need for a second visit were increased to 162 items under 12 categories, accounting for 87 percent of the total in the city. When enterprises spend less time and use fewer resources handling tax-related matters, the overall business environment will become better, said Li Xuhong, director of the Research Institute of Fiscal and Taxation Policy and Application under the Beijing National Accounting Institute. More importantly, tax and fee cuts have greatly boosted the development of enterprises. Last year, China cut more than 2 trillion yuan of taxes and fees. Statistics show that research and development input of 426 of Chinas top 500 companies soared 21.7 percent since last years value-added tax reform. In 2019, tax and fee cuts drove the countrys GDP up by 0.8 percentage points. Optimized tax services, as well as tax and fee cuts, will boost business development in a sound tax environment, thus promoting high-quality development of Chinas economy, Li added. Michael Ranger and his wife Wendy Braybon "didn't know a thing" about pancreatic cancer until she was diagnosed with the disease in March 2017. Ms Braybon, a respected physiotherapist for several Australian Olympic and Commonwealth Games teams who was "always smiling", died in March the following year. "It happened very quickly," he said. Michael Ranger's wife Wendy Braybon died from pancreatic cancer in March 2018. Credit:Simon Schluter On Wednesday Mr Ranger will join pancreatic cancer survivors, advocates and experts heading to Canberra for a meeting hosted by the Avner Pancreatic Cancer Foundation with Health Minister Greg Hunt, opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen and other politicians. Mary Lou McDonald (C), President of Sinn Fein and Eoin O'Broin (L) of Sinn Fein greet supporters in Dublin City Centre on February 10, 2020 in Dublin, Ireland. Nationalist Irish party Sinn Fein's likely ambition to reunify Ireland, and the possible societal, political and economic ramifications of that could be a risk to the country's economy, according to an economist. Capital Economics' Senior Europe Economist Jack Allen-Reynolds said Monday that Ireland's general election result "does not change our view on the near-term outlook for the economy, which should maintain a decent pace this year and next." "But it does raise questions about the longer-term risks to public finances, particularly if Irish unification eventually becomes a more realistic possibility," he said in a note, adding that there are "at least" two key risks for the country. "The first is that the increased influence of SF (Sinn Fein) means that Ireland runs much looser fiscal policy, which could lead to concerns about debt sustainability. The second is that there is a serious push for Irish reunification," he said. "SF has said that it would only join a coalition if other parties agreed to hold a referendum on Irish unity. FF (Fianna Fail) is also pro-unification, but is more cautious on holding a vote. If unification ever took place, it could put a huge strain on Ireland's public finances," he said. Allen-Reynolds noted that whatever the outcome of the coalition talks, fiscal policy is likely to be a little looser over the next few years than it has been for some time. "Ireland's budget balance has switched from deficit to surplus since the last election, thanks to a combination of fairly strong economic growth and tight fiscal policy. But during the election campaign, polls suggest that by far the most important issues for voters were health care and housing, and all of the parties have pledged to increase spending in these areas." For many, the main point of investing is to generate higher returns than the overall market. But the main game is to find enough winners to more than offset the losers At this point some shareholders may be questioning their investment in SIM Technology Group Limited (HKG:2000), since the last five years saw the share price fall 37%. And some of the more recent buyers are probably worried, too, with the stock falling 34% in the last year. Furthermore, it's down 13% in about a quarter. That's not much fun for holders. View our latest analysis for SIM Technology Group Because SIM Technology Group made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. 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 half a decade SIM Technology Group reduced its trailing twelve month revenue by 0.1% for each year. That's not what investors generally want to see. The share price decline at a rate of 8.8% per year is disappointing. Unfortunately, though, it makes sense given the lack of either profits or revenue growth. It might be worth watching for signs of a turnaround - buyers are probably expecting one. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). SEHK:2000 Income Statement, February 11th 2020 Take a more thorough look at SIM Technology Group's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. What about the Total Shareholder Return (TSR)? We'd be remiss not to mention the difference between SIM Technology Group's total shareholder return (TSR) and its share price return. 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. SIM Technology Group's TSR of was a loss of 23% for the 5 years. That wasn't as bad as its share price return, because it has paid dividends. Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market lost about 1.2% in the twelve months, SIM Technology Group shareholders did even worse, losing 32%. However, it could simply be that the share price has been impacted by broader market jitters. It might be worth keeping an eye on the fundamentals, in case there's a good opportunity. Unfortunately, last year's performance may indicate unresolved challenges, given that it was worse than the annualised loss of 5.2% over the last half decade. 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 business. I find it very interesting to look at share price over the long term as a proxy for business performance. But to truly gain insight, we need to consider other information, too. For example, we've discovered 1 warning sign for SIM Technology Group that you should be aware of before investing here. We will like SIM Technology Group better if we see some big insider buys. While we wait, check out this free list of growing companies with considerable, recent, insider 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. Thae Yong-ho, a former North Korean diplomat who defected to South Korea in 2016, plans to run in the April 15 general elections here as a member of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP), a party official announced Monday. Kim Hyong-o, head of the LKP's election candidate selection panel, said Thae has joined the conservative party for a race in a Seoul constituency and not in pursuit of a National Assembly seat from proportional representation. "I think he would probably be the first North Korean defector" who is engaged in an electoral competition in a South Korean constituency, Kim said. Thae is a person who risked his life for freedom and who can present a vision for peace and publicize South Korea's related position, he added. Thae is also expected to give hope to not only North Korean defectors but also all people in both Koreas desiring "genuine reunification," according to Kim. Regarding his constituency, Kim said the party will find one where Thae will "play a good role." He said, "(I) am thinking of one in Seoul." Thae served as the North's deputy ambassador to London before his defection. (Yonhap) The 5th National Conference on Disability is being chaired by French President Emmanuel Macron today, promising a series of measures to facilitate the lives of the 12 million disabled people living in France. President Emmanuel Macron is calling for a country-wide mobilisation for the disabled people living in France. He has promised that proposed measures will be implemented before the end of his mandate in 2022. One of them consists of enabling a further 60,000 disabled children to access education within the next two years. There are currently over 360,000 disabled children in the French school system. The government has also promised a dedicated phone support number to facilitate disabled people in dealing with administrative procedures. According to Arnaud de Broca, the head of the umbrella association Handicaps, there is still much to be done for people living with disabilities in France. Two million handicapped people live below the poverty line. He added that 15 years after the French law on equal rights for disabled people was voted, the lives of most of them "has not fundamentally changed". Around 500 families leave France for Belgium each year because they cannot find accomodation for people with disabilities. The 6,500 adults and 1,500 children who are cared for in Belgium cost half a billion euros to the French state. The government promises the creation of 6,000 more housing facilities for the disabled. Access to public transport is another problem as well as access to subsidies whose rates differ from one French department to another. Disabled adults in France receive 900 euros per month from the government. Alain Rochon, chairman of APF France Handicap, says that it is not enough. Around 500 people are expected at the Elysees Palace for the National Disability Conference. The NGOs say they expect to hear strong, concrete measures from the French president. Sexual assistance for disabled The French government is looking into the issue of sexual assistance for disabled people. This activity is prohibited in France while being recognised in other European countries such as Germany, Switzerland or Denmark. Story continues In France, if training people in sexual assistance towards disabled people is legal, one cannot legally practice such an activity. Sophie Cluzel, from the French Prime Minister's office, wrote to the French National Ethics Committee about the need to look into the sexual rights of the disabled and re-opening the debate on sexual assitance. "We are not talking about prostitution. This is a ridiculous notion. Sexual assistance for people with disabilities exist in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland. Let's go and see how they are trained," said Cluzel to Europe 1 radio. The issue was tabled in 2013 under the Hollande government but both then Health minister, Roselyne Bachelot, and the National Ethics Committee dismissed it. Cluzel believes that French society has "matured" now and might have a different outlook on sex and people with disabilities. Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vijender Gupta, the leader of the opposition in the outgoing Delhi assembly and one of the three leaders from the party who won the polls five years ago, was trailing by over 1,700 votes in the Rohini assembly segment, according to early trends on Tuesday. Jagdish Pradhan, another sitting legislator of the BJP, was leading by over 19,000 votes from Mustafabad assembly segment, trends showed at 11 am. In all, the BJP was leading in 15 of Delhis 70 seats at 11:30 am. Of the three assembly segments the BJP won in 2015, the party was trailing in Rohini and Vishwas Nagar while it was leading Mustafabad. The BJPs candidate from Vishwas Nagar, OP Sharma, was trailing by 445 votes. Also Watch | Delhi poll results: Trends show majority for AAP, cadres celebrate In Rohini, it is a prestige fight for the BJP as the seat is considered its stronghold. The AAPs Rajesh Nama Bansiwala, who is contesting the assembly elections for the first time, is giving a tough fight to Gupta. On the other hand, the split in Muslim votes appears to have gone in favour of the BJP in Mustafabad, according to early trends. In the polls, the BJP decided to field some strong local candidates such as three-time MLA SK Vats and four-time MLA Mohan Singh Bisht, who were leading from Shakur Basti and Karawal Nagar, respectively. There was a neck-and-neck contest in Shakur Basti, which is currently represented by PWD minister Satyendar Jain. Vats was leading by 51 votes. Bisht was leading by 6,253 votes. In the Krishna Nagar assembly segment, which has been represented by Union health minister Harsh Vardhan in the past, the BJPs candidate Anil Goyal was leading by 3,595 votes. The BJP lost the constituency for the first time in 2015. Back then, the BJPs chief ministerial candidate, former IPS officer Kiran Bedi, contested Krishna Nagar, but lost to the AAPs SK Bagga by 2000-odd votes. By Abdul Kerimkhanov The volume of direct foreign investment made in Kazakhstan increased by 15.8 percent year-on-year in the period of January-September, reaching $8.7 billion, Prime Minister Askar Mamin has said. The EU is one of the key investors and the largest trading partner of Kazakhstan, Mamin said in an address to the meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions of the European Union member states. He emphasized that the enforcement from 1 March 2020, of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU will mark the beginning of a qualitatively new stage in the Kazakh-European relations. The document covers 29 areas of activity, including trade, investment, innovation and infrastructure development. At the same time, Mamin called on the EU ambassadors to continue an open and active dialogue to promote trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two sides. He added that the First President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev pay great attention to cooperation with the EU countries. In turn, the heads of diplomatic missions noted the positive dynamics of work to create comfortable conditions for doing business in Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is making steady progress in the Doing Business rating and has enormous potential for further improving the investment climate and business environment. The Dialogue on Investment Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU plays a major role in this, said Sven-Olov Carlsson, head of the EU Delegation to Kazakhstan. The parties discussed preparations for the upcoming visit of the President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev to Brussels, a roadmap developed by the Kazakh side for the implementation of the Agreement on Enhanced Partnership, as well as issues of tax policy and anti-corruption support of investors in Kazakhstan. Ambassadors of Austria, Belgium, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Estonia, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Greece, Spain, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Finland, Sweden, representatives of Portugal, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, as well as large European companies attended the meeting. At the next meeting of the Dialogue on Investment Cooperation between Kazakhstan and the EU in April 2020, it is planned to discuss specific steps to implement the agreement, the transition of Kazakhstan to a green economy and preparations for the upcoming 12nd WTO Ministerial Conference in Nur Sultan in June 2020. --- Abdul Kerimkhanov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AbdulKerim94 Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Amanda Knox and her husband-to-be celebrated their Old West-themed couples shower as they prepare for their space-inspired wedding this month. Knox, who was twice acquitted for the 2007 murder of fellow exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy, posed for a picture with her fiance dressed in American frontier-style clothing ahead of their nuptials scheduled for February 29. The Seattle-based author and poet Christopher Robinson posted a snap of the couple, saying: Being the time travelers that we are, our couples shower was in old west. I suspect we may be many years in the future come nuptials, he joked. Amanda Knox's fiance Christopher Robinson shared a picture of the couple dressed in American frontier-style costumes The couple raised eyebrows when they asked for donations to fund their nuptials despite having secretly tied the knot in December 2018 Amanda Knox last month shared a photo of herself wearing some of her old prison uniform on Instagram as she prepares for her upcoming wedding She wore a floor-length skirt and ruffled blouse, while Robinson sported a gun holster, waistcoat and rimmed hat in the style of settlers in the American West in the the 19th century, an era associated with frontier life and cowboys. Knox, 32, who spent nearly four years in jail over Kerchers killing, is due to get married on the last weekend of this month. The couple faced criticism last year for asking for donations to fund their nuptials despite having secretly tied the knot in December 2018. Knox and Robinson had been dating since 2015 when she reviewed his book while she was still engaged to someone else. Last month she shared a photo of herself wearing some of her old prison uniform on Instagram as she prepares for her upcoming wedding Knox is no stranger to unusual themes the wedding is set to be space-themed and Knox shared a video of Robinsons bizarre alien-inspired proposal in 2018. In the proposal video Robinson staged a fake meteor crash that held a 'data crystal' inside. That crystal read: 'No other pre-singilarity union produced as much cerebral-empathic heat as the joining of Amanda Marie Knox and Christopher Gerald Robinson.' Knox announced she was engaged in November 2018 by sharing a video of the bizarre alien-inspired proposal He proposed to her on their front yard saying, 'I don't have a ring, but I have a big rock. Amanda Marie Knox, will you marry me?' Once dubbed 'Foxy Knoxy' in the press, Knox was released from prison in Perugia, Italy, nine years ago. Knox, the roommate of 21-year-old British extrange student Kercher, Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murdering her in 2007 but were later cleared on appeal. She was retried in 2014 but never returned to Italy for that trial. She was convicted again, it was overturned by the Italian Supreme Court in 2015. Knox was convicted twice in Italian court of murdering her British roommate Mereditch Kercher, but those convictions were later overturned. She spent a total of four years in an Italian prison during the high-profile case Rudy Guede remains behind bars for Kercher's murder. Since settling in Seattle, Knox has taken part in a Netflix documentary about her case and has written books and articles advocating for people wrongfully convicted of crimes. Last week Kercher's father John, 77, died after being involved in a suspected hit-and-run in London. He had no memory of what happened but suffered multiple injuries, including a broken arm and leg. He then died in hospital on Saturday, according to The Sun. Her American flatmate Amanda Knox and her then-boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were convicted of murdering her but were later cleared on appeal. The Home Office has deported of a group of criminals to Jamaica following a last-minute legal challenge. However half of the original number planned for deportation remained in the UK after a judicial review. A Court of Appeal judge ordered the government not to deport many of the 50 detainees due to board the plane amid concerns over their access to legal advice. Seventeen people were deported on Tuesday morning, according to the Home Office, and 25 who were due to leave are still in the UK after the judge intervened. Downing Street said it bitterly regretted the Court of Appeal decision and plans to appeal. On Tuesday the Prime Ministers official spokesman said: There are 25 foreign national offenders who the court ruled could not be removed and are therefore still in the country. The offences which these people were responsible for include one manslaughter, one firearms offence, seven violent offences, two which are in the category of rape or sexual offences and 14 drugs offences. The 17 deported had amassed sentences of 75 years between them for offences including rape, possession of firearms, violent offences including actual bodily and grievous bodily harm and the supply of Class A drugs, Downing Street said. Protesters demonstrated against the deportations to Jamaica outside Downing Street on Monday evening (Getty) The PMs official spokesman added: The legal process for removing these offenders, which has included repeated appeals and judicial reviews, has already cost the British public tens of thousands of pounds. Dominic Cummings, one of the Prime Ministers closest aides, said there must be urgent action on the farce that judicial review has become following the Court of Appeal decision, ITV News reported. Dominic Cummings, political advisor to Boris Johnson, criticised the Court of Appeal decision . (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth) The Tories also seized on Labours criticism of the flight and claimed it showed they have not learned the lesson of the 2019 electoral drubbing. The decision followed calls to halt the flight until after the publication of a report into the Windrush scandal, which led to many people who had arrived in the UK from the Caribbean before 1973 being wrongfully detained, threatened with deportation, and in some cases, wrongly deported. Story continues Protesters obstruct Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith in a minsterial car as he leaves the Houses of Parliament in London, as their protest against government plans to deport 50 people to Jamaica continues. Campaigners have criticised the deportation flight, arguing that some of the foreign nationals being kicked out of the country had come to the UK as children, had no links with Jamaica and had been convicted of one-time drug offences when they were young. A Home Office spokesman said: "We make no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders. "The court ruling does not apply to all of the foreign national offenders due to be deported and we are therefore proceeding with the flight." Sajid Javid defended the government's decision to go ahead with the deportation flight on Tuesday. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: "We will always do what we can to protect the public. These are all foreign national offenders they have all received custodial sentences of 12 months or more. They are responsible for crimes like manslaughter, rape, dealing in class A drugs. Read more Elon Musk says Facebook is lame and calls on followers to delete app Manchester Arena terrorist's family 'claimed benefit cash which was used for bomb plot' Briton who caught coronavirus feared to be super spreader linked to seven cases On Monday night, a Court of Appeal judge ordered the Home Office not to carry out the scheduled deportation amid concerns mobile phone outages had prevented detainees from having access to legal advice. ---Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK--- Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has defended the need for government to tout its achievements. According to him, government owes it a duty to keep reminding citizens of the promises achieved so far as well as those yet to be fulfilled. Oppong Nkrumah made the remark in defence of todays town hall meeting in Kumasi where the government will be outlining the progress it has made so far since assuming office. The event which will be held under the theme, Demonstrating fulfilment of our promises will be led by Vice, President Dr. Mahammadu Bawumia. The town hall meeting will be followed by a Result Fair, where government's major gains will be displayed in the form of pictures and videos. On the Citi Breakfast Show on Tuesday, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah justified the need for the town hall meeting. He said government will not bow to pressure from critics who try to undermine the importance of the event. There are a number of reasons all government over the world will have to do this. First, is to remind and communicate with the people what we have done. There are opposition parties who will say you have done nothing. No government can say that it will remain silent and hope that the people on their own volition see what the government has done. So we must always speak up and tell our story. If you do not tell your story, no one can tell your story well enough for you. So, we have an obligation to tell our story. Literally, four years into our administration, we must be in the position for the people to know how far we have come, he added. Meeting to ensure accountability The Information Minister, further indicated that the forum is also aimed at ensuring that the government fulfils its constitutional mandate of being accountable to Ghanaians. The second reason is that we are actually to account to the people. If you look at our constitution, probity and accountability are ingrained in the constitution. We must on a regular basis also update and tell the people what we have done and they will have the opportunity to agree or disagree. Data-driven evidence The government had earlier indicated that today's event will be data-driven with evidence of work done in the last three years. The exercise will be heavily data-driven and made available to the Ghanaian public and other stakeholders immediately afterwards. Evidence of work done will also be mounted in a Result Fair Exhibition, which will be led by the Ministry of Monitoring and Evaluation, similar to what took place in Accra some few weeks ago. Dr. Bawumia's presentation will set the tone as a public accounting mechanism for the work done by the Akufo-Addo administration with reference to its 388 manifesto promises and commitments, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah added. Objectives Invited guests from across academia, civil society groups, political parties and the general public have been invited to participate in the Town Hall Meeting. The Information Minister also encouraged the media to take a keen interest in the data that shows how much of the administration's commitments have been fulfilled completely or being fulfilled within the first three years and two months of the Akufo-Addo government. The objectives of the Government Town Hall Meeting and Results Fair are to ensure accountability in accordance with the 1992 Constitution, guarantee inclusive and participatory development and provide an opportunity for the citizenry to interact with the implementation ministries on performance and impacts of the flagship programmes. ---citinewsroom Gov. Tony Evers has named three finalists to fill the vacancy that will be left by the retiring of Circuit Court Judge David Bastianelli. The include a local prosecutor, a western Kenosha County private practice civil litigator and a longtime public defender. Bastianelli, who has served as a circuit court judge since 1984, is retiring effective March 31. The governors office asked for applicants to fill the vacancy. The candidates were reviewed by the governors judicial selection advisory committee, and finalists were interviewed by the governor. The governor is expected to make the appointment this month. On Tuesday, the governors office listed the finalists: Assistant State Public Defender Larisa Benitez-Morgan. Private practice attorney Frank Gagliardi. Assistant District Attorney Jason Zapf. The governor will appoint one of the three to serve a term ending July 31, 2021. The position will then be open for election. The governors office did not provide information on the number of candidates who applied for the position. Benitez-Morgan has been an assistant public defender in Kenosha County since 2008, representing clients in criminal and juvenile cases, as well as civil issues like mental health and protective placement cases and administrative cases like probation reviews. She previously worked as a private attorney. According to information provided by the governors office for the finalists, Benitez-Morgan has an undergraduate degree in economics and masters and education specialist degrees in education from the College of William and Mary. She graduated with her law degree in 2006 from John Marshall Law School in Chicago. Gagliardi is a self-employed private attorney who practices at Gagliardi Law Office in Paddock Lake, largely handling family law and personal injury cases. He has an undergraduate degree in accounting from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and graduated in 2006 from Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Since 2012 he has served as a court commissioner. Zapf has been a prosecutor with the Kenosha District Attorneys Office since 2013, handling misdemeanor and felony prosecutions, and has worked as a legal intern and then a special prosecutor with the office from 2010 to 2013. He has an undergraduate degree in political science from Carthage College and graduated with his law degree in 2010 from Western Michigan University Cooley Law School. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Get local news delivered to your inbox! Subscribe to our Daily Headlines newsletter. 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AARP Supports Veterans, Military and Their Families Guide: Share this printable guide with other veterans and military families to let them know about the resources, tools and information AARP offers to the military community. AARP Veterans Health Care Benefit Guide: Navigating VA benefit programs can be overwhelming. This guide can help you understand your eligibility and determine the best options available to you. Careers and Finance Operation First Response: Provides financial assistance to military families to cover the costs of such things as groceries, clothing, rent and transportation.. American Legion: Temporary financial assistance is available to families in need for the cost of shelter, food, utilities and health expenses. USA Cares: Provides post-9/11 military veterans, service members and their families with emergency financial assistance and post-service skill training toward a civilian career path. Onward to Opportunity: A free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to service members, veterans and military spouses. LinkedIn: Service members and veterans can get a free one-year premium subscription to the career-focused social network. Credentials need to be verified first through ID.me. Community Together We Served: The veteran-only website provides a means to reconnect with former service members by entering their service history. Each branch of the military is represented, totaling over 1.9 million members. RallyPoint: Military community members can discuss social and professional topics from recruitment to retirement. The platform has nearly 2 million members. Make the Connection: Connects veterans, family members and friends with solutions affecting their lives. The website offers videos of veterans sharing their stories of strength and recovery, and features other mental health topics and a network of in-person resources. National Parks Service: Free admission is available for gold star families and military veterans to over 2,000 locations, including national parks, wildlife refuges and forests. National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) VA Benefit Identifier: This mobile app directs veterans to a questionnaire that assists in verifying if a VA claim should be filed for a service-connected disability benefit or a non-service-connected disability pension. It is available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. NVLSP Resources for Combat-Related Special Compensation: Materials from the nonprofits Know Your Rights: Combat-Related Special Compensation Clinic are available in PowerPoint and video format. The information gives veterans a better understanding of their eligibility for combat-related payments. Transportation Space-A Flights Program: Veterans with a permanent and total service-connected disability rating are eligible to fill surplus seating on Department of Defense aircraft when available. Veteran Airlift Command: Post 9/11 combat-wounded veterans and their families can receive free air transportation for medical and other compassionate purposes through a network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots. Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Rides: The DAV organization offers free rides to VA medical facilities for injured and ill veterans. Check the directory on the website to find the DAV hospital service coordinator located closest to you. Editor's note: This story has been updated to add new resources and information. Lindsay Lohan's father was in handcuffs as he was escorted into court today by two officers after being arrested over a domestic violence dispute with his estranged wife. Michael Lohan, 59, was arrested Monday after Kate Major claimed that he had attacked her at her home in Southampton, on Long Island, according to a police report obtained by DailyMail.com. Sources tell DailyMail.com that while in custody, Michael claimed to have a heart attack and was taken to the hospital for an evaluation following the arrest. He is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and second-degree harassment and was released Tuesday afternoon without bond but must wear a monitoring device. Michael Lohan was escorted into court today by two police officers and charged with criminal obstruction of breathing and harassment His wife Kate Major told police that he'd attacked her at her home after she confronted him about his internet browsing history. She's pictured arriving at Lohan's arraignment Tuesday Lohan was released Tuesday without bond but must wear a monitoring device Lohan is charged with criminal obstruction of breathing or blood circulation and second-degree harassment Major has an order of protection against Lohan but both are allowed in their home. Sources tell DailyMail.com that the judge allowed it because Michael has primary custody of their two sons Landon, 7, and Logan, 5, out of Florida court. Michael Lohan was arrested on Monday after an alleged domestic violence dispute with his estranged wife Kate Major (pictured together in 2010) Sources say Major feels the punishment for her estranged husband is a 'fu**ing joke.' In a statement to DailyMail.com, Lohan's ex-wife Dina placed the blame on Kate, calling her an 'unstable human being.' 'I would like to state, respectfully, my ex husband Michael and I have been through our own personal ups and downs in life. Over time we have grown together and have a very strong, caring and respectful relationship towards one another. 'What goes on in my life and his life has nothing to do with my four children. I am asking that you keep their lives private and separate from mine and Michaels moving forward. I think that it is very necessary for me to state that Michael has been a very good father to two precious young boys and he has been trying to protect them from this very clearly unstable human being, Kate. 'He got a restraining order against her for a reason. She is an unfit mother. He works in wellness and health and I pray that the judicial system recognizes that the person responsible for this is in fact Kate. Not Michael.' Major, who filed for separation from Lohan after one year of marriage in 2015, claims he became violent with her after she confronted him about his internet browsing history, which apparently showed that he had been searching for escort services in Houston while he was on a trip there. In a handwritten statement included in the police report, Major describes how Lohan allegedly threw plastic clothing hangers at her before grabbing her by the throat, leaving her with visible bruises. She claimed that Lohan threatened to stab her and berated her as she tried to get away from him, calling her a 'braindead who*e'. Officers are seen taking Lohan into custody outside Major's apartment in Southampton Major, pictured arriving at Lohan's arraignment, claimed that her estranged husband threatened to stab her and berated her as she tried to get away from him, calling her a 'braindead who*e' Lohan is pictured with his daughter Lindsay and then-wife Dina in 2003. Dina defended her ex and placed the blame on Kate, calling her an 'unstable human being' Lohan (pictured with daughter Lindsay in 2002) was booked on one count of 'criminal obstruction of breathing' and one count of harassment, according to a police report A deputy wrote in the report that Major was looking for her pet hamster when Lohan began throwing hangers at her. He then grabbed her hand and squeezed it so hard that the 'hamster ball' she was holding shattered. The fight escalated as Lohan threw Major's cellphone to the ground and grabbed her by the neck, the report states. As Major tried to free herself from his grip, Lohan shouted insults at her, calling her a 'waste of life' and a 'who*e'. Lohan also allegedly told Major that he 'could stab her and get away with her'. Major left the home and immediately went to see her attorney, who accompanied her to the Southampton Village Police station. The deputy who wrote the report said there were visible bruises on the right side of Major's neck and her voice was hoarse. Major's handwritten statement in the report reads: 'Michael has been following my car and also called the police on me. Today he got extremely violent and threatened to stab me. He called me a who*e and threw hangers across the room. 'He threw my phone. Put his hand around the left side of my neck with his hand. My neck hurts and is bruised pushing into my throat in rage. He also grabbed my right wrist causing the hamster wheel to crack. My right wrist is bruised and sore. 'He said he just wanted to stab me and end it all. He kept saying I was brain dead - I leave too many lights on and I'm a waste of life. He threatened to call the cops and put me away for 20 years. 'This has been an ongoing an abusive controlling hell of a life. Today he really scared me and I was scared to call 911 and my hand is sore and hard to write. 'When he was choking me, my throat is all hoarse and in pain now. When I was looking for the hamster he kicked me on the right side of my butt as I bent down.' Lohan and Major tied the knot in 2014 and separated a year later. They have two sons together - seven-year-old Landon and five-year-old Logan. This is not the first time Lohan has been accused of domestic violence against Major. Two prior incidents were noted in the police report, including one in 2011 which saw him arrested after he allegedly 'tried to throw Major off a balcony'. The report states that the first incident took place in 2009 when Lohan pushed Major during an argument. Lohan's criminal record dates back to 1990, when he was investigated for insider trading while working on Wall Street. He was ultimately convicted of criminal contempt of court and served three years in prison. His daughter Lindsay, one of four children he shares with ex-wife Dina Lohan, began modeling while he was in prison and was at the peak of her Hollywood career by the time he was released in 1993. Lohan was arrested for violating his probation in 1997 after he flew to Napa, California, to visit Lindsay, who had been hospitalized for an asthma attack while filming The Parent Trap. Lohan and Major (pictured in 2010) tied the knot in 2014 and separated a year later. They have two sons together Lohan was arrested once again in 2004 after getting into a fistfight with Dina's younger brother Matt Sullivan. Lohan is seen in a mugshot taken after he was arrested for attacking Major in 2011 While awaiting sentencing on attempted assault charges in that case, Lohan was involved in a DUI car crash that saw him serve another prison sentence. Dina filed for divorce from Michael in 2005 and it was finalized two years later. He got engaged to Major, a tabloid reporter, in 2010 and they maintained an on-again, off-again relationship for the next several years. The tumultuous relationship was depicted in the fifth season of VH1's Celebrity Rehab, where Lohan was treated for his long history of alcohol and cocaine abuse. Major and Lohan welcomed their first son Landon in January 2013, followed by their second son Logan in December 2014. The couple lost custody of both children in November 2015 after they were filmed engaging in a violent fight in front of the kids. Major filed for legal separation soon after. Major also has a rap sheet. She was arrested for a DUI in Palm Beach, Florida, in 2014 and was sentenced to eight months in jail. In December 2018, she was arrested for commandeering a bus full of people and attacking its driver while she was drunk. She pleaded guilty to a third-degree disorderly conduct charge in that case last April. By Kingsley Chukwuka, Jos The Senator representing Plateau South at the National Assembly, Ignatius Longjan, may have died of diabetes and high blood pressure, says his media aid, Mr. Wulime Goyit. Goyit who spoke to our correspondent on Monday, said Longjan who was the immediate past deputy governor to former governor Jonah Jang, has been battling with sugar and BP since August 2019. He has been battling with a lot of ailments raging from high BP to sugar. He has been down since August last year with his health fluctuating, but since after the Appeal Court verdict that upheld Governor Lalongs election, he never recovered from the ailment until his death, he said. However, Governor Simon Lalong has described the death as shocking and devastating, saying that his death has left a vacuum to not only the people of Plateau South, but to the entire State, adding that his wisdom and advise will be greatly missed. In a statement signed by the Director of Press to the governor, Dr. Makut Macham, Lalong said: We have lost a man of honour and candour who in all his affairs always put the interests of Plateau State first. His humility and wealth of wisdom was always at display when he weighed on any issue that concerns people: we will surely miss him. The Former Deputy Governor served Plateau State steadfastly and loyally from 2011 to 2015, and also played a significant role in ensuring political stability in the State all through the period of various security challenges that the State passed through, Lalong said. Our correspondent reports that Sen. Longjan was a former Chief of Staff to the former Governor of Plateau State Jonah Jang. A retired career diplomat and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Party in Plateau State and Deputy Chairman, Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism. Late Longjan died in the early hours of Monday morning at the age of 75 years, our correspondent reports. Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg will campaign in Greensboro and Winston-Salem on Thursday, according to a news release from his staff. Coinciding with the first day of early voting in North Carolina, Bloomberg will appear at 9:30 a.m at his Greensboro field office at 300 S. Elm St.. Doors open to the public at 9 a.m., according to the release. The billionaire former mayor of New York City will appear in Winston-Salem at 7:30 a.m. at a yet to be determined location. Doors for that event will open at 7 a.m. He also is appearing in Raleigh later in the day. This will be Bloombergs third visit to North Carolina. He previously visited Raleigh, Charlotte, and Fayetteville. Thursday is a critical day as voters across North Carolina will have their first chance to help our country turn the page on Donald Trumps disastrous presidency, James Mitchell, North Carolina State Director for Mike Bloomberg 2020, said in the release. La Shawn Courtwright, a native of Detroit, Michigan, has published her latest book The Fold: A Collection of Poetry: an exploration of both universal and personal experiences of love, family, despair, and the vicissitudes of modern human life. La Shawn writes, This collection of poetry speaks to a very common theme of real human experiences, and they are just a small part of mine. I expressed how I felt like an outsider, then realized, its not always bad to be unusual. Me and my children suffered the utmost tragedy of being separated over my naivety, and the intentional betrayal of a neighbor I considered a friend. Its about loving someone and discovering you both want something totally different. Our circumstances are not who we are. They are not a direct reflection of our whole being. For anyone who has had to experience incarceration for any amount of time can understand where Im coming from in two of these poems. Its when the reality of the utter loneliness of being forcibly ridden of the things that are often taken for granted put you in touch with the peace that you can only find within yourself. I also believe in owning my feelings and not allowing others to trample my trust with lies. These writings are a liberation of all the labels, assumptions, and character assassinations that haunted me for so long. The love my mother and father gave me is what I cling to. Even when you may think you have failed, you must keep reaching and know how to grasp opportunity. We all need strength to maintain. I hope that you will discover something within these pages that can help change your life in a positive way. Published by Page Publishing, La Shawn Courtwrights engrossing book is a moving poetic memoir of her lived experiences and dreams for the future. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchase The Fold: A Collection of Poetry at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. (Newser) Have consensual sex in Virginia with someone when either of you is unmarried, and you could be charged with a misdemeanor and have to fork over a $250 fine. That's because there's an old-time law still on the books prohibiting "fornication"a law not often enforced, but one that a state delegate wants dumped for good. Per CNN, Del. Mark Levine is making a repeat push to have Section 18.2-344 removed from state code, after the Virginia Supreme Court ruled 15 years ago that it was an "unconstitutional government intrusion." The first step in getting Levine's bill passed is now cleared: The Virginia House of Delegates repealed the law last week, with seven Republicans against the repeal and one Democrat abstaining, per WTVR. story continues below That means the state Senate now gets a crack at reviewing Levine's bill. "We should not have laws that make most of the population into criminals," says Levine, who calls the fornication law "stupid" and "crazy." "Times are very different now than they were in the 17th and 18th centuries." Although people in Virginia aren't often charged with this crime as a stand-alone, Levine says it's sometimes tacked on to other charges, such as indecent exposure. CNN notes fornication is still against the law in other states, such as Idaho, Mississippi, and North Carolina. Levine, however, is just worried about his home state for the time being. "How is Virginia for lovers, if lovers can't love each other," he says, per WTVR. (Read more Virginia stories.) - The country ranked fourth in the Rand Merchant Banks Investment Attractiveness Index 2019 - Kenya was ranked fifth in 2018 and sixth in 2017 pointing to a stable investment environment - The Impressive ranking was attributed to the handshake as well as the countrys sustained consumer demand - Infrastructure investments among them the SGR listed as vital parts of the development strategy Kenya continues to climb up the list of the most attractive countries to invest in on the continent, a survey by a South African-based bank has shown The country was ranked an impressive fourth overall in the Rand Merchant Banks Investment Attractiveness Index 2019 up from fifth in 2018 and sixth in 2017. READ ALSO: Kakamega: Mwanamke ateketeza nyumba baada ya mume kuleta kipusa mwingine Kenya rises to fourth on the list of most attractive African countries to invest in Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenya to partner with FBI in historic counter-terrorism undertaking The index looks at countries economic and operating environments to assess their potential to attract investment. Kenya continues its steady climb up to number four in this years Where to Invest in Africa investment attractiveness rankings. Its economy benefits from diversity as well as a sustained expansion in consumer demand, the bank said in a report. READ ALSO: Governors Hassan Joho, Alfred Mutua slay in magnificent suits during Moi's funeral service The Impressive ranking is attributed to the handshake as well as the countrys sustained consumer demand. Photo: Raila Odinga. Source: UGC Other factors working in Kenyas favour are urbanisation, East African Community integration, structural reforms and investment in infrastructure including an oil pipeline, railways, ports and power generation. While there has been a decline in continental foreign direct investment since 2015, Kenya has managed to buck the trend by increasing its share of FDI projects, the report states, adding that Kenyas resources sector present a strong outlook. It singles out infrastructure investments, among them the construction of the standard gauge railway line connecting Nairobi to the port of Mombasa, as an essential part of the countrys development strategy. It notes that although competition for consumers is the highest in Africa, Kenyas consumer spending is the largest and fastest growing in East Africa particularly due to improvements in distributions systems, supported by innovative ICT initiatives, and relatively low market saturation. The report showed Kenya has a strong manufacturing sector despite its relatively small market size. The most striking growth is in chemicals, dairy, and fabricated metals. Key to Kenyas plan to encourage investment is the development of its Special Economic Zones. Investors have benefited in SEZs where power interruptions are significantly less frequent and almost 20 per cent of manufacturing employment is located in export-processing zones, it revealed. In 2019, Kenya was ranked an impressive position 56 out of 190 countries globally on the World Bank Ease of Doing Business Index. Kenyans were in January 2019 also ranked the second most fluent English speakers in Africa according to a ranking by global private language tutor, Education First (EF), a ranking which primes the country to attract foreign investment. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke 217 more Kazakhstani citizens have been evacuated from Beijing, according to Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov, who said it at the Cabinets weekly session today, Trend reports citing Kazinfrom. "217 people arrived today at 06:05am from Beijing. All of them were placed into specialized health facilities. None of them were registered with the coronavirus infection," he said. Earlier it was reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev commissioned to take measures to protect Kazakhstani nationals from the coronavirus infection by evacuating them from China. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: Azerbaijan's Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov will visit Brussels on Feb. 12 to attend the meeting to be held at NATO headquarters at the level of Defense Ministers of the Nations contributing to the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Wide discussions on the security and political situation in Afghanistan, recent achievements and a number of other topics of mutual interest will be held during the Feb. 13 meeting. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 23:26:20|Editor: yan Video Player Close VIENTIANE, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Lao macroeconomic growth is projected to improve moderately in 2020, with growth of 6.3 to 6.4 percent forecast by the Center for Macroeconomic Policy Research and Economic Restructuring under the National Institute for Economic Research, a Lao state-run think tank. This figure was revealed on Tuesday at a meeting held in capital Vientiane, to present the Assessment Report on Macroeconomic Performance in Laos and the key issues to be addressed, which was presided over by the institutes Acting President Leeber Leebouapao. The report identifies several key drivers of growth including electricity generation by the Xayaboury hydropower plant, which became operational in December with installed capacity of 1,285 MW. The other main players in economic growth are small and medium-sized enterprises and agriculture, local daily Vientiane Times reported quoting the report. Alongside the contribution of the Xayaboury hydropower plant, more hydro plants will continue to support economic growth through the sale of electricity, the report noted. But economic growth will also face challenges. Extreme weather events in 2019 and low river levels posed a significant threat to agriculture in 2019 and will continue to affect electricity generation in the first five months of 2020. Lao economic growth was recorded at six percent in 2019 as the economy was affected by various factors, of which the effect of natural disasters on agriculture was significant. In addition, electricity generation by some existing hydropower plants has not reached expected targets. Output in the mining sector has dropped slightly, there have been fewer government-funded projects, and there has been no increase in Foreign Direct Investment, according to the report. In contrast, the tourism industry experienced growth of 14 percent in 2019, with about 4.7 million people visiting Laos. The Center's Director General, Sthabandith Insisiengmay, said the Lao government will need to make the most of its capacity to resolve economic problems and other challenges. The burgeoning tourism and agriculture sectors will enable the government to benefit more from regional and international integration, he said, adding that success in agriculture would require prioritization of livestock and crop farming within existing market segments. The production of clean and processed agricultural products should also be prioritized to meet the needs of domestic consumption as well as export to regional markets in the near future. Dolittle Cert: PG, 1hr 41mins Rating: Until 2008, Robert Downey Jr was best known as the troubled actor who failed to live up to the precocious Oscar-nominated promise he demonstrated in Chaplin and came close to wrecking his career with drugs. And then along came Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, shortly followed by Sherlock Holmes for Guy Ritchie and a star was well and truly reborn. For the decade or so that followed, the once-again great man unrivalled master of muttering dialogue at machine-gun speed could do no wrong. All that, however, changes with Dolittle. Yes, less than a year after the aptly named Avengers: Endgame, he gives one of the worst performances of his career in a film that may make a few small children giggle (forgive them, they know no better) but disappoints on so many levels. Robert Downey Jr gives one of the worst performances of his career in Dolittle which disappoints on many levels & makes Rex Harrisons much-derided 1967 effort look like a classic For a few brief moments there is hope, as we realise that Hugh Loftings much-abused childrens classic has been returned from the modern-day setting that marked Eddie Murphys two versions (1998 and 2001) to a cod-Victorian era more in line with the books. Then we see that Downey Jr is intent on playing the physician who famously learned to speak to the animals as a mad, inexplicably Welsh-accented recluse, and that most of said animals will be delivering their lines in contemporary American street-talk, and all hope is already lost. Its difficult to know which is worse Downeys performance or Stephen Gaghans dual role behind the camera as both director and co-writer. Its difficult to know which is worse Downeys performance or Stephen Gaghans dual role behind the camera as both director and co-writer The former is more of a non-performance really, made up of a ridiculous Welsh whisper (possibly borrowed from his Port Talbot-raised co-star, Michael Sheen), silly hair that may once have belonged to Captain Jack Sparrow from Pirates Of The Caribbean, and a frock coat that makes Dolittle look like a cross between the Mad Hatter and Willy Wonka. As for Gaghan, hitherto best known for serious films such as Syriana and Traffic, he demonstrates almost zero talent for making a good childrens film. The pace is tiringly frantic, the charm low and the humour low-brow and lavatorial. A hare sniffs: I think Dr Dolittle did a little do-do. Really? Yes, what plays out has been rightly stripped of Loftings racism, but in its place are an unnecessary romantic subplot, a chimp pointlessly transformed into a gorilla and Downey Jr littering his dialogue with toe-curling boyos and fair plays. With not a pushmi-pullyu in sight, it makes Rex Harrisons much-derided 1967 effort look like a classic. ALSO OUT THIS WEEK Birds Of Prey: And The Fantabulous Emancipation Of One Harley Quinn (15) Rating: We first met Harley Quinn four years ago in the rather good Suicide Squad, alongside the usual male leading characters of comic-book adaptations, such as Will Smiths Deadshot and Jared Letos Joker. But now Margot Robbie brings the sassy, pig-tailed character back in a stand-alone spin-off that seeks to show that sisters are doing it for themselves. Its directed by Cathy Yan, whose only previous feature film Dead Pigs played the festival circuit but was released only in China. Its written by Christina Hodson, who penned the excellent Transformers spin-off, Bumblebee, and it features a gang of inevitably kick-ass female characters played by the likes of Rosie Perez and Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Margot Robbie returns as Joker's ex-lover Harley Quinn in female-led standalone film Birds Of Prey. But while it definitely has its moments, its a film that never quite bursts into life Its colourful, high-energy stuff, with the story driven by Harley Quinns straight-talking narration, through which we learn that she has split up with Joker, shes constantly in danger, and an immensely valuable diamond has gone missing. Which has really upset arch-villain Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). But while this definitely has its moments, its a film that never quite bursts into life, held back by some nasty underlying violence, a story that is simply too complicated and a supporting team that dont quite grasp the opportunity theyve been handed. Parasite (15) Rating: Bong Joon-hos psychological thriller and social satire arrives garlanded with honours. It won the Palme dOr at Cannes last year, picked up two Baftas last week and is nominated for no fewer than six Oscars tonight. And for once it does live up to the hype as, one by one, the resourceful but not always honest members of the impoverished Kim family, who share a cramped and smelly Seoul basement, inveigle their way into the employ and luxurious living standards of the wealthy Parks. Ah, but can you ever really throw off the whiff of poverty? Despite the occasionally slow pace, an impressively strong finish means youll enjoy finding out. Mr Jones (15) Rating: Despite being based on a true story, theres something that doesnt quite convince about this undeniably handsome but overlong production. Which is a shame, as the discovery of the man-made famines in Ukraine in the Thirties by young Welsh journalist Gareth Jones is an important one. Millions of peasants died as Stalin ruthlessly stripped the country of its grain. Despite being based on a true story, theres something that doesnt quite convince about Mr Jones starring James Norton as a journalist reporting on the Soviet famine of the early 1930s But time and again, as we watch James Norton struggle to find the right note as Jones, you find yourself thinking it cant have been quite like that. Further sadness is prompted by an almost distractingly good Peter Sarsgaard as New York Times Moscow bureau chief Walter Duranty, denier of the famine, and by a haunting postscript. Underwater (15) Rating: Cross Alien with The Meg yup, thats pretty much it, as a manned drilling station seven miles down in the Pacific Ocean is suddenly wrecked by what appears to be a huge earthquake. When a small group of survivors isnt trying to make a dangerous underwater escape, Kristen Stewart and Jessica Henwick rush around in their underwear as if the Times Up movement never happened. Popcorn stuff. Plus One (15) Rating: This debut feature from writer-directors Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer will bring Four Weddings And A Funeral to mind, as long-time friends Alice (Maya Erskine) and Ben (Jack Quaid) decide to join platonic forces to survive a looming summer of weddings. And while were all thinking yeah, thats going to work, it also shows that Chan and Rhymer are better at touching romance than comedy and that Erskine is much better than she at first noisily appears. Richard Boyd Barrett, of Solidarity People Before Profit, played down the prospect of a left-wing government (Brian Lawless/PA) As parties across the political divide hold talks in a bid to form a government, Sinn Fein has its eyes firmly set on the left. Mary Lou McDonald said her preference is to form a coalition that does not include Fianna Fail or Fine Gael. The Sinn Fein president made it clear she will hold talks with the smaller left-wing parties including the Greens, Solidarity-People Before Profit, the Social Democrats, Labour and a number of Independents. Before the outcome of the election was clear, the smaller parties all said they would be willing to talk to anyone, however Labour leader Brendan Howlin previously said that while he will talk to Sinn Fein, the Labour party has ruled out going into government with them. Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald is to start talks with the smaller left-wing parties (Niall Carson/PA) Some of the parties will meet over the coming days to discuss the possibility of forming a Sinn Fein-led government and what their red lines will be before entering any talks. Following the conclusion of the counts, Fianna Fail has the most seats after returning 38 TDs, followed by Sinn Fein on 37, and Fine Gael behind on 35. The Greens now have 12 seats, the Social Democrats on six, Solidarity-People Before Profit on five and Labour has six, while Aontu kept its one seat. The rest of the Dail is made up with 19 Independents. Dun Laoghaire TD Richard Boyd Barrett said he will be meeting with other parties in the next few days. But if you look at the numbers, much as we campaigned for and suggested that a left government was possible, I think probably we haven't got the numbersRichard Boyd Barrett The Solidarity-People Before Profit TD, however, cast doubt over whether Sinn Fein has the numbers to make up an alternative coalition. He told Newstalk: There has been something of an earthquake in terms of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael now having considerably less than 50% popular support. Its a poor result for the establishment, and were glad that many people have made that move. But if you look at the numbers, much as we campaigned for and suggested that a left government was possible, I think probably we havent got the numbers. I think there will be discussions among parties of the left over the next week about what can be done, but it would appear we dont quite have the numbers. He added that the numbers in the Dail may not be there. He added: I would imagine there will be discussions between Fianna Fail and Fine Gael about the possibility of forming a government. Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail and possibly the Greens might have the numbers for a government. I think the priority for us is how do we keep the momentum to the left going, and look at how could the left build an alliance if we havent quite got the numbers for a left government this time around, its tantalisingly close. Meanwhile, Aontu leader Peadar Toibin, who resigned from Sinn Fein over his views on abortion, told RTE Radio One that he is speaking to a number of rural Independents in an attempt to form a group that could participate in the coalition talks. He added: What we are looking at doing is to see if we can build a common platform of objectives which would be core to any future government and then potentially negotiate to have those objectives included in a programme for government. [February 11, 2020] INVESTIGATION REMINDER: The Schall Law Firm Announces it is Investigating Claims Against Airbus SE and Encourages Investors with Losses to Contact the Firm The Schall Law Firm, a national shareholder rights litigation firm, announces that it is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Airbus SE ("Airbus" or "the Company") (OTC: EADSY, EADSF) for violations of the securities laws. The investigation focuses on whether the Company issued false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to isclose information pertinent to investors. The Media reported on January 31, 2020, that Airbus had reached a deal with U.S., UK, and French prosecutors to settle charges of bribery and export-control violations. The Settlement including the Company paying approximately $4 billion. The Company also agreed to appoint an external compliance officer for two years to monitor its oversight of defense sales and disclosures. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. We also encourage you to contact Brian Schall of the Schall Law Firm, 1880 Century Park East, Suite 404, Los Angeles, CA (News - Alert) 90067, at 424-303-1964, to discuss your rights free of charge. You can also reach us through the firm's website at www.schallfirm.com, or by email at [email protected]. The class in this case has not yet been certified, and until certification occurs, you are not represented by an attorney. If you choose to take no action, you can remain an absent class member. The Schall Law Firm represents investors around the world and specializes in securities class action lawsuits and shareholder rights litigation. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and rules of ethics. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005975/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A Romanian woman who stole almost 200 worth of underwear from Topshop has been given a three month jail sentence suspended for 18 months (stock photo) A woman who stole almost 200 worth of underwear from Topshop has been given a three month jail sentence suspended for 18 months. Lordana Sardaru (36), of Montague Avenue in Ballymena, was caught in Coleraine with what a prosecutor said were 38 pairs of "knickers" worth 198 in a shopping trolley. A defence barrister told Coleraine Magistrates Court yesterday the defendant, who comes from Romania, had previously lived in England and Wales and came to Northern Ireland last August along with her husband and the six younger of her eight children. The barrister said the defendant came to the UK to work and to get a "better education" for their children. Sardaru pleaded guilty to one charge of theft on January 10 this year. On the day in question she had gone with two of her daughters to buy underwear but after losing her money, resorted to theft, it was claimed. The goods were recovered but it was not known if they were fit for re-sale. District Judge Peter King noted the defendant had a previous record, having committed offences in northern England, the English Midlands and the Welsh Valleys and now Northern Ireland. He said it was not the case of someone being "caught short" without money, saying the defendant had a "very significant record for dishonesty". He added: "It seems the only part of the United Kingdom you have not offended in is Scotland". Update 2-11th Feb 2020: While many brands are pulling out of MWC 2020, Xiaomi has confirmed that it is attending the event and will introduce their new range of smartphones and smart hardware. On the other hand, MediaTek has announced that it is not attending MWC this time due to coronavirus concerns. To all Mi fans, users, partners and media friends, Xiaomi will attend #MWC2020 Barcelona as planned. In order to align with personal and product safety measures during MWC, Xiaomi is committed to following all recommended guidelines. Thank you. #NoMiWithoutYou pic.twitter.com/LKjHPXWOai Xiaomi #First108MPPentaCam (@Xiaomi) February 11, 2020 Update-11th Feb 2020: Intel and Vivo have confirmed that they are withdrawing from the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 event due to coronavirus concerns. Vivos new Apex 2020 wont be announced at MWC this year and the company will announce revised plans soon. Intel spokesperson in a statement said: The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this years Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution. We are grateful to the GSMA for their understanding and look forward to attending and supporting future Mobile World Congress events. Earlier: Novel coronavirus outbreak has impacted a lot of people in China and at the same time, it has impacted major launch events including the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2020 which is set to begin from 24th February. Recently, LG cancelled its MWC event and following that, now Sony, NVIDIA, and Amazon have withdrawn from MWC 2020. Sony has officially issued a statement that they are withdrawing from Mobile World Congress 2020 following the novel coronavirus outbreak. While Sony is not hosting its event in Barcelona, it is instead hosting its press conference online on Feb 24, 1:00 PM (IST) via the official Xperia YouTube channel to share exciting product news. Similarly, NVIDIA and Amazon are not attending the Mobile World Congress and have issued an official statement regarding the same. While the Mobile World Congress is just a few weeks away, it is to be seen if other companies pull out of the event as well. GSMA has also issued a statement and has listed additional safety measures being put in place which includes All travellers from the Hubei province will not be permitted access to the event All travellers who have been in China will need to demonstrate proof they have been outside of China 14 days prior to the event (passport stamp, health certificate) Temperature screening will be implemented Attendees will need to self-certify they have not been in contact with anyone infected. Sonys statement: Sony has been closely monitoring the evolving situation following the novel coronavirus outbreak, which was declared a global emergency by the World Health Organization on January 30th, 2020. As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain. The Sony press conference will now instead take place at the scheduled time of 8:30am (CET) on February 24, 2020 as a video via our official Xperia YouTube channel to share our exciting product news. NVIDIAs statement: Weve informed GSMA, the organizers of MWC Barcelona, that we wont be sending our employees to this years event. Given public health risks around the coronavirus, ensuring the safety of our colleagues, partners and customers is our highest concern. MWC Barcelona is one of the worlds most important technology conferences. Weve been looking forward to sharing our work in AI, 5G and vRAN with the industry. We regret not attending, but believe this is the right decision. Were grateful for GSMAs leadership and continued efforts to ensure the safety of all attendees. Amazons statement: Due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus, Amazon will withdraw from exhibiting and participating in Mobile World Congress 2020, scheduled for Feb. 24-27 in Barcelona, Spain. Source 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Samaritans in the time of novel coronavirus With coronavirus fears sending demand for hand disinfectants spiraling, teachers and students at some universities are making them to help the public. Dao Anh Quang, who has a PhD in chemistry and physical chemistry and is a lecturer at the Hue Industrial College in central Vietnam, has been making a hand sanitizer from alcohol gel with assistance from a group of 20 students. He puts ethanol, distilled water, nano silver, and citronella oil into a mixing machine, and the process takes 30-40 minutes. Quang and his students then give away the product for free to anyone in need in front of the school's gate. There is one condition: people have to bring along two clean bottles in exchange for two bottles of the substance. Quang says: "We ask people to bring along two clean bottles to make sure we have enough bottles to supply the substance. Everyone has been doing so willingly." Dao Anh Quang, lecturer at the Hue Industrial College, makes a hand sanitizer in the school laboratory. Photo by VnExpress/V.T. Every day Quangs group makes around 200 liters of the disinfectant, but there have been days when they gave away 400 liters. Nguyen Van Sum of Phu Cat Ward, Hue Town, said he had collected several plastic bottles, cleaned them carefully and went to the Hue Industrial College to get the sanitizer. Ever since Vietnam confirmed its first cases of the novel coronavirus infection last month, the public have been worried. Authorities have recommended that people should wear face masks in crowded places and when coming into direct contact with others, and keep their hands clean with either soap or alcohol gel to limit the spread of the infection, and this sent the market for masks and hand sanitizers wild. As demand kept soaring, stores and pharmacies sold them at much higher prices than normal before running out of supply. "Under the circumstances, when the nCoV epidemic is still not under control, what this school is doing means a lot to the public," Sum says. Authorities in Thua Thien-Hue Province had funded Quang with VND50 million ($2,150) to help with his project. Province chairman Phan Ngoc Tho called on local businesses to give 500 bottles to the school so that more people could benefit. A team of teachers and students at Thuy Loi (irrigation) Universitys chemistry and environment department are doing the same in Hanoi. Besides providing hand sanitizers for free to the schools students, the school has also arranged to give them away to the public along with face masks in front of its gate. Students of Thuy Loi University in Hanoi give bottles of hand sanitizers to the public. Photo by VnExpress/Huy Manh. Luu Truong Giang, a lecturer at the university, said he and other teachers and students have been making the gel based on a World Health Organization formula. "It is a mixture of medical alcohol, glycerin and distilled water. "This can be done at home too, and the only thing that should be ensured is clear origin of the ingredients. Those who want some fragrance can also add a little essential oil to the gel." Thanks to Giang and his team, thousands of free bottles of sanitizer of 30-50 ml have been given to the public since January 31. Since February 1, Vu Tan Phat, 25, chairman of the startup and innovation club at the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science, has also led a team of volunteers, including the schools students, to make a hand disinfectant to give away to the public. It is made based on a formula developed by Dr Pham Van Viet, 33, deputy head of the schools Science and Materials Technology Department. In the first four days the group had given away 9,000 bottles of 100 ml. Phat is also sending them to other areas near HCMC. In a Facebook post on Thursday he said his team had filled 10,000 bottles on that day alone and there was need for more clean bottles. Boys charity with lucky money Nguyen Dao, 12, of HCMC received li xi (lucky money) from adults as is the tradition during Tet and had some money of his own. He took the VND10 million and, with help from his mother who works in the healthcare sector and knows suppliers, bought surgical masks to give away to people in need. Nguyen Dao, 12, donates surgical masks to the public on a sidewalk in HCMC's District 1. Photo by VnExpress/Minh Nhat. Asked why he chose to do this, he says, "I learned from the news that there is this new type of virus and that we need to wear a mask for protection. "When my family went to buy masks, I could see there were not enough for people standing behind us. Many sellers were selling the products at much higher prices than normal." He stands on a sidewalk in District 1 along with his mother every evening to give away the masks. On Friday an anonymous passerby visited his stall and gave him 10 boxes of face masks so that he could continue his good work. "I feel happy that other people help me in return." Most cities and provinces across Vietnam, including Saigon and Hanoi, have extended the Lunar New Year break for students, first to February 9 and then to February 16, to contain the spread of the virus. Dao wishes "the epidemic will end soon so that we could go back to school." Storyful Supporters of world No.1 Novak Djokovic gathered outside a courthouse in Melbourne on January 10 as the player appealed against his deportation from Australia.A bid by the Australian government to delay a court hearing to January 12 was rejected by a federal circuit judge.According to court filings, Djokovics lawyers say he was granted a visa on November 18. An exemption certificate was issued by Tennis Australias chief medical officer on December 30, they said.The hearing was due to start at 10am local time but was delayed due to technical issues. Footage by Marion Theissen shows fans outside the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Melbourne. Credit: Marion Theissen via Storyful A Syrian government helicopter has been shot down by Turkish-backed rebel groups in western Syria amid spiralling tensions in the region. Video shows a Russian-made Mi-17 helicopter in flames somewhere near the town of Nerab, which was recently captured by government troops, before it breaks up and plummets from the sky. The attack comes a day after five Turkish soldiers were killed in a government attack - prompting Ankara to retaliate with strikes on 115 government positions. A Syrian government helicopter has been shot down near the town of Nerab, in Syria's western Idlib province, by Turkey-backed rebel groups The attack took place as rebels and Turkish artillery advanced towards the front-lines to try and push back an assault by Syrian government forces The Turkish military said 101 of the targets had been destroyed, including three tanks, two mortar positions and one helicopter. A second helicopter was downed Tuesday as rebels supported by Turkish artillery advanced towards Nairab to push back Russian-led forces, Abdulah al Shami, a commander in a coalition of mainstream rebel factions, said. Two other rebel commanders confirmed anonymously that they had fired the missiles which took down the helicopter. Bashar al-Assad's forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, are attempting to seize control of Idlib, which is one of the last rebel-held strongholds in Syria. But they are being pushed back by Turkish troops and proxy fighting groups that are trying to create a 'buffer zone' to stop refugees fleeing across the border. The conflict is thought to have displaced 700,000 civilians since December. Idlib province is home to some 3million people. Syrian rebel fighters gather around the burning remains of a military helicopter after it was shot down to the south of Idlib city and landed in a field Part of the pilot's uniform shows he was serving in the Syrian Arab Army, which is loyal to Bashar al-Assad Though they are allies elsewhere in Syria, the conflict in Idlib has brought Russia and Turkey into conflict - with 13 Turkish troops killed in government attacks in a week. The deaths prompted a Russian delegation to travel to Ankara at the weekend to try and find a solution, but they departed on Monday with no deal announced. Shortly afterwards, government forces announced they had retaken a key highway. The M5 motorway links the capital Damascus to the second city of Aleppo through the cities of Homs and Hama, and has been a key government target for years. On Tuesday, government and allied forces retook the Rashideen al-Rabea area near Aleppo, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. 'That means they control the entire M5 for the first time since 2012,' Rami Abdel Rahman, the head of the UK-based war monitor, told AFP. The attack comes amid escalating attacks between Syrian government forces (pictured) - which are allied with Russia - and Turkey, another Russian ally Turkish-backed Syrian fighters gather in the town of Sarmin, about 8 kilometres southeast of the city of Idlib, as they prepare to fight against government forces The Syrian government announced Tuesday that it had retaken a key highway for the first time since 2012, prompting rebel groups (pictured) to attempt a counter-attack The government's advance also helps secure Aleppo, the country's former industrial hub, which still comes under sporadic rocket fire from holdout rebel groups. Turkey - both a NATO member and Russian ally - has found itself in a difficult position in Syria after taking over region security from the US in a hastily-brokered deal between Recep Tayipp Erdogan and Donald Trump. In the north it is cooperating with the Syrian government and Russia in order to drive Kurdish fighting units - which previously allied with the US - away from its border. But in Syria's west, Turkey has found itself fighting against Russia and the regime in order to stem the refugee crisis evolving there. Turkey announced last week that it had sent 'major reinforcements' to the region to stem government attacks, adding: 'All options are on the table.' The Kremlin said on Tuesday that all attacks on Russian and Syrian government forces in Idlib had to stop and that a Russo-Turkish deal on northeast Syria had to be implemented. The war in Syria, which started with a popular movement against President Bashar al-Assad's rule that was brutally repressed, has killed more than 380,000 people in nine years and displaced around half of the country's population. Heat is on: An infrared view of the Solar Orbiter, which Enbios technology will protect as it monitors the sun A DUBLIN firm has contributed critical heat-shielding technology to Solar Orbiter, a European Space Agency (ESA) satellite that seeks to explore the sun's poles for the first time. Solar Orbiter launched yesterday from Cape Canaveral, Florida, following six years of construction and a year of testing. It is protected by SolarBlack coatings developed by Enbio, a thermal protection firm based at the DCU Alpha campus in Glasnevin. SolarBlack has been designed to help the satellite survive despite being bombarded by infrared and ultraviolet radiation expected to reach 500C (930 degrees Fahrenheit) - five times boiling point and 13 times the level of heat experienced by Earth-orbiting satellites. Enbio says SolarBlack, in development since 2011, provides a layer of black calcium phosphate to the outermost titanium sheet of Solar Orbiter's multi-layered heat shield. The product "effectively acts as a sunscreen for the spacecraft", said Dr Tom Kelly, director of innovation and competitiveness at Enterprise Ireland. Expand Close The Solar Orbiter will monitors the sun / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Solar Orbiter will monitors the sun A second Dublin firm, Captec, tested Solar Orbiter's onboard software to identify potential problems. Together, Enterprise Ireland said Captec and Enbio have received contracts worth 3.1m. They are among more than 70 Irish firms contributing to ESA research and missions. At its closest, Solar Orbiter will travel within 42 million kilometres of the sun - and it is expected to take around two years to get there. ESA astrophysicists plan to use the gravity of Venus to slingshot the satellite out of the ecliptic plane of the solar system and provide scientists with their first views of the uncharted polar regions of the sun. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:11:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close by Xinhua writers Lyu Qiuping, Liu Yide and Wei Jingyu HOHHOT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Despite wearing a mask, Ge Lei (pseudonym) took several deep breaths upon stepping out of the hospital. She had longed for the taste of fresh air, free from the smell of disinfectant. A white-collar worker from Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, Ge, 26, was excited about her Lunar New Year tour to Russia over half a month ago, imagining an ice dive at Lake Baikal and the northern lights in Murmansk. However, her trip was cut short at the border city of Erenhot in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region because she was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP). After two weeks of quarantined treatment in hospital, she was cured and discharged on Feb. 6. "I will never forget those 14 days," she said. According to China's National Health Commission, the overall confirmed cases of novel coronavirus infection on the Chinese mainland had reached 42,638 by the end of Monday, and a total of 3,996 people had been discharged from hospital after recovery. Onboard the K3 train from Beijing to Moscow, Ge arrived at Erenhot station in the early morning of Jan. 23. While receiving a regular check at the customs, she and five other passengers were stopped. "My passport showed I was from Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak, so I was told a further check was required," she recalled, adding that she did not realize she had then caught a fever of 37.3 degrees Celsius. When they were taken to Erenhot People's Hospital, medical staff in protective suits were waiting at the gate. "I'd never seen such a scene before, straining my every nerve." After a series of examinations including a blood test and computed tomography, Ge was suspected to have contracted NCP. Later on the same day, China locked down the entire city of Wuhan, an unprecedented move to curb the NCP spread, as the confirmed cases across the country had surpassed 500 by then. Ge tested positive one day later, on the eve of the Lunar New Year. On hearing the result, she burst out crying in the hospital, her body trembling. "I had no family around me. I thought I would die," she recalled. After the medical staff calmed her down, Ge was finally able to call her mother about her infection. Her extreme anxiety and deep sorrow deteriorated her condition. Liu Haisheng, director of the infectious disease department of the hospital, said Ge's pneumonia worsened, and two days later, she was classified as "in severe condition." To encourage her, the medical staff kept talking to her via video call and even sang for her. "In their songs, I could imagine the vast grassland and the blue sky," she said. Ge was provided with nutritious food including fruits, milk and milk tofu, a local specialty and one of her personal favorites. She said the most impressive meal was the dumplings on the eve of the Lunar New Year. "On top of the dumpling box, I saw a card saying 'Happy New Year. Be strong!' For the first time in my life, I was warmed by strangers just like family," she said. Whenever the medical staff checked on her, Ge rarely talked. "I didn't want to utter a word for fear of contaminating them -- the 'white angels,'" she said. On the evening of Jan. 27, doctors delivered a box of anti-virus drugs. "I heard the medicine had just arrived, and while touching the box, I could still feel the outside temperature." According to the hospital, the medicine, Kaletra, was prescribed on Jan. 25 following a group consultation of senior doctors and was immediately transferred from the regional capital Hohhot. The drug, in combination with some traditional Chinese medicine, worked well on Ge. Her symptoms were gone on Feb. 1, so she received a coronavirus test again. "Everybody in the department stayed with me while waiting for the result that night. At 10:30 p.m., I was told the result was negative. I burst into tears again," she recalled. Ge was discharged on Feb. 6 after a second test confirmed the negative result. The six people who were in close contact with her were also released after a 14-day quarantine. Now Ge is receiving medical observation in Erenhot. She plans to volunteer in fighting against the epidemic after returning to Wuhan. "I am grateful as so many doctors and nurses have sacrificed a lot while treating me, and I'd like to extend the love I have received to others," she said. An explosion rattled the Afghan capital Kabul early Tuesday, a security official said, with casualties feared in what appeared to be the first major attack in the city in months. "The explosion was a suicide attack with civilian casualties," said the ministry of interior's deputy spokeswoman Marwa Amini. A witness near the scene in western Kabul confirmed the explosion. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) On Wednesday, February 12, at 12.30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference on the subject: "Compensation of Damages to Ukraine for Aggression of Russian Federation: Authorities Must Already Start Drafting Our Requirements" to present a bill on setting up of the National Agency Dealing with Overcoming Consequences of the Armed Aggression of Russia". Participants include Holos faction members Lesia Vasylenko and Yulia Klymenko (8/5a Reitarska Street). Registration of journalists with press cards on the spot. (TNS) Public scenes like these could provide images of faces that can be scanned to identify or find people, but Maine State Police say an unusual state law means they wont tell the public whether or not they are using such technologies.Maine State Police may be using powerful new technologies to scan your face and intercept your cellphone signals, but officials say an unusual provision in state law means police dont have to tell the public.Government use of such technologies to investigate crimes or monitor citizens is a growing source of concern around the country and the world. And Maines secrecy is raising alarms among privacy advocates, who worry that law enforcement could be using advanced technology to monitor residents, including those who are not suspected of any crime.It means the public doesnt even know what it doesnt know, said Nathan Wessler, a staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Unions speech, privacy and technology project. It has no idea whether there is a potential question about whether theres unconstitutional use of a surveillance technology.An investigation by the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram has found: Maine is one of two states to have a specific law, which was inspired by Cold War-era secrets kept from the Soviets, that officials say allows the state to neither confirm nor deny the use of digital technologies that might help solve crimes, but that also raises fears of abuse, privacy violations and the surveillance of citizens. Despite evidence that the Maine State Police has worked for years with federal agencies to develop its use of digital surveillance technology, the agency now uses that law to refuse to answer any questions about such efforts, or even acknowledge that they exist. The secrecy about investigative or surveillance technology extends to the Maine Information and Analysis Center a so-called fusion center that brings the state police together with other federal and state agencies to foster information sharing and does not reveal its activities. The state police, and its partners in the fusion center, may soon have access to Mainers Real ID photos, which are especially suited for face-scanning technology. State law currently prohibits use of license photos for facial recognition searches, but a bill now moving through the Legislature would allow state officials to conduct such searches and provide information to outside law enforcement agencies.The lack of disclosure prevents public oversight to ensure that peoples privacy and constitutional rights are being respected. Advanced technologies make it possible for authorities to conduct mass surveillance, including collecting cellphone information and comparing the images of suspected criminals against databases of people who are not suspected of committing any crimes. The technology can track peoples movements and help determine groups and individuals with whom a person associates.And the lack of transparency does not allow the public to know whether the government is being a good steward of tax dollars.Its just an extremely broad power of secrecy, said Wessler. It just completely hobbles the opportunity for public debate on very important subjects.Its a per se mandate on the agency to clam up even before the process gets going, he added. And that, I think, is particularly pernicious and dangerous to our tradition of democratic government, because it cuts transparency completely off at the knees.The lack of disclosure comes as communities across the United States are trying to regulate technology that allows local law enforcement to conduct sweeping surveillance of the public, including people who are not suspected of crimes.Police departments are getting more sophisticated as technologies originally designed to enhance national security are deployed to state and local police departments to solve everyday crimes. And in some cases its being done without a robust public discussion about what limits, if any, should be placed on its use.Two types of surveillance technology have come under the most scrutiny from civil liberties advocates and elected officials: facial recognition and cell site simulators. Both are capable of gathering large caches of personal information.Brendan McQuade, an assistant professor of criminology at the University of Southern Maine who has written a book about secretive fusion centers, said the government has the ability to gather vast amounts of information using a variety of technology, including software to monitor social media, E-ZPasses used to pay highway tolls, and automated license plate readers, among others.The fact that we dont know what agencies have what technology, I think, should be very troubling, McQuade said. Theyre bought in secret. Theyre used in secret. And unless theres concerted political action and legislative actions, theres nothing preventing police departments from doing very aggressive, warrantless surveillance.Facial recognition technology can map an individuals face using a high-resolution digital image or surveillance video and then compare that image to an existing database of known people.It works by essentially mapping a persons dominant facial features, such as eye shape and spacing, as well as jaw and nose lines. The software measures the distances between dozens of reference points, creating a unique profile similar to a fingerprint. The profile is then compared to the faces in existing databases, such as those that contain drivers licenses, state IDs, immigration records, passport photos or police mug shots.More advanced programs can also conduct an analysis of skin texture to increase accuracy and, in some cases, account for different facial expressions, facial hair or eyeglasses. Some technology can provide real-time identification of people captured on video.The New York Times recently reported that more than 600 local police agencies are using a new facial recognition cellphone app created by the private company Clearview AI to search a cache of 3 billion images scraped from such sites as Facebook, Venmo and YouTube to identify potential suspects.Other technological tools used by police include cell site simulators, also known as IMSI catchers or Stingrays, that can essentially turn the cellphone you carry into a real-time tracking device.A cell site simulator can be the size of a briefcase and carried in a police cruiser or on an airplane to ping cellphones. It sends out a signal that tricks nearby cellphones into connecting with the simulator, rather than a cellphone tower. The signal is then passed to a tower, and it happens without the user knowing.Authorities can either search for and track a specific cellphone number or collect data from all of the cellphones within a certain area. That data can include the IMSI or International Mobile Subscriber Identity and metadata about whom a person communicates with and for how long. And some advanced simulators can intercept the content of messages, according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.Groups including the ACLU have raised concerns about both forms of technology, saying that widespread use infringes on constitutional rights that protect people from unlawful searches and guarantee the right to peacefully assemble and associate with groups of people.Privacy advocates point to China as an example of the dangers posed by unrestricted use of such technologies. The Chinese government is using facial recognition to monitor and oppress the Uighurs , a largely Muslim minority ethnic population. China is also working on technology that can identify people by the way they walk, so that they can be tracked even if their faces are obscured. The New York Times reported that Chinese officials are using the technology to shame people who wear pajamas in public, for example, while police in London are going to use it to identify people captured on video in real time.McQuade is among those concerned.Its akin to having close personal surveillance on someone for a long time and reading their diary about who theyre calling and who theyre visiting, he said.A handful of communities in the United States have restricted or banned the use of facial recognition technology, both because of constitutional concerns and a high error rate when trying to identify people of color and women. The state of California has enacted a three-year ban on using facial recognition in conjunction with cameras worn by police officers.A study published in December by the National Institute of Standards and Technology found the rate of false positive identifications, which could make an innocent person a criminal suspect, occurred 10 to 100 times more frequently among African-Americans and Asians than with Caucasians. The study tested 189 algorithms from 99 developers to compare photos in four federal databases containing 18.27 million images of 8.49 million people.In Portland, the City Council has twice postponed a vote on a proposal from City Councilor Pious Ali that would prohibit city officials, including its police force, from obtaining, retaining, accessing or using any facial recognition technology or information provided by such technology.The proposed ban comes as Maines largest city has embraced so-called smart-city technology, which includes traffic monitoring and has stoked fears about governments increasing ability to watch over citizens. And Portlands police officers are now equipped with cameras mounted on their chests to capture video of each person an officer interacts with, another source of concern about privacy.Portlands smart-city efforts so far include LED streetlights that can double as WiFi routers, and sophisticated traffic management systems that can read and adjust signals in response to real-time traffic. Portland officials have expressed interest in other public safety functions, but so far, officials say that has not included facial recognition technology.City officials, including Police Chief Frank Clark, said they are not currently using facial recognition technology and opposed restricting any future use of technology that might enhance public safety. The chief said he would alert the city manager or the council if the department ever planned to use it.Clark highlighted the technologies potential to help solve crimes and identify exploited children, crime victims and people suffering from dementia.While we do not have any immediate plans to acquire facial recognition, I am an advocate of taking advantage of contemporary 21st century technologies to drive better public safety outcomes, Clark said in a memo to councilors, adding that strong policies can prevent misuse and infringement on constitutional rights. A ban on facial recognition technology would only take away a potential tool that is helping to increase efficiencies and provide assistance for crime victims and people in crisis in other jurisdictions.And the city also has said it does not use any cell site simulators. A request for internal public records pertaining to the technology produced no relevant documents, a city spokesperson said.Cumberland County Sheriff Kevin Joyce has said his agency began using facial recognition technology in 2012 to search its database of mug shots to identify people who refused to give their names or were suspected of having fake IDs. Joyce said they stopped using the technology because it only worked when the photo of a subjects face was taken at the correct angle and in good lighting.While both the Portland police chief and the Cumberland County sheriff have been willing to talk about whether the technology is in use, the Maine State Police are not as forthcoming.The Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram requested a range of public documents relating to facial recognition technology and cell site simulators from the Maine State Police under Maines Freedom of Access Act. The documents included any requests for proposals, contracts, payments, policies governing usage, evaluations of the technology and communications about the use of such technology.Christopher Parr, staff attorney for the Maine State Police, issued formal denials to both requests, citing a provision of Maine law enacted in 2013 that appears to be unique in the United States.Answering your inquiry would require us to confirm the existence or nonexistence of records and information relating to the type of technology that is the subject of your email, Parr said in November. As a matter of law, we are unable to confirm the existence or nonexistence of such records and information.Sigmund Schutz, an attorney for the Press Herald and Telegram, is challenging that interpretation and asking the state to reconsider its denial. He noted that the request does not pertain to a specific investigation or person, nor does it pertain to a type of technology that is unknown to the public.Based on the nature of the records sought, it is not plausible that disclosure of any or all of the requested records would cause any of the harms that would warrant confidentiality, Schutz wrote.Parrs response to records requests is often referred to in legal circles as a Glomar, a non-answer created by the Central Intelligence Agency in the 1970s in response to public inquiries about a covert operation to recover a sunken Soviet submarine.After a Soviet submarine mysteriously sank in 1968, the U.S. located the disabled sub and launched a covert mission to retrieve it, believing it contained nuclear missiles or nuclear codes, or both. The U.S. hired the Global Marine company, which was owned by Howard Hughes, to build a special ship to try to retrieve the sub. The ship was named the Hughes Glomar Explorer.The U.S. was unable to surface the sub. Once news began to spread about the failed mission in 1975, the Central Intelligence Agency drafted a response that was truthful without confirming or denying the existence of the covert operation.The response became known as Glomar.The ACLU says Maine is one of only two states to give law enforcement the ability in state statute to neither confirm nor deny a broad range of public records relating to investigatory methods and technologies.Wessler, the ACLU staff attorney, said Maines law is more sweeping than a similar law in Indiana, the only other state hes found to have codified a Glomar response in state law. He said Indianas law requires proof that disclosing the information would harm an investigation or an individual, whereas Maines does not.In Maine, it doesnt have to hurt anybody, Wessler said. It could be information thats completely in the public interest and that wouldnt interfere with any law enforcement investigation and the police department still has to withhold any mention of whether they have documents or dont have documents.The state police interpretation of the statute highlights what may be an unintended consequence of a 2013 rewrite of state laws pertaining to criminal history records and intelligence and investigative materials.Its only one line in a 20-plus-page rewrite, but it has broad implications on the publics ability to understand the type of technologies police are deploying, the cost of that technology and what policies are in place to prevent misuse.A section titled Confirming the existence or nonexistence of confidential intelligence and investigative record information states: A Maine criminal justice agency may not confirm the existence or nonexistence of intelligence and investigative record information confidential under section 804 to any person or public or private entity that is not eligible to receive the information itself.A review of the legislative file does not suggest that section of the bill received much discussion. It was pitched as a way to clarify and improve an existing law.Marc Malon, the legislative and press liaison for the Maine Attorney Generals Office, referred all questions about the 2013 law change to Charles Leadbetter, a retired assistant to the attorney general who was the point person for the rewrite.Leadbetter said in a brief interview that the lengthy summary of the bill spoke for itself. That summary says that section of the law had no previous counterpart, but was modeled after a similar provision intended to protect confidential information about a specific person.Malon did not respond to requests to speak to any other officials in the AGs office and whether state police were interpreting the law correctly.Representatives of Gov. Janet Mills, who was the attorney general in 2013, did not respond to interview requests. And Public Safety Commissioner Michael Sauschuck requested that questions be submitted in writing and has yet to respond to questions sent on Jan. 22.Maines sweeping use of that exemption is raising concerns among civil liberties advocates.McQuade, the assistant professor, said the lack of disclosure prevents any meaningful oversight of the technology and allows law enforcement to establish a pattern of behavior before lawmakers and the public can have a discussion about whether or even how to use it. And any policies that come after the fact can be greatly influenced by the pattern of behavior already established, he said.We see how police practice actually molds the law, McQuade said. It should be very threatening if you take the Constitution seriously. This is a big imbalance of power that gives the executive branch powers that are reserved on paper for the legislative bodies.Clare Garvie, a researcher at Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy and Technology, said that only two states would neither confirm nor deny use of facial recognition technology while she was conducting research for a 2016 report titled The Perpetual Line-up: Unregulated Police Face Recognition in America. Those states were Maine and Massachusetts, she said.That study, which sought records from 106 law enforcement agencies, found that 26 to 30 states allow law enforcement to run or request searches against their drivers license and state identification databases and roughly one in two American adults have their photos searched this way. Despite the states refusal to provide information, Maine was listed as being capable of searching FBI mug shots information gleaned from a U.S. Government Accountability Office report.Wessler, of the ACLU, said privacy advocates got a similar response while researching the use of cell site simulators by law enforcement agencies throughout the country. Wessler said that only Maine and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service would neither confirm nor deny the use of cell site simulators in response to public records requests from either the ACLU, privacy researchers or the press.Both technologies have been the subject of inquiry by the GAO, which has generally called for more transparency and more privacy protections for innocent civilians.Police departments have a lot of power and we expect them to use that power responsibly to protect us, Wessler said. But American history is replete with examples of abuses by police and thats why there needs to be strong oversight and transparency into their practices.Despite the secrecy, there is evidence Maine may be using some of this technology.Three years ago, Parr, the state police attorney, acknowledged in emails with Georgetown Law researchers that the agency was working with the FBI to conduct considerable testing of facial recognition technology.The acknowledgement came five months after Maine had been listed in a 2016 report by the GAO as one of seven states to have an agreement with the FBI to conduct facial recognition searches on its federal database. The other states were Florida, Maryland, Michigan, New Mexico, Texas and Arkansas.The report Facial Recognition Technology: FBI Should Better Ensure Privacy and Accuracy said Maine was one of 15 states plus the District of Columbia that had the technical ability to conduct facial recognition searches of the FBIs Next Generation Identification-Interstate Photo System. That database has over over 90 million civil and criminal photos and images of scars, marks and tattoos, according to a follow-up report in 2019. Of the 93 million photos, 38 million were criminal photos. And law enforcement has the ability to add photos of unknown individuals who are part of a federal investigation.Maine State Police entered into an agreement to search that database back in 2012. The 2016 GAO report states that from the beginning of the pilot program in 2011 through 2015, search requests from each participating state ranged from under 20 by one state to 14,000 by another state. The report does not say how many search requests came from Maine.In response to public records requests submitted by Georgetown Laws Center on Privacy and Technology, Parr told researchers that Maine was currently testing the technology, but had made no decision about how or whether to use it in the future. His response came after both the GAO and the Georgetown reports were published.For some time Maine has been working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Criminal Justice Information Systems Division to implement the use of facial recognition technology, Parr wrote. Although at this point we technically are capable of using the technology, we have been in no hurry to do so without considerable testing, which we still are conducting.More than three years later, it is still not clear to what extent Maine is searching this database and what policies guide those searches.At the time, Parr noted that the state had received the FBIs policy and implementation guide and that the state would likely draft its own. In 2018, Parr told researchers that the states position had not changed.But, in 2019, Parr told the Press Herald and Telegram even less.As a matter of law, we are unable to confirm the existence or nonexistence of records or information responsive to the request. See 16 M.R.S.A. 807, Parr wrote.Knowing whether state police are using facial recognition could become more important this year.Maine is in the midst of rolling out new drivers licenses and state identification cards that are compliant with the federal Real ID program a move that could greatly expand the number of photos that can be searched using facial recognition.Beginning in October, Mainers will need to have a Real ID or a passport if they want to board an airplane or enter a secure federal facility. Getting that form of identification requires a photo that can be more effectively used in a facial recognition system. That could greatly expand the number of photos law enforcement can search.Real ID photos are especially suited for facial recognition searches, because of their high resolution. In 2017, the state said Real ID applicants must submit to a photograph using facial recognition technology.And while Maine law currently prevents state officials from outside agencies, including the FBI, from searching its database, an effort is underway to change that.A bill submitted by the Secretary of States Office, which oversees the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, would allow the bureaus investigators to conduct searches of its Real ID database for outside agencies.Secretary of State Matt Dunlap said his office is still developing rules for conducting those searches. But he said the state would continue to prohibit outside agencies, such as the FBI, from having open-ended access to the database.Nobody is going to have wholesale access to the database, Dunlap said. Weve never allowed that and were not proposing it now.Dunlap said the bill is intended to allow the BMV to help police identify specific individuals.Dunlap cited a police standoff as an example. Police could provide the BMV with a persons name and other information, and the BMV would provide police with a license photo so they can locate the correct person. Its a practice that occurs with the old license system, he said.Dunlap said the state would never allow an outside agency to search the database to identify individuals who were captured on camera attending a public rally or demonstration.However, the Real ID system and the proposed legislation would open up a new avenue of searches by allowing police to submit a photo of an unknown person to the BMV so it can run a facial recognition search in hopes of digging up a positive ID. That would essentially put anyone who has a Real ID into a virtual lineup.Dunlap said those types of searches could be allowed under certain circumstances if the bill passes. But he stressed facial recognition alone is not enough to establish a positive identification and that additional verification is needed.You dont ascertain identity with only one element, he said.The bill, L.D. 1899, An Act to Amend Certain Motor Vehicle Laws, received a public hearing on Jan. 23 before the Legislatures Committee on Transportation.Michael Kebede, policy counsel for the ACLU of Maine, spoke in opposition to the bill as drafted. He asked the committee to consider an amendment that would restrict facial recognition searches only to emergency situations where there is an imminent threat to life.Kebede said the technology poses grave risks for black people, especially black women, transgender people and immigrant communities, because it misidentifies these groups at higher rates than it does Caucasians.Persistent identification and tracking can have a chilling effect, as people will be less likely to exercise their rights if they know the government is tracking and identifying them everywhere they go, Kebede said. Mainers must be able to visit substance use clinics, churches and synagogues, friends and family, political protests and doctors offices without fear that a government agent is secretly keeping tabs on their every movement.During a Feb. 6 work session, the Transportation Committee amended the bill to include the ACLU of Maines amendment, as well as requiring the BMV to draft major substantive rules for other authorized uses of facial recognition technology.Dunlap said he shares the concerns of privacy advocates who worry about misuse. The state resisted complying with the Real ID program for years, he said, but lawmakers changed course when the federal government announced that people would no longer be able to fly on a commercial airliner or enter a federal building without a non-Real ID-compliant form of identification or passport.He said that each time the database is searched, it logs a record of who searched it and when. Its unclear whether those records would be public because the rules are still being considered.Facial recognition really scares a lot of people and I think it really should, Dunlap said. I think people have good reason to be freaked out about that.Although Dunlap stressed that searches could only be conducted by BMV staff on behalf of other agencies, those employees already work closely with other federal, state and local law enforcement officials.The BMV is one of 12 agencies that provide staffing and support for the Maine Information and Analysis Center, one of roughly 80 so-called fusion centers created in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks whose specific activities are also kept under wraps.Maine State Police oversee operations at the Maine Information and Analysis Center.The centers 12-member staff includes federal, state and local officials, among them representatives of the FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the BMV, which is building a database that could be searched with facial recognition technologies through the Real ID program.Its activities are overseen by a 12-member advisory board. It includes one civilian and a private attorney, while the other 10 members include four members from the Maine State Police, Attorney General Aaron Frey, Douglas Farnham, adjutant general of the Maine National Guard, and a representative from Central Maine Power Co. Maine State Police Lt. Michael Johnston, the fusion centers director, said that a CMP representative is on the board because part of the centers mission is to protect critical infrastructure, including utilities.Little is known about the activities of Maines fusion center. Its investigations involve counterterrorism, felony drug crimes, violent crimes, including domestic violence, and property crimes, among others, Johnston said.Johnston would not say what types of technologies are available to state and local police agencies, which submit daily inquiries to the center, and he would not provide a detailed budget, meeting minutes from an advisory committee tasked with oversight, or any audits of the centers operation without first conferring with Parr, the attorney. Parr has not yet indicated whether any documents would be released in response to the request.Johnston said the center receives inquiries from local police and other agencies on a regular basis. But he would not point to any cases in which the information or the analysis from the center helped apprehend a suspect.We have small victories every day, he said. Were just a piece of the puzzle.When asked about protecting citizens privacy, Johnston said the fusion center operates within the constraints of the Constitution, as well as state and federal laws, policies and directives. The center is assessed annually by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and undergoes a regular audit, as well as being overseen by the advisory board, which is supposed to meet at least once a year.Those audits and other records, however, were not immediately available.The centers privacy policy is online. It does not reveal what types of technologies are used at the center, but it does lay out the ground rules for acquiring, storing and retaining information.The policy states that the center may only seek, acquire and retain information that relates to a possible threat or criminal predicate, based on reasonable suspicion and that comes from a reliable source, among other requirements. However, it also states that the center may retain information that is based on a level of suspicion that is less than reasonable suspicion, such as tips and leads or a suspicious activity report.The policy says that methods of acquiring information must be legal and the center shall not directly or indirectly seek, acquire or retain information from a nongovernmental partner if it suspects that partner is legally prohibited from having or disclosing that information, acquired that information through a method that the center itself could not legally use, or if the information itself could not be legally obtained by the center. Outside partners must certify in writing that they comply with laws and their methods are not based on misleading information-gathering practices.There are multi-layers of oversight for the fusion center, Johnston said. While were protecting them (citizens) from physical threats and harms, we have to make sure were protecting their civil rights and liberties and that were balancing the two. Sudans Omar al-Bashir spent a decade flouting international arrest warrants on war crimes charges, travelling overseas in open defiance of the International Criminal Court. But after mass protests brought an end to his three decades of iron-fisted rule last year, Bashir looks set to finally appear before The Hague-based ICC for his role in the Darfur conflict. The 75-year-old has been held in prison since his ouster in April on corruption charges that saw him sentenced in December to two years in a correctional centre for the elderly. One of Africas longest-serving presidents, Bashir showed many different faces during his 30 years in power. Known for his trademark dancing and waving of a stick before addressing loyalists, Bashir had remained defiant in the face of growing street protests in the months before his overthrow. But his fate was sealed when the army intervened to oust Bashir, who swept to power in a coup backed by Islamists in 1989. For years the Sudanese leader had proven himself to be a political survivor, evading not only the ICC but also a myriad of domestic challenges. A career soldier, Bashir was well known for his populist touch, insisting on being close to crowds and addressing them in colloquial Sudanese Arabic. He was indicted by the Hague-based ICC in 2009 on war crimes charges over a long-running conflict in Darfur, but went on to win re-election twice in polls boycotted by opposition groups. In 2010, he was also indicted by the ICC for alleged genocide. But it was a government decision to triple bread prices that brought protesters onto the streets in December 2018, as the country grappled with regular shortages of food, medicines and foreign currency. The protests morphed into nationwide demonstrations against Bashirs rule, triggering unrest that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded and thousands jailed. Diplomatic moves Despite the ICC indictments, Bashir had regularly travelled overseas within Africa and further afield to countries including Russia and China. Days before the protests erupted, he flew to Damascus to meet Syrias President Bashar al-Assad, becoming the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. At home in 2018, Bashir hosted talks between neighbouring South Sudans leaders, helping to broker a tentative peace deal after five years of intense conflict in the worlds newest country. South Sudan had gained its independence in 2011, when Bashir surprised his critics by giving his blessing to a secession that saw the south take the bulk of Sudans oil fields, some six years after a peace deal ended two decades of conflict between north and south. He also joined a Saudi-led coalition against Shiite rebels in Yemen, improving ties with energy-rich Gulf states, although the policy has been criticised by his opponents at home. Bashir, who has two wives and no children, was born in 1944 in Hosh Bannaga, north of Khartoum, to a farming family. He entered the military at a young age, rising through the ranks and joining an elite parachute regiment. He fought alongside the Egyptian army in the 1973 Arab-Israeli war. In 1989, then a brigade commander, he led a bloodless coup against the democratically elected government. Bashir became skilful over time. He learned the trade. At the beginning, he was not a prominent figure, said Marc Lavergne, an Africa expert at the National Centre for Scientific Research in Paris. Hosting bin Laden Bashir led Sudan towards a more radical brand of Islam, hosting Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden and sending jihadist volunteers to fight in the countrys civil war with the south Sudanese. In 1993, Washington put Sudan on its list of state sponsors of terrorism and four years later slapped Khartoum with a trade embargo only lifted in 2017 over charges that included human rights abuses. When insurgents launched a rebellion in Darfur in 2003, his governments decision to unleash the armed forces and allied militia brought him further international criticism. Around 300,000 people have been killed in the Darfur conflict, the United Nations says, and more than two million displaced. But it was corruption charges that landed him in court in Sudan, where he was accused of illegally acquiring and using foreign funds. Bashir admitted to having received a total of $90 million from Saudi leaders. The graft trial centred on $25 million received from Saudi Arabias de facto ruler Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Bashir also faces separate charges over the deaths of protesters and the 1989 coup that brought him to power. AARP recently conducted a survey of registered voters ages 18 and older in West Virginia to evaluate their current use and experience with prescription drugs and to understand their thoughts regarding proposals aimed at reducing prescription drug costs. The issue of prescription drug pricing affects a large portion of the West Virginia voting population. Nearly nine in 10 (89%) report that they or someone in their household takes prescription drugs as directed by their doctors regularly. Three in four (74%) say they are concerned about the cost of their medications. The majority (83%) of West Virginia voters feel that transparency laws will help control the price of prescription medicines, and nearly all (89%) support transparency laws in West Virginia. This survey was conducted by Mark Blankenship Enterprises on behalf of AARP. The sample of 800 registered voters ages 18 and older was surveyed by telephone January 2228, 2020. For more information, please contact Cheryl Lampkin at clampkin@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact AARPs Media Relations Office at media@aarp.org. Suggested citation: Lampkin, Cheryl. 2020 Prescription Drug Survey: West Virginia Registered Voters 18+. Washington, DC: AARP Research, February 2020. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00370.001 When it comes to managing Ghana's economy, the National Democratic Congress could best be described as worse managers, Vice President Dr. Bawumia has said. According to Vice President Dr. Bawumia, NDC's record on the economy is poor and throwing a challenge to the NPP on economic management is just like comparing a worse performer to a best performer. The Vice President in an address during a town hall meeting and results fair at the Great Hall in Kumasi, explained that under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo, Ghanas external payments position has strengthened. He explained that "for the first time in over twenty years, the trade balance (the difference between what we export and what we import) recorded a surplus in 2017, a larger surplus in 2018, and an even larger surplus in 2019." Vice President Bawumia continued that "it is not because we are importing less, but largely because of increased exports as a result of positive transformation of this economy by the NPP government. The positive trade balance has resulted in a significant narrowing of the current account deficit as a percent of GDP (figures 12 - 13). He further supported his argument by stating "Ghana operates a managed floating exchange rate regime. For that reason, we can or should never expect that the exchange rate will be fixed." Adding that "it will fluctuate depending on demand and supply. What policy makers can do is to try to control the rate of depreciation or appreciation of a currency through sound policies. In the context of a floating exchange rate regime therefore, arresting the depreciation of a currency can only mean slowing down the rate of depreciation or stopping a rapid and volatile depreciation of the currency." Source: ghbeyondpolitics.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video The Federal Trade Commission today ordered five big tech companies to provide detailed information about their previous acquisitions of small companies, expanding the agency's investigation into possible antitrust concerns in digital markets. Looks like Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft are in the regulatory hot seat this year. Maybe there's antitrust action in the works, who knows. Wow, the FTC is asking Alphabet / Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft for a whole lot of historical, non-public information that may be helpful for antitrust enforcement. https://t.co/H4QD2XeXcg David Ingram (@David_Ingram) February 11, 2020 Many giant companies are convinced that their dominance is due to their genius and innovation. But the truth is that so many can get big by swallowing up or shutting down potential threats. They don't need to invent killer apps if they can stay on top through killer acquisitions. Rohit Chopra (@chopraftc) February 11, 2020 Google didn't invent YouTube. Facebook didn't invent Instagram. And the list goes on and on. That's why I voted to order @Google, @Facebook, @Amazon, @Apple, & @Microsoft to hand over a decade of records about their buying binge. https://t.co/JjlJzsRUdo Rohit Chopra (@chopraftc) February 11, 2020 These deals are about big data. Companies across the economy are in an arms race to soak up every source of data and monetize it. Many of these mergers fly below the radar. The @FTC orders will provide clarity on why boardrooms are shelling out billions for our personal data. Rohit Chopra (@chopraftc) February 11, 2020 Acquisitions offer an important window into the surveillance-based advertising model used by the likes of @Google & @Facebook. I joined @CSWilsonFTC to call for another inquiry so we can open the books on how this business model can monetize manipulation. https://t.co/DNAd2aZWii Rohit Chopra (@chopraftc) February 11, 2020 The FTC issued 'special orders' to the companies to disclose information on past acquisitions that weren't reported to antitrust authorities. $GOOGL, $AMZN, $MSFT, GOOGL https://t.co/JcpYQZT6vv TheStreet (@TheStreet) February 11, 2020 This is good. Now imagine if FTC & DOJ were merging their efforts & pursuing joint enforcement against #BigTech. That's what my new FTC reform would achieve https://t.co/xNIEf3NJld Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) February 11, 2020 It's eye-catching both on substance and because it's the FTC wielding an established authority that critics, including @chopraftc, have been nudging the agency to use more. https://t.co/DkZ27BzVwb Nancy Scola (@nancyscola) February 11, 2020 FTC Chair Joe Simons: "This initiative will enable the Commission to take a closer look at acquisitions in this important sector, and also to evaluate whether the federal agencies are getting adequate notice of transactions that might harm competition" https://t.co/RjMhlUiWyU John Hendel (@JohnHendel) February 11, 2020 The FTC announced it will review past acquisitions by Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft. This will cover deals the federal agencies did not previously have to clear because they fell below the reporting threshold. https://t.co/b8VUbBjEMj Lauren Feiner (@lauren_feiner) February 11, 2020 NEW: FTC to study past mergers by Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, Facebook and Microsoft, seeking records in a move that could later lead to significant antitrust enforcement https://t.co/PlFIatKDAe Tony Romm (@TonyRomm) February 11, 2020 [SOURCE: Carl Quintanilla/CNBC/NBC News] AS NEEDED FOR PAIN A Memoir of Addiction By Dan Peres SMACKED A Story of White-Collar Ambition, Addiction, and Tragedy By Eilene Zimmerman The addiction memoir may be the most vigorous subgenre spawned by the memoir boom of the 1990s, although the progenitor of the form is Thomas De Quinceys Confessions of an English Opium-Eater, published in 1821. Many readers, myself included, seem addicted to them, and to the vicarious thrills of intoxication, degradation and redemption. Compared with such hair-raising, train-wreck narratives as Bill Cleggs Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man or Jerry Stahls Permanent Midnight, Dan Peress As Needed for Pain is a subdued and civilized narrative, surprisingly short on drama and depravity. In this instance, the pivotal epiphanic moment in which the junkie discovers true pharmacological love, usually an occasion for literary rapture, passes by like a channel quickly surfed: I hobbled to the living room, took two more Vicodin, and put on the television. Soon I was feeling no pain. My whole body was warm and relaxed. I felt like Id been wrapped in an electric blanket. Thats it. The trauma precipitating this inaugural episode of opiate abuse was not a tortured childhood or a psychological imbalance but a failed cartwheel, performed in the lobby of the Saatchi building in SoHo to impress a trio of young women. Peres is nothing if not self-deprecating, and his description of this event is hilarious. Hed never performed a cartwheel and was by his own admission horribly out of shape. Predictably, he crashes to the floor and seriously injures his back, though he gamely hobbles off to a party. Peres can write; he crafts deft, unshowy sentences and shapely anecdotes. But hes not great at conveying the exhilaration or the despair of addiction, or the details of the glittering world he inhabited for many years as a reporter for W and, later, as the editor in chief of Details magazine. Image Credit... . It remains a bit of a mystery how the 28-year-old Peres, who was working as a correspondent in Paris, got the head job at a major Conde Nast title, and an even bigger mystery how he kept that job for 15 years. By his own admission, he was largely uninterested in fashion, fitness, night life, music, sex or celebrities other than David Copperfield the magazines staple topics. And soon after he got the job, in 2000, he was zonked on a dose of 60 Vicodins a day. (Man, that would explain a lot, a current Conde Nast editor said when I told him the subject of Peress memoir.) Peres would seem to be a poster boy for high-functioning addicts, although he describes himself as barely functioning missing meetings, nodding out at work, spending hours in the offices of five different pain-management doctors to feed his habit. You cant fault his honesty, although youve got to wonder about the judgment of his bosses, including Si Newhouse, the chairman of Conde Nast at the time, and Patrick McCarthy, who occupied the same position at Fairchild Publications, the owner of W. BAY CITY, MI A growing list of Michigan municipalities are passing Second Amendment sanctuary resolutions, affirming gun ownership rights and signaling resistance to proposed gun control legislation. This national movement has picked up steam in recent weeks, with hundreds of municipalities across the country taking on the sanctuary title, according to SanctuaryCounties.com, which is compiling updates about the movement. Here are some facts about the resolutions. 1. Eight Michigan counties and counting Earlier this month, Lapeer County joined a growing group of Michigan municipalities signaling opposition to gun control legislation by voting to adopt a sanctuary county resolution. Also on the list of those adopting such resolutions are Mackinac, Cheboygan, Otsego, Presque Isle, Oscoda, Kalkaska and Osceola counties. Many more are considering resolutions. Ionia County will hold a vote tonight, Tuesday, Feb. 11. Bay County will also vote tonight, but to adopt a resolution signaling support for constitutional rights in general. Jackson County will likely vote on a proposal at its Tuesday, Feb. 18 meeting. Berrien County is considering a resolution. Macomb County has a resolution in the works, according to the Detroit Free Press, and The Livingston Daily reports Livingston County may consider a resolution as well. The Cadillac News reports resolutions are in the works in Wexford and Missaukee counties, as well as the City of Manton. Michigan Radio reports the issue has come up in Oakland, Newaygo, Schoolcraft and Emmett counties as well. St. Clair and Alcona counties adopted resolutions affirming their support for Second Amendment rights, but stopped short of calling themselves sanctuaries,' a position Sanilac County is also considering later this month, the Port Huron Times Herald reports. Several Michigan counties are voting on resolutions to designate them as "Second Amendment Sanctuaries." Monroe and Antrim counties instead opted to affirm their support for all constitutional rights, according to Michigan Advance and the Traverse City Record Eagle. A house resolution sponsored by 15 Michigan lawmakers would make the entire state a Second Amendment sanctuary. 2. The resolutions are mostly symbolic As a sanctuary, counties would signal they dont intend to enforce any gun laws they consider unconstitutional. Bay Countys proposed resolution states it has been asked to become a sanctuary county, but also acknowledges it does not have the authority to direct the actions of the county sheriff or prosecutor, instead opting to support all amendments including the second. Jeff Fuss, founder of the Michigan for 2A Sanctuary Counties Facebook group through which resolution advocates organize, told MLive the situation in Virginia captivated the nation. He said the movement is about sending a message to state officials, though it wont change day-to-day county operations. Its about making sure peoples voices are being heard, not just at the state level, but also at the local level, at the township, at the county level, especially so when people in Lansing try to pass whatever laws, they know where the people stand," Fuss said. ...Some people refer to it as a reaffirmation of faith. I look at it as just more of a statement from the community on where they stand if things change on the laws that we have today. 3. Sparked most recently in Virginia Though the movement began in Illinois in 2018, according to the Associated Press, recent political conflict in Virginia has raised its profile. In opposition to gun control legislation moving through the Virginia government, all three chambers of which are controlled by Democrats for the first time in more than a decade, a massive open-carry rally brought roughly 22,000 people in the states capitol in January, according to the New York Times. More than 100 Virginia municipalities have declared themselves Second Amendment sanctuaries, in which sheriffs and lawmakers say they will refuse to enforce the states new gun control laws, the Times reports. 4. Opposition to Red Flag" laws The resolutions are generally opposed to any laws the county would consider unconstitutional, a prime target being proposed red flag laws legislatures have considered in efforts to curb gun violence. In general, the laws would allow authorities to temporarily confiscate someones firearms if they are determined to be a threat to themselves or others. There are 17 states with red flag laws on their books, as well as Washington D.C., according to CNN. This includes Florida, which passed a law through the states Republican legislature shortly after the Parkland shooting in February 2018. Broward County, where Parkland is located, confiscated hundreds of guns in the first year the law was in effect. A proposed red flag law in Kentucky inspired another armed rally in the states capitol Friday, Jan. 31, Esquire reports. 5. Gov. Whitmer has supported a red flag law for Michigan After shootings in Dayton, Ohio and El Paso, Texas in August 2019, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer voiced support for proposed extreme risk protection order bills in the Michigan legislature. No single law can prevent every instance of gun violence, but this is a commonsense step, Whitmer wrote on Twitter. We cant wait idly by for an act of gun violence to devastate our state to demand action, we must act now. The bills, introduced to both the House and Senate in February 2019, have since stalled. No action has been taken on either bill since being referred to committees a year ago, according to the state legislatures website. If a county is not listed here or takes further action, help us provide updates by reaching out at rmurdock@mlive.com. Read more on the subject from MLive: Gun rights resolution up for consideration in Berrien County Lapeer County votes to become a Second Amendment Sanctuary You cannot have our guns: Group urges Jackson to be 2nd Amendment sanctuary county Gov. Whitmer, Democratic leaders push extreme risk gun bills after national shootings A police inspector was arrested in a graft case in Rajasthan's Udaipur district on Tuesday, an Anti-Corruption Bureau spokesperson said. Bhanwar Lal Bishnoi, who was posted as the SHO at the Khairwada police station, had allegedly demanded a bribe of Rs 2.50 lakh for removing a charge in an FIR against complainant Amit Baleshwar. The complaint lodged in this regard was verified following which the accused was arrested from his government residence, the spokesperson said. He said the inspector had earlier taken Rs 1.50 lakh and was demanding Rs 2.50 lakh more to remove the charge under IPC Section 452 (house trespassing and causing hurt), which was not mentioned in the FIR. The bribe was recovered and a case registered against the accused under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, the official said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) To the Editor: Re Whats So Great About Fake Roman Temples? (editorial, Feb. 9), criticizing a proposed executive order that would make classical architecture the default style for new federal buildings: Everyone can admire the historical legacy of classical architecture, but its time is past. Its as absurd to insist that every building wear classical dress as it would be to require public officials to don knee breeches and wigs. America is a country that has long embraced progress and freedom; conformity and a single official style are the hallmarks of dictatorships. Inventive, socially responsible architects flourished in Germany and the Soviet Union in the 1920s, enriching lives and creating buildings that are now acclaimed as classics. Hitler and Stalin suppressed modernism as an alien assault on traditional values and required that all but a handful of buildings follow traditional models. Talent was suffocated or driven into exile. In the United States as in Europe, most people like what they know and are challenged by the new. But they can be won over by the experience of public buildings that are transparent and infused with natural light as in the federal courthouses commissioned under the Design Excellence Program. We need more such programs and more challenges to conformity, not a dull repetition of colonnades and pediments. Michael Webb Los Angeles The writer is the author of more than 20 books about architecture and design. France's Orange chooses Nokia and Ericsson to deploy its 5G network at home FILE PHOTO: The logo of French telecoms operator Orange is pictured in a retail store in Bordeaux By Mathieu Rosemain and Sudip Kar-Gupta PARIS (Reuters) - Orange , France's biggest telecoms company, said it had chosen Nokia and Ericsson to deploy its 5G network in mainland France, as China's Huawei Technologies faces intense political scrutiny in Europe. The former monopoly's decision is likely to please U.S. authorities, which have been seeking for months to convince European allies to ban Huawei from telecoms networks on concerns that the Chinese firm could be used to steal Western secrets -- assertions it strongly denies. Orange, considered a strategic asset by the French government, uses Finland's Nokia and Sweden's Ericsson for its current mobile networks, on which part of the next mobile technology will be built. "For Orange France, it was the easiest solution," a source close to the operator said, adding that it followed negotiations and experiments using Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei products. Huawei was not immediately available for comment. A recent decree aimed at screening all telecoms equipment to prevent espionage did not offer enough clarity for Frances telecoms lobby FFT, which insisted that guarantees needed to be made on the issue. The general fear in the French telecoms industry is that the authorities actually want to ban Huawei but will not say it publicly. In an interview in Les Echos on Thursday, FFT's head Arthur Dreyfuss said the industry would ask for compensation in the event that Huawei's equipment ends up being de facto excluded from the deployment of 5G in Europe. Comments by the European Union industry chief Thierry Breton in an interview with Le Monde on Wednesday supported this interpretation, as he noted that China had laws allowing the state to have access to all kinds of data. "Telecoms operators mustn't select risky suppliers, which could allow a state, for example, to take control of strategic sites such as capital cities, areas of intense military activity or nuclear power plants," Breton said. Story continues France's cybersecurity agency ANSSI is set to issue its first decisions regarding equipment it has screened in the coming weeks. Earlier this week, the EU followed Britain's example in allowing members to decide what part Huawei can play in its 5G telecoms networks and resisting pressure from Washington for an outright ban. EU countries can either restrict or exclude high-risk 5G vendors such as Huawei from core parts of their telecoms networks, according to the new guidelines, which seek to address the cybersecurity risks to the bloc's 28 countries at a national and EU level. (Reporting by Mathieu Rosemain, Benoit Van Overstraeten and Sudip Kar-Gupta; editing by David Evans) Statement of LP President Sen. Francis Pangilinan on quo warranto vs ABS-CBN Freedom-loving Filipinos should come together and resist authoritarianism: LP Together with the Filipino people, the Liberal Party of the Philippines has been here before. In 1972, when the ousted dictator imposed martial law, he also arrested his critics and shut down major media outfits like ABS-CBN. This confluence of events was obviously deliberate, aimed at slowly maiming the broadcast network: the President's incessant and open attacks, the absence of movement from the lower chamber to tackle the pending franchise renewal bills and recently, as if aiming for the kill, a quo warranto petition two months before the franchise of the network expires. Stacking the government with his supporters, cracking down on the opposition, and silencing the media using all resources at his disposal are indications of the country's slide into authoritarianism. Freedom-loving Filipinos should come together and resist authoritarianism in all its forms. A nation cannot be governed by way of threats, insults, intimidation, and violence. Raphael Coleman, who starred in 2005s Nanny McPhee alongside Emma Thompson and Colin Firth, has died. He was 25. The young actor, who turned to activism after studying zoology at the University of Manchester, died on Friday after he collapsed suddenly during a run, The Mirror reported Monday. His mother and stepfather both confirmed the news on social media. Rest in peace my beloved son Raphael Coleman, aka Iggy Fox, wrote Colemans mother, Liz Jensen, on Twitter Friday. He died doing what he loved, working for the noblest cause of all. His family could not be prouder. Lets celebrate all he achieved in his short life and cherish his legacy. Liz shared an essay that Coleman wrote for the organization Extinction Rebellions publication with the tweet in which the former actor explained that he decided to move on from wildlife conservation because as an activist my voice could be far more influential than it had been as a scientist. Extinction Rebellion also confirmed his death with an update at the top of the essay. Raphael Coleman | Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images RELATED: Father and 4-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead in Unimaginable Tragedy After Hike in Canada James Iggy Fox died on 6 February, the statement said. He was 25, had given up a career in science to join XR and fought hard for the cause, especially for Indigenous rights. Iggy was a burning bright soul and he will be deeply missed by us all. Here is the article he wrote for issue 3 of The Hourglass newspaper. On Saturday, Colemans stepfather Carsten Jensen shared a lengthy and emotional Facebook post in light of his stepsons death. To die young, he began the post. I guess theres nothing that makes you see death as unfair and meaningless as when a young person dies. Its life itself thats sabotaged. It just happened to my wife, Liz, whose youngest son, Raph of only 25, died last Friday. He collapsed without prior health problems in the middle of a trip and could not be restored. I got to know raph when he was six years old, and we were so close. Story continues Jensen went on to describe Coleman as old-wise growing up, extremely literate and loved to lecture adults with his always astonishing knowledge. He was a child actor in the popular British Comedy Nanny McPhee, where he played himself with great talent, a little redhead boy who was always mixing explosive chemical ingredients. He had several roles, was rewarded and could have chosen a career as an actor. But he wanted to be a scientist, not to blow up something, as his figure in Nanny McPhee, but to save the planet, Jensen continued, explaining that Coleman traveled around the world all alone at 18 years old. RELATED VIDEO: Disney Actor Cameron Boyces Parents Speak Out About His Tragic Death: He Is Our Shooting Star He became a biologist, suited to a Buddhist monastery in Thailand, spent a year in Costa Ricas jungle and six months in Indonesia, where he qualified for a certificate as a diver, he wrote. But first and last, it was the exhibition rebellion that came to the life of the British climate activist group that brought Londons traffic to stop and within a few months of explosive hurry spread to 60 countries. Raph was one of the first and most active members. Under the name Iggy Fox, he controlled the groups use of social media, spoke at demonstrations, and was arrested again and again. By April, he should have been in court accused of painting the Brazilian Embassy with red when the amazon jungle was standing in flames. He didnt want a lawyer, but he wrote himself on his defense court when he died. Raphael Coleman | courtesy Everett Collection RELATED: Remembering the Stars We Lost in 2019 Death turned off raph, but it did not turn off the light that burned in him, because no one who has known him has been unaffected by it or will forget it, and that is how he lives on, Jensen continued. When I think of Raph, I see something that will never die, a blunt of eternity, a light beam that lives forever in young people, he wrote. We believe that it is us, the older generations who have something to give the young people. We believe that we are the ones who pass the baton of life to them. But I think its the other way around. The young people remind us why were alive. They remind us of the purpose of life that this is the gift we must not in distraction until we have unpacked it. In another tweet on Saturday, Liz shared a photo with her son from an Extinction Rebellion event. RIP Iggy Fox, aka Raphael Coleman, she wrote, he knew that we are all already in Heaven, right here on Earth. The UN on Monday called for urgent action to avoid a major humanitarian crisis as billions of locusts destroy crops across East Africa in the biggest outbreak the region has seen in decades. The locusts have plagued a number of countries since the start of the year, including Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen and Kenya, and crossed the border into Uganda over the weekend. South Sudan and Tanzania could also soon be under threat from the vast swarms. It's time for the international community to understand that it's an issue that needs to be dealt with now. Otherwise, it will turn into a situation of a plague, said Dominique Burgeon, director of the UN Food and Agricultural Organisations emergencies and rehabilitation division. There will be high levels of acute food insecurity, there will be millions more people that will require food assistance and it will take us years to control the situation." An average locust swarm of around 40 million insects can travel up to 150 km a day and consume enough food in that time to feed 35,000 people. The UN is seeking $76 million in immediate aid from state donors to help fund spraying and other eradication techniques. But so far, just $20 million has been made available. Members of a team from the Marine Mammal Stranding Center examine a dead manatee that was found on a beach in Cape May County over the weekend. Read more A 900-pound manatee has been found dead on a Delaware Bay beach in Cape May County. Robert Schoelkopf, director of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine, said the manatee had been dead for at least two weeks when it was found Sunday at low tide by a regular visitor to the beach in Middle Township. The 11-foot-long sea mammal probably died from exposure to the cold weather, Schoelkopf said. He said a team from the stranding center collected some biological samples and would send them to U.S. Fish and Wildlife manatee experts in Florida for testing. Many manatees are identified by scars, so the team also was sending photographs of the one found on the beach to see if it can be identified. Schoelkopf said there had been no reports of manatees in the area in recent months but one was spotted in Maryland waters in the fall. Manatees, whose natural range is the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, have been spotted as far north as Massachusetts in recent years as ocean temperatures have risen. Manatees need water temperatures above 68 degrees to survive. In October 2009, a manatee known as Ilya was found trying to stay warm at an outflow pipe at a refinery in Linden, N.J. After a rescue operation, the Coast Guard airlifted Ilya to Florida, where the manatee was released. The Save the Manatee Foundation reported that Iyla died in 2018 after a collision with a watercraft in the Florida Keys. Im married and I have two daughters and I am aware of some frankly poor behaviour that goes on outside my industry, he said. But what I like to think about more is whats positive. There is plenty to celebrate. While starting from an extremely male-dominated base, Rio Tinto joined Male Champions for Change in previous years and has some runs on the board. It's so far achieved a target to increase women in senior management by 2 per cent annually, increasing from 19 per cent in 2016 to 22.6 per cent in 2018. Its executive committee went from 20 per cent women to 25 per cent between 2016-18. Graduate intake has fluctuated 41 per cent women in 2017, 36 per cent in 2018 but 2019 figures released in coming weeks will see Rio finally hit its 50 per cent target. Annual pay gap audits saw a 3 per cent equal pay gap (the measure of like-for-like jobs) improve to 2 per cent from 2017-18. Mr Salisbury said mining had for too long focused on engineering qualifications at the expense of skills. Recruiters needed to recognise that focusing only on qualifications in a discipline in which women were already under-represented would exacerbate inequality. And he hoped Rios work in automation would help attract more young women into Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics fields. Its not just about wielding pickaxes in remote locations anymore, he said. Our operating centre employs 400 people and a lot of that work used to happen at remote sites but having a more tech-enabled business increases the scope and opportunity for different genders and backgrounds to participate. If we explain that story better to young people we should be able to boost the number of women in STEM subjects. Mr Salisbury has worked at Rio Tinto for more than 30 years and said recent changes had made senior teams stronger and more cohesive. They had richer discussions and made better decisions. A team made up of predominantly males will always be biased in making decisions that affect people, he said. Engagement, as we call it the measure of how engaged employees are with their company is measured very closely. Apart from the factors of how they get paid and where they work, people are looking for purpose. Does the company have a purpose they can align to, do its culture and values play out in everyday life? And more employees were taking advantage of Rios gender-neutral parental leave and flexible work policies. Loading Its about lifting those policies off the paper and into practice, Mr Salisbury said. In the last couple of years we have seen senior men taking parental leave. Its been a great symbol, its generated great positive discussion. But challenges remain. Two women retired from the board last year. With replacements yet to be announced, the board is back down to a single woman. And the overall workforce was still only 17.7 per cent women in 2018, down from 18 per cent in 2017. We still have a high rate of attrition, particularly for mothers having children, Mr Salisbury said. You hear all the excuses, about FIFO rosters and so on, but that is just excuses. We have to continue to look at how we can make our work meet the needs of people with young families. And the more we have this dialogue playing in every corner of society, the better off we will be. CEOs for Gender Equity director Tania Cecconi said mining was often blamed for WAs poor performance in a nationwide context, but mining companies were in fact leaders. Once the CEO or leader of that business turns their mind to increasing the numbers they make it happen. So its so important for leaders of these male-dominated businesses to normalise the conversation in WA, she said. She said after Workplace Gender Equity Agency figures late last year sparked reports that WA had gone backwards in terms of equity, this had not accounted for an overall increase in the number of companies reporting. In fact, WA could celebrate some major achievements. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:51:29|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close An Iranian and his son attend a rally to mark the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic revolution in Tehran, Iran, on Feb. 11, 2020. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Tuesday to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua) TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Tuesday to celebrate the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. In different cities, people swarmed to the streets, chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans. In Tehran, the demonstrators burned the U.S. and Israeli flags. They carried images of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, late founder of the Islamic republic, and his successor and the incumbent supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as Qassem Soleimani, senior Iranian commander who was recently assassinated by the United States. Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani had called for mass turnout to mark the anniversary of the revolution and condemn the "hostile" moves of the United States against the Islamic republic. The 1979 Revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed Shah regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history. D onald Trump mocked Nancy Pelosi at a raucous rally in New Hampshire, accusing her of mumbling during his State of the Union speech as his supporters chanted lock her up. Mr Trump tried to rattle his political foes hours before New Hampshires Democrats headed to the polls in the countrys first primary. I had somebody behind me who was mumbling terribly, Mr Trump complained to the crowd in Manchester, referring to last weeks speech to Congress, which ended with Democratic House Speaker Mrs Pelosi tearing up her copy of his speech. He continued: Im speaking, and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me. Angry. Were the ones who should be angry, not them. The remarks prompted the Republican crowd to break into the same lock her up chant that his supporters directed at rival Hillary Clinton four years ago. Warm-up act: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders at a rally in Durham, New Hampshire / Getty Images Nine months from now, we are going to retake the House of Representatives, we are going to hold the Senate, and we are going to keep the White House, he said. We have so much more enthusiasm, its not even close. Theyre all fighting each other. They dont know what theyre doing. They cant even count their votes, the President added, referring to last weeks bungled Iowa caucus vote. Bernie Sanders was tipped to narrowly win todays primary ahead of the former Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg, although the chairman of the state Democratic Party said: This is anyones race to win. Crowd Chants 'Lock Her Up' At Trump Rally In New Hampshire Gaining ground in the race was Minnesota senator Amy Klobuchar, whose centrist campaign has been suddenly energised by a strong showing in Friday nights televised Democratic debate. In a boost to Mr Sanderss campaign, a new poll put the Left-wing Vermont senator further ahead in the nomination race. The Quinnipiac national poll had the 78-year-old on 25 per cent among Democrats and Democrat-leaning independent voters, up four points since later January. Former vice-president Joe Biden has slumped to 17 per cent, with former New York Mayor Mike Bloom-berg the billionaire latecomer whose name has yet to even feature on the ballot third on 15 per cent. Last night, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez urged New Hampshire voters to back Mr Sanders, calling on them to choose a candidate who will move the country forward. While many Americans see Hollywood as the sun around which the rest of the film industry revolves, Bollywood, in fact, is the worlds biggest film industry. In addition to the giant film industries in Nigeria and India, South Korea has had a burgeoning movie business for years. And yet, the United States has been relatively slow to pick up on other countries greatness in film. The South Korean film Parasite, directed by Bong Joon-ho, had an incredible night at the 2020 Oscars. Thats a good sign, but in general, Americans are only barely picking up on the art of foreign filmespecially South Korean film. Great South Korean film existed before Parasite Parasite director Bong Joon-ho poses with his Oscar | Jean-Baptiste Lacroix / AFP via Getty Images The Star Tribue, a Minneapolis-based newspaper, recently pointed out that for the most part, the only South Korean movies that make it to these shores are thrillers about killers, excuse the rhyme. Youd think almost everyone in that country is a murderer, Chris Hewitt writes. It probably says more about Americans taste than it does about South Korean movies, Hewitt argues. Korea does make other genres, but we hardly ever see them. Movies like Oldboy, Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and other gory flicks followed that blood-spattered suit. Oldboy was the film, Hewitt writes, to start a wave of interest in Korean movies in the U.S. The Oscars have not recognized South Korean movies before Bong Joon Hos 2019 film But, he continues, astonishingly, if we date the start of the wave to 2003s Oldboy, it took 17 years of consistent South Korean excellence for the Oscars to finally take notice, with Parasite. (Parasite won the Academy Award for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Foreign Language Film). And that time lag that doesnt mean South Korea hasnt been producing movies or making quality filmsthey have. Hollywood is just pretty bad at seeing outside its own bubble. (Not to mention, members of the Academy have recently stated they dislike reading subtitles). Executive producers Min Heoi Heo and Miky Lee, producer Kwak Sin-ae, and So-dam Park accept the Best Picture award for Parasite at the Oscars | Kevin Winter/Getty Images What it really means, as Hewitt argues, is that a lot of great movies have failed to get Academy Awards attention. Walter Chaw of the New York Times wrote that Parasites win is merely Hollywood recognizing, very belatedly, South Koreas amazing film industry which has been making superlative films for decades. Hewitt offers a list of South Korean films that they should see in addition to Parasite, to encourage his American readers to step outside their comfort zone a bit. They include: Train to Busan, a thrill-a-minute movie in which the zombie apocalypse happens just as an absentee father is escorting his daughter home; Burning, a creepy drama; Oasis, a devastating romance; and The Handmaiden, a psychosexual battle of wits, among others. We would add to this list: Joon-hos The Host (youll love it if the anti-capitalism from Parasite resonated with you), The Presidents Last Bang (a classicly South Korean genre-bender), and Whispering Corridors (if youre into horror). Parasite winning Best Picture (and 3 other Academy Awards) is a good sign for Hollywood Considering South Korean directors incredible body of work, its truly a shame that Parasite the first Korean nominee for the international film prize. Ever. Its the first time the Academy has nominated a South Korean film, even in the foreign film category. No wonder Joon-ho called the Oscars a local film festival. Even, so, the four Oscar wins are a good sign for progress. Sure, this years Academy Awards seemed to be overcompensating a bit for its reputation of being #SoWhite. But we do hope the fact that the Oscars gave four giant thumbs up to the South Korean film Parasite inspires more U.S. movie-goers to diversify their tastes. Florida Referendum on Semi-Autos Fails with 19% of Needed Signatures By Dean Weingarten. February 9, 2020 Article Source The Florida referendum to ban common rifles and shotguns as "assault weapons" has failed to gather enough signatures to appear on the 2020 ballot. From tampabay.com: To make it on the November ballot, organizers had to gather 766,200 verified signatures by today. The organizers fell well short with just 147,304, according to the Secretary of State. 147,304 signatures is a bit more than 19% of the required number. Signatures are valid for two years. The ban proponents started to gather signatures on 28 November, 2018. They have until 27 November, 2020, before previously gathered signatures start becoming invalid. While touted in the legacy media and in proponents' advertising as a "ban on assault weapons", the measure bans possession of virtually all semi-automatic rifles, many semi-automatic shotguns, but no handguns or pistols. The ignorance of the writers has rendered a referendum that is both draconian and ineffectual for its stated purpose. Here is the text of the proposed Florida Constitutional Amendment. From ballotpedia.org: (e) The possession of an assault weapon, as that term is defined in this subsection, is prohibited in Florida except as provided in this subsection. This subsection shall be construed in conformity with the 2nd Amendment to the United States Constitution as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court. 1) Definitions - a) Assault Weapons - For purposes of this subsection, any semiautomatic rifle or shotgun capable of holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition at once, either in a fixed or detachable magazine, or any other ammunition feeding device. This subsection does not apply to handguns. b) Semiautomatic - For purposes of this subsection, any weapon which fires a single projectile or a number of ball shots through a rifled or smooth bore for each single function of the trigger without further manual action required. c) Ammunition-feeding device - For purposes of this subsection, any magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar device for a firearm. Limitations - a) This subsection shall not apply to military or law enforcement use, or use by federal personnel, in conduct of their duties, or to an assault weapon being imported for sale and delivery to a federal, state or local governmental agency for use by employees of such agencies to perform official duties b) This subsection does not apply to any firearm that is not semiautomatic, as defined in this subsection. c) This subsection does not apply to handguns, as defined in Article I, Section 8(b), Florida Constitution. d) If a person had lawful possession of an assault weapon prior to the effective date of this subsection, the person's possession of that assault weapon is not unlawful (1) during the first year after the effective date of this subsection, or (2), after the person has registered that weapon by make, model, and serial number with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement or its successor agency, as designated by the legislature. Registration records shall be available to local, state and federal law enforcement agencies for valid law enforcement purposes but shall otherwise be confidential. 3) Criminal Penalties - Violation of this subsection is a third-degree felony. The legislature may designate greater, but not lesser, penalties for violations. 4) Self-executing - This provision shall be self-executing except where legislative action is required in subsection 2)(d) to implement registration of weapons lawfully possessed prior to the enactment of this subsection or in subsection 3) to designate a more severe penalty for violation of this subsection. 5) Severability - The provisions of this subsection are severable. If any clause, sentence, paragraph, section or subsection of this measure, or an application thereof, is adjudged invalid by any court of competent jurisdiction other provisions shall continue to be in effect to the fullest extent possible. 6) Effective date - The effective date of this amendment shall be thirty days after its passage by the voters. [3] As I wrote in a previous article in June of 2019: Once the measure is on the ballot, it has to be approved by 60% of the voters in the election to become an amendment of the Florida Constitution. If it passed with 60% of the vote in 2020, it would immediately be challenged as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment of the United States. The Heller decision, while it was about handguns, clearly stated the Second Amendment that - "extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding." 554 U.S. 570, 582, 595 (2008)." The promoters of the referendum are relying on the ignorance of voters, combined with an anti-Second Amendment media and massive funding from billionaire contributors, to pass it. They are calculating most voters won't read or understand the definition, or know about the exception for pistols. The language is unconstitutional on its face, but the past decade has shown the Supreme Court unwilling to hold most lower courts to its decision in Heller. In fourteen months, the proponents have been able to gather less than 20% of the signatures required to put the constitutional amendment on the ballot. It seems unlikely they will succeed in obtaining the remaining 80% in the 10 months remaining. Two imponderables are in the mix. First, the referendum measure is stated as being misleading to the point of being fraudulent by Attorney General Ashley Moody. From miamiherald.com: "It is so far-reaching and misleading, it would also include guns like the gun my grandfather gave my father and his brother when they were 9 and 10, 60 years ago," she said in August. The Florida Supreme Court has to approve of the referendum language before it is put on the ballot. AG Moody may persuade the Court to refuse to accept the measure because of the misleading language. The Court is expected to hear arguments about the language on 4 February, 2020. Second, there may be another mass murder the media can use to inflame public emotion, to the point where the 80% deficit of signatures can be recruited. At this point, it seems unlikely the anti-Second Amendment proponents of the measure will obtain enough signatures. The public will find out on 1 February, 2022. 2020 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. Gun Watch Back to Top Can't allow every person who thinks of some solution to COVID-19 to file petition: SC Nirbhaya: Tihar authorities can seek fresh death warrants says SC India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 11: The Supreme Court said that the death warrants issued in the Nirbhaya case is to be kept in abeyance if mercy petitions are pending. The Delhi High Court had given the killers a week's time to file a mercy petition. Since one of the four killers has not filed a mercy petition, the Tihar jail authorities can seek a fresh death warrant for all four from the trial court, the SC also said. The court also said that none of the four convicts has taken any steps within one week. Hence the authorities are allowed to move for the death warrant. Nirbhaya: No fresh date to execute the killers granted by Delhi court The SC has posted the matter for Thursday while observing that the petition of the Centre to hang the killers separately would not preclude trial court to issue appropriate orders. Juan Guaido regresa a Venezuela YouTube / EL PAIS Despite the threat of arrest, Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido has returned to Venezuela after escaping the country and defying a travel ban. The politician made a speech today after returning to the country from an international tour. Guaido had made his way across various nations to shore up support for his claim as the rightful leader of Venezuela, urging leaders to crack down on Maduro's authoritarian socialist regime. Speaking in Davos, Guaido told how he risked his family's safety and "duped" Maduro's security forces to escape Venezuela under the travel ban. He also spoke of how Maduro's forces tried to extort a fellow politician suffering from cancer, how journalists are being killed over tweets, and what he feels must happen to end Venezuela's social crisis. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. After launching the second year of his campaign to oust President Nicolas Maduro, Juan Guaido defied a travel ban and managed to slip out of Venezuela. As part of his international tour, Guaido made his way across Colombia, Canada, and various nations in Europe, in a bid to encourage the countries' respective leaders to throw their weight behind him, imploring them to come down harder on Maduro's authoritarian socialist regime. Over the last four years, the US government has imposed an array of sanctions against individuals and bodies in Venezuela and the Trump administration was one of the first among 60 governments to support Guaido, calling Maduro out as a "dictator" but the momentum behind Guaido's movement has slowed somewhat. Guaido has not delivered the change Trump's administration and Venezuela's opposition were looking for. In spite of an attempted coup, anti-government protests, and US sanctions, Maduro is still in charge of Venezuela. Despite facing the threat of arrest, today, Guaido made a speech to the people of Venezuela shortly after returning to the country. Story continues Speaking at a press conference in Davos, Guaido told Business Insider and a small group of other media how he escaped under a travel ban, what he believes lies ahead for Venezuelans, and what he feels must be done to put an end to the ongoing social crisis in the country. FILE PHOTO: Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro gestures as he speaks during a special session of the National Constituent Assembly to deliver his annual state of the nation speech, in Caracas, Venezuela January 14, 2020. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero Reuters How he escaped Venezuela's travel ban Juan Guaido: Escaping came at great risk, I must admit. Not just personal risk; risk for my family, for my team. We had to dupe the state security forces who were in Colombia and were still following me around in Caracas a day later. I must say, though, they're not very efficient. Venezuela's Guaido was stopped From entering the National Assembly earlier this year. YouTube / VOA News The risks of being a politician in Venezuela Guaido: There are many risks in Venezuela today. The day before I was elected as president of the parliament by the majority on January 5th, they [Maduro's security forces] went looking for a politician called Addy Valero at her home. Valero was suffering from cancer. As a cancer patient in Venezuela, you're basically sentenced to death through lack of affordable treatment. Screenshot 2020 02 11 at 15.38.30 YouTube / Caraota Al Aire They tried to extort her, telling her she was going to die, that they'd do something to her family they offered her up to $1.5 million to go and vote against me. She said: "I can die but Venezuela isn't going to die for my vote," and there she died. 'The risk is there every day' Guaido: The risk is there every day in Venezuela ... walking to the border, crossing a bridge, going to the office, jumping over walls to get to work ... the risk is there every day. Juan Guaido REUTERS/Carlos Garcia Rawlins In spite of that, we've shouldered the responsibility because of the duty we have at this time not just me; everyone. 'Beaten, robbed, killed ... just for publishing a tweet' Guaido: I mean, I must stress how much danger Venezuela-based journalists are in. They've been imprisoned for months, beaten, robbed, killed ... just for publishing a tweet. It's absurd. Shortages of food, water, electricity, fuel, health care, and other basic amenities Guaido: For those Venezuelans who, in a way, lived through an emerging democracy, a developing economy, none of this makes sense. The cost of opportunities is infinite whether they're opportunities for social or economic progress, stability, or happiness. Luis Parra YouTube / AGENCIA EFE That's why, when weighing up the costs against the benefits, the best alternative is to move towards a transition, without a shadow of a doubt. 'My generation thought we had inherited democracy, that it was simply granted' Guaido: Another thing we Venezuelans learned the hard way is that democracy is constantly at stake. My generation thought we had inherited democracy, that it was simply granted. At that stage in time, we weren't able to get involved [in politics] and we thought [democracy] would always be there. Hugo Chavez I was young, I wasn't of voting age when Chavez came to power but my dad said we were going to end up like Cuba, [when Castro was in power] referring to Cuba as though it were like Syria or something. We thought that was pretty far-fetched at the time. 'Even if the allure of populism won't always be there, that of authoritarianism will' Guaido: The best antidote to what's currently happening is to strengthen our institutions I'm sure there are strong institutions in many parts of the United States; there are some very fragile ones in Latin America that must be singled out, supported, and bolstered. Juan Guaido, president of Venezuela's National Assembly share with supporters after a citizen assembly in Caracas, Venezuela January 11, 2020. REUTERS/Manaure Quintero Reuters Even if the allure of populism won't always be there, that of authoritarianism will. We have to strengthen the third sector, NGOs, our institutions. And we have to always be cautious about democracy always. Read the original article on Business Insider The meetings come under an agreement by the parties involved in the latest round of talks to reconvene in Washington to ratify a final agreement Egypts Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry will travel to the US on Monday to participate in talks with the foreign and irrigation ministers of Ethiopia and Sudan over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in a final bid to resolve months of stalemates between Cairo and Addis Ababa over the operation of the mega dam. Egypts foreign ministry said in a statement early on Monday that the meetings, scheduled for 12 and 13 February, come under an agreement by the parties involved in the most recent round of talks, on 28-31 January, to reconvene in Washington this month to ratify a final version of a comprehensive agreement over the filling and operation of the GERD. Last month, the ministers of foreign affairs and water resources of the three countries agreed on a schedule for the filling plan and a mitigation mechanism for filling the dam during times of drought and prolonged drought. The last round of negotiations, which began on 28 and 29 January and saw an extension of two additional days, was sponsored by the US and the World Bank, who are acting as observers in the talks. The signing of a final comprehensive agreement is scheduled for late February, and the ministers have instructed their technical and legal teams to prepare the points for the final agreement. Tensions have been building between Egypt and Ethiopia in recent months after talks on the technical details governing the operation of the dam had failed to make progress. Ethiopia hopes that the massive $4.8 billion project on the Blue Nile, which has been under construction since 2011, will allow it to become Africas largest power exporter. Search Keywords: Short link: Photo taken on Feb. 9, 2020 shows the site of a 5G teleconsultation at Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital in Beijing, capital of China. Beijing-based Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital carried out 5G teleconsultation services Sunday with Huoshenshan Hospital, a recently built makeshift hospital in Wuhan, to battle the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. The teleconsultation also marks the launching of the teleconsultation system between the two hospitals. Supported by the 5G network, the system enables doctors in Beijing to establish real-time communications with those in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province. (Photo by Kong Lingzhan/Xinhua) BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Beijing-based Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital carried out 5G teleconsultation services Sunday with Huoshenshan Hospital, a recently built makeshift hospital in Wuhan, to battle the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. The teleconsultation also marks the launching of the teleconsultation system between the two hospitals. Supported by the 5G network, the system enables doctors in Beijing to establish real-time communications with those in Wuhan, the epicenter of the virus outbreak in central China's Hubei Province. Experts of the Chinese PLA General Hospital will be kept on standby to offer high-quality medical services to patients in Wuhan, the hospital said. [ Editor: WPY ] If youre booked to fly from California to Italy on Air Italy this summer, your plans just changed. The carrier, which was supposed to resume seasonal service from San Francisco to Milan on March 29, has suspended service after an emergency shareholders meeting this week. Air Italy started taking 2020 reservations last summer for its U.S. seasonal service, which also included Los Angeles-to-Milan starting March 29. The airline had scheduled four A330 flights a week to Milan from both SFO and LAX as well as six weekly Toronto-Milan flights. Air Italy also operated year-round service from New York and Miami. This is too bad, as Air Italy offered a very nice product on a sorely needed Bay Area-to-Italy nonstop. I redeemed 95,000 Chase points for a one-way flight from Milan to San Francisco last summer. (Read all about that experience here in my Trip Report: Flying Air Italy back to San Francisco.) The airline was previously known as Meridiana, but it was rebranded two years ago after it secured the backing of a deep-pocketed investor Qatar Airways which bought a 49 percent stake in the company in September 2017. Air Italy said on its website that from now through February 25, all of its flights will be operated by other carriers at the times and on the days previously scheduled; all passengers who booked flights (outward or return) after 25 February 2020 will be re-protected or fully refunded. It said U.S. customers booked on its flights should contact their travel agents or call 866-387-6359 if they need a refund or a rebooking. Anyone who booked tickets online will receive refund details via email, or they can send an email to refunds@airitaly.com. As an alternative for Italophiles, Alitalia is planning to launch its own new seasonal service this summer from San Francisco to Rome. The carrier will operate three flights a week from July 1 through Oct. 28 with a 293-passenger 777-200. Alitalia is a member of Deltas SkyTeam global alliance, but it too has a history of financial instability. Norwegian Air recently announced that it would move its Rome nonstop flights from Oakland to San Francisco, and service starts on April 1 for about $550 round trip. Don't miss a shred of important travel news! Sign up for our FREE bi-weekly email alerts So what happened to Qatar Airways deep pockets supporting Air Italy? Qatar said in a statement that it has strongly believed in the company and its potential and has continuously provided all possible support to Air Italy right from the beginning, including giving it aircraft from its own fleet. Even in the face of increasingly difficult market conditions severely impacting the air transport industry, Qatar Airways has continually reaffirmed its commitment, as a minority shareholder, to continue investing in the company, the company said, and was ready to keep supporting the growth of the carrier but this would only have been possible with the commitment of all shareholders. The majority shareholder with 51 percent is Alisarda, a company that is part of the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. As the European economy stumbles, SFO has recently lost nonstop service to Europe on WOW Air, Icelandair, Air Berlin and XL Airways. But it has also picked up new nonstops on TAP Air Portugal, French Bee, Level and soon LOT Polish Airlines. Did you fly Air Italy, or were you planning on it? Tell us what you think in the comments. Read all recent TravelSkills posts here Chris McGinnis is SFGATE's senior travel correspondent. You can reach him via email or follow him on Twitter or Facebook. Don't miss a shred of important travel news by signing up for his FREE biweekly email updates! SFGATE participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. SANTA FE The Rosewood Inn of the Anasazi is ready to take the plunge into becoming the next downtown Santa Fe hotel to add a rooftop pool. The hotel is proposing it be allowed to build an addition on top of the building to accommodate a swimming pool, outdoor events space and indoor lounge and bar. It says it needs to add the amenities in order to stay competitive with other downtown hotels. All of the Inn of the Anasazis major competitors La Fonda, the Drury, and the Eldorado Hotel all provide swimming facilities (all of which are on roof tops), and opportunities for outdoor and indoor dining, socializing and event-staging on their rooftops, the hotel wrote in a memo distributed by city staff. In order to compete and remain relevant and to avoid eventual obsolescence and thereby avoid a hardship and harm to the public welfare of the City of Santa Fe the Inn of the Anasazi must invest in the facilities with the proposed addition, but has nowhere to add them except on top of the existing hotel. The Eldorado Hotel and Spa added a rooftop pool and bar last year. The Drury Plaza Hotel opened in 2014 with a rooftop pool and event space. The Inn of the Anasazi, located at 113 Washington Ave., less than a block from the northeast corner of the citys historic downtown Plaza, is sandwiched between a restaurant and a bar and has nowhere to build but up. On Tuesday it will be asking the citys Historic Districts Review Board to grant a height exemption that would increase the buildings height to 56 feet. The height limit is currently 20 feet, 1 inch. City staff has recommended approval. The building was constructed in 1945 and opened as the State Securities Building, according to the memo. It was remodeled in the Spanish Pueblo Revival style in 1989 when it was converted into a hotel. Under the proposal, the part of the rooftop closed to Washington Avenue would serve as an outdoor event space framed by a 5-foot tall stucco wall and chimney extensions. The middle third of the space would feature an enclosed lounge and bar, including a kitchen and rest rooms. A rectangular pool would be at the rear third of the rooftop and framed by 4-foot tall stuccoed walls and wood-framed cabanas. The space would include an outdoor fireplace and seat area. Also on Tuesday, the review board will consider plans for a 1,400 square foot public rest room facility to be located at the current Water Street parking lot, just a block south of the Plaza. Tourists, residents and business owners have long complained about the lack of public restroom facilities around the Plaza area, causing people to crash local museums and businesses to use facilities. Flash World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said late Sunday that the WHO-led team of international experts had left for China amid the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak. Tedros said on Twitter that he had "just been at the airport seeing off members of an advance team for the WHO-led 2019-nCoV international expert mission to China, led by Dr. Bruce Aylward," who is a Canadian epidemiologist and emergencies expert and also a "veteran of past public health emergencies." The WHO chief did not reveal any more details or the team's schedule. Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said earlier that the WHO-coordinated team of global experts will cover clinical management, virology, vaccine, drug development, ecological investigation, animal health, epidemiology, public health and risk communication. "The team's objective is to learn from Chinese counterparts' experience in dealing with this event so that the world can learn from them," he added. Also on Sunday, Tedros expressed his gratitude towards health workers in China, especially in Hubei Province, who are fighting against the novel coronavirus. "I am in awe of the thousands of health workers in China, especially in Hubei, who are caring for patients and gathering data on 2019-nCoV for scientific analysis, while under immense pressure," he said on Twitter. "The world is grateful for your efforts to discover how to best treat and prevent the spread of the virus," he added. Tedros underlined that experts in medicine and science are working across borders to lead a data-driven response to the novel coronavirus. "From China's early sharing of genome sequencing data to our work at WHO to debunk myths, we are rapidly collecting, analyzing and sharing information to keep the world safe," he added. Why compose a piano concerto when you can write a work for three pianos. And throw in a little harp times three, of course and percussion, again in tres. That was what likely went through the mind of 20th century French composer Pierre Boulez when he composed Sur Incises, a 45-minute work composed for three pianos, three harps and three percussionists. It is a piece that is rarely done. Its the kind of piece that is very challenging to do unless you are in an academic institution or some kind of large budget ensemble, said Michelle Gott, who runs the harp program at the University of Arizonas Fred Fox School of Music. You need three painos, three harps, percussionists. You need the space to rehearse and good quality instruments. Gott has all that and a pretty exceptional pool of talent to draw from, which could explain why she championed performing the piece at the UA. A cast of faculty musicians and graduate students will perform the Boulez on Sunday, Feb. 15, with UA composition professor Daniel Asia conducting. Asia said this is one of those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Nathan Tenzer outlines the growth plans at the Edwards Lifesciences plant in Limerick. The Irish facility of American medical technology firm, Edwards Lifesciences is a critical part of the companys international manufacturing network, according to Nathan Tenzer, the general manager of the Limerick plant. Innovation and research are the cornerstones of the international success of Edwards Lifesciences, which, only last spring announced a 160m investment in a technology plant in Limerick, that is set to create 600 jobs. We manufacture minimally invasive heart-valve repair and replacement technology, says Nathan Tenzer, who has a career with the company spanning 17 years and in a number of specialised departments including R&D, manufacturing engineering and marketing. What we do means that a person does not have to undergo a major surgery, he says, adding that the treatment has a significantly beneficial effect on a patients quality of life. So what is this treatment? Its essentially about heart valve repair. We fix a valve or replace it and put in a new valve. The work involves some amazing technology, he says, adding that this technology is critical for some patients, who may have no other option. It is extremely impactful technology, as were giving back years to people; very high quality years too. It is an incredible thing to be part of, says Tenzer, adding that, given the ageing population it is inevitable that increasing numbers of people will require access to such kinds of treatment. Nathan Tenzer, General Manager, Edwards Lifesciences Limerick site Access to talent The availability of talent was a major consideration when the company was making the initial decision to locate its Irish manufacturing plant in Limerick. The people who make these devices need to have a high level of care and diligence, and in this context, the level of education and training in Ireland is very attractive and that is a major reason why we selected the mid-west location, he says. The vast majority of the 85 or so people which currently constitute the workforce are Irish employees. It is expected to grow exponentially in the near future, he says: The Irish talent sector is highly attractive, he says, adding that because mainland Europe is the companys second largest market, its geo-positioning was crucial factor. There are major advantages in producing this technology close to where it is used. First, it promotes cost and environmental consciousness. Along with that, Ireland is a stable business and political environment with a long established medical-tech industry, he says, pointing out that another logistical advantage of its Irish location and proximity to Europe means the company is building and selling products in euro. The demand for its products is steadily rising, meaning that Edwards Lifesciences can offer ambitious employees a promising career: Its a rapidly growing organisation and there are lots of opportunities for employees to stretch and grow." Founded 60 years ago when it produced the first commercially successful heart valve, the companys minimally invasive heart valve transcatheter aortic valve implantation is today its flagship product. This device treats a disease called aortic stenosis which is a calcification of the heart valve which happens very slowly over time. "The condition means the body does not get the oxygen it needs, so the person starts to feel fatigued. First launched in Europe more than a decade ago, this highly-sophisticated device was originally used only for people who were too ill for open-heart surgery. However, as Tenzer says, it is now indicated even to people who are low-risk for open heart surgery. We are a world leader in this product, he says, adding that the company is now investigating the application of its cutting-edge technologies to the other heart valves, and to repair technologies. We are investing in research into solutions for repair and replacement technologies for the other heart valves. Our minimally invasive heart-valve repair and replacement technologies are being built in the Irish facility today; we are very excited about these technologies. The company also builds critical care monitoring technology, which as Tenzer says, is about conveying the right information to the anaesthetist and the cardiac surgeon to enable them to manage patients by monitoring hemodynamic indicators. Essentially what this technology achieve, he says, is to help doctors keep the patient in an optimal zone during surgery and the critical recovery period: Research shows if you keep people in that optimal zone they recover faster. It comes as no surprise then that innovation is a critical element of the success of Edwards Lifesciences. Our organisation develops the newest cutting-edge technology that treats previously untreated segments of the patient population. It is extremely hard work. We have incredible investment in research and development, he says, adding that about 18% of the companys annual turnover is invested in R&D, compared to an industry norm of 4% to 5%. This level of investments allows the company to develop innovative technology and to show with data that these technologies work. Innovation and research are the cornerstones of the international success of Edwards Lifesciences, which is investing 160m in a new technology plant in Limerick. Last March the Partner 3 study demonstrated that transcatheter aortic valve implantation is superior to surgery in low-risk aortic stenosis patients, he says, adding while it costs a lot of money to conduct such trials, the results are very important. We carry out a lot of research, and the experience in innovation, technology and clinical trials provides us with knowledge and confidence that we are making a difference in our patients lives. We are an extremely patient-driven organisation. However, Edward Lifesciences also prioritises a healthy relationship with the communities in which it is based: Engaging with local communities is for us about making a positive contribution to the community where we live, and is very impactful. We want to be good corporate citizen and participate actively in the community, he says, adding that to this end the firm encourages all employees to participate in one active charitable work a year. And it doesnt just recommend it, the company actively provides opportunities for its workers to participate in charitable events: We have, for example, built a relationship with Croi the stroke and heart awareness organisation in the west of Ireland we participated in a fundraising cycle for the charity last March. The company has also developed a good partnership with the GAA: We identified four GAA clubs and donated 10,000 to each, he says, adding that employees also participate in voluntary activities on behalf of the clubs. Stress response is the body's normal physiological reaction to a situation that it perceives as threatening. However, stress can also impact important aspects of thinking, including problem solving. Researchers from the University of Missouri School of Medicine and the MU Thompson Center for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders have discovered a potential indicator of how stress affects the brain and alters its ability to problem solve. These findings could ultimately understand and optimize treatment for patients suffering from stress-related illnesses. The results come from two companion studies involving 45 healthy college-age individuals who were genetically tested for the presence of at least one copy of a variation in the serotonin transporter gene (SERT), which is associated with greater susceptibility to stress. Participants were given a series of tests while being monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The first test involved verbal processing tasks where participants were asked in two sessions (stress and no-stress control) how many items from a category they could name in a minute. Researchers found that stress did not impact overall performance for either gender or gene group, but effects of stress on performance did relate to changes in the brain's overall functional connectivity in all participants, suggesting the brain could provide a biomarker for the effects of stress on cognition. "This may begin to help us understand what is going on in the brain when stress is affecting cognition," said supervising investigator David Beversdorf, MD, professor of radiology, neurology and psychology at the MU School of Medicine and the MU Thompson Center. "If we can develop an intervention that affects the brain's networks, we may be able to mitigate the cognitively impairing effects of stress." In the other study, the same participants completed problem solving tasks in two sessions (stress and no-stress control) during MRI testing. Researchers discovered changes to the connections involving a section of the brain called the middle temporal gyrus related to changes in performance during stress in participants. This relationship depended on the presence or absence of the stress-related variant of the SERT gene, indicating a potential specific brain marker associated with susceptibility to stress during problem solving. "When you look at the relationship of the imaging changes in the brain and the performance changes resulting from stress, the left middle temporal gyrus appears to be a critical hub, and this relationship depends on an individual's genetic susceptibility to stress," Beversdorf said. "The next step is to look at this in specific patient populations. Is this effect greater in PTSD populations or test anxiety patients? And if we can understand how to mitigate those effects, it could be very helpful to these patients." ### In addition to Beversdorf, the study authors include former University of Missouri Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program graduate student and lead author Neetu Nair, PhD, now a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at University of Missouri; Bradley Ferguson, PhD, assistant research professor of health psychology; and Shawn Christ, PhD, associate professor, Department of Psychology. Other collaborators include John Hegarty, PhD, a former graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program and now a postdoctoral research fellow at the Stanford Autism Center; Patrick Hecht, PhD, also a former graduate student in the Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program; and Michael Tilley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Biology at Central Methodist University. The study, "Effects of stress on functional connectivity during verbal processing," was recently published in the journal Brain Imaging and Behavior. The companion study, "Effects of stress on functional connectivity during problem solving," published in the journal NeuroImage. Research reported in these publications was supported by a grant from the University of Missouri Research Board and the University of Missouri Mission Enhancement Fund. The authors of the study declare that they have no conflicts of interest related to this study. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the views of the funding agencies. Tina Knowles-Lawson just spilled the beans about a secret 'new project' that her daughter Beyonce Knowles-Carter 'is doing.' 'I mean, my art pieces are like my children,' the 66-year-old grandmother-of-four told WSJ Magazine on Monday of her art collection. 'I just lent some of my art pieces to Beyonce for her new project that she's doing, and I'm looking at my walls and it just makes me sad, because I miss seeing all my babies there.' Tina Knowles-Lawson (R) just spilled the beans about a secret 'new project' that her daughter Beyonce Knowles-Carter (L) 'is doing' (pictured in 2019) The 66-year-old grandmother-of-four told WSJ Magazine on Monday: 'I just lent some of my art pieces to Beyonce for her new project that she's doing' (pictured September 21) It's unclear precisely what the 38-year-old R&B diva has up her sleeve as she's known to surprise her fans by dropping entire albums - like Lemonade in 2016 - with no prior announcement. On Sunday night, Queen Bey and husband Jay-Z hosted a private post-Oscars party in Los Angeles where they 'took turns passing the mic while blasting their favorite hits.' 'Everyone was around her, and bowing down to her. She even got on the mic at one point and sang a few lines and remixed Brown Skin Girl and I Care, with a few other songs of hers,' a source told E! News. 'Everyone was dying over [Jay-Z rapping along to I Just Wanna Love You] and was jumping up and down loving it. Beyonce and Jay-Z definitely were putting on a show...It was all about them.' Mysterious: It's unclear precisely what the 38-year-old R&B diva has up her sleeve as she's known to surprise her fans by dropping entire albums - like Lemonade in 2016 - with no prior announcement (pictured February 2) 'Everyone was bowing down to her': On Sunday night, Queen Bey and husband Jay-Z hosted a private post-Oscars party in Los Angeles where they 'took turns passing the mic while blasting their favorite hits' (pictured February 2) As Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon said of the party on Instagram: 'Only @beyonce could get me out of the house past 11pm' (pictured Sunday) Guests also included: Rihanna (L), Charlize Theron (M), Natalie Portman (R), Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, and more As Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon said of the party on Instagram: 'Only @beyonce could get me out of the house past 11pm.' Guests also included Rihanna, Charlize Theron, Natalie Portman, Michael B. Jordan, Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott, Sean 'Diddy' Combs, Jessica Alba, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more. The 24-time Grammy winner's film The Lion King was nominated for the best visual effects trophy, but the special effects team behind Sam Mendes' WWI epic 1917 won the award on Sunday. Career-wise, Beyonce recently launched her athleisure attire company Ivy Park's gender-neutral collaboration with German sportswear brand, Adidas. Former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Kalikho Pul's son, Shubanso Pul was found dead in the UK under mysterious circumstances, family sources said on Tuesday. Shubanso (20), who was studying at a university there, was found dead at his apartment in Brighton in Sussex, they said. He was the son of Pul's first wife Dangwimsai Pul. The Pul family is trying to get in touch with the Indian High Commission in the UK to bring back Shubanso's body. With the support of a few elected members of the Congress and the BJP, Pul became the chief minister for a brief period in 2016. However, the Supreme Court ruled against the appointment, leading to his ouster. Pul allegedly hanged himself at his official residence in Niti Vihar here on August 9, 2016. While Dangwimsai Pul, the first wife, had moved the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the death and allegations of massive corruption mentioned in her husband's suicide note, the BJP gave a ticket to his third wife, Dasanglu Pul to contest the by-elections from Hayuliang, which she won. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Everything we know about the pangolin the scaly mammal that may have spread the coronavirus to humans Business Insider Global CO2 emissions static for first time in 10 years FT Vanguard is an anomaly in the investment world. Can it stay that way? The Week (UserFriendly). Lawyers For Elizabeth Holmes Try To Have Theranos Case Thrown Out, Saying Indictment Too Diluted Gizmodo Brexit Sinn Fein Pushes for Power as Irish Parties Limber For Talks Bloomberg What is driving Sinn Feins electoral surge in Ireland? FT Merkels job and Germanys future up for grabs again Politico After Germanys far-right scandal, Left party surges as Merkels CDU sinks Deutsche Welle #2019-nCoV China India US Sanctions Venezuelan State Airline, Threatens Russian Oil Giant Venezuelanalysis Chiles copper output down in 2019 on declining grades Mining.com Chile drought enters critical phase Al Jazeera Syraqistan Syrians scramble for refuge in last opposition frontier AP Trump Transition 2020 Big Brother Is Watching You Watch Police State Watch Boeing 737 MAX Pontifications: A few rays of sunshine emerge in MAX crisis Leeham News and Analysis Boeing Refuses to Cooperate With New Inquiry Into Deadly Crash NYT. This 737 crash in the Netherlands, in 2009. Audit Initiated of FAAs Pilot Training Requirements Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Transportation Imperial Collapse Watch World War IIIs Newest Battlefield Consortium News LAffaire Joffrey Epstein Zeitgeist Watch Class Warfare Antidote du jour (via): See yesterdays Links and Antidote du Jour here. A York County manufacturer is moving its headquarters to North Carolina. P. H. Glatfelter announced last week that it plans to relocate its corporate headquarters from York to Charlotte, North Carolina later this year. Dante C. Parrini, chairman and CEO of Glatfelter said in the companys earnings report that the Carolinas are a leading hub for the broader nonwovens industry, that the move will provide enhanced access to a larger pool of critical resources and talent for future growth, and its new location is in close vicinity to Charlotte Douglas International airport will allow for easier and more efficient business travel. Our decision to move Glatfelters headquarters to a larger metropolitan area is another important step in our ongoing transformation, Parrini said. The company has had a presence in York County since 1864. Philip Henry Glatfelter purchased a stone paper mill in Spring Grove, York County in September of 1863 and opened the business in July of 1864. In 2018, P. H. Glatfelter Co. sold its specialty papers business that traces back to the companys founding, including the plant in Spring Grove that employed about 750 people. The business was sold to Lindsay Goldberg, a New York-based private equity firm Since the companys founding, Glatfelter has had a long and rich tradition in York County and benefited from the positive impact on our history, culture and people, Parrini said. We also value the strong relationships we have built with our local communities and business partners over the years and will continue to operate a satellite office in York to facilitate a more thoughtful and planned transition to our new headquarters. Glatfelter no longer has any manufacturing presence in York and says it has reduced its Pennsylvania workforce by more than 90 percent. Glatfelter is a global supplier of engineered materials found in tea and single-serve coffee filtration, personal hygiene and packaging products as well as home improvement and industrial applications. The company says its annual net sales are approximately $925 million. The company has approximately 2,600 employees worldwide and has 11 manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada, Germany, France, the United Kingdom and the Philippines. The companys headquarters is located at 96 S. George St. The company trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol GLT. -Business Buzz --Sign up for PennLives newsletters 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. You can follow Daniel Urie on twitter @DanielUrie2018 and you can like PennLives business page on Facebook at @PennLiveBusiness Lagos State Police Command has arrested two Chinese nationals for allegedly raping their roommate, another Chinese citizen, while he was fast asleep. The suspects, 41-year-old Yang Liang Ming, and 45-year-old Wang Gui-Moi, were arrested following a petition to the police in Area F Command by one of their roommate, Jun Lan-Yin, who alleged that the suspects were forcefully making love to him through the anus. The incident allegedly occurred at No 49, Morrison Crescent, Alausa, Ikeja, on January 23, where the trio work for Lifemate Furniture and resided at the companys quarters where the alleged rape occurred. Police detectives, led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Olasoji Akinbayo, arrested the two suspects and detained them for interrogation. Although he suspects denied the allegations, investigation supervised by ACP Olasoji revealed that there was sexual assault by the two men. A police source who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: This was further corroborated by medical reports from Mirabel Medical Centre at the Lagos State Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), which confirmed that Jun Lan-Yin was sexually assaulted by his colleagues through the anus. A police source said investigation showed that the suspects and complainant are workers of Life Mate Furniture and are illegal residents whose visas had long expired. He also alleged that further investigation revealed that the suspects have a record of being gay at their former place of work and the company was ready to testify against them if necessary. Meanwhile, KanyiDaily had also reported that a very successful businessman, Zhao Zhiyong, paid with his life after a court convicted him for sexually assaulting 25 underage female students in China. The Chinese millionaire was executed after being found guilty of raping 25 underage girls on 32 occasions in the space of one and a half years, including 14 girls who were not yet 14 years old. A man accused of murdering two drug dealers who were shoved in a toolbox and dumped in a creek admitted in a police interview that he killed them. Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru's decomposing bodies were found in a large metal box in February 2016 at Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane. A court sketch of murder accused Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata during his trial at the Supreme Court in Brisbane. Credit:Michael Felix/AAP Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28, has pleaded not guilty to murdering the pair after they were lured to a townhouse in Kingston 18 days earlier. But in a police interview, Tahiata made admissions to the crime. TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) Educators within Tippecanoe County are getting trained on suicide prevention this month. Teachers from all 35 schools are required to take the training every three years. This rule went into effect starting the 2017-2018 school year. The training is designed to help break the stigma surrounding suicide. Mental Health America Wabash Valley Region is hosting the training. The teachers are learning the QPR method, which teaches them how to question, persuade and refer students toward getting the help they need. Erin Perdue, MHA director of engagement calls this critical curriculum for teachers. This is really critical training for anyone who works with students so that they can recognize signs and symptoms of mental health issues, said Perdue. They can connect the dots when they recognize they are seeing warning signs. Perdue hopes teachers leave understanding the importance of listening. We hope that teachers take away the idea that theyre here and theyre hearing things from students and they can recognize when someone might be struggling or having thoughts of suicide, said Perdue. Anyone can offer hope. Hope is something as simple as listening, in this training we want people to walk away knowing listening can be the power to help someone. Teachers are not able to get their teaching license until they take suicide prevention training. This Indiana law went into effect in 2013. A brave clown who helped sick children with laughter therapy was shot dead trying to defend a woman and her baby when they were attacked by a robber in a restaurant. Humberto Rojas Landa, also known as Doctor Cosquillas, or 'Doctor Tickle', was gunned down in a busy restaurant in Puebla, Mexico. According to witnesses, an armed man broke into the restaurant in the Chulavista area of the city in order to rob customers on February 6. The heroic clown, also known as Payaso Solecito - Little Sun Clown in English - tried to defend a woman and her son from the man and hit him with a water jug. Humberto Rojas Landa, known as 'Dr Tickle', was fatally shot in the head while trying to defend a woman and her baby as they were attacked by an alleged robber in a busy restaurant CCTV of the suspect fleeing the scene in Puebla, Mexico. The alleged robber is still at large according to local media The robber then shot the 51-year-old in the head before fleeing the scene with only a single stolen mobile phone as loot, local media report. Solecito was taken to the hospital where he spent 24 hours fighting for his life before he died. It is not clear if he was working as a clown at the time of the attack. Municipal police arrived at the scene of the crime and checked the CCTV cameras but the suspect, who was seen running away in the CCTV footage, has not been identified or arrested yet. Before his death, Rojas Landa was giving laugh therapy to ill children and was also part of other charitable activities. A picture of Rojas Landa during his funeral. He was known for helping sick children with laughter therapy Tributes flooded in for the much-loved entertainer in the wake of his passing. The community of the Municipal Institute of Art and Culture of Puebla joined hundreds of citizens, friends and government authorities in sending condolences to his family. Family and friends have asked the public for financial support to bury him as they do not have enough money to pay for the funeral. The police investigation is ongoing, according to local media. READ: Working toghether with giants toward sustainable developement ALTARA SUITES THE SECOND HOME One of the great things about travelling is the oppotunity to take in breathtaking scenery that you cannot find at home. If you want to really relish that experience, Altara Suites offers some of the citys most spectacular views. On their iconic rooftop, magical views are guaranteed, such as the glistening My Khe beach stretching along the coastline around Son Tra peninsula, or the beautiful sunset over Danangs mountainous terrain. The rooftop bar serves food, snacks, and drinks, and the Altitude restaurant serves up scrumptious meals and a stunning view of the mountains, and the city of Danang. To ensure a unique service for travelers, Altara Suites has entered into a co-operation with Ri-Yaz Hotels and Resorts. This collaboration has brought top-notch services to customers visiting from around the world, and people are noticing; hereby a 5-star review from TripAdvisor: Altaras apartments are nothing short of breathtaking. For now, I would certainly classify this beautiful establishment as a resort, although these suites are advertised as apartments. This place has the feel of a 5-star resort. Through this strategic collaboration, Alphanam Group is showing its commitment to meet international service standards. The partnership assures utmost respect for values and integrity, with the aim of elevating Altara Suites to the top 10 of serviced apartment hotels in Danang. The impressive achievements of Altara Suites in recent years are motivation for Alphanam to continue developing the Altara brand in the future. At the end of November 2019, Alphanam and Ri-Yaz Hotels & Resorts signed a co-operation agreement to develop Altara Residences Quy Nhon in Binh Dinh and Altara Suites Sapa in Lao Cai province. The event was witnessed by the Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir bin Mohamad and the Vietnamese Ambassador to Malaysia Dr. Le Quy Quynh. FOUR POINTS BY SHERATON INTERNATIONAL LUXURY RESORT-STYLE HOTEL The co-operation between Alphanam Group and Marriott International is the spiritual child of Nguyen Ngoc My - a talented young businesswoman also known as Sylvia Nguyen. From the groups first steps in the hotel and resort segment, Nguyen Ngoc My was the pioneer and contacted many international brands to find the right way for Alphanam. Her constant efforts, along with the rigorous criteria of Marriott International, made Vietnam home to the first hotel under the Four Points by Sheraton brand. Nestled along Danangs beautiful coastline, guests can experience the best of Danang at the resort-style hotel Four Points by Sheraton Danang, where comfort and convenience come first. With 390 rooms set over 36 floors, the hotel offers excellent facilities and services together with stunning panoramic views of the golden beach and the vibrant city of Danang. In addition, Four Points by Sheraton Danang offers the best options for events and conferences and is perfect for large-scale and high-level business gatherings. The location boasts a total of 840 square meters of meeting and event space, including a 414sqm Grand Ballroom, that can be divided into smaller sections, and seven meeting rooms with modern equipment. Rajinder Nagar Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Rajinder Nagar constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Rajinder Nagar Profile | The Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha has won the election from the Rajinder Nagar constituency against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Sardar RP Singh by a margin of 20,058 votes. Rajinder Nagar is part of the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. A Punjabi-dominated area, Rajinder Nagar saw a triangular contest as AAP replaced its sitting MLA Vijender Garg to field a more popular face, Raghav Chadha, who lost the 2019 Lok Sabha polls to BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri from South Delhi seat. Chadha, a Punabi will take on veteran BJP leader from the Sikh community, RP Singh and Congress' student leader from Jat community, Rocky Tuseed, who was president of Delhi University Students' Union in 2017 and ended the five-year-drought for the Congress-affiliated National Students Union of India. Here is a brief profile of Rajinder Nagar constituency: Constituency Name: Rajinder Nagar Constituency Number: 39 District Name: Central Delhi Total Electors: 182530 Female Electors: 78227 Male Electors: 104294 Third Gender: 9 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Sitting AAP MLA Vijender Garg had won the 2015 Delhi polls with over 54 percent votes and 20,000 votes against BJP veteran RP Singh in 2015. But the party has replaced him with Chadha, perhaps sensing the need to field a stronger candidate. Garg, meanwhile, let his grouse known and claimed that he was "sacrificed to oblige a big name in the party" Before Garg claimed the seat for AAP in 2015, it was primarily a BJP bastion. Singh had won the seat in 2013 elections, before losing out to Chadha in mid-term polls. Before him, Puran Chand Yogi, a veteran BJP leader, represented the seat from 1993 until his demise in 2008. Congress has held this seat only once in 2008 when Rama Kant Goswami won the seat after BJP fielded Yogi's wife Asha at the last minute, after he committed suicide. Demographics: Largely an upper-middle-class locality, Rajinder Nagar is dominated by Punjabis as thousands of displaced families were settled in this area after the Partition. Rajinder Nagar also has a significant population of SC and OBC voters. SCs and OBCs together form at least 40 percent of the population in the constituency, however, various caste dynamics within themselves has kept the community from voting as a cohesive unit. In fact, this is one of the constituencies the Mayawati-led BSP has been trying to win since 2008. Rajinder Nagar also has a Jat-dominated pocket, Dasghara and a Yadav-dominated locality, Todapur within its bounds. However, over the years, it has seen a sharp demographic shift . In recent years, the demography in areas such as Inderpuri, Naraina Vihar and Pandav Nagar has again changed to with a substantial number of Purvanchali migrants moving to the area. (ANSAmed) - RABAT, FEBRUARY 11 - Casablanca will be hosting its first international gastronomy festival from March 6 to March 8. The art and science behind the stove will be showcased as part of a bid to boost development in Africa, according to promoters. Chefs from Morocco and across the African content will be offering gastronomical experiences with African tastes. The brainchild of the film producer and cultural promoter Siham El-Faydi, the festival aims to open up new tourism routes. ''We are ready to bet on the wealth of our heritage and chefs' creativity,' El-Faydi said, ''to promote a sector that has not yet been discovered here in Morocco.'' (ANSAmed). Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) took issue on Sunday with CNN anchor Jake Tapper bringing up comments he made over 45 years ago, sarcastically asking if Tapper had also dug up his third-grade essay as well. Following Sanders strong showing in the Iowa caucus and polls showing him primed for a first-place finish in Tuesdays New Hampshire primary, other candidates have been taking aim at the independent Vermont senator over his democratic socialist positions, claiming Sanders would hurt the Democratic Party if he wins the nomination. On Sundays broadcast of CNNs State of the Union, Tapper brought up the complaints from moderate Democrats that Sanders message is not a winning one, prompting the progressive lawmaker to insist that his agenda is precisely the agenda that the overwhelming number of people want. Tapper, meanwhile, noted that Sanders regularly talks about income inequality on the campaign trail, leading him to point out that Sanders once proposed an income cap. Jake Tapper Exposes Pompeo, Graham and Giulianis Stunning Hypocrisy Our investigative KFILE team found out that in 1974 you said it should be illegal to earn more money than someone could spend in his or her lifetime, the CNN host said. You proposed a maximum wage cap on the highest earners. What year was that? Sanders wondered as Tapper added that it was 45 years ago. Look, Jake, in all due respect, that was seven years before I was [elected mayor], Sanders objected. Did you go back to my third-grade essay when I was in PS 197 about what I said?! Tapper pushed back that Sanders was a grown man in your thirties when he made those remarks. Sanders, for his part, asked Tapper if they could actually talk about his record as an elected official. Lets talk about my mayors record where I was a transformative mayor re-elected three times. the former Burlington mayor stated. You know, we can go back to things that I said in the 70s. I dont think its productive. Ive been a senator for 16 yearssenator for 14 years, congressman for 16 years. Story continues The State of the Union host, however, continued to press Sanders on the original questionwhether or not he currently favors a wage cap like the one he proposed in 1974? 50 years ago, mmmlook, what I just said is when you have massive levels of income and wealth inequalityby the way, in the last three years under Trump, the billionaire class has seen hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars increase in their wealth, Sanders replied. The average American worker has seen less than a one percent increase in real wages last year. he continued. Thats the issue that weve got to deal with right now. We need an economy that works for working people not just for the billionaire class, which is what we have under Trumps economy. SNL: Larry Davids Bernie Sanders Exposes His Army of Internet Trolls 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. Stones actions were not a one-off mistake in judgment. Nor were his false statements made in the heat of the moment. They were nowhere close to that, the prosecutors argued. Stones conduct over the past two years shows the low regard in which he holds the House Intelligence Committees investigation and this very criminal case. In their own memorandum, Mr. Stones lawyers argued that the prosecutors had misconstrued harmless messages from Mr. Stone to the witness, a New York radio host named Randy Credico, as genuine threats. They argued that Mr. Stone should be sentenced to less than 15 months in prison for the seven felonies he was found guilty of in November. The evidence in Mr. Stones jury trial showed that in the months before the election, he strove to obtain emails that Russia had stolen from Democratic Party computers and funneled to WikiLeaks. WikiLeaks then released the emails at strategic moments to damage Hillary Clinton, Mr. Trumps Democratic opponent. Prosecutors claimed that Mr. Stone used every chance he had to brief the Trump campaign about whatever he picked up about WikiLeaks plans. But in September 2017, he told the House Intelligence Committee that he never described to anyone involved in the Trump campaign his conversations with an intermediary to WikiLeaks. To cover up his lies, he urged Mr. Credico to take the Fifth Amendment rather than testify before the committee. Stones criminal conduct was not an act of desperation. He is a man of substantial means, and he has enjoyed a modicum of fame from his years of being a political adviser and confidant to powerful politicians, the prosecutors wrote. His conduct was undertaken purposefully, by someone who knew exactly what he was doing. Harris County prosecutors this week dismissed a DWI charge against actor Tim Williams, best known as the TV pitchman for travel website Trivago.com. The 53-year-old, who lives in Germany, completed programs abroad which were even more exhaustive than the county-required alcohol education courses for pre-trial diversion, according to the Harris County District Attorneys Office. Mr. Williams took his Harris County case seriously by diligently completing programs in his home country that were comparable to our mandatory classes, and even did more than he had to in order to make sure he was complying, said Nathan Beedle, Chief of the Misdemeanor Division of the district attorneys office. In fact, he went above and beyond what is normally required. The county can tailor its pre-trial diversion agreements for the convenience of people who live outside of the country, spokesman Michael Kolenc said. Similar arrangements have been struck for people who reside in Nigeria, Britain, Norway and Central America. In usual pre-trial diversion cases in Harris County, first-time DWI offenders have to complete probation supervision for one year, do 16 hours of community service and finish a nine-hour drug and alcohol course. If they have a vehicle, they have to install an alcohol monitoring device, Kolenc said. Williams attorney, Joseph Philip Scardino, said his client did community service and also spoke at some schools. This case was dismissed pretty much on merit, he said. Police arrested Williams on April 10, 2019 in west Houston, after finding him passed out behind the wheel of a vehicle in the mid-afternoon, according to court records. His foot was on the brake, and he was sitting in a moving lane of traffic, police said. Officers reported that Williams failed a field sobriety test and submitted to a blood-alcohol draw. He had been released on $100 bond. Houston is Williams hometown, according to his IMDb biography. Footage has emerged of The Block star Suzi Taylor in a heated squabble with a removal woman. The former model, 49, clashed with Thelma Anderson in Brisbane on January 23. Mrs Anderson, 54, moved Taylor's possessions from her rental house into storage in November. The former model (right) was charged with assaulting Thelma Anderson (left) in Brisbane on January 23 Footage, filmed by a 9News cameraman, shows Taylor (pictured) becoming distressed during the encounter The $1,200 cost of the service was reportedly paid by Ms Taylor's real estate agent using her bond money. But Taylor repeatedly called Mrs Anderson demanding the money back, police allege. Mrs Anderson agreed to meet Taylor in a hotel lobby in Brisbane to settle the issue when the pair clashed. Footage, filmed by a 9News cameraman, shows Taylor becoming distressed during the encounter. Mrs Anderson began filming Taylor on her mobile phone before Taylor screamed: 'Can I get these people out, they're filming me.' Taylor then allegedly grabbed Mrs Anderson's phone and pushed her, before Mrs Anderson appeared to push her back. 'Don't hit me girl... you hit me first,' the removal woman said. Hotel staff called police. Taylor was arrested and charged with assault and stealing Mrs Anderson's phone. No-one else was arrested. Taylor is due in Brisbane Magistrates Court on February 24. Separately, Taylor (pictured) is awaiting trial after being accused of bashing a Tinder date Suzi Taylor (pictured), a former nude model Penthouse magazine, starred on The Block Separately, Taylor is awaiting trial after being accused of luring a Tinder date to her luxury Brisbane apartment then beating him when he refused to hand over his bank details. Court documents allege the midnight liaison on October 29 went very wrong minutes after the unsuspecting man walked in the door. Taylor, 49, had invited him for a drink via a message on another dating app, Plenty of Fish, and soon said they should 'take this into the bedroom'. As they lay on her bed kissing, the former star of The Block, who the man knew as 'Katie', whipped off her top to expose her breasts - then allegedly made her demand. 'If you want to go any further you need to cough up some money... This is what I do for a living and my time is my money,' she allegedly said, the Courier Mail reported. The man said in his statement filed with the court he was blindsided by this demand because he thought the encounter was a hookup not him hiring a prostitute. 'I believe by this comment Katie was implying that I needed to pay her for sex. This comment completely shocked me, and I have then said 'I am not paying for anything',' he told police. Police in other court documents allege Taylor, who was in 2003 fined $600 for prostitution, is earning money 'by illegal means'. Taylor starred alongside best friend Yvonne 'Voni' Cosier (pictured together) in the 2015 season of Channel Nine's The Block The mother-of-three in her statement said she didn't believe she was a drug addict, and didn't know what police meant in their allegation. The Tinder date said after he refused to pay $500 he 'owed' her, she yelled that he was a pr**k, an a**ehole, and a thief, the man's statement alleged. He told police she then called out to her flatmate and co-accused Ali Ebrahimi, 22, 'this guy has no money', who then came in the room. Ebrahimi allegedly tied him to the bed with a phone charger before he and Taylor beat him while demanding the PIN to his phone to transfer themselves money. Taylor allegedly told Ebrahimi: 'No, he isn't going anywhere, he has been here hours now. I have bills to pay, I have Rebels and bikies coming to my house chasing me for money, so I am not letting him go until I get my money.' The former Penthouse Pet and nude model in her statement denies having any affiliations with bikie gangs or owing them money. Prior to starring on The Block, Suzi posed nude for Penthouse magazine in the early 90s and once dated INXS star Michael Hutchence The man alleged that after being beaten for some time, he gave up his PIN and Ebrahimi walked to an ATM at the New Farm IGA supermarket and stole $950. 'You better make sure this number is correct. If I come back here and it's not the right number you're dead,' Ebrahimi allegedly said before he left the flat. Court documents state the alleged victim picked Taylor and Ebrahimi out of a photo board and posed for photographs of his bruises. Taylor is charged with deprivation of liberty, unlawful detention, assault occasioning bodily harm in company, extortion, and drug possession. Her lawyers told the court she denies the charges and intends to dispute the man's version of events at trial. She previously claimed in court that she wasn't even on either of the dating apps she allegedly met and contacted the man on. Taylor was released on bail on December 16 under strict conditions, including not going to New Farm where the flat is located, or talking to Ebrahimi. The NHS risks being overwhelmed by an old-age health crisis, the new Chief Medical Officer warns today. Chris Whitty says drastic action is needed to cope with a surge in the number of patients aged over 65. He points out that countryside districts and coastal towns with older populations are often poorly served by GPs, hospital clinics, ambulances and out-of-hours providers. In his first interview since becoming England's Chief Medical Officer in October, Professor Whitty proposes a series of radical solutions to our ageing crisis. Speaking to the Mail he explains how: Professor Whitty has proposed a series of radical solutions to our ageing crisis Doctors' training will be reformed so they are able to better care for patients with several chronic conditions; Medical schools will be located in rural and coastal areas to ensure more doctors serve these ageing communities; Cervical cancer and many liver cancers will be eradicated in 60 years and other types will be much easier to treat; Ministers must avoid letting big tobacco firms lure children onto e-cigarettes; Trendy cannabis products on sale on the high street may be unsafe. Professor Whitty, 53, is the Government's top health adviser and his brief stretches from planning the response to coronavirus to drawing up key medical policies. But one of his most pressing concerns is how to meet the needs of the growing numbers of older patients with multiple illnesses. Eighteen per cent of the population is over 65 but by 2038 this figure is expected to reach 24 per cent, nearly one in four. It is predicted to be 40 per cent in North Norfolk by then and 37 per cent in the Lake District. Other ageing hotspots are expected to be Rother in East Sussex (41 per cent) East Lindsey in Lincolnshire (37 per cent). Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty, the Government's top health adviser and his brief stretches from planning the response to coronavirus to drawing up key medical policies Professor Whitty says: 'The ageing of the population of rural areas will occur much faster and there will be a much higher concentration of people who are older who therefore have more health needs in the rural areas. 'We have to think about this both for now and also accordingly for the future, this is a future issue. 'If we did nothing on this we will get to a situation where the burden of disease for the country the number of people who are actually suffering from lots of long-term medical conditions will go up and service delivery will stay where it is. The gap between what people need and what people get will widen. 'We have under-appreciated how much in the future this is going to be an issue. This is predictable and it's solvable, provided we take a long run at it.' Professor Whitty, who took over the role from Dame Sally Davies in October, stresses that the increase in over-65s will result in many more patients suffering from multiple long-term conditions. These could include dementia, cancer, diabetes, cataracts, heart disease and osteoporosis bone thinning and some of this diseases will aggravate one another. Patients can end up having five or six different hospital outpatient clinics for each illness which Professor Whitty says is 'neither good medicine, nor is it convenient for patients'. To end this, he wants to reform doctors' training so they are more generalist than specialist. He has been discussing the proposals with the Royal College of Physicians, the Royal College of Surgeons, the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges as well as NHS England. He says: 'We're talking particularly about hospital doctors, we need to make sure they retain their generalist skills.' Professor Whitty also wants medical schools to be set up in some of the rural and coastal locations where populations are ageing the quickest. He hopes that this will eventually result in more doctors hospital consultants and GPs practising in the areas of greatest need. 'One of the things we need to look at it how we can incentivise GPs and other doctors to want to work in these areas both for current and also future need,' he adds. 'There's just a service delivery challenge that we need to think about and work out what methods we can use to address that. Some areas are more remote than others providing services in the Lake District will be more problematic just because of the geography. 'It's sufficiently predictable and sufficiently far in the future that if we start doing things now, we can start to address it. If we wait until the problem has hit us, which it undoubtedly will, it will be a lot harder to sort out.' 'Don't repeat tobacco mistake over vaping' Ministers must not let history 'repeat itself' by allowing children to get hooked on e-cigarettes, the Chief Medical Officer warned. Professor Chris Whitty said that although the devices are 'definitely safer' than tobacco cigarettes, there remain question marks over their long-term harms. And in a swipe at big tobacco firms many of whom have moved into the e-cigarette market he said he has 'serious concerns' about their ability 'to addict people young'. Several companies including British American Tobacco and Imperial Brands are investing heavily in vaping devices because tobacco smoking in the Western world is declining. But some of their products appear to be brazenly marketed at children and popular e-cig flavourings include bubblegum, chocolate mint and butterscotch. Professor Chris Whitty said that although the vaping devices are 'definitely safer' than tobacco cigarettes, there remain question marks over their long-term harms Professor Whitty told the Mail: 'We need to make sure history does not repeat itself. 'The test of whether a product is being targeted at children is if it starts to be increasingly used by children and that will lead to action. If e-cigarettes are increasing in children then we should assume that they are being marketed towards them or at least pushed on them in some way, and deal with that very, very strongly.' Figures from NHS Digital last August showed 25 per cent of pupils aged 11 to 15 had used e-cigarettes, the same as in 2016. But the figure had increased compared to 2014 when 22 per cent had tried them. Professor Whitty said: 'No-one would claim that e-cigarettes are safer than not smoking at all and so if you don't smoke, don't use an e-cigarette. He added that there is a 'question mark' about the long term effects of the flavours of some e-cigarettes. 'If you're just using them for a short period to come off cigarettes that isn't such a concern, but obviously if they're using them for long periods it can be, because we don't know what the effect will be and we wont know for many years,' he said. He also said he has 'serious worries' about tobacco firms' 'continuing ability' to get youngsters hooked on ordinary cigarettes. 'There are still children who are smoking and it's not happening by accident. That's an area we really need to look very seriously at. 'The model of action for the cigarette industry is very straightforward. If you get people early, they get addicted to something which is going to kill them and then once they're addicted, they say it's all about choice.' Professor Whitty is also looking at whether the thousands of cannabidiol (CBD) products on our high streets are safe amid concerns some may contain trace amounts of the the harmful tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Sales of the cannabis extract have doubled in the last two years. It is a legal substance derived from the marijuana plant and unlike the illegal THC also obtained from the plant doesn't make you high.' First major illness hits in our 50s Britons are contracting their first long-term health condition almost nine years earlier than previously thought. A study by the all-party parliamentary group on longevity found that men are typically diagnosed with their first significant problem at 56 and women at 55. The previous estimates for both sexes was 64. Men are typically diagnosed with their first significant problem at 56 and women at 55 Today's report warns that many of the conditions, such as type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease, are preventable. It calls for the NHS to treble its spending on prevention. 'The NHS must do more to prevent ill health and manage its demand,' the report says. 'It spends less than 5 per cent of its budget on prevention and this should be trebled.' The cancers that could just disappear Some types of cancers will simply disappear completely within 60 years, Professor Whitty predicts. He believes cervical cancer and some liver cancer will be eradicated by vaccination within the next two generations and most lung cancers will just go off the radar completely provided our smoking rates continue to fall. Survival rates for breast and prostate cancers, which are already at 80 per cent, will continue to improve, he says. The majority of patients will be cured with a small operation. Well get to a point where some cancers are a nuisance, in fact for some cancers weve already got to that point, he says. Some of them were almost there, like testicular, for example. Breast cancer, were already at situation where ten years survival for women is just about 80 per cent; the same is true for prostate cancer in men. I expect that to continue to improve. Most people who get that diagnosis will lead a good life and be alive and well a decade later. By PTI UNITED NATIONS: The dreaded Islamic State's South Asia branch remains active, ambitious and threatening, and has established contacts with other terror groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan, a UN report has warned. According to the report, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) came under severe military pressure from the security forces of Afghanistan and Taliban fighters towards the end of 2019, leading to its virtual expulsion from what had been its Afghan headquarters in Nangarhar Province. The ISIL-K was formed on January 10, 2015, by a former Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commander and was established by former Taliban faction commanders "who swore an oath of allegiance" to IS and its slain leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The group has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. The 10th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat said that even though the Afghan authorities took custody of more than 1,400 people, including ISIL-K fighters and their dependants, the terror group remains a threat to regional security. "Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan remains active, ambitious and threatening. "It continues its online recruitment and propaganda, for which it also conducts outreach activities in religious and academic institutions in Afghanistan, including Kabul University," it said. "It has established informal contact with other terrorist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, which regularly mount attacks on border posts of Pakistan. "The approach of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan," the report said. The report added that most of the ISIL-K fighters taken into custody by the Afghan authorities were Afghan nationals but also included foreigners from Azerbaijan, Canada, France, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. It said the impact on the number and geographic distribution of the group's fighters is assessed as significant. Some 2,100 fighters are now in Kunar Province, which has effectively become the group's new Afghan core area, whereas the number of fighters elsewhere in Afghanistan may now be as low as 400, giving a total estimate of 2,500 for the whole country. Up to 25 of them constitute a covert Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan presence in Faryab Province, led by a former Taliban member Qari Salahuddin, the report said. The Security Council's 1267 Al Qaeda Sanctions Committee had in May last year blacklisted ISIL-K, which is also known as 'ISIL's South Asia Branch', 'ISIL Khorasan', 'Islamic State's Khorasan Province' and 'South Asian Chapter of ISIL'. According to the terrorism backgrounder of ISIL -K on the website of Washington-based nonprofit policy research organisation Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in 2014, Pakistani national Hafiz Saeed Khan was chosen to spearhead IS-K province as its first emir. Khan, a veteran TTP commander, brought along other prominent TTP members, including the group's spokesman Sheikh Maqbool and many district chiefs, when he initially pledged allegiance to al-Baghdadi in October 2014. IS-K's early membership included a contingent of Pakistani militants who emerged in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province around 2010, just across the border from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan. Many of these militants were estranged members of TTP and Lashkar-e Islam, who had fled Pakistan to escape pressure from security forces, the organisation said. A delivery driver has been jailed for two years after he took a selfie while spitting onto a customer's pizza in Turkey. Named only as Burak S., he was 18-years-old when the incident took place in 2017 in the central Anatolian city of Eskisehir. Despite being captured on CCTV at the customer's apartment block, Burak maintained his innocence for the apparently unmotivated act. 'I didn't spit on the pizza,' he told the court on Tuesday. 'I demand my acquittal.' But the court in Eskisehir convicted him on charges of 'damaging property' and 'poisoning food and endangering people's health,' Anadolu said. Despite being captured on CCTV at the customer's apartment block, Burak S. maintained his innocence for the apparently unmotivated act. 'I didn't spit on the pizza,' he told the court on Tuesday. 'I demand my acquittal.' He was sentenced to two years and six months. The case came to light after the owner of the apartment building saw the incident while watching the security footage and alerted the pizza customer, prompting the criminal complaint. CCTV footage showed Burak opening up a pizza box outside customer Huseyin Alyuz's home and leaning over it as he filmed himself on his phone. Burak then walked up to Alyuz's fifth-floor flat to deliver the meal. The case came to light after the owner of the apartment building saw the incident while watching the security footage and alerted the pizza customer, prompting the criminal complaint Mr Alyuz's nephew, Cagatay Ehe, saw the CCTV footage and told his uncle who complained to the police and the pizza company. Burak S. previously claimed he was only checking the pizza for damage but was sacked after he was charged. The court proceedings had been delayed because forensic experts had to assess the risk of disease from Burak's spitting on the pizza. David McCorkell (38), of Barra Drive, Ballymena, was found unanimously guilty during his trial last year (stock photo) A Co Antrim man has been handed a six-year prison sentence for stabbing his partner and their pet dog during an alcohol-fuelled attack two years ago. David McCorkell (38), of Barra Drive, Ballymena, was found unanimously guilty during his trial last year. The jury returned guilty verdicts to offences of wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm; possessing an offensive weapon with intent; causing unnecessary suffering to a pet dog, and causing criminal damage to a television and computer controller. The trial heard that McCorkell and his victim, who have a child together, were in an "on-off-on" relationship on the night of December 11, 2017 when he went to her flat where they consumed a large quantity of alcohol. Belfast Crown Court was told that during the course of the evening an argument broke out, during which McCorkell assaulted the woman before stabbing her in the abdomen with a pocket knife. The jury heard McCorkell prevented her from seeking immediate medical help for the knife wound, telling her: "You don't need to see a doctor." It wasn't until the next day, after McCorkell left her flat, that she contacted her mother and was then taken to hospital for medical treatment. Prosecution barrister Mark Farrell said the wound measured 9cms by 5cms but fortunately for the victim the knife did not penetrate her abdomen, but the injury required three sutures. During the trial the jury was told that McCorkell also stabbed their pet dog twice after it had barked at him several times during the attack. Mr Farrell said the dog's injuries were also superficial and it survived the attack. The prosecution barrister said that among the aggravating factors in the case was that the attack had taken place in a domestic setting and a weapon was used. "The victim is a person of slight build and she was no match for him," he added. He asked the court to make McCorkell the subject of a Violent Offences Prevention Order (VOPO). The Probation Service did not find McCorkell posed a danger to the public in the future but Mr Farrell said the defendant's culpability was "high" over the attack. Defence barrister Aaron Thompson told the court that McCorkell had a history of drug and alcohol addictions and still maintained his innocence despite the jury's verdict, claiming that he tried to take the knife from his former partner on the night in question. Judge Neil Rafferty QC said that "domestic violence is a significant aggravating feature" in the case. The attack took place in the victim's flat "behind closed doors, in the privacy of her home where she is entitled to feel safe", he added. He told McCorkell that anyone who uses a knife "is in the lap of the gods" as to whether serious injury is caused. Handing McCorkell a six-year determinate sentence, Judge Rafferty told the defendant that he would spend three years in custody and three years on supervised licence after his release from jail. Judge Rafferty added that in his view the five-year VOPO sought by the prosecution was "overwhelmingly essential", adding: "I am deeply concerned about the interaction by you with future female partners in a domestic relationship." U.S. soldiers and journalists inspect the rubble at a site of Iranian bombing, in Ain al-Asad air base, Anbar, Iraq, on Jan. 13, 2020. (Qassim Abdul-Zahra/AP Photo) Pentagon: 109 US Troops Diagnosed With Mild Brain Injuries After Iran Attack The U.S. Department of Defense announced 109 U.S. service members suffered mild traumatic brain injuries when Iran fired a barrage of missiles at two airbases in Iraq last month. The Pentagon said in a statement that 45 new cases had been confirmed since the agency issued its previous report about a week ago. Of the 109 service members who suffered mild traumatic brain injuries, also known as mTBI, 76 have returned to duty, according to the statement. Seventy-five of those service members were treated in Iraq, and one was treated in Germany. Twenty-one service members were transported back to the United States, according to the Department of Defense. But the agency cautioned that the numbers are a snapshot in time, adding that they might be subject to change. The Defense Department is steadfast in its efforts to deliver programs and services intended to lead to the best possible outcomes for our service members. We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty. We must continue to address physical and mental health together, Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said in a statement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injuries arent always detected right away. The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani is seen in Tehran on Sept. 14, 2013. (Mehdi Ghasemi/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images) In early January, Iran fired about two-dozen missiles at two airbases in Iraq in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed high-ranking commander Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Soleimani was plotting attacks to kill Americans and attack assets in the region. They also highlighted the death of an American contractor at the hands of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia group that allegedly had ties to Soleimani. The missile attack prompted Trump to unleash more sanctions on Tehran, targeting several high-level officials and its industry. The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regimes destructive and destabilizing behavior. Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. These punishing economic sanctions will remain until the Iranian regime changes its behavior. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it, Trump said in January. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed on Monday that Soleimani, who headed the shadowy Quds Force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had sought to bring stability and calm in the Middle East. The State Department last year declared both the Quds Force and Revolutionary Guards as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals, it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other place. He never did that, Rouhani said, according to Reuters. I am nearly at his door and start calling his name again in earnest: Peter? Peter? I can see into the room. Im coming into your room, Peter. Im here to check on you. The covers on his bed are drawn back, and I can see the crumpled white sheets. There are a few tissues in the bed, with spots of blood on them. Im starting to shake badly as I walk into the bedroom. Peter isnt in the bed, so I turn toward the master bath. Then I see him, lying faceup on the floor between the bathroom and the bedroom. I stand there, unable to really understand what Im seeing. My mind is struggling to comprehend this. Thats him? Whats that on his face? Theres a cardboard box under his head like a pillow. I walk over and kneel down next to him. His right arm is bent at the elbow and resting on his chest, a gesture he often makes, even when he is standing up. He holds his arm that way when he is making a point, pressing his thumb and first two fingers together for emphasis. Our son does the same thing. I touch Peters arms to shake him awake. They are stiff and hard to move. His fingernails are blue. I put my hand on his chest to try and feel his heart. I suddenly remember lying in our bed when we were married, spooning, my chest up against his back, especially when I was cold or couldnt sleep. I would listen for his heartbeatso much slower and stronger than mineand feel safe. Now I feel nothing. His chest is like unfinished wood, stiff, dry. And still. Is he dead? I dont know what a dead person looks like, so I tell myself that maybe hes unconscious. Maybe he needs CPR. Then I look up at his face. There is a dried, black crust over most of it. His mouth is open slightly, the lips pulled back, a clear foamy fluid around the teeth. Peter? I say. I am crying, begging. Peter? Then I look at his eyes. They are open but something is wrong. At first, I cant figure it out but then I realize, slowly, what it is. His eyes have risen out of their sockets. No one alive has eyes like that, of this I am sure. I start screaming ohmygod ohmygod over and over again while I dig the phone out of my purse. My hands are shaking so badly that I have to set the phone down on a table and use the speaker. I press 9, 1, 1 and hit the little green button. Im at the house of my ex-husband and I think hes . . . I think he died. Oh my god. I think he is dead. The woman on the other end sounds unmoved. Maam, we cant help you if you dont calm down. Can you give me the address where you are right now? I go outside and read it off the house because suddenly I cant remember it. Maam, are you sure hes dead? asks the 911 operator. I second-guess myself. What do I know about death? Maybe a persons eyes can look like that but they can still be saved, defibrillated or CPR-ed back to life? I agree to go back in and start chest compressions. Ill stay on the phone and guide you through it, the 911 woman says. Okay, okay, I say, shaking and shivering. I cant look at his face, though, I cant go near his face. The operator says, Thats fine, dont look at it. She tells me to move Peters hand away from his chest. I pull gently, then harder. I . . . I cant. Its, oh my god, I sob. Its stiff. Its really stiff. The operator says, Okay, dont worry about it. The police and ambulance will be there in about four minutes. I ask if she will stay on the line with me until they arrive. As I leave the bathroom I notice a small bloody hole below Peters elbow. Thats odd, I think. Then I run downstairs and out the front door to wait for help. The 20-year-old son of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul has been found dead under suspicious circumstances at his apartment in United Kingdom, reports said on Tuesday. Shubanso Pul, who took admission in the University of Sussex six months ago, was found dead in his apartment at Brighton on the evening of February 8, a few hours after he had spoken to his mother Dangwimsai Pul, the former CMs first wife. Former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul, 47, was found hanging from the ceiling fan of his private room of the chief ministers official residence (which he was yet to vacate) on August 9, 2016. A 60-page document called My Thoughts, written by Pul, was found near the body. The document, details of which surfaced later, mentioned of corrupt practices involving senior functionaries in the judiciary and politics. A forensic report released two months after his death ruled out any foul play. Six months after the suicide, the Arunachal Pradesh government handed over the document to the union home ministry for investigation by any agency as deemed fit. Following the former CMs death, his first wife Dangwimsai had sought a CBI inquiry and also moved the Supreme Court seeking investigation of the corruption details Pul mentioned in his document. Speaking to The Wire, Dangwimsai said that she was informed of the death by the CBI office in Itanagar. Her elder son who is in New Delhi is in touch with the Indian High Commission in UK and is attempting to bring the body back. Puls third wife Dasanglu Pul was given a BJP ticket from the Hayuliang seat, which her husband represented in the Arunachal Pradesh assembly. She won the seat comfortably and is the present legislator from the seat. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON [February 11, 2020] RSA Conference 2020 Expands Education Programs RSA Conference, the world's leading information security conferences and expositions, today announced the addition of the RSAC Security Scholars Poster Pitch-Off to its RSAC AdvancedU programming. RSAC AdvancedU is a series of programs that provides outreach to college students to introduce and encourage a career in cybersecurity and supports education throughout the various stages of a career within the industry. Taking place on Thursday, February 27, the RSAC Security Scholars Poster Pitch-Off gives three chosen RSAC Security Scholars five minutes to pitch their cutting-edge research to a panel of industry veterans, including General (Ret.) Keith Alexander, founder and co-CEO of IronNet; Ann Johnson, corporate vice president of Cybersecurity Solutions Group, Microsoft (News - Alert) Corp.; and Ben Jun, CEO of HVF Labs. After a question-and-answer round, the experts will provide feedback on how to make the topics more relevant to different perspectives and industries across public and private sectors. Theresa Payton, CEO and President of Fortalice Solutions LLC, will host the event. RSA (News - Alert) Conference selected the following three RSAC Security Scholars out of a pool of 80 scholars from 40 participating schools to present in the pitch-off (in alphabetical order): Aadesh Bagmar, University of Maryland, College Park : The Python ecosystem is messed up and here's why... : Michael Hanling, US Naval Academy : Proofs of Retrievability with Low Server Storage : Evgeny Manzhosov, Columbia University: PAIRS: Control Flow Protection Using Phantom Addressed Instructions "RSAC always brings together the most creative young minds and the smartest industry veterans to collaborate on ideas and shape the future of cybersecurity," said Payton. "Motivating young talent is so important, especially with the shortage of qualified candidates for cybersecurity jobs. I'm looking forward to taking part in the new RSAC Security Scholars Poster Pitch-Off to witness next-gen and current leaders share perspectives that will ultimately drive the industry ahead." Additional AdvancedU programs include College Day, which is expected to welcome over 1000 students, recent graduates, and faculty from leading universities to attend Conference sessions and experience the expo as well as dedicated education events, including a breakfast panel with sponsors, a job fair and resume writing workshop where HR representatives from sponsoring companies share invaluable feedback on how to best present skills to potential employers. Each year, RSA Conference also partners with internationally recognized accreditation organizations to give attendees at all stages of their careers, the opportunity to earn Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits by participating in certain sessions and tutorials. "According to Cybersecurity Ventures, 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will remain unfilled around the world by 2021. At the same time, cyber threats are more prominent than ever, and enemies show no signs of slowing down," said Linda Gray Martin, Senior Director and General Manager, RSA Conference. "The education programs at RSA Conference aim to bridge this skills gap by providing resources that can advance careers. For students, startups and industry legends alike, the education and connections made at RSA Conference will spark innovation in the field for years to come." For more information regarding RSA Conference 2020, taking place at the Moscone Center in San Francisco from February 24-28, visit www.rsaconference.com/usa. About RSA Conference RSA Conference is the premier series of global events and on-demand programs where the world talks security and leadership gathers, advances and emerges. Whether attending in the US, the EMEA region, the Asia-Pacific region or online, RSA Conference events are where the security industry converges to discuss current and future concerns and get access to the people, content and ideas that help enable individuals and companies to win, grow and do their best. It's about bringing all people in the cybersecurity industry together and empowering the collective "we" of the cybersecurity industry to stand against cyberthreats around the world. RSA Conference is the ultimate marketplace for the latest technologies and hands-on educational opportunities that help industry professionals discover how to make their companies more secure while showcasing the most enterprising, influential and thought-provoking thinkers and leaders in security today. For information on events, online programming and the most up-to-date news pertaining to the cybersecurity industry visit www.rsaconference.com. RSA Conference logo, RSA, Dell, EMC (News - Alert), Dell EMC and other trademarks are trademarks of Dell Inc. or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks may be trademarks of their respective owners. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005169/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Michigan Democrats said President Donald Trumps 2021 budget proposal shows his priorities contradict his promises to protect health care for vulnerable Americans. Trumps fourth budget proposal, a largely symbolic document intended to influence Congress and outline the presidents policy vision, seeks to cut $844 billion for the presidents health reform vision" during the next decade. Cuts to Medicaid and Affordable Care Act subsidies total $1 trillion, the Associated Press reported, drawing harsh criticism from congressional Democrats. The presidents budget largely upholds his State of the Union pledge to protect Medicare, a federal health insurance program for people older than 65. Trump instead focused cuts on Medicaid, which provides care to more than 72 million poor and disabled people, including 2 million Michiganders. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, convened a Tuesday morning press conference with physicians and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to denounce the budget proposal. Stabenow said Trumps budget contradicts his promises to protect federal health care programs and people with pre-existing conditions. Healthcare is personal to everyone, it is not political, Stabenow said. Every family in Michigan and across the country deserves high-quality affordable health care. We know theres work to do to truly make that happen, but its not by ripping health care away from children and families. Schumer said Trumps budget would slash funding for health care, cutting it to the bone. The presidents budget makes clear that his pledge at the State of the Union that he protect Americans with preexisting conditions is nothing more than a bald-faced lie, Schumer said. Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought told reporters Monday that Trumps budget fulfills the presidents promise not to cut Social Security or Medicaid. Michigan Democrats also criticized a recently unveiled a plan that would allow states to cap Medicaid spending. The plan would let states apply for a waiver and receive Medicaid funding through federal block grants. The White House budget proposal states Medicaid spending is increasing at an unsustainable rate, and therefore individual states, not the federal government, should have more flexibility in designating who qualifies for coverage. Republican governors celebrated the funding changes during a meeting at the White House this week. The Michigan Democratic Party criticized the plan during a round table with physicians last week focused on the Trump administrations health care moves. Dr. Farhan Bhatti, CEO of Care Free Medical in Lansing, said capping Medicare funding could prevent people from receiving care if the money runs out or procedures are deemed too expensive. Bhatti said 66% of his patients use Medicaid. Michigan expanded Medicaid coverage to people living near the poverty line in 2014. Their access to health care increased so much with the passage of Medicaid expansion, Bhatti said. Im very concerned on behalf of my patients, many of whom voted for Donald Trump, that capping Medicaid or changing Medicaid to a block grant format would be very detrimental to them. we dont want Medicaid to all of a sudden stop covering dental because they run out of money." The Medicaid cap has also been criticized by Michigan doctors with the Committee to Protect Medicare, a political nonprofit. The groups executive director, West Michigan physician Dr. Rob Davidson confronted Vice President Mike Pence in an Iowa diner about the plan in an exchange that went viral on social media. 2/2 When I told him he is putting my patients' lives at risk, @VP deflected and denied knowledge of the policy. He either doesn't understand, or doesn't care about the impact of this administrations' policies on patients everywhere. pic.twitter.com/HcE1XYfUTj Dr. Rob Davidson (@DrRobDavidson) January 31, 2020 Davidson told Pence his patients rely on the Medicaid expansion and said allowing states to apply for block grants would essentially cut federal funding. Pence said he respectfully disagreed with Davidsons assessment. As physicians, we know these cuts will be catastrophic to families who are already struggling to pay for expensive prescription drugs and to patients with preexisting conditions, Davidson said in a statement. President Trumps 2021 budget threatens to raise prescription drug costs and increase overall medical bills. This would be catastrophic for the patients I serve in rural Michigan. Locals in bushfire-affected towns in Gippsland have reacted with delight to the news they may receive a royal visit from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. They are hoping the royal couple can help get the message out that they are survivors, and not victims, after horror bushfires ravaged their region. East Gippsland Shire mayor John White said he would be thrilled to welcome the Cambridges and show what the area had to offer. Prince William and Catherine introduce Prince George to a Bilby named after him at Taronga Zoo during their 2014 tour. Credit:Kate Geraghty "Goodness me, they'd be most welcome. And if they go home with a story to tell it might encourage more people back to the region," Mr White said. The officials also discussed the issue of choosing three new sites for the disengagement of forces and weapons along the contact line in Donbas. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and German Chancellor Angela Merkel discussed by phone on Tuesday the implementation of the agreements reached at the Normandy Four summit in Paris on December 9, 2019. Zelensky briefed Merkel on the security situation in Donbas, according to the president's press service. Read alsoReuters: Ukraine minister sees no preparations for new Russia talks, has low expectations In turn, Merkel expressed concern over the fact that Russia-controlled illegal armed formations had not been observing the ceasefire in Ukraine's east. The officials also discussed the issue of choosing three new sites for the disengagement of forces and weapons along the contact line in Donbas. They expressed the hope that progress on the issue would be achieved at a Trilateral Contact Group meeting in Minsk on February 12. The Ukrainian president reiterated the need to ensure that international humanitarian organizations, namely the International Committee of the Red Cross, have unhindered access to persons illegally held in the uncontrolled territory of Ukraine. In addition, Zelensky and Merkel touched upon the need to continue the EU's personal sanctions against former high-ranking officials of Ukraine suspected of embezzlement of public funds and committing crimes during Maidan events late in 2013 and early in 2014. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Tue, February 11, 2020 16:58 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d44a0 1 National coronavirus,North-Sumatra,cruise-ship,Korean-citizen,outbreak,death Free The North Sumatra Health Agency has dismissed rumors saying the death of a South Korean working aboard a Sunshine cruise ship in the provinces waters was caused by a disease related to the Wuhan coronavirus. The agencys head, Alwi Hasibuan, said the Korean citizen -- identified as Jung Seungwong, 21 did not die from being infected by the coronavirus because he did not show any symptoms of fever or shortness of breath beforehand. Jung also had no history of traveling to a country with confirmed cases of the coronavirus up to 14 days before his death, Alwi said. According to those facts, we concluded that the Sunshine crew member did not die because of the coronavirus, Alwi said during a press briefing on Monday. Prior to his death, Jung was sailing from Singapore to Qatar on a Panama-flagged Sunshine cruise ship. When the ship reached Acehs waters on Sunday, the ship sent a distress signal to the Belawan Navy Command Post, asking for a medical evacuation for the Korean crew member. Read also: Cruise ship rejected by four nations runs out of options A team comprising personnel from the Navy post, a water police unit and health officials from state-owned energy holding company Pertamina approached the cruise ship to collect Jung. Alwi said the team took 3.5 hours to transport Jung from the cruise ship to Pangkalan Susu Port in Langkat. Two of Jungs friends from the cruise ship, identified as Philippine nationals Jacky and Robles Jesus, accompanied Jung. Alwi said Jung was declared dead upon arriving at the port, despite the teams efforts to provide him medical assistance. We are still waiting for the results of a medical examination [to find the cause of death], Alwi said. He added that Jungs body was undergoing an autopsy at Pringadi Hospital in Medan. Jungs death sparked concerns it was connected to the global coronavirus outbreak. AFP reported that a total of 1,011 people had died from the new coronavirus infection as of Tuesday, with more than 42,000 others having been tested positive for the virus around the world. (syk) A suicide bomber killed six people near a military academy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, on Feb. 11, the interior ministry said. The Taliban denied involvement in the blast and there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. The bombing took place near the government-run defense university, the Marshal Fahim Military Academy, at the beginning of the morning rush hour. It was the first major attack in the capital this year and comes at a time of heightened uncertainty in the country as U.S. and Taliban negotiators in Qatar try to pursue talks toward a peace deal to end 18 years of war. Six people including two civilians and four military personnel were killed, interior ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi told Reuters, adding that 12 people were wounded, five of them civilians. It wasnt our work, said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a text message to Reuters. The academy, modeled after European war colleges to train Afghan cadets, has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an assault last May claimed by the ISIS terrorist group. Despite the relative lull of violence in Kabul, militant attacks on the Afghan and U.S.-led security forces have continued over recent months around the country even as the United States and Taliban militants pursue talks to finalize a peace pact. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani condemned the attack in a statement released by his office. The great nation of Afghanistan wants an end to violence, an end to the war, a ceasefire, and an enduring peace, he said. The government is committed to achieving a dignified and sustainable peace, for which it pursues a clear plan. By Abdul Qadir Sediqi WASHINGTON The Justice Department ratcheted up legal pressure Monday on local governments over sanctuary policies that hinder federal immigration officers, bringing two new lawsuits and launching a coordinated messaging campaign to highlight an election-year priority of President Donald Trump. Declaring that law enforcement officers are being put in harms way by these ideologically driven policies, Attorney General William Barr said the Trump administration is suing the state of New Jersey and the county that is home to Seattle over immigration policies that offer protections to immigrants in the U.S. illegally. The Justice Department said New Jersey is violating federal law by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from sharing information about inmates in the U.S. illegally. Washington states King County was hit with a lawsuit over a policy that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using the King County International Airport-Boeing Field for deportation flights. Today is a significant escalation in the federal governments effort to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities, Barr told an audience of officers at the National Sheriffs Association to roaring applause. Some cities, like New York, have put laws in place that prohibit the sharing of information with immigration officials. Immigration officials have sent subpoenas to Denver and New York City over requests for information on immigrants about to be released from jail. In New York, Homeland Security suspended trusted traveler programs that speed their re-entry into the U.S. over a law that prohibits state officials from sharing motor vehicle data with immigration officers. The attorney general said the Justice Department would be robustly supporting Homeland Security to use all lawful means, including federal subpoenas, to obtain information about suspects they are seeking to deport. These policies are textbook examples of misguided ideology triumphing over commonsense law enforcement, and it is the public and the police who pay the price, Barr said. The administration also sued the state of California to block a law that took effect Jan. 1 to ban new contracts with for-profit prison companies, including thousands of immigration detention beds that the federal government pays for in the state. Trump has been trying since he took office to punish sanctuary cities. In 2017 Jeff Sessions, then attorney general, said such cities would not receive grant money unless they gave federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released from prison. A federal judge blocked the punishment from being enforced, and the cities got the money. Federal authorities have tried lawsuits before, suing the state of California over its sanctuary law in 2018. A federal appeals court rejected the bulk of the administrations lawsuit, though Barr said Monday he was hopeful the government would win before the Supreme Court. That hasnt stopped Trump from criticizing the policies and noting, in bloody detail, certain cases where immigrants in the U.S. illegally have committed crimes. On Monday, speaking to the nations governors, Trump said that it was essential the country comply with immigration enforcement requests. Jurisdictions that adopt sanctuary policies and instead release these criminals put all of Americans in harms way, Trump said. I know we have different policies, different feelings, different everything. But sanctuary cities are causing us a tremendous problem in this country. We have stone-cold killers that they dont want to hand over to us and then they escape into communities and they cause, in some cases, tremendous havoc. But studies have shown immigrants are less likely to commit crime than U.S. citizens. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said the Trump administration is sacrificing public safety for political expedience and that it is sad the Justice Department had agreed to go along with this election-year stunt. In the run-up to the messaging campaign, a directive from Justice headquarters encouraging robust local media engagement from every district caused unease among some public affairs officials in the U.S. attorneys offices, according interviews and to correspondence reviewed by The Associated Press. Some in jurisdictions that arent home to sanctuary cities were reluctant to host events because they did not think the matter pertained to them. Others were concerned that a public announcement could agitate relations with local law enforcement agencies that depend on the cooperation of immigrant communities, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. But officials sent a note later reassuring districts they were under no obligation to hold a public event. Some still did: Nebraska U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly held a news conference to highlight the benefits of local and state law enforcement agencies cooperating with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. Kelly said public safety can be jeopardized if local officials refuse to cooperate. Each year, many Americans fall victim to crimes committed by illegal aliens because certain officials choose to prioritize their own ideologies over their sworn obligation to uphold the law, Kelly said. We dont have any of those problems here in the state of Nebraska. In Chicago, federal prosecutors planned a tweet but no news conference. Others around the country published written statements voicing support timed to Barrs speech. A joint statement by U.S. attorneys in New York criticized the states new green light law that allows immigrants to get drivers licenses without legal status. Our citizens, lawful permanent and temporary residents, visitors and undocumented immigrants deserve better, and so do those who serve and protect them, the statement read. Barr also said Monday that federal officials were meticulously reviewing the actions of certain district attorneys who have adopted policies of charging foreign nationals with lesser offenses for the express purpose of avoiding the federal immigration consequences of those nationals criminal conduct. Barr also highlighted a lawsuit filed a few weeks ago against Californias governor and attorney general over a state law that took effect Jan. 1 to ban new contracts for for-profit prison companies, including thousands of immigration detention beds that the federal government pays for in the state. The lawsuit, filed in the Southern District of California, says law usurps the federal governments constitutional authority. California Gov. Gavin Newsom defended the law Monday, saying for-profit detention facilities contribute to over-incarceration, including those that incarcerate inmates, as well as those that detain immigrants and asylum seekers. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; Ryan Tarinelli in Albany, New York; Martha Bellisle in Seattle; Michael Tarm in Chicago; Michael Catalini in Trenton, New Jersey; Cuneyt Dil in Sacramento, California; and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska, contributed to this report. DOJ announces reversal in Roger Stone sentencing recommendation after Trump tweet originally appeared on abcnews.go.com The Department of Justice will reverse course Tuesday on its sentencing recommendation for President Donald Trump's longtime friend and former campaign adviser Roger Stone, a senior DOJ official said, only hours after Trump himself reacted to the recommendation by calling it a "miscarriage of justice." Federal prosecutors told a federal judge on Monday that Stone should be sentenced to serve seven to nine years in prison after jurors found him guilty last November on all seven counts brought against him by former special counsel Robert Mueller as part of his investigation into Russian election interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The charges, brought against Stone in January 2019, included five counts of lying to Congress, one count each of witness tampering and obstruction of a proceeding. The official insisted that senior leadership of the department were not kept in the loop on the recommendation that federal prosecutors put forward in court Monday evening. "The department was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation, the official, who requested anonymity to speak about the department's internal deliberations, said. This was not what had been briefed to the department and the department thinks the recommendation was extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate to Stones offenses and the department will clarify its position later today at the court. MORE: Roger Stone found guilty on all 7 counts DOJ spokesperson Kerri Kupec told reporters that the decision by department leadership to reverse course on the recommendation for Stones sentencing length came before the presidents tweet. Kupec declined to provide further specifics on the discussions or which members of leadership were involved. Trump reacted to the initial Stone filing just after midnight in a tweet. "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump said. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" Story continues It was not immediately clear what "crimes" the president was referring to "on the other side." This is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! https://t.co/rHPfYX6Vbv Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 11, 2020 Kupec also said there was no contact between the White House and Justice Department leadership regarding the Monday evening's filing prior to the decision made to reverse course. In response to DOJs sentencing recommendation change, Roger Stone attorney Grant Smith told ABC News, Our sentencing memo stated our position on the recommendation made yesterday by the government. We look forward to reviewing the governments supplemental filing. In court papers filed on Monday, the prosecutors outlined in detail their case from Stone's trial, highlighting each count against him and citing the incidents that led to Judge Amy Berman Jackson gradually issuing stricter gag orders against Stone in the months leading up to his trial. PHOTO: Roger Stone, former advisor to President Donald Trump, and his wife Nydia Stone arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse, Nov. 15, 2019, in Washington, DC. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images) The charges filed against him revolved around Stone's sworn testimony in September 2017 before the House Intelligence Committee. Specifically, Stone was found guilty of lying to Congress about conversations he had about hacked material published by WikiLeaks that Russian military hackers allegedly stole from the Democratic National Committee and then-Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's campaign manager, John Podesta. Stone was also charged with witness tampering by urging his former associate, Randy Credico, to exercise his Fifth Amendment rights before the committee. "Stone knew the gravity of the House Intelligence Committee's investigation when he obstructed it by giving false testimony and tampering with a witness," government lawyers wrote in their sentencing memo filed Monday. "Indeed, Stone acknowledged as much in his opening statement before the Committee. Stone chose -- consciously, repeatedly, and flagrantly -- to obstruct and interfere with the search for the truth on an issue of vital importance to all Americans." Prosecutors later added, "Roger Stone obstructed Congress's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath, and tampered with a witness. And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this Court and the rule of law. For that, he should be punished in accord with the advisory Guidelines." The guidelines range for Stone's sentencing is 87-108 months in prison, or seven to nine years. MORE: What you need to know about the indictment against Roger Stone In response, Stones lawyers disputed the sentencing guidelines outlined by federal prosecutors in the defense's sentencing memo filed late Monday night, arguing Stone's convicted offenses do not warrant the high sentencing range of seven to nine years in prison that the government is recommending. After presenting their argument against the prosecutions proposed sentencing guidelines, Stones attorneys wrote to Judge Jackson, "It is respectfully submitted that the Court should impose a non-Guidelines sentence of probation with any conditions that the Court deems reasonable under the circumstances." Jackson is scheduled to sentence Stone on Feb. 20. Anne Schuchat, director of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), testifies during a House Energy and Commerce hearing in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. A mistake in the lab led U.S. health officials to release an infected coronavirus patient from a San Diego hospital, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention confirmed Tuesday. The patient was evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the new coronavirus outbreak, on a government-chartered flight last week. Two such evacuation flights carrying more than 200 Americans in total arrived last week at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. Upon arrival, all passengers were subject to health screenings and a 14-day federal quarantine order at the Miramar site, officials from the CDC said. Four evacuees exhibited symptoms of the new coronavirus, now named COVID-19, and were transferred from the Miramar facility to a UC San Diego Health facility for isolation and treatment, UC San Diego Health said in a statement. On Sunday, UC San Diego Health said, CDC officials said all four evacuees tested negative for the virus. The patients "were discharged and returned to federal quarantine at MCAS Miramar." However, CDC officials later told UC San Diego Health that further testing Monday morning revealed that one patient in fact tested positive for the virus. CDC Principal Deputy Director Anne Schuchat was asked at a news briefing Tuesday whether the incident calls into question the effectiveness of the diagnostic test. "With other cases around the country that we're evaluating, we have been doing serial tests to understand whether they're still infectious," she said. "In this circumstance, that's not what happened. It turns out there was probably a mix-up and the original test wasn't negative." The patient has now returned from quarantine at the Marine Corps base to the UC San Diego Health facility "for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release." The CDC is investigating how many individuals the patient may have been in contact with, CDC's Schuchat said. It is unclear how much time the patient spent at the Miramar facility. "The preliminary information I had is that there was very limited contact," she said. "But I think that's being reassessed at this point." At a meeting on Friday in Sochi, Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko failed to find a resolution to a months-long conflict over Russian oil deliveries to Belarus. In December, Russia had suspended much of its oil deliveries to Belarus after negotiations over prices and the integration of Russia and Belarus into a union state failed. The union state had been formally created in 1997 but few steps toward its actual realization have been taken. Other potential member states of the union state included Kazakhstan, Moldova and, until the pro-Western coup in Kiev in 2014, Ukraine. Map of Belarus Russia has rejected to continue granting Belarus subsidized oil deliveries without Belarus supporting a plan for more rapid economic and political integration. This would include the creation of supranational bodies and a single currency. The Belarusian economy is heavily reliant on subsidies from Russia, and duty-free oil shipments. Based on the now expired contract, Russia delivered 24 million tons of oil to Belarus every year, or 2 million tons per month, but in January it delivered only 500,000 tons. In January, Lukashenko announced that he wanted to reduce Belarusian reliance on Russian energy supplies, which currently make up 80 percent of the countrys imports, down to 40 percent. Belarus is now trying to arrange for deliveries from the US, Poland, Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan as well as Norway. At the meeting on Friday, Russia and Belarus agreed on continuing gas deliveries in 2020 for the same price that was in effect in 2019. However, Putin reportedly insisted that Russia would only grant Belarus commercial prices for oil deliveries, and that deliveries would be linked to the implementation of a plan to integrate the Russian and Belarusian economies. On Sunday, it was reported that Belarus was ready to pay global market prices for Russian oil deliveries. The recent flaring up of tensions between Russia and Belarus is taking place as the US is aggressively escalating its push toward drawing Minsk into its orbit. Just a week before Fridays meeting between Putin and Lukashenko, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited Minsk and had a discussion of over two hours with the Belarusian president. It was the first visit of a US secretary of state to Belarus since 1993, and followed a visit by Trumps former national security adviser, John Bolton, to the country in August 2019. Pompeo promised Lukashenko that US companies stand ready to deliver 100 percent of the oil you need at competitive prices. Lukashenko tried to exploit the improved relations with the US to pressure Russia in the energy negotiations. A few days before the meeting with Putin, he declared that Russia had been rattled by Pompeos visit but that they should stop crying, adding, If Trump comes tomorrow what will they [the Russians] do then? In December, protests of a few thousand people by the pro-US nationalist opposition took place in Minsk to oppose closer integration between Russia and Belarus. Belarus is of major geostrategic significance for the imperialist powers in their war preparations against Russia. Most NATO military exercises in Europe are taking place on the borders of the country, which shares some 1,200 kilometers of its border with NATO member states. Several Belarusian state officials were also affected by the US sanctions against Russia. Belarus is generally considered to be Russias closest ally in Eastern Europe and both countries share long-standing historical and cultural ties. However, Lukashenko, who has been in power since 1994, three years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, has made a point of supporting the coup in Kiev in February 2014, which was orchestrated by German and US imperialism to tighten the political and military nose around Russia. Lukashenko denounced the annexation of Crimea as a dangerous precedent and Belarus was one of the first states to recognize the Ukrainian presidential elections of May 2014 which brought Petro Poroshenko to power. Belarus hosted the negotiations over the so called Minsk agreements with German and French participation in 2014 and 2015. Belarus and Ukraine have developed an increasingly close military and industrial cooperation, especially in the armaments sector. Belarus has provided military and technical support for the Ukrainian army, which is engaged in a proxy war with Russia in East Ukraine, with heavy military funding and support of the US. The country has also helped European companies circumvent Russian countersanctions by relabeling their products as made in Belarus before shipping them to Russia. A key role in the rapprochement between Belarus and NATO is played by Poland and Lithuania. The far-right Polish government of the Law and Justice Party (PiS) has worked toward a rapprochement with Minsk since coming to power in 2016. Poland and Belarus have fairly close economic ties. For the Polish government establishing closer ties with Belarus on both an economic and political level is part of the plan to establish an alliance of right-wing regimes in Eastern Europe that can be mobilized for a war against Russia. This so-called Intermarium alliance is also endorsed by sections of the political establishment in Belarus as well as Lithuania. US President Donald Trump has voiced support for these plans in Warsaw in 2017. The Lithuanian government has also systematically worked on improving its relations with Minsk in close consultation with Washington. The Lithuanian foreign minister, Linas Linkevicious, visited Minsk shortly before Pompeo to discuss possible future oil supplies. For May, Lithuania and Belarus plan an economic forum in Klaipeda to discuss deepening their economic cooperation, including in the energy sector. Belarus has also stepped up efforts to deepen cooperation with NATO and the US on other levels. Last fall, the Belarusian defense ministry declared that it is interested in maintaining and developing dialogue with NATO and asked for a regular dialogue between representatives of the countrys Defense Ministry and corresponding officials of the alliance military structure which was currently absent. In recent months, both Lukashenko and the countrys defense chief Oleg Belokonev have explicitly proposed that Minsk participate in NATO military exercises and training. Joint military exercises are, in fact, forbidden for Belarus as part of the Moscow-led CSTO [Collective Security Treaty Organization] and any such move would de facto signal a rupture of Minsk-Moscow relations. Belokonev told local media that Belarus is envisioning a military cooperation with NATO along the lines of Serbia, which has close ties to Russia but also has ties for military training with NATO. Belarus has already begun to develop bilateral military cooperation with NATO members Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, the US, and the UK. On January 30, Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Kravchenko was in Washington to speak at the Atlantic Council, a think tank that is among the most aggressive in its advocacy for war preparations against Russia. Kravchenko proposed that Minsk could play the role of a bridge between Moscow and the West, especially in the Ukraine crisis. He said that Allies recognize that a too-tight embrace by NATO could be counterproductive, but that Belarus can play a useful role if it is not pushed too hard. Foreign Affairs, the journal of the Council on Foreign Relations think tank, published a piece last week titled, Will Belarus be the next Ukraine? It noted that Belarus was at least as important as Ukraine in terms of its geostrategic significance to Russia and that Moscow would not tolerate Belarus being drawn too closely into the orbit of the US and NATO, writing: ... if Belarus were to pivot westward, Moscow would lose a potential military staging ground and risk seeing Western political and economic influence extend over a population that many Russians regard as part of their own nation. ... Moscow would respond to any breakdown of state authority in Belarus in much the same way it did following the ouster of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych in 2014. The piece concluded by urging Western governments to more strongly support Lukashenko, writing that Although the authoritarian Lukashenko has often been a nuisance, his ability to keep Russian influence at bay has been an underappreciated gift to regional stability. The Philippines Solicitor General filed a petition with the Supreme Court to revoke the license of the Philippines largest broadcasting network ABS-CBN on February 10. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) join media across the country and globally in condemning attempts to block or revoke the ABS-CBN franchise renewal. Solicitor General Jose Calida filed a quo warranto petition against ABS-CBN before the Supreme Court, asking the court to nullify the franchises of ABS-CBN. In his petition, Calida claimed ABS-CBN was unlawfully exercising their legislative franchises and accused it of highly abusive practices. See the official statement from the Office of the Solicitor General on the quo warranto petition here. In his petition, Calida alleged ABS-CBN started a pay-per-view channel without approval and charged unauthorised fees. Calida also accused the broadcaster network of having foreign ownership through its Philippine Depositary Receipts (PDRs), which are financial instruments that allow foreign investment in a Filipino company. Media outlet Rappler has also faced similar accusations in a long-running case of political harassment against its operations . ABS-CBN denies the accusations made by the solicitor general and said the petition appeared to be an effort to shut down ABS-CBN to the serious prejudice of millions of Filipinos. ABS-CBNs franchise is set to expire on March 30. A hearing is yet to be scheduled on the franchise renewal but is understood to have at least 11 bills supporting its renewal put forward by politicians. President Rodrigo Duterte previously threatened to close ABS-CBN in April 2017 when the network did not air his political advertisements during the 2016 election. In December 2019, Duterte warned he was not softening his stance against and that the broadcasting company would definitely be out this year. Under current media law, the company can operate only with congress and presidential approval. There are approximately 11,000 jobs at risk if it is forced to cease operations. The NUJP said the solicitor generals petition was proof that the government was using all of its powers to shut down the broadcast network. We call on Congress and the Supreme Court to once and for all prove to the people that they are truly, as the Constitution envisions, independent and co-equal branches of government that are not at the beck and call of the executive, NUJP added. NUJP launched a signature campaign on last month, on January 17, to call the Congress to renew the franchise of ABS-CBN. The union continues to hold weekly Friday protests on the case. The IFJ said: We condemn the moves by the solicitor general to force the closure of ABS-CBN the countrys largest broadcaster. Democracy in the Philippines will be seriously eroded by the potential elimination of such a key broadcaster and is strongly condemned by the media nationally and globally. ABS-CBN deserves the right to continue its role as a critical fourth pillar of democracy in the Philippines. BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Quantopian today announced that Phil Snow, CEO of FactSet, has joined Quantopian's Board of Directors on December 19, 2019. As a result of FactSet's involvement, Quantopian's Board of Directors has 8 seats. FactSet and Quantopian, in 2018, launched a pioneering data analysis solution called Quantopian Enterprise that allows quantitative financial analysts to research and test their investment strategies faster and more effectively. "We're very happy to have Phil join the Board. FactSet has been a great partner during the initial integration of our product with their data. Phil's board membership shows FactSet's continued support of Quantopian as we scale up Quantopian Enterprise in the market," said John Fawcett, Founder and CEO of Quantopian. Background on Phil Snow Phil Snow has been the Chief Executive Officer at FactSet since 2015. He began his career at FactSet in 1996 and spent several years establishing and growing the company's presence in the Asia Pacific region based in both Tokyo and Sydney. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a member of the CFA Institute. Snow is passionate about diversity and inclusion in the workplace and has committed FactSet to the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion. About Quantopian People everywhere come to Quantopian to learn about quantitative finance. Our community members research investment ideas, build algorithms with wide-ranging data, and win prizes in our challenges and daily contest. With Quantopian, anyone can create and potentially profit from their investing strategies - regardless of their background. The result: more than 300,000 people from over 190 countries have joined the Quantopian community, testing more than 8 million strategies and, in the process, radically rethinking how individuals can be a part of the asset management industry. To learn more about Quantopian, please visit www.quantopian.com . Quantopian 617.451.8101 press@quantopian.com Roger Stone, a former adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, leaves the Prettyman United States Courthouse after a hearing February 1, 2019 in Washington, DC. A top federal prosecutor said in a new legal filing Tuesday that Republican operative Roger Stone deserves to be sentenced to "far less" time in prison than the seven-to-nine year span that was first proposed Monday evening by prosecutors who had handled his trial. The filing which did not offer a new recommended sentence came hours after both the Justice Department and President Donald Trump criticized the initial proposal for Stone's punishment by prosecutors as unduly harsh. The first filing "does not accurately reflect the Department of Justice's position on what would be a reasonable sentence in this matter," wrote Timothy Shea, the U.S. Attorney for Washington, D.C wrote in the new sentencing memorandum. Shea wrote that original sentencing recommendation by his prosecutors "could be considered excessive and unwarranted under the circumstances." Shea said that Stone "committed serious offenses and deserves a sentence of incarceration that is 'sufficient , but not greater than necessary. ' " But he also said it should be up to Judge Amy Berman Jackson to determine the "appropriate" punishment for Stone, a longtime ally of Trump's, when she sentences him next week in Washington federal court. Shea wrote, "While it remains the position of the United States that a sentence of incarceration is warranted here," the first sentence proposal "would not be appropriate or serve the interests of justice in this case." Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told NBC News that the decision to lower the recommended prison term for Stone sentencing recommendation was made Monday night, several hours before Trump blasted the original sentencing proposal on Twitter. Key updates on the coronavirus outbreak: Bay Area: San Francisco Mayor London Breed declares an emergency, Contra Costa County reports two cases, major company pulls out of SFs Game Developers Conference. California: 8,400 people in the state are now self-quarantined. Nationwide: CDC warns Americans to prepare for the virus to become more widespread. Breaking news developments on Feb. 25, 2020: 5:03 p.m.: Top California health official releases video statement: Dr. Sonia Angell, director of the California Department of Public Health, says the virus is expected to spread in the state and advises people to take same precautions they would to avoid getting the flu. 1:45 p.m. SF declares state of emergency: Mayor London Breed issued a state of emergency for San Francisco on Tuesday, a move that will allow the city to add resources to contain the virus in case the city experiences an outbreak. San Francisco officials are urging schools to begin drafting plans for closures and businesses to consider their work-from-home policies should employees need to self-quarantine. Currently one coronavirus patient, who was on the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan before evacuating to Travis Air Force Base, being treated in San Francisco. 11:50 a.m. California home quarantine numbers rise again: The California Department of Public Health says 8,400 people are now self-quarantined. Thats an increase from 8,000 yesterday. 11:35 a.m.: SF mayor plans announcement: San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that she, along with health and emergency management officials, planned to provide an update on "the city's preparedness efforts" around coronavirus at 1:45 p.m. 11:21 a.m. Markets dive again: Both the Dow and the S&P 500 fell close to 3% in late-morning trading, following the CDCs announcement that Americans should prepare for the coronavirus to potentially spread in their communities. Shares in local chipmakers AMD, Intel and Nvidia once again fell more than the overall market. The drops follow a day of heavy losses on Monday, especially for tech stocks. 10:42 a.m. Two cases in Contra Costa: Two people with coronavirus are being treated at Contra Costa County hospitals, county health officials said Tuesday. They were transferred from Travis Air Force base in Fairfield, which is housing passengers from the disease-stricken cruise ship Diamond Princess in Japan. The patients are not showing symptoms. 10:31 a.m. United sees plunge in passengers for Asia flights: United Airlines, the biggest carrier at SFO, says demand for its trans-Pacific routes have dropped 75% and thats on top of already-canceled flights to China. United continues to fly from SFO to South Korea, a country so hard-hit by the virus that the U.S. is recommending against travel there, but the airline is offering waivers for refunds if passengers want to cancel. 8:56 a.m. CDC says Americans should prepare for virus: With coronavirus now spreading community-wide in multiple countries, including parts of Europe, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the world is on the cusp of a pandemic and advises that Americans begin preparing now for the virus to circulate here. Ultimately we expect we will see community spread in this country, said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases with the CDC. Its not a question of if, but when, and how many people in this country will have severe illness. She said the world was closer to definition of pandemic. 8:55 a.m. Electronic Arts pulls out of SFs Game Developers Conference: Redwood City video game maker Electronic Arts became the latest company to pull out of the Game Developers Conference scheduled for next month in San Francisco. EA is one of the largest video game companies, so the move is a significant blow to the conference, which has already lost Facebook and PlayStation. Reports of new cases of the virus around the world contributed to EAs decision, according to company spokesman John Reseburg.We have decided to take additional steps to protect the well-being of our employees including the restriction of all non-essential travel, Reseburg wrote in an email. As a result, we are also canceling our official participation at GDC and limiting attendance to other events. 6:40 a.m. Markets stabilize: After heavy losses Monday sparked by investor concerns over the coronavirus, the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the S&P 500 were both up slightly in early trading Tuesday. Several major Bay Area tech stocks, which took a beating on Monday, also opened roughly level. Updates from Monday, Feb. 24 7:26 p.m. The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. jumped to 53 on Monday after more passengers from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who were evacuated into the U.S. tested positive. 6:19 p.m. South Korea saw its coronavirus cases nearly double in two days to 833. Italy now has more cases (229) than Japan (159). Worldwide, there are 80,078 cases as of Monday evening, and 2,699 deaths. 6:14 p.m. A judge has temporarily blocked a plan to house patients who have tested positive for the coronavirus but dont require hospitalization at a site in Costa Mesa (Orange County). 12:29 p.m. More cruise ship passengers positive: Three additional cruise ship passengers were moved from Travis Air Force Base to Solano County hospitals Sunday after testing confirmed they have the coronavirus, according to Scott Pauley of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They were asymptomatic. 15 cruise ship passengers have now tested positive for coronavirus either by testing in Japan or the CDC and 3 are awaiting test results. 12:08 p.m. 8,000 in California now self-quarantined: Some 8,000 people across the state have quarantined themselves, the California Department of Public Health told The Chronicle. Thats up from 6,700 last week. The federal government has asked people who returned from China, which has the highest number of coronavirus cases, to stay home from work and avoid big crowds. 11:38 a.m. Pelosi visits Chinatown: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is touring Chinatown to assure people that its safe to visit despite the coronavirus. She visited the Tin How Temple, followed by the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory, whose owner Kevin Chan, says his business and others are down 70%. 10:52 a.m. RSA Conference opens despite pullouts: The RSA Conference, a major cybersecurity event, opened Monday in San Franciscos Moscone Center despite the pullouts of several major companies Verizon, AT&T Cybersecurity and IBM over coronavirus fears. Signs urging caution about health greeted attendees, who are being encouraged to clean their hands often and avoid touching their nose and mouth. Conference organizers also cautioned against having contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms, which can be signs of the virus. 8:39 a.m. Another pullout from SFs Game Developers Conference: Japanese video game designer Hideo Kojimas production company announced Monday it would no longer attend the Game Developer Conference slated to take place in San Francisco next month. Kojima Productions has made the difficult decision to cancel our participation at the 2020 Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to coronavirus, the company wrote on Twitter Monday. 8:10 a.m. Markets plunge: U.S. stocks fell sharply in early trading Monday, following a broad sell-off overseas, as a surge in coronavirus cases and a worrisome spread of the disease outside the epicenter in China sent investors running for safety. Technology companies were among the worst hit by the sell-off. Apple, which depends on China for a lot of business, slid over 4%. Microsoft slumped over 3%. Banks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America, were also big losers. Updates from Saturday, Feb. 22 5:45 p.m. Global cases still climbing, spiking outside China: South Korea is now reporting 433 cases of the new virus, a concerning rise that indicates the illness is spreading in parts of the community now, public health officials said. Worldwide, there are 78,630 cases as of Saturday evening, and 2,460 deaths. 12:42 p.m. Judge blocks evacuee transfer from Travis to Orange County: Around 50 people quarantined with potential coronavirus at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield were temporarily blocked from being transferred to Fairfield Developmental Center in Costa Mesa. A federal judge ruled in favor of Costa Mesa officials, who said the Fairview Center was dilapidated and lacked security measures to ensure a quarantine. Updates from Friday, Feb. 21 3:42 p.m. Signs of community illness outside China: Cases are surging in several Asian countries outside China, including South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Thailand, raising concerns among U.S. health officials that the new coronavirus is spreading from person to person in communities there. The climbing case counts triggered a new State Department advisory that Americans avoid travel by cruise ship in East Asia. 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. 1:21 p.m. Port of Oakland sees fewer ships: While January cargo volumes were strong, the Port of Oakland expects 30 fewer ships with routes to Asia through spring, according to spokesman Mike Zampa. The port saw 118 total ships in January, according to Zampa, who said there could be impacts ahead. 12:42 p.m. For cruise evacuees at Travis, the ordeal continues: Anything that can go wrong in this nightmare has gone wrong, a Redwood City resident, whose husband has tested positive for the coronavirus, told The Chronicle from her room at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, where she is quarantined after being evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship. Her husband has been taken to a San Francisco hospital. 11:41 a.m. Sacramento County resident tests positive: A second Northern California resident has tested positive for the new virus this week, public health officials said. The case reported Friday is in a Sacramento County resident who had recently returned from China. The day before, Humboldt County reported its first case, also in a person who was exposed to the virus in China. 11:02 a.m. Third sponsor quits RSA Conference: Verizon informed organizers it was dropping out of next weeks RSA Conference in San Francisco. It is the third large sponsor after IBM and AT&T to withdraw over coronavirus concerns. Mayor London Breed sent a letter to attendees informing them that the coronavirus is not circulating in our community and urging them to prevent fears, rumors and misinformation from guiding our actions. 10:23 a.m. 34 diagnosed with coronavirus in the U.S.: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said there are now 34 confirmed cases in the United States, including 18 evacuees from the Diamond Princess cruise ship who have tested positive and three people repatriated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China. Several Americans still hospitalized in Japan are seriously ill. Updates from Thursday, Feb. 20 5:34 p.m. coronavirus case in Humboldt County: A person in Humboldt County has tested positive for the new virus, public health officials said. A second person who has been in close contact with the individual and who has symptoms of illness is also being tested. Both individuals are in isolation in their own home. Other close contacts identified by public health officials will be instructed to quarantine themselves at home and will be monitored for symptoms. The case is the first in Humboldt County. There have been eight other cases confirmed in California, plus several individuals who tested positive for the virus while overseas and are currently being retested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 4:03 p.m. Virus patient from cruise ship at SF hospital: A person with coronavirus is being treated at a San Francisco hospital, city health officials said Thursday. They declined to specify which hospital. The person has no symptoms but tested positive for the virus in Japan, and was brought to San Francisco from Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, where passengers from the Diamond Princess were being quarantined. The patient is the third person with coronavirus to be treated at a San Francisco hospital. Two previous patients, a couple from San Benito County, were treated at UCSF and released last week in good health. 3:01 p.m. 16 cruise evacuees from Travis taken to hospitals: At least 22 more people evacuated from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan to two U.S. air bases have either tested positive or showed coronavirus symptoms, including 16 who arrived at Travis Air Force Base but have now been transported to local hospitals, a spokesman for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told The Chronicle. At least six passengers who arrived at Lackland Air Force base near San Antonio have also been taken to hospitals for further testing, he said. 2:50 p.m. Santa Clara patient recovered: Santa Clara Countys health department announced that the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus in Santa Clara County has fully recovered and has been released from isolation. He was never sick enough to be hospitalized. He isolated at home and was monitored by public health staff for the duration of his isolation. ... Currently, there is no evidence that novel coronavirus is circulating in Santa Clara County and risk remains low. 2:10 p.m. PlayStation pulls out of Game Developers Conference: We have made the difficult decision to cancel our participation in Game Developers Conference due to increasing concerns related to COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus), a spokeswoman said in a statement. We felt this was the best option as the situation related to the virus and global travel restrictions are changing daily. We are disappointed to cancel our participation, but the health and safety of our global workforce is our highest concern. We look forward to participating in GDC in the future. 1:41 p.m. Facebook withdraws from Game Developers Conference in SF: Facebook said in a blog post that it would not attend the conference, a major gaming industry convention March 16-20, due to coronavirus concerns. The health of our employees and the wider games community comes before anything else, the company said. 12:58 p.m. AT&T pulls out of SF conference: AT&T will no longer attend the RSA Conference, a major cybersecurity event at San Franciscos Moscone Center next week, due to coronavirus concerns. We understand and respect their decision, a bulletin on the conference website read, noting that cancellations represent a minimal number of attendees. The conference opens on Monday. 11:18 a.m. Rest of Wuhan evacuees released from Travis: All 53 remaining evacuees from Wuhan who were quarantined at Travis Air Force Base after taking a U.S. government-chartered flight home have been released. All of these individuals have been medically cleared and CDC officials have lifted their quarantine orders, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Travis continues to house evacuees from the virus-stricken Diamond Princess cruise ship. 10:45 a.m. Pandemic could inflict huge cost to economy, report says: If the coronavirus morphs into a global pandemic, global GDP for 2020 would drop by $1.1 trillion, or 1.3% of previous forecasts, and send the U.S. into recession, according to economic forecasting agency Oxford Economics. If a pandemic were limited to Asia, global GDP could dip by $400 billion, or 0.5% below expectations. 7:00 a.m. Nearly 7,000 travelers in CA asked to monitor, isolate themselves: Federal officials suggested to more than 6,700 travelers who have returned to California after Feb. 2 from China, outside of Hubei Province, to monitor their health, stay home and limit interactions with others as much as possible, California Department of Public Health officials said. China braces for work restart Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/10 21:08:40 Xi inspects virus prevention and control work in Beijing Fully gear up, keep a certain distance in the subway and canteens, check body temperature before entering the office building and less talk when lining up Chinese people found out their work style has completely changed after the extended Spring Festival holidays while the spread of coronavirus has reshaped their lives and more people are struggling to pull through the difficult time. The whole country, struck by the deadly novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) during the Spring Festival holidays, pressed the pause button. People in the world's second-largest economy were asked to stay indoors as much as possible to implement self-quarantine as a way to contain the spread of the disease while empty streets and shops, as well as deserted business centers indicated a sluggish economy in coming months. To cooperate with epidemic prevention and control work, central and local authorities in different provinces and municipalities have also extended the holidays, suggesting employees from virus-stricken regions delay their plans to return to work. Monday marked the first day of work after the holidays for many places across the country. In Shanghai, one of the financial centers in Asia, more people appeared on the streets on Monday morning, which had been almost empty for weeks due to travel restrictions and quarantine measures. Shenzhen's once bustling subway trains appeared to be less crowded on Monday morning as some companies suggested their employees work from home. Some factories could not restart operation as local authorities have come up with strict hygiene requirements for labor-intensive industries to restart operations. Disinfectant, protective outfits, thermometer and face masks are now must-have products before the factory resumes operations. "The first thing we do before entering the factory is check our body temperature. After such a long and special holiday, I have mixed feelings," Liang Zhenyuan, a 27-year-old employee at a Dongguan-based toy factory which makes Super Mario race car toys for export to the US, told the Global Times on Monday. Due to the epidemic and some lockdowns in the city's most-hit areas, some workers could not return to Dongguan, South China's Guangdong Province on Monday, and the resumption rate of the factory was about 34.5 percent, Liang noted. "As we are an export-driven business, the epidemic caused production delays, making our delivery process much more urgent now," he said. Dongguan, along with cities like Suzhou, a city in East China's Jiangsu, and Zhengzhou in Central Henan are major manufacturing hubs in the world's second-largest economy. The delay in production amid the NCP outbreak is also heavily weighing on the global supply chain as the virus has spread faster than SARS with an uncertain economic impact. Stricter measures To ensure public health safety, public transport junctions, office buildings, factories and industrial parks across the country have implement a series of measures such as body temperature checkpoints, collective quarantine observation points and information registration desks as part of efforts to contain the spread of NCP while making sure that work resumes. On Monday morning, a Global Times reporter saw few people entering the Kerry Center, an office building located in Jing'an district in Shanghai. In the lobby, temperature checkpoints have been set up to make sure every person entering the building has a normal body temperature. "Even if we work in the same office or the same building, we still use the teleconference system for our meetings," Song Wei (pseudonym), who works for a communication operator in Shanghai, told the Global Times on Monday. He also noted that the company's staff also learned from popular online protective measures like using tissue to touch the elevator button, and the canteen in his office building remained closed. Most of his co-workers brought their own food. Temperature checkpoints have also been set up at nine railway stations in Shanghai, while local authorities have come up with timely emergency response plans, including building a local Huoshenshan-like hospital, with analysts forecasting that further outbreaks of NCP could occur in first-tier cities like Beijing and Shanghai as more migrant workers return to work. Huoshenshan was a special hospital built in Wuhan in 10 days amid the outbreak to receive NCP patients. Emergency medical rooms are under construction in the Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, which is the designated hospital to treat all coronavirus-infected patients in Shanghai. "It has been about four days since construction began, and we have to finish it within 20 days," a worker at the site told the Global Times. Authorities in Beijing also noted on Monday that the capital city has entered a crucial moment in NCP prevention and control work, and people who come back from the most-stricken areas should impose self-quarantine before returning to work. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, on Monday inspected the NCP prevention and control work in Beijing, according to the Xinhua News Agency. Such full-fledged efforts also reflected the top-down determination to contain the epidemic while creating possibilities for resuming work as soon as possible, analysts said. Containing the virus or resuming work is not a simple choice for China. These big cities have not completely restored normalcy as people found on the first day back of work that traffic or dining conditions are not the same. With a large number of people returning to megacities, the resumption of work will test the city management and control capability in the next two weeks. Analysts warned that if prevention and control work fails, cities would waste all previous efforts. Confidence strengthened "The winter will always end as spring comes," said a 30-something young woman who is still waiting for her hometown, Yichang, a city in Central China's Hubei, to lift the city lockdown so she could fly back to Beijing where she works. Before the coronavirus outbreak, people took many things for granted, such as shopping with friends, talking to co-workers during lunch break, going to see a movie or having a drink after work, which have now become unattainable as people have to keep a distance to avoid possible infection. The number of new confirmed cases reported daily in provinces outside Hubei dropped for the sixth consecutive days on Sunday, showing that nationwide prevention and control work are making progress, which also strengthened the confidence of workers, who are expecting their lives to return to normal soon. "I believe that our country could get through this difficult time, as there are so many people fighting on the frontline. Though we face a difficult time for the moment due to staff shortage and supply chain blockages, things will get better," a Yiwu-based factory owner who makes clothing and accessories for US retailers such as Gap told the Global Times on Monday. The factory has to do everything to meet local authorities' requirements in work resumption, as further delays would also affect the whole year's orders, she said. Xiao Sai, a Chongqing resident, told the Global Times that the city witnessed much more traffic on Monday as many returned to work. "Heavy traffic and crowds are now not a source for headaches for morning commuters, but shows that the country is prospering and the people are at peace," she said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Australia will need more coal, gas and uranium exports to pay for essential services and lift living standards, incoming Resources Minister Keith Pitt has declared in a warning shot to activists trying to block new projects. Mr Pitt vowed to use his new job to make Australia an even bigger energy exporter and sent a message to state governments to open up new coal seam gas fields to drive down the price of energy for households. Keith Pitt, Minister for Resources, Water and Northern Australia. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen "I think we should use every opportunity to utilise the common wealth for the common good," Mr Pitt said in an interview with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age in his first days in the position. Mr Pitt backed the vast Santos project to extract gas from the land around Narrabri in northern NSW, saying it could supply more than half the state's gas demand and in doing so could support manufacturing jobs and lower gas prices. The N26 app and a UK passport. (N26) German challenger bank N26 is quitting the UK less than two years after launching here, blaming Britains exit from the EU. N26 said on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon: With the UK having left the EU, we will in due course be unable to operate in the UK with our EU banking licence, so we will be leaving the UK and closing all accounts. A spokesperson said the bank had several hundred thousand UK customers. All UK accounts will close on 15 April 2020. N26 is the first bank to announce it is withdrawing from the UK due to Brexit. Britain officially left the EU on 31 January and is now in an 11-month transition period. Read more: N26 is second banking 'unicorn' to face regulator's questions The withdrawal from the UK comes less than two years after N26 came to Britain. The Berlin-headquartered lender launched here in October 2018, over two years after Brits first voted for Brexit and six months before Britain was initially due to leave the EU. N26 has a German banking licence and EU rules allow it to be passported into Britain. Passporting rights will end at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020, meaning N26 would have to get a UK banking license to continue to operate here. A spokesperson confirmed N26 had not applied for a UK banking license and said to do so would have required significant operational processes and costs. We would need to undertake complex regulatory measures and product updates to continue operating in the UK, the spokesperson said. Valentin Stalf, founder and managing director of N26, speaks on stage at the Digital Life Design (DLD) innovation conference. (Lino Mirgeler/picture alliance via Getty Images) N26 mounted an eye-catching marketing campaign on the London Underground last year as it pushed to acquire customers. The Telegraph reported last April N26 British customers had opened 200,000 accounts in the UK, and the bank was signing up 1,000 new customers each day. However, it faced stiff competition from home-grown competitors such as Monzo, Starling Bank, and Revolut. Sarah Kocianski, head of research at consultancy 11:FS, told Yahoo Finance UK that N26s exit was not a surprise in the industry. Story continues Read more: German bank backed by Peter Thiel launches in US Why bother to get and try to maintain a license in a country where youve struggled to gain traction and youre up against serious competition? Kocianski said. Makes sense for N26 to cut its losses and focus on other, easier market in Europe. N26 is one of a number of app-only banks that have launched across the world in the last decade. Launched in 2013, it has expanded across Europe rapidly and now has over 5m customers across 26 countries. The startup was valued at $3.5bn (2.7bn) last year and backers include Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel. Will Sorby, general manager of N26 in the UK, said in a statement provided to Yahoo Finance UK: We would like to thank all N26 customers for their support. Weve planned the next steps carefully to ensure this process is as smooth as possible for every customer in the UK. Read more: Digital bank N26 bigger than HSBC in France with 1 million customers N26 has around 80 people across the UK and Germany working on the UK market. The company said most would be re-deployed to other projects within the business. Thomas Grosse, chief banking officer at N26, said: Although we will be leaving the UK, we will continue our mission to radically transform the global banking industry through innovation and the power of technology and design to build a bank the world loves to use. The largest school bond in state history, at $15 billion, is going to voters in March as supporters try to put a dent in a $100 billion backlog of failing boiler rooms, leaky roofs and new construction projects needed at K-12 schools and universities. Proposition 13 unrelated to the same-numbered 1978 tax measure was placed on the ballot by the Legislature with bipartisan support. Supporters, which include the education establishment as well as the construction industry, would allocate $9 billion to K-12 schools, $4 billion for Californias public universities and $2 billion for community colleges. Prop. 13 would not increase individual property taxes, but instead require the state to make annual payments of $740 million out of the general fund budget, or about one-half of 1% of that budget. About $313 million of that on average would be interest on the bonds. The state is already making $3.1 billion in annual payments on school and university bonds passed in prior years, including $1.56 billion in interest. Critics question the high cost of borrowing the money, which would mean ultimately paying $11 billion in interest, almost as much as the entire bond. A lot of this is being driven by Wall Street, said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. They make a ton of money off this. But is it really good for the citizens of California? School officials counter that borrowing via bonds is a standard practice for large public construction projects, spreading the cost over many years. Its a good public investment, said Dennis Meyers, assistant executive director of governmental relations at the California School Boards Association. You cant educate students in old, rundown facilities, he said. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Research shows that classroom conditions noise levels, air temperature, lighting, air quality and other factors impact student achievement, with a good environment resulting in a 5% to 17% increase in test scores and lower suspension rates, according to the California Department of Education. Studies show clean air, good light, and a small, quiet, comfortable, and safe learning environment are important for students academic achievement, the departments School Facilities Division reports. Student achievement scores tend to decrease as the school building ages to as high as 9 percent, depending on maintenance factors. A recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California showed Prop. 13 with 53% support among likely voters. The measure requires only a simple majority to pass. Supporters have raised nearly $9 million while the opposition listed no contributions as of the first week of February, according to the secretary of state. To qualify for the Prop. 13 money, most school districts would need to pass a local facilities bond and then apply for matching state funds. Yet without the states help, cash-strapped districts are on their own to upgrade or build facilities, said Tony Wold, associate superintendent of West Contra Costa Unified. We have a billion dollars in need, Wold said of the East Bay district with 32,000 students. Every dollar that we have, we can leverage to make a difference for our students. Wolds district will also ask voters in March to approve a $575 million school facilities bond, increasing local property taxes to pay for it. Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle The state money would help stretch the funding from that local bond, allowing the district to address critical needs at schools like Lake Elementary in San Pablo, where the boiler room is held together with duct tape, and wires hang from the ceiling at the front entrance, Wold said. San Francisco school officials said that at least a dozen school sites, including Lincoln and Wallenberg high schools and Marina and Denman middle schools, would be eligible for Prop. 13 funds to help modernize buildings that are decades old. That could include upgrading technology, building science labs, renovating playgrounds, installing new lighting and replacing plumbing and wiring. Prop. 13 would also allocate $500 million for charter schools and another $500 million for career-technical education. In addition, the measure would require University of California and California State University officials to prioritize life-safety facility needs at their campuses when distributing the funds and create five-year plans to expand affordable housing options for students and consider those plans for bond-funded construction projects. While university and college officials havent identified what specific projects would be funded with the bond, they highlighted seismic risks and overcrowding as issues facing the higher education systems. Six UC Berkeley buildings, including Moffitt Library, pose a severe risk to life in the event of an earthquake. COVID Resources Coronavirus Map Tracking COVID-19 cases across the Bay Area and California. In the relatively small print of the measure, the fees school districts could levy against developers would be reduced by up to 20%, which would reduce the funds home builders contribute to school construction. Since 2002, school districts across the state have raised about $10 billion from these developer fees, which are meant to offset the impact on classrooms from new housing construction projects. Photos by Yalonda M. James / The Chronicle Coupal acknowledged the facilities needs at schools and colleges, but questioned whether it wouldnt be more fiscally prudent to use some of the states estimated $7 billion budget surplus and $18 billion in rainy-day funds to help pay for the projects, rather than doling out interest for the next 35 years. Should we not be paying for some of this on a pay-as-you-go basis? he said. It's just so much more efficient. In addition to the concerns over interest costs, state facilities bonds for schools, including Proposition 51 in 2016, have been criticized for their first-come, first-served policy, meaning the distribution of funding wasnt necessarily based on need or urgency, but rather the ability of districts to pass local bonds, meet other application requirements, and get in line quickly. The process has generally favored the larger and wealthier districts, which have more staff and expertise to navigate the process, as well as a larger tax base. In some cases that has meant some districts have used state bond money to build state-of-the-art performing arts centers, while smaller or less wealthy communities continue to grapple with leaky roofs and broken heating systems. Prop. 13 $15 billion Total amount in bond money available $9 billion K-12 share. This includes $500 million for charter schools and $500 million for career-technical schools $4 billion UC and CSU share $2 billion California community colleges share $740 million State general fund annual debt payment on the bonds $11 billion Estimated total interest the state would pay on the bonds See More Collapse Supporters say Prop. 13 addresses this by prioritizing more urgent projects, including those related to health and safety of students, while also ensuring low-income communities or small districts that might struggle to raise their own bond money are still eligible. Its not the full amount we need, Meyers said, but its a good way to distribute these funds. Jill Tucker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jtucker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jilltucker Investigators open case over activities of Jehovahs Witnesses chapter in Siberia flickr.com/guampedia.com 10:35 11/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 11 (RAPSI) Investigative authorities of Russias Zabaikalsky Krai region in Siberia have initiated a criminal case over activities of a chapter of banned Jehovahs Witnesses, according to a statement of Russias Investigative Committee. Investigators believe that a local chapter of Jehovahs Witnesses has been operating in the town of Chita and several districts of the Zabaikalsky Krai for some years; the case was opened on the grounds that this religious society had been banned by a court decision as an extremist organization. In April 2017, the Supreme Court of Russia ordered liquidation of the Jehovah's Witnesses managing organization and all its 395 local branches. In August, the Administrative Centre of Jehovah's Witnesses was added to the list of banned extremist organizations. Jehovahs Witnesses religious organization has had many legal problems in Russia. Since 2009, 95 materials distributed by the organization in the country have been declared extremist and 8 Jehovah's Witnesses branches have been liquidated, according to the Justice Ministry. Jehovah's Witnesses is an international religious organization based in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004 several branches and chapters of the organization were banned and shut down in various regions of Russia. Former Vanity Fair and New Yorker editor Tina Brown has discussed Meghan and Harry's exit from the Royal Family and Harvey Weinstein's dark side in a new interview with The New York Times. Brown, 66, runs the Women in the World Summit (Oprah was a speaker) and wrote The Vanity Fair Diaries and The Diana Chronicles, which was released in 2007. She's currently working on a new book about the Royal Family, a follow-up to The Diana Chronicles she started working on "in the summer before all this craziness." Tina Brown / Getty Images "Im going to call it 'The Palace Papers,' and Crown is publishing it. Its what has happened since Diana. It turns out: quite a lot." She said of Prince Harry, "I think the deep wounds of his mothers death have never healed. And his sense of his role as the second son, the fact that he loved his military career but then left and didnt have that sense of purpose all of that came together to make him a very unhappy man." She also brings up some questions she's sure to answer in the new book. "Nearing the twilight of the Queens reign, with Brexit happening will the monarchy fly apart when shes no longer there to hold the thing together? "I think that therell be an enormous national identity crisis when she dies. People are so exhausted by instability that if the monarchy collapsed, that would be massively disruptive." Brown also told The New York Times about what it was like working with Harvey Weinstein, who she left The New Yorker to create magazine The Talk for. "The moment the contract was signed, he was utterly different from the person who had been romancing me for five months. "It became clear that nothing that hed told me was true in terms of what the budget was going to be. And Id never walked into that weird crepuscular den of Miramax when he was courting me. "Id always met him in a restaurant. As soon as I was sitting in that room with that horrible mangy sofa, which I now think of as the Plymouth Rock of the #MeToo movement suddenly Im sitting there in this dark room with Harvey yelling and screaming, and I thought, Oh, my God, this is insane." Harvey Weinstein and Tina Brown / Getty Images She added that she hadn't heard rumors about him but, "The kind of abuse that I saw was just bullying, rudeness and so on. But theres also a reason Harvey was as successful as he was. It wasnt just bullying. He had a sixth sense for great material, and a lot of actors, directors and producers obviously found his input incredibly valuable. But its beauty and the beast. There was this terrible dark side." "I think its self-hatred, that he thought of himself as a deeply unattractive man and was tortured about that. He had this amazing taste in movies, but his life was just such a shambles," Brown said. Tina Brown with Hillary Clinton after an interview with Nicholas Kristof during the Women in the World Summit in 2017 / Getty Images Brown also opened up about how difficult it is to interview tough subjects now, especially in comparison to the openness reporters were granted in the past. She mentions Vanity Fair's Hillary Clinton profile, which would not happen now and says, "The subjects are so guarded. The spin doctors are so intense. I dont think any reporter now could get so up close. Google Bows to European Pressure and Tests Adding Travel Rivals Direct Links In Europe, where Google is facing strong regulatory pressure, it is testing adding free direct links to competitor websites above its own preferentially displayed hotel, vacation rental, flight, and tour package products. Google is making these tweaks to the controversial way it has for the last several years given primacy to its own businesses with a featured box of search results that usually appear right below paid ads, but above free organic results from competitors. These featured results lead users to Googles own one-stop-shop travel pages, where it often collects fees when consumers click on advertisers paid links. Heres a photo of the Google beta test, featuring links to Holidaylettings, HomeAway, and Cottages.com above the Google map inside a Google one-box of highlighted vacation rental results. The Holidaylettings, HomeAway, and Cottages.com links take users directly to those sites while the Airbnb.co.uk and HomeAway.co.uk links have consumers navigating further into the Google travel universe. The backdrop for the tests is that a Google appeal of a European Commission $2.62 billion (euro 2.4 billion) fine for allegedly biasing its shopping results is taking place in Luxembourg this week. However, Google is believed to have begun the tests of travel competitors direct links several months ago. Join Us at Skift Forum Europe! At the same time, the Financial Times reported that 34 travel competitors, including Tripadvisor, Expedia, eDreams Odigeo, Wimdu, HomeToGo, and several trade associations sent a letter Monday to European competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager alleging that Google is stifling competition in vacation rentals by preferentially displaying its so-called one-box of featured search results (shown below), which take users to Googles travel pages, within Googles general search results pages. Googles featured vacation rental results. But in response to travel industry criticisms which actually have been several years in the making Google is placing what it calls a carousel of links that go directly to competitors websites atop its own featured business results. Google is testing these new direct links in Europe not only in travel, including for flights, hotels, vacation rentals, and tour packages, but also in other categories such as for jobs and local results. Story continues These tests are under way in countries including France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK, and arent yet visible to everyone. BookatableDE, which is a Tripadvisor restaurant reservation brand, tweeted a screenshot of direct links to Bookatable.com and ViaMichelin restaurant results perched higher than a Google map within Googles featured restaurant results on mobile devices. The Bookatable and ViaMichelin results show the new way of displaying competitors results that Google is trying out. Neue Google-Suchfunktion: Top Online-Portale wie Bookatable by Michelin werden ab heute von Google testweise mit Icon und direktem Link zur gesuchten Seite uber der Suchleiste dargestellt. pic.twitter.com/ILxV4ycFcw BookatableDE (@BookatableDE) March 15, 2019 In a statement, a Google spokesperson said: People trust Google to give them relevant and trusted information from a diverse range of sources. Thats why our search results are designed to provide the most relevant information for your query, and the better the results we can provide, the more qualified leads were able to send to our partners. Were currently testing a new format for specialist searches in Europe including jobs, local and travel where people might see a carousel of links to direct sites across the top of the search results. This is designed to demonstrate the range of results available. Googles thinking seemingly is that the addition of rivals free and direct links for vacation rentals, hotels, flights, and holiday packages will show that there are alternatives to Googles featured results. Competitors have been advocating for changes of this sort for years so its clear that Google, which has now been fined by the European Commission several times out of competition concerns, is feeling the heat. The competition concerns arise from the fact that Google features its new product in a visually-rich OneBox at the top of its general search results pages a ranking and display that Google reserves only for its own specialised search service, the letter to the European regulator, which cites a Skift article about Googles vacation rental rollout, stated. The letter and more importantly the series of fines that the European Commission leveled against Google for its business practices is the sort of pressure that Google is finally responding to. Google isnt saying whether it is committed to making these and other changes on an ongoing basis, but it does indeed plan to introduce these tests across the European Economic Area. There is no indication yet that Google plans to introduce similar changes in the United States, where a Department of Justice probe of its business practices is reportedly under way. Come See Booking.com SVP and CMO Arjan Dijk at Skift Forum Europe March 2425 in Madrid Update: This story was updated to include a screenshot of Googles beta test for vacation rentals, and also to reflect the fact that Google is believed to have started testing travel competitors direct links in the fourth quarter. Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. Could Technology One Limited (ASX:TNE) 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. 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. While Technology One's 1.4% dividend yield is not the highest, we think its lengthy payment history is quite interesting. Some simple analysis can reduce the risk of holding Technology One for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below. Click the interactive chart for our full dividend analysis ASX:TNE Historical Dividend Yield, February 11th 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. Technology One paid out 65% of its profit as dividends, over the trailing twelve month period. This is a fairly normal payout ratio among most businesses. It allows a higher dividend to be paid to shareholders, but does limit the capital retained in the business - which could be good or bad. In addition to comparing dividends against profits, we should inspect whether the company generated enough cash to pay its dividend. The company paid out 77% of its free cash flow as dividends last year, which is adequate, but reduces the wriggle room in the event of a downturn. 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. While the above analysis focuses on dividends relative to a company's earnings, we do note Technology One's strong net cash position, which will let it pay larger dividends for a time, should it choose. Story continues Consider getting our latest analysis on Technology One's financial position here. Dividend Volatility Before buying a stock for its income, we want to see if the dividends have been stable in the past, and if the company has a track record of maintaining its dividend. For the purpose of this article, we only scrutinise the last decade of Technology One'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 AU$0.033 in 2010, compared to AU$0.12 last year. Dividends per share have grown at approximately 14% per year over this time. It's rare to find a company that has grown its dividends rapidly over ten years and not had any notable cuts, but Technology One has done it, which we really like. 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. Strong earnings per share (EPS) growth might encourage our interest in the company despite fluctuating dividends, which is why it's great to see Technology One has grown its earnings per share at 13% per annum over the past five years. Earnings per share have been growing rapidly, but given that it is paying out more than half of its earnings as dividends, we wonder how Technology One will keep funding its growth projects in the future. 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. First, we think Technology One is paying out an acceptable percentage of its cashflow and profit. That said, we were glad to see it growing earnings and paying a fairly consistent dividend. Technology One has a number of positive attributes, but it falls slightly short of our (admittedly high) standards. Were there evidence of a strong moat or an attractive valuation, it could still be well worth a look. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 7 analysts we track are forecasting for Technology One for free with public analyst estimates for the company. 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. ICSID tribunal rules it has jurisdiction over international investment case brought in 2015, and that 956 Greek depositors and bondholders may proceed in their mass claim against the Republic of Cyprus in unprecedented arbitration proceeding; Grant & Eisenhofer leads a coalition of law firms that represent the Greek claimants ATHENS, Greece and NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In a landmark decision issued Feb. 7, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, an international tribunal affiliated with the World Bank, ruled that it has jurisdiction over arbitration proceedings brought by Grant & Eisenhofer against the Republic of Cyprus on behalf of almost 1,000 Greek bank depositors and bondholders who claim heavy losses in the wake of Cyprus's 2013 financial crisis. In a 160-page decision, the ICSID tribunal ruled that 956 investors' claims arise under identical treaty provisions, are all based on Cyprus's 2013 actions against its banks, and affected all claimants in similar fashion. All claims were therefore held sufficiently homogenous to proceed by way of a mass claim in a single arbitration. It is the first mass claim to do so since the Argentinian bond cases. The tribunal will now assess Cyprus's liability for discriminating against foreign investors and illegal expropriation without paying fair compensation. Leading financial litigation law firms Grant & Eisenhofer; Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check; and Kyros Law; along with international law firm Fietta LLP, represent the claimants, including Greek individuals and institutional investors, in their efforts to recover their losses, estimated at over 300 million. The international investment arbitration proceeding was first filed with ICSID in 2015 after the Cyprus government failed to negotiate with investors seeking to recover their losses. Grant & Eisenhofer and their partner firms represent the 956 Greek depositors and bondholders of Laiki Bank and the Bank of Cyprus seeking to hold the Cypriot government accountable for its role in causing investors' lost life savings, college funds and pensions when they were wrongly confiscated by Cyprus, in violation of international law, as part of its 10 billion bank "bail-in" and restructuring of its financial sector. Greek investors claim that they were discriminated against during the bail-in. Foreign investors were subject to extreme measures while a number of Cypriot entities including the government itself were intentionally shielded from such treatment. While the Cyprus crisis was a tragedy for everyone involved, foreigners were hit twice as hard as the Cypriots themselves. "This precedent-setting decision has major implications for investor-state arbitration," said Olav Haazen, the Grant & Eisenhofer director in charge of the matter. At a time where investor-state arbitration is under attack and the EU is trying to put an end to bilateral investment treaties between member states, the Adamakopoulos v. Cyprus decision catapults ICSID, once again, to the forefront of international arbitration jurisprudence. "It opens up a new avenue for smaller investors who were wronged by foreign governments. They can now join forces and seek collective redress, even if the host states' own laws offer investors no equivalent access to effective and impartial justice," Mr. Haazen said. He added, "This is a significant victory for Greek investors in Cyprus who lost basically everything. The actions of the government of Cyprus during the bail-in amounted to state-sanctioned theft. We look forward to continuing this litigation to recover the tremendous financial losses of the nearly 1,000 institutions and individuals." The case is captioned: Theodoros Adamakopoulos and others v. Republic of Cyprus (ICSID Case No. ARB/15/49) Grant & Eisenhofer regularly represents U.S., European, Asian, Australian, South American and other international institutional investors. The firm has successfully litigated major investor lawsuits in Germany, France, the U.K. and the Netherlands. That includes leading coalitions of global investors in successfully bringing securities class actions against Fortis in the Netherlands and against Royal Bank of Scotland in the U.K., which were both accused of vastly overstating their liquidity and understating their exposure to the toxic U.S. subprime market. These unprecedented actions led to settlements of $1.5 billion and $1 billion respectively among the largest securities fraud settlements ever in Europe. About Grant & Eisenhofer P.A. Grant & Eisenhofer is one of the U.S.'s leading litigation firms, with a highly successful track record representing plaintiffs in complex litigation and arbitration matters. The firm has offices in Wilmington (Delaware), New York, and Chicago, and an international docket of high-profile cases. G&E's clients include institutional investors and other plaintiffs in U.S. and international securities matters, derivative and corporate governance lawsuits, shareholder activism matters, bankruptcy litigation, antitrust actions, consumer class actions, whistleblower cases involving the False Claims Act, mass tort and environmental suits, birth injury litigation, intellectual property disputes, and civil rights suits. The firm has recovered over $27 billion for clients in the last ten years, and has twice been cited by RiskMetrics for securing the highest average investor recovery in securities class actions. G&E has been named one of the country's top plaintiffs' law firms by The National Law Journal for more than a decade, and was named one of the U.S.'s "Most Feared Plaintiffs Firms" as well as one of Delaware's "Regional Powerhouses for 2018" by Law360. For more information, visit www.gelaw.com. About Kessler Topaz Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check is one of the largest firms in the world specializing in the prosecution of complex litigation. Since the Firm's founding in 1987, Kessler Topaz has developed a global reputation for excellence in shareholder, ERISA, consumer protection & antitrust, fiduciary and whistleblower litigation. With a large and sophisticated client base, Kessler Topaz has been responsible for many of the largest plaintiffs' recoveries on record in both the U.S. and around the world. For more information, go to www.ktmc.com. About Kyros Law The attorneys at Kyros Law Offices, including John Kyriakopoulos, offer specialized knowledge with certified training accreditation in Financial and Banking law, Capital Markets, Commercial, Corporate, Labor and Administrative law. Kyros Law has significant experience providing top quality advice to institutional and private investors, both Greek and foreign. Through its strategic alliances with prestigious law firms in the U.S. and Europe, the Kyros Law is able to cater to the needs of its clients with multifaceted and integrated solutions both in Greece and internationally. For more information, visit Kyros Law's U.S. website at www.kyroslawoffices.com or its Greece website at www.kyroslawoffices.gr About Fietta LLP Fietta is a law firm dedicated to public international law. It is acting as co-counsel with the above firms in the ICSID arbitration that is pending against the Republic of Cyprus. A specialist boutique firm with a track record of success, Fietta competes with the world's largest law firms and international disputes practices. The Firm has won landmark victories in pioneering cases involving State boundaries and territory, multi-billion-dollar investments, international environmental law and human rights. Fietta's lawyers bring together a wide range of experience from top global law firms, international organizations, and government. For more information, visit www.fiettalaw.com. Contact: Allan Ripp 212-262-7477 arippnyc@aol.com Ivan Alexander 212-262-7482 ivan.k.alexander@gmail.com Related Links http://www.gelaw.com SOURCE Grant & Eisenhofer Risk: Gardai and mountain rescue 4x4s return from the Sally Gap in Co Wicklow with snow tourists on board they had rescued as conditions continued to deteriorate. Photo: Garry ONeill COMMUTERS have woken up to flurries of snow and frost across the country this morning, as a Status Yellow snow and ice warning comes into place. Met Eireann have warned that some disruption to travel is possible with widespread wintry showers and some snowfall accumulations. AA Roadwatch are urging motorists to take care while driving this morning, with reports of "especially slippery conditions" around parts of counties Cavan, Longford and Roscommon, particularly in Tulsk and Boyle, as well as south Kilkenny, Carlow, Laois, Meath, Dublin, Westmeath, Donegal, Leitrim, Galway and Kerry. "In affected areas, it will take much longer to stop a vehicle, so slow down and avoid any harsh acceleration or braking," a spokesperson said. #Sneachta falling in many parts making road conditions tricky this morning Need extra space Lots of kids will be out in the snow Steer, brake & accelerate gently#Dublin #traffic #IrlSnow pic.twitter.com/39Ppvs6C2m Dublin Fire Brigade (@DubFireBrigade) February 11, 2020 There is a separate Status Yellow wind warning in place for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare and Kerry until 8pm tonight. "Strong westerly winds continuing with mean speeds of 50 to 65km/h and gusts to 110km/h, highest in coastal areas," a forecaster said. "A combination of spring tides and high seas will result in a risk of coastal flooding, especially around high tide." Cold and wintry conditions are set to prevail before giving way later in the week to milder, but wet and windy, conditions. According to the national forecaster, the cold snap, which has seen snow fall across the country, will continue until tomorrow afternoon when a new weather system will bring milder temperatures, but "some very wet and windy periods". The snow showers yesterday briefly raised memories of 2015, when a blanket of snow covered Ireland in February. Snow showers affecting a number of areas this morning & this warning is in place across the country. Caution needed - we have updates on conditions & traffic at https://t.co/PSzIBsvOzE pic.twitter.com/FmzrmYVzg5 AA Roadwatch (@aaroadwatch) February 11, 2020 Snow fell nationwide, with areas like the Sally Gap, midland areas and high land seeing thick snow. But according to a forecaster for the national meteorological service, the "cold snap" will not last. "The cold spell, in terms of those wintry showers, will be continuing this evening, tonight and into the early hours of tomorrow," Liz Coleman said yesterday. "It will be cold tonight with wintry falls continuing and some snow lying, drier in the Midlands, east and south with just well scattered wintry showers. "Frost and icy conditions will continue with overnight lows of around zero or -1C." The snow arrived when, as Storm Ciara moved away from Irish shores, colder air originating from Canada began to feed down over Ireland. According to Ms Coleman, this will be replaced by a high-pressure weather system which will take the mercury upwards, but will bring with it rain and wind. It will be very disturbed through the rest of the week. The cold and wintry conditions will turn milder later in the week but there will still be some very wet and windy periods. Ms Coleman added: "Showers will become less frequent tomorrow morning and then later on we'll have a spell of wet and windy weather but we'll see temperatures increasing slightly. "There might be small accumulations of snow on mostly high ground but we're not talking about massive extents of accumulations of snow. "Tomorrow, there will still be a few isolated showers and then later on we'll see a rise in temperatures in the south-west as a low-pressure system moves up across the country. "That will bring some wet and windy weather overnight." By the end of this week Ireland will see 10 hours of daylight each day for the first time since the end of October. Temperatures during the day will have returned to normal for this time of year by the end of the week. However, Ms Coleman said that while the cold snap was part of an "organised system" which will no longer be present in Ireland, by Thursday overnight temperatures may still plummet as wind paired with colder air created a "significant wind chill". "The increasing cloud and wet and windy weather across the country tomorrow night will clear through on Thursday morning," she said. "On Thursday there will be a mix of scattered showers and some sunny spells and then on Thursday night it will be a cold and clear night with some widespread frost, temperatures dropping back to freezing to -3C. "On Friday we'll see another band of rain moving in early in the morning and that will spread throughout the country on Friday." The expectation for the weekend is that the weather will be very unpredictable, but mild. Periods of heavy rain and strong winds are expected. At the beginning of the year, Alison Wonderland announced that she would be donating 100% of profits from her online store in January would go towards helping the New South Wales and Victoria rural fire services along with releasing a limited edition Climate Change Is Real shirt in an effort to raise awareness even further. Late last week she took to social media to reveal that her fans had come together to raise a massive total of $103,000. What an absolutely amazing effort! Check out the post below. COHOES Mayor Bill Keeler delivered a tough-love message Monday that the city has problems with unrepaired infrastructure, dubious economic development, issues in the civil service and police departments, and frayed relationships with other governments that his administration intends to correct. The retired State Police Troop G major stood ramrod straight as he promised 150 people at the Cohoes Senior Center listening to his first state-of-the-city speech that he would be transparent in discussing the citys issues and its objectives as he moves ahead in his four-year term as mayor. We all know Cohoes has been through a rough patch. As it turns out, it is rougher than we knew, with more to patch than we had anticipated, Keeler said. Keeler never mentioned ex-mayor Shawn M. Morse by name, instead alluding to a previous administration for the source of many of the challenges the city now faces. Morse, a former city firefighter and a past Albany County Legislature chairman, was sentenced to probation and 200 hours of community service, and fined $3,000 by a federal judge last Wednesday for an earlier guilty plea to stealing $12,250 in campaign funds for personal use. Common Council President Bill McCarthy of the 4th Ward said the mayor was saying what residents need to hear and moving the city ahead. Keeler led his address talking about neglected infrastructure, citing a necessary $2.5 million upgrade to the water treatment facility, and fixing the leaking roofs at City Hall and the public library. He also mentioned the need to deal with the Central Avenue Fire House, which has outlived its useful life, and repairs to city sidewalks and streets. We are taking a comprehensive look at all of the citys infrastructure needs, creating a priority list, determining the best potential sources for funding and working to secure those dollars so that we can get the job done, the mayor said. To this point, Keeler said he and members of his administration have been in contact with Gov. Andrew Cuomos staff, U.S. Rep. Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, State Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Bethlehem, Assemblyman John T. McDonald III, D-Cohoes, and neighboring communities to restore broken ties, strengthen shared services and pursue funding through grants. On economic development, Keeler was blunt, blaming Morse for being paid $15,000 as CEO of the Cohoes Industrial Development Agency while working as mayor, pushing through dubious deals that will burden property taxpayers for decades including a developers options on three city parking lots. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Morse said Keeler was blaming him without noting his accomplishments in reviving the downtown Remsen Street business district. The citizens of Cohoes saw a true renaissance of what we brought to the city. Downtown was brought back to life, Morse said. We were able to leverage millions of dollars of state grants. Keeler said he is bringing this up, because, it is essential to be transparent to the people of Cohoes. They need to know the full story. Keller defeated Morse in a four-way Democratic primary in June leading to his election as mayor in November in the Democratic-dominated community. The city also is dealing with reviewing the civil service commission and the command structure in the police department, both of which had been politicized, Keeler said. By reaching out to other police agencies, the mayor said, the city has renewed its efforts to battle drugs and other crimes. The city is developing a comprehensive plan to battle drugs, he said. Keeler said the city will work on developing a cleaner, greener Cohoes and celebrating its 150th anniversary this year. President Donald Trump on Monday proposed a 12 percent increase in NASAs budget for fiscal year 2021, seeking to add dollars to his rhetoric on landing Americans on the moon by 2024. This is a 21st century budget worthy of 21st century space exploration, NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in a livestreamed speech, and one of our strongest budgets in NASA history. The presidents proposed NASA budget of $25.2 billion, with more than $5 billion earmarked for Houstons Johnson Space Center, was part of a larger federal budget his office proposed Monday for the period beginning Oct. 1 and running through Sept. 30, 2021. On HoustonChronicle.com: GAO warns SpaceX, Boeing launch schedule will affect Space Station staffing The money for NASA would place a heavy emphasis on getting the first woman and next man to the moon, including $3.3 billion to develop human lunar landers. This marks the first time human landers would receive direct funding since the Apollo program, and it could be a deciding factor on whether NASA meets its 2024 timeline, said John Logsdon, founder of George Washington Universitys Space Policy Institute. If Congress appropriates significantly less money to the lunar lander last year Trump asked for $1 billion and Congress appropriated $600 million then he said NASA is unlikely to meet its goal. I think this is a test of whether the country really wants to go back to the moon or not, Logsdon said. Without the funding for the lander, were not going to land anywhere. Trumps proposal would also include money for the Space Launch System rocket and Orion crew capsule being developed to take astronauts to the moon and then Mars, for launching the James Webb Space Telescope in 2021 and for the continued development of commercial opportunities in low-Earth orbit, the portion of space where the International Space Station is located. Another noteworthy item would be returning samples of Mars soil and rocks to earth for research. NASA first landed on Mars with the Viking Project in 1976, but it has never brought back samples. The Mars 2020 rover expected to launch this year would collect soil and rocks and then leave them on the surface of Mars. Future missions would collect the samples and bring them back to Earth, potentially in 2031. After almost 50 years for planning and waiting, NASA will finally be able to achieve the holy grail of planetary science: the return of scientifically selected samples from Mars, Scott Hubbard, adjunct professor in Stanford Universitys Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics and former director of NASAs Ames Research Center, said in an email. And theres a good chance those samples would be returned to Houston, which is home to samples from other exploration missions including the moon, said Johnson Space Center Director Mark Geyer. Overall, Geyer said the Johnson Space Center portion of the proposed NASA budget would be about $500 million higher than what was enacted for fiscal year 2020. Missing from the budget, however, is funding for NASAs Office of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) Engagement. Trumps proposal also wouldnt fund the Wide Field Infrared Survey Telescope, set to launch in the middle of this decade to help astronomers explore dark energy and other topics, and two Earth science missions for ocean and climate monitoring. The presidents budget is just the start of the conversation, David Alexander, director of Rice Universitys Space Institute, said in an email, but I think the intent is there to promote a strong human presence beyond low-Earth orbit, which I think is laudable. But it should not come at the cost of the great science that NASA does. The next step is for Congress to review the budget and appropriate funds. NASA chief financial officer Jeff DeWit said there is bipartisan support for the budget, but Alexander suspects there could be hurdles. On HoustonChronicle.com: Report finds greater scrutiny needed for Boeing spacecraft I do not think it will pass in present form, he said. There is some debate to be had between Congress and the administration as to what the priorities for the United States space program actually are, since there seems to be a difference in philosophy on a number of items, for example, with respect to the need for a lunar landing prior to a Mars mission and on the prospective role of commercial companies. Logsdon said it could be difficult with the White House in an election year, a Democratic-majority House and a Republican-majority Senate. He also called the 12 percent increase unusual and said NASA more typically sees a flat budget or a 2 percent to 3 percent increase. The Trump White House is saying to the Congress, Do you want to be party to resuming human exploration? If so, we need significantly more money, Logsdon said. For fiscal year 2020, Trump requested $22.6 billion for NASAs budget, up 5 percent from the 2019 enacted budget. Congress ultimately allocated the $22.6 billion, but it distributed the funding differently from the proposed budget, according to the Planetary Society, a non-government organization that seeks to get more people engaged with space. The fiscal year 2020 budget represents 0.48 percent of all U.S. government spending. andrea.leinfelder@chron.com twitter.com/a_leinfelder 21.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Since last weeks Iowa caucus, the media has been pushing the narrative that Democrats are doomed and Donald Trumps reelection chances are stronger than theyve ever been. They point to an outlier poll from Gallup and the presidents fake acquittal in the Senate as further proof that he is riding a wave of momentum into the general election. But more polling released on Monday further confirms what has been true all along: Trump is in a weak position heading into the November election perhaps weaker than any incumbent president in modern history. That doesnt mean he wont win, of course, but it does mean that he isnt this unstoppable political force that some in the media have been portraying him as in recent days. According to a new poll conducted by DFM Research, three out of four top Democratic presidential candidates are within 10 points of Trump in the deeply red state of Kansas yes, Kansas. The survey shows Trump leading Michael Bloomberg by just seven points (50 to 43 percent), Joe Biden by eight points (51 to 43 percent) and Bernie Sanders by 10 points (53 to 43 percent). Elizabeth Warren trails further behind with the president leading her by 12 points (53 to 41 percent). A casual observer might think these are pretty solid Trump leads, but its important to keep in mind that Trump won Kansas by 20 points over Hillary Clinton in 2016. Not to mention, the poll also shows the most likely Republican and Democratic Senate candidates deadlocked at 43 percent. Picking off a Senate seat in Kansas would go a long way in helping the Democrats win back the Senate in 2020. In 2018, Democratic candidate Laura Kelly pulled off a major upset over Republican challenger Kris Kobach in the states governors race, so its not impossible for a Democrat to win a statewide contest. No one is saying Trump will lose Kansas Of course, no one is claiming that Kansas will suddenly fall into the Democratic column later this year, whether at the presidential level or in the Senate contest. But if the polling is accurate and the state has gone from Trump +20 to Trump within single digits of his eventual Democratic opponent, then it will spell trouble for the president in other states where the margins will likely be much closer. The general election is still nine months away and there is plenty of campaigning left to do, but multiple polls released on Monday should at least poke a hole in the idea that Donald Trump has become unbeatable. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter New York states criminal justice reforms have drawn a lot of scrutiny since being passed at the beginning of April last year. Critics have focused on changes to the bail law that mandated the vast majority of those charged with misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies be released without bail. But changes to the states discovery laws rules governing how and when the prosecution must turn over evidence to the defense have also been maligned, even by progressive prosecutors. The effects of discovery reform are less immediately apparent than bail reform, as its easy to see when defendants get released and what they do afterward. But the recent murder of a witness in the trial of MS-13 gang members on Long Island has brought more attention to the new rules about discovery. Although officials have since said that the murder had no direct link to the new discovery rules, the case has nonetheless shed a spotlight on another aspect of New Yorks criminal justice reforms. Heres what you should know about the states changes to discovery. What is discovery? Discovery refers to the evidence in a trial and the process of both sides exchanging relevant information before a trial begins. It enables both the prosecution and the defense to build their cases based on all available evidence. Information obtained and exchanged during discovery can include witness statements, physical evidence, police interrogations, witness lists and other information that could play a role in the trial. The discovery process tries to ensure that neither side is ambushed during the case with information that is known but concealed by one side. What changed under the states new law? The biggest change to discovery is that prosecutors must automatically hand over relevant information in a timely fashion. Previously, state law required discovery only if the defense filed a written request for it. It also imposed no time frame for discovery after the request was made, so prosecutors used to be able to keep relevant information from the defense until the eve of a trial. Under the new law, prosecutors must provide the defense with all evidence it has access to within 15 days of an arraignment. However, that time frame can be extended by another 30 days if there is a large volume of material, or if prosecutors dont have the material in their possession after 15 days. Once the prosecution has handed over all discoverable material, the defense has 30 days to turn over all of its discoverable material. Prosecutors have argued that the new time frame places an undue burden on them and that the state has not provided the necessary resources to help offices comply with the law. What are discoverable materials? The new law lists 21 types of evidence that are covered by discovery. Many remained unchanged compared to the old law, such as statements made by the defendant to law enforcement, and the date and location of a defendants arrest. This did not include things like a list of witnesses or surveillance footage. But several new provisions greatly expanded the list of discoverable material to include anything deemed explicitly favorable to the defense. Notably, prosecutors are required to provide the name and contact information of anyone with information relevant to the case and any statement made by someone with information relevant to the case regardless of if that person will testify during the trial and electronic recordings, such as 911 calls. The witness requirements have concerned prosecutors including those in New York City who have argued that the new law puts witnesses at risk and discourages people to come forward with information about a crime. That doesnt sound good, what do proponents say? Proponents argue that New Yorks recent changes to discovery brings the states laws in line with the majority of other states and makes the system fairer. Previously, New York was only one of 10 states that allowed prosecutors to wait until the day before the trial to provide discoverable materials. Defense attorneys have argued the practice hindered their ability to defend their clients and gave prosecutors an unfair advantage. Criminal justice advocates also said that implementing the new discovery rules also put New York in line with 46 other states that have similar open discovery laws. Additional requirements also ensure that defendants have the right to view all the evidence that prosecutors have for at least three days before considering a plea deal. Prosecutors used to be able to offer a deal before an indictment without providing that information, effectively forcing the defendant to make that decision blindly. The new law still permits judges to issue orders of protection, preventing the defense from accessing any discoverable material if the prosecution shows good cause, such as protecting a vulnerable witness who may be put at risk if his or her identity is made available too quickly. The protective order can alter the discovery timeline to limit the amount of time a defendant would have to access information about that person. A judge can also rule that only a defendants lawyer can have access to certain discovery information, including witness names and contact information. And the new law does not require prosecutors to provide the defense with anyones home address. President Donald Trump said Tuesday the military should consider disciplining former White House National Security Council aide Alexander Vindman, whose testimony was critical in impeachment inquiry and who got escorted out of the White House Friday. Vindman, an Army lieutenant colonel who provided some of the most damaging testimony during the House impeachment probe, was ousted from his White House job last week. Trump said the military can now deal with Vindman, who served on detail to the national security counsel, 'any way they want.' 'I obviously wasn't happy with the job he did,' Trump said when asked about Vindman at a bill signing Tuesday. 'We sent him on his way to a much different location,' Trump said of ousted Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, who testified before the Democratic-run impeachment inquiry 'He reported a false call. What was said on the call was totally appropriate,' Trump said of his infamous call with the president of Ukraine that sparked a whistle-blower complaint. 'I call it a perfect call. I always will call it a perfect call,' Trump said. There was not set up there was no anything, and he reported it totally differently,' Trump said. Vindman was one of numerous officials who went to national security lawyers after the call, where Trump asked the Ukrainian president for a 'favor' an investigation of the Bidens. National Security Council aide Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, takes a break as he testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill as part of the impeachment inquiry into U.S. President Donald Trump, in Washington, U.S., November 19, 2019 Trump mentioned Vindman at a bill signing at the White House Tuesday 'We sent him on his way to a much different location, and the military can handle him any way they want. General Milley has him now. I congratulate General Milley,' Trump said, referencing chairman of the joint chiefs of staff Mark Milley. 'He can have him. And his brother also,' Trump said. 'We'll find out,' he added, without explanation. Vindman's brother, Yevgeny, a lawyer on the NSC, also was pushed out. Vindman was escorted out of the White House on Friday. He was a key witness in the Democratic-led impeachment inquiry, which resulted in Trump's acquittal in the Senate. Trump previously blasted Vindman online, even putting his military rank in quotes. iStock(NEW YORK) -- Heading into the third and final week of testimony in Harvey Weinstein's rape and sexual assault trial, the Hollywood mogul's defense attorneys presented a trio of witnesses Monday who sought to challenge the state's case. The defense witnesses attempted to raise doubt about three key witnesses -- Annabella Sciorra, Lauren Young and the unnamed woman Weinstein is charged with raping in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 -- though only one witness struck at an accuser's core accusations of violent sexual assault. ABC News is not naming the rape accuser because she says she is a sexual assault victim and -- unlike some of the other accusers -- has not publicly identified herself. Weinstein is charged with five felony counts and has pleaded not guilty to all of them. He has denied ever engaging in nonconsensual sex. The rape accuser had portrayed her former roommate and friend, Brazilian actress and model Talita Maia, as the driving force behind the two young women's early interactions with Weinstein -- portraying Maia on the witness stand as needy, pushy and anxious for the Hollywood mogul's attention. But over hours of testimony Monday, Maia served to reinforce the defense's argument that the rape accuser's relationship with Weinstein was consensual. The actress, who was subpoenaed by the defense, testified that despite being roommates and friends the rape accuser had never spoken ill of Weinstein, and only once expressed a desire not to see him. "She said a few times that he was like her spiritual soulmate," Maia said at one point. "She said he was the most wonderful person," she testified at another point. Maia had breakfast with the rape accuser, Weinstein and another man the morning that Weinstein is charged with raping her at the Doubletree Hotel in midtown Manhattan in March 2013. Asked if the rape accuser seemed upset at the breakfast, Maia replied that "she seemed normal." Asked if Maia was trying to pitch a script to Weinstein at the breakfast meeting, as the rape accuser testified, she denied it. Under cross examination, prosecutor Joan Illuzzi asked Maia if she had "a very, very bitter falling out" with the rape accuser in 2016 and she denied any disdain for the woman. "I don't dislike [her]," Maia said. "[She] did things in my life that impacted my life in a very negative way and I don't hate her or anything." The second defense witness called to the stand on Monday was the longtime superintendent of a Grammercy Park co-op where Sciorra briefly subleased the apartment where she said she was raped by Weinstein. Prosecutors have struggled to explain how Weinstein could have gotten past the doorman and up to Sciorra's 17th-floor apartment without her explicit permission. Superintendent Nelson Lopez testified stringent building guidelines would not allow uninvited visitors beyond the building's entranceway. Sciorra testified that Weinstein surprised her by showing up at her apartment door and pushing his way in to rape her after he'd dropped her off out front in a limousine sometime in late 1993 or early 1994. Even under relentless pressure from prosecutors to acknowledge the possibility that a staffer could have been bribed for entry by Weinstein, Lopez was unflinching in his defense of his staff and explained at length how unlikely that was. He testified that in 31 years on the job, he had never fired a doorman for breaching protocol. Monday's final witness for the defense was Claudia Salinas, a Mexican actress and model who was accused by Young of luring her into a hotel suite bathroom where Weinstein allegedly sexually assaulted Young as Salinas lingered just outside the door, according to Young. Salinas flatly denied on the witness stand ever accompanying Young and Weinstein up to a hotel suite. Defense attorney Damon Cheronis kicked off her questioning by launching into a rapid set of exchanges with Salinas that initially seemed compelling. "I'm going to cut right to it," Cheronis began. "Have you ever seen Harvey Weinstein run out of a bathroom suite naked?" "No," she responded. "Ever seen him naked under any circumstances?" Cheronis continued. "No, never," Salinas replied. "Did you ever lure Lauren Young into a bathroom w Harvey Weinstein?" "No." "Did you ever lock Lauren Young in a bathroom with Harvey Weinstein?" "No." Displaying prosecution photos of the California hotel room where Young testified that Weinstein sexually assaulted her, Cheronis asked, "Do you ever recall following Lauren Young down that hallway as Mr. Weinstein was in front of her?" "No, that never happened," Salinas said. "Did you ever close that door on Lauren Young while she was in a bathroom with Harvey Weinstein?" Cheronis asked at another point. "No." Asked to explain how she was so certain, she replied that "if I had done that, I would remember that. I never closed a door behind anybody ever." Under similarly rapid cross-examination by prosecutor Meghan Hast, Salinas acknowledged that she had initially told investigators last year that it was "possible" Young and Weinstein ended up together in the bathroom -- and that she couldn't recall much about that night -- but insisted that if it did happen she wasn't there. "What's true is that I wasn't there in a bathroom scenario," Salinas said. "It could have happened, but it didn't mean I was there." She also acknowledged that she was something of a conduit between Weinstein and her physically attractive young friends. "Did you introduce other women to Harvey Weinstein?" Hast asked. "I didn't introduce other women he met some of my friends because I would always come with a friend," Salinas replied. "Harvey was always asking me to bring my better-looking friends." Salinas was pressed repeatedly on the point by a relentless prosecutor who kept asking, "But you did always bring your better-looking friends to Harvey Weinstein?" The witness finally took a breath, looked Hast straight in the eye, and generated laughter across the courtroom when she calmly volunteered her answer. Several more defense witnesses are expected to testify on Tuesday before the defense rests its case. Closing arguments could be completed by the end of the week. If you or someone you know experienced sexual assault and is seeking resources, call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673). Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. GamesRadar+ is supported by its audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more File image As vote counting for the hotly contested Delhi Assembly elections is underway, a cryptic message on a poster put up at the Delhi office of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) might be indicative of what the party's expectations. In an attempt to reassure the party cadre, while also preparing them for a loss, the message reads: Vijay se hum ahankari nahi hote, aur parajay se hum nirash nahi hote (Victory doesn't make us arrogant, and defeat doesn't disappoint us). An image of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who led the high-octane campaign, is seen beside the message on the poster, Hindustan Times has reported. So far, according to the Election Commission website, the incumbent Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 58 of the 70 constituencies that went to polls. Meanwhile, the BJP is leading in 12 seats as of 12:30 pm. The Congress is looking at a fate similar to that of the 2015 Assembly elections in the national capital, where it had not won even a single seat. Most exit polls predictions had pointed at a landslide victory for Arvind Kejriwals AAP. The BJP has junked all exit poll predictions, claiming to be confident of forming the next government in Delhi. The saffron party's poll plank this time has primarily been the developmental agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modis government at the Centre and how a tri-engine-governance model would benefit Delhiites in the future. BJP has not been in power in Delhi for the past 20 years. The party had left no stone unturned to ensure they clock in a win this time. PM Modi and Shah had campaigned aggressively to win over the voters. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar also addressed public gatherings in the run-up to the elections, possibly to sway the Purvanchali votes. Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra on Tuesday resigned from his post, taking moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the Assembly polls. The Congress drew a blank for the second time in a row and reduced its vote share from 9.7 percent in 2015 to 4.27 percent this time. "I take moral responsibility for the party's debacle and have resigned," he told PTI. He said it is up to the party high command to take a decision on his resignation. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Around 200 local residents entered the school during recess and raised slogans, Saharanpur teacher claimed Saharanpur: A teacher in Saharanpur on Tuesday claimed a threat to her life after nearly 200 local residents entered the school campus and protested against her visit to Shaheen Bagh in Delhi. Nahid Zaidi, 40, who teaches English and Social Sciences at Asha Modern School, told PTI she was also suspended from the school after she visited Shaheen Bagh on 19 January and answered a few questions of the media there. "The video found its way to some people from local right-wing groups who put it on Facebook with derogatory remarks about me," Zaidi said. While the school principal did not respond to calls for comment, Saharanpur Superintendent of Police Vineet Bhatnagar said the teacher was not suspended. Bhatnagar said a group of people protested against Zaidi's comments at Shaheen Bagh, but the situation is peaceful now. Zaidi said she did not speak about any particular religion and was being "targeted by the right-wing groups at the behest of the local BJP leadership". On Monday, around 200 local residents entered the school during recess and raised slogans, she claimed. "Under their pressure, the principal put me under suspension and asked me to resign. Later, in the evening, the suspension was revoked after police and local leaders intervened," she said. Zaidi said she lives alone and there's a "threat to her life". "My parents are no more. I have no siblings. I am in shock and fearing for my life. I have written to the police in this regard," she said. [February 10, 2020] Flex Technology Group Makes Strategic Investment in Ultrex Business Solutions to Expand Market Share in California PHOENIX, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Flex Technology Group and Oval Partners, a San Francisco-based, multi-family office private equity firm, today announced a new partnership with Ultrex Business Solutions, a premier technology solutions company with extensive expertise in managed print, IT services, and information management. Ultrex Business Solutions has provided California with office technology solutions for well over three decades. With locations in Bakersfield, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura, Ultrex services a wide range of organizations across the region. From small to medium-size companies to large enterprises and government institutions, their team of technology experts can help any organization optimize their business processes through the latest hardware and software solutions. "We are pleased to announce that Ultrex Business Solutions is now part of the Flex Technology Group family of companies as we continue to aggressively expand our market share," said Frank Gaspari, CEO of FlexPrint LLC. "Rolf Berkefeld has developed a great team at Ultrex, and we're enthusiastic for the opportunity to build upon their already successful business model." "Adding Ultrex Business Solutions strengthens our collective presence in the West," said Dan Reilly, President of Caltronics Business Systems. "We look forward to working with their great employees." "We are very excited to join the Flex Technology Group and work closely with Caltronics Business Systems," said Rolf Berkefeld, President of Ultrex Business Solutions. "We believe that joining FTG brings a level of technology and resources for us to offer more to our employees and clients." Ultrex Business Solutions will roll under Caltronics Business Systems but will continue to operate independently, leveraging the resources of the combined group. While Berkefeld plans on enjoying retirement following the transition, the remainder of the Ultrex executive team will stay in their leadership roles to ensure the company's continued success in serving its employees, customers, and community. About Oval Partners Oval Partners is a multi-family office investment firm designed to provide liquidity, growth, capital and acquisition funding to founders of growing businesses across North America. Oval's capital base is permanentit is committed, unencumbered and unconstrained in terms of holding period. Oval offers the capabilities and capital of a private equity fund, but the mentality, partner orientation and investment time frame of a private holding company. Oval's principals have completed more than 75 transactions involving platform investments, acquisitions, exits, and re-financings. Oval focuses on making investments in the tech-enabled services, information services, internet, software/SAAS, and industrial technology markets. FlexPrint embodies the essence of Oval's tageted "buy and build" strategy in attractive, service-oriented, niche end markets. For additional information, please visit www.OvalPartners.com or contact Dan Ruhl at [email protected]. About Flex Technology Group Flex Technology Group provides customized office technology solutions for national and leading-edge regional companies. The company focuses on print, document management, document production and managed IT solutions, representing industry-leading suppliers such as Canon, Ricoh, Konica Minolta, HP, Lexmark, Sharp, and various software solutions. FTG services over 35,000 customers nationally. For additional information, please visit www.flextg.com. About Caltronics Business Systems Since 1975, Caltronics has been providing California with leading-edge technology and award-winning service in the document management and software solutions industry. Caltronics is a family-owned and operated company with offices throughout California and Arizona to serve you locally and nationwide. Today Caltronics offers the most advanced digital copiers, high-speed color printers and copiers, multi-functional devices, fax and scanning systems, and document management software available. In fact, Caltronics has sold and installed more digital systems than any other independent dealer in the United States. For additional info, please go to www.caltronics.net. About Ultrex Business Solutions Ultrex is a leader in utilizing innovative products, technical experts, and unique software solutions to deliver exceptional value to its customers. Ultrex is transforming business through technology solutions that optimize business processes and the way information is created, shared, stored and secured. Specializing in office equipment, 3D printing, IT services, and information management, Ultrex can customize unique solutions for a variety of industries. Whether you're in healthcare, finance, manufacturing, education, legal, or commercial printing, Ultrex can help streamline your business processes and optimize the way you run your business. For additional information, please visit www.ultrex.net. Related Images flex-technology-group-makes.png Flex Technology Group Makes Strategic Investment in Ultrex Business Solutions to Expand Market Share in California Ultrex to roll under Caltronics to further national expansion initiative Related Links Flex Technology Group Ultrex Business Solutions View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flex-technology-group-makes-strategic-investment-in-ultrex-business-solutions-to-expand-market-share-in-california-301002171.html SOURCE Flex Technology Group [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] This subscription grants access to the locked content of Spectator.sk and SME.sk for only one person through a maximum of three different devices or browsers. To continue reading the article on this device, please update the list of devices in the profile settings. CALGARY - Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta has completed a deal to get out of the oil-by-rail business, but at a loss of $1.3 billion a debacle he blames on the former NDP government. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney speaks to the Canadian Club of Ottawa, Monday December 9, 2019 in Ottawa. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld CALGARY - Premier Jason Kenney says Alberta has completed a deal to get out of the oil-by-rail business, but at a loss of $1.3 billion a debacle he blames on the former NDP government. Kenney says his United Conservatives have unloaded crude-by-rail contracts that will save $500 million on a project that was on track to losing taxpayers $1.8 billion. "This is entirely on the NDP. They never should have made this deal," Kenney told reporters Tuesday. "The private sector was willing to move this crude by rail and has done so. "We, however, have managed to limit the damage, reduce the damage, by $500 million." The decision fulfils a promise made by Kenney before he won the spring 2019 election over then-premier Rachel Notley and the NDP. Just before the election, Notley announced a $3.7-billion plan to lease more than 4,000 rail cars from Canada's two major railways, Canadian Pacific and Canadian National, to transport more crude to the U.S. Gulf Coast and from there to markets abroad. Notley said it was an extreme but necessary and profitable move to reduce a pipeline bottleneck and subsequent widening price differential that was crushing profit margins for Canadian oil. Notley's government estimated the three-year program, which would ultimately see 120,000 barrels shipped per day, would yield a net $2.2-billion profit. The cars were to have begun moving last July but Kenney's government, after it took over in April, announced it was cancelling the deal because its number crunching showed that once the cars were leased and the oil bought, the expected $2.2-billion profit would actually be a $1.8-billion loss. Kenney's UCP set aside $1.5 billion in the October 2019 budget to cover the losses, and he said recent increased oil-by-rail exports prove that market forces are in the best position to determine profits and losses. "We negotiated the best terms over the past months to get Albertans out of this tough situation," Kenney said. "Industry is better able to manage the financial risk associated with the ebbs and flows of the marketplace." Kenney said details of who is buying the contracts and on what terms are not being released yet because of commercial confidentiality. NDP finance critic Shannon Phillips said Notley, when in government, had to take immediate action as the widening price differential threatened thousands of jobs. "The crude-by-rail contracts that we executed at the time were profitable for the government when they were signed," Phillips said. "We had external advice and advice from public officials that proved the business case was sound." Phillips challenged Kenney to provide details to back his accusation that the contract sell-off was making the best of a very bad situation. "I'm not prepared to believe any of the claims made by this government until we see the documents," she said. "We have seen this government more broadly, and this premier specifically, take liberties with the facts and with truth when it comes to communicating with Albertans." Also Tuesday, Finance Minister Travis Toews announced the 2020 budget will be introduced on Feb. 27. By Lauren Krugel in Calgary and Dean Bennett in Edmonton This report by The Canadian Press was first published on Feb. 11, 2020 Posted on: February 11, 2020 2:51 PM [Episcopal News Service, by Egan Millard] The son of the Anglican bishop of El Salvador, who fled to the United States after being kidnapped and threatened in his home country, has been deported back there from the US, according to his father. Josue Alvarado Guerra, 34, was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after getting a flat tyre in Ohio in November, when police discovered he did not have proper immigration documents. Alvarado Guerra filed a petition for asylum but was denied, and he was sent back to El Salvador on 28 January. Bishop David Alvarado of the Diocese of El Salvador, which is part of the Anglican Church of Central America, said his son had to flee El Salvador because his life was in danger. He had been working as a taxi driver in Colon, just northwest of San Salvador, one of the most dangerous cities in a country with the worlds highest homicide rate. Alvarado Guerra was threatened, kidnapped and persecuted by one of the largest gangs operating in the country and forced to drive them around, according to his father. In a letter to Ohio Bishop Mark Hollingsworth Jr and others who have offered support, which his office shared with Episcopal News Service, Alvarado expressed a combination of fear, gratitude and happiness at his sons return to El Salvador. He added that the danger to his sons life is so great that he is still trying to make arrangements for him to live in another country. We thank the God of life for allowing us to have Josue back in our house and share with him the difficult experiences he lived in detention, Alvarado wrote. Josue definitely cant be safe anywhere in El Salvador, we fear for his life. . . We want to continue with the plans to get him out of the country as soon as possible. Alvarado said his family is looking into requesting asylum for his son in Canada and has been in contact about that with Charles Robertson, Canon to the Presiding Bishop for Ministry Beyond The US-based Episcopal Church. However, Robertson told ENS that Alvarado Guerra faces an uphill battle in seeking asylum in Canada after being denied in the US. Alvarado is also examining the possibility of getting a missionary visa for his son to do reconstruction work in the Bahamas. Although it might be easier for Alvarado Guerra to move to another Central American country, the situation of insecurity is the same as that of our country, Alvarado said. We know that there is a large list of friends who gave spiritual and pastoral support to our son, Alvarado wrote. We are fully grateful for all they did and we beg you to continue supporting us to put [Josue] in a safe place. Searles is charged with killing Paul Williams Jr., 46, of Southeast Washington in the 800 block of R Street NW, a block north of Rhode Island Avenue. Williams was found about 8:15 p.m. July 24, 2018, lying in the street in front of a 7-Eleven store on Seventh Street. He died later at a hospital. President Nana Akufo-Addo is hopeful Ghana will deepen its relationship with other African countries following the operationalisation of the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCTA). He has further expressed optimism that the agreement will facilitate the strengthening of bonds between African countries. The President was speaking at a sod-cutting ceremony for the commencement of work for the construction of a Chancellery in Addis Ababa. We are looking forward to renewing the relationship with the building of this Chancellery. We have a determination towards establishing a strong relation in this new vision of Africa that is emerging. It is a single market in an Africa continent with a free trade area. All the countries have a big role to play in making that a success. Already, Nana Akufo-Addo has assured the Assembly of Heads of State and Governments of the African Union that the Secretariat of the AfCFTA will be operational by 31st March. AfCTA The AfCTA is aimed at improving intra- African trade to among other things, create a single market, deepen the economic integration of the continent, establish a liberalized market through multiple rounds of negotiations and aid the movement of capital and people, facilitating investment. With Ghana serving as Chair of Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS), Nana Akufo-Addo told Heads of State and representatives of 27 Member States that the purpose of the meeting was to ensure that Member States recommit themselves to the work of COMSATS, and to reposition the Commission to support the collective drive for development, leveraging science, technology and innovation. Ghanas preparedness Outlining the activities that are being undertaken by Ghana, the President indicated that the reconfiguration of the office premises based on the specific requirements agreed with the AU Commission, including the installation of critical Data and IT infrastructure facilities, security systems, office furnishing, and corporate branding of the AfCFTA Office complex, has been done. He also stated that the acquisition and furnishing of the residence of the Secretary-General of AfCFTA, based on the requirements agreed with the AU Commission has been completed, with the initiation of negotiations with real estate companies for residential accommodation for other AfCFTA staff. In addition to the finalization of arrangements of health and educational facilities for AfCFTA management and staff, the President stated that a dedicated booth at the Kotoka International Airport, to facilitate entry and exit requirements of AfCFTA officials, as well as representatives of Member States, who will be conducting official business with the AfCFTA Secretariat, has been secured. ---citinewsroom On Sunday, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Qatar, where talks have been held, said Khalilzad met with Taliban representatives and Qatars foreign minister to discuss some important issues on the results of the negotiations and the next moves, according to a statement posted to Twitter. Merlot has always been a serious wine choice in the Napa Valley. Whatever fads or movies move the popularity trigger of Merlot around the country, a steady hand has been rewarded here to those vintners who quietly and continuously pursuing Merlots greatness. Napa Valley never had the plantings, normore importantlythe resolve to produce large quantities of mediocre Merlot, as was the fate in many regions around California during the grapes manic heyday. We did finally own up to the fact that we were trying to turn our Merlots into Cabernet Sauvignons; aggressively extracting color and tannin and dressing them up in heavy oak. But Merlot wines are not naturally as tannic or as deeply colored as Cabernet Sauvignon, and nor should they be. Merlots magic lies elsewhere. Lookalikes are just that wines trying to be something they are not and ending up as the booby prize in the end. Luckily, we started to let our Merlots be, well, Merlot. What the grape variety has, and other grapes contort and bend in a mighty game of cellar Twister to achieve, is a naturally rich texture that sends ribbons of fresh fruit across the palate in a silky wave. The firm shoulders of some Cabernet Sauvignon wines are all the better for a touch of supple-bodied Merlot. One of the most sought-after wines in the world (Pomerols Petrus) is made entirely from Merlot, vintner Doug Fletcher noted during a recent St. Helena Star/Napa Valley Vintners Tasting Panel session on current vintages of Napa Valley Merlot, held at the Culinary Institute of America at Copia in Napa. Napa Valley Merlots have been named Wine of the Year by Wine Spectator numerous times, including those from Duckhorn and Paloma. Hugh Davies, owner of Schramsberg and J. Davies Estate, stated, Merlot definitely has a place here. The world is pushed into liking Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir in second place and forgets about some of the other varieties. Dr. Liz Thach, Master of Wine, noted, The [Merlot] wines have a lot of personality and nuances, before exclaiming to chuckles, The prices look at the prices! Am I in Napa Valley? The majority of Napa Valleys Merlots ranged between $25 and $50, with the highest price at $110. Sarah Linnemeyer of Louis Martini, spoke of Merlots character, stating, These are nice wines; they are not pyrazine-heavy. [More like] tea leaf; more reserved. I appreciate what Merlot has to offer without being overtly robust. Jamie Jamison, general manager and wine director of BRIX restaurant, stated that he had roughly five of the wines from the tasting on his wine list already, and after prodding by St. Helena Star editor Dave Stoneberg, mentioned that now he would be purchasing more. Michael Martin, general manager of Market Restaurant in St. Helena, admitted that his wine list is Cabernet Sauvignon-heavy, but noted, I was expecting really ripe fruit bombs, but there are some serious [Merlot] wines here. Jason Moulton, winemaker at Whitehall Lane, and vintner Linda Trotta of Jamieson Ranch Vineyards, discussed where Merlot is grown. Moulton pointed out that with Merlot it is fine-tuning where it belongs. Trotta noted that Merlot grows well in lots of microclimates. It does well in Carneros and it does well in the mountains. Martin agreed, noting, It is one of the more versatile varieties. Merlot is generally less fickle than the later-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon; it is easier to grow and earlier to ripen. When all is said and done, however, it comes down to taste for wine drinkers, and panelists had plenty of praise for the juicy red and black fruits, vibrant acidity, firm but not overly drying tannins, and rich expressiveness of the Merlot wines. Top Merlots More than two dozen Merlot wines were tasted in a series of five flights, with the following wines taking home first-place scores: Cornerstone Cellars 2015 Merlot Oakville ($75) Intense and enticing black cherry and black and red plum flavors are layered with toast and cinnamon spice, made even more complex by fresh and dried herbs, all lifted by bright acidity and delivered on a richly textured palate. Swanson Vineyards 2017 Merlot Napa Valley ($32) Cinnamon toast flavors meld with blackberry and black cherry fruit in this oh-so-easy-to-drink Merlot. Rombauer Vineyards 2017 Merlot Napa Valley ($45) Dark-fruited aromatics are complimented by black pepper and dried herb spice on a Merlot enjoying both a juicy and firm-tannin palate. Markham 2016 Merlot Napa Valley ($25) Deep ruby in color with a sweet oak entry, this wine is everything aromatically that you love about a warm cherry pie coming out of the oven, with spice notes on the finish. Hyde Estate Winery 2016 Merlot Los Carneros ($85) Complex from the get-go, the red cherry and plum fruits are layered by herbs and sweet baking spices, and delivered on a juicy palate into a nice, lingering finish. Other top winners of their flights: St. Supery Estate Vineyards & Winery 2016 Estate Merlot Rutherford ($50) Violet floral and black fruited aromas welcome the palate to this vibrantly juicy yet firmly structured Merlot. Clos Pegase 2018 Merlot Los Carneros ($30) Dominated by sweet cherry and plum, there is a hint of intriguing citrus that lifts the flavors in this wine. Keenan Winery 2016 Reserve Mailbox Vineyard Spring Mountain ($75) Warm red fruits are layered by spice and herbs complexity in this juicy, and surprisingly (for a serious mountain wine) easy-to-drink Merlot. Bravante Vineyards 2014 Merlot Howell Mountain ($65) This Merlot shows off some deft winemaking with enticing red fruits and beautifully-integrated toasty-oak, all made fresh by juicy acidity in a deliciously refined example of Merlot. V. Sattui Winery 2016 Merlot Napa Valley ($39) Vanilla and cinnamon spice join red and black plum fruits on a rich palate lifted by bright acidity and balanced by firm, structuring tannins. Catherine Bugue, the St. Helena Stars tasting panel writer, loves writing about and drinking wine. She is also the co-founder of the Napa Valley Wine Academy in Napa. You can contact Catherine at catbugue@gmail.com. Only wines from Napa Valley Vintner member wineries are accepted and tasted. Many wineries offer local residents discounts on their wines through the Napa Neighbor program, visit napavintners.com/programs and click on Napa Neighbor to learn more. Today Agnico Eagle announced that it paid just over $13 million for 9.9% of Rupert Resources (TSX-V: RUP). According to Rupert's website, the company's contiguous land package is located in the centre of a region which hosts Agnico Eagles 200koz per annum Kittila operation--Europe's largest gold mine. Agnico Eagle subscribed to 15.3 million in a non-brokered private placement at a price of 85 cents per unit. Agnico was also granted certain ownership rights, including the right to nominate one person to Rupert's board. Kittila is an underground mine which produced 189,000 ounces of gold in 2018 with cash costs of $835 per ounce of gold. ALBANY U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand traveled to Albany and two other upstate New York cities on Monday to announce bipartisan legislation she said would help families better support loved ones struggling with addiction. The Family Support Services for Addiction Act would create a $25 million, five-year grant program designed to benefit nonprofits and community organizations that offer support services to families of individuals seeking addiction treatment. Such services currently receive little to no government support, are not covered by insurance and cost families money, Gillibrand said. Studies show that when families are involved, loved ones do better, she said. Theyre more likely to stay in treatment and theyre more likely to recover. Appearing alongside local elected officials and staff at the Addictions Care Center of Albany, New York's junior Democratic senator shared the story of a man she met last month whose daughter struggled with addiction for years. When the daughter finally entered a rehabilitation program, she said, her insurer refused to cover her stay beyond two weeks. Her dad was the one who called the insurance carrier and really worked hard to make sure shed get the coverage, because she couldnt leave the rehab center that was essential to her wellness, Gillibrand said. Imagine what would have happened to (her) if she didnt have her dad. She would never have been able to navigate that and she likely wouldnt be with us today. Families trying to get help for their loved ones face obstacles like this every day, she said. Those seeking answers online often find misinformation, she said. Families ... need things like evidence-informed medical and treatment information, she said. They need referrals to credible and helpful treatment providers. They need support groups. They need assistance navigating insurers and to prevent them from going into debt because theyre paying for the medical expenses of a loved ones treatment. Under the Family Support Services for Addiction Act, organizations would be invited to apply for funds, which could be used for caregiver peer support, education and training, systems navigation for families trying to access treatment and other resources, counseling services, and support groups for those in crisis or whove lost loved ones. Kelly Fahrenkopf, director of residential services at the Addictions Care Center, said the Albany nonprofit would welcome more funds to hire family support navigators and other staff. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Our main goal is to get more money for staffing who could work with each family, she said. We go all the way up to Queensbury ... so wed have to have staffing in all areas, which would be helpful to us. Gillibrands legislation is co-sponsored by Republican U.S. Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, and was introduced in the House of Representatives by U.S. Reps. David Trone, D-Md., and Dan Meuser, R-Pa. She said the goal is to get it passed as part of a must-pass funding bill during the current Congressional session, which ends Jan. 3, 2021. Once its passed, then the money can flow right away, she said. And because its bipartisan, it has a very high likelihood of making it through. Albany native Gillibrand, who maintains a residence in Brunswick, also made stops in Rochester and Binghamton earlier in the day to announce the legislation. Governors of the South-west states have received copies of a bill to establish the South West Security Network in their respective states which would oversee the planned regional security corps also known as Amotekun. The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has taken the lead in the move by forwarding the bill to the states House of Assembly for passage. The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Kunle Somorin, told PREMIUM TIMES on phone on Tuesday that the document was forwarded to the state legislature on Monday. Yes, we are discussing the bill right now, it was sent to the House of Assembly yesterday(Monday), said Mr Somorin. The document was formally presented to the Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, on Monday in Ado Ekiti after the bill was harmonised by the attorneys-general of the states in Ibadan on Saturday. An official of one of the states told PREMIUM TIMES that final meeting of the attorneys-general in Ibadan ensured that the bill was harmonised and devoid of ambiguities and contradictions that may create conflict in the implementation of the document. While receiving the draft bill from the Ekiti State Commissioner for Justice, Wale Fapohunda, Mr Fayemi said the security network was designed to protect both indigenes and residents in the six states of the South-west. The governor pledged commitment to facilitate the speedy discussion of the bill at the executive council meeting and its subsequent passage at the State House of Assembly. Mr Fayemi said the initiative was a logical extension of the community policing initiative recently assented to by President Muhammadu Buhari and which the Inspector-General of Police had communicated to all police formations across the country. The bill when passed into law would ensure that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our states, the governor said. The bill is not likely to propose an exclusive protection for Yoruba people living in the six states, it is going to talk about ensuring that our highways are free of banditry, of armed robbery, of kidnapping, of all forms of brigandage and criminality in our state and to that extent it is a logical extension of the community policing initiative that President Muhammadu Buhari has assented to, that the Inspector-General of Police has communicated to all the formations of police force across Nigeria. My colleagues and I were still in discussion about this yesterday and we have promised ourselves that this will be given accelerated discussion in our various State Executive councils this week and we will also send it expeditiously to our various houses of assembly this week, our discussions with our speakers who had been really waiting for this. Some of them had been recalling other honourable members from recess in order to give this an accelerated passage in their various legislature, so that by Friday the 14th of February, the bill that hopefully would have been passed into law would be accented to simultaneously in the six states of the Southwest. Chief Press Secretary to the Osun State Governor, Ismail Omipitan, also confirmed that the bill had been received by the state government. He said justice would be done to it in ensuring a speedy passage at the House of Assembly. Commissioner for Information in Ondo State, Donald Ojogo, also confirmed the receipt of the bill but said he could not speak in detail on the document until tomorrow. But PREMIUM TIMES learnt that the bill would be officially discussed at the Ondo State Executive Council on Wednesday before it would be sent to the House of Assembly. In Oyo State, the state government is likely to send the bill to the House on Wednesday, after consideration by the state executive council. Taiwo Adisa, the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, said the document was still going through the procedures and would likely be enacted before the end of the week. Mr Fapohunda had earlier given a few highlights of the bill, stating that it contains the operational guidelines for the proposed security network agency. He said the bill contained key provisions that spelt out the establishment of Ekiti State Security network agency, including its functions and objectives, the establishment and composition of the governing board of the agency and the establishment of Ekiti State Amotekun Corps, including power and criteria for enlistment into the corps. He said other provisions of the bill included the establishment of an independent Amotekun complaint board to address possible cases of abuse of power, including violation of rights and corruption. He added that there was also provision for the funding of the corps to ensure sustainability. The noise over the establishment of Amotekun by the South-west governors had died down after they reached an agreement with the federal government to enable the security network with a law. Advertisements Other regions have since mooted the idea of floating their own regional security network as the security situation in the country worsens. The Amotekun bill is expected to be simultaneously passed by the respective state assemblies and signed into law by the governors. PREMIUM TIMES had reported that the takeoff of the outfit had been put on hold until the law comes into force in all the six states of the region. T he true scale of Londons catalytic converter theft crimewave is revealed today, with figures showing more than 1,000 being stolen a month. Met statistics reveal 8,248 catalytic converters were stolen last year, a 455 per cent rise on the 1,484 stolen in 2018, which was up from just 174 in 2017. The most recent three months of figures show a further spike in thefts, with 1,406 taken in September, 1,225 in October and 1,390 in November. It is believed the rise is linked to the growing value of precious metals inside the converters. Thefts increase when the price of platinum, palladium and rhodium are high. The metals can be stripped out and resold for thousands of pounds. Rhodium last week hit an 11-year high of 7,700 an ounce, five times the value of gold. Palladium and platinum trade at 70 to 80 per cent of the value of gold. The components are easy to steal with a power hacksaw and have no identifying features that scrap dealers can check to establish if they are stolen. Dame Margaret Hodge, who was a victim of a similar crime / PA One theft captured on camera last year showed a gang steal one in seconds. Toyota UK, which has had meetings with police and the Home Office, said the scale of offending had caught the company by surprise, with up to 90 converters swiped a night. It has developed a Catloc security device to deter theft. A spokesman said: In all of 2018, we replaced around 60 converters. Last year, it was 4,800. The rapid rise in this crime is one we could not have envisaged. This initially impacted our ability to source enough of the parts we needed in some cases. The car manufacturing giant said it has worked hard with suppliers and has hugely increased supply, while urgently exploring new technical possibilities to deter criminals. We are working with the police, as well as talking to the Government about changes in the law around scrap metal sales that would make it harder for criminals to sell stolen catalysts. One recent victim is MP Dame Margaret Hodge who revealed today how thieves stole the catalytic converter from her Toyota Auris. They targeted her vehicle in a multi-storey car park while she attended an opening night at the Theatre Royal Stratford East on January 29. When she got to a garage in Finsbury Park the following day, she was charged 1,100 for a replacement converter. A mechanic told Dame Margaret that if she waited for a genuine Toyota part, her Auris could be off the road for three to four months because so many had been stolen that they could not be sourced. She said: I only realised this was the new crime when the mechanic explained how long I would wait for a replacement converter. On Feb. 4, Mohammed Javad Azari Jahromi, Irans Minister of Information and Communications Technology, tweeted a photo of what he called a space suit bearing an Iranian flag patch next to an Iranian flag. The photo and caption were accompanied by the hashtag #BrightFuture. The tweet was posted a few hours before Jahromi met with a group of students, whom he told: Our dream is to plant Irans flag on the surface of the moon. This was days before a satellite launch to commemorate the 41st anniversary of Irans Islamic Revolution. Not long after Jahromi tweeted the photo, observant Twitter users noticed the new space suit was suspiciously similar to a childrens costume sold by a company called Wonder Costumes. Among the giveaways were lines on the front of the uniform where the original patches had been removed. The costume typically sells for $39.09, but as of this writing it was on sale for as low as $20.19. A number of Iranian Twitter-users turned to sarcasm. One photo-shopped the uniform onto the bodies of U.S. astronauts from the Apollo 11 moon landing. Another responded to Jahromi with a photo of shiny girls sneakers, suggesting they might go well with the new space suits. Still another user responded with a photo of a remote-control toy, suggesting it could be Irans new spaceship. In a similar incident in 2013, Iran unveiled its first stealth fighter jet, the F313 Qaher. In that case, observers noted that the plane shown in a hangar was in fact a mock-up that could not move under its own power. The plane reappeared in a 2017 video, and while this time it was able to taxi around a tarmac, military experts said it still could not fly. Iran launched its first domestically-produced satellite in 2009 and successfully launched a monkey into space in 2013 (the monkey returned safely). In September 2019, the Iranian space program suffered a setback when a Safer SLV rocket exploded on its launch pad during a test. This report was compiled with contributions from Mehdi Jedinia of VOA's Extremism Watch Desk. SYRACUSE, N.Y. Camillus pharmacist Mike Machen has seen an uptick in customers seeking face masks since the deadly coronavirus outbreak in China began last month. His drugstore, The Medicine Shoppe, is sold out. Machen said he cant get any more because suppliers are temporarily out of stock. Drugstores nationwide are seeing a run on masks, even though public health officials say the risk of Americans catching the coronavirus is low. Most pharmacists nationwide are selling masks faster than they can restock them, according to a survey by the National Community Pharmacists Association. News coverage of the outbreak has consumers worried, according to Brian Caswell, president of the association. Patients are on edge and they are preparing, he said. The World Health Organization said unprecedented global demand for face masks has created potentially dangerous shortages for people who need them the most. China is one of the worlds biggest producers of face masks. But China has stopped exporting them because it is struggling to provide enough for its own residents. Officials in China said last week they urgently need more masks and asked other countries to supply them. The coronavirus has killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000, most of them in China. There have been 12 confirmed cases in the U.S., none of them in New York. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said masks should be used only by people who have been exposed to the virus or are showing symptoms. It does not recommend face mask use by people who are well. Officials of Wegmans, Walgreens and Kinney Drugs all say theyve seen demand increase for face masks. Especially hard to get are N95 masks, respirators that filter out 95% of airborne particles, said Judith Repass Cowden of Kinney Drugs. Face masks have been flying off the shelves at Home Depot so fast, the retailer has limited purchase quantities to 10 per person. Our merchandising and supply teams are working hard to replenish these items as quickly as possible, said Margaret Smith, a Home Depot spokeswoman. The director of the World Health Organization said last week people should not stockpile face masks so that there are enough available for individuals infected with the virus and health workers. James T. Mulder covers health news. Have a news tip? Contact him at (315) 470-2245 or jmulder@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. More than a year after a hairstylist and her two daughters were found shot to death in a luxury home near Leon Springs, Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said investigators still havent determined who was responsible and that he isnt prepared to clear anyone. Salazar described the hairstylists boyfriend, Charles Edward Wheeler, 32, as a person of interest in the case but said thats not the same as calling him a suspect. And then Stewart announced his resignation. I really didnt think about it, Christian said of the CFO position. I knew they would have some excellent candidates and they did. It was kind of last minute that I threw my name out there and had an interview. Asked what prompted her to decide to go for the position, she hesitated before saying, I just had a feeling. I want to throw my name out there, see if they take my experience with the schools and the bookkeepers and the principals, she said. I think we can build on what weve done before and educate our principals and bookkeepers and work together as a team. ECS Superintendent Greg Faught and Board of Education President Dr. Daniel Whitaker agreed with Christian about the quality of the candidates for the CFO position. We had six applicants, and we interviewed all six, Whitaker said. We had great applicants, a bunch of good folks. It was a hard decision. Beijing China's daily death toll from the new coronavirus has topped 100 for the first time, with more than 1,000 total deaths recorded, the health ministry announced Tuesday, as the spread of the contagion shows little sign of abating while exacting an ever-rising cost. Though more offices and stores in China have reopened after the extended Lunar New Year break, many people appear to be staying home. Public health authorities are watching closely to see whether the spread of the virus worsens as workers return to cities and business resumes. In a daily update, the National Health Commission said that 108 deaths were reported over the previous 24 hours. That increased the total to 1,016 deaths, well beyond the toll taken by the 2002-2003 outbreak of SARS, which comes from the same family of coronaviruses as the current deadly pathogen. Newly confirmed cases fell to 2,478 from 3,062 the day before, bringing the total to 42,638 on the mainland, some of whom have since been cured and released from hospitals. The outbreak's persistence is dimming optimism that the near-quarantine of some 60 million people and other disease-control measures might be working. Britain, meanwhile, declared the virus a "serious and imminent threat to public health" and said it would forcibly detain infected people if necessary. France tested scores of children and their parents after five British tourists contracted the virus at a ski resort. The director-general of the World Health Organization said that the agency is still unable to predict where the outbreak is heading but that he believes there is still an opportunity to contain it. "In recent days, we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the U.K. today," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "The detection of the small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire, but for now, it's only a spark." In Beijing, there were few signs of activity. The capital's broad avenues were largely free of traffic, and thousands of rental bikes stood in long ranks with hardly a customer. Tourist attractions such as the Forbidden City remained closed, as did schools, and many people worked from home, hoping to avoid crowds. Iris Ke, who works for an advertising company, said she plans to wait until next week to go back to the office. "We just need to have a little more sense of self-protection," Ke said. "Life goes on anyway. How come we stop going outside or stop working simply because of fear of disease? We can't do that." Those shops and restaurants that did open found few customers. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. At the Sanyuanli market in Beijing, the stalls were stocked with pork, mutton, seafood and vegetables and shoppers wore face masks. "The number of customers here is down a lot, maybe by more than half," said Liu Ying, who sells walnuts, cashews and other specialties. "But you can see a lot of people calling in orders, so we're slowly getting busy again." The Beijing city government told residential compounds in the capital to close their gates, check visitors for fever and record their identities. The government also warned people to avoid group activities and to strictly abide by regulations requiring wearing of masks in public. More than 440 cases have been confirmed outside mainland China, including two deaths in Hong Kong and the Philippines. Of those, 135 are from a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, near Tokyo. Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato said the government was considering testing everyone remaining on board of the 3,711 passengers and crew on the Diamond Princess, which would require them to remain aboard until results were available. Britain issued its "imminent threat" declaration after a British man who caught the virus in Singapore in January appeared linked to several other confirmed cases in Europe. Five Britons, including a 9-year-old boy, contracted the virus in the French Alpine ski town of Contamines-Montjoie after staying in the same chalet as the British man. Jerome Salomon, head of France's national health agency, said 61 people, including the boy's schoolmates, were tested and proved negative for the virus. After the parliamentary elections, Arvind Kejriwal realised his attacks on Modi were proving counterproductive to his prospects and immediately corrected course. A picture is worth a thousand words, it is said. A victorious Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hugging his poll strategist Prashant Kishor has become one of the most defining pictures of the day. The lead trends and results are even sweeter for the Aam Aadmi Party chief not just because he will take the oath of office for the straight third time, but also because he emerged from a bitterly-contested contest in the National Capital with a glorious victory. The picture, which soon went viral, puts one in mind of 2015, when a victorious Nitish Kumar, the then leader of the JD(U)-RJD-Congress combine hugged his polls strategist none other than Kishor after handsome defeating the BJP in the Bihar elections. The issue is not to draw a similarity between Bihar and Delhi, and suggest that Kishor could have swung the elections, but to highlight how Kejriwal, with support from Kishor, quickly learnt from the Modi playbook and how the BJP ignored the lessons offered by its own leader. It is anybodys guess what role Kishor, who rose to fame as a strategist for Modi during the 2014 parliamentary polls, played in shaping Kejriwals image and campaign. The Delhi BJP leaders not just failed to internalise Modis script of ignoring incessant attacks from political rivals and dealing with dissidents from within, but in fact did the reverse. After the parliamentary elections, Kejriwal, a smart politico, realised his attacks on Modi were proving counterproductive to his prospects and immediately corrected course. Kejriwal began emphasising his 'administrator' image even more, began focussing on governance, education and health, with an emphasis on mohallah clinics and 24x7 supply of electricity. Delhi, which didn't lack infrastructure and funds, just needed the ruling dispensation to focus. Kejriwal put his national ambitions on hold, at least temporarily, and focussed on governance. The man who demanded proof of surgical strikes was confined to history. Sensing the national mood and braving criticism from his fellow Opposition, Kejriwal openly supported abolition of Article 370 and 35A. He opposed the Citizenship Amendment Act in Parliament, but never in public (unlike the Congress). And while his party men, including Amanatullah Khan, supported Jamia and Shaheen Bagh protests, Kejriwal did not. Soon after his deputy Manish Sisodia said "I stand with Shaheen Bagh", Kejriwal said protesters should not inconvenience the public and it was the Centre's job to clear that road. Kejriwal kept a laser focus on the positive, highlighting his achievements and putting government machinery and funds towards building his image. Exactly the way Modi campaigned in Gujarat during his days as chief minister. When elections were announced, Kejriwal pulled a Modi again and coined catch phrases such as achhe beete paanch saal lage raho Kejriwal and achee honge paanch saal Dilli me toh Kejriwal. Kejriwal has been a champion at playing the hero while donning the cloak of victimhood. In the 2015 election, he made full use of the BJPs updravi gotra remark and in 2020, turned the BJPs 'terrorist' comment to his advantage, stating that the people of Delhi would decide whether he was a 'son of the city or a terrorist.' Recall how Modi constantly presented himself as a 'son of Gujarat'. If Modi used 'chai pe charcha', Kejriwal did town halls. When Kejriwal realised BJPs aggressive campaign on Shaheen Bagh could hurt him, he came out as a kattar Hanuman bhakt, recited the Hanuman Chalisa and visited a Hanuman temple with family. Like Modi, he didnt shy away from playing Hindutava card. Contrast that with BJP, whose leaders from Parvesh Verma to Manoj Tiwari used the harshest of language against Kejriwal. They should remember the old saying that those who forget history are condemned to repeat it. An employee counts money at a bank in Hanoi. Photo by VnExpress/Anh Tu. The Ministry of Finance plans to make regulations for corporate bond issuances more stringent, including the ratio to the issuers equity, to protect investors. There is a rising trend of businesses shifting from bank credit to private placement of bonds, with the issuances often worth several times their equity, the ministry said in its proposal. Of 177 businesses that issued bonds in the first 11 months of last year, 28 made issuances worth over three times their share capital, according to the Hanoi Stock Exchange (HNX). They were worth 100 times the equity for six of them, and 50 times for 11. Many businesses did not clarify the purpose of the issuance. This lack of information poses a risk to investors, the ministry said. The ministry has proposed that a bond issuance through private placement should not exceed three times the issuing entitys equity. This is also expected to persuade companies to switch to public issuances to increase transparency, it said. The duration between two issuances must be no less than six months, a proposed regulation which seeks to prevent businesses from raising money from a large number of investors via private placements. The ministry also wants to keep the coupon rate below 20 percent. The value of corporate bond issuances increased by 25 percent from 2018 to VND280 trillion ($12 billion) last year, according to top brokerage SSI Securities Corporation (SSI). In District 187, she served more than 3,500 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Of those students, 16 percent have individualized education programs, which is the document for every student receiving special education services that specifies the childs needs and the schools obligations to meet those needs. At OPRF, 17 percent of students have IEPs, officials said. BISMARCK, N.D. - North Dakotas oil production may peak within five years as companies finish drilling the most prolific portions of the states oil patch, state and industry officials told lawmakers Tuesday. Mineral Resources Director Lynn Helms, the states top oil regulator, said about 20% of drilling activity is now outside of the core areas of the western North Dakotas oil producing region. The end of (core area-drilling) is on the horizon; we can see it from here, Helms told the Legislatures interim Government Finance Committee. Though a typical well can have a lifespan of about three decades, the amount of oil that comes from it decreases by about half in the first two years, officials say. Helms said the outlook now is for oil production to plateau for about a dozen years after a peak, then slowly decline by the end of the century to 1980 and 1990 levels of less than 150,000 barrels daily. The state is producing a near-record average of 1.5 million barrels of oil each day. In interviews, Helms and North Dakota Petroleum Council President Ron Ness estimated production would peak at about 1.8 million barrels daily if prices hold. Ness and Helms said technology to enhance oil recovery could help stem some production losses over time. Oil is a key contributor to the wealth of North Dakota, the No. 2 producer in the U.S. behind Texas. North Dakotas oil production has exploded in the past decade with improved horizontal drilling techniques into the Bakken shale and the Three Forks formation below it. The states fortunes from oil have seesawed for almost 70 years. The states first boom began in the late 1970s and it went bust a few years later. Just three years ago, lawmakers raided state savings, and enacted other measures of austerity that were needed to balance the budget due to slumping oil and crop prices. Lawmakers are now studying potential uses for earnings from North Dakotas Legacy Fund, the voter-approved oil tax savings account that holds about $6.8 billion. Earnings from the fund increasingly have been targeted for spending, or to balance the state budget. Ness, whose group represents about 700 companies working in the states oil patch, reminded lawmakers that oil production was only about 214,000 barrels a day a decade ago. North Dakotas coffers are fatter than projected at present due to near-record drilling. The states current two-year budget represents about $4.9 billion in state general fund spending, up about 12.5% from what was approved by lawmakers in the previous cycle. State spending has more than doubled in the past decade. We have to start looking beyond now, Ness said. The Central Bank of Ireland believes that in the event agreement cannot be reached, the economy in the Republic will be 4.9% smaller by 2028 than it would have been had the UK stayed in the European Union and unemployment will surge by more than 1.6% (stock photo) There will be a huge hit to the economy in the Republic if the UK fails to conclude a free trade agreement in the 11 months that remain of London's self-imposed deadline, a new report has claimed. The Central Bank of Ireland believes that in the event agreement cannot be reached, the economy in the Republic will be 4.9% smaller by 2028 than it would have been had the UK stayed in the European Union and unemployment will surge by more than 1.6%. "The 11-month time-frame to conclude an EU-UK FTA is ambitious when benchmarked against the typical duration of successful trade negotiations between countries and trading blocs in the past," economists Thomas Conefrey and Graeme Walsh wrote in a report. Those figures are the equivalent of 8bn (9.5bn), based on 2018 data, and 90,000 jobs fewer than there would have been had the UK remained an EU member. Even in the event of an EU-UK free trade agreement being signed in the talks with the EU, led by Michel Barnier, Irish output would fall by around 3.5% in the long run, the economists wrote. "In each scenario the impact of Brexit is initially transmitted to the Irish economy via the traded sector," they added. "The reduction in traded sector output would arise due to the fall in demand for Irish exports." New Delhi : The counting of votes for Delhi elections has began 21 centres across the city. The exit poll results for Delhi Assembly elections have predicted a clean sweep for Arvind Kejriwal led Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. According to early trends, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading in 51 seats, while the BJP has a lead on 19 seats. Congress has failed to win any seats so far. Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia as quoted by ANI: We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last 5 years. Celebrations begin at Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi after reports that party is leading in early trends. #DelhiResults pic.twitter.com/mDUVfwQSSZ ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 Malaysia yesterday said it has yet to decide on launching a new search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which went missing with 239 people on board nearly six years ago, following a report that a new effort to find the plane could be mounted. Malaysia's ministry of transport said it has not received any new credible evidence to initiate a new search. "However, the ministry will review any new evidence that it officially receives," the ministry said in a brief statement. On Sunday, Australia's News Corp reported that a new search could be mounted possibly this year, based on new evidence that it said showed the plane could have ended up in an area adjacent to the previous search area in the Indian Ocean. News Corp reported that US exploration firm Ocean Infinity was in discussions with the Malaysian government to mount a new search on a no find, no fee basis. Flight MH370 became one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries when it vanished on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014. In order to combat a shortage of employees in the residential construction field, Midland Daily News and Skilled To Build are teaming up to educate the public on the opportunities available in the industry. Skilled To Build is a Lansing-based non-profit with a focus on promoting awareness of skilled trades -- including jobs such as carpenters, electricians and architects -- as a viable career option. Dawn Crandall, Skilled to Build executive director, said that across the 18 trade jobs tracked by the organization, more than 15,000 people in Michigan could be hired. "Through Skilled to Build, our mission is to work with veterans and returning citizens in the education world -- along with anybody else who has an interest in getting into residential construction -- in creating the awareness of the good-paying career opportunities that are available today," Crandall said. On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Skilled to Build will host a conference titled, "Building the Workforce of Tomorrow, Today, Through Content, Conversations & Connections," at the Great Hall Banquet and Convention Center. The schedule for the day is as follows: 8-8:30 a.m. -- Arrival/registration 8:30-9:30 a.m. -- Continental breakfast 9:30-10:20 a.m. -- "Don't Get Suspended -- Know the Rules of Hiring a Student or a Young Adult under the Age of 18" and "USDA Rural Development Construction and Repair Financing" 10:30-11:20 a.m. -- "Returning Citizens Are Trained and Ready to Go to Work" and "Find Your Clients in a Digital World" 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. -- Lunch 12:45-1:30 p.m. -- "Veterans, They Served Their Country, Now They Want to Join YOUR Team" 1:45-3:30 p.m. -- "Power Hour of Networking & Virtual Reality Exhibit" This is the first event of its type that Skilled to Build has hosted, though Crandall said the organization plans to host more through the state in the future. "We have 24 local associations around the state -- rather than try and get everybody to come to one central location, what we're doing is taking our network to them," Crandall said. Guidebooks aimed at veterans and students are available for download on Skilled to Build's website at skilledtobuildmichigan.com. Advertisement Boris Johnson will 'sack' the government-owned company behind HS2, after attacking the 'poor management' of the project. The Prime Minister acknowledged concerns over the spiralling budget for the development and admitted that the 'cost forecasts have exploded'. However, he insisted that 'poor management to date has not detracted from the fundamental value of the project'. Mr Johnson added he would now be putting a minister in charge of overseeing HS2 as a dedicated responsibility to avoid 'further blowouts'. HS2 Ltd will lose responsibility for a HS2 terminus at Euston station, which will be undertaken as a separate project, with the Prime Minister adding they had not made the controversial project 'easier'. Responsibility for the northern leg of the project, between Birmingham and Manchester and Leeds, will also be handed to new companies. It comes as Mr Johnson finally gave the controversial HS2 project the go-ahead, promising that the high-speed rail link will deliver prosperity across the country. He added that it was 'a sign to the world that in the 21st century, this United Kingdom still has the vision to dream big dreams and the courage to bring those dreams about'. Works will start within weeks on the first stretch of the line between London and Birmingham, with a second phase going to Manchester and Leeds. Here is everything you need to know about the ambitious rail project that its backers hope will strengthen ties between businesses in the north and south and help to revolutionise the UK's economy... Here is everything you need to know about the ambitious rail project that its backers hope will strengthen ties between businesses in the north and south and help to revolutionise the UK's economy... Prime Minister Boris Johnson stands with Chancellor of the Exchequer Sajid Javid (2nd left) and West Midlands Mayor Andy Street (right) as they talk with machinery operator Chris Cassell during his visit to Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham yesterday, where the HS2 rail project is under construction Boris Johnson vowed to knock years off plans for high-speed rail to reach the North of England as he gave HS2 the green light yesterday. The Prime Minister said despite bad management and 'exploding costs' that have spiralled to 106 billion, the 'fundamental benefits' of the scheme remained. Works will start within weeks on the first stretch of the line between London and Birmingham, with a second phase going to Manchester and Leeds. Mr Johnson pledged to 'restore discipline to the programme', with a dedicated minister tasked with preventing 'further blowouts' on budget and schedule. In a bid to reward voters in the North who backed the Tories for the first time in December, he promised to accelerate the timetable that would see high-speed lines to Manchester and Leeds open by 2040. Boris Johnson vowed to knock years off plans for high-speed rail to reach the North of England as he gave HS2 the green light yesterday The Prime Minister said that 'condemning the North to get nothing for 20 years' would be 'intolerable'. A High Speed North review will be ordered in days to look into how the northern section of HS2 could be integrated with Northern Powerhouse Rail, a proposed East to West link joining Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle. A Whitehall source said: 'The PM is clear he wants it to be quicker. He wants to see benefits in the North well before the mid-2030s.' Speaking in the Commons shortly after the Cabinet signed off on HS2, Mr Johnson it was the start of a 'revolution' for the country's public transport. After years of dithering, he said his Government had 'the guts to take a decision no matter how difficult and controversial that will deliver prosperity to every part of the country'. He added that it was 'a sign to the world that in the 21st century, this United Kingdom still has the vision to dream big dreams and the courage to bring those dreams about'. Mr Johnson dismissed calls for the vast budget to be spent instead on local transport projects across the country. 'Yes, we must fix the joint between the knee bone and the thigh bone and the shin bone and the ankle bone and, yes, we must fix the arthritis in the fingers and the toes, but we also have to fix the spine,' he said. The Prime Minister also insisted the scheme would not stop other rail improvements going forward. He said: 'With many in the North crying out for better East/West links instead of improved North/South ones, some have suggested delaying or even cancelling HS2 in order to get Northern Powerhouse Rail done more quickly. A High Speed North review will be ordered in days to look into how the northern section of HS2 could be integrated with Northern Powerhouse Rail, a proposed East to West link joining Liverpool, Manchester, Leeds and Newcastle 'But I want to say this is not an either/or proposition. Both are needed, and both will be built as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.' Mr Johnson said a new HS2 minister would be appointed, along with a ministerial oversight group. HS2 Ltd, the heavily criticised company set up to run the scheme, will be stripped of the 'grossly behind schedule' redevelopment of Euston station and the second phase of the line. Mr Johnson told MPs: 'I cannot say that HS2 Ltd has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities. As everybody knows, the cost forecasts have exploded, but poor management to date has not detracted in my view from the fundamental value of the project.' The Prime Minister's announcement follows the completion of a Government-commissioned review by former HS2 Ltd chairman Douglas Oakervee into whether the programme should be scrapped. The Oakervee Review recommended that ministers proceed with the project, but warned that the final bill could reach 106 billion, compared with a budget of 62.4 billion. It suggested that the number of trains per hour should be reduced from 18 to 14 to cut costs. The Prime Minister's announcement follows the completion of a Government-commissioned review by former HS2 Ltd chairman Douglas Oakervee into whether the programme should be scrapped Trains will operate at up to 225mph, reducing the journey time between Birmingham and London from 1hr 22mins to 45 minutes. Passengers arriving at Birmingham airport will be able to get to central London in just 38 minutes. Yesterday there was muted opposition to HS2 on the Tory backbenches as MPs seemed resigned to the project going ahead. But Andrew Bridgen, the Tory MP for North West Leicestershire, said: 'HS2 is unloved, unwanted and has been grossly mismanaged.' He warned the Prime Minister that it 'could well be an albatross around this Government and the country's neck moving forward'. Tory former minister Robert Goodwill suggested that Old Oak Common, the railway station in West London that will act as the HS2 terminus for the first few years, should be named after Margaret Thatcher, which Mr Johnson praised as a 'brilliant idea'. Work on Phase 1 of HS2, the route between London and Birmingham, will start in April. The first trains are expected to start running between Old Oak Common and Birmingham from between 2029 and 2031. He was like a market trader flogging suspect bottles of Chanel No 5: HENRY DEEDES watches Boris Johnson as he talks up HS2 By Henry Deedes His mood is cheery, his gait still springy. For all the responsibilities that weigh on those hunched shoulders, his face glows with mischievous bonhomie. Clearly, Boris Johnson is enjoying being Prime Minister. Watching him with his frontbench colleagues in the Commons, laughing and joking and elbowing them playfully in the ribs, he's determined to squeeze every last drop of pleasure from his political honeymoon until the delirium subsides. Take his statement yesterday confirming the go-ahead for HS2. With a number of his senior backbenchers still wobbly on the idea, this was a duty he might well have hived off to his thick-skinned Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. His mood is cheery, his gait still springy. For all the responsibilities that weigh on those hunched shoulders, his face glows with mischievous bonhomie. Clearly, Boris Johnson is enjoying being Prime Minister Instead the PM grasped the moment with the enthusiasm of a terrier who's just been bunged his bedtime Bonio. Standing before the House, Boris announced a national 'transport revolution' which, on top of HS2, would include a 5billion investment in buses and bike lanes. The language as ever was as ornate as Pugin wallpaper. He promised we would see 'mini-Hollands blooming like so many tulips in towns' where children would 'bicycle safely and happily to school and work in tree-dappled sunlight'. He spoke of the need to fix the 'musculoskeletal problem' of UK transport: 'Yes, we must fix the joint between the knee bone and the thigh bone and the shin bone and the ankle bone. Yes, we must fix the arthritis in the fingers and the toes, but we also have to fix the spine.' HS2 is no easy sell but the PM was pushing it harder than a market tradesman flogging suspect bottles of Chanel No 5. With a number of his senior backbenchers still wobbly on the idea, this was a duty he might well have hived off to his thick-skinned Transport Secretary Grant Shapps 'This is not just about getting from London to Birmingham and back,' he bellowed, delivering a meaty backhander to the dispatch box. 'This is about finally making a rapid connection from the West Midlands to Liverpool' smack! 'To Manchester' smack! 'And Leeds' smack! It's these 'sunny upland' speeches where the PM so excels, talking of the future, teasing and daring colleagues to join him. In this form, he really is irresistible. 'Yes, it is ambitious,' the PM hollered. 'But ambition is what we have lacked for far too long.' The Government benches roared. Then Jeremy Corbyn rose. Cue awkward coughs. Amid the silence, someone groaned. Corbyn appeared to have a new suit on (or he got his old suit dry-cleaned). He accused the Government of 'stealing Labour's ideas', moaning that when he advocated for more buses last year the media ridiculed him. Yet now it was being hailed as a masterstroke. Boris grinned at his opponent, throwing an imaginary uppercut. Then Jeremy Corbyn rose. Cue awkward coughs. Amid the silence, someone groaned. Corbyn appeared to have a new suit on (or he got his old suit dry-cleaned). He accused the Government of 'stealing Labour's ideas', moaning that when he advocated for more buses last year the media ridiculed him. Yet now it was being hailed as a masterstroke Poor Jezza. It seems to be only just dawning on him that people didn't want him as Prime Minister. Behind him the Labour benches looked sullen. Rows of fed-up faces, like those pictures of delayed holidaymakers sprawled across Gatwick Airport's South Terminal that you see on the news in August. Ed Miliband (remember him?) despondently stared into space. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tried to ridicule Boris's plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland 'over the 20-mile expanse of the North Sea'. Oops, he meant Irish Sea, the ninny. 'I think he might need to check the geography of the United Kingdom,' Boris chuntered. The Prime Minister's main critic from his own benches was Andrew Bridgen (Con, NW Leicestershire) who worried that HS2 would be 'an albatross hung around the neck of the country'. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tried to ridicule Boris's plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland 'over the 20-mile expanse of the North Sea' Boris eloquently pointed out that all big infrastructure projects are loathed during their inception the M25 and the 2012 London Olympics. But both those have served their purpose. Quite so. He might have added the Channel Tunnel to that list. Most surprising objection of the session came from Labour's Meg Hillier (Hackney S & Shoreditch) who asked of these grands projets: 'Where is the money going to come from?' A Labour MP worrying about cost? Well, it was a new one for me, anyway. The PM said it would be paid for by 'the hard work and effort of the British people'. Google Translate: By prudent governance, not pie-in-the-sky Labour recklessness. Yes, HS2 will cost 106billion but at least the dithering is finally over, writes ALEX BRUMMER By Alex Brummer At long last, the dithering and delay is over. Boris Johnson has opted to go full steam ahead on the visionary HS2 high-speed rail link designed to connect Birmingham and the North to London. As a long-term advocate of restoring Britain's ageing transport, energy and communications systems, I am delighted that Johnson has refused to be cowed by the project's many detractors. It is, of course, a hugely ambitious project which, when completed, will rival the great engineering enterprises of the Victorian era, and deliver economic and environmental benefits to the nation for generations to come. In embracing HS2 Johnson has made clear his intention for the UK to remould itself as a formidable global commercial powerhouse outside the European Union. Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson reacts during his visit to Curzon Street railway station in Birmingham, central England on February 11, 2020, where the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project is under construction Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 2nd left, walks with apprentices during a tour of the Curzon Street railway station, where the new High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project is under construction, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday Feb. 11, 2020. Boris Johnson said his Cabinet had given the 'green light' to the high-speed rail line that will link London with central and northern England, despite the huge cost prediction and opposition from environmentalists Not only will HS2 create up to 50,000 jobs, but it will cut the time it takes to get from London to Manchester by an hour. With these shorter and more frequent journeys, Britain's economic output could be boosted by at least 15billion a year. This decision doesn't come a moment too soon. Britain lags behind many of its competitors in terms of productivity one of the drivers of future growth and revamping our creaking infrastructure is regarded by economists as a sure-fire way to remedy it. That isn't to say it hasn't been a bumpy ride. Last month the National Audit Office reported that the HS2's initial costings were woefully inadequate. The original price tag of 32.2billion for the 400-mile railway was based on comparisons to similar high-speed routes in Europe. It failed miserably to account for the very different and complex geographies and planning constraints on construction projects in the UK. In its initial phase, HS2 must navigate its way out of Euston station to Old Oak Common in the north-west of the capital by tunnelling under central London to connect with Crossrail (the new Elizabeth line). Once it leaves London, it must then traverse areas of outstanding natural beauty while weaving its way to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. On the London-to-Birmingham leg alone, this requires 25 miles of tunnelling and a 90-metre deep excavation under the Chilterns a far more complex route structure than the French and Spanish high-speed railways which largely pass through countryside. Combined with the enormously expensive compulsory purchases of property along HS2's route, the current price tag stands at 106billion. That is a massive sum. But as Chancellor Sajid Javid has pointed out, interest rates in Britain are at their lowest level in his lifetime, meaning now is a unique opportunity to undertake ambitious futuristic projects. But we should not let these criticisms detract from the inevitably positive effects of HS2. It will relieve passenger and freight congestion on existing rail lines, with each extra train taking 40 heavy goods vehicles off the road Certainly, it is imperative that the oversight of the project is scrupulous, that the costs of the army of specialist consultants and contractors are thoroughly policed and the executives managing the project are kept on a tight leash. It is also true that from the start the project has been beset by delays and allegations that the Government failed to check properly how much the property purchases would cost. But we should not let these criticisms detract from the inevitably positive effects of HS2. It will relieve passenger and freight congestion on existing rail lines, with each extra train taking 40 heavy goods vehicles off the road. The railway will also eventually feed into a planned high-speed link from Liverpool to the North East an essential component of the Northern Powerhouse. All the evidence from Japan suggests that new railways bring booming industrial development and revitalise neglected parts of the country. While we should be sensitive to concerns in Tory shires about high-speed trains whizzing through countryside, the reality is that a quieter, carbon-free railway, possibly powered in the future by non-polluting hydrogen trains, will make an immense contribution to a greener Britain. By giving HS2 the green light, the Johnson Government is not just fulfilling its commitment to levelling up the North but is building a transport and economic legacy which will remain on track for generations. LOS ANGELES and PUNE, India, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global medical marijuana market is estimated to reach $14.3 billion in 2019 with a CAGR of 19.2% from 2019 to 2026. The legalization of marijuana for medical use in several countries is one of the key factor catalyzing the market growth. In recent years, the medical marijuana market has been witnessing significant growth due to the growing awareness among people about the application of marijuana in management of several disease condition such as chronic pain management, mental disorders, among others. Moreover, the increasing need for effective pain management due to the growing disease burden of pain is anticipated to surge the uptake of medical cannabis in western countries such as the U.S. and Canada. As per the to the data published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in 2016, about 20.4% of adults suffered from chronic pain and about 80% of the U.S. adults suffered from high-impact chronic pain in the U.S. Furthermore, the legalization of medical marijuana in some countries has decreased the black market selling of marijuana, as people are willing to purchase medical marijuana legally. On the other hand, the rigorous approval process, high cost related to medical marijuana, and stringent government policies are some factors that may hamper the market growth during the forecast period. Esticast Research sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report The global medical marijuana market is mainly bifurcated into product type, application, and distribution channel. Based on product type, the market has been segmented into buds, oils, tinctures, and others. The application segment has been classified into chronic pain, mental disorders, cancer, and others. Moreover, the distribution channel has been bifurcated into dispensaries, pharmacies, and online retailers. On a regional basis, the global medical marijuana market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, and Middle East & Africa. North America has been classified into the U.S. and Canada. Europe region has been segmented into the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, The Netherlands, and Rest of Europe. Asia-Pacific has been segmented into Australia and Rest of Asia-Pacific. Furthermore, the South America region has been segmented into Brazil, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, and the Rest of South America, while the Middle East & Africa is categorized into Israel, Africa, and the Rest of Middle East. North America is the leading region in the global medical marijuana market. In North America, the U.S. anticipated to account major market share, as medical marijuana is legalized in nearly 33 states across the nation, from which 10 states legally allow adults to utilize cannabis for recreational use. In addition, Countries such as Australia, Germany, South Africa, Israel, and Poland are blooming markets in the medical cannabis industry. Browse in-depth TOC on "Medical Marijuana Market" 39 Tables 27 Figures 168 Pages Prominent companies operating in the medical marijuana industry include Aurora Cannabis, Canopy Growth Corporation, Tilray, Aphria, Inc., Maricann Group, Inc., GW Pharmaceuticals plc, MedReleaf Corp., Cannabis Sativa, Inc., Tikun Olam, Ltd., Medical Marijuana, Inc., and The Cronos Group Inc. Moreover, prominent companies are involved in strategic initiatives such as mergers & acquisitions, and joint ventures. The medical marijuana industry is highly consolidated owing to the presence of few companies holding majority of the market share. However, the ongoing legalization procedures for medical marijuana in some countries and increasing investment in this field is likely to provide lucrative opportunities for new companies to entry the market in coming years. Strategic Initiatives by prominent players In January 2020 , Medical Marijuana, Inc. announced expansion of Kannaway, its subsidiary in Kazakhstan , Kyrgyzstan , and Russia . , Medical Marijuana, Inc. announced expansion of Kannaway, its subsidiary in , , and . In September 2019 , the European Commission approved GW Pharmaceuticals' Epidyolex, a cannabis derived medicine for epilepsy treatment. , the European Commission approved GW Pharmaceuticals' Epidyolex, a cannabis derived medicine for epilepsy treatment. In January 2018 , Aurora Cannabis entered into a joint venture with Alfred Pedersen & Son (APS). With this agreement, Aurora Cannabis possessed a 51% interest in Aurora Nordic Cannabis A/S. Request for Customization of This Report @ https://www.esticastresearch.com/report/medical-marijuana-market/#customization Medical Marijuana Market Key Segments: By Product Type Buds Oils Tinctures Others By Application Chronic Pain Mental Disorders Cancer Others By Distribution Channel Dispensaries Pharmacies Online Retailers Find more research reports on Pharmaceuticals Industry, by Esticast Research: Multiple Sclerosis Drugs Market is estimated to reach $29.46 billion by 2026; growing at a CAGR of 6.3% till 2026. Pompe Disease Treatment Market is estimated to reach $1.45 Billion by 2026; growing at a CAGR of 2.81% from 2018 to 2026. Prenatal Vitamin Supplements Market is expected to reach around $700 million by 2026, with a projected CAGR of 9.1% during the forecast period. Breast Cancer Therapeutics Market valued over USD 16,502 million in 2018 and is estimated to expand at a CAGR of over 10% during the forecast period. Epigenetics Diagnostic Market is estimated to reach $22.5 billion by 2026, with a projected CAGR of 16.2% during the forecast period. Pharmacovigilance Market is estimated to reach $13.05 billion by 2026, with a projected CAGR of 11.2% during the forecast period. Epigenetics Diagnostic Market is estimated to reach $22.5 billion by 2026, with a projected CAGR of 16.2% during the forecast period. Longevity and Anti-Senescence Therapy Market is expected to reach around $800 million by 2026, with a projected CAGR of 13.9% during the forecast period. Smart Insulin Pens Market is expected to reach $65.8 million by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 10.5% during the forecast period. Cystic Fibrosis Therapeutics Market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 16.2% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. DNA Vaccine Market is expected to grow with a CAGR of 40% during the forecast period of 2018 to 2025. About Us: Esticast Research is a research firm providing research reports on various industries with a unique combination of authenticity, extensive research, and infallibility. We provide syndicated market research reports, customization services, and consulting services to help businesses across the world in achieving their goals and overcoming complex challenges. We specialize in providing 360 degree view of the markets to assist clients in determining new opportunities and develop business strategies for the future with data and statistics on changing market dynamics. Esticast Research & Consulting has expert analysts and consultants with an ability to work in collaboration with clients to meet their business needs and give opportunities to thrive in a competitive world. A comprehensive analysis of industries ranging from healthcare to consumer goods and ICT to BFSI is provided by covering hundreds of industry segments. The research reports offering market forecasts, market entry strategies, and customer intelligence will help clients across the world in harnessing maximum value on their investment and realize their optimum potential. Contact: Mr. Ashish Gedamkar Esticast Research & Consulting LLP. Office No.407, Navale Icon IT Park Narhe, Pune - 411041 USA: +1-213-275-4706 APAC: +91-844-601-6060 Email: [email protected] Visit Our Web Site: https://www.esticastresearch.com/ Content Source: https://www.esticastresearch.com/media-release/medical-marijuana-market/ SOURCE Esticast Research According to new research by University of Warwick and University of Colorado, Boulder scientists, electromagnetic radiation from stars at the end of their giant branch phase lasting just a few million years before they collapse into white dwarfs would be strong enough to spin even distant asteroids at high speed until they tear themselves apart; as a result, even Solar Systems asteroid belt will be easily pulverized by the Sun billions of years from now. After main sequence stars like our Sun have burnt all their hydrogen fuel, they then become hundreds of times larger during a giant branch phase and increase their luminosity 10,000-fold, giving out intense electromagnetic radiation. When that expansion stops, a star sheds its outer layers, leaving behind a dense core known as a white dwarf. The radiation from the star will be absorbed by orbiting asteroids, redistributed internally and then emitted from a different location, creating an imbalance. This imbalance creates a torque effect that very gradually spins up the asteroid, eventually to break-up speed at one full rotation every two hours. This effect is known as the YORP effect, named after four scientists (Yarkovsky, OKeefe, Radzievskii, Paddack) who contributed ideas to the concept. Eventually, this torque will pull the asteroid apart into smaller pieces. The process will then repeat itself in several stages and asteroids will break down into smaller and smaller objects after each destruction event. In most cases, there will be more than ten fission events or break-ups before the pieces become too small to be affected. When a typical star reaches the giant branch stage, its luminosity reaches a maximum of between 1,000 and 10,000 times the luminosity of our Sun, said lead author Dr. Dimitri Veras, a researcher at the University of Warwick. Then the star contracts down into an Earth-sized white dwarf very quickly, where its luminosity drops to levels below our Suns. Hence, the YORP effect is very important during the giant branch phase, but almost non-existent after the star has become a white dwarf. For one solar-mass giant branch stars like what our Sun will become even exo-asteroid belt analogues will be effectively destroyed. The YORP effect in these systems is very violent and acts quickly, on the order of a million years. Not only will our own asteroid belt be destroyed, but it will be done quickly and violently. And due solely to the light from our Sun. The remains of these asteroids will eventually form a debris disk around the white dwarf, and the disk will be drawn into the star, polluting it. This pollution can be detected from Earth by astronomers and analyzed to determine its composition. The study was published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. _____ Dimitri Veras & Daniel J. Scheeres. 2020. Post-main-sequence debris from rotation-induced YORP break-up of small bodies II. Multiple fissions, internal strengths, and binary production. MNRAS 492 (2): 2437-2445; doi: 10.1093/mnras/stz3565 Press Release February 11, 2020 Bong Go pushes for quarantine facilities in DOH-run hospitals; aids fire victims in Caloocan To preempt possible spread of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Acute Respiratory Disease (2019-nCoV ARD) and as preparation for similar situations that may occur in the future, Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong" Go said on Tuesday, February 11, that he will push for the establishment of quarantine facilities in all 73 hospitals all over the country that are retained by the Department of Health (DOH). "I'm planning to file a bill na maglalagay tayo ng separate quarantine facilities sa lahat ng mga DOH-run hospitals or kung kakailanganin po ay hiwalay na lote or structure doon sa may ospital," Go told reporters in an interview in Caloocan City, where he distributed financial and relief assistance to victims of a fire. "Paghahanda ito hindi lang sa posibleng pagkalat ng nCoV. Kung saka-sakaling meron pang dumating ay handa na po tayo at hindi na po tayo magtuturuan sa ibang lugar na ayaw naman nilang tanggapin, at para magkaroon na rin po ng peace of mind ang bawat isang mamamayan natin sa kanya-kanyang lugar," Go added, referring to the difficulty of the government in finding quarantine facilities for the Filipinos from Hubei province in China who decided to return home. Go, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, said that he will seek the help of President Rodrigo Duterte to ensure the passage of this measure. "I will also ask the President for support. Kakailanganin naman natin 'to sa ngayon. Kita niyo naman sa ibang bansa madali silang nakakagawa ng structure. Bakit hindi natin kayang gawin ito?" The Filipinos from Hubei are currently staying at the Athletes' Village in New Clark City in Capas, Tarlac for a fourteen-day quarantine. "Ngayon nagagamit pa ang Athletes' Village. Para po 'yun sa mga atleta. Ginagamit natin sa quarantine purposes sa ngayon. Kung meron na tayong separate quarantine area at facilities, ang mga ito ay primarily for that purpose only," Go said. The Senator said he will file the bill as soon as possible and will urge his colleagues in the Senate and concerned agencies to support the measure. "I will request that the measure be certified as urgent. Huwag na natin antayin pang magkandarapa tayo na maghanap na naman ng pasilidad. What if it will spread in Mindanao? Meron po tayo dapat na handang pasilidad na nandidiyan po ang mga doctor dahil malapit lang po sa mga DOH-run hospitals," he also said. In the meantime, the Senator calls for immediate identification of quarantine facilities in DOH-run and provincial hospitals. "Kailangan na nating magkaroon ng identified quarantine facilities in each region or maybe in each province, especially po 'yung mga sentro dahil unang-una, hindi naman natin malalaman kung sino po 'yung matatamaan," he said, adding that the government should always be proactive in dealing with these kinds of crisis situations. "Kung kakailanganin, magrenta tayo for the meantime kung sakaling dumami talaga (ang Persons Under Investigation)," he added. Meanwhile, Go extended assistance to Caloocan City residents who lost their homes on February 6 in a fire that started at No. 151 on 9th Avenue, Barangay 63, eventually spreading to Barangay 59 and affecting 75 families in both barangays. Aside from giving the victims financial and relief assistance, Go offered to provide for the fare of those who want to relocate to the provinces and for the uniforms and school supplies of the affected children. He also offered to assist in the medical needs of the residents, even those who are not affected by the fire. "Sa mga nangangailangang magpa-opera, magpa-dialysis o may cancer, ako na hong magpapagamot sa inyo. Yung mga bill ninyo sa ospital, tutulong po kami," Go said. He explained that patients can now easily ask for help at the Malasakit Center, a one-stop shop for medical and financial assistance from the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO). He also mentioned that Malasakit Centers had been opened at the Philippine General Hospital in Manila, Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City, and in the cities of Valenzuela and Novaliches. So far, 62 Malasakit Centers have been opened in different parts of the country, and the Malasakit Center Act of 2019, which was based on the bill that Go filed in the Senate, mandates the establishment of a Malasakit Center in each of the DOH-run hospitals in the country. Local government-run hospitals may also have their own Malasakit Centers provided they meet the minimum standards and set criteria. Aside from the assistance from Go, the fire victims also received various kinds of aid from the DSWD, DOH, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), National Housing Authority (NHA), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). In his speech, Go asked the residents of Caloocan to continue supporting the government's three-point campaign against illegal drugs, crimes and corruption. "Galit kami ni Pangulong Duterte sa mga kriminal at durugista," he said. New Delhi: A Delhi court on Tuesday sent eleven convicts to jail for life in connection with sexual and physical assault of several girls at a shelter home in Bihar`s Muzaffarpur district. Additional Session Judge Saurabh Kulshreshtha of the Saket court also ordered the imprisonment of NGO owner Brajesh Thakur and five others for the remainder of their life. Thakur has been slapped with a fine of thirty-two lakh and twenty thousand rupees. He heads a state-funded NGO named Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti which ran the shelter home at Muzaffarpur. "We will file an appeal in the court against the order," advocate Nishaank Mattoo, appearing for Brajesh Thakur said. The court had on January 20 convicted a total of 19 accused in connection with the case. Thakur, a former Bihar People`s Party legislator, was held guilty under Sections 376 (rape), 376D (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (criminal conspiracy), 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code. He was also found guilty under Section 6 and 17 of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The court, however, acquitted one accused. The case pertains to the allegation that several girl inmates of the shelter home were sexually assaulted. The matter came to light following a report published by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Thakur was the prime accused in the case while others were employees of his shelter home and Bihar Social Welfare Department officials. The case was transferred from Bihar Police to the CBI in July 2018. The court had on March 20, 2019, framed charges against the accused of offenses of criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against minors. The case was, however, transferred from a local court in Muzaffarpur in Bihar to the POCSO court at Saket in Delhi last year on the Supreme Court`s directions. South Africa: Globe commemorates 30th anniversary of Mandelas release Many people across the globe today are remembering the day in which former President Nelson Mandela raised his fist in the air as he made his way out of the Victor Verster prison, in a move that would alter the history of South Africa. Today, the world vividly remembers the iconic photograph of a grey haired Mandela dressed in a dark suit, crisp white shirt and tie, arm-in-arm with Mama Winnie Madikizela-Mandela, as they emerged from the Paarl prison that Madiba, as he is affectionately known, had called home for 14 months. The anti-apartheid global icon was released on 11 February 1990 from the facility which is now known as the Drakenstein Correctional Centre. In present day South Africa, the centre boasts a statue of the man himself, with his fist clenched in the air. Madibas release followed the announcement by then President FW de Klerk of the unbanning of liberation movements like the African National Congress (ANC) and the Pan Africanist Congress. To mark this historic release, the Nelson Mandela Foundation is today hosting a reunion of some of the original members of the National Reception Committee that facilitated the global icons return from prison. The man who spent a total 27-years of his life incarcerated had also insisted that he be released from the Western Cape prison instead of transported to his house in Soweto as had been offered by President de Klerk. In addition, his beloved wife Winnie had to be by his side. The reunion will among others be attended by former national Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka as well as democratic South Africas first Minister of Safety and Security Sydney Mufamadi. In an earlier interview with SAnews, Ngcuka recalled how the day before Madibas release, the committee burnt the midnight oil strategising how the following day would unfold. Nqcuka remembered how the committee arrived at the prisons cottage to find Mandela dressed in his pyjamas and readying for bed. Mandela had been moved to the cottage on the prison premises, following his discharge from a clinic in Cape Town following a bout of Tuberculosis. That Saturday night, with grape juice in hand, committee members arranged a rally that would be held at the Grand Parade in the Cape Town city centre the next day, following his release at 3pm. President Cyril Ramaphosawho was the committees chairpersonrecalled the events of that day in his weekly newsletter on Monday. I remember vividly the large crowd that had gathered outside Victor Verster prison in Paarl, waiting patiently for several hours to see their hero walk free. And the many more residents of Cape Town who gathered on the Grand Parade to hear him speak, said the President. He said the image of a 71-year old Mandela walking through the gates of the prison confirmed to South Africa and the rest of the world that a new era had dawned. The need to unite South Africas people, is what stood out for President Ramaphosa of the former statesmans address made at the Cape Town City Halls balcony. It was true then and it remains true three decades later, said President Ramaphosa, who also reflected on the political violence of those days. Following his release, Mandela led the ANC delegation in talks with the then government. In 1993 he was jointly awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside President de Klerk for their efforts to end apartheid. Democratic SA In 1994, Mandela voted in South Africas first democratic elections and was inaugurated as President on 10 May of the same year. While South Africa may continue to be beset by several challenges since that historic day, one can say that 25-years of democracy is entrenched. President Ramaphosa is expected to deliver a speech on Madibas release later today. The address, which the President will make from the iconic Cape Town City Hall balcony is scheduled to get underway at 2:30 pm. Prior to the Presidents address, the Foundation will also host a lecture by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Leymah Gbowee and a panel discussion with author of Feeling and Ugly Danai Mupotsa and co-founder of Black Lives Matter, Opal Tometi. Capture Site Meanwhile at Mandelas Capture Site in KwaZulu-Natal, the provincial department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) is set to open a multi-million rand multi-purpose centre at the site. The opening of the centre is scheduled for 9am. Located outside of Howick, the site commemorates President Mandelas arrest on 5 August 1962. His arrest led to him spending 27-years of his life in prison. Tourism Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi-Ngubane, will join KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala and Cogta MEC Sipho Hlomuka for the launch of the centre. This as the department will fund the phased upgrading of the site to cover the construction of the driveway, parking, landscaping, fencing and entrance gate. SONA Todays anniversary falls within the same week that the President will deliver his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Thursday, 13 February. The SONA which will get underway at 7 pm will be made before a joint siting of the two houses of Parliament - namely the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces. The former President stepped down after one term as President in 1999, the same year in which he established the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Madiba died at the age f 95 on 5 December 2013. -SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. (Newser) The bizarre story of "Larry Ray" came into the public consciousness by way of a lengthy story from the Cut on the dad who, in September 2010, moved into his daughter's 8-person campus dorm at Sarah Lawrence College. To say that things got crazy from there is an understatement. Now federal prosecutors say they got criminal. Lawrence Ray was arrested Tuesday on extortion and sex trafficking charges involving those New York college students. The 60-year-old is accused of using "physical, sexual, and psychological abuse" to extort almost $1 million from five victims, about half of which allegedly came from a female he forced into prostitution, reports NBC News. Coverage: To get up to speed on Ray, read our earlier coverage of the Cut's story, which detailed how Ray started by trying to counsel some of the students about their problems and then took a turn. A portion: "He started instructing some of the students to have sex with each other; he would watch or participate. He took the locks off the bathroom doors. He demanded they pay him tens of thousands for items they had supposedly damaged. No one questioned any of it." The FBI's assistant director at the helm of the New York office put it like this: "The conduct here is outrageous. It makes me angry. If it doesn't make you angry, you don't have a soul." story continues below The New York Times reports by way of the indictment that the abuse allegedly occurred for eight years, through 2018. It notes that Ray allegedly extorted his victims by drawing false confessions from them (say, that they stole from him or even tried to poison him), using everything from sleep deprivation to verbal abuse to do so. He then allegedly leveraged those confessions to get money and free labor. Some of them reportedly worked at property his family owned in North Carolina. The New York Post has details regarding the female allegedly forced into four years of prostitution, which prosecutors say occurred after Ray first made her have sex with a male victim while he looked on. Manhattan US Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Ray in one instance "tied this victim to a chair, put a plastic bag over her hair, and almost suffocated her" as a control tactic. Lohud has a statement from Sarah Lawrence that calls the charges "disturbing and upsetting" and notes it was not aware of the indictment in advance. The college adds that it conducted an internal investigation in the wake of the Cut article "regarding the specific activities alleged ... to have occurred on our campus in 2011; the investigation did not substantiate those specific claims." (Read more Sarah Lawrence College stories.) Clarity is in short supply across America, but no longer at dairy farms in Maine. In 2014, you see, drivers for a dairy company in Portland, Maine sued their employer for overtime pay because a state law pertaining to overtime-pay exemptions failed to include the Oxford comma. What is the Oxford comma? Its the final comma in a list of things, Grammarly explains. In Grammarlys example, the Oxford comma appears after the word eraser: Please bring me a pencil, eraser, and notebook. Few use the Oxford comma anymore. Most newspapers, for instance, edit articles according to the Associated Press Stylebook, which does NOT use the Oxford comma. Whats the big deal? According to some pedantic humorists, proper Oxford-comma use is a huge issue, one that could even save lives. Lets shop, then eat, Grandma suggests something much less harmful than Lets shop, then eat Grandma! Lets camp, and hunt, Tom is much less menacing than Lets camp, and hunt Tom! And I love cooking my dogs and my family is much more appalling than I love cooking, my dogs, and my family. Which brings us back to that overtime pay dispute. According to The New York Times, Maine law requires time-and-a-half pay for each hour worked after 40 hours, but it carved out exemptions for: The canning, processing, preserving, freezing, drying, marketing, storing, packing for shipment or distribution of: (1) Agricultural produce; (2) Meat and fish products; and (3) Perishable foods. The dispute concerned the words or distribution of. The Times reports that since there was no Oxford comma before or the court ruled that it was not clear whether the law exempted the distribution of the three categories that followed, or if it exempted packing for the shipment or distribution of them. Had there been a comma after shipment, the meaning would have been clear. Had there been an Oxford comma, distribution of the dairy goods would have clearly been exempt from overtime pay, but it wasnt clear. Thus, the dairy company had to cough up $5 million in overtime pay that it wouldnt have had to pay had an Oxford comma been properly used. In any event, this story illustrates the importance of clarity in our laws and government processes. If ambiguity in a state law can cost one company $5 million, what might Americans increasingly unclear understanding of our government and political landscape be costing us? Here are some disturbing findings from Annenberg Institute surveys: More than half of Americans (53%) incorrectly think it is accurate to say that immigrants who are here illegally do not have any rights under the U.S. Constitution; More than a third of those surveyed (37%) cant name any of the rights guaranteed under the First Amendment; Only 39% can name all three branches of government. Ignorance is dangerous to a representative republic. Voters must be well-informed to prevent smooth-talking, self-serving charlatans from attaining and abusing political power. Whats worse is that social media platforms enable widespread sharing of misinformation. Too many social media users enthusiastically share unvetted facts with likeminded friends at the expense of truth and clarity. The solution to our increasing lack of clarity? Here are two options, one with a comma, one without: Wake up, America! or Wake up America! Tom Purcell, author of Misadventures of a 1970s Childhood, a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. Mumbai, Feb 11 : Actor Samir Soni, a former "Bigg Boss" contestant, says no show or game can be above "decency and class". He cites that as the reason why he hopes actress Arti Singh wins "Bigg Boss 13" and not Sidharth Shukla, who is considered favourite by many. With a few days to go for the finale, Samir took to social media to post a sweet photo of him and Arti, who is currently locked in the "Bigg Boss" house. He captioned it: "Last week of #BiggBoss13 and I hope my sister @artisingh5 wins. I hate to say this, but it would be setting a TERRIBLE precedence if Sidharth wins. No show/game, can be above decency and class. In fact, the show is a test of maintaining your sanity and dignity in-spite of the provocations. If I had behaved, like he abused Arti, my own mother would have slapped me and taken me out of the show. #RespectWomen." "I'm sorry I'm singling out Sid and I don't know who deserves the most, but I'm against anyone who behaves this way," wrote Samir. Sharing his own experience in the controversial reality show, he wrote: "I spent over hundred days in season 4 and there were hardly any abuses or physical aggression, it's not that we didn't feel like it, we just knew how to conduct ourselves on national TV. I sometimes wonder how many girls would be ok to be abused by their boyfriends or told to F-off just because he was upset (right or wrong). Sorry not the way I was raised." Actress Delnaaz Irani, also a former "Bigg Boss" contestant, commented on his post saying: "I so agree with you. It's a mad house agreed but people should be sane, calm and cool. That's the beauty. We have gone through this but sadly does being NICE sell....NO." The current season has seen contestants verbally abusing each other, beating up someone with a pan, throwing water at each other and acting in violent ways. Latest updates on Bigg Boss Season 13 A State agency has been ordered to pay 5,000 to a mother currently living in a Direct Provision centre over its discriminatory race refusal to issue her with a learner driving licence. At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), Adjudication Officer, Patsy Doyle found that the indirect discrimination under the Equal Status Act suffered by the asylum seeker was pronounced and obstructive to her efforts in accessing work. The decision by the state driver licence agency to refuse to issue a licence means that the single mother of a one-year-old son undertakes a costly and lengthy bus and rail commute from Munster to get to her work as a housekeeper in Dublin where she leaves her baby with friends while she goes to work. The womans current employers have offered to buy her a car in the event that she gets a full licence. She passed her driver theory test and her eye sight exam at a cost of over 100. However, when she applied for her learner permit, the statutory body responsible for issuing driver licences informed her that she needed to provide evidence of full or permanent residency permission, which as an asylum seeker by definition she could not provide. When the mother, represented by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHEC), was unable to provide the requested documentation, the agency refused her application in October 2018. As a result, the woman has been unable to access more employment opportunities, and continues her commute to work in Dublin with her infant. The woman told the WRC: I am an asylum seeker, I have no rights. But if we have permission to get work why cant I get licence to help my own. The woman has been unsuccessful in trying to secure a transfer in her Direct Provision base to be near her work and cannot afford private accommodation. In her decision published today, Ms Doyle ruled that by the end of February the driving licence agency must meet with the woman to discuss whether she can exchange her full driver licence from her country of origin for an Irish one. If that is not possible, the agency must immediately give her a learner permit without additional cost. Three weeks ago, the WRC awarded 2,500 to another asylum seeker who experienced discrimination on the grounds of race when he was refused a learner driving permit in similar circumstances. In that ruling, the WRC ordered the agency to process the mans application for a learner, permit but the State agency appealed the ruling instead. In both cases, the complainants were applying for a learner driving licence permit to improve access to work opportunities following the landmark NHV Supreme Court decision which found that an indefinite ban on asylum seekers applying for work was unconstitutional. On being refused during the application process, the woman declared she was disappointed and fearful of [refusal] as she was struggling to manage transport for her and her baby. Commission Member of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, Salome Mbugua, said today: Public bodies such as this have a legal obligation to prevent discrimination, but this agency is clearly falling down in this duty, having now seen two rulings against it in less than a month for the same offence of race-based discrimination. Todays WRC decision includes a clear deadline for a permit to be issued to this mother, and an order for these discriminatory guidelines to be changed, as Irelands National Equality Body, the Commission expects this order to be followed. These two WRC decisions should also provide the legal momentum for Government to finally and emphatically address the issue of asylum seekers access to driving licences. In response to the ruling, the woman said: Its extremely joyful for me that WRCs decision in my case was positive. They heard the voice of me and my baby. They understand what it means to stay in isolated places where there is not good transportation. My situation is I have my little son. I have work permission rights. We face plenty of obstacles to get to work. When I am working, I have to leave my baby to creche or with a friend. I am always late to my work because of the transportation - because I dont have a licence to drive a car. "On the top of that, transportation is extremely expensive for me. Sometimes the weather is not good for my baby. My baby is fourteen months old now. Being a single mom comes with lots of responsibilities. Every time I need to go anywhere I need to take help from other person who has a car to drop us to everywhere. I have been waiting since October 2018 for this case outcome. Now I have a good decision, but the other side refuse to meet me and give me a licence. I dont know if they will change the guidelines for other asylum seeker workers on their website like the WRC says. On Friday, President Donald Trump began a spree of vengeance against officials who testified before Congress during the impeachment inquiry. The firing of two witnesses, National Security Council adviser Alex Vindman and Ambassador Gordon Sondlandand Vindmans brother Yevgeny, an NSC lawyerwas foreshadowed the day before, when Trump held what he described as an acquittal celebration in the East Room of the White House with his closest Republican supporters and issued a series of warning shots to the very evil and sick people he blamed for impeachment. Advertisement Multiple Republican senators acknowledged Trump used the powers of the presidency to inappropriately target his political opponents before they voted to acquit him. In doing so, theyve effectively given Trump permission to continue to abuse his office. The Friday Night Massacre is just the beginning. Attorney General William Barr announced last week that investigations of political campaigns will now require his personal approval, opening the door for all sorts of chicanery. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump went on the attack in his nationally televised East Room performance. His speech, along with public reporting around the final days of impeachment, offers a road map of who the presidents perceived enemies are and what he might try to do to them. Here are some of the people who might need to watch their backs: James Comey Trump went after his sleazebag former FBI director very early on in his speech on Thursday. It was evil, it was corrupt, it was dirty cops, it was leakers, and liars, Trump said. Had I not fired James Comey, who was a disaster by the way, its possible I wouldnt even be standing here right now. We caught him in the act. Dirty cops, bad people. What did Trump want done to Comey? He had some suggestions: If this happened to President Obama, a lot of people would have been in jail for a long time already, Trump said. Many, many years. Previous efforts to target Comey for leaks failed spectacularly, but Barrs heavily politicized Department of Justice has kept Comey on its radar. Last month the New York Times reported that the DOJ was looking into a 2017 leak surrounding Comeys investigation of Hillary Clinton and apparently focusing on Comeys possible involvement. On Tuesday, Trump tweeted out a video of a political ally calling on the president to appoint a special counsel to investigate his political enemies, including top FBI officials. Comeys Crossfire Hurricane Lieutenants If it appears too politically toxic for Trump to target Comey, Barrs DOJ might have an easier time going after his associates: the officials who worked on the 2016 Crossfire Hurricane investigation into members of Trumps campaign. In discussing investigations of former FBI officials Peter Strzok, Lisa Page, and Andrew McCabe, Trump hinted in his East Room speech that further action might be forthcoming for the top scum at the FBI. Lets see what happens, he said. Lets see what happens. Its in the hands of some very talented people. This very talented people remark may refer to the investigation by federal prosecutor John Durham, which is being closely supervised by Barr. Both Barr and Durham said they disagreed with DOJ Inspector General Michael Horowitz, who concluded in December that there was no evidence that political bias or improper motivation influenced the Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Conservative politicians and pundits in the past few days have been calling for multiple prosecutions from the Durham investigation. Already, a lower-level attorney who provided misleading information to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court to get a warrant for a former Trump campaign adviser is facing possible criminal charges. Its unclear who else might be charged with what, but last week House Minority Whip Steve Scalise said that multiple former officials should face prison for their roles in Crossfire Hurricane. People ought to go to jail, the Louisiana Republican told Sean Hannity. I have seen some classified information I cant go intobut I can say this: Hopefully, Durham names names. I think the attorney general is waiting to see what comes out of that. And then, hopefully, they go after those people and put them in jail. Robert Mueller In his Thursday rant, Trump accused former special counsel Robert Mueller of having illegally deleted emails and texts from Strzok and Page that Mueller uncovered in his investigation of inappropriate messages between the two former top Crossfire Hurricane officials. The accusation that Mueller broke the law and deleted these messages is a convoluted Trump conspiracy theory, but the upshot is that it has no factual basis. It does, though, speak to Trumps continued obsession with Mueller and his probe. The easiest way for Trump to get revenge here would be to undo the effects of the special counsels inquiry. The president may simply pardon the former Trump campaign officials Mueller brought to justice, such as convicted felons Michael Flynn, George Papadopoulos, Paul Manafort, and Roger Stone. On Tuesday morning, Trump tweeted that a proposed seven- to nine-year prison sentence for Stone was a horrible and very unfair situation, that the real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them, and that he cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! By midday Tuesday, an anonymous DOJ official told reporters the department was planning to change the initial sentencing recommendation, which the DOJ official described as extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate. Ukraine Whistleblowers Many of the officials who testified about Trumps Ukraine abuses have already faced reprisals or left their jobs. Still, Trump allies have called for full investigations into those who blew the whistle on the president, including the still-unnamed whistleblower. Sen. Rand Paul called for an inquiry into the whistleblower and his sources, going so far as to name someone alleged to be the whistleblower on the Senate floor. If six people who all worked together at the National Security Council knew each other and gamed the system knowing they would get these protections, they gamed the system in order to try to bring down the president, we should know about that, Paul said. Trump has previously suggested that these people committed treason and should be executed. John Bolton Trump did not mention Bolton in his Thursday speech, but Vanity Fairs Gabriel Sherman reported last week that Trump had an enemies list that is growing by the day and that Bolton was at the top. Bolton has drawn Trumps ire after it was reported by the New York Times during the impeachment trial that Bolton was prepared to testify that Trump had withheld Ukraine funding as part of a quid pro quo scheme to force Ukraine to investigate the Bidens. While Trumps National Security Agency has already said it is planning to block publication of Boltons book because of classification issuesfor portions that Boltons attorney says have no plausible basis for classificationit sounds like Trump wants more done to Bolton. Sherman reported that Trump wants Bolton to be criminally investigated for allegedly having mishandled classified information and abused his position at the National Security Council. Nancy Pelosi, Adam Schiff, and Congressional Democrats Of his congressional foes, Trump has reserved particular ire for lead House impeachment manager Adam Schiff and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. Adam Schiff is a vicious, horrible person, he said in his East Room speech. Nancy Pelosi is a horrible person. Trumps allies have raised ethics complaints against both Schiff and Pelosi: Congressional Republicans have targeted Pelosi for ripping up the presidents State of the Union speech, and the conservative group Judicial Watch has filed a pair of ethics complaints against Schiff for alleged misconduct in the Ukraine affair. (The allegation has no basis.) At Mondays Trump rally in New Hampshire, the crowd chanted lock her up when Pelosi was mentioned. Meanwhile, Paul and others have called for Schiffs staff to be investigated. Mitt Romney Trump has been attacking Romney ever since he voted in favor of convicting the president of abuse of power. The only one that voted against was the guy that cant stand the fact that he ran one of the worst campaigns in the history of the presidency, Trump said of Romney at his East Room acquittal celebration. Donald Trump Jr. has called for the 2012 Republican Party presidential standard-bearers expulsion from the GOP. Romney is not up for reelection in Utah for another four years, he is independently extraordinarily wealthy, and he is of retirement age. Its unclear what punishment Trump might mete out that could actually hurt Romney, but the Louisiana GOP has censured Romney, and a similar proposal is reportedly under consideration by the Utah Republican Party. Joe and Hunter Biden Trumps extortion effort against Ukraine was focused on pushing for investigations of both Bidens when the former vice president was considered a top political rival. Now that Biden is tanking in the Democratic primary, it seems like Trumps need to attack this father and son has been limited. Still, Senate allies have begun their own investigations of the Bidens, and the DOJ announced this week it was accepting information on the Bidens from sources like the presidents personal attorney, Rudy Giuliani. On Monday the Washington Post reported that Scott W. Brady, the U.S. attorney in Pittsburgh, was looking into these Ukraine materials. Perhaps in order to maintain the fiction that Trump did nothing wrong in the Ukraine affair, Trump and his allies will need to carry on their ongoing efforts to frame Joe Biden. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Ni Komang Erviani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar, Bali Tue, February 11, 2020 13:02 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c4bc8 1 National Bali-Airport,Wuhan-coronavirus,coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus-in-Indonesia,Bali-tourism Free Bali tourism stakeholders have rebuffed an online report in a British tabloid suggesting that the resort island had become a ghost town due to a decline in the number of Chinese tourists following Indonesia's travel ban. The Indonesian government imposed a ban on all flights to and from mainland China on Feb. 5 amid fears of the novel coronavirus spreading to the country. Its a hoax, Bali Tourism Agency head Putu Astawa told journalists on Monday, after meeting with industry players in the provincial capital of Denpasar. Astawa was referring to an article published on Saturday in the Mail Online titled Bali is transformed from tourist Mecca to a ghost town as Chinese tourists are banned because of the spread of coronavirus. The article said that Balis airport and city streets are lifeless and that shopping centres have been left empty following the indefinite travel ban. While Astawa confirmed that Bali had seen a decline in the number of Chinese tourist arrivals, he said that tourist arrivals from other countries remained stable. Read also: Bali denies entry to 17 foreigners who had traveled to China The declining number of tourist arrivals only [affects] the China market, or around 25 to 27 percent of total tourist arrivals. Other markets are still on schedule and no cancellations [have been made] so far, he said. Bali Hotel Association chairman Ricky Putra agreed with Astawa, saying that tourists from other countries are still coming to Bali. After Australia, China contributed the second largest number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali in 2019, with Statistic Indonesia (BPS) records showing that 1.1 million of 6.3 million foreign tourists to Bali were from China. Ricky said that in terms of economic benefits, tourists from European countries, Australia and the United States actually contributed more income to the province because they usually stayed in Bali longer than Chinese tourists. Tourists from China typically stayed four to five days while European, Australian and American tourists generally stayed two to four weeks on the island resort, he said. This means that some 500,000 Chinese tourists are equal to around 120,000 to 150,000 European tourists, he said, referring to the average duration of stay. The travel ban covers all flights to and from China and temporarily bans the visa-free and visa-on-arrival facilities for Chinese nationals. It also prevents all travelers who have stayed at least two weeks in mainland China from visiting or transiting in Indonesia. Read also: Govt asks airlines to slash fares to Bali, Bintan to keep tourism afloat amid virus scare The ban was imposed as a measure to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus that originated in Wuhan, Hubei province, which has killed more than 1,000 people in mainland China and spread to 28 countries to date. Astawa, however, remained optimistic that Bali's tourism would stay strong despite the ban, especially since no confirmed cases of the coronavirus had been detected on the resort island. No confirmed cases have been recorded in Indonesia. The government has taken various measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus in Indonesia, including banning flights to and from mainland China as well as installing more thermal scanners at the airport, he said. Tourism stakeholders in Bali, Astawa added, were also trying to attract more visitors from other countries to the island while coordinating with airlines to reroute flights that had connected Bali with Chinese cities to other countries instead. We will attract more tourists from Europe, Australia and the US, he said. We will create a cheap tourist package [with] discounted airfare, hotel rates, travel agent [fees] and tourist attraction [tickets]. We are still coordinating with other stakeholders on the plan. News and commentary on organized crime, street crime, white collar crime, cyber crime, sex crime, crime fiction, crime prevention, espionage and terrorism. 11.02.2020 LISTEN Federation of Somali Journalists (FESOJ), condemns the unlawful and unwarranted arrest and detention of Journalist Hussien Alio Gesey on Tuesday by Buurhakaba District Police Command for alleged ties with text the reporter posted on his Facebook where he made a comparison between the security situation in Diinsoor district at the moment and the years back. According to journalist colleagues in Buurhakaba who requested not be named due to their security, the reporter Hussien Alio Gesey who works with Five Somali TV based in Nairobi received a phone call from Buurhakaba District Commissioner Abdi Mohamed Ahmed who ordered him to go to the police station very quickly, without hesitation, when journalist Hussien asked the DC why he was going to the police station, he told him he would be arrested from an order issued by the Minister of Interior in South West State, Mr. Mohamed Abdukar Abdi and at around 9am this morning the reporter went to the police station where he still detained, journalist colleagues confirmed. Buurhakaba District Commissioner Mr. Abdi Mohamed Ahmed has separately confirmed on the phone to FESOJ the detention of journalist Hussien Alio Gesey in Buurhakaba after the journalist reported what the District Commissioner described as false news and unfounded information. South West State authorities must respect journalists right to report the real situations on the ground in South West State in order media people can perform their journalistic work without fear of any restrictions, said Mohamed Ibrahim Moalimuu, FESOJ Secretary-General. This treatment meted out to a member of FESOJ is not acceptable. It constitutes a violation of journalists rights and shows a repressive attitude against a professional journalist who is only doing his job just because he made a comparison for location in different periods. We demand Hussiens immediate and unconditional release. This situation must end. Journalists should be able to report the facts where they are, otherwise it would be a challenge for journalists to provide the necessary information and facts the public need to now Moalimuu added. The South West State in Somalia, was for many years one of the states in which journalists coukld operate freely and without any restrictions or abuses, so we are requesting that to be restored, President of FESOJ Abaadir Abdulakadir Elmi said. FESOJ calls on all Member States and the Federal Government to fully guarantee freedom of media, enshrined by the Somalia Provisional Constitution, and end the arbitrary arrests of journalists. Australians have been told to leave the face masks behind as health experts say there is no threat from the deadly coronavirus. Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, said that despite 15 people in the country contracting the disease, they were all in 'good condition'. After the outbreak of the disease in the Chinese city of Wuhan, many Australians rushed to buy protective facemasks in a desperate attempt to avoid the virus that has killed more than 1,000 people. Australians have been told to leave the face masks behind as health experts say there is no threat from the deadly coronavirus Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, Dr Murphy said that five people with coronavirus had recovered. 'There is no community transmission of this virus in Australia. We have not seen any case of sustained transmission at all in this country. There is no reason for people to be wearing masks,' he said. Dr Murphy also stressed about racial profiling to people with Asian backgrounds. 'We are very concerned about xenophobia and any sort of racial profiling, which is completely abhorrent,' he said. 'There's no reason for people to avoid anybody of any particular background or appearance. 'We've still only got 15 cases in Australia, and all are clinically in good condition. They're all in stable condition. Five have recovered.' Dr Murphy said all cases had been people who had come from China's Hubei Province or had been in contact with someone that had. 'I want to reassure the community. Our quarantine is working extremely well at the moment, and we're very, very pleased that the two facilities have had excellent medical support, and we're obviously actively screening everybody on a regular basis.' The Chief Medical Officer said there may be cause for concern as the disease continues to spread, adding 'we're clearly getting growth every day'. Australia's Chief Medical Officer, Brendan Murphy, said despite 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, these people were in good condition Fears have also emerged regarding Australians planning a trip to Bali as Indonesia is yet to report a single case of coronavirus. Indonesia had direct flights from Wuhan in the early weeks of the outbreak and thousands of Australians travel to Bali every week. A study by university researchers from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health estimated that the number of cases should be much higher. They suggested that due to the close proximity of Indonesia to the epicentre of the disease that more cases should appear. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he discussed the issue with Indonesia's President Joko Widodo and would work together to 'contain the impact of the coronavirus between our two countries'. Dr Murphy said Australia would continue to watch Indonesia to see if there are any cases confirmed. 'Obviously, it is somewhat surprising that there are no cases,' he said. Thailand has 32 cases of coronavirus reported, Cambodia has one and Singapore has 43. People wearing face masks stand in a line outside an office building in Singapore as 43 cases have been confirmed in the country HIGH VOLTAGE ELECRICITY TOWERS Many investors love Fortis (TSX:FTS)(NYSE:FTS), and its easy to see why. Lets start with the main reason, which is the companys dividend-growth history. Fortis has raised its dividend each and every year since the early 1970s, which immediately makes it an excellent choice for investors looking for an annual raise. Fortis knows this streak is important to investors and has already told them it expects to raise the dividend through at least 2024, targeting 6% annual increases. If it can achieve those results and I dont see any reason why it wouldnt then Fortis will have a lot of happy shareholders. The underlying truth behind all those dividend increases is, Fortis is an excellent business. The company has assets spread out across North America and even into Central America and the Caribbean power and natural gas utilities that generate steady returns. Yes, these are heavily regulated businesses, but state and provincial governments know that if a utility cant make money, then it wont invest in their jurisdiction. Fortis plans to spend some $18 billion on growth projects over the next five years, with a focus on smaller, safer projects and renewable energy. Fortis, like many of its peers, is taking steps to be greener while also generating attractive returns for shareholders. Theres just one problem with Fortis. Its an excellent company and everyone knows it. Thus, the stock is expensive. Fortis should earn $2.50 to $2.60 per share in 2019. The stock is currently flirting with $58 per share. That gives us an expensive valuation of approximately 23 times earnings. The dividend yield isnt that impressive either; shares pay just a 3.3% dividend. Fortunately for value investors, theres a much cheaper choice. Enter Capital Power Although Capital Power (TSX:CPX) isnt exactly in the same business as Fortis it owns power plants, while Fortis owns the infrastructure that delivers the energy to your home it still has a lot in common with Canadas largest utility. Capital Power generates plenty of predictable cash flow capital it then uses to both expand its network and pay a succulent dividend. Story continues Lets start with Capital Powers growth potential. Today, the company owns 26 different power plants across North America, with a strong focus on wind and natural gas as generation sources. These plants produce some 6,200 megawatts of energy, making Capital Power one of North Americas largest producers. The company has another 800 megawatts of production in development, and its always on the lookout for other power plants to acquire. Investors have two big problems with Capital Power issues management have worked hard to nullify. Firstly, a big chunk of the companys assets were invested in coal-fired power plants. These assets are being converted to natural gas a process that will be completed in a few years. And new assets have been acquired outside Alberta to help solve the other big problem investors had with the company, which was too much exposure to a volatile economy with a strong link to oil. Capital Power plans to spend $500 million each year on growth projects, leveraging its solid balance sheet to really help supercharge growth. Remember, this company isnt really that big; it has a market cap of under $4 billion today. Despite this growth potential, Capital Power shares are still very cheap. The company projects itll earn just under $5 per share in adjusted funds from operations in 2020. Shares currently trade at $37.41 each. That puts the stock at just 7.5 times forward adjusted funds from operations. Thats a very cheap multiple, even after the stock is up more than 20% over the last year. This also means the firm can afford a succulent dividend. The current yield is 5.2%, with a payout ratio of approximately 40% of adjusted funds from operations. The company has grown its dividend by 7% annually since 2013 and has already told investors to expect another 7% raise in 2020 and a 5% increase in 2021. The bottom line I prefer Capital Power over Fortis for two important reasons. Firstly, the stock is much cheaper. And secondly, you get a much higher dividend yield today without sacrificing dividend-growth potential. Thats why I own Capital Power in my portfolio. Maybe you should, too. More reading Fool contributor Nelson Smith owns shares of CAPITAL POWER CORPORATION. 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 Boeings reputation has been badly damaged by the crisis as it faces allegations that it was not forthcoming with regulators about changes made to systems on the jetliner. Its image also has been tarnished by the release of internal communications, in which employees discussed efforts to manipulate regulators certifying the aircraft and mocking at least one airline that wanted its pilots to be trained in simulators before they flew the Max. President Donald Trump on Monday proposed USD 740 billion as the country's national security budget for 2021, with an eye on China and Russia that are on a military modernisation programme that poses a challenge to the United States. A key aspect of his defence budget proposals are a massive nuclear modernisation worth USD 28.9 billion, missile defeat and defence budget USD20.3 billion. He has also proposed USD 18 billion for the space sector, USD 9.8 billion for the cyber sector and USD 56.9 billion in the air domain. In his budget proposals, as released by the White House and by the Pentagon, the Trump administration has underscored the threat posed by its two main adversaries, Russia and China, which it alleges are on a military modernisation spree and coercing its neighbours. "While the American people still face dangers posed by Islamist terrorists and transnational criminals, America also faces challenges by resurgent rival nation-states, including China and Russia. The Budget reflects the need for a new American posture to match the realities faced in this new era," says the budget proposal sent by the White House to the Congress. Unlike India, where the Union finance minister tables the budgetary proposals and delivers a speech in the Parliament, the US president send his annual budgetary suggestions in document format to the Congress, which, over the next few months, debates, deliberates and votes on it. "The Budget prioritizes funding for programs that would deliver warfighting advantages against China and Russia and sustains efforts over the last three years to focus defense investments in modernization, lethality, and innovation that provides the Nation's troops a competitive advantage over all adversaries, the White House said. Underpinned by the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the budget sustains and builds on efforts over the last three years to prioritise investments in modernisation, lethality, and innovation. The budget continues the administration's work to rebuild the military and improve readiness while balancing the need for reform, efficiency, and accountability at every level, the White House said. The Pentagon, in its budget proposal, said the security environment continued to change in dangerous ways, China and Russia continue to employ aggressive tactics to coerce neighbours, suppress dissent and undermine freedom. "They present existential challenges to United States interests and global norms," it said, adding that Iran and North Korea continued to pursue weapons of mass destruction. According to the Pentagon, China possesses one of the largest militaries in the world and is becoming increasingly comfortable portraying itself as a counter to the United States. Russia has also upgraded conventional forces while investing heavily in cyber, space, electronic warfare, and hybrid warfare capabilities. Beijing continues to violate the sovereignty of Indo-Pacific nations and expand its control abroad under the pretense of Belt and Road infrastructure investments, it said. Meanwhile, it is pursuing advantages in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and 5G, while exploiting other nations' intellectual property for its own gain, the Department of Defense said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elsewedy Industrial Development, a leading regional industrial park developer, service provider and subsidiary of Elsewedy Electric, has kickstarted one of its biggest roadshows across Europe, in Paris, France. As a part of this initiative which opened during the French Egyptian Commercial and Industrial Day, Engineer Ahmed Elsewedy, president and CEO of Elsewedy Electric and chairman of Elsewedy Industrial Development, and Engineer Mohamed El Kammah, CEO of Elsewedy Industrial Development met with key representatives from the French industry to promote Egypt as a significant investment destination, as well as highlighting Elsewedy Industrial Developments broad scope of businesses, said a statement from the company. The roadshow will continue through Munich, Stuttgart and Dusseldorf in Germany, over next few days. In light of the long-standing bilateral relations between Egypt and France and the emerging opportunities in Egypt, Elsewedy Electric signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with its clients Business France, a key player who is enhancing French exports and investments worldwide and foreign investments in France. This MoU aims at promoting joint business initiatives and opportunities between the two organisations through combined efforts. As a part of this agreement the companies will also, employ their capabilities to expand cooperation and optimise gains for their respective counterparts in Egypt, Africa and Middle East. Engineer Mohamed El Kammah, CEO of Elsewedy Industrial Development, said: As a market leader in integrated industrial development in the region, we have strong business ties with our clients and looking forward to further expand our relationships with smart and savvy business stakeholders who recognise the potential for strong returns from investing in Egypt. Our industrial parks provide a valuable opportunity for investors given the cutting-edge facilities and service offerings as well as a strong supply of well-trained human capital, he said. Philippe Garcia, commercial counsellor at the French Embassy in Egypt and Business France Director, said: Now, more than ever, fostering business relationships in Africa, and notably Egypt, is among our priorities for French investors. Our objective is to position Paris as the European destination for venture capitalists from Africa. The signing of this MoU plays an important role in the exchange of investment information and opportunities between French investors and the significant opportunities available in Egypt and Africa, he added. The objective of the event is to raise awareness around Egypt's geo-economic importance and exploring opportunities for investment in the imports and exports of products and services with Egypt as well as key sectors for investment and development with more than 150 EU dignitaries, diplomats, investors, bankers, manufacturers and key business decision makers. Several dignitaries and diplomats spoke at the event including Mister Stephane Romatet, French Ambassador in Egypt; the Egyptian Ambassador in France; Mister Christophe Lecourtier, CEO of Business France and Mister Phillipe Garcia, Commercial Counsellor of the French Embassy in Egypt. Engineer Ahmed El Sewedy shared his perspective as an investor in the Egyptian market and the significant business opportunities available in Egypt. The event was followed by a series of fruitful business to business meetings to answer questions and share mutual expertise. Engineer Ahmed El Sewedy, president, and CEO of Elsewedy Electric, said: As a pioneer in the areas of energy solutions and infrastructure, Elsewedy Electric plays a key role in highlighting Egypts diverse investment opportunities and prospects to the world. The same value we bring to our clients strong geographical presence and deep market insight, world-class technical and commercial competencies, are mainstays of the Egyptian investment experience as well. With a prime geographic location, strong and mutually-beneficial free tariff agreements with neighbour countries, Egypt is positioned as a key industry hub for the Middle East and North Africa, he added. Going forward, Elsewedy Industrial Development and Elsewedy Electric will be taking their expertise to Germany in cooperation with key partner, Ghorfa Arab-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry. The roadshow will continue to highlight efforts made by the Egyptian government to support ease of investment in Egypts new industrial zones. Engineer Mohamed El Kammah, CEO of Elsewedy Industrial Development will participate in a panel discussion to present the portfolio of products and solutions to key prospects and interested manufacturers. Elsewedy Industrial Development builds fully fledged sustainable industrial and logistics parks capitalizing on more than a decade of diverse experience. With five industrial cities in operation and a land bank of 25 million sq m across 10 projects in Egypt and Africa, Elsewedy Industrial Development provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and manufacturing facilities, utilities and value-added service offerings for over 250 clients including Loreal, Mantrac, Kapci, Indomie, and many others, it stated. TradeArabia News Service by Bernardo Cervellera The list of people arrested and put "in isolation" over their concern for the coronavirus is getting longer. It includes: journalist and lawyer Chen Qiushi, philosophy professor Zhou Xuanyi, activist Guo Quan, "martyred" Dr Li Wenliang, Xie Linka of the Tumour Centre of Wuhan Union Hospital, and Liu Wen of the neurology department of the Red Cross Society Hospital. Doubts are growing about the WHO, which hasnt conducted any independent check. Western countries have isolated China, but have also kept silent about its actions. Rome (AsiaNews) The world may be praising Chinas outstanding way of fighting the coronavirus outbreak, but nobody is saying anything about its success in fighting off another "virus": that of free information. Journalists, lawyers, professors, and doctors who expressed concerns or passed on images and data that dont fit with those from official sources have been threatened or detained by police. Police arrested journalist and lawyer Chen Qiushi and put him "in isolation" (like coronavirus patients) for his video messages from Wuhan, Radio Free Asia reported. One of Chen's latest reports is centred on the new hospitals that were built in a few days. The journalist shows that they are not designed to treat patients with infectious diseases, but are simply battlefield hospitals, with hundreds of patients piled up in wards, often without any medical examination or treatment. Another victim of the police is Prof Zhou Xuanyi, a philosopher at Wuhan University, who was reported to police by his own students for saying on social media that the government was late in addressing the epidemic and informing the public about it. He was apparently denounced for "questioning the Communist Party" and "hating his own country. Although the Mayor of Wuhan and the government acknowledged that they moved late, the Academy of Social Sciences, where Zhou works, issued a notice saying that he "violated guidelines on the professional behaviour of college teachers in the new era under President Xi Jinping. Radio Free Asia also reported the arrest of Guo Quan, a pro-democracy activist and former university lecturer, in Nanjing. The ongoing crackdown comes as many Chinese express their sorrow and criticism over the death of Li Wenliang, the 35-year-old doctor who first sounded the alarm about the virus and was threatened and silenced by the police and his hospital superiors. Today Caixin published the interview with two other doctors who suffered Lis fate: Xie Linka, an oncologist at the Wuhan Union Hospitals tumour centre, and Liu Wen, who works in the neurology department of the Wuhan Red Cross Society Hospital. In December they too had tried to inform others about the strange pneumonia affecting an increasing number of patients, only to be stopped by police. Two major intellectual figures have spoken out against the lack of freedom of information: Tsinghua University Law Prof Xu Zhangrun and former lecturer at Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications Xu Zhiyong. Prof Xu Zhangrun published an essay criticising Chinas leaders for failing to control the coronavirus epidemic. Xu Zhiyong published an article on social media asking Xi to resign because of his inability to handle major crises. Now both risk going to jail. It is clear that since the start of the crisis, an information embargo has harmed people in China and around the world, favouring the spread of the virus. Some also wonder whether the World Health Organisation with its reticence to declare the emergency and its excessive praise for the "Chinese method" of containing the epidemic has played into Beijings hands and failed to demand greater freedom of information and independent checks of the situation. In fact, the only figures on deaths and infections available so far are those provided by Chinese health authorities. Despite praise for Beijings action, many countries have shut down communications lines with China and taken preventive measures. This shows that they have little confidence in what Chinese authorities say, but their silence has enabled Beijing to nip in the bud all forms of criticism at home. Question: My nose runs non-stop. The mucus is clear and sometimes theres a salty taste at the back of my throat. Is there anything I can do or take to dry it? Anthony Richards, Horncastle, Lincs. Answer: Your symptoms are most likely due to allergic rhinitis, a very common condition that affects around one in five people. It is caused by the immune system overreacting to a harmless allergen this could be anything from dust to perfume. As a result, the cells in the lining of the nose become inflamed and produce too much mucus, leading to cold-like symptoms such as sneezing, congestion, or, as in your case, a runny nose. For most people, dust mites, feathers in bedding or cushions, the fur of pets, and various moulds and spores are the culprits for a streaming nose (file image) It can also trigger an itchy nose or throat and itchy, watery eyes. All these symptoms have a purpose it is the bodys way of trying to dislodge the allergen. In some cases, the condition is merely a minor irritation, but severe symptoms can affect sleep, concentration and energy levels, so it can have a significant impact on quality of life. Perhaps the best-known form of allergic rhinitis is hay fever, where pollen from trees or grass causes problems for months at a time. Your symptoms, however, occur year-round, so I suspect you have chronic perennial allergic rhinitis. Perennial simply means your symptoms arent seasonal but triggered by something that is constantly in your environment. For most people, dust mites, feathers in bedding or cushions, the fur of pets, and various moulds and spores are the culprits. In your case, the answer may lie in your work. You say in your longer letter that you work on a farm, and this is an environment where you may be exposed to animals, hay, and all manner of other potential allergens. I suggest you ask your pharmacist for beclomethasone (brand names include Beconase), a corticosteroid spray that is available without prescription. Taken as directed normally two puffs in each nostril twice a day it eases symptoms by reducing the inflammation in the lining of the nose. This is the mildest of steroids, but in some people the nose gets over dry and nosebleeds may occur. Allergy-proof covers for pillows, duvets and mattresses, for instance, might help people who are sensitive to dust mites, while an allergy to a pet cat might be eased by not allowing the animal to sleep in the bedroom If your symptoms havent improved after a month, consult your pharmacist again and ask about using either cetirizine or loratadine, then take one of these each morning while continuing to use the nasal spray. These drugs are antihistamines histamines are substances produced by the body during an allergic reaction that trigger the symptoms and work as a preventative as well as a treatment. Again, no prescription is needed. If you find one of these strategies is effective, it confirms that your symptoms are indeed due to an allergy and you will need to remain on the treatment indefinitely. Of course, it makes sense to try to avoid the allergens that trigger symptoms, too. Allergy-proof covers for pillows, duvets and mattresses, for instance, might help people who are sensitive to dust mites, while an allergy to a pet cat might be eased by not allowing the animal to sleep in the bedroom. However, I appreciate it can be harder to avoid exposure to allergens that are part and parcel of your working life. If your symptoms remain despite these treatments, then you most likely have non-allergic rhinitis inflammation of the lining of the nose that isnt caused by an allergy. This less common diagnosis can be confirmed by an ear, nose and throat specialist your GP can refer you. Some patients with non-allergic rhinitis, particularly older men, respond well to long-term use of a nasal spray called ipratropium bromide. Rather than reducing inflammation in the nose, it reduces the amount of mucus produced. Whatever the diagnosis, I am hopeful that one of the above treatments will prove effective for you and abolish this miserable, long-lasting complaint. In my view... GPs need to learn end-of-life skills Palliative care has been an important part of my life ever since I was a medical student shadowing a GP who took me on his house calls each day. Often there were poignant visits to patients who were in the last days of their lives, where my mentor would help to support carers, liaise with district nurses, oversee medication and, most importantly of all, give comfort. Write to Dr Scurr To contact Dr Scurr with a health query, write to him at Good Health Daily Mail, 2 Derry Street, London W8 5TT or email drmartin@dailymail.co.uk including contact details. Dr Scurr cannot enter into personal correspondence. Replies should be taken in a general context and always consult a GP with any health worries. Advertisement Most of the time they were patients he had known for many years, and he was their expert medical friend, as well as a vital source of support. Obviously, death does not respect office hours and my mentor was available day and night for any crisis of pain management, or the eventual demise of the patient, which so often seemed to be in the darkest hour before dawn. Little did I realise that palliative care would become such a large part of my life, as both the medical director of a hospice and a GP in a practice devoted to enabling patients to die at home, if it is their wish or the wish of their loved ones. Today, many terminally ill patients still express a desire to spend their last days surrounded by their loved ones at home, yet many are being denied this wish, with surveys by Macmillan Cancer Support showing that almost three-quarters of cancer patients who died in hospital had wanted to be in their own homes. Local hospices provide vital home support, but heavy workloads and, I suspect, lack of training and experience in this area mean GPs are less involved than they were in the past. Making formal palliative care training a mandatory part of the education of future family doctors would help ensure more people get the sort of peaceful, dignified death they deserve. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has said that Russian President Vladimir Putin "understood" him at the Normandy-format summit in Paris. "I have no doubt that he understood me, he understood me loud and clear. I think you immediately realize who is standing in front of you, what kind of person this is, in the event of such contact when you look straight into their face. Intelligence information does not matter. I think that Putin understood me. And he understands that this war [in Donbas] must end," Zelensky said in an interview with Interfax. He also said it was unlikely that Russia would stop generating "new global ideas." Russia is ready to think about specifying the text of the Minsk agreements, Zelensky said. "I call it 'Minsk flexibility'. Everyone must come to understand. I believe this has been understood by Germany and France. I also believe I can feel the sentiment indicating that Russia is ready to think this through, as well. Regrettably, it sounds so confused and diplomatic, but it is still ready to think on it. That's a start at least, a possibility to say, hey, what's written there isn't working," he said. The debate on fulfilling the Minsk Agreements the way they are either strongly disturbs Ukrainian society or does not quite satisfy Russia or disagrees with the stance of Germany and France, which insist on "doing everything in accordance with the Minsk [agreements]," Zelensky said. "It seems to me we made some headway at the previous meeting. We haven't ceased fire, which is clearly a disadvantage, but we have gotten our people back, which is a plus. But still, this kind of balance is not a victory; a victory in a war means that the war is over, and this kind of victory is everyone's advantage," he said. "Frankly, I am sure, although I do not know whether Russia is sure too, that victory for Russia will be the end of this war. It will be everyone's victory, not over Ukraine but over oneself. I am positive about this," Zelensky said. Apple may not be willing to unlock iPhones at the request of law enforcement, but a new warrant shows the tech giant is joining forces with officials in other ways. The document, obtained by Forbes, reveals the firm's system is intercepting and checking user's emails for illegal material, with a focus on child sexual abuse. Apple's systems are using 'hashes' to identify photos and videos in message that may contain the illicit content, which are then flagged and quarantined for further investigation. If the email in question is found to have illegal material it is sent over to authorities usually the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Forbes notes that it is not the staff that is sifting through emails, but a system that uses the same technology as Facebook, Twitter and Google employ to locate child abusers. Scroll down for video The document, obtained by Forbes , reveals the firm's system is intercepting and checking user's emails for illegal material, with a focus on child sexual abuse The technology works by creating a unique fingerprint, called a 'hash', for each image reported to the foundation, which are then passed on to internet companies to be automatically removed from the net. Once an email has been targeted, a human employee will then look at the content of the file and analyze the message to determine if it should be handed over to the right authorities. According to Forbes, Apple provided data about the user's name, address, and mobile phone number to law enforcement, and the government further requested his emails, texts, messages, and other files stored on his iCloud. 'When we intercept the email with suspected images, they do not go to the intended recipient,' reads the employees comments in the warrant, which was filed in Seattle this week. Apple's systems are using 'hashes' to identify photos and videos in message that may contain the illicit content, which are then flagged and quarantined for further investigation (stock) WHAT ARE 'HASHES'? Forbes notes that it is not the staff that is sifting through emails, but a system that uses the same technology as Facebook, Twitter and Google employ to locate child abusers. The technology works by creating a unique fingerprint, called a 'hash', for each image reported to the foundation, which are then passed on to internet companies to be automatically removed from the net. Once an email has been targeted, a human employee will then look at the content of the file and analyze the message to determine if it should be handed over to the right authorities. Advertisement 'This individual . . . sent eight emails that we intercepted. [Seven] of those emails contained 12 images.' 'All seven emails and images were the same, as was the recipient email address.' 'The other email contained 4 images which were different than the 12 previously mentioned.' 'The intended recipient was the same.' 'I suspect what happened was he was sending these images to himself and when they didn't deliver, he sent them again repeatedly. Either that or he got word from the recipient that they did not get delivered.' The Apple employee then examined each of these images of suspected child pornography, according to the special agent at the Homeland Security Investigations unit. The uncovered warrant shows that Apple is willing to join forces with officials, although it has pushed back in other ways in the past. Last month, President Donald Trump accused Apple of refusing to unlock iPhones used by criminals one day after his attorney general demanded that the company help FBI investigators gain access to devices used by the gunman in a mass shooting at a Florida Navy base. 'We are helping Apple all of the time on TRADE and so many other issues, and yet they refuse to unlock phones used by killers, drug dealers and other violent criminal elements,' Trump wrote on Twitter Tuesday. 'They will have to step up to the plate and help our great Country, NOW!' The tweet came on the heels of US Attorney General William Barr's call for Apple to cooperate with the FBI - which has been struggling to get past the encryption on two iPhones belonging to Saudi military trainee Mohammed Alshamrani. Another instance occurred in 2016, when the tech giant refused to unlock the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino shooters, claiming it would undermine encryption by creating a backdoor that could potentially be used on other future devices. Despite coal production being hampered at Dipka mines due to prolonged rains, Coal India Ltd will exceed last year's production figures, a top coal ministry official said here on Tuesday Hyderabad: Despite coal production being hampered at Dipka mines due to prolonged rains, Coal India Ltd will exceed last year's production figures, a top coal ministry official said here on Tuesday. In 2018-19, Coal India produced 606.89 million tonnes (MT), while dispatch was at 608.14 MT. "Coal India's production was nearly minus 8 percent till October. So in the last few months the coal production has caught up. Now it has just minus 3.5 percent. And it will go on to be plus at the end of the year. It is going to be healthy percentage over last year's (figures)," Secretary of Coal Ministry, Anil Kumar Jain told PTI on the sidelines of Energise 2020 a biennial conclave. CIL, which accounts for over 80 percent of the domestic production, saw its output decline by six percent to 241 MT in April-September on account of monsoon. "In fact it would be the highest ever in the country," Jain added. Replying to a query on the spinning of Coal India Ltd subsidiaries into five entities, Jain said though there were some discussions held earlier in that direction, there is no fresh development. "At the moment that is the decision (Coal India remains as it is)," he said. On the overall coal scenario in the country, the official said the production this year will exceed that of last year, though there was some impact due to rains, by the end of the current fiscal it will be covered up. "So we will be exceeding the last year production numbers with a healthy surplus. There has been a setback because one of the largest mines and the largest mine in Asia Deepika that has been flooded. So that has impacted the production. But the coal scenario is very healthy in the country. Stocks at the power plants and mines are much higher than the same period last year," he explained. In September, a non-perennial, seasonal river Lilagarh breached its embankment and flooded the lower benches of Dipka opencast mine of SECL (South Eastern Coalfields), one of the largest open cast mines of CIL with a production capacity of 35 MT per annum. Boris Johnson described the proposal as a "very interesting idea" before adding watch this space. (Getty Images) Boris Johnson's revived plans to build a 20 billion bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland are possible and will lead to the prosperity of the country, according to experts. The construction of a bridge/tunnel at the 20-mile gap between Northern Ireland and Scotland has been modelled on the Oresund Bridge, a bridge which runs for five miles across the Oresund strait between Sweden and Denmark. Ministers are actively looking into the idea, according to Downing Street, with Boris Johnson describing the proposal as a "very interesting idea" before adding watch this space Ireland's Leo Varadkar has said it was "worth examining", but insisted the UK must pay for it, while Scotlands Nicola Sturgeon said there were "more important priorities". While some engineering experts branded the proposed plans a "huge risk" because of the potentially live munitions which were dumped in the area shortly after WWII. Engineers are understood to have come up with the idea of a bridge-tunnel split as a way of dealing with Beaufort's Dyke, the UK's largest offshore dump site for munitions after the Second World War. A graphic showing the two proposed locations where the bridge would link Scotland and Northern Ireland. (PA graphics) The big unknown Alisdar Reisner, the Chief Executive for the Civil Engineering Contractors Association told Yahoo News that if the ambitious proposal were to go ahead it would not only be the "most significant bridge building projects the world has ever seen" but a dangerous endeavour because of what lies beneath the treacherous waters. "What poses the biggest risk is the World War Two munitions, which is a big unknown, we don't know what condition they are in. Beaufort's Dyke - a trench between Northern Ireland and Scotland within the Irish Channel- is the UK's largest offshore dump site for conventional and chemical munitions after the Second World War. The Ministry of Defence says more than one million tons of weapons were jettisoned there, though some are known to have been dumped short of the Dyke in shallow coastal waters. Story continues The area has been described as an "undersea ticking time bomb" In a BBC report from 2004, Michael Fellows, a former Royal Navy diver, says the weapons, jettisoned in the Irish Sea, are "liable to go bang". The government say that to deal with this issue they have come up with the idea of a bridge-tunnel split. Ireland's Leo Varadkar said the idea of building a bridge between Northern Ireland and Scotland was "worth examining", but insisted the UK must pay for it". (AP) Under one version of Mr Johnson's plan, the bridge would run from the Scottish coast over the trench, before becoming a tunnel for the final stretch to Northern Ireland. But Reisner feels that building in this territory would be extremely dangerous. "There are tonnes and tonnes of munitions down there and we don't know what will happen if building commences there. "If I were a betting man, I would say that it won't go ahead, the possible live munitions being the probable reason it won't happen because of the danger and risk, particularly during building. "The sea they plan to build through is very deep, hundreds of metres deep. The construction of a bridge/tunnel at the 20-mile gap between Northern Ireland and Scotland has been modelled on the Oresund Bridge, here during construction, which runs for five miles across the Oresund strait between Sweden and Denmark. (AP) "You've got to build islands to build the bridge on, so the islands would need to be the height of a skyscraper, in what is a pretty treacherous piece of water. From a structural point of view, it's a great idea However Wanda Lewis, an expert in structural engineering and professor at the University of Warwick says that any project that would stimulate research into construction methods and possibly new materials is bound to be good and lead to the prosperity of the country. Structurally it is possible to build something like that, she told Yahoo News. The cost of building the foundations would be unpredictable but we are talking about a large timescale. The thing we need to talk about cost effectiveness. It will likely be a cable-fitted structure but the waters are very deep, with high winds. When asked about the possibility of danger while building the bridge, she said: I doubt that the ammunition is live but concrete is the ideal material to use to encase it. Its been seventy years since they were dumped there, they would need to conduct an explosion risk assessment. She pointed out that nuclear reactors are encased in concrete, although doing the same thing with Beaufort's Dyke is not environmentally friendly because it uses up a lot of Co2. But she says from a structural point of view, that it's a great idea. Anything that builds a bridge between nations is a good thing. Anything is possible if you throw enough money at it Ian Firth, a fellow at the Institution of Civil Engineers, said there were a huge number of technical challenges in Boris Johnsons proposal to link Scotland and Northern Ireland. But he said anything is possible if you throw enough money at it and that such a structure could be built within 15 years. My own feeling is that it ought to be possible because at the end of the day its about money anything is possible if you throw enough money at it, Mr Firth said. It has a huge number of technical challenges but thats what us engineers are in the business of solving. Im a great believer in the possible. Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit LANSING, MI Two otter pups weighing about one-quarter of a pound each were born in Lansing over the weekend. Potter Park Zoo welcomed the pups of otters Nkeke and Miles on Sunday, Feb. 9, according to a news release from the zoo. The zoo also recently celebrated the birth of black rhino. It has been an eventful winter at Potter Park Zoo with the birth of Jaali, an eastern black rhino, and now two North American river otters, said Cynthia Wagner, zoo director. We are excited to share these births with the community. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit Like all otters, the tiny pups were born with fur on their bodies and their eyes closed. Their eyes will open around 10 days old. They will learn to swim from Nkeke sometime after theyre a month old. Don't Edit Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit The pups had their first veterinary exam on Monday with Dr. Ronan Eustace, Potter Park Zoo director of animal health and an adjunct professor at Michigan State University. The quick physical exam checked for any abnormalities or injuries. They both look healthy and are nursing well, Eustace said. Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit Both pups were also weighed. One came in at 106 grams, just under one-quarter of a pound; and the other weighed 118 grams, just over one-quarter of a pound, he said. Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit Don't Edit Nkeke and the pups will be monitored closely during the next few months, during which time they were not be on exhibit, the release said. The father, Miles, can be seen now. Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit In 2013, Miles became the first otter pup born at the zoo. Nkeke arrived at Potter Park in 2016 from Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island. The pairing of Nkeke and Miles is part of the North American River Otter Species Survival Plan by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. This is the second successful birth for the pair. Don't Edit Courtesy of Potter Park Zoo Don't Edit Otter gestation takes about 60 days. Zoo staff saw signs that Nkeke might be pregnant during the past month. Animal care staff was prepared for the birth and captured it through a video camera monitoring system. Don't Edit Don't Edit READ MORE Baby black rhino at Michigan's Potter Park Zoo has a name U.P town to welcome 180-plus sled dogs for CopperDog races Donated land to add to Northern Michigan snowmobile trail system Free Fishing Weekend is coming up with new three-day schedule BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Rufiz Hafizoglu - Trend: Exports of Turkey's defense products to Azerbaijan amounted to $62,110 in January 2020, having decreased by 79.77 percent, compared to January 2019, Trend reports with reference to the Turkish Trade Ministry. Exports of Turkey's defense industry exceeded $166.9 million in January 2020, having decreased by 4.3 percent, compared to January 2019. Exports of defense products accounted for 1.1 percent of Turkey's total exports in January 2020. Export of defense products from Turkey to Azerbaijan increased by 39.85 percent in 2019 compared to the same period of 2018, exceeding $88.6 million. In December 2019, Turkeys export of defense products to Azerbaijan increased by 103.03 percent compared to December 2018, and exceeded $52.6 million. --- Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu " " Should you pop that blister or let it ride? katleho Seisa/Getty Images Work in the yard without gloves or don a stiff new pair of shoes and you're likely to wind up with an unwanted bodily addition a blister. There are a bunch of ways to cause a blister, including friction (such as when something repeatedly rubs up against the skin), as well as allergies and exposure to heat, cold and chemicals. These annoying and unsightly bubbles of clear, watery fluid (which is called serum, by the way) might look tempting to pop, but is it a good idea to do it? Dermatologist Dr. Erum Ilyas, who is based near Philadephia, says she gets that question from patients all the time. "The answer overall is yes," she says via email. "It is reasonable to pop a blister for one big reason: the soreness or tenderness that comes from blisters is from the pressure of the fluid in the blister. Until this pressure is released, it will not have a chance to heal." Advertisement She adds that if you don't pop the blister, it might burst on its own anyway from day-to-day activities. "If this happens in an uncontrolled setting it may put you at a higher risk for infection." So how do you do it? Follow these simple steps provided by Dr. Peterson Pierre of the Pierre Skin Care Institute in Thousand Oaks, California, to achieve the safest outcome possible: Wash the affected area with soap and water. Using a sterile needle, safety pin or pair of medical scissors, gently poke the blister. Most of the fluid should leak out easily. If it doesn't, it's not ready to be popped. Apply soft pressure to ensure that all of the serum is released. Dress the area with a pressure bandage to prevent fluid from reaccumulating in the blister. This also protects the skin and helps the area heal. Although some doctors recommend applying antibiotic cream, Pierre says to steer clear. "In fact, products like Neosporin can irritate the area, he says via email. "Vaseline or Aquaphor with the bandage is sufficient to provide an environment conducive to rapid healing." Whatever you do during the popping process and in the delicate days after, do not peel off the outermost thin layer of skin that remains. "When you release the fluid underneath, the tense blister will 'deflate' and the overlying blister skin will fall like a parachute into the eroded skin beneath, and act as a natural bandage. A new epidermal layer will grow and fill in underneath," emails Beverly Hills-based dermatologist Dr. Tsippora Shainhouse with SkinSafe Dermatology and Skin Care. For those of you not in the frame of mind to pop, she notes that blisters often resolve on their own, provided you remove "the inducing friction/trauma," meaning for instance, not wearing shoes that caused or irritate the blister. This advice about popping blisters applies to situations where you know what caused them. "If you are developing blisters and you do not know why, it's important to see a dermatologist as there are a number of blistering skin diseases that are autoimmune in origin that may need to be managed with other medications to treat and prevent," says Ilyas. Now That's Cool Ever wondered where blister fluid comes from, anyway? When the skin is injured, nearby tissues react by leaking serum, which is intended to act as natural protection for the skin. Advertisement Originally Published: Feb 11, 2020 How and When to Enter Day Trades & Swing Trade For Maximum Gains Another interesting session for stocks and commodities and it allows me to share a day trading secret with you as well. This secret not only is a gold mine for day traders but it also helps with timing your entry and exits as a swing trader. Today stocks opened lower and during pre-market hours it was looking really bearish, but once the 9:30 opening bell rang buyers flooded the market and drove the prices higher all session forming the typical intraday price action that happens during strong trending days. I did a video on this year ago which Ill share the link but take a look at todays intraday price action, then watch this video as its a day traders DREAM FREE MONEY! TODAYS SP500 INDEX CHART: NORMAL INTRADAY PRICE TENDS DURING STRONG MARKETS Join my Swing Trading ETF Wealth Building Newsletter if you like what you read here and ride my coattails as I navigate these financia l markets and build wealth while others lose nearly everything they own. Join my Swing Trading ETF Wealth Building Newsletter if you like what you read here 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. Environmentalists hailed the passage of a statewide plastic bag ban in the 2019 state budget process as a major step towards making New York more environmentally sustainable, but some are increasingly worried the ban might not live up to its hype after the law takes effect on March 1. Proposed regulations by the state Department of Environmental Conservation would allow plastic bags that are thicker than 10 mils one-hundredth of an inch as well as additional exemptions for businesses based on the use and circumstances surrounding compliance with the new limits. Environmentalists say these loopholes could undermine the effectiveness of the ban in ways that a strict reading of the original legislation would not allow, while a key industry group says the new restrictions in New York threaten manufacturers bottom line. So, depending on whom you talk to, the new limits on plastic bags are either just right, too lenient or not strict enough to push consumers to rely on reusable bags moving forward. Here are four questions that can help you judge for yourself. Is it a ban on all plastic bags? The legislation passed by lawmakers last year was not a complete ban on plastic bags statewide. Disposable bags can still be provided by stores for things like uncooked fish, vegetables, sliced meats, newspapers, trash bags and restaurant takeout orders. Environmentalists are not fans of a regulation proposed by the department which would allow it to grant exemptions to businesses if there is no reasonable or practical alternative for storing, containing or transporting item. What remains unclear, according to environmentalists, is whether the ban was written in a way that would only allow bodegas, gas stations and convenience stores to provide plastic bags free-of-charge for all purchases or simply those involving food service. We urge (the department) to clarify this to ensure that small stores and gas stations that serve food will not be exempt from the plastic bag ban, reads a Jan. 31 letter to department Commissioner Basil Seggos from more than 60 environmental advocacy organizations. The department considers bodegas, delis and similar businesses to be subject to the ban taking effect March 1, according to a spokeswoman. In order to incentivize the use of reusable bags, the new law also grants local governments the ability to approve a 5-cent charge on paper bags, the proceeds of which would partly go to a fund to help low-income people get reusable bags, which manufacturers warn are in short supply. Is the state allowing bags that are too thick, or not thick enough? The thinner the plastic bag, the cheaper it is to manufacture. So it should come as no surprise that manufacturers are not fans of regulations proposed by the department that would ban bags (besides those from exempted categories) that are less than 10-mil thick, about 20 times thicker than a typical shopping bag. Ten-mil thick shopping bags (which would on par with industrial plastic sheeting) are not currently manufactured anywhere and the department contends that they would be too expensive to give away even if plastics companies began making them. The new thickness standard was developed through a review of industry standards which define film plastic the type of plastic used in shopping bags as anything less than that standard, as well as an examination of plastic bag bans in other states and cities, according to a department spokeswoman. Environmentalists' concerns are misplaced on the issue, Seggos told City & State in a recent interview. There's really no basis to the criticism, he said. Its twice or three times as thick as a Macy's bag. Critics, however, say that retailers have turned to thicker bags in the past to get around bans including those in Ulster County, where the limit was set at 4 mil. The 10-mil standard does decrease the scope of the bag ban, which environmentalists note, in theory, be later exploited by the plastics industry in the future to promote thicker bags or simply push lawmakers or regulators to decrease in the years ahead. Manufacturers for their part, have tried to add an environmentally-friendly spin to their arguments that the state would ideally move closer to a 2.25-mil standard that some say makes a bag reusable, though bag thickness is not the sole criterion. We don't advocate for the use of more material or more energy to produce a product that we manufacture, said Matt Seaholm, executive director of the American Recyclable Plastic Bag Alliance. That's just not sustainable. It doesn't make sense. Could we make more money off of a thicker bag? Sure. But that's not the right way to do business and it's certainly not good for the environment. So if a business claims hardship, they can get an exception? The department went outside the letter of the law in two ways, according to environmentalists. The first was by proposing the 10 mil thickness standard. The second was by creating wiggle room within the ban that went beyond what the original legislation outlined to assuage concerns from retailers. One example offered by Seggos has been the idea that pet stores need plastic bags to sell goldfish. Other exemptions could be determined at a later time if the regulations take effect in the end. The more avenues for exemptions, the more the original spirit of the ban is undermined, according to Liz Moran, environmental policy director of the New York Public Interest Research Group. There's a legal issue here, she said. Really, the intent is no plastic bags. Whats at stake? More than 20 billion plastic bags are used every year by New Yorkers, many for just minutes. The legislation has both a concrete goal, limiting the amount of plastic bags in landfills and across the landscape as well as the loftier goal of endowing people across the state with a great appreciation of how environmental conservation can be promoted in their daily lives. Seaholm said that New York makes up about 6% of the national market for plastic bags and the more restrictive a ban that the state imposes, the more it will hurt the companies the association represents, especially since differents states and local governments are adopting different standards which complicates the industrys ability to comply. It's tough to exactly quantify, Seaholm said of the New York bans likely effect. You have to imagine if New York sets this standard, it will continue to move to other states. Environmentalists say that is precisely the point, but they are not the only ones who get a say in what does and does not count in the ban. A celebrity chef has created an anti-Valentine's Day degustation menu that comes complete with a luxurious four course and a dead rose. Opel Khan - the owner of Metisse restaurant in Potts Point, inner Sydney - said love should be celebrated all year round, not just on February 14. And so the restaurateur is rebelling against the day of love by serving couples his ultimate 'Dead Love Degustation', paired with wines and a dead rose for just $99. Celebrity chef Opel Khan (pictured) who's the Sydney owner of Metisse restaurant has created an anti-Valentine's Day degustation menu that comes complete with a dead rose The degustation begins with a 'playful tease', a swordfish carpaccio puffed rice beetroot gel (pictured) The author of Sex in the Kitchen said he knows all there is to know about the 'interweaving of food and love'. 'Food is love. It's a sensual experience. Cooking is passion. My food is French, the most romantic cuisine in the world,' Khan said. 'It should be celebrated all the time, not just on one special day.' The menu, which is available through to the end of February, features a seductive four-course degustation experience of its classic French cuisines with a modern twist, paired with a captivating collection of wines. The degustation begins with a 'playful tease', a swordfish carpaccio puffed rice beetroot gel paired with a Clomarin Picpoul de Pinet from south-west France. The menu features a seductive four-course degustation experience of its classic French cuisines with a modern twist, paired with a captivating collection of wines Every couple will be given a dead rose on arrival to celebrate anti-Valentine's Day Next, couples are served a burrata wrapped in air-dried beef with Australian bush honey which promises to 'excite taste buds'. The third course includes a 'mischievous' rework of duck a l'Orange paired with a Santa Duc Grenache Syrah from Vaucluse, France. To finish, there's an aphrodisiac classic, a symphony of chocolate. 'There is no greater disappointment than fake love. I want people to experience true love,' Khan said. But for those who do celebrate Valentine's Day, the restaurant is offering couples a special degustation of its romantic French cuisine, complete with a fresh red rose. Metisse is a 'bold and progressive French restaurant', with an impressive all-French team of chefs with nine Michelin stars between them. New Delhi, Feb 11 : It has been around two months since the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act and the National Register of Citizens started at Shaheen Bagh that attracted eyeballs from across the world. The protest entered its 59th day on Tuesday, and a hearing in this regard is scheduled on February 17 in the Supreme Court. But the question is, would these women end their protest as other people living in the locality are facing problems due to the demonstration. The protest is causing traffic congestion and traffic jams during peak hours. However, the 59th day was quite different for these women. A place where there was a chorus going on since the last 58 days witnessed "silence" on Tuesday. The protesting women observed a vow of silence. "We will leave this place only when this 'black law' is revoked, no matter what happens to us. If the government is that concerned then it should give us space near Parliament. We will protest there and will also be safe there," said Heena Ahmed, a protester. She added: "How were Jamia students beaten up yesterday? How did the government and administration show such inhumanity?" It (government) should not be worried about our food, we'll arrange it any how, she added. Another protester Fatima also refused to leave Shaheen Bagh till the government met their demand. "We won't go anywhere and will continue our protest here only. Any single person's decision won't affect us, all the women sitting here will collectively take any decision," she said. This is a collective protest, we are sitting here since a long time and will not weaken easily, Fatima added. Celebrations mark day that Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini returned from exile and overthrew the shahs last government. Tens of thousands of Iranians have poured into the streets of Tehran and other cities to commemorate the 41st anniversary of the Islamic revolution, against a backdrop of escalating tensions with the United States. Waving flags of Iran and holding portraits of the founder of the Islamic republic, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, they converged on Tehrans Azadi Square on Tuesday despite chilly temperatures. Death to America and We will resist until the end, read some of the banners carried by those in the crowd. Speaking at the rally, Irans President Hassan Rouhani said the US finds it unbearable that the Islamic revolution remains in place 41 years after bringing down US ally the shah. It is unbearable for the United States to accept the victory of a great nation and that a superpower has been driven out of this land, Rouhani said It is natural for them to have dreamt, for 41 years, of returning to this land, because they know that we are one of the most powerful countries in the Middle East, he added. The celebrations mark the day that Shia leader Khomeini returned from exile and overthrew the shahs last government. The state has appealed for a strong turnout as a show of solidarity after a year in which Iran has been shaken by protests and military tensions with the US. Securing our country and our region depends on our unity, and participation in this rally is a symbol of this unity, Hadi Khamenei, the brother of Irans supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on state television. Irans economy has been battered since US President Donald Trump in 2018 abandoned an international nuclear deal and reimposed sanctions and a stated campaign of maximum pressure. When Iran raised petrol prices in November, nationwide protests erupted and turned violent before security forces put them down amid a near-total internet blackout. Tensions with Washington escalated in early January when a US drone strike killed powerful Iranian General Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad. Iran retaliated by targeting US forces but then accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner, killing all 176 people on board, in a tragedy that sparked anger at home and abroad. This years anniversary also comes ahead of crucial parliamentary elections in Iran. The alliance of moderates and reformers that propelled Rouhani to power in 2013 is scrambling to avoid losing its majority in the February 21 election. Rouhanis government has come under intense pressure from conservatives for agreeing to the 2015 nuclear deal that has unravelled since Trumps decision to withdraw from it and reimpose crippling sanctions. BCC Hires New Faculty, Staff, Reorganizes Staff Positions PITTSFIELD, Mass. Berkshire Community College has hired new faculty and staff on campus. Dr. Emily Williams has been hired as special assistant to the Human Resources director. Williams holds a master of arts degree from Virginia Commonwealth University and a Ph.D. from Clark Atlanta University. She received a certificate in management and leadership in education from Harvard University. Williams has worked in academia since 1990 in various capacities as provost/vice president of academic affairs, academic dean, department chair, and tenured professor. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship in the early 2000s to the University of the West Indies (Mona Campus, Kingston). Williams has published six books with two additional works currently under contract. Dr. Jose Colmenares has been hired as an associate professor of engineering at the college. Previously, Colmenares taught at Farmingdale State College and worked in the engineering industry for nine years on research and development of engineered industrial coatings. He has earned his undergraduate degree in mechanical engineering studies at Universidad Central de Venezuela in Caracas, and his Ph.D. in materials sciences from SUNY Stony Brook. Nolan Fernandez has been hired as the special programs coordinator for the STEM Starter Academy. Fernandez is an alum of the college, having received his degree in biology before earning his bachelor's and master's degrees from UMass Amherst. Fernandez previously worked and ran the mosquito control program for the town of Nantucket. Colleen Hunkler has been hired as the Special Programs coordinator: data analyst nursing at the college. Hunkler has worked with the college in the past as a clinical adjunct instructor. Hunkler has many years of nursing experience in long term care and acute care as well as Informatics and IT experience. She received her bachelor of science in nursing degree from UMass Amherst and her associate's degree in nursing from BCC. Kara Potter has been hired as an assistant professor of nursing and has previously worked as a clinical adjunct instructor with the college's ADN program. Potter has experience in both long term care and acute care. She also currently works at Berkshire Medical Center and has been teaching in the evening Certified Nursing Assistant program. Potter earned her bachelor of science in nursing degree from Drexel University and her associate's degree in nursing from Southern Vermont College. Robin Cookis, another BCC alum of the ADN program, has been hired as an assistant professor of nursing. Cookis has worked in many different roles at BMC for years but most currently on the stroke unit. She also teaches in the evening CNA program. Cookis received her bachelor of science degree from the Elms College. Queen Elizabeth II's oldest grandson Peter Phillips on Tuesday announced that he and his Canadian wife Autumn have separated and will file for divorce. Phillips, 42, the son of the Queen's daughter Princess Anne, confirmed the separation from his wife and that they will share custody of their children Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven. "They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship. The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and although sad, is an amicable one," their joint statement read. "Peter and Autumn have requested privacy and compassion for their children while the family continues to adapt to these changes," it said. Phillips met Canadian management consultant Autumn Kelly, 41, at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal in 2003, while he was working for Formula One. Some reports suggest Kelly might intend to move back to Canada after the divorce. The couple told the Queen and other royal family members about their decision to separate last year and both of their families were said to be "sad" but "fully supportive" of the decision to "co-parent", the statement added. It would make Phillips, the Queen's first grandchild to divorce. While he is a member of the royal family, he is not a working royal and does not have a royal title because he is descended from the female line. He refused the offer of an Earldom when he married so his children do not have courtesy titles. The couple married in 2008 in St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding would take place 10 years later and brought up their children in Gloucestershire. Before the wedding, Autumn Phillips gave up her Catholic faith, a move which allowed Peter Phillips to retain his right to the throne under the rules of the UK's succession rules. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The BJP failed to make much impact in constituencies where its leaders made controversial remarks while targeting their opponents during campaigning for the Delhi assembly polls. Only three seats, which were among 12 constituencies where Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath addressed rallies, were bagged by the BJP. The party won 8 seats as against 62 by the AAP. During his hectic campaign schedule which stretched over four days, he addressed rallies for BJP candidates in Patparganj, Kirari, Mehrauli, Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Tughlakabad, Vikaspuri, Rohini, Karawal Nagar, Jahangirpuri and Badarpur. The firebrand BJP leader kept the protesters at Shaheen Bagh in crosshair at each rally and alleged that the AAP government had been supplying them "biryani", for which the Election Commission issued him a notice. Barring Badarpur, Karawal Nagar and Rohini, where BJP's Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Mohan Singh Bisht and Vijender Gupta emerged victorious, the party candidates were humbled by opponents from the AAP. In Janakpuri, where BJP MP from West Delhi Parvesh Verma made a controversial remark during a rally, the BJP candidate, Ashish Sood, lost to AAP's Rajesh Rishi by 14,917 votes. "What happened in Kashmir with Kashmiri Pandits could happen in Delhi also. Lakhs of people gather at Shaheen Bagh, they could enter houses rape and kill your sisters and daughters. The people need to decide now," Verma had said. The Election Commission had barred Verma from campaigning for four days over the remarks. Shaheen Bagh, a key anti-CAA protest site in south Delhi, had taken a centre stage in the BJP's poll campaign. Verma's uncle and the party's candidate from Mundka, Azad Singh, lost to AAP's Dharampal Lakra by 19,158 votes. In Rithala, where Union minister Anurag Thakur made the infamous "desh ke gaddaron ko" remark, AAP's Mohinder Goyal trounced BJP's Manish Chaudhary by 13,817 votes. The BJP candidate from Model Town, Kapil Mishra, who was barred from campaigning for 48 hours for his controversial tweet likening the elections to an "India versus Pakistan match", lost to AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Aam Aadmi Party's huge victory in the Delhi Assembly elections is being seen as a setback to the BJP. That the electorate of Delhi refused to get swayed by the saffron party's virulent anti-Muslim tirade is in itself commendable. However, the fact remains that despite its remarkable achievements in delivering a host of services, the AAP could not prevent the BJP from registering a growth in its vote share. The poll outcome reminded me of a cynical remark made by a friend, who asserted that if the BJP manages to increase its tally beyond 3, the elections must be regarded as ... Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Cabral Gold Inc. (TSXV: CBR) ("Cabral" or the "Company") is pleased to provide initial results from reconnaissance surface sampling within the largely unexplored eastern part of the Cuiu Cuiu Project area which resulted in the identification of a new and previously unknown high-grade target called Alonso. Highlights Twenty-three rock samples collected from surface boulders at the previously unknown Alonso target returned gold values ranging from 11.6 to 200.3 g/t gold and average 91.7 g/t gold (Table 1). The boulders are all angular blocks and are believed to have originated from a nearby source The Alonso prospect is located 3km SE of the MG gold deposit (Figure 1). It was not previously known and is associated with a pronounced WNW trending magnetic anomaly Additional blocks/boulders of quartz vein material have also been identified 100 to 950m WSW of the discovery location. In addition, streams draining the area to the west up to 1.5km from the discovery location, are all highly anomalous in gold Alan Carter, President & CEO stated "These surface results from the new and previously unknown Alonso target located just 3km SE of the MG gold deposit, are truly spectacular and unprecedented in our exploration efforts at Cuiu Cuiu. Whilst I must stress that it is very early days for this target, the fact that we are finding highly anomalous levels of gold in streams up to 1.5km west of the discovery location suggests this target could be very significant. These results, together with our recent drill results from MG and Central, confirm the presence of significant high-grade mineralization at Cuiu Cuiu. I would like to personally congratulate Cabral's exploration team on the identification of an exciting new target". Sample ID Gold (g/t) Sample ID Gold (g/t) Sample ID Gold (g/t) 30003 88.9 30012 116.6 30021 93.5 30004 58.0 30013 85.8 30022 122.3 30005 117.4 30014 32.2 30023 156.9 30006 90.9 30015 158.1 30024 63.9 30007 88.7 30016 50.9 30025 200.3 30008 67.4 30017 67.5 30026 58.2 30010 84.2 30018 102.7 30027 11.6 30011 23.6 30019 178.3 Average = 91.7 Table 1: Gold values from all rock float samples collected at the Alonso target Background The Cuiu Cuiu gold project is a district located within eastern Para that was one of the largest historic producers of placer gold during the Tapajos gold rush which lasted from 1978 to 1995. Cabral has 43-101 compliant resources on the project based on historic drilling completed between 2006 and 2012 over the MG and Central deposits, of 5.9Mt @ 0.90g/t (200,000 oz) and Inferred resources of 19.5Mt @ 1.24g/t (800,000 oz). Cabral commenced work on the project in early 2018 and completed two drill programs during 2019 which resulted in at least two high-grade discoveries at Machichie (3.4m @ 36.9 g/t gold) and Morro de Lua (2.8m @ 19.5 g/t gold). In addition, recent drilling completed during late 2019 at the MG and Central deposits returned 7.6m @ 18.5 g/t gold and 5.6m @ 13.0 g/t gold and has clearly demonstrated the continuity of high-grade mineralization down-dip and along strike (see press releases dated 7th November 2019 and 20th January 2020). Alonso Target In parallel with these drilling efforts, Cabral's exploration team have continued to explore the wider district via a combination of regional soil sampling, shallow auger sampling and basic prospecting of drainages. The focus of this work has been on the determination of a source for coarse angular gold nuggets in the Cilmar area located 9km to the NNE. The identification of the Alonso target 3km SE of the MG deposit (Figure 1) was a direct result of these regional exploration efforts. Figure 1: Cuiu Cuiu location map showing existing deposits at MG and Central, drill holes, targets and location of new Alonso target. Background is RTP airborne magnetic data To view an enhanced version of Figure 1, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/52255_cabral.jpg The presence of a significant WSW trending magnetic anomaly and the recent identification of placer gold in the main drainage at Alonso drew Cabral's geologists to the area. The Cabral team identified the presence of extensive angular quartz vein boulder float with visible gold over an interval of 30m beside the drainage. Twenty-three samples of this float material were collected and returned gold values of 11.6 to 200.3 g/t gold. No samples returned less than 11.6 g/t gold. The concentration of angular quartz vein float material with visible gold suggests that the source could be very close by. Regional soil sampling of this eastern part of the Cuiu Cuiu Project area during 2007 was completed at 1km E-W line spacing and resulted in a single anomalous sample of 25ppb gold approximately 140m west of the discovery occurrence. Follow up sampling has also identified identical boulders of quartz vein float material on surface from 100 to 950m WSW of the Alonso discovery occurrence associated with the pronounced WSW-trending magnetic anomaly (Figure 2). Assay results are pending on these float samples. More recently stream sediment sampling of streams draining the western extension of the magnetic anomaly has resulted in highly anomalous gold counts and coarse gold nuggets in the pan within stream sediments 1 to 1.5km west of the Alonso discovery occurrence, possibly suggesting it could be a significant mineralized structure. Figure 2: Detailed RTP magnetic map showing of the new Alonso target with location of quartz vein boulders and anomalous streams with gold up to 1.5km to the west. To view an enhanced version of Figure 2, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3900/52255_6c01e6f6d4c1680a_003full.jpg Future Work Cabral's exploration team is working to determine the size of the footprint of the Alonso target and is engaged in a detailed soil sampling grid over the target as well as more detailed stream sediment sampling. Shallow auger drilling may also be required in advance of drilling in the event that post-mineral cover is identified over the area. About Cabral Gold Inc. The Company is a junior resource company and is engaged in the identification, exploration and development of mineral properties, with a primary focus on gold properties located in Brazil. The Company owns the Cuiu Cuiu gold project located in the Tapajos Region within the state of Para in northern Brazil. The Tapajos Gold Province is the site of the largest gold rush in Brazil's history producing an estimated 30 to 50 million ounces of placer gold between 1978 and 1995. Cuiu Cuiu was the largest garimpo in the Tapajos and produced an estimate 2Moz of placer gold historically. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: "Alan Carter" President and Chief Executive Officer Cabral Gold Inc. Tel: 604.676.5660 Dr Adrian McArthur, B.Sc. Hons, PhD. FAusIMM., a consultant to the Company as well as a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, supervised the preparation of the technical information in this news release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Forward-looking Statements This news release contains certain forward-looking information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation (collectively "forward-looking statements"). The use of the words "will", "expected" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should not be unduly relied upon. This news release contains forward-looking statements and assumptions pertaining to the following: strategic plans and future operations, and results of exploration. Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other factors. The Company believes the expectations reflected in those forward-looking statements are reasonable, but no assurance can be given that these expectations will prove to be correct. Notes Gold analysis has been conducted by SGS method FAA505 (fire assay of 50g charge), with higher grade samples checked by FAA525. Analytical quality is monitored by certified references and blanks. Until dispatch, samples are stored in the company's supervised exploration office. The samples are couriered to the assay laboratory using a commercial contractor. Pulps and rejects are returned to the Company and archived. Drilling results are reported as down-hole length weighted intersections. Gold counts in pan concentrates from drainage samples are derived from a set volume (20 litres) of sands and gravels. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52255 New Delhi, Feb 11 : The AAP's victory in Delhi assembly polls has yet again brought the focus on election strategist Prashant Kishor and his firm Indian Political Action Committee (I-PAC), which first changed the contours of political campaigning by introducing Narendra Modi's famous 'chai pe charcha' campaign in 2014 Lok Sabha polls. Kishor had joined hands with the AAP in December last year, and he advised the party to not respond to the negative campaigning of the BJP, which were focussed more on the anti-CAA protests in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. Latest trends received by the afternoon showed Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leading on 62 out of 70 seats in Delhi. The AAP had won 67 seats in the 2015 Assembly polls. Following the trends, Kishor took to Twitter to write: "Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India." Kishor, who joined the Janata Dal-United in September 2018, was expelled from the party last month for speaking against the controversial Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC). He designed the campaign for Delhi elections, focusing on the works done by the Kejriwal-led AAP in education as well as the health sector highlighting the classrooms and schools with swimming polls and the Mohalla clinics. The I-PAC sources said that even the AAP's theme song, which was composed by noted Bollywood music director Vishal Dadlani, was made "Lage Raho Kejriwal" highlighting the government's work. During the 2015 Assembly polls, the AAP's campaign song was titled "5 saal Kejriwal". According to the I-PAC team placed at the residence of Kejriwal during campaigning, Kishor has highlighted 15 seats with the negative outlook. Instrumental in stitching then BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Modi's famous 'chai pe charcha' campaign, he once again proved his mettle in the Delhi Assembly elections. Before the Delhi Assembly polls, Kishor's I-PAC has designed campaigns for Nitish Kumar's JD-U which fought the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls in alliance with the Lalu Prasad-led RJD and the Congress, for Congress in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh in 2017, for the Trinamool Congress in West Bengal bypolls in 2019 and for Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh in 2019. Except the results of the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections, the I-PAC has never let down its clients. In the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, the Congress which joined hands with the Akhilesh Yadav-led Samajwadi Party was decimated. During the Bihar assembly polls, Kishor had brought the theme song for the assembly polls, 'Ghar Ghar Nitishe', while in the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls, it highlighted the 'ladke of UP'. Kishor had also organised the 'khat pe charcha' programme for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the assembly polls in the Uttar Pradesh. He then brought 'Coffee pe charcha' campaign during the Punjab assembly polls involving Captain Amarinder Singh. Meanwhile, most recently, his team gave one of the most impressive victories for the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress in West Bengal's assembly by-polls where it managed to win on all the four seats. Similarly, he stitched a sweet victory in Andhra Pradesh for Reddy who defeated N. Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party's (TDP) in the Assembly polls with a huge margin. The DMK said earlier this month said it has signed up Kishor's I-PAC to help shape its campaign for the Tamil Nadu Assembly elections next year. India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said. New Delhi: India is set to give final approval to a $2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is trying to pull out all the stops for Trumps trip in a bid to reaffirm strategic ties between the two countries, which have been buffeted by sharp differences over trade, to counter China. Indias defence purchases from the United States have reached $17 billion since 2007 as it has pivoted away from traditional supplier Russia, looking to modernise its military and narrow the gap with China. Modis cabinet committee on security is expected to clear the purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Indian navy in the next two weeks, a defence official and an industry source briefed on the matter separately told Reuters. Its a government-to-government deal, it is close, said the industry source. To cut short lengthy negotiations between Lockheed and the Indian government, the helicopters that will be deployed on Indias warships will be bought through the US foreign military sales route, under which the two governments will agree on details of the deal. Trump will visit India 24 to 25 February, the White House said on Monday, his first official trip to the country. Both countries are separately working on a limited trade agreement ahead of the trip, after earlier imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on each others imports. Trump has called India the tariff king of the world but the Modi government has been trying to address some of his concerns. Trade officials have pointed to large-scale US arms purchases, from surveillance planes to Apache and Chinook helicopters, as proof of Indias willingness to tighten strategic ties. On Monday, the US State Department said it had approved an Indian request for an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System for an estimated cost of $1.87 billion, which would further strengthen the two countries defence ties. The two sides are expected to move forward on the deal over the year. The multirole helicopters from Lockheed will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence. Many of Indias warships are without any helicopters because of years of underfunding, and the navy had sought their acquisition as a top priority. The government outlined only a modest rise in its 2020/21 defence spending to $73.65 billion in the budget on 1 February, of which a part will go towards making a down payment on the helicopter purchase, a defence official said. We expect a positive announcement soon on the helicopters, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of service rules. There are limited resources, but there is an allocation. The U.S. State Department approved the sale of the choppers to India last year along with radars, torpedoes and 10 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The clearance came after the Trump administration rolled out a new Buy American plan in 2018 that had relaxed restrictions on sales, saying it would bolster the American defence industry and create jobs at home. The United States has also offered India the armed version of Guardian drones that were originally authorized for sale as unarmed for surveillance purposes, the first such approval for a country outside the NATO alliance. India plans to buy 30 of these unmanned aircraft for surveillance of the Indian Ocean, at a cost estimated to be about $2.5 billion, from General Atomics. However, the defence official said the deal is unlikely immediately because of lack of funds. The Board of Roto Pumps at its meeting held on 10 February 2020 has approved the setting up of wholly owned subsidiaries in Malaysia and Thailand to carry out sales and marketing of the company's products supplied from India. The subsidiaries would source bought out components from local market/ import and also maintain the warehouse facility. The said subsidiaries would be set up as step down subsidiaries of Roto Overseas, a wholly owned subsidiary of the company in Singapore. This would involve a capital investment of Rs 6 crore. The Board also authorised the listing of shares of the company on the National Stock Exchange. 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. 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Digital Editor Delhi Assembly election 2020 saw over 62.59 per cent voters coming out to exercise their franchise on February 8. The main contest is between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Congress. Counting of votes will take place on February 11 and results will be declared simultaneously. South Delhi Lok Sabha seat has 10 Assembly constituencies - Bijwasan, Palam, Mehrauli, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad and Badarpur. The MP from this Lok Sabha seat is BJPs Ramesh Bidhuri. Bijwasan AAPs Bhupinder Singh Joon leads from this constituency by 753 votes, trailing behind him is BJPs Sat Prakash Rana. Bijwasan is an Assembly seat in South West district of Delhi and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the Delhi Assembly election 2020, there are a total of 2,01,252 eligible electors, of which 1,10,770 are male, 90,414 female and 68 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 poll, there were a total of 1,86,529 eligible electors, including 1,04,945 male, 81,521 female and 16 voters of the third gender. A total of 13 candidates are in the fray from this seat in the upcoming election. In 2015 there were 6 contestants from this seat. In the Delhi Assembly election 2015, AAP's Colonel Devinder Sehrawat won from Bijwasan after defeating BJP's Sat Prakash Rana by a margin of 19,536. In 2008, BJP's Rana had won from Bijwasan after defeating Congress candidate by a margin of 2,005 votes. Palam Bhavna Gaur of AAP is leading from this seat with 23,514 seats behind Vijay Pandit BJP. Palam is an Assembly seat in West Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. This constituency has an estimated Scheduled Caste population of 10.85%. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 2,47,306 eligible electors in Palam, including 1,33,280 males, 1,14,012 females and 14 voters of the third gender. In 2015 Delhi Assembly election, AAP's Bhavna Gaur had won from Palam after defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 30849 votes. In 2015, there were a total of 2,27,210 eligible electors, of which 1,24,898 were male, 1,02,170 female and 13 voters of the third gender. A total of 12 candidates are in the fray from Palam in 2020 Assembly election, while in 2015 there were 9 contestants from this seat. Mehrauli AAPs Naresh Yadav is leading by 18,012 ahead of BJPs Kusum Khatri. Mehrauli is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The total number of eligible voters in Mehrauli are 2,03,623 of which 1,13,515 were male, 90,100 female and 8 voters of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 1,81,393 eligible electors, of which 1,03,227 were male, 78,062 female and 16 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, AAP's Naresh Yadav won in Mehrauli after defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 16,951 votes. In 2013, BJP's Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma had won the seat, and in 2008, Congress' Dr Yoganand Shashtri had won in Mehrauli. Chhatarpur Kartar Singh Tanwar of BJP leading by 3400 votes. Chhatarpur is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and it is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The total number of eligible voters in Chhatarpur are 2,18,580 of which 1,25,850 are male, 92,729 female and 1 voter of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 1,85,092 eligible electors, of which 1,08,543 were male, 76,388 female and 5 voters of the third gender. In 2015 Assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Kartar Singh Tanwar had won the seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 22240 votes. In 2013, BJP candidate Brahm Singh Tanwar had won the seat. Deoli AAP's Prakash Jarwal wins by 40,173 votes beating BJPs Arvind Kumar. Deoli is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is a part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 2,36,617 eligible electors, of which 1,32,372 were male, 1,04,224 female and 21 voters of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 2,02,275 eligible electors, of which 1,15,599 were male, 86,616 female and 13 voters of the third gender. In 2020 Assembly election, a total of 6 candidates are in the fray from Deoli. In 2015 Assembly election, AAP candidate Prakash Jarwal had won the seat after defeating BJP candidate by a margin of 63937 votes. In 2013 too, Jarwal had won from this seat, while in 2008, Congress had won the seat and Arwinder Singh was elected as the MLA. Ambedkar Nagar AAPs Ajay Dutt wins by 28,237 votes beating BJPs Khushiram Chunar. Ambedkar Nagar is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 1,57,034 eligible electors, including 83,771 males, 73,241 females and 22 voters of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 1,39,676 eligible electors, of which 76,191 were male, 63,410 female and 7 voters of the third gender. In 2015 Assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party candidate Ajay Dutt had won the seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 42,460 votes. In 2013, AAP candidate Ashok Kumar had won the seat, and in 2008 Congress had won the seat. Sangam Vihar Dinesh Mohaniya of AAP wins by 42,522 votes beating JD(U) Shiv Charan Lal Gupta. Sangam Vihar is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 elections, there were a total of 1,88,980 eligible electors, of which 1,09,460 were male, 79,509 female and 11 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Dinesh Mohaniya of AAP won in this seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 43,988 votes. In 2013, AAP candidate Dinesh Mohania had won from this seat, while in 2008, BJP candidate SCL Gupta had won from this seat. Kalkaji AAP Atishi is leading by 11,393 votes, trailing behind her is BJPs Dharambir Singh. Kalkaji is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 1,85,837 eligible electors, of which 1,03,535 are male, 82,296 female and 6 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 poll, there were a total of 1,64,319 eligible electors, of which 92,022 were male, 72,206 female and 11 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 Assembly election, AAP's Avtar Singh had won in this seat after defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 19,769 votes. In 2013, BJP candidate Harmeet Singh had won the seat and in 2008 Congress' Subhash Chopra was elected as the MLA from this seat. Tughlakabad Sahiram of AAP leads by 13758 votes beating Vikram Bidhuri of BJP. Tughlakabad is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 1,77,616 eligible electors, of which 1,05,674 are male, 71,926 female and 16 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 poll, there were a total of 1,55,327 eligible electors, of which 94,813 were male, 60,480 female and 10 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, AAP's Sahi Ram won in Tughlakabad after defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 33,701 votes. In 2013 and 2008, BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri had won the seat. Badarpur AAPs Ram Singh Netaji is leading by 6756 votes beating BJPs Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. Badarpur is an Assembly seat in South Delhi region and is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 3,21,392 eligible electors, of which 1,85,442 are male, 1,35,905 female and 45 voters of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 2,60,887 eligible electors, of which 1,53,307 were male, 1,07,516 female and 36 voters of the third gender. There are 10 candidates in the fray in Badarpur, while in 2015 there were 8 contestants. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Narayan Dutt Sharma of AAP won in this seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 47,583 votes. In 2013, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of BJP had won the seat and in 2008, Bahujan Samaj Party's Ram Singh Netaji was elected as the MLA from this seat. Experiencing the death of a child is seen as a violation of "the natural order." And yet, despite global health gains, such deaths remain prevalent in many poor countries and regions around the world. But just how often do mothers suffer this almost unfathomable loss? To quantify and better understand this bereavement burden, USC and University of Chicago sociologists propose new indicators to estimate how common it is for mothers to have experienced the death of a child. In contrast to traditional measures of infant and child mortality, their results capture the cumulative impact of child loss through a mother's lifetime. Published today in PNAS, their study demonstrates the persistently high prevalence of African mothers who have ever experienced a child's death. Using data from 20 sub-Saharan African countries spanning two decades, the researchers found that more than half of 45- to 49-year-old mothers have experienced the death of a child under age five, and nearly two thirds have experienced the death of any child, irrespective of age. "In the shadows of very high child mortality rates that the global health community typically focuses on are all these grieving parents that never receive any attention," said study co-author Emily Smith-Greenaway, assistant professor of sociology at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. "These results increase our recognition of bereavement as itself a public health threat -- one that's unfairly concentrated in low-income regions of the world." "These questions have not been asked or explored enough in this part of the world," said co-author Jenny Trinitapoli, associate professor of sociology at UChicago. "There isn't just an inequality in the mortality burden but also in the knowledge base. The global health community has lacked a standard metric for capturing the inequality of the risk of losing a young child from the perspective of the parents -- specifically of the mothers." Smith-Greenaway and Trinitapoli say their study grew out of the idea that parents everywhere suffer immensely when they outlive their children. While other researchers have examined similar outcomes in the United States and Europe, very few have quantified the loss felt by mothers in Africa. "This study tells us the burden of bereavement is much greater than we knew and offers a new perspective on global inequality," Smith-Greenaway said. "We believe these indicators can be used to improve current understandings of mortality change, bereavement as a public health threat and population dynamics." Decreases in infant mortality may obscure lasting grief According to the WHO, from 1990 to 2018 the global infant mortality rate decreased from an estimated 65 deaths per 1,000 live births to 29 deaths per 1,000 live births. During that same span, annual infant deaths declined from 8.7 million to 4 million. Sub-Saharan African countries have experienced some of the swiftest reduction in infant and under-five mortality rates. This progress is rightfully celebrated, noted the study authors, but also obscures the long-term trauma of child loss. High rates of childhood, adolescent and young adult mortality mean that mothers continue to experience bereavement in ways that aren't recognized in the intensive focus on under-five mortality reductions. "These are factors that we need to consider very carefully as we think about the consequences of stress and of aging," Trinitapoli said. "Looking at child loss from the perspective of mothers gives us ideas about where interventions might be the most useful, both for improving child health and helping women." While research on bereavement in developing countries is sparse, studies in high-income settings demonstrate that the death of a family member is an underappreciated source of social inequality. Bereaved parents are at higher risk of psychological problems, deteriorating health and relationship strain. A new way to look at mortality data and the legacy of loss Using data spanning more than two decades, the study authors calculated the prevalence for three categories: death of an infant, death of a child under five and the loss of any child for mothers in multiple age groups. They say the three different metrics all point to a much higher burden of loss than the story told by current indicators. They based their calculations on demographic and health survey data funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development, which conducts surveys in 90 countries. Smith-Greenaway said she was particularly struck by the fact that the majority of women alive today in some African countries have experienced the death of a child. Fewer young mothers than older mothers have experienced a child die, yet in many countries, up to one third have. Although the study focuses on sub-Saharan Africa, the authors say these indicators can be used to measure and consider the bereavement burden anywhere with high child mortality. They anticipate these numbers would be just as high in many other low-income settings. Trauma's ripple effects "As a demographer, I'm interested in tapping into a collective consciousness," Smith-Greenaway said. "These premature deaths live on in the collective memory in such a way that could shape ideas about parenthood, loss and the risk for tomorrow's generation of mothers." Smith-Greenaway and Trinitapoli point to research on negativity bias, which suggests survival of children in one's social network is a forgettable event whereas a child's death registers as memorable and influential -- and can live on in the collective memory for decades. "We have no reason to believe that the effect of these losses on mothers -- the grief, sadness and disappointment -- fades with time," said Smith-Greenaway. "We can do better to shed light on the grief and trauma that is still very much alive in a population. Their bereavement matters, and until now, we haven't had a mother-centered tool that quantified it." ### A Southtown Mexican restaurant that drew its inspiration from Frida Kahlo has announced that its closing March 6 after more than three years of business. Casa Azul de Andrea, located at 1036 S. Alamo St., is named after Kahlo's famous home in the Coyoacan neighborhood in Mexico City, and opened in September 2016. The restaurant was featured in the Express-News 2017 365 Days of Tacos series, and was lauded for its excellent mini tacos, carnitas, street corn and carne asada. Curtailment of flights between India and China will help Air India and other airlines to boost their seat occupancy and market share. Air India's non-stop flights to Canada and the US will get a boost as the coronavirus outbreak has led to curbs in traffic flow through China and Hong Kong. Over 5.4 million passengers flew between India and the US during the twelve months ended September 2019. Around 25 per cent of passengers flew non-stop between the two countries and the rest flew via hubs in Dubai, Doha or Frankfurt. Around 5.7 per cent of the India-US traffic and 8 per cent of Delhi-US traffic travelled one stop via China and Hong Kong during the same period. Hong Kong and China are popular transit hubs for Canada-bound passengers from Punjab because of low fares. Suspension and curtailment of flights between India and China will help Air India and other airlines to boost their seat occupancy and market share, say travel agents and aviation experts. Air India operates 36 flights a week to the US and Canada and earns about 12 per cent of its revenue from the North America routes. "We are seeing a shift in traffic flow from over Pacific to over Atlantic. "Around 10 per cent of bookings to the US and Canada via East Asia have been cancelled. "The main beneficiary will be Air India, followed by the Gulf and European airlines which offer capacity and competitive fares being a lean season for travel," said Amey Amladi, chief operating officer of Akbar Group, one of the largest travel agencies in India. "Before the outbreak of coronavirus, China Eastern Airline tickets to Toronto and Vancouver were selling like hot cakes as these were around 15-20 per cent cheaper than rest. "But now customers are worried about travelling on Chinese carriers and are getting rebooked on Air Canada, Lufthansa or other airlines," said Amit Minglani, manager of Chandigarh-based Prompt Travels. Four Chinese airlines operate flights to Delhi and following the virus outbreak they are cutting down the flights. Air China and Shandong Airlines have suspended India flights while China Southern Airlines and China Eastern Airlines have cut frequencies to Delhi. Hong Kong based Cathay Pacific which operates 49 weekly flights to six cities in India will operate 36 flights per week in February and March on reduction in travel demand. "We carry passengers to Canada and United States. We are seeing bookings as well as cancellations hence unable to comment on the exact impact," Cathay Pacific said in a statement. "If the cancellations of Cathay Pacific and Chinese carriers last longer, Air India could look at further adding flights to North America in summer. "United has 21 weekly flights to India, while Delta has only 7 making Air India a strong player in the non-stop flights segment. "With Singapore raising coronavirus outbreak alert level, passengers will be wary of flying via Singapore as well and customers could also opt for either European or Middle Eastern carriers," said Ameya Joshi, founder of aviation blog Network Thoughts. "Customers are avoiding South East Asia. There are cancellations for Australia and New Zealand too," said Jyoti Mayal, president of Travel Agents Association of India. "We are closely monitoring the developments related to the novel coronavirus outbreak. It is still too early to assess the full impact of the outbreak on our business," Singapore Airlines said in a statement. Emirates is the largest airline on India-US routes followed by Air India and Qatar Airways On Delhi-US route Air India, United and Emirates are the largest airlines Four Chinese airlines operate to Delhi. Now the airlines have suspended or cut flights Around 8 per cent of Delhi-US traffic travels via Hong Kong or China. Los Angeles and San Francisco are main destinations in the US Chinese carriers popular among Punjab residents traveling to Canada Photograph: Regis Duvignau/Reuters By Rasana Gasimova BP Azerbaijan will spend nine months on drilling work in the Shafag-Asiman offshore block, the company said in its annual report published recently. Following the drilling, the well data will be analyzed and, if successful, an evaluation programme may be conducted to confirm the results, BP said. The first exploration well was spudded on January 13, 2020 by BP that operates the Shafag-Asiman offshore block. The company also informed that 3D seismic acquisition programme on D230 block commenced in December 2019. These activities are currently ongoing. It is expected that the programme will be completed in the 1st half of 2020. This will be followed by the processing and interpretation of the acquired data. Based on the results of the seismic survey BP will begin planning of the first exploration well in 2020. In the Shallow Water Absheron Peninsula planning for the exploration wells drilling in the selected three prospective areas is ongoing with the view to commence drilling activities later this year once the upgrade of the rig selected to drill the first well is completed, the report reads. BP noted that in 2019, Shah Deniz spent about $544 million in operating expenditure and $1.1 billion in capital expenditure, the majority of which was associated with the Shah Deniz 2 project. During the year, the Shah Deniz field produced around 16.8 billion standard cubic metres (bcm) of gas and 3.5 million tonnes (28.6 million barrels) of condensate in total from the Shah Deniz Alpha and Shah Deniz Bravo platforms. Production from Shah Deniz Bravo has been ramping up since the first gas delivery at the end of July 2018. The existing Shah Deniz facilities production capacity is currently over 56 million standard cubic metres of gas per day or more than 20 bcma. In 2019, Shah Deniz 2 project achieved final acceptance of offshore and onshore facilities. The project team continued to support operations through the first year of production to ensure high operating efficiencies of the Shah Deniz 2 assets. During the year the project continued to perform subsea construction activities, including installation of infrastructure to the deep-water flanks to support the next East South flank start-up in 2021. Delivery of subsea assets and installation activities using the subsea construction vessel Khankendi and the pipelay barge Israfil Huseynov will continue over the coming years to deliver plateau gas production, the company noted. Shah Deniz participating interests are: BP (operator 28.8 per cent), TPAO (19.0 per cent), AzSD (10.0 per cent), SGC Upstream (6.7 per cent), PETRONAS (15.5 per cent), LUKOIL (10.0 per cent) and NICO (10.0 per cent). Further, the report says that in 2019, SCP spent about $48 million in operating expenditure and about $34 million in capital expenditure in total. During 2019, the daily average throughput of SCP was 29 million cubic metres of gas per day. The SCP Co. shareholders are: BP (28.8 per cent), TPAO (19 per cent), AzSCP (10.0 per cent), SGC Midstream (6.7 per cent), PETRONAS (15.5 per cent), LUKOIL (10 per cent) and NICO (10 per cent). In 2019, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline spent approximately $138 million in operating expenditure and about $44 million in capital expenditure. BP informed that since the 1,768 km BTC pipeline became operational in June 2006 till the end of 2019, it carried a total of more than 3.35 billion barrels (more than 447 million tonnes) of crude oil loaded on 4,381 tankers and sent to world markets. In 2019, BTC exported around 233 million barrels (about 31 million tonnes) of crude oil loaded on 296 tankers at Ceyhan. In the meantime, the Sangachal terminal exported about 263 million barrels of oil in 2019 - about 235 million barrels through Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) and about 28 million barrels through the Western Route Export Pipeline (WREP). According to BP, the daily capacity of the terminals processing systems is currently 1.2 million barrels of crude oil and about 80 million standard cubic metres of Shah Deniz gas, while overall processing and export capacity for gas, including ACG associated gas is around 100 million standard cubic metres per day. In 2019, BP spent about $567 million in operating expenditure and $1,476 million in capital expenditure on ACG activities. In April 2019, the next stage of development of the ACG field was started with a $6 billion project which includes a new offshore platform and facilities designed to process up to 100,000 barrels of oil per day. The project is expected to achieve first production in 2023 and produce incremental up to 300 million barrels of oil over its lifetime. ACG produced on average about 535,000 barrels per day last year. At the end of 2019, 125 oil wells were producing, while 46 wells were used for water and seven for gas injection. ACG completed 10 oil producer wells and one water injection well. During the year, ACG delivered an average of 5.7 million cubic metres per day of ACG associated gas to SOCAR (2.1 billion cubic metres in total), primarily at the Sangachal Terminal but also to SOCARs Oil Rocks facility. The remainder of the associated gas produced was re-injected for reservoir pressure maintenance, the report stated. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz A fleet of 11 uncrewed vessels will traverse the world's oceans over the next ten years in a bid to map the sea floor. The bottom of the world's oceans remains a mystery, with around 80 per cent either poorly imaged or not visualised at all. Ocean Infinity launched in 2016 and has pledged its support to an international collaboration to try and map every inch of the ocean floor within the next decade. It has also attempted to use its technology to try and locate the missing Malaysian Airlines MH370 flight that tragically went missing with 239 people on board nearly six years ago. Ocean Infinity launched in 2016 and has pledged its support to an international collaboration to try and map every inch of the ocean floor in the next decade It has announced it has bought a fleet of 11 uncrewed vessels will traverse the world's oceans over the next ten years in a bid to map the sea floor THE ARMADA SPECIFICATIONS Size: 21 metres (69ft) (35 tonnes) long OR 37 metres (121ft) (120 tonnes) long Speed: 12 knots Range : 21metres - 3,700 nautical miles 37metres - 5,000 nautical miles Propulsion: Diesel electric Advertisement Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV) are the latest technology which open up the possibility for long-term marine missions. They have no humans on board and are controlled by computers via a satellite link and a central computer base. Ocean Infinity CEO Oliver Plunkett told BBC News: 'We've ordered 11 robots, different sizes. The smallest ones are 21m [69ft]; the biggest are up to 37m [121ft],' 'They will be capable of transoceanic journeys, wholly unmanned, controlled from control centres on land. 'Each of them will be fitted out with an array of sensors and equipment, but also their own capability to deploy tethered robots to inspect right down to the bottom of the ocean, 6,000m below the surface.' The so-called Armada of vessels will be fitted with a hull-mounted, multi-beam echo-sounder designed to provide a radar image of the sea floor. But it will also identify large objects come to rest there, such as shipwrecks. Uncrewed Surface Vessels (USV) are the latest technology (pictured) which open up the possibility for long-term marine missions The so-called Armada of vessels will be fitted with a hull-mounted, multi-beam echo-sounder designed to provide a radar image of the sea floor (pictured) It allows Ocean Infinity to build on its previous successful finds, including the Argentinian submarine San Juan and the South Korean Stellar Daisy. But as well as its role in mapping the oceans and the wrecks that litter it, the 11 boats will also carry out other duties. For example, telecoms infrastructure on the seabed, wind farms and oil pipelines will be inspected by the machines. It is thought here will be two bases where the captains will drive the boats from remotely. One is in Southampton and the other in Austin, Texas. Unmanned vessels have had success recently, with rival firm Sea-Kit taking a human-free boat across the English Channel to Belgium. Here it took 11 pounds (5kg) of Mersea Island molluscs to Orstend in Belgium and collected Belgian beer for the return trip. The bats will allow Ocean Infinity to build on its previous successful finds, including the Argentinian submarine San Juan and the South Korean Stellar Daisy. But as well as its role in mapping the oceans and the wrecks that litter it, the 11 boats will also carry out other duties But as well as its role in mapping the oceans and the wrecks that litter it, the 11 boats will also carry out other duties. For example, telecoms infrastructure on the seabed, wind farms and oil pipelines (pictured) will be inspected by the machines The trip time was a total of 22 hours. Ocean Infinity wants to take the same concept but apply it on a far bigger scale. Dan Hook, who will run the Armarda fleet, told BBC: 'It will take time, but I'm convinced that it won't be long before people trust a robot to read the chart and look out for things at night better than a human can. It's going to come.' Ocean infinity has expressed an interest in resuming its search for MH370 but would need credible new evidence before it resumed its search. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Bloomberg) Singapore Tue, February 11, 2020 11:53 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c0c4b 2 Business coronavirus,mask,China,plastic,Wuhan-coronavirus Free Demand for face masks and surgical gloves may be surging as China battles the coronavirus, but thats scant relief for plastics makers as they struggle with absent workers and plunging consumption of other products. In a sign of how critical the mask shortage is getting, state oil giant PetroChina last week directed overseas employees from Houston to Lagos to buy them up and send as many as 2 million back to headquarters. While thats prompted many of Chinas plastics converters -- who process raw polymers into everything from plastic spoons to car interiors -- to scale up their mask-making operations, its not enough to offset plummeting demand for other products, according to SCI99. In addition, some of the producers remain shut due to the extended holidays or cant make deliveries because of canceled flights and blocked roads, the Chinese industry consultant said. The amount of polyester found in each mask is no more than 1-2 grams, mainly in the elastic band, said Salmon Lee, principal consultant at Wood Mackenzie in Singapore. This is minuscule when talking about any demand spike, and immaterial in mitigating the economic impact of the epidemic on the polyester chain. Manufacturing of face masks accounted for just 0.1 percent of polypropylene demand in China last year, Horace Chan, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, said in a note. Durable plastics -- which are used in automobiles and home appliances, could take the biggest hit from the outbreak, he said. Polypropylene futures for April settlement have fallen 9.5 percent since Jan. 21, when markets began taking notice of the coronavirus, according to prices on the Dalian Commodity Exchange. Inventories at state refiners Sinopec and PetroChina jumped by 530,000 tons over the Lunar New Year holidays, more than three times the average increase over the holidays in the last five years, SCI99 said. As companies like Toyota Motor delay production and Chinas massive food delivery network is disrupted, the impact from the virus is spreading across Asia. Weak Chinese demand will compress margins further for South Korean refiners and petrochemical companies, Moodys Investors Service analyst Sean Hwang said in a Feb. 6 note. Chinese buyers of polypropylene from the Middle East are trying to re-export it to India and Southeast Asia, potentially causing a glut in those markets, said Ashish Chitalia, the head of global polyolefins at Wood Mackenzie in Houston. The petrochemical sector was beginning to come back after the easing of trade tariffs, he said. The coronavirus will extend the low-margin period for petrochemical companies globally, and particularly in east Asia, Chitalia said. A group of Midlanders contacted Midland ISD and the city of Midland on Monday with results from water testing at Fannin Elementary that they said show arsenic, lead and iron levels above the legal limit. In the email to Midland ISD administrators, board members, Fannin campus administrators and city leaders, the email states that a few weeks ago, water was collected at Fannin Elementary in certified, sterilized sample sets and delivered to Martin Water for testing. The limits for arsenic, lead and iron tested well above the legal limit. Once the samples registered so high, the samples were then forwarded to Permian Basin Environmental Lab, LP., which also certified the samples well above the limits. The samples were also forwarded to Houston for further testing, they too had the same results. Midland residents Sarah Hale, Kristen Yadon and Jennifer Langford are among those who obtained the samples and paid for the testing of the water. According to results they provided to the Reporter-Telegram on Monday, arsenic levels are 2.79 times above EPA primary drinking water standards. The lead levels were 6.35 times higher and Iron levels were 60.33 percent higher. The three received a response from Midland ISDs Chief Operations Officer James W. Riggen that stated: All MISD schools and buildings are connected to the city of Midland approved domestic water system. Thank you for the water test results and water testing you have obtained and attached to your email. With this information, I will ask our environmental testing company to compare these test reports to city of Midland periodic water test results. If we find major discrepancies in water quality from the city of Midland tests and the water provided at Fannin, then we will perform additional water system testing and source testing at Fannin to determine what possible sources may be contributing to the water quality at Fannin. Thank you for this information and we will forward a response back to you on our subsequent testing and findings. Thank you for bringing this concern at Fannin to our attention. Midland ISD offered a similar comment to the Reporter-Telegrams request for more information or for a response about the water test results Carl Craigo, utilities director for the city of Midland, said in a phone interview that consistent testing by the city of Midland and the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality on Midlands water supply has never come close to those levels. He recommended that Midlanders go to the TCEQs Texas Drinking Watch database to see results of every test that has ever been done. He said there are two sample stations near Fannin that will be tested as part of the citys look into the water quality at the school. Craigo said the city was contacted about the issue at Fannin because of an email sent to Midland Mayor Patrick Payton from Hale, Yadon and Langford and not by a school district official. In the email to the school district, Hale states that concerned parents met with Fannin Principal Lisa Cisneros on Feb. 3 to notify her about their concerns about the drinking water. Though the water results could be a city concern as well, it is MISDs job to ensure all water in all schools meet the state mandated regulations, Hales email sent to the Reporter-Telegram states. Students at all schools must be provided clean and safe drinking water. This is a huge safety concern and should be addressed as such. Hale also wrote in the email to the Reporter-Telegram that many PTAs have voiced concern over the water and offered to pay for filtration systems. 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. Prosecutors in the Harvey Weinstein case have claimed that his mobility walker was being used as a 'prop' during his New York rape trial. The disgraced Hollywood producer has hobbled into the Manhattan court each day with the walker and his entourage before parking the device behind the defense table. His lawyers say it's needed because of recent back surgery, but prosecutors have argued it seemed more like a prop put there to sway jurors' sympathies. During a discussion about Weinstein's medical condition after the jury had left on Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzi sparred with the defense over her plan to mention in her closing argument that his physical appearance has changed significantly since the time of the alleged assaults. 'There are times when Mr Weinstein has walked down the aisle (of the court) without the walker,' Illuzi said. 'It is not a prop! Enough!' Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis said, adding it was 'disingenuous' for the prosecution to try to claim that it was. 'You can scream all you like,' Illuzzi said. 'They did not have to have the walker back there.' After more bickering, Judge James Burke said it was fine for Illuzzi to mention Weinstein's physical changes, but warned: 'Leave the walker out of it.' Asked on his way out of court if his walker really is a prop, Weinstein told reporters: 'I'll have a race with you'. Weinstein has used two different walkers during his trial, a simple frame and a wheeled walker. Harvey Weinstein uses his walker as he arrives at court in Manhattan for his rape trial today Weinstein has used two different walkers during his trial, a simple frame (left, on January 10) and a wheeled walker (right, last week on February 5) It came soon after the defense rested its case with Weinstein declining to take the stand. Weinstein's lawyers relied on just a few witnesses to supplement their aggressive cross-examination as they aimed to undercut his accusers before resting their case on Tuesday. As expected, Weinstein chose not to tell his own story at the risk of having prosecutors grill him on cross-examination about disturbing allegations that six of his accusers detailed for the Manhattan jury of seven men and five women. He confirmed the decision in open court after meeting behind closed doors with his lawyers for 30 minutes as speculation swirled that they still hadn't talked him out of it. After the decision, Weinstein was asked if he had been considering testifying and he said: 'I was, I was'. Jurors are expected to hear defense closing arguments Thursday followed by the prosecution Friday. Jury deliberations are slated to start Tuesday. It comes as Thomas Richards Lozano, a Hollywood agent friend of Weinstein's rape accuser Jessica Mann, was the last to testify as a defense witness. Weinstein has pleaded not guilty to raping Mann in a New York hotel in 2013 and to sexually assaulting former production assistant Mimi Haleyi in his apartment in 2006. Mann accused Weinstein of raping her in the Doubletree Hotel in Manhattan in March 2013. She previously testified that the rape occurred in the course of an 'extremely degrading' relationship with Weinstein that lasted for years. Jessica Mann accused Weinstein of raping her in a Manhattan hotel in 2013. She previously testified that the rape occurred in the course of an 'extremely degrading' relationship with Weinstein that lasted for years Lozano, who was at the hotel with Mann for a scheduled breakfast meeting with Weinstein, testified on Tuesday that she seemed like her 'everyday self' during the 45 minute meeting. He was brought in to testify as Weinstein's lawyers tried to discredit Mann's claims about the alleged rape. Lozano said he took Mann to New York after an entertainment industry friend offered him free tickets to the Broadway show Wicked, flights and a hotel for him and a friend. In her testimony, Mann claimed Weinstein raped her in the room at the hotel after surprising her by checking in early. Afterwards, she said she pretended it didn't happen because she did not want Lozano or her friends to know about it. Defense attorney Arthur Aidala asked Lozano if there was anything in her appearance, her clothes or her complexion that was unusual. Each time he said no. 'Was there anything to indicate Jessica Mann was in any sort of distress?' Aidala asked. Lozano said no. Harvey Weinstein's lawyers rested their defense case on Tuesday without the mogul taking the stand He testified that at one point Mann pulled Lozano aside for a private conversation and asked if he was okay with her staying another night, which meant they wouldn't travel back to Los Angeles together. Lozano said Mann wanted to stay because 'Harvey invited her to stay an extra night'. In her testimony, Mann claimed that she did so under duress and stayed at a friend's house instead of the hotel because she was scared Weinstein might come for her again. Thomas Richards Lozano, a Hollywood agent friend of Weinstein's rape accuser Jessica Mann, was the last to testify as a defense witness Asked to describe Mann during that conversation, Lozano said she was 'normal... her everyday self'. Lozano, who gave evidence under a subpoena, said he had been friends with Mann for 10 years and that they met around 2010. Asked if he was there to help Weinstein, Lozano said: 'Not at all'. Under cross-examination by Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi, Richards said he had been drinking the night before the breakfast and his memory of the next day was not clear. It comes after Mann's former friend Talita Maia, a Brazilian-born actress, testified on Monday that Mann did not show any distress after the alleged attack. The decision to rest their case came a day after the defense got a boost from two witnesses - one of which was Maia - who cast doubt on the accounts of two of Weinstein's accusers. Weinstein has maintained any sexual encounters were consensual. The judge is now expected to instruct jurors not to view Weinstein's decision not to testify as a sign of guilt. Weinstein has been increasingly upbeat coming and going from court as the trial has worn on, though in front of jurors he has mostly been sitting quietly at the defense table, munching on mints, jotting notes and occasionally dozing off. Mann's former friend Talita Maia, a Brazilian-born actress, testified on Monday that Mann did not show any distress after the alleged attack Prosecutors rested their case last Thursday after jurors heard testimony from six women accusing Weinstein of sexual assault, including Mann, Haleyi and actress Annabella Sciorra, who said Weinstein raped her in her home in the early 1990s. Weinstein's lawyers have sought to undercut the women's testimony by highlighting friendly communications the accusers had with Weinstein after the alleged assaults. Claudia Salinas, a Mexican model and actress, took the stand Tuesday to defend herself against accuser Lauren Marie Young's claim that she stood by and did nothing while Weinstein sexually assaulted Young at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2013. 'Never happened,' Salinas told jurors. Young, a model, had testified last week that Salinas closed the door behind her and Weinstein as they went into the bathroom, where she alleges he stripped off his clothes, grabbed her breast and masturbated. Once it was over, Young said she found Salinas standing outside the bathroom and shot her an evil look before leaving as quickly as she could. 'If I had done that, I would remember that,' Salinas testified. 'I would never close the door on anybody.' The defense began their case last Friday by calling Paul Feldsher, a onetime friend of Sciorra who said she told him about a sexual encounter with Weinstein but did not say it was rape. On Friday, jurors also heard from Elizabeth Loftus, a professor at the University of California, Irvine and well-known expert on memory who testified that memories could be distorted over time. The jury is likely to begin considering a verdict next week. Weinstein faces life in prison if convicted of predatory sexual assault, the most serious charge against him. Ducking underneath the car, she saw her husband collapsed on the pavement and not moving. She heard a struggle and more shots as her friend also fell to the ground. Police say she grabbed her husbands cellphone and called police as the attacker ran off, leaving bloody footprints that led police straight to him at the nearby Chinatown Square outdoor mall early Sunday. Guwahati/Agartala, Feb 11 : Congress and Left leaders in the northeastern region on Tuesday described the Aam Aadmi Party's win in the Delhi Assembly polls as a victory against the communal forces. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is now heading governments in four northeastern states -- Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and Tripura and is an ally of the ruling coalition in Nagaland and Meghalaya, termed the outcome of the Delhi Assembly polls as "Delhi centric localised elections, and no national significance." Congress leader and All India Mahila Congress president Sushmita Dev, who campaigned for the party in the Delhi Assembly polls, said that the people of Delhi defeated the Communal forces. She said: "People of the northeastern region are also secular minded, they always wanted to beat the communal forces." Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) central committee member Bijan Dhar said that with the defeat of the BJP in Delhi, it would be easier to intensify the fight against the communal forces in the country. "BJP's strategy to divert the attention of the people from the burning issues of the country like economy, rising unemployment and growing communal tension has been thrashed with a befitting approach," Dhar, convener of the Left Front in Tripura, told IANS over phone from Bhubaneswar. BJP spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that in the Delhi assembly elections, local issues dominated in the mindset of the voters. "AAP leadership specially Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has done politics of inducement. No national issue has worked there. The ruling AAP has done cheap electoral-politics," Bhattacharjee claimed, terming the outcome of the Delhi assembly polls as "less significant". A Russian prankster who faked collapsing from coronavirus on a crowded Moscow underground train is now facing five years in jail for the stunt. The man, identified locally as Karomatullo Dzhaborov, was filmed falling down and appearing to suffer a seizure on a train in the Russian capital in recent weeks. Initially, other passengers rush to help him but as he begins twitching they scramble to escape the carriage. A Russian prankster - named locally as Karomatullo Dzhaborov (right) - has been arrested after faking a coronovirus seizure on the Moscow metro Video uploaded to a prank site showed Dzhaborov collapsing on the floor of the train as people rush to help him, before they turn and flee as he begins seizing In the background of the footage, voices can be heard shouting that the man has coronavirus. Footage of the incident was first posted on a prank site on February 2, but has since been deleted. It is unclear when exactly it was filmed. Police subsequently issued an arrest warrant for the perpetrator with a man, believed to be Dzhaborov, arrested on Monday. A search is sill underway for two accomplices who shouted about coronavirus, Moscow's interior ministry confirmed. The main suspect was detained on suspicion of criminal hooliganism, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a fine of 500,000 rubles (6,000). Dzhaborov's lawyer Aleksey Popov said his client handed himself over to police after a warrant was issued, and never expected the situation to get so out of hand. He also claimed that his client's prank was simply to raise awareness of the coronavirus situation. He said: 'He has a bunch of videos on different topics that are important for our society. 'His goal was to turn people's attention to the fact that people need to wear masks and protect themselves from a dangerous virus.' As people rush to help, two voices - believed to be Dzhaborov's accomplices - begin shouting about coronovirus, causing passengers to panic Dzhaborov's lawyer Aleksey Popov said his client handed himself over to police and is cooperating fully, describing the incident as a prank gone too far The new strain of the coronavirus, temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV, originated in Wuhan in central China about a month ago from an unknown source. It has since spread to more than 20 countries and affected more than 43,000 people around the globe. There have been two confirmed cases of the virus in Russia, with 144 people quarantined in a camp in Siberia over fears they have the infection. Health officials say the illness is capable of spreading before symptoms show and about 20 per cent of patients become severely ill. The symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath and can progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure. By Monday evening the coronavirus death toll topped 1,000 - surpassing the number of deaths counted during the 2003 SARS virus outbreak. A father-of-three who went on six dates with a nurse has asked whether he should keep seeing her after she failed to contribute any money towards their outings. The anonymous man took to the British parenting site Mumsnet, initially pretending to be a woman to see if his gender would impact the type of advice he received for dating someone who is on a strict budget. He explained he had been on several dates with an individual who has two children and works as a nurse. His match seems to have no disposable income and expects him to pay for all of their dates. 'I know that if I call things off I'll be miserable and sad,' he wrote, revealing that he has developed feelings for the nurse but is uncomfortable funding their relationship. A stream of responses to the post warned that resentment could build if there's always one person footing the bill - regardless of gender. Mumsnet users debated the etiquette of splitting the cost of dating in the early stages of a relationship after a man claimed he has paid for six dates with a nurse (pictured: stock image) The discussion began after an anonymous British man took to the forum pretending to be a mother who had covered the costs of dates with someone she met online The post, which saw him posing as a woman, explained: 'I've got a real dilemma. I met a lovely man on online dating, we get on great and are about five or six dates in. 'I have three children and he has two. All of our children are under 10. I'm fairly financially comfortable and have enough disposable money to go out for date nights most weeks etc. He's a nurse and is very dedicated to his job and children. 'He appears to provide the best life he can for them but as a result, he has seemingly no disposable income. He's been single for a few years and had a very quiet social life, so I don't think he realises how much socialising can cost. 'I am starting to fall for him and I feel terrible for thinking this but I don't know if I can continue to pay for all of our dates. Him ever affording a holiday seems impossible. 'I am really torn. Am I going to end up falling for him and then resent him down the line?' Many responses urged the man not to see the person he's been dating again, because he will grow to resent them. One person wrote: 'It's not just you. It's money that could go towards your children that you would instead be frittering away on paying for meals out etc for someone else. No bloody way. If you had no children and really liked him - sure. Fact you have three children - no. bloody. way.' A stream of responses to the post came from those who said they wouldn't maintain a relationship with someone who couldn't contribute to the expense of dates Another wrote: 'I don't buy that he doesn't have any disposable cash, I'm a lone parent who earns less than a nurse and can still afford the odd night out. Any man happy for a woman to continue to pay for everything in the early days is one to avoid.' Other said finances shouldn't impact their decision on staying in a relationship, as they are working hard and they could agree to do cheaper activities. 'It wouldn't bother me too much if he's working - it's not like he's a loafer! DH (dear husband) and I had nothing when we met, but still managed to have fun dates. And if the roles were reversed, nobody would bat an eyelid - in fact most women would relish being treated by a wealthier man,' said one. Suggesting the pair discuss their financial differences, another wrote: 'I actually wouldn't mind too much if it's just that he has less money, though I think you'd have to have an open discussion at some point about how things would work and it would be complicated!' Others argued cheaper activities could be chosen to make covering the cost of dates fair Responses to the post were torn after the man revealed he had flipped his original post to present himself as a woman. One person said: 'Flipped posts really p*** me off. Just tell the f****** truth. But to answer your question, yes she ought to have bought the Cokes and bought the wine to dinner (even if she wasn't drinking it). She could still bring flowers or dessert and offer to go halves on lunch, even if she couldn't afford to pay for all of it.' Another wrote: 'I wouldn't pay for all dates and I wouldn't like someone to pay for all their dates with me - it's not a gender thing, it's a fair contribution thing. In your shoes, I'd do it if you're happy to keep socialising on the cheap - nursing a half or a single coffee for ages, going for a walk, cooking a meal together, other low cost activities. 'Personally I'd be fine with this. Any suggestion that the other person wanted to do more expensive things, always at my expense, then I'd start feeling quite exploited and I'd be off.' Responses to the post were torn after the man revealed he had flipped his original post to present himself as a woman Northern Ireland is set to witness its first same-sex marriage on February 11 after the government lifted the ban on gay marriage in the province. The lifting of ban marked the legalisation of practice throughout Britain following a vote by UK lawmakers when the province lacked a sitting government. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, will become the first gay couple from the province to get married, said the Love Equality campaign group in a statement. Robyn, who is a healthcare worker from Belfast, will marry Sharni, a waitress originally from Brighton, in Carrickfergus, County Antrim on Tuesday. Finance Minister @conormurphysf and @CommunitiesNI Minister @DeirdreHargey congratulate @Love_EqualityNI & all those involved in the campaign for marriage equality ahead of the first same-sex marriage taking place tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/21QEO21u4B Dept of Finance (@dptfinance) February 10, 2020 Read: US Couple Fakes Marriage Proposal For Free Drinks From Strangers Officials express delight Speaking at Belfast City Hall, Finance Minister Conor Murphy called it a very important milestone for equality when same-sex couples can get married for the first time. Murphy paid tribute to all those who have been involved in that campaign over many years. In this building at City Hall, there will be weddings taking place in the near future for citizens who now have equal rights to marry the person they love and that is a huge moment in a very long-running campaign, said Murphy. Read: 'Nation First, Marriage After': Decked-up Groom Shows Up To Vote In Delhi Elections Minister for Communities Deirdre Hargey expressed her delight to be present at the City Hall to recognise the historic week. She also commended the activists at the grassroots who campaigned for the change. As Minister for Communities, I want to embed a rights-based approach within my Department and all that I do and obviously the Sexual Orientation Strategy is going to be a key focus for me in the time ahead. Lord Mayor of Belfast, Daniel Baker called it an important day for all those who have tirelessly campaigned for marriage equality over the years. Baker said that she felt very proud to be a part of a city that recognises same-sex marriage. Read: Marriage Story: Lesser Known Facts About Adam Driver-Scarlett Johannson Starrer Read: Marriage Proposal Movie Scenes From Bollywood That You Should Take Notes From The Faridabad police busted a Delhi-based gang of four for allegedly duping over 100 people, including one from Faridabad, of more than 4 crore on the pretext of reviving their expired insurance policies. While the four have been arrested, the mastermind is still at large, police said. Police recovered 10 cellphones, 3 laptops, 12 checkbooks of different banks, 30 passbooks, 40 registers and 3 lakh cash. The accused have been identified as Budh Singh, Sandeep Kumar and Sachin Kumar of Uttam Nagar in Delhi and Sarjeet Singh of Sampla village, Rohtak. The police started looking into the gang when Sainik Colony-resident Molly Roy approached them on January 15 stating that she had been duped of 49lakh, over three years, by suspects who portrayed to be employees of various government departments and financial service companies. Roy said she started getting calls in January 2016 after she raised a request to surrender her ongoing insurance policy. In February, a woman called claiming to be the employee of an insurance firm and said that to surrender the policy and withdraw my money I needed to make other investments. On February 23, I transferred 86,228 to an account number given by her for investment. This was followed by more transactions, over the next two years, as was asked by the woman and her partners, she said, adding that the suspects portrayed themselves as officers from the IT department, the RBI and financial service firms, seeking payments under various heads. When I showed my inability to make the payments and asked to close this file, I was told the IT department was putting the case on hold for a year. In July 2019, I again got a call from another officer who sought more money for to clear the file and give my dues, she said, adding that in August 2019 she received a call saying the RBI was looking into her case. Police said that Roy was asked to pay 2.7 lakh on July 12, followed by three more transactions. Over three years, Roy made payments of 49 lakh in all to an account number given by the suspects in over 10 transactions, said police. In January, she realised she had been duped and approached the police. A case under IPC sections 406 (breach of trust), 419 (impersonation), 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for cheating), 471 (using forged document as genuine) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) was registered at Dabua police station on January 15. Faridabad commissioner of police KK Rao said the police had formed a team and involved cyber crime investigators to probe the case. The police took account details from banks, got banks CCTV footages and identified suspects when they were opening accounts and withdrawing money. Though they had switched off the phones, we reached the suspects using technical surveillance, he said. Assistant commissioner of police (crime) Anil Kumar said, So far, they have duped more than 100 people across India. They would mostly approach senior citizens. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON B oris Johnson today promised a transport revolution to reshape the national economy as he put the 100 billion High Speed 2 rail project on a fast track to start services by 2030. Construction on the main trunk will begin next month and the Prime Minister told the Commons: If we start now, services could be running by the end of the decade. "So I am giving high-speed rail the green signal. We are going to get this done. Echoing his policies as Mayor of London, Mr Johnson said HS2 would be followed by dozens of local road, rail and bus improvements to fix the great muscular-skeleton problem of UK transport and extend the prosperity enjoyed by London to neglected and slow-moving parts of the country. He also pledged to "restore discipline" to the HS2 programme and said he would appoint a minister whose full time job will be to oversee the project, to avoid further blow outs in cost or schedule. The proposed HS2 route / PA Graphics Mr Johnson said that despite poor management he believes in the fundamental value of HS2. He told MPs: Speaking as an MP whose constituency is on the route, I cannot say that HS2 Ltd has distinguished itself in the handling of local communities. But poor management to date has not detracted, in my view, from the fundamental value of the project. He added: This is not just about getting from London to Birmingham and back. This is about finally making a rapid connection from the West Midlands to the Northern Powerhouse, to Liverpool, to Manchester, to Leeds and simultaneously permitting us to go forward with Northern Powerhouse Rail across the Pennines finally giving the home of the railways the fast connections they need. A HS2 sign near the village of South Heath in Buckinghamshire / PA And none of that, none of it makes any sense without HS2. The go-ahead for HS2 was welcomed enthusiastically by business groups and MPs from across the Commons. But there were protests from Conservative MPs with constituencies along the route, with rumblings of a rebellion. With the costs of HS2 set to surge above 100 billion, the Government promised a review to make the second stages of the scheme linking Manchester and Leeds efficient, while giving a go-ahead in principle. Whether you are trying to get from Warrington to Manchester or toiling across the Pennines by rail, you know that this country is being held back by our inadequate infrastructure, the Prime Minister said. And so in the next few weeks this government will be setting out more details of a transport revolution. Because we all know the potential of transport to change your life and the life of your town or city. The Prime Minister said he would copy the same strategy he championed as Mayor of London in using transport infrastructure, where efficient public transport carried millions of people in and out of the capital each day, like the respiration of some vast undersea coelenterate. The expansion of Londons transport system over 150 years had brought hope and opportunity and job prospects to people growing up in every part of the city and beyond. He went on: It is the ambition of this Government to employ that same utensil fantastic transport infrastructure to unite and level up across the whole country. Better transport would also bring cleaner air and cut commuting time. In a special Cabinet session, ministers gave immediate full approval to the initial section linking London to Birmingham, which is due to open to services in 2028, providing there are no more delays. However, the six-mile section linking Euston with the line will not open until 2031, meaning trains will terminate at Old Oak Common in west London for the first three years. Catwoman reunites with an old flame (and meets a new mystery man) as Tini Howard takes over DC ongoing comic Catwoman returns to Gotham City, with a nod to Les Miserables 4 Prosecutors Withdraw From Roger Stone Case After DOJ Disputes Excessive Sentencing Guideline Four prosecutors from the Justice Department (DOJ) have withdrawn from their roles in the Roger Stone case, following the departments decision to reduce the amount of prison time they are recommending for the Trump associate. Prosecutors Aaron Zelinsky (pdf), Jonathan Kravis (pdf), Adam C. Jed (pdf), and Michael Marando (pdf) filed notices withdrawing from the case on Feb. 11. The move follows the departments decision to override the sentencing recommendation of seven to nine years made by the federal prosecutors. Along with withdrawing from the case, Kravis also will resign from his position as an assistant U.S. attorney. Zelinsky and Jed previously worked on former special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Stone, 67, is one of several of President Donald Trumps associates who faced charges as a result of Muellers investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. He was convicted in November 2019 on all seven counts he was charged with, including obstruction, witness tampering, and making false statements to Congress. The charges were related to allegations that Stone had made false statements to the House Intelligence Committee during its probe of alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and attempted to persuade a witness to give false testimony and withhold pertinent information from investigators. On Feb. 10, the department filed a sentencing memorandum that recommended that the court consider a sentence of 87 to 108 months, or seven to nine years (pdf). The prosecutors said the lengthy sentence would send the message that tampering with a witness, obstructing justice, and lying in the context of a congressional investigation on matters of critical national importance are not crimes to be taken lightly. Then, in a reversal on Feb. 11, the department said it would reduce the prison term its seeking. A senior DOJ official reportedly told CBS News Catherine Herridge that the department was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation and that it isnt what the department was briefed on. The DOJs statement came hours after Trump weighed in on Twitter about the sentencing recommendations from the federal prosecutors, saying that this is a horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice, the president wrote. Justice Departments spokeswoman Kerri Kupec told media outlets that the DOJ didnt consult with the White House about Stones sentencing. She added that the decision to change the sentencing request was made before the president wrote on Twitter about it. On Feb. 11, the DOJ filed a revised sentencing memorandum (pdf) that didnt offer any prison term recommendations for Stone, but argued that the previous recommendation of seven to nine years could be considered excessive and unwarranted. The government respectfully submits that a sentence of incarceration far less than 87 to 108 months imprisonment would be reasonable under the circumstances, the department wrote. The government ultimately defers to the Court as to the specific sentence to be imposed. Stone is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Feb. 20. Katabella Roberts and Zachary Stieber contributed to this report. By PTI AHMEDABAD: In view of the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump to Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government on Tuesday announced that it was rescheduling tabling of the Budget 2020-21 in the Legislative Assembly to February 26. As per the previous schedule, the budget was scheduled to be tabled in the House on February 24. Trump administration earlier Tuesday confirmed that the US President will travel to Ahmedabad and New Delhi on February 24 and 25 as part of his maiden official visit to India. "Gujarat deputy chief minister and finance minister Nitin Patel will present the budget in the state assembly on February 26," said Gujarat Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja. Meanwhile, Gujarat government officials are tight-lipped on the possible itinerary of the US President during the Ahmedabad visit. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had recently said in Delhi that Trump will visit the Sabarmati River Front during his visit to India. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 07:08 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063af9a5 1 Business Jiwasraya,insurance,Misbakhun,corruption,Attorney-General-Office,mutual-fund,asset-management,stocks Free A lawmaker has accused state-owned insurance company PT Asuransi Jiwasraya, and several investment management firms, of alleged investment mismanagement that has led the insurer into financial difficulties. The allegation was raised during a hearing of House of Representatives Commission XI overseeing financial affairs in Jakarta on Monday, in which a senior official with the Indonesian Central Securities Depository (KSEI) made allegations that several mutual funds owned by Jiwasraya were not transparent. Its possible that the asset management firms tailored the products for Jiwasraya, KSEI president director Uriep Budhi Prasetyo said. Despite the fact that the mutual funds were open-endedmeaning that the products are available for all investors to buy around 70 to 90 percent of the products assets under management (AUM) came from Jiwasraya, he added. Such an effort, he went on to say, was carried out to cover up the losses the ailing insurer had suffered following steep drops in the value of shares owned by Jiwasraya. Some of the stocks included in the insurer's portfolio were those of property developer PT Hanson International (MYRX) and coal miner PT Trada Alam Minera (TRAM). These stocks were known to be low quality and were often used for pump-and-dump schemes. The trading of the stocks was halted by the bourse, as a result of the Jiwasraya case. Jiwasraya failed to pay out customers policies, worth up to Rp 16 trillion (US$1.2 billion), that fell due in December, prompting the Attorney Generals Office (AGO) to launch a corruption investigation. The AGO has summoned several investment management and securities firms officials during the investigation and has detained holding company PT Maxima Integra director, Joko Hartono Tirto, after arresting five people in January. Uriep, however, refused to reveal the name of the products or the investment management firms. If the products were tailor-made, I think we can conclude that this was a conspiracy, Commission XI member and Golkar Party politician Mukhamad Misbakhun said. Two parties outside the government coalition, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the Democratic Party, have submitted a proposal for the establishment of a special committee or Pansus to launch an inquiry into the case. The lawmakers want to inquire where the money went following an allegation that Jiwasrayas financial shortfall was a result of misappropriation in order to fund President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's campaign in the 2019 presidential election. However, four of the six progovernment parties have backtracked on their commitment to set up the committee following disapproval from the government and reportedly a request not to allow such a probe to be set in motion. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 12) President Rodrigo Duterte has disclosed that United States President Donald Trump is "trying to save" the Visiting Forces Agreement but he insisted on scrapping the two-decade military pact. "Ngayon, Ill make it public, because eh public official ako. Si Trump, pati yung others, are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement. Sabi ko, ayaw ko," Duterte said in a speech before local chief executives in Pasay City Monday night. [Translation: Now, I'll make it public. Because I am a public official. Trump and the others, are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement. I said I don't want to.] He called the US rude for meddling in the Philippines' local affairs, citing American senators' repeated calls for the release of Senator Leila de Lima an opposition lawmaker detained on drug charges since 2017. "One is that napakabastos ng Amerikano, talagang sobrang bastos (America is very rude. Extremely rude)," Duterte said. "Imagine demanding the release of De Lima under threat that we will not receive the aid at may kolatilya that all persons who have had a hand in the imprisonment of De Lima will not be allowed to go to the United States." The US' 2020 budget law includes a provision that bans Filipino government officials involved in De Lima's imprisonment. The American Senate also passed a resolution in January seeking to deny US entry to and freeze the assets of Philippine officials "responsible for extrajudicial killings" and the "prolonged detention" of De Lima. Malacanang has repeatedly denied that there are state-sanctioned killings, and stressed that the De Lima's drug cases are now being tried by the country's independent courts. What prompted Duterte to threaten to terminate the VFA in January was the cancellation of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa's tourist visa. Dela Rosa himself said it may have been the final straw following the US' several insults to Philippine sovereignty. He acknowledged that the revocation of his visa it may have something to do with alleged extrajudicial killings under his watch as chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018. The VFA can be terminated via a written notice from either of the countries. Expiration will come 180 days from the time either party notifies the other. But despite Duterte's strong statements ordering an end to the VFA, no notice has been sent to the US. Foreign Affairs Secretary Tedoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin, Jr. in a Senate hearing last week pushed for a "vigorous review" instead, saying the Philippines stands to lose billions of pesos in aid, among other benefits, should the termination push through. After that hearing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the President has not changed his mind and is ready to instruct Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to ask Locsin to finally send the notice. Medialdea has not received such order from the President as of writing. Panelo added that Duterte is set to have a phone conversation with Trump soon but no announcement has been made if it has already pushed through. Meanwhile, the US Senate Department said a bilateral dialogue with the Philippines is being eyed for March. R. Clarke Cooper, Assistant Secretary for Political-Military Affairs of the US Department of State, said it's a "worthy conversation to have," flagging what's at stake should Manila ultimately decide to end the military pact around 300 engagements, joint exercises, and port calls yearly. The VFA is a 1998 agreement between Manila and Washington on the protocol for American military personnel in the country. Among its controversial provisions are the lax visa and passport policies for American troops and the authority granted to the US government to retain jurisdiction over military personnel if ever they commit crimes locally. Locsin earlier said he will he will insist on negotiating these issues should the VFA be reviewed. EXPLAINER: The Visiting Forces Agreement IN poll after poll, year after year, Jamaicans are wont to name crime as the countrys number one problem, which is astounding, given that poverty is such a pernicious element of life here and should easily occupy that dubious distinction. Heather Howlett, vice president and corporate controller of Ingersoll-Rand plc (NYSE:IR) has been promoted to vice president and chief accounting officer of the future Trane Technologies, effective at the completion of the Reverse Morris Trust transaction announced in April 2019. Howlett will serve as the company's principal accounting officer and be responsible for strategic leadership and oversight of accounting matters for Trane Technologies. She will report to Christopher Kuehn, chief financial officer of the future Trane Technologies. "Heather's experience as a financial executive at Ingersoll Rand and at other publicly-traded global companies makes her well-suited for the chief accounting officer role," said Kuehn. "I am confident that her leadership experience and strong growth orientation will advance Trane Technologies and deliver strong controls and shareholder return going forward." Howlett joined Ingersoll Rand in August 2019 as vice president and corporate controller. Prior to joining the company, she held finance roles of increasing importance at Catalent, Honeywell and Tyco, and began her career in public accounting at PricewaterhouseCoopers. She has a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Richmond; and she is a certified public accountant and Six Sigma green belt. Ingersoll Rand Transaction Announced in April In April 2019, Ingersoll Rand announced that it would spin off and merge its Industrial segment with Gardner Denver to create a global industrial leader, expected to be called Ingersoll Rand. The remaining company, a global climate innovator, will be named Trane Technologies and is expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker "TT." The transaction is expected to close in early 2020. Through its strategic brands, Trane and Thermo King, and portfolio of climate-focused innovations, Trane Technologies will create efficient and sustainable solutions for buildings, homes and transportation. About Ingersoll Rand Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) advances the quality of life by creating comfortable, sustainable and efficient environments. Our people and our family of brands including Club Car, Ingersoll Rand, Thermo King and Trane work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings; transport and protect food and perishables; and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a global business committed to a world of sustainable progress and enduring results. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com. This news release includes "forward-looking statements," which are statements that are not historical facts, including statements that relate to the intent of the Company to change the name of the Company to Trane Technologies plc and our 2030 sustainability targets. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations. Such factors include, but are not limited to, the ability to obtain shareholder approval of the Company's change of name; global economic conditions, and regulatory developments. Additional factors that could cause such differences can be found in our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, as well as our subsequent reports on Form 10-Q and other SEC filings. Forward-looking statements also include statements that relate to the proposed Reverse Morris Trust transaction with Gardner Denver Holdings, Inc. (GDI). These forward-looking statements are based on GDI's and Ingersoll Rand's current expectations and are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to differ materially from GDI's and Ingersoll Rand's current expectations. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. The inclusion of such statements should not be regarded as a representation that such plans, estimates or expectations will be achieved. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from such plans, estimates or expectations include, among others, (1) that one or more closing conditions to the transaction, including certain regulatory approvals, may not be satisfied or waived, on a timely basis or otherwise, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant approval for the consummation of the proposed transaction, may require conditions, limitations or restrictions in connection with such approvals or that the required approval by the stockholders of GDI may not be obtained; (2) the risk that the proposed transaction may not be completed on the terms or in the time frame expected by Ingersoll Rand or GDI, or at all, (3) unexpected costs, charges or expenses resulting from the proposed transaction, (4) uncertainty of the expected financial performance of the combined company following completion of the proposed transaction; (5) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the proposed transaction, including as a result of delay in completing the proposed transaction or integrating the businesses of GDI and Ingersoll Rand Industrial, or at all, (6) the ability of the combined company to implement its business strategy; (7) difficulties and delays in the combined company and ClimateCo achieving revenue and cost synergies; (8) inability of the combined company and ClimateCo to retain and hire key personnel; (9) the occurrence of any event that could give rise to termination of the proposed transaction; (10) the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the proposed transaction or other settlements or investigations may affect the timing or occurrence of the proposed transaction or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability, (11) evolving legal, regulatory and tax regimes; (12) changes in general economic and/or industry specific conditions; (13) actions by third parties, including government agencies; and (14) other risk factors detailed from time to time in Ingersoll Rand's and GDI's reports filed with the SEC, including Ingersoll Rand's and GDI's annual reports on Form 10-K and subsequent 10-Qs. We assume no obligation to update these forward-looking statements. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006018/en/ Contacts: Media: Perri Richman (732) 319-1024, prichman@irco.com Analysts: Zac Nagle (704) 990-3913, investorrelations@irco.com Chetana Belagere By Express News Service BENGALURU: Case 1: Mother of three killed her husband with her boyfriends help. She developed an affair with the Assistant Sub-inspector of a Mandya police station to escape from the case. She evaded arrest for almost three months. Case 2: Husband involved with another woman. When the wife found out, she decided to pour boiling oil over him. Case 3: A woman killed her husbands friend, hitting him on the head with an iron rod in Rajagopala Nagar after the man forced her into an extramarital affair. Case 4: A man bludgeoned his sister to death in Indi, Vijayapura, after he found her having an extramarital affair. All of these in a months time. Any which way you look at it, love, or rather feeling cheated or betrayed in a relationship, often becomes fatal for those who have done the cheating. With 1.35 lakh registered users, the highest for any city in the country, Gleeden, a website for extra-marital dating, found that Bengaluru is Indias infidelity capital. Of these, 43,200 are women (looking for freedom and excitement outside their marriage) and 91,800 are men. National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data shows that love affairs are one of the biggest reasons for murders. In Karnataka, Delhi and Tamil Nadu it was the second biggest cause of murders that took place between 2001 and 2017. A senior police officer agreed. Infidelity is a major reason for the crimes. Whenever there is an attempt to murder among youngsters it turns out to be either be old rivalry or an issue regarding a girlfriend. When its married people, our first task, unfortunately, is to find out if the person attacked or killed has had a history of affairs, he said. Bengalurus police-run helpline Vanita Sahaya Vani gets about 40 complaints a week, with people complaining about affairs and the damage it does to marriages. Police commissioner Bhaskar Rao said, Heinous crimes, including ghastly murders, assaults, kidnappings, etc., are often committed due to clandestine relationships and are increasing alarmingly day-by-day. Its a dangerous trend and needs to be set right. The city crime records bureau (CCRB) shows that many murders are committed by either the husband or the wife to eliminate his or her cheating partner, the paramour and, shockingly, even children. In 2018, 14 murders involved adultery and about six involved love intrigue. In 2019 there were 13 attempts to murder with love intrigue as reason, said ACP Lakshmiprasad of CCRB. Family and marital counsellor Ashwini A says, Love is a killer. Unfaithfulness is tough to handle and some people harbour too much anger and resentment after they feel cheated in a relationship. Mobile dating apps, boredom, lack of communication between partners, fear of rejection, issues around acceptance are some of the reason behind the affairs. Couples need to spend time with themselves and refrain from usage of gadgets and have control on letting their moral and social boundaries loose. 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 For the second time since Windows 7 reached the end of support on Jan. 14, a bug is causing trouble for users still clinging to the operating system. The first bug, related to setting a wallpaper image, turned desktops black. This new bug prevents Windows 7 users from shutting down or rebooting their computers. Microsofts Windows 7 support now is limited to eligible paid plans. Only commercial customers paying for extended support get fixes for Windows 7 problems. However, the company relented last month and released a patch to fix the black screen issue. Microsoft has not indicated if it will make another exception and provide a free patch to fix this current Windows 7 bug. The apparent cause of the wallpaper black screen problem was one of the last planned Windows 7 updates. So far the cause of the new problem is unclear. This latest problem generates a popup message on affected users screens that reads, You dont have permission to shut down this computer when they attempt to shut down or reboot. The impact here is that Windows 7 users have a serious inconvenience to work with. This is almost as if Microsoft wants people to upgrade really bad, said Thomas Hatch, CTO of SaltStack. Frankly, the only way to move forward safely with Windows 7 is to upgrade, he told the E-Commerce Times. Workarounds Exist Users on various forums are sharing procedures to remedy this newest Windows 7 problem, but no single suggestion is a cure-all for every shutdown or failure to reboot. Im not finding this to be a threat, especially since there are workarounds. More so, servers are very rarely rebooted or shut down, said Chris Morales, head of security analytics at Vectra. A D V E R T I S E M E N T He can not remember the last time he shut down his laptop other than rebooting it at the last patch update, he told the E-Commerce Times. The latest problem with the Windows 7 issue is just a manual user shutdown failing, Morales said. Ultimately, I see this being fixed fairly quickly. Honestly, I would be surprised otherwise, he added. A speedy fix ultimately may depend on Microsofts willingness to provide another free patch in spite of its decision to offer paid support only. As of this writing, Microsoft has not answered our questions about what is causing the problem or whether the company will provide a free patch to fix it. Or Not so Fast Despite being unsupported, many people still use Windows 7. This could be because they do not trust Windows 10 or they are just tired of updates, suggested Anh Trinh, managing editor of GeekWithLaptop. Since they are using an unsupported OS, Microsoft wont likely care about it and will leave the problem, he told the E-Commerce Times. Even if Microsoft makes an exception and updates this Windows 7 problem, there will be future problems, Trinh warned. Luckily, the bug this time has many workarounds. So, in my opinion, it becomes more of a minor inconvenience rather than an actual problem, he said. You also have to take into accounts that Windows 7 is more prone to cyberattacks, viruses and bugs, thanks to the lack of support and development it gets. Inevitably the best solution is to move on, Trinh noted. A D V E R T I S E M E N T Trial and Error Workarounds One suggestion bouncing around the Internet since the new Windows 7 problem surfaced over the last two days involves creating another admin account if a second one does not already exist. Then log into that account and log back into the default admin account. A normal shut down or reboot should result. Another workaround, which Quick Heal describes in detail here, involves modifying a key entry in the Group Policy Editor. Here is the process: Press Windows+R to open the Run window. Then type: gpedit.msc and press Enter to access the editor window. In the Group Policy Editor window go to: Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > Security Options. In that window, search in the right panel for User Account Control: Run all administrators in Admin Approval Mode and click on that option. In the new window that opens, select Enable. Now reopen the Run window (Windows+R), type gpupdate /force and press Enter to update all group policies. Restart or shut down your system normally. If you cant turn off after the gpupdate, then kill (that operation) and rerun Explorer.exe from the Run dialog, said Banish Angural, owner of Social Media Fellow. Other Approaches The shutdown/reboot failure ultimately may have only one solution a hard reset. That was the only cure for a number of his firms clients, said Rich Spinelli, principal at Core Technologies. The solution was to do a hard shutdown, restart the PC, go through local admin account away from the active directory Windows domain. Then do a disk check to address any corruption issues that may have been caused by the sudden shutdown, he told the E-Commerce Times. A less successful suggestion, according to some Windows 7 user reports, is to disable Adobe update services. A recent Adobe update is a possible cause of the issue, Angural told the E-Commerce Times. Two other quick fixes that may work are 1) pressing simultaneously the CTL+ALT+DEL keys several times. Then click the red icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen; or 2) log off the current session by pressing Windows+L and then click on the red icon in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Or run the Group Policy Editor from the command line to force permissions. Of course, you can just pull the plug literally. Unplugging the computer will allow you to reboot. However, it might foul up some of the Windows 7 processes still running. In turn, that could cause file corruption to be discovered when you reboot. While it is not a great band-aid for this problem, many users do not realize that you can shut a computer down by holding down the power button for 5-10 seconds. This will hard power down your system and is not considered the best approach, but it will get the thing shut down, said SaltStacks Hatch. Final Solution Windows 7 is a cybersecurity nightmare on many levels, starting with Microsoft dropping support for Windows 7 last month, according to Luka Arezina, editor-in-chief at DataProt. Assuming the businesses using Windows 7 do not rely heavily on Internet security such as your local hardware store or mom and pop shops in the neighborhood Windows 7 will do the trick. My best tip as a former Windows 7 user is to put the computer to hibernate if it allows for it. Either way, there will be no future updates, so youre not losing much if your PC never shuts down, he told the E-Commerce Times. Keeping it on 24/7 is not ideal either, as it will drain your electric bill and wear down the hardware faster. In the worst-case scenario, at least unplug the monitor or shut down the display if it is a laptop, to keep it from overheating, Arezina recommended. Given the complexity of todays viruses and exploits, he does not recommend using Windows 7 at all, if possible. However, if you are using Windows 7, make sure to have an antivirus program set up, he said. Ideally, Windows 7 users should have antivirus protection installed as a browser add-on as well, since many new exploits target the average Internet user. With active shields, at least you will be protected from any malicious link or browser hijack that you might accidentally stumble upon while browsing the Internet, he explained. Weighing Fixing vs. Upgrading This current Windows 7 bug can have an impact on any number of businesses and individuals with different ranges of severity, Angural suggested. Using an unsupported system is a big problem. Having a bug in it can be a nightmare for the business owners. The extra cost of fixing this bug by a third-party developer can cost a huge amount of money to them, he said. The Windows 7 retirement is a highly visible example of what is happening with many systems and applications all over corporate America. Most businesses operate a variety of applications, all of which reside somewhere on the continuum of development, maintenance and retirement, said Tom DeSot, CIO of Digital Defense. During the latter two stages, patch updates are often required. While some updates can be automatically performed via subscriptions, others require the manual identification and implementation of patches as they become available, he told the E-Commerce Times. This is especially true of retired or end-of-life applications, DeSot said, including those that a company may be transitioning away from but is still using. Lawyers representing the liquidator of the collapsed charities fundraising service Pembroke Dynamic and two related entities, have asked if the firms boss is "currently on a gap year" after hearing he is in Munich. Gerard Meehan Bl for the company's liquidator Myles Kirby told Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds his client wants to progress proceedings brought against businessman Peter Conlon in 2018. However Mr Kirby has not been able to do this for a number of reasons. Late last month Mr Conlon was due to attend at the offices of the liquidator's solicitor to inspect documents, counsel said. However Mr Conlon failed to show up, counsel said, adding that his client was recently informed that the businessman was currently in the German city of Munich. Since the proceedings began Mr Conlon had resided "in the South of France", and had been "a guest of the Swiss State," when he served 12 months in a Zurich prison following his conviction for embezzlement. Counsel said it appeared that Mr Conlon, who had also not responded to issues concerning the discovery of documents, was currently on "a gap year." Mr Kirby launched proceedings against Mr Conlon as part of his probe into what happened to some 3.8m in donations to dozens of charities allegedly misappropriated by the Dublin firm. Mr Kirby remains prepared to facilitate the inspection, and had offered February 21 as an alternative date for that process to take place. If Mr Conlon did not take up that offer, counsel said his client wanted the court to fix a date for the hearing on the action. Mr Conlon's solicitor Robert Dore told the court that his client was indeed in Munich, was "penniless" and was attempting to get back to Ireland, so he can take up the offer in relation to the inspection of documents on February 21. Mr Dore also said there would be a response in relation to issues concerning discovery very shortly. Ms Justice Reynolds said if Mr Conlon did not attend at the solicitor's offices on February 21 the matter would "simply move on". Mr Conlon was being facilitated by the liquidators and any failure to take up that offer meant the businessman was the "author of his own misfortune". The matter will return before the court later this month. Two years ago, arising out of Pembroke Dynamic's liquidation, Mr Kirby secured an injunction from the High Court freezing Mr Conlon's assets, including his bank accounts, below a value of 3.8m. Mr Kirby wants to progress the action where he seeks various orders including one that Mr Conlon be made personally liable for the company's debts. Mr Conlon whose family home is in Ballsbridge, Dublin, denies the claims and wants the freezing injunction against him lifted. The case has been adjourned, with the freezing orders remaining in place, on several occasions over the last two years. WASHINGTONOne night five years ago, Sarah Miller, a former Treasury Department aide, was trying to make sense of an economic recovery that had left the country in the grips of rising inequality. Thinking back to recent news articles about corporate mergers, she Googled monopolies in America. Her screen filled with links to articles detailing a nascent school of thinking that corporate concentration was to blame for inequality, and that a century-old approach to antitrust laws could help solve it. As she read more, she felt she had found the absent piece of a puzzle. This is probably a big deal, Miller, now 37, remembered thinking. It is now common to hear Democratic presidential candidates argue that tech companies like Facebook and Google are too powerful. The Trump administration, too, is investigating whether those businesses, as well as Apple and Amazon, have violated antitrust laws. Miller has been central in making the issue prominent. From her one-time seat as the deputy director of the Open Markets Institute, a research and advocacy group focused on antitrust, she spent three years as a thorn in Silicon Valleys side, guiding a coalition of liberal groups that demanded federal officials break up Facebook. Now theres opportunity to ratchet up the pressure on policy-makers even more, Miller said. So she left Open Markets at the beginning of this year to lead the American Economic Liberties Project, a new organization dedicated to pushing government to confront corporate concentration. The organization is aiming to spend $3 million (U.S.) in its first year, funded by philanthropic organizations including the Omidyar Network, linked to eBay founder Pierre Omidyar. Miller is part of a broader movement among those on the left targeting corporate power, which is reaching a pivotal moment as Democratic presidential candidates like Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts call for the breaking up of the tech giants. Riding that wave, Miller and her fellow activists have an ambitious goal: to rewire the U.S. economy by targeting the biggest companies in many industries, from tech to agriculture to medicine. The conversation about concentrated economic power is now firmly established within the political narrative and the elite media narrative, she said. Were in a position where we need to start seriously crafting regulatory and policy responses to specific problems, specific markets, specific corporate actors. American antitrust policy has long placed the interests of consumers above those of smaller rivals often as measured by what a product costs a restrained approach that has allowed companies to grow into trillion-dollar giants. But that consensus is shifting among economists and policy-makers. Still, Miller and her colleagues are threading a narrow political needle. The push for bold antitrust action faces resistance from many on the right, who argue that people like Miller exaggerate the problem they identify and demand excessive solutions. The claim that across the board youre seeing a diminution of competition in our economy because of lack of antitrust enforcement is overstated, said Daniel Crane, a professor at the University of Michigans law school. He added that breaking up existing companies is not a great way to start or terribly feasible from a legal perspective. The antitrust movement also has to build more support on the left. K. Sabeel Rahman, president of Demos, a progressive think tank, said the antitrust movement needed a much better articulation of what the links are between concentrated corporate power and questions of racial equity and racial justice. Miller said she disagreed with the criticism from the right. If you look at meat processing, if you look at media, if you look at plagiarism detection software, if you look at baby formula, if you look at pacemakers, everywhere you look, you see markets that have been rolled up and monopolized, Miller said. But she concurred with those on the left that making racial justice a part of the call for antitrust reforms was vital. She said her new group would engage in conversations with groups that look at work through a civil rights lens as it tapped into a populist anger that emerged from the financial crisis of 2008. Miller spent 2010 to 2012 working for the Treasury Department as it managed the recovery. She said she had found herself confused and dissatisfied by what she saw as the departments failure to help homeowners while shoring up big banks. A lot of the values that Id seen, I didnt share with people in positions of power there, she said. Her political education began before the crisis, on Hillary Clintons 2008 presidential campaign. After Clinton dropped out of the race, Miller was hired by John Podesta, the Democratic power broker who was leading the Center for American Progress, one of Washingtons most influential progressive groups. There, she met her eventual husband, Faiz Shakir, who was running the organizations blog, ThinkProgress. Podesta officiated at their wedding. Shakir now manages the Democratic presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. In 2015, Millers nighttime Google search, made after reading about corporate mergers, led her to the work of Barry Lynn. A former reporter, Lynn had argued for years that corporate consolidation, urged on by conservative economic policies, was harming Americans and that antitrust law was the solution. By 2015, he was running a program at New America, a progressive think tank. Miller got in touch with him. She joined his team in 2017, as Lynns program was becoming independent and was renamed the Open Markets Institute. It now brings in millions of dollars in funding a year and has been credited for an outsize role in putting antitrust on the map. The movement had already become adept at producing influential journalism and research, and had built some relationships with policy-makers. Miller brought more muscle to the organizations public campaigning, helping to lead an anti-Facebook coalition. The coalition, called Freedom From Facebook, bought an ad in 2018 in the Massachusetts Institute of Technologys campus newspaper when the social networks chief operating officer, Sheryl Sandberg, delivered the institutions commencement speech. It protested a company executive at a congressional hearing. At one point, a Facebook consulting firm distributed opposition research suggesting that the campaign was funded by financier George Soros. Lynn said Millers new group was an outgrowth of that public outreach work and part of the broader efforts to build a long-term movement to critique corporate power. Its like, let 1,000 flowers bloom, he said. Miller and her colleagues at the American Economic Liberties Project are now looking for any opportunity to translate the attention on corporate concentration into sustained momentum for their cause. They hope to organize small businesses harmed by big companies, build links between concentration and national security issues and help a potential new Democratic administration staff up. The team includes Matt Stoller, a longtime Open Markets fellow who has focused his writing and sometimes pugilistic Twitter persona on the monopoly issue. Last month, Miller met with roughly half a dozen members of her staff in a WeWork conference room, about a block from the Treasury Department, to prepare to publicly launch their group. A spreadsheet, displayed on a television screen, showed the projects the team had in the works. One staff member suggested highlighting how the coronavirus outbreak would strain highly concentrated medical supply chains carrying goods from China to the United States. Another updated the group on proposed federal guidelines for evaluating mergers and other activity at the Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission. Eventually, the conversation turned to a report the group was producing: a series of graphics showing that different brands of a certain product like eyeglasses or coffee were, in fact, owned by a small number of conglomerates. The graphics represented the groups hope that people will understand how concentration affects their lives and be moved to do something about it. Lets just wonder at it for a minute, Miller said. Read more about: [February 11, 2020] Source Defense Unveils First Ever Report and Threat Research Lab Dedicated to Client-side Security ROSH HAAYIN, Israel, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Source Defense , the market leader in client-side web security, today released a new threat research report titled, "Client-Side Web Security Report." This marks the first of its kind client-side web security specific report and lab that studies, analyzes, and publishes threat focused research. The Source Defense Research Lab serves as a central hub that integrates a diversity of data and releases reports along with significant findings to inform the security industry on client-side security attacks and trends. Source Defense leverages the power of machine learning and applies a fully automated and dynamic set of rules and policies that control the access and permission of all third-party JavaScript tools operating on a website. The company's real-time platform utilizes real-time sandbox isolation technology to provide a unique client-side website security solution focused on preventing malicious activity originating from website supply chain vendors, also known as Magecart and Formjacking attacks. "Third-party risk is real and threat actors are only going to become more sophisticated in the next decade using relatively unknown techniques to cause the next wave of data breaches," said Dan Dinnar, CEO of Source Defense. "Source Defense protects against the attacks that sneak past traditional security measures and wreak havoc on corporate websites. Our Research Lab is going to be the industry tandard in Client-Side web attacks, trends, and predictions for companies and their customers." For this report, Source Defense's analysis uniquely focuses on attack activity from third-party scripts. Source Defense aggregated data from over 500 third-party scripts to determine which nations are affected, what activity the unauthorized scripts are performing on the website, the sensitive data being accessed, and the most vulnerable industries. Source Defense's study is based on 2019 data collected from a global network and includes hundreds of millions of requests anonymized over thousands of domains. The report provides a thorough explanation of the top industry affected by Magecart's targeted efforts on payment and login pages. Additionally, the new research ranks how the US, Canada, and the UK rank amongst each other when it comes to impact by third-party breaches. Finally, the analysis addresses potential exposure to fourth-and-fifth party tools and where global compliance frameworks and guidelines fit into the equation. Key Findings: There are over 200 code changes on every website that website owners need to manage every month The average number of 3rd+ parties on sensitive pages is 20 scripts The top industries affected by Magecart are Travel, Finance, and Healthcare, not including eCommerce, which ranks number one With technology exponentially growing at a rapid rate unlike any other time, it's imperative to know how to detect and defend against attacks. Source Defense's approach to client-side web security offers immeasurable guidance surrounding the nature and impact of threats to those on the frontline of website security. About Source Defense Source Defense is the market leader in client-side web security, providing real time threat protection against vulnerabilities originating in third-party scripts such as Magecart and Formjacking attacks. With their patented VICE platform, Source Defense protects web pages from vulnerabilities in third-party scripts. Source Defense's solution isolates those scripts from the web page and allows them to read and write according to a given permission either defined by Source Defense's recommended standards, or specific company policies. Source Defense extends the traditional security perimeter to protect your customers and fortify your security stack in real-time. Media Contact Courtney Brady [email protected] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/source-defense-unveils-first-ever-report-and-threat-research-lab-dedicated-to-client-side-security-301002840.html SOURCE Source Defense [ Back To www.mobilitytechzone.com/wimax's Homepage ] Four people have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were detained under the Terrorism Act in Derry on Tuesday morning, a PSNI spokesman said. They are being questioned by detectives at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast. Ms McKee was shot dead while observing disorder in the Creggan area of Derry on April 19, 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the murder which sparked headlines and revulsion across Ireland and the UK. PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne welcomed the arrests. He said in a tweet that detectives are "working hard in the pursuit of justice". Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, renewed an appeal for information. "I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved," he said. "I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us. "I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyra's murder. "I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. "We saw wide-scale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice. "I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist." Police have asked for anyone with mobile phone footage to upload it to the Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk. Mahindra Group is in talks with Korean banks to arrange around 500 billion wons (USD 430 million) to fund fresh capex for its loss-making Korean subsidiary SsangYong and does not mind roping in a third-party investor as it targets to make the struggling unit profitable by 2022. Mahindra acquired the loss-making SsangYong in 2010 but failed to turn it around since then despite several attempts. M&M holds nearly 75 per cent in the Korean company now and has since acquisition invested over USD 110 million. SsangYong has been struggling with deteriorating earnings since 2017 when it slipped into the red with a net loss of 66 billion wons as against a net profit of 58 billion wons in 2016. In 2018, its net loss rose to 62 billion wons and then ballooned to 341 billion wons in 2019. However, the company is cash-positive now from an operational angel now, a Mahindra official told reporters on Tuesday. It can be noted that one major reason for the massive 85 percent plunge in net income at Rs 200 crore in the December quarter was because M&M took a Rs 320-crore impairment charge on SsangYong. Mahindra sells two SsangYong SUvs in the country-the Rexton and the Tivoli. "We are in talks with banks for around 500 billion wons to fund our capex for SsangYong. Of this, fresh capex will be around 300 million wons and the rest will be used to retire the existing debt," Mahindra & Mahindra managing director Pawan Goenka said. The board has agreed for an infusion of 450-500 billion wons of which half will be through equity contribution and the other half will be through a bank loan and "we hope to achieve financial closure by the end of March," Goenka added. When asked if they will look for a new investor for SsangYong, Goenka said it depends on what the new investor is putting on the table. "Right now our focus is on turning around SsangYong and bring it to profitability by 2022 and provide funding through a bank loan, Mahindra's own investment arm and if possible a third-party investor. "Whether we do that third-party investment or not depends on who comes forward and how much is he willing to put in. What we need to take responsibility for is to provide the source for around 500 billion won", Goenka explained. He also said the SsangYong board has approved a five-point plan over the course of next three years aimed at making it profitable. On the 2022 turnaround plan, Goneka said company will reduce cost significantly this year and the next year followed by a breakeven in 2022. They will also look at using its R&D prowess to in its domestic unit as also with the alliance with Ford India, he added. A sustained effort at reducing raw material cost, integration of SsangYong into the M&M-Ford alliance and exploring new markets like Russia and Vietnam are part of the five-point plan, he explained. On tapping new markets for SsangYong, Goenka said they hope to enter Vietnam by the end of 2020 and Russia will be a staggered entry by 2022. "If SsangYong gets integrated into the M&M-Ford alliance, we'll be able to save on capex," Goenka said, adding through material cost reduction, we plan to save 80-90 billion wons". On its alliance with Ford, which got the fair trade regulator's approval on Monday, Goenka said the company is working with Ford on a couple of SUV projects-C-SUV and B-SUV- for the domestic as well as global markets. He also indicated the possibility of involving SsangYong into these projects. SsangYong has borne the brunt of the slowdown. In 2019, the carmaker sold a total of 1,35,235 units, a drop of 5.6 percent from 143,308 units in 2018. It sold 1,07,789 units in the domestic market in 2019 as against 1,09,140 sold in 2018, according to company data and Goenka said he sees no significant change in volumes this year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW DELHI For days, Nadeem Bhatti, a university student in Wuhan, China, watched as his foreign classmates fled the center of the coronavirus outbreak lines of Indians, Americans and others filed somberly onto buses as their governments evacuated them from the hot zone. But Mr. Bhatti, like hundreds of other Pakistani students, was left behind. The Pakistani government has asked Mr. Bhatti and the 800 other Pakistani students in Wuhan to stay put, the result of a grim government calculus. [Read: Coronavirus is forcing foreign students in China to choose: stay or go.] Pakistans health care system is in shambles. Already strained hospitals lack trained doctors and supplies. If infected nationals return home, the virus would likely spread unabated across the country. Pakistan is one of the last places in the world still battling polio, and incidents of dengue fever and H.I.V. are on the rise. Believe me at first I thought that we must go back because we could be infected by the virus, said Mr. Bhatti, a 25-year-old civil engineering student at the Huazhong University of Science and Technology. Some nights I couldnt sleep because of the stress. On July 7, 2007, the New7Wonders Foundation announced the new seven wonders of the world. The monuments were chosen based on the voting of millions of people, and more than 100 million votes were cast. Many of the eligible monuments were UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Many countries promoted their own monuments in hopes of making the list. The monuments on this list didn't make the top seven, but they were all finalists. These monuments are popular tourist destinations even though they are not part of the new seven wonders of the world. 10. Angkor, Cambodia Angkor Wat is considered to be one of the most breathtaking temple complexes in the world. The intricate stone structure attracts thousands of visitors every year, and it is one of the most visited places in Southeast Asia. Angkor Wat is located just outside the city of Siem Reap, Cambodia. The temple complex was built in the 12th century by the Khmer Empire. Despite Southeast Asia being predominantly Buddhist, Angkor Wat is actually a Hindu temple. 9. Easter Island Statues, Chile The Easter Island statues in Chile are iconic, but historians have been puzzled about the meaning and purpose of the statues for decades. Last year researchers at Binghamton University discovered that the location of the statues marks the abundance of freshwater. The human-like carvings, also known as Moai, were made by the Rapa Nui people sometime between 1250 and 1500. The statues actually have hidden bodies underneath the ground. 8. Stonehenge, United Kingdom Stonehenge is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe. Historians have been puzzled as to why the structure was built. It was previously believed to be a clock based on the shadows cast by the sun, but the discovery of ancient remains has led scientists to believe it was a burial ground. Stonehenge was constructed sometime between 3000 and 1500 BC. 7. Kiyomizu Temple, Japan Japan has a wealth of stunning temples and pagodas, but one of the most amazing is Kiyomizu. Kiyomizu-dera is located in the Higashiyama ward of Kyoto, Japan. Kiyomizu-dera translated from Japanese means pure water temple. The Otowa waterfall is located at the base of Kiyomizu-dera's main hall. Visitors should note that the main hall of the temple is undergoing repairs until March 2020. 6. Neuschwanstein Castle, Germany Neuschwanstein Castle is reminiscent of the kind of castle you would see in a fairytale storybook. The Bavarian castle was built under the orders of King Ludwig II. Construction began in 1869, but to this day the castle is not completely finished. In English, Neuschwanstein means new swan castle. The name is a reference to the swan knight, which is a character created by composer Robert Wagner. Walt Disney based the Magic Kingdom castle at Disneyland on Neuschwanstein. 5. Alhambra, Spain Located in Granada Spain, this UNESCO World Heritage Site dates all the way back to the eighth century. Large defensive walls circle the complex. The red walls are what give Alhambra its name. The name of the ancient palace in Arabic means red fort. The Alcazaba, which is the oldest structure in Alhambra, was used by the Nasrid dynasty as a military base. 4. Acropolis, Greece Located in Athens, Greece, the Acropolis symbolizes the contributions the ancient Greeks have made to our modern society. The Acropolis dates back to prehistoric times, but it was the period from 460 BC to 430 BC when many of the most famous structures located at the Acropolis were built. During this period, Pericles ordered the construction of the Parthenon, the Propylaea, the Temple of Athena Nike, the Erechtheion, and the statue of Athena Promachos. Historians consider this to be the golden age of the Acropolis. 3. Kremlin, Russia The Moscow Kremlin is the most iconic locale in all of Russia. Located on Kremlin Hill and overlooking the Moskva River, the Kremlin is the official residence of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Even though the Kremlin is a political residence, tourists can still visit many parts of the Kremlin and the surrounding Red Square. The stunning Saint Basil's Cathedral, which was built by Russian Tsar Ivan the Terrible, is considered the pinnacle of Orthodox art, and tourists can also visit Lenins tomb next to the Kremlin. 2. Hagia Sophia, Turkey The Hagia Sophia was built in the sixth century in what is now modern-day Istanbul, Turkey. Historians consider the church to be one of the most important pieces of Byzantine architecture in the world. Despite the complexity and intricate design of the Hagia Sophia, it surprisingly only took six years to complete. Emperor Justinian I ordered the construction of the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia is part of the Historic Areas of Istanbul, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. 1. Timbuktu, Mali The ancient city of Timbuktu, Mali was the center of commerce and education for a number of African empires. It was once an Islamic oasis and Muslims traveled great distances with sacred texts for preeminent scholars at Timbuktu. The ancient mosques of Sankore, Sidi Yahya, and Djinguereber are located within the walls of Timbuktu. More than 11 million households are said to be on expensive variable tariffs Energy customers who suffer problems switching suppliers will be paid automatic compensation of 30, it was announced yesterday. Industry regulator Ofgem said the compensation scheme is designed to encourage people to shop around for cheaper deals. More than 11 million households are currently on expensive variable tariffs up to 377 a year dearer than the best deal on the market. Many have been put off from switching because of problems in the past where salesmen put pressure on them, or transferred customers by mistake or without permission. Under the scheme, which comes into force on May 1, customers will receive an automatic 30 payment from suppliers if they are switched by mistake, if it takes longer than 15 working days or if their final bill does not arrive within six weeks. File photo. Under the scheme, which comes into force on May 1, customers will receive an automatic 30 payment from suppliers if they are switched by mistake, if it takes longer than 15 working days or if their final bill does not arrive within six weeks Mary Starks, of Ofgem, said: More customers are switching than ever, with a record 6.4million changing supplier in 2019. But we also know that a minority can still experience problems when they switch. We are introducing these new standards to give customers further peace of mind and to challenge suppliers to get it right first time. Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: These tough new standards will ensure switching is as smooth as possible and consumers are always protected. Price comparison website energyhelpline.com said automatic compensation would heap pressure on energy firms to get switching right. Energy minister Kwasi Kwarteng said: These tough new standards will ensure switching is as smooth as possible and consumers are always protected A spokesman warned the scheme could cost the firms millions. He stressed: This sends a clear ringing message to suppliers that missteps could cost them big time. A figure of 30 may not sound like much but since... mistakes have in the past been known to affect thousands of customers, it could add up to a hefty disincentive. Citizens Advice said: These new protections should give more people the confidence to shop around and find the best deals. PeopleFluents learning system capabilities have earned it Core Leader status on the 2020 Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems Whether its reskilling workers, supporting the extended enterprise, or helping global organizations deliver their compliance training, creating learning experiences that scale is something we believe needs to be properly measured to support business outcomes. PeopleFluent, a leading provider of integrated talent management and learning solutions to global organizations, is pleased to announce that it has been recognized on the 2020 Fosway 9-Grid as a Core Leader for learning systems. The recognition follows an independent analysis of learning solutions for the global enterprise market. As Europes #1 HR industry analyst, the Fosway Groups 9-Grid recognizes Core Leaders like PeopleFluent for their breadth of learning management and next-generation learning processes. Core Leaders must demonstrate strong customer advocacy and consistent delivery of enterprise win rates. David Wilson, CEO of Fosway, commented, Following a number of acquisitions, and the integration of some exciting new innovations, PeopleFluent has really started to build a strong trajectory as a Learning Systems Suite under our new classification. Its large US presence and its broader Learning Technologies Group connections in EMEA see PeopleFluent recognized as a Core Leader in the 2020 analysis. Stephen Bruce, Managing Director of PeopleFluent, said: Whether its reskilling workers, supporting the extended enterprise, or helping global organizations deliver their compliance training, creating learning experiences that scale is something we believe needs to be properly measured to support business outcomes. This recognition by Fosway validates our abilities to provide the desired learning capabilities required by companies today. PeopleFluent Learning differentiates in the market by: Offering broad capabilities for a Learning Management System (LMS), Learning Experience Platform (LXP), content authoring and learning analytics Supporting high-risk industries with complex compliance requirements, including secure SaaS solutions that are ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 27001 certified, and compliant with 21 CFR Part 11 requirements Offering embedded video and responsive content creation that is easy to distribute The 2020 Fosway 9-Grid for Learning Systems can be accessed here. PeopleFluent will be on stand J10 at Learning Technologies 2020 in London. Taking place on February 12th and 13th in London, Learning Technologies is Europes largest Learning & Development conference and expo. About PeopleFluent As a market leader in integrated talent management and learning solutions, PeopleFluent helps companies hire, develop, reward, and advance a skilled and motivated workforce. Deployed separately or as a suite, our software spans recruitment, performance, compensation, succession, and learningtailored for either large or mid-enterprise organizations. We deliver unmatched functionality and flexibility, recognized by leading analysts, to develop people, drive performance and deliver results. Our talent solutions unify talent processes within a collaborative experience that enables HR and L&D teams to guide managers and employees with contextual learningright in the flow of work. A part of Learning Technologies Group plc (LTG), PeopleFluent provides world-class service and an unparalleled ecosystem of partners to optimize employee experience, employer brand, and business results. For more, visit peoplefluent.com. About the Fosway 9-Grid Fosway Group is Europes #1 HR Industry Analyst. The Fosway 9-Grid provides a unique assessment of the principal learning and talent supply options available to organisations in EMEA. Now in its sixth year, the analysis is based on extensive independent research and insights from Fosways Corporate Research Network of over 150 customer organisations, including BP, HSBC, PwC, RBS, Sanofi, Shell and Vodafone. Visit the Fosway website at http://www.fosway.com for more information on Fosway Groups research and services. On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the Americans With Disabilities Act. The U.S. Supreme Court has since applied the law to websites, which has sparked a lot of litigation. Read more Is your website a potential liability? Yes, it probably is. Over the last three to four years, there has been an explosion of lawsuits and claims by disabled people, asserting that businesses websites (and, increasingly, their mobile apps) were not accessible to them because they were not up to code with Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, according to Charles Marion, a lawyer with Blank Rome LLP in Philadelphia. The issue received national attention after a decision in October by the U.S. Supreme Court to let stand a lower court ruling that opened the door for blind people to sue Dominos Pizza for not making its website accessible. The lower court ruling decided that the ADA not only applies for making a companys brick-and-mortar establishments accessible to disabled people, but covers their online properties, as well. Dominos is not the only business exposed to these claims. According to a 2019 study, a whopping 98 percent of more than a million home pages of both large and small companies analyzed by an industry watchdog failed to meet all the recommended requirements of website accessibility for disabled people. The vast majority of claims are asserted by visually impaired individuals who use a screen reader software that enables the user to have content on a website read aloud to them when they move their cursor over the information on the website but claim that they tried to access certain information on the businesss website using their screen reader but could not, because the website was not coded properly so as to be compatible with the screen reader, Marion said. Most of these lawsuits have been filed in California, New York and Florida, but we have seen an increasing number being filed in Pennsylvania. Thomas Barton, a lawyer at Drinker Biddle & Reath LLPs Philadelphia office, said that the number of ADA filings is up 34 percent from 2017 and up about 300 percent since 2013. While small businesses have been generally flying below the radar because their sites get less traffic, these business are equally vulnerable just as are their physical sites, he says. Barton expects that plaintiffs firms will soon run through the list of major retailers and settle or sue them and then those lawyers will start looking at smaller companies further down on the list in terms of size and revenue. In other words, the claims are coming to a small business near you. And, the exposure is not limited to pure retail but also includes restaurants, doctors offices, car repair facilities, and hair salons, Barton said. Businesses typically faced with an ADA claim will have to pay the disabled individuals attorneys fees (or at least some portion), their own legal fees, and will have to agree to certain modifications to the website. In some jurisdictions, the disabled people can also be entitled to statutory damages under state law. So how can you tell whether your business website is ADA compliant? In its simplest form, a website visitor should be able to unplug their monitor and mouse and navigate your companys website, said Jason McKee, chief marketing officer of Accessibility Shield, a Norristown company that provides ADA compliance tools. If you cant do that or dont understand what I mean, then you have an accessibility issue. Its not surprising that both lawyers Barton and Marion recommend having a lawyer and an IT consultant familiar with ADA rules to review your site and suggest changes to be made in order to be compliant, as well as having a protocol in place to ensure that the site is regularly evaluated and updated. But Karissa Demi, a software engineer for the City of Philadelphia, says that other, simple steps can also be taken almost immediately. She recommends that small businesses avoid using fonts and colors that do not have enough contrast to be distinguishable to users with low-vision. She also suggests including descriptions for important images, employing techniques to ensure that pop-ups have the proper coding to make them dismissible for users with screen readers, and having a logical tab order for buttons and headings. But, unfortunately, she concedes, many websites are built without accessibility in mind from day one, so it makes it harder to retroactively correct the issues. There are also free tools available to check your sites ADA compliance. For example, WAVE is a suite of evaluation tools that helps authors make their web content more accessible to those with disabilities. There are also tools available from the Bureau of Internet Accessibility and accessibility consulting firm Level Access. Now that more people are becoming aware of the ADAs accessibility rules, its becoming imperative for small-business owners to make sure their sites are compliant. Its a lawsuit that youre going to lose, McKee warned. And youre potentially eliminating your audience, he said. Market share or consequences of ending up in court: Take your pick. Thousands of lawsuits are happening every year and its not going away." BEIJING, Feb. 11 --The Chinese PLA General Hospital (PLAGH) in Beijing and Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan held the first 5G real-time remote consultations on February 9. According to Chen Liangan, a professor at the Telemedicine Center of PLAGH, the remote consultation panel would make a joint decision based on each patients symptoms and then propose individual treatment suggestions. To support the treatment of critical patients of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, the PLA General Hospital in Beijing fully exerted its technological advantages and specifically formed the remote consultation panel. The panel members came from twelve disciplines, including first aid, severe case, respiration, infection, disease control, cardiovascular disease, digestion, psychology, etc. Twenty first-rate experts, including academicians and chief physicians, took turns to be on duty around the clock. It is reported that after receiving the assignment, the PLAGH immediately set about the remote consultation system connection with Huoshenshan Hospital, which officially came online on the morning of February 4after a week-long commissioning. The 5G remote consultation system enabled the experts at the Beijing-based hospital to provide real-time guidance and technical assistance for critical patients of novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan. Kakoli Mukherjee By Express News Service HYDERABAD: As part of Queer Azadi Carnival 2020, a discussion titled, Impact of CAA, NPR and NRC on Queer and Transgender Persons and Allies held at Lamakaan saw transgender activists, Dalit feminists and members of the queer community come together on one platform. Vyjayanti Vasanta Mogli, a transwoman and RTI activist, who moderated the session, said: We wanted to bring people from various backgrounds to talk about the draconian Citizenship Amendment Act. Rachana Mudraboyina, founder of Transvision, said: After the NRC exercise in Assam, 2,000 transgender persons have been declared non-citizens of the country. But the fact remains that we were never considered citizens, and the community has been systematically criminalised over the years. Earlier, there was a system in which we had to record our movements with the local police station. Even now, beggars and sex workers from the transgender community have to deal with police every day. However, right now, the state is trying to divide us on the basis of our political ideologies. This was evident in the recent queer parade in Mumbai where 51 persons were charged with sedition. We have been living as one for years, and we need to fight NRC-CAA as one. Dr Sowjanya Tamalapakula, professor at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, said: We have to accept that caste and class are part of the queer community too. These identities are inter-sectional and not mutually exclusive. We can learn from each other. Sultana Yasmin, from Shaheen Womens Resource and Welfare Association, said, Even after the Babri Masjid verdict, I believe in the Supreme Court. While NRC-CAA has created so much fear among people, the government is concerned only about Pakistan and Gau Rakshaks. I appeal to the state not to discriminate against me because am a Muslim. Rubina, who works with marginalised communities, said that though she never covered her head all her life, she picked up the hijab this January to assert her identity in the fight against NRC-CAA. Women in slums tell me that they are being charged Rs 5,000 instead of the usual Rs 1,200 for getting documents. People are not only scared, they are being fleeced too, she added. Dr Suneetha Achyutha, from Anveshi Research Centre for Women Studies, however, sees a silver lining in the protests. We were mum during demonetisation or Babri Masjid verdict, but I am glad people are there on the streets now. The silence has been broken. This country has been built on the back of protests. Professor Sujatha Surepally from Satavahana University added: If the Constitution is shaken, everyone will be affected. It will not remain a Dalit, Muslim or womens agitation. We have to break free from these binaries. The event featured many voices that made it amply clear that they are united in fighting the divisive forces Kakoli Mukherjee kakoli_mukherjee@newindianexpress.com @KakoliMukherje2 Thirteen Fianna Fail TDs have lost their seats during a day of major electoral casualties for the party. The second day of counting saw a wave of senior party members lose their seats in constituencies across the country. In a lot of the cases, the TDs were replaced by their own Fianna Fail running mates. The two biggest upsets were Clare TD Timmy Dooley and Mayo's Lisa Chambers, who were both involved in the Votegate controversy. Ms Chambers was the party's Brexit spokesperson and a key figure in Fianna Fail's election campaign team. Mr Dooley was sacked from the party's frontbench over his involvement in the Dail voting controversy. However, his running mate, Clare county councillor Cathal Crowe, was elected. Mr Crowe made national headlines when he announced he was boycotting a State commemoration of the Royal Irish Constabulary. In Cork, two Fianna Fail TDs were replaced by their running mates. Prominent Cork South West TD Margaret Murphy O'Mahony lost her seat. However, Fianna Fail councillor and Mayor of Cork County Christopher O'Sullivan was elected. Mr O'Sullivan's partner, Holly Cairns, who was running for the Social Democrats, also won a Dail seat. In Cork East, Kevin O'Keeffe lost his seat. The one-term TD is the son of long-serving Fianna Fail politician Ned O'Keeffe. He was replaced in the constituency by 22-year-old Fianna Fail councillor James O'Connor in his first attempt to win a Dail seat. Mr O'Connor was elected to Cork County Council last May and will now be the youngest member of the next Dail. Before becoming a councillor, Mr O'Connor interned with Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin and justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan. He also worked for the outgoing Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor. Kerry TD John Brassil lost his seat and was replaced by running mate Norma Foley. In Carlow-Kilkenny, Bobby Aylward lost his seat after one term in the Dail. His brother Liam Aylward served in a number of ministries during his Dail career. Mr Aylward's seat was taken by Fianna Fail Senator Jennifer Murnane O'Connor. It was Ms Murnane O'Connor's second attempt to win a seat after narrowly losing out in 2016. She is a close political ally of long serving Carlow-Kilkenny TD John McGuinness, who also retained his seat. There was a further shock for the party in Louth were outgoing TD Declan Breathnach lost his seat, meaning the party has no TD in the Border constituency. In Meath West, Shane Cassells lost his seat. Eugene Murphy also lost his seat to a Sinn Fein candidate in Roscommon-Galway. Fiona O'Loughlin lost her seat in Kildare South. Long-serving Fianna Fail TD and MEP Pat 'The Cope' Gallagher will also not return to the Dail. He was first elected in 1981. Former minister of state John Curran was also unsuccessful, as was Frank O'Rourke in Kildare North. TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pasinex Resources Limited (CSE: PSE) (FSE: PNX) (The Company or Pasinex) today announced that they have approved the issuance of 1,500,000 incentive stock options of the Company to Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Andrew Gottwald. The options are exercisable at a price of $0.04 per share for a period of two years from the issue date of February 11, 2020. Steve Williams, President and CEO of Pasinex, commented, I am very pleased that Mr. Gottwald is our CFO as he brings a wealth of relevant experience to the Company and has already shown a strong impact for Pasinex. I look forward to continuing to work with Mr. Gottwald particularly with the challenges in our Turkey business. Visit our web site at: www.pasinex.com On Behalf of the Board of Directors PASINEX RESOURCES LIMITED Steve Williams Steve Williams Evan White President/CEO Manager of Corporate Communications Phone: +1 416.861.9659 Phone: +1 416.906.3498 Email: info@pasinex.com Email: evan.white@pasinex.com The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. This news release includes forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the historical results or from any future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although Pasinex believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not a guarantee of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, continued availability of capital and financing, exploration results, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements. Coast guard, navy divers and other rescuers recovered the bodies of 14 women, one child and a man Dhaka: An overcrowded boat carrying about 125 Rohingya refugees from Bangladeshi camps sank early Tuesday in the Bay of Bengal, leaving at least 16 dead, Bangladeshi officials said Tuesday. The coast guard, navy divers and other rescuers recovered the bodies of 14 women, one child and a man after the wooden boat capsized off St. Martin's Island, the top elected official on the island told The Associated Press. Noor Ahmed told The Associated Press by phone from the scene that some 62 refugees on the boat survived. They were wooed by traffickers to get on the boat from various points as it was heading for Malaysia, he said. Iqbal Hossain, the additional police superintendent in Cox's Bazar, said by phone the overcrowding of the boat had caused it to capsize and that it may have been carrying additional cargo as well. Hossain said the bodies were sent to nearby Shah Porir island and the rescue operation was continuing. But he would not give an exact figure about how many still remained missing. Traffickers usually lure refugees by promising a better life overseas. Many past attempts to travel illegally by boats were thwarted by coast guards. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar to flee a harsh crackdown by Myanmar's military since August 2017. Myanmar has long claimed the Rohingya are Bengali migrants from Bangladesh, even though their families have lived in the country for generations. Nearly all have been denied citizenship since 1982, effectively rendering them stateless. Photographs have emerged of a blissful Lori Vallow, the 'cult' mom who is refusing to answer questions on her missing children, dancing at her Hawaii beach wedding weeks after her children were last seen alive. Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell tied the knot on November 5, six weeks after her seven-year-old son JJ and 17-year-old daughter Tylee were last seen alive. Police in Rexburg, Idaho, had not yet begun their search for them. At the time of their wedding in Hawaii, Lori and Chad's family and friends had become concerned for the children but police were yet to get involved. It was not until late November - after the beach wedding - that authorities went to their home in Rexburg at the request of JJ's extended family to perform a wellness check. Lori told police that JJ was in Arizona. They returned to the house with a search warrant the next day but Lori and Chad had vanished. They have since been laying low on the island of Kauai, attending church services. ABC filmed the pair ignoring questions as they entered church on Sunday. They have also ignored an Idaho judge's order for her to return to the state and produce her missing children. Tylee and JJ have not been seen or heard from since September 23. Their mother got rid of JJ's service dog and put many of the kids' belongings into storage before she and Daybell fled to Hawaii. She was in possession of Tylee's phone, and friends of the teen say a text message which came from it after Tylee was last seen alive did not sound like her. In addition to the kids' disappearance, Lori and her religious author husband are at the center of three suspicious deaths. Lori Vallow and her husband Chad Daybell tied the knot on November 5, six weeks after her seven-year-old son JJ and 17-year-old daughter Tylee were last seen alive. The photos were obtained by Fox 10 Phoenix In July, Lori's brother Alex Cox shot her estranged husband Charles Vallow dead in her Arizona home. She had a pool party hours later. Chad's wife, Tammy, then died two weeks before his Hawaii wedding to Lori. The cause of Tammy's death is unknown and her body has been exhumed. In December, Lori's brother Alex died in strange circumstances. He had just gotten married in Las Vegas. As suspicion around the pair mounts, police in Hawaii say they are awaiting orders from Idaho authorities. The police in Rexburg, Idaho - where Lori was living with the children - have however not given any indication that they intend to arrest her. JJ's paternal grandparents have pleaded with her to tell them where he and Tylee are. In an interview with KSL, Annie Cushing - who is Tylee's late father's sister - said Lori had become obsessed with the end of the world and often talked about 'driving off the edge of a cliff' with the children. Joshua 'JJ' Vallow, seven, and Tylee Ryan, 17, were last seen in Idaho in September in Rexburg, Idaho and authorities are still searching for them Annie Cushing, Lori's former sister-in-law, said she was 'unhinged' and had become obsessed with doomsday culture 'Its like she wanted me to be afraid of the end times. Lori is refusing to answer questions on her children's whereabouts 'There was one time where she was talking about it and she says, sometimes, I think it would be better just to get put my kids in a car and go off the side of a cliff,' she told CBS in a recent interview. It was inspired, she said, by her new husband who had written books about a near death experience in the past. Chad is Lori's fifth husband. Details of her first marriage are not known. She was married next to Joseph Ryan, Tylee's biological father. He is also believed to be Colby Ryan's father. Colby is Lori's oldest son. She and Ryan were married from 2000 until 2004. They divorced and she married Charles Vallow in 2006. While married to Charles, she adopted JJ, who has autism. Lori got rid of JJ's service dog before she moved to Hawaii. JJ has autism Lori's brother Alex Cox (left) shot her husband Charles Vallow (right) in July. Cox himself died in December from unknown causes Chad's wife Tammy died in mysterious circumstances in October. Her body has been exhumed for further investigation Cushing is Joseph Ryan's sister. Joseph died in 2018 of a heart attack, 14 years after he and Lori divorced. Timeline of Joshua and Tylee's disappearance July 11: Lori Vallow's husband, Charles Vallow, is killed by her brother, Alex Cox, in Arizona August: The last time Joshua's grandparents, Kay and Larry Woodcock, said they saw the boy via FaceTime August: Lori moved children Joshua and Tylee to Rexburg, Idaho September 23: The last time Joshua was seen at his school in Idaho October 19: Chad Daybell's wife, Tammy Daybell, dies at their Idaho home October 25: A friend of Tylee receives a text from her phone that she says does not sound like her November 5: Lori and Chad get married in Hawaii November 26: Out-of-state relatives ask Idaho police to perform a welfare check on Joshua. Lori and Chad, in their home in Idaho, claim he is in Arizona with a family friend. Police also learn Tylee has not been seen since September. November 27: Police execute a search warrant at Lori and Chad's home, discovering the couple have fled the city December 11: Tammy Daybell's body is exhumed from the Utah cemetery December 12: Lori's brother, Alex Cox, believed to have died in Arizona December 21: Police issue a press release about JJ and Tylee, revealing they believe their disappearance is linked to Tammy's death December 24: Lori and Chad issue a statement through an attorney saying they love their son and daughter and look forward to addressing 'allegations once they have moved beyond speculation and rumor' December 30: Police accuse Lori and Chad of lying to investigators and say they believe the couple know where the kids are or what happened to them January 26: Lori and Chad are seen for the first time in months as police serve two search warrants in Kaua'i January 30: Lori misses court deadline to produce the children to authorities Advertisement Annie said that after her brother died, Lori did not tell her for weeks. It is not clear why it would have been down to her to inform her, given she and Joseph were long divorced. Annie however said she was shocked to learn no funeral service had been planned for her brother. She also claims she watched her talking poorly about him to Tylee, after his death, and telling their daughter she was safer now that he was dead. Cushing sent a text to her own daughter afterward saying she thought Lori had become a 'sociopath'. In an interview about his mother, Lori's son Colby said he had not spoken to her or Tylee for months. Colby also revealed that before his mother separated from Charles Vallow in 2018, she took Tylee to live with her in Hawaii. She left JJ with Charles in Arizona, where they were living at the time. After a brief spell in Hawaii, she returned with Tylee and separated from Charles. He was then shot dead by her brother, Alex Cox, in July. According to Colby, his mother told him Charles died of a heart attack. He only learned that he'd been shot dead by his uncle when it emerged in the media. He has written his mother off now, he says. Vallow's first wife, Cheryl, has also spoken of her concern for Vallow's mental health. 'She just seemed off. There were a lot of strange goings-on at their home to the point that a judge ordered cameras to be put in their home to protect the children,' Cheryl recalled. While nothing suspicious or criminal was ever found in the video footage, Cheryl still felt something wasn't right with Lori, who was going through custody battles over both Charles' sons and her daughter Tylee. 'It was so intertwined that the judge combined our cases altogether in the courtroom,' Cheryl said. 'It was quite odd, but [Lori] loved it.' She said Lori appeared to enjoy 'all the drama' during custody hearings. 'That's when I learned she doesn't do what she's told to do if she doesn't want to. I saw that a lot in court,' Cheryl said. After the cases were settled, Charles and Lori announced that they were moving to Arizona - a move that surprised Cheryl given how much money they'd all spent on the custody dispute. A Bexar County jail inmate who claimed to have possibly been exposed to the novel coronavirus has been quarantined in a special cell out of an abundance of caution, Sheriff Javier Salazar said Sunday. The 49-year-old man, whom Salazar did not identify, was booked early Sunday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault-family violence. The man was not granted bail. He told deputies he had been working as a contractor in the days before his arrest and came into contact with people who had been quarantined for coronavirus, Salazar said. TEEN SHOOTING: Police: Texas 16-year-old killed by teen he'd stopped from bullying boy days earlier That scenario actually seems pretty unrealistic from what we're hearing, the sheriff said. Since the claim was made, we want to make sure that were acting appropriately. University Health System officials examined the man, and Salazar said its more likely the inmate has the flu or a cold. Jail officials have isolated him in a negative pressure cell that prevents any contaminated air from spreading to other parts of the building. He will remain there until doctors give him clearance to move elsewhere. On HoustonChronicle: Dozens of coronavirus evacuees from China arrive in San Antonio Also Sunday, the city of San Antonio said several Bexar County residents, as a precaution, are self-quarantined in their homes after returning from China. Since Friday, 91 evacuees from China have been quarantined in a hotel on San Antonio Joint Base-Lackland base. No one in Bexar County has been diagnosed with the illness. Twelve cases have been reported in the U.S. and 40,000 people have been diagnosed globally. The death toll has climbed to more than 900. W hile health officials around the world try to contain coronavirus, more is being learned about the strain and how it is being transmitted. And the outbreak, which has now killed more than 1,000 people in China, has led to suggestions that some people are super-spreaders of the virus. A British man who caught the virus in Singapore in January is appeared to be linked to several other confirmed cases in Europe. These include five Britons, including a nine-year-old boy, who contracted the virus in the French Alpine ski town of Contamines-Montjoie after staying in the same chalet as the man. He has since been named as Steve Walsh, a scout leader and businessman from Hove, who has spoken out to say he is "fully recovered". Some have labelled the man a "super-spreader", leading to questions such as who can be a super-spreader and how are they spreading the virus? The death toll in mainland China reached 1,016 this week, with the number of people to die in one day surpassing 100 for the first time on Monday. The total number of people infected stands at 42,638. It comes after the UK declared the virus a serious and imminent threat to public health and said it would forcibly detain infected people if necessary. The Evening Standard explores this topic. What is a super-spreader? A masked woman in a plastic raincoat walks on a street in Beijing / AP There is no agreed scientific definition of a super-spreader. However, it is a term used when one person appears to infect significantly more people than would normally be expected. Is anyone affected by coronavirus a super-spreader? We do not know, although there are signs that a British businessman could potentially be regarded as a super-spreader. The World Health Organisation has not defined a super-spreader in relation to coronavirus, and Public Health England will also not use the label for anyone in the latest outbreak. Why do some people spread more? Possible explanations include super-spreaders secreting more of the virus than other people, these people can be referred to as "super-shredders". Some people simply come into contact with a significantly higher number of other people, whether it be through their work or lots of close contact travel. And they could be spreading the disease around even if they are not showing any symptoms at that point. On average, a person infected with the new coronavirus will pass it on to between two and three other people. But, this is just on average. Some people will not pass it on to anybody, while others will pass the infection on to more. What about past epidemics? Super-spreading events can be hugely significant during an outbreak, as seen in past epidemics. In 2015, it was reported that 82 people had been infected in a super-spread, via one hospital patient with Middle East respiratory syndrome (Mers). In the more recent Ebola epidemic in West Africa, most cases are thought to have been traced to a much smaller number of people. Young school children in the UK are often regarded as super-spreaders of cold and flu. Doctors say a virus can spread more easily in schools and nurseries, and then children pass the illnesses on. How can super-spreaders change an outbreak? Experts believe super-spreaders make a huge difference to an outbreak. Infections, like coronavirus, spread from animals and jumps to the first human. At that point, the virus might stop with that patient but if it makes its way to a super-spreader it could give it a large boost making it more difficult to contain. What will stop coronavirus? Currently, there is no cure or treatment for coronavirus. Healthcare agencies are reliant on identifying patients and those they have come into contact with and isolating them quickly. Should we blame super-spreaders? Simply, it is not the patients' fault. An infection is picked up through no fault of the person and whether you are a super-spreader or not is entirely out of your hands. No one will know if they are a super-spreader or not until research is conducted. A nurse in a protective suit feeds a novel coronavirus patient inside an isolated ward at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan / REUTERS People with symptoms will be afraid, especially in the current climate, but they just need care. Roughly 79% of students at Beatrice Community Preschool have met the age-level expectancy for social and emotional growth with problem solving. Last fall, 51% of those students were at age-level. Preschool Director Missy Timmerman met with the board of education Monday night to report the students growth according to the 77 state teaching strategies. Timmerman said she hopes the results explain the difference between daycare and preschool and why preschool is important for early childhood development. The preschool holds three checkpoints yearly to record student growth, with the first checkpoint completed in October and the second one this week. Timmerman said the 77 objectives are broken down into weekly guides for the teachers to follow during lessons. The weekly targets are then taught through hands-on activities in large group and small room instruction, Timmerman said. Although we really focus on the growth of each child, the state of Nebraska teaching strategies has a target range that they want each child to be in. In the language objective, which includes following directions, comprehending language, engaging in conversations and speaking clearly, Timmerman said 43% of students were below age-level at the first checkpoint. That number has reduced to 21%. Literacy skills like writing, letter and name sounds and writing concepts have increased from 41% to 76%. Timmerman said the biggest growth was in the math objective, which she said is the school improvement goal this year. The teachers are creating meaningful opportunities in everyday activities and deliberately focusing on ways to incorporate math into their day-to-day activities, Timmerman said. There was a 54% increase of students within the [age-level], with 2% of them above. Timmerman said 72% of students are on age-level with the math objective, and that students this time last year were at 64%. School board president Jon Zimmerman asked Timmerman what daycare scores would be in comparison. Timmerman said daycares are not required to teach these objectives. Online enrollment for preschool started on Jan.15. Timmerman said 160 students have enrolled as of Monday, and that there will again be a waiting list for openings. I know early childhood is an area we can look at and say why? But I think these numbers show why, and why its important that we continue to support our littlest learners, Timmerman said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Over 6.21 lakh students will write the matriculation (class 10) and intermediate (class 12) examinations across 1,410 centres under strict vigilance of CCTV cameras from Tuesday. Conducted by the Jharkhand Academic Council (JAC), the examinations will be conducted in two sittings. The matric examination will be held in the first sitting and the intermediate in the second. JAC secretary Mahip Kumar Singh said altogether 387,021 students would appear for the matric exams at 940 centres, while 234,363 students would take the intermediate examinations in 470 centres. The matric exams will begin with the Home Science paper and conclude with Sanskrit paper on February 28. The inter exams will start with vocational papers and conclude with Biology, Geography, and Business Mathematics on the same date. JAC officials on Monday were busy making the last-minute preparations for the two major examinations. We reviewed if question paper and answer sheets reached in place today or not. As per our information till afternoon, no complaint was received from any corner of the state, said Singh. The CCTVs cameras were installed largely this year across the centres to stop unfair means practices during the examination. The CCTV cameras were installed in every classroom of every centre. If cameras are properly functioning or not were also checked today, added Singh. The footage from the cameras would be monitored at a control room in centre superintendents cell. JAC has asked deputy commissioners of districts to ensure adequate security forces to conduct free and fair examination. The team of invigilators will be responsible for conducting peaceful examinations in their respective centres. Mobile phones will be banned for all at the examination centres. Neither students nor invigilators or teachers will be allowed to use mobile phones at the centre, officials said. In a bid to prevent cheating during the examinations, checking will be conducted at different levels, including students, will be checked properly before their entry into the examination centre and again before their entry into the classroom. The centre superintendents were asked to ensure proper electricity supply, adequate facility of drinking water and toilets at the examination centres. Examinees are all prepared to write the examination. Students expressed confidence to score good in the examinations. A student of matriculation, Putul Mishra from Mandakini High School, Bada Jamua in Dhanbad, said, I have worked hard on model questions and syllabus. So, I am hoping to do good in the examination, Mishra said. BOX STORY Students cant be stopped from appearing in exams due lack of fees: CM Chief minister Hemant Soren on Monday gave instruction to the education department officials to ensure that no student be stopped by the private or public sector schools from appearing in the annual examinations due to lack of fees. The chief minister said this during a review meeting of the department of school education and literacy. Sources said chief minister was frequently getting complaints that students, who could not deposit fees, were being stopped by school managements from appearing in the final examinations. Chief minister said school management whether it was private, government or run by public sectors could not deprive students from appearing in the annual examination. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON KAMPALA The government has shifted its position from constructing a hydropower dam at Murchison Falls, turning attention to Uhuru falls 600 meters away from Murchison falls. Appearing before the Natural Resources Committee of Parliament on Tuesday, February 11, 2020, the State Minister for Energy Simon DUJanga said that they are going to carry out a study to assess the impact that might be caused by the construction of the hydropower dam at Uhuru. The MPs sitting on the committee chaired by Kiboga East legislator Dr. Keefa Kiwanuka rejected his submission-tasking him to provide details of the firm that intends to carry out the study. Minister DUJanga could not avail prompting the committee to throw him out. Nineteen (19) civil society organizations petitioned President Museveni to unequivocally declare that his government will never build a dam at Murchison and Uhuru falls or any other place in Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). Led by Dickens Kamugisha, the Chief Executive Officer of the African Centre for Energy Governance (AFIEGO), the CSOs reminded the President that Uganda has a number of laws including the 1995 constitution, 2019 National Environment Act, 2019 Uganda Wildlife Act, the National Forestry and Tree Planting Act and others which provide for regulation of the environment to promote biodiversity conservation in the country. Despite the above legal framework, Uganda continues to face untold environmental degradation including threats brought about by oil activities in the Albertine Graben, the 8-page petition reads in part. Last year the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) published a notice in newspapers indicating that it had received an application from Bonang Power and Energy (Pty) Limited for the construction of a power dam in Murchison Falls. ERA has under section 29 of the Electricity Act 1999 received a notice of intended application of a license from Bonang Power and Energy(Pty) Limited for the generation and sale of electricity from a hydropower plant proposed to be established near Murchison Falls in Kiryandongo and Nwoya districts, read the notice published in the government-owned New Vision. The notice drew uproar from the public with conservationists, saying the project would deal a devastating blow to tourism. In September 2019, the then Minister for Tourism, Hon. Ephraim Kamuntu indicated that the cabinet had agreed to instruct the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to stop the feasibility processes by Bonang Power and Energy Ltd that included the construction of a dam at Murchison Falls. Related The Zamfara State House of Assembly on Tuesday passed the state 2020 Appropriation Bill of N188 billion. News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Governor Bello Matawalle on December 4, 2019, presented a budget of N182.7 billion for 2020 to the House for approval. The passage followed the adoption of the House Standing Committee on Finance and Appropriation presented at plenary by its Chairman, Muhammad Ahmad. Mr Ahmad said the sum of N188 billion was recommended for appropriation for the state for 2020. He said N117 billion of the amount was for capital expenditure, while N71 billion was for recurrent expenditure. He said the recurrent expenditure was raised from N66 billion to N71 billion while the capital expenditure was increased to 117 billion from 116 billion. Announcing the passage, the Speaker, Nasiru Magarya, thanked members of the committee for their hard work. Mr Magarya also appreciated the entire people of the state, Civil Society Organisations and the media for their support and cooperation to the house while working on the budget. (NAN) Prashant Kishor, the political strategist who was sacked by Nitish Kumar from the Janata Dal United, appeared to link the Aam Aadmi Partys performance in the Delhi elections to the protests against the amended citizenship law. In a tweet after the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP consolidated its lead position with 57 out of 70 seats, Prashant Kishor tweeted his thank you message to Delhi voters. Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! Prashant Kishor tweeted. Arvind Kejriwals AAP had roped in Indian Political Action Committee, the election strategy firm set up by Prashant Kishor, for the campaign in the run-up to the assembly elections. Prashant Kishor has been one of the sharpest critics of the citizenship law that enables the government to fast-track citizenship for non-Muslims from three neighbouring muslim-majority countries, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Kishor was also one of the early politicians to underscore that the citizenship law, if combined with the proposed citizens register, held the potential to harass people from the muslim community. It was his insistence on this line against the Bharatiya Janata Party that was the starting point of his falling out with Nitish Kumar, particularly after the JDU became part of the BJP-led coalition for the Delhi elections. As part of this arrangement in Delhi to help the BJP reach out to voters from Bihar, the JDU contested two seats - Burari and Sangam. That experiment clearly didnt work. At the end of the sixth round, AAP candidate in Burari Sanjeev Jha has got 62 per cent of the votes as compared to the Janata Dal United candidates 22 per cent. In Sangam Vihar, AAP candidate Dinesh Mohaniya is set to get twice as many votes as the JDU candidate. Sinn Fein is celebrating a stunning election victory in the Republic, after winning the popular vote, with attention now turning to if the party will enter government - and with who. The party secured 24.5% of the vote ahead of Fianna Fail on 22.2% and Fine Gael on 20.9%. Sinn Fein will have at least 37 seats, with 28 seats yet to be called. Fianna Fail will be above 40 seats and Fine Gael under 40. Follow coverage of all the results as they happened below. Parliament backs cabinet and financial plans of PM Hassan Diab in vote held despite attempts by protesters to block it. Beirut, Lebanon Lebanons Parliament has backed a new cabinet and the governments financial rescue plan in a vote of confidence held despite attempts by protesters to block it. Parliamentary Speaker Nabih Berri congratulated the legislators who sat through a nine-hour session on Tuesday before holding a vote that saw 63 of 84 MPs present give their confidence to the new government formed last month. Twenty MPs voted against the government and one abstained. Hezbollah and its allies the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement backed the government while the Future Movement of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri voted no confidence along with its allies, the Lebanese Forces and the Progressive Socialist Party. Speaking before the vote, Prime Minister Hassan Diab said his governments priority was preserving foreign currency needed for imports and that all options for dealing with Eurobonds maturing this year were being studied. Diab, a little-known academic and former education minister, was tasked with forming a government in December after Hariri was forced to resign. Protesters tried to block vote However, for months, thousands of Lebanese had been protesting against the proposed cabinet, saying it would not be able to rescue the countrys ailing economy. On Tuesday, more than 350 people were injured in clashes around the Lebanese Parliament building in the capital as protesters attempted to prevent the MPs from participating in the confidence vote. We dont have confidence in a single one of them, Suzie Jumaa, a 49-year-old media professional told Al Jazeera, as she blocked a main thoroughfare in downtown Beirut. Were not giving them a chance, we have tried for 40 years, we have gotten old and we are going to die giving them chances. There isnt any more time. Despite the protesters efforts to block the vote, a quorum was achieved in the parliamentary session, which began around 11:45am (0945 GMT) on Tuesday. Several MPs made their way to the Parliament on the backs of motorcycles, allowing them to slip through protesters, while others arrived in heavily-guarded convoys. Security forces, including the Lebanese army, riot police and SWAT teams used batons, tear gas and rubber-coated steel bullets to clear the roads of protesters. The Lebanese Red Cross said it transported 45 people to hospitals and treated 328 at the scene. A woman gestures towards Amal Movement supporters and shouts: The thugs are over there [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera] The blockade forced several MPs vehicles to retreat under a hail of stones and projectiles that shattered car windows. MP Salim Saadeh, a representative of the Syrian Social Nationalist Party, was taken to hospital and received stitches after protesters wrecked the car he was travelling in. I am fine, thanks for all the peoples love, he said in a video from his hospital bed. #_: #___ pic.twitter.com/ixtBcjBUoK Salim Saadeh (@SalimSaadeh) February 11, 2020 During the televised parliamentary session, Diab read the new governments policy statement, laying out measures aimed at addressing the worst financial crisis in Lebanons history. He said the government would undertake fiscal and administrative reforms, fight corruption, tax evasion and smuggling, and seek to establish the independence of the judiciary within 100 days. Parliament shutdown Protesters tore down metal and cement barricades put up around Nejmeh Square, the seat of the Parliament. A group of people also set fire to a bank next to the parliaments entrance. Running street battles ensued, lasting several hours in downtown Beirut before calming down some nine hours after protesters took to the streets on Tuesday. In October, the entire parliamentary area was closed off to the public after unprecedented protests broke out in the country, bringing down Hariris government. Since then, large demonstrations have occurred regularly, demanding the removal of a political class that has ruled Lebanon since its civil war ended in 1990. Protesters demand a government consisting of independent experts to lead the country out of its financial crisis, fight corruption and hold early elections. Protesters attempt to break into Beiruts Nejmeh Square, the seat of parliament [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera] Many feel that Diabs government of 20 ministers, picked mostly by Hezbollah and its main allies, the Free Patriotic Movement and the Amal Movement, has failed in meeting their demands for change. They were chosen by the same people. How can we expect anything different? Aline Germani, a 47-year-old professor told Al Jazeera. Despite the protesters failure to prevent the Parliaments no-confidence vote from going forward, Germani said they had made gains. They are scared of us now. If they werent scared, they wouldnt have gone in like rats that alone is a victory. A white NYPD police officer claims she was harassed for being in a relationship with a black man by her boss. Vanessa Weinbel said her black supervisor was angry about who she was dating and kept discussing her interracial relationship. Officer Weinbel's boyfriend was not a member of the NYPD, but she allegedly drew insults from her supervisor Lt. Rasheena Huffman, according to the New York Daily News. One of the comments allegedly made was that black men only liked her because she looked like a 'Kardashian chick'. Weinbel alleges she was subjected to racially and sexually offensive comments from Huffman from July 2016 to March 2018. She also allegedly told the 35-year-old officer if she and her boyfriend had children Weinbel would be 'confused' and not know how to fix her daughter's hair. Lt. Rasheena Huffman is employed at the Police Service Area 9 in Queens (pictured). NYPD officer Vanessa Weinbel alleged she made offensive remarks about her black boyfriend Huffman also allegedly made sexist remarks about Weinbel's backside and suggested she was trying to seduce male colleagues by wearing tight-fitting clothes. In September 2016, the lieutenant allegedly went so far as to tell Weinbel a scare story in the news about a white man who stabbed an interracial couple. Huffman allegedly told Weinbel that she is lucky she wasn't victim to such an attack, adding: 'The only thing they hate worse than black people are interracial relationships. 'They're tired of seeing black men with white women...so you should consider yourself lucky because you probably would've been shot up first.' Last August, Weinbel filed a $15million lawsuit at the city controller's office against Huffman, who works at the Police Service Area 9 in Flushing, Queens. Weinbel claims some of these comments were made in the presence of three senior officers, all of whom 'failed to take appropriate disciplinary action', according to her lawsuit. NYPD officer Vanessa Weinbel alleges her supervisor made racially and sexually offensive remarks about her interracial relationship At an administrative hearing at Police Headquarters in Manhattan on Monday, Weinbel told a judge: 'It was extremely uncomfortable for me. I was walking on eggshells.' During the same hearing, Marion Thompson, a black administrative aide, said she also had a difficult relationship with Huffman. Thompson claimed the lieutenant made remarks that she found 'very disrespectful' and that when she brought her daughter to work and introduced her to Huffman, she made further comments about her child's appearance. She told the court: 'She [Huffman] looked at my daughter and said, ''Oh, you have black hair like me''. You don't have white people hair like your mother''.' 'She wasn't fond of the fact that white women would date black men,' Thompson added. The hearing is due to continue next week and Huffman denies that allegations. DENVER U.S. immigration officials are asking a federal judge to force Denver to turn over information about three men accused of crimes who are subject to deportation after the city refused to comply with its order to do so. In a continued escalation of the conflict between federal officials and so-called sanctuary cities, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement filed a complaint in Denver federal court Thursday asking that a judge enforce administrative subpoenas it issued to the Denvers sheriff department last month for information such as addresses, identification and arrest reports on the two Mexican nationals and a Honduran. ICE originally also sought information on a fourth person whom it has since found and arrested so it is not asking the court to require Denver to turn over information in that case. Accusing ICE of seeking the information for political reasons, Denver said it would not comply with the subpoenas unless a judge determined that they were appropriate. Denver officials declined to comment on the latest move by ICE on Monday, as did the U.S. Attorneys Office for Colorado, which is representing ICE in court. According to ICE, all three men have been deported multiple times. One of the men from Mexico was arrested for sexual assault and the other for vehicular homicide. The Honduran man was arrested on domestic violence charges. Two of the men ICE is currently seeking information on have been released from the jail, and one was still being held. Denver jail officials notified ICE before the two were released. But there was not enough time for ICE agents to get to the jail before they were freed, according to the ICE court filing. In a letter last week explaining the citys refusal to comply with the subpoenas, Chad Sublet, the attorney for Denvers Department of Safety, said that ICE already had access to the state and federal database to which the city feeds information. He pointed out that ICE had already accessed biometric data like fingerprints about the men that the Denver jail had shared when the men were booked. However, in its court filing, ICE said the database often does not have updated address information and only very basic information about criminal allegations. THE PARENTS association of St Vincents special school in Lisnagry have expressed deep concern over a lack of ownership for resolving the critical issue of losing a much-needed nurse. On Wednesday night, the parents association of St Vincents Lisnagry Special School took to social media to announce that it is to lose its nurse, provided by Daughters of Charity, due to lack of HSE funding. A spokesperson for the HSE Mid-West Community Healthcare said that the withdrawal of St Vincent's nursing service has no relevance to funding and that this is a matter for the Daughters of Charity with the school to resolve and not the HSE. St Vincents Special School is Irelands third largest school of its kind, with 117 pupils, five of whom have life-limiting conditions and require full-time nursing supports. However, as of this June, these children will no longer have this crucial support, following the transfer of a nurse to an adult facility. The announcement has caused considerable upset among parents of pupils and the wider community. In a statement, the Daughters of Charity said that it had a number of children living in residential services that attended St Vincent's school and required specialist nursing support. We by way of an agreement with the school, provided nursing care support to those children and others with complex needs. Over time as these children in residential services have left school and transitioned to adult services, the nursing support understandably transferred with them to adult day services. As the last remaining pupil from our residential services will be leaving school in June 2020 that nurse must transfer to support the transition to adult services. In a statement on Facebook, the parents association said: Affected parents received a letter in December advising them that from September no nurse would be in place to support the needs of our children. We are very encouraged by the support and pledges we have received from across all political groups and we now want this translated into action. This is also part of a much wider set of systemic issues that urgently need to be addressed; we have been waiting for a new school building to commence since 2015, as the current building is not fit for purpose in providing 117 of our most vulnerable children with an appropriate education. For Arvind Kejriwal, Tuesday marked a day of double celebration as Election Commission data showed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was ahead or winning in 63 of the 70 assembly seats The AAP leader, all poised to return as Delhis chief minister for the third time, said during his speech to mark the huge win that it was also his wife Sunita Kejriwals birthday. On the stage with Sunita, daughter Harshita and son Pulkit, Arvind Kejriwal also acknowledged his family hard work and support during the bitter election campaign for the Delhi assembly elections. Its my wifes birthday today. I have eaten the cake already. I will get some cake for you as well, he said. News agency ANI had tweeted photographs of Kejriwal and his wife greeting each other with cake and surrounded by their children and party workers and leaders. Sunita Kejriwal, a former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, had campaigned extensively for her husband for the Delhi assembly elections on February 8. She had just like their daughter, Harshita Kejriwal, countered the Bharatiya Janata Partys terrorist barbs and other accusations. People are watching how allegations are being levelled on us. But they assure us that their vote will go only to jhaadu. It is very disheartening to see that allegations are being put on a person who is working so hard, she had said, according to ANI. Kejriwal also thanked Lord Hanuman for the AAPs massive victory. Its Tuesday, the day of Hanumanji. Hanumanji has showered Delhi with his blessings today. I also thank Hanuman-ji a lot, the Delhi chief minister. The AAP leader had come under attack by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his recitation of Hanuman Chalisa during the poll campaign. His visit to the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place had also invited jibes from the opposition party. Sharmar Hill Jr. loved watching the Disney Junior superhero show, PJ Masks. On Monday, during the 3-year-olds memorial service at New Life Deliverance Tabernacle in Richmond, Virginia, his family made sure to place his favorite PJ Masks stuffed toy, Catboy, inside his casket with his tiny body. Two Saturday afternoons before, Sharmar was playing right outside his home when he was shot and killed by a stray bullet. Two groups of people were firing at each other when Sharmar was shot, police believe, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Its been a nightmare, worst thing you can ever imagine, Sharmar Hill, Sr. told local station WRIC. I wish I could wake up. This is like a dream to me. Sharmars older sisters, 14 and 10, raced outside to try to help him before an ambulance rushed him to a local hospital, WRIC reports. They said he didnt have a pulse and they tried three times, the boys tearful mother, Shaniqua Allen, told WRIC. Friends and family of 3-year-old Sharmar Hill Jr. gathered for an open-casket funeral service Monday afternoon. https://t.co/cw2IbEfrV5 8News Reporter @Talya8news attended Monday's ceremony and will have a full report tonight on 8News at 5 & 6. pic.twitter.com/lEngHJu9sW 8News WRIC Richmond (@8NEWS) February 10, 2020 Now police are calling for witnesses to come forward so they can bring justice to Sharmar and his grieving family. We know there was a set of people out there shooting and firing guns in the area, Richmond Police Homicide Det. Joseph Fultz said, local station WTVR reports. For whatever reason, they decided to shoot up the neighborhood where little kids are outside playing in the playground. Story continues Since the shooting happened in broad daylight, and people were outside when Sharmar was fatally shot, Fultz said any witnesses who come forward wouldnt be snitching. 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. In a case like this theres no such thing as snitching on someone whos taken a human life, Fultz said. The only way you get crime to stop like this is when the citizens take a stand and come out and point these people out. While authorities continue to search for Sharmars killer, on Monday, more than 200 mourners came out to celebrate his short life. The boys devastated father spoke about the son he loved. He changed my life, he said, WRIC reports. Hes my hero. I pray to God that he gives us the strength and gives us the wings to join our son in Heaven today. Among those in attendance were Virginia Governor Ralph Northam, Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney, Richmond Police Chief William Smith and Richmond City Councilwoman Ellen Robertson of the 6th District, local station WRIC reports. Sharmar Hill was 39 months old, he was just a baby, Mayor Stoney said. This isnt just a violent shooting, we have been robbed. Who knows what hero he could have been for our city. God alone cant fix this, our thoughts, prayers and actions can. Vowing to do everything he can to find whoever killed Sharmar, the mayor said, We will never give up. My heart bleeds with yours, Councilwoman Robertson said to Sharmars parents during the service, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reports. Anyone with information about Sharmars case is asked to call Major Crimes Detective J. Fultz at 804-646-3929 or Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or submit a tip online. All forms of contact are anonymous. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government in Maharashtra was directed by the Supreme Court on Tuesday to apprise it of the action taken against the police officers who were allegedly indicted by the Commission of Inquiry that probed the Mumbai riots of 1992-1993. The apex court noted that despite the fact that the commission headed by Justice B N Srikrishna filed its report in 1998, the state governments have consistently done nothing to implement the recommendations made in the report and "did not obey in letter and spirit" the orders of the top court. "We direct Secretary (Home), Maharashtra Government, to file detail response in respect of each police officer mentioned in the chart (annexed with the report) about the criminal and disciplinary action taken against them and also about police officers against whom no action has been taken," a bench headed by Justice R F Nariman said in the order. The Bench, also comprising Justices S Ravindra Bhat and V Ramasubramanian, said that "considering that this court's order was not obeyed in letter and spirit, we direct Secretary (Home), Maharashtra Government to file affidavit within a period of four weeks without any delay." The bench said the affidavit will also state the details of the compensation for the victims made in the report and the quantum. The apex court was dealing with several petitions filed since 1998 seeking direction for implementation of the recommendations made in the Justice Srikrishna Commission report. The order was passed after hearing senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, who appeared for Mumbai-based lawyer Shakeel Ahmed. Justice Srikrishna retired as the judge of the Supreme Court. He was was appointed to head the commission to inquire the December 1992 to January 1993 riots that shook Mumbai for over two months and at that time he was the sitting judge of the Bombay High Court. The Commission was set up when there was Congress government in Maharashtra and it was disbanded in 1996 when Shiv Sena-BJP government came to power in 1995. However, it was reconstituted in 1996 with terms of reference including the Mumbai Bomb blasts of March 1993. The Srikrishna Commission report, submitted in April 1998, had indicted leaders of some political parties and police officers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) KYIV, UkraineUkraines president dismissed his chief of staff on Tuesday in a sign of intensifying rivalries in his entourage and a possible move to distance himself from a powerful billionaire. President Volodymyr Zelenskiys administration released his decree ousting Andriy Bohdan and putting foreign affairs adviser Andriy Yermak in the post instead. Ukrainian media long have reported about a political tug-of-war between Bohdan and Yermak. Volodymyr Fesenko, head of the Penta Center think-tank, said Bohdans aggressive style won him a lot of enemies and hampered agreements. Observers saw Bohdans dismissal as a sign that Zelenskiy, a former comic actor, wants to distance himself from billionaire tycoon Ihor Kolomoisky, who previously employed Bohdan as his lawyer. Some said Kolomoisky, whose assets include a TV station that aired the sitcom featuring Zelenskiy, has sought to use his connections to the president to try to shape Ukrainian government policies and protect his business interests. The president wants to distance himself from Kolomoisky, who wasnt hiding his ambitions to influence both domestic and foreign policies, said Kyiv-based political analyst Vadim Karasev. Ukraine took the centre stage in the recent U.S. impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump. Those were triggered by a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked Zelenskiy to investigate his Democratic rival, former Vice-President Joe Biden and Bidens son Hunter, who was on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Trump won impeachment acquittal in the U.S. Senate last week. Zelenskiy, who was elected in April, has sought to distance himself from the U.S. impeachment drama in an effort to retain bipartisan U.S. support. Such backing is crucial for Ukraine, which is has been stuck in a tug-of-war with Russia for years after Russia annexed Ukraines Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and backed a separatist insurgency in eastern Ukraine that has left 14,000 people dead since then. Karasev said Kolomoisky was trying to make Zelenskiy take a pro-Trump position. Kolomoisky openly took the Trump side, trying to force Kyiv and Zelenskiy to play on just one side, he said. He did it in a rude and insolent way, and he paid for that now. Karasev noted that Yermak, the new presidential chief of staff, had met with Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani but made sure that Ukraine did not take a side in the impeachment. Yermak insisted that Kyiv should take a neutral stance in the impeachment of Trump, and Zelenskiy appproved that course, Karasev said. The analyst said the Ukrainian government was sending a signal to Washington and to Trump about its readiness to resume contacts. Yuras Karmanau contributed to this report from Minsk, Belarus. We all know that spending too much time on your phones, and social media, can be especially taxing on your eyes -- because of all that screen staring, or so we traditionally think -- but these new digital habits are seemingly even more deadly among teens. Excessive use of smartphones and social media may be associated with mental distress, and suicide risk among adolescents, according to a review of international medical studies The review, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, focused on smartphone use, and did not consider online gaming, according to PTI. The research study argues that for adolescents today, who have not known a world without social media, digital interactions are pretty much the norm -- and we increasingly see that all around us with digital natives, don't we? Whether it's at the dinner table or sleeping in bed, adolescents and teens can't put down their phones for even a single minute. Reuters "Physicians, teachers and families need to work together with youth to decrease possible harmful effects of smartphones and social media on their relationships, sense of self, sleep, academic performance, and emotional well-being," said Elia Abi-Jaoude from The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Canada. The analysis by researchers, including those from Toronto Western Hospital in Canada, is a collection of recommendations and much needed guidance for physicians, parents and teachers on how to help teens manage smartphone and social media use in today's increasingly digital age so that it doesn't affect their mental and emotional health. One of the most important analysis by the researchers is that banning teens from accessing the internet is the wrong approach to solve this problem. Given the importance of engaging youth in mitigating potential harms from social media, a prohibitionist approach would be counterproductive, the researchers said in a statement. A silver-lining in combating the menace of social media and smartphone addiction is the changing attitudes of youths -- young adolescents are themselves recognising the negative impact of social media on their lives and starting to take steps to mitigate it, the researchers said. MANCHESTER, N.H. In his first rally since the Senate acquitted him on charges that he abused power and obstructed Congress, a triumphant President Trump returned on Monday to New Hampshire, the state where he won his first primary in 2016 and that he hopes to carry in 2020. At a rally in an arena that top officials billed as something of a homecoming, Mr. Trumps crowd erupted in vintage chants of Lock her up! when he referred to Speaker Nancy Pelosis behavior at his State of the Union address last week, when she tore up a copy of his remarks after he finished. Im speaking and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me, angry, he said. Were the ones who should be angry. But Mr. Trump also credited Ms. Pelosi and the impeachment trial for an increase in his poll numbers. Thank you, Nancy, he said. Mr. Trump and his top campaign aides made it clear that their immediate goal in coming to Manchester on the eve of the New Hampshire primary was to steal attention from a competitive Democratic primary in which Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Ind., are running almost neck and neck in many surveys. R aphael Colemans mother Liz Jensen has said she is heartbroken and living every parents worst nightmare after the former child star died at the age of 25. Coleman, who played Eric Brown in the 2005 film Nanny McPhee opposite Emma Thompson, died on Friday. Jensen, a novelist, said that the loss is almost too much to bear and that her family are in despair but determined to honour his memory and ambitions. We are heartbroken but so proud of him and his work to protect our Heaven on Earth, she said in a statement, as reported in The Sun. Coleman appeared in the 2005 children's film Nanny McPhee He inspired so many people and was so loved. He was beautiful and wise and its hard to imagine how life will continue. But it must and will - and hed want that. We were so lucky to have him, he brought such joy. Its every parents worst nightmare. Coleman was an activist for Extinction Rebellion and ran the organisations social media accounts. After his role in Nanny McPhee, Coleman went on to star in the 2009 horror film Its Alive and won best young actor at the British Independent Film Festival in 2010. In a tribute shared on Facebook, his stepfather Carsten Jensen said that he collapsed without prior health problems. I guess theres nothing that makes you see death as unfair and meaningless as when a young person dies, he wrote. Its life itself thats sabotaged. MIDDLETOWN An upcoming library program will introduce the archaeologist nicknamed Connecticuts Indiana Jones, Nick Bellantoni, as he shares stories of history, archaeology and forensic science, and his new book. Nick has assisted state and local police departments with investigations involving the discoveries of unmarked graves and homicides, most recently in a tough case of human remains in Vernon, Russell Library librarian Christy Billings said in a prepared statement. The event will be held Feb. 20 at 7 p.m. at the library, 123 Broad St. Books will be available for signing and purchase. Bellantonis illustrious career of adventure and discovery gained him his nickname. The work is really about the importance of family and heritage, and the ability to overcome hardship and search for meaning in our lives, Bellantoni said in a press release. He will share highlights from his book, The Long Journeys Home: The Repatriations of Henry Opukahaia and Albert Afraid of Hawk. Nick Bellantoni will tell of Henry Opukahaia (c.1792-1818), a Native Hawaiian, and Itankusun Wanbli (c.1879-1900), an Oglala Lakota, Billings explained in the release. Though they lived almost a century apart, the circumstances that led them to leave their homelands and eventually die in Connecticut have striking similarities. Opukahaia was orphaned during the turmoil of Kamehamehas wars-which was fueled by European interventions. He found passage on a ship to New England, where he was converted to Christianity, becoming the inspiration for later Christian missions in Hawaii, according to the library. Itankusun Wanbli, Christianized as Albert Afraid of Hawk, performed in Buffalo Bills Wild West to sustain himself after his traditional means of sustenance were taken by American settlers. Both men, dying at young ages, were buried in Connecticut cemeteries. In 1992 and 2008, descendants of both men had callings independent of one another, telling them their ancestors wanted to come home. As Connecticut state archaeologist, Bellantoni oversaw the disinterment, forensic identifications, and return of their skeletal remains back to their families and communities, the release said. His book chronicles these stories as examples of the wide-reaching impact of colonization and European/American imperialism on the trajectory of Indigenous life in the new world. These are deeply human stories, Bellantoni in the statement. They remind us of how our collective and individual heritages contribute to our sense of self-esteem and the quality of our lives. Bellantoni is an emeritus state archaeologist and an associate research professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Connecticut. By PTI NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Tuesday that the notice of privilege motion moved by the Congress against Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot over his statement on the issue of reservation is under his consideration. "The issue is under my consideration," he said. The Congress on Monday had accused Gehlot of misleading Lok Sabha on the issue of reservation and said it would move a privilege motion against him. The Congress said it would stage protests and agitations at district level on the issue in the coming weeks to "expose" the Modi government's "conspiracy to end reservation" for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes. The government on Monday informed the lower house that it was not a party in the Supreme Court which has ordered that states are not bound to provide reservation in appointments. Making a statement in the House, Gehlot has said the Centre was also not asked to file an affidavit on the issue. Yauatcha, the award-winning Hakkasan Group restaurant, rang in a week of highly successful pre-opening private dinners with influencers, media, VIPs and distinguished members of the Royal family ahead of its official opening RIYADH, Saudi Arabia, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week saw Yauatcha by the Hakkasan Group in partnership with Al Khozama Management company, bring in its first crop of VIP guests and press and media to experience the unique Cantonese Dim Sum teahouse located in Al Faisaliah Mall - Mode. Offering an undiscovered world of modern Chinese fare, Yauatcha Riyadh sets the bar high on culinary offerings in the capital. With world-class locations around the globe including India and the U.K., Yauatcha Riyadh adds to the brand's burgeoning international presence through its first footsteps into the Middle East. Led by inimitable and award-winning Chef Stanley Lum Wah Cheouk whose unbridled passion for authenticity and originality has produced a menu which packs a punch. Unforgettable dishes include the Crispy Duck Salad, the ultimate crowd-pleaser: Wagyu Beef Puff Rolls and an array of decadent dumplings. Desserts curated by Chef Ahmad Saeed feature the moreish Chocolate Pebble and his masterpiece Raspberry Delice made up of lychee, Madirofolo chocolate, and raspberry. The grand pre-opening week began with an extensive sampling of menu highlights against an atmospheric sound mix unique to Yauatcha Riyadh created by DJ Frozen. Regional influencers demonstrated their enthusiasm for the venue with a stream of social media action throughout the evening. Esteemed invitees included gaming giant Saudi Gamer, food aficionado Hisham Baeshen, lifestyle legends Nia Amroun, Nada Al Harthi and Mawaddah Tak, model superstar Ratana and beauty maverick Judy Nachabe. A private dinner was also held for members of the local and regional media with titles such as Caterer Middle East, Zahret AL Khaleej and Al Rai newspaper in attendance. Celebrity TV presenter Lulu Al Hasan also made an appearance as well as stations: MBC, CNBC Saudi and Sky News who reported live from Yauatcha Riyadh as the night unfolded, capturing the pervading energy throughout the restaurant. The pre-opening week culminated in the Grand Opening private dinner on Thursday 6 February held by Al Khozama Management Company. Ambassadors from the Chinese, Mexican, Albanian, Georgian, Finnish, Greek, Dutch, Zambian, South African, Danish and Italian embassies were present alongside friends and family of Al Khozama Management Company. The evening strayed past midnight as guests thoroughly enjoyed this "new hotspot in Riyadh". "The reaction to Yauatcha Riyadh has been nothing short of spectacular. The sheer enthusiasm for such an innovative and immersive dining experience in Riyadh proves the capital of the Kingdom is open to new and exciting culinary journeys. Aligned with KSA's Vision 2030, Yauatcha Riyadh speaks to its core pillars of innovation and progressivism. We are very proud to be part of this groundbreaking shift in KSA's history," says Grant MacPherson, Senior Vice President of Restaurants for Hakkasan Group. Guests were also particularly moved by Yauatcha Riyadh's distinctive and diverse decor from the star-lit ceiling in the bar area to the plush indoor seating to the cozy yet cosmopolitan outdoor rooftop replete with verdant foliage and Cherry Blossoms, offering guests a sophisticated enclave away from the bustle of city life. Yauatcha Riyadh is now open. For bookings please visit: www.yauatcha.sa or call: +966-920-006-555 ABOUT HAKKASAN GROUP Hakkasan Group is a renowned worldwide hospitality company with establishments across North America, Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa. Its namesake is taken from its Michelin star restaurant that set the best-in-class standard for the diverse brands in the group's collection. Its 'brand first' philosophy creates restaurant, nightlife and daylife venues into a world-class hospitality portfolio, all with a focus on service, design, and innovation that together, craft remarkable experiences for its guests. Its restaurant properties include Hakkasan, with 12 locations worldwide, Ling Ling, Yauatcha, Sake no Hana, Casa Calavera, Herringbone and Searsucker. Concepts under the nightlife umbrella are Hakkasan, Omnia, Jewel and 1Oak Nightclub; and daylife brands include Omnia, Wet Republic and Liquid. For more information, visit www.hakkasangroup.com ABOUT AL KHOZAMA Al Khozama Management Company is the Kingdom's leading developer and manager of luxurious commercial properties. Al Khozama owns and manages a portfolio of properties, including hotels and resorts, offices, retail operations and more. Named by the World Travel Awards as Saudi Arabia's leading luxury hospitality company for 2015, Al Khozama manages eight hotels, including Al Faisaliah Hotel, Al Faisaliah Suites, Al Faisaliah Resort& SPA, Al Khozama Hotel, Bay La Sun Hotel & Marina, Al Khozama Residence. For more information, visit: alkhozama.com ABOUT YAUATCHA Yauatcha is a Chinese dim sum teahouse with two restaurants in London, in the heart of Soho and in the City, offering an all-day grazing experience. Launched in Soho in 2004, Yauatcha gained immediate critical acclaim and received numerous prestigious awards including a Michelin star. Yauatcha City opened in May 2015 following the success of the Soho restaurant. Yauatcha provides a unique dining experience, offering authentic dim sum with a contemporary influence. The renowned menu includes a wide selection of dim sum and a list of over 19 types of tea. The original design concept by Christian Liaigre offers full view of the kitchens allowing passers-by to witness the preparation of the expertly made dishes. Yauatcha is a part of Hakkasan Group, which has pioneered Chinese fine dining globally through its Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurants Hakkasan Hanway Place and Hakkasan Mayfair. Yauatcha also has restaurants in Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Kolkata, India, and in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088941/Yauatcha_Riyadh.jpg Contact: Georgie Bradley georgie@evoke-international.com +971-551-021-078 +971-42-460-234 They are currently living it up on a raucous trip to Dubai. And Chloe Ferry has been sharing insights into her sun-soaked getaway with former Geordie Shore co-star Charlotte Crosby and some of their other pals. While winding down following one of their wild nights out, the reality star, 24, shared a very racy nude snap of herself relaxing in a huge bath tub in her hotel room. Racy! Chloe Ferry has been sharing insights into her sun-soaked getaway with former Geordie Shore co-star Charlotte Crosby and some of their other pals Chloe's modesty was covered by the bubbles in the bath as she snapped the shot in a mirror which was positioned on the ceiling of the bathroom. The snap showcased Chloe's tiny waist and voluptuous curves, as she left nothing to the imagination by going completely nude for the photo. A selection of Chloe's shots show her best pal and co-star Bethan Kershaw covering Chloe's body with bubbles as she attempted to gain the perfect shot. Pose! Chloe and Charlotte caught up as they attended a Beach Club bash together Helping hand: A selection of Chloe's shots show her best pal and co-star Bethan Kershaw covering Chloe's body with bubbles as she attempted to gain the perfect shot Woah mama! While winding down following one of their wild nights out, the reality star, 24, shared a very racy nude snap of herself relaxing in a huge bath tub in her hotel room On Monday, Chloe and her reality star pals enjoyed a fun-filled champagne party together as they filmed each other dancing around the pool. During the holiday she also spent the day on a luxury yacht with Bethan and their friend Lateysha Grace, 27, before hitting the club for DJ Chris Wright. The group jetted out to the party destination in business class, as Chloe shared a picture of their luxury flight on her Instagram Story. During the idyllic trip disaster struck when Chloe stepped on glass and cut her foot open, leaving it gushing with blood onto the floor which was littered with 20 notes. Cheeky! One snap from the party showed one of her pals cheekily tugging at her bikini briefs Ouch! During the idyllic trip disaster struck when Chloe stepped on glass and cut her foot open, leaving it gushing with blood Only me! Chloe lamented her clumsiness as she captioned the image 'FFS only me!' Chloe's on/off boyfriend Sam Gowland, 24, appeared notably absent from the trip after they reunited and spent time together in Thailand at the beginning of the year. According to the Sun, Chloe was grinding up against her pal Luke in a club, however there is no insinuation they are anything more than friends. Chloe and Sam were recently spotted chatting to each other while watching the sunset from their swimming pool at Naoura Villas in Thailand. The couple have had their fair share of break ups since their romance first went public back in 2017. Flying solo: Chloe's on/off boyfriend Sam Gowland, 24, appeared notably absent from the trip after they reunited and spent time together in Thailand at the beginning of the year The pair split in May last year after Chloe accused Sam of cheating with Love Island beauty Amber Davies - something he vehemently denied. Sam hit back by claiming that Chloe was the one who had been unfaithful, and thus a war of words between the pair ensued. Despite this, the couple appeared to have patched things up by November, with rumours circulating that Sam had moved back into the home they share in Newcastle. Two men have been charged with killing a northeastern Pennsylvania man whose body was dismembered and disposed of in the Lehigh River, north of the Lehigh Valley. Luzerne County prosecutors say Jose Herran was last seen alive in the fall of 2015 but evidence collected since then prompted homicide and homicide conspiracy charges against 50-year-old David Alzugaray and 47-year-old Roberto Torner. Alzugaray is also charged with abuse of a corpse and Torner with criminal solicitation. District Attorney Stefanie Salavantis says both defendants lived in the Hazleton area at the time. Investigators believe Herran was killed between Oct. 13, 2015 and Nov. 17, 2015. He was reported missing when he didn't call his mother on her birthday, authorities said. All parents dread the day when the phone stops ringing and their childs voice is silent, Salavantis said. Authorities allege that his body was dismembered and tossed into the Lehigh River and other evidence was burned in a pit on Torner's property. They say forensic evidence including blood samples and bone fragments was collected at the suspected location of the slaying and dismemberment. Court documents dont list attorneys for the defendants; a message was left at a number for Torner while a working number couldnt be found Monday for Azugaray. Tesla tweeted Sunday, February 9, 2020, a photo of a home with one of its solar tile roofs. Tesla appears to be ramping up installations of its solar tile roofs in the San Francisco Bay area and will eventually roll out to Europe and China, according to CEO Elon Musk, who, in a series of tweets, provided the first substantial update since the company launched the third iteration of its product in October. The solar tile roof, which Tesla calls Solarglass, is being produced at the company's factory in Buffalo, N.Y. Musk announced in one of the tweets plans to host a "company talk" in April at the Buffalo factory, an event that will include media and customer tours of the facility. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment seeking more information about Solarglass, including how many installations have been made to date. We will update the article if Tesla responds. Many Bay Area installations are ongoing now Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 9, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Europe & China timing will be announced soon Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js Four months ago, Musk said the company would begin installations in the "coming weeks" and that it hopes to ramp production to as many as 1,000 new roofs per week. Tesla's solar roof tiles are designed to look like normal roof tiles when installed on a house, while doubling as solar panels to generate power. The company first unveiled the solar tiles in 2016 and has been tinkering with them ever since. Tesla has conducted trial installations with the first two generations of the solar tiles and opened up pre-orders in 2017. In an earnings call last October, Musk suggested that the tiles were ready for a widespread deployment, noting that "version three is finally ready for the big time." The solar tile roof will initially be offered in textured black, but Musk reiterated Monday plans to offer other color and finish variants "hopefully later this year." Story continues Yes, but we want to focus on textured black first, then move into Earth tones & convolutions Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 10, 2020 https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js A pricing estimator on the Tesla website says a solar tile roof with 10 kW of solar on an average 2,000 square-foot home costs $42,500 before federal tax incentives. It also lists $33,950 as the price after an $8,550 federal tax incentive. Would you like to receive breaking news notifications from The Post and Courier? Sign up to receive news and updates from this site directly to your desktop. Breaking News Columbia Breaking News Greenville Breaking News Myrtle Beach Breaking News Aiken Breaking News N Augusta Breaking News Click on the bell icon to manage your notifications at any time. Success! Please click the 'Allow' button in the 'Show Notifcations' alert in your browser if one is available. Thank you for signing up! Please enable notifications in your browser and reload the page. S enior officials in China have been "removed" by the ruling Communist Party over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. The health commission chief Zhang Jin and director Liu Yingzi have lost their jobs and have been replaced by Wang Hesheng of the regions Communist Party committee. Mr Wang is also the deputy director of Chinas National Health Commission. The deputy director of the local Red Cross was also removed for "dereliction of duty" over "handling of donations", the BBC reports. It comes as the death toll from the coronavirus passed 1,000. It has now infected at least 42,638 people in mainland China. World Health Organisation inspectors have recently touched down to assess the situation. Hubei's authorities have been criticised for its handling of the crisis, including the censuring of Dr. Li Wenliang / AFP via Getty Images Fatalities due to the strain have now surpassed the reported numbers from the SARS epidemic in the early 2000s. It comes as an apparent super-spreader in the UK was having their movements urgently retraced so authorities could identify who they had been in contact with. There are currently eight cases of the virus in the UK, although scientists now believe the incubation period for the disease could be 24 days - 10 days longer than previously thought. Hundreds of people have been diagnosed with the virus across the world, however there have only been two deaths outside of the mainland China - one in the Philippines and one in Hong Kong. The Diamond Princess cruise ship - which 3,700 passengers and crew on board - has been quarantined in Japan, with 135 people on board testing positive for the coronavirus. The Diamond Princess shit has been quarantined off the coast of Japan / AP In China, the central government in Beijing also urged members of the public to report any examples of dereliction of duty among local governments, and officials have been threatened with dismissal if they have been found to have shirked their responsibilities. However, the government has been slated for its mistreatment of Dr. Li Wenliang, a medic who was censured by police for describing the new coronavirus with medical colleagues. He later died after getting infected with the virus. Dr. Li was seen as a whistleblower by many and his death has led to renewed demands for freedom of speech in the country. Chinas corruption watchdog sent a team to Wuhan to investigate issues raised by the public in connection with Dr. Li Wenliang. Dozens of low-level health officials across the country have also lost their jobs for failing to contain the spread of the epidemic, which emerged from an illegal wildlife market in Hubeis capital of Wuhan late last year. Authorities in Wuhan and Hubei province have taken much of the blame on social media for failing to contain the initial outbreak in December or to report it to higher levels of government. Hubei Governor Wang Xiaodong and Wuhan Mayor Zhou Xianwang have also come under heavy criticism. By Trend Azerbaijan's Defense Minister, Colonel General Zakir Hasanov will visit Brussels on Feb. 12 to attend the meeting to be held at NATO headquarters at the level of Defense Ministers of the Nations contributing to the NATO Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, Trend reports with reference to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. Wide discussions on the security and political situation in Afghanistan, recent achievements and a number of other topics of mutual interest will be held during the Feb. 13 meeting. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Despite the humongous allocations that have accrued to it over the years, Benjamin Kalu, spokesperson of the House of Representatives, on Monday, in Abuja, said the National Assembly is underfunded. This is because the National Assembly is an arm of government, and cannot be compared to a ministry, he said. Mr Kalu said this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday. Mr Kalu was responding to how the National Assembly views the paltry allocation to ministries such as education, health, agriculture, in spite of international treaties which the country is a signatory and requires the country to allocate more. How can you compare a ministry with an arm of government? We are an arm of the government. Those ministries you mentioned are under the arm of the government. The National Assembly is the engine room to create for the executive how to function. When they say they want to go for oversight function, you say they should go in keke napep. Whereas the directors in the MDAs who are lower in comparison are driving beautiful cars and sitting in the offices. Those who need the car would go for oversight, using motorbikes. Between 2003 till date, allocation to the National Assembly has ranged from 23 billion in 2003 to 154 billion in 2010. Since 2012 save in 2017 the breakdown of NASS has always been kept secret. Allocation to NASS since 2003 General allocation aside, Nigerian legislators are among the worlds top paid. This is notwithstanding the bumper allowances like severance allowance and wardrobe allowance (which in 2015, each senator received 21.5 million and each rep member received 17.5 million). But the lawmaker maintained that the funds the legislature get have not accrued over the years. Rather it has stagnated despite changes in market value and exchange rates. If you look at the budget for the last 10 to 20 years, you will see that it has been within the same bracket, Mr Kalu said. Also if you consider the purchasing power and the exchange rate over the years, there is a very huge difference between what it used to be and what it is now. It cant purchase what it used to purchase. The spokesperson added that with the National Assembly allocation stagnated, its staff keeps increasing in number and so are its activities especially as regards oversight functions. This he said is because the MDAs under the executive arm are increasing. READ ALSO: When you look at the number of the oversight functions of the House, it has increased because the number of the MDAs of the executive has increased. Oversight costs money. Dont rely on MDAs, if you do that, you are compromised. The House on its own is supposed to have enough budget to do what Nigerians want them to do, Mr Kalu said. He added: If you put in (N)1 trillion (as the budget of an agency) and you give the National Assembly 10 million, how can you use less than 1 per cent to oversight a project of that enormous size? This is what you are not telling the public, you want me to (oversee) a ministry that has 1 trillion and you dont give me up to 10 million to fuel my car, buy (flight) ticket. A watchdog needs to be fed for it to do its work. You starve your dog and you expect it to carry out its work? You dont give him food, you cage him and you expect him to watch the enemies come in. This is why we need funding. This money is not going to individual pockets. That is why the committees are complaining. Name and shame Emphasizing its oversight function which in recent week has identified certain financial malpractices among MDAs, Mr Kalu said the House will go all out to name and expose defaulters. Told the House itself was indicted in the Auditor-Generals report released last year of dodging auditing, Mr Kalu promised to read the report before reacting to it. Further asked if the ninth assembly would throw its budget open, Mr Kalu was dodgy. We are going to be as transparent as possible, was the repeated response each time the question was asked. In response to what it means to NASS that the renovation of its complex would gulp more funds than the entire federal roads in the country, Mr Kalu said the allocation to the legislative building is not within the purview of the NASS but with Federal Capital Territory Authority (FCTA). Mr Kalu was, however, silent on why lawmakers overlooked this during the screening of MDAs budgets. But he said: Each of the arms of government must function at the same time with one another at the level equality, fairness, balance. To create the balance we need in our democracy, there must be equality in responsibility and financial support. If anyone is lopsided, it will cause an imbalance in our democratic system. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 00:42:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. Xi visited Anhuali Community, Chaoyang District of Beijing to learn about the epidemic prevention and control at the primary level and the supply of daily necessities. He also extended regards to residents and community workers. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- President Xi Jinping on Monday inspected the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, boosting the faith in national strength and an unconquerable will to win. Xi's tour came at a time when China's battle against the epidemic has entered a very crucial time. The move has sent a strong message -- when the Chinese leadership focuses its efforts on challenges, it can achieve the goal with strong resolve, decisive measures and, more importantly, the power of the people. When Beijing residents, community workers and frontline medical staff are talking with Xi, as video footages show, the strength and fortitude of the Chinese nation are shining. Every life counts. The right to survival and health is the most basic and important human right. Fighting the coronavirus is a battle China must win. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has emphasized on many occasions that the safety of the lives and health of the people is the top priority. During Monday's tour, he reiterated China's confidence in scoring victory in the fight against the epidemic. Since the outbreak, China has gone all out to fight the disease. The speed, intensity and coverage of China's response have been unprecedented in the world. Challenges are daunting, but there is no excuse to retreat. Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, inspects the novel coronavirus pneumonia prevention and control work in Beijing, capital of China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Pang Xinglei) The top leadership has quickly identified shortcomings in preparedness and capabilities, including those in the emergency management system, the national reserve system and reserve efficiency. All these challenges must be and will be overcome in China's characteristic system with a great degree of strength and resilience. China is also fighting against rumors, prejudices and even racism from some foreign media outlets and politicians. The best response is not empty words, but concrete actions. The national mobilization, selfless efforts of medical workers, the miracle of tackling shortages ranging from hospitals to daily necessities and a mortality rate much lower than that of Ebola, SARS and MERS have given the world hope and gained respect for the Chinese people in this challenging situation. There are impacts on the economy, especially the service sector, but the fundamentals of China's long-term economic development remain unchanged. China will make economic adjustments to minimize the impact of the epidemic. A staff member measures temperature of people entering Ping'an International Financial Center in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Positive signs continue to emerge. New confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus pneumonia outside Hubei Province dropped for six consecutive days by the end of Sunday. Many big farm produce wholesale markets and supermarket chains returned to normal operation on Monday. China's transport networks have seen increasing passenger numbers. Farsighted policies in industrial, financial, and fiscal sectors have been rolled out. China is paying close attention to employment and preventing large-scale layoffs. As long as the problems are foreseen, there are solutions. The war continues. Chinese people will only stay stronger. A nation that has battled floods along the Yangtze River in 1998, SARS in 2003, the 8.0-magnitude earthquake in 2008 and many other challenges, will never step back until victory is won. Victory is not final. It will become a prelude to China's glory on the journey of chasing its dreams. UNITED NATIONS: UN chief Antonio Guterres will visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, in Kartarpur during his visit to Pakistan next week. The UN secretary-general will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday and will hold bilateral meetings with Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on that day and speak at an event on sustainable development and climate change. Guterres will travel to Kartarpur to visit a holy site, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters here on Monday. The UN chief is expected to visit one of the most prominent Sikh pilgrimage sites next Tuesday. Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the worlds largest gurdwara. On February 17, Guterres will also speak at the International Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan, which is being organised by the Pakistan government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), along with the high commissioner for refugees Filippo Grandi. Guterres will also meet Pakistan President Arif Alvi. The secretary-general will be in Lahore on February 18, where he will meet students and attend an event on Pakistans polio vaccination campaign. He will visit Kartarpur Sahib gurdwara before returning to New York on February 19. On November 9, the UN chief welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan, saying it paved the way for interfaith harmony and understanding. We welcome #Pakistan and #India opening #KartarpurCorridor today connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites, paving way for interfaith harmony and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims to holy shrines, spokesperson for the secretary-general had tweeted. The Kartarpur Corridor links Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. The Kartarpur Sahib is located across the Ravi in Pakistan and is about 4 km from Dera Baba Nanak. According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in future. Boris Johnson was warned that HS2 could become the 'albatross around your neck' by a furious Tory backbencher today as he finally declared the much maligned 100billion rail scheme will go ahead. After more than a decade of wrangling between politicians, the Prime Minister over-rode Tory anger and confirmed approval for the high-speed link in a statement to the House of Commons. Despite admitting his own concerns about the handling of the scheme so far, he said poor infrastructure had been 'holding the country back' for too long, and the government must act to shorten commutes and encourage investment. Conservative MPs in seats along the route south of Birmingham are among those who are angry over HS2's cost and impact on the environment. But despite threats of a major rebellion he faced mostly only muted criticism from his own benches. One exception was North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen, who was unafraid to fully voice his anger at a scheme that will cut a swathe through his shire heartland seat. Mr Bridgen said: 'HS2 is unloved, unwanted and has been grossly mismanaged. It very adversely affects my constituents. 'Does the Prime Minister appreciate my and my constituents' concerns that this could well be an albatross around this government and the country's neck moving forward and doesn't it set the bar very low for the future delivery of infrastructure projects on time and on budget by all future governments?' After more than a decade of wrangling between politicians, the Prime Minister over-rode Tory anger and confirmed approval for the rail link The HS2 route would initially link London and Birmingham with the second phase of the project then heading north to Manchester and Leeds Mr Johnson replied: 'Every great infrastructure project is opposed by the people at this stage. The M25... the Treasury was against the M25, I seem to remember delivering the Olympics and obviously Cross Rail, the Treasury tried to get rid of Cross Rail. What is HS2 and how much will it cost? HS2 (High Speed 2) is a plan to construct a a new high-speed rail linking London, West Midlands, Leeds and Manchester. The line is to be built in a 'Y' configuration. London will be on the bottom of the 'Y', Birmingham at the centre, Leeds at the top right and Manchester at the top left. Work on Phase One began in 2017 and the government plans envisage the line being operational by 2026. The HS2 project is being developed by High Speed Two (HS2) Ltd. The project 's costs have risen sharply from an initial 32.7billion in 2010 to a projected cost of 56billion last year. A review recently estimated that the cost could hit 106billion, with some extreme projections suggesting it could hit 150billion. However, the government's forecast is between 72billion and 98billion. Advertisement 'Every single infrastructure project is opposed at this critical moment. We have got to have the guts, the foresight to drive it through.' Painting HS2 as part of his plan to 'level up' the UK this afternoon, Mr Johnson said it was better to 'have the guts to take a decision' rather than try to 'get by' with the existing rail routes from North to South. 'None of this makes any sense without HS2,' he told MPs. 'If we start now services could be running by the end of the decade.' He added: 'Yes it is ambitious. But ambition is what we have lacked for far too long.' Many critics of the scheme spoke after Mr Johnson announced the decision. Victoria Prentis, Conservative MP for Banbury, said the last three years had 'given us a few lessons in what gracious defeat looks like', adding: 'While I remain worried by the environmental, financial and governance issues of this project, I really do wish it all the best.' Veteran Tory Sir Bill Cash said his constituents in Staffordshire would be 'bitterly disappointed' by the decision. The Prime Minister confirmed the move in a statement to the House of Commons after it was rubber-stamped at Cabinet this morning Fellow Tory MPs Michael Fabricant said he was 'less than enthusiastic about the route of HS2 which neither connects with Eurostar nor with Birmingham New Street or indeed with St Pancras'. Britons split over benefits of HS2 Voters are divided over who will gain from HS2, analysis from YouGov suggests. A third (33 per cent) of Northerners polled think it will benefit the South the most, while 28 per cent of Southerners think it will favour the North. Across the country as a whole, 20 per cent believe it will benefit the North and Midlands the most, while the same amount believe the South will come out the best. Just 11 per cent of Northerners polled thought their own region would benefit the most from the scheme. Advertisement He added: 'Will Mr Johnson agree with me that it is very, very important that now HS2 is going ahead that we also compensate well those people in my constituency (Lichfield) and his who will be affected by HS2?' Mr Johnson said: 'The short answer to that is of course.' In a bid to sweeten the pill, Mr Johnson pledged to 'interrogate' the costs and a minister will be dedicated to overseeing the scheme. He also suggested that Old Oak Common, one of the hub HS2 stations planned for near Willesden, could be named after Baroness Thatcher. The Cabinet rubber-stamping the approval this morning, work could now begin within months on Phase 1 between London and Birmingham. Mr Johnson stressed that the whole project will go ahead. But there will be a further review of the northern section to Manchester and Leeds, before the legislation underpinning it is finalised. HS2 would allow trains to travel at speeds of up to 250mph. That would mean much faster journeys between key UK cities. The graphic shows times for HS2 passengers (in red) verses the current times (in blue) Sources have pointed out even Greater Manchester's Labour mayor Andy Burnham is now urging ministers to prioritise a new line linking Liverpool to Manchester and Leeds ahead of the northern stage of HS2. HS2 by numbers: how the cost and delays have increased 11: Years since a company, HS2 Ltd, was first set up to look at building a new high-speed rail system. 32.7 billion: Original budget of the project in 2011. 56 billion: Increased budget in 2015. 88billion: Estimated total project cost in September 2019. 106billion: Estimated total project cost in January 2020. 8billion: Amount of money already spent by HS2 Ltd on buying land and property, ground investigation work, technical designs, IT systems, wages and public engagement. 2026: Year in which the first HS2 trains were supposed to be running, now considered 'not viable'. 2033: Year in which HS2 was originally meat to be completed and fully open to the public. 2040: Year in which HS2 Ltd says it is likely it will actually be fully operational. 300,000: Number of passengers the new network will be able to carry every day. 225mph: The top speed of trains able to run on the lines. 67: The new time in minutes for a journey between London and Manchester. 45: journey time between Birmingham and London in minutes. 100: Ancient woodlands that Greenpeace says will be destroyed by the new routes. 33: Sites of special scientific interest (SSSI) that will also be bulldozed. 1.76million: Value of unauthorised redundancy payments to staff by HS2 in 2017. Advertisement Supporters of HS2 say it can cut journey times from Birmingham to London from one hour 21 minutes to just 52 minutes. The second phase should reduce Manchester-London trips to an hour and seven minutes. Services from Old Oak Common to Birmingham should get under way from 2029 to 2031. Euston to Birmingham will start from 2031 to 2036, and Euston to Manchester and Leeds from 2037 to 2040. The latest cost estimates for the whole project are between 72billion and 98billion - with sources insisting that includes a contingency for if problems emerge. That is slightly lower than the 106billion ceiling mooted in a recent review. Former transport select committee chair Lilian Greenwood demanded assurances that phase two of the project will not be 'delayed further or downgraded to cut costs'. Mr Johnson replied: 'Of course we are committed to phase 2B but I think she would appreciate that now, given what's happened in the past 10 years with phase 1, it is vital that we use this inflection point to make sure the taxpayer gets maximum value as we proceed.' In an impassioned defence of the rail scheme, the PM pointed out that it was not universally popular in his own Uxbridge and Ruislip constituency. But he said: 'Delivering better, faster and more reliable transport connections is the way to close the opportunity gap across this country... 'Dramatic improvements to local transport and the decision to proceed with HS2 will shift this country's centre of gravity away from the capital and transform connectivity between our towns and cities.' Tory benches erupted into shouts of 'No' when Mr Johnson was asked if he agreed that HS2 should go ahead during Prime Minister's Questions last month. Mr Johnson's most senior adviser, Dominic Cummings, was said to be in favour of scrapping the scheme. Protests against HS2 were in evidence last week when Mr Johnson launched the COP26 environment summit in London Demonstrators try to stop work on the HS2 route near the village of Offchurch, Leamington Spa, last month But he lost the internal battle, with Chancellor Sajid Javid and Transport Secretary Grant Shapps among those coming out in support. PM hints at naming HS2 hub station after Baroness Thatcher Boris Johnson today hinted that a key SH2 hub station could be named after Baroness Thatcher. Mr Johnson was asked by a Tory MP whether Old Oak Common station, near Willesden, could be titled as a tribute to the former PM. He said it was a 'brilliant idea' - but joked that Labour mayor of London Sadiq Khan might not agree. Advertisement HS2 Ltd the Government-owned company responsible for developing and building the railway says it will boost capacity and cut journey times. A spokesman for HS2 Ltd said the announcement by Mr Johnson would provide 'much needed clarity on the future of the project' and that building the 'shovel ready' line will 'relieve pressure on our overcrowded rail network'. High-speed trains will run beyond the new lines on existing tracks as far as Edinburgh and Glasgow. Former HS2 Ltd chairman Douglas Oakervee was commissioned by the Government in August 2019 to lead a review into whether or not the programme should be scrapped amid rising costs and delays. The widely-leaked review was published today, finding that HS2 could cost up to 106billion, but concluding that 'on balance' it should continue. Couple face losing home to HS2 as line will plough through their living room A couple are being forced from their home next month because the planned HS2 line will go through the area currently occupied by their living room. Ron and Anne Ryall have been told to leave their Buckinghamshire home, just outside London, because it will be demolished to make way for the first stage of the mammoth project. But they feel the money they have been offered for the house - where Ron was born - is not enough and they plan to refuse to move, the BBC reported. 'I'm finding it difficult that someone can just walk into your life and destroy it. My family has lived in this lane for 100 years. I was born here,' Ron told the broadcaster. His wife added: 'It's awful, absolutely awful. We feel like a fruit being squeezed out of its skin, closing in and closing in and it's just a horrible feeling.' Advertisement HS2's original budget was 32.7billion at 2011 prices. It was due to open in December 2026, but HS2 Ltd chairman Allan Cook said last year it would be 'prudent to plan for an opening between 2028 and 2031'. Last month, Whitehall's spending watchdog said the scheme is over budget and behind schedule because its complexity and risks were under-estimated. The National Audit Office warned that it is impossible to 'estimate with certainty' what the final cost could be. But review author Doug Oakervee said today: 'I am proud of the work that the Review Panel has carried out. 'The Review's Report is a comprehensive appraisal of a challenging project. I believe the recommendations help offer it a way forward, a means of increasing scrutiny and oversight, protecting the interests of passengers and taxpayers, and rebuilding confidence in an important piece of critical national infrastructure which will do much to rebalance the economy. 'I am delighted that a decision on the project has been made, and it is now the job of the government to take this ambitious project forward.' In a bid to head off criticism that the 100billion rail line will bring no benefit to many areas, Downing Street also unveiled plans for a major boost to bus services in every region of the country. Sources said the 5billion investment would lead to more services, cheaper and simpler fares and greener vehicles. However, Mr Johnson risked claims of a new war on the motorist by suggesting hundreds of miles of roads could be dug up to create segregated bus and cycle lanes. Mr Johnson said poor infrastructure had been 'holding the country back' for too long, and the government will act to shorten commutes and encourage investment Ministers seemed in high spirits as they emerged from the Cabinet meeting this morning Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps were also at the Cabinet meeting, where the HS2 project is due to be given the green light Esther McVey and Jake Berry were among the ministers at the Cabinet meeting today He also backed proposals for dozens of 'Mini-Holland' schemes where vehicle use is restricted in towns and suburbs to encourage walking and cycling. The package represents a massive rise in local transport spending, which currently totals about 2.7billion a year. Mr Johnson is also expected to announce a series of road schemes such as ring roads and works to improve bottlenecks. HS2 has been the subject of years of intensive lobbying from politicians and opposition groups. Several environmental organisations claim building it will cause huge damage to natural habitats, including dozens of ancient woodlands. Communities living on or near the route have expressed anger at the impact on their lives, while many people have said the project is simply too expensive and the money would be better spent elsewhere. A decade of wrangling over the HS2 project 2009: HS2 Ltd set up to put together the case for the rail upgrade January 2013: Government unveils preferred route for HS2 north of Birmingham June 2013: Estimated budget rises by 10billion to 42billion November 2013: MPs approve HS2 funding Bill April 2014: Legislation passes second reading in Commons by 411 votes June 2016: National Audit Office says costs have risen to 55.7billion 2018: Architects and engineers appointed for Phase I January 2019: Appointment of contractors for hub stations is delayed September 2019: Review warns project could cost 80billion and be seven years late November 2019: Leaked review by former HS2 chairman Doug Oakervee concludes the project should go ahead in full depite issues December 2019: Boris Johnson says decision on HS2 will be taken after the election February 11, 2020: Cabinet signs off the HS2 project in full but ministers will 'interrogate' costs Advertisement Boris Johnson's 5billion bus and bike boost Boris Johnson attempted to take the sting out of the HS2 rail controversy today by announcing a 5billion package to improve bus services and cycle lanes. In a bid to head off criticism that the 100billion rail line will bring no benefit to many areas, Downing Street unveiled plans for a major boost to bus services in every region of the country. Sources said the 5billion investment would lead to more services, cheaper and simpler fares and greener vehicles Sources said the 5billion investment would lead to more services, cheaper and simpler fares and greener vehicles. However, Mr Johnson risked claims of a new war on the motorist with plans for hundreds of miles of roads to be dug up to create segregated bus and cycle lanes. He also backed proposals for dozens of 'Mini-Holland' schemes where vehicle use is restricted in towns and suburbs to encourage walking and cycling. The package represents a massive rise in local transport spending, which currently totals about 2.7billion a year. Mr Johnson also heralded a series of road schemes such as ring roads and works to improve bottlenecks - although he said the details will only be published at the Budget next month. The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has warned tertiary institutions to stop offering admissions to candidates through their own portals. The board described the practice as the flagrant abuse of the automated Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS). In its weekly bulletin which was sent to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday, the spokesperson of the board, Fabian Benjamin, said institutions who offer admission outside CAPS do so to avoid the equitable process which CAPS enforces. The CAPs, according to the board, will ensure that candidates are fairly treated and expand admission opportunities as well as protect the academic calendar. According to the bulletin, the attention of the board has been drawn to the purported offer of admissions to candidates through some institutions portals. The Board wishes to disassociate itself from such as it is a flagrant abuse of the automated Central Admissions Processing System (CAPS) which is the only credible avenue for admission into undergraduate programmes of all tertiary institutions in the country, he said The board in 2017 had announced that it would not condone illegitimate admission exercises. The Board states unequivocally that any candidate who accepts an offer of admission outside CAPS does so at his or her own risk, he said. The board said any admission into First Degree, National Certificate of Education, National Diploma and National Innovative Diploma not on the official letter-head paper of the Board or outside CAPS is null, void and would not be condoned by JAMB. He said any admissions made outside CAPS would jeopardise the participation of candidates in the compulsory National Youth Service Corps mobilisation exercise. Institutions are, again, reminded that admission made outside CAPS would jeopardise the participation of the innocent candidates in, the compulsory National Youth Service Corps mobilisation exercise or any job placement which requires the certification or endorsement of the Board, he said. He said it is wrong for Institutions to publish any admission list which has not been approved on CAPS, therefore publishing an admission list prior to its processing on CAPS is improper and a source of confusion as many of such admissions was found to be inappropriate and had to be reversed. Cited case Mr Fabian said a case in hand is a university which has a quota of 50 for LLB Programme but went ahead to offer admission and received acceptance fee from 350 LL.B candidates. If the offer had been processed on CAPS, it would not have allowed the abuse of quota issued by the Council of Legal Education. The reversal of over 300 candidates is now a subject of litigation between the university and the swindled candidates, he said. The most unethical and wicked excuse that many of the candidates would drop out within the first year compounds the immorality of the whole exercise, he said. The University of Abuja in January also suspended the ongoing admission of students due to irregularities in the process. The vice-chancellor, Abdul-Rasheed NaAllah, had said the committee did not meet up with JAMB guidelines for uploading all admissions on the CAPS. CAPS CAPS is an admission flow chart through which a candidate can accept or reject admission offers. Candidates can also print admission letters and proceed to the institution for further admission processing. The Market Place feature in CAPS provides mechanism for the Institutions to source for candidates who may not have earlier chosen the institution for admission consideration. Zurich: Switzerland is probing news reports that the US Central Intelligence Agency and West Germany's spy service used a Swiss company's encryption technology to covertly crack other nations' top-secret messages, the Swiss defence ministry said. The company, called Crypto AG, sold code-making equipment to Iran, Latin American nations, India, Pakistan and dozens of other countries. The technology was modified to let the CIA and Germany's BND break codes, the Washington Post reported along with German and Swiss broadcasters ZDF and SRF. The technology was modified to let the CIA and Germany's BND break codes, according to reports. Credit:Carolyn Kaster The reports cite a classified CIA history to underpin the allegations, some of which date back at least to 1992, when one of Crypto's employees was arrested and held in Iran for nine months as a suspected spy. At the time, the company called reports that it was a secret asset of Western intelligence agencies "an unbelievable conspiracy theory," according to a report in German magazine Focus detailing a 1994 book on the subject. A priest in Rhode Island has defended his decision to bar 44 lawmakers, who voted in favor of the Reproductive Privacy Act, by saying 'pedophilia doesn't kill anyone' but abortion does. Rev. Richard Bucci, of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick, shared the names of people banned from receiving communion at his parish in a flier last month. 'In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, as are all the officers of the state of Rhode Island, as well as Rhode Island's members of Congress,' the flier read. 'In addition, they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function.' Rev. Richard Bucci said Sunday: 'We are not talking about any other moral issue' where people connect pedophilia and abortion. 'Pedophilia doesn't kill anyone and this does' Rev. Richard Bucci shared the names of people banned from receiving communion at his parish in a flier last month. He said they 'will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function' Bucci denies asking one lawmaker to leave in the middle of a relative's funeral Mass, instead saying he told her she could not deliver a eulogy because it was not allowed One lawmaker who claims she was molested at the church by a priest who is now deceased, has said the flier was retaliation for championing the state's law to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse survivors. The allegations of the reverend being part of a wider cover-up in the church's sex abuse scandal stem from Democrat State Representative Carol Hagan McEntee's claim that from the age of five she and her sister Ann were molested by a priest at Bucci's church for seven years. The priest is now dead. The sisters championed the state's law to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse survivors and believes Bucci is 'taking issue with this, out of all the churches in Rhode Island'. 'Personally, I feel this is a continued attack by him on me and my family because of what happened to my sister. And he's come up with this latest way,' McEntee told CBS News. The flier was sent out to some lawmakers including McEntee, who has claimed Father Bucci asked her to leave a family member's funeral 'in a most disturbing way in December 2019'. Bucci denies he asked her to leave in the middle of the funeral Mass, instead saying he told her she could not deliver a eulogy because it was not allowed. McEntee maintains that she didn't intend to deliver eulogy. The flier was sent many months after the Reproductive Privacy Act was signed into law last spring. It serves to codify women's private rights to make medical decisions as guaranteed by Roe v. Wade. McEntee's colleague Julie Casimiro backed her up, adding to CBS News: 'Fr. Bucci would love to have you all think this is about the codification of Roe V Wade. If it was, why wasn't the list published last year when we took the vote? Why did only a few lawmakers receive the mailing at home? 'This is retribution to the Hagen-McEntee family for shining the light on sexual assault within the Catholic Church and Sacred Heart, in particular.' Casimiro claimed online that the General Assembly should share 'a list of pedophile priests not welcome at the State House. That is a much longer list.' Carol Hagan McEntee claims that from the age of five she and her sister Ann were molested by a priest at Bucci's church for seven years. The priest is now dead. The sisters championed the state's law to extend the statute of limitations for child sex abuse survivors and believes Bucci is 'taking issue with this, out of all the churches in Rhode Island' McEntee's colleague Julie Casimiro backed her up, adding: 'Fr. Bucci would love to have you all think this is about the codification of Roe V Wade. If it was, why wasn't the list published last year when we took the vote?' Sen. Adam Satchell was also banned from the church and says it stopped him from being godfather to his niece On Sunday the 72-year-old Rev. doubled down on his action as he told WJAR: 'We are not talking about any other moral issue, where some may make it a comparison between pedophilia and abortion. Pedophilia doesn't kill anyone and this does.' Sen. Adam Satchell was also banned from the church and says it stopped him from being godfather to his niece. McEntee and other lawmakers have also blasted Bishop Thomas Tobin's siding with Bucci. Tobin tweeted last week: 'As the presidential primary shifts to New England, it's sad to note that all of the major Democratic candidates are pro-abortion, supporting even partial-birth abortion. Where are pro-life Democrats supposed to turn? Or are pro-life voters not welcome in the Democratic party?' The Rev. told the Providence Journal that the lawmakers should not be angry about the flier shared in his parish: 'If they are proud of what they have done, why do they want to keep it a secret? 'If they think this is a good and wholesome and holy thing ... they should be proud of it, and why should I hide that from my parishioners?,' he continued. Adding: 'They call me 'Father' so that I may have an influence in their lives, and this is a serious issue of life and death.' McEntee and other lawmakers have also blasted Bishop Thomas Tobin's siding with Bucci But lawmakers have noted their votes were made public on the General Assembly website last year and Democratic rep Justine Caldwell tweeted: 'Their defense is laughable' But lawmakers have noted their votes were made public on the General Assembly website last year. Democratic rep Justine Caldwell tweeted: 'Their defense is laughable. None of our votes are hidden - I campaigned on this issue! If they just wanted to do a PSA, they didn't have to say we couldn't be godparents or receive communion. No one has a problem with their votes on the record. 'They have a problem with the lack of respect for the separation of church and state, and for our votes on behalf of our constituents being punished by a church who protected child abusers.' Rev. Bucci has said: 'Now, I don't know what else I have to say about it, this is the teaching of the church. The Canon Law of the church, the Second Vatican Council, and the First Catechism of the church. I don't know what more evidence I should have to present.' Former President John Drama(ni) Mahama (JDM) is crisscrossing all over the place: from cities to towns, to villages, to churches, to mosques, to palaces, and of course, to some media houses and anywhere he and his NDCs 2020 campaign machine decide to go to enable JDM let loose one of his deadly political weapons: Pretense! For all Ghanaians who genuinely know and understand what effective governance and people-centered leadership entail, it is long settled ex-President Mahama doesnt belong in that league. Indeed, millions of Ghanaians have no question about the fact that the current National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidates inept and venal leadership as the nations president in the time past are beyond comparison. At the same time, too, many Ghanaians seem to be fully aware of former President John Mahamas unique skills in playacting, coupled with his nimble ability to often spice up his pretentious political acts with smooth-talking. The Bole Bamboi area Bruce Lee is such smooth talker that if one isnt fast enough or quick on his/her feet in terms of focusing more on the subtext of JDMs political and socioeconomic pronouncements or positions, most likely the listeners will get caught up in the ex-presidents pranks. The point is, why are some Ghanaians entertaining the thought of Mahamas return to power? If its not aristocratic pretentions repackaged as contrition; sweet talks of I-feel-your-socioeconomic-pains, including misrepresentation of the true facts on the grounds, what else could it have been? Here is a former president (Mr. Mahama) who turned his countrys economy upside down in a miserable conditions. Now he is presumptuously running around the country again, claiming he has all the right answers to the messy mess he created. The sad reality of Comrade Mahamas campaign theatrics is that there are unbelievable number of people incapable of figuring out that the ex-president is telling tall tales as part of his grand campaign strategies to manipulate his way back into power to put finality to his unfinished business. Our honest hypothesis here is that if at this point in Ghanas checkered history someone seriously buys into Mr. Mahamas feigned remorsefulness and sometimes patronizing stories of I told you President Akufo-Addo cant do it, but give me, Mahama, another chance to do it better this time then whoever is believing this tale is one of the reasons this nation is still orbiting around mediocrity. Oftentimes, some of us have reason to ask why and accordingly, try to make sense of our thought processes as proud people of Ghanaian descent, irrespective of where each of us lives. Admittedly, owing to the introduction of the information superhighway or the social media revolution, Ghanaians have experienced some forms of cultural shift in the sense that a lot of us think and behave almost the same way as the social media operates. That is to say, millions of Ghanaians today use every information they are fed with and run away with it without paying attention to the source, context, or the subtext of the message. If many of us are not forgetful and truly appreciate the significance of a storys context and its subtext, Ghanaians will find out there are pretty lot of things the NDCs flag bearer is telling Ghanaians that do not square with the truth. One classic example is that Mr. Mahama presided over a government that was booted out of power while it was still hiding under the dictatorial wings of the IMFs highly indebted poor countries (HIPC) program. The HIPC program is a distress call. In other words, the subtext of the preceding latter point is that ex-President Mahama mismanaged Ghana into swallowing debt and economic misery. This means there is no whisper of credibility in the story parleyed by the proverbial naked individual promising he/she has the sole means to provide cloth for someone else. Let any Ghanaian of good conscience denies that Ghana was not in solid shape, economically, when Nana Addo-led administration assumed the reign of power in January 2017. Certainly, none of us, including ex-President Mahama himself, can say with the straight face the country was well managed few years prior to 2017. All the standard economic metrics at the time indicated that JDM-led administration was a flop, yet his then government was in denial. As one of his trademark capers, former President Mahama and his core followers hardly accept responsibility for anything that happened under their leadership both in and outside power. The tale of the Airbus bribery saga is a typical example, here. To understand how smooth Mr. Mahama can be, although he cannot morally look into his inner soul and disclaim tacit knowledge/approval of the plethora of mobs actions which have become shameful part of the NDC culture, for some obvious reasons it is often difficult to pinpoint the ex-presidents fingerprints of his partys escapades. Obviously, a bulky number of Ghanaians are not really good at peeling off the layers of the onions to reach the part useful for the preparation of the main course meal. Context matters in every human story or eventful situations. They say those who look down on history are most likely bound to repeat the errors of the past. Former President Mahama had had is chance at the presidency and blew it up; he has no business trying to sweet talk and seek comeback to do some more damage. In any event, the disappointing aspect of all these so-called ex-President Mahamas fairy-tale 2020 election comeback is the extent to which many Ghanaians, including the well-educated class, as well as some media practitioners who are supposed to understand the solemnity of social contract (presumably) but behaving otherwise. The social contract as envisaged by Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and others assumes that every good government derives its sole powers from the consent of the governed in that the popular sovereignty or the ultimate power resides with the people. John Locke even goes further to say that if at any point in time the government becomes tyrannical or fails to meet the needs of its citizens, these same people have every right to get rid of that government. Mr. John Mahama as then president unquestionably broke his (social) contract with Ghanaians on December 2016 when he was massively voted out of office for not meeting his part of the contract. Why then go back to bring a person who cant execute the terms of his contract? Wake up, Ghana and stop sucking up to former President Mahamas tall tales of the century. Mahama will still be Mahama but this time with vengeance! Bernard Asubonteng is a US-based writer and a political science lecturer Over 100 US forces diagnosed with brain injuries from Iran strikes: US officials Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 6:31 PM The US military is reportedly planning to announce a more than 50-percent rise in the number of cases of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among its soldiers following Iran's retaliatory strikes on an American military base in Iraq last month. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity ahead of the announcement, told Reuters on Monday that there were over 100 cases of TBI after the attacks, up from the 64 previously reported last month. The Pentagon had stated weeks after the strikes that the numbers were expected to increase because the TBI symptoms could take time to manifest. On January 8, Iran's Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) fired volleys of ballistic missiles at the Ain al-Assad airbase in the western Iraqi province of Anbar. The missile operation was in response to the January 3 assassination by US terrorists of Lieutenant General Qassem Soleimani, commander of the IRGC's Quds Force, and Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis, the second-in-command of Iraq's Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), and a group of their companions in Baghdad. The cowardly operation was conducted under US President Donald Trump's direction and the US Department of Defense took full responsibility for the assassination. Both commanders enjoyed deep reverence among Muslim nations over their endeavors in eliminating the US-sponsored Daesh Takfiri terrorist group in the region, particularly in Iraq and Syria. At the White House, Trump adamantly denied the Iranian missiles left any casualties. But Tehran said the US military conducted at least nine sorties after the operation, taking the wounded to Jordan and the Israeli-occupied territories, while Chinook helicopters transferred the injured to a US hospital in Baghdad. Out of despair and under pressure from Congress, the Trump administration has gradually announced casualties from the Iranian attack, most recently claiming that 64 US troops have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries. About 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with the injury since the year 2000, according to Pentagon data. Iraqi lawmakers unanimously approved a bill last month that calls for the withdrawal of all US-led foreign troops from the Arab country in the wake of the assassination of the two top commanders. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address MBABANE About 200 orphaned and vulnerable children (OVCs) have been sent home for owing school fees at Mpolonjeni High School. The pupils were sent packing by the head teacher of the school identified as Mrs Tfwala who demanded that they pay top-up fees which ranged around E800 and E900. Government has not remitted OVC funds to the school. It has been almost two weeks now since the pupils were sent home by the school administration and guardians are not happy that the children are missing out on schoolwork. In an interview with some of the guardians, they expressed their frustration over the matter, adding that raising the funds was a difficult task due to their poverty-stricken background as most of them were unemployed. They said they needed time to raise the funds but would appreciate if the head teacher would be lenient with them and consider their backgrounds. Instalments It is not that we do not want to pay the money, but it is the timeframe we are concerned about and that the children are missing out in class, the guardians said. According to the guardians, the head teacher was not being reasonable and was ill-treating them and their children. They further said sending the pupils home was not a solution as they would be paying the money as soon as they had it. What hurts us the most is the fact that the pupils are missing out and this could jeopardise their future, they said. The guardians said it would be proper for the school to allow the pupils to continue learning until they raised the much needed funds. Further, they said they were worried about the head teachers behaviour, as she refused them the opportunity to pay in instalments but instead demanded a lump sum. They argued that they had more than one child each enrolled at the school and they could not afford paying such huge amounts. Further, they argued that the top-up fees were not standard, something that also concerned them. Meanwhile, other parents raised concerns that their childrens reports were withheld by the school for failure to pay E20 towards the farewell function of a retiring teacher in December last year. Responding to the concerns, Tfwala said there was no free education in high school. She said government paid late for the pupils yet they needed to learn. We do not issue out books without payment being made. This is the policy of the school which was supported by the parents themselves, said Tfwala. She said all the pupils who were sent home had guardians who had the responsibility to pay for them. This is just a fraction of the funds and guardians need to be responsible and play their role, she stated. Director of Social Welfare in the Deputy Prime Ministers Office, Moses Dlamini, said they were concerned by the schools that demanded top-up fees from the OVCs who were governments responsibility. Dlamini said it was difficult for the guardians of the pupils to raise money, especially because most of them were disadvantaged. He said most of the head teachers did as they pleased in the schools, which was a cause for concern. Information Dlamini said as the Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM) Office, they were of the view that admissions in the country should be centralised and controlled by the Ministry of Education and Training. This, he said would take away powers from the head teachers who then abused them and wanted to be worshipped. Duties and responsibilities of teachers are to educate the child and not to be worshipped, said the director. He said in South Africa, education was centralised and teachers only taught the children in class. Lubombo Regional Education Officer (REO) Musa Mthupha said it was wrong for the school to send pupils home, as government would pay the money. Mthupha said there were no top-up fees required for high schools, but funds charged for all pupils entering into the school. He said if pupils were not in class, they missed out and had no way of catching up on the information they had already missed. The REO said he had not yet received the report from Mpolonjeni High but would follow-up to find out what was happening. Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Education and Training Bertram Stewart said normally when a school had challenges, they received reports from REOs and not the print media. Stewart said in the reporting structure of the ministry, the media was not involved. I am waiting for the REOs report as they did on a weekly basis, he said. Choi Sung-jin ( By Choi Sung-jinFor more than three weeks, all TV news shows in Korea began with updates on the new coronavirus outbreak. That changed Monday when the Korean film "Parasite" made history at the Oscars by sweeping up four awards, stunning not just fans at home but director Bong Joon-ho and production staff.After the relatively brief euphoria is over, however, Koreans will redirect their attention to the ongoing epidemic's progress. For most if not all people, concerns about life and safety precede cultural pride and elation.Since Korea confirmed its first case of the officially codenamed "2019-nCoV" on around Jan. 20, the health authorities have fared pretty well. The total number of confirmed cases stood at 27 as of Monday, not very high given the hundreds of thousands of Koreans and Chinese visiting each other's country every year. None of them are severely ill and four have left the hospital fully recovered.About 300 evacuees from Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus, are managing well. It may be too early to remain complacent but the nation will likely suffer less damage compared to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) in 2015. If so, that may be thanks in large part to the lessons learned through the trials and errors of the two previous crises.Class or dignity, whether of a person or a state, seems to reveal its true colors when faced with a crisis.Some Koreans' behaviors in the initial stage of the outbreak were less than desirable in this regard. In extreme cases, some internet users called for expelling or isolating all Chinese, even Korean-Chinese who have long worked here without visiting Wuhan or Hubei Province. These people even opposed the evacuation of their compatriots from the epicenter. It is not the virus itself but the exaggerated fear and resultant hatred and exclusion of others that drive society into a deeper crisis.I must not be the only one who felt more than inspired when the residents of Asan and Jincheon, the two provincial cities selected to house the evacuees, turned around from initial fierce opposition to offering a warm welcome.Korean diplomats in Wuhan, who did their utmost to bring all the evacuees to the airport up until the last minute, reportedly burst into tears after the plane took off. About 200 remaining Koreans are also said to be helping and encouraging one another. It was natural that the rest of the country echoed this mutual support, saying, "We are Wuhan, we are Asan, and we are Jincheon."Understandably, some experts urge the government to expand entry restrictions to all of China. Nothing is more important than people's health and safety. Besides, the United States and Japan have already taken a similar step. The Moon Jae-in administration is sticking to the partial entry ban. My support for the government's policy is conditional at best.If the Moon administration's caution is out of humanitarian concerns and for long-term diplomatic consideration given China's economic and political influence, its stance is acceptable. However, if the government's hesitancy is for gaining advantage in the upcoming April general election by assuring Chinese President Xi Jinping's scheduled visit in March, it is inexcusable.Most disgusting are those who gloat over or capitalize on others' misfortune. Some makers of face masks that have derived excessive profits by hoarding them could be among such vultures.Some opposition politicians are no better. Hwang Kyo-an, the leader of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, took issue with the government's plan to provide face masks to China, saying that's not the best way to spend taxpayers' money.In a similar vein, LKP lawmakers also opposed Seoul's humanitarian support of $5 million to Beijing. LKP finds fault with every move the liberal government makes, but their latest opposition is not just inhumane but shortsighted for a group aiming to retake political power.Chinese President Xi and his government's closed and oppressive approach to dealing with the current crisis is far from desirable. But that's no reason for Korea not to help the Chinese people in distress. However well Korea does in containing the spread of the virus, the nation will continue to be exposed to recurrent danger unless the problem is solved at its origin.The nation's automakers have already suspended their operations because of the supply stoppage of parts from China. Electronics firms are next in line to face similar problems. The Korean Inc. will re-enter the tunnel of slump unless the public health crisis in its giant neighbor comes to an end at least for now.Similar things could be said about the inter-Korean relationship in the changing environment. North Korea hasn't yet reported any confirmed cases but few can know what's going on inside the reclusive regime. If the virus infiltrates into the North through the long, porous Sino-Korean border, its already shaky economy will crumble and no amount of nuclear weapons will be enough to resurrect it.Some conservatives say this is an opportunity to step up economic sanctions to extract concessions from Pyongyang in nuclear negotiations. This is cheap at best and destructive at worst. A better way is to provide medical supplies and thaw the temporarily frozen relations on that occasion.Only an open and square stance can turn a crisis into opportunity.Few can blame minding one's safety and health. As President Moon said, however, the government's health authorities should go to extra lengths, but citizens need to remain calm and lead normal lives.Most experts agree the new coronavirus could end up between light pneumonia and a nasty cold provided it is found early and treated properly. In subway trains to and from work, I find six passengers in a seven-seat row wearing face masks. I am almost the only one without one. In New York and Tokyo metros, the ratios seem to be the other way round.I don't think I will wear one until the crisis is over. That's not because I am particularly strong but I don't want to yield to poorly grounded and blown-up fear, fanning the panic. choisj1955@naver.com ) is a Korea Times columnist. China has recorded a new morbid highest with more than a 100 people dying of the novel coronavirus on Monday and the death toll crossing the 1000-mark. The number of dead from the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) stood at 1016 on the mainland at Monday midnight while as many as 42634 remain infected, health officials said on Tuesday morning. At least two persons have so far died outside the mainland: One each in Hong Kong and the Philippines. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 319 cases in 24 countries have been reported so far. The toll continued to rise as President Xi Jinping made a rare public appearance in Beijing amid the escalating public health crisis in China. Xi admitted for the second time in two weeks that the epidemic had exposed shortcomings in Chinas disease prevention and control system. The state media released photos of a surgical mask-wearing Xi getting his temperature at a hospital in Beijing designated to treat NCP patients and interacting with medical workers. Xi called for intensified efforts to reduce the impact, and help for affected businesses to prevent major layoffs, the state media quoted him as saying. Xis second-in-command, Premier Li Keqiang is leading the high-level group overseeing national efforts to contain the epidemic, which has dealt a heavy blow to the Chinese economy and dampened spirits in the very first few weeks of the Chinese new year. The central Chinese province of Hubei continued to be the worst-hit: It reported 2,097 new NCP cases on February 10, with 103 new deaths and 427 recovered. Total infection number in the province increased to 31,728, with 974 dead and 2,222 recovered, officials updated on Monday. The city at the epicentre of the outbreak, Hubei provinces capital, Wuhan, has restricted the entry and exit of residents from residential buildings, health officials announced. Checkpoints have been set up outside apartment blocks to enhance prevention measures. Officials have claimed that 10.59 people in Wuhan have been checked for the virus. The WHO announced late on Monday that an advance team of WHO experts has just arrived in China, led by Dr Bruce Aylward, to lay the groundwork for the larger international team. Bruce and his colleagues will be working with their Chinese counterparts to make sure we have the right expertise on the team to answer the right questions, WHO chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a press conference in Geneva. In recent days we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today, Tedros said. The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire. But for now, its only a spark. Our objective remains containment. We call on all countries to use the window of opportunity we have to prevent a bigger fire, the WHO chief said. As many as 168 labs around the world with the right technology to diagnose coronavirus have been identified. The WHO has sent kits to Cameroon, Cote dIvoire, DRC, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Iran, Kenya, Morocco, Nigeria, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia. The police had accused them and 28 other people of conspiring to overthrow the government. For the Justice Department, there is no evidence to substantiate them. Meanwhile, two priests and nine other people are still going to trial. For the bishop of Bayombong, we will never stop expressing our opinions on matters of faith, human rights, the protection of life. Manila (AsiaNews) The Philippines Department of Justice (DOJ) has dropped sedition charges against four bishops, a priest and a man religious. Last July, police had accused them and 28 other people including prominent opposition politicians like Vice President Leni Robredo of conspiring to overthrow the government of President Rodrigo Duterte. For many Filipinos, such a move was but an attempt by the Duterte administration to intimidate and silence its critics. The prelates in question are Archbishop Socrates Buenaventura Villegas of Lingayen-Dagupan, Bishop Honesto Ongtioco of Cubao, Bishop Pablo Virgilio David of Kalookan, and Auxiliary Bishop Teodoro Cruz Bacani Jr of Novaliches. Yesterday, the DOJ stated that the prelates had no intention of offending and that the complaints filed by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group are not backed by any evidence. For Bishop Jose Elmer Imas Mangalinao of Bayombong, news of the acquittal is a happy gift. Like many other bishops and priests, I am relieved, said Bishop Mangalinao, who is also vice president of the Standing Committee of Public Affairs (SCPA) of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). Justice is served, he told AsiaNews, because the Lord has defended the truth that we have professed since the beginning of this story. Thankfully, A heavy cross has been removed from our shoulders, especially from those of the accused. As Archbishop Socrates pointed out, the decision to drop the accusations will help the bishops involved to better focus on the most urgent needs of people. The bishop of Bayombong went on to stress that The Philippine Church is not looking for confrontation with the government. Unfortunately, the president is convinced that the bishops are against him. Even if this may lead to a direct confrontation, we will never stop expressing our opinions on matters of faith, human rights, protection of life, environment and the cultural heritage of indigenous peoples. I invite everyone to pray for us and to support us in our battles for the good of the Philippines." The investigations on sedition and other charges stem from a video posted online that went viral. In it, President Duterte and his family are accused of involvement in drug trafficking. Despite the acquittal of the four bishops, Fr Robert Reyes and Lasallian religious Brother Armin Luistro, the DOJ has recommended that Fr Flaviano Villanueva and Fr Albert Alejo be brought to trial along with nine other people, including ex-senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Duterte's bitter rival. When the case began, the Bishops Conference came to the defence of the accused priests and prelates, insisting that the charges were "beyond belief". The clergymens sincerity, decency, respectfulness and love for our country and our people are beyond doubt, said at the time CBCP president Archbishop Romulo Geolina Valles of Davao. The move is obviously meant to scare the hell out of these churchmen and eventually silence them," said Fr Jerome Secillano, chairman of the CBCP Public Affairs Office. Our brothers are neither fighting the government nor Duterte. What they are against are the repressive policies that put so much burden on the poor," explained Fr Secillano. (PF) We all know theres systematic racism in this criminal justice system theres no doubt about that, Ms. Klobuchar responded, before saying she had decreased incarceration of black people during her tenure as prosecutor and diversified the office. The questioning underscored a source of concern for Ms. Klobuchar, who came in fifth in the Iowa caucuses and is rising in polls of New Hampshire voters, as her presidential campaign begins to look to the more racially diverse states that will vote next. While former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Ind., has faced more skepticism about his ability to attract black voters, Ms. Klobuchar has similarly low and in some cases worse polling numbers among them, particularly in South Carolina. Ms. Klobuchar cited her victories in Minnesota as evidence that black voters could come to support her. My challenge is to get people to know me, she said, sounding a lot like Mr. Buttigieg. Ive always had strong support in my elections at home, and I have a number of key leaders in the African-American community in Minnesota that have gone and campaigned for me. Mr. Burrell was convicted in the 2002 shooting of Tyesha Edwards, who was 11 when she was killed by a stray bullet. But The A.P. quoted a co-defendant as saying that he, not Mr. Burrell, was responsible for the shooting. Ms. Klobuchar oversaw Mr. Burrells first trial, conviction and sentencing in 2003. That conviction was later reversed by the Minnesota Supreme Court, which found that a key statement made by Mr. Burrell should not have been used in the trial. Yves here. Team Dem is in deep denial about how bad their Iowa conduct makes them look. By Thomas Neuburger. Originally published at DownWithTyranny! The latest final results from Iowa as of the February 9 (source, also here, though the Des Moines Register begs to differ). Despite having a lead of less than 1% in SDEs, Buttigieg has now been given a lead of two national delegates (16% more delegates than Sanders is given). I cant leave the Iowa Caucus story without noting this. According to Trip Gabriel of the New York Times, the Iowa Democratic Party will not change even blatant errors in its report of results because it wants to ensure the integrity of the process while at the same time saying that The Iowa Democratic Party continues to be fully committed to ensuring the accuracy of the caucus data that we report. You read that right. Mr. Orwell would be proud. Gabriel writes via Twitter, quoting the opinion of the IDP attorney: The incorrect math on the Caucus Math Worksheets must not be changed to ensure the integrity of the process. The IDPs role is to facilitate the caucus and tabulate the results. Any judgement of math miscalculations would insert personal opinion into the process by individuals not at the caucus and could change the agreed upon results. That action would be interfering with the caucus expression of their preferences. There are various reasons that the worksheets have errors and may appear to not be accurate, however changing the math would change the information agreed upon and certified by the caucus goers. If campaigns want further recourse they will need to work all of the way through the process to a Recount where the Presidential Preference Cards are opened and counted. But theres a problem with those Presidential Preference Cards. Gabriel notes that going back to the presidential preference cards that each caucus-goer was supposed to turn in wouldnt be definitive either. Random caucus chairs I interviewed said several people in the room who voted never turned in their cards for whatever reason. As Gabriel notes in his NY Times piece on the same subject: The incorrect math on the Caucus Math Worksheets must not be changed to ensure the integrity of the process, wrote the party lawyer, Shayla McCormally, according to an email sent by Troy Price, the chairman of the party, to its central committee members. The lawyer said correcting the math would introduce personal opinion into the official record of results. Its a personal opinion that 1+1=3 is incorrect? The Boldest of Catch-22s This is the boldest of Catch-22s. To ensure the integrity of the process, worksheets that have errors and may appear to not be accurate cannot be changed, since they are a legal record of the caucus. So, for example, an error as obvious as this one Via Jordan Chariton (source) might never be corrected. Ryan Grim has noted via his newsletter: Certifying knowingly false election results is arguably against federal election laws, and the Iowa Democratic Party is playing with fire here, but that seems to have stopped no one at the IDP. Sanders To Ask for a Partial Recanvas The latest news is that Senator Sanders has asked for a partial recanvas of the Iowa vote: A campaign aide confirmed the plans Sunday night, ahead of a Monday deadline for candidates to ask the Iowa Democratic Party to recanvass the results. A recanvass is not a recount, but a check of the vote count to ensure the results were added correctly. The state party released updated results on Sunday showing Pete Buttigieg leading Sanders by two state delegate equivalents out of 2,152 counted. The Associated Press remains unable to declare a winner because it believes the results may not be fully accurate and are still subject to potential revision. Im not sure what good that will do in producing an outcome that can be believed, and in the end the one or two delegate difference wont make much difference at all at the Convention, but we can applaud, at least, the effort to save face for the Iowa Democratic Party, whose own face its determined to tar. A Clown Show Performance Without Appearance of Impartiality? The Iowa Democratic Party seems intent on proving all suspicions of bias correct, despite an overwhelming number of commenters willing to offer the lesser explanation, incompetence. As Matt Taibbi astutely put it, in the end the Iowa Caucus was a clown show performance by a political establishment too bored to worry about the appearance of impartiality. Though we may close the book at some point soon on this sad open to the 2020 Democratic Primary, voters may not. By the time the Convention chooses its nominee, the clown show performance in Iowa, with no appearance of impartiality may come to characterize the whole of the rest of the exercise. If it does, if the Milwaukee end of the process looks as false as its corn field start, the effort to defeat Donald Trump may well have received its final, fatal blow a full nine months before the first November ballot was cast. Donald Trump was in mischievous mood on Monday night in Manchester, New Hampshire, urging his followers to disrupt the states first-in-the-country 2020 presidential primary. The president noted to a packed arena full of his supporters that their states election laws allow members of one party to vote in another partys primary. With a wry grin, Mr Trump once again showed he is willing to play the role of disrupter-in-chief and willing to do whatever it takes to secure a second term. This has been an incredible state for us, Mr Trump said of New Hampshire, where he easily won his partys 2016 primary before losing there narrowly to the former secretary of state Hillary Clinton in the general election. So I hear a lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats. That makes sense you people would do that, he said, before taking a Trumpian jab at the entire Democratic field. My only problem is Im trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate. I think theyre all weak. It was vintage Trump: urge his followers to do something to benefit himself while stopping short of demanding it and cast everyone who opposes him as too feeble to be the so-called leader of the free world. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters That wasnt the only notable moment in which Mr Trump revealed a thing or two about his re-election strategy. Here are three takeaways from his pre-primary Manchester rally: The Snake Mr Trump signalled immigration will again be a big part of his campaign-trail message to voters. The president has been focused on other issues for months, including his impeachment and subsequent Senate trial. And while he hit Democrats on that in Manchester, he aggressively pivoted back to immigration. Recommended Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies As he moved into part of his sometimes-scripted, sometimes-off-the-cuff rally remarks, the president produced a printout from his suit jacket and told the audience: I used to do this a lot and people couldnt get enough of it, to be honest with you and I havent done it for a while. I thought Id do it tonight because youre on the eve of giving us an opponent, and all of these people want open borders, they want open borders, he said of the remaining Democratic presidential candidates. And we dont want open borders, we want very strong, closed borders. And we want people to come into our country, but we want them to come in through merit, and we want them to come in legally, right, right? The crowd offered tepid applause. But he drew a big cheer for what he did next, reading a short tale called The Snake from the paper he had just taken from his jacket. The story describes what happens when a woman takes in a wounded reptile and nurses him back to health. At the end, the creature bites her, sending her to an inevitable death. Youve bit me, but why, you know your bite is poisonous and now Im going to die, Trump said, reading the womans part. Silly woman, said the reptile with a grin. You knew damn well I was a snake before you took me in! The Manchester crowd roared its approval as the president stood behind his lectern and said loudly, got to come in legally, depicting undocumented immigrants as the snake that inevitably will deliver a vicious bite to American citizens. He got another big applause when he tied the coming immigration message to his America First governing philosophy: Were fully taking care of our own citizens first. Thank you, Nancy The president made sure to conjure a few jeers from the audience when he brought up House Democrats. There were his usual lines that their Ukraine investigation was a hoax and witch hunt, but he debuted a new rally line that brings voters into the mix as he attempts to personalise the impeachment matter for folks outside the Beltway, especially those in the handful of swing states that most likely will decide the election. We have the highest poll numbers that we have ever had. Thank you, Nancy, very much. Thank you, he said, mocking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who decided his actions towards Ukraine warranted her giving in to many in her caucus who had long supported impeachment proceedings. Then came the linking of that decision, which always was going to lead to his acquittal by a GOP-controlled Senate, to voters. While the extreme left has been wasting Americas time with this vile hoax, weve been killing terrorists, creating jobs, raising wages, enacting fair trade deals, securing our borders, and lifting up citizens of every race, colour, religion and creed from our rural communities to our cities, Mr Trump said. Donald Trump, Bernie Bro? Is Mr Trump a Bernie Bro, the nickname of many followers of Senator Bernie Sanders, the Vermont democratic-socialist who has emerged as the Democratic frontrunner? He might be. But likely for his own self-interests, as always. White House and campaign aides contend they believe the president would defeat any of the opposition partys candidates. But they do not dispute wanting to take on a man who calls himself a socialist. And Mr Trump showed he is eager to fire up Mr Sanders supporters. Actually, I think theyre trying to take it away from Bernie again, Mr Trump said, referring to the 2016 Democratic primary, which some Sanders backers said was unfairly tilted in favour of Ms Clinton. Theyre doing it to you again, Bernie! Theyre doing it again! Translation, from one Democratic strategist: This is a president who will do anything he can to exploit divisions in the party between Bernie and the rest of the party. The more divided they are, the strategist said, the more chances Trump thinks he has to be re-elected because hed be taking on a damaged Democratic nominee. He would feed on that weakness. The Kosovo Specialist Chambers (KSC), approved by the Kosovo Parliament in 2015, are touted as a new and more promising attempt at delivering justice for unpunished war crimes. A series of previous courts the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) panels, local courts and the European Union Rule of Law Mission in Kosovo (EULEX) have tried, but largely failed to bring perpetrators of war crimes to trial. The promise of the KSC to correct previous failures stands in their attributes as a hybrid court. Part of the Kosovo judiciary, but situated in the Hague and constituted of international judges only, the Chambers represent a new type of hybrid court that is supposed to combine the strength of international tribunals with the benefits of local ownership. Their design, arguably, would enable the KSC to avoid ethnic bias, social intimidation and political pressure that have typically plagued war crime investigations in Kosovo. Yet, as they await their first indictment, the KSC remain heavily contested inside Kosovo. The KSCs critics point to key problems ethnically-biased jurisdiction, fuzzy origins and the secrecy of their operation as birth defects that taint the Chambers goal to conduct impartial investigations. Such problems are particularly acute in the context of the ethnically-charged expectations that characterize post-war Kosovo, creating an inhospitable atmosphere for the operation of the new court. One-sided justice From the very start, the idea of the KSC was heavily contested by Kosovo Albanians, given the basic document which informs their statutes the 2011 Marty report. Specifically, the KSC jurisdiction encompasses the investigation of crimes against humanity, war crimes under international law and crimes under Kosovo law committed or commenced in the territory of Kosovo and relating to Martys report, which have been the subject of a two and a half year criminal investigation by the Special Investigative Task Force (SITF). All previous courts investigating war crimes in Kosovo have clearly established that most of them related to the use of excessive force by the Army of Yugoslavia and Serbian Police Forces. Yet Martys report focuses on and covers only acts by members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (the KLA) over a specific time period between January 1, 1998 and December 31, 2000. Given their specific focus, many in Kosovo see the KSC as a selective form of justice. In the words of Kosovo Albanian legal analyst Njomza Haxhibeqiri, the KSCs main shortcoming is their subject matter jurisdiction, which targets only KLA members, thus causing problems of being perceived as invalid from the Kosovo Albanians perspective. A poll from April 2017 confirms that 76.4% of Kosovo Albanians believe it is unfair that the KSC will only prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity associated with the KLA. As Haxhibeqiri further explains, if the Law on the KSC expanded its scope from the Marty report to try crimes committed by others as well, it would first save itself a lot of trouble. In this way, it would have Kosovos support and it might indeed contribute to a full-fledged truth instead of concentrating on only a portion of it. Agon Maliqi, a Kosovo Albanian political analyst and blogger, warns that such a focus risks creating more resentment than justice: The work of the KSC, if the prosecution is successful, could produce some sense of justice among the Kosovo Serb community and Albanians who were targets of the KLA. Yet, targeting only the perpetrators of crimes from one side will eventually feed [] a sense of injustice among the wider Albanian community. The issue of the KSCs bias, however, depends on whom you speak to. The perception that the KSC are established against Kosovo Albanians comes from those who fear that they might be tried and sentenced by this institution. These individuals who committed war crimes and gained substantial financial gains are calling upon higher interests to avoid their own responsibility, says Aleksandar Rapajic, a Serb activist working with AKTIV, an NGO. In his view, the role of the court is to determine individual not group responsibility. Individual responsibility, however, applies to all ethnic groups and it is not clear why only Albanians should be liable. Poor evidence and the passage of time The contestation of the KSC jurisdiction goes hand in hand with the poor quality of the evidence offered in the Marty report to back up its allegations against the KLA. The fact that previous local and international courts, which had expansive authority to investigate Martys allegations, failed to investigate or to win conviction for those crimes makes it challenging for the KSC to justify their one-sided mandate. According to Haxhibeqiri, Martys report has been public since 2010. For five years, EULEX had the required time and the mandate to shed light on the alleged crimes [], however it did not. Leonora Aliu, a journalist reporting on the Specialist Chambers, points to another difficulty: the passage of time. Almost 20 years have passed since the war, and all the institutions that launched investigations or charges for war crimes before the KSC were established had a better chance to bring war criminals to trial. There were more chances to find witnesses alive, with fresh memories, and evidence, she says. Therefore, this institution will be a bigger disappointment. As with almost every issue in Kosovo, Kosovo Serbs see it differently. War crimes do not have a statute of limitations, says Rapajic. It is possible to conduct war crimes trials even after a long period of time. This gives us hope that cases that the KSC has the mandate to adjudicate will be processed and that the victims families will receive justice, despite the passing of time. Recommended reading Kosovo Specialist Chambers: gearing up for uncomfortable truths? A court shrouded in secrecy Since much of the scepticism confronting the KSC is a by-product of the failures of previous courts, the KSC need to publicise their case for offering a better solution. But the Kosovo public is largely in the dark about their scope of work and activities. As Maliqi explains, the outreach has been extremely minimal. There does not seem to have been any effort to address perceptions about the selective nature of the court. Haxhibeqiri confirms: They do not even have an office in Kosovo, which could be considered odd. Even if the mandate was not biased, this distanced behaviour causes the population to see them as an external influence and not something driven from the inside. Their reactions remain inexistent and public appearances highly limited. The limited outreach allows for more misinterpretation and misinformation. According to Aliu, each time a well-known former KLA leader goes to the Hague and comes back, he says in front of TV cameras nothing else but that this process is against the KLA and unfair. Right now, all that people know about the KSC is either what they hear in the news mostly the heroic statements from former KLA members or rumours. There is nothing concrete that would help people build a logical, realistic opinion about the KSC. The result is an inhospitable social and political atmosphere for the work of the Specialist Chambers. Unsurprisingly, a report from the Group of Legal and Political Studies, a non-profit public policy organization based in Pristina, concludes that the KSC outreach office needs to cooperate more with the Government of Kosovo, civil society groups and the international community in delivering a comprehensive and inclusive programme of public dialogue that would counter the general perception of this new court as an insult to the KLA, if not a conspiracy against its liberation war. ALBANY Recognizing a nationwide shortage of teachers, Columbia High School and The Sage Colleges are partnering up to create a new career pathway for high school students interested in the education field. Officials from both schools signed an Early Assurance Agreement at the high school on Monday afternoon, enabling Columbia students to matriculate to Russell Sage College and eventually earn a bachelors degree and a masters degree in just four years. This partnership with Russell Sage College will enable our best and brightest students to begin their path to a rewarding teaching career while still in high school, East Greenbush Central School District superintendent Jeffrey Simons said. "This agreement will not only encourage our students to choose the teaching profession for their career, through coursework offered to them while in high school, but they will also gain some of the essential understandings and skills they need to become exemplary teachers. The number of students enrolling in teacher preparation programs across the nation dropped by more than 30 percent from 2010 to 2018, according to the Center for American Progress. In New York, there was a nearly 50 percent decline in teacher preparation program enrollment during the same period. The agreement enables eligible Columbia students to apply for admission to the program as early as the 10th grade. After meeting certain course requirements at Columbia, students in the program will be able to earn a bachelor's degree in either childhood education or physical education at Russell Sage College in three years, then a master's of science in literacy, special education, counseling or health education, in the fourth year. To participate, students will need to submit an application, essay and transcript, and must be on track to complete a required number of academic units in English, social studies, mathematics, laboratory science and language. Students who are accepted to the early assurance education program will not be required to enroll at Russell Sage College or to forgo application to other schools; rather, they will be able to secure their admission and reserve a place at Russell Sage College. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "Sage is proud to partner with Columbia High School to create opportunities for students and strengthen the teaching profession, said Christopher Ames, president of The Sage Colleges. Public-private partnerships like these represent the future of education and allow us to serve local students and regional economic needs. The Esteves School of Education at Russell Sage College offers bachelors degree programs in both childhood education and physical education, as well as masters degree programs in childhood/literacy education, childhood/special education, literacy education, literacy/special education, professional school counseling and school health education. East Greenbush Central School District now offers 29 college-level courses. It also has an Early Assurance MBA agreement with Siena College, a Seal of Biliteracy program and a diploma certificate program in Business Administration. Glenn Rifkin in The New York Times: When Homer Plessy boarded the East Louisiana Railways No. 8 train in New Orleans on June 7, 1892, he knew his journey to Covington, La., would be brief. He also knew it could have historic implications. Plessy was a racially mixed shoemaker who had agreed to take part in an act of civil disobedience orchestrated by a New Orleans civil rights organization. On that hot, sticky afternoon he walked into the Press Street Depot, purchased a first-class ticket and took a seat in the whites-only car. The civil rights group had chosen Plessy because he could pass for a white man. It was asserted later in a legal brief that he was seven-eighths white. But a conductor, who was also part of the scheme, stopped him and asked if he was colored. Plessy responded that he was. Then you will have to retire to the colored car, the conductor ordered. Plessy refused. Before he knew it a private detective, with the help of several passengers, had dragged him off the train, put him in handcuffs and charged him with violating the 1890 Louisiana Separate Car Act, one of many new segregationist laws that were cropping up throughout the post-Reconstruction South. For much of Plessys young life, New Orleans, with its large population of former slaves and so-called free people of color, had enjoyed at least a semblance of societal integration and equality. Black residents could attend the same schools as whites, marry anybody they chose and sit in any streetcar. French-speaking, mixed-race Creoles a significant percentage of the citys population had acquired education, achieved wealth and found a sense of freedom since before the Civil War. But as the century drew to a close, white supremacy movements gained traction and pushed hard to quash any notion that people of color might ever attain equal status in white America. The Separate Car Act spurred vigorous resistance in New Orleans. Plessy, himself an activist, volunteered to be a test case for the local civil rights group, Comite des Citoyens (Citizens Committee), which hoped eventually to put Plessys case before the United States Supreme Court. The group posted his bail after his arrest. More here. (Note: Throughout February, at least one post will honor The Black History Month. This years theme is African Americans and the Vote. Readers are encouraged to send in their suggestions) If youre going to spend upward of $8 for a fancy craft-chocolate bar, you really shouldnt mindlessly gobble it while rushing to catch the B train (not that Ive ever done that). Megan Giller, the author of Bean to Bar Chocolate and a judge for the International Chocolate Awards, gives guided chocolate tastings to help the sweet-toothed fully appreciate their bars. Here are some of her tips: Taste a few bars at a time. Its easier to understand the nuances when you can compare different chocolates to one another. Four to six is a good number, but even playing two off each other helps. Keep it cool. Never store chocolate in the refrigerator, or next to a radiator or the stove. Keep it dry and cool, between 63 and 68 degrees in a dark place like the basement, the back of your pantry, or perched in a box on a windowsill. You can seal the chocolate in an airtight container to protect it. Before tasting, let the chocolate come to room temperature, around 72 degrees. With chocolate, even a few degrees makes a difference. [Learn more about how chocolate is made.] Give it a good look. Unwrap the bar. If you see any white patches or a dusty coating that you fear might be mold, rest assured, its not. Its a sign that the chocolate has bloomed that the emulsification from tempering has broken, and the fat or sugars, or both, have risen to the surface. You can still eat the chocolate, but it might be gritty or greasy. (You may want to save it for baking, or melt it into hot chocolate). Well-tempered chocolate will look shiny, and youll hear a snap when you break off a piece. Note the color. Chocolate varies in hue depending on the variety and origin of the cacao beans. Chocolate from Ghana and Tanzania may be darker than that from Madagascar, which has a reddish cast. And if youre lucky enough to get chocolate made from Porcelana or Peruvian Nacional beans, it might have the amber shade of maple syrup. The individual was taken to the University of California San Diego Medical Center for observation and isolation California: The 13th case of coronavirus in the United States was detected in California in a person under federal quarantine after returning from Wuhan, China, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday. The adult patient was among US nationals evacuated from Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease, who were under mandatory quarantine for 14 days at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, near San Diego, the CDC said in a statement. The individual was taken to the University of California San Diego Medical Center for observation and isolation and is doing well, the hospital said in a statement. CDC is conducting a thorough contact investigation of the person who has tested positive to determine contacts and to assess if those contacts had high-risk exposures, the CDC said. Some 800 US nationals have been evacuated from Wuhan and flown to air bases in the United States where they are subject to the CDCs first public health quarantine in 50 years. The US has imposed mandatory quarantines and travel restrictions with China to slow the spread of coronavirus within the United States. The US officials fear a global pandemic if the virus is allowed to gain a foothold outside China, where the death toll has climbed to more than 1,000. The latest individual diagnosed with coronavirus was the first confirmed case among some 800 US nationals evacuated to military bases in the United States on flights from Wuhan, the epicenter of the disease. The person was among four evacuees taken to the UC San Diego Medical Center for further evaluation last week after arriving at the Miramar airbase. On Sunday the CDC said all four patients initially tested negative for the virus and were discharged and returned to quarantine at the base. Further testing showed one of the four was positive and the patient was returned to the hospital. Another patient from MCAS Miramar was taken to the hospital on Monday for evaluation, the medical center said. Both patients are doing well and have minimal symptoms, the hospital said. None of the coronavirus cases confirmed in the United States has proved fatal and several patients have been released from the hospital. With most US-China flights suspended, only a handful of US nationals arriving on commercial flights have been quarantined under rules imposed on 2 February to curb the viruss spread, according to a Reuters survey. Of eight states with airports screening travelers for the virus, six said they had no one under quarantine, New York reported four people and Illinois a tiny number, the survey found. The ease with which internet of things devices can be compromised, coupled with the potentially extreme consequences of breaches, have prompted action from legislatures and regulators, but what group is best to decide? Both the makers of IoT devices and governments are aware of the security issues, but so far they havent come up with standardized ways to address them. The challenge of this market is that its moving so fast that no regulation is going to be able to keep pace with the devices that are being connected, said Forrester vice president and research director Merritt Maxim. Regulations that are definitive are easy to enforce and helpful, but theyll quickly become outdated. The latest such effort by a governmental body is a proposed regulation in the U.K. that would impose three major mandates on IoT device manufacturers that would address key security concerns: device passwords would have to be unique, and resetting them to factory defaults would be prohibited device makers would have to offer a public point of contact for the disclosure of vulnerabilities device makers would have to explicitly state the minimum length of time for which the device will receive security updates This proposal is patterned after a California law that took effect last month. Both sets of rules would likely have a global impact on the manufacture of IoT devices, even though theyre being imposed on limited jurisdictions. Thats because its expensive for device makers to create separate versions of their products. IoT-specific regulations arent the only ones that can have an impact on the marketplace. Depending on the type of information a given device handles, it could be subject to the growing list of data-privacy laws being implemented around the world, most notably Europes General Data Protection Regulation, as well as industry-specific regulations in the U.S. and elsewhere. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, noted Maxim, has been particularly active in trying to address device-security flaws. For example, last year it issued security warnings about 11 vulnerabilities that could compromise medical IoT devices that had been discovered by IoT security vendor Armis. In other cases it issued fines against healthcare providers. But theres a broader issue with devising definitive regulation for IoT devices in general, as opposed to prescriptive ones that simply urge manufacturers to adopt best practices, he said. Particular companies might have integrated security frameworks covering their vertically integrated products such as an industrial IoT company providing security across factory floor sensors but that kind of security is incomplete in the multi-vendor world of IoT. Perhaps the closest thing to a general IoT-security standard is currently being worked on by Underwriters Laboratories (UL), the security-testing non-profit best known for its century-old certification program for electrical equipment. ULs IoT Security Rating Program offers a five-tier system for ranking the security of connected devices bronze, silver, gold, platinum and diamond. Bronze certification means that the device has addressed the most glaring security flaws, similar to those outlined in the recent U.K. and California legislations. The higher ratings include capabilities like ongoing security maintenance, improved access control and known threat testing. While government regulation and voluntary industry improvements can help keep future IoT systems safe, neither addresses two key issues in the IoT security puzzle the millions of insecure devices that have already been deployed, and user apathy around making their systems as safe as possible, according to Maxim. Requiring a non-default passwords is good, but that doesnt stop users from setting insecure passwords, he warned. The challenge is, do customers care? Are they willing to pay extra for products with that certification? SOUTH ROXANA Two people are sought on drug charges following a Feb. 5 arrest in South Roxana. According to police, South Roxana Police Officer Luke Wells conducted a traffic stop around 9:17 p.m. Feb. 5 at the intersection of Illinois 111 and Madison Avenue for a traffic violation. The driver, Larry R. Maher, 35, of Carlinville, was arrested for having a suspended license and unlawful delivery of methamphetamine. His passenger, Kaitlyn N. Robinson, 33, of Panama, also was arrested unlawful delivery of methamphetamine. She currently was on parole with a mandatory supervised release. A search of the vehicle revealed multiple digital scales, plastic baggies and 20 grams of methamphetamine. They were transported to the South Roxana Police Department and later released pending the application of formal charges by the Madison County States Attorneys Office. On Tuesday, Maher and Robinson were both charged with four counts of unlawful possession with the intent to deliver methamphetamine, a Class X, and two counts of unlawful possession of methamphetamine, Class 1 and 2 felonies. Bond was set at $150,000 for each. Neither Maher nor Robinson were in custody as of Tuesday afternoon. A request for a violation of parole warrant against Robinson has been sent to the Illinois Department of Corrections. Rising ocean temperatures drove the melting of Antarctic ice sheets and caused extreme sea level rise more than 100,000 years ago, a new international study led by UNSW Sydney shows -- and the scientists say we're headed in that direction again Mass melting of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet was a major cause of high sea levels during a period known as the Last Interglacial (129,000-116,000 years ago), an international team of scientists led by UNSW's Chris Turney has found. The research was published today in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). The extreme ice loss caused a multi-metre rise in global mean sea levels - and it took less than 2C of ocean warming for it to occur. "Not only did we lose a lot of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, but this happened very early during the Last Interglacial," says Chris Turney, Professor in Earth and Climate Science at UNSW Sydney and lead author of the study. Fine layers of ancient volcanic ash in the ice helped the team pinpoint when the mass melting took place. Alarmingly, the results indicated that most ice loss occurred within the first millennia, showing how sensitive the Antarctic is to higher temperatures. "The melting was likely caused by less than 2C ocean warming - and that's something that has major implications for the future, given the ocean temperature increase and West Antarctic melting that's happening today," Professor Turney says. During the Last Interglacial, polar ocean temperatures were likely less than 2C warmer than today, making it a useful period to study how future global warming might affect ice dynamics and sea levels. "This study shows that we would lose most of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet in a warmer world," says Professor Turney. In contrast to the East Antarctic Ice Sheet - which mostly sits on high ground - the West Antarctic sheet rests on the seabed. It's fringed by large areas of floating ice, called ice shelves, that protect the central part of the sheet. As warmer ocean water travels into cavities beneath the ice shelves, ice melts from below, thinning the shelves and making the central ice sheet highly vulnerable to warming ocean temperatures. Going back in time To undertake their research, Professor Turney and his team travelled to the Patriot Hills Blue Ice Area, a site located at the periphery of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, with support from Antarctic Logistics and Expeditions (or ALE). Blue ice areas are the perfect laboratory for scientists due to their unique topography - they are created by fierce, high-density katabatic winds. When these winds blow over mountains, they remove the top layer of snow and erode the exposed ice. As the ice is removed, ancient ice flows up to the surface, offering an insight into the ice sheet's history. While most Antarctic researchers drill down into the ice core to extract their samples, this team used a different method - horizontal ice core analysis. "Instead of drilling kilometres into the ice, we can simply walk across a blue ice area and travel back through millennia. By taking samples of ice from the surface we are able to reconstruct what happened to this precious environment in the past," Professor Turney says. Through isotope measurements, the team discovered a gap in the ice sheet record immediately prior to the Last Interglacial. This period of missing ice coincides with the extreme sea level increase, suggesting rapid ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet. The volcanic ash, trace gas samples and ancient DNA from bacteria trapped in the ice all support this finding. Learning from the Last Interglacial Ice age cycles occur approximately every 100,000 years due to subtle changes in Earth's orbit around the Sun. These ice ages are separated by warm interglacial periods. The Last Interglacial is the most recent warm period to our current interglacial period, the Holocene. While human contribution to global warming makes the Holocene unique, the Last Interglacial remains a useful research point to understand how the planet responds to extreme change. "The future is heading far beyond the range of anything we've seen observed in the scientific instrumental record of the last 150 years," says Professor Turney. "We have to look further into the past if we're going to manage future changes." During the Last Interglacial, global mean sea levels were between 6m and 9m higher than present day, although some scientists suspect this could have reached 11m. The sea level rise in the Last Interglacial can't be fully explained by the Greenland Ice Sheet melt, which accounted for a 2m increase, or ocean expansion from warmer temperatures and melting mountain glaciers, which are thought to have caused less than a 1m increase. "We now have some of the first major evidence that West Antarctica melted and drove a large part of this sea level rise," says Professor Turney. An urgent need to minimise future warming The severity of the ice loss suggests that the West Antarctic Ice Sheet is highly sensitive to future ocean warming. "The West Antarctic Ice Sheet is sitting in water, and today this water is getting warmer and warmer," says Professor Turney, who is also a Chief Investigator of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH). Using data gained from their fieldwork, the team ran model simulations to investigate how warming might affect the floating ice shelves. These shelves currently buttress the ice sheets and help slow the flow of ice off the continent. The results suggest a 3.8m sea level rise during the first thousand years of a 2C warmer ocean. Most of the modelled sea level rise occurred after the loss of the ice shelves, which collapsed within the first two hundred years of higher temperatures. The researchers are concerned that persistent high sea surface temperatures would prompt the East Antarctic Ice Sheet to melt, driving global sea levels even higher. "The positive feedbacks between a warming ocean, ice shelf collapse, and ice sheet melt suggests that the West Antarctic may be vulnerable to passing a tipping point," stressed Dr Zoe Thomas, co-author and ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award (DECRA) Fellow at UNSW. "As it reaches the tipping point, only a small increase in temperature could trigger abrupt ice sheet melt and a multi-metre rise in global sea level." At present, the consensus of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) 2013 report suggests that global sea level will rise between 40cm and 80cm over the next century, with Antarctica only contributing around 5cm of this. The researchers are concerned that Antarctica's contribution could be much greater than this. "Recent projections suggest that the Antarctic contribution may be up to ten times higher than the IPCC forecast, which is deeply worrying," says Professor Christopher Fogwill, co-author and Director of The Institute for Sustainable Futures at the UK University of Keele. "Our study highlights that the Antarctic Ice Sheet may lie close to a tipping point, which once passed may commit us to rapid sea level rise for millennia to come. This underlines the urgent need to reduce and control greenhouse gas emissions that are driving warming today." Notably, the researchers warn that this tipping point may be closer than we think. "The Paris Climate Agreement commits to restricting global warming to 2C, ideally 1.5C, this century," says Professor Turney. "Our findings show that we don't want to get close to 2C warming." Professor Turney and his team hope to expand the research to confirm just how quickly the West Antarctic Ice Sheet responded to warming and which areas were first affected. "We only tested one location, so we don't know whether it was the first sector of Antarctica that melted, or whether it melted relatively late. How these changes in Antarctica impacted the rest of the world remains a huge unknown as the planet warms into the future" he says. "Testing other locations will give us a better idea for the areas we really need to monitor as the planet continues to warm." ### Movies and images from this study can be accessed from: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/ed0ibet4vlknnxt/AAC2ntC-XINwM5qWb3YwW3w0a?dl=0 Please credit AntarcticScience.com This work was support by Laureate and Future Fellowship and Linkage funding by the Australian Research Council. About CABAH (ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage) Our goal is to tell the epic story of Australia's rich and distinctive natural and human history, by revolutionising our knowledge of the events and processes that have shaped this nation, and combining that knowledge with cutting-edge predictive modelling techniques to manage and protect our natural and cultural resources into the future. Mettawa, Illinois, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Brunswick Corporation (BC) will present its 2020-2022 strategic plan at an event for the financial community on Feb.11 in Miami. This event will highlight the Companys strategic and business initiatives, new products and technologies and its financial outlook and capital strategy. The event is being held in conjunction with the opening of the 2020 Miami International Boat Show and will include presentations by the Brunswick management team and leaders of its businesses. Scheduled to speak at this presentation are: David Foulkes Chief Executive Officer, Brunswick Chris Drees President, Mercury Marine Huw Bower President, Brunswick Boat Group Brenna Preisser President, Business Acceleration Bill Metzger Chief Financial Officer, Brunswick The Company will webcast the event, which is scheduled from 2:30 5:00pm (EST). To listen via the Internet, go to https://ir.brunswick.com . Please go to the website at least 15 minutes before the call to register, download and install any needed audio software. About Brunswick Headquartered in Mettawa, Ill., Brunswick Corporations leading consumer brands include Mercury Marine outboard engines; Mercury MerCruiser sterndrive and inboard packages; Mercury global parts and accessories including propellers and SmartCraft electronics; Power Products Integrated Solutions; MotorGuide trolling motors; Attwood, Garelick, and Whale marine parts; Land N Sea, BLA, Paynes Marine, Kellogg Marine, and Lankhorst Taselaar marine parts distribution; Mercury and Quicksilver parts and oils; Bayliner, Boston Whaler, Crestliner, Cypress Cay, Harris, Lowe, Lund, Princecraft, Quicksilver, Rayglass, Sea Ray, Thunder Jet and Uttern boats; Boating Services Network, Freedom Boat Club, NAUTIC-ON. For more information, visit https://www.brunswick.com . Lee Gordon Director Brunswick Marine Communications & Public Relations Brunswick Office: 847-735-4003 Mercury Office: 920-924-1808 Cell: 904-860-8848 Lee.Gordon@Brunswick.com VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. ("A2Z" or the "Company") (AZ.V) announced today that the Israeli Ministry of Defense ("Israeli MOD") has awarded the Company a three-year contract for CAD $1.5 million that will be paid over the life of the contract. Under the terms of the contract the Israeli MOD will be leasing A2Z's products and equipment for which A2Z will be responsible for maintenance for the duration of the contract. The equipment will remain the property of A2Z throughout. At the end of the contract the Company will be able to determine how to best position the assets going-forward. There is also significant potential for a new contract for the same services following the end of the three-year contract period. "We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this contract and the continued strength we are seeing in our technologies and service businesses. This contract is not only a significant source of recurring revenues for the next three years but also deepens our relationship with one of our most long-standing government partners. A2Z and the Israeli MOD have been working together for decades now, and with our new innovative FTICS technology, which we believe is "the next seatbelt" to make automobiles safer than ever, we look forward to continuing to protect the lives of both military and civilian populations in future decades as well," said Bentsur Joseph, CEO of A2Z. Israel's MOD is the governmental department responsible for Israel's security at the political, military, and civilian levels, with their primary objective being to ensure the safety of Israel. The Israeli MOD also promotes research and development in security technologies and supports veterans and their families. More on Israel's Ministry of Defense: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_defense About A2Z A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. is an innovative technology company based out of Israel, specializing in military technology and expanding into the civilian markets. A2Z has been operating for over 30 years and has a client base with 75 recurring clients, including the Israel Defense Forces, Security Forces, and Ministry of Defence among others. A2Z plans to leverage their cash flow-generating core-business to expand into the civilian robotics and automobile markets. Story continues According to Zion Market Research, the Military Robotics space is expected to reach $53.93B by 2027 for a projected CAGR of 13.5%.(Summary of Report) Highlights: Core Business: A2Z's line of products include unmanned remote-controlled vehicles of various sizes designed for intricate bomb disposal, counter terrorism, and fire fighting, as well as energy storage power packs/generators. A2Z also provides maintenance services to both external and in-house complex electronic systems and products to over 75 clients. A2Z has been an Israel Ministry of Defense contractor for over 30 years and a significant portion of its business is long-term service contracts. Expansion into Civilian Markets: To drive growth, A2Z plans to adapt its military technologies for the much larger civilian markets. One patent-pending product is a capsule (FTICS) that prevents vehicle fires resulting from collisions. A2Z has also been granted a patent for a smart vehicle cover device that protects automobiles from natural elements while the vehicle is parked and is stowed away safely in the vehicle's bumper when not in use. Fuel Tank Inertia Containment System (FTICS): In the event of a collision, the FTICS installed into the fuel tank prevents the ignition of fuel, thereby mitigating the spread of fire and explosion, minimizing risk to human life and property damage. According to the NFPA, from 2014 to 2016, an estimated 171,500 highway vehicle fires occurred in the United States, resulting in an annual average of 345 deaths, 1,300 injuries, and $1.1 billion in property loss annually. Management: CEO Bentsur Joseph's previous venture, Comfy Interactive, was acquired by Shamrock Holdings, the family investment firm founded by Roy Disney. Previously, Bentsur Joseph was the chairman of Elad Hotels whose holdings include the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Bentsur Joseph has a ~64% ownership stake in the business with 30,000,000 shares subject to an escrow agreement. For more information regarding A2Z, please visit the Company's website at www.a2zas.com. Twitter: @A2Z_Advanced On Behalf of the Board, Bentsur Joseph, CEO CONTACT: Trenton Kwan, KIN Communications Toll Free: 1-866-684-6730 az@kincommunications.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. SOURCE: A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/575912/A2Z-Technologies-Canada-Corp-Awarded-15M-Three-Year-Contract-with-Israels-Ministry-of-Defense Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:34:14|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, has mobilized more than 34,000 officials, government workers and Communist Party of China members into its 1,100 communities to fight the epidemic. The city committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) said Tuesday the figure includes 16,700 employees of government units and state-owned enterprises, who will join the teams of community workers in neighborhoods hit hard by the virus. Working at their side will be another 17,700 CPC members, who will extend their reach to all communities and villages, according to the committee. The latest round of mobilization came at a time when the city's community workers were caught short-handed when combing communities in search of confirmed and suspected patients of the new virus, who authorities have vowed to offer timely diagnosis and treatment. Ye Jun, a government worker of the city's Hongshan District has become a temporary community worker for the Guangba Road community. "I designed a WeChat mini-program on which residents can report the health condition of themselves and their family members," Ye said. Ye also phones the residents, especially the elderly who don't use smartphones, to check their health condition. "I make 100 to 200 phone calls every day. Some elderly people are anxious, so I chat with them about their daily life to make them feel better." Ye and other community workers also help residents buy vegetables and daily necessities and deliver them to their homes. "The government workers and Party members who came to help work with the community workers to disinfect the neighborhoods and take the temperature of the residents," said Wang Bi, the community's local Party official. "I like to have a cup of tea in the office, but it's inconvenient to go to the restroom when disinfecting the apartment buildings in my isolation gown, so I try to drink as little water as possible," said Yang Duanhua from the district's judicial bureau, who helps disinfect five seven-floor apartment units twice a day. "It's key to do epidemic prevention work in communities to win the battle against the novel coronavirus," said Chen Rongzhuo, an expert on community management and professor at Central China Normal University. Wuhan, now on lockdown to contain the epidemic outbreak, has reported a total of 18,454 confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection. By Sunday, the city had combed 3,371 residential communities and villages. A total of 10.59 million residents had been checked, representing a 99-percent screening rate. SOUTH SIOUX CITY -- A decade or so ago, Mike Newhouse figured he'd be leading tours at the Siouxland Freedom Park interpretive center by now. Yet, the building stands empty, a shell near the banks of the Missouri River in South Sioux City. Newhouse remains as committed as ever to seeing the interpretive center and its historical exhibits opened, but the project's momentum had slowed. "I'd have never imagined when we started this 10 years ago I'd still be at this," said Newhouse, an Air Force veteran and president of Siouxland Freedom Park Inc. "We kind of hit a wall." More than $2 million has been raised over the past 10 years to establish Siouxland Freedom Park, site of the nation's only half-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., a 125-foot flagpole, the John Douangdara Memorial War Dog Park and the interpretive center. Donations continue to slowly accumulate, but not fast enough to finish the center's interior and construct the exhibits anytime soon. That could soon change as a small army of new volunteers has brought new energy to the project and kicked off a new fundraising campaign. Alumni of Leadership Dakota County recently announced an effort to raise $250,000 that, added to the $100,000 currently in hand, would fund the completion of the building's interior. It's an infusion of new blood that Newhouse said is deeply appreciated by those who have spent years on the project. "We needed something like this to get us over the hurdle," he said. Mike LaCroix and Diana Kincaid, co-chairs of the committee that's undertaken the fundraising drive, said when Leadership Dakota County alumni met recently to decide upon a community service project they could take up, the interpretive center was a popular suggestion. "People think it's done but it isn't done," Kincaid said. "It's a shame it hasn't been completed, so we thought it could use our help." The alumni group is used to this type of effort. Each year, a new class of 20-25 participants completes Leadership Dakota County, a program that promotes leadership skills, community involvement and community betterment projects. LaCroix said nearly 30 program alums have volunteered for the fundraising campaign, which aims to raise $250,000 by Veterans Day on Nov. 11. The interpretive center's exterior was finished in January 2018. Electrical wiring and plumbing are in place, but the building lacks heating and cooling. With no walls or furnishings, it resembles a 5,000-square-foot warehouse inside rather than a future educational center that will tell the tale of U.S. military conflicts and members of all branches of military service who served in them. A successful campaign would finish the interior, complete restrooms and utility space, leaving the 3,700 square feet of exhibit space ready for development. "You see the building, and you think it's all finished," Kincaid said. "That part we're jumping in on. This needs to get done." Emphasizing that Siouxland Freedom Park represents the whole region and is not just a South Sioux City project, Kincaid said a TV commercial and fundraising events are in the works. Donations are being sought from local and area businesses in the Sioux City metro area in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The fundraising effort is being joined by the Siouxland Chamber of Commerce. "The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce has long recognized the significance of the Freedom Park in South Sioux City," president Chris McGowan said. "Today, as this important project reaches the home stretch, our organization will do all that we can to assist the dedicated project leaders with their final push toward completion." Once finished, Newhouse said the Freedom Park steering committee can begin the final phase -- meeting with a museum consulting group to develop and design the exhibits that will fill the center. To do so, an additional $250,000 will be needed. That's a fundraising campaign for another day. For now, the focus is on finishing the building so it's ready to become an attraction in the park, which already draws crowds from across Siouxland for annual events on Memorial Day, the 4th of July and Veterans Day in addition to continual visitors to the memorial wall. With a new group of enthusiastic volunteers on board, Newhouse sees momentum building to finish the project. "They have begun to energize the entire community," he said. "I don't mean just South Sioux, but the entire area." Hopefully, that energy brings the interpretive center project to its completion. Newhouse looks forward to seeing that first school bus full of students pull up outside the interpretive center on a field trip he's sure will provide many lessons about the men and women who have sacrificed for our country. He's been waiting more than a decade now to lead that tour. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. File image: Vijay Mallya Liquor baron Vijay Mallya arrived at the Royal Courts of Justice in London on Tuesday for his appeal against being extradited to India to face fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores. The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who remains on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017, avoided the usual scrum of reporters at the court entrance and went in with his lawyers separately. The High Court judges will begin hearing arguments against a magistrates' court extradition order, signed off by former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid in February last year. Mallya had received permission to appeal on one ground, which challenges the Indian government's prima facie case against him of fraudulent intentions in acquiring bank loans for his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines. The hearing is scheduled for three days until Thursday, with a verdict unlikely right away but it would depend on how the hearing progresses. In July last year, a two-member High Court bench comprising Justices George Leggatt and Andrew Popplewell ruled that "arguments can be reasonably made on some aspects of the prima facie case ruling by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot in her extradition order of December 2018. "By far the most substantial ground is that the senior District Judge (Arbuthnot) was wrong to conclude that the government had established a prima facie case," said Judge Leggatt. Mallya's counsel Clare Montgomery had questioned the basis on which Judge Arbuthnot had arrived at certain conclusions and claimed the Chief Magistrate had been "plain wrong" in accepting some of the Indian authorities' assertions that Mallya had fraudulent intentions when he sought some of the loans for his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, that he made misrepresentations to the banks to seek the loans and had no intentions to pay them back. The High Court judges had accepted Judge Arbuthnot's conclusions on all other aspects of the extradition case as they dismissed the other grounds on which permission to appeal was sought, including so-called "extraneous circumstances" of Mallya being pursued by the Indian authorities for political reasons of a clash between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress party. Some of the other grounds invoked claimed Mallya would not receive a fair trial in India, which was also dismissed as the judges upheld Arbuthnot's ruling on the matter that the wide media interest in the Mallya case would ensure justice. His legal team also sought to challenge the Indian government's assurances that Mallya would be held in safe prison conditions at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, which was dismissed by the High Court. At the end of a year-long extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in December 2018, Judge Arbuthnot had found clear evidence of dispersal and misapplication of the loan funds and accepted a prima facie case of fraud and a conspiracy to launder money against Mallya, as presented by the CPS on behalf of the Indian government. Mallya remains on bail involving a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds and other restrictions on his travel while he contests that ruling. An airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) Coronavirus Quarantine Ends for 195 Americans at California Air Base Nearly 200 Americans who were evacuated from China have been released from their 14-day quarantine after none tested positive for the mysterious new coronavirus. Our guests at March Air Reserve Base are happy to see an official end today to their 14-day quarantine and are looking forward to returning home. We wish them well, the Riverside University Health System, based in Californias Riverside County, confirmed on social media. The 195 evacuees were flown out of coronavirus epicenter Wuhan on a State Department-commissioned flight in late January before they were taken to March Air Reserve Base for medical isolation. And Riverside public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser captured some of the evacuees from Wuhan throwing their medical masks in the air outside the facility. Some of the 195 guests toss their face masks in celebration as they prepare to depart March Air Reserve Base, he wrote on Twitter. The news was confirmed by the Centers for Disease Controls (CDC) Dr. Nancy Knight at a press conference at the base. All 195 evacuees have completed final health check and pose no health risk, Knight said, adding that they are safe to reenter their communities. Some of the 195 guests toss their face masks in celebration as they prepare to depart March Air Reserve Base. #rivconow #ruhealth #coronavirus pic.twitter.com/vrMIZTa1ez Dr. Cameron Kaiser (@RivCoDoc) February 11, 2020 Kaiser on Monday said no one from the first group of Americans tested positive for the virus, which is believed to have sickened tens of thousands across China, and that two individuals with symptoms were retested and also found to be negative and have since recovered. He added, People who have not developed symptoms will have successfully completed their quarantine and will be free to leave the base. Kaiser said that some locals have exhibited inappropriate behavior amid concerns about the virus, saying they have made hurtful comments to staffers at March Airbase in person and on social media, according to his letter. A few base workers have even been accosted in uniform. This is not acceptable and needs to stop, he added. The State Department announced more than 800 Americans and U.S. lawful permanent residents returned to the United States after departing Wuhan over the weekend. Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said all returning citizens and permanent residents will be screened for the virus in an attempt to prevent it from spreading inside the United States. Yesterday, two flights from Wuhan carrying U.S. citizens, their immediate family members, and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents safely landed in the United States, Ortagus told news outlets this week. As with the other recent evacuation flights, all passengers will be carefully screened and monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. The outbreak in China has sickened thousands of people, prompting lockdowns in dozens of cities. Partial lockdowns were implemented in Beijing, the capital, and Shanghai this week. Its believed that tens of thousands of people have contracted the mysterious new virus since late last year. Chinese netizens and citizen journalists say that the number of cases and deaths are much higher than what the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has reported, and they have blamed the CCP for censoring information and videos about the virus. When Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged visiting Sri Lankan PM Mahinda Rajapaksa to implement the 13th Amendment of his countrys Constition (13A), which provides for provincial councils and also makes Tamil an official language, along with Sinhala, he had his eyes set only on Tamil Nadu. Even if this was a bid to appease the southern state, now playing truant to the BJP, the request to the same leader, who had presided over the LTTEs decimation, to provide equality, justice, peace and respect to Lankan Tamils was perhaps unduly optimistic. Welcoming Mr Rajapaksa, accused of brutal genocide in the aftermath of the ethnic conflict that ended in 2009, with a red carpet itself was resented in Tamil Nadu and in some quarters overseas. Its no secret that Mr Rajapaksa always had the Indian governments support, which he acknowledged during the five-day sojourn saying we would not have won (in 2009) without Indias help, it was unnecessary for Mr Modi to pose as someone concerned about the plight of Sri Lankan Tamils. Mr Rajapaksa was honest enough in his expression of gratitude by not referring to Indias abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir, and even said: India is a relative, others are friends. While he is a frequent traveller to India, either for conclaves or to meet political leaders even when he was in the Opposition or as a pilgrim, this is his first visit as Prime Minister. India could have made use of the opportunity to put real pressure on him to find an immediate and lasting solution to the problems of the Tamil people. His saying that he would talk to elected Tamil representatives may be a ruse to dodge the real issue. Ordinary people are facing the brunt of Sinhala chauvinism and domination, along with official apathy, and it is the Colombo governments duty to address the problem. People wear face masks to help prevent the new coronavirus as they visit the Sensoji temple in Tokyo on Feb. 3, 2020. AFP South Korea on Tuesday strongly advised its nationals to refrain from traveling to Singapore and five other Asian countries, in addition to China, which has reported the most confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus. In an effort to contain the virus that has rapidly spread across the continent, the Seoul government asked people to limit their travel to Japan, Taiwan, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand and Singapore. "The measure is part of efforts to prevent the inflow of the novel coronavirus into the country through a third nation," Kim Gang-lip, deputy head of the central disaster headquarters, said during a regular press briefing. Until a few weeks ago, I had assumed hip fractures happen only to elderly women. That was until it happened to me. In late November, I was hurrying to the British Library when I slipped on wet leaves, falling on my hip. A man driving past saw me, stopped his car and gallantly helped me up. Feeling shocked, I asked whether he thought I had cracked something. Rebecca Wallersteiner was hurrying to the British Library when she slipped on wet leaves, falling on her hip You can stand and walk, so its unlikely that you have fractured your hip as the pain would be agony, he replied. Hed told me he was a personal trainer, so reassured, I hobbled the remaining 20 minutes, stopping to rest at bus stops en route. On arrival, I went to the loo to check my hip, and saw it was badly bruised, as was my knee. The pain was now worse and I asked a security man if I could take his arm for support. I spent the afternoon in the library, intending to attend a book launch in the evening. However, feeling unsteady by then, I went straight home. But after that I partied most nights for nearly two weeks it was the run up to Christmas, after all. I was a bit puzzled that the pain in my hip would not go away, but it wasnt severe enough to warrant any more painkillers and a glass of champagne took the edge off. The X-rays revealed that I had badly broken my hip. Pictured: A damaged hip joint before hip replacement therapy (file image) Gradually, the pain worsened it was terrible really and I didnt have the stamina to walk as fast as usual. I was still managing, so I kept finding excuses not to go to hospital. I was fit, and only in my 50s. So I ignored the messages my body was giving me, telling myself to get over it. Then in the afternoon of December 11, jumping onto my sofa, I twisted my pelvis, causing a sharp pain. That evening I attended a party for medical journalists. By the time I got there the pain was so severe I could barely stand. I chatted to friends clinging to a sideboard with one hand and holding a glass of champagne with the other. I was managing fine until I went to leave and found I could hardly walk; it was agony. My plan was to get home, go to bed and take a taxi to the hospital the next morning if the pain hadnt eased. But coming home on the Tube I felt dizzy, and getting out at my station, Notting Hill Gate, I started to shake. Luckily, a passing soldier, who turned out to have trauma training, grabbed hold of me. He called an ambulance and insisted on sitting with me while we waited. Two hours later, the ambulance still hadnt arrived and the soldier was told it would be another four, so he said hed help me into a taxi. But when I stood up, I could no longer walk: the agony was indescribable and getting into the taxi was a nightmare, so my handsome Good Samaritan said hed come with me. Once hed helped me into my flat, he pulled off my boots and fetched two hot water bottles and painkillers. My consultant said hed never come across a patient pushing through with a fracture for so long, or with a higher pain threshold, but that it may be partly because of my positive attitude I ended up spending the next 36 hours in bed, hoping to recover enough to take a taxi to A&E. But on the second morning, unable to walk, I called an ambulance; when it arrived, six-and-a-half hours later, it took me to St Marys Hospital in Paddington. I was still under the illusion that I had torn a muscle or chipped a bone. No. The X-rays revealed that I had badly broken my hip. Alex Liddle, my wonderful consultant orthopaedic surgeon, explained that Id fractured the neck of my left femur, i.e. the top of the left thigh. He recommended a hip replacement, which I could have three days later. And so I became one of the 76,000 cases of hip fracture that occur each year in the UK, the vast majority occurring in those aged over 70. As I learned, these are usually caused by a fall or an injury, typically when the bone has been weakened by osteoporosis. Lab results from the samples of my femur have since revealed I have very good bone density indeed, scans and other tests revealed that I enjoyed perfect health for a woman of my age. Mr Liddle believed my fracture was caused by the huge thwack when I fell. Before my fall, I would walk fast, a mile or two most days and its likely that the strong muscles around my fractured hip had been holding it together. However, it seems walking for miles and partying nearly every night with a broken hip had also made the damage from my original fall much worse. A hip fracture virtually always requires surgery and a hip replacement, where the damaged ball and socket are replaced with an artificial joint, is preferred, because if the fracture is repaired often the patient will go on to need a full replacement anyway. Although I felt very shocked to hear I would need major surgery, it was almost more shocking to learn that my operation would involve staying in hospital for several days, and Id be housebound for two weeks over Christmas. I asked Mr Liddle how I had managed for so long oblivious to my smashed hip. He said hed never come across a patient pushing through with a fracture for so long, or with a higher pain threshold, but that it may be partly because of my positive attitude, ie. I was able to continue going because I believed I could. My GP agreed. When I saw her in January, almost a month after my surgery, she told me my body has fantastic healing powers. Did thinking positively, believing that I could carry on, help? There is some research to support this idea. A 2018 study in the journal Nature Human Behaviour found that believing a physical reality about yourself can actually nudge the body in that direction. Participants who were told they had poor endurance genes couldnt run as long and had poorer lung capacity than those told they had better endurance regardless of what genes they actually carried. Throughout my life, my role models have been tough, determined and stoical. In my 20s, I worked as PA to the intriguing genius Lucian Freud, who worked from dusk to dawn, taking few breaks and ringing me at all hours. As he stood at his easel all day, he suffered terrible back pain but rarely complained. My favourite role model was Dr Tom Stuttaford, former Tory MP and health columnist. I worked with him for over ten years and it was impractical to be sick, so when I was immobilised by a hangover Tom would come to my flat and haul me to his office. It was pointless to complain about discomfort to either of these titanic characters, as they would simply look bored so it was best just to get on with it. I must stress that most women who have had hip replacements for osteoarthritis or other conditions cant expect to recover so quickly, because their soft tissue is different. People need to recover at their own speed, and having a high pain tolerance is not always a good thing. So with icy weather still ahead of us, should you fall and injure yourself and the pain doesnt go away within a day or two, learn from my experience and see your GP. I asked him, 'How did you manage to drop everything and just wander into these things? Was your family cool with it? They didn't create a fuss?' 'My parents were not very happy. But Sunita (Arvind's wife) has always been supportive,' he replied. 'My parents live with us, so it helps. Over time, I think they have come around and learned to accept it, though not wholeheartedly.' 'Let's be realistic. Which parent would be happy about their child abandoning a lucrative career and doing stuff like this?' IMAGE: Arvind Kejriwal burns a copy of the draft Lokpal in 2011. Photograph: Kind courtesy Arvind Kejriwal/Twitter Pran Kurup, who succumbed to a cardiac arrest on September 3, 2017 was a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal and a prominent member of the Aam Aadmi Party. His book Arvind Kejriwal And The Aam Aadmi Party takes a close look at the man whose dream was to change India. It was sometime in the early 2000s -- I don't recall the exact date. Arvind (Kejriwal) was visiting the University of California, Berkeley, for a conference on democracy. After IIT, we had stayed in occasional contact. I had moved to the US to do my Masters. I later moved to the Silicon Valley area, where I worked at a couple of technology companies and later ventured out on my own. Since Arvind was visiting Berkeley, and I lived pretty close by, I suggested that we meet up. I had read media reports about his work on Right to Information and his non-governmental organisation, Parivartan. This had naturally piqued my curiosity. I had also heard through the grapevine that he had quit the Indian Revenue Service to focus on his NGO work full-time. We met over coffee at the popular Strada coffee shop in the UC Berkeley campus. We had not seen each other since 1989. It is always interesting to see how people evolve as they go through their unique personal experiences in life, especially friends you grew up with and knew well during those young and impressionable years. Arvind had plenty of interesting personal experiences already. He had spent time in the corporate world at Telco. He also had a good feel for the government and bureaucracy from his experience at the IRS. Additionally, he had spent time serving at Mother Teresa's ashram. I recall thinking to myself, 'Boy, this guy has done some serious soul-searching, experimentation and self-discovery already.' IMAGE: Arvind Kejriwal's family -- son Pulkit, father Gobind Ram, mother Gita Devi, wife Sunita and daughter Harshita. Photograph: PTI I asked him, 'How did you manage to drop everything and just wander into these things? Was your family cool with it? They didn't create a fuss?' 'My parents were not very happy. But Sunita (Arvind's wife) has always been supportive. She never says don't do yeh-woh or anything like that,' he replied. 'Good for you!' I said. 'You are lucky on this front, for sure.' 'Yeah, very much,' he agreed. 'My parents live with us, so it helps. But over time, I think they have come around and learned to accept it, though not wholeheartedly. Let's be realistic. Which parent would be happy about their child abandoning a lucrative career and doing stuff like this? It is tough on them, I am sure, but we don't talk about it so much.' He went on to explain Right to Information and its virtues -- he also explained the ration card, driver's license, road construction, streetlights, corruption and all manner of issues he saw as pressing concerns in India. He didn't need any prompting -- his thoughts and ideas flowed freely. I asked him, 'All this is well and good, but when does this all go somewhere and make an actual difference in India?' 'When the Government of India passes a law on Right to Information,' he said, sounding rather optimistic. 'Yeah, sure,' I mocked. He chuckled at my implied humour and said, 'No, It is going to happen. The government is actively considering it. There is a good chance it will be passed. But it could take some years,' he added. 'But why would they?' I asked. 'Because of public pressure from NGOs, people who advise the government and so on.' 'That is great!' I replied, feeling a little of his optimism. He went on to reiterate the benefits of RTI -- his key project at the time. The RTI would give citizens the legal right to request information from public authorities, with the aim of empowering citizens to stand up for their rights and to provide an avenue to highlight corrupt activities. 'What happens when the law is passed and it does not work in practice?' was my next question. 'Penalties, how to deal with cases and these sorts of details will all be worked out as part of the law,' he explained. IMAGE: Kejriwal spends time with AAP volunteers during the party's second campaign for Delhi in 2015. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI I could see the excitement in his eyes. He had thought about these things through and through and he knocked all my questions, one by one, out of the park like M S Dhoni's helicopter whacks! 'So, how does it make your Parivartan better?' I asked. 'At Parivartan, we are just trying to help poor people get their due from the government without having to pay bribes. If they are educated about it, then more people will step forward to use it. We are already going around in bastis and telling people in small groups about these things. We even do street plays to illustrate this,' he said. 'That is an innovative approach.' 'Yeah, it really helps.' 'Cool, your TDS (Technology Drama Society -- Arvind was part of this at IIT) is coming in handy!' I remarked. 'I don't do the plays myself. There are many talented people who script, write and act out these plays. They don't need me. They do a fabulous job without me ever getting involved,' he added. IMAGE: Kejriwal, watched by his closest aide Manish Sisodia, waves his resignation as Delhi chief minister. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters That is when he first mentioned Manish Sisodia -- currently the deputy chief minister of Delhi -- and his documentary work. 'Next time you visit India, do come to Delhi and you can see all this firsthand,' he offered. I learned that Arvind had travelled quite extensively all across India already. As for myself, I had never even visited New Delhi, India's capital, yet. 'Once the law is passed, awareness will improve even further. Nowadays, people think they have no other option but to pay bribes. This is true at all levels, not just the poor. That is part of the problem. We need strong laws and a change in people's attitudes,' he added. I couldn't resist and asked about his IRS days. 'Boss, most people think that in the IRS, people make money left, right, and center. You must have also?' He laughed and said, 'Nahin! Never! I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I did something like that. Besides, why would I start Parivartan if I could do that?' 'But you are right, it is very common,' he continued. 'The amount of hard cash IRS people find during raids is not funny. Believe it or not, people are caught with hard cash -- yet nothing ever happens to them. Even if you want to file a case, someone upstairs will be influenced and they'll hush things up.' 'It is pretty sad. You can't imagine the extent of corruption. The country will really go to the dogs if something serious is not done quickly.' he added. 'The entire system will have to change. That is why we called our NGO, Parivartan. It is just a small step in bringing about comprehensive change.' 'It's good to be a dreamer. In America, there is always talk and hype about dreaming big, having ambitious goals, risks and rewards, and changing the world. So who knows, you might be on to something really big, though it sounds like a long road.' I said. 'Yes, it's not an overnight thing. But we should try,' he said. 'Rome was not built in a day. Aisa kuch saying hai, nah?' he asked rhetorically. 'Absolutely right, this is a very long road,' I agreed. IMAGE: Kejriwal detained during an anti-government protest in 2013. Photograph: Kind courtesy AAP_tivists/Twitter 'It's not just about stopping corruption. The entire system has to change. There has to be a way by which people are consulted in how government funds are spent, how natural resources are used. Right now, in India, none of this happens.' He then proceeded to tell me about a fountain not far from the Parivartan office put up by the government where there is no water. 'It shows how the government spends its money without proper consultation with people. Anyone could have told them they don't need a fountain there!' He asked me pointed questions about the federal and local governments in the US. It turned out that Arvind knew more about how things worked in the US than I did, although I lived in the US! I was quite embarrassed and confessed after a while that my funda was quite gol on this, but I promised to look into it and build my understanding. IMAGE: Kejriwal listens as Kisan Baburao 'Anna' Hazare speaks at a protest in New Delhi, before they parted ways. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters Then I asked him, 'Boss, how did you decide to quit and do this full time?' 'It was not a sudden decision, it happened slowly over time. I kept doing Parivartan work and it just grew, as more and more people needed help. We have expanded into the nearby slums quite a bit. Then I figured, what is the point in going back to regular work? There is nothing new there. Same story, corruption everywhere.' 'So I figured, let me just continue with what I am doing and help the common man solve his little problems.' Excerpted from Arvind Kejriwal And The Aam Aadmi Party by Pran Kurup, with the permission of the publishers, Bloomsbury India. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian sent congratulatory letters to Irans President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the Armenian Presidents Office told Armenpress. The close political and economic cooperation between Armenia and Iran continues also today thanks to the deep friendly traditions. I am confident that the Armenian-Iranian relations will steadily strengthen and develop. Today, when the world is facing numerous challenges, the preservation and development of stable and mutually beneficial relations between Armenia and Iran are important, the Armenian President said in his letter addressed to his Iranian counterpart. In the letter addressed to the Supreme Leader of Iran, the Armenian President said: I believe that the respect towards each others religion and culture, accompanied with a political dialogue, contributes to the establishment of peace and stability in the region. President Armen Sarkissian praised the Armenia-Iran developing cooperation in numerous areas. He wished the Supreme Leader good health and success, and peace and prosperity to the good people of Iran. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan High Court of Australia in Canberra, Australia. (Alex Proimos/CC BY 2.0 ept.ms/2haHp2Y) Australias High Court Rules Country Cannot Deport Aboriginal People Australias High Court has ruled Aboriginal Australians cannot be considered aliens under the constitution, presenting a major hurdle to the deportation of two men. The 4-3 majority decision is a big victory for New Zealand-born Brendan Thoms, who is fighting against deportation after serving time in prison. However, the court was unable to agree as to whether Papua New Guinea-born Daniel Love is Aboriginal, casting some continued uncertainty over his case. Neither man holds Australian citizenship, but both identify as indigenous, and each has one Australian parent. The pair held Australian visas until they were cancelled in 2018, after they were jailed for violent assault crimes. The men are seeking damages for false imprisonment after being placed in immigration detention pending their deportation. Lawyer Claire Gibbs said the case went far beyond the issue of citizenship. Its about who belongs here, who is an Australian national and who is part of the Australian community, she told reporters outside court. Its about the use of alien powers, which we believe the government has been using inconsistently, unfairly and, now weve proven, unlawfully. The decision recognises indigenous connection to country and means Aboriginal Australians can no longer be removed. Ms Gibbs called on the government to immediately release Thoms from immigration detention in Brisbane. Hes been there for 501 days and hes very anxious to be released and to be reunited with his family after all of this time, she said. Lawyers are confident they will be able to prove Loves indigenous background in a future court hearing. He is currently being held on the Gold Coast. Last year, barrister for the two men, Stephen Keim, invoked the case of Mabo which acknowledged the history of indigenous dispossession. To remove Aboriginal Australians from the country would be another, if not worse, case of dispossession, he said. By Daniel McCulloch There can be many hindrances and roadblocks in the pursuit of a Canadian work permit, not the least of which is the presence of a minor criminal offence on the applicants record. Obtaining a Canadian work permit despite criminality issues There can be many hindrances and roadblocks in the pursuit of a Canadian work permit, not the least of which is the presence of a minor criminal offence on the applicants record. Obtaining a Canadian work permit despite criminality issues There can be many hindrances and roadblocks in the pursuit of a Canadian work permit, not the least of which is the presence of a minor criminal offence on the applicants record. Obtaining a Canadian work permit despite criminality issues There can be many hindrances and roadblocks in the pursuit of a Canadian work permit, not the least of which is the presence of a minor criminal offence on the applicants record. Stephen Sherman Aa Accessibility Font Style Serif Sans Font Size A A Acquiring a Canadian work permit is the goal of many foreign nationals all around the world. However, with strengthened security and enforcement of immigration laws, receiving a work permit in Canada can be difficult for those who are subject to criminal charges. A temporary Canadian work permit allows the applicant to come live in Canada with his or her immediate family, and Canadian work experience can be a valuable asset when applying for permanent residence in Canada. There are many types of offences that may prevent you from getting a work permit in Canada, such criminal charges include: impaired driving (DUI) theft traffic violations assault dangerous driving possession of drugs or controlled substances Can an individual still be issued a Canadian work permit despite the presence of such blemishes on their record? The answer is yes, but the path to obtaining a work permit depends on the date the offence occurred in relation to the date of filing of the work permit application. Specifically, what matters is the time that has elapsed since the completion of the sentence imposed on the individual as a result of the offence. Request more information about work permits The process for obtaining a work permit depends on the time that has elapsed since the offence was committed If five years or less have elapsed since the end of the sentence, the individual must apply for a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) at the same time as the application for a work permit in order to resolve the inadmissibility. A TRP is a temporary exemption that allows an individual to enter Canada for a certain period of time despite the fact that they are inadmissible. They may be granted for up to three years, but the length of time for which they are issued the permit usually depends on the specific reason for which the applicant is seeking entry to Canada. Therefore, in the case of a work permit application, the TRP is most often granted for the same period as that for which the work permit is issued, in order to ensure that applicants can remain in Canada legally for the duration of the work permits validity. If five years or more have elapsed since the end of the sentence, the individual may apply for criminal rehabilitation, which is the permanent solution for inadmissibility to Canada. Once approved the individual can enter Canada freely, without being hindered by what is on their criminal record. The problem with this application, in its relation to the acquisition of a work permit, is the processing time; currently, applications for criminal rehabilitation take about a year to be approved. Once rehabilitation is approved, the individual may apply for the work permit regardless of previous inadmissibility, but the time required prevents criminal rehabilitation from being a short-term solution to the inadmissibility and the acquisition of a Canadian work permit. For this reason, many applicants apply for criminal rehabilitation as a long-term solution and then submit the TRP application so that a work permit can be issued prior to the approval of criminal rehabilitation. If 10 years or more have elapsed since the completion of the sentence for a single non-serious offence, the individual should be considered deemed rehabilitated. This means that he or she is no longer inadmissible simply because of the passage of time. Unlike an application for criminal rehabilitation, this process does not require any formal documentation but rather is an assessment by an immigration official. Even in these scenarios, although the individual is technically no longer inadmissible, previous criminality can still pose a problem in the processing of work permit applications. Because of the broad discretionary power that immigration officers have in the performance of their duties, the reviewing officer may determine an individual is inadmissible, although in reality they should be deemed rehabilitated. It is prudent, therefore, to include a legal opinion letter with the work permit application in scenarios such as this one. Such a letter would clarify that the person is no longer inadmissible and would refer to the relevant sections of Canadas immigration law attesting to this fact. This essentially limits the discretion of the immigration officer in terms of determining inadmissibility and should ensure that the work permit application is processed normally. Although a previous minor criminal offence may pose problems with respect to applying for a work permit, there are measures that can be taken to minimize this possibility. These measures depend on factors such as the time elapsed since the offence or offences, the number of offences and their seriousness. To request more information about work permits, please fill out this form Stephen Sherman is a Canadian immigration attorney with the Campbell, Cohen Immigration Law Firm in Montreal. He specializes in assisting foreign nationals to work legally in Canada and resolving issues relating to criminal inadmissibility to Canada. 2020 CIC News All Rights Reserved Al Rajhi Aviation, a leading travel provider in Saudi Arabia, has renewed an exclusive partnership with technology provider Sabre Corporation to support its plans to expand regionally and explore opportunities in online travel, said a report. This agreement provides Al Rajhi Aviation with continued access to Sabres portfolio of innovative technology and its intelligent platform Sabre Red 360, allowing it to effectively harness data and deliver superior content to its travellers, according to a report in Saudi Gazette. This unique technology will help enable the travel company to differentiate its offering, compete more effectively and grow faster in the region, as well as expand into the online sector. Our renewed partnership will see us leverage Sabres global expertise to enrich our online travel presence, provide exceptional travel experiences and expand our reach beyond Saudi Arabia, said Naiyer Alam, general manager, Al Rajhi Aviation. The online travel industry is fast evolving in the Middle East driven by high expectations from tech-savvy travellers, who are seeking convenient online and mobile travel services, the report said. Saudi Arabia is a unique market with great potential that requires customised solutions to meet the high expectations of its travellers, said Abdul-Razzaq Iyer, vice president, Sabre Travel Network Middle East. We look forward to continue working with Al Rajhi Aviation to provide them with the latest solutions in data, business intelligence, online and mobile capabilities to provide a world-class travel experience for both online and offline travel, he said. Download Image: Web Accomplished leader and 24-year veteran of The Walt Disney Company in Burbank, Calif., Nancy Kachline 81 will speak at Lycoming College on Wednesday, March 4, at 5:30 p.m., in Krapf Gateway Centers Trogner Presentation Room. Part of the James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series, Kachlines lecture, Navigating the Pixie Dust 24 Years at Disney, will focus on her time working for The Walt Disney Company. Prior to her retirement in 2017, Kachline served as director of systems and reporting for the corporate group International Labor Standards (ILS) at The Walt Disney Company. During her tenure there, she led design and implementation of the ILS global data system, improved audit processing time, and automated audit scheduling, all with great results. Outside of work, Kachline is involved with non-profit organizations that assist individuals and families in obtaining the skills needed to secure independent housing. In 2017, Kachline received the Hands On, Hearts In award and, in 2019, received the Making a Difference award, both presented by Family Promise of the Verdugos. Kachline graduated from Lycoming College with a bachelors degree in American studies. The James W. Harding Executive Speaker Series, a lecture series facilitated by the Colleges Institute for Management Studies (IMS), invites top business executives like Kachline to campus each year. Through annual lectures, endowed by a grant from the James S. Kemper Foundation in Long Grove, Ill., the series allows students to network with some of America's top business executives. Past speakers have included David Schoch 73, CEO of Ford China, Ford Motor Company (retired); Gene Dodaro 73, Comptroller General, United States of America; Rafael Moreno-Valle 91, Former Governor of Puebla, Mexico; Deirdre Connelly 83, President, Lilly USA (retired); and Alicia Tillman 97, Global Chief Marketing Officer, SAP; among others. [February 11, 2020] Emerging Markets Report: Thirty Four Million Reasons ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For over a decade we have been publishing editorials about companies entrenched in bold new industriesbit coin, cannabis, dot com, biotech really every next-big-thing that arrived in the market. The idea, then and now, was to identify a company that could seize the opportunity in these new markets and to share the story with our readers. But what does that really mean seize the opportunity? Simply put, to us it means revenue. Frankly, for most emergent companies revenue is the single most important metric. It can prove a business model, deter toxic financing, keep talented executives on board, and help with expansion. So when we see a press release from Weyland Tech, Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL) that the Company expects to report record revenue for 2019 of approximately $34.6 million, increasing 53% over 2018 it turns our head in a big way. With nearly 40 years of small and microcap experience in our offices we have never seen a Company post news like that. Adding to the fire, the company ended the year at an estimated $48.6 million annualized run-rate . So how did they get there? Well, Weyland Tech is a developer and global provider of mobile business software applications. The company operates its CreateApp platform-as-a-service (PaaS) across three continents and 10 countries, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. The platform provides a mobile presence for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that is supported locally by distributor partnerships. We interviewed Weyland CEO, Brent Suen, and the story isnt complicated. They are just crushing it in Asian markets with elegant software that allows small and medium sized businesses to go mobile. In parts of the world where many transactions are conducted via mobile (phones) this is a big, big deal. The software is offered in 14 languages with more than 70 integrated modules. Weylands CreateApp enables SMBs to create and deploy native mobile application for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. The technology empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. It is worth noting that these are preliminary unaudited results prior to the actual audited earning report. But it is also worth noting that the period being projected is already in the books if not yet published via the companys 10-K annual report. For more information, visit weyland-tech.com. About Weyland Tech: Weyland Tech Inc. is a developer and global provider of mobile business software applications. It operates its platform-as-a-service (PaaS) software platform across three continents and 10 countries, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. The platform provides a mobile presence for small-and-medium sized businesses (SMBs) that is supported locally by distributor partnerships. Offered in 14 languages with more than 70 integrated modules, Weyland enables SMBs to create and deploy native mobile applications for Apple iOS and Google Android without technical knowledge or background. The technology empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. About The Emerging Markets Report: The Emerging Markets Report is owned and operated by Emerging Markets Consulting (EMC), a syndicate of investor relations consultants representing years of experience. Our network consists of stock brokers, investment bankers, fund managers, and institutions that actively seek opportunities in the micro and small-cap equity markets. For more informative reports such as this, please sign up at http://www.emergingmarketsllc.com/newsletter.php Section 17(b) of the Securities Act of 1933 requires that any person that uses the mails to publish, give publicity to, or circulate any publication or communication that describes a security in return for consideration received or to be received directly or indirectly from an issuer, underwriter, or dealer, must fully disclose the type of consideration (i.e. cash, free trading stock, restricted stock, stock options, stock warrants) and the specific amount of the consideration. In connection therewith, EMC has received the following compensation and/or has an agreement to receive in the future certain compensation, as described below. We may purchase Securities of the Profiled Company prior to their securities becoming publicly traded, which we may later sell publicly before, during or after our dissemination of the Information, and make profits therefrom. EMC does not verify or endorse any medical claims for any of its client companies. EMC has been paid $250,000 by Weyland, Tech, Inc. for various marketing services including this report. EMC does not independently verify any of the content linked-to from this editorial. http://emergingmarketsllc.com/disclaimer.php Emerging Markets Consulting, LLC Florida Office 15701 State Road 50, Suite #205 Clermont, FL 34711 E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.emergingmarketsllc.com [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, Feb 11 : Once the blue-eyed boy of AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal but who later turned a rebel, Kapil Mishra on Tuesday seemed undeterred by the poll reverse earlier in the day and promised to work even harder for political success. "Election results are adverse today; tomorrow, it will be favourable. Will work harder. But do not be under any misconception that this result will change my views on CAA or Shaheen Bagh," Mishra tweeted in response to ridicule by a journalist at his loss to sitting AAP MLA Akhilesh Pati Tripathi, who got a hat-trick win from the Model Town seat. Mishra won the 2015 Assembly elections on an AAP ticket from Karawal Nagar, following which he was made Water Resources Minister. But he was unceremoniously dumped from the Cabinet, following which he accused Kejriwal and cabinet colleague Satyendra Jain of corruption. The 39-year-old former minister even lodged a complaint with the Anti-Corruption Bureau. In 2016, Kapil Mishra, who was still with the AAP, took on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, comparing him to an ISI agent. "The one whose story of a tea shop is fake, marriage story is fake, electoral assurances are fake, educational degree is fake... his bhakts (followers) are putting out fake posts to comfort themselves," Mishra had tweeted. Cut to November 2018 when he launched a campaign 'My PM, My Pride' to fight the "negative campaign" against Modi on social media. Those who have stayed with Mishra through the transition period insist the unthinkable metamorphosis happened due to his belief that an "enemy's enemy is a friend". "Mishra felt humiliated in the AAP and by Kejriwal. He wanted him humiliated. And Mishra knew no one better than the BJP can provide him with that platform," a source pointed out. Mishra even campaigned against the AAP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, following which he was disqualified as a legislator in August. There were rumours Mishra would be given the East Delhi ticket in the 2019 general election, which Mishra denied. But then came his formally joining the BJP. Come the Delhi polls and he figured in the very first BJP candidates' list, which showed the trust he had earned in the BJP within a very short time. Even after his defeat in the Model Town constituency, Mishra assured he will continue to work for the constituency, a la Smriti Irani who refused to let go of Amethi even after her loss to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2014 general elections. And she pulled off a win against Gandhi in the 2019 elections. But will Mishra pull off such a victory in the 2025 Delhi Assembly elections? One would prefer to keep fingers crossed. SYRACUSE Angi Renna hopes to keep this central New York state Senate seat in Republican hands. Renna, of Manlius, on Tuesday officially launched her campaign for the 50th state Senate District seat. The district includes parts of Cayuga and Onondaga counties. She already has the support of both counties' Republican committees. This is Renna's first run for political office. At an event held at C.R. Fletcher Associates in downtown Syracuse, she said she's running to help central New York and upstate "reclaim its voice." "I truly believe that I can make a difference and be a voice for our community in Albany," she said. Renna is a mother of twin boys and president of Sterling Financial Group, a financial planning firm in Liverpool. She is a past president and longtime member of the Women Business Owners Connection, which includes members from throughout central New York. She's also a member of the Republican Women's Group. Onondaga County Executive Ryan McMahon, who attended the event and spoke in support of Renna, believes her financial experience will be an asset to the region. He noted that she understands Medicaid the largest state mandate for county governments and she's knowledgeable about tax policy. "Angi, with her background, brings a unique perspective," McMahon said, adding later: "Angi will fight for us." Renna received similar praise from Tom Fletcher, who co-owns C.R. Fletcher Associations with his wife, Carol. "She's a fighter," he said. "I think we're gonna need a fighter down in Albany." If elected, Renna said her top priority will be either amending or repealing the bail reform law that took effect Jan. 1. The bail reform provision is part of a series of criminal justice reforms that were included in the 2019-20 state budget. State lawmakers, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo's support, eliminated cash bail for most misdemeanor and nonviolent offenses. The new law also requires prosecutors to turn over discovery within 15 days of arraignment. Speedy trial reform was also part of the budget agreement. McMahon expressed concerns about the effects of discovery reform and the potential increased costs for the district attorney's office to meet the requirements. Renna said the bail reform law "should have never been voted into existence in its current form." She told reporters later that one change she would like to see made is giving judges more authority to set bail. What's unknown is whether Renna will be a candidate in the special election to fill the 50th district seat. The seat has been vacant since Jan. 1 due to former state Sen. Bob Antonacci's resignation. He stepped down from the Senate after being elected to serve as a state Supreme Court judge. On Monday, Cuomo called a special election to fill the seat and four other open seats across the state. The special election will be held April 28 the same day as the New York presidential primary. Renna doesn't believe it's a coincidence that the special election was called days after she received the Republican designation. Cuomo, who made it known a few months ago that he was eyeing April 28 for the special election, is required by state law to give between 70 and 80 days' notice of a special election. Republicans have criticized Cuomo for setting the special election on the same day as the presidential primary. President Donald Trump, a Republican, doesn't have a serious challenger for the GOP nomination. But Democrats have a competitive primary. GOP leaders believe this will hurt Republican candidates because there will be higher Democratic turnout. "That's just politics as usual," Renna said. After the event, Renna told reporters that there hasn't been a decision about whether she'll run in the special election. She said there will need to be a discussion with Republican leaders to determine their next steps. There is a Democratic candidate in the race. John Mannion, who narrowly lost to Antonacci in 2018, is running again. He has already received the Democratic designation to be the party's candidate in the special election. "Our communities have no voice in the state Senate because we have no one representing us in Albany," Mannion said in a statement. "I will keep working to earn the voters' support to serve as their next state senator starting on April 28 because we deserve to have our priorities addressed and values respected in Albany." In January, Onondaga County Republican Chairman Tom Dadey floated the possibility of not fielding a candidate in the special election to preserve resources for the November general election. For now, Renna has a similar view of the race. "I'm laser-focused on being your state senator and winning the November election," she said. Online producer Robert Harding can be reached at (315) 282-2220 or robert.harding@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter @robertharding. Love 0 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. Senior Shiv Sena leader and former Maharashtra minister Ravindra Waikar was on Tuesday appointed the chief coordinator in the Chief Minister's Office (CMO), a post where he will handle public grievances. This is for the first time that such a post has been created in the Maharashtra CMO. Waikar, as the chief coordinator in the CMO, will have a cabinet minister's rank, according to a government order (GO) issued here. The GO said Waikar will be responsible for handling grievances, complaints of members of the public and receive representations from people who come to Mantralaya (state secretariat) to meet Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray. He will also coordinate with the district and divisional level CMOs set up recently, it said. The order said, "An experienced and senior person was required for the post for coordination." Waikar will have staff from the CMO to assist him, the order said. Thackeray took over as chief minister on November 28 last year as head of the three-party alliance government comprising his party Shiv Sena, the NCP and the Congress. During the winter session of the legislature held in Nagpur in December, Thackeray had declared he would set up CMO at district and divisional levels in an effort to decentralise power and ensure people from rural areas don't have to travel all the way to Mumbai with their problems. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (@ChaudhryMAli88) Lisbon is interested in having frequent contacts with Moscow at the level of foreign ministers and expand bilateral ties in the economic and cultural sectors, Portuguese Ambassador to Russia Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro told Sputnik MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2020) Lisbon is interested in having frequent contacts with Moscow at the level of foreign ministers and expand bilateral ties in the economic and cultural sectors, Portuguese Ambassador to Russia Paulo Vizeu Pinheiro told Sputnik. "We now want to have a very frequent dialogue between the foreign ministries. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov signed a memorandum of understanding with the Portuguese foreign minister. The two foreign ministers are supposed to meet every year for consultations. That shows how close we have built our relationship. Because Portugal and Russia have a close relationship, whether politically, economically or culturally. Our societies know each other. Last year, we celebrated the 240th anniversary of diplomatic relations," Pinheiro said on the sidelines of Prodexpo in Moscow, an exhibition dedicated to the food and drink industry. A 240th anniversary of diplomatic ties is a very rare case in relations between the states, the ambassador noted. Pinheiro went on to say that both countries had a vision of global development. He cited an initiative proposed by Russian President Vladimir Putin for making a common space for dialogue and economic cooperation from Lisbon to Vladivostok. He praised the president's plan as making "a lot of sense," given that both countries were part of the greater Eurasian continent. In late 2018, Lavrov visited Portugal for the first time in 10 years. He met with his Portuguese counterpart, Augusto Santos Silva, and they agreed to promote Lisbon-Moscow dialogue within NATO and the European Union, and to boost economic cooperation. A Lagos woman on Tuesday stunned an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that her three daughters, aged 12, nine and seve... A Lagos woman on Tuesday stunned an Ikeja Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court that her three daughters, aged 12, nine and seven were serially defiled by a muslim cleric, the family housed free for between seven and eight years The victims mother made the revelation while testifying as the second prosecution witness in the trial of Ibrahim Idris, a 26-year-old cleric, charged with defilement. The mother of six, who is also married to a cleric while being led in evidence by the state counsel, Mr Gbenga Alagbe, told the court that she knew about the alleged defilement from a teacher in the school her daughters were attending. In 2017, I received a call from the teacher of the school my children go to for lessons. The teacher told me that one of my daughters told her something and that she wanted me to hear for myself what she said. When we got to the office at the school, my oldest daughter (Daughter A) said that Idris slept with her and her younger sisters. I was told by the teacher that earlier while Daughter Awas being interrogated about the allegations, she ran out of the class. A woman had seen her and had taken her back into the school and when she saw a male teacher she was scared because Idris was sleeping with her and anytime she sees a male teacher, she becomes withdrawn and scared , the mother said. The mother said following the revelation, she took her children home from the school and her husband who was not around during that period, arrived two days later on Aug. 11, 2017. She noted that when the father arrived, the defendant was summoned to their residence. We asked him about the allegations and he insisted nothing happened. We took him to the police station for questioning and we were referred to the Mirabel Center at Ikeja for medical examinations. I had asked Daughter B (9-years-old) about the allegations and she said it was true, I had asked Daughter A (12-years-old) about the allegations but she was afraid to tell me what happened. However, when we got to the police station, Daughter A told me what had happened, the mother said. While being cross-examined by the defence counsel, Mr Lekan Ijelu, the woman said the defendant was living with her family when he allegedly committed the crimes. She noted that he had stopped residing with her family when the allegations came to light. He lived with us for seven or eight years. When he was living with us permanently, he used to go for his Islamic classes in the morning around 8am and return around 5pm. When he was temporarily residing with us, he used to stay on Fridays till Sundays, she said. The mother told the court that there were six adult males including the defendant who had lived in her home with her husband who is also a cleric. She said she was shocked when she heard the allegations. He is a gentle boy. He says the truth all the time and when Iam going out, I leave my kids with him to take care of them for me, I trusted him so much, I was shocked to hear what he did to my daughters, she said. Following her evidence, the state prosecutor appealed to the presiding judge to address the woman to ensure that the mother brings her three daughters to court to testify against Ibrahim. My lord, the witness said that she did not want to bring her daughters to testify, because she feels it may be traumatic for them, Alagbe said. Responding, Justice Sybil Nwaka told the woman that preventing her children from coming to court will amount to the offence of obstruction of justice. The children are the victims. They must come to court to testify. This case is not your case, it is the case of the Lagos State Government. You reported the case, the children must come to court to testify. That is the process and procedure, if not you will be regarded as a hostile witness and that is an offence, Justice Nwaka said. The woman responded: My lord, I feel it has been a long time. I do not want them to be reminded of what happened. Justice Nwaka adjourned the case until March 4 for continuation of trial. Earlier during proceedings, a medical doctor and first prosecution witness, Dr Oyedeji Alagbe, of the Mirabel Center (a sexual assault referral centre) had interpreted the finding of his medical examinations on the minors. Alagbe confirmed to the court that medical examination revealed that the three daughters were defiled. According to the prosecution, Ibrahim committed the offences sometime in 2017 at the complainants home at Agege, Lagos. The defendant, Idris, a cleric on various occasions defiled the sisters aged 12, nine and seven-years-old in their home. The offence contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2015 which prescribes a life sentence for anyone found guilty of the offence of defilement, Alagbe said A s the first non-English-language film in the history of the Academy Awards to win the gong for Best Picture, Parasite is the film on everyones watch list. Following its UK release last weekend, these are the essential slices of South Korean cinema to catch up on in the aftermath of Bong Joon-hos universally acclaimed masterpiece. Train to Busan (2016) Train to Busan / Alamy Stock Photo Train to Busan is an edge-of-your-seat cult film, following a father and daughters train journey during a zombie apocalypse. It was the first Korean film to reach an audience of 10 million theatregoers in 2016, yet isnt your typical flat-out zombie movie it explores a lot of complex relationships and family dynamics. Okja (2017) Okja This critically acclaimed Netflix film about a girl who raises a genetically modified superpig is also directed by Parasite director Bong Joon-ho. Led by South Korean child actor Ahn Seo-hyun and joined by Hollywood actors such as Jake Gyllenhaal and Tilda Swinton, Okja explores the idea of modern capitalism. All our problems arise because of capitalism, the filmmaker told The Guardian in a 2017 interview. Psychokinesis (2018) Psychokinesis Train to Busan director Yeon Sang-ho expertly forays into the superhero genre with Psychokinesis. Lead character Seok-heon drinks from a spring that a meteor has landed in and subsequently develops telepathic powers. Joining forces with his estranged daughter to fight against an evil construction company, Psychokinesis follows Sang-hos propensity for exploring class warfare within his films. The Handmaiden (2016) The Handmaiden Inspired by Sarah Waters novel Fingersmith and set in colonial Japanese-ruled Korea, The Handmaiden is a dark psychological thriller in which a conman attempts to seduce a woman and trick her out of her inheritance. It won in the category of Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2018 Baftas, if you needed more convincing. Extreme Job (2019) Extreme Job For a bit of light relief, turn your attention to action comedy Extreme Job. A group of haphazard detectives who have failed to solve their latest mission set out to bust an international drug gang from a fried chicken restaurant. Their plans are skewed when their improvised chicken marinade unexpectedly turns the restaurant into a huge success. Kevin Hart said in 2019 that he plans to remake this movie, but we say just watch the original. The Housemaid (1960) The Housemaid / Alamy Stock Photo Polled by Korean film experts as one of the top three Korean films of all time, The Housemaid has been cited by Parasites Bong as one of the main sources of inspiration for his recent Best Picture. Charting the impact of a new femme fatale housemaid taken into the employ of a composer and his sickly wife, director Kim Ki-Young created a slowly escalating thriller that was promptly followed by two sequels, a 2010 remake and, of course, 2019s Parasite. Lady Vengeance (2005) Lady Vengeance Trilokpuri Assembly Elections 2020: The Trilokpuri Assembly constituency in Delhi will vote on 8 February along with 69 other constituencies in the single-phase Assembly polls to be held in the National Capital. Counting of votes will be conducted on 11 February Delhi Assembly Election, Trilokpuri Assembly Elections 2020 | AAP's Rohit Kumar is leading in Trilokpuri, having received 14,328 votes so far. The closes trailing candidate is BJP's Kiran Vaidya with 8,057 votes. Kumar and Vaidya's vote shares stand at 59.87 percent and 33.66 percent respectively. The Trilokpuri Assembly constituency in Delhi voted on 8 February along with 69 other constituencies in the single-phase Assembly polls to be held in the National Capital. Counting of votes will be conducted on 11 February. Results in the last three elections AAPs Raju Dhingan won in the 2015 Assembly poll, defeating BJPs Kiran Vaidya by almost 30,000 votes. Dhingan had also emerged victorious in 2013 against then sitting BJP MLA Sunil Kumar, with a margin of almost 18,000 votes. In the 2008 polls, Sunil Kumar claimed the seat after defeating Congress Anjana. No party can consider Trilokpuri a safe seat as it has elected a different candidate three out of five times. AAP has fielded Rohit Kumar Mehraulia in place of Dhingan in the 2020 polls. Meanwhile, BJP has given the ticket to Kiran Vaidya. Congress has fielded Vijay Kumar from Trilokpuri. Demography Trilokpuri assembly constituency is a part of East Delhi (Lok Sabha constituency). Trilokpuri is a resettlement colony of residents who were rehabilitated when nearby slums were cleared out in 1975-76. The constituency is reserved for Scheduled Castes. Trilokpuri, Kotla Village, Mayur Vihar, New Ashok Nagar, Mayur Vihar Phase 1 extension fall under this constituency Since 1984, Trilokpuri has witnessed communal tensions on a regular basis. In May last year, two cows were found dead under mysterious circumstances, following which deployment of police personnel was increased as a precautionary measure. The area houses a significant population of Dalits and Muslims. It has seen communal tensions, with the most intense stand-off seen during the 2014 riots, when members of the Hindu and Muslim community clashed after a group allegedly began building a temple near a mosque. A curfew was imposed at the area for a month and a half. The neighbourhood saw one of the worst episodes of the anti-Sikh riots in 1984, witnessing 350 of the more than 2,700 Sikh deaths. Residents of the area expressed their anger towards the Delhi Metro too, which looked at relocating residents of 108 plots to construct a stretch between Trilokpuri and Mayur Vihar Pocket-I on the Pink Line. The Delhi High Court had to intervene in the matter, in response to a petition by residents. The court said that executing projects for public good cannot mean residents are uprooted. Following is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 55 Total electors: 1,78,214 Male: 98,816 Female: 79,376 Transgender: 22 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 71.71 percent Polling stations: 158 Major parties in the fray: AAP, BJP, Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, Shiromani Akali Dal In 2015, the Assembly polls in delhi were held on 7 February and the result was announced on 10 February. The Aam Aadmi Party secured an absolute majority in the assembly, winning 67 of the 70 seats, while the BJP secured a victory in just three constituencies. Parties like the Congress, which was in power in the capital between 1998 and 2013 for three terms, BSP, Shiromani Akali Dal and Indian National Lok Dal had secured no victories. The ruling AAP is looking at a return in the high-stake 2020 Assembly polls, even as the BJP has its eyes on the national capital, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi having sounded the election bugle at a mega rally in Delhis Ramlila Maidan, which focused mainly on the issue of regularising 1,731 unauthorised colonies. The AAP tied up with Prashant Kishors Indian Political Action Committee, credited for propelling Modi-led BJP to a victory in 2014, for the polls next month. Kishor took to Twitter to write, "Get ready to see the power of people on Tuesday, 11 February! On 20 December last year, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia launched the slogan, 'Acche beete paanch saal-Lage raho Kejriwal' (the last five years went well, keep going Kejriwal), kickstarting the partys campaign. Meanwhile, the Congress is fighting for survival in Delhi, with the absence of strong leadership within the party. Touted to be a two-sided battle, both the AAP and BJP are expected to focus on local issue, as opposed to the saffron partys previous election pitches based on national issues like demonetization, surgical strikes and Citizenship (Amendment) Act. In the recent Assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the BJs vote share reduced significantly, even as the party failed to secure a majority in a single state since Gujarat election in 2017. In the Lok Sabha polls held last year, BJP won in all the seven parliamentary constituencies in Delhi. The term of the 70-member Delhi Assembly is ending on 22 February. A total of 1.46 crore voters can exercise their franchise in the upcoming Delhi Assembly elections, according to the final electoral list for Delhi published on 5 January, on the day the election dates were announced. The number of service voters are 11,556. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Delhi Ranbir Singh said the final publication of voters list shows there are total 1,46,92,136 voters in Delhi, including 80.55 lakh males and 66.35 lakh females. A new concept of absentee voters, enabling those voters to take part in polls who are not able to come to polling stations due to physical circumstances or unavoidable reasons, has been introduced. Disabled persons and senior citizens above 80 years can either vote in person or vote through postal ballot. About 90,000 officials will be deployed for the conduct of elections and the number of polling booths in 2019 were 13,750. Out of the 70 Assembly constituencies in the state, 12 are reserved for Scheduled Castes and none are reserved for Scheduled Tribes. With inputs from PTI ASHEBORO A state official is cautioning people to be careful with cigarettes and pipes after a woman with an oxygen tank was badly burned while smoking. Insurance Commissioner Mike Causey said in a news release that a resident at an assisted-living facility in Asheboro was smoking Saturday when her oxygen tank caught fire. She was airlifted to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill. "This is also a tragic reminder of the dangers of smoking while using an oxygen tank and I hope others will learn a valuable lesson from this accident," Causey said while also wishing her a speedy recovery. Causey estimated that about one in 10 of North Carolina's 117 fire deaths in 2019 had smoking tobacco products with an oxygen tank as a contributing factor. Causey said that even after an oxygen tank is turned off, higher concentrations of the gas can remain in the air, making it dangerous to light up. London, UK -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2020 -- One of the UK's most well-known luxury travel companies dedicated to designing international trips, Yonder now offers a luxury tour to the enchanting country of Burma. The 17-night package is one of twists, turns and exhilarating adventure. The trip takes customers across the country from the royal city of Mandalay, the temple filled horizons of Bagan to the ancient pagodas on Inle Lake. Despite being a complete package, the itineraries can be edited and tailored to customer tastes by Yonder's specialised travel agents. To ensure a safe, comfortable and authentic traveling experience, Yonder books only the most reputable luxury hotels in any of their destinations. The 17-night Burma trip begins in the former capital city of Yangon. Two days are spent exploring Yangon's markets and pagodas. Following this, the trip moves to the royal city of Mandalay. From ornate gold leaf pounders to the exquisite ancient city of Amara Pura, Mandalay is a compilation of the rich history of Burma. The trip then takes travellers to the wide streets of Pyin Oo Lwin. Also known as Maymo, this is a major town and used to be the summer seat of the colonial administration. Pyin Oo Lwin gives way to temple filled horizons of Bagan and a rich cultural overdose in Myanmar. The main attractions of Bagan involve flying over the city in hot air balloons and visiting the shrine at the top of Mount Popa, an extinct volcano. To reinvigorate the tired travellers, the trip then takes an offbeat track to the heart of Burma in Kalaw. From caves, to windy roads and rolling hills, Kalaw is the perfect location to stop and relax. Kalaw's popular 5-day market is home to many local people wearing the most traditional attire, and creating a flurry of colours. The trip then slows down allowing everyone to recuperate alongside Inle Lake and the superb hospitality and Burmese cuisine. Living on the lake, all customers will get to visit floating monasteries, temples of gold, traditional and local traders from silver smiths to silk weavers. The trip's final destination before the groaning return to Yangon is Ngapali, which takes you to the sunny side of things. The rich, sandy beaches will have everyone enjoying days soothing their body and soul before their eventual return home. Yonder is one of the most sought-after travel companies based in the UK. Their team has impressed customers around the globe with their knowledge of their destination countries, frequently adding new experiences to their ever-expanding itineraries of various countries. Their trips are a unique experience and their consistent attention and commitment to quality, comfort and safety of the tourists is commendable. They are also known for the competitive pricing they offer with their luxury trips. Currently, they offer luxury tours to various countries in Southeast Asia such as Thailand, Indonesia, India, Malaysia and Sri Lanka. In a recent interview about their current Burma luxury package, Nico Kostich, Director at Yonder, commented, "Our trip to the lands of Burma will be one which people have never experienced before. From exhilarating architecture to calm gentle nights with starry skies, the trip is a journey of a lifetime. The journey involves the hustle and bustle of Myanmar's most happening cities, the quiet lake retreats and the overpowering volcanic hills. It is truly a trip one will remember recounting their times." About Yonder Yonder is a luxury travel company providing tailor-made holiday packages to customers worldwide. They have a team of passionate and experienced travel professionals who create unique luxury travel itineraries tailored exactly to each of their customer's personal wishes and desires. Their Escapologists only recommend hand-picked, delectable, usually boutique hotels that they have sampled and savoured personally. With Yonder, your luxury holidays might take you to the richly rewarding island of Sri Lanka, the palaces and jungles of Northern India, to Malaysia's vibrant cities, the to-die-for beaches of Langkawi, to the islands of your dreams in the Gulf of Thailand or to Burma where extraordinary sights and experiences await. For more information, please visit: https://www.yonder.co.uk/itinerary/lands-legends-enlightenment/ Contact Details Yonder 1st Floor 239 High Street Kensington, London, W8 6SN T: +44 (0) 203 880 8585 E: escape@yonder.co.uk Beijing said Tuesday it "never engages" in cybertheft, following US indictments of four Chinese army members for alleged involvement in the 2017 hacking of credit rating agency Equifax. The US Justice Department on Monday accused the hackers of stealing the sensitive personal information on some 145 million Americans, in one of the world's largest-ever data breaches. China rejected the claims on Tuesday. "The Chinese government and army... never engage in or participate in activities of trade theft through the internet," said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing. He said that China has "always resolutely opposed and cracked down on all forms of online hacking attacks" and is a "staunch defender of cybersecurity". "China is also a serious victim of US cybertheft," Geng said. The four members of the People's Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute -- Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Liu Lei -- were charged with multiple counts of hacking, computer fraud, economic espionage and wire fraud. Attorney General Bill Barr said it was a "deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people". Investigators said the Chinese military unit, using encrypted channels, ran some 9,000 queries through Equifax's computing systems to obtain, divide, compress and exfiltrate the data, bit by bit. The US believes the suspects are currently in China. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Description GIS - 11 February, 2020: The Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, had, during the 33rd Summit of the African Union, bilateral meetings with several countries including Tanzania, Sudan, Mozambique, South Africa, Seychelles, Madagascar, Eritrea, Ghana, Senegal and Sierra Leone. The Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, Home Affairs and External Communications, Minister for Rodrigues, Outer Islands and Territorial Integrity, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, The Summit was held from the 09 to 10 February at the Headquarters of the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The key theme was Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development , with focus on conflicts, peace and security. Prime Minister Jugnauth also met the President of Rwanda Paul Kagame, in presence of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and International Trade , Mr Nand coomar Bodha. During these meetings, possibilities of further cooperation in various sectors between Mauritius and the other mentioned African countries were evoked. Discussions also focused on projects and agreements which are in the pipeline. T he actions that Mauritius intends to take following the refusal of the United Kingdom to comply with the decision of the International Court of Justice and the resolution of the United Nations , were also at the fore of discussions. The British government had, as a reminder until November 22, to return the sovereignty of the Chagos A rchipelago to Mauritius. To this end, Prime Minister Jugnauth, dwelt on the importance of the decoloni s ation of Africa , which he said, is a fundamental issue for the African Continent. It gives me immense pleasure to see the support of the African Union on the Chagos issue " , he added. With regard to the Intercontinental Slavery Museum being constructed at ex-Labourdonnais Military Hospital in Port-Louis, he requested Senegal and Tanzania to extend their expertise to Mauritius. It is to be noted that the Prime Minister also signed the B ook of C ondolences in memory of the former President of Kenya, Daniel Arap Moi, who passed away on 04 February 2020. (Newser) Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has won the votes of a tiny New Hampshire community that barely hung onto its tradition of being among the first to cast ballots in the presidential primary. Dixville Notch's five residents cast their ballots just after the stroke of midnight Tuesday in the first 2020 Democratic presidential primary vote in the nation. Bloomberg received three write-in votes, one from a Republican and two from Democrats, the AP reports. The remaining votes went to Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders. Polls open later Tuesday in the rest of the state, some starting at 6am.The first-in-the-nation presidential primary follows last week's Iowa caucuses, which was plagued by technical issues that left both Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg claiming victory. story continues below For years, Dixville Notch, located near the Canadian border, attracted many political candidates and a lot of media. This time around, only Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet visited Dixville Notch prior to the vote. The lack of attention by 2020 candidates underscores the precarious situation the community is in. Last year, the attorney general's office said Dixville Notch needed another official in order to hold a primary election after a person who previously held that role moved away. That left Dixville Notch with just four total residents, with five needed to hold the primary. Les Otten, a developer who is working to reopen the town's historic Balsams resort, moved to Dixville Notch last month to fill the vacancy. (Sanders got all four Democratic votes in the town last time around.) Early Vote Results Give Azerbaijani President Majority Needed For Power Shift By RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service February 10, 2020 BAKU -- The ruling New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) is set to gain a majority of seats in the Caucasus country's single-chamber parliament, following snap elections that observers say will allow President Ilham Aliyev to remove elites associated with his father in a consolidation of power through reforms. YAP candidates won 81 of the 125 seats in parliament, according to data provided by the Central Election Commission (CEC) on February 10 based on voting protocols from almost all polling stations. The CEC put the turnout at 47.81 percent, nearly eight percentage points less than in the previous parliamentary elections. The result, if it holds, gives the ruling party an increase of 16 seats from what it had in the outgoing parliament, the Milli Majlis, before the snap elections were called. Pro-government parties and nominally independent candidates who support YAP policies took all the rest of the seats in the February 9 elections, which were marred by apathy among voters and reports of irregularities such as multiple voting, interrupted video feeds at polling stations, and the hindrance and abuse of independent observers. In a preliminary report, monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and the Council of Europe said "the restrictive legislation and political environment prevented genuine competition" in the elections, while "significant procedural violations during counting and the tabulation" were reported on voting day. Voting was "assessed negatively" at 7 percent of polling stations observed, the report said, adding that the "statistically high figure" is indicative of "serious procedural shortcomings." In a statement on February 10, the U.S. Embassy in Baku seconded the conclusions drawn by the OSCE report. "The United States shares the observations and concerns of the OSCE ODIHR monitoring mission that the February 9 parliamentary elections transpired in a restrictive legislative and political environment that prevented genuine competition," the statement said. "The elections were marked by limitations on the freedom of media and assembly. We were disappointed by significant procedural violations observed by ODIHR on Election Day, including ballot box stuffing, group voting, a disregard of reconciliation procedures, and limited transparency during vote counting," it said. The ballot was boycotted by some opposition parties in protest over limitations on access to media and the right to peaceably assemble. Since Azerbaijan declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, its elections have repeatedly been deemed as falling short of democratic standards by international observers. The 58-year-old Aliyev, who has ruled Azerbaijan since shortly before his father's death 17 years ago, called the election in December, nine months before it was formally due, amid public discontent over a slowing economy. YAP said the composition of the legislature needed to be changed in order to carry out Aliyev's "reform" program. But instead of genuine reforms that might strengthen the country's long-beleaguered opposition, opposition leaders and analysts say the president hopes to boost the government's image by replacing discredited unpopular old elites with younger technocrats. Mehman Aliyev, director of the independent Turan news agency, told RFE/RL that "the only purpose was to put a number of candidates out of parliament and bring new ones in their place -- and nothing else." Critics say Aliyev and his allies are seeking a way to ensure a line of succession that began with the president's father, Heydar, a Soviet-era KGB leader and Politburo member who passed the presidency to his son shortly before his death. 'Generational Overhaul' Aliyev's reform plan follows several high-profile changes in the government and his administration near the end of last year that included the appointment of 62-year-old economist Ali Asadov as prime minister. "This can be described as an effort at 'authoritarian modernization,'" at making public services more efficient within the same strict authoritarian framework. That will be welcome for much of the public, but will it be enough?" Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region, said before the weekend vote. "Clearly, a generational overhaul is underway. Does this also mean a big surge of reform in Azerbaijan? There are some reasons to be skeptical," he added, noting that the old guard may be swept aside only for a Baku-based business-political elite to take control of the country instead. Some critics say the party's hope for a change in the composition of parliament suggests Aliyev's party may be trying to clear the way for Aliyev's wife, First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva, to take over the presidency at a later date. In fact, parliamentary powers are limited in Azerbaijan. Most political power in the Caucasus country is concentrated in the hands of the presidency. Aliyev -- who was reelected in 2008, 2013, and 2018 -- was able to consolidate his power through a 2009 referendum that abolished the country's two-term presidential limit and a 2016 referendum that lengthened presidential terms to seven years. Minor complaints were already trickling in within hours of the opening of polling stations on February 9. Some independent observers said they saw instances of carousel voting -- when people visit multiple polling stations -- and people casting multiple ballots at once. One candidate reported seeing an ambulance ferrying voters to multiple polling stations. One election monitor working for a candidate said he was beaten and thrown out out of a polling station he was attempting to observe. Other election monitors said they were being prevented from entering polling stations or were ordered to remain in certain locations. The Institute for Democratic Initiatives shared several videos of people interfering with observers seeking to record at polling stations. Cameras were being blocked at some of the 1,000 or so voting locations that had live video feeds. One candidate, activist and blogger Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, told RFE/RL's Azerbaijani Service that he was initially prevented from voting at a Baku polling station and was told he hadn't registered properly. But an election official later said access to the polling station was being limited ahead of President Aliyev's arrival there to vote. Meanwhile, apparent power outages cut the lights for more than half an hour at some polling stations in Suraxani and Hovsan, northeast of the capital. Election officials registered 1,637 candidates. A total of 19 political parties fielded 272 of the candidates. They included 123 candidates from the ruling YAP, followed by 25 from the opposition Musavat party and 21 from the opposition Party of Hope (UMID). A total of 81 lawmakers, about two-thirds of the outgoing parliament, were seeking reelection. With reporting by Reuters Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/azerbaijan-ruling- party-wins-majority-parliament-vote -irregularities/30426137.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 Walt Disney (NYSE:DIS) reported its fiscal 2020 first-quarter results on Feb. 4. Among the many data points to come out of the report, the media giant noted that earnings exceeded investor expectations on Disney+ subscriber growth. The company previously revealed it had signed up 10 million customers on the first day of release for the streaming service, but the growth since then has been positively surprising. On the negative end, the company pointed out that the outbreak of novel coronavirus that is believed to have originated in Wuhan, China, and spread throughout the country is causing disruptions in its theme parks in Asia. The virus impact is lower in its Hong Kong park only because expectations were already lowered due to ongoing political unrest in the region. Let's dig deeper into Disney's quarterly report and see what it might entail for investors. Disney+ subscriber growth For the Disney+ streaming service, reaching 28.6 million subscribers (26 million subscribers by the end of the quarter, and over 2.6 million more in January 2020) surprised many and is quite an accomplishment -- especially considering that CEO Bob Iger said the company had forecast a total of 60 million to 90 million subscribers by 2024. The current total has analysts questioning whether the initial forecast needs to be raised. The monthly average revenue per user (ARPU) for Disney+ was higher than expected in the quarter. Before the release, expectations had been that the service had gained more sign-ups from the deal with Verizon Communications, which gave some of its new customers a one-year free subscription to Disney+; those discount sign-ups were expected to lower the monthly revenue per user figure. Surprisingly, only 20% of new signups came through Verizon and had less of an impact. Disney+ is going to launch in additional countries in March, which will add more subscribers, but will also increase marketing costs associated with the expansion. Disney+ will launch in several more countries, including the U.K., Ireland, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria. It will also launch in India on March 29, through its Hotstar service. The company has high hopes for large subscriber increases in India as Hotstar has an estimated 300 million monthly active users that could be potential customers. The impact of the coronavirus on its parks The two theme parks that will face the most significant impact from the coronavirus outbreak are the Shanghai Disney Resort and the Hong Kong Disneyland, which are both closed, and will remain so until further notice. Disneyland in Hong Kong has been closed since Jan. 26; Shanghai Disney Resort stopped operations on Jan. 25. What makes matters worse is that the park closures happened at the most inopportune time: the Chinese New Year holiday. That holiday is typically a very popular time to visit Disney's parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong. As a result, the financial loss to the two parks will be more significant. Disney estimates that at its Shanghai resort, the closure will reduce operating income by $135 million in the second quarter; at Hong Kong Disneyland, it estimates the closure will lower operating income by $40 million. Both figures, however, assume the parks will be closed for only two months. What this means for investors For Disney investors, the rapid increase of signups for Disney+ is an encouraging sign. It is evident that customers are very interested in the streaming service, and the price point is appealing. Moreover, Disney+ is preparing to launch in several countries in March, and the 28.6 million sign-ups already have Disney optimistic about the service's reception in new markets. The financial fallout from the coronavirus outbreak is still unknown but the speculation is that it is unlikely to cause significant financial damage to the company, so long as it doesn't cause park closures longer than two months. A greater negative outcome is more likely if closures are prolonged beyond that two-month window. Investors should continue to monitor the company in the near term; updated reports surrounding the coronavirus and the rollout of Disney+ to new markets are likely to cause this blue-chip stock's price to show some short-term volatility. Around the world, hotels are learning to cope with change swiftly, reimagining their business with the help of modern platforms, collaborative technology partnerships, and informed processes. Amidst this period of technological reform, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) had one, integral goal in mind: Transform hotel staff safety, for the better. Kent Beck, the famed American software engineer and the creator of extreme programming, once said, The business changes. The technology changes. The team changes. The team members change. The problem isnt change, per se, because change is going to happen; the problem, rather, is the inability to cope with change when it comes. The hospitality industry, at large, is rather familiar with this experience. Around the world, hotels are learning to cope with change swiftly, reimagining their business with the help of modern platforms, collaborative technology partnerships, and informed processes. Amidst this period of technological reform, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) had one, integral goal in mind: Transform hotel staff safety, for the better. Believing that when it comes to safety, there is no compromise, the AHLA partnered with hotels to implement The 5-Star Promise in 2018. This was a voluntary commitment by AHLA members to enhance policies, training and resources, including providing employee safety devices that together are aimed at strengthening the culture of employee and guest safety, with an emphasis on preventing and responding to sexual harassment and assault. Hotels nationwide have made significant progress over the past year in deploying employee safety devices (ESDs), with next-gen panic buttons already provided in several markets, including New York, Washington, Chicago, Seattle and Miami Beach, with rapid expansion planned in the new year. As part of our on-going commitment to this initiative, React Mobile has created a free, complete Legislative Guide which you can download here. Legislative deadlines looming Along with the voluntary safety policies, hotels are also required by law to protect their employees, and deadlines for compliance are looming. The hospitality industry, as hoteliers are acutely aware, struggles with a notoriously high turn-over rate across staff. Weve come to learn, with the influx of publicized staff reports and complaints, that much of this turn-over is associated with working conditions, and lacking safety standards for employees. Due to the overtly physical nature of most roles within the hospitality sector, along with the remote nature of job tasks, hotel staff are especially at risk of physical injury or, in some cases, assault. The potential risk associated with hotel environments, along with pressure from hospitality unions, and the bad press that has impacted hotels that have ignored such revelations, has inspired legislative action around the United States. Those hotels which remain resistant to this surge of positive reform, do not only risk the implications of negative press and union backlash, but also face steep penalties. Currently, local ordinances in states such as Washington, New Jersey, Illinois and parts of California have already signed in laws that require hotels to provide wearable/portable panic buttons to their employees at no cost. Miami Beach requires hotels to provide safety buttons or notification devices which offer GPS tracking to all hospitality staff. More and more cities have initiatives on the table pending approvals, and panic button mandates have made their way into several collective bargaining agreements across the country. Hotels that fail to comply, many by January 2020, will be fined. For a detailed view of state-specific requirements and applicable fines, download our full guide here. Preparing for 2020 Now, as the legislation continues to change and expand, its ever-important for hoteliers to keep their finger on the pulse of these new hospitality safety standards. With each passing month, the 5-Star Promise seems to gain more momentum, with a legislative ripple effect making its way across the United States. As such, hoteliers are implored to remain vigilant in their understanding of requirements specific to their state, to avoid penalties associated with non-compliance. With this in mind, React Mobile has compiled a complete legislative guide to ensure hotels in the United States have a better understanding of the current status and requirements of local ordinances, as the legislation continues to evolve and gain momentum. Throughout the guide, we provide a complete timeline of legislative updates, and state-specific ordinance details and compliance specifications. With this information and the right processes in place, the path to hospitality safety compliance can be swift and, moreover, seamlessly implemented. To download the complete legislative guide, click here or visit https://www.reactmobile.com/us-panic-button-legislative-gude. About the Author Robb Monkman is the Founder and CEO of React Mobile, Inc. A seasoned entrepreneur with experience launching multiple products, from idea to exit. Several years ago, Robb was the victim of an armed robbery and hostage situation that left a lasting impression on him. He soon learned that thousands of people every day were in situations where they desperately need help but couldnt make a call. He made it his mission to solve this problem, founding React Mobile to create a simple yet powerful personal safety platform that today is transforming the way people call for help in emergencies. React Mobile is making tomorrow a safer place and already helping people all over the world. About React Mobile Founded in 2013, React Mobile is a global leader in providing panic button solutions for hotels. Their best in class hospitality safety platform helps hotels keep their employees safe. The React Mobile system allows management to deploy response resources to the exact location of an emergency within seconds of an alert, getting help to where they need it fast. In an emergency quick response times are essential. This article originally appeared on React Mobile. Daily News Delivery Join your colleagues and stay up to date on the latest all industry news and trends. Subscribe 2022 Hospitality Trends After Prabhudeva's Radhe, Salman Khan will be next seen in Sajid Nadiadwala's next production titled Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali. While there were various speculations doing the rounds about the film's leading lady, we now have it that the makers have finalized Pooja Hegde to play Salman's love interest in the film. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala confirmed this piece of news to Mumbai Mirror and was quoted as saying by the tabloid, "Having worked with Pooja in Housefull 4, we felt she was a perfect fit for this film. She has an amazing screen presence and will make for a good pair with Salman. They will bring freshness to the story." Spilling beans about Pooja's character in this Salman Khan starrer, a source told the leading lady, "His lady love is a traditional small-town girl who is the polar opposite of Salman's character. Pooja has played small town roles down South in films like Mukunda, and hence the makers found her apt for the role. There's a beautiful mature love story between the two characters, and Pooja's track acts as the catalyst to the plot." Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali will be helmed by Farhad Samji. Speaking about the movie, director Samji earlier told PTI, "I had started writing this film even before I started with Kick 2. Salman and I are collaborating after six years and it feels just like our Judwaa days back then. Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali is a film with a very different approach and we are sure the audience will love to see Salman in the avatar we have planned." Salman had announced this film on his Twitter page in January and tweeted, "Announcing my next film...'Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali'... Story and produced by Sajid Nadiadwala... Directed by Farhad Samji... Eid 2021..." Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali is slated to hit the shooting floors in October this year. The film will release on Eid 2020. Kabhi Eid Kabhi Diwali: Akshay Kumar Trolls Salman Khan For His Next Film's Title National Students' Union Of India Wants Salman Khan Banned From Goa After Phone Snatching Incident The Bharatiya Janata Party has fought few state elections in recent times with such organisational firepower and ideological fervour as it did the Delhi polls, but this all came to nought as the party suffered a big loss, a defeat that continues its poor run in state elections since 2018. IMAGE: A view of the Delhi BJP office on the Delhi polls results day, in New Delhi. Photograph: Kamal Singh/PTI Photo The only consolation for the party, which several of its leaders keenly pointed out, is that its vote share increased to more than 38 per cent this time from 32 in 2015. This is the most votes it has got in the city after it came to power in 1993 with nearly 48 per cent votes. The rise in the BJP's tally, likely to be eight with results yet to be announced in some of them, from three is unlikely to gladden many hearts in the party whose president J P Nadda had expressed confidence of crossing the mark of 45 in the 70-member assembly. Incidentally, this is the first state poll the party fought under Nadda. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party showed ideological flexibility to dent the saffron agenda of Hindutva and national security and its governance model built around welfarism, and investment in education and health sectors ensured that a whopping 54 per cent of voters backed it in the polls. Kejriwal's support to the Modi government on issues like the nullification of Article 370 and muted opposition to the Citizenship (Amendment ) Act even as he spoke against the inconvenience caused by the Shaheen Bagh protest, ensured that the BJP's shrill attempt to paint him to be working against the "interests" of Hindus and the country did not cut much ice. The loss will rankle more with the BJP's ranks as its entire organisational might led by home minister and its former president Amit Shah worked overtime to oust the AAP from power. Over 300 of its MPs, including several Union ministers, intensively campaigned in the city's 70 assembly constituencies but in vain. Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed two poll rallies. Putting up a brave front, BJP general secretary Kailash Vijarvargiya noted that the BJP's vote share has risen to 38 per cent and coupled with its allies Janata Dal-United and the Lok Janshakti Party this was close to 40 per cent. Though there will be questions about the BJP's high-decibel campaign, which the opposition said was divisive and polarising, several leaders within the party asserted that the defeat was not due to but despite this. "Our vote share could have plummeted as the AAP had a huge lead over us when we began our campaign. It is our ideological drive that charged saffron cadres and energised out support base," a party leader closely associated with the electioneering said. The BJP's biggest drawback, many believe, was a lack of credible local leadership to take on Kejriwal, who enjoyed unmatched advantage in this regard. With Modi as its face in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the party had won near 57 per cent votes and bagged all seven seats. Its initial assessment suggests that the party's campaign swayed a sizeable chunk of middle class voters but failed to counter its rival's appeal among the poor and lower middle class. Since 2018, the BJP has failed to win a majority in any of the state polls. It lost power in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh in 2018 followed by Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The party managed to form government in Karnataka by winning over opposition MLAs and in Haryana by allying with a regional party. The huge gap in BJP's votes in the Lok Sabha and assembly polls in states like Jharkhand, Haryana and now in Delhi makes it clear that a large number of its voters have switched their preference in regional elections. Sponda Plc Press release 11 February 2020, 9:00 a.m. Sponda signs agreement to sell nine commercial properties in Ruoholahti, Helsinki Property investment company Sponda Plc has signed an agreement to sell commercial properties in Ruoholahti, Helsinki, to property investment company Antilooppi. The total leasable area of the properties exceeds 100,000 square metres, with parking facilities of approximately 1,650 spaces. Since the early 2000s, Sponda has contributed to the development of Ruoholahti into one of the most significant business districts in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area. Sustainability has been at the forefront of Sponda's development activities, with several investments made to improve energy efficiency during this period. "The strong investment market supports the divestment of these assets and we are delighted to see Antilooppi continue our work going forward. Sponda has several development projects either under way or in the pipeline: this sale will free up resources necessary for these developments, allowing for the continuation of Sponda's strategy to actively develop its properties and create outstanding working environments for its customers", says Christian Hohenthal, Sponda's President and CEO. The completion of the sale requires an approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority, which is expected in spring 2020. Sponda Plc For further information, please contact: Christian Hohenthal, President and CEO, Sponda Plc, tel. +358 40 737 5050 Sponda Plc is a property investment company specializing in commercial properties in the largest cities in Finland. Sponda's business concept is to own, lease and develop retail and office properties and shopping centres into environments that promote the business success of its clients. www.sponda.fi/en. The Supreme Court said on Tuesday that it will hear the plea challenging the detention of National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday, February 12. Omars sister and daughter to Farooq Abdullah-- also under detention-- Sara Abdullah Pilot, filed the plea on Monday claiming Omar was no threat to law and order and questioned the legality of the grounds cited in a government dossier for Omars detention ordered last Thursday, August 6, under the J&K Public Safety Act, 1978. The police dossier charges Omar Abdullah with use of dirty politics over the revocation of Article 370 and for allegedly adopting a radical methodology by instigating general masses against the policies of the central government. Watch | Omar Abdullahs sister moves Supreme Court against his detention under PSA It also alleged that Abdullahs influence was a threat because he was able to convince the electorate to come out and vote in huge numbers even during peak militancy and poll boycotts. Several political parties including the Congress and the Left have slammed the charges. Omars sisters petition seeks quashing of the detention order. The detention order is arbitrary, vague, irrelevant, whimsical and fanciful and deserves to be quashed by an appropriate writ of this court, Pilots petition says. It also alleges that Omars detention was merely meant to silence the opposition to the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which did away with Jammu and Kashmirs special status and its bifurcation into two union territories giving the Centre greater control of its administration. The petition also alleges that Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and several other political leaders both from the National Conference and outside it despite having served the state and the union over several years. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal had mentioned the plea for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice N V Ramana. It is rare that those who have served the nation as members of Parliament, Chief Ministers of a state, ministers in the Union and have always stood by the national aspirations of India are now perceived as a threat to the state, the plea said. The plea also claimed that Omars statements and messages during the period up to his first detention called for peace and co-operation as against governments claim of being inflammatory and a threat to the maintenance of public order. The PSA has two sections -- public order and threat to the security of the state. The former allows detention without trial for six months and the latter for two years. Omar Abdullah was the first to be put under house arrest on August 4, 2019 following the abrogation of the Article 370 and bifurcation of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir into two Union Territories. India Gold April futures fell on February 11 as investors preferred to book profits at higher levels amid a rise in equities as well as US Dollar. Investors can look at initiating buy at lower levels towards 40,500 for a target of 40,700, suggest experts. International Gold price held steady after climbing to a one-week peak in the previous session, as concerns about the coronavirus epidemic that has claimed more than 1,000 lives in China offset an uptick in the equities, said a Reuters report. The US dollar and Japanese yen were in demand as worries about the spread of the coronavirus sent investors to safe harbours, it said. On the MCX, April gold contracts were trading lower by Rs 211, or 0.52 percent, at Rs 40,468 per 10 gram at 0920 hours. Gold & Silver Rates Gold Rate in Mumbai 10g of 24K gold in Mumbai 10g of 22K gold in Mumbai View more Silver Rate in Mumbai 10g silver in Mumbai 1kg silver in Mumbai View more Show Track live gold price here Gold and silver traded sideways on Monday. The Spot Gold closed at $1,572 and silver closed at $17.77 per troy ounce in the international market. At MCX, Gold and silver prices settled with minor gains around 40,700 and 46,200 respectively. Fear of coronavirus is supporting prices of both the precious metals but record gains in dollar index limits gains in precious metals. We expect both precious metals to remain volatile and expect then to hold support levels of $1,562 and $17.70 per troy ounce in the international market, Manoj Jain, Director, India Nivesh Commodities told Moneycontrol. Lower level buying is expected in both precious metals until it trades above 40,330 and 45,850 in the domestic market. Gold has support at 40,330 and resistance at 40,850. Silver has support at 45,850 and resistance at 46,400-46,600, he said. Trading Strategy: MCX Gold April is trading in Triangle formation pattern where prices have bounced back from a lower band which is placed at 40,580 levels. Moreover, it has sustained above its 21 as well as 50-Daily Moving Averages which suggest a positive trend in the counter. However, 40,500 level holds support and 40,750 will act as immediate resistance. For international gold, $1,560 will hold support and $1,580 will act as a strong resistance. It may trade in a $1,560-$1,580 range. N. Oregon Coast Fave Shut Down For Now: Ecola State Park at Cannon Beach Published 02/10/2020 at 5:58 PM PDT By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff (Cannon Beach, Oregon) A big Oregon coast favorite has been shut down indefinitely. Ecola State Park at Cannon Beach is closed until further notice because the only road going into the area has been severely damaged. The affected section is an area that was already worked on recently, with a repair made from compacted gravel. Heavy rains created a slide along the hill next to it, damaging the roadway once again over the weekend. Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) said efforts to shore up the spot failed and the gravel surface is uneven and unsafe. Park rangers safely escorted all visitors out of the park Sunday afternoon. The sliding hillside also disconnected the parks main water line, which shut off running water in the park. Ben Cox, park manager, says the closure length is unknown at this time. Were still evaluating the extent of the road damage and forming a plan for repairs, said Cox. The land may continue to slide too, so were being cautious. See more about Ecola State Park at the Cannon Beach Virtual Tour. OPRD said visitors to the north Oregon coast are encouraged to explore other nearby state parks: Oswald West State Park, Arcadia Beach State Recreation Site and Hug Point State Recreation Site. About these spots: Oswald West State Park: a massive, sprawling forested area just north of Manzanita, the park also boasts the famed Short Sand Beach. There are miles and miles of hiking trails here as well. One of its most prominent features is the suspension bridge over the creek, near the entrance to Short Sands. Arcadia Beach: Less than three miles south of Cannon Beach, Arcadia is the midway point between Arch Cape beaches and those of southern Cannon Beach. Its mostly soft sands here, with a smattering of basalt structures that also provide homes to some interesting tidepools. Hug Point: So much is packed into this small place its easy to spend hours just exploring the details. A shallow cave greets you near the beach entrance of this famed Oregon coast spot, and if the tides let you go around the first point, you then find a bevy of adventures. Theres a lulling waterfall, a few indentations that feel like caves, an actual sea cave full of fascinating colors, and that old road carved out of the rock going around Hug Point itself. Hotels in Cannon Beach - Where to eat - Cannon Beach Maps and Virtual Tours More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining..... Coastal Spotlight LATEST Related Oregon Coast Articles Back to Oregon Coast Contact Advertise on BeachConnection.net All Content, unless otherwise attributed, copyright BeachConnection.net Unauthorized use or publication is not permitted US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to India on February 24 and 25 and travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, it was announced on Tuesday, with both governments highlighting that his maiden trip would further bolster the strategic ties and the enduring friendship between the peoples of the two countries. President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and they will visit India on February 2425, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said President Trump and his wife would pay a state visit to India at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The announcement from Washington and New Delhi came after Trump and Modi held a telephonic talk over the weekend, Grisham said. "During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people," she said. The President and the First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi's home State of Gujarat and played an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement, the White House said in a statement. Trump's predecessor Barack Obama travelled to India in 2010 and 2015. This will be President Trump's first visit to India, the Ministry of External Affairs said. During the visit, President Trump and the First Lady will attend official engagements in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and interact with a wide cross-section of Indian society, it said. "The global strategic partnership between India and the U.S. is based on trust, shared values, mutual respect and understanding, and marked by warmth and friendship between the peoples of the two countries," it said. The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with "significant progress" in all areas including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties, the statement noted. "The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen our strategic partnership," the statement added. Prime Minister Modi and President Trump met last on September 24 on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York, their fourth meeting since Modi returned to power for a second term in May last year. The meeting between Trump and Modi in New York came two days after they met on September 22 in Houston and shared the stage at the 'Howdy, Modi!' rally and addressed an audience of over 50,000 Indian-Americans. The announcement on Trump's visit to India came hours after the US State Department said it has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to India for an estimated cost of USD 1.9 billion. The Trump Administration has notified to the US Congress of its determination to sell India the Integrated Air Defence Weapon System (IADWS), the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said on Monday. The entire system is estimated to cost USD 1.867 billion, the State Department told the Congress in a notification. It also said the IADWS would help India to modernise its armed forces and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attacks. Reacting to the announcement on Trump's maiden India visit, leading Indian-American community and business leaders welcomed the decision by the US President. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," M R Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, said. Describing it as a significant visit, Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, noted that the last three American presidents had made trips to India. "It's essential to send a message to the region that India is a significant partner and the president values that," Aghi told PTI. India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighbourhood, but also in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo-Pacific region is part of the international global order, he said. The India trip will be Trump's second overseas visit this year, after a two-day visit to Switzerland to attend the World Economic Forum in Davos. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Global health agency says name picked to avoid references to specific location, animal species or group of people. The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced that COVID-19 will now be the official name of the disease caused by the new coronavirus from China, saying the disease represented a very grave threat for the world but there was a realistic chance of stopping it. We now have a name for the disease and its COVID-19, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told journalists in the Swiss city of Geneva on Tuesday. The new strain of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 was named severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The announcement came as the death toll in mainland China has now reached more than 1,000, after 108 people died from the virus on Monday the highest daily toll since the outbreak began late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. Tedros said that CO stands for corona, VI for virus and D for disease, while 19 was for the year, as the outbreak was first identified on December 31. The WHO chief said the name had been chosen to avoid references to a specific geographical location, animal species or group of people in line with international recommendations for naming aimed at preventing stigmatisation. BREAKING "We now have a name for the #2019nCoV disease: COVID-19. Ill spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine COVID-19" @DrTedros #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Kh0wx2qfzk World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 11, 2020 Referring to some governments counterterrorism measures, Tedros said: To be honest, a virus is more powerful in creating political, economic and social upheaval than any terrorist attack. A virus can have more powerful consequences than any terrorist action. If the world doesnt want to wake up and consider this enemy virus as Public Enemy Number 1, I dont think we will learn from our lessons, Tedros said. The agency has appealed for sharing of virus samples and speeding up research into drugs and vaccines. The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months. So, we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus while preparing for the long term using the preparations for the vaccines, Tedros said. If we invest now we have a realistic chance of stopping this outbreak. Stigmatisation The agency had earlier given the virus the temporary name of 2019-nCoV acute respiratory disease and Chinas National Health Commission this week said it was temporarily calling it novel coronavirus pneumonia or NCP. Under a set of guidelines issued in 2015, WHO advises against using place names such as Ebola and Zika where those diseases were first identified and which are now inevitably linked to them in the public mind. More general names such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or Spanish flu are also now avoided as they can stigmatise entire regions or ethnic groups. According to Chinas National Health Commission, the total number of deaths on the mainland due to the virus as of Tuesday was 1,016. Meanwhile, 42,638 infections have been reported. The vast majority of deaths and infections are in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. Two deaths have been recorded outside mainland China one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. At least 25 countries have confirmed cases and several nations have evacuated their citizens from Hubei. New Delhi, Feb 11 : A Delhi court on Tuesday directed the Crime Branch to file in 15 days an Action Taken Report (ATR) on a complaint filed by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Brinda Karat against BJP lawmakers Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma for alleged inflammatory remarks. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vishal Pahuja declined Crime Branch's request to grant eight weeks' time to file the report, contending that the "matter is sensitive". The matter will now be taken up on February 26 at 10 a.m. If no cognizable offence is made out, then file a detailed report, the judge directed. Karat had filed the complaint against the BJP leaders on charges of outraging religious feelings, intending to provoke breach of trust and criminal intimidation. "Direct that the investigation into the FIR be monitored by issuing necessary directions to the SHO concerned to investigate the matter fairly, properly and impartially, including arrest of the accused in accordance with the law," Karat said in her application. The application was filed under Section 156 (3) of the Code of Criminal Procedure which empowers a magistrate to direct the police to conduct investigation into any matter. An inflammatory slogan "desh ke gaddaron ko goli maaro s*** ko" was chanted at a public rally addressed by Thakur on January 27 in Delhi's Rithala area. Thakur had allegedly egged on his audience to respond to the slogan. Verma was reported as saying that mosques and graveyards had come up in over 500 government properties in the national capital, including hospitals and schools. He said that the land where these "illegal structures" have come up belong to the Delhi Development Authority, Municipal Corporations of Delhi, Delhi Jal Board and many other government agencies. Thakur and Verma were then barred from campaigning by the Election Commission for 72 hours and 96 hours respectively in the run-up to the February 8 Delhi Assembly polls. As ships exploded and bullets rained down on the USS Nevada, sailors and Marines scrambled to their battle stations. But for the military band aboard the ship that day, their station was right where they already were, playing the national anthem of the United States. Just over 75 years ago, the Empire of Japan hit the U.S. Navys Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in an early-morning sneak attack that was designed to make the Americans give in before the war even started. Attacks on the Naval Air Station at Ford Island and Wheeler and Hickam Army Air Fields, along with the ships in the harbor, brought more than 3,400 casualties. Some 2,300 were killed, along with the losses of 180 aircraft and 18 ships were sunk or run aground during the attack, including 5 battleships. One of those ships was the Nevada, moored at the end of Battleship Row, and hit by a torpedo in the first wave. Band Leader Oden McMillan and his 23 men had been in position since 0755, when the blue prep signal went up. Unbeknownst to them, it was also the same time the attack on Pearl Harbor was set to begin. As the band formed up to play morning colors at 0800, they noticed something strange in the distance. As the 183 planes of the first attack wave, along with kicked-up dirt and sand, and thought it was another exercise. When 8 oclock came, McMillan struck up the band and began the national anthem. Astern of the USS Arizona, the Nevada was a favorite target of Japanese Zeros who had released their bombs on Arizona but still had room to attack. Again and again, the decks of the Nevada were strafed by the enemy. But the band played on. Its said the guns of the first Zero to strafe Nevadas deck sprayed at the band first, but missed entirely, hitting only the flag and the wooden deck around them. But the band played on -- albeit much faster than when theyd started. They played until the anthem was complete. The USS Nevada run aground at Pearl Harbor, 1941. Only when the final note was over, the men finally broke formation and ran for cover, a scene immortalized forever in the classic World War II film Tora! Tora! Tora! The Nevada was eventually able to get underway because she was the last in the line of battleships. Then the oldest battleship in the Pacific Fleet, she had been retrofitted with torpedo protections that allowed her to resist the effects of the hole in her forward port side. A half-hour after taking the hit in the first wave, she was moving toward the mouth of the harbor. This movement made the ship an instant target to dive bombers and she was hit repeatedly by bombs, torpedoes and bullets as she steamed toward the Navy Yard. Crewman worked like mad to turn the ship with the help of tugboats, but she was taking on water and was beginning to sink. She would eventually find herself run aground on a coral ledge near the Navy Yard, where she would stay for months before being raised and repaired. In all, five battleships and two cruisers would be raised and fight the Japanese once more. Nevada would get back at the Japanese, providing naval fire support for the invasions of Attu, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. -- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. Want to Learn More About Military Life? Whether you're thinking of joining the military, looking for post-military careers or keeping up with military life and benefits, Military.com has you covered. Subscribe to Military.com to have military news, updates and resources delivered directly to your inbox. Photo: (Photo : pexels) A lot of couples are trying to conceive a child, and they have at least some thought of whether they want a boy or a girl. These preferences have made some resort to some surefire methods, from taking vitamins to timing when a couple will have sex in order to influence the gender of the child. But with the growing popularity of in-vitro fertilization, or IVF, more and more couples are gaining the ability to determine, with 100 percent certainty, the gender of their baby. Choosing a baby's gender through IVF There are questions on whether or not couples should be given the option to choose the gender of their child and the consequences of them choosing the gender is still unknown. Doctors have been thinking about this for years. In 1999, a professional organization, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, held the opinion that using IVF for sex selection should not be encouraged. But in 2018, the group eased its stance as they urged clinicians to create their own policies as to whether or not they should offer the service in their practice. But there are concerns that experts and the general public have over sex selection. It is not safe for the embryo IVF does not reveal anything, at least on its own, about the sex of the embryo. In the conventional method, a doctor retrieves the eggs of a woman and fertilizes them in a Petri dish. After letting the resulting embryos grow for a couple of days, the doctor looks at them under the microscope and implants one or more of the embryos that appear to be most viable in the woman. But over the last two decades, women and couples have increasingly had the option of adding a screening step to the IVF cycle. This can help determine a lot about the embryos, including the gender. In 2013, around six percent of IVF procedures involved screening for specific diseases. A survey of clinics done in 2008 in America found that 74 percent offer the service. One type of general screening, known as preimplantation genetic screening, or PGS, involves taking one cell from the embryo and looking at its chromosomes. The rest of the embryo is frozen while doctors carry out the test. It also helps doctors know which embryos are most viable and rule out the chromosomal abnormalities responsible for conditions like Turner syndrome and Down syndrome. According to Dr. Mark Sauer, the chief of the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at Columbia University Medical Center, some doctors have argued that manipulating the embryo in order to do the screening carries intrinsic risk to the embryo. Even though there are these concerns, there is no evidence that it is unsafe. But when you have millions of babies who were screened in this way, you get less and less concerned that you are doing harm. It could lead to gender bias In America, there is no evidence that giving couples the option of selecting the sex of their child could lead to a surplus of boys and girls. Sauer said that there is discrimination against women, but he does not sense in the practice of assisted reproductive technology that there is an overwhelming bias toward one sex or the other. There are some concerns, particularly in some Asian countries, about societies valuing boys more than girls. However, according to Brendan Foht, the assistant editor of The New Atlantic, a journal that publishes articles by experts and the public on bio-ethical issues, that to some extent, this could be a cultural stereotype. Numerous countries, including Canada and the United Kingdom, have placed bans on sex selection of babies for social uses. This is opposed to when sex selection is used to avoid the risk of sex-linked diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, which mainly affects boys. However, ethicists have challenged these types of bans, and they argued that sex selection will not lead to gender imbalance in the population. ALSO READ: IVF: What To Consider Before Resorting To This Treatment The first female firefighter in a Missouri fire department is accusing her coworkers of sexual harassment, including watching pornography at the station and showing her photos of genitalia, a lawsuit says. Nixa Fire Protection District firefighter Dana Osborne was hired in 2017 and almost immediately was treated differently and critiqued on a different basis than her male colleagues, according to the federal lawsuit filed Thursday. A fire captain made an inappropriate and unwelcome comment about Osbornes buttocks, the lawsuit says. Another captain watched porn with Osborne in his presence and showed pictures of bare backsides of women around the station, according to the lawsuit. The same captain also sent her a picture of an erect penis with an Apple watch wrapped around it and the caption selling my apple watch...lemme know if your (sic) interested, the lawsuit says. A few weeks later, he commented to Osborne that This is is the exact opposite of making my (penis) soft, according to the lawsuit. An attorney for the fire protection district didnt respond to an email Monday seeking comment. What sticks out the most for me is the near-constant barrage of pornography in the workplace, Osbornes attorney, Heidi Karr Sleper, told McClatchy News. This is 2020, and were still having to deal with male firefighters acting like this is a locker room. Karr Sleper compared the case to a female firefighters lawsuit in the Chicago suburbs in which a jury awarded her firms client $11 million. In that case, the first female firefighter at Country Club Hills Fire Department complained about firefighters watching porn at work and losing out on promotions because of her gender, WBBM reported. Osbornes lawsuit includes other specific examples of firefighters watching porn videos together at the station, sexual memes, dirty jokes and pictures of genitalia. It also includes accusations that Osborne was denied training and female-appropriate equipment and that the department retaliated after she filed sexual harassment and discrimination complaints. Story continues (Osborne) had recurring nightmares that she would be in a dangerous fire situation with her coworkers and they would not help her, the lawsuit says. Osborne, a mother of three, graduated from the Southeastern Missouri State University Law Enforcement Academy in 2003, became a firearms and defensive tactics instructor, then left law enforcement to be a firefighter, according to a Columbia Southern University news release about a scholarship she won. As the first career female firefighter in my district, it is my hearts desire to continue to break barriers, serve as a positive role model to others and to be an effective leader within my organization, Osborne said in the June 2019 news release. Asked what Osborne hopes for in a resolution to the lawsuit, Karr Sleper said she wants to be treated as an equal and mentioned the times her client has talked to girls as a public speaker about becoming a firefighter in a predominantly male profession. She wants to be able to look these little girls in the eye and tell them that working at the fire station is a great thing, Karr Sleper said. How did Colorado cop found in patrol car drunk over 5 times legal limit walk free? While I commend our students for drawing attention to a very real problem, she said in a statement, I am extremely disappointed that some graduate students chose to do so in a way that was unsanctioned by their union and is harmful to our undergraduate students, many of whom are struggling themselves. The strike is the result of long building frustrations. Housing costs have made academic careers increasingly untenable in a state whose public universities are its crown jewels, its economic engines and most highly touted vehicles for upward mobility. Graduate students I talked with described a kind of Catch 22: They are often recruited for their potential contributions to the work of a top-tier research university. A half-time job working as a teaching assistant is supposed to subsidize their study, so graduate student employees are discouraged from getting additional jobs. The problem is that while graduate students overall compensation includes tuition remission and some other benefits, like health care, students say that the money they take home to use for rent ends up being more in line with a 20-hour-per-week job than a full-time position. Ms. Hamilton, for example, estimated that she makes about $2,100 per month. And in a place like Santa Cruz, which is well within a long-but-not-outrageous commute to Silicon Valley, that doesnt go far. [Read more about who got into the University of California last year.] Ms. Hamilton and her husbands rent is $1,900 per month and she said she was set to move to a place thats half the size. Theyll still be paying $1,800 each month. Santa Cruz, students say, is an unaffordable market, which is why they started the unauthorized strike. ROCHESTER, N.H. So now it is up to New Hampshire. The Iowa caucuses debacle is in the rearview mirror, the first primary is days away, and still there is no clarity in the struggle for the Democratic presidential nomination. Iowa failed the Democrats, and it failed America. This is politics second chance. New Hampshire, presidential candidate Andrew Yang proclaimed in a campaign stop here, you are among the most powerful people in the country right now. The man who wears a MATH lapel pin spelled out the political arithmetic: Do you know how many Californians each New Hampshire voter is worth? One thousand. The baton now has been handed to this thousand-to-one state, unrepresentative in its demographics (90 percent of the state is white), in its average age (second oldest state in the country), in its lack of foreign influence (the percentage of foreign-born people is less than half the national average) and in its economic profile (seventh highest median household income). And yet so often it has been the great arbiter of our politics. A decades-old account of the primary here acknowledges the quadrennial critique of New Hampshires shortcomings: Every four years the state gets a fresh diagnosis from the political pundits trying to psychoanalyze us. Some say there arent enough of us for a fair sample, others say we all speak in the same Yankee twang, which nobody understands. The consensus is that our folkways defy description. The principal folkway now in play comes in four letters: FITN. Everyone in these parts knows it means first in the nation. Over the years, Iowas caucuses a far different procedure, as we discovered this month had one important function: to cull the field of White House aspirants. Instead, this years muddle in the middle of the country only extended the life of presidential campaigns that otherwise might have ended a few blocks from the state capitol in Des Moines hours after the results were posted. Because the results were not known for more than a day after the caucuses ended, the usual departures were replaced by faux statements of triumph and brave vows of perseverance. Robert Frost, a poet by avocation but a New Hampshire political scientist by inclination, used to speak of the cornmeal mush distributed by politicians. Here there is little tolerance for such mush. Frost spoke of first answerability. Here the residents demand that their questions be answered in town forums, breakfast meetings, meet-and-greets on the town green, encounters on the states mushy streets. Indeed, Ralph Waldo Emerson, who tramped the states mountain trails, said it was the best of humanity that goes out to walk. A lot of the campaigning here is out on a walk. On that walk there will be many in the days before Tuesdays voting the personal nature of campaigning here will be on display. This one-on-one thing pays off, Gov. Hugh Gregg (1953-1955), one of the greatest boosters of the states primary, told me before he died 16 years ago. We pick the candidates with an open mind. We dont always concentrate on the issues. We always concentrate on the character of the candidates. It works here. We serve the nation in a way no one else can. That has been the mantra, invoked for decades, repeated often enough that it is a devout conviction here. Its mostly true, and though other small states surely have the capacity to make these choices, none has the experience and the cultural imperative to match New Hampshires. Were independent, Republican Sen. Warren Rudman, who died seven years ago, once told me. Were self-reliant. Its even true of the people who move into the state. They take on the character. Its what draws them here, and what keeps them here. Candidate scrutiny is part of the states DNA, as much as cheap liquor (in state stores conveniently planted just beyond the highway toll barriers), low taxes (the only state without both sales and income taxes), and a set of mountains called, poignantly, the Presidential Range. (One peak is called Mount Clinton but, in classic New Hampshire nonconformist style, not named for the 42nd president but instead for DeWitt Clinton, a governor of New York who never was president but who ran for the office in 1812.) There is a culture of service here, former Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, told a crowd in North Conway. Theres an expectation of involvement. One element that has resonance today: Even as a blue state in contemporary times, New Hampshire remains a conservative place with a mischievous soak-the-rich impulse, evident in its business-profits levy and its meals and rooming taxes. But the greatest tradition is of the town hall meeting. It is where government decisions are made at the local level. The events are raucous, but serious. Everyone gets a chance to speak. Town officials have no place to hide, no means of evading tough questions. And the presidential candidates respect that tradition. Indeed, in the last week of this years primary, the 2020 presidential candidates have scheduled 38 sessions they describe as town hall meetings. Yang, the entrepreneur at the bottom of the polls, has scheduled 17 of them. Folks, its good to be back in New Hampshire, more than you know, former Vice President Joe Biden told union members in Concord in just such a session after the Iowa debacle. You know 24 hours later, theyre still trying to figure out what happened in Iowa. At this rate, New Hampshire might get the first vote after all. Thats the kind of line that wins applause here. Soon we will see if it wins votes as well. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA An emboldened Donald Trump celebrated his acquittal in the Senate impeachment trial at a campaign rally in New Hampshire, where he hoped his presence would rattle his Democratic opponents on the eve of the states first-in-the-nation primaries. While the Democratic candidates tore into the president at rallies and events across the battleground state, Trump fired up thousands of his most ardent supporters at the Monday night rally, his first since the Senate cleared him of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Our good Republicans in the United States Senate voted to reject the outrageous partisan impeachment hoax and to issue a full, complete and absolute total acquittal, Trump thundered to a packed arena in downtown Manchester. It wasnt even close! Trump tweeted ahead of the rally that he hoped to shake up the Dems a little bit as they face a competitive contest, in which Vermont senator Bernie Sanders leads the field in many surveys. The New Hampshire primary has always played an outsized role in the presidential nomination process, but it has taken on a heightened significance following the disastrous failure of the Iowa caucuses to produce a clear winner. Related: Joe Biden comes out swinging in New Hampshire but is it too late? Trump delighted in the debacle, playfully asking the crowd if anyone knew who had won the Democratic caucuses. "(Nobody knows. Flip a coin! he said.) He added later: The Democrat party wants to run your healthcare but they cant even run a caucus in Iowa. As the Democratic hopefuls crisscrossed the state, Trump supporters came from across the region, braving rain and snow, to attend the rally in Manchester, a one-time manufacturing city of 110,000 people. The line to enter the arena snaked around the arena for several blocks; those at the front had arrived more than 24 hours in advance. Inside the arena, concession stands sold cotton candy, popcorn and Dippin Dots to people in red Make America Great Again hats and pink Women for Trump T-shirts. Story continues Supporters at the Trump rally in New Hampshire. Photograph: Justin Lane/EPA Trumps hour-long speech reprised some of his most incendiary remarks, including the claim that undocumented immigrants entering the country are murderers, rapists and some other things. But he also made fresh references. He lashed out at the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, for her behavior during his State of the Union speech last week when she tore up a copy of his remarks after he finished. Im speaking and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me. Angry there was a little anger back there, Trump complained. Were the ones that should be angry! The arena erupted in a round of Lock her up!!, a cry once directed at Hillary Clinton. But Trump also credited the House speaker for his rising poll numbers. Last week, as the Democratic Iowa caucus collapsed into disarray, he recorded his highest ever approval rating in a Gallup poll. (Thank you, Nancy, he roared.) Unlike the Democrats, Trump faces no real competition in the New Hampshire Republican primary on Tuesday, which four years ago delivered his first primary victory. Only Bill Weld, the former governor of Massachusetts, remains in the race as an alternative for the fast-dwindling faction of Never Trump Republicans. Noting his lack of opposition in the states open primary, Trump repeatedly returned to the prospect of his supporters influencing the result by voting for the Democrat who they believe Trump would have the best chance of defeating. New Hampshire election laws allow independents to cast ballots for either Democrats or Republicans. A lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats, he said. My only problem is Im trying to figure out who is the weakest candidate. I think theyre all weak. The event on Monday night was part of a strategy to steal the attention from Democrats at a critical moment, as Trump did with a rally in Des Moines on the eve of the Iowa caucuses. The Trump campaign is using the primary on Tuesday as an opportunity to flex its organizational muscles and to reach Republican and independent voters who they hope to win over in November, said spokesman Tim Murtaugh. Trump lost the state by less than 3,000 votes but his campaign has it firmly in their sights this time around. At the rally, Trump again falsely claimed that he lost the state in 2016 due to voter fraud but said this year should be a lot different. Ray Buckley, the chair of the New Hampshire Democratic Party, called Trumps visit a blunder that will remind voters why its so important to vote in November 2020. He said the party is investing heavily in the battleground state which Trump once maligned as a drug-infested den on a 2017 call with the leader of Mexico in case the eventual nominee needs its four electoral votes. While Trump spoke, the Democrats were spread across the state. Joe Biden held a campaign event across the city at Saint George Greek Orthodox Cathedral; Pete Buttigieg held a rally in Exeter and Bernie Sanders joined the congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and The Strokes for a concert-rally in Durham. Like Trump, many of his supporters at the event were emboldened by his acquittal in the Senate on Wednesday. Few expressed any doubt about the presidents prospects of being re-elected in November, pointing to a strong economy and the specter of socialism if a Democrat wins. Donald Trump is greeted by his daughter Ivanka Trump at the rally in Manchester. Photograph: Jonathan Ernst/Reuters Theyll take our freedom away, said Joanne Guimond, 64, from Bristol, Connecticut. Well end up like Venezuela. Attending a Trump rally is a bucket list event for Guimond, who came with her husband Emile, 69. Not only do they find Trumps tell-it-like-it-is approach to politics refreshing, but they believe it has helped restore the US to a position of strength at home and abroad. Trumps the only one whos got balls to do anything for our country, he said. He goes to other countries and fights for us. The Democrats? Forget it. Hes the one saving this country. Michelle McBride, 58, a New Hampshire state government employee, is confident Trump will win re-election and is encouraged by the state of the economy under his stewardship. The unemployment rate in New Hampshire had already fallen to 2.8% under Barack Obama, but has reduced to 2.6% under Trump. McBride is alarmed that young people are attracted to the economic policies put forward by the Democratic candidates. Todays youth dont understand what socialism means, she said. And they dont know whats going on because theres no free speech on campuses anymore. The Democratic party is not the John F Kennedy party that we grew up with, she said ruefully. I dont even know what they stand for anymore other than socialism. Its scary. A pubgoer who attempted to break up a brawl had his head slammed into a pool table and stomped on in an horrific incident that's landed a thug behind bars. Cory Pereira was handed a four-year jail term on Tuesday for his part in the attack on Jay Smith, 23, at Champion Lakes Tavern, in Perth's south east, in November 2017. Staff at the venue said they heard the sickening impact of the stomp that left Mr Smith with skull fractures and bleeding on his brain, according to 9 News. Cory Pereira, 26, was handed a four-year jail term on Tuesday for his part in the attack where he stopped on the head of Jay Smith, 23. Pictured is Pereira attacking Mr Smith on the ground Mr Smith's ability to taste and smell has not recovered in the two years since the attack. A court heard that as Mr Smith lay unresponsive on the ground, Pereira stepped over his victim and went to the casino. The judge branded the attack on Mr Smith a 'senseless, unprovoked and cowardly act of violence', adding the victim was 'defenceless and vulnerable'. Mr Smith was struck repeatedly by multiple men during the brawl, leaving the judge unable to determine whether Pereira was responsible for the injuries. The attacker's lawyer noted that Pereira had been drinking before the attack. He added Pereira felt terrible for Mr Smith. But the judge s said the attacker had never shown genuine remorse. Pereira will be eligible for parole in two years. [February 11, 2020] Exceptional Women in the American Payments Industry Recognized at the Women in Payments Awards Ceremony Women in Payments recognized exceptionally talented leaders and rising stars in the payments industry at the annual Women in Payments symposium in Washington, DC, on February 10. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005810/en/ Mary Rosendahl, Bank of America, Cheryl Guerin, Mastercard, Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network, Rawan Shawar, ACI Worldwide, Kimberly Lawrence, Visa, (not pictured: Monica Eaton (News - Alert)-Cardone, Chargebacks 911) (Photo: Business Wire) The 2020 U.S.A. awards were presented in partnership with Visa, as part of the annual Women in Payments symposia, to outstanding payments professionals, with recipients commended for their leadership, innovation, and commitment to strengthening the industry and for advocating the success of women in the payments ecosystem. "Visa is delighted to sponsor the 2020 Women in Payments Awards Dinner and we congratulate the awards winners for their significant contributions to the industry," said Sharon Haines, senior vice president of sales, Visa. "Women power economies around the world and at Visa, we're committed to supporting and empowering women in all facets of live." "Women in Payments is committed to fostering leadership, innovation and championing women in payments, fintech, banking, and treasury services. We have been recognizing the outstanding work of payment leaders and innovators since 2013. The awards are a chance to celebrate and recognize the achievements of the women and men who pave the way for rising stars across the payments industry. We could not be more pleased with this year's six incredibly talented winners," said Kristy Duncan, founder and CEO of Women in Payments. "Congratulations to all!" The awards, across six categories, went to: Distinguished Payments Professional , Kimberly Lawrence, Visa , Kimberly Lawrence, Visa Innovation , Monica Eaton-Cardone, Chargebacks 911 , Monica Eaton-Cardone, Chargebacks 911 Change Agent , Cheryl Guerin, Mastercard , Cheryl Guerin, Mastercard Rising Star , Rawan Shawar, ACI Worldwide (News - Alert) , Rawan Shawar, ACI Worldwide (News - Alert) Advocate for Women , Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network , Talbott Roche, Blackhawk Network Educator, Mary Rosendahl, Bank of America MORE ABOUT THE AWARDS AND WINNERS: The Women in Payments Distinguished Payments Professional Award is a lifetime achievement award that recognizes a woman who is an acknowledgd trendsetter, role model, and a strong contributor to the overall positive image of the industry. This year, this award was presented to Kimberly Lawrence, SVP, Global Head of Client Services, Visa for her role in developing initiatives that have been instrumental in shaping the way card payments work today. The Women in Payments Innovation Award is presented to a woman who has promoted payments innovation through creativity and vision. This year the award was presented to Monica Eaton-Cardone, Co-founder, Chargebacks 911, for her outstanding work advocating innovations in security and risk in payments, while pushing for greater diversity at senior levels. The Women in Payments Change Agent Award is awarded to a woman in the industry who has led initiatives to drive change and transformation in the industry or her organization, while exuding a strong desire for growth and a vision for the future. This year, the award was presented to Cheryl Guerin, EVP, North America Marketing and Communications, Mastercard, for her leadership role in the payments space. Cheryl is a key player in championing women business owners at Mastercard, where she leads the company's work to spotlight female business owners. The Women in Payments Rising Star Award recognizes emerging talent. The award pays tribute to women who demonstrate leadership, professional excellence, and a commitment to motivating others to make a positive impact on the payments ecosystem. This year, the award was presented to Rawan Shawar, Senior Software Engineer and Team Lead, ACI Worldwide, for her hard work and dedication to giving back to the network of women in the payments industry through speaking events and mentorship. The Women in Payments Educator Award goes to a woman in the payments industry who is an authority in her field, leads by example and contributes to a positive and supportive learning environment. This year the award goes to Mary Rosendahl, Director, Bank of America, for her passion for helping others. She mentors colleagues, supporting them to be ready and capable to adapt to the constant change of the payments industry. The Women in Payments Advocate for Women Award goes to a man or a woman who actively contributes to the advancement and development of women, and publicly celebrates the work and accomplishments of women in the workplace. This year, the award was presented to Talbott Roche, CEO and President, Blackhawk Network, for recognizing the importance of female mentorship and using leadership to advocate for the advancement of women in the payments sphere. See a full list of all the nominees here. About Visa Inc. Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world's leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device for everyone, everywhere.?As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit About Visa, visa.com/blog and @VisaNews. About Women in Payments Women in Payments is an initiative offering women opportunities for career development through learning, networking, mentorship, and recognition at all stages of their careers in the payments sphere. They run conferences, events, and award and mentorship programs in Canada, the US, Australia, the UK, New Zealand, and Singapore. Engagement and support comes from global leaders in payments and fintech, including Mastercard, Visa, JPMorganChase, Finastra, ACI Worldwide, Ripple, PayPal (News - Alert), Scotiabank, RBC, TD Bank, CIBC, BMO, ANZ, and Ingenico Group. Further information can be found at www.womeninpayments.org View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005810/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Delhi Election 2020 results: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is fighting from the New Delhi constituency is leading in his constituency as per early trends. The Aam Aadmi Party leader is pitted against Bharatiya Janata Party's Sunil Yadav and Congress' Romesh Sabharwal. Arvind Kejriwal was trying to turn the focus on the party's work in the national capital ahead of the elections. The Chief Minister is hopeful of a third term in the constituency on the basis of his work in the capital. Kejriwal's predictions are not all out of place. In the 2013 assembly polls, Kejriwal challenged Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit in her home turf of New Delhi and won by a margin of 25,000 votes. He went on to form the government. In 2015, Kejriwal won a resounding victory in Delhi elections, winning 67 out of the 70 seats. While it was almost a given that Kejriwal would win the New Delhi seat again, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari did not think so. In an interview to India Today, Tiwari said, "Arvind Kejriwal has no chance in Delhi elections, he is going to lose his own seat from New Delhi constituency. He would have winning chances had he contested from seats like Seelampur." Also read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: Counting begins; AAP leading on 40 seats, BJP ahead on 11 The constituency, however, saw a low voter turnout of 51.64 per cent, which caused some concern for the AAP. As compared to the 2015 elections, New Delhi constituency recorded a drop of 12 percentage points in voter turnout. Meanwhile, the overall voter turnout for Delhi Elections 2020 stood at 62.59 per cent, as mentioned by the Election Commission of India. The exit poll conducted by India Today and Axis My India also supported Kejriwal's claim and stated that the CM-led AAP is poised to sweep Delhi Elections. The poll predicted that AAP might grab 59-68 seats, while the BJP might win between two and 11 seats. The India Today-Axis My India exit poll also showed that about 48 per cent voters shifted from BJP to AAP since General Elections 2019. The survey said a large chunk of lower and lower middle-class section formed the 48 per cent voters. Delhi is the fourth state to conduct elections after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. BJP failed to win a majority in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. It, however, formed the government in Haryana with the help of Jannayak Janata Party. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? AP A new presidential aircraft is in the works to replace the aging planes in service today, and it is expected to get a new paint job. The Pentagon's fiscal year 2021 budget request was released on Monday and featured a rendering of the future Air Force One with a red, white, and blue paint scheme. The paint scheme appears to match plans Trump showed off last summer, which observers said resembled his private "Trump Force One" jet. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. The Pentagon's latest budget request shows President Donald Trump's plans for a new patriotic red, white, and blue paint job for Air Force One, a paint scheme some observers say looks a lot like his private jet. Buried in the pages of the Pentagon's $705.4 billion fiscal year 2021 budget request is a rendering of the future Air Force One with a red, white, and blue paint job rather than the iconic light-blue color scheme introduced in the 1960s during the Kennedy administration. The image is accompanied by information on the VC-25B Presidential Aircraft Recapitalization program. Rendering of the future Air Force One in the FY 2021 budget request Department of Defense In last year's budget request, the accompanying image was in-line with the current paint job. Rendering of the future Air Force One in the fiscal year 2020 DoD budget request Department of Defense In February 2018, the White House struck a $3.9 billion deal with Boeing for a new VC-25B aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-8, to replace the VC-25A aircraft, a modified Boeing 747-200, used by the president. That summer, Trump told CBS News that the new plane was "going to be red, white, and blue" and revealed his plans for a new paint job. In a conversation with ABC News in June, the president showed off mock-ups of the new plane with its red, white, and blue paint scheme. Trump's plans for Air Force One Screenshot/ABC News/YouTube "There's your new Air Force One," Trump told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos in the Oval Office. At the time, observers were quick to say the president's plans for the new paint job looked similar to his private passenger jet but with the colors inverted. Story continues Trump has a Boeing 757-200 that's nicknamed "Trump Force One." Donald Trump Boeing 757 AP The blue in the Pentagon photo appears a little bit lighter than the hue on Trump's aircraft. The new Air Force One is expected to be delivered in 2024. According to the Department of Defense, it will "provide the President, staff, and guests with safe and reliable air transportation at the same level of security and communications capability available in the White House." Business Insider Whats at stake here on Birri land, the name of its aboriginal tribe, is an already thin water supply threatened by the mine project, which will draw on groundwater across much of central Queensland, where both camp and mine are located. Among the many banners that hang around the 100-acre site is one with a simple message: Defend Our Water. Six members of a drug ring that operated in Warminster have pleaded guilty: (top, from left) Roberto Espinal, Luigi Ortega, Delvin Perez, (bottom, from left) Nuris Martinez, Carlos Garcia Perez, Eleni Saturrie. Read more Six members of a drug ring that ran a heroin mill out of an unassuming house in Bucks County have pleaded guilty and will spend years in state prison. And the drug rings alleged kingpin is expected to admit his guilt at a hearing next month, prosecutors said Tuesday. The guilty pleas, entered Friday, came a little over a year after a dramatic, late-night raid exposed a multimillion-dollar drug operation on Cheryl Drive in Warminster. Federal agents joined county detectives in storming the modest split-level home, which had been under surveillance for months after concerned neighbors noticed suspicious activity there, according to Deputy District Attorney Christopher Rees. Inside, investigators found a veritable assembly line for manufacturing and packaging heroin in what they described as a massive drug operation. Out of the suburban basement, authorities said, the group distributed the narcotic throughout the county and across the state, raking in an estimated $8 million a week. The drug ring was an unexpected presence in the Warminster neighborhood, where its work was hidden in plain sight. The group put up seasonal holiday decorations and mostly blended in on the street, investigators said. But in time, some late-night comings and goings aroused suspicion among neighbors, who alerted police. READ MORE: Warminster home hid heroin mill that operated for months, prosecutors say This was clearly a criminal organization," Rees said Tuesday. There was no indication that the individuals participating in this were themselves drug users in any way. It was just their job to manufacture poison for distribution in Bucks County and Pennsylvania. Now six members of the drug ring have pleaded guilty to racketeering, drug possession with intent to deliver, and criminal conspiracy: Roberto Espinal, 48; Luigi Ortega, 31; Carlos Garcia Perez, 34; Eleni Saturrie, 39; Nuris Martinez, 47; and Delvin Perez, 38. The roles each played in the operation are unclear, but authorities have said evidence linking all of them to the drug mill were found inside the home, including wallets and prescription medication. Investigators believe they were recruited from different parts of the region: Some lived in Philadelphia, others elsewhere in Warminster. One, Garcia Perez, came from New York City, court records show. Bucks County Judge Brian McGuffin sentenced Garcia Perez and Perez to 34 months to six years in prison, and the four others were sentenced to three to six years in prison, court records show. The sentences especially in light of the fact that none have prior convictions of any kind reflect the seriousness in which Bucks Countys investigators, DA, and the county bench take the opioid crisis, Rees said. A seventh member of the ring, Yocasta Maria Mercedes, 38, pleaded guilty last month, and was sentenced to three to six years in prison. Dariel Vasquez, 40, of Frankford, one of two men who prosecutors say organized the ring, pleaded guilty in November and is serving a 5- to 10-year sentence in state prison. The other alleged ringleader, Moises Rodriguez, 44, of Paterson, N.J., is expected to plead guilty to similar drug offenses next month, authorities said. Two others who had been expected to plead guilty skipped court and bench warrants were issued for their arrests: Jose Luis-Morales, 36, who authorities said was living in the country illegally and was deported after his arrest to the Dominican Republic, and Luis Torres, 32, who investigators believe cut off the GPS tracker he was issued as a condition of his bail. Prosecutors, meanwhile, credited alert residents with tipping them off that something in the house was amiss. This was in a residential neighborhood, and people either living in or around the neighborhood noticed suspicious activity at the house and put it on our radar, Rees said. The first and often most useful step in solving a crime is when people in the community take an interest in something that strikes them as not quite right. Oneida County Jail, Instagram A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of teenage Instagram star Bianca Devins after sharing gruesome images of her body online. Brandon Clark, 21, from Cicero, New York, entered a plea of guilty for second-degree murder for the July killing of the 17-year-old social star, months after he plead not guilty. On July 14, Mr Clark allegedly slit the throat of Devins in Utica, New York, before attempting to kill himself, police said. He then posted bloody images of himself with Devins body on Discord, an online chat service, and his own Instagram page. One image showed Mr Clark with a self-inflicted cut on his own neck. Friends and family said Mr Clark and Devins were not romantically involved, according to police, but the man got jealous after the pair attended a concert in New York City together on July 13. Devins kissed another man at the concert and it sparked a furious reaction from Mr Clark. He initially pleaded not guilty in connection to the murder and was set to go to trial later this month before changing his plea. In court, Mr Clark apologised for his actions. When speaking to the judge, Mr Clark said Devins didnt deserve what happened to her. I think I need to realise what I did I cant undo, as much as I want to, he said. I have to face it. The pictures Mr Clark shared of Ms Devins body on social media filtered across multiple platforms. While some companies removed the images, they still exist in other places of the Internet. Ms Devins mother, Kim Devins, has since worked with politicians to advocate for social media reform, specifically as it relates to the posting of graphic images like the ones of her daughter. Sentencing is expected in April and Mr Clark, who is currently in Oneida County jail, could face up to 25 years to life in prison. Read more Trump says coronavirus will go away due to the heat- follow live Amanda Knox publicly shames alt-right blogger Student who Biden mocked says bullying shouldnt be dismissed KAMPALA Japanese government has donated rice consignment to assist refugees in Uganda through World Food Programme (WFP). The development is contained in a World Food Programme statement inviting media houses in Kampala to cover the handover of a Japanese to Government of Uganda through the Office of the Prime Minister. The Government will then hand over the rice to the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), who will distribute it to refugees in five settlements in Uganda. The statement also indicates that Minister for Disaster Preparedness and Refugees, the Japanese Ambassador in Uganda and WFPs Country Director will be in attendance. The handover ceremony will be made at WFP warehouse at plot 1110, Kibuga Block 17, Wankulukuku Road, Nalukolongo, Kampala. Uganda is one of the largest refugee-hosting nations in the world, with over 1.5m refugees as at the end of 2019. The vast influx of refugees is due to several factors in Ugandas neighbouring countries, especially war and violence in South Sudan and the DR Congo and associated economic crisis and political instability in the region. Uganda has relatively friendly policies that provide rights to the refugees, such as rights to education, work, private property, healthcare and other basic social services. Speaking recently, first Deputy Prime Minister, Gen Moses Ali assured refugees and the rest of the world that Uganda will maintain its Open Door Policy for refugees as a way of commitment to humanitarian and peaceful living across the globe. Related Washington Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence President Donald Trump's confidant Roger Stone to serve between 7 and 9 years in prison after his conviction on witness tampering and obstruction charges. Stone, who is scheduled to be sentenced next week, was convicted in November of a seven-count indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. He was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday evening, prosecutors asked for Stone to serve between 87 and 108 months in federal prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. Such a sentence would send a message to deter others who might consider lying or obstructing a congressional probe or tampering with witnesses. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. They charged in the filing that Stone "decided to double and triple down on his criminal conduct by tampering with a witness for months in order to make sure his obstruction would be successful." "Stone's actions were not a one-off mistake in judgment. Nor were his false statements made in the heat of the moment. They were nowhere close to that," prosecutors wrote in the court papers. Prosecutors alleged Stone lied to Congress about his conversations about WikiLeaks with New York radio host and comedian Randy Credico. After Credico was contacted by Congress, he reached out to Stone, who told him he should "stonewall it" and "plead the fifth," he testified. Prosecutors also charged that Stone had threatened Credico's therapy dog, Bianca, saying he was "going to take that dog away from you." PLYMOUTH Everybody knows that all love is created equal, but its a sentiment that cant be repeated too often around Valentines Day. Embracing the theme love wins, red velvet cupcakes and drag queen Tina Montgomery are sure to be among the highlights at the Montgomery County LGBT Business Councils third annual gala on Friday, February 21, from 6 to 10 p.m. at The DoubleTree Hotel in Plymouth Meeting. We usually hold the gala around the holidays but this year we decided to push it back to have it around Valentines Day, explained Montco LGBT Business Council president Melissa Buckminster. This is open to the public as well as our council members. The semi-formal evening will include a networking cocktail hour from 6 to 7 p.m., followed by a sit-down dinner in the banquet room and a drag show, all while celebrating the LGBTQ+ community and the idea that all love is created equal. In addition to crowd favorite Montgomery, the show will sparkle with appearances by drag queen Alexis Cartier and drag king King Rome. The organization, which was originally formed in 2016 after one of the founders was discriminated against at a local business, connects costumers with businesses who are accepting and inclusive in their business and hiring practices. The Council hosts LGBTQ+ cultural competency trainings, business card exchanges, and provides advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community in Montgomery County through being a vocal proponent of non-discrimination ordinances. Were always trying to increase LGBT visibility in Montco because obviously, compared to Philly, we dont have a ton of opportunities for resources and to connect so were glad to provide those for the LGBT community out here. Our business council members are either LGBT-owned or allied-owned businesses and we have about 100 council member sin Montco now. Its really about bringing the LGBT community together and celebrating the businesses that are inclusive and welcoming. Buckminster noted that the event is one of the highlights of her year. The drag show is what pulled me into the organization. When I saw there was a networking event with drag queens I said, sign me up. The galas are actually how I originally got involved with the Council. Buckminster said. When I began working in Montgomery County in 2015, I was just coming out and craved community. I found little to no LGBTQ+ visibility in Montgomery County until I came across the Business Councils gala that boasted a drag show. I wanted nothing more than to be a part of the organization and increasing queer representation in my area. After volunteering with and joining the board, Buckminster became President of the organization last spring. For the first year, the Richard Buttacavoli Legacy Award will be presented to co-founder and former President, Richard Buttacavoli. Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Commission on LGBTQ+ Affairs Todd Snovel will receive the Councils Volunteer of the Year Award. Tickets for the Love Wins Gala are $75 for individuals, $125 for couples and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/love-wins-gala-hosted-by-the-montgomery-county-lgbt-business-council-tickets-90500769237?aff=ebdssbdestsearch Proceeds help support the Montgomery County LGBTs Business Councils advocacy and programming. An investigation by BBC Africa Eye has uncovered shocking evidence that torture is being used by multiple branches of the Nigerian police and armed forces. Images from social media show that a particular form of torture - a technique known as tabay- is widely used in the interrogation and punishment of detainees, including children. This investigation also reveals that in 2014, a senior police officerfromSARS (Special Anti-Robbery Squad), was found in a civil court case to have been involved in the torture of a young man who later died from his injuries. When approached by Africa Eye he declined to comment. A serving police officer confirmed to the BBC the use of torture by SARS and recounted the daily abuse he witnessed in special cells within police stations used to extract confessions. He said: If you refuse to talk, you are taken in there. You will talk. Some offenders begin speaking the moment theyre tied up. Some start talking when the torture is underway. The investigation features two young boys who were tortured by members of a government-backed vigilante group in northern Nigeria in 2019. One of the boys, Abba Bashir, says: When they were doing this to me, I wished I was dead. I felt it would be better to be shot with a gun. Torture is illegal in Nigeria, banned by the anti-torture act of 2017. But Nigerian human rights lawyer Justus Ijeoma told the BBC that, despite these laws, torture remains rampant: I am not aware of any prosecution under the anti-torture act. Prosecution, let alone conviction...We cannot fold our arms and look the other way while our society keeps degenerating. One of the most widely used torture techniques is called tabay, in which the arms are forced back and tied at the elbows, cutting circulation to the hands and immobilising the victim. The most violent variation of this technique, according to the police eye-witness, is known as the bicycle ride and is routinely used in at least one SARS station. The victims are tied to a chair with their hands and legs bound from behind, before being beaten and electrocuted. In other cases of torture by members of the Nigerian security forces, documented on video, victims are suspended with their legs and hands constrained and heavyweights are placed on their backs to increase the pain. The programme reports that tabay torture dates back to ancient times and is still used in Nigeria today. The Nigerian police did not respond to requests from Africa Eye for comment. YouTube full version BBC Africa Eyeis BBC Africas award-winning investigations unit. It makes TV and online investigative documentaries for BBC World service. Africa Eye provides in-depth reporting that holds power to account and tackles topics that are of interest and concern to audiences across Africa and beyond. BBC World Service delivers news content around the world in English and 41 other language services, on radio, TV and digital, reaching a weekly audience of 319m. As part of BBC World Service, BBC Learning English teaches English to global audiences. For more information, visit bbc.com/worldservice. The BBC attracts a weekly global audience of 394m people to its international news services including BBC World Service, BBC World News television channel and bbc.com/news. WASHINGTON - U.S. businesses sharply cut the number of jobs they advertised in December for the second straight month, an unusual sign of weakness in an otherwise healthy job market. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. FILE - In this July 1, 2019, file photo, a help wanted sign appears on a bus stop in front of a McDonald's restaurant in Miami. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, the Labor Department reports on job openings and labor turnover for December. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee, File) WASHINGTON - U.S. businesses sharply cut the number of jobs they advertised in December for the second straight month, an unusual sign of weakness in an otherwise healthy job market. The number of available positions dropped 5.4% to 6.4 million, a historically solid number, the Labor Department said Tuesday. There are still more open jobs than there are unemployed people, an unusual situation that has persisted for nearly two years. Before that, the ranks of those out of work exceeded the number of open jobs. Still, the total of available jobs has fallen by more than 1 million in the past year, the biggest annual drop since the Great Recession. Most of that decline has occurred in just the past two months. Job openings are now at the their lowest level in two years. The decline comes after job openings had hit the highest level on records dating back to December 2000. 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. Nearly all other measures of the labour market remain healthy: The unemployment rate is 3.6%, nearly a half-century low, and employers added 225,000 jobs last month, a solid increase. The trend in job growth has remained strong through January ... but the recent decline in job openings signals that job growth could slow at some point, said Daniel Silver, an economist at JPMorgan Chase. FILE - In this Sept. 18, 2019, file photo people stand in line to inquire about jobs available at the Bean Automotive Group during a job fair designed for people fifty years or older in Miami. On Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020, the Labor Department reports on job openings and labor turnover for December. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File) Over the past two months, openings have fallen across all large industries covered by Tuesday's report, known as the Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS. Some of the biggest declines were in construction, manufacturing, financial services, and retail. Other data in the report suggested hiring and the job market remains solid. Total hiring rose 1.4% to 5.9 million in December. The JOLTS tracks gross hiring, while the monthly jobs report counts net job gains. The Labor Department said last month that employers added a net total of 147,000 jobs in December. Layoffs also rose in December to nearly 1.9 million, the highest in more than two years. But that number is historically volatile and may not signify a shift in trends. As a percentage of the workforce, job cuts remain low. And weekly figures on unemployment claims also point to a low level of layoffs. The number of Americans quitting their jobs declined moderately, but remains at a healthy level. More frequent job departures are typically a sign of job market health, because most workers leave their jobs for a better or higher-paying position. By Sangmi Cha and Hyonhee Shin SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean social media erupted in celebration on Monday after the dark comedy "Parasite" became the first non-English language movie to win the Best Picture award, already having netted three other Oscars in a historic first for the country. Director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" vaulted over what he once called the "one-inch tall barrier of subtitles" to capture international attention like no previous South Korean movie. Bong's win for Best Original Screenplay was the first Oscar for South Korea's large film industry. But as the night continued, the film also came out on top of increasingly prestigious categories, including International Feature Film award, Best Director for Bong, and the top award, Best Picture. "I'm ready to drink tonight," Bong joked, after thanking the cast and staff during his acceptance speech for the International Feature Film award. Executive producer Kwak Sin-ae said she was "speechless" after the film won Best Picture. "Parasite" had also snagged nominations for best production design and best film editing, and had already collected several other international film awards. A satirical take on the vast gap between the rich and poor in South Korea, the movie came as South Korea grapples with the divide between "dirt spoons" - those born to low-income families who have all but given up on social mobility - and "gold spoons," as those from better-off families are known. LANGUAGE BARRIERS FALLING Although South Korea's film industry is one of the largest in the world, the Korean-language "Parasite" made unprecedented waves in international markets. After the nominations were announced in January, Bong said he saw it as a sign that language is no longer a stumbling block for global success. "I was so proud as a Korean to hear that a South Korean film defeated so many famous foreign films," said Chung Su-yoon, a Seoul resident who watched "Parasite" just two hours before the Oscars. Story continues Pop culture critic Kim Hern-sik said the deeper messages of "Parasite" allowed it to resonate with people around the world. "Just like BTS had a popular appeal by casting the problems the youth go through everywhere in the world, 'Parasite' gained global understanding by demonstrating the issue of the gap between the rich and poor," Kim said, referring to the K-pop group that has found wide success in the United States and around the world despite Korean-language lyrics. One clip making the rounds on South Korean social media mocked a reporter who asked Bong why he shot the film in Korean. "She should've asked Scorsese or Tarantino why they shot their own movies in English," one commenter said, referencing other directors who were nominated. Another popular clip on South Korean social media was a slow-motion shot of the cast enjoying the night on the red carpet, cheering the stars and wishing them the best of luck. U.S. Ambassador to South Korea Harry Harris tweeted, "we are doing a watch party at the embassy eating jjapaguri", referring to the noodle dish the rich family enjoys in the movie. "HISTORIC MOMENT" The movie's distributor, CJ ENM, said it was a "historic moment" that will go down in Korean film history. "Over the past year, we have realized that the status of Korean films has dramatically increased thanks to 'Parasite,'" the company said in a statement. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said the film's cast and crew helped instil "pride and courage in our people as we come together to weather difficulties." "I am very pleased to see a Korean film shoulder to shoulder with those of other countries," he added. Hashtags Parasite and DirectorBongJoonho were the most trending on Twitter South Korea, while the movie name was the most searched on the local Naver web portal after the victories. Some South Koreans called the win a "national celebration". "Global audiences will watch the movie and say that 'South Korea can also do it,'" said Kim Chan-dong, a pastor who watched "Parasite" on its second day in theatres. "The movie frankly portrayed the story of people in hardships, arousing deep sympathy from people." (Reporting by Sangmi Cha and Hyonhee Shin; Additional reporting by Hyun Young Yi, Daewoung Kim and Chaeyoun Won; Editing by Josh Smith, Himani Sarkar and Gerry Doyle) President Erdogan, Putin to discuss Syria over phone The announcement came against the backdrop of rising tensions following deadly attacks by the Assad regime on Turkish troops in Idlib. Turkish President Recep Tayip Erdogan and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin will discuss Syria in a phone call, the Kremlin announced on Tuesday. "Yes," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, when asked if the phone call he announced earlier in the day would be between the Russian and Turkish leaders on Syria. ASSAD REGIME FORCES'S ATTACKS WILL BE DISSCUSSED Five Turkish troops were martyred and five more injured in shelling by regime forces in Idlib on Monday, following a similar attack last week martyring seven Turkish soldiers and a civilian contractor. The Turkish troops are in Idlib nominally a cease-fire zone under a deal between Turkey and Russia as part of an anti-terror and peace mission. Turkey has retaliated against the attacks under the rules of engagement and its right to legitimate self-defense, killing nearly 200 Assad military personnel since last week. 1 In the Palace of Felicity, in Constantinople, in the land of the Turks, early in the Christian year 1591, viziers to Murad the Great, third of that name, Sultan of the Ottomans, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, Caliph of Caliphs, dispatched an embassy to a far-off, sunless, primitive, sodden, heathen kingdom at the far cliffside edge of the civilized earth. The sultan chose as his ambassador a loyal and trusted man, but nobody of great importance, to negotiate with the people of that patch of damp turf. Still, one must send someone to discuss trade and passports and the repatriation of unlucky Turkish sailors captured by the pirate crews who cowered in the harbors of that barbarian island. Those pirates thrived under the protection of the islands capricious sultana, cruel in her poverty, weakness, fearful isolation, and unnatural state of unmarried womanly rule. She also begged for the Ottoman sultans support against her enemies, locked as she was in a bloody and endless sectarian combat with others of her kind about some incomprehensible quarrel over their false religion. The sultan felt it was time to send someone competent to the island of the English to wring concessions from her queen. And so the ambassador and his entourage traveled to the end of the world. The ambassador, a eunuch who had been born a Christian in Portugal and recognized the truth of Mohammed when he was captured at the age of eleven, led a small retinue, only fourteen men: his chief adviser, a doctor of medicine, servants, scribes, guards. He carried for the islands sultana, among many other gifts, a pair of lions, a scimitar, a unicorns horn, and ten English pirates captured by Turkish sailors. [ Return to the review of The King at the Edge of the World. ] This last gift assured that the ambassador and his men were welcomed to London by a torchlight parade through the gawping crowds near St. Lawrence Jewry church, winding to the large house where they would live for five months before returning to Constantinople. MILAN - Regional carrier Air Italy said Tuesday it will cease operations and go into liquidation after shareholders opted against putting more money into the company to keep it afloat. The move follows two years of losses during which the airline sought to transform itself from being a summer holiday carrier called Meridiana into a national carrier with flights across Europe. When Air Italia was launched two years ago, Alisarda, the Aga Khans Sardinia-based holding company, had a 51%-stake and Qatar Airways took 49%. Qatar Airways said in a statement that it would have been willing to continue its support of the airline but this would have only been possible with the commitment of all shareholders. Italys transport minister, Paola De Micheli, said the decision to liquidate a company of such a size without informing the government first and without seriously evaluating other alternatives is unacceptable. Unions put the number of jobs at the airline at 1,500. The company operated some 30 domestic, European and intercontinental routes. Industry analyst Gregory Alegi said that the plans to transform the regional carrier failed despite Qatar Airways expertise and deep pockets. The Italian government failed to support them in getting lucrative trans-Atlantic routes probably because they did not want to hurt national carrier Alitalias hopes of recovering from financial trouble, Alegi said. Air Italy also was in the process of a fleet change from Airbus to Boeing, and lost another year of growth with production suspended of the Boeing 737 Max, he said. Air Italy said in a statement that all Air Italy flights through Feb. 25 would be operated by other carriers as previously scheduled, while passengers with flights after that date would be rebooked on other airlines or refunded. The shot that killed Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe was fired from six to seven feet from his head, a ballistics expert has told the Central Criminal Court. Det Gda Seamus O'Donnell showed the jury a semi-automatic, Beretta A301, 12-gauge shotgun that he said is similar to the one used to shoot Det Gda Donohoe. He demonstrated how the shotgun is loaded and fired and told the jury that he fired a number of shots at targets from different ranges using the same type of cartridge that was found beside Det Gda Donohoe's body. By comparing the size of the impact on those targets to the size of the wound to the deceased's right eye he concluded that Det Gda Donohoe was was six to seven feet from the muzzle of the gun when the fatal shot was fired. Aaron Brady (28) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not (NOT) guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Donohoe (41) who was then a member of An Garda Siochana on active duty on January 25, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not (NOT) guilty to a charge of robbing approximately e7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location. Gda O'Donnell, of the ballistics section of the Garda Technical Bureau, told Brendan Grehan SC for the prosecution that he examined a shotgun cartridge found at the scene where Detective Garda Donohoe was shot. It was, he said, a 12-gauge cartridge from a Spanish manufacturer named DB that would usually be used for shooting birds or small animals. The live round would have contained about 250 lead pellets of average size weighing a total of 32 grams, he said. The witness said 90 pellets were found during the post mortem on Det Gda Donohoe. He weighed a sample of these and found they were consistent with what would be found in the cartridge found at the scene. Following a microscopic examination of the cartridge he formed the opinion that a pump action shotgun or a semi-automatic, such as the Beretta shown to the jury, had been used to discharge it. Describing in detail the workings of the gun, he said that once the pellets have been discharged and strike a surface they usually make a circular pattern. The further the pellets travel, he said, the wider the circle. He said he measured the diameter of the shot impact pattern to the wound on Det Gda Donohoe's head to be approximately 60mm. At the Garda Headquarters ballistics firing range he fired a number of shots from different distances at flat targets and measured the circular pattern. At a distance of six to seven feet from the muzzle of the gun to the target, the shot impact pattern measured 60mm in diameter, he said. He concluded: "The range of the shot that shot Det Gda O'Donohue, based on this particular weapon, was between six and seven feet from the muzzle of the gun." Det Gda O'Donnell said the weapon used to shoot Det Gda Donohoe has never been found so he can't be "as confident" in his tests. But he used a similar weapon and the same type of cartridge that was retrieved at the scene. Alan Sharkey told Lorcan Staines SC for the prosecution that he bought a Volkswagen Passat on January 22, 2013, three days before the shooting and robbery at Lordship. That night he locked the car and then locked his front door from the inside, leaving the keys in the lock. Shortly after 4.30am he was awoken by the wind and noticed the house was very cold. When he went downstairs he saw his front door was open and then realised the car was gone from the driveway. The barrel of the lock in the front door had been removed and the keys were gone. Mr Sharkey identified photographs of the Volkswagen Passat to the jury. Constable Andy Moore told Mr Staines that he and his colleague were made aware of what had happened at Lordship and were on the lookout for a burned out car. On Sunday January 27 they went to Cumson Road, off the Chaleybeate Road, in south Armagh because this was an area that had previously been used to dump cars. There they found a burned out car which, despite the damage, Constable Moore believed to be a Volkswagen Passat. Constable Chris Chain told Mr Staines that he searched the area around the car and found a Harp Lager can, a lighter and a bag containing "assorted items". The trial continues in front of Justice Michael White and a jury of seven women and eight men. A man who broke a beer bottle over the head of a taxi driver has been jailed for nine months. David Murphy (29), of Belfry Green, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to assault causing harm at Slade Road, Saggart, on March 21, 2015. Judge Pauline Codd sentenced Murphy to three-and-a-half years but suspended the final two years and nine months of the sentence. Garda Andrew Griffin told Derek Cooney BL, prosecuting, that in the early hours of the morning a taxi man had picked up Murphy and a woman from a house in Clondalkin. Murphy was carrying a beer can and a bag containing beer bottles. The taxi driver drove to Slade Road and asked where Murphy wanted to go. Murphy told him to drive up the street, then asked him to turn back around and suddenly pulled the handbrake of the car. Murphy took a beer bottle from the bag at his feet and smashed it over the taxi driver's head. He then picked up the remains of the bottle and told him to get out of the car or he would stab him. The woman and Murphy eventually left the taxi and the driver reported the incident. He did not go to the hospital as he did not want his wife to know about it. Murphy had 41 previous convictions. These include convictions for assault causing harm, assault on a peace officer, violent disorder, violent behaviour in a garda station and criminal damage. Sarah-Jane O'Callaghan BL, defending, said her client's family had been homeless for significant periods of his life. She said he is sober, drug-free and employed. Earnings Judge Codd said she was taking into consideration Murphy's plea of guilty and his personal circumstances. She noted that the attack has left the taxi driver more cautious in his work and afraid to work nights. He lost around 800 in earnings because he was out of work for a time after the assault. The court heard that Murphy failed to engage with a victim awareness course and is deemed to be at a medium risk of reoffending. Beatrice Middle School students surprised Kensington resident Idris Thyfault with a Quilt of Valor on Monday afternoon. Family, friends and other residents were also a part of the celebration. Thyfault was born Oct. 19, 1938 to Ed and Mary Ethel Thyfault in Concordia, Kan. They later moved to Blue Rapids, Kan. where he spent his childhood. He graduated from high school and attended Kansas State University for a semester before enlisting in the Navy on February 18, 1957. He served as a Hospital Corpsman and a Material and Supplies Distributor. He met and married Delores Haverdansky and had three children; Lisa, Cythia and Marc. After being honorable discharged from the Navy on Jan. 11, 1961, he brought his family back to Blue Rapids, Kan. After he divorced, he married Carole McKee. He has to step-children, Chris and Charlie. He worked for Georgia Pacific in the mines and retired after 39 years of employment. This is a special honor and a surprise, said Thyfault. Students from the Quilt of Valor after school activity made the quilt top with the assistance of Jan Smaus, Family and Consumer Science teacher at the Beatrice Middle School and Jane Esau, Gage County 4-H Coordinator. Mike Policky and Ben Essam, Beatrice Middle School teachers, have brought their Mentor and Study Hall classes to the Kensington for about 27 years. We bring the students here every-other week and spend time with some of the grandparents," Essam said. "Their interaction is priceless. They play games and share stories and its neat for the generations to connect. They both learn from each other and the kids love it." Working with Mrs. Smaus and the students in the afterschool activity with the Quilt of Valor has just been a natural partnership. We love to be a part of honoring these Veterans, added Policky. The Quilt of Valor Foundation has been fulfilling its mission to cover service members and Veterans touched by war with comforting and healing quilts. In 15 years, this volunteer organization has awarded 246,000 quilts in all 50 states and overseas. Love 3 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. With the deadline already passed to run on the Democrat or Republican tickets, those who want to qualify as an independent candidate, which entails a process that takes gathering names on a petition to support that, the last day to qualify is the day of the primary, March 3. As voters go to the polls, there is a law they need to remember. Pursuant to Act 2017-340, crossover voting is now prohibited by law (not just by party rules). This was in place for the 2018 cycle of elections according to Shorter. If a voter votes Democrat in the primary, they can only vote Democrat in the primary runoff, if there is a runoff. Likewise, if a voter votes Republican in the primary, they can only vote Republican in the primary runoff, if there is a runoff. If a voter does not vote at all in the primary, they may select either partys ballot for the runoff. Of course, this has no impact on the general election, but voters still get confused over the issue, Shorter said as she reminds voters of things to remember. She also noted that the runoff has been quickened to occur four weeks after the primary, instead of six weeks later. At least 15 people drowned and dozens are unaccounted for after a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh early Tuesday, officials said. Some 130 people -- mainly women and children -- were packed on a trawler that was trying to cross the Bay of Bengal to reach Malaysia, coast guard spokesman Hamidul Islam told AFP. Seventy people had so far been rescued. Many of the 700,000-plus Rohingya Muslims who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 have tried to leave overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh's Cox's Bazar district on boats headed for Malaysia. The boat, barely 13 metres (40 feet) long, was one of two vessels attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre (1,250-mile) journey before the monsoon season starts. Four navy and coast guard boats were searching the seas near St Martin's island, officials said. "They were lured by traffickers," said border guard commander Faisal Hasan Khan. With few opportunities for jobs and education in the refugee camps, thousands have attempted to reach other countries in Southeast Asia. Malaysia is the favoured destination for the Rohingya as it is a Muslim-majority nation with a sizeable Rohingya diaspora. - 'Tragedy waiting to happen' - Shakirul Islam, a migration expert whose group works with Rohingya to raise awareness against trafficking, said desperation in the camps was making refugees want to leave. "It was a tragedy waiting to happen," he said. "They just want to get out, and fall victim to traffickers who are very active in the camps." Islam said that in the past two months dozens of Rohingya had reported approaches from traffickers to his OKUP migration rights group. Since last year, Bangladesh law enforcement agencies have picked up over 500 Rohingya from rickety fishing trawlers or coastal villages as they waited to board boats. Trafficking often increases during the November-March period when the sea is safest for the small trawlers used by the traffickers. At least seven suspected traffickers were shot dead in 2019 in clashes with police. An estimated 25,000 Rohingya left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal to send back some Rohingya to their homeland, but none have agreed to return because of fears for their safety. Rickety boats packed with refugees frequently run into trouble while trying to reach Malaysia and need rescuing by fishermen or Bangladeshi border guards Many of the 700,000-plus Rohingya who fled a military crackdown in Myanmar in 2017 have tried to leave overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh Regulatory News: Total (Paris:FP) (LSE:TTA) (NYSE:TOT), through its wholly owned affiliate Total Solar International, establishes its presence on the Spanish solar market through two agreements with Powertis and Solarbay Renewable Energy and to develop nearly 2 gigawatts (GW) of solar projects. "Spain benefits from a solar resource that is unparalleled in Europe. Its photovoltaic market is one of the most dynamic in Europe, with an expected capacity increase from 6 GW to nearly 40 GW by 20301. Total is pleased to enter on this fast-growing market through partnerships with local developers," said Julien Pouget, Senior Vice President Renewables at Total Establishment of a Joint Venture with Powertis with an Initial 800 MW Portfolio of Projects Total Solar International and Powertis, a developer of utility-scale solar plants in Europe and South America, have agreed to establish a joint venture (65%/35%) to develop solar PV projects in Spain. Powertis will bring to this joint venture a pipeline of 800 MW of early stage projects and the JV will develop further new projects as well. Acquisition of a 1.2 GW Portfolio of Projects developed by Solarbay Total Solar International has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of a portfolio of solar PV projects which are being developed by the spanish company Solarbay. The projects, which will be located in the regions of Andalusia, Aragon and Castile-La Mancha, represent a cumulative capacity of up to 1.2 GW. The first project of these pipelines is set to begin operations by the end of 2020, with the ambition that all projects of both portfolios will be in service in 2023. Success fees will be paid by Total to Solarbay and Powertis along the steps of development of the projects. Total and Low-Carbon Electricity Total integrates climate change into its strategy and is staying ahead of new energy market trends by building a portfolio of low-carbon businesses that could account for 15 to 20% of its sales by 2040. Total's gross low-carbon power generation capacity worldwide is currently close to 7 gigawatts, of which 3 gigawatts from renewable energies. Total actively contributes to the growth of solar energy worldwide by designing and operating utility-scale power plants and supplying industrial and commercial customers with solar energy generated at their sites. About Total Total is a major energy player that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and low-carbon electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is safer, more affordable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major. Cautionary note This press release, from which no legal consequences may be drawn, is for information purposes only. The entities in which TOTAL S.A. directly or indirectly owns investments are separate legal entities. TOTAL S.A. has no liability for their acts or omissions. In this document, the terms "Total", "Total Group" and Group are sometimes used for convenience. Likewise, the words "we", "us" and "our" may also be used to refer to subsidiaries in general or to those who work for them. This document may contain forward-looking information and statements that are based on a number of economic data and assumptions made in a given economic, competitive and regulatory environment. They may prove to be inaccurate in the future and are subject to a number of risk factors. Neither TOTAL S.A. nor any of its subsidiaries assumes any obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information or statement, objectives or trends contained in this document whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise 1 Plan Nacional Integrado de Energia y Clima 2021-2030. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005466/en/ Contacts: Total Media Relations: +33 1 47 44 46 99 l presse@total.com l @TotalPress Investor Relations: +44 (0)207 719 7962 l ir@total.com Heartbeat International Attacked by Soros-Funded openDemocracy NEWS PROVIDED BY Heartbeat International Feb. 11, 2020 COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- The far-left organization openDemocracy published a thinly veiled "investigative" report in an attempt to smear the work and mission of pro-life pregnancy help centers, maternity homes, adoption agencies and medical clinics. But the Soros-backed website neither substantiated its claims nor gave adequate time for them to be scrutinized. What is being presented as an investigative report is nothing more than the spreading of misinformation about organizations created for women who desperately need emotional support and practical care during an unexpected pregnancy. The following may be attributed to Betty McDowell, LSW, Heartbeat International vice president: Every woman has a right to know all the information before making an abortion decision. Denying women awareness of the emotional, psychological and physical risks that abortion can cause would be neglectful and dangerous. Science has proven time and again that there are psychological and emotional risks for women involved with abortion, and for those providing care to women, it would be irresponsible to withhold this information. The following may be attributed to Cindi Boston-Bilotta, Heartbeat International vice president: Women should have access to comprehensive information regarding all risks associated with any given medical procedure, no matter what that procedure might be. This is absolutely crucial to ensuring informed consent. Pregnancy centers look to scientific studies about the short and long-term effects of abortion in order to ensure that clients are empowered with facts before making a life-altering decision. Prior attempts to allege that pregnancy centers are remiss in the area of truth in advertising have been unsuccessful, with the pregnancy centers affirmed time and again by the courts. Heartbeat will vigorously defend the good work of our pregnancy centers and our commitment of care. The following may be attributed to Ellen Foell, Esq., international specialist for Heartbeat International: The truth stands, no matter where you are in the world, that abortion ends the life of a developing human baby. While residents of different countries may communicate it in different ways, that is the definition of abortion. And while different countries have their cultures and varied ways of communicating, the fact remains that abortion carries risks to women. Heartbeat International's full response can be found at: https://pregnancyhelpnews.com/soros-funded-org-puts-a-hit-out-on-pregnancy-help-centers SOURCE Heartbeat International CONTACT: Andrea Trudden, atrudden@heartbeatinternational.org Related Links HeartbeatInternational.org Chinese Falun Gong Practitioner Forcibly Held in Coronavirus Quarantine After Torture A Chinese prisoner of conscience who was severely tortured to the point of losing consciousness was taken to a quarantine facility for coronavirus patients, according to a website that documents the persecution of the meditation group Falun Gong in China. Gong Fengqiang was arrested on Dec. 27 last year because of his faith in Falun Gong, known as Falun Dafa, according to Minghui.org, a U.S.-based website. The meditation practice based on moral teachings of truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance, has been persecuted by the Chinese regime since 1999. While in custody, he was abused in a detention center by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials and lost consciousness. He was then taken to a coronavirus quarantine center because officials had sought to cover up the incident, according to the Chinese edition of the website. The website did not detail the abuse. Currently, he is being denied visitation rights while he is being held in quarantine. The Minghui.org report said his family is now appealing to the international community for help. Over the past 20 years, Gong has been repeatedly tortured while incarcerated in forced labor camps and other detention centers. He eventually lost his hearing. When he was released from detention several years ago, Gong had lost his memory and couldnt recognize anyone at home. He didnt know how to talk, eat, or take care of himself, according to the website. He often fainted. His urine was milky-white. He suffered constant chest pain and had trouble breathing. He also had heavy sweats that often soaked his bedding and clothes. Li Yanjie and Gong Fengqiang. (Minghui.org) Minghui said that following his most recent arrest, guards at the Yilan County Detention Center in Heilongjiang reported it to local police authorities. Gong was then taken to a hospital without local officials informing his family members, the website said. Gongs arrest came twenty days after his wife, Li Yanjie, fell to her death while trying to escape arrest, also for practicing Falun Gong, according to Minghui.org. Gong had survived the fall. Rights group Freedom House, in a lengthy 2017 report, described the degree of persecution of Falun Gong practitioners as very high. The persecution campaign was launched on July 20, 1999, by former dictator Jiang Zemin, who viewed the meditators as a threat to social stability and to the Communist Party itself. It noted that the persecution has been lucrative for some communist officials, through extortion, slave labor, and forced organ harvesting. Independent investigators, in a report last year, confirmed a vast state-run system of hospitals used in organ harvesting. While its unclear exactly how many Falun Gong practitioners have been killed for their organs, the report estimated that 60,000 to 100,000 transplants are performed each year. Because of the inefficiency of Chinas organ transplantation system, the investigators believe in most instances one organ transplanted means one victim killed. The Minghui report also comes as officials at several crematoriums in the coronavirus epicenter of Wuhan, China, told The Epoch Times that their intake has skyrocketed in recent weeks, suggesting that more people are dying of the disease than officially reported. The new coronavirus is in the same family of pathogens as severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), which caused hundreds of deaths in China in 2003, and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS), which has killed more than 500 worldwide since 2012. Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to this report. James Durbin/Reporter-Telegram A 30-year-old Midland man and a 26-year-old Odessa man died Monday in a two-vehicle wreck in Andrews County, according to a press release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. Odessan Aaron A. Pinon was driving a Chevrolet Silverado southbound on Farm-to-Market 181, and a Hobbs, New Mexico, man was driving a Peterbilt truck-tractor towing a semi-trailer northbound on FM 181. Pinon failed to drive in a single lane, and hit the trailer, according to the release. Wilkes is the highest ranked institution in Luzerne County and within the top 25 percent of independent institutions in the nation. Wilkes University is once again being recognized for its commitment to social mobility. In Hospitals in Yemen attacked, disrupting healthcare for thousands of vulnerable civilians 10 February 2020 - Attacks on health facilities in Yemen's Marib province, East of the capital Sana'a, have left some 15,000 people many of them displaced from other parts of the country with severely limited options for medical care, the UN said on Monday. In a statement, the office of Lise Grande, the Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, stated that Al Jafra and Al Saudi hospitals in the Majzer District in Marib, around 75 kilometres north of Marib City, were hit during clashes. The health facilities have been badly damaged, including the intensive care unit, occupational therapy unit, in-patients unit and the pharmacy at Al Jafra, which is the main hospital in the area. "This is a completely unacceptable breach of international humanitarian law", said Ms. Grande. "It's terrible that facilities upon which thousands of people depend to survive have been badly damaged. The health sector has been hit very hard during this war: preventing further damage and helping to rebuild it are some of our highest priorities". Affected families were escaping January violence In January, fighting escalated in three areas: Nehm, close to Sana'a, Jawf in the north, and the province of Marib, where a missile attack on a Government military base in the middle of January, reportedly left more than 100 dead. In a briefing to the Security Council on January 28, Martin Griffiths, the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, warned that the recent upsurge in violence is jeopardizing recent progress that warring parties have made on de-escalation and confidence-building. The fighting led to more than 4,670 families fleeing to other parts of Marib, Sana'a and Al Jawf: many of the families escaping the areas nearest the fighting, had already been displaced following previous conflict, said the Resident Coordinator's office, and no longer have any resources. Humanitarians have been rushing to respond to the thousands of people displaced across the region in recent weeks. 1,884 families have received emergency kits of food, hygiene supplies, shelter materials and other essential items. Other forms of assistance have included life-saving water supplies, health supplies, nutrition and protection services. Yemen remains the world's worst humanitarian crisis with nearly 80 per cent of the population in need of some form of humanitarian assistance and protection. Ten million people are a step away from famine and 7 million people are malnourished, says the UN. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The family of the youngest victim of the Anaqua Springs killings gathered Tuesday on what would have been her 12th birthday to urge the public to call their state lawmakers to push for a red flag law in Texas. Loved ones of London Sophia Bribiescas, who was found shot to death with her mother and her sister at a luxury home near Leon Springs last year, called for strengthened laws to temporarily deny access to guns to people who are a danger to themselves or others. Today is the second birthday of hers that weve missed, said the childs aunt, Emma Bribiescas Mancha-Sumners, speaking at a news conference at the Northeast Side offices of the familys attorneys. She would definitely approve of what were doing today. For her birthday, were asking you to contact your representatives in support of red flag laws. If you dont know how to do that, reach out to groups like Moms Demand Action and Texas Gun Sense they will help you get your message through. Its exactly what (London) would have wanted for her 12th birthday. We hope that you take the time to do this for her. On ExpressNews.com: A seeimingly perfect relationship ends in tragedy Under a red flag law, a person determined through a court hearing to be a danger to themselves or others would be temporarily barred from buying or possessing guns and could lose access to any firearms they already own for up to one year. London was 10 years old and was a fifth grader at Leon Springs Elementary School when she was found dead with her mother, Nichol Leila Olsen, 37, and her sister, Alexa Denice Montez, 16, at a house in the upscale Anaqua Springs Ranch subdivision on Jan. 10, 2019. All of them had been living at the house with Olsens boyfriend, Charles Edward Wheeler, 32, who owned the property at the time. Marco Cepeda, one of the Bribiescas familys attorneys, said they believe there were warning signs of irresponsible gun ownership and domestic violence at the house where the shootings occurred. Cepeda and Mancha-Sumners would not give specifics or elaborate because of the ongoing law enforcement investigation. On ExpressNews.com: Sheriff gives update on Anaqua Springs investigation Gun lobbyist groups said Texas already has a red flag law that allows for extreme risk protective orders. But gun safety advocates say Texas lacks a relinquishment law forcing people targeted by protective orders or convicted of domestic violence to give up guns they already own. A red flag law would have given those close to the family an avenue and a voice to help prevent this, Cepeda said of the Anaqua Springs shootings. Prior to the murder of London and Alexa, there were numerous warning signs regarding the family dynamic, the amount of guns in the household and the handling of those guns. Because those close to the family did not believe any laws were actually being broken, they felt powerless to intervene. Had a red flag law been in place, they would have felt empowered to seek help from law enforcement and this senseless tragedy might have been avoided. 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 Delhi Mahila Congress chief and party spokesperson Sharmishtha Mukherjee said on Tuesday that her party needs to act after its decimation in Delhi Assembly elections. We are again decimated in Delhi. Enough of introspection now, its time for action now. Being part of the system, I too take my share of responsibility, Mukherjee on Twitter as Congress failed to win a single seat in Delhi elections for the second consecutive time. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live Updates She also listed the reasons for Congress dismal performance in Delhi polls and blamed the top leadership for loss. There were inordinate delays in decision-making at the top, and lack of strategy and unity at state level. Our workers were demotivated, there was no grassroot connect, said Mukherjee. We r again decimated in Delhi.Enuf of introspection, time 4 action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all r factors.Being part of d system, I too take my share of responsibility Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 11, 2020 BJP playing divisive politics,Kejriwal playing smart politics& what r we doing? Can we honestly say that weve done all 2 put our house in order? We r busy capturing Congress whereas other parties are capturing India. If we r 2 survive, time 2 come out of exalted echo chambers! she said in another tweet. Mukherjee is not the only one who is offering the harsh critique on Congress performance. Alka Lamba, who lost from Chandni Chowk, said Congress needs to prepare itself for new fight, but with new faces. I accept the results, but not defeat. Hindu-Muslim votes were polarised. With new faces, Congress has to prepare for a new fight and a long struggle for people of Delhi. If we fight today, we will win tomorrow, Lamba said in her tweet posted in Hindi. Senior Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit had earlier blamed the laxity of the Delhi unit of the party for the poor show. The laxity shown by Delhi in-charges in the organisation... two-three people from Delhi Congress and AICC are directly responsible for ruining it, added Dikshit. Dikshit, the son of Congress leader and former Delhi chief minister late Sheila Dikshit, also said that he knew from September last year that his party is going to lose in Delhi. Congress was once the favourite in Delhi, and ruled for three straight terms under Sheila Dikshit. But after losing to Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi party (AAP) in 2013, it has never really been able to revive itself. In 2015 Assembly elections, it drew a blank. And the record continued in 2020. It got 24.55 per cent in 2013 Delhi Assembly election, which was reduced to 9.8 per cent in 2015. This year, according to Election Commission data, Congress vote share has shrunk to a meagre 4.26 per cent. The steep fall also led party leaders to acknowledge the fact that there is a need for a relook at the strategy. We will redraw the party from scratch. No Congress man or Congress woman will shy away from sacrifices that need to be made, party leader Randeep Surjewala said at a party briefing on Tuesday as it stared at the dubious distinction of scoring a duck for the second consecutive time in assembly elections. Fears of the Congress not having a credible face, after the death of its three-time chief minister Sheila Dikshit last July, and ceding its vote bank to AAP came true with the Arvind Kejriwal-led party capturing the space once occupied by the grand old party. In what ended up being a bipolar contest between the AAP and the BJP, the Congress was trailing at a distant third on almost all the citys 70 seats, with many candidates facing the ignominy of losing their deposits. Weaver was sitting inside his car when Howard walked up and shined a flashlight at the car, police said. Weaver then took out a gun and fired shots at Howard, hitting him in the abdomen. New Delhi, Feb 11 : Tata Group Chairman Ratan Tata has got one million followers on Instagram and he posted a picture of himself along with a 'thank-you' note to mark the occasion. "I've just seen that the number of people on this page has reached a milestone. This wonderful online family is not what I had expected when I joined Instagram, and I have to thank you for it," he wrote on Instagram. He continued: "I do believe that the quality of connections you make in this age of the Internet is far greater than any number. Being a part of your community and learning from you is truly exciting and makes me very happy and I hope our journey together continues." As the post went viral on social media, Instagram users praised the industrialist. A user wrote: "I look forward that may we all be as humble as you are! May you keep inspiring many of us." Another wrote: "Congratulations, sir. We hope you achieve more milestones in your life." A post read: "Congratulations for always being interested in keeping up with the present and the future." "I have never seen someone so grounded even after achieving such heights @ratantata. You always inspire in the true sense," read another post. HONOLULU - A former Army medic stationed in Hawaii was sentenced Monday to 35 years in prison for the 2014 stabbing of his wife in a case involving porn, sex charges and a love triangle. Michael Walker, 40, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September, about a week before his trial was scheduled to begin. He said he arranged for the woman with whom he was having an affair to kill his wife, Catherine Walker, while he was working in the emergency room at Tripler Army Medical Center in Honolulu. Ailsa Jackson, who committed the killing, was sentenced to 30 years in prison Monday. In 2015, Jackson pleaded guilty to murder, describing how she stabbed Catherine Walker and then waited a half-hour to make sure she was dead. Jackson, 29, avoided a mandatory life sentence by helping prosecutors win an indictment against Walker, including providing information about their coded messages to each other, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Brady said Monday. Our goal from the very beginning was to hold everyone responsible for Catherines death accountable, Brady said. Catherine Walkers father, Douglas Plotz, said his family supports a lower sentence. We wholeheartedly forgive her, he said. I want Ms. Jackson to know that. Catherine Walker also forgave Jackson, Brady said. On the night she was stabbed to death, Jackson asked her if she forgave her, Brady said. As she was being stabbed, Catherine, replied, yes. Under a deal with prosecutors, Michael Walker faced 24 to 30 years in prison. But U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said she sentenced Walker to a longer term because he orchestrated the killing. Mollway, who agreed to sentence Jackson to a range of 30 to 33 years, said she wanted to make sure Walkers sentence was longer than Jacksons. Ms. Jackson wielded the knife that killed your wife, Mollway said. And that was a terrible, terrible deed. But it does appear to me that you were in control. That she did what she did because you wanted her to. And you knew she had mental health problems. After meeting through an online dating site in September 2014, Michael Walker told Jackson he was married and that his deepest desire was to have his wife gone, but he couldnt divorce her, prosecutors have said. Walker told Jackson he couldnt simply divorce his wife because of financial concerns and stood to receive $400,000 in life insurance, Brady said. They plotted the killing in emails, in person and in text messages where they called each other daddycakes and babygirl, according to Walkers plea agreement. On Nov. 14, 2014, they met in a military reservations gym parking lot, where Jackson said she would kill Catherine Walker that night, Brady said. He described how the two came up with a text messaging code to let Jackson know whether she should enter the home through a window or use a key near the back door. If Michael Walker texted, good, that would mean use the window and bad would mean the key. Walker texted bad, Brady said, and at about midnight Jackson walked to the Walkers house at Aliamanu Military Reservation and found the key, Brady said. Jackson said in court previously she went inside and grabbed a knife and went upstairs and stabbed her. Walker apologized to his wifes family Monday. I love Cathy very much and I would do anything if it could bring her back, he said. In 2016, a military court found Walker guilty of child pornography charges that surfaced during the murder investigation. In 2017, Walker was convicted of sexually abusing a child, physically assaulting a child, and wrongfully communicating a threat. He was reduced in rank from sergeant to private, sentenced to 10 years confinement, and received a dishonourable discharge, the Army said. ROCKFORD, MI -- The message from residents impacted by contaminated drinking water in northern Kent County was largely one of gratitude as they addressed state officials Monday evening following a deal to get clean water to much of the area. I really am grateful that we were able to come to some resolution, said Sandy Wynn-Stelt, a Belmont resident whose blood contains PFAS levels 750 times the national average. I know its not all things for everyone, and I wish it were, but I think its at least bringing some clean water to my neighbors. And that is first and foremost what I want. The meeting Feb. 10 at Rockford High School was held by state officials to allow for public feedback on the terms of a tentative court settlement, a proposed consent decree, that will provide municipal water to about 1,000 homes with drinking wells polluted with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS. The proposed consent decree requires global shoe manufacturer Wolverine World Wide to fund these water system connections, as well as improvements to the Plainfield Township water system, with a cost cap of $69.5 million. That remedy comes after two years of litigation -- when the Michigan Department of Great Lakes, Energy and Environment, and later Algoma and Plainfield townships, sued Wolverine in 2018 for contaminating residential drinking water wells and the environment with PFAS compounds. Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel and representatives from the Department of Great Lakes, Energy and Environment hosted Mondays listening session. Without the consent decree, the community would be forced to wait years and years for a resolution of the litigation for Wolverine to do these things, to be compelled to do these things, Nessel said to the attendees. Nessel said shes seen similar litigation take more than a decade before a resolution was reached. A.J. Birkbeck, an environmental attorney who worked with a group of citizens who cracked the Wolverine pollution case, agreed with the attorney general on the speed of the resolution. Ive been involved in cleanups that have taken 30 years to get to the point that were at now, Birkbeck said. This has been a hot knife through butter, and we very much appreciate it. The listening session comes about a week after the attorney for Plainfield and Algoma Townships, Doug Van Essen, presented residents with the tentative construction schedule for the new water main connections. Residents left out of PFAS settlement express frustration Under the terms of the proposed agreement, Plainfield Township will connect about 1,000 homes to its municipal water system. Mike Williams and his neighbors are not among those getting municipal water. He expressed concern about potentially losing the bottled water service currently provided by Wolverine. He didnt say whether his home had a whole house filter providing by the Rockford-based company. I think it would behoove the county and township and basically everybody involved in this if something could be done to do something about the fringe people that are being completely left out of this, Williams said. Those within the north Kent County study area that have contaminated well water but wont receive municipal water will continue to have whole house filters operated and maintained by Wolverine. In addition to the connections, the township will construct permanent carbon filters on its water system and replace its Versluis wellfield. The wellfield located at Versluis Park was shut down in 2016 after the township found elevated PFAS levels in the water. The proposed agreement has Wolverine funding these connections and improvements. Regulators have pledged to assist the project through identifying state grant funds that Plainfield Township could use for the permanent carbon filter plant and replacement wellfield. Under the proposed agreement, Wolverine must also remediate the soil at its tannery in Rockford and implement a system to intercept contaminated groundwater from entering the Rogue River. Some soil excavation began last fall under orders from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The consent decree additionally compels Wolverine to conceive and implement a solution to manage solid wastes at the House Street dump and control potential PFAS migration into groundwater. Wolverine dumped the waste from its Rockford tannery in unlined pits around Belmont in northern Kent County in the late 1950s and into the 1970s. The chemicals seeped into the groundwater and eventually polluted nearby residential water wells. Wolverine is also tasked with monitoring contamination in the area, continuing residential drinking water well sampling and investigation and addressing PFAS contamination entering surface waters. Some said the consent decree doesnt go far enough. Tim Osbeck said his blood has PFAS levels measured at more than 15 times what is normal. His wife, he said, has levels at 60 times the normal. Im disappointed that there is no provision for medical monitoring for people like us, he told the attorney general. Medical monitoring would allow recuperation of medical costs even if no disease is currently shown but evidence of contamination exists. Exposure to PFAS has been linked in human studies to some cancers, thyroid disorders, elevated cholesterol and other diseases. PFAS compounds are called "forever chemicals" because they accumulate in the body and do not breakdown in the environment. Others who spoke Monday wanted to ensure that there would be public input required each step of the way. The public can submit comments on the proposed consent decree until 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, by emailing them to AGWolverineCD@michigan.gov. Read more on MLive: Dad who lost family in devastating fire buoyed by faith MichMash: You might be wrong about Michigans economy Snowy weather 'considered a factor in fatal crash Opinion Policies Editorials are longer opinion pieces that are written by a group of community members recruited across campus who address relevant issues on a local, national and international level. Editorials are research-based. The purpose of the Editorial Board is to promote discussion concerning relevant issues in the community while advising on possible solutions. Topics are chosen via relevancy and interests of the members, which are then discussed by the Editorial Board in order to reach a general consensus concerning the topic or issue. Feedback policy If you have a grievance concerning the content or argument of the Editorial Board, please contact either Opinion Editor Peyton Hamel (peyton.hamel@iowastatedaily.com) or the Editorial Board as a whole (editorialboard@iowastatedaily.com). 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Emails must be tied to the submitted guest column or it will not be accepted or published. Pseudonyms are prohibited and the writer will be banned from submissions. Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020 South Korean newspapers carry front-page stories that South Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" makes Oscars, in Seoul, South Korea, Monday. / AP-Yonhap With the Oscar-winning film "Parasite" creating a lot of buzz throughout the world, a short catchy song and a recipe from the sensational movie are also sweeping the internet. The so-called Jessica jingle is a line that the character Ki-jung, played Park So-dam, sings with her brother Ki-woo (Choi Woo-sik) in order to remember her false identity before ringing the doorbell of a rich family's house. In the movie, the wily siblings sweet-talk the affluent Park family into employing them and their parents so that they can live off them. "Jessica, Only Child, Illinois, Chicago," they sing in front of the door of the uptown mansion to recall the details of their fake identities before entering the house. The six-second phrase is based on the famous children's song "Dokdo is Our Land," whose tune is frequently used by Korean students to help them memorize information. Director Bong Joon-ho wrote the Jessica jingle, while Han Jin-won, co-author of "Parasite," wrote second and third verses that did not appear in the movie. The film's U.S. distributor, Neon, has made an audio clip available to download as a ringtone and posted video footage of Park So-dam teaching the "Jessica Jingle" on Twitter. At the same time, a recipe for "chapaguri," a mixture of Chapaghetti, instant black bean noodles, and Neoguri, spicy Korean udon-like noodles, has gone viral on the internet. In the movie, Mrs. Park calls her housekeeper to prepare a bowl of chapaguri for her young son while driving back from a camping trip. The housekeeper, the mother of the down-and-out siblings, cooks the dish with cubes of sirloin added. Bong said he tried to show the class division between rich and poor through the dish, a mixture of two very popular cheap instant noodles. It is popular among kids no matter what class they come from, but the wealthy family in the film does not enjoy chapaguri as it is. "Even the rich kid, he's still a kid. That's why he loves this dish," Bong said in an interview in Los Angeles in October last year, referring to the son in the family. "But the mom can't accept the fact that her son eats such a cheap dish. So she has to add the topping fit for the rich, sirloin." (Yonhap) With participation from F-Prime Capital, Matrix Partners India and Ventureast Having recently achieved Amazon Web Services (AWS) Retail Competency, MoEngage, an intelligent customer analytics and cross-channel engagement platform, has raised $25 Million in Series C funding. Eight Roads Ventures led the round with participation from its US-based sister fund, F-Prime Capital, along with Matrix Partners India and Ventureast. The new round of funding will be used to deepen relationships in Asia, integrate advanced capabilities into the product mix and scale operations in the USA and Europe, MoEngage's two fastest-growing markets. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005726/en/ MoEngage Team (Photo: Business Wire) "The latest round of funding will help us reach more brands and empower them with the next-generation customer engagement platform built for the mobile-first world that is easier to use, fully integrated and intelligent," said Raviteja Dodda, Founder CEO, MoEngage Inc. "We also welcome the wealth of experience and expertise that Eight Roads Ventures and F-Prime Capital brings into the boardroom with this investment." MoEngage centralizes consumer behavioral analytics, insights and marketing automation into one dashboard where brands can engage with their customers across channels and personalize touchpoints. "The rapid rise of mobile has increased the complexity of how digital-first and consumer-focused enterprises interact with customers. Marketers now need to seamlessly engage with customers in a personalized and real-time manner across different channels," said Shweta Bhatia, Partner at Eight Roads Ventures. "What differentiates MoEngage from other engagement platforms is the combination of their ever-evolving AI-enabled customer journey capabilities, industry-best channel reachability and top-notch customer support. We are thrilled to partner with Raviteja and his team as they look to expand globally." "MoEngage has gained the trust of marquee enterprise customers globally and further strengthened their position as market leaders in the mobile-first customer engagement and analytics space. We're privileged to have been early partners with Raviteja and the team and to have had a ringside view of their growth journey. We welcome Eight Roads and F-Prime to the partnership," said Tarun Davda, Managing Director, Matrix India. MoEngage's AI and automation platform map customer journeys and develops hyper-personalized offers, updates, recommendations and other communications across mobile, web, email and SMS thus delivering an omnichannel experience. Hundreds of global brands across 35 countries use MoEngage to connect with 400+ million monthly active users, processing over 65+ billion interactions and 40+ billion messages every month. MoEngage was featured in the Gartner Magic Quadrant for Mobile Marketing Platform twice in a row and has received Highest Overall Customer Ratings (4.6/5) in 2019 Gartner Peer Insights 'Voice of the Customer' Report. The company counts several unicorns and enterprise brands as its customers, including the likes of Deutsche Telekom, CIMB Bank, Travelodge, Samsung, McAfee, Vodafone, Future Retail, Landmark Group, Mashreq Bank along with internet-first brands such as Ola, OYO, Bigbasket, and Tokopedia. Today, enterprise clients contribute nearly 50% of MoEngage's total revenue. "On our mission to build mobility for a billion people and beyond, we aim to offer a differentiated and personalized customer experience. MoEngage, with its differentiated offering, scalable platform and a customer-first approach, will play an important role in enabling us to deliver contextual and relevant communications to our customers and drive higher customer lifetime value," said Arun Srinivas, Chief Operating Officer at Ola, an Indian ridesharing company offering services that include peer-to-peer ridesharing, ride service hailing, taxi and food delivery. About MoEngage MoEngage is an intelligent customer engagement platform, built for the mobile-first world. With AI-powered automation, optimization capabilities, and in-built analytics, MoEngage enables hyper-personalization at scale across multiple channels like mobile push, email, in-app, web push, On-site messages, and SMS. Fortune 500 brands across 35+ countries such as Deutsche Telekom, Samsung, Vodafone and McAfee along with internet-first brands such as Ola, OYO, Bigbasket, and Tokopedia use MoEngage to orchestrate their cross-channel campaigns. To learn more about omnichannel user engagement with MoEngage, visit our website www.moengage.com View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005726/en/ Contacts: MoEngage Suraj Dubey +91 9036324705 suraj@moengage.com TUV Rheinland: Cybersecurity decides on the stability of societies Posted by Publisher Telecommunication TUV Rheinland, a leading international provider of testing, inspection and certification services, today released its seventh annual report on Cybersecurity Trends for 2020. The report is a collaboration between many of TUV Rheinland?s leading Cybersecurity experts globally, and discusses seven key Cybersecurity trends which will be important to be aware of in 2020. These include attacks on smart supply chains, threats to medical equipment and weaknesses in real-time operating systems. Seven Cybersecurity Trends for 2020 by world-leading professionals The developments in the area of Cybersecurity are alarming. As the number of smart devices in private households increase, so do the opportunities for cyber criminals to attack. Uncontrolled access to personal data undermines confidence in the digital society. The logistics industry and private vehicles are increasingly being targeted by hackers. TUV Rheinland?s Cybersecurity experts view these trends as critical to understand in 2020. \From our point of view, it is particularly serious that cybercrime is increasingly affecting our personal security and the stability of society as a whole,\ explains Petr Lahner, Business Executive Vice President for the business stream Industry Service & Cybersecurity at TUV Rheinland. \One of the reasons for this is that digital systems are finding their way into more and more areas of our daily lives. Digitalization offers many advantages but it is important that these systems and thus the people are safe from attacks.\ Uncontrolled access to personal data carries the risk of destabilizing the digital society In 2017, Frenchwoman Judith Duportail asked a dating app company to send her any personal information they had about her. In response, she received an 800-page document containing her Facebook likes and dislikes, the age of the men she had expressed interest in, and every single online conversation she had had with all 870 matching contacts since 2013. The fact that Judith Duportail received so much personal data after several years of using a single app underscores the fact that data protection is now very challenging. In addition, this example shows how little transparency there is about securing and processing data that can be used to gain an accurate picture of an individual\-\-s interests and behavior. Smart consumer devices are spreading faster than they can be secured Smart speakers, fitness trackers, smart watches, thermostats, energy meters, smart home security cameras, smart locks and lights are the best-known examples of the seemingly unstoppable democratization of the \Internet of many Things\. Smart devices are no longer just toys or technological innovations. The number and performance of individual \smart\ devices is increasing every year, as these types of device are quickly becoming an integral part of everyday life. It is easy to see a future in which the economy and society will become dependent on them, making them a very attractive target for cyber criminals. Until now, the challenge for Cybersecurity has been to protect one billion servers and PCs. With the proliferation of smart devices, the attack surface could quickly increase hundreds or thousands of times. The trend towards owning a medical device increases the risk of an Internet health crisis Over the past ten years, personal medical devices such as insulin pumps, heart and glucose monitors, defibrillators and pacemakers have been connected to the Internet as part of the \Internet of Medical Things\ (IoMT). At the same time, researchers have identified a growing number of software vulnerabilities and demonstrated the feasibility of attacks on these products. This can lead to targeted attacks on both individuals and entire product classes. In some cases, the health information generated by the devices can also be intercepted. So far, the healthcare industry has struggled to respond to the problem especially when the official life of the equipment has expired. As with so many IoT devices of this generation, networking was more important than the need for Cybersecurity. The complex task of maintaining and repairing equipment is badly organized, inadequate or completely absent. Vehicles and transport infrastructure are new targets for cyberattacks Through the development of software and hardware platforms, vehicles and transport infrastructure are increasingly connected. These applications offer drivers more flexibility and functionality, potentially more road safety, and seem inevitable given the development of self-propelled vehicles. The disadvantage is the increasing number of vulnerabilities that attackers could exploit ? some with direct security implications. Broad cyberattacks targeting transport could affect not only the safety of individual road users, but could also lead to widespread disruption of traffic and urban safety. Hackers target smart supply chains and make them ?dumb? With the goal of greater efficiency and lower costs, smart supply chains leverage Internet of Things (IoT) automation, robotics and big data management ? those within a company and with their suppliers. Smart supply chains increasingly represent virtual warehousing, where the warehouse is no longer just a physical building, but any place where a product or its components can be located at any time. Nevertheless, there is a growing realization that this business model considerably increases the financial risks, even with only relatively minor disruptions. Smart supply chains are dynamic and efficient, but are also prone to disruptions in processes. Cyberattacks can manipulate information about deposits. Thus, components would not be where they are supposed to be. Threats to shipping are no longer just a theoretical threat but a reality In 2017, goods with an estimated weight of around 10.7 billion tons were transported by sea. Despite current geopolitical and trade tensions, trade is generally expected to continue to grow. There is ample evidence that states are experimenting with direct attacks on ship navigation systems. At the same time, attacks on the computer networks of ships used to extort ransom have been reported. Port logistics offers a second, overlapping area of vulnerability. Many aspects to shipping that can be vulnerability to attack such as ship navigation, port logistics and ship computer network. Attacks can originate from states and activist groups. This makes monitoring and understanding a key factor in modern maritime Cybersecurity. Vulnerabilities in real-time operating systems could herald the end of the patch age It is estimated that by 2025 there will be over 75 billion networked devices on the Internet of Things, each using its own software package. This, in turn, contains many outsourced and potentially endangered components. In 2019, Armis Labs discovered eleven serious vulnerabilities (called \Urgent/11\) in the real-time operating system (RTOS) Wind River VxWorks. Six of these flaws exposed an estimated 200 million IoT devices to the risk of remote code execution (RCE) attacks. This level of weakness is a major challenge as it is often deeply hidden in a large number of products. Organizations may not even notice that these vulnerabilities exist. In view of this, the procedure of always installing the latest security updates will no longer be effective. More information and assessments from TUV Rheinland on the challenges of 2020 can be found in the whitepaper Cybersecurity Trends 2020 at www.tuv.com/cybersecuritytrends2020. TUV Rheinland is a global leader in independent inspection services, founded nearly 150 years ago. The group maintains a worldwide presence of more than 20,000 people; annual turnover is EUR 2 billion. The independent experts stand for quality and safety for people, technology and the environment in nearly all aspects of life. TUV Rheinland inspects technical equipment, products and services, oversees projects, and helps to shape processes and information security for companies. Its experts train people in a wide range of careers and industries. To this end, TUV Rheinland employs a global network of approved labs, testing and education centers. Since 2006, TUV Rheinland has been a member of the United Nations Global Compact to promote sustainability and combat corruption. Website: www.tuv.com Upon their arrival, the evacuees are to be screened and then be transported to temporary accommodation at a language institute of the Joint Forces Military University in Icheon. Yonhap South Korea is set to send a third evacuation flight to the new coronavirus-hit Chinese city of Wuhan on Tuesday night to bring back about 150 of its citizens and their Chinese spouses and immediate family members, officials said. The chartered plane is expected to depart from Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul, at around 8:45 p.m., arrive in Wuhan late at night and return to Gimpo International Airport in western Seoul on Wednesday morning. The evacuation mission comes less than a fortnight after two flights brought back a total of 701 nationals from the city amid growing fears over the spread of the deadly virus that has sickened more than two dozens of people in South Korea. Lee Sang-jin, deputy foreign minister for overseas Koreans and consular affairs, will lead a government rapid response team that will board the flight. The team consists of about 10 staffers, including those from the National Medical Center and state quarantine officials. Korea advises against traveling to Japan, Singapore, Vietnam and three others Korea expands strict quarantine screenings to Hong Kong, Macau Korea confirms one more case of novel coronavirus, total now at 28 This time, the Chinese authorities have given approval for Chinese citizens' trips to South Korea aboard the third evacuation flight, though they did not allow them to board the previous two flights, along with their immediate Korean family members. South Korea's consulate general in Wuhan has informed the Chinese evacuees of the need to prepare documents, such as marriage certificates, that would prove their relationships with Korean family members. Upon their arrival, the evacuees are to be screened for possible infection and then be transported to temporary accommodation at a language institute of the Joint Forces Military University in Icheon, 80 kilometers south of Seoul, for 14 days, the virus' incubation period. Amid the mounting dread of the virus that emerged in the central Chinese city in December, Seoul has been beefing up quarantine efforts, as well as its diplomacy to ensure the safety of its citizens in Wuhan and its vicinity. About 230 of South Korean citizens and their immediate family members, including those of Chinese descent, are currently in Wuhan. Those who have not applied to use the evacuation flight appear to have decided to stay in China due to their jobs. South Korea also plans to use the third flight to deliver protective face masks, medical supplies and other items to the consulate general in Wuhan and citizens in the epicenter of the deadly virus. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 08:53:27|Editor: ZD Video Player Close DUBLIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Ireland's main opposition party Fianna Fail replaced Fine Gael as the country's biggest party by winning the most number of parliamentary seats in the country's 2020 general election on Monday. According to the official results announced by the Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE, Fianna Fail won a total of 38 seats in the 160-seat Dail, the lower house of the Irish parliament, followed by Sinn Fein with 37 seats and Fine Gael with 35 seats. OSTERSUND, Sweden, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has, as part of a joint venture with Corman Kokosing Construction Company and McLean Contracting Company, signed a contract with Maryland Department of Transportation - Maryland Transportation Authority to design and build the new Governor Harry W. Nice Memorial/Senator Thomas "Mac" Middleton Bridge over the Potomac River, USA. Skanska will include its share of the contract worth USD 301 M, about SEK 2.9 billion, in the US order bookings for the first quarter 2020. The existing, two-lane bridge which connects Newburg, Maryland, and Dahlgren, Virginia, will be replaced with a new about 3 kilometers (1.9 mile), four-lane structure. In addition, the project will include roadway realignment and construction of about 800 meters (0.5 miles) on either side of the bridge. It will also utilize an All-Electronic Tolling (AET) system. Once the new bridge and roadway construction is complete the existing bridge will be demolished and used to create artificial reefs in the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Construction will begin March 2020, with the new bridge expected to open by 2023. Project completion is scheduled for December 2024. Skanska is one of the leading construction and development companies in USA, specializing in building construction, civil infrastructure and developing commercial properties in select U.S. markets. Skanska USA had sales of SEK 67 billion and about 9,000 employees in its operations in 2018. CONTACT: For further information please contact: Maritza E. Ferreira, Communications Director, Skanska USA, tel +1 (404) 946 75 21 Andreas Joons, Press Officer, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 04 94 Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99 This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com. This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-builds-new-bridge-over-the-potomac-river--usa--for-usd-301-m--about-sek-2-9-billion,c3032088 The following files are available for download: https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3032088/1191509.pdf 20200211 US Nice Middleton Bridge https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/image-1-20200211-us-nice-middleton-bridge,c2746459 Image 1 20200211 US Nice Middleton Bridge https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/image-2-20200211-us-nice-middleton-bridge,c2746457 Image 2 20200211 US Nice Middleton Bridge https://news.cision.com/skanska/i/image-3-20200211-us-nice-middleton-bridge,c2746458 Image 3 20200211 US Nice Middleton Bridge SOURCE Skanska ASIC and FPGA IP core is ready to reduce development time and risk for automotive system designers using Time Sensitive Networking (TSN) Ethernet Automotive Ethernet Congress, Munich, Germany February 11, 2020 Semiconductor intellectual property (IP) provider CAST, Inc. today announced that the Low-Latency Ethernet Media Access Controller IP core it offers is now certified to conform to the ISO-26262 safety standard and is available ASIL-D ready. The LLEMAC-1G Low-Latency 10/100/1000 Ethernet MAC core features extremely low input and output latencies, making it ideal for TSN Ethernet nodes, live video streaming, and other systems requiring minimum delays in the reception and transmission of Ethernet frames. The company believes it is the first such low-latency EMAC ASIC and FPGA core to achieve ASIL-D safety certification, the highest degree of safety compliance under the ISO-26262 standard. This makes the LLEMAC-1G a smart choice for use with TSN Ethernet for the most life-critical automotive systems, including brakes, airbags, and power steering. Sourced from partner Fraunhofer IPMS, the LLEMAC-1G core is compatible with the 10/100 Mbps IEEE 802.3 and 1Gbps IEEE 802.3-2002 specifications. It enables high-precision synchronization in TSN networks, with extremely competitive latencies of just six clock cycles for the reception and ten clock cycles for the transmission of packets. The Safety Enhanced version of the core includes an ISO-26262 ASIL-D Ready certificate, issued by SGS-TUV Saar GmbH, as well as the Safety Manual (SAM) and Failure Modes, Effects and Diagnostics Analysis (FMEDA) needed for efficient ASIL-D implementation. Visitors to the 6th Automotive Ethernet Congress this week in Munich can discuss the new core with the Fraunhofer IPMS/CAST automotive networking team in booth 18C. The LLEMAC-1G is available now, in synthesizable Verilog source code or as a targeted netlist for Intel, Xilinx, or Lattice FPGA devices. It joins TSN Switched Endpoint, TSN Endpoint, and CAN-to-TSN Gateway cores in CASTs popular Automotive Interfaces family, which also includes IP for CAN 2.0/FD, LIN, and SENT. These are part of CASTs broader IP portfolio, including 32- and 8-bit processors; hardware compression/decompression engines for data, images, and video; and numerous other interfaces and peripherals. Learn more about CASTs complete line of IP by visiting www.cast-inc.com, emailing info@cast-inc.com, or calling +1 202.891.8300. What you need to know now about coronavirus: 2nd evacuation plane lands at CFB Trenton The latest: Death toll in China passes 1,000 42,708 cases confirmed, authorities report. 393 cases across 24 other countries, including 1 death in the Philippines, WHO says. 1 Canadian among 65 new cases identified on cruise ship in Japan. 2nd Canadian flight repatriating people from Hubei province lands at CFB Trenton. Among Canadians at home, 4 cases in B.C., 3 in Ontario. 2nd Canadian plane lands at CFB Trenton Another group of Canadians on a second charter plane that departed Wuhan, China, landed in Ontario this morning from the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. More than 200 Canadians had asked to be on the flight. The plane left with 188 passengers: 130 Canadians and 58 accompanying family members. The first Canadian charter flight carried out 174 Canadians and their family members, who are now undergoing a two-week quarantine at a military base in Trenton, Ont. Another 39 Canadians left on an American charter and are now under quarantine at the base. Those who departed Wuhan on Monday will also be housed at the base for two weeks. Death tolls tops 1,000 China reported 108 new coronavirus deaths on the mainland on Monday, up from 97 on the previous day, taking the total to 1,017. The number of confirmed cases in the country ha salso reached 42,708. Outside China, 393 infections had been confirmed in 24 countries, with one death in the Philippines, according to WHO. For context, influenza claims between 290,000 to 650,000 lives annually, and three to five million people experience severe cases of the illness. Edward Wang via Reuters Canadian among 65 new coronavirus cases on cruise ship A total of 135 cases of the virus have been reported from among the passengers of a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, near Tokyo. In a statement released Monday, Princess Cruises said there is a Canadian among 65 new cases; that's in addition to 70 cases reported earlier. The other sick passengers are from Australia, England, Japan, the Philippines, Ukraine and the U.S., the cruise company said. Story continues "We are following guidance from the Japan Ministry of Health on plans for disembarkation protocols to provide medical care for these new cases," the statement said. Among cases of Canadians with the virus here at home, there are four confirmed cases in B.C. and three in Ontario. Finance minister warns of significant economic impact Finance Minister Bill Morneau said Monday the coronavirus outbreak will have a "significant impact" on Canada's economy, with the oil patch expected to be among the sectors hardest hit. Speaking at the Economic Club of Calgary, Morneau said the virus will have ripple effects throughout the world because of China's massive economic footprint. WATCH | Morneau discusses the economic impact of the coronavirus: A recent Bloomberg report estimates the coronavirus and efforts to contain it will cut U.S. economic growth by 0.4 per cent in the first quarter. Lockdowns in Wuhan, a city of 11 million people, and other hubs in Hubei province due to the coronavirus outbreak have led to reduced demand for many industrial inputs. Oil prices have dropped 15 per cent drop over the course of the crisis, Morneau said. Hackers try to use outbreak fears to spread computer viruses An American cybersecurity company says criminal groups are exploiting fears over the coronavirus to try to attack the global shipping industry. California-based Proofpoint says it has detected a new email campaign that uses Microsoft Word attachments designed to trick recipients into installing a type of malware known as AZORult, malicious software that can steal sensitive information from a user's computer. Proofpoint says criminals have been exploiting a vulnerability in Word to spread AZORult and other malware since at least 2016, including for downloading ransomware that can lock victims out of their systems unless they pay. However, there is currently no evidence that ransomware has been used in this latest scam. The company says the new email scam takes advantage of concerns about the virus, and advises workers to exercise caution when presented with coronavirus-themed email messages and attachments, as well as links and websites that could be used by criminals as lures. No plans to heighten Canadian travel advisories Despite the uptick in cases, Canada's chief public health officer, Theresa Tam, said Monday there are no immediate plans to impose stronger border controls or isolation protocols in response to the coronavirus outbreak. However, Tam said the rules could change at any time based on the evolution of the disease. Global Affairs Canada has warned against all travel to China's Hubei province. The department has warned against non-essential travel to China and is suggesting Canadians now in China leave if their presence there isn't critical. Public health officials also have asked people returning from Hubei to self-isolate for 14 days, or if they're returning from elsewhere in China to stay home if they experience any symptoms. WATCH | What we actually know about the coronavirus: [February 11, 2020] KlariVis Data Analytics Platform Gaining Marketshare, Selected by Three Community Banks During the 2020 ABA Conference for Community Bankers, KlariVis, a unique and proprietary data analytics software platform developed by bankers for bankers, announced that it has been selected by three community banks: Select Bank & Trust, $1.3B in assets; the Bank of Botetourt, $492MM in assets and the Farmers Bank of Appomattox, $236MM in assets. Launched in January of this year, KlariVis empowers community financial institutions to make more strategic and better-informed decisions by uncovering and providing access to their transformative data. KlariVis compiles and aggregates actionable data in an automated fashion providing banks like Select Bank & Trust improved and timely insight into factors such as deposit, loan and revenue growth. Community banks can now make dat-driven decisions across their entire organization, gaining a significant competitive advantage in today's market. Additionally, KlariVis provides advanced report capabilities, offering a unique, holistic view of the entire organization including relevant branch, market, officer, product and customer information in an easy to digest, multidimensional view. "The ability to see multidimensional reports on one page in KlariVis is so hard to fathom you have to see it to really understand the impact a tool like this will have on your bank," said Lynn Johnson, EVP and COO of Select Bank & Trust, headquartered in Dunn, N.C with 18 locations throughout North and South Carolina and Virginia. One of the primary factors influencing the banks' decision to implement KlariVis is the ease of implementation. "The KlariVis team offers white-glove implementation service and due to their deep industry and system knowledge, they have been able to execute on it brilliantly with no disruption to our Jack Henry SilverLake core," Johnson continued. Kim Snyder, CEO and founder of KlariVis, said, "As veteran community bankers, the KlariVis team knows first-hand the 'right' information financial institution leaders need to make timely decisions that drive revenue, manage risk, and streamline operations. We are acutely aware that many institutions have difficulty accessing that information, making it impossible to act on, which is why we developed KlariVis. The vast industry experience we have enables us to do the heavy lifting on implementation while providing an out of the box solution that allows community banks to be competitive with the large mega-banks. Our focus is to keep this low-touch for bankers so they can continue doing what they do best, but now with all the data they need at their fingertips." Buchannan, Va.-based Bank of Botetourt (Fiserv Precision) and Farmers Bank of Appomattox (Fiserv Precision), also located in Virginia, are early adopters of KlariVis. After seeing the KlariVis platform, both banks were convinced that the solution would provide their executive teams and relationship managers with in-depth analysis like no other analytics tool on the market. Snyder added, "Each of these banks has taken an innovative step forward by recognizing data as an enterprise-wide asset and strategic priority. Accessing the massive amounts of customer, market, product and service data that resides in their core and ancillary siloed systems will help them gain a holistic view of their bank and its needs. The innovative approach we took in developing KlariVis was to ask the hard questions of our clients and create a tool that brings actionable data to their desktop. This approach allows bankers to serve their customers and drive value for their shareholders." For more information about KlariVis, meet the management team at booth 306 in the main exhibit hall. Additionally, Snyder is demonstrating the platform at the Innovation Showcase on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at 8:00 am ET. About KlariVis Created by veteran community bank executives, KlariVis was developed to enable institutions of all sizes to access their transformative data in an efficient way, interpret it, and act decisively on it. The KlariVis team has more than 85 years of community banking experience and aims to provide financial institutions with a data analytics platform designed to solve the data conundrum that is prevalent in the industry today. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005094/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Conservative government has enforced the cruel deportation of around 20 people to Jamaica. The flight had originally been specified to deport up to 56 people, but late Monday night the Court of Appeal ordered the halting of deportations for some of those on board, after ruling that their democratic rights, including their right to access legal advice, had been flagrantly breached. The flight was originally scheduled to leave the UK today from Heathrow Airport at around 6:30 a.m but in the end it was not revealed where the flight departed from or when it left. The men on board were among 700 immigrants, refugees and asylum seekers being held at two immigration detention removal centres near Heathrow Airport, Colnbrook and Harmondsworth. The Court of Appeal ruled in a case brought against the Home Office by Duncan Lewis solicitors on behalf of the Detention Action charity last week. The charity argued that due to the O2 mobile phone network being unavailable in the area immediately next to Colnbrook and Harmondsworth, detainees were denied the right to have five working days to contact and instruct lawyers after receiving notice from the Home Office that they were to be deported on the Tuesday flight. Protesters outside Downing Street The ruling did not oppose all the deportations being carried out in principle. Instead Lady Justice Simler ordered the Home Office not to remove anyone from Harmondsworth or Colnbrook for deportation unless satisfied (they) had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3. The director of public law at Duncan Lewis, Toufique Hossain, who brought the case, said, For weeks now detainees complaints have fallen on deaf ears. Their removal looms large, hours away and yet again it takes judicial intervention to make the home office take basic, humane and fair steps to allow people to enjoy their constitutional right to access justice. Despite the Court of Appeal ruling, it is still not clear who was on the flight, with Chancellor Sajid Javid telling BBC 5 Live Tuesday morning he did not know the exact number but understood it was around 20--or above 20. The Court of Appeal decision was made as hundreds of people demonstrated outside Downing Street Monday evening. Among their chants were Stop charter flights! We want human rights! Home-made placards demanded, Amnesty for All. No More Tearing Families Apart and Jamaican government stop colluding with UK government racist charter flights. The move to deport the men met with widespread public outrage. An online petition to Stop all charter flight deportations to Jamaica and other Commonwealth countries received over 100,000 signatures by the end of Monday evening, with hundreds signing every few minutes. This surge in opposition no doubt had its impact on the Court of Appeal decision. Protesters outside Downing Street Those to be deported at Harmondsworth and Colnbrook were being held in a state of mental torture, not knowing their fate and waiting to be bundled onto a flight at any time. The Independent reported that some of those earmarked for deportation were told it would take place on 6 February before it was switched to this week. The Tory government were determined to ram through the deportations in breach of the law, with Boris Johnson confirming in Parliament at last weeks Prime Ministers Question Time that the deportations would go ahead. His statement led to hundreds protesting last Thursday outside Downing Street and shutting down the adjacent main street, Whitehall. In Parliament Monday, Home Secretary Priti Patel insisted that the flight would still depart Tuesday and repeated that those being deported had committed serious offences. This was in the face of opposition from 170 MPs and peers who signed a letter calling on the government to halt the flight, and a legal bid, also by Duncan Lewis Solicitors, representing 15 people due to be deported. On Monday, they filed papers at the High Court calling for an urgent oral hearing that afternoon to discuss the matter. They argued that Patel was acting unlawfully by forcing the men onto the plane, had denied them adequate access to legal advice and breached human rights legislation. The adverse publicity around the deportations and their labelling as serious criminals by the UK government would ensure the men would be a public spectacle on arrival in the Jamaican capital, Kingston, endangering their safety. Late Monday afternoon, High Court judge Justice Mostyn refused Duncan Lewis application on behalf of 13 Jamaican-born men and refused to halt the flight. By Monday evening the grounds for refusing that application had not been revealed. The forced deportation of the Jamaican nationals, many of whom have lived in the UK for years, is an escalation of the Tory governments anti-immigrant agenda following the UKs exit from the European Union on January 31. One of those targeted for deportation is a 30-year old who has lived in the UK since the age of 11 and another is 24 years old and has lived in Britain since he was four. Protesters outside Downing Street The government carried out the deportations on the basis of Johnsons deliberately incendiary words that it is right to send back foreign-national offenders. This was followed by a statement from chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak, who said Monday, Many of these people have committed crimes such as manslaughter, rape, other very serious offences. No-one can take these lurid claims at face value. A year ago this month, the Tory government deported 29 people on a flight to Jamaica after making identical claims. Then Home Secretary and now Chancellor Sajid Javid faced calls to apologise after saying those on board that flight were all convicted of very serious crimes ... like rape and murder, firearms offences and drug-trafficking. Following the deportations, the Home Office was forced to admit this was not the case at all as it emerged that just one person on board had committed a serious crime, murder. Some 14 of those deported had been convicted of drug offenses and one had been jailed for dangerous driving. According to the Home Office, those it deported yesterday and those who it was unable to deport, for now--due to the Court of Appeal ruling--all have criminal convictions. However, even if this is the case, they have served their sentences in the UK and are being punished again with deportation to a country that many left as young children. One of those who may have been on the plane Tuesday is 30-year-old Reshawn Davis, a father of a six-month-old baby, married to his British wife for five years. Davis was arrested only last Friday and informed by Home Office officials that he would be deported after they found out he had spent just two months in prison over a decade ago. Davis was convicted under the controversial joint enterprise law, historically used to convict people in gang-related cases if defendants could have foreseen violent acts by their associates. The Supreme Court ruled in 2016 that the law had been wrongly interpreted for 30 years. Speaking to the Independent, Davis said, Im so stressed out. I cant even explain how I feel. Yes, I was born in Jamaica, but I was brought up here. I dont know anything else. I made one mistake in life, and it feels like I tried to kill the Queen. If Davis was deported--along with the 55 others threatened--his child will be one of 41 children who will be deprived of their fathers. He said of his daughter, I look at my daughters pictures now every night before I go to bed. Since she was born, I had never spent a night without her until I was locked in here. I still reach for her when I wake up. The government was determined to carry out the deportations in breach of human rights legislation and international law, as people cannot be deported if their life could be in danger by doing so. Davis added, Im terrified to go to Jamaica. My cousin was deported and he has now died. People will be hostile to me because Ive been deported. Im going to be targeted. The Home Office keeps no records on the wellbeing of those it deports, but the Guardian established last May through its own research that five people previously deported have been murdered in Jamaica since March 2018. Jamaica has one of the highest per capita murder rates of any country. One of those murdered was a 37-year-old, Dewayne Robinson. Robinson was the cousin of Akeem Finlay, 30, who came to the UK aged just 10. Not only had one of his cousins been murdered, but just months prior to Robinsons killing another cousin of Finlays was killed. Before being granted a last-minute reprieve in a separate court case, Finlay was to have been deported Tuesday on the basis of a previous Grievous Bodily Harm conviction. Finlay said, The men involved in the murders of my cousins have warned our family not to return to Jamaica or we will be murdered too. The threat of deportation still hangs over all 56 and many others. It would be a grave mistake to rely on the courts or the politicians of parties who are responsible for the huge assault on immigrants now underway. The Tories are only able to proceed with such a sadistic policy because they can rely on legislation brought in by the Blair Labour government. Under the UK Borders Act 2007, a deportation order must be made if a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of just 12 months or more. The letter signed by the 170 MPs and peers was organised by Labour MP Nadia Whittome and did not call for an end to deportations in principle, but only that Tuesdays flight and other deportations be halted until a review into the Windrush scandal is published and its recommendations implemented. The letter welcomed the sight of a leaked version of the review, which states the government should consider ending all deportations of FNOs [foreign national offenders] where they arrived in the UK as children (say before age of 13) before adding, Alternativelydeportation should only be considered in the most severe cases. The Windrush scandal refers to some 164 people detained and deported to Commonwealth countries and 5,000 denied access to support from public services to which they were fully entitled. According to the governments own figures, by November 2018 at least 11 deportees had subsequently died. LANSING, Mich., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Accident Fund Insurance Company of America proudly recognizes Anderson Insurance Associates as 2019 Agency of the Year. "Anderson Insurance Associates has been an outstanding partner, showing an incredible commitment and dedication to delivering our products and demonstrating our value to the customer," said Al Gileczek, president of Accident Fund and CompWest. "Like Accident Fund, the Anderson team is committed to their customers and the communities they serve. We are proud to partner in offering world-class workers' compensation products and services to our customers. Anderson Insurance Associates is a very worthy recipient of our Agency of the Year award and we look forward to our continued partnership in the years to come." "The commitment of Accident Fund to our production staff has resulted in one of our most successful partnerships to date," said Julius J. Anderson, Jr., president of Anderson Insurance Associates. "Tools like WorkSafe and Digital Acquisition help Anderson Insurance Associates stand out in a crowded, and increasingly commoditized market place. The largest driver of our mutual success is without question the support of the entire team at Accident Fund. Their dedication to understanding our clients' operations along with their customized risk management solutions has resulted in unprecedented client retention." Accident Fund strives to provide high-level insurance solutions with an exceptional customer experience, focusing on preventing losses while offering superior service to achieve the best outcomes for all customers and their injured workers. The company is licensed in all 50 states and partners with more than 1,500 independent agents. About Accident Fund Insurance Company of America Accident Fund Insurance Company of America is a member of AF Group. Insurance policies may be issued by any of the following companies within the AF Group: Accident Fund Insurance Company of America, Accident Fund National Insurance Company, Accident Fund General Insurance Company, United Wisconsin Insurance Company, Third Coast Insurance Company or CompWest Insurance Company. Contact: Bob Lapinski (312) 443-9819 or (517) 331-4890 [email protected] AFGroup.com SOURCE AF Group; Accident Fund Starling Bank, a digital bank in the UK founded by former AIB chief operating officer Anne Boden, has raised 60m (71m) from existing investors, Merian Global Investors and JTC. The bank is one of a number of UK digital platforms - along with Revolut and Monzo - targeting expansion into Ireland, where their more agile and innovative product offers could threaten the dominance of traditional lenders. The latest round of funding will bring the total raised by Starling to 323m and follows two funding rounds of 105m in aggregate led by Merian in 2019. Starling has opened 1.25 million accounts for consumers and small businesses since launching its banking app in May 2017. It now holds more than 1.25bn on deposit, the company said. The bank has around 800 employees. Ms Boden said the new funds represented a vote of confidence in the bank. "The support of our existing investors represents a huge endorsement of our business strategy, as we continue to ramp up our growth. "We're constantly innovating and have big ambitions to turn Starling into a world-leading digital bank." Starling's banking app offers personal, business, joint and euro current accounts on Android and iOS while giving customers in-app access to third-party financial services. Starling also offers B2B banking and payments services. SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Engineering services company Solar Support announces its strategic agreement with SEMIKRON, a leading manufacturer of power semiconductor components. As a qualified representative of SEMIKRON in the U.S., Solar Support meets the industry's demand for insulated-gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) stack components, a critical semiconductor device used in aging PV inverters. Solar Support Solar Support also has launched a new component replacement program for PV asset owners, operators and O&M providers to service failing inverters. The integrated solution combines diagnostics, repair, training, and refurbishment services to replace damaged inverters with brand-new components at a substantial discount. Traditional suppliers sell used and reconditioned parts with a 60-day warranty, while Solar Support offers brand new sets at a lower cost with a one-year warranty. "This strategic relationship with SEMIKRON lets us address a critical industry shortage," says Auston Taber, Solar Support CEO. "Not only do we boost the overall supply of stacks, but we also provide a value-added solution and on-site training that arms customers for success. We're delivering replacement parts quickly and cost-effectively to minimize system down-time and security with our one-year warranty for new components." Solar Support is one of the few U.S.-based suppliers for SEMIKRON's SEMIKUBE 1200V and 1700V industrial standard modules. The SEMIKUBE stacks are available in three sizes up to 900kW, all with integrated sensors for feedback signals of DC voltage, temperature, and output currents. The SEMIKUBE Power Stacks fulfill international standards and are UL certified. Solar Support's component replacement program provides a much-needed answer to asset owners, operators and O&M providers contending with a population of failing inverters in a maturing U.S. market. Stacks have an expected six-year life, which means each inverter will need at least two stack replacements during its 25-year lifetime. With IGBT average failure rates ranging from 2% under standard conditions to as much as 4% in extreme environments, managing risks with a reliable component supply represents a competitive advantage for PV asset owners and operators. "Solar Support offers spare part kits, IE analyses of both unique failures and systemic flaws, as well as custom-tailored O&M preventative strategies for staying ahead of common failures," says Taber. "This is how we serve as a strategic partner helping our customers plan ahead for their fleet, so that they are not losing valuable production time waiting during the peak solar months." About Solar Support Solar Support is an engineering services company delivering equipment and plant reliability, restoration, and recovery services as well as specialty component supplies for PV systems. Delivering the highest standard of service to O&M providers, asset managers and owners, EPCs, and manufacturers, Solar Support offers deep expertise based on more than two decades of hands-on experience with inverters and other PV power electronics. The company's industry-first knowledge portal helps contractors resolve issues efficiently. Visit Solar-Support.com to learn more about our reliability expertise and commitment to the PV community. Contact Fabienne Rodet, [email protected], 650.804.2504 Related Images solar-support-agreement-with.jpg Solar Support Agreement with SEMIKUBE Tackles Shortage Related Links Solar Support/SEMIKRON announcement SOURCE Solar Support Related Links http://Solar-Support.com Q I love the veggie burger from the Stellar Hog restaurant. I heard they make this themselves, would it be possible to get the recipe? Jill George, Rock Hill A Whats a barbecue restaurant to do when the main supplier of its meatless burger stopped shipments with no warning last summer? We made our own veggie burger that customers really like, owner Alex Cupp says. His vegan burger uses an interesting combination of readily available ingredients, none of which is unpronounceable, to make the patties. The nicely seared burgers, served on a toasted bun, come to the table with the perfect topper, a dollop of house-made chow chow, a pickled relish. Cupps extensive knowledge of foods and techniques manifests itself in these burgers. CENTENNIAL, Colo., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Great Lakes Environmental & Infrastructure, a national leader in environmental remediation and infrastructure technologies, announces today that it will rebrand under the name Forgen. The company will remain headquartered in Centennial Colorado with operations across the US, including regional offices in Rocklin, CA, Brielle, NJ, Denton, TX, and Cummings, GA. The new branding symbolizes strength and direction, featuring bold new colors and graphics. Forgen's tagline, 'For Generations' is an acknowledgement of its' commitment to improving land for generations to come. From company president and CEO, Chris Shea- "This is a truly exciting time in our company's history and we are looking forward to continuing to serve our clients at the highest level, safely delivering on the commitments we make to people, communities, and the environment." The transition provides an injection of energy and focus to Forgen, as well as offers the recently independent company greater access to growth resources and the opportunity to push further into both new and established markets and geographies within the US and Canada. About Forgen: Forgen, formerly Great Lakes Environmental & Infrastructure, was founded in 2009 to provide high quality environmental remediation and infrastructure technologies to public and private sector clients. Forgen has delivered hundreds of safe and successful projects in a variety of settings utilizing innovative technical solutions and implementation strategies that render the best possible value. Forgen is a recognized industry leader in safely delivering horizontal construction solutions that include environmental remediation, specialty civil construction, in situ soil mixing for ground improvement and stabilization, habitat restoration, dam and levee rehabilitation, and mine reclamation. Forgen is also a leader in the construction of all types of subsurface cutoff walls and related features including slurry walls, biopolymer collection trenches, and permeable reactive barriers. For more information, please contact Michael Copeland at [email protected] or call 813-220-5981. SOURCE Forgen Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Brussels, Belgium Tue, February 11, 2020 14:05 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063ca335 2 News Google,travel,Competition,European-Union,TripAdvisor,Expedia Free More than 30 travel firms -- including TripAdvisor and Expedia -- complained on Monday to the EU's powerful anti-trust authority that search giant Google is unfairly trying to encroach on their business. In a letter Google is once again being accused of using the overwhelming dominance of its search engine to launch and promote its own services to the detriment of existing players. The letter, addressed to EU competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager and published on an association website, lands just two days before Google is to plead an appeal at an EU court in a similar case involving Google Shopping. "We are currently witnessing an attempt by Google to expand its dominance in the market for (search) into the separate markets for vacation rental intermediation services," said the letter. This is done by Google "favoring its own service in general search results," added the letter, which was first reported by the Financial Times. In a separate document seen by AFP, a Germany-based signatory formally lodged an official complaint to the EU, which is under no obligation to look into the case. The European Commission confirmed the receipt of the letter but refused any further comment. Read also: The Colosseum tops TripAdvisor's list of most popular experiences in 2019 At stake in the case are the many websites and platforms that catalogue holiday homes for European vacation-goers and link them to homeowners. The signatories -- which also include holiday home associations from Germany, Spain and France -- complained that related Google searches now promote a "visually rich" and specific result that aggregates and duplicates their own services. In an emailed statement, Google said it was testing a new format for such searches "where people might see a carousel of links to direct sites across the top of search results". This was with the intention of giving users "relevant and trusted information from a diverse range of sources" and "the most relevant information for your query". The flare-up comes just as Google is to argue at an EU court Wednesday that the European Commission wrongly decided against it in the shopping case. That decade-old affair began when shopping comparison services complained that Google denied them a fair showing in related search results to impede their growth. Google received a 2.4 billion-euro ($2.6 billion) fine in 2017 over the case, but firmly denies any wrong-doing. THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Hamish Hamilton 16.99, 416 pp) THE WATER DANCER by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Hamish Hamilton 16.99, 416 pp) In antebellum Virginia, white people are known as 'the Quality' and the slaves as 'the Tasked'. One of the Tasked, young Hiram Walker, is gifted with a phenomenal memory and a mysterious power of Conduction that transports him from one place to another. He works in the house of the plantation owner, his father, where he attends his oafish half-brother and plots his escape. His first attempt ends in capture and the loss of Sophia, the love of his life. After enduring monstrous suffering, he is taken into the Underground, a movement fighting a secret war against slavery, where he works to save other Tasked while preparing himself to return home to save those he has left behind. Written in luminous, enthralling prose, this remarkable novel is compassionate, thought-provoking and wise. A bestseller in the U.S, it deserves to be read. KINGDOMTIDE by Rye Curtis (4th Estate 12.99, 336 pp) KINGDOMTIDE by Rye Curtis (4th Estate 12.99, 336 pp) A small plane crashes high in Montana's Bitterroot mountains. The pilot and passenger, Mr Waldrip, suffer gruesome deaths, but against all the odds, 72-year-old Mrs Cloris Waldrip survives and begins an epic journey down the mountain alone. She relates her escape with an urgency that makes gripping reading. Ranger Debra Lewis leads a search party made up of a band of oddball helpers. Apparently unhampered by her prodigious intake of wine, Lewis becomes obsessed with her mission. The two narratives alternate and, in them, the women reassess who, and what, they are in order to cope with what life has thrown at them. They are equally resilient and determined, but of the two, Cloris is the more winning. Dark and witty, this novel is occasionally unevenly paced but kept me reading regardless. BIG GIRL SMALL TOWN by Michelle Gallen (John Murray 14.99, 320 pp) BIG GIRL SMALL TOWN by Michelle Gallen (John Murray 14.99, 320 pp) Majella's life is one of routine. She lives in Aghybogey, a small town on the Irish border, with her alcoholic mother, her father having disappeared during the Troubles. She binge-watches Dallas, works in A Salt and Battered, the local chippy, and finds communication with others difficult. Her co-worker Marty, however, is quite different and a fund of local gossip. When her granny is murdered, Majella sees no reason not to carry on as usual until a surprise will is unearthed. Told in Majella's distinctive voice, this is a portrait of a woman making sense of the world around her and a winning evocation of a small Irish community whose people burst from its pages. Engaging and satisfying. A new report from SamMobile states that Samsung is going to release an upcoming smartwatch under the Galaxy brand that will come in multiple colors. The smartwatch will likely be a followup to the last Galaxy Watch, and will also come in a stainless steel version. This wording also suggests that the watch will come in a non-stainless steel variant. Though how it would differ (meaning what material Samsung uses instead of stainless steel) is still unclear. Aside from the possibility that there will be two models of the watch based on the material used for the watch case, it will also come in three different colors. Advertisement The new smartwatch colors will be the same as the Galaxy Watch Active 2 Color options can make or break a smartwatch. Just like regular watches, theyre still an accessory, and people like options with accessories. The new upcoming Galaxy smartwatch will have three colors available. And SamMobile notes that they will be the same as the ones for the Galaxy Watch Active 2. That means consumers will have the option of getting the new watch in silver, gold, or black. These are also the same color options that Samsung offered for the Galaxy Watch. So it would seem that Samsung is sticking to what has worked for it in the past. Advertisement The stainless steel version may not be available in black Though the watch will come in three colors, apparently the stainless steel version will only come in two. The rumor states that Samsung is only planning to release the stainless steel model of the watch in gold and silver. If this is true than this means the black model will be made of a different material. Its not certain why Samsung would choose to do this, as it would make more sense to offer both versions (stainless steel and non-stainless steel) in all three colors. As this would target the widest audience of consumers. Advertisement This may also be just an initial launch choice. If thats the case then a black version of the stainless steel watch may come down the pipeline at some point later on. Aside from three color options and a stainless steel variant of the watch, theres not a whole lot more known about the device. A past rumor does mention that the watch will come with 8GB of internal storage. Which means plenty of space for the minimal amount of things you would store on a smartwatch. Amid the tempest of the 2020 election season and all the anxiety it provokes, Im comforted by the familiar image of Jesus asleep at the stern in a boat being swamped by a furious storm (Matt. 8:2427). His terrified disciples, experienced sailors scared for their lives, could not fathom how their spiritual captain could seem so indifferent to their doom. But Jesus slept not because he was indifferent or resigned to their fate. Quite the opposite. Jesus was unafraid because he knew he possessed a power greater than the storm. Jesus spoke and the waves were calmed. What kind of man is this? his disciples asked. Even the winds and the waves obey him! The whirlwind of American politics continues to swirl, and we evangelicals find ourselves caught up in the tempest. How to navigate a storm we cannot control is an immense challenge. In a political culture shot through with compromise and complexity, how do we advance the values we believe in without becoming complicit in values we do not? Being salt and light in the here and now entails engagement for the good of a world God loves, and yet, as Christians united under the lordship of Christ and Christs kingdom, our allegiance exceeds our citizenship. In the wake of Mark Gallis viral editorial about President Trump, CT called for a conversation around a common table. As we wrote, It is time for evangelicals to have a serious discussion about how our identity as Christians shapes our activity as citizens. We will invite authors who represent a variety of viewpoints in a thoughtful and charitable manner. Its taken some time to gather all the RSVPs, but over the coming weeks, well publish a series of pieces from a variety of perspectives addressing how evangelicals, guided by the Bible and by sound biblical theology, think about their political obligations in relation to their other obligations. What criteria do we use when deciding whether or not to support a candidate for office? What are appropriate and inappropriate forms of alliances with political parties? What do these principles mean for us in the Trump era and beyond? The answers we publish are not the opinions of Christianity Today, nor do they necessarily agree with each other. But our disagreement in no way allows for disparagement. How we talk politics as Christians is as important as what we say. Youre invited to read and to ponder and to even be tempted by positions you oppose, if only for the sake of full understanding and genuine love for one another in obedience to Christ. Perhaps we as Christians can model a form of political dialogue that can inspire the culture around us. Ive always loved how the Gospels describe Jesus as rebuking the storm, just as hed rebuked demons and spirits and the Devil in Peter, whod become bewitched by mortal concerns at the exclusion of the concerns of God (Mark 8:33). Politicians produce immense bluster. Personal and policy passions generate tremendous waves. Anxiety swamps our boat. Perhaps we too can hear the words of Jesus in the midst of the howling wind (Matt. 8:26). You of little faith, he remarked with wonder, why are you so afraid? Daniel Harrell, editor in chief Raynauds (pronounced Ray-Nohz) is a rare disorder of the blood vessels making some parts of the body, especially the fingers and toes, to become numb and cold in response to cold temperature or stress. Raynauds is named after the French physician, Maurice Raynaud who first recognized this disease. In this condition, the small arteries supplying blood to the skin undergo spasm and restrict blood flow to the affected parts like the fingers, toes, nose or ears. During the spasm, the affected area turns white and then blue. The attack is usually painful and followed by some swelling and redness. Attacks usually last from a few minutes to a few hours. In severe cases, the attacks can lead to ulcerations and even gangrene. Primary Raynauds is not associated with any other disorder, and therefore has no underlying cause. Secondary Raynauds has close connections to autoimmune disorders such as: Scleroderma or systemic sclerosis which is an autoimmune connective tissue disorder causing hardening of the skin Lupus is also a chronic, autoimmune disease which attacks the connective tissues including the skin Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune condition where the joints are chronically inflamed. Other conditions that may also be associated with secondary Raynauds include: Viral infections like hepatitis B and hepatitis C Blood cancers like lymphoma and multiple myeloma Intake of medications like sumatriptan and beta blockers, or illegal drugs like cocaine and amphetamine The use of vibrating tools, or injury to the hands or feet Smoking Diseases affecting arteries like atherosclerosis and Beugers disease Carpal tunnel syndrome, a condition that compresses the nerve supplying to the hand at the wrist. People with Raynauds usually experience attacks due to cold temperatures, anxiety or emotional stress. Raynauds affects fingers, toes, nose, ears and lips. An attack can last from a few minutes to a few hours. During the attack, the arteries narrow thereby reducing the blood flow to the affected areas. This leads to symptoms like: Numbness with acute pain or throbbing in the affected parts Change in color from pale to white to blue Redness, soreness, tingling and burning as the blood flow returns In the case of secondary Raynauds, there is a risk of skin sores which can consequently lead to ulcers or gangrene. These need to be watched and the sores should be covered with appropriate dressing. The patient may also need oral antibiotics for infection. While there is no single blood test or diagnostic test to determine if one has Raynauds, doctors usually do a first-in-line clinical examination like examining the nail fold (skin at the base of the fingernail) under a microscope. If he/she finds blood vessels enlarged or deformed, this may be a sign of Raynauds. The doctor will also find clues in your medical history and other underlying diseases you might have had. If the doctor suspects that you have secondary Raynauds due to autoimmune or connective tissue disorders, he/she may recommend the following tests: ANA (Antinuclear antibodies test) The presence of antinuclear antibodies indicates that the person is suffering from an autoimmune or other connective tissue disorders. ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) ESR determines the rate at which the red blood cells settle at the bottom of the tube. An abnormal ESR could indicate the presence of an autoimmune disorder. CBC - A complete blood count helps to rule out underlying infections. Raynauds can be treated at home with a few simple precautions. In some cases, you might need certain medications. Treatment should be towards preventing repeated attacks and tissue damage. Try the following tips to reduce the frequency of your attacks: Make sure you keep your whole body warm. Try using gloves for your hands and socks for your feet. Make sure to stop smoking and cut back on alcohol. Reduce your stress levels with proper relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation. Avoid stimulants like coffee, tea and colas. Get regular exercise to improve your overall blood circulation. Medications may be required in some cases. The usual medications prescribed are: Vasodilators relax blood vessels. These may be in the form of creams applied to the fingers and toes to heal the sores. Prostaglandins may also be helpful. relax blood vessels. These may be in the form of creams applied to the fingers and toes to heal the sores. Prostaglandins may also be helpful. Calcium channel blockers like nifedipine relax and dilate the blood vessels in the hands and feet. These usually reduce the frequency of attacks and also heal ulcers. like nifedipine relax and dilate the blood vessels in the hands and feet. These usually reduce the frequency of attacks and also heal ulcers. Alpha blockers Drugs like prazosin and doxazosin usually counter the action of norepinephrine, a chemical in the blood that which constricts (tightens) the blood vessels. If you have been diagnosed with Raynauds, your doctor may inform you to stay off certain drugs like over-the-counter cold medicines and beta blockers. The only way to prevent Raynauds is to avoid cold climes. If it is inevitable or you live in a cold climate, make sure you always keep warm. Try thermals to protect your hands and feet. Use a room heater if possible. Do not stay too long outdoors in the cold wind. Opt out of air conditioned spaces; Try an air cooler instead during summers. These simple measures can at least reduce the frequency of painful attacks. YEREVAN. There is reasonable suspicion that the materials contained in the volumes of the March 1, 2008 events are sufficient to solve the 10 murders. Armenia's second President Robert Kocharyan said this at his court hearing today. The former president compared the criminal case to a building. If we compare it with a building, they started from the roof, we were found guilty, they found the article, we then separated from the case materials only those which, in their view, form the basis of the evidence, he said. "We have repeatedly asked to provide the full volume of materials." According to him, reading WikiLeaks publications gives the impression that the US Embassy had more information about domestic political events in Armenia than the National Security Service of the country. What I read there has been reported to me; its not in the case, he noted. "There are reasonable grounds to suspect that there is sufficient material in the 600 volumes of the case to solve the 10 murders. They just don't want to do it. One of the reasons is that it may lead in another direction which would contradict this case. And second, the question will arise whether or not the victims should attend this session; this motive is obvious to me. I have spoken about this to show that refusal gives rise to deeper suspicion, Kocharyan added. They can be essential to the case and are not deliberately provided. I would like you [the presiding judge] to consider this when making a decision. Many arguments have been brought, each of them is sufficient to drop the case; a whole bunch of arguments." The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Public Prosecution aiming to electronically-link both entities to support the Dubai Paperless Strategy. The MoU was also signed to exchange legal and practical knowledge and to coordinate on areas with shared goals. Humaid Al Qutami, director general of the DHA and Dubai Attorney General Essam Issa Al Humaidan signed the MoU in the presence of a number of officials from both parties. The MoU will open partnership opportunities between the DHA and Dubai Public Prosecution in a number of shared areas to achieve the vision of the emirate of Dubai as well as support innovative ideas that help simplify procedures. The MoU will also provide an opportunity to exchange knowledge and ideas through workshops, forums, and conferences organized by both parties as well as publish scientific studies and research. Commenting on the MoU, Al Qutami said that both parties have a strong partnership in a number of fields and that signing the MoU will open further partnerships related to legislations and regulation in the medical field. He added that the partnership will support the directions of the city of Dubai, whether related to its paper-free strategy and smart transformations, or training and professional development and raising the level of institutional performance. Al Humaidan on the other hand stressed that the MoU will support the capabilities of cooperation, support the Dubai Paperless strategy, enhance confidence in government work and help exercise an active role in relation to the judicial side of complaints, lawsuits, laws and medical regulations. This partnership will also help develop the skills of both sides through workshop that highlight the necessary tools needed in enhancing institutional performance.- TradeArabia News Service Bombshell Statements are Released to the United States Senate Finance and Judiciary Committees Confirming Secret FDA Studies in Chicago For years Northwestern University has operated in non-compliance with Federalwide Assurance 1549 Dr. Nalini Rajamannan NEWS PROVIDED BY Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute Feb. 11, 2020 WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- On Feb.10, 2020, Dr. Rajamannan presented definitive evidence to the Senate Finance Committee after years of investigation dating back to December 2008, and including investigations by the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Senate Committee has been reviewing all evidence submitted by Dr. Rajamannan over the past 10 years. Senator Charles Grassley, Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee and President Pro Tempore began an investigation into the FDA/the hospital/University and the device manufacturer, regarding the research and development of a new heart valve Model 5100. The evidence demonstrates for the first time, the conflicting statements regarding the FDA status at the time of the "surprise FDA study" between the FDA, the hospital/University and the device Manufacturer Edwards Lifesciences: Device Manufacturer states that the device is "FDA approved" as of September 2007 in a 2 line email, and the hospital/University confirms this status in statements to the Illinois Supreme Court as of December 2019. FDA states to Senate Committee that the device is not "FDA approved" as of March 2009 and is on recall. FDA confirms to Congress that there are no plans to inform any of the 667 patients that the device was not approved during the surprise FDA study. Senator Grassley's Senate Finance Committee has oversight over use of Medicare and Medicaid Funding, and has maintained follow up of the new evidence brought forth to the Senate this week for the failure to investigate pre-authorization from Medicare for the FDA study to test the device. Northwestern University never reverses their position from the 2007 email claiming "FDA approval" despite receiving the status of the FDA decision not to approve the device as of July 16, 2009. Despite an official FDA Congressional Decision submitted to Senator Grassley regarding the truth that the heart device was never approved for use in humans, during the surprise FDA heart valve study. The study was still published in the Leading Journal for the American Association of Thoracic Surgeons in 2008. Over 667 United States Citizens who received the device prior to December 2008 FDA recall, as disclosed to Senator Richard Lugar have not been informed as of today. Hundreds of US Citizens still have not been informed of the status of the device prior to the recall. In fact, Congressman Glenn Grothman received a letter from the FDA in 2017 confirming the fact that the FDA was not planning to inform patients, as the FDA "did not believe that notification would provide a benefit to patients and instead could unnecessarily alarm patients and raise unwarranted concerns. Therefore, FDA did not mandate the company notify all patients who received the device prior to its April 2009 clearance." - FDA Letter in 2017 to Congressman Glenn Grothman. In May 2019, the Daily Northwestern interviewed the victims and their families and published their stories and injuries in anticipation of the Obermeier Case, highlighting a patient's death, Mr. William Knotts, in November 2018 as a result of the FDA protocol. The December 2019 evidence presented to Senator Grassley on 2-10-2010 confirms that the company and the University are still claiming that the FDA approved the device as of 2006, claims which are contrary to the official FDA decision proving that the device was not approved prior to 2009 for use in humans. The statements are now in the hands of the Senate Finance Committee and the Secretary of HHS, to help the hundreds of US citizens who have the device implanted in their heart without consent and without FDA oversight to help them and their physicians understand any future complications as outlined in the Daily Northwestern publication in 2019. Dr. Nalini Rajamannan is a heart valve expert in the field of cardiovascular medicine. She earned her undergraduate science pre-professional degree from the University of Notre Dame, her Medical Doctorate from Mayo Medical School and her post-graduate training in Internal Medicine and Cardiology at the Mayo Clinic and Research Fellowship on the NIH training Grant. She also worked at the Mayo Clinic as a staff consultant in Internal Medicine and as an Associate Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University and the Lakeside and Westside VA. Currently, she practices consultative valvular medicine and Osteocardiology at Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute, WI. Press Contact Oscar Delgado Press Officer for Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute, Former NBC Bureau Chief Latin America, 773-573-6890 heartvalves@sacredcardiology.com SOURCE Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Cardiology and Valvular Institute CONTACT: Oscar Delgado, Press Officer, 773-573-6890, heartvalves@sacredcardiology.com Share Tweet Delhi Election Results 2020: While she was defeated in the Lok Sabha Election by her opponent Gautam Gambhir in the East Delhi constituency, Aam Aadmi Party's has once again reposed its faith on Atishi in the tough fight in the Kalkaji assembly election. Atishi is pitted against Congress candidate Shivani Chopra and BJP candidate Dharamveer Singh. According to early trends, Atishi is leading against her opponents. Atishi has been widely credited for her role in the upliftment of government schools in Delhi. The Oxford University graduate said that education and health have been some of the primary issues of the Kejriwal government apart from women empowerment. "The AAP, in the last five years, has relentlessly fought to achieve what other states and governments couldn't, and will continue to do so in the next five years as promised in the new AAP manifesto," Atishi said. Contesting Atishi is Shivani Chopra, daughter of three-time Congress MLA and Delhi unit chief Subhash Chopra. Congress is looking to resurge in the elections and is hoping that Chopra would yield her father's legacy. Dharamveer Singh, BJP's candidate in the fray also believes that the Modi-led party's work in Delhi will make it victorious. Also read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: AAP leading on 56 seats, BJP ahead on 16, counting of votes underway The fight for the Kalkaji seat has not been an easy one. Kalkaji's proximity to the Shaheen Bagh protest site, voters feel, could impact the outcome of the polls. The Shaheen Bagh protest against the CAA has been running for almost two months. Additionally, the incumbent MLA from Kalkaji, AAP's Avtar Singh was not fielded by the party. This has also disgruntled many locals as they believe that he had done good work. The Kalkaji constituency in South East Delhi has 1.85 lakh voters out of which 1.03 lakh are men and 82,296 are women. The voter turnout in the constituency was recorded at 57.44 per cent. Moreover, the India Today-Axis My India exit poll has predicted that the AAP will retain its stronghold in the assembly. The exit poll has predicted a victory tally of 59-68 seats out of a total 70 seats. The poll also showed that AAP is likely to bag 9-10 seats in South Delhi, while the BJP could bag 0-1 seats. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? If governments are going to collect data on citizens, they need to understand the responsibilities that lie therein. That was the overarching message during a data privacy discussion at the 2020 Public Sector CIO Academy Thursday in Sacramento, Calif.Panelists from a range of backgrounds shared their experiences of how and when data should be stored or shared. Michael Wilkening, special adviser on innovation and digital services to California Gov. Gavin Newsom, said that IT leaders should view the data collected from various services as their duty to protect, and in the case of sensitive data, something to be shared only when justifiable.As were starting to use that data, what are the implications there? Are you gathering information for enrollment purposes or administrative purposes? Wilkening asked the audience. Im not seeing us crossing the lines and using the data in ways that we shouldnt.Wilkening pioneered an open data portal while secretary of the Health and Human Services Agency. He did this to better understand how various programs, like CalFresh, impacted residents and whether people used more than one program or could benefit from multiple enrollments. Prior to a singular repository for querying, the data lived in disparate systems that couldnt identify these commonalities.The data is not our data. It belongs to the people, Wilkening said. Were stewards of data, but we dont actually own the data.He said CIOs must ask themselves these hard, gray-area questions when they consider using residents' information to monitor program effectiveness. As more and more information is collected, it becomes more difficult to keep certain citizens anonymous.The easiest solution, of course, is to not collect data at all, but that isnt feasible in the modern era, said Scott Christman, the former CIO and deputy director of information technology services for the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development.Theres this idea of not collecting data for the sake of collecting data, Christman said. Its similar to the blue-sky [thinking] problem of, If I just had all this data, I could do great things. The why needs to be there represented by strong use cases and purposes.There aren't yet universal guidelines for data collection or sharing, except where it comes to health-care records are concerned. But even in cases of medical records, the willingness to transmit data from a primary care physician to a specialist varies, he said.If an IT leader is to change how their organization views data, they must relentlessly advocate for its use and provide specific cases, like within the Health and Human Services Agency, where it improved residents lives.The use of this data, in this case were talking about sensitive data, the rationale is were trying to advance the organization, he said. I think its critically important and that cant be communicated enough to teams that are working on these types of projects.While a moral high ground for data collection and sharing didnt immediately emerge, a potential path for dissipating peoples privacy concerns may have. Panelist Chris Neff, the vice president of marketing and research at NIC Inc., said governments could adopt an opt-in approach.People are already comfortable with sharing their information on social media platforms, Neff said. If they understand how their data will be used and that there will be a tangible benefit to sharing it, they may more willingly provide it, he argued. - Steady Q3 from Safari Modest top line, strong marginShift from unorganised to organised in value category, post GST- Multi-product multi-channel model paying off- Creating successful brands- Focusing on high growth categories and channels- De-risking business by diversifying sourcing- Long-term macro drivers in place - Accumulate for the long term Luggage manufacturer Safari Industries (CMP: Rs 671, Market Cap: Rs 1487 crore) offers a rare blend of growth and quality that is hard to ignore in the current environment. The overall weak consumer sentiment has impacted consumer discretionary companies, and Safari Industries is no exception. Still, it has fared better and so far succeeded in keeping its head above water. While the stock made a decent run in the past couple of months, it remains an underperformer from a 1-year perspective. Its prima facie expensive valuation should not dissuade long-term investors from buying it as the moats of the business are difficult to give a miss. The novel Coronavirus-led supply disruption from China could result in a couple of soft quarters, which could provide an excellent accumulation opportunity. A stable quarter It was a quarter of good execution. While top line growth has slowed from over 30 percent in the first half, gross margin improved further. Product mix and a decline in raw material prices along with some concessions from Chinese vendors positively impacted gross margin. Finally, the company managed to put operating leverage to its advantage with a sequential improvement in margin at the profit before tax and profit after tax levels. The company tries to maintain margin either through price hikes or better negotiation with suppliers without impacting volumes. GST cheer? For Safari, the growth in top line in the first half in excess of 30 percent was remarkable and the momentum continued in Q3, albeit with a little deceleration. This reiterates our thesis that there is a meaningful shift from unorganised to organised players post GST, and Safari being well-entrenched with the economy offerings is at a vantage position. Its short-term outlook may remain subdued as the downturn takes a toll, with air passenger traffic growth as well as discretionary consumption in a slow lane. However, the superlative execution in a challenging environment is a true hallmark of a great business and that makes us confident about Safaris moats. Safari is the third-largest player in the organised luggage market and has close to 17 percent market share. In terms of price hierarchy, Safaris products fall at the bottom end of the pyramid as it is more of a value for money brand. The company is more into a mass category and thus is a preferred choice for a customer who wants to upgrade after reduction in price gap between organised and unorganised players after implementation of GST. In fact, post GST, Safari has grown faster than its organised peers. Safaris products are tailored for all customer categories that suit all possible occasions, but the portfolio is currently dominated by Soft luggage (close to 70 percent). Within the soft luggage category, transition towards 4 wheels and rolling duffels will drive growth. In the hard luggage category, there is clear shift from polypropylene to polycarbonate. Creating the right brand Despite this competitive environment, the company has bolstered its position in the travel lifestyle market place and is confident of growing faster than the market. The confidence stems from its new and better product offerings, a wide distribution network and investment in brand building. The secret sauce behind its success is its well-diversified multi-brand, -channel and -category business. It continues its focus on building the Safari brand through the launch of innovative new products and a new advertising campaign to drive visibility. The Magnum brand has been strengthened with a larger product portfolio and wider channel availability. The Genius & Genie brands that cater to teenagers and young adults has grown well in both backpacks and the newly introduced fashion bags category. This is in line with the company's strategic intent of addressing the complete short-haul needs of target consumers. Focus on fast-growing categories and channels Safari continues its emphasis on polycarbonate and backpack products. The share of hard luggage is close to 30 percent now. It increased its polycarbonate ranges, especially for e-commerce and hypermarkets, to dominate these high-growth channels. Further, it rolled out a fresh new range of backpacks with a significant upgrade in terms of features, design and price, which included several novel concepts. It has also started its own e-commerce enabled website. De-risking business While soft luggage is imported from China, hard luggage is manufactured at its plant in Halol in Gujarat. Safari has increased its hard luggage manufacturing capacity at the Halol plant. To de-risk business, it's exploring possibilities to tap some local vendors to make back packs in order to reduce dependence on China. Macro drivers in place Long-term macro drivers are in place despite the temporary slowdown. The continued shift of consumer preference from unbranded to branded products, accelerated growth in air travel, wedding season-based purchasing, the shortening of replacement cycle and the overall GDP growth are the structural drivers for the luggage industry. Safari boasts of marque investors like Malabar India Fund, Rohinton Screwvala and Tano India Private Equity Fund. The company has aggressive growth ambitions and plans to grow at 2x the industry rate. Apart from the changes set in motion by the management, structural tailwinds from gains in market share after GST, emergence of new product categories and strong demand for backpacks is likely to catalyse growth. Investment risks A prolonged macro slowdown severely impacting consumption, rise in raw material prices, depreciation of the rupee making raw material costlier, supply disruption from China due to Coronavirus and higher taxes on imports are some of the investment risks that could upset the applecart. Safari trades at 31.6x FY21e earnings and has run up quite a bit. However, given the strong industry dynamics and its vantage positioning, the weakness in future could be an opportunity to accumulate the stock for the long term. For more research articles, visit our Moneycontrol Research page A United Van Lines employee gets out of a moving van in Chappaqua, New York, on Jan. 4, 2000. (DOUG KANTER/AFP via Getty Images) IRS Data: Population Moving Out of States With Higher Taxes, More Lawyers Americans are leaving states with higher taxes and deficit spending, as well as more lawyers per capita, and moving to those with lower levies, more balanced budgets, and fewer attorneys, according to a new analysis of Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data. The bottom line in 2018 is that states attracting greater in-migration tend to be freer, lower-tax jurisdictions, with governments that do a better job of responsibly managing their finances, Truth-in-Accounting (TIA) Research Director Bill Bergman told The Epoch Times on Feb. 10. The more lawyers you have, the higher your tax burdens, and the less likely your state truly balances its budget, Bergman said. Bergman published the results of his analysis of IRS Statistics of Income (SOI) data for 2018 (the latest available from the federal tax agency) on Jan. 30. The 15 states with the highest net in-migration in 2018, on this measure, were (in order) Nevada, Idaho, Arizona, South Carolina, Colorado, Delaware, North Carolina, Oregon, Washington, Florida, Tennessee, Maine, Georgia, Montana, and New Hampshire, Bergman wrote in his analysis. The 15 states with the highest net out-migration in 2018, on this measure, were (in order) New York, Illinois, Connecticut, North Dakota, Louisiana, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Kansas, West Virginia, California, Mississippi, Wyoming, Maryland, Nebraska, and Rhode Island, he continued. Bergman excluded four energy-producing states, Wyoming, Louisiana, North Dakota, and West Virginia, because their high population losses coincided with severe drops in energy prices. Bergman used WalletHubs state tax-burden ranking, the Cato Institutes freedom ranking of states, the frequency of states balanced budgets according to end-of-year audit reports, ABA data for lawyers per 10,000 residents, and TIAs ranking for states per-taxpayer share of unfunded state government debt. Other factors he examined included Winter Average Temperature from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, years since a states admission to the federal union, the share of unionized public sector workers per state, and the Democrat-GOP ratio in the 2016 presidential election. Cold winters were the least important factor, according to Bergman, with a 0.18 correlation, while the 2016 vote was the second-lowest correlation at 0.30 (where 0.0 indicates no correlation and 1.0 is the strongest correlation. It should be remembered that correlation doesnt equal causation in statistical analyses). The highest correlation was for WalletHubs tax burden ranking at 0.65, followed by lawyers per capita at 0.52 and TIAs tax burden ranking at 0.49. New York has the highest number of lawyers, followed by Maryland, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Vermont. South Carolina has the fewest lawyers, followed by Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, and South Dakota. Bergman added that the in-migration states dont differ much from the out-migration states on this score You cant blame bad winters alone for out-migration, it looks like, at least for 2018. Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist told The Epoch Times the TIA analysis has significant short- and long-term political implications. General movement from high-tax/high-spending states to lower-taxed/lower-spending states will tend to strengthen the limited government direction of Florida, Texas, Tennessee, Norquist said, and in the short term, increase the clout of those benefiting from big government in losing states like California and New York. But viewed on a longer time frame, Norquist said these trends are not sustainable when enough taxpayers leave, state and local spending will have to decline. We will see blue cities go bankrupt, and we will see what the Supreme Court says about whether states can go bankrupt and start over. Norquist said the TIA analysis also points to a fundamental problem for advocates of increased government spending and regulation. The problem for big government is that there is no big government without taxpayers. As taxpayers leaveand the bigger the taxpayer, the more mobile he or she isrevenue to the state will decline, he said. States will respond with more tax hikes, which increase out-migration, and the cycle continues until the state hits bottom or voters rebel, as Californians did in 1978 with Proposition 13. He was referring to the famous Prop 13 that capped property taxes in the Golden State at 1 percent of the full cash value. Democratic campaign strategist Jimmy Williams, former senior economic adviser to Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), told The Epoch Times that people go where theres a good quality of life including good schools, good roads, decent infrastructure, and plenty of jobs. All of those factors are important, Williams said, however, lower taxes certainly are an attraction, but theyre just one part of the equation. Contact Mark Tapscott at Mark.Tapscott@epochtimes.nyc Violence at the Kearney Youth Rehabilitation Center is worsening, and several state senators said Monday that something needs to be done to make the center, which holds both girls and boys, safer for youth and staff. They don't necessarily agree on what to do or who should do it, however. "We are sitting on a powder keg," said Sen. John Lowe of Kearney. "Somebody's going to get killed." Omaha Sen. Sara Howard, chairwoman of the Legislature's Health and Human Services Committee, told senators Monday last weekend "was a very difficult and concerning time at the Youth Rehabilitation and Treatment Center in Kearney. It is scary and it is an emergency." Lowe told senators he had talked to city officials, law enforcement, state and YRTC officials about the recent incidents and met with the wife of a man injured Friday and still in the hospital. The senators reported that Thursday, one of the young men at Kearney grabbed a ceiling tile and stabbed a staff member. In the early hours of Friday, four youths went on a "rampage," Lowe said, breaking apart metal frame beds in their dormitory and hitting and beating four staff members. It was an effort to steal keys and escape, Howard said. Three staff members were taken to a hospital, Howard said. One staff member who remains in the hospital did not fight back but tried to block the blows of a metal pipe with his hands until he couldn't, and a youth started beating on his body and head. Kearney police, Buffalo County Sheriff's deputies and University of Nebraska at Kearney police responded with both lethal and nonlethal shotguns and a police dog. When they arrived, Lowe said, a young man was pounding at the door, yelling at the officers, trying to intimidate them. When the youth finally backed down, they went in, not knowing what would happen next, he said. Department of Health and Human Services spokeswoman Leah Bucco-White said because of the ongoing investigation, she couldn't provide additional details about the incident. These are not boys and girls who stole a pack of cigarettes to get committed there, Lowe said. Their rap sheets are long. "I'm tired of hearing senators stand on this floor and saying, 'These are innocent children,'" he said. "They lost that a long time ago." He blamed the Legislature for passing laws that tie the hands of the YRTC staff. They can no longer send these kids to the county jail that is full of adults for safekeeping, he said. "YRTC was built for misguided youth, not for hardened criminals. And that's what we have up there now," Lowe said. Nebraska has gangs, many of them in Omaha and Lincoln, and some of those gang members end up at the one facility for youth in Kearney, he said. It's not enough to put a youth who stabs or clubs somebody into a timeout for a couple of days, he said. "We have created a crazy situation at YRTC-Kearney," he said. Lowe was talking about 10% of the population there, he clarified. But others there feel like they have to go along to get along with the 10%. "We must do something now before somebody is killed," he said. "Let's let our judges place these young men and women at a place where they can no longer do harm to anybody." There is a staffing shortage at the YRTC, and these incidents are why, Lowe said. As of Saturday, 98 boys and 22 girls were at the Kearney center. The number of boys has increased just from last month, Howard said. In addition to the violence, the number of boys escaping has increased, she said, with three last weekend. Bucco-White said the department is working with law enforcement to locate them and an internal investigation is underway. The trend cannot be ignored. In 2018, four escaped; in 2019, 39 escaped. And the YRTC is already on track to hit 39 in the first three months of 2020, according to Howard. She has some theories as to what is going to create such an urgency in kids to escape, even those who are close to getting out. The boys seem to have gotten more interested in trying to escape, as Kearney has become more correctional with its fence and lockdowns and now by restricting movement more because of the addition of the girls, Howard said. The Nebraska State Education Association, in letters of testimony on a bill (LB1141) to separate the boys and girls again to Kearney and Geneva, said both are more successful in separate facilities. And that separation is "crucial." "When adequate space is limited, the number of incidents of aggressive behavior toward students and staff have increased," the NSEA said. Those behaviors impede learning, the letter said. Teacher Brenda Lobner sent a list of examples of interruptions, crowding and contract violations at the center, including a "constant state of chaos" that affect not only teachers' days but their nights, causing mental health difficulties, sleeping problems and anxiety. The Legislature has 14 bills pending on YRTC issues, but lawmaking moves slowly, Howard said. The administrative branch must fix this. Lowe said the state may need to create a new facility for the young men and women who don't want to be rehabilitated. He hopes the YRTC extension at the Lancaster Youth Services Center, for youth in need of more intensive treatment, opens and Kearney can be reconfigured. Additional management will be onsite 24 hours a day at YRTC-Kearney, Bucco-White said, providing assistance and leadership to ensure safety and security for staff and youth, which is a priority. "DHHS is revisiting and strengthening protocols, including those related to off-site visitation and furloughs, while continuing to maintain a family focus," she said. "These actions are part of the departments effort to address recent incidents that occurred at YRTC-Kearney." Reach the writer at 402-473-7228 or jyoung@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSLegislature Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 SAN DIEGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Vividion Therapeutics, a biotechnology company discovering and developing highly selective small molecule medicines that drug traditionally inaccessible targets, today announced the appointment of Robert Abraham, Ph.D., as Chief Scientific Officer. Dr. Abraham joins Vividion from a 10-year tenure at Pfizer, where he most recently served as Senior Vice President and Group Head, Oncology Research and Development. "We are delighted to have Bob join the Vividion family. His deep scientific expertise and experience managing a large and complex portfolio at Pfizer will help us successfully advance our broad and promising pipeline of selective small molecule programs," said Diego Miralles, Chief Executive Officer of Vividion. "Our proprietary platform has generated a diverse portfolio addressing several highly sought-after targets in the areas of oncology and immunology, and we look forward to leveraging Bob's insights as we create the small molecules of the future." "I am extremely excited to join the exceptionally talented and innovative team at Vividion," stated Dr. Abraham. "The success the company has had in generating and progressing multiple compelling programs over such a short period of time is impressive. I look forward to helping Vividion realize the full potential of its technology platform to deliver highly differentiated, impactful medicines to patients." Dr. Abraham's leadership responsibilities at Pfizer included oversight of cancer drug discovery and early clinical development. He joined Pfizer in 2009 following the acquisition of Wyeth, where he was Vice President and Head of Oncology Discovery. Prior to joining Wyeth, Dr. Abraham was the Cancer Center Director at the Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute from 2001 to 2005. From 1998 to 2001, he was a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology and the Department of Immunology at the Duke University Medical Center, where he held an Endowed Chair in Cancer Biology. Dr. Abraham started his academic career at the Mayo Clinic, where he was Professor of Pharmacology and Immunology. During his academic career, he made significant contributions to multiple research areas, including cell signaling, T lymphocyte biology, rapamycin pharmacology and mTOR functions, cancer metabolism and DNA damage responses. He received a B.S. in Biology from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from University of Pittsburgh. About Vividion Therapeutics Vividion Therapeutics, Inc. is a biotechnology company focused on transforming the future of human health through the limitless creation of highly selective small molecule medicines that drug traditionally inaccessible targets. The company is advancing a broad, diversified pipeline of multiple, selective small molecule therapeutics for highly sought-after disease-causing target proteins in oncology and immunology. The company's cutting-edge platform was spun out of the labs of Vividion's scientific founders, a team of experts in chemical biology and synthetic chemistry from The Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, CA. For more information, please visit www.vividion.com. Media Contact: [email protected] (858) 257-1535 SOURCE Vividion Therapeutics Related Links http://www.vividion.com/ Robert Lawson is semi retired and a member of the Bourbonnais Park District Living History Committee, and volunteer at the Kankakee County History Museum currently living with his wife and two children in the Chicago area. He has published his latest book Not Just Lincolns Tomb: Oak Ridge Cemetery- A Walk through Illinois History: a fascinating tour of a cemetery rich with the accomplishments, dramas, and complex lives of those resting there. Lawson writes, President Lincolns final resting place is more than just a cemetery. Oak Ridge is the second most visited cemetery in the United States, only Arlington has more visitors each year. It is a place of histories and stories. It is the final resting place of politicians, generals, and heroes. Even some of the private citizens have some interesting stories. This work will take you from the Black Hawk War to the corruption of some early governors. In addition, you will learn about one of the worlds best con artists. Find out why there is a gravesite with a buried accordion. Find out how race relations and union tensions came to a head in Illinois to help form the NAACP. Published by Page Publishing, Robert Lawsons engrossing book is a must-read for American history buffs. Readers who wish to experience this engaging work can purchaseNot Just Lincolns Tomb: Oak Ridge Cemetery- A Walk through Illinois History at bookstores everywhere, or online at the Apple iTunes store, Amazon, Google Play, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or media inquiries, contact Page Publishing at 866-315-2708. About Page Publishing: Page Publishing is a traditional, full-service publishing house that handles all the intricacies involved in publishing its authors books, including distribution in the worlds largest retail outlets and royalty generation. Page Publishing knows that authors need to be free to create - not mired in logistics like eBook conversion, establishing wholesale accounts, insurance, shipping, taxes, and so on. Pages accomplished writers and publishing professionals allow authors to leave behind these complex and time-consuming issues to focus on their passion: writing and creating. Learn more at http://www.pagepublishing.com. The following statement was written by clinical psychologist Dr Lissa Johnson, who will be one of the speakers at the Socialist Equality Party-organised rally at Parramatta Town Hall in Sydneys west on Saturday, February 22 at 12p.m.. Along with rallies in Melbourne, Brisbane and Wellington, New Zealand, the demonstrations will fight for the mobilisation of the working class in defence of imprisoned WikiLeaks publisher Julian Assange and whistleblower Chelsea Manning. The Trump administration has charged Assange with espionage for publishing documents leaked by Manning that exposed American government war crimes and diplomatic conspiracies. He faces a life sentence of up to 175 years for the courageous journalism carried out by WikiLeaks. The extradition hearing in the UK begins on February 24 in London. Demonstrations are being called around the world to demand that the British government reject the extradition and for the immediate and unconditional freedom of both Assange and Manning. In 2018, Dr Johnson authored a five-part series The Psychology of Getting Julian Assange, which was published by New Matilda and indicted the protracted persecution of the WikiLeaks founder. In November 2019, she was one of the signatories to the Open Letter, issued by doctors and health professionals from around the world, that documented the medical threat to Julian Assanges life due to his mistreatment. The Open Letter called on the British government to move the courageous journalist from Belmarsh Prison to a properly equipped and expertly staffed university teaching hospital. In a subsequent letter, Doctors4Assange demanded that the Australian government intervene on Assanges behalf. Dr Johnson will also be one of the speakers at a rally in Sydneys Martin Place at 12p.m. on Monday, February 24, organised by PeopleForAssange. Rally Against False Imprisonment, Trumped-up Charges and Abuse! Statement by Dr. Lissa Johnson, BA BSc(Hons, Psych) MPsych(Clin) PhD Clinical Psychologist Johnson addressing a Sydney protest called by the Support Assange and WikiLeaks Coalition Julian Assanges upcoming extradition hearing is a political litmus test for us all. The question ahead of Julian Assanges February 24th extradition hearing in London is this: will we stand silently by, at our own risk, while a journalist and publisher is persecuted, possibly to death, for exposing war crimes? Will we watch quietly and obediently as 100-plus medical doctors warn that Julian Assange could die in prison, from politically-motivated torture? Will we protest this abuse of the law, human rights and institutional power, knowing that if we do not, more abuse will come? Or are we too blinkered to see that our own rights and freedoms, and those of our children, are next in line? Everyone who recognises the need, before it is too late to take a stand against gross injustice and for fundamental democratic rights should attend the rallies in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Wellington, New Zealand, and support the demonstrations and protests being organised around the world. An Albuquerque city councilors trip to three East Coast cities is raising questions over her $6,300 bill to taxpayers. Councilor Klarissa Pena traveled in June to Philadelphia, New York City and Washington to attend a conference for city council presidents in Philadelphia, KOAT-TV reports. Records show Pena billed the city $3,290 for train tickets and another $2,082 for hotels. Pena told the television station she took a train because shes afraid of planes. She also took her husband and two grandchildren, and defended the move since she said the family rarely travels. I thought it would be a very unique opportunity, Pena said. So, I come from where this was a great opportunity to take my grandkids. Obviously, my expenses were going to be covered, so that would be a reduced cost for my family. Paul Gessing, president of the taxpayer watch group the Rio Grande Foundation, called the expenses brazen. The sheer amount of high-dollar expenditures approved theoretically by folks at the city in advance is even more troubling, Gessing said. Pena said city accountants approved the trip and she violated no city policies. Pena said she paid for her familys meals, taxis and Uber trips. By PTI NEW DELHI: One of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, Vinay Sharma, approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President. Sharma, through his counsel A P Singh, has also sought commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment. President Ram Nath Kovind had on February 1 rejected the clemency plea of Vinay. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition -- the last and final legal remedy available to a person which is decided in-chamber. Pawan also has the option of filing a mercy plea. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. ALSO READ | Nirbhaya case: SC issue notices to death row convicts on Centre's appeal against HC verdict She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Six people including the four convicts, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were named as accused. The trial of the five adult men began in a special fast-track court in March 2013. Ram Singh, the prime accused, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar jail days after the trial began. The juvenile, who was said to be the most brutal of the attackers, was put in a correctional home for three years. The juvenile was released in 2015 and sent to an undisclosed location amid concerns over a threat to his life. He, when released, was 20 years old. Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan were sentenced to death in September 2013 by the trial court. A massive dredging of the Mobile ship channel won federal approval Monday, and the project is expected to begin by the end of the year. The project was authorized by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which allocated $274.3 million of federal funds for a project through its fiscal year 2020 work plan. The funding accounts for the full federal share of the projects cost. Its being matched with $150 million that state lawmakers appropriated last year through a gas tax increase that is funding the Rebuild Alabama Act. Today marks a historic moment and victory for Mobile and the entire state of Alabama, said U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Tuscaloosa, who announced the federal appropriation in a news release. The completion of this transformative project is expected to stem immeasurable economic growth and will position Alabama and the Gulf Coast region for success for generations to come. Judith Adams, spokeswoman with the Alabama State Port Authority, said the state will initiate bonds for construction once the project gets closer to its contracting phase that will occur later this year. She added, secured funding means we can start that contracting process immediately after the engineering and design is completed sometime this summer. Jimmy Lyons, CEO of the Port Authority, praised Shelby for leading the federal process, and called the funding a game changer. Shelby said hes been working on the dredge project for 10 years. The funding was part of a new federal program, rolled out by the Army Corps of Engineers, that includes a new regional dredge demonstration program for the Central Gulf Coast. We are extremely grateful for his leadership, Lyons aid. This innovative program generates efficiencies in the Corps civil works program, affirms our projects value to the state and the nation and delivers the federal funding to complete our project much faster than anticipated. Construction will include the expansion of the Port of Mobile from its current dimensions of 45 feet deep and 400 feet wide to an additional 5 feet deep for a project depth of 50 feet. Following construction, the total depths through the shipping channel will be between 54 to 56 feet deep. Lyons, in an interview with AL.com last year, said the project was needed so the Port of Mobile could stay competitive in attracting larger ships with other deepwater ports in the Southeast, such as Savannah and Charleston. Twitter (NYSE:TWTR) built up some very strong momentum in 2019, exiting the year with 152 million monetizable daily active users (mDAU), up 21% from the end of 2018. That's faster growth than its biggest rival in social media, Facebook, which grew DAUs less than 9% on its flagship platform and about 11% across its family of apps. Even Snap, which saw a resurgence in user growth in 2019, grew its user base more slowly, at just 17% for the year. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey attributed half of the 26 million mDAUs the company added last year to product improvements. In order to maintain that momentum, the company will invest heavily in improving its platform this year. Transforming Twitter In his prepared comments for Twitter's fourth-quarter earnings call, Dorsey said the ability to follow interests and topics instead of only individual accounts on Twitter will be "transformational" for the platform. The company started enabling users to follow Topics last quarter and said it saw great improvements in engagement. Users are able to see suggested Topics in their timeline, which should lead to greater time spent and engagement on the app. Dorsey sees Topics and interests as especially useful in onboarding new users. The work the company is doing on improving its artificial intelligence and cataloging accounts by topic will make it easier for new users to find relevant accounts and topics to follow when they first sign up for the service, increasing the chances they'll come back again and again. Twitter has also been investing in what it calls the "health" of the platform. It's proactively working to reduce abusive tweets and remove them. It's also working to ensure misinformation and disinformation, particularly around political elections, doesn't spread on its platform. User engagement and retention has historically been a weakness for Twitter. But the strong growth in mDAU suggests that improvements to the platform, including following Topics, innovations to the Lists feature, improving the health of the service, and better AI recommendations are working to improve the number of existing users who log in daily. CFO Ned Segal says there's still a lot of room to improve engagement among existing users and sign up new users. Increasing its investment in those areas ought to produce continued acceleration in user growth. Twitter is also investing in its mobile application promotion platform (MAP), which created issues for it in the third quarter, when the company recognized it was inadvertently targeting users based on data it wasn't supposed to. Management believes reworking the platform will not only help return mobile app advertising spend, but also more general direct-response advertising. A hit to the bottom line Twitter is planning to increase its expenses about 20% in 2020. That includes a 20% increase in headcount over the course of the year to support product improvements. The climbing expenses will have a noticeable impact on the company's bottom line. In fact, Twitter's fourth-quarter earnings per share came in below expectations despite it outperforming revenue expectations. EPS came in at just $0.25 compared to $0.29. For the first quarter, management expects operating income between $0 and $30 million. That's down from about $94 million in the first quarter last year. Additionally, management expects its increased expenditures to be more heavily weighted toward the back half of the year as it onboards more personnel and ramps up investments over time. In addition to the operating expenses, Twitter is also boosting its capital expenditures in 2020. It expects capex to climb 45% to 55% year over year, compared to the 10% increase it made last year. The biggest impact will come from a new data center it's building to support the audience and revenue growth it's expecting. Segal noted this is not the new normal for capex growth, and investors should expect a return to lower levels in 2021. The burden on free cash flow should be short-lived. The long-term potential Twitter still has a lot of long-term potential to increase its user monetization. The biggest factor holding it back is advertiser demand. Once again, Segal told investors that it's more "demand constrained" than "supply constrained." In other words, attracting more advertisers is its best path toward revenue growth. In prior years, though, Twitter has under-invested in its research and development as it sought to reach profitability. That was compounded last year by the mishap with MAP. Long-term investors should welcome the move to increase investments in 2020. That said, improving the ad platform and attracting new advertisers will take time. Revenue growth may be a lagging indicator of the company's health, as marketers will want to see strong user growth and engagement and better ad technology before pouring their ad budgets into Twitter. Segal noted he expects average revenue per user to improve over time (it has declined in each of the last two quarters), but it won't be a constant improvement. Investors should expect the tech company's investments to improve user growth and engagement before translating into revenue growth. That's further emphasized by Twitter's outlook for the first quarter; the midpoint is below analysts' consensus. Renovation 11 February 2020 The newly reimagined Wanderlust, the latest flexible living concept from 8M Collective, is now open for bookings. Moving away from the rigid protocols and antiquated services at conventional hotels, Wanderlust is a conscientiously designed space for a new generation, welcoming all jaunts and journeys. Retaining only the name of the original property, the new Wanderlust has undergone a complete transformation, merging old-world charm with essential modern-day comforts. Step through the adorned facade of original Peranakan tiles and feel instantly at home, entering the naturally peaceful and inviting lobby, a wonderful dichotomy to the vibrancy of the neighbourhood. Relax on the open-air terrace overlooking charming Dickson Road, taking in the bustling streets of Little India from a private oasis with a dipping pool, the perfect escape on a hot Singapore afternoon. Just a few convenient steps from the Downtown MRT Line, Wanderlust offers the balance of being just minutes from the bustling city centre yet immersed in the historic urban montage of Little India. With a range of different room categories from spacious Lofts to comfortably appointed Studios, Wanderlust invites guests to take a break from the hectic pace of daily life and embrace the mindset of slow travel, making the lively neighbourhood a home away from home while soaking in the culture, colours and character of the multifaceted cityscape. Embracing the select service model that has made KeSa House, in Keong Saik Road, a favourite among contemporary travellers, Wanderlust encourages guests to settle in and stay a while with a range of flexible rate packages and services depending on the desired length of stay. Amenities such as complimentary laundry service, fully furnished pantries and comfortable common spaces make Wanderlust an ideal refuge whether you're checking in to relax, work or play. With kitchenettes in the majority of rooms, Wanderlust offers the opportunity to explore the local markets with its eclectic flavours and ingredients and prepare a home cooked meal in the comfort of your own space. You can grab essentials at the in-house Mama Shop that offers a hand-picked assortment of locally sourced brands and staples with ample selection for the health conscious. Enjoy a taste of Singapore with items such as craft beer from The Guild, artisan cold brew and tea from Made Cold, gluten free treats from The Whole Kitchen and kombucha from Yocha. And in true 8M Collective style, Wanderlust will also offer an amazing in-house restaurant and bar - Kotuwa, opening in April 2020. Helmed by Michelin-starred chef Rishi Naleendra of local dining destinations Cloudstreet and Cheek Bistro (formerly Cheek by Jowl), Kotuwa will celebrate Sri Lankan flavours, culture, people and hospitality. TORONTO, February 11, 2020 - Terreno Resources Corp. (TSXV:TNO.H) ("Terreno" or the "Company") George A. Brown, President & CEO, is pleased to provide information an update on the historical background and geological environment of the Las Cucharas Gold and Silver Project ("Las Cucharas") in Nayarit, Mexico. WHY MEXICO? Mexico has a rich mining history and is blessed with a wide variety of geological environments and mineral deposit types. Spanish colonial-era silver and gold production from the Veta Madre mine in Guanajuato ranked second only to Bolivia's Cerro Rico at that time. Mexico consistently ranks in the world's top 10 producing countries for gold, silver, and copper. Other important mineral products include lead, zinc, uranium, coal, iron, and graphite. The total value of minerals produced in Mexico in 2018 was $US 12.57B including precious, non-precious, and industrial minerals. Foreign direct investment in mining and exploration ranked fourth worldwide in 2018 at $US 1.4B. 6,100 tonnes of silver was produced in Mexico in 2018 alone (ref INEGI - Instituto Nacional de Estadistica y Geografia - National Institute of Statistics and Geography; and CAMIMEX - Camara Minera de Mexico - Mexican Chamber of Mines). WHY LAS CUCHARAS? Las Cucharas is a historic gold and silver mining area, with well documented small-scale production from 1903 through 1961 of 3,000 kilograms of gold and 30,000 kilograms of silver (Vargas, 1994, COREMI Pub M-12e). It is located in the southern extreme of the mid-Tertiary Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) volcanic belt, which hosts many of Mexico's most significant gold and silver deposits (SEE MAP 1). The state of Nayarit in Mexico is host to several important producing mines, past producing mines, and well known mineralized districts (SEE MAP 2). The Las Cucharas project area is 4,447 hectares covered by seventeen (17) concessions (SEE MAP 3). Significant underground workings have been developed at several different zones, including La Union, El Cardon, Los Gallos, Jocuixtle, La Italia, and La Raizura. These workings are often hundreds of metres in length and developed on several levels. Most of the remaining known showings have exploratory adits. The Las Cucharas Project is classified as a volcanic-hosted low-sulfidation epithermal precious metal system, with significant mineralization occurring along a six kilometre northwest-trending structural zone. Gold and silver are hosted in vein and shear structures, stockwork zones, and breccias. Classic low sulfidation textures are common, including banded quartz veins and breccias, as well as drusy, bladed, and chalcedonic quartz. Historical exploration work was carried out by Maverix Metals Inc. (formerly MacMillan Minerals Inc. and the predecessor company MacMillan Gold Corp.) between 2003 through 2012. This work succeeded in identifying fourteen separate mineralized showings. Maverix carried out several phases of surface and underground geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, trenching, local geophysics, and drilled approximately 2,190 metres in 15 exploration diamond drill holes (SEE MAP 4). Some work highlights include: - Surface grab samples ranging up to 18 g/t Au and 807 g/t Ag in the Nuevo Cucharas/La Taverna Zone. - Underground channel samples ranging up to a weighted average of 3 g/t Au and 292 g/t Ag over 2 metre width and 71 metre strike length in the La Raizura underground working. - Exploration drill holes tested several of the known mineralized zones, and all but 3 of the holes returned significant gold and silver values. Several highlights reported by Maverix include the following: HOLE ZONE FROM (m) TO (m) DRILL WIDTH (m) EST. TRUE W (m) Au (g/t) Ag (g/t) BL RZ-001 LA RAIZURA 96.5 110.0 13.5 13.0 1.94 14.6 BL RZ-003 LA RAIZURA 77.6 84.8 7.2 2.2 2.54 103.9 B AZ-001 LA AZURITA 12.2 13.2 1.0 - 5.7 343.1 LU-01 LA UNION 64.3 67.5 3.2 3.1 3.09 36.5 EC-01 EL CARDON 157.5 165 7.5 5.7 4.42 8.4 These exploration results evaluated along with the historic production clearly demonstrates significant precious metal potential at Las Cucharas, and Terreno's management is very pleased to be working on a project of this quality. Mr. Cary Pothorin, Vice President of Exploration for Terreno Resources Corp., a Qualified Person as defined in Nation Instrument 43-101, has prepared and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release. Additional information on the Company can be viewed at www.sedar.com For additional information, contact: Tel: (905) 467-1109 Email: georgeabrown0955@gmail.com Suite 1102, 44 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario M5C 1Y2 Neither The TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This release may contain certain "forward looking statements" and certain "forward-looking information" as defined under applicable Canadian and U.S. securities laws. Forward-looking statements and information can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intend", "estimate", "anticipate", "believe", "continue", "plans" or similar terminology. Forward-looking statements and information include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the transactions contemplated, any requisite regulatory approvals in respect thereof and proposed future transactions Terreno may undertake and their expected timing. Forward-looking statements and information are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions that, while believed by management to be reasonable, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Forward-looking statements and information are subject to various known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the ability of Terreno to control or predict. Terreno undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information except as required by applicable law. Such forward-looking information represents management's best judgment based on information currently available. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed and actual future results may vary materially. Accordingly, readers are advised not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Click Image To View Full Size MAP 1 - Location of Las Cucharas Project in relation to significant gold and silver mines and deposits in the Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO) volcanic belt in Western Mexico. Click Image To View Full Size MAP 2 - Deposits and mineralized zones in the state of Nayarit, Mexico. (Ref: SGM, Panorama Minero del Estado de Nayarit Diciembre 2016) Click Image To View Full Size MAP 3 - Las Cucharas project area showing outline of concessions, covering over 4,447 hectares. Each map grid block is 2 km x 2 km. Click Image To View Full Size MAP 4 - Light yellow shading indicates NW-trending structural zone and location of main showings. Black dots indicate location of historical exploration drill holes and corresponding intersections. Copyright (c) 2020 TheNewswire - All rights reserved. Kane County Assistant States Attorneys Mark D. Stajdohar and Jake Matekaitis presented evidence that between March 2012 and March 2013 Ramirez sexually assaulted the child, whom he knew, according to the release. The child was younger than 13 years old, officials said. For centuries, human civilizations across the world have built and created cities, buildings, monuments, tombs, temples, churches, mosques, and other structures that continue to inspire awe in millions. Narrowing down the world's wonders to only seven is a difficult task. Luckily, the New7Wonders Foundation took the initiative to compose a list of the "new" seven wonders of the world by narrowing down a list of 200 monuments from around the world, including some of the world's most famous landmarks. 21 finalists were selected from this list, and the top seven were selected by popular vote. Map showing the locations of the New7Wonders of the World. The 7 wonders of the world are: Taj Mahal - India Colosseum - Italy Chichen Itza - Mexico Machu Picchu - Peru Christ the Redeemer - Brazil Petra - Jordan Great Wall of China - China The Great Pyramid of Giza has also been added to the list. However, it is an honorary candidate and not one of the seven wonders. Taj Mahal, India Taj Mahal in India. The Taj Mahal is well known across the world for its historical value, its tale of love, and its stunning beauty. The Taj Mahal is located in the historic Indian city of Agra. It houses the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal, the wife of the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan. It is said that the Emperor loved his wife dearly and was prompted to build the Taj Mahal after her death as a testament to his love. The construction of the Taj Mahal was completed by 1632. It took 17 years, 22,000 laborers, stonecutters, painters, and embroidery artists, and 1000 elephants to complete the Taj Mahal. The construction of the temple cost the equivalent of US$827 million today. 28 types of precious and semi-precious stones were used to decorate the Taj Mahal. The monument changes color depending on the time of the day and the moon. In 1983, the Taj Mahal was inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Today, it attracts 7 to 8 million annual visitors each year. Colosseum, Italy The Colosseum in Italy. Rome, Italy, hosts the Colosseum, which is one of the world's seven wonders. Sometimes called the Flavian Amphitheatre, the Colosseum is an oval-shaped amphitheater in the center of the city. Constructed from concrete and sand, it is the largest amphitheater in the world. The Colosseum's construction was initiated in AD 72 by Emperor Vespasian and was finished by AD 80 by his successor, Titus. Domitian, another emperor of the Flavian dynasty later made certain modifications to the amphitheater. The labor of tens of thousands of slaves were used to build this magnificent structure. The Colosseum had the capacity to host about 80,000 spectators and 80 entrances at the time of its construction. Mock sea battles, animal hunts, famous battle re-enactments, executions, and mythological dramas were just some of the public spectacles held at the Colosseum. Entry to events in the Colosseum were free and paid from the Emperor's treasury. However, the Colosseum bore witness to a lot of brutality. Often over 10,000 animals were killed in a day. Today, this wonder of the world is a popular tourist attraction and serves as the iconic symbol of Imperial Rome. Chichen Itza, Mexico Chichen Itza in Mexico. Chichen Itza is an archaeological site located in Mexicos Yucatan State. It is a pre-Columbian city that was built during the Terminal Classic period by the Maya people. Chichen Itza's structures like the temples, arcades, and pyramids were sacred to the ancient Maya people. Chichen Itza is believed to have been one of the major cities of the ancient Mayan world and constructions in the city exhibit a variety of architectural styles. The Temple of Kukulkan in Chichen Itza is an archeological marvel based on Maya astronomy. It has 365 steps for each day of the year. There are 91 steps on each of the four sides and the platform at the top serves as the 365th step. The site even houses a sophisticated ancient observatory that exhibits the excellent advanced astronomical knowledge possessed by the Maya people. Chichen Itza was abandoned in the 1400s. However, it is still not known why people left their homes in the city. The historical value of the site contributes to its status as a wonder of the world. Machu Picchu, Peru The archeological site of Machu Pichu in Peru. The dream destination of millions of people across the world, Machu Picchu is one of the seven wonders of the world. It is located in the Cusco Region of Perus Machupicchu District. According to the majority of archaeologists, the Inca emperor Pachacuti built Machu Picchu as an estate around the year 1450. The site developed as a city but was abandoned a century later during the Spanish Conquest. The site remained largely unknown to the rest of the world until its discovery by the American explorer Hiram Bingham. A new theory suggests that Machu Pichu could have been the end stage of an ancient pilgrimage route of the Inca people. Machu Picchu is a great representation of the Incan way of life. The positions of important structures in Machu Pichu were strongly influenced by the location of nearby mountains regarded as holy by the Inca people. No mortar was used to build the structures in Machu Picchu. The stones were cut and wedged in a manner that even a credit card would not go through the joints. While it definitely improved the aesthetic value of the buildings, it also protected from earthquakes. The stones would 'dance' if there were earthquakes and then fall back into place once the tremors subsided. An engineering mavel, a lot of sophisticated civil engineering work had to be done underground to establish Machu Pichu as a city in a notch between two mountain peaks. Most of this is invisible to the visitor's eye. Christ the Redeemer, Brazil Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. One of Brazil's most iconic symbols, the Art Deco styled statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro is one of the seven wonders of the world. The credit of building the statue goes to Paul Landowski, a French sculptor. The Romanian sculptor, Gheorghe Leonida, was responsible for fashioning the face. The sculpture cost a total of $250,000 which was donated by individuals from in and around Brazil. Christ the Redeemer is 98 feet tall and has a 26-feet tall pedestal. Its arms stretch 92 feet wide. The 635 metric ton statue, made of soapstone and concrete, is located atop the 2,300 feet tall Corcovado mountain. The construction of the statue was initiated in 1922 and completed by 1931. It is the largest sculpture of the art deco style in the world. However, it is not the world's largest Christ statue. Couples can wed in the chapel at the base of the statue as it was declared a sanctuary in 2006 by the Catholic Church. The statue has been featured in various Hollywood films. Petra, Jordan The archeological site of Petra in Jordan. Petra, a Jordanian wonder, is also listed among the seven wonders of the world. Petra is also nicknamed as the Rose City due to the stone color from which it is carved. It has immense archaeological, historical, and architectural value that makes it a jaw-dropping tourist attraction. The water conduit system and the rock-cut architecture are the two most notable features of this ancient city. The water conduit system installed by the ancient Nabataeans helped give rise to a flourishing city in a desert. The Royal Tombs which are large mausoleums with impressive facades carved into rock are a major attraction in Petra. Petra is not only one of the seven wonders of the world but is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also listed as one of the "28 Places to See Before You Die by the Smithsonian magazine. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, the 1989 Hollywood adventure movie was filmed in Petra. Great Wall of China, China The Great Wall of China. The Great Wall of China, a global tourist hotspot, is known across the world for its uniqueness, great length, and historical value. It is also considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world. The Great Wall of China is associated with thousands of years of Chinese history. A series of walls were initially built by Chinese empires and states over a period of many years, beginning as early as the 7th century BCE. Over 20 dynasties/states contributed to the building of the wall. These walls were then joined together to result in the Great Wall of China. It was not just a wall but a kind of fortification with watchtowers, beacon towers, trenches, etc., built at intervals as protection from enemy forces. The official length of the Great Wall of China is 21,196.18 km (13,170.7 mi). However, nearly one-third of the Great Wall has disappeared over time. UNESCO inscribed the site as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987. Great Pyramid of Giza (Honorary Candidate) , Egypt The Pyramids of Giza in Egypt. Although the Great Pyramid of Giza was not officially selected as one of the seven wonders of the world, it was assigned an honorary title because of its undeniable importance. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the biggest and the oldest one among the three pyramids forming the Giza Pyramid Complex. Egyptologists believe that this pyramid was built over a period of 10 to 20 years and completed by around 2560 BC. For over 3,800 years, the Great Pyramid of Giza stood tall as the worlds tallest structure until this position was replaced by the skyscrapers of the modern world. The Pyramid has baffled engineers and architects across the world as to how it was constructed in times when modern infrastructural facilities did not exist. The pyramid houses the tomb of Khufu, the Fourth Dynasty Egyptian pharaoh. Other Lists Of Wonders The Seven Natural Wonders of the World is an unofficial list of the most spectacular places in nature from around the globe. The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World include picks from ancient times, such as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Temple of Artemis, the Statue of Zeus of Olympia, the Colossus of Rhodes, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Seven Wonders of the Medieval World include the most impressive wonders of the Middle Ages. Examples of these wonders include Stonehenge, the Hagia Sophia, and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. A smart watch style device that could help detect early signs of dementia will be trialled by a million British people. The 100million project has the backing of Bill Gates and former prime minister David Cameron. The wrist-worn device could revolutionise the detection of dementia by using artificial intelligence to monitor more than 30 indicators, such as speech, fine motor skills and sleep. In three years, the prototype will be worn by a million over 40s in Britain recruited as part of the Governments Accelerating Detection of Disease programme, The Times reported. A smart watch style device that could help detect early signs of dementia will be trialled by a million British people (stock image) It could help with the early intervention of Alzheimers and other forms of dementia, which develop up to 20 years before symptoms show but are often not diagnosed until extensive damage has been done. Dementia is the leading cause of death in Britain and there are currently no treatments to stop or slow the brain diseases that cause it. The device trials are part of a global initiative launched today by Alzheimers Research UK and part-funded by Microsoft founder Mr Gates. British scientists are looking at data from around 10,000 people to identify the fingerprints which can be used to help diagnosis. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Cameron, who is now president of Alzheimers Research UK, said the project was an example of how technology could be used to treat dementia patients who were slipping into a world of darkness. It has an achievable aim: to develop a gadget - a combination of a wearable device and smartphone app - to detect the earliest digital fingerprints of a disease, he said. The wrist-worn device could revolutionise the detection of dementia by using artificial intelligence to monitor more than 30 indicators (pictured) This isnt some Big Brother intervention. Just as we measure our cholesterol levels to tell us when we need a statin, we need to identify these fingerprints of diseases such as Alzheimers to see when we need a statin for the brain. My interest in dementia was sparked when I was an MP, witnessing the tragedy of more and more people in my constituency slipping into this world of darkness. As prime minister, I was determined to prove this wasnt an inevitable part of ageing but was being caused by diseases of the brain that can be tackled with research. Thats why I put the issue on the global agenda, through summits such as the G8, and we doubled the research funding at home. And its why I made it my focus post-politics. The initiative is a collaboration between Alzheimers Research UK and organisations including the Alan Turing Institute, University College London, and Newcastle, Exeter and Cambridge universities. The project hopes to secure at least 67million in funding in the first six years and up to 100million by 2030. A British businessman who became known as a "super-spreader" of the COVID-19 coronavirus said Tuesday he had fully recovered but remained in isolation in a central London hospital. Steve Walsh issued a statement via his company from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital after catching the virus on a business trip in Singapore. He is believed to have infected at least 11 other Britons -- five in a ski chalet in the French Alps and another five who have since returned to his home city of Brighton on England's southeast coast. Another person was diagnosed while on vacation in Spain. Walsh said he contacted Britain's state-run national health service once he realised he might be sick. "As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus, I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England," the 53-year-old said. "I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed," he added. "When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves." Walsh represented his Servomex natural gas analytics company at the Grand Hyatt Singapore sales conference on January 20-22. A firm that conducts Servomex's consulting work described Steve as a genial boyscout leader who has two children and travels abroad frequently for work. Servomex is a division of the London Stock Exchange-listed Spectris high-tech instruments and software provider. - Contact tracing - UK health authorities have so far tested 1,358 people and recorded eight cases inside the country. The media's focus on the "super-spreader" from Brighton intensified after one of the medical centres in the coastal city temporarily closed because two of its staff also became infected. A second branch of the same medical centre suspended operations on Tuesday. Walsh travelled to the French Alps before returning to London from Geneva on an EasyJet flight carrying more than 100 people. His associates said Walsh went to his local pub in Brighton and attended a group yoga session at his church after returning from his trip. He put himself in "self-isolation" after one of his colleagues abroad fell ill. A Servomex spokesman said the company remained opened and was working with "authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff". Health officials in Brighton are currently trying to trace patients of the two healthcare workers diagnosed with the virus strain. UK health authorities have tried hard to calm any fears sparked by a barrage of media stories about a "super-spreader" infecting the public without anyone's knowledge. "Contact tracing of the first four cases has been undertaken rapidly and is now complete while tracing for the latest four cases is ongoing," health minister Matt Hancock told parliament. Hancock revealed that UK health authorities' work helped to find the five Britons who are still isolated in France. "They are now receiving treatment and the Foreign Office is following up with consular support," Hancock said. But some medical researchers said Walsh's case pointed to a bigger problem: the possibility that the virus can spread from someone who exhibits no symptoms. The episode "may support that the virus can be shed from individuals prior to the onset of symptoms, which we are hearing more and more anecdotally," said University of Leeds virus researcher Stephen Griffin. "This would make the problem of containing spread more like controlling a flu outbreak rather than what was experienced with SARS," Griffin said. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) was another coronavirus that originated in China and killed 774 worldwide in 2002-03. A doctor's surgery in Brighton, where 'super-spreader' Walsh was finally diagnosed, temporarily closed after two members of staff came down with the virus British businessman Steve Walsh caught the virus at a conference in Singapore and is thought to have infected at least 11 other people Map showing the journey of a British man who contaminated several members of his family and friends after a business trip to Singapore. CAMEROON, Cameroon - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas sat beside former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert on Tuesday and said he is ready to resume negotiations under an international umbrella on the peace deal they made significant progress on in 2008 not on the Trump administrations plan that he said destroys a two-state solution to the decades-old Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Olmert said he thinks Abbas made a mistake in not accepting his 2008 peace plan. But he said now there is a plan put forward by President Donald Trump based on a two-state solution, and if that is a U.S. commitment, it must be pursued further by all sides, including the Palestinian side. The rare joint appearance of the Palestinian Authority president and a former Israeli leader before international media appeared aimed at demonstrating to Israelis in particular, and the wider international community, that the Palestinians once had an Israeli partner they negotiated with seriously and that they could do so again under the right circumstance. Abbas welcomed Olmert as a dear friend and a man of peace, a man who believes in achieving peace, a man who continues to try to achieve peace. Olmert offered Abbas a peace plan in 2008 that included a near total Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank, east Jerusalem as the capital of a Palestinian state, international control over Jerusalems holy sites, and negotiations on the issue of Palestinian refugees under the Arab Peace Initiative. He said they were very, very close to agreement. But Olmert was forced to resign in July 2008 ahead of a corruption indictment that later sent him to prison for 16 months. Despite this, Olmert said he has remained in contact continually with Abbas over the last 11 to 12 years. And though they disagree on how to handle the U.S. plan, he said Abbas is a man of peace. The press event followed an open meeting of the U.N. Security Council at which the Palestinian leader vehemently rejected the Trump plan and called for an international conference to pursue the two-state solution based on borders before the 1967 Mideast war demanded in numerous U.N. resolutions. Abbas called the U.S. proposal an Israeli-American pre-emptive plan in order to put an end to the question of Palestine and said the disjointed Palestinian state envisioned in the U.S. plan is like a Swiss cheese. He said the plan violates numerous U.N. resolutions and annuls Palestinian rights to self-determination, freedom and independence in our own state, and thus should not be considered a basis for negotiations. The Palestinians seek all of the West Bank and east Jerusalem areas captured by Israel in the 1967 Mideast war for an independent state and the removal of many of the more than 700,000 Israeli settlers from these areas. The Trump plan would turn over key parts of the West Bank to Israel, siding with Israel on key contentious issues such as borders and the status of Jerusalem and Jewish settlements. At the council meeting, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said if Abbas really wants peace, he should be in Jerusalem talking to President Benjamin Netanyahu not at the United Nations. Only when he steps down can Israel and the Palestinians move forward, Danon said of Abbas. A leader who chooses rejectionism, incitement and glorification of terror can never be a real partner for peace. Abbas minutes earlier told the council: We are fighting terrorism. We are not terrorists. Later, he told reporters: Irrespective of the nature of relationships with our Israeli neighbours, we will not resort to violence. ... We want to achieve peace through peaceful negotiations. Olmert said he didnt come to the U.S. to criticize Trump, the U.S. plan or Netanyahu. But he strongly disagreed with Danon about Abbas, saying the U.S. plan aims to make peace between Israel and the Palestinians and the Palestinian leader is the only partner we can deal with. He expressed hope that Abbas and other Palestinian officials will not ignore the U.S. commitment for a two-state solution and will work to establish the necessary framework for negotiations that will promote it. These negotiations will take place, Olmert said. It will take some more time, but these negotiations will take place, and the partner of Israel to these negotiations will be Mahmoud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority. Who will be the partner on the Israeli side, we will know later this year, he said, alluding to March elections scheduled in Israel, though two elections last year failed to produce a government. It had been expected that the 15-member Security Council would vote Tuesday on a resolution co-sponsored by Tunisia and Indonesia and backed by the Palestinians opposing the U.S. plan. But the Palestinians said consultations on the text were continuing. Diplomats said it was unclear whether the resolution would receive the minimum nine yes votes for approval. Olmert said everything he has done and is doing now is for the state of Israel. He said he told Abbas: I didnt come to support him or the campaign of the Palestinian Authority or to speak for them. He added that he thinks the majority of Israelis are not on the right politically and do not oppose negotiations with the Palestinians or seek of territory in the West Bank. U.S. Ambassador Kelly Craft said the U.S. aim is to get the Israelis and Palestinians to the negotiating table to discuss the Trump plan. Its a vision. Its not a deal, she said. Its an opportunity and I think today was the beginning. Correction - Feb. 13, 2020: This article was edited from a previous version to update a headline that mistakenly referred to a former Palestinian President meeting with an ex-Israeli Prime Minister. In fact, as stated correctly in the article, Mahmoud Abbas is the current Palestinian President. These are the first pictures to surface of the sixth-former jailed for possessing the knife that killed 17-year-old Yousef Makki as he loses a High Court bid to keep his identity secret. Adam Chowdhary, 18, stood trial alongside Joshua Molnar, 18, last year in relation to the death of their friend Yousef in Hale Barns, Cheshire on March 2 2019. He was cleared of perverting the course of justice, but handed four months in a youth detention centre after admitting possession of the flick knife that was plunged into Makki's chest. Chowdhary was protected by youth anonymity because he was only 17 at the time of the offence and was only ever referred to as 'Boy B' in court. Adam Chowdhary (pictured), 18, stood trial alongside Joshua Molnar, 18, last year in relation to the death of their friend Yousef in Hale Barns, Cheshire on March 2 2019 Despite his anonymity expiring on his 18th birthday, he implored the High Court to keep his identity secret until he finishes his education in November 2021. Justice Karen Steyn ruled last month that there was a strong public interest in him being named, but said he could remain anonymous until he submitted an appeal. After Chowdhary's legal team failed to produce one, his identity was made public this afternoon. Yousef Makki (pictured), 17, was stabbed in the heart by his friend Joshua Molnar, now 18, during a fight in Hale Barns, Cheshire, on March 2 2019 Molnar was cleared of murder and manslaughter following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court in July on the grounds of self-defence, telling jurors Yousef pulled a knife on him. Yousef Makki's death sent shockwaves up and down the country after he won a scholarship to the 12,000-a-year Manchester Grammar School. He died of a stab wound to the chest during a fight the day after 17-year-old Jodie Chesney was knifed to death from behind in Romford, east London. At a hearing in London last month, his barrister Adam Wolanski QC said Chowdhary is suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and that the publication of his identity would be 'catastrophic for him'. But, dismissing his application, Mrs Justice Steyn ruled that 'the curtailment of the claimant's and his family's right to respect for their private and family life is, in my judgment, clearly justified by the compelling public interest in open justice'. She said that naming him would effectively 'destroy his right to an appeal' and gave his legal team a deadline of 4pm on Tuesday to do so. The judge said Chowdhary should not be named until any appeal is determined, as it would 'effectively destroy his right to appeal', and gave his lawyers until 4pm on Tuesday to file an appeal. Adam Chowdhary, 18, stood trial alongside Joshua Molnar, 18, (pictured) last year in relation to the death of their friend Yousef in Hale Barns, Cheshire on March 2 2019 In her ruling, Mrs Justice Steyn said: 'The most significant aggravating feature was that (Chowdhary) bought the knife with which Yousef was killed.' She said possession of a knife 'is a serious offence and there is a strong public interest in knowing the identity of those who commit serious offences'. Mrs Justice Steyn found that 'the prospect of being named in court, with the accompanying disgrace, is a powerful deterrent' to others. She added: 'There is an important public interest in understanding the prevalence of knife crime. Such understanding depends, at least in part, on knowing who is committing such crimes.' Chowdhary's application for anonymity was opposed by a number of media outlets, including Associated Newspapers, publishers of MailOnline and the Daily Mail. Molnar, who is due to be released from custody in March, was named just days before he turned 18 in October. ROTC Dragon Task Force Cadet Battalion Cmdr. Shadira Lamby (left) and Joan McVeigh DeNofa, daughter of Sgt. John McVeigh, with the Liberty Stakes trophy at Drexel Armory on Thursday. Sgt. McVeigh was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism displayed during combat in World War II. Read more When the enemy attacked at dusk on Aug. 29, 1944, near Brest, France, a heavy-machine-gun unit for the Allies was out of position. As Army infantrymen rushed to ready for battle, a 22-year-old Northeast Catholic High School alumnus stood up, in full view of Nazi paratroopers. Buying time, Sgt. John J. McVeigh fired his M-1 rifle at the Germans, who were advancing on recently claimed Allied ground. When he ran out of bullets, McVeigh pulled out a trench knife and charged, killing one soldier in a hand-to-hand exchange before he was shot dead at point-blank range. His sacrifice allowed members of the 23rd Infantry Regiment, Second Infantry Division, to mount a defense and hold their position. For his selfless efforts, McVeigh was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor on April 20, 1945. He is believed to be the only Philadelphian to receive the militarys highest honor during World War II. "There's a lot of humanity there that people forget," said John G. Kershaw, McVeigh's nephew and a retired Army aviator and foreign-area officer, "and we're making an endeavor to ensure they don't." This year, the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the Association of the United States Army (AUS) is holding a series of events to commemorate the anniversary of the posthumous award 75 years ago. Events began Friday evening with the inaugural Liberty Stakes competition among Army ROTC teams from Temple, Drexel, and Widener Universities. Each school broke its squads into two groups, for a total of six squads competing for the first place trophy. Hosted by Drexel, the competition included a four-mile trek with weighted backpacks that culminated at the Art Museum steps, and a hand-grenade-assault course. There was also a tug-of-war, a casualty evacuation exercise, a rifle assembly and disassembly challenge, and a marksmanship exercise with a trivia portion pertaining to Philadelphia and the citys military history. Earlier this year, the AUS brought McVeighs story to ROTC leaders attention, who were so inspired by his example that they opted to name the winners trophy after the hero from Kensington. We just wanted to be a part of it, said Lt. Col. James Hannigan, professor of military science for Task Force Dragon, the Army ROTC at Drexel. Were grateful for this opportunity to honor Sgt. McVeigh and to share his story with our cadets. The trophy was unveiled at a ceremony Thursday morning at the Drexel Armory. Members of McVeighs Gold Star family, including Joan McVeigh DeNofa, McVeighs only child, addressed Drexels squadron. DeNofa, who lives in Torresdale and was 18 months old when her father died, told the students that shes been disappointed in what she has seen from younger generations, including widespread ignorance about history and a lack of respect for the ideals and freedoms that her father died fighting to protect. I didnt want to come here, she said in an interview. Her initial feeling, she said, was: My father didnt give his life for these bums. But, she added, seeing the students in uniform who were ready to serve their country and willing to look her in the eye made her feel differently. "This made me so happy," she said, "because I was down." Her father had worked at the Philadelphia Rust Proof Co. before being drafted. After the war, his young wife and only child were left without a steady source of income. They moved into Virginia McVeighs mothers house in Northeast Philadelphia. DeNofa said her mother wanted to hide all reminders of their loss. "She was just so bitter," DeNofa said. "When it happened, she shut herself down. She threw everything in a box, filled with his letters, photographs, and I didn't get it until she died." Seeing her fathers name kept alive and attached to a group of young people who share his values makes her hopeful for the future, she said. He would have been so happy to see them, DeNofa said. McVeigh has been honored over the years by various organizations. In 1950, the city approved the renaming of McKinley Recreation Center bordered by C, Ontario, D, and Westmoreland Streets in Kensington to Sgt. John J. McVeigh Recreation Center. McVeigh, who graduated from the now-defunct Northeast Catholic High School in 1939, was inducted into its hall of fame in 1993. He is the schools only Medal of Honor recipient. The new series of commemorative events is an attempt to reconnect a hero with his hometown and to reintroduce his story of self-sacrifice to a new generation of Philadelphians who arent likely to otherwise recognize his name. I think sometimes people can get lost, said Graylin Worcester, a veteran and president of the AUS Philadelphia chapter. And Philadelphia is really great about taking someone who is brought back up and lifting them back up. Its really part of the fabric of the city. Filipino troops and U.S. veterans pose for a selfie during the Freedom Trail March to commemorate the World War II Bataan Death March, in Capas, Philippines, March 3, 2019. The Philippines officially notified the United States on Tuesday that it was terminating a decades-old military pact, leading the American embassy to say Manilas move would have significant implications for the longtime alliance. After weeks of threats uttered by senior Philippine officials from President Rodrigo Duterte on down, Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that Manila was withdrawing from the 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), despite tensions in the disputed South China Sea and a security threat from Islamic State-linked extremists in the southern Philippines. The U.S. embassys deputy chief of mission had received the signed document notifying Washington about the decision, Locsin said via Twitter. As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development, he said. The Philippine announcement comes weeks after President Duterte threatened to cut military ties after the U.S. State Department reportedly revoked an American visa for his former police chief, now-Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who had served as chief enforcer of the governments drug war that has left thousands of people dead. The American embassy, in a brief statement, confirmed Locsins announcement. This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippine alliance, the embassy said. We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests. The embassy reminded Manila that the two countries enjoyed a relationship that was deeply rooted in history, and the U.S. remained committed to friendship. The announcement came a day after U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs R. Clarke Cooper told reporters in a teleconference that he believed no one in the Philippines would put at risk numerous engagements. He noted that the allies were scheduled to discuss the VFA in March. Speaking to local chief executives on Monday night, Duterte discussed efforts by U.S. President Donald Trump to maintain the military arrangement. Trump and others are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement, he said. I said, I dont like to. The agreement remains in force until a 180-day period from the time the notice was received, Duterte spokesman Salvador Panelo said. The VFA has allowed for large-scale joint military exercises between the allies after the United States vacated two of its largest overseas military installations the Subic Bay Naval Base and Clark Air Base, both located northwest of Manila in the 1990s. Those exercises bore fruit in 2017 when U.S. intelligence officers aided Philippine troops in their successful battle against Islamic State militants in the southern city of Marawi. Duterte: China will not attack us On Monday, Duterte suggested that Beijing would not go to war with its smaller neighbors even though the Asian superpower has been boosting its military capabilities on claimed territories in the South China Sea. They will not attack us. Even if we allow [Chinese President] Xi Jinping to take a bath in Palawan tomorrow, he said. They do not mean harm if we do not also do something that is harmful to them. By comparison, Duterte said that hosting U.S. troops on Philippine soil could be a seen as a threat because their weapons are here and could be hit by enemies. Without providing details, Duterte said the Philippine Navy recently had detected a U.S. submarine in territorial waters. Panfilo Lacson, an independent Philippine senator, said notice of the VFA termination means that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty will now be reduced to a mere paper treaty as far as the U.S. is concerned. Having said that, theres no more intelligence information sharing in our fight against domestic and foreign terrorist acts, he said. No more U.S. military aid and financing that accounts for a good 52 percent of what they extend to the whole Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines stands to lose intangible economic benefits as well as protection from external threats, such as disputes in the South China Sea, Lacson said. Richard Javad Heydarian, a political scientist who has been studying geopolitics and Dutertes rise to power, also questioned the governments move. Considering the American influence in the Philippines and its longstanding ties with the defense establishment, it probably reflects a tremendous amount of worry and anxiety on the part of Duterte and his inner circle about human rights sanctions against them, Heydarian said. The VFA is absolutely vital because it is the software that allows the operationalization of the bilateral alliance, he said. China is the biggest beneficiary in this. A group of three, possibly four, Melbourne councils have agreed to spend around $300,000 funding a Supreme Court legal challenge to the Andrews governments environmental approval for the North East Link. They are entirely justified. Not because the toll road is not worthwhile the gridlock in Melbournes north-east is extreme and there is a perfectly valid argument that an enormous, city-shaping project like the North East Link will help resolve it, at least in the short term. Councils opposed elements of the North East Link because it will cause impacts on 53 hectares of open space, the loss of nearly 800 jobs and a "protracted construction period" that will be so invasive that many homes will be acquired. Credit:North East Link Authority And yet the process that has led to this gargantuan road project easily the most expensive in the states history being deemed environmentally acceptable by Planning Minister Richard Wynne is unacceptable. Thailand has become the latest country to turn away the Westerdam cruise ship after barring passengers from disembarking - despite there being no cases of coronavirus on board. The beleaguered ship, operated by Holland America Line, has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan due to concerns surrounding the virus. The Diamond Princess cruise ship is currently in quarantine off the coast of Yokohama, Japan, as 135 people on-board test positive for the virus. Its 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain on-board until February 19. The Westerdam, pictured above, has also been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Its owner Holland America Line says there are no coronavirus cases on-board There are more than 43,000 coronavirus cases declared in the world so far and 1,018 deaths The chief of the Department of Disease Control Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand. Prime Minister Prayuth Chano-cha confirmed the ban but said Thailand was looking a way to give humanitarian assistance, and will be able to provide the ship with necessities such as fuel and food. The Westerdam began its cruise on January 16 in Singapore. Shipowner Holland America Line says there are no known cases of the virus on board. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakulhad indicated on his Facebook page several hours before the official announcement that the ship would be denied entry. The Westerdam, shown by the yellow ship, is currently rounding the bottom of Vietname and heading towards Thailand He posted his declaration after Holland America announced it was sailing to Laem Chabang, where passengers would disembark on February 13 to take flights home from Bangkok. The announcement by the shipowner attracted much attention among Thai social media users. Holland America had already announced that passengers would receive a complete refund. It said a scheduled departure of the Westerdam on Feb. 15 from Yokohama had been canceled and planned departures after Feb. 28 were being assessed. Indigenous leaders have been barred from pursuing constitutional reform within the Morrison government's new peak advisory group on a voice for First Australians, under leaked rules that restrict their ability to press for change. A briefing to some of Australia's most respected Indigenous leaders has warned them against making recommendations on constitutional recognition, ruling it out of scope for their group. Indigenous Australians Minister Ken Wyatt has set an ambitious deadline of October this year to test options for a voice to Parliament. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The terms of reference, obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, also place restrictions on the wider national group of leaders who are being asked to help design the voice to Parliament for Indigenous Australians. In one of the biggest restrictions, the government also prevents the national group making any recommendations on a Makarrata Commission, the forum meant to offer "truth-telling" and conflict resolution with First Australians. A private investigator leading the search for missing Icelander Jon Jonsson is hoping to speak to a person of interest in a European jail who may have valuable information about the mysterious disappearance. This week marks a year since the father-of-four vanished after leaving the Bonnington Hotel in Whitehall, where he had been attending a poker tournament. His family has now issued a fresh appeal to remind the public that their beloved Jon is still missing. The family has hired private investigator Liam Brady in an attempt to find out what happened to him. It is understood Mr Brady and a colleague are now working on a lead involving someone who is currently incarcerated in a European prison. It is believed this person may have some key information which could point the investigation in the right direction. In a heartbreaking appeal, the family has asked members of the public to print off a new poster and hang it up on the streets of Dublin in a bid to obtain new information about what may have happened to Mr Jonsson. Last Sunday marks one year since Jons disappearance. This day is hard for us all, for his daughters, for his stepchildren, for his brother and sisters, for his parents, for his friends, for everybody who knew Jon, a family spokesperson said. Its hard to lose such a good man out of our lives, the man everyone loves, and the man who loves you for how you are. Jon, I miss you, we all miss you. Please be found. To you all from Ireland, I like to use this day to thank you for everything you have done for us. For the kindness that you have shown us through this difficult time, for the kind thought and prayers. For the hugs from you people that we have met on the streets of Dublin, for the kind words, the kindness that you all have shown kept me going. Expand Close CCTV Missing Person Jon Jonsson leaving the Bonnington Hotel / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp CCTV Missing Person Jon Jonsson leaving the Bonnington Hotel I also want to use this day to ask you a favour, if you can print this following poster out and hang it up? Just to remind people we are still looking, we still want answers. If someone may know something, they can talk to Liam A Brady, private investigator, in the strictest confidence on 086 256 6697. Anyone with information can also contact Ballymun Garda Station on 01 6664400, or the Garda Confidential Line on 1800 666 111. Gardai released CCTV which shows Mr Jonsson walking along the Swords Road on the morning of February 9. In the footage he can be seen walking past the gates of the nearby Highfield Healthcare facility, but since then there has been no trace of Mr Jonsson. It was revealed by his family that he had lost 4,000 at the tournament the night before he disappeared. Mr Jonssons family has been flying over to Ireland regularly to carry out further searches. Many posters of the missing taxi driver are still posted on walls, signposts and traffic lights across the city. His family, gardai, the Civil Defence and other volunteers have carried out extensive searches of the area where he was last seen, but unfortunately to no avail. Attempts to retrieve CCTV footage from other parts of the Whitehall area have unfortunately proven unsuccessful. His fiancee Jana had been in the hotel having a coffee when Mr Jonsson went outside. It is not known why he left the hotel, and despite numerous appeals and an appearance by the family on RTEs The Late Late Show, there have been no substantial leads up until now. He is described as being 6ft tall, of medium build, with short brown hair. He was wearing a black padded jacket when he went missing. Baghdad (AFP) - Controversial Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr announced on Tuesday he was dissolving the "blue caps", an organised unit of his supporters accused of deadly attacks on anti-government protests in recent days. Sadr, who has a cult-like following of several million Iraqis, had first backed the popular rallies demanding a government overhaul when they erupted in October, but has switched course multiple times in recent weeks. He finally broke with the broader movement when he endorsed the premier-designate Mohammad Allawi, seen by protesters as too close to the elite they have railed against for months. Since then, diehard Sadr supporters wearing blue caps have raided protest camps in Baghdad and the Shiite-majority south, with eight protesters killed in the ensuing violence. The cleric has faced growing criticism over the violence and on Tuesday, he suddenly took to Twitter. "I announce the dissolution of the 'blue caps,' and I do not accept the (Sadrist) movement's presence in and of itself at the protests, unless it is absorbed into them," he tweeted. In the early days of the movement, Sadr supporters were seen as the most organised and well-stocked of the demonstrators but his recent tweets have infuriated activists. After backing Allawi, he ordered the "blue caps" to help security forces reopen schools, roads and public offices shut down for months by anti-government sit-ins. But Sadr has insisted that his movement ultimately wants "reforms". Allawi has until March 2 to form his cabinet, and is expected to govern only until early parliamentary elections. "We hear that there are pressures from political parties and from sects over the forming of the temporary government," Sadr tweeted on Tuesday. "This could lead us to completely wash our hands of all of it." Sadr already controls the largest parliamentary bloc and top ministerial positions in the current government. But one of his senior aides said Saturday that the new prime minister must not include members of the political elite in his new cabinet. "If Sayyed (Lord) Moqtada hears that Allawi has granted a ministry to any side, specifically the Shiite armed factions, Iraq will turn into hell for him and will topple him in just three days," Kadhem Issawi said. Turkish Soldiers Killed in Syria as Tensions with Damascus Escalate By Dorian Jones February 10, 2020 Turkish and Syrian forces engaged in a deadly clash Monday in Syria's northwestern Idlib province. The latest escalation in fighting comes as Ankara continues to reinforce its troops in Idlib, while Russian-Turkish diplomatic efforts to end the violence remain deadlocked. "As a result of the intense artillery shooting by the [Syrian] regime on Feb. 10, 2020, five of our heroes were martyred and five others were wounded," read a Turkish Defense Ministry statement. "The necessary response was given, the targets were destroyed," the statement continued. Turkish soldiers will "crush anyone who dares to target our flag," said Turkish Vice President Fuat Oktay. The soldiers killed were reportedly part of a reconnaissance force based at a disused airport near the strategically key town of Saraqeb, which was taken by Syrian forces last week. Turkey has deployed 12 military observation posts across Idlib, the last rebel stronghold in Syria. The posts are part of the 2018 agreement with Moscow to create a de-escalation zone aimed at ending fighting between rebel forces and Syria. The killing one week ago of eight Turkish soldiers in Idlib by Syrian government forces saw Ankara ramp up its military presence. More than 250 military vehicles have entered the province in the last few days. Local media reports Monday said Turkish armed forces backed a rebel assault to recapture recently lost territory. Ankara has not confirmed the reports. On Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar pledged his determination to open supply routes to military outposts currently surrounded by government forces. Despite the latest Turkish casualties, Ankara has ruled out any stepping back from Idlib. "Withdrawal from observation points [in Idlib] is out of the question," said Omer Celik, spokesman for Turkey's ruling AKP. Ankara maintains its ramping up of military forces in Idlib is for humanitarian purposes. "Our main goal is to prevent a refugee exodus and humanitarian drama," Turkey's Hurriyet newspaper said Sunday, quoting Akar. "We're trying to reach a cease-fire and stop the bloodshed," he added. The United Nations said Monday that Damascus's Idlib offensive had displaced close to 700,000 people since December. The province, which borders Turkey, hosts around 3 million people. Ankara says more than one million Syrians escaping the latest fighting have headed for Turkey's border. With Turkey hosting more than 3.5 million Syrians, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly warned that his country cannot take any more people fleeing the nearly nine-year civil war. Analysts say the escalating violence between Ankara and Damascus is also driven by efforts to dictate the outcome of the conflict. "The Syrians want to get rid of the radical groups in Idlib, and Turkey is using these groups as an instrument for the presence of Turkey in northern Syria," said international relations professor Huseyin Bagci of Ankara's Middle East Technical University. Russia is seeking a diplomatic solution to the rising tensions. While Turkey backs the Syrian rebels and Russia, the Syrian government, Ankara and Moscow have been cooperating to resolve the civil war. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said Monday said that talks Saturday with visiting Russian diplomats ended in deadlock. Renewed talks Monday also reportedly failed to make a breakthrough. "The current Idlib tensions embody the difference of interests both of Russia and of Turkey that has never stopped to exist," said Russian expert Zaur Gasimov of the University of Bonn. Ankara is voicing growing frustration with Moscow, with Russian air power continuing to bombard Syrian rebels, along with civilians in Idlib. Moscow vigorously defends the Damascus government's offensive, claiming it is aimed at eradicating the terrorist organization. Erdogan dismissed the claim last week. Russian-Turkish tensions are set to escalate over Idlib, with Russia's missile defense system shutting out Turkish fighter jets from Syrian air space. Analysts warn that Monday's fatal attack underlines how vulnerable Turkish forces deployed in Idlib are, given the lack of air support. Local media reported Monday that Turkish fighters were denied access to Syrian air space over Idlib by Russian warplanes. In 2015, a Turkish fighter jet downed a Russian bomber operating from a Syrian airbase. Monday saw Iran seeking to defuse Turkish-Syrian tensions, with Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif offering to facilitate talks. Ankara so far has not responded to Tehran's offer. Analysts say given that Erdogan has invested political capital in standing up to Damascus, and that policy is now claiming growing numbers of Turkish soldiers' lives, any stepping back becomes tricky. They say Erdogan is also aware if Damascus's Idlib offensive goes unchecked, Turkey will likely face another influx of refugees at a time of growing Turkish public discontent over the presence of Syrians. "In the end, we will have to confront [Syrian President Bashar al-] Assad, and someone will get a major lesson," said analyst Atilla Yesilada of Global Source Partners. "And Turkey will need to read the riot act to Russia." Other analysts predict given Erdogan's close relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin, a confrontation over Syria is likely to be averted. "Obviously, Russia and Turkey could redivide the Idlib region, while Turkey would reduce the number of their military observation posts," said Gasimov. "The war between regime troops and Syrian opposition would continue and cost more human lives. But still, I do not believe that it could tear apart the Turkish-Russian cooperation," he said. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW DELHI: Banking on the free schemes and development work done by his government in the past five years, Aam Aadmi Party led by Arvind Kejriwal registered a landslide victory on Tuesday (February 11, 2020) in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly election 2020. AAP sweep left the main rival BJP way behind while the Congress for the second time in a row failed to open its account in the bitterly-fought contest. AAP's victory is also crucial since the high-decibel election in Delhi was fought in the midst of massive protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and a galaxy of BJP heavyweights who aggressively campaigned for the saffron party. According to the final votes tally released by the Election Commission, the AAP won in 62 constituencies while the BJP got eight seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly. The AAP's resounding victory comes nearly eight months after it suffered a severe drubbing in the 2019 Lok Sabha election during which the party drew a blank while the BJP won all the seven seats in Delhi. Top AAP heavyweights who won the elections included Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chaddha and Atishi. Delhi Cabinet Ministers Gopal Rai, Satyender Jain and party MLAs Amanatullah Khan, Saurabh Bhardwaj were among prominent winners. Sisodia just about managed to get the better of his BJP rival Ravinder Singh Negi after a nail-biter by just 3,207 votes. AAP chief and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was ahead of his BJP rival Sunil Kumar Yadav by over 18,000 votes in New Delhi assembly constituency. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah-powered BJP, which was accused of carrying out a "divisive" election campaign to polarise the voters by consistently highlighting the over 50-day anti-CAA demonstration by a group of women in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh area, failed to connect with the Delhi voters and accepted the verdict. While BJP's campaign focused on national security issues, Kejriwal's party mainly focused on ''good governance'', the work done by the AAP government in sectors like education, healthcare and infrastructure. Freebies offered by the Kejriwal government also played a pivotal role in his party's massive victory. Shortly after the picture became clear, AAP MP Sanjay Singh said, ''People of Delhi have accepted Arvind Kejriwal as their son. Results have now proved who is a terrorist and who is a patriot.'' AAP No. 2 and senior party leader Manish Sisodia, who eventually won after trailing for several rounds in Patparganj assembly constituency, said that the BJP indulged in "politics of hate", but people rejected its ''divisive'' agenda. With a massive victory for AAP, the party headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big banners with a picture of Kejriwal and other top party leaders. AAP chief Kejriwal, flanked by his wife Sunita, children and top party leaders, addressed party workers during which he thanked Lord Hanuman and the people of Delhi for giving a strong mandate to his party. In this election, the Congress party's performance touched a record low as the party bagged less than 5 per cent of the total votes polled and 62 of its candidates lost their deposits. The party, which ruled Delhi for 15 years on the trot under former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit, failed to open its account for the second consecutive assembly election in Delhi. Only three of its candidates - Arvinder Singh Lovely from Gandhi Nagar, Devender Yadav from Badli and Abhishek Dutt from Kasturba Nagar - managed to save their deposits. A young woman has opened up about her battle with severe depression after her family lost everything in the deadly Black Saturday bushfires. Mariah Payne was just 15 when her family home was gutted in the February 7, 2009 blazes in regional Victoria. The town of Callignee in the Gippsland region was virtually wiped out, where four people were among the 173 lives lost across the state in what remains Australia's deadliest bushfire disaster. Now 25, Ms Payne is sharing her mental health battle in the hope of helping young people devastated by this summer's horror bushfire season. Mariah Payne (pictured) has opened up about her battle with depression to help young people Ms Payne and her family fled to her grandparents' home after a neighbour alerted them that a fire was heading their way that unforgettable day in 2009. She still has vivid memories of returning to the damaged property with her family several days after the fire. While two tanks, a dog kennel and her dad's tractor were unscathed, their home was destroyed. 'Seeing the damage for the first time was very surreal and hard to grasp at the time,' Ms Payne told Daily Mail Australia. 'It didn't really hit me at first. It wasn't until six months down the track it began to affect my mental health. 'That's when it sunk in that I no longer had a home. 173 people were killed that day. The complete loss of life was tragic.' Mariah (pictured as a teen) was 15 when she lost her family home in the Black Saturday fires The Black Saturday fires claimed 173 lives. Pictured is Bunyip Ridge bushfire, near Tonimbuk, around 100 kilometres from where Mariah's town was wiped out She admitted she contemplated taking her own life during her darkest moments. 'I was in a puddle in s**t and felt so helpless, unable to do anything,' Ms Payne said. 'I lost my focus at school and went depression because I no longer had what I had before.' 'There also wasn't much awareness or help for young people at the time.' Ms Payne eventually sought help and support from Youth Insearch, a youth intervention service which helped her overcome and deal with the grief over the loss of her home and belongings. 'I don't know where I would have ended up if it wasn't for them as I was going though some hefty s**t,' she said. But it wasn't until 2016 that she saw light at the end of the tunnel. Mariah sees the Black Saturday fire as a positive life-changing period rather than a negative The Gippland region was one of the hardest hit areas in the Black Saturday fires in February 2009, including the town of Boolarra (pictured) The creative arts Masters student now volunteers with Youth Insearch and Headspace, where she helps young people impacted by bushfires that have recently devastated the Gippsland region, which she still calls home. More than 400 homes have been lost in the recent fires in the region. 'They can't brush it off, talking about it and getting support is the key thing,' Ms Payne said. 'I now see Black Saturday as a positive life-changing period.' Ms Payne bravely shared her story to coincide with the launch of Youth Insearch's annual End Youth Suicide campaign, which begins Wednesday. Now in its second year, the campaign encourages young people to open up about the taboo topic of suicide with their friends, families and communities. Suicide is the biggest killer of Australians aged 15-24 and claimed 458 young Australians in 2018. For every suicide, up to 200 other young Australians attempt to take their own lives, according to Youth Insearch. 'I was in a puddle in s**t and felt so helpless,' Mariah (pictured as a teenager) said BLACK SATURDAY An estimated 400 fires swept through Victoria, destroying more than 2000 houses in its destructive path on February 7, 2009, now known as Black Saturday. Of the 173 people killed including Channel Nine newsreader Brian Naylor, 113 were inside homes, 27 were outside houses and 11 in vehicles. Another six were in garages, five near vehicles and five more on roadways. Seven deaths occurred in bunkers, some of them specifically designed to protect against fires. One firefighter, 47-year-old David Balfour from the ACT was killed near Cambarville when a burnt-out tree fell on him. Black Saturday burnt out 450,000 hectares of land and destroyed 3,500 structures. More than 11,800 head of livestock were destroyed, made up for 2,150 sheep, 1,207 cattle and an unknown number of other animals such as horses, pigs and goats. More than 60,000 hectares of pasture was lost and 10,000km of fencing was destroyed or damaged. Almost 100,000 hectares of park was gone. A Royal Commission investigation into Black Saturday led to increased fire awareness and prevention efforts throughout Australia. Advertisement The recent bushfires and drought crisis has serious emotional and mental distress for young people, according to Youth Insearch chief executive Stephen Lewin. 'Young people are under increasing amounts of pressure, and are finding things particularly difficult right now,' Mr Lewin said. 'We have seen a spike in requests for youth mental health support services in bushfire affected communities like Gippsland in Victoria.' Mr Lewin welcomed the federal government's steps to made suicide prevention a national priority and recent funding towards mental health services in bushfire ravaged communities. 'The funding is a recognition that the pain isn't just felt in the loss of homes and infrastructure, but in people's minds as well,' he said. Youth Insearch has enlisted the help of Triple J Hottest 100-ranking musician G Flip, model Melanie Jarnson, women's NRL star Corban McGregor and former Bachelor contestants Helena Sauzier and Brooke Blurton to share social media posts about the End Youth Suicide campaign. Federal politicians will wear blue heart badges in parliament to raise awareness, including Sydney-based MP Julian Leeser, who lost his father to suicide. 'This is an important campaign for raising awareness about the help that is available for young people contemplating suicide and ending the scourge of suicide among our youth,' Mr Leeser said. Mariah Payne (pictured with her artwork) says she wouldn't be where she is today without the support of Youth Insearch, a youth intervention service Ms Payne had this message for young people whose lives have been devastated by the recent bushfire crisis across Australia. 'You're not alone, there are people out there who will listen,' she said. 'It's hard but you need to reach out to family, friends and support services.' Details: youthinsearch.org.au/endyouthsuicide. For confidential support, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Kids Help Line on 1800 551 800. Regulatory News: AKKA (Paris:AKA) (BSE:AKA) (ISIN:FR0004180537) launches a new share buyback program. This program was authorized by the Management Board on Monday 10 th February 2020. The repurchase of the shares will be carried out over the next six months, based on prevailing market conditions and will encompass up to 250,000 shares representing 1.2% of Company's share capital, at a price not higher than 75 per share. The group has entrusted this share buy-back program to an independent investment services provider. This program was authorized by the Management Board on Monday 10 February 2020. The repurchase of the shares will be carried out over the next six months, based on prevailing market conditions and will encompass up to 250,000 shares representing 1.2% of Company's share capital, at a price not higher than 75 per share. The group has entrusted this share buy-back program to an independent investment services provider. In accordance with the authorization given by the shareholders during the Extraordinary General Meeting held on June 13 rd , 2019, the share buy-back program aims to: Grant stock options to the Company's employees and corporate officers, offer them the opportunity to purchase shares or award them with bonus shares, Award shares in order to reward employees for the Company's growth, Provide shares as payment or in exchange for carrying out any external growth operations, Grant shares upon exercise of the rights attached to securities that entitle the holder to existing shares in the Company through redemption, conversion, exchange or presentation of a warrant, or in any other way. , 2019, the share buy-back program aims to: The number of treasury shares held as of 31st January 2020 is of 296,993 shares, of which 10,014 shares are held under liquidity agreement. In case of discrepancy between the French and English versions of the press release, only the French version shall be deemed valid. About AKKA AKKA is the European leader in engineering consulting and R&D services in the mobility segment. As an innovation accelerator for its clients, AKKA supports leading industry players in the automotive, aerospace, rail and life sciences sectors throughout the life cycle of their products with cutting edge digital technologies (AI, ADAS, IoT, Big Data, robotics, embedded computing, machine learning, etc.). Founded in 1984, AKKA has a strong entrepreneurial culture and is pursuing its fast-paced growth and international development in line with its CLEAR 2022 strategic plan. With approximately 21,000 employees, who are passionate about technology and dedicated to advancing the future of industry, the Group recorded revenues of 1.8 billion in 2019. AKKA Technologies is listed on Euronext Paris and Brussels Segment A ISIN code: FR0004180537. For more information, please visit www.akka-technologies.com Follow us on: twitter.com/AKKA_Tech View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005765/en/ Contacts: AKKA Contacts Investor Relations Dov Levy VP Investor Relations Tel: +32(0) 2 712 61 24 dov.levy@akka.eu Media Relations Markus Leutert Group Head of Communications Tel.: +32(0) 4 96 26 27 55 markus.leutert@akka.eu FTI Consulting akka@fticonsulting.com Media Relations, France Lea TRUCHETTO Tel.: +33(0) 1 47 03 68 15 By West Kentucky Star Staff Feb. 10, 2020 | 07:10 PM | PADUCAH The Michigan-based vinyl pipe manufacturer began laying off employees November 15, and issued a statement in December saying there was a raw material shortage that lasted longer than anticipated. Twenty-five displaced workers filed the suit last week in US District Court in Paducah, saying they should have been notified at least 60 days ahead of layoffs under the WARN Act. Approximately 120 people eventually lost their jobs and could be included in the suit. When the company finally gave notice in January, they said the layoffs fell under a loophole in the WARN Act, when public notification could hamper a company's ability to secure funding to stay open. The lawsuit claims this isn't true and that the exceptions don't apply. The lawsuit requests certification of a class for the plaintiffs, a jury trial, and back pay or benefits spelled out by the terms of the WARN Act. Attorney Wes Sullenger, who represents the plaintiffs, told WKMS that Genova has twenty days to respond to the suit, which was filed February 3. He said the court process usually takes about a year for cases like this. A lawsuit has been filed against Genova Products by the company's former employees, who claim they weren't notified in advance of a layoff, as required by Federal law. On the Net: A property manager has appeared in court after allegedly demanding $150,000 from a married businessman she had an affair with. Rachel Lorraine Roche fronted Perth Magistrates Court accused of attempting to extort money by threatening to tell her lover's wife about their relationship. Lawyers for the businessman argued for the amendment of an order to allow media to report on the case, while not identifying their client. Rachel Lorraine Roche is accused of demanding $150,000 from a married businessman The West Australian reported Deputy Chief Magistrate Elizabeth Woods agreed and media will be able to attend the next hearing. The identity of the businessman, in his 50s, is suppressed. Ms Roche is enduring legal more legal drama outside the alleged blackmail case, appearing in court in January accused of owing $9,899 in rent for a property in Perth. The 38-year-old has been renting the $1100-a-week four-bedroom home in Peppermint Grove since May last year, with Mack Hall Real Estate looking to terminate her lease and retrieve the alleged debt. Ms Roche told Fremantle Magistrates Court she was 'all for' reaching an agreement with the landlord outside court. A trial hearing is for that matter is scheduled for May 6. Cutting corners: Do you access Facebook via the Windows 10 dedicated app? In all likelihood, the answer is no. Its not exactly popular, which is probably why Facebook is shutting it down at the end of the month. MSPowerUser spotted an email that is being sent to users of the Windows 10 Facebook app, informing them that it will stop working on Friday, February 28, 2020. It notes that all the social networks features can be accessed by logging in through a browser and going to the companys website. Giving Microsofts product a plug, Facebook wrote: For the best experience, make sure youre using the most current version of our supported browsers including the new Microsoft Edge. Killing off the app doesnt come as too much of a shock. It has a 3.3 rating from 1,126 reviews in the Windows Store, where there is a slew of complaints about crashes, slowdowns, and other glitches. It seems regular updates haven't been a high priority on Facebooks to-do list, and its now cutting its losses by shuttering the app and directing users to the website. Facebook has a spotty history when it comes to Windows 10 apps, which dont get the same attention as the Android and iOS versions. It did, however, recently change the Messenger UWP app to an Electron-based version, and switched the Instagram app to a PWA (progressive web app), but it appears the Facebook app wont be coming back in an updated form. London: Prince William and his wife Catherine are set to visit bushfire-ravaged Australian coastal towns during a special royal visit that will spur more international financial support for survivors and volunteer firefighters. Preliminary negotiations between the Morrison government and Kensington Palace the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's official household have been under way for weeks and Prime Minister Scott Morrison is expected this week to issue the formal invitation needed to clear the way for the tour. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are set to visit Australia in their second visit as a couple. Credit:Phil Noble The trip will be William's fifth visit to Australia and the pair's first since 2014. William, second in line to the throne after his father Charles, toured flood-stricken Queensland and Victoria on behalf of the royal family in 2011. The couple have been distressed by the death toll, destruction of thousands of homes and widespread loss of flora and fauna during the summer disaster. They quickly expressed interest in visiting, but did not want to divert resources to a royal tour in the immediate aftermath of the emergency. Coronavirus (Representative Image: Reuters) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Indian drug companies have started receiving enquiries from government agencies, World Health Organisation (WHO) and even individuals, related to supplies of certain anti-HIV drugs that are now being tested on patients infected with 2019 novel Coronavirus (nCoV). China's National Health Commission is repurposing the antiretroviral combination of Lopinavir and Ritonavir, which is meant to treat HIV, as a possible treatment for the symptoms of the coronavirus. The Lopinavir/Ritonavir combination sold under brand names Aluvia and Kaletra by US-drug maker AbbVie works by blocking an enzyme that the coronavirus needs to reproduce. We remain in active touch with the government and the World Health Organisation (WHO). This is a matter where all of us have to support, said Kedar Upadhye, Global CFO of Cipla to Moneycontrol. Upadhye said Cipla has already made the donations of the two drugs to public health agencies. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show He further added that the Chinese government hasn't approached them directly, but they are working through the Indian government and WHO. Laurus Labs, which is one of the worlds largest producer of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) for anti-HIV drugs also said it has started getting enquires. The company declined to comment further. Indian Patent Office had rejected the patent application for Lopinavir/Ritonavir combination citing lack of novelty. The denial of the patent had helped domestic drugmakers to produce and market low-cost versions of this drug in India and in other developing countries. Reuters reported about individuals importing the generic versions of the drug from India after they read a report that the drug might be useful against the new coronavirus. Its not just Lopinavir/Ritonavir combination, other drugs to treat HIV, flu and hepatitis-C drugs such as atazanavir, efavirenz, dolutegravir, bictegravir, oseltamivir, sofosbuvir, among others are also under evaluation for the treatment of coronavirus. To be sure, none of the coronaviruses known to infect humans has an approved treatment. Many of these existing antiviral drugs are explored for treatment, none of them has even completed clinical trials to demonstrate how effective they are. People who are infected typically receive care mainly to help relieve symptoms Indian drugmakers such as Cipla, Hetero, Aurobindo Pharma, Laurus Labs, Strides are among the top suppliers of generic anti-HIV drugs globally. "It's too early days, but if these drugs are effective for an additional indication of Coronavirus, it would help open up new avenues for India companies," said an analyst who didn't want to be named. Meanwhile, the Economic Times reported that the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) received approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) to allow a combination of lopinavir and ritonavir approved for AIDS treatment to be used if coronavirus infections turn into a public health emergency in India. The outbreak that began in Wuhan, China has led to 1,018 deaths, with confirmed cases pegged at 43,143. India has reported three confirmed cases of Coronavirus so far. YEREVAN. Speaking to Armenian News-NEWS.am, Norayr Panosyanformer Head of the Legality Oversight Inspectorate of the Ministry of Justice and whose wedding best man was president Hrayr Tovmasyan of the Constitutional Court (CC) of Armeniacalled the charges against him "groundless." As reported earlier, the Criminal Court of Appeal today granted the motion by the attorney of Panosyan to commute the lower courts decision to arrest his client, and Panosyan was released from the courtroom. Panosyan said he does not accept the charges against him. It is groundless, he said. There is no corpus delicti in any way. " Commenting on the journalist's observation that many believe his arrest was linked to the situation regarding the CC president, Panosyan said he had been indicted for that very reason. Panosyan's lawyer Tigran Atanesyan told Armenian News-NEWS.am that he has not yet gotten familiarized with the grounds for the aforesaid Criminal Court of Appeal ruling, but said he assumes that his client was released in the absence of reasonable doubt. On January 9, the court had granted the Special Investigation Service's petition, and decided that Panosyan be arrested.. On November 6, 2019, the Criminal Court of Appeal had released Norayr Panosyan from custody on the grounds of the absence of reasonable doubt. The charge against Panosyan was complemented, he was charged also with abuse of power, and a motion to re-arrest him was filed. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leader in HSA companies, Clarity Benefit Solutions, shares tips for increasing HSA participation. Employers need to educate their employees on the many reasons why Health Savings Account (HSA) participation is an extremely popular employee benefit that also yields numerous benefits for their business. The following are tips employers should implement to increase participation in HSA accounts. First, employers need to make the participation process painless. This is where automated software platforms come into play. When the HSA enrollment process is automated, the entire process is seamless. Automatic payroll deductions as well as employee access 24/7 are just some of the perks that employees can take full advantage of. Employees should be able to access their information from the comfort of their own homeon their choice of devicewhenever it is convenient for them. This software can also link to the employee's banking information and recommend contribution amounts, which takes the guesswork out of the process, which can transform HSA non-funders into program investors. Then, employers should employ a multi-faceted approach, especially when it comes to reaching multi-generational employees. Employers should deliver HSA information in an array of formats such as website, email, social media platforms, brochures and flyers, and webinars. This is the best way to reach every employee. Employers should also consider enlisting an employee who has a compelling success story to share about how utilizing an HSA resulted in a win-win situation in addressing a medical challenge. Common examples can also be cited, such as stocking the medical cabinet with over-the-counter medications or purchasing sunscreen for an upcoming vacation. It is also important the employers emphasize the tax benefits of having an HSA. HSA accounts allow employees to contribute pre-tax funds to pay for a multitude of health expensesranging from deductibles, co-pays, vision/dental expenses, and prescription drugs. Finally, promoting a unique HSA advantage may be just the hook to garner more plan participants. The Clarity Ready for Life HSA is a payroll advance that presents employees with overdraft protectionboth at point of purchase and advanced funds if necessary. Employees that have a Ready for Life HSA can receive help with covering large, unexpected medical costs. Then, they can pay the funds back through small, automatic payroll deductions. About Clarity Benefit Solutions: Clarity Benefit Solutions provides technology that makes the health insurance plan selection process fast, easy, and straightforward. For over two decades, we have provided clients with industry-leading technology, compliance, and exceptional customer service. Our offering is designed to save time and lower the costs of managing benefits while also promoting employee self-service and automated ACA compliance. SOURCE Clarity Benefit Solutions Related Links https://claritybenefitsolutions.com MBABANE Customers who were saving money for discounted items from the retail shops that were flooded last Thursday can forget and smile. The clothing retailers which had closed business for the day last Thursday following the heavy downpour that flooded their shops are not going to sell damaged clothes at cheaper prices. That was confirmed by the store managers in an interview with this publication yesterday. Many people had taken to social media to check when the shops would announce discounts of any damaged items following the floods. Insurance The shop managers stated that they had removed the clothing from the shelves and were waiting to hear from their insurance providers in as far as reimbursement was concerned. At LEGiT, they were clear to state that they were not going to sell the clothing at discounted prices. We have stored them in the storeroom on the other side but we are not going to sell them as we are looking at issues of insurance now, said the female manager. She stated that some of the goods were not in a good state to be sold. While at the shop, there was a customer who had come to check her lay-bye, claiming to have received a call to check if her lay-bye had not been damaged by the floods. When the manager was asked if lay-byes were also damaged, she said they were not but there were boxes and other items, other than the clothes, that were affected. The manager alleged they were even shocked that their landlord had not visited them to see the extent of the damage. She said: Ever since the storm, they have not come to the shop, not once. Another clothing shop, that was affected by the rains was Edgars. During a visit to the shop yesterday, there were a lot of items, in store on sale but when asked about them, one of the employees said it was one of their annual sales and had nothing to do with the storm. A comment from the management of the store could not be sought as when this reporter got to the shop, a South African number was given to her, and was told that they were the right people to talk to. When the number was called, the person who answered said they no longer worked with the company. They, (local store authorities) however, refused to give a comment even after they were given that feedback. At Sheet Street, they said they were not affected by the storm as it was only the floor that got flooded. Even so, they said, they were not going to sell the damaged goods but instead, they would be handing them over for donations. When Swazi Plaza Properties was engaged on the matter, they claimed they visited all the affected shops. Tenants were checked as quickly as the situation would allow. Management was on the ground within minutes, coordinating with support staff to assist where necessary to manage the situation, said Siphiwe Nxumalo, who is the Marketing and Communications Manager. Drainage She stated that they mitigated such by constantly cleaning their drainage systems and that they were actively taking steps to avoid such. She highlighted on the need for a holistic view of attending the Central Business District (CBD) drainage system as they were not the only ones affected by the floods in the city centre. When asked if they were going to insure their tenants, she said the issue of insurance was confidential information between landlord and tenants, therefore they could not delve into it. She said they were going to continuously clean their drainage system as per the norm and were pursuing other options to mitigate such exceptional incidences. A former Army medic stationed in Hawaii was sentenced on Monday to 35 years in prison over the 2014 stabbing of his wife in a case involving porn, sex charges and a love triangle. Michael Walker, 40, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September, about a week before his trial was scheduled to begin. He said he arranged for the woman with whom he was having an affair to kill his wife, Catherine Walker, while he was working in the emergency room at Tripler Army Medical Centre in Honolulu. Ailsa Jackson, who committed the killing, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday. In 2015, Jackson pleaded guilty to murder, describing how she stabbed Catherine Walker and then waited a half-hour to make sure she was dead. Jackson, 29, avoided a mandatory life sentence by helping prosecutors win an indictment against Walker, including providing information about their coded messages to each other, Assistant US Attorney Tom Brady said Monday. Michael Walker was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the 2014 stabbing of his wife Catherine. Source: HawaiiNewsNow Our goal from the very beginning was to hold everyone responsible for Catherines death accountable, Mr Brady said. Catherine Walkers father, Douglas Plotz, said his family supports a lower sentence. We wholeheartedly forgive her, he said. I want Ms Jackson to know that. Catherine Walker also forgave Jackson, Mr Brady said. On the night she was stabbed to death, Jackson asked her if she forgave her, he said. As she was being stabbed, Catherine, replied, yes. Under a deal with prosecutors, Michael Walker faced 24 to 30 years in prison. But US District Judge Susan Oki Mollway said she sentenced Walker to a longer term because he orchestrated the killing. Mollway, who agreed to sentence Jackson to a range of 30 to 33 years, said she wanted to make sure Walkers sentence was longer than Jacksons. Story continues You were in control Ms Jackson wielded the knife that killed your wife, Mollway said. And that was a terrible, terrible deed. But it does appear to me that you were in control. That she did what she did because you wanted her to. And you knew she had mental health problems. Ailsa Jackson, who committed the killing, was sentenced to 30 years in prison on Monday. Source: Allen County Sheriff's Office via HawaiiNewsNow After meeting through an online dating site in September 2014, Michael Walker told Jackson he was married and that his deepest desire was to have his wife gone, but he couldnt divorce her, prosecutors have said. Walker told Jackson he couldnt simply divorce his wife because of financial concerns and stood to receive $400,000 in life insurance, Brady said. They plotted the killing in emails, in person and in text messages where they called each other daddycakes and babygirl, according to Walkers plea agreement. On November 14, 2014 they met in a military reservations gym parking lot, where Jackson said she would kill Catherine Walker that night, Brady said. Coded messages to kill wife He described how the two came up with a text messaging code to let Jackson know whether she should enter the home through a window or use a key near the back door. If Michael Walker texted, good, that would mean use the window and bad would mean the key. Walker texted bad, Brady said, and at about midnight Jackson walked to the Walkers house at Aliamanu Military Reservation and found the key, Brady said. Catherine Walker was killed at the hands of her husband Michael's mistress. Source: HawaiiNewsNow Jackson said in court previously she went inside and grabbed a knife and went upstairs and stabbed her. Walker apologised to his wifes family on Monday. I love Cathy very much and I would do anything if it could bring her back, he said. In 2016, a military court found Walker guilty of child pornography charges that surfaced during the murder investigation. In 2017, Walker was convicted of sexually abusing a child, physically assaulting a child, and wrongfully communicating a threat. He was reduced in rank from sergeant to private, sentenced to 10 years confinement, and received a dishonourable discharge, the Army 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. The use of bacteria, viruses and other biological agents as weapons of war has a long and gut-wrenching history. From the Holy Roman Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, using corpses to poison water wells in 1155 AD, to the Mongols catapulting the dead bodies of plague victims into the besieged city of Caffa in 1346, there are many examples of early, rudimental forms of biological warfare. An infamous use of biological warfare occurred in 1763, when British forces deliberately provided Native Americans with smallpox-contaminated blankets, producing a major outbreak of the disease. Despite these early examples however, it was not until the 20th century that biological warfare truly became scientifically callous. During the First World War, the German military was a notable practitioner of this art of warfare, although still in a somewhat haphazard manner. Certain operations by Germany aimed at infecting animals and/or the feed of animals in enemy nations with anthrax and glanders (a type of infectious disease). Fast forward a few decades however, and biological warfare had reached new depths in many countries. The Japanese were particularly interested in this area of warfare, intensifying their efforts during the 1930s and through the Second World War. In 1939, the Japanese tried to acquire yellow fever virus from the Rockefeller Institute in New York. One of the most prominent advocates of the use of biowarfare was the Japanese Surgeon General and microbiologist, Shiro Ishii, who went on to head the central unit of Imperial Japans biological warfare programme during WWII: Unit 731, which was based in occupied China. As part of their biowarfare program, the Japanese army tested a minimum of 25 biological agents on civilians and prisoners of war, with operations including the poisoning of over 1,000 Chinese water wells with typhus and cholera, and dropping fleas infested with plague on Chinese cities. At least thousands of people were killed by this programme, with some even arguing that approximately 200,000 Chinese were killed. What makes all of this worst however is that fact that the US government gave immunity to many of these Japanese biowarfare officers in exchange for getting the data from the Japanese biological warfare programme, meaning that many escaped war crime charges unjustly. This of course is reminiscent of Operation Paperclip, when the US brought 700 scientists from Nazi Germany to America in order to work on scientific projects, including space exploration. In relation to North America itself, one of the earliest biowarfare labs was founded in 1940 under private ownership, with Sir Frederick Banting, winner of the Nobel Prize for co-discovering insulin, playing a prominent role in this facilities establishment. There are also numerous examples of militaries conducting biological warfare experiments on their own, unsuspecting citizens. In 1950 for instance, US authorities secretly conducted a biological warfare experiment in San Francisco, through spraying microbes into the atmosphere to test the impact a bioweapon attack would have on the city of 800,000 people. This test potentially resulted in the death of one citizen, who was infected with one of the types of bacteria used in the experiment, with the patient dying after the infection spread to his heart. Another incident occurred in the 1960s, when the US Army and the CIA conducted a biowarfare experiment on the New York subway. The test consisted of bulbs filled with an unidentified simulated poison being thrown on the tracks of two lines, testing how the simulated poison spread through the subway network. In Britain between 1961 and 1968, the Ministry of Defense sprayed E. coli and other bacteria along the southern coast of England in order to mimic anthrax, with millions unknowingly exposed to the germs. Aside from civilians being used as guinea pigs by biowarfare units, biological warfare programmes can also pose another risk to civilians: in the form of pathogens accidentally escaping from biowarfare facilities. One example of this scenario occurred in Soviet Russia in 1979, when an epidemic of anthrax broke out in the city of Sverdlovsk. Initially, Soviet authorities attempted to cover-up the incident by arguing that meat from anthrax-infected animals had caused the outbreak. It was not until decades later that it was revealed that the epidemic was the result of an accident at a biological warfare facility in the area, potentially stemming from a clogged air filter not being replaced, resulting in an aerosol of anthrax being released, killing at least 66 people. Decades from now, we can be sure that there will be revelations pertaining to biological warfare tests, and accidents, in our own time, as this is the pattern history reveals. Sources: Barnett, A. (April 21 2002) Millions were in germ war tests, The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/apr/21/uk.medicalscience Frischknecht F. (2003). The history of biological warfare. Human experimentation, modern nightmares and lone madmen in the twentieth century. EMBO reports, 4 Spec No(Suppl 1), S47S52 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1326439/ Hilts, P. (Nov. 18 1994) Deaths in 1979 Tied to Soviet Military, New York Times - https://www.nytimes.com/1994/11/18/world/deaths-in-1979-tied-to-soviet-military.html Horrock, N. (Sept. 19 1975) Senators Are Told of Test Of a Gas Attack in Subway, New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/19/archives/senators-are-told-of-test-of-a-gas-attack-in-subway-engineer-says.html Kristof, N. (March 17, 1995) Unmasking Horror -- A special report.; Japan Confronting Gruesome War Atrocity, New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/1995/03/17/world/unmasking-horror-a-special-report-japan-confronting-gruesome-war-atrocity.html Loria, K. (Sept. 25, 2016) Over and over again, the military has conducted dangerous biowarfare experiments on Americans, Business Insider https://www.businessinsider.com/military-government-secret-experiments-biological-chemical-weapons-2016-9?r=US&IR=T Riedel S. (2004). Biological warfare and bioterrorism: a historical review. Proceedings (Baylor University. Medical Center), 17(4), 400406 - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1200679/ Walker, A. (Nov. 21 2005) Project Paperclip: Dark side of the Moon, BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/4443934.stm SUPPORT Insight History on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=21862421 Subscribe to Insight History on YouTube: https://bit.ly/2XuJ8Ik Subscribe to Insight History on BitChute: https://bit.ly/2ScB8rg Follow and Connect with Insight History on Social Media: Twitter: https://twitter.com/InsightHistory Minds: https://www.minds.com/insighthistory Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insighthistory/ Visit and subscribe to https://insighthistory.com/ for all the latest articles and videos from Insight History. Creative Commons Imagery - all the rest from https://pixabay.com/ : From the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs https://bit.ly/2vYqLyq Centers for Disease Control (CDC) https://bit.ly/2uz1CKu Yekaterinburg City (Russia) and vicinities, satellite image of ESA Sentinel-2, spatial resolution 10 m, near natural colors, European Space Agency - https://bit.ly/38dFNP6 Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO https://bit.ly/2tGGXDI Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data {{{year}}} By Express News Service GUWAHATI: Shubanso Pul, the son of former Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister the late Kalikho Pul, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at his apartment in Brighton in the UK. The 20-year-old was studying there. He was the son of Puls first wife Dangwimsai Pul. The Pul family has already contacted the Indian High Commission in the UK to bring the body back home. The Indian High Commission was said to be carrying out the formalities. Elected to the Arunachal Assembly five times from Hayuliang constituency, Pul had donned the Chief Ministers mantle in 2016 in the wake of a power struggle within the then ruling Congress but was ousted a few months later following a legal battle. Just weeks after being dethroned, he allegedly committed suicide at his official bungalow in Itanagar. Market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has reportedly granted its in-principal approval to SBI Cards and Payment Service for floating its initial public offering (IPO). SBI Cards is likely to launch its IPO in February. The credit card arm of State Bank of India (SBI) is expected to raise Rs 6,000 crore through the public issue, the Moneycontrol reported. The IPO would take the company's value to Rs 55,000-60,000 crore, the report further added According to the DRHP filed with SEBI in November last year, the SBI Cards IPO would offer 13,05,26,798 equity shares. This includes up to 3,72,93,371 equity shares by SBI and up to 9,32,33,427 equity shares by CA Rover Holdings. The company would also issue fresh equity shares worth Rs 500 crore. ALSO READ:SBI Cards IPO likely to hit market in current quarter, says Rajnish Kumar SBI holds 76 per cent stake in its credit cards subsidiary, and the rest is held by CA Rover Holdings, an affiliate of Carlyle Asia Partners IV. Kotak Mahindra Capital Company, SBI Capital Markets, DSP Merrill Lynch, Axis Capital, HSBC Securities and Capital Markets, and Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities are the book-running lead managers for the issue. Earlier this month, SBI Chairman Rajnish Kumar had said that the SBI Cards IPO would be launched during the current quarter. SBI Cards and Payment Services has 18 per cent market share next to HDFC Cards that holds 27 per cent market share. The company had 9.4 million outstanding cards as of the end of September. According to the draft prospectus, the company expects the number of credit cards to increase at an annual rate of 25 per cent per year. ALSO READ:SBI Cards IPO: 5 things to know about upcoming IPO With the listing of SBI Cards on bourses, the firm will become the fifth group company under SBI Group to be listed on exchanges. The IPO involves offer for sale for promoters to exit and fresh issue funds to augment capital base. As part of the IPO process, its promoters, namely Carlyle Group, and State Bank of India (SBI) will make a partial exit from SBI Cards and Payment Services. SBI and Carlyle are reportedly paring their stakes through Offer for Sale (OFS) process by 4 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. The stake sale could be India's largest-ever PE exit through a public listing in India. When the speaker of the Kuwaiti parliament, Marzouq al-Ghanim threw a copy of Donald Trumps deal of the century in the dustbin in front of hundreds of Arab parliamentarians on Saturday, it was quite the moment. Less because of the performative nature of the move and more because it goes against a trend of increasing relations with Israel , that is every day picking an Arab state after another. During a recent visit to Uganda, Benjamin Netanyahu held talks with Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, the head of Sudans sovereign council. Shortly after news about the meeting surfaced, Israeli TV said Netanyahu proposed arrangement to the Moroccan government that would see the US recognise Moroccan claims in disputed Western Sahara, in exchange for Rabat improving relations with Israel. Several media outlets have quoted former officials talking about a non-aggression agreement that might be signed between Arab countries and Israel as a next step to Trumps peace plan. The question now among every Arab official and activist Ive spoken to is: Who is next? But the question needs to be different, more like: Are such visits and coordination on Iran and the Palestinian issue a sign of full normalisation of ties? The answer is no. While a number of Arab nations are seriously engaged in diplomatic discussions with Israel, it more resembles a rapprochement. Some essential conditions of normalisation are not being met. Official diplomatic relations alone are not adequate. Egypt and Jordan already host Israeli embassies and maintain open security and political ties following their peace treaties signed decades ago with Israel. But, the peace is somewhat cold and both countries are still far away from normalising their relations with either the government or the people of Israel. 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 Long-term normalisation of relations would include setting up official and public diplomatic relations as merely the first step of mutual recognition. Then comes the advancing of intense cooperation on military, culture, trade, investment, technology, visas and other aspects of linking people together. This requires a new acceptance within each society, breaking down long-held views that perceive Israel as an enemy and replacing them with other dominant ideas of acceptance. It will always be as complicated as it sounds. The US, led by the Trump administration, is throwing its weight behind Netanyahu. Diplomats in the region have told me that they believe the US is using its influence to coerce countries in the region to speak to the Israelis as a first condition to improve their relations with Washington. This happens through procrastinating over lifting sanctions imposed on Sudan, seducing Morocco with the Western Sahara conflict, promising Gulf States with security assurances, and using diplomatic support to pressure Egypt and others. Although the White House would deny that it has, or would, employ such tactics. This brings a likely new strategic reality. In the wake of the recent American disengagement in the Middle East, US and Israeli policy will likely lump together and make Israel the new regional cop around which the US will draw its new objectives. But the Arab and the Israeli governments have completely different values. This makes the excitement limited to the official circles around Netanyahu and his new Arab friends. In the streets, things look different. On the strategic side, politics in the Middle East are extremely fluid. The Israeli common-enemy policy towards the anti-Iran Gulf States could prove to be a mistake. At the time of Trumps maximum pressure campaign against Tehran, this policy proved effective in bringing Gulf countries closer to Israel. But many forget that the very purpose of the painful economic sanctions imposed on Iran is actually to force the Iranians to negotiate a new deal on their nuclear programme with Trump. If he gets re-elected, he could reach a new deal with Iran even if that appears unlikely now. This would leave holes in Netanyahus policy and diplomatic gaps created by a lack of a common-enemy narrative. Although Washington would likely try and limit the diplomatic damage to Israel, any normalisation policy will no longer be on the solid ground it currently is. This proves that the biggest hitch will always remain the Arab peoples acceptance. Despite of what state media tries to tell them, many are still adamant that in order to be accepted and recognised in the region, Israel has to show a real desire for making peace with the Palestinians based on their aspirations of a sovereign state. There has to be movement on the most entrenched questions around settlements, Jerusalem, the refugees and the land. For many Arabs, any rapprochement with Israel now is no less than stabbing the Palestinians in the back. The reality now is: after standing with Trump as he laid out his deal of the century, Netanyahu and Israel may find real connection with the Arab world more elusive than ever. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: The daily oil production amounted to 769,000 barrels in January 2020, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Ministry of Energy. In accordance with the data, as of January 2020, 678,000 barrels of that volume accounted for crude oil, 91,000 barrels - for condensate. Some 540,000 barrels of crude oil, 87,000 barrels of condensate, and 22,300 barrels of oil products were exported daily. The Ministry of Energy submitted the information on daily oil production to the technical commission of the OPEC Joint Ministerial Monitoring Committee in January. A decision to further reduce the daily oil production by 500,000 barrels a day was made at the 7th OPEC and non-OPEC Ministerial Meeting on December 6, 2019. In accordance with the new declaration on cooperation, Azerbaijans commitments on oil production volume increased by 7,000 barrels and have been set at 27,000 barrels a day. Azerbaijan shall maintain daily oil production at 769,000 barrels till the end of the first quarter of 2020. Today, nuffsaid, the Utah-based startup backed by General Catalyst, Gradient Ventures (Googles AI fund), Global Founders Capital and SV Angel, among others, announced the availability of its first product nflow, which centralizes a users core work apps and uses AI to identify urgent work in real-time. As app usage has increased at work, so has the never-ending firehose of tasks and notifications from email, chat, social media, project tracking apps, and customer relationship software that workers are expected to consume. Unlike other solutions that help people get more things done, nuffsaid focuses people on getting the right things done, the work that moves the needle. nflow is an integrated platform that aggregates a workers apps into a single view, understands their work habits and departmental goals, and then prioritizes their work to help make each knowledge worker be more successful while feeling more in control. Chris Hicken, Co-founder and CEO at nuffsaid and former President and COO at UserTesting, says, Existing Big Tech is not focused on solving this problem." It will take a new entrant, without the heavy weight of legacy systems, to define the next generation of workflow, Hicken says. We feel the pain of information, communication and task overload every day, said Niko Bonatsos, Managing Director, General Catalyst. Were betting that the nuffsaid team can translate their ambitious vision for the future into a new category of department-specific work products. The nflow product announced today is the first release in nuffsaids Workflow Intelligence platform. Heres how it works: nflow centralizes all your core work apps into a single, customizable view: email, chat, CRM, social accounts, and more. Acting as your personal AI assistant, nflow automatically prioritizes messages and tasks while eliminating tedious activities like data entry. Drag and drop messages and tasks into your calendar, then back to your inbox. Easily convert messages and meetings into tasks, assign them, and receive automatic alerts when items are overdue. Quickly search for and find messages, tasks, and files across all your tools in a single search engine. Hicken says, We believe that AI will eventually automate as much as 50% of knowledge workers daily tasks. nflow is the foundation of the Workflow Intelligence platforms of the future. Later this year, nuffsaid plans to release products that will understand each users role, departmental goals, and then use data from their workflows to drive smart behavior. nuffsaid is releasing nflow for limited early access today. nflow will launch commercially at $25/month, but everyone who joins the early access list will receive a lifetime $10/month offer. Request access at nuffsaid.com. About nuffsaid nuffsaid is a workflow intelligence platform that uses AI to focus people on the work that matters. The nflow product integrates email, chat, calendars, tasks, and more into a single, customizable view to simplify taking action and finding information. The ntel product is the AI that understands the users job responsibilities, integrates data from their core workflows, and prioritizes work & projects that will move the needle. The company has offices in San Francisco and Salt Lake City and its investors include General Catalyst, Gradient Ventures (Googles AI fund), Global Founders Capital, SV Angel, and Wasabi Ventures, among others. For more information, visit https://nuffsaid.com/. CHICAGO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Nine people were killed and 14 others injured across the city of Chicago between Friday evening and Sunday midnight, according to Monday's local media reports. In the city's first fatal shooting of the weekend, a 39-year-old man was shot and killed on Friday night in the 3300 block of West Monroe. The man was sitting inside a parked vehicle when a four-door red vehicle drove up, and someone exited the vehicle and fired shots. The victim was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. In the deadliest case, two men were shot to death during a robbery that happened early Sunday morning in Chinatown on the south side of Chicago. The men, aged 38 and 39, respectively, were standing in the parking lot of an apartment complex at 2:13 a.m. local time when someone walked up and tried to rob them. The men resisted, and the suspect fired multiple shots at their heads. Both were pronounced dead at the scene. There have been 50 homicides this year compared to 33 for the same period in 2019, and 225 shooting victims, which were 58 more than a year ago, Chicago police said. Of this year's victims, 31 have been juveniles, compared to 13 in the same period last year. Chicago, the third largest city in the United States, has seen more gun-related violence than New York and Los Angeles combined in recent years. Yet the situation has improved since 2017 when the city started to make all-out efforts to rein in the violence. WB Yeats may have thought romantic Ireland was dead and gone, but new research from Ancestry, the global leader in family history, shows that our Irish ancestors really were a romantic bunch. Leading the romantic revolution is Dublin. A 10-minute walk from where St Valentines remains are interred, the Ireland, Catholic Parish Records 1655 1915 show that a Mr. Valentine Day was baptised on Meath Street on the 14th July 1751. Alongside a further 1,206 Valentines which are recorded in the All Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, 1655 1915, over 1000 Irish families also named their children Love, including a Mr. Love Leoney and Love Hitchcock, who died in Dublin in 1874 according to the Ireland, Civil Registration Deaths Index, 1864-1958. The Catholic Parish Registers 1655-1915 show there were only two Shifts born in Ireland, a disappointing outcome for the valiant shifters who frequented dance floors all over Ireland. Further afield though, records show a real life couple Romeo and Juliet Richard lived in Montana in 1920. Love has not always been in the air for everyone in Irelands history. Along with the 52 people surnamed Loveless, Alice Curtis is listed in the 1901 Irish census as unfortunately single and Madge Heffernan made it clear she was on the lookout in her census entry. 690 Singletons did however manage to get married between 1845 and 1958 perhaps thanks to Thomas Tinder or Mary Grinder, one of 45 people to be named Grinder in Ireland at the time. Ancestry spokesperson, Joe Buggy, said: Names are such an important part of our family history. Along with being passed down through the generations, they can also give us some great insight into popular themes of the time. "There are over 20 billion records available online at Ancestry and Valentines Day could be the perfect time to uncover some of the quirky names that might be in your family tree or to discover the love stories of your ancestors. Some other notable Valentines names featured from around the world include Red Rose from New York, Love Heart from Connecticut and Mr L. O. Romance from Atlanta, Georgia. Over 20 billion records are available to browse online on www.ancestry.ie for those looking to find their family members this Valentines Day. After having received the EduTrust certification from Singaporean authorities last June, Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne has now secured the location of its future campus. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005032/en/ (Photo: Business Wire) With clear intent to expand the international opportunities of its students, EHL has been authorized to deliver its Bachelor in International Hospitality Management in Singapore1. Today, the world's top hospitality management university2 has secured the location of its first international campus. The magnificent building located at 3 Lady Hill Road in the Orchard Road area will receive its first cohort in the fall of 2021. In the meantime, the Group plans to deliver short courses on site as early as July 2020. Once a boarding school for the children of British soldiers, the former Kinloss House has been completely restored to its former classic beauty. This 2,400 square meter building set on 1.9 hectares of land used to be the executive training center for a major global company. The property houses classrooms, meeting rooms, a large multi-purpose hall and numerous break out spaces. This location has been selected based on several factors such as potential for student life, quality and aesthetics, flexibility to accommodate modern learning formats, its peaceful environment to facilitate learning, proximity to some of the main touristic landmarks and an opportunity to offer an EHL experience with a genuinely local flavor. "We very much look forward to expanding our connection to the local community and participate in this thriving environment. It is with enthusiasm and conviction that we embark on this new adventure. Our commitment to the local economy will start at 3 Lady Hill Road and extend throughout the country, as we hope to strengthen our existing ties to the Singaporean hospitality industry", said EHL Group CEO Michel Rochat. EHL Campus (Singapore) is set to deliver the same internationally recognized "Bachelor of Science in International Hospitality Management" degree as EHL Campus Lausanne, adding first-hand local market knowledge and experience to the curriculum. This new campus aims to expand the opportunities for future hospitality leaders to thrive in an international landscape. Candidates can apply to start their Preparatory Year at the EHL Campus Lausanne in September 2020 and then begin their Bachelor course as the first cohort at EHL Campus (Singapore) in the fall of 2021. For more information, visit our EHL Campus (Singapore) page 1 EHL Campus (Singapore) is registered as a private education institution in Singapore under the Private Education Act, Enhanced Registration Framework (ERF), Registration No 201731189N, and has received EduTrust Certification Scheme (Certification number EDU-2-2124, valid from June 14 2019 to June 13 2023). 2 According to the 2019 QS World University Rankings in Hospitality Leisure Management About EHL Group EHL Group encompasses a portfolio of specialized business units that deliver hospitality management education and innovation worldwide. Headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, the Group includes: EHL Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne is an ambassador for traditional Swiss hospitality and has been a pioneer in hospitality education since 1893 with over 25,000 alumni worldwide and over 120 nationalities. EHL is the world's first hospitality management school that provides undergraduate and graduate programs at its campuses in Lausanne, Singapore and Chur-Passugg, as well as online learning solutions. The university of applied sciences is ranked n1 by QS World University Rankings by subject and CEOWorld Magazine, and its gastronomic restaurant is the world's only educational establishment to hold a Michelin Star. EHL Swiss School of Tourism and Hospitality has been one of the leading hospitality management colleges for hotel specialists for 50 years. The College delivers Swiss-accredited federal diplomas of vocational education and training and of higher education in its 19th century spa-hotel in Chur-Passugg, Graubunden, to Swiss and international students from 20 countries. EHL Advisory Services is the largest Swiss hospitality advisory company specializing in service culture implementation, business consulting, as well as the development and quality assurance of learning centers. EHL Advisory Services has offices in Lausanne, Beijing, Shanghai and New Delhi and has delivered mandates in more than 60 countries over the past 40 years. www.ehl.edu View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005032/en/ Contacts: EHL Group Sherif Mamdouh External Communications Manager communication@ehl.ch +41 21 785 10 53 The interview was part of a video series titled "Face to Face". Vera Jourova, Vice President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency, has suggested in a video interview that she would give Crimea back to Ukraine if she had an opportunity to take up Russian President Vladimir Putin's post for just one day. The interview was part of a video series titled "Face to Face", the project by the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe party where it has engaged with European Commissioners in an informal way to give the audience an opportunity to see high-level political figures from a more personal angle. Read alsoRussia to continue "protecting Russian speakers" official Asked, with which politician she would switch place for one day, the official said: "I think I would switch to Moscow and replace Vladimir Vladimirovitch Putin. If I have one day, I would give Crimea back to Ukraine." UNIAN memo. Russia occupied the Ukrainian Crimea, introducing the military into the peninsula and organizing in March 2014 a pseudo-referendum on its self-determination. The self-proclaimed Crimean authorities said that 96.77% of the inhabitants of the peninsula supported the accession of Crimea to the Russian Federation. On March 18, 2014, the so-called "agreement" was signed in the Kremlin on the accession of Crimea and Sevastopol to the Russian Federation. Western powers did not recognize the annexation of Crimea and imposed sanctions against Russia. The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine officially announced the beginning of the temporary occupation of Crimea on February 20, 2014. Authorities in Hong Kong evacuated several families from an apartment block in the city's Tsing Yi district on Tuesday, as the government warned people to stay home amid fears of a full-blown community outbreak of coronavirus. As the death toll in the coronavirus epidemic that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan passed 1,000, Hong Kong health authorities are scrambling to contain coronavirus infections, which have mostly been confirmed among people who recently traveled to the worst-hit areas. But there are concerns that the virus may now be spreading within the local community, and is no longer confined to recent arrivals from mainland China. Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said in the early hours of Tuesday that it was evacuating some households from a block of flats in Tsing Yi district after two people were diagnosed with the new coronavirus there. The two new cases were recorded in Hong Mei House in Tsing Yi's Cheung Hong housing estate. The first, the 12th case of the virus in Hong Kong, involved a resident of the building, and a new case identified on Monday involved a woman who lives in a flat 10 floors below, raising concerns that the virus may have been transmitted via the building itself. Local media showed police and health officials in protective gear outside the building. CHP chief Wong Ka-hing said the evacuation was a precautionary measure, and that there was no confirmation that the virus had spread within the building. Call to stay home Chief executive Carrie Lam called on the city's seven million residents to stay home. "We are making an appeal to the people of Hong Kong to stay at home as much as possible," Lam told reporters. "This means that they should avoid some social interactions and participation in social activities and family reunions and friends meeting and so on." She also reiterated the government's warning that anyone breaking quarantine could be prosecuted. "If the individuals ... are willing to shoulder the criminal liabilities of not complying, then we will have to take law enforcement action," Lam told journalists. University of Hong Kong microbiologist Professor Yuen Kwok-yung said coronavirus transmission could potentially take place through contact, droplets from coughs and sneezes, or through the air. "We still can't rule out whether these cases were infected by direct or indirect contact, or droplets, or airborne infections," Yuen said. "They may be tested again on Friday. If [the other residents] are OK, they can actually go home on Valentine's Day." The authorities would wait to see if anyone else became diagnosed, he said. While the Hong Kong authorities began compulsory 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving from mainland China, not all visitors are being supervised, and some are waiting out the period in hotels, with no electronic tracking in place. Figures released by Hong Kong's immigration authorities showed a 40 percent spike in the number of inbound visitors from mainland China on Friday, the day before the quarantine measures took effect. More than 230,000 people entered the city in the three days running up to the new restrictions, the government said, sparking concerns that this group is the one most likely to spread the coronavirus within Hong Kong. A woman who gave only a nickname Miss K said she knew of a Hong Kong resident who had come back from Shanghai with a cough and diarrhea, but had refused to seek medical treatment. "We told the authorities, but she just kept insisting that there was nothing wrong with her," the woman said. "What can we do? The people on the same floor as her are very worried, but when they called the health department, they said there was nothing they could do." A request for comment to the CHP went unanswered at the time of broadcast. Meanwhile, chief executive Lam defended her decision not to completely close Hong Kong's border with mainland China. "Total border closure would block people and the freight that we currently need," she said. "We are still having the effect of minimizing the flow of people across the border." Reported by Tseng Yat-yiu and Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese and Mandarin Services. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Kelvin Fletcher's wife proved all was forgiven as she kissed him goodbye at the train station on Tuesday. Just hours before, the mother-of-two was pictured without her wedding ring after being left 'upset and angry' that he partied until 3am with his dance partner Oti Mabuse on Friday. A source close to Kelvin, 36, said the Strictly champ rushed home to 'reassure her all is good between them' after Liz unfollowed him on social media - yet later in the day she took to social media to defend her decision to remove her wedding ring. Reunited: Kelvin Fletcher's wife proved all was forgiven as she kissed him goodbye at the train station on Tuesday after he rushed home to reassure her all was well after partying with Strictly beauty Oti Mabuse Not happy: Liz was reportedly 'upset and angry' after her husband was pictured enjoying a night cap until 3am on Saturday morning (pictured) with his dancer partner Otiand subsequently unfollowed him Liz was every inch the doting wife as she dropped him off to catch his train. The couple appeared to have an emotional goodbye, with Kelvin, who looked dapper in a tweed jacket and flat cap, wrapping his arm around his wife before pulling her in for a lengthy kiss. Earlier in the day, the mother-of-two looked stony-faced as she emerged from their family home carrying a bag of clothes to her car. The actress, who was pictured for the first time since unfollowing her husband on Instagram, was noticeably not wearing her silver diamond engagement ring and wedding band and continued to leave her rings off later in the day. Kelvin's representatives denied she was dropping off his clothes. 'No drama here!': Eliza has since broken her silence on social media, denying any reports of marital strife Marriage woes: Liz was not wearing her dazzling diamond wedding ring earlier in the day Sombre: Just hours before, the mother-of-two was not only sans ring, but carrying a big bag of clothing - but reps had denied she was dropping off Kelvin's clothes Loving hug: A source close to Kelvin, 36, said the Strictly champ had rushed home to 'reassure her all is good between them' after Liz dramatically unfollowed him on social media Fond farewell: The couple appeared to have an emotional goodbye proving all is well after the beauty was sick of being stuck at home with the kids while he had fun Eliza has since broken her silence on social media, denying any reports of marital strife. She posted: ''That ring is heavy. It only comes out on special occasions! Oh and it was fake tan day #nodrama here'. Liz was reportedly 'upset and angry' her husband was pictured enjoying a night cap until 3am on Saturday morning with his dancer partner Oti Mabuse. A source revealed Liz was unhappy with Kelvin going out partying while she was at home caring for their two children, Marnie, three, and Milo, one. Married: Oti, who married her husband Marius Lepure in 2016, is 'mortified' their close friendship is causing issues in their marriage (pictured in June 2019) Sweet goodbyes: Liz was every inch the doting wife as she dropped the Strictly champ off to catch his train Smoothed things over: The pair chatted away as they arrived at the train station as Kelvin prepared to get back to work Feeling overwhelmed: Liz had been unhappy with Kelvin going out partying while she stayed at home with their two children, Marnie, three, and Milo, one Liz decided to unfollow Kelvin on Instagram after it got 'too much' seeing the pictures of her husband out late at night. Kelvin was seen with his arm around Oti's waist as they waited to be let into the hotel, following the evening out with the rest of their Strictly Live Tour co-stars. A source told MailOnline: 'Naturally Liz wasn't happy after finding out Kelvin had been out late drinking with the Strictly lot. 'It wasn't easy for her to see him still out at 3:35am, while she's at home looking after their two young children. Any woman would be upset if they were in the same situation. Back on track: But the couple appeared to have sorted things out as Kelvin returned to work on Tuesday Off he goes: Kelvin grabbed a laptop out of the back while Liz waited patiently to say her goodbye Party animal: A source told MailOnline: 'Naturally Liz wasn't happy after finding out Kelvin had been out late drinking with the Strictly lot' Struggling: They continued: 'It wasn't easy for her to see him still out at 3:35am, while she's at home looking after their two young children. Any woman would be upset' - but she did feel silly for unfollowing him on social media Away from home: Kelvin marked the end of his Strictly journey on Instagram on Monday night after the cast of 2019 finished their tour around the UK 'In the heat of the moment she unfollowed him on Instagram, it was just a shock for her to see him out so late.' 'But now she's had the chance to speak to Kelvin face-to-face after he came home and they're spending today together, she feels silly for unfollowing him and admits she acted on impulse.' Kelvin rushed home to be with his family in a bid to reassure Liz. Absent: The actress had appeared glum when she was pictured on her own earlier in the day Upset: The mother-of-two was perhaps worried that the Strictly curse had been coming her way, even though there's nothing to suggest anything untoward took place Downcast: With her head bowed, Liz cut a somber figure as she headed to her car A source told The Mirror: 'He is home now and everything is fine. Kelvin could have been out with Johannes Radebe and fellow professional Graziano di Prima and her response would have been exactly the same.' The Sun reports Oti, who married her husband Marius Lepure in 2016, is 'mortified' their close friendship is causing issues in their marriage. A source told the website: 'Eliza and the children mean everything to Kelvin. He has told Eliza she has nothing to worry about. Clearing out: The actress lugged a bin bag full of clothes in a charity bag to the car Charity? Kelvin's representatives denied she was dropping off his clothes Reassurance: Another insider said: 'Eliza and the children mean everything to Kelvin. He has told Eliza she has nothing to worry about' 'Their family think they'll come through but it's not going to be easy. Oti feels mortified.' Kelvin and Liz are childhood sweethearts who grew up down the road from one another in Royton, Lancashire, and shared their first kiss at just eight years old. However they officially got together two years after she finished university. They were engaged in 2015, after Kelvin proposed on the beach during a romantic trip to Wales. A new stablecoin pegged to the Canadian dollar may help digitize the North American nations financial markets. Canada Stablecorp announced Monday it was issuing the QCAD stablecoin for mass market, including foreign exchange remittances and other financial products. Canada Stablecorp is a joint venture between cryptoasset manager 3iQ, which recently received approval to launch a bitcoin fund, and Mavennet Systems, a blockchain development firm launched last year. QCAD is being described as both a means of payment and a settlement solution. It allows you to trade, to take positions against other stablecoins in other currencies, USDC in the U.S. for example, said Canada Stablecorp CEO Jean Desgagne. It provides a medium of exchange and value. Related: Winklevoss Patents Tout Use Case for Gemini Stablecoin Tech in Banking The coin is backed by Canadian dollars, Desgagne said. He envisions the token built on the ethereum ERC-20 standard as a tool for foreign exchange remittances, among other use cases. The hope is it will become the first mainstream stablecoin pegged to the Canadian dollar to see general use (while similar stablecoins have been launched before, few have lasted). The token is compliant with know-your-customer and anti-money laundering regulations, Desgagne said. It will be issued by Canada Stablecorp and traded on DVeX, Newton, Bitvo, Netcoins and Coinsmart five Canada-based crypto exchanges. These platforms will be responsible for conducting their own KYC/AML checks in compliance with relevant regulations, Desgagne continued. Any investors including those outside Canada who can trade on these exchanges can buy QCAD. While the other key regulatory concern could come from securities law, Desgagne said the company had a legal opinion saying it was not a huge concern. Related: Tether Says Its Newest Stablecoin Is Backed by Gold in Swiss Vault Its worth a dollar today, itll be worth a dollar tomorrow, itll be worth a dollar 20 years from now, Desgagne said. We believe that its not a security, it doesnt need to touch with securities law. Its really a mechanism for exchange. Story continues The company built its token on ethereum due to the networks wide popularity and Stablecorps comfort with its levels of security, Desgagne said. While additional stablecoins might be issued on other networks in the future, this is more of an eventual goal than anything being planned at the moment. Broadly, Desgagne hopes to further digitize financial services as QCAD grows in acceptance. [I think were taking] financial market infrastructure that exists in the analog world and create them in the digital world, Desgagne said. We believe were creating tools for digital assets to truly bloom. Related Stories Northampton residents urged city councilors at a public meeting Monday to delay the passage of a zoning amendment they argued would aid developers but hurt those living in the community. Mayor David Narkewiczs office put forward the amendment after a proposed development at 34 Dewey Ct. hit roadblocks from concerned residents, one of whom filed a lawsuit against the developer, Benjamin Lewis of Dewey Court Properties LLC, as well as the Northampton Zoning Board of Appeals. Narkewicz told MassLive last week the ordinance change is part of a larger strategy to build more housing," and other city officials have called the piece of legislation a relic that is not consistent with Northamptons planning goals. Lewis introduced in May his plan to construct a three-story, 15-unit apartment complex on the propertys non-conforming lot, a term that defines a parcel of land with no legal frontage. The ZBA approved Lewiss permit application in August, a decision that required a finding that the new use of the lot would not prove any more substantially detrimental to the neighborhood than the propertys previous use. The boards approval drew backlash from residents, who see the development, which would include market-rate rental units, as too large and view the proposed amendment as an usual measure. You would be a strange anomaly. You would be a developers heaven," John McLaughlin, an attorney who filed the suit in Boston Land Court last year, told city councilors at Mondays meeting. All were asking is to at least consider the fact that, maybe, some changes could be made to this ordinance. The city councils Committee on Legislative Matters voted at the end of the evening to table discussion on the proposed ordinance change until the groups upcoming meeting next month following public criticism about the amendment and calls to slow down officials decision making. Nearly all the residents who spoke during Mondays meeting said the amendment should be more carefully considered. They expressed concerns over how the proposal would affect traffic, parking, the communitys trees and the character of the neighborhood in which the Dewey Court apartment complex would be constructed. Mark Moggio, who hired McLaughlin to file the suit and whose property directly abuts 34 Dewey Ct., questioned the Zoning Board of Appeals approval of the project last year. The citys proposed ordinance change would do away with the ZBAs required finding, though, making Moggios lawsuit null, according to him. He urged city councilors to consider other proposals he has emailed them as alternatives to the citys amendment. This isnt an all-or-nothing ordinance, he said. There are alternatives. There are some great alternatives on there that could be a middle-of-the-road way to do this thing instead of just cutting out a lot of this ordinance. Nancy Denig, another homeowner who lives near Dewey Court, said she too is worried about the ordinance change and the potential apartment complex, expressing concern over how it would impact the quality or character" of her neighborhood. City Councilor James Nash, who is not a member of the Committee on Legislative Matters, spoke Monday as a resident of Ward 3, where 34 Dewey Ct. is located. The city councilor said he was part of the Zoning Revisions Committee, a volunteer group that formed in 2009, and worked with the Northampton Planning Board to make the city more welcoming to developers and improve infill. The community is already super development-friendly," according to Nash, who is wary of the ordinance change. He also noted that the lawsuit over the Dewey Court development could have been avoided if Lewis created more streetscape and was more amendable to residents concerns. There was another way to do this, he said. Im going to be very leery as we move forward. Before city councilors heard residents concerns, Carolyn Misch, assistant director of planning and sustainability in Northampton, laid out why city officials believe the amendment is needed. The section of the ordinance they seek to change is a layer of review that does not add value to the communitys current zoning laws, according to her. The section of the ordinance also does not match goals set forth in Sustainable Northampton," the citys comprehensive master plan adopted in 2008 that sought to address transportation and housing issues, support a vibrant downtown" and guide decision-making processes relating to zoning, Misch said. The part of the law in question was created long before the city developed its current zoning ordinances to address modern issues relating to development, landscaping and tree removal, according to Misch. Current, more updated laws really spell out what we want as a community," she said. The idea is that your regulations really match up to the plan," Misch added. The committee is expected to take up the issue again at its next meeting March 9. Related Content: Northampton zoning change in the works after proposed housing complex hits roadblocks from residents worried about buildings size, environmental impact Boston, MA--Scaling up cervical cancer screening coverage in the U.S. to 90% could expedite elimination of the disease and avert more than 1,000 additional cases per year, according to a new study led by researchers from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Their modeling study found that this would be the most effective way to speed up elimination, compared to current levels of screening and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination. "Although HPV vaccination will be a major contributor to reducing cervical cancer over time, we found that in the immediate term, screening continues to play a critical role in reducing the burden of cervical cancer in U.S.," said Emily Burger, a research scientist in the Center for Health Decision Science at Harvard Chan School who co-led the study. The study will be published online in The Lancet Public Health on February 10. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued a global call to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem, setting a disease target of four or fewer cases per 100,000 women. With vaccination against HPV, the virus known to cause cervical cancer, and early detection through screening, cervical cancer is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer. In the U.S., the HPV vaccine is recommended routinely for both girls and boys ages 11-12 years and up to age 26 years for catch-up vaccination. For the study, using current vaccine coverage rates and trends, the researchers estimated that 75% of girls would be vaccinated by age 26 and 62% of boys would be vaccinated by age 21. Cervical cancer screening using Pap testing is recommended every three years for women ages 21-65 years, yet there is a large proportion of women who do not adhere to guidelines, either screening too much or too little; an estimated 14% of women are never screened. This study is the first known comparative modeling analysis to project a timeframe for cervical cancer elimination in the U.S. The researchers used two independent disease modeling platforms (one from Harvard Chan School and one from Cancer Council New South Wales, Australia) to compare nine different HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening interventions with a "status quo" scenario reflecting current screening and vaccination practices. They evaluated the potential for each scenario to achieve a threshold for cervical cancer elimination of four cases per 100,000 women, as well as a more ambitious threshold of one case per 100,000 women, over time. They found that under the status quo scenario, cervical cancer elimination could be achieved by the years 2038-2046. Scaling up screening coverage to 90% expedited the timing of elimination by 10-13 years and averted an average of 1,400-2,088 additional cases per year. Increasing HPV vaccination coverage to 90% of girls and vaccinating adults of both sexes aged 26-45 years had almost no impact on elimination timing and minimal impacts on incidence. This analysis is an extension of two studies published last week (see links below) evaluating the potential for and timing of cervical cancer elimination, as well as the mortality impacts of scaling up HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening, and cancer treatment services in 78 low-income and lower-middle income countries. Those analyses, published in The Lancet, were co-led by three modeling groups comprising the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination Modeling Consortium (CCEMC), which includes the authors of the current study. "Across all three analyses, we were able to project the vast number of cervical cancer cases and deaths averted globally by ensuring high uptake of both prevention and treatment services for cervical cancer," said co-lead author Megan Smith, program manager at the Cancer Council New South Wales in Australia. "Together with the WHO elimination initiative, we hope this analysis will galvanize public health efforts to improve access to both primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention in the U.S.," said senior author Jane Kim, professor of health decision science at Harvard Chan School. ### Harvard Chan School's Stephen Sy was also a co-author. This study was funded by U.S. National Cancer Institute grant (U01CA199334). Emily Burger receives salary support from the Norwegian Cancer Society (#198073), and Megan Smith receives salary support from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia (APP1159491) and Cancer Institute NSW (ECF181561). "Cervical Cancer Elimination in the United States: A CISNET Model-based Analysis," Emily A. Burger, Megan A. Smith, James Killen, Stephen Sy, Kate Simms, Karen Canfell, Jane J. Kim, Lancet Public Health, online February 4, 2020. Read the additional studies in The Lancet: Impact of HPV vaccination and cervical screening on cervical cancer elimination: a comparative modelling in 78 low-income and lower-middle-income countries Mortality impact of achieving WHO cervical cancer elimination targets: a comparative modelling analysis in 78 low-income and lower-middle-income countries Visit the Harvard Chan School website for the latest news, press releases, and multimedia offerings. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health brings together dedicated experts from many disciplines to educate new generations of global health leaders and produce powerful ideas that improve the lives and health of people everywhere. As a community of leading scientists, educators, and students, we work together to take innovative ideas from the laboratory to people's lives--not only making scientific breakthroughs, but also working to change individual behaviors, public policies, and health care practices. Each year, more than 400 faculty members at Harvard Chan School teach 1,000-plus full-time students from around the world and train thousands more through online and executive education courses. Founded in 1913 as the Harvard-MIT School of Health Officers, the School is recognized as America's oldest professional training program in public health. A hit-and-run crash has shut down a main thoroughfare in South San Francisco on Tuesday morning, according to an alert from San Mateo County. The 400 block of Grand Avenue is closed between Spruce and Maple avenues because of the hit-and-run, the county said in the alert sent out shortly after 8:15 a.m. OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- California BanCorp (OTCQX:CALB), the holding company for California Bank of Commerce (CBC), has further expanded its Northern California presence with the addition of Michael Nicita as Executive Vice President and Senior Credit Administrator. Nicita will be based out of the Sacramento office and will be responsible for overseeing high-quality credit underwriting. We are thrilled to have Mike join us, said Scott Myers, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer. He joins our team with experience in agricultural lending, which adds to the banks already well-established expertise in the manufacturing, contracting, professional services, dental and veterinary industries. Nicita has more than two decades of experience in commercial banking with an extensive background in the middle market. Prior to joining CBC, he served as Managing Director and Senior Credit Manager at Union Bank. He has also held positions at Wells Fargo, US Bank, Bank of America and Sacramento Commercial Bank. Nicita received a bachelors degree in managerial economics and an MBA in finance from the University of California, Davis. For more information about California Bank of Commerce, visit www.californiabankofcommerce.com . About California BanCorp and California Bank of Commerce California BanCorp, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, California Bank of Commerce, offers a broad range of commercial banking services to closely held businesses and professionals located throughout Northern California. The stock of its parent company, California BanCorp, trades on the OTCQX marketplace under the symbol CALB. For more information on California BanCorp and California Bank of Commerce, call us at (510) 457-3751, or visit us at www.californiabankofcommerce.com . Contact California Bank of Commerce California BanCorp Steven E. Shelton, (510) 457-3751 President and Chief Executive Officer seshelton@bankcbc.com Thomas A. Sa, (510) 457-3775 Senior Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer tsa@bankcbc.com Scott Myers, (916) 807-0933 Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Lending Officer smyers@bankcbc.com Media Contact A man in Nigdi suffered burn injuries after a car rammed into his handcart, causing hot oil to spill on him on Tuesday afternoon. The car driver fled from the accident spot, leaving the injured, identified as Munna, writhing in pain and his handcart damaged, said head constable, Rahul Jagtap of the Nigdi police station who responded to the incident. According to the police, the incident happened along the Camp Education road in Nigdi. The injured sold wada pav on his handcart. The students who were around the cart, called us and we rushed to the spot immediately. However, the driver had fled before we reached. We tried to follow the car, but lost trail. We have informed the control room and are looking for the car and the driver.The car in question is a white Swift Dzire, said head constable Jagtap. The injured person was rushed to a nearby hospital, said police. There's no doubt that money can be made by owning shares of unprofitable businesses. For example, biotech and mining exploration companies often lose money for years before finding success with a new treatment or mineral discovery. But while the successes are well known, investors should not ignore the very many unprofitable companies that simply burn through all their cash and collapse. So should Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings (HKG:8018) shareholders be worried about its 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). First, we'll determine its cash runway by comparing its cash burn with its cash reserves. See our latest analysis for Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings When Might Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings Run Out Of Money? A cash runway is defined as the length of time it would take a company to run out of money if it kept spending at its current rate of cash burn. When Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings last reported its balance sheet in June 2019, it had zero debt and cash worth HK$104m. Importantly, its cash burn was HK$3.2m over the trailing twelve months. So it had a very long cash runway of many years from June 2019. While this is only one measure of its cash burn situation, it certainly gives us the impression that holders have nothing to worry about. Depicted below, you can see how its cash holdings have changed over time. SEHK:8018 Historical Debt, February 11th 2020 How Well Is Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings Growing? Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings managed to reduce its cash burn by 94% over the last twelve months, which is extremely promising, when it comes to considering its need for cash. And it could also show revenue growth of 20% in the same period. It seems to be growing nicely. In reality, this article only makes a short study of the company's growth data. This graph of historic earnings and revenue shows how Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings is building its business over time. Story continues How Easily Can Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings Raise Cash? While Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings seems to be in a decent position, we reckon it is still worth thinking about how easily it could raise more cash, if that proved desirable. Companies can raise capital through either debt or equity. 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. Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings has a market capitalisation of HK$66m and burnt through HK$3.2m last year, which is 4.9% 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. How Risky Is Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings's Cash Burn Situation? As you can probably tell by now, we're not too worried about Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings's cash burn. In particular, we think its cash burn reduction stands out as evidence that the company is well on top of its spending. And even though its revenue growth wasn't quite as impressive, it was still a positive. Taking all the factors in this report into account, we're not at all worried about its cash burn, as the business appears well capitalized to spend as needs be. 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: Finsoft Financial Investment Holdings insiders have been trading shares, according to our data. Click here to check whether insiders have been buying or selling. If you would prefer to check out another company with better fundamentals, then do not miss this free list of interesting companies, that have HIGH return on equity and low debt or this list of stocks which are all forecast to grow. 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. With the Congress decimated in the Delhi Assembly elections, the grand old party on Tuesday sought consolation in the march of Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to retain power. Congress MP and the partys leader in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said the AAPs ability to stop the BJP was significant. Everyone knew that Aam Aadmi Party will return to power for the third time. Congresss defeat will not send a good message. The victory of AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party and its communal agenda is significant, Chowdhury said, according to ANI. Four hours after the counting began on Tuesday, the Congress had notched up just over 4.18% of the votes against 53% of AAP and 39% of the BJP. Five exit polls on Saturday had predicted that the AAP will retain power with a comfortable majority while the BJP will make large gains. The exit polls also predicted a distant third position for the Congress with the party either failing to secure any seat, according to two polls, or, at best, winning three seats (ABP News-CVoter). The Congress ran a low-profile, lacklustre campaign for the elections. Its big guns Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi joined the campaign only towards the fag end of it. In contrast the AAP, ran a focused campaign to turn the narrative towards issues like infrastructure, education, women safety, electricity, water during the campaign for the elections. The BJPs campaign was hyper-nationalistic where many of its leaders were accused of inciting passions with incendiary speeches. The saffron party ran a high-voltage campaign and deployed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address two rallies while Union home minister and former BJP chief Amit Shah micro-managed the campaign. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has sent congratulatory messages to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader of the Islamic Revolution Sayyid Ali Khamenei on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The congratulatory message of the Prime Minister of Armenia addressed to the President of the Islamic Republic of Iran reads as follows: I cordially congratulate you and the friendly people of Iran on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The centuries-old friendship and historical traditions of our nations serve as a strong basis for ongoing advancement of our uninterrupted relations. Taking the opportunity, I invite you to Armenia whenever it is appropriate for you. I wish you good health and success and wish the friendly people of Iran welfare and peace. The congratulatory message addressed to Supreme Leader of the Islami Revolution Sayyid Ali Khamenei reads as follows: I cordially congratulate you and the friendly people of Iran on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. I am certain that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its path to development and record more success and achievements. Armenia is interested in advancing the extensive bilateral agenda with the friendly Iran for the welfare and advancement of our nations. I wish you good health and wish the friendly people of Iran peace and prosperity. CALGARY - A fearsome lizard with a name meaning "reaper of death" is the first new tyrannosaur species to be identified in Canada in 50 years, say researchers with the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CALGARY - A fearsome lizard with a name meaning "reaper of death" is the first new tyrannosaur species to be identified in Canada in 50 years, say researchers with the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. Tyrannosaurs were large meat-eating dinosaurs that walked on two legs and had short arms, two fingers and massive skulls with dagger-like teeth. Tyrannosaurus rex is the most famous in this group. A fearsome lizard whose name means "reaper of death" is the first new tyrannosaur species to be identified in Canada in 50 years, say researchers with the University of Calgary and the Royal Tyrrell Museum. The dinosaur is shown in a handout illustration. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-University of Calgary-Julius Csotonyi MANDATORY CREDIT Jared Voris was examining skull fragments stored in a drawer at the Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, Alta., as part of his masters thesis when he noticed features not seen in other tyrannosaur specimens. The most obvious were prominent vertical ridges along the upper jaw line. "We'd find one feature, and then we'd find another, and then it would just kind of cascade into finally understanding that this was something completely different than what we'd seen before," said Voris, who is now working on his PhD in paleontology at the University of Calgary. Voris, 25, said "it's definitely a weird feeling" to make a big discovery so early in his career. He figures the beast could have been about eight metres long with an 80-centimetre skull. "It would have been quite an imposing animal," he said. "It definitely would have caused some panic." The new species is named Thanatotheristes degrootorum, which combines the Greek word for "reaper of death" with the name of a southern Alberta couple, the DeGroots, who happened upon the fossil fragments along the shore of the Bow River west of Medicine Hat, Alta., in 2010. Darla Zelenitsky, who is Voris's PhD thesis supervisor, said Thanatotheristes predates T. rex by about 12 million years and is the oldest known tyrannosaur discovered in Canada. She said it offers clues about a poorly understood time period. "We're learning more about the ecosystem at this older period of time when dinosaurs roamed southern Alberta," she said. Only two other dinosaurs have been found in the same rock formation, and both were plant-eaters. "This is the first apex predatory dinosaur species known from this formation," said Zelenitsky. "To me this is a big discovery and it's even more exciting because it was made by one of my students." The new tyrannosaur is not believed to have been a direct ancestor of T. rex, but was its own evolutionary offshoot. It seems to have more in common with a type of tyrannosaur found in Alberta called Daspletosaurus. Francois Therrien, a paleontologist at the Royal Tyrrell, said the general public can play a role in new discoveries, just like the DeGroots did. "A lot of people go in areas that paleontologists would not think of going, either because we're unaware that there's exposures in that area or just because there's bigger pockets of badlands that we tend to focus on," he said. Anyone who finds a fossil should leave it where it is, note its exact location and contact the museum, he said. Therrien, who also worked with Voris, said the student's discovery is significant. "First, discovering a new species and, second, it is a tyrannosaur. I don't think it gets any better than that." An article detailing Thanatotheristes degrootorum and written by Voris, Zelenitsky, Therrien and paleontologist Caleb Brown, was published Monday in the journal Cretaceous Research. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2020 Note to readers: This is a corrected story; An earlier version had the incorrect name of the dinosaur species in the final paragraph. Startups are capitalising on renewed interest in environmental solutions after Australia's bushfires brought climate change to the front of investors' minds. "We've got a problem in front of us. If we don't act, it will get worse. Where there's a problem, there's a market," co-founder of AirSeed Technologies Andrew Walker said. Andrew Walker and Andries Louw flying drones in South Africa in tests for their AirSeed technologies tech. Mr Walker and his South African-based co-founder Andries Louw have raised more than $180,000 over the past two days on their path to a million-dollar crowdfunding raise via the Onmarket platform for their drone-based seed-planting technology. Having bootstrapped AirSeed to the tune of several hundred thousand dollars, the pair are now turning to the crowd for a capital boost ahead of expanding trials of their offer into the Australian market. Azerbaijani police have detained more than 20 opposition and independent candidates who were protesting against results of early parliamentary polls that were also criticized by international observers. Protesters wrapped in blankets were staging a sit-in on the pavement outside Azerbaijan's Central Election Commission (CEC) building on February 11 when riot police detained all participants and put them on buses. Interior Ministry spokesman Ehsan Zahidov said the action was illegal and that participants had not been complying with the law. According to the CEC the ruling Yeni Azerbaijan (New Azerbaijan) party won 70 out of 125 seats in the single-chamber legislature, while nearly all the remaining mandates went to small parties and independents loyal to President Ilham Aliyev. International monitors said they had identified widespread procedural violations in a vote count that they said raised doubt about the fairness of the election. Aliyev called the vote nine months early to consolidate his authority. The opposition said the election was marred by widespread violations which included ballot-box stuffing. With reporting by Reuters A person was killed after some unidentified people opened fire at AAP MLA Naresh Yadav's convoy in southwestDelhi's Kishangarh villageon late Tuesday night, police said. The newly-elected MLA along with his supporters was returning home after paying obeisance at a temple in his constituency, the police said. According to sources, seven rounds were fired at the Mehrauli MLA's convoy. A person injured in the incident was admitted to a nearby hospital, police said. In a tweet, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh claimed party volunteer Ashok Mann was killed in the attack. "Convoy of MLA Naresh Yadav attacked in Mehrauli, Ashok Mann killed. Naresh Yadav was returning home after visiting a temple," Singh said in a tweet in Hindi. "Shots fired at AAP MLA @MLA_NareshYada and the volunteers accompanying him while they were on way back from temple. At least one volunteer has passed away due to bullet wounds. Another is injured," the AAP said in a tweet. Ankit Lal, AAP's social media in-charge tweeted: "Multiple shots were fired at AAP MLA @MLA_NareshYadav & @AamAadmiParty volunteers accompanying him to his home in Mehrauli after visiting a temple as part of victory procession. Miscreants in another car opened fire near Fortis. 1 dead and 1 injured. Police is at the spot. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) formally published in the Federal Register on Monday the lifting of economic sanctions against Turkey's defense and energy ministries, more than three months after President Trump ordered the action. The sanctions against the government agencies and several key officials were imposed by the Trump administration in early October after Turkish forces launched attacks into northern Syria. After Turkey maintained a five-day cease-fire, President Trump directed the sanctions be lifted on Oct. 23. The Turkish Ministry of National Defense and Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources, along with National Defense Minister Hulisi Akar, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu and Energy Minister Fatih Donmez, on Oct. 14 were placed on OFAC's Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons (SDN) List. Placement on the SDN List immediately blocked any assets or investments that the two Turkish ministries and three government officials had in the U.S. and prevented U.S. persons or companies from conducting business with them. Capitol Hill lawmakers late last year proposed punishing Turkey with wider sanctions. On Oct. 17, Sens. Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., introduced the 2019 Countering Turkish Aggression Act that, if passed, would have levied significantly more sanctions against Turkey for its military incursion into northern Syria. A week earlier the two senators also introduced the Graham-Van Hollen Turkey Sanctions Bill, which would have also added Turkey's president to the SDN List. Image Sourced from Pixabay See more from Benzinga 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. VALLETTA, Malta, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- OKEx (www.okex.com), the world largest cryptocurrency spot and derivatives exchange, announced the launch of OKChain, an OKEx-owned commercial public blockchain, in order to contribute to the community with more decentralized applications. At the same time, OKEx also rolled out OKEx DEX, the first decentralized application based on OKChain. To ensure a better trading experience and liquidity, OKEx DEX supports real-time settlement in a trustless environment. OKChain is a Cosmos SDK-based public chain developed by OKEx. It supports various decentralized applications and allows users to issue their own cryptocurrencies, create trading pairs, and trade freely on it. Thanks to its multi-chain structure, the efficiency and scaling of application development are significantly improved. OKChain separates data into three layers: block, operations and off-chain data, which can improve the system consensus speed and expand data dimensions on chain. Adopting a Delegated Proof of Stake (DPOS) consensus mechanism, OKEx has issued OKT as native token of OKChain. The issuance of OKT will be on the genesis block and node block, and is expected to increase by 1-5% every year. We believe decentralized finance is the key to financial inclusion and financial freedom for all. Thats why we have longed for unleashing the power of DeFi. OKChain is huge milestone for us, meaning that we are now able to provide an open, low-cost, and autonomous ecosystem for everyone to enjoy the benefits blockchain and decentralization brings, said Jay Hao, CEO of OKEx. Blockchain development keeps bringing me new experiences and surprises. Today, when we talk about blockchain, it is way beyond just bitcoin and the major ERC-20 tokens. As a leading player in the industry, we hope OKChain will become an inspiration for more innovations and will attract more talents to join the blockchain revolution with us. OKEx DEX The first decentralized application on OKChain Besides OKChain, OKEx DEX , the decentralized exchange arm of OKEx, is also an innovation not to be missed. For further details please refer here . Apple and the U.S. Justice Department are at it again. This time its over cracking a brace of iPhones owned by the Saudi Air Force cadet who killed three sailors in a shooting spree last month at the naval air station in Pensacola, Florida. At a news conference held Monday to announce the findings of an investigation into the Pensacola incident, U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr called out Apple for refusing to help the FBI recover data on the phones owned by the cadet, Lt. Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, who also was a member of the Royal Saudi Air Force. We have asked Apple for their help in unlocking the shooters iPhones. So far Apple has not given us any substantive assistance, Barr told reporters, reading from a statement. This situation perfectly illustrates why it is critical that investigators be able to get access to digital evidence once they have obtained a court order based on probable cause, he continued. We call on Apple and other technology companies to help us find a solution so that we can better protect the lives of Americans and prevent future attacks, Barr added. Barrs Comments Refuted Barrs comments provoked Apple to issue a statement of its own on the subject. We reject the characterization that Apple has not provided substantive assistance in the Pensacola investigation, Apple said. Our responses to their many requests since the attack have been timely, thorough and are ongoing. Within hours of the FBIs first request for information, Apple provided the agency with a variety of information for its probe and continued to do so from Dec. 7 to Dec. 14. In response to six additional requests for information, the company provided investigators with iCloud backups, account information, and transactional data for multiple accounts. The queries resulted in many gigabytes of information that we turned over to investigators. In every instance, we responded with all of the information that we had, Apple said in its statement. We are continuing to work with the FBI, and our engineering teams recently had a call to provide additional technical assistance, it added. Apple has great respect for the Bureaus work, and we will work tirelessly to help them investigate this tragic attack on our nation. Backdoors Swing 2 Ways In its statement, Apple criticized the use of backdoors as a means for law enforcement to obtain data protected by encryption. A D V E R T I S E M E N T We have always maintained there is no such thing as a backdoor just for the good guys. Backdoors can also be exploited by those who threaten our national security and the data security of our customers, the company stated. Today, law enforcement has access to more data than ever before in history, so Americans do not have to choose between weakening encryption and solving investigations. We feel strongly encryption is vital to protecting our country and our users data, it continued. Apple is right to provide strong security to its users, requiring a passcode or biometrics to unlock a phone, maintained Kurt Opsahl, general counsel for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, an online rights advocacy group in San Francisco. The attorney generals request that Apple re-engineer its phones to break that security imperils millions of innocent Americans and others around the globe, and is a poor trade-off for security policy, he told TechNewsWorld. Fundamental Disagreement There is a fundamental disagreement on this issue, observed Tim Erlin, vice president of product management and strategy at Tripwire, a cybersecurity threat detection and prevention company in Portland, Oregon. Advocates for lawful access believe that the ability to catch criminals outweighs the risks of compromised privacy, and privacy advocates believe that your right to privacy outweighs the governments right to search those devices, he told TechNewsWorld. Theres no doubt that the ability to bypass a devices encryption compromises privacy. The argument put forth in favor of such access is that its worth it, Erlin said. No one on either side of the argument law enforcement or technology has come up with a means to provide lawful access that cant be abused or exploited by unintended third parties, he continued. This isnt a new fight for either the U.S. government or Apple, added Erlin. By making a very public request on a very high-profile incident, Barr is aiming to put public pressure on Apple to comply where legal pressure has previously failed to get a result. Creating Public Pressure The Justice Department has wanted legislation mandating backdoors to encrypted devices for decades, noted Julian Sanchez, a senior fellow at the Cato Institute, a public policy think tank in Washington, D.C. A D V E R T I S E M E N T They knew before they asked that Apple wasnt going to be able to unlock the phones, he told TechNewsWorld. Rather, this is about picking a high-profile case to restart that debate and create political pressure for that policy, Sanchez continued. We know they did this in the San Bernardino case, where an internal watchdog report found that the FBI was so eager for a court fight to make a political point that they didnt put much effort into exploring other ways to crack the phone even though thats what ultimately worked, he said. Fourteen people were killed and 22 seriously injured during a terrorist attack four years ago on the Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, California. The FBI pressured Apple to crack the phone of one of the terrorists, but the company refused. Eventually, a contractor was found with tools to hack the phone for the FBI. There are presumably dozens if not hundreds of phones the FBI would like to break into, Sanchez said. They know full well Apple cant do what theyre asking. Theyve decided to stage a public fight over this one because they think its a case that will create political pressure on Congress to give them the policy they want. Reason for Skepticism The Justice Department and FBI have been misleading the public about their inability to access data on cellphones, maintained Gregory T. Nojeim, senior counsel at the Center for Democracy & Technology, an online civil liberties and human rights advocacy organization in Washington, D.C. On one occasion, they overstated by at least a factor of four the number of phones they could not break into, he told TechNewsWorld. On another occasion, they sued Apple to compel assistance, even though they had a contractor 90 percent of the way to finding a solution. Eventually, the contractor broke into the phone, and the Department of Justice dropped the lawsuit, Nojeim said. So I think theres reason to be skeptical about FBI claims that its going dark, he observed. Encryption is important for the functioning of society today, added Nojeim. There are so many opportunities for the FBI to track us and gain information about who we contact and who contacts us. It has more access to more data about more people than at any other time in the history of the country. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 03:49:06|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Israeli researchers found that maternal obesity can cause neuropsychiatric issues, such as seizures, palsies and depression, in their offspring, Ben-Gurion University (BGU) reported on Monday. Other common neuropsychiatric disorders that can be caused by mother's obesity include attention and cognitive deficit disorders, uncontrolled anger, migraine headaches, addictions, eating disorders and anxiety. Obesity during pregnancy is a known risk factor for adverse maternal, fetal and offspring outcomes. It is also associated with future cardiovascular morbidity, ophthalmic complications, and even malignancies such as ovarian and breast cancer in the offspring. In a study published in the journal Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics, researchers from BGU and Soroka Medical Center, both located in the southern city of Beer Sheva, examined the long-term effects of maternal obesity on neuropsychiatric health aspects of the offspring up to the age of 18. The retrospective cohort study compared the delivery outcomes of obese versus non-obese mothers. It covered 242,342 deliveries between 1991 and 2014 at Soroka hospital, of which 3,290 were children of obese mothers. It was found that compared with children born by non-obese mothers, those by obese mothers had a higher rate of neuropsychiatric-related hospitalizations, with specific illnesses being more prevalent, including autism sector disorders and other psychiatric issues. "It is therefore of great importance to consult, educate and take other measures of intervention to reduce pre-pregnancy obesity," the researchers concluded. Democrats are expected to have a winner Tuesday night after a tumulus start in their presidential primary process and officials hope a victor here offers some clarity on who the party will ultimately name to take on President Donald Trump in November. 'We've got this. We know what we're doing here. The only way it will last that long if the numbers are so close we have a virtual tie,' New Hampshire Democratic Party chair Ray Buckley told reporters on a phone call Monday. 'Everything here is paper ballot. Nothing is connected to the internet. The ballots are immediately impounded by the state police. There is just no question for anyone to have any fear,' he added. Amy Klobuchar visits a polling stop in Manchester Elizabeth Warren brings donuts to a polling site Portsmouth Polls close at 8 p.m. ET. Unlike Iowa, where party officials and volunteers run the caucuses, state officials run the New Hampshire primary. Both Republicans and Democrats are voting on Tuesday. The real contest is among the Democrats, however, as President Trump is expected to win the Republican primary. But one Democratic winner doesn't mean the party will have their nomination all wrapped and ready to take on the president, who held a rally in Manchester Monday night to taunt his political rivals. No single candidate has yet united the Democrats nationally and the current field of contenders represent all corners of the party: young, old, moderate, liberal, pragmatic, hopeful. And where the candidates enter the field on Tuesday may not be where they exit. Bernie Sanders held his final campaign rally with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Monday night Bernie Sanders: The leader in the New Hampshire polls, Sanders wants the victory. He won the 2016 Democratic primary in New Hampshire but lost the nomination that year to Hillary Clinton. He and Pete Buttigieg are fighting over who came out on top in the Iowa caucuses (Buttigieg picked up the most delegates and Sanders is asking for a recanvass). He needs a clear cut New Hampshire victory to boost him to finish what he couldn't in the last presidential cycle. 'If we win here tomorrow, I think we've got a path to victory for the Democratic nomination,' the Vermont senator told supporters at one of his rallies on Monday. He closed out his campaigning Monday evening with over 7,500 attendees with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and a performance by The Strokes. Pete Buttigieg: Buttigieg touted himself the front runner after Iowa's caucus debacle but now he needs to show he comes out on top when all the votes are counted. The youngest candidate in the field, he's come under attack for his lack of experience but has argued his ability to bring out support makes up for never having held national office. Pete Buttigieg walks and N.H. Rep. Annie Kuster while carrying doughnuts to a poling station in Hopkinton 'It feels good out here,' he told reporters on Monday. He fell behind Sanders in the latest round of New Hampshire polls and started to down play a victory in the state in its final hours. 'Look we are competing against home region competition, two New England senators I recognize that, but I still think we're going to have a great night,' he told NBC News in an interview that aired on the 'Today' show Tuesday morning, referring to Sanders and Elizabeth Warren. But the former mayor was up and out early Tuesday morning, bringing donuts to a polling place in Hopkinton and appearing on MSNBC's 'Morning Joe.' Amy Klobuchar changes into more comfortable shoes after a rally Amy Klobuchar: A few polls put her in third place going into Tuesday, giving her momentum in the closing hours of the primary. A bronze medal keeps her campaign viable and the cash flowing in. She's already guaranteed a spot on the Las Vegas debate stage thanks to her coming out of Iowa with one delegate but a third place finish or higher gives her bid a big boost going into the next round of contests in Nevada and South Carolina. 'I need your help,' Klobuchar told a rally in Exeter, New Hampshire, her voice breaking as she spoke the words. 'Right now we are on the cusp of something really great,' she said, 'but I can't call everyone you know. So I'm asking you to do that today.' The Minnesota senator won two out of the three small northern New Hampshire towns that gather at their polling places at midnight: Hart's Location and Millsfield. Joe Biden and Elizabeth Warren: Polls show them tied for fourth, which is particularly troubling for the former vice president. Both candidates spent Monday explaining why their campaigns are viable and both have announced their next round of campaign stops after Tuesday's vote is counted. Joe Biden is looking ahead to the next round of contests The big question mark is money. Do they have the funds to keep their campaigns afloat until they can rack up a primary win? And when will that win come? Nevada and South Carolina are the next two contests. The pressure will be on. Warren visited her press bus on Monday to give a rare talk about the state of her campaign. The Massachusetts senator doesn't typically discuss strategy. 'I just have to keep fighting. That's, that's what it's all about. I cannot say to all those little girls: 'This got hard and I quit.' My job is to persist,' she said. Biden also lowered expectations for New Hampshire. Elizabeth Warren told reporters she has to 'keep fighting' 'It's an uphill race here,' he told CNN Monday night. 'We're running against two senators from neighboring states, has never been a good thing to happen to any other candidates going in the race.' And he emphasized there are more contests to come. 'The path is South Carolina, and going into Nevada and Super Tuesday,' he told NBC News. Andrew Yang: It's unclear what path forward he has if he doesn't have a decent showing in New Hampshire, where he invested both time and money heavily early on. But, on the other end of this round, Michael Bloomberg and his billions are waiting for which ever Democratic contender emerges from the next round of contests in Nevada and South Carolina. The former New York City mayor skipped the four early contests to focus his time and money on the Super Tuesday states, where a huge chunk of delegates will be awarded. But, on Tuesday, all eyes are on New Hampshire and officials claim the contest is wide open. 'This is anyone's race to win. I still believe that and I truly do,' Buckley, the Democratic chair, said Monday. 'We have multiple candidates representing the perspective of all the voters so they all have choices.' President Trump got into the action Monday with a rally in Manchester where he suggested Republicans could cause some mischief on Tuesday. 'I hear a lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats,' the president said. 'My only problem is I'm trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate. I think they're all weak.' But only registered Democrats and voters not registered with either party can participate in the state's Democratic presidential primary. The spectra of the Iowa caucuses where problems with an app the party developed to count the votes led to a hand count of paper ballots with delayed and questionable results has haunted New Hampshire. The candidates have joked that as opposed to last week's contest New Hampshire can count - but under the laughter is the fear that even if the state has a winner, there still won't be a clear front runner for the nomination. And that is what worries party elders, who are harboring fears by the time a nominee emerges, that person will be so damaged politically it'll be 2016 all over again when Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton. President Trump held a rally in Manchester Monday night and suggested Republicans could make some mischief The Strokes performed at a Bernie Sanders rally Monday night Sanders is leading by 8 points in the RealClearPolitics polling average of New Hampshire polls but the unexpected can happen. Polls showed a third of New Hampshire voters remain undecided, making the last 24 hours in the state crucial for the candidates ahead of Tuesday's primary. Almost half New Hampshire voters - 47 per cent - are independents and tend to pick their candidates late in the process. Attendance was heavy at rallies for all the candidates in the last 24 hours, indicating voters are still shopping for a contender to support. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner anticipates turn out Tuesday night 420,000 voters, which would be the most votes cast in a presidential primary when an incumbent is running for re-election. DANBURY The case of a Ridgefield man accused of shooting a Waterbury teen during a 2017 botched car robbery outside his home is set to resume in two weeks. Mauro Tropeano, 35, is facing second-degree assault, sale of illegal drugs, illegal discharge of a firearm and interfering with an officer charges following an aborted car theft at his home the night of June 5, 2017, that left a 15-year-old from Waterbury with a bullet lodged in her back. Tropeanos attorney, Eugene Riccio, said his clients Hulda Lane home was invaded by a gang of at least five marauders intent on continuing their crime spree in multiple towns in western Connecticut that night. After twice entering his property and motor vehicle, the thieves commandeered Mr. Tropeanos car, which contained valuable personal property, and crashed it in his front yard, he said. Riccio said Tropeano is a licensed gun-owner with no criminal records, who responded appropriately under the dangerous circumstances. After stealing some of Mr. Tropeanos personal property, the thieves fled in a car they had previously stolen from another town [and] continued their criminal onslaught, which included stealing cars and property from homeowners at night in other Connecticut towns, Riccio said. According to the affidavit for Tropeanos arrest, the teen girl who was shot told police she had driven to Ridgefield in a stolen Kia Sorento with a group of friends with the intent of stealing cars. While the group was attempting to drive off with a Range Rover parked in the driveway of Tropeanos home, Tropeano came out and fired three shots. One of the bullets passed through the rear of the Kia and struck her in the back, the girl told police. She was later admitted to Waterbury Hospital, where doctors were unable to remove the bullet. In a police interview shortly after the shooting, Tropeano denied having fired a weapon during the attempted robbery, but declined to have his hands tested for gunpowder residue. A search of Tropeanos home turned up three spent shell casings that matched the caliber of a Glock handgun in Tropeanos home, as well as seven vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana, steroids in injectable and pill form, and more than $28,000 in cash. Police also seized two guns, including the Glock with a mounted flashlight, were also seized. Tropeano who owns Stanziatos Wood Fired Pizza in Danbury later admitted firing the Glock that night, claiming self-defense. The teen girl Tropeano shot filed a lawsuit against him a month after the incident, accusing him of negligent and intentional assault, as well as reckless and wanton misconduct. The lawsuit, however, was dismissed in September 2018 after she failed to appear for a status conference. Tropeano has pleaded not guilty. He is scheduled to appear Feb. 25 in state Superior Court in Danbury. On-orbit construction mission of China's space station to kick off People's Daily Online (People's Daily Online) 14:50, February 10, 2020 China's Long March-5B carrier rocket arrived at the Wenchng Space Launch Center in southern China's Hainan Province on Feb. 5 and is scheduled to make its maiden flight, launching the prototype of China's new manned spaceship in April. Featuring more powerful carrier rockets, more advanced space station technology and higher scientific application efficiency, the on-orbit construction mission of China's space station is about to be launched. China's manned space program in the space station era is making great strides forward. The Long March-5B carrier rocket is scheduled to carry out two missions. The first is to participate in in a joint rehearsal with the prototype of the Chinese space station's core module at the Wenchang Space Launch Center, and the second is to launch the the prototype of China's new manned spaceship. The Long March-5B is a modified version of Long March-5 rocket and will be China's first 1.5-stage large carrier rocket, according to Wang Jue, chief commander of the Long March-5 rocket. Wang also explained that the Long March-5B carrier rocket is China's first first-stage semi-configuration large carrier rocket, which will be mainly used for the launch of large spacecraft in near-earth orbit, undertaking China's manned space station cabin section and other major space launch tasks. The rocket is 53.7 meters long, with a diameter of 5 meters and a liftoff weight of 849 tons. It uses pollution-free propellant including liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and kerosene. It has a carrying capacity of more than 22 tons in near-earth orbit, the largest carrying capacity in near-earth orbit of all Chinese rockets. On July 19, 2019, with the Tiangong-2 space lab beginning to deorbit and re-enter the Earth's atmosphere, all the tasks of the space laboratory phase of China's manned space project were successfully completed, bringing China into the space station era in an all-round way. The space station phase mission is faced with many challenges in its bid to achieve leapfrog technological development and the continuous improvement of scientific application efficiency. According to the plan, China's manned space program will continuously carry out more than 10 missions in under three years, complete the construction and operation of near-earth manned space stations, and build a national space laboratory to carry out large-scale space science and technical experiments and civil space applications. As China is currently being challenged by epidemic prevention and control work, a relevant member of staff at the China Manned Space Engineering Office said that the project will ensure that the joint rehearsal mission and the first flight mission are smoothly organized and implemented according to the planned schedule, and that the space station's flight mission will be carried out smoothly. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has hit hard at critics of the double-track system saying they have no alternative. Dr. Bawumia at government's 2020 town hall meeting in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, said criticisms against the double-track system were unfounded, given that it was introduced as a temporary measure to tackle accommodation challenges in various Senior High schools. He said doing away with the double-track system will only imply an abolition of the free SHS policy. The question that we faced when we tried implementing this free SHS policy was if we do not have enough infrastructure. How can we tell whose child should stay at home and whose child should go to school? In response to this challenge, we introduced the innovative double track system as a temporary solution to the problem while we introduce new schools. This is a temporary solution while we build more and more schools to do this so I will say it is better to educate a child even under a tree than to let them be sitting at home. Those who are criticizing the double-track system have not been able to offer one alternative. They will just say I will abolish the double track but they will not tell you what they will replace it with and they cannot tell you because abolishing double-track means abolishing free SHS, Dr. Bawumia said. The government adopted the temporary system, which began in some 400 Senior High Schools in the country to cater for increased enrollment under its flagship free Senior High School programme, due to a deficit in infrastructure. The system has been criticized by many including former President John Dramani Mahama who said government hurriedly implemented the system without thoroughly engaging with stakeholders. Dr. Bawumia said the government is also investing in the construction of schools and infrastructure to address the accommodation deficit in various schools. ---citinewsroom Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 09:28:34|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close SYDNEY, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A man in Australia is lucky to be alive on Tuesday, after spending the night clinging to a tree in floodwaters. Battered by a low pressure system bringing record rainfall and damaging winds, several drought-affected, bone-dry rivers near the township of Bega in New South Wales (NSW) State were instantly turned into roaring rapids in a matter of hours. Walking near the Brogo River at around 6:00 p.m. local time on Monday, the man was quickly swept away by the rising floodwaters. Desperately trying to stay afloat, he grabbed onto a tree where he stayed until 4:00 a.m. this morning, until a local resident spotted the man and called for help. "He wasn't in great condition when we pulled him out," local State Emergency Service Commander Michelle De Frisbom told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. "He was suffering the effect of hypothermia ... even though it wasn't that cold." "He had been in the water for quite a number of hours ... he is one very lucky man." Able to be helped from the water by boat, the man was just one of around 260 flood rescues that have taken place on Australias east coast over the past few days. Forecasters predict more severe weather could strike later in the week, putting more pressure on emergency services. Chinese Military Personnel Charged with Computer Fraud, Economic Espionage and Wire Fraud for Hacking into Credit Reporting Agency Equifax FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, February 10, 2020 Indictment Alleges Four Members of China's People's Liberation Army Engaged in a Three-Month Long Campaign to Steal Sensitive Personal Information of Nearly 150 Million Americans A federal grand jury in Atlanta returned an indictment last week charging four members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) with hacking into the computer systems of the credit reporting agency Equifax and stealing Americans' personal data and Equifax's valuable trade secrets. The nine-count indictment alleges that Wu Zhiyong (), Wang Qian (), Xu Ke () and Liu Lei () were members of the PLA's 54th Research Institute, a component of the Chinese military. They allegedly conspired with each other to hack into Equifax's computer networks, maintain unauthorized access to those computers, and steal sensitive, personally identifiable information of approximately 145 million American victims. "This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people," said Attorney General William P. Barr, who made the announcement. "Today, we hold PLA hackers accountable for their criminal actions, and we remind the Chinese government that we have the capability to remove the Internet's cloak of anonymity and find the hackers that nation repeatedly deploys against us. Unfortunately, the Equifax hack fits a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China and its citizens that have targeted personally identifiable information, trade secrets, and other confidential information." According to the indictment, the defendants exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts Web Framework software used by Equifax's online dispute portal. They used this access to conduct reconnaissance of Equifax's online dispute portal and to obtain login credentials that could be used to further navigate Equifax's network. The defendants spent several weeks running queries to identify Equifax's database structure and searching for sensitive, personally identifiable information within Equifax's system. Once they accessed files of interest, the conspirators then stored the stolen information in temporary output files, compressed and divided the files, and ultimately were able to download and exfiltrate the data from Equifax's network to computers outside the United States. In total, the attackers ran approximately 9,000 queries on Equifax's system, obtaining names, birth dates and social security numbers for nearly half of all American citizens. The indictment also charges the defendants with stealing trade secret information, namely Equifax's data compilations and database designs. "In short, this was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans, as well as the hard work and intellectual property of an American company, by a unit of the Chinese military," said Barr. The defendants took steps to evade detection throughout the intrusion, as alleged in the indictment. They routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location, used encrypted communication channels within Equifax's network to blend in with normal network activity, and deleted compressed files and wiped log files on a daily basis in an effort to eliminate records of their activity. "Today's announcement of these indictments further highlights our commitment to imposing consequences on cybercriminals no matter who they are, where they are, or what country's uniform they wear," said FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich. "The size and scope of this investigation affecting nearly half of the U.S. population, demonstrates the importance of the FBI's mission and our enduring partnerships with the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney's Office. This is not the end of our investigation; to all who seek to disrupt the safety, security and confidence of the global citizenry in this digitally connected world, this is a day of reckoning." The defendants are charged with three counts of conspiracy to commit computer fraud, conspiracy to commit economic espionage, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The defendants are also charged with two counts of unauthorized access and intentional damage to a protected computer, one count of economic espionage, and three counts of wire fraud. The investigation was conducted jointly by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia, the Criminal and National Security Divisions of the Department of Justice, and the FBI's Atlanta Field Office. The FBI's Cyber Division also provided support. Equifax cooperated fully and provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Kitchens, Samir Kaushal, and Thomas Krepp of the Northern District of Georgia; Senior Counsel Benjamin Fitzpatrick of the Criminal Division's Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; and Trial Attorney Scott McCulloch of the National Security Division's Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting this case. Attorneys with the Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in obtaining evidence from overseas. The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. Attachment(s): Download Wu Zhiyong Indictment Topic(s): Consumer Protection Cyber Crime Financial Fraud Counterintelligence and Export Control Component(s): Criminal Division Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section Criminal - Office of International Affairs Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) National Security Division (NSD) Office of the Attorney General USAO - Georgia, Northern Press Release Number: 20-157 NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Meanwhile, Buttigieg must prove he can attract support from voters of color who are critical to winning the nomination. And unlike Sanders, he still has multiple rivals in his own ideological wing of the party to contend with. They include Klobuchar, whose standout debate performance led to a late surge in New Hampshire and a growing national following. While deeply wounded, Biden promises strength in upcoming South Carolina. And though former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg was not on Tuesday's ballot, he looms next month when the contest reaches states offering hundreds of delegates. The findings, published in the Journal of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics , represent the first study to examine the clinical practices of primary care clinicians as children with ADHD advance through adolescence. Although between 30% and 60% of children diagnosed with ADHD no longer meet full criteria for the disorder by late adolescence, those diagnosed before age 10 are at an increased risk for a variety of behavioral and medical concerns throughout adolescence. Yet of the 262 patients with a history of ADHD studied, the CHOP team found driving readiness was discussed in only two instances, and sexual health risks were discussed with only 47% of youth. "These findings identify opportunities to improve the care of adolescents with a history of ADHD," said Thomas Power, PhD, ABPP, senior author and Director of the Center for Management of ADHD at CHOP. "Although doctors do a good job screening for many behavioral health risks, like suicide risk and depression, we need to be more aware of the dangers associated with driving and sexual health. For example, our previous research shows teens with ADHD are more likely to be involved in a car accident particularly in the first month after receiving their driver's license, so this is definitely an issue that should be discussed with our patients." Medication abuse, specifically the unlawful sharing of medication among youth, is another major area of concern for adolescent patients on medication for ADHD, yet the study found doctors rarely discussed this risk with these patients. "We have found that clinicians are more skilled in addressing ADHD in childhood than in adolescence," said Power. "Additional resources and training are needed so we can ensure primary care clinicians are providing the best care for patients with ADHD as they develop through their teenage years." About Children's Hospital of Philadelphia: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia was founded in 1855 as the nation's first pediatric hospital. Through its long-standing commitment to providing exceptional patient care, training new generations of pediatric healthcare professionals, and pioneering major research initiatives, Children's Hospital has fostered many discoveries that have benefited children worldwide. Its pediatric research program is among the largest in the country. In addition, its unique family-centered care and public service programs have brought the 564-bed hospital recognition as a leading advocate for children and adolescents. For more information, visit http://www.chop.edu Contact: Camillia Travia Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (267) 426-6251 (office) (425) 492-5007 (cell) [email protected] SOURCE Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Related Links http://www.chop.edu The Cabinet Minister in Uttar Pradesh assembly, Raghuraj Singh received a show-cause from his party, BJP for "indulging in activities which violate the policies of the party and issuing indecent statements". This comes after Singh stirred controversy by demanding that the Centre and the State government should impose a ban on 'burqa'. He stated that burqa is used as a tool by terrorists to enter the country. Raghuraj Singh on burqa ban Singh, who holds a Cabinet rank post in the UP government said, "I demand the state and the central governments to ban the burqa, as terrorists use the burqa to enter the country. Likewise, in Shaheen Bagh these days most of those wearing burqa are misusing it. Therefore, its usage should be stopped. "The burqa is banned in Sri Lanka, China, Japan and America along with many other non-Muslim countries. To end terrorism, burqa must be banned," the senior BJP leader added further. Read: UP Minister Raghuraj Singh demands 'burqa ban'; links it to Ravana's sister Surpanakha Before he was served the show-cause notice he made the following statements: "The system of burqa has come from Arab. They hide their face because Lord Lakshman cut their ears and nose. They wear burqas because they are the descendants of demons. Only the descendants of demons can wear a burqa, no ordinary person can wear a burqa." The BJP leader said people are sporting burqas in Delhis Shaheen Bagh protest against the new citizenship law, and added, "The burqa helps terrorists, thieves and anti-social elements to hide behind it." Read: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi defends 'shoot traitors' & 'shot like dogs' remarks by BJP netas as 'nationalist' Raghuraj Singh's 'burn them alive' threat Previously, Raghuraj Singh had courted controversy after he claimed that those protesting against the Yogi Adityanath government and the BJP-led government over CAA and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC) should be 'burnt alive'. Singh used the terms "will bury alive", "will beat you", while speaking about agitators. He had said that "anti-nationals" will be given 'kutte ki maut' (killed mercilessly). Read: Sanjay Singh slams Raghuraj Singh's "bury them alive" threat; demands strict action He said, "You will take tax money for your university and raise slogans against Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Prime Minister Narendra Modi? I will bury you alive," Singh said while addressing a public gathering organized in support of CAA. Reiterating the Center's stand of implementing NRC across the country, he said that people have the right to stay in the country, but "this is not a Dharamshala" implying that outsiders infiltrating illegally will be detained. (With ANI Inputs) Read: 'Owaisi's DNA will match Jinnah's in a test; his remarks superficial & seditious': BJP MP SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Spectrum customers who lost cable TV and internet service this weekend can get a credit on their next bill, but it wont be automatic. Spectrum said Monday it will provide a credit to affected customers who contact the company and request one. Customers can call the companys customer service line at (855) 707-7328. Spectrum outage refunds: Heres how much company is giving back (thanks for helping us find out) Lara Pritchard, a spokesperson for Spectrum, said the credit amount will be determined on a case-by-case basis. We will work with affected customers who contact us individually, she said. One customer said on the syracuse.com comment area that the company agreed to give him a credit of almost $9 after he called Monday morning. The customer said he subscribes to cable, internet and phone service from Spectrum. Heres what caused 2 million Spectrum customers to lose TV and internet service Spectrum said two million customers in New England and Upstate New York experienced storm-related outages starting Friday night and continuing Saturday. The vast majority lost cable TV service and a smaller number also lost internet service, according to the company. Service was restored shortly after 5 p.m. Saturday. The outage was caused by weather-related fiber damage to primary and redundant networks, and our teams worked to restore service as quickly as we could, Prichard said. Did you get a credit from Spectrum for the outage? How much was it for? Let us know in the comments section of this story or by emailing Rick Moriarty at rmoriarty@syracuse.com. Rick Moriarty covers business news and consumer issues. Have a question or news tip? Contact him anytime: Email | Twitter | Facebook 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. Westpac have been ordered to pay $3.7million after failing to tell customers key information about their credit cards. The bank posted cards to 19,000 new credit card customers between May 2017 and March 2018 in New Zealand but due to a processing error, they did not provide information about their credit terms. Westpac New Zealand Limited admitted to breaching the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 and have signed a settlement agreement with the Commerce Commission. Westpac have been ordered to pay $3.7million after failing to tell customers key information about their credit cards (stock image) Under the act, lenders are required to provide information to their customers about their rights and obligations under their loan, before entering into the loan contract. The incident was reported to the Commission by Westpac in March 2018 and the Commission launched proceedings against the bank in the High Court in July 2019. The Commission sought a declaration that Westpac breached the act as well as orders for statutory damages and refunds of costs of borrowing. Westpac have also agreed to admit it breached its legal obligations as part of its settlement. Westpac NZ General Manager of Consumer Banking and Wealth, Gina Dellabarca, said an error during an upgrade to Westpac's IT systems resulted in the letter not being sent to the affected customers. 'We apologise to all the card holders affected and want to reassure our customers that our systems and processes have been upgraded,' Ms Dellabarca said in a statement to Daily Mail Australia. The bank is contacting affected customers to notify them of the compensation payment, as agreed with the Commerce Commission. In accordance with the settlement, 19,365 customers will be paid a total of $3.7million. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is heading towards a massive win in Delhi Assembly Election, party supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday hailed the mandate of the people. After winning from the New Delhi constituency, Kejriwal greeted party workers at the party headquarters in Delhi chanting 'Bharat Mata ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad, Vande Mataram'. Calling the win a victory for the entire nation, Kejriwal said that it is the new 'politics of work' that has taken birth in Delhi. The AAP convener, who stormed back to power in Delhi for the third time, said, ''Dilli walon gazab kar dia aap ne. I love you." pic.twitter.com/q5xP8ytYvc Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 11, 2020 An exuberant Kejriwal also said, "I thank people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time. This the victory of the people who consider me as their son and voted for us," added Kejriwal. "My family also supported me. It is my wife`s birthday. I had cake, you will also get it," Kejriwal said. Kejriwal who had visited a Hanuman Temple a day before the voting invoked Lord Hanuman after his massive win. ''Today is Tuesday - the day of deity Lord Hanuman who has blessed us. Lord Hanuman has blessed us, may God give us more strength to serve people of Delhi. I thank the almighty. Let's pray that the Lord keeps his blessings on us and the AAP government and guide us in making Delhi a world-class city.'' "People elected us with high hopes. I cannot do it alone, we all have to work together. Delhi has given the message that they will vote for those who will provide schools, cheap electricity, and hospitals. This is a new kind of politics. It is a new and good sign for the nation," added Kejriwal. According to the latest trends, AAP is leading in 63 out of 70 assembly seats while the BJP is ahead in seven constituencies. Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Kejriwal said, "It's the biggest gift I've received (she celebrates her birthday today). This is the victory of truth. I think politics should be done on the basis of issues. Political parties should learn that such comments shouldn't be made." BJP chief JP Nadda tweeted, "BJP accepts the mandate of the people. We will play our role as a constructive opposition and raise public issues in the Assembly. I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal, his party and hope that his govt will work for the development." Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray congratulated Arvind and the people of Delhi for emerging victorious in Delhi assembly election 2020. He said, ''People have shown that the country will be run by 'Jan Ki Baat', not 'Mann Ki Baat'. BJP called Kejriwal a terrorist but couldn't defeat him.'' Companies of all sizes have fallen victim to attacks whereby fraudsters will use deceptive communications, such as spoofed emails, to trick an employee into transferring money into the fraudsters control. While these increasingly prevalent schemes are an ever-present risk for businesses, the body of case law finding these losses covered under crime insurance policies continues to develop. A previous post on the Farella Braun + Martel blog discussed decisions from the Second Circuit and Sixth Circuit that have found coverage under crime policies for phishing-related losses. Now, with its decision in December in Principle Sols. Grp., LLC v. Ironshore Indem., Inc., 944 F.3d 886 (11th Cir. 2019), the Eleventh Circuit has held that such losses are covered by policies insuring against fraudulent instructions. The facts of Principle followed a pattern seen in many phishing schemes. A fraudster, impersonating Principle Solutions Group, LLCs managing director, sent the companys controller an email requesting that she work with a specified lawyer to make a wire transfer in connection with an acquisition. That fake lawyer then emailed the controller with wire instructions. The fraud protection service at Wells Fargo put a hold on the wire and asked the controller to verify its legitimacy. The controller then confirmed with the fake lawyer, by phone, that the managing director had approved the transaction, and after she relayed that information to Wells Fargo, the hold was lifted and the money was transferred to the fraudsters bank account in China. Only two hours after the initial email, Principle had lost $1.7 million. Principle sought coverage under its crime insurance policy which protected against losses resulting from fraudulent instructions. Specifically, it covered [l]oss resulting directly from a fraudulent instruction directing a financial institution to debit [Principles] transfer account, and transfer, pay or deliver money or securities from that account. A fraudulent instruction was defined as an electronic or written instruction initially received by [Principle], which instruction purports to have been issued by an employee, but which in fact was fraudulently issued by someone else without [Principles] or the employees knowledge or consent. In denying coverage, the insurer asserted that the email that purported to be from the managing director did not trigger coverage because it did not instruct the controller to wire a specific amount of money, and the email from the fake lawyer that actually provided the wire instructions did not qualify as a fraudulent instruction because it did not purport to be from a Principle employee. The Eleventh Circuit rejected these arguments and found that these emails together constituted a covered fraudulent instruction. It reasoned that reading the emails together leaves no doubt that they were part of the same fraudulent instruction. [The fake lawyers] email supplemented the email purporting to be from [the managing director], which cloaked [the fake lawyer] with the authority to give additional details. Separately, the insurer argued that the loss was not covered because it did not result directly from the fraudulent instruction. The insurer asserted that the term directly requires an immediate link between a fraudulent instruction and a loss, and that this requirement was not met because the loss here depended on [the controllers] conversations with [the fake lawyer] and Wells Fargo. The Eleventh Circuit again rejected the insurers argument and held that the phrase resulting directly from requires only proximate cause which encompasses all of the natural and probable consequences of an action unless there is a sufficient and independent intervening cause.' The court found that the communications with the fake lawyer and Wells Fargo did not qualify as intervening causes because they were foreseeable consequences of the managing directors purported email, and thus the causation requirement was met. Finding no merit in the insurers position, the Eleventh Circuit deemed the phishing loss covered under the policy. Conclusion As phishing schemes continue to threaten businesses everywhere, insurance is one tool that companies can use to protect themselves from these potentially devastating losses. Insurers now offer social engineering coverage that explicitly covers phishing-related losses. However, the Second and Sixth circuits have previously recognized that these schemes can constitute covered Computer Fraud, and with the Eleventh Circuit now finding that a phishing email qualifies as a covered Fraudulent Instruction, the avenues for policyholders to seek coverage for phishing losses continue to grow. This article was originally published on the Farella Braun + Martel blog. Topics Cyber Fraud Profit Loss Kinshasa, DR Congo (PANA) - DR Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi said here Monday that his election as vice-president of the African Union (AU) for 2020 and chairman for 2021 marked the return of the Democratic Republic of Congo to the African scene, a presidential press release copied to PANA said (Natural News) The state of New York is already one of the most expensive places to live in the United States, and thats especially true for its major hub, New York City. According to most high-tax ranking charges, New York falls within the top three most expensive states, aligning with California and Illinois. The biggest reason for that is because the state is run by tax-and-spend Democrats, who are especially good at taking money earned by working people and giving it away to others who have no right to it. And some of the biggest recipients of taxpayer money are people who are in the state and the country illegally. A year ago, the newly-empowered Democrat majority passed The Dream Act, which gives illegal aliens access to taxpayer-funded student aid and scholarships, at a cost of tens of millions of dollars. A month later, in February, Democrats began pushing for a new law that would provide virtually free, taxpayer-financed healthcare to more than 400,000 adult illegal immigrants, the New York Post reported at a cost of more than $500 million annually. That, in conjunction with a law in New York City that guarantees basic medical care for illegal aliens through city-run hospitals. And all of this as New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo trimmed the budget because of a drop in state revenues of between $6 billion and $8 billion. Why did revenues drop? Because taxpaying citizens are fleeing the tax hell that New York has become, thereby lowering the number of productive people in the state. Where did the budget deficit come from? Mostly from over-spending on Medicaid. And now, New York Democrats want to give more taxpayer money away to people who arent even supposed to be in the country. Tax, spend, rinse, repeat Well, that moneys got to come from somewhere, right? Of course. So, lawmakers are looking at new tax hikes, as well as some truly inventive some would say insane ways of raising additional revenue. Like charging people to look at the stars. No, not even kidding. Stargazing in state parks will now cost you money if you want to do it. Unsurprisingly, the only two regimes to ever regulated stargazing have been the inquisition and @NYGovCuomo Sal the Agorist (@SallyMayweather) January 22, 2020 In case you were wondering if this is a real permit, it is: Check out this NY Parks and Recreation document, and youll find it listed. The fee is 35 bucks for a New York resident; but it leaps to $60 for out-of-state residents. We cant think of any reason why someone would travel to New York just to buy a Stargazing Permit when they can look at the stars through a telescope in their home state but hey, were not the experts in this stuff. But theres more craziness. According to the Parks and Rec document, if you want to dive into the water, youre going to have to get a permit for that, too. Its a Regional Diving Permit and its 80 bucks for in-state residents, $125 for out-of-state folks. And if youre someone who likes to hunt for things using a metal detector, dont think for one second youre going to get to do it in a New York park for free: Thatll be 40 bucks. Notes the Free Thought Project (we assume without a license to note): Others are defending the permit in the thread, claiming that it allows people to enter the closed parks after hours. But they are clearly missing the point. If you can enter the park with a permit, then its not closed at all. Its opened to anyone willing to be extorted or who can afford it. Those who are unable to pay the government or choose not to do so for the exact same activity will be arrested and or further extorted. Like most Democrat-run states, New York doesnt have a revenue problem. It has a spending problem. Sources include: FreeThoughtProject.com BuffaloNews.com TheHill.com NaturalNews.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:26:17|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DHAKA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least 15 people died after a boat packed with Rohingya refugees capsized in the Bay of Bengal close to Bangladesh's southeastern border with Myanmar, said an official here on Tuesday. Hayat Ibna Siddique, Bangladesh Coast Guard spokesman, told journalists that the boat sank in the Bay of Bengal near St Martin's Island on Tuesday morning while trying to go to Malaysia illegally with some 122 people on board. According to the official, 67 have so far been rescued alive and 40 others still remain missing. The ill fated passengers of the boat which capsized in the Bay at around 7:00 a.m. local time are from several Rohingya camps located in Cox's Bazar, some 292 km southeast of Bangladeshi capital Dhaka. New Delhi, Feb 11 : "It's a fight between India and Pakistan", "AAP is feeding Biryani to Shaheen Bagh protestors" or "They will rape our daughters" are some awful specimens of the campaign that Delhi had to withstand this election season. While Shaheen Bagh has been a relatively new issue, the nation has been bombarded with an overdose of Balakot, Article 35A, Kashmir and Pakistan since April-May, 2019. When BJP lost Delhi on February 11, these issues also outlived its limit to be used as electoral props, as state after state polls has shown. First it was Maharashtra, Haryana, followed by Jharkhand and now Delhi, which is at best an over-hyped municipal election -- these issues seemed like a recurrent set of ideas that BJP wants state populace to vote them in for without being concerned about the basics like water supply, transportation or drainage system. The net result has been not surprising -- three losses and barely making it to Haryana with 'help' from Independents and poll rival JJP. The only surprise in all these serial losses in states in spite of a stupendous comeback at Centre with 303 Lok Sabha seats is that it's all but BJP who fail to see the non-relevance of such issues in a state election. Muscular nationalism and majoritarian identity are two things in which no political party can beat the BJP. Its their strength. But it's also their weakness since their leaders can't speak at length on anything beyond this two issues. Take the Delhi election for example. In the Ram Lila Maidan rally which was used by PM Narendra Modi to kickstart the Delhi campaign, he started with the issue of regularising 1,700 unauthorised colonies and meeting some of the beneficiaries on the stage. But within minutes, he ventured towards the Citizenship Amendment Act, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee et al. One would understand, PM Modi used that platform to "dispel myths" about CAA, as many in BJP argue. But what explains the stress with which he underlined Shaheen Bagh at the Karkardooma rally, this February? He called the blockade an "experiment". Let's rewind time to make the argument more believable on BJP's "suicide tendency" in states. Five days after Amit Shah axed Article 370 that gave special powers to Kashmir, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar raised Kashmir at a rally. He said, "Earlier Haryana was infamous for female infanticide, but after the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Abhiyan, the sex ratio has gone up from 850 to 933 girls per 1,000 boys. Our minister O.P. Dhankad had said that we'll need to bring daughters-in-law from Bihar. Now some people are saying Kashmir has been opened, we can bring girls from Kashmir also. Jokes apart, if [sex] ratio is fine, then there will be balance in society." The controversy his statement created aside, Haryanvis were looking forward to listen to jobs which he didn't speak much about. In Maharashtra during the election campaign in October last year, UP Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was giving a speech at Thane. Getting excited and venturing to ultra-muscular nationalism, that is BJP's safe playzone, Maurya said, "By pressing the lotus button (BJP's poll symbol), not only Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Narendra Mehta will be benefitted, but it will mean that a nuclear bomb will by itself get dropped on Pakistan." Terming the votes as something that will determine love for India, he added: "These will be the first elections to be held in the country after the scrapping of Article 370, hence have immense importance. The results of these polls will reveal people's 'rashtra bhakti' (patriotism)." The rants are endless that went on in Jharkhand as well which had an added entry in form of Shaheen Bagh, by the time the BJP went on to campaign in Delhi. In Jharkhand, people were angry at Chief Minister Raghubar Das's handling of tribal issues but BJP spoke of Pakistan, in Maharashtra's Vidarbha, people wanted to here about drought palliative measures but were spoken about something else that they were least concerned about. Khattar went on a 370 spree as the Haryanvi girls demanded the head of the state speak on women's security. Needless to say, even today, the approval ratings of PM Modi is the highest across India. But people don't want the BJP in states after states, it seems given how convinced they are that the saffron party is inept to deal with trivial issues like irrigation, electricity, drainage, urban poverty and education system. Unless BJP proves them wrong by speaking state specific issues in states, BJP may continue to lose in Bihar and Bengal as well - the next to go for Assembly polls in this year and the next, respectively. (Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at anindya.b@ians.in) live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Here are the stocks that are in news today: BHEL , Allahabad Bank, BEML, CESC, CRISIL, Cochin Shipyard, DB Realty, GIC Housing Finance, PNB Gilts, RCF, Siemens, Syndicate Bank RBI issues notification on CRR leeway for new retail, MSME loans Avenue Supermarts sets Rs 2,049/share issue price for QIP GMR Infra - GMR Airports achieves concession commencement date to design, build and operate new airport at Crete, Greece Ramco System -West Africa's 60-year-old Aviation Company, Aero Contractors Company of Nigeria Limited Goes Live with Ramco Aviation Capacite Infra - has received contract worth Rs 350.17 crore from Marquee Private Sector Client in Mumbai Info Edge has entered into an agreement to invest about Rs 37.10 crores via a mix of primary and secondary purchase of shares in Sunrise Mentors Private Limited DCM Shriram - 66 MW Power Plant at Kota has become operational Cipla subsiadiary Cipla Medpro South Africa (Pty) signs Agreement for anti-psychotic drug Infosys to acquire Simplus, a leading salesforce consulting and platinum partner ITC hiked prices across various lengths of cigarettes by 10-12 percent - Source CNBC-TV18. Vikas Proppant - sanctioning of mining agreement accorded by Mining Engineering, Jodhpur Chalet Hotels: Q3 profit jumps 126 percent to Rs 33.4 cr, revenue rises 12.4 percent to Rs 278.1 cr YoY. Oil India: Q3 profit dips 35.2 percent to Rs 406.4 cr, revenue slips 5.5 percent to Rs 2,952 cr QoQ. Bombay Dyeing: Q3 profit at Rs 162.4 cr versus the loss of Rs 159.3 crore, revenue dips 8.6 percent to Rs 377.7 cr YoY. IOL Chemicals: Q3 profit rises 19.5 percent to Rs 98 cr, revenue rises 6.9 percent to Rs 511.2 cr YoY. Punjab & Sind Bank Q3: Net loss of Rs 255.5 crore versus profit of Rs 22.3 crore, NII down 10.8 percent at Rs 476.5 crore versus Rs 534 crore, YoY Phoenix Mills Q3: Consolidated net profit up 23.7 percent at Rs 96.5 crore versus Rs 78 crore, revenue up 16.2 percent at Rs 511.8 crore versus Rs 440.4 crore, YoY Rupa & Co Q3: Net profit up 36 percent at Rs 30.6 crore versus Rs 22.5 crore, revenue up 4.9 percent at Rs 297.8 crore versus Rs 283.8 crore, YoY DFM Foods Q3: Net profit up 12.3 percent at Rs 25.6 crore versus Rs 22.8 crore, revenue up 13.2 percent at Rs 398.2 crore versus Rs 351.9 crore, YoY Nelcast Q3: Net profit down 70.7 percent at Rs 2.7 crore versus Rs 9.2 crore, revenue down 46.7 percent at Rs 124.5 crore versus Rs 233.6 crore, YoY Kalpataru Power Q3: Net profit up 48.9 percent at Rs 137 crore versus Rs 92 crore, revenue up 14.7 percent at Rs 1,979 crore versus Rs 1,725 crore, YoY Bajaj Consumer Care Q3: Net profit down 16.6 percent at Rs 50.1 crore versus Rs 60.1 crore, revenue down 7.9 percent at Rs 211.5 crore versus Rs 229.6 crore, YoY Petronet LNG Q3: Net profit down 38.8 percent at Rs 675.2 crore versus Rs 1,103.1 crore, revenue down 4.8 percent at Rs 8,910.2 crore versus Rs 9,361.2 crore, QoQ NALCO Q3: Net loss at Rs 33.9 crore versus profit of Rs 302.3 crore, revenue down 23.2 percent at Rs 2,088.3 crore versus Rs 2,718.9 crore, YoY By years end, Bexar County plans to offer select inmates a more promising kind of medication to treat addiction, in continuing efforts to reverse the deadly opioid epidemic in the San Antonio area. The pilot program, once approved, would provide about 65 county jail inmates with a monthly shot of Vivitrol, an extended-release prescription drug that reduces cravings for alcohol and opioids and that blocks the ability of users to get high. While its expensive around $1,000 per shot its nonaddictive and has no street value, officials said, meaning the risk for abuse is slim to none. The end goal is to reduce overdose deaths, reduce recidivism and allow people to live healthy, happy lives post-incarceration, said TJ Mayes, chair of the Bexar County Opioid Task Force. We also hope we can use this pilot program to show that medication-assisted therapy works and get the infrastructure in place so we can expand services, not only for those suffering from opioid addiction, but for other substance abuse disorders as well, Mayes said. Now Playing: State of Addiction: Using vivitrol to recover from opioid addiction Video: WTAE On ExpressNews.com: A year later, officials promote progress of opioid task force Bexar County expects to receive $385,000 in grant funding through the Governors Office to cover the cost of the medication, though the funding has not been officially announced. County Judge Nelson Wolff and Precinct 2 Commissioner Justin Rodriguez, alongside Mayes, will discuss their proposal at todays Commissioners Court meeting. Officials said Bexar would be among the first county jails in Texas to offer the drug, which received federal approval to treat opioid dependence in 2010. The program is a significant expansion in the options currently available at the jail. Now, only pregnant women suffering from substance abuse disorders receive methadone, a prescription that is used to detoxify and that decreases the withdrawal symptoms experienced by infants who have grown dependent on illegal drugs while in the womb. Increased deaths The expansion in treatment options is the latest effort by county officials to address the local opioid epidemic, which accounted for a little more than 80 deaths in 2018, or 25 percent of all overdose deaths, according to the Bexar County Medical Examiners Office. It was a significant increase from the prior year, which saw fewer than 55 deaths primarily credited to heroin or opioid-related prescriptions. Only methamphetamine deaths, at about 92, ranked higher in 2018. An additional 16 percent of all overdose deaths, around 40, involved a combination of drugs, including cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine. Medication-assisted treatment is considered the standard of care for opioid addiction, studies show. Doctors use three such drugs for treatment, often in combination with cognitive-behavioral therapy. They include methadone, buprenorphine and Vivitrol. While methadone and buprenorphine have been in existence much longer, the drugs include narcotics, making the potential for abuse stronger. Vivitrol, though studied less for the use of opioid treatment, has a lesser potential for abuse, making it appealing to jails and correctional departments. Harris County Jail unveiled a similar program in 2017, which provided Vivitrol to eligible inmates in addition to counseling and case management services. But other facilities have gone much further: The Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Philadelphia, which Bexar County officials toured last year, offers all three forms of medications in addition to therapy. Officials in Philadelphia say the program there led to a 60 percent decrease in overdose deaths and a 30 percent decrease in recidivism. Mike Lozito, director of Bexar Countys Office of Criminal Justice, said its important to look at substance abuse disorders as a public health issue not solely a criminal justice issue. He said roughly 80 percent of inmates at Bexar County Jail have mental health issues, which can cause many to use illegal substances to self-medicate. I think this is a really great opportunity for us, Lozito said. Weve already had the tough-on-crime approach. Weve already had the war on drugs. We need to look at how we can really attack this issue and prosper as a community. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle Fighting addiction The toll from opioid overdoses in Bexar County has not reached the levels it has in other parts of the country, but San Antonio has consistently had the highest rate in the state for babies born addicted to opioids. To reduce those numbers and the total of overdose deaths Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Judge Wolff organized the task force in 2017, bringing together representatives from the city, county, health care providers, social service organizations and law enforcement agencies. Since then, substantive steps have been taken to combat opioid abuse, officials say. The task force has secured a collective $11 million in grants, including some to increase training on naloxone, a nasal spray that rapidly reverses the effects of an opioid overdose. On ExpressNews.com: UT Health gets millions more to fight opioid problem Since then, more than 300,000 doses of the nasal spray have been distributed to first responders, law enforcement agencies and the public, according to the UT Health San Antonio School of Nursing. Starting last year, the jail began to distribute naloxone to inmates being released from the jail as well. Individuals being released from incarceration are 40 times more likely to die from an opioid overdose in the first two weeks after being released, according to a study from the American Journal of Public Health. Bexar County commissioners have also allocated $80,000 to fund a needle exchange program to prevent the spread of HIV, hepatitis B, hepatitis C and other infectious and communicable diseases. Such programs, which have been adopted in many cities across the U.S., provide free sterile syringes and needles, facilitate the disposal of used ones and often link drug users to other services, including treatment for addiction or mental health issues. The goal, officials say, is not to encourage drug use but to make it safer. Godofredo A. Vasquez/Houston Chronicle Innovative approach Starting later this year, the jails medical staff will help select inmates for the new Vivitrol program, looking for candidates who are medically and psychologically fit. Participation is voluntary. Only inmates arrested for nonviolent offenses are eligible to take part. Lozito said staff will likely find many candidates eligible for the program at the jails detox unit, a space separated from the rest of the jail where medical staff closely observe inmates who have recently been arrested and are experiencing withdrawal symptoms. However, Lozito said, the program is open to others with substance abuse problems, even if they havent been arrested for a drug-related offense. Participants must be off opioids before they can receive the first injection, or they risk making the painful detox worse. On ExpressNews.com: Few doctors in San Antonio offer a medication for opioid addiction Lozito said he hopes most participants will receive one or two doses of Vivitrol while they are in jail. At that point, if the treatment is effective, medical staff can suggest the persons release under a personal recognizance bond. Under such a bond, the defendant is not required to post a financial bond but must agree to appear in court as required. After their release, participants will come back once a month for shots, in addition to receiving therapy and other case management services. In total, participants will receive four doses of Vivitrol, Lozito said. While the main focus of the program is to treat addiction and save lives, county officials hope it will also serve as a cost-saving measure. Lozito said roughly 260 people are housed in the jails detox unit every month at a cost of $250 a day. That amounts to roughly $65,000 a month. It can be even more costly to pay for a persons treatment at an inpatient facility, many of which have limited capacity. Its an opportune time, Lozito said. Many people, after being arrested, are re-evaluating the choices that led them to that point. This gives us an opportunity to help them. Staff Writer Lauren Caruba contributed to this report. Emilie Eaton is a criminal justice reporter in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. Read her on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | eeaton@express-news.net | Twitter: @emilieeaton By Express News Service NEW DELHI: The Opposition tore into the government on Monday over sliding growth rate, declining investments and the general health of economy during the debate on the Budget in both Houses of Parliament. Accusing the Modi government of being in denial mode over economic slowdown, the Opposition parties slammed its failure to announce any positive measures in the Budget. Participating in the discussion in the Rajya Sabha, Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram said the economy is waiting to be pushed into the ICU. It is being kept outside and looked after by incompetent doctors. The Chief Economic Advisor for four years says the economy is in ICU. Nobel laureate Abhijit Banerjee said the economy is in bad shape and central ministers started pouncing on him. The government is living in denial and it is unwilling to admit its mistakes, he said. Chidambaram said the BJP government has been managing the economy for last six year but continues to blame the previous governments for inheriting a bad economy. DMKs TKS Elangovan said the Budget had been made on false data and the Centre has been hiding important data like the one on employment. In the Lok Sabha, the Biju Janata Dal asked the government to break silence on the poverty line. BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab said the Arvind Panagaria committee had submitted its report in 2016 for the constitution of an expert panel to deliberate on the poverty line, but the government was yet to clarify its stand on its recommendations. He argued that unlike the Asian tiger economies that are fuelled by exports, India needs investment to push the growth into a higher trajectory. Hassan Rouhani has spoken out against the theft of Syrian oil by the US and the continued occupation of the Syrian Golan by Israel writes SANA. Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, affirmed that the looting of Syrian oil by the US and the continued Israeli occupation of the Syrian Golan is a blatant violation of international law. The Americans claim that the occupied Golan, which is Syrian land, is part of Israel, and they loot Syrian oil wells as international bandits and this is a crime against the Syrian people, humanity and a blatant violation of international law President Rouhani said during a reception for diplomatic missions and foreign ambassadors accredited in Tehran, among them, the Ambassador for Syria, Adnan Mahmoud, on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Iranian Revolution. He added that the US has committed and is still committing crimes against peoples of the region, asserting that the so called Deal of the Century is a scandal for the US administration. 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. A group of Chinese community officers have been accused of beating stray dogs to death in broad daylight in the name of preventing the spread of the novel coronavirus which has killed 1,018 people. In a video supplied to MailOnline by animal lovers, one worker can be seen repeatedly hitting a pooch with a huge wooden club. The horrifying incident took place this morning at a residential complex in the city of Nanchong in Sichuan Province, according to activists. A community officer in Nanchong, China, has been caught on camera brutally killing a stray dog with a wooden club. The horrifying incident took place this morning, insiders revealed Two stray dogs were killed at around 9am near Wenfeng Road, Nanchong Stray Animal Rescue said. MailOnline has decided not to show the footage of the attack due to its graphic nature. A separate clip shows workers taking away the dogs' dead bodies after killing them. The group told MailOnline that residents of the complex, Guibi Garden, were informed yesterday by the community officers that no pet dogs would be allowed outside. 'As long as [we] see a dog in the complex, no matter if it is on the lead or not, we will beat it to death,' the officers were quoted saying. The group condemned the officers' 'atrocious' act. 'At the crucial point of fighting the epidemic, the management office and community officers should have disinfected the neighbourhood, recorded information of visitors, supervised suspected patients under quarantine, or even given care to the psychological stress and trauma residents got from the epidemic. 'But instead, [they] ignored citizens's love and appeal for animals and killed lives at will without giving notice or seeking permission.' Two stray dogs were killed at around 9am near Wenfeng Road, said Nanchong Stray Animal Rescue Centre. It is said that the local community was aiming to stop coronavirus spreading A separate clip shows Chinese workers taking away the dogs' bodies after killing them. WHO says that it has not seen any evidence of the coronavirus being passed onto cats or dogs Nanchong Stray Animal Rescue demanded relevant officers halt their act immediately. 'Before the matter escalates, please stop the atrocity of harming animals,' it wrote on its official account on Weibo, the Chinese equivalent to Twitter. One volunteer from the group told MailOnline that it was hard for him and other animal lovers to get to the scene in a timely fashion because the residential complex would not let outsiders enter easily during the outbreak. He said the two dogs had been healthy and obedient, and that kind residents had fed them an hour before the incident. The volunteer also showed MailOnline a notice issued by local authorities in response to the matter. Officials of Nanhu Committee, which supervised the complex, denied online allegations. They claimed that the video showed the workers culling a stray dog which had bitten some residents and caused panic in the community. The statement thanked netizens' understanding and said the workers in question had been reprimanded for killing the animal. It stated that the dog should have been taken to a shelter instead. The news comes after communities around the country allegedly ordered citizens to get rid of their pets - or risk having them culled - amid fears that animals could also pick up the deadly disease. A litter of pooches were abandoned next to a thoroughfare in Zhengzhou city in central China's Henan Province this month. They have been saved by a local animal organisation, a source said The puppies are in the care of animal workers. 'One of our Chinese partner groups was able to rescue them and they are now being cared for, although they believe two puppies from this litter are still missing so they continue to search for them,' said Humane Society International World Health Organization (WHO), however, says that it has not seen any evidence of the virus being passed onto cats or dogs. The widespread fears were sparked by comments made by one of China's top experts for infectious diseases. Prof. Li Lanjuan, a member of the senior expert team from China's National Health Commission, last month warned that pets would also need to be quarantined should they be exposed to coronavirus patients. Authorities in China are now trying desperately to stop people from throwing away their pets. Animal welfare organisation Humane Society International (HSI) condemned the Chinese workers' behaviour. The new coronavirus has killed at least 1,018 people and infected more than 43,130 globally Wuhan has launched a campaign to screen the health of all residents to identify potential coronavirus patients. Pictured, a health worker donning a hazmat suit checks the temperature of a man at a centralised observation and isolation station in Wuhan on February 5 Officials screened more than 10 million residents after visiting 4.21 million households in 3,371 communities, Wuhan's Communist Party Secretary Ma Guoqiang said at a conference Monday HSI's spokesperson Wendy Higgins said: 'Any evidence of animals being beaten to death in the street is extremely distressing, no matter what the circumstances. 'If these videos do indeed show dogs being brutally killed in China out of an unwarranted fear of spreading coronavirus, then it is doubly upsetting. 'Community officers should be charged with disseminating accurate and scientifically supported information to the public at this time, not in carrying out cruel and pointless culls of dogs. 'The advice by the World Health Organisation that there is no evidence dogs and cats can be infected with the virus, needs to be heard throughout China.' Apart from the coronavirus, the city of Nanchong is also fighting bird flu. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on Sunday reported that 1,840 out of the 2,497 domesticated birds on a farm in Xichong County were killed by the H5N6 strain of avian influenza. Nearly 2,000 fowls were killed by the H5N6 strain of avian influenza on a poultry farm in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, Chinese agricultural authority announced on Sunday (file photo) Two strains of 'highly pathogenic' bird flu have broken out in two Chinese provinces near Hubei. China's Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs reported one case in Shaoyang, Hunan Province, on February 1 and another case in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, yesterday Local authorities culled 2,261 birds as a result and safely disposed their carcasses - as well as those of the birds killed by the influenza - according to the notice. The Ministry did not specify on which day the outbreak happened. The coronavirus epidemic has so far claimed more than 1,018 lives and infected more than 43,130 people in 28 countries and territories around the world - but nearly 99 per cent of infections have been in China. A total of 103 people died in a single day in China's Hubei province on Monday - the highest toll recorded in any one 24-hour period since the outbreak began in December. It comes the same day as WHO experts and scientists have finally arrived in China to help officials there contain and study the outbreak which has now struck at least 42,729 people worldwide. 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. Over 1,000 Pakistani Hindus who entered India in the last two months after the enactment of the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) have not returned to Pakistan on the expiry of their visas. Many in the recent influx of Hindus from Pakistan to India through the Wagah Attari border in Punjab may have set their sights on availing the benefits of the new legislation. In January this year alone, nearly 900 out of the about 1,200 Pakistani Hindus who visited India did not return to Pakistan. Last week, a Deccan Herald report highlighted the rise in Pakistani Hindus visiting India post the CAA. In December last year, some 220 Pakistani Hindus of about 850 who entered India did not return to Pakistan on the expiry of visas. This was also seen in November in the run-up to the passing of the new law. While the cut-off date to avail citizenship under the CAA is Dec. 31, 2014, non-Muslim citizens from Pakistan, mostly Hindus, seem to be encouraged to visit India with hopes of citizenship. About 2,500 Pakistani Hindus have crossed into India since December. Scores of them have preferred to stay put. Among the group of nearly four dozen Pakistani Hindus who crossed over from Pakistan to Punjab last week was 22-year-old Lali, a Pakistani Hindu girl, who reportedly expressed her desire to remain in India. The CAA provides eligibility to Hindus and other religious identities, barring Muslims, facing religious persecution in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan to avail Indian citizenship. The Congress-ruled Punjab is opposing the CAA. The state is among the few that have passed a resolution in the Vidhan Sabha asking the Union Government to repeal the law. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Imanuddin Razak (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 09:30 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b6c57 1 Opinion #commentary,commentary,ISIS,IS,IS-returnees,IS-sympathizers,Islamic-State Free Todays controversy is about former fighters of the Islamic State (IS) group and their families: mainly about the intentions of those originating from Indonesia, who had traveled to Syria to join the terrorist group, to return home. The issue made headlines following government officials statements on seeking a consultative approach to settle this contentious issue. President Joko Jokowi Widodo expressed his personal disagreement with the idea of repatriating the former IS supporters, but said he would consult his government. We will calculate in detail the pluses and minuses and the decision will be made after hearing from relevant ministries, Jokowi said last Wednesday. The governments decision to consider all available options is in sharp contrast to the loud resounding No! reaction to the idea of welcoming them. It is also contrary to the rejections of most countries with citizens among those who joined IS, including the United States. It seems clear that the Indonesians who joined forces with IS have by legal definition as stipulated in Article 23 of Law No. 12/2006 on Indonesian citizenship automatically lost their citizenships. These Indonesia-born IS members and sympathizers meet nearly all the stipulations in the nine paragraphs of categories in Article 23, which spell out all considerations for the authorities to annul their Indonesian citizenships. Still, this article is subject to legal debate because IS is not an entity that meets the criteria of a state lawfully recognized by the United Nations. Therefore, the returnees may not automatically lose their Indonesian citizenship, even if many, if not all, of them renounced their Indonesian citizenship upon joining IS. So should Indonesia welcome their return or completely reject them? Many things have to be considered, including international conventions, prior to welcoming or rejecting their intention to return. Any decision to reject their plea to return home, which will lead to their loss of citizenship, will first have to consider the 1954 UN Convention that establishes the criteria of a stateless person and sets out a number of rights that stateless persons should enjoy and the 1961 UN Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness, which sets out standards regarding acquisition and loss of nationality, including automatic loss, renunciation and deprivation of nationality. Any decision to grant their request for repatriation would also have to go through an equally complicated process. Apart from their citizenship status, which the Indonesian authorities have to decide upon in accordance with both local and international laws, technicalities might complicate the process. These will include how to determine the Indonesia-born IS members level of involvement and guilt in the crimes of terrorism, or being willing or unwilling accomplices to the crimes, or whether they were and are still minors. Opponents of the planned repatriation of the Indonesia-born IS may rightly argue that former IS members are people with extremist thoughts who would readily resort to violence once the opportunity comes up to pursue their dream of establishing a global Islamic caliphate. Video footage of IS members executing people in captivity has only strengthened the anxiety against their possible return. However, it is very unlikely that the Indonesian-born IS members and sympathizers were among the very limited number of ringleaders within IS rank and file, who are the most responsible for IS vicious and barbarian acts and who deserve the severest punishment under international and national laws. There is also ambiguity as to whether those who traveled to Syria qualify as foreign terrorist fighters as defined by UN Security Council Resolution 2178 because some might have been compelled to travel (often wives and children) and others may have supported IS through nonviolent means, while others appear to have participated in horrific acts. This complexity requires a case-by-case approach to decide proportional responses and the appropriateness of criminal investigations. However, despite what seems like widespread public rejection regarding their repatriation, Indonesian authorities, who have the final say on the Indonesian-born IS terrorists citizenship statuses and therefore their fates, should not negate their universally recognized rights to continue to live, or at least to be able to defend themselves before a court of justice. As a nation that bears a dark, unresolved chapter in our history through the purge of alleged communists in the aftermath of the failed Sept. 30, 1965 coup, blamed on the now-defunct Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), we should not repeat the same mistake of making the arbitrary decisions to execute people, like alleged or suspected communists, without due process of law. We might fall into the same hole if we repeat the mistake by immediately rejecting the pleas of former foreign fighters and their families to return home before giving them the opportunity to defend themselves in a fair trial. For this purpose the government could seek legal advice or input from the UN and/or the International Criminal Court (ICC). From there, it could perhaps be determined whether court proceedings would be held in the ICC under international law jurisdiction or in Indonesia as the suspected terrorists country of origin. Australian malt barley could enter Indian market this year after New Delhi removed a phytosanitary requirement of treating the grain with methyle bromide that acted as a roadblock to its sales into the country. India has changed a requirement of treating the grain with methyle bromide which reportedly reduced the grain seed viability making malt barley useless. The new changes will mean barley can be fumigated with phosphine in accordance with Australian standards. "We have been in talks with one business who has said they have negotiations in place to sell 60,000 tonnes of malt barley to India, contingent on the right protocols being in place," Grain Producers Australia (GPA) chairman Andrew Weidemann said. "The team at the Australian Export Grain Innovation Centre (AEGIC) have also been fantastic in raising the profile of Aussie barley in India and helping us develop an understanding of the Indian malt sector," he was quoted as saying in the media here. It is fantastic to diversify into new markets, China is always going to be important to us but India presents some "fantastic opportunities," Weidemann said. He said the immediate market would be for malt barley, but it could further lead to other products like feed barley. "The Indian feed industry is probably still relatively small but with the scope of growth in all sectors there you would expect it to grow," Weidemann said. Grains Industry Market Access Forum (GIMAF) executive manager Tony Russell said the Indian government's decision was a triumph for a united industry approach. Russell said there were still strict phytosanitary requirements that must be adhered to by exporters, particularly on weed seeds. "They will be very stringent on weed seeds and have concerns about wild radish and Italian ryegrass. It is something that can be managed through the supply chain, however, it may initially mean that exports come out of regions that do not have big problems with these weeds," Russell said. "There has been a lot of hard work going into this, from the guys at the Department of Agriculture to our agricultural counsellor in New Delhi Nora Galway who worked tirelessly to get it through," Russell added. Western Australia and South Australia are the major two export states for barley. However, Western Australia, which has regions with heavy infestations of wild radish may have more trouble initially assuring a radish-free product. India has previously bought malt barley from countries like Canada and Argentina. Canada does not have the issues with grain storage pests like Australia as the grain is stored in cold conditions which means treatments are not required. Last October, Department of Agriculture, Cooperation & Farmers Welfare Joint secretary Atish Chandra visited Australia for the India-Australia Plant Health Technical Bilateral Meeting 2019 along with other quarantine and state officials. According to GIMAF, the visiting officials were shown Australia's pest surveillance and export management systems from farm to port. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Shopping centre owner Intu's plans to raise fresh finance were dealt a big blow today after Hong Kong based property investor Link Real Estate Investment Trust decided it will not join its cash call. Intu, which is struggling under a 4.7billion debt pile, had confirmed only yesterday that it was in 'constructive discussions' with shareholders, including Peel Group, Link Real Estate Investment Trust and others, over a possible equity raise. But just a day later Link has said it will not take part in the fundraising. Intu shares climbed nearly 30 per cent yesterday but lost all those gains, closing 30 per cent lower at 12.12p on Tuesday. Intu owns the Lakeside shopping center in Thurrock, Essex Intu, which owns Manchester's Trafford Centre and the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex, said it 'remains engaged' with shareholders and potential new investors over a possible equity raise, which is reportedly worth 1billion. A spokesperson for Link said: 'Link remains interested in opportunities in the UK, but our negotiations with Intu have not reached an agreement.' Landlords have been hammered by a wave of insolvencies as tenants grapple with growing online sales and high business rates. Intu suffered from several big-name retailers collapsing in the past year, along with others pushing through insolvency plans known as company voluntary arrangements to reduce rents. Last month, Intu revealed it had sold Spain's largest shopping centre, the Intu Puerto Venecia in Zaragoza, for 405million. In 2018, a planned merger with rival Hammerson failed. The company, whose estate includes the Bullring in Birmingham and Bicester Village in Oxfordshire, abandoned plans to merge with Intu following a backlash from investors. In a dramatic U-turn, Hammerson said that the proposed 3.4billion takeover of Intu was not in the best interests of shareholders' after it spent weeks trying to persuade them otherwise. Then a 2.8billion takeover led by Peel Group collapsed with the suitors blaming 'economic uncertainty and market volatility' for a change of heart. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- An enormous and colorful net sculpture of braided fiber and projected light by artist Janet Echelman will be installed high over the Union Market District as part of this year's By The People, Washington, D.C.'s largest international arts and dialogue festival. Spanning an entire intersection, this monumental sculpture will be the first public outdoor presentation of Echelman's work in the District. The expanded festival, taking place over three weekends from June 13-28, includes large-scale art installations, dialogues that focus on the future, pop-up performances, and other programming in every D.C. ward as well as suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The free festival brings people together around the founding principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. By The People is organized by Halcyon a nonprofit supporting emerging artists and social entrepreneurs in association with the Smithsonian, Destination DC, and other D.C.-based organizations (see list of partners below). "By The People visitors love to see something new and different, something that pushes boundaries and that's what we are planning for the 2020 festival," said Halcyon CEO Kate Goodall. This year's primary festival hub will be Union Market District in Northeast D.C., where it is the only hub location to have hosted By The People. In partnership with EDENS, the D.C.-based retail real estate developer who envisioned Union Market District, By The People will program the festival's kickoff event as well as installations by artists like Janet Echelman, whose massive fiber pieces have been installed everywhere from the Smithsonian's Renwick Gallery to Oxford Circus in London. Artists-in-residence and national and international partnerships have made Union Market District a launchpad for emerging and established artists alike and a 45-acre haven for creative expressionists. "Our partnership with Halcyon's By The People festival activates Union Market District's creative landscape with an additional layer that reflects the community's vibrant artistic identity," said EDENS CEO Jodie McLean. "Art keeps us connected in real life, giving us a sense of belonging to something bigger than ourselves, which is when true prosperity happens economically, socially, culturally, and soulfully. Janet Echelman's immersive installation this year will continue to engage the community in thought-provoking conversations that bring us closer." 2020 festival highlights include: A full-on arts takeover of D.C., with locations across the city including Union Market District (NE DC), Georgetown (NW DC), the Hirschhorn (SW DC), and the Anacostia Community Museum (SE DC). (NW DC), the Hirschhorn (SW DC), and the Anacostia Community Museum (SE DC). Art curated by D.C.-based multidisciplinary artist Sheldon Scott . Scott's curatorial vision is based on the concept of "Culture Supreme," an idea that art and culture drive today's world. Scott is director of culture at Eaton DC and was the first artist selected to perform as part of the National Portrait Gallery's prestigious Outwin portraiture competition. . Scott's curatorial vision is based on the concept of "Culture Supreme," an idea that art and culture drive today's world. Scott is director of culture at Eaton DC and was the first artist selected to perform as part of the National Portrait Gallery's prestigious Outwin portraiture competition. Dialogue events curated by Svetlana Legetic, founder of BYT Media and Exactly Agency, and art fairs curated by Nina O'Neil , founder of Monochrome Collective. , founder of Monochrome Collective. Installations presenting emerging artists side-by-side with established artists. In addition to Echelman, confirmed artists include French artist Olivier Grossetete, known for his large but ephemeral cardboard architectural works, and the eight current Halcyon Arts Lab fellows. A continued partnership with the Smithsonian and Solstice Saturday, with By The People partnering to present programming at the Hirshhorn and the Anacostia Community Museum. Both will be among the Smithsonian museums open until midnight Saturday, June 20 , in celebration of the solstice. , in celebration of the solstice. Pop-up performances ranging from dance to music to spoken word and featuring both local and visiting artists. Satellite locations expanding the festival's core programming to reach every D.C. ward, Maryland , and Virginia . Festival registration is now open. Registration is the best way for festival attendees to stay up to date on programming and schedule announcements. Partners and Sponsors Partners and sponsors (as of Feb. 10) include: Bank of America Private Bank, Bernstein Family Foundation, DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities, Destination DC, EDENS, Georgetown Business Improvement District, Howard and Geraldine Polinger Family Foundation, The Office of the Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development (DMPED), S&R Foundation, Union Market, WUSA9. Volunteers By The People is grateful to the many volunteers who make this event a success. Individuals or groups interested in volunteering can contact [email protected]. About Halcyon Halcyon is a new kind of nonprofit organization. We lift up innovators and creators who seek to make the world a better place, giving them the tools and opportunities they need to bring their ideas to life. Halcyon's signature programs are residential fellowships: the Halcyon Incubator and Halcyon Arts Lab. Other programs include By The People, an arts and dialogue festival, and the Halcyon Awards, which celebrate extraordinary accomplishment in areas like art, social enterprise, and policy. Since its founding, Halcyon has built programming around the core tenets of space, community, and access, continuously evolving to identify and provide a haven for big dreamers and risk-takers the world over. www.halcyonhouse.org About The Union Market District Located a short walk from the United States Capitol and NoMa/Gallaudet Metro station, the Union Market District is a 45-acre historic urban development now averaging nearly 3 million visitors annually. With Michelin-recognized restaurants and retail concepts from both coasts, the District has hosted more than 500 pop-ups and events and is also home to several artists in residence, including John Dreyfuss, Maggie Michael and Dan Steinhilber. Since 2013, Union Market has partnered with local, national and international artists including The Hirshhorn, Yoko Ono, Mr. Brainwash, Brooke Bronner, and local KIPP art students. For more information, please visit www.unionmarketdc.com or follow @UnionMarketDC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. About EDENS EDENS is a retail real estate owner, operator and developer of a nationally leading portfolio of 125 places. Our purpose is to enrich community through human engagement. We know that when people come together, they feel a part of something bigger than themselves and prosperity follows economically, socially, culturally and soulfully. EDENS has 250 employees across offices in key markets including Washington, D.C., Boston, Dallas, New York, Atlanta, Miami, Charlotte, Houston and Denver. For additional information about the company and its retail real estate portfolio, visit www.edens.com or follow @WeAreEDENS. Media only: Nicole Weissman, 202-431-1025, [email protected] SOURCE Halcyon Related Links https://halcyonhouse.org A dying Army veteran facing trial over a fatal shooting in Northern Ireland 46 years ago has launched a legal battle against the Government to halt the controversial case. Great-grandfather Dennis Hutchings, 78, is facing charges over the death of 27-year-old John-Pat Cunningham, who he suspected of being an IRA member, in June 1974. Despite no fresh evidence, no witnesses and no new forensic leads, the retired soldier cleared twice of the killing has been accused of attempted murder. Veteran Dennis Hutchings, pictured, who is facing a murder trial over the death of 27-year-old John Pat Cunningham in Northern Ireland in June 1974 has warned Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith he will take a judicial review to halt the case Critics claim his case is proof of a witch-hunt against soldiers who served during the Troubles. The Daily Mail has long campaigned for an end to the hounding of our heroes. Mr Hutchings, who is seriously ill with kidney failure and heart disease, is due to stand trial on March 9. But yesterday he launched a crowd-funding drive for his legal battle. Mr Hutchings, from Cornwall, said: I spent 26 years serving my country and now I am being hung out to dry like a common criminal. I want to put the Government in a position where they make good on their promise to protect veterans from these ludicrous witch-hunts so no one else is thrown to the wolves. It is disgusting. Ive spent five years on bail when Im a sick man. And still theyve come up with no new evidence. The politicians have got to get off their backsides and get on with looking after ex-soldiers. In a legal letter, he has warned Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith that he will bring a Judicial Review on the grounds that British veterans are suffering discriminatory treatment by the criminal justice system. Although 90 per cent of the 3,720 killings in Northern Ireland were at the hands of terrorists, police investigations have focused on the actions of British forces. Veterans who served at the height of the IRAs terror campaign are 54 times more likely to face prosecution than Republican paramilitaries, according to his letter. Mr Hutchings, from Cornwall, said: I spent 26 years serving my country and now I am being hung out to dry like a common criminal' Mr Hutchings lawyers say this contravenes Article 6 of the European Convention on Human Rights the right to a fair trial. The former corporal major has already been cleared twice over the events which took place in the mid-1970s. In June 1974, Mr Hutchings was leading a patrol of four soldiers in Eglish, County Tyrone, when they came across an IRA unit moving weapons ahead of an attack. He challenged the group of about ten and a firefight broke out. Four men were arrested and later convicted of terrorist offences, while the rest fled. Two days later, the troops carried out a search of the area to track down the missing Republicans and came across Mr Cunningham, who they believed was an armed IRA suspect, near the village of Benburb. As he ran away, members of the patrol opened fire, killing him. It later emerged the victim was an innocent member of the public who had the mental age of a child between six and ten. Mr Hutchings was investigated and cleared at the time and the case was closed once again after a review in 2011. But a legacy unit set up by the Police Service of Northern Ireland arrested him at his home in Cornwall in April 2015. To contribute to Mr Hutchings campaign visit the webpage here Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has said that the win in Delhi assembly polls is peoples verdict against the terrorist tag given to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The tweet comes on the day AAP swept the Delhi assembly polls with confirmed wins or leads on about 62 out of the 70-seats in the assembly. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal also won his New Delhi seat with over 20,000 votes. The family of two crore Delhi residents have declared that their son Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a patriot. We bow before the great people of Delhi, said the tweet. BJP leader and MP Parvesh Verma was gagged by the election commission for likening Kejriwal to a terrorist during the election campaign. If Kejriwal comes to power again, Madipurs streets will become Shaheen Bagh. There are many Natwarlals (cheats) like Kejriwal and aatankwadis (terrorists) like Kejriwal hiding in Delhi. We have to throw them out. I fail to understand if we should fight terrorists in Kashmir or against terrorists like Kejriwal in Delhi, Verma had said. AAP milked Vermas onslaught and launched a counter-campaign alleging the remark was an insult to Delhis son and that the people of the capital will give a befitting reply to the BJP for calling him a traitor. Delhis voters will teach a lesson to those who have insulted capitals son- Arvind Kejriwal, who has facilitated religious pilgrimage, good schools and hospitals for them- in the February 8 polls, Singh had responded. AAP and BJP fought a bitter election campaign during which the BJP often portrayed the AAP as a party soft on anti-nationals. They were referred to as sympathizers of Pakistan, Urban Naxals and the Tukde- Tukde gang. New Delhi: A court on Tuesday sentenced NGO owner Brajesh Thakur to imprisonment for the remainder of his life in connection with the sexual and physical assault of several girls at his shelter home in Bihar`s Muzaffarpur district. Additional Session Judge Saurabh Kulshrestha had on January 20 convicted 19 accused including Thakur and nine women in connection with the case. Thakur, a former Bihar People`s Party legislator, was held guilty under Section 376 (rape), 376D (gangrape), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 109 (abetment) of the Indian Penal Code. He was also found guilty under Section 6 and 17 of Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and Section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act. The court, however, acquitted one accused. The case pertains to the allegations that several girl inmates of the shelter home were sexually assaulted. Thakur heads a state-funded NGO named Sewa Sankalp Evam Vikas Samiti which ran the shelter home. The matter came to light following an audit report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS). Thakur was the prime accused in the case while others were employees of his shelter home and Bihar Social Welfare Department officials. The case was transferred from Bihar Police to the CBI in July 2018. The court had on March 20, 2019, framed charges against the accused of offences of criminal conspiracy to commit rape and penetrative sexual assault against minors. The case was, however, transferred from a local court in Muzaffarpur to the POCSO court at Saket here last year on the Supreme Court`s directions. China on Tuesday "commended" Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's remarks that the island nation has received "lot of benefits" from Beijing's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is an initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. During his recent visit to India, Rajapaksa said his country has received a lot of benefits from the BRI. China, in the last few years, received over USD eight billion funding for its infrastructure projects. Sri Lanka handed over its Hambantota port to China in 2017 as a debt swap. When asked for reaction to Rajapaksa's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China commends the comments made by Prime Minister Rajapaksa". "China and Sri Lanka share a strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship," he said. "Based on Sri Lanka's development needs, China offered loans to support its infrastructure building and other major domestic projects concerning people's livelihood. These projects and loans have boosted Sri Lanka's economic growth, created a large amount of local jobs and contributed to the country's sustainable development," Geng said. "Those outcomes have been commended by the government and people of Sri Lanka. China stands ready to strengthen BRI cooperation with Sri Lanka to deliver more benefits to the two people," he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) SECAUCUS, N.J., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ashley Stewart, the leading lifestyle, fashion and social commerce brand, announced today its 2020 initiatives for taking the neighborhood girl global. As part of the company's ongoing mission to further women's empowerment, inclusivity and body positivity, Ashley will be kicking off its fourth annual 2020 Finding Ashley Stewart tour and #AshleyCollegeTour initiatives. Additionally, throughout 2020 for both fashion collections and the Finding Ashley Stewart tour, Ashley Stewart is teaming up with multimedia comedienne (Emmy & Gracie Award winner), cohost of "The Real" TV and "Cafe Mocha" radio show, and longtime Ashley Stewart friend, Loni Love. This year marks the fourth year in which Ashley Stewart is both searching for its brand ambassador through the nationwide Finding Ashley Stewart tour and investing in the future through the #AshleyCollegeTour Scholarship Leadership Program. Loni Love will continue to demonstrate her loyal support for the brand and the tours by hosting the renowned Finding Ashley Stewart Finale for her third consecutive year, which is taking place at a new home, the iconic New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, NJ, on Saturday, September 12th. Performers and celebrity judges will be announced over the course of the spring. Tickets for the Finale on September 12th will become available this spring both in select New Jersey and New York Ashley Stewart stores and online via Ticketmaster. In addition to her role supporting and hosting the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour, Loni Love will expand upon the success of her first-ever fashion partnership during Holiday 2019 by working with Ashley Stewart once again to curate three new collections throughout the coming year. To show Loni's continued dedication to providing stylish clothing to Ashley customers, the collections will consist of trend-focused pieces curated by the comedic icon herself, offering consumers a peek into Loni's Ashley Stewart closet. "As someone who has been wearing Ashley Stewart for years, I couldn't be more excited to continue and expand upon my partnership with the team to begin this new adventure," said Loni Love. "Ashley Stewart's commitment to investing in women of all curvy shapes, sizes and backgrounds through their partnerships, initiatives and programs is a mission that I share and is close to my heart. Ashley Stewart is much more than a fashion retailer they are a powerful ecosystem with whom I've become deeply connected. I am Ashley Stewart, and I am honored to continue to support this brand and neighborhood girls around the world." Kicking off this month, the nationwide Finding Ashley Stewart Tour searches for the brand's 2020 ambassador a woman who effortlessly embodies what Ashley Stewart stands for: kindness, resilience, confidence, leadership and, of course, fashion and culminates in the highly-anticipated and sold-out Finding Ashley Stewart Finale, featuring special celebrity guests, live music and so much more. To get involved, contestants can enter the search online at Finding Ashley Stewart. All women are encouraged to also attend one of the six physical tour stops: Atlanta, Georgia on February 22nd, Dallas, TX on March 21st, Detroit, MI on April 25th, Bowie, MD on May 16th, Philadelphia, PA on June 20th and Brooklyn, NY on July 11th. Last year, over 1 million votes were cast to decide on the eight finalists, chosen from tens of thousands of hopefuls, who attend the live Finale. "Ashley Stewart is committed to empowerment, self-expression and community building. Together with our customers, we have built a powerful community with outsized influence" said James Rhee, Ashley Stewart Executive Chairman and CEO. "Continuing our friendship with Loni Love is a natural progression of our years of partnership, and we couldn't be happier to showcase her with our Ashley community." Alongside the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour, the brand is proud to announce the continuation of its annual Leadership Scholarship Program and #AshleyCollegeTour educational sessions for the fourth year in a row. This year, Ashley Stewart will extend the reach of the Ashley Stewart Leadership Scholarship Program further than ever before by making James Rhee's course available via webinar. Similar to years past, the #AshleyCollegeTour meets the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour at the Finding Ashley Stewart Finale on September 12th where deserving students from a pool of applicants will be honored with scholarships from the Ashley Stewart Leadership Program, alongside the Finding Ashley Stewart finalists in a night celebrating women, strength, community and education. At last year's Finale, Ashley Stewart announced over $300,000 of scholarships and charitable contributions. For more information on Ashley Stewart, 2020 Finding Ashley Stewart regional tour stops, 2020 Finding Ashley Stewart Finale and Ashley College Tours & Scholarships, visit AshleyStewart.com and AshleyStewart.com/FindingAshleyStewart.html and follow along with the latest news at @ByAshleyStewart and @ByAshleyTV on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. About Ashley Stewart Ashley Stewart is a global fashion and lifestyle brand that has propelled itself to be on the vanguard of social commerce and purpose-driven business. Since its founding in 1991 in Brooklyn, New York, Ashley Stewart has always stood for uncompromising style, fashion, confidence & empowerment for the woman who flaunts her curves. Today, Ashley Stewart offers the hottest looks with 88 stores across the United States, a leading and global e-commerce presence at www.ashleystewart.com, a powerful social media presence @byashleystewart and a growing multimedia and events arm at AshleyTV. Every year, through the Finding Ashley Stewart Tour, Ashley Stewart traverses the country looking to recognize women who embody the ideals of the Ashley Stewart women: kindness, resilience, confidence, and community leadership. Through #ASGives, Ashley Stewart engages in programs such as the #AshleyCollegeTour to make long-term investments into the communities that have supported the brand for close to 30 years. About Loni Love Loni Love is a comedienne, actress, 2-time NAACP Image Award, Emmy and Gracie Award winning cohost of TV's "The Real" and the nationally syndicated radio show "Cafe Mocha". On May 5, 2020, the two-time author will release her highly anticipated book, "I Tried To Change So That You Don't Have To", a hilarious memoir that focuses on learning to resist the pressures of conformity and loving yourself for who you are and unlocking your true potential. For more information visit www.lonilovebook.com. SOURCE Ashley Stewart Related Links http://www.AshleyStewart.com The first American rescued from Wuhan who has been confirmed to have coronavirus was mistakenly discharged from hospital after he initially tested negative. After the patient was airlifted from the locked-down Hubei province, China, last week, they were quarantined with 231 fellow evacuees at the University of California health department, where they will remain for two weeks. They and three others who were displaying possible signs of infection were bundled into isolation at San Diego hospital for immediate probing - but doctors dismissed the suspected symptoms as a false alarm and released them back to the quarantine compound. However, on Monday, the city's health authority announced that further testing revealed that this patient was suffering from coronavirus, marking the 13th case on United States soil. University of California, San Diego Health said in a statement: 'CDC officials advised San Diego Public Health that further testing revealed that one of the four patients tested positive. 'The confirmed positive patient was returned to UC San Diego Health for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release.' The highly contagious virus has a 14-day incubation period of no visible symptoms where a carrier can still spread infection. Since the outbreak spawned in Wuhan late last year, it has infected over 42,000 and killed over 1,000 worldwide, the overwhelming majority of which in China. An evacuee from Wuhan who landed in the US last week was confirmed to have coronavirus in San Diego, California on Monday evening. This photo released by the US Marine Corps shows evacuees from China arriving at Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Miramar, in San Diego, California on February 5, 2020 The evacuee in San Diego is being treated at the UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest above). Seven of the US coronavirus cases are in California The American patient is being treated in isolation at the UC San Diego Medical Center in Hillcrest. The patient who tested positive is 'doing well and has minimal symptoms,' hospital officials confirmed to DailyMail.com. Last week, two planes arrived at MCAS Miramar with American evacuees from Wuhan, China, escaping the epicenter of the deadly fast-spreading virus. The first flight carrying 167 Americans landed on Wednesday February 5 and five of those passengers were hospitalized for coronavirus-like symptoms. A second plane carrying 65 more US citizens landed Friday morning after a stopover in Vancouver, British Columbia. They were all placed in a 14-day federal quarantine. No one else who is currently under evaluation for coronavirus from the flights that arrived at MCAS Miramar has tested positive, according to the CDC. At first four patients under evaluation were tested for coronavirus and their results came back negative on Sunday, San Diego Public Health officials said. Those four patients were then discharged and returned to quarantine. But on Monday, additional testing confirmed one of those four did in fact contract coronavirus. Another person quarantined at the base was also isolated at UC San Diego Medical Center for further evaluation on Monday. Monday's San Diego case is the first confirmed case in San Diego County since the deadly outbreak began. Seven of the US coronavirus cases are in California. This map shows the coronavirus epidemic worldwide. The San Diego case marks the 13th US case of the outbreak. Worldwide there have been 1,013 deaths from coronavirus The new strain of the coronavirus, temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV, that originated in Wuhan in central China about a month ago has since spread to effect more than 40,000 people around the globe. Health officials say the illness is capable of spreading before symptoms show and about 20 percent of patients become severely ill. The symptoms include fever, coughing, shortness of breath and can progress to pneumonia and respiratory failure. By Monday evening the coronavirus death toll topped 1,000 - surpassing the number of deaths counted during the 2003 SARS virus outbreak. On Monday a slew of new cases were confirmed on a quarantined cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan. The number of passengers already removed or soon to be removed from the Diamond Princess for treatment in Japanese hospitals stood at 135 Monday, including 23 American passengers. Eleven of those Americans were among the 65 new cases confirmed internationally. A nurse working in an isolation ward for the novel coronavirus patients in a hospital in Wuhan, China pictured above. On Monday alone China reported 103 deaths in the Hubei province, where Wuhan is located Now, cases have been confirmed in at least 24 countries, although only two of the confirmed deaths occurred outside China. Those deaths were confirmed in the Philippines and in Hong Kong. On Monday alone China reported 103 deaths in the Hubei province - the highest toll recorded in any one 24-hour period since the outbreak began in December. Wuhan, the focal point of the disease, is located within the Hubei province. As of the latest figures, China still has the vast majority of coronavirus cases, with 42,268 and 1,011 deaths. Of those patients, more than 7,300 are in 'serious/critical' condition. There are now 391 cases outside China with cases of coronavirus World Health Organization (WHO) experts and scientists finally arrived in China on Monday to help officials there contain and study the outbreak, that's now struck at least 42,729 people worldwide. The WHO warned that the more than 40,000 cases already reported by then were likely just 'the tip of the iceberg,' as they expect that people with mild or no symptoms have not been diagnosed - yet - leading to an underestimate of total illnesses worldwide. A map based on data from flight and cell phone data tracking by Southampton University researchers shows how 60,000 out of some 60,000 people who left Wuhan after the coronavirus outbreak began but before the city was locked down have crisscrossed the globe In its short existence, the corona virus has had vast opportunities to travel far and wide. A map created by Southampton University researchers shows how 60,000 out of a total of five million people have left Wuhan since the beginning of the outbreak. The map pulls cell phone tracking data and flight trackers to trace travelers' paths and shows how the people who left Wuhan have landed in 382 cities elsewhere in China and in countries the world over. Now leaders in the US and Europe anticipate they'll see more cases of coronavirus from evacuees who have left Wuhan. In the US, two of the 13 patients caught coronavirus from their spouses, who were well enough to pass travel screens and display no symptoms on their way back from China, but carried the virus and passed it on to their husbands or wives. In the hopes of containing the virus, Wuhan was locked down on January 23. City officials closed off all roads in and out, arriving and departing flights were canceled, and public transportation was halted altogether. Other countries have restricted or banned travel to and from Wuhan and China. The US is now rerouting all passengers who have been to China within the past two weeks through 11 airports where they will be screened for any evidence they could have contracted coronavirus. Anyone who's been to Wuhan in the prior 14 days will be subject to a mandatory federal quarantine - the first of its kind in 50 years in the US - at one of 13 military bases near the 11 airports. DataStax Opens Registration for World's Largest Apache Cassandra NoSQL Event DataStax today announced that registration is now open for Accelerate 2020 in San Diego (May 11-13, 2020) and London (June 2-3, 2020). Accelerate attendees will gain insight into how leading companies are using NoSQL, share best practices, and discover what's on the horizon for DataStax products as well as Apache Cassandra. The conference will feature speakers from global leaders such as Adobe, Alibaba, Capital One, Cisco, Confluent, Constant Contact, Dell.com, Deloitte, Ericsson, FedEx, GE Digital, ING, Intuit, Target (News - Alert), Visa, and more. "NoSQL is taking over the world," said Cate Lochead, CMO at DataStax. "Without NoSQL, you can't scale, perform or move at the speed your business needs to move to survive. At Accelerate, enterprises and users will learn first hand how to modernize their business and skillset to be part of the NoSQL wave." Click to Tweet: What are you waiting for? #DataStaxAccelerate San Diego and London registration now open! Don't miss amazing keynotes in San Diego from #FedEx #CIO Rob Carter & @QuinnyPig at the world's largest #cassandra #NoSQL event! Register today: https://www.datastax.com/accelerate The three-day event in San Diego will include hands-on workshops, exclusively sponsored by AWS and designed for Cassandra developers, architects, and administrators. Many of the world's top CIOs will share how they are transforming business with cloud native technologies and ecosystems that include Kubernetes, Apache Cassandra, Apache Kafka, and more. Additionally, the project chair for Apache Cassandra will provide a keynote on the upcoming release of Apache Cassandra 4.0. Accelerate San Diego attendees will also hear keynotes from: Rob Carter, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Office, FedEx Corey Quinn, Cloud Economist, The Duckbill Group Nate McCall, Apache Cassandra Chair Chet Kapoor, CEO, DataStax Jonathan Ellis, Technology, DataStax Ed Anuff, Product, DataStax Sam Ramji, Strategy, DataStax Denise Gosnell, Chief Data Officer, DataStax In addition, breakout sessions for both Accelerate San Diego and London will be decided by an elite Call For Papers committee, including: Vinay Chella, Cassandra committer from Netflix Dikang Gu, Cassandra committer from Instagram Dinesh Joshi, Cassandra committer from Apple (News - Alert) Aaron Ploetz, NoSQL Engineering Lead from Target Nate McCall, Apache Cassandra Chair "Our goal is to provide the best content and experience for everyone interested in learning how NoSQL enables business agility. By launching our new diversity scholarship, we are ensuring just that. We are 100 percent committed to having fully inclusive events at both San Diego and London. We look forward to the great discussions and learnings that happen when you bring the NoSQL, Cassandra community, and DataStax customers together," concluded Lochead. The San Diego conference will be held at the beautiful Loews Coronado Bay Resort on May 11-13, 2020. Register here for the San Diego event. The London conference will be held at 133 Houndsditch on June 2-3, 2020. Register here for the London event. Resources: DataStax Accelerate 2020 Conference Video: The World's Largest Apache Cassandra NoSQL Event Blog: Who's Ready for Accelerate 2020? Registration is Now Open for San Diego and London Blog: DataStax Accelerate Expands to London in June 2020 Blog: Contributing to the Cassandra Community With Your Story Blog: DataStax Accelerate 2019 Rewind: IBM (Watch Video) About DataStax DataStax is the company behind the leading NoSQL database built on and Apache Cassandra. DataStax helps enterprises and users scale, perform and move at the speed businesses need to survive. DataStax is an experienced partner in on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployments and offers a suite of distributed data management products, cloud services, and developer tools. We make it easy for enterprises and users to deliver killer apps that crush the competition. More than 400 of the world's leading enterprises including Capital One (News - Alert), Cisco, Comcast, Delta Airlines, eBay, Macy's, McDonald's, Safeway, Sony, and Walmart use DataStax to build modern applications that can be deployed across any cloud. For more information, visit www.DataStax.com and follow us on Twitter (News - Alert) @DataStax. 2019 DataStax, All Rights Reserved. DataStax, Titan, and TitanDB are registered trademarks of DataStax, Inc. and its subsidiaries in the United States and/or other countries. Apache, Apache Cassandra, and Cassandra are either registered trademarks or trademarks of the Apache Software Foundation or its subsidiaries in Canada, the United States, and/or other countries. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005807/en/ CHICOPEE, Mass., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Duval Precision Grinding, a trusted provider of precision grinding services for the aerospace industry with over 7 decades of grinding history, has been the vendor of choice for OEMs producing complex aviation equipment including grinding landing gear components, turbine components and engine seals . Following an assessment of the growth of its OEM partner channels, Duval is announcing the Aerospace OEM Grinding Partner Program to further focus resources and development into its successful management of precision grinding program work for aerospace OEMs with complex and long-term requirements currently scheduling in 2020 and beyond. "Duval's aerospace OEM grinding program is successful because we're focused on communication, reliability, experience, and capacity management," said Jeff Hockenberry, Production Manager. "Developing long-term relationships with aerospace OEMs has allowed the team to rapidly and efficiently respond to their needs while maintaining the high-level of quality and service our customers have come to expect." The Aerospace OEM Grinding Partner Program is based around four core principles to drive customer success: no-cost evaluation and quotation, certified testing and quality assurance, capacity for program work, and responsive, dedicated service teams. Duval's depth of experience allows them to meet challenging customer specifications in handling grinding operations while holding exacting tolerance requirements in a wide range of grinding techniques. By developing a planned grinding partnership, aerospace manufacturers leverage the expertise of Duval's process engineers to collaboratively develop a program work schedule that will consistently meet production and delivery goals. Duval Precision Grinding is Nadcap-accredited and ISO 9001:2015/AS9100D compliant, adhering to rigorous quality standards that meet the demanding needs of aerospace OEMs producing flight-critical components. Aerospace manufacturers interested in developing a new program work plan are encouraged to contact Duval Precision Grinding . About Duval Precision Grinding Duval Precision Grinding provides internal diameter grinding, outside diameter grinding, surface grinding, jig grinding, and CNC grinding services for a variety of industries. Duval is capable of working with ferrous metals, stainless steel, non-ferrous metals and materials, and any kind of coating or plating. Duval's extensive equipment line and more than 300 years of collective experience results in consistent delivery of tight tolerance features on all operations. SOURCE Duval Precision Grinding Related Links http://www.duvalgrinding.com State revenues to North Dakota's general fund are running above the Legislature's projections. Total revenues and transfers are 7.6%, or about $121.6 million, over the 2019 forecast for the two-year budget cycle that began July 1. Office of Management and Budget Director Joe Morrissette shared a report on Tuesday with the Legislature's interim Government Finance Committee. The general fund pays for general government operations. The 2019 Legislature passed a record $14.7 billion overall budget that includes federal money. The two-year budget includes about $4.8 billion in general fund spending for 2019-21. Sales tax, the largest revenue to the fund, is about 8.9% ahead of forecast, according to the revenue report. Oil production and price per barrel are running about 5% and 4%, respectively, ahead of forecast for the biennium, according to a separate report from the Legislative Council. North Dakota produced about 1.52 million barrels per day in November 2019. The state has so far collected more than $1.25 billion in oil tax revenue for the 2019-21 budget cycle, about 4.1% more than projected. North Dakota's Budget Stabilization Fund, which is for offsetting revenue shortfalls, had $666.6 million as of Jan. 31. State Treasurer Kelly Schmidt said the rainy day fund will receive an estimated $31.7 million deposit from oil tax revenue on Feb. 24. The fund has a cap of about $726 million. The state's oil tax savings Legacy Fund was at $6.75 billion as of the same date. A committee of state lawmakers is taking public input on how to use the fund's earnings, which eclipsed $455 million in the last two-year budget cycle. That committee next meets Feb. 19-20 in Watford City. State Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger updated lawmakers on remote seller statistics since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling giving states authority to collect sales tax from remote or online retailers. More than 6,200 remote sellers have since registered with North Dakota's Tax Department. North Dakota has since collected $37 million from remote sellers, with a state portion of $28.05 million and a local portion of $8.95 million. The 2019 Legislature included $25 million from remote sellers in its 2019-21 revenue forecast, a projection which Rauschenberger said is well on track to being met or exceeded. Sen. Ron Sorvaag, R-Fargo, who chairs the Government Finance Committee, said "things look good," but "we've got a long ways to go" in the budget cycle, which ends after June 2021. Gov. Doug Burgum's office is holding strategy reviews with state agencies in preparation for 2021-23 budgeting. About half a dozen agencies have met with him so far, with more meetings scheduled this week and continuing sporadically through early April, governor's spokesman Mike Nowatzki said. Burgum began the practice of strategy reviews in 2018. Reach Jack Dura at 701-250-8225 or jack.dura@bismarcktribune.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. The Bombay High Court on Tuesday asked the Maharashtra government's Housing department and the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA) to convene a meeting to discuss the issue of agreements between SRA and realty firm Housing Development Infrastructure Ltd (HDIL) pertaining to 24 slum rehabilitation schemes in Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. A division bench of Justices S C Dharmadhikari and R I Chagl was hearing a petition filed by 32 slum dwellers of Bharat Nagar in Bandra, claiming HDIL was not finishing the project and had also stopped giving them transit rent. SRA had earlier this month told the court that HDIL, whose promoters are facing criminal charges in the Punjab and Maharashtra Cooperative (PMC) bank scam, was not in a position to carry out work on the projects. The bench on Tuesday said, at present, it was concerned about the petitioners and several others who are waiting to get accommodation or transit rent. "We direct the secretary of the state housing department and SRA officials to convene a meeting to discuss these issues and see if it can be resolved," the court said. SRA counsel Ashutosh Kumbhakoni had told the court that proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code had been initiated against HDIL and an Insolvency Resolution Professional had been appointed by the National Company Law Tribunal. "In a majority of the slum rehabilitation projects, either work has not begun or has not been completed beyond one or two per cent. Therefore, we have issued show cause notices for termination," Kumbhakoni had said. The petitioners said they were declared eligible for rehabilitation under the scheme and had vacated their structures between 2006 and 2008. The petitioners claimed they initially received transit rent from HDIL but the firm stopped paying it later and also failed to complete the work. They further claimed SRA officials did not take any action against HDIL despite repeated complaints, reminders and representations since April 2018. The petitioners sought a direction from the court for expeditious completion of the project and allotment of permanent accommodation to them. As an interim measure, the petitioners have sought a direction to SRA to either provide residents with alternate accommodation till the completion of the project or pay them transit rent of Rs 17,500 per month, with a 10 per cent increase in the amount annually. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Justice Department will revise its sentencing recommendation for Roger Stone after President Trump slammed the initial recommendation as a miscarriage of justice, according to a report from Fox News. Prosecutors said in a court filing released Tuesday that Stone should face seven to nine years in federal prison for obstructing justice, witness tampering, and lying to Congress over alleged Russian contacts. The lengthy sentencing recommendation drew public criticism from President Trump, who called it as politically-motivated and unreasonably harsh. Investigations into election interference concern our national security, the integrity of our democratic processes, and the enforcement of our nations criminal laws. These are issues of paramount concern to every citizen of the United States. Obstructing such critical investigations thus strikes at the very heart of our American democracy, the prosecutors stated. But a DOJ official told Fox News Tuesday that the extreme, excessive and grossly disproportionate recommendation had left senior officials shocked, and would be revised later in the day. The Department was shocked to see the sentencing recommendation in the filing in the Stone case last night, the source said. The sentencing recommendation was not what had been briefed to the Department. Stones charges stem from testimony he gave to the House Intelligence Committee in 2018, during which he denied speaking to anyone on the Trump campaign about WikiLeaks, which Steve Bannon and other former Trump campaign officials have said is not true. Former special counsel Robert Mueller found no evidence that Stone coordinated with Russia or WikiLeaks to release Democrats emails. Fox News also reported that there had been no communication between the DOJ and the White House over the sentencing. Stones sentencing is currently scheduled for February 20. More from National Review Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (28) (Photo : REUTERS/Nacho Doce) An employee is pictured next to banners with information of MWC20 (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain. February 10, 2020. MWC 2020 is coming up at the end of the month, but bringing up issues over the coronavirus outbreak, various organizations have decided to sit down the show out. Over the weekend, a China official confirmed that coronavirus can be airborne. As a result, several tech companies decided to skip MWC, too. Nevertheless, MWC's organizers say that the show will move on, albeit with some enhanced health measures in the area. ALSO READ: Will MWC be Cancelled With More Tech Giants Backing Out Amid Coronavirus Scare? GSMA to do safety health measures throughout the event In an update published to its website, the GSMA - the organizing body at the back of MWC - stated that in spite of those high-profile businesses dropping out, the show would nonetheless be held as planned, though with a few more measures in the vicinity to make sure the protection of attendees. The GSMA says that no person from China's Hubei province - where the coronavirus outbreak began - can be admitted to the show. Similarly, those who have currently been in China will want to illustrate that they've been in a foreign country for 14 days or longer before their admittance to MWC. Temperature screenings would be made, and attendees are required to certify they have not been in contact with every person infected." It also plans to double onsite medical guide and increase cleansing and disinfection programs "across all high-extent touchpoints." Also, it'll make sanitizing and disinfecting materials for public use. Many expressed their concern with more than 100,000+ people from over 200 countries that would congregate in Barcelona with the death toll of the airborne virus now exceeding 520. Held from Feb. 24 to 27 in Barcelona, MWC is among the most significant events in the telecom's event calendar. ALSO READ: [BREAKING] AIRBORNE CORONAVIRUS CONFIRMED: MWC 2020 in Serious Jeopardy GSMA CEO John Hoffman noted that the Coronavirus had created a disruption, particularly for exhibitors and attendees from around the world, inclusive of the 5,000-6,000 who attended from China. Hoffman thanked the exhibitors for the preventive measures they have installed in place; however, GSMA's CEO said the show is moving on as planned in the last week of February. While the GSMA verifies some large exhibitors have decided not to come back to the display this year with others still deliberating the next steps, we remain with more than 2,800 exhibitors strong." ALSO READ: From A to Z: Sony, Amazon and All The Tech Giants Skipping This Year's #MWC2020 MWC Bans Travelers From China's Hubei Province The GSMA will now not permit attendees from Hubai province, the epicenter of the outbreak, to attend the event. All travelers who've been in China will need to deliver proof that they have got been outdoor of China for at least 14 days before they're admitted to the event. Last week, the Catalan Health Minister, Alba Verges, stated that the town of Barcelona become fully prepared for the occasion to go ahead. The Catalan health system, according to Verges, is prepared to face and treat Coronavirus, to give the most appropriate response. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Indonesia's government on Tuesday banned citizens who joined the Islamic State group in Syria from returning home because of fears they could pose a threat to national security. A furious debate has raged in the world's most populous Muslim nation in recent weeks over how to handle hundreds of suspected militants and their families seeking to return from combat zones in Iraq and Syria, as well as those in detention, after IS lost large swathes of territory and the United States announced the withdrawal of its forces. The country has been torn between protecting citizens' rights, especially those of women and children, and national security. "The government has no plans to repatriate terrorists," the coordinating minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mohammad Mahfud MD, said after a Cabinet meeting to discuss the return of hundreds of Indonesians held by authorities in Syria. The state should provide security for 267 million Indonesians from new terrorist viruses, he said. He said the government will collect more data on the identities of people who joined radical groups in the Middle East. Citing U.S. Central Intelligence Agency records, he said some 689 Indonesian citizens are currently in Syria, of whom only 228 had been identified. The government is considering the possibility of allowing children return home, especially orphans. Indonesian veterans of fighting in Afghanistan spearheaded attacks in the 2000s against local and Western targets, including nightclub bombings on the resort island of Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. A sustained crackdown by Indonesian authorities since 2002 has reduced the threat of large-scale attacks against Western or civilian targets. But IS attacks abroad have inspired Indonesian militants to continue to plan and carry out attacks, mostly against police targets across the country, officials say. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (As delivered) Good morning. Over the next two days, NATO Defence Ministers will meet to address key issues for our Alliance. Including what more NATO could do to build security and stability in the Middle East, our support for Afghanistan, and the challenge posed by Russias missile systems. First, the Middle East and North Africa. Violence and instability in our southern neighbourhood have caused suffering in the region. Driving the refugee and migrant crisis. And also fuelled the threat of terrorism. That is why NATO Allies have been engaged for many years in the region, and built close partnerships. The Global Coalition, NATO and our partners have made remarkable progress in the fight against ISIS. Millions of people have been liberated from oppression. And ISIS no longer controls any territory. But we can do more. Ministers will discuss the future of our mission in Iraq. Which trains and advises the Iraqi armed forces, to help ensure ISIS cannot return. NATO fully respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq. That is why we are closely consulting with the Iraqi government as we look to the future. Allies will also discuss tomorrow how NATO can coordinate with the Global Coalition even more closely. And will consider what more NATO can do in the wider region to build long-term stability and security. Training local forces is one of our best tools in the fight against terrorism. And NATO has tried and tested structures and procedures which bring added value. These ensure political consultation, transparency and oversight and force generation. On Thursday, we will review NATOs response to the challenge posed by Russias new missile systems. The development and deployment of the SSC-8 missile led to the demise of the INF Treaty last year. NATO Allies have stood united on Russias breach of the Treaty. Because a treaty that is only respected by one side cannot defend us. We agreed on a balanced and coordinated package of defensive measures. At the same time, restating our strong commitment to arms control and disarmament. The SSC-8 is just one challenge we face. So we will discuss our response to the whole range of Russian missile systems. Conventional and nuclear. Currently deployed or under development. We will conclude the ministerial by meeting with all nations contributing to our training mission in Afghanistan. Our Resolute Support Mission is making a difference. Despite the challenging circumstances, the brave Afghan security forces are getting stronger. And they are helping create the conditions for peace. We fully support the efforts led by the United States to end the conflict and to achieve a peaceful solution. Allies are consulting closely on the way forward. The US Special Representative, Ambassador Khalilzad, was recently here to discuss the latest developments. I expect ministers will address the peace process and how our Resolute Support Mission can best support it. The Taliban must understand they cannot win on the battlefield. They must commit to a reduction in violence, and show that they are genuinely committed to a peaceful future for Afghanistan. Defence ministers will also meet with their Ukrainian counterpart to review the countrys reforms and NATO support. And we will also have a wide-ranging discussion on NATO/EU cooperation with our partners Finland and Sweden. Which will also be the first opportunity to welcome High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell to a NATO ministerial meeting in his new position. With that, I am ready to take your questions. OANA LUNGESCU [NATO Spokesperson]: Okay, well start with Radio Free Europe, gentlemen in the middle. MUSTAFA SARWAR [Radio Free Europe]: Thank you very much, Mr Secretary General. Mustafa Sarwar, from Radio Free Europe. Do you see real and serious compromises made by the Taliban on the peace efforts ahead of the groups traditional spring offensive season in Afghanistan? And there was a high-profile attack in Kabul this morning, what does it mean in terms of security? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG [NATO Secretary General]: I strongly condemn the attack in Kabul this morning. It shows once again the consequences of horrendous violence against innocent civilians. And it also demonstrates the strong need to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in Afghanistan. And thats exactly what we . . . thats exactly why we continue to provide strong support to the Afghan security forces. Because we believe, and we are convinced, that the best way for NATO to create the conditions for peace is to support, train, assist and advise the Afghan security forces, so then . . . so they are able to send a clear message to Taliban, to terrorists that they will never win on the battlefield. And they have to sit down at the negotiating table and make real compromises, reduce violence and engage in the inter-Afghan dialogue to try to create a lasting peace. We hope that we can see progress as soon as possible. And thats exactly what we are working for. And thats also why we are consulting, of course, closely between all Allies and also with the US and the US envoy negotiating with the Taliban, Ambassador Khalilzad. This will be an important issue to be addressed and discussed among Allies tomorrow and the day after tomorrow when we meet, because we are pushing for progress on the peace process as soon as possible. Let me also add that, we went into Afghanistan together, all Allies and partners. We will make decisions on the adjustment of force levels together. And one day we will leave together. Because we are not in Afghanistan to stay there forever. We are there to create the conditions for peace and to enable the Afghan security forces to protect themselves without our help. OANA LUNGESCU: Washington Post. MICHAEL BIRNBAUM [Washington Post]: Hi, Michael Birnbaum for The Washington Post, thanks very much. I wanted to ask, a couple of days ago there was a Pew study released about public attitudes toward NATO, in a bunch of different countries, that showed that opinions . . . favourability of NATO is dropping sharply in lots of European countries, also in the United States. And I wanted to ask you why you thought that was and is it connected to President Trumps politicisation of . . . of support for NATO? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Well, I think the overall message from that opinion poll is that its strong support for NATO, overall, across NATO-Allied countries. Then, of course, it goes a bit up and down and it varies a bit between different Allies and from year to year in different Allied countries. So, for instance, the UK, it goes up, in the US it has gone a bit down, but still at a high level. So I think it just illustrates that we are 29 democracies, where there are different views and different opinions. And of course, they vary a bit between Allies and over time. But the overall message from that opinion poll, but also from other opinion polls, is a continued strong commitment to NATO and strong support to NATO. So . . . yeah, so thats that. And let me add that one thing is opinion polls and, of course, they are important because we are democracies and the only way NATO can remain the strongest alliance in the world is that we have public support from the people in the countries which are a member of the Alliance. And we have that. But at the same time, the collective defence clauses, the collective defence commitments of NATO, is treaty commitments by all Allies. And so they . . . they are in place, regardless of whether opinion polls goes a bit up and down. We are committed to defend each other. OANA LUNGESCU: Well go to the gentleman in the front row here. QUESTION: Thank you very much. I have two questions. First question is on Ukraine, because the Ukrainian minister will be here, you said. So, Ukraine asked to be granted enhanced opportunities, partnership status. So what is . . . I understand the risks, there are discussions still ongoing, but what can you say to these discussions and when could be any decisions made on this? The second is on this response to Russias new missile systems. When this response package will be adopted, could you explain a little bit more what . . . what could be in that package? And is there this response to this new Avangard hypersonic missile there? I mean, what can NATO do about this Avangard system? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: We will meet with the Ukrainian Defence Minister. We will have a . . . there will be a breakfast hosted by the Canadian Defence Minister for all NATO Allies. And then we will meet with the Ukrainian Defence Minister and discuss the importance of continuing the reform process. But also, of course, express our strong support to Ukraine political support, practical support and, of course, support for the efforts to find a peaceful solution to the conflict. And NATO Allies are committed to supporting Ukraine. We welcome the progress we have seen to try to find a peaceful solution. And I visited . . . the whole North Atlantic Council visited Ukraine, not so many . . . last fall. And then we, for instance, visited also the Naval Academy in Odessa, where we have NATO trainers, where we also then help them to build naval capabilities. Just one example of how we are working together to help Ukraine modernise their armed forces and modernise their defence and security institutions. Then, I think we have to understand that the SSC-8 missiles and also the other new missiles, partly already deployed and partly under development. Like, for instance, the Avangard. They are part of a broader pattern we have seen in Russia over several years, with heavy investments in new, modern military capabilities, nuclear and conventional, new modern missiles. And NATO has already started to respond to this, because we have increased the readiness of our forces. We have, for the first time in our history, deployed combat-ready troops to the eastern part of the Alliance. We have increased our presence in the air, on land and at sea. And we are investing in new, modern capabilities, including in air defence systems and missile defence. So air and missile defence is one of the strands. We are now looking into what more we can do. We are also looking into conventional capabilities, exercises, but also arms control. Because we strongly believe that the best answer to this is to have effective arms control, to make sure that we avoid a new, big arms race. It is dangerous and its costly. But as long as Russia does not respect existing agreements, like the INF agreement, then of course there is no way that we can maintain that treaty, because a treaty that is only respected on one side doesnt keep us safe. So we are working on different strands. We have already started the adaptation of NATO. It has actually been going on for some time. We will continue to look into areas as conventional, air and missile defence, exercises. And we also are already investing more in new, modern capabilities. The last thing I will say is that we will not mirror what Russia is doing. We have no intention of deploying new nuclear land-based weapon systems in Europe, but we have to make sure that we maintain a credible deterrence and defence, also, in a world without the INF Treaty and with more Russian missiles. OANA LUNGESCU: The lady in the front row. QUESTION [Ukraine TV]: Mr General Secretary, I am also a Ukrainian correspondent from Ukraine TV channel, and youll know that our country has ambitions to become full-fledged member of North Atlantic Treaty Organization. What [inaudible] task should we do, eventually, to achieve this goal? And I mean, long-term and short-term also? JENS STOLTENBERG: Well, I think the main focus of Ukraine is what Ukraine has clearly stated itself, and that is on reform. To modernise, to improve, to meet NATO standards. Thats good for Ukraine. And that will strengthen your defence and security capabilities, your defence and security institutions. And we help you with that. We provide support. We have trust funds, we have trainers, we have ways to . . . NATO Allies provide different kinds of support, NATO provides support, on the command and control, on cyber, on fighting corruption, on modernising your defence institutions. So we work with you to help you meet NATO standards and modernise and strengthen your defence and security institutions. And also NATO Allies provide training. And I just referred to the Naval Academy where we have NATO trainers helping you. So thats the focus. And I think thats also the best way to move towards NATO membership. So there are . . . you should do it anyway. But the good thing of . . . because when you modernise and reform, you are strengthening your own institutions, but by doing that you are also moving closer to membership. I met President Zelenskyy and I had a very good meeting with him not so long ago. And we have very good dialogue on the importance of reform and the importance of NATO. And NATO Allies continue to provide support to Ukraine. OANA LUNGESCU: Okay, well go with Anadolu over there, lady on the third row. SERIFE CETIN [Anadolu Agency]: Thank you, Secretary General Anadolu Agency, Serife Cetin. Id like to know whether you expect the situation in Idlib to come up at the ministerial, and what is your personal opinion on the recent increase of attacks by the Syrian regime, supported by Russia? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: I am very concerned about the situation in Idlib, because we have seen horrendous attacks against civilians. We have seen, again, that hundreds of thousands of people have been forced to flee. And we have seen indiscriminate shelling of, also, civilian targets. And we condemn this, because we condemn indiscriminate attacks against, also, civilian targets. And therefore, we call on Assad and Russia, because Russia provides support to the Assad regime, to stop these attacks, to respect international law and to fully support the UN efforts to try to find a peaceful solution. This is urgent, because people are suffering today, as we speak. And hundreds of thousands of people are forced once again to flee. And therefore, the Russian-backed regime, Assad regime, has to stop this killing, this horrendous attack of innocent people in Idlib. And I expect, of course, this to be an issue that Allied ministers will raise during the ministerial. OANA LUNGESCU: Wall Street Journal, gentlemen in the last row. JAMES MARSON [The Wall Street Journal]: Thank you, James Marson from The Wall Street Journal. Secretary General, do you feel like you have a clear understanding of what President Trump actually wants NATO Allies to do in . . . in Iraq and the Middle East? And can you give us some more specifics on what is actually being discussed for NATO to actually do, because Trump has been quite vague in his . . . in his public statements? JENS STOLTENBERG: President Trump has been very clear on two messages regarding NATO from the day he became President. And in my first conversation with him, a few weeks after he took office, he had two messages. Message number one was about burden-sharing, defence spending, and message number two was about the need for NATO to do more fighting terrorism. On burden-sharing, we are making significant progress. Allies will have added 400 billion extra US dollars for defence spending by the end of 2024, based on the current plans. We are also stepping up when it comes to fighting terrorism, but I think we have a potential to do more. We already play an important role in Afghanistan. We have the Training Mission in Iraq. We work with partners, Jordan and Tunisia and other partners in the region. For instance, I recently visited a Joint Training Centre we have in Kuwait. So NATO Allies and NATO already play a role in the region and in the fight against terrorism. But we can do more. And now we actually discuss that. And President Trump has expressed a clear wish for more support from NATO. We have a good dialogue among NATO Allies and, of course, also with the countries concerned, for instance, Iraq, on how we can do this, how we can do more. But we will announce decisions when we make them. So I think its a bit early for me to announce any specific decisions. But we are looking into, for instance, what more we can do in Iraq when it comes to training. We believe that one of the best weapons we have in the fight against terrorism is to train local forces, enabling them to fight terrorism themselves. Prevention is better than intervention and NATO has a long experience in doing exactly that. You have to remember that in Afghanistan, we had a big combat operation, more than 130,000 troops. Now we are there with 16,000 troops, training and helping the Afghans so they can fight terrorism themselves. And our aim is not to stay in these countries forever. Our aim is to enable these countries to stabilise their own countries and then reduce or eventually leave. But we have to make sure that when we leave, we dont create the conditions for ISIS to return or international terrorists to return, but that we have created strong local, national institutions that can protect and defend themselves. OANA LUNGESCU: Deutsche Welle/NPR, lady at the back. TERI SCHULTZ [Deutsche Welle/NPR]: Hi. Thank you. Acknowledging the strong signal that Defender 2020 sends, at the same time, we saw the US budget proposal yesterday and the Pentagons request for the European Defence Initiative is down for the second year in a row. So I wanted to know if that concerns you at all? They say that some projects are completed, at the same time Im sure youd like to see the spending stay up. And at the same time, the Munich Security Conferences report was released, which says that these debates over funding and possible reduced funding is a signal of a lack of continued faith in the West, this westlessness term that were going to hear so much about. Do you . . . do you believe that? Thanks. JENS STOLTENBERG: What we see is a strong US commitment to European security, and we have seen that, actually, not . . . over years, but we have seen it in words but also in deeds. With more US presence. And the European Deterrence Initiative is, of course, helping to finance this. But of course, the US is also providing support to Europe in other ways than through the European Deterrence Initiative. So the US security guarantees for Europe is not only dependent on relying on the European Deterrence Initiative, it actually relies on the full capacity of the US armed forces. And thats much more than the European Deterrence Initiative. The European Deterrence Initiative and the funding for that increased significantly, and then it has gone somewhat down again. But its still at a high level and its still important to finance exercises, infrastructure in Europe. And the exercise Defender Europe 20 is the biggest exercise, or is the exercise that will include the biggest number of US troops deployed to Europe for decades. So for me, thats just another example of . . . that the US is committed to NATO and to European security. So I think its quite natural that when you have big investments projects, when they are finished and, of course, theres less money for investment, because you have finished the projects. So the main message is that while the European . . . the money for the European Deterrence Initiative goes a bit up and down, it varies a bit, but overall its still significant. And if you add all the other US capabilities which are relevant for NATO, and you see what the US actually do in Europe with more troops than they had for many years, Im confident that the US is committed to European security. TERI SCHULTZ: Westlessness? JENS STOLTENBERG: Yeah, westlessness, well, I will speak about that when I go to Munich later in the week. But for me, if the question is whether the West, meaning North America and Europe and also partners, which are in many places in the world, whether we still are strong, whether we still are capable and able to defend our values, my answer is yes. If you ask me whether thats easy, no, of course its not easy. And its not straightforward. And of course, sometimes we see differences and disagreements between Allies. I think Ive stated again and again, yes, there are differences on issues like trade, climate change and so on. But when it comes to NATO and security, the reality is that North America and Europe are doing more together now than we have done for decades. The US is increasing their presence in Europe and European Allies and Canada are stepping up. So for me, this is not an example of that the West has lost its way, it actually proves that, yes, there are differences, there are difficulties and sometimes we struggle, but the reality is that we need the West, we need the transatlantic bond as much as ever. And therefore, I welcome the fact that we actually are able to prove that we stand together. OANA LUNGESCU: Well go for a couple of questions to the upper tier. Agence France-Presse? Gentleman with glasses. QUESTION [Agence France-Presse]: Good morning. Ill speak in French, if I may. The French President, Emmanuel Macron, wanted that the new instrument that will replace the INF Treaty will be negotiated with the Europeans. In other words, the Europeans will have the possibility to have their voice heard, rather than having just a treaty thats been negotiated between the US and the Russians. And do you think this is something which is advisable? And regarding the Pew Research, what do you think of President Trumps last comment when he said, sorry, Im putting on my glasses here, NATO was going down, was a rocket ship before he took office. What is your comment regarding this statement by President Trump? JENS STOLTENBERG: First on the INF Treaty. I think the demise of the INF Treaty, which is a bad and negative thing, shows the importance and the strength of NATO. Because what we saw was that when Russia started to violate the INF Treaty many years ago, we actually started also to have close consultations within NATO on how to deal with that. And NATO has been a platform that has brought together European Allies and the United States to find a way forward where we have been united on how to deal with the Russian violations of the INF Treaty. We all know that, of course, the INF Treaty is a bilateral arrangement between Russia and the United States, because we speak about the Russian and US missiles. But of course, it affects European Allies, because these missiles were deployed, the SS-20 and the Pershing and Cruise missiles, which triggered the INF Treaty back in 1987, they were deployed on European soil. So, of course, President Macron is right when he says that this also affects European Allies. And thats exactly why it is so important that we have NATO as the platform where we have consulted on these issues closely for many years. It started during the Obama administration, because it was the Obama administration that first raised the concerns about Russian violations, Russian deployment of the new SSC-8 missiles, and then it has continued under the current administration. And the reality is that we have agreed on every step. First, we all agreed, all Allies agreed, that Russia was violating the treaty. And we raised that issue with Russia again and again. And this was not only based on intelligence from one Ally, but from several Allies. And then we agreed that we called on Russia to come back into compliance. Russia did not come back into compliance. Then we set a time limit and Russia didnt come back to the compliance. And then we all agreed on the US decision to withdraw, because a treaty which is only respected by one side doesnt work. And then we have agreed, after close consultations, on the way forward, including the work which is now being done related to issues related to air and missile defence, conventional exercises and so on. So we will continue to consult, continue to agree and work together on a balanced and defensive response to the Russian violation of the INF Treaty. So my message on the INF Treaty is that it is very bad that we have seen the demise of the treaty, because of the Russian violation of the treaty. But its actually good to see how NATO has been able to respond to that in a coordinated and united way. So it shows the importance and the strength of NATO being the platform, bringing Europe and North America together, addressing these kinds of strategic issues. President Trump has been very clear and outspoken about NATO many, many times. But I also welcome the fact that he recognises the progress European Allies and Canada are now making on burden-sharing, defence spending, not least at the Leaders Meeting in London in December. He clearly expressed recognition of the progress we are making. And I also welcome the fact that we now are working together, all NATO Allies, on how NATO can do more in the fight against terrorism, including in the Middle East region. OANA LUNGESCU: The Jordan Times, gentleman on the fifth row. QUESTION [The Jordan Times]: The Jordan Times. I have a follow up question. The US President is asking for more NATO involvement in the Middle East, at a time you shifted some of your personnel out of Iraq and you, last month, suspended training in Iraq. What would more involvement in the Middle East mean for regional allies, in this case Im referring to Jordan? And would that be discussed in the coming few days? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Yes, it will be discussed and we will discuss many aspects of this challenge, meaning we will discuss what to do in Iraq, but well also look into what we can do beyond Iraq. We already have . . . we are already working with Jordan. The King of Jordan visited NATO a few weeks ago and NATO is working with Jordan on issues like special operation forces, intelligence and other things, and of course Jordan is important for the whole region, because Jordan has been a key member of the Global Coalition to Defeat Daesh and a close partner of NATO. So we are looking into what . . . we are discussing what more NATO can do. But again, before we have made any final decisions, I think it is a bit early for me to announce those decisions. But we will see what more we can do. OANA LUNGESCU: Frankfurter Allgemeine. THOMAS GUTSCHKE [Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]: Thank you. Thomas Gutschke, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. Secretary General, on this same issue, two questions. First of all, have you received a firm political commitment from the new Iraqi government that it wants foreign troops to remain operating on its soil and especially want NATO to continue their presence? And the second question is: how do you assess the security situation on the ground right now, meaning when do you think the entire operations will be able to resume in Iraq? JENS STOLTENBERG: First of all, we have NATO personnel, NATO troops in Iraq now, as we speak. We will resume training as soon as possible, but there is NATO personnel, NATO trainers, advisers in Iraq. But for security reasons, both the Global Coalition and NATO suspended training. Our aim is to resume that training as soon as possible. We are in close consultation with the Iraqi government. I have spoken with the Iraqi Prime Minister, with the Iraqi President, with the Foreign Minister. And we are, of course, in close consultation with them, because we will only stay in Iraq based on an invitation from Iraq. So we fully respect the territorial integrity, the sovereignty of Iraq. We are there based on the invitation from the Iraqi government, I think it was back in 2016. And all the legal arrangements are in place, which have been there for a long time for our Training Mission. I have spoken with the Iraqi Prime Minister on these issues. And we are now looking into how we can continue to provide support and we have to understand that we do this because we have a common goal, and that is to fight ISIS/Daesh, and to make sure that they never return and threaten the people of Iraq, but also threaten people in our own countries, in Germany and in other NATO-Allied countries. I would like to commend Iraq for being at the forefront in the fight against terrorism. They have made huge sacrifices in that fight. We support them. We would like to continue to support them. But we have to remember that the biggest sacrifices are made by the people of Iraq and the security forces of Iraq, and I commend them for their courage and the bravery they have shown. OANA LUNGESCU: Well go to the front - Pobjeda, from Montenegro. Lady over there in black. QUESTION [Pobjeda]: Jovana Durisic - daily newspaper, Pobjeda. First, NATO counter-hybrid team was in Montenegro last . . . late last year, so can you tell me what was the task of this team? And was it in any way connected with the upcoming elections in Montenegro, as Montenegrin authorities said? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Well, we agreed at the NATO summit in Brussels in 2018 to establish counter-hybrid support teams to assist Allies in preparing and responding to hybrid threats, because we have seen that hybrid threats have become more and more a reality for more and more NATO Allied countries. This mixture of covert and overt operations, military and non-military means of aggression, cyber and other means of aggressive actions against the NATO Allied countries. And at the request of the government of Montenegro, we deployed the first NATO counter-hybrid support team to Montenegro. We did so in November and they stayed there for some days. So this is based on requests from the government of Montenegro - and they are no longer in Montenegro. OANA LUNGESCU: KUNA, third row. NAWAB KHAN [Kuwait News Agency]: Nawab Khan from the Kuwait News Agency, KUNA. Mr Secretary General, how do you see the role of the Gulf countries like Kuwait in contributing to peace and security in the Middle East region? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: We highly value the partnership, the cooperation we have with countries in the Gulf region, including Kuwait. And the North Atlantic Council and I, we visited Kuwait in December and we met with the political leadership. We had good discussions and we also, actually, had them, some of our meetings at the new regional centre, the ICI-NATO Regional Centre in Kuwait, which is a clear demonstration that we are working together. Also, on how we can help and support each other. And the centre is a great success, helping to train, advise, teach personnel from the region. And its a concrete example of how Kuwait supports the partnership between Kuwait and NATO. OANA LUNGESCU: Okay. Last question. Lady in the second row. QUESTION [Telma TV]: Tamara Grncharoska, Telma TV, North Macedonia. Secretary General, North Macedonia has not adopted Article 5 from the Washington Treaty in its legislation due to the inability to pass the defence law in the parliament with two-thirds of majority. Until when can NATO wait for a nation to adopt collective defence, which is a core value of the NATO? And is it acceptable for the NATO to pass this law, with the old name of the army, Army of the Republic of Macedonia, on what current position insists? Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Well, Collective Defence, Article 5, will be a treaty obligation for North Macedonia as soon as North Macedonia becomes a full member. We signed the accession protocol last year and soon all NATO Allies will have ratified the protocol in their parliaments. So as soon as that happens, the treaty will apply for, also, North Macedonia. And Article 5, Collective Defence, is Article 5 of that treaty. So then that will be a treaty obligation for, also, North Macedonia. OANA LUNGESCU: Thank you very much. This concludes this press conference, well see you tomorrow. Thank you. JENS STOLTENBERG: Thank you. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:13:50|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KABUL, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A total of 172 more Taliban militants have surrendered to security forces in Afghanistan's Ghor and Herat provinces, the military said Tuesday. "One hundred-sixty Taliban militants gave up arms and surrendered to Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in Ghorak district of Ghor province and 12 others in Cheshti Sharif district of the neighboring Herat province on Monday," the country's Defense Ministry said in a statement. Three of the outfit divisional commanders, Abdullah, Mohammad Yousuf and Mullah Sarwar, were among the surrendered militants, said the statement. The latest surrendering came amid military pressure as Afghan security forces continued to press militants in restive districts in the western region. With the insurgents' surrender, peace and stability would be further strengthened in the territory, the statement said. More than 750 Taliban militants and Islamic State (IS) members have surrendered to the government since the beginning of January. The Taliban militant group has disputed the report. Zabiullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, wrote on Twitter that no member of the insurgent group has surrendered there. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 00:13:27|Editor: yan Video Player Close JERUSALEM, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Israel's southernmost Red Sea resort city of Eilat will generate all its own electricity by solar energy, the state's Ministry of Energy said on Tuesday. According to the ministry and Eilat municipality's joint plan, the city will achieve full energy independence through local renewable energy and the use of storage facilities. The ministry said that feasibility checks and preliminary planning for the construction and operation of storage and energy management facilities in Eilat will soon start. This preliminary stage will be supported with a government grant of 200,000 new shekels (about 58,700 U.S. dollars). This will help the Eilat's municipality to examine the engineering, environmental and regulatory implications of existing technologies and their ability to store energy. "Energy management and storage systems will enable better utilization of electricity from renewable energy and further reduce air pollution and carbon dioxide emissions," said Israeli Minister of Energy, Yuval Steinitz. "Such systems will also increase energy security and allow local electricity supply to continue in emergencies," he added. The scene of the shooting at Ballysally in Coleraine Two gunmen who fired shots in a house in Coleraine where three small children were present with three adults should be charged with attempted mass murder, a neighbour has said. Detectives investigating what is understood to have been a loyalist paramilitary gun attack at a house in Ballysally close to midnight on Sunday have described those responsible as "faceless thugs". The people who lived in the house at Loughanhill Park have fled the property and while most of the residents nearby were reluctant to comment one woman said she was horrified. She said: "I didn't hear the shooting but everyone is talking about it now. "This place has had its problems but firing guns inside a house with three children in it is a new low. "It is sickening to think that those three wee pets could have been shot dead. "This could have resulted in mass murder and if ever the police get the boys who did this, that's what they should be charged with." It is understood the children's mother, her partner, another male and two of the children were all downstairs when the masked gunmen forced their way inside and fired the guns before making their escape. Detective Inspector Peter McKenna said: "Two of the children were downstairs and the adults were in the kitchen when the gunmen fired a number of shots, some of which struck the kitchen table. "Thankfully no one was injured during this reckless attack that was carried out by faceless thugs who clearly have no regard for the safety of others. "What is clear is the hypocrites who carried out this violent attack don't care at all about the children in the community. "There is absolutely no justification for an attack like this and we must all work together to bring those responsible to justice and to stop this from happening." Progressive Unionist Party councillor for the area Russell Watton said there hadn't been an attack of this nature in Ballysally for two years or more. He added many residents "are sad that guns have made a return, especially in a house where three young children were present". "I have worked tirelessly on the ground, as have others, trying to bring these attacks by loyalist paramilitaries to a halt and I thought our message was getting through," he said. "I will continue to do what I can to deter young people from falling under the influence of paramilitaries and encourage everyone who has any concerns to take them to the police." Mr Watton said that while "a lot of good work" has been done in Ballysally by community groups, such as Building Ballysally Together, "more needs to be done across our wider society" to make that "this sort of rough justice" unacceptable. Ulster Unionist councillor William McCandless, who urged people to work with the police, said the violence was unjustified. "There were three young children in the house under the age of five," he said. "Our community does not support such action, there was no justification before and there is still no place for weapons being brought onto our streets by criminal elements. "No one or any group should think that they have the right to intimidate or subject any section of our community to the use of violence, it is never the answer. "There is no excuse for this sort of behaviour and I appeal to anyone who has any knowledge of this incident to report it to the police." Advertisement Africa is heading towards a locust 'catastrophe' if the 40-mile-wide swarm grows 500 times bigger within the next four months as feared, the UN has warned. The 360 billion locusts are expected to rapidly expand in numbers in the coming weeks, when forecast rainfall triggers plant growth, before their numbers peak in June. The desert locusts have already decimated vital crops in Ethiopia, Somalia and Kenya, and damaged farmland in Djibouti and Eritrea before they flew into Uganda and Tanzania this weekend. One of the swarms - which can number up to 80 million individuals per square kilometre - was also spotted flying 50km from the border with South Sudan, and is expected to reach the country 'any day'. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has warned of an emerging humanitarian crisis as 13million people face severe food insecurity. Africa is facing its first plague of locusts since 1989. Scroll down for video Rainfall expected in the coming months will trigger plant growth, fuelling the locust outbreak. The insects usually live solitary lives but form into swarming social insects when they live close together due to limited food supplies. They are pictured in Puntland, Somalia, on February 4 The swarm of locusts, which is estimated to number some 360 billion, reached the Karamoja border region, northeastern Uganda. Pictured above is a ranger surrounded by the locusts in Nasuulu, north Kenya, where crops have been decimated The swarm began in east Ethiopia and central Somalia last year before the insects spread across Ethiopia and into Kenya. (Pictured: Locusts hopping across the ground like ants in Somalia on February 5) Kenyan authorities have deployed pesticides, sprayed from planes, in a desperate attempt to control the swarm, which could become 500 times larger due to rains expected in the coming weeks. This plane was pictured in Nasuulu, north Kenya Keith Cressman, the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation's senior locust forecasting officer, told The National yesterday that Kenya has faced 'waves and waves of swarms' since January. 'A swarm in one day can eat the same amount of food as everybody here in the tri-state area, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York. So not taking action in time - you can see the consequences.' Uganda held an emergency meeting after the insects were spotted and ordered two planes to spray pesticides over the affected region - which is considered to be the most effective form of control. Pesticides have also been applied in Kenya and Somalia in a desperate attempt to stop the spread of the insects, but experts say the scale of the infestation is beyond local capacity as desert locusts can travel up to 150km (95 miles) in a day. Pictures have shown ground teams working in Somalia's Puntland, while planes sprayed pesticides in Kenya's northern Nasuulu region. The locust swarm began in east Ethiopia and central Somalia before spreading down into Kenya and now entering northeastern Uganda (pictured above) The locust swarm has prompted the UN to warn of an emerging humanitarian crisis across the Horn of Africa. These locusts are pictured on a rock near Garowe in Puntland, Somalia, on February 5 Keith Cressman, the FAO's senior locust swarm forecaster, said specially developed prototypes would be tested that can detect swarms via special sensors and adapt their speed and height accordingly. He said: 'Nobody's ever done this with desert locusts before.' Officials in Kenya say drones could play an important role given the limited number of aircraft. 'Every county wants an aircraft, but we only have five at the moment and they can only be in one location at one time,' said David Mwangi, head of plant protection at Kenya's ministry of agriculture. 'We have not used drones before, but I think it's worth testing them as they could help.' In Somalia, tackling the problem is made even harder as large areas are under threat, or held by, the al-Qaida-linked al-Shabab extremist group. That makes it difficult or impossible to conduct the aerial spraying of the locusts that experts say is the only effective control. The United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Saturday called for more help from the rest of the world. He said: 'The UN has issued an urgent appeal for assistance. I ask the international community to respond with speed and generosity to ensure an effective response and control the infestation while we still have the chance.' The swarm of desert locusts, which usually live solitary lives until a combination of conditions promotes breeding and leads them to form massive swarms, began in eastern Ethiopia and central Somalia last year before spreading through both countries and travelling down to Kenya. Africa's last major locust plague swept through the region in 1987 to 89. Pictured above is a group of adult locusts, as shown by their wings, in Nasuulu, north Kenya, on February 1 Juvenile locusts pictured swarming over a tree near Garowe, Puntaland, Somalia, on February 4. The next swarm of locusts is expected to appear in April when the juveniles reach adulthood Kenya and Somalia have both deployed pesticides in a desperate attempt to control locust numbers and kill off juveniles, which are expected to develop into winged adults and cause a second swarm in April this year. Kenyan authorities have sent planes to spray pesticides over areas in the north of the country while, in Somalia, pesticide workers have been pictured wearing protective suits as they spray the insects. The FAO says the current invasion is known as an 'upsurge' - when an entire region is affected - however, if it gets worse and cannot be contained, over a year or more, it would become what is known as a 'plague' of locusts. There have been six major desert locust plagues in the 1900s, the last of which was in 1987-89. The last major upsurge was in 2005 and caused an estimated $2.5billion of crop damage, according to the FAO. The swarm has been declared the worst to hit Kenya for 70 years, and the worst to affect Ethiopia and Somalia for 25 years. Somalia has also deployed pesticides to help it tackle the crisis. These locust-control workers are pictured in Puntland Incredible pictures show the scale of the worst outbreak of desert locusts in Kenya in 70 years as hundreds of millions of the insects leave helpless farmer heartbroken (pictured in Katitika village, Kitui county, on January 24) The Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations director-general Qu Dongyu called for urgent funding to help it provide security for the region at the end of January, after already using $15.4million of the $76million it had requested to tackle the emerging crisis. The UK Department for International Development told MailOnline it has provided 'support' for funding pesticides. The next generation of desert locusts, a million of which can eat enough food for 35,000 people in just one day, are expected to be ready to swarm in April, which coincides with the planting season. Speaking at an informal briefing in Rome last month, Ms Dongyu warned: 'I hope we can work hard day and night so people do not lose their crops. Timing and location is crucial.' The FAO's deputy director-general for climate and natural resources, Maria Semedo, warned last month that countries need to act 'immediately' because 'locusts don't wait. They will come and they will destroy. 'We need to tackle the emergency but we need to think about livelihoods and the long-term.' The organisation estimated that as many as 12 million people are coping with severe acute food insecurity and many rely on agriculture for their survival. Their locust information service describes the current situation as 'extremely alarming' and likely to be further exacerbated by new infestations. The creatures (pictured in Katitika village, Kenya, on January 24) have invaded the East African country from Somalia and Ethiopia, destroying farmland and threatening an already vulnerable region with devastating hunger Ndunda Makanga, who spent hours Friday trying to chase the locusts from his farm, said: 'Even cows are wondering what is happening. Corn, sorghum, cowpeas, they have eaten everything.' Pictured: The insects in Katitika village When rains arrive in March and bring new vegetation across much of the region, the numbers of the fast-breeding locusts could grow 500 times before drier weather in June curbs their spread, the United Nations says A farmer walks through swarms of desert locusts feeding on her crops, in Katitika village, Kitui county Farmer Theophilus Mwendwa tries to chase away a swarm of desert locusts in the bush near Enziu, Kitui County, 200km east of the capital Nairobi The locust swarms had increased significantly over the past month in across 13 Kenyan counties including Isiolo, Samburu, Wajir, Garissa, Tana River, Marsabit, Laikipia, Mandera, Kitui, Baringo, Meru, Embu and Turkana. These same counties have experienced devastating droughts and floods in recent years and over three million people there have been facing extreme levels of food insecurity. The swarms are destroying pasture for livestock, which will likely devastate the upcoming planting season. In Somalia, tens of thousands of hectares of land have been affected in Somaliland, Puntland and Galmudug (Mudug), as mature swarms hit the Garbahare area near the Kenyan border. Locusts are also reported to be travelling south to Somalia's Gedo region leaving a trail of destroyed farms. Operations are underway in the northeast (Puntland) to control the swarms that continue to move towards the central and southern areas. About $54million is needed to step up aerial pesticide spraying, the only effective way to combat them, the UN says. Pictured: Near Enziu, Kitui County A desert locust sits on a tree branch in Katitika village, Kitui county, Kenya. Even a small swarm of the insects can consume enough food for 35,000 people in a single day, said Jens Laerke of the UN humanitarian office in Geneva Insecurity in some of these parts is hampering efforts to survey and control the infestations. Oxfam is part of a network of local partner organisations that is monitoring how much further damage the locusts will cause to local food crops. 'We are making plans that include providing cash assistance to people most-in-need, particularly small-holder farmers and pastoralists, so they are able to buy food and fodder for their livestock,' said Zigomo. The UN Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) estimates that Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia need $70million between them to tackle the plague. Oxfam is calling on donors to fund this response immediately, in order to avoid more people falling hungry and using up whatever assets they have to buy food. Medical personnel wearing protective suits wait at a residential estate in Hong Kong after two people in the block were confirmed to have contracted the coronavirus. (AFP/Anthony WALLACE) The US Agency for International Development said it handed over equipment including 440 protective goggles and 1,500 surgical gowns to Laos, which borders China, the epicenter of the fast-spreading virus. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Friday promised up to US$100 million in aid to China and other affected countries to counter the virus that has killed more than 900 people. Jim Richardson, the State Department's director of foreign assistance resources, said the Laos delivery was the first and that funding would primarily aim at containing the coronavirus. "You'll start seeing more announcements as we start tallying up how much assistance is needed," he told reporters. The assistance comes even as President Donald Trump's administration looks to slash funding in support of global health efforts, which include projects to fight disease and encourage maternal health. A budget proposal released on Monday, but which has already met fierce opposition in Congress, would cut global health spending by nearly half to just under US$6 billion in the 2021 fiscal year. Richardson said that Laos - along with Pacific island states, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea - were considered priorities in the budget as the United States hopes to show an alternative to an increasingly assertive China. The president of El Salvador's parliament on Monday accused President Nayib Bukele of an "attempted coup" after soldiers entered the building while Bukele demanded lawmakers approve a military loan. Bukele had "attempted a coup d'etat" against the legislative assembly on Sunday, said Mario Ponce, of the conservative National Coalition Party (PCN), after meeting with fellow political party representatives. "We cannot respond to the executive branch with a gun to our head," he said, calling on the government to engage in dialogue. Bukele called an extraordinary weekend session of parliament to ask it to approve a USD 109 million loan to equip the military and police to fight against violent gangs. The loan has pitted the executive against lawmakers in a country with one of the world's highest murder rates. Before Bukele's entry on Sunday, armed police and soldiers with rifles and wearing body armour entered the chamber and stood guard -- a move not seen since the end of the country's civil war in 1992. "If these good-for-nothings (lawmakers) do not approve the Territorial Control Plan this week we will call them to hold a session again next Sunday," Bukele said in a speech to supporters outside the parliament. Bukele, who took office last June, has pledged to tackle gang violence and intends using the loan to better equip the military and police, but lawmakers refused to sit for an extra session over the weekend to debate the issue. The presence of troops prompted international cries of concern. Amnesty International said in a statement posted on Twitter that the military presence "could mark the beginning of a dangerous route for institutions and for human rights in the country." The European Union, meanwhile, expressed "great concern" over the "confrontation" between Salvadoran institutions. El Salvador is one of the world's most dangerous nations -- excluding those enduring an armed conflict -- with an average of 35.6 homicides per 100,000 people last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Conservative broadcaster Alan Jones wants former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull expelled from the Liberal Party for opposing taxpayer-funded coal-fired power stations. The Sydney radio 2GB breakfast show presenter is outraged that Mr Turnbull has spoken out against the idea of building a new plant in north Queensland with public money. Jones, a former Liberal candidate with influence in conservative circles, urged the party to expel the former PM because he was undermining his successor Scott Morrison. 'You're the only one that's nuts, Malcolm, and you're an intellectual hypocrite,' he said on Tuesday morning. Scroll down for audio Conservative broadcaster Alan Jones wants former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull (pictured left with wife Lucy and Indonesian President Joko Widodo) expelled from the Liberal Party for opposing taxpayer-funded coal-fired power stations 'Simple as that and we've had a gutful of you. 'If any other person in the party made comments such as that, deliberately designed to damage, they would either be suspended or expelled from the party. 'Quite frankly, Turnbull should be expelled from the party. His only intention is to make sure that Scott Morrison is beaten.' Jones failed to mention that two moderate Liberal MPs from inner-city Sydney, Trent Zimmerman and Dave Sharma, have also spoken out against the idea of building new coal-fired power stations with taxpayer funds. They made the intervention on Monday after Energy Minister Angus Taylor, from the Liberal Party's right faction, announced the government would spend $4million on a feasibility study for a 1GW 'high efficiency, low emissions' coal plant at Collinsville, north-west of Mackay in north Queensland. The Sydney radio 2GB breakfast show presenter is outraged that Mr Turnbull has spoken out against a program to explore the idea of building a new plant in central Queensland. Pictured is Alan Jones (right) with former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce Mr Turnbull yesterday spoke out against the prospect of public money being used to build a new coal-fired power station during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra. 'The fundamental economic reality is this: there is no economic basis on which to build a coal-fired power station in Australia any longer,' he told reporters. 'The cheapest form of new generation is a combination of renewables plus storage and literally that is no longer a remotely contentious proposition . 'Those people who are advocating that the government should fund coal-fired power are basically making a case for higher emissions and higher energy prices and that is nuts.' Mr Turnbull yesterday spoke out against the prospect of public money being used to build a new coal-fired power station during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra Nationals MPs from regional Queensland - including renegade backbencher George Christensen and former resources minister Matt Canavan - have been pushing the idea of taxpayers funding a coal-fired power station. Mr Turnbull acknowledged there was a divide in the government between regional MPs, whose constituents depended on mining riches, and Liberal MPs holding cosmopolitan capital city electorates, where voters are more concerned about combating climate change. 'It's been a faultline in the Coalition for a very long time,' he said. Previously, as prime minister, Mr Turnbull had argued coal would be part of Australia's energy mix for a long time, telling the ABC in 2016 clean coal could help reduce Australia's emissions. Cruise Ship Stranded at Sea Over Coronavirus Fears, Denied Entry by Several Countries Thailands government has turned away a Holland America cruise ship on Tuesday, just hours after the firm announced that it would be able to disembark in Bangkokmaking it the fifth time a country or territory has denied it entry amid fears that someone on board might have coronavirus. Thai Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate wrote on social media that the ship cannot dock in the country, but he said Thailand will gladly help provide fuel, medicine, and food so the Westerdam can reach its destination safely. I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul also confirmed in a Facebook post, reported Reuters. Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. territory of Guam have all prohibited Holland Americas Westerdam from docking on their shores amid fears of the virus. Holland America, which is owned by cruise giant Carnival Corp., said that it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board the ship, which has reportedly sickened tens of thousands of people inside China. In a statement on Monday, Holland America said the Westerdam is heading to Laem Chabang in Bangkok before disembarking on Thursday. On Twitter, the company wrote that it heard reports about the status of its call to Laem Chabang and is actively working this matter. We are aware of the reports regarding the status of Westerdams call to Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand. We are actively working this matter & will provide an update when able. We know this is confusing for our guests and their families & we greatly appreciate their patience. Holland America Line (@HALcruises) February 11, 2020 The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports, the company said in a statement last week. The ship has sufficient fuel and food provisions to last until the end of the voyage. We are providing free internet and phone access for guests and crew to stay in contact with their loved ones. Guests have been provided a full refund and a future cruise credit. Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew on board, is currently quarantined off the coast of Yokohama, and at least 135 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on the Carnival Corp.-owned vessel. Yet another, the World Dream, is being held in Hong Kong after it was linked to three cases. Passengers and crew were later allowed to disembark after testing negative for the virus, CNA reported. The World Health Organization, confirming that Thailand wont allow the Westerdam to dock, said that Thai authorities may seek to board the ship to determine the health status of passengers and crew, to determine whether they would be allowed to eventually disembark in Thailand if it enters the countrys waters. The ship is currently sailing off the coast of southern Vietnam, according to the World Health Organization. It has 1,455 guests and 802 crew members on board. A woman who claims to be on the Westerdam wrote on Twitter that after being rejected a fifth time, I can understand how despair can set in when hope is dashed. Another woman also reportedly aboard the ship wrote on Twitter: Oh no looks like Thailand are not letting us in. Passenger Christina Kerby wrote that she has learned how to fold bath towels into shapes. I am growing increasingly desperate onboard the ms #Westerdam #cruise. It appears Im continuing to gain weight despite completely eliminating lunch dessert, she also said. Holland America said that the ship was supposed to disembark at Yokohama on Feb. 15, and it has sufficient fuel and food to last until the end of the voyage. However, after that, its not clear. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas today said the world should reject Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan, calling it a 'Swiss cheese' deal. Abbas brandished a map at the UN Security Council of the 'small inland islands' which Palestine would be carved into under the US proposal - the small territories like holes in cheese. 'Every time I look at this map I lose hope, is this what we deserve?' Abbas asked. 'Is this what the Palestinian people deserve? We were here and how did we get to this point, in these small inland islands.' The Trump plan proposes granting Israel several of its key long-held wishes, including full sovereignty over the disputed city of Jerusalem and the right to annex all settlements in the occupied West Bank. 'We reject the Israeli-American plan,' which 'throws into question the legitimate rights of the Palestinians,' Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas told the UN Security Council on Tuesday Israeli forces clash with Palestinians during a protest against President Donald Trump's Mideast initiative in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Tuesday In exchange the Palestinians would be granted a demilitarised state in the remaining parts of the West Bank and Gaza. 'The plan rewards the occupation instead of holding it accountable for all the crimes it has perpetrated against our people and our land,' Abbas added. 'This plan will not bring peace or stability to the region and therefore we will not accept this plan, we will confront its application on the ground.' As Abbas made his case some 7,000 Palestinians were led in demonstrations against the US plan on Tuesday in central Ramallah by prime minister Mohammed Shtayyeh. A few hundred demonstrators later protested near an Israeli military checkpoint on the outskirts of the city, where clashes broke out between stone-throwing youths and Israeli soldiers firing tear gas. President Donald Trump speaks during an event with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to unveil their proposal on January 28 Palestinian protesters, hold up portraits of president Mahmud Abbas and late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat, as they wave national flags during a demonstration against a US-brokered peace proposal in Gaza City on Tuesday 'Every time I look at this map I lose hope, is this what we deserve?' Abbas asked. 'Is this what the Palestinian people deserve? We were here and how did we get to this point, in these small inland islands' Twelve Palestinians were injured, including two shot by rubber bullets, the Palestinian Red Crescent said. The protest had been called by Abbas's political party Fatah and was the largest pro-Abbas demonstration in Ramallah in several years. Demonstrators condemned the US peace plan, chanting 'This deal will not pass.' The protesters, who came from a number of cities, held signs including those reading 'Palestine is not for sale.' A Palestinian prepares to launch a sling during clashes with Israeli forced following demonstrations against the peace plan A protester wielding a sling in the city of Ramallah on Tuesday during clashes with Israeli forces Palestinians carry injured person during clashes with Israeli forces during a protest against President Donald Trump's Mideast initiative in the West Bank city of Ramallah Trump's plan unveiled on January 28 was immediately rejected by Palestinians from across the political spectrum, who saw it as biased towards Israel. In the Gaza Strip, another part of the Palestinian territories, around 2,000 people demonstrated in Gaza City in support of Abbas. Shtayyeh addressed protesters in Ramallah, saying the demonstrations were 'the message from the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza that we are united behind president Mahmud Abbas.' Uganda attacks locust outbreak: Uganda rushed to respond to the arrival of the biggest locust outbreak that parts of East Africa have seen in decades, while the United Nations warned Monday that "we simply cannot afford another major shock" to a region already hit by food insecurity. An emergency government meeting hours after the locusts were spotted inside Uganda on Sunday decided to deploy military forces to help with ground-based pesticide spraying, while two planes for aerial spraying would arrive as soon as possible, a statement said. As the counting of votes for the Delhi Assembly polls began, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday raised doubts on EVMs, alleging that no machine having a chip is tamper-proof. He called upon the Election Commission and the Supreme Court to take a fresh look at the use of EVMs in the country. Also read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: AAP all set to retain power; leads on 54 seats; BJP struggles with 16 seats "No machine (which) has a chip is tamper proof. Also please do for a moment think, why no developed country uses EVM," Singh said in a tweet. No Machine which has a Chip is Tamper Proof. Also please do for a moment think, why no Developed Country uses EVM? digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) February 11, 2020 "Would CEC and Hon Supreme Court please have a fresh look on EVM voting in India? We are the largest democracy in the world, we can't allow some unscrupulous people to hack results and steal the mandate of 1.3 billion people. Would CEC and Hon Supreme Court please have a fresh look on EVM voting in India? We are the largest Democracy in the World, we can't allow some Unscrupulous People to Hack Results and steal the Mandate of 1.3 Billion People. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) February 11, 2020 "If they match the votes in the counting unit. Declare the result. If they don't match then count the ballots of all polling booths in the assembly. It would convince every one and save time also as this has been the consistent argument of CEC in favour of EVM," the Congress leader said. If they match the Votes in the Counting Unit. Declare the result. If they don't match then count the Ballots of all Polling Booths in the Assembly. It would convince every one and save time also as this has been the consistent arguement of CEC in favour of EVM. digvijaya singh (@digvijaya_28) February 11, 2020 Polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly polls was held on Saturday. The Election Commission on Sunday announced that the final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, five per cent less than 2015. Job search website Indeed has told all of its Australian workers to stay at home amid concerns an employee may have come into contact with the coronavirus. The employment platform closed three offices on Monday, ordering more than 1,000 staff in Dublin, Sydney, and Singapore to work from home. The shutdown was sparked after a worker from the Singapore office alerted management they 'may have been exposed to coronavirus' after relatives visited a facility caring for affected patients, a company spokesperson told Fortune. Job listing site Indeed has closed its Sydney office (pictured) as a precautionary measure after a worker in Singapore 'may have been exposed to coronavirus'. 'While there are no confirmed cases of infection, out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our employees, we have asked all employees in Singapore, along with anyone who has recently visited our Singapore offices, to work from home until February 17th,' the spokesperson said. No Indeed employees have tested positive for the virus but workers in Australia and Ireland have been barred from headquarters as some employees who recently visited Singapore also travelled to the Dublin and Sydney offices. As of Tuesday, there are 40,546 confirmed cases of the virus worldwide, with a death toll of 910. While Ireland is yet to report a single case, Australia has recorded 15 confirmed cases the past two months, across four states. The recruitment service is the latest in a string of companies to close shop as a precaution to stop the spread of the disease. On January 31, Google announced it would temporarily close all of its offices in mainland China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. Passengers from Wuhan, China, arrive into Sydney airport on January 23 amid the coronavirus crisis Microsoft, Apple, Amazon, Facebook, General Motors and Tesla, have also joined the crack down, putting staff travel restrictions in place for China. Eleven million people living in Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus, remain in lockdown, with many flights cancelled and medical supplies dwindling. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's advice is 'do not travel' to China, with 530 Australians having since been evacuated and placed in quarantine centres. The economic impacts of the illness, dubbed 2019-nCoV, have rippled across the global, adversely affecting many industries. Chinese tourist numbers have dropped worldwide, with the outbreak predicted to cost China $60billion during the first quarter of 2020. In Australia, the fishing industry has been hit hard as demand from China, a major importer, has halted, and retailers are suffering from supply shortages. While Tom Hanks was fully dressed in a tuxedo, he still found the time to exercise on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday night. The 63 year old actor was spotted on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre on Sunday, chatting with an Army sergeant. The A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood star then proceeded to drop on the red carpet and challenge the Army sergeant to do some push-ups side by side. Tom Hanks Drops and Does Push Ups with a U.S. Army Sergeant on the #Oscars Red Carpet https://t.co/jAOtmze4qR pic.twitter.com/aqyfzMnlRq People (@people) February 10, 2020 In shape: While Tom Hanks was fully dressed in a tuxedo, he still found the time to exercise on the Oscars red carpet on Sunday night Pushups: The A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood star then proceeded to drop on the red carpet and challenge the Army sergeant to do some push-ups side by side The actor was seen shaking hands with the sergeant before they both dropped and do some push-ups. A group of the sergeant's were seen cheering them both on as they did push-ups on the red carpet. Hanks does have a strong relationship with the armed forces, dating back several years to his role in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. Push-ups: The actor was seen shaking hands with the sergeant before they both dropped and do some push-ups All smiles: Hanks does have a strong relationship with the armed forces, dating back several years to his role in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the U.S. Army Rangers Hall of Fame in 2006, for his role in Saving Private Ryan. The two time Academy Award winner has also contributed to charities like Hidden Heroes, organized by the Elizabeth Dole Foundation. The actor was raised near Naval Air Station Alameda, and he revealed in an interview with Military.com in October that it's his way of contributing to the armed forces community. Honorary: Hanks was inducted as an honorary member of the U.S. Army Rangers Hall of Fame in 2006, for his role in Saving Private Ryan ''I have received a vast education of the type of service that was never asked of me because I was too young and there was no draft,' Hanks said at the Hidden Heroes gala in Washington DC in October. 'So, this is a matter of giving back.' Elizabeth Dole, who founded the organization, said Hanks has been supportive of the charity from the beginning. 'He didn't even wait for me to finish my pitch before he said, "Senator, I'm all in. I'm in it for the long haul. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it"' she said. Education: ''I have received a vast education of the type of service that was never asked of me because I was too young and there was no draft,' Hanks said at the Hidden Heroes gala in Washington DC in October. 'So, this is a matter of giving back' Hanks was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 92nd Oscars on Sunday night, for his performance in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He'll next be seen in the World War II drama Greyhound, which hits theaters on May 8, and BIOS, due October 8. The actor closes out his year with News Of the World from director Paul Greengrass, in theaters Christmas Day. Nominated: Hanks was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 92nd Oscars on Sunday night, for his performance in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood A former monk at England's leading Catholic boarding school Ampleforth College is facing prison having been convicted of sexually abusing three boys aged between nine and 12. Peter Turner, 80, pleaded guilty to abusing the former pupil between 1984 and 1987. He also abused two boys at a parish church in the Workington area between 1987 and 1990. Turner, who was jailed for four years in 2005 after pleading guilty to abusing ten boys between 1979 and 1987, will spend a night in the cells before being sentenced tomorrow. Peter Turner, formerly known as Father Gregory Carroll, pictured today being led away at York Crown Court, admitted abusing one child while at Ampleforth College in Yorkshire during the 1980s. He also admitted abusing two other boys at a parish when Church authorities discovered his abuse at the school between 1979 and 1987 The 80-year-old paedophile, was remanded in custody today ahead of sentencing tomorrow Turner was moved from Ampleforth College, pictured, after he admitted to church authorities that he had been abusing boys between 1979 and 1987. He later abused two boys at the parish in Workington, Cumbria, where he had been moved by the church Turner, 80, from Redcar, admitted charges of indecent assault, serious sexual aussault, and gross indecency against three boys when he appeared for trial at York Crown Court. Turner, who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, committed the offences more than 20 years ago while working at Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire, and a parish in Workington, in Cumbria. He was due to go on trial but entered guilty pleas to 14 charges earlier today. Turner, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue anorak over a navy jumper and blue shirt, admitted 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of a sexual act and one count of gross indecency with a child. He entered not guilty pleas to three charges of indecent assault but the court heard he will not be tried on these matters. The court heard that the first boy was aged between 10 and 12 when Turner committed indecent assault and and a serious sexual assault against him between September 1984 and January 1987 while he was at Ampleforth. Turner, pictured arriving at York Crown Court today was due to go on trial but entered guilty pleas to 14 charges His second victim was aged nine or 10 when he indecently assaulted him between October 1987 and December 1988. The third complainant was aged between 10 and 12 when Turner committed gross indecency and indecent assault against him between June 1987 and June 1990. Both of those boys were abused while Turner was working in Workington. Turner was sent to work in a parish in Workington in 1987 after confessing to church authorities about having sexual contact with a pupil at Ampleforth. He was recalled from Workington and confined to the monastery at Ampleforth after the 2001 publication of the Nolan Report on the problem of clerical child abuse. Turner was jailed for four years in September 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at the school between 1979 and 1987. The sentence was later reduced by 12 months. Nicola Gatto, defending, said Turner's offending stopped when he was recalled from Workington and he had been 'dormant' for about 18 years. Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, remanded Turner in custody and said he will sentence him on Wednesday morning. Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has signed a strategic agreement with the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC),an independent agency of the Government of the United States of America. The areas of collaboration outlined by the memorandum of understanding (MoU) include the exchange of knowledge and expertise between the two parties especially in the field of financing private sector investments internationally with a particular focus on projects having a transformative impact on communities in developing countries. Under the agreement, ADFD will benefit from DFCs long-standing experience, and receive guidance in setting up a solid Private Sector Financing program that includes policies, manuals, procedures, and structure. The MoU was signed by Mohammed Saif Al Suwaidi, director general of ADFD, and Adam Boehler, chief executive officer of DFC at the ADFD headquarters in Abu Dhabi. The signing ceremony drew the participation of Ambassador of the United States to the United Arab Emirates John Rakolta Jr., Khalifa Al Qubaisi, deputy director general of ADFD and several senior representatives of the two parties. Al Suwaidi said: We are delighted to sign this MoU that articulates ADFDs keenness to work closely with international organisations to address the greatest challenges affecting sustainable development globally. In addition to strengthening the long-standing strategic partnership between the UAE and the USA, the MoU will allow us to catalyse private sector investments to maximise the socio-economic effects of our projects worldwide. We are confident that our synergy will contribute to the economic and social stability of communities in developing countries through creating new economic opportunities and driving sustainable growth, also added that ADFD enjoys a diversified investment portfolio which plays a crucial role in stimulating sustainable economic growth in developing countries, he added. Boehler said:The need for investment and development is one of the challenges standing between the Middle East and a more prosperous, stable, and secure future for the region. Through this collaboration between DFC and ADFD, together we can help chart new growth opportunities that will uplift underserved communities across a region of critical importance. Through their strategic partnership, ADFD and DFC will work closely together to consolidate their development collaboration, exchange information, identify prospects for development projects and enter project-specific cooperation agreements. In doing so, they are set to ensure an impactful contribution to addressing the challenges faced by developing countries and further enhance their ability to tackle emerging challenges in the international development arena. DFC seeks to mobilise and facilitate the investment of US private capital and skills in the economic and social development of less developed countries and areas through offering financing and political risk insurance for investment projects. TradeArabia News Service A host of current and former political leaders from across the metro New Orleans area gathered Monday to remember former St. Tammany Parish President Pat Brister as a tenacious, caring advocate for her parish and, in the words of U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, "the original steel magnolia." Brister, who died Feb. 3 after a brief battle with cancer, was eulogized for a life of public service that began with a school PTA and went on to include leadership positions in the Louisiana Republican Party and a presidential appointment to serve as ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. But in St. Tammany, Brister was best known for her role in parish government. She served two terms on the Parish Council and, most recently, two as parish president before losing her bid for a third term in the fall. Services for the 73-year-old Brister were held at Church of the King, where she was a member, and drew parish employees, present and former St. Tammany elected officials and those from farther afield, including Natalie Robottom, the former St. John the Baptist parish president, and Mike Yenni, the former Jefferson Parish president. Former U.S. Attorney Jim Letten, former state Sen. John Alario and former Louisiana Secretary of State Tom Schedler were also among those in attendance. Brister's flag-draped casket stood between two members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office honor guard in an alcove where guests filed by to pay their respects during the two-hour visitation before the service, where speaker after speaker lauded Brister as someone who cared deeply about others and expressed that feeling in action rather than words. Archbishop Gregory Aymond offered a blessing, and tributes were offered by people ranging from Kennedy to U.S. District Judge Jay Zainey. Kennedy quoted from Psalm 116: "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." "It's hard to be a saint in politics," Kennedy said. "In politics, often when you turn the other cheek, you get it in the neck. But Pat did as good a job as I've ever seen ... she was the original steel magnolia. She was sweet as she could be, and she was tenacious." He recounted Brister coming to Washington, D.C., to tell him she had applied for a grant to widen Interstate 12 after a deadly accident on a stretch of that roadway near Covington in 2018. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up "She said, 'I want it,' and she meant it," Kennedy said. He told U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao that if Chao decided against the grant, "I won't be able to go home." Former state Sen. Jack Donahue of Mandeville recalled how shocked local leaders had been when Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration made the sudden decision in 2012 to close down Southeast Louisiana Hospital, which had operated for decades in Mandeville. "She saw that lemon and figured out how to make lemonade out of it," Donahue said, referring to Brister's push to buy the hospital and establish Safe Haven, a mental health care campus. "Many people have great ideas. There are few who have the ability to get them to work. That was her unique talent and lasting legacy," he said. Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, president of the Northshore Community Foundation, said Brister was a mixture of strength and grace who worked for women's freedom and equality "skillfully with Southern charm and femininity." During a trip to Texas, while George W. Bush was still that state's governor, Bourgeois said, Bush saw Brister carrying her luggage off a plane. Bush stepped in to take the luggage from her, saying, "No self-respecting Texan would let a lady carry her own bag," Bourgeois said. Brister, she said, replied, "No smart lady would refuse." That began a long-term friendship between Brister and the future president. While the public best knew Brister from her official duties, friends also provided a rare glimpse of the off-duty Pat Brister, including dinner parties that Maura Donahue described as "legendary" gatherings that began "with a toast with a good martini and maybe another," followed by dancing on her balcony to music from the '60s and '70s. "She discovered Pandora," Donahue said to laughter from the crowd. Friends also lauded Brister as a devoted mother, grandmother, wife and someone who nurtured deep friendships. "She was a protector of people in need," said Joe Quinlan, who served with her on the board of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas. "God sends some people into this world to be guardian angels," he said. This story was altered on Feb. 11 to reflect that the law enforcement officers flanking Brister's casket were members of the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office honor guard. The fiasco caused by an app that failed to properly transmit votes in the Iowa caucuses is worrying the mobile voting industry, which hoped 2020 would be a banner year. Companies - and proponents of incorporating more technology into elections - are trying to avoid being lumped in with the hastily made app used in Iowa. They're saying its failure proves serious investment in user-friendly, secure election technology is more critical than ever. "We need to ensure that every new idea is tested, transparent and secure - just like the eight successful mobile voting pilots conducted to date," Bradley Tusk, the founder and CEO of Tusk Philanthropies, said in a statement. "Enough is enough. 2016 should have been enough of a wake-up call. Iowa just confirmed it." Tusk Philanthropies has funded pilots for mobile voting across the country, launched in a push to increase participation in elections. Unlike the app used in Iowa, which was developed torelay vote counts, the pilots use technologies that allow voters to easily vote from their mobile phones. So far, the pilots have largely been limited to eligible uniformed and overseas voters and voters with disabilities. But any expansion is sure to fall under an even more critical spotlight. Any malfunction - or hack - of an app used directly for voting in 2020 could have far greater impact in undermining public faith in the Democratic process than one Democratic caucus gone wrong. "I think [Iowa] really set back mobile voting, maybe even by a number of years," Maurice Turner, an election security expert at the Center for Democracy & Technology, said in an interview. "Because what voters and officials and the press see is this is a failure of new tech. Most people aren't going to appreciate that this is a caucus app, that this was procured by the party and developed in secret." Voatz, a mobile election platform used in many pilots, is stressing that difference in its public messaging - insisting it had never heard of the app used in Iowa until it flopped. "We are also committed to transparency which is why we were one of the first elections companies in the world to invite the research community to help test our technology through our public bug bounty program," the company said in a statement. Votes cast on the app are encrypted and stored on a blockchain that election officials can access. Voatz also highlighted that it voluntarily worked with the Department of Homeland Security after Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called on intelligence agencies to audit the app in the fall. Still, Iowa could have a chilling effect on any election officials still on the fence about whether to adopt such technology. "I think it will cause concern among election administrators in looking at if a pilot in mobile voting is right for them," Jocelyn Bucaro, director of elections for Denver Elections Division, said in an interview. "I think there is reason to be worried about that." And federal lawmakers are already skeptical. "Relying on an untested phone app to deliver election results is like asking a guy off the street to safeguard our nuclear codes," Wyden said in an interview. "Unless the federal government steps up and gives state parties and local election officials the help they need to secure American elections, voting technology will continue to fail, or worse, suffer from malicious hacks." Wyden urged top election officials in Oregon in a letter last week to address the security risks of mobile voting amid plans to expand use of the technology in his state, as The Cybersecurity 202 first reported. Bucaro, whose city used Voatz to allow uniformed and overseas voters to participate in a municipal election last May, pointed to Iowa Democrats' lack of transparency around the app as damaging to voters' trust. Multiple cybersecurity experts claimed the app used in Iowa appeared to have been sloppily put together in mere months without widespread testing. "Transparency is paramount in election administration," Bucaro said. "What happened in Iowa was not managed by people who run elections." The timing is especially rough for elections happening as soon as today:My colleague Jay Greene reports this morning that all voters will be able to cast a ballot from a mobile device or computer in the election for seat on the board of the little-known King Conservation District in the Seattle area, through another Tusk pilot that uses technology from Democracy Live. Bucaro said Denver's rollout for mobile voting technology, even for an election that was out of the national spotlight, was conducted much more thoroughly: In addition to initial vetting through a cybersecurity firm hired by Tusk, Denver conducted its own audit of the app before the election and conducted a public audit afterward. Donald Kersey, general counsel for the West Virginia secretary of state, noted that unlike Iowa Democrats, election officials are subject to laws requiring transparency around election processes. His state has also been aggressive in vetting mobile voting technology since it launched its first mobile voting pilot in 2018 for military and civilian voters overseas. It's now considering expanding mobile voting in 2020 to include disabled voters. It's looking into the results of a Department of Homeland Security audit into Voatz, and Idaho National Labs is also auditing the company, Kersey said. All the vetting stands in stark contrast to the IowaReporterApp used in Iowa, which party officials declined to make available to lawmakers or independent researchers to audit before the caucuses. Iowa Democrats also reportedly declined an offer by DHS to audit the app. "I think the public would have benefited more if the public had known more about the app," Kersey said. "Hopefully other states and jurisdiction will need to take note." That doesn't seem likely so far. With just days before early voting begins in Nevada, campaigns and voters are still in the dark about what technology will be used. State Democrats said they scrapped plans to use the same vote reporting app as Iowa but have so far declined to confirm media reports that they will use a new iPad tool to relay vote counts or explain how they plan to audit any new technologies in use. Tech glitches may also give ammo to cybersecurity experts, who often point to a 2018 National Academy of Sciences Report that determined "no known technology guarantees the secrecy, security, and verifiability of a marked ballot transmitted over the Internet" and discouraged the use of Internet-based voting. Those who say technology is an inevitable part of future elections suggest one way to mitigate the risks is for states and the federal government to take on a greater role in funding research on how to secure and deploy election technologies. "Without assistance from the federal government, we can't do our due diligence," Kersey said. DECATUR City leaders this year could create a new tax increment financing district, an economic development tool for improving blighted areas that might not see investments otherwise. The new broad area TIF district was among several steps toward neighborhood revitalization discussed during a study session Monday, when Decatur City Council members also agreed to move forward annexations. City Manager Scot Wrighton said the city staff has been working on neighborhood revitalization strategies developed by the council and community during study sessions last year. The proposed new TIF district would encompass much of the inner city, touching the existing Grand Avenue, Near North and Olde Towne redevelopment areas. TIFs are best utilized when there are organic property value increase across the board even without new investments, Wrighton said in a memo. TIF districts were established by state law as a tool that local governments can use to create economic growth in certain areas. The city has seven: Southeast Plaza, Olde Towne, Near North (Wabash Crossing), Eastgate Commons, The Pines, Grande Avenue and Southside. The property value at the time a TIF district is established is considered its base amount. The city, school district and other entities would continue to college property taxes based on this amount. When property owners make improvements, they pay higher taxes. However, the proceeds taxes paid on the difference, or increment are put into a special fund. This money can be used either to reimburse a developer for certain costs or to invest in infrastructure for the area, as the city of Decatur did for its downtown several years ago. The city has taken a pay-as-you-go approach for most TIF incentive agreements in the past, Wrighton said. With council approval, that approach would continue, he said. The Olde Towne TIF district, which encompasses the downtown area and stretches west toward Millikin University, is currently underwater, Wrighton said. The city could choose to merge it with another contiguous district so that work could continue. TIF districts expire after 23 years. Councilman Bill Faber mentioned federal and state programs that could serve a similar purpose to TIF districts. The TIF is being proposed as a spark for development. There are a couple of other tools that are used to spark development, Faber said. One is Opportunity Zones and the other is Enterprise Zones. Faber also mentioned that the city has not always had good experience with TIFs. We are dealing with a very dismal track record for TIFs in our community, and we are being asked now to consider a very large one, Faber said. Deputy City Manager Jon Kindseth said while those are options for development, the city has more control over TIF districts. Speaking during the public comment portion of the meeting, resident John Phillips Jr. said he was not in favor of the measure. The TIF process arguably leads to favoritism for politically connected developers, implementing attorneys, economic development officials and others involved in this process, he said. Also during the study session, council members discussed the city's growing list of dilapidated properties that are deemed unfit for human habitation. Wrighton asked council members to consider changing some of the language that could speed the process of tearing down some decaying properties. Under the proposed measure, the city would be able to accept applications for voluntary demolition, meaning property owners could agree for the city to pay to tear down the unsafe structures. The city typically attempts to recoup its costs through a legal process that includes placing a lien on the property, but would not do so in the case of voluntary demolitions. If an application is approved, the city would demolish the property in accordance with current standards for site clearing. The Herald & Review highlighted the issue of vacant properties in a two-part series in August, reporting that nearly 200 homes were on the city's demolition list and some had been identified as unsafe as far back as 2012. Neighbors say the vacant houses pose a public safety threat, attracting criminal behavior and wildlife, and have hurt their property values and quality of life. Nearly a quarter of the homes on the list belong to out-of-state owners, such as Daniel Van Gasken, who owns nearly 50 properties in Decatur, with 15 of them on the demolition list. City attorneys struggled for months to serve Van Gasken, who lives in Washington, with a summons to appear in court. "We dont want to be taken advantage of, but if they do walk away from the property, we have to go through all this rigmarole that costs us thousands of dollars more per lot," Wrighton said. Some council members expressed reservations about the changes but informally agreed to give them a try. The city could also consider later this year a side-lot program that allows for property owners to purchase land adjacent to their lots. Speaking after the meeting, Kindseth said the program allows for homeowners to raise the overall value of their properties. Homeowners could expand their yard or do a number of things with that property, he said. Wrighton said property owners could add a permanent garage however, that cannot be sold separately from their original lot. Also during the study session, the city council reviewed the roughly 200 annexations that occurred in 2019 in preparation for the upcoming U.S. Census. Wrighton proposed that the city continue to move forward with annexations so that properties that are contiguous with city limits or are under a prior water agreement become a part of the city. Newly annexed residents have expressed in previous council meetings that they were not sure they would be able to maintain their current lifestyle under Decatur ordinances. For example, the city has certain limitations on allowing chickens on their properties. Councilman Pat McDaniel asked if an agricultural zone was in the works for these residents. Wrighton said that within the next three months, city staff would come forward with an agricultural zoning proposal to address issues of this nature. The council rescheduled its Feb. 17 meeting to Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers at the Decatur Civic Center. Contact Analisa Trofimuk at (217) 421-7985. Follow her on Twitter: @AnalisaTro Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Bad enough that a tyrant is testing American democracy. Now an oligarch is trying to buy the presidency. Michael Bloombergs net worth is over $60 billion. The yearly return on $60 billion is at least $2 billion which is what Bloomberg says hell pour into buying the highest office in the land. In January alone Bloomberg spent more than $300 million on campaign advertising. Thats more than Hillary Clinton spent on advertising during her entire presidential run. Its multiples of what all other Democratic candidates have spent on advertising, including billionaire Tom Steyer. Bloomberg has already spent more on Facebook ads than Trump, and more than Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg combined. His paid campaign staff is three times as large as Trumps, five times Bidens. The heart of Bloombergs campaign message is that he has enough money to blow Trump out of the water. To demonstrate this, Bloomberg bought a $10 million Super Bowl ad that slammed Trump in the middle of the big game, and he bashed Trump again in a national ad appearing just hours before Trumps State of the Union address. If Trumps angry tweets are any barometer, Bloombergs tactics are getting under the thin-skinned presidents fragile epidermis. Meanwhile, the Democratic National Committee is putting Bloomberg on the debate stage by abandoning the individual-donor threshold that it used for the first eight debates, presumably because Bloomberg isnt taking donations. To participate in the Feb. 19 debate in Las Vegas, Democratic candidates will need to show at least 10 percent support in polls. Bloombergs wall-to-wall advertising gives him a good shot. On Feb. 3 he tied with Warren in third place in Morning Consult tracking poll. Hes in the top four in many Super Tuesday states. Bloomberg has some attractive policy ideas. Hes for gun control, wants to reverse climate change and seeks to raise an estimated $5 trillion of new tax revenue from high earners and corporations, including a repeal of Trumps 2017 tax cuts and a new 5 percent surcharge on incomes above $5 million a year. But Bloomberg is also a champion of Wall Street. He fought against the reforms following the near meltdown of the Street in 2008. His personal fortune is every bit as opaque as Trumps. Through his dozen years as mayor of New York he refused to release his federal tax returns. Even as a candidate for president, he still hasnt given a date for their release. And, remember, hes trying to buy the presidency. America has had some talented and capable presidents who were enormously wealthy Franklin D. Roosevelt, Teddy Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, for example. The problem lies at the nexus of wealth and power, where those with great wealth use it to gain great power. This is how oligarchy destroys democracy. The word oligarchy comes from the Greek word oligarkhes, meaning few to rule or command. It refers to a government of and by a few exceedingly rich people. Since 1980, the share of Americas wealth owned by the richest 400 Americans has quadrupled while the share owned by the entire bottom half of America has declined. The richest 130,000 families now own nearly as much as the bottom 90 percent 117 million families combined. The three richest Americans own as much as the bottom half of the population. Michael Bloomberg is the eighth-richest person in the U.S. Much of this money has found its way into politics. In the election cycle of 2016, the richest 1/100th of 1 percent of Americans accounted for a record-breaking 40 percent of all campaign contributions. Unlike income or wealth, power is a zero-sum game. The more of it at the top, the less of it anywhere else. A half-century ago, when America had a large and growing middle class, those on the left wanted stronger social safety nets and more public investment in schools, roads and research. Those on the right sought greater reliance on the free market. But as power and wealth have moved to the top, everyone else whether on the old right or the old left has become disempowered. Today the great divide is not between left and right. Its between democracy and oligarchy. Bloomberg is indubitably part of that oligarchy. This should not automatically disqualify him, but it should set off alarms. If the only way we can get rid of the sociopathic tyrant named Trump is with an oligarch named Bloomberg, we will have to choose the oligarch. I hope it doesnt come to that. Oligarchy is better than tyranny. But neither is as good as democracy. Robert Reichs latest book is The Common Good, and his newest documentary is Saving Capitalism. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Photo: Contributed Paramjit Bogarh A cold-case Vernon murder is back in Kelowna courts this week. Paramjit Singh Bogarh, 58, was charged in 2018 with the 1986 murder of his wife Saminder Kaur Bogarh. He was extradited from the United States and remains in custody in B.C. A voir dire a trial within a trial to determine the admissibility of evidence opened in Kelowna Monday. A publication ban on the proceedings is in place until Bogarh's judge-alone eight-week trial begins on March 2. Paramjit's brother, Narinder Singh Bogarh, has also been charged, but he's believed to be residing in India. The BC Prosecution Service is still seeking his extradition. Saminder was living with Paramjit in Vernon with their two-year-old son after they immigrated to Canada in 1983. American extradition documents allege Paramjit and and his brother Narinder met in Vancouver in December 1986. The following day, Narinder travelled to Kelowna, where he stayed in a hotel room for three days under a false name and rented a vehicle on Dec. 31. Saminder was stabbed to death on Dec. 31, 1986. The documents go on to state that the couple's two-year-old son told the RCMP, Daddy hit mommy with a knife and blood came out. DNA analysis from blood at the scene allegedly matched a sibling of Paramjit, and Narinder was Paramjit's only sibling in Canada at that time. A few days later, Narinder allegedly had surgery on his hand in Vancouver for injuries that were consistent with a persons hand slipping off the handle of a knife onto the blade after the knife was suddenly stopped. He then flew to India. Paramjit, meanwhile, allegedly left his two-year-old son in Canada, and moved to California. Years later, in 1999, Paramjit allegedly admitted to killing his wife, after he was confronted about those rumours during an election campaign for leader of a Sikh temple in California. Additionally, RCMP officers interviewed Narinder in India in 1997 and 2000, and he allegedly confessed to killing Saminder, but claimed he acted alone. None of the allegations laid out in the extradition documents has been tested in court. Turkey claims to have destroyed three tanks and two cannons as well as killing a number of fighters reports Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Turkey said on Monday it had neutralised 101 Syrian regime soldiers following a bombardment which killed five Turkish soldiers in northwestern Syrias Idlib region, the last major rebel bastion. Three tanks and two cannons were destroyed, the Turkish defence ministry said, adding that a Syrian government helicopter was also hit in the operation. The attack came after Syrian regime forces attacked a Turkish military post, killing five soldiers, Turkeys defence ministry said earlier on Monday. The rise in tensions come amid threats of a fully fledged Turkish military offensive against the Syrian regime over its continued campaign to seize the countrys last opposition bastion. Regime shelling killed eight Turkish personnel last week prompting Ankara to reinforce its positions, several of which are encircled by Syrian troops. Also on Monday, Turkish-backed opposition forces launched a fresh assault against forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad in an attempt to reclaim the key Idlib town of Saraqeb, which was lost to Damascus last week. Reports indicate the rebels are newly equipped with armoured vehicles and weaponry supplied by Ankara. Eyewitnesses said the assault has also been assisted by Turkish forces shelling Syrian regime positions in the area, Reuters reported. Syrian regime artillery fire killed five Turkish soldiers and wounded another five in what the Turkish defence ministry described as an intense assault on a military post in the Taftanaz area north of Saraqeb. The attack targeted soldiers sent as reinforcement to the region with an aim to prevent clashes in Idlib, ensure our border security and stop migration and human tragedy, the ministry added in a statement. The Turkish army retaliated, it said, destroying targets. The developments are closely watched and the necessary measures are being taken, it added. Fahrettin Altun, Erdogans top press aide, said on Twitter that Turkey retaliated against the attack to destroy all enemy targets and avenging our fallen troops. He added: The war criminal, who ordered todays heinous attack, targeted the entire international community, not just Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Defence Minister Hulusi Akar immediately came together for talks following the attack, broadcaster NTV reported. Turkey has beefed up those positions since last Mondays clash with regime forces, which killed eight Turkish personnel and 13 Syrian troops, sending at least 350 vehicles with commandos backed by armoured vehicles. Ankara has urged the regime to retreat to the cease-fire lines that were agreed in 2018, warning that if it does not, Turkey will deploy its prepared Plan B. But the regime supported by Moscow has intensified its assault against the last major rebel bastion, home to an estimated three million civilians. Ankara has vowed to defend its military posts in Idlib and has condemned the regime for its assault on the provinces civilian population, around half of whom were displaced from elsewhere in Syria. But Turkey has taken a more aggressive approach with the regime than in past years, threatening a full-frontal military offensive if it fails to halt the campaign, due to fears that the violence could force a fresh flow of refugees into Turkey. The United Nations said on Monday close to 700,000 people in northwest Syria have been displaced since December. Many of those have been forced to flee towards the Turkish border, which is already home to more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees. Most of the displaced are living in open-air shelters and temporary homes in freezing winter conditions. Half of them are estimated to be children. Meanwhile, a car bomb exploded Monday in a Syrian town controlled by Turkey-backed opposition forces, killing at least four people and wounding 15 others, Turkeys state-run Anadolu Agency reported. The attack was the latest in a series of explosions in Turkish-controlled regions that have killed and wounded scores of people. Turkey has blamed the attacks on the Peoples Protection Units (YPG), a Syrian Kurdish militia it deems a terrorist organisation. The bomb went off on a main street in the town of Afrin, which Turkey took control of following a military incursion in 2018, Anadolu reported. It said some of the wounded were in serious condition, adding that the death toll was likely to rise. 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. Getty Images in file photo Approximately 15.9 million recalled Takata airbags have not been repaired, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. A recall went into effect after it was discovered that long-term exposure to high heat and humidity can cause these airbags to explode when deployed, which have caused injuries and deaths. In 2019, seven and a half million defective inflators were repaired, bringing the total number of repairs to more than 36 million. A neuropsychologist testified Tuesday that Jeremy Christian has slightly slower than normal processing speeds and trouble assessing unfamiliar circumstances -- and that those cognitive deficits could have led him to fatally stab two men and severely injure a third on a MAX train in Northeast Portland. Glena Andrews, a professor of clinical psychology at George Fox University in Newberg, was the first psychologist to take the stand as Christians defense case began this week in Multnomah County Circuit Court. Andrews said Christian appears to be among a group of people who enjoy being alone. They struggle to understand people around them and the world around them, she said. Christian also has trouble understanding a situation from another persons perspective and he can get fixated on his fervent belief in free speech, she said. He will not see the full picture, Andrews said. Christians defense team is working to support its argument that Christian acted in self-defense and has cognitive deficits that led him to react violently and out of fear when others on the train confronted him about a loud, hate-filled rant on May 26, 2017. Christian repeatedly said he was exercising free speech. After his arrest he told police he stabbed the three men because they infringed on his right to speak his mind. Christian, 37, has been charged with two counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted first-degree murder and three counts of first-degree intimidation, a hate crime. Christian is accused of targeting two teenage girls on the train, one who is African-American and the other who immigrated from Somalia and was wearing a hijab. Witnesses said the encounter grew violent after passenger Taliesin Namkai-Meche walked over to Christian with his phone out and reportedly said, Youre about to become an internet sensation. Christian threw Namkai-Meches phone on the floor. Micah Fletcher, another train passenger, immediately approached in an effort to get Christian to leave the train. Video shows the three men standing face-to-face, Christian and Fletcher yelling at each other before Christian shoved Fletcher and then Namkai-Meche. Fletcher responded by grabbing or pushing Christian three times, then Christian stabbed Fletcher in the neck, followed by Namkai-Meche and Ricky Best. Best was standing behind Namkai-Meche and apparently had no previous interaction with Christian. Namkai-Meche, 23, and Best, 53, died. Video shows Christians stabbing spree lasted 10 to 12 seconds. Andrews said she gave Christian a series of tests on two separate days. She said she couldnt find a diagnosis for Christians cognitive problems, but they likely have been with him since birth. Do you think 10 or 12 seconds is enough time for him to make important decisions? asked Greg Scholl, one of Christians defense attorneys. No, Andrews responded. ... It would be a very fast time frame for his brain to make a decision. ... Any person with these deficits will have a difficult time interacting with the world ... will have a difficult time making decisions in new places or with new information. During cross-examination, prosecutor Jeff Howes asked Andrews if she thought Christian had made a spur-of-the-moment decision to stab the three men that afternoon on the train. Prosecutors have contended Christian had been talking about stabbing people the night before the killings after Christian threw a Gatorade bottle at an African American woman on a Yellow Line train. Howes asked: Do you think that everything this trial is about is what happened in 10 to 12 seconds? Defense attorneys objected. The judge sustained the objection and said Andrews shouldnt answer the question. Howes also was critical of Andrews assessments that Christian was cognitively below average in some areas and that could have led him to stab other passengers. Upon more detailed questioning, Andrews said in many tests Christian scored average or even better than the mean, such as in the 68th percentile of people on a verbal comprehension test. But he did score below average in some tests. Andrews also noted that Christian has an IQ of 98, was born with no evidence that his mother had abused drugs or alcohol while pregnant and earned his GED at age 16 after having previously stopped his schooling in ninth grade. Christian later enrolled in Portland Community College. Howes asked Andrews if Christian got all As and a B in a full course load one term. Andrews answered that he had. Andrews also confirmed that he held down a job at Pietros Pizza for four years and was able to take public transportation to get around. But Howes also asked Andrews whether Christian got into lots of physical altercations in his adult life, and Andrews agreed. In asking follow-up questions, Scholl, the defense attorney, asked if its possible for someone to be intelligent but still have cognitive deficits. Scholl brought up the example of Albert Einstein, who is said to have had an IQ of 160 but didnt drive a car. Andrews agreed that a highly intelligent person could still have impairments. -- Aimee Green agreen@oregonian.com o_aimee Keep up with key trial events and takeaways by signing up for The Oregonian/OregonLives Jeremy Christian trial newsletter at oregonlive.com/newsletters. Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox. Downing Street has hit out at the judicial system after a last-minute court order banned the deportation of 25 'serious criminals' to Jamaica due to a broken O2 phone mast. A scheduled flight bound for Kingston this morning was left half-empty with just 17 Jamaican nationals on board, while some convicted of severe offences including manslaughter and rape were permitted to stay in the UK on a legal technicality. Last night, an eleventh-hour legal challenge by campaigners saw the Court of Appeal issue an order barring the deportation of more than half of those scheduled for this morning's flight following claims they were denied access to lawyers. The charity Detention Action successfully argued that offenders at two removal centres near Heathrow were unable to get legal advice due to a lack of phone coverage for O2 users caused by a faulty phone mast. Shortly after this morning's flight departed, Downing Street issued a strongly-worded statement today criticising the courts and vowing to appeal the deportation ban on the 25 other convicts. No 10 said it made 'no apology for trying to protect the public from serious, violent and persistent foreign national offenders' as it hit out at the judicial system for leaving the taxpayer with 'an even bigger bill' following the Court of Appeal ruling. Scroll down for video Protesters demonstrate last night against the Home Office's decision to deport Jamaican criminals from the UK on a chartered flight Last night, an eleventh-hour legal challenge by campaigners (shown in Whitehall) saw the Court of Appeal issue an order barring the deportation of more than half of those scheduled for today's flight Reshawn Davis, 30, who has a baby with his British wife, was detained on Friday and told he would be removed to Jamaica today following a robbery conviction, but was not among those who were deported today It claimed detainees had 'ample access' to other methods of communication during the mobile network outages, including free sim cards upon request, access to landlines and the internet and face-to-face legal surgeries. Among those who were safeguarded from deportation were one offender convicted for manslaughter, one firearms offence and seven violent offenders. The Home Office added: 'We will be urgently pursuing the removal of those who were prevented from boarding the flight due to a legal challenge over a mobile network failure.' The Prime Minister's spokesman added: 'The legal process for removing these offenders, which has included repeated appeals and judicial reviews, has already cost the British public tens of thousands of pounds. Charge sheet of the 17 'serious criminals' deported to Jamaica The Government said 17 foreign criminals with a combined sentence of 75 years and one life sentence were deported on today's charter flight. This includes a combined total of 15.5 years for rape, 16 years for violent offences, almost 29 years for drugs-related offences, including Class A drugs and 14 years for robbery with possession of a firearms: Rape One convicted for rape and given an 11 year sentence One convicted of rape and given a sentence of 4 years and 6 months Violent crime One convicted for a violent assault and given a sentence of 1 year and 3 months One convicted of wounding with intend to cause GBH, possession of a weapon in public place Violent offences against a person (Wounding) 7 years One convicted of a violent crime against a person and given a 8 year sentence Drugs One convicted for intent to supply class A drugs 7 year sentence One persistent offender, whose most recent conviction was for drugs offences and intimidating a witness and given a total sentence of 11 months One convicted for importing controlled drugs and given a sentence of four years One convicted to supplying class A drugs and given a sentence of four years and six months One convicted to supplying class A drugs and given a sentence of three years One convicted of importing controlled class B drugs and given a three year sentence One convicted of supplying class A drugs (crack cocaine) and given a sentence of 3 years and 2 months One convicted of supplying class A drugs and given a sentence of 3 years and 4 months Robbery and firearm offences One convicted of robbery and give a life sentence One convicted of robbery, firearms offence, theft of a vehicle and possessing class A drugs, given a five year sentence One convicted for conspiracy to rob and possession of a firearm and given a sentence of 9 years Burglary One convicted of burglary and given a prison sentence of 2 years and 6 months Advertisement 'The taxpayer will now be left with an even bigger bill and the prospect of convicts who are considered to pose a threat to the UK being granted bail while this matter is resolved. 'We make no apology whatsoever for seeking to remove serious foreign national offenders and will be urgently appealing.' The Government has already promised to review the judicial review process and is likely to fast-track its efforts following the latest deportation setback. Dominic Cummings, one of the Prime Minister's closest aides, said there must be 'urgent action on the farce that judicial review has become' following the Court of Appeal decision, ITV News reported. In a sign of why ministers are determined to act, 12 judicial reviews have been lodged in relation to today's deportation flight in the past few days. A senior Tory source said the situation 'makes the case perfectly to the public about why such a review is needed and why certain parts of Westminster still haven't learned the lesson from the 2019 election'. Last night, Lady Justice Simler said detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they 'had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3'. The court order covered anyone held in two detention centres close to Heathrow, Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth, where a nearby O2 phone mast had suffered technical difficulties. Detention Action believed the order would safeguard 56 detainees across the two sites, however the Home Office today claimed it protected just 25. Critics said the deportation flight risks repeating errors made in 2018 when migrants from the Caribbean known as the Windrush generation were wrongly deported. Campaigners, supported by 150 MPs, say they came to the country as children, are 'British in every meaningful way' and some were sentenced for one-time drug offences when they were young. Reshawn Davis was among those who avoided deportation today despite being told that he would be sent back to the country of his birth last week. The 30-year-old, who came to the UK when he was aged 11 and until recently was living in northwest London, was convicted of robbery a decade ago. He has not committed any crime since serving his two-month prison sentence, but claimed he has been treated as if he 'tried to kill the Queen'. His wife Tonique Kerr told the Victoria Derbyshire Show that he was now back at Colnbrook detention centre waiting to hear his fate. 'No one said anything we don't know what's happening,' she said. 'We haven't heard anything and they haven't told him anything either. 'He's not actually not been back to Jamaica since he came to this country so he doesn't know anyone; he's 30 and spent most of his life here.' Tottenham MP David Lammy said: 'It is an outrage that the deportation flight to Jamaica has departed this morning. 'As the leaked recommendation from Wendy Williams' Lessons Learned Review showed, the Government should not be deporting people who arrived in the UK as children to countries they do not know. 'The Government wants to give the impression that everyone who was deported was a hardened violent criminal, but the reality is many of those who were scheduled to be deported had committed non-violent one-time drugs offences. A map shows the three closest phone masts to Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth detention centres. The charity Detention Action successfully argued that offenders at the two centres near Heathrow were unable to get legal advice due to a lack of phone coverage for O2 users caused by one of the phone masts malfunctioning Critics said the deportation flight risks repeating errors made in 2018 when migrants from the Caribbean known as the Windrush generation were wrongly deported 'The lessons from Windrush have not been learned. Lives are being ruined because we don't remember our history.' Savid Javid said all the convicts on the flight were 'foreign national offenders' who had 'all received custodial sentences of 12 months or more'. He told BBC Radio 5 Live: 'They are responsible for crimes like manslaughter, rape, dealing in class A drugs. 'And it is absolutely right, when they have served their sentence, that we send them out of the country because they are not British nationals, they are not members of the Windrush generation, they are all foreign national offenders.' Thought to be among the deportees are a 23-year-old man, who arrived in Britain aged five, jailed for 15 months for drug offences and a 40-year-old man jailed for seven years for a stabbing. The court order covered anyone held in two detention centres close to Heathrow - Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth. Home Secretary Priti Patel dismissed the calls for the flight to be cancelled last night despite accusations from Labour's Diane Abbott that the government has not learned the lessons of the Windrush scandal Mr Davis, 30, who was convicted of robbery a decade ago, was due to be flown back to the Caribbean island nation, but was not among those who were deported today The judge granted the order without a court hearing following an urgent application on paper by Detention Action. The charity argued that some of the detainees at the two Heathrow centres did not have a functioning mobile phone, following issues with an O2 phone mast in the area. Tajay Thompson (pictured as a boy) was one of those facing deportation to Jamaica having served half of a 15-month sentence in 2015 after being convicted of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply at 17. It is unknown if he was on today's flight But the order did not apply to Brook House detention centre, close to Gatwick, although campaigners said detainees there had experienced similar problems. According to Detention Action, around 56 people were being held in the two Heathrow detention centres. It is not known exactly how many people were held in Brook House. Under the UK Borders Act 2007, the Home Office must make a deportation order where a foreign national has been convicted of an offence and received a custodial sentence of 12 months or more. This is subject to several exceptions, including where to do so would breach someone's human rights or the UK's obligations under the Refugee Convention. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) said the flight had 'forced' families apart, adding that the deportees were 'British in every meaningful way and if the law allows those people to be exiled, it needs to change.' The flight sparked heated scenes in the House of Commons on Monday as Labour MPs pressed the Government on the matter. A protest outside Downing Street later in the evening ended up with demonstrators blocking the roads around Parliament Square. Preparations have been started in order to recover the plane from the lake in March. The Bomber Command Museum of Canada is working with the Consett Police to locate family members of Sergeant Bell. Sergeant Charles Armstrong Bell was serving in the British Royal Air Force during World War II when his Short Stirling bomber BF716 was shot down by German anti-aircraft fire. He was listed as missing in action along with six other members of his crew. The wreckage of that plane was discovered in January 2020, 77 years after it crashed into Laker Markermeer in the Netherlands. It is believed that the remains of the crew members are still on board the plane. The plane was shot down on its return from a bombing run in Germany. After the police department used social media to request help in locating family members of Sgt. Bell, a family member contacted them with information. Relatives of the other six airmen have been located as well. Charles Armstrong Bell is believed to have been the son of James Ainsley Bell and Elizabeth Bell. Bells memorial stone lists him as a husband and a son, which leads researchers to believe that he did not have any children. He was married to Frances. The two lived at 10, Quebec Street, Langley Park. After she was widowed, Frances eventually married John Wharton. She died in 2003. It is possible that Frances had a sister named Lilly Dobbin. Frances died in 2003. There is no record of Lilly Dobbin. Since the authorities do not know the whereabouts of Bells relatives, they are using social media to reach for information on his family. The Markermeer is one of the largest freshwater lakes in Europe. It is used to regulate the water level in the rest of the Netherlands. The Short Stirling was introduced to the RAF in 1941. At one point, it was carrying the majority of the load for British bombing missions. There were 2,383 built in total by the Short Brothers company and Belfast Austin Motor Company in the UK. At the end of WWII, the Short Stirling was found to be obsolete and was used for transport duties only. It was one of the few British bombers that was intended to be a four-engine design from the beginning. Most of the other British bombers were originally designed to be two-engine planes. The design made the planes capable of reaching Berlin, if required. The Mk III variation of the Short Stirling was the model that became the main bomber for the RAF. It was used in 28 RAF bomber squadrons. A typical Short Stirling carried seven crew members two pilots, a navigator/bombardier, a nose gunner, a flight engineer, and two dedicated gunners. In addition to the crew, the plane could carry 14,000 pounds of bombs or cargo. Found: USS Grayback, Final Resting Place of 80 Entombed Sailors The Short Stirling was used by air forces in Belgium, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Nazi Germany flew captured and recovered Short Stirlings in their specialist Luftwaffe air group Kampfgeschwader (KG) 200. The return of Arvind Kejriwal to power in Delhi establishes him as Indias foremost urban politician. His Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scored in the core urban parts of Delhi, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a distant second, made gains mostly on the periphery, with some semi-rural seats. Kejriwals win suggests that Indias urban areas are ripe for reform if only we had political parties that could articulate urban aspirations. Thanks to Gandhi and Bollywood, we have internalized the idea that India lives in its villages, but that is rapidly changing. The truth is we have reduced our best entrepreneurs, our farmers, to beggars through doles and subsidies, even while hobbling our real growth engines, our urban areas. This can only be remedied if urban aspirations are articulated better with parties whose hearts are urban. Kejriwal is the rare urban leader who is directly elected and has effective control of key domains such as education and health. The mere fact that AAP has been able to deliver some positive results in these areas enabled it to humble the BJP, despite the latter using heavy artillery and emotive issues to swing the vote. To be sure, Kejriwals winning formula is not replicable anywhere else, as he could offer loads of freebies to voters. This was possible because Delhi has a high revenue-to-expenditure ratio because of its status as Indias capital, where land and law and order are handled by the Centre. Delhi bears less of the burden of developing its infrastructure than many other comparable cities. The main takeaway from Kejriwals success is that India needs many more urban parties, so that states are forced to give metros and mini metros greater control of their resources to boost growth and investment. While the Constitution may need some tweaks to empower urban bodies on taxation and allow for direct elections to mayoral offices, a lot can be achieved if states acknowledge that their future is urban. Under entry 5 of the state list in schedule seven of the Constitution, it is states that have the power to make laws for local bodies. It says that local government, that is to say, the constitution and powers of municipal corporations, improvement trusts, districts boards, mining settlement authorities and other local authorities for the purpose of local self-government or village administration" will come under the ambit of states. In Maharashtra, where a three-party coalition headed by Uddhav Thackeray is in power, the Shiv Sena has chosen to keep the urban development portfolio, while most coalition heads would have sought finance or home. Thackeray chose urban development as the Senas political interests are tied to Mumbai and Thane, which have the states two richest municipal bodies. If the Sena wants to grow its political base, it can borrow a leaf from AAPs book and legislate more powers to its mayors. Instead of reducing the mayoral office to something decorative, it should make them effective city chief executive officers. At present, the chief minister calls the shots, with the municipal commissioner as his proxy city head. For too long, India has been shooting itself in the foot by handicapping its growth hubs, its cities, by disempowering them and using the wealth generated by them to bankroll rural politics. If India is to grow faster and create worthwhile jobs, these will happen only through concentrated urbanization and not by spreading largesse to rural areas. India is 32% urban officially, but a World Bank study (Leveraging Urbanization In South Asia: Managing Spatial Transformation For Prosperity and Livability) suggests that 55% of Indians live in places with urban-like features". Our politics has been built around the presumption that Indians live largely in rural areas, but this is turning out to be a myth, as more and more poor and landless people gravitate towards urban agglomerations such as Delhis National Capital Region or the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. These two account for nearly 9% of Indias population. Indias urban areas need dollops of investment in infrastructure, social and physical, but this money cannot be generated without reforms in urban governance. Urban areas create lots of wealth. They can be financed if urban governance is not controlled by state-level politicians, whose only interest seems to be in milking real estate. In the coming years, the balance of political power will shift towards urban areas. Parties that try to straddle urban and rural constituencies cannot sacrifice the interests of urban areas for rural gains. The rise of urban parties such as AAP will force a change in priorities. An urban party could campaign for votes by promising better infrastructure, transport, better schools and hospitals, and cheaper housing by bringing down artificially inflated land prices. Over the next two decades, India will be officially more than 50% urban and half the parliamentary and assembly seats will be urban or partly urban. Any politician with a horizon beyond the next election will know that cities will drive power, not rural areas. There is scope for 10 more AAPs or Shiv Senas. To retain power, parties have to think urban, not rural. Even rural vote banks will want urban jobs as farms consolidate and people head for cities. R. Jagannathan is editorial director, Swarajya magazine Subscribe to Mint Newsletters * Enter a valid email * Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter. Never miss a story! Stay connected and informed with Mint. Download our App Now!! Topics Heavy rain has given hope to Australia's drought-stricken regions, but scientists warned Tuesday sustained falls were needed to end a years-long dry spell. Stormy weather has brought days of chaos and destruction in the country's east, with one man missing after his car was swept off a road in Sydney's north and hundreds more rescued from floodwaters. In the small town of Stanthorpe, Queensland, Tracy Dobie said the rain had been "a boost for everyone". "But the drought has not ended," the regional mayor told AFP. "Our land is so dehydrated -- we've gone three years without rain in some places and five years in others -- it's going to take a long time to get moisture back in the soil." Hydrologists believe this week's deluge -- which has caused flooding and doused many fires -- is a taste of things to come, with cities getting inundated while rural areas struggle to offset worsening droughts. Professor Ashish Sharma from the University of New South Wales said heavy rain can give people in cities a "twisted view" of the impact, as water builds up on hard surfaces. Even as people in cities see flooding and property damage, in rural regions sustained rainfall is needed to soak through the dry soil before dams fill. During the latest downpours -- the heaviest in 30 years in some areas -- dam levels near Sydney have risen dramatically. But most of New South Wales' drought-hit towns facing down a water "Day Zero" had seen "negligible" increases, as much of the rain was flowing into rivers not dams, said a spokesman for WaterNSW, which manages the state's water resources. "Unfortunately (that is) largely because the volume hasn't been sufficient and the catchments are extremely dry after a very hot start to the summer and a prolonged drought," he said. Despite climate change driving increases in extreme rainfall, Sharma and his team predict it will not be enough to keep up with rising temperatures. Moderate and frequent floods, which form "the backbone of all our water supply", will likely decrease, Sharma said. "I just hope that people have the wisdom and the foresight to realise that this should not be seen as a sign of not needing to act," he added. Dobie said the rain was more than welcome but "one rain event doesn't close the door on the drought". "We need a year of average rainfall. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 13:44:02|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China will help workers return to work and move hiring online to counter the impact of the novel coronavirus outbreak on employment, an official said Tuesday. China will ramp up support to migrant workers by developing ad hoc positions or arranging public service posts for those who are stranded at home due to the outbreak, said Zhang Ying, an official of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security. Employers are encouraged to interview and sign contracts with college graduate job hunters online, and people who lost their jobs in the hardest-hit areas like central China's Hubei Province are entitled to unemployment compensation. While services sectors including tourism and catering face challenges in keeping their workforce, companies in epidemic prevention and control are shorthanded, said Zhang. She pointed to jobs in food and medical supplies manufacturing, as well as water and electricity supply as the most in-demand positions and pledged to ensure access to online application platforms. "The outbreak won't change China's strengthening economic fundamentals in the long run or the overall stability of employment," said Zhang. Members of Sudan's ruling council have announced they will hand ousted president Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court in The Hague where he is wanted for war crimes and genocide. The former leader was indicted by the ICC on charges of war crimes, crimes against humanity and committing genocide in Sudan's war-torn region of Darfur. Two arrest warrants were issued in 2009 and 2010. He has repeatedly denied the allegations. Bashir was forced from office in April last year by the military after nationwide protests against his 30-year rule. He has stood trial in Sudan on corruption charges and was sentenced to two years in jail in December, a ruling many said was too lenient. However, the country's joint military and civilian council were reluctant to send the leader to the Hague. On Tuesday the government and rebel groups in Darfur agreed that those wanted by the ICC would be presented to the tribunal, according to the country's information minister Faisal Saleh and Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the Sovereign Council and a government negotiator. Neither mentioned Bashir by name. They did not say when the former president, or the others wanted by the ICC, would be transferred. Mr Taishi also said that the two sides agreed to create a Darfur special court to investigate and hear cases including those investigated by the ICC. A spokesman from the ICC declined to comment. Bashir's lawyers said the former leader has refused to deal with the ICC dismissing it as a "political court". He has repeatedly insisted Sudan's judiciary is able to deal with any case. The decision was made during peace talks held in the South Sudanese capital Juba. Darfur, located on Sudans most western edge, has witnessed horrific violence since a civil war erupted in 2003 when rebel groups took up arms against Bashirs government that they accused of oppressing Sudans non-Arab population. Bashir furnished loyal, mostly Arab tribes and militias with weapons, forming a sprawling proxy army called the Janjaweed. This began a campaign of ethnic cleansing of the predominantly African origin communities from which the rebels heralded. Rights groups said that Bashir used these forces to launch ground, air and even chemical weapon attacks on civilians, prompting wave after wave of displacement. No one knows exactly how many people have been killed since 2003, but estimates range from 300,000 to half a million dead. Nearly three million have been driven from their homes. Inside war-ravaged Darfur where deadly violence is killing the revolution The ICC issued arrest warrants against Bashir in 2009 and 2010. The court has also indicted two other senior figures in his regime: Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, who was interior and defence minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time who last month was named by Bashir to run the ruling National Congress Party. Displaced residents of Darfur told The Independent they were "delighted to finally see justice" when the news broke on Tuesday. "It is a key step towards a comprehensive peace agreement here and a way to start addressing the roots of the nation's problems," said Osman Adam, a community leader at Abu Shuk camp for the displaced in northern Darfur. He was forced to flee his home in Kab Kabiya a few years ago, when Bashir's forces raided his village. "We IDPs are victims of horrific violence and so today we are happy. What the Sudanese government did in Juba at the negotiating table is a wonderful thing." He added: "We also want to thank the international community for the pressure it has exerted over the years in trying to ensure those who have committed crimes against the Darfurian people are handed to the ICC." Agencies contributed to this report One of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, Vinay Sharma, approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President.. Sharma, through his counsel A P Singh, has also sought commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment. President Ram Nath Kovind had on February 1 rejected the clemency plea of Vinay. The trial court had on January 31 stayed "till further orders" execution of the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition -- the last and final legal remedy available to a person which is decided in-chamber. Pawan also has the option of filing a mercy plea. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as 'Nirbhaya' (fearless), was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Six people including the four convicts, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were named as accused. The trial of the five adult men began in a special fast-track court in March 2013. Ram Singh, the prime accused, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar jail days after the trial began. The juvenile, who was said to be the most brutal of the attackers, was put in a correctional home for three years. The juvenile was released in 2015 and sent to an undisclosed location amid concerns over a threat to his life. He, when released, was 20 years old. Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan were sentenced to death in September 2013 by the trial court. SC issues notices to 4 death row convicts on Centre's appeal against HC verdict The Supreme Court on Tuesday sought response from the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case on the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi high court verdict which dismissed its plea against stay on their execution. It also granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convict. The 3-judge bench, headed by Justice R Banumathi and also comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna, said the pendency of the appeal filed by the Centre and Delhi government before it would not be an impediment for the trial court in issuing fresh date for execution of the convicts. Solicitor General Tuhar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi government, said the execution of the convicts is not for "enjoyment " and the authorities are only executing the mandate of the law. Referring to the delaying tactics of the convicts, he said three of them have exhausted their remedies but one of them, Pawan Gupta, has not yet filed either curative plea in the apex court or mercy petition before the President. He said the court has to keep in mind the impact of this on the society as despite the fact that appeals of the convict were dismissed by the top court in 2017, the authorities were "struggling to execute them even now". Mehta referred to the alleged encounter killing of four accused in the gang rape and murder case of a woman veterinarian in Hyderabad and said "people had celebrated after this and this was because people have started losing faith in the system. This reflects poorly on our system". The court had initially said that issuing notice to the convicts would further delay the matter but did it later on the appeal filed by the Centre and Delhi government. The US has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defence Weapon System to India for an estimated cost of USD 1.867 billion to modernise its armed forces and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attack Washington: The US has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System to India for an estimated cost of USD 1.867 billion to modernise its armed forces and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attack. The Trump Administration has notified to the US Congress of its determination to sell India the Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS), the Defence Security Cooperation Agency said Monday. The entire system is estimated to cost USD USD 1.867 billion, the State Department has told the Congress in a notification. "India intends to use these defence articles and services to modernize its armed forces, and to expand its existing air defence architecture to counter threats posed by air attack, the State Department said. This will contribute to India's military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between India, the US, and other allies, it added. According to the notification, India had requested the US to buy an IADWS. The request was for five AN/MPQ-64Fl Sentinel radar systems; one hundred eighteen AMRAAM AIM-120C-7/C-8 missiles; three AMRAAM Guidance Sections; four AMRAAM Control Sections; and one hundred thirty-four Stinger FIM-92L missiles. Also included are thirty-two M4A1 rifles; 40,32) M855 5.56mm cartridges; Fire Distribution Centers (FDC); Handheld Remote Terminals; Electrical Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Systems; AMRAAM Non-Developmental Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units (NDI AIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); and Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML). By Gary Wockner Americas population is soaring. Our nation currently houses 330 million people. And each year that number grows by 2 million. By 2065, more than 440 million people may call the United States home. This explosive growth threatens everything Americans hold dear, including our open spaces, pristine air and water, and abundant wildlife. Much of the natural landscape around us is being subdivided and paved over. Farms are turning into shopping centers. Meadows are giving way to housing developments. Fortunately, two senators Michael Bennet, D-Colo., and Tom Udall, D-N.M. recently introduced a resolution that could help conserve the environment. Known as the 30 by 30 resolution, it urges the federal government to establish a national goal of conserving at least 30 percent of the land and ocean of the United States by 2030. This resolution couldnt have come at a better time. America loses 1.5 million acres of natural land per year. Development has destroyed half of our wetlands. More than 12,000 plant and animal species are currently at risk of extinction. Our oceans have seen dramatic reductions in coral reefs, mangroves, and fishes. And nearly a third of North American birds have disappeared since 1970. Overdevelopment exacerbates the effects of climate change by pushing communities into floodplains and fire-prone areas. If we dont act now, the adverse consequences of warming including more frequent and intense wildfires, storms and floods will ravage the United States in the future. To combat this looming catastrophe, the resolution calls for a cooperative conservation effort between the federal government, states, local communities, Native American tribes, and private landowners. Thats the right approach. We are all in this together, and we all have to work together to address the challenge of overdevelopment. Overall, the United States adds enough people to create a new Los Angeles County, about 10 million people, every few years. Pew Research predicts that America will add another 25 million people by 2030. In other words, many open spaces will transform into endless urban sprawl. Combatting overpopulation and overdevelopment is the single best way to protect the environment. Globally, the human population is predicted to increase from 7.7 billion currently to 8.6 billion by 2030 and 9.8 billion by 2050. Unless we act now, the resulting voracious demand for land and natural resources will likely result in a sixth mass extinction of plants and animals. Given the sheer political chaos we see in Washington, D.C., every single day, its not just refreshing, but inspiring, seeing a vision put forward like the 30 by 30 resolution. Its time for all environmentalists to voice their support for the effort. Gary Wockner, PhD, is a scientist and conservationist based in Colorado. Follow him on Twitter, @GaryWockner The president of Jackson State University has been arrested alongside a fellow employee as part of a prostitution sting in central Mississippi that involved 15 others. William Bynum Jr., 57, and Shonda McCarthy were taken into custody this weekend after they responded to ad for prostitution services, listed on the 'dark web'. After agreeing on services with an undercover officer, they arrived together to the Fairfield Inn hotel near Interstate 20, where others were arrested for charges including prostitution and promoting prostitution. 'We do believe that they arrived at the hotel together,' spokesperson Mark Jones told the New York Post Tuesday. William Bynum Jr., 57, and Shonda McCarthy were taken into custody this weekend after they responded to ad for prostitution services, listed on the 'dark web'. After agreeing on services with an undercover officer, they arrived together to the Fairfield Inn hotel near Interstate 20, where others were arrested for charges including prostitution and promoting prostitution Bynum had been president of Jackson State since 2017 after serving four years as president of Mississippi Valley State University. McCarthy, 46, the director of the Jackson State University art galleries When asked why they were together, the rep said: 'Its pure speculation at this point. I guess that will come out at another time.' Bynum was arrested late Saturday or early Sunday and charged with procuring services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and simple possession of marijuana. When asked if Bynum tried to convince police he was someone else, Clinton Police Chief Ford Hayman said in a press conference Monday: 'Without getting into particulars, yes, he was charged with that - providing a false identity.' But he wouldn't elaborate on their connection. 'They were arrested,' the police chief said Monday in a news conference. 'Its an ongoing investigation. As everybody that was arrested in this operation, an ad was online and they saw that ad, they called and set this up with our undercover officers. So thats to the extent I can answer that question.' According to the Clarion Ledger, he has been married for four decades and has six children. He was released from jail Sunday after posting $3,000 bail. Bynum submitted his resignation Monday and it took effect immediately. Images show her posing with hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons at an event for her brand. She appears alongside Russell's nephew Jamel Simmons in a September 2009 image An interview with Shonda McCarthy states that she used to live in New York and owned a popular boutique named Lolli by Reincarnation. But she moved back to Jackson to raise her son. Danny Simmons and his son, Jamel Simmons during Rush East New York Celebration Hosted By Russell Simmons at Time Warner Center in New York City Within hours, the governing board for Mississippi's eight public universities met and named another Jackson State administrator, Thomas Hudson, as interim president. Hudson has been special assistant to the president and chief diversity officer. Bynum had been president of the 5,300-student Jackson State since 2017 after serving four years as president of Mississippi Valley State University. A biography of Bynum on the Jackson State University website said his personal and professional motto is, 'Look back and thank God. Look forward and trust God. Look around and serve God. Look within and find God.' Bynum faced protests from some alumni and students when he was first chosen for the Jackson State presidency because he was not among the three initial finalists. The university was having financial problems after overspending by a previous president. Bynum said the university would face three to five years of austerity. 'I understand I may not be your choice,' Bynum told one angry student in 2017. 'All I say to you is, watch me work.' McCarthy, 46, the director of the Jackson State University art galleries, was charged with procuring services of a prostitute and possession of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle. McCarthy went by Shon (or Shonda) McCarthy Simmons in 2015, according to the Jackson Free Press. An interview with her states that she used to live in New York and owned a popular boutique named Lolli by Reincarnation. The article states celebrities including Lindsay Lohan and Cameron Diaz purchased items she designed and sold. Images show her posing with hip-hop and fashion mogul Russell Simmons at an event for her brand. She appears alongside Russell's nephew Jamel Simmons in a September 2009 image. Four suspects from Memphis are charged with promoting or conspiracy to promote prostitution as police said the suspects could be part of a multi-state prostitution ring. Pictured clockwise from top left; Alexis Miller, Temeela Palmer, Joseph Jones, and Jesus Porrata Sheena Stanford (left), age 35, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution. Sierra Case (right), age 23, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution Rosella Brown (left), age 25, of Canton, Mississippi: Prostitution. Naketa Williams (right), age 37, of Jackson, Mississippi: Prostitution '(Jackson), is a goldmine, and we don't realize it,' she told the publication at the time. 'I had to move away from home (in 1999) and live in New York for 12 years to realize how great a place this is.' The article states she moved back to Jackson to raise her son Cody who was six at the time. According to the university website McCarthy is a member of the Advisory Board of Hip Hop Hall of Fame (Arts Education), New York, and the JSU Jazz Series Committee. McCarthy was also released Sunday on $2,000 bail. She and Bynum are due in court for their arraignment on March 11. Four suspects from Memphis are charged with promoting or conspiracy to promote prostitution as police said the suspects could be part of a multi-state prostitution ring. The Clinton Police Department did not identify any patterns or activity to suggest that prostitution or human trafficking is prevalent in Clinton. The Clinton Police Department encourages anyone who might information pertaining to human trafficking to contact CPD or CRIMESTOPPERS with tips for further investigation. National Human Trafficking Hotline 1-888-373-7888. Steve Hampton (left), age 57, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution, Possession of Crack Cocaine, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Eric Jackson (right), age 34, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution Fredrick Robinson (left), age 41, of Jackson, Mississippi: Promoting Prostitution. Anthony Bowman (right), age 48, of Vicksburg, Mississippi: Procuring Services of a Prostitute Manoj Tiwari revises BJPs number in Delhi, says celebrations have begun India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 11: Manoj Tiwari has revised the final tally of the BJP in the Delhi elections. After the exit polls, he had predicted 48 seats for the BJP, but today as counting is on, the Delhi BJP chief says that his party would end up with 55. He said that he is not nervous, but is confident that it would be a good outing for the BJP today. How Kejriwals TINA campaign put AAP ahead of its opponents He said that celebrations have already begun at the BJP's headquarters. It may be recalled that the BJP had on Saturday said that these are only exit polls they are not exact polls. Following the exit polls, Tiwari in a tweet said that all these exit polls are bound to fail. Keep this tweet of mine safe. I predict that the BJP will win 48 seats, he also said. On the other hand Parvesh Sahib Singh, BJP MP said that his party would come to power in Delhi. In a tweet he said that the BJP will win 50 seats and the Aam Admi Party, 16. He gave 4 to the Congress. The Net-NewsX exit poll has predicted a huge victory for the AAP. The AAP would win 53-57 seats, while the BJP will win. 11 to 17 the exit poll says. The Congress may not open its account or end up with 2 seats the poll also says. According to the Times Now IPSOS poll, the Aam Admi Party would win 44 seats and the BJP will end up with 26. The Republic Jan ki Baat poll says that the AAP will win 48-61 seats and the BJP will end up with 9 to 21. The India Today Axis My India exit poll gives the AAP 9-10 in West Delhi and the BJP 0 to 1. The BJP will bag 35 per cent of the vote share while the AAP will end up with 57 per cent, the exit polls says. The poll also says that in West Delhi, the AAP would win 9 to 10 seats. The BJP on the other hand may win draw a blank or end up with just one seat in this segment, the exit poll says. And Little Arvind Kejriwal is back Sudarshan News gives the AAP 40 to 45 and the BJP 24 to 28. The Congress on the other hand will get 2 to 3 the poll says. India TV on the other hand gives the AAP, 44 and the BJP 26. The Congress will not open its account the poll says. TV9 Bharatvarsh-Cicero gives the AAP, 54 and the BJP 15. It gives the Congress just one seat. India New Neta on the other hand gives the AAP 53-57 and the BJP 11 to 17. The Congress may not open its account or end up with 2 seats, the poll says. The ABP C-Voter poll says that the AAP will end up with 49 to 63 while the BJP could end up 5 to 19 seats. The Congress is unlikely to open its account or end up with 4 seats, the poll also predicts. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 9:03 [IST] [February 11, 2020] Generational Equity's Julie Sandoval Recognized as Leader in the M&A Industry Generational Equity, a leading mergers and acquisitions advisor for privately held businesses, is pleased to announce that Julie Sandoval, Sr. Managing Director, will be recognized as a leading female Dealmaker by the Global M&A Network. The awards ceremony will be held on March 5th, 2020 during the 2nd Annual U.S.A Growth & Deals Forum at the Mayflower Hotel, Washington DC. As a leading M&A Advisor, Julie Sandoval works directly with private middle-market business owners in developing and executing successful exit strategies to strategic and financial buyers. Julie brings over 20 years of financial valuation, forecasting, auditing, and analysis, as well as market research experience to her current position with Generational Equity. Prior to serving in her current position, Julie performed financial valuations and marketing duties and most recently served as the Senior Vice President of the Central Region and Vice President of the Southeastern Region. Ms. Sandoval holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a Masters of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from New Mexico State University. Global M&A Network is a diversified media company and exclusive publisher of the popular "Top Dealmakers" lists. GM&AN also hosts industry forums and the world's most prestigious "Atlas Awards" galas, serving the alternative investing, private equity, M&A, restructuring, transactional and business communities world-wide. The female deal making award honors the A-List of most talented, respected and brilliant women dealmaker's achievements. A definitive confirmation of each nominee's accomplishments is required since the selection is based on each individual's unique expertise, prominence, and influence among her clients, colleagues, peers, and the industry. The Independently governd award validates the winner's accomplishments. The award also compliments the firm's commitment on gender balance initiatives including in the wider business and transactional eco-systems. Ryan Binkley, President & CEO of Generational Equity said, "I am excited for Julie to receive this prestigious award. Her dedication and passion to serve our clients is a reflection of her commitment to our core values. I'm very happy to see Julie get this well-deserved recognition." "Julie creates authentic relationships with sellers and buyers that serves her well through the myriad of deal challenges that present themselves in every transaction. Her clients value her as a trusted advisor," stated Brenen Hofstadter, Chief M&A Officer for the Generational Group. "It has been a real pleasure to watch her transact at world-class levels. Julie leads by example and is one of our top Dealmakers." About Generational Equity Generational Equity, Generational Capital Markets (member FINRA/SIPC), Generational Wealth Advisors, and DealForce are part of the Generational Group, which is headquartered in Dallas and is one of the leading M&A advisory firms in North America. With over 250 professionals located throughout North America, the companies help business owners release the wealth of their business by providing merger, acquisition, and wealth management services. Their five-step approach features exit planning education, business valuation, value enhancement strategies, M&A transactional services, and wealth management. The M&A Advisor named the company the 2016, 2017, and 2018 Investment Banking Firm of the Year. For more information, visit https://www.genequityco.com/ or the Generational Equity press room. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005299/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:10:12|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TEHRAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said Tuesday that the United States has been unable to defeat Iranians through "tough" sanctions over the past two years. "America wants to weaken Iranians; they want our nation to surrender," Rouhani said in a celebration marking the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. The United States is against the Iranians' choice of their fate, he said, adding that "however, the nation, the government, and the armed forces will resist the U.S. pressures." Over the past months, the Iranian government has managed to overcome most of the problems stemmed from U.S. sanctions, he added. Hundreds of thousands of Iranians attended nationwide rallies on Tuesday. In different cities, people swarmed to the streets, chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israeli slogans. In Tehran, the demonstrators burned the U.S. and Israeli flags. They carried images of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, late founder of the Islamic republic, and his successor and the incumbent supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as Qassem Soleimani, senior Iranian commander who was recently assassinated by the United States. Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani had called for mass turnout to mark the anniversary of the revolution and condemn the "hostile" moves of the United States against the Islamic republic. The 1979 Revolution in Iran toppled the U.S.-backed Shah regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history. Students Father Charged in Alleged Sex Cult at Sarah Lawrence College in New York A New York man was charged for allegedly targeting a group of students at Sarah Lawrence College for nearly a decade in an indictment released on Feb. 11. Lawrence Ray, the father of a student at the college, lived with some of the victims in on-campus housing and later at locations in the New York City borough of Manhattan, and in the town of Pinehurst, North Carolina, among other places. Ray, from in or about 2010, subjected the victims to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse, the indictment states. The victims were girls and boys young enough to be his children, Geoffrey Berman, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a press conference on Feb. 11. At the core of Rays criminal conduct was his ability to psychologically control his young victims, most of whom were in college when the scheme began. Ray allegedly extracted false confessions from at least seven victims who confessed to causing harm and damage to Ray, his relatives, and other associates. Rays threats included choking a male victim until he passed out, holding a knife to a male victims throat, and grabbing a female victim by her head until shoving her to the ground. Ray used the false confessions to extort money from the victims, to force some of them to perform unpaid manual labor, and to force one of the female victims to engage in prostitution for Rays financial benefit, according to the indictment. Because the students couldnt afford payments Ray demanded they give him, they were directed to get money from the parents and others, Berman said. Some opened lines of credit or solicited contributions from acquaintances while others received hundreds of thousands from family members. One female victim worked as a prostitute for four years and gave most of the proceeds to Ray. Ray was charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and other offenses. Ray was in jail for security fraud. In 2010, after being released, authorities said, he moved into his daughters dorm room on the campus of Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville along with her male and female roommates. After the move, Ray allegedly started so-called therapy sessions with some of the roommates, presenting himself as a wise, older figure who could help the students with some of their issues. He did all of our cleaning and definitely took on the dad role in the house in a big way, Juli Anna, one of the roommates, told The Cut. During the sessions, Ray learned intimate details about their private lives, vulnerabilities, and mental health struggles under the pretense of helping them. Ray alienated several of the victims from their parents and convinced the victims they were broken and needed fixing by Ray, authorities said. Ray would hold interrogation sessions that usually involved both verbal and physical abuse, targeting one victim at a time in the presence of other victims and often with assistance from at least one associate, the indictment states. Hed accuse victims of a range of crimes, including damaging his property. When they denied the false accusations, the interrogations would last for hours and end with false confessions by the victims. According to the indictment, Ray recorded some of the confessions on video and he also took and kept explicit photographs of some of the victims. Ray at one point took some of the victims to Pinhurst, North Carolina, and made them work on a property he owned there. They were allegedly made to work without pay to pay off the supposed damages they caused to Rays belongings. Ray was arrested at his house in Piscataway on Feb. 11 and was slated to be arraigned later in the day. British children spend the equivalent of almost two days a week glued to screens, a report reveals. The youngsters, aged eight to 19, spent 44 hours using devices such as tablets, phones and televisions. Children in the UK spent nearly double the time looking at screens compared to their counterparts in Japan where the figure was 24 hours. The report found Britain was ranked second from last out of 30 surveyed countries when it came to 'children's disciplined digital use'. British children spend the equivalent of almost two days a week glued to screens, a report reveals (stock image) This was based on 'excessive screen time', social media use and ownership of mobile phones. The Dominican Republic received the lowest ranking in this category. The figures come from DQ Institute's Child Online Safety Index, published by the think-tank today to tie in with Safer Internet Day 2020. It surveyed 145,426 children and adolescents over the last three years in 30 countries. The research also found that British children are less safe online than youngsters in Nigeria and Peru. The UK ranked 19th overall in a table listing countries by the level of child online safety. Children in the UK spent nearly double the time looking at screens compared to their counterparts in Japan where the figure was 24 hours (stock image) It put Britain behind countries such as India and South Korea, and placed it lower than any other developed country included in the research. In top place was Spain, followed by Australia. The UK was in 17th place when it came to children being exposed to 'cyber risks' such as bullying and 'risky contact with strangers'. The study found 32 per cent of 13- to 19-year-olds had experienced 'unwelcome sexual contact' online. And almost two-thirds of children aged eight to 12 had been 'exposed to one or more forms of cyber risk', which researchers branded a 'cyber pandemic'. For digital competency children's safe and responsible use of technology the UK ranked eighth from last, way behind table-topping India. But Britain was a high scorer in sixth place on connectivity, which measured children's access to the internet. Dr Yuhyun Park, founder of the DQ Institute, said: 'That the UK ranks lower than any other developed country surveyed in the Child Online Safety Index should serve as a wake-up call to everyone about the safety of the nation's children online.' Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hugo Greenhalgh (Reuters) London, United Kingdom Tue, February 11, 2020 22:01 699 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063e072a 2 Art & Culture Britain,royals,LGBTQ,history,travel,Tourist,tourism Free From "kings who were queens" to lesbian lawmakers and reformist governments, Britain's history is awash with LGBT+ characters - and tourists want to know about them. As Britain marks LGBT History Month, its parliament has increased the number of tours dedicated to the hidden history of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives in response to unprecedented demand. "There's definitely more demand for the tours and these are now a permanent feature across the calendar," said a parliament spokesman. Britain's parliament has the highest proportion of LGBT+ members of any in the world, with 45 of its current lawmakers - 7 percent of the total - identifying as such. "It is a history of kings and queens - and some kings who were queens," Pride at Parliament tour guide Ralph Spencer told the Thomson Reuters Foundation on Monday. Westminster Hall, which dates back to 1097, was probably "built by a gay man and refurbished by a bisexual (man)", according to Spencer. During the time of King William II, the third son of William the Conqueror, Westminster Hall was unlit, allowing the dark to cloak "all sorts of things", Spencer said. William Rufus, as the king who reigned from 1087 to 1100 was also known for his red hair, was attended by "a flock of (male) harlots acting in an effeminate way", he added. Before and after the English parliament was first convened in 1215, numerous kings and queens were accused of homosexuality, most notoriously Edward II, who reigned for almost 20 years from 1307. He was the "playboy prince", Spencer said, known for his close relationship with courtier Piers Gaveston. Yet history records other, perhaps more unexpected, royal LGBT+ characters from the past. Richard I, also known as Richard the Lionheart, was said to have had an affair with the king of France. And Queen Anne, immortalized by Oscar-winning actor Olivia Colman in the film The Favourite, was said to have had a close relationship with Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough. Britain's first openly lesbian member of parliament was Maureen Colquhoun, although not by choice - she was outed by a newspaper in 1976. Chris Smith would become the first parliamentarian to come out while in office in 1984. Parliament saw a flurry of LGBT+ reforms following the election of Tony Blair as prime minister in 1997. An equal age of consent at 16 for both gay and straight men and a repeal of the ban on LGBT+ people serving in the armed forces was followed by gay marriage under the premiership of David Cameron. "Society has become hugely more tolerant, with a slight hiccup during the period of the AIDS crisis," said Dominic Janes, professor of modern history at Keele University. "There was a powerful rebound in the mid-90s and in the early 20th century and that basically helped spur a whole series of progressive reforms. Topics : Britain royals LGBTQ history travel Tourist tourism WILLIAMSPORT A Centre County man is headed to prison for 18 months for underreporting $807,578 in income over a seven-year period, resulting in a federal tax loss of $211,248. Jeremy Snyder, 43 of State College, told U.S. Middle District Judge Matthew W. Brann on Monday he has no excuse for what he did but asked for probation, claiming he had paid the taxes owed the Internal Revenue Service. He claimed he had been punished sufficiently because he can no longer purchase #1 Cycle Center Harley-Davidson Inc. in State College, where he had been general manager and is still employed. Being a convicted felon eliminates him from owning a dealership. Owner Earl Yearick chose not to pursue charges related to Snyder stealing $80,000 from the business and asked Brann not to imprison him, saying he has accepted responsibility. Although Snyder has paid the $211,248 owed in taxes from 2009 through 2016, his attorney Richard F. Maffett Jr. said the IRS has assessed him an additional $222,829 in interest and penalties that continue to compound. He had to liquidate savings and retirement accounts and obtain a loan to pay off the $211,248, the attorney said. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Ford argued that placing Snyder on probation because he paid what he owed the IRS would not be punishment. The prosecutor pointed out Snyder was making more than $100,000 annually but took money from the business that was used for household expenses, vacations and to pay off credit cards. In imposing the 18-month jail sentence followed by two years of supervised release, Brann described Snyders conduct as extensive, repeated and egregious. The judge allowed him to self-report to prison on March 12. Snyder, a father of four who has an accounting degree from Susquehanna University, had pleaded guilty in July to a tax evasion charge. Arkansas cop Jake Perry has been placed on leave after disturbing video began circulating on Monday showing him placing a student in a chokehold An Arkansas police officer has been placed on leave after he was caught on video putting a student in a chokehold during an altercation at a high school. On Monday February 10 video started to circulate on Facebook showing school resource officer Jake Perry placing a male student at Camden Fairview High School in a chokehold. The incident took place in a cafeteria and some students can be heard screaming in shock and a few laughing in the background. As a result of the video, Officer Perry has been relieved of his duties pending an investigation. Arkansas cop Jake Perry has been placed on leave after disturbing video showed him choking a student at Camden Fairview High School, where he works as the school resource officer The shocking video footage shows Perry putting the male student in a chokehold and lift him off the ground several times as other students in the school cafeteria look on Students at Camden High School watched the officer interact with the male student. It's not clear how or why the two got into an altercation At the end of the clip Perry walks out of the cafeteria keeping on arm around the boy's neck In the harrowing cop Perry is seeing standing behind a male student and wraps both of his arms around the boy's neck and lifts him in the air multiple times. At the end of the clip Perry walks out of the cafeteria keeping on arm around the boy's neck. It's not clear why the officer was trying to restrain the boy. The details of the altercation are not known at this time. 'As the Police Chief, I will not tolerate misconduct from my officers and this matter will be dealt with accordingly,' Camden Police Chief Boyd Woody said Monday, condemning Perry's actions. Perry pictured left in an army uniform on his social media and right on the Camden Police Department Facebook page It's not clear when the incident at Camden Fairview High School (above) took place but video of the confrontation was shared online on Monday The Camden Police Department shared this notice announcing Perry's leave pending an investigation Camden Fairview Superintendent Fred Lilly said he's aware of Monday's altercation and that his school district will cooperate with the police department. 'In order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future, CFSD will work with the CPD to ensure that current policies and procedures for all SROs stationed at CFSD schools are reviewed and revised if necessary. CFSD's first priority is, and will continue to be, to provide an excellent education to all of our students in a safe environment,' Lilly said in a statement. The high school announced the incident with the school resource officer on Facebook, sparking outrage among students and family. 'I dont care what that child did. The way the cop handled him was unacceptable. There were so many other avenues to take other than choking the boy. The officer simply restrained him?' one outraged Facebook user said. 'Where was the rest of the staff while this was happening? You should all be ashamed of yourselves,' another admonished. 'This is infuriating to say the least. To take and pick that boy up by his neck like that while choking him out. He could've broke his neck. This is inexcusable,' another Facebook user said. A Florida man who last week drove his van into a voter registration tent staffed by local Republicans has admitted he was motivated by his hatred of President Trump. Gregory Timm, 27, drove into the tent on Saturday in the parking lot of a Jacksonville WalMart, narrowly missing volunteers working at the site. Timm told investigators from the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office that he crashed into the tent because someone had to take a stand,A the Jacksonville outlet News4Jax reported on Tuesday. He also tried to film the attack on his phone, but the video cut off before he hit the tent. Timm said he was disappointed the video ended before the good part. According to the Jacksonville Sheriffs investigation, Timm asserted that he waited until no one was in the tent before crashing into it; however, his own cell phone video showed people standing in front of the tent as he drove towards it. Jacksonville police have charged Timm with criminal mischief, driving without a license, and two counts of aggravated assault against a person over the age of 65. While police waited several days to confirm the attack was politically motivated, Republicans on Saturday excoriated Timm over his actions. Florida Senator Marco Rubio and called the attack politically motivated, while governor Rick Scott said the Duval County GOP would will redouble their efforts to support strong Republicans in NE Florida and around the state! We are outraged. This is not who we are. This is un-American, Duval County Republican Party Chair Dean Black said at a press conference on Monday. We are thankful that no one was injured; no one was killed. More from National Review Teachers placed a south London primary school on lock-down this afternoon as police investigated reports of a man carrying a gun. Officers raced to Bromley this afternoon, telling pupils and teachers to remain indoors. Castlecombe Primary School was shut while police attended the scene today. Castlecombe School (pictured) was closed this afternoon as police responded to reports of a gun at the south London site After attending, the Met Police said that there was no gunman or firearm found in the area. A spokesperson for the Met Police said: Police were called at 15:08hrs on Tuesday, 11 February to a report of a male seen carrying a firearm at Dunkery Road, Bromley. 'Children were kept inside a local school as a precaution while officers and NPAS made a search of the immediate and surrounding areas. No trace of the suspect or a firearm was found. No arrests.' Supreme Council for Health (SCH) President, Head of National Medical Team to prevent coronavirus Lieutenant-General Dr Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, and Health Minister Faeqa Al Saleh, visited Ebrahim Khalil Kanoo Community Medical Centre. The visit came to check the centres readiness and the preparations taken to allocate it to isolate and receive suspected cases of the emerging coronavirus.They were briefed on the mechanism of receiving and transferring patients, and the preventive measures to prevent the transmission of infection were examined. The medical team was directed to follow the therapeutic protocols and procedures to control the infection, and to apply them in a proper manner that ensures maintaining the safety and health of patients, noting that no infection has been recorded in Bahrain. Consultant of Infectious Diseases Dr Jameela Al Salman, reviewed the ministrys efforts in developing the general plan and medical protocols to combat the emerging coronavirus based on international guidelines, and the Gulf Health Council on keeping pace with global and regional precautionary measures. She explained that according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the confirmed cases should be isolated, and the suspected cases are applied to the isolation until the laboratory results appear, and if the suspect is confirmed to be infected, the isolation is performed, and if the result is negative, the patient is given instructions to stay at home for 14 days. Dr Al Salman highlighted that the organisation has published on its website all precautionary guidelines related to the disease and is publishing all updates on the spread of coronavirus. Thinking afresh about Industrialisation and Industrial Policy for Africa tralac hosted a Workshop on 20 and 21 January 2020 to stimulate a fresh debate (and ask relevant and urgent questions) about industrial development and policy. The Workshop brought together representatives from the African Union Commission (AUC), regional and national governments and business organisations and the private sector to share their narratives on industrialisation and industrial policy. The Workshop was organised in focused sessions. Session 1 focused on industrialisation and industrial policy, with Trudi Hartzenberg, John Stuart (tralac Associate) and Dumisani Mbambo of the International Trade Administration Commission, South Africa. Session 2 (with Prof. Gerhard Erasmus, tralac Associate, and Tania Bowers of Eskom) discussed the importance of governance in industrial development and policy. Session 3 provided private sector perspectives of industrialisation and included representatives from agro-processing (Motlatisi Tolo young woman entrepreneur in the poultry industry), clothing and textiles (Michael Lawrence from the National Clothing Retail Foundation) and chemical industries (Farida Khan from SASOL) and exporters (Terry Gale Western Cape Exporters Club). Session 4 revealed industrial development and policy experience from the southern African region, including Zimbabwe (Daniel Ndlela), Namibia (Roberth Simon), Botswana (Reginald Selelo), Malawi (William Mwanza) and Eswatini (Nontobeko Mabuza). Session 5 provided an overview of South Africas industrial policy paradigm particularly the proposed master plans for the clothing and textile industry (Michael) and envisioned agricultural industry (Sfiso Ntombela). Session 6 provided regional and continental perspectives on industrialisation and industrial policy. The session included representatives from the African Union Commission (Brian Mureverwi and Rongai Chizema), Southern African Development Community (SADC) Business Council (Tulo Makwati) and the Southern African Customs Union (SACU) Secretariat (Khutsafalo Sekolokwane). The workshop concluded with participants proposing for the following Follow Up Issues: While many companies cancelled their MWC events due to the coronavirus outbreak, Xiaomi has made an announcement that it will stick to its original plan. The company tweeted a detailed list of precautions it will take to ensure the safety of its employees and the visitors to its booth. For presentations at the Xiaomi booth, the company will bring in employees from its European offices (after checking that they have shown no symptoms for 14 days). All displayed products will be frequently disinfected, following GSMA guidelines. For employees and senior staff coming out of China, Xiaomi will ensure that they left the country at least 14 days before attending the event at the MWC and that they show no symptoms. Xiaomi will unveil new smartphones and a variety of other smart gadgets on February 23. This includes the global launch of the Xiaomi Mi 10 and Mi 10 Pro (the phones will be unveiled in China first a couple of days from now). The Mi 10 flagships and other new gadgets will be available at Xiaomi's booth between February 24 and 27. Here is Xiaomi's message to the fans and media: With the continuing spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, we would like to inform our fans, media friends, partners and users that the health and safety of everyone is a top priority for all of us at Xiaomi. Also, we will attend Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2020 as planned, and launch our latest smartphones as well as a range of smart hardware. Xiaomi is committed to containing the current outbreak by following all effective recommended measures to safeguard the health and well-being of its employees, fans, media friends, partners and users who are coming to visit us around the world. Thus, we have put in place further instructions regarding our global product launch on February 23, as well as at our MWC booth located at 3D10, Hall 3, Fira de Barcelona Gran Via, from February 24 to 27. We will make sure that all employees traveling from China show no symptoms and will have been out of China for at least 14 calendar days before their arrival in Barcelona for our launch event and MWC. We will make sure all senior executives of the company scheduled to take part in any kind of activities and meetings will have been out of China for at least 14 calendar days prior to our launch event and MWC. We will follow GSMAs guidance and ensure that the exhibition booth and all displayed products are disinfected on a frequent basis. We will make sure that all the staff with booth presentation duty are from our local offices across Europe. We will also ensure they have no symptoms for 14 calendar days before offering on ground support at our launch event and MWC booth. Thank you all for your understanding and support. #NoMiWithoutYou Source A University of Manitoba professor is raising funds to honour the memory of a shining star biomedical engineering student who was among the 176 people killed when Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down last month in Iran. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. A University of Manitoba professor is raising funds to honour the memory of a "shining star" biomedical engineering student who was among the 176 people killed when Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 was shot down last month in Iran. Amir Ghassemi was a physician from Iran working on his masters degree at the U of M. He went back to Iran during the Christmas break to get engaged and visit his family, said Zahra Moussavi, director of the biomedical engineering program. SUPPLIED Amir Ghassemi was killed in a plane crash in Iran. "He was a shining star," Moussavi said of Ghassemi, who was killed Jan. 8, minutes after takeoff from Tehran, when the Iranian military fired on the passenger jet. The untimely death of the friendly, charismatic and brilliant 32-year-old whose research contributions held promise of helping those living with epilepsy hit local instructors and students hard, rallying Moussavi to raise funds to establish an endowment at the U of M in his memory. In the month since, contacting donors by phone and through email has raised close to $12,000 for the Ghassemi memorial scholarship fund, which requires at least $25,000 to be established. Moussavi said she is aiming for $1 million, so $10,000 bursaries can be granted every year. (Donors can find the U of M fundraiser online at wfp.to/ghassemi. Tax receipts will be issued.) The move to honour their lost loved one is a comfort to Ghassemis grieving family. "Its one of the best things that couldve happened," his brother, Dr. Amirreza Ghassemi, a St. Louis-based dentist and professor, said in an interview Monday. "We were very happy to hear about that." Their mother, a general practitioner, and father, a university dean of neurology, live and work in Iran. They were all there together at Christmas time, he said. 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 was a family reunion," said Amirreza Ghassemi, who left a week before his younger brothers fateful return flight. Amirreza Ghassemi was in Winnipeg for the first time last week, settling his brothers affairs. The tight-knit pair, who Facetimed every day, had planned to get together in Manitoba this spring or summer, the older brother said by phone. "He was supposed to show me around," he said. "For me, as a brother, Im going to miss him." Amirreza Ghassemi said he expects more details about the endowment fund will be available later this month. His brother would be pleased, he said. "He was, all the time, concerned about others. He was very supportive and caring." carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca Civil War soldiers who fought in the tangled forest west of Fredericksburg created a hellish mythology THE WILDERNESS OF SPOTSYLVANIA was a forested region of Virginias Orange and Spotsylvania counties just west of Fredericksburg, about halfway between Washington, D.C., and Richmond. It remains notorious as a grueling battleground. From the spring of 1863 to the spring of 1864, the Union Army of the Potomac and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia conducted three campaigns, wholly or in part, within the Wilderness: Chancellorsville (AprilMay 1863); Mine Run (NovemberDecember 1863); and the Battle of the Wilderness (May 1864), the opening clash in Ulysses Grants Overland Campaign. The horrific casualties and miserable terrain at the Battle of the Wilderness left Union soldiers recounting the challenges of fighting in the region. Their lingering question, though, was why they had failed to defeat Robert E. Lees army. The attempt to answer this question led to the creation of a mythology that came to surround the Wildernessa mythology that many later historians have uncritically parroted. In reality, as revealed in The Battle of the Wilderness in Myth and Memory, the Wilderness was a battlefield that indeed created very difficult combat conditions, but many of the claims of exceptionalism associated with it are unfounded, despite their wide-ranging influence in the annals of the Civil War. It began with the name. Unlike many battlefields, the Wilderness has an appellation that carries specific negative connotations, indicating a forest empty of man and beyond his control. The name also sets it apart as a distinct region. Many Union and Confederate soldiers who entered the Wilderness in the spring of 1863 had no inkling that they had stepped into a place marked by a special name and physical characteristics. By the time of the 1864 Overland Campaign, however, the men in both armies were calling it the Wilderness and attributing certain features to this forested region. Over time, and especially during the postwar years, descriptions of the Wilderness became images of a malevolent landscape. First in the contemporary accounts of the 1864 battle and later in postwar writings, the Wilderness became increasingly associated with death and destruction. The remains of the 1863 Chancellorsville battleground, the high casualties, the destruction of vegetation, and the corpses, skeletons, and graves that littered the Wilderness combined to cast the region as a place where the shadow of death lingered. It also became connected with the fires that ravaged the battlefield and engulfed the wounded. These images of death and destruction, fire and hell, formed important elements in the Wilderness mystique. The supernatural also found its way into the legend, as postwar writers portrayed the Wilderness as haunted or even as a spirit itself that could lash out and change the course of battleand with it, the destiny of the nation. While most Civil War engagements derived their names from a nearby town, landmark, or body of water, the Battle of the Wilderness took its appellation from a region. It is with this namethe Wildernessthat any investigation should commence, for it was not a neutral term. In order to understand a place bestowed with such an evocative name, it is necessary to investigate the terms origin as well as the contemporary meaning it held for Civil War soldiers. Roderick Nash, in his trailblazing book Wilderness and the American Mind, argued, although later extensions of its meaning obscured the words original precision, the initial image wilderness generally evokes is that of a forest primeval. The term also implied the absence of men, and the wilderness was conceived as a region where a person was likely to get into a disordered, confused, or wild condition. When soldiers encountered the Wilderness, they often remarked that the name fit perfectly. Moreover, they agreed with Nashs definition and pointed to the lack of cultivation, the vast unbroken forest, and the absence of inhabitants as the regions defining characteristics. It may well be called the Wilderness, explained Union Colonel Robert McAllister, for there is not one acre of land in a hundred that is cleared. Likewise, a Rhode Island infantryman remarked that this place is called the Wilderness and judged that it is rightly named for [in] ten square miles there is not a dozen acres of cleared land. In short, the Wilderness was a region full of trees, empty of men, and seemingly beyond human control. Although the name was meaningful in itself, the Wilderness mystique was more than just a catchy label. Over time the region developed a reputation as a malevolent landscape, a process that culminated in the wars aftermath. At the Battle of Chancellorsville, many, if not most, soldiers failed to recognize the Wilderness as a distinct place and merely commented on some of its features, such as dense woods and underbrush. Moreover, the feelings expressed toward the Wilderness were usually neutral. During the Mine Run Campaign that NovemberDecember, however, an increasing number of Union soldiers began to recognize the Wilderness as a special and seemingly hostile environment. They tended to focus on the vast forest as a perfect incarnation of a wild country. By early May 1864, soldiers in both blue and gray were calling the battleground the Wilderness and continued to marvel at how fittingly it was named. This pattern continued into the postwar years, when visitors and writers set the Wilderness apart as a strange and hostile environment. The Chancellorsville Campaign was the first encounter the two armies had with the Wilderness, and the soldiers reactions were mixed. Many witnesses gave no indication they knew the name of the place or that there was anything special or distinct about the region. They might have noticed certain environmental characteristics such as thick woods, swampy areas, and vegetation, but there was no effort to make these local observations apply to the entire region. For many soldiers on both sides, the Wilderness at this point was just an undefined forest in which they happened to be fighting. By the time of the Mine Run Campaign, an increasing number of Union soldiers showed an awareness that they were in a distinct region known as the Wilderness, a marked change from Chancellorsville. Examples of this recognition abound, often coupled with commentary on the density and breadth of the forest. A soldier from the 13th Massachusetts told the folks back home that the regiment was now in the portion of Virginia known as the Wilderness, it being almost impenetrable, and extending for miles, in front, rear, and on both flanks. Of special interest is the description offered by a soldier from the 65th New York. He reported, we entered the Wilderness, and for six miles saw nothing but forests on either hand; dense, black, mysterious, the abode of hydras and goblins. This last remark hints at the fearful images already developing in the minds of Union soldiers. In contrast, Confederate soldiers during the Mine Run Campaign generally did not identify the Wilderness as a specific place, although they did comment on some of its salient features. For instance, Robert E. Lee did not name the region but did describe the country in that vicinity as being almost an unbroken forest. But there was nothing here to set the Wilderness apart in their minds, and certainly none implied that it was a particularly frightening place. During the Overland Campaign, negative portrayals of the Wilderness by Union soldiers grew in frequency and intensity. A member of the 143rd Pennsylvania wrote home that he could hardly giveany idea of the country through here but encouraged his parents to just think ofnothing but woods of scrub oak, stunted pines, and vines with here and there a small farm and a cleared field with ravines and hollows and a stream of water here and there. Perhaps a Pennsylvania soldier best captured the prevailing sentiment, saying that the Wilderness name was a word which expressed much of the toil and pain to any one who has experienced its brushy and swampy and somber realities. During this campaign, many Confederates showed a newfound awareness of the Wilderness, recognizing the woods as a distinct place for the first time. One Rebel remarked that they fought in the woods of the Wilderness (a very continuously and densely wooded poverty stricken section in Spotsylvania Co. in which the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought). One of the richest portrayals of the Wilderness was by Alexander Boteler, a member of Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuarts staff. He agreed with his Union opponents that its name fitly applies to the locality it designates, for a gloomier, wilder and more forbidding region can hardly be found this side of the Alleghanies [sic]. The stark contrast between these descriptions and those provided by Confederates at Chancellorsville and Mine Run suggest a sea change in their understanding of the Wilderness. What would cause soldiers descriptions of the Wilderness to evolve over the course of the three campaigns? One possible explanation is the far from uniform vegetation. Some Union veterans argued that there was a core, or heart, of the Wilderness, where the forest was supposedly thicker than the woods around Chancellorsville or the woodlands stretching toward Mine Run. It is also conceivable that the Union forces had simply developed an aversion to the Wilderness through experience. Repeated frustrations only compounded with each failure, leading men to view the forest south of the Rapidan as a place of misfortune. It seems likely, however, that if the armies had not met for a third time in the Wilderness in May 1864, then its name might have little meaning to modern historians. Another possibility is that Union soldiers might have found the woods in the Wilderness more noteworthy. For example, when writing his memoir, Norton C. Shepard of the 146th New York felt obliged to clarify the different meanings wilderness had in the North and South. In the North, he explained, a wilderness is a wood in a state of nature with great trees that have stood for ages, with other trees uprooted and fallen, with old logs lying prone upon the ground, with dry stubs and dead trees ready to fall at the first storm, so that in places it is almost impossible to travel. To this primeval, Northern notion of wilderness, Shepard contrasted the Southern, manmade version. He found that in the Southespecially in Virginia, most of the land has been cleared off and cultivated, and after many years of cultivation it has become worn out and has been abandoned as useless. In the place of the original forest grows uppine and scrub oak to become a wilderness, with trees that are usually about six inches in diameter with branches growing thick from the ground to the top. Shepards explanation, then, suggests that Union soldiers were unaccustomed to seeing these sorts of wasted and abandoned areas in the North, while Southerners might have found them more familiar and thus less worthy of remark. There is also the influence of newspapers. While the relationship is not clear, there is no question that journalists were identifying the Wilderness and describing its characteristics from early on. A Richmond newspaper, for instance, published a report after Chancellorsville that gave the regions name and called it a country of gravelly clay soil, and a black-jack growth, presenting in many places an almost impenetrable thicket. Likewise, during the Mine Run Campaign, a correspondent for The New York Times labeled the country hereaboutsone of the worst conceivable for field operations, arguing that it is truly named the Wilderness, for a wilderness of small growth wood covers nine-tenths of the whole surface of the country. Suffice it to say that newspapers had the potential to spread these perceptions of the Wilderness, if they needed spreading, and shape the soldiers attitudes toward the region. The increasingly negative descriptions of the Wilderness actually gained strength in postwar memoirs and histories. One Confederate veteran noted, what I have read& more particularly from northern writers[]raises a mistery [sic] or horror about the name of that part of Spottsylvania Co, an observation that other postwar writings bear out. Hazard Stevens called the forest dense, gloomy, and monotonous, while another Union veteran, Thomas Hyde, portrayed the Wilderness as a bushy, briery, labyrinth. Not only was the Wilderness a strange place but also, for some Federals, an enemy. Sartell Prentice portrayed nature as having refurbished the exploited land only to wreak vengeance on man when he returned in 1864: Natures obstacles hindered and hurt the invading thousands in such way as history tells no like of in all its hundreds of years of memory. Likewise, the historian of the 146th New York recalled the sense of ominous dread which many of us found almost impossible to shake off as the sounds of birds, insects, and hushed men combined, seeming to forebode evil to those who had invaded this solitude. Postwar travel accounts continued to portray the Wilderness as a malevolent landscape. An article for Metropolitan Magazine published in 1907 tried to explain the feeling of traversing the Wilderness, where the path is narrow, dense foliage meets overhead, and the traveler is completely hemmed in. The solitude is awesome, broken only by the disturbance of the dry leaves as the lizards and creeping things flee before approaching hoofbeats. It is boundless! An 1879 narrative betrayed the anticipation one traveler had of finding the dark lugubrious, somber, impenetrable jungles of the Wilderness. In obvious disillusionment, he saw nothing particularly wild, weird, or howling, about the Wilderness and contented himself with observing, it was not the most interesting country to be sure. Some modern accounts of the Battle of the Wilderness continue to reflect similar themes. In A Stillness at Appomattox, Bruce Cattons Wilderness was a mean gloomy woodlandlying silent and forbidding. Edward Steeres study of the Wilderness Campaign called the Wilderness a dreary wasteland and a brooding jungle that set eternal shadows over stagnant pools and marshy creek bottoms and imposed the conditions of combat in its gloomy depths. While James McPhersons Battle Cry of Freedom was more subdued, portraying the Wilderness as that gloomy expanse of scrub oaks and pines, Mark Grimsleys history of the Overland Campaign painted the Wilderness as a country [that] seemed to hate every man who dared walk through it. Such depictions suggest that while the regions image evolved during the war years, becoming increasingly negative, the postwar interpretation became a static, if not exaggerated, renditionthe malevolent Wildernessthat received the sanction of tradition while losing none of the images appeal. Just as the Wilderness morphed into a malevolent landscape, it also became associated with death and destruction. The association is a key element in its mystique. This process began with the Overland Campaign, as Union soldiers began the march south. After the Battle of the Wilderness, the men remarked on the carnage as well as the destruction of the vegetation during that engagement and were amazed that anyone could have survived. Burial parties also collected the remains of the killed. Later visitors to the battlefield remarked on the ruined vegetation and the shadow of death over the land. Those who wrote about the Wilderness in postwar histories and memoirs continued this association with death and brought it to its highest form. At the start, as well as the conclusion, of the Battle of the Wilderness, Federal soldiers passed through the old Chancellorsville battleground and saw the ruins, the debris, and especially the dead. William D. Landon of the 14th Indiana made such a visit and noted that strange feelings crept over me as we marched along the same road and over the same ground where one year and a day before I had stood up with my comrades in line of battle, seeing also the old white house occupied as headquarters by Gen. [Darius] Couch [2nd Corps] during the fight, shattered and torn with hostile shot and shell, still standing, a refuge for bats and owls (ghosts, too, for aught I know). In contrast, soldiers from the 86th New York focused on the graves. They found the old battlefield covered with them, and during one night they slept among the graves of their comrades who fell just one year ago to-day. Perhaps most unnerving of all were the skeletons of troops killed a year earlier. The woods were strewn with the skeletons of comrades killed here one year ago, remarked Landon. Charles Brewster also found that there were lots of human skulls and bones lying top of the ground and we left plenty more dead bodies to decay and bleach to keep their grim company. If there was a perfect place to rehearse the graveyard scene from Hamlet, this was it. During the Battle of the Wilderness, this association with death continued as soldiers witnessed the terrible toll exacted by an unseen foe. The Wilderness became a terrible place where soldiers went in whole and came out wounded or lifeless. By the end of the fight, the Wilderness battlefield was covered with casualties, and in time it would be pocked with graves and littered with bones. Later, a Union soldier who returned after the battle to bury the dead observed that those who were farther than a mile away from the hospital remain as death found them, with the exception of their clothing, which had been removed. It is estimated, he went on, that 15,000 of our men, and as many, or more, of Rebels lie here unburied; and as six weeks have passed since the battle, imagination in its wildest fancies cannot begin to paint the spectacle. It is little wonder that he called the field of battle this wilderness of death and this wilderness and shadow of death. John Trowbridge, a reporter who visited the battlefield after the war, discovered the unburied remains of two soldiers while making his way through the thickets. While disturbing, the sight of skeletons in the Wilderness was becoming increasingly rare as the U.S. government took steps in the wars immediate aftermath to account for the Union dead, especially to identify and inter those who had not received a decent burial. One of the first efforts was at the Wilderness and Spotsylvania. In June 1865, soldiers came back to the Wilderness to inter the remains of Union soldiers yet unburied while marking their burial places for future identification. Nevertheless, long after these efforts, an 1884 travel account warned those who would tour the Wilderness that even now a straggler through the tangled and scrubby woods will occasionally come suddenly upon a skeleton with a few tattered threads of blue or gray clinging to the bonesa ghastly reminder of wars grim horrors. Postwar visitors to the Wilderness understandably continued to connect the place with death. The region seemed to evoke a palpable feeling in many who visited it. Writing about a visit to the Chancellorsville battlefield, David McIntosh, a former Confederate artillery officer, sensed that the spirit of death seemed still to brood over the place. Not a sound could be heard through all the forest, not the note of a bird. The silence and the gloom was painful. The ruinous state of the Wilderness also linked it to destruction, as attested to by both witnesses and contemporary photographs. The vegetation long remained scarred. In 1865, Trowbridge noted how the marks of hard fighting were visible from afar off at the Chancellorsville battlefield. West of the Chancellor house, Trowbridge found the tree-trunks pierced by balls, the boughs lopped off by shells, the strips of timber cut to pieces by artillery and musketry fire. One 1884 account claimed that the woods still bear the marks of the fierce strugglingand although the lapse of time and natures softening touches have to a great extent obliterated the traces of battle, yet the larger trees are scarredand here and there a shell-mark shows itself. Postwar writers cemented this association of the Wilderness with death and destruction. William Swinton wrote of a region of gloom and the shadow of death. Here in this horrid thicket there lurked two hundred thousand men; and, though no array of battle could be seen, there came out of its depths the crackle and roll of musketry like the noisy boiling of some hell-caldron that told the dread story of death. For the soldiers who fought in the Wilderness, the forest was a place where death held sway. It was everywhere to be found, from the remnants of Chancellorsville to the terrible toll in killed and wounded, from the toppled trees to the buried bodies and bleaching bones. For this reason, Union veterans like Horace Porter almost seemed compelled to connect the two. For him, the Wilderness would always be a tangled forest the impenetrable gloom of which could be likened only to the shadow of deathand thus the Wilderness and death became one and inseparable, a legacy that lives on. This, then, was the aura that came to surround the Wilderness, a mystique that has continued to the present day. There were many woodlands in which Civil War soldiers fought, even ones similar to the Wilderness, such as Chickamauga in Georgia, yet there was only one Wilderness. Only one carried the name. Only one became the malevolent woods where soldiers would find death and hell with accompanying spirits. Why was this the case? It is undeniable that terrible things happened in the Wilderness thousands of men died there, not a few of them at the hands of the merciless flames. Yet there were other battlefields noted for slaughter and still others in which forest fires took their toll among the wounded. What made the Wilderness different? The size of the seemingly interminable Wilderness unquestionably set it apart and awed those who entered. Moreover, repeated visits led the soldiers understanding of the region to evolve. The very name evoked the animus between man and untamed nature, while its decayed landscape provided a gloomy backdrop for the fighting that occurred. Any analysis of why the soldiers set the Wilderness apart in their minds and memories would be incomplete, though, without acknowledging the supreme importance of the Wilderness in this process. Without that bloody engagement, it is doubtful the region would have received the notoriety it did. Depictions of the Wilderness became decidedly negative in the battles aftermath, and through these travails the mystique was born. The Wilderness wounds have healed, the armies have left, and the dead have returned to Mother Earth. But the mystique lives on, and will do so as long as men remember what happened in that Virginia forest so long ago. _____ Hell-Cauldron If the Wilderness was a place of death akin to hell, then it is only natural that some postwar authors portrayed the region as a haunt of ghosts and spirits. One Federal, returning to the battlefield to look for his fallen brother, found partially exposed bones. He tried to pull on one of them but found that something at the other end seemed to detain it, andstopped suddenly as if the dead man himself had put his scrawny hand on my shoulder and said, Dont disturb my bones with such rude hands. The notion that lifeless bones should make resistance as though still animated by an unwilling spirit, filled [him] with dread and [he] hurried away. Others saw it as a land where spirits ambled about; one Confederate calling it a place of gloom, the home of the snake, the bat, and the owl. Morris Schaff, a Union veteran of the battle, portrayed the region as an avenging spirit that intervened to defeat the Confederates and strike down slavery. The slaves who had tended the iron furnaces and cut down the original forest had suffered great wrongs, he writesinjustices for which the forest set out to exact revenge. At the Wilderness, Schaff observes, R.E. Lee had not reckoned upon a second intervention of Fate: that the spirit of the Wilderness would strike Longstreet just as victory was in his grasp, as it had struck Stonewall. Schaff posits that Stonewalls ghost appears, wandering nearby Chancellorsville while the Spirit of the Wilderness stalks him in the brush. Upon running into a gaunt, hollow-breasted, wicked eyed, sunken-cheeked being, his ghost is beseeched: Stonewall, I am Slavery and sorely wounded. Can you do nothing to stay the Spirit of the Wilderness that, in striking at me, struck you down? As Longstreets May 6 flank attack reached the height of its success, Schaff writes that Slavery rejoiced: Frenzied with delight over her prospective reprieve, [she] snatches a cap from a deadConfederate soldier, and clapping it on her coarse, rusty, gray-streaked mane, begins to dance in hideous glee. Schaff warns Slavery to dance on, repugnant and doomed creature! The inexorable eye of the Spirit of the Wilderness is on you!For in a moment Longstreet, like Stonewall, will be struck down by the same mysterious hand, by the fire of his own men, and the clock in the steeple of the Confederacy will strike twelve. A.H.P. Adam H. Petty is a historian and documentary editor for the Joseph Smith Papers. He earned his bachelors in history from Brigham Young University and his Ph.D. in history from the University of Alabama, studying under George Rable. Adapted with permission from The Battle of Wilderness in Myth and Memory by Adam H. Petty 2019, LSU Press. This story appeared in the May 2020 issue of Americas Civil War. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Family Research Council Action (FRC Action) announced today its "True Blue" award winners for the First Session of the 116th Congress. The annual award recognizes the members of Congress who displayed unwavering commitment and support of faith, family, and freedom. This year's 141 True Blue Award winners51 senators and 90 representativesscored a perfect 100 percent on FRC Action's 2019 Vote Scorecard. Family Research Council Action President Tony Perkins made the following comments: "Today we honor the champions who have consistently stood up for life, family, and religious liberty. As a result of their unrelenting efforts, many bad pieces of legislation failed; meanwhile, the Trump administration and many state legislatures have been advancing pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious liberty policies. We hope that voters will recognize the pro-life, pro-family, and pro-religious liberty voting records of the 'True Blue' members and elect more candidates like them in the 2020 election. "We thank these 'True Blue' members of Congress for defending faith, family, and freedom with their votes. They have voted to protect babies who are born alive after a failed abortion, end taxpayer funding of abortion, and end taxpayer funding of fetal tissue research. They have voted to reject the radical gender ideology that would overhaul our federal civil rights framework to mandate special privileges for sexual orientation and gender identity. They voted to protect women, the military, homeless shelters, and public restrooms from this harmful ideology. These members also voted to expand protections for conscience rights, reject the increasing acceptance of marijuana use, and confirm pro-life, originalist judicial appointments. "Americans should be encouraged to know that they have so many members of Congress who, along with President Trump, are standing strong for faith, family, and freedom," concluded Perkins. Votes in the U.S. House and Senate included: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act For the People Act Violence Against Women Act The Equality Act The Conscience Protection Rule The Protect Life Rule The Mexico City Policy Repeal of the Transgender Military Policy Repeal of the Fetal Tissue Research Policy Providing Banking access to the Marijuana Industry The Trump Administration's Transgender Housing Policy Gender Neutral Standards and Family Planning in the Military Recognition of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity as Civil Rights Categories Restrictions on Taxpayer Funding for Abortion in D.C. Confirmation of Sarah Pitlyk to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri Click here to download a copy of the scorecard. SOURCE FRC Action There was another editing fail on Married At First Sight on Monday night when Mishel Karen arrived at her wedding to Steve Burley in Melbourne. The 48-year-old teacher was first shown travelling with her family in a Ford Falcon limousine in a sweeping shot. But Mishel later stepped out of a Chrysler limousine upon her arrival at the venue. Did you notice it? There was another editing fail on Married At First Sight on Monday night when Mishel Karen (pictured) arrived at her wedding to Steve Burley in Melbourne The most likely explanation for this continuity error is that the post-production team included a shot of the wrong car when the Ford Falcon was shown. Either that, or Mishel bizarrely required two vehicles for the short journey. Meanwhile, barbershop owner Steve arrived at the ceremony in a black Mercedes Benz limousine. Car No. 1: Mishel was first shown travelling with her family in a Ford Falcon limousine Shortly after stepping out of the white Chrysler, Mishel suffered last minute nerves and almost walked away. 'Just do a U-turn and drive me to Brisbane!' she frantically told her driver. 'I really want to throw up, it's not a good feeling.' MAFS suffered another editing fail last week, when Cathy Evans switched between wet and dry hair during her spa date with Josh Pihlak. Car No. 2: But Mishel later stepped out of a Chrysler limousine upon her arrival at the venue Whoops! MAFS suffered another editing fail last week, when Cathy Evans (pictured) switched between wet and dry hair during her spa date with Josh Pihlak The 26-year-old logistics investigator had dry hair when she took off her robe and climbed into the hot tub wearing a skimpy blue bikini. But it suddenly looked wet when the camera cut to her walking down the steps. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine Amsterdam, February 11, 2020 - The Supervisory Board of Heineken N.V. announces the upcoming succession of Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, following his successful 15 year leadership of the company. The Supervisory Board will nominate Dolf van den Brink, currently President Asia Pacific region and Executive Team member, to be appointed as member of the Executive Board at the company's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) on 23 April 2020 per that same date, for a period of four years. Ensuring a smooth and effective transition, Mr. Van Boxmeer will hand over his responsibilities to Dolf van den Brink on 1 June 2020. Jean-Francois van Boxmeer joined HEINEKEN as a management trainee in 1984. After a number of international management positions, he was appointed member of the Executive Board in 2001. In 2005, Mr. Van Boxmeer was appointed Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Heineken N.V. Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented: "The Supervisory Board is grateful for the extraordinary contribution of Jean-Francois van Boxmeer in bringing HEINEKEN to where it is today. Under his stewardship, the company more than doubled in size due to both strong organic growth and transformational deals that turned HEINEKEN into the most global brewer, with iconic brands enjoyed by consumers on all continents. Not only did he deliver superior top-line growth and an excellent business performance, he also developed and nurtured a diverse and great talent pool across the world. He will leave behind a company excellently positioned to grow further. For all this, we owe Jean-Francois a heartfelt and huge thank you." Jean-Francois van Boxmeer commented: "It has been a great privilege and honour to lead HEINEKEN and to work with so many great people from all over the world over the past three decades. I feel now is the right moment to hand over leadership to the next generation. I am proud of what we have achieved together and I would like to thank the Supervisory Board, my fellow Executive Board member Laurence Debroux and the Executive Team for their support and confidence. I would also like to thank all our employees, who make our business great every day. It is my absolute pleasure to be handing the helm to Dolf. His ability to lead teams, grow our brands and business, in a responsible way, is nothing short of impressive. I am certain that under his leadership the company is in the best of hands to continue to grow. I look forward to work with Dolf in delivering a smooth transition." Dolf van den Brink is a proven strong business leader. Throughout his 22 year career at HEINEKEN he has successfully built high performing teams in both developed and developing markets. He is currently a highly valued member of the Executive Team and successfully leads the Asia Pacific region as President. His successor will be announced in due course. Jean-Marc Huet, Chairman of the Supervisory Board, commented: "The Supervisory Board conducted a thorough succession process and is very happy to unanimously nominate Dolf van den Brink as the new Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Heineken N.V. He has proven to be an outstanding leader and member of the Executive Team, winning in our markets, building great teams and growing our brands. Coupled with his leadership experience in all four continents, Dolf van den Brink is the right CEO for the company in the next phase of growth and development, building on Jean-Francois van Boxmeer's great legacy." Mrs. Charlene de Carvalho-Heineken noted: "My family and I are deeply grateful to Jean-Francois for all he has brought to HEINEKEN during his entire career in the company but particularly for his impressive 15 year leadership as CEO. Under his leadership, HEINEKEN has not only delivered impressive growth and shareholder value, but he also preserved and nurtured the heritage and identity of HEINEKEN as a proud, independent and responsible global brewer during the most active era of consolidation that the brewing industry has undergone. During Jean-Francois' almost 15 years as CEO, HEINEKEN has completed over 30 billion euros of acquisitions across the globe, to leave HEINEKEN today as the most global brewer. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our support for the nomination of Dolf van den Brink. We are particularly proud of the open, transparent and fair process, which led to his nomination. My family and I are confident that his strong leadership and people skills, combined with his broad international experience, make him the ideal candidate to succeed Jean-Francois in the CEO role." Heineken Holding N.V., a separate entity which owns 50.005% in Heineken N.V., will propose to their Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 23 April 2020 that upon leaving Heineken N.V., Jean-Francois van Boxmeer be appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors on 1 June 2020. ENDS Press enquiries Tim van der Zanden / Michael Fuchs E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-355 Investor and analyst enquiries Federico Castillo Martinez/ Janine Ackermann / Robin Achten E-mail: investors@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-590 NOTES TO EDITORS Jean-Francois van Boxmeer - Resume 1961, Belgian nationality Work Experience 2005 Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO Heineken N.V. 2001 Member of the Executive Board, responsible for supply chain and technical services, North-West Europe, Sub-Saharan Africa and Central and Eastern Europe 2000 General Manager HEINEKEN Italia 1999 Vice President and General Manager Grupa Zywiec in Poland 1996 President and General Manager Zywiec in Poland 1993 General Manager Bralima in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 1990 Sales and Marketing Manager Bralima in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 1987 Sales and Marketing Manager Bralirwa in Rwanda 1984 Trainee in production, sales and administration in the Netherlands Independent Board Positions Independent Director at Mondelez International (formerly Kraft Foods Inc.), USA Member Shareholders Committee at Henkel AG, Germany Chairman Board of Directors of National Opera & Ballet, Netherlands Dolf van den Brink - Resume 1973, Dutch nationality Work Experience 2018 Regional President APAC & Global Executive Team member in Singapore 2015 Managing Director Heineken in Mexico 2009 Managing Director Heineken in USA 2005 Commercial Director Bralima, in the Democratic Republic Congo (DRC) 2003 International Channel Development Manager, Heineken Global Commerce, in the Netherlands 1999 Senior Brand Manager Pepsi & 7UP, Trade Marketing Manager Food, Vrumona, in the Netherlands 1998-1999 Commercial Management Trainee, Heineken, in the Netherlands Board Positions Board Member China Resources Beer Holdings, Hong Kong Board and Audit Committee member, United Breweries Ltd, India About HEINEKEN HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. HEINEKEN is committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. It employs over 85,000 employees and operates breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp. Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain price-sensitive information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Attachments By Arthur I. Cyr "The corn is as high as an elephant's eye" a signature line from the classic musical "Oklahoma" comes to mind concerning the Iowa caucuses for presidential candidates. A tall large cornfield can conceal mischievous activities. Joking aside, corn is an important crop but only one among many. Iowa is a relatively small state, and also notably homogenous in population. Yet tremendous attention is devoted by the media and party activists to the caucuses. The results can significantly shape presidential contests, sometimes decisively. In 2016, Iowa boosted insurgents in both parties. Democrat Hillary Clinton won the caucuses, but barely defeated Senator Bernie Sanders. Sanders' strong second place finish gave his long-shot campaign a major boost. Senator Ted Cruz won the Republican primary. He was already viewed as a major contender, but Donald Trump finished a strong second giving his unusual campaign tremendous new credibility. Iowa can catapult relatively unknown candidates to national prominence. This includes Senator George McGovern and former Governor Jimmy Carter, who became Democratic presidential nominees in 1972 and 1976, respectively. Iowa has been less pivotal in other elections. After investing tremendous effort, George H.W. Bush bested Ronald Reagan in the state in 1980, only to lose the Republican nomination to him. Bush did become Reagan's running mate, and eventually president. In 1988, Democratic Congressman Dick Gephardt won the caucuses, but Michael Dukakis became the nominee. That year George H.W. Bush won the White House but finished third in Iowa behind Senator Bob Dole and political evangelist Pat Robertson. Bill Clinton and other Democratic aspirants steered clear of Iowa in 1992, deferring to home-state candidate Senator Tom Harkin. In 2004, Howard Dean and John Edwards carried out a public battle, but John Kerry finished first and went on to become the Democratic nominee. In 2008, evangelical Christians turned out to help Mike Huckabee defeat Mitt Romney. His message of Christian conservatism, delivered in a direct down-to-earth style, resonated very well in Iowa. While Democrats have nominated candidates who suddenly emerge in the public consciousness, such as Carter, Kerry, McGovern and John F. Kennedy in 1960, Republicans have tended to choose the runner up from the previous nomination contest. This was true of John McCain in 2008, Bob Dole in 1996, George H.W. Bush in 1988, and Ronald Reagan in 1980. Historically, Republican primary contests have been defined in terms of so-called "establishment" versus insurgent candidates. The primary ordeal has become important to a process by which leaders initially viewed as insurgents, for example Reagan and McCain, become generally identified as in the party establishment. In 2016, Donald Trump upended all these traditions. Iowa provided essential initial momentum to capture the nomination. By contrast, Hillary Clinton represented the party Establishment, apparently back in control after Obama's successful candidacy in 2008. New rules for the Democrats require announcing initial results, final results and likely delegate allocations among candidates. That along with the general breakdown in reporting the results this year weakens the Democratic Party. So far, the only winner is the Republican Party. Iowa traditionally provides a distinctive but integral component of American political democracy. This time, a flawed system including poor organization has undercut that role. Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College and author of "After the Cold War." TOKYO and YOKOHAMA, Japan, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) and Socionext Inc. have designed the world's smallest all-digital phase-locked loop (PLL). PLLs are critical clocking circuits in virtually all digital applications, and reducing their size and improving their performance is a necessary step to enabling the development of next-generation technologies. New or improved technologies, such as artificial intelligence, 5G cellular communications, and the Internet-of-Things, are expected to bring revolutionary changes in society. But for that to happen, high-performance system-on-a-chip (SoC)a type of integrated circuitdevices are indispensable. A core building block of SoC devices is the phase-locked loop (PLL), a circuit that synchronizes with the frequency of a reference oscillation and outputs a signal with the same or higher frequency. PLLs generate 'clocking signals,' whose oscillations act as a metronome that provides a precise timing reference for the harmonious operation of digital devices. For high performance SoC devices to be realized, fabrication processes for semiconductor electronics must become more sophisticated. The smaller the area to implement digital circuitry is, the better the performance of the device. Manufacturers have been racing to develop increasingly smaller semiconductors. 7 nm semiconductors (a massive improvement over their 10 nm predecessor) are already in production, and methods to build 5 nm ones are now being looked at. However, in this endeavor stands a major bottleneck. Existing PLLs require analog components, which are generally bulky and have designs that are difficult to scale down. Scientists at Tokyo Tech and Socionext Inc., led by Prof. Kenichi Okada, have addressed this issue by implementing a 'synthesizable' fractional-N PLL, which only requires digital logic gates, and no bulky analog components, making it easy to adopt in conventional miniaturized integrated circuits. Okada and team used several techniques to decrease the required area, power consumption and jitterunwanted time fluctuations when transmitting digital signalsof their synthesizable PLLs. To decrease area, they employed a ring oscillator, a compact oscillator that can be easily scaled down. To suppress jitter, they reduced the phase noiserandom fluctuations in a signalof this ring oscillator, using 'injection locking'the process of synchronizing an oscillator with an external signal whose frequency (or multiple of it) is close to that of the oscillatorover a wide range of frequencies. The lower phase noise, in turn, reduced power consumption. The design of this synthesizable PLL beats that of all other current state-of-the-art PLLs in many important aspects. It achieves the best jitter performance with the lowest power consumption and smallest area (as can be seen in Figure 1). "The core area is 0.0036 mm, and the whole PLL is implemented as one layout with a single power supply," remarks Okada. Further, it can be built using standard digital design tools, allowing for its rapid, low-effort, and low-cost production, making it commercially viable. This synthesizable PLL can be easily integrated into the design of all-digital SoCs, and is commercially viable, making it valuable for developing the much sought after 5 nm semiconductor for cutting-edge applications including artificial intelligence, internet of things and many others, where high performance and low power consumption would be the critical requirements. But the contributions of this research go beyond these possibilities. "Our work demonstrates the potential of synthesizable circuits. With the design methodology employed here, other building blocks of SoCs, such as data converters, power management circuits, and wireless transceivers, could be made synthesizable as well. This would greatly boost design productivity and considerably reduce design efforts," explains Okada. Tokyo Tech and Socionext will continue their collaboration in this field to advance the miniaturization of electronic devices, enabling the realization of newer-generation technologies. This research work was conducted in cooperation with TeraPixel Technologies Inc. Reference Authors: Bangan Liu1, Yuncheng Zhang1, Junjun Qiu1, Hongye Huang1, Zheng Sun1, Dingxin Xu1, Haosheng Zhang1, Yun Wang1, Jian Pang1, Zheng Li1, Xi Fu1, Atsushi Shirane1, Hitoshi Kurosu2, Yoshinori Nakane2, Shunichiro Masaki2, Kenichi Okada1 Title of original paper: A Fully-Synthesizable Fractional-N Injection-Locked PLL for Digital Clocking with Triangle/Sawtooth Spread-Spectrum Modulation Capability in 5 nm CMOS Journal: IEEE Solid-State Circuits Letters DOI: 10.1109/LSSC.2020.2967744 Affiliations: 1. Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, Japan 2. Socionext Inc., Yokohama, Japan *Corresponding author's email: [email protected] Click here to view a photograph of a chip containing the proposed PLL. The entire all-digital PLL fits in a 50 72 m2 region, making it the smallest PLL to date. About Tokyo Institute of Technology Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research. www.titech.ac.jp/english/ About Socionext Socionext is a global, innovative enterprise that designs, develops and delivers System-on-Chip solutions to customers worldwide. The company is focused on technologies that drive today's leading-edge applications in consumer, automotive and industrial markets. Socionext combines world-class expertise, experience, and an extensive IP portfolio to provide exceptional solutions and ensure a better quality of experience for customers. Founded in 2015, Socionext Inc. is headquartered in Yokohama, and has offices in Japan, Asia, United States and Europe to lead its product development and sales activities. For more information, visit www.socionext.com/ All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice. SOURCE Socionext Inc. Related Links http://www.socionext.com GRAND RAPIDS, MI Amazon is hiring for more than 1,000 full-time employees for its new fulfillment center in Kent Countys Gaines Township. The Seattle-based online retail giants 850,000-square-foot facility is on the corner of 68th Street and Patterson Avenue SE, about four miles south of Gerald R. Ford International Airport. All Amazon employees full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal receive a $15/hour minimum wage," Amazon spokesperson Andre Woodson said in an email to MLive, about starting the hiring process on Monday, Feb. 10. This compensation is in addition to our industry-leading benefits package which includes comprehensive health, vision and dental insurance, a 401(k) with a 50% match, generous parental leave, and training for in-demand jobs through our Career Choice program for all full-time employees working in fulfillment centers across the U.S." Job candidates must be 18 years or older and have a high school diploma or equivalent to be considered. All interested candidates can apply online at http://www.amazon.com/grandrapidsjobs. In 2018, the Michigan Strategic Fund approved a $4 million performance-based grant to help Amazon open the new fulfillment center. Fulfillment centers are Amazons regional distribution centers. Woodson said the associates will be picking, packing, and shipping customer orders in a highly technological environment. He said employees will also get to work alongside advanced technology and automation. Gaines Township Supervisor Robert DeWard said the new facility benefits the entire region, serving as a catalyst for more businesses in the community and West Michigan. He said the opportunity for jobs will also draw more people to the area. DeWard said the township is already attracting interest from new businesses, including restaurants, gas stations and warehouses because of Amazon. As someone who worked in Human Resources for 45 years, I know the value of providing employment to this many people," he said. This is a good opportunity for people with the salary and benefits. I am also hoping we can also provide jobs to a lot of marginalized people in the area having trouble getting employment." In anticipation of the growth with Amazon and future businesses, DeWard is already planning for transportation and other needs. For example, he said he has been bouncing ideas around with The Rapid and others about expanding the bus service to the 68th Street area that currently drops off at the Meijer at Kalamazoo and M-6 in Caledonia. DeWard said local companies have benefited from Amazons $150 million investment in the facility. He said he asked the company to hire some local contractors for some of work and they did, including electricians, plumbers and asphalt companies. The Amazon facility, located at 4500 68th St., could open in March or April, given Woodson told MLive the hiring process starts anywhere between one to two months prior to launch. Prospective employees can indicate a shift preference and select an appointment time to attend an upcoming hiring event and orientation when they apply online. Shift schedules will vary. Veterans and military spouses are encouraged to apply. Read more on MLive: Residents largely grateful for settlement with Wolverine over drinking water contamination Three finalists named for Grand Rapids schools superintendent job Cleared in teen-sex case, man says false bank charge was piled on to get rid of foreigner In the last two weeks, the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles has held close to 200 parole hearings, with many inmates being denied parole and very few being granted parole from their prison sentences. One Eufaula man hoping to gain parole was denied last week, now two other inmates are hoping for favorable outcomes from their hearings. Marcus Darnell Denson was scheduled to go before the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles on, Feb. 6, in an attempt to gain early parole during his 20 year sentence that began July 9, 2013. Denson was convicted of manslaughter in the death of his half-brother Kenyatta Seats that occurred on Aug. 26, 2011. He was denied parole. His is currently incarcerated at the Ventress Correctional Center in Clayton. With the recent denial of parole, Densons sentence will end on Sept. 11, 2023. Two other men, Daniel James Oliver and Joseph Norman Sherer Jr., both of who were convicted of crimes in Barbour County went before the parole board on Feb. 11, asking for parole. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may have earned a lot from their first post-Megxit gig, but a PR expert has criticized the royal couple for cheapening their brand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex flew from their home in Canada to attend JPMorgan's Alternative Investment Summit at Miami, Florida to give out a speech. The said event was attended by bankers, celebrities and billionaires, including former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Jennifer Lopez, New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft and many more. However, public relations expert Mark Borkowski has questioned whether Prince Harry should be capitalizing on his personal issues for financial gain. "This shows how difficult it is going to be. They've got to make a lot of money, and they are going to slip up on the way," Borkowski told Daily Mail. A source told Page Six that the young prince's speech focused on his mental health and loss of his mother, Princess Diana, who died in 1997 in a car crash in Paris after a chase with paparazzi. The Duke of Sussex reportedly revealed how he has been in therapy over the past three years to overcome the trauma of losing his mother. Prince Harry also allegedly talked about their decision to step back from royal duties. "He talked about how the events of his childhood affected him," the source continued regarding Megxit, "He does not regret their decision to step down as royals because he doesn't want Meghan and their son Archie to go through what he did as a child." However, Borkowski expressed his concern on how many of these types of gigs are Prince Harry and Meghan Markle going to attend, suggesting that it is wrong for Harry to "play the card about his mental health." Prince Harry faced backlash on social media for using his mom's memory to make money. One Twitter user said, "I'm literally disgusted that Harry is now dragging up Diana's death to earn money. I really didn't think he would stoop that low." According to The Daily Mail, the couple could have pocketed between $500,000 and $1 million for the appearance, and the investment firm even flew the royal couple from Vancouver to Palm Beach via private jet. "For JP Morgan, it's an extraordinary 'get.' They clearly have the money to afford them, but Harry and Meghan need to avoid being perceived as tacky," the PR expert concluded, Another insider told Page Six that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's appearance at the event was a brilliant move to rub elbows with the most elite people. It also helped that the conference was all about "building wealth" and "making the world better" for future generations, a topic close to Prince Harry's heart. Another PR expert Ronn Torossian said that the Duke and Duchess were in "hot demand" following their exit as senior royal members and could earn a staggering amount of money. He said he would not be shocked if they really earned up to $1 million in the event because he believes the couple will be the highest-paid speakers that exist on the corporate market. Although it is not unheard of for members of the royal family to pursue their careers, it is rare for senior royals to give up their royal funding to pursue financial independence. A Sydney woman killed herself after the breakdown of a relationship with a man who may have been a fake persona created by an ex-lover, a court has heard. On the first day of a coronial inquest into the 2013 death of 20-year-old Glenhaven woman Renae Marsden, the court heard allegations that her friend, Camila Zeidan, catfished her when their relationship broke down. Renae Marsden, 20, was last seen in August 2013 and is thought to have taken her own life. Catfishing is the practice of seduction through a fake persona. The pair met in high school in 2008 and were romantically involved, with Ms Marsden telling a school counsellor they had plans, including having children, counsel assisting the Coroner Sasha Harding said. Snow and freezing winds are experienced across Northern Ireland today with the Met Office predicting a "miserable" week of weather. After Storm Ciara battered the country, a wind and snow warning is in place until midnight tonight, followed by a snow and ice warning lasting until midday tomorrow. Lightning strikes caused a number of power cuts yesterday evening. By 8.30pm NIE reported 1,400 homes were without power but expected most to be reconnected quickly. Read More The majority were said to be affected in the Enniskillen area. The average temperature today is set to be 4C, but will feel below freezing due to wind speeds of 50-60mph. Meteorologist Alex Burkill from the Met Office said up to 10cm of snow can be expected in some areas, with scattered showers of sleet and snow. "Further snow is possible overnight on Wednesday, but with it should come some milder air," he said. "Higher ground will get the most snow but the south eastern parts of Northern Ireland are perhaps less likely to see these showers. "At the moment we're dealing with this cold polar air and it will feel really raw, but temperatures will rise as the week goes on." Tomorrow will see an average temperature of 5C but with less severe winds through the day. A high of 8C is forecast for Thursday, with light rain and snow expected in some areas, and rising to 11C on Friday but with persisting rain and gales. Further unsettled weather is expected this weekend. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment J. Herbert Nelson, the Stated Clerk of the small remnant that remains of the once-great Presbyterian Church (USA), would have warmed Voltaires heart. Hypocrisy, taught Voltaire, is the tribute that vice pays to virtue. The great 18th century French philosopher had a soft spot for a form of duplicity that most people hate. Thats on full display in Nelsons screed about the horrors perpetrated by the evil Israelis, now exacerbated by the peace plan of the evil occupant of the White House. After solemnly parading a march of lies about the Jewish State, Nelson, in a recent statement about the Trump peace plan tells us that he really has Jewish interests in mind. He is fearful, he says of the potential for feeding the growing antisemitism in Europe and the U.S. that we so abhor. More violence is the inevitable fruit of a deal such as the one proposed. So, Jews around the world not Israelis, mind you are duly warned that if people dont like Israel defending itself, Jews should expect the inevitable consequence of others trying to kill them. Forgive us ungrateful Jews about people like Nelson who are watching (or sharpening the knives for) our backs! Smacks of Voltaire- the hypocrite calling out anti-Semitism, even as he justifies it as inevitable. Actually, Nelsons latest slam is in keeping with his serial anathematizing of Israel. In moving the US Embassy to Jerusalem and recognizing it as the unique, undivided capital of Israel (something that goes back to the times of King David!), Nelson claims that the historic claim on the deep religious importance of this city to Christians and Muslims has been ignored, and damaged, if not destroyed. Really? Can he point to a single Christian who has been inconvenienced, let alone disenfranchised, by this recognition? And is it not the Waqf not Israel - that controls the top of the Temple Mount? Is it not an active mosque that was the most recent building restored in the Old City in the Jewish Quarter, at that! On the other hand, can he point to a single Jew who was allowed access to the Jewish holy spots during all the years of Arab control after 1948 until the Six Day War? Can he point to any occasion during those years that his church uttered a word of protest? [Palestinian] land has been stolen. What does Nelson mean? Stolen in 1948, when Israel accepted far less land than it had hoped for, while the Arabs did not and instead dispatched five armies to invade the fledgling Jewish state? Does he believe that the State of Israel is illegal (because only Muslims are allowed on any land once possessed by the ummah, like Hamas and the PA both believe)? Or just that Jews arent supposed to defend themselves? Does he believe instead that it was winning the defensive war of June 1967 that constitutes the theft even though UN resolutions called for a return of territory only to a state of peace something that Hamas and Hezbollah will never agree to? We cry out in anguish and anger as a kind of social and religious ethnic cleansing is occurring. Here we have to agree with Nelson except that hes pointing in the wrong direction. No ethnic cleansing on Israels side. The number of Arab Israelis continues to grow. So, too, the number of Christians the only place in the Middle East that this is true. But ethnic cleansing is taking place as Christians flee Bethlehem and other places under PA control because of the violence and threats perpetrated upon them by Muslims. Propounding a series of lies about the Jewish state before expressing his concern for anti-Semitism might bring a tear to the eye of Voltaire- for the sheer enormity of Nelsons hypocrisy. At least it can be said that he is faithful to his church, which itself has a fraught relationship with Israel and with Jews. Part of what fuels the recent global explosion of anti-Semitism is the BDS movement, which demonizes Israel. It has been recognized as anti-Semitic in both the US and Europe. PCUSA has the dubious distinction of being the first mainline US church to vote to divest from Israel, which gave an important boost to BDS already in 2008. Members of PCUSAs Advisory Committee on Social Witness Policy (ACSWP) met in 2008 with Hezbollah. Ronald Stone a salaried official of PCUSA was lavish in his praise of an organization that US government recognizes as a terrorist organization. "We treasure the precious words of Hezbollah...I'd like to say that according to my recent experience, relations and conversations with Islamic leaders are a lot easier than dealings and dialogue with Jewish leaders. PCUSAs Israel Palestine Mission Network was charged with providing a backgrounder for church members, and came up in 2014 with Zionism Unsettled, a viciously anti-Israel work of layers of hatred standing upon lies. One review: The study guides project coordinator describes Zionism as an oppressive ideology comparable to Jim Crow segregation in the American South and apartheid in South Africa. This is not a church that cares about Israel or about Jews. There were many, many good people in the church, but they have bolted from its ranks more energetically than Boris Johnson from a pro-EU rally. Voltaire and Nelson have something else in common. Voltaire hated Christianity. To his signature, he used to append Ecraser l'infame crush the loathsome thing, i.e, the Church. He made an exception in his exchange with Isaac de Pinto about the Jews. Voltaire regarded them as despicable, incapable of any achievement in the arts or sciences, and who could not contribute anything of value to the rest of the world. That he signed differently: tres-chretien Voltaire the very Christian Voltaire. When it came to hating Jews, Voltaire found true religion. He must have meant Nelsons brand of Christianity. Rabbi Abraham Cooper is Associate Dean and Director Global Social Action, Simon Wiesenthal Center Rabbi Yitzchok Adlerstein, is Director of Interfaith Relations for the Simon Wiesenthal Center LONGMON, Colo., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KYOTO BOTANICALS launches its brand and eCommerce website, https://www.kyotobotanicals.com , with six new products. Looking to change how people view the CBD category by providing products that are crafted by hand using the finest ingredients, KYOTO BOTANICALS aims to deliver products where every ingredient matters. KYOTO BOTANICALS focuses on using the finest whole-plant hemp extract combined with simple ingredients found in nature to deliver the best CBD experience and results. Nature is sacred, and that is why KYOTO BOTANICALS works so hard to bring the benefits of nature to you in the cleanest and simplest way. Quality matters at KYOTO BOTANICALS as much as it does to you. Their passion for quality extends beyond the botanical ingredients put in the products. Fully owned and operated facility, so every step of the process is controlled by KYOTO BOTANICALS. BOTANICALS. Every batch is third-party lab tested to verify quality and consistency before a single bottle is shipped. Cartons made from 80% post-consumer wastepaper blended with 30% hemp fibers. "At Kyoto Botanicals, we are conscientious producers of hemp-derived CBD products with the goal of delivering high quality consumer products currently lacking in the marketplace. We deliver products that are thoughtfully crafted to include only whole plant ingredients that are as close to nature as possible," said Ron Morrow, CEO and cofounder. "We believe nature has provided us everything we need to live happy and healthy lives, so we focus on making those ingredients available to as many people as possible in delicious and convenient ways." KYOTO BOTANICALS products include: BREATH(e) Lemon Ginger Tincture Organic MCT coconut oil, 1200mg CBD, organic lemon peel oil, and organic ginger root oil. WARM(th) Cinnamon Turmeric Tincture Organic MCT coconut oil, 1200mg CBD, organic cinnamon bark oil, and organic turmeric root oil. REST(ful) Spearmint Tincture Organic MCT coconut oil, 1200mg CBD, and organic spearmint leaf oil. BREATH(e) Face Serum Thoughtful blend of five organic botanical oils with 600mg CBD delivers antioxidants and nutrients to keep skin refreshed and radiant. WARM(th) Body Balm Targeted warmth after an active day with 9 essential oils, 400mg CBD, and organic beeswax in a rich and enlivening balm. REST(ful) Body Oil Organic coconut oil and a nourishing blend of essential oils and 500mg CBD anoints and resurrects skin. About KYOTO BOTANICALS KYOTO BOTANICALS delivers the highest quality CBD products to our consumers so that they can find harmony and balance in their lives and positively affect the world and those around them. Grounded in family roots and a belief that small things make a big impact, we believe in giving back to the community and are dedicated to building a brand that can impact local and global needs. Through our line of innovative hemp-based products, KYOTO BOTANICALS thoughtfully combines the finest ingredients in nature to deliver quality, consistency, and results consumers can count on batch to batch. Twitter kyotobotanicals, Instagram kyotobotanicals, Facebook kyotobotanicals, https://www.kyotobotanicals.com Media Contact: Mark Gillilan 720.235.7755 [email protected] SOURCE Kyoto Botanicals Related Links https://www.kyotobotanicals.com The consumer price index (CPI) has increased by 22 percent compared with July 2013, when the 2012 amended PIT Law took effect. However, the taxation threshold remains unchanged. Experts have once again urged amending the PIT Law, saying that the out-of-date law is discouraging talents and affecting the nations competitiveness. The issue of amending the law was put forward after some workers complained that they have to pay high PIT for the 13th-month salary they received. Hoang Lam, 40, in Hanoi said he got VND100 million in bonus as the 13th-month salary of 2019 for his excellent achievements. However, he had to pay VND25 million in PIT. Under the 2012 PIT Law, taxable income comprises salary, wage and other income items. Allowances and bonuses are also taxed. Tet bonuses are also taxed based on the partial progressive tariff like salaries, with seven rates, from 5 percent to 35 percent. As for the 13th-month salary, the laws dont mention this salary and it is considered a kind of bonus that enterprises offer to workers under agreements between employers and employees in labor contracts. As for the 13th-month salary, the laws dont mention this salary and it is considered a kind of bonus that enterprises offer to workers under agreements between employers and employees in labor contracts. If enterprises pay the 13th-month salary together with Tet bonus, the PIT amounts workers have to pay will be higher. Therefore, enterprises tend to pay the amounts of money separately. The regulation on deductions for family circumstances, VND9 million for one taxpayer and VND3.6 million for every dependent individual, is also applied to income from Tet bonus. For example, the workers who receive VND20 million in Tet bonus and dont have dependent family members, will have taxable income of VND12 million. Of this, the first VND5 million will be taxed 5 percent, the next VND5 million will be taxed 10 percent and the remaining VND2 million will be taxed 15 percent. Economists have many times urged to adjust the taxation threshold and the deduction levels. However, no adjustment has been made. Under the current laws, when the CPI increases by more than 20 percent compared with July 2013, the regulation on deductions for family circumstances will be adjusted. From July 2013 to the end of 2019, the CPI increased by more than 22 percent. However, the PIT law remains unchanged. The collection from PIT accounts for a big proportion of the annual total collection from taxes. Of the total tax collection of VND1,276,219 billion in 2019, the revenue from PIT was VND98 trillion, twice as much as the revenue from crude oil. The revenue from PIT has been increasing sharply in the last 10 years. In 2010, Vietnam collected VND26 trillion from PIT, while the figure rose to VND100 trillion in 2019. Kim Chi Personal income tax too high for low-income earners Under the current PIT law, pho sellers and taxi motorbike taxi drivers have to pay tax. OTTAWA The federal government paid Autopac almost $1 million in less than a decade to cover accidents involving cars driven by their civil servants. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OTTAWA The federal government paid Autopac almost $1 million in less than a decade to cover accidents involving cars driven by their civil servants. Since spring 2011 up until April 2019, Ottawa paid Manitoba Public Insurance Corp. just over $816,000 on behalf of offices that employ Mounties, prison wardens, fishery scientists, soldiers and welfare-claim investigators, "as a result of an accident involving a Crown vehicle." Over that eight-year period, public accounts show 205 payments to MPI for damages, including 17 in this past fiscal year for a total of $85,667. Its unclear how many fender-benders are involved; its possible one payment covers multiple accidents. Under a policy last revised in 2017, federal departments are to pay for claims when "the legal and other merits of the claims, the administrative expediency and cost-effectiveness of any further actions are considered" The Treasury Board, which governs federal spending, says departments and agencies might pay less than the full fee "when the claimants actions may have contributed to the damage or loss incurred," and that a departments legal team should decide how to proceed. The RCMP made up 63 per cent of the total paid to MPI since 2011, and also filed the most expensive claim, paying $34,676 in 2016. The military paid a third of the amount of MPI claims. The rest include employees of the agriculture department, food-inspection agency and the Correction Service of Canada. In addition to those claims, Ottawa has paid $28,000 in recent years to Manitoba Hydro, the provincial infrastructure department and the City of Winnipeg for motor-vehicle accidents and property damage most likely knocking down electricity poles or breaking street infrastructure. Most of the filings list the surname of the employee the payment is made on behalf of, though sometimes agencies instead report the other person involved in the accident. The listings show the Mounties compensated a First Nations band, FedEx and a child-welfare agency, presumably because a police officer hit a vehicle belonging to those groups. 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. Parks Canada, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada have all reported vehicle claims. Meanwhile, the federal prison service compensated a catering company for a $2,000 collision. Manitoba operates a no-fault system, where MPI covers a percentage of the cost of collisions, based on the drivers safety records. That means payments for accidents are most likely for damage to a vehicle or a property, rather than covering premiums for public servants. Neither the Manitoba government nor the City of Winnipeg could provide an explanation Monday of whether they cover employees collisions. dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca On Sunday night, Bong Joon Hos Parasite morphed from a merely great film into a history-making phenomenon, becoming the first foreign-language film to win the Oscar for best picture. It also won best director, best original screenplay and best international feature. Additionally, this South Korean horror-comedy, a radical parable of inequality, won the Golden Globe for best foreign film, the Writers Guild Award for best original screenplay and the best-ensemble prize from the Screen Actors Guild. No foreign film has ever been so honored in this country. Besides the excellence of the filmmaking, theres clearly something resonant about its bleak social vision, so different from anything coming out of Hollywood. Its reception is evidence of the same crisis of faith in capitalism thats making Bernie Sanders into a front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Parasite depicts a world where a chasm divides the rich, who live in airy minimalist splendor, and the poor, who exist to a degree that becomes increasingly macabre as the film progresses literally underground. American viewers might get the impression that South Korea is an extremely stratified society, and while theyd be right, its by some measures less unequal than our own. That makes the films fatalism about social mobility, so foreign to traditional American sensibilities, particularly bracing. EDWARDSVILLE Edwardsville High School (EHS) art students helped spread awareness, raise money and aid those in need by portraying moments they have seen or heard of in hopes of never having anyone experience those moments again. EHS art students took to two-dimensional drawings to portray the hurting of many Americans in their neighborhood and across the country and to help tell stories for those who cannot. The students submitted their work to the 100 Neediest Cases campaign put on by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the United Way of Greater St. Louis, where it was on display to raise awareness for real stories of real Americans. With the students help, the campaign was able to raise more than $1.36 million. According to the Post-Dispatch, [] donations ranging from $5 to a $100,000 gift [], were all received. The money raised has helped 11,059 people, with more than half being children. The campaign works by using thousands of cases of needy families through the United Way, then 100 cases are selected to be profiled in the Post-Dispatch in order to bring awareness. Students are asked to either pick one of the 100 cases or an issue of their choosing and depict a scenario of their own creation. The campaign started in 1922 as a part of the formation of the Christmas Bureau, a way to coordinate efforts of the community in holiday giving. The Post-Dispatch and the United Way have been teaming together for about 50 years to help raise awareness and educate people in the St. Louis area. I think its important to educate people because I dont want this to be our town, EHS art student and senior, Hannah Garde said. We not only need to educate to prevent but to help. If we can help those who struggle and give them help, then we can show them they dont need needles. Garde chose to tell a story about the disposal of needles, after use, in the streets and in areas that could be harmful to children or passers-by. She explained that she was impacted by stories from California where needles can be found on certain beaches where people often lounge and play. She added that if there is anything she wants her community to gain from those stories, it is to stay aware and educated, that just because it is on the coast doesnt mean it cant happen here. EHS art teacher, Kelly Spinka, has been making the campaign an assignment for her AP students to complete for five years and explained that their work can be more than an assignment. I want them to gain awareness, she said. This is an amazing opportunity for them to realize how lucky we are. While some of the stories are hundreds of miles away or may feel distant, some students help tell stories that have affected them personally. Someone I knew, their house burnt down and they lost everything, EHS art student and senior, Charlie Belobrajdic said. Belobrajdic depicted a scene from his own imagination that shows a person sitting in a lone chair in fiery rubble that once was their home with the remnants of a brick chimney. Belobrajdic explained that it is this feeling of darkness that he wishes no one to experience but is the time when others need assistance. It is when people are in harsh situations and feel alone, you reach out, it can pull them out from that pit of darkness, he explained. For some students, the idea of learning about those who are suffering was not about finishing an assignment for their class but was more about learning about their struggle and learning that there are actual people hurting on a daily basis. I think this [campaign] is a good idea, EHS art student and senior, Emma Hurtle said. No one realizes these things are happening. I was pretty sheltered as a kid and it helps people like me understand what is going on out there. Staying closer to home, one student wanted to raise awareness of how world hunger affects those in the Edwardsville community. Each summer, I go through a program where we help kids who rely on school lunches, EHS art student and senior, MJ Loyet said. When asked about what it means to tell this specific story she explained that, It is not mine to tell. This story needs to be told by people who have been personally affected by it. I just want to help bring awareness that it is everywhere. By IANS SAN FRANCISCO: Google human resources chief Eileen Naughton is set to step aside this year amid growing activism of the company's employees. "We're grateful to Eileen for all she's done and look forward to her next chapter at Google," Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai was quoted as saying in a statement by The Verge on Monday. Google has faced a lot of flak over the past year allegedly for firing people for speaking up against unfair practices. Internal activism within Google increased after reports of the company offering multimillion-dollar severance packages to employees accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual relationships. At one point about 20,000 employees staged a walkout. Many employees later alleged that Google resorted to retaliation against those who reported workplace issues. Google, however, maintained that during Naughton's tenure as HR chief, the number of employees at the company grew significantly. "Over the past 13 years, Eileen has made major contributions to the company in numerous areas, from media partnerships, to leading our sales and operations in the UK and Ireland, to leading our People Operations team through a period of significant growth -- during which over 70,000 people started their careers at Google," Pichai said. It is not clear what new role Naughton will take up at Google which is headquartered at Mountain View, California. Naughton says she is simply giving up the HR chief role to be closer to her family in New York City, The Verge reported. 388th, 419th Fighter Wings serve as core wing at Red Flag 20-1 By Micah Garbarino, 388th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published February 10, 2020 NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. (AFNS) -- Airmen from the 388th Fighter Wing, alongside reservists from the 419th Fighter Wing, are currently deployed for combat training with the F-35A Lightning II during exercise Red Flag 20-1. They are also performing the "core wing" function at what is known as the Air Force's premier large force exercise. From Jan. 27-Feb. 15 they, alongside air and ground units from across the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, Royal Air Force and Royal Australian Air Force, are learning how to fight and win together in a realistic combat environment. As the core wing, the 388th FW is the hub for integration, support and resources for the deployed force. "Red Flag gives us especially our young pilots and maintainers, many of whom have never been down range the opportunity to experience a joint, deployed environment," said Col. Steven Behmer, 388th Fighter Wing commander. "We don't simply learn how to execute the mission, we also get to know each other better, how we work and succeed together." The 388th Fighter Wing isn't the only unit at Red Flag with F-35s. The British Royal Air Force 617 Squadron from RAF Marham brought F-35Bs to the Red Flag exercise. This will further the integration the 421st Fighter Squadron began during last year's European Theater Support Package, where they began putting in place processes for "cross-servicing" maintenance activities, as well as operational integration with European F-35 partner nations. Organizers say integration on the ground and in the air is key to success at Red Flag, as it is in war. During the exercise, a friendly "blue force" fights against an enemy "red force" in what is known as the Air Force's premier large-force combat-training experience. Red Flag may be the only place in the world where it's OK if the "bad guys" win the day once in a while. "Our aggressors here are very good, they know the capabilities and shortcomings of the good guys and they work to exploit those," said Col. William Reese, 414th Combat Training Squadron commander. "We want them to fail here, so they learn and do better in the future, which may be in real-world combat." The Nevada Test and Training Range hosts both integrated air defenses with early warning systems and advanced surface-to-air threats. Couple those with highly trained aggressor pilots flying aircraft that simulate real-world enemy aircraft, and participants are presented with challenging missions in a variety of different scenarios. Red Flag was created 40 years ago to give young pilots a realistic combat experience before flying against a real enemy threat. The threats have evolved since Vietnam, but Red Flag has evolved with them. "We're not just doing fighter integrations here. We're doing cyber integration, we're doing space and intelligence operations," Reese said. "We have good guys and bad guys on each side. When we integrate, we win. When we operate as small, separate teams, we lose." This is the second time the 388th Fighter Wing has served as the core wing at Red Flag. The active duty 388th FW and Air Force Reserve 419th FW are the Air Force's first combat-capable F-35A units. They fly and maintain the jet in a Total Force partnership, which capitalizes on the strength of both components. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Spain has rescued 119 migrants from the sea and was looking for 67 others still missing from a boat that was trying to reach European shores, maritime authorities said. A spokesman with Spain's Maritime Rescue agency said the search for the missing rubber boat in the stretch of Mediterranean Sea separating Spain from Morocco had been suspended for the night y and was to resume Tuesday. The official, who was not authorized to be named in media reports, said the dinghy was believed to be in Morocco's rescue area. He said two other rubber boats had been found in the area known as the Alborn Sea with 60 and 59 migrants from Africa, and that all of them would be disembarked in Spain's southeastern city of Mlaga. The migrants, including 26 women and five children, were in good health, the spokesman said. Refugees fleeing violence and migrants fleeing poverty look for a new life in Europe by setting off on dangerous trips by sea from African coasts. Spain became the main entry point into Europe for migrants in 2018 but saw the number of arrivals halved last year to 26,168. Recently it has seen an uptick in the number of boats heading to the Canary Islands, which lie in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa's northeastern coast. Morocco received 140 million euros (USD 155 million) in European Union funds in 2019 to crack down on illegal migrant crossings. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For a brief few weeks after the election, the weather in Britain wore the calm of exhaustion. We looked out for glimmers of light, a first daffodil, signs that the exit from the EU would be friendly. Humans need optimism. Surely Boris Johnson would now show himself the socially liberal, inclusive politician, hardly a little Englander, we had known from his days as London Mayor? Surely the Labour Party leadership contest would be easy and an energetic opposition speedily restored. Alas, stormy weather returned all too quickly to these battered isles, complete with blustery winds and hurtling branches. The departure from the EU which the novelist Ian McEwan termed the most pointless, masochistic ambition ever dreamed of in the history of these islands - was less than gracious. Little heed was paid to a majority who had voted against leaving, but whose votes didnt up to a majority of MPs. We experienced it as a moment of great sadness, let alone anxiety about a rudderless future that looked only into the past. If the head of the EU could quote George Eliot, no counter quote from Cervantes or Leopardi, Flaubert or Thomas Mann came from our Eton-educated Prime Minister from whom we might at least have expected a little Greek or Latin. Negotiations about the terms of divorce began with Johnsons bullish rejection of any alignment with EU regulations and an insistence that we would come up with our own. The Trump-like tone, while satisfying his nationalist base and the likes of Farage, gives Johnson the eventual option of blaming the EU for any failure his government meets on the economic front and in ending austerity. The Huawei decision confused things. Amidst opposition, even from its own ranks, the government opted for limited investment by the Chinese 5G company. This is in line with the EUs advice rather than with the complete ban demanded by Trump, often touted as the primary partner in a quick and smooth future trade deal. Then Johnson, in a lets imitate Trump moment, flung a brick at the press. He announced he would pick and choose which journalists would be allowed into briefings, barring those he judged to be hostile. The gasp of disbelief, even from Tory-loyal papers who had backed Brexit, was audible up and down the country. (Eighty percent of the British Press is owned by private proprietors, largely conservative). The Daily Mail, that bastion of middle England Brexiters, came out with the assertion that such selection made a mockery of the free press a great British invention! Its hard not to think that the pick-and-choose-your-journalists policy emanated from Johnsons closest advisor the ever-arrogant Dominic Cummings, who seems to rule the Prime Ministers policies as well as his tactics and has far greater sway over him for the moment than any of his ministers. Like Johnson or Trump, Cummings doesnt like close scrutiny of policy and any expert assessment of where it may lead. But given the governments huge majority, and a currently weak opposition, the press is the only vocal questioner of policy there might be. Johnson, himself till recently a journalist after all, pulled back, as if he really hadnt meant to say that only selected journalists would be allowed into briefings. Given how many other of Cummings purported grand plans have recently failed, it may be that the man who master-minded the vote leave campaign, the man who believes in creative destruction, may himself soon be in for a de-selection. That doesnt, however, resolve the question of the future of our great public broadcaster, the BBC, which all political parties choose to hate at various moments for what they see as biased reporting. The BBC tries to keep its news even-handed. But it has been in the firing line not only over its output but also over the licence fee with supports it and which it is a criminal offence for people who have a television or radio not to pay. Losing the BBC would leave Britain poorer, turning it into even a smaller island at the mercy of its great English language competitor, America. What will happen in a divided Northern Ireland if the Irish in the south end up with a Sinn Fein led government, or indeed if the Scottish National Party press on for an independence referendum, is anyones guess, but nothing is abetted by a nationalist England separated by customs barriers from its nearest friends. Meanwhile, the arts, literature and the universities worry over the loss of simple visa-less links with the rest of Europe, the fate of Europeans living here, the end of the Erasmus programme and many long-term joint projects and exchanges. Stormy weather indeed. Yet, since we really do share at least some of our weather with the continent, many of us are convinced that our histories and imaginations are inextricably intertwined. A procedural separation from the EU, will not stop Britons from being European. There may be fog on the Channel but the continent, to negate the old joke, is not cut off. Lisa Appignanesis latest book is 'Everyday Madness'. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment In a recent study from Barna, more than 15,000 people between the ages of 18 and 35 rated the churchs impact on issues of poverty and injustice. The results were surprising. 73% of the respondents who identified as practicing Christians believe that the church as a whole is making a positive impact in its effort to fight injustice. However, that is a significant contrast from their non-Christian counterparts, 68% of whom are not at all convinced that church is effective in its efforts for justice. These two very different perceptions cannot both be true. So, which group is right, and what is the cause of the different view of the other group? Is the church really making a difference or not? According to the same study, Christians are almost twice as likely as those with no faith to be inspired to give of their time to help others in need (56% to 32%) [and] to report that their beliefs compel them to give of their own resources (46% to 26%). The reality is, Christians, churches and parachurch non-profit organizations across the world are doing a lot to help those in need. One recent example is a church in Missouri that erased $43 million in medical debt for families living in the state. Another relevant example is the many churches on both sides of the US/Mexican border that are providing shelter for asylum seekers by building bunk beds in their Sunday school classes. Some Christian organizations have also brought in volunteer lawyers to help these people understand the immigration laws. We dont refer to them [as migrants and asylum seekers], one pastor said. We refer to them as our guests. These are just a few of the many ways churches and parachurch organizations fighting injustice across the world. Contrary to popular opinion, many churches actually have a tremendous impact. So, why do people doubt the churchs impact on the world? There are many possible reasons we could point out to help explain why so many non-Christians do not see, experience or believe in the churchs impact on the world. This skepticism could come from the media, which tends to report negative headlines much more readily than positive ones. In other words, if one church sends relief to hurricane survivors in a third-world country, and another church is involved in a sex scandal, you can guess which of these is more likely to make headlines. Another reason might be that people outside the church have different goals and standards for justice. For example, many churches are involved in the pro-life movement, which some non-Christians do not consider to be an injustice that needs to be addressed. However, I want to point out another possible reason many people struggle to see the genuine impact that so many Christians and churches are having on the world. This comes from another study from Barna, where a poll asked respondents to describe the primary traits or qualities of Evangelicals as a whole by choosing from a list of positive and negative adjectives, including caring, narrow-minded, friendly, homophobic, generous, racist, hopeful and the list goes on. However, the two most common descriptors chosen were related to the conservatism of Evangelicals as a whole. Almost 40% of all non-Christians categorized Evangelicals as first and foremost Religiously Conservative, and then Politically Conservative. While leaning toward the right or left of the political spectrum is neither good nor evil in and of itself, the fact that Politically Conservative was a far more common descriptor than caring, generous, encouraging or friendly, should serve as a vital warning to all of us. Jesus said, By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another, (John 13:35). We must work hard to ensure that the world knows we are Christians by how we love, not by how we vote. Press Release February 11, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 716: Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the Conspiracy to Commit Sedition case vs. Trillanes, et. al. 2/11/20 The indictment of Sen. Sonny Trillanes and nine others, including two priests, for Conspiracy to Commit Sedition shows the depths to which this administration is willing to sink in order to harass or persecute those who dare to search for truth and demand for accountability. 'Bikoy', a certified liar, has turned from an enemy of the state to a weapon to silence dissent. For him to be the cornerstone of a criminal case is just another reminder of the willingness of Duterte to use lowlifes, criminals and other deplorables who share his values, if it serves his own malevolent designs. There is no Conspiracy to Commit Sedition here. An indispensable element in a crime of sedition under Art. 139 of the Revised Penal Code is a public and tumultuous uprising which has been found wanting in the DOJ Resolution itself, as quoted in media reports. Any conspiracy to commit sedition under Art. 141 must necessarily involve such proposed act of public and tumultuous uprising, which is also clearly wanting here. So are the other elements of "force, intimidation or by other means outside of legal methods," in order to attain any of the stated objects under Art. 139, which include creating a supposed "hatred or revenge against the President and his family," as cited in the Resolution. This charge is wantonly baseless! The Constitution and the law protect our rights to freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and petition the government for redress of grievances. The administration has yet to show proof of anything resembling seditious act or intent beyond their wild imaginings. The lawyers' oath, in part, says: "I will do no falsehood, nor consent to the doing of any in court; I will not wittingly or willingly promote or sue any groundless, false or unlawful suit, or give aid nor consent to the same; I will delay no man for money or malice." I challenge our courts to uphold this oath, protect our justice system and put an end to these abusive machinations of the administration. Let's stand with Sonny Trillanes, Fr. Flavie, Paring Bert and others unjustly indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Sedition. Let's fight Lawfare that targets critics, dissenters and truth-seekers. (Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 716, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_716) The whole of China is engulfed with Wuhan Coronavirus epidemic, which has killed over 1000 people and affected over 43,000 in China itself, and several others across the globe. The disease has already crossed the death toll caused by SARS in 2002-2004. Reuters Amidst this chaos, doctors and medical practitioners are the unsung heroes who despite the odds are sacrificing not just their time, but also their lives, while treating patients affected with the novel coronavirus. And now hero nurses of China have taken this sacrifice to a whole new level. Nurses in China are voluntarily shaving their heads to limit the risk of cross-contamination while combatting the Wuhan Coronavirus. Why shave head? While it is already established that the novel coronavirus spreads through human contact, it also spreads through the shedding of hair or natural hair fall. With the head being completely shaven, this drastically reduces the chances of the virus spreading through that channel. Xinhua News Various nurses have shared their videos of shaving their head on Chinese social media platforms. Nurses have also revealed that while this limits transmission of coronavirus from one body to another, it also makes the process of changing and putting on hazmat suits a lot more convenient. The fight with the Wuhan Coronavirus hasnt been easy for the doctors and medical practitioners, with many experiencing severe skin burn due to constant decontamination using bleach-based disinfectants as well as scars near nose and cheeks after constantly wearing tight face masks for hours. Xinhua News With so many patients to look after, they dont even have time to head to a washroom and rely on wearing diapers the whole day. Many arent even getting proper sleep, with many doctors just crashing on chairs and tables, and immense stress of an ever-increasing number of cases that theyre experiencing daily. Corporate positions decreased by approximately 33% and operational positions decreased by approximately 13% Total number of positions decreased by approximately 15% across the Company New structure focuses the business on accelerating revenue growth in the Canadian market TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. ("Supreme Cannabis" or the "Company") (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1) today announced the implementation of a new operating structure, including staff reductions, to drive efficiencies and support long-term, profitable growth. As previously announced on January 6, 2020, Supreme Cannabis' board and management team are focused on achieving greater efficiencies and speed to market by rightsizing production, overhead and capital expenditures. At a corporate, operational and international level, the Company's management team is focusing its businesses and implementing new operating models that prioritize near-term revenue growth in the Canadian market. "As Interim President and CEO, I committed to take immediate steps to position Supreme Cannabis for long-term success, including rightsizing the Company's cost structure and focusing our efforts on near-term revenue-generating opportunities," said Colin Moore, Director and Interim President and CEO. "Recent staff reductions were an extremely difficult decision for myself and the Board, but I believe them to be necessary to create a more agile, focused and profitable organization for the long-term benefit of all of Supreme Cannabis' stakeholders. The changes we are implementing will empower our people, drive value for our shareholders and ensure that we continue to deliver a consistent and premium product to our consumers." Under the new optimized organization, reporting structures at the corporate level are being streamlined and vendor contracts and support services have been rationalized. Focusing the Company on near-term revenue generating opportunities and creating a more nimble and effective corporate structure resulted in a 33% reduction in employee headcount at a corporate level. In addition to ongoing improvements to the Company's operational efficiencies, Supreme Cannabis has begun implementing a flatter organizational structure and cost-saving measures across its operating assets, including a reduction in the number of positions at the operational level of approximately 13%. Across the Company, the total number of positions have decreased by approximately 15%. As part of management's enhanced focus on domestic operations and prioritizing near-term profitability, the Company exited its investment in Supreme Heights, its UK and European cannabis investment platform, by exercising its retractable rights to return all investments back to the Company. Supreme Cannabis will continue to achieve capital-light, international exposure to the global wellness and medical markets through its Truverra business and MG Health Lesotho investment. As previously announced, the Company will provide its second quarter financial results for the three and six months ended December 31, 2019, as well as an update on its plan for accelerated revenue growth and strategy to support its transition into a premium cannabis CPG company, after markets close on February 13, 2020. About Supreme Cannabis. The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc., (TSX: FIRE) (OTCQX: SPRWF) (FRA: 53S1), is a global diversified portfolio of distinct cannabis companies, products and brands. Since 2014, the Company has emerged as one of the world's fastest-growing, premium plant-driven lifestyle companies. Supreme Cannabis' portfolio of brands caters to diverse consumer experiences, with brands and products that address recreational, wellness, medicinal and new consumer preferences. The Company's brand portfolio includes, 7ACRES, Blissco , Truverra, Sugarleaf by 7AC and Khalifa Kush Enterprises Canada . Supreme Cannabis' brands are backed by a focused suite of world-class operating assets that serve key functions in the value chain, including, scaled cultivation, value-add processing, centralized manufacturing and product testing and R&D. Follow the Company on Instagram , Twitter, Facebook , LinkedIn and YouTube. We simply grow better. Forward-Looking Information. Certain statements made in this press release may constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Forward-looking information may relate to anticipated events or results including, but not limited to: the ability to drive shareholder value; continuing to deliver a consistent and premium product to consumers; winding down its investment in Supreme Heights; continuing to achieve capital-light international exposure to the global wellness and medical markets; and other statements that are not historical facts. Particularly, information regarding our expectations of future results, targets, performance achievements, prospects or opportunities is forward-looking information. Often, but not always, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "believe", "estimate", "plan", "could", "should", "would", "outlook", "forecast", "anticipate", "foresee", "continue" or the negative of these terms or variations of them or similar terminology. Forward-looking information is current as of the date it is made and is based on reasonable estimates and assumptions made by us at the relevant time in light of our experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future developments, as well as other factors that we believe are appropriate and reasonable in the circumstances. However, we do not undertake to update any such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required under applicable securities laws in Canada. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. Many factors could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements or future events or developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking information, including, without limitation, the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's Annual Information Form dated September 17, 2019 ("AIF"). A copy of the AIF and the Company's other publicly filed documents can be accessed under the Company's profile on the System for Electronic Document Analysis and Retrieval ("SEDAR") at www.sedar.com. The Company cautions that the list of risk factors and uncertainties described in the AIF is not exhaustive and other factors could also adversely affect its results. Readers are urged to consider the risks, uncertainties and assumptions carefully in evaluating the forward-looking information and are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such information. SOURCE The Supreme Cannabis Company, Inc. Related Links https://www.supreme.ca/ Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 20:12 699 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063dea4f 1 Environment crocodile,crocodile-chocked-tire,Palu,Matt-Wright,wildlife,animal-rights,BKSDA Free With a permit from the Indonesian government in hand, Australian TV presenter and crocodile expert Matthew Nicholas Wright returned to Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday to rescue a wild crocodile that has had a motorcycle tire caught around its neck for years. Together with fellow crocodile observer Chris Wilson, Wright set a trap on the Palu River on the first day of his attempt to catch the reptile where it lives. The Australians flew from their outback to join a special rescue team formed by the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA Central Sulawesi) and the Environment and Forestry Ministry. In an Instagram story on Tuesday, Wright, who has a show on the National Geographic TV channel called Outback Wrangler, was seen standing on the side of the Palu River while pointing at the 4-meter-long crocodile hiding behind a rock. He also joined the BKSDA team to finalize plans and prepare a wire trap and floating drums. Everything is looking very good here at the moment. The trap is coming together, said Wright. It has been a big day at the BKSDA. As we finish the trap, well load it up to the river. After first going to Palu on the weekend to scope out the river and his prey, Wright flew to Jakarta on Monday to meet and coordinate with Indonesian officials. In Instagram posts earlier this month, Wright said he had been following the stories of this trapped crocodile for the past 18 months and had been trying his best to work out the best window of opportunity to go to Palu and help relieve the crocodile of his tight choker. We have been talking closely with Indonesian officials, including the Environment and Forestry Ministry and associated local organizations, said Wright in his post. "Well be able to develop a cracking plan once weve seen what environmental challenges we have to overcome in this area." The participation of the two Australians is based on a decree issued by the ministry on Monday to BKSDA Central Sulawesi, into whose operational control the crocodile rescue team has been entrusted. After consulting with the ministrys biodiversity conservation directorate general, both of them were allowed to immediately join the rescue team, Haruna, a BKSDA Central Sulawesi official, told reporters on Monday. The trapped crocodile was first seen swimming with the tire around its neck in 2016. It was regularly spotted swimming in the waters of the Palu River and Palu Bay. Officials and conservationists previously tried but failed to catch it. Locals believe the crocodile was frightened off because every time there was a rescue attempt, dozens of curious Palu residents swarmed around the river to watch. In response, Wright said that any rescue spectators might put themselves in danger as they had limited or no experience catching and handling large reptiles. Unfortunately, we have heard a couple of rogue outfits who havent gone through the respectful and appropriate channels are already on location without permission, said Wright. Thankfully, the government has acted swiftly and these teams have been removed. (syk) Nashville : , Feb 11 (IANS) Entrepreneurs and educational institutions globally including in India who are using 3D CAD software SolidWorks will see amazing offers coming their way - some even free -- in the days to come as they onboard the 3DExperience Cloud platform, according to Gian Paolo Bassi, CEO, SolidWorks, Dassault Systemes. "We are refining the offers for educational institutions and entrepreneurs. I can tell you that entrepreneurs will be able to use the platform for free for at least one year which will be heavily-discounted thereafter. We will also have very compelling offers for the educational institutions," Bassi told IANS on Tuesday. "It will not be free for students but it will provide a huge value proposition as moving onto the Cloud platform will save institutions a lot of money. The students will also be able to use their own devices," Bassi explained on the sidelines of the '3DExperience World' event here. The global 3DExperience major has announced new '3DExperience Works' commercial offers that will help the 3D CAD software users develop new customer solutions seamlessly. The new offers include SolidWorks' standard, professional and premium applications that are installed from, licensed from, and updated in the 3DExperience platform, with data stored in it. According to Bassi, it is not about giving free software but about building the curriculum, supporting the educational institutions and helping students with certification opportunities. "Kids will find jobs faster and better ones. We want to bring students to the next level of the future of design," said Bassi. French 3DExperience platform company Dassault Systemes registered 14 per cent growth in the adoption of its 3D CAD software SolidWorks in India in 2019. SolidWorks has over 9,000 commercial customers in India and close to 1,500 academic customers. The platform has more than 1,50,000 users in the country. "The new connection between SolidWorks and 3DExperience platform would be relevant for the India market which is already a mature market in terms of engineering talent. Fundamentally, it will help Indian customers explore a world of engineering capabilities that was not possible before," informed the SolidWorks CEO. According to Forbes, student debt in the U.S. has risen to more than $1.6 trillion. Its an astronomical number. Fortunately, Natural Light says its here to help. The value beer brand popular on college campuses across the country announced Tuesday that it is giving away $1 million as part of its student debt relief program for the third straight year. This year, its easy to get some free cash. Any college graduate over the age of 21 can make a quick $100 with Natty Light by offering to rent their original college diploma to the brand, with a promise to return it in the exact same condition. Participants simply fill out a diploma rental agreement on nattydiplomas.com and the brand will send a pre-paid envelope to mail back the diploma. Natty Light will send $100 via Cash App or check to anyone who participates. College Debt remains one of the most pressing issues facing Americans today, so were proud to keep supporting the Natty community by coming back with another million dollars to help ease some of the burden said Daniel Blake, senior director of U.S. Value Brands at Anheuser-Busch. But weve also got something else exciting in store to keep the spotlight on this issue all we need is our fans actual diplomas to make it happen Natty Light is giving free beer to anyone turning 21 in 2020 If you dont feel like sending your diploma in, you can still win some cash to pay off student debt. Any qualified fan over the age of 21 can post a video showing how they would celebrate if all their loans were paid off. Complete the submission by showing off the Natty Light logo in the video and inserting #NattyStories, #Contest and #2020 when its posted to social media. Natty Light will be accepting #NattyStories entries through March 29 and full contest rules and regulations can be found here. In 2018, the company made a 10-year, $10,000,000 commitment to the Natural Light College Debt Relief Program to help young people struggling with student debt. Haiti - News : Zapping... Coronavirus Global assessment 11 February Tuesday February 11, 2020, the number of people infected worldwide (laboratory confirmed cases) amounted to 43,138 people, an increase of 2,565 cases (818 cases less than the day before); 1,018 deaths (+ 11.9%) or 108 more than the day before (910 dead) and 4,284 people healed, ie 787 people (+ 22.5%) more than the day before (3,497) and 4.2 times more healing than death compared to 3.8 times the day before. 3 million required for the release of 5 hostages 5 citizens were kidnapped last weekend by unidentified individuals. The kidnappers are demanding from the relatives of the hostages 3 million gourdes of ransom for their release... Deficit : the Minister is still playing with words The Minister of the Environment Joseph Jouthe also Minister ai of the Economy and Minister now affirms that the 15 billion of which the BRH speaks is not a deficit, but funds overdrawn from the Public Treasury [!] See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29992-haiti-flash-the-minister-ai-of-finance-contradicts-the-brh.html and https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-29948-haiti-economy-the-deficit-explodes-in-the-1st-fiscal-quarter-and-exceeds-15-billion.html PetroCaribe : continuation of the hearings On Monday, investigating judge Ramoncite Accime continued his hearings, as part of an investigation into the management of the PetroCaribe funds. He questioned former Minister of Planning Jude Herve Day for several hours, who claims to have answered all of the questions. Strategic change at PNH As part of the implementation of a new security plan, the Haitian National Police (PNH) has made two strategic changes. Inspector General Joany Caneus was replaced by Divisional Commissioner Frederic Leconte (former Director of Judicial Information) and Caneus was transferred to the PNH General Inspection under the orders of Director General a.i. Rameau Normil. 10 years in prison for raping a minor Friday, February 7, the judge Emmanuel Vertilaire of the Court of First Instance of Cap-Haitien pronounced a sentence of 10 years of imprisonment and 5 million gourdes of compensation to the victim, against the former candidate for the deputation (district of Cap-Haitian) Lafortune Alouidor (50) arrested in December 2017 for sexual assault followed by pregnancy to the detriment of her daughter-in-law then aged 14. HL/ HaitiLibre A bush fire incident has occurred at the Sam Mbakwe International Cargo Airport, Owerri, Imo State. The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) disclosed this in a statement Tuesday. FAAN said that officers of the Air Rescue and Fire Fighting Services were on ground and fire fighting was in progress. However, PREMIUM TIMES understands that the incident did not affect flight operations. FAAN in its statement noted that normal flight operations continues unhindered. The authority appealed to host communities around airports to please desist from burning bushes around the airports as this act is capable of jeopardizing safety of flight operations because of the prevailing weather condition in the country. Cases of Bush Burning There have been incessant cases of bush burning in major Nigerian airports in recent time. In January, a bush fire incident was reported around the RESA of 36L, Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, who made the disclosure in a statement urged airlines operators and other airport users not to panic. The Runway End Safety Area (RESA) refers to the surface surrounding the runway prepared or suitable for reducing the risk of damage to airplanes in the event of an undershoot, overshoot, or excursion from the runway. Similarly, on January 5, FAAN announced the temporary closure of Port Harcourt International Airport runway following a bush fire incident near the area. Mrs Yakubu explained that the temporary closure of the runway was a part of safety precautions. A joint team from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Airspace Management Agency is presently evaluating the situation. This is with a view to ensuring that the airside is cleared of smoke and restoration of normalcy at the airport, she said. On Tuesday, Mrs Yakubu assured that FAAN was committed to its core values of safety, security, and comfort of passengers and airport users. The NCAA is spending more than a half a million dollars to keep athletes from making money. (AP Photo/Aaron M. Sprecher, File) The NCAA, ACC and Big 12 Conference combined to spend nearly $1 million last year lobbying lawmakers in the effort to shape laws in their liking for athletes to receive endorsement money, the Associated Press reported. The NCAA announced in October it would immediately consider updating its rules and allowing student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness. It came after California passed a law to allow college athletes in its state to receive endorsement and sponsorship money. Other states followed suit. In its announcement, the NCAA said it would figure out how to do it and what limitations the rules would hold. To do that to its liking, and without laws such as Californias Fair Pay to Play Act determining the way, its turned to Congress and lobbyists. NCAA, conferences give $1M to lobbyists The NCAA spent $690,000 in 2019 on in-house and outside lobbyists, per the Associated Press. Its the most since 2014. The ACC gave at least $210,000 to lobbyist Tom Korologos and law firm DLA Piper to influence legislation and regulatory proposals affecting intercollegiate athletes, per the AP. Its the first year the ACC paid lobbyists. And the Big 12 gave nine times what it usually does in two quarters to lobbyist Kenny Hulshof. Per the AP, the conference paid him less than $5,000 per quarter before giving $90,000 in the last two quarters of the year, per AP. Thats $990,000 combined to keep athletes from making money off of non-NCAA entities for their marketability. No question NCAA money is effective Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.) said theres no question the NCAA has been effective in lobbying for its own goals. The NCAA is already at a position of power, Walker said, via the AP. Otherwise you would have seen progress. ... Theres been little to nothing done in this arena, and had the student-athlete had proper representation on the federal level, wed be much further down this path than we are. The issue has been around for a while, and with California getting the votes, its pushed other states to try it now. Story continues The California law will go into effect in 2023. States such as Minnesota, Georgia, Florida, New York and South Carolina have legislation going through their state assemblies. Concerns over students inability to lobby While the NCAA and its conferences can give money to lobbyists and try to get a bill it wants, student-athletes have no such power. The NCAA is a well-heeled organization and college athletes, not by accident, dont have the kind of organizational power or influence that the NCAA does, said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Calif.), via the AP. You have to be more assiduous in soliciting the opinion of athletes than you do the NCAA. The National College Players Association and Drake Group, a non-profit advocating for academic integrity in college sports, work in D.C. on behalf of the student-athletes. They have a lobbying budget of zero dollars, per the AP. More from Yahoo Sports: Hold on to your hats high winds are in store for the Albuquerque area. A winter storm was expected Monday night, bringing snow and blustery winds to central and northern New Mexico, according to National Weather Service meteorologists. Most of Albuquerque will receive little snow from the storm, thanks to a phenomenon weather experts call the Albuquerque snow hole. As cold, dense air hits Albuquerque from the east, high winds develop in the canyons between the Sandia Mountains. Tuesdays storm could cause wind gusts of 50 to 60 mph on the east side of Albuquerque. The canyon winds cause air to sink and compress as they move down into the valley, leading to snow-free areas over much of the Albuquerque area. Snow will be concentrated on the West Mesa, and the Albuquerque area is expected to receive 1 to 2 inches of snow by Tuesday night. Strong crosswinds and blowing snow are likely on Interstate 25. The Department of Family and Community Services will keep the Westside Emergency Housing Center open 24 hours Tuesday to provide for those in need. Santa Fe could receive about 3 inches of snow from the storm. Six inches is expected for Santa Rosa, and meteorologists forecast that Clines Corners and Las Vegas will each receive 8 inches of snow by Tuesday afternoon, which could affect highway travel. February has been a pretty lean month for the past couple years when it comes to winter storms, so a good, heavy snow in February is welcome, although we will see some travel impacts, said Kerry Jones, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service of Albuquerque. On Tuesday, temperatures in most of central and northern New Mexico will be around freezing. Winds will likely calm down by Tuesday night. The rest of the week will be dry and slightly warmer. Travel conditions are available at nmroads.com or by calling 511. Updated snow totals and forecasts can be viewed at weather.gov/abq. Mary Cowen, wife of former Taoiseach Brian Cowen, has given an update on his health following a bleed to the brain last year. Speaking to Midlands 103 at the Laois-Offaly election count over the weekend, Mary said the Clara native is making "slow and steady progress." Mary attended the count centre in Portlaoise with her daughters as her brother-in-law Barry Cowen was returned to the Dail for a third time. It was the first time he was elected in the absence of his brother. The former Fianna Fail leader is continuing to receive treatment but is no longer in a full hospital setting following a bleed to the brain last July. His wife said crucially that Brian is now starting to see the progress himself. "He's beginning to see progress now himself which is very encouraging for him, whereas we've seen progress before him because we've been with him from day one when he was very seriously ill. "He's very encouraged by what he's doing at the moment, he's very determined and hopes to walk again and get out and come home soon," she concluded. Mary continued to explain that Brian "hadn't been feeling well for a few days" prior to collapsing and suffering a stroke. "He was going to see his consultant in the Beacon on July 4 and was admitted and was going to have a routine procedure the next day and that night, Brian collapsed and had a stroke. He was transferred quickly to St. Vincent's Hospital in Dublin where Mary says he was resuscitated and transferred to ICU. He remained in Vincent's for five months. "He is now in rehab and that's where he is at the moment." He is now working on his rehabilitation, undergoing various therapies and strengthening up in the gym with various exercises. Mary said she ignored any negative comments made about her husband in the wake of his health scare and insisted that the overall response was a positive outpouring of well wishes. She thanked those who passed on messages of support to Brian, herself and their family. She said Brian is looking forward to getting home to Tullamore but admitted medics do not know when that will be possible. Brian was keeping a close eye on the Laois-Offaly constituency over the weekend where his brother Barry took the second seat. His other party colleague to be elected was Sean Fleming in Laois. Peter Ormond missed out in the shake-up for the last seat. Hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University students, who included a large number of girls, took out a candle-light march inside the campus in protest against the police action on anti-citizenship law protesters in Kanpur and on Jamia Millia Islamia students in Delhi. After the march Monday night, the AMU Students Coordination Committee submitted a memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to authorities, seeking his intervention on the issue. The committee also demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. By venting fury against the protesters, especially women, police was adding fuel to the fire in UP, the memorandum claimed. It said UP police, instead of allowing peaceful protests, is aggravating the situation by indulging in "wanton brutalities". The committee demanded that the president intervene to prevent deterioration of law and order. Early Monday, UP police allegedly tried to remove the protesters from Kanpur's Mohammad Ali Park. The protesters accused the police of resorting to lathicharge but senior officials denied the charge. Similar protests have been continuing in Delhi. On December 15, Delhi police stormed into Jamia, looking for protesters who had indulged in arson, and allegedly beat up students. The same night, police also entered the AMU and clashed with students protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On Tuesday, former AMU Students Union Vice President Hamza Sufiyan, who is among the four students whose surety of Rs 1 lakh has been seized by police, said he was being "framed" by district authorities for the violence on December 15, despite he providing documentary evidence, including call records, to the Human Rights Commission to prove he was not in Aligarh that night. Sufiyan said in a statement that the police was "harassing" him even though the CCTV footage showed he was not present during the clash at Baab-e-Syed Gate of the university on December 15. On Monday, examinations were held at AMU according to the schedule revised due to the anti-CAA protest on the campus. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) National Aviation Academy students meet with a Delta TechOps recruiter at an on-campus Career Fair in Tampa Bay. "With so many amazing aviation maintenance opportunities available, its no wonder that companies are taking notice of highly-trained, newly-certified A&P technicians. We offer quality training to maintain the worlds air fleet. Many factors, including an aging aviation maintenance workforce and shortage of trained airframe and powerplant (A&P) technicians, have sparked interest in National Aviation Academys (NAA) Career Fairs. Employers are feeling the challenges that come with aviation maintenance professionals departing longtime positions and make it abundantly clear that the demand in the industry is real. To connect students and alumni with industry-leading employers, NAAs most recent Career Fair took place on January 23, 2020, at their Tampa Bay campus. Over forty companies were in attendance to meet candidates, conduct interviews, and make employment offers. Industry leaders such as Piedmont, Endeavor Air, General Electric (GE) Aviation, Gulfstream, and Delta TechOps were onsite, seeking qualified candidates. NAA continues to grow relationships with employers, and maintenance companies alike, to facilitate the placement of trained professionals into the aviation maintenance field. The Aviation Technician Education Councils (ATEC) 2018 Pipeline Report details the current state of A&P mechanic certificate holders, the aviation maintenance technician schools that prepare the majority of individuals for careers in aviation maintenance, and the companies that employ maintenance professionals. It shows that employers are seeking ways to excite the next generation of mechanics, who are needed to fill positions. Career growth opportunities and benefits are some of the things that todays aviation employers are using to pique future mechanics interest. Pamela Van Sant, National Aviation Academys President/COO, stated, Veteran aviation maintenance technicians are retiring at an unprecedented rate. With so many amazing aviation maintenance opportunities available, its no wonder that companies are taking notice of highly-trained, newly-certified A&P technicians. We offer quality training to maintain the worlds air fleet. One of NAAs primary objectives is to mold students into professional aviation mechanics. These skilled technicians are responsible for inspecting, repairing, and maintaining the global air fleet, while adhering to the requirements and expectations of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The sheer number of available aviation maintenance opportunities is worth mentioning. Boeings 2019 Pilot & Technician Outlook forecasts that 769,000 new aviation maintenance technicians will be needed worldwide by 2038. As aging mechanics begin to retire, and the demand for more mechanics increases, the need for new talent grows. With NAAs 14 or 21-month accelerated training programs, students can train with experienced instructors to prepare for current and future career opportunities. NAAs next career fair will take place at NAAs New England campus at 130 Baker Ave. Ext. in Concord, MA on Wednesday, March 11, 2020. Industry leaders such as General Electric (GE) Aviation, Embraer, Gulfstream, and Piedmont will be in attendance. NAA-Tampa Bay will host their next career fair on Thursday, May 14, 2020. ABOUT NAA: National Aviation Academy (NAA) has provided world-class aviation maintenance training since 1932. Dedicated to building a quality aviation maintenance workforce, NAA offers training in Aviation Maintenance and Advanced Aircraft Systems. A worldwide reputation has been cultivated through the use of innovative curriculum, hands-on training, and a forward-thinking sensibility. Students gain industry knowledge and exceptional skills by engaging with faculty who have years of experience across all maintenance sectors. Companies that hire NAA graduates offer long-term and viable careers with great earning and growth potential. NAA trains individuals from across the globe at campuses located in Clearwater, FL, and Concord, MA. For more information, call (800) 659-2080 or visit http://naa.edu. For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers. Nangloi Jat Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Nangloi Jat constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Nangloi Jat Assembly Elections 2020: Incumbent MLA and AAP candidate Raghuvinder Shokeen won by polling 49.21 of the votes while BJP's Suman Lata polled 41.53 percent of the votes. A census town in West Delhi, Nangloi Jat once largely housed people from the Jat clan. Though the demographics have changed, Jats continue to be an electoral force to be reckoned with. The AAP renominated incumbent MLA Raghuvinder Shokeen, who defended his seat against BJPs nominee Sumanlata Shokeen, the wife of ex-BJP MLA and partys district president Manoj Shokeen. Constituency Name: Nangloi Jat Constituency Number: 11 District Name: West Delhi Total Electors: 2,39,203 Female Electors: 1,04,711 Male Electors: 1,34,484 Third Gender: 8 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Bijendra Singh of the Congress won the seat in 2003 and 2008 polls, while he lost to Manoj Kumar Shokeen of the BJP in 2013. In the last election, Raghuvinder Shokeen of the AAP won the seat by a record margin of over 37,000 votes. Demographics: Nangloi Jat, like other Assembly segments in North West Delhi has a sizeable Jat population. This is one of the 18 potential seats that the BJP ally JJP had reportedly shortlisted for an electoral contest. However, the party backed out of the poll contest at the last moment. Kavita Colony, Punjabi Basti, JJ Colonies, Saini Mohalla, Nangloi village,Jwala Puri, Paschim Vihar, Mianwali Nagar, Peerha Garhi, Meera Bagh are some of the localities in the constituency. A radio station in the Netherlands had to apologise after receiving severe backlash for playing a parody song that blamed Chinese people and Chinese food for the deadly Coronavirus. The song titled 'Prevention is better than Chinese' by an artist named 'Toon' was reportedly been played at Dutch carnivals and a show on Radio 10, a radio station in the Netherlands The new strain of Coronavirus, in a span of few months, has killed over 1,000 people and infected thousands more in China. While the death toll from the epidemic is continuing to climb, the song was considered 'discriminatory and inhumane'. Faced severe backlash I've seen the videos of Asians being verbally abused and physically assaulted for wearing a face mask. We are scared. We fear for the people in Wuhan, and we fear for the ones who might come across the wrong people at the wrong time. For Radio10, it's "just a joke, lighten up". pic.twitter.com/cuY25AxWyD Janet Lie (@shanetlie) February 8, 2020 The Asian community in the Netherlands backlash against the song and video and launched a petition called 'We are not viruses' asking people to take a stand against racism and discrimination. Apology issued In their apology, the radio station said that the sketch involving the song was meant entirely as a satirical pick-up on current events. The station went on to say that the sketch has caused many a lot of pain and they deeply apologise for that. The DJ who played the song, Lex Gaarthuis, has also uploaded a personal apology on Facebook and claims that he had no intention to spread racism or hate against anyone. The station also said that they have removed the videos from all channels. Read: Coronavirus: India's First Patient On The Path To Recovery, Can Go Home Soon Read: Coronavirus Cases On Quarantined Cruise Ship Off Japanese Coast Reach 135 China getting back on its feet? Amid the unprecedented coronavirus outbreak, the Chinese government on February 10 eased some restrictions on work and travel and the workers now are reportedly returning back to offices and factories. The coronavirus epidemic has already claimed 908 lives with 3,052 additional cases confirmed by health authorities taking the overall number of cases to 40,171. Chinas National Health Commission on Sunday said it confirmed the new cases and 97 additional deaths mostly in Hubei province which is the largest death toll in a single day since the outbreak was detected. Read: Netizens Amazed As China Uses Robots To Deliver Food To Coronavirus Affected Patients Read: Bangladesh Scraps Plan To Bring Back 171 Citizens From China Amid Coronavirus Dread Meanwhile, the World Health Organisation informed on Monday that it is convening a global research and innovation forum to mobilize international action in response to the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV). The forum, to be held on February 11-12 in Geneva, is organized in collaboration with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness. The forum will bring together key players including leading scientists as well as public health agencies, ministries of health and research funders pursuing 2019-nCoV critical animal health and public health research and the development of vaccines, therapeutics and diagnostics, among other innovations. (Disclosure: Most of the vendors listed are clients of the author.) One of the biggest mistakes IBM ever made was abandoning the desktop market, a decision it partially reversed when it partnered with Apple a few years back. But with the realization that IBM, and not Google, is the number three Cloud provider in the US and that Microsoft is soon going to be driving its Azure Virtual Desktop to market it seems likely that IBM may bring forth its own offering. Now that IBM is being led by Arvind Krishner (its version of Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, who is clearly behind Microsofts desktop cloud pivot), it is likely IBM will come to a similar conclusion. And IBM has some interesting advantages, not the least of which is that the companys mainframe platform and partnership with NVIDIA could make it very competitive. Lets explore IBMs potential return to the desktop. What IBM lost When IBM stepped back from the PC market, the reasoning was sound financially but flawed from an image perspective. Before that, enterprise accounts were often saturated by IBM desktop products; youd see their brand on monitors and PCs in most major companies. Once IBM left, Lenovo generally stepped into the void, turning that company from being nearly unknown in the US to becoming a true IT powerhouse. Yes, IBM got rid of a troubled business (at the time), but the collateral damage to the corporate brand was near catastrophic. There was a reason that Louis Gerstner, the strongest marketing-oriented CEO IBM has ever had, built the strongest marketing organization in tech at the time while retaining the troubled PC business: because every PC was an IBM billboard. He understood that the cost to IBMs image for divesting its PC business would be catastrophic. IT sales are often connected to visible advocacy, and with the IBM brand disappearing from offices, IBM lost that visibility. Why IBM teamed up with Apple Now, IBM did partner with Apple to help offset lost revenues. But the Apple tie-up had three inherent problems: Apple partners incredibly badly. Its overly aggressive about preserving margin and often drives its partners out of business as a result. Apple cant spell IT, and the company seems to have a cultural belief that IT people are mentally challenged, making it very hard for the firm to interact with IT decision-makers. Apples products carry the Apple brnad, not IBMs, and they are generally not designed to meet enterprise requirements. Just compare IBMs, now Lenovos, ThinkPad brand to the Mac, iPad, or iPhone. Two other things strike me as problematic with this partnership. One is that IBM lives security in-depth and works with the industry to reduce global threats. Apple uses security by obscurity, isnt transparent, and doesnt work with the industry to reduce global threats. While the two firms started very similar, with little transparency and a lock-in strategy, IBM tday is one of the most open companies in the world and because lock-in almost took it out, the company is all about assuring market competition now. The cloud desktop uses a mainframe framework IBMs market-dominant technology is the mainframe, which has advantages in security, I/O, scaling and reliability. Mainframes were originally designed to work with terminals, which remain the thinnest of the thin-client type products. The benefits are almost identical between terminals and cloud clients, and IBM is arguably the leading remaining terminal expert. Much as Microsoft determined it needed the Surface (granted, that was then-CEO Steve Ballmer, not Satya Nedella) to compete with Apples iPad, I think IBM will determine it needs a Virtual Desktop solution to compete with Dell and Microsoft (and maybe Amazon who, I expect, will also eventually enter the Virtual Desktop segment). Initially, Id expect IBM to try to use the Apple iPad Pro for this. But Apples poor partnering skills and IBMs lack of brand visibility will drive it to come up with a more IBM-centric alternative so it can fully embrace the Virtual Desktop opportunity and showcase its massive technical and experience advantage. Wrapping up Microsoft is about to pivot to the Azure Virtual Desktop, and that move, like all major pivots, will be very disruptive. The tech vendor with the best chance to counter is IBM, because it has a deeper background on the hardware needed for this level of loading at what is massive scale. Neither Microsoft nor IBM has all the parts in place, in fact, except for their competing Cloud services. But the two firms dovetail almost as nicely as they did when they partnered to create the PC in the first place. With IBM putting in place a cloud specialist as CEO one who is similar to Microsofts it should come to similar conclusions. And those conclusions should eventually put IBM back on the corporate desktop, at first with Apple hardware, eventually with a solution that will better match the current and emerging IT needs for a desktop appliance. A new deal between Oregons timber industry and environmentalists to protect forest waters, modernize logging regulations and create a new conservation plan was announced Monday by Gov. Kate Brown and representatives of both interests. The two sides have been at odds over policy and practices for decades, and this agreement aims to create a mediation process for updating the Oregon Forest Practices Act, passed in 1971. The deal has three major points, the first being participation in a mediated process to change the Forest Practices Act by creating a conservation plan for all private timberland to protect threatened and endangered species and provide certainty for the timber industry. The second piece is agreement over legislation in 2020 Legislature that would require timber companies to notify nearby residents when aerial spraying of pesticides occurs and placing buffers along streams in southern Oregon forests that supply drinking water. Finally, both sides agreed to drop forestry-related ballot initiatives and pending litigation. Environmental groups were working to get stricter forest rules into law by going to the voters this fall. The agreement was joined by Hampton Lumber, Weyerhaeuser, Stimson Lumber, Roseburg Forest Products, Hancock Natural Resource Group and Port Blakely and the Oregon Small Woodlands Association on the timber side. Oregon Wild, Cascadia Wildlands, Beyond Toxics, the Wild Salmon Center, Oregon League of Conservation Voters and Rogue Riverkeeper highlight the environmental groups that signed on. This agreement is a genuine show of good faith from everyone involved, Brown said at a news conference Monday morning It ensures that all key voices will be heard in the process, including our vital small-woodland owners and Oregons federally recognized tribes. All sides have agreed this process of improving the Oregon Forest Practices Act will be informed by science and driven by science. Present in Browns ceremonial office to make the announcement with her was Bob Van Dyke of the Wild Salmon Center, representing the environmentalists, and Greg Mill, representing the forestry coalition. This is a shared recognition of the diverse benefits Oregons forests provide and the need for more meaningful dialogue around forest issues across the state, Miller said. According to Brown, the agreement between the two sides started when CEOs from the states largest timber companies approached her to find a way out of the embroiled dialogue surrounding timber practices and conservation. A series of conversations followed over the past four weeks that led to the agreement. For Van Dyke, the agreement culminates more than 20 years of bickering and lawsuits between timber interests and environmentalists over what takes place in Oregons forests while Washington state led the way in conserving endangered species and protecting drinking water. While the Wild Salmon Center and many of the signers of this MOU today have been part of that 20 years of tension, the results have been a lack of trust, gridlock on forest policy and growing public demand for broader reform of laws, Van Dyke said. Today were starting a new approach. From a 10,000-foot level, the deal seems to favor environmental interests, but Miller believes that isnt so. According to Miller, the timber industry in Oregon is proud of its environmental stewardship and are equally interested in protecting water from aerial spraying of herbicides and using technology to let local residents know in real time of spraying. This is going to be a best-in-class practice for real-time notification, increasing the distance for the notifications, and having the spray records available within 24 hours, Miller said. Those kinds of things are difficult to develop in terms of execution on the ground ... I think thats the thing that got us over the hurdle. The agreement cites moving forward with a science-based approach, but often the two sides have offered different science to back their positions. Miller and Van Dyke agreed that while they guarantee there still will be differences of opinion, theyre committed to using science as a means to engage and work together on solutions. Brown said that moving forward, the next step would be to shepherd through the Legislature new rules and buffers on aerial spraying in forests and notification for local residents. After that, both sides will update the Oregon Forest Practices Act and create the statewide habitat conservation plan. Love 2 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 A security officer at Changi Airport's Terminal 3 seen wearing a face mask on 6 February 2020. (PHOTO: Dhany Osman / Yahoo News Singapore) Last updated on 12 March, 9pm SINGAPORE Of the 187 coronavirus cases detected in Singapore as of 12 March, seven clusters have been identified. In all, over 100 cases are linked to these clusters: Chinese health products shop Yong Thai Hang along Cavan Road (inactive) Grand Hyatt Singapore hotel in Orchard (inactive) Seletar Aerospace Heights construction site The Life Church and Missions Singapore in Paya Lebar, which is also linked to the Grace Assembly of God church at both branches in Tanglin and Bukit Batok via a Chinese New Year family gathering Wizlearn Technologies along 10 Science Park Road 15 February private dinner function at SAFRA Jurong Boulder+ at the Aperia Mall at 12 Kallang Avenue A total of 96 patients have fully recovered and have been discharged while nine remain in the intensive care unit. Out of the over 100 local transmissions, nine have no established links to previous cases or travel history to mainland China. Yong Thai Hang medicinal shop: 9 cases The first local cluster to emerge was at Yong Thai Hang, which is popular with Chinese tourists. The infections are believed to have originated from a group of Guangxi tourists who visited Singapore last month. Two group members were confirmed by the Chinese authorities to have carried the virus. Among the local cases is a 32-year-old Singaporean tour guide who brought the group to the shop. She first had symptoms on 29 January. Her 40-year-old husband was also infected. He worked at Diamond Industries Jewellery Company at Harbour Drive, which was visited by the same tour group from Guangxi. Also infected was a 28-year-old Singapore permanent resident who worked at the shop. Her 45-year-old Singaporean husband, who works as a private-hire driver, their six-month-old son, as well as their 44-year-old Indonesian maid later tested positive for the virus. Three other Singaporean shop staff also fell ill to the virus a 36-year-old man and two women aged 40 and 48. Grand Hyatt Singapore: 3 cases Story continues A private business meeting by British firm Servomex held at the Grand Hyatt Singapore from 20 to 22 January involved 109 employees: 94 foreigners and 15 Singaporeans. The original source of the infections has not been established. Three people in Singapore tested positive for the virus two Singaporean men aged 27 and 51 and a 38-year-old woman who is a Singapore permanent resident. They first had symptoms between 21 and 29 January. The 51-year-old man travelled to Malaysia from 23 January to 2 February, while the woman was in Johor Bahru from 25 to 28 January. Apart from the three locally detected cases, at least four foreign participants tested positive after they returned home a 41-year-old Malaysian man, two South Korean men, aged 36 and 38, as well as a 53-year-old British man. The Malaysian reportedly passed the virus on to his sister, 40, and mother-in-law, 65. Meanwhile, the Briton became known as a super-spreader in media reports. After the Grand Hyatt meeting, he spent several days at a French ski resort, where 11 Britons were infected with the virus. Five cases were diagnosed back in the UK, five in France and one in Spain. Seletar Aerospace Heights: 5 cases Two Bangladeshi men, both 39 and work pass holders, were the first pair linked to the site to test positive for the virus on 8 and 10 February, respectively. The duo lived at separate lodgings but worked on the same site along Seletar Aerospace Heights. The first worker started having symptoms on 1 February and went to a general practitioner clinic two days later, before going to Changi General Hospital (CGH) on 5 February. He went for a follow-up appointment at Bedok Polyclinic on 7 February and was thereafter admitted to the intensive care unit at the CGH, before being transferred to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID). The second worker first had symptoms on 6 February and went to a general practitioner clinic the next day. He went to NCID on 10 February. Subsequently, three other male compatriots linked to the site tested positive on 12, 13 and 15 February, respectively. The Life Church and Missions Singapore: 10 cases In all, eight locally transmitted cases and two imported cases were linked to The Life Church and Missions Singapore, along Paya Lebar Road. The imported cases are a married couple from Wuhan, both 56, who arrived in Singapore on 19 January and developed symptoms five days later. The couple had stayed at their family home along Lorong Lew Lian in Upper Serangoon and also visited the church while they were here. Among the locally transmitted cases are a 53-year-old man and two women, aged 39 and 52, all of whom are Singaporeans. They started having symptoms between 23 January and 3 February. The man had been in Malaysia on 6, 11 and 17 January, while the 39-year-old woman was in Malaysia from 22 to 29 January. Three of the local transmissions are a 54-year-old Singaporean man who travels frequently to Malaysia for work purposes, his 58-year-old wife and a 75-year-old Singaporean woman. They tested positive for the virus between 19 and 23 February. The 58-year-old woman was tested via a first-of-its-kind tool to detect antibodies in her blood; she had already recovered from the infection by the time of testing. She and her husband were the linkages to the Grace Assembly of God, which the authorities thought was a fifth cluster of infections. Grace Assembly of God church: 23 cases Two Singaporean men, aged 34 and 46, who worked for the church at both its Tanglin and Bukit Batok branches tested positive for the virus on 11 February, the first two cases to emerge from the church. The 34-year-old man was in Malaysia on 26 January. He first had symptoms on 1 February, and went to four different clinics on 2 February, 4 February, 7 February, 9 February and 10 February. Meanwhile, the 46-year-old man first had symptoms on 3 February and went to a general practitioner clinic on 8 February before going to the emergency department at the National University Hospital (NUH) the same day. He was discharged from the hospital the same day before being admitted again to the NUH on 10 February. Subsequently, 21 other cases linked to the cluster, including five workers at the church as well as a National University of Singapore professor, a Public Utilities Board employee and a Singapore Armed Forces regular serviceman, tested positive between 12 and 21 February. Wizlearn Technologies: 14 cases The cluster was announced on 28 February. The first case in the cluster is a 38-year-old man who tested positive on 26 February. He is linked to seven other cases including a 20-year-old Malaysian man, a 25-year-old maid from Myanmar and two maids from the Philippines aged 34 and 41. Also in the cluster is a 44-year-old man who first had symptoms on 22 February and saw two GPs on 25 February and 26 February. He was referred to NCID on 26 February and tested positive the next day. Before he was hospitalised, the man attended business meetings at Sport Singapore in Stadium Drive, Singapore Aviation Academy and Toa Payoh Hub, and also visited the Toa Payoh Sport Centre. A 54-year-old Japanese man is also part of the cluster. He first had symptoms on 23 February and went to a GP clinic on 24 February, 26 February and 28 February. He went to CGH on 29 February and was isolated. He tested positive on 1 March. Prior to hospital admission, he had gone to work at WinTech Nano-Technology Services, which is located on the same floor as Wizlearn Technologies. The latest case linked to the company was announced on Tuesday. He is a 33-year-old male Singapore citizen who is currently warded in an isolation room at the NCID. The authorities have noted that nine of the cases were staff members, and three of them had continued with daily activities despite feeling unwell. One even spread the virus to a family contact, who also carried on with daily activities while presenting symptoms. 15 Feb SAFRA Jurong dinner function: 43 cases With 43 cases linked to it, the SAFA Jurong cluster is the biggest of its kind here to date. It was first identified by authorities on 5 March and the first case linked to it is a 64-year-old Singaporean woman who tested positive on 26 February. The woman had reported developing symptoms on 11 February, four days before the function, and had sought treatment at a general practitioner clinic on three occasions thereafter. She is a family member of a first-year Raffles Institution student who is also linked to the cluster. The 12-year-old boy tested positive for the virus on 27 February. The youngest patient linked to this cluster is a five-year-boy who tested positive on 9 March. He reported developing symptoms two days prior. The Orange Tree Preschool@Choa Chu Kang student is a family member of case 145, a 67-year-old Singaporean woman also linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster. Case 142, a 26-year-old Singaporean man, is linked to this cluster and another at rock climbing gym Boulder+. The man had reported developing symptoms on 5 March and went to the Ng Teng Fong General Hospital the next day. The Jurong West Street 81 resident tested positive for the virus on 7 March. He is a family member of cases 139 and 140, a 71-year-old Singaporean man and a 62-year-old Singaporean woman, respectively, who are linked to this cluster. At least one case attended the dinner function despite already feeling unwell and subsequently tested positive for the virus, said authorities. This had potentially resulted in at least 18 additional cases who were at the dinner and later tested positive for the virus. Of these, most continued with their daily activities despite feeling unwell, resulting in additional positive cases who had not been at the dinner. Boulder+ at Aperia Mall: 3 cases The MOH confirmed and identified three cases no. 142, 162 and 163 that are linked to Boulder+ on 11 March. Apart from case 142, who is also linked to the SAFRA Jurong cluster, case 162 is a 28-year-old Singaporean man who had been in Indonesia from 29 February to 2 March. He reported developing symptoms on 7 March and tested positive for the virus two days later. Prior to his hospital admission, the Kim Tian Road resident had visited a shop at 26 Jalan Membina. Case 163 is a 27-year-old Singaporean woman who visited Funan Mall as well as the PUB Recreation Club at 48 Woodleigh Park prior to her admission into hospital. The Redhill Road resident reported developing symptoms on Sunday. She was referred by the ministry to the NCID the next day and tested positive for the virus in the afternoon. Another climbing facility, Climb Central, had also announced that a climber who had visited its Funan Mall outlet on Sunday had been confirmed as a COVID-19 case. It is unclear whether the case is among the three cases at Boulder+. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Related stories: COVID-19: Singapore confirms 2 new cases including female Filipino; total 108 COVID-19: Couple from China charged under Infectious Diseases Act Coronavirus: Showing love for healthcare workers through free coffee and messages of support Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 06:54:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nickolay Mladenov on Tuesday called for reflection on ways to bring Israelis and Palestinians back to negotiations as a new U.S. Middle East peace plan has been rejected by the Arab world. In a briefing to the Security Council, Mladenov noted that the U.S. proposal unveiled Jan. 28 has been rejected by the Palestinian government, the League of Arab States and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. The European Union believes that the proposal departs from "internationally agreed parameters." A number of African Union member states also rejected the proposal during their recent summit. On the other hand, senior figures in Israel's government have welcomed the proposal, saying that they would be willing to use it as the basis for direct negotiations. Some UN member states have expressed their hope that the release of the vision would be an opportunity to bring the parties back to the negotiating table, in the interests of advancing the two-state solution, said Mladenov. At this crossroads, he called for international efforts to bring the two parties back to negotiations. "Indeed, what is needed today is political leadership and serious reflection on what needs to be done to bring the parties back to the negotiating table." "Today it is not enough to reaffirm our positions. Today is the time to hear proposals on how to move the process forward and to find a way back to a mutually agreed mediation framework that ensures meaningful negotiations can restart," he told the council. Mladenov warned that the status quo cannot continue. "While it is hard to envision a comprehensive agreement between the parties under current circumstances, let me deeply underline that we must avoid continued entrenchment in the status quo. Continuing on the current trajectory ... would only push Palestinians and Israelis further apart, deepen the occupation, and imperil the future viability of the two-state solution," he warned. In the days since the U.S. plan was unveiled, there have been sporadic violent incidents throughout the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and in and around Gaza, said Mladenov. Further escalation or provocation would be a concerning development. They could complicate the situation on the ground and would serve only those who seek to radicalize people and undermine efforts to achieve peace, he said. "Today, all must show restraint and clearly and unequivocally condemn violence wherever it occurs." Following the release of the U.S. proposal, senior Israeli officials vowed to unilaterally annex large portions of the West Bank, including all Israeli settlements and the Jordan Valley. The United States has announced that it will establish a joint committee with Israel to produce a more detailed version of the conceptual maps included in the proposal, which in turn would allow it to recognize an Israeli decision to apply its laws in specified areas in the West Bank, he noted. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has consistently spoken out against unilateral steps and plans for annexation, said Mladenov. "Such steps, including the possible annexation of territory in the West Bank or similar moves, would have a devastating impact on the prospect for a two-state solution. They would close the door to negotiations, have negative repercussions across the region, and severely undermine opportunities for normalization and regional peace." Just as unilateral steps will not resolve the conflict, those who reject the proposal should not turn to violence. That would be the worst possible response at this sensitive moment, he said. Mladenov asked the Security Council to join the secretary-general's call for a negotiated solution to the conflict and constructive engagement of the parties. The UN policy on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is defined by relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements. The United Nations has long supported a two-state solution on such basis, he said. The United Nations remains deeply committed to working with Israelis and Palestinians and with international and regional partners to realize the objective of lasting and just peace. This goal can only be achieved through realizing the vision of two states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security on the basis of the pre-1967 lines, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states, he said. "There is no other road to achieve this goal, except through negotiations. There is no other framework except the one that Israelis and Palestinians together agree on, a framework based on relevant UN resolutions, international law and bilateral agreements." "In the absence of a credible path back to negotiations, we all face a heightened risk of violence. Violence, which will drag both peoples, and the region, into a spiral of escalation with no end in sight," he warned. Vancouver, February 11, 2020 - Max Resource Corp. (TSXV: MXR) (OTC: MXROF) (FSE: M1D2) ("Max" or the "Company") is pleased to report the discovery of a second high-grade copper-silver zone, the "Outcrop Zone", which is 2 km in length and located approximately 2 km south from the 1.4 km "AM Horizon" discovery (refer to January 21, 2020 news release). Outcrop-9 to11 and Outcrop-1 defined the Outcrop Zone within the Company's 100% owned CESAR copper-silver project, located 420 km north of Bogota, Colombia (Figure 1). Highlight rock chip values for Outcrop-9 to 11 and Outcrop-1 (refer Table 1): 4.4% copper and 33 g/t over 0.6m; 2.4% copper and 11 g/t silver over 3m x 3m panel; 1.8% copper and 5 g/t silver over 3m x 2m panel;1.4% copper and 4 g/t silver over 3m x 2m panel; 4.3% copper and 26 g/t silver over 3m x 3m panel; 2.1% copper and 9 g/t silver over 6m; 1.8% copper and 12 g/t silver over 3m x 3m panel; 1.8% copper and 12 g/t silver over 3m by 3m panel. The Company considers rock chip panel sampling to be representative across their reported widths (refer Table 1). Collectively, the strike of the "Outcrop Zone" and the "AM Horizon" is 3.4 km open in all directions. Outcrops-2 to 8 and 12 appear to be lateral extensions to 15 sq. km, open in all directions; assays are expected very soon. The field team is systematically rock chip sampling to expand both the lateral zones and strike length (refer to Figures 2 & 3). "The CESAR style of mineralization appears to be similar to a large sub-horizontal sheet, with the edges partly exposed at surface," Max CEO, Brett Matich, explained. "Rock chip sampling is used to identify both the continuity of thickness and grade, and, more importantly, length of strike to determine potential size. To date, the strike length of 3.4 km is open in both directions, indicating further size potential. The Max field team recently identified a new zone 35 km north of Outcrop Zone and AM Horizon, extending the size potential. Assays for the newly identified zone are pending, making these very exciting times for our shareholders," Mr. Matich continued. To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/52306_1dd3e722e4187b3c_001full.jpg Copper Grade Silver Grade Width Number 4.4% 33 g/t 0.6m OC-9A 2.4 % 11 g/t 3m x 3m panel OC-9 1.8 % 5 g/t 3m x 2m panel OC-11 1.4 % 4 g/t 3mxy 2m panel OC-10 1.4% 10 g/t 0.7m OC-11B 1.2 % 4 g/t 3m x 2m panel OC-11A 1.2 % 2 g/t 3m x 2m panel OC-10A 1.1% 3 g/t 1m OC-11C 0.9% 1 g/t 3m x 2m panel OC-10B 0.5% 1 g/t 3m x 2m panel OC-10C 4.3 % 26 g/t 3m x 3m panel OC-1A 2.1 % 9 g/t 6m OC-1-B 1.8 % 12 g/t 3m x 3m panel OC-1-C 1.5 % 9 g/t 3m x 3m panel OC-1D 1.2 % 8 g/t 0.5m OC-1E 1.0 % 8 g/t 1.0 OC-1F Table 1. Outcrop-1 and 9 to 11 rock chip assays from the Phase I exploration program. Figure 3. The CESAR exploration model is based on Poland's Kupferschiefer, owned by KGHM who is the eighth largest copper producer and the largest silver producer in the world. The Kupferschiefer cross-section has an average mining thickness (width) of 2 metres, however, the massive volume is mainly due to the sheer length of strike and down dip lateral area. Max cautions investors mineralization at Kupferscheifer is not necessarily indicative of similar mineralization at Cesar. Source: Assessment of Undiscovered Copper Resources Associated with Permian Kupferschiefer, Southern Permian Basin, Europe 2010 by USGS). Kupferschiefer-Zechstein, Lubin, Rudna, Sieroszowice, Polkowice, Glogow, Konrad, Lena, Nowy Kosciol by Porter Geoconsultancy. To view an enhanced version of Figure 3, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/3834/52306_1dd3e722e4187b3c_002full.jpg Cesar Copper-Silver Project The 100% owned CESAR Project is located in north east Colombia within Jurassic sediments and volcaniclastics that run through the length of northern South America, which hosts significant stratabound copper-silver mineralization in Ecuador and Peru. The petrographic analyses of rock samples collected from the CESAR project indicate that stratabound mineralization is hosted in siltstone and sandstone associated with the reduced facies of the Rancheria Basin. The first field investigation identified 18 occurrences over an area of 9 sq. km with reported grab sample assays ranging from 0.3% to 4.2% copper and silver values ranged from 1 to 116g/t (refer November 6, 2019 news release). The Company cautions investors that grab samples are selected samples and are not necessarily representative of mineralization hosted on the property. Max has reported an entirely new discovery, called the AM Horizon, a NE-SW stratabound copper-silver horizon in excess of 1.4 km dipping 40 degrees NW, which appears to continue under cover in both directions (refer January 21, 2020 news release). Highlight rock chip results from the AM Horizon include: 2.7% copper and 18 g/t silver over 0.5m; 2.1% copper and 9 g/t silver over a 3m by 3m panel; and 1.6% copper and 8 g/t silver over a 3m by 3m panel. The Phase II program is underway with the goal of significantly extending the strike zone and delineate drill targets. North Choco Gold-Copper Project North Choco consists of wholly owned mineral applications (150 sq. km), located approximately 80 km SW of Medellin, Colombia. The NW Gold-Copper Discovery (refer to 29 October 2019 news release) outcrop reported 1 meter of 49.8 g/t gold and 4.3% copper, which continues under cover in both directions. Future work would focus on mapping and sampling along strike to extend the zone and on locating additional parallel zones. Choco Gold Project Choco Gold project consists of wholly owned mineral applications (200 sq. km), located approximately 120 km SW of Medellin Colombia and cover or are adjacent to historic production of 605,110 ounces of gold by Choco Pacific Mining (1906 to 1990). Source; R.J. Fletcher and Associates (2011) Review of Gold and Platinum Exploration and Production in Choco Province Colombia Part 3. Private Report for Condoto. The Company has commenced discussions with a potential partner with the prerequisite expertise to assist with the gold bearing conglomerates. Quality Assurance The rock chip samples from Outcrop-9 to 11 were shipped to ALS Lab's sample preparation facility in Medellin, Columbia. Sample pulps are sent to Lima, Peru for analysis. All samples were analyzed using ALS procedure ME-MS41, a four-acid digestion with ICP finished. Over limit copper and silver were determined by ALS procedure OG-62, a four-acid digestion with an AAS finish. ALS Labs is independent from Max. Max is not aware of any other factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein. About Max Resource Corp. Max is a mineral exploration company with an experienced and successful management team focused on advancing the development of its copper and precious metals landholdings in the rich mineral belts of Colombia, with significant potential for the discovery of important-scale mineral deposits that can attract major partners. Tim Henneberry, P Geo (British Columbia), a member of the Max Resource Advisory Board, is the Qualified Person who has reviewed and approved the technical content of this news release on behalf of the Company. For more information visit: https://www.maxresource.com/ For additional information contact: Max Resource Corp. Tim McNulty E: info@maxresource.com T: (604) 290-8100 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. Except for statements of historic fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law. Forward-looking information is frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate" and other similar words, or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates at the date the statements are made and are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from those anticipated in the forward-looking statements including, but not limited to delays or uncertainties with regulatory approvals, including that of the TSXV. There are uncertainties inherent in forward-looking information, including factors beyond the Company's control. There are no assurances that the commercialization plans for Max Resources Corp. described in this news release will come into effect on the terms or time frame described herein. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking information if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change except as required by law. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties that could affect financial results is contained in the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52306 THE ISSUE: A local judge makes a case for rethinking bail reform at least in a small way. THE STAKES: If lawmakers would have a civil debate, some smart tweaks could save otherwise worthwhile changes from political death. --- Amid the breathless, hair-on-fire ranting over New York's criminal justice reforms, a local judge's thoughtful criticism just might help point a path out of this political morass. Cohoes City Court Judge Thomas Marcelle last week raised a common-sense concern that seems hard to argue with no matter which side of the reform issue one falls on. If only we had more such sober analysis, state lawmakers might get somewhere. Instead, we have legislators and people in law enforcement just itching for excuses, real or hypothetical, to demand wholesale repeal of the new reforms. This all-or-nothing approach is a disservice to the public and to a criminal justice system that must balance public safety and fundamental rights. As part of the justice reforms Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo enacted last year, the state overhauled its system of bail, ending it for many but not all low-level and nonviolent offenses. The aim was to fix a system that often stuck poor people in jail for weeks, months or even years without trial simply because they couldn't afford bail. With the Legislature in an election year, Republicans and conservatives have made a huge issue of this change, insisting that it could let dangerous people back out on the street. A recent Siena poll suggests the message is having some success, with once-strong public support for the reforms eroding. It's important to remember two things, however. First, before reform, many people accused of the very crimes critics are screaming about now did go free pending trial if they could come up with bail money or a bond. Second, the point of bail under New York law is to ensure people return for the court appearances, not to jail them before trial on the basis of some perceived danger. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. This is not to say the reforms are perfect. Certain manslaughter and domestic abuse charges fell under the reforms, when perhaps the changes could have been more nuanced to cover obviously violent situations. Judge Marcelle confronted another conundrum a man arrested on various traffic charges who had a years-long history of skipping court appearances and failing to pay fines. Bail might be a good incentive, but the judge was constrained by the reforms. So he pushed back with a 12-page decision imposing bail anyway (but releasing the suspect nonetheless), and arguing the Legislature acted unconstitutionally in depriving judges of certain discretion in running courts. Lawyers, and possibly the state Commission on Judicial Conduct, may argue whether Judge Marcelle went too far, but Gov. Cuomo and Democrats who control the Legislature ought to take notice. Yes, the Republicans' over-the-top exploitation of this issue isn't exactly conducive to reasoned analysis, debate, and compromise. But New Yorkers deserve to know that lawmakers are focused on all aspects of a functional criminal justice system from effective courts to defendants' rights. If Democrats would take a closer look, and Republicans would take a breath, they might actually find that balance. The PACE resolution recognized Russia as a party to the Minsk agreements something Moscow has fiercely resisted for the past few years. Some delegations consider Russia's formal return and the second-attempt election of Russian delegate Piotr Tolstoy as PACE deputy chief as a key result of the session. However, this is far from being decisive in terms of the winter session results and forecasts for the future of the organization, Institute for Global Threats and Democracies Studies (IGTDS) wrote. In fact, the Russian delegation's return is a result of a financial deal: the PACE membership cost Russia over EUR 88 million, including its debt for 2019 (EUR 33 million) and interest for 2017-2018 (EUR 55 million), reads the report. Thus, Russia used the financial deal to compensate for the European community's political claims. European powers show little willingness to finance international platforms such as the PACE amid the EU crisis caused by Brexit and ongoing conflict of interest within the European Union. Thus, the European community agreed to give Piotr Tolstoy a high-ranking position in the PACE in exchange for Russia's financial resources. Paradoxically, against the backdrop of the Russian delegations return and the appointment of its representative to the PACE leadership, the Assembly in its final resolution obliged the Kremlin to take a number of specific measures to address violations of human rights and freedoms and the rule of law, both in the temporarily occupied Crimea and across Russia. Also, the resolution recognized Russia as a party to the Minsk agreements - something Moscow has fiercely resisted for the past few years, IGTDS adds. Read alsoRussia's attempts to bring separatist movements to international platforms threaten EU think tank The PACE resolution also obliged Moscow to implement the Minsk agreements, stop military intervention and any support for armed groups in eastern Ukraine. Moreover, PACE obliged the Kremlin to stop the annexation of Crimea, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, and demanded cooperation in the investigation of MH17 plane shoot down in 2014 as well. According to the PACE resolution, Russia should also stop obstructing the implementation of the European Court of Human Rights decisions, and take measures to eliminate violations of the LGBT community rights. Thus, Russia's return to PACE and the election of its representative to the leadership of the Assembly did not affect the tone of the PACE resolutions. In turn, Tolstoy's statement that Russia will never agree with the Council of Europe's postulates regarding Crimea, violations of the LGBT community rights, and the implementation of the ECHR decisions actually returned Russia to the status of a "renegade and the country that does not share the European values and ignores the norms of international law," the think tank stressed. UW Medical Students Connect with Wyoming Leaders in Medicine Participants in the recent Physician Leadership Academy at the University of Wyoming include, from left: Tim Robinson, Dr. Hollie Stewart, Dr. Heith Waddell, Dr. Deeanne Engle, Dr. Tracie Caller, Ben Blalock, Sheila Bush, Dr. Kristy Van Kirk, Curt Swenson, Dr. Donald Kirk, Whitney Harmon, Dr. David Fall, Dr. Giovannina Anthony and UW College of Health Sciences Dean David Jones. (UW Foundation Photo) Physicians and other health care professionals throughout Wyoming are often thought of as being in leadership roles, especially taking the lead in caring for the needs of their patients. However, these same health care professionals also are called upon to provide more strategic leadership roles -- both in their personal and professional lives, and in their communities. Responding to the need to better equip physicians to embrace advanced leadership roles -- such as influencing Wyoming health care policy and mentoring medical students -- the Wyoming Medical Society created the Wyoming Leaders in Medicine Physician Leadership Academy. Sheila Bush, Wyoming Medical Society (WMS) executive director, along with a team of trained physician instructors, hosted the first physician leadership class of 2020 recently at the Wyoming-WWAMI Medical Education Programs classroom facilities in the University of Wyoming College of Health Sciences. The partnership between the Wyoming Medical Society and Wyoming's WWAMI program is invaluable to the future of medicine in Wyoming, Bush says. WMS represents the Wyoming physicians caring for patients today and remains deeply invested in ensuring the success and sustainability of the WWAMI Medical Education Program, the program that trains native Wyoming physicians who will care for our patients tomorrow. WMS Physician Leadership Academy provides physicians with tools and skills they can employ in their clinical practices as well as to support and advocate for critical programs like WWAMI. Many of the physicians participating in the Physician Leadership Academy work closely with WWAMI students -- in the capacity of classroom instructors as well as in a preceptor context, where students get hands-on experience in developing their clinical skills. Tim Robinson, director of Wyomings WWAMI program, says it is well established in medical literature that one of the most important factors in attracting and retaining physicians to rural locations is job satisfaction. An important component of job satisfaction is the existence of a strong professional network, Robinson says. Having physician leaders, such as those in the Physician Leadership Academy, involved with our medical students is invaluable. Our students not only get first-rate instruction and mentorship from these physicians, but they also get to witness the commitment that these physicians have to developing their leadership skills. Reno Maldonado, a second-year medical student from Laramie, says it was an honor to meet with physician leaders from around the state to answer questions and share his experience in the program. As I look toward my return to Wyoming in the future, it was great to see the opportunities that WMS offers to grow physician leaders around the state, Maldonado says. Members of the Physician Leadership Academy also took time to answer many of my questions about their own experiences practicing medicine in Wyoming. I know that I speak for my entire class in saying thank you to WMS and physicians around the state for the endless support of the WWAMI program. The Wyoming Leaders in Medicine initiative offers leadership development training to physicians, and it fosters dialogue with colleagues and experts on the challenges and opportunities of practicing medicine in an evolving environment. One of the greatest challenges facing todays physician leaders is balancing the demands of their work with their own physical and mental well-being, Bush says. In a 2019 study, it was estimated that 55 percent of physicians experience burnout and/or depression. The Wyoming Leaders in Medicine program combines the latest research in neurology with practical tools physicians can immediately deploy to maximize their physical and mental well-being and mitigate known burnout drivers for optimal performance. During their first day of training, physicians participated in team engagement strategies, presented by Curt Swenson, with FutureSYNC Int. (FSI). Following a noon break, participants were given a tour of the WWAMI teaching facilities in the UW College of Health Sciences, including the new, state-of-the-art, active-learning classrooms; the newly constructed human cadaver lab; and the WWAMI study space. At the end of the day, the Physician Leadership Academy participants were given a tour of the Marian H. Rochelle Gateway Center by UW Foundation President Ben Blalock. The Gateway tour was followed by a dinner in the Roy and Caryl Cline UW Presidents Room, where UW Trustee Dr. David Fall, a Gillette pediatrician, discussed his journey as a physician leader in Wyoming. On the second day of leadership academy training, physicians were given a tour of the Mick and Susie McMurry High Altitude Performance Center and participated in a group discussion with team physician Matthew Boyer. Participants in the leadership training reported developing friendships with fellow physicians in an environment that allows for meaningful connections and a rare opportunity to engage with peers. The first Physician Leadership Academy class of 2020 included: -- Curt Swenson, FSI facilitator. -- Whitney Harmon, WMS communications director. -- Dr. Hollie Stewart, Gillette pediatrician. -- Dr. Heith Waddell, Sundance family practioner. -- Dr. Giovannina Anthony, Jackson obstetrican/gynecologist. -- Sheila Bush, WMS executive director. -- Dr. Donald Kirk, Star Valley family practitioner. -- Dr. Kristy Van Kirk, Cheyenne obstetrician/gynecologist. -- Dr. Tracie Caller, Cheyenne neurologist. -- Dr. Deeanne Engle, Douglas family practitioner. Bentenoyunlari.org scored 55 Social Media Impact. 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The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND The White House also wants to take a knife to the federal food stamp program, once again calling for reductions in the number of adults who can qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. The 2021 budget proposes cutting SNAP funding by about $15 billion from last year. The White House has been making changes to the program on its own, raising eligibility requirements and tightening rules to prevent states from obtaining waivers from work requirements. That includes a rule change that goes into effect in April, which will require many adults without children who are able to work to find employment quickly or risk losing their food stamps. The administration estimates nearly 700,000 people across the country would lose access to the program. The 2021 budget proposes one set of work requirements for adults ages 18 to 65 who are able to work, rather than making a distinction on whether those adults have children or not. All adults who are able to work would have to engage in at least 20 hours or more of work or training to qualify for benefits. Money for low-income housing would also be depleted, as Mr. Trumps budget proposed a 15.2 percent decrease from last year in gross discretionary funding for the Department of Housing and Urban Development, eliminating several block grant programs and reducing funding for rental assistance for low-income people. The budget would eliminate the Choice Neighborhoods program, which awards grants to neighborhoods with deteriorating public and federally assisted housing, arguing that states and local governments are better able to revitalize neighborhoods. Mr. Trump also requested less money for rental assistance programs, such as Housing Choice Vouchers, and proposed that tenants who can work contribute 35 percent of their income to rent instead of 30 percent. Ben Carson, the housing and urban development secretary, made the case that removing people from government programs was healthy for the economy. Uganda has deployed soldiers to help combat one of the worst locust infestations in the region for decades, with the UN warning the international community about a possible catastrophe. After the locusts were first seen in Uganda on Sunday, an emergency meeting of the government decided to use military forces to help with efforts to protect crops through pesticides. Two planes will also be used to spray pesticides from the air. Locusts have already destroyed crops in Kenya in the countrys worst infestation for 70 years. The swarms also pose a threat to other countries in the region, including Ethiopia and Somalia. According to the UN, an average swarm of 40 million insects is able to travel 150 km in a day and eat enough food to feed 34 million people. Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Show all 14 1 /14 Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Local farmer Theophilus Mwendwa runs through a swarm of desert locusts to chase them away in Kitui County, Kenya EPA Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa A farmer's son walks through a swarm of locusts in Kitui County, Kenya AP Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Locusts swarm on a highway at Lerata village in Kenya AFP/Getty Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Local farmer Theophilus Mwendwa runs through a swarm of desert locusts to chase them away in Kitui County, Kenya EPA Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Local farmer Theophilus Mwendwa runs through a swarm of desert locusts to chase them away in Kitui County, Kenya EPA Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa A man chases away a swarm of desert locusts in Kitui County, Kenya EPA Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa A farmer walks among a swarm of locusts on grazing land in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Somali farmers on Saturday urged their government and the international community to help protect their crops from an invasion of locusts that is leaving many unable to feed their families Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa A desert locust plucked from the swarm on farmland in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa The insects have already destroyed 175,000 acres of farmland in Somalia and neighbouring Ethiopia, threatening food supplies in both countries in the worst locust invasion in 70 years, the Food and Agriculture Organisation said on Wednesday Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa A farmer lifts a ketle among a swarm of locusts on grazing land in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Farmers lift a plastic sheeting to fend off a swarm of locusts on grazing land in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Boys attempt to fend off a swarm of locusts on farmland in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Locust swarms threaten catastrophe for farmers in East Africa Farmers watch on as swarm of locusts descends on grazing land in Galmudug region, Somalia Reuters Mark Lowcock, the UNs top humanitarian official, said: In this region where there is so much suffering and so much vulnerability and fragility, we simply cannot afford another major shock. And thats why we need to act quickly. Mr Lowcock added unusually heavy rains and cyclones had been favourable for locust breeding. It is estimated that 19 million people risk suffering severe food insecurity in east Africa. Lazarus O Amayo, Kenyas UN Ambassador, warned there might be a risk of conflict as herders moved in search of new pasture. The herders will have a real challenge of pasture, and this may also cause movement from one place to another in search of pasture, with inherent risk of communal conflict over pasture or grazing land or passing territories, he said. UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) recently set up a $76 million appeal to control the problem. So far, around $20 million has been donated to the fund. Half of this figure comes from a UN emergency fund. The US and the EU gave contributions of $800,000 and $1,091,295 (1m) respectively. FAO Director-General Qu Dongyu said: Without rapid action, we will be facing a rapidly expanding humanitarian crisis. The Desert Locust swarms are growing exponentially. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Riska Rahman (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 11:27 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063bf781 1 Business Moodys-Investors-Service,bank-indonesia,BI,sovereign-credit-rating,government-bond,debt,economic-growth,GDP-growth Free International rating agency Moodys Investor Service has affirmed its stable rating outlook for Indonesian government debts and maintained local and long-term issuer ratings at Baa2. The Baa2 ratings also apply to senior unsecured bonds, while medium-term notes and shelf registration programs were also affirmed at Baa2 and (P)Baa2, respectively. Read also: We should be thankful: Jokowi voices optimism despite slowing economic growth In a statement issued on Monday, the credit rating agency said the affirmation of the rating was attributed by several credit strengths, such as Indonesias stable economic growth rates and low government debt burden. It also lauded the governments consistent fiscal discipline and effort to maintain macroeconomic stability. However, it addressed several challenges that loomed over the countrys credit, such as weak revenue base, reliance on external market funding sentiment and the economic structures vulnerability to the commodity cycle. Such challenges could put constraints on debt affordability, as well as its balance sheet and the economy to changes in foreign investor sentiment. Despite the challenges, Moodys expects reforms aimed at reducing several structural economic and fiscal constraints to continue, albeit at a gradual pace, it said in the statement. Indonesia's gross domestic product grew 5.02 percent last year, the slowest pace since 2015. The government has been pushing for regulation reforms to attract foreign investment and boost the country's economic activity through omnibus bills, among other measures, aimed at cutting red tape. In the meantime, Moody's stable outlook reflects balanced risks at the Baa2 ratings, mainly related to the pace and effectiveness of reforms. Should the reforms be more effective, it would improve competitiveness, raise growth potential and strengthen Indonesias external position, the agency wrote. However, it warned that significant delays or reversals in reforms would risk undermining Indonesias growth potential and macroeconomic stability". Read also: Fitch affirms Indonesias BBB rating with stable outlook, sees structural weaknesses In response to the rating affirmation, Bank Indonesia (BI) Governor Perry Warjiyo said the decision confirmed international stakeholders optimism with regard to Indonesias economic prospects amid persisting domestic and global challenges. He also attributed the positive economic prospect to the synergy between the central bank and the government in composing a policy mix to maintain macroeconomic stability and support the countrys growth. Going forward, BI will monitor domestic and global economic development to utilize the room to apply an accommodative policy mix to control inflation and external stability, as well as support the countrys economic growth, Perry said in the statement. 16.8k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard All four of the prosecutors on Roger Stones case have quit or asked to be removed, in a move the highlights the corruption of Trump and Barr. The Washington Post reported: All four career prosecutors handling the case against Roger Stone, a confidant of President Trump, asked to withdraw from the legal proceedings Tuesday and one quit his job entirely after the Justice Department signaled it planned to reduce their sentencing recommendation for the presidents friend. Jonathan Kravis, one of the prosecutors, wrote in a court filing he had resigned as an assistant U.S. attorney, leaving government altogether. Three others Aaron S.J. Zelinsky, Adam Jed and Michael Marando asked a judges permission to leave the case. The prosecutors are trying to leave the case to highlight the corrupt interference of Attorney General William Barr and President Donald Trump. In a level of unprecedented political interference, Trump and Barr overruled the prosecutors in the Stone case and changed the sentencing recommendation for Trumps felon friend to a lighter sentence. Roger Stone lied to Congress to protect Donald Trump. There is no reason why a man who was convicted of multiple felonies deserves a lighter sentence. The prosecutors are calling attention to the corruption within the Trump administration. Thanks to William Barr, the rot has reached the Department of Justice, and four individuals who care about law and order would rather walk than dirty themselves in Trump and Barrs swamp. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook Acting CBP Commissioner Mark Morgan said Tuesday that U.S. officials apprehended or deemed inadmissible 36,679 migrants in January, a drop of 10 percent from December. But he said the number of Mexican adults taken into custody has climbed 32 percent from this time last year, a shift he attributed to smugglers scrambling to come up with new tactics as overall migration numbers have fallen. The boat was reportedly destined for Malaysia and included Rohingya refugees from Bangladesh. The Bangladesh navy pulled the boat back in to shore At least 14 people have drowned when a boat carrying Rohingya refugees sank off the south coast of Bangladesh, officials say. The boat was destined for Malaysia and included Rohingya refugees from camps in Bangladesh, local authorities told the BBC. All of the dead bodies recovered are reportedly of women and children. An official told the AFP news agency that 70 people were rescued. Many are still missing. The boat capsized in the Bay of Bengal near Saint Martin's island. In August 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army on Rohingya Muslims sent hundreds of thousands fleeing across the border into Bangladesh. Most have been placed in refugee camps and some have tried to flee in boats to Malaysia. BBC President Donald Trump in a rally on the eve of the New Hampshire primary claimed he would have won the state over Hillary Clinton in 2016 were it not for Massachusetts residents swarming New Hampshire and voting illegally, a claim debunked by multiple officials who said there was no evidence of voter fraud at the time. Trump renewed the claim, which he initially made after the 2016 election, at a packed Southern New Hampshire University arena in Manchester Monday during a speech in which he mocked Democrats and touted his administrations economic record. Trump joked that New Hampshire has some pretty strange election laws here, and said thousands of Massachusetts residents crossed state lines to vote against him in the last presidential election. He then turned to the crowded Democratic field and said, Im trying to find out whos their weakest candidate. I think theyre all weak. Hillary Clinton won New Hampshire in 2016 with 46.8% of the vote, just .03 ahead of Trump. About 4% went to Gary Johnson. In December 2016, former Massachusetts Sen. Scott Brown alleged nearly 100,000 people in 2016 - and 40,000 when he ran for Senate in 2009 - flooded New Hampshire to vote in a swing state. Brown claimed the bulk of the illegal votes came from college students. Trump, who lost the overall 2016 popular vote to Clinton by about 3 million votes, often claimed voter fraud in California and Virginia as well as New Hampshire. A former New Hampshire attorney general, Republican Tom Rath, said in 2017 that Trumps voter fraud claims had no merit. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker pointed to Raths comments when asked about the claims, and Corey Lewandowski, one of Donald Trumps campaign managers in 2016, disputed the assertion as well, saying Thats not what happens. Trump faces former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld in the 2020 New Hampshire primary, but is expected to win easily. The number of companies having suspended operations in 2019 decreased by 22.16 percent compared to 2018, reaching 14,040, according to data published by the National Trade Register Office (ONRC). In December 2019, as many as 1,198 companies ceased their activity.Most companies that suspended their operations in 2019 were from Bucharest, namely 1,398, down by 26.3 percent compared to the previous year, the Capital being followed by the counties of Cluj (722 companies, down 11.52 percent), Bihor (694, down 33.59 percent) and Constanta (604, down 16.11 percent).At the opposite end, the lowest number of suspensions in 2019 were recorded in the counties of Ialomita (53, down 36.9 percent compared to 2018), Gorj (133, down 32.49 percent) and Braila (134, down (19.76 percent).Suspensions decreased in all counties, with the largest reductions being recorded in the counties of Galati (minus 39.79 percent), Ialomita (minus 36.9 percent) and Buzau (minus 34.96 percent).By activity areas, last year the highest number of suspensions was registered in wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles, namely 4,280 (minus 23.69 percent), in other service activities - 1,301 (minus 19.94) ) and professional scientific and technical activities - 1,130 (minus 24.16 percent). AGERPRES AAP leader and incumbent chief minister returns for a third straight term in key assembly election held in the capital. Arvind Kejriwal, an anti-corruption crusader-turned politician, has been re-elected chief minister for a third straight term in Indias capital after his Aam Aadmi Party (Common Mans Party or AAP) registers a landslide victory over Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Results declared on Tuesday by Indias Election Commission said the AAP led by Kejriwal won 62 seats, while the Hindu nationalist BJP managed the remaining eight in the 70-member Delhi assembly. Kejriwal, 51, is a former bureaucrat and tax inspector who helped launch the AAP in 2012 to rid the Indian political system and government of corruption and inefficiency. His partys symbol a broom and its promise to sweep the administration of graft has struck a chord with New Delhis nearly 20 million people. In 2015, his party had won a landslide 67 seats. Thank u so much sir. I look forward to working closely wid Centre to make our capital city into a truly world class city. https://t.co/IACEVA091c Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 11, 2020 In the past five years, Kejriwal has pushed pro-poor policies, fixed state-run schools and provided free healthcare and utilities services. The politician had previously stated he and his movement were not wedded to any ideology but to solving problems. The AAP was founded in 2012 following nationwide anti-corruption protests led by self-proclaimed Gandhian, Anna Hazare. The protests were triggered by a slew of corruption scandals worth billions of dollars under the then-government headed by the Congress party. Kejriwal rose to political prominence after defeating three-term Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit in the 2013 assembly election. But his first term as chief minister lasted just 49 days and ended in chaos when he quit over delays in the introduction of an anti-corruption ombudsman he was pushing for. In 2015, he was sworn in for a second term after his party won a historic mandate, reducing the BJP to just three seats, while the Congress drew a blank. Kejriwal hails from the northern Indian state of Haryana. He studied mechanical engineering at one of Indias premier educational institutions, the Indian Institute of Technology. An unassuming bespectacled man always seen in unremarkable pants and shirt, the AAP leader is known as leader who appeals to an aspirational middle class. Kejriwals popularity in New Delhis teeming slums rivals that of Modi, 69, the son of a tea-seller who has carved out an image as a man of the people. During the campaign, the AAP leader was seen knocking on doors, listening patiently to people as they spoke of lack of water and other amenities. Kejriwal has also taken on the Modi-led BJP, often accusing the party of pursuing a divisive agenda. In a 2014 interview with Al Jazeera, Kejriwal had said: Narendra Modi is not only a threat to the secular fabric of India but also to the countrys international image. His rhetoric on Pakistan, Bangladesh and China are just a few examples. SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) The city of San Francisco will purchase two residential care facilities at risk of closing, Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Rafael Mandelman announced Monday. The city's acquisition of the two sites, Grove Street House and South Van Ness Manor, is part of a larger effort by Breed to address what city officials say is a "closure crisis" impacting the city's board and care facilities. "The Grove Street House and South Van Ness Manor provide essential care for some of our most vulnerable residents--people with mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders, and people who are looking for a step on the path out of homelessness," Breed said in a statement. "With this financial support from the city, these crucial long-term care facilities will be able to keep operating for years to come. As we work to improve our entire behavioral health system, we need to make sure our existing resources can continue providing the services that people depend on," she said. Late last month, the city financed the acquisition of Grove Street House, a state licensed nine-bed, 60-day residential mental health treatment facility in the city's North Panhandle neighborhood. The facility is the only crisis stabilization program for co-occurring disorders like chronic, severe mental health disorders and substance abuse disorders, according to the mayor's office. The purchase of Grove Street House, carried out in partnership with PRC/Baker Places, was made possible by a $3.94 million loan from the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development. The loan not only covers the site's acquisition, but will also cover its rehabilitation, including about $675,000 in repairs like seismic strengthening and repairs to the building's plumbing, electrical and ventilation systems. South Van Ness Manor, a 29-bed facility, was set to close in October of last year, however, the city stepped in and is now in negotiations to purchase the facility. "As the city works to create more places for unhoused people struggling with mental illness, it is critical that we preserve our existing stock of beds and units," Mandelman said. "I'm glad to see the city is stepping up to preserve these two facilities, and we need to do much more of this in the future." Although the two purchases are in the works, the city is still seeking to identify other long-term care facilities at risk of closing and in need of financial support, the mayor's office 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 09:59:38|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close CANBERRA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia's business community has thrown its support behind a push for net zero emissions by 2050. The Business Council of Australia (BCA), which comprises the chief executives of more than 100 of Australia's largest companies, called for a "line in the sand" on climate policy. Independent Member of Parliament (MP) Zali Steggall on Monday introduced a bill to Parliament that would enshrine in law a plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. It would establish an independent Climate Change Commission, which would advise the government on how best to reduce emissions. Both the government and opposition have ruled out support for Steggall's bill but Jennifer Westacott, the head of the BCA, said it was a sensible way forward. "This has always got stuck on the detail. It's always got stuck on the ideology. It's always got stuck on the demons and angels," she said during an appearance on Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) television. "We've got to move past this point right now." Prime Minister Scott Morrison has ruled out pursuing ambitious climate policies if doing so would harm the economy. However, Emissions Reduction Minister Angus Taylor on Monday confirmed that Australia will commit to a 2050 emissions reduction target at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in November. More than 80 countries have committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, with Australia urged to follow their lead. Introducing her bill on Monday, Steggall -- who won her inner-Sydney electorate on the back of campaigning on climate change -- said it was "for the long-term safety of Australians." "2020 is a new decade. Let's run a line in the sand on the past divisions we have had," she said, calling for government support. President Michael D Higgins signs some of his own books at Cabra Library in Dublin before he donates part of his personal book collection to Dublin City Libraries. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire President Michael D Higgins signs some of his own books at Cabra Library in Dublin before he donates part of his personal book collection to Dublin City Libraries. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire PRESIDENT MICHAEL D Higgins has donated 700 of his own personal books to Dublin City Libraries for nationwide distribution. He attended Cabra Library in north Dublin this afternoon, where the titles are now available for public access. Speaking to reporters, he said that reading is one of the greatest skillsets for life. If I had a wish for the children of Ireland into the future, it would be that they would all have access to reading and access to a musical instrument and maybe even be able to swim, then you have the greatest equipment for life, he said. Expand Close President Michael D Higgins signs some of his own books at Cabra Library in Dublin before he donates part of his personal book collection to Dublin City Libraries. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp President Michael D Higgins signs some of his own books at Cabra Library in Dublin before he donates part of his personal book collection to Dublin City Libraries. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire He recalled being denied a particular book written by a philosopher when he was younger. I remember when I came to Galway first, asking for a book, I think by a particular author, maybe it might have been Bertrand Russell and being told that, I cant give it to you, because it wont be good for you. Books are published to be read. Having spent a period of time with me, Im very anxious that [the donated books] go to where the pages will be turned over and where theyll be of most value, he said. I think books are wonderful and libraries are wonderful, he added. The books have come into the library over the last couple of months and have been added to the catalogue. Dublin City Librarian Mairead Owens said that his collection is available to the public from today in Cabra Library, but the books can also be requested by patrons across the country. Its about 700 books, books that he bought, books that the family bought him, even some childrens books and Irish language, as well as precious material like local history and local studies and theyll go into a reserve. The books can be reserved in libraries around the country and when youre browsing, you may come across a book thats made its way from Aras an Uachtarain onto a public library shelf, she said. Ms Owens said that the presidents personal collection was taking over Aras an Uachtarain. The president is a bibliophile and a great reader and wanted his books looked after. They were taking over Aras an Uachtarain, there were too many - so what do you do with 700 books? Well, lets give them to the people of Ireland, Ms Owens added. When asked about the general election, the president said that it is crucial to remain positive. Its very, very important to be positive, I have great confidence in the process that we have, he said. I want to wish all of the people who will be having discussions with each other every success. Whatever they decide, we are obviously facing into a period in which the European Union is redefining itself in several different levels were probably now moving into some of the most complex parts of the trade agreement in relation to our neighbours. He said that climate change and the biodiversity breakdown is a challenge for all politicians. But there are huge issues internationally as well, the theme standing in the background of every politician alive at the present time are issues of climate change and loss of biodiversity. At the appropriate times, people will visit me in the Aras and I will give my blessing for however long it lasts, he said. The African Union (AU) has wrapped up its annual summit, with leaders pledging that the 55-member bloc will play a greater role in resolving protracted conflicts and work to unlock the continents economic potential. Tackling issues such as gender equality, climate change and boosting commerce through the creation of a new continental free trade area are also high on the AU agenda for 2020. Keeping with the summit theme of Silencing the Guns, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa spoke of an Africa that is prosperous and at peace with itself as he took over as AU chair from his Egyptian counterpart, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi. Commenting on the mood in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital that hosted the summit, South African Ambassador Mxolisi Nkosi said: There is indeed a lot of excitement and expectation about South Africa being at the helm of the AU. Libya, South Sudan The AU chair is elected by the AU Assembly of Heads of State and Government for a one-year term, with responsibilities including representing the continent at various international forums such as the G20. Having taken over the AU baton, Ramaphosa has been quick to identify Libya and South Sudan as the two conflicts he wants to focus on during his tenure. The bloc has long sought a more prominent role in the efforts to resolve Libyas long-running conflict, with certain member states believing it could provide the legitimacy needed for a multilateral peace process. The North African country has been plagued by war and chaos since the 2011 overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi during a NATO-backed uprising, with rival factions and militias fighting over control of the country. It is currently split into rival western and eastern administrations: the UN-recognised Government of National Accord (GNA) holds Tripoli in northwestern Libya, while a rival administration in the east is aligned with renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, whose forces in April 2019 launched a military push to seize the capital. South Africa will prioritise the achievement of a ceasefire, to be followed by an inter-Libyan political dialogue to find a durable solution, said Nkosi, who is also the deputy director-general for Global Governance and Continental Agenda in the South African Department of International Relations and Cooperation. Ramaphosa said that he would work with Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso, who chairs the AUs high-level Committee on Libya, to convene an intra-Libyan Conference to promote a ceasefire and dialogue. When asked by Al Jazeera at the Addis Ababa summit whether an African peace force would be created for Libya, Sassou Nguesso said the idea was being discussed by the AU. South Africa will also host an extraordinary summit on Silencing the Guns in May 2020 to deal with acts of terrorism in regions such as the Sahel and the Horn of Africa, including South Sudan, which in 2013 descended into a devastating civil war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people. With regard to South Sudan, South Africa will continue its efforts to find a solution leading to the installation of an interim government of national unity, Nkosi said, referring to a February 22 deadline faced by President Salva Kiir and rebel leader Riek Machar to form a unity government a target they have failed to hit twice over the past year. Achieving goals But how effective can the AU be in achieving these goals? Hesphina Rukato, an Africa development specialist and former deputy chief of staff at the AU, said the bloc has a lot of power but there is a breakdown of trusts among citizens, mostly because of non-implementation of decisions. She believes the closing of the implementation deficit would give more respect and weight to the AU. In the case of achieving the goal of Silencing the Guns, some analysts remain sceptical especially in the case of conflicts such as Libya. Previous efforts, however, have failed, including a bid last year for a joint UN-AU envoy for Libya. The country remains a top priority for the UN Security Council and the body has so far given little attention to the blocs call for greater involvement. The AU has been in and out of peace negotiations in Libya for the last 10 years, Judd Devermont, director of the Africa Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Al Jazeera last month. [It] regards Libya as within its mandate, even though its peace initiatives there have consistently fallen flat, he said. Economic and social integration Separately, this years priorities for the AU also include promoting and supporting economic integration across the continent. Nkosi said the agreement to create the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCTA), ratified by 24 African states, has injected a new dynamism and optimism about the future of the continent. When it comes into existence, AfCTA aims to bring together all 55 African states and cover a market of more than 1.2 billion people, paving the way for the creation of a continental customs union. In his speech, Ramaphosa also emphasised promoting womens economic inclusion and the fight against gender-based violence. But Rukato said promoting gender equality through the bloc would be challenging. At the national level violence against women needs more attention. You cannot lead if you are not demonstrating. This is linked to the issue of peace and security and the Silencing the Guns theme. For Rukato, the greatest test South Africa will face this year as AU chair will be the free movement of people. The country experienced a wave of xenophobic attacks in 2017 and 2019 that were motivated by the belief that foreigners, mostly migrants from other African countries, were to blame for South Africas social and economic problems. The attacks last year were followed by reprisals in some African countries, while Nigeria recalled its high commissioner from Pretoria and threatened to boycott the World Economic Forum held in South Africa in 2019. There will be many AU meetings held in South Africa and Africans will be sensitive about how they will be treated as they enter, Rukato said. South Africa needs to demonstrate that it is not xenophobic. Getting things done Still, experts seem positive about South Africa assuming the AU chair. The general feeling is that if it is South Africa, these are people we can talk to, to get things done, said Donald Deya, chief executive officer of the Pan African Lawyers Union (PALU) based in Tanzania, adding that South Africa will work towards restoring credibility to the organisation. Elinor Sisulu, a South African human rights activist, described Ramaphosa as a capable and charismatic mediator but said he would face pressure at home amid calls for him to focus on domestic issues such as a lingering electricity crisis in South Africa. Others have also wondered whether the country will stick its neck out to criticise human rights violations on the continent. The AU replaced the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was established in 1963 to end colonialism in Africa. For Deya, this break from the past includes encouraging states to improve their governance and human rights records. This requires moral authority because you cannot persuade a sister state to become something that you, yourself, are not. [February 11, 2020] Louisiana's 360 AUTO to unveil its new 360CXM technology at the 2020 NADA Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada this week LAS VEGAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Louisiana-based technology company, 360 AUTO , an Inc. 500 MarTech company, will launch its new 360CXM (Customer Experience Management) technology next week at the 2020 NADA Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada. 360 AUTO, which specializes in marketing automation and business intelligence solutions for the auto industry, will unveil their 360CXM (Customer Experience Management) at the biggest annual auto dealers conference in North America next week. "We're excited to unveil our 360CXM technology. It offers dealers a new vision of CXM, with more enriched data around each person and each potential car buyer, helping dealers build better relationships with existing and potential customers," said Frankie Russo, Founder CEO of 360 Auto. "360CXM affirms our focus and ongoing commitment to the auto industry and our industry partners," says Russo. The NADA (National Automotive Dealers Association) conference is the auto industry's premier marketplace, with more than 500 companies offering thousands of products, services and solutions across more than 700,000 square feet of exhibit space in the Las Vegas Convention Center. Russo said 360CXM technology offers dealers a host of improvements over other industry CRMs, including: AutoTarget scores, more enriched data from first-party and third-party sources on each person, and tools such as: click-to-dial, texting, one-to one emails, ringless voicemail, and alerts for salespeople to let them know when a customer is coming into the dealership. "We want to help dealers utilize and apply rich data to develop better relationships and customize their customer's experience. Dealers can use 360CXM technology for outreach to potential customers in the surrounding neighborhoods the dealers serve," Russo said. Founded in 2015, 360 AUTO, a subsidiary of 360ia, is a Lafayette, LA based MarTech software company focused on cutting edge marketing automation and intelligence solutions. For more information visit 360 AUTO. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/louisianas-360-auto-to-unveil-its-new-360cxm-technology-at-the-2020-nada-expo-in-las-vegas-nevada-this-week-301003085.html SOURCE 360ia NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Luxury Yacht Market 2020-2024 The analyst has been monitoring the global luxury yacht market and it is poised to grow by 310 units during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of NaN% during the forecast period. Our reports on global luxury yacht market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04539085/?utm_source=PRN The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by increase in recreational tourism. In addition, trends not available is anticipated to boost the growth of the global luxury yacht market as well. Market Segmentation The global luxury yacht market is segmented as below: Type Motor Yachts Sail Yachts Geographic segmentation APAC Europe MEA North America South America Key Trends for global luxury yacht market growth This study identifies trends not available as the prime reasons driving the global luxury yacht market growth during the next few years. Prominent vendors in global luxury yacht market We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the global luxury yacht market , including some of the vendors such as Alexander Marine Co. Ltd., Azimut Benetti Spa, Christensen Shipyards LLC, Damen Shipyards Group, Feadship Holland BV, Ferretti Spa, Fincantieri Spa, OVERMARINE GROUP Spa, Palumbo group Spa and San Lorenzo Spa . The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04539085/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com Miller was not unknown to the staff. The 32-year-old civil engineer was a friend of the owner, E.L. Johnson, and had stayed at the hotel a dozen times before. Miller worked for the Nicaragua Canal Commission and had been in Central America since April, studying the feasibility of joining the Atlantic and Pacific oceans there. Jenelle Evans and David Eason have been apart for months. After four years together, Evans announced in October 2019 that she was seeking a divorce from Eason. She packed up her things and moved out of the home she shared with her husband, vowing to never take him back. But could she have changed her mind? The Teen Mom 2 star was recently seen out with Eason, sparking speculation that they made up and are secretly back together. Jenelle Evans and David Eason at a party in February 2019 in New York City | Bruce Glikas/Getty Images A look back at Jenelle Evans split from David Eason The pair had a major falling out after Eason shot and killed Evans dog, Nugget, in May 2019. Evans was fired from Teen Mom 2 amid the scandal and temporarily lost custody of her children. (She has two kids, Jace and Kaiser, from previous relationships and shares daughter Ensley with Eason. Evans has since regained custody of her children.) She eventually announced plans to divorce Eason in a message shared on her Instagram page. In November, she got a restraining order against her husband. In court documents obtained by E! News, Evans said she had become afraid of Eason due to recent threats, his history of violence, his erratic behavior and his large stockpile of weapons. But she reportedly requested to have the order dismissed two months later. Jenelle Evans and David Eason have been spending time together After the order was dismissed, Evans and Eason were spotted hanging out in Tennessee. Photos published by TMZ show the pair walking closely and talking with Ensley, prompting rumors that they reconciled. The speculation only mounted when they were seen together again at a bar in Tennessee on Feb. 8. According to TMZ, the two enjoyed a couple of drinks and had some barbecue at a local restaurant. Judging from photos, it appears that it was only the two of them. The outings come amid news that Evans will not return to Teen Mom 2. She had repeatedly tried to get back on the show following her firing to no avail. Have Jenelle Evans and David Eason reconciled? Although it might look like it, sources say that Evans and Eason are not in a relationship and have no plans to get back together. Despite being out with David in Nashville, the divorce is still happening, a source told E! News. There is no real change to their relationship situation. They are co-parenting. They have no plans to get back together. Jenelle was in North Carolina last month getting some of her things out of her home. David was visiting Nashville to see Ensley, the insider continued. Jenelle and David are getting along, but theyre working on their communication and relationship for the sake of Ensley. They are not reconciling. Evans herself said in a YouTube video shared in January that she was single and simply trying to have a healthy co-parenting relationship with Eason. I need to think about my future, my kids and what Im going to do in life and I dont need any distractions at all, she said. And I noticed that guys can be a big distraction. For now, her focus is on herself and her children and that only. Samsungs first smartphone with a foldable AMOLED display got mixed reviews, but at least it had a clear selling point its a phone that also works as a tablet when unfolded. The companys next phone is a modern smartphone that you can fold in half. If early reviews of the similarly-shaped Motorola Razr are anything to go by, thats a weird value proposition. But Samsungs new Galaxy Z Flip does at least have a few things going for it that the new Razr does not. Its got high-end specs including a (slightly dated) flagship-class processor. And its the first foldable phone to feature a flexible glass display rather than a plastic screen, which could make it more pleasant to look at and to touch. Maybe. I guess well see. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip will be available starting February 14th for $1380. The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 855+ processor rather than a newer Snapdragon 865 chip but at least thats a step up from the Snapdragon 710 chip chosen by Motorola. Samsungs new foldable phone ships with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It has a 3,300 mAh battery with 15W fast charging support or 9 watt Qi wireless charging. And theres a fingerprint sensor on the side of the phone. Cameras include a 10MP front-facing camera, and dual 12MP rear cameras a primary camera and a 123-degree ultrawide camera. The Galaxy Z Flip has a microSD card reader but no headphone jack. Interestingly the phone also has just a mono speaker. But those are the boring specs. Its the display thats the phones stand-out feature. The primary screen is a 6.7 inch, 2636 x 1080 pixel AMOLED display that can fold in half to make the phone more portable. Samsung says its first phone with a foldable glass screen can be folded and unfolded as many as 200,000 times without damaging the phone. But thats all you get from the foldable phone. You dont get a tablet-sized screen when unfolded. You just get a smaller device when folded. Samsung has put some effort into optimizing the software to take advantage of the fold, but for the most part the Galaxy Z Flip is just an expensive phone that you can fold in half. But I guess that could be a good thing if youre looking for a phone that acts as its own screen protector, fits into smaller (but less tight) pants pockets, or doesnt tempt you to check your social media feeds every time you pull out the phone just to look at the time theres a secondary 1.1 inch, 300 x 112 pixel AMOLED display on the outside that lets you see the time and other notifications without unfolding the phone. You can also tap the notification icon when the screen is folded to seamlessly transit to the app while unfolding your phone. And Samsung says you can even use the tiny screen as a viewfinder for framing shots with the rear camera if you dont mind using a 1 inch viewfinder. Samsung has also introduced new ways to interact with a phone that take advantage of the fold in the middle. Prop up your phone so the bottom acts as a stand, for example, and you can use the top as a camera viewfinder and the bottom for controls. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxbHs1QBs_4 David George Moore, who regularly does interviews and reviews for the Jesus Creed, decided to turn the tables and interview me on the recently released, Kingdom Conspiracy: Retuning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church. Dave blogs at www.twocities.org. Moore: A note to the Jesus Creed community (and Scot is not paying me for writing this!): I read quite a bit and fairly widely, but Kingdom Conspiracy is in that smaller circle of formative works. Aside from the many classics (Augustine, Bunyan, Chesterton, Lewis, et al.) which have impacted me, Scots book now joins contemporary writers who have been most influential: Lundin, Wood, Newbigin, Willard, Peterson et al. Scots description of justice in the coming kingdom made me choke up. Kingdom Conspiracy is well-written and truly a seminal work all Christians must wrestle with. I trust Kingdom Conspiracy sparks many meaningful conversations! Moore: What circumstances led you to tackle this subject? Two things. First, in the last 15-20 years I became convinced that when Jesus said kingdom he had Israel in mind. For me this began back in the late 90s when I wrote A New Vision for Israel though I did not think through the theme as much as I have in the last five years. Second, hearing one person after another baptize or sanctify what they were doing by using the term kingdom. Kingdom has become a good word (church a bad word) and they were using kingdom to make what they were doing something ultimately significant. Im all for seeing what we do as significant, or attempting to do so, but increasingly I was hearing the word kingdom used for dimensions of our life that had very little to do with what the Bible means by this term. Moore: Give us a quick sketch of your overall argument. My argument is that kingdom has been colonized today by two crowds: the social justice crowd who use the term for any good thing done by any good person in the public sector for the common good. The redemptive crowd tends to reduce kingdom to those moments when God breaks into history in a redemptive way either in evangelism or in a person realizing Gods kind of truth or when someone is healed. I believe kingdom has five major components in the Bible: a king (God, Jesus), a rule (both redemptively and in governance or lordship), a people (Israel, the church), a law (Torah, Sermon on the Mount as expressing Jesus teaching of Torah, and roughly life in the Spirit), and a land (clearly the Holy Land until the Gentile mission, and then perhaps/probably? an expansion of that land promise to places in the diaspora through the establishment of churches [Im not thinking here of physical space but of spiritual and social occupation]). Moore: Young, restless, and Reformed types should appreciate Kingdom Conspiracy, not the least of which is your focus on the local church. What are a few big ideas you would like the YRRs to get from your book? The YRR are probably more diverse than many of us know because we tend to see them through their representative pastoral leaders (Piper, Keller), but if I may generalize I would contend that most of them are Kuyperians in their theory, conscious or not, of how the church and the state/government relate. It seems to me that Kuyper, who represents a more conservative political posture toward the state, has gained control of American evangelical types while there is a burgeoning more progressive wing that is beginning to form inside evangelicalism (see David Swartz). If this is a fair depiction of the context, Im hoping the YRR will see that there is no such thing as Kuyperian in the New Testament and that the Bibles posture toward the state emerges out of a commitment to the church. I may need to emphasize that: the early Christians who are at work in writing and as figures in the New Testament were not thinking of influencing Rome or shaping Rome or working to find positions of political influence to redirect Rome. They saw Rome as corrupt and were calling Rome out of Rome into the church. So the church became a socio-political matrix where Gods kingdom work was on display. So, Im hoping they will reconsider the Biblical foundation for Kuypers approach which was formed in the Netherlands to speak into a growing pluralistic world. Moore: I spent several years on staff with Cru (formerly named Campus Crusade for Christ). Do parachurch organizations participate in kingdom work? This is a good question and its hard to speak a fair word here. So Ill put it as a brief formula: to the degree Cru or IVCF or any parachurch organization emerges from and supports or is instrument in forming a local church it is kingdom work; to the degree it is on its own or distant from or not forming a local church it is less kingdom work. There is a long history of parachurch independence that concerns me; there is at times a tendency for parachurch organizations to map their own path because they are not willing to wait for a local church to get behind a given agenda or vision. Yes, too, there are good reasons for Christians to cooperate with one another in ministries but I return to the above point: it depends on how intensely it is committed to a local church. My general impression is in fact the opposite: these parachurch organizations are on their own and answer to themselves (or a selected board). I have said this on the blog a few times of late. The decisions of universities in California might get more parachurch organizations to think more carefully about shaping a ministry through a local church at a university campus/city. I believe in the church as both universal and local as the locus of Gods kingdom work. Moore: Keeping with your early encouragement (p. 19-20) to define important matters, what makes a church a church? It surely cant be every building which has a sign calling it a church, can it? I never want to suggest a church is a church because of a building. A church is gathering of local church who are committed to one another for the purposes of worship, instruction, and fellowship. A church in the NT requires elders and deacons and pastors and such gifts. A local church is an embodiment of the church universal. Moore: You briefly mention Ralph Waldo Emerson. I have spent a fair amount of time with Mr. Emerson as a discussion partner of sorts. It seems that individualism may be the most formidable challenge for church leaders to address, but they rarely do. Please give us a few of your thoughts. Individualism is an easy target and it is an important target and it is a misunderstood target. We have to affirm individual response and individual responsibility in the faith and in the church. But modernity has led the Western world toward a more radical version of individualism that has influence (or reshaped) the church. Instead of our consciousness being I am church therefore I am Christian many today would think I am a Christian and therefore I choose to participate in the church. But the Bible presents Gods work through the People of God as a People, which includes individuals, but not just through individuals. Perhaps the measure of individualism is how often we give up what I want to do because our church has something else for us. Moore: Finally, Mike Bird has a question in his review (Euangelion/Patheos) of your book revolving around how you would respond to Peter Leitharts Defending Constantine? You can certainly give a brief response to it, but as one who generally shares your concerns over Constantinian Christianity, allow me this final question: What do you think about Newtons counsel to Wilberforce that he should not become a minister, but rather stay in politics because it was a better platform from which to see slavery abolished? I found Leitharts Defending Constantine exaggerated and tipped toward his own political theories instead of painting the more accurate picture of Constantine, who was a violent overlord and whose Christianity was woefully inadequate, and thus I was surprised by the blurbs by Hauerwas and Wright. I began to review Leithart on my blog but put the book down because I got tired of his agenda. Take a look sometimes at George Kalantzis approach to Leithart (and Constantine). Im with Kalantzis. Or read Robertsons biography/study. Dana, a 29-year-old Washington native, had started Timber with a friend the previous year. In the movie version of this story, Danas decision to go in on a $32,000 wood-burning oven would probably be cast as the fulfillment of a lifelong passion. But in truth it was more about desperation. I was always rudderless, Dana said. I was the guy in college who, second semester junior year, was told he had to declare a major and said: What do I have the most credits in? (Answer: political science.) After graduation, he sold windows. He went to business school and worked at an educational software start-up. He hoped the combination of making good pizza and working for himself would stick. ALBANY The Albany County Land Bank is seeking developers to help it revive 67 properties, most of them vacant, within a four-square-block area in the South End. The nonprofit issued a request for qualifications last week, hoping to partner with one or multiple developers in an unusual development strategy for one of the citys poorest neighborhoods. The cluster development effort is a unique effort to bring large scale development from Broad Street to Elizabeth Street and from 2nd Avenue to 3rd Avenue, said the land bank Executive Director Adam Zaranko. The plan is to combine 51 Land Bank properties with 16 city-owned properties and see what interest it draws from developers, he said. Were partnering on our property portfolio to see what opportunities we can create in a four-block radius thats been largely disinvested for generations, frankly, he said. The nonprofit has been gathering properties in the area for years. Since 2014, the Land Bank has taken on more than 200 vacant or abandoned properties in the South End, redeveloping or selling 64 of them. David Galin, Mayor Kathy Sheehans chief of staff, said the city has been focused on revitalizing neighborhoods throughout the city. We are encouraged by the Land Banks request to seek qualifications from developers on the potential redevelopment of this cluster of properties in the South End, and look forward to working with the Land Bank and the community to develop a plan to transform these properties into quality housing with opportunities for homeownership, he said. The Land Bank envisions having a role in both shaping the project and co-management of the project until completion. That would ensure items the community has said it cares about will be part of the discussion, Zaranko said. It also might bring additional or different financing options to the table, he said. We hope that being a nonprofit as a development partner we can help our development or affordable housing partner access more grant funds and financing opportunities than they would by themselves, he said. Councilwoman Sonia Frederick, who represents most of the area under consideration, said she was excited to see the Land Bank moving forward with the project but said that community input was key to any successful development in the area. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Its extraordinarily important because its their home, they have buy-in in the neighborhood, she said. If you go in without knowledge of the community and you try and switch things up, it might not be in the best interest of the residents there. Leslie Phelan, executive director of the South End Community Outreach Center, said the project needs to address whats missing for people in those neighborhoods. That means stores that sell fresh food, apartments that are affordable to the residents that live there and help for residents who live there already who are trying to maintain their homes, she said. We need a youth center, theres not any place for teenagers or younger kids to go, she said. If successful, the Land Bank envisions repeating the same process at two other locations in the city, a cluster of properties near Henry Johnson Boulevard and a third, smaller cluster on Ontario Street. The Land Bank hopes to have a developer chosen for further negotiations on a master development agreement by late March. China Detains, Harasses Journalist, Academics Over Reports, Comments on Coronavirus 2020-02-10 -- Chinese citizen journalist and lawyer Chen Qiushi is incommunicado, believed detained, after reporting from the front line of the coronavirus epidemic in the central city of Wuhan. "In the past few hours, police from [a local] police station in Qingdao, along with some state security police, went to the workplace of Chen Qiushi's father and questioned him about the family," mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter Xu Xiaodong, who is in contact with Chen's mother, said in a Feb. 8 announcement on Chen's YouTube channel. "At the same time, they informed Qiushi's mother and father that he had been placed under restriction, in isolation," he said. "His parents immediately wanted to know where and how he had been placed in isolation. The police wouldn't answer that, just said they were informing them as required by law." Xu said Chen's parents' suspicions had been aroused because their son's phone had been switched off for days since they last heard from him. Chen's last YouTube video was posted on Feb. 4 and had garnered more than a million views by Monday. "This suggests that Qiushi's phone was forcibly confiscated," he said, adding that Chen had been placed under "enforced" isolation, ostensibly because he had visited a number of hospitals in Wuhan. He said Chen was no longer at an address near Hankou railway station given by the authorities as his location, and had likely already been taken elsewhere. Xu also quoted Chen's emergency contact as saying that they had previously checked in with him three or four times a day, but had been unable to reach him, which would be unlikely if he were merely under quarantine restrictions. They had lost contact with him after Chen visited the Fangcang Hospital in Wuhan, where conditions were said to be "pretty terrible." Students report professor One of Chen's last broadcasts was from the newly built prefabricated hospital in Wuhan, which he had reached on a borrowed electric motor scooter, and which he described as "not fit to house infectious disease patients, as it was obviously designed to be a battlefield hospital." In a video posted about the events of Jan. 29, Chen had already expressed concerns that the authorities were on his trail. "I have the coronavirus in my face, and the entire law enforcement system of China on my tail," he said. "But I will carry on reporting from Wuhan for as long as I am still alive." "If I'm not afraid to die, why would I fear the Communist Party?" Wuhan University philosophy professor Zhou Xuanyi was recently reported to the authorities by his students after posting to the Weibo social media site that the government hadn't been quick enough to tell people about the coronavirus threat. He was reported for "questioning the Communist Party" and "hating his own country," according to recent social media posts. Meanwhile, authorities in Beijing fired visiting lecturer and Hong Kong resident Zhou Peiyi after she made "inappropriate remarks" via her WeChat social media account about the ruling Chinese Communist Party's management of the coronavirus epidemic. Zhou Xuanyi's words had "violated guidelines on the professional behavior of college teachers in the new era," a notice from her employer, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said. Zhou's contract was terminated and she was notified on Feb. 7, it said. Incapable of transparency Constitutional scholar Zhang Lifan said the government has once more proved itself incapable of transparency. "They only want to report good news, and tell us not to worry so that we receive positive energy," Zhang said. "The authorities haven't learned their lesson: they have instead violated the constitution, human rights, and even humanitarian principles." "Today's China is an upgraded version of the novel '1984,'" he said. Police in Nanjing have also detained pro-democracy activist and former university lecturer Guo Quan, fellow activist Ai Wu told RFA. "We are guessing that maybe he's in criminal detention, because there are indications from the police that he will be held for 30 days," Ai said. The detentions come after the death from coronavirus of whistleblowing Wuhan doctor Li Wenliang, who was questioned and harassed by police for "spreading rumors," after speaking out about a SARS-like virus in the early days of the epidemic, when more could have been done to contain it. Writer Ye Du and other activists recently penned an open letter to premier Li Keqiang, calling on the country's cabinet, the State Council, to order officials in Hubei to apologize publicly to Li and seven other medical staff accused of rumor-mongering. "China lacks freedom of speech and the rights of its citizens are not protected or respected," Ye told RFA. "It is not in the interest of this regime to do this." Reported by Ng Yik-tung and Sing Man for RFA's Cantonese Service, and by Gao Feng for the Mandarin Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie. Copyright 1998-2020, 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 February 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 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Eisya A. Eloksari (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 18:42 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063dd0e7 1 Business omnibus-bill,omnibus-law,job-creation,wages,insurance,indef,Manpower-Ministry Free Indonesia needs to have an unemployment insurance scheme and clear regulations for per-hour employment to ensure workers protection, an economist and a government official have said. Institute for Development of Economics and Finance (INDEF) researcher Bhima Yudhistira said unemployment insurance was needed as a safety net to ensure workers were paid in accordance with the minimum wage. In this hire-and-fire context, workers might not get decent pay even at the amount of the minimum wage, he said during a seminar discussing an omnibus bill on job creation in Jakarta on Monday. The government is preparing the bill as a part of its efforts to ease doing business and eventually attract more investment to jack up economic growth. Once passed into law, the bill will amend hundreds of articles in dozens of prevailing laws, including the Labor Law. Read also: Government targets sensitive cuts in severance pay in new bill According to a presentation shared by the Office of the Coordinating Economics Minister, the bill creates a possibility for hourly-based employment for certain professions, such as consultants, freelancers and those working at start-ups. However, labor unions have voiced objections to the bill over certain proposed provisions, which they say could undermine the right to decent pay. Bhima said employers would be more inclined to outsource tasks under an hourly-based scheme, leaving employees in a more vulnerable position. The hourly payment system should not apply to labor-intensive manufacturing industries because it can encourage employers to assign fewer hours to workers especially when factories need to lower their production, he said. I think the government still needs to review what type of job is relevant for the scheme. On that basis, unemployment insurance was needed. He added that outsourcing and hourly pay systems worked in developed countries because they had such insurance. The insurance scheme, he went on to say, would enable the government to provide training for unemployed people, among other purposes. Nobody is talking about this insurance scheme, he said. I hope that it will be included in the omnibus law. Meanwhile, Manpower Ministry Directorate General for Industrial Relation Development and Social Security secretary Adriani said implementing unemployment insurance was not that easy. Indonesia has yet to formulate regulations about social security for hourly workers, she said during the same discussion. So, we want to stipulate it in the bill. Read also: Foreign workers, remuneration, working hours to be addressed in omnibus law Adriani went on to say that hourly work would only apply to certain jobs, such as in the media and arts and performance industries. The scheme, she stressed, was not intended to eliminate the monthly payment system for other professions. Our work now is highly influenced by technology, and this changes how we do our jobs, she said, explaining one of the reason for the government to propose the scheme. Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto said last year that the government in the proposed omnibus law would provide flexibility for outsourcing tasks to foreigners working in Indonesian start-ups while also paying attention to the development of domestic workers. A lot of our unicorn companies [start-ups valued at more than US$1 billion] source work out to Bangalore [India]. With more flexible regulations, we are hoping they could move to Indonesia, he said. Some California parents who moved to Idaho to avoid vaccinating their children are calling themselves "refugees," according to an Idaho Statesman investigation. The story discusses how Idaho became a hot spot for anti-vax Californians. In California, children must be vaccinated or provide a medical exemption from a doctor in order to attend school. By Jan. 2021, doctors who issue five or more exemptions per year will be reviewed by a state health official. In Idaho, parents may obtain an exemption based solely on personal beliefs, a loophole closed by California law. They don't even need a doctor's note; a parent's signature on a form is enough. It's one of the most lax vaccine laws in the nation. Late last year, Idaho began considering changes to this policy and the Statesman obtained transcripts and emails from the public hearing period through public records requests. "I'm writing as a deeply concerned Parent & California Refugee, who had to pull my entire Family out of the State to protect them from Tyrranical [sic] Government. I will Not stand by allowing Idaho to become a Socialist State," reads one email. "I'm a mother. And I'm also a California refugee," Bay Area native Shalee Brindley said at one Boise hearing. "I came here in search of medical freedom." Another public comment came from Lou Munilla, who said he has a master's degree from Stanford but moved to Idaho "for the freedoms of this state." He told the audience he would defend his rights "with my life and my weapons." "I dont care about the herd," Munilla said, "I care about my family, about my children." The reference to "the herd" is likely regarding herd immunity. In any given society, some members will not be able to be vaccinated, either because they are too young or because of other medical conditions. In order for those members to also be safe from communicable diseases, enough healthy members of society must be vaccinated. By getting vaccinated, those individuals can no longer pass along diseases and thus keep others safe too. The science behind vaccination is strongly backed by medical experts, who overwhelmingly endorse mandatory vaccination for children. Although there are side effects to vaccination, most are fairly minor and adverse reactions are rare. Vaccines have eradicated or greatly decreased a number of the commonly fatal or crippling diseases, including polio, smallpox, measles, mumps, whooping cough and tetanus. Some anti-vaccine advocates believe vaccines are inherently unsafe, while others want the sole right to dictate their child's medical decisions. "Vaccine hesitancy has the potential, at least in some places, to really hinder the very real progress the world has made in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases," Dr. Ann Lindstrand, an immunization expert for the World Health Organization, told the BBC in 2019. "Any resurgence we see in these diseases are an unacceptable step backwards." You can read the full Idaho Statesman story here. Katie Dowd is an SFGATE Senior Digital Editor. Contact: katie.dowd@sfgate.com | Twitter: @katiedowd Calling all foodies! Whether your passport is one stamp away from renewal or you're saving those vacation days for something special, every traveler knows the importance food plays in a trip. Not only does a meal provide valuable memories by bringing together family and friends, but food is truly is the best way to immerse yourself in the culture of a city. Food has become such an integral part of travel that some tourists even choose their next getaways based on its food scene. To help plan your next vacation based on your cravings, Yelp has released its top five American foodie destinations of the year. And let us just say, our stomachs are grumbling just reading about it. "The Top Foodie Destinations of 2020 isn't a list of the cities with the most award-winning restaurants. Yelpers love all kinds of restaurants, from white tablecloth, to food trucks and donut shops," Yelp Trends Expert Tara Lewis told AOL. "The list is powered by the community, not a small group of restaurant critics, so its representative of the cities people are excited to visit for their unique food scenes." To compile its top five list, the review site's data science team looked to the hotspots with the highest restaurant ratings from visitors. Here's where they dined and what they were noshing on. 5. New Orleans, Louisiana Why: From jambalaya to beignets, NOLA has been a long-loved destination for foodies. In drawing inspiration from the city's unique and multicultural history, it has also become home to some of the world's top chefs. What to order: The Muffuletta sandwich from Central Grocery & Deli. Layered with olive salad, salami, ham, mortadella, provolone and swiss cheese, the sandwich has become somewhat of a culinary legend in the Big Easy. 4. Maui and Honolulu, Hawaii Story continues Why: Various local hotspots have spun the state's famous macadamia nuts into scrumptious dishes, leaving Yelp reviewers going back for seconds. What to order: Macadamia nut pie from the Hawaii Tart Company 3. Charleston, South Carolina Why: Southern cooking at its finest. You can't go wrong with fried chicken, and of course, Charleston's famous biscuits. But Callie's Hot Little Biscuit may do it the best. What to order: Palmetto Cheese biscuit from Callie's Hot Little Biscuit 2. Portland, Oregon Why: The Pacific Northwest city has quickly been rising the ranks of foodie destinations and for good reason. Doe Donuts, a woman-owned bakery specializing in artisanal vegan donuts, is one of the most popular shops in the bustling city. What to order: The french toast donut or the pink lemonade donut from Doe Donuts 1. Asheville, North Carolina Why: The regional food powerhouse replaces San Francisco as this year's top foodie city due to its plethora of restaurants, cafes, breweries and local food businesses. The city does take inspiration from its southern history, but offers a variety of cuisines fit for any kind of foodie. What to order: The Liquid Truffle from French Bread Chocolates For more Asheville recommendations, watch the video above. ources claim the 15 refugees are in a terminal TB hospital in Sopungsan A group of returned North Korean refugees suspected of being infected with coronavirus have been quarantined among terminal tuberculosis patients because the government do not care if they contract the disease while in containment, sources have claimed. An unidentified source said 20 refugees crossed the border into China in early January but 15 of them were caught shortly after and taken to a detention centre in the People's Republic. They were then sent back to North Korea in a secret operation, before being bundled into an isolation ward at a tuberculosis hospital 'where terminal TB patients go to die.' A 2018 file photo shows the inside of the Pyongyang Tuberculosis hospital in Pyongyang, North Korea. Unlike the Pyongyang hospital, the Sopungsan facility is where incurable patients are sent to die An undated photo shows images of workers spraying buses amid the coronavirus scare. It was reported earlier today that 500 Red Cross workers have been dispatched to North Korea to proceed with 'quarantine operations' A December 2019 file photo shows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un at a party conference in North Korea. Kim Jong Un's regime is known for withholding information regarding the country's public health data, regarding it a closely-held state secret 'Sopungsan tuberculosis hospital is famous because patients are sent there when they have the most dangerous types of open-case tuberculosis [including the drug-resistant Super-TB],' the source told RFA. 'Its like the authorities dont even care if these people become infected with tuberculosis,' the source said. The escape at the start of the new year caused a 'state of emergency' among the military, the source said, due to fears over rocketing rates of coronavirus diagnoses in China. Kim Jong-Un's regime has only confirmed one case of the novel strain, temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV, but the country is known for misleading or denying the international community access to its public health data, holding it as a closely-guarded state secret. The respiratory illness has killed 1,016 and infected over 42,000 people, most of them in neighbouring China. Today, 500 Red Cross workers were dispatched to border towns and cities in North Korea for 'quarantine opearations', the disaster healthcare provider said. A graphic shows the worldwide rates of the coronavirus infection as of 11 February 2020 Contrary to the party line, reports from the border city of Sinuiju suggest people are already dying from the disease and that infections may have reached the capital Pyongyang. RFA reported that usually, families of people captured in China and returned to North Korea aren't aware until the military investigation is concluded. With the 15 refugees, one of whom was a child, their families were told to bring food, clothes, and firewood. This is due to beliefs among the regime that the 'coronavirus crisis won't end any time soon'. Tuberculosis (TB) is a bacterial infection spread between people by coughing and sneezing. The infection usually affects the lungs but the bacteria can cause problems in any part of the body, including the abdomen, glands, bones and the nervous system. TB infection causes symptoms like fever, coughing, night sweats, weight loss, tiredness and fatigue, a loss of appetite and swellings in the neck. Photo: Amnesty International By Yousuf Aftab, Enodo Rights & Atelier Aftab and Jonathan Drimmer, Paul Hastings On 15 December 2019, a group of Congolese plaintiffs filed a class action under the U.S. Trafficking Victim Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA), seeking damages from multiple technology and automotive companies, for allegedly knowingly benefiting from forced child labor in their cobalt supply chains. The case vividly underscores the rapid growth of corporate legal exposure for alleged human rights abuses across global value chains. Perhaps more significantly, the case highlights a widening rift between legal and voluntary standards related to global human rights risk management. The implications of this interplay for effective corporate strategy are significant. This article provides an overview of the emerging tensions and suggests some practical steps companies can take to tame them. Overview of the TVPRA and Cognate Legal Developments The TVPRA criminalizes human trafficking, including sex trafficking and forced labor, and offers civil remedies to victims. Under the law, a corporation can be liable if it knows or should have known that it benefitted (financially or otherwise) from participation in a venture which has engaged in the providing or obtaining of trafficked labor. Liability can arise, at least in certain cases, even if the trafficking occurs outside the United States by independent third parties. The Congolese filing relies on these elements in seeking damages from the defendants for purchasing cobalt from a supply chain that, the plaintiffs allege, the companies knew or should have known included the fruits of forced child labor. The TVPRA reflects an accelerating global trend of home states regulating corporate human rights impacts abroad. These regulations broadly falls into three categories: disclosure requirements, such as the UK and Australian Modern Slavery Acts and Californias Transparency in Supply Chains Act; mandatory due diligence, such as the French Duty of Vigilance Law and the Dutch Child Labor Due Diligence Act; and criminal liability and sanctions, such as the TVPRA and the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act. Substantively, forced labor is often the object of those measures, but broader human rights due diligence and disclosure expectations are shaping developments across Europe. In parallel to legislation, litigation alleging parent company liability for extraterritorial human rights impacts continues to proliferate across the globe. These cases rely on different theories and factors to promote the same general notion: that parent companies may be liable in their home jurisdictions for injuries most directly connected to the actions or omissions of foreign subsidiaries or entities in their value chains. Story continues The Emerging Tension between Legal and Voluntary Standards These legal developments share several broad features with leading voluntary standards. First, they reflect the common perspective that corporate human rights responsibility extends extraterritorially. Second, that responsibility may cut through the corporate form, covering corporate affiliates and third parties who may cause or contribute to abuses. Third, that responsibility may extend over and above local law. While those developments are helpful in many respects, allowing for an integrated approach in instituting human rights programs, the similarities have certain limitations. Rather than being a natural evolution of or close counterpart to voluntary norms, emerging law is in critical ways at odds with those standards. The fault lines lie in the ways that the risk-management and disclosure measures encouraged by voluntary standards may be turned against unwary companies in legal settings. The leading standards on corporate management of social riskthe UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprisestake a governance-based approach to corporate respect for human rights that prizes good faith commitments; rigorous due diligence; transparent reporting on challenges; and, context-sensitive remediation. But recent legal developments suggest that, absent careful management, these very acts may create or inspire novel liability before courts and regulators. Plaintiffs increasingly rely on public corporate commitments to argue for parent companies voluntary assumption of responsibility over subsidiaries and suppliers. Due diligence may be used to support claims that the company knew or ought to have known of the specific risk at issue. Regulators may rely on voluntary disclosure to impose sanctions and seize imports based on the reasonable belief that they were made with forced labor. And even good faith remediation efforts may be deployed to allege legal corporate liability for endemic human rights abuses deep in companies supply chains. The cobalt litigation under the TVPRA exemplifies these tensions. Without commenting on the legal or factual merits of the claim, the plaintiffs approach reflects the conflicting implications of voluntary and legal corporate human rights standards. Similar conflicts animate a suite of legal developments across jurisdictions. From the perspective of corporate human rights strategy, the dissonance between voluntary standards and putative litigation (and regulatory sanction) is built on three core concepts: appropriate commitments; reasonable knowledge; and, effective response. Appropriate Commitments Voluntary standards, as well as the bevy of corporate sustainability benchmarks, encourage expansive corporate human rights commitments at the highest level of the organization. Those commitments may extend in scope to human rights impacts many tiers deep in a supply chain. Under emerging law, however, these voluntary commitments can play a material role in shaping legal liability. Plaintiffs in several transnational tort cases in the UK and Canada have relied on corporate human rights policies and public representations, such as commitments to the Guiding Principles or the Voluntary Principles on Security and Human Rights, to argue that the parent companies voluntarily assumed responsibility for the acts and omissions of foreign subsidiaries that led to the alleged injuries. Such arguments have had some measure of preliminary success, including before the UK Supreme Court. Reasonable Knowledge A cornerstone of voluntary corporate human rights standards is that due diligence should be ongoing and extend throughout a businesss value chain. Such due diligence is incentivized by holding corporate responsibility for human rights constant independently of knowledge. (See this entry for more detail.) By contrast, the TVPRA and cognate law treat knowledgeactual and reasonably imputedas an element of potential corporate liability. That implicates due diligence and disclosure. On the one hand, companies under both voluntary standards and law cannot seek succor in ignorance; due diligence is critical to risk management. On the other hand, companies now need to be conscious that knowing more about risks throughout the supply chain than reasonable peers may expose them to greater liability than those peers. The more a company knows, the greater the legal responsibility it may undertake. The law thus perversely incentivizes knowing just enough, but not too much. Effective Response The pursuit of meaningful relief for victims of human rights injury is central to both voluntary standards and law. But the nature of what is an effective response differs materially. Under the Guiding Principles and OECD Guidelines, for instance, the appropriate response in cases of vicarious wrong through benefit (i.e., direct linkage) is to exercise or seek leverage over the wrongdoer to mitigate or prevent future harms. The aim is to better the lot of victims to the best of a companys ability. Leverage is accordingly sensitive to operating context and reasonable business imperatives. Disengaging with the wrongdoer is seen as a last resort because it is unlikely to change the wrongdoers actions and can itself cause adverse human rights consequences. The TVPRA and kindred legislation such as Section 307 of the US Tariff Act of 1930 (prohibiting the import of goods produced with forced labor) are less nuanced. Good faith engagement with entities in a companys supply chain may be the most effective way to reduce and eventually eliminate negative human rights impacts; but, unless change is immediate, a company runs the risk of liability for knowingly benefitting from those abuses. Indeed, in the cobalt litigation itself, the plaintiffs rely on the defendants commitments to engage with suppliers regarding forced labor as evidence of the companies knowledge of the alleged abuses. Disengagement is offered as the only way to avoid legal liability if prevention is impossibleno matter how concentrated the global cobalt market. How to Navigate the Conflicts The tensions between voluntary corporate human rights standards and law have significant and unpredictable consequences for effective risk governance. The Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines are critical frameworks for a range of corporate stakeholders, notably investors, governments, and activists. Implementing them diligently can help a business manage an array of material risks, including those to vulnerable stakeholders. Still, reasonable companies should be conscious of the legal risks they might inspire when adopting voluntary standardsparticularly since the resulting legal liability may undermine the financial, operational, and reputational benefits of implementing voluntary standards in the first place. We suggest three practical steps to navigate the complex interplay of voluntary standards and law. Calibrate Representations: Corporate human rights commitments need to demonstrate good faith while ensuring that the company does not overpromise impact that cannot be guaranteed or take undue operational responsibility over subsidiaries, partners, and suppliers. When making human rights commitments, companies should always ask themselves what they can reasonably achieve, and which legal entity is best placed to deliver. They also should consider how the commitments can best be communicated to avoid unanticipated and undesirable legal risks. Privileged Diligence: It is a fundamental tenet of sound business practice, as well as the Guiding Principles and the OECD Guidelines, that businesses should understand their risksto stakeholders and themselves. Indeed, seeking to remain ignorant to potentially substantial human rights risks is itself the source of increasing business risk. Ignorance thus generally increases the overall mix of legal, operational and reputational exposures. That said, to provide companies with maximum flexibility in addressing challenges, and in determining how and when to best discuss them publicly, diligence exercises should be conducted under legal privilege, particularly in light of potential litigation in disclosure-friendly jurisdictions. Consider Remedy Early: Voluntary and legal expectations on responding to red flags may differ significantly, depending on the specific human rights risk. In the case of forced labor in a companys supply chain, for instance, voluntary standards encourage a practical, leverage-based approach to constructive engagement with the wrongdoing business. Laws such as the TVPRA and the Tariff Act of 1930 may not be so patient, imposing potentially significant liability for remaining involved in the venture. In developing an appropriate and tailored response to an identified human rights risk, a company should therefore carefully consider the imperatives of relevant legislation and litigation, as well as international human rights norms. That understanding should ideally shape the overall structure of risk governance, including due diligence priorities and contract terms, from the outset to enable rapid and efficient action if necessary. None of this is to say that companies should retreat from making good faith human rights commitments and striving to implement best-in-class risk governance. To the contrary, the operational, reputational, financial, and legal imperatives to do so gain force by the day. Our caution here is narrow: when designing an effective human rights strategy, ethical companies must pay heed to the interplay of voluntary standards and law to ensure that compliance with one does not undermine the otherand that corporate human rights programs do not themselves invite speculative litigation by creative plaintiffs. MORE from Messrs. Aftab and Drimmer: ESG and Mission-Critical Issues for Director & Officer Liability Yousuf Aftab of Atelier Aftab is an ESG lawyer and strategist with extensive experience helping Fortune 100 companies navigate social risks and crises across the globe. He is a leading authority on business and human rights and the co-author of Business & Human Rights as Law (LexisNexis 2019). Jonathan Drimmer is a partner in the investigations and white collar defense practice at Paul Hastings, where he focuses on issues related to anti-corruption, complex multi-jurisdictional investigations, and environmental, social, and governance risks and disputes. He is a recognized international expert on anti-corruption and business and human rights, and is a frequent speaker, author and commentator on issues related to both topics. CorpGov Contact: John Jannarone, Editor-in-Chief editor@corpgov.com www.CorpGov.com Twitter: @CorpGovernor Aldis commitment to stock new range of Welsh Beef hailed as much needed boost for industry This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Feb 11th, 2020 News that one of Britains largest supermarkets, Aldi, has committed to stocking a brand new range of PGI Welsh Beef products across over 50 stores in Wales, has been hailed as a much needed boost for the industry Supermarket chain Aldi has announced plans to stock PGI Welsh Beef across all of its 50 Welsh stores from Wednesday. Protected Geographical Indication or PGI is a way of recognising food from a specific geographical area. This means that PGI Welsh Beef is different and has special characteristics, flavours and textures that are unique to Wales and cannot be replicated anywhere else. Speaking after the official launch alongside Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, (and Wrexham AM) Lesley Griffiths, the Farmers Union of Wales Deputy President Ian Rickman said: This is a most welcome step in the right direction. Given the uncertainty our farmers face over future trade deals, supporting local suppliers is key to ensuring we have thriving, sustainable family farms here in Wales. Farmers in Wales produce excellent, sustainable, quality PGI Welsh Beef and PGI Welsh Lamb and we are confident shoppers wont be disappointed by the new range. I can only encourage other supermarkets, restaurants, cafes and anyone else who is involved in the food supply chain to follow suit. This week will see a range of thirteen different products, including a selection of Fillet, Ribeye and Sirloin Steaks, both 28 and 21 Day matured, as well as roasting joints and diced beef, will be available in over 50 stores across Wales. The Deputy President also used the opportunity to remind the Welsh Government that the decision to leave the EU presents an opportunity to revisit procurement laws and policies. Aldi is setting an outstanding example with their commitment and I urge the Welsh and UK Government to remember that we now have an opportunity to revisit procurement laws and policies in a way which ensures public bodies also lead by example in terms of supporting local, Welsh and UK food and farming businesses. We must place further emphasise on the benefits of local procurement and work to ensure that the principles laid down in the Plan for Local Procurement are adhered to in a way which results in investment in and benefits to UK businesses. It cant be stressed enough that we need to instigate procurement policies which encourage the creation of new companies and cooperatives which allow smaller businesses to tender for procurement, in order to bring benefits in terms of local employment and redressing imbalances that currently exist throughout the supply chain. Top pic: Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs, (and Wrexham AM) Lesley Griffiths, Aldi UK Buying Director Nick Rose and FUW Deputy President Ian Rickman. A Pakistan law enforcement agency has threatened to slap terrorism charges on one of the countrys most prominent government critics. The counterterrorism wing of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has asked Gul Bukhari, a columnist and democracy activist, to appear before an inquiry probing online propaganda against the government, national security organizations, and the judiciary. If she fails to appear [before the FIA inquiry], we will register a court case under PECA and the Anti-terrorism Act, a February 11 statement by the FIA said while referring to the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act by its acronym. Global media watchdog Reporters Without Borders says the law is often used by the authorities to silence journalists who dare to cross the regime's implicit red lines. The FIA, however, is threatening dire consequences for Bukhari. After obtaining court orders, extradition procedures will be employed against the accused, the statement said. Interpol will be requested to help in completing the legal procedures, it added. The court will be approached to forfeit all the moveable and immovable property of the accused. Bukhari, in her 50s, now lives in self-exile in Britain. She was briefly kidnapped by unknown gunmen in the eastern city of Lahore in June 2018. She emerged as a prominent critic of Pakistans powerful military after supporting former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs campaign for civilian supremacy following his sacking by the countrys Supreme Court for undeclared assets in July 2017. Bukhari has used her large following on social media, Twitter in particular, to criticize the military for allegedly facilitating Prime Minister Imran Khans rise to power in the July 2018 election. She regularly wrote critical columns and regularly tweeted about the sporadic crackdown on the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, a civil rights movement, and other instances of government highhandedness against journalists, activists, and politicians. Government threats to Bukhari followed the February 2 attack on Ahmad Waqass Goraya. Two unidentified men attacked the exiled Pakistani blogger outside his house in the western Dutch city of Rotterdam. Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, said government economic performance since assuming office some three years ago has been evident in the performance of the cedi. Dr. Bawumia insists that the currency has performed better and had been stable under the NPP government for long compared with figures under the erstwhile NDC government. How has the cedi performed under the government of Nana Akufo-Addo in the last three years? The answer is very simple. Between 1993 and 1996, which is the first term of the Fourth Republic, the average rate of depreciation of the cedi was 27.95 percent. From 1997 to 2000, it was 25.19 percent. From 2001 to 2004, we drastically reduced to 11. 4 percent under President Kufuor. In 2005 to 2008, the second term to 6.75 percent. Between 2009 and 2012, it was 10.95 percent. Under the NDC government between 2013 to 2016 it was 18 percent. Under Nana Akufo-Addo, it is 8.7 percent for the first three years. So you can see that the cedi exchange rate from 2017 to 2019 is twice as stable as it was under the NDC from 2013 to 2016. It has depreciated by 50 percent. It is twice as stable under the NPP. Under the NDC, our currency was depreciating at the speed of Usain Bolt. Under the NPP, we have arrested the rapid depreciation of the cedi and we will make no apologies for that. But why does the NDC in the face of such incontrovertible evidence insist that they can do a better job of managing the cedi? In the history of the fourth republic, Nana Akufo-Addo has the best performance of any first-term government since 1992. Dr. Bawumia made the remark at a Town Hall meeting held in Kumasi in the Ashanti Region on Tuesday. The town hall meeting was themed: Demonstrating fulfilment of our promises. Speaking at the Town Hall meeting, Dr. Bawumia also wondered why the NDC has failed to recognize these successes chalked by the NPP given what he says is the incontrovertible evidence available. But why does the NDC in the face of such incontrovertible evidence insist that they can do a better job of managing the cedi? In the history of the Fourth Republic, Nana Akufo-Addo has the best performance of any first-term government since 1992, the Vice President argued. ---citinewsroom A 40-year-old man was arrested on possession charges after law enforcement authorities said he had $100,000 worth of drugs in his suitcase at the San Antonio International Airport, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office. Lawrence Rangel was arrested Friday for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and possession of marijuana. UK drama series Deep State returns to SBS this week for its second season. This season stars Walton Goggins as an ex-CIA operative drawn into a political crisis in Mali. Mark Strong no longer features. Half of Season 1 was directed by Aussie Robert Connolly but hes not involved in S2. Three US Special Forces are killed in an ambush in Mali supposedly there to help arm the Malians in their fight against terrorism. However, all is not as it seems. As the story progresses, we realise that this is all part of a cover for the new gold rush the goal is to beat China in the race for African natural resources oil, gas, ore, and minerals. Its a dirty war for clean energy. Well quickly learn that the real target of the ambush was young translator Aicha but what makes her such a threat? Season Two, Episode One: Cicero In Mali, four U.S. Special Forces and a translator are supposedly killed in an ambush. This delays a procurement deal in Washington with the Malian government, off which the deep state are set to profit significantly. It is up to their operative, Nathan Miller, to make sure everything goes to plan, whilst also battling to keep his family together. Thursday, 13 February at 10.45pm on SBS. TikTok has launched an in-app safety campaign #MeraInternet to celebrate the Safer Internet Day (SID) 2020. In celebration of Safer Internet Day, which has become a landmark event in approximately 140 countries worldwide, TikTok today announced several in-app initiatives to promote a safe and responsible in-app environment. TikTok is encouraging users to create short videos on safe internet and take a pledge to do their bit. The in-app hashtag challenge, called #MeraInternet, invites users to share their ideas on how they can become responsible digital citizens and contribute to a positive online environment. TikTok also launched an in-app quiz to equip users with online safety tips. The quiz highlights topics of not sharing account details, phishing awareness, as well as the best practices of utilising TikTok safety settings to take control of their online presence and wellness. Additionally, in association with NASSCOM Foundation, TikTok is inviting users to take a pledge for a safer and happier online environment. To further drive the conversation among industry leaders, TikTok also partnered FICCI to deliberate on ways in which government, academia and civil society can come together to achieve a common goal of moving together for a better Internet. Earlier this year, TikTok released a comprehensive, expanded publication of the Community Guidelines that reflect the driving philosophy providing a platform for creative self-expression while remaining safe, diverse, and authentic and define a common code of conduct on the platform. TikToks guidelines help users understand when and why there are some restrictions on what is or isnt allowed on the app. Promoting a safe and positive app environment is TikToks top priority, and it has a number of measures in place today to protect users against misuse. These include privacy settings, filters, in-app reporting, and moderation. TikToks Safety Centre includes all the tools and tips about safety and wellbeing features and measures and offers further detailed content. In 2019, TikTok had launched #SafeHumSafeInternet an India-specific campaign as part of its global #BetterMeBetterInternet initiative. TikTok users in India participated in the #SafeHumSafeInternet online challenge by applying customised stickers that encouraged the adoption of positive online habits. The hashtag #SafeHumSafeInternet garnered over 1 billion video views. Started as an initiative of the EU SafeBorders project in 2004 and taken up by the Insafe network of Safer Internet Centres in Europe in 2005, Safer Internet Day has, over the years, become a landmark event in the global online safety calendar and is now celebrated in almost 140 countries worldwide. It offers an opportunity to highlight the positive uses of technology and to explore the role we play in helping create a better and safer online community. It calls upon young people, parents, caregivers, teachers, social workers, law enforcement officials, companies, policymakers, and others, to come together in creating a better Internet. ALEPPO, Syria The Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) have been cracking down on civilians accused of being affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) even as the SDF has been releasing IS prisoners. The apparent contradiction seems motivated by money, engendering goodwill with local tribal leaders and justifying the SDF's continuing control of certain regions. The SDF, a Kurdish-Arab alliance that helped the US-led coalition in the war on IS, denies the releases are improper. SDF spokesman Kino Gabriel told the Firat News Agency in a Jan. 17 story, The [Kurdish] Autonomous Administration acts in line with [laws concerning] Syrian criminals. Each criminal is put on trial and those having served their sentence are released from custody. Local courts serve as the decision-making mechanism in this regard." On Jan. 29 and 30, the SDF arrested eight people, including four teenagers and a woman, on charges of being affiliated with IS. The arrests took place in eastern Deir ez-Zor and Raqqa provinces. Some of those arrested allegedly distributed leaflets threatening prominent SDF leaders. Meanwhile, from Dec. 31 to Jan. 25, the SDF released 180 alleged IS affiliates in cooperation with the Civil Council of Raqqa and Arab tribal chiefs. They showed good behavior and proof that they had no Syrian blood on their hands, the Civil Council tweeted about some of the released prisoners. Also, the Council of Arab Tribal Chiefs loyal to the SDF in Raqqa guaranteed certain individuals would not return to IS or carry out any activities against the SDF, which controls large areas of northeastern Syria. A civil activist from Raqqa nicknamed Abu Maya and who refused to reveal his real name told Al-Monitor, In 2019 and the beginning of 2020, the SDF released hundreds of IS affiliates. The SDF is building closer ties to Arab tribal chiefs because the percentage of Arabs has grown larger in its ranks, reaching almost 70%. It fears Arabs might turn against it, so it is trying to remain close to them by positively responding to their mediation. Raqqa and the Jazira region are tribal areas, with their own customs and traditions, among which is obedience to the tribal chiefs, which means a tribal chief can influence a large number of his followers and ruin the alliance with the SDF, should the latter refuse to meet demands. Abu Maya added, It is impossible to know to what extent these released persons were involved in IS operations because the group had thousands in its ranks with military and administrative positions during its years of control over Raqqa and the areas of northeastern Syria. One cannot tell whether they were innocent or not because IS members do not simply let go of their ideology, which means they are still a danger and releasing them seems very risky. The SDF was established in 2015 with the support of the United States and the international coalition to fight IS. The SDF took control of Raqqa in October 2017, and it was the beginning of the end for IS. The SDF announced the complete elimination of IS' territorial control in Syria in March 2019. Although statistics on the numbers of IS detainees in SDF prisons vary, some estimates put that figure at about 12,000, including 2,500 to 3,000 foreigners from 54 countries, 4,000 Syrians and 4,000 Iraqis. All are said to have been captured by the SDF and kept in at least seven prisons whose locations largely remain unknown. The SDF also keeps about 12,000 women and children from IS families in three camps, the largest of which is al-Hol. Euphrates Post journalist Ahmed al-Ramadan told Al-Monitor, The SDF seeks to win over Arab tribal chiefs in the areas it controls, so it can increase its control and influence. The prisoners families or tribes often get them out on bail and the SDF gives them cards allowing them to move between the areas it controls. Money is the main reason the SDF is releasing prisoners, especially since it gets a large ransom [for] those of Syrian nationality, sometimes amounting to $20,000, the equivalent of 20 million Syrian pounds. Meanwhile, prisoners of other nationalities stay detained. Abdellatif, a civilian activist from Raqqa who declined to reveal his full name, told Al-Monitor, Ever since it took over the Jazira region in northeastern Syria, the SDF has sought to get Arab tribal chiefs on its side, especially since tribes make up the majority of the population there. It wants to stress that it represents Syrian forces from the area, without any Kurdish national dimension, which prompted the SDF to accept mediations, and tribal guarantees to release some IS affiliates who are members of the tribes that live in al-Hol refugee camp in eastern Hasakah. The majority of the population in SDF-controlled areas in northeastern Syria is Arab. There are no accurate statistics on the demographics of the area, but Arabs, especially Arab tribes, are more numerous than Syrian Kurds or other ethnic groups. Abdellatif said, The SDF has achieved several goals by releasing IS prisoners, the first of which is to fulfill the demands of the tribes ... as well as receive money and bribes. In addition, some were deliberately released just to wreak havoc and push the US forces to remain in the area. When the SDF releases prominent IS figures, despite the threat they pose to the areas security, it can exploit them for its own purposes and make the public believe it is still chasing IS members and its presence is crucial as the areas protector." The SDF is committing a crime against people in its control areas in Raqqa and the rest of northeastern Syria by releasing these terrorist criminals, who will regroup and resume their bloody criminal activity and target people and their property for revenge. The SDF does not care much about the security situation in the areas it has always controlled; it benefits from the chaos and the fact that these criminals are at large," he added. Syrian journalist Ahed al-Salibi from Deir ez-Zor told Al-Monitor, The demographics in northeastern Syria are tribal, and the decisions of tribal chiefs are often applied there. Today, citizens listen to them, and the SDF resorts to them to control the area and muster support and fighters in its ranks, as well as to thwart any activity against it. He said, however, The detainees the SDF has released included people who were suspected of having relatives in IS ranks, and others who were working in the municipalities and civilian centers affiliated with the group, and some are indeed innocent people. One cannot presume all those released are terrorists or affiliated with IS. It seems the SDF's strategy achieves many of its interests, by keeping it on good terms with the tribes and ensuring their loyalty and cutting the costs of keeping these detainees in prisons. At the same time, the SDF does not seem to worry about the danger releasing them could pose. Even if they carry out terrorist acts later on, that would only justify the SDFs existence, along with the coalition, to carry on the fight against IS. Not to mention, SDF makes a lot of money from the bail and ransom in exchange for the prisoners' release. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host the administration's third state dinner in April, for King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia of Spain, the White House has announced. The fancy, black-tie dinner a diplomatic tool often reserved for America's staunchest allies -- is part of a state visit scheduled for April 21 to celebrate close ties between the two countries, press secretary Stephanie Grisham said. "The visit will celebrate our two countries' close friendship and shared history, and reaffirm our commitments to stand together to address today's global challenges," Grisham said in a statement. King Felipe and Trump met in the Oval Office in June 2018 during a royal tour of the US to mark the 300th anniversaries of the founding of New Orleans and San Antonio, cities with historical ties to Spain. Trump, at the time, praised the outstanding relationship between the U.S. and Spain and cited excellent cooperation between them on trade and military defense. Just about everything you can have," Trump said. So we love Spain. The relationship has weathered a few bumps in the road, however, one area of cooperation has been a long-term agreement that allows the US to use two military bases in Spain. But with Trump threatening Europe with tariffs, it has been suggested that Spain might eventually dangle the base deal as leverage. Spain's new foreign minister, Arancha Gonzlez Laya, told the Spanish daily El Pas in an interview published Sunday that she wants to find a meeting point and a balance in which the United States finds things it considers important and Spain too. Obviously, access to the American market for Spanish products is important. The interview followed a telephone conversation she had with U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Gonzlez Laya has said she plans to visit the US in February. A pre-Iraq war meeting in 2003 in the Azores between President George W Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Spanish Prime Minister Jos Mara Aznar represented a new peak for Spain's standing with the US But the subsequent decision by Aznars successor, Jos Luis Rodrguez Zapatero, to pull Spanish troops out of Iraq after he took office in 2004 soured ties considerably. Barack Obama's arrival at the White House saw relations improve, and he and Zapatero were seen as good friends. The relationship has held steady with Trump first hosting former premier Mariano Rajoy in 2017, although Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Snchez has yet to make or receive a visit. Trump opposes socialism. The Trump administration's previous state dinners were for France in April 2018 and Australia in September 2019. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 11.02.2020 LISTEN The Special Prosecutor (SP), Martin Amidu has urged political parties particularly the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) to put an end to the overly politicisation of the Airbus bribery scandal. The ruling NPP has launched a scathing attack at the opposition NDC accusing former President John Dramani of being complicit in the bribery scandal which occurred between 2009 and 2015. Although no name was mentioned, the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) alleged that former President John Mahama was the elected Government Official 1 named in US and UK court documents. A statement issued and signed by him, stated that the appropriate offices have been contacted to assist the office of the SP to properly investigate the scandal. The Office of the Special Prosecutor appeals to the public not to speculate or politicise the disclosures made in the deferred prosecution agreements and judgment so as to allow this office to treat the suspected crimes as suspected crimes and nothing more, pending the conclusion of the investigation. President Akufo-Addo has referred the matter to the Office of the Special Prosecutor after court documents from the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States (US) surfaced alleging wrongdoing by Airbus SE in a series of business deals in countries including Ghana. According to Mr Amidu, the Office of the SP commenced investigation on 4th February, 2020. Per the statement, the SP has determined that the said referral and the deferred prosecution agreements and judgments accompanying them raise reasonable suspicion of the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences of bribery of public officers and the use of public office by public officers for private profit, which are offences falling within the mandate of this Office under the Officer of the Special Prosecutor, Act, 2017 (Act 959). The bribery scandal cited Ghana, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Taiwan as destinations where Airbus, the largest aerospace multinational in Europe, admitted that it paid bribes in some of the countries in order to secure contracts. The Crown Court at Southwark in the United Kingdom passed judgment on 31st January 2020, between the Director of the Serious Fraud Office and Airbus SE, in which the European multinational aerospace corporation was fined. The London High Court found Airbus guilty and imposed a fine of three billion pounds (3bn) as penalties. Airbus was charged with five counts of failing to prevent bribery, having used a network of secret agents to pay large-scale backhanders to officials in foreign countries to land high-value contracts. In the case of Ghana, the operations were reported to have taken place between 2009 and 2015, during which period John Dramani Mahama served as Vice President and then later as President. ---with additional files from Ghanaian Times India continued to be Nepal's top source of tourists in January even though there was a slight decline in the total number of tourists visiting the picturesque Himalayan nation. A total of 79,686 tourists visited Nepal in January 2020 while the number was 81,272 in the same month last year, according to the Nepal Tourism Board. However, the number of Indian tourists has slightly increased in this period, according to the official figures. A total of 16,882 Indians visited Nepal by air route this January compared to 14,650 Indians who visited last January. The number of tourists from, China, has decreased apparently due to the novel coronavirus infection in the neighbouring country. Tourism entrepreneurs fear that the deadly virus infection might hit the industry hard as the death toll is escalating in China and it is spreading across the world. The death toll in China's novel coronavirus outbreak reached 1,016 with 108 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province while the confirmed cases of infection have soared to 42,638, Chinese health officials said on Tuesday. Outside China, there have been more than 350 infections reported in almost 30 places with two deaths, one in the Philippines and the other in Hong Kong. Many global airlines have cancelled their flights to China and some countries have barred Chinese nationals from visiting their countries. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Former President Goodluck Jonathan says his sacking of Farida Waziri, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission ... Former President Goodluck Jonathan says his sacking of Farida Waziri, former chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), was in the interest of the country. Jonathan was reacting to a statement by Waziri in her book, Farida Waziri: One Step Ahead in which she alleged that the former president removed her as EFCC chairman because she was going after oil thieves. In a statement issued on Monday by Ikechukwu Eze, his spokesman, the former president said Waziris removal was not personal and that he had retained her when he assumed office despite international call for her sacking. We read media reports credited to the former boss of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mrs. Farida Waziri, in which she claimed in her new book that she was removed from office by ex-President Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, because of her probe of some oil racketeers, the statement read. We thought we had dealt with this matter, after promptly debunking similar statements she made in the past. In 2017 when she claimed that she lost her job because she refused to back down from the probe of one of the masterminds of the fuel subsidy scam, we quickly refuted and clarified the claim for the records, and even challenged her to name the individual or company in question. We had expected that a book from Mrs. Farida, coming years after the claim was first made, should have towed the path of honour by telling the truth for the benefit of history. Unfortunately, that still didnt happen. It will be recalled that after assuming office as President on May 6, 2010, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan decided to retain Mrs. Waziri, who was appointed by his predecessor, late President Umaru YarAdua, as the head of the elite anti-crime agency. Despite obvious disenchantment from many Nigerians and mounting international pressure against Mrs. Waziris continued stay in office, the former President stood by her, in line with his conviction that every public officer should first be given the opportunity to deliver on his or her mandate. It is very important to note that when dealing with the interest of the nation and the performance of the functions of a public office, a determined leader cannot prioritise the interest of an individual. It must be pointed out that former President Jonathan had no personal issues with Mrs. Waziri. The former President had to eventually let her go in the national interest. Her removal therefore has a lot to do with reasons relating to Nigerias interest and global standing which details Dr. Goodluck Jonathan is obliged to keep as state secret in our common national interest.It is very important to note that when dealing with the interest of the nation and the performance of the functions of a public office, a determined leader cannot prioritise the interest of an individual. It therefore bears repeating here that Mrs Waziris removal as chairperson of EFCC had absolutely nothing to do with her purported refusal to desist from probing any oil individual. This claim sounds rather superficial and contradicts available evidence of the then governments genuine efforts to combat oil subsidy racketeering. It is noteworthy that throughout President Jonathans tenure, he made practical efforts to combat the alleged oil cabals, including directing the stoppage of further payment of fuel subsidy claims to oil importers, and the setting up of the Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede-led committee which had high level representation from all the intelligence agencies including the EFCC, with a mandate to thoroughly investigate the scandals in the industry. The choice of Aig-Aigboje, a man widely acclaimed for his dependability, as leader of the committee, was a clear demonstration that the President had no personal interest in the matter. The former president asked Waziri not continue to rue over the loss of a position that is a public trust, and not an entitlement. Waziri also gave her own account of the 1995 coup in the book, saying Olusegun Obasanjo, former president, who was accused of complicity in the alleged putsch, was innocent of the allegations. She was EFCC chairman from May 2008 to November 2011. Under her, the anti-graft agency investigated and prosecuted Bode George, former deputy national chairman of the PDP. She was alleged to have compromised some cases involving former governors like Lucky Igbinedion, former governor of Edo state, who got a slap on the wrist for a $24 million corruption case. She was replaced by Ibrahim Lamorde. MIDDLETOWN Now theres one more reason to love the local library. With streaming services and interlibrary loans, book downloading, mobile printing, out-of-the-box programming, homeschooling hubs, and online searchable databases, libraries across the world are trying to boost patronage in inventive new ways. At Russell Library, that means beer too. And books, of course. Weve been looking to expand into the community. People may not stop by the library, but they may be somewhere else in a space. We reach out to people where they are, said librarian Christy Billings, who founded Books and Brews, a once-a-month book talk club intended to give people a three-dimensional experience melding opinions with the fruits of small craft brewers. People like to stay out at night and theyre going to be at pubs, restaurants or different places. Its taking the library to the people. This is an adult outreach. Its not about bookmobiles or those kinds of things, former community services library Rolande Duprey has said. This months selection, Commonwealth by Anne Patchett, will be the topic at 6 p.m. Thursday at Stubborn Beauty Brewery, 180 Johnson St. These off-site events centered around literature have become extremely popular, Billings said. Every session brings out between 15 and 20 individuals. The core group of people, who dont necessarily attend every time, however, is about 30. Some even bring their dogs. It is a different space. People already have a commonality they enjoy beer so they have something to talk about. Their second commonality is their love of books, even if they havent read that particular book, she said. Another plus, shes happy to report, is ample parking at the at the R.M. Keating Historical Enterprise Park off North Main Street. With the partnership, weve been able to reach the people they reach, and thats been amazing, said Billings, who will bring the snacks for participants, some of whom enjoy water or no drink at all. Theres also no pressing need to have read the book to take part. Billings writes questions down on postcards she passes around to participants. Some speak to universal topics. I have questions prepared so they can be part of the conversation. Everybody can contribute, she said. According to Good Reads, Commonwealth tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families lives. One Sunday afternoon in Southern California, Bert Cousins shows up at Franny Keatings christening party uninvited. Before evening falls, he has kissed Frannys mother, Beverly thus setting in motion the dissolution of their marriages and the joining of two families. Spanning five decades, Commonwealth explores how this chance encounter reverberates through the lives of the four parents and six children involved, according to Good Reads. While the premise is literature, on some occasions, many are honest about their intentions: A lot of people come, and say, Im just here for the beer, and then they participate in the discussion, Billings said. Over the decades, libraries have more and more become sources of community engagement in addition to providing information, Billings said. Were going out into the community much more and participating where people are. Chosen topics are a mix of fiction and nonfiction. Even if readers havent enjoyed the read, she still wants their input. I choose books I think will have broad appeal, and will have things for us to discuss. Ive had people come in and say I dont like the book but I want to talk about it. My goal is for people to enjoy the book, but even if they dont, come and tell us why, she said. The most popular title so far, Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel is about a hermit who lived in the Maine woods for 28 years. That book still gets referenced at some of our discussions, because it was such an interesting topic, Billings said. My absolutely favorite thing about it is when people say, I didnt know the library did a book discussion at a brewery or I didnt know the library did that. We do a lot of cool things and our job is to let them know about them, she said. The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal tells the intergenerational story of a grandmother, mother and daughter home brewers. That one had 100 percent of people who read it, Billings said, with a laugh. While social media has its strengths and weaknesses, these platforms allow libraries to lure more people than ever. Face to face conversations is something we dont get as often with everybody on their phone. This is something unique: to have a space to come where people can interact in a way where you can have a conversation, talk about what you think, and hear about what other people think and enjoy a good beer, Billings said. Also in the works is One Book One Middletown, a program that invites all members of the community to read a single title and participate in book discussions and related activities throughout March and April. The Overstory by Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Powers will prompt a book talk in a kayak this spring on Crystal Lake in Middletown. For this, staff will be partnering with the recreation department to offer kayaks. Also slated are related programming, including fly fishing and forest bathing: meditative hiking in the woods where youre bathing in the forest itself, Billings said. Youre breathing in what the trees give off. The March 12 selection will be Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger. The event is sponsored by The Friends of the Russell Library. There is no registration or purchase required. For information, visit russelllibrary.libcal.com/event/5767655 or call 860-347-2528. Copies of Commonwealth are available at the library. Billings will also bring some to the event Thursday. Lord Green is President of MigrationWatch UK and a cross-bench peer. The Governments new immigration policy, extensively briefed to the Sunday Times over the weekend, contains serious risks for the Conservative Party. These could, indeed must, be mitigated by provision for an annual cap on work permits if it proves necessary, and by postponement of a lower pay threshold for younger workers. Recent recommendations from the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) set traps for the unwary which, if not avoided, will do nothing for the prospects of the Conservatives. If their recommendations were to be accepted, as appears to be the case, there would be every chance that net migration would shoot up, as it has done in the past whenever doors have been opened wider. The Government has been careful to say only that it expects net migration to fall but, absent a cap on overall numbers, this is trusting to luck rather than taking control. The MAC report was music to the ears of the immigration industry and will be welcome to some employers but the wider public, indeed the 30 million who wish to see immigration reduced, will be aghast. For the main stream of immigrant workers, those with a job offer, the MAC recommendations were astonishing. On their own admission they would mean that a total of 16 million jobs in the UK would be open to worldwide competition with no limit on the numbers and without employers even having to advertise vacancies on the home market. They recommended lowering the general salary requirement from 30,000 to about 26,000 and that the qualification requirements should be reduced from degree level to the equivalent of A-Level. It seems that the Government have accepted both recommendations. However, the press briefing was, apparently, silent on another key issue namely the much lower salary requirement of only about 18,000 a year for those under 26 when they arrive. This lasts for five years and is only just above the minimum wage, so it provides an easy dodge for employers looking for cheap workers. Of course, there will be a severe temptation for employers to go for these younger and cheaper workers especially if they believe that their competitors are doing the same and would otherwise gain a competitive advantage. This was acceptable when there was a cap on the total number of work permits but with no cap we risk a wave of young workers from all over the world, some from countries where documents relating to qualifications and even age can easily be purchased. This route really must be put on hold at least until the main routes have settled down. There will be plenty of applicants from all over the world, since a significant number of jobs would lead to the right to settle in Britain. If their jobs were on a so-called Shortage Occupation List (SOL) they would be able to apply for settlement after five years whatever their salary. Some nine per cent of total employment or 2.5 million UK workers are now included on this list. The MAC have also recommended the inclusion of a whole range of lower-paid roles including construction workers, teaching assistants and even child minders. The Government seems to have postponed such schemes until later in 2021. It is, however, very hard to see how such a huge and complex system could be properly policed. Indeed, it could well lead to yet more illegal immigration which is already growing by some 70,000 a year. The MAC also listed as an option the Temporary Workers Scheme outlined in the White Paper published in December 2018. This suggested that low-skilled workers should be admitted for 11 months at a time, to be followed by a return home for a cooling off period. This would clearly be a blatant attempt to manipulate the immigration figures which only include those coming to the UK for 12 months or more. It would also be another enforcement nightmare. The Government briefing was ambiguous on this aspect. All this could well amount to a massive loosening of the UK immigration system not only to migrants from all over the world, but also in terms of the salary and qualification requirements. It is bound to lead to larger inflows and, indeed, there is every chance that the numbers could run out of control. Superficially, public concern about immigration has lessened since the referendum. This is partly because the refugee crisis in Europe has subsided for the time being and partly because people tend to assume that, now we have powers to control it, it will indeed be controlled. Nevertheless, the underlying view is clear. An analysis of seven polls by four different companies shows that 30 million UK adults wish to see immigration reduced, 18 million of them by a lot. This is also a view that was held by an average of 64 per cent in a survey of marginal seats conducted before the last election. Despite the Prime Ministers promise that immigration would fall there is nothing in these proposals, as reported, to make this happen. Failure for the fourth time to keep their promises on immigration would be deeply damaging to the Partys prospects, especially in the Red Wall constituencies. Given the political risks involved, some precautions would be prudent. The Government should take powers to impose a cap if necessary and also postpone the lower salary for younger workers. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:58:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SYDNEY, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Australia recognised the vital importance of diversity in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) on Tuesday, celebrating the United Nations (UN) International Day of Women and Girls in Science. While many countries have come far in encouraging women and girls into STEM fields, according to the UN, still just 30 percent of researchers worldwide are women, and studies suggest that they are paid less, publish less, and are promoted less than their male counterparts. To help address the issue, Australia's Queensland University of Technology (QUT) hosted a panel conversation and activities for just under 20 schools, to discuss the role of women in science and encourage young girls to consider the path for themselves. Executive Director of the Institute for Future Environments at QUT, Professor Kerrie Wilson who led the event, told Xinhua that introducing the students to emerging female scientists gave them a living role model to aspire too. "These sort of events are an important way of breaking down stereotypes both for the students and also for their teachers and helping young women identify role models, so that they can actually imagine being these types of people," Wilson said. "It's the old saying of, you can't be what you can't see." Australia has a relatively low participation rate in STEM subjects at school compared with many other countries in the Asia-Pacific region, according to Wilson, but she said that the country is on its way to understanding and removing the barriers that are still in place for young women. In the future, global endeavours will increasingly involve STEM skills and most industries will require STEM expertise, Wilson said, which is one pragmatic reason "why we need to get girls into STEM." KORAT, Thailand It was an important Buddhist holiday, so the back gate to the forest temple was open. And it was the perfect place for an ambush. A Thai soldier who had already killed three people drove a stolen military Humvee to the temple grounds and parked inside the gate, partially hidden by trees. Two monks who were raking leaves saw him, assumed he was there for some military purpose, and continued their raking. The soldiers deadly rampage on Saturday had started as revenge against specific people he thought had wronged him. But at the temple, Wat Pa Sattharuam, it turned into something much bigger and more sinister. It was here that he began gunning down random strangers, including children. All told, Sgt. Major Jakrapanth Thomma killed 29 people and wounded 58, most of them in a shopping mall he went to after the temple, leaving Thailand in shock and mourning. Unable to shake the images in their minds, survivors ask what could have motivated him, and wonder why they were victimized or why they were spared. The United States said Tuesday it had authorised consulate staff to leave Hong Kong as concerns spread over the coronavirus that originated in mainland China. Non-essential staff and their family members will be allowed, but not required, to leave the metropolis "out of an abundance of caution related to uncertainties" on the coronavirus, a State Department spokesperson said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (L) and Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov (R) at the C5+1(five Central Asian states+U.S.) Ministerial meeting in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Kevin Lamarque/Pool/Reuters) New US Strategy for Central Asia Advances Sovereignty and Economic Prosperity The U.S. Department of State unveiled its new strategy for the Central Asia for the next five years on Feb. 5 with an objective to advance economic development, security, and sovereignty of Central Asian countries as a way to stabilize the region and promote peace. The Central Asian region has always been the strategic and commercial crossroads between Europe and Asia, and it is important to U.S. national security interests, regardless of the level of United States involvement in Afghanistan, the new strategy document said (pdf). The region consists of the former Soviet republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan situated at the heart of Eurasia. Upon the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the countries declared their independence, which was almost immediately recognized by the United States. Since the approval of the previous U.S. strategy for Central Asia in 2015, there have been changes in the leadership of Central Asian states. New leaders, especially in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, have created new opportunities for reform, intraregional cooperation, and greater U.S. engagement, the report said. Uzbekistani President Shavkat Mirziyoyevs meeting with President Donald Trump in 2018 marked greater U.S.Uzbekistan cooperation going forward. Also in 2018, the Central Asian heads of state convened without the presence of any major powers for the first time in at least a decade, said Alice Wells, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia at the State Department during a discussion at the Heritage Foundation, adding that they continued with the meeting in 2019. Map of Central Asia. (Screenshot, Google Maps) The United States primary strategic interest in this region is to build a more stable and prosperous Central Asia that is free to pursue political, economic, and security interests with a variety of partners on its terms; is connected to global markets and open to international investment, and has strong, democratic institutions, rule of law, and respect for human rights, the report said. The United States has already provided $9 billion in financial aid to support security, economic growth, fund educational and cultural programs in Central Asia. At the same time, U.S. private businesses have invested over $31 billion in commercial ventures in the region, thus creating thousands of jobs and contributing to the regions economic development. The strategy focuses on five goals: Strengthening of Sovereignty and Regional Connectivity To achieve the goal of strengthening the sovereignty of the Central Asian states individually and as a region, the United States will engage in the development of democratic institutions in the countries, the new strategy outlined. Strengthening regional interconnectivity includes government-to-government and people-to-people relationships, Wells said. It involves creating new opportunities for trade and entrepreneurship by local business people. The United States is also assisting with an initiative to establish a unified electric grid to trade surplus electricity between Central Asian countries, thus improving energy security, reducing dependence on a single supplier, and reducing electricity costs. Wells said at the discussion that this project can bring surplus hydroelectricity from Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan to Afghanistan and Pakistan where over 80 million people still lack access to electricity. The United States will also continue to get involved in the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, that offers U.S. degrees, scholarships, and teaches business skills to students from the entire region. Countering Terrorism To counter terrorism threats, the United States has created programs to conduct joint military exercises, and provide training to military and border security personnel in the region, as well as to return, rehabilitate, and reintegrate foreign terrorist fighters and their families into society, according to the report. The United States has invested $90 million into border security in Central Asia. Wells said that Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan are leading the world in taking responsibility for terrorist fighters who are their citizens. Stabilization of Afghanistan U.S. soldiers walk at the site of a Taliban suicide attack in Kandahar in a file photo. (Javed Tanveer/AFP/Getty Images) To stabilize Afghanistan, the United States will encourage each Central Asian country to develop economic, energy, especially electricity export, trade, and cultural links, as well as simplify visa and customs processes. The report said that the United States believes that prosperous, stable, and secure economic partners rarely engage in armed conflicts. It advised building railway and electricity infrastructures between Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan, as well as border management training at the joint border security academy in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. Rule of Law and Human Rights The United States is also to support the improvement of rule of law and respect for human rights by providing technical expertise and training. For example, U.S. Embassy programs for journalists teach them how to keep governments accountable to their citizens and promote government efforts to improve the lives of people, the report said. According to Wells, the rule of law and respect for human rights both play a critical role in increasing trade and foreign investments. Countries will take business risk, but they dont want to take political risk, she said. She added that the United States will also support the promotion of religious freedom in Central Asia and defending the human rights of oppressed ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and Kyrgyz people in Chinese detention prisons. Attracting Foreign Investments Including US Businesses Finally, the U.S. government is working with each nation to strengthen the rule of law and respect for human rights that creates favorable conditions for attracting more foreign investment, including from American businesses, the report outlined. It also identified education reform as areas of contribution, as it equips the next generation with technical, managerial, English language, and critical thinking skills needed to support 21st-century economies that attract international investment and produce local entrepreneurs. American investments uphold the highest standards of labor, environmental protection, and debt sustainability, Wells said, adding that the United States has offered to provide independent experts who can help countries assess the sustainability of infrastructure projects and the newly established Development Finance Corporation can provide critical assistance through lending insurance and investment products. Deputy assistant to President Donald Trump and senior director for South and Central Asia on the National Security Council, Lisa Curtis, said that although the U.S. faces competition from Russiawhich has always exerted influence in Central Asia and China, it will not try to match it. The United States only wants to have a presence in the region to protect as much as we can their ability to remain sovereign, independent nations, she said. Chinese construction labourers work at the site of a new mall, which is to be part of the Chinese-managed Shangri-La retails and office complex in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on Nov. 19, 2018. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images) Curtis said that while China is providing the region much needed development assistance like infrastructure financing, such assistance needs to remains transparent. She said that the United States had concerns that countries could get over-indebted to the point of losing their sovereignty, as has been seen with countries participating in Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. The United States, Australia, and Japan are now offer competing financing options for infrastructure projects through its Blue Dot Network, which will serve as a globally recognized seal of approval for major infrastructure projects, to determine if projects are sustainable and not exploitative, according to Share America website. Our brand is clear sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity, and when that is contrasted to the annexation of Crimea, or contrasted to predatory debt, the United States occupies a very unique and very beneficial pole for the Central Asian states, Wells said. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday called upon BIMSTEC countries to improve their early warning dissemination system and capacity building for protection of cultural heritage sites from natural disasters. The heritage sites must be preserved for future generations at any cost because they not only represent cultural identity of a nation but are also a driving force for the country's economy, the chief minister said. Patnaik said this while inaugurating the second BIMSTEC Disaster Management Exercise-2020 (BIMSTEC DMEx-2020), hosted by National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is an international organisation of seven nations of south Asia and south east Asia. Noting that the theme of the exercise is focused on restoration of heritage sites damaged in natural disasters, Patnaik said, "The BIMSTEC countries are a great repository of ancient heritage with numerous cultural heritage sites susceptible to various kinds of natural disasters." The member states of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. Substantial damages to monuments during Gujarat earthquake in 2001 and the 2005 tremor in Nepal are a reminder of the threat to heritage sites, Patnaik pointed out. The chief minister said, Odisha is vulnerable to calamities as the state faced more than 100 cyclones since 1891. "It is important to undertake adequate documentation, proper identification and grading of heritage sites," Patnaik said. NDRF Director General SN Pradhan, State DGP Abhay, Odisha Chief Secretary A K Tripathy, representatives from five member countries and other dignitaries were present at the inaugural ceremony. While five countries Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal - are participating in this exercise, two other member countries Bhutan and Thailand, could not make it due to travel advisories issued by their governments. Tom Campbell At their January meeting The UNC Board of Governors lamented problems resulting from not having a state budget. Without pointing fingers of blame they urged Governor Cooper and the legislature toUNC President Bill Roper pleaded with state leaders not to make the UNC System collateral damage in this year's political standoff.At some level all 10 million of us are collateral damage. Everyone is impacted by the state budget. Fortunately, our state laws require that absent a new budget the most recently enacted spending plan remains in place. The good news is that the budget passed initially in 2017 and amended in the 2018 short session is in place and no government shutdown will occur. The bad news is that it doesn't reflect 2020 needs and isn't good governance.Space won't permit all those harmed, but one significant impact must be noted. Our legislature passed Medicaid reforms in 2015, the biggest overhaul of Medicaid since it was first begun. Managed Care, where Medicaid payments are made monthly based on a per person or capitated amount instead of the traditional fee-for-service payment, was due to go into effect early this year. The reforms involved many months of design, a lengthy approval process from Washington and an extensive bidding competition last year to choose Managed Care Organizations (MCO) to oversee recipient care. Major policy and operational changes were required and the state hired outside contractors, at costs in the millions, to help write and coordinate the new systems.But the money ran out. The Department of Health and Human Services repeatedly told lawmakers there wasn't enough funding to get Medicaid reforms operational. Not to worry, officials were told, the needed funding would be in the 2019 budget - you know, the one never passed. Contracts were halted; many contractors moved on to other engagements. Some of their work can be picked up and continued, but parts will have to begin anew. Current estimates are that Medicaid reform won't likely be implemented until next year. We will have wasted many months and taxpayers will have spent millions of dollars because of needless budget fights.Medicaid reform, along with other projects, will ultimately be funded. But when? The legislature is set to convene in late April for theLet's assume for a moment the budget stalemate can be resolved between now and then, something that currently appears unlikely. Any such agreement would involve some "tweaking" of the budget never enacted. That requires time and it's not far-fetched to see May turning into June and, with a new fiscal year due to begin July 1, we can even foresee a movement to scrap the 2019 budget altogether, in favor of a new spending plan for the new fiscal year.No one who has followed state government could ever have imagined a scenario reminiscent of federal Congressional budget battles. We are tired of the finger pointing and blame games. At this point it really doesn't matter whose fault it is. We need to end this childish standoff. It is impossible to believe that reasonable people cannot not find a resolution, but first politicians need to stop playing to their tribes and start acting like statesmen.Maybe we've got the wrong leaders. The Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC) and International Student Services will co-host a new campus event, RAWC the World, Thursday evening, Feb. 20. The event will celebrate some of the world cultures represented on Bison Hill. The event begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. OBU Campus Invited to Celebrate World Cultures at RAWC the World Event Feb. 20 February 11, 2020 The Recreation and Wellness Center (RAWC) and International Student Services will co-host a new campus event, RAWC the World, Thursday evening, Feb. 20. This is a campus-wide event for OBU students, faculty and staff members, designed to celebrate some of the world cultures represented on Bison Hill. The event begins at 7 p.m. and ends at 9:30 p.m. Participants will receive a passport when they enter the RAWC and will earn stamps from the countries they visit. Activities will include games of skill like footvolley and stickball, cultural games, and artistic expressions such as calligraphy and face painting. Samples of food from various countries will also be available. Eighteen countries, regions, and cultures will be represented, including India, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, South Africa, Native Americans, Kazakhstan, Haiti, Zambia, Mexico, Taiwan, China, South Korea, Spain, The United Kingdom, Oceania, Colombia and Ethiopia. Prizes will include event t-shirts and a grand prize gift basket with snacks from around the world. Large group activities include an exhibition of Native dance, competitive Kho Kho (a game from India), Latin Dance instruction, and a chance to win an intramural champion t-shirt. This event is designed to provide a fun experience for the OBU family that highlights the beautiful cultural diversity of the campus and gives students the opportunity to explore the world. It also offers a great opportunity for the campus to support students who are representing their home countries. Attendees will gain a greater appreciation of the world and a deeper understanding of some of the cultures represented in the OBU community. Joy Carl, director of international student services, and Corey Bolgrin, RAWC director, planned the event together. The RAWC has hosted several new events this year, including the Late Night at the RAWC and the Bison Boogie Bash. The inspiration for this event came from both Carl and Bolgrins backgrounds. Bolgrin developed a love for different cultures through his experience overseas in the military. Carl has many years of experience working with international students at the secondary and university level, teaching English overseas, and working with foster children and orphans in southeast Asia. She is passionate about working with OBUs international student community and children of overseas missionaries. Carl is looking forward to the event and also offered some ways the campus can become better connected with international students on an ongoing basis. Moving up: Ailbhe Dennehy has been named a partner at William Fry WILLIAM Fry has promoted Stephen Keogh to be the law firm's new head of corporate and M&A (mergers and acquisitions). Mr Keogh is a 20-year veteran of the firm, who led William Fry's London office from 2012 to 2017. He is a specialist in corporate transactions, particularly in the private equity and technology sectors, acting for both investors and companies. Recent deals advised by Mr Keogh include CPL Resources' acquisition of RIG Medical; AA's sale of AA Ireland to Carlyle Cardinal; the Polaris Partners investment in Novaerus; and Cultivian Sandbox's investment in Nuritas. William Fry also announced it has hired two new Dublin partners: Ailbhe Dennehy and Ian Murray. Expand Close Moving up: Ailbhe Dennehy has been named a partner at William Fry / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Moving up: Ailbhe Dennehy has been named a partner at William Fry Ms Dennehy is a specialist in advising companies on change management. She was previously part of A&L Goodbody's employment law team, advising Irish and international clients on often contentious industrial relations cases. Before that, she worked as a solicitor at McCann Fitzgerald for 10 years and also for Bank of Ireland. At William Fry, she will become a partner in employment and benefits. Mr Murray returns to William Fry following a spell at US financial firm SCOR Global Life, where he helped the company to establish an Irish-authorised reinsurance operation in Dublin. He will become a partner in William Fry's insurance and reinsurance department. He previously spent 13 years in the firm's corporate department. DAKAR, Senegal - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Senegal late Tuesday for an official visit that will test his commitment to gender equality with one of Canada's closest francophone partners in Africa. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau takes part in an African Union high level breakfast dialogue in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick DAKAR, Senegal - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau arrived in Senegal late Tuesday for an official visit that will test his commitment to gender equality with one of Canada's closest francophone partners in Africa. He was greeted at the airport near Dakar by Foreign Minister Amadou Ba. Trudeau's visit includes a meeting with President Macky Sall and a moment of reflection at Goree Island, which was once a final African stop for some of the slaves being taken to the Americas. Dalhousie University political science chair David Black, who studies Canada's role in sub-Saharan Africa, says Senegal and Canada have long-standing links, mostly through their shared French language, that Trudeau can build upon. Black notes Senegal is not without some significant human rights challenges homosexuality is illegal and punishable by up to five years in prison for example but it's considered one of the most stable democracies on the continent. Trudeau has committed to women's empowerment and human rights as he looks to gain support from Sall for Canada's bid for a temporary seat on the United Nations Security Council. "African countries are increasingly speaking with a single voice on global issues, notably through the African Union (AU). AU countries exercise influence within international institutions, including the UN, La Francophonie, the World Trade Organization and the Commonwealth," says a briefing book prepared for the prime minister, which was obtained by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act. During a three-day visit to Ethiopia over the weekend Trudeau appeared reluctant to publicly raise the issue of human rights and democratic violations with African leaders he met. Gender-based violence is a significant problem in Senegal, which made rape a criminal offence only last month. The international anti-poverty ONE Campaign wants Trudeau to raise the issue of gender-based violence with Sall, hoping to ensure momentum to implement and properly enforce the new law continues. The rape and murder of two women last May led to a massive outcry and protests erupted that ultimately led Sall to introduce the new law. Before that, rape was considered a minor offence. Trudeau's briefing book makes clear that women and girls face significant barriers in sub-Saharan Africa. "Women's political participation and girls' enrolment in primary education has improved, yet African women and girls still face discriminatory legal barriers, unequal access to resources, and sexual and gender-based violence," says the memo to Trudeau. "Canada supports efforts to promote inclusive governance and respect for human rights in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly for women, girls and other marginalized groups." Women's empowerment was a big focus during Trudeau's three days in Ethiopia. He gave a speech on the subject at a breakfast event during the African Union sessional meetings and met with some local female business leaders for lunch to discuss what more Canada can do to help women gain a bigger foothold in the country's economic boom. Jacqueline ONeill, Canadas first ambassador for women, peace and security, is accompanying the prime minister in Africa. Her job was created to advance the Liberal governments feminist foreign policy. O'Neill has helped craft policies on gender and security in NATO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, and the United Nations. She also co-founded the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, which tries to end the use of children in armed conflict. Senegal is one of Canada's closest partners in Africa, largely through Canada's francophone communities. Those connections could be a boon for Canada's hope to get Senegal's vote at the UN, because Norway and Ireland do not share the language and cultural ties. Senegal also recently signed a new agreement with Canada to allow Senegalese students to receive faster processing for study in Canada. More than 1,500 Senegalese students are now studying in Canada, mostly in Quebec. Two-way trade between the two countries is quite small, at just $60.7 million in 2018, with Canadian exports to Senegal accounting for all but $3 million of that. But the country is expanding oil and gas production, offering some opportunities for Canadian energy firms in particular. Trudeau completed a whirlwind visit to Kuwait earlier Tuesday where he met with the country's head of state, Emir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. His trip ends Friday at a security conference in Germany. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. with files from Mike Blanchfield in Ottawa The Philippine Foreign Office sent a notice to the US about the termination of the military treaty, Reuters reported. Its about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defenses and not rely on any other country, Dutertes spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting the president. The deal will become void 180 days after Washington receives the notice. The deals were signed in 1998 and established the rules for the entry and stay of the US military in the Philippines. Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment One of the things I learned from years of teaching students how to defend their faith is sometimes the best way to test an idea is through questions: What do you mean by that? Why do you believe that? and Can you define that? My colleague Joseph Backholm is a master of asking these revealing questions. You may know him from a viral video from a few years back when he asked university students whether they would accept him if he identified as a six-foot-five Chinese woman. They reluctantly all said yes, even though Joseph is a not-even six-foot white guy. Over the last year, Joseph has led the Colson Centers What Would You Say? video series. As part of this project, Joseph traveled to Washington, D.C. a few weeks ago to interview participants at two very different demonstrations: First, the Womens March, and then, the March for Life. His question this time was probing, and the answers were revealing. What is a woman? It seems like answering that question would be a prerequisite for participating in, I dont know, a womens march. Yet incredibly, none of the women he talked todespite their passionate advocacy of womens rightscould give him a clear answer. A woman is anything that she wants to be defined as, said one. A woman is someone who chooses to express themselves, said another. Thats a trick question, said still another. Two other women who were selling uterus pins told Joseph that they dont think having a uterus is what makes a person a woman! Joseph and I talk about these interviews on the latest episode of the BreakPoint Podcast. He explains how the video wasnt produced by cherry-picking or selective editing. None of the women he talked with could clearly or objectively define a woman. They have been catechized so effectively, Joseph said, that they dont spend any time thinking about whether what they say is true or consistent. He also asked marchers two more questions, which well feature in another upcoming video at WhatWouldYouSay.org. First, he asked whether these women supported a new California law that requires that corporate boards have female members. All enthusiastically said yes. Yet when asked whether children need both a mother and a father in the home, these same women said no. Love, they said, not gender, is all that matters in parenting. The contradiction was apparently lost on them. Thankfully, there was another march in D.C.a much bigger, more energetic one. The 47th annual March for Life was filled with women calling for an end to legal abortion. And when asked the same question, What is a woman? these ladies were able to answer quickly and consistently. They were clear: A man cannot become a woman, regardless of how he identifies. In other words, those who clearly understand when human life begins also clearly understand what a woman is. Still, I couldnt help but notice how some of the younger women that Joseph asked to define a woman hesitated before giving what they knew to be a politically incorrect answer. It was as if they expected the LGBT Zeus to smite them for telling the truth. And yet they bravely told it, while also bravely standing up for the unborn. I tell you, I hope their march is the one that represents the future of America. All of this should remind us of how much whats normal has changed for the younger generation, and how far-reaching the contradictory catechism we saw at the Womens March really is. Folks, when we say ideas and worldview matter, this is what we mean, and its why videos like What Would You Say? are so important. Those of us who didnt grow up with modern gender politics need to realize that we are immigrants in this brave new world, but our kids are natives. Theyve never known any different. Whats obvious to us isnt always obvious to them. And answers that come naturally for us often take courage for them. Thats why we must keep exposing lies about the human person and prepare them to speak politically incorrect truths. And maybe the best way to do that is to teach them how to ask good questions. Originally posted at breakpoint.org A transgender student who was born male has relinquished her place at a women-only university after vociferous protests from students there. On the day of the deadline for tuition payment, the student said she would not enroll at Sookmyung Women's University in Seoul despite becoming the first transgender student in Korea to be accepted at a women-only college. Australian Associated Press Michael Lang, a co-creator and promoter of the 1969 Woodstock music festival that served as a touchstone for generations of music fans, has died.Michael Pagnotta, a spokesperson for Lang's family, said Sunday the 77-year-old had been battling non-Hodgkin lymphoma and passed away Saturday at New York's Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Azerbaijan attaches great importance to relations with Iran in both bilateral and multilateral formats, Azerbaijan's Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at an event on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Trend reports. According to Mustafayev, activities of bilateral working groups played a large role in the development of Azerbaijan-Iran ties. The deputy prime minister added that mutual trust promotes mutual investment. "In accordance with the policy of the head of state, thanks to joint efforts, cooperation will continue to develop," Mustafayev said. Shahin Mustafayev noted that Iran is one of the first countries that condemned the Armenian occupation of Azerbaijani territories. The fair position shown by Iran regarding the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is fully consistent with the spirit of ties between the two peoples. The official noted that the trade turnover between the two countries amounted to $500 million in 2019, having increased by 11 percent, compared to 2018 "Iranian entrepreneurs invested $3.5 billion in Azerbaijani economy. Also, 1,614 Iranian companies operate in industry, construction, agriculture and other areas of Azerbaijan. Last year, about 400,000 tons of cargo was transported through the North-South international transport corridor, which is 45 percent higher than the same indicator in 2018," Mustafayev said. The deputy prime minister added that flights are carried along the Baku-Tehran, Baku-Tabriz and Baku-Mashhad routes. Syria calls on the international community to take the necessary measures to curb the aggressive actions of the Turkish regime and its unlimited support for terrorists in Syria and Libya, SANA reported referring to Syrian MFA. According to the statement, the Turkish regime continues its aggression against the sovereignty and inviolability of the Syrian territory, pulling a large amount of military force into Idlib and Aleppo, attacking the residential areas and positions of the Syrian military to save the terrorist groups that are defeated under the onslaught of the Syrian army. Syria reaffirms the decisive rejection of any Turkish presence on its land, which constitutes an encroachment on its sovereignty, a blatant violation of international law, the statements of Astana and the Sochi accords on the Idleb de-escalation zone, the MFA said adding that all this testifies to the Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's stubborn reluctance, who continues to act as a 'regime outside the law,' to fulfill his obligations. Syria urges the international community to take the necessary measures to curb the aggressive actions of the Turkish regime and its unlimited support for terrorists in Syria and Libya, the statement concluded. The MFA statement confirmed that Turkeys aggression will not lead to the revival of terrorist organizations, and the Syrian army will continue to chase the remaining armed groups until they are completely eliminated and full control over the entire territory of Syria is restored. A Chinese man wears a protective mask as he walks during a snowfall in an empty and shuttered commercial street on February 5, 2020 in Beijing, China. Kevin Frayer | Getty Images The new coronavirus believed to have first appeared in the Chinese city of Wuhan is often compared to SARS, which originated in China's Guangdong province in November 2002 before spreading globally. The two diseases come from the same large family of viruses that usually infect animals but can sometimes evolve and spread to humans. Investors and analysts often compare the two viruses to gauge the potential economic impact from the latest outbreak. China's government has taken more drastic moves this time to contain the new coronavirus, which has infected and killed more people than SARS did. That's one reason why an increasing number of economists have forecast a larger hit to the Chinese and global economy from the new virus compared with SARS in 2003. Here are four charts that show how SARS affected the Chinese economy 17 years ago. China's economic slowdown Disruptions in economic activity during the SARS outbreak dragged down China's growth from 11.1% year over year in the first quarter of 2003 to 9.1% in the following three months, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics of China. The then-sixth largest economy in the world rebounded in the subsequent quarters to register an annual growth rate of 10% quicker than the previous year's 9.1%, according to Refinitiv. But various estimates showed that China's annual growth in 2003 could have been 0.5 to 1 percentage points higher without disruptions from SARS. This time, several economists said the new coronavirus will mostly hit China's first-quarter growth. Some banks and research houses have slashed their forecasts for China's full-year growth by 0.2 to 0.7 percentage points to as low as 5% in 2020. Fall in retail sales growth The retail sector in China was among the worst hit by the SARS epidemic. Growth in retail sales moderated to 4.3% in May 2003 the slowest pace on record, according to Refinitiv. Analysts have said that retail is once again likely to suffer the most from the spread of the new coronavirus, especially after the Chinese government locked down cities and restricted travel within the country. But as with the SARS experience, economists said retail sales in China could bounce back after the new coronavirus is contained. That's when consumers would go ahead with the spending that was held back by the virus outbreak, some analysts said. Hit to industrial output The industrial segment was also hit by the SARS epidemic, with growth in production slowing to 13.7% in May the slowest expansion seen in the whole of 2003, Refinitiv data showed. The drag on China's industrial production from the new coronavirus could be more severe, some analysts said. That's because factories in multiple major Chinese cities have remained shut as authorities rush to contain the virus, they said. Economists from French bank Societe Generale said they expect the coronavirus "to be brought under control" in the later part of the first quarter, which would allow industrial firms to "raise capacities to meet orders." But the economists warned that the situation in China may not improve as they expect. Steady trade volume Growth in China's imports moderated following the SARS outbreak, but the expansion in exports was steady throughout 2003, official data showed. Indias largest members-only business storytelling platform, ET Prime from the house of The Economic Times, India's oldest and most trusted business news brand, has now become the countrys first premium business news publisher to integrate 'Subscribe with Google'. This will make it simple for readers to subscribe to ET Prime by paying subscription fees in their own currency and maintaining access everywhere - websites, apps, even search results. Subscribe with Google enables readers to use Google's secure authentication system which enables the user to login and purchase the ET Prime subscription with the same account that they use for their other Google services. This helps facilitate a seamless reading experience while keeping online subscription fee payments secure. After subscribing, readers will now be able to access content on ET Prime whenever theyre signed into their Google Account. Much like pioneering several other initiatives in digital media, ET Prime is excited to be the countrys first premium business news publisher to bring the most seamless subscription and log-in experience to our readers around the world. Our integration with Subscription With Google would ensure they are able to gain access to their favorite pieces of business news instantly and be able to pay for their subscriptions seamlessly on the go. Puneet Kukreja, Product Head - Economic Times Digital said. We are delighted to partner with the Economic Times and look forward to seeing how simplifying subscription sign-ups across our news surface impacts their business. Kate Beddoe, Head of News Partnerships - APAC, Google said. The Subscribe with Google partnership gets ET Prime into an exclusive club of the worlds most illustrious premium publishers that have integrated the same, including Les Echos, Fairfax Media, Le Figaro, the Financial Times, Gannett, Gatehouse Media, Grupo Globo, The Mainichi, McClatchy, La Nacion, The New York Times, NRC Group, Le Parisien, Reforma, la Republica, The Telegraph, and The Washington Post among others. Press Release February 10, 2020 Senate adopts resolution urging President to reconsider plan terminating VFA The Senate today adopted a resolution urging President Rodrigo Duterte to reconsider his plan to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States. Senate Resolution No. 312, introduced by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon and Sen. Panfilo Lacson, was adopted with one abstention by Sen. Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa. Mr. Duterte reiterated his call for the termination of the VFA after the United States decided to cancel the visa of dela Rosa last January 24, 2020. But senators asserted that the decision to terminate the agreement must be reviewed seriously such that it will not affect the security and economy of the Philippines and its neighbors in the Asia Pacific region. They urged the President to reconsider his plan to terminate the VFA while the Senate is conducting a thorough review of the agreement. "Fully recognizing the authority of the Chief Executive and without intending to disrespect a co-equal body, prior to unilaterally terminating the VFA, the Senate should be given the opportunity to conduct a review and assessment of the impact of the withdrawal on the country's security and economy, specifically with regard to intelligence information sharing, military aid and financing and technical assistance extended by the US relative to the continuing threats posed by domestic and foreign terrorist groups, and ultimately to the stability and security in the Asia Pacific region," the resolution said. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, sponsor of Senate Resolution No. 312, quoted Foreign Affairs Sec. Teodoro Locsin Jr. who said during a public hearing conducted on the Philippines-United States Mutual Defense Treaty last February 6, 2020, that "the termination of the VFA must be weighed in terms of the overall interest of the country." According to Pimentel, Locsin listed four areas where direct benefits are derived from the VFA, mostly in the Philippine defense, military and security arrangements. In the same hearing, Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana told senators that the US donated $1.3 billion to the Philippine's defense since 1998. The biggest donation, he said was in 2017 when the US gave the Philippines $217 million. For his part, Sotto pointed out that international relations are essential for the cooperation between nations, promotion of successful trade policies, advancement of human culture as well as the maintenance of the peace and order for the country's stability. "In a developing country like ours, it is more beneficial and prudent to maintain if not gain allies than to challenge our status quo. Our country is currently benefitting from our partner states which include the United States of America," Sotto said. "It is my view that the better way to go is to review the agreement and ask the executive department to reconsider its intent of abrogation while the Senate, who is a partner in this agreement, is reviewing it," Sotto added. Drilon has moved to include Senate Resolution No. 305 expressing the sense of the Senate that termination or withdrawal from treaties and international agreements concurred in by the Senate shall be valid and effective only upon concurrence by the Senate. The VFA between the Philippines and the United States was entered into and came into force upon the ratification of the Senate on May 27, 1999. Its primary goal is to facilitate the promotion of optimal cooperation between American and Philippine military forces in the event of an attack by a common foe. The VFA provides the "regulatory mechanism" by which United States military and civilian personnel may visit temporarily in the Philippines in connection with activities approved by the Philippine Government. Another agreement was entered into between the two countries in the form of the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) on April 28, 2014 with the goal of supplementing the existing VFA through mutual cooperation in developing their individual and collective capacity to resist armed attacks. I t was, as Angela Merkel conceded, an earthquake amid the placid grind of German politics, and one with its epicentre in Thuringia, a politically pivotal area in central Germany. The aftershock has cost Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer her job as head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and also knocked her off the pedestal as Merkels preferred successor. An unholy brew of cynical manoeuvering and miscalculations left the two parties involved the CDU and a smaller liberal party outwitted by local power brokers of the far-Right Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD) party following the state election. The resulting appointment of a Minister-President on a mixture of local CDU and AfD votes caused a backlash which saw the new appointee resign within a day, and led swiftly to Kramp-Karrenbauers departure as party leader. The story points to an undercurrent in politics which belies the calm image of coalitions-and-continuity. Thuringia ended the unglittering career of AKK, because it proved beyond doubt her inability to stem the rise of the AfD in the East. So much for the joys of German consensus its a system which works when and where the centre holds, which it has done for decades. But in common with other European democracies, Germanys middle ground is hollowing out, especially in parts of the country under economic strain. But even relatively prosperous parts of Thuringia have turned their backs on the centrist parties, or in the CDUs case, declared semi-autonomous status and thumbed their noses at Merkel. Thuringia is also a litmus test, because it has such a long history of extremes and knock-on effects. The sour old saying used to be that the region swung alarmingly between being brown and red (Nazis and communists) being particularly zealous about both depending on who was in charge. Anne McElvoy Hitler had announced his pleasure in 1930 at a breakthrough here, noting with satisfaction: The parties in Thuringia trying to create a government cannot secure a majority without our co-operation. It also has radical roots deeper than National Socialism it was the scene of early 19th-century students uprisings protests against the autocracy of the time at the Wartburg conference in 1817, and the foundational home of German social democracy in the latter part of the century. This week, the mess set off alarm bells at the possible creation of a 21st-century Weimar Republic, in which the centre parties would lose support and the extremes take over. In common with other European democracies, Germanys middle ground is hollowing out Of course, Thuringia is not like most of Germany (where consensus, however careworn, still dominates) and 2020 is, thankfully, not 1930. But the frank warning from Kramp-Karrenbauer that the centre of her own party needs to be stronger depends on the Christian Democrat prospectus being clearer. There are lessons to be learned from Boris Johnsons election victory in December, even for those who do not trust him or seek to belittle him and the main one is that in confusing times, a single unambiguous proposition adopted with brio is likely to beat a convoluted one. Merkel is now trapped in the role of figurehead as the shadows lengthen, trying to influence European affairs while events unfold chaotically on her domestic front. Controlling succession is a far less reliable bet than it was even for leaders of her heft. Just as Brexit has changed the electoral geography of Britain, Germany is coming to terms with the fact that while the country has won plaudits for its liberal values and stability on the global stage, extremism on the Right and the tenacity of the far-Left Die Linke party in parts of the East have undermined its default model of cross-party co-operation. As one prominent eastern Christian Democrat (who opposed the discredited Thuringia deal) sighed, it is easy to be in favour of multi-strand coalitions if youre dealing with a mix of factory managers, tree-huggers and the pragmatic parts of the Social Democrats in the West. Its not so straightforward, he adds, to link up with an anti-Nato Left which thinks communism worked well, and a new far-Right claiming that refugees are diluting your racial purity. The urgent task of whoever succeeds AKK (which also means being Merkels heir-elect), is to decide what the party should stand for, a message currently shrouded in mist. That is why the more pro-business wing is feting the CDUs Friedrich Merz, bullish defender of free markets and one of the few senior German politicians to be relatively sanguine about Brexit and in favour of easing trade barriers. However, the CDU is also a party defined in recent years by a social liberalism, more in line with Armin Laschet Minister-President of North-Rhine Westphalia. But the best spontaneous performance on the stage of the Thuringian fiasco has come from an ambitious hopeful, Markus Soder in Bavaria. Soders tub-thumping declaration on the matter was: Not a good day for Germany an undemocratic adventure. This comes from a Bavarian political boss who has been fighting off an AfD advance of his own, so he has the attack skills on that front. Soder ranks as an egotistical, talkative exhibitionist with a nose for power. A good part of 2020 will be taken up with sweeping up after the failures of a failed Merkel succession plan and a power struggle determining who replaces the grande dame of European politics and what recipe can start to redress the appeal of a virulent nativism, while reinvigorating a party of the centre-Right. One other thing looks certain after this noisy implosion of certainties and a bonfire of several careers for all the inspiration of Merkel as Europes longest-serving powerfrau, the next Chancellor will barring a miracle be a man, and one with an awful lot of unfinished business to contend with. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 17:21:33|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close DAMASCUS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- For the first time since 2012, the Syrian army wrested control of the strategic Damascus-Aleppo Highway following battles against the rebel groups, a war monitor reported on Tuesday. (Alliance News) - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has given high-speed rail project HS2 the go-ahead, despite fears over its cost and impact on the environment. Johnson told the House of Commons that his government had the "guts to take the decision" to deliver prosperity across the country. To avoid "further blow outs" in HS2's cost or schedule, a series of measures will be taken to "restore discipline to the programme", he said. This will include appointing a minister whose full-time job will be to oversee the project, and changes to the way HS2 is managed. HS2 will connect London to Birmingham and points further north, while the existing HS1 line runs from the London to the Channel Tunnel. By Neil Lancefield, PA Transport Correspondent source: PA Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. Cisco Systems Inc, Sprint Corp and Facebook Inc on Tuesday became the latest U.S. technology companies to pull out of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona due to the coronavirus outbreak. A number of companies ranging from Japan's NTT Docomo and Sony Corp to U.S. chipmakers Intel Corp and Nvidia have already dropped out of the four-day international telecoms conference that draws in more than 100,000 visitors. "While we are extremely disappointed that we cannot continue with this event as planned, we believe this is the right decision given the current circumstances," a Cisco spokeswoman said. The virus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has spread across the world, prompting many companies to restrict travel to and from the country. It has so far killed more than 1,000 people and infected more than 40,000 people on the Chinese mainland, while spreading to at least 24 countries. MWC, set to kick off on Feb. 24, is the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, with companies spending millions on stands and hospitality to fill their order books. GSMA, the organizer of the event, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The organizer said on Sunday participants from China's Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began, would not be allowed to attend the event and that visitors from China must prove they have been outside the country for at least two weeks prior to the event. "We are more prepared than ever," said Catalan regional health councillor, Alba Verges, to local channel TV3. She added that, from a public health point of view, there is no "objective cause" for the companies to be afraid of attending. The event is important to Barcelona, whose economy got a boost of around 470 million euros ($515 million) last year from the conference, according to GSMA. Chinese companies, including Huawei, ZTE , Oppo and Xiaomi, are still attending the event. Amazon.com Inc, LG Electronics, Ericsson and McAfee have also withdrawn from exhibiting and participating in the conference. Search Keywords: Short link: West Sacramento has been an incorporated city since 1987 but most people living in the area never knew much about the city; Chris Cabaldon was no exception. In fact, he says the only reason why he discovered West Sacramento was because he accidentally took the wrong freeway exit, but he ended up finding a place that I wanted to live. Cabaldon began seeing many opportunities for change and growth in his new city and used it to build his platform for his political candidacy. As a resident, he was able to truly get to know the city and know [the citys] heart and its history and its future and its pain and its aspirations. In his role as mayor, Cabaldon continues to use that same intimacy to embrace change and innovation as West Sacramento provides a unique opportunity to try new things and take some risks. Through these risks and keeping the residents in the forefront, Mayor Cabaldon has helped West Sacramento grow businesses and programs, like urban farms, breweries, city seed funding for college savings accounts, and bikeshares. But he is very clear on what it is that my organization and the city itself can do, what our capacity is, what our context is, and knows when collaboration and partnership with other organizations, cities are necessary to further the creative process. Listen to his interview to hear more about how community, passion and purpose have helped navigate Cabaldons time In the Arena as mayor of West Sacramento. Governing is a division of e.Republic. South Africa: Over 6m people processed during the festive season Home Affairs Minister Aaron Motsoaledi says a total of 6 585 617 traveller movements across all the countrys ports of entry were recorded during the festive season. At that time, the Department of Home Affairs had deployed 404 additional staff from 03 December 2019 to 08 January 2020 to support smooth facilitation of movement of people and goods. Addressing the media in Cape Town, Motsoaledi said the recorded movements were marginally lower when compared to the 6 645 630 traveller movements cleared in the 2018/19 festive period. From 1 December 2019 to 13 January 2020, a total of 10 362 travellers were refused movement during arrival or departure. Motsoaledi explained that the main reasons for refused movements during arrival and departure include travellers on risk engines, expired passports, insufficient documentation and fraudulent documentation. Top 10 ports of entry accounting for 9 344 refusals were: Beit Bridge (with Zimbabwe with 2 433 refusals); Lebombo (with Mozambique with 2 168); Maseru Bridge (with Lesotho with 1 524); Ficksburg (with Lesotho with 1 325); OR Tambo (787); Oshoek (with Swaziland with 380); Groblersbruge (with Botswana with 212); Van Rooyens Gate (with Lesotho with 208); Caledonspoort (with Lesotho with 180) and Tele Bridge (with Lesotho with 127). During the same period, a total number of travellers who were declared undesirable due to over staying the period permitted on their visa was 18 127. The highest daily movements recorded during the festive period were the following border posts: Beit Bridge with 35 750 on 05 January 2020; OR Tambo International Airport with 33 028 on 3 January 2020; Lebombo with 25 901 both on 5 January 2020; Ficksburg with 20 728 movements, on 23 December 2019,; Maseru Bridge with 19 794 movements recorded on 21 December 2019; and Cape Town International Airport with 11 649 on 3 January 2020. Top nationalities cleared at the ports of entry over the festive period were from Zimbabwe (594 350), Lesotho (570 684), Mozambique (293 426), Eswatini (226 662), Botswana (191 025), United Kingdom (83 772), United States of America (50 985), Germany (52 534), Namibia (36 116) and Malawi with 30 664. During the festive season, the department extended operation hours which allowed 249 930 citizens to visit the departments offices and receive services. Applications for smart ID cards and passports were 145 393 against 82 383 in the same period last year, a 57% increase. During the extended period, Home Affairs officials handed over 55 749 smart ID cards to citizens. Since the inception of the smart ID card, in 2013, there are close to 400 000 uncollected IDs. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. HDI Global Specialty SE, the specialty lines insurer, has promoted Frida Kangasniemi to the role of head of Airline. She replaces Thomas Broms in the role who retired at the end of last year. Kangasniemi was previously head of General Aviation at the insurer and has 16 years experience working in the aviation market. She joined HDI Global Specialty (formerly Inter Hannover) from Willis Aerospace in 2009. Based in Stockholm, she and her team underwrite the worldwide airline portfolio of HDI Global Specialty SE. International Airline Insurance is the largest portfolio within HDI Global Specialtys aviation business. We have been writing this out of Stockholm since 1970, thus celebrating our 50th anniversary this year, said Mats Westerborn, managing director for HDI Global Specialty SE Scandinavian Branch, the main hub for aviation in the group. I am confident and pleased that we can build on the legacy of Thomas Broms long and successful career and pass the responsibility for this important portfolio to Fridas capable hands, he added. HDI Global Specialty SE currently writes aviation business in its Stockholm, London, Cologne, Sydney and Toronto offices. HDI Global Specialty rolled-out operational activities on Jan. 1, 2019. HDI Global Specialty SE is a joint venture of Hannover Re and HDI Global SE, subsidiaries of the Talanx Group in Germany. Source: HDI Global Specialty Topics Excess Surplus Aviation Attorney General William P. Barr Announces Indictment of Four Members of China's Military for Hacking into Equifax Washington, DC ~ Monday, February 10, 2020 Remarks as Prepared for Delivery Good morning. I am here to announce the indictment of Chinese military hackers specifically, four members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army for breaking into the computer systems of the credit-reporting agency Equifax, and for stealing the sensitive personal information of nearly half of all American citizens, and also Equifax's hard-earned intellectual property. This was one of the largest data breaches in history. It came to light in the summer of 2017, when Equifax announced the theft. The scale of the theft was staggering. As alleged in the indictment, the hackers obtained the names, birth dates, and social security numbers of nearly 150 million Americans, and the driver's license numbers of at least 10 million Americans. This theft not only caused significant financial damage to Equifax, but invaded the privacy of many millions of Americans, and imposed substantial costs and burdens on them as they have had to take measures to protect against identity theft. As described in the indictment, the hackers broke into Equifax's network through a vulnerability in the company's dispute resolution website. Once in the network, the hackers spent weeks conducting reconnaissance, uploading malicious software, and stealing login credentials, all to set the stage to steal vast amounts of data from Equifax's systems. While doing this, the hackers also stole Equifax's trade secrets, embodied by the compiled data and complex database designs used to store the personal information. Those trade secrets were the product of decades of investment and hard work by the company. Today's announcement comes after two years of investigation. According to the nine-count indictment handed down by a grand jury in Atlanta, four members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, or PLA Wang Qian, Wu Zhiyong, Xu Ke, and Liu Lei are alleged to have conspired to hack Equifax's computer systems and commit economic espionage. In doing so, they are alleged to have damaged Equifax's computer systems and to have committed wire fraud. This kind of attack on American industry is of a piece with other Chinese illegal acquisitions of sensitive personal data. For years, we have witnessed China's voracious appetite for the personal data of Americans, including the theft of personnel records from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, the intrusion into Marriott hotels, and Anthem health insurance company, and now the wholesale theft of credit and other information from Equifax. This data has economic value, and these thefts can feed China's development of artificial intelligence tools as well as the creation of intelligence targeting packages. In addition to thefts of sensitive personal data, our cases reveal a pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China targeting trade secrets and confidential business information: hacks by a group known as APT 10, which worked in association with the Chinese Ministry of State Security, or MSS, to target managed service providers and their clients worldwide across industries; hacks by MSS intelligence officers who sought to steal intellectual property related to turbofan engines by using both insiders and computer operations, and; hacks by PLA officers who targeted victims in the nuclear power, metals, and solar products industries for the economic benefit of Chinese companies. Indeed, about 80 percent of our economic espionage prosecutions have implicated the Chinese government, and about 60 percent of all trade secret theft cases in recent years involved some connection to China. We do not normally bring criminal charges against the members of another country's military or intelligence services outside the United States. In general, traditional military and intelligence activity is a separate sphere of conduct that ought not be subject to domestic criminal law. There are exceptions to this rule, of course. For instance, we have brought charges against intelligence officers operating undercover in the United States. And more recently, we have charged state-sponsored actors for computer intrusions into the United States for the purpose of intellectual property theft for the use of their private sector, bank robbery, and interfering with our democratic elections. Like those cases, the deliberate, indiscriminate theft of vast amounts of sensitive personal data of civilians, as occurred here, cannot be countenanced. The United States, like other nations, has gathered intelligence throughout its history to ensure that national security and foreign policy decisionmakers have access to timely, accurate, and insightful information. But we collect information only for legitimate national security purposes; we do not indiscriminately violate the privacy of ordinary civilians. Today's indictment would not have been possible without the hard work of a dedicated team of FBI agents and federal prosecutors in Atlanta and here in Washington, D.C. In addition, the Department's Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance in working with other nations to secure evidence located overseas. Notably, Equifax cooperation throughout the investigation was critical to our development of the case. I would like to now invite U.S. Attorney BJay Pak to provide remarks. *** The year 2020 marks the 150th anniversary of the Department of Justice. Learn more about the history of our agency at www.Justice.gov/Celebrating150Years. Speaker: Attorney General William Barr Topic(s): National Security Component(s): Office of the Attorney General NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) surged into an early lead in the Delhi Assembly election with trends in the first hour of counting giving it leads in 54 seats, followed by the BJP in 15 and the Congress in one. These are very early leads but they follow the exit poll predictions which forecast a comfortable victory for the AAP in the 70-member Assembly. Counting began at 8 am amid tight security at various centres set. Postal ballots were counted first till around 8.30 am. The counting centres are spread across 21 locations, spanning 70 constituencies. Each centre has several counting halls, equal to the number of constituencies falling in that district. Each EVM consists of a ballot unit (BU), a controls units (CU) and a voter-verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT.) After counting of votes through CUs from every constituency, five VVPATs will be randomly selected and counted. The election, largely seen as a battle between the AAP and the BJP, was held on Saturday, sealing the fate of 672 candidates -- 593 men and 79 women. The final voter turnout was 62.59 per cent, five per cent less than 2015. Shahdara Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Shahdara constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Shahdara Assembly Elections 2020 | A small margin of 500 votes keeps AAP's candidate and sitting Shahdara MLA Ram Niwas Goel behind BJP's Sanjay Goyal. While the AAP candidate got 44,177 votes, Sanjay Goyal got 44,699 votes. The Shahdara Assembly constituency, which is a part of East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, is scheduled to go to polls on 8 February with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) fielding a candidate in the seat it has traditionally left empty for its ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), and the Congress trusting it's three-time MLA Narendra Nath. The ruling AAP has fielded sitting MLA Ram Niwas Goyal, while Sanjay Goyal will fight the election on BJP's ticket. Past election result: In the last election held in 2015, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Ram Nivas Goel won the seat. In 2013, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Jitendra Singh Shanty had won the seat, and prior to that in 2008, Congress had won the seat and Dr Narendra Nath was elected as the MLA. The electorate of Delhi, which will be voting on 8 February, is made up of 80,55,686 registered male voters, 66,35,635 registered female voters, and 815 registered voters of the third gender. Additionally, 55,823 differently-abled voters are also likely to vote. The electorate also comprises of 489 non-residing voters for the 2020 Assembly polls. Here is a brief description of the Assembly constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 62 Total electors: 1,18,432 Male: 90,585 Female: 79,368 Transgender: 6 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 69 percent Polling stations: 155 A Perth man could walk free in two years after being jailed for stomping on a defenceless mans head during a pub fight in Camillo. Cory Pereira, 26, was on Tuesday sentenced to four years jail for the 2017 attack at Champion Lakes Tavern, which was described by Judge Fiona Vernon as a senseless, unprovoked and cowardly act of violence. With parole, Pereira could be free in two years. The victim, Jay Smith, 23, had tried to intervene in a barroom brawl but was punched repeatedly and had his head slammed into a pool table before falling to the floor, unresponsive. It was then Pereira jumped in and stomped on Mr Smiths head, the impact so severe it was heard by bar staff. DUSHANBE -- The childhood village of Tajik President Emomali Rahmon is receiving a major overhaul as it is being transformed into a provincial capital. Tajik officials have confirmed that a flurry of construction activity around Danghara, about 115 kilometers southeast of Dushanbe, is the result of plans to transform what was once a village into a regional administrative center. The construction of new buildings, factories, and roads is already is underway in the area, which was previously known for its vast tracts of agricultural land. The governor of Khatlon Province where the Danghara district is located said on February 7 that several "companies and organizations" have been assigned to turn the rural area into an urban center. "Several construction projects are under way, but it won't happen this year or the next year," Governor Qurbon Hakimzoda said. Hakimzoda did not provide a time frame for when Danghara will officially become a regional capital. "It requires a lot of money," the governor said. "It won't be completed by the 30th anniversary of Tajikistan's Independence [in September 2021]. But it might be possible later. Time will tell." The governor's remarks came a day after Shukrullo Bakhtiyor, the head of Danghara's Architecture and Development Department, said that an outline had been created for a major urbanization plan in the district. But Bakhtiyor pointed out that the plan has not yet been fully approved. Bakhtiyor said on February 6 that the dozens of projects envisaged in Danghara include the construction of a cultural palace. A former Danghara governor who had spoken in 2017 about preliminary plans for the area said various construction projects were being considered within a 6,000-hectare area. Dilovar Isozoda, head of the Khatlon Provincial Education Department, said earlier this month that a new, eight-story building for the headquarters of his agency is planned in Danghara. In Tajikistan, headquarters of all provincial government agencies are located only in the regional capitals. What remains unclear is whether Danghara will become the capital of Khatlon Province or the government will split the region into two smaller administrative areas with Danghara as the capital of one of them. Khatlon Province was created in 1992 when the former Kulob and Qurghon-Teppa regions were combined together. No Surprise Reports about Danghara potentially becoming a regional hub come as no surprise in Tajikistan. Residents of the authoritarian president's home district say that it has been getting "special treatment" in recent years. In 2012, the government opened the State University of Danghara. It was a rare move in a country where universities are usually located in major cities. Already, a large complex with a white dome and tall pillars has been constructed in Danghara to house the new university. In 2016, the prestigious Khatlon Medical University was officially launched in Danghara. It is one of only two medical schools now operating in Tajikistan. The other is in the capital, Dushanbe. Earlier, the government closed a medical university in Tajikistan's second largest city, Khujand, saying there was no need for it. Emphasizing the growing importance of the village where he was born, President Rahmon hosted Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov in Danghara in March 2010 to celebrate Norouz. The lavish event included a concert in Danghara's newly renovated 10,000-seat stadium and a street food festival nearby. Since urbanization efforts began in the area, investment has continued to pour into the Danghara district -- which is now home to some 160,000 people. New projects in recent years have included a textile complex, an oil refinery, a cement factory, and an emulsion explosives factory -- creating thousands of much needed jobs. Unemployment is a major issue in Tajikistan, a former Soviet republic in Central Asia with some 9 million residents. Rahmon has maintained a tight rule in Tajikistan since 1992. He is often criticized for giving important government positions to those who come from Danghara and the wider area of Kulob. The interior and defense ministries, the state security committee, border guard services, the state television and radio committee, and other important agencies in Rahmon's government are often controlled by people born in the president's home region. Shannen Martin, 34, was in the process of being transported to a precinct in a police cruiser in February 2018 when she decided to defecate in the vehicle and conceal incriminating evidence in her feces A Texas woman who intentionally defecated in a cop car has been jailed after violating the terms of her probation. Shannen Martin, 34, was arrested for shoplifting by Corsicana Police in February 2018 and was in the process of being transported to a precinct in a police cruiser when she decided to defecate and conceal incriminating evidence in her feces. According to police, Martin hid a stolen Valetine's Day card in her excrement, along with 2.3 grams of crack cocaine and a crack pipe. Forth Worth Star Telegram reports that an officer had to 'dig through' the feces in order to retrieve the evidence. At the time, Martin pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled substance and tampering with evidence. She was last year sentenced to probation instead of prison. As part of the deal, she was also required to write an apology letter to the officer who was tasked with picking through her fecal matter. Martin was handcuffed in the back of a Corsicana Police cruiser when she defecated However, in September, Martins probation was revoked after she violated the terms of her agreement multiple times. Last week, Martin returned to court, where a prosecutor argued she should be behind bars. 'The disgusting nature of Ms. Martins actions underscore why this woman needs to be in prison, and not out in the community doing further harm, District Attorney William Dixon wrote in a statement. 'Most people would never even consider defecating in a car so that they could hide contraband in their own feces. This individual has proven repeatedly why the public needs to be protected from her.' A judge sentenced Martin to three years in prison, and she is currently incarcerated in the Navarro County Jail. Chancellor Angela Merkels lawmakers will try to sideline hawks seeking to exclude Huawei Technologies Co. from next-generation mobile networks with a motion that stops short of a full ban of the Chinese equipment maker. Legislators in Merkels Christian Democratic-led bloc will vote Tuesday on a motion with softer language than a draft by hard-liners who wanted a potential Huawei ban from 5G networks, according to the text of the motion seen by Bloomberg News. Merkel has warned against a blanket veto, saying Europes biggest economy cant afford to shut out the Chinese. The German leaders efforts to prevent a Huawei ban have been disrupted by resistance in her own ranks, as well as from members of her Social Democratic coalition partner. They have warned about Huaweis ties to the Chinese Communist Party and the risk of state-sponsored espionage or sabotage. A scheduled vote on the policy late last month was delayed. The CDU-led blocs parliamentary whip, Michael Grosse-Broemer, said Tuesday he expects a clear majority for the motion, saying the draft seeks to bridge a gap with the security hawks. Maybe they are still not happy with this, but maybe they also see it as a possible compromise between the various positions, Grosse-Broemer told reporters in Berlin. The draft motion, to be voted on by the blocs 246 lawmakers, says 5G technology will be part of Germanys critical infrastructure and must be subject to the highest security standards. But more specific language on barring components from state-controlled companies is absent and it doesnt single out China or Huawei. Security interests The deployment of components by a vendor can be prohibited if its determined that they conflict with the broad public interest, in particular the security interests, of the Federal Republic of Germany, the draft reads. The language is far removed from a text floated by Bundestag lawmakers led by Norbert Roettgen, chairman of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee. Roettgen said in December that the government should have tools to block untrustworthy state-sponsored companies from 5G core and periphery networks, a clear reference to Huawei. Merkel has struggled to assert control of her China policy in a standoff that pits trade interests with China against security concerns raised by Washington and her own intelligence agencies. Inside Merkels chancellery, senior officials believe that a ban on Huawei would be futile, since the Chinese could potentially infiltrate another supplier if they were determined to hack into 5G communications. The U.K. and the European Union introduced policies last month that allow Huaweis partial participation in next-generation wireless networks. Read more about: Telkom has called on the Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to investigate the recently-announced roaming deal between Vodacom and Liquid Telecom. Vodacom said that its roaming agreement with Liquid Telecom will allow it to launch 5G services this year. This follows after Liquid Telecom announced in January that it plans to launch a wholesale 5G network in South Africa in early 2020. Vodacoms partnership with Liquid Telecom will see it managing the network on behalf of Liquid Telecom and enabling it to launch 5G services using the companys 3.5GHz spectrum. This agreement will allow Vodacom to offer customers a leading connectivity experience at a time when most 5G spectrum is yet to be assigned, Vodacom said. The mobile operator added that 5G services are currently being trialled ahead of a commercial launch during this year. Entrenching market dominance Telkom has raised concerns with regulators that the recent agreement between Vodacom and Liquid Telecoms announced on 04 February 2020 is anti-competitive and would further entrench South Africas skewed market structure, Telkom told MyBroadband. This is consistent with the Competition Commissions rejection of a proposed merger between Vodacom and Neotel in 2015. Telkom argued that since the Commission previously raised concerns over the anti-competitive effects of Vodacom accessing Neotels 3.5GHz spectrum holdings, it should hold the same reservations about the deal with Liquid Telecom. Telkom views the contemplated transaction by Vodacom and Liquid Telecoms as a disguised spectrum trading deal or an indirect transfer of control with anti-competitive effects which the Competition Commission and High Court found to raise competition concerns, the operator said. Telkom has called on the Competition Commission and the Independent Communications Authority of South Africa (ICASA) to exercise their obligations and assess the competition effects of this spectrum trading agreement. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Los Angeles, United States Tue, February 11, 2020 16:01 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063ceadc 2 Entertainment vinyl,california,united-states,music,fire Free The darling of hipsters, collectors, and fans of a warm analog sound, vinyl has seen resurging popularity in recent years -- but the industry is fearful after a recent California fire destroyed a key supplier. Late last week, Apollo Masters, the top global producer of lacquer used to produce vinyl records, suffered "catastrophic damage" after a "devastating fire" -- causes yet unknown -- raged through its manufacturing and storage facility in southern California. In 2018, vinyl saw revenues hit their highest level since 1988, totaling $419 million -- an eight percent jump from the previous year, according to the Recording Industry Association of America. But the recent blaze has industry members fearful that a lacquer shortage could disrupt global suppliers. "It's too soon to predict a disaster but we all can agree this is a very scary time for all of us in the industry," said Gil Tamazyan, CEO of the LA record pressing plant Capsule Labs. "We are all worried there may be a delay before a solid solution is found," he told AFP. The loss of the plant leaves the Japanese firm MDC as the world's sole lacquer supplier, which previously had provided only approximately 20 percent of the total global stock, according to Tamazyan. "Disaster for the vinyl pressing industry," tweeted the Canadian firm Duplication in the immediate aftermath. But though he called the fire "quite a blow," David Read, Duplication's vinyl coordinator, cautioned against predictions of doom. Read also: Music fans mark 70 years since first LP as vinyl enjoys revival "The industry will rebound as it has before," he told AFP. "Remember vinyl was considered 'dead' 20 years ago -- except to everyone who was still keeping it alive." The loss could trigger a backlog and spike in vinyl manufacturing prices, but Read said it could also spur new growth. "Perhaps the phoenix-in-the-flame here is that new innovators get involved," he said. A lacquer disc is created when an engineer cuts grooves into its surface that will be used to create a master recording, which can then be used to press copies. Another option is Direct Metal Mastering, in which a blank copper plate is cut directly into instead of the lacquer material. Reid said there are currently no commercially available DMM plants in North America, and eight in Europe. "Hopefully labels will allow for a longer lead time on projects so things flow as smooth as they can," he said. "Vinyl isn't going anywhere, believe it!" Today's New Hampshire Democratic primary -- after the debacle in Iowa, the first contest to provide definitive results -- will tell us plenty about the shape of the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination race. As we saw in Friday night's debate, each of the top contenders has challenges significant enough to prevent him or her from earning a majority of the delegates. The prospect of a contested convention has pundits and political scientists licking their chops, but New Hampshire could well reduce the number of viable candidates. That depends on the answers to five basic questions. 1. Does Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., have a low ceiling? In Iowa, Sanders did not bring in droves of new voters. In New Hampshire polling, he seems to have plateaued. In the debate he pitched his message squarely to the ultra-progressive wing of the party. If he does not break through to win a state in which he has been the overwhelming favorite (winning 60 percent in the 2016 primary), that will be a sign his prospects are limited. His opponents still have not done a very good job to date hitting Sanders as a rigid ideologue who continually votes against widely popular legislation. He is expert at making the perfect the enemy of the good, something that delights his followers but bodes ill for expanding his base. Unlike his rival senators, he voted against the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. He also voted against his party multiple times when it came to funding bills to keep the government open (which included items such as emergency funding for Puerto Rico and opioid treatment). A comfortable Sanders win should be a wake-up call for his opponents. 2. Will Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., fade? She once was dominating in the polls and the debates; she's now generally in third or fourth place in state polling. Her debate performance on Friday, with the exception of an energetic response on race, was adequate but nothing special. If she places third in the first two contests, it is not clear what her path to victory would be. That does not mean she will drop out, but it may mean Sanders can finally consolidate the far-left vote. 3. Why not Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.? She has had several phenomenal debate performances in a row. Her campaign reported that she had raised a $2 million in less than 24 hours following the debate, suggesting she will have some resources to continue on. She can be formidable: No one is better than Klobuchar at taking down Sanders for ideological extremism and former South Bend, Indiana, mayor Pete Buttigieg for lack of experience. Her feisty demeanor and moderate policy seem perfectly suited for a battle against President Donald Trump. And yet she seems fenced in by Buttigieg and former vice president Joe Biden. In New Hampshire she may be the compromise choice for voters who think Biden is too seasoned and Buttigieg isn't seasoned enough. She certainly does not need to win in New Hampshire, but a third-place finish or higher would supercharge her campaign. ADVERTISEMENT 4. Does New Hampshire throw Biden a lifeline? He surprisingly lowered expectations with a prediction in his first debate answer that he would not win in the Granite State, but a third-place finish or an underwhelming performance from Buttigieg could keep Biden's hopes alive in Nevada and South Carolina. On Friday night he made a strong case that he has the best relationship with African American voters and is, by far, the candidate who is most comfortable with and expert on national security. He then released a tough new ad hoping to take Buttigieg down a peg. 5. Do Democrats need to call on Mike Bloomberg? A big win for Sanders and --or -- a muddle among the moderates in the race (Biden, Buttigieg, Klobuchar) likely will send establishment Democrats, however prematurely, into a frenzy. The terror about nominating Sanders, and thereby giving Trump four more years, is already palpable among some elected officials, donors and ordinary voters. In the early four states, Bloomberg benefits either from a strong Sanders showing (sending a signal that Democrats need a stronger moderate) or a split verdict (e.g., Buttigieg in Iowa, Sanders in New Hampshire, Warren in Nevada, Biden in South Carolina). No one should underestimate a candidate who is flooding the zone with ads and has more than 2,000 staffers around the country. Yes, this really could come down to a face-off between two white, male septuagenarians from the Northeastern seaboard. ROCKVILLE, Md., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- While CBD-infused foods and beverages remain largely the domain of small, independent marketers, cannabis multi-state operators (MSOs) serving both legal-use and medical-use states are charging ahead with increasing sophisticated retail and product branding strategies that help position them for growth. And future growth indeed seems inevitable considering that 2019 retail sales of cannabis products reached an estimated $14.4 billion and were up 24% from 2018 levels, according to market research firm Packaged Facts in the new report Cannabis and CBD: U.S. Retail Market Trends and Opportunities (published January 2020). With so much opportunity, these cannabis players, which market their products on a state-by-state basis, are quickly developing footholds nationwide. For example, Cresco Labs' dispensaries provide the company with a retail presence in seven states. The company is updating all of its stores to fall under its new Sunnyside wellness brand. Upon entry to the Sunnyside location in Wrigleyville, Chicago, the customer is immediately greeted by well-designed posters promoting Cresco's own flagship brands (Remedi, Mindy's Kitchen, Cresco). Cresco's eponymous brand is positioned for everyday use, with its website emphasizing the product's "consistent quality." Much like a premium coffee or top-shelf liquor, Cresco's Reserve brand stresses its superlative quality, while Cresco's health-forward brand, Remedi, puts a stake in the ground as a trustworthy alternative to traditional pharmaceuticals like opioids. The brand appears committed to a high level of customer service as a means of differentiation. Interspersed among its products are posters in the brand's signature orange color that pose questions many first-timers might be pondering, such as: "CBD or THC: What's the difference?" and "Will cannabis help me sleep better?" Below each question, it states: "Ask us anything." But CBD-infused food and beverage innovation is also not hard to find. Among 11 states where CBD is legal without restriction, Illinois provides a glimpse at CBD-infused food and beverage product trends. Packaged Facts analyst visits to three retail shops in Chicago's trend-forward Wicker Park neighborhood demonstrate the wide variety of CBD-infused products available to consumers. There, probiotic dairy shop The Lifeway Kefir Shop peddles Kefir-based frozen treats and healthy smoothiesincluding CBD oil smoothie boosts. Meanwhile, sitting alongside cans of high-end coffee and bottles of collagen water, CBD beverage brands like Vybes, made with Colorado-grown hemp extract, look right at home in local independent mini-chain Goddess and the Grocer's open cooler display. These innovations bode well for a market still in the throes of nascent-stage growth. About the Report Cannabis and CBD: U.S. Retail Market Trends and Opportunities (published January 2020, 142 pages) is now on sale. The report analyzes cannabis and cannabis-related retail trends and opportunities in the U.S., with a focus on multi-state cannabis dispensary operators and food and beverage introductions, as well as market trends by state that highlight cannabis usage, regulatory, and dispensary location growth trends. The report also includes a 2019 cannabis market size by product delivery format, as well as detailed analysis of cannabis-related legal and regulatory trends at the federal and state levels. Media members please contact our Communications Manager Daniel Granderson at [email protected] to request a copy of the report summary. Those interested in purchasing the report may contact Research Specialist Frank Gaines at [email protected] or visit https://www.packagedfacts.com/Cannabis-CBD-Retail-Trends-Opportunities-12949133/. About Packaged Facts Packaged Facts, a division of MarketResearch.com, publishes market intelligence on a wide range of consumer market topics, including consumer demographics and shopper insights, consumer financial products and services, consumer goods and retailing, and pet products and services. Packaged Facts also offers a full range of custom research services. Reports can be purchased at our company website and are also available through MarketResearch.com. For more essential insights from Packaged Facts be sure to follow us on Twitter (@packaged_facts), LinkedIn, and YouTube. Media Contact: [email protected] To Unsubscribe: [email protected] SOURCE Packaged Facts Related Links https://www.packagedfacts.com Hip implants are medical devices which are used to restore motility and relieve the pain related to arthritis or hip injuries and diseases such as osteonecrosis. Hip implants possess a unique device design feature such as size, shape, material and dimensions. The factors that influence the outcome and longevity of a hip implant device are the device design features, implantation technique and individual patient characteristics such as age, sex, weight, activity level, and overall health. Request Free PDF Research Report Brochure @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-pdf/3337 Global Hip Implant Market Dynamics Growing geriatric population which is prone to osteoarthritis, and hip fractures, is likely to propel the growth of the hip implants market over the forecast period. For instance, the World Health Organization reported that during 2015-16, nearly 18.0% women and 9.6% men aged 60 years and above had symptomatic osteoarthritis. According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2015-16, nearly 18,700 new hip fractures were reported in Australians aged 45 years and above. Moreover, launches and approvals of various new hip implants are also expected to drive the market growth in near future. For instance, in October 2017, DePuy Synthes announced the first polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) cement along with the TFNA system which is used to provide improved implant fixation of the hip in cases where potential risk of cut out is significant. Furthermore, in 2018, DePuy Synthes acquired Medical Enterprises Distribution LLC including the orthopedics assets of ME1000, a surgical impactor used in total hip replacement surgery. Global Hip Implant Market Regional Insights On the basis of region, the global hip implant market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa. North America holds the dominant position in the global hip implant market owing to launch and approvals of new hip replacement implants. For instance, in March 2018, the United Orthopedic Corporation, a designer, manufacturer and distributor of orthopedic implants and instruments, announced the launch of UTS (United Tri-tapered Short Stem) hip stem at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons Annual Meeting in New Orleans, U.S. The UTS hip stem is designed for easier insertion through small incisions and it facilitates less invasive surgeries. Europe is also expected to witness significant growth in the hip implants market due to high prevalence of hip fractures. For instance, according to the National Hip Fracture Database Annual Report 2018, nearly 76,000 cases of hip fractures are reported each year in the U.K. Purchase this Report (Price 4500 USD for Single-User License) @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/buy-now/3337 Global Hip Implant Market Competitive Landscape Moreover, key players in the market are focused on developing new products, in order to enhance their market share. For instance, in 2017, Croin Group launched the Optimized Positioning System (OPS) at the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) in San Diego, U.S. The system helps in determining the best positioning of an implant and its components during hip replacement surgery on the basis of patients movements during daily activities. Some of the key players operating in the global hip implant market include Stryker, Depuy Synthes, B.Braun Melsungen, Boston Scientific Corporation, Wright Medical N.V., Hip Innovation Technology LLC., Johnson and Johnson, MicroPort Scientific, Smith and Nephew, Zimmer Biomet, and DJO Global. Global Hip Implant Market Market Taxonomy On the basis of component type, the global hip implant market is segmented into: Acetabular Component Femoral Component On the basis of material type, the global hip implant market is segmented into: Metal on Polyethylene Ceramic on Polyethylene Ceramic on Ceramic Ceramic on Metal Metal on Metal On the basis of end-user, the global hip implant market is segmented into: Hospitals Surgery Centers Orthopedic Clinics On the basis of region, the global hip implant market is segmented into: North America Latin America Europe Asia Pacific Middle East Africa Browse Research Report At @ https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ongoing-insight/hip-implants-market-3337 About Coherent Market Insights: Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. Media Contact: Name: Mr. Shah Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Phone: US +12067016702 Country: United States Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ Visit Blog: https://globalindustryresearchblog.wordpress.com/ It's a fate no aspiring reality personality wants thrust upon them. And Love Island's latest round of Casa Amor outcasts were seen leaving spin-off show Aftersun on Monday night, having been jetted back to London after their doomed stint on the show. It seemed that George Day, Jade Affleck, Josh Kempton, Alexi Ercalides, Biggs Chris and Jamie McCann were coping with the rejection well after all - seen leaving the Aftersun studios at 2AM having been drinking since appearing on the air. Casa No More! Love Island's latest round of Casa Amor outcasts were seen leaving spin-off show Aftersun on Monday night, having been jetted back to London after their doomed stint on the show [Jade Affleck is pictured] The sextet appeared to have brushed off the disappointment of not coupling up with anyone on the ITV2 series and instead chose to party and enjoy shots and cocktails until they were asked to leave. The group stepped out looking a tad worse-for-wear following their interview with Laura Whitmore, as they braved the elements, Storm Ciara still nagging the UK. The girls attempted to keep their glossy locks out of their faces as they walked outside, also struggling to haul their suitcases with them. They piled into a cab with the boys, clearly not ready for their Love Island experience to end quite so soon. Windswept! It seemed that Jamie McCann and co were coping better than expected after their short-lived stint on the series The worst! Being one of the Casa Amor rejects is a fate no aspiring reality personality wants thrust upon them Good spirits! George Day, Jade Affleck, Josh Kempton, Alexi Ercalides, Biggs Chris and Jamie McCann were coping with the rejection well after all - seen leaving the Aftersun studios at 2AM having been drinking since appearing on the air Missing out: Jade looked great in a cream jacket for her Afersun appearance Leggy display: Her pins were on show as she walked along - having managed to grab at least some sun during her stay in South Africa Worse for wear? The sextet appeared to have brushed off the disappointment of not coupling up with anyone on the ITV2 series and instead chose to party and enjoy shots and cocktails until they were asked to leave Back to reality: George looked smart in a muscle Tee and grey casual slacks They're fine! Biggs Chris and Alexi Eraclides posed outside the studios Blown away! The group stepped out looking a tad worse-for-wear following their interview with Laura Whitmore, as they braved the elements, Storm Ciara still nagging the UK Loving it! The girls attempted to keep their glossy locks out of their faces as they walked outside Excess baggage: They were seen hauling their suitcases along with them Homeward bound? They piled into a cab with the boys, clearly not ready for their Love Island experience to end quite so soon Taking cover: Not long after they were dumped from the island, two of the other Casa Amor rejects followed them More to come: Eva Zapico and Jordan Waobikeze were ditched alongside Eva's partner Nas Majeed and Jordan's partner Rebecca Gormley on Monday night's episode Bed time? The group were whisked away from the studios, having not long touched back down in the UK Not long after they were dumped from the island, two of the other Casa Amor rejects followed them. Eva Zapico and Jordan Waobikeze were ditched alongside Eva's partner Nas Majeed and Jordan's partner Rebecca Gormley. While Rebecca was a couple of weeks late being sent into the villa, Nas had been a firm fixture on the show since the start, and even a favourite to win. This appeared to change with Casa Amor, when he decided to ditch Demi Jones for Eva, leaving fans disappointed in him. Short-lived: The group had only spent a few days on Love Island Debrief: Rebecca was a couple of weeks late being sent into the villa and Jordan arrived during Casa Amor In exile: The Casa Amor islanders who appeared on Aftersun weren't backward about coming forwards with their thoughts about co-star Natalia Zoppa Savage: Love Island's Casa Amor rejects aren't so convinced by Natalia, as they claimed that she is 'playing a game' after being dumped from the show on Friday Bizarre: Jade admitted that she thinks Natalia is putting on a front in her romance with Luke M, after frustrated fans also claimed that she was a 'fraud' Meanwhile, the Casa Amor islanders who appeared on Aftersun after their exile weren't backward about coming forwards with their thoughts about co-star Natalia Zoppa, who was chosen to remain on the show by Justin Bieber lookalike Luke Mabbott. They claimed that she is 'playing a game' after narrowly avoiding being dumped from the show on Friday. Jade, 25, admitted that she thinks Natalia was merely putting on a front in her romance with Luke M, after frustrated fans also claimed that she was a 'fraud.' Jamie seemed to agree, adding: 'I don't think Natalia really likes Luke M. She did say she takes time to get to know people. But I think he was really, really trying with her and I don't know if she was giving as much back' Tension: Jade also claimed that Shaughna's relationship with Callum Jones would never have worked, as she seemed to be more like 'his mum' Asked who she thinks is the most genuine in the villa, Jade said: 'Molly and Callum, 100 per cent. From the get go him and Molly, they just clicked straight away. 'Shaughna, she's more like his mum. I didn't think that was going to work anyway - he'd have got bored of that' Guests: Russell Kane, Ella Eyre and Jordan Banjo were also on the show Hostess: Laura Whitmore was in charge as usual Speaking about her time in the villa, Jade said: 'I definitely think Natalia's playing a game. If Luke M asked you to cuddle him, you'd cuddle him wouldn't you?' Jamie seemed to agree, adding: 'I don't think Natalia really likes Luke M. She did say she takes time to get to know people. 'But I think he was really, really trying with her and I don't know if she was giving as much back. But it's really hard to tell. You hope people wouldn't play games.' Chic: Laura stunned in a black mini-dress and wedge heels Leggy: She showed off her pins in her dress Dressed down: She later changed into sweats as she headed home for the night Asked who she thinks is the most genuine in the villa, Jade said: 'Molly and Callum, 100 per cent. From the get go him and Molly, they just clicked straight away. 'Shaughna, she's more like his mum. I didn't think that was going to work anyway - he'd have got bored of that.' Love Island continues nightly at 9PM on ITV. Minister Lam made the statement at a meeting with Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith in Vientiane on February 10, during which the minister thanked the Lao PM for creating favourable conditions for Vietnamese and Lao ministries of public security to work closely together and jointly fight crimes, contributing to protecting security and order in each country. He suggested that the two countries should continue offering mutual support in the near future, and hoped that Laos would help Vietnam fulfil its role as ASEAN Chair, ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) Chair and a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council this year. Minister Lam also informed his host about the outcomes of his talks with the Lao Minister of Public Security. Thongloun Sisoulith, for his part, expressed his satisfaction about effective coordination between the two ministries over the past years, particularly in anti-crime and personnel training. He wished that ties between the two public security forces would further grow for the sake of each countrys socio-economic development and external affairs. At the talks earlier, Minister Lam and his Lao counterpart Vilay Lakhamphong reviewed joint work last year and set orientations to bilateral coordination this year. Both sides pledged to effectively implement agreements by the two countries leaders this year and the cooperation agreement between the two governments that was adopted at the 42nd meeting of the Vietnam Laos Inter-governmental Committee. They will continue facilitating visits by leaders of the two ministries, promptly deal with contingencies and prevent hostile forces from sabotaging security and order in each nation. Host and guest vowed to enhance information sharing, especially those regarding regional and global issues impacting security and order, as well as fight terrorism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and counter the threats of non-traditional security affecting bilateral cooperation. They will also effectively realise international conventions and agreements to which the two countries are members, conduct negotiations for the signing of an extradition agreement, and offer mutual support at regional and global forums. The two governments agreements in border areas will be carried out in order to ensure security and order and building a borderline of peace, cooperation and development. Concluding the talks, the two sides signed a plan to implement 2020 cooperation agreement between the two ministries. On the occasion, Lam presented Friendship Orders and Medals to 18 officials of the Lao Ministry of Public Security in recognition of their contributions to ties between the two ministries. GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- A Flint-area judge has ordered the Genesee County Parks & Recreation Commission to end its ban on the possession or use of drones in county parks, a ruling that the Michigan Coalition of Drone Operators is describing as precedent-setting and the first of its kind in the state. Circuit court Judge Joseph Farah granted an injunction Monday, Feb. 10, forbidding enforcement of the countys drone ordinance, a ruling tied to a lawsuit filed by the operators group in 2019. MCDO argued that state law makes local ordinances regarding drones illegal. Farah agreed in his ruling, saying the language of the Michigan Legislature was clear when it barred local governments from such actions. The organization said in its complaint that in December 2018, police for the county parks system handcuffed and detained drone operator Jason Harrison for flying a drone at Crossroads Village & Huckleberry Railroad. Harrisons drone, remote controller and other items were confiscated and he was issued a misdemeanor ticket, according to the complaint. The ticket was not prosecuted and the county Board of Commissioners later modified park regulations to explicitly ban unmanned aircraft. MLive-The Flint Journal could not immediately reach Dean Greenblatt, an attorney for the MCDO, or a representative of the drone operators group for comment. County Board Coordinator Josh Freeman said he expected the county will issue a comment on Farahs ruling and the countys drone policies later Tuesday. In a news release on its Facebook page, MCDO called the judges ruling a victory that will likely have a nationwide impact" in states that have local restrictions on the operation of drones. The crux of the case is that Genesee County was regulating unmanned aircraft while Michigan law clearly reads that local governments shall not do this ... Harrison contended all along that the rangers lacked the authority to make such an arrest or to enforce local drone ordinances. In a message to The Journal, Harrison said he felt euphoric after he was allowed to fly his drone on park property Monday after Farah made his ruling. He said it took approximately a month to get his drone and accessories back from park rangers. Its a great feeling to know that we can continue to enjoy our hobby without concern of being arrested or having our property confiscated, Harrison said. The government on Tuesday told Parliament it has no information about any group called the "tukde gang", a term Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers and leaders use to describe rivals and dissidents they accuse of conspiring to split the country. "No such information has been brought to the notice of the government by any law enforcement agency," said G Kishan Reddy, minister of state for home, in Lok Sabha, according to news agency PTI. 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 KowBirds Honey Butter Bird, a fried chicken sandwich, is topped with a tangy slaw that balances the chickens sweet hint of smoked honey. It takes more than one hand to hold the sandwich, at least two napkins to clean up afterward and it might not even be the best of KowBirds three remarkable chicken options. KowBird is the new sandwich venture from Bay Area barbecue prodigy Matt Horn. Its slated to be an anchor tenant of Oakland Assembly, the 40,000-square-foot food hall at Jack London Square, which will open in the summer and marks Horns first foray outside of barbecue. So, is it any good? The short answer is yes. Now Playing: KowBird, Matt Horns chicken sandwich pop-up, will open at Jack London Square later this year. Video: San Francisco Chronicle More than 200 people showed up to a pop-up Horn held Saturday, when he tested the KowBird menu for the first time for his forthcoming sandwich shop. The event was held at 17th and Center Streets in West Oakland, the same place he launched his barbecue brand, Horn Barbecue, roughly four years ago. The average wait was more than an hour. Horn only served three sandwiches during the pop-up: the Southern Bird made with buttermilk fried chicken; the Hot Bird thats reminiscent of a Nashville hot chicken sandwich; and the Honey Butter Bird, which comes with a sweet, honey-based sauce. Justin Phillips The most talked-about sandwich at the pop-up was the Hot Bird. The chicken is seasoned with a fiery pepper mixture, tossed in a similarly hot spice oil, then dipped in spices again. Stephen Lam / Special to The Chronicle People were telling me it wasnt hot enough, Horn said. I may have to change it a bit for next time and try to get it hotter. Horn said he plans to host another pop-up for KowBird in the coming weeks, potentially with additions to the menu. As for Horn Barbecue, which he will open in the former home of Tanyas Brown Sugar Kitchen in West Oakland, Horn said the business is still slated to open in April. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. There were a lot of people asking why I was focusing on chicken now and they were telling me to stick to barbecue. When it comes to this, Im walking by faith, said Horn, who wanted to keep the Jack London Square location separate from Horn Barbecue. Doing just really great chicken made sense. The KowBird name wasnt Horns first choice for the business. He initially looked at BlackHen and BlackBird. Neither felt right so he started researching types of black birds. He came across cow birds, which are small and can be found in fields and meadows. Horn liked the sound so he switched the C to a K because he felt it was better for branding. He says all of his recent efforts will soon tie together, possibly with more projects to come. Im not just doing projects just to do them. Theres a reason for everything. A bigger plan is in the works, Horn said. Justin Phillips is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jphillips@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @JustMrPhillips [February 11, 2020] Stilla Technologies raises 20 million ($22 million) in Series B round that brings in new investor, TUS-Holdings, alongside existing ones PARIS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stilla Technologies, a leading provider of pioneering digital PCR (dPCR) solutions for high-precision genetic analysis, has just raised 20 million ($22 million) in a Series B funding round that brought in a new investor, the Chinese group TUS-Holdings, alongside the participation of existing investors Illumina Ventures, Kurma Partners, LBO France, Paris Saclay Seed Funds, BNP Paribas Developpement and Idinvest Partners. Remi Dangla, Cofounder and CEO of Stilla Technologies said: "We will use the funds to boost the development of our next-generation solution, which will feature superior analytical performance including 6-color detection capabilities. Our future focus will be to apply our state-of-the-art technology to clinical diagnostics, to the benefit of patients." Remi adds: "By bringing TUS-Holdings on board, we also look to rapidly expand our activities in China and throughout Asia, while maintaining strong growth of the business in Europe and the United States. Following our Series A round in October 2018, the company has been expanding very rapidly, experiencing strong sales growth and making exciting progress with its pipeline of new products. The new Series B round will allow us to continue on this successful course at an even faster pace." "I am thrilled to welcome TUS-Holdings as one of Stilla's investors and to appoint the Head of TUS' European subsidiary, Daniel Wang, as a new member of our board. China has always been a key market for Stilla. Over the years, we have built a successful partnership with our local distributor and partner Apexbio/Cycloud. I see a very strong future for our Crystal Digital PCR technology in China, and it is great to have Daniel helping us to build the best strategy to seize opportunities there," added Mr. Dangla. "TUS is convinced of Stilla's promising potential, both in terms of technology and market perspective. We believe that the company has a bright future in China. As such, we're thrilled to add Stilla to our portfolio of more than 30 life science and biotech companies. TUS will spare no effort to facilitate Stilla's growth, including by granting the company access to our innovation ecosystem and network," said Daniel Wang, CEO of Tuspark Europe, the European subsidiary of TUS-Holdings. Mr. Wang is set to join Stilla's Board of Directors. Since 2016, Stilla Technologies has been providing research organizations specialized in molecular biology and genetic analysis with its Naica System, a ground-breaking digital PCR (polymerase chain reaction) solution that enables scientists to detect and quantify DNA mutations with unrivalled precision. The $2-billion digital PCR market targeted by Stilla Technologies is poised to become the new standard in molecular biology (over 3300 scientific publications in 2018, mostly in oncology). Stilla Technologies launched the first generation of the Naica System in 2016 and generated first revenues in 2017. About Stilla's Naica System The Naica System is a highly sensitive digital PCR solution that runs on the company's next-generation genetic testing and nuclei acid quantification technology, Crystal Digital PCR. The Naica System is uniquely capable of characterizing multiple types of nucleic acids with its three-color detection capability. Its ease of use and fastest time to results in two hours and 30 minutes set this innovative technology apart on the digital PCR market. The Naica System supports a wide range of genetic tests and molecular biology assays including liquid biopsy tests for cancer diagnostics, viral load quantification, pre-natal testing, and GMO detection. Overall, the Naica System's superior performances make it a preferred technology for precision medicine research and therapeutic monitoring. About Stilla Technologies Founded in 2013 at Ecole Polytechnique, Stilla Technologies is a Paris-based European life sciences company that focuses on accelerating the development of next-generation genetic tests by providing a ground-breaking and flexible digital PCR (dPCR) solution: the Naica System. Taking advantage of cutting-edge microfluidic innovations, Stilla aims to make dPCR a lab commodity for all areas of the life sciences. Stilla actively advises and supports its customers worldwide through its dynamic and multidisciplinary R&D team, with expertise spanning from microfluidics to chemistry, including molecular biology and AI. www.stillatechnologies.com About Illumina Ventures Illumina Ventures is an independently-managed, healthcare-focused venture firm in a strategic partnership with Illumina, with the vision to unlock the power of the genome. As an early-stage, value-add investor, we help entrepreneurs develop breakthrough science and technologies into market-leading companies to transform healthcare. We focus on investment in life science tools, therapeutics, diagnostics, and personal wellness. www.illuminaventures.com About LBO France Active for over 30 years, LBO France is major actor in the French and Italian private equity world with over 6 billion of equity raised. LBO France is an independent company since inception. It focusses its investments activities on 5 different segments, of which venture capital is one. Each activity is supported by a dedicated team. LBO France venture segment is leading the digital health sector in Europe with its SISA and Digital Health II funds. www.lbofrance.com About Kurma Partners Kurma Partners is a key European player in the financing of innovation in healthcare, biotechnology and digital diagnostics, notably through Kurma Biofund I and II, Kurma Diagnostics and strategic partnerships with prestigious European research and medical institutions. www.kurmapartners.com About Idinvest Partners Idinvest Partners is a leading European mid-market private equity firm. With close to 8bn under management, the firm has developed several areas of expertise including innovative startup venture capital transactions; mid-market corporate debt, i.e. single-tranche, senior and subordinated debt; primary and secondary investment and private equity advisory services. Founded in 1997 Idinvest Partners used to be an Allianz subsidiary until 2010, when it branched out as an independent firm. In January 2018, Idinvest Partners joined forces with Eurazeo to create a private equity leader in Europe and North America with 18bn under management. www.idinvestpartners.com About BNP Paribas Developpement BNP Paribas Developpement, a BNP Paribas Group subsidiary founded in 1988, invests its own capital directly in promising small and medium-sized enterprises and mid-cap companies. As a minority shareholder in these target companies, BNP Paribas Developpement seeks to promote their growth and ensure their longer-term prosperity by facilitating ownership transfer. It manages a portfolio of 400 companies including 50 startups. www.bnpparibasdeveloppement.com About TUS-Holdings TUS-Holdings was originated from the former Tsinghua University Science Park (TusPark), the largest University Park in the world. It has invested over 200 parks/incubators globally, having a full supply-chain incubation with the unique model of "incubation + investment + M&As". The group has demonstrated return-focused fund management capabilities with currently more than 35 venture and industry funds, and this investment to Stilla is through its Luxembourg CLIIF fund. TUS is actively expanding its healthcare sector through investments focusing on IVD and Precision medicine, medical instruments and healthcare services. The total investment in this sector has reached over EUR 300 million. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/stilla-technologies-raises-20-million-22-million-in-series-b-round-that-brings-in-new-investor-tus-holdings-alongside-existing-ones-301002600.html SOURCE Stilla Technologies [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] As Guided Tour customers, CEOs have seen positive growth after being featured in the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, Cheddar, and Business Insider NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / The Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour has become an industry favorite amongst retail and e-Commerce CEOs looking to increase their brand awareness, sales growth, and media exposure. CEOs who have signed onto the Guided Tour program have seen great progress, with companies being featured on Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Business Insider, and Cheddar, just to name a few outlets. "The success retail and e-Commerce companies have had on the Guided Tour has been phenomenal," said Charlie Terenzio, Director of Earned Media Strategy at Newswire, "The main goal for any CEO is to increase sales and revenue. Through the Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour, we are able to grow awareness, drive website traffic and improve SEO for retail and e-commerce companies which results in more sales and revenue." Earned Media Advantage Strategists (EMAS) are assigned to each retail or e-Commerce company that signs on to the program. Each strategist connects with the company's CEOs and other executive-level staff to better understand the needs of the company. After the initial call, the strategist creates a comprehensive media and communications plan on-demand that is used in every press release campaign moving forward. "Having an on-demand plan improves the quality and performance of every campaign," said Terenzio, "Using the Guided Tour to extend the reach and production of their media and marketing communications team is a major benefit for companies to increase the productivity of their staff without adding additional headcount." Retail and e-Commerce companies on the Guided Tour have gained the Earned Media Advantage: greater brand awareness, increased website traffic, greater return on media and marketing communications spend, and increased sales. The program has allowed these companies to cut their time to market, and focus their efforts on the right path to improve sales and marketing strategies. Download How the Earned Media Advantage is Transforming Business and discover how to empower your go to market strategies with the Earned Media Advantage. About Newswire? Newswire delivers press release and multimedia distribution software and services (SaaS) that empower the Earned Media Advantage: greater brand awareness, increased traffic, greater return on media and marketing communications spend and the competitive edge. With over a decade of experience, Newswire continues to provide its customers with the ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time through the right medium.? To learn and experience Newswire, visit http://www.newswire.com Contact Information: Charlie Terenzio Director of Earned Media Strategy ?Newswire ?Office: 813-480-3766 Email: charlie@newswire.co SOURCE: Earned Media Advantage Guided Tour View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575982/Retail-E-Commerce-CEOs-Leverage-Newswires-Earned-Media-Advantage-Guided-Tour-to-Accelerate-Company-Growth Syracuse, N.Y. Republican Angi Renna said today shes focused on winning an open Central New York state Senate seat in this years general election. Were really focused on the election in November, she said today as she kicked off her campaign for the 50th Senate District. Yet she didnt fully rule out a contest in an April special election. Were prepared to go forward with whatever the (Republican Party) committee would like to do, she said. The 50th Senate District seat is currently open because Bob Antonacci, its last representative, won a judge seat last fall. On Monday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo called for an April special election to fill the seat. At the same time, candidates interested in the 50th must also begin campaigning for the normal political calendar, which ends with a November election. So far, Renna and the Republicans have indicated their focus is on the fall contest. Onondaga County Republican Committee Chairman Tom Dadey did not immediately respond to an inquiry this afternoon. John W. Mannion, of Geddes, is vying to fill the 50th District seat being vacated by Sen. Bob Antonacci. Provided photoProvided photo Either way, Renna, 45, of Manlius will face Democrat John Mannion. He is running in the April race. If he wins, hell have to turn around and run again in the fall though in that case hed be the incumbent. Mannion, 51, of Geddes, is a high school teacher who ran for the same seat in 2018. He lost by about 2 percentage points to Antonacci. The race attracted about $3 million in political contributions. Today, Renna said she wished politics didnt include campaign contributions. I dont have special interests backing me, she said. This is her first entry into politics as a candidate. She moved to the Syracuse area 25 years ago and is the president of Sterling Financial Group. One of her top concerns is the states changes to the bail system, which took away judges discretion to impose bail for many criminal charges. She said she wants to work to repeal or reform the law. The district wraps around most of the city of Syracuse. It stretches from DeWitt and Manlius west into the city of Auburn and 4 towns in Cayuga County. In Onondaga County it also include the North Side of Syracuse and the towns of Clay, Lysander, Elbridge, Skaneateles, Van Buren, Otisco, Onondaga, Geddes and Spafford. Renna also has the designation from the Cayuga County Republican Committee. Heres a list of candidates the Onondaga County Republicans have designated so far: John Katko, of Camillus, for the 24th Congressional District. Katko is serving his third term in the seat. Sam Rodgers, of Syracuse, for the 53rd Senate District. Rachel May, a Democrat of Syracuse, is serving her first term in the seat. Will Barclay, of Pulaski, for the 120th Assembly District. Hes serving his ninth term in office. Ed Weber for the 129th Assembly District. Democrat Bill Magnarelli, who was first elected to the office in 1998, represents the district. Stephanie Jackson, of Mattydale, for the 128th Assembly District. Democrat Pam Hunter, who was first elected in 2015, represents the district. Mark Venesky, of Cicero, for the 127th Assembly District. Democrat Al Stirpe, who was first elected in 2006, represents the district. Paula Engel and Salvatore Pavone got the Republican designation for Onondaga County Family Court. The Onondaga County Democrats will designate on Saturday. 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. * Indonesia Dec retail sales fall 0.5% y/y * Malaysia trade deficit narrows to 6-month low in Dec * Singapore visitor numbers to drop by 25-30% in 2020 By Arundhati Dutta Feb 11 (Reuters) - Most Southeast Asian stock markets rose on Tuesday as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed in China, but a rising death toll prompted concerns over how soon Chinese factories could return to work and kept gains in check. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in China soared past 1000 on Tuesday and the number of confirmed cases on the mainland was 2,478 on Monday, down from 3,062 the previous day, bringing the total to 42,638. "While some factories are targeted to resume production this week, it could be challenging as the increasing municipal lockdowns hinder migrant workers from returning to work," said Nathan Chow, economist at DBS Group Research, in a note. Factory closures will be disruptive for China's trade, which had "begun showing signs of recovery in December", Chow said. Singapore stocks closed 0.4% higher, after rising as much as 1% earlier in the session. Heavyweight financial stocks DBS Group Holdings gained 1% and United Overseas Bank rose 1.7%. The city-state expects visitor numbers to drop by 25-30% this year due to the virus outbreak, with a significant decline in Chinese travel, its tourism board said on Tuesday. Indonesian shares gave up early gains to end flat. The country's retail sales contracted 0.5% in December from a year earlier, despite year-end festivities, according to a central bank survey released on Tuesday. The Philippine index closed slightly higher, lifted by gains in big caps Globe Telecom and GT Capital Holdings. Government data showed that Philippines' trade deficit had narrowed to its lowest in six months in December due to a surge in exports. Malaysian stocks added 0.6%, aided by shares of blue chip companies Tenaga Nasional and Petronas Chemicals Group . Bucking the trend, the Thai index fell 0.7%, which marked its worst day in a week. The world's second largest sugar exporter could see its 2019-20 sugar production fall to between 8 million - 9 million tonnes due to drought, industry executives said on Tuesday. For Asian Companies click; SOUTHEAST ASIAN STOCK MARKETS STOCK MARKETS Change on the day Market Current Previous close Pct Move Singapore 3175.57 3163.15 0.39 Bangkok 1523.93 1535.24 -0.74 Manila 7439.4 7430.86 0.11 Jakarta 5954.397 5952.083 0.04 Kuala Lumpur 1551.48 1542.8 0.56 Ho Chi Minh 934.67 930.73 0.42 Change so far in 2020 Market Current End 2019 Pct Move Singapore 3175.57 3222.83 -1.47 Bangkok 1523.93 1579.84 -3.54 Manila 7439.4 7,815.26 -4.81 Jakarta 5954.397 6,299.54 -5.48 Kuala Lumpur 1551.48 1588.76 -2.35 Ho Chi Minh 934.67 960.99 -2.74 (Reporting by Arundhati Dutta; Editing by Amy Caren Daniel) Marylene Levesque was killed by a man in Quebec City last month, not by a law, as some sex industry supporters claim. The idea that her killer would have been less of a danger if he was legally entitled to buy sex is wrong. To the contrary, the failure of police to enforce the law against pimps, brothels and sex buyers and the complicity of the parole officials, who allowed this man to commit a crime while on day parole, together ensure that women like Levesque will remain acutely vulnerable to mens violence. In 2014, Parliament amended the Criminal Code to make it an offence to buy or attempt to buy sexual services, in any location, from a person of any age. This act was classified as an offence against the person, which means that it is an act of violence. At the same time, the law made clear that people who sell sexual services, who are mostly women, would not be subject to prosecution in almost all locations. This law also criminalized the acts of those who profit from other peoples prostitution pimps and brothel owners, for example. These laws were drafted in a way that mirrors an emerging international trend Sweden, Norway, Iceland, France, Northern Ireland have all passed such laws. Laws alone will not end the male demand for women in prostitution, any more than laws against murder will end homicide or laws against theft will end stealing. But they are a necessary cornerstone for any society that wants to resist entrenching mens sexual entitlement to womens bodies the same sexual entitlement that underlies sexual harassment, sexual assault, and femicide, as the killing of Levesque shows. These criminal laws need to be accompanied by robust enforcement, generous social supports for vulnerable women, and public education that makes clear that buying sex is a crime. Unfortunately, the recent killing of Levesque is being used by supporters of the prostitution industry to demand that the government amend the law to permit men to buy women in prostitution and to provide impunity for those who profit from the sale of womens bodies. In making that demand, these advocates obfuscate calling for the decriminalization of sex work without acknowledging that the people they would actually be decriminalizing are the johns and pimps, not the women selling sex, who have already been immunized from prosecution. Cases like Levesques show us exactly what happens when laws against sex buyers are not enforced. The parole officials in this case behaved as if purchasing sexual services was already legal. Decriminalization of her male buyers would not have saved Levesque and it would instead have normalized what the parole officials did in this case. Decriminalizing her profiteers would not have changed the economic incentives that encouraged them to keep her stuck in prostitution and pushed her into that hotel room. Enforcing the law could have kept this man away from her. Women are recruited into prostitution by commercial massage parlours and pimps, who operate with impunity because police decline to enforce the laws against obtaining a material benefit from someone elses prostitution. Men are given the green light to do what they want to the women that they buy, because police decline to enforce the law against buyers. When buying sex is legal, it becomes normalized and more of it will happen. When laws against buying sex are not enforced, the same result follows. When buyers know they risk actual arrest, they are more likely to stop buying. The kind of asymmetrical laws we have in Canada put power in the hands of women, who can report buyers to police without risking arrest themselves. Media coverage of this issue is remarkably one-sided almost none of the recent coverage of Levesques killing has even mentioned that a wide cross-section of groups and individuals support the current laws, and agree that their nonenforcement is the problem. MPs who support the current laws are derided for daring to ask the obvious question why is it mostly poor, racialized and Indigenous women who are consigned to do this job and why are so many women of privilege content to outsource to those vulnerable women the task of doing what men demand sexually, when and where they demand it? We are gathered in a large convention centre, one usually used for corporate conferences and swimming pool expos, with the lights dimmed, our eyes closed, attempting to call forth our "spirit guides. One woman sees the Archangel Michael, another envisions Gandhi, and one says she was "visited" by the high priestess of mind-body-spirit connection, Louise Hay, who placed angel wings on her back. Gabrielle Bernstein, a "spirit junkie" who claims to be able to help people learn to attract the life they want. I might have been envious of these otherworldly encounters, except envy is an emotion of low "vibrational energy" and thats not where you want to linger. Not when youre in the presence of Gabrielle Bernstein, the American motivational speaker and life coach whos created a lucrative global business by helping people "manifest" their dreams. That's who we came here to see this day (at a cost of $245). The angel guides were just a bonus. This sassy New York-born "spirit junkie" in skinny white jeans and ankle boots and perfect GHD waves draws "seekers" from all over the world clambering for a dose of her wisdom. 'Kejriwal took political steps and micro level care at every level not to allow the consolidation of Hindu votes behind the BJP,' observes Sheela Bhatt, the distinguished political commentator. IMAGE: Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, left, and Manish Sisodia walk to the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place, New Delhi, February 11, 2020, the day AAP won a remarkable electoral victory in Delhi. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo Arvind Kejriwal and Delhi's voters have written a new chapter of history where the forces of the Right, who are wooing Hindu voters, have a new challenger, language and new confidence. Nothing much remains to analyse Tuesday's results where the Aam Aadmi Party won 62 of Delhi's 70 assembly seats and the Bharatiya Janata Party won 8. The voters have spoken so loudly. Kejriwal should not be undervalued by 'ifs and buts' because the BJP fought the Delhi election with all its might and lost it disgracefully. It is an absolute electoral setback for the BJP and a personal defeat for Amit Anilchandra Shah, India's home minister. Kejriwal's version of 'Vikas' (development) has won and Shah's version of 'Rashtravaad' (nationalism) has lost. Shah could get his party around 8 percent more votes than it won in the 2015 assembly election -- 40% -- but it was way below AAP's 54% vote share. It is a thumping victory for what Kejriwal represents and one of the biggest defeats for Shah who had taken command of the BJP's battle for Delhi. The battle for Delhi acquired a heft disproportionate to its actual significance due to Shah's proactive efforts to take on the CAA issue via the election. At another level, he and his party created an ugly battle by pitching language to create a division of voters. At one level, the battle was between Kejriwal and Shah's respective political poll strategies. At another level, the election was about Shah versus the Shaheen Bagh protests. And there was another least discussed battle -- of a class war -- in the mega city of 20 million people where the lower middle class and poor had faith in Kejriwal to keep supplying freebies in an era when the Indian economy is depressed. It is economically unaffordable in the long run for any government to provide free civic services, but Kejriwal has analysed the ground realties well since his election in 2015 and secured a huge advantage. His sensitivity towards the cost of civic services to voters gave him Tuesday's sensational triumph. This class war gave Kejriwal a reach that Shah could not breach with his 'identity politics'. The BJP lost the battle, but gained vote share so it is not exactly a straight victory for 'secular' forces against the BJP. The Congress's complete rout created a particular situation where the consolidated Muslim vote helped the AAP in 20 seats. Shah's failure is strikingly visible in Okhla where Shaheen Bagh is located. Here, the AAP's controversial candidate Amanulla Khan won with a margin more then what the BJP nominee polled. It is a clear victory for AAP's restrained and dignified election campaign. AAP took great care of Hindu voter sentiments. Kejriwal took political steps and micro level care at every level not to allow the consolidation of Hindu votes behind the BJP. It is sensational that Kejriwal never visited the protests at Shaheen Bagh which started as local women's civil resistance before becoming what it is today. The results are a clear defeat for the BJP's divisive campaign that segregated Muslim voters who united and strategically voted for Kejriwal. Kejriwal's victory also introduces a competitor on the right of centre of Indian politics. Although Kejriwal has failed in the past when he contested against Narendra Damodardas Modi in the 2014 Lok Sabha election in Varanasi and when AAP contested the 2017 Punjab assembly election, he encounters better circumstances now. Young voters could be his new catchment area. It was a victory for Kejriwal's brilliance that he eluded the trap laid by Shah to turn the Delhi battle into a 'secular versus communal' fight. It was a forward movement for an electoral campaign in India that an incumbent regional party government fought an election with confidence on the issue of development against a national party. Now, the BJP will be unable to ignore the trend set in Delhi. 'Show development, take our votes' is an offer from voters. It is a big time advantage for the poor. But the economic consequences will be felt if this model is adopted in other states. The Tamil Nadu trend of election time freebies has spread. Kejriwal has developed a concoction of mild Right-wing politics with a Left-leaning governance style. One does not know without having zero power bills in thousands of homes and in the absence of free daily bus travel to hundreds of thousands of Delhi women, how the BJP's 'divisive politics' would have worked on voters's minds. One slum dweller, while watching Kejriwal's victory on television, anxiously wanted to know if bus travel for Delhi's women will remain free for the next five years. For a moment, she feared that Kejriwal's victory would end her free bus rides. In the current economic era, free power, free travel on public transport and better schools for the poor certainly remains a priority. This 'class war' is the result of the craving to survive in a hopeless city with some decency. The BJP's conventional voters have not deserted the party, but a depressed economy proved advanatagous for Kejriwal to retain his support. Even though Kejriwal did not back or vociferously oppose the ongoing larger battle over the CAA/NPR/NCR throughout the election campaign, he was setting his own terms to woo Hindu voters. Kejriwal will now ardently wish for the smooth winding up of the Shaheen Bagh protest. He is likely to prefer it through a court order. Finally, one must mention that the democratic process of the Delhi election is proving the biases and impatience of critics of the current state of India, particularly, Western ones. How little they know of India and about the Indian people! Their pessimism is misplaced. Not only is electoral democracy working smoothly in India, even institutions like the Election Commission work well in spite of imperfections. What better proof of this than that Delhi's voters voted without fear and that too decisively against a party that rules the Centre. 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. [February 11, 2020] EMV Cards Market 2020-2024|Increasing Number of Cashless Transaction to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the EMV cards market and it is poised to grow by USD 803.22 million during the forecast period, 2020-2024. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005679/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global EMV cards market 2020-2024 (Photo: Business Wire) An increasing number of cashless transactions has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the popularity of mobile payments might hamper the market growth. Request a free sample report EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Segmentation EMV Cards Market is segmented as below: Technology Contactless Contact Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40052 EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our EMV cards market report covers the following areas: EMV Cards Market Size EMV Cards Market Trends EMV Cards Market Industry Analysis This study identifies advent of biometric EMV cards as one of the prime reasons driving the EMV cards market growth during the next few years. EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the EMV cards market, including some of the vendors such as American Banknote Corp., CPI Card Group Inc., Fiserv Inc., Giesecke+Devrient GmbH, Goldpac Group Ltd., IDEMIA, IdentiSys Inc., Perfect Plastic Printing Corp., Thales (News - Alert) Group and Valid Solucoes SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the EMV cards market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist EMV cards market growth during the next five years Estimation of the EMV cards market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the EMV cards market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of EMV cards market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005679/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Brand new bikers tours in 2020 promise to be Dream Riders New Year gift to biking enthusiasts (TRAVPR.COM) INDIA - February 11th, 2020 - Dream Riders has been the go-to company for bikers for biking expeditions and tours across India for several years. In 2020, the company will be adding a few more tours and expeditions to its already long-list of biking trips across the country. These trips will take place across three of the most renowned mountain destinations in India; the north-eastern states of Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and the recently formed union territory of Ladakh. There will be two new Arunachal Pradesh tours. One will take bikers from Assam capital Guwahati to the high-altitude town of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh and then back again to Guwahati in an 8-day expedition. The other one will see bikers start from Guwahati and cross the town of Ziro and the river island of Majuli before culminating at Guwahati; a 10-day affair. Arunachal Pradesh is one of the lesser explored Himalayan destinations in India, but its beauty is unparalleled., said Dream Riders ownerHiren Patel. For quite some time, we have been receiving requests from our followers to start expeditions in the remote and rugged north-eastern state., he continued. He also added that Dream Riders impeccable safety record in high-altitude regions like Spiti and Sikkim motivated him and his team to try something more challenging. The Meghalaya tour will involve bikers starting from Guwahati and then exploring the state of Meghalaya, famous for its rolling hills and waterfalls. Patel explained how Meghalaya has not been truly explored as a biking destination. In terms of mountain biking, most bikers go for high-altitude Himalayan routes. However, I have found that the biking experience in Meghalaya is also just as adventurous and thrilling. Yes, the hills may not be as towering and intimidating as the Himalayas, but it is still an extremely beautiful biking destination that is surely worth exploring. He also explained how a biking trip in Meghalaya can prepare bikers for tougher expeditions. A lot of rookie bikers suffer on the high-altitude Himalayan roads due to altitude sickness and also the bad conditions of roads across a variety of routes. However, there are no such worries in Meghalaya. He claimed that even though the state experiences frequent rains, its relatively low altitude and well-maintained roads made it a much easier biking destination, which makes it ideal for bikers who are just starting to develop a taste for mountain biking. The Ladakh tour will see bikers start from Leh, Ladakhs capital, and travel through Kargil, Rangdum, and onto Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar, arguably Indias most remote valley. The Ladakh itinerary is meant for experienced mountain bikers as it is a 10-day biking expedition that traverses three high-altitude passes. The road leading into Zanskar from Kargil is quite rough as well and thats an understatement, said Patel. With the New Yearhaving already begun, bikers will be relishing the prospect of being a part of Dream Riders newly launched expeditions according to Patel. The entire Dream Riders team has done a lot for the biking community in India over the years. It has also catered to international travellers from Europe, Australia and New Zeeland, Netherland and there is no doubting our track record. Therefore its quite natural that our latest additions to our catalogue of biking expeditions will be something that both Indian and international biking enthusiasts will be looking forward to in the days to come. Only time will tell if these latest tours bring more acclaim to the Dream Riders team. But for now, its safe to say that they will surely attract the attention of bikers who seek the thrill of adventure over everything else in life. About The Dream Riders Group Founded in 2009 by Hiren Patel, Dream Riders started with just a single offering; a biking expedition in and around Ladakhs capital city of Leh. As the company gained momentum through its emphasis on safety and customer satisfaction, it added more biking expeditions to its catalogue. At present, the Dream Riders Group offers biking expeditions in a wide variety of places across India. Some of the companys most popular biking expeditions take bikers across Sikkim, Ladakh, Bhutan, Nepal, Uttarakhand, Rann of Kutch, Rajasthan and several South Indian destinations as well. Find out more about Dream Riders biking expeditions and past achievements on their website. ### HERNANDO, Miss. - Attorneys questioned potential jurors Tuesday for the death penalty case of a Mississippi man accused of killing eight people. It was the second day of jury selection in the trial of Willie Cory Godbolt. It was not immediately clear when the 12 jurors and three alternates would be chosen by. Investigators said Godbolt went to his in-laws home in south Mississippis Lincoln County in May 2017 and argued with his estranged wife and her family over the couples two children. A deputy was called, and a witness said Godbolt shot and killed the deputy, Godbolts mother-in-law and two other people. After that, Godbolt shot and killed four other people at two other homes, police said. Godbolt, now 37, said Im sorry while a reporter was recording him after the shootings. Jurors and alternates were being chosen in north Mississippis DeSoto County. They will be taken about 285 miles (460 kilometres) south to hear the trial at a courthouse in Magnolia, which is near Lincoln County. Godbolt has pleaded not guilty to four counts of capital murder, four counts of murder, one count of attempted murder, two counts of kidnapping and one count of armed robbery. He has remained in custody since his arrest on May 28, 2017, hours after the shootings. One of his attorneys has said Godbolt is unlikely to use an insanity defence. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas on Tuesday urged the UN Security Council to reject President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, saying it would splinter Palestinian lands and never bring lasting peace. Brandishing a large map of a future Palestine as laid out by Trump, Abbas denounced it as a "Swiss cheese" deal that would give the Palestinians only a "fragmented state" without control of their airspace, territorial waters or East Jerusalem. "Who among you would accept such a state?" Abbas asked, as he warned that Israel would create an "apartheid" situation if it moves ahead with annexation. "I would like to say to Mr Donald Trump that his plan cannot achieve peace and security as it cancels international legitimacy," Abbas said. "If you impose peace it will not last, it cannot last." "This deal is not an international partnership. This proposal was from one state, supported by another state to be imposed." The Palestinians have sought to rally international support against the plan, which Trump unveiled alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on January 28. But in a setback, the Palestinians dropped plans for a vote on a resolution Tuesday that would denounce the proposal. Diplomats said that the United States has put heavy pressure, including threats of financial repercussions, on Security Council members and that even some European nations were hesitant. A senior US official hailed the development, saying: "By not putting forward a polarizing resolution, the United Nations Security Council demonstrated that the old way of doing things is over." - Israel ex-PM backs Abbas - The veteran 84-year-old leader, long considered a moderate among the Palestinians, rejected the use of violence but said that street protests showed the deep opposition to Israeli occupation. "Our entire people is saying 'No, no, no' to this deal," he said. Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, replied that Abbas stood in the way of a solution. "Only when he steps down can Israel and the Palestinians move forward," Danon said. "He is trying to blame the lack of progress on Israel. Complaining instead of leading is not leadership," he said, calling on the Palestinians to find a "realistic solution." Abbas, however, won a show of support as he met in New York with Netanyahu's predecessor Ehud Olmert, who said that any negotiations needed to involve the Palestinian leader. "He is a man of peace, he is opposed to terror, and therefore he is the only partner that we can deal with," Olmert, a centrist who served as prime minister from 2006 to 2009, told reporters with Abbas at his side. Whenever negotiations start, "the partner of Israel to these negotiations will be Mahmud Abbas, the president of the Palestinian Authority," Olmert said. Danon, the Israeli ambassador, lashed out at Olmert for going ahead with the meeting. "He is endorsing diplomatic terrorism against Israel. It is shameful," Danon said. - Joint stance by Europeans - The Palestinians previously won support from the Arab League, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation and the African Union which have all rejected Trump's plan. On Tuesday, the four European Union members of the Security Council -- France, Germany, Belgium and Estonia -- as well as Poland, which left the council at the end of last year, jointly said that any Middle East solution needs to be based on lines before 1967, when Israel seized the West Bank in the Six-Day War. Trump's plan "departs from these internationally agreed parameters," they said in a joint statement, while applauding "all efforts" to reach a peaceful resolution. The European Union earlier failed to issue a similar joint statement among all members due to resistance from a handful of countries including Hungary, led by right-wing populist Viktor Orban. Trump's plan would establish a Palestinian state but grant Israel sovereignty stretching to the Jordanian border, including over Jewish settlements built since 1967. The plan would recognize contested Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel but allow the Palestinians to establish a capital on the holy city's eastern outskirts. Hours after Trump unveiled the plan, Netanyahu began to move forward with plans to annex much of the West Bank. Despite the Palestinians' refusal to deal with Trump, Abbas said that his first impressions of the billionaire turned president had been favorable. Trump, whose evangelical Christian base is strongly supportive of Israel, has taken a series of landmark steps, such as recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's capital and ending assistance to the UN body that helps Palestinian refugees. "I do not know who gave him this advice. The President Trump I met was not like that," Abbas said. BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday said his party accepts the mandate given by the people of Delhi and it will play the role of a constructive opposition. Congratulating Arvind Kejriwal and AAP for their victory in the Delhi assembly election, Nadda said in a series of tweets that the BJP hopes the AAP government will work for the overall development of the national capital. He also expressed gratitude towards BJP workers, saying they worked day and night for the party's victory. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Facebook has pulled out of a major event amid fears about coronavirus. The company is just the latest to say it will not participate in the MWC 2020 tech conference because of worries about the spread of the disease. Many of the world's biggest tech companies from Amazon to Sony have pulled out of the event in Barcelona amid fears their staff may come into contact with the virus. Facebook said it had made the decision "out of an abundance of caution" because of the "evolving public health risks related to the coronavirus". Organiser the GSMA has insisted the MWC will go ahead as planned and introduced strict new safety measures - including banning attendees from the Chinese province where the outbreak is believed to have originated - but many companies are opting to reduce their presence or skip the show entirely. 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 Facebook's decision came on the same day Intel announced it would pull out of the event, joining LG, Amazon, TCL, Sony, Ericsson, Nvidia and more. In a statement, Intel said: "The safety and well-being of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this year's Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution. Recommended Coronavirus fears leads tech firms to pull out of major MWC conference "We are grateful to the GSMA for their understanding and look forward to attending and supporting future Mobile World Congress events." The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has now passed 1,000 people, health authorities announced on Tuesday morning. On Monday, the GSMA confirmed it was continuing preparations for the convention, which traditionally attracts more than 100,000 visitors, including around 6,000 from China. As part of the enhanced safety measures, the organisers confirmed that MWC attendees who have recently been to China will be asked to confirm that they have been outside the country for 14 days prior to the show. Organisers have also confirmed that temperature screening will be in place and it is encouraging those attending to adopt a "no-handshake" policy. Several other high-profile companies due to appear at MWC remain committed to the event. Chinese tech giant Huawei has said it is still planning to attend, while Samsung has not publicly commented on any plans to reduce its presence at the trade show or withdraw altogether. By Friday evening, I was already over it. The weeks run stormy during election season and this one in particular was a gale, a hurricane of major events swirling in rapid succession. Iowans caucused on Monday, and Caucus Monday still hadnt found its ending on Tuesday when the president delivered his State of the Union address, or the next day when he was acquitted in his impeachment trial. I cant recall what, if anything, happened on Thursday. But as the television droned in the background, and I hurried around my kitchen trying to get dinner into the Instant Pot, I knew that it was debate night, which by some cruel DNC joke was happening on a FridayFriday!evening, and I was exhausted. Advertisement I dont think theres any question, George, that after this week theres a real threat that Donald Trump can get reelected. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement I chopped chuck roast and sighed. Im not interested in the labels. Im not interested in what Republicans are going to say. Im interested in the style of politics that we need to put forward to actually, finally turn the page. My eyes rolled as I sliced the celery, onions and carrots. This is about our government. This is about our democracy. This is about our future. I added the tomato juice and seasonings to the pot. Thus far, the debate was going as expected. Everyone was spitting a version of their prepared statements and landing their applause lines. But as I clicked the pots lid into place, I heard a rise in Tom Steyers voice. He had been discussing Republican attempts to pack the courts before he decided to try and rise above the question, to challenge the moderators for asking policy questions on which the candidates mostly agree instead of explicitly asking who can unite the Democratic Party to beat President Donald Trump. I presume this sliver of a thought got him thinking about the racial diversity of the Democratic basea stark contrast to the stageand ignited his self-given obligation to mention the fact that race hadnt even come up yet: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement We have not said one word tonight about race. Not one word. Are you kidding me? We have the most diverse party. We have a very diverse country. We have a very diverse party. The heart and soul of this party is diversity: Black people, Latinos, AAPI people, Native Americans, and white people. But for goodness sakes, pull it together. Were talking about something different. The question we have is, how are we getting that diverse group of people to the polls? What are we saying? Everybody on this stage feels the same way about a womans right to choose and economic justice. The question is how do we beat Trump? How do we take down these Republicans? Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Steyer didnt exactly connect the idea of acknowledging race to the subject he was trying to talk about. But his swerve did jerk the conversationwhich had drifted to who could best unite the country, foreign policy, and abortionto the topic of racism in America. Soon after, the moderatorswhether intentionally or by coincidencebegan asking the candidates race-pointed questions. Moderator Linsey Davis asked Pete Buttigieg about increased marijuana-related arrests of Black citizens during his tenure as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and then pressed him when he dodged the question. This led Sen. Elizabeth Warren to criticize Buttigiegs avoidance before she broadened the conversation out to advocating for race-conscious laws in housing, education, and entrepreneurship. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Andrew Yang, the lone candidate of color left onstage, leaped into the ring. Elizabeth, with respect, you cant regulate away racism with a whole patchwork of laws that are race-specific, he said, and then invoked a rather incomplete version of Martin Luther King Jr. to argue that his own Freedom Dividend plan is rooted in Kings belief that a universal basic income would aid in the eradication of poverty. Steyer jumped back in and yanked the conversation to reparations. He asked former Vice President Joe Biden to disavow Democratic South Carolina state Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a Biden supporter whod accused the chair of the states Legislative Black Caucus of being bought by Steyers money. Biden pointed out all the Black politicians who support him. Sen. Bernie Sanders popped over and claimed he had even more Black Caucus members in South Carolina backing his campaign. Steyer pleaded with the two to not to argue about polls. Biden reminded him that endorsements arent polls. Steyer demanded an answer on Harpootlian. Biden gave him one and pivoted to the importance of not taking the Black community for granted before laying out how much he has done for Black people throughout his career. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Fatigue jolted through me, as the events of the week compounded with the overwhelming whiteness of the stage. The Democratic contest had been winnowed from the most diverse primary field since Reconstruction to three people of color, two of whom were not on stage. And I dont know bout yall, but watching white people shout over each other about who can, or will, do the most for Black folks can be exhausting. For a party that lays claim to such a racially diverse base, the presentation of mostly white contenders is jarring. Its partially a malady of the DNCs increasingly strict qualifications to land a spot on the debate stage. Candidates of color havent been afforded as many opportunities to make their case for addressing racism in America. To get on the debate stage, you need money and adherents. To get adherents, you need money and a spot in the debate. Advertisement A food burn alert blared across my Instant Pot as the portion of the debate dedicated to Americas longest-running psychodrama sped forward at full speed. Moderator George Stephanopoulos encouraged the candidates to keep at it: Warren was elated Democrats were talking about racism since it only seems to come up during election season. Klobuchar mentioned the abysmal maternal mortality rates for Black women. Steyer said he wants a commission to retell the story of the last 400 years in America of systematic racism against African Americans. Yang reiterated the need for a universal basic income. Buttigieg was noticeably silent. Advertisement Advertisement Discussions of racism had dominated the stage for roughly 19 minutes. It wasnt enough, and yet in some ways it was too much. It felt performative, but passionate dialogue about racism is necessary. As I stood there watching the television, however, I couldnt knock the feeling that this conversationas fervent as it wasexisted as mostly a production of the white guilt that has manifested in response to an overtly racist incumbent. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Dont misunderstand methis is better than the alternative where they dont mention racism and disparities at all. A new era of Black protest has forced politicians to be more vocal about where they stand on racism and how they intend to address the myriad problems that disproportionately plague said communities. Some of the remaining candidates have developed impressively substantive policy platforms that focus on uplifting Black folks. But former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Kamala Harris, and Sen. Cory Booker were raising those issues toowith the lived experience to further substantiate it. Yet their perspectives were missing. The pot continued to beep as the mostly white stage, which seemed desperately aware of the collective responsibility to speak on behalf of the missing demographics, moved on to their next topic: Michael Bloomberg. I shuffled back into the kitchen and tried to save my dinner, wondering how food burns in an Instant Pot anyway, and how a stage could be full of people talking about inclusion without including any Black people. By Mark Koday Koday, DDS, retired after 34 years from the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, which serves patients throughout the Pacific Northwest. He is also the director of the Northwest Dental Residency. As the recently retired chief dental officer for the Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic, I dedicated my career to serving communities who are the most likely to face barriers in attaining dental care. Our community health center operates 14 dental clinics spanning eastern Washington and Oregon, with a mission to serve the poor and address their oral health needs. And so its of great concern that Oregon lawmakers are considering a bill that would essentially create a two-tier system of care with one level of provider for low-income, rural and marginalized communities, and another for patients in more privileged circumstances. Senate Bill 1549 proposes that Oregon license a new type of dental provider a dental therapist to expand access to critically needed oral health care for rural and low-income Oregonians. But it misses the mark. Instead of expanding access to high-quality care to those who need it most, the bill essentially creates a two-tier system that disadvantages the poor, those living in remote areas and individuals facing other barriers to receiving care. A dental therapist, who may only have a high school diploma, a certificate from an Alaska program not certified by the Commission on Dental Accreditation and a limited number of clinic hours, would be intended to care for underserved communities. While a dental therapist may not be allowed to thoroughly clean a patients teeth, they could pull their teeth a procedure that dental assistants and dental hygienists are not even authorized to do. My concern with Oregons proposed dental therapy bill extends beyond the two-tier health care model. Existing dental therapy programs are in the very initial stages of development and evaluation. Furthermore, they vary widely in terms of what procedures these providers are allowed to perform, how much supervision they have and how much training and education theyre required to complete. Oregons bill ignores these critical factors and instead would allow dental therapists from anywhere in the country or even outside the United States, to practice in Oregon, regardless of the scope of practice or training requirements for their license. Why is Oregon proposing creating a new, mid-level provider to serve vulnerable communities rather than ensuring these communities can access the same types of providers as everyone else? Why not go beyond simply looking at creating new providers and address the root of the problem? Dental disease is preventable. We have providers and programs already in place that can address this. Share your opinion Submit your essay of 500-700 words on a highly topical issue or a theme of particular relevance to the Pacific Northwest, Oregon and the Portland area to commentary@oregonian.com. Please include your email and phone number for verification. For example, community dental health coordinators are already working in at least 26 states nationwide, including in Oregon. These coordinators are community health workers with dental skills. They are usually dental assistants or hygienists who take additional curriculum to help their patients navigate the complicated health care system. Working in community health centers, tribal clinics, private practices, schools, Head Start programs, and hospitals, they provide education, preventive care and coordinate access to long-term treatment. These front-line dental health workers usually come from the communities they serve, helping to break down cultural and language barriers. This model was recently proven to bridge the gap between vulnerable populations and dental care access through a pilot project in Washington County. My program provides top-tier dental health services to some of the most vulnerable members of our community every single day. With the right tools and programs in place, Oregon can provide this high level of care to everyone, without giving in to a two-tier health system or lowering the standard of care for low-income or rural communities. Please join me in opposing SB 1549. Dolf Jansen verdiepte zich voor het coronagedeelte van zijn volgende voorstelling in het gedrag van de hamsteraar. "Ik hoorde een psycholoog uitleggen dat mensen het gedrag van anderen kopieren, ook al weten ze dat het nutteloos gedrag is. Dat lijkt mij de verklaring voor het jarenlange succes van De Toppers", aldus de cabaretier dinsdag in Trouw Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 21:01:03|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Stop the discrimination and panic, and let common sense prevail, say U.S. officials, doctors, entrepreneurs and health experts, urging the American public to guard against any xenophobia surrounding the novel coronavirus. by Miao Xiaojuan NEW YORK, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- As China races to contain the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) and minimize its international spread, Chinese nationals living abroad are having to fight a battle of their own -- of stigma and discrimination. The 2019-nCoV, which started in the Chinese city of Wuhan and can cause respiratory illness and pneumonia, has infected 42,638 people on the Chinese mainland as of Monday. In the United States, only 12 cases have been confirmed and the immediate risk of the virus remains low to the general public. However, false health information, including warnings to avoid Asian food and Asian-populated areas, has circulated, while a barrage of vicious discussions and derogatory jokes about Chinese people or Asians in general have gathered momentum online. "I am very concerned and it's unfortunate. There's no reason for the American public to fear Asians in our community, and it really saddens me to hear these stories," Nancy Messonnier, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told Xinhua. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks at a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 4, 2020. Guterres voiced concern about the possibility of discrimination against certain groups of people due to the novel coronavirus epidemic.(Xinhua/Wang Jiangang) Her words were echoed by Dr. Marybeth Sexton, assistant professor at the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine. "All of the infected patients are either isolated at home or hospitalized, and public health officials are closely monitoring anyone else who is at high risk of having had exposure," Sexton said. "There's no reason to assume that anyone you meet in public, of any ethnic or racial background, poses a risk to you." It is critical that the American public guards against any xenophobia surrounding the novel coronavirus and lets common sense prevail, as urged by U.S. officials, doctors, entrepreneurs and CDC experts during their interviews with Xinhua. A so-called virus of misinformation and disinformation could be a greater danger than the novel coronavirus itself, observers have said, adding that a concern for public health should not justify anti-Asian sentiments. FIGHTING RACIAL STEREOTYPING In recent weeks, an 8-year-old boy in Washington State wearing a face mask was told by a Costco sample-stand worker to go away because he may come from China; students at Columbia University in New York City were welcomed by a Chinese-language message reading "Wuhan virus isolation area" on a blackboard in a university library; the health services center of the University of California at Berkeley (UC-Berkeley) listed xenophobia toward Asians as a "normal reaction" in an Instagram post on managing fear and anxiety about the viral outbreak; videos of Asian people eating bats accompanied by inaccurate speculation about the cause of the virus and dehumanizing comments went viral; and The Wall Street Journal published an opinion piece titled "China is the Real Sick Man of Asia." Media reports of the above incidents sparked public outcry, prompting many to speak out and action to be taken. Costco has since apologized to the boy and his family; Columbia University has called on students to report any racist incidents; UC-Berkeley has revised its handout, which now reads "Be mindful of your assumptions about others" and "Self-awareness is important in not stigmatizing others in our community"; the viral bat-eating video was discovered to have been shot in the Pacific Island nation of Palau, where the dish is a delicacy; and social media users have slammed The Wall Street Journal's piece for resurrecting an archaic stereotype while making light of a serious outbreak, with an online petition, which demands an apology from the outlet to the Chinese community and either a retraction of the article or a rectification of its title, soliciting over 113,000 signatures within days. Meanwhile, Peter Koo, New York City Council member for the city's 20th district, which includes Flushing, where over a third of its 150,000 residents are Chinese Americans, has warned against calling the virus the "Wuhan coronavirus" or "China coronavirus." "(Viruses are) color-blind. Naming a virus after a country or a city is an unfair insult that exacerbates discrimination against people from China," Koo said. New York City Councilman Peter Koo speaks in an interview with Xinhua in Flushing, New York, the United States, Feb. 7, 2020.(Xinhua/Guo Peiran) WEARING A MASK DOESN'T MEAN ILLNESS A recent video on Twitter showed a man attacking a mask-wearing Asian woman at a Manhattan subway station while cursing at her, shouting, "Don't touch me!" The man called her "diseased," according to Tony He, the New York resident who posted the video. Asian people often wear face masks for daily self-protection from germs, allergies and dust. Since the viral outbreak, many mask-wearing Chinese people living abroad have become victims of abuse due to the heightened fear caused by the coronavirus among the American public. Noting his office has received complaints from parents whose kids wearing face masks are being bullied at school, Koo said while Americans usually might only wear face masks when they are sick, they should still not stigmatize Asians for wearing them. "I hope the Americans will understand that when Asians wear face masks, it does not mean they are sick. But it takes time and education to change cultural perceptions," said the councilman. Scott Sieber, the councilman's deputy chief of staff with years of experience in Asian communities, said that as an American, he actually appreciates when Chinese people wear face masks. "To me, it's someone being precautious and also looking after people around him or her. I understand this as I am familiar with the culture," Sieber said. The CDC and doctors in general believe there is no need to wear a face mask in the United States, only urging people to wash their hands often and avoid being out in public when sick. Charlie Woo, co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based toy manufacturing company Megatoys, however, called on Asian Americans to keep explaining they are not sick when wearing face masks. "If any Asian feels more comfortable wearing face masks, he or she has every right to do so," Woo said, who is also vice chair of the Committee of 100 -- a group composed of elite Chinese Americans striving to ensure full inclusion in the country and advance U.S.-China relations. "The United States has racial issues since the beginning. Hopefully, we make progress one day at a time," Woo said. CHINATOWNS STILL SAFE Angela Wang, owner of a decade-old hair salon in Flushing, said a third of her regular customers used to be non-Chinese, but two days after her employees started wearing face masks, they all stopped coming, in addition to a significant drop in the number of her regular Chinese customers. "All of us have taken off the masks, but our business declined by 90 percent in the past week. If customers are not coming back and the rents are not going down, we might have to shut down within two months," said Wang, who came to the United States 18 years ago from east China's Zhejiang province. Inside a hair salon in Flushing, New York City, the United States. (Xinhua/Miao Xiaojuan) Wang's hair salon is but one of many struggling economically, as Flushing's economic activities have dropped by about 30 percent recently. A sales manager at a spacious dim sum restaurant, who asked to remain anonymous, believes this could be the heaviest blow to their neighborhood in many years. Seeing the virus fear put a dampener on businesses in Chinatowns and Asian communities like Flushing, city officials have told citizens not to change their day-to-day activities. As Mark Treyger, New York City Council Member for the city's 47th district, tweeted, "Stick to the facts about coronavirus by getting your info from trained medical professionals and reliable sources. Basic hygiene rules apply. Call out hate when you see it, and continue to shop, dine and go about your normal everyday routine." New York City Health Commissioner Oxiris Barbot even took the initiative to dine at Chinese restaurants and attend Chinatown celebrations, sharing her experiences on Twitter. "I've been disheartened by reports of bias and discrimination against the Asian community recently. Let me be clear - our public health response is about a virus, not a group of people," she tweeted Thursday, with a picture of her and two others dining at a Chinese restaurant. Then on Sunday she tweeted again, "Today our city is celebrating the Lunar New Year parade in Chinatown, a beautiful cultural tradition with a rich history in the city. I want to remind everyone to enjoy the parade and not change any plans due to misinformation spreading about coronavirus." People watch the Chinese Lunar New Year parade in Manhattan's Chinatown of New York City, the United States, Feb. 9, 2020. (Xinhua/Li Muzi) INFLUENZA BIGGER THREAT IN U.S. While the novel coronavirus continues to dominate headlines, officials and doctors have to remind the American public that influenza is actually a bigger threat. Councilman Koo pointed out that in New York City, where there are no confirmed cases of novel coronavirus yet, the average person has a much higher chance of getting sick from the flu than from the virus. Dr. Sexton also said, "Getting a flu vaccine is very helpful. If people are sick with respiratory symptoms, they should put on a mask in a healthcare waiting room to avoid infecting other people." The CDC estimates that so far this season, there have been at least 22 million illnesses, 210,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths from the flu. No wonder then that in a recent interview with The Boston Globe, Prof. Paul Watanabe, director of the Institute for Asian American Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston, said, "anti-Chinese racism centered around the coronavirus outbreak isn't just ugly, it's illogical." "The fact of the matter is we are facing a health crisis right now in the United States, and it's a domestic one and it's the flu," Watanabe said. (Video Reporters: Guo Peiran, Miu Xiaojuan, Li Baodong, Li Haitao. Video editor: Zheng Xin) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Asip Hasani and Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Blitar/Jakarta Tue, February 11 2020 As face masks in Hong Kong become more expensive and harder to find, Indonesian migrant workers are turning to families and friends at home to send them the masks that have become a necessity to help protect against coronavirus. A migrant worker from East Java's Blitar, Anis SD, took to a Blitar-community Facebook group to complain about how she was struggling to find face masks and instant food that are fast running out in stores in Hong Kong. She also uploaded a picture of messy shelves at a convenience store in Hong Kong. "Face masks and instant food, such as noodles, have been scarce in recent days," Anis told The Jakarta Post. 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 Amsterdam, 11 February 2020 - Heineken N.V. today announces that after 22 years with HEINEKEN, Stefan Orlowski, currently President Europe, has decided to leave HEINEKEN to pursue his private entrepreneurial interests outside the company. Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of HEINEKEN, commented: "Leaving HEINEKEN has been a very personal decision for Stefan. He played a major role in the company, and he has been a member of my leadership team for a long time. I want to praise Stefan's 22 years of service, during which he built an impressive track record of success in a variety of leadership roles. As President Europe, he contributed strongly to the HEINEKEN performance through his clear strategy focused on premium and innovation combined with continuous capability building, cost management and efficiency. He leaves HEINEKEN with our genuine great thanks and best wishes for the future." Joining HEINEKEN in 1998 as Sales, Marketing and Distribution Director for Zywiec in Poland, Stefan Orlowski then became Chief Operating Officer of Brau Union from 2003 until 2005. In 2005, he was appointed Managing Director of HEINEKEN Central and Eastern Europe. In 2007, Stefan became Group Commerce Director HEINEKEN. Between 2009 and 2013, he was Managing Director HEINEKEN UK where he achieved an impressive turnaround of the business. In 2013 Stefan Orlowski was appointed President Americas and member of the Executive Team. In 2015, Stefan took on his current role of President Europe. Stefan Orlowski will leave before the summer, and his successor will be announced in due course. ENDS Press enquiries Tim van der Zanden / Michael Fuchs E-mail: pressoffice@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-355 Investor and analyst enquiries Federico Castillo Martinez/ Janine Ackermann / Robin Achten E-mail: investors@heineken.com Tel: +31-20-5239-590 Notes to editors: Stefan Orlowski - Resume 1966, Australian nationality Work Experience 2015 Regional President Europe Region & Global Executive Team member in the Netherlands 2013 President Americas Region, & Global Executive Team member, in the United States 2009 Managing Director, Scottish & Newcastle Ltd., United Kingdom 2007 Group Commerce Director, Heineken NV, the Netherlands 2005 MD Central & Eastern Europe, Austria 2003 COO Brau Union, Austria 1998 VP Sales, Marketing, Distribution Zywiec Group SA, Poland 1995 GM & President of the MB, Warka Breweries Poland 1992 Legal & Administration Director Elbrewery, Poland 1998 Barristor & Solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Australia Board Positions 2015 Zywiec Group SA, Chairman Supervisory Board, Poland 2015 Paulaner Group GmbH, Member of the Shareholder Committee, Germany 2015 Brewers of Europe VP, Board of Management, Belgium 2015 AIM, Board member, Poland 2016 - 2018 Leaseplan Supervisory Board Member, Chairman, Risk Committee, the Netherlands About HEINEKEN HEINEKEN is the world's most international brewer. It is the leading developer and marketer of premium beer and cider brands. Led by the Heineken brand, the Group has a portfolio of more than 300 international, regional, local and specialty beers and ciders. HEINEKEN is committed to innovation, long-term brand investment, disciplined sales execution and focused cost management. Through "Brewing a Better World", sustainability is embedded in the business. HEINEKEN has a well-balanced geographic footprint with leadership positions in both developed and developing markets. It employs over 85,000 employees and operates breweries, malteries, cider plants and other production facilities in more than 70 countries. Heineken N.V. and Heineken Holding N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIA NA and HEIO NA and on Reuters under HEIN.AS and HEIO.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY) and Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY). Most recent information is available on HEINEKEN's website: www.theHEINEKENcompany.com and follow us on Twitter via @HEINEKENCorp. Attachment A drug dealer who imported marijuana from California to New Jersey was sentenced Monday to two years in prison for bribing postal service mail carriers to deliver him the contraband. Glenn Blackstone bought the marijuana from a conspirator, who produced the pot in California and shipped it to New Jersey, according to federal authorities. The parcels had fake names and were not addressed to Blackstone. He paid two postal workers to divert those shipments from the normal delivery process and bring the drugs to him instead. After receiving the drug shipments from the mail carriers, Blackstone sold the marijuana in Newark, according to court documents. Authorities previously said Blackstone paid at least $12,400 to the postal workers. Blackstone pleaded guilty last year to conspiracy to distribute marijuana and giving bribes in the scheme. The 50-year-old Newark man also faces five years of supervised release. One of the mail carriers, 52-year-old Leonard Gresham, of Rahway, was also sentenced Monday in Newark federal court to three years of probation for taking bribes from Blackstone, the U.S. Attorneys Office said. Another postal worker, Fred Rivers, 47, of Newark, was sentenced Jan. 23 to three years of probation with a condition of a year of home confinement in the scheme. Rivers was fired from the postal service, according to his attorney, Brooke Barnett. Mr. Rivers accepts full responsibility and acknowledges that however small his role may have been in this underlying scheme, there are consequences," Barnett said last month. "In light of it all he will not allow this to define him and will continue to give back to his community. Post office representatives and an attorney for Blackstone did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. 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. Foreign Correspondent returns to ABC next week with reporter Eric Campbell visiting the coal region of Lusatia, Germany, in the heartland of a national debate to close coal mines. While Australia ponders opening new coal fields, Germany has declared the industry must end. The countrys last black coal mines were closed in 2018 and now the government has decided to phase out all brown coal mines and coal-fired power plants. Under whats called The Coal Compromise, the government, mining and energy companies and unions have all agreed to phase out the coal industry by 2038 in return for a $60 billion injection of government funds. But the Coal Compromise is fragile. Environmentalists are demanding its immediate end, which they say is necessary if Germany is to honour its commitments under the Paris Agreement. We dont have any time to waste. We cant wait another 18 years, says Daniel Hofinger, who is part of a newly formed anti-coal movement putting pressure on the government to act faster. Reporter Eric Campbell visits the coal region of Lusatia in the former East Germany on the eve of a mass protest action which aims to bring coal production to a standstill. Here, coal-dependent communities are fighting to keep the deal theyve negotiated and are steeling themselves for the green invasion. The [Coal] Compromise weve negotiated offers hope to Lusatia, says the mayor of a coal town, addressing her community the night before the protests. Campbell joins the thousands of activists as they travel en masse to the coal region, out-manoeuvring police batons and pepper spray to shut down brown coal mines. 8pm Tuesday February 18 on ABC. S.Korea, U.S. hold talks in Seoul to discuss Korean Peninsula affairs People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 14:21, February 10, 2020 SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Senior diplomats from South Korea and the United States held talks in Seoul Monday to discuss the Korean Peninsula affairs, according to local media reports. Rhee Dong-yeol, director general at the South Korean foreign ministry's Korean Peninsula peace regime bureau, met with Alex Wong, deputy U.S. special representative for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) policy. The talks were held in Seoul for the working-group meeting that was launched in November 2018 to consult about the peninsula's denuclearization, inter-Korean relations and sanctions toward Pyongyang. Yoh Sang-key, Seoul's unification ministry spokesman, told a regular press briefing that he was told that during the meeting, the two sides would discuss inter-Korean cooperation, which South Korean President Moon Jae-in offered to make during his New Year speech. Moon said in his New Year speech and press conference last month that his government will push this year for the inter-Korean cooperation projects, including the reconnection of railways and roads along the eastern and western Korean Peninsula across the inter-Korean border, and other cooperation in border areas. Yoh reiterated the South Korean position that individual tour by South Koreans to the DPRK's scenic resort of Mount Kumgang was not subject to consultations between Seoul and Washington, saying that South Korea would explain its stance to the United States from the cooperation perspective. Tour by South Koreans to Mount Kumgang, launched in 1998, had been urn for about 10 years before being shutdown in 2008 when a South Korean tourist was shot dead by a DPRK soldier after allegedly venturing into off-limit areas. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address ALBANY - The capital city is taking its argument for $12.5 million in additional state funding directly to state lawmakers. Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan was noticeably absent from this years local government budget hearing on Monday. It's an annual rite of passage where mayors from across New York seek more funding to tackle issues including housing and homelessness, infrastructure and the latest hurdle for localities a possible increase in their share of Medicaid costs. David Galin, Sheehans chief of staff, said a prior family engagement prevented the mayor from testifying during the budget hearing, but that their argument for funding remains the same. The city will submit written testimony later this week, and officials are meeting with lawmakers to discuss Albanys annual plea for $12.5 million, he said. We continue to make that unique, compelling case that Albany is treated like no other city, Galin said. We receive far less unrestricted aid than we deserve. We support more non-taxable property than any other upstate city. The $12.5 million is vital to keeping our officers on their beats, firefighters in the fire house and streets plowed. Last year, Sheehan made the case for the state creating a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes agreement, or 19-a payment, for the states Harriman Campus. In prior years, she also pushed for a multi-year revenue stream for Albany to cover what the mayor has described as a structural deficit. However, the city has been unable to secure permanent funding. But this year the state is grappling with a $6.1 billion budget gap largely due to Medicaid cost increases and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo delaying payments, leaving little wiggle room for eking out additional funding for local governments. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio stressed during his testimony that the state must come to terms with its responsibility for setting the rules and rates of Medicaid, which has been a point of contention as Cuomo calls on localities to rein in Medicaid spending or face covering the costs if growth exceeds 3 percent. De Blasio said Medicaid growth costs amount to about $1.1 billion and would be nothing less than devastating for New Yorkers. We stand ready to work with the state to find solutions, he said. The state of New York runs the Medicaid program, the state of New York sets the rules, sets the rates. I think an honest conversation is called for, and I think the executive branch should accept responsibility for the program that they run. Albany County Executive Daniel P. McCoy and Stephen J. Acquario, executive director of the state Association of Counties, both expressed concern over the proposed shift. Other mayors from Buffalo and Rochester called for additional funding for their cities through increased money for the state Aid & Incentives for Municipalities (AIM) program. The state has had a revenue sharing program for cities dating to 1970, which was largely based on population. But during Gov. George Pataki's tenure, some cities were given additional money due to fiscal stress. In 2005, the AIM program combined revenue-sharing and additional money as its base level, locking in inequities. Cuomo last year cut the funding for towns and villages, which left communities such as Buffalo to fill in the gap those localities faced, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown said. He said the city saw a decrease in sales tax revenue from Erie County as the county redistributed some of those funds to cover the loss seen from the AIM cuts. We are requesting that future AIM-related payments are made after Buffalo and the school district have received their distributions of sales tax, he said. We also want the Legislature to take a look at AIM and recognize that there has been no increase to municipalities since 2010. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren also called for an increase in the programs funding, noting that the current formula treats the city as second-class. A change in this formula would help us address three-quarters of our all-funds gap, she said. McCoy also weighed in on the county sharing sales tax revenue to cover towns and villages that saw a loss in AIM, stating, "I dont mind sharing it to a degree, but I shouldn't be paying for programs that we never started, and it pits me against my other elected officials in Albany County." Sen. James Gaughran of Long Island, who chairs the Committee on Local Government, hopes to increase funding for the program. The first step has to be to see if there is additional revenue in the budget, he said. If there is, Ill be pushing to get additional funding for AIM. How the added funds would be broken out should lawmakers find additional revenue will be a topic of discussion, Gaughran said. You also have to recognize that there is need for some equity as well because, in many cases, AIM funding is the only direct funding they get from the state, he said. It cant be done in a vacuum. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Margaux Resources Ltd. (TSXV: MRL) (OTCQB: MARFF) ("Margaux" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Stephen J.J. Letwin to the Company's Board of Directors effective March 2, 2020. Mr. Letwin, who has been a member of Margaux's Advisory Committee since November 2016, is looking forward to taking on the Director role. "I am excited about joining the Margaux Resources Board because I am a very strong believer in the company's current assets and financial potential", said Mr. Letwin. A hard-working and well respected gold miner specializing in corporate finance, operational management and merger and acquisitions, Mr. Letwin also brings over 30 years of experience from the highly competitive resource sector. Prior to his 10 year role as president and CEO of IAMGOLD, Mr. Letwin was previously with Enbridge Inc. in Houston, Texas, as Executive Vice President, Gas Transportation & International. He was responsible for natural gas operations including overall responsibility for Enbridge Energy Partners as Managing Director. Before Enbridge, he was President & CEO of TransCanada Energy and CFO, TransCanada Pipelines, Numac (Westcoast Energy) and Encor Energy. Mr. Letwin has been a director of Precision Drilling Inc. since 2006. Stephen holds an MBA from the University of Windsor, is a Certified General Accountant, a graduate of McMaster University (B.Sc., Honours), and a graduate of the Harvard Advanced Management Program. About Margaux Resources Ltd. Margaux Resources Ltd. is a junior exploration company with two district-scale assets in the eastern Cordilleran gold belt, Canada. The Cassiar Property in northernmost British Columbia is the Company's flagship property, with a decades-long mining history and a recently announced near-surface 1 Moz gold inferred resource (MRL press release 11 Sep. 2019). The Company's Sheep Creek Property in southernmost British Columbia comprises gold and base metal prospects in an area with a long history of exploration and mining. Forward Looking Statements This press release may contain forward looking statements including those describing Margaux's future plans and the expectations of management that a stated result or condition will occur. Any statement addressing future events or conditions necessarily involves inherent risk and uncertainty. Actual results can differ materially from those anticipated by management at the time of writing due to many factors, the majority of which are beyond the control of Margaux and its management. Although Margaux believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonably, undue reliance should not be placed on them because Margaux can give no assurance that they will prove to be correct. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of risk factors should not be construed as exhaustive. These statements speak only as of the date of this release or as of the date specified in the documents referenced by this release, as the case may be. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements except as expressly required by applicable securities laws. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. CONTACT INFORMATION Margaux Resources Ltd. Tyler Rice President, CEO and a Director (403) 537-5590 Tyler@margauxresources.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52223 To: Ministry of Health Ghana Health Service (GHS) Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration All Media Houses NOVEL Coronavirus: Relocate Our Students In China Immediately Greetings from the National Secretariat of the National Health Students Association of Ghana (NAHSAG). The National Executive Officers (NEO) wish to present our take on the fast-spreading NOVEL CORONAVIRUS and possible interventions with respect to our students in Wuhan, China. NAHSAG is pleased with the measures put in place so far by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to prepare adequately for the condition in case we record any in Ghana. We are even more delighted to read about the intention to form a National Technical Coordination Committee (NTCC) to critically research into the condition and plan adequately the way forward for Ghana. We beseech leadership of MOH and GHS to ensure that we have adequate infrastructure in place as we prepare to combat the condition. We came across a release indicating that both NUGS- China and the University Students Association of Ghana (USAG) are all calling on the government (Ministry of Education and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to evacuate Ghanaian students in China within 48-72 hours to keep them out of danger. This is a good way to show concern about our colleague students in China and we commend the two groups for that idea. However, we at NAHSAG are of the view that evacuating our students from China to Ghana would be a rather dangerous action which can endanger the lives of both the students in China and the entire Ghanaian society at large. Evacuation of our students from China to Ghana would not be in our best interest due to the following reasons; 1. China is well advanced medically in protecting our students from getting infected considering the necessary precautions taken. 2. In case any of our students contract the virus, China is in better position to quarantine and treat them due to their already established roadmap to combatting the virus. 3. In the case of evacuation, if some number of students acquire the virus and is brought home, this would increase the chances of recording cases in Ghana. 4. Ghana is not adequately prepared to handle an outbreak of this virus since the Ministry of health and the Ghana health service are still in the process to equip themselves well to combat the menace even in our teaching Hospitals. 5. Our public awareness level is unfortunately low, and so if we risk evacuation without a proper quarantine system, we might find ourselves in very regrettable situations. It is worth noting that we have over 6400 Ghanaian students in China with about 300 of them residing in Wuhan. We at the NAHSAG think that government should consider the following alternatives to ensure safety of our students in China especially those within Wuhan. 1. As a matter of urgency, all our students within the Wuhan province should be relocated to a much more safer and strategic zone within China to decrease the exposure of the students to the deadly virus. We believe that family relatives of these students and the general public would appreciate their swift relocation. 2. Provide them with the necessary basic needs of survival. We cannot risk hunger killing our students even before a single individual contracts the virus. We shudder to think of how our students in Wuhan feed themselves in the light of this outbreak, hence the government should provide them with the necessary resources needed for survival alongside the point listed in the above point (1). 3. It is imperative that the government outdoors a good exit plan from China to Ghana in case there is the need for evacuation with recommendations from the Ghanaian embassy in China while strengthening our quarantine system to receive these student in case of any eventualities. In a nutshell, China is better positioned to safe keep our students. We therefore beseech the government of Ghana to provide whatever support the Ghanaian embassy in China would require to enhance their work to safeguard our students. We urge the Ghanaian public to keep to hygienic practices most especially regular washing of hands with soap and water, and avoid touching our face with our hands. Thank you! Signed Moses N. Bondong President (0200234397/0549920732) Faustina Aikins General Secretary (0546348164/0505678998) Roger Stone appealed to the president to pardon him after being found guilty last year: Getty Donald Trumps administration is the gravest threat to the rule of law in a generation, a top Democrat has claimed amid outcry over the sentencing of Roger Stone. One prosecutor has quit and at least one other withdrawn from the case, after the department of justice announced it would seek a shorter sentence for the onetime Trump ally and confidant. It made the announcement after the president complained about the seven to nine years in jail being sought by prosecutors, after Stone, 67, was found guilty to seven counts of lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. This is a horrible and very unfair situation, Mr Trump wrote on Twitter early on Tuesday, about Stone, a close friend over a number of decades. Officials then said the DOJ intended to override the prosecutors recommendations and seek a less harsh sentence for the charges, related to special prosecutor Robert Muellers two-year investigation into Russias interference in the 2016 election, and possible links to the Trump campaign. When news of the about-face emerged, two prosecutors connected with the case said they no longer wanted anything to do with it. Democrats were quick to pounce on what they said was clear wrongdoing by the president and his administration. Coupled with the presidents blatant retaliation against those who helped expose his wrongdoing, the Trump administration poses the gravest threat to the rule of law in America in a generation, said congressman Adam Schiff, one of Democrats who prosecuted Mr Trumps impeachment case in Senate, and where the president was acquitted. He added: I do not take a position on the proper prison term for Mr Stone, but it would be a blatant abuse of power if president Trump has in fact intervened to reverse the recommendations of career prosecutors at the department of justice. Another Democrat, senator Chris Van Hollen tweeted: They are turning us into a banana republic. Additional reporting by Reuters Story continues Read more Two prosecutors resign from Roger Stone case Justice Department wants shorter sentence for Roger Stone Trump hints at pardon for disgraced aide Roger Stone Trump ally Roger Stone deserves up to nine years in prison Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:06:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Local residents hold a vigil to express solidarity with China in the efforts to battle the novel coronavirus outbreak in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Feb. 1, 2020. (Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua) In this age of globalization, major public health emergency always come as a tough test for humankind. Solving it requires wisdom, but the spirit of solidarity is more imperative. Those who intend to profit when others are suffering will only end up hurting themselves. by Xinhua writer Guo Yage BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- At a time when more people worldwide are joining China's anti-epidemic battle, some U.S. politicians have chosen to stoke some unwarranted fear over the novel coronavirus. Despite the World Health Organization (WHO) repeatedly advising against international trade and travel restrictions, Washington has issued a travel warning that raised China to the highest level and has temporarily banned the entry of all foreigners who have traveled to China in the past 14 days. More shocking is U.S. Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross' insensitive remarks that the epidemic in China could help bring manufacturing jobs back to the United States. U.S. Senator Tom Cotton even suggested that China lied about the origin of the coronavirus without offering credible evidence. While some in Washington try to sell a so-called "China threat," they seem to have forgotten their country's botched attempts to contain the H1N1 influenza, which ballooned into the world's first public health emergency of international concern declared by the WHO. The flu broke out in the United States in March 2009. Yet it took Washington six months to declare a national emergency. By then the disease had already caused some 5,000 deaths globally. According to the WHO, the pandemic later spread to 214 countries and regions, killing 18,400 people worldwide by August 2010. Nurses post a notice on public awareness campaign against influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 at a market in Yangon, Myanmar, Aug. 8, 2019. Death toll of influenza A (H1N1) pdm09 rose to 90 in Myanmar as of Wednesday, according to the figures released by the Public Health Department under the Ministry of Health and Sports. (Xinhua/U Aung) Washington at that time condemned a ban on U.S. pork by some countries because of the flu, saying that the restrictions are "without scientific justification" and "will likely result in serious trade disruptions without cause and result in significant economic damage." Ten years on and Washington has a terrible bout of amnesia. Furthermore, no one's buying Washington's bid to drum up global panic over the coronavirus. Many U.S. media outlets and experts have come out against the travel bans, while a lot of Americans expressed their support for China by donating relief supplies and medical equipment. Canadian Health Minister Patty Hajdu and British Ambassador to China Barbara Woodward said their countries will not impose travel restrictions on Chinese citizens. Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen visited Beijing amid the raging epidemic to show his support. China's other neighboring countries like South Korea and Japan have also extended their helping hands. Chinese medical experts teach workers from Sierra Leone-China Friendship Hospital how to protect themselves against Ebola disease in Freetown, capital of Sierra Leone, Sept. 22, 2014. (Photo by Huang Xianbin/Xinhua) One key reason they have joined China in the fight is that they understand well that nobody can stand alone in a global public health emergency in this increasingly interconnected world. And China itself has always demonstrated a strong sense of responsibility. In 2014 when the Ebola epidemic broke out in West Africa, Chinese diplomats and medical professionals chose to stay and help. In the ongoing battle against the novel coronavirus pneumonia, Beijing has waged an all-out campaign, including quarantining the Chinese city of Wuhan, building two makeshift hospitals in less than two weeks, and sharing the genetic sequence of the virus and other critical information with the world without delay. Many of China's measures, hailed by WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus as setting "a new standard" for outbreak response, go well beyond the requirements of the International Health Regulations. At the same time, health professionals and researchers in other parts of the world are also working around the clock to conduct pathogen studies, test new drugs and develop vaccines. In this age of globalization, major public health emergency always come as a tough test for humankind. Solving it requires wisdom, but the spirit of solidarity is more imperative. Those who intend to profit when others are suffering will only end up hurting themselves. [February 10, 2020] Karson and Awbury Resolve Legal Dispute Awbury Technical Solutions LLC and Karson Management (Bermuda) Limited are pleased to announce that they have agreed a resolution of their legal dispute in the High Court of England & Wales. As part of that resolution, the interim injunction granted against Karson by Mr. Justice Butchr on 28 January 2019 has been set aside by consent. The parties have concluded a confidential commercial agreement. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200210005889/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Former chief of the Indian Air Force, Air Chief Marshal (retd) BS Dhanoa, spoke to Hindustan Times close to one year after the Balakot air strike about the details of the operation, what it took to plan and execute, what it means for Indias future military equation with Pakistan, and the capabilities of the Rafale jets. Edited excerpts: Pakistan has tried to project the Balakot operation as a military and diplomatic victory the Imran Khan government says it brought down an Indian Air Force jet and captured the pilot. It says it brought focus on Kashmir and projected India as a global threat. What do you say about these claims? Military victory is measured on the scale of whether you have achieved the stated political objective or not. Our objective in Balakot was to hit the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist group as a retaliation for February 14 Pulwama suicide attack on a CRPF convoy. It so happened that the JeM camp was inside Pakistan in Manshera and not in Occupied Kashmir. We hit the camp at Jaba top in Balakot. The fact that we hit the camp is very clear, as is evident from the open-source satellite imagery. Then there is circumstantial evidence as they (Pakistan) isolated the place. If it was just a seminary, and not a military establishment, there was no need to isolate the place. They did not allow anyone to go near the site for 40 days, and then took a guided tour to a mosque in the facility, which Indian bombs had deliberately avoided. The fact is that the terror camp was hit with a lot of casualties, which the Pakistanis were hiding. So the military victory statement is false. Secondly, Pakistans military response the day after Balakot was against Indian military targets, though we had hit a non-military target at Markaz Syed Ahmad Shaheed in Balakot. The Pakistanis missed their military targets south of Pir Panjal because of the calibre of weapons used. When you do signalling, either you drop a very small weapon so that nobody dies unintentionally, or you drop it outside the safety distance of the target. Most of these bombs have fallen 500 metres to 1.5km of the targets. It is evident from this that these were not intended misses but poor targeting. Most probably, the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) must have used commercial digital elevation models. The type of weapons they have used is first-generation standoff ammunition, whereas we used a third-generation standoff weapon. So that is how you judge a military victory. A classic example is the World War I Jutland naval battle, in which the British lost more ships and sailors but prevented the Germans from achieving their military objective. So you dont measure by bean counting. We lost a MiG-21, but Pakistan lost an F-16 that we cannot prove. Technically we have information beyond doubt that two aircraft fell in that area on February 27, 2019. One aircraft belongs to us, second aircraft we are saying is an F-16 on basis of evidence from our electronic sensors. Abhinandan Varthaman was flying a MiG-21 Bison that does not have non-cooperative target recognition capability which the Su-30 or other modern aircraft have got. So he on his own cannot confirm that he shot down an F-16. Our other sensors AWACS and radars have all confirmed that the aircraft that went down in that sector appears to be a Pakistan F-16 fighter. Is the aircraft that went down the one IAF identified as Red Mike? No, the one we identified we showed to the media too. The Pakistanis wanted us to show the full video. The fact is, if we show you the full video, do you want us to expose our technical capability, given there are gaps due to mountainous terrain, or our ability to intercept their secure communication all this just to win brownie points in the media? Let me give you an example, the same thing happened on September 7, 1965, the day IAFs Mystere aircraft raided Sargodha airbase in hinterland Pakistan and Squadron Leader AB Devayya got a Mahavir Chakra many years later. In that raid, IAF lost a Mystere aircraft that fell on their side, and we did not claim the kill that time. But PAF lost a vastly superior Starfighter. Many years later, Pakistan acknowledged the fact. Pakistan says that they are for global peace and India is a threat to it? If they are for global peace, why are they sponsoring terrorism on our soil? They did not even keep their air force in the loop, or else they would have put terminal defences outside the Balakot camp. After all, their air force has an approximate idea of what kind of weapons we own. And if they know our standoff weapon capability, they would have put terminal defences at Balakot. Why was the site devoid of any defence? Why did the entire air defence of Pakistan react to the IAFs feint towards Bhawalpur (headquarters of JeM). I dont think PAF was even aware that Pakistani Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) was running a terrorist training camp at Balakot. So was it purely a Pakistan Army-ISI operation, and the Air Force was kept out? Otherwise they would have defended it with terminal weapons. PAF are capable of deploying terminal weapons they would have deployed; I would have deployed. They did not deploy, as they were out of loop. About the aircraft going down in that sector, PAF launched a combat search-and-rescue mission, which is always launched to pick up your own pilot as you know the location. It is not done to pick up a prisoner of war who will never be static, and for that you give this task to the ground troops. They have lost a combat aircraft and we have recordings of it. Do you think it was a Jordanian F-16 A/B that went down on February 27? The evidence from the electronic intelligence is that it was an F-16. The Pakistanis have tied themselves in knots over the whole issue. Where was the need for the DG ISPR to say that we have not used an F-16. After all, what was there to hide? It is because Pakistan were building a story, a facade. Why say one pilot was captured, and two more were in the area? It must be a two seater F-16. Then they said that one was being located and other had reached military hospital. And then suddenly, in the night, the hospital guy vanishes! Our claim is based on our electronic signatures, not what Pakistan is saying. The kill is attributed to Abhinandan as there was nobody else in that sector. What was Pakistans game plan the next day when they tried to retaliate? Was PAF intending to attack? Yes. PAF had a clear-cut intent to attack, but we thwarted the move. We were prepared for retaliation. We expected them to attack. IAF along with the navy and the army were prepared for an all-out escalation. After Pulwama, for the first time, all three services told the political leadership that should it escalate, we were ready. That is why the Modi government gave the go-ahead. We did not even bat an eyelid. For Pakistan alone, we are always ready. Our air defence responded well. We used a lot of tricks but I cant tell you those. They launched stand-off weapons. Their plan was to hit some of our forward installations. Many of them are well with the range of their own artillery. But they wanted to prove a point. They had a package of 24-26 aircraft; they had the initiative, the time and the place. But we were prepared with two upgraded Mirage 2000s, two SU-30 MKIs and six Bisons got airborne from Srinagar. If we had signed the contract in time, it would have been six Rafales. And six Rafales would have added a totally different dimension? Totally. All the PAF aircraft, including F-16s would have been scurrying for cover against Rafales. You talk a lot about the Rafale. Can you explain the capabilities of the Rafale fighter in such situations? In beyond visual range combat, it is basically your situational awareness which wins you the day. Your ability to look first and shoot first. This is where Rafale comes first. If you were to compare Rafale with F-16 or F-18 fighters We evaluated the two US-made fighters and rejected them. Only Rafale and Eurofighter met the operational requirements. The American aircraft are good, but those are the F-35 and F-22. Was the only action south of Pir Panjal or at other places along the Indo-Pak border? They had done other feints and decoys all along to ensure that we dont push all our forces to the north. The Pakistanis did not come after February 27. Remember the message in Balakot was to the JeM terror group. Did they get the message? Answer is yes, as till the Indian general elections, there was not a single terrorist attack. They knew that all the three services were forwardly deployed. This was the first time that the Indian Air Force attacked Pakistan. It was always the Indian Army that was preferred in the past. Did you really come out saying that IAF will go in first? That meeting is classified, so I am not telling you. Not only me. Air Chief Marshal AY Tipnis (Kargil), Air Chief Marshal Krishnaswamy (2001) and Air Chief Marshal Fali Major (2008) had also said that they were ready. IAF has always been ready. When did you focus on Balakot? When the target was given to me by the Indian intelligence agencies. We got exceptional, pinpointed, actionable intelligence, including who is staying in which building. Targets were chosen after that. We dont hit kids only learning to recite the holy Quran. How closely guarded was the information on Balakot attack? Admiral Sunil Lanba, as chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, made it clear that should it escalate, all should be ready for an all-out war. Which service would go in first was decided on the basis of the chosen target. Balakot had to be the air force. If it was a kill-all destroy-all mission, we would have used supersonic low level Brahmos missile, to which Pakistan did not have any answer. Was PM Modi in know of the operation from start to end? Ask the National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval; it is above my pay grade. All I know is that the hit took place at 3.30am IST at Balakot. It was according to plan because at that time the terrorists were still in bed; yet to rise for the fajr namaaz at 4am. I was monitoring from my home using secure communications, the Vice-Chief and Western Air Commander were in operations room. I briefed the defence minister, the NSA, and the two chiefs after the attack. Were you sure that the target was hit? The weather was the main criterion. It could have been an abort due to the weather. The decision was with Western Air Command. If this plan was aborted, we would have launched other weapons. We hit the target with five stand-off weapons. The target hit information was delayed as weapons for video recording the kill failed, and the satellite pass at 8.30am could not pick up much due to clouds. The first confirmation came through synthetic aperture camera, showing penetration in the roof of Balakot buildings. We hit three buildings and left one deliberately. The weapon is designed in such a way that building survives but the occupants dont. Latest intelligence reveals that Pakistan has reactivated the Balakot site. Will things change on the terror front? With the induction of the S-400 missile system and the Rafales, we will be in position to effect a behavioural change within the Pakistan establishment. If we had these two platforms or only Rafale with us on February 27, and we had shot down four or five of their aircrafts, the behavioural change would have taken place immediately. On August 2, 2002, after the Machchil Sector attack by IAF under Krishnaswamy, the Pakistanis did not respond as they were technically not capable. Their air force did not even try to bomb our positions as we took out Pakistan Army post intruding into our side of the Line of Control (LoC). What if Pakistani forces do not learn from Balakot, and try a Pulwama-like attack again? I think the government will hit them again. This time harder, and take out the buildings also so that there is no doubt in anyones mind. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Our microbiomes -- the complex communities of microbes that live in, on and around us -- are influenced by our diets, habits, environments and genes, and are known to change with age. In turn, the makeup of our microbiomes, particularly in the gut, is well-recognized for its influence on our health. For example, gut microbiome composition has been linked to inflammatory bowel disease, autoimmune disease, obesity, even neurological disorders, such as autism. Given a microbiome sample (skin, mouth or fecal swab), researchers have demonstrated they can now use machine learning to predict a person's chronological age, with a varying degree of accuracy. Skin samples provided the most accurate prediction, estimating correctly to within approximately 3.8 years, compared to 4.5 years with an oral sample and 11.5 years with a fecal sample. The types of microbes living in the oral cavity or within the gut of young people (age 18 to 30 years old) tended to be more diverse and abundant than in comparative microbiomes of older adults (age 60 years and older). The predictive tool, described in a paper published February 11, 2020 by mSystems, was developed as a collaboration between researchers at University of California San Diego and IBM. "This new ability to correlate microbes with age will help us advance future studies of the roles microbes play in the aging process and age-related diseases, and allow us to better test potential therapeutic interventions that target microbiomes," said co-senior author Zhenjiang Zech Xu, PhD, who was at the time of the study a postdoctoral researcher in the UC San Diego School of Medicine lab of co-senior author Rob Knight, PhD, professor and director of the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation. The team's ultimate goal is to create similar machine learning models to correlate microbiome and clinical conditions, such as inflammation in autoimmune conditions. This approach could someday form the basis for a noninvasive microbiome-based test that potentially helps clinicians better diagnose or assess a person's risk for a disease. In a 2014 study, Washington University researchers compared "microbial age" -- age as predicted by the fecal microbiome -- and actual chronological age in the context of malnourished infants during the first months of life. The researchers noted that the difference between chronological and microbial age was associated with the degree of the children's developmental maturity. In the new study, UC San Diego researchers took this idea a step further to see if this association could apply to adults, and how well it generalized to other body sites. advertisement According to Xu, one of the most important requirements for a good statistical model is a large sample size and a representative population. To do that, the researchers mined microbiome sequencing data available from the public databases of several citizen science projects, such as the American Gut Project, in which participants mail in fecal, saliva or skin swabs, receive their personalized microbiome readouts, and contribute their anonymized data to the scientific community. The study relied on a total of 4,434 fecal samples from the US and China, 2,550 saliva samples from the US, Canada, UK and Tanzania, and 1,975 skin samples from the U.S. and U.K. The participants whose data were used in the study ranged in age from 18 to 90 years old, with body mass indices of 18.5 to 30, did not have inflammatory bowel disease or diabetes, and had not used antibiotics for at least one month prior to sampling. The study also excluded pregnant, hospitalized, disabled or critically ill individuals. "This was the most comprehensive investigation of microbiome and age to date," said first author Shi Huang, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher in Knight's lab and the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation. The team found gender-specific differences in gut microbiome results, but no difference between males and females when it came to oral and skin microbiome results. Despite the diversity of microbes living on different sites across the human body, it also made no difference whether the skin samples had been collected from foreheads or hands, meaning future skin microbiome studies can boost their statistical power by combining collection sites and genders. One potential reason the microbes living on our skin change so consistently as we age, the researchers said, is due to the predictable changes in skin physiology that everyone experiences, such as decreased serum production and increased dryness. advertisement "The accuracy of our results demonstrate the potential for applying machine learning and artificial intelligence techniques to better understand human microbiomes," said co-author Ho-Cheol Kim, PhD, program director of the Artificial Intelligence for Healthy Living Program, a collaboration between IBM Research and UC San Diego under the IBM AI Horizons Network. "Applying this technology to future microbiome studies could help unlock deeper insights into the correlation between how microbiomes influence our overall health and a wide range of diseases and disorders from neurological to cardiovascular and immune health." According to co-author Yoshiki Vazquez-Baeza, PhD, associate director of bioinformatic integration at the UC San Diego Center for Microbiome Innovation, age prediction is a particularly attractive method for training predictive models because participants don't need to meet special criteria in order to become a sample donor, and assessing age typically does not require a visit to a hospital. "Other studies that focus on one particular condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, often struggle to get enough participants who meet the study criteria and who are willing to participate in order to be able to draw meaningful conclusions," Vazquez-Baeza said. "But here, the wide applicability of age-prediction allowed us to explore the limits of microbial modeling at an unprecedented scale." "Learning how to create accurate and robust microbiome-based models will open the door to a number of biotechnological applications, and help us better understand the relationship of certain bacteria with outcomes of interest," Knight said. Disclosure: Amir Zarrinpar is a cofounder and holds equity interest in Tortuga Biosciences. The former high-ranking diplomat, who will run for a conservative party in a Seoul constituency, is critical of the Moon Jae-in administration. If elected he will work for Korean unification. Over the past two decades, 33,000 North Koreans have sought asylum in South Korea, but few are prominent members of the North Korean regime. Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies) Thae Yong-ho, a high-profile North Korean dissident, is running in South Koreas parliamentary election on 15 April. The conservative Liberty Korea Party (LKP), the main opposition to President Moon Jae-in and his centrist Democratic Party, made the announcement today Thae is expected to run in Gangnam, a wealthy constituency in Seoul where conservatives have been traditionally strong. If elected, he will become the second defector from North Korea to win a parliamentary seat in South Korea the first was Cho Myung-chul who was elected in 2012 with the LKP. The North Korean defector said he wants to work for the unification of the two Koreas, which have been divided along the 38th parallel since the end of the Second World War. He explained that he decided to run after the South Korean government deported two North Koreans back to the communist north. The two fishermen are accused of killing 16 fellow crew members on their fishing boat and then fleeing to the South. Thae, a former deputy ambassador to the United Kingdom, is convinced that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un will never give up his nuclear arsenal. He joined the LKP because in his view Moon's policy of overture towards Pyongyang is unrealistic. The South Korean president has tried to mediate between the United States and North Korea, partly following the Sunshine Policy of his liberal predecessors. Thae escaped to South Korea with his family in 2016; back in North Korea, the communist regime has accused him of stealing public funds. According to the South Korean Ministry of Unification, more than 33,000 North Koreans have fled to South Korea in the past 20 years. Most (24,000) are women who fled rural areas to escape poverty. A few North Korean government officials and members of the armed forces have requested political asylum in the South. The highest ranking official to do so was Hwang Jang-yop, a senior member of the ruling Workers Party. He was very close to Kim Jong-il, the father of North Koreas current strong man. He passed away in 2010. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Gender and Children, Dr. Kojo Appiah-Kubi, has called for an investigation into the lapses at Ejisuman Senior High School in the Ashanti Region which led to the sneaking of mobile phones into girls dormitories. The Member of Parliament for Atwima Kwanwoma Constituency in the Ashanti Region said we know mobile phones are not allowed in schools so where did they get those mobile phones? Its strange. Authorities at the Ejisuman Senior High School in the Ashanti Region have expelled seven female students from the schools boarding facility after they allegedly posted a video that contained sexual innuendos on social media. According to authorities, the video which has gone viral has dented the image of the school. A letter announcing sanctions against the students and addressed to the Ashanti Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service stated that: The management of the school at a meeting with the affected students and their parents arrived at that decision. Reacting to the issue on Onua FMs Yen Sempa hosted by Bright Kwasi Asempa, Dr. Appiah-Kubi hailed the decision of the school to expel the students but urged the school to allow the students write their final year examination. The school may not be doing their supervisory work effectively and we need to investigate how [the girls] got the phones because the school had a similar challenge in 2017, he explained. He said: How they mobilized themselves is also strange and it needs further investigations. But I am happy the school has taken such action for further investigations. They should be allowed to come and write their exams. The Gender and Children Committee Chairman added that how they got the mobile phones must be investigated. How they got the internet or data must be investigated because there are some lapses on [the part of] somebody. We need to investigate the lapses. The house mistress or master must be questioned. Counseling Dr. Appiah-Kubi called on the Ghana Education Service and the Ministry of Education to ensure counseling in schools is effective. The counseling in schools must be rekindled. Every school must be careful about this because it is a danger to the children. Source: 3news.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Hong Kong: Help for affected HK students The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government said it is proactively assisting Hong Kong students unable to return to school in Taiwan due to its entry suspension policy to combat the coronavirus. Taiwan authorities temporarily suspended entry for Hong Kong and Macau residents from today, preventing a number of Hong Kong students studying there from returning on time. The Hong Kong SAR Government stressed that it attaches high importance to the matter and immediately took a series of measures to assist those affected. It and the Hong Kong Economic, Trade & Cultural Office (HKETO) in Taipei contacted an airline yesterday to request assistance for Hong Kong students wishing to return to Taiwan to continue their studies. It is understood that the airline tried its best to allocate seats on its existing flights to cater to the students needs, the SAR Government added. The Education Bureau set up an assistance hotline at 2891 0088. Affected students and their parents can also seek support by providing their case details and contact information to the bureau via email. The SAR Government also liaised with Taiwan through the Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic & Cultural Co-operation & Promotion Council and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic & Cultural Co-operation Council platforms, and urged Taiwan to offer help to the students concerned. Furthermore, the HKETO contacted a number of Hong Kong students currently in Taiwan, as well as Hong Kong and Macau student bodies and non-governmental organisations serving Hong Kong and Macau students in Taiwan. It set up a 24-hour hotline (886) (963 660 632) to proactively provide practicable assistance to students already in Taiwan and undergoing the required quarantine at student quarters or at home. The SAR Government said it will closely monitor and follow up on the issue, adding Hong Kong students studying in Taiwan should pay attention to announcements made in Taiwan and contact their schools to make necessary arrangements. This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Out in the cold on Tuesday morning volunteers and voters alike made their way to polling stations across New Hampshire to vote for the Democrat that will eventually go on to challenge President Donald J. Trump for the White House. In New Hampshires largest city, Manchester, voters braved the cold and rain to get to the polls early. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has risen in recent polls ahead of Tuesdays Democratic primary in New Hampshire, while Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has remained ahead of the other top presidential contenders by a margin of more than five percentage points. Dixville Notch in the states northern tip, nearby Millsfield, and Harts Location, further south and tucked in the White Mountains, are the first places to declare primary results because voters cast ballots early. Married couple Matt Scaccia and Amy Hughes voted for Sen. Bernie Sanders for a number of reasons. One being the fact that he will hold the billionaires accountable. Although they like Sen. Elizabeth Warren, they feel that she is a capitalist deep down and view Sanders as the best candidate. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Ive been a [Sanders] supporter since 2016 when we volunteered on his first campaign. Bernie has been consistent since he was 30 years old about taking on the billionaire class, redistribution of wealth and keeping money out of politics, said Amy Hughes outside of a polling station in Manchester, N.H. It's going to have to be that money can't be the thing that buys influence. As she spoke to MassLive another voter, walking into the polling station shouted, Bernie! in solidarity with Hughes. Hughes spoke about the difficult decision she had to make between Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Sanders and how she and her husband Matt Scaccia had many long discussions about who to vote for on this issue. The Elm Street in Manchester, N.H. is covered in slogans for the Democratic party contenders. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Elizabeth Warren is more essentially a capitalist and is more interested in reforming capitalism in ways that I do ultimately agree with but I want to go bigger than that and would like to see really big changes to the way money and politics work right now, Hughes said. Scaccia told MassLive he felt the biggest issues right now are; wealth and income inequality, climate change, issues related to nuclear weapons hazards and nuclear energy. [Sanders] seems to be the most comprehensive on all those things, said Scaccia. It isn't about beating Donald Trump. This is about actually picking the candidate who I personally would want more than anybody else. Outside the polling station are banners and signs with the presidential hopefuls names. Volunteers arrived early to show their support by holding placards and talking to anyone that wants more information on the candidate. Peter Sullivan stands outside the polling station at the Carol M. Rines center on Elm Street. He voted and volunteers for Vice President Joe Biden because of his experience particularly on international relations. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) One of the volunteers, Peter Sullivan, has been supporting former Vice President Joe Biden for years. His main reason for this support is over Bidens experience and his international relations. Donald Trump has done tremendous damage to our international relationships, said Sullivan. Whether its with South Korea, with NATO, even with Canada. Hes a bull in a china shop and we need someone who can undo the damage and rebuild those alliances you [need to] create consensus for international cooperation. Biden himself isnt hopeful for New Hampshire after admitting as much in the Democratic debate on Feb. 8. This is a long race and I took a hit in Iowa and Ill probably take a hit here, Biden said. Biden predicts that Bernie Sanders will win in New Hampshire. Bernie won by 20 points last time and usually its the neighboring senators that do well, but no matter what Im still in this for the same reason, Biden admitted. The first New Hampshire voters turn out at the Carol M. Rines center polling station on Elm Street. (Douglas Hook / MassLive) Polling places cant close until 7 p.m. when the majority of locations will shut their doors. Some, however, will stay open until 8 p.m. A few dozen New Hampshirites will also cast votes in small towns that traditionally open their polling locations from midnight until every eligible voter has cast a ballot. IBM Security released the IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence Index 2020, highlighting how cybercriminals techniques have evolved after decades of access to tens of billions of corporate and personal records and hundreds of thousands of software flaws. According to the report, 60% of initial entries into victims networks that were observed leveraged either previously stolen credentials or known software vulnerabilities, allowing attackers to rely less on deception to gain access. IBMs X-Force Threat Intelligence Index highlights contributing factors to this evolution, including the top three initial attack vectors: Phishing was a successful initial infection vector in less than one-third of incidents (31%) observed, compared to half in 2018. Scanning and exploitation of vulnerabilities resulted in 30% of observed incidents, compared to just 8% in 2018. In fact, older, known vulnerabilities in Microsoft Office and Windows Server Message Block were still finding high rates of exploitation in 2019. The use of previously stolen credentials is also gaining ground as a preferred point-of-entry 29% of the time in observed incidents. Just in 2019, the report states more than 8.5 billion records were compromised resulting in a 200% increase in exposed data reported year over year, adding to the growing number of stolen credentials that cybercriminals can use as their source material. Wendi Whitmore, Vice President, IBM X-Force Threat Intelligence, said, The amount of exposed records that were seeing today means that cybercriminals are getting their hands on more keys to our homes and businesses. Attackers wont need to invest time to devise sophisticated ways into a business; they can deploy their attacks simply by using known entities, such as logging in with stolen credentials. Protection measures, such as multi-factor authentication and single sign-on, are important for the cyber resilience of organizations and the protection and privacy of user data. IBM X-Force conducted its analysis based on insights and observations from monitoring 70 billion security events per day in more than 130 countries. In addition, data is gathered and analyzed from multiple sources including X-Force IRIS, X-Force Red, IBM Managed Security Services, and publicly disclosed data breach information. IBM X-Force also runs thousands of spam traps around the world and monitors tens of millions of spam and phishing attacks daily while analyzing billions of web pages and images to detect fraudulent activity and brand abuse. Some of the reports key highlights include: Configure it Out IBMs analysis found that of the more than 8.5 billion breached records reported in 2019, seven billion of those, or over 85%, were due to misconfigured cloud servers and other improperly configured systems a stark departure from 2018 when these records made up less than half of total records. Banking on Ransomware Some of the most active banking trojans found in this years report, such as TrickBot, were increasingly observed to set the stage for full-on ransomware attacks. In fact, novel code used by banking trojans and ransomware topped the charts compared to other malware variants discussed in the report. Tech Trust Takeover for Phishing The IBM X-Force report found that tech, social media and content streaming household brands make up the Top 10 spoofed brands that cyber attackers are impersonating in phishing attempts. This shift could demonstrate the increasing trust put in technology providers over historically trusted retail and financial brands. Top brands used in squatting schemes include Google, YouTube and Apple. Ransomware Attacks Evolve The report revealed trends in ransomware attacks worldwide, targeting both the public and private sectors. The report shows an uptick in ransomware activity in 2019 with IBM X-Force deploying its incident response team to ransomware incidents in 13 different industries worldwide, reaffirming that these attacks are industry agnostic. While over 100 U.S. government entities were impacted by ransomware attacks last year, IBM X-Force also saw significant attacks against retail, manufacturing and transportation which are known to either hold a surplus of monetizable data or rely on outdated technology and, thus, face the vulnerability sprawl. In fact, in 80% of observed ransomware attempts, attackers were exploiting Windows Server Message Block vulnerabilities, the same tactic used to propagate WannaCry, an attack that crippled businesses across 150 countries in 2017. With ransomware attacks costing organizations over $7.5 billion in 2019, adversaries are reaping the rewards and have no incentive to slow down in 2020. In collaboration with Intezer, IBMs report states that new malware code was observed in 45% of banking trojans and 36% of ransomware. This suggests that by creating new code attackers are continuing to invest in efforts to avoid detection. Concurrently, IBM X-Force observed a strong relationship between ransomware and banking trojans with the latter being used to open the door for targeted, high-stakes ransomware attacks, diversifying how ransomware is being deployed. For example, the most active financial malware according to the report, TrickBot, is suspected of deploying Ryuk on enterprise networks, while various other banking trojans, such as QakBot, GootKit and Dridex are also diversifying to ransomware variants. Adversaries Spoof Tech and Social Media Companies in Phishing Schemes As consumers become more aware of phishing emails, phishing tactics themselves are becoming more targeted. In collaboration with Quad9, IBM observed a squatting trend in phishing campaigns, wherein attackers are impersonating consumer tech brands with tempting links using tech, social media and content streaming companies to trick users into clicking malicious links in phishing attempts. Nearly 60% of the top 10 spoofed brands identified were Google and YouTube domains, while Apple (15%) and Amazon (12%) domains were also spoofed by attackers looking to steal users monetizable data. IBM X-Force assesses that these brands were targeted primarily due to the monetizable data they hold. Facebook, Instagram and Netflix also made the list of top 10 spoofed brands observed but at a significantly lower use rate. This may be due to the fact that these services dont typically hold directly monetizable data. As attackers often bet on credential reuse to gain access to accounts with more lucrative payouts, IBM X-Force suggests that frequent password reuse may be what potentially made these brands targets. In fact, IBMs Future of Identity Study found that 41% of millennials surveyed reuse the same password multiple times and Generation Z averages use of only five passwords, indicating a heavier reuse rate. Discerning spoofed domains can be extremely difficult, which is exactly what attackers bet on. With nearly 10 billion accounts combined, the top 10 spoofed brands listed in the report offer attackers a wide target pool, increasing the likelihood that an unsuspecting user clicks an innocent-seeming link from a spoofed brand. Additional key findings in the report include: Retail Rebounds in Targeted Industry Rankings: Retail has jumped to the second most attacked industry in this years report, in a very close race with financial services which remained at the top for the fourth year in a row. Magecart attacks are among the most prominent attacks observed against retail, impacting a reported 80 e-commerce sites in the summer of 2019. Cybercriminals seem to have set their sights on consumers PII, payment card data and even valuable loyalty program information. Retailers also experienced a large amount of ransomware attacks based on insights from IBMs incident response engagements. Industrial Control Systems (ICS) and Operational Technology (OT) Attacks Soar: In 2019, OT targeting increased 2000% year over year with more attacks on ICS and OT infrastructure than any of the prior three years. Most observed attacks involved a combination of known vulnerabilities within SCADA and ICS hardware as well as password-spraying. Donald Trump has launched a mean-spirited attack on Nancy Pelosi, accusing his Democratic critic of mumbling as he delivered a speech, as his supporters chanted lock her up. At a rally in New Hampshire on the eve of the Democratic primary, an event that mirrored one he held last week in Iowa, Mr Trump claimed the House speaker had been mumbling behind him when he sought to deliver his state of the union speech. I had somebody behind me who was mumbling terribly, said the president, as the crowd started to chant lock her up, a phrase they once reserved for Hillary Clinton. The president continued Im speaking, and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me. Angry. Were the ones who should be angry, not them. He then claimed the 79-year-old Democrat, who made headlines when she deliberately tore up her copy of the presidents speech moments after her concluded his address to both houses of Congress, was responsible for giving Republicans their highest poll numbers yet. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters Nine months from now, we are going to retake the House of Representatives, we are going to hold the Senate, and we are going to keep the White House, he said. We have so much more enthusiasm, its not even close. Theyre all fighting each other. They dont know what theyre doing. They cant even count their votes. Before setting off for New Hampshire, where he invited his children, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr to the stage, the president had tweeted that he wished to shake up the Dems a little bit they have a really boring deal going on. As it is, Democrats have plenty of drama of their own. Two new polls published on Monday suggested support for former vice president Joe Biden was at a new low nationally, and that Bernie Sanders was now the frontrunner. Mr Trump sought to denounce all the candidates saying none of them were any good, and that the Vermont senator was crazy. Bloomberg attack ad contrasts Trump outbursts with inspiring statements from previous presidents At his own rally in Manchester, Mr Biden vowed that the presidents attempt to steal the momentum would not distract Democrats. Guess who else is in Manchester tonight? Mr Biden said, as the crowd reportedly booed. What a coincidence! He added: I dont care how many times he comes to New Hampshire, hes not going to win New Hampshire in November. In 2016, while Mr Trump won the Republican primary in New Hampshire, easily pushing John Kasich and Ted Cruz into second and third place, he lost the state to Ms Clinton in the general election. On Monday, he repeated a conspiracy theory that voters from Massachusetts had crossed the border to help secure her victory. There is no evidence to support his claim, but the Democrats margin of victory was less than half-a-point, and New Hampshire remains on the top of the Republicans target list for 2020. In some respects, his appearance was a victory lap after being his acquittal last week by the Senate on impeachment charges. Our good Republicans in the United States Senate voted to reject the outrageous partisan impeachment hoax and to issue a full, complete and absolute total acquittal, he said. And it wasnt even close. Additional reporting by agencies Mindful of its difficult history and facing scrutiny after Bond financed the election campaigns of several aldermen last year Waukegan declined to pick just one casino proposal to send to the Illinois Gaming Board, as the other host cities in the state did. Instead, Waukegan leaders forwarded three proposals, leaving it to understaffed gambling regulators to decide which of the contenders is best suited to build and run the casino. A Reagan High School student found unconscious in the schools weight room died Monday afternoon in an apparent suicide, officials said. The student, who has not been identified, was found about 2:30 p.m., according to a letter sent to parents by Brenda Shelton, Reagans principal. She said 911 was immediately called and that staff attempted lifesaving measures. I struggle to send news like this through e-mail, but I want to make sure you have accurate information so that you are prepared to speak with your children about the situation, she said. Aubrey Chancellor, spokeswoman for North East Independent School District, said San Antonio police are investigating the incident as an apparent suicide. Shelton said investigators do not have any reason to believe that any other student was involved and that no one else is in danger. Officials could not confirm whether the student was male or female, citing the police investigation. Both the boys and girls soccer games scheduled for 5 p.m. Tuesday were postponed and are tentatively scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday. Counselors will be available to help students, Shelton said. Anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The line is free, open 24/7 and offers confidential support as well as prevention and crisis resources. Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:06:21|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Palestinian children play in the wreckage of a car at a poor neighborhood in southern Gaza Strip city of Khan Younis, Feb. 10, 2020. Gaza has been placed under a tight Israeli blockade since the Islamic Hamas movement seized the territory by force after routing forces loyal to President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. The United Nations has repeatedly warned of a humanitarian deterioration in Gaza. In 2019, it issued a report warning that the Gaza Strip will not be suitable for living if Israel continues imposing blockade on the enclave. (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) A 22-year-old man was arrested Monday in connection with the shooting death of a man in January in the parking lot of a Northwest Side apartment complex. John Anthony Scharringhausen is charged with murder in the death of 30-year-old Anthony Sanks, according to San Antonio police. Police arrested Scharringhausen Monday afternoon in the 7200 block of Marbach Road. He denied killing Sanks as police were escorting him to to the Bexar County Jail from the San Antonio Public Safety Headquarters to be booked. According to an arrest affidavit, Scharringhausen exchanged multiple messages and phone calls with Sanks on Jan. 6. Scharringhausen told Sanks, "I got the drop on em call me" as the pair allegedly discussed meeting so they could commit a violent crime, according to the affidavit. The messages provided personal details about the intended target, the affidavit states. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox Their target was a man whom Scharringhausen had tried to kill in June, according to police. The man, who survived the attack, believed Sanks had ordered the shooting. The man made peace with Scharringhausen and convinced him to murder Sanks in retaliation, according to the affidavit. Sanks gave Scharringhausen his address. The last text from Scharringhausen to Sanks was sent at 1:50 a.m. on Jan. 7, moments before the first 911 calls for the shooting. Police believe Sanks walked outside to meet Scharringhausen in preparation for an attack on the other man. Instead, Scharringhausen shot Sanks, who was found with multiple gunshot wounds in the 8800 block of Cinnamon Creek, the affidavit said. A witness told police he heard gunshots and went outside to investigate. By the time the witness got outside, Sanks was already dead. The man they were allegedly targeting was murdered two weeks after Sanks's death. Scharringhausen may also be involved in that murder, according to police. Jacob Beltran is a reporter covering San Antonio and Bexar County. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | jbeltran@express-news.net | Twitter: @JBfromSA STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. Wheres the proof? The prosecutors case against their clients is heavy on guesswork, overly reliant on untrustworthy cooperators and woefully short on evidence -- so contend the lawyers for two men accused of conspiracy and other charges stemming from the fatal shooting of an innocent bystander, 67, two years ago in New Brighton. As he began his closing argument on Monday, Rick J. Pasacreta, the lawyer for Marquise Tart, dramatically held up a fistful of trial transcripts, which he said contained about 1,600 pages of testimony, for jurors to see. Not one word has Marquise Tart agreeing with anyone to do anything, Pasacreta said. Ladies and gentlemen, its as simple as that. Moreover, Pasacreta said, there was no forensic evidence, such as fingerprints or DNA, linking Tart to any crimes. Similarly, Mario Romano, the lawyer for Jaleel Hewitt, who, like Tart, is accused of conspiracy and criminal facilitation, said prosecutors had overreached in charging his client. Its a tragic case ... but everything here is speculation, Romano said in his closing argument. There is not one shred of evidence against him. Where is there anyone telling you that Jaleel Hewitt was told, Were going to get guns? Where is anyone in this trial telling you that Jaleel Hewitt was told, Were looking for Opps? What you have here is a tremendous lack of evidence. A cooperating witness testified Opps refers to rival gang members. Prosecutors allege Tart, 26, and Hewitt, 27, both West Brighton residents, aided Isaiah Kelson, 23, who fatally shot Frances Williams on July 10, 2018. Williams was not the intended target, allege prosecutors. She was standing at a bus stop on Jersey Street. Kelson, a purported member of a West Brighton gang, was trying to hit a man running down Pauw Street near Jersey Street, a cooperating witness testified. The fleeing man was associated with a rival New Brighton gang, testified the witness. The witness said he also shot at their rival. Prosecutors said Williams was struck by a 9 mm bullet. The witness testified Kelson was firing a 9 mm handgun. Prosecutors allege Kelson and others were bent on revenge after watching Robert Craigwell, a friend, get mowed down in St. George less than an hour earlier by a van containing members of the New Brighton crew. Kelson is on trial for murder, attempted murder and other charges. Robert Reuland, his lawyer, will present his closing argument to the jury on Tuesday in state Supreme Court, St. George. Prosecutors will address the jury afterward. Prosecutors and the three defendants rested Monday morning before closing arguments. None of the defendants testified. Both Pasacreta and Romano contended that the prosecutors case against their clients hinges heavily on the testimony of unreliable witnesses, principally the shooter, who said he was with Kelson and the man who drove them to New Brighton. Their testimony, Pasacreta maintained, was tailored to fit prosecutors theory of the case, and to save the cooperators own skins. In addition, there are notable inconsistencies in those witnesses testimony relative to each other and to their own prior statements to authorities, said the lawyers. Both men were charged in the case and cut plea deals in the hope of securing lenient sentences. The man who said he fired a gun has pleaded guilty to murder and manslaughter. The driver, a convicted felon, has pleaded guilty to hindering prosecution. The cooperators names are being withheld at prosecutors request, for fear of reprisal. Yet, even if those witnesses were to be believed, the attorneys said, their testimony, especially the drivers, exonerates Tart and Hewitt. That witness said he was told to drive Kelson and the other shooter from West Brighton to the courthouse in St. George to pick up friends after a fight. Contrary to the other cooperator, he testified that nothing was said about driving to New Brighton looking for rivals to shoot. The only plan is to go to the courthouse, said Romano. Theres no plan to hurt anyone. Theres no communication between Kelson and Hewitt and Tart. Prosecutors allege Hewitt and Tart had been driving around New Brighton looking for rivals to retaliate against after Craigwell was run down in St. George. At the same time, Kelson and the other shooter were in West Brighton hatching a plot to avenge Craigwells death, prosecutors allege. However, Pasacreta said a detective drew a map showing the route Hewitt and Tart took back to West Brighton from St. George after Craigwell was killed and before Williams was shot. There was no indication on the map that they had driven around New Brighton during that time as the one cooperator alleged, said Pasacreta. Its as direct a route as you get, he said. As they headed back to West Brighton, Hewitt and Tart passed Kelson and the other shooter who were being driven in the opposite direction on Henderson Avenue toward New Brighton, according to testimony. The other shooter testified Kelson Face-Timed Hewitt on the phone and told him to follow, which Hewitt and Tart did. Even considering that was true, that didnt prove Hewitt and Tart were involved in plotting a crime or helping facilitate one, contended their lawyers. Moreover, the driver of Kelsons car testified that he didnt hear any conversations between that car and the one in which Tart and Hewitt were riding, the attorneys said. Just because they were there doesnt mean they knew about anything or facilitated anything that day, said Pasacreta. Said Romano: Theres no one person who said Jaleel Hewitt was told those guys are going to get guns, those guys are going to get a change of clothes, those guys are going to New Brighton looking to kill someone. Both lawyers noted that Hewitts car wasnt even on the same street when Kelson and the other shooter jumped out of their vehicle, ran to Pauw Street and fired at the rival gang associate they knew as Fiji. There were other red flags, the attorneys said. For instance, the other shooter, Kelson and others had communicated via phone calls and conference calls, he said. However, when prosecutors told him at a meeting last year that phone records didnt reflect those calls, the cooperator changed his story to say the calls were made via Face Time, said the lawyers. That witness testified Face Time calls arent listed on phone records. But Pasacreta contended prosecutors had dropped the ball there. They could have checked the data records for the phone, which would have reflected data used in Face-Time exchanges, said Pasacreta. Or, they could have checked the phone themselves. However, they did not, said Pasacreta. Even more telling, Pasacreta said, is that phone records show no calls and texts between Tart or anyone else in the case on the date in question from well before Craigwells death until well after Williams was shot. Mr. Tart was not bent on seeking revenge, said Pasacreta. Assistant District Attorneys Adam Silberlight, Andrew Botelho and Arda Ozdinc are prosecuting the case. The outbreak of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which has killed over 1000 people alone in China, may dampen the spirit of imminent Holi celebrations in India, as the celebration this year may face shortage of China-made fancy water guns and sprinklers. In Mumbai alone, 20-25 Chinese toys importers every year bring about 5 lakh pieces of water pressure guns attached with small water tanks of 18 and 24 inches, and each costing about Rs 300-500. Currently, traders have no stock for this year and in the current situation, it will be difficult to import in bulk as the Holi is just few weeks away on March 9-10. Normally, the Indian toy traders start ordering the Chinese Holi colours and sprinklers soon after the Chinese New year, as the consignments from the Chinese toy industry take 14-30 days to reach India. This year, the Chinese new year was on January 25, but with the outbreak of coronavirus, the reopening of the factories that normally happens after two weeks of celebrations were extended in many parts of China. "We are assessing the situation and are hopeful of ordering consignments," said Abdullah Sharif, Vice- President of United Toys Association of Mumbai. An Assocham survey two years ago, among about 250 manufacturers, sellers, suppliers and traders of Holi colours, water guns and other such products across India, had said there was a price differential of over 55 per cent between innovative and fancy Chinese Holi toys and colours and almost all traditional 'pichkari' (water gun or sprinkler). It has almost disappeared from the markets due to lack of consumer interest. "Still traditional 'pichkari' guns are cheaper than the fancy and attractive pressure water guns, now popular among the public," said a spokesperson of the United Toys Association. India's toy industry, worth about Rs 4,000 crore, is dominated by Chinese imports to the tune of 85 per cent. Of the Chinese toy exports, India accounts for only 5 per cent and the Indian manufacturers do not make battery-operated innovative toys, the most proffered toys among children. Most toys reaching India are manufactured in Guangdong, a coastal province in South China, whereas the novel coronavirus's epic centre is in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, about 1000 kilometers away. The Indian importers of toys do not stock for more than a month, and no new consignments have come from China for the last one month, said sources. With the added coronavirus issue, the imported toy traders are already reeling under the proposed hike of 200 per cent in import duty on toys from the next fiscal year, as in the last two years, the import duty on toys has been increased around 500 per cent to protect the domestic manufacturers. "Presently, India imports 85 per cent toys in the industry annually, out of which 75 per cent are from China. The toy industry is not prepared to sustain with such drastic hike in the custom duty and will make the toys unaffordable for the customers, decreasing the sales of toys tremendously and adversely affecting the livelihood of millions of people, including more than a lakh retailers," said Abdullah Sharif. The Toy Association of Mumbai was recently formed to voice against the policy of hiking import duty on toys from 20 per cent to 60 per cent. The Indian manufacturers, mostly in the small scale sector and only a few hundreds, contribute only around 15 per cent of the toys to the Indian market. As against this, there are thousands of importers from China, including large-scale organised importers. The Indian toy Industry currently does not have a viable ecosystem to support toy production on a large scale and lack resources for innovation to compete viably with the Chinese manufacturers in terms of volume, design, finish and pricing. Also Read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: Delhi listens to AAP ki baat! No Entry for Congress Also Read: Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman lists 7 green shoots in Indian economy Also Read: 'Very competent doctors': Nirmala Sitharaman takes dig at Manmohan Singh in Lok Sabha The corner kiosk in the main dining hall at The Forks had been occupied for 30 years by Skinner's, the iconic Manitoban hotdog chain. The national historic site opened in 1989; so did the Skinner's kiosk. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. The corner kiosk in the main dining hall at The Forks had been occupied for 30 years by Skinner's, the iconic Manitoban hotdog chain. The national historic site opened in 1989; so did the Skinner's kiosk. But when it came time to seek a lease renewal last fall, owner Allan Thompson's tenant application was rejected. It was the first time he had to compete with outside bidders for the space, and The Forks' brass decided to approve a different business and go in another direction. Chris Stammers gets condiments at Wienerpeg, the new gourmet hot dog vendor which replaced Skinner's at The Forks Tuesday. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) That direction, it appears, is not entirely different after all: what was once Skinner's is now Wienerpeg. They closed Skinner's up, and put in a hotdog shop. The upscale frankfurter spot, which opened this week, is run by Steffen Zinn, the ever-productive restaurateur behind Wall Street Slice, the Red Ember pizza truck, and the Red Ember Common, a wood-fired pizza joint at The Forks a potato's throw from Wienerpeg. "It's certainly big shoes to fill," Zinn told the Free Press. He says the inspiration for the hot-doggery came during a visit to Germany, where he visited a butcher shop that had been running for 350 years. "I spent a day and a half at the shop, helping and observing how they made their sausages and wieners," Zinn said in a post on The Forks' website. "After having a Frankfurter wiener and bread lunch with him, I was reminded of how absolutely delicious a well-made wiener could be." And the wiener is.... Happyland Print Shop has been selling products that say Wienerpeg including ones depicting a sausage covered in sausage-like lettering since about 2015. (HappylandPrintShop / Etsy) Meanwhile, the name "Wienerpeg" has gotten the restaurant into a pickle. Happyland Print Shop, a local vendor, has been selling products that say Wienerpeg including ones depicting a sausage covered in sausage-like lettering since about 2015. The line is one of Happyland's Kristin McPherson's top sellers. On Oct. 29, around the time word of the restaurant reached her, McPherson submitted an application to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office to trademark the design's use on a number of goods. A week earlier, the restaurant had submitted an application for the standard characters "WIENERPEG" and "WIENER PEG" used in relation to hotdogs and restaurant services. click to read more Meanwhile, the name "Wienerpeg" has gotten the restaurant into a pickle. Happyland Print Shop, a local vendor, has been selling products that say Wienerpeg including ones depicting a sausage covered in sausage-like lettering since about 2015. The line is one of Happyland's Kristin McPherson's top sellers. On Oct. 29, around the time word of the restaurant reached her, McPherson submitted an application to the Canadian Intellectual Property Office to trademark the design's use on a number of goods. A week earlier, the restaurant had submitted an application for the standard characters "WIENERPEG" and "WIENER PEG" used in relation to hotdogs and restaurant services. Both applications have now been formalized. McPherson said she contacted Zinn when she heard the intended name, offering to collaborate or to license her design; that never materialized. She then applied to trademark the design. Zinn said the name long a self-depricating local sobriquet came up during a brainstorming session; the restaurant team then Googled it to see whether any other restaurants had used it, and saw the print company's work. "I can honestly say, hand on heart, we came up with the name without any influence from (the print company," he said. "It's a great name for a hotdog shop in Winnipeg," he added. The design the restaurant uses a round-edged rectangular logo with the name in all-caps was designed by a staff member, Zinn said. The lettering is the same as The Forks uses, he added. Zinn said he'd also hoped for a mutually beneficial agreement perhaps selling patches and magnets at the kiosk. Kristin McPherson's designs are frequently sold at the second-floor marketplace above the Weinerpeg restaurant. (HappylandPrintShop / Etsy) McPherson didn't rule out any collaboration, but wished it could have been discussed before trademark applications and lawyers, which cost hundreds of dollars, got involved. Her concern was mainly that if she didn't trademark her design, she could be blocked from reproducing it even though her work predated the restaurant. She said the situation isn't as contentious as it seems, but that it's a weird spot to be in. Weirder still, her designs are frequently sold at the second-floor marketplace above the Weinerpeg restaurant. Both trademark applications are awaiting approval. Close Reached at his home in St. Andrews Tuesday, Thompson said he wished Wienerpeg well. "But I'm quite surprised another hotdog vendor went in there, because we were told (by management) they wanted something else. It's kind of hard to understand," he said. "We find it kind of baffling." Shortly before The Forks location closed in the fall, Thompson told the Free Press that despite his restaurant's longevity and popularity they'd increased revenues three years in a row he suspected the market administration wanted change. In recent years, several next-generation kiosks, such asho Nuburger and KYU Grill which also serves fancy hotdogs opened, while the main dining hall has become oriented around The Common, a beer and wine bar. Sit-down restaurant Passero has also added fine-dining flare and has helped breathe new life into the historic destination. Wienerpeg appears to be in keeping with those changes, and somewhat confirms Thompson's suspicion. The menu will feature all-beef wieners made with local grass-fed beef as well as European-style wieners composed of blended beef and local heritage pork from Zinn's family's farm. Echoing the flights of beer offered by The Common, the restaurant will offer mini hotdog flights. "Our customers will get a choice of four mini hotdogs... (to) pair with a beer or wine flight," Zinn said in the post. Try our Dish The latest on food and drink in Winnipeg and beyond from arts writers Ben Sigurdson and Eva Wasney. Dish arrives in your inbox every other Friday. See sample. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement. Vegetarian options include a non-meat dog a carrot marinated in the same spice mixture as the traditional dishes, deep-fried to order. There's also a gluten-free corndog. Vegan-friendly and gluten-free buns will also be available. Sides include fresh-cut french fries and poutine with house-made chicken gravy. Hotdogs start at $4.95, with many priced at $6.50. Steffen Zinn says the inspiration for the hot-doggery came during a visit to Germany, where he visited a butcher shop that had been running for 350 years. (Mikaela MacKenzie / Winnipeg Free Press) Wherever possible, the restaurant will use local and ethically sourced ingredients like buns from Winnipeg's Red Spring Bakery, and sauerkraut, relish, and pickles made with vegetables from Wild Earth Farms, located two miles south of Bird's Hill Provincial Park. Wienerpeg opened Monday, and its first customer bought a Chicago-style carrot dog, topped with mustard, tomatoes, hot peppers, onions, relish, celery salt, and a pickle spear. The restaurant opens daily at 11 a.m. Thompson said he hasn't been back to The Forks yet, but intends to visit soon. "We wish the new vendor all the best," he added. ben.waldman@freepress.mb.ca Boris Johnson's Brexit deal could mean Northern Ireland operates in a different time zone to the rest of the UK for half the year, peers warned today. All EU states currently switch to summer time hours on last Sunday of March and back to Greenwich Mean Time on the last Sunday of October. However, the European Parliament has backed plans to end the twice-yearly changing of the clocks - the pattern followed by the UK - to accommodate extra daylight hours. And a Lords committee has raised concerns that Northern Ireland could end up obeying the Brussels rules because the Brexit treaty keeps the province inside the EU single market. EU and Irish flags fly near the border road between Dundalk in Ireland, and Newry in Northern Ireland The warning came in a report by the Lords' EU internal market sub-committee. The proposal to scrap the changing of the clocks was first revealed by former EU Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker in 2018. It would see every EU member state choose, from next year, whether to stay permanently on winter or summer time. Any EU-wide shift in timekeeping would apply to Ireland and, due to the terms of the PM's divorce treaty, Northern Ireland might have to follow suit, peers have suggested. The Lords report said: Were this proposal to become EU law under its current single market legal basis, Northern Ireland may be obliged under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to align with the EU and thus institute a time border with Great Britain. Baroness Donaghy, chairman of the committee, said: So far the Government has stuck its head in the sand on the EU Commissions proposal, hoping that it goes away. However, if it doesnt, we could be caught unaware and unprepared to make a decision, leaving the island of Ireland with two time zones at different times of the year and causing difficulties for people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The crisis might not come to a head, as EU diplomats in Brussels say several countries are not keen on the proposal and Mr Juncker has finished his term as president. Peers said any EU-wide shift in timekeeping would apply to Ireland and the terms of the divorce treaty struck by Boris Johnson (pictured) mean Northern Ireland could be included But the group of cross-party peers called on the Government to 'give urgent further consideration' to the impact the Brexit agreement could have if the EU does decide to make the summer time switch permanent - and criticised ministers' lax approach to what could be a significant change for the UK. 'Our inquiry has demonstrated that any such decision at EU level would have implications for the UK, notwithstanding UK withdrawal from the EU,' wrote the peers. 'The nature and significance of such implications is not, however, well understood - not least by the Government.' Business minister Kelly Tolhurst, giving evidence to the committee last year, said: 'Anything that would create a time border in Northern Ireland we are completely opposed to, and so is the Irish government.' CALGARY - An Alberta man who was found guilty of killing a father, the victim's two-year-old daughter and a senior wants one of his convictions thrown out. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Balfour Der, defence lawyer for Assmar Shlah, speaks to reporters at the Calgary Court Centre, in Calgary on Thursday, Dec. 15, 2016. The Alberta man who killed a father, his two-year-old daughter and a senior in the Crowsnest Pass in 2015, wants one of his convictions thrown out. The Alberta Court of Appeal heard arguments Monday in the case of Derek Saretzky, 27, who believes he should be acquitted on one count of first-degree murder for the death of Hanne Meketech, 69. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh CALGARY - An Alberta man who was found guilty of killing a father, the victim's two-year-old daughter and a senior wants one of his convictions thrown out. Derek Saretzky's lawyer argued in an Appeal Court in Calgary that his client's first-degree murder conviction in the death of Hanne Meketech should be overturned. Balfour Der said Saretzky never should have been convicted in the 69-year-old woman's death, because his rights were breached when police improperly took his confession. Saretzky was also convicted of first-degree murder in the slayings of Terry Blanchette and Blanchette's two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette. The murders in 2015 happened in two small Crowsnest Pass communities in southwestern Alberta. Saretzky is serving life sentences outside the province and was not in court for the appeal. "It was a confession taken without telling him about his right to speak to a lawyer," Der said Monday outside court. "He should have been told about (that) prior to getting that confession." Crown prosecutor Christine Rideout argued that at the time of the police interview, Saretzky would have been well aware of his right to counsel. She said he had received those instructions numerous times on previous occasions. The Appeal Court reserved its decision. Der told the three-judge appeal panel that there were significant changes in his client's health and behaviour after he was arrested, including a suicide attempt. Saretzky confessed to Meketech's murder six months after he admitted that he had killed Blanchette, 27, and the little girl. He was convicted by a jury in Lethbridge, Alta., in 2017. The judge sentenced him to life in prison with no chance of parole for 75 years. Meketech was killed in her home in September 2015. During the trial, the jury was shown videotaped confessions in which Saretzky told police it was a spur-of-the-moment decision to kill Meketech who knew his grandparents because he didn't think anyone cared about her. Five days later, Blanchette's body was discovered in his home. His daughter was missing, which sparked an Amber Alert and a extensive search. The trial heard that Saretzky snatched Hailey from her crib and took her to a campsite, partially owned by his family, where he choked her with a shoelace. Jurors were told he drank her blood, ate a piece of her heart and burned her body in a fire pit. Police quickly identified Saretzky as a suspect. A van, which matched vehicles used by his family's cleaning company, was seen at Blanchette's home. Saretzky told police he was guided by the devil. He initially appealed all three murder convictions, but the other two appeals have been abandoned. "There has to be some solid legal grounds to work from. There were not for those other cases, primarily because he had confessed to family members," Der said. An appeal of the three consecutive life sentences is still outstanding, pending the outcome of this hearing, Der said. (CTV Calgary) This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2020 Miller presented unpublished research at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicines annual meeting in Texas last week showing that pregnant women who went through the program were more likely to be screened for depression, and those who screened positive were more likely to get treatment than women who saw the same obstetricians and midwives before the program launched. Washington, Feb 11 : The New Hampshire primary of the 2020 US presidential election began on Tuesday, with the first group of voters casting ballots in several small towns in the state. In Dixville Notch, a northern New Hampshire town close to the Canadian border, all of its five voters showed up at a polling station, reports Xinhua news agency. Hart's Location and Millsfield are two other midnight voting places in New Hampshire, traditionally the first US state to vote in the primary election, while other polling locations will open later on Tuesday. "Midnight voting in New Hampshire, along with New Hampshire's first-in-the-nation status, basically becomes the starting gun for the race," Tom Tillotson, Dixville Notch's election moderator, told Xinhua. Ahead of the voting, President Donald Trump held a rally in Manchester on Monday evening. Most Democratic presidential contenders are also in the Granite State to make a final push to appeal to voters. The primary comes a week after the Iowa caucuses on February 3, where former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg won 14 of the state's 41 delegates. According to the recount announced on Sunday by the state Democratic party, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders garnered the second highest number of delegates - 12 - followed by Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren with eight, former Vice President Joe Biden with six and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar with one. The primary process is a mathematical process with the Democratic - and Republican - presidential nominees being decided based on the number of delegates they can garner to back them at the party's national convention, which formally designates the candidate. In all, the Democratic National Committee calculates that there will be 3,979 delegates at the convention in Wisconsin in July, and thus the winning candidate will need 1,990 delegates - 50 per cent plus one - to secure the presidential nomination. Trinamool Congress workers Tuesday joined Aam Aadmi Party(AAP) supporters in various parts of West Bengal to celebrate the spectacular victory of the Arvind Kejriwal-led party and BJP's defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls. AAP supporters carrying party flags and posters were seen distributing sweets at various places in the city to celebrate the party's win. TMC cadres were seen brusting crackers and distributing sweets along with AAP supporters in different areas of the state to celebrate the defeat of BJP in the elections. AAP will hold a mega victory rally from Park Circus seven point crossing to central Kolkata on Wednesday to celebrate the party's stupendous victory in the Delhi Assembly polls, party sources said. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday congratulated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who is poised to return to power in Delhi with a thumping majority for the third straight time. Banerjee, who is also the TMC supremo, tweeted "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal as #DelhiResults show @AamAadmiParty all set to win #DelhiElection2020 with a thumping majority yet again. Leaders playing on faith through hate speech & divisive should take a cue, as only those who deliver on their promises are rewarded". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Cambodia is preparing for suspension of some its Everything But Arms trade privileges after opposition crackdown. Phnom Penh, Cambodia Cambodias government is preparing for the European Union to partially and temporarily remove the countrys Everything But Arms (EBA) trade privileges on Wednesday, in the wake of a 2018 political crackdown. The EU warned Cambodia last February it would withdraw the scheme unless it made more effort to improve the human rights situation. The deadline for a decision is February 12. Ministry of Economy and Finance spokesman Meas Soksensan told Al Jazeera that although his ministry had not officially been informed of the decision by the EU, the government was preparing for partial suspension. Unofficially we heard that there must be partial suspension of EBA, he said. The European Parliament and Council could still object to any decision, but if approved, it will come into effect on August 12. Both bodies have indicated they want the commission to take a tougher approach to Cambodias human rights violations. If the EU does follow through on its warnings and suspend Cambodias EBA arrangements, it would mark the first time it has done so. The EBA entitles 47 countries recognised as least developed by the United Nations to export goods other than weapons to the EU, tariff-free. The bloc has previously withdrawn other preferential trade schemes for Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Belarus. Its a very early stage to make a judgement. The final result will be coming soon, so any speculation or expectation will not be encouraged, Soksensan said. But I will say that the trade between Cambodia and EU is around [$]4 billion, so we would expect around [$]1 billion to get tariffs on. The EBA was thrust into the limelight after the leader of the main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, Kem Sokha, was arrested and accused of treason in September 2017 and his party dissolved two months later. Multiple media outlets were also forced to close, and journalists and activists arrested leaving the governing party to take all the seats in Parliament when elections took place in July 2018. T-shirts could be target Ben Vanpeperstraete, Lobby and Advocacy Coordinator of Europe-based Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC), told Al Jazeera he was also expecting a partial suspension. We do know that the Commission will take the route of partial suspensions, he said, citing sources with direct knowledge of the draft decision. This partial suspension, he said, would take the effect of targeting subsectors of the economy, including parts of the garment industry. While he did not have an exhaustive list of subsectors that would be targeted, he said he was told T-shirts would be included in the new tariff-scheme. I'm not afraid. But maybe the young ones are. If we lose EBA, our life might be finished. Chhen Vanna, food vendor The EU can target specific subsectors by imposing tariffs on HS4 and HS6-levels. Products are grouped in multiple categories, which are then divided further. An HS4 code would include several HS6 sub-sections. In total, the labour rights expert said, about 25 percent of total Cambodian exports to the EU would be targeted. A partial suspension, Vanpeperstraete said, does not kill the economy. Cambodia mainly exports textiles to the EU, but other significant sectors include rice and bicycles. According to the European Commission, Cambodia exported five billion Euros (almost $5.5bn) to the EU in 2017, and 5.4 billion Euros ($5.9bn) in 2018. The Ministry of Commerce records exports to the EU at a total of $4.4bn in 2017. The EU is the largest buyer of Cambodian products. Symbolic At multiple factories, dozens of garment workers Al Jazeera spoke to had not heard of the impending decision or even the agreement. Cambodia mainly exports garments to the EU, but also rice and bicycles [File: Samrang Pring/Reuters] At a clothing factory which exports to EU countries making products for brands including Puma, only one garment worker had heard of the agreement. She said management had not informed them of a potential decision and that she had only heard of the agreement through the news. Chhen Vanna, a food vendor outside a different factory, said she knew about the issue through Facebook. She speculated that some of the workers might be aware of the discussions, but were unwilling to talk. Its good for me, Im old. Im not afraid. But maybe the young ones are afraid, she said. If we lose EBA, our life might be finished. Jan Orbie, director of the Centre for EU Studies who researches trade between the EU and developing countries, said partial or full suspension was likely. While having no direct knowledge of the decision that will be issued on Wednesday, he said the European Commission had come under pressure in the trade bloc for not prioritising human rights concerns in its policies. The Commission has been blamed for giving priority to free trade over social and democratic concerns. Hence, from the Commissions perspective, the EBA sanctions could be symbolic in that they signify the EUs willingness to take social and democracy concerns into consideration through its trade policy, he said. Maria Garcia, a senior lecturer at the University of Bath who focuses on EU Trade Policy, agreed, and said withdrawing trade preferences was not only politically-sensitive in the developing countries but also within Europe because individual companies would also be affected. Any withdrawal of trading preferences will have impact on both the EU and the partner country, she said. [Even] a relatively insignificant impact for the whole of EU may be impactful for a particular company that imports a product from the affected partner. Politically, it is also a sensitive matter, as withdrawal of preferential access will inevitably create tensions in the relations with the partner country. In a document published on the European Parliaments website, a Member of Parliament noted that the Commission had decided to withdraw Cambodias EBA status on some products. The European Commission, meanwhile, remained tight-lipped about its plans. Any possible measures will of course be balanced to effectively address the human rights violations that triggered the temporary withdrawal procedure, while at the same time preserving the development objective of the Everything But Arms scheme, a spokesperson told Al Jazeera in an email. Intense poker But this partial suspension could be temporary or even prevented altogether. As Karin Ulmer, senior officer at Europe-based ACT Alliance EU, explained, the EU could repeal its decision before the tariffs took effect, should the Cambodian government make further progress on civic and political rights. This could, she said, avoid major negative effects. In the draft report compiled following a number of fact-finding missions that will serve as a basis for the decision on Wednesday, the European Commission highlighted shortcomings of civil and political rights in Cambodia. Despite tangible progress in the areas of land rights and labour rights, the improvements made so far overall are insufficient to change the overall assessment of serious and systematic violations, the report, seen by Al Jazeera, reads. Opposition leader Kem Sokha was arrested in 2017 on treason charges and is now on trial. His party was outlawed ahead of the 2018 elections clearing the way for the governing party to win every seat [File: Samrang Pring/Reuters] Looking at political rights, for example, the Commission alleged that to date, the Commission has no found evidence that Cambodia has adopted the necessary measures to remedy these violations. The government has rejected criticism, saying it had acted in accordance with Cambodian law. Vanpeperstraete said a lot depended on the Cambodian governments moves over the next few months. Since the EU has announced its intention to withdraw the agreement, the Cambodian government has seemingly given some concessions by for example releasing opposition leader Kem Sokha out of house arrest. But after then-acting President of the CNRP Sam Rainsy announced his return to Cambodia, authorities arrested almost 100 supporters of the opposition party on allegations of plotting a coup against the government. Most have been released since, but charges against them remain. Between February and August we will see some intense poker between the EU, Cambodia and also US. A lot will depend on whether the Government of Cambodia proposes and implements convincing and sustainable steps forward, and how impressed the rest are, he said. With the Democratic Party nomination rapidly coming down to Bernie Sanders and Mike Bloomberg, Bernie's allies (or maybe the pro-Sanders Russian bots) have started a #BloombergIsRacist trend on Twitter. Someone's dug up these tapes on Michael Bloomberg to shock the locals: This is the guy the @DNC/@TheDemocrats loved to change the rules for. @TomPerez It's amazing how the MSM calls the Bernie Revolution radical, yet love to embrace the racist ideas of Bloomberg. #BloombergIsRacist https://t.co/M9t6f7cuad Batavus E Pluribus Bernie (@B_Droogstoppel) February 11, 2020 This is kind of amusing to see, because Democrats now are so woke and politically correct. How someone like Tom Perez is going to explain bending the rules to let Bloomberg into the Democratic debates now with that going around will be a be popcorn-worthy question. According to NewsOne: The edited, minute-long clip from a speech Bloomberg gave to the Aspen Institute in 2015 echoed his other previous defenses of "stop and frisk," an unconstitutional policing tactic that disproportionately targeted Black and brown people a policy for which he is widely credited with being the architect and chief enforcer during his three terms leading New York City. On the clip, which undoubtedly was uploaded and circulated online by some of Bloomberg's political rivals, features Bloomberg espousing some damningly racist rhetoric about how he identifies criminals. "Ninety-five percent of murders murderers and murder victims fit one M.O. You can just take a description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops," Bloomberg can be heard saying in his unmistakable and signature nasal tone. "They are male, minorities, 16-25. That's true in New York, that's true in virtually every city (inaudible). And that's where the real crime is. You've got to get the guns out of the hands of people that are getting killed." To be clear, stop-and-frisk has had a damaging legacy that continues unchecked to this day and has been touted by President Donald Trump as something police officers should do more of. With that as the underlying context, Bloomberg continued with his speech. He went on in the same speech to say cities much "spend the money to put a lot of cops on the streets." Put those cops where the crime is, which means minority neighborhoods. Bloomberg then defended "arresting kids for marijuana that are all minorities." This is about par for Bloomberg roughly a New York-style blunt realist but, unlike President Trump, possessing a startlingly inhuman view of his fellow human beings. Bloomberg ought to be blaming the state for the reality of crime in the black community, but he'd rather blame blacks instead, which lets the state off easy. You don't see this kind of talk from President Trump, whose approval ratings among blacks is soaring. Bloomie, recall, has a lot of inhuman stuff in his political baggage. He has also been caught paying off women for sexist remarks and the hostile work environment he created at Bloomberg News, telling an employee with an inconvenient pregnancy to "kill it" with an abortion, calling for fingerprinting and cataloguing welfare recipients, and declaring poor people specially taxable because they might spend their money on booze and junk food and he can't allow that to happen. Remember this one? When we raise taxes on the poor, its good because then the poor will live longer because they cant afford as many things that kill them. ~Nanny State Mayor Bloomberg pic.twitter.com/23p443ieg4 Rob O'Donnell (@odonnell_r) November 28, 2019 Now it's blacks who are inconvenient to him, and with some accurate stats about black crime, he manages to make crime some kind of thing intrinsic to blacks instead of a problem of the pathologies of fatherless homes and the welfare state, both big-government problems that bring the kinds of problems seen in the black community anywhere they are tried. But Bloomberg is blaming blacks. Here's a black Twitterer last Jan. 30 pointing to the problem with Bloomberg's big-state cure-alls: @MikeBloomberg is a progressive racist that wants to disarm black Americans so we cant defend ourselves from criminals and democrats like him that hate black America #BloombergIsRacist Franklin D Carr (@BigEvil79) January 31, 2020 This is a self-created problem for Democrats, given that they just can't get away from Big State solutions for everything. Put a market shark like Bloomberg in that mix, and don't be surprised to see a whole lot of racist baggage coming out of the woodwork. Image credit: Twitter screen shot. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 18:30:43|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A 115-year-old private university in the U.S. state of Oregon on Monday announced its permanent closure due to significant financial debts and a lack of student enrollment, a local TV outlet reported. Concordia University of Portland (CUP), a Lutheran Church school in Portland, said its board of regents has decided to cease operations at the end of the spring 2020 semester, and will hold its last commencement ceremony in April, KATU TV reported. Interim president Thomas Ries told local media that the university had depended heavily on tuition for operations, adding that most private universities are "woefully under-endowed." Founded in 1905, the CUP has more than 6,000 students with 400 faculty members, and offers programs on education, management and law. The CUP is the third Portland-area private university to close permanently since 2018. Home and Away star Josh Quong Tart has been ordered into rehabilitation after his increasingly erratic behaviour led to him assaulting a police officer. Quong Tart, who also appeared in All Saints, McLeod's Daughters and Underbelly, has pleaded guilty to the assault, resisting arrest and offensive behavior. Those offences relate to a bizarre confrontation with police in Sydney the night after he finished playing the lead role in the raunchy cabaret drag show Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined. Quong Tart is further charged with assaulting police, resisting arrest, intimidating a police officer and wilful and obscene exposure over a separate incident south of Sydney. He is also due to be sentenced for refusing or failing to submit to a breath test. Home and Away start Josh Quong Tart has been ordered into rehab after his increasingly erratic behaviour led to him assaulting a police officer. Quong Tart has pleaded guilty to the assault, resisting arrest and behaving offensively. He is still facing further charges Quong Tart played Miles 'Milco' Copeland in Home and Away from 2007 to 2011, Matt Horner in All Saints and Andrew Perish in Underbelly: Badness. He is pictured as Copeland kissing Samantha Tolj's character Shandi Ayres Quong Tart played Miles 'Milco' Copeland in Home and Away from 2007 to 2011, Matt Horner in All Saints and Andrew Perish in Underbelly: Badness. He also appeared as Scar in the 2013-2016 stage production of Disney's The Lion King which toured Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. The 44-year-old did not appear in Downing Centre Local Court on Tuesday when lawyer Adam Faro entered the guilty pleas to the Sydney offences on his behalf. Mr Faro also asked that his client's bail conditions be altered so he could attend a private rehabilitation facility on the New South Wales north coast rather than the Sydney Clinic. Quong Tart's recent troubles with alcohol and the law were outlined in a statement of facts tendered to the court. 'The accused has come under increasing police notice due to his behaviour including violent and alcohol related offences,' the statement said. 'The accused is currently under bail conditions for these offences and it is suspected the accused will continue to come under further police notice in the future without sufficient intervention.' Quong Tart was involved in a bizarre confrontation with police in Sydney the night after he finished playing the lead role in the raunchy cabaret drag show Betty Blokk-Buster Reimagined (pictured) Quong Tart's recent troubles with alcohol and the law were outlined in a statement of facts tendered to Downing Centre Local Court. He is pictured in All Saints Quong Tart's latest run-in with police began on Monday, January 27, when he was spotted on the median strip of William Street, Darlinghurst, 'waving his hands in the air erratically.' While police were stopped at traffic lights about 10.50pm a member of the public approached them and said 'that guy over there just assaulted a taxi driver then took off.' [Quong Tart has not been charged with assaulting a cab driver]. Officers lost sight of Quong Tart but were directed by pedestrians to another taxi parked nearby. When police asked the driver of that cab if he had a passenger in the back he nodded and said yes. 'Police then observed the accused in the rear left seat of the taxi appearing to hide from police sight,' the statement of facts said. Two constables then approached the vehicle and attempted to speak to Quong Tart. 'The accused immediately became hostile towards police, shouting aggressively "f*** off", "get the f*** away from me", "f*** off".' Quong Tart's latest run-in with police began on January 27, when he was spotted on the median strip of William Street, Darlinghurst, 'waving his hands in the air erratically.' He is pictured at the 2009 Logie Awards in Melbourne Police activated their body camera videos and called for back-up. 'The accused continued to shout aggressively, stating similar phrases... causing saliva to come from his mouth and land on the inside of the window of the taxi.' While one constable held the taxi's door closed from the outside, Quong Tart began punching the window from the inside. Quong Tart then left the vehicle from the unprotected rear passenger door and was followed by police including Constable Kory Sonter. 'The accused then turned around and with his right hand in a fist threw a punch at Constable Sonter striking him above his right eye,' the statement of facts said. 'Constable Sonter then utilised a defensive strike, taking the accused to the ground.' As Constable Sonter and a female colleague attempted to handcuff Quong Tart he continued to violently resist. He was finally restrained when further police arrived. Quong Tart was taken to Surry Hills police station where he caused more trouble. The actor is a descendant of prominent 19th century Chinese-born Sydney merchant Mei Quong Tart. He is pictured right on stage in The Miser at the Drama Theatre in the Sydney Opera House in 2004 'Whilst attempting to move the accused into a cell the accused continued to resist police, attempting to pull away from their grasp,' the statement of facts said. 'The accused was placed into the cell however then ran towards the opening of the door and placed his hands between the door and the frame of the cell to prevent it closing. 'The accused was required to again be restrained by a number of officers before he was successfully contained in the cell.' Quong Tart was so aggressive and non-cooperative he was not offered the opportunity to be electronically interviewed. The night before the melee Quong Tart had finished an 18-night run as the title character in Betty Blokk-Buster Reminagined at the Magic Mirror Spiegeltent in Hyde Park. His performance in that Sydney Festival show, inspired by Reg Livermore's 1975 cabaret Betty Blokk-Buster Follies, was described as 'simply extraordinary' and featured Quong Tart bearing his bottom. Mr Faro said his client would be seeking to have the Sydney matters dealt with under the Mental Health Act rather than the criminal law and asked for time for reports to be prepared. 'There's a bit of a history involved,' Mr Faro told the court. The actor is a descendant of prominent 19th century Chinese-born Sydney merchant Mei Quong Tart, who died in July 1903 less than a year after being robbed and bashed in the Queen Victoria Building. Quong Tart, who lives at Newtown, is due back in the Downing Centre on April 1. Hontiveros calls for protection for workers, 'work from home' option amidst nCoV After reports that the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019 n-CoV) has surpassed the global death toll of the 2003 SARS outbreak, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday encouraged the private sector to ensure the protection of workers and to provide a 'work from home' option for its employees. "Dapat ligtas ang lahat. Ito ang priority natin," Hontiveros urged. She expressed concern that the coronavirus has infected approximately 40,000 people and killed at least 910 people in the span of one month, while the 2003 SARS outbreak killed 774 people in the span of 8 months. "Para sa mga empleyadong pwede namang 'work from home,' dapat may ganoong option," Hontiveros detailed. "Kung hindi naman kailangang mag-commute ang empleyado araw-araw, mas mapapangalagaan ang kalusugan nila kapag pwedeng magtrabaho sa bahay," she added. The Senator also urged employers to provide necessary protective measures for their employees inside the workplace. "Dapat may access sa running water, sabon, alcohol, at hand sanitizer ang mga empleyado sa loob ng pagawaan," Hontiveros said. "Lalung-lalo na sa mga empleyadong nasa frontline at nasa maraming tao, kailangang i-provide ng kumpanya ang mga mahahalagang gamit kagaya ng mask at alcohol," she furthered. "Kagaya ng mga salesladies, mga cashier at iba pang nasa service sector, dapat sagot na ng kumpanya ang pang-araw-araw na protective gear nila," she also said. Hontiveros reiterated that precautions in terms of maintaining proper hygiene and frequent handwashing must be observed. The lack of snow and ice means less runoff into creeks and rivers and less risk for ice jams, Pearson said. That doesn't mean there won't be isolated trouble spots, such as the stretch of the Elkhorn River in northern Dodge County that has flowed over U.S 275 between West Point and the Nebraska 91 junction more than once over recent days, causing it to close. But widespread flooding issues are unlikely. "At least in the short term, we're looking good," Pearson said. The longer-term outlook is much more uncertain. While the weather looks favorable through the rest of the month, March is notoriously unpredictable. University of Nebraska-Lincoln climatologist Ken Dewey said on Twitter on Monday that while the extended forecast could be the start of an early spring warmup, "March is famous for spring snowstorms, so don't count winter out just yet." Pearson said that rivers continue to run high and there still is a lot of moisture in the ground that will eventually thaw out. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 03:17:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping talked with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani over phone on Tuesday night, expressing confidence in a full victory in the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic. Xi said that at this critical juncture when China is battling the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, Qatar has repeatedly expressed its support for China and opened the Qatari airline network to facilitate China's transportation of anti-epidemic materials, to which China would like to express gratitude and appreciation. The Chinese people are deeply moved by the true friendship that has stood the test in difficult times, Xi said. The Chinese side attaches great importance to the development of China-Qatar relations and stands ready to make joint efforts with Qatar to continue to support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns and push bilateral ties to higher levels, Xi said. Since the outbreak of the epidemic, China has mobilized the whole country to deal with it with full strength, adopted the most thorough and rigorous prevention and control measures and waged a people's war on the epidemic, Xi stressed, noting that positive progress is now being achieved through the prevention and control measures. Thanks to China's system advantage featuring the Chinese people's unity as one and the tackling of major issues by pooling strength, as well as a strong material and technical basis, and rich practical experiences, China has full confidence, capability and certainty to win the battle against the epidemic, Xi said. China has been safeguarding the Chinese people's life and health, and at the same time making active contribution to global public health security, Xi stressed. It is China's rigorous prevention and control measures which have prevented a large-scale global spread of the virus, he said. Xi expressed hope that countries will keep abreast of and follow the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) on travel and health. China is willing to maintain close coordination with Qatar, provide updates on the latest situation of the epidemic in a timely manner, ensure the life and health of the Qatari nationals in China so as to safeguard the health and safety of the people of both countries in a concrete manner, Xi said. Emir Sheikh Tamim, on behalf of the Qatari government and people, expressed firm support to the Chinese government and people's fight against the epidemic, and extended condolences to the deceased in the epidemic and sympathies to their families, while wishing the patients a quick recovery. Qatar spoke highly of China's strong measures, he said, noting that he is fully confident that China has the capability and certainty to win the battle against the epidemic as soon as possible, and overcome the immediate difficulties. He wished China success in this regard. The Chinese people are Qatar's good friends and Qatar will always stand firmly by the Chinese people, he stressed. Qatar will strictly follow the WHO's advices, the Qatari emir said, noting he will order Qatar's health institutions to strengthen cooperation with the Chinese side. Qatar is ready to provide assistance at any time in response to the needs of the Chinese side, he said. Qatar is expecting to work together with China to push forward bilateral ties for more progress, he added. A new international concert series hosted in Wicklow Parish Church called 'The Church Of The Vine' features five concerts, the first of which took place last October. The exciting initiative is in association with Wicklow Church of Ireland Parish and curated by musical director, Anthony Norton. The four remaining concerts will feature both local and international artists of significant calibre and prestige. The church has a splendid acoustic which is ideal for performances of chamber music and vocal ensembles and has in the past hosted international chamber orchestras, soloists and choirs on tour in Ireland. The first concert held in October was performed by 'Passion' featuring jazz violinist Pat Collins of the immensely successful Cafe Orchestra, Drazen Derek the superb Croatian jazz guitarist regularly featured with The Chieftains, and international tenor Anthony Norton who has performed with major opera houses throughout Europe. 'Passion's' performance included songs from film, stage and cabaret celebrating, Piaf, Brel, Gardel, Rota, and songs from Italy, France, Spain and Argentina as well as gypsy - jazz and standards from the American song book. On February 7, audience members will be taken on a journey through the beguiling and atmospheric music for guitar, lute and voice of the 16th and 17th centuries. One of Europe's leading exponents of the Baroque and early Classical guitar, Ashford resident, Eamonn Sweeney will partner one of Ireland's rising stars, the soprano Lorna Breen. Eamonn has toured globally performing as a soloist and with various early music ensembles, he will be joined by the prize-winning young vocal artist in performances of songs and arias by Vivaldi, Caccini, Handel, Purcell and many more composers from the Baroque and Classical eras. March 13 will feature the Dutch pianist and organist Klaas Jan de Vries accompanying the Irish lyric tenor Jack Kinkead in a recital of Art songs from the 19th and 20th century featuring the poetry of Thomas Hardy and the music of Gerald Finzi amongst others. This music charms with an ageless beauty the evocative texts of great Romantic poetry. On April 24, the Vine International Concert Series presents Prince Ibukun Tunde Olatunji, a chief from the Ekiti estates in Nigeria. Having grown up in the United Kingdom, estranged from his family of origin; Tunde became an actor, writer and poet producing work for theatre, dance and orchestral performances. Upon being introduced to his tribal home and family, Tunde was inspired to create a series of epic poems celebrating the land of his origin and its extraordinary pantheon of gods and mythology. Tunde will perform selections from his writing accompanied by the exceptional Japanese concert pianist and improviser, Izumi Kimura. The final performance of the series will be given by the internationally renowned Irish Mezzo-Soprano, Victoria Massey. Now based in Venice and a regular solo artist at La Fenice and on many operatic stages throughout Europe, Victoria Massey will give a rare opportunity for an Irish audience to here this wonderful artist. The Vine International Concert Series is delighted that Victoria Massey will be able to perform in its inaugural programme. All the performances in this series will begin at 8 p.m. Tickets will be available in advance from www.gr8events.ie or on the door. Costs are 20, 15 for students, young people (16 or under) accompanied by an adult enter free of charge. Ticket holders for these concerts may avail of the pre-concert menu at La Locandina restaurant in Wicklow town between 5.30 p.m. and 7.30 p.m. on the evening of the performances. A Warren County employee was quarantined last week after fears that he had contracted the novel coronavirus during a recent trip to visit a relative in China, officials said. The man, whose name was not released, did not feel well after returning from his trip abroad. In light of the ongoing coronavirus epidemic, physicians tested him and directed he quarantine himself until the results became available. The tests came back negative, and the man has since recovered. Ginelle Jones, Warren Countys director of public health, said the incident was the only person under investigation in Warren County for possible coronavirus exposure so far. There have been no confirmed cases in New York, and only 13 in the United States, all among people who traveled to China. Influenza is a far deadlier threat to the public, she pointed out. More than 1,000 people have died in China of the 44,000 reported to be infected. Patricia Hunt, Washington Countys director of public health, said her agency has not had anyone tested for coronavirus. A call to the Saratoga County Department of Public Health was not returned Tuesday. Warren County Administrator Ryan Moore briefed county supervisors on the situation Tuesday, as county leaders tried to figure out how to compensate the employee for the time he was required to stay home. The absence was not work-related, but he was also not ill, so sick time would not be appropriate. But under the circumstances, it did not seem fair to make the employee use vacation time for absences over which he had no control, Moore explained. Weve never had this before, Moore said. Bolton Supervisor Ron Conover said county leaders should make sure they dont take steps that would dissuade someone from being cautious. We want to make sure every precaution is taken, Conover said. Moore suggested that county leaders create a new paid absence category for workers who may find themselves in similar situations in the future. Don Lehman covers police and court matters, Warren County government and the outdoors. He can be reached at 518-742-3224 or dlehman@poststar.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- After a new law passed the payment of brokers fees from the renter to the landlord, a judge temporarily blocked the legislation with a court ruling on Monday. A temporary restraining order has stopped a Department of States (DOS) recent revision to pro-tenant rent reforms that eliminated the listing brokers commission for renters, according to The Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), which filed a lawsuit against the new law. James Whelan, REBNY president, and Jennifer Stevenson, New York State Association of Realtors president, released the following joint statement: The entry today by the Court in Albany of an order temporarily halting the implementation of New York State Department of States (DOS) interpretation of the Statewide Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act means that thousands of hardworking, honest real estate agents across New York State can do business in the same way they did prior to last weeks DOS memo without fear of discipline by the DOS. We look forward to ultimately resolving this matter in court in the weeks ahead. Meanwhile, we appreciate all of our members support and vigilance during this period of upheaval and confusion. The DOS didnt immediately respond to an Advance query for comment on the court ruling. Traditionally, if you rent a home, there are often two brokers involved -- the buyer broker and the listing broker. Prior to the new law, often the fee -- usually one months rent -- was split between the two Realtors in New York City. The new law saddled landlords with the fees. Some Realtors predicted that the new law would cause landlords to raise rents. If the property owners are going to have to pay a fee, the landlord may start charging more rent to make up for the cost of the fee, said Jon Goldstein, broker/owner of Hometime Estates, Westerleigh. This is really going to hurt renters because landlords are not going to want to pay the fee. Said Frank J. Rizzo, broker/owner of the Annadale-based Cornerstone Realty: We all can agree that housing costs in the city are high, and we would like to see those costs come down. However, this is not the most effective way to accomplish that aim. Large landlords will increase their rents to offset their costs and mom-and-pop landlords -- like your neighbor who is renting that apartment to offset [his or her] mortgage payment -- will take the apartments off broker sites and MLS sites to save that one month of rent that they have already included in their budget. FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Nargiz Sadikhova Trend: Kazakhstan has not yet resumed export of CNPC-Aktobemunauygas oil to China, Kazakhstans Minister of Energy Nurlan Nogayev said, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media. Nogayev said that all Kazakh refineries are already being supplied with oil as usual. Transit of Russian oil is also underway. He also added that a commission was created in order to assess the volume of non-consolidated oil. We have to know, find out why this happened. The deadlines for commission to finish its work were not set. Currently, the technology system has normalized. The companies which supplied oil to the system resumed their usual volumes, Nogayev said. On Jan. 16, 2020, KazTransOil detected an excess of organochlorine compounds in the fractions during crude oil receiving into the trunk pipeline system from CNPC-Aktobemunauygas. KazTransOil suspended crude oil receiving from CNPC-Aktobemunaygas on the same day until the oil quality issue is resolved. As of Jan. 22, 2020, the acceptance of crude oil from CNPC-Aktobemunaygas was not restarted. Kazakhstans Ministry of Energy, given the decline in volume of oil delivery for transportation through trunk oil pipelines system, adjusted the schedule for oil transportation to the refineries of Kazakhstan and for export for Jan. 2020. In particular, the scheduled volume of export to China was reduced. The transit of Russian crude oil to China through the system of trunk oil pipelines of KazTransOil JSC is not suspended and is carried out in full compliance with contractual obligations and quality in accordance with GOST (quality standard). --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Egypt extends detention of Coptic Christian activist, delays court hearing Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Authorities in Egypt have again delayed the court hearing for a Coptic Christian activist jailed last November on preposterous charges, according to a persecution watchdog group. It's been over two months since plainclothes police officers in Cairo raided the home of Christian activist Rami Kamil during the early hours of the morning. He was taken into custody and reportedly accused of joining a terror group as well as broadcasting false information. However, advocates contend that Kamil was targeted because of his advocacy for human rights and religious freedom. Kamil is part of the Maspero Youth Union, an activist group fighting for equality and civil rights for the Coptic community. He has also written about the mistreatment suffered by Christians in Egypt. Christian Solidarity Worldwide, a United Nations-recognized NGO that works in several countries to assist persecuted communities, reports that Kamil was slated to appear before the Supreme State Security Prosecution on Jan. 19. But on the day of his hearing, Kamils lawyers waited several hours before being informed that the Ministry of Interior did not bring Kamil from Torra prison to the SSSP office for the hearing. According to CSW, this is not the first time that the government ministry failed to transfer Kamil from the prison to the hearing. Sources who spoke with the nonprofit agency believe that failure to bring Kamil to his scheduled hearings are an attempt to prolong his legal process as well as increase psychological pressure. There have been several procedural irregularities in Kamils case. According to CSW, Kamils detention was extended by 15 days after an interrogation by prosecutors. Defense attorneys were informed that Kamils detention would be extended again even though he has not been formally charged with a crime. It is not yet clear when the next hearing is scheduled. Mr. Kamils detention increasingly appears to be an effort to punish him for his work as a human rights defender, CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas said in a statement. We call for his immediate and unconditional release, and for due process to be observed. SSSP officials are accused of preventing Kamils lawyers from gaining full access to documents related to their clients case while the request for Kamils release remains unanswered. Mr. Kamils lawyers must be permitted to access every document and testimony related to this case to mount an appropriate defense, Thomas added. The Egyptian government must ensure that it upholds its constitutional obligation under article 53 to ensure equality before the law without discrimination. Egypt ranks as the 16th worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USAs World Watch List. According to the U.S.-based advocacy group Coptic Solidarity, political detentions in Egypt are common as the state utilizes a variety of tools to censor free speech. Since President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rose to power in 2014, the group reports that restrictions of free speech, free assembly and freedom of the press have been well documented. Crushing political dissent, imprisoning journalists and censoring the press are rarely discussed in relation to church building permits, discriminatory practices and violence against Copts in Egypt, writes Amy Fallas of The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. The arrest of a prominent Christian activist who works to document sectarian attacks alongside the targeting of an independent media outlet should challenge policymakers to consider issues of religious freedom in tandem with the protection of other civil liberties in Egypt. Although Sisis government has promoted initiatives to support religious freedom for Coptic Christians and fight radical Islamic extremism, Fallas fears that U.S. leaders have celebrated Sisis initiatives without assessing if these efforts actually improved conditions for Christians in Egypt. In response to the opening of the cathedral in January 2019, President Donald Trump interpreted the inauguration as Sisis effort to move his country to a more inclusive future! she wrote. Yet analysts in Egypt and abroad pointed to how this gesture obscured the fact that the Church Construction Law passed in 2016 was slow to approve construction and renovation permits for thousands of churches across the country. Although Egypt has legalized some churches, thousands of churches await government recognition. As Open Doors USA notes, many Egyptian Christians face substantial roadblocks when it comes to living out their faith and that religious freedom for Christians is not fully guaranteed. Egyptian Christians are often victims of social exclusion and face constant discrimination in areas such as justice, education and basic social services, Open Doors USA warned in a fact sheet. In rural areas, Christian women have been targeted for abduction and forced marriage. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th February 2020 - The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. She spoke to the young people about the need to be aware of and avoid potential dangers of the internet and encouraged them to be kind and respectful to each other online. The deputy First Minister congratulated the school on their recent awards in online safety education and said they were leading the way in this important area. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th February 2020 - The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. She spoke to the young people about the need to be aware of and avoid potential dangers of the internet and encouraged them to be kind and respectful to each other online. The deputy First Minister congratulated the school on their recent awards in online safety education and said they were leading the way in this important area. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th February 2020 - The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. She spoke to the young people about the need to be aware of and avoid potential dangers of the internet and encouraged them to be kind and respectful to each other online. The deputy First Minister congratulated the school on their recent awards in online safety education and said they were leading the way in this important area. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 11th February 2020 - The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. She spoke to the young people about the need to be aware of and avoid potential dangers of the internet and encouraged them to be kind and respectful to each other online. The deputy First Minister congratulated the school on their recent awards in online safety education and said they were leading the way in this important area. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill has challenged claims from DUP leader Arlene Foster that the circumstances for a border poll dont exist. Calls for a border poll on the island have escalated in recent days, following the result of the Irish General Election which saw a stunning victory by Sinn Fein. The all-Ireland party topped the poll as counting finished, winning 37 seats in the 160-seat Dail and now becoming king makers in forming the next government. The result has seen calls by senior figures in Sinn Fein that any prospective government in the Republic of Ireland would demand a unity referendum from Prime Minister Boris Johnson, as part of an incoming programme for government. Read More Tweeting, First Minister Arlene Foster rejected any suggestion that the threshold of support for calling a border poll by Secretary of State (SoS) Julian Smith had been reached. Irrespective of the view in Dublin or Brussels, a border poll can only be called by SoS if it appears likely to secure a majority in Northern Ireland, she wrote. No such circumstances exist in Northern Ireland. Mrs Foster then went on to claim that the percentage of vote share in favour of united Ireland supporting parties in Northern Ireland had dropped between the 2001 and 2019 UK General Elections falling from 42% to 38%. There is nothing to fear in terms of trying to shape a new island Michelle O'Neill Responding to the First Ministers remarks on social media, Michelle ONeill reiterated that she believed the conditions are met in calling for a border poll. In the last four elections the unionist majority is gone. It is the first time in the history of the 26 county state, that Sinn Fein are the largest party. I think that shows there is a support there for the uniting Ireland project, she said. I would say this to those who dont share the same aspirations as ourselves. There is nothing to fear in terms of trying to shape a new island. I think it is an opportunity. Now is the time to plan for Irish unity. Lets not do onto the people here what was done in terms of Brexit in England. Expand Close The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill joined pupils at Holy Trinity Primary School in Belfast for Safer Internet Day. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Michelle ONeill also stressed that negotiations to form a government in the Republic of Ireland did not need to be drawn out, but admitted bringing together all the left-wing parties into coalition in the Dail is probably a stretch. That doesnt mean you dont try to make every effort to form alliances where we can, she added. In terms of what we would ask for in a negotiation... as republicans we will have asks. Also clearly as someone who now enjoys the largest share of vote across the 26 counties, we will be equal partners in government. Clearly this is a work in progress but there is certainly no desire on our behalf to draw it out." Michelle ONeill was speaking after attending a Safer Internet Day event at Holy Trinity Primary School in west Belfast on Tuesday morning. The school is the first in Northern Ireland to be awarded the Cyber Resilience and Internet safety badge by Digital Schools NI and was also presented with the 360 Degree safety award from online safety charity South West Grid for Learning. A Chinese worker wears a protective suit as he takes the name of a driver in a vehicle entering an office building while checking people in Beijing on Feb. 10, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Japan Cruise Ship Virus Cases Jump to 175 Including Quarantine Officer Roughly two dozen countries around the world have taken precautionary measures to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, as the death toll continues to rise. This page has updates from Feb. 11. For updates from Feb. 12, click here. Japan Cruise Ship Virus Cases Jump to 175 Including Quarantine Officer Another 39 people have tested positive for the coronavirus on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan as well as one quarantine officer, bringing the total to 175, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The Diamond Princess was placed in quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. About 3,700 people are aboard the ship, which usually has a crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. The ministry said tests are being conducted for others who are deemed to need them and it will announce the results later. The cruise ship Diamond Princess is docked at Yokohama Port, near Tokyo, Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. (Sadayuki Goto/Kyodo News via AP) The U.K.-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise Lines, one of the worlds largest cruise lines and a unit of Carnival Corp. The government was considering allowing the elderly and those with chronic illnesses to disembark before the Feb. 19 target date for ending the quarantine, some media reported, but added it would take time to figure out where they could be sent. As of last week, about 80 percent of the passengers were aged 60 or over, with 215 in their 80s and 11 in the 90s, the English-language Japan Times newspaper reported. Kyodo news agency, citing the health ministry, said that of the 39 cases, 10 were crew, 10 were Japanese nationals and the others were from 11 countries including the United States and China. Four were in serious condition, media said, quoting Health Minister Katsunobu Kato. Fed Official: Interest Rate Cuts May Be in Order Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Patrick Harker said that if the coronavirus-related economic malaise now hurting China spills over and deals the U.S. economy a material blow, the Fed may be forced to drop interest rates to contain the fallout. Its too early to say what impact the spread of the coronavirus will have on the global economy, but the negative effects on the Chinese economy and international travel are something to watch, Harker said in a speech at the University of Delaware in Newark on Monday. During a panel after he delivered his remarks, Harker was cited by Reuters as saying that if the economic contagion from the virus outbreak in China gets significantly worse and impacts American businesses, the Fed would consider a rate cut. Read more here. Pentagon Names 11 Military Bases as Potential Quarantine Centers The Pentagon said it has named 11 military bases that could serve as potential quarantine areas for U.S. coronavirus cases after being asked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Department of Defense (DOD) named installations near 11 major airports that could house additional passengers if HHS facilities become filled, according to a news release. Read more here. 195 Americans From Wuhan Released From Quarantine Nearly 200 Americans who were evacuated from China have been released from a 14-day quarantine after none tested positive for the mysterious new coronavirus. The Americans were returning to their houses weeks after being rescued from Wuhan, the epicenter of COVID-19. They had been held at March Air Reserve Base in California, monitored for symptoms of the disease. Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said some of the Americans threw their face masks into the air in celebration as they prepared for departure. No one from the group tested positive for the virus. Four other groups are in quarantine across the United States. Read more here. Commuters wear face masks to protect themselves from air pollution and new virus in Bangkok, Thailand, on Feb. 5, 2020. (Gemunu Amarasinghe/AP Photo) Cruise Ship Stranded at Sea Over Coronavirus Fears Thailands government has turned away a Holland America cruise ship on Tuesday, just hours after the firm announced that it would be able to disembark in Bangkokmaking it the fifth time a country or territory has denied it entry amid fears that someone on board might have coronavirus. Thai Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate wrote on social media that the ship cannot dock in the country, but he said Thailand will gladly help provide fuel, medicine, and food so the ship can reach its destination safely. Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. territory of Guam have all prohibited Holland Americas Westerdam ship from docking on their shores amid fears of the virus. Holland America, which is owned by cruise giant Carnival Corp., said that it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board the ship, which has reportedly sickened tens of thousands of people inside China. Read more here. China Receptive to Offer for US Help: Official Chinese officials have expressed receptivity to having at least one American expert join the World Health Organization (WHO) team that is set to arrive soon in the country to help with efforts against COVID-19, an American health official said on Tuesday. My understanding is, the latest discussions theres been receptivity, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), told reporters in Washington. WHOs advance team arrived on Monday and the rest of the team was going to arrive as soon as possible, the organizations chief, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said on Monday. Schuchat said that the team could help out by providing some fresh eyes. The experts might not have not lost as much sleep over the past month as individuals in China, she added. Experts could help look into the routes of transmission for the new virus, the full severity, understanding potential animal reservoirs, and trying to pinpoint the origin of the virus, Schuchat said. The United States has repeatedly offered to send experts to China but have been rebuffed, though CDC workers already in Beijing were assisting their counterparts, American officials said previously. A customer pushes a cart while shopping inside a supermarket of Alibabas Hema Fresh chain, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in Wuhan, Hubei province, China on Feb. 11, 2020. (Stringer/Reuters) First Vaccine Could Be Ready in 18 Months Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organizations (WHO) director-general, said that the development of vaccines and therapies are an important part of the forum happening at the organizations headquarters today and tomorrow. But the first vaccine could take some time to develop, he said. The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months, so we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus, while preparing for the long-term, he told reporters on Tuesday. There are currently no vaccines or known cures for COVID-19. The available weapons include sending supplies to countries to help diagnose and treat patients and protect health workers and training workers to respond to the virus. Companies and groups in a number of countries are working on a vaccine but others have also said the development of one could take a while. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, said late last month that it would take at least a year before a vaccine is developed. And Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told HealthDay News that he doesnt expect a vaccine to be commercially available for at least 12 months. British Man Linked to 11 Infections Speaks Out The British man who is believed to have passed on the new coronavirus to at least 11 people revealed his identity and said hes fully recovered. Steve Walsh, 53, traveled to Singapore for a business conference in January. Before returning to Britain, Walsh visited a ski chalet in France. Five people who stayed at the chalet tested positive in France, another five linked to a known case in France tested positive in Britain, and one person believed to have caught the virus at the chalet tested positive in Spain, authorities said. Walsh is still in quarantine in a hospital in London but issued a statement saying hes doing well and expressing gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS). I would like to thank the NHS for their help and carewhilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus, he said in the statement, which was sent to news outlets. Read more here. Workers dressed in protective clothing, including face masks and gloves, are pictured carrying buckets as they work inside of at the Warmdene doctors Surgery at County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton, southern England on Feb. 10, 2020, after it closed for urgent operational health and safety reasons, following reports a member of staff was infected with the 2019-nCoV strain of the novel coronavirus. (Glyn Kirk//AFP via Getty Images) New Coronavirus Officially Named COVID-19 The new coronavirus that started in China was officially named COVID-19, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. The CO stands for corona, the VI stands for virus, and the D refers to disease, WHO director-general Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told reporters at a press conference at the organizations headquarters in Geneva on Feb. 11. Guidelines agreed upon between the WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health, and the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forced officials to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease, Tedros said. Officials hope the new name will prevent people from using other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing, Tedros said. The new name also gives officials a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks. Read more here. More Infections Reported in Hong Kong Seven new cases of coronavirus have emerged in Hong Kong, according to Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection, bringing the citys total to 49. One new case involves a 59-year-old male preacher from a methodist church in Siu Sai Wan, a residential district in Hong Kong Island. Two new patientsa 71-year-old man living in Tseung Kwan O and a 66-year-old living in Tuen Munhave no recent travel history outside of Hong Kong. Three other patients are relatives of an infected patient living on the third floor of Hong Mei House, a residential building at Cheung Hong Estate. The final case involves a man who is a coworker of another infected person. The infected person is one of 10 people from the same family, all of whom took part in a hotpot meal at a local restaurant last month. An official wearing protective gear stands guard outside an entrance to the Hong Mei House residential building at Cheung Hong Estate in the Tsing Yi district, Hong Kong on Feb. 11, 2020. (Billy H.C. Kwok/Getty Images) Two Evacuees Test Positive in Japan Two Japanese men who repatriated on a government-chartered plane from Wuhan in late January have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, Mainichi Shimbun reported on Feb. 11, citing the health ministry. The two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s, tested positive on Monday. According to Japanese media reports, Japan has repatriated a total of 763 Japanese and their non-Japanese family members from China on four chartered planes between Jan. 28 and Feb. 7. With the two new cases, Japan has a total of 28 confirmed cases of coronavirus, in addition to 135 confirmed cases on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is under quarantine in Yokohama. The United Arab Emirates Has 8 Confirmed Cases The Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention announced on Monday another confirmed case of coronavirus, bringing the national total to eight. The new case involves an Indian national who had come into contact with a person infected with the virus. The ministry also announced that an infected patient, a 73-year-old Chinese person, had been curedthe first recovery from the virus in the country. British Airways Extends Flight Cancellations to China The UKs flag carrier airline British Airways announced on Monday that its flights to Beijing and Shanghai will continue to be canceled until March 31, Reuters reported, citing a statement from BA. In January, BA announced service suspensions to the two Chinese cities until the end of February. British Airways new Airbus A380 arrives at a hanger after landing at Heathrow airport in London on July 4, 2013. (Paul Hackett/Reuters) Wuhan Announces Additional Lockdown Measures The municipal government in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, announced on its official Weibo account on Feb. 11 that residential districts will be put under seal-off management. The short announcement said that local officials will strictly carry out seal-off management of people suspected of contracting the novel coronavirus and patients determined to have the virus. The notice quickly received criticism from many Chinese netizens, who left their comment beneath the post. One netizen from Wuhan commented that the announcement, which lacked all detail, has created more panic, much like another measurement that local authorities announced on Jan. 23. On that day, Wuhan announced the suspension of public buses, the metro service, and ferries. Additionally, airports and train stores would be shut down. It also discouraged locals from leaving Wuhan without providing any special reason. Many netizens questioned why the seal-off in Wuhan came so late, as similar measures had long been in place in other cities and villages. A cleaner wears a protective mask as he walks down an empty street in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, on Feb. 3, 2020. (Getty Images) Thailand and Vietnam Report New Cases In Thailand, a 54-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan has been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, local newspaper Bangkok Post reported, citing Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchia, director-general of the countrys Department of Disease Control. The woman had come into contact with another Chinese patient already infected with the virus. The case brings Thailands number of confirmed cases to 33. In Vietnam, a 3-month-old girl in Vinh Phuc province has tested positive for the virus, bringing the national total to 15, according to local newspaper VnExpress. The girl is the grandchild of an infected woman, who contracted the virus from a 23-year-old neighbor. The neighbor is one of eight workers sent to Wuhan by the Japan-based company Nihon Plast for training. The eight returned to Vietnam on Jan. 17, after which six of them tested positive for the virus. Thailand Refuses Entry to Netherlands-Flagged Cruise Ship Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Feb. 11 that the cruise ship, MS Westerdam, will not be allowed to dock at the local Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province, according to local newspaper Bangkok Post. The ship carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members left Singapore on Jan. 16 for a month-long tour of Asia. It picked up 600 passengers in Hong Kong on Feb. 1. Before being turned down by the dock in Thailand, the company that owns MS Westerdam, Seattle-based Holland America, issued a statement saying that it had received permission to dock at Laem Chabang. Its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which is currently home to another cruise ship that is under quarantine for the novel coronavirusDiamond Princess. Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the U.S. territory of Guam had all denied entry to the ship amid fears that passengers were carriers of the virus. The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports, Holland America said in a statement on Feb. 10. Coronavirus Patients May Not Show Symptoms for Over 3 Weeks: Study The incubation period for the new coronavirus can be as long as 24 days, according to a large Chinese study analyzing patients of the disease. The Feb. 9 study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, was led by renowned Chinese respiratory doctor Zhong Nanshan and written in collaboration between 38 Chinese researchers. After analyzing around 1,100 patients across 31 provinces and 552 hospitals, the researchers found evidence that the maximum incubation period for the virus is 24 daysup from two weeks as previously projected. The researchers also raised concerns about possible transmission through fecal contamination. Read more here. Airbnb Suspends Service in Beijing Major lodging provider Airbnb announced on Monday that all bookings in Beijing have been suspended until Feb. 29. In light of the novel coronavirus outbreak and guidance from local authorities for the short-term rental industry during this public health emergency, bookings of all listings in Beijing with check-in from 7 February 2020 to 29 February 2020 have been suspended, Airbnb said in an email statement. A woman talks on the phone at the Airbnb office headquarters in the SOMA district of San Francisco, California in August 2016. (Reuters/Gabrielle Lurie) Health Ministers from EU Member States to Meet This Week Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, told reporters on Feb. 10 that the EU commission supports the convening of [an] extraordinary council of health ministers of [EU member states], which is supposed to take place later this week. According to AFP, the extraordinary meeting will take place on Feb. 13. Lenarcic added: I think it is still important and useful that the health ministers themselves seat together, discuss the situation, exchange information on the measures they have taken, and see how further coordinated measures can be taken. This is a worrisome epidemic. This is a serious danger for public health. This virus spreads with great speed, Lenarcic said. When asked by a reporter whether the EU considered stopping direct flights to and from China a useful measure or not, Lenarcic said, the decision on travel restrictions is the decision to be taken by member states. He added that the commission has advised all of its staff to postpone non-essential travel to and from China until further notice. Now is the time to join forces to stop the #Coronavirus epidemic. It is crucial that the entire international community focuses on preparedness & response efforts to fight coronavirus, keeping #solidarity in mind. My full VIDEO statement https://t.co/hsc1B3kSd3 Janez Lenarcic (@JanezLenarcic) February 10, 2020 Coronavirus Costing Global Shipping Trade $350 Million a Week The global shipping trade is hemorrhaging $350 million a week in lost trade, according to a Feb. 10 report by Sea-Intelligence, a Denmark-based maritime data provider, reported the Wall Street Journal. The decline in industrial activity in China has meant a drop in shipping volumes, with lines re-routing cargoes and reducing calls to Chinese ports, setting the scene for months of delivery delays ahead, industry sources said. Despite the Chinese slowly returning to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday, many factories remain closed or are having reduced operations due to government-ordered lockdowns across many cities. U.S. retailers were already beginning to shift some sourcing to other countries because of the trade war, Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the U.S.-based National Retail Federation, told WSJ. But if shutdowns continue, we could see an impact on supply chains, he said. A truck transports a shipping container at Qingdao port in Shandong Province, China on Oct. 12, 2018. (China Daily/via Reuters) More Infections Reported For South Korea and Singapore The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Feb. 11 another new confirmed case, bringing the national total to 28. The new patient is a 30-year-old Chinese woman who came in contact with the third confirmed case in South Korea. The patient is now being isolated for treatment at Myongji Hospital. According to South Koreas national broadcaster KBS, the third confirmed case was identified as a 54-year-old South Korean man who had been living in Wuhan. The man returned to South Korea on Jan. 20 and tested positive for the virus on Jan. 26. He is also being treated at Myongji Hospital. Singapores Ministry of Health has reported two new cases, bringing the countrys total to 45. One involves a 37-year-old Singaporean man who has no recent travel history to China. He tested positive on Feb. 9. The second new case involves a 2-year-old Singaporean girl who was repatriated from Wuhan on Jan. 30. The girl tested positive on Feb. 10. Among the 45 cases in Singapore, seven have been discharged from the hospital while seven are in critical condition. See the latest information on the number of reported cases globally here. Building managers conduct temperature screenings outside a building in the financial district of Singapore on Feb. 10, 2020. (Roslan Rahan/AFP via Getty Images) Doctors and Patients in China Describe the Characteristics of the Coronavirus Chinese doctors on the front lines and families of patients infected with the novel coronavirus have been sharing their observations of the disease on Chinese state media and social media. The virus has exhibited some alarming features and has therefore earned a reputation among Chinese doctors as a cunning virus. Read more here. One More Pending Case Cleared in New York State New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Feb. 10 that one additional sample sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. So far, 22 out of 23 tests sent to the CDC have returned negative for the virus. One test from New York City is still pending. Cuomo said: We are continuing to take every necessary precaution to protect New Yorkers from this virus. While there are still no confirmed cases of the virus in New York State, I urge everyone to continue to take commonsense precautions, such as regular hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. People wear surgical masks in the subway station at Times Square in New York on Jan. 31, 2020. (Bryan R Smith/Reuters) New Case in California Takes US Total to 13 One new case of novel coronavirus has been detected in California, involving an adult patient who was among a group of U.S. nationals returning from Wuhan last week, reported local broadcaster 10News. The patient has been under mandatory quarantine for two weeks at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. They have now been transferred to the University of California San Diego Medical Center for treatment. The patient is the 7th known case in California and the 13th in the United States. For updates from Feb. 10, click here. Tom Ozimek, Eva Fu, Olivia Li, Frank Fang, Jack Philips, Zachary Stieber, and Reuters contributed to this report. The robot which can detect coronavirus rolled into Times Square in New York to help provide information about the new virus. Promobot was created by a Philadelphia-based startup run by a group of Russians. "We did a special software to detect coronavirus symptoms," Reuters cited the companys chief business development officer, Oleg Kivorkutsev, as saying. The robot asks if a person has common symptoms such a fever and the person has to hit 'yes' or 'no' on the touch screen, after which they receive a reassuring message if they chose no. Alejandra Garcia, a tourist from La Rioja, Spain, said that the robot was "really cute" and provided a better understanding of the virus that has infected more than 28,000 people across the world. "Its good for people to know what the symptoms of the coronavirus are," Garcia told The New York Post. Nevertheless, the park administration decided that "such activity" is prohibited there. Several nonprofits will receive a total of $282,000 in funding from Midland County. County commissioners approved the funds for seven nonprofits during Mondays meeting. The recipients are CASA of West Texas, Casa de Amigos, Midland Rape Crisis and Childrens Advocacy Center, the Midland-Odessa Transportation Alliance, Midland Teen Court, Permiacare and Centers. The largest donation is to Permiacare for $100,000, according to a contract between the nonprofit and the county. The agreement stipulates that about $92,000 is to go toward mental health services, while the rest is to be used for detox programs. Centers formerly Centers for Children and Families -- will receive $62,000, and Midland Rape Crisis will receive $20,000, according to contracts between the organizations and the county. The other nonprofits each will receive $25,000. The funds were included in the budget for this fiscal year, commissioners said during the meeting. Commissioners also approved using $500 in county funds for tree care classes. A representative with Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension said at Mondays meeting the classes will teach residents how to select and plant trees, how to fertilize and water trees, how to identify a sick tree and determine if it is safe and how to prune trees and landscape with them. There will be classes once a month from March to June, she said. The classes are scheduled for 6-8 p.m. and dinner will be provided; county funds will go toward meals for attendees. Anything that helps Midland have better and more trees is a good thing, and this class will help that happen, Commissioner Randy Prude said during the meeting. Additionally, commissioners discussed a public meeting that will be held Tuesday about ongoing road construction in Precinct 3. Commissioner Luis Sanchez said the meeting will update residents on Cotton Flat and Midkiff roads, as well as provide information for residents on submitting right-of-way permits to the county. The meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. today at the Midland County Horseshoe Complex Education Building. [February 11, 2020] Esker Integrates Stripe Connect to Offer Secure Online Payment Capabilities to Its Customers Esker, a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation solutions and pioneer in cloud computing, today announced the integration of Stripe Connect, the technology infrastructure powering the world's most ambitious platforms, to its core product. This integration will expand Esker's (News - Alert) order-to-cash (O2C) solution by offering secureonline payment capabilities globally and help businesses get paid faster. Stripe Connect seamlessly integrates with Esker's solution, giving Esker customers the convenience of working with a single payment provider across the globe, instead of having to pick from different local providers. Esker customers can now collect payment on their invoices using credit and debit cards (e.g., Visa, Mastercard or American Express (News - Alert)) and direct debit methods (e.g., ACH, SEPA) in more than 40 countries and 135 currencies within Europe, the U.S., Canada, Latin America and Asia. "As the most innovative player in financial technology, Stripe was the clear choice for us. Stripe's PCI (News - Alert) Service Provider Level 1 certified solution offers the stringent payment protection our customers worldwide expect," said Jean-Michel Berard, CEO at Esker. "By enriching our O2C solution with online payment, we increase businesses' operating efficiencies and help them get paid faster, particularly in the collections process. This will also accelerate the launch of new Esker products and simplify the onboarding of our customers." "We're proud to support the global ambition of Esker," said Guillaume Princen, Stripe General Manager for Continental Europe. "By integrating with Stripe, Esker will move much faster, provide better customer experience and develop their business across the world. This is exactly what Stripe is about: giving time back to its customers so they can focus on what they do best." About Stripe Stripe is a technology company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet. Businesses of every size - from high-growth technology companies like Deliveroo and Doctolib, to public companies like Uber and Amazon - use the company's software to accept online payments and run technically sophisticated financial operations in more than 120 countries. Headquartered in San Francisco, with 13 global offices in North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, Stripe helps new companies get started and grow their revenues, and established businesses accelerate into new markets and launch new business models. Over the long term, Stripe aims to increase the GDP of the internet. About Esker Esker is a worldwide leader in AI-driven process automation software, helping financial and customer service departments digitally transform their procure-to-pay (P2P) and order-to-cash (O2C) cycles. Used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide, Esker's solutions incorporate technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) to drive increased productivity, enhanced visibility, reduced fraud risk, and improved collaboration with customers, suppliers and internally. Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. For more information on Esker and its solutions, visit www.esker.com. Follow Esker on Twitter (News - Alert) @EskerInc and join the conversation on the Esker blog at blog.esker.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005153/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Victoria McCallum said shes witnessed the transformation of a neighborhood one thats taken place in just the few years since she bought a house in Harrisburgs midtown neighborhood in 2014. Midtown was not what it is right now, she said. Its kind of ridiculous how quickly everything just popped up. During his State of the State address, Gov. Andrew Cuomo unveiled a legislative goal to pass a bill banning flavored nicotine vaping products and ads paid for by the industry that target youth. This was quickly followed up by a call to legalize high-potency marijuana. That's where the irony begins. Last year, despite being massively outspent and told legalization was inevitable, our broad coalition including the New York State PTA, Medical Society of the State of New York, N.Y. Sheriffs' Association, N.Y. State Association of Chiefs of Police, county health officials, local elected officials, concerned parents, teachers, and addiction and recovery activists made their voices heard and stopped the well-financed effort to commercialize today's highly potent marijuana products. Now, with today's national vaping crisis, we have yet another reason to stop the legalization train. Some 2,600 Americans have fallen ill with e-cigarette or vaping product use-associated lung injury, or Evali, and at least 60 including at least two New Yorkers have lost their lives as a result. This illness is overwhelmingly linked to the use of marijuana vaping products, including products purchased from so-called "legal," regulated marijuana shops. Hoping to sweep this fact under the rug, the pot industry has breathlessly tried to point the finger at the underground market and has even gone so far as to use the crisis as a call for legalization and further expansion of these harmful products. What's more, some government officials have used this as a springboard for proposals to ban nicotine vaping products while allowing the pot industry to escape scot-free. It makes no sense. Today's pot isn't Woodstock weed. And today's pot industry looks more like Big Tobacco than Cheech and Chong. Marijuana companies actively promote their highly potent products on youth-friendly social media platforms such as Instagram. One recent study found that one in three youth aged 15-19 in "legal" states engaged with such ads. Those who engaged with marijuana promotions were five times more likely to report using the drug in the past year. Moreover, efforts to legalize marijuana such as the one Cuomo is leading have led young Americans to believe marijuana is harmless. From a recent release of comprehensive drug use data, we know that the number of young people who perceive marijuana as being harmful is at a historic low. Given the numerous links between high-potency marijuana and serious mental health issues and future substance abuse, this is extremely concerning. Sign up for The Knick Get the latest news and some area history with our afternoon newsletter. This radical shift in views surrounding the drug has culminated in a multi-year upward trend in youth use in states that have legalized marijuana. As rates of youth use have increased, so has addiction. A study published in November found that cannabis use disorder in teens in states where marijuana is legal was 25 percent higher than in states without a commercial market. It was not long ago that Cuomo opposed marijuana legalization and admitted the drug was harmful. The time has never been better for him to return to this science-backed position and end this reckless push to legalize marijuana. We in the public health and safety communities will continue to remind him. By Express News Service Just when you thought all the paths have been cleared for Fahadh Faasils Trance, here comes another hurdle. The film, which has been scheduled to release this Friday, is likely to be pushed to a later date owing to a censor issue. As per reports, the film was sent to the censor boards revising committee in Mumbai after its Thiruvananthapuram office suggested the removal of around 17 minutes of footage, which was unacceptable for the films director Anwar Rasheed. It was then decided to send the film for review to Mumbai. The revising committee is expected to see the film today and reviews the cuts suggested by the Thiruvananthapuram office.Trance stars Fahadh as a motivational speaker and co-stars Nazriya Nazim, Gautham Vasudev Menon, Soubin Shahir, Vinayakan, Chemban Vinod Jose, and Dileesh Pothan among others. Scripted by Vincent Vadakkan, the film has already been through multiple production and release delays and was finally confirmed for release on February 14. It remains to be seen whether the film will make this release date or not. ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - Africa shouldnt have to beg for help in addressing climate change, the president of the African Development Bank said Tuesday, adding that polluting global powers have to pay. Akinwumi Adesina told The Associated Press in an interview on the sidelines of the African Union summit that the financing promised to African countries to cope with the consequences of climate change needs to be put on the table. Africas more than 1.2 billion people stand to suffer the most from global warming while contributing to it the least. The region is also the least equipped to deal with its effects, according to experts. Parts of Africa are warming at a faster pace than elsewhere, and climate experts have said warming Indian Ocean waters have contributed to more powerful cyclones and the worst locust outbreak in decades in East Africa. African heads of state are increasingly blunt about the dangers ahead and the need for the rest of the world, including top polluters such as China and the United States, to step up and contribute to Africas efforts to adapt. There has to be climate justice, Adesina said. The African Development Bank is increasing its own climate financing to 40% of its total investments, he said, with such financing having doubled from $12.5 billion to $25 billion. Half of that money is for climate adaptation. Africa shouldnt be in a situation wherein it is begging, Adesina said. We are not going to deal with climate change by talking about it. Africa has 15% of the worlds population, yet is likely to shoulder nearly 50% of the estimated global climate change adaptation costs, the bank said, noting the continent has seven of the 10 countries considered most vulnerable to climate change: Sierra Leone, Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Ethiopia and Eritrea. And yet to date, energy-related CO2 emissions in Africa represented around 2% of cumulative global emissions, the International Energy Agency said last year. Major emitting countries and industrial sectors have a particular responsibility to act, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the African Union summit. If they dont deliver, all our efforts will be in vain. When asked about South Africa, sub-Saharan Africas most developed economy and one of the worlds most dependent economies on coal, Adesina said the nation isnt alone in such investments. I always hesitate when people try to blame Africa for what others are still doing, he said. The rest of the world has invested in coal all the developed world has invested in coal. The issue is, it is going to take time for them and others to make energy transitions. The African Development Bank is no longer going to make a single dollar of investment on coal projects, Adesina said. But it is going to take time to wean themselves off that. He said the bank is investing heavily in renewable energy projects in countries like Kenya and Morocco. A collection of African civil society groups last week urged African governments to end fossil fuel development and reject further financing for such projects. Adesina also discussed the resource-rich continents growth, saying that Africa has everything it needs to become a global superpower. Our work is how we can help African countries to use these blessings. We are investing heavily in projects that help nations use their resources, like in oil and gas and agriculture, he said. One limited resource is water, and two of Africas most powerful nations, Ethiopia and Egypt, have been locked in a dispute over a massive Ethiopian dam project that Ethiopia says will help pull many in the country out of poverty and boost development but Egypt says will endanger its share of the Nile River waters. The two countries, along with Sudan, are set to continue negotiations this week in Washington. Anywhere in the world where you have shared water resources, there are always tensions, Adesina said. I have every confidence that they will find mechanisms of equal sharing of this resource. ___ Cara Anna in Johannesburg contributed. A one-time notorious London gangster is to visit Derry this week to tell of his journey from the criminal underworld to God. John Pridmore was born in the East End of London. At the age of 10, his parents got divorced and because of it he made what he describes as 'an unconscious decision not to love any more'. By the age of 13, he had started stealing and by 15 he was put in a youth detention centre. When he left home after having been released, his only qualification was stealing, so that's what he did. At the age of 19 he was back in prison again. Because of the way he dealt with his pain was through anger. He was always involved in fights and because of that he was put on 23-hour solitary confinement. As a consequence of that he came out of prison even more angry and bitter. He started bouncing round the East and West End of London. He liked fighting, so he thought he might as well get paid for it. Then, he met some guys who seemed to have everything and he started to work for them. Before long he wasnt working for them, he was working with them. These were the guys who ran most of the organised crime in London. He became a serious face on the London gangster scene. His jackets were tailored to hold his machete and knuckledusters. His drug dealing netted him thousands and he had it all, or so he thought. Money, power, girls, drugs the lot - and yet there was something missing... a void he could never fill. This struck him more than ever, when he thought he had killed someone outside a nightclub he was working at. After nearly taking the man's life, something incredible happened to him and his life began to change. Pridmore will tell his amazing conversion experience and faith journey as well as being available to talk to individuals at Termonbacca Carmelite Retreat Centre in Derry this Saturday and Sunday, February 15 and 16. Everyone is welcome. Registration at 10am. Under the threat of a lawsuit the Justice Department, the S.C. Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice must improve conditions for juvenile offenders by reducing its reliance on solitary confinement at its central lockup in Columbia and providing better mental health care for youths. File Nothing goes without saying, and I have said and written many times that my father, Harry Weinstein, was crucial to my cooking and eating life. If you have browsed this blog over... Read more MIAMI, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Omaze, the online fundraising platform that offers incredible experiences to support causes around the world announced today one of their biggest opportunities yet. The chance to win a sprawling waterfront dream home in a highly desirable gated area of Miami, and over two thousand additional prizes including a BMW X3, Tesla Model 3 and six day trip to the Maldives. By visiting omaze.com/home, Florida residents and their friends and family from participating states can enter for their chance to win amazing prizes. Donations will go to Charities Aid Foundation America (CAFA) to help fund critical cancer research through a grant to the Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) which supports Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, a part of UHealth -- the University of Miami Health System. Funds will help support initiatives like pushing innovative clinical trials through and developing new experimental and potentially lifesaving treatments. To help raise as much as possible for the cause, Dolphins legend Dan Marino has teamed up with Omaze to create this video that shows his fans around the five bed, four bath waterfront home, complete with a pool, private dock, wine cellar and all the amenities one lucky winner could need. One randomly selected grand prize winner can choose to accept the home or a $1M cash alternative. The campaign launched today, February 11, and runs through May 14, 2020. By entering the Omaze Dream Home Giveaway and making a donation to Charities Aid Foundation America (CAFA), you'll help support cancer research conducted by people like Dr. Jaime Merchan, Director of the Clinical Phase I program at Sylvester. His research makes it possible to move innovative clinical trials from the laboratory to the bedside of patients who have severe malignancies and need experimental treatments by looking into new immunotherapeutic agents to help fight cancerous tumors. Every donation made through the giveaway goes to CAFA to support the DCC. Visit omaze.com/home to learn more and enter for your chance to win. Photos of the home: here ABOUT OMAZE Omaze is an online fundraising platform that offers once-in-a-lifetime experiences and prizes in support of critical causes. Our campaigns connect influencers, nonprofits and donors to create lasting impact, and have raised funds and awareness for more than 350 charities with donations from over 180 countries. ABOUT DOLPHINS CANCER CHALLENGE The DCC was founded in 2010 by the Miami Dolphins organization as the signature initiative of the Foundation's health impact area and has become the largest fundraising event in the NFL. The DCC's mission is to improve people's lives through financial support for innovative cancer research at Sylvester, South Florida's only National Cancer Institute (NCI) designated cancer center. Sylvester is now among the top cancer centers in the United States and joins a highly select group as one of only two NCI-designated cancer centers in the state of Florida and one of just 71 across the nation. Since its inception, the DCC has raised more than $32.5 million, donating 100 percent of participant-raised funds to Sylvester. For additional information visit www.DolphinsCancerChallenge.com. SOURCE Omaze Connecticut could be doing more to help inmates and those recently released from prison get postsecondary education which could cut recidivism, according to a report released by the Council of State Governments Justice Center. The state was identified in Laying the Groundwork: How States Can Improve Access to Continued Education for People in the Criminal Justice System, as offering one of four core building blocks that helps inmates successfully integrate back into the community with stable jobs, which also fuels the economy, the reports authors said. The center culled information from all 50 states while looking at the four factors that likely led to stable lives for those recently released from prison: how education for incarcerated people is financed; restrictions on who is allowed to participate in educational programs while incarcerated; what types of offerings were available in prisons; and what types of incentives and supports were provided to those who are receiving an education while incarcerated or recently incarcerated. No state in the country offered all four core building blocks, the report concluded. But some states offered more tools than others to get people successfully reintegrated into the community with good jobs by providing opportunities for education while incarcerated. Theres not just a benefit to the individual, but to the community and the economy, said Josh Weber, deputy director of juvenile justice for the center. There is so much evidence that providing an education is more cost-effective than the cost of entering the criminal justice system repeatedly, Weber said. Connecticut offered limited support for people on parole by providing information on the application process to enter school and by allowing those on parole to go to school full-time rather than work as a stipulation of their parole, said Leah Bacon, policy analyst for the center. The parole granting agency does allow people to substitute postsecondary education for work, Bacon said. In some states you cant substitute school for work. While the Connecticut Department of Correction offers an array of vocational programming within its prisons and inmates can attain an associate degree and access college-level courses offered by Wesleyan University, Yale University and Trinity College, there are no formal bachelors degree programs, Bacon said. There are also no incentive programs such as specialized housing or early release in Connecticut for those who seek an education while in prison, the study said. Nationally about two-thirds of incarcerated people have a high-school diploma or credential while only 6 percent have associate, bachelors or graduate degrees, according to a U.S. Department of Education report. The authors of Laying the Groundwork found a 43 percent reduction in recidivism for those who were able to gain access to any type of education while in prison. The unemployment rate for those recently incarcerated is about the same as it was during the Great Depression - 27 percent, the study said. But inmates who received any type of educational programming in prison were 13 percent more likely to get jobs when they were released than those who had no educational programing, the center said. Connecticuts one core building block was in the category of educational financing, the study found. The state uses the federal Second Chance Pell Pilot Program designed to allow people who were incarcerated greater educational opportunities by giving eligible colleges and universities funding to deliver programs, the authors said. However the state does not use all of the funding available for such programs. It doesnt utilize funding from the federal Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act which has been available since 2006 for incarcerated individuals to acquire skills, credentials, certificates or an associate degree. Connecticut also doesnt access funding from the federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, which allows states to use up to 20 percent of their workforce development funding on educational programs for incarcerated individuals, the report said. These are federal funding streams that arent being used, Weber said. There doesnt have to be an increased cost. The state can expand by taking advantage of the funding thats already available. The report also found Connecticut has barriers for those who have been incarcerated and who want to receive a postsecondary education. Seven out of 10 state universities ask potential students on their application to reveal their criminal history, Bacon said. Just by asking about someones criminal history is a disincentive, Bacon said. People walk away without completing the application. The purpose of the study was to provide each state with a blueprint to increase educational opportunities for those who are incarcerated, which would then increase their likelihood of success when they are released, Weber said. Weve done the states homework for them, Weber said. Weve offered a profile for each state. Now its up to state leaders to take this seriously. This is the heart-stopping moment a professional skier jumped clear of a highway from a 90-foot cliff, soaring over the traffic below. However, Josh Daiek, 36, said the historic jump at Highway 50, South Lake Tahoe, California was close to not happening when his gear failed on the first landing and a highway patrolman issued a warning to him and his team on the second attempt. Daiek, originally from Michigan, had long dreamed of making the jump but weather conditions had never permitted it, until last February. After digging a ramp and a run in at 10pm to avoid suspicion, the skier, two friends and two videographers returned to the spot the next day, his first attempt hampered by a harsh bump of snow in the landing area. 'My skis just exploded off my feet,' he told the San Francisco Chronicle, exactly one year later. Daiek, who said the jump is the 'craziest thing I've ever done', went back up the cliff for a second go, borrowing a friend's skis. Josh Daiek (pictured), 36, said the historic jump at Highway 50, Lake Tahoe, California was close to not happening when his gear failed on the first landing and a patrolman spotted him Daiek, who said the jump is the 'craziest thing I've ever done', went back up the cliff for a second go, borrowing a friend's skis then soaring over the traffic below He and his group had already encountered one patrol car that thankfully moved on without trouble, but a second one pulled up alongside a California Department of Transportation vehicle whose driver had been watching the whole time. Daiek told the publication that the trooper said: 'You guys cause an avalanche, we're coming after you. 'Remember, that's not a threat. That's a promise.' The officer then drove off and Daiek landed the huge jump successfully. Daiek, pictured receiving iF3's 'Rookie of the year' award in 2015, said a highway patrol officer warned him and his four man team about causing an avalanche The skier's view as he floated through the air, mid back flip. 'It's probably one of the biggest airs landed on skis, period,' he said In the video the 36-year-old (centre) can be seen hurtling down the pre-prepared run in before elegantly soaring over two lorries and some cars and landing perfectly on the other side 'It's probably one of the biggest airs landed on skis, period,' he said. In the video the 36-year-old can be seen hurtling down the pre-prepared run in before elegantly soaring over two lorries and some cars and landing perfectly in the bank at the other side of Highway 50. 'It's so cool to have accomplished something that you've wanted for years, that you didn't know was possible,' he said. Samsung will announce several exciting products later today. The company is planning to announce the Galaxy S20, Galaxy Z Flip, and Galaxy Buds+, at the very least. The company will host its Unpacked 2020 event in San Francisco, California. The event is scheduled to start at 11 AM PST / 2 PM EST / 6 PM CET. Samsung will livestream Galaxy S20 & Galaxy Z Flip launch via its official website That being said, Samsung will livestream this event, so youll be able to watch everything unfold live. This time around, Samsung will livestream the whole thing via its official website. Advertisement The livestream will be available via this link. If youd like a more direct access, weve embedded a YouTube link below this article. The Samsung Galaxy S20 series smartphones are the companys crown jewel, but the Galaxy Z Flip is also worth mentioning. Samsung will announce three Galaxy S20 smartphones, which will become its new flagship handsets. In addition to that, the Galaxy Z Flip will become the companys second foldable smartphone. That device has been leaking for quite some time now, along with the Galaxy S20 series. Advertisement The Galaxy Z Flip will not be as powerful as the Galaxy S20 smartphones, but it will sure be exciting. This will become Samsungs first clamshell foldable smartphone, and should keep consumers occupied until the Galaxy Fold 2 launches. The Galaxy S20 series will consist out of three smartphones, the Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra. All three of those phones have been leaking for quite some time now, and we pretty much know what to expect. All three will be made out of metal and glass, and will include a display camera hole which will be centered. The S20 Ultra is expected to include a frame made out of stainless steel, while the other two phones will sport a frame made out of aluminum. Advertisement The S20 Ultra will be the largest, heaviest, and most powerful handset in the series The Galaxy S20 Ultra will be the largest of the S20 smartphones. It will also be considerably heavier than the other two phones, and slightly more powerful. The Galaxy S20 Ultra is expected to include the most powerful camera setup on the back as well. All three phones will sport 120Hz WQHD+ displays, and all of those panels will be curved. On top of those smartphones, Samsung is also expected to announce the Galaxy Buds+. These are the companys new fully wireless earbuds, and are quite similar to their predecessor. The company may surprise us with some additional announcements still, tune in to the companys press conference to find out more, the livestream link is embedded below. Advertisement https://youtu.be/MIQdJkoTh48 Iran Says U.S. Killing Of Soleimani Weakens Fight Against Islamic State 02/11/20 Source: RFE/RL A high-ranking Iranian military commander who was killed in a U.S. drone strike last month had sought to bring stability to the Middle East, Iranian President Hassan Rohani said on February 10. "Commander [Qasem] Soleimani was a man who was pursuing stability and calm in the region," Rohani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. General Qasem Soleimani in a patriotic poster published by Iranian daily Sobhe No Soleimani was assassinated by US in Iraq in January 2020. The United States killed Major General Soleimani, who headed Iran's elite Quds Force, in a drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, saying that he was planning attacks on Americans. "If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other place. He never did that," Rohani said. Rohani's comments were echoed by the head of Iran's nuclear program, who said on February 10 that Soleimani's killing by the United States has weakened the fight against the Islamic State (IS) militant group in the region. Ali Akbar Salehi told a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna that Soleimani's killing showed "the U.S. administration has not yet come to its senses in recognizing the realities on the ground." Salehi called Soleimani, who had a leading role in mobilizing Iraqi militias on the ground against IS, "the most instrumental element in combating [the group]." In response to Soleimani's killing, Iran launched missiles on two Iraqi military bases hosting U.S. forces, without causing any fatalities. Salehi said Tehran was prepared to launch more strikes. "Be it known as my country strongly retaliated once, it will never hesitate to strike back when necessary," he said. The United States last month imposed additional sanctions on Salehi's Atomic Energy Organization of Iran and on Salehi himself, freezing any assets he had within U.S. jurisdiction. In Vienna, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette said Tehran was still not offering the IAEA explanations regarding the discovery of uranium particles in a warehouse near Tehran. "We call on Iran to cooperate fully with the IAEA in monitoring and inspecting Iran's facilities, and in addressing all of the agency's questions," Brouillette said. With reporting by Reuters and AP Fourteen women are among at least 16 Rohingya refugees who have drowned trying to leave Bangladesh, after their overcrowded vessel capsized in the Bay of Bengal. Bangladeshi officials say the wooden boat was carrying around 125 people, as well as other cargo, headed for Malaysia. It capsized off the coast of St Martin's Island. Some 62 refugees survived the sinking, an island official told the Associated Press. The rest remain unaccounted for. The bodies of those who drowned, including one child, have been taken ashore to nearby Shah Porir island, said Iqbal Hossain, additional police superintendent for Cox's Bazar. That town has been host to a sprawling network of refugee camps, collectively the largest in the world, housing more than 700,000 Rohingya who have mostly fled Myanmar since a military crackdown in 2017. While international aid keeps the refugees fed and sheltered in Bangladesh, conditions in the camps can be dire and there is little hope of future employment prospects or meaningful education. Human traffickers lure refugees to pay large sums to board unsafe boats away from Bangladesh, promising them a better life abroad. Muslim-majority Malaysia is a popular end point for the voyages, with the country seen as particularly sympathetic to the Rohingyas' plight. Many past attempts to travel illegally by boats were thwarted by coast guards. Bangladesh says it wants to see the Rohingya return to Myanmar, once it is safe for them to do so. But a return across the border is currently unacceptable to the refugees, who say they cannot trust a Myanmar government that is currently fighting allegations of committing a genocide against them. Photo from Getty Images SINGAPORE A 17-year-old secondary school student was detained in January under the Internal Security Act due to his pro-Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) thinking. The male teenager was first investigated when he was 15, when he posted defaced images of President Halimah Yacob on social media. He had then called on ISIS to behead her for supporting Singapore, which he viewed as an infidel state, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said in a press release on Monday (10 February). The ministry stated that the teen, whose name was not revealed, had been radicalised by a foreign online contact who introduced him to pro-ISIS social media groups in 2017. His support for the terrorist group drew the attention of Singapore authorities, which first investigated him in September that year. In his eyes, ISIS was a powerful group that was fighting for Islam and its use of violence against its opponents was therefore justified, said the MHA. The ministry said that despite the efforts to steer the teen away from the radical path since 2017, he remained a staunch supporter of ISIS. The teen was willing to aid ISIS in its online propaganda efforts, and undertake other activities if called upon by ISIS. Even with the demise of ISISs so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq, he still believed in the terrorist group and its violent cause, stated the MHA. There were no signs that he has spread his pro-ISIS views to others around him, it added. Former JI member released on Restriction Order Separately, the ministry also announced that a former member of the terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), has been released on a Restriction Order after his Order of Detention expired in September last year. Abu Thalha Samad had shown good progress in his rehabilitation and was assessed to no longer pose a security threat requiring preventive detention, said the ministry. According to previous press releases, Abu Thalha had been educated in JI-linked schools in the region and received the terrorist groups radical teachings. He took the pledge of allegiance to the group in 2014 and became a JI member. Two years later, he began teaching in a JI-linked school and also served on a JI committee which talent-spotted students for membership in the JI. Story continues He was deported to Singapore in August 2017, when he was 25, and later issued an Order of Detention for two years in September 2017. Stay in the know on-the-go: Join Yahoo Singapore's Telegram channel at http://t.me/YahooSingapore Other Singapore stories Paedophile gets jail, caning for sexually abusing goddaughter, 5 Senior public servant denies molesting 2 colleagues on 9 occasions PENDLETON, Ore. Waters covering roads in flood-hit northeastern Oregon were starting to recede, allowing residents to return and assess the damage from weather that appears to have left one person dead. A woman who had been missing, Janet Tobkin Conley, 62, lived in one of the areas hit by floods and her body was found Sunday by searchers and neighbors, authorities said. She appeared to have been swept away by rushing water, they said. An approximately 10-mile (16-kilometer) stretch of Interstate 84 south of Hermiston, Oregon, remained closed Sunday due to flood damage and authorities say it could be a week before it reopens. A detour is in place. Oregon National Guard troops aboard two helicopters airlifted 21 people to safety on Saturday. The helicopter missions continued Sunday and volunteers also assisted flood victims. Residents in the foothills of the Blue Mountains in northeast Oregon had to be airlifted by from their flooded homes and even were taken out in a front-end loader as rain and melting snow caused rivers to crest their banks. Some neighborhoods in Pendleton, a town of 16,000, were hit, damaging mobile homes. Seventeen evacuees spent Friday night at the Red Cross shelter in the Pendleton Convention Center, and numerous people dropped off blankets, pillows and other comfort items, said Nadine McCrindle, the Red Cross executive director for central and eastern Oregon. Another eight people stayed at a shelter in Walla Walla, Washington. Theyll be able to go to their homes and see what is left, if anything, and see what the damage is, McCrindle said. The forecast was for mostly sunny skies and no rain Sunday and Monday. Many roads in Umatilla County, where Pendleton is the county seat, were still closed because of high water or damage, the county sheriffs office said. The Umatilla River crested just before 10 p.m. Thursday at more than 19 feet (5.79 meters), nearly four times the average height for that date. Rivers all around the region overran their banks. The Umatilla County Sheriffs Office said Saturday night that it is searching for a woman who went missing near Bar M Ranch, which has had flooding in recent days. Janet Tobkin Conley, 62, was last seen about 7 p.m. Thursday in the Bar M Ranch area, the sheriffs office said. Neighbors discovered she was missing Friday morning. Conley is an experienced hiker and camper and is familiar with the area, the sheriffs office said. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown declared a state of emergency in Umatilla, Wallowa and Union counties late Friday, allowing mobilization of the National Guard. In Washington state, there was widespread flooding in the Walla Walla Valley. Waters were receding but authorities were assessing damage in communities such as Dayton, Waitsburg and Milton-Freewater. About the photo: This truck is under water in a flooded field where the Crescent Lake Road crosses over the Snoqualmie River about five miles from Cathcart in Snohomish County on Thursday. (Mike Siegel/The Seattle Times via AP) Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Malviya Nagar Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Malviya Nagar constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Malviya Nagar profile | Somnath Bharti of the Aam Aadmi Party has won the election from Malviya Nagar against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Shailender Singh with a margin of 18,144 votes. Bharti was up against former councillor Shailendra Singh Moti of the BJP and Congress candidate Neetu Verma, a former DUSU president. The constituency was a part of the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. Here is a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency Name: Malviya Nagar Constituency Number: 43 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 1,39,987 Female Electors: 63,370 Male Electors: 76,604 Third Gender: 13 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The incumbent MLA is the high-profile AAP leader Somnath Bharti. He had defeated Congress leader Kiran Walia in the 2013 Assembly polls by a margin of over 11,000 votes. In the next election in 2015, he defeated his nearest BJP rival by a margin of over 16,000 votes. Prior to 2008, veteran Congressman Yoganand Shastri represented the seat for two consecutive terms. Although the AAP government doled out freebies ahead of the polls, the voters in this constituency were unimpressed. And if their mood is anything to go by, AAPs sitting MLA Somnath Bharti is in for a tough fight this year. An explanation for this sentiment could be the fact that this constituency has some upmarket areas such as Hauz Khas, Safdarjung Enclave and Malviya Nagar. People living in these areas appreciate their MLA but are against giving away public services for free. The voters also complain of lack of focus on infrastructural development despite the segment falling under a high-profile Parliamentary constituency. Arjun Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Humayunpur, Begum Pur, Malviya Nagar and Geetanjali Malviya Nagar are other areas that fall in this constituency. Demographics: Once populated by refugees from Pakistan in the 1950s, Malviya Nagar is now made up of up-scale areas that share boundaries with unauthorised colonies. Located in South district of Delhi, Malviya Nagar comes under the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 8.59 and 0, respectively of the total population. [February 11, 2020] Financeit Bringing Ease & Elegance to Point-of-Sale Financing for 140,000 Customers in $70B Marketplace TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Canadian FinTech point-of-sale (POS) financing leader, Financeit, wrapped up a strong 2019 with the announcement that it had closed the year with $450MM in funded loan volume, over 250 employees and over $60MM in gross revenue. Financeit has rapidly gained momentum since the 2011 introduction of its POS platform, focused on providing Canadians with Better Commerce for Better Living. Since launch, the company has grown to be the market leader for POS financing in the home improvement industry and has funded over $1.45B in loans through 8,000+ approved merchant partners for over 140,000 Canadians. In 2018, Financeit launched a first-of-its-kind offering with a major national retailer in the form of a POS credit product that converts automatically to a term loan after a six month shopping period. "What we're doing is democratizing financing for merchants and consumers," said Financeit COO & GM of Canada, Casper Wong. "Financeit's innovative platform provides consumers with fast, friendly and transparent financing so they can make purchases that improve their lives, and businesses with access to a market-leading sales enablement platform that starts with affordable payment plans for their customers. Less than 20% of Canadians have access to traditional lines of credit and if they face an unexpected issue with their home, Financeit is a great option vs. traditional "no-fee" credit cards, as our rates start at 8.99%. Plus some of our merchants hve the option to offer 0% financing or deferred payment programs to their customers," added Wong. Capping off a year of momentous growth, Financeit finished 2019 by being named Company of the Year in Lending by the Canadian Lenders Association , an organization dedicated to promoting transparency and fostering responsible and ethical lending practices. About Financeit FinanceIt Canada Inc. ("Financeit") is Canada's market-leading point-of-sale financing provider servicing the home improvement, recreational vehicle, and retail industries. Based in Toronto, Ontario, Financeit's innovative cloud-based technology makes it easy for merchants to increase close rates and transaction sizes with affordable customer financing solutions. The Financeit platform features a fast, transparent application process and has serviced over 8,000 merchant partners across Canada, processing more than $5 billion in loan applications. In 2019, Financeit was named Company of The Year in Lending by the Canadian Lenders Association . For more information and resources on Financeit, please see: https://www.financeit.io/ For more information on this announcement/interview requests, please contact: E: [email protected] P: 1 888 536 3025 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/financeit-bringing-ease--elegance-to-point-of-sale-financing-for-140-000-customers-in-70b-marketplace-301002554.html SOURCE Financeit [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] (Bloomberg) -- Samsung Electronics Co. is starting a new decade with a new chief in charge of its mobile business, but its doing it in the same old fashion: by leaning into its semiconductor advantage to overwhelm consumers with unmatched specs on its latest Galaxy devices. Announced at simultaneous events in San Francisco and London on Tuesday, Samsungs Galaxy S20 family of Android phones has a 6.9-inch Ultra model with four cameras on the rear which include a 108-megapixel sensor as well as 100x zoom 16GB of memory, a huge battery and an eye-watering $1,399.99 starting price. At a time when Apple Inc. is looking to make iPhones more affordable, the cheapest Galaxy S20 costs $999.99 and still has 12GB of RAM and 5G wireless networking. At the same Galaxy Unpacked galas, Samsung also made official its Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone, which represents the companys more compact and attainable offering from its future-facing foldable device portfolio. The S20 series come in three sizes, with the Galaxy S20 measuring in at 6.2 inches, the S20+ at 6.7 inches and the S20 Ultra at a sliver under 7 inches diagonally. All have 5G and 120Hz displays, which like Apples iPad Pro means theyre capable of smoother and prettier animations. The two specs complement one another, as 5G promises to bring more and better streaming content and the display will take full advantage by making it look as good as possible, whether its for gaming or movies. The non-Ultra models step the cameras down to 64 megapixels of maximum resolution and 30x max zoom, which are still vastly higher numbers than anything Apple or most other smartphone rivals are able to offer. Samsungs continuing with the ultrasonic fingerprint sensor tech in its S20 generation that proved problematic in 2019 when it was shown it could create a security vulnerability, which the company had to quickly fix. I think Samsung is ahead of the smartphone competition when it comes to certain types of hardware innovation, said Cliff Maldonado, a senior analyst at BayStreet Research in San Francisco. Still, Samsung lacks ownership of its own software and struggles to match the user experience of Apples products, he said. Story continues Rather than building up a closed ecosystem like Apples iOS, Samsung is looking to collaborate with partners. Its Bixby voice assistant will integrate Spotify into its morning routines, the YouTube app will support 8K video uploads from S20 devices, Netflix Inc. is integrating its service more deeply into Samsungs interface, and Microsoft Corp. will debut its Forza Street game on mobile inside Samsungs Galaxy Store. Alongside the S20 update, Samsung is releasing its upgraded Galaxy Buds+ wireless earphones, whose biggest improvement is an 11-hour battery life in the earpieces with another 11 hours in the provided carry case. Theyll be part of what Samsung calls curated bundles with the new phones, and pre-order customers in the U.S. will get between $100 and $200 of credit toward building their own ecosystem of Galaxy devices. Pre-orders open on Feb. 21 and run through Mar. 6, the Galaxy S20 series release date in the country. Ahead of Samsungs unveiling, Counterpoint Research projected that shipments of the S20 series will rise to more than 40 million units for the year, improving on the predecessor S10 familys 36 million units thanks to the headline camera and 5G upgrades. For the foldable phone, shipments of the Galaxy Z Flip are expected to be around 2 million this year, the researchers said. Foldable phones have a lot of merit that consumers dont realize yet, said Sujeong Lim, analyst at Counterpoint in Seoul. We have done focus group interviews and more than 70% of users who were indifferent changed their opinion once they used one for a day or two." Samsungs effort to develop new categories and spur demand in the plateaued smartphone industry will be driven by Taemoon Roh, a person whos engineered the Galaxy empire behind the scenes from its outset. Its our responsibility and opportunity to shape the next ten years of mobile innovation, starting right now at Unpacked, Roh wrote in a blog post ahead of the event. No company is better suited to take on this massive challenge than Samsung. --With assistance from Vlad Savov. To contact the authors of this story: Sohee Kim in Seoul at skim847@bloomberg.netMark Gurman in Los Angeles at mgurman1@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Nate Lanxon at nlanxon@bloomberg.net For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Indonesian women and children arrive at the Ain Issa camp, north of Raqqa, after fleeing from the Islamic States last bastion in Syria, June 13, 2017. Indonesia will not repatriate hundreds of citizens who fought for the Islamic State terror group in Syria and Iraq, but will consider bringing back some of their children on a case-by-case, the nations security minister said Tuesday. Officials made the decision to protect the worlds largest Muslim-majority country from the virus of terrorism, said Mahfud MD, the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs. We have no plan to bring home terrorists, will not bring home FTF [foreign terrorist fighters] to Indonesia, Mahfud told reporters. If these foreign terrorist fighters come back they can become a new virus. Mahfud made the statement at the presidential palace in Bogor, south of Jakarta, after a meeting with President Joko Widodo and other top officials. Children younger than 10 will be considered [for repatriation], but on a case-by-case basis, whether they have parents or they are orphans, he said. For months, officials have wrestled with the question of what to do with hundreds of Indonesians many of them women and children who have been confined to camps since ISs last bastion in Iraq and Syria fell in March 2019. But a tearful plea to go home by Nada Fedulla, the young daughter of an Indonesian IS fighter in Syria, during an interview with BBC, reignited the debate after it went viral on social media last week. Citing information from the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, Mahfud said 689 Indonesians had joined IS in Syria and other countries. Only 228 of those citizens have been identified, he said. The figure is almost half of the 1,500 reported by the anti-terrorism police unit Densus 88 in November 2019. The government will also collect more valid data on the number and identity of people who are considered involved in terrorism by joining ISIS, Mahfud said, using another acronym for Islamic State. Meanwhile, the executive board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesias largest Islamic organization, said it opposed the idea of repatriating IS fighters. The board rejects the return of ISIS combatants because they went there out of their own volition, NU chairman Said Aqil Siradj told reporters in Jakarta. Said made the statement after meeting with Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, who had sought advice from the NU board on what to do with Indonesians who were languishing in Syrian camps. They burned their passports because they said they were the passports of an idolatrous country. They consider ISIS as a state, they have thrown away their citizenship and joined ISIS. So there is nothing wrong if the government rejects them, he said. Retno said the government would continue to collect more information about Indonesians in Syria. We want to verify first, because we have received a lot of data and they are confusing, she told reporters. According to the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) in 2017, at least 1,321 Indonesians had joined IS worldwide. More than 80 of those citizens had been declared dead, officials said. Clear legal status M. Syauqillah, chairman of terrorism studies at the University of Indonesia, said the government needed to explain to the public the legal basis for its decision not to repatriate its citizens. [The law] stipulates that Indonesian citizens could lose citizenship if they join a foreign army. But do we interpret ISIS as a foreign army, even though its an unlawful combat force, a terrorist group? he told BenarNews. He said those who burned their passports did not automatically lose their citizenship. Syauqillah said the government had two options: issue an emergency decree or amend the citizenship law. It must be prepared for the possibility of a legal challenge, he said. Not repatriating them does not guarantee that they will not re-enter Indonesia because our borders are porous, he said. Yon Machmudi, an expert in Middle East and Islamic affairs at the University Indonesia, deplored the governments move. De-radicalization is difficult to do, especially among former combatants, but many of them are children and deradicalization can be done, he told a forum in Jakarta. He said BNPT should, instead, device programs to ensure that those who returned did not pose threats to society. Its better for them to return and be subjected to restrictions than to enter by other [illegal] means undetected, which could have adverse repercussions, he said. In August 2019, the Jakarta-based Institute for Policy Analysis of Conflict (IPAC) urged Indonesia to begin repatriating its most vulnerable citizens who had joined IS and not let them remain in the camps where they could face intimidation from supporters of the extremist group. Theres no need to wait for an all-encompassing policy to begin to bring back those most at risk, IPAC director Sidney Jones told BenarNews at the time. The problem is that the longer the government delays taking action, the greater the likelihood of intimidation in the camps and the higher the political risks of repatriation, she said. FORT COLLINS, Colo., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Fort Collins' premier CBD company will host the biggest CBD event of the year: Joy Day 2020. On February 18, Joy Organics will celebrate its founder's birthday by offering customers a 40% discount on all products and donating a generous portion of sales to an organization that empowers refugees in northern Uganda. Joy Day is designed to express the brand's dedication to compassion and holistic wellness. Photo by Hannah Smith, director of communications at Joy Organics. "Our goal has always been two-fold: to get high-quality CBD into the hands of those who need it and to improve as many lives as possible," says Joy Organics CEO and Founder Joy Smith. "Our hope this year is to better the lives of both our customers and South Sudanese families through the Greater Hope Project." The Greater Hope Project in northern Uganda believes that education should be accessible regardless of circumstance. For the displaced, school can become a place of safety and security while also being a powerful means to shape the future of post-conflict communities. But without adequate nutrition, education becomes fruitless. That's where the school breakfast and lunch program comes in. "For every order placed on Joy Day, we'll fund a month of meals for a primary school student through Greater Hope Project," Smith explains. "I'm optimistic we can reach our goal of half a million meals, considering the success of last year's Joy Day." Last year through Joy Day, the premium CBD brand provided more than 200,000 meals to displaced children in northern Uganda. Joy Day will be celebrated Tuesday, February 18, online and at all Joy Organics retail stores. Joy Organics is a family-founded CBD business committed to leading the industry in quality and transparency. With every batch third-party tested and THC free, Joy Organics' premium broad-spectrum soft gels, tinctures, salves, energy drinks, skincare products, and more are available online at JoyOrganics.com and in retail locations across the country. Press Contact: Hannah Smith [email protected] (941) 705-1814 Related Images student-at-hope-primary-receives.png Student at Hope Primary Receives Lunch Photo by Hannah Smith, director of communications at Joy Organics. SOURCE Joy Organics, LLC. Related Links http://www.JoyOrganics.com The residents of Shaheen Bagh, the epicentre of the anti-CAA protests, celebrated the stupendous success of the in the Delhi Assembly polls on Tuesday as many offered free food and biryani to celebrate the party's victory. Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) Okhla candidate Amanatullah Khan trounced his rival Braham Singh by a margin of 71,827 votes. Shaheen Bagh and Jamia Nagar fall under the Okhla constituency. After the first few rounds of counting, Singh was leading by 194 votes, but subsequently, Khan took the pole position. Shaheen Bagh has become the epicentre of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) as women with young children have been staging a sit-in protest there for nearly two months. "It is the victory of all of us. All of us elected Amanat bhai (Khan) as our leader. He has helped the women and youngsters of this area in every sphere -- from health to education, infrastructure to jobs. He got many youngsters employed," Shamima Bano of Shaheen Bagh said. Women protesters erupted in joy with loud rounds of applause as they hugged each other. "The truly brought development to the aam aadmi (common man). My kids go to a nearby government school. We all go to the government's mohalla clinic for treatment. My mother-in-law is being treated for her knee problem for four years," Mehjabeen Qureshi said at the protest site. "The AAP understands the needs of the citizens," she added. The excitement was palpable at Batla House, Noor Nagar, Abu Fazal Enclave, Zakir Nagar and the adjoining areas when the news of the AAP winning big emerged. Asim Khan, a garment dealer, said, "We have seen Jamia Nagar change in the last five years. We voted for AAP's honesty and transparent policies. Not only Jamia Nagar, entire Delhi voted for real 'vikas' (development), which is Arvind Kejriwal." Sharvari (75) of Shaheen Bagh said, "Amanatullah is like our son and his victory is not by chance. The AAP has understood the pulse of Delhi. Today we want to distribute biryani to all those politicians who called our protest politically motivated and accused us of eating sponsored biryani." The elections in the national capital took place in the midst of massive protests in the city and elsewhere over the new citizenship law, an issue that was strongly raised by the top leadership during the campaigning, which often turned bitter and vitriolic. The political opponents of the accused the saffron party of carrying out a "divisive" campaign to polarise the voters by consistently highlighting the over-50-day demonstration by women at Shaheen Bagh. Though the BJP campaign focussed on issues related to national security, the AAP focussed on its achievements in the fields of education, healthcare and infrastructure. Zubair Ahmed, a restaurant owner at Batla House, said, "We are going to distribute free food today and on Friday to poor people in the honour of the AAP's victory." Sanjeeda Ahmed, another resident of the area, said, "Okhla is seen as an industrial area. No one ever bothered to develop this area, but the AAP brought development in terms of health, schools and roads here. While the stock market is still focused on the large Canadian cannabis LPs listed on major U.S. stock exchanges, several U.S. multi-state operators (MSOs) are set to shock the market with industry leading positions. These companies are set to combat the Canadians for the largest operations without the help of major investments or even Federal approval of cannabis. Both Canopy Growth and Aurora Cannabis, which grab the vast majority of investor headlines, are set to generate quarterly revenues in the $60 million to $80 million range for the December quarter. Yet, some of the MSOs are set to blow past these numbers. The U.S. MSOs operate in the largest cannabis market in the world, which forecast to derive greater than 50% of the global market, at least through 2023. While the global cannabis market is expected to grow from an estimate of $24.4 billion in 2019 to $52.5 billion in 2023, the U.S. market alone is forecast to more than double from $12.5 billion last year to $25.7 billion in 2023. The U.S. market is forecast to account for nearly 53% of the global cannabis market in four years making the opportunity to focus on U.S. alone the best opportunity for a cannabis company to profit. Weve delved into these three U.S. MSOs with operations set to shock the world with their scale and size. Using TipRanks Stock Comparison tool, we lined up the three alongside each other to give us an idea of what the Street thinks is in store for the trio in the year ahead. Curaleaf (CURLF) The market virtually ignored Curaleaf finally closing the acquisition of Select brands from Cura Partners last week. The deal provides an extensive wholesale distribution system for the Select brand products in California and other western states. With the regulators signing off on the deal finally, investors will see far less risk to the investment story and the likelihood of closing the crucial Grassroots deal to gain access to Illinois. The state of Illinois just announced the first month of recreational sales reached nearly $40 million and Grassroots is a major part of the growth story in that key state. Story continues In the prior quarter, Curaleaf reported pro-forma revenues of $129 million or the equivalent of C$172 million. If they were a Canadian LP, the stock valuation would far exceed the Canadian stocks versus the current projected market valuation of only $4.7 billion. In addition, Beacon Securities analyst Russell Stanley recently predicted Curaleaf would reach annual sales of $2.1 billion in 2021 with EBITDA profits of $899 million based on 42% margins. To place these numbers in perspective, analysts have Canopy Growth with an $8 billion market cap not topping $1 billion in sales until FY22 ending in March. The company is in line to have operations in 19 states with licenses for 131 dispensaries and 1,150 wholesale partners. In addition, the company has a massive 1.4 million square feet of cultivation capacity with the ability to expand to 2.3 million square feet. TipRanks data shows a bullish camp backing this MSO. The Strong Buy stock has amassed 6 buy ratings in the last three months, with just one analyst playing it safe with a hold rating. The 12-month average price target stands tall at $8.43, marking over 30% in return potential for the stock. (See Curaleaf's price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks) Green Thumb (GTBIF) Green Thumb Industries isnt a household name in the cannabis space or busy making large-scale deals, yet the company is targeting December quarter revenues of $75 million or the equivalent of nearly C$100 million. The stock only has a market cap of $2 billion when Canadian companies generating half those revenues top this market valuation. In the last quarter, Green Thumb generated revenues of $68 million while the company will now benefit substantially from the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Illinois. At the end of January, the company opened the seventh Rise store in Illinois and 41st in the country. The company is based in Chicago so the Illinois market should provide a big boost to the hometown company, but Green Thumb has operations far beyond Illinois. The company has licenses for 96 retail locations in 12 U.S. markets with 13 manufacturing facilities. Analysts forecast 2020 revenues topping $460 million placing the company on par with estimates for the Canadian cannabis giants. The analyst consensus from TipRanks tells a very similar story. Green Thumb has received 6 buy ratings in the last three months, with no holds or sells a clear sign that analysts are impressed with the companys potential. Shares sell for $8.17, and the average price target of $18.72 gives the stock an eye-opening 130% upside. (See Green Thumb's price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks) Harvest Health & Recreation (HRVSF) Harvest Health & Recreation is another wild-card stock depending highly on acquisitions to top the large Canadian companies. The company has revenue targets approaching $1 billion in 2020 while analysts have revenue estimates reaching $1 billion in 2021. Either way, the MSO becomes a very large cannabis company in the next year or so. For Q3, the company reported pro-forma revenues of $95 million. Analysts have Q4 revenue targets at only $41 million due to acquisitions not closing. Harvest Health is reporting adjusted EBITDA losses, but the company expects to become EBITDA positive after closing the pending deals in 2020. The cannabis company projects 10% EBITDA margins reaching 20% margins in 2020. The company has a lawsuit with pending acquisition target Falcon International causing a cloudier view of the stock due to the $50 million breakup fee, but Harvest Health has other deals in the work including the recently announced deal for Have a Heart CC. The deal includes 11 operating dispensaries in California, Washington and Iowa and licenses for another seven locations in California. The MSO is positioned for operations in 13 states with over 130 retail locations and 80 manufacturing sites. The company has missed out on the Illinois recreational legalization, but Harvest Health is positioned for other markets like Arizona and Florida legalizing recreational cannabis use. Harvest Health projects having 487 million shares outstanding after mergers close providing a fully diluted market valuation of below $1.5 billion with the legitimate targets of reaching the $1 billion revenue level prior to the large Canadian cannabis stocks. At just $2.53, Harvest Health shares are another bargain for return-minded investors. The stocks $10.17 average price target implies over 300% upside, and the analyst consensus of Strong Buy is based on just four ratings, which were given in the past three months. (See Harvest Health's stock-price forecast on TipRanks) Fascinating unearthed footage shows how Sydney's streets were turned into rivers by floods nearly 60 years ago - with children canoeing through the water and cars completely submerged. Massive springtime rains ravaged the city back in 1959 and forced locals to wade through knee-deep water in the aftermath of the downfall. 'As far as Sydney's suburbs are concerned, it appears that springtime is flood time. Everything is down under Down Under,' a chirpy voiceover explained in the video. Archive footage showed how Sydney was submerged under heavy rain and floods in 1959 The video showed how Sydneysiders playfully reacted to the floodwaters in the streets The voiceover also commented on the playful antics of the children featured in the video. 'Young Australia obviously enjoys having a sort of Bondi Beach in the main street.' The neighbourhood kids delighted in the flooded streets, with the footage showing them revelling in their new playground. Young boys were seen paddling canoes down the main road while others rode bicycles alongside their friends. Even adults enjoyed rolling their pants up and taking a stroll. Neighbourhood children were shown to enjoy playing on bicycles and canoes in the water Young boys made the most of the rains and paddled down main streets with their friends A trio of mates smiled and embraced as they enjoyed a beer in the water before giving their glasses a rinse. Loving couples were shown playfully splashing each other and young men chivalrously carried their girlfriends on their backs to keep them out of the flood. The footage also highlighted some of the destruction that was caused by the heavy rain. Buses and cars were almost fully submerged. Tow trucks were sent to retrieve some cars that were so deep that only the top half of their windows were visible. The video also showed homes and properties damaged by the severe weather. Whole tin houses had collapsed and caved sideways - and even sturdier dwellings were turned into rubble. The footage also showed how the heavy rains wreaked havoc and destroyed properties (Newser) President Trump released his 2021 budget on Monday to great fanfare, but don't expect to hear much about it in terms of Senate debate. The chair of the Senate Budget Committee says he won't even schedule a hearing on it because the document is essentially meaningless, reports the Hill. That isn't an anti-Trump slam: Sen. Mike Enzi of Wyoming gave the same treatment to former President Obama. His rationale is that any related hearing is a waste of time and turns into a "diatribe against the president," reports Politico. story continues below "I want to encourage people ... not to waste any time searching out the president's budget cuts," Enzi told his fellow senators in a floor speech. "Congress doesn't pay any attention to the president's budget exercise. It's all it isan exercise. Congress holds the purse strings, according to the Constitution, and Congress is very protective of that constitutional authority." Among other things, Trump's $4.8 trillion blueprint calls for a big outlay in military spending, including the creation of a new submarine-launched nuclear warhead, reports the New York Times. (Read more President Trump stories.) By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/11/2020 ADVERTISEMENT FOLLOW REALITY TV WORLD ON THE ALL-NEW GOOGLE NEWS! Reality TV World is now available on the all-new Google News app and website. Click here to visit our Google News page, and then click FOLLOW to add us as a news source! ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. star Brandon Reid has revealed he and wife Taylor Dunklin hadn't even discussed consummating their marriage by the time Brandon had decorated their honeymoon suite with rose petals.On the February 5 episode of : Unfiltered, Brandon watched back a clip of himself sharing a hot bath with Taylor after decorating the couple's Panama hotel room with rose petals and candles.Brandon, who also had a bottle of champagne on ice for the couple, said he was trying to show Taylor how much he appreciated her.Unfiltered host Jamie Otis asked Brandon for elaboration on what inspired him to do that for his wife."Well, we had a bump in the road, and we were able to get past it, and I wanted her to know that I am committed to this and I was sorry," Brandon explained, referencing how he ignored Taylor for nearly a full day after she woke him up one morning with a camera in his face."I wanted to do something special for her, [showing] she could look forward to things like this once we'd get back stateside."Jamie pointed out it seemed Brandon and Taylor were getting "a lot more comfortable" around each other at this point."Have you guys talked about intimacy at all?" Jamie asked. "Have you consummated your marriage?""No," Brandon replied. "No, we haven't."Jamie asked if the couple had gotten to second base, which is making out, and Brandon joked he hadn't used based to describe physically intimacy since he was in high school."We're at that [making out] base," Brandon said with a laugh.When asked whether he and Taylor have reached third base, Brandon replied, "No... No third base."Jamie pushed to find out whether Brandon anticipated third base would happen during his honeymoon in Panama, and Brandon replied, "I am hopeful."Fellow Season 10 grooms Zach Justice and Michael Watson joined Brandon on the Unfiltered broadcast, and Zach was asked to share how far he made it with wife Mindy Shiben during their honeymoon."I think at one point we did kiss," Zach shared."You guys made it to second base then?" Jamie asked."Why is that now second base? [I thought kissing] was first base," Zach noted."Oh so first base is just a kiss -- like a peck kiss," Jamie said."Yeah," Zach replied, "like it wasn't anything serious. Baby steps! Baby bases or whatever you want to call them."Because Michael and his wife Meka Jones were barely speaking for the first couple days of their honeymoon and even slept in separate hotel rooms after a fight, Jamie joked that she didn't even need to ask Michael how far he and Meka went."Yeah, no," Michael said with a smile, shaking his head. "We're not there."Brandon and Taylor continued to bond during their honeymoon in Panama and appeared to have a blast together after their one fight , however, the trip ended in flames.At the end of the honeymoon, Brandon made it known he was totally fed up with having cameras follow him around.During the latest episode of 's tenth season, Brandon told a crew member, "You're trying to play me," before putting his hand over a camera lens.Taylor called her husband "abrasive" and "rude" to the show's production team, and she didn't like what she was seeing.Taylor recalled telling Brandon, "The difficult person that you're being on camera is not somebody I really want to be married to. I like being married to the sweet, kind Brandon."Taylor's words apparently set Brandon off, and all he paid attention to was the "I don't want to be married" part of her statement."He takes that and runs with it," Taylor explained. "He responds like, 'Oh, you don't want to be married to me!' He takes off his ring, he throws it and says, 'We don't have to be in this marriage,' and he leaves."Taylor therefore packed all of their bags and mentioned how Brandon had left his wedding ring and passport behind in the room."Brandon was having a full-blown meltdown," Taylor told the cameras.Brandon was then shown yelling and swearing in the van outside of the hotel that also held the four other couples."I ain't got time for this sh-t," Brandon said, before Taylor could be heard saying, "I tried."Brandon then told his wife, "No, you didn't try to do sh-t... You know what, f-ck you, Taylor. F-ck you!""Calm down," Taylor requested."I'm gonna calm down when I'm in Washington," Brandon replied. "F-ck y'all."'s tenth season, which currently airs on Wednesday nights on Lifetime, also stars Katie Conrad and Derek Sherman as well as Jessica Studer and Austin Hurd To read jaw-dropping spoilers on how Brandon and Taylor's marriage turned out and whether they're still together, click here Interested in more news? Join our Married at First Sight Facebook Group NORFOLK, Va., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- RV Trader , the #1 online marketplace for RV shoppers, today announced a new Deal Designation feature in its TraderTraxx portal that gives dealers instant access to competitive pricing information without manual research. The new tool compares a dealer's pricing to the average price of matching units locally and nationwide, and assigns a "Great Deal," "Good Deal," "Fair Deal" or "Above Market" designation to each unit, helping dealers zero in on RVs in their inventory that are above or below market value. Leveraging RV Trader's proprietary data, Deal Designation: Reports the average price for a unit of a specific year, make, model and trim without requiring dealers to manually research and monitor similar listings on the RV Trader marketplace without requiring dealers to manually research and monitor similar listings on the RV Trader marketplace Bases prices on live inventory, requiring at least three units with the same year, make, model and trim to ensure that dealers can price their inventory against relevant units requiring at least three units with the same year, make, model and trim to ensure that dealers can price their inventory against relevant units Is updated regularly based on the previous day's data and can fluctuate from day to day based on a listing's mileage or price adjustments, enabling timely price adjustments to stay competitive and can fluctuate from day to day based on a listing's mileage or price adjustments, enabling timely price adjustments to stay competitive Allows easy feedback when dealers question the accuracy of a designation with a "See An Issue" button in the Deal Designation section of TraderTraxx with a "See An Issue" button in the Deal Designation section of TraderTraxx Can be accessed from the TraderTraxx mobile app, making competitive pricing information available while speaking to customers on the lot Deal Designation is included free of charge to dealers who list inventory on RV Trader with a Silver subscription or above. It joins a wide range of other insights provided on TraderTraxx to help dealers optimize their digital marketing strategy, including inventory performance, consumer search patterns and marketplace competition. Information spans impressions, pageviews and connections for RV Trader listings; performance of audience and social retargeting ads on third-party websites; top vehicles, top model years and how many units of popular models are currently listed; and a comparison pricing feature showing median market prices of specific units for multiple model years and trims. "Every data insight we provide to dealers through TraderTraxx helps them build their competitive edge, whether in tracking inventory trends in the market or measuring consumers' interest in their inventory as part of the pre-purchase process," said Paige Bouma, Vice President for Trader Interactive's Recreational Brands including RV Trader. "Deal Designation is a strong addition that eliminates time-consuming manual pricing research and equips dealers with information that may make the difference between losing and closing a sale." More information about Deal Designation is available by emailing [email protected] or calling 877-354-4068. About RV Trader RV Trader is the industry-leading marketplace for buying and selling new and used RVs, including Class A, B, and C vehicles as well as campers and trailers, with more than 2.5 million unique monthly visitors. Listing inventory through RV Trader helps dealers increase their visibility, generate customer connections, drive sales and maximize profits. RV Trader is a division of Trader Interactive and belongs to the well-known "Trader" family of linked brands. For more information, visit www.RVTrader.com . About Trader Interactive Trader Interactive connects buyers and sellers in the powersports, recreational vehicle, commercial vehicle, and heavy equipment industries through a broad portfolio of marketplaces that reach 9 million unique monthly visitors. Linked by a widely recognized family of "Trader" trademarks dating back several decades, the company's brands include lifestyle vehicle marketplaces Cycle Trader, RV Trader, ATV Trader, PWC Trader, Snowmobile Trader and Aero Trader, as well as commercial vehicle marketplaces Commercial Truck Trader and Equipment Trader. For more information, visit www.TraderInteractive.com . SOURCE RV Trader Related Links http://www.rvtrader.com Storm system moving across the country with flooding threat originally appeared on abcnews.go.com Several storm systems stretched along a frontal boundary from the southern Plains to the Northeast bringing heavy rain, flooding, and a threat for damaging winds and tornadoes. Yesterday, up to a half a foot of rain fell in the Deep South flooding neighborhoods and even prompting water rescues around Birmingham, Alabama. Damaging storms also moved through the South with reports of a possible tornado in Mississippi as well as damage reported to trees and a couple of homes. This morning, snow and flood alerts stretch from Arizona to Kentucky. PHOTO: This morning, snow and flood alerts stretch from Arizona to Kentucky. (ABC News) Take a look how stretched out this frontal system is and several low pressures along it from the Southern Rockies to the Northeast. Flooding and river flooding is the biggest threat this morning and into this afternoon across the South. Heavy snow of up to a foot is expected in New Mexico with the tail end of this frontal system as the California storm moves east. PHOTO: Heavy snow of up to a foot is expected in New Mexico with the tail end of this frontal system as the California storm moves east. (ABC News) By Wednesday, as this system moves further east, a stronger storm will slowly move from the southern Rockies into the Mid-Mississippi Valley with heavy rain that could cause more flooding, a threat for damaging winds and a few tornadoes. To the north, snow will develop from St. Louis to Chicago and into Cleveland with several inches possible. By Wednesday night into Thursday, the storm moves into the East Coast with snow spreading into the Northeast and heavy rain and thunderstorms possible from Florida to Atlanta into the Carolinas. Major cities along the I-95 corridor, in the Northeast, should see mostly rain Thursday but some areas in northern New Jersey, the Hudson Valley and near Boston could start as snow making for a slick commute Thursday morning. In November 2017, prosecutors conducted what was believed to be the countys first mass exoneration, and 15 men had their cases dropped at once. Similar hearings were conducted somewhat regularly in the months that followed as prosecutors sorted through hundreds of Watts cases, though Tuesdays was the first since February of last year. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Greenlots, a member of the Shell Group and leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging and energy management solutions, today announced the installation of charging infrastructure for a fleet of electrified commercial trucks as part of its ongoing partnership with Volvo Trucks, one of the largest heavy-duty truck companies in the world. The heavy-duty fleet charging stations are the first of four installations by Greenlots at warehouses across Southern California. "Heavy-duty fleets have unique charging characteristics and needs," said Harmeet Singh, Chief Technology Officer at Greenlots. "Greenlots' SKY platform is built for scale and designed to deliver a charging solution that meets Volvo Trucks' electric fleet's unique requirements and is optimized for cost and power. The open standards-based charging approach built into Greenlots' platform enables Volvo to future-proof its investments in the charging infrastructure." On Tuesday, February 11, Volvo will host an invite-only innovation showcase at TEC Equipment Warehouse based in Fontana, CA, to share information about its multi-year Volvo Low Impact Green Heavy Transport Solutions (LIGHTS) project, which aims to transform the way we transport goods. This public-private statewide initiative, comprised of partners including Greenlots, puts billions of cap-and-trade dollars to work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen the economy and improve public health and the environment, particularly in disadvantaged communities. "We're excited to be part of the development of a battery-electric transport eco-system along with our Volvo LIGHTS project partners," said Peter Voorhoeve, president of Volvo Trucks North America. "This project is unique in the sense of its scope, and that it takes into account the entire system, with the charging infrastructure provided by Greenlots being one of the key components to this transport solution." Greenlots installed two fully operational 50kW DC fast chargers at the Fontana site and has plans to install an additional 150kW DC fast charger in the next month. All of the charging equipment for the project is connected to Greenlots' SKY EV Charging Network Software, which enables seamless management of Volvo's fleet and charging stations while balancing grid demand. Greenlots' range of software solutions safely and cost-effectively balances the power demands of electric fleet vehicles, warehouse facilities, and the electric grid. Its software provides fleet owners the lowest total cost of ownership by managing energy usage to prevent high utility bills, while also supplying grid operators with the tools needed to safely integrate EVs and renewables onto the grid. For more information, visit https://greenlots.com/about/newsroom. About Greenlots Greenlots, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Shell New Energies, is powering the future of electric transportation with industry-leading software and services that equip drivers, site hosts and network operators to efficiently deploy, manage, and leverage EV charging infrastructure at scale. Our technology brings together cutting-edge network management software, integrated charging optimization, grid balancing services and a driver-friendly mobile app all in a single platform. Committed to advancing the promise of electrified transportation, Greenlots delivers new mobility infrastructure solutions designed to connect people to their destinations in a safer, cleaner and smarter way. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, the company has deployed projects in 13 countries around the world. For more information, visit: https://greenlots.com/ About Volvo Trucks Volvo Trucks provides complete transport solutions for professional and demanding customers, offering a full range of medium to heavy duty trucks. Customer support is secured via a global network of dealers with 2,100 service points in more than 130 countries. Volvo trucks are assembled in 14 countries across the globe. In 2019, approximately 131,000 Volvo trucks were delivered worldwide. Volvo Trucks is part of Volvo Group, one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks, buses, construction equipment and marine and industrial engines. The Group also provides complete solutions for financing and service. Volvo Trucks' work is based on the core values of quality, safety and environmental care. Media Contacts Alina Khachatourian Director of Marketing Communications Greenlots [email protected] Jennifer Edwards Public Relations Manager Volvo Trucks North America [email protected] SOURCE Greenlots Related Links http://greenlots.com Married At First Sight's Connie Crayden and Jonethen Musulin appear to have split - and there's plenty of evidence to back it up. Daily Mail Australia can reveal Connie only started following Jonethen on Instagram on Tuesday night, despite following every other cast member weeks ago. She quickly followed her 'husband' after eagle-eyed fans noticed they were the only couple on the show not mutually connected on social media. Spoiler alert! Married At First Sight's Connie Crayden (left) and Jonethen Musulin (right) appear to have split - and there's plenty of evidence to back it up Jonethen started following Connie last month, when Nine allowed the cast to make their profiles public and start interacting with each other. Although Connie did not follow Jonethen until Tuesday night, she had already shared three pictures of the pair from their wedding. In contrast, Jonethen only chose to post one photo from their big day. Telling sign: Daily Mail Australia can reveal Connie only started following Jonethen on Instagram on Tuesday night, despite following every other cast member weeks ago Awkward! She quickly followed her 'husband' after eagle-eyed fans noticed they were the only couple on the show not mutually connected on social media. Pictured: Connie's following list - not including Jonethen - as it appeared on Tuesday afternoon What's going on? Jonethen started following Connie last month, when Nine allowed the cast to make their profiles public and start interacting with each other Furthermore, Connie and Jonethen have made no secret of the fact they were in different states on Sunday night when their wedding aired on MAFS. Retail assistant Connie hosted a lively viewing party with friends in Melbourne. Her friends shared several photos to Instagram from the event, but later deleted some of them. This was presumably because the posts created the impression the couple had split. Evidence: The MAFS couple made no secret of the fact they were in different states on Sunday night when their wedding aired on TV, with Connie hosting a viewing party in Melbourne Boys' night! Meanwhile, Jonethen's friend Zach (right) shared this picture to Instagram of the pair dining at a restaurant in Tugun, Queensland Meanwhile, Jonethen's friend Zach shared a picture to Instagram of the pair dining at a restaurant in Tugun, Queensland, on Sunday night. This suggests that Jonethen may have ignored the episode completely. In previous seasons of MAFS, couples that leave the experiment in a relationship tend to watch their first episode together. Going solo: Meanwhile, fans have also noticed that Connie and Jonethen have failed to do any press together so far, unlike other couples in the experiment. Pictured: Connie during a pre-recorded solo appearance on Talking Married on Sunday Meanwhile, fans have also noticed that Connie and Jonethen have failed to do any press together so far, unlike other couples in the experiment. On Sunday, Connie made a solo appearance on Talking Married with a pre-recorded interview in which she discussed her wedding to Jonethen. In contrast, Aleks Markovic and Ivan Sarakula appeared on The Kyle and Jackie O Show together on Monday morning, and Cathy Evans and Josh Pihlak were interviewed on Today last week. Channel Nine declined to comment. Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine Email Whatsapp Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Why do so many members of the Hollywood elite espouse such radical, leftist causes? Why are they so pro-abortion, so pro-queer activism? Why are they so passionate about saving trees and caring for cows? How and why did Hollywood become so woke? After Sundays Oscars, the Daily Mail ran this lengthy headline: And the award for the most self-righteous Oscars acceptance speech goes to . . . Joaquin Phoenix lectures about animal rights, Brad Pitt slams impeachment trial and Obama documentary director urges workers of the world to unite. What? Joaquin Phoenix launched a passionate speech about animal rights, veganism and Speciesism while the director of an Obama documentary quoted Karl Marx and the Communist Manifesto? The elite, the mega-rich, and the powerful called for the uprising of the oppressed working class? Other tag lines in the Mail included: Hair Love creator Matthew Cherry advocated for the Crown Act, a California law that prohibits discrimination based on hair style or texture, in his speech American Factory co-director Julia Reichert - who is fighting terminal cancer - quoted from The Communist Manifesto Janelle Monae opened the show by declaring herself a proud, black queer artist telling stories Sigourney Weaver declared: All women are superheroes when she presented an award Yes, Hollywood has been woke for many years now, fashioning itself to be the prophetic voice of conscience. And, the truth be told, many in Hollywood are passionate about their causes, from animal rights to climate change, and from same-sex marriage to immigration. In other words, for many of them (if not most; only God knows), this is not just a show. They truly believe they are in the right. They truly believe conservative religion is damaging peoples lives. They truly believe we are destroying the planet. To quote Joaquin Phoenix at length, I think whether were talking about gender and equality, or racism, or queer rights, or indigenous rights, or animal rights, were talking about the fight against injustice. Were talking about the fight against the belief that one people, one race, one gender, one species has the right to dominate, control, use, and exploit another with impunity. Not only so, but, We go into the natural world and plunder it of its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow and then steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. So, pity the poor baby cow (after all, it is a living creature), but rip those human clumps of cells out of their mothers wombs. This is the hypocrisy of Hollywood. But this doesnt the answer two fundamental questions. First, why is this segment of the population so outspoken about social and political issues? Why do they claim to care so much? Second, why have they taken up positions on the extreme left with issue after issue? Obviously, we can only speak in general terms, since Hollywood is not a monolith. But perhaps the answer to the first question is simply this: Everyone in Hollywood is involved with producing movies. Most movies carry a message. So, the people involved see themselves as messengers. The editor of a major newspaper once told me that many journalists see themselves as having a prophetic role. They do not just report the news. They challenge injustice. They seek to correct wrongs. Consequently, some of their writing will reflect a particular bias. Perhaps, in the same way, as actors play certain roles and screenwriters produce the scripts and directors oversee the process, they feel they are playing a prophetic role in the society. They are telling stories that need to be told. They are making social statements. Consequently, they themselves have something to say. (For my response to this, see here.) But how, then, did their message become so slanted? Why a quotation from Karl Marx? Why the concern about inseminating a cow? This, in my view, is the result of taking up causes from a me-centered perspective. (I would say man-centered, but that uses the dreaded m word. To say human-centered doesnt seem to cut it as well.) In other words, rather than seeing things from Gods perspective, they see things from an earthly perspective. So, rather than see the meaning of marriage as God intended it for human flourishing and the wellbeing of society, they see the injustice of two women not being allowed to marry. That also means that see animals as equal to humans (since humans are not uniquely created in the image of God). They even see trees as equal to humans (and even better than humans, since trees are noble creatures that never hurt anyone). As to how these views became so dominant in Hollywood, this would seem to reflect a process similar to that in our universities. Specifically, after the counterculture shift of the 1960s, an increasing number of leftist intellectuals and artists and cultural influencers rose to the top. And they now hold positions of dominance, effectively silencing and suppressing those who dissent. Interestingly, though, many common people the proletariat, if you will are not having it. As the Mail also reported, while the well-heeled crowd at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles applauded their speeches, their lectures nauseated the audience at home. Many viewers took to Twitter to slam the stars as hypocrites and called the event the wokest Oscars ever. Perhaps a little too woke for the tastes of many? Personally, I can appreciate how gifted many of these actors and writers and cinematographers and directors are. I can appreciate the sacrifices some of them make for their trade (in other words, their riches come with a price). I can even appreciate their concern for the environment (within reason) and their compassion for animals (again, within reason). But when wokeness means quoting Marx, celebrating queerness, and caring more for baby cows than for baby humans, then I have a simple message. Hollywood, you need a spiritual awakening. You are not yet truly woke. BETHLEHEM, N.Y. -- A Syracuse woman was in the Albany area for a job interview when she died in a rollover crash on a highway Monday morning, family members said. Dakisha Browns family thinks she may have been in a rush to get to the interview when her 2012 Kia Sedona veered off Interstate 87 South and crashed in the town of Bethlehem. Brown, a nurse who worked taking care of the elderly in Syracuse for many years, was currently unemployed and looking for another job, family members said. Last week, Brown and three of her children left Syracuse to go visit with her oldest daughter in Albany, said Elijah Stevens, a family friend who called Brown auntie." Brown, 44, had told friends and family that she had hoped to get a nursing job in Albany and share an apartment with her oldest daughter who lives there. She left her daughters apartment Sunday night, and left her cell phone there too so family members werent sure where she was all night before the crash, Stevens said. Family members told Stevens that Brown had been upset Sunday night before she left her daughters apartment. But they also knew she was looking forward to the interview Monday morning, which is why Stevens and other relatives said they think Brown may have been in a rush. Confusing the situation too is authorities dont know exactly when the crash happened. As she drove south on I-87 South early Monday, Browns Kia went off the right shoulder of the highway and hit an embankment, causing it to overturn several times, state police said. The vehicle went through a fence and stopped on a nearby property. No one else was in the vehicle at the time, troopers said. Emergency crews found Brown between the highway and the vehicle shortly after 7 a.m., according to the Albany Times Union. Debris -- including clothing, a childs booster seat, paperwork and homework -- was scattered across the scene, the Times Union reported. The Albany County coroner pronounced Brown dead at the scene; her body was taken to Ellis Hospital in Schenectady, troopers said. Selkirk Fire Chief Joe Michaniw told the Times-Union he thought the crash had happened in the dark before sunrise, and it was so far off the road that no one saw the vehicle in the woods until daylight. Family members said they were heartbroken over Browns death. Everyone was crying, Stevens said. So many people looked up to her. Brown was originally from New York City, but moved to Syracuse about a decade ago, Stevens said. She and her husband recently separated and he moved to New York City, but they kept in touch, Stevens said. Brown is survived by her five children, including her oldest daughter whos in her 20s, as well as an 18-year-old son, 13-year-old daughter, 10-year-old son and a 4-year-old daughter. She also has a grandson who lives in Albany and another grandchild on the way. She wanted to move out of Syracuse a long time ago, but it never worked out," Stevens said. Now there was an opportunity and she was ready for the future. 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. New Delhi, Feb 11 : Mohit Suri was the filmmaker who showed the world that Kunal Kemmu was ready to take his next step as a lead actor in the 2005 release "Kalyug", after impressing as a child artiste in the nineties. In his new film "Malang", Suri has re-packaged Kunal once again, as a twisted antihero brimming with a violent and psychotic edge. Suri's slant at redefining his actors is nothing new. He credibly transformed Riteish Deshmukh, popular for his comic roles, into an evil guy in "Ek Villain". Also in "Malang", which collected Rs 25.36 crore in its opening weekend, Suri has reimagined the normally affable Aditya Roy Kapur as a cold, avenging machoman out on a killing spree. Also, he has cast Anil Kapoor as a sly encounter cop, making maximum use of the actor's sharp sense of humour. "I have always tried to break that stereotypical (image of actors). I somehow see something that the others have not seen. They (other filmmakers) tend to only see their (the actors') success, their films' success and then they typecast the actors," Suri told IANS. "But I think a good actor is a good actor. I try to spend time with actors. As far as Kunal goes, I had worked with him before. With Anil, I wanted to break that stereotypical image. I grew up watching 'Tezaab' among other films. I wanted to see him in this role (as a cop) rather than a father of the hero or heroine. I think I enjoy the process of making movies where you look at your own sensibilities and see what an actor wants to do," he added. He agrees that actors are waiting for someone to offer them roles that are different from their regular on-screen image. "I remember when I cast Riteish (in 'Ek Villain'), people asked me why I was taking a comedian to play a villain. Riteish has a simple middle-class Maharashtrian value as well which I needed for that character, and he is a family man," said Suri. As of now, he is loving the "love that we are getting from everyone" for his film "Malang". "I am not someone who pretends to be a trade 'pandit' who knows what clicks with the audience. We expected the youth to come out and watch it. Most of our pitching was youth-centric. I guess that's what connected with the people. In times where you have so many films coming every week, it becomes important that you have something that they can connect to," the director said about the romantic action-thriller. In the past also, he has given hit films with Aditya ("Aashiqui 2") and Kunal ("Kalyug"). Does he consider them to be his lucky charms? "Whoever I have worked with, is not because of the purpose of market position or feasibility. It's just because I feel he or she is right for the role. I wanted the right casting. I always thought Aditya should do an action film. He is a big guy. He has got a good structure. I know him well so I could see he could play this role," said the director. "Similarly, Kunal is one of the best actors I have ever worked with. His role in the film is so edgy. You can easily go wrong. When you are casting for a role like this, you might as well get the best actor to play it," he added. The result for the 70-member Delhi assembly will be declared today (February 11). While the ruling Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party will look to continue for another term in the office, the saffron party is keen to form its own government. Congress who was in power in Delhi for almost 15 years will look to regain a foothold. For the Assembly election 2020, AAP had contested on all 70 seats, while the BJP has fielded candidates on 67 seats and has left three seats for its allies - two for Janata Dal-United and one for Lok Janshakti Party. On the other hand, Congress named candidates for 66 seats and gave the remaining four to its ally Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD). Though, exit polls by different pollsters and the Zee News Maha Exit Poll predict a massive victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP with the BJP a distant second and Congress not even in the reckoning. AAP is expected to retain power with 55 seats while BJP would bag 14 and Congress just 1. The results for the Delhi assembly elections will be released today, the counting of votes will begin at 8 am today. Watch the live streaming of Delhi Assembly election results here. In the last elections, the AAP had registered a landslide victory by winning 67 of the 70 seats. The BJP had secured the remaining three seats and while the Congress drew a blank. AFP via Getty The first US evacuee from China that tested positive for coronavirus was mistakenly released from a hospital in San Diego, according to health officials. It marks the 13th case of the virus in the US, and the first positive case following the evacuation of a group of US citizens on a US State Department flight from Wuhan, China to a California air base. The patient was hospitalised with three other patients after showing potential symptoms. An initial test from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention showed that all four patients did not have the virus. They were released on Sunday and placed into a two-week quarantine. According to the CDC, further testing revealed that one of the four patients did test positive. "The confirmed positive patient was returned to UC San Diego Health for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release", according to the University of California, San Diego Health. The hospital is treating two patients for coronavirus, including the person who had been released. The other patient is under medical investigation. Both patients are "doing well aand have minimal symptoms", the hospital said in a statement. The Menstrual Cup Is it Efficient? Although menstruation still remains a taboo and stigma in many parts of the world, technological advancements, research, and awareness regarding the acceptance of menstruation along with developing healthy sanitary tools for women have led to the broader use of the menstrual cup. Even though it was invented in 1937 by an American actress, the mainstream usage, and safer usage of the menstrual cup has grown relatively recently. A menstrual cup is a small, flexible, cup-like structure made of silicone or latex rubber, and is used feminine hygiene product to catch and collect a womans flow instead of absorbing it like a pad or tampon. Depending on the quantity of flow, the cup is removed, cleared, cleaned, and reinserted after every four-twelve hours. It may be reusable or disposable; the reusable cups need to be sterilized in boiling water before use. Get a FREE Sample Copy of Report with Complete TOC @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/1407 Advantages Cost-effective, Long term, hygienic and environmentally friendly Menstrual cups are a cost-efficient form of menstrual sanitation product, especially for underprivileged women in developing and under-developed countries who do not have access to affordable sanitary products. There are multiple inadequate, unhygienic methods used by these women, which have increased the prevalence of infections and diseases. Additionally, tampons are prone to the risk of toxic shock syndrome, which is a form of a severe, potentially fatal bacterial infection, when a tampon is worn for longer than eight hours, and sanitary pads cause chafing and leak sometimes. In comparison, the menstrual cup is a healthier, more comfortable, durable, and long-term method of menstrual sanitation. Technological advancements have led to most menstrual cups in the market to be reusable. Thus, the menstrual cup is an effective measure to reduce solid waste. Menstrual cups do not contribute to daily waste, and the amount of disposed of packaging is also reduced. Disposable sanitary tools such as tampons and pads have been observed to contribute majorly to the solid waste globally. Scientists have declared that some pads and tampons may take up to 25 years to break down in the ocean, and 50 or more years on land due to the plastic content. This makes the menstrual cup a sustainable choice in present times,where the environmental concerns are incredibly high. Menstrual Cup Market Summary Market Research Future (MRFR) has announced the release of a new report on the global menstrual cup market. The report analyzes the global menstrual cup market from top to bottom and comes up with actionable insights in terms of the leading segments of the menstrual cup market, key players in the menstrual cup market, and the major drivers and restraints affecting the market. The trajectory of the global menstrual cup market over the forecast period is projected in the report with the help of present and past statistics about the menstrual cup market. Key strategies likely to benefit the market players in capturing a larger share of the menstrual cup market are also profiled in the report. According to the report, the global menstrual cup market is expected to rise at a CAGR of 3.5% over the forecast period (2018-2023). Menstrual cups are a feminine hygiene product increasingly being used in place of tampons or sanitary napkins. The cup is bell-shaped and seals against the vaginal wall just below the cervix. Instead of absorbing the menstrual fluid like tampons or sanitary napkins, menstrual cups store menstrual fluid for later removal. This makes them reusable, which has become the major driver for the menstrual cup market. The high prices of tampons and sanitary pads, as well as the need to keep replacing them at regular intervals, have made menstrual cups a highly attractive alternative. Although the initial cost of menstrual cups is higher than tampons or sanitary napkins, in the longer run, they become immensely cheaper than the latter. The menstrual cup market has also used the better environmental feasibility of menstrual cups as a selling point, as less waste is generated from the use of menstrual cups than sanitary napkins. Menstrual Cup Market Segmentation: By product, the menstrual cup market has been segmented into reusable and disposable menstrual cups. Reusable cups are likely dominate the market by accounting for a large market share by 2023. Reusable menstrual cups can be used for up to 5 years, depending on the specific brand. By type, the market is segmented into hollow, pointy, flat, and round. The round segment accounted for 43% market share due to the flexibility in the design of these products. By distribution channel, the market is segmented into online stores, retail outlets, and others. The online store channel segment accounted for 62% market share owing to penetration of e-commerce stores and changing buying patterns of consumers. Menstrual Cup Market Regional Analysis: The global menstrual cup market is segmented geographically into the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and Africa. North America and Europe are likely to dominate the global menstrual cup market over the forecast period due to the widespread awareness about the importance of feminine hygiene products and the increasing popularity of reusable and convenient methods of maintaining feminine hygiene. The Asia Pacific market is likely to hold a smaller share than these two dominant markets, as awareness regarding menstruation and feminine hygiene products is quite low in some regions of Asia Pacific. While urban centers in advanced APAC countries such as Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia are relatively more open to the sale of feminine hygiene product, a large share of the female population doesnt have access to sanitary products. Product advancement in the feminine hygiene product market is consequently lacking, leading to a lack of awareness about menstrual cups. This is likely to hold back the menstrual cup market in Asia Pacific over the forecast period. The Middle East and Africa is likely to retain the lowest share in the global menstrual cup market over the forecast period due to the lack of awareness about feminine hygiene products in the region. Menstrual Cup Market Competitive Landscape: The leading players in the global menstrual cup market include Me Luna, Ruby Life Ltd., Irisana SA, Vcup, FemCap Inc., LadyCup, Lunette, The Keeper Inc., Anigan, and Diva International Inc. Get More Information on Menstrual Cup Market Research Report- Forecast To 2023 @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/menstrual-cup-market-1407 About Market Research Future: At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services. MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions. In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members. Contact: Akash Anand Market Research Future +1 646 845 9312 Email: sales@marketresearchfuture.com BEIRUT - Rebels shot down a Syrian military helicopter in northern Syria on Tuesday, killing its crew members in a fiery crash, while the government kept up its relentless bombing campaign on the opposition-held region, with an airstrike in which seven civilians died, activists and news reports said. The violence in Idlib province came as government troops moved closer to capturing the last rebel-controlled section of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria, which would bring the road under the full control of President Bashar Assads forces for the first time since 2012. With support from Russia and Iran, Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in Idlib and parts of nearby Aleppo provinces, unleashing a humanitarian crisis with 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border. Nearly a quarter of the 3 million people in Idlib and nearby areas have fled. Terrified families piled onto trucks and other vehicles, clogging muddy rural roads in yet another harrowing exodus in the conflict, now in its ninth year. Hundreds of civilians have died in the latest fighting, according to the United Nations. The Syrian helicopter gunship was shot down by insurgents amid fighting near the village of Nairab as rebels, backed by Turkish artillery, tried to retake it after losing it last week, according to opposition activists. Associated Press video showed the helicopter spiraling from the sky and breaking up as fire poured from its fuselage, just before it crashed. Two bodies could be seen on the ground. Turkeys official Anadolu news agency reported that the pilot and two others aboard were killed, while opposition activists reported that only two crew members were on board. Hours later, a Syrian airstrike hit the city of Idlib, the provincial capital, killing seven people and wounding nearly two dozen, according to the Syrian Civil Defence, also known as White Helmets. The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the airstrike killed 12 civilians, half of them children, and wounded about 30. Opposition activists said the airstrike on Idlib, home to about 800,000 people, was carried out in response to the downing of the helicopter. The fighting recently escalated with two separate clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops, killing 13 on each side, including five Turkish soldiers who were killed Monday. Turkey, a main backer of the rebels, has rolled armoured vehicles into Idlib, apparently to prevent government forces from reaching the border areas with Turkey. The country is home to some 3.6 million Syrian refugees and is concerned about more streaming in. Turkeys defence minister told The Associated Press that Ankara has as many as four observation posts and two military positions in Syrian government-controlled territory, warning that Turkish soldiers were under orders to retaliate forcefully to any attacks. Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said in the interview that Turkey would not vacate any of its 12 observation posts in Idlib. In the event of any action against them, they have been given instructions to retaliate even more powerfully, he said. The Turkish Defence Ministry tweeted that more than 50 Syrian government troops were neutralized in Idlib province, without giving details of the circumstances. The claim could not be independently verified and military officials could not immediately be reached for comment. The Syrian army said the Turkish threats will not dissuade the (Syrian) army from continuing its operations in Idlib and western Aleppo province to cleanse them of terrorism. It warned that the military is ready to respond to the aggression of Turkish occupiers. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan also warned Assads government that it will pay a very, very heavy price for attacks on Turkish troops. At a speech in Ankara, he said he would explain Turkeys next steps in Idlib province at a ruling party meeting Wednesday. During a trip to Montenegro, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu urged Russia and Iran to halt the regimes aggression. He said the offensive in Idlib was threatening Turkeys relations with Russia. There have been very important results from our co-operation, but unfortunately the regimes attacks in Idlib, killing civilians and attacking our troops, have begun to do a great deal of damage to this partnership, he told a news conference. Cavusoglu added that Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin would talk by telephone. Talks between Russian and Turkish officials about the escalation in Idlib ended Monday. Erdogans office said the Russian delegation was told that attacks on Turkish posts in Idlib must stop immediately and promised to retaliate to further attacks. The Observatory reported that Syrian troops have secured the highway that starts in southern Syria, near the border with Jordan, and runs all the way north to the city of Aleppo. Its capture is vital for Syrias economy as well as for moving troops. An unidentified Syrian military official was quoted by pro-government media as saying that they still have to capture five villages before securing the highway, known as the M5. The highways capture will mark another victory for Assad, whose forces have been making solid gains since the end of 2015 with the help of Russian airstrikes and Iran-backed fighters. For the past three years, government forces have been capturing parts of the 450-kilometre (280-mile) highway that links the countrys four largest cities. ___ Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. Associated Press writer Andrew Wilks in Ankara contributed. A 2004 California law that allows workers to sue their employers in the name of the state for wage and labor violations netted the state more than $88 million from businesses last year and has increased their compliance with workplace laws, according to a report released Tuesday by advocacy groups. The Private Attorneys General Act, or PAGA, allows an employee to file a whistle-blower claim with the state about an employer who is failing to pay minimum wages, overtime or other legally required compensation, or is violating safety standards. The state can take up the case itself, or allow the employee to file suit on behalf of all affected workers, who receive 25% of any penalties against the employer plus attorneys fees. The rest goes to the state. The union-backed law was enacted to increase enforcement of workplace laws. While state agencies that oversee the laws have been weakened by staffing shortages, employers have increasingly required workers to take disputes to arbitration now mandated for two-thirds of non-union employees in California, according to a study quoted in the report rather than suing in court. Employers generally favor arbitration, which is quicker and less expensive than litigation, while employee advocates say the procedure is biased in favor of employers. Arbitrators rulings are virtually unappealable, and work contracts generally require employees to arbitrate their claims individually, rather than collectively with other workers. The small sums involved in individual arbitration make it difficult for employees to find lawyers, prompting many of them to drop their cases. PAGA evaded that restriction by allowing employees to sue in the name of the state. Business groups opposed the law, calling it a job-killer and saying it would burden employers and the courts with costly suits over minor violations. But the report by advocates of the law said it has been good for employees and for the state. PAGA has boosted the economy by helping California workers, especially those workers most vulnerable to workplace exploitation, the study said. It said there has been no flood of frivolous litigation, but instead a series of rulings and settlements holding employers accountable for failing to pay legal wages, or to provide such essentials as workday seats for checkout clerks and cashiers. In one recent case filed under the 2004 law, Safeway agreed to pay $12 million and provide seats for as many as 30,000 checkout clerks at its stores in California, who will also share $1.875 million of the payment. The settlement provided $4.4 million for the plaintiffs lawyers, and the remainder went to a state labor agency. In the largest such case, Walmart agreed to a settlement in 2018 providing seats for its cashiers in California and paying $10.7 million to 99,000 current and former cashiers and $33 million to the state. Bank of America had previously signed a setting agreement that paid $2.4 million to its tellers and $10 million to the state. These penalties have helped to shift Californias corporate culture toward compliance and have also funded increases in state enforcement staffing, the report said. It was issued by two nonprofits, the Center for Popular Democracy and the Partnership for Working Families, joined by the UCLA Labor Center, which researches labor issues. In response, Allan Zaremberg, president and chief executive officer of the California Chamber of Commerce, called the report self-serving and said PAGA has created a windfall for trial attorneys that they use to leverage employers into unfair costly settlements. Zaremberg also said the state Department of Industrial Relations had found last year that PAGA does not benefit employees, only their lawyers. But the state Labor Workforce and Development Agency, which includes the Department of Industrial Relations, said last week that enforcement of PAGA was good for working people and important for law-abiding employers. The agency said it monitors PAGA cases for abuses to protect both employees and employers who play by the rules. The law was the first of its kind in the nation. But since the Supreme Court in 2018 upheld employment contracts that required individual rather than collective arbitration, at least a half dozen states have been considering similar legislation, said Rachel Deutsch, an attorney with the Center for Popular Democracy. The report said nearly 90% of PAGA cases involve claims of wage-related violations: minimum wages, overtime, failure to pay for all hours worked, or failure to provide the 30-minute lunch break and two 10-minute rest breaks the state requires for most workplaces. In one such case, the report said, four landscape workers in Stockton accused their employer of cheating them of pay, denying rest breaks and making them work in extreme heat without safety measures. PAGA extended the case to their 58 coworkers and led to a settlement providing up to $8,200 for each of them, the report 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. In another case, the report said, Farmers Insurance agreed to change its employment policies and pay more than $4 million to 300 female employees to settle a PAGA suit by an attorney who said she lost her job after complaining of pay discrimination. PAGA changes the employment landscape by dramatically increasing the likelihood that an employer faces serious consequences from exploiting its workforce, the report said. That assessment was disputed by attorney Paul Grossman of the California Employment Law Council, who represents employers in PAGA cases. Grossman said the laws massive penalties allow plaintiffs lawyers to intimidate businesses into accepting inflated settlements, with large shares for the lawyers and relatively little for the state. Those penalties, for wage violations, are $100 per employee for the first pay period and $200 for the next period, sums that often add up to millions in multi-employee suits, Grossman said. This is a massive free-employment act for these plaintiffs mills who bring hundreds of PAGA cases, Grossman said. Deutsch disagreed and noted that the state screens all PAGA cases and has the power to review settlements. And the report said the state labor agencys revenue from PAGA cases rose from $30 million in 2018 to $88 million in 2019 totaling $200 million since fiscal year 2010-11 while job growth and per capita income in California continue to outpace the national average. Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko Delhi Election Results 2020: Bharatiya Janata Party that won three seats in the previous assembly elections is looking to retain the Rohini seat. However, as per early trends AAP's Rajesh Nama Bansiwala is leading from the constituency. Rohini was one of the three seats bagged by the BJP in the 2015 elections. The Aam Aadmi Party that is projected to win almost all of the 70 seats in Delhi is looking to add Rohini to its kitty. The CM Kejriwal-led party has fielded Rajesh Nama Bansiwala, while Congress has fielded Sumesh Gupta. Vijender Gupta is the leader of opposition in the outgoing Assembly. In the last election he narrowly defeated AAP's CL Gupta by a margin of 5,000 votes. He had started his career as the vice-president of the Delhi University Students' Union in the 1980s. Gupta led the municipal polls in 2012 leading to a massive win for the BJP. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020 Live Updates: AAP looks certain to retain power; Manish Sisodia trails Vijender Gupta was touted as a possible CM candidate in the 2013 election after he lost the polls to Arvind Kejriwal. He became the Leader of the Opposition after he won from his seat in 2015. AAP's Rajesh Nama Bansiwala had moved from Congress to the party just ahead of the 2019 General Elections. Raja Vihar, Suraj Park, Rohini Sectors 7, 8, 13, 15, 18 are some of the localities in the constituency, comprising mostly of middle-class voters. However, according to the India Today-Axis My India exit poll, AAP is likely to win 59-68 seats out of the total 70 assembly seats. The report also stated that AAP might bag 7-9 seats in the North West Delhi region that includes Rohini, while BJP might win 1-3 seats. Congress might not win even a single seat from the region. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? Manish Sisodia election result 2020 live news and latest updates online - Read about Manish Sisodia AAP candidate who is fighting Delhi assembly (Vidhan Sabha) election from Patparganj seat and many more at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Manish Sisodia Profile: After having trailed in his constituency through the day, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia won the seat by narrow margin of 3207 votes . He won 70,163 votes against BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi, who got 66,956 votes. A close confidant of the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will be contesting from Patparganj for the third consecutive time. He will be contesting against Ravi Negi of the BJP and Congress Laxman Rawat. Currently, he handles the portfolios of finance, education, planning, urban development, revenue, services, local bodies, land and buildings, higher education, training and technical education, vigilance, cooperative societies, information technology, and information and publicity. A former journalist, he worked with Zee News and All India Radio between 1996 and 2005 before entering public life. Sisodia began his public life as an activist in the Right To Information Act movement before becoming active in the Anna Hazare-led Jan Lokpal movement along with Kejriwal. In fact, he was one of the few activists chosen by activist Aruna Roy to draft the RTI Act. Sisodia also founded the Public Cause Research Foundation along with Kejriwal, which worked towards transparency in governance. A founding member of the Aam Aadmi Party, he is a member of the political affairs committee of the party. In the 2013 polls, he was elected to the Delhi Assembly from Parpatganj, defeating BJPs Nakul Bhardwaj by 11,478 votes. He won by an even bigger margin in the 2015 elections, when he trounced Vinod Kumar Binny by nearly 24,000 votes. Sisodia was named the deputy chief minister of Delhi in February 2015. While he has multiple portfolios under his belt, he primarily recognised for his work as the education minister of Delhi. Sisodia is credited with changing the face of Delhis government schools by improving their education quality and the infrastructure. While his ministry could not build 500 new schools due to land crunch, as promised in its manifesto, it went on to build over 8000 additional classrooms in 30 new schools. At the heart of the education reforms are the introduction of modern subjects like IT, financial markets etc into the syllabus, the constitution of the school management committees, which are responsible for monitoring and assisting in matters of the school, and the introduction of the happiness curriculum. For his contributions to the education sector, Sisodia, who is often called the de-facto chief minister, was awarded the Champions of Change Award in 2019. CHICO, Calif. - California State University, Chico had a robotic-assisted ribbon cutting for opening the Omron Co-lab on Monday, Feb. 10. The Ormon Co-lab is a lab that will help students innovate and create their own projects. The lab is giving students a chance to be engineers. Chico State College of Engineering, Computer Science, and Construction Management partnered with Omron Automation America. This lab is the first lab in the California State University system and offering the first-ever mechatronics major in the U.S. The Vice President of Marketing at Omron, Matt Trowbridge described to Action News Now what the mission of the lab is. This is a global corporation founded in 1933 in Japan. Omrons whole mission is to develop technology that improves people's lives and contributes to society, Trowbridge said. With cutting edge equipment, students will be able to challenge themselves with different manufacturing technology. Its an advantage because kids today are going to graduate school working on the latest and greatest equipment," Robert Black President and CEO and COO of Omron said. "They are going to be working on things that the minute they start a new career, no matter if it's Omron or something else, this is what is being used in the industry today. One Chico State student, Danny Cervantes, who will work with OAA after he graduates in May and explained how this will help students. What this means for Chico State students is that they have this opportunity to come to this lab and get hands-on experience. Before we didnt have that. In a mechatronics or engineering environment, we are always looking for hands-on experience. Cervantes said. The $800,000 to fund this Co-lab came from Omron foundation incorporation. Omron hopes this lab will provide job opportunities for students. The lab will able to hold classes of up to 50 students. It has project areas where students can work with faculty on cutting-edge equipment. Fayaz Wani By Express News Service SRI NAGAR: Citing seven cases of harassment by security personnel since the abrogation of Article 370, the Kashmir Press Club (KPC) on Monday asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to stop such acts on journalists in the Valley. The KPC had convened an urgent meeting to discuss physical attacks, threats, intimidation being meted out to journalists in Kashmir by the J&K Police. Recently, two journalists were summoned and questioned by the police for carrying statement of separatist outfit JKLF. KPC members noted with concern that from since August 5 last year, the government is not enabling journalists and media to operate freely. This is evident from prolonged six-month internet shutdown in the region since August 5. As if that was not enough, physical attacks, threats and summons to journalists are being employed by security agencies to intimidate journalists, the KPC said in a statement. The summons and harassment to journalists by J&K Polices counter-insurgency centre (Cargo) in Srinagar has become a routine exercise. The harassment and questioning of journalists in Kashmir on flimsy grounds by the police for their work is in fact a damning verdict on the appalling condition in which media is operating, the statement said. It said restrictions on internet and forcibly seeking undertakings from news organizations for allowing limited internet access, constant surveillance by police and physical attacks and summons all are the tools designed and aimed to ensure only government-promoted version is heard outside. The fixed-line internet has been restored to some newspaper offices in Valley after they submitted undertakings that they wont allow misuse of internet and no wi-fi would be allowed. The KPC cited at least seven instances since August 5 when journalists were harassed and physically assaulted by the policemen. Partial net connectivity The fixed-line internet has been restored to some newspaper offices in Valley after they submitted undertakings that they wont allow misuse of the internet but the wi-fi wasnt allowed. New Delhi: South Delhi Lok Sabha seat has 10 Assembly constituencies - Bijwasan, Palam, Mehrauli, Chhatarpur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar, Sangam Vihar, Kalkaji, Tughlakabad, and Badarpur. Of these assembly seats, AAP managed to win 9, while BJP got the victory in merely one seat of Badarpur. 1. Bijwasan: Bhupinder Singh Joon of Aam Aadmi Party defeated BJP's Satprakash Rana with a thin margin of 753 votes. In the 2015 Assembly election, AAP's Colonel Devinder Sehrawat had won from Bijwasan after defeating BJP's Sat Prakash Rana by a margin of 19,536. Part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, there are a total of 2,01,252 eligible electors, of which 1,10,770 are male, 90,414 female and 68 voters of the third gender. A total of 13 candidates tried their luck from this seat, while in 2015, there were 6 contestants. 2. Palam: Bhavna Gaur of AAP defeated BJP's Vijay Pandit from a victory margin of over 32,000 votes. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Gaur had won defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 30849 votes. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 2,47,306 eligible electors in Palam, including 1,33,280 males, 1,14,012 females and 14 voters of the third gender. This constituency has an estimated Scheduled Caste population of 10.85%. 3. Mehrauli: Naresh Yadav of AAP has defeated Kusum Khatri of BJP with a margin of 18,161 votes. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Naresh Yadav had won defeating BJP candidate by a margin of 16,951 votes. In the 2013 Assembly poll, BJP's Pravesh Sahib Singh Verma had won this seat. The total number of eligible voters in Mehrauli is 2,03,623 of which 1,13,515 were male, 90,100 female and 8 voters of the third gender. In 2015, there were a total of 1,81,393 eligible electors, of which 1,03,227 were male, 78,062 female and 16 voters of the third gender. 4. Chhatarpur: Kartar Singh Tanwar of AAP has once again defeated Brahm Singh Tanwar of BJP with a margin 3,720 votes. In the 2015 Assembly election, KS Tanwar had defeated the BJP's Brahm Singh by a margin of 22,240 votes. In 2013, Brahm Singh Tanwar had won the seat. Of total 2,18,580 eligible voters, 1,25,850 are male, 92,729 female and 1 voter of the third gender in Chhatarpur. 5. Deoli: Prakash Jarwal of AAP has defeated BJP candidate Arvind Kumar with a margin of 40173 votes from this reserved constituency (SC). In 2015 Assembly election, Prakash Jarwal had won this seat after defeating BJP candidate by a margin of 63937 votes. In 2013 too, Jarwal had won from this seat. There are a total of 2,36,617 eligible electors, of which 1,32,372 were male, 1,04,224 female and 21 voters of the third gender in the 2020 Assembly election. 6. Ambedkar Nagar: Aam Aadmi Party candidate Ajay Dutt once again won this seat defeating BJP rival Khushiram Chunar with 28327 votes from this reserved seat (SC). In the 2015 Assembly election, Ajay Dutt had won this seat by defeating the BJP candidate by a margin of 42,460 votes. In 2013, AAP candidate Ashok Kumar had won the seat. There are a total of 1,57,034 eligible electors, including 83,771 males, 73,241 females and 22 third gender voters in the 2020 Assembly election. In 2015, there were a total of 1,39,676 eligible electors, of which 76,191 were male, 63,410 female and 7 voters of the third gender. 7. Sangam Vihar: Dinesh Mohania of AAP defeated BJP's Shiv Charan Lal Gupta with a margin of 42522 votes. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Dinesh Mohaniya had won in this seat by defeating BJP candidate by a margin of 43,988 votes. In 2013 also, Mohania had won from this seat. In the 2020 elections, there were a total of 1,88,980 eligible electors, of which 1,09,460 were male, 79,509 female and 11 voters of the third gender. 8. Kalkaji: Aam Aadmi Party's Atishi won this seat with a victory margin of 11393 votes deafeating Dharambir Singh of BJP. In the 2015 Assembly election, AAP's Avtar Singh had won in this seat after defeating BJP candidate by a margin of 19,769 votes. In 2013 Assembly poll, BJP candidate Harmeet Singh had won this seat. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 1,85,837 eligible electors, of which 1,03,535 are male, 82,296 female and 6 voters of the third gender, while in the 2015 poll, there were a total of 1,64,319 eligible electors, of which 92,022 were male, 72,206 female and 11 voters of the third gender. 9. Tughlakabad: Sahiram of AAP defeated BJP's Vikran Bidhuri with a margin of 13758 votes. In the 2015 Assembly election, Sahi Ram had won Tughlakabad defeating BJP's Ramesh Bidhuri by a margin of 33,701 votes. Notably, Ramesh Bidhuri had won this seat in 2013 as well as 2008 assembly polls. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 1,77,616 eligible electors, of which 1,05,674 are male, 71,926 female and 16 voters of the third gender. In the 2015 poll, there were a total of 1,55,327 eligible electors, of which 94,813 were male, 60,480 female and 10 voters of the third gender. 10. Badarpur: Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of BJP defeated Ram Singh Netaji of AAP with a margin of over 3700 votes. In the 2015 Delhi Assembly election, Narayan Dutt Sharma of AAP had this seat by defeating BJP candidate Ramvir Singh Bidhuri by a margin of 47,583 votes. In 2013 Assembly polls, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri had won the seat, while in 2008, Ram Singh Netaji was elected from this seat on Bahujan Samaj Party's ticket. In the 2020 Assembly election, there are a total of 3,21,392 eligible electors, of which 1,85,442 are male, 1,35,905 female and 45 voters of the third gender. MANZINI Drama unfolded yesterday at the National Psychiatric Hospital as nurs- es let patients out after com- plaining about unfavourable working conditions. This comes after a majority of toilets within the facility were reportedly non-functional due to a blockage which was allegedly caused by over- crowding. The blockage has been there for several months. The National Psychiatric Hospital is located at Two Sticks in Manzini. According to Secretary of Shop Stewards at National Public Service and Allied Workers Union (NAP- SWU) Bongiwe Dlamini, who also happens to be a nurse at the hospi- tal, the bone of contention was the blockage in most of the toilets within the facility, which was a result of overcrowding. Information gathered from Dlamini was that the wards, which in reality are meant to hold a capacity of 45 patients, now hold approximately 105 patients. She said due to the over- crowding, as well the blockage of the toilets, patients were also vulnerable to contagious diseases. She pointed out that as nurses, they attempted to raise the matter with management but they (management) turned a deaf ear on the issue and, as a result, they resolved to let the patients loose to relieve themselves at a turn nearby bush situated adjacent to the mental health facility. We decided to let the patients loose so that they could relieve themselves at a nearby bush and whether they come back or not, it is none of our business, she said. She mentioned that they were under the impression that maybe by so do- ing, management would up its game and address the issue effectively and immediately. Dlamini said in the meantime, they also came up with a resolution as staff members to down tools and picket within the premises of the institution while some of them went to the Ministry of Health to voice out their grievances. This, she said, was because the situation at the hospital was unbearable since it could result in both the patients and the staff mem- bers being vulnerable to hazardous health implications. Complaining A majority of patients have already started complaining about diverse ailments due to the hazardous envi- ronment they are exposed to at the hospital, she said. It is worth noting that a majority of the patients reportedly did not return to the hospital after they were released by the nurses. Dr Vusi Magagula, the Ministry of Healths Director of Health, said he was privy to details concerning the issues at the facility and that the nurses decided to release the patients. He said he paid a visit to the Na- tional Psychiatric Hospital to hear the concerns of the nurses. He mentioned that thereafter, they assessed the situation and discovered that only one ward was affected by the issue of blocked toilets and the others were functioning normally. He said they reached a resolution with his team to report to the hospital first thing this morning to fix the dysfunctional toilets . By tomorrow (today), everything will be back to normal as my team is collaborating with the Ministry of Public Works and Transport to fix the toilets first thing tomorrow morning, he said. When responding directly regarding the issue of patients being released from the facility, Magagula said management had their own strategy of recapturing the patients. He said some of the patients had already been safely returned to the facility though he was not sure of the exact figures. Meanwhile, unrests at the facility are not a new thing. It was reported over a year ago that a group of violent patients at the National Psychiatric Referral Hospital incited a riot by setting alight their sleeping mattresses and about 30 of them escaped when guards opened the gate to attend to the protest. The protest was organised after the institu- tion banned patients from smoking and they wanted the ban to be lifted. Protested The rowdy patients protested and broke the main gate of the hospital and escaped. At the time, it was reported that some of the patients at Ward Four threw their sleeping mattresses outside and set them alight. A source at the time said the flames, accom- panied by dark clouds of smoke, together with the noise of the rioting patients, attracted the attention of the guards and nurses who were on duty. When they opened one of the gates to the ward, the rebellious patients threw themselves onto them, pushed them out of the way and ran towards the institutions main gate, the source said. He said when they were towards the main gate, they clashed with the security guards who were stationed at the entrance and they opted to jump over the about 2.5 metres fence with razor wire on top. The patients, who were on a rampage, are said to have left a trail of destruction at the hospital as an undisclosed number of sleeping mattresses, among other things, were reduced to ashes. On another note, the nurses at the facility once threatened to open all the gates and let patients discharge themselves. This was during a presentation of their petition by their union, the Swaziland Dem- ocratic Nurses Union (SWADNU), to former Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service Evart Madlopha. The over 500 nurses flooded the Mba- bane streets to petition government over its failure to address them on the issue of cost-of-living adjustment (CoLA). As the President of the union, Bheki Mamba, was handing over the petition to Madlopha, some of the nurses said: Well release patients at the psychiatric hospital if govern- ment does not engage us on our grievances. The nurses said this was to be the next step for them following that they were now living in fear of the patients at the psychiatric hospital. They said some of their patients had be- come violent as there was no medication to calm them down. On this, the nurses president said open- ing the gates and letting the patients loose was the only solution left for his cadre as the lack of medication had made the patients violent and a danger to them- selves, other patients and the nurses. Without the medication, newly admitted patients become extremely violent. They become violent towards the nurses and the other patients, they said. A large part of the national plan on mobilizing different investment sources for the development of airports is reserved to analyze the important role of the Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) in the development and management of airports. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) wants to assign ACV to develop and manage the 22 operational airports and the Long Thanh Airport to be built in the future. Van Don Airport invested by Sungroup Meanwhile, the ministry proposes to call for private investments to the three remaining airports of Sa Pa which has received approval, Lai Chau and Quang Tri. The three are small airports, located in disadvantageous areas and they are not promising in numbers of passengers. An analyst commented that MOT seems to favor ACV when assigning the most profitable airports to the corporation, while offering unpromising projects for private investors. The Ministry of Transport (MOT) wants to assign ACV to develop and manage the 22 operational airports and the Long Thanh Airport to be built in the future. ACV is now a joint stock corporation, where the state is holding the controlling stake (95.4 percent). Why does MOT only offer hard-to-do projects to private investors? Why not large and profitable airports? he said. The Ministry of Justice (MOJ) has proposed to make overall assessments of the ACVs capability of managing the 22 airports. The assessments will give information to the government to decide whether to continue allocating the airports to ACV to manage, or to call for private investments to all the airports. If ACV is found ineffectively managing the airports, the government should open the airports, except the special ones, to private investors. The ministry also emphasized that ACV is a joint stock company, not an agency which can represent the state to select private investors for airport projects. Sharing the same view, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) also thinks that it is unreasonable to assign ACV to come forward and organize the diversification of investment sources for items at the airports. Vietjet Air, a private air carrier, has asked for permission to develop airport infrastructure. It has also asked to accelerate the diversification of investment sources in developing airports. In fact, many proposals by private investors to develop infrastructure items at some large airports have been refused. Van Don International Airport is managed successfully by Sungroup, a private corporation. According to the analyst, when discussing the investment plan for T3 Terminal at Tan Son Nhat Airport, Vietstar designed the investment rate of VND42 million per square meter, lower than the VND84.5 million per square meter by ACV. Ngoc Ha Govt seeks State Appraisal Council review of Long Thanh airport construction The Government has urged the State Appraisal Council to review the feasibility report for the first phase of the proposed Long Thanh international airport, which is slated to begin this year, and submit it for approval next month. SMEDF signing the framework contract with MBBank On February 10 and 11, 2019, the signing ceremonies between SMEDF and three banks MBBank (Military Commercial Joint Stock Bank), SHB (Saigon-Hanoi Commercial Joint Stock Bank), and Bac A Bank have taken place at the headquarters of the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Phan Thanh Ha, director of the SMEDF, said that most enterprises in Vietnam are SMEs, which accounts for 98 per cent of total firms nationwide, significantly contributing to GDP and creating 50 per cent of total jobs. SMEDF aims to help SMEs to innovate their products competitively and in an environmentally friendly means, improve technology, as well as enhance corporate administration. As a result, the growth of SMEs will contribute to the economic development of the country. SMEDF provides indirect lending to three categories of recipients, including startup SMEs, SMEs joining special industrial parks, as well as SMEs joining value chains. Recipients also need to meet Article 6 of Decree No.39/2018/ND-CP dated March 11, 2018 on guidelines for the Law on Support for SMEs and Article 23 of Decree No.39/2019/ND-CP dated May 10, 2019 on the organisation and operation of SMEDF. SMEDF signing the framework contract with SHB In order to enjoy the preferential loans of SMEDF, startup SMEs need to present their project and business plans. SMEs in industrial linkage clusters' project and business plans also need to include plans to co-operate with neighbouring companies in the cluster and develop the branding of the industrial cluster housing them. Meanwhile, SMEs taking part in value chains need to present project and business plans that include developing and creating added value for products in the value chain or co-operating with other firms directly creating such added value. All the SMEs borrowing fund from SMEDF should maintain the equity at least 20 per cent of the total investment and enough funds for project and business development, as well as meet all terms on loan securities and other involved provisions. The interest of short-term loans is 4.16 per cent per year, while it is 6 per cent for medium- and long-term loans. The loans will not exceed 80 per cent of the total investment of every project or business plan. The term will not last for more than seven years and the grace period will be no longer than two years. Our story begins with an observation. Planetary Society founders Carl Sagan, Bruce Murray, and Louis Friedman saw that people of all walks of life are fascinated by the cosmosyet space exploration budgets waned. This disconnect sparked the idea for a movement that would unite and represent people from around the world in support of space science and exploration. This is how The Planetary Society came to be. For nearly 4 decades, our members have made strides in advancing planetary exploration, planetary defense, and the search for life beyond Earth. We have delivered tens of thousands of petitions to the United States Congress. We have funded groundbreaking technological advancements in solar sailing. We have united researchers from around the world to work together on asteroid defense. Today we are the worlds largest and most influential independent space-interest organization. By Brad Brooks AUSTIN, Texas (Reuters) - Texas Democrats are pulling out a new playbook in this year's congressional races, loudly backing gun control in a bet a strategy that paid off in Virginia can also win elections in a conservative-leaning state long associated with gun rights. Their fears of facing a political backlash for supporting gun regulations have evaporated after years of mass shootings, with candidates, party officials and gun-control advocates arguing that making the case for strengthening gun laws will win them more votes. "I am heartbroken by the loss of life caused by mass shootings across Texas and the United States and determined to take on the corporate gun lobby and its enablers," said Wendy Davis, a former Texas state senator who shot to political fame in 2013 when she filibustered an anti-abortion bill with a speech lasting more than 11 hours. Gun control will be a strong part of her campaign message as she takes aim at an Austin-area U.S. House of Representatives seat that Republicans have held for 41 years. That is a shift from her unsuccessful 2014 run for governor when she supported the open carry of handguns in her state. Davis is targeting one of seven seats the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee thinks it can flip, a target that has grown with the addition of a district in suburban Houston where the number of college-educated voters has rapidly expanded in the past eight years. Republicans hold 23 of the state's 36 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. Along with another Texas candidate, she made the DCCC's "Red to Blue" list, which right now includes just 12 people nationwide who will get extra funding and organizational support from the party. 'WINNING ISSUE' Davis and other Democrats say that years of high-profile mass shootings, including the August massacre of 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso, have convinced them to directly confront opponents of stronger gun laws. Story continues One of the biggest reasons for the apparent lessening blowback on the issue is the emergence of powerful national groups calling for tougher gun regulations, particularly the Mike Bloomberg-backed Everytown for Gun Safety, which has countered the National Rifle Association pro-gun lobby. Everytown spent $2.5 million on the campaigns that led Democrats to win control of both chambers of the Virginia state legislature in November, and officials with the group said they plan to spend more in Texas, without specifying numbers. "We see gun safety as a winning issue in Texas as the state becomes younger and more diverse and because there has been a huge amount of gun violence in the state," said Shannon Watts, founder of the Moms Demand Action group, which is affiliated with Everytown. Iraq War veteran Gina Ortiz Jones, a Democrat who lost a 2018 bid for Texas' 23rd Congressional district by 926 votes and is running again this year, takes a similar approach to Davis. She is running for a seat representing an enormous stretch of the border with Mexico that includes the outskirts of El Paso. "For too long we've had too many folks cashing checks from the gun lobby and not worrying about doing the right thing," Jones said in a phone interview. "For me, this is a moral courage issue." TRICKY BALANCE Longtime observers of Texas politics warn that candidates backing gun control may want to rein in expectations. Nonpartisan U.S. political analysts forecast that the man Davis is trying to unseat, Republican U.S. Representative Chip Roy, has better-than-even odds of winning reelection. They give Jones a better chance of capturing the seat that will open when incumbent Republican Will Hurd steps down at the end of his term. "The gun issue is a good mobilizer for Democrats at this stage," early in the campaign, said James Henson, a University of Texas political scientist and pollster. "But that's much trickier in the polarized environment of a general election when you try to persuade people across party lines." A Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll published this month found 86% of Texans favor universal background checks on gun buyers and 68% want red flag laws - in line with other recent surveys. Roy, the incumbent Davis is challenging, has long made clear his support for the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which protects the right to keep and bear arms. "We have to stand strong right now, stronger than ever before, because the left is motivated like they've never been before and Republicans are going wobbly," Roy told a conference of Libertarian college students in Austin last fall. He declined to comment for this story. "I'm telling you, in the United States Congress, even right here in Texas," Roy said, "members of the Republican Party are going wobbly on the Second Amendment." James Dickey, the chairman of the Republican Party of Texas, said there are differing opinions within his party, but that ultimately Democrats would be unwise to try and make too much political hay on the issue of gun laws. "Texas voters are not only not persuaded by attacks on their ability to defend themselves, they are appropriately repelled by them," he said. "There are elected officials in both parties whose automatic reaction is to improve safety by giving government more control. That's an understandable reaction, but not the correct one." NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter said Democrats' election wins and their push now to pass sweeping gun laws had ignited a nationwide backlash. "Virginia has served as a warning to voters all across the country and revealed (Democrats') true agenda of gun bans, gun confiscation and a systematic destruction of our fundamental right to self-defense," she said. "Those voters will turn out in November and anyone who ignores them does so at their peril." (Reporting by Brad Brooks; Editing by Scott Malone,Daniel Wallis and Lisa Shumaker) Health workers in protective gears walk as they evacuate residents from a public housing building, following the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, outside Hong Mei House, at Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong, China on Feb. 11, 2020. (Tyrone Siu/Reuters) Coronavirus Outbreak Holds a Very Grave Threat for World: WHO Chief The World Health Organizations (WHO) head warned researchers that the new coronavirus poses a very grave threat to the world at the start of a conference meant to find solutions to the outbreak and answer questions about its origin, severity, and transmission. While 99 percent of the cases globally are in China, there is a chance to fight the virus without it going to other parts of the world. But the outbreak does hold a very grave threat for the rest of the world unless we use the window of opportunity that we have now, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the head of WHO, said in the forums opening address. This is not a meeting about politics or money. This is a meeting about science. We need your collective knowledge, insight, and experience to answer the questions we dont have answers to, and to identify the questions we may not even realize we need to ask, he told the attendees. Scientists are attempting to figure out the origins of the virus, the dynamics of its transmission, the period of infection, the best way to manage severe cases, and which samples to analyze, Tedros said. Dr. Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, speaks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on Jan. 28, 2020. (Naohiko Hatta/Pool via Reuters) Researchers across the world are also racing to develop vaccines and other therapies. The virus has no known cure and no vaccine. The forum brought together scientists, public health agencies, ministries of health, and research funders. Participants planned to discuss several areas of research, including identifying the source of the virus as well as sharing of biological samples and genetic sequences. WHOs advance team landed in China this week to help authorities there study and react to the outbreak, which started in Wuhan in December 2019. The rest of the teams arrival hasnt been scheduled as of yet. China has for weeks refused to allow international experts on the ground to assist in efforts against the virus. A woman wearing a face mask walks through a device that sprays disinfectant at an entrance to a residential compound, following an outbreak of the novel coronavirus in the country, in Tianjin, China on Feb. 11, 2020. (cnsphoto via Reuters) Dr. Sylvie Briand, WHOs infections hazard director, told reporters on Monday that 80 percent of cases show mild symptoms, 15 percent show severe symptoms and need hospitalization, and 3 to 5 percent of patients require intensive care in the hospital. Dr. Michael Ryan, head of WHOs emergency program, added at the press conference at the organizations headquarters in Geneva that 90 to 100 percent of the patients in hospitals require supplemental oxygen; 20 to 25 percent of those require intensive care, and 5 to 10 percent may require some form of mechanical ventilation. He said that the health system in China is capable and is delivering high levels of care but warned of the spread of the virus to other countries. Imagine this disease establishing itself in a weaker health system, he said. This disease may appear relatively mild in the context of a sophisticated health system. That may not be the case if this disease reaches a health system that is not as capable as that of China. Thirty years ago, Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of imprisonment by South Africa's apartheid regime and instantly galvanized the country, and the world, to dismantle the brutal system of racial oppression. Raising a clenched-fist salute and striding purposefully from the gates of Victor Verster prison, Mandela, then 71, made it clear he was committed to ending apartheid and establishing majority rule and rights for all in South Africa. His release gave many South Africans their first view of Mandela because during his imprisonment the regime banned the publication of images of him and his speeches. And then, suddenly, he was everywhere. "Comrades and fellow South Africans, I greet you all in the name of peace, democracy and freedom for all," Mandela said hours after his release, speaking to throngs of supporters at Cape Town's City Hall. On Tuesday, current President Cyril Ramaphosa, who held the microphone during Mandela's address, was set to speak to the country on the speech that birthed a nation. Just over four years after his release, Mandela was elected president in the country's first all-race elections, leading South Africa out of decades of violently imposed discrimination. Under his leadership, South Africa drafted and passed a constitution widely praised for upholding the rights of all, becoming one of the first to explicitly endorse gay rights. A Truth and Reconciliation Commission took South Africa on a compelling, painful path to air the injustices perpetrated during the more than 40 years of apartheid rule. Mandela, and South African President F.W. de Klerk, who freed him, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 for their work to peacefully end apartheid and for laying the foundation for a new democratic South Africa." Anglican archbishop Desmond Tutu, himself a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, marked the 30th anniversary of Mandela's release. Nelson Mandela emerged from prison to dazzle South Africa and the world with his warmth and human values," wrote Tutu and his wife, Leah, in a short statement. "Circumstances and priorities change over time, but good values don't go out of fashion. We miss him. Love and blessings. Magnanimous, charismatic and inclusive during his one term as president which ended in 1999, Mandela led South Africa to a new era of democracy. In retirement he remained active in encouraging rights for all. Today's South Africa is dogged by serious problems of inequality, poverty and violence, largely a result of the stubborn legacy of apartheid. Some South Africans have criticized Mandela for making too many compromises, especially to the white minority, which continues to enjoy prosperity. Ramaphosa said Mandela's release was a defining moment in our onward march toward democracy in a statement to mark the anniversary. But inequality, especially as defined by race and gender, remains among the highest in the world. Unemployment is deepening and poverty is widespread. Violence, including the violence that men perpetrate against women, continues to ravage our communities, Ramaphosa said. He urged all South Africans to take inspiration from Mandela's legacy to work together to help solve these problems. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UK's population is ageing - and it's creating fresh challenges for politicians, local authorities and families alike. The Office for National Statistics predicts that almost a quarter of Brits will be over 65 by 2042. As Baby Boomers reach retirement and medical breakthroughs drive longevity, the number of people with complex needs linked with older age - like dementia and disabilities - could skyrocket. When approaching your golden years, you'll often wish to keep your independence for as long as possible. According to 2014 research from One Poll, a huge 97% of people would prefer to shun residential care. Fortunately, tech is creating new ways to enhance the quality of life in later years by engineering independence - which is linked to better self-esteem and a slower decline in old age. Memory-boosting digital hubs Mental decline poses a significant threat to the ageing population. Already, 850,000 Brits suffer from dementia - and this number is set to increase. Digital memory aids - such as automated pill dispensers and the Memo Minder from Solon Security - can help people with memory problems to continue going about their routines for longer. What's more, tech is also helping to streamline the process of treating patient hubs. Startup I Am Me is a new service designed to digitise dementia care. Its founder, Eddy Ku, says it's all about storing key data in one place. "Too often we see patients not receiving the best care due to mismatched documents going between family, care providers and doctors," he said. I Am Me is driving the next generation of care document sharing, from health history to important details for adults with memory issues - including their history, likes, dislikes and anxiety trigger points. "We plan to enhance patient-centered care in the UK, one step at a time, one document at a time, all for free," said Eddy. Vehicle telematics Ever since Prince Philip's infamous car crash last January, conversations around the safety of driving as a senior have reignited. As we grow older, our brain reaction time gets slower. We may also develop sight impairments, memory problems and high-risk health conditions that can add to the danger of getting behind the wheel. At the same time, many years of experience can make elders better drivers, so it is difficult to know when to hang up the car keys for good. This dilemma is exacerbated by DVLA rules which place the responsibility to report conditions on drivers and their families - leading to tense conversations up and down the country. Now, tracking devices can help older drivers to prove their skills are still razor-sharp. Black box insurance may be popular with 17-year-olds, but it's also becoming a hit with the over-65s. The telematics insurance specialists at WiseDriving have said their products can help older drivers to save money and iron out any bad habits. Brand owner, Matt Crane, said: "Many people associate black box insurance with teens, but the data from a telematics device can also help over-65s to improve their driving. "The great thing about telematics insurance is that it helps people to understand their driving habits. With the driving score, you can see how well you're driving every day - it's like a second pair of eyes. This can help to keep people driving for as long as possible. "Older adults tend to be sensible road users, so this technology can often help them save money and build confidence," he said. What's more, telematics trackers detect significant crashes straight away. In the event of a forceful collision, providers will often try to contact the policyholder to check they are okay - offering peace of mind to family members. Remote emergency support Independence isn't just about living in your own home and driving a car - it's also about having the freedom to run errands solo. For elders with complex conditions, the fear of an emergency situation can really knock confidence. Luckily, personal alarms can help people with complex needs to stay in their homes for longer. Companies like Lifeline 24 have long offered necklace alarms connected to 24-hour support, but now the process has become automated by the latest Apple Watch. The technology helped one Washington-based man to save his father's life when it detected a hard fall in a remote location. "Dad flipped his bike at the bottom of Doomsday, hit his head and was knocked out until sometime during the ambulance ride," Gabe Burdett revealed in a post. "The watch had called 911 with his location," Gabe said, meaning his father arrived at hospital within half an hour. The potential for monitoring trips and slips among the elderly is enormous and could help thousands of older people to stay safe in their own homes for longer. Robotic rehabilitation Knocks, bumps and falls can be detected more efficiently than ever - but after an injury, the rehab needs can still be extensive. Luckily, robotics and virtual reality may be able to offer a helping hand. Shin-tomi nursing home in Japan has recruited more than 20 robots to help with care work. Even more promisingly, Neuro Rehab VR is helping people to improve balance and coordination after brain injuries such as stroke. This breakthrough therapy is so impressive because it works remotely - so it has the potential to give older people the independence they often crave. From trackers to immersive technologies, the Internet of Things looks set to revolutionise the way we think about independence in later life. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Union wants an ambitious future partnership with Britain, including zero tariffs and quotas, but will demand commitments to ensure open and fair competition, according to the EU's draft mandate for negotiations released on Monday. The demand for a level playing field was the only section in bold of the 33-page document. "Given the Union and the United Kingdom's geographic proximity and economic interdependence, the envisaged partnership must ensure open and fair competition, encompassing robust commitments to ensure a level playing field," the document said. The partnership should ensure "common high standards" in state aid, competition, state-owned enterprises, labor and environmental standards and "relevant tax matters", it said. The partnership, the document said, should ensure the application of EU state aid rules to Britain. The draft mandate also sees a role for the Court of Justice of the European Union, for example in the case of a dispute. EU governments are expected to approve the draft negotiating mandate on Feb. 25, allowing negotiations to begin at the start of March. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop and Marine Strauss, editing by Robin Emmott) SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Splice Machine , a provider of a scalable SQL database that enables companies to modernize their legacy and custom applications to be agile, data-rich, and intelligent, today announced that it has been awarded a Phase 1 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract by the United States Air Force (USAF) to automate the manual process of assigning resources to missions in order to meet mission objectives on a defined timeline. Splice Machine's intelligent SQL platform will be evaluated as a solution to modernize this process, minimizing compute complexity, while maximizing training and mission-objective effectiveness. The USAF currently uses a magnetic "puckboard" process to schedule flight training and mission objectives, which requires several airmen to meet in person to plan and coordinate by moving magnets on a wall. The manual process is time-consuming and makes it challenging to quickly address complex resource assignments in an ever-changing operational environment. To replace the manual puckboard, the TRON team at the USAF 15th Wing based at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in Hawaii wrote a new planning application, based on the United States' Marine Corps' PUCKBOARD application, and will evaluate the Splice Machine database as a platform to modernize the application and inject machine learning capabilities in order to automate and optimize the assignment of Air Force resources, while taking into account operational and logistical dependencies. Through a competitive awards-based program, the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program enables small businesses to explore their technological potential and provides the incentive to profit from its commercialization. AFWERX, in partnership with Air Force Research Lab (AFRL), and the National Security Innovation Network (NSIN), developed the SBIR Open Topics to increase the efficiency, effectiveness, and transition rate of the SBIR program. "We're thrilled to have won an SBIR grant and are excited to have the chance to potentially work with the USAF to improve the performance and efficiency of its operations," said Monte Zweben, co-founder and CEO, Splice Machine. "This project is near and dear to my heart; in my previous life, I worked at NASA and developed AI-based reactive scheduling, replacing scheduling systems for Space Shuttle Orbiter processing at Kennedy. We have seen the benefits of application modernization on the commercial side, and are now excited to get the chance to help improve processes at government agencies." For more information on the SBIR program, visit https://www.sbir.gov/ . For more information on Splice Machine, visit www.splicemachine.com . About Splice Machine Splice Machine is a scalable SQL database that enables companies to modernize their legacy and custom applications to be agile, data-rich, and intelligent all without re-writes. Splice Machine not only reduces database licensing costs but also enable the applications to add new data sources at a massive scale. Splice Machine enables enterprises to unify analytics and machine learning that used to be on separate platforms to be native to the application thereby reducing ETL latency and infrastructure costs. The Splice Machine data platform can be deployed on-premise or as a fully-managed cloud service. Splice Machine is a trademark of Splice Machine, Inc. All other trademarks are the property of their respective registered owners. Trademark use is for identification only and does not imply sponsorship, affiliation, or endorsement. SOURCE Splice Machine Related Links http://www.splicemachine.com SALEM, Ore. (KGW) Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is taking steps to make forestry practices on private land more sustainable. Brown announced a new agreement Monday morning that was signed by a dozen timber companies and environmental groups. The agreement address three key issues, as outlined in a press release from the governor's office: Update the state's timber practices: "For the first time, Oregon will strive for the endorsement of federal wildlife agencies, signifying that the state's forest practices are protective of threatened and endangered species, including Oregon's iconic salmon. Through this process, the state will seek a Habitat Conservation Plan, allowing Oregonians to continue their long tradition of working in the woods while honoring natural habitats." "For the first time, Oregon will strive for the endorsement of federal wildlife agencies, signifying that the state's forest practices are protective of threatened and endangered species, including Oregon's iconic salmon. Through this process, the state will seek a Habitat Conservation Plan, allowing Oregonians to continue their long tradition of working in the woods while honoring natural habitats." New legislation on aerial spraying of pesticides: "A state-of-the-art system will build confidence with forest neighbors, who will be eligible to receive real-time notification that aerial spraying will occur. This first of its kind system will expand protected spray buffers around drinking water, homes, and schools." "A state-of-the-art system will build confidence with forest neighbors, who will be eligible to receive real-time notification that aerial spraying will occur. This first of its kind system will expand protected spray buffers around drinking water, homes, and schools." Expand forest stream buffers: "New legislation will also expand forest stream buffers along salmon, steelhead, and bull trout streams, aligning forest practices in the area with those of the rest of western Oregon." "This pact proves that when we work together with a willingness to compromise, we can create a better future in Oregon," Brown said. The press release from the governor states that both sides have agreed to drop all forestry related initiative petitions and related litigation "after the passage of the legislation this session." "Now as we move forward into a new era of cooperation and transparency, forest policy should continue to rely on the best available science," said Greg Miller, long-time timber industry executive and representative of the coalition of forest companies. "Today's agreement is a critical step toward modernizing Oregon's forest rules," said Bob Van Dyk, Oregon policy director at the Wild Salmon Center. "This agreement is a genuine show of good faith from both sides." Kohima: The opposition Naga Peoples Front (NPF) on Tuesday staged peaceful statewide anti-CAA dharnas demanding immediate rollback of the amended citizenship law. In Kohima NPF secretary-general Achumbemo Kikon and other leaders sat on dharna with banners and placards some of which read "CAA is a threat to all indigenous communities of North East", "Injustice cannot be a law", "CAA murdered secularism" and "CAA is draconian law". Addressing the gathering, Kikon said the claims of the state government that Nagaland is protected by Inner Line Permit (ILP) and that the state won't be affected as we have been exempted from the purview of CAA is "totally misleading". He said that Nagaland having its borders with Assam is not far from being overshadowed by illegal immigrants. "If we (Nagas) remain silent, even we are at danger of facing a similar situation," said Kikon. Asserting that NPF will never compromise the rights and privileges of the Nagas, Kikon said the NPF legislators have moved an anti-CAA resolution in the ongoing budget session of the Assembly, but its the ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and BJP alliance government rejected it. "We have been doing our part in protecting the rights of the indigenous people and will never compromise on the issues concerning the future of the Naga people," Kikon asserted. NPF general secretary Akho Leyri demanded that the Centre roll back CAA as it will "divide the entire nation on religious lines." He said the fight against CAA will continue till the Centre rolls it back. Addressing the sit-in-protest in Dimapur, NPF president Dr. Shurhozelie Liezietsu alleged that the CAA is discriminatory and divisive. Yeah idk OP, there was a lot of talk around Wolf of Wall Street about how she'd elevated the character beyond just a stereotypical hot trophy wife and made her into an interesting person, etc. Which, YMMV. But I like her, so w/e. Reply Thread Link Women cant ever win in Hollywood. Not really. Shes only a few years into her career being hot and shes trying to at least put some women behind the camera. More than a lot do Reply Thread Link Shes not a bad actress. Ive enjoyed everything I have ever seen her in but I wish there were more thinkpieces on people like Regina King than the Margot Robbies and Jennifer Lawrences and Charlize Therons of the world. Where is the investigative journalism on the fact that Natalie has yet to work with a female director despite wearing a cape promoting them. Reply Thread Link IA Reply Parent Thread Link Regina King literally does EVERYTHING - directs acts in drama, comedy, animation, TV, film and doesn't get half the hype she deserves. Reply Parent Thread Link That's not true about Natalie. Planetarium was directed by a woman (Rebecca Zlotowski). Reply Parent Thread Link Where is the investigative journalism on the fact that Natalie has yet to work with a female director despite wearing a cape promoting them. Natpo has actually been talking about women directors and promoting them publicly for well over a decade at this point. And she had two very public failures trying to work with them: she pushed for Patty Jenkins to be hired for Thor 2 and she also hired Lynne Ramsay to work on Jane Got a Gun (Ramsay quit the day before filming). She signed on to work with Anna Rose Holmer on a project that still hasn't materialized (they did make a music video together). She also has worked with women directors, mostly on shorts, but she's also worked with Rebecca Zlotowski and in a lot of interviews for years she's talked about her frustration and anger that she hasn't worked with more women directors and how the ones that are working should be promoted more. I don't know why her run of bad luck working with women has been so very bad, but she legit has been trying to work with them. Reply Parent Thread Link lol this. Idk why people are suddenly jumping on NP when she's definitely trying to work with female directors. Especially the Thor example is pretty well known so it's not like this is all a secret..??? Reply Parent Thread Link agreed. the backlash against NP, as flawed as she is, has felt so irritating and misplaced. as a counterpoint, though, do you know of any A-list actresses with Nat Po's resume who have worked with a lot of female directors? Reply Parent Thread Expand Link We'll see what happens with Promising Young Woman when it's outside the festival bubble and delirious critics, especially if the marketing stays the same (which is deceptive as fuck). Terminal and Dollface were both hot garbage, and Dreamland went nowhere. Their only "hit" has sort of been I, Tonya at this point? So saying she's some kind of power producer at this point is hilarious. Edited at 2020-02-11 04:20 pm (UTC) Reply Thread Link The only film I can remember at the moment where her character was very male gazey was Focus, but I think she's done a very good job at taking her other roles and using that good will for her production company. And I think she's a great actress. Reply Thread Link Harley in SS was male gazey af Reply Parent Thread Link She's also been on this show Pan Am, her character was kind of the "naive and sweet pretty girl". Reply Parent Thread Link I did not realize she was younger than me oops Regardless, that's amazing how she took control of her career and is creating opportunities for women. I had no idea. Reply Thread Link I think it's a really good thing to have women in Hollywood who are producing successful, both financially and critically, films since inevitably that's going to lead to more opportunities for women and not just in front of the camera, but behind it too since that's what she's doing with her company. Not to mention BoP does have WoC starring in the film, too. I mean it's not what I'd call the most groundbreaking or inclusive stuff but it's a hell of a lot better than what most people are doing now? Kind of tired honestly of being so critical of people who are trying but somehow letting people who doing give a single fuck skate by completely unscathed, lol, like producers who have never co-produced with a woman/hired one to direct one of their movies. Are there women in Hollywood who deserve more of this attention and accolade but don't get it bc they're not pretty blondes? Of course. But I don't think the answer is to tear her down for that but instead to write think pieces about all the men and studio heads who have never given any opportunities to women, especially WoC, to produce, direct, write. Reply Thread Link yes @ all of this! Reply Parent Thread Link I won't lie, I'm sort of at this point where I can't bring myself to praise people for doing good things they only got to do because they were hot in the first place. Reply Parent Thread Link Considering how few people are doing what she is, it may not deserve a parade but I'm not going to whine about how she only got famous bc she's hot when that applies to 99.99% of Hollywood, 98.88% of them who AREN'T doing anything to further women in the industry. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link agreed completely. Reply Parent Thread Link agreed Reply Parent Thread Link she is doing more than Most in Hollywood and it comes in steps she is also putting her money where her mouth is by being supportive, working with female directors etc. hollywood actresses (ie natalie portman) could learn a lot by following her Reply Parent Thread Link I noticed that in a lot of her behind the scenes shots she posted, there were a lot of POC in the crew. I think the entire choreography and fight coordinating team was Asian American Reply Parent Thread Link mte Reply Parent Thread Link totally agreed Reply Parent Thread Link Ok but you do know that white women are the problem too right and that it needs to be said? Just yesterday, the headlines were like oh a woman hasn't won for best adapted screenplay when an indigenous man won and is least likely to happen? This, let's praise them for making an effort is so suspicious especially when the standards are skewed (ie: the recent Leslie Jones post about her Oscar vote). Like, as much as women like Margot struggle, most white women aren't doing that much to advance WOC and other women either. People like that Greta woman and jessica chastain and phoebe whatever her name is and reese witherspoon's projects and Margot's are majorly all white and generic as fuck. So no, it needs to be called out no matter what the intentions are. Reply Parent Thread Expand Link Yes, thank you. Someone is doing something with their platform! But, but, but.... it's not enough according to my standards. THIS PERSON MUST DO EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE! Edited at 2020-02-11 05:56 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link You can never win in this culture. If you aren't doing anything, you are called out and have to do something but when you decide to do something people get mad you're not doing it enough like fuck what is enough???? Edited at 2020-02-11 07:03 pm (UTC) Reply Parent Thread Link i like her and so far seems talented and unproblematic , plus making more job for women , especially women of color is always a win in my book. meh, i applaud. Reply Thread Link i think she's really captivating on screen and i love that she's making the effort with her production company to hire women - which is more than i can say for natalie portman but i also don't wanna hold her up to some sort of extreme example of feminism- i read some of the feedback for promising young woman and the whole thing is nagl. Reply Thread Link agreed. And I still feel some type of way about her wanting so bad to work w/ tarantino and her involvement in the film Reply Parent Thread Link oh yeah that was trash Reply Parent Thread Link Like, thats really awesome. I genuinely thought she was super new and unknown in Hollywood. Bc of that, I admire ha hustle and her architectural digest(?) video was super cute! Shes super chill so I like ha Reply Thread Link i honestly didn't pay too much attention to her early in her career so i can't comment on the arc her media persona has taken, but i will say i think she's incredibly talented and really respect everything she did for birds of prey. Reply Thread Link she's a good actress and i love that birds of prey was directed by an asian woman. i'm here for her! and it's so disappointing that birds of prey is underperforming with a female-led cast and woc director. Reply Thread Link Do you agree with this article? I think some of it is reaching because I don't think Margot was "pigeonholed" at first and she was always, to an extent, viewed with critical adoration. agreed. i remember finding her really captivating in wolf of wall street and not just because she's stop traffic beautiful. she's just a good actress! Reply Thread Link Four former South Florida casino employees and their wives have been convicted of stealing $5.2 million from the business over several years. The U.S. Attorneys Office in Miami announced Tuesday that Michel Aleu, Lester Lavin, Yohander Jorrin Melhen and Leonardo Betancourt have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal funds in excess of $1,000 from Miccosukee Gaming, conspiracy to commit computer fraud and money laundering conspiracy. Their respective wives, Maria Del Pilar Aleu, Yusmary Shirley Duran, Anisleydi Vergel Hermida, and Milagros Marile Acosta Torres, have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering offenses. All eight await sentencing. According to federal court documents, the men worked in the casinos video game department. From January 2011 to May 2015, they tampered with computers in electronic gaming machines, causing those machines to generate false and fraudulent credit vouchers or tickets. They then enlisted others to exchange the vouchers for cash at the casino. The money was turned over to the employees wives, who moved the cash between multiple bank accounts. The couples used the stolen funds to buy homes, investment properties, vehicles, boats, vacations and Florida Prepaid College Plans for certain of their children. Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Topics Florida Fraud Megan Blake Irwin pulled out all the stops on Sunday night for a very exclusive Oscars after party. The Australian model wowed in a glamorous gown with a plunging neckline as she posed up a storm ahead of the celebrations. The 25-year-old is rumoured to have been invited to Beyonce and Jay-Z's A-list 2020 Oscars after party in Los Angeles. Taking the plunge! Megan Blake Irwin flaunted her cleavage in a very low-cut gown as she attended Beyonce and Jay-Z's 2020 Oscars after party on Sunday night Megan, who was previously linked to reality star Scott Disick, turned heads in the figure-hugging frock. Appearing to go braless under the gown, her cleavage was highlighted by the the dress's rhinestone crystal neckline. She opted for a face full of professionally-applied makeup, including pink lipstick, brown eye shadow and mascara. What a gem! Appearing to go braless under the gown, her cleavage was highlighted by the frock's rhinestone crystal neckline The model worked her angles in a series of photos, including one where she reclined across a bed with her heels on. She completed her look with crystal and pearl drop earrings and rings, and left a few strands of her blonde locks down from a tidy bun. Megan wrote on social media on the night: 'Oscars 2020. It takes an army. Thank you dream team.' Stunner: The model worked her angles in a series of photos, including one where she reclined across a bed with her heels on If Megan did attend Beyonce and Jay-Z's 2020 Oscars after party, these photos would have been taken prior to her arrival. The exclusive bash at the Chateau Marmont Hotel had a strict social media ban. According to E! News, Solange, Rihanna, Reese Witherspoon, Charlize Theron, Jessica Alba, P. Diddy, Natalie Portman, and more made an appearance. By PTI NEW DELHI: Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra on Tuesday resigned from his post, taking moral responsibility for the party's debacle in the Assembly polls. The Congress drew a blank for the second time in a row and reduced its vote share from 9.7 percent in 2015 to 4.27 percent this time. "I take moral responsibility for the party's debacle and have resigned," he told PTI. He said it is up to the party high command to take a decision on his resignation. Liquor baron Vijay Mallya is expected to return to court on Tuesday as the UK High Court begins hearing his appeal against being extradited to India to face fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores London: Liquor baron Vijay Mallya is expected to return to court on Tuesday as the UK High Court begins hearing his appeal against being extradited to India to face fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores. The Royal Courts of Justice in London will hear the appeal against a magistrates' court extradition order, signed off by former UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid in February last year. The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who remains on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017, had sought permission to appeal from the High Court against the extradition order. In July last year, a two-member High Court bench comprising Justices George Leggatt and Andrew Popplewell ruled that "arguments can be reasonably made on some aspects of the prima facie case ruling by Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot in her extradition order of December 2018. By far the most substantial ground is that the senior District Judge (Arbuthnot) was wrong to conclude that the government had established a prima facie case, said Judge Leggatt. Mallya's counsel Clare Montgomery had questioned the basis on which Judge Arbuthnot had arrived at certain conclusions and claimed the Chief Magistrate had been "plain wrong" in accepting some of the Indian authorities' assertions that Mallya had fraudulent intentions when he sought some of the loans for his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines, that he made misrepresentations to the banks to seek the loans and had no intentions to pay them back. Mallya later told reporters outside the courtroom that he felt vindicated by the ruling and repeated his offer to pay back the money owed to the Indian banks. I still want the banks to take all their money, do what they have to do and leave me in peace, he said. The appeal will now move on to a full hearing this week, listed for three days until Thursday, with a verdict likely soon after or at a later date. The High Court judges had accepted Judge Arbuthnot's conclusions on all other aspects of the extradition case as they dismissed the other grounds on which permission to appeal was sought, including so-called extraneous circumstances of Mallya being pursued by the Indian authorities for political reasons of a clash between the ruling BJP and the Opposition Congress party. Some of the other grounds invoked claimed Mallya would not receive a fair trial in India, which was also dismissed as the judges upheld Arbuthnot's ruling on the matter that the wide media interest in the Mallya case would ensure justice. His legal team also sought to challenge the Indian government's assurances that Mallya would be held in safe prison conditions at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, which was dismissed by the High Court. At the end of a year-long extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in December 2018, Judge Arbuthnot had found clear evidence of dispersal and misapplication of the loan funds and accepted a prima facie case of fraud and a conspiracy to launder money against Mallya, as presented by the CPS on behalf of the Indian government. Mallya remains on bail involving a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds and other restrictions on his travel while he contests that ruling. The High Court appeal will mark one of the final stages of the appeals process against his extradition to India, as in the case of wanted bookie in a match-fixing scandal Sanjeev Chawla who lost his UK High Court challenge on human rights grounds and took the matter up to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) based in Strasbourg, France. Chawla's application was rejected by the ECHR last week, with his extradition to India expected later this week once all the paperwork in the case is concluded. Mayor Sylvester Turner returned to Klein ISD to be honored by the school district that knew him before he was the mayor of Houston. Turner was recognized as Alumnus of the Month during the Klein ISD school board meeting on Feb. 10 at the Klein ISD Central Office. Turner became the first Black valedictorian for Klein ISD and was Mr. Klein High School his senior year as well as student body president. Turner graduated high school is 1973. He went on to graduate from University of Houston with a bachelors degree in political science and then attended Harvard University for law school. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: Turner pledges focus on flooding, street repairs, asks help from private sector to reduce homelessness The district also honored Board President Doug James as an alumnus and the first Black person to serve on the board of trustees, as well as the first Black president of the board. The ceremony was a special Black History Month recognition according to the meeting packet. James introduced Turner as a friend and colleague after he was honored himself. We appreciate you taking this time, James said. There are some Bearkats around here that welcome you back to Klein High and again we thank you. RODEO SEASON: 51st Annual Klein ISD FFA Livestock and Project Show starts Feb. 5 Mayor Turner said he was honored to have his home school district honor him, but insisted he came to honor James. I dont even want tonight to be about me, Turner said. Just a few months ago we were encouraging fathers to be more responsible and to be a good role model for their kids and let me just say, you see (James) here, but outside in the community he his true to who he is. Turner said Klein ISD follows its motto, Promise to Purpose, by embracing diversity and following students after they graduate from the system. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox To be here tonight and to recognize what the board as a whole has done, and the fact that (James) is now serving as president of this board speaks volumes, Turner said. (James is) a trailblazer, (he is) standing up for all kids, all 54,000 (of) those who are here and those who will come and serve as a role model to all of them. James was recognized for Black History Month by Superintendent Jenny McGown, who said James has been dedicated to the district from early on. James was one of the original directors of the Klein Education Foundation, a nonprofit awarding grants to schools in Klein ISD. He was on the 2015 bond committee and helped establish the global business accelerated college pathway at Klein Forest High School. All three of James children graduated from Klein Forest High School and he has one granddaughter currently attending school in the district. Dougs commitment to education is evident in his work as a volunteer for our Klein schools and various district leadership teams, McGown said. We celebrate Mr. James this month, and every month, for all that he does for our students and staff. We are grateful that he is part of our Klein family. In addition to all of the many things I shared, he is a wonderful human being who genuinely cares about every student. Turner said James is a modern example of black excellence, comparing him to past figures of Black history who made historical strides. I tell kids all of the time, especially as it relates to Black History Month, we did not walk with Sojourner Truth or Fred Douglass, Turner said. But we have an opportunity to witness someone who is here in the now in the position that people and students can visit with, talk to, see, come to this board, be inspired by. So you dont have to necessarily look to people who have come and gone but right in our own midst history is being made. chevall.pryce@chron.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 13:30:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WUHAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Wuhan on Tuesday morning received the first batch of frozen pork allocated by China's central government to aid the city at the center of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The 217.9 tonnes of frozen pork, the first batch of the 2,000 tonnes in total, boarded a train in Shanghai to arrive at the city's Wujiashan Station. Its arrival was 10 hours and 45 minutes ahead of schedule as railway authorities gave the train priority clearance throughout its journey, according to railway officials. The National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Commerce on Monday announced the decision to transport 2,000 tonnes of frozen pork to Wuhan. Wuhan, capital of Hubei Province, has been sealed off to curb the outbreak of the new coronavirus, which has infected more than 18,000 residents in the city of over 10 million people. Gujarats Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Monday said it has arrested Moosa Halari Munaf Abdul Majid alias Munaf, 57, who is an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, from the Mumbai international airport. He was on Indias list of 50 most wanted terrorists handed over to Pakistan after the 26/11 terror attacks, it added. Moosa was arrested for his involvement in the smuggling of 35kg heroin worth 175 crore, which was seized off the Mandvi coast in Gujarat on January 2, said Himanshu Shukla, deputy inspector general of police, Gujarat ATS. Additional director general Deven Bharati of the Maharashtra ATS, too, confirmed Moosas arrest. Moosa was carrying a Pakistani passport. A team from the Gujarat ATS, which was present at the airport, arrested him, said a senior ATS officer of Gujarat. According to the Mumbai crime branch, Moosa had procured three scooters with registration numbers MH-04-Z 261, MH-05- TC-29, MH-05-TC 16 from a scooter dealer, Asgar Ali Tahir Ali Masalawala, after taking a loan of 70,000 through his friend Rashid Shaikh. When he was asked to repay the loan, he refused, stating the scooters were purchased by the mastermind of 1993 serial blasts Tiger Memon, and that latter had used them for the blasts, said police. Moosa also warned his friend that Tiger Memon would kill him and his family members if he gave out the details to anyone. After the serial blasts, he fled to Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, and from there he went to Bangkok. Later, Memon allegedly got him a Pakistani passport under the name of Anwar Muhammed. He fled to Nairobi in Kenya and was running a business in the name of a firm, Magnum Africa. He then shifted to exporting and importing rice, which was used as a front to smuggle explosives and contraband to India, said officials in Gujarat ATS. Moosa had spoken to a Pakistani national, Haji Hasan, about infiltrating the Gujarat coast with explosives. We are interrogating him further, said an officer from the Gujarat police, requesting anonymity. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Now that a federal judge in New York has ruled that T-Mobile and Sprint can combine their companies, their roughly 100 million customers are left wondering: What will happen to my cellular service if this match-up does go through? There remains the possibility of an appeal by the attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia who filed the lawsuit seeking to stop the merger. And there are other bureaucratic obstacles. For example, the California Public Utility Commission, which has yet to rule on the deal, and must give its blessing if the combined entity wants to do business in the most populous state in country. But assuming the merger goes through, there will be three major wireless service providers in the United States: AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile. As part of an agreement with federal regulators, a fourth carrier will be spun off out of Sprints Boost Mobile subsidiary, which is being sold to Dish Network. T-Mobile executives have said the merger could close as early as April 1. On HoustonChronicle.com: T-Mobile wins court approval for $26.5 billion Sprint deal Heres what your new wireless landscape will look like, if the deal goes down. A new name, new CEO, new attitude? The combined company will get a new name. Well, really, its an old name with new added to it. T-Mobile CEO John Legere is already using The New T-Mobile when referring to the post-merger entity. And Legere will no longer be the companys chief executive when his contract is up in April. Mike Sievert, T-Mobiles chief operating officer and president, will take over the role. Legere, a non-traditional chief executive who hosts a slow-cooker webcast and has the #IAmBatman hashtag on his Twitter bio, has been the driving force behind T-Mobiles Un-Carrier persona and competitive approach. In his ruling on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero cited T-Mobiles aggressive competitive approach in ruling against the attorneys general lawsuit: T-Mobile has redefined itself over the past decade as a maverick that has spurred the two largest players in its industry to make numerous pro-consumer changes. The proposed merger would allow the merged company to continue T-Mobiles undeniably successful business strategy for the foreseeable future. Same pricing for now Traditionally, mergers of big companies mean prices have gone up. Consider that, after its controversial merger with Time Warner, AT&T raised the price of its streaming TV service not once, but twice last year. But as part of its efforts to assuage federal regulators, T-Mobile agreed not to raise prices on its services for three years, and it has hinted that prices could go lower. That includes pricing for its next-generation 5G service, which launched nationwide including in Houston last year. 5G LANDSCAPE: Houston's a player in race for 5G dominance And included in those concessions is a new, lower-cost T-Mobile Connect plan that provides 2 gigabytes of monthly data for just $15, about half the price of its current offering. Each year, the amount of monthly data allotted goes up by 500 megabytes, so in year two its 2.5 GB, year three is 3 GB and so on. And T-Mobile promises not to raise the rate on this plan for at least five years. T-Mobile has not yet said just what will happen to existing Sprint service plans, but they have said it will take about three years to fully integrate the two networks. Better 5G service One of the key arguments T-Mobile and Sprint made for their merger as that combining would allow them to compete better on 5G service. The two carriers are using different spectrum for 5G, and bringing those together with smartphones and data hotspots that supports both will give them an advantage. T-Mobile lit up its 5G service in December, using lower-band 600 Megahertz spectrum. Thats much slower than the superfast, millimeter wave 5G service offered by Verizon and AT&T but that flavor of 5G cant travel far and doesnt penetrate barriers, including foliage. T-Mobiles 5G can travel much farther and pass through buildings, but its not that much faster than its current LTE service. Sprints 5G service, also turned on in Houston last year, uses mid-band spectrum that can deliver speeds in the 1-gigabit per second range. It can travel farther than millimeter wave, but doesnt have as good building penetration as T-Mobiles service. Combined, the companies will be able to offer hardware with fast 5G that works well anywhere. In fact, the smartphones T-Mobile unveiled with its 5G launch will also work in combination with Sprints spectrum, once the two carriers are one. The same is true for Samsungs new Galaxy S20 phones, unveiled Tuesday. And T-Mobile has promised to use this approach to provide 5G service to rural and underserved communities. It promised the Federal Communications Commission that its 5G would reach 97 percent of the country in three years, and 99 percent in six years. Release Notes: Get Dwight Silvermans weekly tech newsletter in your inbox each Monday T-Mobile in your home Legere has long threatened to disrupt the cable TV and home broadband business in the same way his T-Mobile has upended wireless carriers. The combined 5G spectrum of T-Mobile and Sprint is key to that. In a news release issued after Tuesdays ruling, T-Mobile promised in-home broadband 5G service with speeds of 100 megabits per second or more would be available to 90 percent of the U.S. by 2024. There was no indication what that might cost, but T-Mobile currently offers a home internet service based on its LTE network for $50 a month. There are no data caps, extra fees or hardware costs. A new fourth carrier As part of its concessions to regulators, Sprint will sell its Boost Mobile service to Dish Network, which will then start out with 9 million subscribers. Yes, thats a fourth carrier, but one that is noticeably weaker than Sprint, which is currently No. 4. Analysts are skeptical that it will thrive, much less survive. Jeffrey Moore, principle analyst at Wave7Research, which tracks and analyzes the wireless industry, said Dish faces a tremendous uphill battle as it competes AT&T, Verizon and a merged T-Mobile/Sprint. The analogy I would use is that its like a high school football team taking on the Kansas City Chiefs, Moore said. The wireless game is one of scale, and Dish would not have that. dwight.silverman@chron.com twitter.com/dsilverman houstonchronicle.com/techburger Wrongfully convicted people whose claims against the state were dismissed due to discrepancies in filing deadlines would again be eligible for compensation under legislation passed in the Michigan Senate Tuesday. Under a 2016 law, people exonerated from crimes are eligible for up to $50,000 per year spent in prison from the state. Wrongfully convicted people were given 18 months to sue for the money under the law, but some had their claims denied because of a discrepancy between that deadline and a six-month deadline for filing claims against the state outlined in a different law. A trio of bills passed unanimously in the Senate Tuesday would exempt wrongful conviction claims from that six-month timeframe and allow more time to file for people whose cases were initially dismissed in court. The legislation now heads to the House for additional review and would need to be signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to become law. Since the Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Fund in the state treasurers office was established, many critics have been concerned that there isnt enough money being allocated to compensate exonerated people for the time theyd served for crimes they didnt commit. A supplemental spending bill signed into law last June included $10 million for the states Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Fund for the state to begin paying exonerees, some of whom have spent decades in prison. The Detroit News reported Tuesday the state still doesnt have enough money in the fund to pay all former prisoners the money theyre owed. Related: House moves to refill compensation fund for wrongfully imprisoned Whitmer signs spending bill that will fund roll-out of voting changes, Catholic clergy investigation Whitmer vetoes $10M to refill compensation fund for wrongfully imprisoned Wrongfully convicted Ionia man awarded $1.3M from state Michigan AG approves $2.3M to compensate wrongfully convicted A Public Health Engineering (PHE) worker died on Tuesday during a protest in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said, as a senior government officer appealed to the striking workers to end the ongoing agitation and resume their duties. The PHE daily wagers are on strike across the Jammu region since February 7 in support of their various demands, including release of pending salaries and regularisation of their services. Mohammad Shabir (40), a resident of Kotdarda village, collapsed suddenly during a sit-in outside the PHE office in Rajouri town and was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was declared dead, the officials said. Carrying the body of the deceased, the protesting workers later blocked the main road and raised slogans against the alleged callousness of the administration towards their plight before dispersing off peacefully, they said. Chief Engineer PHE Sanjeev Kumar Chadda said Shabir died of a natural cause and requested the workers to resume their duties, assuring that the administration is looking into their demands. "The strike by the workers has caused a lot of inconvenience to the people... though 80 per cent water supply is normal, the protesting workers had damaged some equipment at various pump stations hitting the water supply," he said, adding that the department has pressed water tankers to meet the requirement in the areas where there is scarcity of water. The PHE Employees United Front, which is spearheading the ongoing agitation, said the workers had repeatedly highlighted their issues but no action was taken by the administration till date forcing them to go for the strike. Regretting inconvenience to the people due to suspension of the water supply, it said the government should come out with a one-time settlement of their demands forthwith. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A German man has gone viral on Chinese social media for cheering on Chinese people in the fight against the novel coronavirus and calling on the world to not discriminate against people from epidemic-stricken areas. A screenshot of the video. Photo provided by Tobi. Tobi is the son-in-law of a Chinese family who has studied at Beijings Tsinghua University. In recent days, he voiced support for Chinas anti-virus efforts on various social media platforms in a video with the hashtag #I Am China. The video became a hit and was watched by millions of people. I never expected the video could trigger such a huge response, Tobi said in an interview with China News Agency on Feb. 9, saying while making the video, he just hoped that it could be viewed by as many people as possible. A year ago, Tobi began to make videos about China so as to introduce the oriental country to people in his home country. As for why he made videos about the novel coronavirus, Tobi said he noted some discriminatory remarks and acts after the outbreak of the epidemic in China. Obviously, they are wrong. Thats why I want to make a video to express my voice and call on everyone to be calm and rational and stay united in the face of difficulties and disasters, Tobi said. A screenshot of the video. (Photo/Chinanews.com) We couldnt shorten the distance between China and Germany, but we could draw the two peoples closer through our efforts, Tobi said, adding that we should fight against the virus, not each other. Appearing in Tobis video are another 12 Germans who all have some connections with China. Some of them have tied the knot with Chinese women, some like mandarin, some love Chinese food and some have traveled to China. A friend of Tobi made a video clip titled Stay away from the virus but dont stay away from each other in English, calling on people that if they couldnt help China in a direct way, then they should treat those affected by the epidemic with kindness. Condair The rate of transmission from human to human is influenced by indoor conditions. Seven dramatic weeks have passed since the Chinese health authorities informed the World Health Organization that there have been mounting cases of pneumonia, the pathogen of which is unknown, in the huge city of Wuhan. Within a short period of time, there has been a rapid increase in the number of officially confirmed cases of illness and death. The pathogen, now identified as Coronavirus 2019-CoV, has been further spread by air passengers, leading to respiratory disease being spread worldwide. On January 30, 2020, World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern. Coronavirus is closely related to the SARS virus. Laboratories throughout the world have been able to use this information to develop tests to detect the virus. The virus is said to have been transmitted to humans at an open-air meat market in Wuhan, where live wild animals are also sold, and it is now spreading from one human to another. In some of the people who are affected, it causes flu-like symptoms like coughing and difficulty breathing. Lung x-rays confirm severe pneumonia that can lead to death. The survival times of SARS coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces and as infectious droplets in the air have been studied. An identical pattern has appeared repeatedly. Very low temperatures (tested at 6C) and very low humidity (30%) enable viruses to survive for long periods on surfaces and in the air. Even at moderate temperatures of 20-30C, there was a long survival time, but only when the air was dry. Very high temperatures (>30C) render the coronaviruses inactive. This is why there have been repeated MERS epidemics on the Arabian Peninsula solely during the cooler winter months. It is assumed that the current Coronavirus will also exhibit a similar behaviour in relation to humidity and temperature. The rate of transmission from human to human is influenced by indoor conditions, explains Dr. Walter Hugentobler, FMH General Physician, and Dr. Stephanie Taylor, Harvard Medical School, Medical Advisors for Condair Group. This means that conditions in homes and on public transport where air is typically heated to 20 to 24 degrees for comfort, have resulting low relative humidity from approximately 20 % to 40 %. These are the ideal environmental conditions for SARS coronaviruses to survive on surfaces and in the air over a long period of time, and consequently for increased transmission via contact with contaminated surfaces and inhalation from the air. Air humidification acts in a proactive way to combat the spread of viruses by infected people, including so-called super spreaders, even before any symptoms appear or a diagnosis can be made. Additionally, the respiratory tract's defences are improved in all people due to the more efficient cleaning of the airways and enhanced immune defences. Raising air humidity by humidification reduces the risk of virus spread in hospitals and other buildings at low-cost and without causing negative effects, said Hugentobler. Approximately 58% of SARS cases were acquired from hospital exposure, so humidification of healthcare facilities would be an especially effective intervention to reduce pneumonia and death rates from this new coronavirus strain. Air humidification can be readily implemented in both private and public buildings, giving people a simple way to actively combat this fearsome virus for which there are currently no vaccines or effective preventive drug treatments. In addition to reducing the overall spread of the outbreak, this intervention also enables each of us to pro-actively take steps to protect the health of ourselves and our loved ones. It is not possible for humans to control the outdoor climatic conditions which have allowed this coronavirus to cross species boundaries. However, we are able to manage the indoor environment to support our health and reduce viral disease by regulating critical indoor air factors such as temperature, humidity, air exchange rate and fresh air content. When we maintain indoor temperatures at 20 to 24C for comfort, it is essential that we decrease our risk of infection by maintaining healthy levels of air humidity and ventilation, said Hugentobler and Taylor. Coronavirus Survival on Surfaces https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2863430/ Yale Influenza Study https://www.condair.com/yalestudy About Condair Group Condair is the leading manufacturer and provider of complete solutions in the areas of humidification and evaporative cooling. This enables us to create the ideal indoor climate while keeping energy consumption low and reducing impact on the environment. With approximately 740 employees, Condair operates production sites in Europe, North America and China and are represented in 22 countries and supported by distribution partners in more than 50 locations worldwide. To learn more visit https://www.condair.com U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday proposed a 21 per cent cut in foreign aid and slashes to social safety-net programs in his $4.8 trillion (3.7 trillion) budget proposal for fiscal 2021. The budget would spend money to fund infrastructure projects and defence, but would also raise funds by targeting $2 trillion in savings from mandatory spending programs in the United States. It assumes revenues around $3.7 trillion. The presidents latest blueprint for administration spending proposals is unlikely to be passed by the Democratic-controlled House of Representatives, particularly in an election year. Trump, who campaigned for the presidency in 2016 on a promise to build a wall along the U.S. border with Mexico, will seek $2 billion in funding for further construction on that project, substantially less than the $8.6 billion he requested a year ago. The budget seeks money to fund a U.S. infrastructure overhaul that both Democrats and Republicans have said is a priority. The two sides are unlikely to agree on any major legislation this year, though, as they fight for control of the White House and Congress in the November elections. The budget would raise military spending by 0.3% to $740.5 billion for fiscal-year 2021, starting on Oct. 1 and propose higher outlays for defence and veterans, administration officials confirmed. ALSO READ: Imo PDP begins 7 days, nights of mourning, fasting, prayer for Ihedioha But former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mike Mullen raised concerns about how the foreign aid cuts would affect the U.S. civilian footprint around the world that helps reduce the need for military intervention. In an era of great power competition, cutting these critical investments would be out of touch with the reality around the world, he wrote in a letter to top congressional leaders. This is a moment when more investment in diplomacy and development is needed not less. Trumps foreign aid proposal seeks $44.1 billion in the upcoming fiscal year, compared with $55.7 billion enacted in fiscal 2020, an administration official said. The U.S. government ended fiscal 2019 with the largest budget deficit in seven years as gains in tax receipts were offset by higher spending and growing debt-service payments, the Treasury department said on Friday. The budget forecasts $4.6 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years and assumes economic growth will continue at an annual rate of roughly 3 percent for years to come, officials said. Trump has taken credit for the strength of the U.S. economy, thanks in part to tax cuts he championed and Congress passed earlier in his term. The budget funds an extension of those cuts over a 10-year period with $1.4 trillion. The budget also proposes $1.1 billion for cybersecurity efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. PV: 0 3k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Rachel Maddow said on Monday night that its starting to look like Rudy Giuliani and William Barr are joining forces to dig up dirt on Donald Trumps election year political opponents. The MSNBC host said that Giuliani may be under criminal investigation for his Ukraine dealings, but that hasnt stopped Barr from setting up a special process to receive information from him that could give credence to false claims about Trumps political opponents. Maybe President Trump is going to run for reelection in part by having the Justice Department under William Barr give credence to false claims about his political opponents, Maddow said. Video: Rachel Maddow says Rudy Giuliani and William Barr are essentially teaming up to help Trump spread lies about his political opponents. #ctl #p2 #maddoq pic.twitter.com/wJyFc4MqGd PoliticusUSA (@politicususa) February 11, 2020 Maddow said: Oh, right, Rudy Giuliani is reportedly under federal criminal investigation for the various work he has been doing recently in Ukraine. But apparently hes now going to report the results of that work to the U.S. Department of Justice, which has set up a special process to receive that information from him. You know, maybe this is maybe this is normal. Maybe the process that the Justice Department has set up to receive this information from Rudy Giuliani is actually a hilarious trick in which theyre basically just convincing him to confess everything. Yes, Mr. Mayor, weve opened an intake process for you. Tell us everything else you did. Hmm, can you show us evidence of that? Can we look at your phone for a sec? Would you mind trying on these handcuffs for us just to see if they fit? Maybe opening up an intake at the Justice Department to receive information from Rudy Giuliani, who is reportedly under federal criminal investigation for what hes been doing in Ukraine, I mean maybe its one big genius prosecutorial gambit to get him to confess. Or maybe President Trump is going to run for reelection in part by having the Justice Department under William Barr give credence to false claims about his political opponents. Which one seems more likely? Rudy Giuliani finds a home in this administration of criminals From the outside looking in, Rudy Giuliani is a sleaze-ball criminal who has been doing Donald Trumps election dirty work overseas since the president took office. He has attempted to spread false information about the Bidens, but all hes done is expose himself and Trump as criminals. Now, as Rachel Maddow pointed out on Monday night, the former NYC mayor is reportedly under federal criminal investigation for the same Ukraine scandal for which Trump was impeached. Despite all that, William Barr appears eager to bring Giuliani into the fold and give credence to his Ukraine-Biden conspiracy theories, though the attorney general wont answer questions about it. In a typical administration, someone like Rudy Giuliani would be laughed out of every room in the building. In this administration of criminals, he has found a home. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter DETROIT An Apple engineer who died when his Tesla Model X hit a concrete barrier on a Silicon Valley freeway had complained before his death that the SUVs Autopilot system would malfunction in the area where the crash happened. The complaints were detailed in a trove of documents released Tuesday by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board, which is investigating the March, 2018 crash that killed engineer Walter Huang. The documents say Huang told his wife that Autopilot had previously veered his SUV toward the same barrier on U.S. 101 near Mountain View, California where he later crashed. Huang died at a hospital from his injuries. Walter said the car would veer toward the barrier in the mornings when he went to work, the Huang family's attorney wrote in a response to NTSB questions. Huang also described Autopilot's malfunctioning to his brother, the attorney wrote, in addition to talking with a friend who owns a Model X. Huang, a software engineer, discussed with the friend how a patch to the Autopilot software affected its performance and made the Model X veer, the lawyers response said. Sometime prior to the crash, Huang took his Tesla to a service center to fix a navigation error, the attorneys response said. But Tesla could not duplicate the problem and it was not repaired. The Huang family is suing Tesla and Californias Department of Transportation for allegedly failing to maintain the highway. Autopilot is a partially automated system designed to keep a vehicle in its lane and keep a safe distance from vehicles in front of it. It also can change lanes with driver approval. Tesla says Autopilot is intended for driver assistance and that drivers must be ready to intervene at all times. The full NTSB board is scheduled to hold a hearing on the crash on Feb. 25. At that time, it will determine a cause and make safety recommendations. NTSB staff members have already recommended that California transportation officials move faster to repair highway safety barriers damaged by vehicles. Story continues A report from the agency says California officials failed to fix the barrier that was damaged in a crash 11 days before Huang was killed. In that incident, a 2010 Toyota Prius traveling in excess of 75 mph (120 kmh) crashed against the attenuator, a cushion that protects vehicles from hitting the end of concrete lane dividers. The 31-year-old driver survived the crash and was treated for relatively minor injuries, the NTSB said. The California Highway Patrol responded to the March 12 crash but did not notify the California Department of Transportation of the damage as it is required to, the NTSB said. Huang's 2017 Tesla Model X was traveling at 71 mph (114 kph) when it crashed against the same attenuator, which the NTSB determined had been damaged and repaired more frequently than any other left-exit in Caltrans' District 4, which includes all of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7 million people. In the three years before the Tesla crash, the device was struck at least five times, including one crash that resulted in fatalities. A car struck it again on May 20, 2018, about two months after the Tesla crash, the NTSB said. California Department of Transportation spokesman Matt Rocco said the department is reviewing the NTSB report to determine its next steps but declined to answer questions. "Safety remains Caltrans top priority," he said. Also on Tuesday, the NTSB released documents from another fatal Tesla crash, this one on March 1, 2019 in Delray Beach, Florida. In that incident, driver Jeremy Banner turned on the Autopilot function of his Model 3 sedan 10 seconds before the crash, then took his hands off the steering wheel, NTSB documents said. The car then drove underneath a tractor-trailer that was crossing in front of it, sheering off the car's roof and killing Banner. It was eerily similar to another Florida crash in 2016 in which a Tesla on Autopilot went beneath a semi trailer. The NTSB said in a preliminary report that it still hasnt determined the cause of the crash. According to the report, traffic was light on the four-lane highway and dawn was breaking when Banner, 50, set his speed at 69 mph (111 kph) and activated the autopilot as he headed to work. The speed limit was 55 mph (88 kph). Seconds later, a tractor-trailer driven by Richard Wood, 45, pulled from a driveway and began to cross to the other side of the highway. Wood said he saw two sets of car headlights coming toward him, but he thought he had time to make it across. It was dark and it looked like the cars was back further than they was, Wood told NTSB investigators four days after the crash. A photo taken by the NTSB from Teslas front-end video camera showed Woods trailer fully blocking the road 1.5 seconds before the crash. Data from the Teslas computer shows that Banner hit his brakes less than a second before the crash, but the car went under the trailer. Wood says he saw a second car but that one didn't hit the trailer. Palm Beach County firefighters who arrived minutes later found the Tesla about a quarter-mile (400 meters) down the highway with its engine running. The car had automatically shifted to neutral and turned on its emergency flashers when its computer detected the crash. They said that they had never dealt with a Teslas ignition before and didnt know how to turn it off that requires using a keycard. The department has since given its firefighters additional training. Rodriguez reported from San Francisco. Terry Spencer contributed from Orlando, Florida. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> You Might Also Like Founder and Leader of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG), Percival Kofi Akpaloo two years ago predicted how former President John Dramani Mahama will be exposed if he decides to contest again as President. Kofi Akpaloo accused former President John Mahamas government of sending the nation backward during his era as President and hence lacks credibility to lead the country again. He told this reporter that, former President John Mahama should not be allowed to come near the presidency again because his thinking is not futuristic." "When water stays in a bottle for a long time, it stinks, I dont understand why Mahama will decide to contest as President again in 2020 if he decides that he will be exposed big time, Kofi Akpaloo said this on Wednesday, June 21st, 2018. He noted that Mr. Mahama before becoming the former President was a Vice President, Minister, Deputy Minister, Member of Parliament and has passed through all these stages before coming down to the former President and all that he is supposed to do is to go home quietly and allow other people who can even do far better than him to continue from where he left. "NDC should be careful because if they try to bring Mahama back, he will be in prison and be contesting for the election, he added. These comments come after John Dramani Mahama was fingered in a bribery allegation involving the European aviation giant, Airbus SE. While the government has charged the Special Prosecutor to deal with the issue, the New Patriotic Party is confident that government official 1 is former President John Mahama. Last week, Airbus entered into a deferred prosecution agreement, with the British Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which was investigating the company for bribery or failing to prevent corruption in transactions in five countries, including Ghana. ST. LOUIS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cigna today announced the creation of two new leadership positions within its Health Services business. Dave Queller, appointed to the role of President, Express Scripts, will lead pharmacy benefit management (PBM) services with additional oversight of supply chain and drug procurement. Queller has led Express Scripts sales and account management organization since he joined Express Scripts in 2014. Before joining Express Scripts, he was senior vice president of National Accounts for Aetna. Brian Seiz, PharmD, has been named President, Pharmacy, and will lead pharmacy operations, including Express Scripts Home Delivery pharmacy, Accredo specialty pharmacy services, and CuraScript SD. Seiz has held leadership roles at Express Scripts over the past 15 years, and became President of Accredo in 2017. Before joining Express Scripts in 2004, he was an assistant professor of Pharmacy Practice at St. Louis College of Pharmacy. Queller and Seiz will continue to report to Tim Wentworth who continues to lead Cigna Health Services as president. "Dave and Brian have both played an integral role in positioning Health Services as the partner of choice for health plans, employers, government, and other payers seeking the most value for their investments," said Tim Wentworth, President, Health Services. "In their new roles they will work together with our talented Health Services leadership team as we deliver more affordability, predictability and simplicity to those we serve." About Express Scripts Express Scripts is a health care opportunity company. Empowered by our legacy as an industry innovator, we dare to imagine and deliver a better health care system with greater choice, predictability, affordability and improved outcomes. From pharmacy and medical benefits management, to specialty pharmacy care and everything in between, we uncover opportunities to make health care better. We stand alongside our clients and partners, collaborating to develop personalized solutions that make a meaningful difference in the lives of those we serve, whenever and wherever it's needed. We believe health care can do more. We are Champions For Better. Express Scripts, a Cigna company, unlocks new value in pharmacy, medical and beyond to further total health for all. For more information, visit www.express-scripts.com/corporate or follow @ExpressScripts on Twitter. About Cigna Cigna Corporation is a global health service company dedicated to improving the health, well-being and peace of mind of those we serve. Cigna delivers choice, predictability, affordability and access to quality care through integrated capabilities and connected, personalized solutions that advance whole person health. All products and services are provided exclusively by or through operating subsidiaries of Cigna Corporation, including Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company, Cigna Life Insurance Company of New York, Connecticut General Life Insurance Company, Express Scripts companies or their affiliates, and Life Insurance Company of North America. Such products and services include an integrated suite of health services, such as medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, vision, supplemental benefits, and other related products including group life, accident and disability insurance. Cigna maintains sales capability in over 30 countries and jurisdictions, and has more than 170 million customer relationships throughout the world. To learn more about Cigna, including links to follow us on Facebook or Twitter, visit www.cigna.com . MEDIA CONTACTS: Jennifer Luddy 201.269.6402 [email protected] SOURCE Cigna Related Links https://www.cigna.com System error error: Can't call method "get_id" on an undefined value at /usr/local/bricolage/data/burn/stage/oc_1027/smetimes/dhandler.html line 25. context: ... 21: 22: 23: % foreach my $c (@categories) { 24: <%perl> 25: my $category_id = $c->get_id(); 26: my @stories = Bric::Biz::Asset::Business::Story->list ( { element_type_id=>1148, category_id=>$category_id , Order=> 'cover_date', publish_status => 't' , OrderDirection=> 'DESC' , Limit=>10 } ); 27: 28:
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LOUIS For nearly 68 years, the building that occupies 2931 State Street in East St. Louis has been a part of the citys landscape. Hundreds drive past it each day, many not giving a second thought to the work done inside by the 1844th Transportation Company which calls the armory home, transports troops and cargo whenever called upon. The unit is comprised of men and women not only from the Metro East, but others who travel across the state to be part of this organization. Our soldiers come from a wide range of cultures, races, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds, said Capt. Theodore J. Tebbe, Commander, 1844th Transportation Company. Outside of their military career, these soldiers are teachers, counselors, carpenters, truck drivers, law enforcement, and mechanics, just to name a few. The soldiers of the 1844th Transportation Company, nicknamed the Road Warriors, understand how to work as a team and accomplish extraordinary feats, according to Tebbe. The unit is filled with motivated, highly trained soldiers who are willing to serve their community with little to no notice, Tebbe said. In this past year, the Road Warriors responded to a statewide activation by the state of Illinois and helped civilian agencies conduct flood relief operations along the Mississippi River. The 1844thTransportation Companys 2nd Lt. Jamie Gunning was responsible for the soldiers activated during flood operations. She oversaw five different teams covering a 250 mile range from Quincy to East Cape Girardeau. Our primary focus was levy patrol and monitoring and transporting supplies throughout the state to affected areas, Gunning said. We ran support operations out of East St. Louis, Shiloh, Scott Air Force Base, before migrating to Murphysboro. The activation put the units training and readiness to the test, and they excelled, said Gunning. Collectively, the 45 state-activated Road Warriors logged more than 50,000 miles on their trucks and filled 300,000 sandbags for water retaining walls during the month-long activation. The 1844th worked alongside the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, county emergency management agencies, the Illinois Department of Transportation and the Coast Guard, according to Tebbe. Shortly after completing the State Active Duty mission, eight 1844th Transportation Company Soldiers traveled to South Korea to support the 2-130 Infantry Battalion from Marion, Illinois, in conducting a joint exercise with the Republic of Koreas Army. They traveled throughout Seoul and to its north while transporting the infantry soldiers alongside South Korean forces. The drivers conducted realistic drivers training, base and convoy defense, and medical training. After those soldiers arrived home, 62 soldiers of the 1844th set to participate in Rising Thunder, a joint training exercise between the U.S. Army and the Japan Ground Self Defense Force at the Yakima Training Center, Yakima, Washington. They spent two weeks supporting the 2-130 Infantry Battalion alongside Japanese forces. The soldiers participated in unit-level training that reflected real-world scenarios involving improvised explosive devices, medical evacuations, vehicle recoveries, and reaction to small arms fire in mountainous terrain. I am incredibly proud of what our Soldiers were able to accomplish this past year. Their preparation and work ethic are impeccable, said Tebbe. We are fortunate to have such quality soldiers and leaders who are willing to make the necessary sacrifices, which are inherent to our organization. I hope that we continue attracting quality individuals from the Metro East and southern Illinois with the drive and discipline to succeed and continue serving our community and nation. The 1844th Transportation Company is always seeking prospective soldiers. The Army National Guard provides many benefits which include education, health, dental, retirement, and life insurance. Currently, the 1844th Transportation Company has more than 40 soldiers who have used or are using their educational benefits, and even more who have used their military experience to secure jobs and advance within their civilian career field. For more details, contact Sgt. 1st Class Matthew Cerminn at 618-791-9085 or matthew.j.cerminn.mil@mail.mil SPACE PICKS ignited a revolution in the cannabis industry, introducing an inconspicuous product made from ethically sourced, freshly harvested North American white birch wood that's imbued with natural ingredients and flavors. The toothpicks are handmade, dosage-controlled disposable and biodegradable, boasting fast activation and the utmost level of discretion. With premium THC concentrates infused into each toothpick, quality and delivery remain unmatched at its size and efficiency. According to SPACE PICKS Brainchild-in-Chief and Commander Chris Beauchamp, "A package or two of SPACE PICKS requires just about zero space in your suitcase. It's the most discreet, effective and portable way to experience an amazing high anywhere. Great for long trips to space or short trips to your in-laws!" Now that the batch of THC-infused toothpicks has made their safe return to Earth, they will be available to purchase along with the company's other five flavors later this month. ABOUT SPACE PICKS SPACE PICKS was developed by a team of ex-rocket scientists who reminisced about the 70s and their days of relaxing on the launchpad after a long day with a beer and a blunt. The group wanted to develop a low-profile way of getting high while on long trips to and from the launchpad that would also be safe to bring to a highly flammable environment. They settled on toothpicks as a delivery vehicle and spent many years engineering their secret solution for infusing the toothpicks with THC. Launching the toothpicks into space symbolizes the company's launch into the industry as well as it's launch into the future. For media inquiries, contact Chris Beauchamp at [email protected] or 407-797-1658. SOURCE Space Picks Related Links www.spacepicks.com The UAE's Value Added Tax (VAT) recovery self-service kiosks for tourists scheme has been expanded to major shopping malls and hotels, said a report. The new locations are in addition to air, land, and maritime entry and exit ports across the UAE, said a report in WAM citing an announcement from the Federal Tax Authority (FTA). The expansion aims to provide additional services to tourists, enhancing the UAEs status as a leading destination on the international tourism map. Planet, the company authorised by the FTA to operate the electronic system for the Tax Refunds for Tourists Scheme, debuted nine self-service kiosks in stage one of implementing the plan, setting them up at multiple shopping malls and hotels, the report said. The kiosks allow tourists to process VAT refund requests from the convenience of their hotel or at shopping malls in a matter of minutes. Applicants can scan their boarding pass to prove they will be leaving the UAE in the next 24 hours, as well as their original passport (or identity card for GCC nationals), and then follow the simple instructions displayed at the self-service kiosks. it said. The FTA revealed that Planet intends to deploy up to 55 new self-service kiosks by the end of 2020 25 of which would be stationed in malls and 30 in hotels. FTA director-general Khalid Ali Al Bustani said: "Our objective from expanding the self-service kiosk is to provide further facilities and additional options for tourists looking to recover taxes," "Eligible tourists who meet the necessary criteria for reclaiming the VAT they incurred on their purchases in the UAE can process their refund applications from the convenience of their own hotels or from a list of major shopping malls around the country," he added. "This latest development further upgrades the services we offer through the electronic system of the Tourists Refund Scheme, which has seen increasing success and a growing number of users taking advantage of its speed and ease of use," Al Bustani said. The number of digital transactions under the Tourists Refunds Scheme grew to 3.2 million in the period between its launch in November 2018 and the end of 2019. By end of June 2019, the total stood at 1.52 million transactions; the number leaped by 1.68 million applications in the second half of 2019, marking a staggering 110.53 per cent growth during that period. Meanwhile, the daily average number of tax refund transactions for tourists grew 2.64 times from 3,720 in the schemes first month to 9,830 daily transactions in December 2019. The Authority asserted that to be refundable, tax invoices need to have been issued by the retail stores included in the Scheme and registered in the system; these venues can be identified by visibly showcasing Tax-Free stickers on their storefronts, the report said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 02:36:39|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close A press conference of Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics is held in Cairo, Egypt, on Feb. 11, 2020. Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics said on Tuesday that the population in the country has reached 100 million. (Photo by Mohamed El Raai/Xinhua) CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's Central Agency for Public Mobilization and Statistics said on Tuesday that the population in the country has reached 99 million. Khairat Barakat, head of the agency, told a press conference in Cairo that the population of Egypt at home has hit 100 million, compared to 99 million on July 22 last year, excluding Egyptian expatriates whose number exceeds 9 million. The capital Cairo recorded the highest number of 9.9 million people, followed by Giza with a population of 9.1 million, Sharqiya with 7.5 million and Daqahlia with 6.8 million. The Egyptian official noted that the population problem is one of the biggest challenges facing the most populous Arab country, adding that "no development or economic projects can survive in light of this rapid increase." He warned that the rates of population growth have serious consequences. The Egyptian government is concerned that the growing population will pose additional challenges to its already limited resources, social stability and economy. Accordingly, the government launched a two-year campaign called "two is enough" in order to curb the rapidly growing birthrates. The Egyptian government has also been building 20 new cities of the fourth generation to improve life quality, expand the residential area and absorb the population increase in the country. The largest of the 20 new cities under construction is the New Administrative Capital, east of Cairo. HANGZHOU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- With everyone wearing goggles and protective masks at a highway exit checkpoint, two different faces could hardly be recognized among a group of anti-epidemic volunteers working side by side with Chinese police, doctors and civil servants. Pakistani orthopedist Abdul Zahir Hamad and his wife Hosany Sumayyah, a surgeon from Mauritius, were busy taking the body temperature of passing drivers and passengers. The intercultural couple have lived in China for about a decade and speak fluent Chinese. "Where have you been lately?" "Did you come into contact with anyone from Wuhan or other places in Hubei Province in the past two weeks?" They questioned passersby carefully and patiently, again and again. Sumayyah, the 31-year-old wife, came to China in 2008 and gained her master's degree of clinical medicine at Wenzhou Medical University in coastal Zhejiang Province, while the husband, 35, came to the Wenzhou Panhealth Medical Center, where Sumayyah worked, after graduation from Zhengzhou University in central China. Wenzhou is a commercial hub with 180,000 people working and studying in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The city is the worst-affected across the country besides those in the hardest-hit Hubei Province, with 474 confirmed cases of infection reported by Monday. When their hospital recruited volunteers in a chat group on WeChat, without any hesitation, the couple mobilized. "We must do something," said the couple, who received higher education and fell in love with each other in China. "China is our second home." Soon they were assigned to the checkpoint at one of the only two highway exits left in Wenzhou, where most had been locked down to curb the spread of the virus. Each day, the couple work four to five hours a day screening thousands of cars to check whether people entering the city have a fever or not. They have to take shifts manning the checkpoint besides routine work in the hospital. Anyone with a body temperature exceeding 37.3 degrees Celcius who shows noticeable flu symptoms will be taken straight to the hospital, Hamad said. "We have to make sure that they won't have more contact with others." The couple haven't worried about getting infected, but their far-off families were cautious and anxious. Hamad's relatives and friends in Pakistan were alarmed by reports on social media about the epidemic outbreak in China and urged him to return home. "They want us to go back, because of all they saw on social media and the way the news was put," Sumayyah said. "Unreliable sources and fake news." The brave man didn't hold back. Instead, he told them the real situation on his Facebook posts, such as the mortality rate, the number of new infected cases every day and what the Chinese government has been doing in the anti-virus battle. "We feel that it's our responsibility to not only tell our parents, but also create awareness in our circle of friends to make them understand what is actually the situation here," Hamad said. His wife has also been posting short videos showing information from reliable sources where people can get the straight facts. "It was received very well. I think they understood that the situation is not as bad as what the media says," said Sumayyah, who recently replaced her old social media profile picture with a photo of herself wearing protective clothing as a medical volunteer. She also sent popular science videos and posters about the novel coronavirus on WeChat to netizens outside of China and tells them how to protect themselves. "We hope the epidemic ends soon and people can get back to their normal lives," she said. >>> Two foreign nCoV patients progressing well >>> Vietnam announces 70-min rapid test kit for new coronavirus >>> Khanh Hoa: Third nCoV patient discharged from hospital in Vietnam >>> Successful treatment for nCoV patient in Thanh Hoa The good news came on Monday (February 10) as three out of five patients treated for acute respiratory infections caused by the new strain of coronavirus at the Hanoi-based National Hospital of Tropical Diseases (NHTD) were discharged this afternoon. Dr. Pham Ngoc Thach, the NHTDs director, informed that the three patients were from a group of eight workers returning to Vietnam from Chinas Wuhan City on the same flight run by China Southern Airlines on January 17. The trio are from Vinh Phuc Province, including a 23-year-old female patient, NTD, in Binh Xuyen District, who infected her mother, sister, aunt and a neighbour. NTD was among the first in the group found positive for nCoV. The female patient returned home from Wuhan the centre of the nCoV spread and was back to work on January 18 in Vinh Phuc. She had close contact with family members from January 17 to 27. On January 25, the patient took a taxi with her father to come to the NHTD and subsequently tested positive for nCoV. After 14 days of isolated treatment, her fever had subsided on January 29 and her cough had gone on February 8. The patient went through a throat test for the second and third time on February 1 and 6, respectively and her RT-PCR test results were all negative for nCoV. Another male patient among the group of workers is TCP, 30, from Vinh Phucs Tam Dao District, who also returned from Wuhan on January 17. On January 23, he participated in his companys party with 13 people. The patient had a fever on January 26, ten days after returning home and a dry cough on January 29. He was admitted to the hospital on February 1 for a PCR test that showed a positive result for nCoV. After 10 days of treatment, the patient fever had gone and two days later, on February 4 his cough had gone too. His second and third throat sample tests on February 6 and February 8 using the RT-PCR technique were negative for nCoV. The third person discharged from the hospital this afternoon was a female patient, VHL, 29, also from Binh Xuyen District in Vinh Phuc Province. After returning to Vietnam, the patient stayed at home one day and then returned to work for her company. She enjoyed the Lunar New Year holiday at home from January 23, during which she had contact with several family members and relatives. Currently, her family members are being isolated at local medical facilities. VHL did not show any signs of a fever, cough or shortness of breath but had a dry cough on January 27. She was hospitalised on January 31 and tested positive for nCoV later. After 11 days of treatment, the patient stopped coughing on February 6 and no longer had a fever. Her second and third sample tests using the RT-PCR method on February 6 and 8 were negative for nCoV. Up until now, among the 14 nCoV infection cases recorded, Vietnam has discharged six from hospital. Apart from the three successful treated case this afternoon, a female workers in Thanh Hoa Province (belonging to the group of eight workers returning from Wuhan mentioned above), a female receptionist at a local hotel in Nha Trang City in Khanh Hoa Province, and a male Chinese national (the son among the first two nCoV infection cases detected in Vietnam, whos father is still undergoing isolated treatment in Ho Chi Minh City), have been also released. The remaining nCoV positive patients are being treated at medical centres in Vinh Phuc, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. All are in stable health. Vinh Phuc has the highest number of new nCoV cases in the country detected so far, with nine among the 14 recorded cases. In addition to five patients from the same group of workers returning from Wuhan on the same flight, the remaining four had close contacts with one of the five patients. According to the Ministry of Healths infectious disease surveillance system, up to 3 pm on February 10, the world has recorded 40,620 cases of nCoV infection, of which 40,171 cases and 908 deaths have been recorded in mainland China. Vietnam has recorded 14 infection cases, six of who were successfully treated and discharged from hospital, while the country has 82 suspected cases under strict isolation and 745 cases that have been confirmed negative for the deadly virus. Terry Hands, a British director who led the Royal Shakespeare Company in England and in the 1980s took several productions to Broadway, including a well-regarded Much Ado About Nothing and the notorious musical flop Carrie, died on Feb. 4. He was 79. Theatr Clwyd in Wales, where he was artistic director for 18 years, retiring after directing a final Hamlet in 2015, posted news of his death. The location and cause were not given. Mr. Hands was with the Royal Shakespeare Company for almost a quarter-century, joining it in 1966 to run Theatregoround, an outreach program. In 1978 he became joint artistic director with Trevor Nunn, and from 1986 until his departure in 1990 he was the companys chief executive. Im a person that likes to plan ahead, she said. So when I found out I was pregnant, I started planning financially so the fact that she came so early was like, Oh. Oh, no. Everything that I had planned was kind of like bumped away. [Read more about the ongoing trauma of prematurity.] Her finances began to deteriorate at the beginning of her pregnancy, she said. She was so nauseated she had to quit her job as a waitress. Ms. Canarte and her boyfriend were living with his parents at the time in Highwood, Ill., and eventually managed to save up enough to move to a home with enough space for their growing family but not without sacrifices. After their daughter was born, gas money to visit the NICU in Evanston, Ill., was expensive. While her boyfriend was at work, Ms. Canarte took the train, then walked for 20 minutes, to visit their daughter. We couldnt afford for both of us to be there all the time, she said. As soon as she was cleared to go back to work, she found a part-time job as a cashier at a grocery store. Ms. Canarte applied for S.S.I. funding last July, which helps cover household expenses, but she didnt receive any money until January. We had to kind of scrape by until then, she said. The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation, a nonprofit based in Chicago, helps families with children in the NICU pay nonmedical bills. Ms. Canarte received help from the organization for Lyft rides to and from the hospital and to pay the first electric bill in their new apartment. Michelle Valiukenas started the organization in 2018 after her daughter, Colette, was born extremely prematurely and died after nine days in the neonatal intensive care unit. WILDERVILLE, Ore. Were learning more about the victims of Saturday morning's rollover crash on Hwy 199 near milepost 6. 3-year-old Ronald James "RJ" was one of the two passengers that had to be extracted from the truck following the crash. According to a GoFundMe page created by Heather Norris, RJs aunt, RJ is now at OHSU Doernbecher Childrens Hospital in the pediatric intensive care unit, recovering from serious injuries. "They are looking at having to be there for a few days at the least. His parents Jessica and Ron are just taking things day by day," Norris wrote. The GoFundMe for RJ is hoping to raise money for medical bills and living expenses while they spend time with RJ and walk through his recovery process. "With this medical stay RJ's parents will be out of work, and with that being said we all know how fast bills and other expenses can pile up on people," Norris wrote. "They also have a baby who they have to leave with the babysitter and still make sure his needs are met. The list goes on and on." Norris told NewsWatch 12 that doctors are waiting for some of RJ's swelling to go down so that they can check on the condition of his eyes, which remain swollen shut. Oregon State Police is still investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. Norris told NewsWatch 12 that RJ's grandfather, the driver of the vehicle, took responsibility. "He fell asleep," Norris said. "He fell asleep at the wheel and whenever he woke up it was too late. He's having a very hard time dealing with that's his baby. He's a Papa's boy." Norris stressed that RJ's grandfather is not a bad person, and never would have done anything to intentionally put the child in harm's way. Source: SaaSWorks SaaSWorks has raised $5 million in seed funding to continue its work as a revenue operations and customer success solution to support SaaS businesses. The funding round was led by Conversion Venture Capital and CEOs, CFOs and other executives from prominent SaaS companies. SaaSWorks will use the investment to attract talent in the greater Boston area to help the company grow and support SaaS businesses as they scale their subscription operations. SaaSWorks was founded in May 2019 by Jim ONeill and Vipul Shah. ONeill was a founding member of HubSpot, where he helped the company grow to 1,500 employees and more than 25,000 customers. Shah is a software developer and was co-founder of Pyramid Digital Solutions, an enterprise software company, sold to SunGard Data Systems. Shah then spent 10 years investing in high-growth companies while working at firms including Goldman Sachs Private Equity. Together, ONeill and Shah have more than 20 years of experience as software entrepreneurs, operators and investors. Source: SaaSWorks Its been humbling to see the type of support weve had from our initial customers, team and investors, said Shah in a February 6 news release. Based on what we learned from operating, investing in, and advising numerous scaling SaaS companies over the past several years, Jim and I identified a common theme around the need for operational solutions to deliver customer outcomes. On its website, SaaSWorks says it is a leg up, not another login. It also describes itself as a no-app solution for scaling subscription businesses including improving customer health, revenue operations and customer service outcomes, while helping SaaS companies engage customers, improve net revenue retention and achieve measurable lifetime value. What is unique about the SaaSWorks approach is that its truly a service-led, product-enabled company that delivers results for our customers. ONeill says. We are excited to be building the next-generation team of data-driven SaaS experts and software developers, leveraging the most contemporary technology and tools. Conversion Venture Capital founding partner Shakeel Rangrez commented on the firms investment. Our long-term capital commitment reflects our confidence in Jim and Vipuls ability to create a platform that adds real value thats long-lasting, said Rangrez. Jim and Vipul have a tremendous record of success at multiple platforms, and as a result, the approach and perspective theyre going to take regarding this investment aligns well with our values. It looks like SaaSWorks is starting small, taking on small companies that it feels are a good fit. Interested companies can reach out to SaaSWorks for more information on the companys website. They are currently accepting applicants for the first quarter of 2020. In their notice of interest, SaaSWorks asks companies who they currently use for a CRM (HubSpot, Salesforce or other), their primary billing or subscription management system (Stripe, Zuora or other), information about their customer success team, if applicable, and the greatest challenge the applying company has faced in trying to scale their business. Insider Take: There are some great customer success solutions available for subscription companies of all kinds. Surely, there is room for another one, especially from a pair of talented entrepreneurs who know the technology and marketplace so well. This is a great opportunity for them to build on their success and for SaaS companies to benefit from their passion for solid solutions. This will be a company to watch in 2020. KEARNEY Election officials statewide are rolling out $9.3 million worth of new ballot-counting and vote-collecting equipment that will debut in 13 weeks when Nebraska conducts its primary election. The first change most Nebraskans will notice on May 12 is that theyll fill in the ovals on their paper ballots with ballpoint pens, not the smudgy lead pencils of the past. The next change: Election results may be available sooner, thanks to an advanced ballot-counting machine, the DS450, thats less prone to jamming and delaying results compared to the optical scanners that have been used for almost 20 years. The new machine sorts out unreadable ballots, and can handle ballots that have been folded, a function thats become necessary as Nebraska counties switch to mail-in ballots. In addition to the DS450 ballot counter, election officials will be rolling out new vote-collecting equipment for the visually impaired. The ExpressVote machine will do everything that the device it will replace, including reading ballots for blind voters and enlarging text on a screen so its more legible for visually impaired Nebraskans. Its taxpayers who will end up being slugged for an unsurprising series of setbacks and delays in the Andrews governments infrastructure pipeline. At least the lawyers and the bankers are cleaning up from the mess. Premier Daniel Andrews and Transport Minister Jacinta Allan inspect progress at the State Library station of the Metro Tunnel recently. Credit:Joe Armao Already, Arnold Bloch Leiblers Leon Zwier has been signed on to help negotiate with the Cross Yarra Partnership on the Metro Tunnel project. He is also involved with the governments efforts to get the troubled West Gate Tunnel project back on track. As CBD revealed in December, Charles Goode and Tony Burgess boutique investment bank, Flagstaff Partners, is also lending a hand in the Metro rail contract negotiations, alongside Zwier. Report also says Remain in Mexico policy makes things much worse for migrants suffering from mental health issues. Central American migrants and asylum seekers already suffer from mental health issues stemming from the violence they are fleeing, but US and regional immigration policies are making matters much worse, according to a new report by Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF). Violence both in the home country and Mexico is a key precipitating factor in alarming levels of symptoms of mental illness among migrants and asylum seekers from Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala, according to a report published on Tuesday by the international humanitarian medical organisation. The violence to which Central American migrants and refugees are exposed has a clear impact on their mental health, MSF said in its report. The publication, No Way Out, draws on thousands of mental health consultations conducted by MSF in Central America and Mexico, interviews with personnel, and a survey of 480 migrants and asylum seekers at five shelters along migrant routes in Mexico. The main afflictions that we see, clinically speaking in terms of mental health, are classically PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder, and depression and anxiety, Gordon Finkbeiner, coordinator of MSFs Migrants Project in Mexico, told Al Jazeera. Targeted in Mexico Of the hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers surveyed between January 2018 and September 2019, 61.9 percent had been exposed to at least one violent event in the two years prior to leaving their home country, including the violent death (42.5 percent) or disappearance (16.9 percent) of a relative. During the same period, more than half of the thousands of migrant mental health consultation patients in Mexico presented moderate or serious symptoms, primarily related to anxiety, PTSD and depression. The violence suffered by people living in [Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador] is comparable to that in war zones where [MSF] has been working for decades, according to the organisation. Migrants, most of them asylum seekers sent back to Mexico from the US under the Remain in Mexico programme, officially named Migrant Protection Protocols, wait in line for a meal outside the Human Repatriation office in Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico [File: Loren Elliott/Reuters] But the violence does not stop there. Of the hundreds of migrants and asylum seekers surveyed at shelters in Mexico, 57.3 percent had been exposed to some kind of violence along the route in Mexico, 39.2 percent had been violently attacked, including cases of sexual assault, and 27.3 percent had been threatened or extorted. Migrants are being perceived by organised crime around Mexico very often as a target for extortion. Theyre being seen as merchandise in a certain sense, said Finkbeiner. Mexico is clearly not safe for migrants, and Remain in Mexico makes matters only worse, much worse, he said. Kidnappings Under the Remain in Mexico policy, officially known as the Migrant Protection Protocols, the US returns asylum claimants to Mexico while their cases are processed. More than 60,000 predominantly Central American asylum seekers have been returned to Mexico since implementation began just over a year ago. What we are currently seeing is that migrants who are being returned to Mexico to await their court dates under this Remain in Mexico programme are being presented to organised crime on a silver platter, really, said Finkbeiner. In Nuevo Laredo, a Mexican city across the border from Texas, MSF teams have witnessed kidnappings of migrants and asylum seekers right outside shelters and at bus stations. The pastor in charge of a Nuevo Laredo migrant shelter and one of his colleagues were kidnapped last year and have not been seen since. Of the 44 new MSF patients who received mental health consultations in October 2019 in Nuevo Laredo, 75 percent had been kidnapped in the week prior to the consultation. They had all been returned under the Migrant Protection Protocols. We have been seeing the tendency growing but that spike was particularly pronounced. Ever since then, the majority of people we are attending [in Nuevo Laredo] have been kidnapped in the few days prior to the consultation, said Finkbeiner. The constant threat of violence leaves a profound mark on an individual's mental health, which can sometimes go undetected due to stigmatisation and the lack of institutional resources for identifying and treating cases. MSF According to the Guiding Principles of Migrant Protection Protocols, people with known physical/mental health issues are not amenable to the protocols. Human rights groups, however, have documented the return of asylum seekers, including children, with known serious medical conditions, including cancer and seizure disorders. The US Department of Homeland Security did not respond by the time of publication to Al Jazeeras request for comment on what would constitute known mental health issues. The constant threat of violence leaves a profound mark on an individuals mental health, which can sometimes go undetected due to stigmatisation and the lack of institutional resources for identifying and treating cases, according to MSF. Migrants and asylum seekers Al Jazeera spoke to have often addressed the anxiety that comes trying to navigate the dangerous journey to the US-Mexico border. Manuel* fled extortion-related death threats in Honduras last year and is making his way north through Mexico with his wife and their five children, aged four through 16. But now they confront the possibility they will be forced to remain in Mexico and face more of the violence they fled. Mexico is a country that makes a lot of money from migrants, from kidnapping and extortion, Manuel told Al Jazeera. MSF is calling for an immediate halt to the US removal of asylum seekers to third countries, including forcing people to wait in Mexico, among other demands of the governments of the US, Mexico and northern Central America. People are being put at risk, said Finkbeiner. People fleeing violence should not be criminalised and should not be greeted with guns. Peoples needs should be put at the centre of the immigratory policies. *The individuals name has been changed at their request to protect their identity. In a split 2-1 decision, a three-judge panel of the Quebec Court of Appeal has refused to suspend the application of Sections 6 and 8 of Quebecs law respecting the laicity [secularism] of the State pending a decision by the courtsand, in all likelihood, an eventual ruling by Canadas Supreme Courtas to their constitutionality. Commonly known as Bill 21, Quebecs secularism law is chauvinist and anti-democratic. Among other things, it prevents teachers and other state employees in so-called positions of authority from wearing religious signsthat is, the Muslim hijab, Jewish kippah, and Sikh turban and kirpan. The law was adopted last June by Quebecs right-wing nationalist and autonomist (Quebec First) Coalition Avenir du Quebec (CAQ) government, with the support of the pro-independence Parti Quebecois. Although they were divided on whether Bill 21 should be stayed pending determination of its constitutionality, all three judges found that key clauses of the CAQ law are causing serious and irreparable harm to some religious minorities and that it infringes on fundamental rights guaranteed under the Canadian constitutions Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as freedom of religion. The two judges who nonetheless ruled that the law should remain in force cited as their principal reason the CAQs decision to shield it from constitutional challenges by making it subject to the notwithstanding clause. This anti-democratic provision of Canadas constitution allows the federal and provincial governments to pass laws that run roughshod over the fundamental rights stipulated in the Charter, such as freedom of expression, peaceful assembly or protection against arbitrary detention, so long as they invoke the notwithstanding clause. Chief Justice Nicole Duval Hesler acknowledged that Bill 21 has already caused serious harm to teachers and students, citing, among other things, financial problems, psychological problems, humiliation, obstacles to pursuing the career of their choice, and obstacles to advancing in their careers because they cannot exercise another function within the same school board or change to another school board. (As a concession, the government stipulated teachers who wear religious signs can keep their current jobs, but they cannot be promoted and, since there is now a ban on hiring people who wear religious signs, they cannot switch to another school board.) The three plaintiffs (a university student who wants to become a teacher and who wears the hijab, the National Council of Muslims, and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association) argued that there are strong reasons to believe the Supreme Court will find Sections 6 and 8 of Bill 21 unconstitutional, and that their application, therefore, should be immediately suspended. This is what happened in 2018 to the Quebec Liberal governments newly adopted Bill 62. An earlier chauvinist law targeting Muslim women, Bill 62, stipulated that public services in Quebec must be given and received with uncovered facesstripping women who wear the niqab or burqa of their right to receive schooling at a Quebec university or even public health care. Bill 62 inspired Section 8 of the CAQs Bill 21, but, as Justice Hesler noted in her ruling, since its discriminatory effectis obvious, the legislature included the so-called notwithstanding clause, so as to prevent it being stayed and ultimately struck down as unconstitutional. In an attempt to circumvent the notwithstanding clause and in anticipation of the arguments that they will make when the constitutionality of Bill 21 is adjudicated, the plaintiffs pointed to Section 28 of the Canadian Charter. It states that rights and freedoms are guaranteed equally to male and female persons notwithstanding anything in this Charter, including the notwithstanding clause. Justice Hesler deemed the plaintiffs argument compelling, and in her ruling supporting a stay found that Bill 21 disproportionately discriminates against women (since the vast majority of those adversely affected are hijab-clad Muslim women who are, or are training to be, teachers). The other two members of the Appeal Court panel, Justices Belanger and Mainville, disagreed. Given the governments invocation of the notwithstanding clause, they said that it was far from evident the courts will strike Bill 21 down as unconstitutional. They found the plaintiffs proof Bill 21 violates the constitutions guarantee of gender equality needed to be more comprehensive. Furthermore, how Section 28 precisely relates to the notwithstanding clause is, they contended, a complex legal issue, since it has not previously been the subject of court decisions. In the absence of clear legal precedents and jurisprudence demonstrating Bill 21 was unconstitutional, Justices Belanger and Mainville ruled that the public interest is served by the law remaining in force, since it was the will of the National Assembly (provincial legislature.) However, both judges severely criticized the use of the notwithstanding clause. Justice Belanger wrote that at this stage of the case, the courts must abandon to their fate women graduates who are willing to work and who, for the sole reason that they wear the veil, have been denied access to a job for which they hold all the skills. Justice Mainville added that the use of the notwithstanding clause is not a trivial matter. It entails a suspension of citizens fundamental rights, hard-won rights that guarantee the freedoms we cherish as a society and country. The claims of the Quebec political elite that Bill 21 is aimed at ensuring the secular character of the state are a hypocritical and cynical fraud. Like the defunct Quebec Charter of Values of the 2012-2014 Parti Quebecois government, Bill 21 provides numerous exemptions for Roman Catholic symbols in the public sphere, under the cover of protecting Quebecs cultural heritage. Moreover, the CAQ government has publicly declared it has no objection to teachers wearing discreet Catholic crucifixes. Not without validity, CAQ Premier Francois Legault has boasted his governments law represents a consensus of Quebecs political elite because it draws on both the PQs Charter of Values (which sought to impose an even wider ban on Quebec state employees wearing religious signs) and the Liberals Bill 62. It is also inspired by the pseudo-liberal recommendations of the Quebec government-appointed Bouchard-Taylor Commission, which in 2008 proposed a prohibition on state employees in a position of coercion, such as judges, prison guards and police officers, wearing religious signs. This last recommendation was long trumpeted by Quebec Solidaire (QS), a pro-independence pseudo-left party. For well-over a decade, QS provided a cover for the Quebec elites pronounced turn to chauvinism, insisting that the official debate over secularism and excessive accommodations to minorities was legitimatenot a trumped-up issue used to deflect mounting social anger over austerity and divide the working class. Despite its purported opposition to Bill 21, QS has refused to conduct any campaign against the chauvinist law and has conspicuously boycotted public protests against it. The opposition displayed by the federalist wing of the Canadian ruling class to Bill 21 is no less hypocritical. Other provincial governments, including the hard-right governments of Doug Ford and Jason Kenney, in Ontario and Alberta, respectively, have stoked hostility to refugees and connived with far-right forces. As for the Trudeau Liberal government, its first term in office was marked by a massive increase in military spending and a strengthening of the role of the Canadian Armed Forces in Washingtons neo-colonial wars in the Middle East, which have killed and displaced millions. Since George W. Bush proclaimed a so-called war against terror in 2001, these wars have been associated with the promotion of Islamophobia. Despite its purported pro-refugee stance, the Trudeau government has worked closely with the Trump administration in its witch hunt of immigrants. The CAQs Bill 21, along with its measures to restrict immigration and subject prospective immigrants to cultural selection criteria, are part of an international shift toward authoritarian forms of rule and the promotion of chauvinism and racism. In the United States, Trump has fomented hostility to migrants from Latin America with constant denunciations of them as criminals. Supported by the Democratic Party, he has allocated billions to build a wall between the United States and Mexico and to militarize the border. All over the world, faced with mass opposition to austerity, social inequality and war, the ruling class is seeking to use the poison of chauvinism to divide workers along ethnic lines and to make immigrants and minorities the scapegoats for the social crisis engendered by capitalism. Gail Collins: Bret, lets get right to it. How do you want to see New Hampshire vote? Give me your ideal Democratic finish. Bret Stephens: Gail, my affections wobble, but my antipathies remain the same. Amy Klobuchar put in her best performance yet on the debate stage Friday night by turns mature, nuanced, empathetic and unquestionably presidential. If I were a New Hampshire voter, Id vote for her, not only because I like her but also because Im starting to think shed have a very decent shot at bringing down President Trump. After that, Pete Buttigieg runs a strong second, hampered mainly by my fears that too many Americans will think hes too young, that his resume is too thin, and that hes skipping too many steps on the ladder to the presidency. Next up, Joe Biden, because, while I may worry about his well-being, he wouldnt make me fear for our country. Still, as I said the other night right after the debate, I found myself watching his performance the way I might watch a high school play: grading on a curve and just happy that nobody forgot their lines. The students of Jamia Millia Islamia on Monday alleged that the police manhandled with the students and other protestors who had taken out a march till the Parliament earlier in the day. Talking to IANS, Safoora, one of the core members of Jamia Coordination Committee (JCC) claimed, "I was caught between 4 policemen who refused to budge even though they saw that I couldn't breathe at all and I was fainting...I fell down. I was between their legs for more than 5-6 minutes. They kept ignoring me." "One of my friends found me...he saved me. I wouldn't be alive otherwise. When he begged them to give me space to breathe they kept taunting him. It was terrorising," she added. The doctors who attended the injured students stated, "Most of the injured students have complained about being hit on the stomach, others have talked about severe neck pain due to dragging from the neck." Answering on the claims that the students were hit on their private parts, the medical officer said, "No such complaints have been conveyed to us." Jamia Millia Islamia Vice Chancellor Najma Akhtar, along with other senior officials of the varsity, visited Al Shifa to see students injured during the stand-off with Delhi Police earlier in the day. A senior varsity official said: "Though there was no baton-charge by Delhi Police but some instances of scuffle had left minor injuries to our students. Najma Ma'am went to see them." Earlier in the day, an anti-CAA protest march to Parliament called by the Jamia Coordination Committee was blocked by Delhi Police after the protesters were stopped near the Holy Family Hospital which is within walking distance of Jamia Millia Islamia. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Resurfaced comments presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg made in 2015 defending stop-and-frisk tactics have put the former mayor under increased scrutiny. In a speech given to the Aspen Institute, Bloomberg offers an explanation as to why officers targeted young men in communities of color in an effort to combat the murder rate. (Ninety-Five)% of your murders -- murderers, and murder victims -- fit one M.O. You can just take the description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops, Bloomberg can be heard saying. They are male, minorities, 16 to 25. You want to spend the money on a lot of cops in the streets, put those cops where the crime is, which means in minority neighborhoods, he continued. The comments resurfaced by The Benjamin Dixon Show" podcast, which bills itself as news and commentary from a progressive perspective, have sparked outrage on social media and on Staten Island. Youre going to Xerox identities? How does that work? Taj Ellis, co-advisor for the Staten Island NAACP Youth Council, asked of the former mayor in an interview with the Advance. We dont all just come in a Xeroxed form. During the speech, Bloomberg conceded that one of the unintended consequences of targeting neighborhoods of color is increased marijuana arrests of minority children, but that getting guns off the street presented a need to throw them up against the walls and frisk them. He took the humanity from it," Ellis said of the mayors comments adding that the negative effects of the stop-and-frisk tactics used under the Bloomberg also lead to unnecessary trauma on the people targeted. You dont always get a reason why you were stopped and frisked. You dont always get the police to explain to you whats going on. Sometimes you get thrown up against a wall, have your legs kicked open and then have them ruffle through your body, he said. That traumatizes you. ANOTHER STATEMENT; ISSUES APOLOGIES In another resurfaced clip, Bloomberg can be heard saying that, when considering the demographics of people stopped and frisked, we disproportionately stop whites too much and minorities too little. Bloomberg, since announcing his presidential bid, has issued a series of apologies for stop-and-frisk under his administration. In November, he attempted to address concerns about his former policy during a November campaign speech in Brooklyn. "I was wrong, Bloomberg said before the Christian Cultural Center, a predominantly black megachurch. And I am sorry. The practice of stop-and-frisk in and of itself is not illegal, and it has not ended under the administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio. According to data released Friday by the NYPD, the practice saw a 22% jump in 2019 when compared with the previous year. NYPD statistics show that over 90% of those arrested for and victimized by murder and non-negligent manslaughter are people of color. According to the federal stop-and-frisk case brought against the city in 2013, just over 80% of the 4.4 million stopped from January 2004 to June 2012 were either black or Hispanic people. RIGHTS VIOLATED, JUDGE RULES However, the judge in that case ruled that the tactics targeting minority neighborhoods described by Bloomberg violated the constitutional rights of the people targeted. In her decision, Judge Shira Scheindlin found that the city had violated the rights of the plaintiffs in the class action case brought by four men of color who had repeatedly been stopped and frisked in the city. She found that the NYPD had acted toward communities of color with deliberate indifference in relation to rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment prohibiting unlawful search and seizure, and The Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Bloombergs comments from before his presidential campaign make no mention of the Constitution. He presents his defense of the tactics as an effort in getting the guns out of the hands of the people who are getting killed. A DELETED TRUMP TWEET On Tuesday, he pointed to a deleted tweet from President Trump calling the former mayor a total racist. President Trumps deleted tweet is the latest example of his endless efforts to divide Americans, Bloomberg said. The presidents attack on me clearly reflects his fear over the growing strength of my campaign. Make no mistake Mr. President: I am not afraid of you and I will not let you bully me or anyone else in America. Between now and November, I will do everything I can to defeat you whether I am on the ballot or not. Trump has made his own statements in support of the citys practice of stop-and-frisk also making no mention of the Constitution. In a 2016 Fox News town hall, then-candidate Donald Trump said the program worked for the city. I would do stop-and-frisk. I think you have to, Trump said at the time. We did it in New York. It worked incredibly well, and you have to be proactive. Scheindlin repeatedly pointed out that her decision was based on the tactics constitutionality not their effectiveness. However, the trial also found that of the 4.4 million stops, 52% led to a frisk for weapons, and in 98.5% of those frisks, no weapons were found. Murder and non-negligible manslaughter rates have not increased in New York City since Scheindlins decision. In 2012, there were 419 such incidents, and in 2019, there were 319. The city saw a record-low number of those incidents in 2017 with 292. File image: PM Modi and US President Donald Trump US President Donald Trump will be visiting India from February 24-25, the White House announced on February 10. Trump, who will be on his first visit to India as the US president, will have stops in New Delhi and Gujarat. In a statement, the White House said that Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will make the trip to "strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership". The White House said that Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked by telephone over the weekend. The two leaders have pursued a close relationship, with PM Modi visiting in September and hosting Trump at a huge rally in Houston, Texas, dubbed "Howdy, Modi!" (More details awaited)(With inputs from PTI) Australia's fintech sector is ripe for consolidation says Capify founder and chief executive David Goldin as he sizes up potential acquisitions. There has been a rash of new entrants in the fintech space in Australia with start-ups and 'neobanks' jostling for a share of the $27 billion a year in big four bank profits. Capify launched in Australia more than 10 years ago with a focus on lending to small businesses with micro-repayment options through daily or weekly repayments but it has seen increased competition recently from the rise of fintechs like Prospa and Zip Co and the launch of SME challenger bank Judo. David Goldin is the founder and chief executive of small business lender Capify. Credit:Simon Schluter Mr Goldin won't detail Capify's financials but points to the $135 million credit facility it secured from Goldman Sachs last year as evidence of the privately-owned business' war chest. The coronavirus outbreak is being used as an excuse for xenophobic behaviour towards Asians, Labor frontbencher Andrew Giles will warn on Wednesday as he calls for a new national anti-racism campaign. Pointing to the example of a News Corp columnist mocking the name of former race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane, Mr Giles will sound the alarm about a "creeping normalisation of hate and racism" in Australia. Labor MP Andrew Giles says the party's lesson from the election should not be to "move to the right". Credit:Andrew Meares Citing "near-constant denigration" of African-Australians in some parts of the media, violent attacks on people of Asian appearance in Melbourne and Sydney in recent years and a spike in attacks on Australian Muslims, the opposition spokesman for multicultural affairs will say racism in Australia is on the rise. Seven years since the last national anti-racism campaign was launched by the Gillard government, he will say the government must renew its commitment to anti-racism and equality, "remembering that the standard we walk past is the standard we accept". Manila, Feb 11 : The mayor of a city in southern Philippines whose name figured in the controversial "narco-list" prepared on the orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, was shot dead in Manila, the police confirmed on Tuesday. Abdul Wahab Sabal, 45, was shot dead on Monday night at the entrance of a hotel in Manila, just after he arrived there with his wife and security guard, Efe news quoted the police as saying. Sabal was shot three times, killing him on the spot. He was the mayor of the Sultan Sumagka municipality in the Muslim-majority Maguindanao province, and his named figured in the controversial list of public officials allegedly involved in drug-trafficking that was prepared by the police on Duterte's orders when his anti-drug campaign kicked off in 2016. During Duterte's term in office, at least 18 councillors and mayors have been assassinated, with many of them figuring in the narco-list, which is based on police suspicions and allegations instead of firm convictions. Duterte's controversial war against drugs has led to the killing of around 7,000 suspects - who police claim were resisting arrest - although human rights groups have alleged that as many as 30,000 people have been killed in extra-judicial killings, encouraged by the climate of impunity prevalent in the campaign. Sabal was also named as a suspect in an explosion in a Davao city market in September 2016, which killed 14 people. He had denied his involvement in the incident. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: Important steps were taken in the Azerbaijani economy in 2019 to increase its transparency and reduce the scale of the shadow economy, Azerbaijani Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov said. Jabbarov made the remarks in Baku at the press-conference entitled Tax Reforms: From Shadows to the Light, Trend reports. Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Taxes and the management of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan attended the conference. The minister stressed that the measures have been taken recently to establish transparent business relations according to the state-business scheme. Azerbaijan laid the foundation for a new transformation of these relations and introduced soft tax control, Jabbarov added. Moreover, the business itself, although partially, comes out of the 'shadow' as a result of using new mechanisms of tax incentives. "In general, the positive approach of the business community to the format of new relations once again proves the correctness of the ongoing policy while their transparency is the choicelessness," Jabbarov added. The minister stressed that the tax system plays a big role in economic regulation and is an important tool of one of the main goals - the development of entrepreneurship in the context of the economic development of the country as a whole. Touching upon business activity and business flexibility, the minister emphasized that a big number of small and medium-sized enterprises today create a solid foundation for employment and sustainable economy, which again shows the importance of bringing the economy to a high level of transparency. The minister also congratulated those involved in the tax system on their professional holiday and stressed the great role of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in the development of the Azerbaijani tax system through ongoing state programs as part of the economic reforms. Earlier, President Aliyev unequivocally stated at the conference dedicated to the results of the first year of the implementation of the State Program for the Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2019-2023 that it is necessary, first of all, to increase the effectiveness of the fight against the shadow economy to bring the national economy to a new qualitative level. In accordance with the data presented by the president, thanks to the reforms carried out in this sphere, the tax and customs bodies transferred more than one billion manat ($588.2 million) in 2019 to the budget beyond the forecast. LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Noble Corporation plc and ExxonMobil today announced the execution of a unique commercial enabling agreement for drilling services in the Guyana-Suriname Basin. The agreement defines contract terms for the continuation of drilling services using certain drilling units in Noble's fleet. The ultra-deepwater drillships Noble Bob Douglas, Noble Tom Madden and Noble Don Taylor, which are currently executing drilling assignments for ExxonMobil offshore Guyana, are included in the framework agreement, and other drilling rigs may be added to the agreement. The Noble Bob Douglas is located on the Liza Phase I field development project, while the Noble Tom Madden and Noble Don Taylor are assigned to exploration drilling in the region. Following the dates listed in the second column of the table below, dayrates earned by each rig will be updated at least twice per year to the prevailing market rate, subject to a scale-based discount and performance bonus which appropriately aligns the interests of Noble and ExxonMobil. Concurrent with signing of the agreement, ExxonMobil has awarded 3.5 years of term to be added at the conclusion of each rigs' current contract commitments, as follows: Est. Date of Commencement Initial Term Rig Under CEA Under CEA Noble Tom Madden December 2020 3 years Noble Bob Douglas March 2021 0.5 years Noble Don Taylor November 2020 - The agreement provides for allocation of six additional years dependent on future development decisions and government approvals, as well as the potential for incremental contract term, or rigs as required. Julie J. Robertson, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Noble Corporation plc, stated, "The Guyana-Suriname basin stands as one of the world's premier offshore exploration and development opportunities. Since establishing an operating presence offshore Guyana in March 2018 with the Noble Bob Douglas, we have continued to expand our footprint in the region." "The commercial enabling agreement with ExxonMobil takes our regional position a step further, as we benefit from multi-year contract visibility and utilization allocated across three of our premium drillships. This attractive commercial model secures current market pricing dynamics on six-month intervals and important operational economies of scale, and, importantly, the agreement can cover additional Noble drilling rigs. We are honored to strengthen our relationship with ExxonMobil and to have a significant role in this prolific region, which will continue to contribute to the growing need for advanced offshore drilling technology and solutions." The Noble Bob Douglas, Noble Tom Madden and Noble Don Taylor are each Gusto P-10000 design ultra-deepwater drillships capable of operating in water depths of up to 12,000 feet. The rigs, which commenced operations during 2013 and 2014, are equipped with advanced drilling systems, and redundant subsea control technology and station-keeping systems. About Noble Corporation plc Noble is a leading offshore drilling contractor for the oil and gas industry. The Company owns and operates one of the most modern, versatile and technically advanced fleets in the offshore drilling industry. Noble performs, through its subsidiaries, contract drilling services with a fleet of 25 offshore drilling units, consisting of 12 drillships and semisubmersibles and 13 jackups, focused largely on ultra-deepwater and high-specification jackup drilling opportunities in both established and emerging regions worldwide. Noble is a public limited company registered in England and Wales with company number 08354954 and registered office at 10 Brook Street, London, W1S 1BG England. Additional information on Noble is available at www.noblecorp.com. Forward-looking Disclosure Statement Statements regarding the commercial enabling agreement, future dayrates, contract duration, future contract term, additional rigs, industry fundamentals, customer relationships and requirements, the offshore drilling market, market outlook, as well as any other statements that are not historical facts in this release, are forward-looking statements that involve certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions. These include but are not limited to operating hazards and delays, risks associated with operations outside of the U.S., actions or claims by regulatory authorities, customers and other third parties, legislation and regulations affecting drilling operations, compliance with regulatory requirements, factors affecting the level of activity in the oil and gas industry, supply and demand of drilling rigs, factors affecting the duration of contracts, the actual amount of downtime, factors that reduce applicable dayrates, violations of anti- corruption laws, hurricanes and other weather conditions, market conditions, the future price of oil and gas and other factors detailed in the Company's most recent Form 10K, Form 10-Q's and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated. SOURCE Noble Corporation Related Links https://www.noblecorp.com WASHINGTON - Americans increasingly rate this as the best economy since the late 1990s, with a recent surge in optimism, even though many economic metrics show striking similarities to the final years of the Obama administration. Fifty-nine percent of Americans say they are better off financially today than they were a year ago, the highest since 1999, according to a Gallup survey released last week. And nearly three-quarters predict they will do better a year from now, the most optimistic reading that Gallup's annual "Mood of the Nation" survey has ever recorded. Other polls and surveys aren't quite as ebullient, but nearly all show that Americans are far less worried about the economy and their personal financial situations than they were during the last presidential election. Upbeat sentiment is critical for the U.S. economy because it motivates consumer spending, the most important driver of U.S. economic growth. And President Donald Trump is counting on a strong economy to motivate voters to turn out at the polls and reelect him. Bryan DeHenau runs a roofing business in Macomb County, Michigan, just outside Detroit. Around the time of the last presidential election, he had enough jobs to keep one crew busy, but some of the gigs were barely profitable. Today he can keep three crews busy during the spring and summer months, and he has been able to raise prices, regularly giving people estimates of $20,000 to totally redo a roof and finding that "they don't even bat an eye about it anymore." "I'm driving a brand-new 2019 Ford F-250. I've got work coming out the ying-yang. I'm doing OK," DeHenau said. "Four years ago, I couldn't sleep at night. That's a pretty big turnaround." Some of the biggest recent increases in consumer confidence have come from independent voters and less affluent households, according to Richard Curtin, director of the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. His team always asks people to explain why they feel confident, and lately they are hearing near-record levels of people saying their income and wealth are rising. "We've only seen this many people mention income gains twice before: 1966 after the 1960s expansion and 2000 after the 1990s expansion," Curtin said. In interviews with six small-business owners across the country, all acknowledged that the economy had turned around under President Barack Obama, but they pointed out that several more years of steady growth, solid job gains and additional stock market records under Trump had turned "cautious optimism" into full-blown optimism. Business owners varied in how much credit they would give Trump personally, but all had examples of how they had more work than they could handle and were buying equipment and bringing on new people in ways that had not happened since before the Great Recession. Trump's approval rating on the economy hit an all-time high last month, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. On Friday, the Labor Department reported that the U.S. economy added 225,000 jobs in January, beating forecasters' expectations and further dampening concerns about a recession. Many workers have also felt better off financially thanks to tax cuts, cheaper gas prices and minimum-wage increases in more than 20 states. Wage growth has inched up for rank-and-file workers in recent months, although it remains below the stellar levels of the late 1990s. Economists say one of the biggest drivers of consumer confidence is job quantity. Confidence rises when people feel as if it is easy to get a job, even if it is not a high-paying one. Job growth has slowed lately, averaging 182,000 a month under Trump vs. 220,000 a month in the 37 months at the end of Obama's tenure. But the health of the labor market is evident, with the unemployment rate near half-century lows at 3.6 percent. The nation has added over 2 million jobs every year for the past nine years, an unprecedented streak of steady gains. "Your chance of going to work tomorrow and getting laid off is lower than it's ever been going back to 1948," said Ian Shepherdson, chief economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. "That feeling of job security is very important." DeHenau, 33, calls this the best economy of his working years. He voted for Obama and then Trump. He gives Obama credit for getting the upswing going, but he thinks the economy would not be as good as it now without Trump. "I give Trump 80 to 90 percent of the credit," DeHenau said. "Even under Obama when it was good, there was no profitability." There has been less praise for Trump in the manufacturing sector, which tumbled into a technical recession last year as the president's trade war drove up prices and hurt purchases from other parts of the world. Jamison Scott, who runs a small manufacturing company in Woodbridge, Connecticut, remembers the ugly surprise he got after Trump enacted steel tariffs in March 2018 and steel prices soared about 20 percent. Scott, who manufactures and distributes air ducts and says he uses American steel, was worried how his company could manage the extra cost - or even keep getting enough steel. One steel shipment he ordered that year showed up with about a quarter less material than what he requested. But steel prices have come back down in recent months, a welcome relief for Scott, and his business from throughout the country has picked up. Enough cash has been coming in that he bought a new plasma cutter and seam welder, the types of big purchases he had not made in years. "Customers we haven't heard from in a while are coming out of the woodwork," said Scott, the executive vice president of Air Handling Systems. "The biggest difference for me is the volatility is gone." Manufacturing is now a smaller part of the overall U.S. economy, which is driven largely by the fast-growing service sector. Still, there are signs of a potential pickup, even for manufacturing. A popular manufacturing gauge, the Institute for Supply Management survey, recently reported its first expansionary reading since July. Trump's recent "Phase One" trade deal with China includes promises that China will buy more U.S. manufacturing and agricultural products in the next two years, another reason for optimism in sectors hit hard by the trade war. "The Chinese are sticking to the Phase One deal," Larry Kudlow, Trump's top economic adviser, said in an interview. "The president had a good phone call [Thursday] night with [Chinese President] Xi Jinping. Xi said, 'Look, the expected purchase of U.S. exports may be slightly delayed, but we will make it.' " Michael Canty, president of Alloy Bellows & Precision Welding in Cleveland, is more confident about manufacturing after the recent China deal and Trump's signing of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement. "All boom cycles have an end - we all know that. But I think this is going to continue for at least another two years," Canty said. "The reason for that is the trade deals and the regulations that have come off. They are having an effect now." There are two big question marks for the U.S. economy this year - how bad the impact of the coronavirus will be and whether business spending will pick up. Kudlow and many private-sector economists have predicted a small impact from the deadly coronavirus on the U.S. economy, shaving off about 0.2 percent from first-quarter growth. But it is yet another reason for leaders of large multinational companies to worry. While consumers have continued spending at a healthy rate, business investment outside the housing sector contracted from April through December. Many leaders of large corporations do not hold the same economic ebullience that consumers and small-business owners do. "When we look at the CEO confidence survey, it's quite a different story," said Lynn Franco, director of economic indicators and surveys at the Conference Board. "They are much more pessimistic. Trade has taken a toll on business investment." There are also concerns about the U.S. economy that Democratic presidential candidates have been talking up frequently, especially the lack of higher-paying jobs and the often burdensome costs of health care, child care and college. Jobs that pay middle-class wages have been going away in recent years, replaced with really high-wage and really low-wage work. That trend is ongoing despite Trump's repeated promises of a "blue-collar boom." "By and large, we are producing a lot of low-quality jobs," said Mark Muro, director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution. "But a job is a job for a jittery nation." _ _ _ The Washington Post's Scott Clement contributed to this report. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The Supreme Court will likely dismiss the petition to cancel ABS-CBN's franchise as the complaint had "no factual basis" and was filed at the wrong venue, a legal expert said. Constitutional lawyer Tony La Vina said Solicitor General Jose Calida's quo warranto plea asking the high court to revoke the network's existing franchise and to take the KBO channel off the air should be dismissed if the SC's rules are strictly followed. "In my view, the petition is a wrong petition in the wrong venue. There's no basis for the petition and it should not be in the Supreme Court," La Vina, also a law professor at the Ateneo Law School, told CNN Philippines' Newsroom. Calida filed the petition against ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., claiming violations after the network supposedly allowed foreign investors gain control over the company through Philippine Deposit Receipts or PDRs. The network has denied violating its current franchise. In an interview with CNN Philippines' The Source, Cagayan de Oro Representative Rufus Rodriguez agreed that Calida's petition had "no basis at all," saying that a quo warranto only applies to a person who "intrudes, usurps, unlawfully holds or exercises" a position or franchise. He said these do not apply to the network. Calida used the same petition to remove Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno from office by proving that she did not qualify for the post because she did not file her Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth or SALNs for 10 years before she applied to be chief justice in 2012. Per SC rules, La Vina said the highest court in the land would outrightly dismiss cases where facts have not been established, as well as when the complaint did not go through concerned government agencies and lower courts for redress first. "If he (Calida) has issues with respect to how ABS-CBN has exercised its franchise, it should go to the National Telecommunications Commission. If it has issues about the ownership of ABS-CBN which is the other basis for the quo warranto, it should go to the Securities and Exchange Commission," the lawyer added. La Vina noted that the question on PDRs has no factual basis, as these are "standard" investment tools that allow a media company to raise funding. READ: House hearing not yet set for ABS-CBN franchise bill renewal Questions on whether the Lopez-owned network violated provisions of its 1995 franchise should be something for Congress to resolve, as it issued the 25-year franchise which allowed the network to continue broadcasting. The House of Representatives and Senate are yet to start discussing ABS-CBN's franchise renewal at the committee level, with barely two months left before the existing franchise expires by March 30. La Vina also warned that this apparent intimidation is a threat to press freedom, even if Calida and Malacanang claimed that the petition is not motivated by politics. "This has a chilling effect on the media organizations to stay critical about the President. We have to fight against this from a point of view as well," he said, adding that the network cannot be considered anti-government at all as a number of its news commentators are supporters of the administration. President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly slammed the network for supposedly failing to air his presidential campaign advertisements in 2016. ABS-CBN has over 10,000 employees and talents as of end-2018, who may lose their jobs if the network is forced to cease operations. Duterte to ABS-CBN: Next year, you're out Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 04:08:47|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke over phone with his Indonesian counterpart Joko Widodo on Tuesday night, expressing confidence in a full victory in the fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic and achieving goals of economic and social development. Xi noted that at this critical juncture when China is battling the novel coronavirus pneumonia epidemic, President Joko's phone conversation with him reflects Indonesia's friendship with and support to China as a comprehensive strategic partner. Xi expressed appreciation for the trust and understanding extended by Indonesian friends. China and Indonesia, both major developing countries, should join hands in shouldering the responsibilities of major countries and achieve new progress, Xi said. China is ready to continue to carry forward the traditional good-neighborly friendship with Indonesia, continue to deepen the synergy of their development strategies, and well implement key projects on the joint construction of the Belt and Road, such as the Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway, to bring more benefits for the two peoples, Xi said. Xi stressed that fighting the epidemic is currently the top priority of the Chinese government. China has given full play to its system advantage, waged a people's war in epidemic prevention and control, adopted the most rigorous and thorough prevention and control measures, and achieved positive results, he said. The Chinese nation is one that has endured hardships and possesses an indomitable spirit, with ever stronger rallying power and combat capability in face of greater difficulties and challenges, Xi said. China has the capability, confidence and certainty to score an outright victory over the epidemic, and at the same time achieve goals of economic and social development, he said, expressing belief that China will attain greater prosperity after overcoming the epidemic. With its commitment to the vision of a community with a shared future for mankind, China has been safeguarding the life and health of the Chinese people, and at the same time fulfilling responsibility for the cause of global public health, Xi said. China will continue to strengthen cooperation on the prevention and control of the epidemic with Indonesia and other countries in an open and transparent manner to safeguard regional and global public health security, Xi said, stressing that China will continue to take good care of foreign nationals, including Indonesians, in China in the same way as it looks after its own citizens. A friend in need is a friend indeed, Xi stressed. Since the epidemic broke out, China's neighboring countries, including Indonesia, have provided valuable support for China in various ways, giving testimony to the fact that they as neighbors have been sharing weal and woe, sticking together through thick and thin, and helping each other in difficult times, he said. Xi expressed hope that regional countries will work hard to maintain bilateral exchanges and cooperation while taking appropriate steps in epidemic prevention and control, acting in a way that serves the common interests of both sides and countries in the region. Joko expressed sympathies to the Chinese government and people over the epidemic on behalf of the Indonesian government and people. At this difficult time when China is battling the epidemic, Joko said, Indonesia as China's sincere partner will always firmly stand by the Chinese people and work with the Chinese people to score a victory over the epidemic as soon as possible. Indonesia has provided a batch of medical supplies to China, he said, adding that the country is ready to continue to offer necessary assistance in response to the needs of the Chinese side. Indonesia is willing to work with China to continue to promote the construction of the Belt and Road, Joko said, expressing belief that the Indonesia-China friendship will be deepened and bilateral ties will be elevated to higher levels following the test of the epidemic. The death toll in China due to the novel coronavirus epidemic has crossed 1,000, while the confirmed cases have gone over 42,000, health officials announced on Tuesday. As many as 108 deaths were reported on Monday and 2,478 new cases of the lethal disease were confirmed, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. The death toll due to nCoV rose to 1,016 and the confirmed cases have gone up to 42,638, according to the commission. Among the deaths, 103 were in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, and one each in Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Anhui and Henan, state-run Xinhua agency quoted the commission as saying. A total of 3,996 patients infected with the coronavirus have been discharged from hospital till Monday after recovery, the report said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. Department of Justice went to federal court on Monday to challenge limits imposed by New Jersey on state and local law enforcement cooperating with immigration authorities. In late 2018, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal issued a sweeping directive that included two restrictions that the Justice Department wants a federal judge to rule as invalid. The Immigrant Trust Directive prohibits state officials from sharing information with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement related to immigration status and release dates of people in their custody. The directive also requires law enforcement to promptly notify a detained individual if ICE has filed an immigration detainer request for that individual. ICE lodges detainers against people who have been arrested on criminal charges and are believed to be removable aliens. A detainer asks another law-enforcement agency to notify ICE in advance of that persons release and to hold that person until ICE can assume custody. Craig Carpenito, the U.S. attorney in New Jersey, issued a brief statement on the complaint, filed in federal court in Newark, that focused on the legal argument: Todays lawsuit seeks to restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments. Grewal countered that the action was politically motivated: Once again, the Trump administration is sacrificing public safety for political expedience. Supporters of the New Jersey directive say that it encourages illegal immigrants to cooperate with police when they are crime victims or witnesses. The Trump administration lost a legal challenge against the City of Philadelphia over the federal governments trying to use grant money as leverage to force the city to cooperate. In June 2018, after a four-day trial and nearly a year of litigation, U.S. Senior District Judge Michael Baylson ruled that the administrations attempt to withhold federal law enforcement grant money violates statutory and constitutional law." The Justice Departments filing on Monday follows a related action last month in which federal prosecutors submitted a filing in support of a legal challenge by Cape May and Ocean Counties attempting to overturn the state limits on their cooperation with immigration authorities. Care without confusion. Advice without the sales pitch. Expertise without the extra time. This is the Big Brand Experience. Its not just for our customers, this is for each and every Big Brand Tire & Service Team Member." said Chris Cassidy, Marketing, Creative Director of Big Brand Tire & Service Big Brand Tire & Service hosted their 2020 kick-off meeting at their new Support Center in Moorpark, CA on Wednesday, January 22. Big Brand Tire & Service hosted their 2020 kick-off meeting at their new Support Center in Moorpark, CA on Wednesday, January 22. Aptly named the 2020 Big Brand Experience, the three-day event consisted of a series of presentations and Q&A workshops to respond to the call of an ever-changing industry and consumer persona. As each Big Brand Tire & Service team member entered their new support center, the Big Brand Experience for both the consumer and employee was evidently conveyed throughout the new facility. Colorful branding, plants, comfortable seating, citrus scents and ambient music created a friendly family room-like experience. Care without confusion. Advice without the sales pitch. Expertise without the extra time. This is the Big Brand Experience. And its not just for our customers. This is for each and every Big Brand Tire & Service Team Member. An experience like this works best only when everyone helps bring it to life and our new support center is a testament to this. said Chris Cassidy, Marketing, Creative Director of Big Brand Tire & Service. After being wowed by their new support center, the group began their three-day journey with a full day of strategic management planning aimed towards engineering Big Brand Tire & Services success today, tomorrow, and the years to come. On day two, field team members, management, support center staff, and senior leadership walked through the approaches they each plan to take to create and develop the consumer's Big Brand Experience. Each department presented their 2020 Big Brand Experience vision, which was highlighted by the technology deployed in their proprietary Point of Sale (POS) system, Edge. These features Include built-in components such as digital vehicle inspections, customer feedback portal, and text to pay. On the final day, store managers spent their time working on financial management skills through a hands-on workshop. Not only were team members extremely impressed, they were most excited about the change in operational perspective designed to fill the unique opportunities the industry and consumers have created. The breaking out of financials by category was a different approach. It left me wanting to learn more said Delip Singh, Store Manager of Big Brand Tire & Service in Santa Barbara. The Big Brand Experience was developed to make Big Brand Tire & Service even more flexible and responsive to customer needs, positioning themselves for future opportunities. This meeting was pivotal in establishing just that, a way for the company to provide a friendly car care experience for all. About Big Brand Tire & Service Big Brand Tire & Service, based in Camarillo, California, is a tire and automotive service retailer. The company currently operates 20 stores across southern and central California. In 2019, the company marked its 50th year serving customers as their trusted tire and automotive service provider in local markets across California. Big Brand Tire & Service also sponsors IMCA Street Stock Series. All Moroccans who were evacuated from Wuhan, which has been at the center of a coronavirus outbreak, are in good health as they continue to be closely monitored, Moroccan health official said. Morocco repatriated 167 people on board the RAM Dreamliner a week ago. They were transferred to Hospital Sidi Said in Meknes and military hospital Mohammed V in Rabat, which have been prepared to host them for an observation period of 20 days to ensure their safety and that of their families. Head of infectious and tropical center in Rabat, Abdelkrim Meziane Belfkih, assured that Morocco has set up a special committee to take measures to protect Moroccans against the virus. He said screenings for symptoms are taking place in all entry points in Moroccan airports and ports adding that those with symptoms undergo virus tests. The repatriated passengers from Wuhan, mostly students, have been accompanied by a civilian and military medical team. The King has ordered their repatriation to Morocco and the setting up of measures to prevent the spread of the virus in the country. The number of deaths in China has exceeded 1000 but the number of newly-infected people per day has stabilized. Across China, 40,171 people are infected while 187,518 are under medical observation. Meanwhile, 60 more people have tested positive on a cruise ship quarantined in Japan off Yokohama, meaning 130 out of 3,700 passengers have caught the virus. The WHO on Saturday said the number of new cases in China was stabilizing but warned it was too early to say if the virus had peaked. Meghan Markle and Prince Harrys new home in Canada is truly fit for a royal, even if theyve given up traditional royal life. According to PureWow, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been living in a new home on Vancouver Island since late 2019, on the Saanich Inlet of North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. But just because theyre technically not being called His and Her Royal Highness, according to Marie Claire, doesnt mean theyre living like regular folks these days. Harry, Meghan, and their nine-month-old son, Archie, now live in a $14 million dollar, 10,000-square-foot mansion. MARK GOODNOW/Getty Images The residence of Prince Harry and and his wife Meghan is seen in Deep Cove Neighborhood from a boat on the Saanich Inlet, North Saanich, British Columbia on January 21, 2020. | MARK GOODNOW/Getty Images PureWow reported that the home comes complete with a 17th century imported French fireplace, wine tasting room, lots of bedrooms, bathrooms, and living spaces, a gated entrance (more for their own privacy against paparazzi, no doubt), a guest house, and lots of space in the yard. Theres even a rocky beach nearby for the family to enjoy. By any non-royal persons standards, the home rivals that of an actual castle. According to the Mirror, the home is known as Mille Fleurs ("thousand flowers" in French) and was rumored to be owned by a Russian businessman (who was not named). In addition, Meghans mother Doria also occasionally stays with the family in the houses guest cottage, according to the Mirror no doubt, helping out with her new grandson. %image1 Of course, Meghan and Harry will only live in Canada part-time. The Queen issued a statement in January that the family agreed that there will be a period of transition in which the Sussexes will spend time in Canada and the UK. While in the UK, the Sussexes will continue to live in Frogmore Cottage in Windsor, according to House Beautiful. Even though theyre not active, working members of the royal family anymore, having two gorgeous homes both in Canada and the UK seems like a pretty big perk. A construction worker was killed while working on a San Francisco Public Works project last week in the Midtown Terraces neighborhood, officials said. An employee of K.J. Woods Construction, contracted for the project, suffered fatal injuries when he was driving a three-wheel street sweeper that went into an embankment, according to Cal/OSHA spokesman Frank Polizzi. LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles , a cultural destination in the heart of Hollywood that offers immersive experiences, announces its February lineup of dynamic programming to delight the five senses. Shojin Ryori: An Introduction to Mindful Eating On February 23, JAPAN HOUSE will host a Japanese Food Lab event dedicated to the more spiritual aspect of cuisine, with Shojin Ryori: An Introduction to Mindful Eating. Today, many people are seeking a more mindful relationship with their food due to concerns about health and the environment, so its the perfect time to discover shojin ryori, or Buddhist temple food, a type of cooking that highlights Zen principles from the choice of ingredients, to the methods of preparation, to the experience of eating itself. All dishes are vegetarian and emphasize simplicity, but contain layers of philosophical meaning and nuanced flavor. In this lecture and tasting guided by the esteemed Soto Zen monk Rev. Shumyo Kojima, participants will learn the basics of shojin ryori and experience a meal in the same manner monks in ascetic training do. Aroma & Mindfulness: An Exploration and Discovery of the Senses, Built on the Aromas of HIDA In the dimension of scent, visitors can also follow their nose to Aroma & Mindfulness: An Exploration and Discovery of the Senses, Built on the Aromas of HIDA, a pair of interactive workshops on February 29 which build on the role of wood scent in craft heritage and sustainability, organized as part of the current exhibition HIDA: A Woodwork Tradition in the Making. Led by host and scent expert Saskia Wilson-Brown, founder and executive director of the Institute for Art and Olfaction, participants are invited to deeply contemplate Hidas forests and the woodworking culture and symbiotic relationship with them as enshrined in the exhibit. Attendees will experience each of Hida Sangyos aromas in a tranquil setting, and be guided to understand how tree scents are related to, and complemented by, other natural aromas such as those extracted from flowers, herbs and other aromatics. With this basic understanding of the principles of pairing and blending, participants will then try their hand at blending custom scents in line with their personal taste, and come away with a memento of this unique sensory experience. Story continues HIDA | A Woodwork Tradition in the Making Since it opened in January, visitors have been discovering the latest exhibition HIDA | A Woodwork Tradition in the Making, which brings Japanese woodcraft from its spiritual homeland of the Hida region of Japan to Los Angeles for the first time. Engaging all five senses, the exhibition guides visitors to experience these themes for themselves: coexistence with the forest (Forest), consideration of inherent human needs (Human), a legacy cultivated through time (Time), and a continuous refinement of craft (Craft). On display through April 12, the exhibition allows visitors to encounter the legendary craftsmen of Hida and their design legacy today, embodied in the work of century-old furniture maker Hida Sangyo Co., Ltd. In addition to the Aroma & Mindfulness workshop, other special tie-ins utilizing the exhibition themes will soon be announced. Sharing Japanese American History in Japan On a more conceptual note, the Consulate General of Japan in Los Angeles and JAPAN HOUSE are co-presenting two special events to explore cutting-edge contemporary issues of culture and society. On February 12, the talk Sharing Japanese American History in Japan will feature Dr. Mitchell T. Maki reflecting on his recent experience sharing Japanese American history in Japan, where he traveled as an official government guest. Dr. Maki made presentations at respected academic institutions as well as traveling to Hiroshima and his ancestral home of Yamaguchi Prefecture. Hell describe how his research and perspective was shaped by this trip, and how it reconnected him to his dual heritage - rooted in America as much as Japan. Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan On February 13, audiences will get to experience the Walk in U.S., Talk on Japan program, held for the second year running at JAPAN HOUSE, which since 2013 has brought expert voices from Japan to various regions of the U.S. to share insights, culture, and inspiration. This years program features a diverse delegation of speakers who will share their views on Japans contributions to tackling urgent regional and global issues. The audience will gain a better understanding of Japans innovative forms of problem-solving across health, politics, business and civic life, and hear high-level perspectives on whats coming next for the country at home and relations abroad. Announced topics include current developments of Fukushima Prefecture today, the U.S. and Japan as allies of innovation, and the strength and possibilities of Japanese enterprises in solving social issues. ABOUT JAPAN HOUSE JAPAN HOUSE is an innovative, worldwide project with three hubs, London, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo, conceived by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It seeks to nurture a deeper understanding and appreciation of Japan in the international community. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles occupies two floors at Hollywood & Highland. The 2nd floor features a gallery space and the 5th floor hosts a Japanese restaurant, relaxing library, and event venue, along with spectacular views of Hollywood and Downtown Los Angeles. JAPAN HOUSE Los Angeles offers a place of new discovery that transcends the physical and conceptual boundaries creating experiences that reflect the best of Japan through its spaces and diverse programs. Location: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 Website: www.japanhouse.jp/losangeles Media Contact Nerissa Silao | 310-874-9230 | nerissas@ca.rr.com In the late 1930's, Spain was embroiled in a civil war which prefigured the conflicts of World War II. Approximately 3,000 volunteers from the U.S. joined a special unit fighting on the Republican side against the fascists and Nazis. They were called the Abraham Lincoln Brigade. Only one-half survived the war and returned. Forever Activists explores the subsequent careers of a number of those who fought in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, including a 50th anniversary reunion in Spain in 1986. Over the years, they were active participants in the civil rights struggles, the peace movement, the anti-colonial movement, anti-Vietnam war, and anti-Iraq war. The Brigade was the first, fully integrated American fighting force with African officers. Guest speakers will include; Peter Hartzman, whose mother was a nurse, and father, an ambulance driver, in the Abraham Lincoln Brigade; Peter Carroll, historian & Board member of Abraham Lincoln Brigade Archives; Nancy and Len Tsou, researchers and authors dedicated to chronicling the Chinese and other internationals who came to Spain to fight with the International Brigades. Peter will also talk about the restoration of the largest U.S. monument dedicated to the volunteers who fought fascism in Spain, (at the end of San Francisco's Market St.), which is near completion, and the rededication ceremonial event scheduled for May 3rd For more event information: https://sanjosepeace.org/ Added to the calendar on Monday Feb 10th, 2020 5:25 PM President Donald Trump touched down in New Hampshire Monday on the eve of the states primary to, as he tweeted beforehand, shake up the Dems a little bit. Trump, whos technically on the ballot Tuesday, held a rally in Manchester in an effort to deflect some of the spotlightand headlinesfrom the Democratic race. Fair play. Its a tried-and-true tactic, and an understandable one, though most U.S. presidents have refrained from engaging with non-nominees of the opposing party by name because, well, they were the president. Why elevate Dennis Kucinich? That is not how Trump operates, obviously. He needs as many boogeymen and vanquished foes as he can conjure. Advertisement Trump, of course, has never been one for larger principles or the greater good or fairness for that matter. Or anything that doesnt suit his immediate self-interest. So it should perhaps be unsurprising that Trumps campaign is also kinda hoping that his visit to the state will make it harder for Democrats to do their civic duty of seeing and evaluating their potential representatives before casting their votes. The Associated Press reports: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advisers hoped that Secret Service moves in Manchester to secure the area for president would make it harder for Democratic candidates and their supporters to transverse the states largest city in the hours before the primarys first votes are cast. Jerks. At the rally, he urged New Hampshire independents who support himpeople are allowed to vote in either partys primaryto instead back the weakest Democratic candidate Tuesday, according to the AP. He also again trafficked in the unfounded conspiracy theory that buses of illegal voters traveled in from Massachusetts in 2016 to deprive him of a New Hampshire victory. Trumps better angels will be smoking a cigarette out back on Election Day. The American Association for the Advancement of Science has selected 12 scientists and engineers working in artificial intelligence as AAAS Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellows. The Alan I. Leshner Leadership Institute for Public Engagement with Science at AAAS addresses topics at the intersection of science and society, convening researchers who demonstrate leadership and excellence in their research careers and interest in promoting meaningful dialogue between science and society. The scientists and engineers selected for the 2020-2021 cohort represent the field of artificial intelligence, working to develop or study machines and algorithms that augment or mimic human abilities, learn from and adjust to new situations, and perform tasks such as responding to search requests, managing manufacturing processes, and assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions. A reception will be held on Thursday, February 13 at 4:00 p.m. at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle to welcome the new AAAS Leshner Public Engagement Fellows. The incoming AAAS Leshner Public Engagement Fellows will convene in June at AAAS headquarters in Washington, D.C. for a week of intensive public engagement and science communication training, networking and public engagement plan development. The fellows will return to their institutions with resources and connections to develop, implement and evaluate their public engagement activities, opportunities for training other scientists in their communities and increased capacity for public engagement leadership. AAAS staff provide ongoing support and continuing professional development throughout the fellowship year. The 2020-2021 AAAS Public Engagement Fellows are: Omalabake Adenle, Ph.D., director, AJA.LA Studios Benjamin Grewe, Ph.D., professor of systems circuits and neuroinformatics, ETH Zurich Michael Littman, Ph.D., professor of computer science and co-director of Humanity-Centered Robotics Initiative, Brown University Heather Lynch, Ph.D., IACS endowed chair for ecology & evolution, Stony Brook University Nicholas Mattei, Ph.D., assistant professor of computer science, Tulane University Anita Nikolich, M.S., research professor, director of the Advanced Computational Thinking Center, Illinois Institute of Technology Carolyn Rose, Ph.D., professor of computer science, Carnegie Mellon University Brian Scassellati, Ph.D., A. Bartlett Giamatti professor of computer science, cognitive science, and mechanical engineering, Yale University William Smart, Ph.D., professor in the Robotics Program at Oregon State University Biplav Srivastava, Ph.D., distinguished data scientist and master inventor, IBM Chief Analytics Office Lyle Ungar, Ph.D., professor of computer and information science, University of Pennsylvania John Zimmerman, MDes, Tang Family professor of artificial intelligence and human-computer interaction, Carnegie Mellon University For more information about the fellows, please visit: https://www.aaas.org/programs/center-public-engagement-science-and-technology/2020-2021-leshner-leadership-institute. The AAAS Leshner Public Engagement Fellows program, now in its fifth year, continues to build on the long-standing commitment of AAAS to science communication and public engagement through its support of these fellows. The Leshner Leadership Institute is wholly supported by philanthropic donations. The Institute is managed by the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology, established in 2004 by Alan I. Leshner, CEO Emeritus of AAAS. ### About the American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is the world's largest general scientific society and publisher of the journal Science, as well as Science Translational Medicine; Science Signaling; a digital, open-access journal, Science Advances; Science Immunology; and Science Robotics. AAAS was founded in 1848 and includes more than 250 affiliated societies and academies of science, serving 10 million individuals. Science has the largest paid circulation of any peer-reviewed general science journal in the world. The nonprofit AAAS is open to all and fulfills its mission to "advance science and serve society" through initiatives in science policy, international programs, science education, public engagement and more. For the latest research news, log onto EurekAlert!, a service of AAAS. AAAS is the world's largest general scientific society, dedicated to "Advancing science, Serving society." Whenever I traveled to Europe in those days it always seemed to me that I was moving not just through space, but also through time. The Europeans always seemed to be two or three decades behind America, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Traveling to the Isle of Arran, however, was a whole other experience. I had traveled 4,200 miles in space, but 150 years in time. From almost any vantage point on Arran, if you ignored the macadam road and the occasional automobile, you could scan the horizon in all directions and see nothing that hadnt been there in 1835. And the culture and mindset of the Arran Islanders was even more antiquated than the terrainit was positively feudal. Lady Jean owned the land on Arran in only the most peculiar sense. The land wasnt held in what Americans would think of as fee simple ownership. Instead, the land was leased from Lady Jean and held by her tenants in hereditary leaseholds. In other words, when one of her tenants died, the land was inherited by the tenants heirs. The only way Lady Jean could get her land back was if a tenant died intestate and without a single heir anywhere in the world. Worse, Lady Jean couldnt charge whatever she wanted for the lease of her land, not even whatever the market would bear. Instead, lease payments were based on the gross revenue produced by the land and the percentage payment was established by law. Those payments were extremely low, and hence there was virtually no incentive for lessees to improve the landif they did, their lease payments would go up. Suppose, for example, that the highest and best use of a plot of leased land on Arran was to graze beef cattle, and that that activity could be expected, in a normal year, to produce about 100,000 of gross revenue. Suppose, further, that the gross margin on that revenue was about 15%. The lease council had set lease payments at 5% of gross revenue, or 5,000 in this case. But the gross margin was only 15,000, or, net of the lease payment, 10,000. If feed grain costs had skyrocketed that year, or if the summer was short and the grazing poor, the lessee could easily be in the red on a net basis and still owe Lady Jean 5,000. Why bother? Its true that, for the lease to be renewed, the land had to be put to productive use. But all that meant, in the local councils view, was that it not be abandoned. Instead of grazing 100 head of beef cattle, for example, a tenant might graze two sheep and a goat. Gross annual revenue, 18, lease payment to Lady Jean, 90 pence. As though all this werent bad enough, many of Lady Jeans tenants didnt live on Arran and had never even set foot on the island. Probably, most of them werent even sure where it was. There werent many opportunities for young people on Arran, so young people tended to leave. Eventually, they would inherit their parents leasehold interest and then their children would inherit it and so on. The current lessee might live in Buenos Aires. Finally, Lady Jean was herself a problem. She loved the people of Arran as much as she loved the island itself. The idea of her getting tough with anyone on the island, even the ones who were taking disgraceful advantage of her, was a non-starter. The situation, in other words, seemed to me to be completely hopeless. That is, it seemed to be completely hopeless until I returned to Pittsburgh and told my boss it was completely hopeless. After which discussion we both agreed that I just wasnt working hard enough on it. Back I went to Arran, this time via Edinburgh, where Lady Jeans accountants were located (at what was then Price Waterhouse). After a terrifying haggis dinner I went over Lady Jeans affairs with the accountants, identifying especially abusive situations, of which there were, alas, many. I also met with Lady Jeans estate managers, whose offices were just outside Edinburgh, and who moaned on endlessly about how unproductive and inefficient everything on Arran was. They did have some useful ideas about how both Lady Jean and the lessees could make small changes in what they were doing that might lead to large improvements in outcomes, but they had no confidence that any of their ideas would ever be implemented. Finally, I went to London to meet with Lady Jeans newly engaged solicitors, a firm with the oddball name of Freshfields. Actually, many law firms have oddball names, as you probably know. I think theres something in the Code of Professional Responsibility that requires it. I especially like the Pittsburgh firm of Meyer Darragh Buckler Bebenek & Eck. Its almost as good as Car Talks fictitious legal counsel, Dewey, Cheatham & Howe. Freshfields pointed out many problematic behaviors on the part of the local council on Arran, the body that oversaw the landlord-tenant relationship. For one thing, the councils actions didnt seem to be consistent with Scottish law. For another, since Lady Jean had always been such a pushover, the council had become extremely lax over the years in following required procedures. Freshfields felt that many of the councils regulations were probably unenforceable or possibly flat-out illegalthe council members might even be liable for civil fines. More than a few lessees, said Freshfields, were trespassers ab initio, whatever that meant. Armed with all this information, I finally began to see possible light at the end of the very long and dark Arran tunnel. Clearly, there was no magic bullet solution here, but as Kafka liked to say, when theres no magic bullet, one must try to wriggle through by subtle maneuvers. Next week well take a look at some of the subtle maneuvers we decided to wriggle through on Lady Jeans behalf. Kenny Chesney is at Heinz Field. White cowboy hat. Sleeveless shirt. Jeans. Leader of the No Shoes Nation and wearing cowboy boots. Sweating. Singing. And totally irritating the hospital security guards. Id like to kick Kenny Chesneys ass, says one as he steps outside of the hospital and into the 76-degree night, a few steps from the ambulances and a few miles away from the 45,000 country music fans and Gold lots that cost $50 to park/tailgate/urinate/vomit in. I mean, I know hes good for the city and all, but the drunks, man. They are not fun. Our numbers are already up, says another guard, monitoring the metal detector at the entrance to the Emergency Room. Purse on the conveyor belt. Sunglasses can stay on. Yeah, that was just your metal shoe buckle that set off the alarm youre good. Its 8:20 p.m. There are 31 people in the waiting room. Theres a pale blonde wearing the remnants of an IV in her right arm and a floral tee shirt two sizes too small that reads love is all; a guy with a 412 tattoo on his bicep whose entire outfit pays homage to WVU; a man with a ZZ Top-inspired beard whos with the woman occupying a hospital wheelchair and wearing a pair of furry, gray cat slippers, complete with pink ears and a pink nose, who is sitting across from the couple who just drove all the way from Clarion. It took them two hours to get here. Ive had ten brain surgeries, she says, cradling an insurance folder bursting with paperwork. Theyre quite rude to us at the hospital up there and dont know how to treat her, he explains, arm tight around her shoulders. They hope they get out of here long before or long after the concert lets out because, you know, the traffic on 28. It gets so bad, he says. And they also hope they dont have to wait long to be seen, but someone else told them that theyve been waiting two and a half hours. Look how busy it is now, he says, surveying the waiting room. Everyone in the waiting room looks bored, tired, annoyed, worried, sick with something, sick of something Im-not-supposed-to-talk-on-my-cell-phone-I-love-you-bye, says another woman in a wheelchair, hanging up her phone, sighing heavily, hand cradling her head. The drunks started staggering in around four oclock in the afternoon, the guard says. Three hours before the concert. Too much beer. Too many shots. Too many red Solo cups. Its so hot, says a guy in faded jeans and brown cowboy boots, whose friend is currently somewhere back in the ER. I told him not to drink that much. He was out cold, his buddy says, wiping his hands on his American flag shorts. Their friend is in triage. Kind of sobering up. So, hes like, talking, says the physicians assistant. But hes slow to react. Theres nothing wrong with social drinking, says his very worried/mad/tired-looking dad, who is wearing a pair of shiny, white New Balance sneakers. I told him to eat breakfast and drink a case of water. I told him to have a beer and half a bottle of water, a beer, half a bottle of water. He didnt listen, his sons friend says. He got drunk. Really drunk. Too drunk to flirt with the girls in the cowboy boots and cut off jean shorts who screamed and smiled and sang all night long. But he did get lucky when he decided to clock a security guard and not the cop who was standing nearby. Hed be in jail, his dad says, shaking his head. He has a lot of responsibilities with his job, but its time to grow up. You all need to grow up. Controversial Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr announced on Tuesday he was dissolving the "blue caps", an organised unit of his supporters accused of deadly attacks on anti-government protests in recent days. Sadr, who has a cult-like following of several million Iraqis, had first backed the popular rallies demanding a government overhaul when they erupted in October, but has switched course multiple times in recent weeks. He finally broke with the broader movement when he endorsed the premier-designate Mohammad Allawi, seen by protesters as too close to the elite they have railed against for months. Since then, diehard Sadr supporters wearing blue caps have raided protest camps in Baghdad and the Shiite-majority south, with eight protesters killed in the ensuing violence. The cleric has faced growing criticism over the violence and on Tuesday, he suddenly took to Twitter. "I announce the dissolution of the 'blue caps,' and I do not accept the (Sadrist) movement's presence in and of itself at the protests, unless it is absorbed into them," he tweeted. In the early days of the movement, Sadr supporters were seen as the most organised and well-stocked of the demonstrators but his recent tweets have infuriated activists. After backing Allawi, he ordered the "blue caps" to help security forces reopen schools, roads and public offices shut down for months by anti-government sit-ins. But Sadr has insisted that his movement ultimately wants "reforms". Allawi has until March 2 to form his cabinet, and is expected to govern only until early parliamentary elections. "We hear that there are pressures from political parties and from sects over the forming of the temporary government," Sadr tweeted on Tuesday. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) South Africa: F State alleged cop killers arrested National Police Commissioner General Khehla Sitole has welcomed the arrest of two suspects, who are allegedly responsible for the attack on two Free State sergeants on Saturday. Sergeant Lloyd Poonyane, 41, was shot and killed, while his colleague Lydia Tladi, 45, was injured when they came under attack on Saturday while performing crime prevention duties in Vierfontien. Police said the two were attacked after they spotted and followed a Ford Bantam bakkie, which was occupied by two suspicious occupants. They followed the bakkie as far as Orkney in the neighbouring North West province, said police spokesperson, Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo. He said the sergeants approached the Bantam bakkie on foot after the driver brought it to a halt at a stop sign. The occupants of the said vehicle also got out of their vehicle and denied the police the opportunity to search their vehicle. An argument ensued, resulting in the suspects allegedly shooting both SAPS members. Sergeant Poonyane was killed after he sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and Sergeant Tladi was wounded in the leg. The suspects fled, taking with them both members service pistols and ammunition. On Sunday morning, after being briefed of this attack, the National Commissioner ordered that the investigation team should not rest until those responsible are arrested and brought to book. Said Naidoo: In less than 48 hours, the team comprising members from the North West Organised Crime Unit, Klerksdorp Trio Crime Unit, National and Provincial Crime Intelligence Units, as well as a Tactical Response Team, who continued to work tirelessly, tracked the first suspect to a house in Soweto on Sunday night. Here, a 38-year-old man was arrested and a Ford Bantam fitting the description of the one used on Saturday night, as well as a 7.65 pistol, with three live rounds of ammunition, were recovered. He said investigations thereafter led the team to Embalenhle in Secunda, where a 25-year-old suspect was also arrested. The investigation team recovered three 9mm pistols and over 50 live 9mm rounds, as well six cell phones from this suspect. One of the pistols was reported stolen in Cleveland in June 2010. The serial numbers of the other two handguns were erased. All the firearms will be sent for ballistic testing to establish if they were used in the commission of any crimes, Naidoo said. Meanwhile, the two suspects are likely to face charges of murder, attempted murder, robbery and possession of property suspected to be stolen. They will appear in the Orkney Magistrate Court no later than Thursday, 13 February 2020. We continue to appeal to anyone, who may have any information on crime, to please contact the SAPS Crime Stop number 086 00 10111 or information may be communicated via MySAPS App. Callers may remain anonymous and all information will be treated with the strictest confidence, said Naidoo. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) Vice President Leni Robredo denounced the petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida to revoke the existing franchise of ABS-CBN, calling the move an abuse of power. Linawin natin: Taliwas sa karaniwang proseso ng pag-renew ng prangkisa ang nangyayari. Panggigipit ito, ayon sa pansariling agenda ng iilang nasa poder. Samakatuwid: Pang-aabuso ito ng kapangyarihan, Robredo said in a statement Tuesday a day after the government's top lawyer ran to the Supreme Court with a very urgent motion seeking to cancel the networks legislative franchise. [Translation: Lets make it clear: whats happening right now is the complete opposite of the process of franchise renewal. This is harassment, in line with a personal agenda. In short: this is an abuse of power.] The Vice President also warned of possible future harassment against smaller media networks which in turn may result to curtailment of press freedom. Kung nagagawa ito sa pinakamakapangyarihang network sa ating bansa, gaano pa katagal para magawa ito sa iba pang mas malilit na network, sa mga pahayagan at istasyon ng radyo, at pati na sa sari-sarili nating mga social media feed, upang madiktahan tayo ng kung ano ang totoo at mahalaga? Robredo added. [Translation: If they were able to do this to the most powerful network in the country, how long will it take until they do this to other smaller networks, newspapers, radio stations, our own social media feedsso they can dictate their own truth?] In his controversial plea Calida said the media company violated Congress rules including allegedly allowing foreign investors to "take part in the ownership of a Philippine mass media entity" despite being prohibited by the Constitution. READ: ABS-CBN: 'We did not violate the law' The quo warranto petitionlodged against ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc.came weeks before the networks existing franchise is set to expire on March 30. RELATED: Lawmakers confident of votes to renew ABS-CBN franchise Robredo meanwhile called on her fellow lawmakers to take appropriate actions that would ensure the freedom of the press in the Philippines. Hinihimok natin ang lahat pangunahin na ang mga Kinatawan sa Kongreso, kung saan nakatalaga ang kapangyarihang mag-renew ng prangkisa na makiisa sa pangangalaga ng kalayaan ng pamamahayag, Robredo said. [Translation: We call on everybodyespecially members of the Congress who will be responsible for the franchise renewalto be united in protecting the freedom of the press.] Malacanang on Monday denied that the quo warranto case was meant to clamp down on Duterte's critics, as well as on freedom of the press. Spokesperson Salvador Panelo likewise dismissed claims that President Rodrigo Duterte had a hand in the Solicitor Generals plea despite reports of the chief executives expressions of displeasure against the network. The wages scandal that has dominated headlines for almost a year has culminated in about 400 restaurant staff having no wages at all. Chefs, waiters and managers are suddenly unemployed, suppliers counting on selling goods to the group are without a buyer and one of Melbournes major hospitality training grounds has screeched to a halt. George Calombaris then and now. Credit:Jamie Brown George Calombaris detractors are crowing at the ultimate comeuppance but its hard to see where the victory lies. Notwithstanding the renewed focus on underpayments that accompanied Mondays news, all current and former Made Establishment staff were repaid in 2017. Id bet, since then, there would have been few more compliant workplaces in hospitality. Estonian English There will be a change in the Management Board of SIA Merks part of AS Merko Ehitus group as of 1 April 2020. Mr. Oskars Ozolins, who has held the position of the Chairman of the Management Board since 2012, will leave the company and current Member of the Management Board and Construction Director Mr. Andris Bismeistars will start as the new Chairman of the Management Board. The Management Board of SIA Merks will continue with one member. In addition, according to the decision of the general meeting of shareholders from 11 February 2020, the powers of the Member of the Supervisory Board, Mr. Janis Sperbergs are ending as of 1 April 2020. The Supervisory Board of SIA Merks will continue with three members: Mr. Andres Trink (Chairman), Mr. Tonu Toomik, and Mr. Priit Roosimagi. SIA Merks ( www.merks.lv ) is a Latvian construction company, which offers construction services in the fields of general construction, civil engineering and residential construction. SIA Merks is one of the leading residential real estate developers in Latvia. Andres Trink Chairman of the Management Board AS Merko Ehitus Phone: +372 650 1250 E-mail: andres.trink@merko.ee FILE PHOTO: Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte addresses the upper house of parliament over the ongoing government crisis, in Rome By Angelo Amante ROME (Reuters) - Italy's former Prime Minister Matteo Renzi on Monday threatened a no-confidence motion against his own justice minister, posing a fresh risk to the survival of the fractious ruling coalition. Renzi's small centrist Italia Viva party is in the coalition with the anti-establishment 5-Star Movement and the centre-left Democratic Party (PD), but he has constantly taken issue with government policies since it was formed in September last year. The latest long-running dispute involves the statute of limitations, which wipes out trials if a verdict is not reached within a set limit. 5-Star and the PD have a agreed a reform of the time limits and plan to push it through parliament with a vote of confidence, triggering the wrath of Renzi, who opposes the reform. A confidence vote, used by governments to force legislation through parliament by truncating debate and sweeping away opposition amendments, would prevent any attempt by Italia Viva to block the reform. "If there is a call for a confidence vote in the government, Italia Viva will present a motion of no-confidence against (Justice Minister Alonso) Bonafede," Italia Viva said in a statement. Bonafede is from the 5-Star Movement, with whom Renzi has particularly fraught relations, and his move sharply intensifies the level of internal coalition conflict. "A no-confidence motion against minister Bonafede means a no-confidence motion against the whole government," 5-Star lower-house leader Davide Crippa said in a statement. During its previous coalition with the far-right League, 5-Star approved a law to scrap time limits for the prosecution of most crimes after a first judgement has been reached. 5-Star and the PD agreed to amend this to scrap the time limits only for those found guilty in a first trial, but Renzi wants to restore the old statute of limitations. Renzi's party said it would present its no-confidence motion in Bonafede in the Senate, where on paper it would be likely to pass because the coalition has only a slim majority in the upper house even with Renzi's backing. (Reporting by Angelo Amante, editing by Gavin Jones and Toby Chopra) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 13:26:25|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Alaaddin Colak (L) expresses gratitude to medical workers as he brings free meals made by his restaurant in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 9, 2020. Alaaddin Colak, a Turk who has been living in Fuzhou for over 25 years, runs a Turkish flavour restaurant popular among locals. Amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, Alaadin and his wife decided to voluntarily serve free meals to local epidemic prevention workers to express their support and encouragement. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong) 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 AAP MLAs likely to meet at Kejriwal's residence on Wednesday to pick legislature party leader India oi-PTI New Delhi, Feb 11: AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal has called a meeting of the party's newly-elected MLAs at his residence here on Wednesday, senior party leader Gopal Rai said. At the meeting scheduled at 11.30 am, the MLAs will choose the AAP's Legislature Party leader, Rai told PTI on Tuesday. Another AAP leader said the party was considering two dates for the chief minister's oath-taking ceremony -- February 14 and 16. The Ramlila Maidan was being considered as the probable venue for the ceremony, he said, adding that a grand event was being planned. However, the final call regarding the venue was yet to be taken, the AAP leader said. After the selection of the Legislature Party leader, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal will be apprised of it. Thereafter, a notification will be issued. Mandate in Delhi against politics of hatred, CAA-NRC: Mamata congratulates AAP The AAP stormed back to power in the national capital on Tuesday, winning 62 seats in the 70-member Assembly. For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications Story first published: Tuesday, February 11, 2020, 23:35 [IST] The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has denied that some pictures trending on social media were those of the holding cell of its Port Harcourt zonal office. EFCC spokesperson, Tony Orilade, in a statement on Tuesday, said the photos, first published by @TheRealDayne, were mischievous and a calculated attempt to smear the agencys reputation. The anti-graft agency vowed to investigate and sanction the source of the pictures. Mr Orilade said its holding centre cannot be the open dumping facility, surrounded by razor-wired walls, depicted in the picture. It is important to further clarify that EFCC detention centres are known for their remarkable care for detainees in line with our avowed respect for human rights and dignity. The Commission can state without fear of contradiction that our Port Harcourt detention facility, like all others across the country, is further bolstered by a well-equipped medical centre that attends to the health needs of detainees, who are further fed three square meals daily from the same canteen that service officers and men of the Commission eat from. Mr Orilade noted that suspects standing trial for corruption often prefer to be remanded in its custody rather in correctional centres, saying this was an indication of the decency of its facilities. The commission also released the image of its holding facility at the Port Harcourt Zonal office. It is expected that you would have done your investigation and come out with a detailed outcome than just misleading the public, he said. EFCC Holding Cell The Commission also demanded an apology for this embarrassment. EFCC said it welcomes criticisms, so long as they are meaningful and constructive, but frowns at premeditated attempts to drag its hard-earned reputation and image to the mud. This has left us with no other choice than to investigate the brains behind it and to consequently take any further needful action that may serve as deterrent to all other mischief-makers in this mould. It is well understood that the intention of this misleading tweet is to embarrass the Commission. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Victor Mambor (The Jakarta Post) Jayapura/Jakarta Tue, February 11 2020 A civil servant working for the Papua administration has been accused of committing sexual violence against a female student while in Jakarta last month. The case emerged when the mother of the victim, a student of a senior high school in Jakarta, filed a report with the South Jakarta Police on Jan. 29. In her report, the mother said that the alleged perpetrator, identified only by the initials AG, a top official in the Papua administration, invited her daughter to a hotel room in Jakarta where the man was staying on Jan. 28 and allegedly drugged the victim before raping her, Piter Ell, a lawyer for the victim's family, said. 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 Arvind Kejriwal, engineer, civil servant and Delhi's man with a development agenda, is the David who slayed the government's Goliath. IMAGE: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal waves to his supporters during celebrations at the party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Anushree Fadnavis/Reuters The Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party is poised to win, overcoming the Bharatiya Janata Partys divisive campaign. Nine years ago, Kejriwal slipped into the political frame behind Anna Hazare during the Lokpal movement in 2011 before quickly enlarging his canvas, first as a satyagrah activist and then as founder of the cleverly named Aam Aadmi Party that took on the might of the BJP to reclaim Delhi for a third time on Tuesday. The name of his party as carefully chosen as his public persona perhaps, Delhi's 51-year-old chief minister is the embodiment of the everyday man but one who has tailored his politics and campaign in keeping with the times. As he emerged on the victory stage to loud cheers from his AAP supporters and shouted Bharat Mata ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad and Vande Mataram before saying I love you to Delhiites, many remembered the earnest activist who went on a hunger strike for a Lokpal bill in 2011. The year after, in 2012, he started his political party and emerged as a mascot of an alternative brand of politics and the aam aadmi' politician with his muffler casually wrapped around his neck, and sometimes his head, oversized shirts and open toed sandals. Though his ambitions to make the AAP a national party have not met with much success, the Delhi chief minister's hat is one that will stay -- for the next five years at least. His effort to be seen as a direct challenger to Narendra Modi came a cropper in 2014 when he contested the Lok Sabha elections from Varanasi. He tried to make an electoral dent in Punjab and Goa in 2017 but that didn't work either. So Delhi it is for the moment. In 2013, he became chief minister but only for 49 days, images of him sleeping in his utilitarian Wagon R while on dharna' for a Jan Lokpal (ombudsman) wrapped in a cotton quilt against the cold winter nights making the front pages. Battling allegations of being autocratic and unyielding in his politics, Kejriwal resigned soon after, only to bide his time till 2015 when he scripted a stunning win to bag 67 of Delhi's 70 seats. Earning the moniker mufflerman' for his fondness for the muffler, Kejriwal runs his party with the proverbial iron fist and has learnt to temper his aggression, say people close to him. Notwithstanding the electoral triumph for BJP in the May Lok Sabha polls, the IIT graduate has managed to anchor a campaign that wooed all sections in the city. He announced in the beginning of the campaign that he will run a positive campaign fought on the basis of his government's development work in the last five years. His main poll planks were schemes such as free bus travel for women in DTC buses, free 200 units of electricity, installation of 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras and free 20,000 litres of water. During the election campaign, Kejriwal attacked BJP on several occasions, asking who is their chief ministerial candidate. He was careful, however, to not speak out too clearly on the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in Shaheen Bagh, the centrepiece of the BJP's campaign. He was called a "terrorist" by BJP leaders, but Kejriwal hit back saying voters could back the BJP if they thought so or opt for his party if they view him as a son of Delhi. Born on August 16, 1968 in Hisar in Haryana to Gobind Ram Kejriwal and Gita Devi, Kejriwal is a man of simple tastes. His family is always by his side. Kejriwal, who lives with his parents, wife Sunita and two children, is often seen going out for a quiet meal or the occasional film. Both daughter Harshita and son Pulkit are IIT products. On Tuesday, the self-confessed film buff and fond husband told his cheering supporters from the victory dais that it was Sunita's birthday. A strict vegetarian who prefers home-made food, Kejriwal is married to Sunita, who is also an Indian Revenue Service officer and his batchmate. He is known to be an ardent practitioner of Vipassana, and seldom misses his yoga and meditation sessions. Kejriwal did a degree in Mechanical Engineering graduate from IIT Kharagpur. He joined Tata Steel in 1989 and, after working for three years, resigned in 1992 to take up the Union Public Service Commission examination which he cleared to become an IRS officer. He also worked with Mother Teresa's Missionaries of Charity in Kolkata. Kejriwal worked with people in slums through an NGO called Parivartan he set up with his confidant Manish Sisodia. His efforts towards the enactment of the RTI Act to empower the poorest citizens of India won him the Ramon Magsaysay Award for Emergent Leadership in 2006. In February 2006, after resigning as joint commissioner in the Income Tax Department, he became a full-time activist and started another NGO, Public Cause Research Foundation, with his award money as a corpus fund. Will this man with many accomplishments manage to break out of Delhi to extend his political reach to other parts of the country? That's the challenge facing the AAP today. President Trump made another geographic gaffe last night when he spoke of his love for 'famous Concord' while in New Hampshire, but was mistakenly referencing the Massachusetts town of the American Revolution. Speaking to a rally staged as a counter to the Democratic primaries in Manchester, Trump described new National Guard funding which would benefit nearby places like Pembroke and Concord. 'Concord, I love Concord. I love Concord, oh Concord. You know how famous Concord is. Concord that's the same Concord that we read about all the time, right. Concord. I love Concord!' the president said. It seems Trump was referencing the Massachusetts town of 'the shot heard round the world', when the revolutionaries first fired on the British during the Battle of Concord in 1775. It is Trump's latest geographical slip after he last week congratulated 'the Great state of Kansas' for the Kansas City Chiefs win in the Super Bowl. The Chiefs are actually based in Missouri. 'Concord, I love Concord. I love Concord, oh Concord. You know how famous Concord is. Concord that's the same Concord that we read about all the time, right. Concord. I love Concord!' President Donald Trump said Trump last night rolled into his rally on a high after his 'acquittal for life.' He told the crowd: 'I hear a lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats. My only problem is I'm trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate? I think they're all weak if you want to know the truth.' He also boasted of the nation's booming economy and launched an assault on the Democrats who tried to remove him from office, calling the episode a 'pathetic partisan crusade.' 'Our good Republicans in the United States Senate voted to reject the outrageous partisan impeachment hoax and to issue a full, complete and absolute total acquittal,' Trump told a crowd that roared and cheered throughout his speech. 'And it wasn't even close.' Trump's rally comes a day before New Hampshire Democrats head to the polls following the disastrous Iowa caucuses that failed to produce a clear-cut winner to take Trump on in November. Trump mocked the lingering uncertainty over the outcome of the party's kickoff caucuses, where the results are still under dispute. 'Does anyone know who won Iowa?' he asked the crowd. 'I don't know.' Before leaving Washington, Trump said he had planned the rally to rattle Democrats and demonstrate his strength in the state before the primary vote. 'Want to shake up the Dems a little bit - they have a really boring deal going on,' Trump tweeted. 'Still waiting for the Iowa results, votes were fried. Big crowds in Manchester!' He told the crowd: 'I hear a lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats. My only problem is I'm trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate? I think they're all weak if you want to know the truth' A Trump supporter wearing a supersized version of the famous 'Make America Great Again' hats manufactured by 'Giant MAGA Hat' It's a tried-and-tested tactic for Trump: Scheduling counter-programming to divert attention from Democratic debates and other major moments, keeping him in the spotlight and building supporters' enthusiasm in the months before Election Day. At the same time, Trump continued to celebrate the Senate's acquittal decision, lacing into House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her performance during his State of the Union address last week. 'I had somebody behind me who was mumbling terribly, mumbling, mumbling,' Trump complained, calling it 'very distracting, very distracting.' He did not make mention of how, at the address' conclusion, Pelosi tore up her copy of the speech. Trump's remarks prompted the crowd to break into the same 'Lock her up!!' chant that his supporters directed at Hillary Clinton four years ago. It wasn't the only return feature from his 2016 rallies. In a nod to the longtime supporters who have returned to his rallies again, Trump returned to one of his greatest, if rarest hits, delivering a spoken-word performance of 'The Snake,' a dark 1960s song he has used as an allegory to warn of what he sees as the dangers of illegal immigrants and refugees allowed into the United States. Supporters rally with U.S. President Donald Trump in Manchester, New Hampshire, on February 10 U.S. President Donald Trump rallies with supporters in Manchester, New Hampshire Though his campaign isn't presenting the same show of force as last week, when dozens of Trump's surrogates flooded Iowa, it made its presence known in New Hampshire. In addition to Vice President Mike Pence and Ivanka Trump, the president's daughter and senior adviser, Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Rand Paul, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise and New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu were set to campaign on his behalf. The marquee event was held in front of a sold-out crowd of thousands at a downtown Manchester arena, and Trump made sure viewers at home knew it. 'We have more in this arena and outside of this arena than all of the other candidates, meaning the Democrats, put together and multiplied times five,' he boasted. Images of bundled-up supporters camped outside the SNHU Arena also broke through the news coverage of the Democratic primary. As Air Force One touched down in New Hampshire, a stream of TrumpWorld luminaries - including Pence and Donald Trump Jr. - preceded the president to the stage. New Hampshire has always loomed large in Trump's political lore as the first nominating contest he won during 2016's heated Republican primaries. He was about to take the stage at a rally in Manchester that October when news broke that the FBI was re-opening its investigation into Democrat Hillary Clinton's emails, breathing new life into his then-struggling campaign. And it was the site of the penultimate rally of the 2016 contest - an extravagant send-off just hours before a post-midnight rally in Michigan. Though Trump narrowly lost New Hampshire in the general election four years ago, his team believes it is one of the few states, along with Minnesota and perhaps New Mexico, that could flip to red in November. 'We are going to win New Hampshire in a landslide,' Trump predicted, insisting that registered Democratic voters are leaving their party 'to join our movement.' Democrats in the state had a different view. Supporters rally with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday 'It's obvious that Trump and the RNC are desperate to put New Hampshire in play after losing the state by 3,000 votes in 2016. But we'll make sure that Granite Staters know that he has broken his promises to his state and he will lose here again in November,' New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Ray Buckley told reporters. The president relished the idea of dominating the stage in New Hampshire and stealing some of the media oxygen from the Democrats. At least for now, similar counter-programming rallies have not been planned for the next two nominating states, Nevada and South Carolina. Trump has not hesitated to try to influence the Democrats' nominating process. At the rally, he urged New Hampshire independents who support him - people are allowed to vote in either party's primary - to instead back 'the weakest' Democratic candidate Tuesday. He also again trafficked in the unfounded conspiracy theory that buses of illegal voters traveled in from Massachusetts in 2016 to deprive him of a New Hampshire victory. Moreover, he and his advisers frequently huddle to map out strategy against possible general election foes and the president has in recent weeks tried to bolster the candidacy of Sen. Bernie Sanders, the most liberal candidate in the Democratic field and the opponent the White House, at least for now, most wishes to face. With the Iowa results in question, Trump tried to foster divides among Democrats that could weaken party unity going into November. 'They are doing it do you again, Bernie, they are doing it to you again,' Trump said in another nod to 2016, when Sanders lost the presidential nomination to Clinton. The president has also unleashed a series of attacks on Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who is not competing in New Hampshire. And it was Trump's effort to have Ukraine investigate former Vice President Joe Biden that led to his impeachment. A pedestrian wearing a protective mask takes a smartphone photograph of an almost empty Nanjing Road in Shanghai, China, on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020. Qilai Shen | Bloomberg | Getty Images China's smartphone shipments for the three months ending in March could decline by more than 30% from the same period a year ago, International Data Corporation said on Tuesday. The world's largest smartphone market could experience a so-called "Black Swan effect" in the first half of the calendar year due to the new coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people on the mainland, according to the research firm. A black swan is said to be a rare, unpredictable event with potentially severe consequences. China smartphone shipments to drop more than 30% "The coronavirus outbreak impacted the Lunar New Year's shopping season in late January and is also expected to have adverse effects in the following months," IDC said in a statement, adding that it expects "China's smartphone shipments to drop more than 30% year-on-year in 2020Q1." The virus outbreak will also "create uncertainty in product launch plans, the supply chain, and distribution channels, in the mid and long term," IDC said. Research firm Canalys earlier this month predicted China's smartphone shipments could drop by as much as 50% between the last three months of 2019 and the first three months of 2020. "Technology vendors are likely to stall marketing activities as they are unlikely to divert attention to new product launches, such as 5G devices," Canalys said in a Feb. 3 report. "It will take time for vendors to change their product launch roadmaps in China, which is likely to dampen 5G shipments in 2020." 5G refers to the fifth generation of high-speed mobile internet that aims to provide faster data speeds and more bandwidth to carry growing levels of web traffic. Others have also said that the outbreak could delay China's plans to roll out 5G services. IDC pointed out in its Tuesday report that 5G handsets would require lower pricing, better network coverage, and attractive use cases to create a good value proposition for consumers. New virus strain killed more than 1,000 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Sydney, Australia Tue, February 11, 2020 10:36 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b98fb 2 World Aborigin,Australia,law Free Aboriginal Australians are exempt from immigration law, the country's top court ruled Tuesday, in a historic decision that found indigenous people born overseas cannot be deported. Australia had been trying to deport two men -- Papua New Guinea citizen Daniel Love and New Zealand citizen Brendan Thoms -- under laws that allow a convicted criminal's visa to be cancelled on character grounds. Both men identify as Aboriginal Australians, each has one indigenous parent, and they have lived in the country since they were small children. Love, who served time for assault, and Thoms, who had been jailed for domestic violence, have been battling in the courts to stay in Australia, arguing that they may be "non-citizens" but they are also not "aliens". The High Court ruled in a decision that split the judges 4-3 that Aboriginal Australians "are not within the reach" of constitutional provisions relating to foreign citizens. Indigenous people have inhabited the vast continent for more than 60,000 years, while the modern nation's constitution only came into force in 1901. Thoms -- who was already recognized as a traditional landowner -- was accepted by the court as Aboriginal. But the judges could not agree on whether Love was under a three-part test that considers biological descent, self-identification and community recognition. Lawyer Claire Gibbs, who represented the men, hailed the decision as "significant for Aboriginal Australians". "This case isn't about citizenship, it's about who belongs here, who is an Australian national and who is a part of the Australian community," she told reporters in Canberra. "The High Court has found Aboriginal Australians are protected from deportation. They can no longer be removed from the country that they know and the country that they have a very close connection with." The case marked the first time an Australian court has considered whether the government has the power to deport indigenous people. But it also touched on the contentious question of how Aboriginality is defined in the law. Gibbs said she was "confident" that they would eventually be able to prove Love's status as he was "accepted by his community as Aboriginal" and had "biological proof" that he was a descendant of the First Australians. Lawyers will now pursue compensation claims on behalf of both men, who Gibbs said had suffered "severe embarrassment" and been "subject to ridicule" as a result of being Aboriginal men held in immigration detention. Topics : Aborigin Australia law Indonesian President Joko Widodo's declaration on the floor of the House of Representatives on Monday that "Australia is Indonesia's closest friend" should give us all pause for thought. Last year, when asked in a Lowy Institute poll who our best friend in the world was, only 1 per cent of Australians chose Indonesia. In 2016, a survey commissioned by the Australia-Indonesia Centre at Monash University found that while 66 per cent of Indonesians surveyed considered Australia a good neighbour, the number of Australians who felt the same way stood at just 29 per cent. "The distance to be traversed in building a closer relationship between the two countries is significant particularly from the Australian side," the researchers concluded. Mr Joko came to Canberra this week bearing a "gift" the Indonesian parliament's approval of the trade deal between our two countries. Given the growth expectations surrounding Indonesia - forecast to be the fourth-largest economy in the world by 2050 - it has long been recognised by our political and business classes that trade relations have not met their potential. But an approach that views our neighbour only in terms of dollars and cents, or sees trade with Indonesia as a hedge against hard times elsewhere, will be insufficient to bridge the relationship gap. Mr Joko also came and spoke in favour of international co-operation on trade, combating extremism and protecting the environment. Some of his rhetoric seemed at odds with Indonesia's domestic political reality, but Australians should be familiar with that dissonance, given our own track record on climate change and reconciliation. A Chinese woman wears a protective mask as she has her temperature checked before entering a park with her child in Beijing, China, on Feb. 9, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) Thousands of Chinese Companies Expand Their Business Scope to Include Medical Supplies Amidst Coronavirus Outbreak As the novel coronavirus continues to spread in mainland China, face masks have become a commodity of high demand. Many Chinese companies have added the production or sale of masks in their business operations. A recent survey conducted by Tianyancha, a business data search firm, shows that from Jan. 1 to Feb. 7, more than 3,000 enterprises added masks, protective suits for medical use, disinfectants, thermometer, and other medical devices into their business operations. Many of these companies did not have any previous experience making or selling medical or health related commodities at all. Based on the survey results, 64 industries have added a new business category to include the production or sales of these health products. Retail and wholesale businesses topped the list, accounting for more than half of the total, followed by business services. Research, laboratory, health and technical services also made the top 10 list. In terms of geographical distribution, Guangdong Province ranks first, with 414 companies adding medical devices as a new category, followed by Beijing, Shandong, Jiangsu and Henan provinces. Chinas petrochemicals giant Sinopec has docked with its business partners to complete 11 mask production lines and will soon enter into the equipment installation process. Foxconn group introduced a production line of masks for the first time in Shenzhen, and production was formally started on Feb. 5. A supplier of SAIC-GM-Wuling Automobile also restructured its production line to make masks. BYD Autos subsidiary company, Shanwei BYD Industrial Company, has added disinfectant to its business scope. BYD will have the first batch of health products by Feb. 17, and its projected output is 5 million masks and 50,000 bottles of disinfectants every day by the end of February until the outbreak is alleviated or eliminated. As a baby diaper manufacturer, Daddys Baby has also joined the mask production line. Production plans call for the company to produce between 2 million and 2.5 million masks a day by the end of February. The Wuhan coronavirus is still spreading. With a lack of basic understanding of the virus, there is no way to predict when the outbreak will start to decline. Meanwhile, many Chinese factories have resumed operations, and many workers have begun to return to work on Feb. 10. Under the theme Silencing the guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africa's Development, the 33rd African Union (AU) Heads of State and Government Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, is not fully focusing on climate change. However, the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), which is activity participating in the event, is drawing attention to the climate crisis and how this can contribute to a peaceful continent in the shortest time possible. This has been viewed as another way of silencing the gun, as food insecurity, climate related migration and conflict over resources have been key contributors to strife, yet all of them can be managed through adaptation and mitigation. On the sidelines of the summit, the Climate for Development (ClimDev) Africa partners; the African Climate Policy Centre of UN Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Union Commission (AUC), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and PACJA, hosted a roundtable which was themed The Global Climate Crisis and the implications on Africas Future. The roundtable meeting sought to reflect and take stock of the UNFCCC-COP 25 outcomes, and the implications for the African people. Ambassador Seyni Nafo, Coordinator of the African Adaptation Initiative and African Group of Negotiators Spokesperson, in his address, said there was a paradigm shift in the COP negotiations, as the African Heads of State wanted to hear about solutions to climate change from the experts. The complex geo-political economy is shaping the climate change discourse, where energy is driving investments globally. Translation of important climate decisions into action on the ground in Africa should be emphasized, he said. Of key importance for the meeting was how Africa stood to be affected by the decisions made at the COP25 meet in Madrid, Spain in December 2019, and what would be the best way forward. Africa failed to achieve a special case status at the COP25, and grapples with challenges from finances, technology transfer, infrastructure improvement for the sake of adaptation and mitigation of the climate crisis. The Roundtable meeting therefore deliberated on what Africa stakeholders should focus on, especially in the advent of the NDCs implementation in 2020, shaping its resilient future and its approach to the international dialogue on climate change moving forward. Meeting the climate challenge still means keeping below the benchmark threshold of 1.5 degrees Celsius, and thus limiting climate-induced loss and damage effectively, read a statement from the two day meeting. According to PACJA Executive Director, Dr. Mithika Mwenda, who addressed the roundtable meeting, CSOs need to work with governments and ensure maximum access to green climate fund to enable capacity building and ensure maximum addressing of the climate crisis. Let us work on the policies that will enable the wellbeing of the African people. Push for the policies that will ensure the right knowledge is imparted to the people to ensure preparedness for disaster and development of adaptive infrastructure for the sake of minimising deaths when disasters strike, he added. Joseph Masembe, Programme, the Sub-Committee Chair, ACW-2020 National Organising Committee, Uganda, tackled the Africa Climate Week topic, laying out key preparations and what should be expected in the April one-week event. The other key figures attending and speaking at the roundtable meeting are James Murombedzi, Head of Climate Change (ACPC), ECA, Amb. Dr. Alastair McPhail, UK Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to African Union, who tackled Looking ahead to COP26, and members of the ECA secretariat, who include MrJean-Paul Adam, the Director, Technology, Climate Change and Natural Resources Management, ECA and Harsen Nyambe Nyambe, Head of Division, Department of Rural Economy and Agriculture, AUC. The panelists have included the President, Pan African Parliament, Linus Mofor, ACPC, ECA, KhuleniMagwaza, Youngo, University and Research Community, Alvin Munyasia of Oxfam International and the Deputy Head of the Ethiopian Delegation. Complaint filed against surgeons marketing trans surgery to teens on Instagram, posting gruesome photos Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A coalition of parents in Canada filed a complaint against a gender clinic and two of its surgeons who use gruesome photos in their marketing of transgender surgeries to young people on Instagram. The complaint to the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario highlights the McLean clinic in Mississauga and Drs. Hugh McLean and Giancarlo McEvenue, asking the organization to review the impact social media has on impressionable young minds and the standard of care applied to youth who self-identify as transgender. The parent coalition that filed the complaint includes Canadian Gender Report, Parents of ROGD Kids, Canadian Womens Sex-based Rights and GNC Centric. "There is a several thousand percent increase in the number of youth seeking medical means to change their gender in Europe, Australia, and North America. In the past year, the Ministers of Health of the UK and Australia have ordered government inquiries to understand why the number of adolescents seeking gender transition is increasing so rapidly," the complaint notes. "The exponentially increasing rates of youth presenting as gender dysphoric, combined with the increasing numbers of detransitioners emphasize the need to take a more cautious approach in terms of intervention until more research has been conducted." Such detransitioners individuals who once lived and identified as transgender or nonbinary have become more visible in recent months as the experimental medicalization of gender has begun receiving more government scrutiny, court cases have been initiated, and young men and women who pursued that pathway but now regret doing so take to social media to speak about their experiences, detailing how their bodies were harmed. "With more and more detransitioners coming forward, the medical community would be negligent if they don't take a closer look at what's going on. And I don't think the general public is aware of how experimental the treatment is and how much marketing and promotion is behind it," said Pamela Buffone, founder of the Canadian Gender Report, in an interview with The Christian Post Monday. "What we can see is that there have been lots of stories of successful and happy transgender people in the media with their experiences depicted in highly positive and simplistic terms. There is almost no discussion in the media about detransitioners although we are only starting to see this trend of young people expressing regret very recently." Asked how the complaint originated, Buffone said that many parents of kids who have been affected by what is known as rapid-onset gender dysphoria (ROGD) have been monitoring McLean Clinic's social media activity for a while and noticed how the outfit has openly solicited business for female-to-male "gender-affirming" surgeries. "It is obvious from the social media channels they use and the nature of their posts, that theyve identified teenage and young adult women as their target market. Even their website URL is carefully crafted to leverage specific keywords so that their clinic will come up first in a Google search (https://ftmtopsurgery.ca), and their frequent blog posts are rich with targeted keywords to ensure their website will remain at the top of Google search results," Buffone explained. "Theyve designed a marketing strategy around an extremely vulnerable group of young people and we filed the complaint to raise this issue to the College of Physicians and Surgeons so they can decide whether this is in breach of their professional standards." Some of the photos that appear on the McLean clinic's Instagram account show the results of gender surgeries, particularly shirtless post-surgery young women who have had their breasts removed, bearing their scars. One such image shows McEvenue wearing both a surgical mask and a Santa hat while holding up two small buckets labeled "breast tissue." "The patient information disclosed on the McLean Instagram site is protected health information per Section 4 of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)," the complaint states, and the clinic is disclosing information that identifies an individual, or, according to the text of the law, for which it is reasonably foreseeable in the circumstances that it could be utilized, either alone or with other information, to identify an individual. Posting such content contravenes CPSO guidelines, which state that doctors ought to consider how technology use can cause the public to view them as unprofessional, the complaint goes on to say, noting how the amputated breasts and body tissue of patients are not treated with dignity in the Instagram photos and that many such patients seem to be minors. The complaint concludes by asking CPSE to order McLean and McEvenue to stop their posting of material that violates PHIPA patient privacy requirements for trans-identifying persons on social media and to clarify the ethical requirements for members about the marketing of surgical procedures to minors, particularly those who may be suffering from mental illness or gender confusion. Presidential Office staff this afternoon were allegedly clearing the office where Bohdan used to receive visitors. Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov has commented on media reports alleging that the Head of the Presidential Office, Andriy Bohdan, had resigned. "I'm not a press secretary for Andriy Iosypovych Bohdan, I think it's better to ask him," Razumkov told Nash TV channel, according to an UNIAN correspondent. This came as a response to a request to comment on earlier reports claiming that the presidential office staff this afternoon were allegedly clearing the office where Bohdan used to receive visitors. Read alsoTeam Zelensky eyes holding elections in Donbas late October "Today I didn't have the opportunity to speak with him, so I can't comment on this" Razumkov said. "I think that in our country, as we know how our people are, anything is possible," he went on to say. "At one time they said that Zelensky could not be president. However, everyone sees who the president is today. I probably could never have thought that I would be chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine. Therefore, anything is possible, always." "However, to be politically correct, I believe we should ask rather than suggest," he concluded. Though, like every other right-thinking Nigerian, I regret the necessity of dignifying your blasphemous utterances of 2nd of February, 2020 on The Nigerian Voices news media with a reply. Without any intention to engage you in words banter, I however feel mandated to unapologetically put it to you as follows: You will recall that you earlier made a provocative statement following the gruesome massacre of my people in Benue state by your people who made our women widows, our men widowers, our children orphans and our young men homeless. Our women were raped beside the lifeless bodies of their husbands while their helpless children watched; yet you saw no wrong in such barbarism, inhumanity and incivility, but rather boasted about the existence of the Fulani Strike Force that coordinates and carries out what you called retaliatory/counter attack on my people. You may wish to know that the cry of the innocent blood of the Agatu People of Benue has reached unto the Lord and not only that the Lord has risen for them in great indignation but that this affliction must not arise the second time. On your fictitious, baseless and unfounded claim of the Fulani ownership of Nigeria, from Sokoto up to the sea sure, come with me down the line of history and It may interest you to know that the Fulani are not originally Nigerians but immigrants who came in under the guise of peaceful migrants to Gobir and other cities of Hausa land (Northern Nigeria). From time immemorial down to the first and second Kanuri (Bornu) Empire of 800-1470 and 1472-1603 respectively, no mention of the Fulani or its acclaimed Empire was made. The new Bornu Empire only gave birth to a group of related city states commonly known as Hausa Bakwai (or Seven Hausa States.) from Biram to Daura down to Katsina, Kano to Gobir which is the recipient city of the Fulani parents of Usman Dan Fodio who immigrated from Mali). Notably also was the fact that Northern Nigeria had its indigenous Hausa traditional religion before the advent of Islam in the eleventh century, during the reign of Humai, son of Sulumanu who was reputed as the first Muslim ruler in the Kanem Bornu Empire. The early Monarchs of Bornu were devout men of Islam which was and had always been a very peaceful religion as it was known to, held and practiced by them. I refer you to the life and death of Dunama, the King of Bornu who succeeded Humai. He performed the Muslim pilgrimage twice and finally drowned at the red sea during his third journey. He didnt kill anyone. He was no Fulani man but a true Islamic Hausa man of Bornu origin. Bornu Empire undoubtedly became the seat for Islamic learning and practice in West Africa giving birth to the drive to apply Islamic principles in conduct of government (Sharia law) i.e. the Islamizing of Hausa land agenda which took off through a peaceful evangelization by pilgrims, merchants and mallams. One historical fact then was that, Islam made little impact because it was a religion of a miserable small minority of aliens who were considered peaceful and harmless. This was the bases why for example, Alkali, the first Sarkin-Kebi of Kebbi accepted Islam but tolerated the majority of his subjects who remained non-Muslim. So the early attempt at Islamizing Hausa land never took a violent form until the rise of the first Jihad campaign in June, 1804 when the SHEHUS FORCE (a group of Fulani renegades) raised by Usman Dan Fodio, took up arm against the Kingdom of Gobir under the guise of religious purification crusade. Regrettably the ruin and conquest of the Kingdom of Gobir by the Fulani obviously revealed that the so called Jihad was actually never a religious purification crusade but a political struggle for ethnic cleansing, territorial dispossession and acquisition, ethnic domination of the Fulani and political unification through sporadic violence and military might- A war between the Islamic Fulani and non-Islamic Fulani on the one side and the Hausas on the other side. Needless to remind you that the first face of Jihad was the successful subjugation of Hausa land and establishing the Controversial Fulani Empire; the second face was the failed attempt on Empire and the third face was the southern expansion of the Fulani conquest to Nupe and Ilori on the fringe of Yorubaland and no more. IF YOUR JIHAD MOVEMENT IS FOR THE DEFENSE OF ISLAM, WHY WAS THE FAILED ATTEMPT TO CONQUER BORNU EMPIRE, THE CENTER AND SEAT OF ISLAMIC LEARNING IN AFRICA? This was the question, El-kanemi of Bornu put in writing to Mohammad Bello, the son and subsequent successor of Usman Dan Fodio when he was planning to attack Bornu under the cloak of Jihad. El-kanemi of Bornu was absolutely right when he accused your ancestors of fighting for political power under the guise of religion. The fight is not for the defense of Islamic religion, but a ruthless greed for political power, territorial domination by oppression and unacceptable use of force. Finally, in the light of your ridiculous claim of the ownership of Nigeria from Sokoto to the Sea sure, threatening to take it by force, I posit that this is the fourth Jihad; an organized desperate move to extend your forceful conquest beyond Northern Nigeria to the rest part of Nigeria which to your own ruin, you veiled in the killing of Christians and defenseless Nigerians using the instrumentality of Fulani Headsmen and other terrorism outfits. Let me remind you of a fundamental truth you seem to have forgotten. You are a mere man whose life is in the palm of the Almighty God and can be crushed at The Lords own instance; But you pride yourself up with the highest height of arrogance like if you are god and indestructible. You assume for yourselves unhealthy monopoly of power and violence. You put people in atmosphere of fear by your brutalities. Here is a message for you from The Living God: Mr. Weinstein, who produced movies such as Shakespeare in Love and Pulp Fiction, has pleaded not guilty in State Supreme Court to five felony charges, including rape, criminal sexual assault and predatory sexual assault. If convicted on the predatory assault charge, he could be sentenced to up to life in prison. Over three weeks, six women told the jury of seven men and five women that Mr. Weinstein attacked them, though he faces charges based on the allegations of only two of them: Jessica Mann, a former actress who said the producer raped her in 2013, and Miriam Haley, a former production assistant who said he forced oral sex on her in 2006. The judge, Justice James M. Burke, allowed the other women to testify to allow prosecutors to establish a pattern of behavior, even though their allegations are too old to qualify as crimes under New York State law. The actress Annabella Sciorra, for instance, took the stand under the legal theory that her testimony would support the charges of predatory sexual assault. He maintains that all the sexual encounters he had with his accusers were consensual. The New York Post had first reported that Ms. Bashford, of the sex crimes unit, had announced her retirement on Friday, saying that after four decades in the district attorneys office including nine heading the unit she was moving on. She did not provide further details or respond to requests for comment. In 2015, Ambra Battilana Gutierrez, a Filipina-Italian model, had accused Mr. Weinstein of groping her breasts and trying to slide his hand up her skirt. Ms. Bashford decided not to prosecute Mr. Weinstein because she did not believe she could prove any charges against him, and because the district attorneys office was concerned about the inconsistent accounts that Ms. Battilana Gutierrez had provided in a sexual assault case in Italy. Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, was harshly criticized for the decision. In a recent memo to his staff, Mr. Vance described Ms. Bashford as a great leader, mentor and a pioneer in the use of DNA to prosecute cold cases and sex crimes cases. Back in the courtroom, after the jurors were excused for the day, defense lawyers asked the judge to prohibit prosecutors from mentioning Mr. Weinsteins walker in their closing arguments. The producer has used a walker after having back surgery in December, and the prosecution has been trying to counter the image of a frail man, incapable of committing the crimes of which he is accused. by Nirmala Carvalho Archbishop Machado led the Mass at St Philomena's Hospital. We are all sick, he said in his homily, one way or another. But Jesus is our comfort and our refuge. Jesus invites us all to rest in his hands. Mumbai (AsiaNews) Archbishop Peter Machado of Bangalore celebrated Mass this morning, feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes, which is also World Day of the Sick. In his homily, he urged the faithful to put their trust in Jesus and find rest in his hands. The liturgical celebration in St Philomena's Hospital was attended by patients with all kinds of illnesses, including frail elderly and people on wheelchairs (picture 2), as well as nurses, aides, relatives, and Sisters from the Congregation of Jesus Mary and Joseph (JMJ). The Archbishop praised the work of the nurses and all those who serve in the hospital helping people with infirmities. We are all sick, he said in his homily, one way or another. But Jesus is our comfort and our refuge. Jesus invites us all to rest in his hands. The archbishop focused on the passage in the Book of Isaiah centred on the suffering servant, whilst stressing the importance of perseverance in suffering. He also noted that Illness, old age and death are inevitable aspects of our life. To show his solidarity with the sick and the suffering and as a sign of the pastoral care the Church has for those who suffer, Archbishop Machado celebrated the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick (picture 3). In his Message for today's World Day of the Sick, Pope Francis writes that Jesus does not make demands of those who endure situations of frailty, suffering and weakness, but offers his mercy and his comforting presence. The pontiff also reiterated the Churchs opposition to euthanasia for life is sacred and belongs to God" and such a practice violates human dignity and fails to respect the human person. Instead, Francis urges government leaders throughout the world to adhere the principles of solidarity and subsidiarity so that efforts will be made to cooperate in ensuring that everyone has access to suitable treatments for preserving and restoring their health. A mother has revealed how parents can save their walls from children's crayon scribbles - by wiping mayonnaise over the marks. Jessica Hard, from Medford in Oregon, shared the bizarre hack on Facebook after she discovered it on Google while searching for a way to remove the unwanted 'artwork'. In a video, the mother holds a jar of Best Foods - also known as Hellmann's - mayonnaise in one hand as she turns her attention to a blue crayon scribble on her white wall. As Jessica wipes a cloth she dipped in the condiment across her wall, it miraculously disappears, leaving a clean surface where the crayon once was. Jessica Hard, from Medford in Oregon, discovered she could remove crayon marks from her wall by wiping mayonnaise (pictured) over the scribbles She shared the bizarre hack in a video on Facebook (left, her wall before and right, after) which has gained more than 88,000 shares and 20,000 comments 'So if you put mayonnaise on crayon on the wall, it literally wipes off', she said. 'Parenting hack! That's nuts.' Jessica posted a video of the hack to Facebook, which has since been shared more than 88,000 times. Alongside the clip, she wrote: 'Just so everyone that's a mom knows. Mayonnaise takes crayon off walls.' Thousands of social media users took to the comments of the post to share their shock and thanks for the simple solution. As Jessica wipes a cloth she dipped in the condiment across her wall in the video (left), it miraculously disappears, leaving a clean surface where the crayon once was (right) Thousands of social media users took to the comments of the post to share their shock at the simple solution One said: 'This is amazing, and life changing!!! But... probably shouldn't eat it then'. Another commented: 'Will be going around the house with my pot of mayo today now.' 'Ooh fab, thank you! I need this hack with them two terrors', said a third. Another user added: 'I don't know why this makes me want to grab a crayon and color on my walls just to see if it works'. Others were not impressed with the hack - with one woman claiming the mayonnaise also leaves 'huge greasy marks' on your walls Others, however, were less than impressed with the hack - with one woman claiming the mayonnaise also leaves 'huge greasy marks' on your walls. 'I learnt this the hard way,' she said. Another mused: 'How do you get the mayonnaise off afterwards?' New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday said nobody should throttle dissent and people should be encouraged to question as dissent is an important facet of democracy. A bench comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Deepak Gupta made this observation during hearing on a plea by an NGO, India Social Action Forum (INSAF), challenging the constitutional validity of Section 5 (1) and 5 (4) of the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act (FCRA), 2010 and other rules. These gave Centre unchecked and unbridled powers to categorize virtually any organization as "organization of political nature, not being a political party", and thereby denying foreign contribution. "You cannot throttle dissent. People should be encouraged to question, as dissent is an important facet of democracy", observed the bench. The petitioner represented by senior advocate Sanjay Parekh contended the provisions in the FCRA violated fundamental rights in Articles 14, 19 (1) (a), 19 (1) (c) and 21 of the Constitution. The NGO moved the top court challenging the Delhi High Court, which dismissed its plea in 2011. Parekh contended before the apex court that in the main provision under FCRA, vague expressions have been given to certain activities, and "instead of defining those activities, the canvas of vagueness has been expanded thereby resulting in arbitrariness and violation of constitutional parameters". The court noted, "Nobody stops an organization from getting foreign funds except it is of political nature." Centre's counsel Additional Solicitor General K.M. Natraj, advocates Shradha and Devashish Bharuka contested this argument stating rules cannot be declared as ultra vires of the Act. The Centre contended its petitioner apprehension that there would be an abuse of power and some organizations may be unnecessarily harassed. Also, the procedure of declaring the association political, of any organization receiving foreign funds, has been prescribed in the FCRA. The court observed that political parties are not allowed to get foreign funds, and queried the Centre on the nature of political rights in connection with an organization. "Rights are so interwoven that it may become political rights. We want to understand political rights. We are concerned with organization of political nature", the court queried the Centre's counsel. The apex court cited an example that an organization may not have political objective, but through its policies or acts, it may indirectly support a political cause. "Political interest is a wide term... a group formed for the advancement of their interests, its main objective is not political. Would it mean it is not political?" the court put out this query. The court also raised queries on organizations whose objective is to raise public issues, and whther those could it be termed political. The apex court has reserved the order on this matter. (Sumit Saxena can be contacted at sumit.s@ians.in) US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump will visit India on Feb 24-25, the White House said in a statement on Monday. The trip will be Trump's first to the world's largest democracy since he took office. Trump will meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, a White House spokesman said. Also read: Govt set to approve $2.6 billion US naval helicopter deal ahead of Trump trip Also read: Indo-US trade deal likely during Trump's India visit RTHK: WHO warns of 'very grave' global virus threat The World Health Organisation warned on Tuesday that the novel coronavirus was a "very grave threat" for the planet as it hosted the first major conference on fighting the epidemic. About 400 scientists were taking part in the two-day international meeting in Geneva which will review how the virus is transmitted and possible vaccines against it. "With 99 percent of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world," WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the start of the meeting. "What matters most is stopping the outbreak and saving lives. With your support, that's what we can do." The virus, first identified in the city of Wuhan in central China on December 31, has killed more than 1,000 people, infected over 42,000 and reached some 25 countries. The WHO has declared it a global health emergency. Participants at the scientific conference will also discuss the source of the virus, which is thought to have originated in bats and reached humans via another "intermediary" species such as snakes or pangolins. The WHO sent an advance team to China this week for an international mission to examine the epidemic. It was unclear, however, whether the team would be able to visit Wuhan, which has been under lockdown after the outbreak was registered in a food and live animal market in the city. There is no specific treatment or vaccine against the virus and the WHO has repeatedly urged countries to share data in order to further research into the disease. "That is especially true in relation to sharing of samples and sequences. To defeat this outbreak, we need open and equitable sharing, according to the principles of fairness and equity," Tedros told the scientific conference. He said he hoped the scientists could agree a roadmap "around which researchers and donors will align". Asked whether scientists from Taiwan would take part, WHO officials said that they would do so but only online along with colleagues from other parts of China. While the WHO does not deal with Taiwan directly and only recognises Beijing, Taiwan was often allowed to attend annual assemblies and sideline meetings as an observer. But in recent years it has been frozen out as Beijing takes an increasingly combative stance towards Taiwan. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A former New Jersey State Police trooper fired after a conviction for a fatal drunk driving crash is not entitled to his pension, a panel of appellate judges ruled Monday. Mark Murphy, a former detective sergeant, was found guilty at a 2001 trial of vehicular homicide and assault by auto, and sentenced to seven years in prison. According to Star-Ledger archives, prosecutors said Murphy was driving drunk in his unmarked troop car, while off-duty, when he T-boned a car in the intersection of Surf Avenue and Route 9 South in Beachwood, Ocean County. Murphy, who took the stand in his defense, said hed had 11 beers over seven hours before leaving a trooper promotion party in Bordentown. He had a blood alcohol content of at least 0.16 when he struck a vehicle at more than 70 mph, killing its driver and injuring the passenger. The driver of that vehicle was also drunk and had pulled out into the intersection. Murphy testified that the light had turned green for him when he rolled through the intersection. The prosecutions star witness, another driver not involved in the crash, said Murphy passed her at a speed so high it shook her car. Murphy was fired from the force after the conviction. He served 12 years. In 2017, he sought deferred retirement benefits, available to troopers who serve more than 10 years and leave the service before age 55. But those benefits are not available to anyone removed for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency, the State Police Retirement System board wrote in a 2018 letter to Murphys attorney. The appellate judges Monday decision agreed with the boards decision. The SPRS board said in 2018 that Murphy could qualify for withdrawal of his personal contributions to his pension. Joe Brandt can be reached at jbrandt@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JBrandt_NJ. 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. Elections are a key part of any democracy, but in Iran, elections are merely a power struggle between two rival factions with no chance for any actual opposition. After all, to be allowed to run in Iranian elections, candidates must pledge full allegiance to the Velayat-e Faqih principle, which is the absolute rule of the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Oh, and that is just one of 15 requirements. After that, they must be vetted by the Guardian Council, who are directly and indirectly appointed by the Supreme Leader, which means they are extremely loyal to the Supreme Leader and will only approve candidates that he will support. Therefore, on the domestic front, the regime is faced with an exacerbating existential crisis as the people grow bolder in their calls for regime change. In this context, more than ever, Khamenei needs to put up a show of popular support, both to lift the dwindling spirits of his troops and also to create the grounds to further suppress demonstrations, which are growing more numerous and crowded every day. For four decades, the regime has been holding farce elections, with a huge inflated turnout and major vote-rigging, in order to deceive the world into believing they have domestic and international legitimacy. This time around, due to the regimes fragile condition, the Guardian Council has disqualified nearly one-third of the current members of the Majlis on charges of financial and ethical corruption prompting reformists to complain about the very few of their candidates allowed to run for the Majlis. The regime is now in such a critical condition that it cannot even maintain the closest loyalists and the Supreme Leader intends to eliminate the rival faction through manipulation and obtain a one-faction body. State-run media says that the Guardian Council has disqualified 90 sitting members of the parliament and that candidates in 170 districts are just from Khameneis faction. This will, however, cause a rift that could lead to further social protests and an uprising. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), described the crisis as a manifest reflection of another deadly impasse the regime is facing. She said the purge of the rival factions candidates is a sign of the regimes inevitable retrenchment in the face of the uprisings. Rajavi said that the Iranian people cast their true vote in the November 2019 and January 2020 uprisings with their chants of: death to the principle of the velayat-e faqih Death to Khamenei Death to the dictator Death to the oppressor, be it the Shah or the [Supreme] Leader She said they will boycott the mullahs election as a patriotic duty to demonstrate their desire for an Iran based on democracy and peoples sovereignty and their support for the Iranian uprising. The Centre on Tuesday referred in the Supreme Court to the Hyderabad encounter of four men accused of the gang rape and murder of a woman veterinarian, saying "people celebrated after the incident as people have started losing faith in the system". Pointing to the "delaying tactics" adopted by the four death row convicts in the sensational Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, the Centre said "it reflects poorly on our system". Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and Delhi government, told a bench of Justices R Banumathi, Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna that execution of convicts is not for "enjoyment " and the authorities are only executing the mandate of the law. "There is no concept of simultaneous execution of the convicts. The death row convicts in the case are acting in tandem. The delaying tactics adopted by them has an impact on the society. In a recent incident where four accused of gang rape and murder were killed in an encounter by the police, people were celebrating after the incident. This was because people have started losing the faith in the system. This reflects poorly on our system," he said. Mehta was arguing in an appeal filed by the Centre and Delhi government against the Delhi High Court verdict which dismissed its plea against stay on the execution of the Nirbhaya case convicts. "It's the system which is in question. The Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence of the four convicts in the case in 2017. But still I am struggling to get the sentence executed. This tells a lot about our system," Mehta said. The bench issued notices to all the four convicts in the case on the Centre's plea and sought their response by February 13. It also granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date of the execution of these convicts. The top court made it clear that the pendency of the appeal filed by the Centre and Delhi government before it would not be an impediment for the trial court in issuing fresh date for execution of the convicts. On December 6, last year, four accused in the gang rape and murder of woman veterinarian were killed in a police encounter on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The Telangana Police had said the accused were killed in an exchange of fire. The incident had taken place around 6.30 am when the accused were taken to the site of offence for the reconstruction of the scene of crime as part of the investigation. The four accused were shot dead on NH-44 near Hyderabad -- the same highway where the 27-year-old veterinarian's charred body was found. The names of accused who were killed in the encounter are Mohammed Arif, Chintakunta Chennakeshavulu, Jolu Shiva and Jollu Naveen. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Nataliya Mostovyy of River Grove came with her daughters, Diana, 9 and Maya, 3, after learning about the fair from a school flyer. She said she would love to see a poster about the Ukraine like the posters created by faculty about other continents and areas. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Okhla candidate Amanatullah Khan and Jangpura candidate Praveen Kumar late night on Monday visited outside the designated strongroom to store EVMs at Meerabai Institute of Technology in Maharanibagh. Earlier on Monday, Aam Aadmi Party's convenor and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had called a meeting at his residence over the security of EVMs after the elections were concluded. The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, party's Delhi convenor Gopal Rai, senior leader Sanjay Singh and party strategist Prashant Kishor. During this meeting, a detailed discussion was held over the measures to be taken to strengthen the security of EVMs stored in the strongrooms. All the leaders present in the meeting shared their views with the Chief Minister regarding the safety of EVMs and also gave him their suggestions following which it was decided to monitor the EVMs by AAP. Polling for Delhi Assembly seats was held on February 8. The counting of votes will take place today. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON - All four career prosecutors handling the case against Roger Stone withdrew from the legal proceedings Tuesday - and one quit his job entirely - after the Justice Department signaled it planned to undercut their sentencing recommendation for President Donald Trump's longtime friend and confidant. The sudden and dramatic moves came after prosecutors and their superiors had argued for days over the appropriate penalty for Stone, and exposed what some career Justice Department employees say is a continuing pattern of the historically independent law enforcement institution being bent to Trump's political will. Almost simultaneously, Trump decided to revoke the nomination to a top Treasury Department post of his former U.S. attorney in the District of Columbia, who had supervised the Stone case when it went to trial. The cascade of controversy began Monday, when career prosecutors handling the case recommended that a judge sentence Stone - convicted in November of obstructing Congress and witness tampering - to between seven and nine years in federal prison. Stone has been a friend and adviser to Trump since the 1980s and was a key figure in his 2016 campaign, working to discover damaging information on Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. His was the last conviction secured by special counsel Robert Mueller III as part of the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. The president suggested angrily on Twitter that Stone deserved more-lenient treatment. "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump wrote early Tuesday. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" Hours later, a senior Justice Department official told reporters that the agency's leadership was "shocked" by the recommendation of a seven-to-nine-year sentence and would soon revise it. "That recommendation is not what had been briefed to the department," the official said, speaking on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive case. "The department finds the recommendation extreme and excessive and disproportionate to Stone's offenses." One by one, the career prosecutors, two of whom had worked on Mueller's investigation, filed notices in court of their intention to leave the case. Though none of the prosecutors gave a reason, their asking to do so was highly unusual and suggested they could not ethically affix their names to the government's revised position. Career Justice Department lawyers similarly moved in 2018 to withdraw from a case when the Trump administration decided it would not defend the Affordable Care Act against a challenge to its constitutionality. One of those lawyers resigned over the matter. Kerri Kupec, a Justice Department spokeswoman, said that the White House did not communicate with the agency on Monday or Tuesday about the Stone case, and that the decision to reverse course was made before Trump's tweet. Trump told reporters later Tuesday, "I have not been involved in it at all," though in the same remarks he called the career prosecutors' initial recommendation "an insult to our country." "That was a horrible aberration. These are, I guess, the same Mueller people that put everybody through hell and I think it was a disgrace," Trump said. "They ought to be ashamed of themselves." Jonathan Kravis, one of the prosecutors on the Stone case, wrote in a court filing that he had resigned as an assistant U.S. attorney, leaving government altogether. Three others - Aaron Zelinsky, Adam Jed and Michael Marando - filed notices with the judge saying "please notice the withdrawal" from the case. Zelinsky, a former member of Mueller's team, also indicated in a filing he was quitting his special assignment to the U.S. attorney's office in the District, though a spokeswoman said he will remain an assistant U.S. attorney in Baltimore. Through a spokeswoman, Zelinsky declined to comment. Jed and Kravis also declined to comment. Marando could not immediately be reached. As the drama unfolded Tuesday afternoon, Trump also decided to withdraw his nomination of the District's former U.S. attorney, Jessie Liu, to serve as Treasury Department undersecretary for terrorism and financial crimes, people familiar with the matter said.The withdrawal was first reported by Axios. The reason for the withdrawal was not clear. Liu had left her U.S. attorney post last month in a somewhat unusual move, because she had not yet received Senate confirmation for her new job. She was replaced on an interim basis by Timothy Shea, a former counselor to Attorney General William Barr. An administration official said Trump has been lobbied extensively against Liu by those who did not like how she handled the U.S. attorney's office - particularly as it related to the Mueller probe. Several people familiar with the matter said Liu had no role in Stone's sentencing recommendation, having left the office before it was sent to supervisors for approval. Liu, whose confirmation hearing had been scheduled for Thursday, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Former Justice Department officials and others characterized the department's abrupt shift on the Stone case as an egregious example of the president and his attorney general manipulating federal law enforcement to serve their political interests. Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., asked the Justice Department's inspector general to investigate, writing, "This situation has all the indicia of improper political interference in a criminal prosecution." David Laufman, a former Justice Department official, called it a "shocking, cram-down political intervention" in the criminal justice process. "We are now truly at a break-glass-in-case-of-fire moment for the Justice Dept.," he wrote on Twitter. Eric Holder Jr., attorney general under President Barack Obama, said it was "unprecedented, wrong and ultimately dangerous." Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., D-N.J., said the move amounted to "obstruction of justice." "We are seeing a full-frontal assault on the rule of law in America," Pascrell said. "Direct political interference in our justice system is a hallmark of a banana republic. Despite whatever Trump, William Barr, and their helpers think, the United States is a nation of laws and not an authoritarian's paradise." In its revised sentencing recommendation, the Justice Department essentially took aim at its own line attorneys, saying their previous guidance "could be considered excessive and unwarranted under the circumstances." The memorandum was signed by Shea and his criminal division supervisor, John Crabb Jr. "Ultimately, the government defers to the Court as to what specific sentence is appropriate under the facts and circumstances of this case," they wrote. The decision to file a new sentencing memo was made by officials in the attorney general's office and the deputy attorney general's office, according to a senior Justice Department official. The official could not point to another instance of Justice Department headquarters overruling and replacing a sentencing memorandum a day after a filing but insisted it was not unusual for law enforcement officials to "correct the record." "I don't think anyone thinks this went smoothly," the official said, while declining to discuss who knew what inside the department about the Stone sentencing recommendation. Like the original sentencing recommendation, the official said, the withdrawal of the Stone prosecution team came as a surprise. Barr has previously faced criticism for seeking to protect Trump and undercut the special counsel's work. In perhaps the most notable instance, he sent Congress a letter before the special counsel's report was publicly released, describing what he called the investigation's principal conclusions. Mueller, Barr wrote, did not find that the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the 2016 election, and reached no conclusion on whether Trump had obstructed justice. Barr wrote that he and then-DeputyAttorney General Rod Rosenstein reviewed the matter and concluded there was insufficient evidence to make an obstruction case. The bare-bones description so infuriated the special counsel's team that Mueller wrote to Barr to complain that the attorney general's summary "did not fully capture the context, nature, and substance" of the Russia probe. Barr, though, repeated his description at a news conference before Mueller's full report was released, drawing criticism that he was trying to shape public opinion in a way favorable to Trump. Mueller closed his office in May, though some members of his team stayed on special assignments to the U.S. attorney's office in the District to handle cases - including Stone's - that were not resolved. People familiar with the matter say there was tension between them and their supervisors on what penalty to recommend. As Monday's court deadline neared for prosecutors to give a sentencing recommendation, it was still unclear what the office would do, even after days of internal debates, according to people familiar with the matter who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Front-line prosecutors argued for a prison sentence on the higher end, while their bosses wanted to calculate the guidelines differently to get to a lower sentence. The debate centered on whether they should seek more prison time for obstruction that impedes the administration of justice, these people said. In the end, the office filed a recommendation keeping with the line prosecutors' goals, and rejecting the lighter recommendation sought by their superiors, the people said. Hours before the filing was due Monday, Shea, the new head of the District office and a former close adviser to Barr, had not made a final decision on Stone's sentencing recommendation, they said. A Justice Department official said senior leaders were led to believe it would be lighter than what was ultimately filed. But some legal observers were skeptical, and the department declined to provide a more detailed account. Stone is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Amy Berman Jackson on Feb. 20. Mary McCord, a former prosecutor and acting assistant attorney general for the department's national security division, said that decisions related to the sentencing of such high-profile political figures would not be made without initial consultation between a U.S. attorney's office and Justice Department headquarters, and that it was hard to imagine the department was truly taken aback. "There is no way you can come away from this with anything other than an impression that Justice is taking its orders from the president and pandering to the president," McCord said. "This is causing lasting and long-term damage to the department's reputation and credibility." It can be common for prosecutors to disagree about sentencing recommendations, especially when it comes to politically sensitive cases. It would have been unusual, however, for the U.S. attorney's office to endorse a sentence below the guideline range after winning conviction at trial, according to former federal prosecutors. In the initial 22-page sentencing recommendation, the career prosecutors wrote that a sentence of 87 to 108 months "consistent with the applicable advisory Guidelines would accurately reflect the seriousness of [Stone's] crimes and promote respect for the law." Kravis and Marando were part of the U.S. attorney's office in the District. Jed and Zelinsky were members of Mueller's team on special assignment to the office. Kravis and Zelinsky revealed the resignations in formal notices of withdrawal from the Stone case. Jed and Marando asked to withdraw but gave no immediate indication they were resigning from the government. Crabb, the head of the D.C. office's criminal division and also a career prosecutor, entered the case in their place. Stone's defense on Monday asked for a sentence of probation, citing his age, 67, and lack of criminal history. They also noted that of seven Mueller defendants who have been sentenced, only one faces more than a six-month term: former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who is serving 7 years. Given the hardships and loss of professional standing suffered by Stone and his family, "No one could seriously contend that a [reduced . . .] sentence would cause anyone to walk away from these proceedings believing that one can commit the offenses at issue here with impunity," defense attorneys Bruce Rogow, Robert Buschel and Grant Smith wrote. Federal sentencing guidelines are calculated using mathematical formulas. While prosecutors and defense lawyers make recommendations based on their calculations, ultimately it is up to the judge to decide which factors to consider in sentencing someone, and whether to adhere to the recommendation or depart. In Stone's case, the prosecutors came up with a recommendation of seven to nine years based on a number of aggravating factors including an alleged threat to harm a witness - to whom Stone sent the message "prepare to die" - and because prosecutors decided Stone's conduct resulted in "substantial interference in the administration of justice." Under the federal sentencing guidelines' point system, those factors add years to Stone's prospective prison sentence. Stone and the witness in question, Randy Credico, both have maintained Stone's statement was not a threat of violence, but part of Stone's history of making bombastic statements. In their Monday filing, prosecutors argued that more time should be added to Stone's sentence because of his extensive criminal conduct, which stretched over two years, and because they say he obstructed the prosecution of the case after he was charged. In a Tuesday filing from Shea and Crabb, the government argued that those enhancements were overkill, noting that Stone's victim has asked for leniency for him and did not view the statement as an actual threat. The new filing also contended that the enhancements endorsed in the previous government filing were not in keeping with the sentences generally doled out to nonviolent offenders. Tuesday's filing suggested - but did not outright recommend - that a sentence of three to four years would be reasonable, and "more in line with the typical sentences imposed in obstruction cases." Prosecutors in another case brought by the special counsel's office, against Trump's first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, also recently walked back a sentencing recommendation - though the move was subtle. In early January, prosecutors recommended that Flynn, who pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about his contacts with Russia's ambassador to the U.S., be sentenced "within the Guidelines range" of zero to six months in prison. But in another filing just weeks later, they made clear they agreed with Flynn "that a sentence of probation is a reasonable." Prosecutors did not explain in the later filing why they emphasized probation as a reasonable sentence for Flynn. Both documents were signed by career prosecutors - Brandon Van Grack and Jocelyn Ballantine - though Van Grack has not signed some later filings in the case. Flynn is now seeking to withdraw his guilty plea, alleging a variety of government misconduct. Barr has been critical of the FBI's 2016 investigation into Trump's campaign that Mueller ultimately took over. When the Justice Department inspector general found last year that the bureau had adequate cause to open the case, Barr issued a remarkable public statement registering his disagreement. He said the case was initiated "on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken." "It is also clear that, from its inception, the evidence produced by the investigation was consistently exculpatory," he added. Barr has tasked the U.S. attorney in Connecticut with exploring the origins of the case, and current and former law enforcement officials have expressed concern that it might be an effort to undercut an investigation because Trump did not like it. - - - The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey, Philip Rucker and Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday told the UN Security Council that the world should reject President Donald Trump's Middle East plan, which he said would limit Palestinian sovereignty in a "Swiss cheese" deal. Brandishing a large map of Israel and Palestine as laid out by Trump's long-awaited January 28 announcement, Abbas called it a "Swiss cheese" deal that would limit Palestinian sovereignty. This is the summary of the project that was presented to us. This is the state they would give us. Its like a Swiss cheese, really. Who among you would accept such a state? asked Abbas. The Palestinians have sought to rally international support against the plan, which Trump unveiled alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has since moved forward on plans to annex vast parts of the West Bank. Addressing members of the UN Security Council in New York, Abbas said he was speaking on behalf of 13 million Palestinians to call for a just peace. The deal would bring neither peace nor stability to the region, said Abbas. I would like to say to Mr. Donald Trump that his plan cannot achieve peace and security as it cancels international legitimacy. It cancels all the rights of the Palestinians. This does not meet the aspirations of a two-state solution," he said. "If you impose peace it will not last, it cannot last," he said, asking: "What gives you the right to annex these lands?" Abbas said that peace with Israel remained "achievable" and said: "I have come to build a just partnership." "This deal is not an international partnership. This proposal was from one state, supported by another state, to be imposed." UN speech, but no vote The speech came a day after the Palestinians abandoned their plans for a UN Security Council vote following pressure from the Trump administration on critics of the peace plan. Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favour, the minimum required for adoption provided there is no veto by a permanent member. While details of the diplomatic pressure have not been officially released, John Lyndon of the Alliance for Middle East Peace noted that the vote plan was shelved for two reasons. The first related to a call for an international conference to discuss the Israeli-Palestinian issue based upon UN Security Council resolutions rather than the details of the Trump initiative, as well as, I think, an unprecedented call for Chapter 7 of the UN charter to be implemented, which would call on the UN to somehow try and implement previous UN Security Council resolutions in Israel and Palestine, explained Lyndon in an interview with FRANCE 24. Pressure, divisions in international response to Trump plan The Palestinian leadership has enjoyed the backing of the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and, most recently, the African Union, which have all rejected the Trump plan. But individual countries' positions are more complicated. In the midst of pushing for the UN resolution, Tunisia abruptly withdrew its UN ambassador, raising speculation that the Arab state had come under pressure from Washington. Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and adviser who has spearheaded his Middle East push, last week said there was a "ton of cracks" in opposition to the plan. He pointed to divisions within the European Union, particularly from a handful of countries such as Hungary, led by the right-wing populist Viktor Orban. Of the four EU members that hold seats on the Security Council, two of them Germany and Estonia looked ready to abstain from a vote criticising the US plan, diplomats said. The other two members are France and Belgium. A fifth EU member that was on the Security Council, Britain, left the bloc at the end of last month. The European Union issued a statement last week reiterating its support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines. The Palestinians want to establish a state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel seized in a war with Arab countries a half-century ago. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the US initiative departs from these internationally agreed parameters". Israel and the US have been optimistic of winning at least muted backing from Arab states traditionally supportive of the Palestinians, with Gulf monarchies united with Israel in their hostility to Iran. The ambassadors of Bahrain, Oman, the United Arab Emirates attended Trump's unveiling of the plan alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who later held a breakthrough meeting with Sudan's top general. Netanyahu has hailed Trump's plan, under which Israel would maintain sovereignty up to the Jordanian border even if there is a Palestinian state. 'Trump is part of the problem,' say protesting Palestinians Meanwhile thousands of Palestinians rallied Tuesday in the West Bank to reject Trump's Mideast initiative and to express support for the Palestinian leadership bid to win UN opposition to the plan. Protesters packed Al-Manara Square in Ramallah, the West Bank headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. They waved Palestinian flags and held banners condemning the plan. An English-language banner read Trump is part of the problem not the solution, while another condemned the theft of the century". Arab officials and media refer to the plan sarcastically as the deal of the century". "All Palestinian people and all the factions, national and Islamic, are standing behind President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh told the crowd. All the streets are full," he said. "This is the Palestinian response." (FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP and REUTERS) KIMBERLY EPLER Staff Writer VISTA -- A former Carlsbad attorney was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Friday, 10 months after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder for shooting his girlfriend during a confrontation over a broken date. James Bottomley, 52, never denied killing Marietta Cordero Birbilis, 46, in the entryway of her Escondido home on Feb. 15, 2000, but he said he committed the crime in the heat of passion. Advertisement During his trial, Bottomley said he was upset over her relationship with another man when he took a gun over to Birbilis house to elicit her sympathy by threatening suicide. On Friday, dressed in a blue jail jumpsuit, a thinner, paler Bottomley spoke for nearly half an hour before he was sentenced. First, he apologized to Birbilis family. Then Bottomley spoke at length about betraying his ex-wife, his anguish at the crime he committed, his bout with depression and how, before the shooting, he tried to live an honest and moral life. I have been in agony with remorse and suffering every day of the last 16 months and I should be, Bottomley said, his voice breaking with emotion at points. Marietta did not deserve to die. Bottomley also told his family that his shame was not their shame and his guilt was not their guilt. Bottomleys sister, ex-wife and twin daughters tearfully addressed the court on his behalf, calling him a gentle man who drifted in a chasm of mental illness. Our pain and suffering can only be surpassed by yours, his sister, Jennifer Bottomley Qwynne, told Birbilis family. Before handing down the sentence, Superior Court Judge John Einhorn expressed his sympathy to Birbilis family. He also said he could offer no explanation as to why Bottomley went from being a devoted father, successful lawyer and community supporter to a self-absorbed murderer. Einhorn called Bottomley an embarrassment to his profession and the court. This court takes absolutely no joy in participating in this process today, Einhorn said, adding he was satisfied Bottomley had received a fair trial. Earlier this week, Einhorn denied Bottomleys request to lower the conviction to involuntary manslaughter and denied a motion for a new trial based on allegations of insufficient counsel and prosecutorial and jury misconduct. At the sentencing, several members of the Birbilis family gave tearful accounts of how her death has changed their lives. Her mother, Rosario Cordero, said the numerous delays in Bottomleys sentencing had worried the family. Since the verdict was handed down, we have been agonizing while waiting for this day, she told the court. We thought justice delayed would be justice denied, but we are grateful justice will always prevail. Oscar Cordero, Birbilis older brother, said the sentencing was a big relief. Contact staff writer Kimberly Epler at (760) 739-6644 or kepler@nctimes.com. 6/16/01 Our Allstate agents are small-business owners throughout the state, every county, every township we can get into, John Kane, president of Allstate New Jersey, told tapinto.net. As small-business owners, they are a big part of the community. Ive gotten to know many local families as an Allstate agent in Maplewood. I enjoy being a part of the community, and building local relationships is one of the best parts of my job, Eli said on his website. I know what life is like here in Maplewood that you choose your car and your home to fit your lifestyle and your budget. I also know how important it is to do the same when it comes to insurance. A Derry student has come out top in a Mandarin speaking competition held in London last week. Leo Doherty, an Upper-Sixth pupil at Lumen Christi College, has won first prize in the Intermediate Category of the British Councils Mandarin Speaking Competition, which was held at the Victory Service Club last Wednesday. His win follows on from that of Thornhill College's Eve Flood, who took the beginners title last year. The competition aims to build interest in Chinese language and culture and saw Leo joined by students from 42 Secondary Schools from across the Britain including fellow pupils Anitta Sibin, who competed in the Beginners Category, and Matthew Rodgers, Niamh Fleming, Grace Martin, Vibhav Nthanankalva and Owen McFadden, who performed in the Group category. The Lumen Christi pupils made it through to the final after competing in the Northern Ireland heat last November which was supported by the Confucius Institute at Ulster University. Leo, who has only been learning Mandarin for two years, said it was surreal to have won. Ive always loved linguistics and with Mandarin, it changes the way you think about languages its almost like a problem to be solved. I also like that you can watch different TV, listen to Chinese music and communicate with people across the world. I was shocked when I won. There were so many good competitors and I didnt expect to come away with anything. I was just there for the experience, and it wasnt really about the winning so to speak it still feels very surreal. My teacher XU Honge helped me prepare - giving me lots of tips and tricks ahead of the competition as well as showing me how to manipulate the language. It was definitely a lot more work than I originally thought, but well worth it! He now plans to study Maths at either Cambridge University or St Andrews. At university I plan to study Maths as its just something I enjoy and hopefully it will take me into some job I like. I aim to keep learning Mandarin as I think it will be useful you see jobs in London, Dublin and even Derry where they need people that can speak Mandarin and communicate with people in China. Dr Marie Ferris, Vice Principal at Lumen Christi College said: Were just so tremendously proud of Leo, as well as the rest of our finalists. Its a great achievement for all of them they were very professional and performed at such a high level, especially considering the competition they had to face. I must pay tribute to their Mandarin teachers from the Confucius Institute, who have worked so hard with them. As a school, we have been part of the Confucius project since 2014 and its created so many opportunities for our pupils, helping them learn more about Chinese language and culture. As the most spoken language in the world, Mandarin is recognised as a valuable skill for young people in the UK to acquire. 77 per cent of British business leaders surveyed in 2018 said that speaking Mandarin will give school leavers a career advantage. Research by the British Council has found that Mandarin is the second most important foreign language for the UKs influence on the global stage. Jonathan Stewart, Director, British Council Northern Ireland commended Leo's achievement. He said: Congratulations to Leo on such a fantastic achievement, which is testament to the hard work he and his teachers have put in throughout the past year. We hope that Leo is an inspiration to other students to think about learning Mandarin or finding out more about Chinese language and culture. Language learning is an essential part of understanding and collaborating with other countries and cultures. With more than one billion Mandarin speakers in the world, its important that more young people in the UK learn the language those that do will find it opens up exciting study and work opportunities in our increasingly interconnected world. In the British Council we have a wide range of opportunities and resources available to support schools who are keen to get more involved in international work and would encourage other schools to get in touch with us to see how we can support their international ambitions. The Uttar Pradesh police said on Monday that it has filed FIR against 21 named and hundreds of unnamed people for allegedly raising inflammatory slogans and blocking the traffic during protest Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh police said on Monday that it has filed FIR against 21 named and hundreds of unnamed people for allegedly raising inflammatory slogans and blocking the traffic during protest against the amended citizenship law in the state capital. Anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protest has been continuing in Lucknow's Clock Tower area since 17 January and till now a number of people have been arrested. The anti-CAA protestors had on Sunday raised provocative and inflammatory slogans and organised a march around the Clock Tower where they had been holding protest against CAA since last month, police said, adding when they were stopped they pushed police personnel and blocked the traffic. As many as 21 persons, including several women and hundreds of unidentified persons, have been booked. The FIR has been lodged in Thakurganj police station, police said. Protalix BioTherapeutics Presents Key Clinical Data of Pegunigalsidase Alfa for the Treatment of Fabry Disease at the 16th Annual WORLDSymposium 2020 Details Category: Proteins and Peptides Published on Tuesday, 11 February 2020 09:38 Hits: 2709 Phase I/II dose-ranging studies show high correlation between two Fabry disease biomarkers, supporting potential effectiveness of pegunigalsidase alfa in treating Fabry disease 12-Months on-treatment Phase III BRIDGE study interim data analysis indicates significant improvement in kidney function in patients switched from agalsidase alfa (Replagal) to pegunigalsidase alfa (PRX-102) Oral presentation given by Dr. David Warnock on design and methods of pivotal Phase III BALANCE study testing PRX-102 versus the currently used enzyme replacement therapy, Fabrazyme for Fabry patients with declining renal function CARMIEL, Israel I February 10, 2020 I Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. (NYSE American: PLX) (TASE: PLX), a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development, production and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins produced by its proprietary ProCellEx plant cell-based protein expression system, announced today that one-year interim data from the ongoing Phase III BRIDGE clinical trial of the Company's pegunigalsidase alfa (PRX-102) candidate for the treatment of Fabry disease will be presented via a poster presentation at the 16th Annual WORLDSymposium 2020 in Florida. The Company will also deliver additional data via a poster presentation on the Phase I/II dose-ranging studies of pegunigalsidase alfa for the treatment of Fabry disease, and both a poster and oral presentation on the design of the pivotal Phase III BALANCE clinical trial of pegunigalsidase alfa for the treatment of Fabry disease by David Warnock, M.D., University of Alabama at Birmingham, a principal investigator in the Company's BALANCE trial. The Company has already announced the schedule of the presentations. The Company's BRIDGE clinical trial is a Phase III open-label single arm switch-over study evaluating the safety and efficacy of pegunigalsidase alfa, 1 mg/kg infused every two weeks, in up to 22 Fabry patients currently treated with agalsidase alfa (Replagal) for at least two years and on a stable dose for at least six months. The data to be presented via a poster by Dr. Ales Linhart of Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, a principal investigator in the BRIDGE study, suggest that there exists a potential benefit of pegunigalsidase alfa on renal function for Fabry patients previously treated with agalsidase alfa. "In addition to suggesting a positive safety and tolerability profile of pegunigalsidase alfa, these interim data indicate amelioration of the course of the disease," said Dr. Linhart. "While these results must be confirmed by the long-term data, all of the progressing patients and two-thirds of those in the 'fast progressing' group, to date, achieved the proposed therapeutic goals after switching to pegunigalsidase alfa, demonstrating substantial improvement in disease progression rate." In previously announced interim data, pegunigalsidase alfa was found to be well tolerated in the study, with all adverse events being transient in nature without sequelae. As of today, the majority of patients who completed the study rolled over to a long-term extension study and continues to receive treatment. The BRIDGE study final results are expected by mid-2020. Data on the Phase I/II dose ranging studies designed to evaluate the safety, efficacy and pharmacokinetics of pegunigalsidase alfa administered intravenously every other week in adult symptomatic, treatment-naive male and female Fabry patients will be presented in a poster presentation by Prof. Derralynn Hughes of University College London (UK), a principal investigator in the Company's Phase III clinical trial of PRX-102. "The results of this study demonstrate that pegunigalsidase alfa reaches the affected tissue and reduces the kidney Gb 3 inclusions burden and the Lyso-Gb 3 levels in circulation," said Prof. Hughes. "Further, the high correlation found between the two Fabry disease biomarkers, reduction of kidney Gb 3 inclusions and reduction of plasma Lyso-Gb 3 over six months of treatment, gives additional support to the potential effectiveness of pegunigalsidase alfa in treating Fabry disease." An oral presentation, to be given by Dr. Warnock, describes the design and methods of the study protocol and the baseline characteristics for approximately 75 patients enrolled at 29 U.S. and European study sites. The Company's Phase III BALANCE clinical trial is a fully enrolled, randomized, double blind, head-to-head active control study which aims to demonstrate pegunigalsidase alfa's superiority in kidney function over 24 months of treatment as compared to agalsidase beta (Fabrazyme). The study enrolled adult Fabry patients that were previously treated with agalsidase beta with deteriorating renal function, where it is aimed to demonstrate clinical benefit on renal function post-switch to pegunigalsidase alfa versus patients remaining under agalsidase beta. "The BALANCE study is designed to show pegunigalsidase alfa's solid potential to demonstrate clinical benefit in Fabry patients," said Dr. Warnock. "An improved Fabry treatment remains a significant unmet need for this underserved population, and we look forward to the completion of our study to help address this situation." Copies of the oral presentation and the posters will be made available on the Company's website under the Presentations tab in the Investors section. About Fabry Disease Fabry disease is an X-linked inherited disease that results from deficient activity of the lysosomal GalactosidaseA enzyme resulting in progressive accumulation of abnormal deposits of a fatty substance called globotriaosylceramide (Gb 3 ) in blood vessel walls throughout a person's body. Fabry disease occurs in one person per 40,000. Fabry patients inherit a deficiency of the GalactosidaseA enzyme, which is normally responsible for the breakdown of Gb 3 . The abnormal storage of Gb 3 increases with time and, accordingly, Gb 3 accumulates, primarily in the blood and in the blood vessel walls. The ultimate consequences of Gb 3 deposition range from episodes of pain and impaired peripheral sensation to end-organ failure particularly of the kidneys, but also of the heart and the cerebrovascular system. About Pegunigalsidase Alfa Pegunigalsidase alfa (PRX-102) is an investigational, plant cell culture-expressed, and chemically modified stabilized version of the recombinant GalactosidaseA enzyme. Protein sub-units are covalently bound via chemical cross-linking using short PEG moieties, resulting in a molecule with unique pharmacokinetic parameters. In clinical studies, PRX-102 has been observed to have a circulatory half-life of approximately 80 hours. The Company designed pegunigalsidase alfa to potentially address the continued unmet clinical need in Fabry patients of continuous disease progression, infusion reactions and immunogenicity. About Protalix BioTherapeutics, Inc. Protalix is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of recombinant therapeutic proteins expressed through its proprietary plant cell-based expression system, ProCellEx. Protalix was the first company to gain U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of a protein produced through plant cell-based in suspension expression system. Protalix's unique expression system represents a new method for developing recombinant proteins in an industrial-scale manner. Protalix's first product manufactured by ProCellEx, taliglucerase alfa, was approved for marketing by the FDA in May 2012 and, subsequently, by the regulatory authorities of other countries. Protalix has licensed to Pfizer Inc. the worldwide development and commercialization rights for taliglucerase alfa, excluding Brazil, where Protalix retains full rights. Protalix's development pipeline consists of proprietary, potentially clinically superior versions of recombinant therapeutic proteins that target established pharmaceutical markets, including the following product candidates: pegunigalsidase alfa, a modified version of the recombinant human GalactosidaseA protein for the treatment of Fabry disease; OPRX-106, an orally-delivered anti-inflammatory treatment; alidornase alfa for the treatment of Cystic Fibrosis; and others. Protalix has partnered with Chiesi Farmaceutici S.p.A., both in the United States and outside the United States, for the development and commercialization of pegunigalsidase alfa. SOURCE: Protalix BioTherapeutics Corey Lamonte Cunningham said it first. Sitting in his wheelchair, he looked up at Tyyisha Marie Evans and promised his eternal love. Then it was Evans turn. She knelt before Cunningham, her best friend, and reciprocated his vows, to have and hold him, in joy and sorrow a promise of love that will last always. Evans was the first to cry. Then Cunningham. Then nurses and doctors wept freely as the couple officially bound themselves to each other, in this life and the next. Cunningham, 45, was diagnosed with Stage IV glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, in November. It has not responded to treatment. This isnt the Houston couples first time facing a dangerous cancer Evans, 42, underwent treatment for breast cancer in her late 30s. While treatments and therapies continue to be tested and developed at the Kenneth R. Peak Brain and Pituitary Treatment Center at Methodist, glioblastoma has a median survival timeline of 15 months. Phylliss Chappell, a supportive and palliative care physician, said the idea for a hospital wedding was kindled in her first conversation with Cunningham. One of the things I always ask in the initial consultation is if you cant make decisions for yourself, who do you trust to make decisions for you. He said his fiancee, Tyyisha, Chappell said. I asked him if he planned to be married. He said yes, so I asked Would you like to be married in the hospital? Cunningham did not want to get married in a hospital bed, surrounded by machines and tubes. But when the doctor suggested the hospitals chapel, he agreed. And so did Evans, who had previously declined his four earlier marriage proposals. She said his traveling work schedule over the years made it difficult to feel settled in their lives. But his diagnosis put it all in perspective. I couldnt imagine not marrying my best friend while hes still here, she said. Seeing his face made me more emotional; I felt the love he had for me. I had never felt that more than I felt it today. In recent months, the couple has made a concerted effort to make every day count, by telling each other something we didnt know about each other the day before, she said. Cunninghams wheelchair was decorated in their chosen wedding colors: White and navy blue. Evans dress matched his blue Chuck Taylors. Hospital staff scattered glittery blue and white petals along the aisle, and decorated the pews in blue and white fabric. Methodist is awesome. I didnt think good people like this existed, said Evans. At their sides were Evanss sons Melvin Mock Jr., 11, MelChristifor Mock, 10, and their grandson, 4-year-old Aiden Hines. Charles Jackson officiated, while Narjess Kardan, the hospitals Muslim chaplain resident, read a traditional wedding passage from the Quran. Cunningham has been studying the Quran for many years, and Kardan wanted to give him a message of hope and love at the ceremony. In a private moment for the couple, Jackson reminded them to listen to their own hearts. He began by speaking to Evans. Your love for him sustains anything and everything, he said, before turning to Cunningham. And you love the ground she hovers on, he said. When the time comes and you go on toward glory, youll know that you will be with him and hell be with you. julie.garcia@chron.com Twitter.com/reporterjulie A 'disinherited' daughter whose father left nearly 300,000 to the RNLI in his will - while she got just 5,000 - faces losing her home after being beaten by the charity in a court battle. Sonya Young gave up her job to concentrate on a legal fight after discovering her father Brian Cole, a former lifeboatman, had bestowed around 268,000 to the charity, leaving his daughter and his former partner legacies of just 5,000 each. Troubled Mr Cole took his own life aged 70 on August 30 2013, just 25 days after he signed off the will, leaving nearly all his savings to fund the lifeboat in Penarth, Wales, he once crewed. Mrs Young, of Dinas Powys in Glamorgan, has been fighting the charity since 2015 in a bid to prove her father was not in his right mind when he made his final will. But in July last year Judge Paul Teverson found in favour of the charity, upholding the will and ruling that Mr Cole had known what he was doing. He had made a conscious decision to 'disinherit' his daughter after a bad falling-out, the judge said. Mrs Young went on to pay 214,000 of her father's money to the RNLI, but had already 'dissipated' or spent around 54,000, the court heard. Now at the request of RNLI lawyers, the judge has imposed a charging order on Mrs Young's 260,000 house in Dinas Powys, and the court was told the property may have to be sold to pay off the 'shortfall' she owes to the charity under her father's will. Sonya Young gave up her job to concentrate on a legal fight after discovering her father Brian Cole, a former lifeboatman, had bestowed around 268,000 to the charity London's High Court heard that Mr Cole, who was worth around 300,000 when he passed away, had named his only daughter as his main heir under a previous 2008 will. But in another will he executed in 2012, he largely 'disinherited her' in favour of his then-girlfriend Angela Saunders. His last will in 2013 however left both women only 5,000 each, with nearly all of his assets going to the RNLI in honour of his former service as a lifeboatman 'for the purpose of the upkeep of the Penarth life boat and the station at Penarth'. Mr Cole told the lawyer who prepared his last will that he had been a crew member of the Penarth life boat 'many years ago' and wanted the RNLI to get most of his wealth. Although hard-up during his lifetime, he had recently inherited a 300,000 legacy from a friend, the court heard. He had 'fallen out' with his daughter, Mrs Young, the probate solicitor said, and was determined to cut her out. Now at the request of RNLI lawyers, the judge has imposed a charging order on Mrs Young's 260,000 house in Dinas Powys, meaning the property will have to be sold to pay off the 'shortfall' she owes to the charity under her father's will The lawyer also insisted that in August 2013, when he drew the will up, the pensioner remained 'entirely lucid'. Daniel Burton - the RNLI's barrister - claimed there was a troubled history between father and daughter, and that there had been some 'fundamental disagreement' between them. 'The evidence is clear that his intention was to disinherit his daughter and he had already done that pursuant to his previous will,' he added. Mrs Young went to court last summer, challenging the validity of his will and claimed the tragic facts called for an explanation. She said her father had a history of drinking and suggested he may have been deluded when his will was executed, also pointing out that he committed suicide just over three weeks later. 'I don't believe my father had testamentary capacity...I believe this is a case where there are questions,' she said. 'We have instructions for the will given 44 days before my father's death, which completely changed his will, and it was executed 25 days before his death. 'None of it makes any sense.' Mr Cole left nearly all his savings to fund the lifeboat in Penarth, Wales, he once crewed. Pictured is the Penarth Atlantic 85 inshore lifeboat Maureen Lillian B-839 at sea Judge Teverson said Mrs Young's only possible attack on the will hinged on claims that her father lacked full 'testamentary capacity' and was not of sound mind. The issue was not whether the pensioner was being 'fair or kind', but whether he was not in his right mind at the time. But the evidence did not suggest this, the judge found, saying the changes Mr Cole made to his various wills 'are explained by him falling out with his daughter and then with his partner'. 'It may be that responsibility for the breakdown in these relations lay in whole or in part with Mr Cole, but that's not a matter for me to determine in these proceedings,' the judge said. Mr Cole had left letters to both Mrs Young and his ex to explain his actions, the court heard, and the judge was shown the letter he penned to his daughter. 'It's a sad document, referring to a degree of hurt which Mr Cole felt in relation to Mrs Young's conduct,' said the judge. 'Its terms are clear, they are on one view of the matter harsh. But it ends with the words ''take care in life - Brian'', followed by two kisses.' The judge concluded: 'The evidence before the court is that this will is formally valid, rational on its face, and prepared by an experienced solicitor who had known Mr Cole for eight years. 'There is no realistic prospect of Mrs Young being able to challenge the 2013 will.' The judge ruled in favour of that will and the RNLI in July last year. This week, he ordered Mrs Young to pay the charity 54,000 and put a charging order in that sum on her house. That was after Mr Burton had told the judge: 'Mrs Young had admitted having estate assets in her hands. Mrs Young explained that she had around 214,000 in an HSBC account which was transferred following the order in July last year. 'She was then ordered to explain what had happened to the shortfall and that hasn't happened. 'She was chased and asked to comply with the order and that hasn't happened. 'The shortfall is around 54,000. An application is being made for the payment in of the shortfall. 'She has dissipated a certain amount of the funds. The RNLI is entitled to compensation. There should be essentially judgment against Mrs Young for these sums and payment of equitable interest.' Phillip Young, Mrs Young's estranged husband, was in court and told the judge he didn't oppose the charging order, despite having a half interest in the house. But he added: 'She gave up work to fight this case. Because of what she's done, everything that I've worked for that should have gone to my children is going to be handed to the RNLI. I do feel very strong and bitter about it.' The judge making the order said: 'I will make the charging orders. Sonya Young pays the balance of the monies she acknowledges she was holding at the end of 2015 relating to this estate. I order payment to be made by Sonya Young of 54,098.05, plus interest at base rate plus one per cent.' He also ordered her to pay 9,047 court costs. Mrs Young had turned down a pre-trial settlement offer of 30,000 from the RNLI, the court heard. A spokesman for the RNLI said: 'Legacies such as those left by Mr Cole play a vital part in saving lives at sea and the charity is extremely grateful to anyone who leaves a gift in their will.' Mr Cole's ex, Angela Saunders, played no part in the court hearing. The makers of Ayushmann Khurranas upcoming film Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan released a new song, Arey Pyaar Kar Le on Monday. The song is a remixed version of the golden hit, Yaar Bina Chain Kahan Re, from the 1980s by veteran music director Bappi Lahiri. The original song featured in the film Saaheb in 1985. The song opens with a party scene; the disco theme is unmistakable. Jitendras onscreen parents, Gajraj Rao and Neena Gupta, too are in the mood to party, 80s style, in glittery costumes. Jitendra also joins his parents on the stage. Seconds later, we are introduced to Ayushmann, on the opposite side of the room, aiming to set the stage on fire. He then breaks into a rap (with a memorable line Aadmi Hoon Aadmi Se Pyar Karta Hoon from another hit Hindi film song, Bas Yehi Apradh from Manoj Kumar starrer Pehchan (1970) and then goes on to croon Arey Pyaar Kar Le. In one scene, Bappi Lahiri too makes an appearance. Watch Arey Pyaar Kar Le here: The song got a thumps up from fans and viewers. One user said Too good man while another said Ayushman is there anything you cant do? Couldnt take my eyes off you. Yet another said, Ayushman-bhava to this newest couple in town After all, love is love. The film, based on gay romance, features a kiss, which has become much-talked about. Speaking about it, Ayushmann had narrated an incident when he had kissed a boy in the past. I have kissed a boy in the past. During MTV Roadies, we were playing truth and dare. I got the dare (to kiss a boy) and so I did it, the actor, who is seen kissing his co-star Jitendra Kumar in the Gabru song of the film, told IANS. Watch the original song here: Also read: Bigg Boss 13 day 135 written update episode 135 February 10: Salman Khan responds to allegations of being biased towards Sidharth Shukla A couple of days back, Jitendra had spoken about the time when he had met Ayushmann in his college campus, as a fan. IANS had quoted him as saying, I met Ayushmann way back in 2009 when I was a student in IIT Kharagpur, he had come to cover a fest on behalf of MTV. The fest was called Springfest and we were huge fan of Roadies, where we all met him and clicked photographs with him. We ended up reaching his room once we found and it was our first year and he was very welcoming towards us. He shared his experiences with us and spoke about his college life with us. Coincidentally during that time we spoke about homosexuality, we did not know that after 10 years we would work in a film together. Shubh Mangal Zyada Saavdhan, which releases on February 21, Hitesh Kewalya. It also stars Manurishi Chaddha, Sunita Rajwar and Pankhuri Awashty in prominent roles. Follow @htshowbiz for more KAMPALA Airtel Uganda has been found to provide the fastest data at slightly above 14 Mbps, says a Quality of Service study (QoS) from the Uganda Communications Commission. The QoS study determined performance in call success, blocked calls, dropped call rates and data speed. The Airtel network was the quickest in nearly every jurisdiction. In the period September to November 2019, UCC conducted benchmark measurements of mobile voice telephony and data services in Uganda to assess the Quality of Service (QoS) received by users/consumers of these services. The operators whose services were considered under this exercise were Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL), MTN Uganda Limited, Airtel Uganda Limited, and Africell Uganda Limited. The measurements were carried out from the end-user perspective in twenty (20) towns across the country namely; Mbarara, Kabale, Moroto, Kasese, Hoima, Mubende, Arua, Mbale, Tororo, Soroti, Lira, Kampala, Mukono, Jinja, Masaka, Mityana, Entebbe, Masindi, Fort Portal, and Gulu. However, the UTL network was not accessible in seven [7] of the towns considered. In an area where Airtel had an average speed of 14 Mbps, MTN was slightly above 4 Mbps in Soroti and 3 Mbps in Mityana. With Africell, a subscriber would download a file at 3.8 Mbps in Soroti, 5 Mbps in Kitgum, 3.9 Mbps in Mityana and 5.8 Mbps in Moroto. However, Airtel registered lower speeds in Masaka, Mukono and Entebbe, all places in which MTN registered slightly higher speeds. MTN reached 7 Mbps in Kasese and registered throughputs less than 2 Mbps in towns like Arua and Gulu. A report shows that all the operators performed the poorest in Kabale district, registering speeds lower than 4 Mbps. In Kampala, the average speed by all three telecoms is 6 Mbps and is 4.7 Mbps for both Entebbe and Mukono. Airtel Uganda, first announced the availability of nationwide 4G connectivity in January last year, following the complete modernization of its network, a development it said was significantly to enhance the network experience for customers. The regulator however investigated Airtel after customers complained of slow connectivity. UCC said Airtel was misleading subscribers and prospective clients with deceptive claims over the networks fourth-generation (4G) internet capabilities. UCC investigation found that Airtels network speeds were much lower than what is internationally expected for a 4G network service. Following preliminary investigations conducted in the sampled towns of Kampala, Mukono, Entebbe and Jinja to establish the level of coverage and download throughput of Airtels 4G network, the Commission found that whereas Airtels LTE signal was available in over 90% of the areas sampled, the network speeds were much lower than what is internationally expected for a 4G network service, a statement released by UCC read. Seven months later, Airtel Uganda has been found to provide the fastest data at slightly above 14 Mbps, says a Quality of Service study. Related [February 11, 2020] Tyler Technologies Signs Statewide Agreement with North Carolina for eCitation Solution Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: TYL) announced it has signed a 10-year software-as-a-service (SaaS (News - Alert)) agreement valued at approximately $14.5 million with the North Carolina Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) and North Carolina Judicial Branch for Tyler's Brazos eCitation solution. This agreement extends the existing relationship between Tyler and the NCAOC, announced in 2019 for a statewide Odyssey project. The NCAOC identified clear business challenges that need to be addressed, including the need to integrate an improved citation solution with other systems; its current dependence on paper citations and forms-based processes; and the difficulty in changing current business rules that are embedded in customized code. "In the past twelve months, more than 1.3 million citations were issued in North Carolina," said Brad Fowler, chief business officer for the NCAOC. "With that kind of volume, we needed a solution that would efficiently process these citations electronically. By selecting Tyler and integrating with our eisting court case management tools, we can take it a step further by seamlessly connecting our law enforcement agencies and our courts to better serve our constituents." Tyler's Brazos solution will fully automate the citation process, producing statewide citations in an electronic format and reducing data entry to a single iteration. Using existing wireless connections, eCitation allows officers to create citations and schedule court dates electronically from the patrol car. A portable printer in the officer's car also produces a copy of the eCitation for the cited person. After issuing the eCitation, the officer transmits the data directly to the NCAOC, where it can be immediately accessed by court users statewide. "We are pleased to expand our relationship with the NCAOC. Through Tyler Alliance, this solution will help them connect multiple departments and agencies and easily share data," said Bret Dixon, president of Tyler's Justice Group. "Not only do we expect the NCAOC to achieve efficiencies with the eCitation process, but we also expect they will be able to easily share information with justice partners across the state, leading to better decision-making." The Brazos system will support a variety of North Carolina's law enforcement agencies statewide (State Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement, Wildlife Resources Commission, and Division of Motor Vehicles' License and Theft Bureau), as well as local and county municipalities like sheriff's offices and city police departments. North Carolina is the nation's ninth most populous state with more than 10 million residents. The North Carolina Judicial Branch has nearly 7,000 employees, which includes 545 independently elected judicial officials About Tyler Technologies (News - Alert), Inc. Tyler Technologies (NYSE: TYL) provides integrated software and technology services to the public sector. Tyler's end-to-end solutions empower local, state, and federal government entities to operate more efficiently and connect more transparently with their constituents and with each other. By connecting data and processes across disparate systems, Tyler's solutions are transforming how clients gain actionable insights that solve problems in their communities. Tyler has more than 26,000 successful installations across more than 10,000 sites, with clients in all 50 states, Canada, the Caribbean, Australia, and other international locations. A financially strong company, Tyler has achieved double-digit revenue growth every quarter since 2012. It was also named to Forbes "Best Midsize Employers" list in 2019 and recognized twice on its "Most Innovative Growth Companies" list. More information about Tyler Technologies, headquartered in Plano, Texas, can be found at tylertech.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005077/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 200 foreign companies in China have donated cash and provided materials worth over 1.32 billion yuan (189 million U.S. dollars) for the novel coronavirus control efforts in China, according to the China Association of Enterprises with Foreign Investment. In addition to cash donations, foreign companies including Siemens, Microsoft, Mercedes-Benz and Deloitte have also donated food, drinking water, masks, disinfectants and other basic daily necessities in short supply in the epidemic areas, as well as anti-inflammatory drugs, painkillers, gene sequencing equipment and other medical supplies and equipment, according to the association. AB InBev China has donated materials worth about 11 million yuan and provided a large amount of sterilization equipment for the constructors of the newly built Leishenshan Hospital in Wuhan, the city hardest hit by the novel coronavirus outbreak. The Chinese branch of Coca-Cola donated 4.5 million in cash and more than 900,000 bottles of drinking water. A large number of medical supplies donated by foreign companies have not been converted into RMB, so the actual value of donations by foreign companies in China is far greater than 1.32 billion yuan, according to Cao Hongying, deputy head of the association. There are more donations from foreign companies being made, Cao added. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Regency Gold Corp. ("Regency" or the "Company") (TSXV: RAU.H) is pleased to announce that further to its news release of February 10, 2020, the Company has closed its previously announced fully subscribed brokered private placement for aggregate gross proceeds of $15,000,000 (the "Offering") led by Paradigm Capital Inc. and Sprott Capital Partners LP (the "Co-Lead Agents") on behalf of a syndicate of agents, including Red Cloud Securities and Mackie Research Capital Corporation (together with the Co-Lead Agents, the "Agents"). In connection with the Offering, the Company entered into an agency agreement (the "Agency Agreement") dated February 11, 2020, among the Company and the Agents, pursuant to which the Company issued an aggregate of 75,000,000 subscription receipts (each, a "Subscription Receipt"), at a price of $0.20 (the "Issue Price") per Subscription Receipt. The gross proceeds of the Offering less certain expenses of the Agents and other commissions (the "Escrowed Proceeds") are being held in escrow on behalf of the subscribers of the Subscription Receipts by Computershare Trust Company of Canada (the "Escrow Agent"), pursuant to the terms of a subscription receipt agreement (the "Subscription Receipt Agreement") dated February 11, 2020 among the Company, the Co-Lead Agents and the Escrow Agent. Each Subscription Receipt will be automatically converted, without payment of any additional consideration and without further action on the part of the holder thereof, for one unit (each, a "Unit") of the Company upon satisfaction or waiver of the escrow release conditions ("Escrow Release Conditions") set out below and in the Subscription Receipt Agreement and prior to a Termination Event (as defined below), subject to adjustment in certain events. The Units to be issued upon conversion of the Subscription Receipts will be comprised of one common share of Regency (each, a "Unit Share") and one-half of one common share purchase warrant (each whole common share purchase warrant, a "Warrant"). Each Warrant will be exercisable by the holder thereof for one common share of the Company (each, a "Warrant Share") for a period of twenty-four (24) months after the closing date of the Offering ("Closing Date") at an exercise price of $0.30 per Warrant Share, subject to adjustments in certain events. The Escrow Release Conditions are as follows: a) The receipt of all required corporate, shareholder and regulatory approvals in connection with the Offering, the Transaction (as defined below) and the TSXV Listing (as defined below), including, without limitation, the conditional approval of the TSXV for the listing of the Unit Shares and Warrant Shares and any relevant listing documents having been accepted for filing with the TSXV; b) The completion or the satisfaction of all conditions precedent to the Transaction, substantially in accordance with the definitive agreements relating to the Transaction (other than the payment of the cash purchase price due in connection with the acquisition of the TBN Project (as defined below)), to the satisfaction of the Agents; and c) The Company and the Agents having delivered a joint notice to the Escrow Agent, confirming that the conditions set forth in (a) and (b) above have been met or waived. Under the term of the Offering, Mr. Eric Sprott, through 2176423 Ontario Ltd., a corporation which is beneficially owned by him, subscribed for an aggregate of 10,000,000 Subscription Receipts for aggregate consideration of $2,000,000 pursuant to the Offering (representing the right to acquire 10,000,000 Unit Shares and 5,000,000 Warrants), representing 7.99% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a non-diluted basis and 11.53% of the issued and outstanding common shares of the Company on a partially-diluted basis, assuming the exercise of Mr. Sprott's Warrants. Mr. Sprott did not beneficially own or control any securities of the Company prior to the Offering. The Subscription Receipts acquired by Mr. Sprott are for investment purposes. Mr. Sprott has a long-term view of the investment and may acquire additional securities of the Company, including on the open market or through private acquisitions, or sell securities of the Company, including on the open market or through private dispositions, in the future depending on market conditions, reformulation of plans and/or other relevant factors. A copy of Mr. Sprott's early warning report will appear on the Company's profile on SEDAR and may also be obtained by calling his office at (416) 945-3294 (200 Bay Street, Suite 2600, Royal Bank Plaza, South Tower, Toronto, Ontario M5J 2J2). As consideration for the services provided by the Agents in connection with the Offering: (a) the Agents received an aggregate cash commission of $859,500, being equal to 6% of the gross proceeds of the Offering (and reduced to 3% with respect to certain subscribers on the "President's List"); and (b) the Agents received an aggregate of 4,297,500 compensation options (the "Compensation Options") on the Closing Date. Each Compensation Option is exercisable to acquire one Unit at the Issue Price for a period of twenty-four (24) months after the Closing Date, subject to adjustments in certain events. Additionally, for the services provided by certain other eligible persons (the "Finders"), the Company also paid a fee of: (i) a cash commission of $3,000, being equal to 3% of the total proceeds from certain subscribers on the President's List introduced by the Finders; and (ii) an aggregate of 15,000 Compensation Options being equal to 3% of the number of Subscription Receipts sold under the Offering to certain subscribers on the President's List introduced by the Finders. In the event that: (i) the Escrow Agent does not receive the release notice contemplated by the Subscription Receipt Agreement prior to 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on that date which is 120 days after the Closing Date (the "Escrow Release Deadline"); or (ii) prior to the Escrow Release Deadline, the Company advises the Agents or announces to the public that it does not intend to proceed with the Transaction and/or satisfy the Escrow Release Conditions (each, a "Termination Event"), the Escrowed Proceeds (plus any interest accrued thereon) will be returned to the holders of the Subscription Receipts on a pro rata basis and the Subscription Receipts will be cancelled without any further action on the part of the holders. To the extent that the Escrowed Funds are not sufficient to refund the aggregate Issue Price paid to the holders of the Subscription Receipts, the Company will be responsible and liable to contribute such amounts as are necessary to satisfy any shortfall. The Offering was completed in connection with the acquisition by the Company of, subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent, an option to acquire a 100% right, title and interest in the Escape Lake Property (the "Escape Lake Property") and the right to acquire 100% of Panoramic Resources Inc.'s indirect subsidiary, Panoramic PGMs (Canada) Ltd. (the "Pan Subsidiary") which owns the Thunder Bay North Project (the "TBN Project") (the "Transaction"). The Escape Lake Property and the TBN Project are collectively referred to as, the "TBN Property". The net proceeds of the Offering will be used to fund the cash portion of the consideration payable to Magma Metals Pty Ltd. in connection with the acquisition by the Company of the Pan Subsidiary, to fund drilling for the TBN Property, and for general corporate purposes. The common shares of the Company are currently listed on the NEX Board of the TSXV under the symbol "RAU.H". The Company intends to graduate from the NEX Board and list the common shares on the TSXV (the "TSXV Listing"). The Company has applied to list the Unit Shares and Warrant Shares on the TSXV. The TSXV Listing will be subject to the Company fulfilling all the listing requirements of the TSXV. The securities issued in connection with the Offering (including the Subscription Receipts and any Unit Shares, Warrants, and Warrant Shares) will be subject to a statutory hold period of four months and one day from the Closing Date, in accordance with applicable securities laws. The securities offered have not been, and will not be, registered under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act"), or any U.S. state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons (as defined under the U.S. Securities Act) absent registration or any applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in the United States, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS "William Radvak" William Radvak, President and Chief Executive Officer of Regency Gold Corp. For further information, please contact: William Radvak, President & CEO of Regency Gold Corp. Phone: 778-888-4101 Email: billradvak@gmail.com Abraham Drost, Proposed CEO & Director of the Resulting Issuer Phone: 807-252-7800 Email: adrost@cleanairmetals.ca THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE HAS NOT REVIEWED AND DOES NOT ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. Cautionary Note Completion of the Transaction and the closing of the Offering, among other things, are subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and, if applicable, disinterested shareholder approval. The Transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the contemplated Transaction or the TSXV Listing will be completed as proposed or at all. Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the contemplated transactions may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of Regency should be considered highly speculative. The TSXV has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this news release. Further details of the Transaction will be included in subsequent news releases and disclosure documents to be filed by Regency. The information contained herein contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. Forward-looking statements relate to information that is based on assumptions of management, forecasts of future results, and estimates of amounts not yet determinable. Any statements that express predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not statements of historical fact and may be "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation: risks related to the Transaction, the Offering, and the TSX Listing, risk related to the failure to obtain adequate financing on a timely basis and on acceptable terms; risks related to the outcome of legal proceedings; political and regulatory risks associated with mining and exploration; risks related to the maintenance of stock exchange listings; risks related to environmental regulation and liability; the potential for delays in exploration or development activities or the completion of feasibility studies; the uncertainty of profitability; risks and uncertainties relating to the interpretation of drill results, the geology, grade and continuity of mineral deposits; risks related to the inherent uncertainty of production and cost estimates and the potential for unexpected costs and expenses; results of prefeasibility and feasibility studies, and the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; risks related to commodity price fluctuations; and other risks and uncertainties related to the Company's prospects, properties and business detailed elsewhere in the Company's disclosure record. Should one or more of these risks and uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Company's expectations or projections. NOT FOR DISSEMINATION OR DISTRIBUTION IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52323 The federal government has said an estimated 5,433,394 Nigerians are benefiting from the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) programme. According to an infographic report published on the Twitter handle of the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO), @NasscoNigeria, on Sunday, the CCT beneficiaries emerged from 1,080,240 households in 35,490 communities across 395 local government areas in 32 states. It said, We have reached over a million households across 32 states. The lives of the beneficiaries are getting better every day. It is just NGN10,000 every two months and it is making a difference. Also in a separate infographic report, a total 2,253,938 number of Poor & Vulnerable Households (PVHHs) in Nigerian were captured out of the total 9,458,160 individuals registered by the National Social Register (NSR). It said this was carried out in 43,258 communities, 4,347 wards in 421 LGAs across 35 states in the country. NASSCO explained that the figures for poor and vulnerable Nigerians were gotten through the NSR as of January 31. It added that the NSR would be used to support outreach, registration, and determination of potential eligibility for one or more social programs for poor & vulnerable Nigerians. NASSCO, a $500 million three-year World Bank grant, kicked off on June 7, 2016. It aims to support President Muhammadu Buharis National Social Intervention Programme, which includes the Conditional Cash Transfer, the Youth Empowerment and Social Support Operations (YESSO) and the Community and Social Development Project (CSDP). It is also being funded with the $322 million Abacha loot received from the government of Switzerland. In December 2017, the federal government signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Switzerland on the return and monitoring of the $322 million Abacha loot. The funds were reportedly used to fund the Social Investment Programme (SIP) and Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) which began in December 2016, under Muhammadu Buharis administration. Vice President Yemi Osinbanjo had announced in 2018 that the looted funds would be used to assist the most vulnerable Nigerians with a monthly stipend of N5,000 each. Mr Buhari had said he would lift at least one hundred million Nigerians out of extreme poverty, through the SIP Program. However, during his Independence Day speech, President Buhari moved the NSIPs away from the office of the VP to the newly created ministry of humanitarian affairs and disaster management, under the leadership of Sayidat Farouq. US President tour will strengthen strategic ties; India-US trade deal high on agenda. New Delhi: Both India and the United States formally announced on Tuesday that US President Donald Trump accompanied by his wife Melania would make a two-day visit later this month to India on February 24 and 25. The US first couple will visit New Delhi and Ahmedabad, Gujarat during their visit. The US also revealed in its statement that both PM Modi and President Trump had spoken to each other over the weekend. Both countries said in separate statements that the visit would strengthen the Indo-US strategic partnership. There is speculation that a trade deal may also be inked during the visit, something that will be music to the US Presidents ears as he heads into his domestic re-election campaign. In a statement, the MEA said, At the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, His Excellency Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, will pay a state visit to India on 24-25 February 2020. This will be the Presidents first visit to India. During the visit, President Trump and the First Lady will attend official engagements in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, Gujarat, and interact with a wide cross-section of Indian society. The MEA added, The global strategic partnership between India and the US is based on trust, shared values, mutual respect and understanding, and marked by warmth and friendship between the peoples of the two countries. The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with significant progress in all areas, including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties. The visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen our strategic partnership. In its statement, the White House said, President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit India on February 24-25, 2020. The President and The First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modis home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhis life and leadership of the Indian independence movement. During a phone call, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip will further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people. (Painting by Zhang Hong) Painters from the Chinese Artists Association have documented the extraordinary moments experienced by medical staff sent to Wuhan, Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, based on the diaries that they have sent back. Doctors and nurses from around the country are being sent to Wuhan to provide medical help and fight against the novel coronavirus. They are in a race against time. The Guangdong medical team was one of the earliest arrivals in Wuhan, and their professionalism has won them widespread trust and praise from patients and families. The Guangdong medical team are seen as the epitome of the soldiers in white who are fighting against the epidemic. They are not only husbands, wives and parents, but also doctors and warriors. Stormzy will headline Reading and Leeds festival (AP) Stormzy will join Liam Gallagher to headline Reading and Leeds Festival 2020. Rage Against The Machine will also headline the UK music fesitval which will take place across the August Bank Holiday weekend from Friday 28 to Sunday 30 2020. Stormzy, 26, tweeted in reference to the announcement of his slot: Could be Glasto could be Reading.... Read more: Stormzy wears slippers for TV interview Could be Glasto could be Reading.... pic.twitter.com/i4El9oGYpO HEAVY IS THE HEAD (@stormzy) February 11, 2020 Last year the grime artist headlined Glastonbury Festivals Pyramid Stage to huge critical acclaim. He will perform on the opening night in Reading on Friday 28 August and then play Leeds on Saturday 29. Former Oasis frontman Gallagher, 46, revealed his booking for the festival back in November last year telling his 3.2 million Twitter followers, Reading and Leeds cmon you know. Reading and Leeds cmon you know LG x Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) November 29, 2019 He has now been officially confirmed as a headliner and will play Reading on Saturday 29 before closing Leeds festival on Sunday 30. He previously headlined the festival with Oasis 20 years ago. Liam Gallagher leaked his headline slot back in November (AP) Earlier this month Liam Gallagher claimed Oasis had been offered 100 million for a reunion tour but his brother Noel Gallagher, 52, accused him of making it up. American rock band Rage Against The Machine previously headlined the festival in 2008. The Killing In The Name rockers will open Leeds festival on Friday 28 and close Reading on Sunday 30. Read more: Noel Gallagher accuses Liam of lying about Oasis reunion Other acts on the line-up include Migos, Two Door Cinema Club, Gerry Cinnamon, Courteeners, Sam Fender, AJ Tracey, Rex Orange Country and Mabel. Story continues Zack de la Rocha of the band Rage Against the Machine who will headline Reading and Leads for the second time (AP) Reading and Leeds Festival began as a jazz festival in 1961 in London and moved to Reading in the 1970s where it became a rock festival. In 1999 the music event was expanded accross two sites, with acts performing to festival goers in both Leeds and Reading over the three day run. Tickets for Reading and Leeds 2020 go on sale this Thursday February 13 at 9am. It's time now to meet the newest members of our Morning Mug Club -- brought to you by Holland Farms Bakery & Deli. Coming up on Thursday, Feb. 13, the Central New York Psychiatric Center is hosting an open house. They are looking to recruit nurses on their campus in Marcy. It runs from 1:30pm until 5:30pm. The Center is a comprehensive mental health service delivery system that provides a full range of care and treatment to people incarcerated in the New York State and county correctional system. Actor Janhvi Kapoor was on a trip to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh to offer prayers to Lord Venkateswara over the weekend. On Monday, first pictures from her trip were shared on internet. Now, the actor has shared new pictures from the visit. In the pictures, Janhvi is seen wearing the traditional south Indian half saree in bright red and gold. She is wearing big jhumkas (traditional Indian ear rings) and is seen without makeup. She is accompanied with an unidentified friend, who is in a pink outfit. They are both sitting in the lawns of what appears to be their hotel. Both look happy and relaxed. In other pictures and video clips that have appeared online, Janhvi can be seen walking inside the temple complex, accompanied by her girl gang. In another video, she can be seen walking up the 3,500 steps that lead to Lord Venkateshwara temple in Tirupati. Janhvi Kapoor visits Tirupati to seek blessings of Lord Venkateshwara. She climbed 3,500 steps barefoot and offered prayers to the presiding deity. #JanhviKapoor pic.twitter.com/MYN3sRWw9G Viral Bollywood (@viralbollywood) February 10, 2020 On Monday, Janhvi shared pictures from her trek to the top of the hill, with some pictures of the surrounding hills. While she hadnt identified the place, her many fans were quick to point out that she was on her way to the temple town of Tirupati. Janhvi Kapoor in her many moods after her Tirupati visit. Also read: Kartik Aaryan feeds Sara Ali Khan in new candid photo, says she has become quite thin On her work front, Janhvi remains a busy actor with as many as four films in her kitty. She shot for Gunjan Saxena biopic and Roohi Afzana through 2019. The former is a film on the Indian Air Force pilot, Gunjan Saxena, who flew dangerous missions, carrying injured soldiers back to safety during the 1999 Kargil War. In the latter, Janhvi will be seen in a double role in what is being called a horror comedy. The film also stars Rajkummar Rao. Janhvi has also briefly shot for Karan Johars production, Dostana 2, in which she will be seen opposite Kartik Aaryan and newcomer Lakshya. She will also star in the multi-starrer, Takht with Kareena Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Anil Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Vicky Kaushal and Bhumi Pednekar. Follow @htshowbiz for more A British businessman who contracted the coronavirus in Singapore is feared to be a super spreader with a higher ability to infect other people and appears to be linked to 11 other cases. After a conference in Singapore, the man in his 50s travelled to France where he stayed with his family in a ski chalet in the Alpine resort of Les Contamines-Montjoie. Five people who were in the chalet, including a nine-year-old boy, have tested positive for coronavirus since the man came back to the UK on an easyJet flight. The man, who is now being treated at St Thomas' Hospital in London, has been linked to six other cases five of which were announced on Monday (local time). It is feared there may be "super spreaders" of the coronavirus, with one man being linked to six other confirmed cases. Source: Getty What is a super spreader? Medical professionals are as of yet unsure what makes a person a super spreader. It has been suggested some people may "shed" more of the virus into the environment by coughing and sneezing. Some speculate the immune system of the person might be so good that they themselves dont feel symptoms, so they carry on transmitting the disease to others. Coronaviruses are a group of viruses that have a halo or crown-like (corona) appearance when viewed under a microscope. Source: Getty Images An Irish woman nicknamed Typhoid Mary infected 51 people with typhoid, but had no symptoms herself. Someone who travels a lot and has contact with many people as was the case with the British businessman could spread the virus to multiple people. It is possible they got a higher dose of the virus or were infected with more than one pathogen. Specialists say identifying these individuals is vital in keeping the spread of virus under control. Yahoo UK 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. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) probably wasnt expecting this when she agreed to appear on Tuesday morning on The View via satellite from New Hampshire. Following an opening segment that contained mostly softball questions about the state of the Democratic primary race, the show turned things over to co-host Sunny Hostin after a break. Noting that you need African-American support to become the Democratic nominee, Hostin told Klobuchar, Your tough on crime approach when you were a county attorney in Minnesota is criticized for disproportionately harming black and brown people, and when I look at that record, you know, you failed to prosecute a single killing by the police during the eight years you headed prosecutions, and there were more than two dozen police-involved killings in that period. Amy Klobuchar Schools Meghan McCain on Impeachment How do you defend that record? Hostin asked. We all know there is systematic racism in this criminal justice system, there's no doubt about that, Klobuchar replied, going on to defend her record of prosecuting white-collar criminals and decreasing incarceration rates for African-Americans. But there is so much more work that we have to do, she added, and that's why when I got to the U.S. Senate, I started working on things like the First Step Act, which we passed, which has decreased the criminal penalties and allowed some nonviolent offenders to get out of prison. If she thought that was going to be it on that topic, she was very wrong. Hostin proceeded to bring up Klobuchars prosecution of 16-year-old Myon Burrell, a black teenager who is now serving a life sentence for murder despite evidence that suggests he could be innocent. It gives me no pleasure to say this because as you know, I was a prosecutor as well, Hostin said. I have reviewed the facts of that case, and it is one of the most flawed investigations and prosecutions that I think I have ever seen. As the mother of a black teenager, she called the case her worst nightmare. Story continues As she has done before, Klobuchar called for all of the evidence to be immediately reviewed in that case, but that was not enough for Hostin, who said, You're a U.S. senator now. You're a powerful woman. What do you plan to do to right this wrong? Hostin continued to press the candidate on the specifics of that case to the point that moderator Joy Behar jumped in from off-screen with, Are we prosecuting Amy Klobuchar today? With that, Hostin ceded the floor to Meghan McCain, but before Klobuchar signed off, she said, I look forward to coming into the studio, Sunny and I can talk more. Shes tough. Sunny Hostin is tough, Behar added with a laugh. Well be right back. Alec Baldwin and The View Clash With Meghan McCain Over Rush Limbaugh Honor Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here 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. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Nicola Mining Inc. (the "Company") is pleased to announce positive preliminary grade and copper recovery results on flotation tests conducted at ALS Metallurgy Kamloops [1] laboratory ("ALS") under program KM5954. The tests were designed to simulate copper and magnetite recovery into separate concentrates through flotation and magnetic separation. A sample from the mine's historic waste rock terraces underwent sorting via COM Tertiary XRT Sorter tests [2] . The testing provided encouraging results and indicates that low-grade mineralized material from the historic mine waste terraces can be upgraded to a feed stream appropriate for copper flotation and magnetic separation. Sorted product from the XRT Sorter was used as feed in the flotation and magnetic separation tests. This material had feed grades of 0.34% copper (Cu) and 6.9% iron (Fe). Key results of the tests include the following: A Copper concentrate of 29.6% Cu and 29.4% Fe, with 73.1 % recovery copper in un-optimized laboratory batch tests. Magnetite (Fe3O4) concentrate grading 64.8% Fe or (93.9% Fe3O4) Sorted mill feed material was first ground to a nominal 132m K 80 and underwent an initial rougher separation to confirm copper recoveries. Rougher concentrate was reground to 21m K 80 prior to three stages of cleaning to produce a final copper concentrate. The copper rougher tailings were processed by using magnetic separation. The magnetic rougher concentrate was reground to 28m K 80 and cleaned via Davis Tube to produce a high-grade magnetic concentrate. Initial material that contained 0.34% Cu and 6.87% Fe was separated into 2 key concentrates Cu cleaner concentrate containing 29.6% Cu and 29.4% Fe. Copper recover was 73.1%. Magnetite cleaner concentrate containing 64.8% Fe, which was comprised of 93.9% Fe3O4 and approximately 2.9% of the overall feed mass. The ability to produce a copper concentrate grading 29.6% Cu with 73.1% Cu recovery rate in initial testing is very encouraging. Positive Cu grades were further augmented by the magnetite concentrate that contained 64.8% Fe or (93.9% Fe3O4) and accounting for approximately 2.9% of the overall mass. The Company plans to conduct further testing on the grades of the fines in the historic waste rock terraces, which account for approximately 50% of the tested material and graded 0.25% Cu and additional lab testing to further optimize and confirm grades and recovery. Scientific and Technical Information The Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects, Kelly McLeod, P. Eng of K-Met Consultants Inc. Kelly McLeod is independent of Nicola and has reviewed the contents of this press release that pertain to the metallurgical test work results and their interpretation and has approved its dissemination. About Nicola Mining Nicola Mining Inc. is a junior mining company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange and hopes to recommence mill feed processing operations at its 100% owned modern mill and tailings facility, located near Merritt, British Columbia. The fully permitted mill can process both gold and silver mill feed via gravity and flotation processes. The Company has an active gravel pit that is located adjacent to the milling operation, as well as 100% ownership of the high-grade silver Treasure Mountain property. On behalf of the Board of Directors "Peter Espig" Peter Espig CEO & Director For additional information contact: Peter Espig Telephone: (778) 385-1213 Email: peter@nicolamining.com Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This news release includes certain "forward-looking statements" under applicable Canadian securities legislation that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects, and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to the expectations of management regarding its mineral projects, the technical reports being prepared in relation to these projects, the mineralization on these projects, the relevancy and reliability for historical estimates, and the timing for completion of technical report. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements including that: the Company may not complete the new technical reports within the time anticipated or at all; the mineral properties may not have any current mineral resources or mineral reserves; the mineral projects may not prove to be economically feasible; risks inherent to mineral exploration and extraction activities; and those additional risks set out in the Company's public documents filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except where required by law, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. [1] ALS Kamloops is a subsidiary of ALS Global, leader in providing laboratory testing, inspection, certification and verification solutions. https://www.alsglobal.com/ [2] Tests were conducted at Tomra Sorting's Test Center located in Hamburg, Germany and announced in a news release on March 29, 2019 and November 27, 2019 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52319 The US has been dreaming of returning to Iran for 41 years, said Iranian president Hassan Rouhani, speaking at a rally in Tehran in honor of the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution, "US says we must return to 41 years ago but we say we dont do so therefore, we see hostility of US has emerged during the past 41 years in various forms," Mehr reported quoting the president. Martyr Soleimani was both a general in the battlefield and a senior diplomat in negotiations. He was martyred en route to talks with Iraqi Prime Minister not en route to battlefield, he said. Martyr Soleimani was not seeking war and instability in the region; US and Israel are lying about him. He was after creating stability and offered security to the region. Iranian General Qasem Soleimani was killed as a result of a US Air Force strike near Baghdad Airport on January 3. China Chengtong Development Group Limited (HKG:217) shareholders should be happy to see the share price up 18% in the last quarter. But over the last three years we've seen a quite serious decline. Regrettably, the share price slid 64% in that period. So it's good to see it climbing back up. While many would remain nervous, there could be further gains if the business can put its best foot forward. Check out our latest analysis for China Chengtong Development 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. Although the share price is down over three years, China Chengtong Development Group actually managed to grow EPS by 21% per year in that time. Given the share price reaction, one might suspect that EPS is not a good guide to the business performance during the period (perhaps due to a one-off loss or gain). Alternatively, growth expectations may have been unreasonable in the past. Since the change in EPS doesn't seem to correlate with the change in share price, it's worth taking a look at other metrics. We note that, in three years, revenue has actually grown at a 12% annual rate, so that doesn't seem to be a reason to sell shares. This analysis is just perfunctory, but it might be worth researching China Chengtong Development Group more closely, as sometimes stocks fall unfairly. This could present an opportunity. The graphic below depicts how earnings and revenue have changed over time (unveil the exact values by clicking on the image). SEHK:217 Income Statement, February 11th 2020 Take a more thorough look at China Chengtong Development Group's financial health with this free report on its balance sheet. A Different Perspective It's good to see that China Chengtong Development Group has rewarded shareholders with a total shareholder return of 21% in the last twelve months. That certainly beats the loss of about 13% per year over the last half decade. We generally put more weight on the long term performance over the short term, but the recent improvement could hint at a (positive) inflection point within the business. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. To that end, you should be aware of the 1 warning sign we've spotted with China Chengtong Development Group . Story continues But note: China Chengtong Development Group may not be the best stock to buy. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with past earnings growth (and further growth forecast). 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. CLEVELAND, Ohio An East Cleveland man used a fake ID in an attempt to sell a Cleveland home he obtained with forged documents, according to court records. David W. Garner, 35, is charged with tampering with records, a third-degree felony, in the scam involving the home on Tioga Avenue near Warner Road, court records say. Garner requested a preliminary hearing when he appeared Saturday in Cleveland Municipal Court. The hearing is scheduled Feb. 18. He was released from jail Saturday after posting a $6,500 bond. Garner used a fake South Carolina drivers license when he tried to sell the home Thursday, according to court records. The same fake name listed on the drivers license was used Dec. 3 to file a fraudulent quit-claim deed with the Cuyahoga County Recorders Office, transferring ownership of the property, court records say. A Lakewood real estate investor reported Jan. 20 that he was working to buy the property from a business known as Horizon Trust, which bought it for $75,000 in 2016, according to property records. The investor discovered the fraudulent quit-claim deed transferred ownership from Horizon Trust. He tried to contact the South Carolina man listed on the deed but could not find him, according to a police report. The deed also included the name of a lawyer who does not exist, the police report says. Garner tried to sell the home to an unspecified party Feb. 6. He arrived to the sale with the South Carolina drivers license, which included a fake name but his own photo. He used the fake name to sign the real estate purchase agreement, according to court records. Detectives arrested Garner after he signed the purchase agreement, court records say. Scammers typically commit quick-claim deed frauds in order to sell a home to a third party, or obtain funds via a mortgage loan, according to the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. Vacant or abandoned properties are often targeted in the scams. To comment on this story, visit Tuesdays crime and courts comments page. Man robbed at gunpoint in downtown Cleveland Missing mother of 3 kids left at gas station is found safe Cleveland man pleads guilty to attempted murder in shootings of police officer and other man Robbers shoot at three men selling ATV via OfferUp app at former Cleveland elementary school Same men committed two violent Cleveland armed robberies within 90 minutes, police say Symposium affirms support for leading women in STEM with signing of Dimensions charter OTTAWA, Feb. 11, 2020 /CNW/ - Today, a symposium brought together women from across the Government of Canada working in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields to recognize their contributions to science and technology. The National Research Council of Canada (NRC) hosted the event to celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and to launch the NRC's Women in STEM Infinite Possibilities campaign. The Celebrating Government of Canada Women in STEM Symposium included a keynote address by Dr. Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor of Canada, who highlighted barriers women in STEM still face, and the need for the encouragement and advancement of women in STEM communities. The symposium also included remarks from representatives of other federal departments including: Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat; Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs; Public Service Accessibility; Public Services and Procurement Canada; and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. The NRC's President, Mr. Iain Stewart, affirmed the organization's commitment to an inclusive workplace by signing the Dimensions charter a pilot program designed to address systemic barriers faced by underrepresented or marginalized groups. Other government departments and agencies such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the Canadian Space Agency, and Environment and Climate Change Canada also signed the charter. Following the event, a scientific poster session highlighted different research projects led by or involving women from across the Government of Canada. Quotes "The Government of Canada is home to many brilliant women working in STEM, who bring a passion for science, unique talents, and diverse perspectives to work every day. These women are shaping science finding solutions to some of the most complex challenges Canadians face." Dr. Mona Nemer Chief Science Advisor to Canada "When we create an environment where everyone feels supported and encouraged to contribute equally, we realize the full potential of the great minds in our workplace. This symposium touches on the pivotal role women researchers from across the Government of Canada play in scientific breakthroughs. Signing the Dimensions charter, and officially launching the National Research Council's Women in STEM Infinite Possibilities campaign are two ways we are strengthening our commitment to an inclusive NRC." Mr. Iain Stewart President, National Research Council of Canada "Diversity is a driver for innovation and Canada's space program benefits from the unique perspective of women. The Canadian Space Agency is proud to join other government departments and agencies in celebrating the International Day of Women and Girls in Science and in creating and fostering an environment that is inclusive and nourishes the interest and talent of women in STEM." Mr. Sylvain Laporte President, Canadian Space Agency "Never before has it been more important to have diversity in science. Increasing the number of women in STEM fields is a powerful way to fuel change and strengthen the research community. Environment and Climate Change Canada is proud to endorse the Dimensions charter, create more opportunities for women and underrepresented groups, and be part of the wave of change in science. We must continue to highlight the incredible work done by all in the research community." Dr. Martine Dubuc Associate Deputy Minister, Environment and Climate Change Quick Facts The National Research Council of Canada's Women in STEM Infinite Possibilities campaign runs from February 11 to March 8, 2020 , and showcases the dedication of NRC women researchers in science and innovation projects, and how they are at the heart of great scientific achievements and technology breakthroughs. For the latest information and updates on the NRC ' s Women in STEM Infinite Possibilities campaign, visit the NRC's website and follow the NRC's Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts. runs from , and showcases the dedication of NRC women researchers in science and innovation projects, and how they are at the heart of great scientific achievements and technology breakthroughs. For the latest information and updates on the NRC s Women in STEM Infinite Possibilities campaign, visit the NRC's website and follow the NRC's Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram accounts. A Government of Canada initiative, the Dimensions pilot program is designed to foster increased research excellence, innovation and creativity within the post-secondary sector across all disciplines, through greater equity, diversity and inclusion. initiative, the is designed to foster increased research excellence, innovation and creativity within the post-secondary sector across all disciplines, through greater equity, diversity and inclusion. The program recognizes the need to identify and address systemic barriers, particularly those experienced by members of underrepresented or disadvantaged groups including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous People (First Nations, Inuit, and Metis), persons with disabilities, members of visible minority or racialized groups, and members of LGBTQ2+ communities. By committing to the Dimensions charter's principles and implementing actions to achieve its objective, CEGEPs, colleges, polytechnics and universities, and research organizations recognize that equity, diversity and inclusion strengthen the research community, the quality, relevance and impact of research, and opportunities. Associated Links Stay connected Follow the National Research Council of Canada on social media. Twitter: @nrc_cnrc , Instagram: @nrc_cnrc and LinkedIn . SOURCE National Research Council Canada For further information: Media Relations, National Research Council of Canada, 613-991-1431, 1-855-282-1637, [email protected] Related Links www.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca A shock defeat for the Morrison government has heightened tensions over climate change after angry Nationals defied their leaders to back a Queensland rebel for a key position in Parliament, signalling another spill against Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack. In a proxy war over the government's direction, Nationals loyal to former party leader Barnaby Joyce gained victory over Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Mr McCormack to elevate one of their group to become Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Llew O'Brien talks with Barnaby Joyce during Question Time, before Mr O'Brien was elected deputy speaker of the House of Representatives. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen The election of Queenslander Llew O'Brien to the key post set government MPs against each other amid the backdrop of an internal debate between Liberals who want action on climate change and Nationals who want stronger measures to support coal-fired power stations. The outcome was a sign of the resistance to deeper cuts to greenhouse gas emissions after The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age revealed a government plan to set a 2050 strategy this year to go beyond its existing reduction targets. 3. Harris said he plans to graduate from his Texas-based community college in May and he would like to finish his education at a four-year university, but hes also interested in pursuing some of the opportunities that have come up since Cheer premiered Jan. 8. Im just going with the flow right now, Harris said. Whether he will live in the Chicago area after graduation is still up in the air, though he said he returns for major holidays and school breaks. Harris likes to ice skate downtown and eat at Portillos and Harolds Chicken when hes here. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain Centre's plea seeking stay on a Delhi High Court order for simultaneous execution of all four convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta contended that the moment authorities move for death warrant, the one accused, who is yet to exhaust mercy petition to the President and curative petition, would move the mercy plea to stall execution of all convicts on death row. A bench headed by Justice R. Banumathi and comprising Justices Ashok Bhushan and A.S. Bopanna insisted that the Centre should move the trial court for issuance of fresh date for death warrants. "If nothing is pending then you (Centre) can ask for fresh warrants," said Justice Bhushan. Mehta informed the court that except for Pawan, the remaining three accused have exhausted all legal remedies available at their disposal. The apex court observed that none of the four convicts have taken any step within one week time, which was given by the Delhi High Court. Therefore, in this scenario, the Centre may move the trial court for issuance of fresh date for execution of death warrants. Mehta also cited the alleged encounter of accused in the Hyderabad gang rape and murder case. He contended that convicts were trying the patience of the nation. "People will stop having faith in the judicial system. Seven years have gone by and the convicts are playing the judicial system, and I am still struggling for death warrants. It is in situations like this that people celebrate encounter killings," Mehta contended before the bench. The apex court has kept the petition of Centre for further hearing on Thursday and said that this pendency would not preclude trial court to issue appropriate orders in the matter. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Moscow, Russia 30 August 2019 Huawei telecom company logo on office building against clear blue sky Statistics Canada said Canadian exports to China plunged 16 per cent in 2019 to $24.4 billion after the arrest of Huaweis CFO Meng Wanzhou, and trade analysts expect that decline will continue even after a decision regarding the telecommunications giants 5G technology, or its senior executive. Total exports to China in 2018 totalled $29.1 billion, according to StatCan. The annual decline in exports to China is a first since 2014, StatCan said. Vancouver authorities arrested Meng in December 2018, complying with a U.S. request for her to be held for extradition. Following that, China arrested two Canadian diplomats and halted imports of Canadian agricultural products for months. Mengs extradition hearings began in January 2020. Mark Warner, a Canadian and American trade lawyer at MAAW Law, said in an interview he doesnt see exports rising so long as issues surrounding Meng and Huawei continue. In a scenario where the judge presiding over Mengs case sides in her favour but Justice Minister David Lametti appeals to the decision, Warner predicts exports would continue to fall. I think there are probably limits to how far it can drop further, but I dont see them going back up, Warner said. As long as [Meng has] an ankle bracelet on her in Vancouver, I think the Chinese are going to go hard on Canada. He added that Canada will have a price to pay, even if Meng is not extradited, because of the impending decision on whether Canada will allow Huawei to participate in 5G networks. The federal government is still reviewing whether telecom carriers in the country will be allowed to use its equipment. For months, the U.S. has lobbied Canada and other allies to ban the use of Huawei equipment, alleging the company uses backdoors to spy on citizens. Huawei denies the allegations, which are yet to be proven in court. It might not be as bad as when Meng Wanzhou was arrested, but I think that the Chinese will want to send a message to Canada if we were to follow the Americans on 5G, he said. Story continues Dan Ujczo, an international trade lawyer at Dickinson Wright, said issues surrounding Huawei are part of the larger triangle of Canada, China, and the U.S., and said Canadian exports may continue to dip because of Phase I of the U.S.-China trade deal that was signed in January. An overall slowdown in China as a result of the trade tensions, internal debt issues, and now the coronavirus will likely lead to [continuing] slippage in Canadas exports to China, he said in an email. As part of the U.S.-China trade deal, it has been reported that Canada could take a hit as a result of China favouring U.S. suppliers for products including agriculture, seafood, forest, and automotive products. Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, said in an interview that a 16 per cent drop is pretty big and attributed it to many factors aside from the arrest of Meng and an impending decision on Huawei. He said that Canada will likely take more of a hit if it decides to side with the U.S. on banning Huawei. You may be sure that China will do something, which will be interpreted by people in the know, as retaliation, he said. How big will it be? I dont know. It could be a couple per cent of Canadas export to China, who knows. Hufbauer said Canadian exports will also take a hit if the judge agrees with prosecutors to extradite Meng to the U.S. If instead, shes sent across the border in a black van, how you transport extradited individuals, you may be sure there will be more penalty. Thats a very high-profile case, he said. HOLYOKE A city resident accused of failing to secure his gun after his 5-year-old grandson brought it to preschool is scheduled to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Tuesday. Court records show Juan A. Barreto-Hernandez, 53, of Pleasant Street, is being charged with improper storage of a weapon. He was summoned to court after the Dec. 6 incident. Police have not released his name but at the time said he was likely to be charged with reckless endangerment of a child as well improper storage of a weapon. A spokeswoman for Hampden District Attorney Anthony Gulluni did not return messages for comment. The child had apparently visited his grandfather before going to his preschool class at E.N. White School and put the loaded gun into his backpack, Police Lt. James Albert said previously. School staff called police at about 11:30 a.m. when they found the child had the .22-caliber, semi-automatic Ruger. The gun was fully loaded with a 10-round magazine, Albert said. The child did not remove the gun from the backpack at any time during the school day. The grandfather is fully licensed to carry the gun and a second handgun that was seized from his home, Albert said. No one was injured in the incident, but it created enough alarm that police visited the school soon after and conducted an age-appropriate lesson about gun safety at the request of E.N. White educators. The Western Massachusetts chapter of the grassroots group Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America has also conducted gun safety programs for adults at the school as well as a community-wide one in the city. Their message is nonpolitical and focuses on ways to keep children from accessing and being injured by guns. For the second year in a row, the Public Education Foundation, in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, will host Remake Learning Days Across America May 7-16. RLDAA is a community-wide festival of engaging, hands-on learning events and activities for all youth, families and educators across the region. This national initiative is presented by the Grable Foundation and made possible through support from Carnegie Corporation of New York, Schmidt Futures and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. "Event hosts are invited to register at remakelearningdays.org/chattanooga to take part in celebrating innovation and learning in our community," officials said. PEF and the City of Chattanooga department of Youth and Family Development are giving event hosts the opportunity to apply for mini-grants of $250 for their event. These grants will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Event hosts are eligible to apply for a mini-grant once they have registered an event. Interested applicants can submit their event for mini-grant consideration by Feb.15 here. "Each host is eligible for one grant, which should be used to enhance how your RLDAA Chattanooga event will function as you engage the community through innovative educational practices," officials said. PEF is inviting educators, civic organizations, community partners and faith-based groups to host events that provide families with opportunities to engage in hands-on STEM activities. Partnering with Remake Learning Days Across America has brought national attention to the thriving ecosystem of learning opportunities in Hamilton County, said Michael Stone, PEFs director of innovative learning. Last years local turnout included over 230 events and more than 10,000 participants during the celebration. RLDAA Chattanoogas schedule of events has been extended to include a wide range of themes from arts to maker education, to outdoor learning and STEM-related activities. Event highlights from last year include electric race car competitions, STEM nights, maker events in the Chattanooga Public Library, girls coding events and STEM School Chattanoogas annual STEM Jubilee, designated as the largest school-based STEM event in the State of Tennessee. With a variety of events, there is something for everyone, officials said. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said he was aware of his own party Congress' dismal show in the Delhi Assembly polls, but questioned the BJP about its "tall claims" of victory. The Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party was set for a resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly elections to retain power for a third term. As votes for the February 8 elections were counted, the AAP was leading in 57 of 70 seats and the BJP in 13, leaving the Congress virtually decimated in a city it had ruled for three consecutive terms, according to the Election Commission figures. Asked about Congress' poor performance in the Delhi polls, Nath told reporters, "We are aware of this. But what happened to the BJP which was making tall claims? Being at the Centre, Modiji is close to Delhi's electorate which would have elected the BJP, if satisfied with his work." He said BJP leaders now don't talk about unemployment and farmers, but they speak on issues like nationalism, Pakistan and Citizenship Amendment Act. The "real face" of the BJP has now been exposed, the chief minister said. "I have a basic question about CAA. Is there any war going on, or refugees coming to India? Then what was the need to get CAA passed by conducting Parliament proceedings till midnight? What was their aim? They only wanted to give a divisive message," Nath alleged. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Haiti - Carnival 2020 : Surprise visit of President Moise to the stand of the Town Hall of Port-au-Prince As part of the 4th Sunday of pre-carnival activities, President Jovenel Moise accompanied by his wife Martine and members of the Carnival Organizing Committee, including President Guy Andre Francois Jr. https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-29983-icihaiti-national-carnival-2020-official-presentation-of-members-of-the-organizing-committee.html, made a surprise visit on February 9 to the Champ de Mars on the stand of the Town Hall of Port- au Prince already erected for several days. In a Champs de March transformed into a building site, carpenters and other workers are active in the construction of stands, 12 days before the start of the Carnival (23, 24, 25 February 2020) which will take place this year around the theme "Pote Kole Pou Ayiti Dekole". The Head of State met with Ralph Youri Chevry, the Mayor of Capital, congratulating him for the arrangements made for the holding of Carnival 2020 before reviewing the organization of the event and the security measures provided. In addition to deny the rumors which suggests that there would be deep differences between the Presidency and the Town Hall. Moise said "The President and the Mayor are two elected officials who have the responsibility to serve the population" stressing the importance of unity among all Haitians for the success of Carnival 2020 he renewed the commitment of his administration to through the Carnival 2020 Organizing Committee to allow the festivities to run smoothly. So far have not yet known how much the National Carnival 2020 will cost the Treasury. See also : https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-29983-icihaiti-national-carnival-2020-official-presentation-of-members-of-the-organizing-committee.html HL/ HaitiLibre As someone whose Japanese American grandparents were placed in California internment camps during the early 1940s, I felt both sorrow and anger while reading WWII internees Trump-era deja vu (Feb. 8). It was wrong for our government to stigmatize an entire group of people over 75 years ago because of anti-immigrant hysteria, just as its wrong in 2020 for our government to lock up and separate asylum-seeking migrants and their children in detention centers. Its truly a deja vu country in which were living today, except the things were seeing again are things that we should never have seen before. Takeshi Hashimoto, Foster City Circus of events Regarding Out of the madness, one profile in courage (John Diaz, Insight, Feb. 8): I agree that the only bright spot in the circus of events of last week was when Sen. Mitt Romney decided to stand up for his convictions and vote his conscience. John Diaz also ponders what would have happened had President Trump been convicted. My immediate thought was that Trump should have been the one escorted out of the White House on Friday. Not Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the Iraq war veteran, serving on the National Security Council, who testified in the House impeachment inquiry regarding his concerns about Trumps phone call with Ukraines president. Can you imagine the tweets that would have followed? Or maybe, if we were lucky, they would have also taken his cell phone away! Sadly, we are living in unprecedented times. Gail Husson, San Leandro Stand up for country Thank you, John Diaz, for your Sunday editorial. It was a dash of water in a desert of political divisiveness. And thanks, Sen. Mitt Romney, for having the conviction and strength to stand for what this country is all about. Dan Dippery, Menlo Park Bike lane solutions Regarding Road to bike utopia (Page 1, Feb. 2): The article doesnt mention two obvious solutions: Rather than eliminating traffic lanes to install a secure bike path along the Embarcadero, why not either narrow the the north/east sidewalk or eliminate the one on the south/west side altogether (which almost nobody uses)? The other solution would be to put up poles along the current green lanes, to keep Uber, Lyft and delivery vehicles from blocking the bike lane. I wont mention enforcement of double parking regulations. Agatha Hoff, San Francisco Peninsula Plaza My first question after reading A hot summer in Antarctica wake up, world (John Diaz, Last Word, Feb. 8), about a record 65-degree high temperature being recorded on a continent that is typically the most frigid place on Earth, is this: If re-elected, will our profit-driven, anti-science, global-warming-denying president open a new luxury hotel in the place where this disturbingly warm temperature occurred: a Trump Trinity Peninsula Plaza? Jeremy Davidoff, Novato Natures balance Regarding A hot summer in Antarctica wake up, world (John Diaz, Last Word, Feb. 8): Not to worry! Trust nature to put herself in balance. We should just let her do her thing, because eventually the wildfires will be put out by the rising sea. Rocky Leplin, Richmond Authoritarian impulse Regarding Key witnesses in trial purged by White House (Feb. 8): Its not surprising that Gordon Sondland was recalled from his post as the ambassador to the European Union on the same day that Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a decorated Iraq War veteran on the National Security Council staff, was marched out of the White House by security guards. Now that President Trump has been acquitted by the Senate of abusing his power and obstructing justice, his authoritarian impulse to get rid of his perceived enemies those who dared to testify about his corrupt behavior involving the Ukraine government is on full display. A better title for this news story might be A presidential purge from Putins playbook. Eileen Fitzgerald, Pacifica Dont fear carbon tax Regarding How Buttigieg win would affect state (Page 1, Feb. 10): None of us should fear the carbon tax that Mayor Pete Buttigieg is proposing. Although he proposes to charge a fee for carbon emissions, that money does not have to come out of our pockets at the cash register. The best of carbon pricing bills now before Congress (HR763) would collect the carbon fee from fossil fuel companies. They would pay it based on the carbon pollution from each ton of fossil fuel at the mine, well, or at the port. The money would be returned to the people as a cash dividend, in equal amounts to each of us if HR763 passes. Economists agree that this is the most effective way to reduce the use of fossil fuels because it avoids the endless debates and court cases over every command and control law, every subsidy, and every technology. As long as fossil fuels are cheap, people will use them. But when their prices continue to rise due to an annually increasing fee, people will switch to renewable energy. We need both, but an ounce of carbon tax is worth a pound of regulations (and a thousand pounds of climate disruption). Richard Bailey, Novato A call to action Regarding Anonymous donor helps rent-scam victims recover (Feb. 10): Given the plethora of social problems in this day and age of social upheaval, its apparently, at least to this reader, a near impossibility to expect our elected officials to keep trying to address them, let alone come up with solutions. But we continue to complain about their ineffectiveness. Its their problem to solve not ours. We contend, That is why they were elected. And then I read Otis R. Taylor Jr.s article about the anonymous donor. I was touched by the generosity displayed. I was also dismayed after reading that this act of kindness is rare. Why is that? Rather than reading about people offering complaints about this inadequacy, more citizens should step up and offer support and aid. Fellow citizens, get up off your butts and be part of the solution and not the problem. Its our community! John Lau, Berkeley Double-parking danger Regarding a car-free Valencia Street: No evidence has been given that making Valencia Street car-free would be deadly to business there. What is actually potentially deadly is the constant double-parking in the bike lane of private cars, Ubers and Lyfts, and delivery vehicles. Many injuries have already occurred because of this illegal behavior. If drivers cant follow the rules for parking and have respect for the lives of people on bikes or scooters, they shouldnt be allowed to drive on Valencia Street. Laura Joosse, San Francisco Bizarre marketing So according to Have it your way, not your exs way (Last Word, Feb. 8), heartbroken customers can participate in a Burger Kings Ex-Valentines Day promotion by exchanging a printed photo of their former lover for a free Whopper? Not only is this bizarre idea an extreme violation of the heartbreakers privacy, its also an extreme assault on the heartbrokens waistline. By PTI NEW DELHI: Over 1.97 lakh passengers travelling in 1,818 flights have been screened for novel coronavirus, Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said on Monday as he outlined the steps taken by the government to deal with the virus since its outbreak last month. Issuing a suo motu statement in Lok Sabha, Vardhan also said that screening of passengers has been initiated at 12 major seaports and all minor ports in the country to identify passengers and crew members coming from China and to isolate them in case they are found symptomatic. "As of today, a total of 1,818 flights have been screened covering a total of 1,97,192 passengers. Teams of specialist doctors were sent to all the airports to ensure effective screening and arrangement for isolation in the attached hospitals," Vardhan said. In view of a confirmed case in Nepal, the government has initiated screening at all integrated check posts from Nepal in collaboration with Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, West Bengal, Sikkim and Bihar, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Land Port Authorities, the health minister said. China reported the outbreak of novel coronavirus on December 31, 2019. As of February 9, a total of 37,198 confirmed cases and 811 deaths have been reported in China. A total of 354 confirmed cases have been reported outside China from 27 countries (including Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan). "In our country, three positive cases have been reported so far from Kerala. All these cases have travel history from Wuhan, China. They have been isolated and are reported to be clinically stable," Vardhan said. The government has already constituted a GoM headed by the Health Minister to monitor coronavirus. Besides, gram sabhas are being organised in villages adjoining borders with Nepal to create awareness amongst people. So far, 1,510 samples have been tested of which 1,507 were found negative. Three samples have tested positive and 27 samples are under process. Vardhan said two Special Air India flights were operated between Delhi and Wuhan on January 31 and February 1 that brought back a total of 654 passengers -- 647 Indian citizens (including two Indian Embassy officials who were on the ground in Wuhan to coordinate the evacuation operation) and seven Maldivian nationals. "I take this opportunity to thank Air India, its crew and our team of doctors and paramedical staff who executed this challenging operation and place on record the appreciation on behalf of this august house for their contribution," he said. After the evacuation, the people are presently undergoing quarantine at special facilities created by Indian Army in Manesar and by Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in Chawla Camp. 10 of the evacuees who were symptomatic have been shifted to isolation. All of them have tested negative for this disease and are stable. All other evacuees are being medically examined on daily basis and are healthy, Vardhan added. The minister said India has provided support to other countries in tackling the challenge posed by the disease. ICMR has offered to do testing of samples for other South-East Asian Region countries. "Testing of samples from the Maldives has already been undertaken. Request from Afghanistan for samples testing has been agreed to. We have agreed to provide technical assistance to Bhutan in managing this infectious disease and screening of passengers also." Using integrated disease surveillance network, all persons are tracked and the government is following 9,452 passengers across 29 states/UTs. The state surveillance officers, district surveillance officers and rapid response teams of health professionals under the leadership of state Health Secretaries are monitoring all such people on a daily basis, he said. Sufficient isolation beds have been made available in tertiary facilities across the country to manage any outbreak. 369 symptomatic travellers have been referred to isolation facility and are being monitored, Vardhan informed the House. T he US Justice Department is seeking a shorter prison sentence for Donald Trump's former adviser Roger Stone. The department overrode the sentencing recommendation made by federal prosecutors, who secured Stone's conviction in November for lying to Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. Mr Trump criticised the proposed sentence of seven to nine years, saying it would be a "miscarriage of justice" against Stone. "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," the Republican president wrote on Twitter on Tuesday. Stone's trial arose from former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation that detailed extensive Russian interference in the 2016 election to benefit Mr Trump's candidacy. After the department's action was disclosed, federal prosecutor Aaron Zelinsky, who helped prosecute Stone, told a federal court he is withdrawing from the case. He remains employed as a prosecutor in the US Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland. President Donald Trump rallies with supporters in Manchester / REUTERS The department did not announce the new sentence it will recommend. Legal experts described the move as highly unusual while Democrats accused the Justice Department, which is headed by Trump political loyalist William Barr, of working to protect the president's political interests. "They are turning us into a banana republic," Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said on Twitter. Stone, who has labeled himself a "dirty trickster" and "agent provocateur" and famously has the face of former President Richard Nixon tattooed on his back, will be sentenced on February 20 by US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. In a court filing on Monday, prosecutors said their proposed sentence fell within US guidelines and would "accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law." That came as a surprise to senior Justice Department officials who were expecting prosecutors to ask for a lower range, said an official who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Justice Department has not been in touch with the White House over the matter, the official said. Roger Stone, left, with his wife Nydia Stone, leaves federal court in Washington / AP Several said that the proposed sentence struck them as unusually severe. Stone's defence team, in a filing late on Monday, disputed the prosecution's calculation and proposed a range of between 15 and 21 months. They asked the judge for a sentence that would fall below that range. "It is high, but the prosecutors obviously felt there were extenuating circumstances that justified the enhancements," said Lynn Niels, a former federal prosecutor. Stone is one of several Trump associates charged with crimes as part of Mr Mueller's investigation that detailed a Russian campaign of hacking and propaganda in the 2016 election and extensive contacts between the president's campaign and Moscow. Stone was one of only two of these Trump associates who went to trial rather than pleading guilty. Medical Aesthetic Devices Industry Description Wiseguyreports.Com Adds Medical Aesthetic Devices: Technologies and Global Markets To Its Research Database Aesthetic medicine comprises all medical procedures that are aimed at improving the physical appearance and satisfaction of the patient, using non-invasive to minimally invasive cosmetic procedures. The aesthetic medicine specialty is not confined to dermatologists and plastic surgeons, as doctors of all specialties seek to offer services to address their patients aesthetic needs and desires. All aesthetic medicine procedures are performed under locoregional anesthesia. The exciting field of aesthetic medicine is a new trend. Patients not only want to be in good health, they also want to enjoy life to the fullest, be fit and minimize the effects of natural aging. Indeed, patients are now requesting quick, non-invasive procedures with minor downtime and very little risk. This recent trend explains the current success of aesthetic medicine around the globe. These aesthetic procedures consist of: Injections of neurotoxins and dermal fillers. Chemical peels. Cosmetic dermatology treatments. Microdermabrasion. Body contouring and treatment of cellulite. Nutrition. Hair transplant. Hair reduction. Fat grafting/platelet rich plasma. Laser and IPL. Scar management. Venous treatment. Request for Sample Report @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/sample-request/3168766-medical-aesthetic-devices-technologies-and-global-markets Initially, concerning simple skin care and facial treatment, aesthetic medicine borrowed extensively from mainstream medicine. Fat grafts in orthopedics found new life as compatible long-term fillers to flesh out wrinkles in aging faces. Chemical peels removed dead skin cells, freeing up fresh ones to glow and grow. Botulinum, an R&D success, became a popular injection for removing wrinkles and creases. Today, effective aesthetic medicineas a minimally invasive practiceis based on doctors having skilled hands, whereby they leverage reliable, cutting-edge medical technology, such as laser technology, chemical peels, fillers and injectables of natural or bio-ingredients. It spans surface treatments through chemical peels and lasers to minimally invasive procedures, such as thread-lifts, botulinum type A injections, derma fillers, fat grafts and hair transplants. Aesthetic medicine bridges the gap between beauty and health. It is important because beauty is not just skin deep. Beauty includes the need to feel good in ones own skin, thereby nurturing a psychophysical balance. We cannot ignore the importance of aesthetics from a psycho-sociological point of view, especially when todays society so highly covets attractive appearances. So, consumer patients are seeking aesthetic doctors to improve their appearance, and thus their self-confidence for social and/or professional reasons. Report Scope: The report on medical aesthetics devices gives a detailed analysis of the devices used for medical aesthetics procedures. In addition, the report covers the applications and end-users for the medical aesthetics devices market. The report covers applications, such as botulinum neuromodulators, breast augmentation devices, dermal fillers, energy-emitting devices and assistive liposuction devices. The market landscape is captured through end-users such as hospitals, beauty clinics and medical spas. A detailed analysis illustrating market dynamics and market structure is incorporated in the report. Porters Five Forces analysis as well as the supply and distribution chain are discussed in detail. The report covers the current regulations and guidelines for medical device quality management and manufacturing practices in the context of their use within the medical aesthetics devices industry. Top market playersincluding details on their business operations and segment focusas well as revenue and strategy analysis are included the in the report. In addition, market share analysis of the leading market players, product launches and pipeline products are captured in the report. In terms of geography, the report analyzes the market across North America, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Key countries like the United States, Canada, Mexico, Europe (top five countries), China, India and Japan are discussed considering the high concentration of medical aesthetics manufacturing companies and contract manufacturing organizations in these nations. This report includes market size estimates for the base year of 2016 and 2017 and the forecast for 2022. Report Includes: 36 tables An overview of the global markets and technologies for medical aesthetic devices Analyses of global market trends, with data from 2016 and 2017, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2022 Discussion of the properties and characteristics of human skin, hair, and breasts Description of medical devices, including botulinum neuromodulators, breast augmentation devices, and injectable dermal fillers Coverage of devices for assisted liposuction using ultrasound, light, or water Insight into the regulatory environment for medical devices and drugs in the U.S. and Europe Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the market, including Allergan, Plc Anika Therapeutics, Inc. Contura International A / S Crisalix S.A. Cutera, Inc. Cynosure Inc. En. Group Hologic Inc. Ideal Implant Inc. Implatech Implant Teknolojileri Johnson & Johnson Lumenis Ltd. Medytox Inc. Merz Pharma Gmbh & Co. Kgaa Photomedex, Inc. Revance Therapeutics Inc. Sienna Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. Suneva Medical, Inc. Syneron Medical Ltd. Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. Venus Concept Ltd. Continued Leave a Query @ https://www.wiseguyreports.com/enquiry/3168766-medical-aesthetic-devices-technologies-and-global-markets Contact Us: Sales@Wiseguyreports.Com Ph: +1-646-845-9349 (Us) Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (Uk) Posted in Addis: The 2020 AU Handbook US revokes WTO subsidy preferences for South Africa and some other countries (Bloomberg, Fin24) The Trump administration is changing a key exemption to Americas trade-remedy laws to make it easier to penalise about two dozen so-called developing countries including China, India and South Africa. The US on Monday narrowed its internal list of developing and least-developed countries in order to reduce the threshold for triggering a US investigation into whether nations are harming US industries with unfairly subsidised exports, according to a US Trade Representative notice. In doing so, the US eliminated its special preferences for a list of self-declared developing countries that includes: Albania; Argentina; Armenia; Brazil; Bulgaria; China; Colombia; Costa Rica; Georgia; Hong Kong; India; Indonesia; Kazakhstan; the Kyrgyz Republic; Malaysia; Moldova; Montenegro; North Macedonia; Romania; Singapore; South Africa; South Korea; Thailand; Ukraine; and Vietnam. USTR updates list of developing and least-developed countries under US countervailing duty (CVD) law The US Trade Representative developed the list of members eligible for the 2% de minimis standard based on the following criteria: per capita GNI; share of world trade; other factors such as OECD membership or application for membership, EU membership, and G20 membership. For purposes of US CVD law, the US Trade Representative therefore considers (pdf) countries with a share of 0.5% or more of world trade to be developed countries. Thus, Brazil, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Viet Nam are ineligible for the 2% de minimis standard, notwithstanding that, based on the most recent World Bank data, each country has a per capita GNI below $12,375. Given the global economic significance of the G20, and the collective economic weight of its membership (which accounts for large shares of global economic output and trade), G20 membership indicates that a country is developed. Thus, Argentina, Brazil, India, Indonesia, and South Africa are ineligible for the 2% de minimis standard, notwithstanding that, based on the most recent World Bank data, each country has a per capita GNI below $12,375. USTR seeks comments for 2020 Special 301 Review: The review identifies countries that deny adequate and effective protection of intellectual property rights or deny fair and equitable market access to US persons who rely on IP protection. [MSF India demands review of USTR Special 301 report on trade barriers] DDG Wolff affirms WTOs commitment to support Africas economic integration (WTO) I am here, on my first visit to Addis, to be with the WTO Accessions Division which has organized a Regional Dialogue on WTO Accessions for Africa, bringing together all acceding governments from the African Continent. This years theme for the Regional Dialogue is Deepening Economic Integration in Africa through WTO membership and AfCFTA Implementation. The meetings here this week are part of the WTOs broader efforts to build a stronger bridge between the WTO and Africa. What can Ethiopia expect from the process of WTO accession? Looking at the results of WTO accessions completed to date 36 of them, including China, Saudi Arabia, and the Russian Federation we see that they have benefitted enormously from the process of economic reforms required to join the WTO. Ethiopia aspires to become one of the leading economies in Africa by 2030, through pursuing WTO accession aggressively. The WTO accession process will support regulatory and administrative changes while improving the quality of economic management institutions. Through its accession to the WTO and its domestic reform agenda, the government of Ethiopia hopes to raise the standard of living of its people and contribute to peace. And it is intent on finding ways of achieving its objectives in a more sustainable way. Support for Ethiopias accession and the fulfilment of the promise of the AfCFTA must be, and I am sure will be, high priorities for the WTO. [Note: This speech was delivered today at Addis Ababa University] A snapshot of cross-border trade along the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor (UNECA) In this context, the African Export-Import Bank and the ATPC recently embarked on a new pilot project to collect data in the ECOWAS region using the Abidjan-Lagos Corridor. The AUC and ECOWAS serve as key project partners and the Eastern Africa Grain Council has been identified as the lead project implementation partner. The project will collect ICBT data on a pilot basis along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor in the ECOWAS region for a period of four months from September 2019. The data collected will also be gender disaggregated, which will help to provide a better picture on the gendered dimensions of ICBT, which is typically female dominated. The final project outputs (pdf) will include a comprehensive report detailing the scale, characteristics and challenges of ICBT along the Abidjan-Lagos corridor, and a harmonized manual for ICBT data collection for the ECOWAS region. Following the initial pilot, the intention is to scale and apply the methodology to other corridors and regions on the continent, with the ultimate goal of eventually developing a single continental framework for ICBT data collection. Eswatini and the IMF: 2020 Article IV Consultation report. Extracts from Annex VII: Trade, export competitiveness and growth Over the last two decades, exports performance in Eswatini have been declining, reflecting negatively on GDP growth. Exports of goods and services have halved from about 78% of GDP in the early 2000s, a time when global trade was booming and commodity prices were high, to 40% of GDP in 2018. As a result, unlike peer middle income countries, Eswatinistrade volumes have not kept up with global trends, resulting in a loss of share in global markets. Exports of services have similarly experienced a loss of market share and a trend decline, representing 1.5% of GDP in 2018 (about 10% of GDP in the early 2000s). The contribution of exports to growth is much lower from an average 3.2% during the 1990s and 2000s to 0.35 contribution during 2010-2017. Eswatinis export base has also narrowed and become less diversified, increasingly dominated by exports from a few traditional sectors. Up to 2008, exports were relatively diversified and of good quality and Eswatini was among the more diversified product exporters in Sub-Saharan Africa (measured by a Theil diversification index) and the quality level (measured by the unit value of exports) was higher than the average of African countries. In recent years, export diversification has, however, declined. Exports have increasingly been dominated by few items and there has been little increase in new products. Today, about 90% of exports are concentrated in four manufactured goods from traditional sectors: soft drink concentrate, sugar, textiles, and wood manufacturing. In particular, soft-drink concentrate accounts for half of goods exports in 2018 (compared to 33% in 2000). Export concentration, compounded with a concentration in trading partners, suggests that the country has been unable to take advantage of its various trade agreements. Despite numerous trade agreements, including SACU, SADC, COMESA, and with the European Union (EPA) and the US (AGOA), among other regional bodies, about half of total trade is conducted with South Africa. Major commodities, such as sugar, textiles, and soft-drink concentrate are destined to South Africa. This increases the trade sectors dependence on its neighbours performance. Other trade agreements such as the African Growth and Opportunities Act, which gives Eswatini preferential access to US markets, are not being exploited beyond textiles. [Lesotho and the IMF: 2020 Article IV visit completed] Nigeria on the move: A journey to inclusive growth (World Bank) This Systematic Country Diagnostic (pdf) examines the challenges the government and people of Nigeria face in achieving the twin goals of poverty reduction and shared prosperity. It identifies key constraints and presents possible pathways for moving forward. Reflecting the multifaceted nature of the development challenges in Nigeria, the list of constraints is rather long. Based on available evidence and feedback gained through stakeholder discussions, 10 key constraints have been identified. The SCD establishes the priorities and links among these 10 constraints and proposes four possible pathways to tackle the constraints. The four pathways are: breaking oil dependency; building human capital to bridge the north-south divide; promoting private sectorled growth; rebuilding social contracts. Constraint 8: Limited domestic, regional, and global integration. Extract (pdf): Nigerias regional and global integration is also limited by restrictive policies. Though intraregional trade in Sub-Saharan Africa has doubled since 2000, to reach 25% in 2017, it has not increased as much as intraregional trade in East Asia and the Pacific or in the European Union. Exports to Nigeria accounted for 0.3% to 0.5% of the Sub-Saharan African total in 200016, well below South Africas 5.7% (figure 2.21, panel a). Nigerias poor performance in regional trade partly derives from its more restrictive border crossings relative to South Africa (figure 2.21, panel b). Cross-sectional analyses indicate that income per capita is inversely correlated with border restrictions. Countries that are more open to trade, ideas, and (appropriately sequenced) inflows of foreign capital are more well integrated into the global economy and benefit from their interactions with other countries. This suggests that the thick borders around Nigeria are a major deterrent to growth spillovers to Nigerias neighbors in the Economic Community of West African States. Implementing measures to reduce drastically the thickness of Nigerian borders would be a win-win: more open borders would boost regional exports, create larger agglomeration economies, help attract more private investment from abroad, and bolster the growth potential of the Economic Community of West African States and, beyond, all Sub-Saharan Africa. Furthermore, a review of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission Act of 1995 and proposed amendments to the act passed by the House of Representatives and existing international investment agreements reveal there is some room for improvement, particularly regarding the lack of clarity on the list of sectors restricted to investment and the protection of foreign investors from discriminatory treatment by the government. Import data underscore Nigerias relatively low level of integration with international markets. Between 2010 and 2015, the value of imported inputs equaled only 8% of the value of exports, far below the share in other commodity exporters such as Kenya (18%) and Mexico (33%). However, productivity among importing firms is greater in Nigeria than among non-importers, suggesting that access to foreign inputs enhances labor productivity. Moreover, 70% of exporting firms are also importers, highlighting the opportunities offered by international value chains. It is important for policy makers to monitor the outward orientation of domestic firms because exporting and importing are both closely correlated with innovation. Launched: 2nd Biennial Review Report on the implementation of the June 2014 Malabo Declaration (AU) The African Union has launched the second Biennial Review Report on the implementation of the June 2014 Malabo Declaration on Accelerated Agricultural Growth and Transformation for Shared Prosperity and Improved Livelihoods. Out of the 49 Member States that reported on progress in implementing the Malabo Declaration during this 2019 biennial review cycle, four countries are on-track towards achieving the Malabo commitments by 2025. While this number is significantly less than the 20 Member States that were on-track in 2017 during the inaugural biennial review cycle, it is cardinal to note that 36 countries have made significant improvement in their score from the 1st BR to the 2nd BR. The benchmark for the 2019 cycle 6.66, is much higher than that of the 2017 cycle which was 3.94. The four Member States, which obtained or surpassed the benchmark of 6.66 to be on-track toward achieving the commitments of the Malabo Declaration by 2025 are: Rwanda (7.24), Morocco (6.96), Mali (6.82) and Ghana (6.67). Selected, new papers on fintech issues from the Bank of International Settlements: SOUTH HAVEN, MI Beachgoers may be disappointed this summer to find their favorite spot in the sand has disappeared into the surf. Near-record high water levels and storms spawning large waves have eroded the Lake Michigan shoreline, including some popular Lake Michigan beaches. The stepped-up forces of erosion have prompted some local leaders to consider spending millions in efforts to protect municipal infrastructure, and to preserve the sandy attractions that brings tourists in droves each summer. Related: Lakes Michigan and Huron set January water level records, could go higher than ever recorded The city of South Haven is considering more than $19 million worth of work to address shoreline impacts, including up to an estimated $1 million for efforts to keep the beaches in good shape for summer use. Satellite imagery shows North Beach, left, and South Beach, in South Haven. The shrinking beach is shown from Aug. 22, 2013, to Sept. 22, 2018. Erosion is ongoing on the lake shore. High water and conditions have accelerated erosion impacts in late 2019 and in 2020. If youre viewing this story on a mobile device, click here to see the full story and photos. The city could pursue beach nourishment to restore beaches for summer use, according to a report given to the South Haven City Council on Monday, Feb. 3. Typically, nourishment is sourced from dredging of navigable waterways, and deposition of sand onto the beach, as it was in 2019 in South Haven, a report to the council states. "Erosion along the waterfront might have been worse had the nourishment not been completed in 2019. Another cycle should be considered in 2020. If channel dredging isnt needed, the upland sand sources or sand reclamation from beyond the depth of closure could be considered." The U.S. Army Corp of Engineers performed dredging in 2019, South Haven Harbormaster Kate Hosier said. Erosion is expected to impact marinas and city infrastructure as well. The city received a report on the potential impacts and costs of proposed projects during a Feb. 3 City Council meeting, and also passed a new policy focused on plans of how to operate when facing impacts of high water. Related: Boating season at South Haven marinas in jeopardy amid high-water concerns Beaches are seen as a critical part of the tourism industry and help attract visitors to the small beach town, the report states. South Haven Mayor Scott Smith wrote a letter to Sue Allor, Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Natural Resources and Environmental Quality, to describe the costs the community is faced with and their fears of the impact to the local tourism industry. As you can see, we are facing significant cost that is identified," Smith wrote. However, it must be noted that as a vibrant west Michigan tourist town, the economic damage may be even more significant to the businesses, restaurants and merchants that rely on a steady tourist presence. If the water levels continue to damage the infrastructure, we will most certainly see a loss in tourist revenue. The mayors letter calls it a historic and devastating impact on the community. Elaine Herbert, co-owner of South Havens Yelton Inn, said beaches draw tourists in, but there are many other things people come to the area for like shopping, wineries and breweries, restaurants, parks, trails and relaxation. Some people might not notice a big difference even if there is less sand and beach leading to the water in some parts of South Haven, Herbert said. The breeze still blows over this lake no matter if its big or smaller, she said. The breeze is still 20 degrees cooler than it is inland. The lakefront view from the beaches will be the same, Herbert said, and the sun will still set on the water. The business owner said she has a different perspective on the citys infrastructure issues, which she believes will remain for the next decade or more, noting impacts to the river, marina and other infrastructure. This is very serious business for us, Herbert said. How do we refocus our decades of considering growing, and all these growth ideas, and now reanalyzing our priorities, and realizing the state isnt going to bail us out here?" Related: Fixes for record high water levels expected to come with big pricetag for Michigan Two months after a group of lawmakers asked for an emergency declaration due to shoreline erosion, Gov. Gretchen Whitmers office has declined to take action. Further south along the shoreline, another popular beach spot St. Josephs Silver Beach in Berrien County has also seen erosion impacts. Berrien County Parks Director Brian Bailey said the estimated the size of the beach area has decreased by 40-50% from what it once was. The size of Silver Beach is reduced, he said, but it still has a good amount of beach. Erosion is exposing materials like rebar, steel bars used commonly in construction, in some places. Bailey asks people to be cautious while walking on beaches, he said. Related: 1 tree, 7 months and 2 photos show drastic beach erosion Drone photographer Cody Krieger said he remembers Silver Beach years ago as an expansive beach with a sidewalk cutting through it, comparing it to the California coast. Krieger photographed the beach in January and February of 2020 to document erosion impacts. Today, waves crash up against the sidewalk at parts, he said, and the beach is a fraction of the size. Visitors can check current conditions on Silver Beach and South Haven webcams. Theres still a lot of sand down there, Bailey said, though people may be surprised by how the beach looks compared to other recent visits. Were certain well have many many good beach days this summer." Related: Lakeshore communities say erosion is an emergency. Why isnt the state acting? Further south, Lincoln Township officials closed Lincoln Township Beach in late October after erosion impacts left small rocks and dark sand where the beach area once was. Berrien County beach is about 500 feet wide and its a popular place in the summers, Township Supervisor Dick Stauffer said. People like their favorite beaches, now the park is closed, Stauffer said. But theres no alternative. It was closed for safety reasons, he said, and the township wont be able to open it in the spring. "There's just no way," Stauffer said. The future is up to Mother Nature, he said, and if the township spent thousands of dollars to put sand there, the lake will just wash it out. The lake will win, Stauffer said. More: Boating season at South Haven marinas in jeopardy amid high-water concerns Birdseye view of Lake Michigan shore shows impact of erosion South Haven residents push for lifeguards after rash of Lake Michigan drownings Lake Michigan swallows structures, puts property owners on edge To be sure, most black Americans vote Democratic because they prefer that party, and what it stands for, over the Republican Party. Yet a significant minority of African Americans nearly a third, White and Laird report consider themselves conservative and share at least some Republican economic and social positions. It is on this segment of the black electorate that intragroup social pressure primarily operates, causing many to back Democrats, the authors argue. CHEYENNE Sitting in the old Supreme Court room Monday afternoon, Sen. Dan Dockstader recalled the story of a recent meeting with the treasurer for Lincoln County, a place that in recent months has entered one of the worst oil and gas busts in its history. Trying to piece together the effects of the fallout, the newspaper publisher, onetime town councilman and current majority floor leader wanted to understand what the impact of the downturn truly looked like not just the jobs or spending lost but also the overall impact on their communitys ability to fund their basic needs. The difference, he said, was staggering, with thousands of dollars that once bolstered local government suddenly gone, from the county level down to the smallest town. It was a story shared by many in Wyoming, which is still well behind the revenues seen in the good times before the 2015 bust. As communities struggle to fund themselves and attract new industry, many in resource-rich communities particularly those with coal are beginning to reckon with a future beyond fossil fuels, where a global economy well out of their hands shifts money long relied on in Wyoming. But for many members of the Wyoming Legislature, that money still has a role to play and is still worth fighting for. I think as we look for new solutions and new ways to raise revenues, we need to not forget our bedrock industries, Dockstader said in a gathering with reporters Monday afternoon. Early on, both the legislative and executive branch seemed to be on the same page. Protecting coal and natural gas central players in the governors State of the State address that morning seemed to weigh heavily on the minds of both branches. Both seemed to hear one another on the states finances as well, with an on-time budget bill the first Day One budget delivery since 1974, according to House Speaker Steve Harshman, R-Casper ready for their perusal the minute they set foot through the door. But for all the urgency expressed around protecting the states coal industry this year (more than a half-dozen bills have already been introduced this session dealing with coal alone), diversifying the states revenue streams still seems to be a distant prospect. While the governors efficiency commission has already begun to roll out efficiencies that are estimated to save up to $170 million per year over the next several years, the states expenses are anticipated to continue their upward climb as minerals are anticipated to continue declining. This budget gives us breathing room, Gordon said Friday in an interview with Wyoming PBS. I think this next year and the year following are both robust conversations about where it is were going to make our cuts, how is it were going to diversify our revenue stream, where are the places were going to emphasize this more, but Im aggressively pursuing that. Whether those feelings of urgency will be shared by the rest of the Legislature remains an open question, however, even as the state begins to dig into millions of dollars in savings compiled during the states boom times. While roughly $70 million in savings could potentially be carved out of the states structural deficit this coming year, that deficit is only anticipated to grow over time. However, those realities, and whether theyre big enough issues to start substantial discussions on revenue as millions of dollars go toward protecting coal, is a different story. I think its a misperception this is sudden, Senate President Drew Perkins, R-Casper, told reporters on Monday. Weve seen this coming for a long time. Perkins pointed to numerous accomplishments in chipping away at the deficit in the last few years, whittling away at the obligations of the states general fund by trying to make different agencies like the Department of Game & Fish, the Department of Transportation and now, the Department of Tourism, self-sufficient. Weve been doing little things all along, and were going to continue to work on those, Perkins said. But at the same time upstairs, discussions in the House Appropriations Committee turned to questions of how to fund a $47.5 million upgrade to WYDOTs two-decade-old record-keeping system as lawmakers mull a 2-cent increase to the states fuel taxes and the prospect of increased fees for technology improvements. And while education will likely remain fully funded due to renewed support for an external cost adjustment in this years budget, future conversations about how that education will eventually be delivered remain up in the air, which could likely lead to some disputes in future sessions. While Harshman said this years budget starts the state on a glidepath to fiscal sustainability pitched by Gordon, House Minority Floor Leader Cathy Connolly, D-Laramie, said this years budget coming just years after tens of millions of dollars in budget cuts and unprecedented declines in fossil fuels is still far from addressing the states needs. Does this close the gap? The answer is no, Connolly said. We need to have a conversation about taxes. That conversation, however, likely wont happen this year. After the Joint Committee on Revenue killed most major tax-raising legislation beyond a corporate income tax in the interim, bills on the table this year proposing larger revenues a 1-cent sales tax increase proposed by Connolly ($403 million in revenues per biennium) was one example other proposals, like regulated gaming, could help put off conversations about other, new taxes for a number of years. Were the envy of most states, Harshman said. Nobodys got money in the bank like us, nobody is paying cash for our bills, weve got zero debts. ... Have we got some clouds on the horizon? You bet. But we have a lot of time to solve these problems, and were going to work together. Were the most accessible and the hardest-working legislative body in the world, and were going to get this done. It aint gonna happen in the next 24 days, but its going to be a process over the next several years. Love 5 Funny 2 Wow 1 Sad 2 Angry 3 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. Inside the Democratic Partys infamous big tent, arguments against Medicare for All tend to hit the same few notes. Citing polling, Medicare for All critics argue that the policy, popularized by Senator Bernie Sanders in 2016, will cost the party votes; that the prospect of trading private health insurance for a government-run model would run afoul of the American peoples hatred for socialism. Reality complicates these arguments. Americans may say they dislike socialism as an abstract concept, but have proved remarkably open to politicians who adopted the label, and a majority of Americans say they support Medicare for All. The partys centrists, though, believe that not only will Medicare for All fail to draw primary voters, but that it will prove itself to be political poison in a general election. Former Vice-President Joe Biden has proposed a public option as an alternative; he, along with Senator Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, have all attacked Sanders and Senator Elizabeth Warren from the right. But new research suggests that moderates may be overstating the political risks of Medicare for All, at least during the primaries. Seventy-seven percent of Democrats in South Carolina say that they strongly or somewhat support expanding Medicare so that it becomes the primary insurer for all Americans, according to a a poll produced by Data for Progress on behalf of Medicare for All NOW, an advocacy group founded by former Cigna executive Wendell Potter. Support for this definition of broadening Medicare to cover everyone was highest among black Democrats and among voters aged 55 to 64: 82 percent of both groups said they supported the plan. In a memo released to members of the press, the left-leaning Data for Progress says it put two related questions before 767 likely South Carolina primary voters. The first, which frames Medicare as the principal, but not the exclusive, insurer for all Americans, tracks closest to the definition of a public option or with Buttigiegs Medicare for All Who Want It plan. Sixty-five percent of Americans said they supported a public option in a 2019 poll released by the Kaiser Family Foundation. Medicare for All was less popular 53 percent of Americans said they supported it. Even so, the Data for Progress poll suggests that voters are receptive to the idea. When pollsters described a version of Medicare for All that would put everyone onto a single, government-run plan that would have no premiums, no co-pays, and no deductibles for all healthcare services, 77 percent of the states Democrats again said they would they would support such a policy. Though the top-line result for both questions is the same, the breakdown for each reveals some differences. Fifty-seven percent said they strongly supported Medicare as the nations primary insurer; 20 percent said they somewhat supported the proposal. By contrast, 49 percent strongly supported the mainstream definition of Medicare for All, and 28 percent somewhat supported it. Black support for the second, Sanders-like version was also somewhat lower, though not by much; 80 percent still strongly or somewhat supported it. These distinctions dont alter the overarching message of the poll. Medicare for All isnt a poison pill, at least not in South Carolina. Biden still enjoys a commanding lead over Sanders, his closest competitor, in the pivotal state, but the democratic socialist may not be completely doomed. A leader in the civics education has penned a tough-love letter for colleagues in the insular community, congratulating them for making the subject more prominent but also issuing a warning of sorts: Its time to prioritize next steps before the chattering classes move on. Fresh out of college, Scott Warren co-founded Generation Citizen , a hands-on action civics provider, in 2009. Though not the first group to popularize that approach to civicswhich prioritizes having students collectively research a community problem and use civic channels to try to solve it it has helped the idea go mainstream in the intervening years. Generation Citizen has also been an effective legislative advocate , particularly in its support of a bill strengthening civics in Massachusetts. Warren announced last November that he will step down from the organization in June, and the letter reflects his insights from working in the field for a decade. Its must-read that, while not a formal airing-out of dirty laundry, nevertheless does challenge the field to spell out what it stands for and make that case to philanthropies and lawmakers while interest in civics ed. is at a high. (He is not exaggerating the whimsical nature of K-12 policy trends: Does anyone remember the teacher-evaluation craze of eight years ago? Me neither.) Among other things, he notes that civics-ed. groups have had too many convenings to try to come up with a definitive vision for civics education, but not enough action and follow through. Their leadership is not very diverse. Long-simmering ideological and pedagogical differences continue to hamper a cohesive message for the field. And theres some jostling for pride of place among the groups. Education Week sat down with Warren to discuss these points in a Q & A. Below is a transcript, edited for length. Q: You began Generation Citizen in 2009. Can you talk about the landscape of civics education now compared to what it was like when you first started? How has it evolved? A: There is a lot more interest in civics education in the last 10 years. Theres more interest from philanthropists, theres more interest from districts, theres more interest from educators, and obviously theres an upsurge in youth activism as well. And this is from a nonpartisan perspective, but the general dysfunction of politics makes people want to look for different types of solutions. And I think that ramifications of not prioritizing for civics education are more evident than theyve ever been. You know, I joked that when I started Generation Citizen, I would tell people, Yes, were about educating young people to be active, engaged citizens and getting civics back in the classroom. And people would laugh and say, Well, you know, whats next? And now people say, Oh my God, how can we get this everywhere? So, I do think that theres a recognition that this is necessary. I think that theres more organizations around. Obviously, theres been some huge legislative successes. Theres a bigger geographic footprint, and there is more money. I think that theres still a long way to go, and I think some of the conversations are similar to the ones that we had at the beginning. And I will say that most of the organizations and organizational leaders are fairly similar to the ones that were around 10 years ago. But theres more of a footprint and theres more energy, for sure. Q: You mentioned the geographic footprint. Sometimes, it does seem that certain places have far more opportunities for civics education, or providers to choose from. Can you talk a little bit about whats going to need to happen to make sure that all students have access to a really high-quality program in civics? A: Yeah, [the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement] had a report that came out a few years ago that talked about these civic deserts, both in urban areas and rural areas. I will say I see this as a little bit of a nonprofit problem, in addition to a civics education problem, in that the providers tend to consolidate in the main urban hubs. There is a lot of need in those places, [but] I think some of it is that, you know, a lot of the folks that run nonprofits tend to live in those areas. And I also think that theres more money there, and so both of those are relevant. GC has tried to start tackling this head on, in Oklahoma specifically, but we have also done some programming and places like rural Alabama and Salt Lake City, Utah. This is also a political problem in just how segregated weve gotten in terms of our own political beliefs, too. And I think civics education unfortunately can fall into that as well, as can funders. Q: Civics is not a field that gets a lot of federal support. And as a nation, weve not paid attention to social studies in the same way that we have to math and literacy. So, what needs to happen to get this funded? Whose responsibility is that? A: No. 1, there has to be a recognition from funders that they need to fund this more. I think that they can be a little risk-averse on civics education without seeing a through line. I think sometimes they are reluctant to get very involved. If I could design a funding strategy, a big part of it would be research and evaluation. Theres not enough comprehensive research done on what effective and holistic civics education looks like. I do think there needs to be more localized proof points. I think that they should be in places like the Deep South and places that are further away from opportunity. And then there needs to be extensive funding for policy and advocacy. I think Massachusetts demonstrated the potential of what can happen when you focus on that. So I think that there needs to be a bigger strategy. The last thing Ill say, and again I wrote about this [in the letter], I do think that there needs to be a more intensive infrastructure [and] coordinating entity. I do think CivXNow [a coalition headed by curriculum provider iCivics] and the Woodrow Wilson [National Fellowship] Foundation are attempting to sort of draw the auspices of what could this look like. I just dont think that anybody actually knows what that looks like. And I think that thats a little bit problematic, because you have sort of multiple entities vying to be the entity. Its not that the funders need to pick favorites, but there has to be a little bit of an [attempt to] actually sort this out. Q: There are a few elements of your letter that I would characterize as being a bit of tough love. One has to do with the diversity of the field. It continues to be very white and not particularly reflective of the demographics of our students. How does that affect the conversation? How do we change that? A: First of all, and I think most importantly, there are blind spots that emerge where were unable to, in an increasingly diversified country, understand what an effective, relevant civics education looks like if we dont at all reflect the student body that is increasingly becoming what America is today. So theres just substantive problems there. And then theres also just huge perceptual problems, and the civics education field has historically traditionally, and rightly, been seen as too white and too old. I mean, this is an ideological challenge, but I think that a lot of folks view with suspicion [whether] we are looking to recreate a democracy that hasnt worked for too many people by forming a specific type of civics education. I think if youre talking about leadership [of civics education organizations], theres two ways to do it. Either folks that have been around for a while have to actually look intentionally about bringing in diverse leadership, either at the top level or as theyre transitioning themselves, or there have to be more organizations. Q: Another thing that you really hammer home is the point that this moment for investment and attention to civics education is not going to last forever. What is the biggest challenge thats hampering the field from seizing the moment? A: I think its increasingly clear, and I mean this from a nonpartisan perspective, that our very democracy is at risk. Just look at the last week [with the conclusion of the impeachment trial and rocky Iowa caucuses]. And I think that people see civics education as a necessary reform to that. Its not sufficient, but its important. I think that there could be ramifications on what happens further down this election cycle, too. So some of it is just the geopolitical nature of the movement and some of this is how funders and things work. I mean, were always wintering fads, and fads dont last forever, and fads have got to be picked up to some extent. There have been too many convenings. There have been too many [conversations] like, Lets wait a few months to get our stuff together and see if a funding strategy is going to emerge. There have to be some big bets. Theres got to be some big bets in evaluation. Theres got to be big bets in terms of a funder initiative focused on diversifying the leadership of civics education organizations. I do think that theres probably a little too much with organizations, ourselves included, trying to finagle and trying to position themselves, rather than recognize the importance of actually working together and collaborating at this moment in time. Q: Scott, what do you see as being the biggest curricular challenge? Is it the polarization in the country that makes it harder for teachers to actually teach this? Is it the lack of a soup-to-nuts curriculum for teachers? A: Id step back a little bit to say that I think its partially curriculum and partially training. I dont think teachers receive enough effective training on how to teach this work. And if I could have my druthers with action civics, you know, theres principles that go along with action civicsstudent-centered pedagogy, democratic classroom teachingthat is as important as any curriculum. So I think there has to be a lot more investment in professional development as well. From a curricular standpoint, I do think that a challenge is that its very difficult, perhaps impossible, to make this universal. Perhaps it shouldnt be universal. In fact, civics is a very localized thing. I mean, if youre talking about New York City government versus how the town in Nicut, Okla., operates, its much different, and its hard to make curriculum that fits both. I also thinkand this is something that were increasingly looking at with Generation Citizenif youre talking about a real civics curriculum that puts equity front and center, that honors the true history and challenges of democracy in this country, its actually written for different student populations. If theyre talking about working with students of color, if youre talking about working with more affluent white students, curriculum should look different for those populations to create the conditions in which we can create a more equal politics and equal democracy. So I think that thats something thats a little challenging in terms of figuring out. Its not like a math or literacy curriculum where theres a right way of doing this. Q: One element that has been missing from the civics ed. conversation, is the role that the media plays in talking and writing about civics education. What do you think education reporters should be thinking about as they hopefully write about this topic? A: Thats an interesting question. I think its getting more intention and probably hasnt even got enough of it. I mean, you all, Chalkbeat, The 74 theres been some stuff. I think the big opportunity is some student perspectives. They can play front and center in terms of how they view politics, and how they view this specific moment in time and how civics is or isnt addressing that. And also the educator perspectives: How much are districts or schools encouraging them to do this work? Image: Scott Warren, the CEO of Generation Citizen. Courtesy of Scott Warren. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire on Feb. 10, 2020. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Biden Heads to South Carolina on Day of New Hampshire Primary Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden were leaving New Hampshire on the day of the primary there to go to South Carolina, another early voting state that the former vice president hopes to win. Bidens campaign said in a release that he wouldnt spend election night in New Hampshire, traveling instead to Columbia, South Carolina, to appear at an event with Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), his campaigns co-chairman. I have enjoyed traveling across New Hampshire, speaking to countless Granite Staters who understand we are in a battle for the soul of this nation and I have relished fighting for each and every one of their votes, Biden said in a statement. I am looking forward to traveling to South Carolina this evening and Nevada later this week to carry our campaign forward and hear from the diverse voters whose voices must be heard in this process to select the Democratic nominee who will unite this country to defeat Donald Trump. Biden was previously scheduled to appear at a victory party in Nashua on Tuesday night. Instead, the Bidens will speak to New Hampshire, but not in person. Later this evening, Jill and Joe Biden will address their New Hampshire supporters via livestream, the campaign said in a statement. Valerie Biden Owens, Bidens sister, will be at the event in person. Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden greet supporters during a campaign event at St. George Greek Orthodox Cathedral in Manchester, N.H. on, Feb. 10, 2020 (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo) Biden, 77, ended the Iowa caucuses in a disappointing fourth place, behind former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 38; Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 78; and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), 70. Like many other candidates, he traveled to New Hampshire after the caucuses to try to convince voters to support him. Biden is expecting to finish first in South Carolina, where voters head to the polls on Feb. 29. After spending time in South Carolina, Biden will go to Nevada. The Nevada Democratic caucuses are being held on Feb. 22, following a Feb. 19 debate in Las Vegas. Biden sent Symone Sanders, a senior adviser, to South Carolina on Monday. She spent the day appearing on local and national television boosting her candidate. Buttigiegs campaign said the former mayor would be in South Carolina later this week and that Quentin Hart, the mayor of Waterloo, Iowa, would travel there to try to drum up votes for him. Businessman Tom Steyer, 62, already left New Hampshire to spend time in South Carolina. Im here because its an important state and one where its really important for us to do well, for me to do well, Steyer told reporters Sunday. If you want to be a Democratic candidate for president, youve got to appeal to everybody across the country, and youve got to appeal to the diverse Democratic Party coalition. And Warrens team had supporters in South Carolina, including a Massachusetts sheriff, Steve Tompkins, stumping for her in the past week as she campaigns in New Hampshire, as did Sanders. AN GARDA Siochana, in partnership with some of the country's leading internet providers, have blocked access to internet sites containing child abuse material in a new initiative this Monday. The force have teamed up with BT Ireland, Eir Ireland, Sky Ireland, Tesco Mobile, Three Ireland and Vodafone Ireland and today signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will block access to websites containing child sexual abuse material. The purpose of preventing access to such pages is to protect consumers, including children, from viewing documented child sexual abuse material, and to prevent the further exploitation of children who have already been abused and photographed/filmed. The Garda Blocking Initiative is a voluntary scheme under which Irish Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and An Garda Siochana collaborate to block access to illegal child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Garda Blocking Initiative was introduced in November 2014 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between An Garda Siochana and the Internet Service Provider UPC (now Virgin Media) regarding the blocking of child abuse material. Under the Blocking Initiative, the Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) provides each Internet Service Provider with an updated list of suspect domain names. This is a list of websites that have been verified by Interpol to contain the most severe child sexual abuse material. Speaking at todays launch Detective Chief Superintendent Declan Daly, Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB), said: "Child Abuse Material on the internet is an exploitative and demeaning crime. It is a child abuse offence, which has pathways to the contact offending of children. The continued introduction of blocking child abuse imagery in Ireland, protects children in our communities by reducing demand, it increases their protection and facilitates a concentration of policing resources towards those who seek to harm children online. I welcome the signing of these MOUs today and renew An Garda Siochanas commitment to working with industry to protecting children and preventing access to this material. Blocking of online child abuse material is carried out worldwide to prevent people from gaining access to child sexual abuse material. It is not a complete solution to restricting access to such material; however its aim is to deter individuals who are in danger of accessing child abuse material, either deliberately or accidentally. Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC) have played a pivotal role in co-ordinating the ISPs in their endeavours to reach this point today. Torlach Denihan of Ibec, said: "Telecommunications Industry Ireland, the Ibec group representing the telecoms sector, welcomes the signing today by its members of the memorandum of understanding with An Garda Siochana to block websites containing child abuse material. "This builds on current practice and reflects the partnership approach to this issue involving industry, An Garda Siochana and the Department of Justice and Equality. Interpol "Worst of list (IWOL) contains domains that provide the most severe child sexual abuse material available on the open web. There are currently 1,857 websites on the IWOL list that are blocked worldwide. The initiative will now apply to approximately 96% of internet users in the country. Syrian army captures strategic town in Aleppo People's Daily Online (Xinhua) 13:41, February 10, 2020 DAMASCUS, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government forces captured a strategic town in the south of Aleppo province in northern Syria on Saturday, a war monitor reported. The army forces captured the town of al-Eis, one of the important areas in the army's quest to fully secure the Damascus-Aleppo highway, according to the Syrian Observatory of Human Rights. The Syrian government, backed by its ally Russia, has kept up a military offensive in Idlib province and the southern Aleppo countryside, aimed at securing the strategic highway that runs along the rebel-controlled territory. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Kalyan Tholeti By Express News Service VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday said a special investigation team (SIT) will be constituted to probe alleged insider trading in Amaravati. SIT will assist the Enforcement Directorate (ED) which is already looking into it. Law will take its course, he said in an informal interaction with select media at his camp-office in Tadepalli. Touching upon a range of issues, the Chief Minister made it crystal clear that his government was pressing forward with a long-term vision for the development of the State neither vindictive nor short-sighted. If you look at it from a third mans perspective, as a neutral person... I am sure everybody will agree we are taking the right decisions. Take for instance, English medium in government schools. If we introduce English medium now, we will get the results 20 years from now. If we dont have the vision, we will be ruining future generations. All parents committees in government schools have resolved they want English medium. Ask anyone! he said. A key component of his vision is the decentralisation of administration which has attracted criticism. But Jagan is firm that shifting the executive to Visakhapatnam is the right thing to do. We are not Saudi Arabia. We dont have the money in our vaults.. everybody knows the situation. Even today, we have to go by a single lane here. By TDPs own account, we have to invest Rs 2 crore per acre to provide basic infrastructure in Amaravati which works out to over Rs 1.06 lakh crore. No state government can spend more than Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 6,000 crore. Naidu government spent Rs 5,000 crore in five years. Even if we spend Rs 7,000 crore, it will be a pittance. The situation will be the same five years hence. If we invest 10 per cent of that amount in Vizag, it can be the States growth engine, the Chief Minister reasoned, adding that the States youth can go to Vizag for jobs instead of going to cities in other States. Experts have questioned the rationale of having a legislative capital away from the executive, pointing at practical difficulties as all the officials will have to be where the Assembly is in session. But Jagan is not convinced. In Karnataka, winter session is held in Belagavi. In Maharashtra, Assembly sessions are held in Nagpur, he countered, asserting that where the Chief Minister sits is his prerogative and nobody has the power to deny that. The conversation inevitably veered to the ongoing stand-off in the Legislative Council and the governments decision to scrap it. The Chief Minister was categorical that Council, despite being revived in the then united AP by his father the late YSR, cannot be political in its functioning. The decision to scrap it drew flak as the YSRC itself was going to gain a majority in the House in a year. Replying to that, Jagan insisted he was not the one to brook delays. Every day counts. We are elected for five years to do good work. TDP has made a mockery of the system by intentionally delaying bills. They are not even bothered about rules, he rued. Jagan is confident the bills on decentralisation cannot be stopped for more than three months. To a query on the reason for introducing the bills in the State Legislature in the first place, the Chief Minister admitted that no bill was required to decentralise the administration. We did it however to send a message that we will do justice to Amaravati while doing justice to the other parts of the State. Had we introduced only one bill to replace the CRDA with the AMRDA, it would have sent a wrong message to the farmers in Amaravati. Nobody can stop these bills. Were they able to stop English medium in government schools or separate commissions for SCs and STs? he questioned. In the same breath, he reiterated that no injustice would be done to Amaravati farmers and referred to the sops announced for them like extension of annuity from 10 to 15 years and doubling of compensation to Rs 5,000 a month for landless workers. He was also critical of those who say Vizag may not be ideal in view of its location. All coastal areas in the State are vulnerable to cyclones. In Krishna district, there are instances of cyclones. Beyond all this, we need to realise Vizag is the number 1 city in the State. It is among the top in tier-II cities in the country. Our aim is to make it tier-I city. It is also untrue that the city has a drinking water problem, the Chief Minister explained. Elaborating further on his vision, Jagan cited government schemes pertaining to education, housing, irrigation and agriculture. What is development? Is not changing the face of schools under Nadu-Nedu development? We are providing 9 amenities including English labs in all government schools. We are introducing English medium in all schools. We are ensuring that no bill is kept pending. We have hiked salaries... We are implementing Amma Vodi to incentivise parents. We are giving free reimbursement. Similarly in healthcare, we are changing the shape of government hospitals. We will have 27 teaching hospitals by the end of this governments tenure. By April, 510 types of medicines conforming to WHO, and GMP standards will be made available at all government hospitals. Treatment is free for 1259 types of diseases including all stages of cancer. In East Godavari, we are implementing a pilot project covering 2,000 diseases and it will be extended to all districts. Is this not development? the Chief Minister questioned. On agriculture, he termed the Rythu Bharosa Kendras as a game-changer. 70 per cent farmers have less than a hectare. Rythu Bharosa (income support scheme) will help them and meet 80 per cent of their cost of production. All RBKs will be operational by Kharif season and they will teach farmers the best practices and help them get fertilisers, seeds etc without hassles. Is this not development? he asked. On housing too, he said the government had been working right from day one to issue pattas to 25 lakh people. They will be distributed this Ugadi and every year, six lakh houses will be constructed for the poor, the Chief Minister said. Jagan, notwithstanding harsh criticism from certain quarters, is clearly not afraid of taking hard decisions. As he put it, If you dont take decisions when you are in a position to do so, that is a sin. The beauty of it is that CM is like a father to the state... decisions can make or break a State. We have to be conscious of that. Jagan speaks Even if we spend Rs 7,000 crore in Amaravati, it will be a pittance. The situation will be the same five years hence. If we invest 10 per cent of that amount in Vizag, it can be the States growth engine All coastal areas are vulnerable to cyclones. Vizag is the number 1 city in the State. It is among the top in tier-II cities in the country. Our aim is to make it tier-I city. It is also untrue that the city has drinking water problem What is development? Is not changing the face of schools under Nadu-Nedu development? We are providing nine amenities including English labs in all government schools A report in a US media outlet says former Nissan Motor chairman Carlos Ghosn is working with a legendary Hollywood agent to explore film and TV projects about Ghosn's life. The report was released by Bloomberg on Monday. Ghosn, who had been indicted in Japan over financial misconduct, skipped bail and escaped to Lebanon late last year. Michael Ovitz is the founder of an agency for Hollywood stars, and a former president of Walt Disney Company. A spokesperson for Ghosn reportedly said Ovitz would assist the former auto tycoon with any projects and evaluate proposals. The report said Ghosn's story has the potential to become a compelling film or drama, at a time when major video distribution companies are looking for fresh content. U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire on Feb. 10, 2020. AFP U.S. President Donald Trump told his advisers that he does not want another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un before the November presidential election, CNN quoted two sources as saying Monday. The report comes as denuclearization negotiations between the two countries have stalled since the unfruitful second summit between Trump and Kim in February 2019. "And as Trump focuses on his re-election campaign his appetite to engage on the issue has waned," CNN reported, citing the sources. Members of Trump's reelection campaign also do not believe North Korea is a crucial factor in the vote, it said. Luxury fashion brand Prada recently signed a settlement with the New York City Commission on Human Rights (NYCCHR) that will reportedly cost them millions to implement. The NYCCHR is an enforcement agency of New York City Government, whose role is to oversee human rights laws and foster compliance with them. Last year, this commission banned hair discrimination in New York City, with violations subject to up to a $250,000 fine. This settlement comes a little over a year after Prada pulled its Pradamalia fantasy trinkets after public outcry that they resembled blackface, imagery that is highly culturally insensitive and inappropriate. Like many brands that have found themselves in this position over recent years, the company apologized, citing their commitment to diversity, along with a promise to learn and do better. But this settlement with the NYCCHR sparks the beginning of a new kind of commitment, where brands will be held accountable for such cultural missteps, and in essence, forced to take sweeping measures to ensure they do better in the future. As part of the agreement, Prada has agreed to put all store employees in New York, and executives in Milan through sensitivity and racial equity training. In addition, the company will appoint a diversity and inclusion officer, that the commission must approve. Among other things, primary responsibilities of this new role will be to review Prada's product designs before they are sold, advertised, or promoted in the U.S., and to review and monitor Prada's anti-discrimination policies. Prada has also agreed to give reports of the demographic makeup of their staff at every level to the commission, and to keep their Diversity & Inclusion Advisory Council in existence for at least six years. The brand announced the launch of this new council as a part of their apology with the Pradmalia trinkets a year ago. The company will also develop a scholarship program, to create and increase opportunities for people who have been historically underrepresented within the fashion industry. In the official press release of the settlement, J. Phillip Thompson, Deputy Mayor for Strategic Policy Initiatives, had this to say about the agreement: The deBlasio Administration is committed to protecting the rights of all New Yorkers to live free of racial bias and discrimination. To see a symbol of Jim Crow-era oppression sold as a luxury bauble is a critical reminder that there is still work to be done. By engaging Prada with communities who have been historically excluded from the luxury fashion industry, today's settlement is an important step towards achieving positive social change in New York City. Inclusive marketing can no longer be kept on the back burner. Embracing diversity, inclusion, and belonging within your business is the right thing to do from a moral standpoint. But it also makes good business sense. Studies show that diverse teams outperform their peers. And although there is still plenty of work to be done, the good news is that many companies have long embraced diversity from a human resources standpoint. But increasingly, it isn't enough to just embrace diversity, inclusion, and belonging when it comes to your workforce and company culture. It is also becoming more important and necessary to do so on a commercial level, particularly with your marketing. As the customers you serve become more diverse, knowing how to effectively interact with them and cater to their unique needs is paramount. Business as usual, that is high on marketing to the masses and focusing on the majority, is giving way to catering to more niche consumers who make up an increasingly larger minority. Many brands have been slow to get on board with inclusive marketing. As such there have been plenty of brands like Prada, H&M, Pepsi, Heineken, Starbucks, and Dove have paid the price for very public marketing blunders, that have caused swift and public outcries, PR nightmares, and countless lost customers. In addition to these known mistakes, there are countless numbers of companies whose marketing regularly pushes diverse customers away -- mostly unknown to the brand, because they don't embrace inclusive marketing, and as such regularly send signals that "you don't belong here" to customers with unique needs. With this settlement agreement between Prada and the NYCCHR, the message is clear. Diversity, inclusion, and belonging -- particularly in marketing is no longer a "nice to do." It is the way you are expected to do business. It is the expectation, not only of your customers but now of government entities as well. The budget proposal President Trump released yesterday calls for the sale of 15 million barrels of oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve of the United States. The proceeds from the sale will be used to fund various projects, including the $242-million fixing of a Naval Petroleum Reserve in California, Reuters reports. Unlike with other proposals, this one might win bipartisan support: both Republican and Democratic legislators are in favor of sales from the SPR because its current level is above that required by international agreements about minimum necessary supplies and because two laws, passed in 2015 and 2018, respectively, also envisage sales of 15 million barrels of crude from the SPR this year and in 2021. Another law, the 21st Century Cures Act, passed in 2016, called for the sale of some 25 million barrels from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve between 2017 and 2019. The U.S. government set up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve more than forty years ago, in the wake of the Arab oil embargo that made the United States acutely aware of just how dependent its economy was on imported crude. To avoid a repeat of the painful fuel shortages the embargo caused, the U.S. began stocking up on crude. Related: The Black Swan Event That Could Unravel OPECs Efforts Yet now times are as different as can be. The United States is producing about 13 million barrels of oil daily and imports average 6.6 million bpd, according to the latest weekly data from the Energy Information Administration. The U.S. is much less dependent on imports of oil. In fact, In the last few years, the SPR has turned into what the former head of the EIA calls a piggy bank. Legislators have been selling portions of the reserve to plug budget holes and reduce deficits, and also for backing new bills. This has sparked a dispute on the actual purpose of the SPR, with some, including President Trump a couple of years ago, arguing that it does not need to be as large as it is, and others countering that while local production may be good now, things could change, and having a cushion as solid as the SPR would be a smart idea. By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Active shooter drills in schoolswhere students and educators are asked to practice how to respond to simulated shootingscan do more harm than good, according to the two national teachers unions and a prominent gun safety group. The National Education Association, the American Federation of Teachers, and Everytown for Gun Safety are recommending in a new report that schools stop using active shooter drills that are either unannounced or simulate gun violence such as the widely used ALICE drills. The groups say there is say there is a careful balance between preparing students and traumatizing them. While the likelihood of a shooting taking place at school is very small, almost all schools prepare for them with some kind of drill, which can range from elaborate simulations or traditional lockdown drills where students are instructed to hide in their classrooms. At least 40 states require schools to conduct some kind of drill to practice how to respond to an active shooter, the report says. Related: Do Schools Active-Shooter Drills Prepare or Frighten? However, there is little evidence, according to the report, that active shooter drills are effective. This is in part because there is not enough data yet to study the effectiveness of such drills. There is also wide variation in the types of drills schools deploy, making measuring and comparing their effectiveness even trickier. Additionally, school shooters have often been current or former students and are likely familiar with the drill protocols at the schools they target. Traumatizing effects of life-like drills? Meanwhile, the report says, some mental health professionals are raising concerns about the traumatizing effects that graphic and life-like drills can have on students. This underscores the almost impossible challenge facing schools: How to prepare students and staff for one of the most devastating situations imaginable without breeding anxiety and trauma in the process. Worries over mass shootingsspurred by the tragedies in Newtown, Conn., Parkland Fla., and Santa Fe, Texas among othershave driven many schools to hire companies and consultants to train staff and students on how to respond in unpredictable and violent situations. Among the leaders in the industry is the ALICE Training Institute. We believe drills are important because if faced with an active shooter situation, every second matters. According to a recent study conducted by The U.S. Secret Service, most school shootings last for two minutes or less, and nearly half of the events studied ended within one minute, Jean-Paul Guilbault, CEO of the Alice Training Institute, said in a statement. We drill so everyone has a plan when faced with danger, to give people a chance at survival. Drills are different in every school There is considerable variation across the country in how schools conduct active shooter drills, says the report. Some require parental notification beforehand, others hire actors to pose as masked gunman, and children are not told it is a drill until it is over. Drills that include elaborate simulations have been coming under scrutiny, especially when incidents grab headlines. Last year, teachers in Indiana were made to kneel down and were shot with plastic bullets , execution style during an active shooter drill. Teachers were screaming during the exercise and some were left with welts and bruises. The NEA, AFT, and Everytown for Gun Safety do not recommend having students participate in active shooter simulations based on growing concern among parents, students, educators, and medical professionals about the impact active shooter drills can have on student development. For schools that determine they want to continue using such drills and including students in them, the report recommends that: Drills should not include simulations depicting an actual shooting; Parents should be notified beforehand; Students and educators should be told its a drill at the start; Drills should be developmentally and age appropriate and created with input from school personnel, especially school-based mental health professionals; Schools should implement trauma-informed approaches to improve student well-being ; and ; and Schools should track data on the effectiveness of active shooter drills. As educators, ensuring our students safety and well-being is our number one priority, said Lily Eskelsen Garcia, president of the NEA, in a statement. So traumatizing students as we work to keep students safe from gun violence is not the answer. Everywhere I travel, I hear from parents and educators about active shooter drills terrifying students, leaving them unable to concentrate in the classroom and unable to sleep at night. Finally, the report underscores that drills are only one part of the equation to protecting students from gun violence on campus. A comprehensive safety plan, the report says, includes more preventative measures such as implementing threat assessment programs, partnerships with local law enforcement, ensuring students have access to mental health professionals, and working with the community to try to make guns less accessible. Schools should also make fostering a positive school climate a priority, the report says. In a statement, ALICE Training Institute said it agrees with the majority of the recommendations in the report, including giving parents and students advance notice, tracking data, and customizing drills to students age and abilities. However, we believe that, when done appropriately, drills that simulate an event and allow students to practice their options, whether that be lockdown or evacuation, are the most effective, Guilbault said. These issues are ever evolving, and we applaud Everytown and its partners for issuing this important research. Related stories: Photo: Students at Forest Hills CLC place their head against the wall during a tornado drill, September 7, 2017, in Akron, Ohio. The students spent the morning participating in fire, tornado, and lockdown exercises. Angelo Merendino for Education Week. Pharmaceutical giant, Janssen Ghana has launched a major support programme for prostate cancer patients in Ghana. According to Management, patients living with prostate cancer who are on or are to commence treatment will be supported to be able to afford the treatment, access their medication in the most convenient way. It says patients will also be aided to keep up doctor appointments, share their concerns regarding the disease and its management and be guided through all the various stages in the disease pathway. Speaking at the launch recently held in Accra, the Country Manager of Janssen Ghana, Priscilla O. Sekyere, spoke about how her outfit was pushing hard to make its innovative treatment for prostate cancer available to patients in Ghana. "For a cancer patient, there is a lot involved. From getting to know that you have the disease, going through diagnosis, going through treatment, acquiring medication. You may have questions that you want answered," she said. Janssens implementing partner for the programme is IQVIA. According to Ms. Owusu-Sekyere, IQVIA will provide education on the disease, adherence to treatment, support on where to fill prescriptions conveniently, remind patients to take their medication and be responsible for taking the patient through the journey. The program has a one-year pilot timeframe and is free of charge. It comes as Ghana records disturbing cases of prostate cancer. According to a report published by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (Globocan) in 2018, about 2132 men are newly diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in Ghana. Out of the above-mentioned figure, 1,098 men die annually from the disease. Deputy Minister of Health, Alexander K.K. Abban, in a speech read on his behalf at the launch, lauded Janssen for the support scheme. He bemoaned how Ghana was facing challenges in improving access to cancer treatment and lamented the rising numbers of cancer cases in the country were alarming. According to him, "another major hindrance to cancer care is a total lack of awareness in the general population on cancers and this is why I wish to commend Janssen for all the work they are doing in the space of prostate cancer and for instituting this patient support programme as a means of improving access to prostate cancer in Ghana." Background Janssen is headquartered in Beerse, Belgium and is the pharmaceutical arm of by Johnson & Johnson. The company was established in 1953 by Paul Janssen. The company is made up of more than 30,000 people working hard to prevent, treat, cure and stop some of the most devastating and complex diseases of our time. From heart disease to HIV, Alzheimers disease to cancer, they are committed to issues that touch everyones lives. The mission of Janssen is to transform individual lives and fundamentally change the way diseases are managed, interpreted, and prevented. The company believes that challenging something is the best way to change it. So every day, in more than 150 countries, Janssen brings cutting-edge science and the most creative minds in the industry together to think differently about diseases. The company aims not only to innovate but also to empower people with the tools they need to make informed decisions and achieve the best possible results for their health. Janssen is looking at a future where the world of healthcare will be challenged by informed and empowered patients. The company works for change that will improve access to medicines: the best available treatment at an affordable price. Thats why Janssen strives to provide access to effective and affordable medicines and related healthcare services to the people who need them. The company is developing treatments for patients in six important therapeutic areas of healthcare: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology and Pulmonary Hypertension. Janssen considers the world as their lab and seeks medical breakthroughs wherever they occur. Their approach to collaboration helps drive their success. By partnering with academic researchers, governments, patient groups, healthcare professionals, and others, the company strives to find answers to some of the most devastating diseases of our time. The company works with partners at every stage, from early discovery to market access and patient education. To ensure that commitments are delivered to the people, customers and investors who rely on them, the company works side-by-side with healthcare stakeholders, bringing together experts with the top minds in the field. Together, they look at a future where patients and their families have a new sense of hope. We are working toward a common goal a healthy outcome for each patient. Because ultimately, solving complex problems is about taking a different approach. Its about how we work and who we work with. Its about finding the best solutions and then taking it one step further to help bring those solutions to the people who need them most, wherever they live. Janssen collaborates with the world for the health of everyone in it. Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has been filmed lashing out a cameraman after landing in Australia. The 72-year-old met with fans outside Brisbane Airport after arriving on a private jet when he asked a news photographer to stop filming him. The cameraman obliged, before taking out his phone to film May, which seemingly infuriated the guitarist. 'Oh, youre clever arent you?' May said, as reported by 7News. 'What a parasite you are. Legendary Queen guitarist Brian May (pictured during a show in Seoul last month) has been filmed lashing out a cameraman after landing in Australia 'Just leave us alone will you. Do you not understand?' The cameraman kept his phone rolling, prompting May to leave a young fan and approach him. 'You go away now!' he said. He apologised to his fans for the outburst before leaving. May is in the country for the Australian leg of Queen and Adam Lamberts Rhapsody Tour. The band play shows in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and the Gold Coast through February. They will also play at the Fire Fight Australia charity concert to raise money for bushfire victims on February 16 at ANZ Stadium. Peter Weber picked the final four women he'd be visiting for hometown dates on Monday's episode of The Bachelor as he narrowed the field on the ABC show. The 28-year-old pilot revealed to the cast that he would be visiting the hometowns of model Hannah Ann Siuss, 23, medical sales rep Victoria Fuller, 26, clothier Kelsey Weier, 28, and foster parent recruiter Madison Prewett, 23. In a surprising moment, Peter also told Madison that he was falling in love with her marking the first time he'd said that to any woman on the show. Final four: Peter Weber narrowed the field to the final four on Monday's episode of The Bachelor on ABC He kicked off fan favorite Kelley Flanagan, 27, an attorney from Chicago with whom he'd hooked up with season 24 of The Bachelor started. It came as a shock to Kelley, who'd bragged that she was the best choice for Peter, and was sure she'd had a hometown visit in the bag. 'I think Peter has an easy decision today,' Kelley said before Peter dumped her. 'I mean, look at me. I'm an attorney. The other girlswhat are they?' 'I'm ready for a rose!' she confidently added. 'Just give it to me!' Falling hard: The 28-year-old pilot told Madison Prewett, 23, that he was falling in love with her For Peter, however, the once-promising relationship had lost its spark, and slowly turned into just friendship instead. 'In regards to a lifelong relationship, and someone I could truly see as my wife, I didn't see us at the point that I felt like we needed to be at,' he said. Peter also let go of Natasha Parker, a 31-year-old event planner from New York City, whose straight-shooting attitude initially intrigued him. Sent home: Kelley Flanagan, 27, an attorney from Chicago was sent home during the episode Let go: Peter also let go of Natasha Parker, a 31-year-old event planner from New York City 'I feel so bad sending Natasha home,' he said in a confessional afterward. 'I think at the end of the day, you have to just feel it in your heart.' Peter's next challenge will be to meet with the friends and family of the final four. Throughout the episode, the women tried to prepare him for what he might experience, even as they weren't sure who he would pick for the visits. Hometown dates: Peter decided on the final four women and will meet their family and friends in the next episode Madison, with whom he had his first one-on-one date, explained that she needed a man of deep religious conviction, a spiritual leader for her family. In a preview of next week's show, she also revealed that she was saving herself for marriage. For their existing date, the two of them went fishing in Pucusana, Peru, after the entire cast traveled to Lima for the week's next activities. Together again: Madison and Peter went went fishing in Pucusana, Peru during their date It was clear from the start of their date that Peter was smitten with Madison, though he was worried about being hurt or 'blindsided' by her. 'It feels just so good when we're together,' he said. 'I definitely think Madison's a total catch, and I can for sure see a future with her.' As the two of them shared wine on a boat, Madison told Peter that she was really serious about him, and they started kissing on the deck. Boat ride: As the two of them shared wine on a boat, Madison told Peter that she was really serious about him, and they started kissing on the deck Over dinner, she confessed that she needed something else from him. 'I see a future with you, and I see a life with you after this,' the Auburn, Alabama, native began, explaining that she was already invested in him. She said that she had always wanted someone like her father, who had a 'strong relationship with the Lord' that allowed him to love his family well. Making out: Madison and Peter kissed on the boat before talking religion over dinner Her faith was an essential part of who she was, Madison went on, calling it not just something passed down, but 'my whole life and all of whom I am.' 'In a marriage I want someone who also has that relationship with the Lord, and loves that about me, and wants to raise a family in that way,' she finished, looking nervously at Peter to see how he would respond. Peter told Madison that he had grown up in a Christian household, but said that sometimes he struggled with his faith, feeling that 'it could be stronger'. Christian household: Peter told Madison that he was raised in a Christian household 'That's just me being brutally honest,' Peter shared, but he sought to reassure her, adding: 'That is something that's important to me.' His voice shook a little as he continued, and he looked Madison in the eye. 'I feel so good about you,' he said, 'that I know I'm falling in love with you.' Candid conversation: Madison told Peter that she wanted religion in her relationship and family life 'I'm so glad you said that,' Madison replied. 'I'm so glad. I needed that.' 'It's the truth,' Peter said, before he gave her a rose. 'It feels so good.' In her confessional later, Madison laughed, and said, 'I'm honestly on cloud nine right now. I feel the conversation didn't go at all how I planned, but it was, I guess, way better.' Rose offered: Peter told Madison that he was falling in love with her and offered her a rose Cloud nine: Madison in a confessional said she was on 'cloud nine' after her date with Peter Peter's next one-on-one with Natasha was a chance for him to see whether he could develop stronger feelings for her, as they'd been a 'slow burn.' They walked around Lima together, and Peter told Natasha that he'd liked how honest she'd been with him, showing him so many facets of herself. 'You're so not afraid to call it like you see it, and I love that,' he pointed out. Solo date: Natasha next went on a one-on-one date with Peter At dinner, Natasha told Peter she saw a connection with him, and that felt scary, as she was 'sort of suspended until I see how this plays out for you.' Privately, Peter knew it wouldn't work, saying: 'When I do think of what I want in my wife, Natasha has a lot of those qualitiesBut I feel like it's just a friendship with us.' Back at the table, he reached for the rose, but withheld it from Natasha. No rose: Pete declined to offer Natasha a rose during their dinner 'Natasha, I owe you all the honesty you've given me,' Peter said. 'And with the relationships that I have, and the point that I'm at with them, I can't give you this rose.' For Peter's last one-on-one date, he took Kelsey to ride ATVs in the mountains of Pachamac, Peru. Kelsey called it 'the best date I've ever had,' but worried that Peter would be disturbed by what she had to tell him over dinner. Last date: The pilot went on his last one-on-one date with Kelsey Weier Good times: Kelsey called it 'the best date I've ever had,' but worried that Peter would be disturbed by what she had to tell him over dinner Her parents had divorced years ago, and she'd been out of touch with her father for years, she shared, as past attempts at reconciliation faltered. A year ago, however, he got back in touch, and she was more receptive. 'We had a really good conversation and we've been in communication since, but the issue is, my mom doesn't know,' she confessed. Family issue: Dinner conversation centered on Kelsey telling Peter about reconciling with her father without her mother's knowledge Kelsey said she wanted to make her own decision about the relationship with her father before telling her mom, though she would do it eventually. 'I don't want you to walk in and wonder what's going on,' explained the Des Moines, Iowa native. Peter said he found it beautiful that she was willing to give her father a second chance, and decided to hand Kelsey a date rose. Second chance: Peter said he found it beautiful that she was willing to give her father a second chance, and decided to hand Kelsey a date rose Tender moment: The rose offer was accepted and sealed with a kiss Great date: Kelsy was overjoyed after receiving a rose from Peter For his last date, Peter took Hannah Ann, Victoria and Kelley to visit a 250-year-old hacienda and vineyard in the Peruvian countryside. Kelley didn't know the ax was about to fall, and felt good about her odds. 'Hannah Ann, she's what ...23 years old?' Kelley asked the cameras. 'She's just not in the right phase of her life to be in a relationship.' Triple date: For his last date, Peter took Hannah Ann, Victoria and Kelley to visit a 250-year-old hacienda and vineyard in the Peruvian countryside 'And Victoria, she's always breaking down and crying. Overall, she's just like a hot mess. I think he sees that, and I should be fine.' Kelley described herself as 'on a different emotional level, and the only one actually mature enough to be ready for a real relationship.' 'I think it's super-obvious we're the best match,' she said. Feeling confident: Kelsey was confident that Peter would pick her At the hacienda, Peter took each of the women aside to figure out what they were generally thinking, and if they could see a future with him. Hannah Ann showed Peter a letter on which she had written down the reasons why she was starting to fall for him. They included: 'You make time for me,' 'You make me feel like I'm the only girl here,' and 'You make me feel beautiful even with hot dog on my face.' Love list: Hannah Ann showed Peter a letter on which she had written down the reasons why she was starting to fall for him Long list: The list included: 'You make time for me,' 'You make me feel like I'm the only girl here,' and 'You make me feel beautiful even with hot dog on my face' Kelley told him that she enjoyed being around him and wanted to continue. 'Not every relationship has to sit here and be like, jumping through hurdles,' she offered. 'It can be easy and still could be fun.' 'Is it more than just fun for you?' Peter asked, looking concerned, as Kelley said that it was, and they kissed. Easy fun: Kelley told Peter that she enjoyed being around him and wanted to continue His last chat, with Victoria, was contentious, as she had grown so anxious that she just began to attack him. Peter started by asking her whether she still had doubts about him. 'Okay, I don't really know, and if that's what you want to use our time to talk about,' Victoria bristled, making Peter explain that he had to talk about it. Rocky road: Victoria chastised Peter for asking if she still had doubts about him 'Every single time we're together, I feel like you're always in a mood,' Victoria moaned. 'It's extremely frustrating, because I feel like I just don't know how to move forward if this keeps happening.' Peter defended his question, saying she had always pushed him away. Victoria cried then, admitting, 'At the end of the day, I just don't want to get to the end and lose you. It's easier just not to have you in the first place.' Good question: Peter defended his question and Victoria admitted she was afraid of losing him at the end of it all Peter gave a rose to Victoria, then addressed both Hannah Ann and Kelley. 'Kelley, I have been just so excited about our relationship this entire time, and where I could see it going, and the potential,' he said. 'I don't know why we met the way we did, but I'm grateful for it.' This hurts me and this is so difficult: Hannah Ann, will you accept this rose?' Getting emotional: Hannah Ann burst into tears after Peter offered her his last rose 'Yes,' the Knoxville, Tennessee native said, bursting into tears. Peter walked a stunned Kelley out, telling her he wished it could have worked, and explaining that he'd been holding onto their early connection. 'Figure out the things you need to figure out,' Kelley bluntly advised him. Blunt advise: Kelly on her way out told Peter to figure it out She was more vulnerable once she was being driven away from the scene. 'I have no idea why I'm in this car, but Peter made his decision and that's that,' she said. 'Does it suck? Yeah. Do I agree with it? No.' Kelley questioned Peter, wondering what phase of his life he was in. No idea: The Chicago lawyer wondered why she was the one leaving the show 'The four [women] that are left are like little babies,' she considered. 'They don't really know who they are. Like, ''Are you a child, or are you an adult?'' 'If he's not able to sit there and make decisive decisions, then that's on him,' she concluded. 'I don't really want him to waste my time either. You know, ''Thank you for not coming and meeting my family''.' In a preview of next week's show, Madison revealed that she was a virgin, saving herself for marriage. A glimpse of future shows suggested that at least one woman becomes upset by Peter's intimacy with a castmate. The Bachelor will return next week on ABC. A German-Luxembourgish research team has come up with a new test to determine a rare allergy, the alpha-gal allergy. Those affected show symptoms after consuming red meat. Biting into a juicy steak is not only a nightmare for vegetarians and vegans, but also for those with allergy to red meat. American researchers discovered that humans can develop allergies against red meat in 2009. The condition is usually triggered by a tick bite, which in turn causes an immune system reaction leading to mild to severe allergic reactions upon eating red meat. Symptoms of the allergy include hives or itchy skin, wheezing and shortness of breath, and even anaphylaxis. Delayed reactions of between two to six hours The immediate trigger for this rare allergy is a specific sugar molecule called alpha-gal or galactose-alpha-1,3-galactose. Alpha-gal usually sits on the surface of the cells of mammals such as cattle, pigs, lambs or game, but human cells do not have the sugar molecule, which is only transmitted through the tick bite. If alpha-gal is found in the bloodstream, it can set off an allergic reaction upon the consumption of meat. Unlike other allergies, such as apple allergies, the reaction does not occur immediately upon consumption, but is delayed by two to six hours. The delay consequently makes it difficult to link the reaction and symptoms to eating red meat. A team of researchers and doctors from Luxembourg and Germany have developed a test to better diagnose alpha-gal syndrome than current diagnoses. Assisted significantly by the Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH), researchers have created a test that detects specific antibodies against alpha-gal, which in turn reveal a sensitivity to alpha-gal. However, so far no actual risk of an allergic reaction has been recorded. Previous tests complex and not without risks "Until now, we have had to carry out provocation tests. Those affected consumed red meat under medical observation, increasing the dosage until an allergic reaction occurred," Dr Christiane Hilger, the project manager of the LIH's molecular and translational allergology department explained. She added: "Because of the time delay, the test was both time intensive and not without its risks." To carry out their work, researchers analysed a specific type of white blood cells, the basophil. Various studies have shown that these cells are interesting for further allergological diagnostics. They react strongly to various allergens, including the alpha-gal sugar if there is an allergy. Determining red meat allergies through blood tests Scientists consequently developed a blood test that contains alpha-gal allergens and other fluorescent markers. The latter are increasingly detectable upon the allergen stimulation of white blood cells (the basophil activitation test). As Dr Hilger explained, "a blood sample is taken from the patient and then brought into contact with the substances in the test kit. The basophils are then examined in a so-called flow cytometry. If they reacted strongly to alpha-gal, they light up clearly in the examination device because of the fluorescent markers. In contrast, in subjects who show no allergic reaction, we find no or a significantly weaker fluorescence signal." In order to verify the test, the research team examined blood samples from more than 50 people. As Professor Bernadette Eberlein noted, there were clear results: "The fluorescent markers made it very clear who had developed a red meat allergy and had a high risk of an allergic reaction after eating meat. The blood test will significantly reduce the amount of provocation tests." Meat allergies subside over time There are no figures for how many people worldwide are affected by the allergy. This is especially due to the fact that the presence of such antibodies does not necessarily lead to allergic reactions, according to Hilger. However, the researchers do know that certain parts of the population are considered risk groups - such as forest workers or hunters, who are exposed to ticks more and could run the risk of being bitten. There is, however, good news: "Antibodies can subside over time and those affected are then able to tolerate red meat again, with the caveat that they aren't bitten by ticks again." For the researchers from the LIH, the CHL, Tubingen University, and Munich Technical University, their work is far from complete. "We know very little about the causes and immunological of alpha-gal syndrome," Hilger said. "We now know that people bitten by ticks develop the allergy, but it remains to be seen which substances in the tick's saliva trigger the reaction and what exactly occurs in the immune system." The continuing project will be funded by the National Research Fund (FNR) and the German Research Community (DFG) in the context of the CORE funding instrument. The team, made up of the LIH's Dr Christiane Hilger and Professor Markus Ollert, the CHL's Dr Martine Morisset and Dr Francoise Codreanu-Morel, Tubingen University's Dr Jorg Fischer, and the Munich Technical University's Jana Mehlich, Professor Bernadette Eberlein and Professor Tilo Biedermann, has now published its findings in the renowned Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. The first author of the article, Jana Mehlich, also received a young talent award from the German Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (DGAKI) as part of the German Allergy Congress. Author: Luxembourg Institute of Health (LIH) Editor: Uwe Hentschel Mobile-only finance start-up Varo Money just got one step closer to becoming a full-scale bank. After three years and multiple rounds of applications, the FDIC approved the fintech company's national bank charter application, which allows it to take customer deposits. "We see it as a pretty big moat," Varo Money CEO Colin Walsh, told CNBC in an phone interview. "It was a long process -- for this to finally see daylight is a big deal for the industry." Until now, fintech firms like Varo, Chime, Robinhood and Square have managed to tap into the financial system without being a bank. They partner with community banks to actually hold customers' money while the start-up handles consumer interface and app. Apple and Goldman Sachs are the most high-profile partnership with the launch of the Apple Card. Google also recently partnered with Citi for a debit card. Varo launched its branchless bank by partnering with Bancorp. Those customer deposits will be transferred over to Varo in the second quarter, assuming it passes final regulatory tests, according to the company. Varo was last valued at $417.8 million and is backed by TPG and Warburg Pincus, according to Pitchbook. Digital bank Chime, by comparison, was last valued at $5.8 billion. While a handful of start-up banks such as Chime, Revolut and N26 have popped up in the U.S., new fully chartered banks are almost unheard of. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Sojern , the leading provider of digital marketing solutions for the travel industry with clients such as Marriott International, Accor and Trivago, today announced a partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi). While DCT Abu Dhabi has been working with Spark Foundry and Sojern since December 2017, this new partnership sees it incorporating Sojern's real-time travel audience targeting capabilities directly into its ad-buying system, or DSP (Demand Side Platform), offering it increased transparency and control over its digital marketing campaigns. A test run in the final quarter of 2019 proved that Sojern's hyper-targeted programmatic ads, which were delivered during key decision-making moments to audiences with travel intent, resulted in increased bookings and conversions and reduced traveller acquisition cost. How the technology works Over the past decade, Sojern has built a network of global data partnerships that provide access to billions of real-time travel-intent signals. These intent signals are analysed using proprietary data-science methodology to better understand travellers' booking behaviour along their path to purchase. This information is then used to target personalised marketing messages at every stage of the funnel, in this case supporting brand campaigns used to promote Abu Dhabi as a tourist destination, as well as direct response campaigns that drive direct bookings and conversions to key Abu Dhabi attractions. Easily monitor performance, spend and total return Saeed Rashed Al Saeed, Destination Marketing Director at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi said, "Sojern and Spark Foundry have helped us access the level of transparency and control we have always wanted. Now, by managing our digital marketing campaigns within our own DSP, coupled with Sojern's rich dataset for audience targeting, it enables us to monitor campaign performance, daily ad spend and total return on our campaign investments with more ease. Our tailored solution allows us to respond even faster to the ever-changing dynamics of the travel market and keeps us at the forefront of that change." Javier Bravo, Group Digital Director at Spark Foundry added, "This hybrid partnership showcases the benefits of advertisers, agencies and technology providers becoming more agile and adopting a test-and-learn approach that helps brands arrive at the best custom solutions. The client's needs should form the basis of any and all technology solutions, and we have absolutely achieved that here. We have taken an entirely unique and customised approach for the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi, and we look forward to working with them to successfully drive tourism to the emirate well into the future." Chris Blaine, VP of EMEA at Sojern commented, "This innovative partnership is a great example of a forward-thinking Destination Marketing Organisation embracing the ever-changing programmatic environment and collaborating to create a custom solution that successfully drives the best results for its brand. By working together in a flexible and transparent way, we are able to increase tourism to Abu Dhabi and create stronger and more meaningful relationships with the city's customers." About Sojern The company drives travellers from dream to destination by activating multi-channel branding and performance solutions on the Sojern Traveler Platform for more than 10,000 customers around the globe. Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/249299/sojern_logo.jpg Related Links http://www.sojern.com SOURCE Sojern President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensly held the phone talk with Germans Chancellor Angela Merkel. They discussed the issue of three extra areas for disengagement of forces in Donbas. The sides expect that the progress in this issue will be reached during the next Minsk Talks on February 12 as the Presidents Office reported. The head of the Ukrainian State informed the interlocutor about the security situation in Donbas. The Federal Chancellor expressed concern over the non-observance of the ceasefire regime by the illegal armed forces, the message said. During the talk, Zelensky and Merkel discussed the extension of the personal EU sanctions against former top officials of Ukraine suspected in the misuse of public funds and commitment of crimes during Maidan time. Earlier, the Ukrainian side offered to create the additional subgroup on border issue during the session of the Trilateral Contact Group. As we reported, Defense Minister of Ukraine Andriy Zahorodniuk stated that the ongoing disengagement in Donbas does not significantly affect the security situation; that is more like a way to solve humanitarian problems for the locals. Patients treated by two healthcare workers diagnosed with coronavirus in Brighton are being urgently tracked down by officials. About a dozen patients are believed to have been in contact with the pair, who were working in general practice at the County Oak Medical Centre in Carden Hill. One of them has been named as Dr Catriona Greenwood, who owns the French chalet with her husband where 11 people caught coronavirus from Steve Walsh, a businessman who contracted the virus in Singapore before flying to France then the UK. The GP practice where Dr Greenwood works has been closed since Monday and a second branch - in the Deneway area of Brighton - was also closed on Tuesday for "urgent operational health and safety reasons". Bevendean Primary School in Brighton has also said parents can choose to keep their children at home after a staff member had been in contact with someone who has been advised to self-isolate because they had been "in direct contact with the coronavirus". The school remains open. Dr Greenwood and her colleague were two of four new coronavirus cases in the UK confirmed on Monday, bringing the total to eight. All four, and another case the day before, contracted the virus in France after coming into contact with Mr Walsh. He was then diagnosed in Brighton on 6 February, making him the UK's third case, before being taken to the infectious diseases unit at St Thomas' hospital in London. The 53-year-old businessman is linked to 11 cases, including the five in the UK and six Britons in France and Majorca, prompting fears he is a "superspreader". Five Britons, including a nine-year-old boy, are in quarantine in France after contracting the virus in the ski resort of Les Contamines Montjoie from the man. Jerome Salomon, head of France's national health agency, said 61 people including the boy's schoolmates were tested for the virus but all were negative. :: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker Story continues The latest coronavirus updates: World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the new UK cases were "concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China". He warned such spread "could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire" as he urged countries to work to contain the virus "to prevent a bigger fire". The director general said although 99% of cases are in China it "holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world". Public Health England's medical director Yvonne Doyle said: "We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage we believe this to be a relatively small number." The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton's Carden Hill area also remained closed on Tuesday after people wearing haz mat suits were seen cleaning the surgery on Monday. Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said it is "still more likely that anyone with flu-like symptoms will have the flu". He said: "However, in light of the members of staff who tested positive for coronavirus in Brighton we'd like to remind the public that it is vital that any patient who thinks they may have symptoms does not try to attend a GP appointment or hospital emergency departments in person. "They should stay at home and call NHS 111." On Monday, Health Secretary Matt Hancock declared the virus a "serious and imminent threat" to the British public. The move gives health professionals legal powers to keep those in supported isolation against their will after one patient threatened to escape from Arrowe Park Hospital where some of those evacuated from Wuhan are being kept in isolation. Since its establishment in 1899 (it was originally named Retail Credit), Equifax has prompted concerns over the sheer volume of data it amasses. Those fears increased as the company entered the digital age. In a March 1970 Times article about the company, Alan Westin, a professor at Columbia University, offered this warning: Almost inevitably, transferring information from a manual file to a computer triggers a threat to civil liberties, to privacy, to a mans very humanity because access is so simple. Five decades on, that statement rings especially true. Moreover, its a useful frame to understand why, in a world where everything can be hacked, bloated data brokers like Equifax present an untenable risk to our personal and national security. Its helpful to think about a hack like what happened to Equifax as part of a chain of events where, the further down the chain you go, the more intrusive and potentially damaging the results. The Equifax data we know was stolen is a perfect example of whats known as Personally Identifiable Information. Obtaining the names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of almost half of all Americans is troubling on its own, but that basic information can then be used to procure even more personal information, including medical or financial records. That more sensitive information can then be used to target vulnerable Americans for blackmail or simply to glean detailed information about the country by analyzing the metadata of its citizens. And so the revelations in the indictment in the Equifax case are alarming. The theft is one in a string of successful hacks, including of the federal Office of Personnel Management, Marriott International and the insurance company Anthem. Given the volume and granularity of the data and the ability of attackers to use the information to gain even more data, its not unreasonable to ask, Does China now know as much about American citizens as our own government does? February to Mark Record Decline in Global Oil Refining Due to China Coronavirus News Analysis IHS Markit forecasts February will mark the sharpest one-month decline in oil refining in history due to the continuing outbreak of the highly infectious novel coronavirus in China. Although global oil refiners had planned to expand production runs by about 760,000 barrels per day (b/d) in February, crashing demand due to continued China production dislocations and overstocked gasoline inventories will result in about a 1.7 million b/d reduction in refining runs, resulting in a record 1 million b/d net decline in production, according to HIS Markit, a London-based global information provider. China crude oil imports rose for a 17th consecutive year on a booming 9.5 percent year-over-year gain to a record 10.12 million b/d in 2019, according to Reuters. But IHS Markit described the coronavirus outbreak as causing shockwaves through the entire spectrum of Chinas economy, starting from transportation, manufacturing, and construction, all the way down to tourism, retail, and other commercial services, with the oil market among the most acutely affected. Mobility in China has shriveled at an unprecedented rate through the extended Lunar New Year holiday due to various government travel bans in 23 provinces and the populations fears reducing domestic air travel by 51.7 percent; train travel by 68.7 percent; and road travel by 65.1 percent, according to IHS Market surveys. Bloomberg estimates that the tens of thousands of shuttered cinemas, shops and restaurants nationwide is wiping out $140 billion of Chinese spending per week. With Middle East oil deliveries to China taking 60 days, including 28 days at sea, the average international price for Brent Crude oil for April deliveries fell on Feb. 10 by $1.20, or 2.2 percent, to close at $53.27 a barrel, its lowest settlement since Dec. 28, 2018. U.S. domestic West Texas Intermediate crude oil price for March deliveries fell by 75 cents, or 1.5 percent, to close at $49.57 a barrel, its lowest price since Jan. 7, 2019. The new price lows came despite the 13-member Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) already curtailing output in January on anticipation of the coronavirus impacts to a multi-year low of 28.35 million b/d, down 640,000 b/d from December. But OPECs crude oil production decline was slightly offset by U.S. output that rose an estimated 100,000 b/d in January to an all-time record of 13 million b/d. The combination of weak fuel demand, logistics restrictions, and reduced worker availability has caused Sinopec and PetroChina to cut refinery runs by 630,000 b/d and 300,000 b/d, respectively. The cuts in the huge state-owned enterprises amount to about 20 percent in Hubei and surrounding provinces, and 10 percent in other less-affected regions. Smaller independent refineries that provide swing capacity are slashing production by 800,000 b/d, for a much larger pre-outbreak level percentage. IHS Markit does not believe market disturbances will prove as short-lived as the Chinese Communist authorities are trumpeting. With a huge supply chain of oil tankers already en route and domestic storage capacity almost maxed-out, IHS Markit predicts China will need to slash its crude imports by as much as 900,000 b/d on average over the course of the next four months in order to bring the countrys crude supply and demand back to balance. OPEC has called for an Extraordinary Conference on March 5 in Vienna, Austria. IHS Markit forecasts the continuing crash in Chinese demand will exacerbate what is the already sizeable supply glut of over 700,000 b/d global crude oil for 2020. Paris (AFP) - The son of Equatorial Guinea's leader was handed a 30-million-euro fine by a Paris court Monday on top of a suspended jail term for using public money to fund a jet-set lifestyle in Europe. Teodorin Obiang, the son of Equatorial Guinea's leader Teodoro Obiang Nguema, had been convicted in 2017 of embezzlement. He had been handed a three-year jail term as well as the $32.9 million fine, with both sentences suspended. Obiang, who is also vice president, challenged the penalty only to have the Paris appeals court return a heavier sentence on Monday by removing the suspended provision from the fine. The notorious playboy fond of fast cars and Michael Jackson memorabilia was not in court for the ruling. Obiang, 50, was put on trial on charges of using money plundered from his country's state coffers to fund a jet-set lifestyle in France, where he bought a six-storey mansion in an ultra-posh part of the capital. The judges in his initial trial, which he did not attend, had ruled that his 107-million-euro mansion -- which boasts a hammam, a disco and gold-plated taps -- should be confiscated, along with other assets. The case, initiated by anti-corruption NGOs, is one of three involving families of African leaders which campaigners hope signals a new willingness of French authorities to tackle money laundering. Paris has long been a favoured destination for the ill-gotten gains of wealthy figures linked to political leaders in Africa, particularly in France's former colonies. When investigators first raided the home, they hired trucks to haul away a fleet of Bugattis, Ferraris, a Rolls-Royce Phantom and other cars as evidence. Obiang was agriculture and forestry minister before being promoted by his father to vice president, putting him in pole position to succeed him as leader when the post becomes vacant. Africa's only Spanish-speaking nation, Equatorial Guinea is the continent's third-biggest oil producer but more than half of its 1.2 million population live below the poverty line. Story continues It is regularly accused by human rights reports of corruption, repressive laws, extrajudicial killings and torture. President Obiang has ruled with an iron fist for four decades. He overthrew his uncle Francisco Macias Nguema in a bloody coup in August 1979 and became president a few months later. He has since seen off at least half a dozen assassination or coup attempts. The latest of them, in December 2017, reportedly involved a group of men from Chad, Central African Republic and Sudan. She first made her name as an actress in Geordie soap Byker Grove, but today Donna Air baffled This Morning viewers by speaking in a 'posh' accent with no hint of a Newcastle twang. The Newcastle-born actress appeared on the ITV programme today to talk to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about appearing in the BBC's The Split, which returns to screens tonight. But as she spoke about her return to acting after a hiatus in reality TV and charity work, the 40-year-old's voice sounded a lot more polished the viewers were expecting. Social media users were quick to take to Twitter to share their confusion over the mother-of-one's accent. Donna Air (pictured) has baffled This Morning viewers after speaking with a 'posh' accent Social media users were quick to take to Twitter to share their confusion over the mother-of-one's accent after she appeared on This Morning One person wrote: 'I genuinely have zero idea what kind of accent that is Donna Air! #shesageoride.' Another said: 'Where's her Geordie accent gone? You're a Northerner stop faking that pathetic accent.' A third wrote: 'Donna Air must have had intensive elocution lessons. I remember her with a thick Geordie accent.' While one person said: 'What's happened to Donna Air's accent? Why are you no longer a Geordie? I don't even know where that accent is from.' The former Byker Grove and Newcastle-born actress appeared on the ITV programme today to talk to Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby about appearing in the BBC's The Split Reaction: Many This Morning viewers were quick to share their confusion over Donna's accent It's not the first time the actress has been accused of changing her accent, having sparked a backlash when she appeared on Celebrity Masterchef in 2016. Viewers claims that she'd ditched her Geordie tones for a plummy accent, because of her relationship at the time with James Middleton, younger brother of the Duchess of Cambridge. In an article for the Mail on Sunday, Donna tackled them head on, saying: 'Im an actress and a TV presenter: its my job to speak clearly, to communicate effectively on and off camera. 'My home has been in London for 20 years now, longer than I lived in my native North East. 'I think it would be far weirder if I sounded the same as the ten year-old Donna who starred in TV series Byker Grove asking PJ (Anthony McPartlin, now half of Ant and Dec) if hed like to share a banana milk.' Social media users suggested Donna had lost her Newcastle accent after hearing her talk As well as appearing as Charlie on popular 1990s drama, Donna went on to be a successful presenter, hosting shows like The Big Breakfast and Select on MTV UK. The Newcastle-native even had a pop career with Geordie girl group Byker Groove before joining duo Crush, who were popular in Japan thanks to their debut single Jellyhead. Donna returns to screens this evening in legal drama The Split as Fi Hanson one half of a celebrity power couple whose marriage is on the rocks. The mother-of-one had paused her acting career for several years to raise her daughter Freya Air Aspinall. She said: 'Ive always loved acting, it's always been my first passion... Now I can start putting myself first again,' adding: 'My daughter is keen to get me out!' The Split airs on BBC One at 9pm tonight. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) Talitay, Maguindanao Mayor Abdulwahab Sabal was gunned down in front of a hotel in Malate, Manila on late Monday. The victim was about to enter a hotel in Quirino Avenue when he was killed at past 10 pm, said Manila Police District Station 9 commander PLtCol. Samuel Pabonita. All three of the mayor' companions escaped unscathed. Initial investigation said that Sabal and his companions came from another hotel in Manila before the incident happened. The police responded to the crime scene at around 11:30 pm. The suspect was yet to be identified. Pabonita also said that the hotels glass door was shattered due to the commotion by the victims companions who tried to enter the establishment during the shooting incident. In 2016, Sabal and his brother Montasir were included in President Rodrigo Dutertes list of politicians who are allegedly involved in the illegal drug trade. This led to Sabal's arrest and inquest proceedings at the Department of Justice. Sabal, who was then the vice mayor, was also probed for the bombing incident in a night market at Davao City on the same year. 4.4k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) took to the Senate floor on Monday and called for an investigation into Donald Trumps illegal witness retaliation, citing the presidents shameful firing of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, his brother and Gordon Sondland. Not only is the retaliation against Lt. Col. Vindman, the anonymous whistleblower, and others like them shameful, it is also illegal, the Democratic lawmaker said. It is illegal. He added, So today I sent a letter to all 74 inspectors general in the executive branch requesting that they immediately investigate any and all instances of retaliation against anyone who has made or in the future makes protected disclosures of presidential misconduct to Congress or to an inspector general. Video of Schumers remarks: Textbook case of witness retaliation: Not only is retaliation against LTC Vindman, the anonymous whistleblower, others like them shamefulits illegal Im calling on federal Inspectors General to investigate retaliation against whistleblowers who disclose presidential misconduct pic.twitter.com/ZtUpznx5iJ Chuck Schumer (@SenSchumer) February 10, 2020 Schumer said: In the aftermath of the presidents impeachment trial, the president has begun dismissing members of the administration who testified in Congress, including Lt. Col. Vindman, Ambassador Sondland. The president also dismissed Lt. Col. Eugene Vindman this was vindictive, nasty, typical of president Trump for no other reason than he was the brother of LTC Alexander Vindman. This morning, Senior Advisor to the President Kellyanne Conway said these were likely not the last of the firings. This is a textbook case of witness retaliation. Not only is the retaliation against Lt. Col. Vindman, the anonymous whistleblower, and others like them shameful, it is also illegal. It is illegal. All federal employees have the legal right to make protected disclosures to Congress and inspectors general anonymously and free from reprisals. Even the founding fathers were concerned about whistleblowers and protecting them. This country is getting turned inside out and too many people are going along. The presidents conducting a deliberate campaign to intimidate anyone who might blow the whistle on his conduct or the conduct of those under his direction. He feels this cannot be tolerated. So today I sent a letter to all 74 inspectors general in the executive branch requesting that they immediately investigate any and all instances of retaliation against anyone who has made or in the future makes protected disclosures of presidential misconduct to Congress or to an inspector general. Trump is trying to discourage future whistleblowers There is no question that Donald Trump is seeking revenge on those who spoke the truth about his Ukraine extortion scheme. Not even a Purple Heart recipient is safe from this presidents petty wrath. But Trumps retaliation is also an effort to discourage future whistleblowers folks who could potentially sound the alarm about abuses of power yet to come. All of this is a signal that despite Susan Collins high hopes Donald Trump has no intention of changing his ways. He just plans to silence anybody who might blow the whistle on his crimes. Follow Sean Colarossi on Facebook and Twitter Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 10) The Philippines first confirmed case of novel coronavirus has recovered and has already been discharged from the hospital, the Health Department said Monday. In a media briefing, Health Undersecretary Eric Domingo said the patient a 38-year-old Chinese woman already tested negative for the 2019-nCoV twice. The first case has already tested negative twice, and has in fact, been discharged, Domingo told reporters. The Chinese national, who traveled to the Philippines from Wuhan the epicenter of the illness outbreak was discharged from the San Lazaro hospital in Manila last Saturday. However, it remains unclear if she has already flown back to China, Domingo noted. The coronavirus patient arrived in the country on January 21 with her partner, a 44-year-old Chinese man, who became the countrys second case and the first reported fatality of the illness outside of mainland China. READ: DOH: Body of novel coronavirus case 'disposed of properly' At least 314 people have been placed under watch for suspected coronavirus infection, majority of them Filipino nationals. Called "patients under investigation," they include those who came in close contact with confirmed coronavirus cases. Worldwide, over 900 people have been killed by the new virus as of Monday, CNN reported. The coronavirus has since spread to at least 27 countries and territories outside mainland China, with over 40,000 cases reported globally as of publishing. Police today charged a 43-year-old man with 39 counts of manslaughter and held another suspect over the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a refrigerated lorry in Essex. Gheorghe Nica, from Basildon, was detained at Frankfurt Airport in Germany and brought back to the UK on a European Arrest Warrant before being taken into custody by Essex Police. Another 22-year-old man was arrested in Northern Ireland on Sunday on suspicion of manslaughter and facilitating unlawful immigration. He remains in custody, officers said. It came as post-mortems for all victims were completed and their causes of death given as a lack of oxygen and overheating. Ten teenagers, including two 15-year-old boys, were among 39 Vietnamese nationals whose bodies were discovered in the lorry trailer in the early hours of October 23 Nica appeared at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court on Saturday and will next appear at the Old Bailey on March 16. Police say they are making 'significant progress' with the case, which began with the shocking discovery of 39 bodies in the back of a lorry on an industrial estate in Grays, Essex. There have been several more arrests in relation to the case, which also involves the National Crime Agency. Lorry driver Maurice 'Mo' Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland was previously with 39 counts of manslaughter Eamonn Harrison, 22, of Mayobridge, Northern Ireland, appeared in Dublin's High Court in connection with the deaths last Tuesday and awaits extradition to the UK. He also faces 39 charges of manslaughter and charges for conspiracy to traffic people and conspiracy to assist unlawful immigration and will appear in court again tomorrow. Lorry driver Maurice 'Mo' Robinson, 25, of Craigavon, Northern Ireland was previously with 39 counts of manslaughter and has admitted assisting unlawful immigration and acquiring criminal property. Christopher Kennedy, 23, of County Armagh, has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy to commit human trafficking and assisting unlawful immigration and is due to go on trial next year. There have also been several other arrests, including in Vietnam. Detectives want to hear from anyone who has knowledge of two similar journeys that haulage vehicles made into Purfleet on October 11 and 18, 2019. Police believe lorries were used to illegally smuggle people into the UK via the port. Today is the forty-first anniversary of the February 11, 1979 Iranian anti-monarchy revolution. Iranians took to the streets 41 years ago with a desire for a better life, freedom, and democracy, but their revolution was stolen. The Iranian people have been held hostage for 41 years. They are now faced with a government whose economy has collapsed, unemployment and poverty and corruption have been institutionalized, and its international isolation is widening every day. The regime that began by giving the key to paradise to children and promising them heavens to encourage them to go over the minefields in the Iran-Iraq war will have an end no better than its beginning. In the historical memory of future generations, what remains is that every year's regime exponentially continued with internal repression; executions; torture; and export of terrorism, instability, and insecurity across borders. The 41st year for this regime becomes a turning point for the world's understanding of the pernicious and destructive force of fundamentalism in Iran, the region, and the world. Widespread protests in 191 cities following the crisis of the gasoline price hike were the beginning of the end and took the regime a few steps from its overthrow. But the regime's response to protests was a brutal crackdown. Snipers shot the protesters from rooftops. The regime set fire to a wetland because some protesters were taking refuge in it. Plainclothes police fired at the protesters' heads from close range. No words can describe such cruelty. The regime is drowning in crisis. The anatomy of lies and transgressions of international law, tyranny, and despotism becomes obvious at its highest point in the downing of the Ukrainian plane. The 41st year becomes the point of strategic errors by the regime. The strong winds of opposition to the Iranian regime's intervention and the sweeping of its proxy forces in Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Lebanon call into question the regime's strategic depth. Tehran demonstrators call for the resignation of Khamenei following admission of shooting down of the Ukrainian airliner,January 12, 2020. YouTube screen grab. President Trump said in his annual State of the Union address that in recent months that we have seen proud Iranians shouting at their tyrannical rulers. The Iranian government must give up its nuclear weapons ambitions, end terror, stop causing death and destruction. He further described Qassem Soleimani as "the world's top terrorist" and said Soleimani was the most brutal butcher of the Iranian government, a monster who killed or wounded thousands of U.S. troops in Iraq. As the top terrorist in the world, Soleimani oversaw the deaths of countless men, women, and children. In January 2020, university students took to the streets in Tehran and some other major cities, chanting, "Death to Khamenei!" Others loudly condemned the regime for having killed 1,500 protesters in November 2019 protests. Chants continued with cries of "We neither want the Shah nor the supreme leader; neither bad or worse!" In the 41st year, wrestlers, chess champions, judokas, and artists each seek any opportunity to leave the country and seek refuge in another. In the 41st year, Khamenei's leadership is in a fragile state after the November uprising. The uprising in Iraq was a major blow to Khamenei's reign in the region. Disclosure of Khamenei's lie on the Ukrainian plane, not surrendering the black box, and the student uprising in January 2020 were more fatal blows that weakened Khamenei's status. The Iranian people are now optimistic about one thing, and they have no doubt that this situation will further weaken the regime and cause a great step forward for the people of Iran and its resistance toward the final victory and establishment of peace. New York, Feb 11 : Researchers have developed an interactive map of the novel coronavirus spread -- which has claimed over 1000 lives in China -- that allows users to see the number of cases worldwide, as well as recoveries and deaths. Moreover, all these trends are available in real time. A new interactive map from the University of Washington geographer Bo Zhao, give updates every few hours with data from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organisation (WHO), China and other government agencies, including those in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan. "Mapping is a powerful tool to tell social, cultural and political phenomena," said Zhao. "As a geographer, and in what people call the 'post-truth era,' it's important to weigh in with data sources to show people how things are happening," Zhao added. The outbreak of the coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in China's Wuhan city in December, has been declared a public health emergency by the WHO. Chinese health authorities on Tuesday said the death toll due to the deadly coronavirus in China has increased to 1,016, with 42,638 infected cases. According to China's National Health Commission, 7,333 serious cases had been recorded as of Monday midnight, while 3,996 people were discharged, reports Efe news. According to the University of Washington, Zhao recently produced an online atlas to illustrate the global refugee experience. The coronavirus, he said, is another societal issue that people can gain perspective on by seeing it on a map. While the Chinese government has been criticised for its response to the crisis, and concerns have arisen about its transparency, Zhao said China's National Health Commission data is the most accurate available for the country. "But the outbreak is not just affecting China or the city of Wuhan It is a global issue, and that's the perspective users can gain from the map. The numbers on display are important too because there are more recoveries than deaths," he added. As more detailed data becomes available, the researchers plan to add county-level totals from China, and state and provincial totals from the US and Canada, respectively. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Hospitals, doctors and Medicare Advantage insurance plans that care for some of the most vulnerable patients are not reimbursed fairly by Medicare, according to recent findings in JAMA. It costs more to care for patients who are frail, have dementia, are depressed or are poor. However providers that treat them and health insurance plans that provide their coverage are not paid fairly to treat these health conditions because Medicare doesn't account for them in its existing risk payment system. That system rates patients based upon how sick they are, which determines Medicare reimbursements. While it's an unintended consequence of the current Medicare payment policy, those who are among the most vulnerable are less likely to get the care that they need. This disparity has already created an incentive for providers and plans to avoid treating Medicare beneficiaries with those conditions." Kenton Johnston, Ph.D., assistant professor of health management and policy at Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice, and lead author of the paper Medicare compensates health insurance plans in Medicare Advantage and medical providers under value-based payment models based on how sick their patients are, which is measured by a risk score. Because patients who have higher risk scores cost more to treat than those with lower scores, Medicare pays insurance plans and providers more to treat them. In this paper, Johnston highlighted a problem with Medicare payments. Medicare does not include frailty, dementia, depression or poverty in its risk scores even though patients with those conditions are sicker and costlier to treat. Johnston and his co-authors Julie P. W. Bynum, M.D., professor of internal medicine at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Karen E. Joynt Maddox, M.D., assistant professor of cardiology at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, recommend an easy fix to correct the disparity. Medicare should include patient frailty, dementia, depression and poverty in its risk scores conditions for which there are standard diagnosis codes that clinicians can enter at the time they treat patients. Medicare has resisted the change, Johnston said, arguing clinicians and facilities might over-code those conditions to increase their reimbursement. "That can be addressed through existing fraud procedures that Medicare already has in place. A clinician who codes a patient for those conditions when the patient does not have the conditions is committing Medicare fraud and can be penalized," Johnston said. "It is unfair to clinicians, facilities and plans that do treat patients with those conditions to not reimburse them fairly for their services." The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States. Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice. The missing child poster for Faye Swetlik: Cayce Department of Public Safety Hundreds of police are searching for a 6-year-old South Carolina girl who has been missing since Monday. More than 250 police officers have been trying to locate Faye Swetlik. The first-grader was last seen around 3:45pm after she got off the school bus and was playing outside her home in Cayce, a town outside Columbia, South Carolina. WIS News 10 reported the girls family reported her missing around 5pm on Monday. Faye was last seen wearing a black shirt and polka-dot boots. The 6-year-old is reportedly lactose intolerant and has a speech impediment and a tethered tongue. Authorities said they planned to go door-to-door to search for the child. The FBI has also gotten involved in the search and the Lexington County Sheriffs Office is asking anyone in the area with security cameras to reach out to them. Do you live in the Churchill Heights subdivision? Do you have security cameras? We're working with @Cayce_DPS and @CityofCayce to locate 6 y.o. Faye and we need your help. Please call the hotline with any tips or video footage: 803-205-4444. #lcsdnews pic.twitter.com/y9lbkQ7Xe1 Lexington Sheriff (@LCSD_News) February 11, 2020 Lexington County Sheriffs Office spokesman Adam Myrick shared video on Twitter of FBI agents going door to door to question neighbours about the missing girl. Cayce Public Safety Department Sergeant Evan Antley said local police have received many offers from residents volunteering their time to help the search. He said the police would do everything possible to find the girl. "We want to get Faye back home so were not leaving any stone unturned," Mr Antley said. The Cayce Public Safety Department has established a specific hotline just for tips regarding the girls location. Technavio has been monitoring the EMV cards market and it is poised to grow by USD 803.22 million during the forecast period, 2020-2024. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005679/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global EMV cards market 2020-2024 (Photo: Business Wire) An increasing number of cashless transactions has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the popularity of mobile payments might hamper the market growth. Request a free sample report EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Segmentation EMV Cards Market is segmented as below: Technology Contactless Contact Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR40052 EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our EMV cards market report covers the following areas: EMV Cards Market Size EMV Cards Market Trends EMV Cards Market Industry Analysis This study identifies advent of biometric EMV cards as one of the prime reasons driving the EMV cards market growth during the next few years. EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the EMV cards market, including some of the vendors such as American Banknote Corp., CPI Card Group Inc., Fiserv Inc., Giesecke+Devrient GmbH, Goldpac Group Ltd., IDEMIA, IdentiSys Inc., Perfect Plastic Printing Corp., Thales Group and Valid Solucoes SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the EMV cards market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform EMV Cards Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024 Detailed information on factors that will assist EMV cards market growth during the next five years Estimation of the EMV cards market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the EMV cards market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of EMV cards market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005679/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ EDITORS NOTE: On March 10, NJ Cannabis Insider hosts its first semi-annual, daylong industry conference, featuring leaders in the medical marijuana, hemp and legal cannabis industries. Tickets are now on sale. Certain medical marijuana patients could skip the doctors office and instead receive authorization to use weed electronically, thanks to a bill moving through the state Legislature. The measure (S619), which allows telemedicine consults for medical pot, passed the state Senate Monday by a vote of 36-1. It intends to ease some of the burdens New Jerseys nearly 70,000 registered patients face trying to procure weed. "Those who rely on medical cannabis to treat their conditions will benefit from more convenient and less expensive digital doctors appointments, the bills sponsor, Sen. Declan OScanlon, R-Monmouth, said in a statement. Utilizing available technology is a practical approach that will improve the health and wellness of eligible New Jersey residents. Advocates of telemedicine say the virtual health consults can cut medical costs. But research shows theres not yet enough data to prove the practice brings savings. The act would initially apply to long-term care facility residents and those who are developmentally disabled, terminally ill, homebound or on hospice. After nine months, a practitioner could provide electronic authorization for any patient that had at least one in-person visit. RELATED: How to attend N.J.'s premier cannabis business conference Patients have long decried restrictions in the states program that they say make obtaining medical marijuana a hardship. A law passed last summer attempted to lessen some of those burdens by reducing the number of required annual doctor visits from four to one, phasing out taxes and increasing the amount of pot patients could take home each month. But patients are still calling for lawmakers to allow them to grow their own weed at home, a move that would reduce their out of pocket costs significantly. The bill must pass the state Assembly, which has yet to introduce a version of it in the new legislative session, and receive the governors signature before becoming law. Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Are you interested in the cannabis industry? Subscribe here for exclusive insider information from NJ Cannabis Insider. Children who bully and violate other children are often reenacting and expressing their own rage. Unless she is a genuinely deranged psychopath (a true rarity), I suggest that the monster who bullied you in school was most likely also a wounded, desperate, degraded child whose twisted instinct was to target the only person she saw who was perhaps more wounded and vulnerable than she. 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 Uber has launched a pilot program in California that lets drivers in Santa Barbara, Palm Springs and Sacramento set their own fares for airport rides. Drivers can set a fare multiple on Ubers base, time, and distance rates for UberX and UberXL trips, according to the company. Drivers can increase the fare in 10 percent jumps up to five times Ubers base price. If Ubers surge pricing is higher than participating drivers set pricing, the drivers rates will match the higher price for the first week. After that, they can opt out of the program and set their price below Ubers base price. Response to Californias Gig Law Ubers rate experiment is a response to California Assembly Bill 5 (AB5), better known as the Gig Law, which took effect on Jan. 1. It holds that most workers are employees and entitled to the benefits employees get. Since AB5 has gone into effect, weve made a number of product changes to preserve flexible work for tens of thousands of California drivers, said Matthew Wing, Ubers head of communications for advanced tech. Were now doing an initial test of additional changes which would give drivers more control over the rates they charge riders, he told the E-Commerce Times. Uber previously announced that California drivers would get more advance trip information prior to accepting a rider; that they could reject ride requests without any penalties; and that they would get a range of prices to charge up front, rather than an exact price. The company is introducing more business tools so that drivers can build the businesses they want, said Liz Miller, principal analyst at Constellation Research. They are clearly trying to communicate that they are just a pathway to a better independent business. Drivers are not employees, she told the E-Commerce Times. In the meantime, Uber, Postmates and two individuals an Uber driver and a Postmates courier have filed a suit in federal court challenging AB5 on constitutional grounds. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The Impact of Ubers Move Ubers tools and tactics put more control into the hands of drivers by letting them make more informed decisions through data, Miller said. This positions Uber as the API-driven business they always envisioned themselves to be. Take drivers with cars, and match them with people who need a car. Riders, on the other hand, may have less clarity around pricing, may have more drivers rejecting their calls which they now can do without being penalized or face any number of other experience-driven issues, Miller suggested. Drivers could price themselves out of the market, which is why many of these pilots are conducted in cities where public transport is not so readily available, she noted. Control over when drivers work, how they work and, now, pricing is a powerful intoxicant and keeps many drivers on the platform, which is the essential and operative objective, observed Roger Lanctot, director automotive connected mobility at Strategy Analytics. However, drivers could slit their own throats in the process, he told the E-Commerce Times. Uber drivers now have tools to compete and drive their already low pricing even lower. Its a race to the bottom. Ultimately, we will see plunging fares, starving drivers like mice dosing themselves with cocaine until they die, Lanctot predicted. Rideshare drivers throughout the country will expect the same options offered to those in California, Constellations Miller predicted. Customer and driver expectations cant be contained by state lines. Whats at Stake Rideshare companies will need to understand that their internal customers the employees, contractors and gig workers must be shown the same care and feeding they delivery to their external customers, Miller said. Uber, Lyft and other gig-economy players, including Instacart and Doordash, will ignore this issue at their peril, she added. Understanding Uber The cornerstone issue is whether Uber is a transportation company that employs drivers to transport customers, or an API connector that puts customers in need of a service in touch with providers who can fulfill that service, Miller said, and that issue has yet be decided. A D V E R T I S E M E N T If its just an API connector, the move to provide drivers with more data is wise, but it could create a lopsided power dynamic in which the driver has all the power and the customer none, she cautioned. Its a balance I dont think anyone has figured out or mastered, especially in the face of legislation that has the best of intentions but fails to ask any of these questions, Miller observed. Caught in the Crossfire That murkiness around Ubers classification already has had unintended consequences in Colorado. The states Public Utilities Commission shut down TreadShare, an app meant to enable carpooling, and killed the planned launch of a similar app, Gondola. It designated both of them as transportation network companies, which put them into the same category as Uber and Lyft. The companies that developed the apps established a cost-sharing rather than profit-making model to avoid the transportation network company classification, but a legislative change will be required to permit their use. In 2018, the IPCC in its Special Report 1.5, gave a clear warning that we have just 12 years to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C and avoid catastrophic impacts. The last decade witnessed extreme weather events at a greater frequency and intensity. The irreversible changes in our natural systems will definitely increase the extreme weather events and other climate change risks or hazards. India is ranked among the countries that are most vulnerable to climate change. This is due to our tropical and subtropical climate and overwhelming dependence of majority Indians on nature for livelihood. By the end of 2030, Indias temperature is projected to rise by 1.7 to 2 degree C. This will result in an increase in heatwaves by eight folds. Heatwaves are an occupational health hazard, especially for manual labourers. As per ILO, by 2030, due to global warming, India is set to lose productivity equivalent to 34 billion jobs. Besides this, climate change is already wreaking havoc in the agrarian sector. In 2019, about 45 % of India was under drought and more than 12 states saw devastating floods. Farmers in the Indo Gangetic plains will come under severe stress due to rising temperatures and frequent droughts. The rising temperature also alters the pest cycle and rainfall pattern, making farming even more challenging. The coastal areas are set to face more devastating cyclones like the ones faced in 2019. With melting glaciers, icesheets and increase in ocean temperature, major cities like Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai are going to be severely affected by sea level rise and salt water intrusion. This will put lives of fisherfolk at serious risk. Dealing with such a crisis requires strong adaptive and resilience measures. The Indian Government has been trying to address the problem through the National Action Plan and State Action Plans on Climate Change. These Action Plans aim to work through 8 missions covering agriculture, habitat, energy efficiency, water, afforestation, Himalyan ecosystems, Solar energy and strategic knowledge. The NAPCC dates back to 2008. Despite missing its targets, there have been no significant efforts on revamping these missions. As per a report of the Centre for Science and Environment, these missions suffer from lack of integrated approach across sectors, lack of adequate funds, lack of clarity on objectives and monitoring. Indias level of preparedness can be judged from the fact that we do not even have micro level data about climate projections or trends. Professor NH Ravindranath of IISc, who leads the first national study on climate data, states that for actual planning, adaptation and helping communities we need good climate change projections down to the district and village level. However, there is no plan for getting such data. The current efforts are only to get broad national level trend. We need to identify institutions, network them, provide required infrastructure and train staffs to produce local level vulnerability reports. In a conversation, Dr D Raghunandan of Delhi Science Forum, stated that most research institutions are plagued by a lack of adequate funding. In addition to climate data modeling, he emphasized the need of collection of data, use of this data in planning and mapping the risks like sea level rise. The next challenge is to provide access to such data and an early warning system to inform the vulnerable sections of society. The cyclone Phani could inflict lesser casualties due to effective early warning system and strong relief infrastructure. In addition to this, considering the increased frequency, we need concrete mechanism to help the disaster victims recover and resettle. Livelihoods like farming need to be made more resilient through invention of new methods, raw materials and building capacities among the local communities. As cities grow, Urban infrastructure needs significant restructuring to adapt to increased rains and heatwaves. While development catering to the basic needs of the people will remain at the centerstage of planning, the development plans will reach fruition only when made climate proof. We need to make smart choices and decisions to simultaneously achieve climate mitigation, climate adaptation and our development goals. (The writer is a student of NLSIU) Paras Chhabra and Rashami Desai were exposed to some unpleasant facts about their personal lives on Tuesdays episode of Bigg Boss 13 as senior journalist Rajat Sharma visited the house to interrogate contestants on the show. Here are the top highlights of tonights episode: The episode began with Shehnaaz Gill claiming Sidharth Shukla has an emotional attachment with the show and the trophy. Sidharth, for a change, was seen handling the kitchen duties and joking about how the other contestants make him work. Sidharth then began making fun of Rashami and everyone joined in. Rashami also laughed along with everyone as they cracked jokes on her habit of stealing food and tea leaves. Soon Shehnaaz and Sidharth had yet another banter in bed and it ended in Sidharth asking Shehnaaz to avoid fighting with him for the rest few days but she did not agree. Also read: To All the Boys PS I Still Love You movie review: Netflix rom-com nails the Noah Centineo vibe Much to the contestants surprise, they saw a Kathghara set up in the living area and assumed that a grilling session by Rajat Sharma is on the cards. The first one to face the wrath was Rashami. Before alleging her for various things, Rajat made fun of Rashamis stealing. Rajat asked if she is a coward, alleging that she waits for two-three people to support her before she voices her own concerns. He also asked why Rashami took a backseat post Arhaans eviction. Rashami claimed to be shocked learning about Arhaans truth and then she proposed to him in the next 48 hours. Rajat asked her whether it was a part of her plan. Rashami said that she had no clue about Arhaans marriage and kid and she felt that she was emotionally used. Rashami said Arhaan should not have gone to Himanshi and cried in front of her. He should not have said that his friends thought she is not the right girl for him. Rashami also said he they went to Jaipur where they met an astrologer and he said Arhaan is married and has a child. I even asked him categorically but he denied saying he had no clue why the astrologer uncle said so. I dot think I will continue it at all, she said. Rajat also took a dig at Rashamis relationship with Sidharth and dug deeper to ask her about their issues. Rashami said that she finds Sidharth to be a control freak and he always taunts everyone. He also asked what was that one thing that Sidharth wanted to clarify before coming into the house. She replied saying that is very personal. She further said Rashami said they have tried to be friends but it never worked out. She also said Sidharth is a control freak and she does not like it. Rashami claimed they had a phone call after which she had blocked him so he came to her through Arti and wanted to apologise. Next up Paras Chhabra was asked why he disappeared from the show. Paras said he went low profile after Salman Khan scolded him and after he heard a few things from outside world, suggesting at the controversy around his girlfriend Akanksha Puri. Rajat said it looks like he surrendered in front of Sidharth. Quoting Ghalib, Rajat said Paras wastes most of his time in suggesting things and advising Mahira. Paras said he wants his bond with Mahira to remain intact lifelong but Rajat says Mahira does not look happy with the response. Paras then said he would go ahead only if she wants and will not force upon her. About his clothes and shoes, Paras said he has a stylist who sources his clothes that need to be returned and no one needs to pay for them. Paras once again said he is not happy with how things came out in the open reiterated that he will not carry forward the relationship anymore. Rajat Sharma then blamed Asim for not controlling his anger. He also questioned him on his friendship with Sidharth whom he once considered to be his brother. Asim said Sidharth provoked him a lot and he doesnt listen to others and how he also turned a deaf ear to him. Asim admitted he had had a strict upbringing and also has a lot of temper. Asim claimed Paras had told him that Shehnaaz should go in and make Sidharth her boyfriend for better TRPs. Shehnaaz clarified that her make up artist suggested she should go ahead if she finds true love. Shehnaaz added that noones name came up when the suggestion was made and she did not even know Sidharth before coming to the house. When Sidharth was asked about his aggression, he said he realises he is wrong. After videos from episodes of his aggression were shown, Sidharth said it is not really that it is my way or highway for him. Mera bahut strong point of view rehta hai (I do have a strong point of view, though), said Sidharth adding that he always happens to have a better point of view than others around him. Told that he does not consider others much and he pushed Asim eight times, Sidharth said Asim nudged him and he pushed as a reaction.Mera bahut emotional bonding tha Asim ke saath jab uske saath mere jhagde hue, aise chote instances pe hue. Mai baseless points nahi uthata, agar mai race me akela bhi bhaag raha hu to mai full speed me bhagunga (I had a strong emotional bonding with Asim and it was weird when we fought over petty issues...I do not raise baseless points in an argument and I am so competitive I will run in my full speed even if I were alone in a race). Follow @htshowbiz for more This article was produced in partnership with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba A long-serving capital defense lawyer for one of the five men accused of plotting the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks asked the judge on Tuesday to be excused from the case, citing his health and other issues, casting doubt on whether the trial can begin as scheduled next year. Col. W. Shane Cohen, the judge, recessed what was meant to be a week of pretrial hearings to allow the lawyer, James P. Harrington, to put his request to leave the case in writing. The judge also invited prosecutors and defense lawyers to weigh in on whether the defendant Mr. Harrington represents, Ramzi bin al-Shibh, should be tried separately from the other four. Prosecutors have consistently sought to put all five defendants on trial together, arguing that multiple trials would be too stressful for the families of the 2,976 victims killed in the attacks. Mr. bin al-Shibh, a Yemeni, is accused of organizing the Hamburg, Germany, cell of the hijackers and acting as a go-between for the cell and the man accused of being the plots mastermind, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed. Tommy Sheppard said the UK Government is doing the job of the SNP for them (Andrew Milligan/PA) The UK Government has been fuelling Scottish independence by failing to engage with public opinion, it has been suggested. SNP MP Tommy Sheppard (Edinburgh East) warned the Conservatives against throwing out sensible proposals made by his party during a debate on whether Scotland could have a separate migration system. And he said that there is a rising number of people in the country who want Scotland to be able to choose a different path to that of the United Kingdom. He said: A clear majority of people would express the wish that we should choose a different path, an independent path where we could control our own destiny, make our own decisions, make our own mistakes and learn from them because the people that live in that country and only the people who live in that country have got the right to determine how they are governed going forward. The UK government's response to the #ScottishVisa proposals is a prime example of them putting their head in the sands and ignoring the wishes of the people of Scotland. Clip from my speech in today's opposition debate below & watch it in full here: https://t.co/PLvCrCNhCe pic.twitter.com/Sb0JTmO61m Tommy Sheppard MP (@TommySheppard) February 11, 2020 That is the sentiment that is growing now in Scotland and as much as the Government may want to put its head in the sand and ignore that thats happening, I caution them to engage with public opinion in Scotland because every time they refuse to do so, they simply fuel the appetite for change, they fuel the number of people who say, we dont want to put up with this anymore, we now look with fresh eyes at the alternatives on offer. He continued: In many ways, the Government so far since the election has been doing this partys job for it. The opinion polls are rising more and more people in Scotland are demanding and getting behind the cause of independence and we havent even started the campaign. This is all the work of the United Kingdom Government. Mr Sheppard added: If you throw out sensible proposals like this one, which would be to the benefit of the Scottish economy, the benefit of the people in Scotland, but which might also be something very sensible to do while Scotland remains in the United Kingdom, if you throw this out and ignore the arguments that we are making, then you fuel that appetite and that desire even more. Asked about which currency would be used in an independent Scotland, he said: We will not be too many years hence until Scotland will be a strong and prosperous economy with its own currency, its own central bank and punching well above its weight compared to what it is today. On the prospect of whether an independent Scotland, which was part of the European Union, would use the euro, Mr Sheppard said: No it wouldnt, no it wouldnt. Nor is there any requirement for it to be so. The Government has engaged and continues to engage extensively with many stakeholders across Scotland, including the Scottish Government but crucially also businesses across a wide range of sectorsDouglas Ross, Scotland Office minister Scotland Office minister Douglas Ross said there would not be a meeting of minds with the SNP on the issue of a separate migration system, noting: This Government is committed to introducing a new immigration system that works for the whole of the UK for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Thats why the Government has engaged and continues to engage extensively with many stakeholders across Scotland, including the Scottish Government but crucially also businesses across a wide range of sectors. Mr Ross said the UK Government is committed to developing a system which addresses challenges in the whole country, adding: We have no plans to devolve powers of immigration. He claimed such a move would bring about significant complexities. For Labour, shadow immigration minister Bell Ribeiro-Addy agreed with the need for the Home Secretary to engage positively with the proposals, but also said: We on this frontbench do not believe Scotland is a uniquely special case that would require a tailored migration policy for Scotland. She went on: The widespread use of devolved powers in immigration could create a bizarre and unworkable recruitment process and practice across the regions if others started to take a less rational approach because of changes in government. The daughter of Karen Ristevski has broken her silence on her mother's death at the hands of her father, Borce Ristevski. The 55-year-old killed Karen at their home Avondale Heights, Melbourne, in June 2016, before dumping her body in bushland. He was jailed last April for at least six years after admitting to the manslaughter of his wife of 27 years. Then in December, Karen's family's appeal was successful and Ristevski's jail term was extended to 13 years, ten without the chance for parole. Ms Ristevski's 24-year-old daughter Sarah has now spoken publicly for the first time about her mother's brutal death. Karen Ristevski's 24-year-old daughter Sarah has spoken publicly for the first time about her mother's brutal death Borce Ristevski, 55, killed his wife Karen (left) at their home Avondale Heights, Melbourne, in June 2016, before dumping her body in a regional park. Pictured with their daughter Sarah, who was 21 at the time In a preview for Sunday night's 60 Minutes program, Sarah told reporter Liz Hayes that in the lead up to her father's conviction, she asked him if he killed her mother. 'I asked him if he had anything to do with it,' she said, visibly emotional. 'She's on my mind all the time and I can't get it out of my head.' Ristevski refused to say what he did to his wife before bundling her into a car and hiding her body at Macedon Regional Park, where it was found by hikers eight months later. When her remains were found the cause of death could not be determined. In March last year, Ristevski shocked the nation when he admitted to killing his wife after he vehemently denied involvement in her death for almost three years. Dress shop-owner Karen disappeared from the family home in Avondale Heights, north-west Melbourne, on June 29, 2016. Pictured with Borce and Sarah He feigned innocence, lied to the police, the public and his daughter, and even carried his wife's coffin at her funeral, until pleading guilty to manslaughter on the eve of his murder trial. He has shown no remorse and refused to explain why or how he killed his wife, a dress shop owner. Even though he killed her mother, Sarah has always stood by her father. Following his admission, she gave her father a glowing character reference during a pre-sentence plea hearing at the Supreme Court of Victoria. During her father's trial she even refused to provide a victim impact statement and instead wrote a character reference for him. 'If I could use a few words to describe my dad's personality they would be loving, caring, sympathetic, protective and charismatic,' Sarah said in the character reference. 'Growing up as a family my mum, dad and I were completely inseparable. 'We would spend all of our spare time together and family was everything to us. The love we had for each other was unexplainable, and everyone in our lives saw it.' Sarah said she had never witnessed her father act violently towards her mother. 'My dad has not had any prior convictions or issues with the law, and I can confidently say that in my 23 years and I have never witnessed any form of violence between my mum and dad,' she said. Ristevski's first sentence was widely condemned when it was revealed the 55-year-old could have been out on parole by his 60th birthday. Borce Ristevski and his daughter Sarah before he was a suspect in 2016 Borce Ristevski (pictured) was a pallbearer at the funeral of his wife Karen in March 2017 The sentence enraged Karen's family and prosecutors appealed, saying it was 'manifestly inadequate'. Pressure mounted for authorities to appeal as pressure from the public swelled. A petition calling for authorities to appeal the decision had more than 75,000 signatures. The petition was launched, claiming Ristevski's sentence was 'manifestly too short' and did not 'reflect community opinion'. In December, Ristevski's jail term was extended to 13 years, ten without the chance for parole. It means he will not walk free until at least 2027 after being locked up on remand in 2017. It's been almost five years since the release of Janet Jackson's previous studio album, Unbreakable, and today she's announced that fans won't have to wait any longer for more. The release of her latest project, Black Diamond, will hit this summer. Now, we scream. Jackson dropped the news of her impending era over Instagram this afternoon, attached to a multi-city North American tour featuring brand new music and a "special performance of Rhythm Nation." Fans immediately flipped from the news, mostly out of pure excitement, but also because of the limited time to grab tickets, which go on sale to the general public this Thursday, February 13. The meaning behind the album and tour title, Black Diamond, was explained in Jackson's Instagram caption carefully. "Black Diamonds are the toughest of all the diamonds, the hardest to cut. I see that as the hardest to hurt or destroy," she writes. "There is a lot that I have endured. I see myself as a Black Diamond in its purest form. I'm a rock, I have ruff edges but I keep moving forward. I want to show you my strength as well as give you strength." If that's not a sign of something amazing and powerful on its way from the legendary pop diva, I don't know what is. While there is no official release date for Black Diamond just yet, fans will be sure to hear some of the new material as early as end of June when the tour kicks off in Miami. Jackson did let on that the completion of the new album is still in progress, as she's "working" on it, and that even more tour dates would be announced soon. For now, however, the excitement of new Janet is enough to cause a collective frenzy among thirsty stans who went without new songs for her last tour. Image via (Newser) The CEO of an Arizona-based organic fertilizer company has been booted from his own business after hurling the n-word at an Uber driver. Hans Berglund, 71, who is also the founder of Agroplasma, hailed a ride Jan. 31 and got in the front seat of the car that respondedapparently failing to notice multiple signs inside and outside the vehicle, as well as on his driver's Uber profile, reading, "Front seat use is reserved for parties of 3 or more," per the Washington Post. Driver Randy Clarke, 25, instituted the policy after being assaulted by a rider in 2018. When Berglund sat in the front seat, Clarke asked him to move to the back. In an incident caught on video (Clarke has cameras installed in his car in case of a situation just like this), Berglund argued, and while he initially asked for the ride to be canceled, he ultimately stuck around and things got heated, the Phoenix New Times reports. story continues below Clarke said he would cancel and refund the ride, but Berglund apparently changed his mind and got into the back seat, saying, "Im going to ride in the back, and Im going to file a complaint. Okay? I have the right to make my own options." Clarke asked him to exit the car, at which point Berglund said, "Is that because Im white? And you're a f---ing [n-word]?" He ultimately left the car, after spewing more profanity, after Clarke told him the interaction was being recorded. Clarke complained to Uber (which, a source says, has banned Berglund from its service) and within days of the incident Agroplasma told ABC 15 Berglund had been replaced as CEO. Berglund has apologized to multiple outlets and insists he's not racist, but he has also complained that his life has been ruined. Clarke plans to file official complaints with Tempe's Human Relations Commission and the Arizona attorney general. (Read more racism stories.) MARCY, N.Y. - A community informational session and public hearing was held Monday night to discuss Cree's $1 Billion project in Marcy. Officials from Cree and Exyte, the general contractor for the project, presented information about the project, discussing what Cree will be bringing to the area and how it will effect the Mohawk Valley. The audience got a chance to ask questions. Topics ranged from traffic, jobs, and safety, among others. Rex Felton, Cree's vice president of operations explained what the facility that will be located at the Marcy Nanocenter will be used for. "It's going to produce world-class results on cutting edge technology, one that we call a silicon carbide corridor that is going to produce silicon carbide chips, mainly for the automotive industries, but something that we believe is going to be a game changing technology going forward," Felton said. "It is a very exciting industry, we're really at the early stages of the growth of silicon carbide and this factory is a great step to enabling that growth." Residents like Dorothy Sperbeck-Cornnell say this is an exciting investment for the area. She has lived in Marcy for over 50 years and Cree will be going up right in her back yard. She says the meeting helped her understand more about the project. "It was absolutely wonderful, very informative, very inspiring and I'm so thrilled that they're going to be coming here finally, I was afraid that this wouldn't come to forwishen in my lifetime but I'm having hopes that maybe it will," Sperbeck-Cornnell said. The facility is expected to create 614 jobs over an eight year period, including technicians, engineers, administrative jobs, and facilities organization. After the informational session with Cree officials, the Marcy town planning board held a public hearing on the site plan for the facility, which will include three primary buildings, a fabrication facility, an office, and a utility building. The board will vote on the preliminary plan on February 24th. Site work has already started and construction is expected to start next month. The facility is scheduled to be complete by 2021. Romania's Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban on Tuesday said that no coronavirus case had been reported so far in Romania, and authorities are continuing the measures to prevent and combat such instances. "The stocks, for example, of biocides - a substance that disinfects and kills viruses and bacteria - at the State Reserves are nil, because the Social Democratic Party (PSD) was not concerned about this area and they did not make the purchases. We adopted an emergency ordinance precisely to allow the emergency procurement of the materials, equipment, and substances necessary to prevent the coronavirus from entering the country. I believe there were three emergency boards that established an action plan, the action plan to prevent the virus from entering the country; you know very well that any citizen who comes from the area or who might be suspected of being a carrier of the virus when entering Romania is kept under quarantine for 14 days," said Orban told Gandul Live webcasting on Tuesday asked if the authorities are ready for a possible coronavirus case in Romania.He also mentioned the acquisition and installation at airports of some equipment to prevent the entry into the country of a coronavirus carrier.Orban said that he does not yet have details regarding the case of a Bucharest student under the observation of doctors. "We will find out and immediately inform you," he said. AGERPRES ATLANTA - A federal judge has rejected Georgia officials arguments in an election-related lawsuit and ruled that information being sought by a journalist and an activist is subject to public disclosure. Investigative journalist Greg Palast and civil rights activist Helen Butler are seeking lists that were produced as part of Georgias involvement in a database designed to share voter registration data between participating states The Interstate Voter Registration Crosscheck Program, created by the Kansas Secretary of States office in 2005, was promoted as a way to compare voter registration lists to identify people registered in more than one state. The programs stated purpose was to clean voter records and prevent voter fraud, but it has been criticized for a high error rate and lax security. Palast and Butler sued Georgias then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp in October 2018 for original copies of the 2016 and 2017 lists provided to his office by Crosscheck. They argued that Crosscheck has been determined to disproportionately impact voters of colour. Kemp, a Republican, served as the states top elections official when he narrowly beat Democrat Stacey Abrams in the 2018 governors race. He was repeatedly accused of voter suppression by Abrams and her allies. He vehemently denied the allegations. State lawyers argued that the secretary of states office wasnt required to keep the records that Palast and Butler are seeking, and that the plaintiffs sought documents they knew the secretary of states office didnt have. They argued the lawsuit should be dismissed. U.S. District Judge Eleanor Ross wrote in a Feb. 4 order that Palast and Butler are entitled to access to the 2016 and 2017 Crosscheck lists. Palast and Butler had cited a provision of the National Voter Registration Act of 1983 that requires election officials to retain and make available for at least two years all records concerning the implementation of programs and activities conducted for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy and currency of official lists of eligible voters. Lawyers for the state argued that Georgia didnt use information from Crosscheck to challenge or remove voter registrations and, therefore, had no obligation to keep that data. Ross noted that when Georgia joined Crosscheck, it agreed to language that says participating states agree to share voter registration information for the purposes of cross checking and identifying duplicate registrations and instances of multiple votes by the same individuals. For that reason, the argument that the state didnt use the lists for any review of its registered voters is unpersuasive, Ross wrote. No evidence has been provided to show that the secretary of states office actually has the lists, but the record does show that the requests for the lists were timely and that the lists must be kept for two years, Ross wrote. Ross order came in response to a request by state lawyers for summary judgment, which means that a judge rules in favour of one party and against the other based on the facts in the case without going to trial. Ross said in her order that she believes summary judgment in favour of the state is inappropriate and that shes considering entering summary judgment in favour of Palast and Butler. She gave the state 30 days to respond, and said Palast and Butler will have 14 days from the states filing to respond. Current Secretary of State Brad Raffenspergers office did not respond to an email seeking comment Tuesday. The Crosscheck program compares registration lists and uses voters first and last names and dates of birth to determine whether someone is registered in more than one state. Critics allege that it produces a high number of false matches. The Kansas secretary of states office said last month that the future of the program is uncertain after its champion, former secretary of state Kris Kobach lost his bid to become governor and is no longer an elected official. Ghanaian Comedian Benson Nana Yaw Oduro Boateng popularly known as Funny Face is the brand ambassador for cosmetic brand, Nivea. The "Kasoa Trotro" actor has revealed that the deal which was doned and dusted, and announced on Monday Febraury 10, 2020, is his 18th brand endorsement contract ever since hitting the limelight. Funny face shared the good news with his followers on social media: "TO GOD BE THE GLORY .. just signed my 18th brand endorsement contract with @nivea_gh @nivea @esquanmarketing @iamgenesis_gmp @freshagidi @quinnyface @kloyoe #NIVEA #FunnyFans pls follow all their pages .. our Armpit is abt to smell good #ClearTheAir #DryImpact #Drycomfort". Nivea is a German personal care brand that specializes in body-care. It is owned by the Hamburg-based company Beiersdorf Global AG. The company was founded on 28 March 1882, by Paul Carl Beiersdorf. In 1890, it was sold to Oscar Troplowitz. Source: Eugene Osafo-Nkansah/Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Two nurses - including one who is pregnant - were reportedly in quarantine after they treated a patient suspected of having coronavirus. They had treated a woman at The Haven in Mill View hospital, Hove, who is thought to have recently returned from holiday in Hong Kong, according to the Brighton Argus. They were being kept in a room next door to the patient, a source said. The nurses were in the room at 8.30pm yesterday evening, after treating the woman in a suspected new case of the deadly illness. Another source claimed that the nurses were working a night shift on the mental health ward when they were told they couldn't leave. The nurses treated a woman at The Haven in Mill View hospital, Hove, who is thought to have the coronavirus The source told Brighton and Hove News: 'The night staff were not allowed to leave and the early shift sent to other wards. 'The woman concerned was assessed in a Mill View assessment room which has now been closed but it is nowhere near the wards so if it is confirmed there will not be a serious risk to the patients.' Public Health England has refused comment and said it will not discuss any new confirmed cases until 2pm tomorrow. Sussex Partnership NHS trust has been contacted for comment. The case comes after the the government announced a new regulation allowing it to forcibly place suspected coronavirus patients in quarantine. Anyone infected with the virus will be kept in quarantine for their own safety and will be forced into isolation if they pose a threat to public health. Meanwhile, one of the largest secondary schools in Brighton yesterday told parents that a 'member of its community' was in quarantine because of suspected contact with the coronavirus. Varndean School, which has around 1,300 pupils, became the fourth school in the city to contact parents to say that a connected individual had been told to 'self-isolate' by Public Heath England for 14 days. A GP surgery in Brighton was yesterday sealed off and cleaned by a team in hazmat suits after it was revealed locum doctor Dr Catriona Greenwood had caught the killer virus today named COVID-19 from 'super spreader' Steve Walsh at a French ski chalet. MailOnline has found at least nine sites in Brighton linked to the city's super spreader or his infected doctor friend including two schools, two health centres and a care home as the area's residents accused public health chiefs of starving them of information A second branch of the surgery, located less than two miles away, was closed today for 'organisational health and safety reasons' the same excuse offered to patients at the Warmdene branch yesterday. Brighton is at the centre of Britain's coronavirus crisis, with six of the UK's eight confirmed cases diagnosed in the city. More than 43,000 people have caught the SARS-like infection worldwide and at least 1,000 have died. Scout leader Mr Walsh, 53, this morning confirmed he was Brighton's 'super-spreader'. The businessman is feared to have infected at least 11 people including five Britons in France, one in Spain and five in Brighton. MailOnline understands Dr Greenwood, also known by her married name Saynor, treated at least one patient at the Warmdene branch of the County Oak Medical Centre last week in an admin locum shift. Dr Greenwood had been a GP at the surgery for almost 20 years before she left Britain last year to start a new life in the French Alps with her family. She returns to the UK periodically to fill well-paid 'locum' shifts. Workers in protective suits inside of the County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton on Monday after a GP at the practice was diagnosed with the deadly virus A source close to the surgery revealed she saw at least one patient at Warmdene in an admin shift. They said: 'She comes back to Brighton for locum work. She carried out an admin shift at the surgery last Thursday.' She is quarantined in a hospital in London. Her husband Bob and one of their three children are also being treated for the virus in France, as well as three others Britons who caught the infection at the same chalet in Les Contamines Montjoie. Dr Greenwood and her husband owned the chalet, located near Chamonix. Mr Walsh had stayed there after flying to the French Alps from a conference in Singapore, where he unknowingly caught the virus at the end of January. Mr Walsh, whose children attend the Cottesmore primary school that sent out an alert to parents today, passed on the infection before showing any symptoms of the killer SARS-like infection. Dr Catriona Saynor (pictured left) quit as a partner in Brighton to live permanently in the French chalet where the British super-spreader visited to ski. She works at County Oak Medical Centreas a locum, according to the medical centre's website. Her husband Bob and their nine-year-old son are also said to have been confirmed with coronavirus Brighton GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre has been closed for 'urgent operational health and safety reasons' after a member of staff tested positive for the killer coronavirus He claims he has recovered from the never-before-seen virus. He is still quarantined in a London hospital and his family have been asked to isolate themselves 'as a precaution'. Brighton residents have been gripped by fear after the spate of coronavirus cases in the city. Members of a yoga class attended by a coronavirus patient at the Cornerstone Community Centre were told to stay indoors and avoid interacting with people amid concerns they may have caught the virus during the session. It has been shut until February 17 because of 'staffing shortages', according to Allison Ollerenshaw, the chair of trustees. The Grenadier pub in Hove, where the super spreader went for a drink after returning from Singapore with the virus. Staff who were on shift that night have been told to self-isolate Patcham Nursing Home in the north of the city has closed its doors to visitors amid fears a GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week Patcham Nursing Home, in the north of the city, last night closed its doors to all visitors as a 'precaution' after an infected GP - either Dr Greenwood or a second, unnamed male doctor - last week visited the facility, which cares for 24 elderly residents. And students at Bevendean Primary School were this morning told they can stay at home if they want after a teacher is in 'self-isolation' over fears they caught the coronavirus. The school, which has more than 400 pupils, said a member of staff had been in contact with someone who had spent time around one of the six coronavirus patients in Brighton. While headteacher of Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School, Rachel Breen, wrote to parents telling them the two had been isolated to 'reduce the risk of the virus spreading'. It has not closed but said students can stay at home if they wish. Parents of pupils at Varndean School were today emailed to say that a 'person from our school community' has been told by PHE to self-isolate for 14 days, Brighton and Hove News reports. HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd. (HDFC ERGO Health), erstwhile Apollo Munich Health Insurance Company (Apollo Munich), today announced the launch of a new brand campaign Bad News - Good News, that communicates about the landmark acquisition of Apollo Munich by HDFC Ltd. in the General Insurance sector and the many benefits this will now offer the existing & new customers of HDFC ERGO Health. Conceptualized by Mullen Lintas, the new Bad News - Good News campaign, builds a narrative through two campaign videos around patients who have encounter health emergencies. The campaign features Bollywood celebrity Nawazuddin Siddiqui, in binary journalist roles one who reports the Bad News of unfortunate events that individuals have to face as a result of a health emergency and the other Nawaz counters him to deliver Good News of Apollo Munich now being renamed to HDFC ERGO Health and the wide suite of benefits which are now available for the customers as a part of the acquisition. Packed with humour, the campaign ends with the tagline India is Now Feeling Better which is created to highlight Apollo Munichs expertise and HDFCs trust. Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Anuj Tyagi, MD & CEO, HDFC ERGO Health Insurance Ltd. said, The acquisition of Apollo Munich Health Insurance by HDFC Ltd., led to the creation of a new entity, HDFC ERGO Health Insurance. This merger will provide significant benefits to our existing & prospective customers. Trust, Transparency and Fairness across all stakeholders are at the core of the entire HDFC Group and is a promise by HDFC ERGO Health leadership to each one of our policyholders. Further, many of HDFC ERGO Generals best practices, including 10,000+ cashless network hospitals, industry leading turnaround time for cashless claim settlement, seamless online policy issuance and 24x7 customer service helpline are being adopted by HDFC ERGO Health to provide a significantly better experience to all our customers. Our new TVC has been strategically executed to ensure customers are made well aware of the benefits this acquisition has to offer them. We hope to deliver this Good News and make our existing & new customers feel better. Azazul Haque & Garima Khandelwal, CCO, Mullen Lintas said, Our task was to create a high impact campaign to convey the biggest news in General Insurance of Apollo Munich being renamed to HDFC ERGO Health and the benefits this acquisition will offer the consumers. We wanted give the brand a unique idea and put out a clutter breaking campaign. The starting point was that people only think of Health Insurance when they come across any an unfortunate incident related to health around them. And to convey this news, we roped in Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Thus the campaign idea of Bad News - Good News was born. We are sure this campaign would do just that and also build a strong resonance of HDFC ERGO Health with Health Insurance This campaign is now live and will feature across all genres of TV, major Radio stations, OOH in 17 cities and Print media. Moreover, the campaign will also reach out to internet users through a well spread digital plan. Michael Okhide The family of the late Clement and Toyin Okhide, who were killed in the Ejigbo area of Lagos State on Tuesday, has appealed to the media to refrain from purveying wrong information on the incident and allow it mourn its dead. The News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) reports that the Okhide family was thrown into mourning when its 23-year-old son, Michael, allegedly stabbed his parents to death. But the family in a statement on Tuesday urged the media to refrain from sensationalism in the reportage of the matter, especially where such reports were based on inaccuracies. The family in the statement signed by the children of the deceasedDr Abiola Odeyinka, Miss Ayooluwa Okhide and Master Stephen Okhide described the incident as sad and traumatic for the family. It pleaded for public support and empathy at the trying and difficult period for the family, saying the challenge of drug abuse and mental illness was rife and required collective action to tackle it. This is a sensitive matter for us as we mourn the loss of our dear parents who loved us and gave us the best support any child could ever desire. Once again, we are pained by this occurrence and we passionately urge the media and general public to desist from further sensationalising this occurrence, the statement said. It would be recalled that the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, had said a manhunt had been launched for Michael, adding that the corpses were evacuated to the Isolo General Hospital. On Tuesday, February 4, 2020, around 6.00 p.m., I was alerted that a young man, Michael Okhide, 23, had killed his father, Clement Okhide, 60 and suspected to have seriously injured his mother at No 6 Akeem Gbadamosi Street. When our men were mobilised to the scene, we found Clement dead in a pool of his blood in the kitchen. Blood was also seen all over the kitchen and a thorough search of the house led to the discovery of the remains of Clements wife, Toyin, 50, in one of the locked-up rooms upstairs. Two corpses were recovered and deposited at the Isolo General Hospitals mortuary. The assailant equally stabbed his sister, Mary, in the stomach and on the hands. She has visited the Ejigbo Health Centre where she received treatment. A manhunt has been launched to arrest the fleeing assailant, he had said. (NAN) Mary Durlacher raises coronavirus concerns at the General Synod meeting (Church of England/YouTube) The Church of England has been urged to introduce measures to stop the spread of coronavirus at its services. The General Synod, the churchs legislative body, was warned to issue specific safety guidance before it is too late. Coronavirus, which was named Covid-19 by the World Health Organisation on Tuesday, has a worldwide death toll of more than 1,000. There have been no deaths in the UK, though eight people have tested positive. The issue found its way onto the agenda of the General Synod assembly, with Mary Durlacher, of the Chelmsford Diocese, calling for measures such as use of a single cup in administering wine in the service of Holy Communion. She said: It has now been declared a major emergency and in the interests of not having to get that phrase lessons will be learned, we really do need to get some advice in what to do should it really become a frightening and effecting situation. But responding to this at the meeting on Monday, the Bishop of Carlisle said specific Church of England advice would only be provided if the situation escalated further. We are monitoring the situation very closely, he said. We are taking advice from the relevant medical authorities. We have got advice which can be issued. The Bishop of Carlisle said 'we are monitoring the situation very closely' (Church of England/YouTube) People will probably remember the advice that came out back in 2009, where it was possible for the sharing of the chalice to be suspended or holy communion to be received in only one kind. There was a notice for all churches about proper hygiene that was to be put up in all churches. If the situation continues to get worse, that sort of thing will certainly be issued. He went on: I think one of the key things in all of this is common sense and hand washing, just as in hospitals, because that is the main thing that prevents the disease spreading. But we are looking at the possibility of extreme circumstances and if there is a real danger, the legal advisory commission has said that good sense could mediate the necessity for a priest to celebrate Holy Communion on Sundays and major feast days. I sincerely hope we wont be in that position. Story continues Read more from Yahoo News UK North Korea sends 500 workers to patrol Chinese border over coronavirus fears Cruise ship stranded at sea after being refused entry to Thailand over coronavirus fears Coronavirus 'super-spreader' speaks out from hospital quarantine On Tuesday, health secretary Matt Hancock said the risk of coronavirus to the public remains moderate but that the spread will get worse before it gets better. He announced new capital funding for the NHS if they need to create further isolation areas and other necessary facilities. Matt Hancock on coronavirus: The situation will get worse before it gets better An iconic jewellery retailer has been warned it could soon be the next victim in Australia's struggling retail sector if its sales figures continue to take a dive. Wallace Bishop, which has 50 stores and 500 employees, has been providing stunning diamonds to customers in Queensland and New South Wales for more than 100 years. But after reporting losses of $6.07million last year and $9.4million in 2018 it faces an uncertain future. Former Bachelor star Faith Williams (pictured with partner Jeremy Hassell) shows off her drop earrings from Wallace Bishop Bachelor Australia contestant Tara Pavlovic is seen wearing a pair of Wallace Bishop earrings last year Its auditor, Merrotts said it will need to boost sales and reduce overheads if it hopes to survive the 'retail apocalypse', which has already seen the demise of household names such as Harris Scarfe, Bardot, Roger David, and Napoleon Perdis. The warning comes just days after it emerged the company will close its Toombul store, in Brisbane, where it has been operating since 1967. However, Wallace Bishop chief executive Stuart Bishop was confident the company could thrive for another 100 years. He told the Courier Mail the company was starting to see improvements and had been meeting their sales targets over the past three months. The company had seen a 'considerable increase' in online sales and was also looking at investing further in e-commerce, he said. Wallace Bishop Junior, company director and grandson of the company's founder Wallace Bishop, previously said the current retail climate was the toughest they had ever seen. Wallace Bishop, which has 50 stores and 500 employees, has been providing stunning diamonds to customers in Queensland and New South Wales for more than 100 years Instagram model Ella Golding (pictured) shows off a watch from Wallace Bishop 'People are looking after their money and are looking for value. This is probably the toughest period we have gone through.' Australian retail growth is at its worst level since the early 1990s recession. Dropping like files: Some of Australia's recent retail casualties 2016: Dick Smith, Masters hardware, Payless Shoes 2017: Topshop Australia 2018: Avon, Espirit, Toys 'R' Us, Max Brenner, Roger David 2019: Ed Harry, Diana Ferrari, Napoleon Perdis, Ziera, Bardot, Harris Scarfe 2020: Jeans West , Collete Hayman, EB Games, Co-op bookstore Advertisement Famed entrepreneur Dick Smith believes the outlook is so dire that high-profile collapses will accelerate until there's very little left. 'We will end up with just Amazon and Aldi and basically all the Aussie companies will be sent to bankruptcy,' he told Daily Mail Australia. 'All those famous brands will go. Some of them might exist in name only but will be taken over by overseas companies.' Mr Smith watched the electronics chain that bore his name crash in 2016, decades after he sold it in 1980. The collapse was one of Australia's biggest retail failures. Harris Scarfe, founded in 1849, also took consumers by surprise when it entered administration in December and is now about to close at least 21 stores. Myer closed 74,670 square metres of stores in 2015-17 and shut down multiple big stores A week after going into administration clothing giant Jeanswest announced it would close 37 of its 146 stores across Australia, making 263 of its 988 staff redundant in the process Myer closed 74,670 square metres of stores in 2015-17 and shut down its Colonnades store in Adelaide and Belconnen outlet in Canberra. The Hornsby store, in Sydney's north, closed last month after 40 years following a depressing fire sale of up to 80 per cent off. In January popular jewellery and accessories chain Colette by Colette Hayman was placed into voluntary administration despite making $140million last year. Administrators from Deloitte Restructuring Services said the country's dire retail climate was at the centre of the business's failure. The brand has now been put in the hands of Vaughan Strawbridge, Sam Marsden and Jason Tracey. David Jones has been owned by a South African conglomerate since 2014 and is struggling just as much as its arch-rival. And just last month Jeanswest announced it would close 37 stores across Australia, with 263 of its 988 staff to be made redundant. The announcement came just weeks after it was placed into voluntary administration. Major fashion chain Bardot also announced plans to close 58 stores nationwide before March The brand is yet another retail store that had collapsed, following Harris Scarfe, Bardot, Roger David, EB Games and Napoleon Perdis Whereas Aldi sales jumped 10 per cent in 2018 to about $9.2 billion and opened about 20 stores across the country last year. Coles was about $39 billion. Amazon Australia's sales reached $260 million in 2018, its first full year since opening, and are tipped to hit $23 billion in 10 years. Retail expert Brian Walker said those most at risk were big fashion chains that have existed for decades, because they could no longer rely on their in-store offerings to beat online rivals. 'We're seeing a very distinct line between shopping and buying. Buying is the domain of Ali Baba and Amazon, while shopping is inspirational, aspirational and emotional,' he told 9 Finance. Mr Evans said big retailers were also spending far too much on back-office staff and needed to slim down their operations to people with fresh ideas. Smaller business, on the other hand, were being driven into the ground by landlords and shopping centres charging far too much in rent. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Wallace Bishop for comment. Sinn Fein prepared to play a pivotal role in efforts to form a government after smashing the two-party system which dominated the Irish state for much of its history. After winning the popular vote in the Feb. 8 general election, Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald laid out a plan to forge a left-wing alliance with parties including the Greens and the Social Democrats. Coalition talks are set to start in earnest in coming days. "We want to find a route to government," Matt Carthy, one of the party's lawmakers, said in an interview with RTE on Tuesday. "All parties should talk to us." Sinn Fein will control 37 seats in the 160-seat parliament. That will it leave it a whisker behind Fianna Fail, which won 38 seats. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael took 35 seats. With no party anywhere close to majority, leaders are already laying down markers for the lengthy government formation talks to follow. Long an outsider because of Sinn Fein's links to the IRA and left-wing policies, McDonald suggested on Monday she "may well be" the nation's next prime minister and first female premier. Varadkar has already rejected sharing power with Sinn Fein, as reminders of the party's past quickly surfaced with successful candidates praising the IRA and its struggles against British forces. By contrast, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin appeared to be softening his opposition to governing with Sinn Fein. "Pre-election pledges on coalition will have to be abandoned, making any government arrangement difficult," said Ryan McGrath, head of fixed-income strategy at Cantor Fitzgerald. "Fianna Fail will be left with little option but to retreat from their pre-election positions of ruling out coalitions with both Sinn Fein and Fine Gael." Ireland's benchmark 10-year bond yield was five basis points higher at minus 0.07%, faring worst among its euro-area peers. Domestically-focused Irish bank and real estate stocks continued to fall on Tuesday even as benchmark ISEQ Index gained 0.7%. Bank of Ireland Group Plc fell 2.3% while AIB Group Plc lost 0.8%. Home builder Glenveagh Properties Plc dropped 3.2%. "The next Irish government may choose to relax its budgetary stance by raising public spending on investment and for social needs, without introducing offsetting revenue-side measures," S&P Global Ratings said on Tuesday, though it added changes would be "modest and gradual." Betting odds suggest a coalition between Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Green Party, which won 12 seats, is the most likely outcome. Fianna Fail's Martin is the favorite to be prime minister with a 71% probability of taking the top job, according to bookmaker Paddy Power, with McDonald rated a 33% shot. "I want us to be in government, but not at any cost," McDonald, a 50-year-old Dublin native, said in an RTE interview on Monday. "I will speak to everybody because that's what grown up people do." Patronage figures for Brisbane libraries reveal some suburban libraries are struggling with only a couple of thousand visitors a month. Figures released by Brisbane City Council in response to a question on notice from Labor show small suburban libraries such as Annerley and West End libraries have had fewer than 18,000 visitors in six months. Some Brisbane libraries have seen small patronage figures. Credit:Quentin Jones The data from July to December 2019 showed Brisbane Square Library, the council's flagship community library, welcomed 326,429 visitors in that timeframe. Other larger libraries including Carindale and Sunnybank Hills libraries welcomed 242,376 and 234,875 visitors over the six months, respectively, while Toowong library had 144,972 visitors. Dr. Wilborn is board certified in Internal Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Care, and is Hospice Medical Director Certified. In her 25 years of practice, Dr. Wilborn has held numerous positions across the healthcare continuum. She practiced as a Hospitalist for eight years and served as Medical Director of the Palliative Care Service at OHMC-Dearborn, Michigan. In 2009, she started her career in hospice, initially as Associate Medical Director for Odyssey Hospice before becoming Medical Director for the Hospice IPU. In 2012, she took over as Michigan Market Medical Director for Seasons Hospice & Palliative Care, eventually becoming their East Region National Medical Director in 2016. Dr. Wilborn also serves as the Chief Clinical Officer for GAPS Health, a company focused on physician leadership in the post-acute space. Dr. Wilborn's extensive experience in hospice and palliative care and as an industry expert position her to seamlessly lead Heart of Hospice by driving the medical direction for hospice, developing the palliative care program, and overseeing all practitioners. Dr. Wilborn, known for her ability to develop, lead, and integrate across an organization, prides herself on always utilizing the latest technologies, treatments, regulations, and care delivery models. Wilborn shares: "As we move toward value-based healthcare, hospice and palliative care will play a large role in caring for our chronically-ill and elderly patient population. We have the unique ability to improve population health and patient experience while lowering the cost of care and increasing provider satisfaction: the Quadruple Aim. It is exhilarating to join an industry-leading, innovative company focused on providing outstanding patient care that recognizes the value of partnering upstream with payers, accountable care organizations, and managed care plans." Carla Davis, Chief Executive Officer, adds, "Not only are we thrilled to welcome the incredibly experienced and capable Dr. Wilborn to our team, but we are also proud to introduce the role of Chief Medical Officer to Heart of Hospice. Dr. Wilborn's strong background in patient advocacy and executive leadership leave me confident that she will help drive transformative care across the communities we serve." About Heart of Hospice Our vision is to transform end-of-life care in the communities we serve. We currently provide care to 16 regions across Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and South Carolina. We believe all hospice eligible patients and those that love them deserve the best care at the end of life. Our mission is simple: to serve all patients and their loved ones the way they desire to be served. Contact: Kimberly Workman, 843-642-5009, [email protected] SOURCE Heart of Hospice Related Links https://www.heartofhospice.net/ It's hard to believe, but it's been 20 years since Bill and Melinda Gates created their Gates Foundation, one of the biggest and most impactful philanthropic organizations to emerge from the tech industry. And in their 12th annual letter on Monday, the Gateses reflect on those 20 years and discuss what they want to do in the coming years to help address some of the world's biggest problems. They also share that in that 20 years, they deployed $53.8 billion in funds to tackle charitable and global health initiatives. From a focus on global health to improving the climate, education, and gender equality, there were plenty of things Bill and Melinda Gates had to say in this year's annual letter. Here are a few of the many takeaways from this year's letter: A Focus on Global Health According to the Gateses, 86 percent of children around the world currently receive basic immunizations. And their goal is to get those immunizations to the remaining 14 percent. However, they note that actually getting those immunizations to those children will be extremely difficult. Those efforts have paid off: Vaccinations have saved 14 million lives around the world, according to the foundation. A single vaccination also used to cost $3.65. It now costs less than $1 to vaccinate children. But the Gateses acknowledge their work is far from done. They plan to continue to invest in HIV/AIDS treatment and making it easier to prevent the spread of the virus. But the work doesn't stop there, according to Bill Gates. And the Gates Foundation will also tackle other major health concerns. "Along with our investments in vaccines and HIV, we will continue to support progress on other diseases, like malaria, tuberculosis, and polio (through our partnership with the Global Polio Eradication Initiative," Bill Gates wrote. "We'll fund new advances in family planning and maternal and newborn health, and we'll explore new ways of preventing the scourge of malnutrition." Education Trying to improve education has proved to be one of the biggest challenges facing the Gates Foundation, according to the Gateses. But their work is far from done. They said they plan to continue to invest in education and have so far awarded $240 million in grants for 30 networks of schools that aim at improving graduation rates and postsecondary opportunities for African American, Latinx, and low-income students. "Each network includes eight to 20 schools and is focused on a goal of its choosing--for example, helping freshmen who aren't 'on track' to graduate get themselves on the right path," Bill Gates says. "The first year of high school is a critical moment. A freshman who fails no more than one course is four times more likely to graduate than one who fails two or more. Being 'on track' in this way is more predictive of whether that student will graduate than race, wealth, or even test scores." Looking ahead, the Gateses say they want their foundation to not focus on a "one-size-fits-all" solution for schools. Instead, they want to find solutions based on each school's unique needs. Gender Equality Melinda Gates began her discussion on gender and why it matters so much to her with powerful words: "The data is unequivocal: No matter where in the world you are born, your life will be harder if you are born a girl." It's against that backdrop that the Gates Foundation is working toward improving gender equality around the world. Melinda Gates said in her discussion that "the world has refused to make gender equality a priority." And she wants the Gates Foundation to address that problem. To do that, she said, she wants to up the pace at which women take on positions of leadership across government and business. She also wants to eliminate barriers to entry for women entering the workforce. "We need to be deliberate about galvanizing a wide range of partners to play a role in changing society's norms and expectations--not just the activists and advocates who are already leading these conversations, but consumers, shareholders, faith leaders, entertainers, fathers, and husbands," Melinda Gates wrote. Senior Inspector Suresh Patil of Dharavi police station in Mumbai was placed under suspension after being charged with dereliction of duty, an official said on Tuesday. Constables Mukund Shinde, who was working as Patil's assistant, and Sanjay Talekar were caught accepting a bribe of Rs 25,000 by the Maharashtra Anti-Corruption Bureau on January 17, the official said. "It showed Patil had no control over his subordinates. He was asked to give an explanation for dereliction of duty but he did not come forward. Therefore, he was suspended," the official added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal CM Mamata Banarjee West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described Aam Aadmi Party's triumph in the Delhi Assembly polls as the victory of democracy and said people did not want divisive politics. Banerjee, who called up AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on his party's resounding success, later told media here that the BJP was losing every poll now. "Democracy has won in Delhi. BJP is losing every poll everywhere. People do not want divisive politics," she said. PARCHMAN, Miss., Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Due to the state of Mississippi's failure to properly fund, staff, and maintain its prisons, many inmates are currently being confined in conditions which pose serious and imminent dangers to their safety and well-being. The shortage of correctional officers on staff at Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman in particular has created an environment in which the inmates are susceptible to violence, gang influence, and prolonged states of anarchy. Running water is scarce, mold is rampant, and inmates are forced to sleep on the floor with no mattresses or pillows. Since January 1, 2020, no less than nine inmates have died at Parchman and at least two others have escaped. Prison reform activists have called for the facility to be shut down since the 1990s but attempts to close or reform Parchman have been unsuccessful. Last month, Jay-Z and Yo Gotti filed a case for injunctive release in an effort to obtain better conditions for Parchman inmates. Now the Oliver Law Group has partnered with Calderon Law against the Mississippi Department of Corrections. The Defendants are Pelicia E. Hall, the Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Corrections, her successors, and Marshal Turner, the Superintendent of the Mississippi State Penitentiary. This lawsuit is seeking damages on behalf of inmates whose 8th amendment rights have been violated. This is the only class action lawsuit that seeks monetary damages on behalf of the Parchman inmates. For more information, get in touch with Oliver Law Group, P.C. at www.oliverlawgroup.com . SOURCE Oliver Law Group, P.C. Related Links https://www.oliverlawgroup.com Britain is facing a major coronavirus outbreak after the illness struck down two GPs -sparking an urgent hunt for potentially hundreds of people who could have been in contact with people they have treated. Public health officials have shut down their surgery and are urgently tracing patients who might have been infected. Tracking down the patients of the two Brighton doctors has been made a priority because the virus is known to be particularly dangerous for those with pre-existing health conditions. NHS sources stressed a maximum of 15 patients came into contact with them since their return from the French chalet. The Brighton doctors are among 11 Britons thought to have caught the virus from a 'super-spreader', a middle-aged businessman who contracted it in Singapore. He is believed to be a scoutmaster and married father-of-one. Whitehall sources suggested the cluster of cases meant hundreds of people would now have to be tested for the virus. The news comes as the death toll from the killer disease tops 1,000. At least one of the infected doctors is thought to have practised at the County Oak Medical Centre on Carden Hill. It was shut down yesterday for a deep clean. County Oak medical centre in Brighton has been shut down, sealed off and was cleaned by a team in hazmat suits 'because of an urgent operational health and safety reason' Brighton GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre has been closed today for 'urgent operational health and safety reasons' after a member of staff tested positive for the killer coronavirus Dr Catriona Saynor (pictured left) quit as a partner in Brighton to live permanently in the French chalet where the British super-spreader visited to ski. She works at County Oak Medical Centreas a locum, according to the medical centre's website. Her husband Bob and their nine-year-old son are also said to have been confirmed with coronavirus The Britons infected with coronavirus - and the patients ill in the UK Cases in the UK and where they are being cared for: Newcastle: Two Chinese nationals who came to the UK with coronavirus and fell ill while on the tourist trail in York. They were the first two cases on British soil and confirmed on January 31. London: The first British coronavirus victim has become known as a super-spreader. He picked up the virus in Singapore - but flew for a ski break in France afterwards where he appears to have infected at least 11 people. Dr Catriona Saynor, who owns the chalet with her husband Bob, is feared to be the fourth patient in the UK diagnosed with Coronavirus. Her husband remained in France but she flew to Britain for medical exams and is in hospital. Four more people in Brighton were diagnosed over the weekend and confirmed as cases today. They were all 'known contacts' of the super-spreader and are thought to have stayed in the same French resort. Total in UK hospitals: Eight patients. Six Britons and two Chinese nationals British expats and holidaymakers outside the UK and where they are being cared for: Majorca: A British father-of-two who stayed in the ski resort tested positive after returning to his home in Majorca. His wife and children are not ill. France: Five people who were in the chalet with the super-spreader. These include the chalet's owner, environmental consultant Bob Saynor, 48, and his nine-year-old son. They are all in a French hospital with three unnamed others. Dr Catriona Saynor is in Britain. Japan: A British man on board a cruise ship docked at a port in Japan tested positive for coronavirus, Princess Cruises said. Alan Steele, from Wolverhampton, posted on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with the virus. Steele said he was not showing any symptoms but was being taken to hospital. He was on his honeymoon. Total: Seven Advertisement He apparently passed it on to a group he stayed with at a French ski chalet close to Mont Blanc. Six of the infected Britons are being treated in France and Spain, but the other five, including the GPs, are back in the Brighton area. It is feared the super-spreader, who is in an isolation unit, came into contact with hundreds of people on his return to Britain. A source who knows the super-spreader told the Sun: 'I know he was in Singapore because I was aware he was attending a conference. 'After that was done, he went to the chalet in France via Geneva, which is an hour away, and he stayed there for a week. 'After spending five days at the chalet, he took an easyJet flight home to Gatwick and went back to Brighton.' A Scout Association spokesman last night could not confirm whether one of its 640,000 members had contracted the virus. The World Health Organisation expressed its alarm about the situation last night. 'The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire,' said its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He said it was worrying that the illness had been transmitted by people with no travel history to China, where the virus originated. As the death toll in China passed 1,000 and the Department of Health declared a 'serious and imminent threat': The Government handed itself new powers to arrest anyone suspected of having coronavirus; The number of cases in Britain reached eight, the Brighton cluster and two Chinese nationals infected in York; Private schools were advised to tell pupils not to travel to South-East Asia during next week's half term; A student at the University of Sussex in Brighton was admitted to hospital with suspected coronavirus; A private school in Southampton was closed for three days after pupils were put into isolation with virus symptoms; A Chinese citizen journalist who raised the alarm about coronavirus has been missing since last Thursday; UK healthcare workers have now tested 1,100 people for the virus; British Airways cancelled all flights to and from China until April. Until the Country Oak medical centre reopens, the surgery's 7,600 patients have been told to call NHS 111 if they are unwell or 999 if they have a life-threatening emergency. A note on the front of the County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton saying the surgery has been closed for 'operational difficulties' UK GOVERNMENT WILL 'FORCIBLY QUARANTINE ANY PATIENTS WITH SUSPECTED CORONAVIRUS' Suspected coronavirus patients will now be forcibly quarantined after a man staying at an isolation facility following his evacuation from Wuhan two weeks ago threatened to walk out. The patient staying at Arrowe Park hospital on The Wirral told medics he was going to leave before completing 14 days of quarantine after his return from the Chinese city, MailOnline understands. Government sources said those who returned to the UK on the evacuation flights on January 31 were given a 'very clear choice' and had to sign contracts saying they would remain in isolation for a fortnight. It came as the Department of Health today declared the outbreak a 'serious and imminent' threat to the British public as it announced new powers to fight the spread. Anyone infected with the virus will now be kept in quarantine for their own safety and will be forced into isolation if they pose a threat to public health. A source told MailOnline: 'We found we didn't have the necessary enforcement powers to make sure they didn't leave. The source said the phrase 'serious and imminent threat' in the regulation was needed to trigger the powers, and at the moment the risk to the public is still regarded as 'moderate'. We're saying we are having to take action to prevent it becoming a serious and imminent threat.' The first Britons evacuated from Wuhan will have completed 14 days in quarantine on Saturday, MailOnline understands. Advertisement A GP who has worked at the practice, Catriona Greenwood, owns the French chalet with her husband. However, there is no official confirmation that she is infected with the virus. According to Brighton and Hove News she worked an 'admin' day at the surgery last week but did not meet any patients. Public Health England is also trying to trace anyone who came into contact with the other Britons who were infected on the ski holiday. They have told a dozen people in Brighton to go into quarantine and they are sending them texts every morning asking them to reply 'yes' or 'no' if they have symptoms. Five staff at the Grenadier pub in Hove have been instructed to 'self-isolate' after the super-spreader spent two hours there on February 1. One bar worker was told they needed to be within two metres of an infected person for longer than 20 minutes to have any risk of picking up the infection. Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director of PHE, said: 'Two of these new cases are healthcare workers and as soon as they were identified, we advised them to self-isolate in order to keep patient contact to a minimum. 'We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage we believe this to be a relatively small number.' The fact that this super-spreader passed the disease to 11 Britons five of whom returned to the UK and may have infected others themselves has concerned scientists. ' Last week Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said patients tended to spread the disease to only two or three people. Arrowe Park Hospital, the isolation facility in The Wirral, where Britons evacuated from Wuhan in China have been staying Health chiefs are also under increasing pressure to name a British 'super spreader' of the coronavirus, who is thought to have infected at least seven others It is possible the inhabitants of the chalet were in very close contact and the man may not have had any symptoms. Andrew Freedman of Cardiff University's School of Medicine said: 'It does appear that the index case has passed on the infection to an unusually large number of contacts. BRIT BUSINESSMAN GETS CORONAVIRUS AT SINGAPORE HOTEL THEN FLEW HOME VIA FRENCH SKI RESORT AND HAD PINT AT HIS LOCAL PUB A British 'super spreader' is feared to have infected at least seven others with coronavirus, prompting the emergency testing of hundreds of people on his flights, Alpine ski break and even staff in his local pub. The businessman is at the centre of a web of cases stretching across the UK, France and Spain after he apparently contracted the virus during a four-day trip to Singapore for a sales conference for gas analysis company Servomex. The man in his fifties then jetted from south-east Asia to the Alps to ski in Les Contamines-Montjoie in late January where five more Britons including a nine-year-old boy became infected despite the 'super spreader' not having any cold or flu-like symptoms. Britain's health authorities have also contacted 183 passengers and six crew on an easyJet flight then taken by the unnamed man from Geneva to London, warning that they could be infected. Five staff at The Grenadier in Hove, his local pub, have been instructed to self-isolate for a fortnight after he went there for a pint on Saturday February 1. Advertisement 'As such, he could be termed a super-spreader. 'This may occur as result of someone being infectious despite having few or no symptoms, meaning they are unaware they have the infection. 'It can also result from someone coming into close contact with an unusually large number of people or someone carrying a larger than normal quantity of the virus.' The super-spreader, who lives in Brighton, contracted the virus at a conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore organised by Servomex, a British gas analytics company. He then flew to France and spent four days in a chalet in Les Contamines-Montjoie. This chalet has been pinpointed as the centre of this outbreak. It is owned by Miss Greenwood, one of the potentially infected GPs, and her husband Bob Saynor, 48, an environmental consultant. Mr Saynor is being treated for the virus in France with his nine-year-old son and five other Britons. A British father of two who also stayed at the chalet is in hospital in Majorca. The 13 Britons to have contracted the virus include Alan Steele who fell ill on his honeymoon aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan. Two Chinese nationals are being treated in Newcastle after testing positive for the virus in York. Brighton pharmacists have sold out of hand sanitisers and face masks. 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 Is it time for Aam Admi Party to give it another shot on the national scene India oi-Vicky Nanjappa New Delhi, Feb 11: A banner outside the Aam Admi Party's office in Delhi read, join AAP for nation-building. To join the AAP, dial, 9871010101. The AAP won in the most outstanding fashion in the Delhi elections. However, this banner is an indicator that the AAP has once again started to nurture national ambitions like it had done in 2014. In 2014, the AAP launched the Main Bhi Aam Admi campaign. It had provided a toll-free number for people to either give a missed call or send a message in order to join the party. In 2014, AAP had fielded 434 candidates. The party managed to win four seats, all from Punjab. The vote share of the party was at 2 per cent. 414 of its candidates forfeited deposits as they failed to secure one-sixth of the vote in their constituencies. As AAP leads in 58 seats, Lt Guv Anil Baijal dissolves Delhi Assembly In the 2013 Delhi elections, the party had won 32 seats, but in the national poll, it failed to bag even a single one. Even in the 2019 national election, the AAP did not win a single seat, despite it bagging 67 of the 70 seats in the assembly polls. In the 2019 elections, the AAP did throw its hat into the national ring. It fielded candidates from Delhi, Goa and Punjab. In Haryana, the party had formed an alliance with the JJP and contested on three Lok Sabha seats. Out of the 40 seats that the AAP contested on, it won 39 of them. The AAP also tried its hand in the assembly segment outside Delhi. In Goa, the party lost all the seats it contested in 2017. In the Punjab election of 2017, the AAP contested with the Lok Insaaf Party. In all the alliance won 22 seats, of which 20 were bagged by the AAP. In the Haryana and Maharashtra elections, the AAP contested on 70 seats but lost all of them. It fielded 24 candidates in Maharashtra and 46 in Haryana. Loss for BJP means it is out of power in Delhi for 27 years Dr Sandeep Shastri, one of India's top psephologists tells OneIndia, the AAP should not try its hand in the national arena now. The Delhi victory is based on the sustained and solid groundwork done over a long period. One does not see that groundwork elsewhere and hence I feel the Delhi replication on the national stage at this juncture is difficult. Former CNBC TV anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera (pictured) has launched a primary challenge against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez A Democrat has registered to challenge Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her House seat as she goes up for reelection this year - the fifth challenger to the socialist Congressional star. Michelle Caruso-Cabrera worked as the chief international correspondent for CNBC for eight years, and still worked for the network as a contributor until her surprise announcement Tuesday morning. She is now seeking to best Ocasio-Cortez in New York's 14'th congressional district primary elections. Caruso-Cabrera, 53, filed the paperwork to launch a Democratic primary run on Monday as Ocasio-Cortez, 30, continues to campaign for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders. The new candidate, who says she has been registered Democrat for several years, will no longer serve as a CNBC contributor, according to a fellow network reporter. She had been known on air as MCC. Her status as a Democrat was not immediately visible on public records of her New Jersey and former Manhattan addresses, and is in contrast to her only published book, You Know I'm Right: More Prosperity, Less Government, which advocated fiscal conservatism and social liberalism. 'I am the daughter and granddaughter of working class Italian and Cuban immigrants,' she said. 'I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I've had.' Her target, Ocasio-Cortez, pulled out an upset in the 2018 primary, when she defeated ten-term incumbent Joe Crowley, who was once thought to be a possible successor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. At the time she was 28 and she won with 57 per cent of the vote for the district that encompasses parts of New York City's boroughs of Queens and The Bronx. She easily went on to win the general election in the deep-blue district and remains extremely popular in her home state and has garnered progressive support from across the country soon becoming one of the most-known members of Congress. Ocasio-Cortez won New York's 14th congressional district in 2018 after pulling out an upset against incumbent Democrat Joe Crowley Ocasio-Cortez is also facing three other Democratic primary challengers. Two are pictured here: Fernando Cabrera (left), who already represents the 14th District in the New York City Council, and Jose Velazquez (right) Before running for office herself, Ocasio-Cortez was an organizer for Sanders' 2016 primary campaign against Hillary Clinton. She is now a top surrogate for Sanders on the 2020 campaign trail and has brought along with her some fellow 'squad' members, which include freshmen Representatives Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. Caruso-Cabrera is not the only Democrat looking to unseat Ocasio-Cortez. There are four other candidates who feel they could better represent the diversity of New York's 14th district. Moderate Democrat Fernando Cabrera already represents the 14th District in the New York City Council and in October announced his primary challenge. He has been critical of Ocasio-Cortez, claiming her far-left ideas like the Green New Deal and universal healthcare has further divided and damaged the Democratic Party. Ocasio-Cortez is one of Bernie Sanders' best-known surrogates on the campaign trail He asserted that it would take a Democrat to be able to beat her and bashed her Democratic socialist perspectives. 'Only a Democrat is going to be able to defeat her, and it's going to be a moderate Democrat,' he said in an interview back in October. 'She's a no-show in the district. She hasn't brought about anything except division within the party.' 'Socialism doesn't work. I don't want it for my children, for my grandchildren,' he added. Three other lesser-known individuals have also launched Democratic challenges against Ocasio-Cortez: James Dillon, Badrun Khan and Jose Velazquez. On the Republican side, there are eight candidates vying to win the primary election to take on Ocasio-Cortez. Queens went 75.4 per cent for Clinton in 2016 and 88.5 per cent in The Bronx voted for Clinton, proving it is highly unlikely that any Republican candidate has a standing chance in the district. Conservative activists waged a successful campaign against the Equal Rights Amendment decades ago by warning it would force women into combat, legalize gay marriage and erode gender roles. But in 2020, opponents are zeroing in on one line of attack: a claim that ERA would require taxpayer-funded abortions. The House will vote later this week on a bill that would remove the deadline for ratifying the ERA, which permanently bans discrimination on the basis of sex. The Constitutional amendment, adopted by Congress in 1972, resurfaced last month after Virginia became the last state needed to clear the 38-legislature threshold. A group of conservative states, backed by the DOJ, contend the ERA failed to meet the ratification deadline decades ago and Congress has no legal authority to amend it; Democratic attorneys, on the other hand, argue the Constitution doesnt give Congress the power to set any ratification deadline, so the ERA should be considered enacted now. Though the bill is expected to pass the House, it has little to no chance of winning support from the GOP-controlled Senate or President Donald Trump. The real fight will likely take place in federal courts but the battle for public opinion is already in full swing, and influential and well-funded anti-abortion groups and their allies in Congress dont want to take any chances. Everyone knows this renewed effort isnt about womens rights, the office of House Republican Whip Steve Scalise said, summarizing the message being relayed to the GOP caucus. Its about eliminating federal and state life protections and ushering in an era of taxpayer funding of abortion. Conservatives argue that because only women can have abortions, any restrictions on the procedure could be deemed unconstitutional under the ERA and theyre excoriating progressive supporters of the amendment for dancing around this open legal question. ERA proponents, in turn, accuse conservatives of harping on the abortion issue because most of the dire consequences they predicted in the 1970s have already come to pass. Story continues House Minority Whip Steve Scalise speaks with members of the media outside a secure area of the Capitol. A lot of the arguments that they had in opposition against the ERA are no longer relevant, said Rep. Carolyn Maloney, a lead sponsor of the House bill and author of a separate bill that would propose a new ERA. One of them is that we would have co-ed bathrooms. Wake up. Have you been on a plane? Have you been in a private home? And women are already in the military, on the front lines, they're admirals, they're generals. As for gay rights gay rights have passed. So that is no longer an issue." Advocates for the ERA acknowledge that abortion needs to be part of the conversation. Any debate over womens rights, they say, must also address control over when and whether to have children. There are no equal rights for women without access to abortion, plain and simple, said Alexis McGill Johnson, acting president and CEO of Planned Parenthood. But supporters say conservatives focus on the issue is little more than political cover for blocking women from gaining equality under the law. By homing in on abortion, they contend, opponents are merely pursuing a socially palatable way of opposing gender equality. Theyre not going to get up and say, Im a [misogynist], Jessica Neuwirth, co-president and co-founder of the ERA Coalition. They have to find some smokescreen. Abortion, she added, is literally the only thing anyone has that they feel they can throw against the ERA. This messaging war, coming to a head with this weeks House vote, has been months in the making. Attendees of Januarys National Pro-Life Summit in Washington were told that the ERA is abortion in disguise. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote to lawmakers Thursday warning that the amendment would become a powerful tool against pro-life abortion laws. And a campaign launched over the weekend by Students for Life calls it Roe 2.0 and argues ERA should stand for Everything Related to Abortion. Kristan Hawkins, the president of Students for Life, said shell bring student activists to Capitol Hill this week to lobby moderate Republicans they fear might waver on voting no. Members sometimes get nervous and ask us, How do we talk about this issue? Equal Rights Amendment sounds like such a good thing, she said. We tell them: Sure, the ERA is a nice title but it has nasty consequences. Its a Trojan horse. We know youre worried about Republicans so-called women problem, which I would argue doesnt exist, but this is not the way to address it. Conservatives cite other reasons they oppose the ERA including that it could deny women alimony payments post-divorce and that the U.S. already has adequate laws to protect gender equality, such as the 14th Amendment. But abortion has emerged as the primary fault line in the reignited debate and its an argument that resonates with Republican lawmakers. Anything that would hurt the right to life and threaten the protections we have for unborn children is a concern, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the vocally anti-abortion leader of the Houses conservative Freedom Caucus, told POLITICO. ERA supporters say that by tying the amendment to abortion, opponents are acknowledging that women are inherently unequal without access to the procedure and they prefer to keep it that way. Its ironic that people are pulling the ERA into this, because it suggests that they think abortion is an equality right, Neuwirth said. CUNY professor Julie Suk, an expert in comparative constitutional law who is writing a book on the ERA, agreed. Opponents are correct in sensing that womens equal status in society requires some measure of reproductive freedom, and some measure of reproductive freedom includes access to abortion, under at least some circumstances, she said. This is only the latest chapter in a lengthy battle over whether a ban on discrimination on the basis of sex can and should be added to the Constitution. The ERA was proposed in 1923, rewritten in 1943, and adopted by Congress in 1972. Members of both parties supported the amendment in fact, Republicans made it part of their platform well before Democrats, who were nervous it could deny women and children New Deal protections. Buoyed by a wave of public support, blue and red states rushed to ratify the language in the mid-1970s; but momentum slowed following a successful grassroots campaign by anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly, who warned it would legalize gay marriage, mandate unisex bathrooms, and subject women to the military draft. While abortion was one of many arguments against the ERA, it wasnt the center of the debate like it is today. Before Roe v. Wade, there was little, if any, discussion in Congress about the implications of this for abortion, said Douglas D. Johnson, the senior policy adviser at the National Right to Life Committee who represented the anti-abortion group in one of its initial battles against the ERA in the 1980s. Congress extended the deadline to 1982 to no avail: By the time it expired, only 35 of the required 38 states had voted to ratify, and five even attempted to rescind their ratification. The issue didnt resurface until 2017, when Nevada became the 36th state to ratify the ERA and, a year later, Illinois followed suit. A wave of women running for and getting elected to public office in the wake of Trumps ascendance, buoyed by the Womens March and #MeToo movement, fueled the momentum to ratify, supporters and legal experts say momentum that crested in January when Virginia voted to ratify the amendment, becoming the final state needed to clear the three-quarters threshold. Opponents of the effort have mobilized in parallel though some say legal obstacles make this a less urgent fight than Schlaflys 1970s crusade. This is not a live ball. I would call it a show vote, researcher Melanie Israel with the Heritage Foundation said of the House bill. During the 1970s, this was at its peak. But everybody recognizes that the stakes are not the same now. Really its more of an opportunity for us to educate a new generation about why the ERA is problematic. Israel and other ERA critics point to what has happened at a local level. In New Mexico, Connecticut, Alaska and a few other states that have added ERA-like language to their own constitutions, conservative groups say it has provided a legal foundation to expand federal funding for medically necessary abortions, and set a precedent that they warn could lead to unfettered access to abortion. Johnson cites a 1998 New Mexico Supreme Court ruling he called the perfect case for showing how this would work, in which judges voted unanimously that the states ERA requires its government use Medicaid funds to pay for medically necessary abortions. The New Mexico case shows its a very plausible outcome on the national level, he said. Legal experts counter that while the ERA would strengthen womens rights, including reproductive ones, its unclear that such a scenario would transfer to the national level. Its unpredictable, because its a legal argument that if you cover all medically necessary services but you leave out abortion, that is sex discrimination, Suk said. That is an argument that I think is a persuasive argument, and some state Supreme Courts have been persuaded by that argument, but there are also arguments on the other side. Suk pointed to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that the exclusion of pregnancy from certain benefits is not sex discrimination. In a similar fashion, she said, the question of whether the ERA guarantees access to abortion would be up to the judges. My own view as a legal thinker is that the right to make decisions about reproductive health care, including abortion, is central to any understanding of gender equality, Suk said. Im not saying its unlikely to be the law of the land, but Im saying its not a certainty that the ERA would lead to abortion funding. Conservatives arguing against ratification, including Israel, say theyre not comforted by this legal gray area. Really? Do you think thats going to assuage our concerns about this? That well say, Sure, lets just roll the dice and see if the Supreme Court agrees? No. Of course not, she said. While Israel cited several other reasons why Heritage views the ERA as problematic, including the possibility that it could extend protections to transgender women, some anti-abortion groups including the NRLC say they would be neutral on the amendment if it included language explicitly stating that it doesnt apply to abortion. ERA supporters say such a carve-out is a nonstarter. The ability of women to participate equally and the idea of equality in our economy is fundamentally bound up with the ability to access reproductive rights, said Fatima Goss Graves, the president of the National Womens Law Center. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 Eco-housing projects will need to obtain green certification in order to be able to benefit from the governments financial incentives, such as those provided by Bank Indonesia (BI). The central banks macroprudential policy department director, Widi Agustin, said property projects that are claimed as environmentally friendly should obtain a green certificate to ensure that they meet the standards set by the government. "An environmentally friendly property is a property that meets green building criteria, which meet international and national standards," Widi said at a seminar on the outlook of the property business in 2020 in Jakarta on Thursday. 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 27-year old scrap dealer who was on trial for defiling a nine year old girl at Amrahia in the Greater Accra Region has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by an Accra Circuit Court. Muntari Amadu who pleaded not guilty, was found guilty by the Court presided over by Mrs. Justice Rita Abrokwah-Doko, a High Court Judge, sitting with additional responsibility as a Circuit Court judge at the end of the trial. Prosecuting, Chief Inspector Kofi Atimbire said on October 10, 2018 at about 1600 hours, Amadu went to the complainants house to collect scraps as he usual, but he did not meet the complainant at home. Prosecution said Amadu rather met the victim playing with some children a few meters away from the house. The prosecution said Amadu then engaged the victim to assist him pick some scraps into a sack and in the process, Amadu grabbed the victim, covered her mouth, dragged her into an uncompleted building in a nearby bush and had sex with her. Prosecution said Amadu told the victim not to tell anyone but a neighbor who saw him come out of the bush with victim told the complainant who in turn asked the victim. The prosecution said the victim narrated her ordeal, and the complainant reported the matter to the Police where a medical report form was issued to the complainant to seek medical attention for the victim. When Amadu was arrested he denied the offence in his investigative cautioned statement to the Police. Source: GNA Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is expected to arrive this week in Islamabad to attend the sixth round of the Pakistan-Turkey High Level Strategic Cooperation Council. On Feb. 14, the second day of his two-day visit, he plans to address Pakistan's parliament and hold talks with lawmakers. This will be Erdogans second visit to Pakistan since he became president in 2014; he also made the trip twice as Turkeys prime minister. Cementing the historical bond between Ankara and Islamabad, this visit signifies expanding ties between the brotherly countries. Erdogan and a delegation of Turkish businessmen and top investors are expected to hold comprehensive trade talks with their Pakistani counterparts, and various important agreements could be finalized. Exploring new opportunities in trade and further synchronizing military relations are primary purposes behind the visit. Pakistan can expect more Turkish investment. Significantly, Prime Minister Imran Khan recently said he intends to involve Turkey in projects related to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Ankara's inclusion in the megaproject could open new possibilities. In an interview with Turkeys official news outlet, Anadolu Agency, Khan mentioned that Pakistan requires Turkeys help with mining and technology transfer in various areas, so joint projects in some new sectors can be expected. Notably, the Turkish consulate under construction in Karachi, Pakistans largest city and main port, is going to be Turkeys largest consulate anywhere in the world. This symbolizes the importance Ankara is giving to trade ties and its possible involvement in CPEC. A direct Istanbul-Tehran-Islamabad TIR trade corridor linking Iran, Central Asia, Turkey and Europe was inaugurated in April 2019. TIR stands for Transports Internationaux Routiers (International Road Transport) and is designed to smooth customs control. A strategic economic framework and free trade agreement have also been under consideration and, if finalized, could help increase trade volume. On this visit, officials will consider and perhaps sign an agreement to grant dual citizenship to Turks and Pakistanis. Acknowledging both countries longstanding ties, Pakistan plans to commemorate this year the centenary of the Khilafat movement of the 1920s. Started on the Indian subcontinent in support of the Ottoman Empire, this part of history binds the Turkish and Pakistani nations. Various new military training programs are being planned. Some law enforcement equipment is to be upgraded, and according to a statement by Pakistans Ministry of Interior, it welcomed the initiative of introducing a patrolling force in collaboration with ICT [Islamabad Capital Territory] Police. Having an annual military and air force training exchange program since 2000, Turkey also helps maintain Pakistans fleet of F-16 aircraft. Bilateral defense and security cooperation was upgraded with some landmark defense deals in 2018, and these days Turkey is Pakistans second-biggest arms supplier after China. In the past decade, almost 1,500 Pakistani military officers have been trained in Turkey. Where foreign policy objectives are concerned, both countries are mostly on the same wavelength and strategic ties have gradually grown over the years. High-level civil and military relations have been maintained since 1988 under the Pak-Turk Military Consultative Group mechanism. Extending strategic and military ties with Pakistan has helped increase Turkeys influence in Asia and provided new options even as the European Union is going through a metamorphosis. Basically, Pakistan is the strategic partner that helps Turkey maintain a balance between the East and West. Turkey backs Pakistan on its support of Kashmiri self-determination and Erdogan raised the matter at the UN in September. Remaining Islamabads most dependable ally, Ankara has also supported Pakistan at the Financial Action Task Force forum and backed its membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group as well. Both countries are dependable allies. As a senior adviser to the Erdogan, Yalcin Topcu, described it recently, Whatever the situation, we have always been close to Pakistan. The Pakistani-Turkish equation has developed so rapidly in recent years that it could soon surpass Pakistan's ties with other major countries in the region. Especially in the case of Saudi Arabia, Islamabads flourishing ties with Ankara could cause a new upheaval. In recent years, the strategic interests of Saudi Arabia and Turkey began to diverge, in part due to their contrasting perspectives on how to overthrow Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during Syrias civil war. Ankaras interests also have become more aligned with Iran, China and even Russia. Now, with Erdogans visit, Pakistani-Turkish ties will be further strengthened, which could affect Pakistans foreign policy. Kuala Lumpur hosted an Islamic mini-summit in December that was organized by the leadership of Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan. However, Pakistans premier canceled his plans to attend the conference at the last minute, as Riyadh felt the forum was created to sideline the Organization of Islamic Cooperation. Previously, Islamabad had offered Riyadh the opportunity to become a third partner in its CPEC megaproject with China. Now a similar offer is being made to Ankara. Already, Pakistan maintains a delicate balance in its relations with Tehran and Riyadh, and now a third new angle has emerged. Discussing the implications of Pakistans sharp tilt toward Turkey, Michael Tanchum, a senior fellow at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, said, Turkeys burgeoning defense cooperation with Pakistan is indeed a challenge to the primacy of the Saudi-Pakistan relationship in Pakistans foreign affairs. Turkey is a rising arms producer and the deepening relationship between Ankara and Islamabad constitutes a strategic diversification of partners on Pakistans part. He added, However, Turkey by itself cannot compete with Saudi Arabia in terms of the economic and financial relationship that exists between Riyadh and Islamabad. Therefore, Pakistan is likely to try to balance its ties with both Ankara and Riyadh. Right now, Turkey has its own strategic aims and Pakistan is an important link in this equation, but maintaining the status quo remains the best practical option for Islamabad. Two years ago, Erdogan claimed Turkey would shape the future of the entire region once it achieves its targets in 2023, which include becoming one of the top 10 world economies and reaching a foreign trade volume of $1 trillion. Its possible that implementing this strategic vision could trigger realignments in the Middle East, rendering past arrangements unsustainable. The owner of Manchesters Trafford Centre and the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex has seen shares plummet after an investor pulled out of talks over an emergency cash call (PA) The owner of Manchesters Trafford Centre and the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex has seen shares plummet after an investor pulled out of talks over an emergency cash call. Shares in debt-laden Intu Properties plunged by nearly a third after it said Hong Kong-based retail property investor Link Real Estate Investment Trust had pulled out, just a day after confirming discussions between the pair. Intu said it remains engaged with shareholders and potential new investors over a possible equity raise, reportedly worth at least 1 billion. Links withdrawal comes as a huge blow to Intu, given that the firm was understood to be in talks to become the cornerstone investor in the fundraising round, working alongside John Whittakers Peel Group, which already owns 27.3% of Intu. Intu owns the Lakeside shopping centre in Essex (PA) Shares had climbed nearly 30% on Monday on hopes of a deal with Link. A spokesperson for Link said: Link remains interested in opportunities in the UK, but our negotiations with Intu have not reached an agreement. Intus bosses had previously confirmed plans to announce a cash-call from shareholders and new investors at its annual results later this month as it looks to pay down its huge 5 billion debt pile. The company has been hit by the collapse of several big-name retailers in the past year, along with others pushing through insolvency plans known as company voluntary arrangements (CVAs) to reduce rents. Other retailers, including Hotel Chocolat and Next, have also started demanding their own rent reductions arguing they should not be penalised with higher bills for being successful. The city of Afrin was rocked by a car bomb that killed six civilians and caused a large amount of damage to the surrounding buildings reports Al-Hal. On Monday, a car bomb in Afrin city killed six civilians and wounded more than 20 others according to a preliminary count, as well as destroying a number of shops and damaging civilian homes in the area of the blast. The Civil Defense in Aleppo province said that six civilians were killed and a number of others wounded by a car bomb on the Rajjou road, without noting any other details. Activists from the city said that the blast occurred near the Feen restaurant and caused damage to stores and civilian homes, in an area where there was recently a motorcycle bombing. Last week, the town of Nubl in Afrin was bombed by the Syrian army, killing two children and wounding 12 people, which appeared to have come after a Russian base was bombed by National Army factions after tensions rose between the Turkish and regime forces in the Aleppo northern countryside. 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. FILE PHOTO: Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Heineken Jean Francois van Boxmeer delivers a speech in Meoquii BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Jean-Francois van Boxmeer, chief executive of Dutch brewer Heineken for the past 15 years, will step down on June 1 and be replaced by the head of the company's Asia-Pacific region, the world's second largest beer maker said on Tuesday. The brewer of Europe's top lager Heineken, as well as Sol, Tiger and Strongbow cider, announced the change a day before it publishes its 2019 results. Belgian Van Boxmeer, 58, joined Heineken in 1984 as a trainee and took a number of management positions, including in Africa, before becoming CEO in 2005. Under Van Boxmeer's stewardship, Heineken consolidated its position as a global brewer, more than doubling in size. Heineken carved up Scottish & Newcastle with Carlsberg in 2008, became a major brewer in Mexico in 2010, boosted its presence in Asia in 2013 and in 2017 became the second largest brewer in Brazil in acquisitions worth more than 30 billion euros (25.49 billion pounds). "He will leave behind a company excellently positioned to grow further," said Jean-Marc Huet, chairman of Heineken's supervisory board. Van Boxmeer's retirement as CEO does not come as a major surprise. He had a term of office until 2021, but the company was believed to be seeking a successor. "I feel now is the right moment to hand over leadership to the next generation," Van Boxmeer said in a statement. That successor will be Dolf van den Brink, currently head of Heineken in the Asia Pacific region. The 46-year-old Dutchman has been with the company for 22 years. Van Boxmeer has been nominated as a non-executive board member of Heineken Holding , which owns 50.005% of the brewer, Heineken N.V. (Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; editing by David Evans) Sydney's Inner West Council has been slammed by ratepayers for wasting money on a new logo that cost $90,000. The local council unveiled the new animated logo that appears in the top left corner of their website on February 3 after 18 months of design work. People from 28 suburbs forked out for the logo as the Inner West Council is made up of five large wards; Ashfield, Balmain, Leichhardt, Marrickville and Stanmore. But Inner West residents have not taken kindly to the expensive new logo on Facebook, with many saying the money would have been better spent elsewhere. The new logo: The local council unveiled the new $90,000 logo that appears in the top left corner of their website on February 3 after 18 months of designing The old logo: Inner West Council's original logo was a temporary look introduced when the Ashfield, Leichhardt, and Marrickville councils merged in 2016 Inner West Mayor Darcy Byrne was in power when $90,000 was taken out of the 2017-18 budget to pay a brand agency to make the new logo 'What a complete waste of time and money. Hideous, and hard to read,' one person wrote. Another resident wrote: 'Improve services to the community, i.e. street and footpath cleaning, then I'll be impressed.' 'How bad must the rejected have been? Lol,' another person said. The logo itself has letters that pop up one by one when the Inner West Council website loads up. Once fully loaded, the letters are made up of smaller shapes and lines, which ratepayers have labeled as 'messy' and 'confusing'. NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong was also confused by the logo on Facebook, writing: 'What is with this new logo from the Inner West Council?!' 'Apparently they spent over $60k on this. Not to mention how much more it might cost to roll it out (and the waste generated in replacing all the signs, banners, materials, etc).' Inner West residents have not taken kindly to the expensive new logo on Facebook, with many saying the money would have been better spent elsewhere NSW Greens MP Jenny Leong was also confused by the logo on Facebook, writing: 'What is with this new logo from the Inner West Council?!' The Inner West Council was formed in 2016 after a forced merger of the former Ashfield, Leichhardt, and Marrickville councils. A council spokeswoman said the new logo was to create a 'new brand' for the newly formed local council. 'In June 2018, elected council resolved that staff should commence the development of the new brand, with most of the work being done in house, and after extensive community engagement,' the council spokeswoman said. 'The black and white logo is just one of a number of versions that will adapted to various purposes. For example, theres one for Councils libraries, another for the aquatic centres thereve even a Pride logo. 'The agency also developed brand guidelines, templates, reports, presentations, posters, flyers, DLs, signs and the quarterly newsletter.' 'The comprehensive community engagement included convening a panel of nine local, representative people to kickstart the process of selection criteria, EOI briefing for the external brand agency and final decision-making criteria. 'The brand agency helped create the new look and logo for council. Funds were allocated for that purpose in the 2017-18 budget. This is the only cost associated with the new logo and brand ($90,000).' On Monday, Balmain Councillor John Stamolis admitted there 'has been mixed response' to the logo on Facebook. 'This will be discussed at the Council meeting tomorrow night (Tuesday),' he wrote. China Foods Limited (HKG:506), which is in the food business, and is based in Hong Kong, saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$3.22 and falling to the lows of HK$2.83. 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 China Foods's current trading price of HK$3.00 reflective of the actual value of the small-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at China Foodss outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. Check out our latest analysis for China Foods Is China Foods still cheap? According to my relative valuation model, the stock is currently overvalued. Ive used the price-to-earnings ratio in this instance because theres not enough visibility to forecast its cash flows. The stocks ratio of 21.08x is currently well-above the industry average of 15.66x, meaning that it is trading at a more expensive price relative to its peers. Furthermore, China Foodss share price also seems relatively stable compared to the rest of the market, as indicated by its low beta. If you believe the share price should eventually reach its true value, a low beta could suggest it is unlikely to rapidly do so anytime soon, and once its there, it may be hard to fall back down into an attractive buying range. Can we expect growth from China Foods? SEHK:506 Past and Future Earnings, February 11th 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. 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. With profit expected to grow by 39% over the next couple of years, the future seems bright for China Foods. It looks like higher cash flow is on the cards for the stock, which should feed into a higher share valuation. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? 506s optimistic future growth appears to have been factored into the current share price, with shares trading above its fair value. However, this brings up another question is now the right time to sell? If you believe 506 should trade below its current price, selling high and buying it back up again when its price falls towards its real value can be profitable. But before you make this decision, take a look at whether its fundamentals have changed. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping tabs on 506 for some time, now may not be the best time to enter into the stock. The price has surpassed its industry peers, which means it is likely that there is no more upside from mispricing. However, the optimistic prospect is encouraging for 506, which means its worth diving deeper into other factors 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 China Foods. You can find everything you need to know about China Foods in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in China Foods, 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. Communications companies in Canada and around the world are now building new wireless networks known as 5G (fifth generation) to replace equipment now in use and accommodate a huge increase in communications traffic. The Chinese company Huawei, already a supplier to Canadian telecom firms, offers 5G equipment at attractive prices. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Communications companies in Canada and around the world are now building new wireless networks known as 5G (fifth generation) to replace equipment now in use and accommodate a huge increase in communications traffic. The Chinese company Huawei, already a supplier to Canadian telecom firms, offers 5G equipment at attractive prices. Vincent Yu / The Associated Press Files Huawei founder and CEO Ren Zhengfei The United States government, however, has been warning that Huawei equipment may give the Chinese government means to gather information from unsuspecting users of 5G networks and may permit Chinese sabotage of public services plugged into Huawei equipment. Canadas federal government has to decide whether to allow Bell, Telus and other Canadian companies to take advantage of low Huawei prices and risk Chinese abuse of their networks. Huawei founder and leader Ren Zhengfei, a charming and affable engineer and entrepreneur, has often said he does not take orders from the Chinese government and would never carry out espionage. The U.S. government counters that Chinese law obliges all Chinese companies to support the gathering of intelligence for China. The U.S. has threatened to sever intelligence-sharing links with countries that install Huawei equipment in their 5G networks. We should rely on our own experience and that experience teaches that when you do business with Huawei you are dealing with the Chinese Communist Party and the government of China, and that the full might of a repressive totalitarian regime may be used against you if you do not promptly comply with Huaweis wishes. The Canadian companies that already use Huawei equipment are happy with it and want to buy more. Canadas experience with Huawei, however, also includes the Meng Wanzhou extradition case, which shows that Huawei and the Chinese Communist government are tied very closely together. 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. Canada arrested Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou 14 months ago, as she changed planes in Vancouver, at the request of U.S. prosecutors who accuse her of fraud against the firms bankers. She is Ren Zhengfeis daughter. The Chinese police retaliated against Canada by imprisoning former diplomat Michael Kovrig and entrepreneur Michael Spavor and by blocking Chinese purchases of Canadian canola and other agricultural products. Chinese foreign ministry spokesmen have made it plain that Canada-China relations will not improve until Canada releases Ms. Meng. She is free on bail in Vancouver but forbidden to leave. A judge has heard the U.S. claim for her extradition and Ms. Mengs objections. The judicial process may continue many months before a decision is reached. Because of these events, Canada is not merely guessing about the relationship between Huawei and the Chinese government. We know from our own experience that Huawei and the Chinese government are closely connected to such a point that Chinese police snatch Canadian hostages off the streets on Huaweis behalf and Chinese food inspectors suddenly discover defects in Canadian canola shipments in support of Meng Wanzhou. Canada should not exclude Huawei equipment just because the U.S. tells us to do so and utters sinister threats of non-co-operation. We should rely on our own experience and that experience teaches that when you do business with Huawei you are dealing with the Chinese Communist Party and the government of China, and that the full might of a repressive totalitarian regime may be used against you if you do not promptly comply with Huaweis wishes. The Americans can also be unreasonable and can abuse their power. They do not, however, take hostages to enforce their will. We should not reject Huawei just to show the U.S. we cannot be pushed around. We should consult our own interests and steer clear of a company that relies on hostage-taking to achieve its goals. The competitors equipment may be more expensive; so be it. No doubt Mr. Pompeo took some satisfaction in that offer at a time when Russia is keeping Venezuelas oil industry afloat despite U.S. sanctions. But even if delivered, U.S. petroleum would not rescue Belaruss refineries. Instead, Mr. Lukashenko might have to choose between knuckling under to Mr. Putin or at least taking steps in that direction and subjecting his economy to the shock therapy that would be necessary to free it from Russia. If he chooses the latter course, the United States and the E.U. should do what they can to ease the pain, while continuing to press for improvements in human rights. United States President Donald Trump will pay a two-day state visit to India from February 24 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. During the visit, Trump, who will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, will attend official engagements in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, and interact with a wide cross-section of the Indian society, the MEA said in a statement. The announcement of Trump's first official visit to India was earlier made by the White House on Monday, which, in its statement, further said that Trump and PM Modi had agreed during a recent phone conversation that the trip will "further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people." The global strategic partnership between India and the US is based on trust, shared values, mutual respect and understanding, and marked by warmth and friendship between the peoples of the two countries, the MEA noted in its statement, adding that the visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. "The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with significant progress in all areas including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties," the statement read. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Google has apparently started a soft release for 4K gaming with Stadia when playing in Chrome. Last Friday the official Stadia Twitter account confirmed that 4K gaming in Chrome has started to roll out to users as a soft release. It was further noted that 4K in Chrome would continue to roll out over the span of the next few months. That part in particular isnt a surprise. Google touched on the arrival of Chromes capabilities to display games in 4K in its Community post from last month on January 16. Advertisement Titled, Stadia in the New Year, it listed 4K gaming support on the web as one of the things to look out for. The unknown at the time was when it would actually start. That time is now, it would seem. Google hasnt set an exact date for 4K Stadia gaming in Chrome What Google wants to seemingly make clear is that 4K gaming on the web has not officially rolled out yet. Though in the tweet below it mentions that 4K in Chrome was a soft release, further down that tweet thread it reiterates to a different user that it will start to roll it out over the next months. Echoing the details from last months post. Advertisement Since the availability of this feature is a soft release, that means its in testing and likely not a lot of Pro members have access to it. Although Google hasnt started an official rollout yet, soft release testing does suggest its coming soon. 4K is still only officially supported on Chromecast Ultra Its likely no shock to anyone that purchased one of the Stadia bundles that 4K is still only available through Chromecast Ultra. Many users have been requesting for it to come to the web though. Of the users on the platform, a fair number of them seem to play games through Chromebooks and other laptops. Which means theyre playing through Chrome. Advertisement This is limiting those users to 1080P only. Also worth point out is that not many laptops actually come with 4K displays. So the only ones that are truly missing out at this point are those that have machines with 4K displays. Advertisement Amy Klobuchar came out ahead when the New Hampshire primary election kicked off Tuesday morning, winning two of the three midnight tallies. Much-watched Dixville Notch, Hart's Location and Millsfield, all tiny towns located in the north of New Hampshire, traditionally vote at the strike of midnight on the first-in-the-nation primary day every four years. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar, who has recently surged in the polls after winning fifth place in the Iowa caucuses, won Hart's Location with six votes and Millsfield two. The closely-followed Dixville Notch, which has a population of only 12 people, went to billionaire Mike Bloomberg, who wasn't even on the ticket. Ten minutes past midnight, the polling place was closed after five people voted in the Democratic primary in Dixville Notch. One person voted for Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, one for former South Bend, Indiana mayor Pete Buttigieg and three wrote-in Bloomberg's name. There was one voter who wrote-in for Bloomberg that is a Republican. Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar emerged to mingle with voters in Manchester Tuesday morning. Manchester is the most population city in the small New England state of New Hampshire, with a population of more than 112,500 Pete Buttigieg, who came in first in Iowa, showed up to a polling place in Hopkinton, New Hampshire with Congresswoman Annie Kuster (D-NH) with New Englands favorite: Dunkin' Donuts Klobuchar was in high spirits Tuesday morning after winning two of the first three New Hampshire precincts that voted over night Billionaire Mike Bloomberg took the remaining polling location of Dixville Notch with three write-in votes Dixville Notch has a population of 12 people, and five voted in the primary at midnight. One vote went to Pete Butitgieg, one to Bernie Sanders, and three to Bloomberg but one of them was from a Republican Dixville Notch Hart's Location and Millsfield traditionally cast their votes at midnight on primary election day Your browser does not support iframes. New Hampshire has a partially open primary election, meaning those not registered with a political party can vote in both the Democratic and Republican primary elections. However, the state does not have a fully open primary because those registered with a party can only vote in that party's elections. As of a 2017 count, Millsfield has a population of 21 and Hart's Location is double the size with 41 people. Millsfield also had five Democratic primary voters two went for Klobuchar, one for Sanders, one for Buttigieg and one for former Vice President Joe Biden. Hart's Location had a slightly bigger turnout with 15 voters in the Democratic primary. In this precinct, Klobuchar won with six votes, followed by Elizabeth Warren with four votes, three people turned up for tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang who only earned 1 per cent in Iowa and two people voted for Sanders. The rest of the polling locations will open throughout the day Tuesday, some starting at 6:00 a.m., but more primary results aren't expected to begin rolling in until later in the evening. Bloomberg has run a rather unconventional campaign, which in national polls and in Dixville Notch has proven to be effective. Klobuchar won both Millsville and Hart's Locations, which have a population of 21 and 41 respectively Tech entrepreneur Andrew Yang is out in Keene, New Hampshire talking to voters as they head to the polls. Yang came in third in Hart's Location with three votes of the 15 people who voted in the Democratic primary Joe Biden also jumped on the idea of bringing Dukin' Donuts to a polling location but the former vice president is leaving New Hampshire before the votes even come in as polls show him slipping in the Granite state In an average of the national polls, Bloomberg is shown in fourth place with a mean of 12.7 per cent support from Democratic primary voters. He falls behind Biden, Sanders and Warren, in that order. Bloomberg entered the race in November almost a year later than some of his competitors and has invested much of his attention on winning Super Tuesday, almost entirely ignoring the first four primary states of Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina. He is also running a very ad-focused campaign and has spent more than $200 million on advertisements to increase name recognition and portray his message. The former Republican New York City mayor has outspent every other candidate running in the primary and his campaign said he is open to spending $1 billion of his own money on running for president, even if he doesn't win the Democratic Party's nomination. He has come under fire from his primary competitors and the Republican Party for trying to buy his way to the nomination and the White House. Winning a tiny precinct where his name isn't even on the ballot, and the fact that he hasn't stepped foot on a debate stage, could attest to the power of money in a presidential campaign. While Klobuchar has been successfully climbing in the New Hampshire polls, it appears her support doesn't translate on a nation-wide scale. Democrats are hoping New Hampshire can help clear up lingering confusion after the Iowa caucus fiasco, where Pete Buttigieg (left) and Bernie Sanders (right) came within just .1 percentage point of each other Buttigieg emerged with 26.2 per cent in Iowa while Sanders came out with 26.1 per cent. They results were delayed for days after a reporting app malfunctioned and caused caucuses to resort to manual reporting and tabulations In two separate polls released Monday, Klobuchar came in third place behind Buttigieg and Sanders, who virtually tied for first in the Iowa caucuses. But a national poll released Monday shows the Minnesota senator in sixth place with only 4 per cent support from Democratic voters. Democrats are hoping the New Hampshire primary will help clear up some lingering confusion over the chaotic Iowa caucuses. The first-in-the-nation caucuses were held last Monday, but official results were delayed by nearly a week after the app intended to report precinct results malfunctioned. Instead, the Iowa Democratic Party had to result to paper and call-in reporting and manual tabulations which can under scrutiny for potentially included human error. Buttigieig emerged in first place with 26.2 per cent and Sanders came only .1 per cent behind with 26.1 per cent. His campaign is now demanding a recanvass. Former Vice President Joe Biden, who topped the polls for most of the campaign until shortly before the primary competitions, surprisingly came in fourth in Iowa behind Buttigieg, Sanders and Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren. In four New Hampshire Democratic primary polls released Monday, Biden came in fifth place, indicating he could slip even further away from his front-runner status by the end of Tuesday night. Donald Trump held a reelection campaign rally Monday in Manchester, on the eve of the primaries, and he bragged Tuesday morning that he hosted the 'biggest political rally in New Hampshire history' The 77-year-old candidates campaign announced Tuesday that he would be leaving the Granite state before the primary results were in and would head to the second primary state of South Carolina. The announcement was made minutes after the release of another national poll that showed Sanders had pulled ahead, now leading the Democratic pack by 10 points. On the other hand, Biden was shown in second place, with his support practically cut in half. Last month he was receiving support from 30 per cent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents and on Tuesday he held on 16 per cent. Biden has made it clear he feels he will have a better turnout in South Carolina, where there is a much larger portion of minority voters than in Iowa and New Hampshire. Specifically, black voters make up the majority of Democratic primary voters in the state. Buttigieg, Sanders and Klobuchar's campaigns have all been bragging about record crowd size in the state. At Buttigieg's town hall in Nashua, 1,800 people turned out, and 1,113 were in Dover. Sanders' campaign announced that they had 1,981 attendees at a Keene rally. And 1,100 attended Klobuchar's Sunday rally. Donald Trump held a reelection campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire on Monday, the night before the primary elections in the state and he saw a turnout of upwards of 11,000 people. 'Great being in New Hampshire last night. I would say that was the biggest political Rally in New Hampshire history. Incredible evening!' he boasted on Twitter Tuesday morning. Welcome to Morningstar.co.uk! You have been redirected here from Hemscott.com as we are merging our websites to provide you with a one-stop shop for all your investment research needs.To search for a security, type the name or ticker in the search box at the top of the page and select from the dropdown results.Registered Hemscott users can log in to Morningstar using the same login details. Similarly, if you are a Hemscott Premium user, you now have a Morningstar Premium account which you can access using the same login details. By Express News Service PATNA: Poll strategist and former JDU leader Prashant Kishor, who had urged the voters of Delhi through a tweet on January 27 to push the EVM button with love and care, elated at the Delhi poll results. He took to Twitter and said: "Thank You Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India". Kishor was expelled from JD(U), a short while ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, following a tiff with party chief and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). While JDU MPs and Nitish Kumar had sided with the BJP, Kishor had expressed his dissatisfaction with the party's decision on the topic. JDU had also participated in the Delhi polls, with its candidates contesting on three seats alongside BJP. None of them, however, have been able to take the lead as the counting process enters the mid-rounds. Kishor had on January 30 said that he will announce his future plans post the outcome of Delhi elections. "I will formally speak about my plans for the future on February 11 in Patna (Bihar). Until then I am not speaking to anyone," Kishor told ANI. JDU sacked Kishor along with Pavan Varma for allegedly indulging in anti-party activities. (With ANI Inputs) C ash-strapped shopping centres owner Intu suffered a fresh crisis on Tuesday as a potential white knight walked away from emergency 1 billion fundraising talks, sending the shares down 31%. The Lakeside shopping mall owner, which has been battered by the retail property crisis sweeping across Britain, said Hong Kong real estate giant Link was no longer in discussions about its hoped-for fundraiser. Intu, whose shares are now worth just 156 million, has been trying to raise funds to pay down a near-4.7 billion debt pile. Like rivals, it has suffered from retailers closing shops or demanding rent cuts through restructuring processes. Competition from online retailers has also hammered the sector, resulting in UK retail parks valuations plummeting as much as 27% in the past year. Intus shares have lost nearly 90% over that period and fell by more than 31% to 11.85p today. Todays update was particularly shocking as it came just a day after Intu said it was engaged in constructive discussions with existing and new investors including Link about the cash call. However, little over 24 hours later, Link today said our negotiations with Intu have not reached an agreement. Intu remains in talks with investors, including property tycoon John Whittakers Peel Group, which is the firms largest shareholder with a 27% stake. It said it was also talking to other businesses and expects to update the City at the end of the month when it publishes full-year results. Some have long been sceptical about the equity raise. Analysts at Peel Hunt said: We dont think the rumoured 1 billion equity injection is enough it probably needs twice this amount. Peel Hunt downgraded Intu to reduce from hold, and added: We do not believe we are at the bottom of shopping centre valuation declines. Intu, with 17 UK centres, including in Uxbridge and Watford, has had a turbulent few years. Matthew Roberts replaced longstanding boss David Fischel last year and had to cope with a wave of tenants, such as Dorothy Perkins parent Arcadia, closing shops or getting rent discounts using Company Voluntary Arrangements. A cooling system is planned for the Iroquois Gas Transmission System at 840 Oronoque Road, as part of a system-wide project to increase natural gas supply in New York. The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recently approved a coastal area management site plan for the project . The board added the condition that a licensed Connecticut surveyor survey the property. The report assesses a projects impact on coastal waterways, in this case, the Housatonic River. Project Director Robert Perless said the property is about 600 feet from the river, and said there would be no drainage to or impact on the river. According to City Planner David B. Sulkis, the project, as a utility, is exempt from zoning, but not from a coastal area management review. A building project typically requires site plan approval. In his report, Sulkis wrote, The project does not appear to have any adverse impact on coastal resources. Iroquois previously came before the zoners on Feb. 19, 2008, for a review of its plans to construct two 10,300-horsepower compressor units at 840 Oronoque Road, which the board then approved as a formality because the project is regulated by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. That project was constructed in 2008 and operational in 2009. According to the Iroquois website, the Milford cooling station is part of a larger project designed to increase capacity of the existing natural gas pipeline by 125 million cubic feet per day of natural gas to be delivered to New York utilities. In the latest project, Iroquois plans to add horsepower to compression and gas cooling units at its compressor stations in Athens and Dover, N.Y., and Brookfield. The project adds 12,000 horsepower to each New York location, and 24,000 horsepower at the Brookfield site. Milford is receiving just gas cooling equipment. Perless told the board the project was filed on Jan. 31 with FERC. The website states the anticipated FERC approval is early 2021 with construction to start in spring 2023 and to finish by Nov. 1, 2023. According to the plans, the project will add a 60-foot by 45-foot cooling unit that is 15 feet high with associated equipment and accessory structures at the existing Milford compression station. The unit will be constructed on a new concrete pad, approximately 2,280 square feet in size, along with placement of fill, a gravel perimeter, a new driveway and related infrastructure. The project will result in increased stormwater runoff, but this water will be retained within the existing detention pond. In response to a board inquiry about the sound levels generated by the machinery, Michael Kinik, Iroquois director of engineering services, said, FERC gives us strict guidance, and said the average level day and night would be about 55 decibels. FERC wouldnt grant us our certificate if we were exceeding that, said Kinik. Following construction, FERC requires a noise survey and if Iroquois is out of compliance, the company will be forced to fix the problem, said Kinik. In response to another question, Perless said the majority of the natural gas used in the Northeast comes from fracked wells, commenting, Its hard to say exactly what percentage it is, but I would say it is the majority. Perless said this project adds 125,000 dekatherms, which on a peak day, is a little less than 10 percent of the companys volume. A dekatherm is the energy content of 1,000 cubic feet of natural gas. On a non-peak day, they may utilize none of it. But primarily youll see this gas flow on the coldest of days in winter, said Perless. He said the project is being built for Con Edison and the National Grid. According to their websites, Con Edison serves New York City and Westchester, while National Grid serves Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. When asked about potential gas leaks, Kinik said the pipeline is welded, so there is really no possibility of leaks. He said the only real spots for leakage is where there are mechanical connections and at facilities. He said the pipeline is inspected annually for leaks and there are gas leak detectors within the buildings. Kinik further said this project would not increase the potential for leaks because it is not adding pressure in Milford. He said in Milford as the capacity drops, the system would only raise pressure back up to the operating pressure. He said the maximum allowable operating pressure is 14,400 pounds. At Milford we are only adding the cooling. Upstream of Milford at three other sites, we are adding compression, said Kinik. The project includes a hydrocarbon abatement system, which are two small units next to the existing compressor building, said Kinik. He said when the operating staff does maintenance, they have to relieve the gas out of the line. He said the standard practice today is to vent that gas into the atmosphere. With these units, the gas will be injected back into the pipe, resulting in less methane emissions at the site, said Kinik. Adrienne Gang from Below Deck recently shared a memory on Twitter about a time when a fun night out with friends went dangerously wrong. The incident occurred years ago, but Gang recently shared an article that was written about the night to possibly serve as a cautionary tale for women. While out at a bar with friends, Gangs drink was spiked with GHB, otherwise known as the date rape drug, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Adrienne Gang| Justin Stephens/Bravo Gang had little memory of the night, other than regaining consciousness in jail. The next thing I know I am being fingerprinted in the Orient Road Jail, she said. When she asked the police officers why she was in jail, They told me I should know why I was there. A group of men sent over some wine Gang recalls that a group of men sent over wine to her table. She remembers that the wine didnt come from the bartender, which may be how the drug was easily added to the drink. GHB has no smell but can have a soapy or salty taste. It is also sold in a colorless liquid so it can be easily transferred to a drink. Although Gang can recall receiving the drinks, her next hazy recollection of the night is being forced into a cab. What we were able to piece together is someone who considered themselves a Good Samaritan dragged me out of the bar because I wasnt able to stand upright and speak coherently, she told the Times. Apparently, the person paid the driver $30 for a $2 cab trip. Gang didnt recognize the address where she was being taken either. Maybe he thought the cab driver would dump me there and then he would follow after. I dont know. But the guy lived in Gainesville, she said. The incident took place in Tampa, Florida. It was deduced that whoever did this to me realized that they had overdosed me because it happened so quickly and I couldnt stand, Gang said. Maybe they thought they might have a dead body on their hands so they chucked me into a cab hoping that the cab driver would have to deal with me. The cab driver testified that Gang could not stand upright. How did she end up in jail? While in the cab, Gang knocked the cab drivers phone out of his hand. She was arrested for battery on the cab driver, which perhaps saved her life. Gang wonders how none of the wait staff at the bar realized what was happening. The incident occurred on a Tuesday evening around 11 p.m. I could have easily ended up in a ditch, she told the Times. The next day her boyfriend came to pick her up. She told him she didnt feel hungover but still felt odd. I know what its like to feel intoxicated. I know what its like to feel hung over, but I knew something was wrong, she recalls. She purchased a rape panel test and 10 days later learned she had been drugged with GHB. The representative from the drug testing clinic emphasized she was lucky to be alive. She had extremely high levels of the drug in her system. Since then shes been a proponent for using drink testing strips, created by Drink Safe Technologies. I feel like if I had known about these strips, I would have made every single one of my girlfriends carry one. Because why would you not? Its an added layer of protection, Gang said. Executives from both companies will be speaking with customers and partners at ITEXPO this week TelcoBridges ProSBC complements netsapiens SNAPsolution by protecting, routing and managing traffic volumes of network SIP trunks in a highly efficient manner, and it also helps protect the network against TDOS and DDOS attacks. TelcoBridges today announced that it is partnering with netsapiens to make it easier for service providers to transform their legacy TDM networks into an IP core Infrastructure, while bringing new features to customers that lower operating costs and yield better profitability. This announcement is being made from the floor of ITEXPO in Fort Lauderdale, where executives from both companies will be on hand all week to speak with customers, partners and members of the media. netsapiens is a leading Unified Communications Platform provider. The companys SNAPsolution UC platform integrates voice, video and messaging in a seamless manner that enables end-users to communicate anywhere, anytime on any device. netsapiens sessions-based pricing model makes it easier for service providers to expand their addressable market, while also controlling their margins. TelcoBridges is the industrys leading designer and manufacturer of carrier grade, high performance, and high-density SBCs and VoIP gateways. TelcoBridges ProSBC complements netsapiens SNAPsolution by protecting, routing and managing traffic volumes of network SIP trunks in a highly efficient manner. In addition, TelcoBridges ProSBC aids in protecting against network TDOS and DDOS attacks, reducing the chance of outages from nefarious actors. By partnering together, TelcoBridges and netsapiens are facilitating better technical, marketing and sales collaboration, which makes it easier for service providers and enterprise customers to enhance their business processes, increase productivity and lower their operating costs. The partnership between netsapiens and TelcoBridges brings together two key network elements that enable network transformation, speed the conversion of legacy TDM service to an IP core architecture, and deliver a host of features that lower operating costs and enhance profitability, said TelcoBridges Chief Marketing Officer Alan Percy. This week at ITEXPO, were looking forward to discussing the many benefits that our partnership brings to service providers and enterprise customers. With a number of successful joint customer deployments, we felt its time to formalize our relationship through further collaboration with TelcoBridges on a variety of technologies, said Dave George, VP of Revenue at netsapiens. We look forward to having TelcoBridges participate in our upcoming User Group Meeting and future joint customer wins. Meetings at ITEXPO with TelcoBridges can be scheduled at: https://calendly.com/alandpercy/itexpo-2020. TelcoBridges is also participating in the netsapiens User Group Meeting on April 21-24th in San Diego. Additional details are available at: https://netsapiens.com/user-group-meeting/. About TelcoBridges FreeSBC and ProSBC: TelcoBridges FreeSBC and ProSBC are virtual session border controllers, protecting networks from attack while offering extensive SIP interoperability and routing features with outstanding session handling performance. Both products include a B2BUA, DoS & DDoS protection and advanced call routing features. FreeSBC can be used by end-users at no cost. ProSBC adds carrier-grade features including high-availability, encryption, and media manipulation capabilities with support and maintenance all for a $1/session/year subscription. Both FreeSBC and ProSBC operate on any combination of VMware, KVM/OpenStack, Amazon/AWS, Microsoft Azure and bare metal servers as well as a VNF on dedicated network devices. To date, more than 10 million sessions have been downloaded by thousands of customers in more than 100 countries around the globe. About TelcoBridges: TelcoBridges is a leader in the design and manufacture of carrier grade, high performance, and high-density SBCs and VoIP gateways. Based in Montreal with offices in Buffalo (USA), Vancouver (CAN), Poland, Turkey and Hong Kong, TelcoBridges has deployed VoIP solutions in more than 100 countries worldwide. TelcoBridges' brands include: FreeSBC, ProSBC, Tmedia (VoIP media gateways), Tsig (signaling gateways), Tdev (development platforms) and Tmonitor (real-time network monitoring equipment). For more information, visit prosbc.com, http://freesbc.com, or http://www.telcobridges.com. About netsapiens: netsapiens provides advanced Unified Communications software to the industry's leading service providers, allowing them to grow their business and become more profitable with next-generation technologies. The netsapiens SNAPsolution platform is a reliable solution for service providers looking to deliver a wide range of carrier grade VoIP features and functionality to their end-users. This includes Hosted PBX, SIP trunking, contact centers, device provisioning, multi-tenant user portals and more. For more information, visit http://www.netsapiens.com or follow us on Twitter at @netsapiens. Contact Information: Alan Percy Chief Marketing Officer Mobile: +1 716-830-5966 apercy@telcobridges.com Senior Congress leader from Jammu and Kashmir GM Saroori who was summoned by the Investigating Agency on Monday in connection with the Kishtwar cases, said that he is not aware why he has been called by the agency. "I don't know much about this matter as I arrived here only today morning. I know that they (NIA) have summoned me, so I am here, but I do not know why I have been called," said Saroori while speaking to reporters here on Tuesday. Saroori is the State vice president of Congress and a former minister. His brother was among those named for Hizb-ul-Mujahideen links in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Without referring to Bharatiya Janata Party by name, he said the verdict in Delhi elections has shattered the impression that "those who are with us are patriotic" and "those opposing us are traitors". Mumbai, Feb 11 (IANS) By listening to the Jan ki Baat of Aam Aadmi Party, the people of Delhi have shown that now Man ki Baat will no longer be relevant in the country, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said here on Tuesday. Without referring to Bharatiya Janata Party by name, he said the verdict in Delhi elections has shattered the impression that "those who are with us are patriotic" and "those opposing us are traitors". A former ally of the BJP, Thackeray said the incumbent nationalistic dispensation at the Centre had deployed its full might in the elections, but could not withstand the power of the humble 'broom' (AAP's symbol). "They had fielded top leaders in the poll campaign, Arvind Kejriwal was even labeled as 'anti-national', they sought to divert attention from local issues by raising irrelevant international issues to misguide the voters. But they failed to defeat Kejriwal," said Thackeray. The CM lauded the people of Delhi for standing rock solid behind a person honestly committed to 'vikas' (development) and reimposed their faith in democracy. "On behalf of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena, my heartiest congratulations to the people of Delhi and Kejriwal and we wish them the best of luck in their future development path," Thackeray said. Earlier, top leaders of all the three allies in the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government - the Shiv Sena, Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress -- hailed the AAP's resounding victory in Delhi. --IANS qn/prs A group of collegians and activists staged protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act outside Sabarmati Ashram on Tuesday. They were asked to vacate the footpath outside the ashram by the police as they did not have permission to hold a protest there, a police official said. "Dozens of people gathered at the Sabarmati Ashram to protest against the CAA. They gathered with placards and lined outside the Ashram to protest. But police asked us to vacate as we had no permission," activist Dev Desai said. Desai said the protest was then held outside a college but they were asked to leave from there as well by the police. Inspector JM Khambhala of Ranip police station said, "They gathered despite police denying them permission to hold protest there. Several of the protesters did not know that the organisers did not have permission. We let them go. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The government is planning to allow elderly passengers as well as those with chronic illnesses to leave the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship soon, possibly on Tuesday, a source familiar with the matter said. The move came a day after 65 more people aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama tested positive for the novel coronavirus, bringing the tally to 135. All 65 passengers had left the ship for medical facilities by Tuesday afternoon, according to an announcement from inside the vessel that was recorded and posted to Twitter by another passenger. That announcement also appeared to confirm that the elderly and chronically ill were also leaving the ship, saying that guests who had arequired medical attentiona had disembarked. The announcement also said that 45 doctors, 55 nurses, 45 pharmacists a most of them volunteers a had arrived on the ship. The government has asked about 3,600 passengers and crew members to stay on board in Yokohama during the two-week isolation period through Feb. 19 in an effort to contain the spread of the pneumonia-causing novel coronavirus. The decision to let elderly people and those with chronic illnesses leave was apparently made in consideration of passengers grappling with extreme stress during their prolonged isolation on the ship. As of last Wednesday, about 80 percent of the 2,666 passengers were age 60 or older, with 215 in their 80s and 11 in their 90s. - Japan Times Leaving aside the content of the spectacular, embellished account that became Spartacus, Kirk Douglas, whose life ticked over into a century and a few years, left his own distinct mark on US cultural politics. At the very least, he managed to fashion a spear to direct through the Hollywood blacklist, an infamous compilation of the supposedly unpatriotic naughties in the film business who had sympathies, proven or otherwise, with communism. The justified question, however, is how significant his role actually was. Celebrities and thespians often assume a heft they do not have, a significance they lack. What was certain was that Hollywood was pullulating with its own host of Red Baiters and the sort that Gore Vidal called American Sissies, all keen to do their bit for the House Un-American Activities Committee. John Wayne, an old John Bircher, tended to take the lead in that regard, seeing the film industry as a patriotic preserve that did not need any Commie contaminant. Douglas recalled the chilling effect of the Cold War as it, iced writers and actors, in a 2015 interview. His co-star in Detective Story (1951), Lee Grant, was refused work for twelve years after refusing to testify against her husband before the House Un-American Activities Committee. The case of Dalton Trumbos ostracising was one that particularly exercised Douglas. HUAC had eyed him as a notable enough threat (he had been a member of the Communist Party in the 1940s) to require scrubbing from the industry. He went into pseudonymous territory, scripting Roman Holiday and The Brave One, winning an Oscar for the latter under the name Robert Rich. Along with nine other writers and directors, he made up the Hollywood Ten, jailed for contempt of Congress in 1950 for refusing to collude in the collective hysteria of political cleansing. When the time came for the release of Spartacus, Douglas, having assumed the role of both protagonist of the film and its direction, insisted that Trumbos name appear in the credits. The act was both testament to the exaggerated quality of protest inherent in film, and the strength of illusions in the Dream Factory. The masquerade, concluded Douglas, was over. Despite being told that placing Trumbo in prime position on the credits would terminate his career, the blacklist was broken. Thespians are in the business of stretching the record, and while Douglas, in his own way, made an impression, it was hardly a protest of profound radicalism. Sizeable pebbles were fashioned, but they remained pebbles. There was room for some daring. Besides, Otto Preminger, who directed Exodus, was saddled with a less than negligible contribution against the ban, a point noted in the New York Times, opining in a January 20, 1960 piece that his acknowledgment of Trumbos role was the first open defiance by a producer-director of Hollywoods blacklist. Exodus was released in December; Spartacus had already been showing since October. Trumbos widow, Cleo, certainly felt that the compass was out of kilter on the point of contributions. In 1991, when the Writers Guild of America invited her to attend its annual awards dinner, she feared witnessing the presentation of the Robert F. Meltzer Award to Kirk Douglas as the sole saboteur of the blacklist. At the invitation, she wrote back with a degree of curtness: It is important to remember it was Otto Preminger who first announced that Dalton Trumbos name would appear on his film, Exodus This observation is not meant to diminish Mr Douglas actions, for what he did required courage, but merely to put them in perspective. Cleo went on to suggest that, had her husband still been living to witness this, he would have thought it unconscionable that Otto Preminger would be ignored and only Kirk Douglas honoured by the Guild for his contribution to destroy the blacklist. I am also certain that he would not attend a ceremony which sanctioned such a distortion of actual events. She did not attend the event. As she subsequently reiterated in 2002 in a note to the Los Angeles Times, having expressed being deeply disturbed by a letter from Jack Valenti, long-time president of the Motion Picture Association of America, it was all a question of balanced agency; no single person can be credited with breaking the blacklist. More, she argued, should be attributed to the daring of the scribes themselves. For more than 12 years these men and women continued to write without credit at a fraction of what they had earned before. They wrote polemics pleading their cause, issued pamphlets, filed lawsuits. By the time Trumbos name appeared on Spartacus and Exodus the ground had been well prepared by the ceaseless efforts of blacklisted writers. In 2012, Trumbos daughter Mitzi also weighed in with a corrective in Salon, assembling her mothers previously directed barbs in an attempt to take some of the polish and shine off Douglas claims. One point of irritation stood out: the bombastic assertions made by Douglas in his book I am Spartacus! Making a Film, Breaking the Blacklist, leaving a record that has not only inflated his role but left incidents that did not happen. Mitzi went to work on Douglas, claiming that Trumbo did not lunch with Douglas at the Universal studio commissary, nor attend a screening in disguise. Nor did that doyen of British cinema, Laurence Olivier, ever dine at the Trumbo household. He has also asserted a brand-new claim, she wrote sourly, that he, not my father, wrote the iconic I am Spartacus scene from the film. Memories are imperfect repositories, but there is something to be said about those of actors being particularly susceptible. The actor, after all, is essentially a dissimulator of reality. Posterity supplies the siren call, and the inventive pen follows. In the case of Douglas, his role in overturning a sordid episode in US cinematic history was not inconsiderable, but nor was it earth shattering. Dr. Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, Cambridge. He lectures at RMIT University, Melbourne. Email: [email protected] Nearly 50 orders have been granted to seize guns from people in a Jersey Shore county, under New Jerseys red flag laws, which went into effect last year, according to data obtained by NJ Advance Media. Under the Extreme Risk Protective Order Act, which went into effect Sept. 1, 48 orders have been issued to seize guns from people in Ocean County at least temporarily, while 25 orders have been issued to take them indefinitely under one of the latest gun control measure enacted by Gov. Phil Murphy, according to the New Jersey Administrative Office of the Courts. The law, which is similar to red flag laws used in other states, has been implemented in Ocean County more than twice as often as any other county, according to the data. The Ocean County Prosecutors Office, gun rights advocates and attorneys representing gun owners said it is unclear why Ocean County tops the list. I was surprised when I looked at the numbers myself, said Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. I dont have a direct answer for you. Billhimer said his office has not issued any special mandates outside of the Attorney Generals statewide directive regarding the implementation of the law. It is hard to understand why, said Albert Rescinio, an attorney who has filed a federal lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the law. Nothing immediately sticks out at me. The law allows a law enforcement officer, family or household member to submit a petition to state Superior Court showing why a judge should issue an order to keep guns away from someone who potentially poses a danger of causing bodily injury to themselves or to others. A temporary extreme risk protective order, also known as a TERPO, is issued by a judge if there is good cause to remove the guns. A search warrant can then be executed to retrieve the persons firearms, ammunition and firearms identification card. The individual is entitled to a hearing within 10 days before a judge. The order can become finalized if the preponderance of the evidence shows the person presents a danger to themselves or others. If a final order, also known as a FERPO, is granted by a judge, it lasts indefinitely, but the person can also seek to have the order terminated at any time after the order goes into effect. As of Feb. 4, there have been 198 TERPOs granted and 100 FERPOs granted, according to the New Jersey courts. Here is the breakdown of where the temporary (TERPOs) and final orders (FERPOs) have been granted across the state by county. Atlantic Temporary orders granted: 1 Final orders granted: 1 Bergen Temporary orders granted: 15 Final orders granted: 10 Burlington Temporary orders granted: 8 Final orders granted: 3 Camden Temporary orders granted: 4 Final orders granted: 1 Cape May Temporary orders granted: 6 Final orders granted: 2 Cumberland Temporary orders granted: 2 Final orders granted: 1 Essex Temporary orders granted: 9 Final orders granted: 4 Gloucester Temporary orders granted: 11 Final orders granted: 9 Hudson Temporary orders granted: 2 Final orders granted: 0 Hunterdon Temporary orders granted: 5 Final orders granted: 4 Mercer Temporary orders granted: 4 Final orders granted: 2 Middlesex Temporary orders granted: 13 Final orders granted: 6 Monmouth Temporary orders granted: 14 Final orders granted: 3 Morris Temporary orders granted: 8 Final orders granted: 4 Ocean Temporary orders granted: 48 Final orders granted: 25 Passaic Temporary orders granted: 22 Final orders granted: 11 Salem Temporary orders granted: 1 Final orders granted: 1 Somerset Temporary orders granted: 3 Final orders granted: 1 Sussex Temporary orders granted: 12 Final orders granted: 6 Union Temporary orders granted: 2 Final orders granted: 2 Warren Temporary orders granted: 8 Final orders granted: 4 Total Temporary orders granted: 198 Final orders granted: 100 Story has been updated. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Behind the stage looming over the banks of the Niger River, there came worrying information: Jihadists were poised to attack Mali's most important cultural festival. On stage, everything was calm. Officials lined up to give speeches to usher in the much-loved event while relaxed-looking security guards looked on. But behind the scenes, security chiefs were on the alert. And the calls were stacking up on the mobile phone of Commander Diallo, an official from Mali's security ministry. Now in its 16th year, Segou'Art Festival on the Niger is Mali's largest cultural event, a haven of theatre and music in a rising tide of war. It is staged in the town of Segou in central Mali -- a region that is now the epicentre of a jihadist revolt that began more than seven years ago. In 2019, militant groups killed over 450 civilians in central Mali alone, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this week. That figure does not include soldiers and police officers whom militants have been slaughtering by the dozen in recent months. Commander Diallo -- his full name has been retained for security reasons -- had his work cut out to keep the festival running safely. His eyes were fixed on the far bank of the Niger, watching for any threat. Two patrol boats were sent there, sirens blaring. A dozen soldiers disembarked and fanned out on the far bank, "to dissuade any one who might want to come there," an officer said. Unfazed by the risk, tens of thousands of Malians attend Segou'Art every year. The event ran from February 4-9 this year, covering everything from lectures, to theatre, dance, music and traditional storytelling. Foreign tourists used to regularly attend too. Today, they are now nowhere to be seen, for the threat to their lives has never been greater. -'Everywhere and nowhere'- Ten days before the festival began, 20 soldiers were gunned down by about 100 motorbike-riding jihadists, some 100 (60 miles) kilometres north of Segou. Near the site of that attack, three policemen were also killed during an overnight ambush on Sunday morning, just as rappers were entertaining thousands of young Malians at Segou'Art. Authorities had their eyes peeled for an attempt on the festival. Security measures were put in place and reinforcements sent from the capital Bamako -- "enough to secure the festival," according to Biramou Sissoko, the governor of Mali's Segou region. Details, including the number of men requisitioned, remain secret. But several hundred uniformed men were visible in the town during the festival, an AFP journalist saw, and the country's counterterrorism squad was dispatched from the capital Bamako. "The threat is everywhere and nowhere," said Malick Doumbia, a 26-year-old festival-goer who had travelled from Bamako. He added that he was "relieved to see the security forces mobilised," and that he was apprehensive about the threat rather than afraid. Security is an issue every year, but attacking such a popular festival would not be in jihadists' interest, a security official who declined to be named suggested. "In terms of messaging, (an attack) would be difficult to justify for groups looking to integrate locally". - Crisis centre - Malian security officials have had help from the European Union's police-training mission in the country. Philippe Rio, a general in the French gendarmes and head of the mission, called the festival a "symbol". "When we saw that the lack of security was becoming an obstacle to the festival's survival and that it was in danger of disappearing, we got involved," he said. Among other things, European police trainers helped establish a crisis centre headquartered in a local-government office. They also donated computers and walkie-talkies. In the crisis centre, Malian officers discussed the rumours of jihadist filtration the day after they surfaced. No evidence backed them up. In the meantime, however, an internal government report relating to the rumours had circulated online and several Western embassies urged their nationals to skip Segou'Art. "There haven't been many tourists now for years," sighed Omar Yaffa, the president of the Segou guides' association. "It's a pity." Manish Sisodia at the counting centre (Image: Twitter/ANI) Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Manish Sisodia won from his Patparganj Assembly constituency on February 11, after a tough contest with BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi. Sisodia was trailing earlier in the day as trends poured in. He was defending the Patparganj seat that he has held since 2013. Speaking to reporters at the counting centre, Sisodia said: I am happy to become the MLA (Member of Legislative Assembly) from Patparganj Assembly constituency again. BJP tried to do politics of hate but people of Delhi chose a government that works for the people. Also read: Know Your Leader | Manish Sisodia the de-facto CM widely regarded for educational reforms Sisodia has been often referred to as AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwals right-hand man. He has also been described as the de-facto chief minister of Delhi. He held multiple portfolios in the outgoing AAP government including Finance and Planning, Revenue, Power, Education, Information Technology and Administrative Reforms, among others. Overall, as of 2.45 pm, AAP was leading in 62 of the total 70 seats. BJP was leading in the remaining eight seats. Congress was not leading in any seat. No result was officially declared by the EC as of 2.45 pm. According to an IANS-Neta App survey released on February 3, Sisodia is the highest-rated political leader from the national capital going into the assembly polls. The poll suggests that Sisodia has been rated 4.3/5 by respondents on key parameters for work done in areas such as health and education. To put this into perspective: Kejriwal, on whose popularity AAP is contesting the election, has been rated 3.5/5 and is placed fourth. Also read | Manish Sisodia emerges as Capital's highest-rated MLA, CM Arvind Kejriwal 4th: Survey (To be updated when more details are available) Latest News CoreLogic data shows new listings on the rise in early 2022 First data of the year suggests supply is already entering back into the market, cooling hot property market Business NSW calls for support as pandemic bites Staff shortages and customer falls causing severe problems in recovery Loan Market has bolstered its suite of customer-centric solutions by including a safe, fast and cheap international money transfers to its service offerings. The aggregator has formed an Australian-based partnership with XE, the money transfer specialists that has been successfully servicing Loan Markets New Zealand network for several years. The partnership recognises the global nature of work, life and investments in 2020, according to Loan Market chief commercial officer Stephen Scahill. Our brokers have developed wide-reaching relationships with their clients, becoming trusted advisers across the suite of their financial needs, said Scahill. Our partnership with XE further supports this relationship, answering the need of clients to transfer funds in and out of Australia in a fast, secure and affordable way. Via its XE partnership, Loan Market said its brokers will be able to better service existing and future clients, which include: Returning expats who want to transfer money with Loan Market or to purchase property in Australia. Clients receiving money overseas to purchase a property or as an inheritance. Clients moving overseas who want to sell their Australian property and still have access to the sale funds. Australians living overseas looking to continue their mortgage payments in Australia. Clients living in Australia but get paid in foreign currency. Local importers and exporters. "Loan Market's New Zealand brokers have been successfully utilising XE for some time," said XE (APAC) strategic partner and affiliate director Marcus Phillips. "It's a valuable extension of brokers' client offering. And, in many instances, XE has solved problems for Loan Market and their referral partners so deals that were set to collapse because of international transfer complexities, have been able to proceed, he added. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 18:25:43|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HOHHOT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Where there is a pen, there is a risk of a pandemic. North China's Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region has adopted a digital system at the gates of communities to record residents' information and their body temperatures, getting rid of pens and paper to avoid cross-infection of the novel coronavirus. By scanning the QR code generated by a community, residents are able to fill in their information including names, addresses and phone numbers for registration on their own phones, and the system will record the information. The next time the residents enter the community, they only need to submit their body temperatures using their phones. Used by hundreds of people every day, a pen transmits germs and potentially, the novel coronavirus that is currently plaguing China. The digital system will protect the residents and community guards from cross-infection, said Sui Yang, head of the biotechnology research institute of Inner Mongolia who had the system developed. The institute is an organization affiliated to the regional department of science and technology. The system has been applied to 200 urban and rural communities in the region. 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. Ulrika Jonsson has revealed she recently had sex for the first time in five years following the end of her marriage to ex Brian Monet. The TV presenter, 52, writing in a column for The Sun, told how she met a man on social media who she became intimate with and likened the experience to losing her virginity all over again. The former Celebrity Big Brother star candidly admitted she thought she would never have sex again only two years ago and was worried she would not remember how to have sex before she got down to the deed. Candid: Ulrika Jonsson, 52, has revealed she recently had sex for the first time in five years following the end of her marriage to ex Brian Monet Ulrika told how her confidence had taken a major hit over the last few years, saying her self-worth was 'lower than a tart's knickers'. She wrote: 'I had been left feeling so repulsive and rejected over the past years that the chances of having a physical experience again were slim to none. I had become unintentionally celibate.' Ulrika said her confidence was knocked by her lack of will or desire to have sex, as well as putting on a small amount of weight and physical signs of ageing. However, the TV star's hopes were restored after going on a date with a man who she felt a connection with. Honest; The former Celebrity Big Brother star candidly admitted she thought she would never have sex again only two years ago (pictured with Brian in May 2013) Ulrika said she was honest with him about her recent lack of sexual experience, admitting that it felt 'disloyal' to be attracted to someone other than her ex husband. The former Gladiators host revealed she was shocked when she experienced sexual arousal again, likening it to her body shutting down and someone bringing her back to life with a defibrillator. She said: 'I joke that it was like losing my virginity all over again except this time I felt much more in control and considerably less scared. This was not our first date, but I knew the first time I met him that I was attracted to him.' Ulrika and her new man got intimate on their second date, with the Swedish star describing the experience as a 'revelation'. The presenter said she knew she had missed being intimate but had not realised how much, saying intimacy will now be intrinsic to her life. Ulrika said she hopes her story will help other people struggling with a lack of intimacy or affection in their life find a way to reclaim it. She said: 'Now that I have been rejuvenated and reminded about the importance of intimacy, I feel like I never want to let it go again.' It comes after Ulrika previously went hunting for love on Celebrity First Dates late last year with a man named Paul who was 'a few years' younger than her. Self-esteem: Ulrika's confidence was knocked by her lack of desire to have sex, as well as putting on a small amount of weight and physical signs of ageing (pictured in January 2020) Writing in the Daily Mail after the show, the TV star said she had an enjoyable experience on the date. She wrote: Im proud of myself for getting into the swing of the evening. Maybe it was down to the rum, but I soon managed to let go of all the angst and enjoy Pauls company. 'Theres no way I would have found myself on a blind date so soon if it wasnt for the show, and Im grateful for the way it gave me an unexpected kick up the bum. 'I hope any woman in a similar position will take heart from what I did. Its challenging, putting yourself out there again, but, as long as you dont have ridiculously high expectations, then dating again can be a really positive experience.' Dating scene: It comes after Ulrika previously went hunting for love on Celebrity First Dates late last year with a man named Paul who was 'a few years' younger than her As well as her experience on First Dates, Ulrika also signed up for dating app aimed at the over 50s. Ulrika previously revealed she and advertising executive Brian had sex just once in eight years. She said: 'Nearly two years ago, just before my 50th birthday, I remember thinking I might have to just accept that I would never have sex ever again. 'The reason I thought this is because I had not had sex for four and half years. And the time before that was four years prior. 'I was living in a sexless marriage for nearly a decade. That just didnt feel right. It felt unnatural and as if part of my life was over.' Despite questioning her husband on how their relationship got to where it was, she felt she never got a response. Ulrika wrote that going through menopause at the same time she was struggling in her marriage 'could't have made [her] feel worse' and hampered her confidence. However, she was keen to stress that it wasn't the menopause that ended her marriage. The TV star said there was great sexual chemistry between her and Brian when they first met and she's still not sure why it disappeared as the years went by. She said Brian was an excellent step-father to her three children and was also a doting dad to their son Malcolm, ten. Ulrika noted the couple never had the best communication skills and while she described herself as an 'open book', she felt Brian was the opposite. The couple went to marriage psycho-therapy sessions where Ulrika felt Brian lacked empathy. She added that they would continue to co-parent from separate houses and hopes they will reach a 'greater point of neutrality' in the future. During an appearance on Loose Women, Ulrika opened up further about her confession to only having sex with Brian once in eight years. Meet and greet: She met her suitor on social media, where she frequently shares candid snaps of her cooking, her kids and a host of selfies 'I was obviously profoundly affected by it and, to be quite honest, wondered if there was other people going through similar things. Mine, I guess, also coupled with going through the menopause and feeling different about my own body.' When asked if they were both disinterested in sex, she admitted that was certainly interested.' 'Obviously my ex-husband is not here to defend himself. I tried very, very hard at increasingly regular intervals to bring the subject up, it was of great concern to me. 'We worked really well as a couple and as parents and as a family, I think it was amazing. It was 100% the reason I wanted to stay in the marriage and keep going.' Of her Loose Women interview, Ulrika she 'didn't know' how he would feel about discussing their previous romance. 'I dont know. I see him every day, we see each other every day. Hes a really great guy, Im absolutely devastated that the marriage came to an end. 'But for me the whole thing about intimacy feels like a massive taboo. I would never dream of talking about it. But then when I thought, no this is really important.' It has been a tough time for the star who announced her heartbreaking split in April following 11 years of marriage. Ulrika also recently took to Instagram to admit that her 'eyes stung with tears' after she received the official letter confirming her separation from her third husband. Truthful: Ulrika said she was honest with her hew man about her recent lack of sexual experience Ulrika noted that her marriage was finally over after 'having a gorgeous ceremony and spending 13 years together' - but added a slight touch of humour in her message as she joked she was 'free to marry again.' Ulrika and Brian, who is believed to be 50, tied the knot in 2008 and share one son, Malcolm, 10. They began their relationship in 2006. In 2014, Brian also adopted her daughter Bo, now 18, from the presenter's relationship with German hotel boss Markus Kempen. Ulrika has two other children, Cameron, 24, from her marriage to John Turnbull (1990-1995) and Martha, 14, from her union with Lance Gerrard-Wright, (2003-2005). (Alliance News) - Mining royalty firm Altus Strategies PLC on Tuesday said it has received a first tranche of shares in Australia-listed Canyon Resources Ltd as part of a joint-venture termination agreement the two companies struck last year. Altus has received 15 million Canyon shares, valued at roughly GBP1.1 million altogether. Altus now owns 16.1 million Canyon shares, representing a 3.4% stake in the company. Under the agreement, which Altus reported in February 2019, the company was to transfer all of its share capital in subsidiary Aucam Resources Ltd to Canyon. Aucam is the holder of Altus' Birsok and Mandoum licences in central Cameroon. The licences cover the Minim Martap bauxite deposit. Bauxite is a type of ore that is used in aluminium production. In exchange, Altus said it would receive 30 million Canyon shares. Altus also will receive a USD1.50 per tonne royalty on bauxite ore mined and sold from Minim Martap. Altus shares were untraded in London on Tuesday morning, last quoted at 7.65 pence each. By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. [February 11, 2020] Defying Soft Automotive Market, Outsell Closes 2019 With 16 Percent Direct Revenue Increase MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Outsell , which offers the only AI-driven marketing automation platform for the automotive industry, announced today that it grew its direct revenue by 16 percent, despite the softening automotive sales market. The companys overall revenue growth for the year was 7 percent. By comparison, auto industry sales were down 0.2 percent in 2019. Outsell founder and CEO Mike Wethington said he attributes the companys revenue growth to the fact that dealers must be more careful and strategic with marketing dollars when market conditions are less than ideal. Outsells solution helps dealers ensure they are spending marketing dollars wisely, said Wethington. Identifying the best prospects and automating marketing across the consumer lifecycle is a great combination in a competitive market where margins are tight. Dealers are looking for every advantage and Outsell provides that. A recent comprehensive, multi-year study conducted by Outsell, RXA, and Experian showed that AI-driven consumer lifecycle marketing leads to: 23% increase in repeat sales 31% increase in service visits 49% increase in dealer loyalty rate A major update to its flagship platform. Outsell 5.2 includes new features that make it not only the best solution for managing and optimizing cross-channel marketing campaigns, but also greatly enhance auto marketers ability to create and share engaging content especially in social media channels. Launched Mileage Estimator , a predictive model that helps dealers more accurately target consumers in their customer journey. , a predictive model that helps dealers more accurately target consumers in their customer journey. Won the 2019 WebAward Automobile Standard of Excellence. Hired former Star Tribune Finance VP Jon Ochetti as Outsells new CFO. Experts are predicting 2020 auto sales to continue to be challenging. In challenging times, the best dealers look for leading edge solutions that increase their effectiveness and efficiency. Outsell is ready and excited to serve them with our innovative solutions that deliver the clearest attribution of sales and profit results in the industry, said Wethington. About Outsell Outsell offers the only AI-driven marketing automation platform for the automotive industry, creating a personalized customer experience that drives increased profits across sales and service. Our proprietary technology harnesses massive amounts of data creating accurate and powerful consumer profiles that engage your customers and prospects exactly where they are in their individual lifecycles. Thats why Outsell is the trusted platform for over 1,500 dealers representing all major automotive brands. To learn more, visit https://www.outsell.com/ or follow us at @Outsell . Media Contact: Michelle Faulkner Big Swing Communications +1 617-510-6998 [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A university dean from Georgia is among 14 suspected pedophiles arrested and charged in an undercover sting operation. Keith Walters, 44, has been suspended from his post at Valdosta State University's college of science and mathematics following accusations he tried to meet children for sex after allegedly grooming them online. The men, aged between 24 to 57, were charged with a range of offences including computer pornography, child exploitation and sex trafficking. Across four days, Georgia Bureau of Investigation executed an operation code-named Broken Arrow which had seen undercover investigators spend several months posing as children and engaging with the alleged pedophiles via web chat forums. Keith Walters, 44, has been fired from his post at Valdosta State University's college of science and mathematics following accusations he criss-crossed the state to meet children for sex after grooming them online Arrested: From left to right, Walter Curry, 33, a laborer, Josue Trejo, 31, a forklift driver, Keith Morrison, 43, a truck driver Many of the conversations saw the arrested men share pornographic pictures with the 'child' and even request the 'minors' to take nude photos of themselves. 'Every individual arrested during the operation believed they were going to a location to meet with a child and engage in prearranged sex acts,' GBI spokesperson Lindsay Marchant said in a statement. She went on to explain: 'Online child predators visit chat rooms and websites on the internet, find children, begin conversations with them, introduce sexual content and arrange a meeting with the children for the purpose of having sex. 'Over the course of the operation, investigators had more than 120 exchanges with persons on various social media or internet platforms. 'During many of these exchanges, the subjects directed conversations towards sex with persons they believed to be minors.' From left to right: Billy Carter, 57, a truck driver, Eugene Mainah, 35, unemployed, Eric Copeland, a press operator Jamian Hogan, 34, a retail associate, Rene Phillips, 36, an electrician, Justin Warren, 24, a student, Bronson Tripp, 24, a retail associate Dave Vincent Almon, 43, a retail manager, John Henry Hursey, 45, a carpenter, Wilford Sermons, 28, a customer service representative Forty men stung were believed to meet the threshold for arrest, but only 14 were carried out. One of the 14 men had previously arrested on 'peeping tom' charges, while two were further arrested for carrying a gun and two arrested for drug possession. Nineteen mobile devices and several additional electronic devices were seized as evidence. Since 2014, Georgia's Internet Crimes Against Children taskforce has arrested 150 suspected pedophiles. Along with Walters, the other arrested men include Dave Vincent Almon, 43, a retail manager, Billy Stephen Carter, 57, a truck driver, Eric Bernard Copeland, a press operator, Walter Lee Curry, 33, a laborer, Jamian Hogan, 34, a retail associate, John Henry Hursey, 45, a carpenter, Eugene Andega Mainah, 35, unemployed, Keith Morrison, 43, a truck driver, Wyman Rene Phillips, 36, an electrician, Wilford Sermons, 28, a customer service representative, Josue Trejo, 31, a forklift driver, Bronson Jamari D. Tripp, 24, a retail associate and Justin Naeem Warren, 24, a student. - ASCO 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium and Radiation Oncology Summit: ACRO 2020 - Blue Earth Diagnostics, a Bracco company focused on molecular imaging diagnostics, today announced upcoming presentations of additional analyses from the FALCON clinical trial (NCT02578940) of Axumin (fluciclovine F18) injection), which evaluated its impact on the management of patients with recurrent prostate cancer. The presentations are part of the scientific programs for the ASCO 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), February 13 15, 2020, in San Francisco, Calif., and the Radiation Oncology Summit: ACRO 2020, February 26 29, 2020, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Details of the presentations to be given by Blue Earth Diagnostics and its collaborators are listed below. Blue Earth Diagnostics also provided an update that full results from the FALCON study will be published in an upcoming issue of the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics. ASCO 2020 Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), February 13 15, 2020 Date: Thursday, February 13, 2020 11:30 a.m. 1:00 p.m. and 5:30 6:30 p.m. PT Presentation: Impact of 18F-fluciclovine PET on salvage radiotherapy plans for men with post-radical prostatectomy recurrence of prostate cancer Abstract Number: 19 Presenter: Professor Heather Payne, FRCP, FRCR, University College Hospital, London Session Title Times: Prostate Cancer and Trials in Progress Poster Session A: Prostate Cancer, Board A7 11:30 a.m. 1 p.m., 5:15 6:15 p.m. PT Location: Moscone West Building, San Francisco, Calif. Blue Earth Diagnostics invites participants at the ASCO Genitourinary (GU) Cancers Symposium 2020 to attend the presentation above and to visit the company at Exhibit Booth 46. Radiation Oncology Summit: ACRO 2020, February 26 29, 2020, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Date: Saturday, February 29, 2020 Presentation: The impact of prior prostatectomy on the detection of prostate cancer recurrence with 18F-fluciclovine: Imaging results from the FALCON trial Abstract Number: 20 Presenter: Eugene Teoh, MD, Blue Earth Diagnostics (Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust at time of study) Session Title Times: Poster Presentations 8:00 a.m. 1:30 p.m. ET Location: Westin Fort Lauderdale Beach Foyer, Las Olas ballrooms, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Blue Earth Diagnostics invites participants at ACRO 2020 to attend the presentation above and to visit the company at Exhibit Booth 27. The company is also hosting a satellite symposium event, "Detecting and Localizing Recurrent Prostate Cancer with Axumin (fluciclovine F 18)," with invited speaker Dr. Steven Finkelstein, MD, DABR, FACRO, Florida Cancer Affiliates, US Oncology Network, which will be held on Thursday, February 27, 2020, from 12:00 1:00 p.m. ET, in the Rio Vista room. NOTE: Axumin (fluciclovine F 18) injection is FDA-approved for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated blood prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following prior treatment This press release is intended to provide information about Blue Earth Diagnostics' business in the United States and Europe. Please be aware that the approval status and product label for Axumin varies by country worldwide. For EU Axumin product information refer to: http://www.ema.europa.eu/ema/index.jsp?curl=pages/medicines/human/medicines/004197/human_med_002100.jsp&mid=WC0b01ac058001d124. U.S. Indication and Important Safety Information About Axumin INDICATION Axumin (fluciclovine F 18) injection is indicated for positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in men with suspected prostate cancer recurrence based on elevated blood prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels following prior treatment. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION Image interpretation errors can occur with Axumin PET imaging. A negative image does not rule out recurrent prostate cancer and a positive image does not confirm its presence. The performance of Axumin seems to be affected by PSA levels. Axumin uptake may occur with other cancers and benign prostatic hypertrophy in primary prostate cancer. Clinical correlation, which may include histopathological evaluation, is recommended. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, may occur in patients who receive Axumin. Emergency resuscitation equipment and personnel should be immediately available. Axumin use contributes to a patient's overall long-term cumulative radiation exposure, which is associated with an increased risk of cancer. Safe handling practices should be used to minimize radiation exposure to the patient and health care providers. Adverse reactions were reported in 1% of subjects during clinical studies with Axumin. The most common adverse reactions were injection site pain, injection site erythema and dysgeusia. To report suspected adverse reactions to Axumin, call 1-855-AXUMIN1 (1-855-298-6461) or contact FDA at 1-800-FDA-1088 or www.fda.gov/medwatch. Full U.S. Axumin prescribing information is available at www.axumin.com. About Blue Earth Diagnostics Blue Earth Diagnostics is a leading molecular imaging diagnostics company focused on the development and commercialization of novel PET imaging agents to inform clinical management and guide care for cancer patients in areas of unmet medical need. Formed in 2014, Blue Earth Diagnostics is led by recognized experts in the clinical development and commercialization of innovative nuclear medicine products. The company's first approved and commercially available product is Axumin (fluciclovine F 18), a novel molecular imaging agent approved in the United States and European Union for use in PET imaging to detect and localize prostate cancer in men with a diagnosis of biochemical recurrence. Fluciclovine F 18 has a broad range of other potential applications in cancer imaging and Blue Earth Diagnostics is investigating the molecule for other cancers including in neuro-oncology. The company's pipeline includes innovative Prostate Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-targeted radiohybrid ("rh") agents, which are a clinical-stage, investigational class of theranostic compounds, with potential applications in both the imaging and treatment of prostate cancer. Blue Earth Diagnostics is a subsidiary of Bracco Imaging S.p.A., a global leader in diagnostic imaging. For more information, visit: www.blueearthdiagnostics.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005276/en/ Contacts: For Blue Earth Diagnostics (U.S.) Priscilla Harlan Vice President, Corporate Communications (M) (781) 799-7917 p.harlan@blueearthdx.com Media Sam Brown Inc. Mike Beyer (M) (312) 961-2502 mikebeyer@sambrown.com For Blue Earth Diagnostics (UK) Clare Gidley Acting Communications Manager Tel: +44 (0) 7917 536939 c.gidley@blueearthdx.com AS World Group, in its capacity as Authorised Ticket Reseller for Expo 2020 Dubai, held a global roadshow at the African Union Summit in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to promote the upcoming expo to all 54 member countries of the African Union (AU). At its global roadshow at the recently concluded 33rd AU Summit, AS World Group launched special Expo 2020 Dubai packages and bespoke services for African government ministries, chambers of commerce, universities, private businesses, etc. Attended by heads of State and Government of the AU, the 33rd Ordinary Season of the Assembly of the Heads of State and Government of the AU was held at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa under the theme Silencing the Guns: Creating Conducive Conditions for Africas Development and comprised statutory meetings and side events. The AU promotes Africas growth and economic development by championing citizen inclusion and increased cooperation and integration of African states. To be held from October 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021 at a purpose-built site, Expo 2020 Dubai is the first World Expo to take place in the Middle East, Africa and South Asia, with a record 192 countries participating in the six-month long mega event under the theme of Connecting Minds, Creating the Future. Sajid Barkat, chief executive officer, AS World Group, said: As an official facilitator of Expo 2020 Dubai we organised a dedicated global roadshow at the 33rd AU Summit to showcase to all 54 African countries what Expo 2020 Dubai is all about and how their participation in the upcoming strategically important mega event can benefit their respective countries and economies across the board. We received enormous interest about Expo 2020 Dubai from official delegates and missions at the 33rd AU Summit and we are sure that Dubais strategic location at the crossroads between Africa and the rest of the world - along with the Expo 2020 event - where every participating country will have its own national pavilion, will propel Africa to new heights In order for African delegates, trade and other missions to make optimum use of Expo 2020 Dubai, AS World Group has launched exclusive and flexible packages encompassing three nights/four days and 360-degree services that comprise all logistics needs in Dubai, including visa arrangements, air tickets, hotel reservations, ground transportation, Expo 2020 Dubai site tickets, tourism offerings, etc. As such, we can cater to B2B, B2C and B2G segments. Expo 2020 Dubai is a golden opportunity for African nations to greatly boost intra-Africa trade, which currently stands at only 13%, compared to Europes 30-40%. Africa, with its 1.3 billion people, is of strategic importance to Expo 2020 Dubai and this is where AS World comes in because by Connecting Minds, Creating the Future we serve as the perfect partner between the continent and the mega event, Barkat added. A diversified international conglomerate with operations spanning from event management to strategic consulting and investments Dubai-based AS World Group is perfectly equipped to connect Expo 2020 Dubai with key audiences in Africa by leveraging its long-term connections with the entire continent. The company has over 15 years experience in supporting state protocol departments and chanceries in organising and managing all the logistics for official delegations during international conferences, bilateral and international summits, such as the UN General Assembly, UN Climate Change Conference, African Union Summits, etc. TradeArabia News Service RTHK: Virus 'super-spreader' says fully recovered A British businessman who became known as a "super-spreader" of the Covid-19 coronavirus said on Tuesday he'd fully recovered but remained in isolation in a central London hospital. Steve Walsh issued a statement via his company from Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital after catching the virus on a business trip in Singapore. He is believed to have infected at least 11 other Britons -- five in a ski chalet in the French Alps and another five who have since returned to his home city of Brighton on England's southeast coast. Another person was diagnosed while on vacation in Spain. Walsh said he contacted Britain's state-run national health service once he realised he might be sick. "As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus, I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England," the 53-year-old said. "I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed," he added. "When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves." Walsh represented his Servomex natural gas analytics company at the Grand Hyatt Singapore sales conference on January 20-22. A firm that conducts Servomex's consulting work described Steve as a genial boy scout leader who has two children and travels abroad frequently for work. Servomex is a division of the London Stock Exchange-listed Spectris high-tech instruments and software provider. UK health authorities have so far tested 1,358 people and recorded eight cases inside the country. The media's focus on the "super-spreader" from Brighton intensified after one of the medical centres in the coastal city temporarily closed because two of its staff also became infected. A second branch of the same medical centre suspended operations on Tuesday. Walsh travelled to the French Alps before returning to London from Geneva on an EasyJet flight carrying more than 100 people. His associates said Walsh went to his local pub in Brighton and attended a group yoga session at his church after returning from his trip. He put himself in "self-isolation" after one of his colleagues abroad fell ill. A Servomex spokesman said the company remained opened and was working with "authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff". Health officials in Brighton are currently trying to trace patients of the two healthcare workers diagnosed with the virus strain. UK health authorities have tried hard to calm any fears sparked by a barrage of media stories about a "super-spreader" infecting the public without anyone's knowledge. "Contact tracing of the first four cases has been undertaken rapidly and is now complete while tracing for the latest four cases is ongoing," health minister Matt Hancock told parliament. Hancock revealed that UK health authorities' work helped to find the five Britons who are still isolated in France. "They are now receiving treatment and the Foreign Office is following up with consular support," Hancock said. But some medical researchers said Walsh's case pointed to a bigger problem: the possibility that the virus can spread from someone who exhibits no symptoms. The episode "may support that the virus can be shed from individuals prior to the onset of symptoms, which we are hearing more and more anecdotally," said University of Leeds virus researcher Stephen Griffin. "This would make the problem of containing spread more like controlling a flu outbreak rather than what was experienced with Sars," Griffin said. The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (Sars) was another coronavirus that originated in China and killed 774 worldwide in 2002-03. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Some of them have crossed Bidens path here in New Hampshire: the security guard mourning the death of her father and fearful of the test that grief is putting on her 30 years of sobriety; the man who confided he has just lost his job and is afraid to tell his family; the woman who fled the man who beat her and ended up living on the street; the line of people standing in 22-degree temperatures at a downtown food bank, some of them children wearing no gloves. (Photo : REUTERS/Nacho Doce) Employees work next to a banner with information of MWC20 (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain February 5, 2020. (Photo : REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: Amazon boxes are seen stacked for delivery in the Manhattan borough of New York City, January 29, 2016. (Photo : REUTERS/Aly Song/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: An Ericsson logo is pictured at Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Shanghai, China June 28, 2019. (Photo : REUTERS/Steve Marcus/File Photo) FILE PHOTO: A view of the Sony booth during the 2020 CES in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. January 8, 2020. (Photo : ZTE Website) ZTE's logo is hanged in Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China. (Photo : Pixabay) LG's logo is imprinted on a Windows monitor. (Photo : Pixabay) Nvidia's logo is imprinted on a black wall. [UPDATE] New companies backing out MWC 2020. MWC 2020 continues to proceed in late February in Barcelona, Spain, despite the coronavirus outbreak. However, numerous corporations have announced they would no longer be attending the exchange show because of fears. The GSMA, which organizes MWC, says that they'll be taking more precautions due to the virus outbreak. These precautions include a boom in sanitizing and disinfecting regions of the trade show, including catering areas, surfaces, handrails, bathrooms, entrances/exits, among others. There will be an increase in clinical support, more signage to alert attendees on the health risk, and even asking people to adopt a "no handshake" policy at MWC 2020. ALSO READ: Will MWC be Cancelled With More Tech Giants Backing Out Amid Coronavirus Scare? Intel In a statement published by Venturebeat, an Intel spokesperson said the safety and wellbeing of every employee and partner is its top priority. Hence the American multinational corporation and technology company decided to withdraw from this year's Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution. NTT Docomo According to Reuters, NTT said it had withdrawn after taking into consideration the safety of customers, partners, and staff. However, the Japanese tech giant did not immediately confirm whether its chief executive, Kazuhiro Yoshizawa, would push through in MWC 2020 as a panel speaker. TCL Additionally, TCL has confirmed to SlashGear that it will no longer be hosting a planned press conference at the show. The company isn't dropping out of MWC 2020 entirely - it says it'll still be showing off new products at its booth - so it's more taking the approach of ZTE, which made a similar announcement last week. Vivo Citing concerns with the health and safety of its employees and the public, Vivo is withdrawing the debut of its new Apex 2020 concept phone from MWC. According to the Chinese technology company owned by BBK Electronics, revised plans will be issued soon. The organizers additionally issued a brand new statement on Sunday, Feb. 9, saying that travelers from Hubei province (where the outbreak originated) are banned from the event. Furthermore, tourists who have recently been in China will need to show that they've been out of China for 14 days before MWC. Other measures consist of temperature screening and calling for attendees to "self-certify" that they haven't been in touch with any infected humans. As of writing, here are all the businesses that have confirmed plans to bypass MWC 2020. ALSO READ: [BREAKING] AIRBORNE CORONAVIRUS CONFIRMED: MWC 2020 in Serious Jeopardy Amazon Amazon is one of the big names skipping MWC, saying that it won't be showing or collaborating in the expo at all. Quoting a report from Reuters, Amazon said it will withdraw from showing and taking part in Mobile World Congress 2020 due to the outbreak and continued concerns about the new coronavirus. Ericsson Ericsson said on Feb. 7 that it will be pulling out of MWC 2020 because of the coronavirus fear. The tech giant cited its "obligation for the health and safety of personnel, clients, and other stakeholders" as the primary motive for withdrawing. Instead of attending MWC, the firm will preserve "Ericsson Unboxed" events instead so that one can be mini-events taking place "nearer to clients." Ericsson did not give any further details on where or while these events might take vicinity. LG In a press release despatched to media outlets, LG decided to withdraw from showing and taking part in MWC 2020 due to coronavirus outbreak concerns on the enterprise's personnel and the general public. The multinational tech corporation stated its decision will "prevent needlessly exposing loads of LG personnel to international trips, which most health professionals have advised." It introduced that it plans to expose its 2020 telephone plans in separate events within the near future. LG was expected to show the LG V60 ThinQ with a secondary display, probable alongside the LG G9 ThinQ all through MWC 2020. Nvidia Silicon giant Nvidia is known for its graphics playing cards and is also a frequent MWC exhibitor. Unfortunately, it won't be attending this year's edition. In a news release, Nvidia said it has informed GSMA and MWC organizers that its employees won't be sent to this year's occasion. "Given public health risks around the coronavirus, making sure the safety of our colleagues, partners, and customers is our maximum concern," the Silicon giant said. The corporation showed that it changed its decision to present its work on AI, 5G, and vRAN in Barcelona. Sony The Japanese giant announced its intention to withdraw from MWC 2020 on Monday, Feb. 10, mentioning the coronavirus threat as well. "As we place the utmost significance on the protection and well being of our [stakeholders] and personnel, we [decided] to withdraw from showing and taking part at MWC 2020," the agency stated in a news release. Sony was scheduled to launch an occasion in Barcelona on Feb. 24. However, this may now be an online event on the same day at 8:30 AM CET. ZTE ZTE, in an announcement sent to The Verge, confirmed that it will not be holding a press event in MWC 2020. According to ZTE's spokesperson, part of the decision was because ZTE employees were already struggling with visa and travel delays to Barcelona. The spokesperson said that ZTE tends "to be an excessively courteous business enterprise, and truly don't need to make human beings uncomfortable." ZTE did make clear afterward, validating information to Android Authority that while it won't be having a press occasion, it will maintain a booth presence. ALSO READ: Why is ZTE No Longer Attending the MWC? Is It Really the Coronovirus Scare to Blame? Furthermore, it announced numerous measures it will be taking for staff. These measures encompass senior ZTE leaders being remoted in Europe for at least weeks earlier than MWC, and all employees undergoing weeks of self-isolation earlier than departing for Barcelona. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Project Coordinator - Data Must Speak, Florence, Italy Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Childrens Fund Country: Italy City: Florence, Italy Office: UNICEF Innocenti Research Centre, Florence Grade: P-3 Closing date: Sunday, 23 February 2020 Project Coordinator - Data Must Speak - Temporary Appointment (364 days) P3 - Florence, Italy Job no: 529737 Position type: Temporary Appointment Location: Italy Division/Equivalent: Partnerships School/Unit: Florence, Italy Department/Office: Office of Research Categories: Private Fundraising and Partnerships UNICEF works in some of the worlds toughest places, to reach the worlds most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone. And we never give up. For every child, Data Organizational Context and Purpose for the job Job organizational context: The Office of Research-Innocenti (OoR-Innocenti) is the dedicated research office of UNICEF. It undertakes and commissions research on emerging or current issues of relevance for children in order to inform the strategic directions, policies and programmes of UNICEF, Governments and their partners. The Office identifies research gaps, brings together existing researchers, and supports or undertakes research and data collection to address critical questions at country and global levels. Every Child has the right to learn. However, 53 percent of children in low- and middle-income countries cannot read and understand a simple story by the end of primary school-age. In poor countries, the learning poverty rate is as high as 80 percent. UNICEF vision for education is that every child learns, articulated in the 2019-2030 Education Strategy across three inter-related goals: (i) equitable access to learning opportunities; (ii) improved learning and skills for all; (iii) improved learning and protection for children in emergencies and transitions. The generation and use of robust research are key for the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Education Strategy and the UNICEF Strategic Plan for 2018-2021 as reflected in the Priorities for research and data in support of UNICEFs Strategic Plan - Using the power of evidence to drive change for children. Data Must Speak (DMS), a programme led by UNICEF headquarters and implemented with Governments and UNICEF Regional Offices and Country offices since 2014, provides country-specific technical support and capacity strengthening to Ministries of Education and school communities for more effective and transparent data use at school and system levels. DMS also includes a research component whose new phase -led by OoR-Innocenti - has been approved for funding as part of the Global Partnership for Education (GPE)/International Development Research Center (IDRC) global programme for Knowledge and Innovation Exchange (KIX). Despite the learning crisis, even in the most difficult contexts, there are some diamonds, the positive deviant schools, those that are outperforming (in terms of learning, gender and equity) other schools in the same context and with the same resources. Unfortunately, most of the time, the positive deviant schools are not identified and very little is known about the positive deviant practices and behaviours active in those schools (or around) that make them performing better than the others. And even less is known about the implementation gap in service delivery: how to incentivize and scale up these positive deviant practices and behaviours in the less performing schools. The DMS new research component has been designed to address these gaps in evidence generation and use at country level for policy and implementation changes, using mixed-methods including quantitative research, behavioral and scaling science and implementation research. Purpose of the post: The Office aims to strengthen its capacity and resources to deliver the production and use of high-quality research within the DMS global programme. Mr. Coalson will join Card Complaint as Senior Counselor working with the companys robust group of industry and compliance experts on its technology- driven regulatory compliance products. Card Compliant is pleased to announce the addition of John L. Coalson to its team. Effective January 2020, Mr. Coalson will join Card Complaint as Senior Counselor working with the companys robust group of industry and compliance experts on its technology-driven regulatory compliance products. John L. Coalson has a distinguished career as a lawyer. For more than twenty years, his practice focused on advising companies regarding the application of state unclaimed property laws to their businesses, including assisting companies in the structuring of gift card, loyalty, award, and promotional card and other forms of prepaid programs, and representation of companies in multi-state audits and voluntary disclosures agreements. Mr. Coalson also focused on consumer protection and regulatory matters associated with gift cards and other stored value instruments. He is a retired partner of the national law firm Alston & Bird LLP. During his 40+ year career, he has advised almost half of the Fortune 100 companies on unclaimed property and state tax matters. Mr. Coalson is a distinguished Fellow of the American College of Tax Counsel, and served for more than a decade as an Adjunct Professor of Law in the Emory University School of Law. He has been listed in Best Lawyers in America for more than 25 years and is recognized individually in Chambers Guide to Americas Leading Lawyers for Businesses as one of Americas leading tax lawyers. He is the author or co-author of more than two dozen publications, including the BNA Tax Management Portfolio Unclaimed Property, and more than 100 presentations and technical papers on unclaimed property and tax law. Mr. Coalson also serves as National Legal Counsel of the Arthritis Foundation, one of the largest national voluntary health agencies in the U.S. About Card Compliant: Card Compliant is a Serv-Tech Company delivering artificially intelligent compliance solutions for regulatory, legal, and accounting challenges in high data business environments. The companys technology platforms include systems addressing unclaimed property and revenue recognition from stale or unused prepaid cards and other trade payables along with related business analytics. Bawana Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Bawana constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Bawana profile: The Bawana Assemby constituency, which is along the Haryana border, saw a straight fight between the AAP and the BJP. AAP's Jai Bhagwan defeated BJP's Ravinder Kumar by over 11,000 votes. With a large number of villages, it is a rural constituency which is located on the outskirts of Delhi city. The constituency, which is reserved for Scheduled Castes, was in the news in 2017 after its legislator defected to the BJP. This necessitated a bypoll which was won by the AAP. Here is a brief profile of Bawana constituency: Constituency Name: Bawana Constituency Number: 7 District Name: North West Delhi Total Electors: 3,03,108 Female Electors: 1,33,614 Male Electors: 1,69,464 Third Gender: 30 Reserved: For SC Results in previous elections: Surender Kumar of the Congress held the seat for three terms until 2008, when he was defeated by BJPs Gugan Singh. In the 2015 election, Ved Parkash defeated Singh by 50,000 votes. Prakash later defected to the BJP. In the upcoming election, the AAP has given the ticket to Jai Bhagwan Upkar, a former BSP councillor in MCD, while the BJP has dropped Singh and fielded Ravindra Kumar Indraj. The Congress, on the other hand, has persisted with Surender Kumar, its 2015 poll candidate. Demographics: Dalits and Jats are an important vote bank in the constituency. Moreover, Purvanchalis form at least 35 percent of the electorate in Bawana, which is traditionally part of the Jat heartland in Delhi. Villages of Punjab Khor, Qutabgarh, Mungeshpur, Bajitpur Thakaran, Auchandi, Daryapur Kalan, Salahpur Majra give a rural flavour to the constituency. Housing colonies like Vijay Nagar Colony, Indraj colony and JJ Colony are also part of the constituency. (Newser) Joe Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg have all topped the polls in New Hampshire at various points over the last few monthsbut Bernie Sanders has pulled away in the home stretch, according to CNN. A tracking poll conducted by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center from Feb. 6 to Feb. 9 puts the senator from neighboring Vermont at 29%, followed by Buttigieg at 22%, Biden at 11%, and Warren at 10%. Some 7% said they planned to vote for Amy Klobuchar, while no other candidate polled more than 5%. The poll found that only 50% had definitely decided who they were going to vote forand 42% of that group chose Sanders. On the GOP side, 90% back Trump and 7% prefer former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, according to the poll. More: Between Sanders and Buttigieg. FiveThirtyEight gives Sanders a 66% chance of winning Tuesday's primary. The site, which gives Buttigieg a 30% chance, predicts that Sanders will get around 28% of the vote and will receive around 11 of the state's pledged delegates. story continues below No repeat of Iowa . State officials promise that there will be no repeat of the chaos in Iowa, where the final result is still being disputed more than a week after the Democratic caucuses, the Union-Leader reports. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner says the primary is different from a caucus in many ways, including the fact that it is being conducted by state officials, not a political party. Gardner stresses that the process will rely on tried-and-true paper and pencil, not an app like the one that contributed to the problems in Iowa. He predicts a record turnout for this year's primaries. . State officials promise that there will be no repeat of the chaos in Iowa, where the final result is still being disputed more than a week after the Democratic caucuses, the Union-Leader reports. New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner says the primary is different from a caucus in many ways, including the fact that it is being conducted by state officials, not a political party. Gardner stresses that the process will rely on tried-and-true paper and pencil, not an app like the one that contributed to the problems in Iowa. He predicts a record turnout for this year's primaries. Surprises in early voting . The winner in Dixville Notch, which votes just after midnight, was Michael Bloomberg, who wasn't on the ballot. He had write-in votes from two Democrats and the town's only Republican. Klobuchar won in Harts Location and Millsfield, which also voted overnight, the Hill reports. . The winner in Dixville Notch, which votes just after midnight, was Michael Bloomberg, who wasn't on the ballot. He had write-in votes from two Democrats and the town's only Republican. Klobuchar won in Harts Location and Millsfield, which also voted overnight, the Hill reports. Klobuchar's moment? While Klobuchar is unlikely to repeat the Millsfield and Hart's Location success statewide, her popularity in the state has surged in recent days and it will shake up the race significantly if she finishes third, ahead of either Warren or Biden, Politico reports. "I dont have the biggest bank account in this race, I didnt have the biggest name ID going into this," she said a rally. "But what I have is grit." While Klobuchar is unlikely to repeat the Millsfield and Hart's Location success statewide, her popularity in the state has surged in recent days and it will shake up the race significantly if she finishes third, ahead of either Warren or Biden, Politico reports. "I dont have the biggest bank account in this race, I didnt have the biggest name ID going into this," she said a rally. "But what I have is grit." Hopes for a reset . The AP reports that the Democratic Party hopes the New Hampshire primary will reset the race for the nomination and provide some clarity, noting that since the "chaotic Iowa caucuses failed to perform their traditional function of winnowing the race, it now falls to New Hampshire to begin culling the Democratic field." . The AP reports that the Democratic Party hopes the New Hampshire primary will reset the race for the nomination and provide some clarity, noting that since the "chaotic Iowa caucuses failed to perform their traditional function of winnowing the race, it now falls to New Hampshire to begin culling the Democratic field." What's at stake. This is the first time since 2004 that nobody has dropped out following the Iowa caucuses, notes the New York Times, which looks at what is at stake for each candidate, including former frontrunner Biden, who has already acknowledged that he is likely to take a hit in New Hampshire. (Read more New Hampshire primary stories.) The Trump budget also proposes putting significant funds into reinvigorating old systems. For years, strategists have debated whether the United States could abandon its ground-based nuclear missiles, spread out in silos across the West. They are considered highly vulnerable and so old many of them date to the 1970s that they are a hazard. But Mr. Trump has produced a base budget of $1.5 billion in 2021 to prepare for deploying a new generation of missiles in the late 2020s. That is a nearly threefold increase from last year. In fact, the administration has put so many new projects in front of the Energy Department and the Pentagon that it seems unlikely many of them will get done, at least on the schedule Mr. Trump envisioned in his budget plan. The W93 weapon would not go into production until 2034, or nearly a decade after Mr. Trump would leave office if elected to a second term. Another new nuclear warhead, called the 87-1, a redesign of a 40-year-old thermonuclear weapon made for ground-based missiles, would not begin production until 2030. The bottom line is that N.N.S.A. has more work on its plate than it can perform, Mr. Young said of the National Nuclear Security Administration. They are attempting to rebuild the entire nuclear stockpile, while building new components. And their history is that they do not perform big projects on time and on budget. It is possible that Mr. Trumps plan could be upended by the next president, or the president after that. But for now, the message being sent abroad is that the United States is back in the nuclear weapons business, either because it wants to bolster its arsenal or because Mr. Trump wants a stronger hand in negotiations. At the same time, American allies are going in the other direction. Frances president, Emmanuel Macron, said in a speech on Friday that his countrys arsenal had dropped below 300 weapons, and that he would seek other cuts. These decisions are in line with our rejecting any type of arms race and our keeping the format for our nuclear deterrent at a level of strict sufficiency, he said. He also called for an autonomous and competitive industrial defense base, so that France is less dependent on American technology. Representative image There are no restrictions on visit of any Indian citizen to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the government informed Parliament on Tuesday. In response to a question seeking to know the time by which the government proposes to allow Indian delegates to visit Jammu and Kashmir, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy told the Lok Sabha that there are no restrictions on any Indian citizen to visit the Union Territory. On the question of visit of foreign ambassadors there, the minister said a visit of heads of 15 Missions to Jammu and Kashmir was organised on January 9-10 "in view of requests received from foreign Missions based in Delhi with a view to have better understanding of the situation in the UT". As per report, a group of resident Heads of Missions (HoMs) from 15 countries -- Argentina, Bangladesh, Fiji, Guyana, Maldives, Morocco, Niger, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Peru, South Korea, Togo, the United States and Vietnam -- visited Jammu and Kashmir, Reddy said. They met civil administration, political leaders, representatives of the civil society including youth from different ethnic, religious and socioeconomic communities, representatives of mainstream media from Kashmir, and the displaced Kashmiri Pandit community, he said. "During their visit, the HoMs interacted freely, met different people and could see the prevailing normalcy in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. The HoMs welcomed the organisation of the visit and acknowledged the prevailing normalcy in UT of Jammu and Kashmir," Reddy said. The minister said a select group of countries representing different geographical regions were invited for the visit to the UT in order to maintain the group size manageable and broad-based. "The HoMs of some of the EU countries welcomed the initiative but regretted that they won't be able to visit the UT due to short notice. They, however, expressed interest to visit Jammu and Kashmir at a later date," he said. From Cosmopolitan In some wonderful, positive news, the first ever same-sex couple to get married in Northern Ireland had their wedding today. 26-year-old Robyn Peoples and 27-year-old Sharni Edwards from Belfast said their vows this afternoon, making history as the first LGBTQ+ couple to do so. They've been together for six years, and say they didn't set out to make history, they're simply "a couple in love" The law was changed last year allowing couples of the same-sex to marry after a huge equal marriage campaign from Love Equality and Amnesty International. And just look at the pics, so cute can't cope. Photo credit: Justin Kernoghan/Amnesty International Same-sex couples were able to get married legally as of yesterday (February 10). Ahead of their big day, the couple spoke about feeling "overwhelmed". Were so excited for our wedding day. Its a big day for us, but an even bigger day for equal rights in Northern Ireland," Sharni said. Robyn and I have been together for six years but the campaign for marriage equality has been going longer. Its thanks to everyone who has campaigned that next week well be making our vows to each other equal to other couples in the eyes of the law. Robyn added, We did not set out to make history. Were just a couple in love, who want to make a life-long commitment through marriage. Now the law finally allows us to do this. We want to thank everyone who made this day possible - the Love Equality campaign, the thousands who marched in Belfast and beyond, and the MPs in Westminster who changed the law. Together weve made history - its quite overwhelming. Photo credit: Justin Kernoghan/Amnesty International This is what our campaign has been all about love and equality. We could not be happier for Sharni and Robyn, and all the other couples who will follow them down the aisle," said Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Director of Amnesty International. This is a moment Northern Ireland will remember forever this is the day love became equal in the eyes of the law. Robyn and Sharnis love story has become the tale of a successful fight for equality. This is a historic occasion of which we can all be proud. As of today, Northern Ireland is a more equal, loving and happy place. Story continues Photo credit: Justin Kernoghan/Amnesty International And tonight, to celebrate the first marriage, a parliamentary event will take place. Sara Canning - the partner of Lyra McKee, the journalist who was killed in Derry last April - will give a speech to MPs and visitors. You Might Also Like WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As local government officials continue to examine retirement benefits and costs, new research offers a national snapshot of police and fire pensions and retiree healthcare. The findings are contained in a new analysis from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) and the Boston College Center for Retirement Research (CRR), An Introduction to Police and Fire Pensions. Download the research here. The research finds that as of 2016, public safety retirement benefits made up two percent of total city, county, and school district expenditures. The costs of pension benefits earned for police and fire personnel made up 15 percent of payroll, compared to eight percent for non-public safety local employees. For retiree healthcare, the annual cost made up about six percent of payroll, as compared to four percent for other employees. The majority of these higher pension costs is linked to the longer retirement periods. The analysis also finds that pension benefits are about 25 percent higher for police and fire employees than for non-public safety local employees. This difference may exist to offset the lack of Social Security coverage for some public safety employees. "Local governments across the country are continually analyzing the retirement benefits provided to the public safety workforce, along with the associated costs. This research provides government leaders and policymakers with a national snapshot so they can make informed decisions," said Joshua Franzel, PhD, president and CEO of SLGE. Conducted by CRR researchers Jean-Pierre Aubry, associate director of state and local research and Kevin Wandrei, research associate, the research assesses the size of public safety retiree benefit costs utilizing public safety employee data from the Public Plans Database, the U.S. Census Bureau, and government actuarial valuations. The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) helps local and state governments become knowledgeable and competitive employers so they can attract and retain a talented and committed workforce. SLGE identifies leading practices and conducts research on public retirement plans, health and wellness benefits, workforce demographics and skill set needs, and labor force development. SLGE brings state and local leaders together with respected researchers. Access all SLGE publications and sign up for its newsletter at slge.org and follow @4GovtExcellence on Twitter. SOURCE Center for State and Local Government Excellence Related Links http://www.slge.org Amanda Knox, who was acquitted for the 2007 murder of fellow exchange student Meredith Kercher in Italy, has publicly shamed a blogger who attacked her online. Ms Knox, who is due to get married in March to novelist Christopher Robinson, shared the post which featured her photo and called her fiance a 'beta chump'. The piece that appeared on alt-right.com called her a greedy leech and a ho. Well! This fellows got quite the bee in his bonnet! she wrote in an Instagram post. But what can you expect from alt-right.com? Ms Knox and her fiance hoped to fund their space-themed wedding by raising $10,000 in donations, but took a beating over it in the tabloids and on Twitter. Amanda Knox heads for home after acquittal Show all 1 1 /1 Amanda Knox heads for home after acquittal Amanda Knox heads for home after acquittal 654135.bin Reuters The fundraising effort was done in lieu of a traditional registry. Donations were to be used for a variety of costs associated with the wedding. Let's face it, we don't need any more stuff. So please, no gifts, and no pressure, the couple wrote on their website. But if you feel so inclined, we welcome help putting on the best party ever for our family and friends! Ms Knox responded to the criticism on Twitter. "To those hating on us all day, you've been duped by the outrage machine. You gave ad $ to tabloids that profit by making you angry about things that don't matter. Our wedding will be crazy & fun & barebones if it needs to be, but in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't matter," she wrote. She went on to tell people to get mad about something that matters. There are 100k+ innocent people in prison right now. They are disproportionately black & brown men. Put your money where your mouth is, she wrote, before linking to donation pages for Healing Justice Project, Alaska Innocence Project and the University of Washington School of Law. Since her release in 2011, Ms Knox has been an advocate for wrongfully imprisoned individuals. She will speak at an Illinois Innocence Project fundraiser this May. A MAN has appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with false imprisonment and blackmailing another man for 50,000 (59,000). Anthony Finglas (49), with an address in Warrenpoint, Co Down, appeared before the non-jury court this afternoon after being detained on foot of an arrest warrant earlier today. The accused faces four charges of false imprisonment, robbery, assault causing harm and making an unwarranted demand with menace. Det Sgt Padraig Boyce, of the Special Detective Unit, gave evidence of arresting Anthony Finglas at Castle Street, Trim, Co Meath, at 11.52am today. He told the court that the accused was detained on foot of an arrest warrant issued on February 10. The court heard that when Mr Finglas was cautioned by Det Sgt Boyce and the charges were put to him, he replied "Not guilty". The accused is charged with the false imprisonment of Edward McAndrew at a property in Cornamuckla, Omeath, Co Louth, on December 2, 2017. He is also charged with assault causing harm to Mr McAndrew as well as robbery of a set of car keys, 200 in cash, a wallet, a briefcase, two mobile phones and an Irish passport. Mr Finglas faces a further charge of making an unwarranted demand with menace of 50,000 from Mr McAndrew at the same location on the same date. An application for legal aid was also made with a solicitor for the accused saying he was in receipt of social welfare in Northern Ireland and provided a statement of means to the court. The accused was remanded in custody to appear before the same court next Tuesday. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 23:05:18|Editor: yan Video Player Close BERLIN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- ADAC, the largest automobile club in Europe, provided assistance to motorists around 3.8 million times in Germany in 2019, a decline of 4 percent compared to the previous year, according to the general German automobile club (ADAC) on Tuesday. The main reason for the decline had been "mild temperatures in winter" in Germany, according to the club, which operates a large fleet of mobile mechanics in yellow cars which are called "yellow angels" in Germany, to assist motorists in trouble. At just under 42 percent, most breakdowns were due to problems with the car battery. According to ADAC, this was mainly due to the "average age of the registered vehicles" in Germany which was currently 9.5 years. Battery problems were followed by issues with the engine or engine control unit at 17.4 percent, ADAC noted. Difficulties with the car body, steering, brakes, chassis or drive caused a total of 15.5 percent of all breakdowns in Germany. On average, Germany's automobile club helped drivers who had a breakdown or other problems with their vehicle more than 10,000 times a day. According to ADAC, the busiest day of the year with around 22,000 incidents was in January when low temperatures caused accidents and breakdowns. The high court of England and Wales will hear over three days from Tuesday an appeal from businessman Vijay Mallya, who is arguing that the government of India does not have a case against him while seeking his extradition to face charges of major financial offences. Under the UKs extradition law, a prima facie case needs to be established before a decision can be taken to extradite the requested person. The Westminster Magistrates Court ruled in December 2018 that there is a prima facie case of fraud, but the high court allowed Mallya to appeal against it in July 2019. Mallyas extradition case rests on the charge that he and his companies conspired to defraud the IDBI, which lent his Kingfisher Airlines multi-crore loans in 2009. His version is that he was unable to return bank loans due to a genuine business failure, rather than any intention to defraud. Mallyas defence team put forth several grounds to resist his extradition, but the high court allowed appeal only on the ground that the magistrates court had erred in concluding that a prima facie case exists against him, for which he needs to be sent to India. The high court had ruled on July 2: The first and by far the most substantial ground in terms of the nature and complexity of the material which the court is asked to grapple with is a contention that the senior district judge was wrong to conclude that the Government had established a prima facie case. (We) have been persuaded that the applicants first ground of appeal is at least reasonably arguable. Mallya, who attended most hearings, said at the time: I always said there is no prima facie case against me. I am still ready to return the money to the bank. I have always maintained that these are false charges, fabricated charges and have no merit. I think my point has been vindicatedI wanted to win on the prima facie ground because that is central to everything. Claire Montgomery, Mallyas lawyer, had raised doubts about the credibility of some of the paperwork submitted by the Indian government, particularly the alleged identical nature of several witness statements. She also argued that India had submitted a fraction of the relevant paperwork, adding that if the full material were submitted, the magistrates court would not have reached the conclusions it did. India, she alleged, chose not to submit annexures included in loan applications that had details of Kingfisher Airlines. There is no justification for the assertions (in the magistrates courts judgement) about misrepresentations about the financial position of the company. The charge of misrepresentation is unsubstantiated in the ruling, she had asserted. The high court had allowed the appeal on the ground of prima facie case, but rejected others such as risk to his human rights in the Arthur Road jail, inability to get a fair trial in India, the claim that he is being punished for his political opinions, and that there would be a breach of specialty if he were sent to India. Under the India-UK extradition treaty, specialty is a rule that the person sought will be tried only for those offences mentioned in the extradition request, and not for others. Montgomery had argued that there would be a breach of specialty if he is extradited, because over 40 cases are ongoing against him in India, many with non-bailable warrants. There is no assurance from New Delhi that the other cases would be dropped if he is extradited, she had argued. Mallya has been on bail since his arrest in London in April 2017. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Three policemen were booked and departmental proceedings initiated against them following the death of a man in police custody in Kolkata, officials said on Tuesday. Rajkumar Shaw (53), who was detained for interrogation at Sinthee police station in connection with a theft case, died in custody on Monday evening. His family members alleged that Shaw died due to torture by policemen. The police, however, denied the charges and said Shaw was ill and died due to cardiac arrest. Shaw's relatives then ransacked the police station and also lodged a complaint against the policemen. Following this, a departmental inquiry was ordered against two sub-inspectors and a sergeant, who have been 'closed' -- taken off active police duty. A petition was also filed in the high court, seeking a CBI probe into the death. Appearing for the state government, additional advocate general Abhratosh Majumder said that "a specific case has been started". However, officials were tight-lipped about the charges pressed against the policemen. The division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed the government to submit an action taken report and the post- mortem report on February 25, the next date of hearing of the petition. Shaw was detained for questioning on Monday morning on the basis of information provided by a woman who was in police custody in a theft case. The woman had said that she sold the stolen items to Shaw, police sources said. "Around 6 pm he suddenly fell unconscious. He was rushed to the R G Kar Medical College and Hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival," a police officer said. The BJP claimed that Shaw was a party member. BJP state general secretary Raju Banerjee along with party workers staged a protest at Sinthie More, following which they were detained. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Earl Stafford has made a career out of being in the right place at the right time. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Earl Stafford has made a career out of being in the right place at the right time. Concert Preview Click to Expand Manitoba Chamber Orchestra presents Ariel Barnes with conductor Earl Stafford Westminster United Church, 745 Westminster Ave. Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $36 adults, $34 seniors, $15 students at themco.ca. He had never seen a ballet prior to joining the Royal Winnipeg Ballet as its principal pianist in 1976. Stafford was given two weeks to audit rehearsals and get a feel for the job; however, his debut in the studio didnt go as planned. "The very first day that I was in watching the dancers, the pianist didnt show up and who is in the class? Mikhail Baryshnikov," Stafford says, referring to the famous Russian-born dancer, choreographer and actor. "I started playing them Beethoven sonatas and stuff that I knew, but it wasnt what they needed for a ballet class. "Baryshnikov came and sat beside me and he said, Do you want me to play the second half? " Stafford, 67, describes the learning curve as "baptism by fire." Earl Stafford has performed with the MCO a handful of times over the past decade including, as has become his modus operandi, stepping in to conduct Igor Stravinskys Soldiers Tale on short notice in 2013 when the planned conductor became suddenly ill. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Despite the rocky start, he would go on to become the ballets principal conductor and music director a transition that followed a familiar pattern and included an actual fire. "(The ballet was) doing Romeo and Juliet in Toronto, the conductor was in Montreal at the time and there was a fire at the Montreal airport; this was a half-hour before curtain time," he says. "One of the musicians in the orchestra said, Get Earl to do it... I conducted probably the first half of the first act and then the conductor showed up." Stafford retired from the Royal Winnipeg Ballet in 2009 and has spent the last decade freelancing and guest conducting. In 2017, he was made a member of the Order of Canada. On Wednesday, Stafford will lead what may be his final public performance during a Manitoba Chamber Orchestra concert with Canadian cellist Ariel Barnes although, hes hesitant to call the next phase retirement. Stafford will lead what may be his final public performance during a Manitoba Chamber Orchestra concert with Canadian cellist Ariel Barnes although, hes hesitant to call the next phase retirement. (Supplied photo) "I dont know if I ever would say never again, " he says. "If you want to be a professional in anything, you cant leave it for very long you get rusty." The fact that Stafford has been able to step in at the last minute on so many occasions speaks to his talent and work ethic. Stafford grew up in Thunder Bay and started playing piano at age eight. He practised two hours every day because his mother "wanted to get her moneys worth," and made his performance debut with the Thunder Bay Orchestra at the age of 10. As a teen, Stafford pulled away from music to pursue other interests. He found himself back at the keys, though, when he was accepted into the faculty of music at the University of Toronto. After graduating, he went on to study privately with Milton Kaye accompanist to violin great Jascha Heifetz in New York, where he spent the majority of his time playing a small piano in a small bachelor apartment in a rough part of town. Although he had never visited the city, Winnipeg became home when he was hired by the RWB. Stafford moved into a place on Aberdeen Avenue in the North End and got to work learning the nuances of playing piano for dance. Stafford in 2002, during his time as the RWB's music director. (Wayne Glowacki / Free Press files) "When youre accompanying ballet, its visual accompaniment, so youre having to adjust your tempo to what youre seeing, as opposed to what youre hearing," he says. The position was a master class in discipline, especially his time working with ballerina Evelyn Hart. "I dont know if Ive known anyone more dedicated to what they did than Evelyn," he says. In 1980, Stafford travelled with Hart to the International Ballet Competition in Varna, Bulgaria, where she became the first western dancer to win a gold medal for best female soloist. Stafford won gold for best accompanist. Canadas prima ballerina was also part of the most memorable performance of Staffords career. The pair performed together at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an open-air theatre in Athens, for a crowd of 6,000 people during an international tour with the ballet. "We just got lost in what we were doing; it was like there was no one else there," he says. "The acoustics were fantastic and I will never forget that evening." Andre Lewis, the RWBs artistic director and chief executive officer, was a dancer with the company when he first met Stafford. "What I loved the most about him... was his artistry, he had a way of getting the most out of the intent of a phrase, of a section of music," says Lewis, who was often partnered with Hart. "When you felt that he was infusing, if you will, the piece with that artistry, it combined with what Evelyn and I were doing onstage and it made it that much stronger." Despite a rocky start, Stafford would go on to become the Royal Winnipeg Ballets principal conductor and music director. (Ruth Bonneville / Winnipeg Free Press) Staffords appointment to principal conductor of the ballet in 1984 came with a new set of challenges and opportunities. "The focus had gone from being a pianist to now trying to learn how to work with a different instrument... the orchestra," he says. At the height of his career, Stafford split his time between Winnipeg where he was conducting for the ballet, teaching at the University of Manitoba and raising a family and Saskatchewan, where he was music director for the Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra. He has guest-conducted with orchestras in Tokyo, Hungary and Scotland, and performed for the likes of renowned jazz pianist Oscar Peterson and Queen Elizabeth. Boyd MacKenzie, concert manager with the MCO and former Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra violinist, has performed under Staffords baton many times. "One of the nicest and most important things about his conducting style is his enthusiasm for music," MacKenzie says. "He would always come well-prepared and really know what he wanted." "We just got lost in what we were doing; it was like there was no one else there. The acoustics were fantastic and I will never forget that evening." Earl Stafford on performing with ballerina Evelyn Hart at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, an openair theatre in Athens Stafford has performed with the MCO a handful of times over the last decade including, as has become his modus operandi, stepping in to conduct Igor Stravinskys Soldiers Tale on short notice in 2013 when the planned conductor became suddenly ill. "We contacted him because he was in the community and very familiar with the music," MacKenzie says. "And I know the musicians really do enjoy working with him." Even though he is keeping his options open, Wednesdays performance with the chamber orchestra is Staffords last for the foreseeable future. "If its my last time I do anything publicly, Ill be fine with it," he says. "Ive had a very full life." eva.wasney@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @evawasney 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. Ocado has posted a big loss for the year, due to increased spending and a fire at its warehouse (Ocado/PA) The huge fire which hit Ocados Andover warehouse contributed to the online supermarket sinking to a 214.5 million loss for the year. Some of the money will be recouped through insurance payments of around 90 million, but the increased loss is also due to heavy spending by the business as it builds more fulfilment centres. Despite the falls in profits, revenues rose 9.9% to 1.7 billion in the year to December 31 driven largely by its retail division, which was up 10.3%. Bosses also remain positive, saying the impact from the fire cut 10% of Ocados capacity yet sales still grew overall. The landscape of grocery retailing globally is changing. We are excited to be able to play a leadership role through Ocado Retail, our joint venture with M&S, and through our Solutions partnerships, as we fulfil our mission of changing the way the world shopsTim Steiner, Ocado The focus for the year ahead will be opening new sites, including Ocados first international centres in France for Groupe Casino and in Canada for Sobeys. New sites will help Ocado spend 600 million this year on expansions. Chief executive Tim Steiner said he expects 30 outlets to be operational in the next few years. Closer to home, Ocado is opening smaller sites to improve availability, including a micro unit in Tufnell Park, north London. He admitted it can be worth engaging earlier after local residents there complained about the additional noise and pollution, but he insisted there would be changes, including cutting back on the most polluting diesel vehicles at the site. A major fire at Ocados Andover warehouse will result in an insurance payout of around 90m (Andrew Matthews/PA) The newly-created UK solutions and logistics division, which provides services to the Ocado and M&S joint venture, alongside a contract with Morrisons, said underlying profits before tax hit 84.8 million, up from 67 million last year. Mr Steiner added: The landscape of grocery retailing globally is changing. We are excited to be able to play a leadership role through Ocado Retail, our joint venture with M&S, and through our Solutions partnerships, as we fulfil our mission of changing the way the world shops. Pope Francis will not make an exception on Wednesday to Roman Catholic priestly celibacy rules in the Amazon, US bishops said after meeting the pontiff, dismissing speculation on the controversial subject. Bishops from the Amazon asked after last year's synod meeting for the pope to allow married men to become priests and to allow female deacons in the sparsely-populated region so that more indigenous people could take communion. In spite of strong opposition, including from former pope Benedict XVI, some observers had predicted a loosening of the rules when Francis' synod conclusions are published on Wednesday. But two bishops told the US Catholic Service after meeting the pope on Monday for lengthy talks that the pope would not be making the concession. "He didn't say much about the two pressing issues, about the ordination of women deacons and married priests," said Salt Lake City bishop Oscar Solis. "I think he left it a bit open with no specific decision about it. So it's open for discussion," said Solis. "He said he didn't actually believe in the ordination of married men, but what are you going to do with all those people who are deprived of the Eucharist?" During the talks, the Argentine pope said some media preferred focussing on controversy but that he wanted to focus on the Amazon's social, ecological, cultural and pastoral challenges, the Catholic Service said. "The pope, very gently and very calmly, said, 'You know, this point was really not a big point in that synod,'" said Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, New Mexico, without specifying if he was referring to married priests or women deacons. "I don't even think at this point that it's something we're going to move on because I haven't sensed that the Holy Spirit is at work in that right now," the pope reportedly said. In a book written by Francis about Pope John Paul II published on Tuesday, the pope wrote "I'm convinced that celibacy is a gift". "I feel strongly the duty to think of celibacy as a decisive grace... I repeat: it is a grace, not a limit," Francis wrote. In January 2019, Francis said he did not believe that optional celibacy should be allowed, while conceding "some possibilities for far flung places", such as Pacific islands or the Amazon. Last month former pope Benedict, who retired in 2013, issued a defence of clerical celibacy in a book written with arch-conservative Cardinal Robert Sarah. "The conjugal state concerns man in his totality, and since the service of the Lord also requires the total gift of man, it does not seem possible to realise the two vocations simultaneously," wrote Benedict. Priestly celibacy is not part of Roman Catholic Church doctrine but a disciplinary tradition which became obligatory in the 11th century. Married Anglican priests who convert to Catholicism are allowed to keep their wives. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) - Raila jetted inside the country from Ethiopia on Monday at around 1.50pm - He was driven directly to parliament where he viewed the body of Daniel Moi - Raila removed his cape, swang his flywhisk in respect of the fallen politician - He later joined Moi's family, condoled with them and described Moi as a great African statesman - Moi will be buried at his Kabarak home in Nakuru county on Wednesday, February 12 Former prime minister Raila Odinga has today, Monday, February 10, joined other Kenyans in viewing body of fallen ex president Daniel Moi. Raila, who jetted out of the country for the US before Moi died, arrived in the country at around 1.50pm. READ ALSO: Land buying company Username Investment giving out land this Valentines, here is how to win Raila arrived at parliament's Speaker's walk at around 2.30pm to view the body. Photo: Phelix G-Cord. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Slippers on a flight! Kibaki's hot grandson shames Miguna's footwear after comments on grandfather's shoes He was driven straight to parliament buildings where the statesman lies in state. After his trip to the US, where he was joined by President Uhuru Kenyatta for the National Prayer Breakfast, the Opposition chief flew to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where he attended an African Union (AU) summit. READ ALSO: Taarifa kuwa waombolezaji katika mazishi ya Moi watapewa mkate, soda yaudhi Wakenya Raila arrived at parliament's Speaker's walk at around 2.30pm where he viewed Moi's remains. He removed his white trademark cap and swang his black flywhisk. Raila removed his white cap and swang his black flywhisk in honour of Moi. Photo: Dennis Onyango. Source: UGC READ ALSO: Kenyan woman publicly begs MP Jaguar to impregnate her after showing off his handsome son His father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga did the same when Kenya's founding president Jomo Kenyatta died in August 1978. Raila was accompanied by his wife Ida, and son Raila Junior. After viewing the remains, Raila met with Moi's family members whom he engaged with in a light talk. "Moi was a freedom fighter who proceeded to do much for our country. May He rest in eternal peace," he said. Many citizens had anxiously waited for Raila's arrival at parliament to view the body; considering the political background the two have. During his reign, Moi detained Raila for about six years following the failed attempted coup staged against Moi's regime in 1982. Owing to political differences between Moi and Raila's family, his father Jaramogi was not accorded a state funeral when he died in 1994. Jaramogi served as the country's first vice president after independence under founding president Jomo Kenyatta. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke Leader of Opposition in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly Gopal Bhargava has alleged that the "transfer industry" to mint money has resumed in the Congress- ruled state. Bhargava claimed the real meaning of law and order in the Kamal Nath government is - "bring money and take order". The BJP leader's comments came a day after the Nath government transferred 52 Indian Police Service officers. "The transfer industry has resumed. Right now only 52 IPS have been transferred. A long list is in the offing. Bring money and take order @OfficeOfKNath. The real meaning of law and order has been confined to this. @INCMP the government is left with no work," Bhargava tweeted in Hindi. However, state Congress spokesman Bhupendra Gupta dismissed the BJP's allegations as "absurd". "When the previous BJP government effected transfers of over 1,000 officials in its 15-year rule in the state, it dubbed it as 'administrative surgeries'. Now they are terming it 'transfer industry'. This is totally absurd," Gupta said. The BJP was defeated in the November 2018 state Assembly polls after a 15-year stint in power. Last year also, when the state government effected transfers, former chief minister and senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan alleged that the Kamal Nath-led dispensation was running a "transfer industry" to make money. The 52 IPS officers transferred by the Kamal Nath government on Monday included superintendents of police of 16 districts and five officers each of additional director general of police and inspector general ranks. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Mahila Congress chief Sharmistha Mukherjee sounded the bugle of rebellion within the Congress party by directly blaming the senior brass of the party for a disastrous show in the Delhi Assembly elections. Taking to Twitter, Mukherjee listed out what she thinks are the reasons for the party's second consecutive debacle. Congress hasn't even been leading on any seat it contested. We r again decimated in Delhi.Enuf of introspection, time 4 action now. Inordinate delay in decision making at the top, lack of strategy & unity at state level, demotivated workers, no grassroots connect-all r factors.Being part of d system, I too take my share of responsibility Sharmistha Mukherjee (@Sharmistha_GK) February 11, 2020 READ | NCP's Nawab Malik Attacks BJP, Says Delhi Heard PM's Call & Voted Against 'anti-nationals' According to figures from the Election Commission of India showed AAP leading in 57 seats, followed by just BJP at 13. In terms of vote share, AAP has polled 53.3% while BJP has got 39% and Congress, 4.26%. READ | BJP's Manoj Tiwari Claims Solace In Defying Exit Polls; Touts 'close Fight' In 27 Seats Counting of results The counting procedure for the Delhi Assembly Elections 2020 has begun from 8 am on Tuesday morning. The votes were polled on February 8 in the national capital. On Sunday, Delhi's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Ranbir Singh said that 21 centres have been set up in the city for the counting of votes. The term of the current 70-seat Assembly, where AAP holds an absolute majority, will expire on February 22. READ | Delhi Election: Kejriwal Leading, His Deputy Sisodia Trailing READ | Delhi Election: 'I Will Take Full Responsibilty For The Outcome', Says BJP's Manoj Tiwari Google Maps A mother and her 11-year-old son were found shot dead Tuesday inside a home in Sugar Land, hours after the father died in an apparent suicide in Guadalupe County, according to police. Sugar Land police identified the parents late Tuesday as Richard James Logan, 53, and Diana Lynn Logan, 48. The boy was not identified. New Delhi, Feb 11 : Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit the Hanuman temple in Connaught Place here after addressing the volunteers at 3.30 p.m. at the party office to celebrate the hat-trick in Chief Minister office. The national convener also visited the temple, a day before the city went to polls on February 8, for which the BJP had mocked him. Kejriwal is also likely to hold a roadshow between the party office and the temple. The AAP is all set to sweep the Delhi Assembly elections, leading in 62 seats, as per the Election Commission website. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text The Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is crediting the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) government as the first government to have reduced the electricity tariffs in the history of the Fourth Republic. He said the 22% reduction in electricity prices in 2018 was the most significant intervention in the utility sector by the government in recent times. Speaking at the governments 2020 town hall meeting in the Ashanti Regional capital, Kumasi, on Tuesday, Dr. Bawumia said although the government subsequently increased electricity prices by 11.7% the following year, the average for both years still showed a significant reduction in the cost of electricity. [In] 2018, we reduced electricity prices by 22% and by the way, this is the first government in the history of the fourth republic that has reduced electricity prices. And in 2019, we increased the prices by 11% but when you take the net between 2019 and 2018, in net terms, since weve been in office, weve reduced electricity tariffs by 10%. And this has never happened before that any government in the 4th republic and therefore it is a promise we have fulfilled, he said. The PURC in March 2018 announced a 10-30 percent reduction in prices of electricity effective March 15, 2018. Residential customers had a 17.5% reduction, whilst non-residential customers enjoyed 30% cut. The mines were also entitled to 10% reduction, with special load tariff customers also enjoying 25% reduction. President Akufo-Addo had earlier announce the reduction at a meeting with beauticians and hairdressers two months earlier but the opposition, National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Parliament descended heavily on the president, accusing him of usurping the powers of the PURC through the populist announcement. Electricity tariff changes since 2010 Data from the PURC indicates that excluding 2012, 2016 and 2017, where electricity prices were increased and in 2018 when the prices were reduced, all other years recorded an increase of at least 10 percent. YEAR PERCENTAGE CHANGE 2010 89 2011 10 2012 0 2013 78 2014 28.36 2015 59.2 2016 0 2017 0 2018 -22.08 2019 11.17 ---citinewsroom Close New Hampshire Rally: Elizabeth Warren battles to stay in the Democratic race Bernie Sanders won the New Hampshire Democratic presidential primaries, declaring victory in the first-in-the-nation vote and paving an even clearer potential path to securing the nomination and moving onto the general election against Donald Trump. After essentially tying in Iowa last week, the strong showings from Pete Buttigieg, who appeared to place in second, and Mr Sanders cemented their status at the top of the 2020 Democratic field. And an unexpectedly strong performance from Amy Klobuchar gave her a stronger path out of New Hampshire as the contest moves on to the gantlet of state-by-state primary contests that lie ahead. The strength of Mr Sanders and Mr Buttigieg was matched in reverse by the struggle of former Vice President Joe Biden, who spent most of the last year as the Democrats national front-runner but fled New Hampshire hours before polls closed anticipating a bad finish. With final returns ahead, he was competing for fourth place with Elizabeth Warren, a disappointing turn for the senator from neighbouring Massachusetts. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters Neither Mr Biden nor Ms Warren were on track to receive any delegates. So many of you chose to meet a new era of challenge with a new generation of leadership, Mr Buttigieg said. Meanwhile, Mr Sanders boasted of a movement from coast to coast ... to defeat the most dangerous president." Meanwhile, two candidates dropped out amid the crucial New Hampshire vote. Recommended Bernie Sanders wins New Hampshire primary Michael Bennet, a Colorado Senator and former 2020 hopeful, told supporters on Tuesday: I love you, New Hampshire. Whether you knew it or not, we were having a great time together. He added: I think its fitting for us to end the campaign tonight. The announcement came just after Andrew Yang, another low-polling Democratic presidential candidate, announced he was suspending his campaign amid the first-in-the-nation primary. Theyve decided tonight, and tonight is not going to be our night, but let me say this to New Hampshire: You may see me once again, so thank you, Mr Bennet said. Mr Yang, who announced the suspension of his candidacy just moments before Mr Bennet, was the last candidate of colour to qualify for the debate stages, effectively leaving a still-crowded field of all-white candidates vying for the Democratic nomination. Additional reporting by Associated Press. See live updates from the New Hampshire primaries as they came in below. Please allow a moment for the live blog to load Apple has joined the Fast Identity Online Alliance which aims to create stronger authentication standards and reduce the reliance on passwords. The alliance aims to solve the worlds password problem. FIDO already has many high-level companies like Amazon, Google, Facebook, Arm, Intel, Samsung, Lenovo, and Qualcomm as its members, with Apple now joining the alliance. The companies will work towards the adoption of the U2F authentication standard which is backed by the alliance. Apple added support for the U2F standard in Safari with the iOS 13.3 release. Other browsers like Chrome, Internet Explorer, and Firefox also support the standard. The U2F standard wants to replace passwords with trusted devices. This is similar to how Google login prompts work in the Android ecosystem. You log in to a new Android device and Google sends a login confirmation prompt in one of your trusted devices. You can also use security keys like the one from Yubikey as an additional two-step authentication method and log into your account securely. The FIDO authentication is based on free and open standards and offers a superior user experience and security. While it is going to take a while for passwords to go away, Apple joining the FIDO Alliance will give notable credibility and support to the standard and the program. [Via MacGeneration DUBLIN, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Nitrogen Fertilizers Global Market Report 2020" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering. The global nitrogen fertilizers market was worth $54.61 billion in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7% and reach $70.62 billion by 2023. Globally, governments are investing to uplift the agricultural sector, thereby contributing to the growth in demand for fertilizers. For example, in 2014, the government of India announced plans to invest INR 50,000 crore ($ 7.4 billion) to set up two new fertilizers plans and revive four fertilizers plants in different parts of the country. Also, INR 10,000 crore ($1.5 billion) was invested by the government to build a national gas grid to support the fertilizers plants with gas supply. Similarly, in 2014, the Chinese government announced a total fund of 122.2 billion yuan ($19.7 billion) as subsidies to farmers for the production of grains and purchase of agricultural production resources such as fertilizers and pesticides. The initiatives taken by government to promote agricultural sector will drive the fertilizers market. Nitrogen is one of the fertilizers majorly affecting the pH balance in the soil, whether its alkaline or acidic based on the type of the nitrogen fertilizer that has been used. pH value gives the measure of how alkaline or acidic a solution is. Crops are developing resistance with the increased usage of nitrogen fertilizers and it in turn leads to deterioration of soil and environment. For instance, according to Department of Primary industries and Regional Development, Government of Australia, the soil acidification is mainly caused due to ammonium nitrogen fertilizers, the major contributors of soil erosion by affecting the electrical balance in plants. Thus, the degradation of soil and environment by nitrogen fertilizer limits the growth of the market. Urea market is witnessing rapid growth in fertilizers market as it controls air pollution by catalytic reaction. According to International Fertilizers Association (IFA), global urea capacity is going to increase by a net of 17 metric tons by volume for each year and the total production is estimated as 226 metric tones by 2021. Thus, the expected increase in production of urea promotes the sales of nitrogen fertilizers market. In September 2019, Nutrien Ltd., a Canada-based fertilizer company that produces and distributes nitrogen, potash, and phosphate products for agricultural use acquired Ruralco Holdings Limited for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is expected to enable Nutrien to compete in the global markets and strengthen the delivery of products and services to Australian farmers. Ruralco Holdings Limited is an Australia-based agricultural fertilizer company that specializes in manufacturing and distributing chemical fertilizers such as nitrogen fertilizers and seeds. The nitrogen fertilizers market has been geographically segmented into North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, South America and Middle East & Africa. Asia Pacific accounts for around 43% of the market. Major players in the market are Yara International, CF Industries Holdings Inc., PJSC Togliattiazot, Nutrien Inc., OCI NV, Coromandel International Ltd, EuroChem Group, Koch Industries Inc., SABIC Group, Bunge Limited. Key Topics Covered 1. Executive Summary 2. Nitrogen Fertilizers Market Characteristics 3. Nitrogen Fertilizers Market Size And Growth 3.1. Global Nitrogen Fertilizer Historic Market, 2015 - 2019, $ Billion 3.1.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.1.2. Restraints On The Market 3.2. Global Nitrogen Fertilizer Forecast Market, 2019 - 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 3.2.1. Drivers Of The Market 3.2.2. Restraints On the Market 4. Nitrogen Fertilizers Market Segmentation 4.1. Global Nitrogen Fertilizers Market, Segmentation By Type, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Urea Calcium Ammonium Nitrate (CAN) Ammonium Nitrate Ammonium Sulphate Ammonia Other Nitrogenous Fertilizers 4.2. Global Nitrogen Fertilizers Market, Segmentation By Application, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Cereals & Grains Oilseeds & Pulses Fruits & Vegetables Others 5. Nitrogen Fertilizers Market Regional And Country Analysis 5.1. Global Nitrogen Fertilizers Market, Split By Region, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion 5.2. Global Nitrogen Fertilizers Market, Split By Country, Historic and Forecast, 2015-2019, 2023F, 2025F, 2030F, $ Billion Companies Mentioned Yara International CF Industries Holdings Inc. PJSC Togliattiazot Nutrien Inc. OCI N.V. Coromandel International Ltd. EuroChem Group Koch Industries Inc. SABIC Group Bunge Limited Sinofert Holdings Limited CVR Partners, L.P. PotashCorp Agrium Coromandel For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/gpx2m0 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 When the government tracks the location of a cellphone it achieves near perfect surveillance, as if it had attached an ankle monitor to the phones user, wrote John Roberts, the chief justice of the Supreme Court, in a 2018 ruling that prevented the government from obtaining location data from cellphone towers without a warrant. We decline to grant the state unrestricted access to a wireless carriers database of physical location information, Roberts wrote in the decision, Carpenter v. United States. With that judicial intent in mind, it is alarming to read a new report in The Wall Street Journal that found the Trump administration has bought access to a commercial database that maps the movements of millions of cellphones in America and is using it for immigration and border enforcement. The data used by the government comes not from the phone companies but from a location data company, one of many that are quietly and relentlessly collecting the precise movements of all smartphone-owning Americans through their phone apps. Many apps weather apps or coupon apps, for instance gather and record location data without users understanding what the code is up to. That data can then be sold to third-party buyers including, apparently, the government. Since that data is available for sale, it seems the government believes that no court oversight is necessary. Use of this type of location-tracking data by the government has not been tested in court. And in the private sector, location data and the multibillion-dollar advertising ecosystem that has eagerly embraced it are both opaque and largely unregulated. The use of location data to aid in deportations also demonstrates how out of date the notion of informed consent has become. When users accept the terms and conditions for various digital products, not only are they uninformed about how their data is gathered, they are also consenting to future uses that they could never predict. Without oversight, it is inconceivable that tactics turned against unauthorized immigrants wont eventually be turned to the enforcement of other laws. As the world has seen in the streets of Hong Kong, where protesters wear masks to avoid a network of government facial-recognition cameras, once a surveillance technology is widely deployed in a society it is almost impossible to uproot. The courts are a ponderous and imperfect venue for protecting Fourth Amendment rights in an age of rapid technological advancement. Exhibit A is the notion that the Carpenter ruling applies only to location data captured by cellphone towers and not to location data streamed from smartphone apps, which can produce nearly identical troves of information. For far, far too long, lawmakers have neglected their critical role in overseeing how these technologies are used. After all, concern about location tracking is bipartisan, as Republican and Democratic lawmakers told Times Opinion last year. I am deeply concerned by reports that the Trump administration has been secretly collecting cellphone data without warrants to track the location of millions of people across the United States to target individuals for deportation, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who leads the Oversight and Reform Committee, told The Times. Such Orwellian government surveillance threatens the privacy of every American. The federal government should not have the unfettered ability to track us in our homes, at work, at the doctor or at church. The Oversight Committee plans to fully investigate this issue to ensure that Americans privacy is protected. Surely, Congress has time to hold hearings about a matter of urgent concern to everyone who owns a smartphone or cares about the government using the most invasive corporate surveillance system ever devised against its own people. New York Times AMD RDNA architecture, industry-leading 7nm process technology and advanced software features deliver leadership multitasking performance, energy efficiency, and rock-solid stability to power demanding 2D and 3D professional design applications AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics offer superior performance in real-world applications and up to 32 percent lower power consumption1 than the competition SANTA CLARA, Calif., Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AMD (AMD) today announced the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 workstation graphics card, delivering the performance and advanced features demanded by todays Design & Manufacturing and Architecture, Engineering & Construction (AEC) professionals. AMD also announced the AMD Radeon Pro W5500M GPU, designed and optimized to power next-generation, high-performance professional mobile workstations. Todays design and engineering workforce pushes the boundaries of professional design applications. These increasingly mobile professionals often use multiple graphics-intensive applications simultaneously and require no-compromise performance to visualize, review and interact with their designs in real time. AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics harness the high-performance, power-efficient AMD RDNA architecture, 7nm process technology, high-speed GDDR6 memory, high-bandwidth PCI Express 4.0 support and advanced software features. Expanding the AMD family of high-performance professional graphics products, they offer outstanding performance in real-world applications, rock-solid stability and superb energy efficiency. In addition, the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card delivers incredible multitasking performance even in demanding situations, such as allowing professionals to continue developing their designs while rendering a visualization in the background. Designers and engineers require a professional graphics solution that delivers the performance and efficiency to meet todays unique challenges. Nothing is more stressful than a deadline, and AMD professional graphics keep performing when you need them most, said Scott Herkelman, corporate vice president and general manager, Radeon Technologies Group at AMD. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card delivers exceptional power efficiency and leadership performance for 2D and 3D design applications, enabling them to better visualize and interact with their designs in real time, explore new immersive workflows like virtual reality and maximize productivity. Story continues The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card and the Radeon Pro W5500M GPU transform how project teams collaborate by enabling immersive, real-time visualizations of design concepts to make quick and better informed decisions. Key capabilities and features include: High-Performance AMD RDNA Architecture Features a redesigned geometry engine and compute units, delivering up to 25 percent higher performance-per-clock than the previous-generation Graphics Core Next (GCN) architecture 2 . Incredible Multitasking Performance The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card delivers outstanding multitasking performance even in demanding situations, offering up to 10x better estimated application workflow performance than the competition in the SPECviewperf 13 benchmark under a multitasking load. 3 Real-World Power Efficiency The combination of the power efficient AMD RDNA architecture and Radeon Pro Software for Enterprises intelligent power management technology enable the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card to precisely scale to meet the power demands of professional applications. As a result, it consumes up to 32 percent less system power on average in SOLIDWORKS solid modeling workflows than the competition 1 . Professional-Grade Software Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise offers performance improvements in each release and is optimized for demanding 24/7 computing environments, with extensive OEM platform and ISV certification testing to deliver the quality professionals demand. The latest driver (20.Q1) achieves up to an estimated 15 percent faster geomean score in the SPECviewperf 13 benchmark than version 19.Q1 from 2019 4 . AMD Remote Workstation5 Allows professionals to access their physical workstations from virtually anywhere with rich graphics experiences using Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops or Microsoft Remote Desktop. Compute Units TFLOPS (FP32) Maximum Power Consumption GDDR6 Memory Bandwidth Memory Interface Display Outputs (DisplayPort 1.4) AMD Radeon Pro W5500 22 Up to 5.35 125W 8GB Up to 224 GB/s 128-bit 4 (drives four 4K displays or one 8K display at 60Hz) AMD Radeon Pro W5500M 22 Up to 4.79 85W 4GB Up to 224 GB/s 128-bit 4 Availability The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card is expected to be available from leading retailers beginning mid-February 2020, for an SEP of $399 USD. More information is available on AMD.com . The AMD Radeon Pro W5500M GPU is expected to be available in professional mobile workstations beginning in Spring 2020. The AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card will be showcased in the AMD booth 208 at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2020 , taking place February 10-12 in Nashville, Tennessee. Supporting Resources Learn more about the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 and the Radeon Pro W5500M here Become a fan of AMD on Facebook Follow AMD on Twitter Follow Radeon Pro graphics on Twitter Discover certified ISV applications here About AMD For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies the building blocks for gaming, immersive platforms and the datacenter. Hundreds of millions of consumers, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research facilities around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees around the world are focused on building great products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (AMD) website , blog , Facebook and Twitter pages. Cautionary Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD) including the features, functionality, availability, timing and expectations of the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 workstation graphics card and the AMD Radeon Pro W5500M GPU, which are made pursuant to the Safe Harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are commonly identified by words such as "would," "intends," "believes," "expects," "may," "will," "should," "seeks," "intends," "plans," "pro forma," "estimates," "anticipates," or the negative of these words and phrases, other variations of these words and phrases or comparable terminology. Investors are cautioned that the forward-looking statements in this document are based on current beliefs, assumptions and expectations, speak only as of the date of this document and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations. Such statements are subject to certain known and unknown risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond AMD's control, that could cause actual results and other future events to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking information and statements. Material factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include, without limitation, the following: Intel Corporations dominance of the microprocessor market and its aggressive business practices may limit AMDs ability to compete effectively; AMD relies on third parties to manufacture its products, and if they are unable to do so on a timely basis in sufficient quantities and using competitive technologies, AMDs business could be materially adversely affected; failure to achieve expected manufacturing yields for AMDs products could negatively impact its financial results; the success of AMDs business is dependent upon its ability to introduce products on a timely basis with features and performance levels that provide value to its customers while supporting and coinciding with significant industry transitions; if AMD cannot generate sufficient revenue and operating cash flow or obtain external financing, it may face a cash shortfall and be unable to make all of its planned investments in research and development or other strategic investments; the loss of a significant customer may have a material adverse effect on AMD; AMDs receipt of revenue from its semi-custom SoC products is dependent upon its technology being designed into third-party products and the success of those products; global economic uncertainty may adversely impact AMDs business and operating results; AMDs operations are subject to political, legal and economic risks and natural disasters which could have a material adverse effect on AMD; government actions and regulations such as export administration regulations, tariffs and trade protection measures, may limit AMDs ability to export its products to certain customers; AMD products may be subject to security vulnerabilities that could have a material adverse effect on AMD; IT outages, data loss, data breaches and cyber-attacks could compromise AMDs intellectual property or other sensitive information, be costly to remediate and cause significant damage to its business and reputation; AMD has a wafer supply agreement with GF with obligations to purchase all of its microprocessor and APU product requirements, and a certain portion of its GPU product requirements, from GLOBALFOUNDRIES Inc. (GF) with limited exceptions. If GF is not able to satisfy AMDs manufacturing requirements, its business could be adversely impacted; uncertainties involving the ordering and shipment of AMDs products could materially adversely affect it; AMDs operating results are subject to quarterly and seasonal sales patterns; the agreements governing AMDs notes and the Secured Revolving Line of Credit impose restrictions on AMD that may adversely affect its ability to operate its business; the markets in which AMDs products are sold are highly competitive; the conversion of the 2.125% Convertible Senior Notes due 2026 may dilute the ownership interest of its existing stockholders, or may otherwise depress the price of its common stock; the demand for AMDs products depends in part on the market conditions in the industries into which they are sold. Fluctuations in demand for AMDs products or a market decline in any of these industries could have a material adverse effect on its results of operations; AMDs ability to design and introduce new products in a timely manner is dependent upon third-party intellectual property; AMD depends on third-party companies for the design, manufacture and supply of motherboards, software and other computer platform components to support its business; if AMD loses Microsoft Corporations support for its products or other software vendors do not design and develop software to run on AMDs products, its ability to sell its products could be materially adversely affected; and AMDs reliance on third-party distributors and AIB partners subjects it to certain risks. Investors are urged to review in detail the risks and uncertainties in AMD's Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to AMD's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 28, 2019. 2020 Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. All rights reserved. AMD, the AMD Arrow logo, Radeon, and combinations thereof are trademarks of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc... PCIe is a registered trademark of PCI-SIG Corporation. Autodesk, AutoCAD and the Autodesk logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Autodesk, Inc., and/or its subsidiaries and/or affiliates in the USA and/or other countries. SPEC and the benchmark SPECviewperf are registered trademarks of the Standard Performance Evaluation Corporation. Learn more at www.spec.org. Other product names used in this publication are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies. Contacts: George Millington AMD Communications +1 408-547-7481 George.Millington@amd.com Jason Schmidt AMD Investor Relations +1 408-749-6688 Jason.Schmidt@amd.com 1 Testing conducted by AMD Performance Labs as of January 21, 2020 on the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card and AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 20.Q1 and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 graphics card with the NVIDIA Quadro Optimal Driver for Enterprise (ODE) R440 U4 (441.66) driver, on a test system comprising an Intel Core i5-8400 CPU, 16 GB RAM, MSI Z370-A Pro motherboard with BIOS version 7B48v29 at default settings, 512 GB Intel 760p SSD, and Windows 10 April 2018 Update running SOLIDWORKS 2020. Power was measured using the average of second-by-second value readouts from a Kill-A-Watt P3 P4400 wattmeter over a 5-minute timespan spent in the AMD internal SOLIDWORKS 2020 solid modeling workflow test. AMD Radeon Pro W5500 SOLIDWORKS 2020 solid modeling workflows system power consumption, averaged over 3 iterations: 56.86 watts. NVIDIA Quadro P2200 SOLIDWORKS 2020 solid modeling workflows system power consumption, averaged over 3 iterations: 75.17 watts. Differential power consumption: (56.86 75.17)/56.86*100 = ~32.20% lower average SOLIDWORKS 2020 solid modeling workflows system power consumption. Scores are based on AMD internal lab measurements and may vary. PC manufacturers may vary configurations, yielding different results. Performance may vary based on use of latest drivers. RPW-273 2 RDNA provides up to 1.25x higher performance per clock over GCN. Testing done by AMD performance labs 5/23/19, showing a geomean of 1.25x per/clock across 30 different games @ 4K Ultra, 4xAA settings. Performance may vary based on use of latest drivers. RX-327 3 Testing conducted by AMD Performance Labs as of January 21, 2020 on the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card and AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 20.Q1 and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 graphics card with the NVIDIA Quadro Optimal Driver for Enterprise (ODE) R440 U4 (441.66) driver, on a test system comprising an Intel Core i9-9900K, 32 GB DDR4 RAM, Asus ROG Strix Z390-E Gaming motherboard with BIOS version 0905 at default settings, 512 GB Intel 760p SSD, Windows 10 October 2018 Update. Benchmark application and derived metric calculation: the SPECviewperf 13 benchmark sw-04 viewset was run with Autodesk 3ds Max 2019 rendering an AMD internal engine 3d model at 1920 x 1080 with continuous iterations using the Arnold CPU renderer to simulate the application workflow performance with multitasking. Calculated the performance when multitasking as a percentage then calculated the ratio between the two percentages. AMD RADEON PRO W5500 RESULTS: AMD Radeon Pro W5500 SPECviewperf 13 benchmark sw-04 viewset average test results score: 138.75 (est.) AMD Radeon Pro W5500 with SPECviewperf 13 benchmark sw-04 viewset test results score with Autodesk 3ds Max 2019 rendering an AMD internal engine 3d model at 1920 x 1080 with continuous iterations using the Arnold CPU renderer simultaneously average: 86.82 (est.) Performance when multitasking: 100 + (86.82- 138.75)/138.75*100) = an estimated 62.57% of the workflow performance compared to the performance when not multitasking on the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card. NVIDIA QUADRO P2200 RESULTS: NVIDIA Quadro P2200 SPECviewperf 13 benchmark sw-04 viewset average test results score: 139.76 (est.) NVIDIA Quadro P2200 with SPECviewperf 13 benchmark sw-04 viewset test results score with Autodesk 3ds Max 2019 rendering an AMD internal engine 3d model at 1920 x 1080 with continuous iterations using the Arnold CPU renderer simultaneously average: 7.91 (est.) Performance when multitasking: 100 + (7.91- 139.76)/139.76*100) = an estimated 5.66% of the workflow performance compared to the performance when not multitasking on the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 graphics card. Difference in performance while multitasking between the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card and the NVIDIA Quadro P2200 graphics card (62.57/5.66)-1 = ~10.05x average better estimated application workflow performance for the AMD Radeon Pro W5500 graphics card. Scores are based on AMD internal lab measurements and may vary. PC manufacturers may vary configurations, yielding different results. Performance may vary based on use of latest drivers. RPW-274 4 Testing conducted by AMD Performance Labs as of January 2020, on a test system comprising of an Intel Xeon W-2125 4-core 4.50 GHz CPU, 32 GB RAM, Windows 10 for Workstations 64-bit October 2018 Update, System BIOS 1.11.1 at default settings, Radeon Pro WX 9100, AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 20.Q1/AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 19.Q1. Benchmark Application: ran the SPECviewperf 13 benchmark and then calculated the geomean of all viewsets (higher is better). AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 20.Q1: 147.64 (est.). AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 19.Q1: 127.88 (est.). Performance Differential: (147.64-127.88)/127.88*100 = ~15.45% better estimated performance with AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise 20.Q1 on the Radeon Pro WX 9100 graphics card. Scores are based on AMD internal lab measurements and may vary. PC manufacturers may vary configurations, yielding different results. Performance may vary based on use of latest drivers. RPS-118 5 Compatible with AMD Radeon Pro WX 3200, WX 4100, WX 5100, WX 7100, WX 8200, WX 9100, W5700 and W5500 GPUs. Remote Workstation functionality requires AMD Radeon Pro Software for Enterprise driver 18.Q4 or newer plus purchase and installation of Citrix Virtual Apps & Desktops or Microsoft Remote Desktop Services. RPS-50 A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/94cb33aa-068e-4124-a4e3-02f5fef86274 Two injured after alleged gun attack against Cancun police patrol Cancun, Q.R. A policewoman and her partner were injured when her patrol unit slammed into an electric pole after an alleged gun attack on their vehicle. Authorities are investigating the report of attack on a police unit that happened around midnight Monday in region 513 of Cancun. Reports say the woman was injured after her patrol slammed into a pole when she was surprised from being shot at by subjects on a motorcycle. The shooting and accident happened at an intersection on Andres Quintana Roo avenue when the two state police officers inside the unit were surprised by subjects who shot them from a moving motorcycle. In their report, the officers said that in an attempt to evade the shots, the driver accelerated and hit an electric pole, causing damage to the patrol unit. Both police were taken to Cancun hospital. Spain rescued 119 migrants from the sea and was looking for 67 more believed to have gone missing on a boat while trying to reach European shores, the country's maritime authorities said on Monday. A spokesman with the Maritime Rescue agency said the search for the missing rubber boat in the stretch of Mediterranean Sea separating Spain from Morocco had been suspended for the night and was set to resume early Tuesday. The official, who was not authorized to be named in media reports, said the dinghy was believed to be in Morocco's rescue area. He said two other rubber boats had been found in the area known as the Alboran Sea with 60 and 59 migrants from Sub-Saharan Africa, and that all of them would be disembarked in Spain's southeastern city of Malaga. The migrants, including 26 women and five children, were in good health conditions, the spokesman said. Migrants fleeing poverty or violence look for a new life in Europe by setting on a dangerous trip by sea from African coasts. Spain, which became the main entry point into Europe in 2018, saw the number of arrivals halved last year to 26,168 but has seen a recent uptick in the number of boats heading to the Canary Islands, which lie in the Atlantic Ocean off Africa's northeastern coast. Morocco received 140 million euros (155 million US dollars) in European Union funds in 2019 to crack down on illegal crossings. At least seven people were killed in a new attack launched Sunday near Beni, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Two days earlier, twelve bodies had been found following a previous attack, which caused massive displacement of the populations. Sixty ADF (members of the Allied Democratic Forces group) killed today (Sunday) in Makeke seven civilians, five men and two women, Mapkeo Shabani, head of Makekes group, told AFP. The attack took place in broad daylight. These terrorists also looted five shops. So far, no missing persons have been reported. According to a provisional assessment, more than 300 people have been killed since October 2019. (@ChaudhryMAli88) Now that it has regained control over much of the country's territory, the Syrian government must establish the fates of the scores of people who disappeared in areas that fell under control of the Islamic State terror group (IS, ISIS, banned in Russia), a prominent rights group said MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2020) Now that it has regained control over much of the country's territory, the Syrian government must establish the fates of the scores of people who disappeared in areas that fell under control of the Islamic State terror group (IS, ISIS, banned in Russia), a prominent rights group said. In a report published Tuesday called "Kidnapped by ISIS: Failure to Uncover the Fate of Syria's Missing", Human Rights Watch (HRW) documented 27 cases of individuals or groups that have gone missing in IS prisons. HRW cites the Syrian Network for Human Rights as estimate 8,143 cases of people detained by IS whose fate remains unknown. "The end of the territorial control of ISIS provides an opportunity to deliver answers to families whose relatives went missing in Syria and to respect their right to know what happened to their loved ones," Joe Stork, deputy middle East director at HRW, said in a statement published alongside the report. Stork criticized the Syrian government for failing to prioritize uncovering information on the missing people, saying their disregard compounds the grief of their families. The rights group recommended regional authorities to create centralized focal points or civilian bodies to collect whatever information possible. The report lamented that Syria's nearly nine-year civil war has been plagued with arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances of tens of thousands of people, perpetrated by all sides. The woman Harvey Weinstein is on trial for allegedly raping spoke highly of him and once called him her "spiritual soulmate", her former roommate has told jurors. Weinstein's lawyers called Talita Maia to the witness box as they looked to raise doubts about her ex-roommate's allegations that he raped her in March 2013 at a New York City hotel. Ms Maia, a Brazilian actress who lived with the woman in the Los Angeles area, was with her on the New York trip and said nothing seemed amiss when they met Weinstein for breakfast after the alleged rape. The accuser testified last week that she did not tell anybody what happened but was "pretty shut down" at breakfast. "Did she seem like herself to you?" Weinstein lawyer Donna Rotunno asked. "Yes," Ms Maia responded. Ms Maia said she was giving evidence in response to a defence subpoena, telling jurors: "I don't want to be here at all." She said the two women had a falling out in 2016, but added: "I don't hate her or anything like that." In addition to the alleged rape, Weinstein is also charged with forcibly performing oral sex on a different woman in 2006. The 67-year-old has maintained any sexual encounters were consensual. Ms Maia said she and the woman met Weinstein at a Hollywood party a few months before the alleged rape and that she believed the woman and Weinstein were in a relationship at some point and had stayed friends afterwards. The defence is calling witnesses following more than two weeks of prosecution testimony, including accounts of six women who say the once-powerful Hollywood boss subjected them to vile sexual behaviour. The trial continues. A four-legged, data-gathering robot named Spot is being tested this year on an offshore rig named Skary in the Norwegian Sea. Spot is the brainchild of oil company Aker BP and oilfield software company Cognite, both of Norway, and robotics firm Boston Dynamics. It's part of a team of robots and drones used for aerial and underwater inspections and to help repair leaks. Aided by video sent to operators at onshore control centers, they can take people out of harm's way. Service Sector: "Norwegian Cinderella" holds promising future for automated offshore rigs Spot is equipped with cameras and sensors that allow the four-legged robot to read meters, detect gas leaks and identify unusual sounds and vibrations from turbines and other equipment. The robots and drones will be tested to gauge their ability to perform inspections, capture high-quality data and automatically generate reports. If the tests are successful, more could be used in oil and gas work around the world. Digitalization will be one of the differentiators between the oil companies of the world, in order to be able to deliver low cost and low emissions, Aker BP CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik said in a statement. Our vision is to digitalize all our operations from cradle to grave in order to increase productivity, enhance quality and improve the safety of our employees. Exploring the potential of robotics offshore underpins our digital journey. Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox (Photo: How to Fall In Love With European Architecture - Comprehensive Travel Guide) If you're an architecture buff, then Europe is one of the best places in the world for you to visit. And with so many different countries with varying styles, from classical Greek and Roman period buildings to the more flamboyant Art Nouveau and Baroque, Europe certainly provides a wide range of architectural styles to suit everybody's preferences. And, what's even better is that you can travel between many European countries by rail; many of Europe's great train stations are amazing structures themselves. Barcelona, Spain: Modernism and antoni Gaudi are probably the first things that come to mind when you think about architecture in Barcelona. And, the charm of this city goes far beyond the beautiful buildings. Unsurprisingly, it's a popular destination with tourists and features high on many 'top ten cities in Europe' lists. Other great reasons to visit this city is that it's very creative, dynamic, and of course, the delicious food scene. Prague, Czech Republic: Millions of tourists visit Prague each year, and most of them leave in awe of the city. While the Czech Republic has plenty of smaller cities with stunning architecture like Olomouc, it's impossible to deny the amazing beauty of the capital. After WWII, Prague escaped with significantly less damage compared with other European capitals, leaving it with a wide variety of well-preserved historical buildings. Vienna, Austria: Book Prague to Vienna high-speed train here and go from one stunning capital city to another. Austria's cities are well known for gorgeous architecture, and Vienna is the architecture buff's dream, with a wide range of stunning styles ranging from classical to modern. Alternatively, check out the smaller yet just as beautiful city of Salzburg, which is well-connected to the capital by rail. Bruges, Belgium: Once the biggest commercial city worldwide, the city is now proud to show off its great wealth to visitors. The gorgeous buildings that you will find here alongside the elegant canals were mostly built during the golden age of the city between the 12th and 15th centuries. Today, the historical center is listed as a UNESCO site thanks to its excellently preserved medieval state. If you love old buildings then Bruges is a must-visit; nearly all of its medieval architecture is still standing today. Be sure to visit the Church of Our Lady, one of the tallest brick buildings worldwide standing at 122m. Vicenza, Italy: If you're traveling Europe to wonder at the amazing architecture then you've probably already got the main Italian cities on your itinerary. Get off the beaten track and add Vicenza to your plans. It's often known as the 'city of Palladio' due to the achievements of one man; Andrea Palladio. He's known for being one of the greatest architects of the Renaissance era, and greatly influenced Western architecture. Vicenza is an easy stop on the train traveling to or from Venice; see Palladio's stunning villas and civic buildings that have kept the city at the forefront of European architecture for centuries. Oslo, Norway: If you prefer modern architecture then pay a visit to Oslo, the capital city of Norway. You can choose your tour to Norway here and visit some of the natural wonders of this amazing Scandinavian country at the same time. In the city, the Oslo Opera House marks the beginning of a new era for Norwegian architecture. A stunning white marble building; visitors can instantly see why it's been such a big hit with both locals and tourists since it was unveiled in 2008. Since then, it's received several prestigious international prizes and awards. If you enjoy visiting cities where you can explore some of the most stunning architecture in the world, these are just some of the best European destinations to choose from. Which will you visit first? See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018 Would-be fraudsters in Georgia are increasingly turning to U-Haul trucks with hopes of making a quick buck by staging crashes, insurance regulators say. Many have ended up with arrest warrants and fraud convictions instead. A spokesman for the Georgia Department of Insurance said 20 criminal cases involving U-Haul claims were opened in 2019. Late last month, the Insurance Department announced fraud charges against two women who are accused of faking accidents involving U-Haul rental trucks. This practice involving staged U-Haul accidents is becoming increasingly popular, Insurance Commissioner John F. King said in a Jan. 31 press release. King made that comment while announcing that an arrest warrant had been issued for Atlanta resident Delise Patterson, 36, for alleged insurance fraud. Investigators say King coordinated a staged accident on June 22 involving a U-Haul truck and another vehicle. She is accused of filing a false insurance claim with RepWest Insurance, a carrier that is owned by U-Hauls parent company. Also on Jan. 31, the department announced that it is seeking information on the whereabouts of Sontana Marie Teasley, 27, of Augusta. She is also charged with insurance fraud after allegedly staging an accident involving a U-Haul truck and her car in Richmond County. Brandon Wright, a public information officer for the Insurance Department, said the 20 cases opened in 2019 represent nearly a third of the 63 investigations involving U-Haul since 2014. He said since 2014, the department has arrested 47 people who are accused of participating in staged accidents involving U-Haul. Thirty of those cases were closed without any arrest and prosecutors declined to file charges in two cases. The 20 cases opened in 2019 are still under investigation, Wright said. The Insurance Department described a typical scam to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2018: A group of suspects rents a U-Haul truck and purchases insurance coverage. They drive it to a predesignated location where another scammer is waiting with a car. The truck collides with the car and the passengers claim injuries. The newspaper reported that 43 people had been arrested for U-Haul scams in 2018. Of those, 26 had been convicted. Most were sentenced to probation, but one fraudster was sentenced to one year in prison and another to six months incarceration, the Journal-Constitution reported. The scams are not unique to Georgia. Last week, the Louisiana State Police Insurance Fraud Unit announced the arrest of five people who are accused of a U-Haul crash scam. The alleged ringleader told the other participants that he had pulled off a similar scam before and the scheme would bring easy money, according to a report by WBRZ Channel 2. U-Haul spokesman Jeff Lockridge said U-Haul and Repwest insurance are well aware of the scams and have specific protocols and procedural checks in place to flag suspicious claims. As a result, we are able to identify these scams at a high rate, he said in an email. We work with law enforcement to make certain participants in any such activities are captured and brought to justice. Lockridge said U-Haul has not detected any noticeable increase in the number of claims in recent years. AUBURN, Ala., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired , fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, is reporting 2019 as its most successful year in company history, completing Q4 with 40 new restaurants opened throughout the year, including its first locations in Ohio and Illinois. The banner year for the brand also marked the grand opening of co-founder Stacy Brown's high-volume franchise location in her hometown of Rome, Georgia. The fast casual concept also signed 26 franchise agreements in 2019 to develop 60 new restaurants over the next several years in target markets such as Kansas City, Kansas; Austin, Texas; and Boca Raton, Florida. In addition to this tremendous system growth, the brand achieved its 16th consecutive quarter fourth consecutive year of same-store sales growth, reporting $153.3 million in system sales and a 4.4% increase in comp sales year over year. "As I reflect on the tremendously successful year that 2019 was for Chicken Salad Chick, I'm incredibly proud of all that we've accomplished and know that none of it would have been possible without the tireless work of our outstanding team and dedicated franchise owners. Amazing things can happen when everyone is aligned in a shared purpose; for us, that's always been spreading joy, enriching lives and serving others," said Scott Deviney, CEO of Chicken Salad Chick. "Looking at the year ahead, as our brand is poised for another year of significant growth, we're energized to keep the momentum going and continue our accelerated expansion plans to bring more Chicks to communities across key regions in the U.S." Chicken Salad Chick has become one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the U.S., more than quadrupling in size in the last four years, with systemwide sales increasing by 40.1% and unit count by 38.5% in 2019 alone. The brand's compounding success over the past several years has fueled a surge in franchise development and positioned it for further growth in 2020. Chicken Salad Chick plans to open more than 50 new restaurants this year throughout the Midwest and South in states like Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia, Texas, Arkansas and Florida. These efforts, coupled with the brand's concentric circle growth strategy, help to support its greater development goal to open 250+ locations within the next five years, bringing the total unit count to 400 by 2025. Throughout the year, Chicken Salad Chick was recognized among the franchising and foodservice industries' most prestigious accolades, including Entrepreneur magazine's Top Food Franchises of 2019, QSR magazine's Best Franchise Deals and the Inc. 5000. Additionally, as a result of the brand's impressive growth and year-over-year results, Eagle Merchant Partners sold Chicken Salad Chick to prominent private equity firm, Brentwood Associates in November 2019 to add to the company's robust consumer portfolio. To support its aggressive national growth strategy, Chicken Salad Chick is targeting franchise development throughout the Midwest region, specifically in states like Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, West Virginia and Virginia, and is actively seeking individuals with an entrepreneurial spirit who possess high energy and enthusiasm about the brand, marketing skills and the ability to manage a strong team. Restaurant experience is preferred. Interested candidates should have a minimum net worth of $600,000 and liquid assets of at least $150,000. Franchisees can expect the initial investment to be approximately $515,000 $683,000 with a $50,000 initial franchise fee. The Chicken Salad Chick concept was established in 2008 by co-founders, Stacy and Kevin Brown. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu offers a variety of options suitable for any guest. Under the leadership of CEO Scott Deviney and the Chicken Salad Chick team, the company now has 149 restaurants currently open in 16 states and remains a standout brand within the fast casual segment. To learn more about ownership opportunities with Chicken Salad Chick, contact Carrie Evans, director of franchise development, at [email protected] , call 214-733-0048 or visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com/franchising . For more information on the brand, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com . Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook , Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends. About Chicken Salad Chick Founded in Auburn, Alabama, in 2008, Chicken Salad Chick serves full-flavored, Southern-style chicken salad made from scratch and served from the heart. With more than a dozen original chicken salad flavors as well as fresh side salads, gourmet soups, signature sandwiches and delicious desserts, Chicken Salad Chick's robust menu is a perfect fit for any guest. Today, the brand has 149 restaurants in 16 states and is continuing its rapid expansion with both franchise and company locations. Chicken Salad Chick has received numerous accolades including rankings in Franchise Times' Fast & Serious, Fast Casual.com's top Movers and Shakers, Entrepreneur's Top Food Franchises for the second consecutive year, QSR's Best Franchise Deals, and Nation's Restaurant News' Next 15 in 2019. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information. Contact: Caitlin Willard Fish Consulting 954-893-9150 [email protected] SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick Related Links http://www.chickensaladchick.com STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Looking for a feast and a flick Staten Island style? The night can start with curry and Indonesian food at Chang Noi Thai in St. George and finish with drinks at Seppe in Stapleton. And in between, stop into a free movie screening sponsored by Staten Island Arts. Before or after the showings, movie-goers can get 20% off at eight Bay Street Corridor businesses -- Eggers Ice Cream Parlor, New Lakruwana ($1 off their weekend buffet), Seppe Pizza Bar, Honor Wines, Chang Noi Thai, ETG Book Cafe, Bayhouse Bistro and Crafthouse Inc. Guests can RSVP at StatenIslandArts.org. The films are shown at Search Party Studio at 71 Wave St., Stapleton, through June. Showtimes are 8 p.m. on Saturdays and 6 p.m. on Sundays. The next movie -- Woman on Fire -- will be shown on Saturday, March 14, and Sunday, March 15. The documentary follows Staten Islander Brooke Guinan, an openly transgender firefighter in New York City. On April 18 and 19, the black-and-white film Roma (set in Mexico City) will be featured in honor of Immigrant Heritage Week. On May 9 and 10, the feature show will be Fed Up. The programs final film will be shown on June 13 and 14 -- Downtown Film Fest. Staten Island Arts describes this effort as "a short film program curated by Hub 17s Kimbra Everly, featuring new films by Staten Island talent. His 14-year-old nephew, also named Mohammed, said his uncle would often take him out to restaurants and to arcades. The last time he saw his uncle, they played pool together, his uncle helping him improve his game. He was actually really good, said Mohammed, who did not want to give his last name. The most disappointing part of the President Trump impeachment trial was not his exoneration, nor the possibility of his conviction and removal from the highest elected office in the country. The most disappointing part was the lack of public engagement with this historic occasion, only the third impeachment trial of an American president. The lack of public concern with the trial should send a powerful message to those who worry about the fragile connection between the public and our elected leaders which, in turn, threatens our democracy. One way of gauging public attention to this historic event comes from analyzing the extent to which Americans followed the impeachment event. Television viewership during the ordeal topped out at 11 million, a number that pales compared to other recent national political occurrences. For example, Trump personal attorney Michael Cohens testimony in 2019 containing potentially riveting information against President Trump drew 16 million viewers. The televised testimony by fired FBI Director James Comey in 2017 drew 19.4 million viewers. In 2018, the U.S. Senate confirmation hearing of Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh drew 20.4 million viewers, nearly twice the number who viewed the Trump event. And during the week after a relatively paltry 11 million people watched in anticipation of the nations political future, nearly 19 million were glued to their televisions awaiting the Grammy song of the year. Some social media buffs might claim that television viewership is yesterdays news, given the many platforms from which individuals can now access information. Fair enough, but whatever defections to new information sources, its reasonable to assume that some occasions draw more interest than others, and the impeachment trial has not been among them. How do we account for the lack of public engagement over such a serious political crisis? We can start by looking at the publics knowledge about our institutions. The news is not encouraging, even with respect to the most basic matters. A 2016 survey of American adults found that only about one-fourth could name and explain all three major branches of the national government; only one-third could name a single branch! In another national study (2011), 70% of respondents didnt know that the U.S. Constitution is the nations supreme set of governing rules. In a national survey taken a few years ago, 89% of the respondents agreed with the statement that it would be better if elected officials would stop talking and just take action. Stitched together, these data points suggest a public with little knowledge about basic governing units and even less patience for what their stewards do. Todays adults were yesterdays children, and thats where we may find the most vexing concerns. Recent data accumulated by the National Assessment of Educational Progress shows abysmal knowledge among students about key elements of the American political experience. A 2012 NAEP survey found that 88% of 12th grade students did not demonstrate basic knowledge of U.S. history. In a related subject area, a 2010 survey revealed that only 24% of high school seniors were proficient in civics. One reason students lack civics skills is because most states dont introduce the topic to their students until the 12th grade. Such data are nothing short of alarming inasmuch as these students are a step from becoming members of the voting public. Political knowledge and values are not optional components in a democracy. They are elements that must be inculcated in people at the earliest ages, similar to the way youngsters learn to think and process myriad life issues. It is not by happenstance that people become politically engaged; its from the will of those who nurture them. Unless we value teaching people about government, politics and the importance of political knowledge, there will be little reason for them to become invested in the process. Its quite likely that the dearth of political knowledge has contributed to the near-absence of public interest in the presidential impeachment trial, leaving senators to sit in judgment with little public concern and virtually free of accountability. Unless we change our approach to this disconnect, the day may come when the lack of public interest leaves decision makers free to act on issues without any trepidation about their jobs or the institutions they serve. Only we can prevent that from happening by providing ways for students to understand the value of political knowledge and participation. Otherwise, our democracy may well fall by the wayside. Larry N. Gerston is political science professor emeritus at San Jose State University and author of Reviving Citizen Engagement: Policies to Renew National Community (Taylor & Francis, 2015). JERSEYVILLE Some residents are calling for the city of Jerseyville to preserve the Jerseyville Moose Lodge as a historic building as the buildings owner considers demolishing it. Jerseyville City Council approved using $189,000 in Tax Increment Financing money to buy the soon-to-be-vacant lot on which the Moose Lodge currently stands. City Attorney Bill Strang said the city has no involvement in the possible demolition of the privately owned building, but they made the agreement to use the lot for parking space in the event that the lodge building is demolished. An online petition at petitions.net in opposition to the current contract and in favor of revitalizing the lodge was written by John Gajewski, a Jerseyville resident who has spent 25 years consulting on historic buildings, according to the Jersey County Journal. The petition claims the building is historically significant for having been built in 1890 and for being in the citys national historic district. The petition also claims the building could be an asset to the downtown area if it is preserved and revitalized. The online petition had 522 signatures as of Monday; most of those who signed it claimed to be Jerseyville residents. In the petition, Gajewski writes that the building is structurally sound with minimal asbestos. He is proposing an amendment to the citys contract with the owner in which the owner only demolishes the right side of the building and keeps the historic red-brick portion, using the demolished portion and rear yard for an estimated 35 parking spaces; the city would buy the whole property while the owner gets the same amount of money and a group of residents interested in rehabilitating the building takes over managing it. We are proactively seeking support of the City of Jerseyville residents, business owners, and people who spend money here, who would like to work towards a revitalized downtown, the petition reads. The petition also claims that buying the lot would not be worth $189,000 because other downtown lots are on the market for $35,000, and the legality of using TIF funds for the demolition of registered historic buildings is questionable based on TIF regulations on use of funds. Strang said TIF regulations do not apply because the owner was the one who decided to demolish the building and create a vacant lot, according to the Jerseyville County Journal. The owner also set the price of purchase, Strang said. Kevin Stork, Jerseyvilles commissioner of accounts and finance, said there appeared to be support for both additional parking and preservation. Stork said the city is gathering and reviewing all of the available information. Jerseyville City Council has analyzed the proposal to amend the contract and will discuss preserving the building and taking action on amending the contact during todays meeting, Strang said. Cardiac Arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping or contracting abruptly. In the sequence of events that follow, blood supply from the heart to the brain and vital organs gets affected resulting in a loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness. The primary reason for the heart to stop beating is an electrical imbalance in the heart. Sudden cardiac death can occur within minutes of a cardiac arrest if it is not treated immediately. Survival depends on providing instant cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or using a defibrillator to give an electric shock or just giving chest compressions. Unlike other systems in the body, the heart possesses its own electrical stimulator called the sinus node which comprises of a group of specialized cells in the hearts upper right chamber. Electrical impulses that are generated by the sinus node flow in an orderly manner through the heart in order to control the rate and rhythm of the heartbeat and the pumping of blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Arrhythmias are caused when this flow of electrical impulses is affected. Arrhythmias result in irregular heartbeats. The heart ends up beating either slowly or fast or irregularly. Not all irregularities are necessarily a cause for concern, but some of them can be serious leading to a sudden stop of the heartbeat, inturn leading to the cessation of the heart function. People who have underlying heart conditions or who are born with a congenital heart defect are more susceptible to cardiac arrests. For a cardiac arrest to occur in a person with a normal healthy heart there should be an external trigger that causes the irregular heartbeat in the first place. Many people mistake a cardiac arrest for a heart attack. In a heart attack the heart does not stop beating as opposed to a cardiac arrest. It occurs if a particular part of the heart muscle is deprived of the blood supply due to the mechanical blockage in the artery that supplies the blood. A massive heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest. Cardiac arrest mostly occurs in people who are in their mid 60s but it can occur in children and young adults too. The highest percentage of sudden cardiac arrests occur at home (70%), followed by public places (20%) and then in nursing or assisted living homes (10%). In the United States, 535,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest every year. Of these 326,000 suffer it at homes or public places and the 209,000 while in a hospital setting. Around 350,000 people die due to cardiac arrest every year in the United States. This equals to one life lost every 90 seconds due to cardiac arrests. In the western countries, cardiac arrests account for 15% of all deaths that take place. 95% of people die because of delays in treatment following a sudden cardiac arrest. When a cardiac arrest happens outside the hospital setting, very few bystanders are able to initiate CPR and hence the mortality is high. Without any intervention, it is predicted that the survival probability drops by 10% every minute following a cardiac arrest. This could mean death in 10 minutes following such an attack. Ventricular fibrillation (VF), a kind of arrhythymia or abnormal heart rhythm is the foremost cause of SCA. Arrhythmias usually arise due to a problem in the hearts electrical system. In VF, electrical disturbances cause the ventricles or the lower chambers of the heart to twitch or quiver randomly instead of contracting in a timely manner and pumping blood. A life-threatening ventricular arrhythmia can also be caused due to underlying heart conditions like - Coronary artery disease (CAD) it accounts for 60 - 70% of cardiac arrests in adults. CAD is a condition where arteries become clogged due to cholesterol and other fat deposits. This decreases blood flow through the heart which impedes electrical impulses. CAD results in coronary ischemia (inadequate blood supply to a particular part of the body) and can result in ventricular fibrillation (VF). Electrical short circuits (electrical problems in the heart) that occur around scar tissues left by the attack may lead to heart rhythm abnormalities. (electrical problems in the heart) that occur around scar tissues left by the attack may lead to heart rhythm abnormalities. An enlarged heart or cardiomyopathy - is when the heart muscles become abnormal due to enlargement or thickening. The heart tissue gets damaged and ventricular fibrillation like arrhythmias can occur. or cardiomyopathy - is when the heart muscles become abnormal due to enlargement or thickening. The heart tissue gets damaged and ventricular fibrillation like arrhythmias can occur. Congenital heart disease is a heart condition or a defect that some children are born with. is a heart condition or a defect that some children are born with. Valvular heart disease that affects the valves of the heart and makes them leaky or narrow (stenosis). This causes the heart chambers to become enlarged or weakened as it takes the stress due to the poorly functioning valves. that affects the valves of the heart and makes them leaky or narrow (stenosis). This causes the heart chambers to become enlarged or weakened as it takes the stress due to the poorly functioning valves. Primary heart rhythm abnormality which is a condition where the hearts own electrical system slows down or stops. A long QT syndrome (an irregularity in the heartbeat) occurs in one in every 5000 to 7000 newborns. These conditions can be detected earlier and treated. which is a condition where the hearts own electrical system slows down or stops. A long QT syndrome (an irregularity in the heartbeat) occurs in one in every 5000 to 7000 newborns. These conditions can be detected earlier and treated. Inflammation of the middle layer of the heart wall or myocarditis which is usually caused by a viral infection. Myocarditis can affect the hearts muscle walls and its electrical system both of which can lead to irregular heart rhythms. In case of a cardiac arrest the individual becomes unconscious without warning and collapses suddenly. The usual signs are - Lack of palpable pulse (a condition where the pulse cannot be felt) Abnormal or Absent Breathing Symptoms that could precede a cardiac arrest includes - Fatigue and weakness Dizziness and fainting Chest pain, palpitations and shortness of breath Vomiting Coronary artery disease or CAD and cardiac arrests have similar key risk factors. Medical conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes and high blood cholesterol. Lifestyle factors like obesity, sedentary lifestyle, smoking and drinking. The secondary risk factors are: Previous episodes of cardiac arrests or heart attacks. Family history of cardiac arrests or other heart disorders like heart rhythm disorders, congenital heart defects, heart failure and cardiomyopathy. Old Age. Gender - men have three times a lifetime risk than women below the age of 85. Electric shock. Use of illegal drugs (cocaine or amphetamines). Imbalance of essential nutrients like potassium or magnesium. Trauma to the chest as a result of a direct blow to the area over the heart. This is called commotio cordis and must occur at a critical time during the heartbeat cycle to cause the cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac arrest causes unconsciousness due to the loss of oxygen-rich blood in the brain and leads to - Brain damage in survivors if the arrest lasts for more than 8 minutes in survivors if the arrest lasts for more than 8 minutes Death if recovery takes more than 10 minutes. Clinically, cardiac arrest is diagnosed by the absence of a carotid pulse (when detected accurately), abnormal or lack of breaths, unconsciousness or signs of poor circulation. If a person survived a cardiac arrest, tests can be performed to understand what caused the attack in the first place. Electrocardiogram: Sensors or electrodes placed on the chest and limbs can check for any abnormal electrical activities, such as a prolonged QT interval. The pattern of ECG will indicate ventricular fibrillation or a flat ECG. Blood tests: The hearts ability to function depends on certain chemicals like potassium and magnesium and hormones. A blood test will reveal any abnormal levels. A recent heart injury or attack can also be detected through blood tests. If a person recovers from the cardiac arrest, the blood parameters will reveal them to be acidic and this will requires corrections using bicarbonate alkaline intravenous fluids. Imaging Tests: Chest X-Ray: Will reveal the size and shape of the heart and the blood vessels and indicate if there is a heart failure. Echocardiogram: Looks at the dynamic ultrasound image of the heart. An ECHO will reveal any damaged area of the heart due to a heart attack, will check the pumping efficiency and the ejection fraction and record any valves that are not functioning properly. Nuclear Scan: Tiny amounts of a radioactive substance like thallium is injected into the bloodstream and its flow is tracked using cameras. This can help identify any blood flow abnormalities. Response to a cardiac arrest has to be instantaneous. Immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR is the first step in providing care. CPR restarts the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the vital organs and helps the patient survive until more-advanced emergency care becomes available. How to Administer CPR: If you are in a situation where a person becomes unconscious and stops breathing do the following - Check for the pulse, especially carotid pulse in the neck below the lower jaw ( easiest pulse to feel in the body). Feel your own first and understand its location before you start feeling the pulse of unconscious person. Turn the neck on the side to make it easier. If 2 of you are present to help and the patient is unconscious, one of you should call an emergency service while the other starts CPR on the patient. If the person is not breathing, start by giving chest compressions. Chest compressions are given by putting the heel of one hand on the center of the chest and covering it with the second hand. Next it is required to push down hard on the persons chest using your upper body weight and to deliver compressions at a rate of 100 to 120 a minute allowing the chest to rise in between them. If you are not trained in CPR, continue administering chest compressions till emergency personnel arrive. If you are trained in CPR, after 30 compressions, check for normal breathing. If the person is not breathing, the head has to be tilted back and the chin lifted in order to open the airway. Pinch the nostrils and give a mouth to mouth rescue breath, making sure the chest lifts up. If it does, give the second breath too. If the chest does not rise, repeat the head tilt and chin lift steps and then give the second breath. Chest compressions or CPR have to be administered continuously till professional help arrives or a public-use defibrillation device is available. Defibrillation: A defibrillator delivers an electrical shock through the chest wall to the heart. This restores a normal heart rhythm. The shock can be delivered by emergency personnel or a bystander if a public-use defibrillator (automated external defibrillator or AED) is available. AEDs will provide a shock if they detect the life-threatening arrhythmia. They will not give a shock to a person who has fainted and not having an arrest thus protecting the patient and helping the lay man administering the shock. Instructions on the defibrillator are very graphically displayed and should be followed. Long-term Treatment: A person who has survived a cardiac arrest will have to be assessed to detect the cause of the arrest in the first place in order to prevent it from recurring. Additional tests and preventive treatment options have to be discussed. Options include - 1. Drugs: Anti-arrhythmic drugs to treat arrhythmias, mainly amiodarone Beta blockers Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors Calcium channel blockers Anti-coagulants or blood thinners Epinephrine has been shown to improve short term improvement such as getting back spontaneous circulation 2. Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD): This is a battery-powered device placed under the skin near the left collarbone. A couple of electrode-tipped wires from this device connect it to the heart. The ICD constantly monitors the heart rhythm. If it detects any changes in the heart rhythm it corrects them by sending low or high energy shocks. An ICD is more effective than a drug treatment. 3. Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) Resuscitation with extracorporeal membrane devices has been tried and has shown better results in an in-hospital setting of cardiac arrest compared to outside hospital cardiac arrests. 4. Procedures: Corrective surgery for blocked coronary arteries: This surgery will help blood flow freely through the heart and reduce the risk of arrhythmias. Blocked arteries can be treated by a procedure called angioplasty - by nserting a long, thin tube with a balloon tip at its end that is made to inflate and open up the blocked coronary artery. Blocked arteries can also be corrected by a bypass surgery that sews veins or arteries beyond the blocked artery in order to bypass it. Heart surgery to correct a congenital heart defect, a faulty valve or a diseased heart muscle can improve heart rate and blood flow. to correct a congenital heart defect, a faulty valve or a diseased heart muscle can improve heart rate and blood flow. Ablation procedure is used to resolve any abnormal electrical pathway in the heart. The pathway is blocked using electrodes that are carried by the catheters. These electrodes send electrical impulses and help to detect the abnormal tissue. When the abnormal tissue is detected, the electrodes are heated using radiofrequency energy to burn the abnormal tissue. If you are at a high risk to get a cardiac arrest due to having severe coronary heart disease (CAD) and / or a recent heart attack, it can be prevented by - Taking other medications to lower blood pressure, prevent blood clots and to reduce the hearts workload Taking medications like beta blockers or statins (for underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease, previous stroke or high cholesterol) that directly lower the risk or (for underlying conditions like diabetes, heart disease, previous stroke or high cholesterol) that directly lower the risk Taking blood thinning tablets like Aspirin and clopidogrel Lifestyle changes like healthy eating and exercising Undergoing treatments for CAD like coronary angioplasty or a bypass grafting If you have no risk factors for developing a cardiac arrest, you should still wish to prevent it by - A Brisbane man accused of murdering two drug dealers who were shoved in a toolbox and dumped in a creek told police he was too busy using drugs and saving for a house to have killed them. Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru's decomposing bodies were found in a large metal box in February 2016 at Scrubby Creek, south of Brisbane. Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28, denies murdering the pair after they were lured to a townhouse in Kingston 18 days earlier, his Brisbane Supreme Court trial has heard. Tuhirangi-Thomas Tahiata, 28, denies murdering the pair after they were lured to a townhouse in Kingston 18 days earlier, his Brisbane Supreme Court trial has heard (court sketch) 'I've no f***in' reason to kill someone,' Tahiata told Detective Nicole Tunks in a recorded police interview played in the trial on Tuesday. 'All I wanna do is just f***in', save up for a house, f***in' pay it off, that's it. Live happy. Get stoned. 'I don't wanna f***in' waste time killing someone.' During the interview Tahiata repeatedly referred to his drug use, often at a townhouse where Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru were bashed and held captive before being forced into the toolbox. 'After work I've gone and had a sneaky cone with them you know, 'cause they're on the way from work,' he said when asked about visiting the unit. Tahiata repeatedly denied being involved in the killings, saying he'd been at a church service in Sunnybank on January 24, the day the pair disappeared. When shown CCTV images from the day of his green Toyota Hilux ute with a toolbox on the back, Tahiata said he'd lent it to a man named Punchy, who is also known as Trent Thrupp. The pair's decomposing bodies were found in a metal box in February 2016, south of Brisbane Prosecutor David Meredith has previously told the trial Tahiata's ute was used to transport the toolbox with Cory Breton and Iuliana Triscaru still alive inside to the waterway beside the Logan Motorway. He also told the jury that after Tahiata helped load the toolbox on his ute, he and Thrupp drove to the nearby creek. Tahiata allegedly helped carry the box to the shore as Mr Breton and Ms Triscaru screamed for help from inside. Thrupp then pushed the toolbox into the water but it didn't immediately sink, Mr Meredith said. He said Tahiata then handed Thrupp a hammer so he could punch holes into the side of the box. The trial continues. The BJP leaders have claimed that the results of the Delhi Assembly elections that will be announced on Tuesday will take everyone by surprise as "the saffron party is all set to stake claim to power with a resounding majority". The polling for the 70-member Delhi Assembly, held on February 8, recorded over 60 per cent voter turnout. Stating as "incorrect" the exit polls' findings, that predict a comfortable victory for the ruling AAP, the BJP leaders said they do not believe in them. While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) asserts that the sudden increase in the polling percentage on Saturday is a "good sign", the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) expressed doubts about EVM "manipulations". The Election Commission, however, stated clearly that all electronic voting machines (EVMs) are beyond any "cloud of doubt". The BJP's Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari has cited the exit poll predictions of the 2017 Punjab Assembly elections to back his reasoning behind not believing the exit polls' findings in Delhi. The exit polls in 2017 had hinted at the formation of an AAP government in Punjab whereas the Congress finally took over the reins of power. "All these exit polls will fail. Save my tweet. The BJP will form the government by bagging 48 seats (in the 70-member Assembly)," Tiwari said. He said the exit polls back then had predicted 59-67 seats for the AAP in Punjab but the Congress emerged the winner eventually. Controversial BJP leader and party MP from West Delhi, Pravesh Verma also refused to believe the exit poll predictions. He said the BJP might win 50 seats, adding that the AAP will get 16 seats and the Congress will be getting just four seats. The BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya, through his tweets, said the spike in the polling percentage in the last few hours of February 8 will deliver "shocking results". He said the sudden increase augurs well for the BJP, and attributed the rise in the voting percentage to the hard work of the BJP cadre and volunteers. In one of the tweets, Malviya said: "The Election Commission confirmed the turnout of 62.59% in Delhi. This is almost two per cent more than the 2019 Lok Sabha polls," which makes the matter "more interesting". Meanwhile, BJP sources said the exit polls are not the final result as such predictions have been proved wrong in several elections in the country. Party sources said the exit polls failed to predict the "correct" winner in Punjab and Bihar in the past. "Through 'nukkad' meetings, the BJP was able to communicate with voters from the streets to the localities. There was no ward in Delhi where the top leaders did not hold meetings," BJP spokesperson Ashwini Upadhyay said. "The TV channels did not wait till 6 p.m. to pick the exit poll figures but depended on the data that was available till 3 p.m. Hence, exit polls cannot reveal the correct picture. It takes 3-4 hours to collect and compile the correct figures of 70 seats. Therefore, exit polls' claims are questionable," he said. Upadhyay also claimed that there was "less crowd" at AAP-managed booths on the day of polling. Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, Manoj Tiwari, Tuesday conceded his partys defeat in the Delhi assembly elections and congratulated Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief, Arvind Kejriwal, on his partys victory. He said his party will analyse the results and review why it failed. Accepting the partys defeat, Tiwari said, We respect the mandate and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. We hope the government will work for the people and not indulge in a blame game. We will continue to work for the people of Delhi. There is a new trend evolving of a bipolar contest and we have to prepare accordingly. The BJP leader added that a positive thing to take away from the result is the BJPs increase in vote share compared to the 2015 assembly polls. Delhi must have given its mandate after careful thinking. Our vote percentage has increased from 32% to around 38% and if we include our allies, such as JD(U) and LJP, then it stands close to 40%, which is 6%-7% [percentage points] higher than that in 2015. Delhi did not reject us and the increase in vote share is a good sign for us, Tiwari told reporters. When asked if the Shaheen Bagh issue backfired on the party, Tiwari said the party has to review its performance. Shaheen Bagh is a site where a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill has been going on since December 16 last year and the BJP made it a campaign issue, even alleging the protest was backed by the AAP and the Congress. The BJP sought to present the protesters, objecting to a law that excludes Muslims from a bill that fast-tracks Indian citizenship for refugees from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan who have been in India before 31 December 2014, as anti-nationals. We never do politics of hate but we are still against the blockage of roads for 60 days as it leads to inconvenience of people. We will review the results and the reasons behind our defeat. Im the Delhi BJP president, so I take the responsibility, he said. Biswajit Mohanty, an associate professor at Delhi Universitys Deshbandhu College and state coordinator for CSDS-Lokniti, said, Todays result reflects that people didnt buy BJPs hyper-nationalism pitch. They are looking for a strong leadership in the state which can deliver. They have accepted AAPs alternative politics of transformation and development. The results shows that national issues such as the abrogation of Article 370 didnt find a place as people voted on livelihood issues. Posted on: February 11, 2020 2:58 PM In the second of our series on the Anglican Communions Five Marks of Mission, Canon Richard Bartlett, Director of Mission Engagement for the Anglican mission agency USPG (United Society Partners in the Gospel) reflects on the first Mark of Mission: to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. USPG, one of the oldest of the Anglican mission agencies, was born in 1701 to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. During its 319 years of missionary history the proclamation of the Gospel has been central to its mission; although parts of its history, particularly its involvement in slavery, are shameful, and certainly not of the Kingdom of God. Christian mission has evolved greatly over the three centuries, and USPG has been called to reimagine what proclaiming the good news might look like in successive generations and in an increasingly large number of contexts. Now, under its three strategic headings: Rethink Mission, Energise Church and Community and Champion Justice, USPG works in partnership with Anglican and united Churches across the world as together we proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom. In various places this looks very different: St John the Evangelist was the first Protestant Church established in Casablanca. Consecrated in 1906, it is the oldest operating church building in Casablanca and one of the few official places of Christian worship in the city. Over the past seven years, attendance at the churchs Sunday services has grown steadily. Here the Good News of the kingdom is being proclaimed! New congregation members include migrants from east Asia (especially from the Philippines) and displaced people from sub-Saharan African countries such as Sierra Leone. Last year the churchs new community centre was opened. Here the church is aiming to offer training to help people develop personal skills, to provide a place for social and spiritual activities, to provide a subsidised hot meal twice a week for some of the displaced people, and a library for studies and after-school classes. The community centre has also been used as a temporary home for the church, because the old church building is now too small to hold its ever-growing congregation. The new, bigger church building will open on 28 March this year. Alleluia! In Zimbabwe, Bishop Gaul College is the national Anglican theological college in the Church of the Province of Central Africa (CPCA). It is a place of proclamation, and a place where those who will proclaim the Gospel are trained. Since its establishment, the college has produced bishops and over 100 priests. It caters for students of the five dioceses in Zimbabwe and the Diocese of Botswana. More recently, the college has opened to students from countries outside CPCA; thus bringing an international flavour and opportunities for students to think beyond their borders. Increasingly students from the laity are now being trained alongside ordinands. The College is committed to the formation, training, and equipping of clergy and laity for Christian ministries: proclaiming the Gospel in word and action. On 29 November 1970, the Church of North India (CNI) was born when six protestant denominations came together to form one Church. Leaders of the six denominations gathered at All Saints Cathedral in Nagpur for CNIs inauguration. This year, CNI marks a half century of unity, witness and service with a year-long Golden Jubilee celebration. Bishops and representatives of all of CNIs 27 dioceses came to the celebrations, which involved the proclamation of a joyous procession in the streets of Nagpur and a thanksgiving worship service. The events to mark the jubilee fall into three phases: refreshing memory, revisiting the mission of the Church and celebration. The first phase involves thanking God for the people who first brought the Gospel to India going all the way back to St Thomas, who was a missionary to India in the year AD 52. The second phase involves taking stock of the past 50 years to see how well CNI has upheld its mission of breaking down the barriers of caste, class, gender, economic inequality and exploitation of nature. The third phase started with a huge ceremony in Nagpur last November, and continues throughout 2020 to proclaim the Good News. USPG, in Britain and Ireland, seeks to relate these, and so many other Good News stories back to churches, communities and individuals. We have a speaker programme where a network of volunteers across the country are willing to share Good News from USPG partner churches around the world. We offer opportunities for individuals to experience the life of the church in a new context, through USPGs Journey with Us and Expanding Horizons schemes and on returning, inspired and transformed by the experience, their proclamation of the Gospel cannot fail to be enriched. Read the rest of our series on the Five Marks of Mission If In the Land of Men sometimes seems at odds with itself, its because Miller who can be witty and knowledgeable about the cliches of fiction written by men apparently regards Wallace as too special and too fragile to have been held to the rules that she applies to others. Troubled male genius is an old trope, but Miller elevates it to new heights. Despite objecting to the hypersexualized female characters in Wallaces novel Infinite Jest, Miller describes his literary output as a miracle and godlike, while she calls Wallace a towering colossus unto himself and one of the greatest and most uncompromising artists of all time. At another point, she writes, David surely had to have been as great as Tolstoy, his closest peer in depicting how emotions are displayed on the body. (Wait, what?!) By the time she tells us that Wallace changed the world and compares him to Alexander the Great, I began to wonder if her praise, fulsome to the point of hagiographic, especially for a writer who elicits as many eye rolls as encomiums, was best understood as her effort to explain to herself why she never told the guy to get lost. Wallace eventually replaces Miller with a woman about whom he says, You may know more words than she does, but shes better at cleaning my underwear. When Miller objects, Wallace counters with the defense that at least shes age-appropriate this time! (Karr also confirmed Wallaces predilection for bedding his students.) Eros can lead to a kind of blindness. And it seems clear that Miller loved Wallace. What Miller loved about Wallace is harder to fathom. Or maybe the better question is why Miller didnt love herself more. After he lashes out at her in a particularly cruel fashion, she recalls thinking, His life is actually worth more than mine. Even when lauding Wallaces positive attributes, she denigrates herself: Of course, given Davids experience resume relative to mine, he had every right not to care too much about anything I had to say, but the guy really was the best active listener you could possibly imagine. Yet even Miller is eventually forced to admit that Wallaces main area of interest is, well, Wallace. Throughout the years of my relationship with him, Davids psychological existence would be the principal topic of our conversation, she writes. Its also a principal topic of interest to Miller, who devotes considerable words to pondering how difficult it must have been for someone as sensitive as Wallace to manage his own fame. [February 10, 2020] Clarifai Expands its Global Presence with a New Office in Tallinn, Estonia NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarifai, a leading AI platform provider named one of the "Leaders" in computer vision by Forrester and one of Deloitte's fastest growing companies in 2019, opened a new office in Estonia's capital city, Tallinn, on February 1st of this year. The new office in Tallinn joins Clarifai's New York headquarters, along with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and a growing team of remote workers as part of the company's strategy to expand its global reach. "The decision to expand our global footprint with an office in Estonia was a natural and logical one," said Matthew Zeiler, Clarifai's CEO. "The country is known for its high-caliber taent in the technology industry in addition to the presence of top tech companies. Our new office allows us to leverage the talent of Estonia's world-class engineers to better service our clients. We look forward to welcoming the best and brightest engineers from around the world to become a part of our fast growing Tallinn office" The Tallinn office will be led by Vlad Eminovici, an engineer with over 20 years of experience at Microsoft. Clarifai is actively looking for full-stack and machine learning engineers in Estonia to work on cutting-edge technology and join a fully integrated global team. Click here for more information on career opportunities in Estonia. About Clarifai Clarifai is a Machine Learning as a Service platform using Artificial Intelligence to address critical business needs. We offer an enterprise-level platform designed to interpret images and videos, returning insights used to reduce operational expenses, increase growth and provide an optimal customer experience. Our platform allows for streamlined data collection and efficient training, testing and deployment of customized applications. Michael Noonan Clarifai [email protected] Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/837665/Clarifai_Logo_FC_Logo.jpg SOURCE Clarifai [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] New Delhi, Feb 11 : At a time when Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's frequent visits to the Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place has raised quite a few eyebrows, the priest of the temple said that Kejriwal has been visiting the temple ever since he took a plunge into politics. After the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) recorded a resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly elections on Tuesday, Kejriwal again paid a visit to the temple seeking divine blessings. Speaking to IANS, the senior priest of the temple said that he remembers Kejriwal coming to the temple even in 2013. "Kejriwal has been visiting the temple since his first election. There is nothing new in him visiting the temple. He also came here before and after the 2015 Assembly elections," the priest said. On being asked if Kejriwal was a frequent visitor even before that, the priest said that thousands of people visit the temple everyday and it was difficult to remember everyone. On the opposition parties playing politics over Kejriwal's visits, the priest said that God does not discriminate between people. "God does not discriminate between people. People from all parties come here. We are serving God and hence we also do not discriminate," he added. Kejriwal was criticised by the BJP after he visited the temple on February 7, a day before Delhi went to the polls. British schools have issued warnings to parents, fearing that students could pick up coronavirus during half-term holidays to China, according to a Daily Mail report. Schools in the UK have relayed guidelines issued by the Department of Education, which advises against travel to China, the report said. But, schools have been framing their own rules, the report added. Some suggested that students who had contact with anyone returning from China should not resume school. No official government communication states that students cannot attend school after visiting China if they do not show symptoms (unless they visited Wuhan of Hubei Province). Any pupil, parent or visitor who has travelled to or been in direct contact with anyone from a Coronavirus affected area may be asked to remain at home to prevent the potential spread of the virus, one school said as quoted by the paper. Tiredness, fever, a cough and/or breathing difficulties' are some of the symptoms parents have been told to watch out for, the report said. Also Read: Death toll in China crosses 1,000 China and other countries in East and South Asia are popular holiday destinations for British families during the winter. The Department of Health and Social Care does ask travellers to stay at home if they have just visited China. We recommend that you stay at home for 14 days after arriving from Wuhan of Hubei Province (or elsewhere in China if you have symptoms), and avoid public places. Where possible, contact a friend or family member to take your children to school, the department said in an official communication. Wuhan is considered the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has advised against all travel to the Hubei province and recommended only essential travel to the rest of mainland China. As of February 10, eight people have been tested positive for coronavirus in the UK. In China, the death toll due to the infection has risen to 1,016, with over 42,000 confirmed cases. (Natural News) Are these claims even remotely plausible for a highly contagious virus that spreads easily between humans while carriers show no symptoms? (Article by Charles Hugh Smith republished from CharlesHughSmith.Blogspot.com) Its clear that the narrative about the coronavirus is being carefully managed globally to minimize the impact on global sentiment and markets. Authorities are well aware of the global economys extreme fragility, and so Job One for authorities everywhere is to scrub the news flow of anything that doesnt support the implicit official narrative: 1. The coronavirus is only an issue in China; its contained outside China. 2. The coronavirus will soon be contained in China, and global business will quickly return to normal. In pushing this narrative, authorities around the world share the same goal: limit the damage to consumer confidence and markets, as the legitimacy of every regime from Beijing to Washington D.C. to Nairobi is based on maintaining these economic fictions: 1. Global growth will continue in an unbroken trend in the decades ahead. 2. This growth benefits everyone, not just elites. As Ive noted in previous posts, the critical dynamic here is consumer confidence: consumers cannot be allowed to become hesitant or afraid lest they stop borrowing, borrowing, borrowing, buying, buying, buying and speculating, speculating, speculating. Authorities outside China have no more interest in accurate death totals being released than Chinese authorities, and so official agencies and the corporate media dutifully parrot the implausibly low Chinese statistics as if they reflected reality. But controlling the narrative is not the same as controlling the virus. The narrative is intangible but the virus is real-world. Authorities are betting that controlling the narrative about the virus is equivalent to controlling the actual virus. If everyone believes only 800 people have died and the number of infected people is plummeting, they will obediently keep borrowing and buying and authorities will retain their legitimacy, power and wealth. If controlling the narrative fails, elites legitimacy, power and wealth are at risk. Thought experiment: cremating human corpses generates a chemical plume with a signature thats measurable from low-orbit sensors. Rather than accept implausibly low Chinese claims about total deaths, why not use low-orbit assets to measure the chemical signatures of plumes above Wuhan and calculate an estimate of the total number of corpses being cremated daily? Again, no one in authority anywhere on the planet wants the real death totals to become public: managed ignorance is bliss. One of the key tactics in controlling the narrative is to withhold data. But no data doesnt mean no virus. Lets think through the implicit narratives as a series of claims and test the plausibility of each claim. Narrative #1: the coronavirus has been contained in North America. Lets break this down into specific claims: Only 19 people in all of North America have the virus, and authorities found every one of them before they infected a single other person. Is this even remotely plausible? Tens of thousands of people traveled from China to North America in January, including numerous direct flights from Wuhan, Ground Zero of the pandemic, before authorities limited flights; yet miraculously, only 19 of these thousands of people had contracted the pathogen and even more miraculously, not a single one of these asymptomatic carriers unknowingly infected a single passerby before being quarantined. Since U.S. citizens and green-card holders and their families are still allowed to fly from China to the U.S. and travel freely once they pass a simple temperature test for fever, the narrative also claims not a single one of these hundreds of people are asymptomatic carriers, and if any are carriers, they wont infect a single other person while they travel freely around North America. Are these claims even remotely plausible for a highly contagious virus that spreads easily between humans while carriers show no symptoms? Lets imagine a slightly more realistic scenario: a Chinese national who unknowingly carries the virus infects dozens of passersby in taxis, Uber vehicles, subway cars, restaurants, hotels, etc. before coming down with symptoms of the flu. Since the visitor is concerned about what authorities might do to him and his family if it were discovered he has the coronavirus, he monitors his symptoms and concludes that since theyre the same as a run-of-the-mill flu, he must not have the coronavirus. He recovers in 10 days, unaware that he had the coronavirus and unknowingly infected dozens of others. Since roughly 80% of those who contract the coronavirus experience mild symptoms much like conventional flu, this is a reasonable assumption. No data doesnt mean no virus: this individual had the coronavirus and spread it to dozens of other people while asymptomatic, and authorities dont know because he never went to a doctor or hospital and thus was never tested or quarantined. Narrative #2: the coronavirus will soon be contained in China. Millions of people left Wuhan prior to the lockdown, and since the lockdown was pre-announced, tens of thousands hurried out before the lockdown took effect. Meanwhile, the lockdown did not include flights leaving Wuhans airport, so hundreds of flights left for destinations in China and elsewhere in the days between the lockdown announcement and the time when flight restrictions took effect. Some consequential percentage of these millions were asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus, and since these millions of people dispersed throughout China, they undoubtedly infected passersby who never went to Wuhan. Tracking down everyone from Wuhan will not identify everyone unknowingly infected by a traveler from Wuhan. Screening for fever with thermometers will not identify asymptomatic carriers of coronavirus, so screening is not going to stop the spread of the virus. Since there appears to be a severe shortage of test kits, the likelihood that every clinic and hospital in rural China has ample test kits to confirm a diagnosis (up to three tests per patient, as follow-up test results can be positive or negative) is near-zero. Thus the likelihood that the healthcare system has an accurate count of carriers with symptoms in rural China is near-zero. And since asymptomatic carriers have no reason to be tested, and authorities have no reason to test them, the chances that authorities can magically identify every asymptomatic carrier is also near-zero. No data doesnt mean no virus: is the claim that the coronavirus will soon be controlled in China even remotely plausible for a highly contagious virus that spreads easily between humans while carriers show no symptoms? Controlling the narrative doesnt mean youre controlling the virus. The gulf between happy-story narratives and the real world is widening to the breaking point. Read more at: CharlesHughSmith.Blogspot.com Taiwanese people are leading an Asian face mask craze this month to ward off threats from a deadly virus they fear will jump from its nearby source country China into a local population that was already extra cautious about getting sick. Local vendors normally produce 1.9 million masks a day and they're now pushing out 3.2 million to 40 million, according to government Industrial Development Bureau figures. The island's 80 mask producers have raised production to meet rising demand despite a rationing of sales to ensure no one hoards the supplies, a bureau official said. Many people in Taiwan, which is 160 kilometers from China, worry that a novel coronavirus discovered in December will eventually infect their own population. All 18 known cases known in Taiwan so far are linked to travel from China, where hundreds of thousands of Taiwanese work and invest. Chinese authorities had reported a cumulative 908 coronavirus deaths among 40,171 cases Sunday. "Taiwan because of its geography is close to mainland China and in addition you have Taiwanese people going back and forth quite frequently, whether tourists or Taiwanese, then add that we're in winter, the season most suitable for the spread of disease," said Chiu Cheng-hsun, a professor and doctor with the Linkou Chang Gung hospital children's respiratory disease department. "As soon as mainland China has no way to control this epidemic, then Taiwan could become the first place to get hit," Chiu said. People throughout much of East Asia have bought up surgical face masks as a precaution against catching the virus. A mask, the same type found in hospitals throughout the world, stops droplets coughed out by an infected person from landing on other people. Demand for masks has surged particularly in countries such as Malaysia and Thailand that get high numbers of Chinese tourists. Masks jumped in popularity last month so fast that the Taiwan government asked factories to raise production and rationed purchases. Shoppers must swipe their National Health Insurance cards in approved pharmacies to get their maximum of two masks, every two days. The swipe leaves a computerized purchase record. Yermak made waves late last year when he suggested that Ukraine build a wall to cut off the war-torn eastern regions if a peace deal cannot be reached with the Russian-backed separatists. Since then, Zelensky has met with Russian President Vladimir Putin and an exchange of prisoners has taken place, signaling hopes of progress. But rhetoric on both sides has sharpened in recent weeks. The data retrieval and display apps from KWizCom are fantastic. I know many organisations are deploying Microsoft Teams currently, and I look forward to sharing how they can benefit from these tools. KWizCom, a leading developer of SharePoint Forms & Workflows, as well as multiple other top-notch SharePoint web parts, add-ons and apps for Office 365 announced they will be airing a new webinar entitled Aggregation & Data Display Tools for SharePoint Online and Microsoft Teams. The webinar will be led by SharePoint expert from the UK Peter Baddeley. SharePoint business users are encouraged to register for this upcoming webinar to see how they can easily and quickly aggregate documents from numerous sites and site collections, display great-looking organization charts, aggregate events from Exchange Online calendars, and much more right from their Microsoft Teams. In this interactive live session Peter Baddeley will demonstrate KWizComs SharePoint Online Data View Plus toolset that will empower non-technical SharePoint end-users to get all their data retrieval and display requirements addressed within Microsoft Teams. Scenarios based on real life examples will be shown at the webinar. The webinar will air live on Thursday, March the 5th at 2pm EST. The webinar recording will be available on demand within one or two business days. The data retrieval and display apps from KWizCom are fantastic. I know many organisations are deploying Microsoft Teams currently, and I look forward to sharing how they can benefit from these tools, says Peter Baddeley. To register for the above-mentioned webinar, please visit https://kwizcom.com/upcoming-webinars/. Peter Baddeley is an expert SharePoint Consultant and an international speaker from Cambridgeshire, the United Kingdom who delivers solutions on the Microsoft platform, primarily focusing on SharePoint, Dynamics CRM and Office 365. He can often be found on Twitter @Baddaz. Peter is one of the organizers of the SharePoint Saturday London and he gladly shares his project experiences at the local user group meetings and at international events. For more information on KWizCom Corporation and the companys 70+ SharePoint add-ons and apps for Office 365, visit the companys website indicated below. Follow KWizCom on Twitter @KWizCom Become a fan of KWizCom on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KWizCom Join KWizCom on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/kwizcom Contact a KWizCom Account Specialist at +1-905-370-0333/+1-855-KWIZCOM or info@kwizcom.com About KWizCom Corporation Since 2005, KWizCom has provided innovative solutions and services to make SharePoint even better for over 10,000 companies worldwide. KWizCom's solutions and services expand Microsoft SharePoint out-of-the-box capabilities, streamline workflow, maximize efficiency and enhance over-all productivity for hundreds of thousands of users. KWizCom, a Gold Certified Microsoft Partner, is headquartered in Toronto, Canada. Please visit http://www.kwizcom.com to find out more about KWizCom's clients, people, partners and solutions. Tehran, Feb 11 : Hundreds of thousands of Iranians participated in nationwide rallies on Tuesday to mark the 41st anniversary of the Islamic Revolution. In different cities, people took to the streets, chanting anti-US and anti-Israeli slogans, reports Xinhua news agency. In Tehran, the demonstrators burned US and Israeli flags. The participants also carried images of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the late founder of the Islamic Republic, and his successor and the incumbent supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as well as Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian Major General who was killed in the January 3 American drone strike in Baghadad. Khamenei and President Hassan Rouhani had called for a mass turnout to mark the anniversary of the revolution and condemn the "hostile" moves of the US against Iran. The 1979 Revolution in Iran toppled the US-backed Shah regime of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi and brought the country under the leadership of Khomeini, an event seen as a turning point in Iran's history. The Garment Manufacturers Association of Cambodia on Monday expressed concern over potential raw material shortages that could affect factory output in Cambodia, as the coronavirus epidemic shows no signs of dying down in China. Ken Loo, GMAC Secretary General, said on Monday that 60 percent of materials used in garment production were imported from China. Cambodia is heavily reliant on raw material imports given the lack of locally produced raw material or garment ancillary factories. He added that the Chinese government had ordered the closure of some factories and wasnt sure when those factories will be operational again. The Chinese government had also increased the number of holidays given for the Lunar New Year, extending the holiday to last Sunday, but media reports show that workers are yet to return to factories across many parts of China. We worry that if the suspension [of Chinese exports] continues, say till the end of February, we could encounter hardships, he said. And say further into March, some factories would not have supply of raw material. Ken Loo added that most factories in Cambodia have around three weeks of raw material inventories, with some Chinese factories now being shuttered for close to a month. The viral outbreak has seen more than 40,000 people infected in China alone, and resulted in more than 1,000 deaths. Cambodia has so far only reported one case of the viral pneumonia, a Chinese national who flew into the country last month and has fully recovered as of Monday. Heng Sour, a Ministry of Labor spokesperson, said that the ministry was working with factory owners and was aware that raw material stocks would last only till the second week of March. He added that the ministry was exploring the possibility of procuring raw materials from other locations to supply Cambodias production chain. It's not just an issue for Cambodia. Nowadays, production in Asia, or even worldwide, is facing shortage of raw materials from China, he said. Yang Sophorn, president of workers union Cambodian Alliance of Trade Unions, also expressed concerns over the effects on workers if production were to come to a halt. If raw materials are the case, I think that it is the point of concern for the workforce in the garment and footwear industry, The garment and footwear industry in Cambodia employs around 750,000 workers in The EU is the biggest export market for the industry but that could be under threat, as the EU Commission prepares to announce the results of its year-long investigation into Cambodias human rights record. The economic bloc could potentially suspend the critical Everything But Arms trade privileges. Till Monday afternoon more than 900 people in China have died from coronavirus. More than 40 000 people are affected from the virus which exploded in the city of Wuhan and spread to nearly 30 countries. The number of death continues to rise on a daily basis. World Bank President David Malpass attends a news conference following the "1+6" Roundtable meeting at the Diaoyutai state guesthouse in Beijing By David Lawder WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The World Bank is offering technical assistance to China to help battle the coronavirus epidemic but no new loans, the development lender's president, David Malpass, said on Monday. Malpass told Reuters the bank was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to aid China, including offering advice about past health crises, but did not plan any financial assistance because China has ample resources of its own. "My thought is that we all wish them a speedy way to address the coronavirus in China," he said in an interview on Monday. "Weve offered technical assistance in the area of health, sanitation and disease policies." Formed after World War Two to rebuild Europe, the World Bank has some $470 billion in assets and counts China among its largest borrowers, with $14.8 billion in loans committed since 2011. China is also the bank's third largest shareholder after the United States and Japan. "China has its own large international reserves," and new loans are not being considered at this time, said Malpass, a former Trump administration Treasury official who took over as World Bank president last April. China reported that it held $3.115 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in January. In a Jan. 29 statement, Malpass expressed sympathy for losses suffered by the Chinese people, adding: "This is a severe public health challenge for China and the rest of the world. It calls for ongoing coordinated action and continued transparency inside China and around the world." He said the World Bank's experts were in discussions with Chinese authorities and could provide immediate assistance on disease surveillance, food safety, lessons from previous pandemics and analysis of the outbreak's impact on China's economy. Inside China, more than 300 companies from food delivery services to smartphone makers are seeking more than $8.2 billion in loans to ease the impact of the coronavirus, banking sources told Reuters. Economic growth is expected to slow to 5% or less this quarter because of the virus, one Chinese government economist estimates. Story continues Malpass declined to offer an estimate of the effect of the crisis on China's or the world's economic growth. He said it was too early to say if the World Bank's already tepid full-year forecast would be cut. "Clearly, coronavirus is slowing growth in the first half of 2020. What the long-term consequences are well have to see as the response occurs and the adjustments are made," he said. "China is just coming back from a long Lunar New Year holiday, so well have to evaluate the growth." TOO WEALTHY Since taking his job at the Treasury in 2017, Malpass had been critical of the World Bank's continued low-interest lending to China, arguing that the world's second-largest economy was too wealthy for such aid while it was loading up some countries with debt from its Belt and Road infrastructure program. A former Bear Stearns and Co chief economist who advised President Donald Trump's 2016 election campaign, Malpass has called for more of the bank's resources to be devoted to poorer countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A Feb. 3 World Bank pledge to review https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/statement/2020/02/03/statement-on-the-novel-coronavirus-in-china-february-3-2020 financial resources that could be deployed quickly was aimed at poorer countries that could be affected by the pandemic, a bank official said. China agreed to a decline in borrowing as part of reforms associated with a $13 billion capital increase for the World Bank approved by shareholders in 2018. The World Bank in December adopted a new five-year China plan that calls for $1 billion to $1.5 billion in annual lending, down from a $1.8 billion annual average over the previous five years.. Malpass said lending to China in the 2020 fiscal year, which ends June 30, would likely fall below that range. Although the bank is "winding down" its lending to China under terms of a 2018 capital increase, the bank would grant financing for certain "global public goods," Malpass said. These include environmental projects, private sector development and reforms to state-owned enterprises. The only new China financing approved by the World Bank so far in fiscal 2020 is a $150 million loan https://projects.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/project-detail/P164047 towards a $686 million project to sustain forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River basin. (Reporting by David Lawder; Editing by Sonya Hepinstall) Assyrian Priest Indicted on Terrorism Charges in Turkey Fr. Sefer Aho BileAen. The Assyrian Policy Institute is deeply concerned by the indictment of Assyrian Priest Sefer Aho BileAen (who leads Mor Yacoub Syriac Orthodox Monastery) on terrorism charges in Turkey. He was formally indicted on January 16, 2020, however, Turkish authorities withheld the information until February 8, 2020. BileAen was arrested along with two others on January 9, 2020 in Tur Abdin, Mardin Province located in southeastern Turkey. He was reportedly accused of providing food and water to members of the military wing of the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK). The PKK is a Kurdish militant and political organization founded in Turkey, but operating throughout the region, whose stated mission is to seek greater Kurdish political and cultural rights in Turkey. The PKK has been involved in an armed conflict with the Turkish state for decades, and has been designated as a 'terrorist organization' by Turkey. API Chairman Jon Koriel said: "We are deeply concerned by the unjustified accusations made against Father Aho, and the damaging message his indictment sends to the rest of the Assyrian community in Turkey. We call on Turkish authorities to drop all charges against him without precondition." Assyrian human rights activists are routinely detained on charges of terrorism and links to the PKK without evidence: In late 2015, Assyrian community leaders were among thousands imprisoned by Turkish authorities, including Sado Ide Oshana, president of the Association of Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Aramis (AACA). He was accused of terrorism and imprisoned. He was released 14 months later and fled the country. In November 2016, authorities removed Assyrian Mayor Februniye Akyol from office. Akyol had been elected to serve as co-mayor of Mardin two years prior. She was the first Assyrian woman elected to the position of mayor in Turkey, and at the time of her removal was the only Assyrian mayor in the country. In March 2017, Turkish police stormed the home of Yuhanon Aktas, the chairman of an Assyrian organization in Mardin. He was arrested and accused of being a member of the PKK. In early 2018, Turkish authorities arrested Petrus Karatay--an Assyrian who moved back to his ancestral village in Sirnak province after 30 years of living in France--on terrorism charges in response to a statement made to a journalist decrying the conditions for Assyrians in the area. He was later released and quoted saying: "Before I moved [back] here, I and my Assyrian friends spoke with many Turkish officials. They promised we could safely return and would be provided with support in our efforts for building a new life in our indigenous villages. But sadly we see that they are not keeping their promises....My detention and the ensuing slander campaign against me seem to be a message by the government to other Assyrians that they should not return to Turkey." Tur Abdin is a historic Assyrian region located in southeast Turkey. It is currently home to approximately 3,000 Assyrians belonging to various church denominations, namely the Syriac Orthodox Church. Large numbers of Assyrians have been forced into emigration as a result of the conflict between Turkey and the PKK since the 1980s, and the actions of Turkish authorities have created an intimidating atmosphere for those Assyrians who remain. [February 11, 2020] Deadline Reminder: The Law Offices of Howard G. Smith Reminds Investors of Looming Deadline in the Class Action Lawsuit Against Sasol Limited Law Offices of Howard G. Smith reminds investors of the upcoming April 6, 2020 deadline to file a lead plaintiff motion in the class action filed on behalf of investors who acquired of Sasol Limited ("Sasol" or "the Company") (NYSE: SSL) securities between March 10, 2015 and January 13, 2020 inclusive (the "Class Period"). Investors suffering losses on their Sasol investments are encouraged to contact the Law Offices of Howard G. Smith to discuss their legal rights in this class action at 888-638-4847 or by email to [email protected]. On October 27, 2014, Sasol announced the construction of an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex called the Lake Charles Chemicals Project ("LCCP"). On June 6, 2016, Sasol reported "that the expected total capital expenditure for the [LCCP] could increase up to US $11 billion, including site infrastructure and utility improvements." Moreover, the Company disclosed that "the estimated LCCP capital cost and extended schedule will reduce the expected project returns by approximately the same amount as the Company's lower long-term price assumptions." On this news, Sasol's American depositary receipt ("ADR") price fell $3.53 per share, or approximately 11%, to close at $28.60 per share on June 6, 2016, thereby injuring investors. On May 22, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol revealed that "the cost estimate for the LCCP has been revised to a range of $12.6 to $12.9 billion which includes a contingency of $300 million." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $4.50 per share, or nearly 15%, to close at $25.64 per hare on May 22, 2019, thereby injuring investors further. On August 16, 2019, during pre-market hours, Sasol postponed its full year 2019 financial results because of "possible LCCP control weaknesses." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $0.74 per share, or over 4%, to close at $17.67 per share on August 16, 2019, thereby injuring investors further. On October 28, 2019, Sasol disclosed that there were "errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the [LCCP] cost estimate" and that the highest level of management had engaged in a number of unethical and improper reporting activities. Sasol also announced the resignation of, inter alia, its Joint Presidents and Chief Executive Officers ("CEOs") and Senior Vice Presidents and others previously in charge of the LCCP. On January 14, 2020, Sasol confirmed "an explosion and fire at its LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit." Sasol stated that "[t]he unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred." On this news, Sasol's ADR price fell $1.70 per share, or nearly 8%, over the following two trading days to close at $19.99 per share on January 15, 2020, thereby injuring investors further. The complaint filed in this class action alleges that throughout the Class Period, Defendants made materially false and/or misleading statements, as well as failed to disclose material adverse facts about the Company's business, operations, and prospects. Specifically, Defendants failed to disclose to investors: (1) that Sasol had conducted insufficient due diligence into, and failed to account for multiple issues with, the LCCP, as well as the true cost of the project; (2) that construction and operation of the LCCP was consequently plagued by control weaknesses, delays, rising costs, and technical issues; (3) that these issues were exacerbated by Sasol's top-level management, who engaged in improper and unethical behavior with respect to financial reporting for the LCCP and the project's oversight; (4) that all of the foregoing was reasonably likely to render the LCCP significantly more expensive than disclosed and negatively impact the Company's financial results; and (5) that as a result, the Company's public statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times. If you purchased Sasol securities during the Class Period, you may move the Court no later than April 6, 2020 to ask the Court to appoint you as lead plaintiff if you meet certain legal requirements. To be a member of the class action you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent member of the class action. If you wish to learn more about this class action, or if you have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Howard G. Smith, Esquire, of Law Offices of Howard G. Smith, 3070 Bristol Pike, Suite 112, Bensalem, Pennsylvania 19020 by telephone at (215) 638-4847, toll-free at (888) 638-4847, or by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.howardsmithlaw.com. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005434/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] AMHERST Town Manager Paul Bockelman and Amhersts new principal assessor, Liz Duffy, have scheduled an informal meet-and-greet with residents at Brueggers Bagels from 7:30-9 a.m. Friday. The event, called Cuppa Joe with Paul, is part of a series designed to allow those with questions and opinions on how the town is being run to share them. Bockelman always includes a guest who is sometimes a municipal department head. I have learned so much from listening to people and hearing their perspectives on various issues, Bockelman said on Monday when asked about the Cuppa Joe events. He encourages anyone to stop by, even if it is for just a few minutes. Duffy succeeds former Principal Assessor David Burgess, who retired in July. She had been the assessor for Windsor Locks, Connecticut, since 2014. Before that, Duffy was assessor in the Connecticut towns of Monroe, Middlebury and Ellington. Cuppa Joe events are usually held the second Friday of the month at various businesses in the community. Fridays is the second of 2020. Brueggers Bagels is at 170 North Pleasant St. downtown. Yves here. Yet another illustration of the ongoing effort to repurpose schools solely for workplace skills and not, say, being a citizen. By Jeff Bryant, a writing fellow and chief correspondent for Our Schools, a project of the Independent Media Institute. He is a communications consultant, freelance writer, advocacy journalist, and director of the Education Opportunity Network, a strategy and messaging center for progressive education policy. His award-winning commentary and reporting routinely appear in prominent online news outlets, and he speaks frequently at national events about public education policy. Follow him on Twitter @jeffbcdm. Produced by Our Schools, a project of the Independent Media Institute In the expanding effort to privatize the nations public education system, an ominous, less-understood strain of the movement is the corporate influence in Career and Technical Education (CTE) that is shaping the K-12 curriculum in local communities. An apt case study of the growing corporate influence behind CTE is in Virginia, where many parents, teachers and local officials are worried that major corporations including Amazon, Ford and Ciscorather than educators and local, democratic governanceare deciding what students learn in local schools. CTE is a rebranding of what has been traditionally called vocational education or voc-ed, the practice of teaching career and workplace skills in an academic setting. While years ago, that may have included courses in woodworking, auto mechanics, or cosmetology, the new, improved version of CTE has greatly expanded course offerings to many more high-demand careers, especially in fields that require knowledge of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Education policy advocates across the political spectrum, from Education Secretary Betsy DeVos to former First Lady Michelle Obama, have praised expansions of CTE programs in schools. Fast-tracking federal funds for CTE programs in schools has become the new bipartisan darling of education policy. CTE lobbyists and advocates have successfully pressed for expanded funding of their programs at federal and state levels. And a 2019 studyby the American Enterprise Institute, a right-wing advocacy group based in Washington, D.C., found that since 2004, mentions of CTE in U.S. media outlets have grown over tenfold, and they have doubled since 2012. According to a September 2019 analysis from Brookings, more than 7 million secondary school students and nearly 4 million postsecondary students were enrolled in CTE programming. And a 2018 review of CTE programs by the federal governments National Center for Education Statistics found 73 percent of school districts offered CTE courses that give students both high school and postsecondary credit, a potential benefit for students and parents who want to reduce the cost of college. What has folks in Chesterfield County, Virginia, concerned is the particular brand of CTE that has come to their district. At a September 2019 community event, middle school teacher Emma Clark and others mentioned the districts collaboration with Ford Next Generation Learning (NGL), an offshoot of the Ford Motor Company that claims, according to its website, that it mobilizes educators, employers, and community leaders to create a new generation of young people who will graduate from high school both college- and career-ready. Chesterfield parents I spoke with also pointed to the districts collaboration with the Cisco Networking Academy, an offshoot of the computer networking giant that has its own branded course offering in the Chesterfield CTE curriculum. In a phone conversation, Clark described the districts collaborations with these companies as new layers of school privatization. First, corporations like these can use the rush to CTE to flood schools with new course offerings that require technology the schools have to buy. And another layer is the CTE programs businesses help to create provide them with free job training. The concern Chesterfield teachers and parents have about corporate influence in K-12 public school curricula is magnified enormously due to the entrance of Amazon into the equation. The centerpiece of Virginias successful effort to lure Amazon to build a new headquarters in the state, according to state-based news outlets and state-issued reports, was a commitment to more than double Virginias tech-talent pipeline, beginning in K-12 schools. Virginias ultimate proposal was centered around an effort to provide Amazonor any other tech firm that wanted to comewith all the educated workers it needed, according to a report in the Washingtonian, and the state sealed the deal with a pledge to plow $1.1 billion into tech schooling. The states commitment to developing a tech-talent pipeline providing workers for Amazon and other companies was key to inking the deal, says an Amazon spokesperson in the Cincinnati Business Courier. Were being hijacked in Virginia, Kathryn Flinn explained to me. Flinn is a 20-year resident of Chesterfield and mother of two children, one a special-needs child, who both have attended Chesterfield County Public Schools. Flinn strongly considered a CTE track for her special-needs child, but now maintains that the type of CTE she sees rolling out in Chesterfield and elsewhere in Virginia is very different from traditional CTE. She noticed that CTE classes in her local schools were changing from an emphasis on encouraging students to pursue their interests in work-related skills and knowledge to courses that partnered with specific corporations and businesses to form career pathways that lock students into narrower courses of study as early as seventh grade. The change to a more employer-driven curriculum has been especially traumatic for Sara Ward, another Chesterfield parent I spoke with. When the high school her son was to have attended became designated a Ford NGL CTE academy, she noticed a change in his attitude about school and his increased depressed mood. In middle school, he had been placed in a gifted and talented curriculum with courses in advanced math two years ahead of his peers. But the Ford NGL-aligned curriculum at the high school was reorganized into three career paths with no way to opt out of them, she explained. The focus of the new math offerings, she believed, would be more about applied math including manufacturing and accounting and not about advanced concepts. I want my child to decide how hes going to use math, not to be told what to do with math, she said. Ward pulled her son out of public schools and instead enrolled him in a private program. It was not something I ever thought Id do, she said. These Chesterfield parents, along with local teachers and activists, see their experiences as linked to not only a statewide but also a national campaign by big business and tech companies to align school curricula to corporate workforce training. They point to a February 2019 visit by DeVos to a Loudoun County school program, in northern Virginia, where students take specialty classes in one of three academies focusing on vocational training. The visit was orchestrated by the Association for Career and Technical Education, accordingto a Loudoun County news outlet, that celebrates the value and achievements of nationwide CTE programs. The Chesterfield folks I spoke with suspect that many of the forces at work in their local schools are at work in Loudoun and elsewhere to gear school curricula to corporate agendas. Were not against teaching students career skills that could eventually help them find employment, Flinn explained. Were against corporations writing the curriculum. We do want our kids to have technology skills that give them a strong resume when they come out of school, Clark told her Chesterfield audience, but there is zero reason that we cant have educators writing and creating that curriculum as opposed to corporations. A False Promise of a Job These parents should be concerned, Kenneth Saltman told me in a phone call. Saltman, a professor of educational leadership at the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth, has written extensively about school reform, business interests in education, and education politics. A narrow focus on teaching skills really misses the boat on developing abilities that will matter to people in the future, Saltman said. We dont really know what the jobs of the future will be, so schools should be focused on developing students capacity to think, question, and theorize in new contexts related to their learning about the self and society. These goals will be gutted out by a narrow skills-based agenda. Saltman argues that teaching students the more traditional, abstract skills is not really at odds with ensuring students can become fully functioning in the economy. In many ways, a technical and skills-based curriculum will undermine students future economic capacity. Research on the long-term impact of CTE on students has found a mixed bag at best. A 2018 study of Massachusetts CTE program found participation in a high-quality CTE program boosts the probability of on-time graduation from high school by 7 to 10 percentage points for higher income students, and suggestively larger effects for their lower-income peers. Another study from 2017 found taking career and technical education classes in high school increases students odds of graduating on time, but doesnt improve their chances of enrolling in college, according to a report in Education Week. Matt Barnum, a reporter with Chalkbeat, analyzed a 2017 European study on the impact of CTE and found a significant downside of such programs: students may benefit early in their careers, but are harmed later in life as the economy changes and they lack the general skills necessary to adapt. Research on the long-term impacts of students concentrating in STEM, the favored focus of the CTE fad, has found equally uneven results. In 2016, in testimony given to a U.S. Senate subcommittee meeting on the proposed expansion of guest worker programs, Economic Policy Institute associate and Rutgers University professor Hal Salzman explained that colleges and universities in the U.S. graduate twice the number of STEM graduates as find a job each year. About two-thirds of STEM degree graduates end up employed in jobs that dont require STEM degrees, he added. In the tech industry in particular, which figures most prominently in Virginias CTE plans, only about a third of the workers in the sector have STEM degrees, Salzman stated. And tech worker salaries have been flat for decades, which would seem to intuitively indicate an oversupply of workers, not the opposite. Very little evidence is consistent with the complaints about a skills shortage, a 2015 study of the so-called skills gap concluded, and a wide range of evidence suggests the complaints are not warranted. Instead, employer demands for workforce training are often based on the employers perceived notions about the availability of qualified employees and the willingness of employers to invest in training and lower their hiring requirements, observed economics reporter Matthew Yglesias in an article for Vox. To reach this conclusion, Yglesias pointed to a paper by Alicia Sasser Modestino, Daniel Shoag, and Joshua Ballance presented at a 2019 American Economic Association conference that found that during periods of high unemployment, employers made job descriptions more stringent, and when unemployment rates went down, hiring requirements became more relaxed. In my conversation with Kenneth Saltman, he contended that students led to believe that business-branded CTE courses guarantee future employment with the business are really buying into a false promise, or at least a careful hedging of a promise. The real promise is maybe someday [you] will get a job. Clearly, students need multiple opportunities to learn as much as they can. But that assumes no single entity can actually own the curriculum, and decisions about whats best for students to learn should not be based on the self-interests of those who have something to gain by controlling the system. Virginia appears to be dangerously headed in the direction of changing that. Auburn, IN (46706) Today Scattered snow flurries and snow showers possible this morning. Becoming sunny later. High 28F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of snow 30%.. Tonight Partly to mostly cloudy. Low around 25F. Winds SW at 10 to 20 mph. The UK Met Office has officially named a potentially damaging new storm system barreling towards Ireland and the UK this afternoon. Storm Dennis looks set to bring widespread strong winds and heavy rain and gusts of more than 70mph are possible over hills and coastal areas, the Met Office said. Weather Alerts Ireland warned: "Storm Dennis will bring strong winds and more heavy rain and a chance of coastal flooding on Saturday to Ireland and the UK." The storm is set to begin impacting Ireland and the UK on Friday and through the weekend. Offaly forecaster Cathal Nolan from the Midland Weather Channel said: "Storm Dennis has been named by the UK Met Office and will make its impacts felt across the country during Saturday as heavy rainfall and strong winds become widespread for a time. "Rainfall is likely to be the greatest risk from Dennis due to the elevated level of many rivers across the country at present following Storm Ciara. Wind speeds may reach 120km/h along parts of the west coast in particular," he concluded. Keep an eye on its progress here: A London school has received hundreds of abusive and homophobic messages after painting a rainbow on their crossing for LGBT History Month. Woodside High School, in Wood Green, North London, painted the crossing in early February, in a bid to show how committed they are to 'diversity, equality and inclusion', by becoming the first with a rainbow painted on their property. However, just four days later, the school was bombarded with over 200 messages of hate on Twitter and Instagram and insisted that while they were shocked, 'threats, aggression and hate' are common in the LGBTQ+ community. Taking to Twitter to share the incident, the school wrote: 'Our rainbow crossing has been up less than 4 days & we have had over 200 abusive messages. A London school received hundreds of abusive and homophobic messages after painting a rainbow on their crossing (pictured) for LGBT History Month Woodside High School, in Wood Green, North London, painted the crossing in early February, in a bid to show how committed they are to 'diversity, equality and inclusion' However, just four days later, the school shared on Twitter that they'd been bombarded with hateful messages 'This may seem shocking to some, but for the LGBTQI+ community, threats, aggression & hate is a regular occurrence. Education is critical in addressing this.' However, not letting the abuse deter them from their message of equality, alongside the tweet, the school shared a film made by Woodside High School's Student Equality and Diversity Group. The video showed students holding up facts from LGBTQ+ charity Stonewall, such as the fact that nearly half of LGBTQ+ students are bullied in school, and that more than four in five young trans people have self harmed in the past. The school later shared that the messages they had received had all been from adults and not children, none of whom are part of their immediate community. The school later shared that the messages they had received had all been from adults and not children, none of whom are part of their immediate community The school haven't let the hateful messages deter them from their work in equality, and last week shared a picture preparing for LGBT History Month Sharing a picture of the Woodside High School's Student Equality and Diversity Group, they penned: 'We ought to say that the hundreds of abusive messages we have received have been from adults, not children, and adults who are not even part of our school community. 'We have received many many messages of support & enthusiasm from our families and students.' Gerry Robinson, head of Woodside High School, told BBC News: 'The hundreds of abusive messages regarding Woodside's work on equality will not deter us from continuing our work. ' Upon sharing the tweet and video the school has been met with hundreds of messages from people all over the UK, showing their support for the project. 'Solidarity. Such abuse is disgusting. Please keep doing what you are doing. We'll stand with you', wrote one. Upon sharing the tweet and video the school has been met with hundreds of messages from people all over the UK, showing their support for the project 'Guys you are amazing, never stop shouting loudly, never be silenced by bullies', said another. What is an LGBT rainbow? The rainbow flag is a rainbow flag that is used as a symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer pride and LGBTQ social movements. Advertisement A third penned: 'So sorry to hear this. Here's a message of love, thanks, support and strength from an LGBT+ family to say thank you for supporting and being a loud, proud safe space for your LGBT+ and questioning pupils & families. The world needs more visible supporters.' A fourth commented: 'Your students will go out into the world with kindness & courage along with their academic & practical achievements. 'You're doing a wonderful thing for the whole of society.Love & solidarity.' Over the course of 240 years, United States presidents have made many integral and difficult decisions to help shape this country. Civil and international wars, economic crises, and deep-rooted bigotry are just a few major installments that our presidents have had to tackle. Its common to debate the efficacy, personalities, and politics of these office-holders during their terms, and opinions run far and wide many years later when analyzing past performance. The expectations of the president have evolved over time. Jeremi Suri of the University of Texas LBJ School of Public Affairs asserts in his book, The Impossible Presidency, that the White House has progressively taken on such infeasible demandsparticularly in the most recent 24-hour news cyclethat the president cannot possibly please everyone. Drawing upon recent disenchantment with presidents, Suri discusses the limitations inherent in the day-to-day details and duties of the office; we often dont recognize the near-impossible task of leaders meeting the big-picture goals theyd set out to conquer on the campaign trail. A new kind of has emerged from the Delhi Assembly polls with people rewarding the party which built schools, hospitals and provided cheap electricity round-the-clock, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Tuesday, hailing AAP's landslide win as a victory of India. "Delhiites, you have done an amazing thing (Dilli walo aapne ne gazab kar diya). I love you," Kejriwal said in a brief address to joyous supporters and party workers at the AAP's headquarters in the national capital. "It is a victory of all and every family who considered me their son and gave us a huge mandate. In the country today, Delhiites have given birth to a new kind of politics, which is called "Kam ki rajniti" ( of works)," Kejriwal, who won the New Delhi seat, said. The AAP is headed for a landslide victory on Tuesday in the high-stakes Delhi Assembly polls, leaving the main rival BJP way behind and decimating the Congress in a bitterly-fought contest. The people of Delhi have sent out a clear message that their vote is for those who build schools, hospitals, mohalla clinics and provide cheap electricity for round-the-clock, water to every household, and build roads, he said. "It is the beginning of new kind of today. This is very auspicious message for the country and the politics of work can only take our country to the 21st century," Kejriwal, flanked by his wife, daughter and senior party leaders, said from the stage erected at the party's headquarters. The AAP's stupendous victory comes nearly eight months after it suffered a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in which the party drew a blank while the BJP won all the seven seats. Among the AAP heavyweights who won the elections after a nail-bitter included Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chaddha and Atishi. Delhi cabinet ministers Gopal Rai, Satyender Jain also were among prominent winners. The chief minister said lord Hanuman has blessed the national capital, adding "Many many thanks to Hanuman ji." "Lord Hanuman has blessed us, may god give us more strength to serve people of Delhi in the next five years as we did in the last five years. We will make Delhi a beautiful city," the AAP chief said. In the run-up to the assembly polls, Kejriwal had come under attack from BJP leaders for reciting Hanuman Chalisa on a TV channel. Responding to allegations, Kejriwal recently said that the saffron party has been mocking him ever since he recited Hanuman Chalisa on a TV channel Kejriwal had also sought to know what kind of politics the BJP is doing. On Tuesday, the AAP headquarters were decorated with blue and white balloons and big banners with pictures of Kejriwal. Reacting to his party's defeat, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari said people must have given the mandate after careful thinking. "Our vote percentage has increased from 32 per cent to around 38 per cent. We hope that there would be less blame game and more work," he told reporters. A total of 672 candidates, including 593 men and 79 women, were in the fray for the hotly contested elections. While Kejriwal was the star campaigner for the AAP, Prime Minister Modi, Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who extensively campaigned for the BJP. The Congress got into campaign mode much later. Former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi were among those who campaigned for the Congress. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BRIGHTON, England A British businessman believed to be the source of a cluster of coronavirus cases in Britain and France came forward on Tuesday, saying that he had fully recovered but would remain in isolation as a precaution. The man, Steve Walsh, from Hove, a town neighboring the popular seaside area of Brighton in southern England, contracted the virus at a conference in Singapore last month, according to his representatives, before traveling on to a chalet in the French Alps where a number of other Britons also fell ill. Mr. Walsh had already been widely identified in the British media as the man who brought the virus to the chalet. Mr. Walsh thanked doctors for their care in a statement released by a public relations firm representing him and his employer. Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus, said Mr. Walsh, one of at least eight people in Britain who have tested positive for the coronavirus in the past month. Vikaspuri Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Vikaspuri constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Vikaspuri Assembly Elections 2020 | AAP's Mahinder Yadav has raced ahead of BJP's Sanjay Singh in the Vikaspuri constituency, with the former getting 5,265 votes and the latter getting 3,472 votes. Yadav and Singh's vote shares are 56.97 percent and 37.57 percent respectively. Situated in West Delhi, Vikaspuri is one of the biggest constituencies in terms of electorate in the Union Territory. AAP candidate Mahinder Yadav is looking to win a third term in the Assembly, while BJPs Sanjay Singh will try to wrest the seat from the ruling party in his second attempt. This year, the Congress has fielded Mukesh Sharma from Vikaspuri, which began as a Punjabi resettlement colony in West Delhi before undergoing growth in the 1990s, as per reports. The constituency goes to the polls on 8 February. The AAP would seek to retain power on the back of the development agenda it pursued in the last five years. On the other hand, the BJP, which controls the Centre as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), would look to dislodge the AAP from power. The Congress, meanwhile, would look to put up a tough fight after its improved performance in the recently concluded state elections in Haryana and Jharkhand. Here is a brief profile on the constituency: Constituency Name: Vikaspuri Constituency Number: 31 District Name: West Delhi Total Electors: 3,25,246 Female Electors: 1,41,905 Male Electors: 1,83,313 Third Gender: 28 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Created in 2008, the constituencys first representative was Nand Kishore of the Congress party. Since 2013, Mahinder Yadav of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is the incumbent MLA. In the 2013 polls, he defeated his nearest rival, BJP's Krishan Gahlot by a narrow margin of 405 votes. Yadav proved mettle in the 2015 Assembly polls when he defeated BJP candidate Sanjay Singh by a massive margin of over 77,000 votes. Demographics: Primarily dominated by the Jats, Vikas Puri also has significant Punjabi and Yadav communities. The Vikaspuri Vidhan Sabha is located in South-West district of Delhi and comes under the West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The Scheduled castes (SC) and Scheduled tribes (ST) ratio is 13.76 and 0, respectively of total population. As per the voter list of 2019, there are 3,25,246 electorates and 374 polling stations in this constituency. GENEVA The World Health Organization convened outside experts Tuesday to try to speed the development of tests, treatments and vaccines against the new coronavirus, as doctors on the front lines experiment on patients with various drugs in hopes of saving lives in the meantime. The 400 scientists participating in the two-day meeting many remotely will try to determine which approaches seem promising enough to advance to the next step: studies in people to prove if they really work. We prioritize what is really urgent, what we absolutely need to know to fight the outbreak, to develop drugs, vaccines, said Marie-Paule Kieny, co-chair of the meeting and a viral-disease specialist at the French research institution INSERM. That will allow science to focus on what is the most pressing issue and not to disperse too much the efforts. Also on the agenda: Is it possible to build a standing supply of drugs similar to the vaccine stockpiles that exist for diseases such as yellow fever and Ebola? If any of these drugs does show an effect, there will be massive demand, Dr. Graham Cooke, a professor of infectious diseases at Imperial College London, said earlier this week. There are no proven treatments or vaccines for the new and still-mysterious virus, which has infected more than 43,000 people worldwide and killed over 1,000, with the overwhelming majority of cases in China. And while several labs have come up with tests for the virus, there is no quick means of diagnosis, and results take time. Its hard to believe that just two months ago, this virus which has come to captivate the attention of media, financial markets and political leaders was completely unknown to us, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at the start of the meeting. Experts say it could be months or even years before any approved treatments or vaccines are developed, by which time the outbreak might be over. But they say they will at least have more weapons at their disposal if the virus strikes again. The flu-like disease, officially named COVID-19 on Tuesday, has ranged from mild to serious and can cause pneumonia. Doctors give patients fluids and pain relievers to try to ease the symptoms, which can include fever, cough and shortness of breath. In the case of those who are severely ill, doctors use ventilators to help them breathe or a machine that pumps and oxygenates their blood outside the body, easing the burden on the heart and lungs. Beyond those standard treatments, doctors are looking at using drugs that have already been approved to fight other viruses, or experimental medications. At least two studies in patients are already underway in China: one of a combination HIV drug containing lopinavir and ritonavir, sold in the U.S. as Kaletra, the other of an experimental drug named remdesivir, made by Gilead Sciences. In a draft research plan published last month, WHO said remdesivir was considered the most promising candidate. It was used briefly in some Ebola patients in Congo before that study stopped. But the WHO cited laboratory studies that suggested it might be able to target SARS and MERS, cousins to the new virus. Gilead has provided the drug for use in a small number of patients, including a man in Washington state who fell ill after a trip to Wuhan, the city at the center of the outbreak in China. He is no longer hospitalized, but it is not clear whether the Gilead drug helped him. Doctors in China, Thailand and Italy have also used the HIV drug combination in some patients. In Malaysia, authorities reported that a 40-year-old man with the virus who needed oxygen recovered eight days after receiving the drug, although it is not known if that was the reason. Dr. David Heymann, who led WHOs response to the global 2002-03 SARS outbreak, said doctors dont entirely understand how the HIV drugs might work to fight the new virus, but hope they will buy patients some time. Treatments are mostly intended so that patients can recover enough so their own immune systems can take over and fight off the virus, he said. Cooke said it might be enough if these drugs, instead of killing the virus, interfere with how it reproduces and spreads in the body. The U.N. health agency said there were still many critical unanswered questions about the virus, including what animals it came from and how exactly it is transmitted between people. It is thought to spread through droplets in the air when an infected person sneezes or coughs. To defeat this outbreak, we need answers to all those questions and more, Tedros said. ___ Cheng reported from London. A former monk at a Catholic boarding school in England has admitted abusing two boys in the parish he was sent to after confessing to sexual contact with a pupil. Peter Turner was sent away to Workington, in Cumbria, in 1987 after telling church authorities he had committed sex offences with a boy at Ampleforth College, in North Yorkshire. The 80-year-old, who was later convicted of offences against 10 pupils at the school, pleaded guilty today to sexually abusing two more boys while working in the Cumbrian parish. He also admitted offences against another pupil at Ampleforth when he appeared for trial at York Crown Court. Turner, who was previously known as Father Gregory Carroll, pleaded guilty to 11 counts of indecent assault, two counts of buggery and one count of gross indecency against three boys aged between nine and 12. He entered not guilty pleas to three charges of indecent assault but the court heard he will not be tried on these matters. Turner admitted committing indecent assault and buggery against a boy at Ampleforth between September 1984 and January 1987, when the boy was aged between 10 and 12. He went on to indecently assault another boy, aged nine or 10, between October 1987 and December 1988. A third boy was aged between 10 and 12 when Turner committed gross indecency and indecent assault against him between June 1987 and June 1990. Both of those boys were abused after Turner was sent to Workington by the church following his admission of sexual abuse at Ampleforth. Former monk Peter Turner, 80, arriving at York Crown Court today. Pic: PA He was recalled from Workington and confined to the monastery at Ampleforth after the 2001 publication of the Nolan Report into the problem of clerical child abuse. Turner was jailed for four years in September 2005 after he admitted offences against 10 pupils at the school between 1979 and 1987. The sentence was later reduced by 12 months. Nicola Gatto, defending, said Turners offending stopped when he was recalled from Workington and he had been dormant for about 18 years. Turner, who appeared in the dock wearing a blue anorak over a navy jumper and blue shirt, was remanded in custody following todays hearing. Judge Sean Morris, the Recorder of York, said he will sentence him on Wednesday morning. A Russian flag flies next to the U.S. embassy building in Moscow on July 31, 2017. (Mladen Antonov/AFP via Getty Images) US Concern as Russian Spacecraft Tails American Spy Satellite: Report U.S. officials have expressed concern to Moscow over a Russian spacecraft, which appears to be tailing a multibillion-dollar U.S. spy satellite, according to reports. Gen. John Jay Raymond, commander of the newly created U.S. Space Force told TIME that the Russian spacecraft began tailing the U.S. satellite after its November launch, and has sometimes followed as closely behind as 100 miles. We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing, Raymond told the publication in an interview published Monday. Raymond said that the government has contacted Moscow through diplomatic channels to express concern over the move which has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space. The chief of space operations said U.S. military analysts first became alert to the allegedly threatening situation two weeks after Moscow launched its spacecraft into orbit on Nov. 26 from Plesetsk Cosmodrome attached to a Soyuz rocket, when it suddenly split in two. The way I picture it, in my mind, is like Russian nesting dolls, Raymond said, adding that analysts described how a second smaller satellite was birthed from the first. The second satellite came out of the first satellite. On Dec. 6, Russias Defense Ministry said in a statementaccording to the Russian news agency TASSthat the separation of the two satellitesCosmos 2542 and Cosmos 2543was part of an experiment to continue work on assessing the technical condition of domestic satellites. However, by January, the two satellites appeared to be shadowing the U.S. satelliteUSA 245, also known to space experts as a KH-11. Amateur satellite tracker Michael Thompson speculated on the peculiar movements of Cosmos 2542 and Cosmos 2543 on Twitter, using publicly available data. The relative orbit is actually pretty cleverly designed, where Cosmos 2542 can observe one side of the KH11 when both satellites first come into sunlight, and by the time they enter eclipse, it has migrated to the other side, Thomspon tweeted. This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known U.S. spy satellite. This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known US spy satellite. Michael Thompson (@M_R_Thomp) January 30, 2020 Raymond told TIME that the behavior of the pair of satellites is similar to those Russia labeled inspector satellites, in 2017. The satellites exhibited characteristics of a weapon system when one of those satellites launched a high-speed projectile into space. The move would be interpreted as potentially threatening behavior in any other domain, Raymond added. The initial costs of setting up the Space Force are likely a small down payment on an undertaking that could cost tens of billions of dollars in the years to come, William D. Hartung, director of the arms and security project at the Center for International Policy, told TIME. The last thing we need is more bureaucracy at the Pentagon, but thats exactly what the Space Force is likely to give us. Creating a separate branch of the armed forces for space also risks militarizing U.S. space policy and promoting ill-advised and dangerous projects that could involve deploying weapons in space, Hartung added. The Epoch Times reached out to the Russian Embassy in Washington, D.C. but did not immediately hear back. (Bloomberg) -- For the last several years, hackers based in China have allegedly been sucking up vast amounts of personal data of U.S. citizens: names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, even fingerprints. On Monday, the U.S. Justice Department took another stab at stopping them. Attorney General William Barr announced that four members of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army had engaged in a three-months-long campaign to steal information on about 145 million Americans from Equifax Inc. In doing so, Barr detailed an audacious plan that allegedly began with a vulnerability in Apache software and uncovered a mother load of personal data. According to U.S. authorities and cybersecurity experts, the Equifax hack was one of a string of data breaches executed by Chinese hackers in which personal data was stolen. Those experts described an effort to grab so much data on so many people that the Chinese could use it to compile a database of Americans, in part to bolster spying efforts. Chinese officials rejected the accusations. The Chinese government, military and relevant personnel never engage in cyber theft of trade secrets, Chinas foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Tuesday. Last year, Barr announced charges against a Chinese national who was part of an extremely sophisticated hacking group operating in China that stole information from four large American businesses, including data on 78.8 million people from the computer network of health insurer, Anthem Inc. China has also been linked to a 2018 cyber-attack at Marriott International Inc., yielding data on 500 million guests, and an infamous 2015 incident in which data from the federal Office of Personnel Management was stolen on 21 million individuals, including Social Security numbers and 5.6 million fingerprints. Chinese spying is over the top increasingly dangerous, said Jim Lewis, a senior vice president and director of the Technology Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, when asked about the charges involving Equifax. The PLA has more personal data on Americans than anyone else. Story continues The Equifax hack represents a major counterintelligence operation by the Chinese government for future use, including advancing artificial intelligence capabilities, said William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center. They have more than just your credit score, Evanina told reporters during a briefing on Monday. They have all of your data. He added that his biggest concern is that the Chinese will use the data to target people who dont work in national security and therefore might not be aware of an operation. U.S. officials said there was no evidence the stolen Equifax data was being used. However, Barr said the Equifax hack fits a disturbing and unacceptable pattern of state-sponsored computer intrusions and thefts by China and its citizens that have targeted personally identifiable information, trade secrets and other confidential information. John Hultquist, senior director of intelligence analysis at the cybersecurity firm FireEye Inc., said the Equifax incident is just one example of a shift by Chinese state hackers toward organizations that aggregate data. Government bureaucracies, hospitality and travel organizations have been targeted alongside telecommunications firms and managed service providers in intrusions designed to allow access to huge amounts of data and proprietary information, he said. Cybersecurity experts offered different views on the purpose of the stolen data. The data taken from Equifax may have been used as part of an attempt to compile a database of U.S. personally identifiable information, according to Priscilla Moriuchi, who is director of strategic threat development at the cybersecurity company Recorded Future, Inc. This database can be used for purposes including developing cover identities for Chinese intelligence officers, validating information from other intelligence services, or building profiles of individuals that may be susceptible to recruitment by Chinese intelligence, she said. Ben Buchanan, a cybersecurity expert at Georgetown University, said the data gleaned may have uses such as providing financial context on targets of interest to China. It probably wasnt too taxing for the hackers to get even this voluminous amount of data, so why not take it? he said. Aside from allegedly stealing personal data, China has also been accused of pilfering intellectual property from U.S. companies, including by hacking. Former National Security Agency Director Keith Alexander, who served under presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush, has called it the greatest transfer of wealth in history. In 2018, for instance, the U.S. indicted Chinese intelligence officers for stealing technology underlying a turbofan used by airlines while members of Chinas Ministry of State Security were charged with targeting government agencies and more than 45 technology companies in the U.S. According to the indictment announced on Monday, the hack at Equifax began in May 2017, maybe earlier, and continued through July of that year. The defendants exploited a vulnerability in Apache software that was used by Equifaxs online dispute portal, where users could research and dispute inaccuracies in their credit reports. Apache had announced a vulnerability in certain versions of its Struts software, and it wasnt patched on Equifaxs online dispute portal, according to the indictment. Equifax holds a colossal repository of sensitive personally identifiable information, including full names, addresses, Social Security numbers, birth dates, and drivers license numbers, according to the indictment, which alleged that the Peoples Liberation Army obtained the names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers for 145 Americans, in addition to the drivers licenses for at least 10 million Americans, and the credit card numbers and other personally identifiable information on 200,000 U.S. consumers. PLA hackers also obtained personal data belonging to nearly a million citizens of the U.K. and Canada, according to the indictment. Despite major investments in security measures, Equifax appeared to have been compromised by poor implementation and the departures of key personnel in recent years, according to a September 2017 story in Bloomberg Businessweek. A congressional report in 2018 found that Equifax failed to modernize its security to match its aggressive growth strategy. On Monday, Equifax Chief Executive Officer Mark Begor said, Having China indicted for this really changes the stakes for all of us. These cyber-attacks are getting more challenging for every company, he said. It definitely raises the bar for all of us on what we need to do to defend the sensitive data that we have. (Updates with comments from Chinas foreign ministry in fifth paragraph.) --With assistance from Jenny Surane. To contact the reporters on this story: Alyza Sebenius in Washington at asebenius@bloomberg.net;Chris Strohm in Washington at cstrohm1@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Andrew Martin at amartin146@bloomberg.net, Andrew Pollack For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. File image BJP president JP Nadda on Tuesday said his party accepts the mandate given by the people of Delhi and it will play the role of a constructive opposition. Congratulating Arvind Kejriwal and AAP for their victory in the Delhi assembly election, Nadda said in a series of tweets that the BJP hopes the AAP government will work for the overall development of the national capital. He also expressed gratitude towards BJP workers, saying they worked day and night for the party's victory. Counting of votes for Delhi Assembly elections began on Tuesday morning, and early trends show that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is leading on 53 seats, while BJP is ahead on 16, according to C-Voter data. The congress, meanwhile, is leading on one seat, show trends. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Election Results | Track Live Updates The exit polls (at least five of them) have predicted a comfortable win for AAP in Delhi. Its leaders too, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, have expressed confidence that they will be given the mandate to govern Delhi for the third time. Ahead of the counting, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said, We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last 5 years. The elections on 70 Assembly seats of Delhi were held on Saturday after an aggressive campaign by AAP and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which is seeking to return to power in Delhi after a gap of 22 years. BJP leaders have maintained that the exit poll predictions about the partys failure will fall flat as the surveys did not take into account the votes polled late in the evening. The BJP had mounted one of the most aggressive campaigns in the Delhi Assembly polls, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah leading the charge on its plank of nationalism, and its strident opposition to Shaheen Bagh protests. The issue often dominated the political discourse during the campaign, with many BJP leaders targeting the AAP, and the Congress, accusing them of misleading people holding anti-CAA protests in Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, however, sought to retain power on development plank. The counting of votes, meanwhile, will take a lot of time. The postal ballot counting has been initiated first, after which the EVM counting will begin. The EVMs are absolutely secure. There is a set protocol for their movement from the sealing to the counting, and at every stage, the candidates and parties are involved so that everything transparent, said Satnam Singh, special chief electoral office (CEO), Delhi. As per guidelines of the Election Commission (EC), there are 14 counting tables for each assembly constituency at each round of counting. The time taken for results to come out of an assembly constituency will depend upon the number of polling stations situated there. However, we are expecting results to be out by afternoon, said Singh. The Delhi assembly elections were concluded on February 8 with a voter turnout of 62.59 per cent. India has discussed with Bangladesh at the highest level the issue of repatriation of Rohingya migrants and both the countries have agreed on the need to expedite their safe, speedy and sustainable return, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. In a written reply, Union Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said there are reports of some Rohingya migrants indulging in illegal activities. The issue of repatriation of the Rohingyas has been discussed with Bangladesh authorities at the highest level wherein both the countries have agreed on the need to expedite their safe, speedy and sustainable repatriation to their homes in Myanmar, he said. Rai said the central government has issued instructions from time to time to the state governments requesting them to sensitise the law enforcement and intelligence agencies for taking appropriate steps for identification of illegal migrants, and their restriction to specified locations as per provisions of law. The instructions also include capturing their biographic and biometric particulars, cancellation of fake Indian documents, and starting legal process, including initiation of deportation proceedings as per the provisions of law. Senior Maharashtra Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday said the people of Delhi had rejected the BJP's "style of politics" that focussed on Shaheen Bagh protests and communal issues rather than the people's staple "roti, kapda and makaan". The BJP is headed for a crushing defeat at the hands of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in the Delhi polls with trends showing the latter crossing the halfway mark in the 70-member Legislative Assembly, winning 36 seats and leading in 26 others. Speaking to a regional channel, Chavan said, "The people of Delhi have rejected the BJP's style of as the focus of its campaign remained on issues like Shaheen Bagh and other communal elements instead of 'roti, kapada and makaan'". On the Congress failing to open its account in Delhi, like in 2015, the former Maharashtra chief minister said his party would have to introspect, and it would be done in the coming day. "What we already knew has now been confirmed by the people of Delhi, and that is BJP cannot win elections on the issue of development. It came up with muscular nationalism ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and succeeded. But it cannot stand on issues of development as it has done nothing," Chavan said. He claimed the country's economy was in shambles but "unfortunately no one is talking about it". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) I am writing this letter in support of Mariam Aboudamous for Fifth District Supervisor. I have known both candidates for many years I have supported both in the past. It was not an easy decision to make, and here is why I will be voting for Mariam on March 3. First, relations between American Canyon and the county have improved since Keith Caldwell became our supervisor, but there is a long way to go. Mariam will help us get there, in large part because Mariam grew up in American Canyon this is her home and she will fight for the interests of our community. A case in point relates to our fire district. While serving on the board, Mariam was the first to advocate for a higher level of firefighter staffing and worked hard to get this improved level of service adopted. This improves the safety of our firefighters and also improves our ability to respond during fires and other emergencies. Second, as she meets her future constituents in the Napa portion of the district, she is expanding her fresh perspective to include the needs of residents in Alta Heights, Coombsville and other parts of the district. In many instances, this is the first time Napa voters have had a chance to talk to a supervisor candidate in years. Third, Mariam is very accessible and eager to meet voters and other groups that represent the issues and interests of the Fifth District. She will listen to all sides before making a decision and keep an open door. More importantly, she will learn by listening to those stakeholders. That is why diverse groups, such as the Farm Bureau and Vision 2050, have endorsed her. Mariam is gaining new supporters every day as she campaigns throughout the district. Her yard signs are showing up more and more in neighborhoods in Alta Heights, Napa Meadows, Cookie Hill and other parts of American Canyon and Napa. For these reasons, and many more, I support Mariam Aboudamous for Fifth District Supervisor, and I encourage you to vote for her. Mark Joseph American Canyon Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's right wing party has suffered a crushing defeat in an election for control of the capital New Delhi after a vitriolic campaign in which it concentrated on defending a controversial new nationality law. Followers of the upstart Aam Aadmi Party danced in the streets and set off fireworks after their leader Arvind Kejriwal, a tax officer turned anti-corruption campaigner, easily won a second term on Tuesday. The defeat in Delhi is the latest in a string of setbacks for Modi's BJP in regional elections over the past two years. The AAP, or "common man" party, won 62 of the 70 assembly seats. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party increased its tally from three to eight in the city of 20 million people but was still left licking its wounds after conducting a bruising campaign. Modi, whose party won a second landslide in national elections last year, congratulated Kejriwal and his party. "Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi," he said on Twitter. The BJP used the election to rally support for a law easing citizenship rules for religious minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan, but excluding Muslims. At least 25 people have been killed in protests over the legislation. It vowed to end a protest against the law by women blocking a New Delhi highway for the past two months if elected. One BJP deputy minister was banned from the campaign for chanting "shoot the traitors" at a rally. Afterwards, there were three shootings at demonstrations in Delhi. Another minister called Kejriwal a "terrorist" and BJP leaders also branded him an agent for arch-rival Pakistan. "The BJP indulged in politics of hate," said AAP deputy leader Manish Sisodia. A volunteer working for the AAP was killed late Tuesday in a post-result shooting targeting a convoy carrying a lawmaker, the party said. - 'Politics of work' - The protests against the nationality law are the biggest challenge faced by Modi since he first became prime minister in 2014. Analysts said he had been counting on a good performance in Delhi to revitalise his standing atop a government pressing for a greater Hindu identity in the officially secular nation. Muslims in particular feel targeted. Kejriwal, 51, fought the election on local issues such as the subsidised water and electricity he has introduced, as well as the safety of women. Delhi's people had chosen "the politics of work," Kejriwal said. He was congratulated by chief ministers from states across India, with some calling for an alliance of regional parties against the BJP. Yogendra Yadav, an academic who was a member of the AAP executive until 2015 and now has his own party, said the result was a clear rejection of Modi and his party's angry campaign. "The BJP indulged in one of the most vitriolic, communal hate mongering campaigns as a desperate electoral gamble," he told AFP. "If this succeeded, it would have become a template for everyone else to follow." The Congress party, led by the storied Gandhi-Nehru dynasty and the main opposition at the national level, won no seats in the city that it controlled for 15 years up to 2013 when Kejriwal first became chief minister. (Newser) With Scotland talking about independence post-Brexit and Sinn Fein calling for a vote on reunifying Ireland after its election success, Boris Johnson is talking about building bridges. The British prime minister has revived what critics call a "bonkers" idea to build a bridge between Scotland and Northern Ireland, the Guardian reports. A spokesperson for the prime minister says "work is underway by a range of government officials" looking at the feasibility of the idea. Architects say a bridge across more than 20 miles of the Irish Sea is technically possible, though it would probably cost more than $25 billion. story continues below A major obstacle to building the proposed bridge between Larne in Northern Ireland and Portpatrick in Scotland would be Beaufort's Dyke, a natural trench up to 1,000 feet deep in places where more than a million tons of munitions was dumped after World War II, the BBC reports. Offshore engineer James Duncan described the bridge idea as "about as feasible as building a bridge to the moon," Business Insider reports. "Many long bridges have been built, but none across such a wide, deep and stormy stretch of water," he said in a letter to the Sunday Times. Scottish leader Nicola Sturgeon said Monday that she wasn't completely opposed to the idea, but if Johnson has a spare $25 billion, there are "more important priorities" to deal with. (Read more United Kingdom stories.) An overcrowded boat carrying about 125 Rohingya refugees from Bangladeshi camps sank Tuesday off St. Martin's Island in the Bay of Bengal, leaving at least 16 refugees dead, a Bangladeshi official said. Noor Ahmed, the top elected official on the island, told The Associated Press by phone from the scene that the coast guard and other rescuers recovered the bodies of 14 women, one child and a man after the wooden boat capsized early in the day. Those on the boat were hoping to reach Malaysia illegally and were being aided by traffickers, Ahmed said, quoting accounts by the survivors. He said about 62 refugees either swam to the shore or were saved by the rescuers. More than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled to Bangladesh from neighboring Myanmar to flee a harsh crackdown by Myanmar's military since August 2017. More than 1 million Rohingya refugees currently live in Bangladesh camps. (AP) BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Eldar Janashvili Trend: Only two field tax audits accounted for every 1,000 active taxpayers in 2019, Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said. Jabbarov made the remarks in Baku at the press-conference entitled Tax Reforms: From Shadows to the Light, Trend reports. Azerbaijani Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov, representatives of the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Taxes and the management of the Central Bank of Azerbaijan attended the conference. The minister stressed that in general, the number of field tax audits decreased by 44 percent and about 91 percent of all taxes were paid voluntarily. Moreover, an increase in additional payments by 18 percent was observed in 2019, the minister added. In general, tax revenues exceeded the forecast by 4.9 percent in 2019, which shows a positive trend in the transition of the national economy to full transparency, Jabbarov said. The minister stressed that the growth of social benefits was also reflected in the context of transparency. Thus, the number of insured cases by types of compulsory state social insurance and unemployment insurance increased by 24 percent and 40 percent, respectively, Jabbarov said. SHANGHAI, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OneSmart International Education Group Limited (NYSE: ONE) ("OneSmart" or the "Company"), a leading premium K-12 education company in China, today announced that it is partnering with the Zhen Wei Education Technology Special Fund ("Zhen Wei"), a subsidiary of the China Next Generation Education Foundation, to establish the Medical Angel Hero Charity Fund (the "Fund"). OneSmart will donate a portion of all sales of its premium K-12 education products to the Fund and will accept voluntary donations made by all its employees and affiliated companies within its educational ecosystem. The Fund will act as a powerful tool for maximizing philanthropic impact on family members and children of front-line medical professionals battling the coronavirus in China. Donated funds will be used to support the medical care of front-line medical professionals affected by the coronavirus and pay for their children's continued education and welfare while public schools and learning centers remain temporarily closed. The Fund will be managed by Zhen Wei in an open and transparent manner in strict compliance with regulations governing charitable fund management in China. Mr. Steve Zhang, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of OneSmart, commented, "I'm proud that OneSmart is deepening its relationship with Zhen Wei to further support front-line medical professionals and their children as they battle the coronavirus outbreak in China. OneSmart has already donated over RMB20 million worth of online courses to primary and secondary students in Wuhan in conjunction with Zhen Wei and the establishment of the Medical Angel Hero Charity Fund is the next step we are taking to increase our support as the battle drags on. We take pride in maintaining the highest standards of corporate social responsibility and will work closely with Zhen Wei to ensure our donations are distributed in the most effective manner. The outbreak of the coronavirus affects each and every one of us. Collectively working together to support those working to contain the coronavirus is one of the ways we can help support this fight. We hope that the Fund will increase awareness of the risks that front-line medical professionals are taking on everyone's behalf and will inspire our employees and affiliated partners to get involved and donate." Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains forward-looking statements made under the "safe harbor" provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates," "confident" and similar statements. OneSmart may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its reports filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Any statements that are not historical facts, including statements about OneSmart's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements that involve factors, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Such factors and risks include, but not limited to the following: OneSmart's goals and strategies; its future business development, financial condition and results of operations; its ability to continue to penetrate premium K-12 after-school education services market; diversify and enrich our education offerings; enhance the development and management of our teacher team and teaching materials; competition in our industry in China; its ability to maintain and expand online education presence; relevant government policies and regulations relating to the corporate structure, business and industry; and its ability to protect our students' information and adequately address privacy concerns. Further information regarding these and other risks, uncertainties or factors is included in the Company's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. All information provided in this press release is current as of the date of the press release, and OneSmart does not undertake any obligation to update such information, except as required under applicable law. About OneSmart Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Shanghai, OneSmart International Education Group Limited is a leading premium K-12 education company in China. Since commencement of our business, our vision is to build the most trusted "Third Classroom" outside of home and school and our mission is to bring out the utmost learning power in each student by cultivating his or her study motivation, capability and perseverance, and enable our students to pursue their life-long success. Our company culture is centered on the core values of customer focus, execution, innovation and teamwork. The Company has built a comprehensive premium K-12 education platform that encompasses OneSmart VIP business (Premium K-12 1-on-1 training services), HappyMath (Premium math education programs), and FasTrack English (Premium English education programs). As of August 31, 2019, OneSmart operates a nationwide network of 432 learning centers across 35 cities in China. For more information on OneSmart, please visit http://www.onesmart.investorroom.com . For more information, please contact: OneSmart Ms. Rebecca Shen +86-21-5255-9339 ext. 8139 [email protected] Christensen In China Mr. Christian Arnell Phone: +86-10-5900-1548 E-mail: [email protected] In the US Ms. Linda Bergkamp Phone: +1-480-614-3004 Email: [email protected] SOURCE OneSmart International Education Group Limited Related Links www.1smart.org Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Martin Duys, a member of our Emerging Fellows program inspects the drivers of inequality among countries in his second blog post. The views expressed are those of the author and not necessarily those of the APF or its other members. The factor that plays the most critical role in determining a persons income is the country in which they live. It has more influence than the persons parents economic circumstances (the second most important factor) and far more than any effort they may make to improve their situation through education. Geography is more important than class, or level of education, in determining income. Between-country inequality has never been as extreme as now. Just before the start of the industrial revolution, the average income in the wealthiest countries (at the time Holland and the United Kingdom) was roughly three times higher than the poorest. Described as analogous to the Big Bang rates of economic growth and average incomes exploded in countries that industrialised. Now the difference in average income between the rich industrial nations and those that have failed to industrialise is a multiple of one hundred. From the second half of the twentieth century other factors have also contributed to driving between-country income inequality. The political and institutional instability experienced in some countries after decolonisation caused economic stagnation and in some cases, decline. In the Soviet Block and other socialist countries, socialism failed to lift income levels significantly. There are factors driving a decrease in between-country inequality. Sustained economic growth since the 1980s in China and India has had an enormous impact. In China alone, the number of people whose incomes have doubled is ten times that in the United States over the same period. In gross terms, the gap between rich and poor countries continues to grow. China's economy would need to grow by eighteen per cent to generate the same value created by a one percentage point increase in the GDP of the United States. This is an almost impossible task for any economy no matter how on fire it is. An assumption of neoclassical economics has been that globalisation would improve levels of between-country inequality. Poor countries with cheaper labour forces would attract more foreign direct investment (FDI), because corporations looking to increase returns by lowering production costs would invest. The result would be increased local income levels and decreased inequality. Emerging countries would also slip-stream on the technological advances of richer countries by copying their innovations and avoiding the need for expensive research and development. They would also be able to avoid adopting dead-end technologies that proved unsuccessful or were quickly superseded by superior technologies. Unfortunately, these assumptions have not been borne out by reality. In what is termed the Lucas paradox FDI has not flowed as expected from high-income to low-income countries. Instead, it has to tended to flow from high-income countries to other high-income countries, and even from low-income to high-income countries. Technology adoption by developing countries has not been an equaliser as expected. Royalty payments for new technologies tend to flow from the poorer adopting countries to the more affluent countries that own the intellectual property. The failure of the focus is shifting to include institutional and cultural considerations. The goal is to create an environment fertile for innovation, technology, and economic growth. Whether this new approach improves levels of between-country inequality remains to be seen. Martin Duys 2020 Public Health IOM says no signs of Coronavirus on Island There are still no confirmed cases of the deadly Coronavirus on the Isle of Man, according to Public Health officials. The body took to social media to inform residents that the risk to the public here remains low. It follows eight confirmed cases in the UK. Public Health IOM advises that people only need to take action if they have travelled to one of the specific areas mentioned here, or have been in contact with someone who has the virus. Reunification of Ireland and the future status of Scotland are issues definitely on the table as a result of Brexit, the former head of the UK Foreign Office and Diplomatic Service has said. Simon Fraser, chief policy adviser to two British foreign secretaries, William Hague and Philip Hammond, said a decision to pull out of the EU complicates the union of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Brexit does complicate, in my view, the future status of both Scotland and Northern Ireland, if you look at it from the British aspect, he said. I think these questions are definitely on the table in terms of the future of our union." In relation to the North"that does raise the question of the future of Northern Ireland in its relationship with the Republic", he added. I dont want to take a clear view on that, but obviously there are mechanisms envisaged in the Good Friday Agreement by which future decisions could be made, he said. Speaking to RTE Radio One, Mr Fraser said time will tell "how things evolve", adding that the "official position" in London is that the United Kingdom remains the United Kingdom. The former senior civil servant, who ran the UKs embassies worldwide and sat on the National Security Council, was responding to calls by Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald for the EU to take a stand on Irish reunification as it did with the reunification of Germany. In an interview with BBCs Newsnight programme, Ms McDonald - who has declared she may be the next Taoiseach as coalition talks get underway- said her party would be making asks of the European system in terms of long-term Irish interests and on the issue of partition. Mr Fraser said the consequence of no hard border in Ireland under the withdrawal agreement was to accept some sort of border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The question is what is that going to be thats the conundrum that has yet to be resolved, he added. Mr Fraser also suggested Britain faces being outmaneuvered in post-Brexit trade deal talks because it doesnt have the expertise for such negotiations compared to other countries. Member states of the EU have their trade negotiations done by the European Commission, he pointed out. I myself was there for several years doing that, he said. It is true that we dont have the national capacity that say the Americans or the Japanese or the European Commission have. So when we want to do these new trade deals, which the (British) government says it wants to do, the risk for us is that we are negotiating against people who have a lot more experience in it than we have. While Britain has a lot of experience in diplomacy, trade negotiation is a very technical skill and actually trade negotiators tend to spend their whole career doing trade negotiations - they know all the tariff lines, they know what the concerns of other countries are and its a very technical expertise and that is what, at the moment, we dont have and we have to build up, he said. Mr Fraser, former Chief of Staff to the European Commissioner for Trade, added: There is obviously a risk that if you are negotiating with people who have been doing this all their lives, theyll know every trick in the book. On UK Cabinet minister Michael Goves declaration that border checks are "inevitable" after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December, Mr Fraser said he had always warned it would lead to more, and not less, red tape, with all sorts of new regimes and checks. Indeed, that is what we are now seeing, he said. Democratic presidential candidate former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg announces his new Latino policy El Paso Adelante (the path forward) at a campaign rally in El Paso, Texas, on Jan. 29, 2020. (Cengiz Yar/Getty Images) Bloomberg Responds to Leaked Audio Defending Stop-and-Frisk: I Have Taken Responsibility Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg issued a statement after a five-year-old audio recording of him surfaced, in which he defended his administrations stop-and-frisk policy. The audio, released on Feb. 10, was recorded when Bloomberg spoke at the Aspen Institute in 2015. He acknowledged that the controversial policing policy disproportionately affected minorities, but defended it as a necessary measure to combat crime in New York City. But this issue and my comments about it do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity, Bloomberg, who is seeking the Democratic Partys presidential nomination, said in a statement to news outlets on Feb. 11. I believe we need to end mass incarceration, and during my tenure, we reduced incarceration by 40 percent and juvenile confinement by more than 60 percent. The audio was also highlighted by President Donald Trump on social media, who shared a Twitter post and called Bloomberg a total racist. Trump later deleted the tweet, according to reports. At the same time, some progressive activists have also seized on the leaked recording and offered criticisms. Bloomberg addressed Trumps comment and accused him of trying to divide Americans, before adding that he inherited the police practice of stop-and-frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused. By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95 percent, but I shouldve done it faster and sooner. I regret that and I have apologizedand I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on black and Latino communities, he remarked. In the leaked audio, Bloomberg said that about 95 percent of murderers and murder victims are minorities. You can just take the description, Xerox it, and pass it out to all the cops, he said. They are male, minorities, 16 to 25. He continued: People say, Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana who are all minorities. Yes, thats true. Why? Because we put all the cops in the minority neighborhoods. Yes thats true. Whyd we do it? Because thats where all the crime is. And the way you should get the guns out of the kids hands is throw them against the wall and frisk them, NPR reported. Before he entered the Democratic presidential primary last year, Bloomberg apologized for the stop-and-frisk policy. I was totally focused on saving lives. But as we know, good intentions arent good enough. As crime continued to come down as we reduced stopsand as it continued to come down during the next administration, to its creditI now see that we could and should have acted sooner, and acted faster, to cut the stops, Bloomberg said last year, according to the New York Post. I cant change history. Today, I want you to know that I realize back then I was wrong, and I am sorry, he added. Stu Loeser, the former mayors spokesman, told Long Island-based newspaper Newsday that Bloomberg made similar comments while he was in office. As he said hundreds of times, we need common-sense gun laws in Washington and policing focused on high-crime areas, Loeser said in a statement to the outlet in 2015. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - A Tennessee hillside collapsed, roads were flooded and rivers were rising across the Southeast on Tuesday after a day of heavy rains that once again threatened a Mississippi lake where a dam previously was in danger of failing. The National Weather Service said minor to moderate flooding was expected from central Mississippi to north Georgia following downpours. The Tennessee River was predicted to crest about 7 feet (2.1 metres) above flood level at Perryville, Tennessee, on Sunday. Near Great Smoky Mountains National Park in eastern Tennessee, tons of rock and soil slid off a 70-foot (21-meter) hillside and blocked the northbound side of a U.S. 441 spur linking the tourist towns of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, the National Park Service said. At least 45 dump truck loads will be required to clear the road, officials estimated, but no injuires were reported. Multiple roads were covered with water or washed out because of rainfall that exceeded 5 inches (7.6 centimetres) in spots across central Alabama, and forecasters said totals could reach 6 inches (15.2 centimetres) by nightfall. Schools opened late or closed in parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana because of flash flooding. A flood watch stretched from eastern Texas to Mississippi, and parts of Alabama were under flood warnings. North of Birmingham in Cullman, the sheriffs office said Deputy Adam Clark and his police dog were badly injured in a wreck during heavy rains overnight. The cause of the crash was under investigation. In eastern Mississippi, officials in Starkville said the water at Oktibbeha County Lake had once again reached a critical level just weeks after heavy rains caused a mudslide that put the earthen dam in danger of failing. Pumps had been used to lower the lake level by about 8 feet (2.4 metres) since mid-January, but officials said the water had risen to an even higher than before because of recent storms. It has risen over 8.5 feet from our low elevation during pumping and continues to rise, said a statement by Kristen Campanella, emergency management director in Oktibbeha County. Officials also were monitoring the site of a potential dam failure in Yazoo County, where the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said a 40-acre (16-hectare) lake in a subdivision was leaking around a culvert and washing away dirt, threatening four homes and a church. Five homes were evacuated after a levee breach in Leake. Elsewhere in Mississippi, 25 homes had been damaged and four people were hurt in wrecks caused by vehicles hydroplaning on wet roads, according to the state. The damage was worst in Yazoo, where a dozen people were displaced from homes. In addition, the National Weather Service confirmed Tuesday that an EF-1 tornado touched down Monday about 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) northwest of Piave, Mississippi, in Greene County. The twister caused minor roof damage and uprooted several trees, the weather agency said. The Tennessee Valley region has received 550% of its normal rainfall during the past seven days, James Everett, senior manager of the Tennessee Valley Authoritys River Forecast Center, said in a briefing. Rainfall averaged around 6 inches (15 centimetres) across the valley, but some places got as much as 9 inches (23 centimetres). Were getting a brief break in rainfall today, but we expect it to pick up tomorrow through Thursday, Everett said. To manage all of the water, the TVA will continue storing water in large mountain reservoirs to help reduce flooding downstream, Everett said. The agency plans to adjust its strategy for water storage and flows depending on how much more water falls on the already saturated ground, he said. Isolated tornadoes and winds in excess of 60 mph (97 kph) are possible in some areas of the South after nightfall Wednesday, the National Weather Service said. With the weather system moving eastward, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice instructed emergency officials to be ready for flooding in addition to high water that already had led to school closures in the state. ___ Associated Press reporter Jeff Martin in Atlanta contributed to this report. (Newser) You don't have to call it "coronavirus" anymore. The World Health Organization has bestowed an official name on the fast-spreading illness: COVID-19. The "COVI" stands for coronavirus, the "D" stands for disease, and "19" reflects the year it was discovered, explains NPR. The health agency's guidelines stipulate that diseases shouldn't be formally named after regions (despite widespread informal use of the "Wuhan virus") or after animals believed to be behind the spread. The latest numbers, per the AP: COVID-19 has sickened more than 43,000 people around the world, the vast majority in China. The US has 13 cases inside the country, though about twice that number of Americans were infected on a cruise ship now docked in Japan. The worldwide death toll is more than 1,000. (Read more coronavirus stories.) Like a puppy chasing its tail, some new investors often chase 'the next big thing', even if that means buying 'story stocks' without revenue, let alone profit. And in their study titled Who Falls Prey to the Wolf of Wall Street?' Leuz et. al. found that it is 'quite common' for investors to lose money by buying into 'pump and dump' schemes. So if you're like me, you might be more interested in profitable, growing companies, like Rotork (LON:ROR). While that doesn't make the shares worth buying at any price, you can't deny that successful capitalism requires profit, eventually. Conversely, a loss-making company is yet to prove itself with profit, and eventually the sweet milk of external capital may run sour. View our latest analysis for Rotork How Fast Is Rotork Growing? If you believe that markets are even vaguely efficient, then over the long term you'd expect a company's share price to follow its earnings per share (EPS). That means EPS growth is considered a real positive by most successful long-term investors. We can see that in the last three years Rotork grew its EPS by 14% per year. That growth rate is fairly good, assuming the company can keep it up. One way to double-check a company's growth is to look at how its revenue, and earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) margins are changing. Rotork reported flat revenue and EBIT margins over the last year. That's not a major concern but nor does it point to the long term growth we like to see. In the chart below, you can see how the company has grown earnings, and revenue, over time. To see the actual numbers, click on the chart. LSE:ROR Income Statement, February 11th 2020 The trick, as an investor, is to find companies that are going to perform well in the future, not just in the past. To that end, right now and today, you can check our visualization of consensus analyst forecasts for future Rotork EPS 100% free. Are Rotork Insiders Aligned With All Shareholders? Story continues Like that fresh smell in the air when the rains are coming, insider buying fills me with optimistic anticipation. Because oftentimes, the purchase of stock is a sign that the buyer views it as undervalued. However, insiders are sometimes wrong, and we don't know the exact thinking behind their acquisitions. We haven't seen any insiders selling Rotork shares, in the last year. So it's definitely nice that Finance Director Jonathan Davis bought UK13k worth of shares at an average price of around UK3.07. I do like that insiders have been buying shares in Rotork, but there is more evidence of shareholder friendly management. Specifically, the CEO is paid quite reasonably for a company of this size. For companies with market capitalizations between UK1.5b and UK5.0b, like Rotork, the median CEO pay is around UK1.8m. The Rotork CEO received UK1.4m in compensation for the year ending December 2018. That seems pretty reasonable, especially given its below the median for similar sized companies. While the level of CEO compensation isn't a huge factor in my view of the company, modest remuneration is a positive, because it suggests that the board keeps shareholder interests in mind. I'd also argue reasonable pay levels attest to good decision making more generally. Is Rotork Worth Keeping An Eye On? One positive for Rotork is that it is growing EPS. That's nice to see. Like chocolate chips in vanilla ice cream, the insider buying, and modest CEO pay, make it better. The sum of all that, for me, points to a quality business, and a genuine prospect for further research. Of course, identifying quality businesses is only half the battle; investors need to know whether the stock is undervalued. So you might want to consider this free discounted cashflow valuation of Rotork. There are plenty of other companies that have insiders buying up shares. So if you like the sound of Rotork, you'll probably love this free list of growing companies that insiders are buying. Please note the insider transactions discussed in this article refer to reportable transactions in the relevant jurisdiction 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. Copenhagen and Bern took the top spot thanks to having clean air, good facilities, and low crime rates. (Getty) Copenhagen in Denmark and Bern in Switzerland have been ranked as the most liveable cities in the world, according to an annual study. Global mobility experts, ECA (Employment Conditions Abroad) International looked at a variety of liveability factors including health services, housing and utilities, access to a social network and leisure facilities, infrastructure, climate, personal safety, political tensions and air quality to create the list. Copenhagen and Bern took the top spot thanks to having clean air, good facilities, and low crime rates. They were followed by The Hague in the Netherlands, Geneva in Switzerland, Eindhoven in the Netherlands, and Stavanger in Norway. Read more: The best and worst cities to live and work as an expat in 2020 Several UK cities came in lower down the rankings with only Edinburgh making it into the top 20, coming in at number 19, tied with Stockholm in Sweden. Aberdeen wasnt far behind at number 21. London came in at number 47, alongside Belfast, Northern Ireland, due to low personal safety and pollution scores. Cardiff made it to 24, with Manchester at 39, and Glasgow at 55. Neil Ashman, senior location ratings analyst at ECA International, said: Pollution, crime rate and terrorism threats are among the factors that affect the liveability of major UK cities such as London, Manchester, Belfast and Glasgow. Dublin held on to its place within the top 10, remaining at number nine. The record number of Irish passport applicants last year will be able to benefit from the Irish capitals strong culture and infrastructure scores as well as low crime rates and good air quality. Northern Europe dominated the top of the ranking with places such as Scandinavia, the Netherlands and Switzerland offering excellent transport links, a high standard of healthcare, and long-term political stability. Read more: Top cities to live and work in the UK revealed Four cities in the Netherlands placed in the top 20 with Eindhoven, a design and technology hub, climbing one place this year, making it into the top five. In Switzerland, four major cities also featured in the top 20. Canada was revealed as the most liveable country outside Europe for UK expats, with the cities of Toronto and Vancouver the highest ranked non-European locations on the list. Airlines on Monday begged for government help in their desperate efforts to keep business afloat amid the coronavirus crisis. The CEOs of Korean carriers on Monday met with Minister of Land, Transport and Infrastructure Kim Hyun-mee and asked for cuts in airport usage fees and taxes as the coronavirus scare grounds many of their flights. They told Kim that the airline industry is facing its worst crisis yet due to plummeting passenger numbers on flights to China and Southeast Asia. The meeting brought together the heads of Korean Air, Asiana Airlines, all seven low-cost carriers, and cargo carrier Air Incheon. "Our financial situation is so severe that we may not be able to renew aircraft leases ending in the first half of this year," T'way Air CEO Jung Hong-geun told reporters after the meeting. "We're just trying to survive day by day, and it looks like this is going to be a very long year." Air Busan CEO Han Tae-keun said, "All of the participants in the meeting cited cash shortages as the biggest problem right now. We called on the ministry to cut airport usage fees and taxes." Kim promised the airlines not to revoke traffic licenses even if they halt flights on some routes to China and to come up with ways to help them. Adani Transmission on Tuesday said it has sold 25.1 percent stake in its arm Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) to Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for approximately Rs 3,220 crore New Delhi: Adani Transmission on Tuesday said it has sold 25.1 percent stake in its arm Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) to Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for approximately Rs 3,220 crore. "Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has completed acquisition of 25.10 percent stake in Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) from ATL (Adani Transmission Ltd) along with an investment in shareholder subordinated debt in AEML on 10 February, 2020," the transmission and distribution business arm of the Adani Group said in a filing to BSE. The total QIA investment in AEML is approximately Rs 3,220 crore, which includes equity consideration of approximately Rs 1,210 crore and shareholder subordinated debt of approximately Rs 2,010 crore, the filing said. The definitive agreements for the transaction were signed on 11 December, 2019, and all the requisite approvals were received subsequently. AEML has recently completed an investment grade, $1 billion bond issuance, the first by a private integrated utility from India. The issue generated significant interest from international investors. The shares of Adani Transmission were trading at Rs 333.95 apiece on BSE, up 0.6 percent from previous close. The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, carried out a military occupation of the Legislative Assembly on Sunday to demand at gunpoint that legislators allow his administration to negotiate a $109 million loan to buy helicopters, a warship, surveillance and other military expenditures. Seven months into his first term, Bukele is doing away with the democratic trappings of an oligarchic and semi-colonial regime whose political institutions were established by a US-sponsored military junta. The thinness of bourgeois democracy in El Salvador was made apparent by the heavily armed soldiers lined up behind the legislative benches as the president sat at the front podium to give legislators one week to approve the negotiations. Anti-riot police stood along the exits. Bukele then walked outside, where about 5,000 supporters were gathered, with many demanding to flog the legislators. Inciting a fascistic atmosphere, with soldiers still behind him, he proclaimed: I have asked God, and God told me: patience, patience, patience. While appealing to his supporters to wait until the 2021 elections to settle accounts, he declared that if we wanted to press the button, we would only need to press it to have the soldiers drag the legislators out. Blood is on their shameless hands. This loan was due last year; the funds were due to be applied to our police and soldiers. Bukele had unilaterally convoked an extraordinary session for Sunday, tweeting last week: If the legislators dont attend, they would be breaking the constitutional order and the people will have the power to invoke Article 87 of the Constitution, which refers to the right to insurrection with the sole task of reestablishing the constitutional order. Most legislators were not present, and many reported harassment by state forces. The Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front (FMLN) said that the military sieged the homes of at least 12 of their deputies, while several deputies of the far-right National Alliance (ARENA) told reporters that police and soldiers knocked on their doors to deliver a verbal order to attend the session. The FMLN and ARENA together hold a majority in Congress and oppose Bukeles loan request on the basis of immediate political calculations. Representing different factions of the Salvadoran ruling class, both parties have strongly backed the build-up of the state forces. For instance, the FMLN and ARENA continue to collaborate on a bill to hand amnesty for war criminals during the countrys civil war (1980-1992), which would set the stage for new state crimes. The response of the White House and the Salvadoran military, which operates in daily communication with the Pentagon, suggests that Sundays stunt was carried out with the approval of the Trump administration. On Saturday evening, Minister of Defense Rene Merino, who is close to the US embassy and was trained by the US Naval War College, released the following statement: We reiterate to our good citizens that we will honor the oath to obey the president of the Republic and commander in chief of the armed forces in all occasions and risks, even at the cost of our lives. US Ambassador Ronald Johnson only tweeted a call for all parties of the state and all Salvadorans to work and talk in search of consensus and to keep calm. However, the head of the Organization of the American States, Luis Almagro, who backs US policy in the region, tweeted late on Saturday: I held a phone conversation with the Salvadoran foreign minister [Alexandra Hill]. She voiced the respect of her countrys government for the Constitution and institutions and reaffirmed the commitment of the government of president Nayib Bukele with the policies of security that have produced positive results. The Bukele administration is a US puppet regime, with the president vowing repeatedly that the US is his most important partner. The requested loan is meant to finance the third stage of the Territorial Control Plan, which is ostensibly aimed at reducing violence and crime in close coordination with Washington. Amid scarce information on the plan, Bukele told media last year: It has seven stages. The last one is an emergency stage. We cant describe every stage or give details since its a security process. Even though a timeline has not been announced, Sundays events are a sign of urgency. In an interview Monday with El Pais, Bukele said, El Salvador is one of the few countries in Latin America where people are not protesting in the streets, because there is social tranquility, but not tranquility regarding crime. He added: In El Salvador all the conditions are there for a social explosion, but if it doesnt happen its because I asked the people to be calm. When pressed about the events Sunday, he added: If I were a dictator or someone who doesnt respect democracy, I would have already taken control over everything. These statements constitute an acknowledgement that his government, at the behest of US capital and its Salvadoran partners, is preparing for a fully-fledged dictatorship in anticipation of an imminent uprising. Sundays show of force constituted a coercive warning to the different factions of the Salvadoran ruling elite to fall into line in prioritizing these preparations. Gang violence is a major source of unrest among Salvadoran workers and impoverished youth who cant afford hiring private guards. But far from protecting workers lives, Bukeles plan is aimed at preparing to violently crush opposition against the poverty and inequality that give rise to gangs. Bukeles use of the 1983 constitution is significant. Separate provisions allow the executive to declare a regime of exception and suspend constitutional warrantees, while the articles cited by Bukele allow for insurrections to restore them. It effectively provides arguments for the ruling class to reimpose a dictatorship under different scenarios. The constitution was created by a US-backed military junta, which set up a Constituent Assembly led by Roberto DAubuisson, the founder of ARENA and a death-squad leader trained by the US School of the Americas. While this military leadership continued to rule de facto and killed over 30,000 people in the following decade, the facade of a civilian government was used by US imperialism as a cover to continue its collaboration. After the 1992 peace accords with the FMLN guerrillas, this democratic veneer also facilitated the implementation of brutal IMF-dictated privatizations and social austerity, including under two FMLN administrations. All over the world, the ruling class is responding to growing social unrest against austerity, inequality and war by invoking the fascist and authoritarian forms of rule of the 20th century. Facing the threat of deadly military repression like that used against the protests mentioned by Bukele in Chile, Ecuador and Honduras, workers and youth in El Salvador need to mobilize independently of all factions of the national bourgeoisie as part of an international political movement against capitalist exploitation. An Army veteran was shot dead by his daughter after he opened fire at her and his wife, seriously injuring them at their home here, police said on Tuesday. Chetram, 45, was shot by his daughter when he tried to fire at his son after an argument with his wife late on Monday night in Mitthauli village, they said. "While Chetram, a retired Army soldier, died on the spot, his wife Rajkumari (38) and daughter Alka (19) are battling for their lives at a hospital," Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shalabh Mathur said. Alka told police that her father shot her mother with a pistol at around 11 pm on Monday. When she intervened, she was also shot, the officer said. Then Chetram tried to shoot his 13-year-old son, Adarsh, but Alka snatched the pistol from him and shot him, he added. Alka and Rajkumari are undergoing treatment at a private hospital and Chetram's body has been sent for post-mortem, Mathur said. Alka is studying in Allahabad and had come home for two days. Adarsh is studying in a nearby school, he said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) 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 Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and parent company Alphabet, on Monday called for government regulation of artificial intelligence technology in a speech at Bruegel, a think tank in Brussels, and in an op-ed in the Financial Times. There is no question in Pichais mind that artificial intelligence should be regulated, he reportedly said in Brussels. The question is what will be the best approach. Sensible regulation should take a proportionate approach, balancing potential harm with potential good, he added, and could incorporate existing rules, such as the EUs General Data Protection Regulation. We need to be clear-eyed about what could go wrong, Pichai wrote in his FT column. There are real concerns about the potential negative consequences of AI, from deepfakes to nefarious uses of facial recognition. He pledged to be a helpful and engaged partner to regulators, and offered them Googles expertise, experience and tools to navigate the issues surrounding AI. AI has the potential to improve billions of lives, and the biggest risk may be failing to do so, he wrote. By ensuring it is developed responsibly in a way that benefits everyone, we can inspire future generations to believe in the power of technology as much as I do. Pretty Weak Sauce Pichais editorial is pretty weak sauce, wrote entrepreneur, journalist and author John Battelle in Searchblog, but he did find one of Pichais statements worthy of note: Companies such as ours cannot just build promising new technology and let market forces decide how it will be used. Pichai is late in coming to that realization, Battelle suggested. I wish Google, Facebook, Amazon and Apple had that point of view before they built the AI-driven system we now all live with known as surveillance capitalism, he wrote. Pichai is correct when he says AI must be regulated, observed Greg Sterlingvice president of market insights at Berlin-basedUberall, a maker of location marketing solutions. Society cannot allow technology companies to self-regulate with technology that can be easily abused, Sterling told the E-Commerce Times. Its already happening in China and elsewhere. A D V E R T I S E M E N T That said, what forms the specific regulation takes, and how global the consensus will are open to question, he noted. In the U.S., at least, the government needs to consult with a wide array of experts and then come up with legislation and regulations that permit innovation but dont allow these technologies to be used for discriminatory purposes, Sterling said. Decisions about hiring, healthcare, insurance and so on should not be made by AI, which has no morality, no ethics, and no sense of social good, he continued. Machine learning and AI will do whatever theyre programmed to do whatever the algorithms dictate, added Sterling. Humans must set limits on the application of these technologies and absolutely draw bright lines around certain use cases to prevent their abuse by unscrupulous actors. Building Blocks of Sensible Regulation What I most appreciated about Sundar Pichais piece is his acknowledgment that AI principles documents will be an important source of norm building, and facilitate the creation of sensible regulation, Jessica Fjeld, assistant director of the Cyberlaw Clinic at Harvards Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, told the E-Commerce Times. Three dozen prominent AI principles documents formed the basis for a report on AI ethics that Fjeld and Nele Achten, Hannah Hilligoss, Adam Christopher Nagy andMadhulika Srikumar released last week. In the documents, the researchers found eight common themes that could form the core of any principle-based approach to AI ethics and governance: Privacy AI systems should respect the privacy of individuals. Accountability Mechanisms must be in place to ensure AI systems are accountable, and remedies must be in place to fix problems when theyre not. Safety and Security AI systems should perform as intended and be secure from compromise. Transparency and Explainability AI systems should be designed and implemented to allow oversight. Fairness and Nondiscrimination AI systems should be designed to maximize fairness and inclusivity. Human Control of Technology Important decisions should remain under human review. Professional Responsibility Developers of AI systems should make sure to consult all stakeholders in the system and plan for long-term effects. Promotion of Human Values The ends to which AI is devoted and the means by which it is implemented should promote humanitys well being. The eight themes contribute a view that is ethical and respectful of human rights to the foundational requirements for AI, the researchers noted. However, theres a wide and thorny gap between the articulation of these high-level concepts and their actual achievement in the real world, they added. Difficult to Regulate As determined as regulators may be to keep AI on a short leash, they may find the task a daunting one. A D V E R T I S E M E N T The reality is that once technology is introduced, people are going to experiment with it, observed Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research, a high-tech research and advisory firm based in Phoenix. The whole idea of regulation is foolish. AI is going to be used in good ways and bad ways, he told the E-Commerce Times. You hope that you can limit the bad, and that people have respect and integrity in using and developing the technology but mistakes will be made, and some people will use it nefariously, McGregor said. Just look at what Google, Facebook and other companies have done with their technologies for tracking people, monitoring information and sharing data. Regulating AI will become increasingly difficult as it spreads, he added. By 2025, youre not going to be able to buy a single electronic platform that doesnt use artificial intelligence for something, whether its local, in the cloud or a hybrid solution, McGregor predicted. It could be for something as simple as managing battery power to as complex as operating an autonomous vehicle, he said. Whenever a new technology comes out, theres always this knee-jerk reaction from some segments of the population that says, Its bad. Everything new is bad. In general, though, technology has benefited mankind. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A new report has found that offering breakfast to students during the regular school day can significantly reduce chronic absenteeism. The report, by the University of California Santa Barbara on behalf of No Kid Hungry, analyzed how serving breakfast after the first school bell through a program called Breakfast After the Bell could lead to rates of chronic absenteeism decreasing. The report cited the growing crisis of chronic absenteeism in the United States, as nearly 8 million students are missing at least three weeks of school each year -- which is about 16% of all students in the country. This could lead to reduced student achievement, a higher likelihood of dropping out and a greater risk of becoming unemployed adults, the study said. While schools offer breakfast for students before the regular school day, the study said its difficult for low-income parents to get their children to school early, as well as having limited transportation options and less flexible schedules. Children also face the stigma of being a poor kid eating in the cafeteria before the bell. Researchers found that when schools take part in the Breakfast After the Bell program -- which offers breakfast to students at the start of the school day in classrooms -- they can possibly see chronic absenteeism rates drop. Through the program, students are offered breakfast in the classroom, a grab-and-go breakfast or a second-chance breakfast, which is when students eat breakfast during a morning break. We already know that serving breakfast as a seamless part of the school day helps ensure all children get the morning nutrition they need and is a positive experience for parents, students and schools alike, said Karen Wong, No Kid Hungrys senior manager of research and evaluation. But this study provides additional evidence that it is intertwined with student success." The study analyzed data coming out of Colorado and Nevada, which recently passed legislation requiring higher-poverty schools to serve breakfast as part of the school day. In both states, there was, on average, a 6 percentage point decrease in chronic absenteeism after schools adopted Breakfast After the Bell. Traditionally, [breakfast] is served before the school day begins, which means many students arent able to participate, said the study. New research, however, shows that when schools shift the time breakfast is served, making it a part of the school day, they can potentially see chronic absenteeism rates drop by an average of 6 percentage points. Researchers also analyzed elementary school students who ate Breakfast After the Bell in classrooms in schools nationwide. That analysis showed schools with the program experienced a 4 percentage point reduction in the likelihood of chronic absenteeism. The analysis also found that Breakfast After the Bell programs led to improvements in reading achievement and internalizing behaviors such as anxiety, loneliness and sadness. These programs help all kids start the day with the nutrition they need to succeed, in turn guaranteeing all students are starting the day ready to learn, regardless of their background," said Wong. BREAKFAST AFTER THE BELL IN NYC? In New York City, all students in every public school have access to free breakfast before the start of the regular school day, while some city schools also offer the Breakfast After the Bell program. In accordance with New York State law, all New York public schools with at least 70% or more of its students eligible for free or reduced-price meals under the federal National School Lunch Program are required to offer all students Breakfast After the Bell. Staten Island schools that are part of the Breakfast After the Bell program for the 2019-2020 school year include: Egbert Intermediate School (I.S. 2), Midland Beach PS 10, Tompkinsville PS 11, Dongan Hills PS 16, Tompkinsville PS 18, West Brighton PS 19, West Brighton PS 20, Port Richmond PS 21, Port Richmond PS 22, Graniteville Prall Intermediate School (I.S. 27), West Brighton Eagle Academy of Staten Island, Stapleton PS 31, New Brighton PS 38, Midland Beach PS 44, Mariners Harbor PS 45, West Brighton PS 46, South Beach Dreyfus Intermediate School (I.S. 49), Stapleton Markham Intermediate School (I.S. 51), Graniteville PS 57, Clifton Morris Intermediate School (I.S. 61), Brighton Heights PS 68, Port Richmond PS 74, Tompkinsville PS 78, Stapleton Staten Island School of Civic Leadership, Graniteville Port Richmond High School, Port Richmond Curtis High School, St. George Concord High School, Concord FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. When Anne Wiles saw an image of national treasure Mary Berry promoting pain-relief products, she felt confident placing an order. The 71-year-old had been scrolling through Facebook on her laptop when she found an article about the TV baker. It claimed the Great British Bake Off star had launched a line of cannabidiol (CBD) products, which contained parts of the cannabis plant but were legal in the UK. Scam: The fake Mary Berry advert for a line of cannabidiol (CBD) products, which contained parts of the cannabis plant. They are legal in the UK One click took Anne to the Bionic Bliss web page, where she was urged to place an order before stocks ran out that day. She thought the oil might help her 88-year-old husband, Geoffrey, with his knee pain and, using his credit card, paid 55 for a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Anne says: 'I knew that Mary Berry wasn't the sort of person who would endorse something without vetting it.' But Bionic Bliss took a second payment of 119, then a further 71. It also set up an arrangement that would allow it to take more cash from Geoffrey's account in future. And it has emerged that Mary Berry had no connection with the product whatsoever. About 50 Mary Berry fans have now raised concerns about Bionic Bliss's fake articles, in which the 84-year-old TV star is quoted describing the oils as a 'solution' for people who don't want to 'resort to opiates'. Mary Berry is said to be 'appalled' by the use of her name to push the product. The pretend articles are headed with the MailOnline logo and feature other false endorsements from stars including Dame Judi Dench and Ed Sheeran. All those who have taken up the special offer say the company has charged further unauthorised payments. It is not uncommon for scammers to use famous faces to lure people in. Each month, Action Fraud receives up to 50 reports of investment schemes that use fake celebrity endorsements. Last year, This is Money exposed a similar article purporting to be on ITV's website and featuring a string of stars promoting high-risk cryptocurrency investments. Jeremy Clarkson, Alan Sugar and Simon Cowell featured in the faked article. When we alerted Grand Tour host and ex-Top Gear star Clarkson, he told This is Money: 'I have absolutely no knowledge of this company. It is a scam. 'I've engaged the services of a lawyer to deal with this. And will now go online to see what a "bitcoin" is.' An online Bitcoin investment platform claimed Jeremy Clarkson said it was his best investment ever. Clarkson told us he had never heard of it and would be speaking to his lawyers Images of both Deborah Meaden, from the BBC's Dragons' Den, and MoneySaving Expert founder Martin Lewis have been used without their permission to tout unscrupulous schemes. Mr Lewis issued High Court proceedings against Facebook, which had promoted the fake adverts on its platform, in 2018. But he settled with the social media giant last year after it agreed to donate 3 million to a new anti-scam project. Anne, who lives on the Isle of Sheppey, in Kent, rang NatWest as soon as she realised something was amiss with her order. Above: The CBD capsules sent to Anne Wiles, which she did not order. She originally paid 55 before the seller Bionic Bliss took a second payment of 119, then a further 71 When she said the money had been taken without her permission, a bank employee told her she would have to wait for 30 days to be reimbursed. Anne found a phone number for Bionic Bliss on its website and, when she rang it, a man answered and introduced himself as 'Agent 007'. She told him she had not agreed to the extra payments, but Agent 007 told her the CBD products she had paid for were 'marvellous' and 'very good'. Anne, a retired shopkeeper, continued to complain and the man finally agreed to return 25 per cent of the money. The refund has since arrived in her account. She eventually received five bottles of CBD oil and three jars of CBD capsules, which she had not ordered. 'I'm so upset, as it was a lot of money for us,' she says. A NatWest spokesman confirmed the couple had raised a dispute in relation to the charges and that the bank was investigating the case. Geoffrey has not yet tried the oil, as he is concerned about what may be in it. ... and other stars who have been exploited Mary Berry isn't the only celebrity to have had her image hijacked by a company. MoneySavingExpert founder Martin Lewis's face has been used to endorse energy products, risky investments, PPI reclaim firms and mortgage brokers. Mr Lewis took legal action against Facebook in 2018 over its promotion of the scam adverts, but dropped the case last year after Facebook agreed to give 2.5 million to a new Citizens Advice project to help tackle such adverts and 500,000 in advertising space. At the time, Mr Lewis said: 'When you have spent your entire career trying to help consumers, being accused of scamming is very unpleasant.' Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden, left, was used to promote cryptocurrency investments while pictures of Gordon Ramsay, right, were used to promote a fraudulent investment scheme Another company used Dragons' Den star Deborah Meaden to promote cryptocurrency investments. The adverts took victims to a webpage where they were ordered to hand over their contact details. They would then be called and persuaded to part with their cash. Deborah Meaden said: 'All online advertising should be read against the premise of, 'If it looks too good to be true, then it probably is'. Her co-star Peter Jones was also used in advertisements for the same company. He said he was working to have the adverts removed and taking 'appropriate action' against the individuals involved. And photographs of Gordon Ramsay were used to promote a fraudulent investment scheme. Fake articles suggested the chef had earned 13.5 million by investing in the scheme. A spokesman for Ramsay declined to comment at the time. Companies House records show Bionic Bliss has an office address in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland, while its website says its headquarters are in Belfast. However, when Money Mail called the number on its website, another 'agent' said they worked for a third-party call-centre based in Temple Terrace, Florida. Retired gift shop owner Jane Monk was sent a link to the Mary Berry article by a friend, who saw it while she was playing solitaire on her phone. Jane, 69, who lives in Somerset with her husband, Mike, 75, had been thinking about buying CBD oil for her eldest daughter, Lucy Bacon. The 41-year-old suffers from fibromyalgia, a condition that causes pain all over the body. Jane clicked on the link while she was browsing on her iPad before she went to sleep. Like Anne, she thought she was signing up to the 'buy-one-get-one-free' offer but, after she confirmed her payment, another page flashed up to say she had also bought two more products for 119. The message displayed on her screen for only a few seconds, then disappeared. Jane had paid on her M&S credit card, so she made a frantic call to the bank at about 10pm. Like Anne, she is claiming back her money from the firm through a process called chargeback, where your bank requests the company's bank for the refund. It is not a legal protection, and is done at your bank's discretion It is understood that, once this claim has been made, the 119 payment will be returned and a subscription she unwittingly signed up to will be cancelled. Jane says: 'I'm so angry that I've fallen for something like this.' Continuous payment authorities (CPAs) allow companies to take money from your account when they decide you owe them money. But if you sign up to one without realising, you have the legal right to cancel the payments. Even if the company refuses to cancel a CPA, banks and card providers must do this if you ask them to. If further payments are taken from your account after you have requested a cancellation, the bank must refund you. If you order something and don't receive it, or if the product is faulty, you may be able to claim a refund through chargeback. Experts say that reporting these kinds of payments as fraud can sometimes slow the process down because they are not technically fraudulent. A spokesman for Mary Berry says: 'Mary has been appalled to learn of unaffiliated companies using her image to advertise products such as CBD oil and face cream. 'We have reported it to Facebook and our lawyers are working to get these adverts removed.' A Facebook spokesman says: 'We have already removed several ads featuring this scam and banned the accounts behind them.' Bionic Bliss did not respond to requests for comment. f.parker@dailymail.co.uk Photo: (Photo : pexels) A new study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics, suggests that teenagers who engage in sexting are more likely to have mental health issues and numerous sexual partners compared to teenagers who do not engage in the act. Around 23 studies were analyzed and the studies were comprised of 41, 723 participants that are younger than 18-years old. The results found a significant link between sexting and increased sexual activity, multiple partners, anxiety, depression and lack of contraceptive use. Other problematic behaviors like alcohol abuse and drugs were also highlighted as being potentially linked to sexting, which is the exchange of sexual videos, photographs, and messages. The study, which was compiled by the University of Calgary, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and the University of Texas, found that the associations were stronger in teenagers. The researchers continued by saying that it is difficult to know whether sending or receiving sexually explicit messages directly led to any of the negative outcomes, or if sexting is just one of the numerous risky acts that a teenager is more inclined to engage in. The author of the study wrote that even though sexual exploration becomes an increasingly normative part of development as teenagers age, it is possible that teenagers may be more susceptible to risks linked to sexting owning to their relative immaturity compared with older people. However, the link between sexting, certain sexual behaviors, and internalizing problems still remains. Even to a lesser extent, in older youth an early education may act as a preventive measure to decrease the risk of exposure in late adolescence and young adulthood. Sexting and its connection to mental health Numerous experts have highlighted how the results of the study were merely correlational. They added that any conclusions should be treated with caution. Dr. Qazi Rahman, a senior lecturer in psychology at King's College London, said that the links look small and there was lots of variability between the studies and in the scientific quality of the studies examined. It is also possible that there are some common factors that link sexual activity, sexting and mental health. These could include a lot of things like environmental variables, personality and even biological factors. However, relationship expert James Preece said that for a lot of teenagers, sexting can be a gateway to other risky behavior. He said that what was once seen as taboo, is now slowly becoming accepted as normal. Preece added that the study is worrying but it is not surprising. Most teenagers now have their own mobile phones, which allows them to talk and text anyone without being monitored. Once teenagers have sent naked photos of themselves, it can be easier for them to be talked into the next step. Preece explained that teenagers are at their most vulnerable so this could lead to risky sex or even drug use. If they have sent a photo, it can be taken as an indication that they are ready to take things further and the only way to regain control is for parents to check on them regularly to know what their children are up to. Sexually explicit contents A separate study in 2018 by the University of Calgary found that while one in seven teenagers have sent sexual messages, one in four have received them. The reason behind the concern was highlighted in the research when they found out the high number of teenagers who admitted to forwarding sexts without the consent of the original sender. The NSPCC outlines the risks of sexting on their official website. They explain that a young person is breaking the law if they take an explicit video or photo of themselves or a friend and if they forward them without consent. ALSO READ: Motivations for Sexting Can be Complicated, UA Researcher Says 3 brothers under age 5 all diagnosed with same type of cancer originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com Three young brothers are all sharing the same fight after being diagnosed with eye cancer. Tristen, 5; Caison, 3; and Carter Rush, 7 months, are being treated for retinoblastoma. Tristen received his diagnosis in April 2014. Caison was diagnosed in October 2016 and Carter in January of this year. MORE: Stranger's bone marrow donation saves 1-year-old baby girl with rare 'bubble boy' disease "It was surprising, but we knew that the chances were 50/50," mother Angie Rush of Atlanta told "Good Morning America." "I had been told by doctors most of my life that because of the genetic mutation with the retinoblastoma that I have in both eyes I had a 50/50 chance of passing it on." PHOTO: Parents Angie and Aaron Rush of Atlanta, Georgia, have a fight ahead of them as all three of their sons were diagnosed with the same type of cancer. (Angie Rush) Rush said she too was diagnosed with retinoblastoma at just 6 weeks old, but is healthy today. Her boys are receiving chemotherapy once a month, along with eye checks and laser treatments. PHOTO: Angie Rush of Atlanta, Georgia, is seen in an undated photo with her son Carter, 7 months. Carter and his two brothers were diagnosed with the same type of cancer all within a few years. (Angie Rush) Dr. Thomas Olson, director of the solid tumor program at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Childrens Healthcare of Atlanta, confirmed the cancer the brothers have is hereditary. MORE: Toddler with rare disorder gets new oxygen tank holders designed by 6th graders "That being said, it is very rare for all three of the children to be diagnosed," Olson told "GMA." "Its a risk when you have familial bilateral retinoblastoma." PHOTO: Tristen, 5, Caison, 3 and their little brother Carter Rush, 7 months, are being treated for retinoblastoma. (Angie Rush) "Because mom had retinoblastoma, the babies were checked at birth," he added. "Even though Carter was not diagnosed until 6 months old, he was being screened since birth. Pediatricians check for a certain type of reflex in the eye. Anytime there's something abnormal in the eye, the child should be seen by an ophthalmologist." PHOTO: Tristen, 5, Caison, 3 and their little brother Carter Rush, 7 months, are being treated for retinoblastoma. (Angie Rush) Despite their health struggles, Rush said her sons are typical, happy kids. "They get along great but they're still brothers -- they have a lot of energy," she said. "Tristen is so friendly and loves to sing. He loves science ... we're kind of hoping he'll be a doctor someday." Story continues PHOTO: Aaron Rush of Atlanta, Georgia, is seen in an undated photo with his son Carter, 7 months. Carter and his two older brothers were diagnosed with the same type of eye cancer. (Angie Rush) "Caison is a bit shy, but has great personality and makes us laugh a lot. Carter's personality is still growing, but he smiles at everybody." Because of the costly medical bills, Rush, her husband Aaron and their kids had to sell their home and are living with relatives. PHOTO: Tristen, 5, Caison, 3 and Carter Rush, 7 months, are being treated for retinoblastoma. Tristen received his diagnosis in April 2014. Caison was diagnosed in October 2016 and Carter in January 2020. (Angie Rush) Strangers across the country have since been donating to a crowdfunding page to help the family get back on their feet. "The encouragement, people saying they're thinking of us, it's been wonderful," Rush said, adding how thankful she is. "The monetary support has been wonderful, too." NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Persistent Systems, LLC ("Persistent") announced today that it has been awarded a $5.4M contract by the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command C5ISR Center to develop Protected Communications for Manned-Unmanned Teams (MUM-T). The Army envisions a next-generation Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle (OMFV) that can be networked with up to four unmanned Remote Combat Vehicles (RCVs) and their assorted sensor/weapons payloads and, in turn, networked with the broader force and command structure. For that to happen, these manned-unmanned teams will need a robust, secure, and high-throughput communications network. "The Army wants RCVs that can be remotely operated in groups over very long distances, in cities, forests, and open terrain," said Brian Soles, VP of Business Development for Persistent. "These manned-unmanned teams will also have to deal with the threat of enemy hacking and jamming." The MPU5 with its Wave Relay MANET was previously selected by the Next Generation Combat Vehicle cross functional team (NGCV-CFT) and the Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) as the MANET network of choice for RCV Phase 1 and has been under evaluation by the U.S. Army for over a year. Persistent is a leader in the mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) domain. Its MPU5 forms a highly scalable, peer-to-peer network that does not rely on external communications infrastructure to operate or run through a vulnerable central node. The MPU5, which has already been deployed on a variety of unmanned platforms, has: An onboard Android computer, that hosts and runs command-and-control and situational awareness software; A 33 MIMO configuration with up to 10 watts of transmit power, providing a usable throughput exceeding 100 Mbps; and a Built-In HD Video Encoder/Decoder to distribute multiple real-time HD video feeds to team members on demand. As part of its 14-month-long contract, Persistent is working with the C5ISR Center's Space and Terrestrial Communications Directorate to adapt the MPU5 to meet the anti-jam and cyber hardening demands of MUM-T operations. "The application of the work done under this contract won't be limited to vehicles," Soles said. "The idea is to get these same hardened capabilities to dismounted soldiers, which will greatly enhance our ability to operate against more sophisticated adversaries." The development initiatives on this contract are already underway and will continue through 2020. About Persistent Systems, LLC Headquartered in New York City since 2007, Persistent Systems, LLC is a global communications technology company that develops and manufactures a patented and secure Mobile Ad hoc Networking (MANET) system: Wave Relay. Wave Relay transmits and receives data, video, voice and other applications under the most difficult conditions. Their suite of products is utilized in Commercial, Military, Government, Industrial, Agriculture, Robotics, and Unmanned Systems markets. Please visit http://www.persistentsystems.com to learn more. Follow Persistent Systems on Twitter to get updates on the latest developments @pswaverelay. SOURCE Persistent Systems, LLC Related Links http://www.persistentsystems.com BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: In the aim of discuss perspectives of interuniversity cooperation, the Ambassador of Mexico to Azerbaijan, Rodrigo Labardini, had a meeting with the Vice-rector of ADA University, Fariz Ismayilzade. At the meeting, the parties talked about joint projects carried out, as well as addressed the legal framework established in 2019, in particular, the Memorandum of Understanding. In this context, they discussed the opportunities presented by this document, especially the possible reciprocal exchange and training schemes of students. In addition, were discussed issues of cooperation between the ADA University and the University of the Americas - Puebla (UDLAP), including training and education summer courses for Mexican students in Azerbaijan and Azerbaijani students in Puebla. A man has pleaded guilty to the murder of teenage Instagram star Bianca Devins after sharing gruesome images of her body online. Brandon Clark, 21, from Cicero, New York, entered a plea of guilty for second-degree murder for the July killing of the 17-year-old social star, months after he plead not guilty. On July 14, Mr Clark allegedly slit the throat of Devins in Utica, New York, before attempting to kill himself, police said. He then posted bloody images of himself with Devins body on Discord, an online chat service, and his own Instagram page. One image showed Mr Clark with a self-inflicted cut on his own neck. Friends and family said Mr Clark and Devins were not romantically involved, according to police, but the man got jealous after the pair attended a concert in New York City together on July 13. Devins kissed another man at the concert and it sparked a furious reaction from Mr Clark. New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Show all 8 1 /8 New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Nearly 1,000 people slept in Times Square on Saturday night. The demonstrators were part of the World Sleep Out, which saw events in 52 cities over the weekend. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity The World Sleep Out raises funds for charity. As demonstrators slept in sleeping bags around the world, the charity group worked to raise its goal of $50m (38m) in funds to combat homelessness. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Participants sprawled out on cardboard and yoga mats. Im nervous about the rats, Jeanette Guzman, who came to the sleep out from Queens with her entire family, told The Independent. But we want to feel what its like, and what homeless people go through sleeping on the streets and also to raise funds. Getty Images for The World's Big New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Will Smith met with participants and performed in Times Square. The actor spoke about his film, The Pursuit of Happiness, and performed the hit theme song from his TV series, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also attended the sleep out. Ill tell you what: if you look around New York City, there are loads and loads of vacant luxury apartments that we didnt need while there are 60,000 people homeless, said New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who was in attendance at the event and spoke to the crowd about housing being a human right. Getty Images for The World's Big New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Josh Littlejohn said the city's "can do" spirit helped the event come to life. To my great surprise and real delight, they signed off on us closing down the entire stretch of Times Square, he said. Its kind of one of those things thats been happening a lot with this campaign, very serendipitous. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity Participants came from all over to help raise funds. Joshua Mazediak-Amey, who was from the UK and with a group of interns at the United Nations attending the Times Square event, told The Independent: I believe its important that those who work for the UN show the fact that were committed to actually getting on the ground and being with people that we are willing to come and be a part of things when theyre sort of on-the-ground movements like this opportunity tonight. Getty Images for The World's Big New Yorkers sleep in Times Square to raise money for homeless charity The group told The Independent nearly 1,000 people slept in Times Square on Saturday night. The World Sleep Out aims to raise $50m (38m) in donations for charities including the Malala Fund, the Institute of Global Homelessness and more. Mr Littlejohn has also established a new charity called the Worlds Big Sleep Out Trust. All of the donations raised in the US as part of the trust would be managed by UNICEF USA. Anadolu Agency via Getty Images He initially pleaded not guilty in connection to the murder and was set to go to trial later this month before changing his plea. In court, Mr Clark apologised for his actions. When speaking to the judge, Mr Clark said Devins didnt deserve what happened to her. I think I need to realise what I did I cant undo, as much as I want to, he said. I have to face it. The pictures Mr Clark shared of Ms Devins body on social media filtered across multiple platforms. While some companies removed the images, they still exist in other places of the Internet. Ms Devins mother, Kim Devins, has since worked with politicians to advocate for social media reform, specifically as it relates to the posting of graphic images like the ones of her daughter. Sentencing is expected in April and Mr Clark, who is currently in Oneida County jail, could face up to 25 years to life in prison. Roughly two dozen countries around the world have taken precautionary measures to stem the spread of the new coronavirus, COVID-19, as the death toll continues to rise. This page has updates from Feb. 11. For updates from Feb. 12, click here. Japan Cruise Ship Virus Cases Jump to 175 Including Quarantine Officer Another 39 people have tested positive for the coronavirus on the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan as well as one quarantine officer, bringing the total to 175, the health ministry said on Wednesday. The Diamond Princess was placed in quarantine for two weeks upon arriving in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, on Feb. 3, after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. About 3,700 people are aboard the ship, which usually has a crew of 1,100 and a passenger capacity of 2,670. The ministry said tests are being conducted for others who are deemed to need them and it will announce the results later. The U.K.-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise Lines, one of the worlds largest cruise lines and a unit of Carnival Corp. The government was considering allowing the elderly and those with chronic illnesses to disembark before the Feb. 19 target date for ending the quarantine, some media reported, but added it would take time to figure out where they could be sent. As of last week, about 80 percent of the passengers were aged 60 or over, with 215 in their 80s and 11 in the 90s, the English-language Japan Times newspaper reported. Kyodo news agency, citing the health ministry, said that of the 39 cases, 10 were crew, 10 were Japanese nationals and the others were from 11 countries including the United States and China. Four were in serious condition, media said, quoting Health Minister Katsunobu Kato. Fed Official: Interest Rate Cuts May Be in Order Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank President Patrick Harker said that if the coronavirus-related economic malaise now hurting China spills over and deals the U.S. economy a material blow, the Fed may be forced to drop interest rates to contain the fallout. Its too early to say what impact the spread of the coronavirus will have on the global economy, but the negative effects on the Chinese economy and international travel are something to watch, Harker said in a speech at the University of Delaware in Newark on Monday. During a panel after he delivered his remarks, Harker was cited by Reuters as saying that if the economic contagion from the virus outbreak in China gets significantly worse and impacts American businesses, the Fed would consider a rate cut. Read more here. Pentagon Names 11 Military Bases as Potential Quarantine Centers The Pentagon said it has named 11 military bases that could serve as potential quarantine areas for U.S. coronavirus cases after being asked by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The Department of Defense (DOD) named installations near 11 major airports that could house additional passengers if HHS facilities become filled, according to a news release. Read more here. 195 Americans From Wuhan Released From Quarantine Nearly 200 Americans who were evacuated from China have been released from a 14-day quarantine after none tested positive for the mysterious new coronavirus. The Americans were returning to their houses weeks after being rescued from Wuhan, the epicenter of COVID-19. They had been held at March Air Reserve Base in California, monitored for symptoms of the disease. Riverside County public health officer Dr. Cameron Kaiser said some of the Americans threw their face masks into the air in celebration as they prepared for departure. No one from the group tested positive for the virus. Four other groups are in quarantine across the United States. Read more here. Cruise Ship Stranded at Sea Over Coronavirus Fears Thailands government has turned away a Holland America cruise ship on Tuesday, just hours after the firm announced that it would be able to disembark in Bangkokmaking it the fifth time a country or territory has denied it entry amid fears that someone on board might have coronavirus. Thai Deputy Transport Minister Atirat Ratanasate wrote on social media that the ship cannot dock in the country, but he said Thailand will gladly help provide fuel, medicine, and food so the Westerdam can reach its destination safely. Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the U.S. territory of Guam have all prohibited Holland Americas Westerdam from docking on their shores amid fears of the virus. Holland America, which is owned by cruise giant Carnival Corp., said that it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board the ship, which has reportedly sickened tens of thousands of people inside China. Read more here. First Vaccine Could Be Ready in 18 Months Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the World Health Organizations (WHO) director-general, said that the development of vaccines and therapies are an important part of the forum happening at the organizations headquarters today and tomorrow. But the first vaccine could take some time to develop, he said. The first vaccine could be ready in 18 months, so we have to do everything today using the available weapons to fight this virus, while preparing for the long-term, he told reporters on Tuesday. There are currently no vaccines or known cures for COVID-19. The available weapons include sending supplies to countries to help diagnose and treat patients and protect health workers and training workers to respond to the virus. Companies and groups in a number of countries are working on a vaccine but others have also said the development of one could take a while. Dr. Theresa Tam, Canadas chief public health officer, said late last month that it would take at least a year before a vaccine is developed. And Dr. Amesh Adalja, a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, told HealthDay News that he doesnt expect a vaccine to be commercially available for at least 12 months. British Man Linked to 11 Infections Speaks Out The British man who is believed to have passed on the new coronavirus to at least 11 people revealed his identity and said hes fully recovered. Steve Walsh, 53, traveled to Singapore for a business conference in January. Before returning to Britain, Walsh visited a ski chalet in France. Five people who stayed at the chalet tested positive in France, another five linked to a known case in France tested positive in Britain, and one person believed to have caught the virus at the chalet tested positive in Spain, authorities said. Walsh is still in quarantine in a hospital in London but issued a statement saying hes doing well and expressing gratitude to the National Health Service (NHS). I would like to thank the NHS for their help and carewhilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus, he said in the statement, which was sent to news outlets. Read more here. More Infections Reported in Hong Kong Seven new cases of coronavirus have emerged in Hong Kong, according to Chuang Shuk-kwan, head of the Communicable Disease Branch of the Center for Health Protection, bringing the citys total to 49. One new case involves a 59-year-old male preacher from a methodist church in Siu Sai Wan, a residential district in Hong Kong Island. Two new patientsa 71-year-old man living in Tseung Kwan O and a 66-year-old living in Tuen Munhave no recent travel history outside of Hong Kong. Three other patients are relatives of an infected patient living on the third floor of Hong Mei House, a residential building at Cheung Hong Estate. The final case involves a man who is a coworker of another infected person. The infected person is one of 10 people from the same family, all of whom took part in a hotpot meal at a local restaurant last month. Two Evacuees Test Positive in Japan Two Japanese men who repatriated on a government-chartered plane from Wuhan in late January have tested positive for the Novel Coronavirus, Mainichi Shimbun reported on Feb. 11, citing the health ministry. The two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s, tested positive on Monday. According to Japanese media reports, Japan has repatriated a total of 763 Japanese and their non-Japanese family members from China on four chartered planes between Jan. 28 and Feb. 7. With the two new cases, Japan has a total of 28 confirmed cases of coronavirus, in addition to 135 confirmed cases on the cruise ship Diamond Princess, which is under quarantine in Yokohama. The United Arab Emirates Has 8 Confirmed Cases The Emirates Ministry of Health and Prevention announced on Monday another confirmed case of coronavirus, bringing the national total to eight. The new case involves an Indian national who had come into contact with a person infected with the virus. The ministry also announced that an infected patient, a 73-year-old Chinese person, had been curedthe first recovery from the virus in the country. British Airways Extends Flight Cancelations to China The UKs flag carrier airline British Airways announced on Monday that its flights to Beijing and Shanghai will continue to be canceled until March 31, Reuters reported, citing a statement from BA. In January, BA announced service suspensions to the two Chinese cities until the end of February. Wuhan Announces Additional Lockdown Measures The municipal government in Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, announced on its official Weibo account on Feb. 11 that residential districts will be put under seal-off management. The short announcement said that local officials will strictly carry out seal-off management of people suspected of contracting the novel coronavirus and patients determined to have the virus. The notice quickly received criticism from many Chinese netizens, who left their comment beneath the post. One netizen from Wuhan commented that the announcement, which lacked all detail, has created more panic, much like another measurement that local authorities announced on Jan. 23. On that day, Wuhan announced the suspension of public buses, the metro service, and ferries. Additionally, airports and train stores would be shut down. It also discouraged locals from leaving Wuhan without providing any special reason. Many netizens questioned why the seal-off in Wuhan came so late, as similar measures had long been in place in other cities and villages. Thailand and Vietnam Report New Cases In Thailand, a 54-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan has been confirmed to be infected with the novel coronavirus, local newspaper Bangkok Post reported, citing Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchia, director-general of the countrys Department of Disease Control. The woman had come into contact with another Chinese patient already infected with the virus. The case brings Thailands number of confirmed cases to 33. In Vietnam, a three-month-old girl in Vinh Phuc province has tested positive for the virus, bringing the national total to 15, according to local newspaper VnExpress. The girl is the grandchild of an infected woman, who contracted the virus from a 23-year-old neighbor. The neighbor is one of eight workers sent to Wuhan by the Japan-based company Nihon Plast for training. The eight returned to Vietnam on Jan. 17, after which six of them tested positive for the virus. Thailand Refuses Entry to Netherlands-Flagged Cruise Ship Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Feb. 11 that the cruise ship, MS Westerdam, will not be allowed to dock at the local Laem Chabang port in Chonburi province, according to local newspaper Bangkok Post. The ship carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members left Singapore on Jan. 16 for a month-long tour of Asia. It picked up 600 passengers in Hong Kong on Feb. 1. Before being turned down by the dock in Thailand, the company that owns MS Westerdam, Seattle-based Holland America, issued a statement saying that it had received permission to dock at Laem Chabang. Its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which is currently home to another cruise ship that is under quarantine for the novel coronavirusDiamond Princess. Japan, the Philippines, Taiwan, and the U.S. territory of Guam had all denied entry to the ship amid fears that passengers were carriers of the virus. The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports, Holland America said in a statement on Feb. 10. Coronavirus Patients May Not Show Symptoms for Over 3 Weeks: Study The incubation period for the new coronavirus can be as long as 24 days, according to a large Chinese study analyzing patients of the disease. The Feb. 9 study, which is yet to be peer-reviewed, was led by renowned Chinese respiratory doctor Zhong Nanshan and written in collaboration between 38 Chinese researchers. After analyzing around 1,100 patients across 31 provinces and 552 hospitals, the researchers found evidence that the maximum incubation period for the virus is 24 daysup from two weeks as previously projected. The researchers also raised concerns about possible transmission through fecal contamination. Read more here. Airbnb Suspends Service in Beijing Major lodging provider Airbnb announced on Monday that all bookings in Beijing have been suspended until Feb. 29. In light of the novel coronavirus outbreak and guidance from local authorities for the short-term rental industry during this public health emergency, bookings of all listings in Beijing with check-in from 7 February 2020 to 29 February 2020 have been suspended, Airbnb said in an email statement. Health Ministers from EU Member States to Meet This Week Janez Lenarcic, European Commissioner for Crisis Management, told reporters on Feb. 10 that the EU commission supports the convening of [an] extraordinary council of health ministers of [EU member states], which is supposed to take place later this week. According to AFP, the extraordinary meeting will take place on Feb. 13. Lenarcic added: I think it is still important and useful that the health ministers themselves seat together, discuss the situation, exchange information on the measures they have taken, and see how further coordinated measures can be taken. This is a worrisome epidemic. This is a serious danger for public health. This virus spreads with great speed, Lenarcic said. When asked by a reporter whether the EU considered stopping direct flights to and from China a useful measure or not, Lenarcic said, the decision on travel restrictions is the decision to be taken by member states. He added that the commission has advised all of its staff to postpone non-essential travel to and from China until further notice. Now is the time to join forces to stop the #Coronavirus epidemic. It is crucial that the entire international community focuses on preparedness & response efforts to fight coronavirus, keeping ???? #solidarity in mind. My full VIDEO statement https://t.co/hsc1B3kSd3 Janez Lenarcic (@JanezLenarcic) February 10, 2020 Coronavirus Costing Global Shipping Trade $350 Million a Week The global shipping trade is hemorrhaging $350 million a week in lost trade, according to a Feb. 10 report by Sea-Intelligence, a Denmark-based maritime data provider, reported the Wall Street Journal. The decline in industrial activity in China has meant a drop in shipping volumes, with lines re-routing cargoes and reducing calls to Chinese ports, setting the scene for months of delivery delays ahead, industry sources said. Despite the Chinese slowly returning to work after an extended Lunar New Year holiday, many factories remain closed or are having reduced operations due to government-ordered lockdowns across many cities. U.S. retailers were already beginning to shift some sourcing to other countries because of the trade war, Jonathan Gold, vice president for supply chain and customs policy at the U.S.-based National Retail Federation, told WSJ. But if shutdowns continue, we could see an impact on supply chains, he said. Singapore Has 2 New Cases, 7 in Critical Condition Singapores Ministry of Health has reported two new cases, bringing the countrys total to 45. One involves a 37-year-old Singaporean man who has no recent travel history to China. He tested positive on Feb. 9. The second new case involves a 2-year-old Singaporean girl who was repatriated from Wuhan on Jan. 30. The girl tested positive on Feb. 10. Among the 45 cases in Singapore, seven have been discharged from the hospital while seven are in critical condition. See the latest information on the number of reported cases globally here. One More Case Reported in South Korea The Korean Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Feb. 11 another new confirmed case, bringing the national total to 28. The new patient is a 30-year-old Chinese woman who came in contact with the third confirmed case in South Korea. The patient is now being isolated for treatment at Myongji Hospital. According to South Koreas national broadcaster KBS, the third confirmed case was identified as a 54-year-old South Korean man who had been living in Wuhan. The man returned to South Korea on Jan. 20 and tested positive for the virus on Jan. 26. He is also being treated at Myongji Hospital. Doctors and Patients in China Describe the Characteristics of the Coronavirus Chinese doctors on the front lines and families of patients infected with the novel coronavirus have been sharing their observations of the disease on Chinese state media and social media. The virus has exhibited some alarming features and has therefore earned a reputation among Chinese doctors as a cunning virus. Read more here. One More Pending Case Cleared in New York State New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo announced on Feb. 10 that one additional sample sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tested negative for the novel coronavirus. So far, 22 out of 23 tests sent to the CDC have returned negative for the virus. One test from New York City is still pending. Cuomo said: We are continuing to take every necessary precaution to protect New Yorkers from this virus. While there are still no confirmed cases of the virus in New York State, I urge everyone to continue to take commonsense precautions, such as regular hand washing and avoiding close contact with people who are sick. New Case in California Takes US Total to 13 One new case of novel coronavirus has been detected in California, involving an adult patient who was among a group of U.S. nationals returning from Wuhan last week, reported local broadcaster 10News. The patient has been under mandatory quarantine for two weeks at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar. They have now been transferred to the University of California San Diego Medical Center for treatment. The patient is the 7th known case in California and the 13th in the United States. For updates from Feb. 10, click here. From The Epoch Times President Trump denounced federal prosecutors' sentencing recommendation for longtime confidant Roger Stone in a string of tweets early Tuesday, saying seven to nine years in prison was a "miscarriage of justice! " "This is a horrible and very unfair situation," Trump tweeted around 2 a.m. He added, "Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! " He did not say whether that meant he would pardon Stone, something Trump had previously indicated he would not rule out. Stone was found guilty in November of lying to Congress about his efforts to learn of hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 election and of threatening a witness in the case. He was convicted and indicted as part of former special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Returning from a campaign rally in New Hampshire and a trip to Delaware to honor two U.S. soldiers recently killed in Afghanistan, the president rattled off his tweets and retweets in support of Stone and criticizing Monday's sentencing recommendation. "Disgraceful!" he tweeted. Trump's backing of the Republican operative continued into the early-morning hours, interspersed with more articles and videos related to his acquittal in the Senate on impeachment charges last week. "The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them," Trump wrote. As The Washington Post reported late Monday, prosecutors in the case wrote in their 22-page filing that Stone's proposed recommended sentencing, ranging between 87 to 108 months, is "consistent with the applicable advisory Guidelines would accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law." Stone's attorneys are pushing for probation, and have pointed to his age, 67, and lack of criminal history as reason the longer sentence is excessive. But in their filing, prosecutors wrote that a seven- to nine-year prison sentence for Stone "will send the message that tampering with a witness, obstructing justice, and lying in the context of a congressional investigation on matters of critical national importance are not crimes to be taken lightly." "Roger Stone obstructed Congress's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath, and tampered with a witness," the prosecutors added. "And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this Court and the rule of law." The early-morning tweets add more intrigue into whether Trump would eventually give a presidential pardon to Stone. As The Post noted Monday, prosecutors detailed how Stone appealed for a pardon through Alex Jones, the right-wing conspiracy theorist and founder of Infowars, during his trial. In December, Trump indicated he would not rule out pardoning his confidant, describing the federal prosecutors involved in the case as "dirty cops" and "evil people." "I think it's very tough what they did to Roger Stone, compared to what they do to other people on their side," Trump said at the time. Following the hike in the National Calamity Contingency Duty (NCCD) announced in the Union Budget this year, market leader ITC increased cigarette prices by 10-20 per cent across some of its brands in all of its markets. A rise in NCCD escalates taxes on cigarettes. Manufacturers have the option to either pass it on the consumer or absorb it. "Prices of a number of brands have been revised," an ITC spokesperson said. This is the first hike in cigarettes after the Budget. Sources said while the American Club Cool Fresh Taste saw the minimum hike of 10 per cent, ... All AAP ministers, including Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, won from their respective constituencies in the Delhi Assembly elections, with Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam topping the chart among his cabinet colleagues in registering his victory by a huge margin. Sisodia, Kejriwal's deputy, won the Patparganj seat with a slim margin with 3,207 votes. According to the Election Commission, Gautam won the Seemapuri seat by 56,108 votes, while Food and Civil Supplies Minister Imran Hussain registered a victory with a margin of 36,172 votes. Labour Minister Gopal Rai won the Babarpur seat by 33,062 votes and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal registered a victory from the New Delhi constituency with a margin of 21,697 votes. PWD Minister Satyender Jain registered his victory from Shakarpur by 7,592 votes, while Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot also won from the Najafgarh constituency. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A bag containing dozens of dead birds has been confiscated from a passenger arriving from China to an airport near Washington DC, US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) have said. According to the agency, on 27 January, a traveller arrived to Dulles International Airport on a flight from Beijing and was headed to an address in Prince George's County. Agricultural specialists examined the person's bags and found a mostly transparent package with pictures of a dog and cat printed on it. Inside the bag were several tiny dead, dried birds, about two-and-a-half inches to three-and-a-half inches long that the passenger said were cat food. The CBP quickly confiscated the package, and its contents were incinerated. According to the agency, the birds, which were from China, are not allowed to be imported to the United States because of the potential threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza, or bird flu. Because the packaging seems to indicate they are sold as pet food in China, they might not have caught the attention of Chinese officials, the CBP said. These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nation's poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza, Casey Durst, director of field operations for the CBP's Baltimore field office said in a news release. Most unusual items left behind at an airport Show all 10 1 /10 Most unusual items left behind at an airport Most unusual items left behind at an airport A sprinkler Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A husband Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport An air conditioning unit Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A set of spanners Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A zimmer frame Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A blood sugar machine Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A rolling pin Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A glittery lantern Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A car warning triangle Getty Most unusual items left behind at an airport A toy drill Getty Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nation's agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases. During a typical day last year, the CBP agriculture specialists across the nation seized 4,695 prohibited plant, meat, animal by-product and soil specimens, and intercepted 314 insect pests at US ports of entry. The Washington Post NORTHBROOK, lll., and INDIANAPOLIS -- The Astellas Global Health Foundation ("Foundation") and the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), under the direction of the Indiana University Center for Global Health, announced today that the Foundation has awarded a $1.35 million grant over three years to AMPATH to provide 400,000 people with access to mental health programming in western Kenya. AMPATH will integrate mental health services into AMPATH's chronic disease system in public health facilities and broaden population engagement through a mental health awareness campaign. Additionally, AMPATH will provide group transitional housing and care for patients with severe mental health disorders. "The Astellas Global Health Foundation funding will help AMPATH to meaningfully expand our mental health programming, as we are committed to improving access to and quality of mental health care, reducing treatment gaps and empowering patients in western Kenya," said Edith Kwobah, MBChB, MMED, consultant psychiatrist and head of mental health at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya and the Kenyan medical leader of the initiative. "This grant will provide training for community health volunteers to screen for mental health disorders and refer members of the Kenyan community to appropriate care facilities to improve health outcomes for these patients," added Matthew Turissini, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine. Indiana University, which leads the consortium of North American academic health centers within the AMPATH partnership, will serve as the administrator for the grant. According to the World Health Organization, 75 percent of people affected by mental health disorders in low-income countries do not have access to the treatment they need. This is partially due to funding in many of these countries being prioritized to address infectious diseases and the significant stigma of mental illness3. The grant from the Astellas Global Health Foundation will help AMPATH address this treatment gap in western Kenya. "Access to mental health care is a worldwide issue with a particularly significant lack of proper diagnosis and treatment among low- and middle-income populations," said Moyra Knight, president of the Astellas Global Health Foundation. "The important work AMPATH is doing in western Kenya improves the diagnosis and sustains treatment of mental illness for communities in critical need." For the Astellas Global Health Foundation, formed in November 2018, this investment is the first focused on mental health, which is one of the Foundation's key focus areas in improving access to health in low- and middle-income countries where Astellas, a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world, does not have a business presence. Additional priorities for Foundation funding are creating community resilience and providing grants for disaster support. ### About The Astellas Global Health Foundation: The Astellas Global Health Foundation is a tax-exempt, non-profit corporation that awards grants to support charitable purposes with a focus on improving access to health in underserved global communities, building resilient communities and providing disaster support in order to make a sustainable impact on the health of people around the world, working toward "One World, A Healthier Tomorrow." To learn more about Astellas Global Health Foundation, please visit http://www.astellasglobalhealthfoundation.org. About AMPATH: The Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH) is a partnership among Moi University, Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, North American universities led by Indiana University, and the Kenyan Government. Working with the Kenyan Ministry of Health, AMPATH created one of Africa's largest, most comprehensive and effective HIV/AIDS management and treatment models. AMPATH has transitioned its successful HIV approach into a comprehensive primary health care system, now serving a population of 8 million people in western Kenya. In addition to providing direct patient care, AMPATH trains health care leaders in North America and sub-Saharan Africa, provides supportive services to help communities sustain their own success, and conducts research. To learn more about AMPATH, visit ampathkenya.org. Medical Wearables Market 2020 Size, Growth, Share, Industry Insight, and Regional Forecast to 2026 is latest research report on Global Medical Wearables Market, published by Fortune Business Insights. According to report the Global Medical Wearables Market to Rise at strong growth rate and reach notable market value by 2026. Medical Wearables Industry report anlayzes Market for Medical Wearable Devices by Product (Diagnostics, Therapeutics), By Site (Wrist, Head, Feet), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & clinics pharmacies, Retail pharmacies, Online pharmacies), and Geography Forecast till 2026. Medical Wearables Industry Key Players Analyzed in Report Are: Nokia Technologies, Fitbit, Monica Healthcare, Dragerwerk, VitalConnect, LifeWatch, Xiaomi, Activinsight, Omron Healthcare and Misfit. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/medical-wearables-market-100397 Global Medical Wearables Market Insights: Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases worldwide will be the foremost factor driving the global Wearable Medical Devices market size during the forecast period. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the incidence of chronic diseases is likely to rise by 57% by 2020, with cardiovascular disorders and diabetes leading the charge. Added to this are the statistics released by the World Economic Forum (WEF) which say that nearly 33% of adults globally are suffering from multiple chronic conditions. Fortune Business Insights shares an exhaustive research into the various factors, trends, prospects, and dynamics that will characterize this market in the forecast period. This research also provides a solid foundation for businesses to design strategies that will strengthen their presence in the market. Medical Wearables Market Segmentation: The global Medical Wearables industry is segmented on the basis of the Product, Site, Distribution Channel and Geography Forecast till 2026 Based on the Product, the market is segmented into Diagnostics, Therapeutics. Based on the Site, the market is segmented into Wrist, Head, Feet. Based on Distribution Channel the market is segmented by Hospital & clinics pharmacies, Retail pharmacies, Online pharmacies. On the basis of region market for Medical Wearables segmented by North America, Europe, Asia-Pacifica, Africa and other regions. Medical Wearables Market Growth Factors: Wearable Medical Devices essentially require the internet and Bluetooth technology to transmit health data to patients or doctors. This factor makes these devices vulnerable to cyberattacks, the incidence of which is rising fast. As a result, critical data can be lost or misused, putting the lives of patients on the line. Scepticism regarding privacy and security of information are, therefore, valid and can thus prove to be a major roadblock for the Wearable Medical Devices market growth in the forecast period. Regional Insights: Report analyzes Global Market for Medical Wearables by North America, South America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, Middle East and Africa. North America is slated to dominate the Wearable Medical Devices market share, followed swiftly by Europe. This dominance of these two regions is attributable to factors including rising prevalence of lifestyle-induced diseases and rapid adoption of advanced wearable technologies. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific will rise at a steadfast pace owing to increasing healthcare expenditure and growing incidence of chronic diseases, mainly diabetes and hypertension, in India and China. Highlights of the Report: In-depth analysis of various insights, namely, Medical Wearables Market trends, growth drivers, opportunities, and other related challenges. Comprehensive details of key market players, their core competencies, and Medical Wearables Market share. The potency of suppliers and buyers to make better business decisions. Lists out the market size in terms of volume. Industry News: February 2019: VitalConnect, Inc. launched its next-generation medical wearable, HIMSS19 Vista Solution 2.0, which can deliver specific health information through the National Early Warning Scores system. The device will be preinstalled with software for blood pressure, weight, and pulse oximetry monitoring so that real-time monitoring of health indicators can be facilitated and timely intervention can be made possible. DowDuPont Specialty Products unveiled its DOW CORNING MG 7-1020 Soft Skin Adhesive. The product is a medical wearable device that is based on silicone technology and ensures deep skin penetration along with extended wear and strong adhesive technology. Most importantly, the device is designed in such a way that it eliminates the possibility of skin irritation or any sort of discomfort. Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Continued 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. 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. Phone: US: +1 424 253 0390 UK: +44 2071 939123 APAC: +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Armed terrorists killed at least 11 civilians on Friday night in the village of Siewali, Kombori commune, located in the province of Kossi, in north-west Burkina Faso, near the Malian border. In the North of Benin, near the border with Burkina Faso, a Beninese police officer was killed in an attack on a post during the night of Saturday to Sunday, police said in a press release. It is the first time that an attack has targeted Beninese police, in this border area where two French tourists had been kidnapped and their guide murdered in Pendjari Park in May 2019. A DMK member in Lok Sabha on Tuesday demanded the government withdraw all hydrocarbon projects in Cauvery delta area as it would impact farmers of that region. T R Baalu (DMK) said lot of hydrocarbon projects are going on in the delta region. "The matter is serious. I request the agriculture minister to prevail over the oil minister to withdraw all the projects," Baalu said just before the reply of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Budget 2020-21. The issue of hydrocarbon exploration has encountered protests from farmers in Tamil Nadu. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The woman accused of concocting a fake online boyfriend for her ex-lover who died by suicide has sensationally claimed they both created the 'character' so they could be together. In stunning evidence at the inquest into the suicide death of Renae Marsden, 20, her former girlfriend Camila Zeidan claimed they invented 'Braydon Spiteri' so they could still be together. 'We both agreed we were never going to be accepted in a relationship, like, we weren't ever going to be accepted together,' Camila told the NSW Coroner's Court to gasps on Tuesday. 'So we created the character so that no one would find out obviously a few times before, at school, she was accepted around me, in my life'. Former best friends: Camilla Zeidan (right) is accused of inventing 'Brayden' Spiteri to catfish ex-girlfriend Renae (left) Text messages shared between Renae Marsden and her 'boyfriend' Brayden, as read out at the inquest Camila, now 27, and Renae, from Glenhaven in Sydney's north-west, were in a relationship during their time at Mount St Benedict's school about a decade ago. The relationship fell apart but they remained friends, with Camila's relationship with Renae described in court as 'obsessive' and 'unrelenting'. Prior to her death, Renae had been in a relationship with supposed prison inmate 'Brayden Spiteri' for more than a year. But police have found no evidence Brayden ever existed, with his phone number registered in Camila's name. The inquest is investigating whether Renae had learned she was catfished when she died. The court has heard Renae was told Brayden was serving a sentence at Goulburn prison but could not accept visitors. The inquest heard more than 11,000 messages were shared between Renae and 'Brayden' Camila Zeidan, in 'Soho' shirt, claims she deleted the final text message she received from Renae Marsden 'accidentally' - but NSW police today took aim at her statements in court On Tuesday afternoon, Camila admitted on August 5, the day she died, she texted Renae, as Brayden, saying: 'I just can't do this anymore. 'I came back from holiday (in the United States) and I just couldn't do this,' she said. Suspected 'catfisher' Camilla Zeidan told the inquest that on August 5, the day Renae she died, she texted her as Brayden, saying: 'I just can't do this anymore Renae's parents Teresa and Mark Marsden held hands as they left the inquest on Tuesday Asked how Renae responded, Camila said: '(Renae) just felt she didn't know where she belonged and she just didn't know what she wanted in her life anymore. 'To me I took that as a threat because she was always making threats about how she didn't like her life and wasn't happy in it'. 'I had been away I just didn't want to do this character thing with her anymore'. The court heard Renae exchanged text messages with both Camila, and the persona of Brayden, on the day she disappeared at The Gap, in Sydney's east. That day, witnesses said Renae was emotional at work and also had a 90 second phone call with Goulburn prison, where Brayden was supposedly imprisoned. Camila was today asked by counsel assisting the inquest: 'So why didn't you sit down with her and say I didn't want to do this anymore?' She claimed: 'I have tried'. At one point, a relative of Ms Marsden's walked from the court in tears, with counsel assisting the inquest at one point turning around to 'shush' the victim's large family. Magistrate Elaine Truscott asked Camila a series of questions about who had purchased and set up the phone SIM Camila used for 'Brayden'. Camila claimed both she and Renae did, but told the court she did not remember the date or time, or what shop it was, in 2011. The inquest has heard that 'Brayden Spiteri' was a concocted to 'catfish' Renae Marsden. This photo above is one picture that Renae thought was Brayden (it is not) FIERY TEXTS BETWEEN RENAE AND CATFISH BOYFRIEND BRAYDEN Fiery texts exchanged between Renae and 'Brayden' were revealed in court, where the suicide victim flatly said 'nothing' he said 'ever makes sense'. The messages, read out in court, saw Renae tell Brayden 'goodbye don't contact me' after she pushed him on contradictory statements he apparently made about seeing his lawyer. 'I don't know what to believe with you you hardly see him yet you've been 'in meetings',' Renae said in one text, in an exchange that lasted over a full day. 'You continue to break my heart over and over again . that was the last time . I once was your life, that's how much it's changed.' Following an apology, Brayden later asked Renae: 'Got your periods?' Renae said: 'Brayden don't, I'm serious, I'm not coming back this time unless you change'. Advertisement She claimed when they were both together, 'Renae would use' the phone as well, but just how was not clear. 'She'd hold it and I don't know what she'd use it for, she'd hold it, put it in her bag,' Camila said. Earlier, the inquest heard that Camila denied inventing Brayden in her initial police interview, in late August 2013. But she later changed her story and claimed the victim had 'wanted' her to pretend to be her boyfriend. In her initial police interview, 20 days following Renae's death, police told Camila call logs indicated she was, in fact, Brayden. Camila denied that: 'No. I know that a lot of people think that I am (Brayden),' she said. 'Everyone is against me'. 'I wish I was where Renae is now. Wherever she is, I just want to have the peace she is feeling now. We could be together.' 'Do you think she is really gone?' But Camila changed her tune during a police search of her home in September 2013. She admitted 'I was sending the text messages to Renae' prior to travelling to the United States in March. 'She wanted me to pretend to be Brayden,' Camila said. The police officer said 'why, why did she want you to pretend to be Brayden?' Camila replied: 'I don't know. I just did it because she wanted me to . I didn't do anything else, what's going to happen to me?' Detective Inspector Brett Bell told the inquest a text message exchange read out loud in court did not show the relationship was a 'pretend scenario'. In text exchanges over several years, Renae showed some scepticism of Brayden and took issue with apparent contradictions in his stories. 'I don't know what to believe with you .... you continue to break my heart over and over again,' she said in one series of messages. From Renae's final text message to claims of Camila 'seeing' Brayden - accused catfisher's first police interview In her initial police interview, Camila Zeidan told police the last message she received from the suicide victim said: 'I'll always love you'. But she claimed she 'accidentally' deleted the 20-year-old's last message when she tried to forward it to the victim's mother, Teresa Marsden. Asked why, Camila said: 'I don't know, my phone does that sometimes, I was trying to send it to (the girl's mother) Teresa but it deleted it instead'. She told the officer Renae had texted her 'something like, 'you'll always be my best friend, I'll always love you, hope one day you'll forgive me.' The court heard that Camila told a police officer she didn't believe the suicide victim's situation 'was serious' when she received the final text that evening. But that afternoon, Camila had allegedly messaged the young woman's mother while under the guise of Renae's faked boyfriend Brayden, the inquest heard. The text warned Renae's mother Teresa to 'sort your daughter out' as she was suicidal. On Tuesday, Detective Senior Constable Brett Bell branded statements Camila had provided to police variously as 'incorrect' and as making 'no sense'. Counsel assisting the inquest Sasha Harding asked Mr Bell if that was 'possibly incongruous?' Renae Marsden's parents Theresa and Mark, with their daughter Monique, speaking to media outside the inquest Mr Bell told the inquest: 'Yes, I wouldn't believe that to be correct because it was enough for Brayden's phone to message that there was a threat to kill herself, yes'. In the police interview, Camila also described her relationship with Renae as also not being sexual in nature. But an email from Renae to Camila which offered 'phone sex' during a holiday and sex 'in bed' later was different to what she had told police, Detective Bell said. Camila also claimed to police that she had once met Renae's boyfriend once at The Brewery, a pub in Windsor, in Sydney's north-west, and that he had long hair. 'It's my opinion that never occurred,' Mr Bell said, adding that Camila's description of Brayden was different to the pictures of him that Renae had in her possession. Camila's claims to police that Renae had got a SIM card for Brayden also came under scrutiny. Camila claimed to officers that Renae had wanted to buy Brayden a SIM card, but couldn't buy one at the store because she had no identification. Camila claimed that's why her contact details were associated with Brayden's SIM card. But Officer Bell said that explanation 'doesn't make sense' as prepaid SIMs don't require identification to purchase from a store, only upon registration online. Camila was in court on Tuesday with her father, as were Renae's mother, Teresa, father, Mark and extended family. The magistrate presiding over the inquest, Elaine Truscott, apologised to Camila and her family for harrowing scenes that occurred outside court on Monday. A friend of Camila's fell over in a media scrum and members of Renae's family screamed at Camila and her supporters as they ran to their car. Camila's lawyer, Brett Longville, told the court it was 'quite unsavoury', leading Ms Truscott to 'extend my apologies' to the family. 'I did not subpoena her to be pilloried by any member of the community and to have to run a gauntlet of media,' the magistrate said. The inquest has been adjourned, with Ms Zeidan expected to give evidence on Wednesday. For confidential 24/7 crisis support, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. The chief minister said his government was planning to bring right to water legislation to make access to water a fundamental right. Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday said the perennial drought in some regions in the state might cause 65 dams in the state to dry up, making MP prone to a serious water crisis in future. Mr Nath said the local civic body authorities in parts of the state have been able to supply drinking water only for two to four days a week due to the water crisis. The state stares at a serious water crisis in future. Making provision for water in MP will be a huge challenge for the government, Mr Nath said while inaugurating the National Conference on Water. Mr Naths warning comes in the wake of the state has witnessed a serious water crisis in the outgoing summer leading to incidents of violence in some pockets in the state. While 11 out of total 378 urban local bodies (ULBs) were getting water every four days during the last summer, 50 ULBs were getting water on third days. The chief minister said his government was planning to bring right to water legislation to make access to water a fundamental right. The basic objective of bringing the legislation is to generate awareness among the people on the importance of conservation of water as well as conservation of water bodies in the state with peoples cooperation, he said. The draft bill on right to water proposes to provide at least 55 litres of drinking water to each family. The state government was mulling to enforce the legislation in the urban areas in the first phase. The proposed legislation may be tabled in the ensuing budgets session of MP assembly. " " This gravestone marking the Boston Massacre lists the names of the five people who were killed. See Revolutionary War pictures. Kevin Fleming/Corbis Massacre. The very word is chilling. For many, it immediately brings to mind hundreds or even thousands of innocent people savagely slain. With good reason. In the 1937 Nanking Massacre, for example, at least 300,000 people were brutally killed by Japanese troops [source: Nanking Massacre]. In the ancient Massacre of the Latins of 1182, Constantinople's Eastern Orthodox citizens murdered or drove out some 60,000 of the city's Roman Catholic citizens, who controlled Constantinople's maritime trade and financial sector [source: Pegg]. Yet interestingly, despite our common collective image of what a massacre is, the definition of the word is actually a bit vague. Merriam-Webster dictionary states that it's the act of killing "a number" of helpless people via atrocious means, and that the origin of the word is unknown. Since no specific number of deaths is required to consider a group-killing a massacre, it's up to us to decide what is and isn't. Sometimes we've decided based on the number of dead, other times on the sheer brutality involved. If you pore through the annals of history, you'll find massacres of five, 25, 500, and well over 100,000. Here are five of the (thankfully) smallest massacres that have occurred. Julia Roberts wished her niece and fellow actress Emma Roberts a happy birthday on Monday night. 'Happy Birthday to a Gal I love and adore with my whole heart! #yessheismyniece,' the 52-year-old actress wrote to the Scream Queens star, who is the daughter of her actor brother Eric Roberts and Kelly Cunningham. In the shot, which had a confetti-like filter, the Academy Award winner and the upstart actress posed side by side with noisemakers in hand. And many more! Julia Roberts, 52, wished her niece and fellow actress Emma Roberts, 29, a happy birthday on Monday night Julia, who shot to super-stardom playing Vivian Ward in 1990 rom-com Pretty Woman, is close with New York-born beauty, who's also been seen on American Horror Story and in the film We're the Millers. This past October, when Julia turned 52, Emma shared a shot of them posing together with a sweet message for the Hollywood stalwart on the special day. Emma wrote, 'Happy Birthday Aunt @juliaroberts you are the queen! I love you,' to which Julia responded, 'I Love You beyond measure.' Emma last May opened up to Busy Philipps on her former series Busy Tonight about her common bonds with her A-list aunt, who's won one Oscar (for 2000's Erin Brockovich) over four nominations in her vaunted career. Close ties: This past October, when Julia turned 52, Emma shared a shot of them posing together with a sweet message for the Hollywood stalwart on the special day Stylish: The Academy Award-winning actress donned a pine green plaid pantsuit with her wavy blonde locks down and parted as she posed with Moder at an LA gala last month Way back when: Julia and Emma were snapped at a 2010 screening in LA Emma joked that both she and Julia 'have too many teeth when we smile' and it's something people pick up on when she's in a joyous mood. 'When Im talking to someone its like whatever, and then I smile and its like, oh my God, you look just like your aunt!' said the actress. Speaking with the Los Angeles Times in 2013, Julia said that she was proud of how grounded Emma remained after getting into show business. 'When [Emma] comes to stay with us, I always think, "Please let her be the same" - and she is still the same magical girl she used to be,' Julia said. 'I think so much of it has to do with your intentions in taking on a business like this. 'If you have a pure view of what you want to accomplish, I think you can maintain your sense of self.' DUP leader Arlene Foster has rejected Mary Lou McDonald's push for a border poll in the wake of Sinn Fein's election victory. Sinn Fein won 37 seats in the 160-seat Dail, becoming the second largest party and looking poised to enter into government. The party also won the highest number of first preference votes with suggestions had the party ran more candidates it could have secured another 11 seats making it the biggest party in the Irish parliament. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has now warned that the UK must start preparing for a united Ireland, while also stating the next Taoiseach must push for a border poll. Irrespective of the view in Dublin or Brussels, a border poll can only be called by SoS if it appears likely to secure a majority in Northern Ireland. No such circumstances exist in Northern Ireland. 2001 GE 42% for United Ireland 2019 GE 38% for United Ireland Arlene Foster (@DUPleader) February 11, 2020 She also called for the EU to support Irish unification. DUP leader Arlene Foster, however, rejected her calls for a border poll indicating support for a united Ireland had declined in the past two decades. She pointed out that the combined vote for Sinn Fein and the SDLP fell from 42pc in the 2001 General Election to 38pc in the 2019 General Election. "Irrespective of the view in Dublin or Brussels, a border poll can only be called by SoS [Secretary of State] if it appears likely to secure a majority in Northern Ireland," she tweeted. Read More "No such circumstances exist in Northern Ireland." In an interview with BBC Newsnight on Monday, Mary Lou McDonald said Britain and "London in particular" need to start preparing for a united Ireland, because "constitutional change is coming". "The point has been conceded in the Good Friday Agreement by the British state - the presence here is solely on the basis of consent," she added. "That consent can only be tested in a unity referendum and we are going to have a unity referendum, and I want us to do it in an orderly, thoughtful, democratic and absolutely peaceful manner. "Whoever is Taoiseach when all of this plays out needs to make that case very plainly and very clearly to Boris Johnson." Ms McDonald called on the EU to play its part, stating the bloc "needs to take a stand in respect of Ireland in the same way that it supported the reunification of Germany". In the context of Brexit, EU leaders have previously said Northern Ireland would have automatic EU membership upon reunification. Earlier this week, DUP Brexit spokesperson Sammy Wilson argued demands for a border poll would fall on deaf ears. "They are a foreign country, whatever they say about a UK referendum is immaterial. Any demand from the Republic would be seen as an unacceptable intervention," he said. "No amount of shouting can change the fact that there is no appetite for it. "Boris Johnson has been very clear that he won't be giving Scotland a referendum so why would he give Northern Ireland one when that would just invite pressure from the Scottish?" BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: The parliamentary elections were successfully held in Azerbaijan a few days ago, Spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry Geng Shuang said at a press-conference in Baku. Shuang was commenting on the early parliamentary elections in Azerbaijan held on February 9, Trend reports on Feb. 11. In this regard, the Chinese side congratulates Azerbaijan and sincerely wishes the Azerbaijani people further success in the development of the country, spokesman said. "The Chinese side appreciates bilateral relations with friendly and fraternal Azerbaijan, Shuang said. While strengthening mutual support and establishing cooperation with Azerbaijan at the highest level within the One Belt - One Road Initiative, China wants the relations between the two countries to rise to a new level." The parliamentary elections were held in Azerbaijan on February 9. Some 1,314 candidates were registered within the early parliamentary elections. The candidacies of 246 people were nominated by 19 political parties, 1,057 were self-nominated, 11 - by initiative groups. Twenty-one percent accounted for female candidates while 79 percent male candidates. As many as 5,426 permanent polling stations operated in 125 constituencies of the country. Some 883 international observers and 77,790 local observers were monitoring the voting process. Among the local observers, 35,152 were representatives of political parties. International observers represented 58 countries and 59 organizations. SIMI VALLEY, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- California's premiere home buying company Sell Quick California, LLC announced today completion of the company's first home remodeling project in Southern California. The Simi Valley construction project marks the innovative real estate solutions company's launch into the 'home flipping' industry. The company is now seeking new properties for remodel in Ventura, Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Orange, Fresno, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. 2117 Parker Court, Simi Valley, Ca Now available for purchase, the first Sell Quick California remodeled home is located at 2117 Parker Court in Simi Valley. The single-family residence was built in 1972 and features a 7,000 sq. ft. lot, two car garage, and expansive Simi Valley mountain views. Today, it is a modern home with key updates and energy efficient amenities, including smart home technology, granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, recessed LED lighting, and dual-paned windows. It also features solar panels, an outdoor pool, extensive landscaping, and a storage shed. "Sell Quick California is committed to enhancing California's communities by stimulating home sales, improving city tax revenues, and supporting homeowners," said Marc Afzal, CEO, Sell Quick California. "We are proud to share our first home remodeling project with the Simi Valley community as we work to give homeowners the relief they need to sell quickly, no matter the home's condition; and to provide communities and home buyers with enhanced property options. Our renovation team is sharing lessons learned on our website to help future home flippers create positive changes in their own communities." A leading home buying company throughout the state, Sell Quick California offers flexible relief for homeowners by purchasing properties as-is, including homes with water or other property damage. The company provides quick cash sales with 5- to 7-day closings and a simple sales process. Sell Quick California ensures clear, concise and transparent communications in all business dealings and the company values honesty and professionalism in all transactions. Sell Quick California is member of the California Better Business Bureau. Sell Quick California's Modern Home Flip blog, providing tips and tricks to home flippers, can be found here: www.modernhomeflip.com/. To learn more or receive a no-risk, no-obligation offer on your home today, visit: www.sellquickcalifornia.com/. Simi Valley home remodeling project video: https://youtu.be/HXLh9MP_zsY Property details: www.redfin.com/CA/Simi-Valley/2117-Parker-Ct-93065/home/4641653 Media Contact: Marc Afzal [email protected] (866) 497-8248 SOURCE Sell Quick California, LLC Related Links https://www.sellquickcalifornia.com Overall, they asserted, Stone has been convicted of concealing information ultimately determined to be of no investigative value.In the end, the investigations yielded no evidence of the involvement of any American with the Russian government or any agent operating on its behalf to interfere in the 2016 election, they wrote. It is also undisputed that Roger Stone had nothing to do with obtaining the compromised emails or providing them to WikiLeaks. This week, we have a closer look at the history of the death penalty in Luxembourg. The death penalty is (almost) as old as humanity itself. Did you for example know that the first established death penalty laws date back as far as the 18th century B.C.? The Code of King Hammurabi of Babylon codified capital punishment for 25 different crimes. It was only in the 20th century that increasing numbers of countries in the Western world started to abolish a punishment that Amnesty International today describes as "cruel, inhuman, and degrading." Luxembourg was no exception. The death penalty was only officially abolished in 1979 under the remarkable Luxembourgish politician Robert Krieps (fun fact: he's the grandfather of actress Vicky Krieps). The death penalty before 1795 The methods of execution largely depended on the nature of the crime. In 1570, the court in Remich for example declared that criminals may be "executed by the sword, by fire, by the gallows by means of rope or chain, or by drowning in the Moselle river." A decree from the same year established that the execution of the death sentence had to occur within 24 hours after it had been pronounced. The swift execution was meant to serve as a repelling "example to the people." The dead bodies were not buried unless a high-ranking judge gave formal authorisation. Defendants who were found guilty of serious theft, sacrilege, fraudulent bankruptcy or the publication of defamatory material were sentenced to death by hanging. Those found guilty of witchcraft and sodomy were burned. A particularly grisly sentence awaited women found guilty of infanticide: they were usually buried alive. This was for example the fate of young Mariechen from Bauschleiden in north-western Luxembourg in 1574. She was accused of throwing her illegitimate child into a well at night. She was found guilty and buried alive under the gallows in Arlon. Another mother who killed her child was sewn into a sack while she was still alive and then thrown into the Our river in Vianden. Other similar executions took place in Grevenmacher (1555), Luxembourg City (1589), and Diekirch (1594). This list is likely to be incomplete due to lack of historical sources. Under French occupation between 1795 and 1814 French troops occupied Luxembourg in 1795. You guessed right, they brought their beloved guillotine with them. The first execution by guillotine on Luxembourgish soil took place on 24 September 1798. One year later, 14 people who had participated in the Peasant's War (a revolt against the French occupiers in several regions including Luxembourg) were beheaded in Limpertsberg. Other executions took place at the fish market in Luxembourg City. Luxembourg's guillotine / Zinneke at lb.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 lu, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14712184 Under Dutch occupation between 1814 and 1821 This time period has been comparatively peaceful execution-wise. Only three men were sentenced to death for murder. One of them, a miller named Francois Hilbert from Schrassig, was found guilty of murdering his wife. He was the last Luxembourger to meet his end by the national razor in 1821. After 1821 According to various sources, the time between 1863 and 1879 saw an increase of crime in Luxembourg. The increase of crime went hand in hand with an increase in death sentences. Around 20 people were sentenced to death for a variety of offenses. The penal code was amended in 1879 to include mitigating circumstances. As a result, fewer people received the death penalty. After 1945 Execution by firing squad was introduced after World War II for war crimes. 18 people were sentenced to death in this context - 4 German war criminals and 11 Luxembourgish collaborators. Nine of them were executed; the others were pardoned. The last execution of a Nazi collaborator took place in 1949 in Reckenthal. Luxembourg's last death sentence for ordinary crime The last death sentence for ordinary crimes (excluding war crimes) took place on 7 August 1948. Nikolaus Bernardy from Everlingen was found guilty of a veritable massacre near Ettelbruck. He reportedly tied the family who owned the "Windhof" farm to chairs before shooting them in cold blood. He also killed two farm laborers the same day. Police told him 30 minutes before his execution that the Grand Duchess had refused to pardon him. He was executed by firing squad. On a side note, the last person executed in Germany was the East German Werner Teske. He was killed in an East German prison in Leipzig in 1981. In France, the last execution by guillotine took place in 1977 in Marseille. The death penalty today In 2018, Amnesty International recorded at least 2,531 death sentences in 54 countries. Most executions are taking place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and Iraq. According to Amnesty, "China remains the worlds top executioner but the true extent of the use of the death penalty in China is unknown as this data is classified as a state secret." The United States is the only Western country still to use the death penalty. A total of 44,951 pilgrims travelled through the Kartarpur corridor to pay obeisance at Pakistan's Sri Kartarpur Sahib Gurdwara, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, since the opening of the route in November 2019, the Lok Sabha was informed on Tuesday. Union Minister of State for Home G Kishan Reddy said a state-of-the-art integrated Passenger Terminal Building at Dera Baba Nanak and a four-lane National Highway (NH-354B) from Dera Baba Nanak to the international boundary have been built to provide smooth and easy passage to pilgrims throughout the year. READ | PM Modi Holds Cong Responsible For Letting Kartarpur Sahib Stay In Pak A total of 44,951 pilgrims travelled from November 9, 2019 to January 31, 2020 via Kartarpur corridor to pay obeisance at Sri Kartarpur Sahib, he said in a written reply to a question. Further, Reddy said, the passport of the pilgrims is not being stamped by the immigration authorities and the government of India has repeatedly urged the government of Pakistan that it should not levy any fee or charge on the pilgrims. Pakistan charges USD 20 from each pilgrim visiting Kartarpur Sahib. READ | Sikh Devotees Queue Up At Attari Border To Visit Kartarpur Sahib READ | 1,303 Indian Sikh Pilgrims Depart For Kartarpur Sahib In Pakistan TORRANCE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Monday Motorbikes, the California-based electric motorbike company focused on revolutionizing urban transportation, today announced a strategic restructuring to streamline the company's operations and global manufacturing efforts to further support rapid global expansion. Monday Motorbikes Monday Motorbikes has been a pioneer in the electric mobility industry, developing innovative, approachable electric motorbikes inspired by the mopeds and cafe racers of the 1960s and 1970s. The award-winning flagship product the Gen-7 was an instant game-changer in the high-tech transportation sector, providing a fun, easy-to-use product referred to as the "Tesla of electric motorbikes" by TechCrunch. The Gen-7 provides a stylish transportation solution and point of entry to the aspiring motorcycle rider without requiring a license or registration. In November, Monday introduced its Gateway line of lightweight electric mopeds to support the booming popularity of moped-style e-bikes. Building on its successful Gateway Indiegogo campaign, the company recently secured a partnership with Texas-based global micro-mobility solutions company Frog to design and manufacture its new seated electric mopeds that will be deployed in Europe and Central and South America. As the customer experience is at the core of the company's culture, the Monday Motorbikes team wanted to ensure they maintained and increased the exceptional experience to which customers have become accustomed. This led the company to strategically reorganize its internal executive team for its upcoming growth. Intechmia, a leading provider of supply chain dynamics and manufacturing, will lend strategic operational support, leveraging the power of automation and smart manufacturing to pave the way for increased supply chain accuracy and an expanded manufacturing network. This partnership enables Monday Motorbikes to focus on product innovation while lowering development costs and expediting customer fulfillment. "This is a fantastic opportunity to support a company that is at the forefront of change in the global e-mobility landscape," says Scott Ma, CTO of Intechmia. "With surging consumer demand for e-mobility vehicles and the opportunity to develop new models for solving the urban transportation problem, Monday Motorbikes is creating sustainable solutions to tackle the rising mobility issues consumers face in our ever-growing urban populations. We are beyond thrilled to be joining the Monday Motorbikes team at such an exciting time and look forward to working with the executive team and the entire company to strengthen and rapidly expand the business." EV industry veteran Christian Okonsky will become Executive Chairman of Monday Motorbikes. Currently Chairman of Monday Motorbikes, Okonsky will take on a more hands-on expanded role during this rapid period of both financial and international growth. "Monday Motorbikes is perfectly positioned to move into the next phase of growth," said Okonsky. "I will be focused on working with our strategic partners to continuously innovate our processes to deliver high-quality products that meet increased e-mobility industry demands." Co-founder Josh Rasmussen will move to Chief Marketing Officer, expanding the brand globally through his strong business acumen in sales, marketing and product development. Rasmussen has been developing Monday's ever-growing product fleet with the soon-to-be-released "Phoenix." "Monday Motorbikes was founded on the premise of entry-level ridership. The Gen-7 was a great flagship product, while the Gateway further expands the company's shared micro-mobility solutions. Our highly anticipated Phoenix product will provide a cost-effective, mass model in keeping with the high-end design style of our Gen-7, furthering our drive towards new and younger motorcycle enthusiasts," said Rasmussen. "I'm excited to accelerate growth with a renewed focus on expanding sales and marketing initiatives for our current and future product lines." About Monday Motorbikes: Founded and launched out of a garage in San Francisco on a Monday morning in 2015, Monday Motorbikes is defining the future of urban transportation. With over five years in the market developing innovative electric motorbikes, Monday Motorbikes has been advancing the electric mobility space, launching the first electric motorbike with a cafe racer design that does not require a license or registration. Learn more at mondaymotorbikes.com. For media inquiries and further information on the Phoenix release, please contact: Josh Rasmussen, Co-founder and CMO [email protected] (424) 532-1920 Related Images monday-motorbikes-phoenix.jpg Monday Motorbikes Phoenix Related Links Instagram Facebook SOURCE Monday Motorbikes Related Links http://mondaymotorbikes.com In brief: Facebook engineers have revealed in court that the company ignored warnings about a potential security issue for nine months, only to have cybercriminals prove them right in 2018. And while they feel this could have been prevented, the company insists it was taken by surprise. The social giant has vowed to do a better job with users' security, in light of a class action lawsuit that revealed a tale of mismanagement and ignoring repeated warning from employees in the 2018 incident that exposed the personal details of millions of users around the world. According to a report from The Telegraph, Facebook was made aware about the potential security risk nine months in advance, which should have been ample time to prevent a hack that affected more than 50 million accounts and inconvenienced more than 90 million, who were signed out on all of their devices. The incident also affected three million people in the EU, which naturally prompted a thorough investigation by the Irish Data Protection Commission. The Telegraph cites court documents that indicate employees had developed "guilt" and "hurt" after repeated warnings led to no action being coordinated by upper management. Several Facebook engineers expressed their worries over the fact that access tokens -- which are essentially unique identifiers you can use to do things like logging in to third part apps and services -- were an easy target for cybercriminals. The engineers explained that the social giant had released features that use the non-expiring access tokens despite ample evidence that it would be a bad idea. Facebook denies these claims, noting that while it did know about several glitches, it couldn't have known about a possible exploit that combined all of them in a novel way. The company refused to pay damages but promised to improve its security protocols, which will be assessed on a yearly basis by an independent third party. CEO Mark Zuckerberg had been a big proponent of the "move fast and break things" mentality that has lead to many large-scale privacy and security mishaps, but many believe he shouldn't be allowed so much control over users' data. And other CEOs like Elon Musk are open about their disdain for the platform. If we look at what the company is doing right now, the recent work around restoring user agency over their data is certainly an example that Facebook can at least keep some of its promises. However, the company has still a long way to go -- it keeps ignoring glaring vulnerabilities in its services, and user data can still be scraped and shared among cybercriminals in obscure corners of the web. Tajay Thompson, left, who came to the UK aged five, could be deported under plans defended by government minister Rishi Sunak, right (Pictures: PA) A government minister has defended plans to deport 50 people to Jamaica, claiming many of them are rapists and violent offenders. Critics of the proposal said minor offenders are among those to be deported, including a 23-year-old who moved to the UK aged five. More than 170 cross-party MPs have called on the government to halt Tuesdays planned flight, while an online petition to stop the deportations until a report into the Windrush scandal is published has more than 50,000 signatures. Prime minister Boris Johnson, who said it is right that foreign-born offenders are deported, has been under pressure to halt the flight. There is some dispute about the crimes committed by the offenders, with the government insisting a number are serious offenders who have committed rape, manslaughter and murder, while critics of the plan say a number were convicted of non-violent offences and drug offences. Protestors outside the Jamaican High Commission in London to demand that a flight carrying 50 deportees to Jamaica from the UK is stopped (Picture: Getty) A leaked report commissioned by ministers and seen by the PA news agency warned the government that the policy should be reconsidered in all but the most severe cases. Chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak told Sky News on Monday: Many of these people have committed crimes such as manslaughter, rape, other very serious offences. Its reasonable, its proportionate, and something the British people would expect us to do for foreign criminals who have committed very serious crimes who should be sent back to their countries where they have a right to reside elsewhere. Downing Street later revised Mr Sunaks claim that many were serious offenders to some. The prime minister's official spokesman said: "It's correct to say that some of those on board are convicted of manslaughter, rape, violence and drug dealing. "It is long-standing government policy that any foreign national offender sentenced to 12 months or more in prison should be considered for deportation." Labour MP David Lammy told Sky News he knew of eight deportees convicted of non-violent crimes and nine of drug offences. Story continues The Guardian, which has spoken to 13 of those people due to be on board the flight, reported that many have committed only one offence, in many cases drug supply, GBH or joint-enterprise crimes. Read more First Storm Ciara death as driver, 58, is killed by falling tree in Hampshire Briton who caught coronavirus and returned on easyJet flight feared to be super spreader Widow blasts Army after her husband's dead body lay on barracks floor for three weeks The Windrush scandal led to many people who had arrived in the UK from the Caribbean before 1973 being wrongfully detained, threatened with deportation, and in some cases, wrongly deported. Mr Sunak was asked about the case of Tajay Thompson, who is facing deportation to Jamaica having served half of a 15-month sentence in 2015 after being convicted of possessing class A drugs with intent to supply at 17. Mr Thompson, now 23 and living in south London, said he has no links to the Caribbean nation which he has only visited twice since coming to the UK aged five. I feel like I was born here. Jamaica is not my country, Mr Thompson said, insisting he was groomed into a gang as a teenager. Its not like Im a rapist or a murderer, Ive made a mistake when I was 17 and its now going to affect my whole life. Chief secretary to the Treasury Rishi Sunak has defended a plan to deport 50 people to Jamaica (Picture: AFP/Getty) Mr Sunak said he was not familiar with Mr Thompsons case but insisted all due process will have been followed. Lawyers are launching a judicial review in a bid to halt a flight. Duncan Lewis Solicitors, which is representing 15 people due to be on the flight, is expected to file the papers at the High Court and have called for an urgent oral hearing on Monday afternoon to discuss the matter. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: Mr Sunak is misrepresenting the individuals scheduled for deportation tomorrow. Our information indicates that most have been convicted of drugs-related offences, often only once, and several have been groomed into county lines operations. Labour MP Nadia Whittome organised the letter protesting against the Home Office flight which she says is intended to deport people who have been resident in the UK for decades. The fact is that many of the individuals in question have lived in the UK since they were children and at least 41 British children are now at risk of losing their fathers through this charter flight, the Nottingham East MP said. The government risks repeating the mistakes of the Windrush scandal unless it cancels this flight and others like it until the Windrush Lessons Learned Review has been published and its recommendations implemented. Burma Myanmar Military Denies Shelling Villages in Karen State Members of the Karen National Liberation Army in at the groups headquarters in Lay Wah on the 70th anniversary of Karen National Revolution Day in 2019. / Myo Min Soe / The Irrawaddy The Myanmar military has denied accusations from the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 that it fired artillery into Karen villages in Papun District, Karen State in the first week of February. Tensions between the two sides have increased over the militarys rebuilding of a road in the area. Myanmar military spokesperson Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun told The Irrawaddy Tuesday that his troops fired artillery only at a KNLA base and did not shoot into the villages. It was meaningless to say that our army shot artillery into their village. Our army shot artillery where there was a KNLA base only, he said. KNLA Brigade 5 sent a letter to the militarys Southeast Regional Command in Moulmein, Mon State and the Southern Command in Taungoo, Bago Region on Feb. 9, saying that the military fired artillery into the village over 40 times and that many villagers were afraid. The letter also said that the actions of the Myanmar military, known as the Tatmadaw, could destroy trust amid ongoing attempts to work for peace. The Tatmadaw violated the Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement and we strongly condemned the action, the letter said. The Myanmar military reported that they fired the artillery in response to actions by the KNLA, including intermittent attacks. They ambush us to shoot our soldiers sometimes. They planted landmines to kill our soldiers. Therefore, we responded with our attack as we need to protect our soldiers for their security, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun. A Tatmadaw soldier stepped on a landmine and was wounded on Feb. 2 in Nyaunglebin, Bago Region and another soldier was wounded when a group of KNLA soldiers attacked the Myanmar military base in Kaw Mu, Karen State on Feb. 6. Military tensions between the Tatmadaw and KNLA Brigade 5 have escalated as the sides seek an agreement regarding the militarys transportation of food and road construction in the area. KNLA Brigade 5 allows the military to transport food only by horse and on foot in the areas they control in Papun District. The Tatmadaw has rejected the policy and wants to use vehicles for transportation, leading to an ongoing disagreement despite several meetings in Kyaukkyi Township to address the issue. The Myanmar military is allowed to use vehicles to transport rations in KNLA Brigade 3 territory in Nyaunglebin, Bago Region and in KNLA Brigade 2 territory in Bu Sar Hkee, in Bagos Taungoo District. But in Brigade 5 territory, the Tatmadaw is only allowed to transport food by horse and by foot, according to Major Saw Kler Doh from Brigade 5. It was not practical to say to us that we could not transport our army rations with vehicles and that we need to use horses. We do use different means of transportationpeople, mules or vehiclesand we can use them as long as it is not for the military operations, said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun. Maj. Saw Kler Doh said that the Myanmar military informed Brigade 5 this week that they will use only horses and no vehicles. They did not inform us with an official letter. But their officer on the ground informed us that they will use horses for ration transportation. They told us that they use vehicles only in the area where we agreed to let them use it, he said. Clashes have sometimes broken out between the KNLA and the Myanmar army when the army enters KNLA-controlled areas, according to Brigade 5. You may also like these stories: Nine-Year-Old Schoolboy Dies From Alleged Myanmar Military Gunfire in Rakhine State Employers who put workers at risk of serious injury or death will face tougher fines and jail under proposed workplace safety laws that include a new offence of "gross negligence." NSW Better Regulation and Innovation Minister Kevin Anderson said the bill amending the Work Health and Safety Act will increase the penalty against a company whose safety standards result in a workplace death from $3 million to $3.4 million, with further annual increases in line with inflation. Businesses will no longer be able to claim the cost of fines on insurance. Christopher Cassaniti died after scaffolding collapsed on him at a construction site in Macquarie Park. Credit:Facebook/Wolter Peeters SafeWork inspectors will be given increased powers to order workplaces who have disregarded safety standards to stop work until the problems are fixed. Issuing safety notices will also be made easier with delivery allowed electronically or at a persons last known residence and left with a person over the age of 16. Too much time is taken up trying to track down the right people to be able to issue SafeWork notices, so these simple changes mean inspectors can spend more time inspecting, Mr Anderson said. Today Azerbaijan is holding snap elections of the sixth convocation of the Milli Majlis, which are accredited by 883 observers representing 59 international organizations, in particular the Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), CIS, SCO , Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE). French parliamentarian, vice-president of the France-Azerbaijan friendship group, Jean-Luc Reitz, spoke to Vestnik Kavkaza about organization of elections and reforms in Azerbaijan. - What is your impression of the organization of the elections to the Azerbaijani parliament? - Everything is very well organized. We saw lists of all the candidates, all the voting rules, a list of all processes undergoing. We see that a large group of well-trained specialists is involved in the organization. Nothing prevents voters from going into the voting booth to make their choice based on their own preferences. - What is the relationship between the French and Azerbaijani parliamentarians? - It is expected that the new composition of the Milli Majlis will have more young people, more women. Azerbaijani parliament will look more like French. As the vice-president of the France-Azerbaijan friendship group, I often visit Baku. We have formed close ties with this city, and we want to deepen this cooperation even more. A large Armenian diaspora lives in France, so it is important that the French - both society and politicians - can hear the opinion of Azerbaijan and understand its position. We very much hope that French President Emmanuel Macron will be able to visit Baku to establish closer relations, because Azerbaijan plays a very big role in the stability of the region. Now Baku is trying to build its foreign policy, balancing between such large states as Russia, Iran, Turkey. The establishment of strong ties with these states is a great merit of the President of Azerbaijan. - What do you expect from the reforms carried out in Azerbaijan? - Now there is an electoral process that will positively affect relations with France. I would like to emphasize that it took France 200 years to form a real democratic process. I think its completely normal when the country is gradually moving in this direction. 25 years ago, I was an observer here in the elections, and today I see great progress. [February 10, 2020] ClimaCell Opens APAC Offices, Focusing on Japanese Market BOSTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today ClimaCell, the weather technology company, is excited to announce the official opening of its APAC office. With existing offices in Boston, Boulder, and Tel Aviv, the APAC office will support ClimaCell's global expansion and existing demand in the region. With the lack of physical weather stations in the region, ClimaCell's weather-of-things proprietary technology will provide businesses with AI-powered insights taken from millions of sensors. Previously unavailable in APAC, ClimaCell enables companies to automate businesses decisions and actions plans based on how historical, real time, and future weather impacts day to day operations. Founded in Boston in 2016, ClimaCell's business intelligence engine helps businesses plan for the operational impact of future weather before it's too late. ClimaCell's customers include Uber, Delta, Ford, The U.S. Open, and Amazon Web Services. The APAC team will be focused on developing and growing ClimaCell's business, working closely with customers and strategic partners in the region. The office will be headed by Nadav Itach, SVP & Managing Director,APAC. Nadav joins ClimaCell after almost 10 years of experience in setting up and heading business in AsiaPacific. In his last role Nadav was the Managing Director APAC for Trax Retail, a leading global retail technology company. Nadav has extensive experience in the region working in markets such as Greater China, Japan, Australia, India, Korea and SEA. "As the weather becomes more volatile around the world and in APAC there is a growing need for a company like ClimaCell. What's most compelling about ClimaCell is the ability for executives and team leaders to make real business decisions based on future operational impact before it's too late," said Itach. "Our proprietary technology allows companies to harness MicroWeather to improve procedures and protocols based on historical, present, and future weather impact." "When we started ClimaCell three years ago, the APAC region was an area of the world we were most excited to work with," said Shimon Elkabetz, CEO of ClimaCell. "With a growing number of operational business decisions relient on daily weather volatility, we're extremely motivated to bring our weather intelligence engine to the market. The APAC region is a thriving market for ClimaCell's technology and we're fortunate to have Nadav Itach strategically scale up our operations and offerings." About ClimaCell With its AI-powered intelligence engine, ClimaCell automates operational decision making and action plans based on the business impact of historical, real time, and future weather. Having more than doubled its employee headcount in 2019 in addition to 7x revenue growth, ClimaCell is on an aggressive growth path towards revolutionizing the weather industry. Unique to the weather industry, ClimaCell fuses a proprietary big data collection and analysis platform with exclusive modelling techniques to create MicroWeather OS - an array of products that are providing clients hyper local weather data and invaluable business insights to create the best weather intelligence engine for businesses. ClimaCell's patented MicroWeather technology engine is powered by Weather of Things data - wireless signals, connected cars, airplanes, drones and IoT devices. This data is combined with proprietary AI-driven models to help industries such as aviation, construction, energy, on-demand, outdoor events, transportation, UAS and utilities to make better decisions that impact everything from operational efficiency to profitability, safety and the bottom line. SOURCE ClimaCell [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Three men arrested by police investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee have been released. A 29-year-old man was released without charge. Two others, aged 20 and 27, who were also arrested in Londonderry on Monday, were released pending a report to the Public Prosecution Service. A 50-year-old man remains in police custody. Police said their investigation is ongoing after Ms McKee was shot dead in the Creggan area of the city on April 18 as she observed rioting. The New IRA admitted responsibility for the murder, saying she had been shot accidentally by one of its members while they fired at police officers. DUP Foyle MLA Gary Middleton said the arrests were a "positive development" in the police investigation. "The vicious and indiscriminate murder of Lyra McKee by the so-called New IRA was unacceptable and rightly rejected across the board," he said. "It is our hope that such developments can assist in bringing those responsible before the courts and placed behind bars where they belong. "The PSNI has made it clear that the local community still holds the key to answers in relation to this awful crime, particularly in relation to mobile phone footage and first hand witnesses. "We would urge anyone with any information to come forward to the PSNI as soon as possible." Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy renewed his call for the public to help him bring Lyra's killers to justice. "I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved. "I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us," he said. "I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyra's murder." There was widespread condemnation in the wake of the murder which saw DUP leader Arlene Foster join a vigil at the scene of the killing alongside Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald. Ms McKee's funeral heard calls for political leaders to resolve their differences and restore power sharing. Mr Murphy added: "I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. "We saw widescale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice," he said. "I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and while we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist. "I would ask anyone who has mobile phone footage to upload it onto our Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk." The Minority in Parliament has given Government a three-day ultimatum to evacuate Ghanaians living in China in the midst of the deadly coronavirus. The caucus says it is unfathomable that President Akufo-Addo has remained quiet on the matter since the outbreak while his administration seems unmoved by the distress calls of particularly Ghanaian students in China. The Caucus says it is equally minded by the available WHO protocols on evacuations and will insist those protocols are followed in the evacuation process. Minority Spokespersons on Foreign Affairs and Health, Samual Okudzeto Ablakwah and Kobina Mintah Akandoh addressed the press in Parliament this afternoon. We have convened this press conference to renew our demands on the Akufo Addo led government to immediately evacuate our nationals in Wuhuan, particularly students who are stranded and continue to cry out for help. The leadership of this country, cannot be callous, cannot be insensitive when it is about the life of our nation. It is in times like these that we asses the value that leadership places on the life of our citizens. We hereby call on the Akufo-government to immediately evacuate our students, particularly those under lock and key. We have discussed as a Minority and the leadership of the Minority caucus have asked that we give a three-day ultimatum to the Akufo Addo government. They have three days, latest by Friday, the evacuation of Ghanain students should take place and these students should be brought to us. We owe them. We should not be callous and insensitive to their plight, Mr. Ablakwa said while addressing the press. The new coronavirus was first reported in Wuhan, the capital of Hubei province. The city of 11 million was later put on lockdown. The outbreak was declared a global emergency by the WHO on 30 January. There have been more than 40,000 cases of the virus globally, mostly in China. Students desperate for evacuation Ghanaian students in Wuhan have been calling on the government to evacuate them over the novel coronavirus fears. But the government insists it will take its time on the matter and weigh its options. A Ranking Member on the Foreign Affairs Committee of Parliament, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, also complained about the lack of action from the state on the calls. The Special Adviser to the President on Health, Dr. Anthony Nsiah Asare has stressed that the government will not bow to any pressure, despite calls for students to be evacuated. ---citinewsroom Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) Several members of the Philippine National Police are now considering optional retirement after they were included in a list linking them to illegal drugs. PNP Chief PGen Archie Gamboa made the revelation in an interview on CNN Philippines' On the Record Tuesday, saying it was a suggestion which only the individual can decide on. "My very words to them is that look here is an option na pwede niyo tanggalin 'yung hirap sa [you can prevent hardship for the] PNP, because they will undergo a series of validation. There will be a lot of sleepless nights on the part of the validation committee to process all of them. I told them if you are guilty, the more reason you should go for optional retirement. But if you're not and you think you cannot get the justice or the proper clearance to clear your name... I told them you have the option to retire," he said. Gamboa said there were 15 out of the 357 names on the list who were "signifying" taking this option. Of the 15, he said the highest ranking is a brigadier general. "Although seven of them already have orders because they will compulsorily retire this year or some have already opted for optional retirement. There are eight new volunteers " Gamboa said. He clarified however, that optional retirement does not necessarily mean being free of potential cases. "Siguro we do not say that probably they are guilty that's why they're retiring. Kinlaro ko 'yan sa [I made that clear with the] 357 na look when you retire, it doesn't mean to say that you're guilty but you're not yet off the hook. Once you get hooked in drugs, either pushing or using, the full force of the law will still be upon you and you will be transferred to another list that would still be subject for monitoring on the part of the PNP... it's either you go guilty for case buildup or you clear your name. It's as simple as that. When you clear your name, you get delisted. Our recommendation to the President. And if you get listed after because you're positive, then you'll be subjected for case buildup. Yun lang yung [Those are the only] two courses of action of which you can go," said Gamboa. Cases can either be criminal or administrative, he said, and this action is being done to cleanse the ranks of the PNP. Earlier this month, Gamboa ordered the verification of the alleged involvement of 357 policemen in illegal drugs with the PNP chief telling CNN Philippines that these policemen are in President Rodrigo Duterte's drug watch list. Gamboa spoke to majority of these policemen who reported in Camp Crame on February 7, saying the adjudication and validation process will begin on February 10, and that they hope to finish the entire process in a month. The National Adjudication Board will present the final list to Gamboa, which will later on be endorsed to the President for action. Watch the full episode here. Top Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee threatened to fracture a bipartisan investigation into Big Tech. In a letter Monday, Reps. Doug Collins, R-Ga., the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee, and Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., the ranking member on the Antitrust Subcommittee, told Chairman Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., they "will not participate in an investigation with pre-conceived conclusions that America's large tech companies are inherently bad, cannot be allowed to exist in society, and must be broken up." The letter followed comments Nadler made at a fundraising event Sunday. In a video from the event posted by Matt Stoller, a fellow at the Open Markets Institute and advocate for stronger antitrust enforcement, Nadler can be heard talking about "changing the distribution of power" and "breaking up all the large companies." Politico reported that Nadler did not call specifically to break up the tech companies, but instead was speaking broadly about changes necessary to tackle the issue of concentrated market power. Tweet Nadler retweeted the video on his Twitter account, saying, "Concentrated economic power is a threat to both our democracy and our free and open markets," adding that it's important Congress "act where appropriate to address this concern." Tweet Nadler's statements raised alarms for Collins and Sensenbrenner, who said in the letter they "have warned from the start of the Subcommittee's work that this investigation must avoid pre-conceived conclusions. The conclusions you articulated this past weekend have only aggravated our concerns." "America's leaders should not punish tech companies simply because those companies have succeeded that will hurt consumers and stifle innovation. Our online ecosystem is thriving and breaking up large tech companies simply because of their size isn't the answer," they wrote. Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., chairman of the Antitrust Subcommittee, who is leading the investigation of Facebook, Google, Amazon and Apple, has said he hopes the effort will remain bipartisan as it enters the legislative phase. Unlike the investigations by the Federal Trade Commission and Justice Department, the House panel's probe will result in legislative proposals to reform the digital marketplace broadly, rather than impose an enforcement action. [February 11, 2020] 5G-ready Samsung Galaxy S20 Coming to U.S. Cellular U.S. Cellular is kicking off its presale for the 5G-ready Samsung (News - Alert) Galaxy S20 5G, S20+ 5G and S20 Ultra 5G on Feb. 21. Customers can purchase all three devices in-store and online on March 6. These are U.S. Cellular's first 5G-ready smartphones, and customers in both urban and rural areas of Iowa and Wisconsin will be the first to experience them on the carrier's new 5G network. New customers who switch to U.S. Cellular (News - Alert) on an Everyday or Even Better Unlimited Plan can receive $500 off any of the Galaxy S20 devices, and current upgrade-eligible customers can receive $200 off.1 Additionally, eligible customers who preorder Galaxy S20 from U.S. Cellular between Feb. 21 and March 5 will receive a $100 Samsung credit, customers who preorder Galaxy S20+ will receive $150, and customers who preorder Galaxy S20 Ultra will receive $200.2 Prior to any applied promotions, U.S. Cellular will offer the 6.2-inch Galaxy S20 in Cloud Blue, Cosmic Gray and Cloud Pink for $33.30 per month (128 GB), 6.7-inch Galaxy S20+ in Cloud Blue and Cosmic Gray for $36.63 (128GB) and $44.99 (512GB) and 6.9-inch Galaxy S20 Ultra in Cosmic Black and Cosmic Gray for $43.30 per month (128 GB), and $53.33 per month (512 GB), all on 30-month equipment installment plans. "We are excited to offer the Samsung Galaxy S20 line to all of our customers, especially those in Iowa and Wisconsin who will experience our 5G network on city streets, country roads and in their homes with the launch of this device," said Jay Ellison, executive vice president and chief operating officer at U.S. Cellular. "Beyond 5G, the Galaxy S20 is an innovative line of smartphones with breathtaking new features and great photo and video quality. We encourage our new and current customers to check out these devices, so they can benefit as we continue expanding our 5G network." Some of the highlighted features of the Galaxy S20 devices include: Stunning Clarity (News - Alert): The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ have a 64MP camera while the Galaxy S20 Ultra has 108MP camera. With a large image sensor available on the Galaxy S20 series, camera resolution is significantly increased, for more detailed images with added flexibility for editing, cropping, and zooming. Another benefit is that Galaxy S20 takes in more light, so you get rich image quality even in low light situations. The Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S20+ have a 64MP camera while the Galaxy S20 Ultra has 108MP camera. With a large image sensor available on the Galaxy S20 series, camera resolution is significantly increased, for more detailed images with added flexibility for editing, cropping, and zooming. Another benefit is that Galaxy S20 takes in more light, so you get rich image quality even in low light situations. Single Take : Single Take lets you stay in the moment, while you capture the moment. Galaxy S20 can capture a number of photo and videos, such as live focus, cropped, ultra-wide and more, and use AI to recommend the best shot. : Single Take lets you stay in the moment, while you capture the moment. Galaxy S20 can capture a number of photo and videos, such as live focus, cropped, ultra-wide and more, and use AI to recommend the best shot. Space Zoom: With the Galaxy S20's Space Zoom technology, even when you are far away, you can zoom in close. Use up to 30x zoom on the Galaxy S20 and S20+ wth Space Zoom, or step-up to the revolutionary folded lens on the S20 Ultra with 10x lossless zoom for 100X Space Zoom. With advanced crop-zoom technology, S20 users can also capture a shot, crop it and edit it more easily, while maintaining the amazing quality. With the Galaxy S20's Space Zoom technology, even when you are far away, you can zoom in close. Use up to 30x zoom on the Galaxy S20 and S20+ wth Space Zoom, or step-up to the revolutionary folded lens on the S20 Ultra with 10x lossless zoom for 100X Space Zoom. With advanced crop-zoom technology, S20 users can also capture a shot, crop it and edit it more easily, while maintaining the amazing quality. Pro-Grade Filming: Galaxy S20 offers stunning 8K video shooting, so users can capture their world in true-to-life color and quality. Even the bumpiest videos look like they were shot using a gimbal, thanks to Super Steady and its anti-rolling stabilization and AI motion analysis. Galaxy S20 offers stunning 8K video shooting, so users can capture their world in true-to-life color and quality. Even the bumpiest videos look like they were shot using a gimbal, thanks to Super Steady and its anti-rolling stabilization and AI motion analysis. Video Chat on Google (News - Alert) Duo: Video chat more easily with all of the most important people in your life on Galaxy S20. With 5G, Galaxy S20 enhances the video chatting experience through an exclusive, deep integration with Google Duo. Now, from the dialer, you can tap Duo to start a video call and enjoy, for the first time ever, full HD quality.3 Google Duo is compatible across operating systems, so you are not limited in who you can video chat with. Fit the entire family in the frame using the wide lens and talk to up to 8 friends at once. News - Alert) network across the country, and beginning on March 6, customers in hundreds of Iowa and Wisconsin communities can experience U.S. Cellular's 5G network using the Samsung Galaxy S20. This initial 5G deployment is on the company's 600 MHz spectrum and will provide customers with faster data speeds, seamless video chatting and a more responsive mobile experience. It's the first phase of a planned multi-year network expansion for 5G. A 5G Coverage Map will be available on Feb. 12 at https://www.uscellular.com/coverage-locator. For more information about U.S. Cellular's 5G network, please go to uscellular.com/5G. 1Offer requires new qualifying smartphone purchase on a 30-month retail installment contract with $0 Down and 0% APR and Device Protection+. New customers: Port in and Everyday or Even Better Unlimited plan required. Current Customers: Basic, Everyday or Even Better Unlimited Plan and upgrade eligibility required. Discount comes via a monthly bill credit. Credit approval required. Taxes and charges such as USF and RCRF apply. Additional terms apply. See uscellular.com for details. 2Limited time only, while supplies last, consumers can visit http://www.samsung.com/us/promotions for more information. 3Optimal 5G connection required on both devices. About U.S. Cellular U.S. Cellular is the fifth-largest full-service wireless carrier in the United States, providing national network coverage and industry-leading innovations designed to elevate the customer experience. The Chicago-based carrier is building a stronger network with the latest 5G technology and offers a wide range of communication services that enhance consumers' lives, increase the competitiveness of local businesses and improve the efficiency of government operations. To learn more about U.S. Cellular, visit one of its retail stores or www.uscellular.com. To get the latest news, promos and videos, connect with U.S. Cellular on Facebook.com/uscellular, Twitter.com/uscellular and YouTube.com/uscellularcorp. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005744/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Federal High Court in Abuja has barred the electoral commission, INEC, from deregistering some political parties. Justice Anwuli Chikere gave the order on Monday morning following a suit by some of the affected parties. The judge, in her ruling, said INEC failed to counter the application by the applicants whose rights must be protected. PREMIUM TIMES reported how INEC deregistered 74 political parties earlier in February. INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, said the action was in preparation for the coming 2023 general elections. The INEC chairman further said the deregistration followed the poor performance of the parties in the 2019 general elections and court-ordered re-run elections arising from litigations. According to him, the 74 political parties did not satisfy the requirements of the Fourth Alteration to the Constitutional Electoral Act 2010 (as amended). Aggrieved with the decision of INEC, 33 out of the 74 political parties deregistered filed an amended originating summons on October 30, seeking an order of the court to restrain the electoral commission from deregistering them. Upon hearing the application for interlocutory injunction moved on January 23, the judge adjourned to February 17. In her ruling on Monday, Ms Chikere ordered all parties to stay action until the substantive matter is heard and determined. Meanwhile, the lawyer who represented the plaintiffs, Kehinde Edun, said he has filed a motion for a mandatory injunction with an affidavit of urgency asking the court to compel INEC to restore the parties which have already been deregistered. In the substantive matter with suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/444/2019, the plaintiffs asked the court to determine whether the provisions of section 225A b(i), b(ii), c(i), c(ii) and c(iiii) of the 1999 constitution by the 4th alteration act No.9 of 2017 are to be construed disjunctively/alternatively or whether they are to be construed conjunctively. Whether the second defendant (INEC) can exercise any power under section 225A (b) and (c) of the constitution without conclusive and democratic elections being first held and concluded into all constituencies of the federation. Below is a list of the 33 political parties: Advanced Congress of Democrats (ACD) Advanced Nigeria Democratic Party (ANDP) All Blending Party (ABP) All Grand Alliance Party(AGAP) Better Nigeria Progressive Party (BNPP) Democratic Peoples Congress (DPC) Freedom and Justice Party (FJP) Green Party of Nigeria (GPN) Labour Party (LP) Advertisements Mega Party of Nigeria (MPN) National Interest party (NIP) Nigeria Democratic Congress Party (NDCP) Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) People for Democratic Change (PDC) PEOPLES COALITION PARTY (PCP) Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) Re-Build Nigeria Party (RBNP) Restoration Party of Nigeria (RP) United Democratic Party (UDP) United Patriots (UP) We The People Nigeria (WTPN) Young Democratic Party (YDP) Save Nigeria Congress (SNC) Change Advocacy Party (CAP) Socialist party of Nigeria (SPN) African Democractic Congress (ADC) All Grassroots Alliance (AGA) Alliance of Social Democrats (ASD) Democratic Alternative (DA) New Generation Party of Nigeria (NGP) Mass Action Joint Alliance (MAJA) Nigeria for Democracy (NFD) Masses Movement of Nigeria (MMN) The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told Governor Hope Uzodinma that he has no power to stop them from pro... The Imo State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told Governor Hope Uzodinma that he has no power to stop them from protesting against the injustices against them. The party also insisted that it would continue to protest over the outcome of the Supreme Court judgment which removed Emeka Ihedioha as the governor of the state and declared Uzodinma as the rightful winner of the March 9, 2019 governorship election in the state. Governor Hope Uzodinma had last week said he would no longer tolerate any form of protest capable of inciting the people of the state. by the Supreme Court of Nigeria is reviewed and reversed. But, in a statement issued after the partys stakeholders meeting in Owerri, the party said it would also, continue to employ every legal means available to the party to make sure that the unjust judgement given against the party, Governor Emeka Ihedioha and his Deputy Hon. Gerald Ironaby the Supreme Courtof Nigeria is reviewed and reversed. the Constitutional right of her members , to peacefully and publicly show our support to Governor Emeka Ihedioha, his Deputy, Hon. Gerald Irona and our unacceptable tendencies towards the Supreme Court Judgement that ousted Governor Emeka Ihedioha and his Deputy, Hon. Gerald Irona. The statement signed by the partys publicity secretary, Damian Oparah, added, the party shall keep on demostrating/protesting withinthe Constitutional rightof her members , to peacefully and publiclyshow our support toGovernor Emeka Ihedioha,his Deputy, Hon. Gerald Ironaand our unacceptable tendencies towards the Supreme Court Judgement that ousted Governor Emeka Ihedioha and his Deputy, Hon. Gerald Irona. to the popularity of PDP and her teaming supporters in the state. On the recent decamping of some lawmakers and chieftains of the party to other parties, the party said, their action was of no consequencesto the popularity of PDP and her teaming supporters in the state. The party said it would however employ all legal options to recover the seats of all the elected members who left the party. party employ all legal options to recover their seats in the House of Assembly, as the National Secretariate had already declared their seats vacant. The statement said: The Party in Imo State shall in conjunction with the National organs of thepartyemploy all legaloptions to recover their seats in the House of Assembly, as the National Secretariate had already declared their seats vacant. The Stakeholders finally urged all PDP members to remain faithful in the Party and leave all those who have left the party as there are better future in PDP for them than elsewhere, since what the Party is facing now in Imo State is a temporal set back. In Boston and Springfield residents can dial 3-1-1 to reach the citys non-emergency helpline. New Bedford has an app for that. Brockton uses a service called The Helpline. Worcester isnt there yet, but soon, residents could be asking Alexa to pass complaints to City Hall or sliding into the citys DMs with problems. One of the citys 2020 goals announced by Mayor Joseph Petty in his inaugural address earlier this year included developing a non-emergency helpline for residents in Worcester as well as visitors. While other cities already have numbers, text lines and apps, Worcester is looking at an array of Customer Relations Management products or CRMs to better serve its residents. Its the obvious benefit that our citizens have a way to let us know whats going on, a pothole, a dead skunk in the street, theres a tree limb down, City Manager Edward August Jr. said. But then it allows us to collect data and have the ability to take in the data and look at ways to use that data to analyze our performance and improve upon our performance. Eric Batista, the director of the citys Office of Urban Innovation was tasked with developing the best way to implement a non-emergency service line. The office has examined programs from major metropolitan areas from Boston to New Orleans to San Diego. It has viewed strategies in smaller, lesser-known cities across the country that are about the size of Worcester. The services examined involve systems as simple as 3-1-1 calling and texting and as complicated as integrating Amazons Alexa device. Theyve included interaction on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. An app is also a possibility, however, normally it requires residents to communicate through it. Batista said other services allow residents to pass questions or problems to the city using communicative devices theyre already using -- Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Alexa. An app would require residents to download a new form of communication, potentially lessening participation. There are so many products and vendors out there in this space. Our goal is to just provide the best customer service and provide it 24/7, Batista said. It may not necessarily mean that the response is happening right then in the moment, but at least its an opportunity to field that information now. City officials view the solving of problems within the community as only the first step to the implementation of the 24-hour customer service program. The data obtained by the service should allow the city to prevent the issue from recurring. A lot of what we do, especially in a 3-1-1 system, its complaint-driven, Batista said. A lot of that is a reactive approach. Were reacting to that complaint. So how could we even avoid that complaint in the first place? By analyzing the data. Batista used the example of a call coming from the same location in the city every time a storm strikes. Why? How do we find out proactively a way to deal with it? Batista said. There could be a number of ways we can do it, but the data will allow us to be informed ahead of time to make corrective actions. While a downed limb or a pothole may not appear to be valuable information, in the digital age, all data is valuable. Any decision regarding a Customer Relations Management program would include a discussion with the director of cybersecurity. Weve really made (cybersecurity) a priority, Augustus said. The city has a customer service system that was implemented a long time ago, Batista said. It logs complaints and assigns them to be corrected. A new system, however, allows for more interactive and transparent communication. Its all about the public, Batista said. Communicating to them and making sure theyre satisfied with not only the service but the communication. Any service selected will wind up processing thousands of incoming messages annually. From the citys perspective, a new CRM also acts as an outgoing message. The most important people in the city are the residents, Augustus said. The people who live here and pay the bill. Were here to serve them. We want to know how to do better." Related Content As the March 3 (Super Tuesday) primary approaches, here are answers to some of the frequently asked questions by the voters of Cabarrus County. First and foremost, no voter photo ID will be required. In a Dec. 31, 2019, order, a federal District Court blocked North Carolinas voter photo ID requirement from taking effect. Voters will simply state their name, address and party affiliation (required in a primary NCGS 163A-1137) when presenting to vote either during early voting or on election day. Last day to make voter registration changes is past: Feb. 7 was the last day to register to vote or change party affiliation and be qualified to vote on election day, March 3. Changes in the N.C. House Districts: In late November 2019, the new N.C. state legislative map was accepted for use in the 2020 election cycle. For the voters of Cabarrus County, the 82nd District is now the northern end of the county, the 83rd is the mid-southern portion of the county, and the eastern side of the county remains in the 67th District. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The ministry of emergency situations informs that on February 11 as of 08:00 some roads are closed and difficult to pass in Armenia. The ministry told Armenpress that Vardenyats Pass, Saraven-Zanger highway are closed for trailer trucks, but are difficult to pass for the remaining cars. The roads of Kotayk, Gegharkunik, Lori, Syunik, Shirak provinces are partly covered with clear ice. The Georgian side informed that the Stepantsminda-Lars highway is open for all types of vehicles. Drivers are urged to use snow tires. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan At a time when in some parts of Lebanon, the revolution seems to be running out of steam, activists in Akkar (northern Lebanon) -an area where nearly 60% of the population lives below the poverty line-, are in full pursuit of their goals, including carrying out sting operations. Determined to fight corruption, the activists have repeatedly risen up against banks, taken over the local customs office, and have even arrested smugglers on the border between Syria and Lebanon. Activists in Halba, one of Akkars major towns, were organized from the earliest days of the uprising. Each one of them was entrusted with a specific role: media communications officer, treasurer, fundraiser, and many more. Activists from the Halba sit-in tent are in constant coordination with others from the neighboring regions of Jumeh and Abdeh. "We work closely together to organize sit-ins and protests, and to approve press releases issued in the name of the Akkar revolution, said Khaled Nasr, a 27-year-old activist. Ever since the beginning of the popular uprising on October 17, the sit-in in the square has been permanent, and the tent has never been vacant. "The members of our group ensure a permanent presence inside the tent, says Khaled Nasr. "Some of us stand guard at night and sleep during the day, while others come to the square in the early hours of the morning, said the young man, sporting a reddish brown beard, and a slightly creased forehead. "Ever since the tent was set-up, not a minute has gone by without there being at least one protester, he said with pride. "We meet on a regular basis, and we put in place strategies in order to carry out our revolutionary plan of action", indicates the young man, who underlines that he and his companions have committed the majority of their days and nights to this revolution, "because all of us are jobless. According to the activist, out of the 200 or so people who regularly participate in sit-ins and demonstrations, and who range in age from 15 to 30, the only one able to provide for himself is a taxi driver. "As for the rest of us, our future is doomed, and we have nothing left to lose or fear, he said. "A mother, a police station, and a support group" Who are these defiant and tireless young rebels from Akkar who will not allow themselves to lose hope? We are a group of young people gathered around the same objectives. Among other things, we want to see the end of a community-based system, the end of the banking system, and the cancellation of the public debt, said Ghayth Hammud, a red keffiyeh casually tied around his neck, and his hair held up by a headband. Does the group have a Leftist tendency? "No, the group does not have any pre-established political orientation, he replied categorically. Our struggle is simply a class struggle against the 1% of the population who stole the money from the remaining 99%. He adds: The fact that we are perceived as belonging to a left-wing group or to any other, does not bother us the least. Seventeen-year-old Mohammad Terfeh, who was forced to drop out of school because his parents could no longer afford to pay his tuition fees, says that his revolution is against "MPs and ministers". This young man, with a baby-face and a sad pout, is not even in his twenties yet, but has well earned the nickname "Abu Shehab" in reference to a character in the Syrian television series "Bab el-hara", well-known for his courage and strength. Despite his young age, Mohammad, aka Abu Shehab has taken part in all the main revolution incidents, including the takeover of Halbas BLOM bank, on January 3. The demonstrators of Halba believe that that particular event was a turning point in their revolution. "That day, like every other day, we escorted a client to the bank where management offered him three solutions, all of which turned out to be ways of gaining time, before the riot brigade arrived on site, said Mr. Hammud. We then decided to physically take control of the bank once we were told that the customer would not be getting his money. The demonstrators set up mattresses on the floor as they planned on spending the night. In a video posted on Halbas protestors Facebook account, we can hear Mr. Hammud say: "If the security forces have chosen to protect the owners of the banks instead of the people, then we are ready to die here." In another video, we can see the protesters inside the bank, playing cards and chanting a song they named The Anthems Fight Against Banks. After a sit-in that lasted twelve hours, the activists finally won out on behalf of the banks client. "We succeeded in shaming the banking system that has kept the Lebanese people on a leash for more than thirty years, and in ensuring that the client got the exact amount he was asking for!, he said proudly. "When a bank refuses to give people their own money, the residents of the area come to the protesters asking for their help, said Nasr. Step by step, our tent has become a mother, a support group and a police station." "Nothing left to lose" In recent weeks, Akkars activists have broadened their range of action. They decided, to prevent the smuggling of fruits and vegetables, a problem that hurt the livelihood of farmers in the area. Almost two weeks ago, the activists blocked the passage of a truck coming from Syria. When they asked the driver for his customs documents, he presented them with a permit that allowed him to deliver two types of fruits and vegetables that Lebanon does not usually produce during the current season. Wanting to make sure that he only carried these two types of goods, the activists searched his cargo and found out -as they had suspected-, that the driver was in reality a smuggler. As a result, they forced him to turn around, telling him: "Under no circumstances will these products be sold on the Lebanese market, says Hammud. The smuggler did exactly what he was told. The activists then went to the customs control office in the cross-border area of Arida, where they were received by the office director. "He tried to calm us down by telling us that he was against corruption, and that he was a full supporter of the revolution, but nonetheless we asked him to vacate the premises. He went out along with the security agents who, given our number (around fifty) and our determination, did not even try to stop us, recalls Mr. Hammud. Meanwhile, the Lebanese army was brought in. "We gave them two options: either the army would take over the office, or we would do so ourselves as we were fully capable of overseeing it, added the activist. Asked about the reactions of the office manager and the security guards, Mr. Nasr replied ironically: "What security? We are the State!. Isnt this an extremely dangerous statement? "Not at all, he says without any hesitation. "When security officers chose to protect smugglers, while we chose to stand up for farmers, and when security forces protect bank owners while we defend the ones crumbling under the weight of poverty, as well as the ones asking for their own money, then which side represents best the rule of law and justice?, he asked feverishly. Today, the director of the customs control office is still in charge, but the activists remain very vigilant, and continue to keep an eye on the borders in order to prevent potential smugglers from transporting goods that are not in compliance with the agricultural calendar. So far, the protesters confirm that they have successfully stopped 28 smugglers from carrying unlicensed goods into the country, and have sent all of them back to Syria. "We are fixing the loopholes and the corruption that are eroding the offices of customs control, says Nasr. But what is the real fuel behind these activists persistence, strength and audacity? You might not believe us, but we really have nothing left to lose, he says. Our lives are not worth much, so we are not scared of losing them! (This article was originally published in French in L'Orient-Le Jour on the 6th of February) The foreign ministers of NATO members Montenegro and Turkey said relations between their two countries are good, but they vowed to further bolster economic and security ties as well as cooperation in areas such as education, culture, health care, and tourism. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on February 11 during a visit to Podgorica that "Turkey and Montenegro have excellent political relations, and we want to improve our relations in every field." He said Ankara was pleased that major Turkish companies were increasingly looking to the Adriatic country to invest and that "we support them." Turkey's top diplomat called Montenegro an important country for stability and peace in the Balkan region. Both countries are NATO members -- Montenegro joined in 2017, while Turkey did so in 1952 -- and both have aspirations of joining the European Union, although Podgorica's EU effort is further along than Ankaras. "We supported Montenegro in its NATO membership, and our cooperation in NATO and the defense sector will continue. Montenegro deserves EU membership, and if there will be no political barriers, we believe that Montenegro will be an EU member very soon," Cavusoglu said. Last month, Cavusoglu urged the EU to remove "the artificial division" between the Western Balkans and Turkey in the bloc's enlargement policy and slammed Brussels' treatment of Ankara in a letter seen by RFE/RL. "All countries should be treated on an equal footing," he wrote in the letter to new EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell dated January 22. "Aside from the fact that Turkey is a Balkan country by virtue of its history, culture, and geography, every candidate country should be judged on their own merits and under equal circumstances," Cavusoglu wrote. Turkey started EU accession talks in 2005. In recent years, those negotiations have come to a standstill with the bloc critical of Turkey's human rights and rule-of-law record. Meanwhile, Montenegrin Foreign Minister Srdjan Darmanovic thanked Turkey for agreeing to represent Montenegro in 23 countries where Podgorica had not yet established diplomatic missions, mainly in Africa and Asia . Under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Ankara has stepped up its efforts to increase its clout in the Balkans, where many of the countries have historical and religious links with Turkey from centuries of Ottoman rule. About 20 percent of Montenegros population is Muslim. Cavusoglu said that "the comfort of our Muslim brothers in Montenegro is also our comfort. Every Montenegrin Muslim has relatives in Turkey. Muslims and our kin societies are one of our foreign policy priorities." With reporting by RFE/RLs Balkan Service, Anadolu, and Balkan Insight Turkish troops responds Assad regime attacks According to the ministry, 115 Assad regime targets hit in the wake of the attack on Turkish troops. In the wake of another deadly attack on Turkish troops in northwestern Syria, Turkey's Defense Ministry on Monday said its forces rapidly retaliated against the Assad regime under the rules of engagement and its right to legitimate self-defense. On Twitter, the Defense Ministry said that 115 Syrian regime targets were hit and 101 regime military personnel neutralized. TURKISH TROOPS ARE IN IDLIB AS PART OF ANTI-TERROR AND PEACE MISSION Turkish authorities often use the term "neutralized" to imply the terrorists in question surrendered or were killed or captured. The ministry added that three tanks, two howitzer positions, and one regime helicopter were also hit. Turkish troops responds Assad regime attacks WATCH The ministry also said that Turkey's retaliation against the Assad regime will continue under the rules of legitimate self-defense. The ministry said the blood of Turkish martyrs will not have been spilled in vain, wishing Allah's grace upon the martyrs and a speedy recovery to the wounded. It also conveyed its condolences to the families of the martyrs. Earlier Monday at least five Turkish troops were martyred and five injured in an attack by Assad regime forces in Idlib, northwestern Syria. Controversial businessman Vijay Mallyas defence team on Tuesday insisted in the high court of England and Wales that there is no prima facie case against him in India to justify his extradition, as sought by the government of India to face charges of major financial offences. Justice Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing began a three-day appeal hearing against the Westminster magistrates courts 2018 ruling that confirmed there is a case for Mallya to answer in relation to loans taken from IDBI in 2009, and had cleared his extradition. Mallyas lawyer, Claire Montgomery, challenged several aspects of the magistrates courts ruling by judge Emma Arbuthnot, arguing that there are multiple errors of fact and understanding of documents in her judgement. Tuesday was allocated for Montgomerys submission, to be responded to by the Crown Prosecution Service lawyer on behalf of India, Mark Summers, on Wednesday. A ruling is expected on Thursday. According to Montgomery, the ruling by Arbuthnot is flawed, because she allegedly failed to consider all evidence. Moreover, she argued that the lower courts judgement was replete with misconceptions and misunderstandings of documents submitted by India against Mallya. These, Montgomery submitted, related to figures mentioned in accounts of Kingfisher Airlines submitted as part of loan applications, as well as the admissibility of witness statements in the prosecution case. Arbuthnot missed things that would have altered her judgement, she contended. The defences argument remains that Mallyas failure to repay loans was not due to an alleged conspiracy to defraud but due to business failure and economic misfortune that affected the aviation industry at the time. Dr Mallya is not a fly-by-night operator, Montgomery told the judges, as a team of Indian officials from New Delhi and London watched the proceedings in the court. Under the UKs extradition law, a prima facie case needs to be established before a decision can be taken to extradite the requested person. The high court had allowed the appeal on the ground of prima facie case, but rejected others such as risk to his human rights in the Arthur Road jail, inability to get a fair trial in India, the claim that he is being punished for his political opinions, and that there would be a breach of specialty if he were sent to India. Under the India-UK extradition treaty, specialty is a rule that the person sought will be tried only for those offences mentioned in the extradition request and not for others. Montgomery had argued that there would be a breach of specialty if he is extradited, because over 40 cases are ongoing against him in India, many with non-bailable warrants. There is no assurance from New Delhi that the other cases would be dropped if he is extradited, she had argued. Mallya has been on bail since his arrest in London in April 2017. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Pete Buttigieg slammed President Donald Trump and Democratic rival Mike Bloomberg on Tuesday as he waited for results from New Hampshire's primary. The former mayor of South Bend spent the morning dropping off donuts at polling places and doing TV interviews. He told NBC's 'Today Show' that President Trump can't 'figure out what to do with me.' 'I dont think he can figure out what to do with me, and thats fine by me. Im not that focused on this presidents approach because they always do the same thing. Hes going to find a vulnerability, and if he cant, hell make one up,' Buttigieg said. Pete Buttigieg and Rep. Annie Kuster carrying doughnuts to supporters while visiting a polling station outside Hopkinton High School in New Hampshire Buttigieg supporters rally for their candidate at Webster Elementary School's polling place in Manchester Pete Buttigieg hugs a supporter at a Nashua, N.H., polling location President Trump has mocked Buttigieg Trump attacked Buttigieg last week during an economic speech in North Carolina when he was mocking the Democrats for their mangled Iowa caucuses, which failed to produce a clear winner when a counting app didn't work. 'It turned out to be Pete Buttigieg. Who ever the hell that is? Mayor Pete,' Trump said. 'Somebody explain that one to me. Have you ever seen anything so crazy?' Buttigieg is running second in polling on the New Hampshire primary as Bernie Sanders has surged to first and Amy Klobuchar is closing in on third place. Buttigieg did a round of TV interviews, talking to the Today Show Buttigieg also stopped by the 'Morning Joe' set But after this first round of Democratic voting - Nevada and South Carolina are next - comes the mighty Super Tuesday. Fourteen states and a third of delegates needed for the nomination are up for grabs that day. Bloomberg has invested his time and money in those areas. 'I don't have billions of dollars to put on the air waves,' Buttigieg told the 'Today Show.' 'We have to earn every vote going through the process, beginning in the early states, where you show versus tell.' Bloomberg is self-funding his campaign. The billionaire former mayor of New York has dropped $300 million so far on the contest and there are estimates he could spend up to $1 billion. In his last campaign rally Monday night, Buttigieg lobbed a final attack on Bernie Sanders and agreed with a voter who complained 'f***' when the former mayor talked about President Donald Trump. Buttigieg made his final plea to New Hampshire voters ahead of the state's crucial primary, bringing in actor Kevin Costner to introduce him to voters before the polls open. The former South Bend mayor launched dual attacks - against Sanders who has taken the lead in the polls on the Democratic Party in New Hampshire and against President Trump, who held a mile 30 miles down the road in Manchester. When Buttigieg started to tear into Trump's federal budget plan, a vocal voter in the crowd yelled: 'F***.' 'Well said,' Buttigieg responded as the audience whooped and cheered. Pete Buttigieg agreed with a voter who complained 'f***' when the former mayor talked about President Donald Trump Buttigieg attacked President Trump's budget plan, which was released on Monday He told voters Trump 'thinks we're suckers.' 'The President thinks we are suckers,' he said. 'And this is our chance to send a completely different message that he will hear.' His comments came as he slammed Trump's $4.8 trillion budget proposal, which was released by the White House on Monday and slashed social safety net programs like food stamps and the Children's Health Insurance Program. His 'budget shows the exact opposite' of what he promised, Buttigieg said fo Trump. 'Wouldn't it be nice to put the chaos behind us?' he asked voters, who cheered 'Pete, Pete, Pete.' In his last rally before the primary voting starts, Buttigieg also lobbied a grenade at Sanders, who has raced ahead of him in the polls in the past two days. 'And that's where I parted ways with my friend Senator Sanders, who has a different approach. I'm concerned that the idea that you got either be for a revolution, or you must be for the status quo, paints a picture where most of us cant see ourselves,' he said. Actor Kevin Costner campaigned for the former mayor Buttigieg also lobbied a final attack on Bernie Sanders, who is leading in the polls The pressure is on Buttigieg, who came out Iowa in the lead but has seen his polling numbers drop to second place. The youngest candidate in the field, he declared himself the winner of the chaotic Iowa caucuses and went on the victory tour stopping by all five Sunday morning political affairs shows, doing national TV interviews, and posting record crowd numbers at his New Hampshire rallies. And, like any frontrunner, he became a target. Buttigieg was the main punching bag for other Democrats at Friday night's debate in Manchester. Joe Biden and Amy Klobuchar teamed up to hit him on his lack of experience the former South Bend mayor has never held national office and Bernie Sanders knocked him for taking donations from wealthy contributors. At times during the debate, Buttigieg a Rhodes scholar who speaks seven languages looked shocked to be under going the kind of criticism he probably rarely has heard from adults in the room. He has soldiered on but now he needs a win on Tuesday. Candidates spent the final day of campaigning racing across the state before ending with their big closing rallies. Buttigieg had three events on Monday. And voters are making the rounds to check out the candidates. Polls have showed a third of New Hampshire voters remain undecided, making the last 24 hours in the state crucial for the candidates ahead of Tuesday's primary. Buttigieg and Sanders attacked each other directly on Sunday as they criss crossed the state. 'I'm running against some guys, Pete Buttigieg, who have raised campaign funds from over 40 billionaires,' Sanders, 78, told a crowd of nearly 600 supporters in Hanover, repeating his criticism of the former mayor's donors that he's been using for the past week. It's a charge his supporters have taken up. At a Democratic Party event in Manchester Friday night, Sanders supporters booed Buttigieg, 38, during his remarks and blasted him as 'Wall Street Pete.' Five new polls out on Sunday showed Sanders leading Buttigieg in the state: by 7 points in a CNN poll; 3 points in a Boston Herald poll; 2 points in a Boston Globe poll; 10 points in an Emerson University poll and 4 points in a CBS News poll. And Buttigieg also attacked Sanders by name when he was on the stump. The former mayor of South Bend attacked Sanders for his talk of a 'revolution,' saying most people don't share that vision. 'I respect Senator Sanders, but when I hear this message go out that you're either for a revolution or you got to be for the status quo, that's a vision of the county that doesn't have room for most of us,' Buttigieg said. He also criticized Sanders' Medicare-for-All universal healthcare plan. 'What we could do without is a plan so expensive that Senator Sanders himself freely admits he has no idea how it's supposed to be paid for,' he said. Buttigieg also drew fire from Klobuchar and Biden about his lack of experience - he has never held national office - but he has fought back by arguing 'mayors get things done.' Biden launched a vicious attack on Buttigieg over the weekend. 'I do believe we're a party at risk if we nominate someone who's never held an office higher than mayor of South Bend, Indiana,' the former vice president told a crowd at the Rex Theatre in Manchester Saturday afternoon. Bernie Sanders is leading almost all polls in New Hampshire Joe Biden has dropped to fourth place And at an event later in the day he said of Buttigieg, 'This guy's not a Barack Obama.' And his new ad, which put the two candidates' records side-by-side, was tougher on Buttigieg than the digs Biden deployed onstage. The campaign has been pushing the ad on social media, where it's racked up $2.7 million views on Twitter and 69,000 views on Facebook. While Biden helped get the Affordable Care Act passed giving healthcare to 20 million Americans, the ad boasted, Buttigieg 'installed decorative lights under bridges giving citizens of South Bend colorfully illuminated rivers.' And while Biden saved the auto industry after the 2008 crash, the spot said, Buttigieg 'revitalized the sidewalks of downtown South Bend by laying out decorative brick.' WASHINGTON - A federal judge Monday dismissed a lawsuit brought by historians and watchdog groups to compel the White House to preserve records of President Donald Trump's calls and meetings with foreign leaders, saying Congress would have to change presidential archiving laws to allow the courts to do so. Federal courts have ruled that the Presidential Records Act is one of the rare statutes that judges cannot review, and that another law, the Federal Records Act, does not specify exactly how agency heads should preserve records, U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson said in a 22-page opinion. "The Court is bound by Circuit precedent to find that it lacks authority to oversee the President's day-to-day compliance with the statutory provisions involved in this case," Jackson wrote of the U.S. Court of the Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. However, the judge added, "This opinion will not address, and should not be interpreted to endorse, the challenged practices; nor does it include any finding that the Executive Office is in compliance with its obligations." Jackson said that though those who brought the lawsuit allege Congress expressed "grave concerns" about the practices at issue, it is Congress that has the power to "revisit its decision to accord the executive such unfettered control or to clarify its intentions." The lawsuit was filed in May by three organizations - government watchdog group Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), the National Security Archive at George Washington University, and the Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR). The groups alleged that the White House was failing to create and save records as required of Trump's meetings and communications with foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un. The lawsuit preceded Congress's impeachment inquiry into the White House - which ended last week in a Senate acquittal - that was triggered by a July 25 phone call in which Trump asked his Ukrainian counterpart to investigate unsubstantiated corruption allegations against former vice president Joe Biden, a leading Democratic presidential candidate, and his son Hunter Biden. The groups suing had asked unsuccessfully for an emergency ruling, citing allegations that the episode exposed record-keeping practices "specifically designed to conceal the president's abuse of his power," CREW said in a statement. The groups sought a court order to ensure that records are not destroyed, misfiled or never created. In a statement, CREW spokesman Jordan Libowitz said the watchdog was "disappointed to see today's ruling" but is considering an appeal. Thomas Blanton, director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University said it would "certainly appeal." "Congress assumed presidents would want to save their records. Even [Richard Nixon] saved the tapes," Blanton said, referring to Oval Office audio recordings that helped expose the Watergate scandal and led to that president's resignation. Lawmakers also must decide whether they will give archiving laws "teeth," making them enforceable and subject to congressional oversight, he said. The Justice Department had moved to dismiss the lawsuit, saying appeals courts have precluded courts from weighing in on presidents' compliance with the archiving law. Without conceding their arguments for dismissal, department lawyers in October promised the court that the White House would not destroy records of Trump's calls and meetings with foreign leaders while the lawsuit was pending. Justice Department lawyers also said the government had "instructed relevant personnel to preserve the information" sought. They include records of communications with foreign leaders, record-keeping policies and practices, White House or agency investigations into such matters and efforts to return, "claw back" or "lock down" such records. The suing groups say the White House and other executive branch officials have mismanaged records of politically sensitive Trump conversations. They cited reports that Trump has met several times with Putin with no note-takers present or official U.S. record created, and that Trump "confiscated" a State Department interpreter's notes after another meeting. They also cited a Trump meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Vietnam, where only two interpreters were present and no official record was created. The absence of records risks "real, incalculable harm" to national security and effective foreign policy by depriving policymakers and historians of a documentary record of actions taken under federal law, the groups argued. Representative Image A 20-year-old man, believed to be the son of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Kalikho Pul, has been found dead in the bedroom of his flat in the coastal town of Brighton in south-east England. Shubanso Pul was found dead by the local police officials on Sunday, who said there were no suspicious circumstances around the death which seems to imply a possible suicide. "At 3.41pm on Sunday (February 9) police were called to an address in Falmer where a 20-year-old man was found dead in a bedroom, an East Sussex Police statement said. "There were no suspicious circumstances. The coroner for Brighton and Hove has been informed, the statement added. The coroner will now open an inquest into the death, which is when the cause of death will be confirmed. Shubanso, the son of Pul with his first wife Dangwimsai Pul, was reportedly a student at the University of Sussex. Meanwhile, his family in Itanagar is trying to get in touch with the Indian High Commission in the UK to bring Shubanso's body to India. With the support of a few elected members of the Congress and the BJP, Pul became the chief minister for a brief period in 2016. However, the Supreme Court ruled against the appointment, leading to his ouster. He himself was found dead in his official chief ministerial residence in Itanagar on August 9, 2016, with an alleged suicide note. While Dangwimsai Pul, the first wife, had moved the Supreme Court seeking a probe into the death and allegations of massive corruption mentioned in her husband's suicide note, the BJP gave a ticket to his third wife, Dasanglu Pul to contest the by-elections from Hayuliang, which she won. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 21:47:08|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Lebanon's civil defense announced on Tuesday that the number of protesters who were injured in clashes with security forces in Beirut's downtown reached 280, Al Jadeed local TV channel reported. Around 241 injuries were treated on the spot while 39 were transferred to hospitals. Thousands of Lebanese took to the streets on Tuesday to prevent parliament members from reaching the parliament to pass a confidence vote for Prime Minister Hassan Diab's cabinet. However, the parliament succeeded to convene which escalated the tension in Beirut's downtown. The Lebanese have been continuously protesting against the current ruling political class since October 2019, hoping to overhaul the political system. Dawood Ibrahim's aide Tariq Parveen has been sent to police custody till February 13 by Esplanade court here in connection with an extortion case. Speaking to reporters, Tariq's lawyer Quresh Aftab, said: "A complaint was filed against Tariq in 2013 in connection with an extortion case. However, he has nothing to do with it. The police are doing all this just to take him under remand. We do not understand why the police have not taken any action regarding this case in the past six to seven years." "If Ibrahim is involved in the extortion case then why have the police not taken any action so far? He has not been issued any notice or summon," he added. Tariq was arrested by Mumbai Crime Branch on Sunday from Dongri area. "Tariq Parveen, a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested from Dongri today, in connection with an extortion case," said S Rastogi, Joint Commissioner of Police, Mumbai. He added that Tariq was arrested as per the inputs received from another accused in an extortion case. "Ejaz Yusuf Lakdawala (arrested earlier in an extortion case) had revealed that Tariq used to help him with the extortion," Rastogi said. The arrest was made by the Anti Extortion cell of the Mumbai Police, based on a complaint lodged at the MRA Marg police station. Apart from Tariq, the names of Dawood Ibrahim and his associates Ejaz Lakdawala, Salim Furniturewala have also been included in this FIR. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Emgold Mining Corporation (TSXV:EMR) (OTC:EGMCF) (FRA:EMLM) ("Emgold" or the "Company") announces it has signed an Earn-In with Option to Joint Venture Agreement (the "Agreement") with Kennecott Exploration Company ("Kennecott"), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto PLC (RIO:L) (RIO.AX) (RIO.N), for the New York Canyon Property, Nevada (the "Property"). The Property hosts both copper oxide skarn and copper-molybdenum-gold-silver sulfide porphyry mineralization in three known targets - Longshot Ridge, Copper Queen, and Champion. Kennecott can earn up to a 75% interest in the Property by completing US$22.5 million in exploration expenditures. Key points of the Agreement include: Kennecott will have an option (the "First Option") to acquire a 55% undivided interest in the Property by incurring US$5.0 million in expenditures over a 5 year period, of which US$1.0 million is a committed expenditure that must be completed prior to the 18 month anniversary of the Agreement. Kennecott will have a second option (the "Second Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 65%) by incurring an additional US$7.5 million in expenditures over a 3 years period. Kennecott will have a third option (the "Third Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 75%) by incurring an additional US$10 million in expenditures over a three year period. Any expenditure in excess of an option expenditure requirement in a given time period will be credited against subsequent option expenditure requirements. Kennecott may, at any time or from time to time, accelerate its satisfaction of the First, Second, or Third Option by paying Emgold money in lieu of incurring expenditures. While earning in, Kennecott will have the right to make exploration and development decisions. Kennecott must maintain the Property in good standing during the option period(s), including payment of BLM and County maintenance fees and any underlying property payments due to Searchlight Resource Corporation ( TSXV: SCLT ) (" Searchlight "). Emgold currently has an underlying agreement to acquire a 100 percent interest in the New York Canyon Property from Searchlight, which required three payments over an 18 month period totaling CDN$300,000 (see Emgold's July 16, 2019 press release). ) (" "). Emgold currently has an underlying agreement to acquire a 100 percent interest in the New York Canyon Property from Searchlight, which required three payments over an 18 month period totaling CDN$300,000 (see Emgold's July 16, 2019 press release). Kennecott will have the right to elect to form a joint venture (the "Joint Venture") with Emgold upon completion of either the First, Second, or Third Option. Upon establishing a Joint Venture each participant will fund the joint venture according to its participating interest, with Kennecott acting as the Manager of the joint venture. If a party's participating interest falls below 10%, then such parties participating interest will be converted to a 1% Net Smelter Royalty, capped at US$25 million. In addition, Kennecott has staked 265 unpatented mineral claims at New York Canyon. This is in addition to Emgold's 152 unpatented mining claims and 21 patented mining claims. The 417 unpatented claims and 21 unpatented claims, totalling approximately 8,700 acres, are now combined under the Agreement and make up the Property. David Watkinson, President and CEO of Emgold stated, "The Agreement with Kennecott represents another successful example of Emgold's business strategy of acquiring assets, adding value and monetizing them through sale, option, joint venture or other business transactions. In this case, we are pleased to have Kennecott earn-in and, if successful, become a joint venture partner with Emgold and take the leadto advance New York Canyon." Qualified Person Robert Pease, C.P.G., a qualified person under the NI 43-101 instrument, has reviewed and approved the content of this press release. About Emgold Emgold is a junior gold and base metal exploration company focused on Nevada and Quebec, the #1 and #4 jurisdictions for mining investment according to the Fraser Institute's Annual Survey of Mining Companies, 2018. The Company's strategy is to look for quality acquisitions, add value to these assets through exploration, and monetize them through sale, joint ventures, option, royalty, and other transactions to create value for our shareholders. Our Nevada properties, owned or under option, include Golden Arrow, New York Canyon, Mindora, Buckskin Rawhide East, Buckskin Rawhide West, and Koegel Rawhide. Our Quebec properties, owned or under option, include Casa South and a 50% interest in the East-West Property (with option to increase ownership to 55%). The Casa South Property is adjacent to Hecla Mining Corporation's (NYSE: HL) operating Casa Berardi Mine. Buckskin Rawhide East is an inlying property to Rawhide Mining LLC's operating Rawhide Mine. East-West is adjacent to and on strike with Wesdome Gold Mine Ltd.'s (TSX: WDO) Kiena Complex (past producing Kiena Mine) and Osikso Mining Corporation's (TSX: OSK) Marban Block (past producing Marban, Norlartic, and Kierrans Mines). Note that the location of Emgold's properties adjacent to producing or past producing mines does not guarantee exploration success at Emgold's properties. Emgold also has a strategic share investment in Troilus Gold Corporation (TSX: TLG) which is advancing the Troilus Gold Project in Quebec. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's website at www.emgold.com or view the Company's filings available at www.sedar.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors David G. Watkinson, P.Eng. President & CEO For further information, please contact: David G. Watkinson, P.Eng. Tel: 530-271-0679 Ext 101 Email: info@emgold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws. The Company's Canadian public disclosure filings may be accessed via www.sedar.com and readers are urged to review these materials, including any technical reports filed with respect to the Company's mineral properties. SOURCE: Emgold Mining Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575974/Emgold-and-Rio-Tinto-PLC-Kennecott-Exploration-Sign-Earn-In-with-Option-to-Joint-Venture-Agreement-for-the-New-York-Canyon-Property-NV A Butte man talked himself into a harsher sentence Monday by suggesting his contact with a prior assault victim was a two-way street, a quip that angered District Court Judge Kurt Krueger. Prosecutors had recommended in a plea deal that 24-year-old Levi Joseph Anderson spend nine months in a Montana Department of Corrections program called Pine Hills, then get a deferred four-year sentence and be allowed to move to Colorado. Anderson was accused of tackling a girlfriend outside his apartment on May 18, 2019 and repeatedly whipping her in the face with a set of keys and bottle opener on a lanyard. He pleaded guilty to assault with a weapon in that case but was recently arrested for allegedly violating protective orders by continuing to contact the woman. The young woman told Krueger Monday that she still fears for her safety and suffers emotionally from the incidents. She had curled up in a ball to protect herself during the attack but sustained bruises, swelling and cuts to her face, police said. Under the plea agreement, Anderson would spend time in the Pine Hills program and then move to Colorado to serve probation under a four-year deferred sentence. If defendants follow probation terms under deferred sentences, they can have the convictions wiped from their record. And Krueger seemed inclined to go along with the plea agreement and deferred sentence at first. But when answering a few basic questions, Anderson told Krueger he wasnt the only one who made contact in violation of protective orders, implying that the victim had an equal role in that. Krueger, clearly angry, cut him off by saying, If you want to go down that road, if you dont want to take accountability, before standing up abruptly and asking prosecutor Mike Clague and defense attorney Kaitlyn Lamb to follow him to his chambers for a private talk. That didnt last long and when Krueger returned to the bench, he threw his glasses down on his desk, picked them up and said to Anderson, You determined your sentence here today. You persuaded the court not to impose a deferred sentence. Instead, Krueger sentenced him to four years in custody of the Montana Department of Correction and ordered him to pay $5,490 in restitution. You could not even take accountability for your relapsed in judgment, he said. Anderson was returned to jail where he will await transfer to the DOC. You must be logged in to react. Click any reaction to login. Love 3 Funny 3 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Storming the internet faster than a Staten Island groundhog on kale is the debut of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Topping. And while you can score a 20.7-ounce jar of the electric orange seasoning at BJs across the bridge or on Amazon for $8.69, it cannot be found on Staten Island store shelves. And customers have been asking for the product, according to a staffer at Key Food in West Brighton. What is this new thing exactly? On the ingredient panel weve got whey, milk fat, milk protein concentrate, salt, sodium phosphate, enzymes and cheese culture, plus a bunch of seasonings for color -- paprika, turmeric and annatto. Turn it into a sauce. Keep it as a sprinkle. Put a little bamm! in your bowl, as Krafts serving recommendations include a dusting over veggies, baked potatoes, popcorn, burgers and peas. The powder powers umami, that indescribable, savory appeal to our tastebuds that determines a food to be yummy. With no such toothsome topping available to us in borough markets just yet, a quick poll of palates pointed to other sumptuous sources. Jac Mao of Jac Mao restaurant in Dongan Hills looks to furikake -- sesame seeds, seaweed flakes and salt -- to blow up flavor on don aka Japanese rice dishes. He also points to the yum of salmon roe on top of sushi that pops in the mouth with brine. - Jac Mao's dumplings and Staten Island sushi roll. (Staten Island Advance/Pamela Si Akis Iliopoulos, owner of the Staten Island Diner, said he believes that nutmeg ignites a powder keg of flavor in certain Greek dishes -- creamy pastitsio, bechamel sauces and moussaka. I dont know. Nutmeg gives it a little zing, said the Akis Man of the je ne sais quoi flavor sensation. Jon Salmon of Salmon Real Estate in Castleton Corners said he likes parmesan cheese and puts it on everything. He added he loves the salt and crunch from Durkee fried onions. Now I havent had the potato sticks lately, he confessed on Frenchs cans of stick with a kick. He added, Its just pure engineered deliciousness. (Bloomberg) -- Brandless Inc., a direct-to-consumer personal care and packaged goods company, is closing down. Brandless will stop taking orders and cut about 70 employees, less than two years after SoftBank Group Corp.s Vision Fund said it would invest $240 million in the startup. Im proud of what we created at Brandless, Interim Chief Executive Officer Evan Price said in a statement, adding that it had become to difficult for the company to compete in the direct-to-consumer market. I'm confident the next great brands of tomorrow will be built from this experience. The closure marks an embarrassing failure for SoftBank, which is struggling with other investments made by its $100 billion tech fund, including Oyo, Uber Technologies Inc., and most notably, WeWork. SoftBank bid up the valuation of WeWork parent company We Co. to $47 billion before a failed attempt at an initial public offering sent its value plummeting and forced the Japanese conglomerate to bail out the co-working startup. Uber, another major investment, is trading below its IPO price and faces mounting regulatory pressure from governments, although it has said it expects to turn a profit this year. Brandlesss board had been evaluating its position for several weeks and ultimately decided to shut down and use the remaining cash for severance for employees, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified discussing private information. The company is cutting all of its staff except for about 10 employees, who will say on to fulfill outstanding orders, handle customer questions and the like. The news was earlier reported by tech site Protocol. The Brandless website will no longer accept orders starting Monday, although all existing orders will be delivered and customer service will remain available. In a statement, Brandlesss board said the direct-to-consumer market is fiercely competitive and ultimately proved unsustainable for their business model, but added that employees work on sustainability and health products moved an entire industry forward. Story continues Brandless started shipping consumer staples, mostly at prices around $3 apiece, in 2017. SoftBank invested the following year after its chief executive, Masayoshi Son, inspected an array of its productsfrom olive oil to eyelash curlersflown to Tokyo for his perusal. At the time, the Vision Fund was stunning Silicon Valley with investments like $2.5 billion into Indias Flipkart and another $2.25 billion into General Motors Co.s autonomous vehicle business, Cruise. The Vision Fund paid out about $100 million of its promised investment into Brandless up front, according to a person familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified because the details of the deal were private. But a promised second tranche never arrived as the company struggled to hit targets while building out its own warehouse and distribution network. Co-founder Tina Sharkey stepped down as CEO last spring, and the company pivoted to selling CBD, or cannabidiol, products, which tap an ingredient in cannabis to help lessen anxiety and promote better sleep. The CEO who spearheaded that plan, John Rittenhouse, stepped down in December. (Updates with the amount SoftBank invested in Brandless in the penultimate paragraph. ) To contact the author of this story: Sarah McBride in San Francisco at smcbride24@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Anne VanderMey at avandermey@bloomberg.net, Mark Milian For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Chrissy Teigen is so hot right now. Literally. The 34-year-old mother of two has become the undisputed queen of social media and gained quite a following thanks to her candor and wit. Teigen is unashamed to give fans a glimpse into her real life even the messy parts and poke fun at herself and her superstar husband, John Legend. Teigen may be a stunning supermodel, but she acts like she might be your best friend, too. Teigen is outspoken with her opinions on topics ranging from politics to the best midnight snack options. The one item she never leaves home without may be unexpected. But wed expect nothing less from her. Chrissy Teigen | starzfly/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images Chrissy Teigen travels all the time Like so many celebs, Teigen is almost always traveling for work or pleasure. She explained that celebrities have it easier than most folks thanks to a members-only airport terminal which allows them to skip the typical long lines in security. They do the same security privately and take you to the plane in a car, she tweeted during an AMA. I know. I know. Couple that with her household staff, including four part-time nannies, and its easy to see why Teigen is living the good life. And like so many other A-listers, she has very specific demands when it comes to travel like her surprising travel companion condiment. She always stashes one strange item in her purse Whats in Teigens carry-on? The answer may surprise you. I travel with mini Cholulas, mini Sirachas, and mini Samba Oeleks, she told Travel + Leisure. You can get like 500 [on Amazon] for like eight bucks. So I have a handful of each. The variety of brands is for a very specific purpose, too. According to Teigen, who published a cookbook in 2018, certain hot sauces should be paired with particular meals. I hate when people serve you Tabasco with dinner, she continued. Im like Tabasco is a breakfast hot sauce; Cholula is a breakfast hot sauce; Siracha is a dinner hot sauce; Samba Oelek is a dinner hot sauce. There are different hotsauces! Teigens pantry further highlights her devotion to hot sauce The former model recently shared photos of her newly reorganized pantry on Instagram and fans couldnt help but notice her extensive collection of hot sauce there. Not only did her many varieties take up a whole section of her pantry, but also, they were stashed on a lazy Susan for easy access. And yes, she really does put it on everything. In an interview with Food & Wine, Teigen admitted she has a small tweak to John Legends fried chicken recipe. I love my husbands fried chicken, but I took it to the next level by swiping it with Cholula honey butter Im a total hot-sauce freak, she admitted. A wonderful mystery woman sent me this hot sauce with my face on it years ago. pic.twitter.com/YeD4pKcxxu christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) August 17, 2017 And it gets weirder. Teigens legendary love of hot sauce inspired one super fan to have a bottle of it personalized with her face on it. Its a little thoughtful, a little creepy, and ultimately is the type of weird and wonderful gift Teigen would appreciate. A conman father who set up a cult in his daughter's college dorm room and divided her group of friends, allegedly by sexually manipulating them, has been charged with sex trafficking among other crimes. Lawrence Ray, 60, was charged on Tuesday with physical and psychological threats and coercion, extortion, forced labor, sex trafficking and money laundering. Authorities say he managed to extort $1million from five of the victims' families for over a period of nearly a decade. Of that money, $500,000 came from forcing one of the girls intro prostitution. He also instructed another of the students to drain $200,000 from their parents' savings account, and told others to open lines of credit for him or borrow from people they knew. When he was arrested in New Jersey on Tuesday, two of the alleged victims were in the home with him. Ray's his alleged crimes were laid bare in an expose in The Cut where several of the students he is said to have abused spoke about how he infiltrated their group then destroyed it. Prosecutors on Tuesday said that The Cut's article prompted their investigation. In the expose, the students told how Ray forced them into a 'self-improvement' program which disguised the abuse after moving into their shared home in Bronxville, New York, near Sarah Lawrence College after being released from prison in 2010. He had spent six months in prison for breaching the terms of his custody agreement with his ex-wife. Scroll down for video Lawrence Ray, 60, in his mugshot that was released on Tuesday. Police say he tortured victims over 10 years and subjected them to 'unspeakable' abuse through psychological , sexual and physical manipulation 'Ray targeted a group of college students for indoctrination and criminal exploitation. 'Ray lived with some of the victims, first in on-campus hosing at a college in Westchester County, New York, and thereafter at locations in Manhattan, New York, Pinehurst, North Carolina and elsewhere. 'Over the course of nearly a decade, between in or about 2010 through the present, Ray subjected the victims to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse,' the indictment reads. Not only is he accused of abusing them but also manipulating them into thinking they had done him wrong. He told them they had damaged his property or were in debt to him then convinced them to work in forced labor or prostitution to give him all of their earnings. The forced labor included him forcing three female victims to install an irrigation system on his property in North Carolina, the indictment alleges. The indictment also claims he also extracted false confessions from seven of them that they had caused him harm He extracted them, the indictment claims, 'through tactics that included sleep deprivation, psychological and sexual humiliation, verbal abuse, threats of physical violence, physical violence, and threats of criminal legal action.' He starved some of the girls, the indictment claims, by placing a lock on the refrigerator, while forcing them to carry out labor to 'repay him' for purported damages they had caused to his home in Manhattan. Ray, the indictment claims, also 'took and kept explicit photographs of some' of the victims. He is alleged to have tied one of the victims to a chair, put a plastic bag over her hair, and almost suffocated her. Elsewhere in the indictment, prosecutors describe grabbing one person by the head and shoving it in the ground. United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Geoffrey Berman abhorred Ray's alleged crimes at a press conference on Tuesday where he said his conduct 'shocks the conscience' At a press conference on Tuesday, Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, and William F. Sweeney Jr., head of the F.B.I.s New York office, announced the charges and abhorred Ray. Berman said Ray 'ensnared' his victims when they were teenagers then 'preyed' on them for nearly a decade. He went on to describe how his conduct 'shocks the conscience'. 'There was no limit to the abuse his victims received,' Sweeney said, later describing his behavior as 'outrageous' and saying: 'Frankly, it makes me angry.' Last year, Ray denied all of the allegations against him and said the kids who had turned on him had been poisoned. The issues began in September 2010 when Ray was released from prison after six months. The group of students were college sophomores when Ray moved in with them into their shared on-campus apartment at Sarah Lawrence College (above) in 2010 He was jailed for contempt of court for disobeying a judge's order regarding his custody agreement with his ex-wife. He had previously been sentenced to five years of probation for his role in a securities fraud scam. Ray moved in to the roommates' home and at first charmed them by cooking meals and occasionally taking them out for dinner, paying for the outings with a wad of cash that he carried in a backpack. At first, he slept on an air mattress in his daughter's room but before long, he was sleeping in the same room as his daughter's 19-year-old best friend - who was going through a break-up. He soon started coaching her, claiming she 'needed' him,' they said. Gradually, he began to exert control over the group, they said. According to some of the former roommates, Ray roped them all into what he framed to be a 'self improvement' program. It soon involved them taking part in group 'sessions' in the living room where he would counsel them and tell them they had been brought together by their shared obsession with suicide, one recalled. One involved them having to explain their past behavior and, at times, apologize to him for things he told them they had done to him. It was such an effective form of brainwashing, they recalled, one male student once agreed to have Ray tie a 'garrote' of aluminium foil around his penis and testicles and tighten it. Ray was former NYPD commissioner Bernie Kerik's best man (shown) and was friends with him for years until a dispute led him to exposing Kerik for corruption. He believes now that he is the victim of a conspiracy led by Kerik to harm him and his family He forced the man, who was confused about his sexuality, to have sex with a female in the group, in front of him on multiple occasions and once invited a friend to watch. He convinced a different girl that she was schizophrenic, they said, and made her obsessed with the Marines. When the gay male and the 'schizophrenic' girl traveled abroad, they continued to Skype Ray and have sex for him on camera, they said. Ray was interviewed about the Kerik corruption case above A different male student in the group had tried to kill himself once before meeting Ray but his problems worsened as a result of their contact. Three of the women tried to kill themselves during their friendship with him. Authorities are now appealing for anyone else who may have been abused by him to come forward. Ray was indicted in 2000 along with 19 others for his part in the scheme and was sentenced to five years probation. He asked Kerik, who was by then the police commissioner, for help when it became clear that he would be convicted by Kerik turned him down. Four years later, when Kerik was nominated by George W. Bush to Secretary of Homeland Security. Kerik withdrew after admitting that he had once hired an undocumented worker as his nanny. Days later, Ray lashed out against him in the press. He shared stories of his impropriety and corruption. Afterwards, Kerik's affair with Judith Regan emerged. Years later, Kerik was convicted of tax fraud. When the allegations against Ray emerged last year, Kerik said: 'Larry Ray is a psychotic con man who has victimized every friend hes ever had. 'Its been close to 20 years since I last heard from him, yet his reign of terror continues.' Many think tanks would have donations from the U.S. government sharply reduced or eliminated. Small grants for educational and cultural programs would be scrapped. Funds for disaster relief and to help refugees overseas would be consolidated into a new International Humanitarian Assistance account and total funding would drop from $9 billion to $6 billion. A terrified family who spent 11,000 on a dream holiday for their terminally ill child were forced to barricade themselves in their hotel room after a member of staff in his 30s accosted their 15-year-old daughter. Rachel and Stephen Tulsie were in the Dominican Republic with their daughter Leah, 15, their 10-year-old son Harvey and youngest child, Amaya, four. They said they should have spent the Caribbean holiday 'making memories' with Harvey, who has a rare, terminal illness, but said the trip took a sinister turn after they complained about a hotel worker who approached Leah. Travel company TUI said the worker was sacked due to the incident which left the youngster 'too afraid' to sleep in their family room. Leah, 15, Harvey 10 and Amaya had been on holiday with their parents Rachel and Stephen Tulsie in the Dominican Republic Stephen and Rachel Tulsie, from Kinmel Bay, Wales, spent 11,000 on the dream holiday for their family The couple, from Kinmel Bay, in north-east Wales made a formal complaint to the travel operator who has since offered them 2,500 off their next holiday. Tui says it is investigating the family's complaint and was 'concerned to hear of their experience'. Mrs Tulsie, 37, said Leah went back to her room after spending time on the beach on January 4. It was there, she said, Leah had the incident with a hotel worker during their holiday, which they travelled to on Boxing Day for two weeks. The family were left frightened by the incident and Leah (left) said she didn't want to sleep in the same room anymore She said: 'When she approached the room she noticed the door was open and two staff members were in there, so she decided to turn around and walk back to the pool. 'Leah says she heard someone shouting and looked back and saw one of the workers was gesturing and calling. She started to walk away quickly and he started running behind her, and before she knew it he stood in front of her to block her path and physically stopped her from walking away. 'He was reaching for her phone saying, 'WhatsApp, WhatsApp'. Lea was telling him she didn't understand and tried to walk away'. She said the man took the phone away from her and opened her Facebook app in order to find out her name, before adding his phone number to her contacts. 'He then called himself on her phone, and he was saying 'I call... we meet'. Leah came running back to us very scared.' Leah was then sent a friend request by the hotel worker, Mrs Tulsie said. Leah's dad rushed back to the room, but by this point the man had disappeared. The family then made a complaint to the hotel's management. Mrs Tulsie said they were told CCTV footage was checked and that the worker had been dismissed. She said the family was then offered a free spa treatment and asked to sign a waiver form, but they declined. She added the atmosphere then changed. She said the family asked to change rooms, but they were refused. 'They refused, and to be honest we felt terrified, and ended up barricading the room with our suitcases,' said Mrs Tulsie, who runs dog boarding business K9 Services with her husband. 'Leah slept in her nana's room because she was too scared to be in the room with us, in case the man came back. 'We even looked at trying to get early flights home as we felt so unsafe in the last few days, and until the plane doors closed I could not relax. 'We were all so glad to get back home, where we feel safe.' A TUI spokeswoman said: 'We're very concerned to hear of the Tulsie party's experience in the Dominican Republic and take claims of this nature very seriously. 'We are investigating this with the hotel and are in direct contact with the family to offer our further support and sincere apologies.' The family have since received an apology from Tui, and have been offered 2,500 off their next holiday. In an email to Stephen Tulsie, TUI responded: 'I am very sorry to hear about your experience and do hope your daughter is doing well since returning home. I understand how upsetting this experience must have been for her. And I wish to extend my support to her and you all as a family. 'We take this matter very seriously and would like to assure you that we have expressed our concerns to ensure that this feedback is acknowledged and addressed appropriately. 'I can confirm that the individual in question no longer works with the hotel chain and was not a member of TUI staff. As he was hired locally by the hotel chain, we do not have any control over this aspect, however our customer's safety and welfare is our utmost concern. Please accept my sincere apologies for any upset caused to you on this occasion.' Philippines resumes pork imports from Czech Republic after suspending poultry imports The Philippines has lifted its ban on hog and pork imports from the Czech Republic after the Central European country was declared free of African swine fever. The resumption of pork imports came after it imposed a temporary ban on poultry products from the same country due to an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N8. "Based on the evaluation of the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), the risk of contamination from importing domestic and wild pigs and their products from Czech Republic is negligible," read the memorandum order issued by the Department of Agriculture (DA) lifting the ban on pork and pork-related imports. The order noted that the Czech Republic had reported its recovery from ASF to the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), with ASF cases affecting wild boars within its borders already "closed and resolved." Aside from the Czech Republic, the Southeast Asian country, meanwhile, also imposed a temporary ban on poultry imports from Ukraine after confirmed outbreaks of avian influenza in the latter's poultry farms recently. The ban on poultry imports from Ukraine, the DA said, is a precautionary measure to protect the local poultry industry against avian influenza, also called bird flu. Protecting local poultry "There is a need to prevent the entry of HPAI (highly pathogenic avian influenza) virus to protect the health of the local poultry population," the DA said. The Philippines was free of bird flu until 2017, when the government detected the presence of the virus in poultry farms in Central Luzon. But the DA said on Tuesday, Feb. 4, that the country was free of the H5N1 type of bird flu that broke out in China on Feb. 1, as per a report by the Manila Bulletin. Due to the China outbreak, the Philippine Bureau of Customs placed all poultry meat products coming in from China on status alert. Earlier, the DA suspended the import of poultry meat and poultry-related products from Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and Switzerland, which reported outbreaks of the H5N8 strain of bird flu in recent weeks. Defending American democracy against foreign influence is another strategic goal. Here, he acknowledged a gap in capabilities. In an age in which propaganda has gone digital the Internet, social media and trolls are now the old leaflets, he said the intelligence community does not have a foolproof of way of discerning, for example, deepfakes, or the altering of videos to look real. FREMONT, California, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a new market intelligence report by BIS Research, titled "Global Bio-Based Cosmetics and Personal Care Ingredients Market - Analysis and Forecast, 2019-2029" the bio-based cosmetics and personal care ingredients market was valued at $3.10 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $5.25 billion by 2029. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.18% during the forecast period from 2019 to 2029. Browse 59 Market Data Tables and 78 Figures spread through 214 Pages, and in-depth TOC on "Global Bio-Based Cosmetics and Personal Care Ingredients Market". This growth of the market is supported by the growing consumer consciousness for bio-based cosmetics, wherein consumers are avoiding chemicals such as sodium lauryl sulphate, parabens, and phthalates, due to rising concern about associated health risks. Therefore, a growing number of cosmetic companies are replacing synthetic chemicals with bio-based ingredients. Furthermore, increasing disposable income in developing countries, such as China, India, Brazil and countries in Southeast Asia, has been sustaining growth of the market. In addition, shifting focus toward male-specific products is one of the major factors expected to create lucrative opportunities for the global bio-based cosmetics and personal care ingredients market during the forecast period. in the coming five years. BIS Research Report: https://bisresearch.com/industry-report/bio-based-cosmetics-personal-care-ingredients-market.html According to Sanyam Tetarwal, Lead Analyst at BIS Research, "The introduction of bio-based ingredients in several industries such as food and beverage, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics has transformed the manufacturing landscape since 2000. The growing consumer inclination toward the adoption of bio-based products due to rising health and environmental concerns is expected to drive the market." The market report provides a detailed analysis of the recent trends influencing the market, along with a comprehensive study of the future trends and technological developments. It also includes a competitive analysis of the leading players in the industry, including company overview, financial summary, and SWOT analysis. The overall market has been segmented on the basis of function, application, and region. The report also includes a comprehensive section on the regional analysis for North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest-of-the-World. Request for a Sample: https://bisresearch.com/requestsample?id=810&type=download Some of the key players in the global bio-based cosmetics and personal care ingredients market are Ashland, BASF SE, Clariant, Croda International Plc, Covestro AG, DuPont Tate & Lyle Bio Products, DSM, Dow, Evonik Industries AG, Eastman Chemical Company, ELEMENTIS PLC, Genomatica Inc., Nouryon, Sollice Biotech, Solvay, and The Lubrizol Corporation. Key Questions Answered in the Report: What was the total revenue generated by the bio-based cosmetics and personal care ingredients market in 2018, and how much is it expected to achieve in future by 2029? What are the significant trends, drivers, challenges, and opportunities influencing the market? What are the areas where a new company looking to enter the market should focus upon to stay ahead in the competition? What key developmental strategies should be adopted by the market players to improve their market positioning and sustain competition? How are the different segments of the market projected to grow during the forecast period from 2019 to 2029, on the basis of: function, including emollients, conditioning polymers, surfactants, emulsifiers, rheology control, antimicrobials, others (UV absorbers and hair fixative polymers) application, including skin and sun care, hair care, make-up and color cosmetics, and fragrances, and others (oral and hygiene) region, including Asia-Pacific , North America , Europe , and Rest-of-the-World , , , and Rest-of-the-World What is the consumption pattern of bio-based cosmetics and personal care ingredients across application areas in different regions and countries during the period 2019-2029? Related Reports: Global Isoflavones Market - Analysis and Forecast, 2017-2021 About BIS Research BIS Research (Business Intelligence and Strategy Research) is a global B2B market intelligence and advisory firm focusing on those emerging technological trends which are likely to disrupt the dynamics of the market. With over 150 market research reports published annually, BIS Research focuses on high technology verticals such as 3D Printing, Advanced Materials and Chemicals, Aerospace and Defense, Automotive, Healthcare, Electronics and Semiconductors, Robotics and UAV, and other emerging technologies. Our in-depth market intelligence reports focus on the market estimations, technology analysis, emerging high-growth applications, deeply segmented granular country-level market data, and other important market parameters useful in the strategic decision-making for senior management. What distinguishes BIS Research from the rest of the players is that we not only provide data but also complement it with valuable insights and actionable inputs for the success of our clients. Contact: Bhavya Banga Email: media@bisresearch.com BIS Research Inc. 39111 PASEO PADRE PKWY STE 313, FREMONT CA 94538-1686 Visit our Blog @ https://blog.bisresearch.com/ Connect with us on LinkedIn @ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bis-research Connect with us on Twitter@ https://twitter.com/BISResearch Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/495163/BIS_Research_Logo.jpg Students from Glenlola Collegiate at a special screening of the Prisons Memory Archive (PMA) at the Public Record Office. Taking part in the event were speakers Angela Nelson, Joanna McMinn and Billy Hutchinson with Conor McCafferty (PMA project manager) and Sean Kelly of Into Film Seventy GCSE students from Glenlola Collegiate in Bangor have joined ex-prisoners from opposing sides during the Troubles as part of a special film screening about life behind bars. Joining former UVF prisoner Billy Hutchinson and republican ex-inmate Angela Nelson at the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) at Titanic Belfast, the students viewed a collection of recordings detailing life inside Armagh Gaol and the Maze Prison during the conflict. They also heard experiences of life inside from both the former prisoners. Hutchinson, now leader of the PUP, served 16 years in the Maze between 1974-90 for two murders, while former Sinn Fein politician and ex-IRA prisoner Nelson was held on remand at Armagh Gaol in the 1970s. Importantly, the 175 recordings in the collection feature stories and contributions from all sections of prison life, from inmates to staff and teachers. Conor McCafferty, project manager for the outreach programme organisers the Prisons Memory Archive (PMA), said there is "huge curiosity" among young people about this period of time and hoped the permanent database at PRONI will continue to interest future generations. "A lot of young people today, thankfully who have not been directly touched by what has happened, are also quite curious about what happened," he said. "They are definitely keen to understand more so they don't make the mistakes of the past." This sentiment is echoed by the anonymous feedback forms filled out by the Glenlola pupils after the screening. One student said "the range of perspectives was fascinating", while another admitted that the film "humanised people involved in the Troubles". Sean Kelly from educational charity Into Film said the event illustrated the power of the medium to educate young people about their history and culture. "These young people have no direct experience of growing up during the Troubles so this screening and talk is a powerful living memory of what it was like during those difficult times," he said. Mr McCafferty added that the project is an important way to preserve a period of time that has thankfully passed. "I think it documents these structures, both the physical structure and an almost psychological mindset that no longer exists here," he said. "Those different voices and their experiences, it was kind of a microcosm of the politics on the outside, within the prison." European shares traded higher on Tuesday as investors continued to monitor the spread of the coronavirus and its effect on the global economy. The pan-European Stoxx 600 briefly hit an all-time high during morning trade and closed provisionally up 0.9%. Travel stocks jumped 1.9% to lead gains as most sectors and all major bourses remained in positive territory. The new strain of coronavirus, which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan, has infected 42,638 people and killed 1,016 across mainland China, the country's health authority said on Tuesday. However, a slowing of the rate of new cases has given global stock markets some upward momentum. Many factories and businesses in the world's second largest economy have remained closed amid the crisis, which has led to hundreds of Chinese companies seeking billions in loans, according to Reuters. A Chinese government researcher warned on Tuesday that the coronavirus outbreak could shave 1 percentage point off of the country's full-year economic growth rate in 2020, the news agency also reported. On Wall Street, equities were mostly higher, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average barely above the flatline and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq indexes both in positive territory. Back in Europe, several EU member states were plunged into fresh political uncertainty on Monday. During his first official visit to India on February 24-25, US President Donald and his wife Melania Trump will travel to Ahmedabad, Gujarat apart from New Delhi. "President Donald J. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit India on February 24-25, 2020. The President and The First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement," said White House. The White House further stated that during a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed the trip will "further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people." The confirmation of Trump's visit comes days after India's new ambassador to the US, Taranjit Singh Sandhu presented his credentials to the US President. "President @realDonaldTrump & @FLOTUS will travel to India from February 24-25 to visit Prime Minister @narendramodi! The trip will further strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people," the White House tweeted. Earlier in the day, the Defense Security and Cooperation Agency informed that the administration has approved the sale of an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) to India for an estimated cost of $1.867 billion. Last week, Trump was cleared of all charges by the US Senate in the impeachment trial. The Ministry of External Affairs had said in January that India and US are in contact through diplomatic channels over the US President's proposed visit. Syracuse, N.Y. Your summertime lunch plans in downtown Syracuse might be in for a big change this year. Changes to city policy in 2018 allowed for a resurgence of food trucks in downtown Syracuse in 2019, but additional changes, including to the popular Clinton Square food truck rally that started on the heels of the new legislation, may be on the horizon for 2020. MENLO PARK, California, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IONpath, Inc., today announces the launch of a dedicated service business providing access to their proprietary MIBIscope multiplexed imaging platform and its team of experts to support pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies working in immuno-oncology. IONpath has previously provided custom research services to leading academic and pharmaceutical organizations as part of an Early Access Program. Now the company has formalized its intentions to become a partner of choice to those interrogating the tumor microenvironment to understand therapeutic mechanism of action and identify responder populations. "We started this company because we love doing great science and working with great scientists," said Harris Fienberg, chief executive officer and co-founder, IONpath. "Our team is incredibly excited to enable the next generation of immunotherapy development on a massive scale." Based in their global headquarters in Silicon Valley and serving clients from around the world, an expert team of engineers, pathologists and data scientists are leveraging the proprietary MIBIscope platform to help solve the most complex problems in immuno-oncology. The MIBIscope can simultaneously image forty or more individual proteins on a single slide with the reproducibility needed for large clinical studies. IONpath is building the capacity to stain, image and analyze over 15,000 highly multiplexed slides a year by the end of 2020. The company hopes to unlock valuable data about co-expression levels, proximity of cell populations and correlations to outcomes observed in patients to meaningfully contribute to the development of immunotherapies for partners across industry and academia. If you or your company would be interested in learning more about what Research Services can do for your program, please contact us at research@ionpath.com to talk to our expert team or request a quote. About IONpath, Inc. IONpath, Inc. is revolutionizing tissue imaging to accelerate medical discovery and improve human health. The company's MIBIscope System, which utilizes Multiplexed Ion Beam Imaging (MIBI) technology, represents a transformative step in tissue imaging by simultaneously multiplexing 40+ markers with single cell resolution. Leading research institutes and biotech and pharmaceutical companies are using the MIBIscope in immuno-oncology, immunology and neuroscience research where high-fidelity multiplexed imaging data is needed. In addition to the MIBIscope System IONpath empowers the research and development initiatives of academic, biotech and pharmaceutical partners through IONpath Research Services. Visit www.ionpath.com to find out more. Contact: Terri Hnatyszyn 305-803-0824 media@ionpath.com Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088946/IONpath_Research_Services.jpg Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088947/IONpath_Logo.jpg Advertisement Donald Trump brazenly tried to rattle Democrats during his emboldened speech in Manchester, New Hampshire Monday evening, where he espoused the idea that Republicans should vote for the weakest Democratic candidate in the primary to sabotage the election and slammed Speaker Nancy Pelosi for 'mumbling' through his State of the Union speech. The president dug into Pelosi at the raucous rally accusing her of trying to distract him during his State of the Union address last week by talking behind him. When he wrapped up his address, she ripped her copy his speech. 'On Tuesday, I delivered my address on the State of the Union and I had somebody behind me who was mumbling terribly, mumbling,' Trump said at the rally. 'There was mumbling. Very distracting. Very distracting.' Trump continued to pile on his criticism of Pelosi, who led his impeachment inquiry. 'I'm speaking and a woman is mumbling terribly behind me, angry. There was a little anger back there. We're the ones who should be angry, not them. We're the ones,' he continued, as the crowd chanted 'Lock her up'. Trump held nothing back in his attack on the Democrats on Monday, boasting that he was trying to 'shake up the Dems a little bit' on the eve of the primary in New Hampshire. He even toyed with the idea that his own party members could rig the election in his favor by voting in the Democratic primary for the weakest candidate. 'We hear that there could be because you have crossovers in primaries, don't you so I hear a lot of Republicans tomorrow will vote for the weakest candidate possible of the Democrats. Does that make sense? You people wouldn't do that,' Trump said. Donald Trump took a victory lap in his first campaign rally after his impeachment acquittal He also bolstered the idea that Republican voters, who in New Hampshire can vote in the Democratic primary, might go out and vote for the candidate they feel is the weakest 'My only problem is I'm trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate,' Trump continued. 'I think they're all weak' He held the rally in Manchester, New Hampshire on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary election there and gave a split screen event with Democratic candidate scattered campaigning across the state Trump brought the A-team to his rally, including crowd-favorite Donald Trump Jr. And he took several jabs at the Democratic candidates New Hampshire is a partially open primary state, but not fully meaning candidates who have not declared a party affiliation can vote in either or both primary elections, but voters who are registered with a party can only vote in that party's primary. It appears Trump was not aware of this and was possibility suggesting registered Republicans would be able to sabotage the election against the Democrats' best interest. The president said, however, he wouldn't even know which candidate those trying to hurt Democrats would vote for. 'My only problem is I'm trying to figure out who is their weakest candidate,' Trump continued. 'I think they're all weak,' he asserted. He also used the first rally of his impeachment acquittal to take a victory lap, and thanked Speaker Pelosi for launching the proceedings because he claims it attributed to his record-high approval ratings. On Wednesday Trump was acquitted by the Republican-controlled House from the two articles of impeachment abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. Trump brought his A-team to the campaign rally as Democratic candidates scattered around the state on the eve of the first-in-the-nation primary election. The president was joined by a slew of crowd favorites, including Donald Trump Jr. who did a live TV hit before the event started and gave a thumbs up to rally-goers members who responded with enthusiastic cheers. Kimberly Guilfoyle, former Fox News host and Don Jr.'s partner, kicked off the festivities with suggesting the death of the Democratic majority in the House in November. 'We will we say 'rest in peace' when we take the gavel out of Nancy Pelosi's hand,' she motivated the crowd in inciting one of the Trump's biggest rivals: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who launched the impeachment inquiry in September. The president dug into Pelosi at the raucous rally accusing her of trying to distract him during his State of the Union address last week by talking behind him. When he wrapped up his address, she ripped her copy his speech. 'On Tuesday, I delivered my address on the State of the Union and I had somebody behind me who was mumbling terribly, mumbling,' Trump said at the rally. 'There was mumbling. Very distracting. Very distracting' President Donald Trump speaks during an election rally before the New Hampshire Primary at Southern New Hampshire University Arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, 10 February 2020 President Donald Trump is greeted by White House Senior Advisor Ivanka Trump at a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire, U.S., February 10, 2020 Supporters cheer as US President Donald Trump speaks during a rally in Manchester, New Hampshire on February 10, 2020. Trump encouraged first-time registrants to back Sanders or whomever is the weaker candidate in the Democratic primary Trump left Washington without speaking to reporters, saving his fireworks for his rally in Manchester Trump's seniors advisers, and daughter and son-in-law, Ivanka and Jared Kushner traveled to attend the event. The group descended on Southern New Hampshire University's arena just one day before the Democratic Party will hold their second primary competition of 2020 following a fiasco in Iowa where caucuses results were delayed for nearly a week. Don Jr. took a hit at Democratic candidates, especially aiming at former Vice President Joe Biden. After going on a riff about how Biden frequently makes gaffes and confuses which state he is campaigning in, Don Jr. employed a confusing phrase used by the candidate during a campaign rally in Hampton, New Hampshire on Sunday. 'Sir you are a dog faced pony soldier,' he recited. 'Whatever the hell that means. I don't know. I have no idea.' Don Jr. was referring to the Sunday interaction, where a 21-year-old economics student asked Biden why he was best equipped to win the primary when he performed so poorly in Iowa where other candidates pulled out an upset and he came in fourth place. 'It's a good question. Number One Iowa is a Democratic caucus. You ever been to a caucus?' Biden asked the young voter. She nodded in the affirmative. 'No you haven't. You've a lying dog-faced pony soldier,' Biden said, getting laughs. 'You said you were but now you've got to be honest. Now, I'm gonna be honest with you. It was a little bit confusing in Iowa,' he said. Bidens spokespeople said the line was taken from a scene in a John Wayne movie and it also appears the 77-year-old candidate was making a joke. That didnt stop Don Jr. from going on the offensive against one of his fathers likely competitors in November. 'But like, you know, when Joe gets a little confused, it's not even like Ohio-Iowa. You know, I could understand that once. But every week? Iowa, New Hampshire, I don't know guys, it's not exactly close,' he criticized to a laughing and cheerful crowd. 'If Donald Trump did that once, every pundit on TV right now would be saying Donald Trump has dementia,' he said. 'Joe can do it about every day, and it's like, 'There's nothing to see here folks.'' Trump slammed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in his speech saying, 'We will we say "rest in peace" when we take the gavel out of Nancy Pelosi's hand' The president's eldest son hit at former Vice President Joe Biden for getting confused over what state he is campaigning in. 'If Donald Trump did that once, every pundit on TV right now would be saying Donald Trump has dementia,' he charged. 'Joe can do it about every day, and it's like, 'There's nothing to see here folks'' While Trump spoke he also welcomed his daughter, Ivanka Trump, on stage She did not make remarks, but he lauded the work she has done as his senior adviser, and also praised Don Jr. for his opening speech Don Jr pictured waving to the cheering crowd alongside Vice President Mike Pence on Monday night Trump previewed that he was holding the rally because he wants to 'shake up the Dems a little bit' He also predicted in another tweet that the media won't cover the attendance of his Keep American Great rally and he predicted there would be 'big crowds' Southern New Hampshire University Arena, where the event was held, has 11,000 seats of which most were filled, unless the view to the president was obstructed. Crowds chanted 'four more years' at a few points throughout the night and held up four fingers Although the campaign has not released an official crowd count, it appears there were at least 11,000 in attendance when those in the 'pit' or standing on the floor in front of the president accounted for He also jokingly encouraged New Hampshire Republicans to go out and vote for progressive candidate Bernie Sanders a suggestion aimed toward the open elections in the state. 'Who's voting for Bernie? I'm just kidding,' the president's eldest son directed at the room of about 11,000 Trump supporters. In New Hampshire, the Democratic primary election is open, meaning registered Republicans can still vote for whichever Democratic candidate they would like to see in the general elections. Trump gave permission for his supporters to vote against the front-runner Democratic candidates. 'The first step to victory in November is tomorrow. Go send a message that Republicans and you can vote for the weakest candidate if you want, don't worry about it, I don't think we actually have a candidate against us that Republicans are energized, that we're united and that nine months from now we are going to take back the House of Representative. We are going to hold the Senate. And we are going to keep the White House,' he rallied rally-goers. On Monday morning Trump bragged that he was hosting the event because he was bringing more excitement to the campaign trail and intended to rattle Democrats with his massive attendance. 'Will be in Manchester, New Hampshire, tonight for a big Rally,' Trump previewed on Twitter Monday morning. 'Want to shake up the Dems a little bit - they have a really boring deal going on.' 'Still waiting for the Iowa results, votes were fried. Big crowds in Manchester!' he continued, referring to the first-in-the-nation caucuses, which were held in Iowa last Monday. The chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party said Trump is only turning his attention to the first primary election because he is 'desperate' to turn New Hampshire red in November after losing the state in 2016. The chairman of the New Hampshire Democratic Party said Trump is turning his attention to the first primary election because he is 'desperate' to turn New Hampshire red in November after losing the state in 2016. 'It's obvious Trump and the RNC are desperate to put New Hampshire back in play after losing by 3,000 votes in 2016,' Ray Buckley said on a call with reporters Monday ahead of the president's rally. In 2016, Trump won the Republican primary in New Hampshire in a landslide with 35.5 per cent and the second place Republican was John Kasich, who earned only 15.8 per cent. But in the 2016 primary elections he lost the state to Hillary Clinton by only .3 per cent, which translates to about 3,000 votes. The president has also mocked the fiasco in Iowa, where results were delayed for almost a week. He also held rally in Des Moines, Iowa right before the first-in-the-nation caucuses New Hampshire Democratic Party Chairman Raymond Buckley said Trump is 'desperate' to win back New Hampshire after barely losing to Hillary Clinton in 2016. 'His ego can't stand the idea of something going on and he's not in the middle of it,' Buckley told reporters Monday morning Former 2016 Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski pictured at the Trump rally in New Hampshire A Trump supporter pictured with a miniature Trump doll on the brim of his USA flag-themed hat Trump supporters picture carrying 'Women for Trump' posters at the rally on Monday night pictured above Trump spoke before a packed crowd at the Southern New Hampshire University Arena on Monday night Trump pictured pointing to his cheering supporters at the raucous rally Trump has been combatting Democrats campaigning on the primary trail as caucuses and elections get underway. He hosted a reelection campaign rally in Des Moines, Iowa three days before the first-in-the-nation caucuses took place there he has scheduled back-to-back rallies in Phoenix, Arizona and Colorado Springs, Colorado both in the days before the Nevada caucuses and one on the same night as the Democrats' ninth primary debate. He also bashed the media in another tweet Monday morning, claiming the 'fake news' won't talk about the turnout at his rally later that night. 'Hope the Fake News, which never discusses it, is talking about the big crowds forming for my New Hampshire Rally tonight. They won't!' he asserted. 'His ego can't stand the idea of something going on and he's not in the middle of it,' Buckley said during the Monday morning call. Trump has boasted Iowa as a win for his reelection campaign, where even though he faces virtually no primary competition he emerged with 97 per cent in the caucus. The Democratic caucus, on the other hand, was thrown into chaos after an app that was intended to be used for reporting results malfunctioned. Instead the Iowa Democratic Party had to results to paper and call-in reporting and manual tabulations, which delayed the party announcing an official winner for nearly a week although with 100 per cent of precincts reporting, Pete Buttigieg was shown as the victor with only .1 per cent more than Bernie Sanders. Buttigieg is the youngest candidate at 38-years-old and Sanders the eldest at 78. On Sunday night, the state's party finally released Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, was the winner and had earned the most delegates. Trump also touted his approval rating, claiming it was at an all-time high due to the impeachement proceedings He also insisted that the Democratic Party would move even further to the left in the next elections, but that the House would turn back red Sanders' campaign is calling for a recanvass, which would have state party officials double check the results. Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez extended the deadline for a candidate to request a recanvass after he said he realized there could be human error in the results reporting. He even demanded a recanvass himself last week after the nation went days without knowing the final results and reports indicate errors likely due to the paper reports and manual math. 'Enough is enough,' Perez tweeted Thursday afternoon. 'In light of the problems that have emerged in the implementation of the delegate selection plan and in order to assure public confidence in the results, I am calling on the Iowa Democratic Party to immediately begin a recanvass,' he continued. Trump has mocked the fiasco, claiming that if Democrats can't even run the Iowa caucuses they won't be able to run the country. He has also blamed Russia, suggesting they attempted to interfere in the election by hacking the app a claim the IDP has vehemently denied. While touting his own poll numbers, which he says were boosted by the impeachment proceedings, Trump claimed the Democratic Party would shift dramatically to the left in this years' elections. 'Because of how badly they did with the Impeachment Hoax, AOC will primary Cryin' Chuck Schumer, and win, and Jerry Nadler has a good chance of losing to his far left primary opponent!' Trump predicted. 'It is all getting quite interesting. Pelosi will lose the House, AGAIN!' he said, claiming the Republicans would win the House giving him the trifecta of control. 'My poll numbers great (sic),' he added. He posted on Twitter his approval ratings overall and among Republicans: '95% Approval Rating in the Republican Party, a Record! 53% overall (plus add 9 points?).' 'Corrupt Democrat politicians have brought me to highest polling numbers ever with the Impeachment Hoax. Thank you Nancy!' he said, attributing his high approval ratings to impeachment. The caucuses were hotly contested after an app malfunction resorted the state to paper reporting. Buttigieg emerged the victor with 26.2 per cent to Sanders' 26.1 per cent. The Sanders campaign is requesting a recanvass The Iowa Democratic Party finally announced Sunday night that Pete Buttigieg (right) earned the most amount of delegates in earning just .1 per cent more than Bernie Sanders (left). Both candidates will gold split-screen rallies Monday night across New Hampshire as Trump rallies in Manchester While Trump entertained loyal supporters in Manchester, Sanders, Buttigieg and other candidates held counter-programming split-screen rallies in other New Hampshire cities. Sanders' campaign rally in Durham about 40 miles from Trump's rally location featured a visit from progressive Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. And Buttigieg rallied about 30 miles away from Trump Monday night in Exeter. As the two top candidates in Iowa, and the two polling best in New Hampshire, Tuesday night's election will likely come down to Sanders and Buttigieg. The close race in Iowa caused Sanders, and others, to launch attacks against breakout star Buttigieg as they headed to New Hampshire. During several campaign events and at the eighth Democratic primary debate Friday night at Saint Anselm College, Sanders bashed the former small-town mayor for accepting donations from billionaires. 'Unlike some of the folks up here I don't have 40 billionaires, Pete, contributing to my campaign coming from the pharmaceutical industry, coming from Wall Street and all the big money interest,' Sanders said on-stage at the debate, taking a hit at the Iowa caucus victor. 'If we want to change American, you're not going to do it by electing candidates who are going out to rich people's homes begging for money,' Sanders said. But Buttigieg defended himself, claiming Democrats should use all the resources they can accrue to take on Trump in November. 'We are going into the fight of our lives,' he said, citing how much money the Trump reelection campaign is bringing in. 'We need to go into that fight with everything we've got.' During a breakfast event in Manchester Monday morning, Sanders continued to attack his top competitor, but this time, didn't name Buttigieg. 'Unlike some of my opponents, I don't have contributions from the CEOs of the pharmaceutical industry, from Wall Street,' Sanders told supporters In the last few days, Sanders has let up naming his competitors when attacking them, and instead alludes to why his colleagues are lesser-equipped to serve as president or beat Trump. During a breakfast event in Manchester Monday morning, Sanders 'Unlike some of my opponents, I don't have contributions from the CEOs of the pharmaceutical industry, from Wall Street,' Sanders said. 'We don't want their money, we need their money,' he asserted, adding that he has the strongest campaign to beat Trump because he was built up by grassroots organizers and donors. But Sanders also attempted to unite the party by pinning all the blame on a common enemy: Donald Trump. 'I know not everybody agrees with everything I say, but I think what we can agree about is that we cannot continue having a president who is a pathological liar. We cannot continue having a president who is a bully, who is a racist, who is a sexist, who is a homophobe, a xenophobe,' he lamented. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. The U.S. Department of Justice filed an indictment against four Chinese nationals with alleged ties to the Chinese miltary, charging them with compromising the personal information of 145 million Americans in the 2017 Equifax data breach. The nine-count indictment claims Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke, and Liu Lei were members of the People's Liberation Armys 54th Research Institute and they routed files through approximately 34 servers in almost 20 countries to avoid detection. "This was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans," said Attorney General William Barr at a press conference to announce the indictment. According to FBI deputy director David Bowdich, who also attended the DOJ press conference, there's currently no evidence that China sold or shared the Equifax data. "If you can get personally identifiable information, you can do a lot with it," he added. "It can be monetized. It can be used for targeting packages for U.S. government personnel. But we haven't seen that in this case to this point." Security expert Brian Vecci of Varonis said China's intended target is more likely high-level political operatives than U.S. citizens. "The fact that we haven't seen China sell this information on the Dark Web says to me that whatever they're using it for is more valuable to them," he explained. Still, the news underscores the need for consumers to be mindful about whom they share data with and how that data is secured. While there's no need for panic, said Bowdich, Equifax breach victims should continue to monitor their credit scores, contact credit card companies if they discover a problem, avoid opening unknown e-mail attachments, and use two-factor-authentication to beef up password access to banking, health care, and social media accounts. (For more tips from cybersecurity experts, see below.) Story continues "We should be demanding better privacy protections like Europe has with the GDPR [General Data Privacy Regulation] and California has with the CCPA [California Consumer Privacy Act,]" says Vecci. "If this makes people demand better privacy controls, well be better off." Is Equifax Blameless? While the DOJ praised Equifax for its cooperation, Vecci argued the company deserves some blame for its lax security practices. "Equifax stored a huge amount of private data and if they had even common sense controls in place to protect private information, this particular attack wouldn't have happened," he explained. A Congressional report released in December called the Equifax breach entirely preventable," concluding that the financial reporting company failed to properly fix a software vulnerability it had been warned about in early March 2017. A subsequent failure to implement routine security updates prevented Equifax from discovering the breach until the Chinese hackers had access to the system for 76 days between mid-May and late July. The public wasn't informed of the breach until September. In the DOJ press conference, Barr noted that the Chinese state-level hackers had been implicatedalthough not indictedin the 2015 breach of health care giant Anthem, which affected 78.8 million individuals, and the 2018 breach of Marriott, which exposed the data, including passport and credit card information, of up to 500 million individuals. "This makes it clear that China has been engaged in a decade-long effort against U.S companies and individuals," said Jamil Jaffer, senior vice-president for strategy at IronNet Cybersecurity and a former Chief Counsel for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to Vecci, if China was indeed behind the Marriott and Anthem hacks, the Equifax data set becomes more valuable, because it can be aggregated with this other data and analyzed using machine learning. "Once you have three of these data sets and you start combining themhotel behavior from Marriott combined with financial information from Equifax combined with health care information from Anthemsuddenly you know way more about an individual," Vecci explained. "I don't think China's going to use this to steal a random consumer's identity, but I'm sure they have people of interest." The Equifax breach, one of the largest credit monitoring firms, was first reported in September, 2017. As part of a $700 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the company has offered affected consumers at least four years of free monitoring from the three major credit rating agencies through Experian and up to six more years of free, one-bureau credit monitoring through Equifax in addition to cash reimbursement for losses and expenses, with individual claims capped at $20,000 although most will be far less. The deadline to apply for these funds passed on January 22, 2020. How to Protect Yourself Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from cybercrime and identity theft. Freeze your credit. That makes it harder for cybercriminals to apply for loans, credit cards, and wireless phones using your personal information. Guard your financial information. Be wary of texts or email asking for account numbers, credit card numbers, and wire transfers as well as alerts about failed transactions. Theres no reason to share such info via message or an unsecure site. Dont open attachments. They may contain malware. And you should never type confidential information into a form attached to an email. The sender can potentially track the info you enter. Double-check the link. Before you click on a link in an email or on the internet, try hovering your mouse over it. This will reveal the full address, which can expose signs of fraud. A .ru on the end, for example, means the site was created in Russia; .br means Brazil. Misspellings are another good tip-off to a fake website. If the URL says equifaxx.com, it's best to avoid it. Search for the company on Google and access the website that way instead. Dont assume that a website is legitimate just because its URL starts with https. Criminals like to use encryption, too. Enable two-factor authentication. If youve ever had to use a six-digit verification code texted to your cell phone to log in to a digital account, you have some idea of how 2FA works. Once you turn on the setting, you have to provide a password and another unique identifier to access your account from an unverified device or location. This protects you if a stranger steals your password. Turn on auto updates. This goes for your computer, smartphone, and tablets. Up-to-date security software goes a long way toward stopping malware. Use security tools. Install an antivirus program on your device and keep it up to date. You can also use a website reputation rating tool, which comes in the form of a browser plug-in, to warn you if you try to go to potentially dangerous websites. Cybersecurity companies such as McAfee, Kaspersky, and Norton offer them. But keep in mind that these tools arent foolproof. 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:24:52|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Twin brother and sister Hu Jintao and Hu Jinyan, study on network TV at home in Wojiang Village, Yuanzhou District of Yichun City, east China's c Province, Feb. 10, 2020. As schools across the country are required to postpone the opening of the spring semester, students in Jiangxi Province have been encouraged to study at home in various ways. (Photo by Liu Jigang/Xinhua) [February 11, 2020] Speck Announces New Presidio Perfect-Clear Cases for Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra SAN MATEO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Speck announced its line of Presidio cases for the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra , including its brand new Presidio Perfect-Clear line. The most protective clear cases that Speck has ever designed, Perfect-Clear, Perfect-Clear with Impact Geometry, and Perfect-Clear with Grips feature an innovative crystal clear coating that's guaranteed to resist yellowing and discoloration. Available now on SpeckProducts.com , the full assortment for the Galaxy S20 series also includes favorites Presidio Pro, Presidio Grip and Presidio Inked. Designed to show off the phone's beauty without compromising on clarity, the Presidio Perfect-Clear line now gives clear case users a variety of different styles and functions. The new perfect clear coating is guaranteed to prevent discoloration or yellowing for the lifetime of your device. Presidio Perfect-Clear with Grips combines the best of both worlds: a clear case to show off the device, with the Speck signature grip design to make the case easier to hold and prevent drops before they happen. The no-slip grips on the back of the case now provide extra durable grip for teting and photography. Perfect-Clear with Impact Geometry includes a proprietary clear phone-cushioning rubber around the perimeter of the case to provide extreme impact protection you can see. All Speck Presidio cases for the new Galaxy S20 series are engineered to withstand drops of up to 13 feet without adding bulk to the device. Each case features a raised bezel to protect the device screen from scratching and shattering and also includes Microban antimicrobial protection to prevent bacterial growth, keeping your case cleaner, fresher, longer. The Speck assortment for Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra includes: Presidio Perfect-Clear ($39.95) -- New, innovative clear materials guarantee protection against yellowing and discoloration. -- New, innovative clear materials guarantee protection against yellowing and discoloration. Presidio Perfect-Clear with Glitter ($44.95) -- Embedded, shimmering glitter crystals are guaranteed to resist fading, scratching and won't wear off. -- Embedded, shimmering glitter crystals are guaranteed to resist fading, scratching and won't wear off. Presidio Perfect-Clear with Impact Geometry ($39.95) -- New design showcases the clear impact geometry that provides unparalleled impact protection. -- New design showcases the clear impact geometry that provides unparalleled impact protection. Presidio Perfect-Clear with Grips ($44.95) -- New combination of clear protection with no-slip grips make the case easier to hold. -- New combination of clear protection with no-slip grips make the case easier to hold. Presidio Perfect-Clear Glitter + Grips ($49.95) -- Shimmering glitter crystals embedded with iconic grip design. -- Shimmering glitter crystals embedded with iconic grip design. Presidio Pro ($39.95) -- Protective, slim case with a soft-touch finish that provides an enhanced look and feel. -- Protective, slim case with a soft-touch finish that provides an enhanced look and feel. Presidio Grip ($39.95) -- Raised rubber ridges provide a confidence-boosting grip, designed for better gaming, texting, and photography. -- Raised rubber ridges provide a confidence-boosting grip, designed for better gaming, texting, and photography. Presidio Inked ($44.95) -- Vivid, durable designs offer expressive style and tough protection. Speck cases for the Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra start at $39.95 and are available now on www.speckproducts.com . About Speck Speck creates award-winning cases designed to make an impactand take one. Since 2001, we've been making distinctive products for the world's top smartphones, tablets and laptops. We deliver a balance of artful design and drop-tested protection, for a difference you can see and feel. Our roots are in the heart of Silicon Valley, at the intersection of design and technology, inspiring us to craft masterfully-engineered products. We believe that excellence is in the details, so our cases go beyond superior protection with beautiful design, sleek lines, and purposeful features. We create cases that enable you to go more places and enjoy more from your mobile devices. Get to know us at speckproducts.com. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/speck-announces-new-presidio-perfect-clear-cases-for-samsung-galaxy-s20-s20-and-s20-ultra-301003289.html SOURCE Speck Products [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 05:22:52|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- UN Security Council and the international community should respect the leadership of the Sudanese government on the Darfur issue, a Chinese envoy said on Tuesday. The situation in Darfur remains generally stable and is in a critical period of transition, Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the UN, said at a Security Council meeting. China appreciates the efforts made by the Sudanese government to maintain peace and stability in Darfur and promote the political process, he said. He added the Security Council and the international community should fully recognize the efforts made by the Sudanese government, respect its leadership on the Darfur issue, strengthen communication and coordination, and earnestly listen to its views and suggestions. The envoy called on the council to review the sanctions against Sudan in a timely manner and set up a roadmap for lifting the measures. The council should send a positive signal to Sudan and provide greater assistance to its government in maintaining regional peace and stability. The western Sudanese region of Darfur has been plagued by a war between Sudanese government forces and the indigenous population since 2003. The driver was said to be operating the vehicle without a license. (Maine State Police) 2 Teens, 1 Pre-Teen Killed in Maine After Unlicensed Driver Crashes: Police Two teens and a pre-teen died after their vehicle skidded off an icy road in Maine and hit a tree over the weekend, according to police. Two others in the vehicle, including the driver, survived the accident, said Maine State Police in a news release. The victims have been identified as Thomas Porfirio, 15; Emily Baker, 14; and her 12-year-old younger sister Ashland. They were found dead inside the vehicle when first responders arrived on the scene, the release said. A GoFundMe page for the sisters says the younger girls name is Ashlin. The driver was identified as a 16-year-old boy who didnt have a license, said authorities. Officials said the cause of the crash was likely to be driver inexperience and speed. Their 2007 Toyota Corolla hit an icy patch in the road and went into an uncontrolled skid before crashing into a tree, said police. Police have not said whether the driver will face any charges related to the case. The drivers name is being withheld as investigators and the local district attorneys office review the crash, according to state police. The crash was reported after 7 a.m. by another driver on Hinckley Road in Clinton, Maine, the news release said. GoFundMe pages were set up for the three victims. No parent should ever weigh this burden on their shoulders, said a page for Porfirio. The mother of the two sisters became a single mother to two daughters and one son a lil over a year ago when her husband passed away, the other page read. A small town like this. I was curious as to who was involved. And its just sad. Very sad, local man Jay Gould told local media. Officials didnt offer any more details about the incident. Just last year, on a day in July, impoverished El Salvador celebrated its eighth murder-free day in two decades. Its not much cause for celebration unless you have one of the highest murder rates in the world--but you take victories where you can get them. The 24-hour ceasefire was short-lived in more ways than one. This past weekend, upon the order of El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele, armed police and soldiers briefly stormed the nation's parliament, demanding increased means for fighting gang violence. Previously, President Bukele had demanded that opposition lawmakers vote to approve a $109 million loan procurement for his Territorial Control Plan designed to fight gang violence and restore a semblance of security to the country. The opposition right-wing ARENA and leftist FMLN parties say they want more details on the spending plan before a vote. After legislators refused to gather to vote on the loan, which would provide better equipment to police and armed forces, Bukele called on supporters to converge on parliament. They showed up with guns, offering a show of violence to express exactly how deep the need is to better fight violence. Addressing his supporters outside the parliament building, President Bukele said he could press the button to have opposition lawmakers forcibly removed from the chamber. "But I asked God and God told me: patience, patience, patience. On February 28 all these scoundrels are heading out the door," he said, referring to the parliamentary elections scheduled for later this month. Bukele has now given lawmakers one week to approve his loan proposal, which is earmarked for the purchase of police vehicles, uniforms, video surveillance equipment and a helicopter. President Bukele, a former businessman and mayor of San Salvador, took office last June, pledging to tackle the legacy of gang violence and corruption. Related: The Politics Of Love In The Digital World He is also ready to prioritize the countrys ties with the United States, describing it as its number one ally, particularly when it comes to the economy. His first move to that effect was to sign an asylum cooperation deal during a meeting with Trump last September. He also pledged to look into ties forged with China under the previous administration, as well as predecessors close alliances with the left-wing rulers of Nicaragua, Venezuela and Cuba. Last November, Bukele expelled Venezuelan diplomats and recognized Juan Guaido as Venezuelan legitimate leader. In the meantime, Bukele claims that his Territorial Control Plan is already showing signs of success, with average daily murders down since its launch. Government data shows that the average daily killings in the country fell from 9.2 in May 2019 to 3.8 in January 2020. Still, with a population of 6.3 million, El Salvador is believed to have more than 70,000 active gang members and some 500,000 involved in the gangs indirectly, either through coercion and extortion by relatives. Back in 2012, two main gangs--Mara Savatrucha and the Barrio 18--brokered a peace deal that led initially to a 40% drop in the murder rate. That peace was short-lived, though. Today, the two gangs are estimated to be extorting around 70% of all businesses in the country and annually collecting some $35 million from those activities. The financial cost for businesses is much higher, according to Quartz. Extortion, hiring private security and money lost because of violence has reached $4 billion per year, about 15% of the countrys GDP. By Anes Alic for SafeHaven.com More Top Reads From Safehaven.com: By Krishna N. Das KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - AirAsia Group Bhd's Tony Fernandes on Tuesday denied a now-defunct Formula 1 racing team formerly co-owned by him had any links to a bribery scandal involving the Malaysian airline's only plane supplier, Airbus SE. Fernandes, one of the aviation industry's best-known faces, on Monday stepped aside as chief executive of Asia's biggest budget airline for at least two months, as authorities investigate allegations that Airbus paid a bribe of $50 million through sponsorship of the Caterham F1 team to win orders from AirAsia. AirAsia Chairman Kamarudin Meranun also stepped down along with Fernandes, though both will remain advisers. The AirAsia co-founders, who bought Caterham in 2011, issued a joint statement on Tuesday reiterating that they did nothing wrong. "Caterham F1, the company alleged to have been sponsored improperly by Airbus, was at the relevant time a Formula 1 racing team that had gone round the globe promoting amongst others AirAsia, AirAsia X, GE and Airbus," Fernandes and Kamarudin said in the statement. "Throughout the period we were shareholders in Caterham, the company made no profit and was eventually disposed of for 1 pound sterling in 2014. From start to finish, this was a branding exercise and not a venture to make profit." The allegations by Britain's Serious Fraud Office on Friday concerned a 2012 sponsorship agreement between the now-defunct racing team and Airbus' then-parent, EADS. AirAsia runs an all-Airbus fleet of 274 planes. It is the world's largest customer of the A321neo single-aisle aircraft. Shares of AirAsia fell 5% as the stock market opened in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Those of long-haul subsidiary AirAsia X Bhd lost 8%. Malaysia's MIDF Research downgraded its recommendation on AirAsia stock to "neutral" from "buy" on Tuesday whereas AmInvestment Bank maintained its "sell" rating. Story continues "We find it difficult to argue for a case that 'business as usual' will prevail in the absence of the direct involvement of Fernandes and Kamarudin in the management and decision-making process of the company," AmInvestment Bank said in a client note. "The duo are the founding members, visionaries and key strategists for the group. This could not have happened at a worse time, amidst the Wuhan conoravirus epidemic that is severely hurting the demand for air travel (which is partially offset by plunging prices of crude oil, and hence jet fuel)." (Reporting by Krishna N. Das and Joseph Sipalan; Editing by Christian Schmollinger and Christopher Cushing) Inclusion Solutions (http://www.inclusionsolutions.com), a leading provider of products and services to help governments create accessible environments to those with disabilities, today announced one of its flagship products, the LanguageLine Multilingual Virtual Pollworker (MVP) system, was recognized by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) as a best practice in election administration in Merced County, California, recipient of the EAC Clearie Award for Improving Accessibility for Voters with Disabilities. Criteria for best practice recognition include creation of positive results, innovation, sustainability, outreach efforts, cost-effectiveness and replicability. Designed to assist voters who are deaf by providing a direct iPad-based connection to interpreters for dozens of languages including American Sign Language, the Merced County Registrar of Voters Office implemented the MVP county-wide in an effort to make the voting process accessible and inclusive to all county voters. Stated Barbara Levey, the Registrar of Voters for Merced County, We have received wonderful feedback from our voters who have utilized the Multilingual Virtual Pollworker or MVP program. The MVP has the capability of connecting our voters to interpreters in more than 200 languages including ASL. We have also utilized this technology in one of my other offices where we were struggling to find an interpreter. This technology is a game changer in being able to provide services to our voters and our community. The Clearie award celebrates innovation in election administration, improving voting accessibility for voters with disabilities, best practices in recruiting, and training and retaining election workers. To have the LanguageLine MVP included in this recognition by the EAC, a bipartisan commission serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration, affirms Inclusion Solutions mission to provide best-of-breed solutions that meet both voters and pollworkers needs, said Inclusion Solutions President Hollister Bundy. Partnering with elite solution providers like LanguageLine helps Inclusion Solutions provide a complete product portfolio that empowers election officials to make cost-effective, scalable voting equipment and accessories purchases that improve the voting experience for all voters. Inclusion Solutions has also provided LanguageLines MVP to Harris County, Texas, which will be implementing the system at 52 early voting locations before the March 3, 2020 Texas Primary. Harris County Clerk Diane Trautman and Director of Elections Michael Winn have been a leader in accessibility and other initiatives. At all Harris County early voting locations, voters will be able to call an interpreter in the languages required by Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act as well as American Sign Language. Other jurisdictions in Texas and California are also using this innovative technology to provide language assistance to all of their voters. About Inclusion Solutions Inclusion Solutions helps voting jurisdictions comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and better welcome voters with disabilities. Offering more than 350 affordable products to help governments create environments that are easily accessible to everyone, Inclusion Solutions products are designed and sourced to make adherence to ADA requirements simple for any organization. Flagship products include the LanguageLine Multilingual Virtual Pollworker system, the Pakflatt Franklin voting booth and the BallotCall door alert system. To date, more than 22,000 Inclusion Solutions Pakflatt Franklin voting booths are present in 48 states, and the BallotCall alert system is used in thousands of polling places nationwide. Inclusion Solutions was founded in Evanston, Ill., in 2000. If Californias economy is to work for everyone, we must understand all workers: who they are and the barriers they face to advancing economically. It is clear that Californias economy is not working for everyone. San Francisco had the states widest income disparity from 2006 to 2018, with the top 5% of households making 50 times the income of the lowest 20%. People of color earn the lowest wages, on average in the Bay Area and state. This includes Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI), who represent a majority of recent immigrants to California and the nations fastest-growing working-age population. Too often, researchers combine Californias nearly 7 million AAPI residents as one group, obscuring the specific perspectives and needs of very different communities. Californias Chinese community is lumped with residents of Hawaiian ancestry, data on Hmong immigrants is grouped with that of Japanese Americans, and so on. AAPI workers represent dozens of countries, speak different languages, and have varying experiences on the job, so combining their data creates troubling confusion. Despite the stereotype of AAPI workers as high-paid technical professionals, the reality is AAPI workers are overrepresented at the high and low end of wages and face particular barriers to moving up. A recent report digs deeper into the experiences and perspectives of Californias AAPI workers. The James Irvine Foundation commissioned AAPI Data and the Public Religion Research Institute to survey AAPI communities in seven languages. The numbers are telling: Nearly four in 10 (38%) AAPI workers in California struggle with poverty. Hmong and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders report struggling at even higher percentages, while Chinese and Filipino Californians account for the majority of struggling workers (per their larger populations). Only 56% of struggling AAPI workers still believe in the American Dream (If you work hard, youll get ahead), and AAPI Californians born here have less optimism than new immigrants. Equally troubling: 63% of all AAPI Californians regardless of work believe that employers see them as replaceable. Such pessimism comes from harsh working realities. In the past year, six in 10 (59%) struggling AAPI workers report at least one negative experience (injury, racial discrimination, sexual harassment, being underpaid). More than one-third (35%) of struggling workers have experienced wage theft recently (receiving less than minimum wage, wages withheld for no reason, etc.). Not surprising, 69% of AAPI Californians believe its important for workers to organize for their rights and protections. Even when workers know their rights, those who dare speak out often face retaliation and harassment. Thats why its encouraging to see an increase in AAPI worker empowerment and organizing, from hotel to health care workers, including examples in workplaces without union representation but with the support of community organizations. Workers like a 70-year-old Chinese immigrant who is the breadwinner for his son and ill wife. He commutes three hours to wash dishes for nine hours, earns minimum wage, and has struggled to find housing after being evicted. The Chinese Progressive Association (CPA) has helped him overcome his fears and lack of familiarity with the legal system to participate in wage theft investigations of his former employer. CPA has supported hundreds of workers to assert their rights, recoup unpaid wages, and change policies on rest breaks, sick days, and fair scheduling. CPA also supported workers at Yank Sing restaurant to win a historic $4 million wage theft settlement and other reforms, making the employer a model in the industry. CPA and other worker and community organizations are also partnering with local and state agencies, with Irvine Foundation support, on labor standards and enforcement, including identifying workers not receiving their full wages and engaging workers in advocating for better working conditions. The need is significant: each year nearly 600,000 California workers fail to receive their full pay an average of $3,400 per worker affected. This partnership also helps ensure that the majority of employers who abide by the rules have a more level playing field. The Irvine Foundation provides grants to the partnership, which focuses on seven low-wage, high-violation industries in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and the Central Coast and Central Valley. The goals include collecting unpaid wages and engaging workers in advocating for better working conditions and so far has helped return millions of dollars in unpaid wages for workers. These and other successes show that workers with information, access, and community support can transform their working conditions, their industries, and their economic future. For this we need more disaggregated data about all workers, but we also need the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to pay attention to that data and empower workers facing the greatest barriers. Thats how we make the economy work for everyone. Don Howard is president and chief executive officer of the James Irvine Foundation; Shaw San Liu is executive director of the Chinese Progressive Association. The CEO of Dekel Agri-Vision plc (LON:DKL) is Youval Rasin. This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. After that, we will consider the growth in the business. Third, we'll reflect on the total return to shareholders over three years, as a second measure of business performance. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for Dekel Agri-Vision How Does Youval Rasin's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? Our data indicates that Dekel Agri-Vision plc is worth UK12m, and total annual CEO compensation was reported as 252k for the year to December 2018. While we always look at total compensation first, we note that the salary component is less, at 224k. We took a group of companies with market capitalizations below 183m, and calculated the median CEO total compensation to be 297k. That means Youval Rasin receives fairly typical remuneration for the CEO of a company that size. This doesn't tell us a whole lot on its own, but looking at the performance of the actual business will give us useful context. The graphic below shows how CEO compensation at Dekel Agri-Vision has changed from year to year. AIM:DKL CEO Compensation, February 11th 2020 Is Dekel Agri-Vision plc Growing? On average over the last three years, Dekel Agri-Vision plc has shrunk earnings per share by 101% each year (measured with a line of best fit). It saw its revenue drop 14% over the last year. Unfortunately, earnings per share have trended lower over the last three years. And the fact that revenue is down year on year arguably paints an ugly picture. So given this relatively weak performance, shareholders would probably not want to see high compensation for the CEO. It could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Has Dekel Agri-Vision plc Been A Good Investment? Since shareholders would have lost about 76% over three years, some Dekel Agri-Vision plc shareholders would surely be feeling negative emotions. So shareholders would probably think the company shouldn't be too generous with CEO compensation. Story continues In Summary... Youval Rasin is paid around the same as most CEOs of similar size companies. Returns have been disappointing and the company is not growing its earnings per share. Few would argue that it's wise for the company to pay any more, before returns improve. So you may want to check if insiders are buying Dekel Agri-Vision shares with their own money (free access). If you want to buy a stock that is better than Dekel Agri-Vision, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. By Timothy Gardner WASHINGTON, Feb 10 (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's 2021 budget proposed $150 million for the creation of a U.S. uranium reserve as the administration seeks to help struggling producers of the fuel for nuclear power reactors. The money, if approved by Congress, would begin the process of purchasing uranium, Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette told reporters in a teleconference on the Energy Department's budget. Brouillette also said the budget represents a push by Trump to challenge the global expansion of nuclear power development by Chinese and Russian companies. Trump "has decided that we're going to meet them anywhere that they go around the world, and this ... is the very first step that we will take to put the United States back into this competitive game," Brouillette said. U.S. uranium mining firms, as well as more than two dozen western state lawmakers, have argued that nuclear generators rely heavily on adversaries including Russia, China and Kazakhstan for uranium supply from their state-owned companies, which flood the market. The budget, largely a political document that serves as a starting point for negotiations with Congress, did not outline where the reserve would be built. Budget documents said a reserve addresses immediate challenges to domestic uranium production and "provides assurance of availability of uranium in the event of a market disruption." The U.S. nuclear energy industry is suffering from high safety costs and low prices for natural gas, a competitor in generating electricity. Since 2013, nearly 10 nuclear power plants have been closed and eight more are scheduled to shut in coming years. A mining company cheered the budget. Mark Chalmers, president and CEO of Colorado based Energy Fuels Resources (USA) Inc said a reserve would "preserve our strategic capacity to produce uranium for national security purposes." The idea for a reserve was recommended by industry group the Nuclear Energy Institute to the Nuclear Fuel Working Group, a panel set up by Trump to spur ideas to help domestic mining. Nima Ashkeboussi, an NEI fuel expert, praised the administration for "recognizing the importance of a domestic uranium fuel supply." Trump set up the working group last year after declining to set production quotas for domestic uranium, amid concerns they could raise prices for nuclear plants in swing states like Pennsylvania ahead of next year's election. Edwin Lyman, the director of nuclear power safety at the Union of Concerned Scientists, said he would not be surprised if a reserve gets support in Congress "at least in the Senate," which is controlled by Trump's fellow Republicans. The Democratic-controlled House may be more reluctant, as the proposal puts taxpayers on the hook for the costs. This year's budget, unlike Trump's last three, did not include funds for Nevada's Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository, on which Washington has spent about $40 billion over decades, but which has never opened. Lawmakers in Nevada, a key swing state, oppose the project saying it could poison water supplies. Brouillette said his department would work on other options, which could be temporary. The Energy Department will release the working group's full findings in about two weeks, he said. (Reporting by Timothy Gardner; editing by Diane Craft) @timogard); Reuters Messaging: timothy.gardner.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) A state contractor helping distribute grants for businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Harvey is bringing an outreach event to Beaumont two weeks before grant deadlines. Texas Back in Business will host an application event in the South East Texas Regional Planning Commission office at 2210 Eastex Fwy in Beaumont at 1:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 to help business owners apply for federally funded grants. The program is awarding between $50,000 and $250,000 in disaster relief, but business owners have until March 2 to apply. Business owners can also apply at TexasBackInBusiness.com, where there is also more information about qualifications. Texas Back in Business funds be used to hire positions, and can be used for operating capital, repairs, inventory, machinery, equipment, supplies and other expenses directly related to the business. To meet the minimum eligibility requirements, a small business must: TORRINGTON There has been another court date change in the case of New Milfords former information technology director accused of computer crimes. The arraignment of Kendrick Protzmann, who is facing eight counts of third-degree computer crime and 41 counts of fifth-degree computer crime for allegedly hacking New Milford town officials emails last year, was postponed twice last month. Three days after the second continuance at state Superior Court in Torrington, Protzmanns next appearance had been scheduled for Feb. 11 but that date has changed to Feb. 28, according to a courthouse clerk. The 52-year-old is accused of accessing the town of New Milfords email archive system without authorization 49 times between June 10 and Sept. 9, 2019, while on administrative leave. [I] wanted to see what was going on around town, Protzmann told police, according to the arrest warrant affidavit obtained by Hearst Connecticut Media. Protzmann served as New Milfords IT director from 2002 to 2019. On June 10, Mayor Pete Bass presented him with a termination letter, indicating Protzmann was being fired due to unsatisfactory work performance and failure to follow directions, according to the affidavit. After Protzmann hired an attorney to dispute the towns decision, a settlement agreement was negotiated July 2, placed him on paid administrative leave until Sept. 3, according to the police affidavit. His access into the email archive system should have been revoked after his termination, but police said that didnt appear to happen. New Milford officials discovered unauthorized access had been gained into the email server this past fall and contacted police, who launched an investigation Oct. 4. The gains of unauthorized access were traced back to Protzmann, who admitted to accessing the email server to feed his curiosity habit from his home in Thomaston, his vacation home in Old Lyme and while performing consulting work in Ansonia, according to police. The company for which Protzmann did the consulting work was Yucatech the same company that hosts New Milfords town email server, according to the warrant. Protzmann allegedly downloaded 35 emails to and from high-ranking officials in town, including Bass and Bollaro. Eight of the emails appeared to be noteworthy because of the private personal data they contained, police said. Many of them involved Protzmann and his separation from the town but one also looked at information regarding the lawsuit former police chief Shawn Boyne has filed with the town over wrongful termination, as well as letters and employment offers to two new hires. The towns IT department determined that the emails had been downloaded, but Protzmann denied downloading any of them and police were not able to find any of them on Protzmanns personal computer, according to the affidavit. Bass declined to comment on Protzmann reading his emails because of the pending case. According to police, Bollaro found the situation highly concerning as he receives and sends very sensitive information in his emails related to personnel matters, employees confidential information and other labor-related issues. Protzmann turned himself in to police Jan. 24, after learning there was a warrant out for his arrest. He is being represented in court by New Haven-based attorney William F. Dow. Vinay Sharma, one of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang-rape case, has filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President of India, his lawyer AP Singh told ANI on Tuesday. "Vinay Sharma has filed a writ petition before the Supreme Court challenging the mercy petition rejection by President of India," Singh said. On February 1, President Ram Nath Kovind had rejected the mercy petition of Vinay Sharma in the case. The mercy petitions of convicts Akshay Thakur and Mukesh Singh have also been rejected. The Delhi High Court on February 5 granted a week's time to the four convicts to avail of all legal remedies available to them and said that the convicts cannot be hanged separately since they were convicted for the same crime. A Delhi Court had issued a death warrant against the four convicts -- Vinay Sharma, Akhsay Thakur, Pawan Gupta and Mukesh Singh -- on January 7 and they were scheduled to be executed on January 22 at Tihar Jail. Later, the execution was suspended indefinitely by a Delhi court. The case pertains to the gang-rape and brutalizing of a 23-year-old paramedical student in a moving bus on the night of December 16, 2012, by six people including a juvenile in Delhi. The woman had died at a Singapore hospital a few days later. One of the five adults accused, Ram Singh, had allegedly committed suicide in the Tihar Jail during the trial of the case. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The Centre has rejected Andhra Pradesh government's proposal to release the payment under PM-KISAN scheme as a lumpsum amount instead of installments, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar informed Parliament on Tuesday. Under PM-KISAN, the central government provides a payment of Rs 6,000 per year in three equal installments of Rs 2,000 to 14.5 crore farmers across the country. In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, Tomar said the Andhra Pradesh government under its Rythu Bharosa scheme proposed to give Rs 12,500 per year to each farmer family inclusive of a benefit of Rs 6,000 given under PM-KISAN. The state government scheme also aimed to cover the tenant farmers. "State government had requested to release the payments under PM-KISAN scheme as a lumpsum amount instead of payments in installments. The request of Government of Andhra Pradesh was not accepted...," he said. The state's proposal was "not accepted" because PM-KISAN was meant to provide income support to all land holding farmers' families in the country, subject to certain exclusions. An amount of Rs 2,000 was paid in three equal installments to enable farmers take care of expenses related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs so as to protect them from falling in the clutches of moneylenders for meeting such expenses and ensure their continuance in farming activities, he added. The eligibility of farmers to join PM-KISAN is determined by the respective state governments on the basis of Operational Guidelines of the Scheme. As per the 2015-16 agriculture census, there are about 83.90 lakh landholdings in Andhra Pradesh. So far, 54.45 lakh farmers have registered under PM-KISAN, the Union Minister said in a separate reply. To those registered between December 2018 and March 31, 2019 in Andhra Pradesh, the centre has paid the first installment to 36.40 lakh beneficiaries, second installment to 34.11 lakh beneficiaries, third installment to 33.78 lakh beneficiaries and fourth installment to 31.35 lakh beneficiaries, he added. To those registered between April and July 2019 in the state, the centre has released first installment to 7.92 lakh beneficiaries, second installment to 7.64 lakh beneficiaries and third installment to 7.35 lakh beneficiaries. To those registered between August and November 2019, the centre has released the first and second installment to only one beneficiary but to those registered between December 2019 and March 2020, the centre has paid the first installment to 6.84 lakh beneficiaries of Andhra Pradesh, the minister added. Sharing all India figures, Tomar said a total of 9.60 crore farmer families across India have been successfully registered under PM-KISAN as on February 6. Of this, 8.44 crore beneficiaries have received benefits. Against the budgetary allocation of Rs 75,000 crore for this fiscal, funds amounting to Rs 44,516.7 crore have been transferred in the bank accounts of beneficiaries across the country, he added. Tomar said PM-KISAN is a continuous and ongoing scheme in which the financial benefits are transferred to the bank accounts of the identified beneficiaries as and when their correct and verified data is uploaded by the concerned states on PM-Kisan web-portal. The data of beneficiaries so uploaded by the concerned states/union territories undergoes a multi-level verification and validation by various agencies concerned before making payment to the beneficiaries. Hence, merely registration on the portal does not ensure benefit transfer to the beneficiaries, he said. From December 2019 onwards, Aadhaar authentication of beneficiaries data is also made mandatory. In case, any mismatch of provided details are noticed by the above mentioned agencies, details related to beneficiaries are required to be corrected or amended by the concerned states, he added. To a query if the government has a mechanism to check whether the scheme has brought changes in lives of farmers, the minister said the scheme was launched on December 2, 2019 and the same is in "nascent state." "As such, no formal study of the scheme has been done yet," he said, adding agriculture is a state subject and the prime responsibility of development of agriculture rests with states and the Centre through its various schemes supplements their efforts. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) February 10, 2020 Release DOD Releases Fiscal Year 2021 Budget Proposal The President and Congress have placed an emphasis on funding the military. Our budgets over the past three years have allowed us to reverse the decline in readiness, while beginning to modernize our air, land, sea, space, and cyber capabilities. However, there is no guarantee that this level of funding will continue into the future. To meet the objectives outlined in the National Defense Strategy, we must continue to make the most of every resource. Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark T. Esper On February 10, 2020, President Donald J. Trump sent Congress a proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 budget request of $740.5 billion for national security, $705.4 billion of which is for the Department of Defense (DoD). The FY 2021 budget supports the irreversible implementation of the National Defense Strategy (NDS), which drives the Department's decision-making in reprioritizing resources and shifting investments to prepare for a potential future, high-end fight. This budget resources four focus areas to build a more lethal, agile, and innovative joint force as it: Continues to improve military readiness and invest in the modernization of a more lethal force; Strengthens alliances, deepens interoperability, and attracts new partners; Reforms the Department for greater performance and accountability; and Supports service members and their families, recognizing that our people are our most valuable resource. This budget focuses on NDS priorities of nuclear deterrence recapitalization and homeland missile defense, while refining our focus on the cyber and space warfighting domains and joint enablers for all operations in all domains: Air, land, sea, space and cyber. It advances the development of critical technologies including hypersonics, microelectronics/5G, and artificial intelligence. The FY 2021 President's budget request of $705.4B, when compared to the FY 2020 enacted amount of $704.6B (excluding natural disaster emergency funding), shows very small growth of approximately 0.1 percent. Given this flattened funding level, the Department made numerous hard choices to ensure that resources are directed toward the Department's highest priorities. To enable that decision-making, Secretary of Defense Esper initiated a comprehensive Defense-Wide Review that generated almost $5.7 billion in FY 2021 savings, $0.2 billion in Working Capital Fund efficiencies, and another $2.1 billion in activities and functions realigned to the Services. This initiative allowed the Department to more effectively resource higher National Defense Strategy (NDS) priorities. The Department's FY 2021 budget builds a ready, agile, all domain joint force enabled by: Nuclear Modernization ($28.9 billion). Investments include: Nuclear Command, Control and Communications - $7 billion B-21 Long Range Strike Bomber - $2.8 billion COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $4.4 billion Long-Range Stand-off (LRSO) Missile - $474 million Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) - $1.5 billion Missile Defeat and Defense ($20.3 billion). Investments include: Sea-Based Interceptors (SM-3 IIA and IB) - $619 million AEGIS Ballistic Missile Defense System - $1.1 billion Homeland Defense and Next Generation Interceptors - $664 million Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) Ballistic Missile Defense - $916 million Patriot Advanced Capability Missile Segment Enhancement - $780 million In the Space Domain ($18.0 billion), investments include: U.S. Space Force - $15.4 billion which includes: - 3 National Security Space Launch (aka EELV) - $1.6 billion - 2 Global Positioning System III and Projects - $1.8 billion - Space Based Overhead Persistent Infrared Systems - $2.5 billion U.S. Space Command - $249 million Space Development Agency - $337 million In the Cyberspace ($9.8 billion) Domain, investments include: Cybersecurity - $5.4 billion Cyberspace Operations - $3.8 billion Cyberspace Science and Technology - $556 million In addition to the $9.8 billion, the budget funds: - Artificial Intelligence - $841 million - Cloud - $789 million In the Air Domain ($56.9 billion), investments include: 79 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters - $11.4 billion 15 KC-46 Tanker Replacements - $3.0 billion 24 F/A-18 E/F Super Hornets - $2.1 billion 52 AH-64E Attack Helicopters - $1.2 billion 5 VH-92 Presidential Helicopters - $739 million P-8A Aircraft - $269 million 7 CH-53K King Stallion - $1.5 billion 12 F-15EX - $1.6 billion In the Maritime Domain ($32.3 billion), investments include: 1 COLUMBIA Class Ballistic Missile Submarine - $4.4 billion CVN-78 FORD Class Aircraft Carrier - $3.0 billion 1 Virginia Class Submarine - $4.7 billion 2 DDG-51 Arleigh Burke Destroyers - $3.5 billion 1 Frigate (FFG(X)) - $1.1 billion 1 Landing Platform Dock Ship (LPD) - $1.2 billion Fleet Replenishment Oiler (T-AO) - $95 million 2 Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV) (Large) - $464 million 2 Towing, Salvage, and Rescue Ships (T-ATS) - $168 million In the Land Domain ($13.0 billion), investments include: 4,247 Joint Light Tactical Vehicles - $1.4 billion 89 M-1 Abrams Tank Modifications/Upgrades - $1.5 billion 72 Amphibious Combat Vehicles - $521 million 32 Armored Multi-Purpose Vehicles - $290 million Munitions ($21.3 billion) investments include: 20,338 Joint Direct Attack Munitions (JDAM) - $533 million 7, 360 Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System (GMLRS) - $1.2 billion 125 Standard Missile-6 - $816 million 1,490 Small Diameter Bomb II (SDB II) - $432 million 8,150 Hellfire Missiles - $517 million 400 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile - $577 million 53 Long Range Anti-Ship Missile - $224 million The FY 2021 budget contains the Department's largest RDT&E budget in its history ($106.6 billion) and is focused on the development of crucial emerging technologies. DoD is making critical investments in several of these technologies, which we refer to as Advanced Capabilities Enablers (ACEs); they are focused on the high end fight. ACEs investments include: Hypersonics - $3.2 billion Microelectronics/5G - $1.5 billion Autonomy - $1.7 billion Artificial Intelligence (AI): $841 million The FY 2021 budget maximizes readiness through robust funding. Investments include: Army readiness - $30.9 billion Navy and Marine Corps readiness - $47.5 billion Air Force readiness - $37.1 billion Special Operations Command readiness - $9.5 billion Increases military end strength from FY 2020 projected levels by 5,600 in FY 2021 The FY 2021 budget supports Service members and their families, recognizing that people are DoD's most valuable resource. The budget: Includes a 3.0 percent military pay raise Funds statutory increases in military Basic Allowance for Housing and Basic Allowance for Subsistence Continues family support programs with investment of over $8 billion for: - Professional development and education opportunities for Service members and military spouses - Quality, affordable child care for over 160,000 children - Youth programs serving over 1 million family members - DoD Dependent Schools educating over 77,000 students Funds repeal of the Survivor Benefit Plan/Dependency and Indemnity Compensation offset DoD continues to restore, sustain, replace, and build critical facilities. By investing over $21 billion in Military Construction and Facilities, Sustainment, Restoration, and Modernization, the budget: Funds, on average, over 80 percent of DoD facilities sustainment requirements across the enterprise Increases funding for Military Housing oversight by 82 percent ($55 million) over the FY 2020 budget request Requests $446 million in FY 2021 for disaster recovery efforts - In conjunction with prior reprogrammings, supplemental funding, and emergency funds, the budget fully funds all known disaster recovery requirements through FY 2025 The FY 2021 budget requests $69 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO). The FY 2021 OCO request contains three categories: Direct War Requirements: Combat or combat support costs that are not expected to continue once combat operations end - $20.5 billion OCO for Enduring Requirements: Enduring in-theater and CONUS costs that will remain after combat operations end - $32.5 billion OCO for Base Requirements: Base budget requirements financed in the OCO budget to comply with the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2019 - $16.0 billion The entire budget proposal and additional material are available at: http://www.defense.gov/cj. https://www.defense.gov/Newsroom/Releases/Release/Article/1926383/ NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 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. 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The IMB is excited to have Jason join our team as we work to deepen our relationships with African American churches across the convention, Chris Derry, director of IMBs partner relations team, said in a recent release from the organization. His experience with church planting and growing historically black college and university ministries will aid him in guiding us to better listen to, equip and inspire more Southern Baptists from our African American churches to partner with our 3,660 field missionaries to take the gospel to the nations. Thomas hiring comes just months after Doug Logan, president of Grimke Seminary, Acts 29s director of Diversity for Church in Hard Places, and a pastor at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia, highlighted in an op-ed published by the IMB why the organization needs to send out more missionaries of color and highlighted a number of reasons how they could do this. Like it or not, the legacy of European colonialism is a major stumbling block for many of the millions who suffer in places ravaged by centuries of light-skinned oppression. In contexts like these, black and brown missionaries simply bring credibility thats hard to obtain otherwise. On top of this, diverse missionary teams avoid sending the wrong message about our faith. Simply by virtue of being different, they help the world see that the gospel is for all types of people, Logan wrote. He noted at the time that even though the IMB had fully funded missionary vacancies, very few of his friends who pastored majority black congregations were aware of the opportunities. He further suggested that the organization worked to build awareness among black churches through organizations such as the National African American Fellowship, which represents more than 4,000 predominantly black congregations in the SBC. According to the organizations website, the NAAF has a membership in excess of 400,000 ranging in size from house churches to some of the largest churches in America. And Marshal Ausberry, president of NAAF, said he was excited about Thomas hiring. Truly, we believe that the addition of Jason as a church mobilizer focusing on the African American church will help foster stronger relationships within the IMB in reaching the world for Christ," Ausberry said. Along with his 10 years of experience as a campus minister, Thomas has a Master of Divinity degree in church planting from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in communication from Southeastern Louisiana University. He and his wife, Gaynel, live in Henrico, Virginia. LONDON - A businessman from England who contracted the new virus from China and may have spread it through his wide travels thanked Britains National Health Service after he recovered. Steve Walsh issued a statement Tuesday after being the focus of intense media coverage once it became apparent that he may have unwittingly helped to spread the new coronavirus to Europe. Walsh had come into contact with the virus after a business trip to Singapore in January. He then went to a ski resort in the French Alps, potentially infecting other people before he was diagnosed with the virus and hospitalized. I would like to thank the NHS for their help and care, Walsh said. Whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus. Five Britons who stayed with Walsh at a chalet in the Alps have been diagnosed with the virus, including a 9-year-old boy. Another man who stayed at the French ski resort was discovered infected after returning home on the Spanish island of Mallorca. His case prompted French health authorities to test 61 other children and family members at the resort and temporarily close some schools there, but they all tested negative. Walsh said as soon as he realized he had been exposed to a confirmed case of the virus, he spoke to his doctor and public health authorities. I was advised to attend an isolated room at the hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed, he said. When the diagnosis was confirmed, I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves. The virus has infected more than 43,000 people globally and killed over 1,000, with the overwhelming majority of cases in China. It is unclear exactly how it is transmitted, but experts think it is spread mostly by droplets when people cough or sneeze. Health officials warn it can take up to 14 days for those who have been exposed to show symptoms. Most people have only mild symptoms such as a fever and runny nose. But some develop pneumonia. Those who have fallen severely ill have been mostly over 60 with other health problems. Walsh flew to Singapore for a Jan. 20-22 event sponsored by his employer, Servomex. The company, based in the town of Crowborough, 35 miles south of London, makes industrial sensors sold around the world. In a statement, Servomex said it was working with public health authorities to ensure the welfare of our staff and communities and wish anyone with the virus a quick and full recovery. Europe has reported 43 confirmed virus cases. One infected woman in Russia has recovered and was discharged from the hospital, local officials said. Russia has halted most of its air traffic to China, suspended trains to China, closed the Russian border with China and Mongolia and temporarily stopped issuing work visas to Chinese citizens. President Michael D Higgins has said that it is important to be positive as the political parties enter discussions. Speaking in Dublin on Tuesday, he said that the constitution lays out the process very clearly. I have great confidence in the process that we have. We are very fortunate to have a constitution that lays things down very clearly. I want to wish all of the people who will be having discussions with each other every success. Whoever leads the next government., the fallout from Brexit and agreeing a trade deal with the UK will be high on the agenda. Whatever they decide, we are obviously facing into a period in which the European Union is redefining itself on several levels and we are moving into some of the most complex parts of the trade agreement with our neighbours through Brexit. There are huge international issues as well. The themes standing in every background of every politician alive are issues of climate change and loss of biodiversity. I wish them every success with the different options that they have. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE The House on Monday endorsed a proposal to use some of New Mexicos budget windfall to set up an early childhood trust fund, less than one week after the Senate passed a similar plan. The 51-14 vote to pass the plan, House Bill 83, came after three hours of debate that featured back-and-forth arguments about state governments role in child rearing. It is supposed to be the parents and the family unit that love the child and take care of the child, Rep. Candy Spence Ezzell, R-Roswell, said during Mondays debate. But Democrats countered that prekindergarten and other programs can help parents, not replace them. It would be nice if Mom could stay home all day, but thats not the reality in our economic world, said Rep. Liz Thomson, D-Albuquerque. The proposed endowment fund, one of Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams top initiatives during the ongoing 30-day legislative session, would get an initial funding infusion from an oil-fueled budget surplus. The first-term Democratic governor has called for $320 million to be set aside for the trust fund, although a House-approved budget bill would appropriate a slightly smaller amount, $300 million. Under the bill, $20 million would be transferred from the trust fund to the states new Early Childhood Education and Care Department in July 2021. After that initial distribution, annual transfers of at least $30 million would be made or possibly more, depending on the funds overall value. Backers of the plan say an endowment fund for early childhood programs could eventually become a major funding source for home visiting, prekindergarten and child care assistance. The bills sponsor, House Majority Whip Doreen Gallegos, D-Las Cruces, pointed out that more than $1 billion has already been funneled into a rainy day fund established by the Legislature in 2017 to set money aside for future cash-lean years. If we can start generating that kind of money, just imagine what we can do for early childhood, Gallegos told the Journal after Mondays vote. The two bills House Bill 83 and Senate Bill 3 are identical measures. They are both co-sponsored by Gallegos and Sen. John Arthur Smith, D-Deming. EPA Twenty four American passengers have been diagnosed with the coronavirus on-board a quarantined cruise ship in Japan. Nearly 3,700 passengers on the Diamond Princess luxury cruise liner have been held at the port of Yokohama after the first cases of the illness were reported on the ship earlier this month. Overnight 11 more Americans were diagnosed and the total number of passengers with the virus, which originated in Wuhan, China, rose to 136 The passengers have been ordered to remain in their rooms until 19 February unless there are any unforeseen developments, the cruise liner has said, as the diagnosed were sent to local hospitals. The latest cases also included 45 passengers from Japan, four from Australia and three from the Philippines, as well as one Canadian and one Ukrainian passenger. At least 908 people have died from coronavirus after the virus began spreading across China last year. The new virus was believed to have infected over 40,000 patients worldwide, with the majority of those cases occurring in China. Officials said the virus likely originated in a market in Wuhan, China and was capable of spreading from person-to-person, as well as between animals and humans. Stefano Ravera, captain of the Princess Diamond cruise ship, told CNN the latest rise in diagnoses was not unexpected and that the new cases likely involved individuals exposed prior to the start of the quarantine. Confirmed cases of the virus have continued to steadily rise in China, with a 15 per cent rise in infections being reported during the weekend. At least 12 cases have been confirmed in the US. The coronavirus has officially surpassed the death toll in the 2003 SARS outbreak. Rebecca Frasure, an American on the ship who tested positive for the virus, told CBS News it was very surreal to have been diagnosed with the mysterious illness. "It was a very surreal experience, to be told that you have this virus that, as far as I knew, could be deadly. Although I didn't feel sick at all. That part was very strange for me," she said. "How can I have this when I don't feel sick?" Story continues The passenger, who has since been quarantined in hospital, said she missed her husband and added with a laugh: I really want some American food. A Japanese flag with the words medicine lacking is draped on the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess. Some guests are elderly and on medication. #coronavirus #DiamondPrincess pic.twitter.com/iQncSy50tX Paula Hancocks (@PHancocksCNN) February 7, 2020 Matthew Smith, a 57-year-old California passenger who has not tested positive for the coronavirus, told CNBC it was a little bit depressing to think about the length of the quarantine and how much longer he has left on the ship. Imagine being trapped in your bathroom, he said. Still, Mr Smith praised the cruise liner for its response to the outbreak, telling the news outlet: I give Princess and the captain of this vessel an A plus-plus on their response to this they faced a situation that I expect they had no plans for. Nearly 3,700 passengers on the Diamond Princess luxury cruise liner have been quarantined at the port of Yokohama after the first cases of coronavirus were reported on the ship earlier this month. Read more How coronavirus is impacting travel amid deadly outbreak One firefighter was injured Tuesday when responding to a three-alarm fire in Cleona, according to the Lebanon Daily News. The fire started around 8:55 a.m. in a garage in the area of Christian Street. It spread to two nearby houses. There were no other injuries. "Extensive damage was done, said Cleona Fire Chief Bob Moyer. He told Lebanon Daily News that both homes appear to have extensive smoke and roof damage. Cleona Fire. Homeowner tells me he was making charcoal when he put some in a bag in the garage. He thought it was cool enough but moments later saw flames in garage. He and his wife got out and another couple next door. @WGAL @cleonafire pic.twitter.com/aJ6n1Sdwid BarbaraBarrWGAL (@BarbaraBarrWGAL) February 11, 2020 Crews were working late morning Tuesday to break down some parts of the damaged homes. There appeared to be structural damage near where the fire started in the garage, the report noted. There was a partially collapsed wall" between buildings. Four people have been displaced. The Red Cross was on the scene to assist them with temporary housing. This morning we responded to the 200 Block of South Christian Street in Cleona (Lebanon County)where we assisted 2 families (4 adults total) with the resources necessary to secure shelter, clothing, and food following a multi-home fire. Red Cross Greater PA (@RedCrossGPA) February 11, 2020 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 Vladimir Ilyich Lenin who, supposedly, came up with the term useful idiots to describe those too dim to realise that they are being used for some political purpose or other. There is some doubt as to whether Lenin in fact coined the term, or even used it, but it is useful shorthand nonetheless. It comes readily to mind when contemplating the ministerial reshuffle Boris Johnson is due to announce on Thursday. For the rumours are strong that some of the most notable casualties will be the Eurosceptics courted by Johnson during his long quest for the premiership, then liberally rewarded with jobs in cabinet. Some of the most prominent members of the European Research Group were given senior positions bought off as a result of Johnsons rise to power. When Johnson cleared out the May cabinet last July, he made Priti Patel home secretary, Jacob Rees-Mogg leader of the House of Commons, Theresa Villiers was sent to look after environment, and the business department was tossed to Andrea Leadsom, who herself once came improbably close to the leadership. Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is gearing up to expand its portfolio in India. The company has teased the launch of a new product category today in India. Based on a number of hints, Xiaomi may bring its range of laptops in India on February 11 at 12 pm. Redmi's new category launch on 11th Feb, 12 Noon! #MorePowerToRedmi Any guesses? Let us know in the comments. Get notified: https://t.co/Bf04XZbz4E pic.twitter.com/llQjEvTiMq Redmi India (@RedmiIndia) February 9, 2020 A recent tweet uploaded by Redmi India includes a 22-second long video that teases the RedmiBook 13. The video does not reveal the product completely, but our speculation is based on the chamfered edges and the slim design, which hint a Redmi laptop launch in India. RedmiBook 13 was launched late in 2019 in China for Yuan 4,199 (roughly Rs 42,900). It features a 13.3-inch Full HD display and gets powered by an Intel Core 10th generation processor, paired with 8GB RAM and 512GB memory. Alongside the Redmi laptop, Xiaomi is also confirmed to launch the Redmi 9A in India. Touted as the Desh ka Dumdaar smartphone, Xiaomi has been promoting its A-series of smartphones under the same tagline. Teasers of the Redmi 9A so far confirm a 5,000 mAh battery and a dual-camera setup. The entry-level handset is expected to feature a MediaTek Helio G70 processor, which is also found on its competitor in the price range, the Realme C3. We also expect Redmi to launch its power banks to India. The Xiaomi sub-brand has two power banks under its portfolio with 10,000 mAh and 20,000 mAh battery capacity. Both the power banks could make their way to the Indian market. Boris Johnsons Brexit deal could force Northern Ireland to operate in a different time zone to the rest of the UK for half the year, peers have warned. The European Parliament voted last year in support of a proposal that would put an end to the twice-yearly changing of the clocks to accommodate extra daylight hours. Under an EU directive, all 27 states currently switch to summer time hours on the last Sunday of March and back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on the last Sunday of October a pattern the UK follows. But under a potential swap by Brussels to a double summer time arrangement, Lords have warned that the Prime Ministers Withdrawal Agreement could see Northern Ireland legally obliged to be one hour ahead for six months every year. It would mean the 1.8 million people living in the six counties would follow summer time hours, even when those in Great Britain wind their clocks back by 60 minutes in the autumn. The fears over an obligation for Northern Ireland to follow Brussels lead if the EU does adopt double-summer time stem from Mr Johnsons Brexit deal, which signed Northern Ireland up to continuing to follow EU rules on goods and agriculture in order to prevent a hard border. Any EU-wide shift in timekeeping would apply to Ireland and, due to the terms of the PMs divorce treaty, Northern Ireland might have to follow suit, peers have suggested. Were this proposal (for double summer time) to become EU law under its current single market legal basis, Northern Ireland may be obliged under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to align with the EU and thus institute a time border with Great Britain, said the Lords EU internal market sub-committee in its report, Clock changes: is it time for change? The group of cross-party peers have called on the Government to give urgent further consideration to the impact the Brexit agreement could have if the EU does decide to make the summer time switch permanent and criticised ministers lax approach to what could be a significant change for the UK. Story continues Our inquiry has demonstrated that any such decision at EU level would have implications for the UK, notwithstanding UK withdrawal from the EU, wrote the peers. The nature and significance of such implications is not, however, well understood not least by the Government. Baroness Donaghy, chair of the committee, said there was also the possibility that Ireland could face a situation where it has different time-zones on either side of the border. The Prime Ministers Brexit deal could see Northern Ireland forced to follow the EU if its switches to permanent summer hours, peers have said (Stefan Rousseau/PA) So far the Government has stuck its head in the sand on the EU Commissions proposal, hoping that it goes away, she said. However, if it doesnt, we could be caught unaware and unprepared to make a decision, leaving the island of Ireland with two time zones at different times of the year and causing difficulties for people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The report, published on Tuesday, praised ministers informal engagement with counterparts in Northern Ireland on the issue, but pushed for a more detailed review to take place. Peers recommended reviewing research carried out in countries that have different time zones, and identify the possible implications of time zone changes for both domestic and international businesses. Business minister Kelly Tolhurst, giving evidence to the committee last year, said: Anything that would create a time border in Northern Ireland we are completely opposed to, and so is the Irish government. The proposal to scrap the bi-annual time-switch across the Continent derived from a citizens forum carried out by the EU. The consultation, undertaken when the UK was still a member, received 4.6 million responses, 84% of which were in favour of abolishing the clock change practise. But peers noted that the respondents accounted for less than 1% of the EU population, and 70% of those responses came from Germany alone. by Sara Guaglione , February 11, 2020 The New Republic is debuting a new look, coinciding with the launch of a politics-focused podcast and a metered paywall. The redesign will premiere in the March issue, with a new logo, typography, layout, photography and illustration. While its a visual makeover for the magazine, the redesign also has a strong editorial message at the heart of it. The New Republic was created to address industrial capitalism and the rise of consumer culture and in many ways we are facing many similar challenges in the age of Donald Trump," editor-in-chief Chris Lehmann told Publishers Daily. The New Republic has been around for more than 100 years, and now the bolder visual identity says to readers: We must pay attention to this, Lehmann said. It "conveys a sense of urgency." advertisement advertisement The new look was created in partnership with design and branding firm Pentagram. The metered paywall, which will have a soft launch in the next week or so, will begin with allowing visitors three articles to read for free. If readers sign up for a newsletter, they get three more articles before they are asked to subscribe. Publisher Kerrie Gillis said those numbers are flexible; they will adjust the paywall based on reader behavior. She believes the magazine will attract new audiences in 2020. A digital subscription will cost $20 a year, and a print and digital bundle will cost $30 in the U.S. The New Republic has been actively hosting a number of events to attract an audience younger than its usual readership, which Gillis said is introducing a new segment to The New Republic brand. The paywall, which costs less than $2 a month, will drive revenue, but keep the doors open for new readers, she said. We know whats happening to the advertising community, and how much more difficult it is to obtain advertising dollars." With the presidential election around the corner, this is the right time to do this, Lehmann said. In late January, TNR hired nine new staffers. The New Republic added two deputy editors: Jason Linkins, previously a founding member of HuffPosts Washington bureau and a senior editor at ThinkProgress, and Katie McDonough, who worked for Jezebel. Two weeks ago, TNR launched a podcast called "The Politics of Everything." The first episode, hosted by Laura Marsh and Alex Pareene, examines whether its socially responsible for millennials to have children at a time of climate crisis. What makes this podcast different from the numerous politics-focused audio shows launching ahead of the 2020 presidential election? We don't view politics in a vacuum is it actually about ideas. We want both [hosts] Laura and Alex to engage with it at that level, Lehmann said. Debating the ethics of having children in the age of climate change is very different from topics other politics podcasts might cover, he said. The redesign to The New Republics website will launch at the end of April, with designated verticals on topics such as climate change, national politics, and inequality and identity. The new verticals also provide an expanded business opportunity for the magazine brand, Gillis added. We can go after those market segments ... and create newsletters around these verticals, and talk to advertisers about the targeted group of people interested in that topic, she said. District Judge Blocks Christian School From Voucher Program in Religious Discrimination Lawsuit A U.S. District Court judge has recently denied the request for a preliminary injunction from a Baltimore-area Christian school, which is suing the state of Maryland after state officials excluded the school from a public-funded voucher program. In a ruling on Jan. 21, U.S. District Court Judge Stephanie Gallagher decided that Bethel Christian Academy could not allow students to continue to attend Bethel with vouchers while awaiting a final judgment. Gallagher said that the church-run school had not proved the state discriminated against its religious beliefs, as alleged in the lawsuit. Bethel has not proven, with the present record, that the decision was made solely based on its religious identity, Gallagher wrote. Bethel was removed from Marylands Broadening Options and Opportunities for Students Today (BOOST) Program, which pays tuition for low-income students to attend private schools. Under state law, schools are not allowed to participate in BOOST if they discriminate in their admission process based on sexual orientation, among many other things. When a state advisory board reviewed Bethels handbook and discovered it asks students to align with biblical beliefs, including marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman, and that God assigns a gender to each person at birth, it determined that Bethel was not eligible for BOOST. The board also asked the school to repay more than $100,000 of voucher money it had received in prior years. Represented by conservative advocacy group Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), Bethel brought the lawsuit against Maryland in 2018, arguing that the sole reason the advisory board disqualified Bethel from BOOST was the schools beliefs on marriage and biological sex, rather than its admission policy. Bethel has not, and will not, deny an applicant school admission based on the sexual orientation of the applicant, ADF wrote in the complaint, adding that Bethel prohibits all admitted students, regardless of their sexual orientation, from engaging in any sexual conduct. The U.S. Department of Justice got involved last November in support of Bethel, saying that the state of Maryland has violated the schools First Amendment rights to free speech and religious freedom. The government may not attempt to regulate religious beliefs, compel religious beliefs, or punish religious beliefs, the Departments motion (pdf) said. The Department said its support to Bethel is consistent with the U.S. Supreme Courts ruling in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia v. Comer in 2017. Trinity Lutheran Church, which operates a licensed preschool in Missouri, was denied when it tried to apply for a playground equipment grant, only because of the institutions religious identity. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Trinity, stating that the exclusion of churches or any other faith-based organizations from an otherwise neutral and secular aid program is a violation of the First Amendments guarantee of free exercise of religion. Duo Safe When students log into their U-M accounts on January 29, they'll need more than their passwords by James Leonard From the February, 2020 issue That's the date when all 65,000 students at the university's three campuses will be required to use the two-factor identification system developed by Ann Arbor's own Duo Security. Two-factor means two proofs: a password plus something else like an app, code, or hardware "token." Students are the last group required to get with the program. "All faculty, staff, student employees, and sponsored affiliates on the Ann Arbor, Dearborn, and Flint campuses and in Michigan Medicine are already using Duo," emails Dana Fair from the U-M's information and technology services. "Our focus now is on getting the rest of the students to use two-factor." They figured about 5,000 holdouts would be affected. The university has used some form of two-factor authentication since 2005. What's changing is that now everyone has to use it. As Fair writes, "For two-factor authentication to be most effective, everyone needs to use the same tool." Two-factor ID "provides an extra layer of protection above and beyond one's password," Fair explains. "If a malicious actor somehow gets access to someone's username and password, they won't be able to log in as that person because they will not have the Duo second factor." Google, which handles the university's email, already offers two-factor ID. But Duo "protects more than just Google," Fair writes. "It protects a large array of tools and applications used across the university." And across the cyber-verse: founded by U-M grads Dug Song and Jon Oberheide in 2010, Duo now has more than 800 employees and is looking to add 200 more this year. Most work in its Ann Arbor office in the Allmendinger Building on S. First, but others are in Detroit, Austin, San Francisco, and London, plus some in remoter spots around the globe. Though Duo boasts hundreds of major universities as clients, Song is clearly thrilled to add the U-M. "I've come full circle," he emails. "I attended UofM as a student and started my career there as a Security Administrator and Systems ...continued below... Research Programmer, managing security for the general-purpose campus computing environment. It's nice to have a hand in protecting my alma mater--again!"It's a hand whose reach got vastly bigger when Cisco Systems, the world's largest network and security company, bought Duo last year for a stunning $2.35 billion."As far as we've come, I'm excited by how much further we'll go, accelerating our growth and the reach of our mission as part of Cisco," writes Song. "Cisco views Duo as transformational to their business, bringing cloud-based user and device trustworthiness to an already impressive security product portfolio. They agree with us on the past state of security, and we're going to fix it together."Duo has customers in more than 100 countries now, and with Cisco's backing expects to expand even more rapidly. But they've got no plans to leave town. "Ann Arbor is Duo's headquarters," writes Jordan Fylonenko, Duo's PR manager, "and we will continue to invest in our growth here and in the local community."[Originally published in February, 2020.] There is feverish talk about who won and who will lead. We had a change election. The peoples priorities are health and housing. There is anger about lingering austerity. More must be done. Plans to do more are prodigious. The essential point, and it will come shortly, is not what we want to do. Its what we can do. The government will change eventually but at least three critical events loom. A budget in October for 2021. Just on the horizon trade talks between the EU and the UK are critical for Ireland. In the interim, there will be much to busy government before it delivers on the change it has promised. Before the summer, the OECD process on something called BEPS will crystallise into definite directions. By year end, it will likely be finalised. The outcome is extremely important for our economic model of foreign direct investment. BEPS is much spoken of in official Ireland but hardly mentioned among decent people. It is base erosion and profit shifting and will determine what multinational profits are taxed, where and how much. Any change moves Ireland off the sweet spot now, of the best possible place we can be. Managing the OECD decision-making process, or trying to influence it at all, will be time consuming, and essential for the future minister for finance. The consequences will impact on our national sums for years to come. The Department of Finance says up to 2bn of our corporation tax is vulnerable. And thats an educated guess. So before we deliver the change we voted for, we have to provide for it. And then theres the additional 11bn over and above business as usual for new current funding over five years to 2025. Thats day to day, recurring spending for public servants and public programmes. Any cut in the corporation tax take is a chip off the block. If the rules of engagement change in a way that seriously discommodes Ireland, then the guess might not be so educated. However, this is the fodder we plan to feed off while we change. Another engaging item for the new finance minister is local property tax. But first a little parliamentary detail. A finance bill which proposes revenue for the exchequer cannot be amended in its passage through the Oireachtas, although it can be rejected. Local property tax doesnt have that protection. A minister embarking on a measure of reform must have an ironclad Dail majority or risk defeat. Thats a summary for a bad political bruising in return for nothing except diminished reputation. The local property tax, paltry though it is, is worth over half a billion a year, every year. Thats close to 3bn over five years. If it isnt reviewed, and its valuations are years out of date, it will be legally challenged and put in jeopardy. Some will rejoice and cheer on the day. But if it is not secured, thats close to 3bn off the 11bn we think we have to spend on new initiatives, which will be the change we voted for. How a majority can be found for revaluing local property tax is entirely unclear. I dont wish to be awkward but it must be pointed out that change has to be paid for, and paid for by the people who voted for it. And then theres the elephant in the room public pay. The current pay agreement and its predecessor delivered increases averaging 2.5% over the last few years. The upward pressure is acute, and the consequences of raising the rate of increase is enormous. Political parties have either willingly joined in, or unwittingly being sucked in to agreeing to unwind the changes imposed in 2011- 2013. Its forgotten that outrageously inflated public pay was the single largest component part, of the largest factor which was public spending, that sank the economy into crisis. Pay equality bears no reference to the reality of those in the private sector who have to pay for it. Its a Trojan horse for the ultimate aim of reversing 2013 public sector pension changes. Everyone in the private sector, not in a defined benefits scheme, knows all about it. An upward push on public sector wages is imminent. It must be faced this year and priced into the October budget. To put it into perspective, every extra 1% in public pay costs another 150m to 200m a year over and above what is provided. Thats close to a 1bn, of the 11bn, based on a further 1% and the unions have no intention of settling for that. On corporation tax and local property tax, the plug could be pulled out of the tub. On pay, there is a rough hustle up to the trough. Whats left over, is what we have to make change. The Apple case is pending in the Europe Court of Justice. There is a once-off 13bn at stake. But, big as that is, thats not whats really important. These rulings are seldom all for one, or one for all. There are on the one hand, and on the other, usually. If Ireland wins too much, the Commission will appeal. If we lose too much, Apple may prove to be the first in a series of Commissioninquiries into special deals. This matters because a lot of money is at stake. It matters more because just at the moment the UK and France want to eat our FDI lunch, our shop window becomes covered in unsightly droppings. You may have your opinions about corporation tax. But its the cash we plan to spend on change. On health, an extra 1bn a year for Slaintecare, every year for five years comes out of the 11bn, leaving 6bn. And thats change? Well, its small change for sure. There is an eerie, giddy unreality abroad. Id be very wary of it. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Twitterati have applauded sand artist and Padma Shri awardee Sudarsan Pattnaik for his sand sculpture expressing solidarity with China over coronavirus at Puri beach. Sudarsan Pattnaik created the sand art at Puri beach to show his support. He posted the picture of his sand art on Twitter and captioned, "We stand with #China: My #SandArt with the message, Fight against #CORONAVIRUS at Puri beach, #Odisha." His sand art was acclaimed by many, including Chinese Ambassador, Sun Weidong and the Director-General of WHO Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. The Chinese Ambassador appreciated Pattnaik for his support and wrote, "Appreciate this message." Director-General of the World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also thanked Pattnaik and tweeted, "Such a beautiful way to express solidarity to the people of #China during this challenging #2019nCoV outbreak. Thank you, @sudarsansand." Other social media users also lavished praise on Sudarsan Pattnaik and have flooded the social media with their reactions. A user wrote, "Thanks. We are all human... And we need to help each other by any means." Another wrote, "That's India and the great Indian culture and heritage." "Excellent Sand Art. There is no issue you leave out. Too good" read one post. Chinese health authorities on Tuesday said the death toll due to the novel coronavirus in China has increased to 1,016, with 42,638 infected cases. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) South Africa: Road closures for 30th anniversary of Madiba's release Cape Town residents are advised to take caution when driving through Cape Towns CBD as there are some road closures to accommodate an event to mark the 30th anniversary of former president Nelson Mandelas release from prison. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the nation at the Cape Towns City Hall balcony where Mandela addressed the nation hours after his release from prison. Mandela served 27 years in prison, first on Robben Island and later in Pollsmoor and Victor Verster Prisons. He was released from the Victor Verster prison in the Boland on February 11, 1990. The anniversary also marks the unbanning of political parties in South Africa and the formal end of apartheid. Darling Street and surrounds now have traffic restrictions in place which started at 1am on Monday and this will continue until 10pm today. According to the City, during the event, no vehicles will be allowed to stop in front of the City Hall between Parade and Corporation Streets. From 9am today, Darling Street will be reduced to two single lanes. Darling Street was closed to traffic between Lower Plein and Buitenkant Streets from 6pm yesterday until 10pm today. During this time, no parking will be permitted on Corporation Street and Parade Street. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Thank you, Nancy. Thats the message President Donald Trump had for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in his first 2020 campaign rally after his full, complete, absolute and total acquittal on charges that got him impeached by the House in December. Trump and the Republican partys poll numbers, the president asserted Monday before a packed crowd at Southern New Hampshire University arena in Manchester, New Hampshire, received a massive boost from the impeachment saga, in which Democrats accused Trump of pressuring Ukraine to investigate a potential political foe, former Vice President Joe Biden. Trump quickly moved on from his impeachment trial to tout what he and his surrogates have described as a blue collar boom, with record low unemployment figures and solid employment numbers for African Americans and Latinos. Like his son, Donald Trump Jr., and Vice President Mike Pence, who both spoke to the crowd before him, Trump chastised Democrats as radical leftists and repeated a refrain used on the campaign trail and in his recent State of the Union address: that the U.S. would never be a socialist nation under his watch. Washington Democrats have never been more extreme, Trump said, arguing Democratic candidates were trying to take away your health care. Were making it better and much, much cheaper. Trump said he and the GOP would always guarantee coverage of people with pre-existing conditions, which is actually one of the core tenants of the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, which the Trump administration has sought to overturn. Pence tried to contrast the Trump administrations success, citing millions of new jobs including more than 220,000 new jobs announced in the latest labor reports, with Democrats, who were still counting votes in Iowa caucuses, he said. They cant even run a caucus in Iowa, Trump later said, accusing the Democratic party of trying to take (the nomination) away from Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. Theyre doing it to you again, Bernie. According to CNN, Sanders leads in the latest New Hampshire poll before Tuesdays primary. By ANI NEW DELHI: AAP candidate Akhilesh Tripathi has won from Model Town assembly constituency with a margin of 11,133 votes. He contested polls against BJP candidate Kapil Mishra, who had fought 2015 elections on AAP ticket. "This is the victory of development and people of Delhi. It is a reply to people who wanted to divide the country and disturb communal harmony. It is the victory of Arvind Kejriwal's dream of a beautiful Delhi," Tripathi told ANI. Earlier, the Election Commission had imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban following his controversial tweets. Twitter had taken down one of his controversial tweets following directions of the EC and an FIR was lodged against him under section 125 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with creating enmity among classes. ALSO READ | We respect mandate: Manoj Tiwari accepts defeat Election results have been declared on 40 seats in which AAP bagged 37 and BJP won three. Congress failed to secure a win on any of the assembly seats. The Election Commission had placed a temporary ban on Kapil Mishra from campaigning for Delhi assembly elections for violating the Model Code of Conduct over his tweet where he termed the ensuing Assembly elections in the national capital as a contest between India and Pakistan. By Azernews By Rasana Gasimova The results of the exit polls in Azerbaijans snap parliamentary elections held on February 9 suggests that the ruling New Azerbaijan party (YAP) has won the victory. Deputy Prime Minister Ali Ahmadov announced YAPs victory in his Facebook account after the results from the majority of districts were announced on February 9. I congratulate the members of New Azerbaijan Party with another victory. I heartily congratulate our candidates who won the elections. I would also like to thank our numerous volunteers, who made a huge contribution to our partys great victory. We are very grateful to those who have voted for our party, for our candidates, for our presidents policy, Ahmadov wrote in his post. Exit polls were conducted by the US-based AJF & Associates Inc. (US) jointly with Citizens' Labor Rights Protection League, the Rey Monitoring Center, and the French Opinion Way Research Institute together with the Human Rights in the XXI Century Azerbaijan Foundation. The parliamentary elections of the sixth convocation were held in Azerbaijan on February 9 with the participation of 1,314 candidates. The candidacies of 246 people were nominated by 19 political parties, 1,057 were self-nominated, 11 - by initiative groups. Twenty-one percent accounted for female candidates while 79 percent male candidates. During the election day, 5,573 permanent polling stations operated in 125 constituencies of the country. There were 5,329,460 registered voters. Some 883 international observers and 77,790 local observers monitored the voting process. Among the local observers, 35,152 were representatives of political parties. International observers represented 58 countries and 59 organizations. The decision to hold snap parliamentary elections came after the parliament asked the president to dissolve it and to reschedule early elections during its session held on December 2. The parliaments decision to dissolve itself was initiated by the ruling YAP party during the parliaments session on November 28. The proposal to dissolve the parliament and call for early elections is aimed at supporting the recent personnel reforms implemented by the Azerbaijani president. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia have already congratulated President Ilham Aliyev on the victory of the New Azerbaijan Party. Connect. Learn. Scale https://live.startupwind.com/signup_courses Draper University and StartupWind share a common mission to power up entrepreneurs across the world. StartupWind, with its digital platform to deliver coursework and software tools from ideation to business planning to mentoring, is very synergistic. --- Tim Draper, legendary Venture Capitalist. StartupWind, Inc and Draper University announced today that they are partnering to launch cutting edge online entrepreneurship courses made available for free to help entrepreneurs around the world. The content for these courses is contributed by leading investors, entrepreneurs and executives in the Silicon Valley as well as worlds leading innovation professors from top tier business schools. Notable contributors include legendary venture capitalist Tim Draper and Northwestern Kellogg professors Mohanbir Sawhney as well as Rob Wolcott. These courses span across all stages of an entrepreneurs journey, including: Ideation, Customer Discovery and Product Market Fit: These courses would help the entrepreneurs develop their ideas, gain deep customer insights and identify a clear product market fit. Business Model Canvas & Business Planning: These courses are designed to help entrepreneurs in identifying the right business model for their business. Coupled with StartupWinds Business Model Canvas and Business Planning tools, these courses help entrepreneurs in building a compelling business plan and an investor pitch deck. Growth Hacking: The growth hacking courses would help entrepreneurs to drive traction for their startups, build effective marketing plan and provide experiential knowhow to drive pipeline, revenue and media coverage. Get Funded: The Get Funded series of courses are designed to prepare entrepreneurs for fundraising. These courses offer insights and tips from successful entrepreneurs about effective business pitching. They also provide perspective from leading venture capitalists about what it takes to stand out from the crowd. The series also offers courses to shed light on details of funding raising, due diligence process and term sheets. These courses coupled with tools for ideation, customer discovery, business planning and mentoring delivered by StartupWinds Innovation Network platform levels the playing field for entrepreneurs anywhere in the world. They also make the entrepreneurs ready to deliver the impact and scale their startups. Draper University and StartupWind share a common mission to power up the entrepreneurs across the world. StartupWind, with its large global user base, digital platform to deliver high quality coursework to anyone in the world and software tools from ideation to business planning to mentoring, is very compelling and synergistic to Draper Universitys mission. We are excited about this partnership to make a far reaching impact in helping entrepreneurs anywhere in the world, said Tim Draper, Founder of Draper University and legendary Silicon Valley investor. I am excited about Draper University and StartupWinds partnership and the impact it would have in empowering global entrepreneurs with video-based course content contributed by world-class Silicon Valley experts. StartupWinds Learning Management System and collaborative efforts to curate the video content into logical courses would make it very easy for entrepreneurs to access the courses that are relevant to their current needs from anywhere in the world., said Michael Coe, Digital Content Guru at Draper University. Naren Patil, founder StartupWind, called the new partnership - A great way to help entrepreneurs acquire very targeted knowhow from world-class experts to grow their startup. The content from Draper University will help entrepreneurs all over the world in demystifying the unknowns while growing their startups. We are looking forward to build on our partnership with Draper University in helping entrepreneurs at each stage of their journey, from Idea to funding and beyond. You can access these entrepreneurship courses at: https://live.startupwind.com/signup_courses About Draper University Draper University has innovated entrepreneurial education. Their 500+ students have started 250 companies raising over $24 million. Students have come from 60 different countries. The Draper University teaching process is unconventional, challenging students emotionally, physically, intellectually and spiritually through a team-based, inspirational, and activity-based curriculum, with the ultimate goal of launching something innovative and important. To learn more visit http://www.draperuniversity.com About StartupWind.Inc Headquartered in Santa Clara, California, StartupWind unveils a new way to connect, ideate, mentor and scale startups. StartupWind has been delivering impact to about 25,000 users affiliated to over 100 universities across 100 countries in the world. It is helping universities, states and corporations to scale their innovation and entrepreneurship programs by delivering a digital Innovation Network Platform that offers tools for ideation, customer discovery, business model canvas, business planning, mentoring, new venture competitions and learning management system. Please visit http://www.startupwind.com for more information. Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia says it is baffling the opposition National Democratic Congress' (NDC) is suddenly interest in the well-being of indigenous firms despite its track record. This, according to him, is because the party during its tenure in power had knowledge of the struggles of some financial institutions but decided to sweep the problem under the carpet and worsen the situation by providing liquidity support to these failing banks when it ought to have known it wasn't sustainable. The government was aware of the problem and they have been aware of this problem for over five years. Since 2015 they knew but had no courage to deal with the canker in the banking sector. Even in opposition, I alerted the country that on the faces of the available data, 8 banks were likely to collapse. But they did nothing, they refused to act, Dr Bawumia said at the Town Hall meeting in Kumasi. The Bank of Ghana (BoG) in 2017 embarked on a comprehensive reform agenda to strengthen the regulatory and supervisory framework for a more resilient banking sector. While some banks had their licenses revoked, others were merged for their inability to raise the new 400 million minimum capital requirement as of December 31, 2018. For other banks, the central bank revealed their closure was because they acquired their licences fraudulently and through the use of non-existent capital. The situation led to a heated debate between the NDC and the governing New Patriotic Party over how the crisis was handled. But Vice President Bawumia maintains the cleanup by the BoG was the best move for the country. According to him, over 4.6 million depositors would have lost their money and ten thousand jobs would have been lost if the decision was not taken by BoG with support from his government. Reiterating an earlier promise by President Akufo-Addo in his 2019 Christmas message to Ghanaians, the Veep assured of 100% payment of all deposits by customers of the various affected banks. The Opposition Congress on Tuesday staged a walkout from the Kerala Assembly alleging delay in completion of works under 'Rebuild Kerala' project, even as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan claimed it would take three years to rebuild the state, hit by two consecutive floods. Vijayan said the state received the first installment from the World Bank for the Rebuild Kerala Initiative (RKI) and listed out the works initiated and completed by the state government under the project. He was replying to the notice for an adjournment motion moved by Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) member P K Basheer alleging that the works under RKI have not been completed and some not even started even as the project was declared one and a half years ago. "This problem (alleged delay) must be viewed with the understanding that the rebuilding process will be completed only in three years. It was not meant to be completed in a year," Vijayan said. He noted that the project was for the "future of Kerala" and his government has taken necessary steps to utilise the funds received in the Chief Minister's Disaster Relief Fund. "The first installment of Rs 1,750 crore of the total amount, allotted by the World Bank for RKI has already been released," he said adding the process for receiving the second installment was underway. "At least eight meetings of the high-level committee have already been held. A total Rs 1,850 crore worth projects have been given in-principle approval, including in the fields of agriculture, animal husbandry, fisheries, road, water supply and other livelihood occupations," Vijayan said. The Chief Minister also said that out of the Rs 1,850 crore approved, sanction has been given for projects worth Rs 827 crore. However, Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala criticised the Left government, saying it accorded permission to open around 161 quarries in the state, which has faced two major floods in recent times. Industries Minister E P Jayarajan claimed that the permissions were given as per rules and law of the land. Jayarajan also said no quarries were allowed in the flood-affected areas of the state. The Chief Minister listed out the amount allotted for various departments including Public Works Department, Local Self Governments, Transport, Forest, Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Waste Management departments among many others. As Speaker P Sreeramakrishnan refused to allow the notice for discussion, the Opposition walked out. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) BRIDGEPORT One of the all-Democrat City Councils more independent members is resigning. Maria Zambrano Viggiano, who in November was re-elected to a second term, announced Tuesday that she will vacate her seat at months end due to some unexpected family circumstances. Viggiano joined in 2017. She represents the 136th District and also co-chairs the councils budget committee which in early spring will begin crafting a new municipal budget. This was an extremely difficult decision for me and one I did not take lightly, but I know that its the right decision for my family at this time, Zambrano Viggiano said. I want to thank the voters and Democratic Town Committee leadership in the 136th District for their faith in me. While I am stepping down from my official role, my love and passion for Bridgeport will always live on. Viggiano has not been afraid to sometimes buck the powers-that-be. Most notably she last year pushed back hard against Mayor Joe Ganims proposed election-year tax cut in favor of trying to give some of that money to the schools. And as recently as Monday nights budget committee meeting, Viggiano was questioning what she said she considered a last-minute poorly planned request from City Hall to add another $2 million to the road-paving budget. Its sad to see a good leader leave the council who pushed a lot for transparency and dialogue regarding fiscal responsibility, said Council President Aidee Nieves Tuesday. Nieves said she appreciated Viggianos commitment to education and always respected that she didnt have a problem speaking her indifference with decisions she didnt believe in. ... She stood by her ground. The town committee will forward the name of a replacement to succeed Viggiano and complete her term to the council. The council will vote on the replacement. Meanwhile, Nieves has to find another budget committee co-chair to pair with Councilman Michael DeFilippo, who just began helping to run that committee this winter amid concerns of overall meeting attendance. Im strongly considering an experienced council member, Nieves said. One possibility is Councilman Scott Burns, who has co-chaired the budget committee in the past. Burns also has a reputation for expressing some independence from the Ganim administration. Also prior to DeFilippo assuming the role, Councilwoman Denese Taylor Moye was Viggianos budget co-chair. Find all our Student Opinion questions here. How often do you look at memes? Every week? Every day? Do you seek them out? Do you share them? Do you ever create your own? Do you appreciate meme culture? Do memes help inform you about whats going on in the world? Do they help you process the news? Do they make you laugh when you need a good laugh? Does your love for memes connect you with a larger internet community? On the other hand, have you ever seen memes that cross the line? That spread misinformation or racist attitudes, for example? Do you wonder who created them, and what their agenda is? In The Role of Memes in Teen Culture, Jennifer L.W. Fink writes from the point of view of a concerned parent watching her sons react to humorous memes about serious news. The article begins: How do you prepare for the coronavirus? By cutting up a few limes. Thats the message conveyed by a popular internet meme that shows a pair of hands slicing limes. The image and caption Me, preparing for the coronavirus are a bit subversive: While public health officials worldwide are scrambling to determine how to best treat and contain the virus that has killed hundreds, the meme plays on the name of the beer brand Corona, and suggests theres no real need to worry. Internet memes use images to celebrate, mock or satirize current events and popular culture, and they have become a defining part of how teenagers communicate in the digital world. The recent rise of memes seeming to make light of the Wuhan virus or international tensions offers a glimpse into how teenagers learn about and process world events. Todays tweens and teens get their news via memes on Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat, while parents, teachers and grandparents still largely rely on news reports and Facebook and Twitter posts. As a result, theres a generational gap between how I learn about and perceive the news, and how my teenage sons learn about and react to the same events. When I learned (on Facebook) that an American drone attack killed Maj. Gen. Qassim Suleimani, the powerful Iranian commander, my stomach dropped. Having been married to a Marine deployed in the gulf war in the 1990s, I know that war is no joke. Our sons came home from school that day laughing at World War III memes claiming their generation is ready for war because theyve been training in the video games Fortnite and Call of Duty. My first impulse was to lecture my sons about the seriousness of war. But lectures almost never change teenagers behavior, so I dug deep into meme culture instead. What I found: Kids use memes to express and channel all kinds of emotions, including fear. Many are harmless but some coronavirus memes risk spreading both misinformation and racist attitudes. Ms. Fink talks about how humor is often used as a coping strategy for teenagers as well as adults: Shortly after the drone strike in the Middle East, my 14-year-old jokingly said that Iran should just blow up the U.S.A. and get it over with already, said Tanya Brown, who lives in Ontario, Canada. His comment caught me so off guard that it made me cry right then and there in front of him. She added: Weve raised our boys to be kind and empathetic to others, so when my son made such a hurtful comment, it really made me sad and angry. Making light of a deadly virus or the prospect of war may seem crass or thoughtless, but humor is often a way of coping with something we cannot control, whether it is a comedian joking about having cancer or the Saturday Night Live cast lampooning the Trump administration. There is also some concern about misinformation being spread through memes and other social media: Parents should also remind their children that memes could be made by anyone, including foreign governments and those who want to spread rumors and dissension in society, said Andrew Selepak, a media professor at the University of Florida. Its also a chance to point out that fraudulent information may be spread in other forms, as happened with text messages that appeared to be sent by the Army telling the recipients they were being drafted. The Army said those were fake. Similarly, memes can spread false information about the coronavirus, often with anti-Asian racist messages an opportunity to remind teenagers about the harm in using slurs. Students, read the entire article, then tell us: Do you ever get your news from memes? Do humorous memes have a place in the news, or should the two things be kept separate? Is it O.K. to laugh at serious news? Do you ever find that humor helps you to process scary or hurtful information? Is it ever not O.K. to use humor when talking about painful or tragic events? The article suggests that using humor in difficult moments can be a coping strategy. Do you agree or disagree with that statement? What are other ways that you process intense emotions or fears about the world? Have you ever seen someone post a meme that you felt crossed a line? How did you know it had gone too far? Memes often try to make a point using very few words and mostly images. What are the advantages and possible dangers with that format? Do you ever see memes that use stereotypes or hurtful beliefs about an individual or groups to make a point? The featured article was intended for parents of teenagers and offers the following advice: Remember that most adolescents do not have personal experience with life-or-death experiences. Even as adults, we can get something cognitively, but not really understand it until we experience it, Dr. Manly said. My four boys, ages 14, 16, 19 and 22, were born years after their father left the Marines and dont know what its like to have a loved one deployed. They dont know what its like to live through a pandemic. According to Dr. Manly, sharing personal stories may be one way to help children understand the impact of international conflict and emerging health threats on individuals and families. What do you think about this advice? Do you find it is easier to laugh about things that are distant from your own experience? Do you think that you are able to understand the pain associated with tragic events and still laugh at them? How do you feel when your peers laugh about something that you take seriously or personally? Media Literacy: Look at these two memes: Made in China and Coronavirus versus Millennials. Think critically about what is being presented in both of the memes using questions from the Center for Media Literacy: 1. Who created this message? Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. Last year, a major U.S. airline went looking for all the things it knew about its passengers. Among the details it had gathered, the company found, were consumers food preferencesinformation that seems innocuous but that could also reveal a passengers religious beliefs if they select a kosher or halal meal. So the airline decided to stop saving the food-preference information, according to Integris, the data privacy startup that helped the airline review its data practices. (Integris declined to name its client.) Instead, the airline will ask passengers what theyd like to eat before every flight. Recently, treasure hunts like this one have been taking place across industries and all around the country. Companies are mapping the data that they own, and some, like the airline, are proactively scrubbing sensitive information to avoid trouble. When companies cut back on hoarding sensitive data, consumers win. Less of their private information is susceptible to data breaches and leaks, viewable by unscrupulous company insiders, or available to be sold to data brokers or advertisers. This is a surprising turn: Data about consumers can be wildly lucrativeit fuels a $100 billion-plus digital-advertising industry, among other thingsand companies generally like to gather as much of it as they can. But something changed this year. A new state law, the California Consumer Privacy Act, or CCPA, has turned data from an unadulterated asset into a potential liability. Up until the CCPA went into effect, at least in the U.S., I dont think there was really a cost associated with keeping information, says Mary Stone Ross, associate director of the Electronic Information Privacy Center, a research center based in Washington, D.C. The attitude was, Even if I dont need it, I might need it in the future. The CCPA, in effect since Jan. 1, grants several new digital rights to Californians. They can now ask companies for a copy of the information the firms know about them, limit how that data is shared or sold, and demand that its deleted altogether. Story continues Businesses also have to disclose new details about the personal information they gather and who they share it with. Many companies have been setting up new tools to allow Californians to exercise these new rights, and some, such as Microsoft, have extended them to all their customers. But the law has had a second-order effect, too, that has an impact on almost every consumer: It has pushed some firms to slim down their troves of personal consumer data. Thats because the CCPAs new transparency requirements make it less attractive to hoover up everything there is to know about consumers. By gathering less, a company can avoid having to make damning disclosures about what kinds of data it keeps, and potentially turn privacy into a selling point. Plus, companies can now get in legal trouble if theyre found to have not taken reasonable measures to safeguard particularly sensitive data such as Social Security numbersa good reason to just get rid of that information if they dont need it. Thats a huge incentive for companies not to collect those categories of information unless they absolutely need to, says Ross, who co-authored the California ballot initiative that led to the CCPA. But thats just part of the picture, privacy and legal experts say. Some businesses are trying to exploit loopholes in the young law, or havent yet built the tools that allow people to request their data. And its unclear how stringently the law will be enforced. Hunting Down Personal Data Complicating matters is that many companies dont even know what personal consumer information theyre holding. (The California law defines personal information very broadly, and its not limited to digital records.) Over time, sensitive data may have metastasized across a companys serversand for older companies, decades of records can be stuffed into basement filing cabinets. One large clothing company preparing for the CCPA spent two months digging up paper receipts from years past, says Kimball Dean Parker, CEO of SixFifty, a subsidiary of the law firm Wilson Sonsini that helps businesses like this one navigate the law. (Parker asked CR not to name his client.) Its surprising how many businesses have no idea how much personal information they have, says EPICs Ross. It shouldnt be that way. One of the purposes of privacy regulation is to force a business into self-reflection: Do I really need this piece of information to perform a business function? That introspection is driving some firms to just delete sensitive dataor avoid gathering it altogether. Businesses are actually better served if they collect less data and prove to customers that theyre treating their data with a higher level of care, says Arlo Gilbert, co-founder of Osano, a data privacy startup. Several privacy experts and lawyers tell CR that many companies in various industries are making these changes. But firms are extremely tight-lipped about their efforts, in part to avoid drawing the California attorney generals attention. Of the two dozen companies CR contacted for this article, only three agreed to speak on the record about what theyre doing. In one example, Personal Capital, an online investment service, says it has begun automatically deleting user data when a customer closes an account, after a government-mandated waiting period expires. In all the places we could, we looked at it from the perspective of, Okay, is this data that we dont need anymore? Are we done with this? Then lets just get rid of it, says Maxime Rousseau, the companys chief information security officer. Blackboard, a leading educational tech platform, says it didn't need to do much to adjust to Californias new law because it was already complying worldwide with the much more stringent European law, the General Data Privacy Regulation. The company shared examples of tweaks it made ahead of GDPR that probably mirror smaller companies moves ahead of the CCPA. In one product, for example, it stopped asking students and teachers for several types of personal information, including their birthday and mailing address. Trickle-Down Privacy The California law covers companies that bring in more than $25 million in revenue annually, deal with the personal information of more than 50,000 Californians, or make at least half of their money selling personal information. That would seem to spare smaller firmsbut the scramble to shore up data privacy has begun to trickle down. Big companies worried about painful penalties are asking their vendors far more questions than before about the information they collect and store about users, or baking privacy and security requirements into contracts, says Christina Cacioppo of Vanta, a data security company that works mainly with startups. Thats because a large company can be punished even if its vendors fumble customers personal data. A company subject to the CCPA must now be more vigilant in vetting, contracting, and overseeing its vendors, says Stuart Kupinsky, Blackboards chief legal officer. The scrutiny is much more intense during investment rounds or mergers and acquisitions, too, says Dominique Shelton Leipzig, a partner at the law firm Perkins Coie. Leipzig says she has seen deals fall through because of a companys bad privacy practices. Founders now see it incumbent upon themselves [to make sure] if theres any data being collected about people that the proper disclosures are being made, says Shahin Farschi, a partner at the venture capital firm Lux Capital. It is a question they will certainly be asked by investors, customers, partners, and potential future employees, acquirers, and the public markets. 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. CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Registration is now open for the 2020 Iowa Ideas Conference by The Gazette, which returns to downtown Cedar Rapids on Aug. 28-29. The conference allows Iowans to meet face-to-face with policy-makers, industry experts, educators, community leaders and others to address topics affecting Iowa. The 2019 conference welcomed Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, Lt. Gov. Adam Gregg, and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack among other inspiring leaders. "The Iowa Ideas Conference is growing into the state's premier idea exchange," said Director Zack Kucharski. "We're tremendously proud of the program and are committed to keep it growing as an interactive and thought-provoking approach to statewide issues and challenges." Now in its fourth year, Iowa Ideas has welcomed more than 1,900 participants since its launch in 2017, engaging them each year in conversations across more than 70 topical sessions and 9 tracks. ITC Midwest has again joined as Presenting Sponsor. "ITC Midwest is again honored to be the presenting sponsor of Iowa Ideas because we value the program's focus bringing together Iowans to talk about the important issues facing our state," said Dusky Terry, President, ITC Midwest. "We are grateful to The Gazette for creating a program that goes beyond the sound bites, connecting people with diverse views to talk about critical issues, like agriculture, education, health care, infrastructure and the environment." Kucharski said this year promises to be equally robust and stimulating. Tracks will include opportunities to learn and engage on topics of diversity and inclusion, education, energy and environment (including agriculture), health care, human and social services, infrastructure, policy, regional development and workforce. Planning for the 2020 conference is currently under way and will feature: Expanded participation on advisory councils that help choose conference topics. Ongoing coverage in the The Gazette, expanding opinion page viewpoints. A half-day Saturday track to allow weekend participation. Compelling keynote speakers Friday and Saturday. Continued focus on the intersections of policy, trending topics and expertise. Financial scholarships donated by sponsors that allow more people to attend. "At ITC, through our focus on building a reliable electric transmission grid, we talk about the 'Power of Connection.' Iowa Ideas is a perfect example of how the 'Power of Connection' among Iowans will help the state succeed far into the future," Terry said. Conference registration is now open. Experience the full conference for $75 or choose a full day of sessions Friday ($50) or half-day Saturday ($40). Tickets are available at www.IowaIdeas.com. The event will be hosted at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cedar Rapids Convention Complex, Cedar Rapids, IA ABOUT IOWA IDEAS The Iowa Ideas Conference is an annual nonpartisan, statewide learning experience that brings participants from across the state to Cedar Rapids to discuss key questions and big ideas that will shape the future of Iowa. The conference is designed to inspire and motivate change by challenging current perspectives, identifying barriers to success and encouraging innovative approaches to living, working and learning in Iowa. www.IowaIdeas.com. Media Contacts: Tracy Pratt 319-398-8343 [email protected] Zack Kucharski 319-398-8343 [email protected] SOURCE The Gazette, Cedar Rapids Related Links www.thegazette.com A Sinn Fein TD who was filmed shouting Up the Ra during a victory speech has defended the comment, saying it happened during the excitement of the night. Waterford TD David Cullinane was recorded making the comment as he spoke to supporters hours after he was elected. He said Sunday was a very emotional day for him but that the comments were not about the future. The short clip was posted on social media on Monday. Obviously we were very excited and very proud of the vote we got in Waterford, Mr Cullinane said. My comments were about the past, they were not about the future, the IRA is gone as everybody knows David Cullinane The 30-second clip was part of a broader and longer speech that I gave where I was reflecting back on the hunger strikes, reflecting back on the fact that (IRA hunger striker) Kevin Lynch stood in the Waterford constituency back in 1981. He was someone that inspired me and inspired many republicans, the comments were made in that context. I know some people will think the comments were about the here and the now and the future, they werent. It was reflecting back on that time in Irish history that Im proud of and those hunger strikers and it was I suppose part of the excitement of the night when we were celebrating that victory. My comments were about the past, they were not about the future, the IRA is gone as everybody knows. The partys Brexit spokesman refused to apologise, saying he was reflecting on that time period. He added: We have a very successful peace process and what this election is about is the future and I think our focus now over the next while will be the talks that we will be involved and the issues that we campaigned on this election, and thats the mandate that I got from the people of Waterford to try and deliver on the promises that we made. I dont feel I have to apologise for reflecting back on that time period. What Im saying is that Im putting context on the comments that I made. I in no way meant that this was about the here and now or the future. I was reflecting back if people saw the full clip on what was a very emotional time for republicans and as someone who stood in a constituency that a hunger striker previously stood in, in the context of a long campaign, a long day, and a long night. I think thats the context in which the comments were made, I think most people would see that, I certainly dont set out to offend anyone, thats not my style. Im very proud of that republican legacy. Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald (Niall Carson/PA) Mrs McDonald denied suggestions that the controversial video will hinder the talks process ahead. I do accept and we all accept that they can serve as a distraction, she added. Ive asked everybody not to be making throwaway comments or comments that can be misconstrued or distract us from the work ahead and I know that certainly thats what happened in Davids case. Asked whether she has appealed to Sinn Fein TDs not to make any throwaway comments, Mrs McDonald added: Im not their mammy and I dont censor them either. Were all adults and I do expect people to behave in an adult way and to cooperate with their dear leader and not to create distractions. Lets not get overexcited on this. Anyone who is vaguely interested in arts and culture has probably heard the same question many times in the past five years: Are you going to Hamilton? And no, with apologies to our neighbours down the QEW, were not talking about Hamilton, Ont. Hamilton is the theatre show that everyone says you have to see but what exactly is it? Its the 2015 musical written by Lin-Manuel Miranda about the first secretary of the treasury of the United States, Alexander Hamilton. Despite that grade school history class premise, Hamilton is perhaps most famous for being famous; tickets are notoriously tough to get wherever it goes (besides a national tour, the show has sit-down runs in New York, London, San Francisco and Sydney, and just closed one in Chicago). They sell out in minutes and then turn up on ticket reseller sites, sometimes with four-figure prices. The buzz around Hamilton persists as it makes its Canadian debut in Toronto this week, even five years after its off-Broadway premiere. Mirvish Productions, the Toronto host of the U.S. tour, says the online queue for tickets hit as high as 50,000 in October, with as many tickets sold in one day. Now, hope for those who missed out resides in a daily web lottery. The pursuit of Hamilton tickets has threatened to overshadow the show itself; seeing it has becomes a status symbol less than a badge of fandom. But if you are compelled to see Hamilton, know that there are reasons for its surge from experimental concept to musical theatre phenomenon. You know Hamilton is a thing, heres why. It tells an old story in a new way The first thing that I think sets Hamilton apart is its score; its just an amazing musical experience, says Mitchell Marcus, artistic and managing director of Torontos Musical Stage Company. There are very few moments in history where the voice of a Broadway musical legitimately matches the voice of a popular form of music to the point that it could play on the radio, he adds about the way Hamilton mixes traditional Broadway elements into a score based on contemporary hip hop, rap and R&B. Secondly, Marcus says, it is such as a piece of activism, while also being enormously commercial and enjoyable by everybody. That is such a rare combination. Hamilton begins when the United States was still a concept. It explores founding father Alexander Hamiltons influence in fighting for independence from Britain, forming the countrys first government and shaping its historical legacy as an experiment in governance. Mirandas twist on the story was to highlight immigration, social mobility, idealism and work ethic, and cast the show entirely with performers of colour (the only main character whos white is Britains King George). One of the most famous lines from the musical is Immigrants, we get the job done a rallying cry for marginalized voices in the U.S., as well as musical theatre in general. Combined with its hip-hop sounds, Hamilton immediately made waves by reimagining how we tell stories about ourselves and for whom we tell them. It has legitimate hip-hop credibility Hamilton isnt the first musical to use rap and R&B, but its certainly the most successful. Erin Lowers, hip-hop editor at Exclaim! Magazine and hip-hop and R&B specialist at Google/YouTube Music, had heard of Miranda before Hamilton came on the scene. Hes pretty known within the hip-hop community as somebody whos such a big fan of the music, she says. It plays to an era of New York rap in the 90s. A lot of what he brings in is rooted in Notorious B.I.G., Mobb Deep, early Jay-Z. In the energy, its that grimy 90s New York style, at a time when it was also very political. Rudy Giuliani was mayor and there was a lot of anger in that era. For example, Lowers says, Mirandas song Ten Duel Commandments riffs on Notorious B.I.G.s Ten Crack Commandments. Say No To This echoes LL Cool Js I Need Love. In Hamiltons signature song, My Shot, he spells out his name in the same way Biggie Smalls does in Going Back to Cali. Miranda pulls lines from Jay-Zs Izzo, Mobb Deeps Shook Ones (Part II) and Grandmaster Flashs The Message. Lowers says you can enjoy the musical without understanding these little hidden tricks But if youre a hip-hop nerd, youre going to catch the references. And thats ultimately what rap culture was always about, it was always a coded language. If you knew, you knew. Its a you had to be there event Ive seen the show on Broadway. Ive seen the show in London. Ive seen it in San Francisco. And with each of those audiences, you feel that everybody is part of an event, says Michael Rubinoff, producing artistic director for the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College, which developed the Canadian musical success story Come From Away. Theres a realness to the issues its discussing in the show because youre physically present. Youre not on your phone. Youre not distracted. Youre engaged in a story that is really holding up a mirror to the current society. Its changing what we think a Broadway musical can be Its great to see that its the original stories told in original ways that ultimately break through, says Marcus. Its almost never the jukebox musical or the movie musical remake. Since Hamilton, there has really been some giant risk-taking. Other atypical Broadway musicals that have followed since Hamilton took the 2016 Tony Awards by storm include Dear Evan Hansen, which deals with mental health and suicide; The Bands Visit, a slow, meditative story using klezmer music set in Israel; and Hadestown an adaptation of Greek myth with a folk and blues score. Hamilton, says Marcus, cracked everything open so that people stop being afraid of the idea of whats commercial and whats innovative; they stopped being two separate paths. It has the potential to change power structures in theatre Jewelle Blackman is a Toronto-born musical theatre performer making her Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning Hadestown, which has one of the most diverse casts currently running. But as a Black woman, she didnt always know that performing was an option. I didnt become interested in musical theatre until I was in university. I was going to be a lawyer. And then I saw The Lion King. Thats what did it for me and thats what I think Hamilton is doing for a lot of kids now, she says. And I hope that these young kids who are experiencing it now will become the thinkers and the doers, and the creative ones who will make new work and get produced. But an industry whose gatekeepers and tastemakers come from a specific segment of the population can be slow to change, she adds. You would hope that change would come and it would awaken some people, and I think it has to a point. It has its critics, too University of Toronto professor Shira Lurie teaches a course called Hamilton: History and Musical, which looks at the shows portrayal of historical events and figures versus the facts. Its easy to call Hamilton groundbreaking in its race-conscious casting and musical styles, but when you look at it in terms of the history its actually very conservative, says Lurie. It falls into a genre of history that historians call Founders Chic, biographies of great white men that are positioned as the prime movers of history, that its their genius and decision-making that caused historical events to happen. Hamilton makes its namesake a very clear hero for the audience to root for but skims over aspects of his story and of early American society that are less rosy slavery, being the main one. Hamilton is the message of the American dream, right? That success is completely tied to effort and abilities. Anyone can make it and its on their own terms. Its a comforting message, but it allows us to ignore the structures of inequality in our own system, says Lurie. But the American Dream narrative has changed since Hamilton first premiered. The Obama presidency had this idea of America as a place of hope; its imperfect but has immense promise. Now in the Trump era, the staying power of the musical is that it offers this idea of America that we no longer have, even for a Canadian audience, Lurie says. Marcus says the core of Hamilton will remain, even when the hype dies down. I think when we still see theatres doing Hamilton in 50 years, its not going to be because of the time it got all this buzz. Its because it has something so profoundly moving and exciting and transformative to say. Hamilton is at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria St., Feb. 11 to May 17. See mirvish.com for information. Have your say Adsfree.ca 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 23 Dec 2012, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. The total number of people who shared the adsfree homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. The total number of people who shared the adsfree homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the adsfree homepage on StumbleUpon. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the adsfree homepage on Twitter + the total number of adsfree followers (if adsfree has a Twitter account). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the adsfree homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if adsfree has a Facebook fan page). Basic Information PAGE TITLE Free Classified Ads - Search or Post FREE Classified Ads in Canada DESCRIPTION Canadian free classified ads were you can search and post your classified ads for free. Canadian FREE Classified ADS offers free ads, free classifieds for business opportunities, cars, jobs, real estate, personals, merchandise and more KEYWORDS Canada, Canadian free classified ads, Free classified ads, classifieds, free classifieds, free classified ads, free classifieds ads, classified, classified ads, jobs, cars, real estate, employment, career, housing, apartments, rental, roommate, sale, want OTHER KEYWORDS CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. Domain and Server DOCTYPE CHARSET AND LANGUAGE DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux The language of adsfree.ca as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Operative System running on the server. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for adsfree.ca by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who like website Facebook page. The description of the Facebook page describes website and its services to the social media users. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. The URL of the found Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. The type of Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK NOT FOUND Leading certificate authority now selling eIDAS qualified time stamps, eIDAS qualified web authentication certificates, and PSD2-compliant certificates and seals BOSTON and LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GMO GlobalSign (www.globalsign.com), a global Certificate Authority (CA) and leading provider of identity and security solutions for the IoT, today announced the company has secured expanded EU Trust Service Provider status and is also now selling eIDAS-compliant qualified time stamps and eIDAS-compliant qualified web authentication certificates. In addition, GlobalSign has added PSD2-compliant certificates and seals to its list of offerings. With this expansion of both eIDAS-compliant and PSD2-compliant solutions, GlobalSign is now one of just two global CAs with this level of offerings. Expanded EU Trust Service Provider Solutions In October 2018, GlobalSign was one of the first global CAs to announce we achieved Qualified Trust Service Provider status by a European Supervisory Body (Belgium). With the company's newly expanded provider status, GlobalSign customers can now purchase eIDAS-compliant qualified time stamps and eIDAS-compliant qualified web authentication certificates along with the previous offerings around qualified certificates for Electronic Signatures and qualified certificates for Electronic Seals. PSD2-Compliant Certificates and Seals Now Available GlobalSign is also now able to provide PSD2-compliant Qualified Certificates for Electronic Seals and Qualified Website Authentication Certificates to customers. All banking entities and Third-Party Payment Providers (TPPs) in Europe - an estimated 36,000 organizations - will need a pair of production PSD2-compliant certificates to comply with the Revised Payment Service Directive, better known as PSD2. GlobalSign's offering meets the requirement by pairing a Qualified Certificate for Electronic Seals (QSealC) and a Qualified Website Authentication Certificate (QWAC). European banks and TPP's are required to share their customer information and payment networks as the EU works towards meeting Open Banking standards. Ultimately, it is hoped that these efforts will significantly reduce fraud and malicious activities while increasing authenticity and the general security of online payments. PSD2 was initially scheduled for implementation as of September 2019. However, the deadline for the migration to stronger customer authentication was extended by the European Bank Authority to December 2020. The new deadline allows time for all parties to be fully PSD2-compliant, enabling the industry to take a consistent approach to stronger customer authentication across the European Union. "We are thrilled to offer all of these new capabilities to our customers. Having expanded EU Trust Service Provider status - along with PSD2-compliant Qualified Certificates for Electronic Seals and Qualified Website Authentication Certificates - demonstrates our dedication to the European marketplace," said Arvid Vermote, Chief Information Security Officer, GlobalSign. "These new offerings significantly up the ante for GlobalSign in the EU, especially for our business with financial institutions and third-party providers." GlobalSign's PSD2-compliant solutions are also available to non-EU banks and TPP's. Customers who want to purchase GlobalSign's QSealC's and QWAC's can learn more at www.globalsign.com/en/eidas-compliance/qualified-certificates-and-seals-for-psd2. Please GlobalSign at Cloud Security Expo, stand S632, March 11-12 in London. About GMO GlobalSign As one of the world's most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale PKI and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people and things comprising the IoT. A subsidiary of Japan-based GMO Cloud KK and GMO Internet Group, GMO GlobalSign has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com Media Relations Contact Amy Krigman GlobalSign Public Relations Manager Email: amy.krigman@globalsign.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/443588/GlobalSign_Logo.jpg D owning Street has confirmed 25 foreign national offenders were prevented from being deported as a result of a Court of Appeal ruling. The Home Office proceeded with the deportation flight on Tuesday morning with 17 people on board, while 25 remained in the country. Those who avoided deportation include criminals convicted of manslaughter, violent offences and rape. In the statement on Tuesday, the Government said it will urgently appeal the court's ruling. On Monday night, Lady Justice Simler ordered the Home Office not to carry out the scheduled deportation of some people amid concerns that mobile phone outages had prevented them from having access to legal advice while in detention awaiting deportation. Lady Justice Simler said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3". The government defended its decision to go ahead with the deportation of 17 detainees / PA The Government has defended its decision to go ahead with the deportation of the detainees it says were unaffected by the ruling. Downing Street said of the 17 who were deported that "between them they have amassed sentences of 75 years for offences which have included rape, possession of firearms, violent offences including ABH and GBH and the supply of Class A drugs". The Prime Ministers official spokesman also outlined the offences committed by the remaining 25 detainees who have not been deported due to Lady Simler's ruling. The offences include manslaughter, sexual assault, and drug crimes. There are 25 foreign national offenders who the court ruled could not be removed and are therefore still in the country," he said. The offences which these people were responsible for include one manslaughter, one firearms offence, seven violent offences, two which are in the category of rape or sexual offences and 14 drugs offences. 'We bitterly regret this decision', the government said / PA The spokesman added: We bitterly regret this decision which prevents the removal from our country of foreign criminals convicted of rape, manslaughter, sexual attacks, violence and drugs crimes which spread misery across our communities. The legal process for removing these offenders, which has included repeated appeals and judicial reviews, has already cost the British public tens of thousands of pounds. The taxpayer will now be left with an even bigger bill and the prospect of convicts who are considered to pose a threat to the UK being granted bail while this matter is resolved. We make no apology whatsoever for seeking to remove serious foreign national offenders and will be urgently appealing. However the decision to deport ex-offenders, some of whom have lived in the UK since they were children, has been likened to a second Windrush scandal. Protesters in London / PA Tottenham MP David Lammy slammed the government for deporting people who arrived to the UK as children. It is an outrage that the deportation flight to Jamaica has departed this morning", he said. As the leaked recommendation from Wendy Williams Lessons Learned Review showed, the Government should not be deporting people who arrived in the UK as children to countries they do not know. The Government wants to give the impression that everyone who was deported was a hardened violent criminal, but the reality is many of those who were scheduled to be deported had committed non-violent one-time drugs offences. DCFS banned the same provider, Missouri-based Jim Stewart Transportation, from using hard restraints last year after it learned that nearly 30 foster children had been subjected to leg shackles or handcuffs while being driven between facilities since 2017. Advocates raised concerns in November after two teenage boys, 15 and 17, were moved from a shelter in Chicago to a living placement in Palatine on the same day. Your browser does not support the audio element. A British man has been arrested for holding up a convenience store in downtown Ho Chi Minh City with a knife. Police in Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, District 1 confirmed on Monday they had apprehended John David Ablett, a 44-year-old man from the United Kingdom. They first received a report from Luong My Linh, 25, who works as a clerk at a Circle K convenience store on Cong Quynh Street in Nguyen Cu Trinh Ward, on Sunday. During her shift on the same evening, Linh said she was threatened by a knife-wielding foreigner. The suspect then took some money from the cashiers drawer and ran away. A total of VND2.6 million (US$111) was taken by the robber. Police launched an investigation and were able to locate and arrest the suspect the same night. At the police station, Albett claimed he had run out of money and decided to rob the convenience store of some cash. The foreign man arrived in Vietnam in June 2019 and is staying in Ho Chi Minh City illegally with an expired visa. Further investigation is ongoing. Armed robbery is punishable by 7-15 years behind bars, according to the Penal Code of Vietnam. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! Fox News Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) appeared on Trump-boosting Fox News host Sean Hannitys show on the eve of the New Hampshire primary and defended President Donald Trumps ouster of two key impeachment witnesses just two days after his acquittal. Last Friday, after celebrating being acquitted of abuse of power charges, the president fired National Security Council official Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and U.S Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland. Vindman, specifically, was marched out of the White House by security, along with his twin brother, who was also terminated from his NSC position. Gabbard, who has become a frequent Fox News guest in recent months, defended the firings to Fox News Neil Cavuto over the weekend, telling him that while she disagrees with many of Trumps decisions as it relates to foreign policy, the public needs to realize that there are consequences to elections. The president has, within his purview, to make the decisions about who he'd like serving in his Cabinet, she added. Appearing on Hannity on Monday night, the Hawaii congresswoman first called for Democratic National Committee chairman Tom Perez to resign over the chaotic Iowa caucuses, saying hes had a failure of leadership and has been unable to uphold that faith and trust. After telling Gabbard that shes been treated horribly by the Democratic Party and that he supports her outspoken criticism of former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (Gabbard is suing Clinton for defamation), Hannity applauded her defense of Trumps retaliatory firings. I thought that was courageous, he stated. Just acknowledging a simple truth that a president gets to hire and fire the people he wants, not people that disagree with his policy. Gabbard said the deeper issue is that her defense of Trump isnt based on opinion but on the Constitution, noting at the same time that shes still an active soldier in the National Guard. Story continues Thank you for your service, Hannity interjected. Thank you, thank you very much, but as a member of Congress, I took an oath to the Constitution as does every member of Congress, she continued. And it is the Constitution that provides that our foreign policy is set by the president of the United States as well as, in some significant ways, by Congress, not by unelected bureaucrats and not by the military. And the reason why our founders had the wisdom to do this, they knew if voters were unhappy with the foreign policy decisions being made, they could make that decision at the ballot box to hire or fire where they cant do that with unelected bureaucrats or others, the Democratic lawmaker concluded. 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. Turkiye Scholarships President YTB Abdullah Eren. Turkiye Scholarships is a government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to outstanding students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term program at the top universities in Turke Image Source: IANS News Turkiye Scholarships President YTB Abdullah Eren. Turkiye Scholarships is a government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to outstanding students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term program at the top universities in Turke Image Source: IANS News Turkiye Scholarships President YTB Abdullah Eren. Turkiye Scholarships is a government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to outstanding students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term program at the top universities in Turke Image Source: IANS News Students of Turkiye Burslari Scholarship (Turkey Government Scholarship). Turkiye Scholarships is a government-funded, competitive scholarship program, awarded to outstanding students and researchers to pursue full-time or short-term program at the t Image Source: IANS News New Delhi, Feb 11 : With the Turkish government offering a comprehensive scholarship programme, the rush of international students to get a degree from the top universities of the country has grown over the years. Turkey has 34 universities in the overall Times Higher Education World University Rankings including the Bilkent University and Hacettepe University, among others. The government-funded scholarship programme, called "Turkiye Scholarships", welcomes international students at all academic levels as well as research and language learning opportunities. What attracts the students to this scholarship is that besides providing financial support, it also offers university and programme placements to its awardees at all levels of higher education. Since "Turkiye Scholarships" has been entrusted to the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB), the body in charge of administering the scholarship programme, students' interest in the scholarships has been on the rise with every passing year, according to Abdullah Eren, Head of YTB. "Back in 2012, Turkiye Scholarships programme received 42,000 applications, while last year it reached a record number of 146,600 applications from 167 different countries. This year, we also aim to set a new record," said Eren. The programme provides around 5,000 scholarships every year including full-time degrees (bachelor's, master's and PhD) as well as short-term programmes such as research scholarships and language and culture programmes. Applications for the year 2020 are open between January 10-February 20, 2020, and are received online through the scholarship programme's online application system, free of charge. Referring to the great interest shown in the programme, Eren pointed out that the growth in interest of the programme is due to the wide range of services and programmes that the scholarship covers. "It is an all-inclusive programme that covers the cost of tuition fees, monthly stipend, accommodation, health expenditure, round-trip flight tickets and a one-year Turkish language course for all students. Hence, it's one of the world's most comprehensive scholarship programmes," Eren said. The scholarship programme is competitive and merit-based, where next to the candidates' academic excellence, additional extra-curricular social and other qualifications are taken into consideration. All awardees are provided with a one year free of charge Turkish language course regardless of their programme and academic background, wherein students get the chance to be acquainted with Turkish culture with a variety of trips and programmes provided in their first year, next to learning Turkish. Following graduation, students are initiated into the Turkey alumni network, which holds around 150,000 graduates from around 156 countries. Couples ready to walk down the aisle are scrambling after wedding venues across the Carolinas suddenly closed. Noahs Event Venue shut down all of its locations in the U.S. this past weekend, multiple media outlets reported. Kaliah Pemberton learned of the closure just days before she was set to get married in High Point. I mean its really disappointing, she told WGHP-Channel 8, adding that she couldnt get hold of the company Friday afternoon. And shes not the only bride-to-be left in dismay. Others have complained about canceled events at Noahs locations in Charlotte and Greenville, S.C.. Andreia Graddick and her fiance are out more than $10,000 after booking their wedding at a venue in Charlotte, WSOC-TV reported. To go and get another venue, its probably going to be impossible because people have already booked events, Graddicks mother, Sonya, told the station. Its devastation for us. Noahs Event Venue didnt immediately respond to a request for comment on Monday. The entrance to March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif. on Jan. 29, 2020. (Matt Hartman/AFP via Getty Images) No Coronavirus Cases Found in First Group of Evacuated Americans: Officials No one from the first group of Americans who were evacuated from Wuhan, China, has tested positive for the novel (new) coronavirus, said health officials in Southern California. Riverside County Health Officials said that to date, none of the 195 evacuees who were being held in medical isolation at the March Air Reserve Base have contracted the virus. Two individuals with symptoms were retested and also found to be negative, and have since recovered, Public Health Officer Cameron Kaiser said in a statement carried by the Riverside County Public Health Department and local media outlets on Monday. The passengers arrived at the airbase after being flown from Wuhan via a chartered State Department flight. Reports have said that many of the passengers work for the State Department or are relatives of the agencys employees. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) implemented a 14-day quarantine for the evacuees. The quarantine expires next week. People who have not developed symptoms will have successfully completed their quarantine and will be free to leave the base, Kaiser added. An airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) During the quarantine, two children developed fevers and were transported to the Riverside University Medical Center before they were placed under medical isolation and were accompanied by their respective parents, health officials told the Times of San Diego. Days later, the children and their parents were then allowed to return to the airbase after medical testing revealed they didnt have coronavirus. Kaiser said that some people have exhibited inappropriate behavior amid concerns about the virus, saying they have made hurtful comments to staffers at March Airbase in person and on social media, the paper reported. A few base workers have even been accosted in uniform. This is not acceptable and needs to stop, said Kaiser. It comes about two days after the State Department announced that more than 800 Americans and U.S. lawful permanent residents returned to the United States after leaving Wuhan. Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus said all returning citizens and permanent residents will be screened for the virus in an attempt to prevent it from spreading inside the United States. Yesterday, two flights from Wuhan carrying U.S. citizens, their immediate family members, and U.S. Lawful Permanent Residents safely landed in the United States, Ortagus said, according to the Washington Examiner. As with the other recent evacuation flights, all passengers will be carefully screened and monitored by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services. The CDC has confirmed 12 cases of coronavirus in the United States, including in California, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Illinois, Arizona, and Washington state. current-affairs-trends Political Bazaar | Delhi Election Result: Unexpected trends and narrow margins Moneycontrols Opinions Editor Viju Cherian talks to Deputy Executive Editor Gaurav Choudhary, and author and political commentator Advaita Kala about the unexpected trends and narrow margins emerging out of the Delhi election This Novembers presidential election could be understood in many different ways. It could be seen as a referendum on Donald Trumps eventful first four years in the White House. It could be viewed as a response to the presidents impeachment and acquittal in Congress. Or perhaps it could be taken as just the latest election in which a majority of Americans are frustrated with an uninspired, binary choice. But there is a larger narrative unfolding in the mind of First Things editor R. R. Reno, with much more at stake than just the next four years. In Return of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West, Reno traces the condition of Western society in the aftermath of the postwar consensus. Prioritizing openness and free markets in order to prevent global catastrophes like the two world wars, this consensus has shaped the most influential thinking of our age, from Karl Popper and Jacques Derrida to Friedrich Hayek and William F. Buckley. Reno says it has affected most aspects of society and culture, including politics, economics, education, and even architecture. In terms of preventing another global conflict, the postwar consensus has been an unmitigated success. But at what cost? As Reno tells the story, the West is now facing several pressing challenges that ought to be laid at its doorstep, including widespread addiction, disenchantment, and loneliness, along with a general loss of social solidarity. And the ruling classcomprised of liberals and conservatives alikeis too focused on maintaining this consensus to notice or care. Yes, countries may not be perpetually on the brink of war, and free trade has made the world more prosperous and closely connected than ever before. But while the postwar consensus has safeguarded and strengthened the global community, Reno sees a loosening of the ties binding individuals to community and nation, ties that lend their lives stability and purpose. Unifying Forces Notably, in assigning blame for these developments, Reno does not focus on just one faction of the political ruling class. He has no shortage of criticism for the political left, referring to identity politics as a cancer and expressing impatience with those who despise patriotic ceremonies and traditions. But he also takes to task those on the political right who have bought into the postwar consensusproponents of free market capitalism, he believes, have contributed just as much to the hollowing out of Western society as cultural liberals have. Reno does not believe we can correct these problems under our current political and social arrangement. As he writes in his prologue, We need to face the challenges of the twenty-first century, not the twentieth. Instead, he argues, Western society must welcome back the strong gods it once tossed aside. What exactly are these strong gods? One is clearly nationalism, which Reno equates with cherish[ing] self-government. The postwar consensus demonized nationalism as a driver of conflict, but Reno sees itand its cousin, patriotismas a positive force for unity at a moment when society is remarkably fractured. Two other strong gods are the family and the church, institutions that started breaking down as the postwar consensus emphasized other, potentially competing values. But if there is a leader among the strong gods, it is populism. This is a belief system bigger than Donald Trump or Brexit or Viktor Orban, Hungarys prime minister. Populism, according to Reno, challenges the hegemony of the leadership class. It emphasizes strong borders, not open ones; advantageous trade, not open trade; loyalty and patriotism, not open minds. And it reflects a growing sense that we needs shoring up. Reno believes that by embracing the strong gods of populism, nationalism, and the like, the West can address the negative effects of the postwar consensus, effectively confront the challenges of the past century, and put itself on a stable footing going forward. Article continues below Return of the Strong Gods is sweeping yet concisethe ground Reno covers in just 170 pages is impressive. But the books weaknesses are clear in part because of that very succinctness. One consistent problem with Renos work is the lack of support he lends to his secondary claims. For example, when discussing the problems of modern education, he writes, Most education professionals think its good for young children to have transgender teachers. While we occasionally see stories of drag queens in libraries and gender fluidity in the classroom, it is something else to claim without evidence that most educational professionals recognize this as a good in itself. A collection of anecdotes does not a consensus make. Renos characterization about those protesting Donald Trumps inaugurationoverwrought women in ridiculous hatsis similarly problematic and ultimately unhelpful. The book also occasionally falls prey to odd errors and omissions. For example, in criticizing Barack Obamas infamous observation that many in the white working class cling to [their] guns or religion, Reno writes that Obamas remark was directed toward those who were insufficiently appreciative of his leadership. But Obama said this during his first presidential campaign in 2008, in the context of a larger description of people being left behind by the same leadership class Reno is inclined to criticize. And though Reno critiques the open borders sentiment that permeates the postwar consensus, he omits any discussion of the waves of immigration during other periods of American history. In his discussion of the shared loves that fuel patriotic attachment, for example, what would he make of the experience of Ellis Island? Reasons for Skepticism The message at the heart of Return of the Strong Gods may be tempting for Christians. The central critique of the postwar consensus is that it has transformed society from a connected, united, and shared community to an atomized, anomic shell its past self. Of course, Christians should seek community with those around us, and if the postwar consensus has made that more difficult, then why shouldnt Christians oppose this arrangement? And there is plenty to lament about the state of contemporary society from a Christ-centered perspective, including the well-documented decline of the traditional family unit and the diminishing influence of the church in our culture. But are the strong gods the answer? There are reasons for Christians to be skeptical. The values of nationalism and patriotism are not inherently bad, but elevating them the way Reno wants could turn them into the very idols he decries. Moreover, this book conjures some of the more worrisome features of recent debates over the heritage and future of liberalism in the West. Culturally conservative writers like Sohrab Ahmari and Patrick Deneen have taken aim at Americas emphasis on individual rights and freedoms, blaming the liberal tradition for undermining faith, family, community, and the common good. Yet as other (equally culturally conservative) writers like David French have countered, Christians need not abandon the whole of liberalism simply because it produces some results they do not like; indeed, this would be a case of the cure being worse than the ailment. Liberalism long predates the postwar consensus, of course, but I cannot help wondering whether a similar caution applies to Reno. Article continues below As we continue to struggle with our role in a changing, increasingly inhospitable culture, we would be wise to remember where our identity ultimately lies: neither in our nation nor in our culture, but wholly and completely in Jesus. Such knowledge should equip us to engage our culture in a way that confidently transcends its conventions, rather than shaping our behavior and solutions to the culture as it is or has been. Put differently, Christians can respond to the challenges of the postwar consensus without embracing a return to some sort of prepostwar consensus. Despite its shortcomings, Return of the Strong Gods is successful in prompting serious reflection on the challenges of our moment. And considering that the strong gods do appear to be knocking on the door of the West, this is precisely the sort of reflection in which Christians ought to be engaged. Daniel Bennett teaches political science at John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Arkansas. He is the author of Defending Faith: The Politics of the Christian Conservative Legal Movement (University Press of Kansas). The courses allow students to gain skills in three academic tracks, including STEM/engineering, business/leadership, and humanities/social sciences. ASU hopes that the program will help tomorrows workforce to better adapt, learn, and transition to new and emerging employment opportunities. Technological change holds enormous promise and the potential for job creation. It also challenges employees, employers and students and presents a change we all must adapt to, said State Farm chairman and CEO Michael Tipsord. Today represents a new milestone in our relationship with ASU and builds on our corporate commitment to prepare not only for whats coming, but for what is already happening. State Farm has been a good neighbor to ASU for the past several years our aligned values and our mutual commitment and investment of human and financial capital makes for an ideal partnership in Pathways for the Future, commented ASU president Michael Crow. Crow added that ASU believes in the evolving model of universal learning, and is all for making higher education more accessible to anyone regardless of socioeconomic background, and at any point in their lives. A woman who allegedly catfished her ex-girlfriend has told a Sydney court that the fake boyfriend persona was created by both women to hide their same-sex relationship. Renae Marsden is believed to have taken her life at The Gap on August 5, 2013, after the breakdown of a relationship with a man who may have been the fake persona created by ex-lover and friend Camila Zeidan. Renae Marsden, 20, was last seen in August 2013 and is thought to have taken her own life. Catfishing is the deceptive practice of seduction through a fake persona, usually conducted online. On the second day of the coronial inquest into Ms Marsden's death, Ms Zeidan told the court that "Brayden Spiteri" was a creation of both women. EmployStream, a Cleveland, OH-based provider of onboarding automation to the staffing industry, closed a $7m Series B funding round. The round was led by Plymouth Growth Partners, with participation from JumpStart, Rev1 Ventures, Ohio Innovation Fund and North Coast Angel Fund. In conjunction with the funding, Evan Ufer, Partner, Plymouth Growth Partners, will also join EmployStreams board of directors. The company will use the capital to expand product development and increase its presence in the staffing industry. Led by Gerald Hetrick, Chief Executive Officer, EmployStream provides a cloud based onboarding and candidate experience platform for the staffing industry, which automates and simplifies critical touch points throughout the hiring process. The company plans to add key leadership roles in Business Development and Marketing and attract top-tier talent to its Product and Engineering teams. FinSMEs 11/02/2020 [February 10, 2020] Father of SEO, Bruce Clay Hosts Master Class in Gurgaon NEW DELHI, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bruce Clay, global SEO Guru and founder of Bruce Clay, Inc. will be on his annual visit to India in the month of March to conduct an exclusive three-day SEO master class. One of the year's most-awaited master classes; the event is annually attended by top Indian brands, who recognize the benefits of a solid SEO strategy. Also known as the 'Father of SEO', Bruce also holds a Lifetime Achievement Award in Search Marketing. He has trained 5,000+ professionals across USA, Australia, Europe and Asia, and authored books such as 'Search Engine Optimization All-In-One for Dummies' and 'Content Marketing Strategies for Professionals'. The 3 day SEO training course enables online businesses to achieve higher search rankings, boost CTR and increase traffic/sales. Bruce's SEO master class is in line with Google's latest updates, and using the same methodologies, some Indian clients were able to: Attract Organic yearly traffic valued in excess of INR 60 crores Achieve top rankings for 10s of keywords Outperform bigger competitors on lower budgets "Loved it, a definite must attend for anyone dealing in SEO" - Sudipto Nandy, Sr. Product Manager at Magic Bricks, Times Business Solutions About The 3-Day Master Class: Date: 17th - 19th March, 2020 Time: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM Venue: Hotel Le Meridien, Gurgaon Past events have been sold out. Applicants can avail a 22% discount if they register by Feb 28, 2020. For pricing information, special offers and more details about the course please visit: https://www.bruceclay.com/in/seo/training/ or contact Sanjeev Duggal on +91(124) 414-3292 About Bruce Clay India Bruce Clay India (BCI) is a leading provider of Digital Marketing Services with an emphasis on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). BCI is a part of the Bruce Clay group and provides SEO Training, SEO services, Content Marketing, Google Ads Management & Web Design services to the Indian market. In 2017, Bruce Clay India won the DMA Choice Awards for Most Trusted Marketing Partner - SEO Agency and MD Siddharth Lal has been named One of the Top 100 Digital Marketers in India two years in a row. Bruce Clay, Inc. has been a top search engine optimization company since 1996, through contributions such as the 746-page Search Engine Optimization All-In-One for Dummies and SEO Training and Certification Programs that promote ethical SEO practices. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Bruce Clay, Inc. has global locations in Dubai, Delhi, Sydney & Tokyo. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088193/Bruce_Clay.jpg [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Japanese government is buying uninhabited Mageshima Island, an abandoned outcrop 34 kilometers from the southernmost Japanese main islands (specifically Kyushu), for $146 million. Japan plans to turn the island into an airbase for use by Japanese and American military aircraft. Mageshima is 8.2 square kilometers (3.2 square miles) of flat terrain that consists of volcanic rock. It is on the edge of the East China Sea and actually part of the larger Osumi Islands. Several of the Osumis are inhabited but the fact that Mageshima is not is the main reason for using it as an airbase. There have been several efforts to develop an economy on Mageshima but all have failed and the last resident left in 1980. One of the development projects led to the construction of two unpaved airstrips. One is 4,100 meters long down the length of the island and the other is 2,200 meters across at its widest point. The highest elevation on the island is 71 meters which is why it has been described as an unsinkable aircraft carrier. The Japanese have no plans to go that far but intend to pave the two existing airstrips and add some aircraft support facilities so the island can serve as an emergency airbase as well as a training facility. Mageshima makes it easier for U.S. naval aviators based on Okinawa to train. These carrier pilots often conduct touch and go practice landings on land bases when their carrier is not available. This causes complaints from local civilians because of the noise. To avoid those complaints the aircraft fly 1,360 kilometers to Iwo Jima to do it. With paved airstrips, along with air traffic control and other airbase facilities, the American carrier pilots only have to fly 400 kilometers to reach Mageshima to do it. These airbase facilities would also serve as a dispersal area for American and Japanese aircraft if there was a threat of war with China. Currently, all American aircraft in Japan are located at six bases, which are within range of Chinese ballistic missiles. So is Mageshima, but it would mean one more base the Chinese would have to worry about. For Japan, a Mageshima base would make it easier to defend the Senkaku Islands 900 kilometers to the southwest. The Japanese have purchased American V-22 transports to quickly get troops to the Senkakus in case China attempts to occupy one or more of the small islands. The Mageshima airbase would prove useful for that. The Senkakus are claimed by Japan, China and Taiwan. Japan has occupied them for over a century and currently controls the islands. During the last decade, Chinese warships have frequently entered Japanese territorial waters (within 22 kilometers of shore) around the Senkakus. China and Japan have been squabbling over ownership of the uninhabited Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea with increasing fervor. These islands are not flat and only occupied during the fishing season by crews of fishing boats. In 2005 Japanese officials took control of a privately owned lighthouse built on one of the eight small islands, and warned China to stay away. The Senkakus are actually islets, which are 167 kilometers northeast of Taiwan and 426 kilometers southeast of Japan's Okinawa and have a total area of 6.3 square kilometers. Taiwan also claims the Senkakus, which were discovered by Chinese fishermen in the 16th century, and taken over by Japan in 1879. They are valuable now because of the 380 kilometer economic zone nations can claim as their coastal waters. This includes fishing and possible underwater oil and gas fields. A conservative Japanese political group built the lighthouse in 1986, to further claims of Japanese ownership. Currently, the Japanese maintain naval and air patrols around the islands, backed by one of the most powerful naval forces in the region. Finally, there is the mutual defense treaty with the United States. China was long dissuaded by that, but no more and regularly sends ships to momentarily come closer than 22 kilometers to one or more of the islands. classroom Florida International University/Flickr A school resource officer in Florida threatened to shoot a student as he was trying to leave the campus for a dentist appointment. The incident occurred in December and bodycam footage shows William Miller driving a pickup truck and attempting to leave his campus parking lot. That's where he encountered a deputy and school discipline assistant. Footage shows William trying to tell the pair that he has permission to go to the orthodontist, but they accuse him of truancy. The situation escalates to the point that the officer says, "You're gonna get shot if you come another f---ing foot closer to me. You run into me, you'll get f---ing shot." The 17-year-old was suspended and then expelled, but his mother is pushing for all involved not just her son to face consequences. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. A school resource officer in Florida threatened to shoot a student as he was trying to make it to an orthodontist appointment. Nedra Miller, whose 17-year-old son, William, was the high schooler in question, shared bodycam footage from the Pasco County Sheriff's Office on her Facebook page, where it went viral. People called it "shameful" and "outrageous," accusing the adults involved of "grotesque power trips." The incident occurred in December and the video shows William driving a pickup truck and attempting to leave the parking lot of River Ridge High School in New Port Richey. An officer with the sheriff's office and Cindy Bond, a school discipline assistant, are blocking his exit, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The video captures William trying to tell the pair that he has permission to leave, but they accuse him of cutting school. The tension boils over when the officer warns William that he will shoot him. "You're gonna get shot you come another f---ing foot closer to me," he said in the video as William tried to navigate around the officer and Bond. "You run into me, you'll get f---ing shot." Story continues 'This is my campus, brother' William can be overheard telling Bond and the officer, "You'll are blocking me. If you're not holding me, get the hell out of my way." The officer replied by calling him a "truant" and saying, "This is my campus, brother." The back and forth continued until Bond said, "You can take an early vacation and not come back the rest of the week." The alternative, she pointed out, was to get a parent on the phone to OK his reason for leaving the campus. "But I don't have to," William replied. Finally, William, who was told that he will be suspended for truancy, profanity, and defying authority, parked the car and went into the school, where he was suspended from Dec. 17 through Jan. 9, the Times said. He has since been expelled and sent to the Harry Schwettman Education Center for students who have "been recommended for expulsion or have a behavior pattern which has not been improved by a continuum of positive behavior and academic intervention strategies," according to its website. 'The whole thing is disturbing' Miller had given the school advance notice about William's orthodontist appointment. He wasn't even supposed to be at school the day of the incident but thought he could drop off a friend who missed the bus. Since his mother had already informed the school of the appointment, he didn't think there would be any issue or need to provide more explanations, the Times reported. "William feels harassed," Miller told Insider, adding that her son is "forgetful, but not stupid." The issue is that all three are being disrespectful of one another. "They all are acting like children," she said. "[The deputy] had no right to either put himself in front of my son's vehicle [or] then claim threat with a deadly weapon as reason to shoot my son. The whole thing is disturbing. The fact that they laugh and joke about afterwards just makes it worse." Since William has a driving permit, either the officer or Bond could have called her to verify his reason for leaving school, Miller said. "They could have let him leave and return with his permit as he said," she pointed out. "Instead, they escalated to the point of violence then kick my son out of school and restrict him from any Pasco County School functions." Amanda Hunter, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office, told Insider that the incident and deputy are "under internal review." However, she said, "there are no criminal complaints related to this case." Linda Cobbe, the spokeswoman for Pasco Schools, told the Times that district officials are not investigating the incident. For her part, Miller is appealing the district's decision because she believes everyone involved should be on the hook for the part they each played. "I just feel like if they were all acting like children and my son received that level of discipline, they should, too," she said to the Times. "They should both be removed from their jobs." Read the original article on Business Insider What is the coronavirus? A coronavirus is a type of virus which can cause illness in animals and people. Viruses break into cells inside their host and use them to reproduce itself and disrupt the body's normal functions. Coronaviruses are named after the Latin word 'corona', which means crown, because they are encased by a spiked shell which resembles a royal crown. The coronavirus from Wuhan is one which has never been seen before this outbreak. It has been named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses. The name stands for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2. Experts say the bug, which has killed around one in 50 patients since the outbreak began in December, is a 'sister' of the SARS illness which hit China in 2002, so has been named after it. The disease that the virus causes has been named COVID-19, which stands for coronavirus disease 2019. Dr Helena Maier, from the Pirbright Institute, said: 'Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that infect a wide range of different species including humans, cattle, pigs, chickens, dogs, cats and wild animals. 'Until this new coronavirus was identified, there were only six different coronaviruses known to infect humans. Four of these cause a mild common cold-type illness, but since 2002 there has been the emergence of two new coronaviruses that can infect humans and result in more severe disease (Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) coronaviruses). 'Coronaviruses are known to be able to occasionally jump from one species to another and that is what happened in the case of SARS, MERS and the new coronavirus. The animal origin of the new coronavirus is not yet known.' The first human cases were publicly reported from the Chinese city of Wuhan, where approximately 11million people live, after medics first started publicly reporting infections on December 31. By January 8, 59 suspected cases had been reported and seven people were in critical condition. Tests were developed for the new virus and recorded cases started to surge. The first person died that week and, by January 16, two were dead and 41 cases were confirmed. The next day, scientists predicted that 1,700 people had become infected, possibly up to 7,000. Where does the virus come from? According to scientists, the virus almost certainly came from bats. Coronaviruses in general tend to originate in animals the similar SARS and MERS viruses are believed to have originated in civet cats and camels, respectively. The first cases of COVID-19 came from people visiting or working in a live animal market in Wuhan, which has since been closed down for investigation. Although the market is officially a seafood market, other dead and living animals were being sold there, including wolf cubs, salamanders, snakes, peacocks, porcupines and camel meat. A study by the Wuhan Institute of Virology, published in February 2020 in the scientific journal Nature, found that the genetic make-up virus samples found in patients in China is 96 per cent identical to a coronavirus they found in bats. However, there were not many bats at the market so scientists say it was likely there was an animal which acted as a middle-man, contracting it from a bat before then transmitting it to a human. It has not yet been confirmed what type of animal this was. Dr Michael Skinner, a virologist at Imperial College London, was not involved with the research but said: 'The discovery definitely places the origin of nCoV in bats in China. 'We still do not know whether another species served as an intermediate host to amplify the virus, and possibly even to bring it to the market, nor what species that host might have been.' So far the fatalities are quite low. Why are health experts so worried about it? Experts say the international community is concerned about the virus because so little is known about it and it appears to be spreading quickly. It is similar to SARS, which infected 8,000 people and killed nearly 800 in an outbreak in Asia in 2003, in that it is a type of coronavirus which infects humans' lungs. It is less deadly than SARS, however, which killed around one in 10 people, compared to approximately one in 50 for COVID-19. Another reason for concern is that nobody has any immunity to the virus because they've never encountered it before. This means it may be able to cause more damage than viruses we come across often, like the flu or common cold. Speaking at a briefing in January, Oxford University professor, Dr Peter Horby, said: 'Novel viruses can spread much faster through the population than viruses which circulate all the time because we have no immunity to them. 'Most seasonal flu viruses have a case fatality rate of less than one in 1,000 people. Here we're talking about a virus where we don't understand fully the severity spectrum but it's possible the case fatality rate could be as high as two per cent.' If the death rate is truly two per cent, that means two out of every 100 patients who get it will die. 'My feeling is it's lower,' Dr Horby added. 'We're probably missing this iceberg of milder cases. But that's the current circumstance we're in. 'Two per cent case fatality rate is comparable to the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918 so it is a significant concern globally.' How does the virus spread? The illness can spread between people just through coughs and sneezes, making it an extremely contagious infection. And it may also spread even before someone has symptoms. It is believed to travel in the saliva and even through water in the eyes, therefore close contact, kissing, and sharing cutlery or utensils are all risky. It can also live on surfaces, such as plastic and steel, for up to 72 hours, meaning people can catch it by touching contaminated surfaces. Originally, people were thought to be catching it from a live animal market in Wuhan city. But cases soon began to emerge in people who had never been there, which forced medics to realise it was spreading from person to person. What does the virus do to you? What are the symptoms? Once someone has caught the COVID-19 virus it may take between two and 14 days, or even longer, for them to show any symptoms but they may still be contagious during this time. If and when they do become ill, typical signs include a runny nose, a cough, sore throat and a fever (high temperature). The vast majority of patients will recover from these without any issues, and many will need no medical help at all. In a small group of patients, who seem mainly to be the elderly or those with long-term illnesses, it can lead to pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection in which the insides of the lungs swell up and fill with fluid. It makes it increasingly difficult to breathe and, if left untreated, can be fatal and suffocate people. Figures are showing that young children do not seem to be particularly badly affected by the virus, which they say is peculiar considering their susceptibility to flu, but it is not clear why. What have genetic tests revealed about the virus? Scientists in China have recorded the genetic sequences of around 19 strains of the virus and released them to experts working around the world. This allows others to study them, develop tests and potentially look into treating the illness they cause. Examinations have revealed the coronavirus did not change much changing is known as mutating much during the early stages of its spread. However, the director-general of China's Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gao Fu, said the virus was mutating and adapting as it spread through people. This means efforts to study the virus and to potentially control it may be made extra difficult because the virus might look different every time scientists analyse it. More study may be able to reveal whether the virus first infected a small number of people then change and spread from them, or whether there were various versions of the virus coming from animals which have developed separately. How dangerous is the virus? The virus has a death rate of around two per cent. This is a similar death rate to the Spanish Flu outbreak which, in 1918, went on to kill around 50million people. Experts have been conflicted since the beginning of the outbreak about whether the true number of people who are infected is significantly higher than the official numbers of recorded cases. Some people are expected to have such mild symptoms that they never even realise they are ill unless they're tested, so only the more serious cases get discovered, making the death toll seem higher than it really is. However, an investigation into government surveillance in China said it had found no reason to believe this was true. Dr Bruce Aylward, a World Health Organization official who went on a mission to China, said there was no evidence that figures were only showing the tip of the iceberg, and said recording appeared to be accurate, Stat News reported. Can the virus be cured? The COVID-19 virus cannot be cured and it is proving difficult to contain. Antibiotics do not work against viruses, so they are out of the question. Antiviral drugs can work, but the process of understanding a virus then developing and producing drugs to treat it would take years and huge amounts of money. No vaccine exists for the coronavirus yet and it's not likely one will be developed in time to be of any use in this outbreak, for similar reasons to the above. The National Institutes of Health in the US, and Baylor University in Waco, Texas, say they are working on a vaccine based on what they know about coronaviruses in general, using information from the SARS outbreak. But this may take a year or more to develop, according to Pharmaceutical Technology. Currently, governments and health authorities are working to contain the virus and to care for patients who are sick and stop them infecting other people. People who catch the illness are being quarantined in hospitals, where their symptoms can be treated and they will be away from the uninfected public. And airports around the world are putting in place screening measures such as having doctors on-site, taking people's temperatures to check for fevers and using thermal screening to spot those who might be ill (infection causes a raised temperature). However, it can take weeks for symptoms to appear, so there is only a small likelihood that patients will be spotted up in an airport. Is this outbreak an epidemic or a pandemic? The outbreak was declared a pandemic on March 11. A pandemic is defined by the World Health Organization as the 'worldwide spread of a new disease'. Previously, the UN agency said most cases outside of Hubei had been 'spillover' from the epicentre, so the disease wasn't actually spreading actively around the world. OAKVILLE, Ontario, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Terrestrial Energy has appointed the Right Honourable Stephen Harper to the Company's Advisory Board. Mr. Harper served as Canada's twenty-second Prime Minister from 2006 to 2015. "In every region of the world, energy consumption is growing. In the years ahead, demand for safe and reliable energy will only be met if we can bring low emissions resources to market in a cost competitive way," said Mr. Harper. "Canada is an energy superpower that has a long history of embracing innovation," said Mr. Harper. "Generation IV nuclear technology is an exciting new chapter in this legacy and represents the next frontier of energy development. I am excited to join Terrestrial Energy's International Advisory Board and look forward to working with their team to deploy this potentially transformative technology." "Mr. Harper has long recognized the importance of energy markets to economic growth and to Canada in particular. His involvement in Terrestrial Energy comes at a time when governments across Canada and other advanced industrial economies are recognizing the strategic, economic and environmental importance of Generation IV nuclear innovation," said Simon Irish, CEO of Terrestrial Energy. "It is a great honour to welcome the former Prime Minister to Terrestrial Energy's Advisory Board." Mr. Harper joins a distinguished group of advisory board members consisting of former G-7 Ministers, former executives of Fortune 500 companies and former heads of nuclear regulatory agencies. The board guides the Company as it works to bring its Integral Molten Salt Reactor technology to energy markets at a time of growing national interest in Generation IV advanced nuclear technologies. About Stephen Harper The Right Honourable Stephen Harper served as Canada's twenty-second Prime Minister from 2006 to 2015. He led a government that focused on pragmatic, growth-oriented economic policies and results-driven social policy. Harper has been a longtime advocate for Canadian energy in global markets. An economist by training, Prime Minister Harper currently serves as Chairman and CEO of Harper & Associates, a global consulting firm. About Terrestrial Energy Terrestrial Energy is a developer of Generation IV advanced nuclear power plants that use its proprietary Integral Molten Salt Reactor (IMSR) technology. IMSR technology represents true innovation in cost reduction, versatility and functionality of nuclear power plants. IMSR power plants will provide zero-carbon, reliable, dispatchable, cost-competitive electric power and high-grade industrial heat for use in many industrial applications, such as chemical synthesis and desalination, and in so doing extend the application of nuclear energy far beyond electric power markets. They have the potential to make important contributions to industrial competitiveness, energy security, and economic growth. Their deployment will support rapid global decarbonization of the primary energy system by displacing fossil fuel combustion across a broad spectrum. Using an innovative design, and proven and demonstrated molten salt reactor technology, Terrestrial Energy is engaged with regulators and industrial partners to complete IMSR engineering and to commission first IMSR power plants within ten years. Website: www.terrestrialenergy.com E-mail: info@terrestrialenergy.com Social Media Facebook: TerrestrialMSR (https://www.facebook.com/TerrestrialMSR) Twitter: TerrestrialMSR (https://twitter.com/TerrestrialMSR) YouTube: Terrestrial Energy (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1A7ki5BMGxF67V9boVbdIw) LinkedIn: TerrestrialEnergy (http://www.linkedin.com/company/terrestrial-energy-inc) Instagram: Terrestrial.Energy (https://www.instagram.com/terrestrial.energy) A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/26676db6-a2a5-40c0-9711-588386bfc4df For those who learn they havent received their vaccines, doctors say its never too late, though its not ideal. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend when children should receive which vaccines over the course of their childhood. That schedule was developed because that is the best way to give these vaccines, Tan said. There is no such thing as an alternate vaccine schedule. An electric scooter rider has died after colliding with a car in Fairfax. The Marin County coroners office identified the deceased as David Dunne, a 74-year-old resident of the town. Fairfax police said Dunne was riding his scooter on Creek Road near Dominga Avenue at 8:30 a.m. Friday when it collided with a car. Because the incident remains under investigation, police are withholding the identity of the driver of the car. "We have not yet determined who is at fault," Fairfax police chief Christopher Morin told the Marin Independent Journal. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor in the accident. While Dunne was "alert and conscious" after the crash, he appeared to be in a great deal of pain due to an arm injury, Morin said. ALSO: Woman injured after e-scooter collision with cement mixer Dunne died eight hours later at MarinHealth Medical Center in Greenbrae. Investigators are attempting to determine if the cause of death was the accident or a medical condition, Morin said. E-scooter injuries are on the rise in the United States. According to a recent study, scooter-related injuries to people aged 18 to 34 increased by 185 percent nationwide and hospitalizations increased by 354 percent from 2014 to 2018. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate NATO Defence Ministers will meet in Brussels this week (12-13 February 2020) to address key issues for the Alliance. Ahead of the two-day meeting, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg outlined the topics for discussion, including what more NATO could do to build stability in the Middle East, the Alliances support for Afghanistan and challenges posed by Russias missile systems. The Secretary General stressed that violence and instability in the Middle East are driving the refugee and migrant crisis and fuelling the threat of terrorism. While NATO Allies have been engaged in the region for years, the Secretary General said that NATO can do more. Allies will also discuss tomorrow how NATO can coordinate with the Global Coalition even more closely. And we will consider what more NATO can do in the wider region to build long-term stability and security., the Secretary General said. On Thursday, Ministers will assess the challenge posed by Russias new missile systems after Russias deployment of the SSC-8 missile led to the demise of the INF Treaty. NATO Allies have stood united on Russias breach of the Treaty the Secretary General said, noting that Allies had agreed on a package of defensive measure while remaining committed to arms control. The SSC-8 is just one challenge we face. So we will discuss our response to the whole range of Russian missile systems. Conventional and nuclear, currently deployed or under development., the Secretary General said. The ministerial will conclude by meeting with all nations contributing to NATOs training mission in Afghanistan. The Secretary General said that despite challenging circumstances Afghan forces are getting stronger and are helping create the conditions for peace. We fully support the efforts led by the United States to end the conflict and achieve a peaceful solution, the Secretary General said, adding that Allies remain in close consultations on the way forward. Speaking to the prospects of a peace deal, the Secretary General made clear that the Taliban must commit to a reduction in violence and show that they are genuinely committed to peace. Ministers will also discusses cooperation between NATO and the European Union, with High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell attending a NATO ministerial meeting for this first time in his new position. Defence ministers will also meet with their Ukrainian counterpart to review the countrys reforms and NATO support. Dana Ferrell G&S Business Communications has appointed Dana Ferrell as managing director of its 83-person Raleigh office. She succeeds Kerry Henderson, who has been with the agency for 25 years and has been Raleigh managing director since 2009. Ferrell has been with G&S since 1999, most recently serving as vice president. In her new position, she is responsible for the Raleigh offices operations and growth. Ferrell assumed the Raleigh MD role on Feb. 1. Henderson will stay until March 31 to ensure a smooth transition of the office. New York-based G&S also has offices in Chicago and Basel, Switzerland. Brendan Ward APCO Worldwide has named Brendan Ward creative director in the agencys Raleigh office. Before coming to APCO, Ward founded Harbor Studio, a creative strategy firm in Durham, NC, and Kaleida, a self-funded, member-owned arts and activism collective offering creative workspaces for residents of Durham. He has overseen marketing and branding campaigns across several market sectors. Brendans expertise in the creative industry has consistently driven innovative branding and dynamic solutions, fostering design-oriented leadership and thinking, said APCO managing director, Raleigh, Courtney Crowder. The addition of Ward follows the recent appointment of Crowder as well as that of Karen Hagens as senior director. Dave Feistel Bastion Elevate has promoted Dave Feistel to vice president. Feistel has headed Bastion Elevates PR division since 2011, and has experience in healthcare, finance, technology, B2B and B2C clientele. In his new position, he will continue to run the PR department and will be actively involved in the management of the firms PR accounts. He will also grow his management role as the company expands its service offerings and employment opportunities. Bastion Elevate is part of Bastion Collective, a global communications agency with offices in Los Angeles, Australia and Shanghai. Jose Maria Estebanez Kyocera Document Solutions America has named Jose Maria Estebanez senior director, integrated marketing communications. Estebanez has been with Kyocera since 2016, most recently serving as head of EMEA marketing & digital transformation at Kyocera Documents Solutions Europe, where he played a major role in the renewal of the organizations brand identity in addition to leading the launch of a website and digital offering. He was previously manager, digital marketing at Deloitte Espana. Kyocera Document Solutions America president Oscar Sanchez said that Estebanezs success across the board in the European region, aligning with our global headquarters in Japan, means that he is fully on board with our plans. Thousands of cane toads have descended on the very place Australian scientists are working on ways to destroy the invasive species. The University of Queensland's St Lucia campus in Brisbane has been flooded with thousands of the toads after heavy rain and warmer weather. Scientists have been leading the way on research to eradicate the invasive species, using the toad's own DNA against them. The University of Queensland's St Lucia Campus has been flooded with the toads after heavy rain and warmer weather Professor Rob Capon told Daily Mail Australia the reason for the explosion of cane toads across the university is because of the perfect storm. 'With the drought conditions that we had over most of the Christmas period they were sort of hanging out for a bit of water,' he said. 'The moment it rains. Nice warm, weather and accumulated pools of water it's like nirvana for toads.' Footage from the past week shows thousands of tiny toads leaping around the university campus. Footage from the past week shows thousands of tiny toads leaping around the university campus Each female cane toad can lay up to 30,000 eggs (stock image) But because each female can lay up to 30,000 eggs in their lifetime the university was unable to estimate how many tadpoles had been born in the breeding explosion. Professor Capon said it's not just the uni that's come under attack from the amphibian invasion. 'I don't think the university campus is unique, it just happens to be more visible because a lot of people are walking past the lakes. But pretty much any water body across Brisbane is fair game for toads,' he said. The university led by Professor Capon has developed ground-breaking technology to humanly capture the animals, involving the creation of a bait trap using the cane toad's own toxins. Just before Christmas thousands of tadpoles were photographed in the University of Queensland lake The box traps feature a funnel system with a bait inside made of the toad's toxins which emits the scent similar to that of toad eggs being released into the water. This attracts the tadpoles who then go 'rushing into the box' and get trapped there. Professor Capon said the best way forward is to try and prevent them from growing into adults. 'There isn't a strategy to deal with cane toads in Australia. We're not going to get rid of toads any time soon. But what we can do is mitigate their impact in certain areas,' he said. He said the general public is also playing their part in 'cane toad busting' to reduce the species numbers across Queensland. 'People go out and just pick up the adult toads from local footy fields and parklands or road verges or whatever, and then they euthanize these usually by a freezing process and then the next time it rains and all the toads come out then they do it all over again,' he said. O kay, it is official the UK has coronavirus. 15 Brits have already been diagnosed with Covid-19 and health secretary, Matt Hancock described the virus as a serious and imminent threat. But lets not panic just yet. Professor Chris Whitty, the UKs Chief Medical Officer has said we are now using robust infection control measures to prevent further spread of the virus, adding the NHS is extremely well prepared to manage these cases and treat them. Phew, trusty old NHS to the rescue. But then again, with 81,000 cases identified across 38 countries and new patients springing everyday, now might be the time to arm yourself with some practical ways not to catch the corona just in case. 1. Wash your hands neurotically Follow NHS guidelines for handwashing Obviously, wearing a mask is your first port of call in protection. Preventing a stranger on the tube from sneezing directly into your mouth is top of your list of priorities. But what happens after you get into work and start touching the door handles, taps, and hot-desk keyboards your dirty co-workers have been smearing their germs all over? Even without the threat of a global epidemic, as a priority we should all be washing our hands better to avoid getting ill. Public Health England (PHE) has previously warned that their researchers found faecal matter (which can cause gastrointestinal infections) on the most commonly touched surfaces including bank notes, kitchen taps and smartphone screens. As the average person touches their face 3.6 times per hour, the virus will most likely be spread by when you touch your eyes or mouth with your contaminated hands. But theres a very simple fix: wash your hands. According to the NHS, proper technique is quite wet with water, then cover in soap (making sure to include the backs of your hands and between each finger), before rinsing and drying with a paper towel. Wash your hands for as long as it takes to sing happy birthday twice about 20 seconds. Of course, if colleagues hear you singing happy birthday to yourself in the bathroom mirror they will instantly think theyve forgotten your birthday and buy you a cake. Winning. 2. Learn to sneeze smart Is carrying tissues at all time a realistic prospect? The official guidance is the ancient old proverb Catch it, Bin it, Kill it which demands that we carry and use tissues to catch coughs and sneezes which we discard immediately into a closed bin. However, not only does this require you to carry tissues at every moment of your waking life, but a disposable pack of tissues doesn't exactly scream 'eco-friendly'. For years now I have practised the elbow crook catch (not a dance move). Rather than sneezing or coughing into my open palms and then smearing the contents of my infected sinuses all over the poles on the tube like the rest of you, I direct the snotty mess into my inner elbow. You may ruin a jumper or two, but your hands will remain virus free. 3. Maintain social distancing Cramming in on the tube may not be the best idea Despite being forced up against random strangers every morning in the Tube crush, I like to try and keep my fellow Londoners at arms length (both emotionally and, more importantly, physically). This means that I am already in-line with the new official guidance to maintain at least 1 metre distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever. When someone who is infected with a respiratory disease like Coronavirus coughs or sneezes they project small droplets containing the virus, according to Public Health Englands guidance. If you are too close, you can breathe in the virus. Quote this to anybody on public transport who invades your personal space. Coronavirus could have an incubation period of 24 days during which you can be symptom free. People who suspect they may have it are advised to quarantine themselves, hunkering down for two weeks solo. Good luck explaining that one to your boss. 4. Flush loos with the toilet seat down Putting the lid down could save you from a world of pain - even in a public toilet Researchers have found small traces of coronavirus in stool samples of those being treated in Shenzhen, China. As a result the a dirty phenomenon called the toilet plume the billions of tiny faecal matter particles that jet out of the loo when you flush it. Simple fix: put the toilet seat down before pulling the chain. Oh but dont forget: anything in the cubicle (the door handle, the flush button, the toilet brush and the bog-roll holder) are all probably equally as filthy. Be sure to employ the hand washing advice at the top of this article before leaving the lavatory. Damn, the door is a pull not a push you can kick open hands free! Youll have to hover and wait to sneak past the next person who enters. For the latest advice visit gov.uk/coronavirus. Listen to today's episode of The Leader podcast: When my sister was two and I was six, my grandmother came from Jinan, China, to stay with my family in Tuscaloosa, Alabama for a year to help watch us while my parents worked to get their degrees. When she arrived, we taught her a handful of English phrases we thought she might need: How much? Too much. Nice to meet you. She also wanted us to teach her a special one: No hug. Its unhygienic and obscene to press your body so close to someone elses, she griped. Today, my grandma has forgotten nearly all the phrases she learned, but no hug still rolls off her tongue. The first time I visited her in China as a teenager, bounding out of the car from the airport during a summer visit: No hug! In my 20s, when I introduced her to my boyfriend, who speaks about as much Chinese as she does English: No hug, she warned him. But when I last saw her, just two weeks ago, as China was uncder quarantine because of a mysterious coronavirus that turned into an epidemic, what used to feel like a personal quirk took on a graver warning: Absolutely, definitely, dont even try it, No hug. My mom, sister, and I were in China because we were supposed to be visiting my dads father, who was ill and not getting any better. My own dad was waiting to go later. The plan was to visit Taiwan, Seoul, then Jinan, China where my mothers family lived, before arriving in Qingdao, 660 miles northeast of Wuhan, roughly the distance between NYC and Detroit, where though I didnt know it then the virus originated. Before we left the U.S., our relatives in China mentioned that there was a bug going around the country, and we should bring extra face masks if we had them. Just in case. But while we were sightseeing in Taipei, we started getting news from friends and family on WeChat that the flu didnt seem like the standard strain. Local news was reporting that it was a serious form of coronavirus a group of viruses that includes the common cold and SARS, all of which can cause respiratory infections in humans and was quickly spreading across China. By the time we reached Seoul, the Wuhan coronavirus was front-page news on international newspapers. There were a couple cases in my dads hometown of Qingdao, and coronavirus patients were also being treated in the same hospital where my grandfather was being taken care of. As we repacked our suitcases in a small hotel room in Seoul, to head to Jinan, we fretted over whether itd still be safe to visit. Story continues But by the time we landed in my mothers hometown wearing the duck-billed N95 surgical masks that my sister, a medical student, had gotten us the decision had been made for us. We couldnt go any farther. My uncle met us at the airport (no hugs this time, but he was never a big hugger, anyway) and explained that the government had been cordoning off neighborhoods, shutting down public transportation, and access to public spaces and private businesses. The hospital where my grandpa was being treated was on lockdown, as were the apartment complexes that housed my fathers side of the family. Non-residents couldnt enter, for everyones safety. When we arrived at the three-bedroom apartment where three generations of my moms family lived, we knew itd be the last stop on our trip. The circumstances were unsettling, but we were so happy to see them, so my mother, my sister, and I awkwardly reached out to touch my aunt, cousin, and her daughter, Jiajia, on their shoulders. This time, we didnt try for a hug for our health. But even without the threat of a virus, my Chinese family wouldnt have naturally greeted us with a huge embrace. East Asians just dont hug. While every family is different (just like families in the West can range from fairly chilly to Tom Brady-level intimate), generally speaking, not touching is as normal in East Asia as air-kissing is in Europe. The first time I tried shaking hands with someone in Japan, I felt like I was trying to tango with someone who didnt realize we were dancing. To say hello, we gesture: to an empty chair, to grab a bag youre carrying, through an open door. When we say goodbye, we wave in the direction of whoevers leaving, even if theyre just a foot away. Even among family members, physical affection is rare. Things are slowly changing for the younger generation. My cousin, a single mom, had moved back in with my aunt and uncle, and everyone was helping her raise Jiajia a precocious three-year-old who orated rather than babbled, and loved instructions, dogs, and Fruit-by-the-Foot. My cousin sometimes hugs Jiajia not the fully enveloping bear hugs that come so naturally to American parents, but theyre hugs nonetheless. Most of the time, Jiajia doesnt even hug back, but you can tell it delights her. The hugging is a point of contention with her grandparents. Itll spoil her, my aunt complains to my mother. Affection, she wants us to know, gives children the idea that other people will tolerate selfish behavior (I just want it, you cant tell me no! Jiajia loves to yell). They believe children should learn that theyre part of a family, not the center of one. A three-year-old might not be able to cook dinner, chauffeur the grandparents, or bring home an income, but she can eat everything on her plate, clean up after herself, and not bother mom when shes resting. In China, love means actions not affection. In America, having to do anything in order to receive love, especially for children from their elders, turns love into a transaction. But in China, duty is the purest expression of love: the acts, considerations, inconveniences, unacknowledged self-sacrifices, and extra labor are what you do in order to spare someone else pain, no matter how piddling. I can see how action-based love can seem cold, to have to work so hard for something that should be given freely. But the way my Chinese family sees it, Western pronouncements of love physical closeness, inquiring about feelings, listening can seem superficial, even performative. Dont encourage her, my aunt repeats, as my cousin dodges a gleeful slap from Jiajia as she crouches to embrace her daughter after a successful trip to the potty. But my aunt encourages Jiajia in different ways, like spending an hour making an elaborate lunch just for her, with special mini noodles and thinly sliced vegetables thats easier for a tiny mouth to eat. On New Years Day in China, we all gathered around the television to watch the annual state-produced Spring Festival Gala. Seen by an estimated 500 million people, its the worlds most-viewed televised event, and has become as integral to the holiday as a menorah is on Hanukkah, or turkey is on Thanksgiving. The tone is usually aggressively patriotic and melodramatic, but this year, for the first time since it started running, the Gala included a non-rehearsed segment that focused on the coronavirus. It took on a paternal tone. The presenters acknowledged how isolated those in Wuhan might feel in quarantine, but urged them to remember their duty: Staying at home is your greatest dedication and sacrifice against the epidemic, said news anchor Ouyang Xiadan. As for the rest of China, presenters asked them to think about a self-imposed quarantine as an opportunity to spend more time with family, but also as a way to declare their love for their countrymen: A quiet New Years will help us all be safe. This is your biggest contribution to fighting the epidemic. I was in China, but wanted to know how the U.S. was reacting to the virus, so I scrolled Twitter, via a VPN that let me bypass Chinas firewall. Both objective reporting and panicked reactions from the West from Chinese-Americans, Asian-Americans, and non-Asians alike reinforced the stereotypes that Chinese culture was cold and unempathetic. There was the usual moralizing over the dirtiness of the niche local tradition of consuming wild animals (with heads and beaks attached, read the first sentence of a NYT article about Chinese wet markets), and stories vilifying Chinese tourists too selfish and obstinate to care about Western notions of personal space, exposing entire cruiseliners, passenger planes, and foreign cities to the virus. But there was also a focus on the callousness and inhumanity of Chinese culture, which allowed this epidemic to turn into a pandemic. News outlets reported that the government initially covered-up the severity of the epidemic, describing a government more intent on good PR than the welfare of its people. The unforgiving quarantines and swiftly implemented bans on travel, traffic, and assembly were only possible with authoritarian muscle and questionable ethics that seemed to further hurt already sick people, forcing them to walk for miles in order to seek out care. Even the state request that people stay indoors with their own loved ones had become a problem, as self-quarantines were leading to cross-generational infections among family members. Western outlets ogled the run on surgical masks. Technically ineffective, they suggested that no one should be wearing them, nevermind that masks were already as common an accessory in China as headphones or sunglasses, and seen as a courtesy a polite gesture to your fellow commuter. Instead of a polite gesture by your fellow commuter, the mask communicated something evil, inciting hate crimes against Asian American in NYC. But sitting on the couch, watching my family move around the apartment, I didnt see coldness or callousness. I saw their best attempt to take care of each other in the way theyve always done it, even if that wasnt with hugs. I listened to my aunt talk about how being a loving, responsible parent often meant breaking her own heart, by hiding away her laughter and lightness from her child. She never joked in front of my cousin, or allowed herself to be silly or joyful. As she spoke, I saw her as she was back then, taking a beat behind the front door as my cousin came home from school, working to stiffen her lip before turning the handle. It struck me how easily what looks like love to some can look like cruelty to others. When it was time to go home, the mood was different. We were closer. My mother, sister, and I had spent the past week acting within our Chinese familys modes of love, so as we were leaving, they felt it was their duty to act upon ours. This time, we all hugged goodbye. Bao yi bao! my cousin instructed Jiajia, who wasnt used to wrapping her arms around anyone who wasnt her mom. Give your aunts a hug! When I landed in Los Angeles, after having had my temperature taken five times at three different airports to check for fevers, I finally discarded my face mask, then turned on my phone to see a text message from my father. My grandpa had passed away. None of my immediate family had gotten to say goodbye, nor would we be allowed back in the country for the funeral. And so, we did all we could do and turned to each other, my father, mother, sister, and me, armed with our dual ideas of love and family, our dual heritage in China and America. We texted and called each other, trying to shrink the distance between us. We asked what we could do, and wordlessly did what we ought to, helping each other out with errands and work, sending each other kind texts just because. In China, the virus persists. Death and infection tolls are exponentially growing, with over 600 deaths and 31,000 infections. Patience and trust are wearing thin. Was the government protecting its people, or was it lying to them? Were appeals to love a tactic of brutality? Shortly after midnight last Friday, the doctor and whistleblower Li Wenliang died of the same disease he warned the public about. Earlier in January, he had been detained for spreading rumors about the existence and severity of the coronavirus. When news of his death broke, a dam broke too. Online, an outpouring of outrage and frustration flooded Chinese social media. Posts demanding freedom of speech appeared, then were deleted by censors. In America, my familys texts echoed the same refrain: I feel helpless, Im so sorry, things are horrible, please try to feel better, what can I do? We were so far away from our Chinese family, and even each other. When I texted my dad I was scared he was lonely, he wrote back, Thats sweet, but dont worry about meYour job is to take care of yourself. It wasnt a hug, but it felt like one. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Lisa and Giancarlo Ferrara in Dublin, Ireland, in June 2000 Photo: Courtesy / Courtesy Photo: Courtesy / Courtesy In Italian, the expression for love at first sight is that youre hit by a colpo di fulmine a lightning strike. Which is what happened when Lisa Reina and Giancarlo Ferraras eyes met across a hotel bar 20 years ago. It was November 1999, a Thursday or Friday, says Giancarlo. I was the executive chef at the Belvedere Hotel in Bassano del Grappa, in Northern Italy. It was the end of my shift, and I was headed out with my crew to go clubbing. Giancarlo stopped by the hotel bar to say goodbye to the bartender. Thats when he saw Lisa, sitting by herself. Lisa remembers it well: We locked eyes, so it was kind of like, wow. Despite the instant zap of attraction, Giancarlo played it cool. He left the bar with his friends, but as they headed to their cars, he made an excuse and turned back to the hotel to strike up a conversation. But while he spoke Italian and French, Lisa spoke English and Spanish. The bartender translated, telling him Lisa was on vacation with her parents from Tampa, and would leave town in two days. His friends returned, curious to see what Giancarlo was doing. They spotted him with Lisa and began competing for her attention. She declined an invitation to go clubbing. They tried again, suggesting she join them for a taste of the just-released Novello (a young wine similar to Beaujolais) in the adjacent town of Marostica, which boasts a castle with spectacular views. That did the trick. The evening was not without hiccups. On the way to Marostica, Giancarlos sous chef, Alex, accidentally drove them into a ditch. It took nearly an hour to find a farmer with a tractor to free them, but they finally made it up the mountain. There, the views from the castle were as magical as promised. So was the wine. Before leaving, Giancarlo gifted Lisa a bottle of Novello. Though theyd only known each other a few hours, he told her to save it for when he would visit her in Tampa. The next day, when Giancarlo spotted Lisa and her mother dining at the hotel, he did his best to impress her. He prepared a special dessert, took her on a tour of the kitchen and introduced her to his boss. After his shift, knowing she would leave the next morning, Giancarlo was gripped with an urgency to see her. I liked her so much. She was leaving. I hadnt even kissed her yet, he says. Heart on his sleeve, he convinced the concierge to escort him to her room, where he left two roses at her doorstep with a note that he hoped to see her before she left. The next morning, Giancarlo waited for her in the hotel lobby. They exchanged contact information. Their long-distance relationship took off from there. Giancarlo began calling her daily; due to the time difference, Giancarlo scheduled his calls for noon 7 a.m. her time just to say Buon giorno. She called him most nights at the hotel, where he took her calls in an old-fashioned public phone cubicle. I had to buy a $1,500 computer, just so I could email her, he says. He also sent her handwritten love letters, composed in Italian and sent by fax. Lisa wasnt fluent in Italian, so she forwarded the letters to her best friend Elisabetta, an Italian from Milan, who translated them over the phone. Can you imagine? Giancarlo remembers. I had no shame, sharing these personal feelings, knowing someone else would read my letters. Within three months of meeting, Giancarlo, accompanied by his boss and sous chef, flew to Tampa to visit Lisa under the guise of preparing a series of three dinners at a friends restaurant. But the real reason for the trip was soon transparent: Giancarlo and Lisa were a couple. Lisa met Giancarlo at the airport, carrying the bottle of Novello. It was a very emotional thing, Giancarlo says. It was kind of our first date. All too soon, Giancarlo returned to Italy. They resumed their daily calls, but it wasnt enough. Within a month, Giancarlo was back in Tampa, where the couple spent 10 days together and planned for their future. Giancarlo compares the early part of their romance to Romeo and Juliet star-crossed lovers who had to overcome obstacle after obstacle to be together. Lisa says fate and a series of striking coincidences led to their meeting. The month that she visited Italy, she was supposed to be on a one-year assignment with Citibank in Dublin, but at the last minute, worried about Y2K, her boss postponed her trip to March 2000. Left with three weeks of unused vacation, Lisas mother and stepfather suggested she accompany them to Italy. And it was only because her stepfather had business near Bassano del Grappa that they stayed in Giancarlos hotel. And was it a coincidence that Giancarlo had a close friend in Tampa who had been imploring him to visit for years? This, too, was fate, says Lisa. By April 2000, Giancarlo had resigned from his 12-year post as executive chef at the Belvedere to be with Lisa for the duration of her assignment in Dublin. His employer thought he was crazy. He says he was crazy in love. Giancarlo moved to Dublin in May, landing a job at Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud, a Michelin two-star French fine-dining establishment in Dublin. When Lisas parents came to visit, he treated them to dinner there to express the seriousness of his intentions. The meal cost him the equivalent of three weeks worth of wages, even with an employee discount. But they liked him immediately. With her parents approval, and within one week of arriving in Dublin, Giancarlo proposed in the privacy of their apartment, after a fabulous dinner. He didnt have enough money to buy a diamond ring, so he proposed with a copper ring. She said yes. The couple married in an intimate ceremony in Miami on Sept. 15, 2001. A year later, they moved to Houston, where Giancarlo was appointed executive chef at Arcodoro in the Galleria. In 2006, they welcomed a son, Giancarlo Manuele Ferrara. In 2014, the Ferraras opened their first restaurant on Westheimer, naming their dream business Amalfi Ristorante, in honor of the Amalfi Coast, where Giancarlo was born. Giancarlo, 50, is the restaurants executive chef, and Lisa, 55, who left the world of corporate banking, is the restaurants general manager. The restaurant, which features a wood-burning oven adorned with tiles imported from Amalfi, specializes in coastal Italian food, with a focus on seafood. Lisa is now fluent in Italian, and Giancarlo is fluent in English. Their regulars are fluent in their extraordinary love story. Mai Pham is a freelance writer in Houston. Desperate crew members who have been quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship amid a coronavirus outbreak have begged to be allowed off the vessel before they get infected. Binay Kumar Sarkar posted a video to Facebook on Tuesday pleading with the Indian government to evacuate 160 of its citizens who work among the vessel's crew before it is too late. Standing in the ship's kitchen alongside five of his countrymen wearing masks, Sarkar demanded that those without the virus be allowed to leave 'immediately'. Binay Kumar Sarkar, a crew member quarantined aboard the Diamond Princess cruise liner, has begged the Indian government to evacuate 160 of its citizens stranded on the vessel Sarkar (left during quarantine, right with his wife) has said that those on board who are not infected with the virus should be allowed to leave before everyone gets sick Writing on Facebook, Sarkar said: 'Day by day this virus is increasing. 'If our [un]infected people will be separated from Diamond Princess cruise they may survive. 'Request to India government to rescue total 160 Indian crew from ship..... Please share this video. Please, please.' Sarkar put out the appeal a day after the number of infections aboard the Princess jumped from an initially-reported 70 to 135 after more people tested positive. In total the Princess is carrying 3,700 passengers and crew. There are thought to be 160 Indian national among the staff, and eight among the passengers. It is not clear how many of those on board have coronavirus since the disease has a 14-day incubation period before symptoms show. The vessel was initially quarantined on February 3 after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was diagnosed with the virus. Quarantine is due to last until next week. Passengers have been allowed on decks in shifts to get fresh air and encouraged to regularly take their temperature. Sarkar issued his appeal a day after the number of confirmed coronavirus cases on the Princess jumped from 70 to 135 after more passengers tested positive The princess has been quarantined at Yokohama in Japan since February 3 after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong tested positive for coronavirus (pictured, a quarantined passenger) 'Lots of the passengers now are getting a bit of cabin fever,' British passenger David Able said in a video posted on Facebook. 'Depression is starting to set in.' Another said he hoped assurances about the effectiveness of quarantine and ventilation on board would prove true. 'I will get nervous if we pass 200,' said the 43-year-old Hong Kong resident quarantined on the boat with his wife, child and several of his family. 'Hoping best for those taken to hospital. At least two report back to us on Facebook that they are symptom-free,' added the man, who declined to be identified. Addressing some passengers concerned about the ventilation, the captain's latest announcement said that they are supplying '100 percent of fresh air' throughout guest rooms. There are around 3,700 people on board the ship but the exact number of coronavirus cases is unknown because the virus has a 14-day incubation period before symptoms show People who have been in close contact with newly confirmed cases on the ship face a longer quarantine than the originally planned period until Feb. 19, the World Health Organization said late on Sunday, without saying how many there were. Japan's health ministry is recording infection counts on the ship and evacuee flights from China separately from the official tally. Domestic cases stand at 21. Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Japan would send a fifth chartered flight to China's central city of Wuhan, the epicentre of the virus outbreak, to bring citizens home. The disease has killed 908 people, chiefly in mainland China, and infected more than 40,000. The U.K.-flagged Diamond Princess is managed by Princess Cruise Lines, one of the world's largest cruise lines and a unit of Carnival Corp. [February 11, 2020] iiPay Opens Operations in Budapest, Hungary Accelerated Growth Drives Geographic Expansion DALLAS and CHELTENHAM, England, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrated International Payroll (iiPay), a market leader in cloud-based global payroll and technology services, announces its global expansion with a new office in Budapest, Hungary. "The demand for innovative global payroll solutions is increasing rapidly as we continue to invest in our solution, people and technology," said Tim Jakob, CFO of iiPay. "Budapest's operation provides the opportunity to attract international payroll expertise to deliver our global payroll solution with unparalleled service. Global corporations choose iiPay when expanding their workforce because of our centralized solution paired with in-country expertise." iiPay just completed a year of significant client and revenue growth of over 60 percent. Opening the Budapest office aligns with iiPay's global growth strategy. In 2020, the Budapest office creates 60 new jobs in Implementation and Operations to deliver international vendor-managed and in-house payroll services and expertise to he global client portfolio with a focus on the EMEA market. The site will also host supporting functions in the field of Human Resources, Recruitment, Sales and Marketing, and IT and Product Development. The company plans more expansion in other parts of Europe and the Asia Pacific region. This is strategically important as more companies choose iiPay's unique solution to centralize global payroll in organizations that struggle with multiple platforms in each country. "We are excited to see iiPay join the distinguished roster of companies who have chosen Budapest, Hungary as their major operations center. Hungary offers a highly educated and skilled workforce combined with a business-friendly atmosphere to facilitate and promote business service activities and high value-added services," said Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Mr. Levente Magyar. iiPay's significant growth recently earned the distinguished honor of being selected as a winner of the 2019 Dallas 100TM Awards from the Caruth Institute for Entrepreneurship at the SMU Cox School of Business. This award is yet another sign of iiPay's continued investment in building technology and supporting clients with highly knowledgeable people. About iiPay: iiPay is a service-driven global payroll provider, enabled through our innovative proprietary SaaS-based technology. iiPay's technology empowers data management and supports business intelligence in payroll. Focused on outcomes, iiPay reduces complexity, centralizes and simplifies multi-country payroll systems, solves global reporting and ensures compliance in every country where our clients' employees operate. iiPay's partnership approach means that we are an extension of our client's payroll team. We work side-by-side with our clients to provide an agile, flexible, and compliant solution that can be scaled to respond to the needs of global businesses. We currently provide fully managed global payroll services to 70 multi-country clients with the capacity to support more than 170 countries globally to ensure we can provide seamless scalability wherever our clients require. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Medical workers in protective suits attend to patients at the Wuhan International Conference and Exhibition Center, which has been converted into a makeshift hospital to receive patients with mild symptoms caused by the novel coronavirus, in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China on Feb. 5, 2020. (China Daily via Reuters) Doctors and Patients Describe Anomalous Cases of the Coronavirus Chinese doctors on the front lines and families of patients infected with the novel coronavirus share their observations of the disease on Chinese state media and social media. This coronavirus exhibits some alarming features and has therefore earned a reputation among Chinese doctors as a cunning virus. 14-Day Quarantine Is Not Enough More and more countries have evacuated their citizens from Wuhan, and the standard routine is to place the evacuees under quarantine for 14 days and to monitor their health. If no symptoms show up within this period of time, they would be identified as uninfected. However, the incubation period of the novel coronavirus can last for more than 14 days, according to the latest study released by Zhong Nanshan, a respiratory expert and head of Chinas health commission team investigating the coronavirus outbreak. The study, released on Feb. 9, states that the longest incubation period observed from 1,099 confirmed patients is 24 days. Chinese state media have also reported on such cases. A Shenzhen resident was found to have been infected with the coronavirus even after he showed no symptoms during the 14-day quarantine period. This patient traveled to Wuhan on Jan. 20 and returned home to Shenzhen in the evening. On the same day, the Chinese authorities announced that the novel coronavirus can spread from person to person. Upon hearing the news, he went straight to a hotel upon arriving in Shenzhen and self-quarantined for 14 days. He developed no symptoms at that time. At the end of the quarantine period, he took a CT chest scan at one of the local hospitals. The result came out the next day, showing a 3-millimeter ground-glass opacity in his lungs. Ground-glass opacity in the lungs indicates an infection and is a typical characteristic of the novel coronavirus. The patients wife shared his story over Chinese social media WeChat, telling her friends to be extra careful. She emphasized that her husband had absolutely no perceptible symptoms after being quarantined. No fever, no coughing, no chest tightness, whatsoever. We all thought he would be safe if he appears to be fine in the first 14 days. It is such a big surprise, she wrote. Dr. George Ku, an immunology expert from Hong Kong, pointed out that a patient usually has no symptoms during the initial stage of infection of the novel coronavirus. When a patient starts to experience fever and shortness of breath, he has already developed pulmonary fibrosis. A similar case was reported in Guangxi Province and the local hospital alerted the public. Dr. Lan, a urologist at The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Feb. 8. The source can be traced to a patient he treated on Jan. 23, who was later diagnosed on Feb. 3. Dr. Lan did not have any symptoms in the 16-day period between Jan. 23 and Feb. 8. He was diagnosed through a gene sequencing test which confirmed the presence of the coronavirus in his body. Silent Carriers Li Xingwang, an expert from Chinas National Health Commission, announced at a press conference on Jan. 28 that medical workers have noticed a number of individuals who show no symptoms but have been tested positive for the coronavirus. This group of patients were found when medical staff proactively screened those who have close contacts with previously diagnosed patients, regardless of whether or not they show symptoms. Based on clinical observations, this group of virus carriers, who appear to be normal and healthy, can infect others, especially those in close contact with them. In medical terms, they are usually called silent carriers or silent spreaders. Li cited the story of a woman surnamed Lu, who went back to her hometown in Henan Province from Wuhan on Jan. 10 for the Chinese New Year holiday. For 19 days, Lu herself did not show any symptoms, just like the patient in Shenzhen and Guangxi, but five of her family members began to experience fever, coughing, and sore throat one after another. The five people were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus when they sought treatment at a local hospital. In the previous case in Guangxi, Dr. Lan had no symptoms but he passed the virus to his wife, who tested positive around the same time Lan was finally diagnosed. By Feb. 10, medical staff from 14 provinces reported cases of individuals showing no symptoms but have been tested positive for the presence of the virus. Chinas National Health Commission included this recent observation in its policy for dealing with the coronavirus which states, some symptomless virus carriers can spread the disease as well. Non-Respiratory Related Symptoms and No Fever Moreover, researchers in Wuhan reported that infected patients have exhibited non-respiratory related symptoms, such as diarrhea, chest pain, and headaches. Zhong Nanshans latest research paper pointed out specifically that more than 50 percent of the confirmed patients did not have a fever. Only 43.8 percent of the coronavirus patients had a fever at the early stage of the disease development, the report said. Taking the body temperatures of travelers at transportation hubs may not be enough to screen for the virus. These virus carriers then move around as usual, potentially infecting anyone they encounter in private and public places. Recovered Patients Getting Infected Again A professor surnamed Zhao shared a story about his friend and his family. This friend, his daughter and mother-in-law all recovered from the coronavirus on Jan. 31. He immediately accepted media interviews, and his familys story gave hope to many Wuhan residents. However, when Zhao called his friend on Feb. 3, he did not pick up the phone, and responded with a brief text message that read, [I feel] very tired and I am short of breath. I cannot talk much. Dr. Tsang Kay Yan Joseph, a specialist of infectious diseases from Hong Kong, talked about the risk of reinfection. He explained that for certain viruses, the patients body may not produce antibodies against them when his illness is cured. SARS patients are in this category, so they can be infected again if they are exposed to the SARS virus. Tsang suspects that the novel coronavirus also falls into this category. False Negative in Diagnostic Testing In a hospital designated for the treatment of the coronavirus, a patient caught the doctors attention as his CT scan image indicated he had a very serious viral infection in the lungs, but he was tested negative twice in RT-PCR (a gene sequencing) diagnostic tests. The third test confirmed a positive result, according to a Feb. 5 report from Chinese media Caijing. Life or Death Within Three Weeks Dr. Peng Zhiyong, director of acute medicine at the Wuhan University South Central Hospital, is one of the front line doctors treating the coronavirus patients. Peng shared with Chinese media Caixin his observation from his recent clinical cases. According to Peng, when a patient starts to show symptoms, the next three weeks will determine his fate. In the first week, the patient usually progresses from mild to serious symptoms. During the second week, if the patient has a strong immune system, then he may recover; however, if his immune system is weak, then he may start to develop complications, which in turn will cause respiratory and organ failures. By the third week, if the patients immune system has been destroyed by the viral attack, then he will eventually die from multiple organ failures. But some patients could recover if their immune system regains its function. Narela Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Narela constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Narela Assembly Elections 2020 | Narela Assembly constituency, is one of the 10 constituencies comprising North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In this constituency, the Aam Aadmi Party's Sharad Kumar has won against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Neel Daman Khatri by a margin of 17,429 votes. The current term of the Assembly will expire on 22 February. One of the key areas of the North West Delhi district, Narela, like the rest of the Union Territory, will see a contest between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The AAP would seek to retain power on the back of the development agenda it pursued in the last five years. On the other hand, the BJP, which controls the Centre as well as the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, would look to dislodge the AAP from power. The Congress, meanwhile, would look to put up a tough fight after its improved performance in the recently concluded state elections in Haryana and Jharkhand. Here is a brief profile of Narela: Constituency Name: Narela Constituency Number: 1 District Name: North Delhi Total Electors: 2,41,032 Female Electors: 1,06,866 Male Electors: 1,34,149 Third Gender: 17 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: In the 2008 Assembly elections, Congress' Jaswant Singh Rana retained the seat for the Congress party for the third time in a row. However, in 2013, he lost to BJP's Neeldaman Khatri. In 2015, following an Aam Aadmi party wave post the India Against Corruption movement, Khatri lost the seat to AAPs Sharad Chauhan despite a phenomenal BJP performance in other parts of the country, as well as the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Chauhan received a whopping 59.97 per cent of total votes. Demographics: Narela is one of the many Jat dominated Assembly segments in the Union Territory. Jats form over 5 percent of the electorate in Delhi and up to 30 percent of voters in Narela, according to rough estimates by political parties. Having 2,52,467 voters with 1,13,118 females, the constituency has a sex ratio of 812 below the state's Gender Ratio of 824. Narela is a rural area with 58 villages and is along the Haryana border of the National Capital, just off the Grand Trunk Road one of Asia's oldest and longest roads which had linked the Indian subcontinent with Central Asia.. Villages, including Lampur, Akbarpur Majra, Bakhtawarpur, Bakouli, Bankner, Bhorgarh, Budhpur, Ghoga, Hamidpur, Hiranki and Holambi Kalan are part of the constituency. Innovative technology company Horizon8 is expected to create 50 jobs in Cork City centre. The new office in Cork, formally opened in December, is the first European office for Horizon8 adding to the companys north American presence in Boston. Horizon8 was created in 2004 as a strategic partnership between Boston-based State Street, and Hangzhou- based Insigma Technology and Zhejiang University. The company has roots in Chinas Silicon Valley. The firm offers a range of business consulting services and technology products, and builds bespoke software products to help clients in the financial services, retail, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors improve their businesses. It specialises in artificial intelligence, blockchain software and data analytics, with a new platform which processes and analyses vast quantities of data in real-time for use in anti-fraud and anti-money laundering operations. Patrick Horgan, a graduate of UCC who recently relocated to Cork from London where he worked in the hedge fund industry, will head up the companys new office. For Horizon8, Cork offers us access to a deep talent pool, European connectivity and most importantly a location which is surrounded by best-in-class academic institutions, he said. The firm opened its Boston office in 2009 and Mr Horgan said its growth in Europe has been mostly organic in recent years, through referrals from existing clients. The opening of the European headquarters in Cork marks the start of a concerted effort to target growth across the EU. Since its inception, Horizon8 has developed a suite of capabilities and products in professional services, data analytics, AI and blockchain technology, working with clients in a multitude of sectors. Eileen Sharpe, divisional manager growth markets, Europe and emerging business at IDA Ireland, said: Ireland continues to be a world class investment location for international companies and an excellent gateway location to Europe. The addition of Horizon8 to the cluster of tech companies that are already established in Cork is very welcome and further strengthens Corks reputation as a vibrant tech hub in Ireland. Photo taken shows a lady on duty salutes the driver of a truck full of materials for Wuhan. Written by Li Yueliang Translated by Chang Jin and Wang Xueyan BEIJING, February 11(Guangming Online) People from all walks of life over the country have spontaneously offered support since the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) outbreak in Wuhan, central Chinas Hubei Province. Keep on fighting, Wuhan! A truck full of materials for Wuhan was passing through a toll gate. The lady on duty handed back the card to the driver, and stood up saluting him: Heres your card. Thank you so much for your hard work. Keep on fighting, Wuhan! Keep on fighting, China! The truck moved on a few meters, and the traffic policeman handed up a pack of water: Sir, take some water to drink on your journey. Those simple words are exactly the reason why we believe in the power of pulling together in times of trouble. Veteran fighting the NCP On Jan. 24, the Eve of the Spring Festival, Wang Guohui, a 42-year-old veteran, carrying 5 tons of vegetables, came all the way from Henan to the construction site of Huoshenshan(Fire God Mountain) Hospital. Mr. Wang now is the Secretary of the Communist Party branch of the village in Shenqiu, central Chinas Henan Province. He had served in the military in Wuhan for 17 years. Back then, he was in charge of logistics. Thus, the first question came to his mind was about food when the epidemic came. At 5 a.m. on the Spring Festival, he got up and knocked on all the doors in his village, calling on his fellows to prepare vegetables for Wuhan. More than 20 people were up at his call, and bustled and hustled for quite a while, finally collecting 5 tons of vegetables, both leaf vegetables and fruit vegetables included. Wang Guohui spared no efforts in rushing to Wuhan in his truck, and arrived at the destination at 8 p.m. on the Spring Festival Eve. He said: I was at the frontline in the Great Flood of 1998. Frontline as well in the Ice Disaster of 2008. When it comes to this epidemic, for sure I should be at the frontline again. Heroines safeguarding the city Chen Xueyan was traveling in Nepal when she heard the epidemic. Upon learning that her hometown was lacking facial masks, she searched all chemists shops and bought 5,800 facial masks. She had to discard some of her clothing and toiletries and made room in her suitcase for the masks. In order to save space, she tore off the packaging of the masks one by one. With four big cases of facial masks, she came back to China and gave them for free to doctors and nurses and those who needed it. I am aware when the epidemic is there, medical material is so much more important than my personal stuff. she said. Another inspiring woman is a tour guide from Henan province, who organized Wuhan Safeguarding Squad. Under her leadership, this team purchased 40 boxes of protective gowns from Thailand, carried them back to China, and sent them to Wuhan. Small enterprises doing great things On Jan. 29, the fifth day of Chinese New Year, a medicine cabinet order valued at 200,000 yuan (more than 28,000 dollars) was received by Mr. Yuan, the owner of a furniture factory in Luoyang, central Chinas Henan Province. He soon realized that this order is for Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan. He accepted the order immediately and said, No need to pay. Well donate them. Due to lack of storage in his own factory, Mr. Yuan posted the message into the chat group of the local furniture factories association. People in this group immediately started offering their support as soon as they saw the message. With the support of 14 factories, all the furniture in the order were ready overnight. Once learning that the goods were Huoshenshan (Fire God Mountain) Hospital in Wuhan, the logistics company offered free and same-day delivery after the loading. 10 1 [ Editor: ZY ] 11.02.2020 LISTEN The Public Interest and Accountability Committee is pleased to share with the public, findings and observations from the report of a monitoring exercise undertaken in 2018 and 2019 on the implementation of the Free Senior High School programme. The exercise was in line with the Committees mandate of monitoring and evaluating compliance with the Petroleum Revenue Management Act, 2015 (Act 815) as amended in the management of petroleum revenues, and conducting independent assessments of the management and use of these revenues. In line with its mandate to undertake independent assessment of the management and use of petroleum revenues, the Committee in 2018 and 2019 undertook the monitoring of Senior High Schools under the Free SHS Programme. The exercise coveredcovered 51 schools across eight (8) regions, comprising, Ashanti, Brong Ahafo, Central, Greater Accra, Northern, Upper East, Upper West and Western regions. The Committees decision was informed by the fact that the Programme benefited substantially from the Annual Budget Funding Amount (ABFA) through the selection of Physical Infrastructure and Service Delivery in Education as a priority area for petroleum revenue spending. In 2017, 59 percent (Approx. GH196 million) of utilised ABFA was spent on the Programme, with 50 percent (Approx. GH415 million) of utilised ABFA going to support the programme in 2018. For 2019, approximately GH680 million representing about 32 percent of the projected ABFA, was allocated for the programme. The exercise was aimed at obtaining first-hand information on the progress of implementation of the policy, the challenges and opportunities, and identifying areas for improvement. General Observations Early reporting at schools: The programme has resulted in a more timely reporting of students to school at the beginning of each term, compared to the period preceding the Free SHS. Students no longer have to wait for school fees to be provided them before reporting to school. Supply of Core Textbooks: Core textbooks had been adequately provided in all schools visited, albeit late in some instances. Generally, the books were supplied in sufficient quantities. Supply of Uniforms and Jerseys: Most schools received uniforms and jerseys on time, however, there were few reported cases of schools not receiving theirs consistent with the school colours. Impact on Enrolment: The Programme has led to an increase in enrolment in 41 percent of the schools visited. Girls enrolment in particular has increased across most of the schools visited. Improved Feeding Menu: According to school authorities and some of the students interviewed, food variety and quality have generally improved under the Programme. Concerns: Quality and Timeliness of Supplies Poor quality and un-wholesomeness of some supplies, delays in supply of food and other items, and under or over supply of some food items and provisions were pretty wide spread. Corruption Risks Associated with Food Supply: The lack of advice to recipient schools on the value of goods supplied portends a corruption risk as the lack of transparency provides cover for cost manipulation. The lack of cost information also makes it difficult to complete the school accounts. The schools indicated that their request for advice has so far been ignored. There is no transparency in the selection of suppliers. Performance The abolition of cut-off grades in the admission of students has led to a situation of dumping of poor-grade students in schools, particularly deprived schools. Elective Text Books and Equipment Elective textbooks are not covered under the policy. However, this has not been clearly communicated to parents by government, leading to a situation where some parents are refusing to take responsibility for the purchase of these textbooks for their wards. This situation is negatively impacting on the quality of teaching and learning in the schools. The absence of a textbook replacement scheme is also adding to the challenge to effective teaching and learning. Furthermore, equipment and materials for the study of Technical and Vocational courses are not provided. Funding / Budgetary Allocations Some schools experience delays in receipt of funds, sometimes transferred in tranches within or across terms. About 85 percent of the schools visited had to rely on the funds of the non-free SHS students to cater for all streams of students until funds are disbursed from the Free SHS Secretariat. If this is not addressed, it will impact negatively on the running of the schools when the programme runs full stream. Infrastructure and Equipment Majority of the schools visited had insufficient classrooms, beds, labs and equipment, poor or inadequate staff quarters, prevalence of bed bugs, lack of infirmaries and where they exist, there are no qualified nurses to man these facilities. A case in point was when the PIAC team arrived just in time, to save a student who had just had an asthma attack in one of the schools, with no infirmary and no vehicle to convey the student to a health facility. Operations of PTAs While the Ghana Education Services (GES) moratorium on the operations of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) may have been well-intended, this has deprived schools of the additional infrastructure that the PTAs traditionally provide. Most of the developmental projects that the PTAs initiated have been abandoned. Staffing The critical teaching staff running the double-track system have no holidays or breaks, as they need to be present during each track to teach. Supporting staff such as kitchen staff, security, and cleaners are inadequate, exerting additional stress on these staff. Key Recommendations The Committee encourages vigilance on the part of school authorities in monitoring the quality of supplies, such as inspecting the expiry dates among others. This will prevent the suppliers from using the schools as dumping grounds. In order to avoid the recurrence of over and under supply of food items, supply of food items by the Buffer Stock Company should be based on orders from the schools. Supply contracts for uniforms and house vests should be given out early enough to forestall delays. The Committee strongly recommends full transparency in the delivery of supplies to the schools and in particular the Buffer Stock Company must ensure that all goods supplied are accompanied by advice on the value and quantity of the goods. Cut-off grades (thresholds) for admitting students should be restored, as students with poor grades struggle with subjects during the course of the term. The Ghana Education Service should pay more attention to the basic schools to improve the quality of students for the second cycle schools. Government must ensure that disbursements to the schools are done expeditiously as the non-free SHS students phase out, to avoid closure of the schools and disruptions to the academic calendar. Technical and Vocational Schools should be adequately resourced with the necessary equipment and teaching materials. Government must expedite action on the provision of infrastructure facilities to end the double track system, extend contact hours, and relieve staff of the attendant extra pressures. The Committee welcomes the streamlining of the guidelines on the operations of the PTAs where Parents Associations are now allowed to operate as voluntary associations outside the control of the school authorities. The Committee is grateful to the Ministry of Education, the Ghana Education Service, the Free SHS Secretariat and, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the regions and districts visited for their support and co-operation during the monitoring exercise. Do visit the Committees website, www.piacghana.org for the detailed report. Signed Mr. Noble K. Wadzah Chairman, Public Interest and Accountability Committee Contact Persons Mr. Noble K. Wadzah - Chairman - 0242257972 Prof. Akosua Darkwah - Vice Chairperson - 0208141466 Marilyn Aniwa - Coordinator - 0242683668 [February 10, 2020] Computer Graphics Conference SIGGRAPH 2020 Encourages Creators to 'Think Beyond' Guided by a vision to "Think Beyond" from Conference Chair Kristy Pron, media arts and pipeline developer at Walt Disney (News - Alert) Imagineering, SIGGRAPH 2020 is seeking submissions for the event's first-ever trip to the U.S. capital. For its 47th year, the conference will take place 19-23 July 2020 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200210005852/en/ 2020 ACM SIGGRAPH "With our first visit to D.C., we are approaching our new host city as a unique opportunity to think beyond traditional ideas of computer graphics," noted Pron. "We also hope to inspire connections across new and existing professional communities. My committee and I invite creators from around the world to challenge contemporary notions and expand the future of computer graphics and interactive techniques by sharing their groundbreaking projects this summer." Known as the place to debut new research in computer graphics and interactive techniques, the conference is also increasingly focused on real-time applications of existing technologies. Nowhere is this focus more apparent than through its Real-Time Live!, one-night-only event. In addition to seeking real-time demonstrations, SIGGRAPH 2020 will continue a focus area on adaptability for the second year, targeting technological advancements designed for people with disabilities. Currently accepting submissions in multiple categories - such as projects showcasing computer graphics and interactive techniques applications in artificial intelligence, machine learning, virtual reality, ray tracing, animation, augmented reality, research, visual effects, and more - open programs and deadlines include: 11 February - Appy Hour, Courses, Emerging Technologies, Groovy Graphics, Immersive Pavilion, Panels, Production Sessions, SIGGRAPH Labs, Student Volunteers, Talks, VR Theater - Appy Hour, Courses, Emerging Technologies, Groovy Graphics, Immersive Pavilion, Panels, Production Sessions, SIGGRAPH Labs, Student Volunteers, Talks, VR Theater 17 March - Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater - Computer Animation Festival Electronic Theater 7 April - Real-Time Live! - Real-Time Live! 28 April - Posters To submit your work for consideration by SIGGRAPH 2020's highly qualified juries, visit: s2020.SIGGRAPH.org/submissions. All deadlines are 22:00 UTC/GMT. About ACM, ACM SIGGRAPH and SIGGRAPH 2020 ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, is the world's largest educational and scientific computing society, uniting educators, researchers, and professionals to inspire dialogue, share resources, and address the field's challenges. ACM SIGGRAPH is a special interest group within ACM that serves as an interdisciplinary community for members in research, technology, and applications in computer graphics and interactive techniques. The SIGGRAPH conference is the world's leading annual interdisciplinary educational experience showcasing the latest in computer graphics and interactive techniques. SIGGRAPH 2020, the 47th annual conference hosted by ACM SIGGRAPH, will take place from 19-23 July at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200210005852/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Maggie Gaines and her husband are pressing the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District to change its threat assessment policies after they say school officials reported their 6-year-old daughter, Margot, to police. Margot, who has Down syndrome, pointed her finger at a teacher and said "I shoot you," according to her mother. They are shown at home reading a book on Feb. 7, 2020. Read more Maggie Gaines understands why her daughters teacher at Valley Forge Elementary School went to the principal after the 6-year-old pointed her finger at the teacher like a gun and said, I shoot you. What she doesnt understand is why she and her husband had to end up on a conference call with the Tredyffrin Township police the next day, giving their names and ages to an officer. You dont understand, this is insane, Gaines recalls saying. Gaines was told that her daughter, Margot, who has Down syndrome, had triggered a threat assessment by the Tredyffrin/Easttown School District and that, under district policy, school officials had to call police. "They feel they need to contact the police to find out if a student might have something else in the community they might not know about, said Gaines, who lives in Wayne. All right, but my daughter is 6, and in kindergarten. Are you trying to tell me you think shes out running around the rough streets of Tredyffrin doing something? The incident involving Gaines daughter happened in November, but became public in late January when she attended a school board committee meeting and criticized district policy as criminalizing "age-appropriate, nonviolent behavior of elementary students. Last week, a copy of her statement was shared on Facebook, drawing more attention. One of Pennsylvanias top-performing districts, Tredyffrin/Easttown covers an affluent area of Chester County. The district declined to comment on the incident but said a school board committee was evaluating its policy. Advocates see the districts actions as emblematic of a broader problem with schools over-reporting student behavior to the police an approach they worry is reinforced by a national push for schools to preemptively identify threats and prevent violence. This is a real setback, said Harold Jordan, senior policy advocate at the American Civil Liberties Union of Pennsylvania. He said excessive involvement of police in schools could make students less likely to report concerns to adults: This is not a process thats going to catch the next school shooter. Formal threat assessment efforts advocated by the U.S. Secret Service have been a growing trend in school districts. Tredyffrin/Easttown formed teams in November 2018, according to the district. READ MORE: Preventing the next mass shooting: Secret Service is training hundreds of teachers, cops at Bucks high school Pennsylvania last year passed a law requiring all districts to form threat assessment teams by 2021 to intervene with students "whose behavior may indicate a threat to the safety of the student, other students, school employees, school facilities, the community or others. An advisory group to the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency tasked with helping create guidelines for districts to carry out the new law identified a growing need for multidisciplinary threat assessment and specialized mental/behavioral health intervention teams in K-12 schools, noting increased reports by Pennsylvania students of peer harassment and violence. Jordan, a member of that group, was critical of some its guidance including that "a kid doesnt have to make an explicit threat or statement to trigger the threat-assessment process. Still, Pennsylvanias law does not require district threat assessment teams to involve police while evaluating reports. I dont think you can blame the law for how Tredyffrin/Easttown handled the Gaines situation, Jordan said. Tredyffrin/Easttown says it follows school threat assessment guidelines developed at the University of Virginia. The district utilizes this evidence-based model to identify, evaluate, and respond to student threats, spokesperson Chris Connolly said. At a school board committee meeting last week, Mark Cataldi, the districts director of assessment and accountability, said the T/E officials had consulted with Dewey Cornell, an education professor and forensic clinical psychologist at UVA who developed the model and stood by involving law enforcement as part of the threat assessment teams." Cornell also emphasized flexibility," and said law enforcement didnt necessarily have to be involved every time, Cataldi said. To board members, Cataldi suggested that perhaps we have consideration to define consultation" referring to the districts policy, which says that each district school will establish a threat assessment team comprised of school and district personnel to oversee the threat assessment process and consult with law enforcement. Gaines who doesnt fault her daughters teacher or principal viewed the discussion as the district doubling down on its policy, rather than backing off of its requirement that threat assessment teams contact law enforcement. Gaines said the districts team had determined her daughter made a transient threat, with no intention to harm anyone, and recommended no disciplinary action. School staff involved in Margots individualized education plan viewed the incident as isolated, Gaines said. I think most people would agree that this is where the issue should have ended, she said in her statement to the school board committee. She and her husband have retained a lawyer who has written a letter to the board, seeking a change in policy and the expungement of an incident report they say police took about their daughters finger gun. Its just upsetting, said Gaines, who works as a reporter for a national technology website. Her husband works in data security, and they dont like the idea of their daughters information sitting in a database. Tredyffrin police did not return messages seeking comment. While concerns over how schools refer students to police arent new, some districts appear to be using threat assessment "as further justification for their move to call the police, or to remove students from school through suspensions or disciplinary transfers, said Margie Wakelin, staff attorney with the Education Law Center in Philadelphia. READ MORE: Debate over police in schools causes uproar in Abington Students of color and students with disabilities are disproportionately impacted by such policies, Wakelin said noting some schools have identified students with autism for threat assessment because they appeared withdrawn in class. Wakelin said the situation in Tredyffrin/Easttown isnt the first time shes heard of police being called in response to young students, including instances in which children have drawn guns or written things in diaries. For Tredyffrin/Easttown, its just nonsensical to think you would have a policy in place" that doesnt allow school staff to use discretion in involving police, Wakelin said. Gaines said that she and her husband dont have guns in their house and that there was no way in the world her daughter would be able to carry out any threat. And yet it was still reported, she said. The death toll in China due to the novel coronavirus epidemic has crossed 1,000, while the confirmed cases have gone over 42,000, health officials announced on Tuesday. IMAGE: A man uses a thermometer to check the temperature of a journalist covering a meeting between Tedros Adhanom, director-general of the World Health Organization, and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Photograph: Reuters As many as 108 deaths were reported on Monday and 2,478 new cases of the lethal disease were confirmed, the National Health Commission said in its daily report. The death toll due to nCoV rose to 1,016 and the confirmed cases have gone up to 42,638, according to the commission. Among the deaths, 103 were in Hubei province, the epicentre of the outbreak, and one each in Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Anhui and Henan, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the commission as saying. A total of 3,996 patients infected with the coronavirus have been discharged from hospital till Monday after recovery, it said. On Monday, 3,536 new suspected cases were reported and 849 patients became seriously ill, while 716 people were discharged from hospital after recovery, the commission said. As many as 7,333 patients remained in severe condition and 21,675 people are suspected of being infected with the virus. Over 4.28 lakh close contacts had been traced and more than 1.87 lakh others are still under medical observation, according to the commission. By the end of Monday, 42 confirmed cases, including one death, have been reported in in Hong Kong, 10 confirmed cases in Macao and 18 in Taiwan. A team of international experts led by the World Health Organisation arrived in China on Monday night to assist the Chinese health officials in containing the coronavirus outbreak. The team is led by Dr Bruce Aylward, a veteran of past public health emergencies. Composed of international experts in various fields, the expert group will work with their Chinese counterparts to increase understanding of the epidemic and guide global responses, state-run People's Daily reported. China and the WHO will form a joint expert team to conduct in-depth discussions on and evaluations of the novel coronavirus epidemic and the containment, a National Health Commission spokesperson said. They will provide suggestions on joint prevention and control of the coronavirus outbreak to China and other affected countries in the next step, Mi Feng, an official with the NHC, told a news conference in Beijing. "We welcome international experts including those from the United States to take part in the joint expert team," Mi said, adding that appropriate arrangements for the team would be made after thorough consultation and communication. With an ever-increasing demand from consumers and retailers alike, particularly Dylan's established fan base overseas, Heaven's Door is excited to now enter the European market with its inaugural trio of American whiskeys. "This is an exciting milestone for us as we bring Heaven's Door to the U.K. and Germany, where Bob Dylan kicked off his first ever European tour more than 55 years ago," said Marc Bushala, CEO of Heaven's Door Spirits. First introduced two years ago to wide acclaim, and with more than 35 global awards amassed in that short amount of time, Heaven's Door is the perfect melding of art and craft. The Heaven's Door international portfolio includes a Tennessee Straight Bourbon (84 proof, 700ml), Double Barrel Whiskey (100 proof, 700ml) and Straight Rye Whiskey finished in cigar barrels from Vosges, France (86 proof, 700ml). Each bottle features design elements from Bob Dylan's unique ironwork sculptures. The Heaven's Door portfolio is now available in the U.K. and Germany, as well as Canada (750ml). To purchase Heaven's Door, contact your local liquor retailer or visit one of the following websites to order online: U.K. Germany Canada Heaven's Door is distributed in the U.K. and Ireland by DRINKSOLOGY Group and in Germany by Schlumberger GmbH & Co KG. For more information about the brand visit www.heavensdoor.com or engage with the brand on Instagram , Facebook or Twitter . About Heaven's Door Spirits, LLC: Heaven's Door Spirits is a collaboration between legendary artist Bob Dylan and Spirits Investment Partnership ("SIP"). Heaven's Door Spirits is Bob Dylan's first and only consumer brand partnership in his 50 years as a worldwide cultural icon, which makes this collaboration unique and important a true interplay of art, craft and commerce. Website: www.heavensdoor.com . About DRINKSOLOGY Group When We Are Giants, the UK and Irish based distribution and development company, works exclusively within the alcoholic drinks industry. As part of the renowned DRINKSOLOGY Group, founded in 2009 by Steven Pattison and Richard Ryan and regarded as a pioneering company at the forefront of the premium drinks industry, When We Are Giants has access to a host of disciplines, from marketing to logistics. Distributing over 20 brands across the UK and Ireland, When We Are Giants has collaborated with like-minded agency brands such as the Spirited Union range of rums and Porter's Gin, as well as owned brands, such as Jawbox Small Batch Gin, the Kirker & Greer Irish Whiskey range, Bowsaw American Whiskey and the Ginato Range of gins from Italy. www.whenwearegiants.com @whenwearegiants About Schlumberger GmbH & Co KG Schlumberger Vertriebsgesellschaft mbH & Co KG, headquartered in Meckenheim, is one of the leading distribution companies for wine, sparkling wine, and spirits of the upmarket category in Germany. Since 1970, Schlumberger has been a competent partner of the gastronomy, the upscale specialist wine and spirit trade and exclusive department stores. A range of over 1,200 selected products is offered: many high-quality wines from the world's most important growing regions as well as an exclusive collection of first-class international spirits. A team of around 80 employees - in the holding company and its subsidiaries, Schlumberger Vertriebsgesellschaft GmbH & Co KG, A. Segnitz & Co. GmbH and Bremer Weinkolleg - and a sales organisation consisting of experienced sales managers and agencies represented throughout Germany always provide professional and individual support and advice to customers." About Bob Dylan: Bob Dylan is generally regarded as one of the world's most influential and groundbreaking artists. In the decades since he first burst into the public's consciousness via New York City's Greenwich Village folk music scene in the early 1960s, Bob Dylan has sold more than 125 million records and amassed a singular body of work that includes some of the greatest and most popular songs the world has ever known. He continues to traverse the globe each year, performing more than 100 concerts annually in front of audiences who embrace his new material with the same passion as his classic output. In recent years, his work as an author and visual artist has further burnished his popularity and acclaim; a worldwide best-selling memoir, Chronicles Vol. 1, spent 19 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller List, in 2004, and several major exhibitions of his paintings and iron gates have been shown in recent years at some of the world's most prestigious museums and galleries. Bob Dylan's contributions to our culture have been recognized with numerous honors and accolades. In December 2016, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature by the Swedish Academy "for having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition." In 2012, he was awarded America's highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by President Barack Obama. In addition to winning 11 Grammy Awards, Dylan has achieved six entries in the Grammy Hall of Fame, which honors recordings of "qualitative or historical significance" at least 25 years old. Bob Dylan recently released his 38th studio album, a triple-album set aptly titled, Triplicate. About Spirits Investment Partners: Spirits Investment Partners ("SIP") is a boutique spirits innovation company comprised of a team of highly seasoned spirits professionals with expertise in distilling, blending, brand marketing and finance. 2020 Heaven's Door Spirits. Please Drink Heaven's Door Responsibly. *Based on Nielsen Spirits New Whiskey (launched between 12&18 months) Sales Data ending 10/05/19 SOURCE Heaven's Door Spirits, LLC Related Links https://www.heavensdoor.com This week is School Board Recognition Week in Nebraska, so during a board of education meeting Monday night superintendent Jason Alexander acknowledged each board member for their work in the Beatrice Public School district. Alexander noted Janet Byars attention to detail and asking questions other board members may overlook Keeping an eye on the final end is extremely important to Janet, but keeping an eye out for the children and students we serve is even far more important to her, Alexander said. Janet will always listen to a concern, and she will tirelessly work to find the solution of solve the problem that we may be trying to solve. Alexander said Erin Chadwick sees the big picture for the district, and works on community collaboration and cooperation. She works to help us find ways to be creative problem solvers while keeping students at the heart of the conversation and at the forefront of our decision making, Alexander said. Alexander noted Doris Martins work with the Beatrice Educational Foundation and Beatrice Learning After School Time or BLAST program has enabled new opportunities for students Her service as a board of education member has given her the opportunity to see firsthand the growth and development of students from the very youngest to those who are ready to venture out into the world of advanced educational opportunities and/or into the workplace, Alexander said. Alexander said Lisa Pieper ensures the visions of the districts strategic plan, and is appreciated for her visionary skills. Alexander said Eric Trusty questions ideas to ensure students are the primary focus, as well as thinks creatively to solve problems. He noted Steve Winters appreciation of extracurricular student activities to build leadership potential. Steve realizes the value of active engagement in the school as a way to help students excel in academics, Alexander said. He understands the relationship to be had between academics and extracurriculars. Alexander said board president Jon Zimmerman keeps board members focused on their operation principles and guides the board in making difficult decisions. Jon spends countless hours calculating information and data, Alexander said. He spends countless hours having discussions with other people to make sure that we all have the information we need to make accurate decisions. Alexander also recognized the boards school member, Beatrice High School senior Zack Zimmerman, for giving the board monthly reports on school activities. Alexander said he hopes its been a learning experience Zimmerman can use in the future. We would like to thank board members for your hours of honest service, dedication to our students and dedication to our public schools in Nebraska, Alexander said. Its only because of volunteers like you that we have what we have in this great state. Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. In food, fermentation the process by which enzymes from microorganisms break down carbohydrates is both an ancient practice and a recent trend. Cheese, made from cultured milk, was being produced in present-day Iraq around 7,000 B.C., and the Chinese are thought to have started making sake from fermented rice a couple of millenniums later. Over the past decade, chefs and diners have been drawn to all manner of fermented produce, as well as to fermented staples like kombucha and kimchi, sourdough and cider, for their tangy flavors and presumed digestive health benefits. Perhaps surprisingly, so have artists, though for their own reasons. In response to a report that a Chinese factory was making soy sauce out of fermented hair, the Miami-based artist Nicolas Lobo fermented some of his own in 2012. During last Decembers Faena Festival, part of Miami Art Week, the installation artist Emeka Ogboh served a craft ale with notes of lime and pepper meant to nod to the citys diversity of dwellers that hed brewed in the hopes of sparking conversation about immigration and globalization. And Arden Surdam, who lives in Los Angeles and works primarily in photography, is currently collaborating with microbiologists from University of California, San Diego, to develop a bioreactor that will use fermentation to desaturate the pigmentation and decrease the potency of harmful algae blooms. (Also see the Toronto-based curator Lauren Fourniers ongoing series examining fermentation through a feminist lens, which led to the 2019 book Critical Booch.) Married At First Sight's Stacey Hampton has revealed her decade-long battle with an eating disorder, which she first developed while being bullied in high school. The 26-year-old told Daily Mail Australia she currently weighs just 48kg and takes medication daily to help her eat because she is still medically classified as anorexic. The law graduate explained that she was initially bullied over her svelte frame as a teenager, and is currently just one kilo above her lowest ever weight of 47kg. Stacey also denied bizarre and hurtful rumours that she underwent 'rib removal surgery' to look even thinner. Scroll down for video Heartbreaking: Married At First Sight's Stacey Hampton has revealed her decade-long battle with an eating disorder, which she first developed while being bullied in high school Stacey told Daily Mail Australia: 'I am 48kg, why would I have a rib removed? 'I had an eating disorder when I was younger and I'm still trying to put weight on now. I have to take medication to eat and to get my appetite back.' She added: 'I was bullied in school for my weight and even now as an adult. My weight still goes up and down.' The mother-of-two developed her eating disorder after being bullied as a teenager, and has continued to struggle with the trauma into her adult life. Brave: The 26-year-old law graduate told Daily Mail Australia she currently weighs just 48kg and takes medication daily to help her eat because she is still medically classified as anorexic. Pictured last year Stacey chose to speak out following a report by NW magazine that falsely claimed she was 'looking into rib removal' surgery. Rib removal is an extreme surgical procedure that makes a person's waist smaller. She was particularly concerned that the false information would trigger other people recovering from eating disorders. 'I had an eating disorder when I was younger and I'm still trying to put weight on now. I have to take medication to eat and my weight still goes up and down,' said Stacey. Pictured in January Stacey also discussed her ongoing battle on Hit 107 Adelaide on Tuesday. 'I've always had issues with eating and I've always been very skinny,' she said, adding that 'stress and trauma' had contributed to her eating disorder. 'There are a lot of women out there like this, and they should get help and go and see a doctor.' Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine If you need help with an eating disorder, please call Butterfly's National Helpline on 1800 334 673 or e-mail support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au If you're struggling with suicidal thoughts or a mental health issue, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 'In 2012, I was bulimic; addicted to pot, cigarettes, sugar, coffee, alcohol; nearly six figures in debt; a raging co-dependent; depressed and anxious. For me, alcohol was the first thing that had to go. It was the thing the thing that was costing me the most, and it fed a lot of the other behaviours," writes Holly Whitaker in a new book, Quit Like A Woman. This is not, however, your standard how-I-did-it addiction manual; its subtitle is The Radical Choice To Not Drink In A Culture Obsessed With Alcohol. Holly Whitaker had had enough not just of her own addiction to booze, but how alcohol - and our recovery from it, when it becomes problematic - is framed, like most things, by the patriarchy. We all know that the 12-step recovery model is the dominant one, the one we are referred to by doctors, therapists, judges, social workers; as 12-step literature suggests, it works if you work it. (On a personal level, it has worked for me for the past 14 years - it saved my life - but again like most things, it could do with an update). Read More 12-step recovery did not work for Holly Whitaker, who describes it as "archaic and patriarchal". Created in the 1930s by privileged white men for privileged white men, this model comes from an era where it was thought that only men could be alcoholics; there is a chapter in the Big Book of Alcoholics Anonymous entitled 'To Wives', written not by a woman, but by AA founder Bill Wilson writing in the voice of a woman: "We want to analyse mistakes we have made." In other words, the non-alcoholic wife may also be responsible for the husband's drinking. Today, we'd call that victim blaming. Other 12-step literature urges us to "dress becomingly, talk low, criticise not one bit". Whitaker's main beef with the 12 steps themselves is that they were originally directed at "upper-middle-class white men who were sick from believing they were God, sick from wielding too much power in the world". The path to recovery - "to be reminded you are not God, to refrain from questioning the rules, to humble yourself, admit your weakness, chronicle what's wrong with you, admit your faults to another, to shut up and listen" are "in essence instructions on how to be a woman". That "to a woman or any other oppressed group, being told to renounce power, voice, authority and desire is just more of the same sh*t. It's what made us sick in the first place." Whitaker did not look sick on the outside - she was a successful tech entrepreneur ("a cut-throat workaholic") in San Francisco, who drank green juice, travelled adventurously, did a lot of yoga. On the inside, she was exhausted, miserable: "We are a culture of aching, maladjusted humans doing everything in our power to show the world we are not." And what does the world offer women who are cracking up from trying to do it all, have it all, be it all? Booze. According to former UK drug czar, Professor David Nutt, alcohol is the most dangerous drug of all - the cause of more deaths, more illnesses, more violence - than heroin, than crack cocaine. While we are crystal clear about the toxicity and addictiveness of heroin and crack cocaine, our relationship with alcohol - the number one date rape drug, the number one brawl and assault drug - is entrenched. Embedded. Every occasion and every emotion is lubricated by booze, from celebrating to coping to commiserating. From births to deaths, we drink on it. And while some of us become addicted to alcohol (according to David Sheff's 2014 book Clean, the figure is 15pc, exactly the same percentage as those who become addicted to cocaine), it is regarded as a private matter, and up to us to sort out for ourselves. Our responsibility. Whitaker disputes the long-held dichotomy between 'normal' drinkers and alcoholics: "Alcohol is addictive to everyone. Yet we've created a separate disease called alcoholism, and forced it upon the minority of the population willing to admit they can't control their drinking." That we focus on the 15pc, instead of "what's wrong with our alcohol-centric culture or the substance itself". Whitaker questions our willingness to endlessly engage with a toxic substance: "I imagine our grandchildren will one day be shocked by the idea that there was once a point when we drank ethanol at almost every occasion and boasted of hangovers and drunken antics, the same way I'm always shocked to see pictures of my aunts and uncles smoking indoors." She wonders if alcohol is not on the same course as cigarettes, while acknowledging the deep hold it has on us culturally - and particularly how it is marketed at women. Pink wine, pink gin, pink champagne. Mummy juice, wine o'clock, Prosecco made me do it. Wine is like duct tape - it fixes everything. Even actress Gwyneth Paltrow, on record stating how she could not endorse a non-organic eyeliner, posts cocktail recipes on her Goop site. Our culture is quite literally steeped in booze, with astonishing levels of cognitive dissonance: parents on their third bottle of wine, freaking out because their teenagers smoke weed. The solutions offered in Holly Whitaker's book are different from Russell Brand's book Recovery, in that they are not a modernised, funny and highly engaging rewrite of the 12 Steps (Step One: Are you a bit f**ked? Step Two: Could you not be f**ked? Step 3: Are you, on your own, going to unf*** yourself?). There are overlaps with 12 step recovery, the key being abstinence. Nobody with an alcohol or drug addiction, no matter where they are at socially or culturally, no matter how hard they try, can drink or use moderately - we do not have an off button, no matter how hard we look for it. And only other addicts can offer true identification. Then, once we have stopped the acting out part of the addiction cycle, we can then look under the bonnet, and treat the causes. This is where Whitaker's book proves most useful. Basically, the core message of Quit Like A Woman is not to break yourself down, but to build yourself up. You may already be a bit broken, if you are drinking addictively. She urges a wraparound approach, from the ground up, couched in self-love, self-forgiveness, self-compassion: creating new rituals and healthy coping mechanisms; learning to mother yourself; tackling residual trauma so often present in people with addictions; using all the tools, from nutrition and good sleep to yoga, meditation, and the wisdom of people like Pema Chodron and Eckhart Tolle. How to allow difficult feelings and cravings to pass through you, rather than trying to suppress them and then hitting the 'f**kit' button when you run out of energy. How to navigate other people's reactions to your decision to walk away from alcohol: quitting booze can make others uncomfortable for all kinds of reasons. "There is no single version of the truth," she writes. "There are versions. Make your own." If I were trying to stop drinking for reasons bigger than Dry January, I would start with 12-step recovery, for the immediate support and identification in meetings. Accept that doing it alone is difficult, if not impossible. Also, you will gain knowledge around how alcohol addiction works on your mind and body, from needing extra B vitamins to being prepared for sugar cravings. Once the brain fog had cleared, I would then read Quit Like A Woman, and Russell Brand's Recovery. "Throw the kitchen sink at it," writes Whitaker. "Do whatever it takes." Because with the value of hindsight I can say with some conviction that booze, with all its familiar chumminess and relentless marketing, is not your friend. It's your frenemy." Quit Like A Woman is published by Bloomsbury Holly Whittaker: Disarming cravings Expand Close Holly Whitaker / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Holly Whitaker No emotion lasts longer than 90 seconds. It's just that we get stuck in them, so that they go on a repeat cycle. Here's how to ride them out: Recognise you are experiencing a craving. You may have been feeling rock-solid resolute, until the desire to drink knocks into you like a wave. Allow the craving sensation to happen, rather than trying to suppress it. Set aside the story so that you don't confirm to yourself in an endless feedback loop that you are miserable, gagging for a drink, unable to do this etc. Investigate what the craving physically feels like - tight chest, quickened breathing, sweatiness, clenched muscles, lurching stomach, waves of restless energy. Name each physical sensation, or even better, write it down. Surf these sensations until they peak, then dissipate. Remember - 90 seconds. SHORT TO MEDIUM-TERM EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL Disrupts sleep: not a sleep aid, as it disrupts rejuvenating slow-wave sleep, making you more tired and craving sugar. Fuels anxiety: causes the body to produce cortisol and adrenaline, to counteract its depressive effect. Impedes detoxification: the liver has over 500 detoxifying functions, which get pushed aside when it has to deal with alcohol. Weight gain: alcohol is liquid sugar, with no nutritional value Affects the brain: A "neurological sledgehammer", impacting all regions of the brain - memory, motor function, inhibition, personality, emotional volatility. Affects blood sugar balance: which over time weakens the adrenal glands, causing increased booze / sugar cravings Linked to cancers: breast cancer, as well as cancer of the mouth and throat, oesophagus, larynx, liver, colon and rectum. Premature ageing: depletes collagen, minerals, vitamins, nutrients, antioxidants. Hundreds of thousands across Iran marked the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Tuesday amid some of the highest tensions ever between Tehran and the US in the past four decades. While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech in Tehran's iconic Azadi Square denouncing the US, he also focused on encouraging the country to vote in upcoming parliamentary elections, even after officials disqualified thousands from running, including 90 current lawmakers. Iran views high turnout as a vote of confidence in the country's Shiite theocracy, something it wants to show as public anger still simmers over the country accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January that killed all 176 people on board. Tehran for days denied its forces shot down the passenger plane before admitting to it in the face of mounting Western pressure. The shoot down also marred funeral processions that drew millions of mourners for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad. We should not withdraw from the ballot boxes, Rouhani called out to the thousands in the crowd who rallied in the city in freezing winter weather. The ballot boxes are our savior. There's also anger over Iran's long-faltering economy, which has been hard hit by the American sanctions. In November, protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50% blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police. Amnesty International says more than 300 were killed in violent protests and a subsequent government crackdown. Iran's government did not release any death toll though lawmakers said thousands were detained. Rouhani called on voters to still turnout despite "possible complaints and criticism. I beg you not to be passive, he said. State media said the rallies took place in more than 5,000 cities, towns and districts all around Iran. This year's anniversary celebrations come amid ever-increasing bitterness between Tehran and Washington. Tensions have spiked since President Donald Trump withdrew the U.S. from Iran's nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. A series of attacks across the Mideast culminated with the U.S. launching the drone strike that killed Soleimani in January. Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. forces in Iraq, injuring over 100 US troops. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif in a tweet advised Trump to change his policies on Iran after the turnout for the anniversary showed that Iranians are united. ranians turned out in huge numbers to rally on the 41st anniversary of their revolution and to honor their fallen heroes," he said. State television referred to this year's anniversary as Soleimani Dawn. His image could be seen on signs carried by demonstrators, as well as a large poster off to Rouhani's side during his speech. The Iranian president spent much of his speech praising Soleimani, calling him both a great military commander and a senior diplomat. Soleimani headed the paramilitary Guard's expeditionary Quds Force, which works across the Mideast with allies in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. The US has long blamed Soleimani for the spread of powerful roadside bombs in Iraq that killed and wounded American troops after the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Those taking part in the demonstration in Tehran, in which protesters burned American and Israeli flags, offered harsh criticism of the US. America can't do a damn thing through the sanctions," said Ozra Shahbakhti, 50, repeating an earlier comment made by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "Even if we die from poverty and hunger we will not compromise with America, no way. I'm telling this to officials, foreigners and America. Ali Akbar Nikkei, 36, put the blame directly on Trump. You stretch your hand for friendship towards us and then you assassinate our great general and consider this a victory?" Nikkei said. "You are too desperate to bring Iran to its knees. Iran's Islamic Revolution began with widespread unrest over the rule of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The shah, fatally and secretly ill with cancer, fled Iran in January 1979. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini then returned from exile and the government fell on February 11, 1979, after days of mass demonstrations and confrontations between protesters and security forces. Iran later would vote to become an Islamic Republic, a Shiite theocracy with Khomeini as its first supreme leader with final say over all matters of state. Anger over America allowing the shah into the country to receive cancer treatment in New York would later spark the takeover of the US Embassy in Tehran by student militants and the subsequent hostage crisis, which kindled decades of enmity. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A state oil company PDVSA's logo is seen at a gas station in Caracas By Linda Hutchinson-Jafar and Luc Cohen PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad/CARACAS (Reuters) - Trinidad and Tobago has canceled an agreement with Venezuela for the joint development of a natural gas field straddling their maritime border because of U.S. sanctions on Venezuela's state energy company PDVSA. The Caribbean island nation is a major exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG), but its own offshore natural gas output has been declining in recent years. That has raised the possibility of using gas from neighboring Venezuela, which has large untapped offshore gas reserves, to feed LNG plants in Trinidad. Trinidad and Tobago's prime minister, Keith Rowley, said on Monday during an energy conference in Port of Spain that the two countries will now independently develop the 10.04 trillion cubic feet Loran-Manatee shallow-water field. "Progress in the development of the unitized Loran-Manatee field has been impeded by the sanctions imposed by the U.S. government, which inhibits U.S. companies from doing business with Venezuelan oil company PDVSA," Rowley said. Under the agreement signed between the two countries in 2013, 73.75% of the joint field belongs to Venezuela and the rest to Trinidad and Tobago. U.S. oil major Chevron Corp holds a 60% interest in the Loran field, with the remainder held by PDVSA, while Shell Trinidad and Tobago holds a 100% interest in the Manatee field. PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil ministry, Chevron and Shell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Washington slapped sanctions on PDVSA last year in a bid to oust socialist President Nicolas Maduro. He has overseen an economic collapse and is accused by the United States and others of corruption and human rights violations. PDVSA's output has declined, but exports have increased in recent months and Maduro remains in power. Rowley said gas production from the Manatee field could start by 2024 or 2025 at rates ranging from 270 to 400 million standard cubic feet per day. Story continues He said the decision to independently develop their fields also has implications for the development of other cross-border fields, the Mankin-Cocuina and the Kapok-Doradoh. These are estimated to hold 850 billion cubic feet of gas within the Trinidad and Tobago maritime area. (Reporting by Linda Hutchinson-Jafar in Port of Spain, Trinidad, and Luc Cohen in Caracas; Writing by Stefanie Eschenbacher; Editing by) Mom Opens Up About 'Nightmare' After 4-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead with Father After Hike The mother of the 4-year-old girl who died alongside her father while on a hike in Canada says life has felt like a nightmare since she lost her most wonderful, kind-hearted daughter. Jennifer Kagan is mourning the death of her young daughter Keira Kagan, who was found dead at Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area on Sunday with her father, Robin Brown. Both suffered injuries that were possibly consistent with a fall, authorities said. Keira was the absolute most special girl you could ever ask for, Kagan told reporters at home, according to CTV News. Just absolutely resilient and smart and spunky, loved to get dressed up to get into her princess dress and be fancy. Loved to just hang out. Kagan said Keira was the owner of a shirt that read, Im going to change the world and the proud mom truly believed she one day would. She was that sort of girl, she said. And now Im going to try what I can and do that for her. Keira lived with Kagan and her stepfather, Philip Viater, who told CTV News that hed dropped the girl off at Browns house on Friday so that they could spend the weekend together. Rattlesnake Point Conservation Area | Alamy The father-daughter pair arrived at Rattlesnake Point, 37 miles outside of Toronto, between 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. on Sunday, police said. They were due back from their hike by 5:30 p.m., but failed to arrive, and authorities received a call two hours later reporting their disappearance. RELATED: Father and 4-Year-Old Daughter Found Dead in Unimaginable Tragedy After Hike in Canada After an hours-long search through the challenging terrain, their bodies were found with significant trauma at the base of an escarpment just after 11 p.m., Cst. Ryan Anderson of the Halton Regional Police Service said at a press conference. It feels like a nightmare, Kagan said, according to CBC News. I pinch myself thinking Im going to wake up from this and you dont. Its an unbelievable loss. RELATED VIDEO: Texas ER Doctor and Mom Found Dead in Grand Canyon After Searching for Water for Children Story continues Keira was at the center of a bitter custody battle, and her parents were next due in court on Feb. 20, CTV News reported, citing court documents. Her death is being conducted by the police services homicide unit, but only because they handle any investigation involving a child under 5 years old, Anderson said. He added that the childs death is not being considered a homicide investigation as of Monday afternoon. RELATED: Father and 11-Year-Old Son Found Dead After Tragic Camping Accident in Australia Were going through cycles, Viater told CBC News. Cycles of shock, disbelief, pure grieving, anger. A GoFundMe page arranged in Keiras memory remembers her as a vibrant child full of love for her younger brother. The page said that any money donated would go toward a cause important to Keira. Shes a precious little girl, her mom said. Keira was absolutely a doll, an absolute angel, adored by absolutely everyone. At the ongoing 2020 Auto Expo, Mahindra has showcased the mStallion range of TGDI petrol engines. The first engine will debut in the 2020 Thar sometime around April20. Considering Mahindras portfolio and history, Mahindra and SUVs are almost synonymous in India. And SUVs till now have been heavily dependent upon diesel guzzlers. This is the very reason why Mahindra had invested heavily in its diesel portfolio which still contributes to around 85% of its monthly sales (tentative figures). The strategy worked beautifully for Mahindra back when the dieselization of the Indian Economy was underway, basically the time frame around 2011-13. However, when the diesel subsidy went away, Mahindra started to feel the pinch. The differential between petrol and diesel prices started to taper down and stricter environmental regulations meant that it was going to be even more expensive to manufacture pollution norms conforming diesel motors. Amidst all of this, Mahindra realigned its strategy as it felt the need for a reliable petrol engine range, something which can possibly compliment its well-known mHawk diesel range. And, Mahindras engineers are finally ready with a new BS6 compliant petrol engine lineup which they have decided to brand as mStallion. The interesting piece is that these engines are future proof and will be able to meet CAFE and upcoming stricter emission norms which are scheduled to kick in from 2023 as well. The mStallion range uses TGDI technology (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct Injection), which is way more advanced and complicated than the MPFI unit found on KUV100s petrol engine. The lineup consists of 3 motors, 1.2 litre, 1.5 litre and a 2 litre petrol engine. The 1.2 litre motor dishes out 130hp and 230Nm of torque while its elder sibling, the 1.5 litre unit churns out 163hp and 280Nm of torque. The larger 2 litre petrol motor happens to be the most powerful Mahindra which will be found on all critical Mahindra products. It will be powering the next generation versions of the XUV500, Scorpio and Thar very soon. Mahindra reports that the 1,997 cc engine will be able to dish out a commendable 190hp and 380 Nm of max torque. This 2 litre motor will come mated to a 6-speed MT and a 6-speed AT (from Aisin). Mahindras focus in developing the mStallion range has been to engineer a petrol car which is fun to drive and has a diesel-engine like oomph factor, while ensuring no compromise on fuel efficiency. We must say that the figures shared by Mahindra look pretty good and it will be interesting to see how the next-gen Mahindras perform with the new mStallion motors. Carol A. Leary recalled celebrating Thanksgiving 1994 with her husband, Noel, at their new residence on the Longmeadow campus of Bay Path University, then a 450-student womens college she had just been named to lead. Her friends in academia had not been impressed. They thought it was so small, but I saw the potential, Leary said. So, too, did her husband, she added. Now, 25 years later, with Leary scheduled to retire this spring and the couple recently marking their 47th wedding anniversary Bay Path is a full-fledged university with 3,500 students enrolled in its myriad undergraduate and graduate programs. The transformation of Bay Path from secretarial school to university, offering more than 30 baccalaureate degrees, 30 masters degrees and three doctoral degrees, has succeeded beyond her wildest dreams, Leary said. While the undergraduate program remains solely for women, the schools graduate programs are open to men as well. Leary confessed she had doubts along the way, recalling the Great Recession in 2008. But, she noted, her husband put it into perspective: He said, The college survived the Great Depression and World War II. Well figure it out, she said. The spectacular growth of Bay Path comes as some question the viability of womens-only undergraduate colleges as well as the challenges of financial stability faced by all colleges in the 21st century. During a recent interview, Leary, who was joined by her husband for some of the session, reflected on the challenges facing higher education in general and Bay Path in particular as the couple prepares for an active retirement life split between Ogunquit, Maine, and Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Today, Bay Paths undergraduate school is only one of 37 all-womens colleges. Back in the late 1960s, there were 300, Leary says. Still, she is optimistic about the outlook for the remaining womens colleges, especially those that recognize the need to be looking for innovative ways to deliver education to women. There will always be a place for womens colleges, Leary says, noting that the ones that have survived have figured it out by responding to womens needs. In 1999, Bay Path figured out what women needed with the establishment of the accelerated One-Day-A-Week Saturday Program. The program allowed adult women to earn baccalaureate degrees in three years or less. The success of that initiative led to the establishment in 2014 of the American Womens College, the first all-women, all-online baccalaureate degree program in the nation. The flexible and accelerated nature of the online program proved beneficial to women in all stages of their lives, from those who never attended college to women who never attained a bachelors degree for one reason or another, including the demands of raising a family. Leary is determined to make an undergraduate degree affordable, recognizing that the skyrocketing costs of college today keeps many from even trying to gain a degree. There will also continue to be a campus setting for the coming-of-age-generation of 18-to 21 year-olds, she adds. Demographics are shifting, Leary explains, noting that immigrants and first-generation students will make up the majority of members of the undergraduate classes of the future. Leary, who holds a doctorate in philosophy from American University, grew up as the oldest of three sisters in a multi-generational immigrant family in Niagara Falls, N.Y. Her father was a factory worker and her mother stayed at home. As the first member of her own family to become a college student, Leary appreciates the hurdles facing first-generation college students. We have to figure out ways to make college affordable for them, she says. These students dont come to college with trust funds or other advantages. College affordability is the number-one issue colleges must address head-on. At Bay Path, the residential college has not raised the cost of room-and-board over the last four years. We need to get women to the finish line, Leary says. The worst thing would be if they drop out and dont get a degree and then be saddled with all that debt. Graduates of the American Womens College can come in and out of the programs and pay just $48,000 for a 120-credit degree, far less than typical undergraduate degrees, according to Leary. Some solutions to reduce costs might include accelerating the time it takes to earn a degree by attending summer classes or taking advanced placement courses in high school, she said. Womens colleges and universities have a vital role to play in the higher education landscape, she says. I am not worried about their future viability when 60 percent of all college students are women and when their missions are the education, advancement and empowerment of women. You cannot get better than that. Bay Paths broad-based commitment to the advancement of women took shape during the first year of Learys tenure. She and a team of colleagues, led by Caron T. Hobin, now vice president for strategic alliances, came up with the idea of hosting an all-day annual womens conference in downtown Springfield. It was to offer seminars on topics geared to professional women and feature well-known keynote speakers. The conference wound up putting Bay Path on the map as an institution with big ideas while introducing its undergraduate students to the world beyond the campus. It attracted keynote speakers like Elizabeth Dole, Cokie Roberts, Maya Angelou, Barbara Walters and Gloria Estefan. The conference also struck a note with professional women from across the region who welcomed the opportunity to learn, network and discuss issues unique to them. Today, the conference attracts upwards of 2,000 women each year. This years conference, set for March 27 at the MassMutual Center, will feature Tyra Banks, host of the TV series Americas Next Top Model as the keynote speaker. Another part of Bay Paths mission is to prepare its students to enter the regions workforce ready to meet the needs of employers. In 1999, Bay Path added a masters degree in information technology management, setting the stage for a series of innovative programs in high-demand fields. Bay Path attained university status in 2014 in recognition of its growing graduate degree programs tailored to prepare students to develop the skills for the jobs of the 21st century. Those fields include cybersecurity, data science, business analytics, genetic counseling, occupational therapy, special education and mental health. Bay Paths reach now extends well beyond its pristine Longmeadow campus. Its commitment to workforce development took physical shape with the 2015 opening of the new Phillip H. Ryan Health Science Center in East Longmeadow where its programs are booming, Leary says. In addition, Bay Path has satellite buildings in Springfield, Sturbridge and Concord. If you stick to the mission of your institution and you figure out how to make it meet the needs and demands of the workplace and our students of today, if youre nimble enough, flexible enough and creative enough to always have that be your compass, you will create the best university, she says. Leary met her husband when she was in charge of the office of community activities at Siena College, outside Albany, New York, where he was a graduate student. The two clicked right away, she says. She was my boss, Noel Leary says. She quickly adds, I often turned to him for advice. Friendship grew into a romance, and the pair set out to forge their futures together. For six years, Noel Learys career as an association executive took precedence. He worked as an executive director for the American Cancer Society and developed a consulting business for not-for-profit organizations. That changed when Carol Leary began her career in college administration sat Simmons College in Boston. There, the couple grew close to president of Simmons and his wife, who provided them with a model for how a husband and wife could work as partners in an academic setting. We learned from their partnership, Noel Leary says. I gave up my consulting business and shifted to the not-for-profit world. Here in Western Massachusetts Noel Leary has served on the boards of the Storrs Library in Longmeadow and the Springfield Public Forum, among others. I used the skills I had learned by helping non-profits write by-laws and creating budgets, he says. Notes Carol Leary, Whatever board I wasnt on, Noel was on. Weve loved every part of living here, she says. We didnt know anyone when we arrived, but we were embraced by everyone. These last months at Bay Path will be bittersweet for the Learys. Were using the opportunity to look back and thank all of the people who made us feel welcome, she says. The Christmas holiday is always especially meaningful for the couple. Since they arrived, it has been an annual tradition for Noel Leary to give one international student a beloved Christmas ornament from a collection of his late mother. Often graduates return for the annual Christmas tree lighting and this season one of the international students sought out Noel Leary to tell him the ornament he gave her is a fixture on her tree. Carol Leary says the couples overwhelming feeling today is one of gratitude for the community of people they are leaving. That gratitude is felt especially keen for the support staff at Bay Path, from the groundskeepers to the security personnel, the president says. This Thanksgiving Day, rather than visiting family and friends elsewhere, the Learys spent the holiday at their Bay Path residence, a fitting bookend to their 1994 beginning in Longmeadow. This year we were back at Bay Path where it all began, she says. We said to one another, This is where we need to be. Actress Nora Fatehi was "severely injured" while performing a high octane action sequence for the upcoming film "Bhuj: The Pride of India". "I've just got back from Bhopal after shooting my part of the film "Bhuj: The Pride of India". It involved alot of emotional scenes and an entire high octane action sequence in which I ended up getting severely injured," Nora said. Nora, who is currently riding high on the success of her latest release "Street Dancer 3D", hurt her forehead. "In one sequence my co-actor accidentally threw a gun straight into my face which caused my forehead to bleed and swell up. I was in alot of pain however i knew the director needed to complete the shoot as he was on a very tight schedule so I continued to shoot throughout the day inspite of the injury. It left a huge mark for over a week on my face," she said. "Bhuj: The Pride of India" stars Ajay Devgn, Sanjay Dutt, Sonakshi Sinha, Sharad Kelkar, Ammy Virk and Pranitha Subhash. The film is directed by Abhishek Dudhaiya. In the film, Ajay will be seen playing Indian Air Force pilot Vijay Karnik, while Sonakshi will essay the character of Sunderben Jetha Madharparya, who is a social worker and a farmer women, who convinced 299 other women from Madhapur to help build a runway during the India-Pakistan war of 1971. Karnik was in-charge of the Bhuj airbase during the war, which remained operational despite facing heavy bombing from Pakistan. He was accompanied by 50 IAF and 60 Defence Security Corps personnel at the airbase. Images: Nora Fatehi on Instagram Text: IANS World Bank has only offered technical assistance on virus outbreak as China has ample resources, its chief says. The World Bank is offering technical assistance to China to help battle the coronavirus epidemic but no new loans, the development lenders president, David Malpass, said on Monday. Malpass told Reuters News Agency the bank was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to aid China, including offering advice about past health crises, but did not plan any financial assistance because China has ample resources of its own. My thought is that we all wish them a speedy way to address the coronavirus in China, he said in an interview on Monday. Weve offered technical assistance in the area of health, sanitation and disease policies. Formed after World War II to rebuild Europe, the World Bank has some $470bn in assets and counts China among its largest borrowers, with $14.8bn in loans committed since 2011. China is also the banks third-largest shareholder after the United States and Japan. China has its own large international reserves, and new loans are not being considered at this time, said Malpass, a former Trump administration Treasury official who took over as president of the bank last April. China reported that it held $3.115 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in January. In a January 29 statement, Malpass expressed sympathy for losses suffered by the Chinese people, adding: This is a severe public health challenge for China and the rest of the world. It calls for ongoing coordinated action and continued transparency inside China and around the world. He said the banks experts were in discussions with Chinese authorities and could provide immediate assistance on disease surveillance, food safety, lessons from previous pandemics and analysis of the outbreaks effect on Chinas economy. Inside China, more than 300 companies from food delivery services to smartphone makers are seeking more than $8.2bn in loans to ease the effects of the coronavirus, banking sources told Reuters. Economic growth is expected to slow to 5 percent or less this quarter because of the virus, one Chinese government economist estimates. Malpass declined to offer an estimate of the effect of the crisis on Chinas or the worlds economic growth. He said it was too early to say if the banks already tepid full-year forecast would be cut. Clearly, coronavirus is slowing growth in the first half of 2020. What the long-term consequences are well have to see as the response occurs and the adjustments are made, he said. China is just coming back from a long Lunar New Year holiday, so well have to evaluate the growth. Too wealthy Since taking his job at the Treasury in 2017, Malpass had been critical of the banks continued low-interest lending to China, arguing that the worlds second-largest economy was too wealthy for such aid while it was loading up some countries with debt from its Belt and Road infrastructure programme. A former Bear Stearns and Co chief economist who advised US President Donald Trumps 2016 election campaign, Malpass has called for more of the banks resources to be devoted to poorer countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. A February 3 pledge by the bank to review financial resources that could be deployed quickly was aimed at poorer countries that could be affected by the pandemic, a bank official said. China agreed to a decline in borrowing as part of reforms associated with a $13bn capital increase for the bank approved by shareholders in 2018. The bank in December adopted a new five-year China plan that calls for $1-1.5bn in annual lending, down from a $1.8bn annual average over the previous five years. Malpass said lending to China in the 2020 fiscal year, which ends June 30, would likely fall below that range. Although the bank is winding down its lending to China under terms of a 2018 capital increase, the bank would grant financing for certain global public goods, Malpass said. These include environmental projects, private sector development and reforms to state-owned enterprises. The only new China financing approved by the bank so far in fiscal 2020 is a $150m loan towards a $686m project to sustain forests in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River basin. New Delhi: In the early trends of counting for the 70-member Assembly seats on Tuesday (February 11), Congress is still at zero, while AAP's Arvind Kejriwal set to returns as Chief Minister for the third term. Haroon Yusuf was leading from Muslim-dominated constituency Ballimaran in the early trends, but again he started trailing thereby dashing hopes of Congress. Yosuf, who has been three-time minister in the Congress-led government in Delhi, is confident of wresting his pocket borough from Aam Aadmi Pary's Imran Hussain. Yusuf had won from this constituency five times between 1993 and 2013. In 2015, however, Ballimaran had voted for Arvind Kejriwal's party, which posted a record win with 67 of Delhi's 70 seats. Aam Aadmi Party has crossed the majority mark of 36 as per early trends, while the BJP is on course to improve its 2015 seat count. Earlier in the day, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari expressed confidence that his party will form the government in the national capital with a comfortable majority. Tiwari told reporters, "I am not nervous. I am confident that it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Do not be surprised if we win 55 seats." Google Maps for many is a boon -- if it accurately takes you from one place to another. During Google Maps initial days in India, the navigation was not as accurate as it is today, which is quite amazing to think how far the navigation-based service has improved. But still, on rare occasions, a hit and a miss for the navigation app isn't unusual, and one man claims he nearly drowned in a freezing Mississippi river because of a glitch on Google Maps. Reuters A man from Minneapolis, US, is furious with Google Maps for seemingly directing him to cross the frozen Mississippi river on foot. As per local news media, the incident took place at 3:00 AM where the man, following directions from the navigation app, walked through the river and eventually fell through the ice. He got partially submerged in freezing water, only to be later rescued by firefighters. When firefighters asked him why did he attempt this dangerous act, he blamed Google Maps stating it showed him the way and asked it to cross the river. The incident took place at Stone Arch Bridge. The man has suffered from a mild case of hypothermia and is under medical attention as of now. As per reports, upon further investigation, the fire department revealed that the app actually told him to cross the water through the bridge over the river (as was shown on Street View of Maps) but he instead thought its instructing him to walk on ice. Google Glitches are not uncommon in navigation apps, however, these apps are designed to only show routes with actual paths/ roads as opposed to asking you to cross the sea -- whether frozen or unfrozen. The timing of this incident couldnt be worse, as recently, Google Maps celebrated its 15-year anniversary, where it completely revamped the mobile apps user interface as well as a new Maps logo. BREAKING NEWS: Top Robert Mueller prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky resigns from the Roger Stone case, effective immediately, he tells the court in a filing. [READ THE FILING: PDF LINK] Zelinsky's filing includes this footnote: "The Court is advised that the undersigned attorney has resigned effective immediately after this filing as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia." He isn't quitting the DoJ, but rather resigning from that role. Wonder if this whole mess has anything to do with the DoJ, under pressure from Trump, stepping in in an unprecedented and lawless move today to shorten Roger Stone's prison sentence (which has yet to be announced)? Hmm. So does Amy Berman Jackson have any discretion over Zelinsky's withdrawal?https://t.co/QCKTdP9Uvw pic.twitter.com/sI2J2A4crc emptywheel (@emptywheel) February 11, 2020 BREAKING In a one sentence court filing, former Mueller team prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky withdraws from Roger Stone prosecution in apparent protest to DOJ reversal/intervention in Trump prosecution sentencing. https://t.co/WKpyXEuw2B pic.twitter.com/93lL5Le4Bo Spencer Hsu (@hsu_spencer) February 11, 2020 Top Mueller prosecutor Aaron S.J. Zelinsky resigned from Roger Stone's case, effective immediately, he told the court in a filing, after the Justice Department announced that it planned to change the recommendation to give Stone a lighter sentence, per @kpolantz Manu Raju (@mkraju) February 11, 2020 Wow, Mueller prosecutor Zelinsky withdraws from the Stone case AND includes this footnote(!): "The Court is advised that the undersigned attorney has resigned effective immediately after this filing as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for District of Columbia" pic.twitter.com/TrNSo9qXeB Jeremy Herb (@jeremyherb) February 11, 2020 Aaron Zelinsky, a former Mueller prosecutor, has withdrawn from the Roger Stone case and "resigned effective immediately" as a special AUSA in District of Columbia:https://t.co/clPwEFv3fa pic.twitter.com/IJ623OyZFL kadhim (^) (@kadhim) February 11, 2020 The Folsom Board of Aldermen discussed at length Monday how to improve code enforcement in the village. Alderwoman Jill Mathies said builders do not always comply with permitting requirements, and that some businesses are operating without proper licenses. Mathies said she surveyed how other parish municipalities handle code enforcement and suggested Folsom reconsider its approach, which relies on a part-time enforcement officer. Mathies said even when the officer identifies cases of noncompliance, there has not been enough follow-through to ensure the necessary remedial action is taken. Part of the problem, Mayor Lance Willie said, is that Folsom's code of ordinances doesn't include sufficient fines to encourage compliance. He suggested making penalties tougher to bring violators into line. The mayor and aldermen discussed the matter for 30 minutes and said they'll continue looking at ways to improve code enforcement in Folsom. The board also discussed the deteriorating condition of a number of village streets. Willie asked that a list of the 10 streets most in need of repair be compiled and said he would investigate how to fund the needed work. St. Tammany top stories in your inbox A weekly guide to the biggest news in St. Tammany. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up In other business, Ben Jarett, of the RG3 Meter Company of Longview, Texas, responded to complaints that the companys automated readers were not functioning properly on the villages water meters. The village uses the companys readers on about a third of its meters. Willie outlined the complaints, including meters that were giving inaccurate readings or no readings at all, resulting in inaccurate water bills and requiring the meters to be read manually. Jarett said he would conduct an audit to determine the cause of the problems and report his findings at the next board meeting. Earlier in the meeting, village engineer Jay Pittman reported that improvements to the villages sewer system were complete. The project included the rehabilitation of Folsom's sewage treatment plant, new lift stations and relining some sewer lines. Pittman said work was completed for less than the projected $2.5 million cost, and he was exploring other improvements that could be made with the remaining funds. The next time a hurricane threatens Southeast Texas, Orange County residents might have something their Jefferson County neighbors have enjoyed for years a levee system that will help keep destructive floodwaters out. The first steps have been taken with the awarding of a $228 million contract by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. It will go to a joint venture between engineering firms Stantec and Jacobs, called Galveston Coastal Services Joint Venture. The two firms are expected to spend the next two years designing seven pump stations and more than 25 miles of new flood-control structures around the southern edge of the county. The plan includes 15.6 miles of new levees and 10.7 miles of new concrete flood walls and gates. Its an ambitious project, with construction expected to begin in 2022 and completion in 2026. But this is what Orange County needs, and has needed for years. U.S. Rep. Jack Brooks used his considerable influence in Washington the 1960s to get a flood barrier built around the southern edge of Jefferson County. It has served its purpose over the years, most notably during Hurricane Ike in 2008. Jefferson County, which had a levee, escaped most of the coastal flood surge. Orange County, which did not, was flooded extensively. This new levee could equalize the protection. Another welcome feature is that the plan includes 453 acres of marsh restoration and 560 acres of forested wetland preservation. Working with Mother Nature like that can enhance the protection from manmade walls and pump stations. Public officials in Southeast Texas deserve credit for understanding the new reality of climate threats. Whether the challenge comes from an offshore hurricane or an inland storm like Tropical Storm Harvey or Tropical Depression Imelda, we seem to be in new era of more frequent flooding. We cant hope it just goes away or that well be somehow spared. The only prudent course of action is to start protecting our homes and businesses now with plans like this. Even in Jefferson County, Drainage District 7 officials want to improve their levee system with better and stronger structures. Orange County officials can build to that higher standard the first time with this new levee to make it as effective as possible. This region will always be vulnerable to this threat, with its low elevation and coastal location. But we can do a lot more to protect ourselves and minimize whatever damage might occur. The sooner this levee is completed, the better. Prince William and Kate Middleton are heading to Australia to tour bushfire-ravaged towns, after being 'shocked and deeply saddened' by the devastation. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are making the trip to support victims of the bushfires and meet local heroes. The royal couple are in talks with Prime Minister Scott Morrison to negotiate the details of the trip before he extends an official invitation. With potential visits to New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia in the planning stages, an announcement will be made within a week, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge hold Prince George (pictured) as they board a flight to Australia from Wellington on their last tour of the country in 2014 It will be William's fifth trip to Australia, and the couple's first since 2014. The Duke previously came to tour Queensland and Victoria after the devastating floods of 2011. On Australia Day, Kensington Palace posted a picture of the couple meeting a koala on their last visit. 'Wishing all of our Australian followers a happy Australia Day,' they wrote. 'This year we pay tribute to the incredible strength and resilience of all the Australian people and communities who have been impacted by the devastating bushfires.' Hundreds of towns were affected by the unprecedented bushfire season, with some experts saying it was the worst in Australian history. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (pictured during their 2014 visit) were 'shocked and deeply saddened' by the recent bushfires Towns across NSW and Victoria were ravaged by fire for months, which killed 33 people and destroyed more than 2,000 homes. The Duke and Duchess expressed their horror at the devastation on January 5, issuing a moving statement online. 'We continue to be shocked and deeply saddened to hear about the fires that are destroying homes, livelihoods and wildlife across much of Australia,' they wrote. Kate Middleton (pictured in Wales on February 4) will likely bring a boost to Australian tourism Our thoughts and prayers are with all the people and communities who are affected by this devastating event. 'We send our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those who have tragically lost their lives, and the brave firefighters who continue to risk their own lives to save the lives of others.' It comes after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle enjoyed a 16-day tour in 2018, in which they spent 10 days in Australia and a further six in Fiji, Tonga and New Zealand. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have since moved to Canada with their baby son Archie, stepping back from royal duties. The latest royal visit could prove a welcome boost for Australia's embattled tourism industry, which has been hit hard by bushfires and drought. Prince William (pictured in Wales on February 4, right) and his wife Kate (left) will reportedly come to Australia to support bushfire victims Bushfires will reportedly cost the tourism sector around $5 billion by the end of the year. The Australian Tourism Export Council (ATEC) revealed that the number of overseas tourists booking holidays Down Under is down 10 to 20 per cent on Friday. According to ATEC, 70 per cent of its 850 members, which are tourism businesses, have received cancellations ranging from $5,000 to $500,000 due to bushfires. The couple are said to have been 'distressed' by the bushfire season, particular the loss of life and the environmental impact. WHAT WILL IT COST AUSTRALIAN TAX PAYERS? Based on previous royal visits, the Cambridges' trip could cost up to $1million. The host country for any royal visit pays some costs, which can include transport, accommodation and logistics. When Princes Charles and Camilla came in 2018 for the Commonwealth Games, it cost $1million. They spent 10 days travelling around Queensland and the Northern Territory. Advertisement They are understood to have expressed interest in a trip early during the crisis, but did not want to divert resources during the height of the emergency. It is not yet known whether their children, Prince George, 6, Princess Charlotte, 4, and Prince Louis, 1, will also come on the trip. Then just a baby, Prince George came on their last trip in 2014 and spent time at a local play group. The Victorian town of Mallacoota turned a dark orange for days as bushfires surrounded the area. This picture of 11-year-old Finn (pictured) fleeing the town in a boat went viral Areas which could be on their list include the towns most affected by bushfires, such as Mallacoota in Victoria or Cobargo in NSW. In Mallacoota, in East Gippsland, hundreds of people were forced to sleep on the beach over New Year to save themselves from the flames. As part of a mammoth evacuation mission, they were later rescued from the beach onto navy ships. Likewise in Cobargo, families lost their homes and the entire high street was flattened by raging fires. Areas which could be on their list include the towns most affected by bushfires, such as Mallacoota in Victoria, or Colinton or Cobargo in NSW. Pictured: Laureen Blyton on her property in Colinton, New South Wales When the couple last came to Australia in 2014, they were greeted by hundreds of fans everywhere they went. They had a packed 10-day itinerary, starting a reception at the Opera House and a visit to bushfire-affected areas in the Blue Mountains. A reception was held in their honour at Parliament House in Canberra, before the royal couple attended the Anzac Day march and war memorial service. They also took Prince George to see the animals at Taronga Zoo. Trot Insider has learned that longtime horse racing participant Brian Jerome recently passed away with his loving wife, Michelle, by his side. Brian is also survived by his loving daughters, Angela and Kathleen. Jerome, who was a volunteer, a dedicated owner and an industry supporter, was also a founder of the OHHA Horsepersons Committee at Rideau Carleton Raceway in 2001 and the National Capital Region Harness Horse Association in 2004. He remained active and engaged in that racing community in support of the horsepeople who raced at Rideau for the past 15 years. As a member of the NCRHHA Board, Brian was an advocate for the industry by always seeking creative and innovative ways to promote the industry, to maximize the benefit of funding and engaging the public in the sport. Brian worked diligently and quietly in the background with the NCRHHA, giving countless hours of his time and energy to ensure the survival and success of racing at Rideau Carleton Raceway. Members of the NCRHHA expressed how much they will miss his sense of humour, his creativity and his passion for the racing community. Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Brian Jerome. The aftermath of Iran's January missile strike is looking more and more serious by the day. The U.S. military will soon announce more than 100 troops suffered traumatic brain injuries after Iran attacked an Iraqi military base where they were stationed last month, a U.S. official tells Reuters. That's an increase from the 64 diagnosed troops the government originally acknowledged, and comes after Trump dismissed the injuries as "headaches." Iran launched the Jan. 8 attack after the U.S. government assassinated Gen. Qassem Soleimani on Jan. 3. The U.S. military was reported to have advance notice of the strike, and Trump said the next day that "no Americans were harmed." Trump later repeatedly characterized any injuries sustained as "not very serious," and that he'd heard the troops had suffered only "headaches." A Pentagon spokesperson later confirmed those headaches were actually traumatic brain injuries, and the count of those affected was upped to 64. Monday's report would add another 30-plus injured troops on top of that, per Reuters. CNN later confirmed Reuters' story via a U.S. official. A later statement from Pentagon Press Secretary Alyssa Farah revealed that "nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed" have since been able "to return to duty." "This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change," Farah acknowledged. More stories from theweek.com Elizabeth Warren didn't waste time before conceding in New Hampshire Why Wall Street isn't freaking out about Bernie Sanders President Bloomberg? Doctor Nguyen Tri Thuc presents congratulation flowers to Li ZiChao. (Photo: baodautu.vn) Two weeks after being taken to hospital infected with nCoV from his father, Chinese citizen Li ZiChao, 28 years old, was cured and discharged from Vietnams Cho Ray Hospital on February 4th. Talking with leaders from the Vietnamese Ministry of Health and the hospital, he was moved to thank the Vietnamese doctors for doing their utmost to save him and his father, Mr. Li Ding. We were aware of the dangerous situation and risk of death that we faced, especially when my father contracted diverse serious diseases before. However, we are lucky to be saved by Vietnamese doctors as they not only treated us but also give us spiritual encouragement in overcoming the dangerous disease, he said. Expressing his pleasure to welcome completely healthy citizens, Huang Xi Ping, a representative from the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh city, said that his country was grateful to the Vietnamese Government, especially the doctors, for saving Chinese citizens. The trust in international cooperation, including with Vietnam, in pushing back the disease, has been increased after the treatment, he added. We hope to receive additional medical treatment from Vietnam for the remaining Chinese patients, he went on to say. Doctor Nguyen Tri Thuc, Director of the Cho Ray Hospital, informed that Mr. Li Dings health had been recovered remarkably. We will continue to give him best treatment and care so that he will be discharged from hospital soon, he said. According to Mr. Thuc, the hospital will make scientific reports on receiving and treating nCoV-infected patients so that Cho Ray Hospitals success can be expanded to other medical foundations, contributing to protecting communities health and pushing back the epidemic./. About 63.99 lakh hectares of farm land has been affected by floods in 15 states, while 7.91 lakh hectares of agriculture land has been hit by drought in two states so far in the ongoing 2019-20 crop year (July-June), union minister Narendra Singh Tomar said on Tuesday. "There have been extreme weather events in the recent past including extended dry period, flood, hailstorm, cyclonic rains and wind, etc. However, there was no significant reduction in the production of foodgrains during last three years," Agriculture Minister Tomar said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. As per the report of Inter-Ministerial Central Teams (IMCTs) constituted by the central government, an estimated area of 63.99 lakh hectares was affected by floods in 15 states during 2019-20, he said. These states include Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and West Bengal, he added. Due to drought, the minister said about 7.91 lakh hectares of farm land hit in Rajasthan and Manipur in the current year. On crop loss caused by wild animals in Uttarakhand, Tomar -- in a separate reply -- said the quantum loss of crops destroyed by stray cattle and wild animals are managed by concerned state governments. The Uttarkhand government has paid Rs 59.90 lakh compensation to farmers till October 2019, he said. The minister also mentioned that the central government, however, has taken various steps to prevent and check damage to crops by wild animals. The Union Environment Ministry has approved a project for undertaking 'Immuno-contraceptive measures' for population management of wild animals. That part, assistance is provided for construction/erecting of physical barriers, such as barbed wire fence, solar powered electric fence, bio-fencing using cactus and boundary wall to prevent the entry of wild animals into crop field, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Restaurant opens early for 3-year-old customer with leukemia originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com A Texas restaurant opened its doors early for a pint-sized regular who can't be around other patrons due to a cancer diagnosis and a weak immune system. Adelaide Stanley enjoys the brunch at J. Wilson's in Beaumont. When she drove by the comfort grub spot with her family recently, she asked if they could stop in for a bite. "She said, 'Daddy can we go to that restaurant?'" mom Vanlam Nguyen recalled to "Good Morning America." "He started tearing up and said, 'When you get better and you're not sick anymore, we can go eat.'" "A simple common cold would put her into the hospital," she added. "As a parent with a kid who has leukemia, I try to keep her in a bubble." PHOTO: Adelaide Stanley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on her birthday, July 1, 2019. The 3-year-old was surprised with a brunch at J. Wilson's in Beaumont, Texas, with her parents Jordon Stanley and Vanlam Nguyen and siblings. (Vanlam Nguyen) MORE: Toddler with rare disorder gets new oxygen tank holders designed by 6th graders Adelaide was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on her birthday, July 1, 2019. She began chemotherapy three days later, Nguyen said. PHOTO: Adelaide Stanley is seen at the age of 1 at J.Wilson's restaurant in Beaumont, Texas. (Vanlam Nguyen) Because of her weakened immune system, Adelaide cannot be exposed to many germs. She also needs to steer clear of crowded places like restaurants, Nguyen said. After her daughter requested to have a meal at J. Wilson's, Nguyen's friend reached out to its owner, John Wilson. "They used to come to brunch here all the time before she was diagnosed with leukemia," Wilson told "GMA" of Adelaide and her family. "They had been in confinement pretty much since July." MORE: 3-year-old leading preschool classmates in prayer warms hearts of millions Wilson said that on Jan. 26, he and his staff opened their doors at 8:45 a.m. -- an hour and 15 minutes early so Adelaide could enjoy her favorite dish, scrambled eggs, bacon and homemade biscuits. They also gave the restaurant a deeper cleaning and decorated in Adelaide's favorite color, pink. Story continues PHOTO: Adelaide Stanley is seen at the age of 2 with her sister Zoe at J.Wilson's restaurant in Beaumont, Texas. (Vanlam Nguyen) "Seeing her smile, just knowing we could give her a little sense of normalcy was great...it's something we all felt fulfillment from," Wilson said. Adelaide enjoyed brunch that day with her mom, dad and sisters Zoe, 11 and Alice, 1. PHOTO: Adelaide Stanley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in 2019. The 3-year-old enjoyed a brunch at J. Wilson's in Texas, after the grub spot opened early for her and her family. (Vanlam Nguyen) "It meant so much...she had a fantastic time. They did not have to go above and beyond like that," Nguyen said. PHOTO: Adelaide Stanley was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia on her birthday, July 1, 2019. The 3-year-old was surprised with a brunch at J. Wilson's in Beaumont, Texas, after the restaurant opened early for her. (Vanlam Nguyen ) J. Wilson's even took care of the bill which added to the emotional moment, Nguyen said. Nguyen added that doctors hope to give Adelaide a clean bill of health by Sept. 2021. A former Democratic New York Assemblyman was ejected from a Muslim Peace conference that was being held at a New Jersey University on Sunday afternoon after asking Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich is she was anti-Semitic. Dov Hikind, 69, was caught on video asking Tlaib about her views after she posted a tweet last month that was deemed 'blood libel', accusing a 'herd of Israeli settlers of kidnapping and killing a Palestinian boy before throwing him down a well'. It turned out later that the youngster, Qais Abu Ramila, accidentally drowned when he fell into a pool of a water. Tlaib tried to walk back her sharing of the bogus tweet after being roundly criticized by organizations including the Anti-Defamation League but she has yet to offer a personal apology. At Sunday's event in Rutgers entitled, 'A Global Crisis: Refugees, Migrants, and Asylum Seekers Lessons from the Prophet Muhammad,' Hikind said the event spread 'nice messages' of tolerance, unity, and love until Tlaib took to the podium. Dov Hikind, 69, stood up and yelled out 'What about your anti-Semitism?' during a speech by made Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib, 43 Dov Hikind, 69, a former Democratic New York state assemblyman was escorted out of a Muslims for Peace event held at Rutgers University Last month, the Representative for Michigan's 13th District shared this tweet - which was later debunked as false. She has yet to offer a personal apology for tweeting it in the first place 'Rashida came on at the end as the main speaker,' Hikind told Fox News, and asked her about 'her anti-Semitism and spreading a blood libel.' 'She never apologized,' Hikind said about Tlaib. 'This, to me, is serious stuff.' In video posted to Twitter, Hikind can be seen standing up while Tlaib was in the middle of making her remarks. Hikind called out, 'What about your anti-Semitism?' No sooner had he shouted out his question, several people rushed over to him and he was instantly escorted out of the room by security guards and police officers. 'As soon as I did that one man pounced on me and I told him to immediately get his hands off and he did. The cops were not far behind and removed me before I could get any response from Tlaib,' Hikind said. No sooner has Hikind called out, he was drowned out by 'Rashida' chants Hikind, 69, was then dragged out of the event by several police officers and security guards 'She didn't offer any justification or apology for perpetuating a dangerous anti-Jewish blood libel even after I had been ejected, instead she played the victim as she does so expertly,' he told Fox News. Hikind tweeted his experience shortly afterwards: 'Police just ejected me from an event of @Muslims4Peace at @RutgersU which was a fine event until @RashidaTlaib showed up. I challenged her about her antisemitism and spreading of an anti-Jewish blood libel! She had no answer for me,' he wrote. Hikind felt that Tlaib should still apologize after what happened last month when the Representative for Michigan's 13th District shared a tweet originally penned by a Palestinian rights activist which read: 'KIDNAPPED AND EXECUTED: 7 year old Palestinian child was kidnapped by a herd of violent Israeli settlers, assaulted and thrown in a water well'. The former Democratic New York state assemblyman described his ordeal on Twitter Despite a lot of shouting, there was no violence at the Muslim's for Piece event in Rutgers It is hard to tell if Hikind was disrupting Tlaib or was being removed for asking her a critical question about anti-Semitism The tweet was quickly debunked by Israeli publications, which reported that the boy, Qais Abu Ramila, accidentally drowned when he fell into a pool of a water which was formed by a deluge of rain in the city of Beit Hanina. Tlaib tried to walk back her sharing of the bogus tweet after being roundly criticized by organizations including the Anti-Defamation League. However, she stopped short of saying sorry for spreading the anti-Semitic tale. The Congresswoman - who is of Palestinian descent and has been a fierce critic of Israel - came under fire from Twitter users who noted that she failed to offer up a personal apology for her actions. At the time, the Anti-Defamation League's CEO Jonathan Goldblatt called on Tlaib to make a personal apology. Tlaib later tried to walk back her sharing of the bogus tweet after being roundly criticized by organizations including the Anti-Defamation League Police just ejected me from an event of @Muslims4Peace at @RutgersU which was a fine event until @RashidaTlaib showed up. I challenged her about her antisemitism and spreading of an anti-Jewish blood libel! She had no answer for me. They will never silence us! Cc @IlhanMN pic.twitter.com/vyMGCGGxlX Dov Hikind (@HikindDov) February 9, 2020 'This is an example of how the blood libel works in 2020,' he wrote, referring to the anti-Semitic trope perpetuated in the Middle Ages, in which Jewish people were accused of using the blood of Christians during religious rituals. Goldblatt continued: 'Rashida Tlaib retweets a vicious lie steeped in centuries-old accusations used to demonize Jews, then says nothing when it's disproven. An apology is overdue,' he said. At the time, Tlaib, 43, retweeted an apology written by Palestinian activist, Dr. Hanan Ashrawi, and added: 'In this era of inaccurate and manipulative news, I will also strive to hold myself to the highest standards for what I share. Know that I always seek truth as we uplift the oppressed and fight for equality, justice, and freedom.' Last August, Tlaib was involved in a public battle with the Israeli government, which initially blocked her from trying to visit her elderly grandmother who lives in the West Bank. Prime Minster Benjamin Netanyahu barred Tlaib's planned trip to the country - a decision praised by President Trump, who described the Congresswoman as 'so anti-Israel, so anti-Jewish'. Israel's interior minister eventually granted Tlaib visitation on 'humanitarian grounds' after she wrote the country a letter vowing to respect any restrictions. Several days later, however, Tlaib spectacularly reversed her decision, stating: 'I have decided that visiting my grandmother under these oppressive conditions stands against everything I believe in'. One suspect is dead and two officers are injured following a shooting inside a Walmart in Arkansas on Monday, according to authorities. The incident occurred around 10:30 a.m. at a Walmart Supercenter located on Deaderick Road in Forrest City, the Forrest City Police Department said in a press conference. Officers responded to a report of a man inside the store who was making threats and talking out of his head, Police Chief Deon Lee said. The shooting broke out shortly after officers arrived on scene to confront the suspect, according to the police. Two officers identified as Lieutenant Eric Varner and Detective Eugene Watlington were injured in the shooting and the individual was killed, Lee said. According to the police chief, neither officers were wearing body armor. RELATED: 20 Killed and 26 Injured in Mass Shooting Inside Walmart in El Paso, Texas One officer was brought to Regional One Medical Center for emergency surgery, while another was treated and released at a hospital in Forrest City, police said. While the prognosis of the officer in surgery remains unclear, Lee said in the press conference on Monday afternoon that hell be okay. No civilians were harmed in the shooting, officials said. Though authorities did not release the name of the suspect killed during the press conference, citing an ongoing investigation, local news outlets WMC Action News and WHBQ identified the individual as Bobby Gibbs. Gibbs was arrested in 2012 for gun possession, gun theft and disorderly conduct, according to WMC. Bobby Gibbs | Forrest City Police Department During the press conference, Forrest City Mayor Cedric Williams showed his appreciation to officers for their heroism and quick response during the incident. Thank you for the response of our officers that this tragic event was not as bad as it couldve been, he said. The quick response of our officers saved a lot of lives today. The Arkansas State Polices criminal investigation division has been requested to assist in the investigation, according to a tweet from the agency. Story continues RELATED: Former Disgruntled Employee Allegedly Shoots Two Walmart Colleagues to Death, Taken Into Custody A gunman was killed and two local law enforcement officers were wounded inside the store during an exchange of gunfire, a release from the Arkansas State Police read. The agents will document and collect all evidence related to the incident. The case file will be presented to the St. Francis County Prosecuting Attorney who will determine whether the use of deadly force by law enforcement officers today was consistent with Arkansas laws. A spokesperson for Walmart told PEOPLE the company is aware of the shooting that took place on Monday. The representative said Walmart is working with Forrest City Police Department to assist in their investigation and the store will remain closed until police have released the scene. China is currently racing against time in the battle against the novel coronavirus. To properly prevent and control the virus has a direct bearing on the safety and health of the Chinese people, the stability of Chinas economy and society, as well as the countrys opening up. Over the past few days, China has concentrated its efforts on epidemic prevention and control in severely epidemic-stricken areas, and coordinated the work on reform, development, and stability in other areas while guaranteeing sound epidemic control and prevention there. The positive results in various aspects have demonstrated to the world that the Chinese economy has enough resilience to cope with uncertainties, and the economic fundamentals sustaining sound development will remain unchanged. China has enough policy space to deal with the epidemic and economic downward pressure. Recently, the Peoples Bank of China (PBC), the Ministry of Finance, the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission, the China Securities Regulatory Commission, and the State Administration of Foreign Exchange have jointly issued 30 measures to support epidemic prevention and control and the real economy. To ensure sufficient liquidity in the countrys financial markets, the PBC injected a total of 1.7 trillion yuan into the financial system on Feb. 3 and 4, sending a signal of strengthening counter-cyclical adjustments to stabilize market expectations. In addition, cities across the country are mobilizing and organizing key enterprises to resume production. The World Bank said in a recent statement that it believes the Chinese authorities have policy space to respond to the novel coronavirus outbreak and maintain economic resilience. Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Kristalina Georgieva expressed that the IMF is confident that Chinas economy remains resilient. It is important to take a long-term perspective to evaluate Chinas economy, as the trend of Chinas long-term growth prospects will not change. The epidemic is temporary, and so is its impact. The epidemic will be defeated eventually, just like a rainbow will appear after the rain. Over the past decades, China has experienced various ups and downs in its development, during which the country has overcome all challenges. As long as we look at the Chinese economy in an objective, comprehensive and dialectical manner, we can see that China is still very competent in face of risks and challenges. Chinas GDP is close to 100 trillion yuan, and its per capita GDP has exceeded $10,000. The country has a market of 1.4 billion people and a labor force of 900 million, among whom 170 million have received higher education or training in professional skills. Besides, it also boasts more than 400 million middle-income earners. Its obvious that these elements underpinning the fundamentals of Chinas economy will by no means be knocked down by the virus. For a period of time, words such as "strong powerful and success have frequently been used by the international community to describe China. It is universally recognized that the bravery, strength and orderliness China demonstrated in the face of the epidemic come from the countrys endeavoring in the past 70 years. In the era of economic globalization, the destinies of all countries are closely linked. The difficulties facing China are also the difficulties facing the world. Affected by the novel coronavirus, the international financial market fluctuates every day, and global industries are looking forward to a release of production capacity and consumer demand which are temporarily contained by the epidemic. China is the second largest economy in the world and an indispensable link in the global industrial chain. By mobilizing all forces to prevent and control the epidemic while doing the best to resume production, China is exactly making important contributions to the global economy at this critical moment. This critical moment also calls for more mutual support and assistance among members of the international community to help each other get through the current difficulties. It is worth noting that any voice that sings the blues over Chinas economy is a blow to the worsening globally economy. The World Health Organization (WHO) lauded Chinas strong measures and stressed for times that it disapproves of and even opposes imposing travel or trade restrictions on China. Such professional advice should be respected. To provide more convenience for goods and services from China and goods exported to China conforms to the interests of the market players of various countries in various links of the global supply chain, as well as the common interests of all countries in the world. Success only comes through hard work. It is believed that there are always more solutions than difficulties. China, which is resolutely deepening reform and expanding opening-up, has always accumulated energy while cracking hard nuts and answering to challenges. Heavy on the green pine the snow weighs, but the pine remains lofty and straight. The epidemic will not crush Chinas economy, nor will it hinder Chinas development. International observers expect a strong rebound of Chinas economy after the epidemic, which will surely make new and greater contributions to the common and high-quality development of the world economy. A top Pakistani court on Tuesday ordered the Islamabad City Magistrate to appear before it to explain why sedition and terrorism charges were slapped against demonstrators holding peaceful protests against the arrest of a Pashtun minority leader known for criticising the country's powerful military Police in Islamabad last month booked 23 people for taking part in a protest against the arrest of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) leader Manzoor Pashteen. The Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah heard the case of the activists who were released on bail. How can you first place sedition charges on peaceful protesters and later turn them into terrorism charges? Chief Justice Minallah remarked. Islamabad City Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio had included sedition charges in the FIR registered against the 23 activists who had been detained for protesting against the arrest of Pashteen. Charges of sedition were later changed into charges of terrorism. Why should we not start proceedings against the one who asked for the case to be registered? The magistrate should appear in court and tell us why he gave such orders," Justice Minallah said. He ordered that the magistrate provide the court his explanation along with a sworn affidavit and warned that he could be stripped of his judicial powers. The court adjourned the hearing till February 17 and summoned chief commissioner and the Islamabad police chief to appear before it on the next hearing. The activists along with a lawmaker were arrested on January 27. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A mothers intuition may have saved her Madelyn Quirozs life. Marinas last words before her daughter left to go and eat with a couple of friends was, wear your seatbelts. As several Dayton area residents gathered around the flagpole and veterans memorial on the campus of the Dayton Community Center on Feb. 7, they said prayers for the 16-year-old junior who is a member of the Dazzlers dance team at DHS. Her spirits have been low since the accident and her sister and mom organized a prayer vigil for her and invited her family and friends. ON HOUSTON CHRONICLE.COM: OUT OF CONTROL: Houstons roads, drivers are countrys most deadly Her prognosis is still questionable while she undergoes intense therapy at The Institute of Rehabilitation and Recovery Memorial Hermann in Houston. At this point, she still doesnt have feeling in both of her legs. She has three to four hours of physical therapy each day and her mom said its intense. Every day something in her body improves, the mom told the crowd gathered. The leg is feeling coolness, her right knee aches, she said. All positive signs. TEEN HERO: Cy-Fair area teen recovering after ejection from vehicle When you touch her legs, she cant feel it but yesterday they did a nerve stimulation and her left toes were moving. Her right foot kicked all the way up, she said. Every day shes in excruciating pain from the surgeries and injuries but she has hope. Shes overwhelmed with joy and committed to God. She knows it will be one day at a time. She will dance again, her mom said tearfully. On Thursday, Jan. 23, Quiroz, playfully nicknamed Maddii, texted her mom Marina at work to ask her permission to go eat some crawfish with her friends Morgan and Alexia after school. Her mom told her no, but that wasnt the end of it. If I say no, then thats it and she never continues to ask, her mom said. This time, for some reason, was different. She called and tried to reason with her that she was going to be out of town on the weekend at the church retreat and wouldnt get to see these friends, but her mom, feeling uneasy about it all, still said no. MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox Then one of those friends texted her and asked her. This back and forth went on for almost two hours. She never rebuttals, her mom said, but she told her mom she was always where she was supposed to be and always did what she was asked. Thats when she got me, her mom said. Her last words to her daughter, Seatbelts. I love you, she said. She responded to her friend similarly, Seat belts. Drive safe. The students got out of school around 2:45 p.m. and the kids were on their way. Then 15 minutes after school let out, the dreaded call came. Her mom, who works as a sheriffs deputy in District Three on the eastside of Harris County, looked at the number and it didnt look familiar. At the same time, she received a text from her husband asking her to call him. I got this chill over me, she said. She answered the phone call and it was a firefighter. Im with your daughter Madelyn, and shes been in a car accident, he said to her. My heart fell immediately, the panic-stricken mom said. After some brief chat about her condition, they said they were transporting her to Kingwood Hospital and Marina ran out of the office on Wallisville Road to her Jeep. She called her husband and he made it to the scene but couldnt talk to Maddii. Then the plans changed. Instead of taking her to Kingwood, she would be LifeFlighted to Memorial Hermann in Houston. Her husband Flavio, knowing Maddii was a minor, insisted on riding with her. Marina turned around and headed downtown and beat them to the hospital. When she arrived, the trauma team told us they would be with us in five minutes. It was 45 minutes later. My husband and I couldnt even breathe until we talked to them. She kept telling her husband that something wasnt right. Then they came out and told her parents that she had suffered a broken back, had a collapsed lung, broken ribs, broken nose, broken arm and multiple contusions. She was all busted up and swollen in her face, her mom recalled. She couldnt believe where her daughters heart was while she was lying in the bed in Intensive Care. Mom, would you call Ms. Virginia across the street. This was on Thursday. She was concerned that Ms. Virginia would be upset that she wouldnt be ready at five to catch the ride to go to the retreat. She didnt want to let her down, her mom said. Her next conversation was about having to quit the dance team. Were going to competition, and I wont be ready, Maddii said. I told her she wasnt quitting anything and that we werent quitters and she would dance again. The only thing her daughter remembers from the accident is telling the driver to slow down and when they went airborne, she passed out. She awoke in the car and told Dayton VFD fire chief Murphy Green to call her mom. She kept repeating to him, I shouldnt have gone. I shouldnt have gone, her mom said. The accident occurred at Waco and US 90. It looked like they straightened the curve out and hit the ditch and launched back up and landed on the railroad tracks upright, Green said. They took a nasty hit because it stopped instantly. Green said it appeared all three girls had their seatbelts on and if they hadnt, they would have all been ejected and the scene might have been a completely different one. Thank God there wasnt a train coming at the time either, he said. He contacted the railroad to advise them what has occurring so nothing more tragic would have happened. We shut the trains down because they were sitting right on the track, Green said. They didnt have to use the Jaws of Life to extract the trio. We knew instantly that she had a back injury, so we strapped her and C-spined (cervical spine) her before we took her out, Green said. Her spinal cord was severely damaged and she spent four days in Intensive Care with two surgeries, and a third surgery when she was moved to the Trauma floor of the hospital. Her family was FaceTiming with Maddii during the entire event and from her hospital bed, she spoke to the crowd. I appreciate all the support and its really she broke up crying, I love you guys, she continued. This whole journey has been hard, but its been easier knowing I have friends to lean on, she said. To help Maddii in her recovery expenses, please visit her GoFundMe account at gofundme.com/f/team-maddi. dtaylor@hcnonline.com Monday, February 10, 2020 at 10:10PM Samsung has basically shown off its newest foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip, during a commercial it aired at this year's Oscars. While Samsung doesn't name the phone, it shows what the folding device looks like and teases what it can do. The ad shows the Galaxy Z Flip sitting on the phone at a 90-degree angle being used for video chats. In the commercial itself, The Verge reports that Samsung cautions: "You may notice a small crease in the center of the main screen, which is a natural characteristic of the screen." The ad shows the outside screen, which is in full colour and capable of being used for caller ID with sliders for accepting or rejecting a call. This isn't the first time Samsung has done ads during the Oscars. But it is the first time it teased a device it hasn't launched yet. The company is bent on hyping its February 11 event, where the Galaxy Z Flip is expected to launch alongside three variants of the Galaxy S20 series. Kalkaji Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Kalkaji constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Kalkaji Assembly Election 2020 | Surviving an initial scare, AAP's Atishi cruised forward to register a win over BJP's Dharambir Singh. Earlier in the day it seemed that perhaps replacing incumbent AAP MLA Avtar Singh Kalkaji with well-known AAP face Atishi was probably not an electorally wise decision for the party as she was trailing. The electoral battle at Kalkaji had taken a high-profile turn with the entry of Atishi as the AAP candidate from the Assembly constituency. Kalkaji voted along with 69 other Assembly seats in the upcoming Delhi Assembly election on 8 February. The Assembly constituency, which comes under the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, saw a dramatic change in its demographics after delimitation when low incomes areas were added to it. The result of the Atishi versus Dharamveer Singh, BJP's candidate for the seat, and Congress' Shivani Chopra were announced on 11 February when the votes were counted. Here's a brief profile on the constituency: Constituency Name: Kalkaji Constituency Number: 51 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 1,64,319 Female Electors: 72,236 Male Electors: 92,072 Third Gender: 11 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra won the seat thrice between 1998 and 2008. However, he narrowly lost to Harmeet Kalka of the BJP in the 2013 polls. In the 2015 Assembly polls, Kalka lost to AAPs Avtar Singh by a margin of fewer than 20,000 votes. Demographics: The constituency has a diverse mix of population with a sizeable number of Punjabi refugees, Purvanchalis, slum and JJ (jhuggi jhopdi) dwellers residing under it. In fact, there are 25 slum clusters that constitute a major chunk of the vote bank for AAP and Congress in the constituency. Maharani Bagh, Ishwar Nagar, New Friends Colony, Bharat Nagar, Sarai Jullena, Masih Garh, Sriniwaspuri, East of Kailash, Garhi East of Kailash, Sukhdev Vihar, Shyam Nagar, Kalkaji, Giri Nagar and Govind Puri are some of the localities in the constituency. A 20-year-old man who survived a crash into a utility pole died when he stepped out of his car and put his foot onto the downed power line. Fabian Garnica collided with the utility pole when driving on a highway in Texas City with his girlfriend Destiny Wallace on Saturday night. The couple, who went to Texas City high school together, were both injured but survived the crash. But Garnica was electrocuted when he stepped out of the vehicle to assess the damage and stood on the downed power line the car had struck. Fabian Wallace, 20, (above) survived a crash into a utility pole and then tragically died after he stepped onto the downed power line when he got out of his car Fabian Garnica (left) collided with the utility pole when driving on a highway in Texas City with his girlfriend Destiny Wallace (right) on Saturday night Emergency services at the scene of the tragic accident: The couple, who went to Texas City high school together, were both injured but survived the crash The accident took place on a highway in Texas City (above) Wallace had stayed in the car and avoided the tragic accident. When she was later examined in hospital, she found out she was pregnant with Garnica's child. His family said they were 'devastated' by the accident and gathered at the scene of the crash Monday night to hold a vigil honoring the young man's life, according to KTRK. Flowers had been placed by the side of the road. Police are now investigating the cause of the crash which involved no other vehicles, the station said. Wallace (right), who stayed in the car and escaped the tragic incident, then found out she was pregnant with Garnica's (left) child when she was taken to hospital for treatment Flowers are seen by the side of the road on Monday Officials are warning others to always stay inside the vehicle and call emergency services if they have a crash involving power lines. 'If you're in a vehicle, you need to stay inside the vehicle until we can arrive on scene,' said Texas City EMS Director Wendell Wiley. 'We can assess and see if the power lines are still hot. If they are, we can contact the light company. Your safest place is inside the vehicle.' Police are now investigating the cause of the crash (scene pictured above) which involved no other vehicles Advertisement Prince Charles and Prince William bonded over wheelchair basketball as they joined Kate Middleton and the Duchess of Cornwall for their first joint appearance in nine years. Playful Prince William, 37, tried his hand at the sport while meeting injured military personnel on a visit to the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Loughborough, this afternoon. Hoping to help his son score, Charles, 71, pushed William towards the basket and was on hand with a boosting shoulder rub when the first two shots were unsuccessful. Father and son were also joined in celebration when the Duke of Cambridge finally did score, with both princes throwing their hands up in delight. Charles, Camilla, William and Kate toured the facility, including the gym and the prosthetics workshop, on their first official outing since a charity concert in 2011. Kate, 38, elegantly dressed in a military-style jacket by Alexander McQueen, spent time speaking to patients about the important role mental health care played in their rehabilitation. The visit comes as the Royal Family continues to adjust to the shift in responsibilities in the wake of Megxit, which saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex step back from their roles as senior royals. Scroll down for videos The fab four! Charles, Camilla, William and Kate came together to visit to the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Loughborough, in their first official outing as a foursome since 2011. Pictured, the royals at the centre today A good sport! In the gym the royals met patients playing wheelchair basketball as part of their treatment - and Prince William, 37, gamely sat in a chair to try and score a basket. Despite his confidence, the ball went wide His No.1 fan: Fortunately Charles, 71, was on hand to console his son and jokingly rubbed William's shoulders as he commiserated in the chair, pictured. The father and son shared a laugh following the failed attempt Perfectly polished: Meanwhile his wife Kate, 38, elegantly dressed in a military-style jacket by Alexander McQueen, spent time speaking to patients about the important role mental health care played in their rehabilitation Cracking jokes! Prince Charles had his daughter-in-law laughing as they toured the facilities at DMRC this afternoon Family affair: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shared a light-hearted moment with Charles and Camilla at the centre Radiant: The Duchess of Cambridge smiled as she spoke to staff and patients during a visit to the centre this afternoon Former Major Peter Norton, a triple amputee, said of the Duchess: 'She was asking me about the mental health and welfare aspect of the work here which is a huge part of the care you receive. It's a very natural process here. They know the two go hand in glove.' Charles stopped to chat with Emmanuel Bajowa, of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment, who had suffered a fractured skull and is receiving treatment at the centre for around five months. He was doing a circuit including sit ups. Emmanuel said afterwards: 'The Prince told me my sit ups looked agony and asked about my injury. He told me to keep going - I'm not sure if he meant the sit ups or generally!' Occupational therapist Verity Cannell and Sgt Angela Stevens also met the royal party. Angela, who suffered injuries in an adventure training accident, said Charles was interested to hear that she was based at RAF Lossiemouth close to where he went to school at Gordonstoun. She said William also asked her about the mental health aspects of their care. He's ready! The Duke of Cambridge prepared to shoot the basket while meeting patients at the DMRC in Leicestershire Disappointment! Prince William let out a grown after a failed attempt - but Prince Charles couldn't help but chuckle He shoots! The confident Duke of Cambridge flicked his wrist and sent the ball flying... but it went wide and missed the basket Better luck this time! Fortunately for the prince he had better luck with another attempt and celebrated with Prince Charles Royal outing: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall in the gym today Having a laugh! The Duchess of Cambridge chuckled as she spoke to people in the gym at the new DMRC this afternoon Engaged: Kate looked interested as she spoke to staff and patients during the visit with Charles, Camilla and William today Teamwork: The Duchess of Cornwalll, Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Charles at the centre today Meet and greet: The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge spoke to people waiting outside during the visit this afternoon 'We talked about how important it is and I told him about how it was very much a dual aspect, bespoke package of care we got here,' she said. 'He asked me how important it was to be ere with 'my brothers' and I told him how much it meant to me. It's my goal to return back to service. ' Chatting to patients and their carers and therapists at a reception towards the end of the visit, Camilla asked one: 'Have you seen progress? It just shows what can be done. It's all about positive mental attitude. ' William also spent time talking to Emma Lumb, 25, from Barnsley, who served in the Royal Logistics Corps, and was paralysed from the neck downwards in a car accident last March. She was holding her son Lucus Murgatroyd, four, on her lap. He asked her: ' Do you notice a difference [here]? Is it different being here as opposed to a civilian hospital? Do you stay here permanently? He also asked her: 'Is it important to be able to speak about stuff?' The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge carried out a rare joint engagement with Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall Kate Middleton, 38, turned to her go-to label Alexander McQueen for the occasion, plumping for a navy military-style jacket The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall all appeared in good spirits on their arrival The Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall looked relaxed as they chatted on their way into the centre The Duchess of Cambridge turned her head to speak to the Duchess of Cornwall as they arrived at DMRC in the rain today Kate Middleton wore her hair swept back into a half-up hairdo for the outing with her husband, Charles and Camilla today The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined Charles and Camilla today as they continue a busy start to the year Smiling Kate and William shook hands with officers as they left the centre following the visit this afternoon, left and right The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (centre) leave after visiting the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall in Stanford on Soar, Loughborough Speaking afterwards Emma said: 'It makes a massive difference. You feel you are with your family, surrounded by the guys and the banter. Don't get me wrong, the NHS was brilliant when I had my accident. I couldn't have had better treatment. I can't fault it. But when you are in the army you are part of a very special family and moving forwards it is a better place for me to be. 'The staff here are so fantastic and they understand what it means to me.' Emma said he would be at the centre for another 18 months but was visited twice a week by her family including her young son, dressed smartly in a camouflage tie for the occasion, and had regular weekends home. 'I was worried about what it all meant for me as a mother but children just get on with it, don't they. And i am very lucky to have what movement I do have from my shoulders upwards. I am lucky to be alive, to be honest. ' She added: 'It's everyone's goal in the forces to meet a member of the Royal Family. I wish it hadn't been here for me, but there you go. It's wonderful that they have all come.' Kate turned to her go-to designer, Alexander McQueen for the outing, and teamed the jacket with a long black skirt and matching bag, also by the British label, to create a classic polished look. The outfit choice is particularly poignant as today marks the tenth anniversary of McQueen's death. The royal swept her hair back into an easy-to-manage half-up hairstyle - perfect for keeping flyaways under wraps on a cold and blustery day - and added a pair of simple silver drop earrings. She finished the look with a pair of long suede black heeled boots. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge looked animated as they chatted with staff following a tour of the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall Wearing royal blue, Kate looked engaged as she discussed the important work carried out by members of staff at the unit The Duchess of Cornwall also looked glamorous in a teal coat with blue and green checked lapels, which matched her navy leather gloves The Duchess of Cambridge was her usual smiley self as she met with patients and staff and had a tour of the gym and prosthetics workshop The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge shook hands on their way out of the centre following the visit this afternoon Meanwhile the Duchess of Cornwall brought a touch of colour to the occasion in a green wool three piece by Mr Roy. Camilla, 72, added a cosy hat with a faux fur trim to keep her hair warm in the chilly winter temperatures. Their husbands looked equally smart, with Prince William, 37, donning a navy blue suit and military tie and Charles, 71, wearing a grey suit under a clay-coloured coat. Run by the Ministry of Defence the centre at the Stanford Hall estate, near Loughborough, began admitting patients in October 2018 and provides rehab treatment to serving military who have suffered battlefield, neurological or other injuries and illnesses. DMRC Stanford Hall is part of the overall Defence and National Rehabilitation Centre (DNRC) programme which includes both a defence element and proposals for a National (NHS) facility on the same site. William, who was patron of the DNRC appeal, attended the official handover of the newly built defence centre to the nation in June 2018. Later during their away day in the Leicester area, Charles and Camilla will visit the city's centre to meet stallholders and members of a local women's charity, attend a performance by local schoolchildren to celebrate the diversity of the city and unveil a commemorative plaque in the new market square. The prince will then attend a reception to launch the Midlands chapter of the British Asian Trust, in his role as the organisation's founding patron. While the duchess, who is president of Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), will visit Leicester General Hospital to take part in the RVS' Big Trolley Push recruitment campaign, where she will be joined by West End musical star Elaine Paige. Charles will celebrate craftsmanship when he visits a workshop, said to be the last in Britain producing rattan products, and then he will be joined by wife Camilla for a visit to the Cambridge Satchel Company. Kate's decision to wear McQueen today is particularly poignant as it is the tenth anniversary of the designer's death Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge and the Duchess of Cornwall followed Prince Charles into the centre this afternoon Charles, Camilla, William and Kate will be given a tour of the facility. Pictured, the royals arriving at the centre today The Duke of Cambridge with the Duchess of Cambridge, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall arriving at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre Stanford Hall, Stanford on Soar, Loughborough The Duchess of Cambridge looked chic in an Alexander McQueen military jacket, pictured, for the engagement today The Duchess of Cambridge beamed as she arrived for the engagement alongside Prince William and the Duchess of Cornwall COLUMBUS, Ohio An Ohio Senate candidate says she wont stop using photos taken with President Donald Trump in her campaign, rejecting a demand from Trumps campaign that she do so. In an interview, Melissa Ackison said the photos she and her family took with Trump and Vice President Mike Pence during a July 2017 trip to the White House are her personal property. She said her prominent use of them on her campaign website and elsewhere is meant to show that she supports the president, not the other way around. I would never say that Trump endorsed me. Thats not true. But I absolutely said from the very beginning that I support the president, she said. But in a Jan. 29 letter to Ackison, Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of the Trump campaign, said her use of the photos gives the misleading impression that Trump had endorsed her. Your use of these nearly three-year-old photographs on your campaigns website and in other campaign literature wrongly suggests that President Trump endorses your candidacy, Glassner wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by cleveland.com. This is not true and is misleading to the Presidents supporters and voters in Ohio. Let us be clear: neither President Trump nor the Trump campaign endorses your state senate candidacy at this time. That could happen, but until then, we demand that you immediately stop using the photographs of you with the president including removing them from your campaigns website - and cease all other activities suggesting President Trump endorses your state senate campaign. Ackison, a Marysville businesswoman running in the Republican primary for the 26th Senate district in North Central Ohio, chalked up the Trump campaigns interest in her use of the photos to a former campaign staffer who she fired. In a Facebook video, she accused her primary opponent, state Rep. Bill Reineke, and other political opponents of orchestrating the letter to try to damage [her] credibility as the Trump candidate. In a Sunday Twitter post, she called Glassner a punk. Way to piss of the grassroots Trump supporters with Ohios most popular conservative candidate. Dont you dare tell me how to use my personal photographs. Nobody ever said the president endorsed my candidacy BUT Ohios biggest donors have @michaelglassner Piss off punk Melissa Ackison (@MelissaAckison) February 10, 2020 Ackison and her husband visited the White House in July 2017 to share their personal challenges with the Affordable Care Act in the thick of Trumps unsuccessful push to repeal the health-care legislation. Since the visit, Ackison has gotten involved in Ohio politics, first unsuccessfully seeking the GOP nomination for an Ohio U.S. Senate seat in 2018. She now is running for the state Senate against Bill Reineke, a state representative and car dealer from Tiffin, to replace Sen. Dave Burke, a Marysville Republican who is barred from running for re-election due to term limits. In a statement, Caleb Stidham, Reinekes campaign manager, said: "This is yet another attempt by Melissa Ackison to blame others for her deceptive campaign tactics and play the victim. The fact is she received a cease-and-desist directly from President Trumps campaign and is refusing to respect their wishes. She is placing her own reckless ambition above President Trumps re-election campaign. The race is among the most heated state legislative primaries in Ohio, with Ackison, running an aggressive campaign as an insurgent political outsider. Reineke, who is endorsed by the state party, U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan and other GOP officials, recently responded by launching an anti-Ackison website. Read other recent Ohio political news: Dark money group set up to promote Gov. Mike DeWines gun bill Republicans add birth certificate requirement to Ohio Democratic bill requiring presidential candidates to share tax returns Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose back from talking elections security in Israel Ohio House moves to undo law change that helped wealthy Stark County village try to change school districts Eight Ohio counties miss deadline to complete required pre-election security upgrades Samsung will launch an official leather case in at least two colors for its Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, expected to arrive on February 11. Thats based on a set of recently leaked images pushed to Twitter by WinFutures Roland Quandt. The images are as clear as can be expected and show a case that has been split into two parts. One half of the overall design covers the top portion of the foldable smartphone. Thats got a cutout for the cameras, as well as the side buttons. That wraps around to hug the top edge as well as the left and right edges. The lower portion follows a similar design and is embedded with the standard Samsung logo branding. The key difference in that segment is that the edge cutout has been applied to the bottom. Presumably, thats to leave space for speakers and any ports found along that edge. Advertisement There are two colors shown for the case. The first is a silver-white coloration. The second coloration shown is a standard black. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip is almost a flagship flip phone While the Galaxy Z Flip isnt expected to launch until tomorrow, Samsung has already published at least one ad for the gadget. It has also appeared in several other leaks, including an unofficial hands-on video that appears to align with expectations. Setting aside exterior design cues, the device itself will approach flagship status but not quite reach it. To begin with, Samsung will reportedly pack the gadget with a Snapdragon 855+ processor. Thats as opposed to the undeniably more powerful Snapdragon 865 SoC. The latter processor will undoubtedly make its way into the Samsung Galaxy S20 series, expected to launch alongside the Galaxy Z Flip. Advertisement That chipset may or may not be coupled with the newer and faster LPDDR5 RAM. Conversely, it may utilize LPDDR4 instead, making it slower in that way too. At the surface, there will be two 12-megapixel snappers on the outside of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip. According to rumors, those will be accompanied by a minuscule 1.05-inch Focus Display. Opening up the metal and glass handset will reportedly reveal a healthier 6.7-inch OLED display panel. Advertisement Will the cases fully protect the device and is it worth the cost? The newly-leaked case appears to protect every edge of the design with enough bumper that protrudes just enough to protect in a fall. That is, with the exception of the hinge when the gadget is closed. Now, in all likeliness, Samsung designed the case with enough overlap that edge will be safe if the phone is dropped. The company has been prone to the occasional oversight in its design before. But Mr. Quandt also indicates that these cases wont come cheap, although no price bracket is given. So there shouldnt be any issues there. The pricing of the case, if it falls in line with previous Samsung cases, could range upwards of $100. When the company released a similarly leather-bound case for its first folder, the Samsung Galaxy Fold, that case cost $129.99. Advertisement All eyes are on the voters in New Hampshire as they cast their ballots to clarify who is in front, who is behind and who will have momentum heading into the next couple of states for the Democratic primary. Voters are heading to the polls just over a week after the Iowa caucuses meltdown, which sowed considerable confusion among Democratic voters and candidates who hoped for a clean set of results and the momentum that comes with it for the top vote getters. But the Granite State celebrates its independence, and the irregularities out of the midwest have only reaffirmed that belief in their importance. Now, candidates are jostling for a top-three placement that will signal to voters, donors and, yes, the media that these are the folks to pay attention to going forward. So, heres what to watch once polls begin to close at 7pm EST. How big is the win? Out of Iowa, it was Bernie Sanders and Pete Buttigieg who declared victory, but the Vermont senator has pulled away in polls of Granite State voters. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters Its not necessarily surprising, given Mr Sanderss massive victory in the state just four years ago against Hillary Clinton. Still, should he expand on the 7-8 per cent lead he has over Mr Buttigueg (a final CNN tracking poll gave him 29 per cent support to Mr Buttigiegs 22 per cent), that could signal some very worrying momentum for other candidates in the race. Can Buttigieg live up to the hype? Hes a top poller in the state lately, fuelled in part by that good showing in Iowa. But, speaking to voters here in the state it is hard to ignore that some have some very real concerns about his relative lack of experience, and whether that could be a major liability against Donald Trump especially since the other leading candidates all can claim relationships and track records in Washington already. Joe Biden has already said hes going to lose. Mr Biden took a beating in Iowa, and has already signalled he expects to lose in the state this year. His campaign has promised that they plan on vigorously contesting the next couple of states New Hampshire and Nevada which are more diverse and have populations that are seen as strong for the former vice president. That said, Mr Biden has to be hoping for a better result here than expected. In that CNN poll, he ranks third, but others show him a bit further back. And, that third place is a drop from his previous first-place status earlier in the race, when he was widely expected to glide into the nomination. Klobu-charge? Klobu-mentum? Amy Klobuchar may very well end up being the dark horse of the 2020 primary season. As those questions have swirled around Mr Buttigiegs experience and Mr Bidens apparent collapse, many voters have expressed some interest in the Minnesota senator. She has seen some signs that her approach focusing on her tough character, and her common-sense moderate approach to policy is working: in at least two polls just a day before the primaries began, she surged to third place in the race. Recommended Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies Where does Warren end up? After peaking in polls this past fall, things have steadily dropped for the Massachusetts senator. Still, she has vigorously campaigned in Iowa and now New Hampshire, and her campaign operation in the Granite State is considered quite robust. While she has dropped in the polls, her campaign was still announcing endorsements as late as the morning of the vote. Like Mr Biden, a less than stellar performance in New Hampshire wont necessarily mean she drops out, but her pathway to the nomination would narrow significantly. And then, the rest of them. Those are the top candidates in this race, but several others have been putting in some significant time to try and attract voters. For them, New Hampshire could be their last vote in this race, given the quickly narrowing path to victory and the importance of winning for money flow into campaigns. Among those are Tulsi Gabbard, Andrew Yang, Deval Patrick and Michael Bennet. We'll see if any of them pull off a surprise in the Granite State. A murderer who killed a 20-year-old woman because she was dressed as a goth has had his minimum jail sentence reduced by a year. Ryan Herbert, 28, was jailed for life in 2008 when he was 16 years old for the murder of Sophie Lancaster in a park in Bacup, Lancashire, the previous year. Ms Lancaster and her boyfriend Robert Maltby were attacked in Stubbylee Park because they were goths. Ryan Herbert murdered Sophie Lancaster in 2007 (PA) She was kicked to death by Herbert and his friend Brendan Harris while she cradled her boyfriends head in her lap. Ms Lancaster didnt regain consciousness and died in hospital 14 days later. Herbert also admitted assault causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Mr Maltby and was given a minimum term of 16 years and three months, which was later reduced to 15-and-a-half years on appeal. Sophie Lancaster, 20, was attacked because she was a goth (PA) Herbert, from Bacup, had his tariff cut to 14-and-a-half years on Monday, as a High Court judge concluded he has made "exceptional progress" in jail. A previous attempt by Herbert to have his minimum term reduced was rejected in 2016. But Mr Justice William Davis said evidence from professionals at HMP Warren Hill, Suffolk, where Herbert has been since May 2017, indicates he has significantly improved since the earlier review. The judge said he also received a letter from the directors of the Learning Together programme, based at the University of Cambridge, where Herbert has taken a law course which involves inmates and university students working together. He said Herbert has taken on a mentoring role, has designed and delivered new sessions as part of the course, and was described in the letter as "one of the most reliable, sensitive and conscientious students" on the programme. Mourners walk alongside the coffin of Sophie Lancaster at her funeral in Whitworth, Lancashire (PA) The judge said: "The way in which Herbert has developed since his arrival at HMP Warren Hill some two-and-a-half years ago does amount to exceptional progress. "In 2008, Herbert was a young person whose only contribution to education was to disrupt and who saw no purpose in learning. Story continues "In 2020, he is someone who has a profound interest in his own education and the education of others." Read more Elon Musk says Facebook is lame and calls on followers to delete app Manchester Arena terrorist's family 'claimed benefit cash which was used for bomb plot' Briton who caught coronavirus feared to be super spreader linked to seven cases The decision means Herbert will now be eligible to apply for parole in February 2022 although he will not be released until the Parole Board is satisfied he no longer poses a danger to the public. Harris, who was found guilty of Ms Lancaster's murder at Preston Crown Court in March 2008 and admitted the attack on Mr Maltby, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years. A judge who carried out a review of his tariff in January concluded he had not made enough progress to have his sentence reduced. Ms Lancaster's mother, Sylvia Lancaster, said she was angry at the court's decision to reduce Herberts sentence. Sylvia Lancaster, mother of murdered Sophie, outside Preston Crown Court in 2008 (PA) She said: "I'm glad (Herbert) is doing well in prison but what is the point of a judge handing out a sentence only to have that overturned it just doesn't make sense." Ms Lancasters mother said the decision to reduce Herbert's sentence for a second time had come as a surprise, particularly after Harris's bid to have his tariff reduced was rejected. "It's never ending, you just never know when another appeal is going to crop up," she said. Herbert and Harris, then aged 15, and four other teenage boys "savagely and mercilessly attacked" Mr Maltby in Stubbylee Park, Bacup, during the early hours of 11 August 11 2007. Gap-year student Ms Lancaster rushed to help her boyfriend as he lay unconscious and shouted at his attackers to leave him alone. Herbert and Harris then turned on her, subjecting her to a "sustained and vicious attack" which involved her head being kicked and stamped on until she too lost consciousness. Mr Justice William Davis said it appeared the couple were attacked because they "looked and dressed differently. AUBURN, Mass., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Solar Wolf Energy (Boston, MA) is looking to install what they believe might be the nation's first truly off-grid and self-sustained microgrid residential development. The vision for this project is to provide a high-quality installation with no above ground connections while maintaining complete independence from connecting to any utility generator. This vision demonstrates a promising neighborhood in the continental United States that is fully self-sustaining and reliant. Solar Wolf Energy is a nationwide solar sales and installation company that has partnerships with the highest efficiency module manufactures as well as energy storage leaders in the industry. Solar Wolf Energy is looking to connect with regional or national residential housing developers to realize our vision. We are looking for true believers that understand this specific vision from our CEO: "It is important to us to help move this process forward. It's also super critical that we work with a developer that is aligned with the same core values and the environmental impact this will have." Ted Strzelecki Solar Wolf Energy CEO, Chairman Interested corporations may contact Solar Wolf Energy via [email protected]. Solar Wolf Energy 888-878-4396 Solarwolfenergy.com SOURCE Solar Wolf Energy Related Links http://www.solarwolfenergy.com US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Iran of honing its ballistic missile skills through a satellite launch and vowed to exert more pressure. "The United States will continue to build support around the world to confront the Iranian regime's reckless ballistic missile activity, and we will continue to impose enormous pressure on the regime to change its behavior," Pompeo said in a statement. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A San Antonio burger was recently named "the absolute best" in Texas by a national health magazine. Eat This, Not That! used Yelp's star ratings and amount of reviews to find the best burger joint in each state, then looked through the reviews to crown the best beef patty on a bun at each establishment. The magazine determined that El Caliente Burger at Papa's Burgers is the best burger in the Lone Star State. The West Side eatery describes the dish as "just like San Antonio summers... HOT!" READ MORE: S.A. burger place apologizes, pledges to add staff after being inundated following national ranking Owner Robert Walker packs 1/3 of a pound of fresh grilled patty, pepper jack cheese, sliced jalapenos, lettuce, sliced tomatoes, onions, and pickles between the buns. The sandwich alone costs $7.50 and the combo with fries and a soft drink costs $10.95. Eat This, Not That! advised its readers to "spice things up with this caliente burger and a side of crinkle-cut fries." Papa's Burgers has received national acclaim before. In 2018, Money Magazine named the hole-in-the-wall restaurant, located at 709 Old Highway 90 West, the fourth best in the country. The resulting flood of customers overwhelmed the staff, so Walker hired more employees and apologized for not meeting the company's standards. People are now focused on what will happen after the quarantine is withdrawn and people once again crowd onto public transport to head to work. For weeks after the first reports of a mysterious new virus in Wuhan, millions of people poured out of the central Chinese city, cramming onto buses, trains and planes as the first wave of Chinas great Lunar New Year migration broke across the nation. Some carried with them the new virus that has since claimed over 800 lives and sickened more than 37,000 people. Officials finally began to seal the borders on 23 January. But it was too late. Speaking to reporters a few days after the city was put under quarantine, the mayor estimated that five million people had already left. Where did they go? An Associated Press analysis of domestic travel patterns using map location data from Chinese tech giant Baidu shows that in the two weeks before Wuhans lockdown, nearly 70 percent of trips out of the central Chinese city were within Hubei province. Baidu has a map app that is similar to Google Maps, which is blocked in China. Another 14 percent of the trips went to the neighbouring provinces of Henan, Hunan, Anhui and Jiangxi. Nearly two percent slipped down to Guangdong province, the coastal manufacturing powerhouse across from Hong Kong, and the rest fanned out across China. The cities outside Hubei province that were top destinations for trips from Wuhan between 10 January and 24 January were Chongqing, a municipality next to Hubei province, Beijing and Shanghai. The travel patterns broadly track with the early spread of the virus. The majority of confirmed cases and deaths have occurred in China, within Hubei province, followed by high numbers of cases in central China, with pockets of infections in Chongqing, Shanghai and Beijing as well. Its definitely too late, said Jin Dong-Yan, a molecular virologist at Hong Kong Universitys School of Biomedical Sciences. Five million out. Thats a big challenge. Many of them may not come back to Wuhan but hang around somewhere else. To control this outbreak, we have to deal with this. On one hand, we need to identify them. On the other hand, we need to address the issue of stigma and discrimination. He added that the initial spread of travellers to provinces in central China with large pools of migrant workers and relatively weaker health care systems puts a big burden on the hospitals ... of these resource-limited provinces. Baidu gathers travel data based on more than 120 billion daily location requests from its map app and other apps that use Baidus location services. Only data from users who agree to share their location is recorded and the company says data is masked to protect privacy. Baidus publicly available data shows proportional travel, not absolute numbers of recorded trips, and does not include trips by people who dont use mobile phones or apps that rely on Baidus popular location services. Public health officials and academics have been using this kind of mapping data for years to track the potential spread of disease. A group of researchers from Southampton Universitys WorldPop research group, which studies population dynamics, used 2013-2015 data from Baidus location services and international flight itineraries to make a predictive global risk map for the likely spread of the virus from Wuhan. Its important to understand the population movements out of Wuhan before the citys lockdown, said Lai Shengjie, a WorldPop researcher who used to work at Chinas Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Maybe they hadnt developed symptoms but could transmit the virus. We need to look at destinations across China and the world and focus on the main destinations and try to prepare for disease control and prevention, he said. The last trains left Wuhan the morning of 23 January, cutting off a surge of outbound travel that had begun three days earlier, Baidu data shows. Nearby cities rushed to impose travel restrictions of their own. From 23 January to 26 January, the 15 cities that Baidu data shows received the most travelers from Wuhan a combined 70 percent all imposed some level of travel restrictions. Other nations soon followed suit, including the United States, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand and the Philippines, all of which have sharply restricted entry for people coming from China. Others, like Italy and Indonesia, have barred flights. WorldPop researchers found that travel out of Wuhan has historically ramped up in the weeks before Lunar New Years Day. Based on historical travel patterns, they identified 18 high-risk cities within China that received the most travelers from Wuhan during this period. They then used 2018 flight itineraries from the International Air Transport Association to map the global connectivity of those cities. They note that travel patterns after restrictions started rolling out on 23 January will not match historical norms and that the cities they identified are initial ports of landing; travelers could have subsequently moved elsewhere. The top 10 global destinations for travelers from high-risk Chinese cities around Lunar New Year, according to their analysis, were Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, the United States, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Australia. In Africa, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Morocco, Nigeria and Kenya topped the list. The African continent is particularly vulnerable because of the weaker health infrastructure in many countries, and the longer cases go undetected, the more likely they are to spread. Capacity is quite weak in many African health services, Dr Michel Yao, emergency operations manager for the World Health Organization in Africa, told the AP. This new virus could overwhelm health systems we have in Africa. The Africa Centers for Disease Control, formed three years ago in response to the Ebola crisis in West Africa, said screening has been stepped up at ports of entry across Africa. Egypt began screening passengers from affected areas in China on 16 January. Over the next eight days, Nigeria, Ethiopia, South Africa, Mauritius and Kenya all put screening systems in place. No confirmed cases have been reported. Lai and his colleagues said they found a high correlation between the early spread of coronavirus cases and the geographical risk patterns they identified. The first case of the virus outside China was reported on 13 January in Thailand, followed two days later by Japan, the countries with the highest connectivity risk, according to WorldPops analysis. Within 10 days of Wuhans quarantine, the virus had spread to more than two dozen countries; nine of the 10 countries with the most flight connections to at-risk mainland cities also had the highest numbers of confirmed cases, mostly afflicting people who had been in China. The pattern isnt perfect; Zhejiang province, for example, was not a top destination from Wuhan this year, according to Baidu data, but now has among the highest numbers of confirmed cases. Our aim was to help guide some of the surveillance and thinking around the control measures, said Andrew Tatem, the director of WorldPop, adding that his group plans to update their analysis. There was a huge amount of movement out of the Wuhan region before the controls came into place, he said. Now were getting to stage of having data from multiple places on the scale of outbreaks elsewhere. Scientists have identified the new virus as a coronavirus, a family of viruses that include ones that can cause the common cold, as well as others that cause more serious illnesses, like SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome. Many are now focused on what will happen after the second wave of the Lunar New Year rush as people once again crowd onto trains, buses and planes to head back to work. The Chinese government extended the holiday, which was supposed to end on 30 January to 2 February. Shanghai, Beijing and several Chinese provinces ordered businesses to remain shut through Sunday, leaving the nations great megalopolises feeling like ghost towns. Its in cities where people interact much more, Tatem said. Thats potentially the worry of lots of people coming back in. A few people seeding that could result in a bigger problem. They say cancer has no friends, but in the case of Steve Wiseman that is not the case. Longtime California horseman Steve Wiseman has just been diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. To say that the Cal Expo horsemen were devastated to hear this news is an understatement. With the horse community being as tight as it is, the news spread across the country and into Canada in one day with horsepeople rallying to support Steve and his wife of 20 years, Kathie Plested. Steve, Kathie and their daughter, Tyler, run the largest stable in California during the winter and at Running Aces in Minnesota during the summer. Stevie, as he is known to many, has touched the hearts of horsepeople wherever he goes. He is one of the good guys. Whether to help a family ship a groom home who just passed away; to a shipper away from home offering a Christmas dinner; or rallying to help support a trainer who lost everything to a barn fire; to a driver who was in a bad accident, Stevie has opened his heart to many. One of the top drivers and respected horsemen in California and Minnesota for many years will now be racing one of the toughest races of his life. Although, with family and the hundreds of friends behind him with love and support, he can win this race. The California horsepeople at Cal Expo this weekend will be sporting the Wiseman colours of blue, yellow and white to show support and stand behind their beloved horseman and friend. Cal Expo are asking horsepeople and fans to stand with them to show support by wearing Wisemens colours this weekend. Megan Beauchamp has graciously offered to sell t-shirts via Facebook that feature the motto Wiseman Strong, Whatever It Takes on them. All proceeds will go to the Wiseman family to help with medical costs. A GoFundMe account has also been set up. Wristbands Available To Support Wiseman Beloved California and Minnesota reinsman Steve Wiseman, who has recorded over 3,000 career driving wins, was recently diagnosed with cancer. In an effort to offer financial support for Wiseman and his family during this difficult time, Harness Racing Symposium 101 is selling Whatever It Takes! wristbands in Steves driving colours. Wristbands are $7 each or 5 for $30 (prices include shipping within the continental U.S., outside of the U.S. is extra). All proceeds after costs will go directly to Wiseman and his family. If you would like to order wristbands, head to Harness Racing Symposium 101 on Facebook (the post to order wristbands is at the top of the pages newsfeed). You may place your order in the comments in the post, or send a message privately through the page. Harness Racing Symposium 101 is accepting Facebook Pay, PayPal, CashApp and Zelle currently for orders. Wristbands are in production and should arrive to Harness Racing Symposium 101 by February 21 (approximately), at which point Harness Racing Symposium 101 will ship to those that have placed orders. (With files from the California Harness Horsemens Association and Harness Racing Symposium 101) The older brother of a young girl run down by an alleged drink-driver has paid a unique tribute to his sister. Michael Sakr, 13, led a band of drummers ahead of the hearse carrying Veronique Sakrs coffin while her classmates lined the streets in a guard of honour following her funeral in Strathfield, Sydney, on Tuesday. Veronique, 11, was getting ice cream with her cousins in the suburb of Oatlands when she was run down and killed 10 days ago. She died at the scene alongside her cousins, Abdallah siblings Sienna, 8, Angelina, 12, and Antony, 13. Earlier on Tuesday, Veroniques family said she had a "beautiful and unrivalled" relationship with her older sibling. Michael Sakr, 13, led a band of drummers ahead of the hearse carrying Veronique Sakrs coffin following her funeral on Tuesday. Source: AAP "When Michael was told about the tragedy he asked 'Dad, how do I do it?' I asked 'Do what?' Michael said 'Live my life without her?'" a statement released by Veroniques family said. The heartbreaking tribute was issued by her dad Bob Sakr, mum Bridget Sakr, her brother Michael and Ms Sakr's partner Craig Mackenzie. Veronique, who had just started grade six at Santa Sabina College, was "a bright spark with an infectious smile and a cheeky grin who could hold her own in any company", the family said. "Veronique had an incredible sense of compassion and empathy for others. She always opened her kind heart to everyone who was in need of a friend." Mourners at the 11 year olds packed funeral wore her favourite colour - blue. White doves were released as Veronique's coffin was carried out of the chapel. Doves are released after Veronique's funeral. Source: AAP Her grieving mother told the large crowd her daughter carried such wisdom. She could read between the lines on anything. "She would look at you with those amazing eyes. They would change colour between blue, grey and green depending on what she wore and the weather." Mrs Sakr, like others who knew Veronique, often wondered why her daughter had no attachment to material possessions. "It now makes sense to me," she said. "She never belonged to this world. She belonged to the spiritual world and therefore earthly possessions meant nothing to her." Story continues Monsignor Shora Maree said Veronique had lived a short life but "one of huge quality". Veronique's mum Bridget Sakr (centre left) and partner Craig Mackenzie (centre right), along with Leila Geagea (left) and Danny Adballah (right), whose three children were killed in the same accident, are seen behind the hearse as it leaves the funeral. Source: AAP "One of her teachers said that, at the end of the day, no matter how tired they would be, whenever they saw Veronique her smile and joy gave them a lift," Mons Shora said during the service. About 2000 people filled Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Harris Park on Monday to farewell her three cousins. Samuel William Davidson, 29, was allegedly three times the legal blood alcohol limit when he drove into the children. He's been charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter. 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. Mumbai, Feb 11 : The National Real Estate Development Council (NAREDCO) has urged the Centre to withdraw tax on the dividend received by InvIT/REIT unitholders. It has said that instead, InvITs/REITs should be provided a single-stage taxation structure as is currently available under the prevailing regulations, to keep the product attractive to attract both foreign and domestic capital inflows. In a letter to Economic Affairs Secretary Atanu Chakraborty, NAREDCO argued that continuation of dividend exemption in the hands of the unitholders will help in destressing the banking system as InvITs and REITs would be able to raise equity funds, which could replace the debt funds. Successful InvITs and REITs would make the infrastructure and commercial real estate sector more robust and attract larger employment, which will help in revival of the economy and job creation which has been the focus of this government, it said. "The Government's objective underpinning the taxation framework for InvITs/REITs was to provide for a single level of taxation on the income earned on the underlying assets. If the proposed amendments in relation to InvITs/REITs were to be implemented, the basic design principle of a single level of tax on income of the underlying assets held by InvITs/REITs would be compromised," Niranjan Hiranandani, National President, NAREDCO, said. "Instead of a single level of tax, income from the underlying assets would be subject two levels of taxation - once at the level of the SPV; the second level of tax would apply to the unitholders, when the post-tax income of the SPV is distributed by the InvITs / REITs to the unitholders," he added. The Finance Bill, 2020 has imposed tax on the dividend distributed to unitholders of the InvITs& REITs in the hands of the unitholders. The Bill aims at moving the incidence of tax on dividend from the companies to the recipients. InvITs/REITs, as a platform, have globally generated huge investment opportunities and the cumulative market capitalization is approaching $2 trillion. Of the Grade A office space stock of over 500 million square feet in India, as per JLL Research, 294 million square feet of office space stock would be eligible for REITs in India. This would translate to potential investment of $35 billion. Besides there are many Infrastructure assets including roads, ports, telecom assets, power assets, railways, etc. that could be listed as InvITs. 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 New Delhi: In a bid to create awareness around internet safety and reiterate its efforts to protect netizens, Google India on Tuesday announced a new comprehensive public outreach campaign named #PehleSafety. "We believe that education is a crucial aspect of online security. Over the course of last year we launched a far-reaching campaign to inform our users about online security, and the steps they can take to keep their internet experience safe," Saikat Mitra, Director, Trust, and Safety, Google India, said in a statement. "We worked with top YouTube influencers to spread the word on online safety and launched powerful, step-by-step tools like the Security Checkup and Password Checkup that help you strengthen your Google Account security and address issues in minutes. Hundreds of millions of users visit the Security Checkup each year." The internet giant`s custom-built infrastructure protects its data centres and servers while layers of advanced encryption ensure the protection of user data across Chrome and Gmail. Besides, Google looks out for risks and automatically blocks a wide range of security threats from ever impacting the users. "The safety of our users remains our highest priority, and we are committed to working toward protecting our users, products, and everything that is so valuable about the internet", Mitra added. According to the company, its automatic Gmail spam and phishing filters block 99.9 percent of suspicious or dangerous emails before they reach users. Medical team members of the Second Hospital of Shangdong University swear an oath before leaving for Hubei Province in Jinan, capital of east China's Shandong Province, Feb. 9, 2020. Medical teams from across China have been rushing to Hubei Province to aid the novel coronavirus control efforts there. (Xinhua/Zhu Zheng) BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities Monday stressed further increasing the production and supply of key medical prevention and control materials, strengthening the deployment of medics and developing drugs against the novel coronavirus. Concrete measures should be taken to accept and cure more patients infected with the virus and reduce the infection and mortality rate, according to a high-level meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee. The meeting of the leading group of the CPC Central Committee on the prevention and control of the novel coronavirus outbreak, which is headed by Li, ordered local authorities to encourage enterprises to increase production of medical supplies such as medical protective clothing and masks, by providing fiscal, taxation and financial policies and policies for government purchase and storage and helping solve the problem of raw materials and labor shortage. Noting some 20,000 medical staff from across the country have been sent to Hubei Province to treat patients, the meeting asked 19 other provinces to further step up medical staff assistance to Hubei while ensuring their local virus control. The meeting also stressed pooling strength to develop anti-virus medicines and vaccines and advance research on virus traceability and transmission, among others. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, concrete and effective efforts should be made to resolutely win the war of epidemic prevention and control, the meeting said. Wang Huning, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and deputy head of the leading group, attended the meeting. TACOMA, WA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / IONIC BRANDS CORP. (CSE:IONC)(OTCPINK:IONKF)(FRA:1B3) ("IONIC BRANDS" or the "Company") announces it has launched an Investor Group Community on 8020 Connect Platform. We invite all existing and potential shareholders and stakeholders to join the IONIC BRANDS Investor Group on 8020 Connect. Join here:: https://sites.google.com/80-20connect.com/ionic-8020-investor-intro Through the dynamic 8020 platform, IONIC BRANDS empowers each shareholder and interested investor to stay up-to-date with corporate developments as well as have an opportunity to be engaged with directly through our Investor Group. The interactive structure of the portal provides an opportunity for shareholders to become a part of the communication process and support the development of the Company's investor audience. The Company also announces a conversion of US $100,000 debt by John Gorst, CEO & Chairman of IONIC BRANDS at a deemed price of CAD $0.06 per common share of the Company well above the current market price. "We are excited to engage directly with our valued shareholders on the 8020 Connect platform," stated John Gorst, CEO of IONIC BRANDS CORP. Over the last five months, our management team has been working diligently, together with our stakeholders, to restructure our operations with a path to profitability. Now that we have completed our restructuring plan, we will be actively communicating our progress with our valued shareholders. Mr. Gorst also states, "due to our progress in our operations, I have recently converted a portion of my debt into additional shares of the Company as filed on SEDAR. I believe in our Company, our team, and building shareholder value through profitable operations." Management looks forward to a very productive 2020. About IONIC BRANDS Corp. The Company is focused on building a multi-state consumer-focused cannabis concentrate brand portfolio focusing on the premium and luxury segments. The cornerstone Brand of the portfolio, IONIC, is the top vaporizer brand in Washington State and has aggressively expanded throughout the West Coast of the United States. The brand is currently operating in Washington and Oregon. IONIC BRANDS' strategy is to be the leader of the highest-value segments of the cannabis market and expand nationally. On behalf of IONIC BRANDS CORP. John Gorst Chief Executive Officer & Chairman For more information visit www.ionicbrands.com or contact: John Gorst info@ionicbrands.com +1.253.248.7927 The CSE does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. The risks are without limitations the price for cannabis and related products will remain consistent and the consumer demand remains strong; availability of financing to the Company to develop the retail locations; retention of key employees and management; changes in State and/or municipal regulations of retail operations and changes in government regulations generally. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations are disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time with the Canadian Securities Exchange, the British Columbia Securities Commission, the Ontario Securities Commission and the Alberta Securities Commission. SOURCE: IONIC BRANDS CORP View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576006/IONIC-BRANDS-Launches-Investor-Group-Community-On-8020-Connect-Platform-John-Gorst-CEO-Chairman-Converts-Debt-Into-Shares Even before Barr was attorney general, the Trump administration had taken an aggressive posture toward places that limit their cooperation with immigration enforcement threatening to withhold grant money and suing over laws it felt encroached on the federal governments authority. The administration recently revealed it expects to kick roughly 175,000 New Yorkers out of Global Entry and other Trusted Traveler Programs by the end of this year and bar others from joining, in retaliation for that state limiting immigration agents access to the states drivers license data. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos laughs at a discussion at the Air Force Association's Air, Space and Cyber Conference in National Harbor, Md., Sept. 19, 2018. Jeff Bezos has been cashing out Amazon stock: nearly $4.1 billion worth of shares in the past 11 days. The Amazon CEO sold $579.8 million worth of shares on Friday, according to filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. That's after he sold $1.65 billion worth of shares last Tuesday and Wednesday, as well as unloaded $1.8 billion worth of shares between Jan. 31 and Feb. 3, according to SEC filings. The transactions were made as part of a prearranged 10b5-1 trading plan, according to the filings. Representatives from Amazon weren't immediately available to comment on the latest sale. Eleven years after it was first launched, the government has given the green light to HS2. Thats the preferred nomenclature, anyway. It is, at a conservative estimate, the eighth green light given to HS2 since it was first proposed by Andrew Adonis, Labours then transport secretary, in 2009. Back then, it was going to reach Birmingham by 2026. Quite how green this latest light is, we cannot fully know. As Boris Johnson stood at the dispatch box of the House of Commons, he referred to it only as high speed rail, opting not to use the term HS2. This was unfortunate, in its way. At least the term HS2 partly conceals the unfortunate words high and speed when applied to a project that has now been 11 years and a few tens of billions of pounds getting started. Yet Johnson opted for this alternative language partly because he was about to give the company, HS2 Limited, an absolute kicking for a litany of cock-ups for which central government is responsible. It also serves as a reminder that before HS2 came HS1. Thatll be the super high-speed train that currently links Britain and France, the one which Boris Johnsons government is currently in the business of slowing down in order to carry out customs checks. In his despatch box routine, Johnson did his bit about northern powerhouse rail, about levelling up, about shaving 50 minutes off the journey time to Glasgow a city which, by the time this train line is opened, stands a very high chance of being in another country. What also went without mention, on the High Speed One front, is that just outside central London is a train station called Stratford International that has been open for 10 years, yet still no international trains stop at it. Stratford International was built so that fast, international trains could go direct from Manchester and Liverpool straight to Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and beyond, without even passing through central London. But thats not happened. Why? Because for Stratford International to work, the UK would need to be in the EUs borderless travel area (otherwise, people who just wanted to go between, say, London and Manchester would need their passports) yet because the UK has convinced itself that were downright better than France, Germany, Italy, Spain and everywhere in between, we cant possibly permit ourselves to be. And Boris Johnson the great builder, the great doer, the would-be pioneer is the single person most responsible for the greatest backwards leap his country has ever or will ever take. Still, this was, we were told, a once in a generation decision. If anything, this was underselling the drama of the moment. Having been first proposed in one generation and taken in another, it is in fact a 0.5 times in a generation decision, but that doesnt have quite the same ring to it. Theres also the fact it concerns a project that will take more than a generation to complete. If you were in your thirties back in 2009, and youre lucky enough to ride HS2 in your lifetime, youll be a pensioner (I use the term pensioner in the loosest possible sense, of course. As if youll actually have a pension. I simply mean very old). Is it also possible to ponder whether the bold solutions of 2009 will solve the problems of 2040 (at the very earliest). Our ancestors looked to the future of transport and they made it happen! thundered Boris Johnson at the dispatch box, doing his very best impression of himself (if you think youre tired of this schtick, imagine how he feels; hes been at it for decades). It was not immediately clear which ancestors he had in mind, but whichever they were, its clear they lived in a different world to ours. The worlds current transport pioneers are dreaming of hyperloops and driverless cars. They work for companies like Google, which is 22 years old. If they get their way, it will be significantly fewer than 20 more years before small, green, almost motorbike-like self-driving electric vehicles are travelling bumper-to-bumper at 200 miles an hour. In such a world, only a sucker would want to travel by high-speed train. Still, only a sucker would be taken in by Boris Johnson. So we cant say we dont deserve our fate. The situation in the Idlib de-escalation zone seriously worsened Feb. 10. Following last week's large-scale Turkish military deployment in the region to prevent the forces of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad from further advancing, a new attack by the Syrian army led to the death of five more Turkish troops. In retaliation, the Turkish Ministry of Defense reported it had hit 115 Syrian targets and neutralized 101 Syrian military personnel. The Russian delegation returned to Turkey on Monday morning after the first meeting between Russian and Turkish negotiators in Ankara on Saturday bore no fruit. A source in the Syrian opposition who spoke with Al-Monitor not for attribution said the meeting also ended in deadlock. Why it matters: Ankaras demands for a pullout by the Syrian forces beyond the demarcation line defined by the 2018 Sochi memorandum are hardly acceptable for Russia. Moscow cannot demand that Damascus fulfill these stipulations while Assads troops continue to advance despite the Turkish military deployment. If Russia voices such proposals and insists on their implementation, it will only damage the bilateral relations with Syria with no good reason. Neither will Russia refuse support for Assad's troops should the Turkish forces and opposition units attempt to go on the offensive and push the Syrian army beyond the borders of the Idlib de-escalation zone. Ankara seems to get it. Understanding these dynamics means that Turkey is unlikely to be willing to carry out such an operation in the face of the threat of a direct military clash with Russia. Moscow also did not open the airspace over Idlib for the Turkish Air Force, reducing the operation's likelihood of success even if Moscow avoids direct military involvement in the fight. Keep plugging away: Perhaps the most acceptable option for Turkey right now is to continue a full-fledged positional rather than targeted military deployment in Idlib and to retain those areas that have still not been seized by the Assad regime forces while at the same time blocking their attempts to advance deeper into the region. Doing so may make Russia recognize these territories as the new Turkish security zone, which in turn would lead to a new Russian-Turkish memorandum type of deal that would renounce any anti-terrorist operations in this zone. On the contrary, Turkeys persistence in demanding the Syrian armys withdrawal beyond the line set by the Sochi accords with no document signed by the parties could only toughen the Russian position, with Moscow abandoning the compromises. It would lead to a cold war between Russia and Turkey in the divided Idlib. Damascus will be able to take over larger swaths of territory in the de-escalation zone until it finally reaches Turkish positions, where constant tensions will continue with attacks and provocations. Whats next? Ankara's claims to Moscow may also be read as intentionally raising the stakes for the sake of further bargaining. Doing so may enable Moscow to save face in Damascus by demonstrating perseverance in upholding Syrian interests in negotiations with Turkey should a new agreement on Idlib be made that embraces new realities on the ground. Know more: Metin Gurcan explains how the window between Moscow and Ankara may be narrowing over Idlib and Fehim Tastekin discusses how the ongoing crisis in Idlib may be affecting the Syrian Kurds. [February 11, 2020] OTTO Motors Announces Expansion To Japan Partnership with Altech Co. Ltd. serves growing market and demand in Japan TOKYO, Feb. 12, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OTTO Motors, the industrial division of Clearpath Robotics Inc., today announced its entrance into the Japanese market. The move marks Ontario-based OTTO's first expansion outside North America. OTTO Motors produces self-driving vehicles that move materials within manufacturing and warehousing facilities. OTTO is partnering with Altech, a specialized trading company that imports advanced machinery and equipment from Europe and the United States to support Japanese industrial companies. The companies announced their partnership at RoboDEX2020, an annual robot development and application expo being held in Tokyo. "This is a big moment for OTTO Motors," said Richard Baker, OTTO's chief revenue officer. "Our innovative self-driving vehicles have been helping modernize factories throughout the United States and Canada since 2015. OTTO Motors entered the Japan market in 2018, and with several successful deployments completed, we are expanding our efforts in Japan working alongside Altech." Together, OTTO Motors and Altech have already begun to serve customers in the automotive, logistics, food and industrial equipment industries. One such customer is HIROTEC, a leading Tier 1 automotive parts supplier to Mazda. HIROTEC installed three OTTO self-driving vehicles within its Hiroshima plat to deliver Mazda door panels to welding cells as part of a mission-critical process. The OTTO materials handling platform allowed HIROTEC to easily reconfigure its process to improve material movement efficiency and increase throughput. By installing the three OTTO self-driving vehicles, HIROTEC was able to eliminate the need for eight legacy Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs). This is the second deployment of OTTOs within HIROTEC, they were first deployed at HIROTEC AMERICAS in 2017 to automate spare parts production. "Altech has a proud history of providing high-quality technology products and services to our customers," said Hidehiko Suyama, executive director of Altech. "Now, we are proud to be the first to bring OTTO Motors products to the Japanese market, where we know there is great demand across several industries." OTTO's expansion in Japan and partnership with Altech come at an important time for the market. While there is a lot of attention on self-driving passenger vehicles, self-driving industrial vehicles, such as OTTO's fleet of autonomous mobile robots and carts, are transforming material handling in numerous factories and warehouses. The global market for mobile robotics is expected to exceed $224 billion by 2030, according to global technology market advisory firm ABI Research. Demand in Japan will be particularly high because of the country's demographic inversion. Having fewer young people than older people means that there is not enough labor supply to do all the work needed to power the economy. Japanese manufacturers must rely on self-driving vehicles and other forms of industrial automation because there simply are not enough humans to do all the work that needs to be done. About OTTO Motors OTTO Motors is the industrial division of Clearpath Robotics. OTTO Motors provides self-driving technology for material handling inside manufacturing facilities and warehouses. OTTO is trusted for mission-critical deliveries spanning the most demanding of industrial environments. Seventy-five percent of robots deployed by OTTO Motors are located within Fortune 500 companies. For more information, visit www.ottomotors.com. About Altech Co. Ltd. Altech is a specialized trading company that imports the most advanced machinery and equipment from Europe and the United States to support Japanese manufacturing. Contributing to society as a value creation company by delivering our customers satisfaction beyond their expectations, through rigorous investigation of the industries and constantly taking on challenges in new areas, while taking bonding, i.e. relations of trust, with customers as the foundation of our business. https://www.altech.co.jp/en/ Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1089026/OTTO_Motors_Logo.jpg SOURCE OTTO Motors [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Oppo is getting ready to launch the Reno3 Pro in India. Although it has the same name, this won't be identical to the Reno3 Pro that got official in December. Compared to the Chinese version, there will be some differences, chief among which is the use of a different chipset. That's because the Chinese Reno3 Pro uses the Snapdragon 765G, which is a 5G SoC, while the Indian model will top out at 4G only. This information comes from Tasleem Arif, Oppo's VP and Head of India R&D. He says the company is preparing "a pipeline of products" with 5G for India later this year. Moving on, the poster you can see above leaked telling us that the selfie cam setup will be different in the Indian Reno3 Pro too. As you can see, this time around Oppo is going with a dual punch-hole, with one of the cameras having 44 MP resolution. This is in contrast to the 32 MP single selfie shooter on the original. The 44 MP resolution is a world's first on the face of a phone, though it's unclear if pixel binning will be used to achieve 11 MP selfies. The secondary unit on the front of the Indian Reno3 Pro will be a depth sensor to aid in Portrait Mode shots. Otherwise, the Reno3 Pro that will soon arrive in India should be identical to the Chinese model. So expect a quad rear camera setup with a 48 MP main sensor, a 13 MP telephoto, an 8 MP ultrawide, and a 2 MP monochrome snapper. Additionally, the Reno3 Pro has a 6.5" 1080x2400 20:9 AMOLED touchscreen, up to 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, and a 4,025 mAh battery. It runs Android 10 with ColorOS 7 on top. Source 1 | Source 2 | Via Srinagar, Feb 11 : The J&K government has wrested the control of a prized piece of land in Amritsar which was under illegal occupation for nearly 56 years. The Resident Commission of Jammu & Kashmir government took over the possession of 20 kanals of land at Daim Gunj in Dhapai Road, Amritsar, on February 10. The land was under illegal occupation since 1964. A decree in the case was instituted in 2006 by the then Jammu and Kashmir government, but the execution petition was initiated only in 2017, which was fast-tracked and followed vigorously during the last one-and-a-half years. The land was leased out to three different parties for a period of five years, prior to 1964. The lease was not renewed and the occupants and their descendants continued to illegally possess the land. During the last two years, the matter was taken up on a fast-track basis with the high court and the lower court for retrieval of the land. An application under Section 151 of the Code of Civil Procedure (CPC) was filed on behalf of Jammu and Kashmir government before the lower court for getting the warrants of possession. The application was decided in favour of J&K government on December 13, 2019. Under court orders, one chunk of land measuring 20 kanals was retrieved on February 10. The process to retrieve the remaining 15 kanals is also under adjudication and shall get settled soon. Sitting beneath the vast aluminum shell on the lawns, they heard the Prime Minister (Mr. Menzies) describe it as a great night in the history of Melbourne and in Australias musical history. In near-perfect weather, an overflow crowd of more than 30,000 watched the opening of the Sidney Myer Music Bowl in Kings Domain last night. First published in The Age on February 13, 1959 With the combined symphony orchestras of Sydney and Melbourne taking part under the baton of American conductor Alfred Wallenstein, it was a significant as well as a colorful occasion. Long before the concert was due to start the crowd began to gather on the lawns. Dressed casually, they presented a contrast to the 2000 formally dressed guests. As the Lord Mayor (Cr. Thomas), the Premier (Mr. Bolte), the Prime Minister (Mr. Menzies) and the Governor (Sir Dallas Brooks) arrived, they were greeted with cheers. A special cheer greeted the Indonesian Foreign Minister (Dr. Subandrio) and Mrs. Subandrio. Other prominent guests at the opening included Mrs. Sydney Myer, widow of the late Sidney Myer, Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Myer, Sir Edmund Herring, Sir George and Lady Paton, Professor George Loughlin and Sir Bernard and Lady Heinze. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday mocked the BJP over its imminent defeat in Delhi assembly polls, and said the saffron party got a "befitting reply" for torturing students and women in the national capital. Addressing a rally here, she said one state after another was slipping out of the BJP's grip, and the party would soon lose all states under its control. "The BJP tortured students and women in Delhi. The party got a befitting reply in Delhi assembly polls. It will face similar results in 2021 assembly polls in Bengal. Only development initiatives will click (with people), CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected," she said at a rally in Bankura. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A nonprofit that supports a San Antonio childrens rehabilitation center had expected to receive about $3 million during its primary fundraising event last year. San Antonio-based Fundacion Teleton USA actually raised about $272,000, or less than a tenth of the projected amount, for the Childrens Rehabilitation Institute of TeletonUSA. The center assists children with disabilities. Fundacion Teleton now alleges in a lawsuit that Alorica Inc., contracted to provide telephone services during a 30-hour telethon broadcast on Spanish-language network Univision, couldnt handle the call volume, causing Teleton to fall woefully short of its fundraising goal. Although Alorica represented it would be able to handle 130,000 calls, it was ultimately only able to handle a paltry 7,074 calls, resulting in $271,646.00 in donations as opposed to the projected $3,000,000.00, the suit states. On ExpressNews.com: Teleton funds rehabilitation center for kids The complaint, filed Thursday in state District Court in San Antonio, seeks more than $1 million in damages from Alorica. Alorica spokeswoman Sunny Yu said in an email that the company, based in Irvine, Calif., doesnt comment on pending litigation. As of about four years ago, the company employed more than 2,000 in San Antonio. Overall, the company has about 100,000 employees in 120 locations in 14 countries. San Antonio attorney Courtney Gaines, who represents Teleton, said she hadnt heard from Alorica before filing the suit. Gaines, with the law firm Davis, Cedillo & Mendoza, didnt know which call center operator Teleton would use for this years fundraiser. The Childrens Rehabilitation Institute of TeletonUSA opened in 2014 with the annual goal of providing outpatient therapy to 600 children suffering from neurological, muscular and skeletal disabilities. CRIT also assists patients families, providing counseling, education and training. The colorful $17 million rehab center, built in the Longhorn Quarry, follows a clinic model that a CRIT sister organization widely replicated across Mexico. The San Antonio center was the first to open in the U.S. About 55 percent of Teletons annual fundraising comes from Univision viewers who call an 800 number provided by Alorica during an annual telethon. The telethon reaches a TV audience of about 6 million and about 1.5 million on Facebook, according to the suit. Teleton has used Aloricas interactive voice response (IVR) telephone services since 2013 without issue, the suit says. Texas Inc.: Get the best of business news sent directly to your inbox For last years telethon, the suit says, Teleton approved the charge of a fee to test Aloricas capacity to ensure that it could handle 130,000 calls. The telethon began March 22. Around midnight, the suit says, Teleton noticed that it was not receiving donations from the Alorica system. When notified, Alorica seemed unaware of the issue and represented to Teleton that the IVR was working, the suit states. However, Teleton was still not receiving donations through the Alorica system. Teleton and Alorica exchanged emails throughout the evening, but the suit says the issue was never remedied. Despite Aloricas assurances that a backup system existed, the suit adds, it did not have have one in place. Teleton says that about a quarter of the way into the telethon, it came to the inescapable conclusion that it had to find an alternative telephone system. Aloricas failures caused extended wait times, missed calls and call failures, resulting in a high number of call abandonments, the suit alleges. Due to Aloricas false promises to restore service and their complete inability to do so, Teleton suffered a shortfall of more than $2.7 million. Besides actual damages, Teleton wants a jury to award it punitive damages because Alorica allegedly made representations that were fraudulent or grossly negligent. Patrick Danner is a San Antonio-based staff writer covering banking and civil courts. Read him on our free site, mySA.com, and on our subscriber site, ExpressNews.com. | pdanner@express-news.net | Twitter: @AlamoPD Bengaluru, Feb 11 : A city-based woman poured simmering hot oil on her sleeping husband suspecting infidelity, a police officer said on Monday. Manjunath, 40, who works with a private company, suffered 50 per cent burns as his wife Padma, a homemaker, poured hot oil on him. "We have arrested Padma. However, we are suspecting that she is mentally unstable," Yeshwantpur Assistant Commissioner of Police Srinivas Reddy told IANS. The bickering couple used to have fights regularly over a suspected affair and fought on Saturday as well. At around 7 a.m. on Sunday, Padma spilled a litre of hot oil on her husband and fled the home with her children. A screaming Manjunath ran out of home and was rushed to the Victoria hospital by his neighbours. Though out of danger, Manjunath suffered burns on his shoulder, face and hands. According to the police, Manjunath and Padma have been married for nine years and have two children. The live in Yeshwantpur's Mohankumar Nagar. The amount that Pacific Gas and Electric Co. wants its customers to pay as a reimbursement for the companys fire-prevention work that it has done in response to extreme weather and large wildfires over the past several years. The amount would translate to increased monthly bills by about $5 or $10 for about two years for the average customer. The California Public Utilities Commission still has to respond to the utilitys request. ( San Francisco Chronicle February 10, 2020) Taiwan bans entry of most Hong Kong, Macau residents over coronavirus ROC Central News Agency 02/10/2020 05:47 PM Taipei, Feb. 10 (CNA) Taiwan will temporarily close it borders to most residents of Hong Kong and Macau, starting Tuesday, as part of its efforts to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus, the Central Epidemic Command Center (CECC) announced Monday. The ban, however, will not apply to people on business contracts, international employees transferred to Taiwan, or residents of Hong Kong and Macau who hold Taiwan resident permits, their spouses, and minor children, according to the CECC. Taiwan's authorities decided to impose the entry ban in light of the escalation of the 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has been spreading rapidly in Guangdong Province on the borders of Hong Kong and Macau, Mainland Affairs Council Deputy Minister Chen Ming-chi () said Monday. The ban followed a decision last Friday by Taiwan authorities to stop issuing entry permits to Hong Kong and Macau residents on arrival and suspend online applications for such permits. Hong Kong and Macau residents who had already received approval to enter Taiwan would be allowed to do but must remain in quarantine at home for 14 days, the CECC said Feb. 5, when it announced that restriction. Taiwan's latest ban is expected to affect 7,972 students from Hong Kong and Macau, who have not yet returned to Taiwan after the winter break, according to Education Minister Pan Wen-chung (). During the ban, those students will be given various options such as video conferencing to continue their studies, he said. The other 2,872 students who returned to Taiwan before the ban was imposed will be required to remain in quarantine at home for 14 days, Pan said. On Wednesday, the CECC raised its epidemic alert for Hong Kong and Macau to the second level in its three-tier warning system, as signs of community transmission of the 2019-nCoV appeared in Hong Kong, and a casino worker was in Macau was confirmed to be infected. Last week, Taiwan temporarily banned the entry of all mainland Chinese citizens, as well as foreign nationals who may have been in China, Hong Kong or Macau in the 14 days leading up to their travel to Taiwan. (By Phoenix Hsu and Evelyn Kao) Enditem/pc NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Ten years after it opened, South of Markets Bar Agricole is moving. Owner Thad Vogler hopes the new and improved space will allow him to realize the goal hes always had for his James Beard Award-winning cocktail bar: to establish and own the category of single-origin spirits, he says. The current Bar Agricole (355 11th St.) will shut down on April 15; Vogler expects to unveil the new digs, nearby at a luxury residential complex at 1550 Mission St., in late 2020. Agricole may be as famous for its design as for its drinks; winning the Outstanding Design Award in the James Beard Awards in 2011. (It also won Outstanding Bar Program in 2019, after being nominated eight times.) The new spot will look different, Vogler says, but still be design-forward. Architecture and design firm Snhetta will outfit the 5,000-square-foot space. Better foot traffic and a better kitchen layout are two advantages at 1550 Mission St. There will still be a full food menu, but Vogler who also owns the S.F. bars Trou Normand, Obispo and Nommo wants to turn the attention a little bit less toward the kitchen and more toward the bar. I want to regroup and focus on what Im best at, which is single-origin spirits, he says. Single-origin spirits, in Voglers view, are those that come from a specific place not blended across disparate regions and taste like it. Theyre products that have what Vogler has called a sense of regionalism, the bartending philosophy he expresses in his 2017 book By the Smoke and the Smell. Regionalism, to him, is about choosing spirits that have a sense of place, are not produced industrially and are made by the same people who grow what they distill. As hes said before, Making drinks should be like making salads. Hes never understood why restaurants take pride in having responsibly farmed wines and fair-trade coffee but then stock industrially sweetened spirits behind the bar. That idea has taken off with wine, chocolate, coffee, Vogler says. Spirits still havent taken off in that niche. I want to work with that more. Liz Hafalia / The Chronicle 2018 His bars names refer spirits that Vogler believes are capable of expressing regionalism. Bar Agricole is named for rhum agricole, a type of rum from the French Caribbean thats distilled from fresh cane sugar rather than from molasses. Trou Normand is named for a traditional French palate cleanser: a shot of Calvados (apple brandy) with a little scoop of sorbet. Along with the new Bar Agricole, Vogler will also open a spirits retail shop on the same block. It will be a chance to highlight some of the products that he imports, and he may even launch a proprietary spirits label through some of his import connections. Meanwhile, there are major changes underway at Obispo, Voglers rum bar in the Mission that opened in late 2018. He has temporarily closed it to reconfigure the concept and expects to reopen it later in the spring. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Why? Voglers vision for Obispo was an authentic, emphatically non-tiki rum bar one that would serve single-origin rums and affordable, simple cocktails alongside the sort of food that one might find in rum-producing places like Martinique. But he admits that the concept, coming from him, a 68 Northern European guy telling people how to make food from Martinique, felt a little strained, especially given its location in the Calle 24 Latino Cultural District. Hes hired a new executive chef, and the food will be less explicitly designed to fit within a concept. It will be generally San Francisco ingredient-driven cuisine, Vogler says. The drink program will remain the same. Were still gonna sell a lot of rum, he continues, but just make it less Epcot center. Esther Mobley is The San Francisco Chronicles wine critic. Email: emobley@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @Esther_mobley Instagram: @esthermob Overall, the Trump budget would cut the Education Departments discretionary spending by 7.8 percent, reducing and consolidating programs across the agency. Funding for 29 education programs, including more than $24 billion in spending, would be replaced with a single block-grant program to states totaling just over $19 billion. The new system would allow states to set their own priorities and would reduce the federal role in education, a longtime goal of Education Secretary Betsy DeVos. LEXINGTON, Ky., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- A&W Restaurants momentum continued in 2019 its centennial year with a 2.7% jump in same-store sales, making it the eighth straight year of growth. Average unit volumes also grew again and are now up by more than 38% since 2011, when the chains franchisees acquired it from YUM! Brands. A&W also continued to add locations. It has opened more than 70 in the U.S. since 2011. Nine have been added in the last 14 months, with several among the chains top performers for first year sales. All are single-brand units that serve Root Beer made fresh on-site along with A&Ws signature All-American Food favorites. Its newest restaurants are in Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Mexico and West Virginia. According to CEO Kevin Bazner, one of the factors driving A&Ws success is its strategy to develop single-brand restaurants. Under previous ownership groups, many locations were co-branded with A&Ws and other quick-service concepts. We have franchise partners who continue to operate successful co-branded restaurants, and we are continuing to provide support for those restaurants, he said. However, we now are only building single-brand A&Ws. The results show we are on the right path. Along with building freestanding and inline restaurants with drive-thrus, A&W will continue to develop convenience store and travel center locations. Our total unit count is declining, but the number of stand-alone A&Ws has stabilized and, in fact, is growing. Our system is much stronger. Our franchisees are more profitable and we have a healthy pipeline of new restaurants in place, Bazner said. He noted that the brand expects to open 15 locations this year. A&Ws dramatic growth in Asia also is continuing. Its Malaysian franchisee recently announced plans to open 20 restaurants this year. There are currently 374 A&Ws in Southeast Asia. To support its growth, A&W recently opened an all-new prototype and learning center near its Lexington, Kentucky, support center, which recently was expanded. A&W was founded in Lodi, California, in 1919. Today there are more than 900 restaurants worldwide, with approximately 570 in the U.S. Visit www.awfranchising.com for more information. Renowned South African choral and Zulu traditional music maestro Bhekizizwe Shabalala of Ladysmith Black Mambazo has died. According to the South Africa Times, Shabalala died at a Pretoria Hospital today after a long illness. The newspaper quoted his manager, Xolani Majozi, saying his family and group, which is currently on tour in the United States, have been devastated by his death. In a tweet, Ladysmith Black Mambazo said, Bhekizizwe Joseph Shabalala. Our Founder, our Teacher and most importantly, our Father left us today for eternal peace. We celebrate and honor your kind heart and your extraordinary life. Through your music and the millions who you came in contact with, you shall live forever. The South African government also paid tribute to the late Shabalala. In a tweet, it said, We would like to extend our condolences on the passing of Joseph Shabalala who was the founder of the group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. Ulale ngoxolo Tata ugqatso lwakho ulufezile (rest in peace father, your race is complete." Shabalala retired in 2014 after more than 50 years at the helm of the group that has won five Grammy awards. Ladysmith Black Mambazo featured in one of the most famous songs, Graceland, written and produced by American artist Paul Simon and Shabalala. The group was formed in the 1960s after Shabalala and his friends were encouraged by friends at a farm in Kwazulu Natal near Ladysmith where they used to sing and dance a traditional Zulu dance, isichathamiya, to venture into music. Shabalala, who was born in 1941 and was the eldest son in a family of eight, moved to Johannesburg in the 1970s where the group made its first music recordings after landing a contract with Gallo Records. They never looked back as they ventured into the world of music full time. They produced more than sixty albums. In its official website, the groups says in addition to their work with Paul Simon, Ladysmith Black Mambazo has recorded with numerous artists from around the world, including Stevie Wonder, Dolly Parton, Sarah McLachlan, Josh Groban, Emmylou Harris, Melissa Etheridge and many many others. Their singing voices can be heard in several films including Michael Jacksons Moonwalker video and Spike Lees Do It A Cappella. They've provided soundtrack material for Disneys The Lion King, Part II, Eddie Murphys Coming To America, Marlon Brandos A Dry White Season, Sean Connerys The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, James Earl Jones Cry The Beloved Country and Clint Eaastwood's Invictus. A documentary film called On Tip Toe: Gentle Steps to Freedom, The Story Of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, was nominated for an Academy Award. They have appeared on Broadway, have been nominated for Tony Awards and have won a Drama Desk Award. A favorite of the late great Nelson Mandela, Ladysmith Black Mambazo traveled with the South African president, at his request, when he went to Oslo, Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. One year later they were singing at the inauguration of the newly elected President. After many more special appearances with the South African icon, Mandela proclaimed the group South Africa's Cultural Ambassadors to the World. Shabalala took the name Ladysmith from his hometown, which lies in the province of kwaZulu Natal, halfway between the city of Durban (where members of the group live today) and Johannesburg. The word Black being a reference to the oxen, the strongest of all farm animals, Joseph's way of honoring his early life on his family's farm. Mambazo is the Zulu word for chopping axe, a symbol of the groups vocal strength, clearing the way for their music and eventual success. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States Tue, February 11, 2020 11:11 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063beb01 2 World Donald-Trump,trial,Russian,US,president Free US prosecutors on Monday asked a judge to sentence President Donald Trump's longtime aide Roger Stone to between seven and nine years in jail for lying to Congress and witness tampering. Stone was found guilty in November on charges related to his efforts to spare the president embarrassment over the probe into Russian interference in the 2016 election. He was arrested in January 2019 at his home in Florida after the charges were brought by then-special counsel Robert Mueller as part of the Russia investigation. "When his crimes were revealed... he displayed contempt for this court and the rule of law," the prosecutors said in a court document. Stone, 67, had argued that the charges against him were politically motivated, but prosecutors demonstrated he lied and bullied witnesses to protect Trump. When Stone was found guilty, Trump immediately responded on Twitter, suggesting that it was a "double standard like never seen before in the history of our Country." Stone began his career as a political aide to Richard Nixon, whose face he has tattooed on his back. He will be sentenced on Feb. 20. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Data and analytics platform Premise Data announced today it has collected data about COVID-19, formerly known as the Coronavirus, from over 50,000 people around the world. Premise shared its survey with 1.6 million active contributors and within hours had collected valuable insights from people in 39 countries including Taiwan, Thailand, the United States, and the Philippines. Highlights from the Premise Coronavirus Awareness Survey include: The most common precaution taken worldwide is hand washing or using hand sanitizer more frequently (57.5%). 38.5% of survey respondents are wearing facemasks to prevent contracting the disease; the Centers for Disease Control says the protective effects of masks are minor. Most American respondents (47.3%) are washing hands more frequently, whereas a smaller percentage (17.7%) is opting to wear facemasks. In contrast, the most common precaution among the Taiwanese (79.9%) is wearing facemasks, while a smaller percentage (67.2%) is washing hands more frequently; in the Philippines , 78.1% of respondents are washing hands more frequently and 70% are wearing facemasks. , 78.1% of respondents are washing hands more frequently and 70% are wearing facemasks. Worldwide, 69.8% of respondents said they're "very concerned" or "concerned" about the spread of Coronavirus to their community. In the United States , in contrast, only 47.8% of contributors reported being concerned about the virus spreading to their community. "During a fast-moving global health crisis like this, we are able to deploy our technology in order to measure people's levels of understanding about prevention, better understand where they are getting their information, and gauge citizens' level of concern," said CEO Maury Blackman. "Being able to collect massive amounts of insightful data in such a short time shows the power of our technology and is very gratifying." Premise works on a range of industry and development projects around the globe. For more information, visit Premise.com . About Premise: Premise helps customers unlock a world of ground-level data. By combining the power of a global network of on-the-ground Contributors with industry-leading data science and machine learning, Premise empowers decision makers with the high-quality, trustworthy data they need. Premise is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Washington, D.C., and Seattle. Find more information at www.premise.com . SOURCE Premise Data Related Links https://www.premise.com Yemeni forces shoot down Saudi-led reconnaissance drone in Najran Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 5:13 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 Saudi Arabia's southwestern border region of Najran. An unnamed source in the Yemeni air defense forces told the media bureau of the Houthi Ansarullah movement that Yemeni forces and their allies shot down the drone with a surface-to-air missile as it was on a reconnaissance mission over al-Sawh area of the region, situated 844 kilometers (524 miles) south of the capital Riyadh, on Monday evening. The development came only two days after Yemeni soldiers shot down a Saudi-led drone as it was flying in the skies over Kilo 16 district of Yemen's western coastal province of Hudaydah. Separately on Monday, Yemeni troops also destroyed an armored vehicle belonging to Saudi-paid militiamen in Sawh area, killing and injuring several mercenaries in the process. Saudi mercenaries also sought to infiltrate into the positions of Yemeni army soldiers and their allies in al-Atfin al-Ajasher area of Najran, but they were repelled and suffered losses in terms of personnel and military hardware. Elsewhere in the al-Tuhayta district of Yemeni province of Hudaydah, Saudi forces and their mercenaries launched a barrage of artillery rounds at residential neighborhoods. There were no immediate reports about possible casualties or the extent of damage caused. Saudi fighter jets also pounded al-Maslub district in the northern Yemeni province of al-Jawf, though no reports of casualties or the extent of damage were quickly available. 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 the 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 nearly five 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 UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif. The Hunt is back on. Only this time Universal Pictures has designed a radically different marketing campaign for the violent film, which is ostensibly about liberal elites who kill conservative rednecks for sport. Before The Hunt was shelved last year in the face of criticism, Universal had started to market the film as something it was not: a relatively straightforward horror flick. Now the studio is hoping that an unusual marketing tactic forthrightness will protect The Hunt from blowback before its release on March 13. A new trailer, released on Tuesday, does not try to boil down The Hunt to a single, salable genre, which is the way Hollywood usually approaches films. Instead it presents The Hunt as it is an absurdist satire that leaves no side of the political divide unscathed and is equal parts comedy, horror and thriller. Not one frame was changed, Jason Blum, who produced the film with Damon Lindelof (Lost, Watchmen), said in an interview. This is exactly the same movie. With more than 90% of young children now owning their own smart device and using apps despite age restrictions, almost one third have been upset by something they have seen online. CyberSafeIreland surveyed 2,300 schoolchildren between eight and 12 and found that over 30% had experienced something that upset them in the past year. Almost one-fifth of these students (19%) reported that they had kept what had happened to themselves, failing to tell a parent or trusted adult that they had encountered the material. A further 22% of the children surveyed said they have seen something online they wouldnt want their parents to know about. The vast majority of young children (93%) own their own smart device and 68% are active on social media, a 10-point increase on last years figure. This is despite a minimum age restriction for most well-known social media apps being over 13. According to the survey, the five most popular apps are TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, and Twitch, which have minimum age restrictions of 13 years old, or, in the case of Instagram, a minimum age restriction of 16 years old. TikTok has surpassed Snapchat as the most popular app with children, the survey also found. When asked when they were allowed to go online, 27% said that they can go online whenever they want. The fact that almost a third of young children have been upset by material encountered online should be a wake-up call to whoever emerges in Government after the general election that we must get to grips with childrens internet use and access, said Alex Cooney, chief executive of CyberSafeIreland. There have been plenty of encouraging promises made in parties election manifestos, but the proof of their commitment will be seeing these translated into a programme for government, with clear action points and timelines to both protect and empower our children in the online world. To mark Safer Internet Day 2020 today, the organisation is to launch two videos designed to encourage discussions in the classroom around the use of technology. The videos were made by sixth class children from St Kevins National School in Dublin. Both videos were devised, written, and performed by the pupils themselves, and made entirely on a smartphone. School principal Barry OLeary praised the children for their work. The pupils really enjoyed the experience of creating the videos and were full of enthusiasm throughout the project, he said. It provided a fantastic opportunity to tease out issues and really get them engaged in the topic of healthy use of technology, as well as demonstrating the creativity that is possible with only a smartphone. It is vital that all young people who are active online have the opportunity to have these kinds of discussions regularly both at home and in school. Ranchi, Feb 11 : Former Chief Minister and president of the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM-P), Babulal Marandi on Tuesday announced merger of his party with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). "The executive body of the party unanimously decided to merge the party with the BJP. It will be in the interest of the state," said Marandi, while announcing merger of the JVM-P with the BJP. He said: "The formal merger will take place in a programme at the Prabhat Tara ground of Ranchi on February 17. BJP national president J.P. Nadda and Home Minister Amit Shah will participate in the merger programme." Earlier, the JVM-P executive committee meeting took place here. Marandi moved the proposal for merger, which was passed unanimously. Asked about his future role in the BJP, he said: "I will fulfil all the responsibilities which will be given to me". Marandi is likely to be elected as the Legislative party leader of the BJP after the merger as the BJP is yet to elect it's legislative party leader. It is believed that the post is lying vacant for Marandi. The merger will take place in a grand way in presence of the Amit Shah and senior BJP leaders. By getting Marandi back into the party, the BJP is aiming to revive the party among the tribal community. The first non-tribal Chief Minister Raghubar Das failed to find a favour with the tribal community and the BJP lost majorly in the tribal seats in the 2019 Assembly poll, thereby losing the state. To effect the merger smoothly, the JVM-P expelled it's two Legislators Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey, who were openly opposing the merger. Mandar MLA Bandhu Tirkey was expelled in January and Yadav on February 6 after being blamed for making anti-party statements. In the 2019 Assembly elections, the JVM-P won three seats, including Babulal Marandi, Pradeep Yadav and Bandhu Tirkey. The merger was conceived soon after the JVM-P and the BJP were trounced in the Assembly poll, party sources said. Marandi was the first Chief Minister of the BJP-led government in Jharkhand. He, however, quit the BJP in 2006 and floated JVM-P. A network of smart and air-conditioned buses is ready to facilitate movement within the new capital, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir said Egypt's Prime Minister Moustafa Madbouly discussed on Monday with a number of ministers the latest developments in the state's plan to relocate 52,300 government employees to the New Administrative Capital. A network of smart and air-conditioned buses is ready to facilitate movement within the new capital itself, Minister of Transport Kamel El-Wazir said. Until the completion of the main public transportation system that will connect the capital with Greater Cairo, the ministry has prepared a temporary plan to transfer 52,300 employees, from 78 government sections, who live in Greater Cairo to the capital on buses and mini-buses, El-Wazir added. The employees can book buses online or wait for them at any of 189 terminals. The cabinet has said that incentives will be granted to all employees relocating to the capital, and that special apartments in the nearby Badr City will be earmarked for some of them. The transport ministry has said that it is studying the possibility of providing a transportation allowance of EGP 2,000 for each employee. The 700 square kilometre capital, launched in 2015 by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi, will have the capacity to house more than 6.5 million people. The first phase of the New Administrative Capital comprises a government district, residential neighbourhoods, and a business district. The government is planning to relocate ministries to the new capital by mid-2020. Search Keywords: Short link: Why the goby can conquer the waters of the world The round goby, one of the most common invasive freshwater fish in the world, boasts a particularly robust immune system, which could be one of the reasons for its excellent adaptability. This is the result of genome research by an international team of biologists, coordinated at the University of Basel and published in the journal BMC Biology. With its stocky, spotted body, big eyes and large mouth, the round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) may not be the most attractive of aquatic creatures, but it is one of the most successful invasive species of fish. Within a few years, it has spread rapidly around the world. Usually introduced via the ballast water from ships, the fish has now become the dominant species in terms of numbers in various fresh and salt waters. Its marked ability to adapt to new environments is apparently related to its immune system, as the researchers report based on their genome analysis. Up to 30 times more inflammation genes For this analysis, the researchers read and assembled particularly long genome fragments from a round goby originating in Basel. Because of their length, these fragments produced an exceptionally complete genome, which was used to analyze gene families that were thought to relate to the fish's ability to deal with new environments. Here, the researchers described expansions in specific enzymes known as cytochrome P450. Furthermore, the zoologists found that all the genes deployed in inflammatory immune responses are present in the fish - and, in some cases, up to 30 times more than in comparable species. This may help the round goby to deal with pathogens, thus favoring its successful colonization of waters around the world. But there is still one aspect that has the specialists puzzled: although round gobies are also found in highly polluted water - in ports, for example - they do not differ from other species in terms of detoxification. Colder water than in their natural habitat Furthermore, the researchers came across the genetic basis that allows the round goby not only to produce but also to accumulate osmolytes - substances that affect the osmotic state. These help the fish to deal not only with fluctuations in salinity but also with desiccation and cold. This could also explain why round gobies are also found in the Baltic Sea - that is, in water temperatures far below those of their original habitat. ### The lead author of this international study, which involved about 20 researchers from Europe and North America, is Dr. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser from the Man-Society-Environment (MSE) program at the University of Basel. In addition to Switzerland, the study also involved scientists from Sweden, Germany, the Czechia, Norway, Austria and Canada. Further information Dr. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser, University of Basel, Program Man-Society-Environment, phone +41 31 631 24 41, email: irene.adrian-kalchhauser@vetsuisse.unibe.ch This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Consumer Reports has no financial relationship with advertisers on this site. The U.S. Department of Justice filed an indictment against four Chinese nationals with alleged ties to the Chinese military, charging them with compromising the personal information of 145 million Americans in the 2017 Equifax data breach. The nine-count indictment claims Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke, and Liu Lei were members of the People's Liberation Armys 54th Research Institute, and they routed files through approximately 34 servers in almost 20 countries to avoid detection. "This was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans," said Attorney General William Barr at a press conference to announce the indictment. According to FBI deputy director David Bowdich, who also attended the DOJ press conference, there's currently no evidence that China sold or shared the Equifax data. "If you can get personally identifiable information, you can do a lot with it," he added. "It can be monetized. It can be used for targeting packages for U.S. government personnel. But we haven't seen that in this case to this point." Security expert Brian Vecci of Varonis says China's intended target is more likely high-level political operatives than U.S. citizens. "The fact that we haven't seen China sell this information on the Dark Web says to me that whatever they're using it for is more valuable to them," he explains. Still, the news underscores the need for consumers to be mindful about whom they share data with and how that data is secured. While there's no need for panic, said Bowdich, Equifax breach victims should continue to monitor their credit scores, contact credit card companies if they discover a problem, avoid opening unknown email attachments, and use two-factor authentication to beef up password access to banking, healthcare, and social media accounts. (For more tips from cybersecurity experts, see below.) Story continues "We should be demanding better privacy protections like Europe has with the GDPR [General Data Privacy Regulation] and California has with the CCPA [California Consumer Privacy Act]," says Vecci. "If this makes people demand better privacy controls, well be better off." Is Equifax Blameless? Though the DOJ praised Equifax for its cooperation, Vecci argues that the company deserves some blame for its lax security practices. "Equifax stored a huge amount of private data, and if they had even common sense controls in place to protect private information, this particular attack wouldn't have happened," he explains. A Congressional report released in December called the Equifax breach entirely preventable," concluding that the financial reporting company failed to properly fix a software vulnerability it had been warned about in early March 2017. A subsequent failure to implement routine security updates prevented Equifax from discovering the breach until the Chinese hackers had access to the system for 76 days between mid-May and late July. The public wasn't informed of the breach until September. In the DOJ press conference, Barr noted that the Chinese state-level hackers had been implicatedalthough not indictedin the 2015 breach of healthcare giant Anthem, which affected 78.8 million individuals, and the 2018 breach of Marriott, which exposed the data, including passport and credit card information, of up to 500 million individuals. "This makes it clear that China has been engaged in a decade-long effort against U.S companies and individuals," says Jamil Jaffer, senior vice president for strategy at IronNet Cybersecurity and a former chief counsel for the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. According to Vecci, if China was indeed behind the Marriott and Anthem hacks, the Equifax data set becomes more valuable, because it can be aggregated with this other data and analyzed using machine learning. "Once you have three of these data sets and you start combining themhotel behavior from Marriott combined with financial information from Equifax combined with healthcare information from Anthemsuddenly you know way more about an individual," Vecci explains. "I don't think China's going to use this to steal a random consumer's identity, but I'm sure they have people of interest." The Equifax breach, of one of the largest credit monitoring firms, was first reported in September 2017. As part of a $700 million settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, the company has offered affected consumers at least four years of free monitoring from the three major credit rating agencies through Experian and up to six more years of free, one-bureau credit monitoring through Equifax in addition to cash reimbursement for losses and expenses, with individual claims capped at $20,000, although most will be far less. The deadline to apply for these funds passed on Jan. 22, 2020. How to Protect Yourself Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from cybercrime and identity theft. Freeze your credit. That makes it harder for cybercriminals to apply for loans, credit cards, and wireless phones using your personal information. Guard your financial information. Be wary of texts or email asking for account numbers, credit card numbers, and wire transfers, as well as alerts about failed transactions. Theres no reason to share such info via message or an unsecure site. Dont open attachments. They may contain malware. And you should never type confidential information into a form attached to an email. The sender can potentially track the info you enter. Double-check the link. Before you click on a link in an email or on the internet, try hovering your mouse over it. This will reveal the full address, which can expose signs of fraud. A .ru on the end, for example, means the site was created in Russia; .br means Brazil. Misspellings are another good tip-off to a fake website. If the URL says equifaxx.com, it's best to avoid it. Search for the company on Google and access the website that way instead. Dont assume that a website is legitimate just because its URL starts with https. Criminals like to use encryption, too. Enable two-factor authentication. If youve ever had to use a six-digit verification code texted to your cell phone to log in to a digital account, you have some idea of how 2FA works. Once you turn on the setting, you have to provide a password and another unique identifier to access your account from an unverified device or location. This protects you if a stranger steals your password. Turn on auto updates. This goes for your computer, smartphone, and tablets. Up-to-date security software goes a long way toward stopping malware. Use security tools. Install an antivirus program on your device and keep it up to date. You can also use a website reputation rating tool, which comes in the form of a browser plug-in, to warn you if you try to go to potentially dangerous websites. Cybersecurity companies such as McAfee, Kaspersky, and Norton offer them. But keep in mind that these tools arent foolproof. 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. Armenian President Armen Sargsyan signed a decree on holding a referendum on constitutional amendments on April 5, which provides for the early resignation of members and the chairman of the Constitutional Court (CC). Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan repeatedly accused the head of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan of having been elected through falsification, while Tovmasyan, for his part, claimed that the authorities were engaged in his political persecution. In a situation the observer of the "Bulletin of the Caucasus" Mamikon Babayan understood. Any government is inevitably preoccupied with two problems - the restoration of the old regime and the emergence of a new opposition force. Ensuring one's own political security requires well-thought-out decisions and the correct identification of the main threats. This is the reason for the political activity in Armenia at the beginning of this year - Nikol Pashinyan is concerned about the actions of the former head of the National Security Council of Armenia Artur Vanetsyan and the current chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Republic Hrayr Tovmasyan, who openly criticize the prime ministers policy, in every possible way showing him distrust. Arthur Vanetsyan is a classic cadre Armenian security official whose reputation at the time of being appointed head of the NSS did not differ from the reputation of hundreds of ordinary deputy heads of departments. Before the "velvet revolution" he was on the sidelines in the power structures of the republic. After the events of spring 2018, Vanetsyan became the head of the Republican Security Service and one of Pashinyan's closest associates. In 2018, Pashinyan could not yet challenge the power services of Armenia, so he sought support among those with whom he was ready to share his popularity. Perhaps he regretted it - a propaganda campaign that began with the pages of the Haykakan Zhamanak newspaper, owned by the Pashinyans family, suddenly turned an ally into a national traitor and conspirator. By the way, Vanetsyan himself tried to announce in numerous interviews that he remains one of the most informed people in Armenia, is well aware of the details of the scenario of a change of power and knows the true curators of Pashinyan. Former head of the National Security Council of Armenia intends to create his own political party and become an opposition to the current government. Given the connections, charisma, opportunities and experience of the security official, Vanetsyan will not miss the opportunity to consolidate the opposition around him, especially since in the eyes of the Armenian public his image over the years of service in the security structures has not suffered. Another equally dangerous opponent of Pashinyan - the chairman of the Constitutional Court Hrayr Tovmasyan - a man who prevented the Constitutional Court from passing under the control of the new government. It was Tovmasyan who refused to resign and did not support the fast paperwork regarding the investigative ex-president of Armenia Robert Kocharian. A year ago, it seemed to Pashinyan that, in the wake of his popular popularity, high Armenian officials would seek the opportunity to enter the prime ministers circle of trust in order to maintain their posts. However, it was the conflict between Pashinyan and the Constitutional Court that demonstrated the prime ministers weaknesses before the established nomenclature in Armenia, which took a wait-and-see attitude and began to observe the confrontation between Pashinyan and Kocharyan. The eccentric populist call to block the courthouse in May 2019 did not have the desired effect and caused image losses to Pashinyan. Following Kocharyan, another ex-president of the republic, Serzh Sargsyan, was under investigation. It will be much more difficult for Pashinyan to put Sargsyan behind bars, especially since in this process the chairman of the Constitutional Court of the republic made it clear that he would not provide all the necessary support to the people's prime minister. Obviously, the deprivation of Tovmasyans authority is a long-overdue issue, but Pashinyan does not know how to solve it as quickly and painlessly as possible. Therefore, the announced referendum on the appointment of new judges of the Constitutional Court is a necessary measure of the prime minister. It is designed to remove Hrayr Tovmasyan from the chessboard of Armenian politics and become an indicator of the real level of confidence in the prime minister. Needless to say, Pashinyan is very at risk. In fact, neither Tovmasyan nor Vanetsyan made a deal with the prime minister, who will now strive to put both of them behind bars. In case of failure, the Prime Minister can create the conditions in which Vanetsyan and Tovmasyan will be forced to leave Armenia. Pashinyan can not calmly watch how the ratings of both his opponents are growing. If they pass for a dangerous level, Pashinyan will be forced to fight the unifying opposition himself and prove to society that he does not seek to usurp power. In the end, Pashinyan will have to argue the legality of the criminal process against Vanetsyan and Tovmasyan and prove to everyone that this is not a commonplace political persecution. Such a situation, in turn, is fraught with more serious image losses already in the eyes of international political structures, including the ECHR. Nevertheless, Pashinyan will act because he believes that Vanetsyan and Tovmasyan are an obstacle to the final defeat of the Karabakh clan and the subsequent privatization of its property. Without this, it is impossible to proceed to the next step - the neutralization of the counter-revolution. Pashinyan will not be able to persuade all the vacillating republican officials of small and medium hands, and also completely subordinate to his will the political estate of Kocharyan and Sargsyan - the occupation regime in Karabakh until all its decisions are maximally legitimized by the new political elite of Armenia. The wait is drawing to a close for Samsungs next phones as the companys Unpacked event is almost here. In addition to its flagship range, the South Korean giant will also likely announce its next foldable phone tomorrow. Ahead of the launch, a new report has emerged regarding the expected Galaxy Z Flip sales. Samsung is eyeing 2.5 million Galaxy Z Flip sales, reports Korea Herald. The outlet claims that industry insiders have revealed that Samsung will have a fresh batch of 500,000 units ready initially. And, presumably, if the demand is robust, more production will be greenlit. Now, while 2.5 million units might not sound a lot in the grand scheme of things, its quite good as far as foldable phones are concerned. In fact, given that Samsung hasnt reached the 1 million mark with its first foldable phone yet, the figure is quite promising. Advertisement According to Strategy Analytics, Samsung sold the most number of bendable phones in 2019, followed by Huawei. Other brands like Motorola and TCL have also entered the market recently, although the latter has only demoed a prototype. Alleged Galaxy Z Flip Sales Predictions Imply Samsung Hasnt Pinned A Lot Of Hope On The Phone Back in October 2019, it was reported that Samsung plans to sell around 6 million foldable smartphones this year. According to that estimate, we would have expected the Galaxy Z Flip to do half of the heavy lifting. But, given the latest rumors about the Galaxy Z Flip sales, it seems like there has been a change in plans. There could be two reasons behind it. Advertisement Samsung probably overestimated the demand for foldable handsets earlier. According to some market research firms, sales of bendable phones will be between 3 million and 5 million units this year. Or, it could be that Samsung expects more from its third foldable phone than the Galaxy Z Flip. Recently, during the Oscars, Samsung teased its upcoming bendable device. This one is going to be a vertically folding phone with a small outer display. With a rumored price tag of nearly $1,260, the handset will be more affordable than the Galaxy Fold. Advertisement Samsung is apparently going to target young female consumers with this device. While the comparatively lower price can certainly help, one thing can be a deterrent. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, the clamshell type phone will likely not have top-tier specs. It will allegedly have the Snapdragon 855 Plus under the hood and a dual rear camera system. This might be a downer for some consumers. The Galaxy Fold Successor Is Coming Later This Year Later on, in August, the tech giant is tipped to launch the true Galaxy Fold successor. It will supposedly have the Snapdragon 865 and a 5G chip inside. It will likely get the companys 108-megapixels camera too. Advertisement On top of that, it might also have the S Pen. Theoretically, this sounds like a killer phone, and since its supposed to feature ultra-thin glass, there will likely be no display issues either. If these leaks hold any weight, its not hard to see why Samsung doesnt expect Galaxy Z shipments to exceed those of the Galaxy Fold successor. Despite its dated chipset and mid-tier specs, the Galaxy Z Flip seems like an attractive device in its own right. The flip phone evokes nostalgia and will likely help Samsung maintain its lead over Huawei in Q1 of 2020. by Janine Hansen, Constitution Issues Chairman Statement in support of HCR9: the Rescission of all requests by the New Hampshire legislature for a federal constitutional convention. In 2017 in SJR10, the Nevada Legislature, both the State Senate and Assembly, unanimously rescinded all previous Article V Constitutional Convention applications including the Balanced Budget Amendment. Even the Republican Senator, who was the Chairman of ALEC for Nevada, voted for SJR10. At that time the Nevada Senate had 11 Democrats and 10 Republicans. It was a miracle to me. I had worked for years as a citizen advocate in Nevada to rescind our 1979 passage of the BBA in order to protect our Constitution from the many risks associated with an Article V Constitutional Convention. Nevada was the fourth state in 2016-2017 to vote to rescind an Article V BBA. Other states included Delaware, Maryland, and New Mexico. This was important because the BBA was counting 32 states which had passed an Article V BBA, many as long ago as the 1970s. According to Article V, 34 states are required to make application which is the trigger for Congress to Call the Convention. In 2012 the National Republican Committee adopted a Resolution opposing an Article V Constitutional Convention. Then in my state, in 2015, the Nevada Republican State Central Committee passed a resolution opposing an Article V Convention. The Balanced Budget sounds very good to conservatives. We wish there was some way to reign in the out of control spending of the Federal Government. However, the Constitution is not the problem. The Federal Government has ignored the Enumerated Powers listed in the Constitution and spends money on countless things that are not authorized by the Constitution, like education. If a Balanced Budget Amendment was in the Constitution it would make matters worse by actually constitutionally authorizing Federal Spending outside of the Enumerated Powers. The only way to balance a budget is to raise taxes or cut spending. There is no requirement in HCR40 from 2012 passed by New Hampshire that requires a Balanced Budget Amendment to limit tax increases. Right now every state receives between 19% and 45% of its state budget from the Federal Government. According to ballotpedia.org, in 2014 New Hampshire, received about 28% of its general revenue from the Federal Government. That is listed as $1,658,713,000. Would any New Hampshire State Representative or Senator vote at a Convention for a Balanced Budget Amendment which would result in the loss of $1,658,713,000 from the New Hampshire state budget? Think of the crisis that would result in New Hampshire from such a huge loss of general revenue. State Legislators, both Republicans, and Democrats, continue to vote for Federal Mandates and money. How can they honestly say they support limiting spending by the Federal Government when they continue to vote to take more money from the Feds? With all of these concerns about a BBA, the greatest concern is that an Article V Constitutional Convention cannot be limited. Phyllis Schlafly, the President of Eagle Forum until her passing in 2016, was an ardent opponent of an Article V Constitutional Convention. When she served on the Bi-Centennial Commission, she requested an opinion from then Chief Justice Warren Burger on the risks of an Article V Convention. He is the highest authority in the United States to ever speak out on a Constitutional Convention. He stated: I have also repeatedly given my opinion that there is no effective way to limit or muzzle the actions of a Constitutional Convention. The Convention could make its own rules and set its own agenda. Congress might try to limit the Convention to one amendment or to one issue, but there is no way to assure that the Convention would obey. After a Convention is convened, it will be too late to stop the convention if we dont like its agenda https://www.eagleforum.org/topics/concon/pdf/WarrenBurger-letter.pdf In addition, in 2015 the New Jersey Law Journal cited Supreme Court Justice Scalia called it a horrible idea to hold a constitutional convention in this age of special interests. New Hampshire, like my home state of Nevada, is a small population state. An Article V Convention should be of great concern especially to a small population state because all previously proposed rules for an Article V Convention by the U.S. Congress include representation based on the formula of the Electoral College, which is 1 delegate for each Congressional District and 2 delegates at large. Unlike the original Constitutional Convention in which each state had one vote, a new Constitutional Convention will mean that New Hampshire will have 4 delegates and California will have 55 delegates. To me as a conservative from a small state that is very scary! Article V limits what can be amended to only one item, no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. In other words, no State can be deprived of its two U.S. Senators without its consent. That is significant because it means that EVERYTHING else in the Constitution can be amended, including the amending process itself in Article V. In the original Constitutional Convention the amending process of the Articles of Confederation, which required a unanimous vote of the states, was thrown out. The New Constitution only required nine of the thirteen States to ratify the Constitution for it to take effect. When proponents of an Article V Constitutional Convention say that we dont have to worry about what comes out of a Convention because any Amendments proposed by the Convention will have to be approved by the States, I have three responses. 1) Didnt the States approve the 16th Amendment which gave us the Income Tax? 2) Didnt the States pass the 17th Amendment which changed forever the balance of power between the States and the Federal Government to the detriment of the States? And 3) The Convention, just like the original Constitutional Convention did, can change the ratification process. Could that happen at a new Constitutional Convention? Instead of requiring 38 States to ratify any Amendments, they might change it to two-thirds or one more than 50 percentjust 26 States. If the politicians controlling an Article V Constitutional Convention thought that enough states would not approve the new amendments or the New Constitution, they could as our Founders did, throw out the current Constitutional requirements for amending the Constitution. What else do we RISK? I always say the first thing that will go in an Article V Constitutional Convention will be the Second Amendment, the Right to Keep and Bear Arms. Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens stated in 2018, that, Overturning that decision via a constitutional amendment to get rid of the Second Amendment would be simple and would do more to weaken the N.R.A.s ability to stymie legislative debate and block constructive gun control legislation than any other available option. In this world of the Politically Correct we also risk losing our Freedom of Speech and the Free Exercise of Religion. Free Speech and Religion are obstacles to the imposition of the Radical Lefts view of their Socialist Society. Of course, we know the Electoral College would be in jeopardy. The proponents of the Balanced Budget Amendment are now promoting the idea that Congress can AGGREGATE Article V applications covering different issues in order to achieve the required 34 states. Rob Natelsons new Study claims that we are only one state away from a Convention to propose a Balanced Budget Amendment. Actually we are at least 6 states away. https://i2i.org/wp-content/uploads/Aggreg-FedSocR.pdf This aggregation of Article V applications further alarms those of us opposing a Constitutional Convention because we see the deliberate manipulation of the Constitutional process in order to achieve the aims of Convention proponents, that of an unlimited Constitutional Convention Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (29) Hong Kongs leading public health epidemiologist has warned that around two-thirds of the worlds population could get infected by the new coronavirus if it can not be controlled. The warning came after the World Health Organization ( WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said that transmission among people with no travel history to China could be the 'tip of the iceberg'. Speaking to The Guardian, Prof Gabriel Leung, adding to Ghebreyesuss comment, said that it was important to find out the size and shape of the iceberg. Quoting health experts, Leung, who himself chairs public health medicine at Hong Kong University, opined that each infected person could transmit the virus to about 2.5 people on an average giving it an attack rate of 60-80 per cent. Leung will attend an expert meeting at the WHO in Geneva and will advise the attendees that the scale of the epidemic remains the major issue. The public health epidemic has already claimed more than 1,000 lives which forced Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit a healthcare centre to boost the public morale. Read: Hong Kong Villagers Roam Mask Free As Coronavirus Fear Grips The World WHO signs MoU Meanwhile, WHO and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) has signed a memorandum of understanding to formalize a strategic collaboration to strengthen diagnosis in resource-poor countries by closing major diagnostic gaps at the country level. Global health challenges such as the ongoing new #2019nCoV outbreak demonstrates that without these essential elements of health systems, we cannot hope to promote health, keep the world safe, and serve the vulnerable, tweeted Ghebreyesus. Read: Coronavirus FAQs: WHO Dismisses Myths And Rumours About The Novel Virus WHO is also convening a global research and innovation forum to mobilize international action in response to the new coronavirus. The forum will be held on February 11-12 in Geneva which is being organized in collaboration with the Global Research Collaboration for Infectious Disease Preparedness. WHO is playing an important coordinating role by bringing the scientific community together to identify research priorities and accelerate progress, said Ghebreyesus in a statement. Read: Singapore Expecting 25-30% Drop In Visitors This Year Amid Coronavirus Dread Read: China: Companies Use 'force Majeure' As Defence Amid Coronavirus Outbreak Kalish, who voted to put the measure on the ballot, Olickal and Stoneback are all making it part of their campaign. All three urged those at the debate to support it. They also said they incorporate it into their campaign appearances. WASHINGTON The Justice Department has sued local and state governments in California, New Jersey and Washington State as part of a significant escalation in the Trump administrations fight against so-called sanctuary laws aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, Attorney General William P. Barr said on Monday. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society, Mr. Barr said in a speech at the National Sheriffs Association conference in Washington, D.C. Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. Such laws passed by local and state governments generally restrict whether and how the local police shares information with the federal authorities about a persons immigration status. Five states, as well as counties in nearly 30 states, have enacted them. Under President Trump, Justice Department officials have argued that such laws are unconstitutional and obstruct the federal governments ability to enforce immigration laws, including removing immigrants who entered the country illegally or committed a crime. British scientist Dr. Robin Shattock told CNBC on Tuesday the public shouldn't expect a coronavirus vaccine to hit the market until early next year, despite recent advances. "The closest we'll get to making this available will be early next year, or later," Shattock, head of mucosal infection and immunity at the Department of Medicine at Imperial College London, said on "Squawk Box." "It still requires a lot of testing to see if these vaccines are safe and then see if they work," he added. Shattock is part of a team in the U.K. exploring potential coronavirus vaccinations. They have started animal testing. The group hopes to move on to human testing "within a period of months," he said. "We, and the other teams around the world, have moved much faster than has been done before," Shattock said, which he attributed to Chinese health officials sharing their data on the infection. Health officials around the world are also scrambling develop a vaccine to fight against the rapidly-spreading coronavirus, which was discovered Dec. 31 in the Chinese city of Wuhan in Hubei province. China's National Health Commission said a total of 42,638 coronavirus cases have been confirmed so far, and 1,016 people have died in China from the illness. A handful of groups and companies, including U.S.-based Johnson & Johnson, have joined the race to find a vaccine for the new virus. J&J chief scientific officer Paul Stoffels told CNBC late last month that he believes the drugmaker can create a vaccine in the coming months. But like Shattock, Dr. Stoffels also said it would not hit the market for a year. Additionally, the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and the Vaccine Research Center is working with Moderna to develop a vaccine, which could start human safety testing in less than three months. "What is exciting is by having multiple teams working on the same target, we hope more than one candidate will come through, and it will mean there's plenty in terms of scale and supply chain, to act as sufficiently as possible," Shattock said. A vaccine can't come too soon. The director-general of the World Health Organization on Tuesday warned that while almost all of the confirmed coronavirus cases are in China, the outbreak constitutes a "very grave threat" for the rest of the world. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' comments come less than 24 hours after he told reporters at the U.N. health agency's headquarters in Geneva that cases detected outside China "could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire." Reuters contributed to this report. The high-ranking Cartel Del Noreste leader who was arrested in Nuevo Laredo is facing murder charges for the assassination of five public servants, Tamaulipas authorities said Monday. READ MORE: Laredo BP agent suspected of murder of lover and 1-year-old son, requests third attorney removal Pablo Cesar G, also known as El Takia, is accused of killing the public servants in an ambush reported Jan. 4, 2017, in the Sister City. Authorities said the officers were part of the regional office of the Tamaulipas attorney generals office in Nuevo Laredo. Tamaulipas Gov. Francisco Javier Garcia Cabeza de Vaca lauded the arrest of El Takia that the soldiers with the Secretariat of the National Defense, or SEDENA, carried out. Mexican troops arrested El Takia early Thursday in Colonia Colorines in west Nuevo Laredo along with a woman identified as Laura "N." Soldiers also seized four firearms and two vehicles from the home. Authorities said Pablo Cesar is believed to be one of the most violent offenders and gunmen leader for the cartel. He would allegedly carry out violent attacks on authorities and rival criminal groups. Pablo Cesar had been on the lam since 2017 when he escaped from a juvenile detention facility in Guemez in Central Tamaulipas, authorities said. State authorities served him with the state murder warrants after a judge determined that there were no federal arrest warrants for Pablo Cesar, said Garcia Cabeza de Vaca. "Here it is shown that when there is coordination, when there is political will, when there is firmness, and above all, a defined strategy as we are doing in Tamaulipas in conjunction with the armed forces, we obtain the results that are taking place today in our state," Garcia Cabeza de Vaca said. Pablo Cesar has been transferred to a federal detention facility in the Mexican State of Guanajuato. READ MORE: Laredo man dead, woman injured after single-vehicle rollover in central Laredo The Attorney General's Office of the State of Tamaulipas reaffirms its commitment not to leave unpunished all those crimes that hurt society and to use all legal means at its disposal to bring to justice to those who attempt against life, peace and security of the Tamaulipas residents, authorities said in a statement. The image of a young man with a boat full of garbage collected from the ocean has become familiar to people in Phu Vang District of central Thua Thien-Hue Province. Tran Van Cuong on his boat with full of plastic waste collected from the ocean after an offshore fishing trip. Photo tienphong.vn Tran Van Cuong has been nicknamed "rubbish Cuong" or "crazy guy" thanks to his efforts. Cuong, like many residents in Thuan An Township, has fished offshore for 15 years. He has seen fishermen and tourists discharging plastic waste, bottles and cans into the ocean, and decided to do something about it. The ocean will be full of trash if everyone acts like that every day. The marine environment will be seriously polluted if the waste is not collected. Marine creatures can not survive anymore. And the fishermen who benefit from marine resources will be affected first," the 29-year-old told Tien Phong (Vanguard) newspaper. "Every time I go fishing offshore, I always pick up floated plastic objects on the sea and bring them to the shore for handling." Since starting his mission, Cuong has faced criticism, with some saying he was wasting his time and energy, others calling him crazy and some people have even thrown garbage into the sea when they saw him. But he ignores the mocking laughter and keeps on keeping on. Cuong uses simple tools such as small nets or broken baskets to collect garbage at sea and stores it on his boat until he returns to shore. Cuong said he often follows his family members to go offshore fishing for more than six months a year, with four to five trips a month. The longest trip will last up to half a month. His boat is always full of rubbish after each trip. He sorts and handles it or sells it to scrap traders. Cuong uses about VND300,000 (US$12.8) earned from selling trash after each fishing trip to raise funds for the local youth union to help poor students. The money collected from picking up trash is not much, but it is joyful for me because I am able to contribute a little of my effort to help poor students and make the sea cleaner," he said. "How clean the ocean will be if all fishermen collect garbage together onshore or on each offshore trip." "I am trying to call everyone to join hands to clean the ocean. Each fishing vessel should have at least one trash can in order to stop throwing rubbish directly into the sea, that will affect aquatic resources," said Cuong. Fishermen in some coastal provinces have worked in groups to call on other fishermen to make a commitment not to throw garbage into the sea and bring it ashore. Cuong said he hoped his job collecting waste at sea would attract more people to join in. He also needs help from all levels of government and organisations in Thua Thien-Hue Province to get local people involved in cleaning up the sea. According to Le Hoanh Thanh, secretary of the Youth Union in Thuan An Township, Cuong's actions have made a change in the locality. Many fishermen have begun to change their awareness of littering at sea. Soon, we will collect old nets to make garbage bags and give them to fishermen when they sail offshore," Thanh said. For his work protecting the marine environment, Cuong was awarded the Luong Dinh Cua Award at the end of 2019, a reward of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union Central Committee to young people in rural areas with outstanding achievements in production, business, application of modern science technologies, environmental protection and new rural lifestyle building. VNS Vietnam to start plastic waste reduction action plan Vietnamese authorities have started many plans and programmes in order to reduce ocean plastic waste. Vietnam's action plan hopes to reduce 75 percent of marine plastic waste Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has issued a national action plan on marine plastic waste management by 2030 that aims to reduce 75 percent of plastic debris in the ocean in the next 10 years. During discussions on the legislative initiative targeted at the implementation of constitutional reforms held in the National Assembly, the deputies of the ruling My Step Alliance were intolerant and disrespectful towards pluralism and differing ideological approaches and were inciting hatred towards dissent. This is what deputy of the Bright Armenia Party Ani Samsonyan said during the hour of statements in parliament today. She stated that, in essence, at the end of his speech in parliament, the Prime Minister supported the deputies of the ruling alliance by dividing the society into blacks and whites, traitors of the state once again. All this, as well as the fact that the incumbent authorities are actually generating hatred in society instead of fighting against hatred, have compelled her and another deputy of the Bright Armenia faction, Anna Kostanyan to not participate in the sessions of the task force fighting against incitement to and propaganda of hatred that has been set up in the National Assembly. With this, we are expressing lack of confidence and believe we have nothing to do in the demonstrative and meaningless struggle, Samsonyan concluded. China's central bank on Tuesday said it had approved an application from Mastercard's joint venture to establish a bank card clearing business in China, a major step in the US company's decades-long march to enter the yuan payment and clearing market. Netsunion was established in 2017 and all third-party payment services involving bank accounts must go through its platforms, cutting direct clearing between banks and service providers such as Alipay and Wechat Pay, and giving Beijing access to data on all mobile transactions. Mastercard said in a statement that the company will "be able to apply to the People's Bank of China for formal approval to begin domestic bank card clearing activity" within a year. The approval by China was granted three weeks after Beijing and Washington signed their phase one trade deal, in which China promised it would further open its domestic financial market to firms from the United States. The central bank said in a statement that the approval reflects China's commitment of "opening up the financial sector", but it did not mention the partial trade deal. "For the next step in the opening up [of the financial system], the People's Bank of China will deal with bank card applicants in an open, just, and fair manner while improving supervision and maintaining financial stability," the PBOC statement said. Beijing has long insisted on state control of key financial infrastructure, including the clearing and online payment market, despite Washington's insistence on wider access to the Chinese market. Mastercard set up a representative office in China as early as 1988, when bank cards barely existed in the country. But it has struggled ever since to access users of bank cards. China UnionPay has emerged as a home-grown alternative to Mastercard and Visa. In addition to its near monopoly in the Chinese market, UnionPay is rapidly expanding around the world and now has a presence in 177 countries with more than 100 million cards issued overseas. Story continues The World Trade Organisation in 2012 sided with the US that China had unfairly discriminated against American bank card firms and must open its market. US trade officials say China's slow response to the ruling is a prime example of Beijing's unwillingness to keep to promises and has used it as justification for an enforcement mechanism in the phase one deal. The Mastercard Netsunion Information Technology joint venture comes after the US company's first partnership with a local firm failed to crack the domestic market. Visa International, another US bank card giant, is still waiting for government approval of its Chinese operations. 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. The Philippines told the US on Tuesday it was quitting a pact key to their historical military alliance, triggering a six-month countdown to the deal's termination. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his cabinet to give notice to quit the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after voicing anger over Washington cancelling the visa of the official who led his internationally condemned drug war. The move also follows Duterte's repeated, unfulfilled threats to shrink or even sever the nation's ties with its former colonial master and most important military ally. The 1998 VFA is the legal framework for the presence of US troops on Philippine soil and is central to hundreds of annual, joint military exercises, which are a major component of their deep military ties. The pact requires a 180-day notice to quit, which will likely set off a period of negotiation between the two countries. "This is a serious step with significant implications for the US-Philippines alliance," the US embassy in Manila said in a statement. "We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests." The VFA is divisive in the Philippines, with leftist and nationalist critics long arguing it guarantees special treatment for US service members accused of crimes. - 'Negative impact' - But defenders of the decades-old agreement say ending it could both degrade the Philippines' ability to defend itself and undermine Washington's moves against Beijing's rise, particularly in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin, an advocate of the pact, told lawmakers last week it was fundamental to the US alliance, which had provided tens of millions of dollars in support, equipment and training for the Philippine armed forces. "Terminating the VFA will negatively impact its (the Philippines') defence and security," Locsin said. "Our contribution to regional defence is anchored on our military alliance with the world's last superpower," he added. Duterte first warned he would scrap the deal in 2016, and then repeated that threat in a speech in January. That came after Ronald Dela Rosa, the former national police chief who is now a senator, said the US had cancelled his visa without telling him why. Philippine officials view the cancellation as a sanction for Dela Rosa's leadership of the campaign in which police have killed thousands of alleged traffickers, dealers and users. Since the visa issue surfaced, Duterte has barred his cabinet from going to the US and has turned down President Donald Trump's invitation to a southeast Asian summit set for March in Las Vegas. Duterte bristles at any Western criticism of his signature policy, which public opinion surveys say is widely supported by Filipinos despite the killing. Technavio has been monitoring the agritourism market and it is poised to grow by USD 54.63 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 18% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005516/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global agritourism market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Growing tourism industry has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, impact of seasonality on agritourism might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Agritourism Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Agritourism Market is segmented as below: Type Domestic International Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30793 Agritourism Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our agritourism market report covers the following areas: Agritourism Market Size Agritourism Market Trends Agritourism Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing popularity of instant bookings as one of the prime reasons driving the agritourism market growth during the next few years. Agritourism Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the agritourism market, including some of the vendors such as Domiruth PeruTravel, Quadrant Australia, Select Holidays, Star Destinations and Stita Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the agritourism market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Agritourism Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist agritourism market growth during the next five years Estimation of the agritourism market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the agritourism market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of agritourism market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005516/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ According to the National Security Council of Iran, achieving technical assessments can help finalize the case in an expert and non-political atmosphere Open source Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine Oleksiy Danilov was invited by his Iranian counterpart to travel to Iran in order to jointly review the issue of PS752 investigation, IRNA reports. According to the outlet, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran Ali Shamkhani expressed condolences over the deadly accident and sympathized with the families of the victims during the telephone conversation with Danilov. Shamkhani said that achieving technical assessments can help finalize the case in an expert and non-political atmosphere. He also emphasized the importance of preventing other parties to affect the issue and create misunderstanding in the technical and expert investigations process. As we reported earlier, Canadian lawyers filed a lawsuit on behalf of victims aboard a Ukrainian plane shot down over Tehran last month, looking for at least $1.1 billion in compensation, Reuters informed. The suit names Iran, its supreme leader, the elite Revolutionary Guards, and others as defendants. It was filed on January 24 in Toronto, but it is still not clear whether it has been served on defendants in Iran. By PTI NEW DELHI: Arvind Kejriwal led the Aam Aadmi Party to a stupendous victory yet again in the Delhi Assembly polls, dealing a body blow to the main rival BJP and completely decimating the Congress in a keenly-watched battle in the midst of anti-CAA protests. The 51-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician almost replicated the AAP's fairy-tale victory of 2015 by riding on his government's development agenda, and in the process emerged as a key leader in the national political landscape. As the AAP cruised to victory, leaders cutting across party lines including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Naveen Patnaik (BJD) and MK Stalin (DMK) congratulated Kejriwal for the historic win. According to the final figures released by the Election Commission, the AAP won in 62 of the 70 seats with a total vote share of 53.57 per cent. The BJP emerged victorious in the remaining eight seats, getting 38.51 per cent of the total votes. The Congress could not even manage a single seat and ended with 4.26 per cent vote share. The AAP's stupendous victory comes nearly eight months after it suffered a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in which the party drew a blank while the BJP won all the seven seats. The victory also assumes significance as it came in the face of BJP's no holds barred attack against protesters opposing the Citizenship (Amendement) Act as "supporters of Pakistan" during the bitterly-fought campaign. ALSO READ | 'I love you, Delhi': Kejriwal soaks in capital win, swearing-in on Valentine's Day "Dilliwalon, ghazab kar diya aapne (Delhiites, you have done the impossible). I love you," Kejriwal, flanked by his wife, daughter and senior party leaders, said in a brief thank you address at the party's headquarters here. "It is the beginning of new kind of politics today. This is a very auspicious message for the country and the politics of work can only take our country to the 21st century," he added. "It is a victory for Bharat Mata (mother India)," he said as a large number of supporters cheered him. Later, he visited the famous Hanuman temple near Connaught Place along with his family and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. ALSO READ | Delhi's mandate explained true meaning of nationalism: Manish Sisodia All AAP heavyweights including Sisodia, Raghav Chaddha and Atishi, Gopal Rai, Satyendar Jain emerged victoriously. Modi congratulated Kejriwal for his party's win and wished him "the very best" in fulfilling the aspirations of the people "Congratulations to AAP and shri Arvind Kejriwal ji for the victory in the Delhi assembly elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi," the prime minister tweeted. Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2020 Opposition leaders hailed AAP's landslide win as a defeat of the politics of polarisation and hate and a victory of inclusive politics, saying "winds of change" are blowing in the country. Leaders of non-BJP parties cutting across party lines said the poll outcome showed that elections can be fought and won on the development plank. There was also a call for all regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was among the first to congratulate Kejrwial, said the Delhi polls have proven that only development will work. "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." the TMC supremo told reporters in Kolkata, amid the protests against the CAA, National Register of Citizens(NRC) and National Population Register(NPR). ALSO READ | Politics of hatred did not work in Delhi: Mamata NCP supremo Sharad Pawar utilised the AAP's sweeping win to stress that regional parties need to come together to keep the BJP out of power. "The Delhi poll results indicate that 'winds of change' are blowing in the country. The results are not surprising to me," Pawar told reporters in Pune. "The BJP, as usual, played the communal card to polarise votes, but failed," he said. The elections in the national capital took place in the midst of massive protests in the city and elsewhere over the new citizenship law, an issue which was strongly raised by the BJP top leadership during the campaigning which often turned bitter and vitriolic. Though BJP's campaign focused on national security issues, the AAP mainly focused on its achievements in the fields of education, healthcare and infrastructure. The AAP had registered a sensational victory in 2015 by winning 67 seats in a hurricane march that almost wiped out the BJP and the Congress. "We have been saying since the beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us" AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters. ALSO READ | With 'massive mandate', Delhi has said Kejriwal is 'not a terrorist': Sanjay Singh A clear majority shows that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore, said AAP volunteer Fareen Khan at the party office. After he was declared winner from the Patparganj seat, Sisodia said the BJP indulged in "politics of hate", but people refused its agenda. "The BJP indulged in politics of hate, but I thank the people of Patparganj. Delhi's people have chosen a government which works for them and explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate," he told reporters. Carrying blue and white balloons, buntings and giant cut-outs of their leader Arvind Kejriwal, AAP workers celebrated at the party's headquarter in the national capital. Grooving to the tunes of the party's campaign song - 'Lage Raho Kejriwal' - and drumbeats, AAP workers and supporters hugged each other and offered 'ladoos' amid a charged atmosphere. The Congress accepted defeat and vowed to rebuild and revive itself at the grassroots level in the city. "People's mandate is against us, we accept it.We have resolved to revive and rebuild the party," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference. A total of 672 candidates, including 593 men and 79 women, were in the fray for the hotly contested elections. Once in a while, Israels President Reuven Rivlin takes a stance, criticizes political and diplomatic decision-making in Israel and speaks sharply against phenomena of incitement and violence toward various populations in Israel. In his direct and courageous statements Rivlin wishes to return Israel to the path of sanity and reason, and for this he receives an outpouring of vitriol from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the last extreme right-wing activist. In 2017, they even called him a Nazi convert and dressed him in a keffiyeh; in 2014, a photo appeared with him wearing an SS uniform. Remarks he made Feb. 10 are proof that he has had enough and that he is worried about how decisions are being made by the political leadership. In a speech he gave at a conference attended by Israel Defense Forces (IDF) Chief of Staff Aviv Kokhavi and a forum of senior officers, Rivlin hinted that the political leadership is moved by political calculations and did not hesitate to goad, calling on the senior security leadership to navigate this enormous ship called national security wisely, responsibly and fearlessly, and say what they think without fear of what theyll say, what theyll tweet without interference from people with irrelevant considerations. The presidents opponents will certainly claim that this time he went too far and in effect called on the chief of staff and IDF leaders to oppose the directives of the political leadership if they think that an unwise decision was made for political reasons. But what are IDF officers, foremost among them the chief of staff, supposed to do, when every day they are handed a decision that reeks of politics? Refuse to execute it? Protest? Tweet like Netanyahu or Defense Minister Naftali Bennett do? As of Feb. 9, Israel is preventing the Palestinian Authority (PA), by Bennetts decision, from exporting agricultural products through Jordan. The products olive oil and dates worth 50 million Israeli shekels ($14.6 million), are supposed to reach markets in Jordan and Turkey. This restriction joins another restriction imposed by Bennett last week to stop exporting agricultural products from the West Bank to Israel. The decision of the defense minister to start an economic war against the PA came in response to its boycott on the import of calves from cattle growers in Israel. In December 2019, an agreement was reached between Israel and the PA on a quota of calves to be bought, but the PA again decided to ban the import of calves. Israel sees the boycott as a violation of the economic agreements set down in the Paris Protocol, but totally ignored the fact that economic agreements cannot continue to stand in isolation from collapsing diplomatic agreements. Bennetts economic trade war is the result of another war Bennetts war against Netanyahu. Since he was appointed defense minister in November 2019, Bennett is doing nearly everything he can to prove that he will not disappoint the settlers, so that they would vote for him instead of for the Likud. Assuming that Israel does believe that the boycott on the sale of calves by the PA does constitute a violation of the economic agreements, taking an economic step of collective punishment in order to placate Israeli cattle growers is irresponsible. The Israeli security establishment is engaged in calming the situation in the Palestinian territories and then Bennett comes and declares economic war on the Palestinians. Does this have anything to do with the election set to take place in three weeks? It seems it does. According to the ministers view who does everything to appease his settler voters how could it be that Palestinians unilaterally decide not to buy calves from Israel? By the way, Bennett has no problem with unilateral decisions when they come from his direction, including on more essential and impactful issues than the sale of cattle. Unilateral annexation, illegal construction of West Bank outposts, unilateral seizing of private Palestinian land, expulsion of Palestinians from their homes unilaterally to defend settlers all is allowed as Bennett sees it: in the name of security, with the aim of erasing the idea of two states for two people from the lexicon. Bennett sees it as an existential threat to Israel. In Bennetts view, Israel is the sovereign on both sides of the 1967 border. The West Bank territories are part of the territory of the Land of Israel, and the Palestinians must act and obey the security commands Bennett concocts in his office. Warnings from the security establishment apparently have nothing to do with him; apparently they dont worry him. Not regarding policy in the West Bank and not regarding the Gaza Strip. Without a clear Israel policy toward Gaza and Hamas yes to an arrangement, no to an arrangement and without intent to take drastic steps in order to restore deterrence toward Hamas, as Bennett demanded before he was appointed defense minister, the political minister at army headquarters decided Feb. 2 to stop the supply of cement to Gaza. This is another (allegedly) logical step that can be explained as an attempt to pressure Hamas, but defense ministers before him also did the same so there is nothing new, nor efficient about it. Thus, in order to be original, Bennett decided in addition to define 500 Palestinians from Gaza with permits to work in Israel as forbidden from entering Israel for security reasons. These permits were issued after great pressure the IDF exerted for months on the political establishment and the Shin Bet in order to ease the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Since Netanyahus right-wing Cabinet was not able to make such a decision, it was decided to work around it and issue these job seekers without proper security clearance trader permits. Now, Bennett is working around that. Since canceling these quotas requires the Cabinet to meet, the simplest thing for him to do is to declare these 500 workers a security threat. On Feb. 9, the Gisha organization sent Bennett and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, retired Maj. Gen. Kamil Abu Rokon, a letter of protest that claimed that drawing an arbitrary list in order to deny work permits is a prohibited and illegal collective punishment. According to the organization, not only does it create further harm to Gazas economy, the arbitrary designation of those denied permits as security denied also harms their good name and could thwart their chances to receive trader permits in the future. It is doubtful that Bennett truly believes that these steps would lead to stopping the launch of rocket fire and explosive balloons from the Gaza Strip. If he did, one could argue about the efficacy of his decisions on their merits. It is more likely that the president is correct in calling for decisions without interference from people with irrelevant considerations in the armys operations. In other words, Bennetts decisions were not meant to stop rocket fire or calm the situation in Gaza, but to impress his voters. New Delhi/Washington, Feb 11 : After signing a trade deal with China, the US is likely to finalize a trade agreement and a defence deal with India during the visit of President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump later this month. Sources said the Modi government is in the process of approving the purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters from the American defence firm Lockheed Martin for $2.6 billion, ahead of Trump's two-day visit on February 24. The US and Indian officials are also working on a limited trade deal which will address some of Trump's complaints against India's high tariffs on US imported goods, sources said. The US is India's second biggest trade partner. The bilateral agreements are aimed at strengthening the US-India strategic partnership and the personal rapport between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi in Houston last year has further fortified the relationship, sources said. Acknowledging this, an official US statement about President Trump's visit to India said, "During a phone call over the weekend, Trump and Modi agreed that the trip will further strengthen the US-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people." The US President and the First Lady are also visiting Gujarat, Prime Minister Modi's home state. Interestingly, the US after several rounds of negotiations, signed a trade deal with China earlier this month, with Beijing having committed to buying an additional $200 billion worth of US goods and services by 2021. While the US has retained most of the tariffs on Chinese goods, China is expected to reduce some of its tariffs on US goods. The US has threatened to penalize China if it fails to meet the terms of the agreement. In his last election campaign, Trump had promised to revisit US trade deals with its key trading partners in order to reduce trade deficit, generate employment and revive American economy. President Trump is running for re-election in November later this year. He was recently acquitted by the US Senate in his impeachment trial over the allegation of illegally seeking help from Ukraine to influence the forthcoming presidential elections in November. "If President Trump manages to get a trade deal with India which is win-win for both the countries, he will go back home to a consolidated vote base," a source said. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Yunus Arakon | E+ | Getty Images Investor money ensnared in alleged Ponzi schemes has hit its highest level in a decade, leading to concern that a booming stock market and de-regulatory agenda are pushing more fraudsters to bilk unsuspecting investors. State and federal authorities uncovered 60 alleged Ponzi schemes last year with a total of $3.25 billion in investor funds the largest amount of money unearthed in these scams since 2010 and more than double the amount from 2018, according to data from the website Ponzitracker. A Ponzi scheme is a type of fraud whereby crooks steal money from investors and mask the theft by funneling returns to clients from funds contributed by newer investors. Bernard Madoff ran the largest Ponzi scheme in history, a $65 billion scam encompassing thousands of investors that was uncovered in 2008. Madoff, who is serving a 150-year sentence in federal prison, recently said he was dying from terminal kidney disease and asked a judge to grant him early release. Ponzi schemes alleged by civil and criminal authorities last year pale in comparison to scams unearthed around the time of the 2008 financial crisis, such as Madoff's and those of other notorious criminals such as Thomas Petters and Allen Stanford, who ran respective $3.7 billion and $8 billion frauds. In 2008, for example, authorities found 40 Ponzi schemes with a combined $23 billion of investor funds roughly seven times the amount of funds from last year, according to Ponzitracker, data of which is compiled by Jordan Maglich, an attorney at Quarles & Brady. While it's too soon to tell if last year's total was an anomaly, some experts fear it could herald a return to more sinister times. "This is maybe not quite 2008 again, but the seeds are being planted for the next investor massacre," said Andrew Stoltmann, an investment fraud attorney based in Chicago. A surging stock market, which may lead investors to lower their guard, and a de-regulatory environment at the federal level are two primary factors driving the growth in these frauds, Stoltmann said. The stock market has been on its longest winning streak in history after emerging from the rubble of the Great Recession. The S&P 500 stock market index was up 31.5% last year, when reinvested dividends are included, its best annual gain in six years. The only year that saw better annual performance over the past three decades was 1997, when the S&P 500 yielded 33.4%. The Securities and Exchange Commission, the federal agency that polices investment fraud, has also been less aggressive under the Trump administration, Stoltmann said. This is maybe not quite 2008 again, but the seeds are being planted for the next investor massacre. Andrew Stoltmann Investment fraud attorney Indeed, the SEC has reduced the number of investigations it has opened. The agency opened 827 investigations in its 2019 fiscal year, which runs through October, a decrease from 869 investigations opened the prior year. "[That sends] a de-facto dog whistle to stock criminals and stock thieves out there, and it emboldens them to engage in financial chicanery," Stoltmann said. The challenge with Ponzi schemes is that investors are unlikely to know if they're victims until the stock market crashes, as happened during the financial crisis when clients tried redeeming their money only to realize it wasn't there, Stoltmann said. And most of time, investors won't get all their money back. Located in the Oakland Hills overlooking the San Francisco Bay, Claremont marked its 100th anniversary in 2015 with the culmination of an extensive restoration and a much-anticipated rebranding to the Fairmont Hotels & Resorts portfolio. The property is now home to 276 newly restored guest rooms and suites, several restaurants and 23,000 square feet of newly refreshed meeting space. While front-of-the-house renovations made a big impact for guests, Claremont wanted to ensure each area of the hotel was optimized - even operational parts of the business that guests might never interact with. To this end, Claremont has assessed and prioritized projects to promote this mission in a range of ways, from an expanded focus on conservation and efficiency in the hotel's operations to involving Carbon Lighthouse in an energy efficiency project. Through Efficiency Production Carbon Lighthouse's unique, data-driven process the company will deploy dozens of sensors throughout the Claremont facilities to collect thousands of original thermodynamic data points from air and water temperature and flow rates in HVAC (Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment), to lighting and occupancy. Supplementing this with utility, weather and other available data, Carbon Lighthouse will use its patented CLUES platform to model thousands of energy scenarios and optimize existing equipment and arrive at the most financially beneficial and eco-friendly solution for the building. "Claremont Club & Spa has always been dedicated to meeting top sustainability goals and has made extensive efforts throughout the entire property from our guest rooms to our spa and restaurants," said Melanie Wendeler, Director of Operations at Claremont Club & Spa. "Carbon Lighthouse is a truly innovative partner in helping Claremont reach our ongoing commitment around energy efficiency without sacrificing guest comfort." "As a Bay Area landmark in the hospitality industry, Claremont Club & Spa is uniquely positioned to lead an innovative push toward achieving actionable sustainability goals," said Brenden Millstein, CEO and co-founder at Carbon Lighthouse. "This partnership is an example of how owners and operators in hospitality can continue to modernize and streamline historic and interesting properties." In addition to reducing carbon emissions, the work with Carbon Lighthouse is expected to help increase the overall value of Claremont Club & Spa by improving the asset's net operating income. Carbon Lighthouse guarantees the real dollar value of its estimated energy savings by continuing to stay engaged with the property and its on-site teams and ensure the energy efficiency measures persist in the long term. This translates into sustained building financial value and increased guest comfort. Claremont Club & Spa's overall efforts around sustainability and energy efficiency have earned it the tile of Bay Area Certified Green Business by the California Green Business Network. ABOUT CLAREMONT CLUB & SPA, A FAIRMONT HOTEL Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is where occasions are celebrated and history is made. Landmark hotels with unrivaled presence, authentic experiences and unforgettable moments have attracted visitors to Fairmont and its destinations since 1907. The Plaza in New York City, The Savoy in London, Fairmont San Francisco, Fairmont Banff Springs and Fairmont Peace Hotel in Shanghai are but a few of these iconic luxury hotels, forever linked to the special places where they reside. Famous for its engaging service, grand public spaces, locally inspired cuisine and celebrated bars and lounges, Fairmont promises a special brand of thoughtful luxury that will be remembered long after any visit. With a worldwide portfolio of more than 75 hotels, Fairmont also takes great pride in its deep community roots and leadership in sustainability. Fairmont is part of Accor, a world-leading augmented hospitality group offering unique and meaningful experiences in 4,900 hotels, resorts, and residences across 110 countries. ABOUT CARBON LIGHTHOUSE Carbon Lighthouse is on a mission to stop climate change by making it easy and profitable for building owners to eliminate carbon emissions caused by wasted energy. The company's unique approach to Efficiency Production goes deep into buildings to uncover and constantly correct hidden inefficiencies that add up to meaningful financial value and carbon elimination that continues over time. Since 2010, commercial real estate, educational, hospitality and industrial customers nationwide have chosen Carbon Lighthouse to enhance building comfort, increase net operating income and achieve their sustainability goals. Carbon Lighthouse is an Elemental Excelerator 2016 Cohort Company, and has received multiple investments from Ulupono Initiative. For more information visit: www.carbonlighthouse.com. SOURCE Carbon Lighthouse Related Links https://www.carbonlighthouse.com BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) Limited (HKG:2388) saw significant share price movement during recent months on the SEHK, rising to highs of HK$28.90 and falling to the lows of HK$25.85. 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 BOC Hong Kong (Holdings)'s current trading price of HK$26.90 reflective of the actual value of the large-cap? Or is it currently undervalued, providing us with the opportunity to buy? Lets take a look at BOC Hong Kong (Holdings)s outlook and value based on the most recent financial data to see if there are any catalysts for a price change. View our latest analysis for BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) What is BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) worth? Great news for investors BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) is still trading at a fairly cheap price. My valuation model shows that the intrinsic value for the stock is HK$37.91, which is above what the market is valuing the company at the moment. This indicates a potential opportunity to buy low. Whats more interesting is that, BOC Hong Kong (Holdings)s 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 BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) generate? SEHK:2388 Past and Future Earnings, February 11th 2020 Future outlook is an important aspect when youre looking at buying a stock, especially if you are an investor looking for growth in your portfolio. 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. Though in the case of BOC Hong Kong (Holdings), it is expected to deliver a relatively unexciting earnings growth of 3.8%, which doesnt help build up its investment thesis. Growth doesnt appear to be a main reason for a buy decision for the company, at least in the near term. Story continues What this means for you: Are you a shareholder? Even though growth is relatively muted, since 2388 is currently undervalued, it may be a great time to increase your holdings in the stock. However, there are also other factors such as financial health to consider, which could explain the current undervaluation. Are you a potential investor? If youve been keeping an eye on 2388 for a while, now might be the time to enter the stock. Its future outlook isnt fully reflected in the current share price yet, which means its not too late to buy 2388. But before you make any investment decisions, consider other factors such as the strength of its balance sheet, 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 BOC Hong Kong (Holdings). You can find everything you need to know about BOC Hong Kong (Holdings) in the latest infographic research report. If you are no longer interested in BOC Hong Kong (Holdings), 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. Syrias refugee crisis has shone a light on sex trafficking in Lebanon, where victims are often treated as criminals. Beirut, Lebanon How do I know most of the women working as prostitutes are controlled? asked Paul, a volunteer for the Jesuits, a religious order of the Roman Catholic Church, before answering his own question. [Because] the last time I tried to help one of them get in touch with an NGO, I got beaten and threatened by her captors. Everyone in Lebanons sex trade seems to be involved in trafficking in one way or another: Sources at both the Internal Security Forces (ISF) and the General Directorate of General Security (GS) in Beirut told Al Jazeera that even pimps working further down the chain of command ultimately report to a bigger network of organised traffickers. Paul has learned the ins-and-outs of Lebanons trafficking world over the years. Beirut, the Lebanese capital, and Jounieh, a coastal town about 10km (6.2 miles) north of it, are where most victims of sex trafficking end up in Lebanon. A GS officer estimated that there are at least 800 women and girls who have been forced into prostitution in these areas. But the numbers are hard to verify because of the hidden nature of the problem. While the ISF formally identified 29 victims 10 of whom were Lebanese and 13 Syrian of sex trafficking in 2017, the most recent year for which there is data, other sources, including officers at the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and NGOs, put the number in the thousands. The law The plight of these women is compounded by the way the law is applied in Lebanon. Article 523 of the Lebanese Penal Code criminalises any person who practices secret prostitution or facilitates it. The punishment is a prison sentence of anything from a month to a year. It is not illegal to work as a licensed prostitute but seeing as the government has not issued any such licences since the 1970s, those working as prostitutes are vulnerable to being arrested and punished. Beirut is no stranger to the sex industry. Prostitution was legalised in Lebanon after World War I when the government decided that concentrating prostitutes in one area Mutanabbi Street, which became Beiruts downtown red-light district before it was destroyed in the Civil War would protect Lebanese women from French and Senegalese soldiers. According to the Lebanese Prostitution Law of 1931, brothels were divided into two groups: public brothels and escort houses. The law also set conditions for those working outside the brothels, dividing them into groups of workers; cafe girls, mistresses and artistes. After Lebanons Civil War, which lasted from 1975 to 1990, secret meaning unlicensed prostitution became a crime. But hundreds of women enter Lebanon each year, particularly from Eastern Europe and Morocco, with an artiste visa, to work as dancers in clubs. Artiste is widely understood to be a euphemism for prostitute. Objects made by women, as part of local NGO Dar Al Amals activities for women detained in prison in Lebanon. Many of them were arrested on charges of prostitution despite being victims of traffickers [Daniela Sala/Al Jazeera] Life on the streets It is about 8pm on a Saturday, close to the Daoura intersection near Bourj Hammoud in Beiruts Armenian district, on a crowded road full of busy shops and cafes. From his car, Paul has just spotted a woman leaning towards a black SUV. She and the driver talk for a few minutes. Eventually, she gets in the car. The transaction is quick, and people passing by do not even seem to notice. They found a deal, explains Pauls wife, Ray. The couple, both in their 40s, have been volunteering for the church for years. Paul first got involved 20 years ago when he discovered that one of his neighbours was being forced into prostitution. He says he considered it his Christian mission to help. Ray decided to join him soon after they met in 2010. We Paul, .] Paul and Ray are Armenian-Lebanese and asked that their real names be withheld because of the sensitivity of their work. For the past 10 years, they have distributed food and medicine once a week to people in need, the couples term for the homeless, drug addicts, beggars and women exploited into prostitution in Beirut. As they drive around Doura, in the eastern suburbs of Beirut, the main road is still crowded. Two policemen are patrolling the area. But right around the corner, Ray spots another woman sitting in a car with a man. They have seen her here before, waiting on the street corner. We meet women who are Lebanese, East Africans and, in recent years, a lot of Syrians, of course, says Paul. In my experience, they all want to leave the job, but the only ones I have seen leaving a trafficker it was because they were handed to another [trafficker]. The Chez Maurice case It came as no great shock to Paul when, in 2016, news broke that 75 Syrian women had been trafficked and held captive in a Jounieh brothel for years. What became known as the Chez Maurice case, after the brothel in which they were held, only came to light because four women managed to escape. Legal Agenda, a Lebanese NGO that collected several testimonies from survivors of the Chez Maurice brothel, described the place as a torture chamber. I didnt think there was a state [law and order] in Lebanon, one of the trafficked women told Legal Agenda. [One of the traffickers] told me that he bought the state with his money. I believed him the moment I was detained in the General Security building for 24 hours and then released scot-free. Despite the media uproar surrounding the case, the owner of the brothel, a Lebanese businessman, was soon released on bail. Hearings into the case have been postponed multiple times and, three years on, the trial is only just about to begin. No trust in the system In 2011, the US State Department had placed Lebanon on its tier 2 watchlist of countries not fully complying with standards to combat human trafficking. Following pressure from civil groups such as Legal Agenda, Lebanon passed a new anti-trafficking law. Since then, however, the Syrian crisis has precipitated a mass influx into Lebanon. Many of the refugees are women and children who have already suffered trauma and may be particularly vulnerable to exploitation. Al Jazeera heard accounts of several scenarios in which Syrian women and children ended up in the hands of traffickers. One involved marriages, either in Syria or Lebanon, where the husband later revealed himself to be a trafficker. Another involved groups of women and children being trafficked across the border. There are also cases of women and girls being forcibly recruited within refugee camps or even sold by their families to traffickers. However they arrived in Lebanon, human rights groups and aid workers say not enough is being done to protect them. Ghada Jabbour, head of the anti-trafficking unit at NGO Kafa (enough in Arabic), which focuses on gender-based violence, explains: There is no trust in the system. Victims do not ask for help and do not report. And, at the same time, there is no outreach programme for the victims. Ashraf Rifi, former minister of justice and ISF director, in his office. He says social stigma means Syrian refugees who fall into the hands of traffickers are dismissed as just prostitutes [Daniela Sala/Al Jazeera] When the numbers do not add up According to Lebanons ISF, the number of identified victims of trafficking including those forced into begging, labour exploitation and prostitution has remained steadily low: 19 in 2015, 87 in 2016 (mainly the Chez Maurice survivors) and 54 in 2017. Most were Syrian. However, Dima Haddad, programme officer at the IOM, says the official statistics do not come close to conveying the magnitude of the problem. From her office at the IOM headquarters in Beirut, she coordinates a regional taskforce to counter human trafficking in Lebanon, Iraq, Turkey and Jordan the countries most affected by the Syrian refugee crisis. Sitting at her desk, surrounded by charts showing the dozens of tasks her team has planned for the next few months, she says: Wherever there is a crisis, there is human trafficking. Vulnerability is increasing, hence trafficking is increasing. Asked whether there are gaps in the system for identifying the victims, Haddad answers immediately. Absolutely. If I have to be more diplomatic, I would say there is a lot of work to do. It is urgent, as we consider anti-trafficking a life-saving intervention. There are also great obstacles to women being able to tell their stories. Aside from the shame and stigma that prevent victims from coming forward, it can also be difficult to access them. Approaching women on the street is dangerous as Paul has found over the years as they are watched by their traffickers. In researching this feature, Al Jazeera tried to speak to survivors through NGOs, local journalists and local refugee camp leaders. However, those who were prepared to speak asked for money in exchange, requests that appeared to come from husbands and other relatives. Permission to access Baabda female prison where many of the women arrested for prostitution are held was not granted. Dima Haddad in her office in Beirut. She says thousands of women have been forced into prostitution in Lebanon despite official figures that put the number of victims in the tens each year [Daniela Sala/Al Jazeera] Falling through the cracks During 2017, the ISF adopted a policy of trying to root out all cases involving potential trafficking victims through its Human Rights Unit. As of 2018, at least 108 training sessions had been given to the 37 law enforcement agents attached to the unit to help them identify and deal with suspected trafficking cases. But, according to Alef, a human rights watchdog based in Beirut, and other organisations, these training sessions are rarely given to those on the front lines and are, therefore, missing their target. Ashraf Rifi, who served as minister of justice between 2014 and 2016, and who was ISF director-general from 2005 to 2013, says it could take 10 to 15 years before there are significant changes in how cases of human, and specifically sex, trafficking are identified and combatted. It is a cultural problem, he explains in his office, referring to the low numbers of women and particularly Syrian women identified as victims of trafficking. Its not unusual, because of stigma and discrimination, that Syrian women are considered just prostitutes. The ISF is also responsible for investigations into exploitation networks. And yet, Rifi adds, one of the main challenges is the high level of corruption, including within the ISF itself. In August 2018, the head of the ISFs Human Trafficking and Moral Protection Bureau, Johnny Haddad, was arrested on charges of corruption in connection with a prostitution ring. To date, he is still under investigation by the ISFs ethics committee, meaning that all information related to the case is classified. Meanwhile, hundreds of women continue to fall through the cracks treated like criminals instead of victims. In 2016, 304 women were arrested on charges of prostitution, according to the ISFs data. More than half of them were Syrian. All were placed in prison. The only support available to these women after they are released comes from charities. Dar Al Amal, a local NGO, helps women recuperate in its sparse offices in Sin el Fil, in the eastern suburbs of Beirut. Here, the volunteers provide emotional and practical support to women who were forced into prostitution, trying to address their legal, medical and psychological needs. Ghinwa Younes, a social worker who regularly visits the Baabda womens prison, says: All the women I met want to quit this life. Most of them are in fact trafficking victims but ISF did not understand they were victims. As soon as they leave the prison, they rarely get any kind of support and they are immediately back in the network of their exploiters. When Al Jazeera spoke to Joseph Mousallem, a spokesman for the ISF, he acknowledged that the difference between prostitution and trafficking is not well understood by police officers. But it is a cultural issue involving the whole of society, not only the security forces, he says. Countering trafficking is a priority, but we do have thousands of priorities: the whole system is under pressure. We do our best, but not have the means or the resources to track the victims. Of course they are victims Lawyer Hasna Abdulreda meets dozens of these women during detention visits. For 10 years, she has provided legal support to women in jail, and she is currently the head of the legal department at the Lebanese Centre for Human Rights, a local NGO. In the past five years, every month at least two or three [women] reach out to me, after being arrested as prostitutes, she says. Most of them are Syrians and, of course, they are victims of trafficking. But there is little she can do. The trials are very fast and if the judge is given any reason to think that the woman is consenting to prostitution (for example because she keeps a share of the money), then he will just send her to prison without any further investigation, Abdulreda explains. This is despite the fact that both the UN Convention on Human Trafficking and Lebanese law state that the victims consent should be considered irrelevant. The only thing I can do is to give [detained women] my phone number and ask them to call me once they leave so that I can refer them to a shelter or an NGO. In prison, they do not have a phone, so I cant contact them once they are released, Abdulreda adds. Despite many women asking for help, in 10 years nobody has called back. For Syrian women, it is more complicated. Because they are foreigners, they are held by the GS for up to two days after being released from Baabda, Abdulreda says. Im not allowed to access their files. I just lose every contact with them. Double standard Even when trafficking cases go to court, the odds appear stacked against victims of sex trafficking. Legal Agenda analysed the 34 trafficking cases that made it to court in Lebanon between 2012 and 2017. According to lawyer Ghida Frangieh, who put that report together: There is a clear double standard in the judges attitude towards prostitution and begging. While in all cases involving forced begging, judges were quite fast in ruling that it was a trafficking case, when it comes to prostitution, they were digging deeper into the means of exploitation, asking for proof that the woman was actually forced into it. In certain cases they ruled that the woman was not to be considered a victim of trafficking as she consented, at least to some extent. [Chez Ghida became the victim paradigm. If you do not fit into this stereotype, you are hardly considered as a victim of trafficking.] Frangieh says that as well as reflecting a general prejudice against women in prostitution, this view has also been influenced by the Chez Maurice case. [Chez Maurice] became the victim paradigm. If you do not fit into this stereotype, you are hardly considered as a victim of trafficking, she explains. But this is not how trafficking works. According to a former senior GS officer, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media, sex trafficking generally happens in one of two ways: through highly organised rings operating in brothels (such as Chez Maurice) or through so-called free agents. But, despite their name, free agents still operate under the protection and control of a trafficker. There is no prostitution that is not linked to the main traffickers, the former officer says. Joseph Mousallem, ISF spokesman, acknowledges that victims of sex trafficking are frequently treated as criminals by the justice system. He is shown here in his office in Beirut He [Daniela Sala/Al Jazeera] Long-term solutions Alone, we cannot do much, says Jabbour from Kafa. Along with the Catholic NGO network Caritas, Kafa runs a shelter for female survivors of violence, mainly domestic workers who have been abused by their employers. The ISF occasionally refers trafficking victims to them. But their resources are limited: Since 2015, Kafa has been able to offer protection to approximately 100 women, 20 of whom (all Syrians) were sex-trafficking survivors. These shelters are just a starting point, says Jabbour. What we need are long-term solutions. Where are the investigations? We are talking about organised crime. This is not something you can expect NGOs to deal with. George Ghali, Alef Some of these women were relocated overseas, some got married, but others, without a proper support mechanism, simply went back into prostitution either forced or out of desperation. Countering trafficking and identifying victims is something that cannot be done by NGOs. It is a states responsibility, says George Ghali, director of Alef. According to Ghali, the problem is not the law but rather in the implementation of the law. Where are the investigations? We are talking about organised crime. This is not something you can expect NGOs to deal with. Back in Doura, Paul and Ray keep providing basic help to people in need. They do not have success stories to share. Paul says he has not received any further threats from the traffickers. [Why? Because] we make no change in the situation. And even if a girl manages to quit, they would have another one. He admits that lately, he has considered stopping his volunteer work because of the emotional toll it has taken. But, giving up is not an option, he concludes. Tourists presenting symptoms of coronavirus are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine, but local authorities in Hanoi wanted to know which agency would cover the additional hotel fees when their stays exceed their initial bookings. An employee of Quang Ninh Provinces Center for Disease Control delivers leaflets on information about the new coronavirus to tourists on tours to Ha Long Bay. Tourists presenting symptoms of coronavirus are required to undergo a 14-day quarantine An official of Hoan Kiem District noted that the district was facing this problem already. Some tourists had booked hotel rooms for a few days, but the quarantine lasts two weeks, reported Tuoi Tre newspaper. In response, the municipal vice chairman, Ngo Van Quy, stated that people quarantined in the city would get VND57,000 per day, the same as soldiers. However, Quy asked the Hanoi Department of Finance to discuss whether a quarantined tourist would be sent to the citys quarantine area when his or her hotel stay is over. If these tourists remain at the hotel during the mandatory quarantine period and the daily booking rate is US$200, the extra hotel charges would need to be addressed, Quy pointed out. There are no regulations related to tapping the citys budget to cover additional hotel charges for tourists kept in quarantine. If a tourist does not move to the citys quarantine area, he or she must cover the extra hotel fees, a Finance Department representative remarked. The vice chairman suggested the district government of Hoan Kiem work with the hotels to offer discounted or free hotel rooms to affected tourists during the quarantine period. Further, it should work out measures to transport tourists to the citys quarantine area. Also, districts across the city need to provide visa support to these foreign tourists but should strictly handle those who refuse to follow the quaratine requirements, said Nguyen Khac Hien, director of the Hanoi Health Department. A report from the health department showed that no new cases of coronavirus were recorded in the capital city as of 3 p.m. on February 10; and 49 out of 53 cases under medical observation in local hospitals and in the community had tested negative for the virus, while the test results of four others are pending. Besides this, 1,471 cases of Vietnamese returning from disease-hit areas have been isolated, along with 861 others in the city. SGT Hospitality sector's bookings decline amid coronavirus outbreak fears The hospitality sector in Vietnam this year will face losses due to the novel coronavirus (nCoV) outbreak, researcher Savills has said. Appointment 11 February 2020 The Harbor Club, located on the picturesque Rodney Bay in Saint Lucia, has appointed Cristian Rebolledo as the new Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef for the hotel's four restaurants. Cristian Rebolledo is a graduate of the legendary Culinary Institute of America. Rebolledo's expertise has flourished under the tutelage of some of the world's best chefs including Joan Roca i Fontane and Ferran Adria. Having worked in Europe, South America, Southeast Asia, the U.S., and the Caribbean has lent a distinctive style to Rebodello's culinary skillset, allowing him to easily master and elevate any style of cuisine. In 2014, Rebolledo was nominated for the prestigious James Beard Award and had the distinct privilege of cooking at the James Beard House in New York City. Rebolledo began his career in Chile working for Sheraton while still attending classes at INCAP Technical Institute. He left Chile in 1996 to travel to Europe where secured a job working as a line cook at El Bulli, the Michelin 3-star restaurant of Chef Ferran Adria. With a taste for fine dining now firmly engrained, Rebolledo soon found himself working as the Executive Sous Chef at the palace of the King of Spain. Eager to flex his new culinary skills, Rebolledo returned to his native Chile where he opened his own restaurant and ultimately achieve the title of top restaurant in Chile. The acclaim earned him the distinction of one of the top 5 Latin American chefs by The Latin American Chef's Association in 2010. Next, Rebolledo's career saw him relocating to the Caribbean where he served as Executive Chef for some of the world's leading hotel brands including Melia Hotels, JW Marriott and Sandals. Prior to joining The Harbor Club, Rebolledo resided in Providenciales working at the Turks & Caicos Collection where he was in charge of F&B operations for three luxury properties: Beach House, Alexandra and Blue Haven. As the Director of Food & Beverage and Executive Chef of The Harbor Club, Rebolledo oversees operations at the hotel's four restaurants: 14North, Julia's, the Sushi Deck and Dockside Pizzeria. Writing in the Atlantic (This is No Way to Beat Trump) Thomas Nichols, a self-described former Republican and #NeverTrumper, castigates Democrats for their failure to take down President Trump, in light of the disorganized Iowa Caucus and the partys unimpressive stable of candidates. In the piece, Nichols pretends to dispense hard-headed political advice. In fact, the article reveals why he and the Democrats he wants to help are floundering. Their perception of the world is so distorted by manic dislike of President Trump that they have ceased to act as a responsible political party which can offer a reasonable alternative. The very premise of Nichols case, and by extension that of the Democrat party and all its putative candidates, is that beating Trump must be their principal goal, eclipsing all other concerns. Nichols thinks the Democrats are not attempting to do this -- which is preposterous. But more interestingly having come to this false conclusion, he has no prescription for exactly how to beat Trump, only that it must be done. Of course, beating Trump has been the monomania of the Democrats (and #NeverTrumpers) for over three years. Its the first and last thing out of all the candidates mouths when they speak, and one of the few things they agree upon. The Washington Post recently ran a typical article highlighting the malady entitled Tempted to despair: Trumps resilience causes Democrats to sound the alarm. Huh? Are we talking about a presidential campaign or a soap opera? Its quite as if Trump were ill, the Dems suffering heirs hoping hell just die -- which is probably not far from the truth. Manias in general are not good things. Occasionally a smart or extremely lucky maniac reaches his objective. Much more often mania sidetracks its victim by severely narrowing his focus, depriving him of necessary context and a broader and more realistic picture of reality. Thats whats happened to the Democrats. The Iowa caucus disaster is one symptom. The failed impeachment of Trump another. The stable of unstable Democrat candidates yet another. Which bring us to George Orwells 1984, but not in the usual way. Big Brother is usually the focus of such commentary, the putative leader of dystopic totalitarian Oceania, a fellow both Comrade Sanders and tribal chief Warren can easily admire. Often forgotten is Big Brothers antagonist, Emmanuel Goldstein. He is the subject of a daily two minutes hate, which is where the novel opens. The two minutes hate is part of Oceanias political regimen, required of all citizens. Its not clear at all in the novel that Goldstein is real, or just an invention of regime propaganda, yet it doesnt matter. The two minutes hate is designed to deflect the populations anger and fear away from the regime to this supposed enemy of the people. Its a sick regime, which is the point of the story. And its pretty easy to see in the modern Democrat party the same dynamic taking hold, albeit before they have actually achieved total political control. Trump in almost every respect is the Dems' Emmanuel Goldstein, a subject of such mindless animus and vituperation that the party cant see the forest for the trees. Its been three years of hate, and way more than two minutes a day. Modern therapeutic psychology would suggest an intervention, and in the United States such a role has often been played by the press. Historically, when a party or politician went off the deep end, there was a vibrant press to point it out, mock it, and return things to semblance of rationality. That has not been the case in America for a generation or two now, with the mainstream media having lost most all semblance of objectivity to become the Democrats' great enabler. And indeed, the mandarins of the modern media are, if anything, even more Trump-afflicted than the party that they supposedly cover. Very much like a schizophrenic, neither the Dems nor the media can recognize the pervasive objective truth about American today -- things are going pretty well. The economy is doing great, unemployment is low, and the markets are confident. We are ending a China trade war with some gains. Borders are more secure. Unemployment is at historic lows. With the exception of small military commitments to Afghanistan and Syria, we are at peace. We are energy self-sufficient, and even climate-change doomsayers must now admit things are not so bad. The Democrats have a lot of problems. But their biggest one is their grip on reality. As long as thats the case, whoever they pick in 2020 is not likely to be any more successful than Emmanuel Goldstein. Email To : Multiple e-mail addresses must be separated with a comma character(maximum 200 characters) Email To is required. Your Full Name: (optional) Your Email Address: Your Email Address is required. Artist Subodh Gupta and an Instagram account holder, who had posted sexual harassment allegations made by several women against him, informed the Delhi High Court Tuesday that they have settled their dispute and the defamatory content would be removed from the site. The court, noting that the parties have reached an amicable settlement, decreed the defamation suit in favour of the artist and against the holder of Instagram account, '@herdsceneand'. Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw noted that the Instagram account holder, who has maintained anonymity, will withdraw the defamatory content posted by him/ her and also expressed regret. The court had earlier asked the account holder whether she/he wanted to represent the anonymous victim in the defamation suit filed by Gupta. Senior advocate Akhil Sibal and lawyer Abhik Chimni, representing the account holder, apprised the court that they have reached a settlement with Gupta and handed it over the documents. Senior advocate Sandeep Sethi, appearing for Gupta, said he was agreeable to the settlement and that no further removals or blocking of urls, relating to defamatory posts/ articles/ contents, were needed than those which are already effected. Senior advocate Arvind Nigam, representing Google, said in pursuance to court's earlier directions it has removed the urls carrying the defamatory content but the articles were still available on the host websites of certain media houses and other search engines and this would affect its business. The victim was not arrayed as a party in the case, while the identity of the person running the Instagram account, which published the allegations in the wake of #MeToo movement, was kept secret on court's directions. The account holder had earlier said that she/he was only a "whistleblower", a neutral platform which intended to bring out the instances of sexual misconduct and harassment in the art fraternity, as part of the #MeToo movement. The account holder had also stated that in the absence of an internal committee to deal with such instances, the victims of sexual harassment wrote to it about their personal experiences, knowing that the anonymity would protect them from retaliation in the hands of influential members of the art fraternity. Gupta had filed a defamation suit against 'Herdsceneand' and others last year, following the publication of anonymous sexual harassment allegations against him. In the written statement filed before the court, 'Herdsceneand' has claimed that she/he has been a part of the arts fraternity for over 10 years, both in India and abroad, and "cared deeply about the space of women in this profession". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) One of the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case, Vinay Sharma, approached the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the rejection of his mercy petition by the President. Sharma, through his counsel A P Singh, has also sought commutation of death sentence to life imprisonment. President Ram Nath Kovind had on February 1 rejected the clemency plea of Vinay. The trial court had on January 31 stayed till further orders execution of the four convicts in the case -- Mukesh Kumar Singh (32), Pawan Gupta (25), Vinay Kumar Sharma (26) and Akshay Kumar (31), who are lodged in Tihar Jail. Pawan has not yet filed a curative petition -- the last and final legal remedy available to a person which is decided in-chamber. Pawan also has the option of filing a mercy plea. The 23-year-old physiotherapy intern, who came to be known as Nirbhaya (fearless), was gang-raped and savagely assaulted on the night of December 16, 2012, in a moving bus in South Delhi. She died of her injuries a fortnight later in a Singapore hospital. Six people including the four convicts, Ram Singh and a juvenile -- were named as accused. The trial of the five adult men began in a special fast-track court in March 2013. Ram Singh, the prime accused, allegedly committed suicide by hanging himself in Tihar jail days after the trial began. The juvenile, who was said to be the most brutal of the attackers, was put in a correctional home for three years. The juvenile was released in 2015 and sent to an undisclosed location amid concerns over a threat to his life. He, when released, was 20 years old. Mukesh, Vinay, Akshay and Pawan were sentenced to death in September 2013 by the trial court. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: Assistance to the parties in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is one of Russias unconditional foreign policy priorities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko told RIA Novosti, Trend reports Feb. 11. Russia has always taken an active mediating position, Rudenko said. The Karabakh issue remains in the focus of attention of the Russian president and the foreign minister. Among the documents signed with the direct assistance of Russia is the 1994 ceasefire agreement that has been so far the basis for truce, the deputy foreign minister noted. The adoption of the Moscow Declaration, which is about political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, became an important step in the mediation efforts of our country in 2008, Rudenko added. This is the first and so far the only document on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts settlement signed by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia." The deputy foreign minister noted that Russia carries out its mediation mission in close contact with French and US partners. In April last year, in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov organized a meeting of the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan, which was also attended by the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, said Rudenko. At this meeting, in continuation of the agreements reached between Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in Vienna last year, specific proposals were worked out aimed at creating an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the substantive negotiation process on the conflicts settlement. The deputy foreign minister added that the situation on the border and the contact line of the troops remains relatively calm. There is communication line between Yerevan and Baku, Rudenko said. The parties declare their readiness to continue the search for compromise solutions. We support this attitude. There is a basis for continuing work. The main thing is to show political will. 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 Calcutta High Court on Tuesday told the West Bengal government that it cannot keep four Rohingya nationals, who had entered India illegally, in correctional homes after completion of their jail term. A division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee directed that they may be kept in open places, under surveillance if required, till their repatriation to their native country Myanmar. The bench directed the West Bengal and Union governments to file a report on February 26 on the progress in repatriation of the four Rohingyas. During the hearing, the bench verbally observed that the court may think of formulating a plan for the stay of the four persons till they are repatriated, if the process takes time. The four Rohingyas entered the country illegally and following their arrest in 2016 in West Bengal, had each been sentenced to 18 months in jail by a district court under the Foreigners Act. The four persons served their term and the government has initiated action for their repatriation and the process for repatriation of one of them is over, according to the senior standing counsel for the West Bengal government. The division bench had earlier directed the state and Union of India to vigorously proceed with the repatriation proceeding of the remaining three persons. Advocate Sudip Ghosh Chowdhury had moved a writ petition before the high court on behalf of the four persons, praying that they be released from correctional home since they have completed their jail term. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As many as 110 people died of asphyxia while cleaning sewers and septic tanks in the country last year, the highest since 2015, Union minister Ramdas Athawale said on Tuesday. He said 57 people died cleaning sewers and septic tanks in 2015, 48 died the next year, 93 in 2017, and 68 in 2018. Answering a written question in Lok Sabha, the MoS for social justice and empowerment said Uttar Pradesh topped the list of sewer deaths last year at 21, followed by Maharashtra (17), Gujarat (16) and Tamil Nadu (15). The families of 44 safai karamcharis who died in 2019 were paid full compensation and 21 received partial amount, he said. The minister said 62,904 manual scavengers have been identified between December 6, 2013 and January 31, 2020 in India and the main reason for manual scavenging is the existence of insanitary latrines which require manual cleaning. Under the government's Swachh Bharat Mission, the insanitary latrines have been identified and were being converted to eliminate the need for manual cleaning. Athawale said under Sec.5 of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 violators could be convicted with imprisonment for up to two years or fined Rs 1 lakh or both. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The Supreme Court has ordered ABS-CBN to submit its comments on the petition filed by Solicitor General Jose Calida which seeks to revoke the existing franchise of the network. The high court issued the directive on Tuesdays en banc session, giving the media company ten days to comment on the plea. The Supreme Court in todays en banc session, required the respondents to file their comment to the said petition for quo warranto within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of notice SC said in its statement. The court, in the same order, also sought for ABS-CBNs comments on the proposed issuance of a temporary restraining order that would prohibit the network from operating the KBO Channel. In his controversial petition, the governments top lawyer asked SC Monday to cancel ABS-CBNs legislative franchise, citing "highly abusive practices of the network including supposed violations of Congress rules. These violations, according to Calida, include allowing foreign investors to "take part in the ownership of a Philippine mass media entity" as well as launching media services without prior approval from the National Telecommunications Commission. The quo warranto petition lodged against ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc.came weeks before the networks existing franchise is set to expire on March 30. Several government officials including the media company itself denounced the move, saying it has no factual basis. READ: ABS-CBN: 'We did not violate the law' CNN Philippines Correspondent Anjo Alimario contributed to this report. BJPs Parvesh Verma, West Delhi lawmaker who was banned twice by the Election Commission for his inflammatory remarks in the run-up to the Delhi election, on Tuesday conceded his partys defeat in the Capital. In a comment to news agency Asian News International, Parvesh Verma also had a barb reserved for Aam Aadmi Party leader and education minister Manish Sisodia. I accept the result. We will work hard and give a better performance in the next elections, Verma said, according to ANI. He then pointed to the AAPs insistence that the renewed mandate for the party was a recognition of the work that the Arvind Kejriwal-led government had done in Delhi, especially to fix state-run schools and hospitals in the national capital. Verma said this did not appear to be the case. If this election would have been on education and development, then the education minister would not have been trailing, he said. It was a reference to the tough battle that Sisodia has faced in his backyard, Patparganj constituency where he has off and on, fallen behind the BJPs Ravinder Singh Negi. At the end of the tenth round, Negi is leading with a margin of 1200 votes. Parvesh Verma was gagged the first time for 96 hours for claiming that protesters at Shaheen Bagh will enter houses of Delhiites and rape your family. After that, the Election Commission had barred him from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, roadshows and interviews for 24 hours over his statement against Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on a news channel. Shaheen Bagh has been the epicentre for the protests against the amended citizenship law that fast-tracks citizenship for non-Muslims from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh. The BJP leadership has projected the protests at Shaheen Bagh and the citizenship law as anti-national in character and claimed that it suited Pakistans narrative against India. It has blamed the AAP and the Congress for backing these protests. Parvesh Verma had picked Shaheen Bagh even on the day of polling on February 8 as he tweeted a last-minute video appeal to voters to show up at election booths. The Bharatiya Janata Party leader had said in the 82-second video that people of Shaheen Bagh, Jamia Millia and Seelampur kind of places were voting in large numbers in support of the AAP and appealed to nationalists and patriots to come out of their homes to vote for the patriotic party. A teenager who was repeatedly sent home from school because teachers said her Afro hair blocked other pupils from seeing the whiteboard has received a 8,500 payout. Ruby Williams was 14 when she was told by Urswick School in Hackney, east London, that her hairstyle was against uniform policy. The Church of England school also told her that it was attempting to meet health and safety standards. Ruby Williams (pictured) was 14 when she was told by teachers at Urswick School in Hackney, east London, that her hairstyle blocked other children from seeing the whiteboard In addition, in her Year 11 yearbook, a photo of her from Year 7, in which she had straight hair, was used, according to The Independent. Now aged 18, Ms Williams, has received the payout after her family took legal action with the backing of the Equality and Human Rights Commission. They claimed that she had been discriminated against on the basis of race. She said that she had been 'humiliated' by the school's actions and her parents, Kate and Lenny Williams, said the three-year battle 'destroyed' their daughter's confidence. She was told her hair breached policy, which stated that 'afro style hair must be of reasonable size and length'. That policy has now been removed from its website. Her parents, Kate and Lenny Williams (left and right), said the three-year battle has 'destroyed' their daughter's confidence After the school's comments, Ms Williams tried several different hairstyles to keep to the rules including braids and extensions. However they were too expensive or left her with a bald patch. She also missed a lot of lessons during the dispute, which happened when she was studying for her GCSEs. She told Sky News today that at first she thought that it was a joke and was shocked as she had had the same hairstyle through the whole of school. She added that she was asked if she had heard of chemical relaxers and that it 'messed up' how she felt about school, making her feel like she didn't want to go in some days. Ruby Williams (pictured) told Sky News today that she was shocked at the school's comments as she had had the same hairstyle throughout her time there She added that she was asked by the school if she had heard of chemical relaxers to straighten her hair and said the comments had 'messed up' how she felt about school 'I felt like any time I would walk into the school with my hair out, all eyes were on me,' she told The BBC. 'I ended up getting frustrated because my hair would keep bouncing out of the bun and in the end I just said 'If it's too big can you just please send me home? Because this is not OK'. 'Why should I have to cut or change my hair and people can have their hair all the way down to their hips, as long as they want - but because my hair grows out I need to cut it?' The school was also sent letters from Ruby's GP and a clinical psychologist warning that she was suffering because of the policy. Ruby, who's now studying for her A-levels at another college, says she does now feel confident about her hair. Pictured: A hairstyle worn by Ruby to school She added that she thought that there was something wrong with it, because nobody else had her kind of hair. In a statement to MailOnline the school said: 'The Governing Body is hugely distressed if any child or family feels we have discriminated against them. 'We do not accept that the school has discriminated, even unintentionally against any individual or group. 'Our policy on hairstyles is that we need to ensure health and safety standards, especially in respect of practical lessons in PE, Technology and Science. The school considered Ruby's hairstyle not 'reasonable' for school. Pictured: A hairstyle worn by Ruby to school 'We ask children to tie long hair back and we don't allow hairstyles which cover the eyes. We do not have any specific rules in respect of hair colour, length or style. We simply ask that children have hairstyles that are reasonable for school.' The settlement offer was made by the London Diocesan Board for Schools directly to Ruby's family, without any admission of liability from the school. Rebecca Hilsenrath, chief executive of the EHRC, said that Ruby's hair is an important part of who she is and that schools should treat all pupils equally. Ruby, who's now studying for her A-levels at another college, says she does now feel confident about her hair. SALINE, MI - A community conversation centered around diversity, equity and inclusion at Saline Area Schools has been rescheduled in favor of a series of five individual listening sessions over the next couple of weeks, the district announced. The previously-scheduled conversation, set for Feb. 12, has been rescheduled for the following sessions: 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 19, Pleasant Ridge Elementary School 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 27, Saline Middle School Hot Spot 1:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, Liberty School Board Room 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29, Saline Senior Center (located behind Saline Middle School) 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 4, Harvest Elementary School After the first listening session on Feb. 19, the district will provide an online form for community members to provide feedback for those who cannot attend one of the sessions. The district gave thoughtful consideration regarding the format, timing and number of listening sessions in the wake of an incident involving racist messages shared among students via Snapchat, Saline Area Schools Superintendent Scot Graden said. We are convinced that we can and should do a better job of collecting feedback from stakeholders throughout our community, Graden said. "We believe deeply in the need for all voices to be heard related to the ongoing dialogue in our community around issues of racism. During the first community conversation last week, a Saline parent stoked tensions within the district when he asked another parent why he didnt stay in Mexico." After the conversation, Saline officials sought to launch a dialogue of "education, understanding and healing in a community forum Sunday. Why didnt you stay in Mexico? School diversity and inclusion meeting turns volatile Act of racism in Snapchat group denounced by Saline Area Schools Tense moment at meeting on racial climate illustrates problem at Saline Area Schools, parents say Students weigh in on culture at Saline Area Schools after racist group Snapchat Two Japanese citizens evacuated from the epicentre of a novel coronavirus outbreak have been diagnosed with the infection after initially testing negative, the health ministry said on Tuesday. One of the two, a man in his 50s who returned from the Chinese city of Wuhan on the first Japanese evacuation flight on January 29, previously twice tested negative for the virus. However, a third test 12 days later found the man -- who has been isolated in his hotel room since his return -- was infected. According to the World Health Organization, the coronavirus incubation period "could be up to 14 days". The second evacuee, a Japanese man in his 40s, returned from Wuhan on January 30 and initially tested negative for the virus, but was diagnosed after a second test on Monday. The new cases bring the number of infections inside Japan to 28, excluding dozens diagnosed aboard a cruise ship moored off the coast. So far, 135 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the virus since it arrived off Japan on Monday. Authorities on Tuesday were removing from the ship the most recently diagnosed 65 crew and passengers. The ship was carrying 3,711 people when it arrived off Japan on the evening of February 3, and was officially placed into quarantine two days later. Only those diagnosed with the virus or suffering other serious health conditions have been allowed off the boat, which is expected to remain in quarantine until at least February 19. People on board the ship on Tuesday tweeted that medicines were being delivered to passengers, and that the ship's captain had announced the vessel would head out to sea overnight to produce fresh water and other operations. Japan has evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Wuhan since the outbreak began. They have been asked to self-quarantine, with most staying in government-appointed hotels for a period of 14 days. Evacuees from the first flight, which landed January 29, are expected to be released from self-quarantine this week after undergoing an additional test for the virus, officials said. Japan is planning to send a fifth evacuation flight to Wuhan later this week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dear Amy: I have a 4-year-old son and am expecting another child in a few months. I started my own business a few years ago, and my husband works full time. My son is in daycare three days a week (we can't afford more care right now). I asked Mom if she would commit to helping me care for my son on one of the days when he is not in daycare. (My in-laws also help out.) She balked at the suggestion and actually started yelling at me about it. She works as a sometime-realtor, but makes herself very busy with women's groups and volunteer work. She often offers to watch my son at the last-minute when it's convenient for her, but refuses to make a schedule to give me much-needed (begged for) help. She makes me feel selfish for asking, but I really need the help to grow my business and support my family. I get upset that she doesn't "want" to help me when she spends so much time doing things that to me aren't as important as helping her family. She constantly calls me to tell me how "busy" she is, but it's with things that are completely voluntary, and meanwhile I'm drowning. She loves my son and he's an easy, calm child, and my mom is in great health. I realize she has her own life, but I can't see why she won't just agree to one day or even a half-day a week, when she often helps my sister (a stay-at-home mom with three kids). -- Frustrated Mom Dear Frustrated: You obviously value your time and energy more than your mother's. And guess what? She has needs, too. Why should your mother help you to grow your business on your schedule, when she has her own business to tend to? As a realtor, she may have to show properties on a varied schedule, which could conflict with a regular babysitting commitment. You seem to believe that your mother owes you regular childcare. She does not. I'm taking it as a given that she already provided you with many years of childcare -- when you were a child and up to the time you left home. Your mother seems to spend plenty of time with her various grandchildren. You only have one household to tend to, while her commitments are not only to you, but to your siblings and their families, as well. Perhaps you should enroll your son in a daily pre-school program. Or maybe you and your sister could trade childcare for each other (you take her kids one day and she takes your son one day). This would yield you one more workday each week. When you make a request and keep hearing the same answer, you should either stop asking, or ask a different question. Dear Amy: My friend's husband asked me what my new son-in-law's profession is. When I described his job at a nonprofit, this buffoon said, "Oh, not a doctor or a lawyer...?" and laughed. I was speechless and cannot look at this man without a feeling of disgust and an inner eye roll. What response should I have given? -- Appalled Dear Appalled: I diagnose this comment as a dim-witted attempt at humor, disguised as social commentary, delivered with a thud. It's quite possible that this man was commenting on the fact that many in-laws are overly proud (and only proud) of their doctor/lawyer connections. Maybe not. It's OK not to know how to respond to someone when you feel blindsided. (Most of my witty comebacks occur to me when it's way too late to deliver them.) Just know that the person who delivers a dud is the one who ultimately seems like a dud. Your only job is to get over it. Dear Amy: Kindly leave your political opinions to yourself. Your reply to "SDJ in the Northeast" is yet another example that you don't know what you are talking about. Many, many people in this country support the current president. We don't need your liberal blathering to know that we are right. -- Disgusted Dear Disgusted: "SDJ" wondered if she should stay with her Trump-supporting boyfriend, who she said was wonderful in all respects. I said that she should stay with her wonderful boyfriend, and also examine her own closed-mindedness. I consistently advocate for communication and compassion and against the use of incendiary language (much of which is unfortunately generated by our current president, who -- you must agree -- sets a terrible example in this respect). (You can email Amy Dickinson at askamy@amydickinson.com or send a letter to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or Facebook.) COPYRIGHT 2020 by AMY DICKINSON. DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, LLC. Read more advice: Ask Amy: Separated soulmates are eager to connect Dear Annie: Looking to hop off the hamster wheel Dear Abby: Children cut off stepmother with dads power of attorney Listed landlord and developer Hibernia Reit said there was a fall in the take-up of office letting in Dublin last year when compared to 2018. Overall the take-up for leased space in Dublin exceeded 3.3m sq. ft. in 2019, down from a record 3.9m sq. ft in 2018. A number of transactions in the Dublin market remained outstanding at 31 December last year, with over 1.3m sq. ft. of space reserved. In a trading update for the period 1 October to date, Hibernia Reit said the final three months of the year were highly active, following two relatively quiet quarters. Vacancy rates in Dublin at the end of December 2019 were 6.4pc for Grade A space in the city centre, up from 6pc in September. Meanwhile, prime Grade A headline rents in the centre of Dublin remained stable at in excess of 60 per sq. ft., according to Knight Frank. The group said it has invested 2.5m in two acquisitions since September, both of which are assets adjoining properties it owns. No disposals were made in the period. The vacancy rate in Hibernia's in-place office portfolio remains at 12pc and is primarily across 2 Windmill Lane, Central Quay and the Forum. Hibernia said it has made good progress in lease negotiations for the majority of the space available and it expects these to start concluding shortly. Overall lease negotiations are at an "advanced" stage on the majority of the vacant space in its office portfolio. Kevin Nowlan, CEO of Hibernia Reit, said the letting market ended strongly last year, with a pick-up in demand from tenants of all sizes, after a quieter period in the middle of the year, particularly for smaller occupiers. He added that 2020 has started positively. At 31 December the group had net debt of 229m and cash and undrawn facilities of 166m. Barely five days to the funeral of late Mr. Emmanuel Gabriel Nkanang, father of Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, a mysterio... Barely five days to the funeral of late Mr. Emmanuel Gabriel Nkanang, father of Akwa Ibom State governor, Mr Udom Emmanuel, a mysterious rain had destroyed a make-shift structure built to accommodate dignitaries for the ceremony. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday 15th February 2020 and it was gathered that the rain concentrated only in the Governors community and pulled down the structure on Monday. A member of the community, who pleaded anonymity, told newsmen that he had suspected some mysterious sabotage and had earlier cautioned planners of the event to engage the services of a rain-maker. He said, How do you explain a rain that circulated within a particular area? I had told the planners of this burial that not everyone would be happy to see a successful burial of the Governors father. I earlier suggested the need to engage a traditional rain-maker so that in a situation like this, such mysterious rain would have been diverted to nearby communities. Some people had said they suspected the make-shift structure may have been constructed with sub-standard materials. Recall that Governor Emmanuel had announced that he would not use government funds for his fathers burial. A shooting that left one man dead and a female injured in Newark on Monday remains under investigation with no arrests reported, acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens said Tuesday. Detrick Mitchell, 21, of Newark, was shot on the 100 block of Clinton Avenue at approximately 6:53 p.m., authorities said. A second victim, a woman, was also shot and is in stable condition, the prosecutors office said. Mitchell was rushed to University Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 7:34 p.m., authorities said. The Essex County Prosecutors Offices Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force, which includes detectives from the Newark Police Department is still investigating. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Essex County Prosecutors Office Homicide/Major Crimes Task Force tips line at 1-877 TIPS- 4EC or 1-877-847-7432. Rebecca Panico may be reached at rpanico@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @BeccaPanico. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 03:14:42|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close LISBON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's real estate costs will be stabilized in 2020 after a 15.8-percent rise in 2019, Portuguese Lusa news agency quoted a housing agency as saying on Tuesday. Confidential Imobiliario (CI), which has monitored the dynamics of housing transaction prices in Portugal since 2007, said that the "latest HPI (House Price Index) results still show that house prices at the end of 2019 were 46 percent above the levels recorded at the start of the decade in 2010." "This increase consolidates a cycle of strong appreciation that the residential market has experienced over the last two years," noted Confidential Imobiliario (CI), which has monitored the dynamics of housing transaction prices in Portugal since 2007. But the agency foresees price stabilization at "more normalized rates" for 2020. Hong Kong: Practices to counter disease (To watch the video with sign language interpretation, click here.) Hand hygiene, wearing masks and social distancing are some of the most important practices used to counter the spread of novel coronavirus. Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Diseases Prof Yuen Kwok-yung made the statement during a press conference this afternoon, where he discussed ways to prevent a community outbreak. Prof Yuen said: The time-honoured measures that we mentioned about hand hygiene, masking and social distancing would always stand as the most important. He pointed out that many infection cases are caused by the spread of the virus within families. Even when youre at home, be aware especially if your family members have symptoms. We would advise at least the family members who have symptoms must wear a mask, even when youre at home. And of course, the environmental cleansing of the home environment is also very important. As the virus can be spread in areas such as restaurants, workplaces, hotels and hospitals, Prof Yuen emphasised that people should remain highly vigilant of their personal hygiene. He also said it is important to pay attention to sewer systems in buildings. Usually if you have infection acquired through the airborne route through the sewer system, the clinical manifestation can be very severe because the virus will go to the deepest part of the lungs and start a major infection and inflammation there, which can be very life-threatening. This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Philadelphia, PA, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VSBLTY Groupe Technologies Corp. (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt: 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) (VSBLTY), a leading software technology company, will be demonstrating its state-of-the-art digital display technology at two major trade shows in Europe in February. VSBLTY software will be featured in the Intel booth, February 11-14, at the Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) show in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ISE is a showcase for the industrys newest technologies and solutions that attracts more than 1,300 exhibitors and is attended by over 81,000 visitors. In addition to a live data dashboard, VSBLTY will demo an eight-foot gondola with header screens and shelf strips featuring a high impact retail promotion (Booth #8, C-210). VSBLTY will also team with Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, at EuroShop, February 16-20 in Dusseldorf, Germany (Hall 6-C01). EuroShop is the worlds most prominent trade show that focuses on relevant trends and topics of interest to retailers. EuroShop attracts visitors from 140 countries and exhibitors from 60. Highlighted in the booth will be SYNERGY Loss Prevention Pedestals used by retailers worldwide at entrances and exits to protect inventory from theft. VSBLTY will demo their software on these pedestals, upgraded with video screens that retailers and brands will be able to utilize as a new advertising network. VSBLTY and Sensormatic also will demonstrate retail promotional display content including headers, shelf strips, vertical banners and tablets that produce high impact advertising, shopper analytics, as well as context-based security and loss prevention. VSBLTY will also be featured in the LU-VE Group booth at EuroShop with their European partner, H-Ventures. The team will demonstrate a host of advanced technology including a Magic Mirrordesigned for hotel bathroomsthat will display weather, news and advertising, as well as a Fitness Mirror for hotels that will show fitness-related content, activities and ads (Hall 1, B-37). Also, to be demonstrated are a traditional vending machine and cooler, both engineered to feature targeted video content on the front of the unit to attract and inform customers (Hall 17, C-21). One of the new and important safety features VSBLTY and H-Ventures will display is emergency two-way calling that enables an individual trapped in a disabled elevator to video chat with an emergency response person who will provide updates on the status of the rescue team. VSBLTY is the world leader in Proactive Digital DisplayTM that transforms retail and public spaces as well as place-based media networks with SaaS-based audience measurement and security software using artificial intelligence and machine learning. VisionCaptor is VSBLTYs advanced content management solution that is optimized for retail environments. This advanced technology can alter the path to purchase in order to deliver brand messaging at the point of purchase. The entire experience can be measured in real time, improving ROI for brands. The firms proprietary analytics software, DataCaptor, is an artificial intelligence-inspired audience measurement and shopper analytics tool that captures gender, age range, dwell time, content interaction, among other key metrics that helps retailers and brands determine the effectiveness of their messaging and at the same time measures shopper traffic and sentiment. VSBLTYS AI-driven software, VectorTM, in addition to customizing messages to VIPs, also identifies persons of interest and weapons, both crucial to enhancing todays security requirements. Investor Relations MarketSmart Communications Inc.,+1-877-261-4466 info@marketsmart.ca CHF Capital Markets Cathy Hume, CEO, +1-416-868-1079, x231 cathy@chfir.com CONTACT: Linda Rosanio, 609-472-0877 lrosanio@vsblty.net About VSBLTY (www.vsblty.net) Headquartered in Philadelphia, VSBLTY (CSE: VSBY) (Frankfurt: 5VS) (OTC: VSBGF) (VSBLTY) is the world leader in Proactive Digital Display, which transforms retail and public spaces as well as place-based media networks with SaaS-based audience measurement and security software that uses artificial intelligence and machine learning. The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Two Tajik girls were battling illnesses that threatened their lives unless they could undergo liver transplants. Last month, doctors told their mothers they'd found a perfect match: each woman could donate part of her liver to the other's daughter. The families of the four children killed by an alleged drunk driver as they walked down a footpath in western Sydney will create a road safety charity in their memories. Veronique Sakr, 11, was farewelled by more than 700 mourners, including Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the Prime Ministers wife Jenny Morrison and dozens of students in an emotional service at her school Santa Sabina College on Tuesday. Veroniques mother Bridget clutched a rosary in one hand, her other wrapped around her son Michael as she made her way into the cathedral in the wake of the six men carrying her daughters tiny white casket draped in pink flowers. The year six student, who was studying Arabic, aspired to be a lawyer and loved dancing, her six fish, dogs, and swimming, was remembered for her hugs and smiles for teachers and fellow students alike. Shares in the Irish housebuilders and the banks tanked, but the cost of borrowing for the Irish State remained at record low levels, as markets reacted to the sweeping electoral gains of Sinn Fein. Anything with a property angle is getting hit, said Richard Flood, investment manager at Brewin Dolphin in Ireland, as investors scrambled to anticipate policy changes for any potential government involving Sinn Fein. However, the extent of the slide in domestic-facing shares was hard to explain and looked overdone well ahead of the outcome of the talks to form a new government, he said. The sharpest falls suffered by the two stock market-listed housebuilders, Cairn Homes and Glenveagh Properties, was slightly paradoxical but the slide in the bank shares and for AIB, in particular, because it is 70% owned by the State, comes as investors fear that any future Sinn Fein legislation will turn the screws on the lenders and affect bank dividends, Mr Flood said. Sinn Feins manifesto talked in almost emotional terms of seeking to punish the banks, he said. Cairn Homes and Glenveagh had the largest losses among Irish shares, with sharp declines of as much as 11%, as investors reacted to any potential new vacant site taxes. Ires Reit, which invests and rents apartments, fell by 7% Shares in AIB and in 14%-government-owned Bank of Ireland ended 5.5% and 8% lower. Permanent TSB which is 75% owned by the State fell almost 4%. AIB appears set to continue plans for sales of distressed residential mortgage loans, with transactions in train for two groups of loans, called Project Oak and Project Iris. It comes despite the finance spokespersons of both Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein having promoted bills over banking legislation in the past. Project Iris is AIBs proposed sale to a charity to ensure people stay in their homes, in which one of the two shortlisted charities includes debt advocate David Hall. An AIB spokesman wouldnt comment on any loan sale plans and said the bank had severely cut its non-performing loan burden to 4.5bn by working with customers as well as by means of loan sales. The yield on the 10-year Irish bond traded little changed at minus 11 basis points, near to its record low level of last August. Jack Allen-Reynolds, senior Europe economist at Capital Economics in London, said that political uncertainty was unlikely to weigh on Irish economic growth, although fiscal measures of public spending and tax cuts was likely to be loosened by a new coalition government. In the long term, a potential push for Irish reunification under a Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail-led government would have implications for the States public finances, he said. A top Pakistani scientist has blamed disharmony in his country and freedom movement in Balochistan as the reason for the controversial arrest of Pashtun Tahaffuz Movement (PTM) chief Manzoor Pashteen. "If Muslims could have lived in peace together, we would not have separatist movements in Balochistan. You would not have Manzoor Pashteen arrested and all the PTM leadership (would not have been) arrested today," said Pervez Hoodbhoy. What is more interesting is, the nuclear physicist made the comments in Karachi during a literary fest, "Adab Festival." Hoodbhoy is the same Pakistani scientist, who in 2017, had said that his country was becoming a 'fascist religious state.' His latest comments assume significance as thousands of PTM activists and supporters held peaceful rallies in Loralai district in Balochistan and Karachi demanding the release of Pashteen. Twenty-seven-year-old human rights activist and founder of PTM, Pashteen was arrested last month along with nine other members of the organisation and sent to 14-day judicial remand by the magistrate on the charges of sedition. His arrest drew tens of thousands to rally across cities around Pakistan and worldwide, accusing the government and the Army of human rights abuses. It even drew criticism from European Foundation for South Asia Studies (EFSAS) -- a European think-tank -- who noted in its commentary that the arrest has engendered shock and dismay across Pakistan, as also internationally. Videos shared on social media under the hashtag #PashtunLongMarch2Loralai showed a large number of protesters participating in the rallies. The PTM is a social movement that exposes the military offences and brings to the front the issues which continue to plague the locals including enforced disappearances and fake encounters by the state. A Pashtun activist, Fazal ur Rehman Afridi condemned the arrest of Pashteen and said that while Pakistan is championing for the rights of the Kashmiris, the country itself is violating the fundamental human rights of its own minorities which is a "show of fascism". "Pakistan which is championing for the rights of the Kashmiri people is itself violating the fundamental human rights of the Pashtun people, especially people like Mazooor Pashteen, who is a renowned human rights activist," said Afridi, Europe organiser of PTM. "They treat Pashtun people like second class citizens. After Pashteen's arrest, the Pashtun people all over the have united against Pakistan. They have condemned it and organised numerous protests," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Germanys closely watched impending decision on whether and to what extent to allow Huawei, the Chinese tech giant, to enter its next generation telecommunications infrastructure may yield a result as early as Tuesday, sources tell VOA. The decision is imminent, says Emily Haber, German ambassador to the United States, in answer to a question raised by VOA Monday afternoon concerning the German governments stance with regard to Huawei. Any decision we take will factor in the relevance of the trustworthiness of the provider, Haber added. VOA has since learned from diplomatic sources that imminent could mean as early as Tuesday February 11th when German lawmakers convene in Berlin. Jacob F. Kirkegaard, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, thinks Germany could end up following Britains precedence and reach a compromise solution between Merkels permissive few limits suggestion and the more restrictive line called for by many backbench MPs, led by Norbert Roettgen, Kirkegaard told VOA. Germanys Chancellor Angela Merkel is seen as wanting to work with Beijing in order to secure German business interests in China, while Roettgen, also a member of the governing Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and chairman of the influential Foreign Affairs Committee in the Bundestag, has made no secret of his mistrust of Huawei. Roettgen pinned his tweet from November 23rd following a CDU vote in which he declared the unanimous vote a huge victory and an unambiguous declaration of where CDU stands on this issue. Unser #Initiativantrag zu #5G wurde beim #cdupt19 einstimmig beschlossen ein Riesenerfolg! Die Debatte kommt in den #Bundestag. Klare Position der @CDU gegen Einfluss auslandischer Staaten in deutsche kritische Infrastruktur & fur eine europaische Losung! pic.twitter.com/W3uvLAxWJU Norbert Rottgen (@n_roettgen) November 23, 2019 CDU position against foreign influence in critical German infrastructure as well as its determination to find a European solution are clear, he tweeted, next comes the parliamentary debate which could take place Tuesday in Berlin, sources tell VOA. In Kirkegaards opinion, Germany could also impose a ceiling on Huaweis market share and attempt to prevent the company from supplying core network components, a measure Britain has recently announced, in spite of Washingtons strong objection. He nonetheless points out that given the 5G technologys largely cloud-based feature, it remains technically unclear how core and peripheral distinction could be meaningfully established. Should the German parliament vote Huawei out of Germanys 5G telecommunications infrastructure, it would be a huge surprise to many, including Kirkegaard. Should it happen, it would constitute a huge defeat for Merkel, he says, even as Merkels party is thrown into turmoil as her designated successor Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced her decision to step down as chairman of the CDU on Monday. It remains to be seen whether the latest development within the CDU could affect the German parliaments debate on Huawei. Speaking along with the German ambassador at an event hosted by the American Institute for Contemporary German Studies Monday afternoon, Piotr Wilczek, Polands ambassador to the United States, said theres been a big effort on the part of all EU countries to provide Brussels with our positions on the issue of Huawei. Now were in the process of discussing this in more detail, Wilczek said, in answer to VOAs question on his countrys position with regard to Huawei. Poland and I believe Romania are the only countries that have signed a declaration with the United States, stating just that well be very careful in choosing providers and providers should be very reliable, he added, without naming any company by name. This is a very complicated issue a difficult decision, he says, because its about the quality of services, of various providers; we know some of them are very much advanced, and some of them are not so much advanced but perhaps more reliable. Earlier, Norbert Roettgen, the German lawmaker who has openly expressed his concerns about Huawei, stated that when it comes to which providers to be let in, You dont just need technical certainty, you need the suppliers to be politically trustworthy, too." A bill that Roettgen helped draft requires that any company designated as untrustworthy be excluded from both the core and peripheral networks. Roettgen tweeted on February 8 that the United States and the EU could team up to counter Chinas 5G dominance. We share the same security concerns and should cooperate to expand alternatives. He added that but to do so, we must know that tariffs against Brussels are off the table. Partners dont threaten one another, in a reference to tariffs U.S. President Donald Trump has said he would impose on a number of European imports, including on German automobiles. The #USA & EU could team up to counter #Chinas #5G dominance. We share the same security concerns & should cooperate to expand alternatives. But to do so we must know that tariffs against Brussels are off the table. Partners dont threaten one another. https://t.co/ZPvZFKWNYq Norbert Rottgen (@n_roettgen) February 8, 2020 Huawei has repeatedly denied that it is beholden to the Chinese government and its political demands. Chinas top envoy to Berlin has made it clear that Beijing will not stand idly by should Germanys decision on Huawei turns out to be unfavorable to Beijing. If Germany were to make a decision that led to Huaweis exclusion from the German market, there will be consequences, Wu Ken is quoted as saying. Whichever way Germany decides, its decision likely will have significant impact on the other European Union countries. Political influence aside, the fact that Germany takes up about 30% of the EUs 5G market is enough for pan-EU operators to follow its lead, according to the Peterson Institutes Kirkegaard. Behind the stage looming over the banks of the Niger River, there came worrying information: Jihadists were poised to attack Mali's most important cultural festival. On stage, everything was calm. Officials lined up to give speeches to usher in the much-loved event while relaxed-looking security guards looked on. But behind the scenes, security chiefs were on the alert. And the calls were stacking up on the mobile phone of Commander Diallo, an official from Mali's security ministry. Now in its 16th year, Segou'Art Festival on the Niger is Mali's largest cultural event, a haven of theatre and music in a rising tide of war. It is staged in the town of Segou in central Mali -- a region that is now the epicentre of a jihadist revolt that began more than seven years ago. In 2019, militant groups killed over 450 civilians in central Mali alone, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this week. That figure does not include soldiers and police officers whom militants have been slaughtering by the dozen in recent months. Commander Diallo -- his full name has been retained for security reasons -- had his work cut out to keep the festival running safely. His eyes were fixed on the far bank of the Niger, watching for any threat. Two patrol boats were sent there, sirens blaring. A dozen soldiers disembarked and fanned out on the far bank, "to dissuade any one who might want to come there," an officer said. Unfazed by the risk, tens of thousands of Malians attend Segou'Art every year. The event ran from February 4-9 this year, covering everything from lectures, to theatre, dance, music and traditional storytelling. Foreign tourists used to regularly attend too. Today, they are now nowhere to be seen, for the threat to their lives has never been greater. -'Everywhere and nowhere'- Ten days before the festival began, 20 soldiers were gunned down by about 100 motorbike-riding jihadists, some 100 (60 miles) kilometres north of Segou. Near the site of that attack, three policemen were also killed during an overnight ambush on Sunday morning, just as rappers were entertaining thousands of young Malians at Segou'Art. Authorities had their eyes peeled for an attempt on the festival. Security measures were put in place and reinforcements sent from the capital Bamako -- "enough to secure the festival," according to Biramou Sissoko, the governor of Mali's Segou region. Details, including the number of men requisitioned, remain secret. But several hundred uniformed men were visible in the town during the festival, an AFP journalist saw, and the country's counterterrorism squad was dispatched from the capital Bamako. "The threat is everywhere and nowhere," said Malick Doumbia, a 26-year-old festival-goer who had travelled from Bamako. He added that he was "relieved to see the security forces mobilised," and that he was apprehensive about the threat rather than afraid. Security is an issue every year, but attacking such a popular festival would not be in jihadists' interest, a security official who declined to be named suggested. "In terms of messaging, (an attack) would be difficult to justify for groups looking to integrate locally". - Crisis centre - Malian security officials have had help from the European Union's police-training mission in the country. Philippe Rio, a general in the French gendarmes and head of the mission, called the festival a "symbol". "When we saw that the lack of security was becoming an obstacle to the festival's survival and that it was in danger of disappearing, we got involved," he said. Among other things, European police trainers helped establish a crisis centre headquartered in a local-government office. They also donated computers and walkie-talkies. In the crisis centre, Malian officers discussed the rumours of jihadist filtration the day after they surfaced. No evidence backed them up. In the meantime, however, an internal government report relating to the rumours had circulated online and several Western embassies urged their nationals to skip Segou'Art. "There haven't been many tourists now for years," sighed Omar Yaffa, the president of the Segou guides' association. "It's a pity." Time to dance: The Segou'Art Festival on the Niger is Mali's most cherished cultural event -- it takes place despite the rising threat from jihadism Patrol boats helped provide security for the much-awaited festival Dancers perform with traditional puppets of Mali's Segou region Defiance: A masked man wearing a traditional Dogon costume dances at the opening of the Segou'Art Festival, which takes place despite the threat of jihadist attacks People attend a performance of the legend of the siren on the banks of the Niger Still the river flows: A young boy leads a canoe, also called a pirogue, onto the Niger Renting clothes could be the future of fashion or it could just be a fad. But traditional retailers can no longer afford to wait on the sidelines to find out. Thats why a growing number are now offering customers the option to rent clothes for a monthly fee instead of buying them. Bloomingdales, Banana Republic and Urban Outfitters are the latest to offer the services. Even footwear chain Designer Brands says its considering launching a rental service for shoes. Now a booming $1 billion business, the clothing rental sector is expected to reach $2.5 billion by 2023, according to research firm GlobalData. When combined with resale, it will account for 13% of the total $360 billion U.S. clothing market within the decade, up from 7.3% today. Clothing rentals are one more piece of the sharing economy, where customers particularly those in their 20s and 30s are less interested in owning or making big investments but still want access to different brands and services, says Steve Barr, consumer markets leader at PwC. "You no longer have to buy into the myth of continuous consumption and that there's pride in wearing something as opposed to pride in owning something," said Jennifer Hyman, CEO and co-founder of Rent the Runway, which in 2009 pioneered the business model that many retailers are now trying to replicate. For clothing retailers, rentals offer a glimmer of hope at a time when they are dealing with mounds of unsold goods that often need to be deeply discounted. Several have already gotten into the second-hand business another popular trend in the sharing economy led by companies like The Real Real and ThredUp. J.C. Penney and Macy's, for instance, have partnered with ThredUp to sell gently-worn clothes in a couple dozen locations. Nordstrom is testing resale at its women's flagship store in Manhattan and online. Many in the industry consider these necessary steps as clothing retailers watch their fortunes erode. They, along with department stores, are expected to see their fourth-quarter earnings sink 11.3% compared with a 5.7% drop for the overall retail sector, according to research firm Retail Metrics LLC. Last year, clothing retailers accounted for an outsized share of retail bankruptcies, according to a recent report by consulting firm AlixPartners. "Clothing retailers are dealing with pressures on multiple fronts," said Ken Perkins, president of Retail Metrics. "Heavy promotions, chronic traffic declines, e-commerce investment. And now they've got rental and resale services as well. The rental market is small, but it's going to grow, and they have to invest in it." Christine Hunsicker, CEO and founder of CaaStle, a startup that manages inventory and shipping for retailers, says rental services have anywhere from a 20% to 25% operating profit compared with only 5% for traditional retailers. Last year, Hunsicker's retail clients saw total spending for both renting and buying increase two-fold on average for each customer. But unlike Rent the Runway, a dedicated rental service for high-end designer clothing, the economics for traditional retailers from marketing to dry cleaning and shipping, on top of running their normal day-to-day operations pose significant challenges. About a dozen retailers, including Banana Republic and Bloomingdale's, have left it to CaaStle to handle the logistics. But Urban Outfitters, which lets shoppers rent their brands as well as outside labels like Reebok and Levi's, is doing it all on its own a formidable task. [Retailers] are very used to marketing products, not services, so its challenging knowing which customers to message, and how often, Hunsicker said. Some experts wonder whether it even makes sense for lower-priced clothing chains to get into the rental business since customers could just buy the clothes used, or get them at a deep discount. Also, the clothes may not hold up well after multiple wears, says Rod Sides of Deloitte LLP. Elizabeth Kashin, 53, of Indianapolis, says she tried Urban Outfitter's Nuuly rental service last month. She never received her package of six items but was charged anyway. After contacting customer service via social media, she got another package but said the clothes didn't look clean. "I can go to a second-hand store to get a better experience," she said. Urban Outfitters said that it is constantly listening to feedback so that it can "make the experience even better for Nuuly's subscribers." It says it's on pace to have 50,000 subscribers in the first 12 months of operation. Retailers also face the same challenges that still dog Rent the Runway. Consumers complain about spotty customer service and a slew of added fees. For example, Rent the Runway charges $50 for every day that a customer is late in returning an item, up to double the retail value of that item. There is also the issue of too few locations to return rented items. Retail expert Melissa Gonzalez says retailers should have kiosks in their stores in key cities but right now, most don't have any and shoppers must drop off their garment bags at a UPS or the post office. Rent the Runway has five stores and nearly 50 drop-off locations. Rent the Runway itself has had to adapt to an increasingly demanding customer. It started out with special occasion dresses but its customers now rent on average more than 120 days per year. The New York-based company launched children's wear last year and later unveiled pillows and other home decor items through a partnership with home furnishings retailer West Elm. Vara Pikor, a 26-year-old insurance broker from Manhattan who's been using Rent the Runway for many of her clothing needs, says she is hooked. "This could be my forever habit," she said. "I have less stuff in my home." Rent the Runway's long-term prospects are still unknown. The company plans to go public but there is no clear timetable. In 2016, it announced that it was profitable but a spokeswoman declined to comment on whether that remains true today. Nonetheless, retailers continue to follow its lead and hope to end up in a better place. ---------------- Anne DInnocenzio of The Associated Press wrote this story. Follow her at http://twitter.com/ADInnocenzio Congress leader Sandeep Dikshit has said that his party will perform poorly in Delhi Assembly elections. Dikshit, the son of Congress stalwart and former Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit, blamed the laxity of the Delhi unit of the party for the poor show. I believe the Congress will perform very badly. I knew it from September itself, Dikshit told news agency ANI on Monday, a day before counting of votes. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live Updates The laxity shown by Delhi in-charges in the organisation... two-three people from Delhi Congress and AICC are directly responsible for ruining it, added Dikshit. Also Watch | Delhi poll results: Trends show majority for AAP, cadres celebrate He also lamented that big Delhi Congress leaders and AICC in-charge insulted his mother. He stressed that result will be on the lines of what has been predicted by the exit polls. No one else is to blame. It is a different thing that after losing tomorrow, different stories will be old and everything will be covered up. As far as I am concerned, what we are seeing in exit polls, the results too will be the same, Dikshit said on Monday. Preneet Kaur, Congress MP and wife of Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh, had also said on Monday that there is nothing much for Congress in Delhi. There is nothing much for Congress, as per exit polls it seems Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is forming government in Delhi, Kaur told reporters on Sunday when asked to comment on polls in the national capital. The counting of votes in Delhi began on Tuesday morning, and early trends show solid gains for the ruling AAP. The Congress, however, is leading on one seat. The Congress party had pressed its several leaders including Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra into campaigning, but was not able to match the high octane campaign of the BJP and the Bijli Paani narrative of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The party has seen internal rifts ahead of the elections and could not decide the candidates early which also affected the partys prospects. Congress had tied-up with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) to capitalise on the Purvanchali votes (those from the eastern part of the country). It contested on 66 out of 70 seats, and left four for ally RJD. Skip to: What is IVF? In vitro fertilization (IVF) is a technique used to help those with fertility issues conceive. The process involves the removal of an egg from the womans ovaries, which is then fertilized with sperm outside of the body, in a lab. Following fertilization, the embryo is then transferred to the womans uterus to develop. Image Credit: Phonlamai Photo / Shutterstock Despite its obvious benefit, IVF can be physically and emotionally demanding, and for some, pregnancy does not occur. In addition to this, there is a range of health implications including ectopic pregnancy, side effects from the medication prescribed during the process, and an increased chance of twins or triplets. Recent research suggests that there may even be a risk of cancer for children born via IVF. Does IVF Increase the Risk of Cancer? Researchers from the University of Minnesota examined the prevalence of childhood cancer amongst children conceived through IVF and those conceived naturally. They found that those in the former are more likely to develop cancer. The longitudinal study followed 2,266,847 children conceived naturally and 275,686 conceived via IVF for over ten years. The results showed a significantly higher prevalence rate of hepatic tumors, both benign and malignant, in those conceived through IVF. Specifically, the rates of children conceived via IVF were 18.1 compared to 5.7 in children conceived naturally. However, researchers from the University of Minnesota study claimed that, although alarming, they only found a slightly significant link between childhood cancer and IVF. Furthermore, they failed to find a relationship between specific types of IVF treatment and the development of embryonic tumors. A similar UK-based study following 106,013 children conceived via IVF found no relationship between IVF and prevalence of childhood cancer. Cancer Risk: Parental Genetics or the IVF Procedure? A Professor of General Pediatrics at the University College of London, Professor Alastair Sutcliffe commented on whether the increased cancer risk is ascribed to the process of IVF or the genetic nature of infertility. He noted that, despite the potentially life-changing benefits of IVF, research has found that certain types of tumors are more prevalent amongst children conceived via IVF, specifically, hepatoblastoma. Furthermore, the increased incidence of hepatoblastoma may be caused by the IVF process and not caused by genetics. However, others have rejected the claim that IVF increases the risk of childhood cancer. Chair of the British Fertility Society, Dr. Jane Stewart noted that limitations of the study might influence the perception of the results from the University of Minnesota researchers. Namely, the study failed to account for other factors that may influence the development of childhood cancers. Despite there being an association, cause cannot be established fully. Due to the inconsistency within the literature, one group of researchers conducted a meta-analysis of observational studies to look at the overall association between IVF and cancer prevalence. Specifically, the researchers examined the incidence of neural tumors, eight subtypes of cancer, overall cancer, hematological malignancies, and other solid tumors. The research found that children conceived through assisted fertility treatments had a significantly higher risk of developing hepatic tumors, solid tumors, overall cancer and hematological malignancies. However, similar to Dr. Stewarts statement, the researchers concluded that the findings failed to outline whether the increase in cancer risk was related to the parents infertility itself or to something related to the fertility treatment. Complementary research found mixed results regarding the prevalence of cancers in similar samples. The study analyzed the health information of all children born in Norway between 1984 and 2011. Specifically, they examined the cancer risk in adolescence and childhood in those conceived via assistive reproductive technology (ART) the in vitro handling of eggs, sperm, and embryos to establish pregnancy and those conceived without ART. The study had a sample of 1,628,658 children, of which 25,782 were conceived via ART. They found that the overall cancer risk was not greater in children conceived via ART, but that there was an increased risk of developing leukemia and Hodgkin lymphoma. Similar research found there to be no association between ART and overall childhood cancer. A Dutch study used a follow-up cohort design followed children on average for 21 years to investigate the overall cancer risk in those conceived naturally versus those conceived through ART. They found that the cancer risk for all cancer types was not significantly increased in those conceived through ART compared to naturally. In light of the contrasting literature, it is clear that more research is needed to examine the mechanisms responsible for the increase in cancer risk in children conceived through IVF or ART. Specifically, examining whether the risk of developing cancer is related to parental infertility or fertility treatment. Sources Zoppi, Lois. 2019. Children born via IVF more likely to develop cancer later in life. News-Medical, viewed 11 February 2020, www.news-medical.net/.../...ikely-to-develop-cancer-later-in-life.aspx. NHS (2018). IVF. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/ivf/ Spector, L. G. et al. (2019). Association of In Vitro Fertilization with Childhood Cancer in the United States. JAMA Pediatrics. Doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.0392, https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2729182 Reigstad, M. M. et al. (2016). Risk of Cancer in Children Conceived by Assisted Reproductive Technology. Pediatrics. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2015-2061, pediatrics.aappublications.org/.../peds.2015-2061.full.pdf Spaan, M. et al. (2019). Risk of cancer in children and young adults conceived by assisted reproductive technology. Human Reproduction. Doi: 10.1093/humrep/dey394, https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/34/4/740/5306245 Wang, T. et al. (2019). Cancer risk among children conceived by fertility treatment. International Journal of Cancer. Doi: 10.1002/ijc.32062, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ijc.32062 Further Reading Former Vice President Joe Biden is fleeing New Hampshire before the results for Tuesday night's primary come in, with his campaign announcing he'll be addressing supporters 'via livestream' from South Carolina. The announcement was made minutes after the release of another national poll that showed Sen. Bernie Sanders had pulled ahead, now leading the Democratic pack by 10 points. Biden, on the other hand, is in second with his support practically cut in half. Last month, before his fourth place showing in the Iowa caucuses, he was receiving support from 30 per cent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents, according to the Monmouth University Poll. On Tuesday, he had held on to 16 per cent. Former Vice President Joe Biden is scheduled to leave New Hampshire Tuesday before the results of the first-in-the-nation primary come in Former Vice President Joe Biden is leaving the Granite State Tuesday instead of addressing supporters at a planned event in Nashua The vice president was on the ground at polling locations Tuesday morning in New Hampshire, before his planned departure to South Carolina Vice President Joe Biden, captured talking to reporters Tuesday morning, has downplayed the important of New Hampshire's primary, as the voters in New Hampshire and Iowa are primarily white The vice president is now losing to Sen. Bernie Sanders in two national surveys and he's tied for fourth place in New Hampshire, according to the Real Clear Politics polling average Sanders, who's likely to win the Granite State primary - as he's topped every poll but one conducted this month and benefits from next-door-neighbor status - is now 10 points ahead of the former vice president nationally. He's at 26 per cent support, according to the Monmouth survey. Last month, Sanders was the pick of 23 per cent of the party. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg got a sizable bump coming out of Iowa - where he won the caucuses by the traditional delegate measure, while Sanders snagged the popular vote. In January, Buttigieg sat at 6 per cent nationally, now he's at 13 per cent. Even before his decision to leave the state on primary night, Biden has been downplaying the importance of New Hampshire. The Real Clear Politics polling average has him tied for fourth place with Sen. Elizabeth Warren, with Sanders, Buttigieg and Sen. Amy Klobuchar taking the top three spots. He's suggested he'll likely get thumped by not only Sanders but Warren, who like Sanders represents a neighboring state. 'You're always behind the eight ball when you're running in New Hampshire and you have two people from the neighboring states,' he said Monday on CBS 'This Morning.' And he argued that Iowa and New Hampshire don't matter that much, since the voters in the states don't represent the Democratic party's racial make-up. 'Nothing's going to happen until we get down to a place and around the country where there's much more diversity,' Biden said, alluding to South Carolina - where he's heading for New Hampshire primary night - and Nevada, the state that caucuses next. Biden's Deputy Campaign Manager Kate Bedingfield told reporters at a Bloomberg News breakfast Monday morning that she didn't think lousy finishes in Iowa and New Hampshire would impact Biden's chances with black voters in South Carolina. 'It goes back to the long relationship he has with the African-American community,' she explained. But a national poll out Monday from Quinnipiac - the first poll ever to show Sanders ahead of Biden nationwide - showed an erosion of support for Biden among black voters as well. In December, Biden was the choice of 51 per cent of black voters, by February that number moved down to 27 per cent. Jalome Chirwa, a student at the University of the Witwatersrand and in partnership with the Innovation Hub, The Tshimologong Precinct and his two partners, Emmanuel Mareme and Milaan Mashele have developed WhatsOnSale, a web and mobile platform aimed at the retail industry. Can you tell us about WhatsOnSale? Jalome Chirwa When, how and why did you get started What is the core function of WhatsOnSale Emmanuel Mareme and Milaan Mashele What are some of the obstacles you've had to overcome since starting out? What would you like to see changed in the South African startup landscape? What advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs? What has been your proudest achievement thus far? What does the future of entrepreneurship look like to you? What do you think is the importance of a startup accelerator? What do you believe are the traits an entrepreneur needs to succeed? Tell us about your biggest struggles as entrepreneurs as well as some major highlights? Why would you encourage someone to become an entrepreneur? Where do you want to see WhatsOnSale in the next five years? We chat with the trio to find out more about their entrepreneurial journey...Milaan: WhatsOnSale is a mobile app aimed at the youth that aims to create a virtual mall experience.Users have access to the latest brand promotions and the ability to socially interact with these promotions. The goal is to ensure that users are kept informed about offerings from their favourite brands.Our vision is to be a consistently innovative brand advertising platform that ensures that retailers get as much audience to their promotions as possible and that their customers have full access to the event of any promotion present.Jalome: The team came about in March of 2018 when Milaan Mashele and Emmanuel Mareme approached me at the Tshimologong Precinct after the launch of an app that I had previously worked on.The guys approached me with the idea of building what they described to be a virtual mall. An app with that could offer users the ability to engage with the latest retail specials.The idea was initially that of Milaan and Emmanuel after having conducted a survey on youth purchasing and brand loyalty, which included student participants from the university and other individuals around the Braamfontein area.The two noticed that participants who liked a particular brand or retailer were keen to keep up with the news about the brand/retailer or a specific product from the brand/retailer, however, some participants would use several resources such as specific brand websites and blogs to keep up to date with promotions and others would wander into a store or mall and realise that certain items are on special.This then led to the virtual mall idea of which is WhatsOnSale.Jalome: The core functionality of WhatsOnSale is honouring brand loyalty. This is done specifically at 3 levels. At a brand, product, and store level.We honour brand loyalty at a brand level by offering users the ability to keep up to date with all promotions from their favourite brands/retailers.We honour brand loyalty at a product level by offering users the ability to keep up to date with news and promotions of a particular product from their favourite brands/retailers.We honour brand loyalty at a store level by offering users the ability to locate the nearest physical stores that offer current specials from their favourite brands/retailers.Emmanuel: Our biggest challenge over the past year has been funding. After having developed our prototype, we went on the quest to acquire funding to launch our beta testing phase and also acquire office space and mentorship.We managed to acquire office space and mentorship through an incubation programme offered by the Innovation Hub after having demonstrated our prototype and our goal for the future, however funding for the app proved to be more difficult to acquire and after not being able to obtain funding from local institutions. We later reached out to an American consulting firm, Mutualism, who have shown interest to invest in our product.Emmanuel: Our biggest challenge over the past few years as a startup has been funding as previously mentioned. From our perspective, we believe this is an issue for most startups in South Africa.With that being said, we hope that startups will soon have easier access to funds to both grow and test their ideas in the market.Milan: If you have any idea, implemented, failure is very much part of the process, so do expect it and in doing so you never know what you might stumble upon, who you might meet or what you might pivot towards.Emmanuel: Our most significant achievements and by far our proudest has to be our partnerships with institutions such as Mutualism, The Wits Enterprise and The Wits Tshimologong Precinct that has enabled us to continue on our journey through their ongoing consultation and support.Jalome: With technology constantly evolving, we believe that the future of entrepreneurship will soon revolve around technology and we believe this will result in innovative and creative solutions to the problems we face in modern-day Africa.Milaan: We believe that the existence of startup accelerators is of paramount importance. WhatsOnSale would have not been possible if it werent for startup accelerators such as The Wits Tshimologong Precinct and The Innovation Hub. These entities played a huge role by connecting us with other like-minded entrepreneurs, funding institutions, offering consulting services and providing us with a cohesive workspace. We believe most startups will find the support of a startup accelerator very beneficial.Jalome: To achieve your desired business success it is essential that you remain motivated and determined, 90% of startups are doomed to fail according to Forbes and in order to be a part of that 10%, perseverance is key.Whats also essential as an entrepreneur is the ability to work with others. Building a successful business will require you having to source the skills of others and being able to respect, appreciate and work with other individuals will go a long way.Milaan: Our biggest struggle as mentioned was funding. We had spent months and months pitching to one investor and another. When we eventually acquired funding, this was our first major obstacle conquered. This meant we could continue developing and growing our business, then came our strategic partnerships which facilitated our legal issues, financial projections and providing us with mentorship through our entrepreneurial journey.Emmanuel: From our experience of being entrepreneurs, we believe that entrepreneurship is crucial to job creation and development of other businesses. In startup accelerators, you get to meet like-minded entrepreneurs and collaborations form from that, which contributes to the development of these entrepreneurs and their businesses through the exchange of ideas and skill.Jalome: In the next 5 years we would like to see more strategic partnerships, specifically with major retail brands such as Edcon, retail stores such as Shoprite and brands such as Coca-Cola, Mofaya and many more.Averaging 100 daily sign-ups onto the platform is also a goal for the next 5 years. Researching foreign retail markets is also on the agenda for our 5-year plan. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Elnur Baghishov - Trend: Relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are at the highest level, Irans Ambassador to Azerbaijan Javad Jahangirzadeh said at an event on the occasion of the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution in Iran, Trend reports Feb. 11. The ambassador noted that numerous contracts signed between the two countries, various joint projects in the field of economy, trade, industry, agriculture, education and tourism, including the International North-South Transport Corridor, which is important for the region, confirm the potential for developing relations. Iran wants to have good relations with all neighboring countries, Jahangirzadeh added. Based on common religious, cultural and historical ties, I can say that the brotherhood and friendship of Iran and Azerbaijan are eternal. Sincere relations between President Ilham Aliyev and President Hassan Rouhani are a strong foundation for relations between the two countries. There are innumerable indicators proving the strengthening and development of relations between Iran and Azerbaijan, said the ambassador. Iran is the country most visited by Azerbaijani citizens, and this fact is an indicator of fraternal relations between the two peoples. Mutual visits by officials of both countries, extensive trade relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are an indicator of relations at the highest level. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Right idea, wrong animal I am wondering why were to have a caribou crossing a river statue in Brandon. I cannot recall the name of the river up north. It is nice. Yet, why not bison crossing Assiniboine something local, in a park where children and new Canadians may misunderstand what crossed the local river. Just maybe Maybe the presentation of the Medal of Freedom to talk-show host Rush Limbaugh explains the malaise and discontent experienced by our neighbours to the south the dysfunction and divisions within and amongst Congress, the Justice system and the presidency. To malign, slander, lie, support and promote hatred and racism and intolerance are acts to be rewarded by the highest level of power and authority. Maybe the questioning, ridiculing, slandering of U.S. Senator Mitt Romneys courageous act based on his religious faith and convictions is a symptom of a society that has lost its moral compass and standing in the world. Who is this Trumpster? Re: "It was a witch hunt! Trump! Trump! Trump!" from a Feb. 7 Sound Off: I know if I was accused of a crime I would want every witness who knew I was innocent to testify. Not block all documents and witnesses so more corruption could be uncovered. Are you naive? Are you someone from the Republican Senate? Because if not, Trump would have a job for you. Stay home, Justin Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, stop travelling the world and return to Canada! Your Country needs you. The cost of the pipeline has now risen by billions of dollars and you are intent upon giving millions to Africa and other foreign aid. PLEASE reconsider your priorities. By MIKE ALLEN The Franklin County School Board resolved the question of banning the Confederate flag in the student dress code last month in a failed tie vote on a ban. The reverberations from that decision continued at Monday nights board meeting as tensions flared. Member at large Penny Blue, the boards only African American member, proposed the ban in October and ended up the only member to vote in favor of the ban in the final vote taken on the matter at the Jan. 13 meeting. Toward the end of Mondays meeting, Blue used a period given over to board member concerns to criticize outgoing Superintendent Mark Church. I as a board member would like to apologize to all the Franklin County citizens that have come out and spoken against the Confederate flag. She made reference to interviews she and Church gave to The Washington Post. In the story, Church is quoted as saying that Confederate flags are common in Virginia, and if Franklin County students wear a Confederate flag patch, its merely apparel, not a hate symbol. It is obvious that he had not heard a word that you said, Blue continued. I ask you not to take it personally, because Ive been on this board for six years, and he has not heard a word that I said. At Decembers meeting, Church announced his retirement, effective Aug. 1, even though his contract was good through June 2022. Earlier in the meeting, a heated exchange erupted over a request by Blue to be reimbursed for attending a Jan. 14 class in Richmond offered by the Virginia School Board Association. The class offered training for new board members, board chairs and vice chairs. According to the Jan. 13 meeting minutes, board chair Julie Nix and vice chair Donna Cosmato questioned why Blue needed the training, but an attempt by Cosmato and Snow Creek representative G.B. Washburn to give Nix authority over which members could attend conference training failed on a 4 to 4 vote. On Monday, attending via speakerphone from Richmond, Washburn advocated for a procedure to be put in place to make it clear who authorizes VSBA attendance. This orientation is so that these meetings can run smoothly, Blue said. She criticized other members, especially Nix and Cosmato, for not attending. Washburn made a motion to deny the $329.84 reimbursement for Blue but no members seconded the motion. Blue made a motion, seconded by Rocky Mount representative Jeff Worley, to approve the accounts payable list including the reimbursement to Blue. The motion passed 6 to 1, with Cosmato voting no. Nix did not attend Monday. Immediately before the vote, Cosmato attempted to cut off Blue during an exchange with Washburn. Immediately after the vote, Blue complained to Cosmato about being cut off, as Cosmato attempted to cut her off again, and Cosmatos husband interjected from the audience, followed by Blues sister and others who supported Blue. If she stops, Ill stop, but if we want to roll, we can roll, Blue said. The meeting continued mostly as normal soon after. A presentation that clearly unified everyone in the room was a student film made about the many problems, in terms of outdated equipment and inadequate space, at Franklin County High Schools technology education center, that ends by requesting that residents lobby county officials for improvements. BOSTON and LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GMO GlobalSign (www.globalsign.com), a global Certificate Authority (CA) and leading provider of identity and security solutions for the IoT, today announced the company has secured expanded EU Trust Service Provider status and is also now selling eIDAS-compliant qualified time stamps and eIDAS-compliant qualified web authentication certificates. In addition, GlobalSign has added PSD2-compliant certificates and seals to its list of offerings. With this expansion of both eIDAS-compliant and PSD2-compliant solutions, GlobalSign is now one of just two global CAs with this level of offerings. Expanded EU Trust Service Provider Solutions In October 2018, GlobalSign was one of the first global CAs to announce we achieved Qualified Trust Service Provider status by a European Supervisory Body (Belgium). With the company's newly expanded provider status, GlobalSign customers can now purchase eIDAS-compliant qualified time stamps and eIDAS-compliant qualified web authentication certificates along with the previous offerings around qualified certificates for Electronic Signatures and qualified certificates for Electronic Seals. The Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) plays an important role in the process of qualified electronic signing the highest assurance level of signatures as specified by the Electronic Identification and Authentication Services (eIDAS) Act. eIDAS is an EU regulation focused on enhancing trust in electronic transactions between citizens, businesses and public authorities cross-borders. A major component of the regulation is a common framework for secure electronic signatures, including standardized assurance levels, to facilitate interoperability and acceptance across EU and EEA Member States. Under the law, only QTSPs can provide qualified trust services and appear on their country of operation's Trust List. If an entity is not on this list, they cannot provide qualified trust services. PSD2-Compliant Certificates and Seals Now Available GlobalSign is also now able to provide PSD2-compliant Qualified Certificates for Electronic Seals and Qualified Website Authentication Certificates to customers. All banking entities and Third-Party Payment Providers (TPPs) in Europe an estimated 36,000 organizations will need a pair of production PSD2-compliant certificates to comply with the Revised Payment Service Directive, better known as PSD2. GlobalSign's offering meets the requirement by pairing a Qualified Certificate for Electronic Seals (QSealC) and a Qualified Website Authentication Certificate (QWAC). European banks and TPP's are required to share their customer information and payment networks as the EU works towards meeting Open Banking standards. Ultimately, it is hoped that these efforts will significantly reduce fraud and malicious activities while increasing authenticity and the general security of online payments. PSD2 was initially scheduled for implementation as of September 2019. However, the deadline for the migration to stronger customer authentication was extended by the European Bank Authority to December 2020. The new deadline allows time for all parties to be fully PSD2-compliant, enabling the industry to take a consistent approach to stronger customer authentication across the European Union. "We are thrilled to offer all of these new capabilities to our customers. Having expanded EU Trust Service Provider status along with PSD2-compliant Qualified Certificates for Electronic Seals and Qualified Website Authentication Certificates demonstrates our dedication to the European marketplace," said Arvid Vermote, Chief Information Security Officer, GlobalSign. "These new offerings significantly up the ante for GlobalSign in the EU, especially for our business with financial institutions and third-party providers." GlobalSign's PSD2-compliant solutions are also available to non-EU banks and TPP's. Customers who want to purchase GlobalSign's QSealC's and QWAC's can learn more at www.globalsign.com/en/eidas-compliance/qualified-certificates-and-seals-for-psd2. Speak with GlobalSign representatives about this at Cloud Security Expo, stand S632, March 11-12 in London. About GMO GlobalSign As one of the world's most deeply-rooted certificate authorities, GlobalSign is the leading provider of trusted identity and security solutions enabling businesses, large enterprises, cloud-based service providers and IoT innovators worldwide to conduct secure online communications, manage millions of verified digital identities and automate authentication and encryption. Its high-scale PKI and identity solutions support the billions of services, devices, people and things comprising the IoT. A subsidiary of Japan-based GMO Cloud KK and GMO Internet Group, GMO GlobalSign has offices in the Americas, Europe and Asia. For more information, visit https://www.globalsign.com Media Relations Contact Amy Krigman GlobalSign Public Relations Manager Phone: 603-570-7060 Email: [email protected] SOURCE GlobalSign Related Links www.globalsign.com Dubai, Feb 11 : A Dubai-based Indian salesman has been accused of sexually abusing a minor girl, when she was sent by her mother to buy bread, it was reported. The Dubai Court of First instance heard on Monday that the Kenyan woman had asked her daughter to go to a nearby market to buy bread last month when the 23-year-old Indian salesman followed the 10-year-old victim out and into an elevator where he sexually abused her, Gulf News reported. "My daughter returned after five minutes with the bread and asked me to call the police. She told me that a worker touched her body inside the lift," the woman said. The girl's father went to the supermarket and called Dubai Police who arrested the defendant. Security cameras showed the defendant following the victim to the lift. He admitted to inappropriately touching the girl. Superyachts seemed to be among the last modes of (luxe) transportation to bend toward the growing consumer demand for eco-friendly engine designs. But if news from last weeks Monaco Yacht Show served as a bellwether, the industry meant to cater to the wealthiest among us made a progressive splash with the unveiling of Aqua, the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht. Designed by the Dutch firm Sinot Yacht & Architecture Design, Aqua is a nearly 400-foot-long vessel that's run entirely by a renewable energy source. "Water is the eternal fuel of life, the life-sustaining force that makes planet Earth habitable," says Sander Sinot, founder of the firm that bears his name. "Water is soft, yet at the same time it cuts through hard rocks." It was this appreciation of water that helped the firm find balance between the natural world and the technological. The propulsion system is made up of two 28-ton vacuumed tanks that each contain liquified hydrogen which are stored at -423 degrees Fahrenheit. Along with being eco-friendly, hydrogen-based energy means for a quieter experience aboard the ship in comparison to traditional engines. That said, there will be backup diesel generators handy should the captain ever need them. There was much confusion on Monday if there was already a buyer who had paid the hefty $644 million price tag. Reports spread throughout the internet that billionaire Bill Gates had purchased the superyacht, rumors that proved to be false. Yet readers couldn't be blamed for believing such reports, as images show Aqua to include its own infinity pool, helipad, spa, and gymamenities meant to attract billionaires such as Gates. Sinot and his team designed the vessel to safely bring passengers as close to the water as possible. "Water is relaxation; it makes us calmer and more creative," Sinot comments. "We wanted to provide those on board with the closest possible proximity to the water. The aft deck features an innovative series of platforms cascading down towards the sea, while a large swim platform allows all passengers to enjoy the optimal experience of accessing the water at sea level." Story continues Aqua can reach speeds of up to 19.5 mph and features enough room for 14 guests and 31 crew members. The firm plans to complete the vessel by 2024. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest It is no surprise that Konga has been listed as one of the top 20 brands to watch in 2020 Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Despite the significant upheavals in the Nigerian e-commerce sector amid a series of potential investor apathy-inducing developments in 2019; the industry had a shining light in the activities of a local player, Konga. Co-Chief Executive Officer, Prince Nnamdi Ekeh disclosed that Konga went a long way in restoring investor and customer confidence in the Nigerian e-commerce sector. The Harvard alumni affirmed that Konga, which has undergone a remarkable transformation since it was acquired by the Zinox Group, has been a refreshingly positive source of delightful innovations, and sound corporate governance which has dispelled the negative clouds that hovered over the sector in 2019. Further, he attributed this to the companys long-held tradition of ethical conduct and realistic business model which have kept Konga at the apex of the e-commerce industry in Nigeria. Indeed, huge question marks had emerged on the credibility of players in the African e-commerce sector after the travails of another major player which saw a much-publicized IPO on Wall Street, fall flat after a publication by US research firm, Citroen. Furthermore, analysts believe the development may have hampered the efforts and chances of other prospective players on the African e-commerce scene in attracting critical investment and winning over a highly skeptical consumer base. However, Prince Ekeh has held up Konga as a source of hope and pride in the sector. Konga is undoubtedly one of the miracles of the Nigerian e-commerce sector. We have not only shown our qualities as a shining light in the industry; but our track record of ethical behavior, landmark innovations, and sound business practices were critical factors that restored investor and customer confidence in the Nigerian e-commerce market in 2019, he said. We were not only able to grow revenue by eight times in 2019 but we have also been able to reduce our costs by 65%. That is a significant figure. Also, our flagship year-end promotion, Konga Yakata, lived up to its billing as the biggest sales event of the year, offering access to tons of genuine products delivered swiftly at the best prices for millions of Nigerians nationwide. Ekeh who disclosed that Konga is in the middle of an impressive nationwide roll-out of stores in its bid to reach more of Nigerias unreached and under-served population noted that the company has also recorded significant adoption of Konga Pay, its internally-owned and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) licensed mobile money platform. In addition, he asserts that through Kxpress, an in-house logistics platform that handles last-mile deliveries to customers as well as external parties, Konga is creatively resolving the thorny challenge of logistics which has hobbled other players in the market. Equally important, he cites the roll-out of thriving subsidiaries such as Konga Travel, which he says, has grown nearly 25% on a year-on-year basis, among other upcoming business units. We have also invested significantly in state-of-the-art regional warehousing facilities which enable us to retain inventory in diverse states and locations in Nigeria; which, aligned with our growing network of over 30 retail stores dotting Nigerias landscape, makes us closest to the people. Prince Ekeh further reveals that, in spite of the many strides recorded, the company is not resting on its oars. It is no surprise that Konga has been listed as one of the top 20 brands to watch in 2020. This is proof of the significant achievements and strides we recorded in 2019. But we have not even unveiled a quarter of what we have in stock for the market. There are many more exciting things to come this year, he concluded. Gideon Ayogu Konga +234(0)8129851122 gideon.ayogu@konga.com American Airlines extends flight suspensions to Hong Kong and mainland China amidst coronavirus originally appeared on abcnews.go.com American Airlines extended its flight suspensions to mainland China and Hong Kong, areas that have been hard hit by the novel coronavirus, through late April, citing "reduction in demand," the company announced Tuesday. "We will continue to evaluate this schedule and make any adjustments as necessary," American said in a statement. Other U.S. carriers have similarly suspended flights to China as the coronavirus outbreak continues. Delta Airlines canceled flights to mainland China through late April, while United Airlines suspended flights to China through late March and Hong Kong through late February. MORE: PHOTOS: Coronavirus outbreak sparks global health emergency In Geneva, top health officials have finally named the novel coronavirus that has sickened tens of thousands of people around the world. The coronavirus is now called COVID-19, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general at the World Health Organization announced during a Tuesday news conference. "Co" stands for coronavirus, "Vi" is for virus and "D" is for disease, Tedros explained. Health officials purposely avoided naming COVID-19 after a geographical location, animal or group of people. "Having a name matters, to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing," he said. In the United States, Dr. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the Americans who were evacuated on the first charter flight out of Wuhan, China, were expected to be released home Tuesday after completing a 14-day quarantine. Those individuals are currently being assessed to ensure that they remain symptom-free, Schuchat said at the National Press Club on Tuesday. MORE: 13th American diagnosed with coronavirus as death toll tops 1,000 in China Story continues The CDC is also re-examining whether 14 days is an appropriate duration for future coronavirus quarantines, as scientists learn more about the virus and how infectious it may be before patients show symptoms. "There's lots of different thinking right now from the anecdotes of the different countries' experiences," she added. PHOTO: Dr. Anne Schuchat, Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention holds a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Feb. 11, 2020. (Yuri Gripas/Reuters) Schuchat also addressed lingering questions about coronavirus' mortality rate, thought to be about 2%. "We absolutely assume that the reported cases are an underestimate," she said of coronavirus cases in China. Since sicker individuals tend to seek health care treatment first, coronavirus' mortality rate may drop as additional cases are reported. On the other hand, in terms seeing how the disease progresses in individuals who are sickened, Hubei province and Wuhan have several weeks' lead on the rest of the world. We may not know for a few more weeks whether the patients who have been sickened outside of China will ultimately recover, or if their conditions will worsen. Coronavirus infects residents on different floors of apartment building Meanwhile, a hundred people have been quarantined in Hong Kong after being evacuated from an apartment building where two residents living on different floors were diagnosed with the novel coronavirus, authorities said. During a press conference Tuesday, officials from Hong Kong's Center for Health Protection said the two infected residents were separated by 10 floors and the decision to partially evacuate the public housing estate in the city's Tsing Yi area was made after the discovery of an unsealed pipe in the bathroom of the lower apartment, raising fears about how the newly identified virus may have spread between the two units. MORE: Life inside the American coronavirus quarantine for a professional football player So far, at least five other residents of Cheung Hong Estate who showed symptoms of the novel coronavirus have all been tested negative for the illness, according to Center for Health Protection director Wong Ka-hing. If all tests return negative, Ka-hing said quarantined residents could be released by the weekend. Faulty piping in an apartment block led to the infection of hundreds of people in the semi-autonomous Chinese city during the deadly SARS outbreak in 2003. The global death toll from the new coronavirus outbreak -- 1,017 -- has already surpassed that of the SARS epidemic. All but one of the deaths have occurred in China. The only death from the outbreak outside of China was in the Philippines. PHOTO: Residents leave the Hong Mei House residential building at Cheung Hong Estate as officials wearing protective gear stand guard outside the entrance, in Hong Kong's Tsing Yi area, China, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Billy H.c. Kwok/Getty Images) Since the first cases were detected back in December in the Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, China's National Health Commission said Tuesday that it has recorded a total of 42,638 confirmed coronavirus cases. There are at least 319 cases confirmed in 24 other countries, according to the World Health Organization, which has declared the outbreak a global health emergency. The number of cases confirmed in the United States ticked up to 13 on Monday, with another American diagnosed with the novel coronavirus in California, according to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention spokesperson. The patient had arrived from China on the first evacuation flight to Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego. The flight landed at the military base on Feb. 5 and the passengers were to be quarantined for 14 days. The 13th patient apparently initially tested positive for novel coronavirus, but his sample was mislabeled and he was sent back to quarantine, Nick Yphantides, San Diego County chief medical officer, said in a press conference. It was only later that it was discovered the person tested positive. However, she was under quarantine the whole time and officials said the public was not at risk. MORE: Food prices skyrocket in China amid coronavirus outbreak Other confirmed cases have been reported in the states of Arizona, Illinois, Massachusetts, Washington and Wisconsin. The CDC has shipped newly approved coronavirus tests to labs across the country so states can begin their own diagnostic testing instead of shipping all samples to the agency's headquarters in Atlanta. Prior to Monday, the last confirmed coronavirus case United States had been Feb. 5 in Wisconsin. PHOTO: Officials wearing protective gear stand guard outside an entrance to the Hong Mei House residential building at Cheung Hong Estate in the Tsing Yi district, Hong Kong, China, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Billy H.c. Kwok/Getty Images) Meanwhile, the Untied Kingdom's health department has declared the virus "a serious and imminent threat" and put new quarantine restrictions in place in an attempt to delay or stop the spread of the disease. Effective immediately, any individual public health professionals consider to be at risk for spreading coronavirus will be subject to a 14-day quarantine. Those restrictions only apply in England. "I will do everything in my power to keep people in this country safe," British health secretary Matt Hancock said in a statement Monday, while announcing the new rules. "We are taking every possible step to control the outbreak of coronavirus." MORE: Here are the coronavirus symptoms to watch out for amid outbreak The move came after a WHO news conference on Monday in which top health officials called reports of human-to-human spread of coronavirus in France "concerning." The transmissions, which occurred at a French ski resort, are worrying instances of "onward transmission from people with no travel to China," said WHO Director General Tedros. "The detection of a small number of cases could be the spark that becomes the bigger fire," he added. "But for now, it's only a spark." PHOTO: This handout photo released by the U.S. Marine Corps shows evacuees from China arriving at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, on Feb. 5, 2020. (RYSTEN HOUK/US MARINE CORPS/AFP via Getty Images) The WHO convened in Geneva on Tuesday for a global research and innovation forum to identify the gaps in scientists' knowledge about coronavirus and to accelerate the development of interventions to stem the spread of the disease. "The bottom line is solidarity, solidarity, solidarity," Tedros said during his opening remarks. "Publications, patents and profits are not what matters now. What matters most is stopping the outbreak and saving lives," he said. At the same time, an advanced team from WHO has begun its work in China. The international team will work with Chinese experts on the ground to investigate the origins and severity of the new coronavirus. MORE: American man anxiously awaits family to return from China amid coronavirus outbreak In Japan, thousands of people remain quarantined on the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked in the port of Yokohama since arriving there on Feb. 3. Among the 2,666 guests and 1,045 crew on board, at least 135 people have tested positive for coronavirus, including 23 Americans, according to a spokesperson for Princess Cruises, which operates the ship. All those infected with the disease have been brought ashore for treatment, while the other passengers remain confined to their rooms on board until the quarantine period ends, according to Japan's Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. Some experts questioned whether the cruise ship quarantine was doing more harm than good. "The issue with quarantine remains the lack of ability in a closed environment like this to maintain infection prevention measures on a ship," said Dr. Eric Cioe-Pena, director of global Health at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, NY. "We are seeing numbers increase dramatically, which likely means that there is ongoing spread of the virus on these ships. Thats concerning, as its creating a second epicenter of the infection, in a Japanese port," he said. PHOTO: Relatives of passengers wave towards the Diamond Princess cruise ship, with around 3,600 people quarantined on board due to fears of the new coronavirus, at the Daikoku Pier Cruise Terminal in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 11, 2020. (Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images) U.S. citizens Mark and Jerri Jorgensen, who are among the passengers on board, said they feel "well taken care of." "We're not stressing out too much," Jerri Jorgensen told ABC News in a telephone interview Tuesday. "We've got our medication. We got fresh linens for our beds. We're not being left in the dark." Princess Cruises announced Sunday that it is offering a full refund to all guests on board the Diamond Princess. "They gave us a complete refund, airfare and a credit for another trip," Jerri Jorgensen said. "And people are like, are you going to cruise again? And the answer is yes, we've booked one for May." ABC News' Jessica Mendoza, Christine Theodorou, Karson Yiu, Mina Kaji and Anne Flaherty contributed to this report. Time to shut down Pornhub, activist says, amid instances of child rape appearing on website Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The time to shut down the largest online streaming site for porn is now, some say, particularly in light of how children being raped and trafficked have shown up on the platform. In an Sunday op-ed in the Washington Examiner, Laila Mickelwait, director of abolition of the prostitution abolitionist organization Exodus Cry, documented several instances in the past few months where sex trafficking and child rape films have been hosted on Pornhub, a video streaming website that receives tens of millions of views every day. One such case was that of a 15-year-old girl who had been missing for a year and was finally found after her mother was alerted that she was featured in 58 videos on Pornhub. Her trafficker was seen in the videos of her being raped and is now facing a felony charge, she noted. The site is complicit in the most horrific crimes and profiting off of them, Mickelwait argued. "Pornhub is generating millions in advertising and membership revenue with 42 billion visits and 6 million videos uploaded per year. Yet they have no system in place to reliably verify the age or consent of those featured in the pornographic content they host," she stressed. "In fact, all that is needed to upload pornography onto Pornhub is an email address. No government-issued ID is required, not even to become 'verified' with their trusty blue checkmark that makes everything seem a-OK." The activist tried this herself, and it only took her 10 minutes to create an account and upload blank test content to the site, which instantly went live. Given the lack of age-verification mechanisms and other relevant safeguards, Mickelwait believes that there could be thousands of other minor trafficking victims on Pornhub as videos of their rapes remain on the site. "Its time to shut down super-predator site Pornhub and hold the executive megapimps behind it accountable," she asserted. Mickelwait elaborated in an email to The Christian Post Monday that at long last there is both a national and international spotlight on the mass exploitation and sex trafficking happening via porn sites like Pornhub, which are profiting off of the rape, trafficking, and exploitation of women and children with impunity. "I believe that the public is starting to connect the dots between pornography and sex trafficking and if there is enough pressure on our politicians and legal action, these companies and the executives that run them are going to be held to account for their crimes and brought to justice," she said. "What we are seeing right now is a global awareness moment where concerned citizens around the world are saying 'times up for superpredator Pornhub, owned by Mindgeek and every other company like them who is making millions of dollars off of the destruction of women and girls." The BBC reported Monday on the ordeal of Rose Kalemba, a 25-year-old woman of First Nations ethnicity who penned a blog post last year about how difficult it was to get Pornhub to remove a video of her being brutally attacked and raped when she was 14. Months after her attack she was browsing online when several peers from her school shared a link on which she had been tagged. When she clicked on it she was directed to the Pornhub site where there were videos of her assault accompanied by titles such as "teen crying and getting slapped around" and "teen getting destroyed." One of the videos had been viewed over 400,000 times, Kalemba recalled. "The worst videos were the ones where I was passed out. Seeing myself being attacked where I wasn't even conscious was the worst," she said. Kalemba contacted the video streaming site many times over a six-month period in 2009, asking that the footage of her attack be removed, particularly because it was a crime and she was a minor. Her requests went unanswered and the videos stayed. "The year that followed I withdrew into myself. I disassociated," she said. "I felt nothing. Numb. I kept to myself." Only upon presenting as a lawyer with a new email address threatening legal action did Pornhub take action. Within two days the videos of her assault vanished. Pornhub says their site was visited 42 billion times last year, an increase of 8.5 billion from 2018, averaging 115 million visits daily and 1,200 searches per second. The petition to shut down Pornhub can be found here. Popular retail chain Chaayos has raised $21.5 million in an equity and debt mix (Series-B2 round) led by Silicon Valley-based investment firm Think Investments. The tea cafe chain, led by Sunshine Teahouse Pvt Ltd raised $18.5 million of primary capital from Think Investments and other investors, and $3 million debt investment from InnoVen Capital in the said round. Existing investors SAIF Partners, Tiger Global Management, former WhatsApp chief business officer Neeraj Arora and Hong Kong-based Integrated Capital also took part in the new financing round. "We will deploy the capital to expand our store network, hire a few more senior people, and invest more in technology," Chaayos founder and chief executive officer Nitin Saluja told the Livemint. Also Read: Facial recognition at Chaayos sparks calls for data protection law The popular Indian cafe chain had in September 2018 raised $12 million from Integrated Capital, Singapore-based investment firm, Pactolus and SAIF Partners. Gurugram-based Chaayos was founded in the year 2012 by IITians (Nitin) Saluja and Raghav Verma. The company currently operates 80 stores, out of which 50 are present in Delhi-NCR, 22 in Mumbai and eight in Bengaluru. Saluja told the news daily that Chaayos is confident of increasing the number of its stores to 300 across cities they already have a presence in, over the next three to four years. The cafe chain recently was at the receiving end of a lot of backlash over the use of facial recognition technology which was set up at some of its outlets. Also Read: My Cup of Tea Customers at Chaayos took to social media to complain about the camera technology they said captured images of them without their consent, with no information on what the data would be used for, and no option to opt-out. However, a statement from Chaayos said the technology was being tested in select cafes and was aimed at reducing purchase times for customers. The data was encrypted, would not be shared, and customers could choose to opt-out, it added. Sinn Fein made a lot of promises in its manifesto. An awful lot of promises. A spend of 22bn, twice the fiscal space that may be available, coupled with vows to reduce the pension age back to 65, fix the housing crisis, and reduce the logjam on health waiting lists, means that the party has backed itself into a bit of a corner in terms of what it is to deliver with the overwhelming mandate it has received. In truth, much of what has been promised would seem to be incompatible with coalition, given that Sinn Fein cannot govern without the assistance of either a broad alliance of the Left or the backing of one of either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael, with an alliance with one of the two main parties being by far the easiest route to stable government. In contrast to both those parties, Sinn Fein has pledged to raise taxes on the wealthy while cutting the impositions placed on low earners and scrapping property tax. All of this is to be achieved while somehow creating a budget surplus of more than 3bn in each of its years in power in order to soften the impact caused by a sudden reduction in corporation tax receipts. How this is to be achieved is not specified. Housing and health are where it has chosen to bet the farm. In terms of health, pretty much everything has been promised, on a budget not far outstripping the current incremental increase in expenditure of 1bn per annum. Housing seems more do-able given the projected expense is less onerous, with the emphasis placed on policy reform. HEALTH In its manifesto, Sinn Fein has marked Irelands health crisis as being its number one priority. This may explain why it has promised the sun, moon, and stars regarding same. With a vision that healthcare should be free at the point of use, the party has promised to invest 6.1bn in the system over a five-year term of government. Commitments are made across the board. The party says it will lift the HSEsrecruitment embargo and recruit 3,500 more frontline staff, roll out free GP care for all, deliver free hospital parking, deliver pay restoration for all consultants, introduce a statutory homecare scheme, deliver 1,500 additional hospital beds, eliminate prescription charges, and convert all agency staff into workers employed by the State. Delivering all that, even under the guise of Slaintecare, would seem an impossible task. Budgeting is not the issue the partys spending promises are not a million miles removed from those of Fine Gael for example. However, additional spending will always be required of any health system simply to stand still. So what is doable? You would expect the partys priority to be something tangible, and the most obvious target from that point of view would be waiting lists, which have ballooned in recent years to more than 600,000. Sinn Fein says it will address that crisis point by introducing a new integrated waiting list system. However, its hard to see how its benefits would be seen overnight. The partys willingness to break the system in order to rejuvenate it is clear in its desire to move agency workers, currently costing the exchequer 0.9 million 900,000 per day, onto the States payroll. That would require a wholesale redrafting of how health in Ireland works, however, and would require a great deal of time. Can it be achieved? Its hard to see how it can be with the partys current mandate. HOUSING While health may be the partys main priority, housing is where it has sold itself to voters most effectively, with Eoin O Broins status as a policy wonk fully informed of his brief believed to represent the countrys best route out of its current quagmire. The party has promised an additional 6.5bn in order to see the construction of more than 100,000 social and affordable homes on public lands. It has further promised to freeze rents for three years, with the reduction of property prices earmarked as a policy priority. However, most of the partys housing focus is in the arena of policy, not spending. By contrast, Labour is promising to spend nearly three times what Sinn Fein is, albeit with most of it sourced outside the capital budget. To that end, Sinn Fein says it will prioritise the use of public land above all else while empowering the local authorities to aggressively bring private homes into use. The obligation on private developments for inclusion of social housing space is to be increased to 25% from 10%, while use of public-private partnerships for delivery of public housing is to cease. Sinn Fein says it would redefine public housing via legislation to end the privatisation of such properties, while simultaneously cancelling the local property tax, one of the States most consistent forms of revenue. Given the partys emphasis on moving away from a reliance on private developers, these policies could well have a significant, immediate effect in terms of social housing and homelessness. The unanswered question is how the 100,000 houses are to be built, given the industry is already operating at maximum capacity, with just 14,000construction workers added to the workforce since 2016. That doesnt mean the dream is an impossibility with specific deals in place with building unions, it could happen. But achieving the 100,000 figure on a relatively small budget would be a tall order. CLIMATE CHANGE For a party campaigning on a platform of tackling climate change where the outgoing government has consistently come up short, just 275m of the Sinn Fein spending plan which incorporates all of the communications, climate action, and the environment portfolio is earmarked to that end. And just 30m of that figure is for additional capital spending. From that point of view, the partys promises on climate are almost entirely free of commitments on spending. An additional 4m is to be provided for the Just Transition Fund aimed at moving the Midlands away from its dependence on fossil fuel industries, together with the establishment of a dedicated task force for that purpose. The party has ruled out any increases to carbon tax, which it deems to be regressive and existing purely to raise funds this runs contrary to established thinking that such measures are necessary in order to secure behavioural changes. Meanwhile, Sinn Fein has placed itself firmly in opposition to fossil fuel exploration, with a total ban on fracking to be instigated. In terms of renewables, the party has vowed to amend planning legislation in order to streamline the applications process for offshore wind projects, given the paucity of such projects underway off Irish shores despite the industrys stated need for further emphasis to be placed on the sector. Regarding emissions, investment in the retrofitting of homes to reduce energy bills is planned at a cost of 160m. No commitment is made regarding the national broadband plan apart from it being termed an omnishambles. Given the relative small-scale nature of the partys commitments on climate and communications, its stated objectives, such as they are, should be eminently achievable. Whether or not Sinn Fein would be willing to bend significantly on the issues in terms of coalition forming, with, for example, the Greens, remains to be seen. FINANCE Finance is where the real meat and potatoes of Sinn Feins campaign promises lie, and it is where much of the criticism it has received for those promises is aimed. In promising a manifesto package of 22bn fully twice the fiscal space the Department of Finance has said may become available over the next five years the party could be accused of prioritising populism over reality. Sinn Fein plans to pay for its mammoth budget with a series of wealth taxes which would see anyone earning more than 140,000 hit with a levy of 5%, while attempting to consolidate corporation tax income and minimise avoidance bysupporting greater transparency regarding where multinationals make their profits and pay their taxes. However, these measures run side-by-side with plans to do away with the local property tax, and to eliminate the universal service charge for those earning less than 30,000 per annum. All this, and the party is planning to run a budget surplus of 3.4bn billion each year in order to buffer the fallout from a loss of corporation tax receipts. The party has pledged to drop the Governments appeal against the Apple ruling, which saw the tech giant payout 14.3bn to the State in uncollected taxes. The figures are very hard to give credence to, given their intrinsically anti-investment nature. Likewise, in dismissing the Department of Finances projections, utterly little provision is given towards any prospective recession, which is far from beyond the realms of possibility. Leaving that aside, Sinn Feins mandate, while impressive on an electoral level, simply cannot wash in coalition where severe compromises would need to be made. Which leaves us with a conundrum: The partys promises have got it elected, but they seem borderline impossible to implement without dealing a crushing blow to the economy. LAW AND ORDER Crime and legal matters represents one of the more slender passages in Sinn Feins 110-page manifesto, not least given the partys well-documented antipathy towards the Special Criminal Court is not deemed worthy of a single mention. The party says it will commence the biggest Garda recruitment drive in the history of the State via an investment of 142m. That would see the forces strength rise from its current level of 14,000. The figure itself is not beyond the pale Fianna Fail has promised the exact same thing. Sinn Fein differs slightly in its plans to hire 2,000 additional civilian staff, at a cost of 80m, which would see all of An Garda Siochanas strength free for deployment on the frontlines. Meanwhile, the remit of the Criminal Assets Bureau would be broadened, with additional funding of 10m promised to be split between the DPP and the Courts Service. Much of the focus of the manifestos justice segment goes towards rural policing and equality, with an emphasis being placed on law enforcement within the community. The measures aimed at rural Ireland perhaps see the party playing to its own gallery, given crime statistics from the CSO show that, in general, homicide, and burglary offences have declined in recent years. Meanwhile, a distinct anti-corruption stance plays into the partys self-appointed anti-establishment niche, exemplified by its focus on the wrongdoing of banks and insurance companies. To that end, Sinn Fein has promised to extend whistleblowing protections, introducea white-collar crime bill to strengthen prosecution powers for corporate crime, and reduce the prohibitive legal costs of tribunals of inquiry. From the point of view that justice seems to have been something of an afterthought within the manifesto, there is very little on display here that could not be achieved for a relatively modest outlay. Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. The Global Spirulina Extract Market Report is prepared to club all the essential market details such as market size, share, value, growth, restraints, challenges, and opportunities during the study period of 2020-2025. The data presented in this report has been gathered on the basis of historical data, primary interviews and expert's estimation of future trends. The report also covers regional assessment which has been conducted globally. 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For More Details: DecisionDatabases.com E-Mail: sales@decisiondatabases.com Phone: +91-90-28-057900 Web: https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ Four people have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The men were detained under the Terrorism Act in Derry on Tuesday morning and are being question in Belfast, a police spokesperson said. McKee was shot dead while observing disorder in the Creggan area of Derry on 19 April 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the murder which sparked headlines and anger across the UK and Ireland. 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Police Service of Northern Ireland said that McKee was allegedly shot while reporting on clashes with dissident republican rioters EPA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots The scene on Fanad Drive the following day PA Violence erupts in Northern Ireland as journalist killed during riots PA Welcoming the arrests, chief constable Simon Byrne said that detectives are working hard in the pursuit of justice. Senior investigating officer, detective superintendent Jason Murphy, renewed an appeal for information. I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved, he said. I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us. I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyras murder. I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. We saw wide-scale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice. I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist. The force asked for anyone with mobile phone footage to upload it to the Major Incident Public Portal here. Press Association Having an optimistic partner could help you live longer by encouraging positive lifestyle changes, according to new research New U.S. research has found that having an optimistic partner could help you live a healthier life. Carried out by researchers from Michigan State University and the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, the new study looked at nearly 4,457 retired heterosexual couples over the age of 50 who had their optimism assessed at the start of the study. The participants also had their cognition measured every two years, undergoing up to five assessments over an 8-year period. The findings, published in the Journal of Personality, showed a small but positive association between the participants' own optimism and their cognitive functioning. Moreover, there was also a link between their partner's optimism and their own cognitive functioning, with the team finding that being in a couple with an optimistic person appeared to help prevent the onset of cognitive decline. The researchers found that optimistic people could help boost their partner's health by encouraging healthy habits that may reduce the risk factors leading to Alzheimer's disease, dementia and cognitive decline as they grow old together, such as encouraging them to start exercise or quit smoking. "We spend a lot of time with our partners," said William Chopik, co-author of the study. "They might encourage us to exercise, eat healthier or remind us to take our medicine. When your partner is optimistic and healthy, it can translate to similar outcomes in your own life. You actually do experience a rosier future by living longer and staving off cognitive illnesses." "We found that when you look at the risk factors for what predicts things like Alzheimer's disease or dementia, a lot of them are things like living a healthy lifestyle," Chopik said. "Maintaining a healthy weight and physical activity are large predictors. There are some physiological markers as well. It looks like people who are married to optimists tend to score better on all of those metrics." Story continues "There's a sense where optimists lead by example, and their partners follow their lead," continued Chopik, "While there's some research on people being jealous of their partner's good qualities or on having bad reactions to someone trying to control you, it is balanced with other research that shows being optimistic is associated with perceiving your relationship in a positive light." If you don't think you're a naturally optimistic person, Chopik has encouraging news, saying that although optimism may be in part hereditary, it can also be trained. "There are studies that show people have the power to change their personalities, as long as they engage in things that make them change," Chopik said. "Part of it is wanting to change. There are also intervention programs that suggest you can build up optimism." The Morrison government rejected lobbying from the $38 billion university sector to allow 100,000 international students into the country, as cabinet ministers prepare for a taskforce to grill them on the economic fallout from an extended coronavirus travel ban. Trade Minister Simon Birmingham and Education Minister Dan Tehan are expected to update university, high school, student accommodation and state and territory education leaders overnight and on Wednesday after Health Minister Greg Hunt confirmed there were no plans to lift the China travel ban this weekend. Universities are drawing up plans to cope with the fallout from the extended travel ban. Credit:Louie Douvis The decision follows another surge in the number of coronavirus victims and cases in China. The death toll pushed past 1000 on Tuesday, prompting Chinese President Xi Jinping to make his first public appearance of the crisis and two top health officials to be sacked. Universities have been hit by three separate coronavirus knocks in the past fortnight. The Chinese government announced it was deferring English language tests, visas have been delayed by embassy staff being forced to work from home and the Morrison government implemented the 14-day travel ban for all non-Australian residents. The temporary ban is now set to go past the first week of semester when it is extended this weekend. Weather Alert ...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Kentucky...Illinois...Missouri... Ohio River at Paducah. Ohio River at Cairo. Ohio River at Olmsted Lock and Dam. .Recent heavy rainfall and snow melt will continue to keep water levels on the lower Ohio River in or near minor flood this week. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas. Caution is urged when walking near riverbanks. Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Additional information is available at www.weather.gov. && ...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING... * WHAT...Minor flooding is forecast. * WHERE...Ohio River at Paducah. * WHEN...Until early tomorrow afternoon. * IMPACTS...At 39.0 feet, Minor flooding occurs affecting mainly bottomland and surrounding low lying areas. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS... - At 7:00 PM CST Monday the stage was 38.6 feet. - Forecast...The river is expected to rise to a crest of 39.0 feet tomorrow morning. - Flood stage is 39.0 feet. - http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood && P olice and lawyers have come under fire from a judge for a sorry tale of incompetence after a legal worker who was accused of driving a stolen Range Rover had to wait more than three years to face justice. Talisha Mathurin, 30, first fell under suspicion in September 2016 but she had to wait until April last year to be told that she would face a criminal charge. Inner London crown court heard the case stalled due to systemic and personal failures within the Met Police, its forensic examiners and independent lawyers, while Mathurin was released under investigation and forced to wait years to hear her fate. Recorder Stephen Phillips QC laid bare the failings in a judgment this week, as he was urged to throw the entire case out as an abuse of process. The increasing reliance by police of releasing suspects under investigation (RUI)with no time limit instead of on bail has come under fire as the Government considers reforming the entire system. Caroline Goodwin QC, chair of the Criminal Bar Association, has said victims, witnesses, and defendants are now facing long delays for justice because of a lethal cocktail of RUI, cuts to court sitting days, and courthouses being closed altogether. Outlining what went wrong in Mathurins case, Mr Phillips said she was stopped in the car in September 2016 and handed her phone to police in December of that year. Due to her profession as a paralegal, police were not allowed to look at the phone themselves and an independent lawyer had to analyse the handset as it may have contained legally privileged material. What followed is a sorry tale of incompetence, said the judge. Counsel originally instructed did little or nothing to look at the digital materials she was sent. How the Standard has reported on a struggling system That led to a delay until the beginning of 2018, after which further privileged materials on the phone were then discovered. These were sent to new counsel in a format that he was unable to open, before being sent to yet further counsel due to his unavailability. Initially she, too, was unable to access the materials, apparently only having access to an incompatible laptop. In April 2018, Mathurin emailed the officer in the case to check on its progress, saying she was unable to move on with her life without a formal decision as to whether or not to charge her. Her career in the legal sector had ground to a halt when she was arrested and released under investigation. But she was then surprised to be told by the officer that he was no longer dealing with her case and had no idea who had taken over. Mathurin, through solicitors, threatened to bring a judicial review of the police investigation as it continued to drag on, and in November 2018 she was finally questioned about the contents of her mobile phone and papers were sent to the CPS. Incredibly they were sent to the wrong department and, I am told, just sat on the system, said the judge. Taken from the Evening Standard This went undetected until early January 2019. Mathurin was charged with handling stolen goods in April 2019 and then faced a further 10 months of waiting for her case to come to trial last week. The Range Rover Mathurin was caught driving was part of a wider stolen car ring, led by her boyfriend Marvin Mobio. Her barrister Chris Meredith, pointed out that Mobio had been charged, convicted, jailed, and had served his sentence in the time it took for police and the CPS to decide whether Mathurin would face the courts. She has been the victim of an inept and incompetent investigation characterised by failure and delay, he said. Prosecutor Daniel Fugallo accepted the delays had been unjustifiable. The judge ruled he did not have enough grounds to throw out the entire case, but gave Mathurin just a year-long conditional discharge when she pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of using criminal property at the start of her trial. In a statement, the Met said delays with analysing her phone were due to the need to bring in independent counsel to view the legally privileged material and a huge volume of data had to be carefully reviewed including over 80,000 messages and in excess of 7,000 images. The force said: Without the delay caused by the legally privileged material, in all likelihood Mathurin would have stood trial with the three people arrested at the same time as her. The CPS said it first had contact with the case in December 2018, and a charging decision was made in April the next year. The Home Office is now considering extending the legal time limits for suspects to be bailed in a bid to increase its use and scale back the use of RUI. Santiago receives me with indifference, muses the filmmaker, whose voice is heard throughout but who is never seen except in archival footage. Memory and loss are interwoven with an activist sense of lineage. (The movie, which won best documentary at Cannes last year, is the last part of a trilogy; the prior pictures in it, Nostalgia for the Light and The Pearl Button, are in a similar mode.) Guzman interviews writers and artists who remained in Chile after he departed. One of them, recounting the propaganda of the day, chillingly recalls how The Left became a demon that had to be eliminated, a state of affairs that evokes both a distant past and our immediate present. Guzman eventually settles in with Pablo Salas, a documentarian whose archive of footage in different film and video formats is fascinating. Once Guzman starts discussing how Pinochet and his cronies used the Chicago model to bring their country to economic ruin, you may think, given the depredations these figures committed, that hes talking about Al Capone. Except hes talking about the American economist Milton Friedman, of the University of Chicago, whose prescriptions Pinochet followed. The Cordillera of Dreams is a beautiful film about nightmares that have yet to end. The Cordillera of Dreams Not rated. In Spanish, with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 24 minutes. First Runner Up of the 2019 edition of TV3s Ghanas Most Beautiful reality show, Anita Enam Bossoh launched her foundation to help reduce the incidence of teenage pregnancy in Ghana. The Enam Foundation which was launched at Stevens Hotel in Ho on Friday is to campaign against teenage pregnancy so as to promote sustainable development goals 3 and 4. At the launch, Enam, the Volta regional representative of 2019 Ghanas Most Beautiful pageant disclosed that she was saddened after seeing tabulated results of teenage pregnancy cases in the country. She made a firm commitment to helping reduce the high rate of teenage pregnancy, especially in the Volta region. Launching the Enam Foundation, the guest speaker, Prof. John Gyapong, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Health and Allied Sciences stated that the aims and goals of the foundation would be fulfilled. In his lecture, he mentioned that the main causes of teenage pregnancy are irresponsible parents, lack of attention and affection from parents, bad company and Peer pressure, poverty, illiteracy, and ignorance. According to Prof. Gyapong, teenage pregnancy was concentrated among those with less education, who are unemployed, unmarried and with inadequate antenatal care and obstetric risks for poor pregnancy outcomes. He advised that the Foundation in addressing this social canker should increase the advocacy and awareness campaign using both modern and traditional means to reach out these vulnerable teenage girls. The special guest of honour and chair person for the launch, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa and Madam Dzifa Gomashie expressed their total support for the foundation. Im so happy to be part of this foundation just because Enam made us all very proud. I dont like to associate myself with beauty pageants too much expect where there is a focus beyond what you look like and to me that is the reason I want to associate myself with her brand [Enam Foundation]. Gomashie noted Dzifa Gomashie in her speech officially announced an Essay Competition among students in the Volta Region as part of activities for the Enam Foundation. The winner of the Teenage Pregnancy Essay competition would be awarded an Ipad which will be presented by Hon. Abla Dzifa Gomashie. The manager of the Enam Foundation, Benedictus Kwoku Ameduma in his speech said the vision of the foundation is to impact the world. This is a dream that Enam dreamed 10 years ago. Enam is versatile and it was evident in her disposition at the 2019 Ghana Most Beautiful pageant. They were tasked at the reality show to look for a problem and find solutions. She chose teenage pregnancy because it was influenced by her own life story and the things she has been through. Her mother gave birth to her at the age of 15years and travelled outside the country when Enam was just 13years old. She went through tough times in life and that is what inspired her to use this noble platform to advocate and educate young girls and parents about the effects of teenage pregnancy. He said. Enam Foundation as part of its aims and objectives will use the education and awareness drive and collaborate with Health Directorates across the country (Ghana Health Service); and Ghana Education Service (GES) authority for more awareness campaigns at school and community levels. Other dignitaries who graced the occasion were Ho Municipal Chief Executive, Prosper Pi-Bansah, a representative from the office of Former President Jerry John Rawlings, Traditional rulers and others. https://youtu.be/hH6kzFAu14U State-owned Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) on Tuesday reported 17.21 per cent year-on-year decline in its consolidated net profit at Rs 162.67 crore for the third quarter ended December 31, 2019. The engineering firm had posted a net profit of Rs 196.48 crore in the same period last year. Net sales in the third quarter of this fiscal fell 23.32 per cent YoY to Rs 5,459.24 crore, BHEL said in a filing to the Bombay Stock Exchange. Total income of the company declined to Rs 5,827.74 crore from Rs 7,563.51 crore in the year-ago period. Also Read: IDBI Bank Q3 loss widens to Rs 5,763 crore on higher provisions The profit before tax stood at Rs 229.29 crore versus Rs 279.56 crore in the same quarter last year. During October-December quarter, total expenditure fell to Rs 5,608.36 crore compared to Rs 7,293.15 crore in Q3FY19. Also Read: Syndicate Bank Q3 net profit quadruples to Rs 434.82 crore as bad loans shrink Segment-wise, revenue from power sector fell 26.11 per cent to Rs 4,072.70 crore. Industry saw 13.77 per cent dip in revenue at Rs 1,386.54 crore. Ahead of Q3 earnings, shares of BHEL closed Tuesday's trade at Rs 38.55 apiece, up 0.78 per cent, on the BSE. The stock touched the intraday high and low of Rs 39.10 and Rs 38.25, respectively. By Chitranjan Kumar New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Centre to hold discussion with internet intermediaries, including Google, WhatsApp and Facebook, to develop a strategy to restrict circulation of rape videos, child pornography and images. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Surya Kant noted the submissions of advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala. Bhat submitted a meeting, to deal with circulation of obscene content on social media platforms, is yet to be convened by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) involving all the stakeholders since December 2018. Solicitor Tushar Mehta, representing the Centre, submitted before the court the meeting on this matter would take place soon and asked the court not to pass any order. Bhat cited the difference in opinion between the NGO and internet intermediaries on the matter - NGO reckon the content can be blocked at the outset, but internet companies say materials have to be brought to their notice to take action. Bhat said delay in action would eventually make the content go viral. She insisted that the issue of child pornography falls under POCSO (the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act) and it's mandatory to report on it. Lawyer N.S. Nappinai, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae, suggested artificial intelligence tools could filter obscene content and help in its elimination. In 2015, the apex court had taken the suo motu cognizance of a letter written to the then Chief Justice H.L. Dattu alleging circulation of two rape videos and the video content was submitted in the court in a pen drive. The top court on Tuesday said it will ask MHA to schedule a meeting on this matter. The court asked Bhat to provide a status report to all parties to the case and scheduled the matter for further hearing after four weeks. In 2018, the apex court had said the Centre could lay down standard operating procedure (SoP) to block obscene content involving children. Three patients are under observation in hosptials in Maharashtra for the novel coronavirus and nearly 25,800 passengers have been screened at the airport here since January 18 for possible exposure to the infection, state health officials said on Tuesday. Of these patients, who showed symptoms similar to the coronavirus (2019-nCoV), two are in Pune-based Naidu Hospital, while one is in Mumbai's civic-run Kasturba Hospital, they said. No confirmed case of the viral infection, which originated in China, has been found in the state so far. "Since January 18, we have screened 25,782 passengers at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai of which 167 came from coronavirus-affected regions. "Thirty-nine of these passengers were isolated and their swab samples tested at Pune-based National Institute of Virology. Thirty-seven of these passengers tested negative for the virus," said an official from the health department. "Passengers coming from coronavirus-infected areas are being tracked for 14 days from the date of arrival here as a precautionary measure. So far, 84 travellers have completed their mandatory 14-day follow-ups," he said. It is being assumed that the incubation period of the deadly virus is 14 days so individuals suspected to be exposed to the pathogen are subjected to two-week quarantine. "Apart from Mumbai, Pune and Thane, travellers are also being monitored in Nanded, Buldhana, Nagpur, Wardha, Sangli, Ahmednagar, Amaravati, Palghar, Jalgaon, Chandrapur and Satara districts," he said. The novel coronavirus has killed more than 1,000 people in China since the outbreak in December. The coronavirus is a large family of viruses that causes illnesses ranging from the common cold to acute respiratory syndromes, but the virus that has killed people in China is a novel strain and not seen before. Common symptoms of the novel coronavirus strain include signs such as fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the WHO. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: United States President Donald Trump will pay a two-day state visit to India from February 24 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday. During the visit, Trump, who will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, will attend official engagements in New Delhi and Ahmedabad, and interact with a wide cross-section of the Indian society, the MEA said in a statement. The announcement of Trump`s first official visit to India was earlier made by the White House on Monday, which, in its statement, further said that Trump and PM Modi had agreed during a recent phone conversation that the trip will "further strengthen the United States-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people. "The global strategic partnership between India and the US is based on trust, shared values, mutual respect, and understanding, and marked by warmth and friendship between the people of the two countries, the MEA noted in its statement, adding the visit will provide an opportunity for the two leaders to review progress in bilateral ties and further strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries. "The relationship has further evolved under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and President Trump, with significant progress in all areas including trade, defence, counter-terrorism, energy, coordination on regional and global issues as well as people-to-people ties," the statement read. Head of Govt. Saad Eddine El Othmani presented, on Monday at the 33rd African Union Summit hosted by Addis Ababa, the 2nd report elaborated by King Mohammed VI on the setting up of the African Migration Observatory in Morocco. In this report, King Mohammed VI, AU leader on migration issues, views migration as a driver of development, said Mr. El Othmani, noting that the document offers a deep diagnosis of the issue of migration in Africa, highlights the key role of the African Migration Observatory and stresses the need to put Africa at the heart of the implementation of the Marrakesh Global Compact on Migration. The royal report underlines the importance of the African Migration Observatory to deliver reliable and accurate data on migration that will help in elaborating clear, effective and realistic policies, said the Head of Govt. The Observatory will monitor the implementation of the Marrakesh global compact and highlight the positive aspects of migration by encouraging regular migration and protecting the rights of migrants, he added. Morocco has offered AU a modern building in Rabat to host the African Migration Observatory, which will be officially inaugurated in coordination with the AU Commission after the adoption of its internal rules and regulations by the Addis Ababa summiteers, says the report. Regarding the Marrakesh Global Compact on Migration, the document proposes a roadmap based on clear & efficient African national policies, inter-regional coordination, focus on migration as a driver of community development and a responsible international partnership facilitating migration, a peaceful and regular movement of people, said Mr. El Othmani. The King will put emphasis on young people during his mandate as an African leader on migration issues and will draw up migration policies seeking social integration of migrants and the protection of their rights in order to offer these young people new opportunities and encourage them to stay in their countries of origin, he underlined. The government's proposal to shift dividend distribution tax in the hands of investors will negatively impact NHAI and PowerGrid plans to raise funds through InvIT as higher tax incidence will make the instrument less attractive, rating agency Icra said. In the Union Budget announced on February 1, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed removal dividend distribution tax (DDT), which will make dividend income from shares and mutual funds taxable in the hands of the unit-holder instead of the company at applicable income tax rates. As per media reports, NHAI plans to initially raise Rs 15,000-20,000 crore and scale it up to Rs 40,000 crore later through monetisation of road assets, while PowerGrid Corporation has plans to monetise transmission assets of Rs 10,000 crore. "As many as Rs 80,000 crore worth of InvITs were expected to be launched in 2020 of the Rs 2 trillion worth estimated in the next five years. However, the higher tax incidence in the hands of the unitholders will result in lower net-yield and reduced equity IRR, making equity raising a challenge," Icra Senior Vice-President Shubham Jain told reporters. InvITs have been an attractive vehicle for developers to unlock capital deployed in operational projects and helps in reducing the cost of debt for infrastructure projects, he said. "Also, foreign institutional investors find InvITs attractive due to their stable long-term returns, relatively lower risks because of operational portfolio and better corporate governance. If InvITs have to succeed, a conducive regime is the key and much would depend on regulatory and tax regime," Jain added. According to Icra, domestic unit holders are likely to witness 34 per cent drop in returns, while foreign investors will witness around 22 per cent decline in returns. Till date, Rs 22,000 crore have been raised from investors through InvITs, while another Rs 32,500 crore is in advanced stages. Tower Infrastructure of Reliance Jio, a second InvIT from IRBprivately placed with GIC and acquisition of eight road assets by L&T's IndInfravit from Sadbhav are the ones in advanced stages. Jain further said the Budget has also proposed full tax exemption to sovereign wealth funds, which could support higher participation from sovereign funds. "Also, the amendment in definition of Business Trusts made to include unlisted private placed InvITs will lead to tax parity between unlisted and listed private placed InvITs resulting in former likely to gain prominence due to lower compliance cost," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even though millions of credit and debit cards that may have been stolen in last years Wawa data breach are up for sale on one of the most notorious dark web marketplaces, customers will likely forgive the gas and retail store chain. Wawa customers loyalty runs deep; some would even say it borders on cultish. But even for other companies with less than stellar reputations, massive data breaches are quickly forgotten and forgiven: utilities, health-care insurers, Facebook. The sheer number of data breaches in recent years 1,473, with 164 million sensitive records exposed, in 2019 has led us to believe that these events are simply the cost of doing business in the digital age. But it shouldnt be this way. And it doesnt have to be this way. In 2020, we should be able to efficiently and securely transmit and store data especially information as sensitive as personal health records. Part of the challenge we face is a lack of accountability. Many state and federal laws havent kept pace with how technology can be exploited by bad actors. Ironically, solving these failures is possible with technology, but not with the same technology that generated these problems in the first place. The main reason this continues to happen is that the internet has become centralized and closed by a few companies (think Google or Facebook) the complete opposite of its origin and founders intent. The result is that most of our personal data is subject to a single point of failure or weakness. It amounts to storing all of your personal wealth, private information, and important documents like your mortgage and Social Security number, all in an unsecured cardboard box sitting on your front porch, and then being surprised to discover that someone has come along and taken it for their own use. If we dont want to live like this, and I would argue none of us do, we simply must start doing things differently. Thats why the emergence of so-called open applications applications that contain information that is individually owned and protected on public blockchain infrastructure has come at a critical moment. In other words, open applications on blockchains are the equivalent of all of your personal and financial data and your most important documents all being held in different, secure safes in your home, behind doors with the most secure locks that money can buy. More importantly, we need to move to a world where the data belongs to the users in every way possible. Want to export your data to other applications? Check. Want to transfer or exchange data without relying on a middleman? Check. Want to use a similar service, say Lifecake or Tinybeans instead of Peekaboo Moments, but have that service leverage your existing records? Check. We dont have to live with data breaches. I hope these incidents start decreasing as a result of improved government regulations and business communities partnering to use open apps. Just because we love a store doesnt mean we should allow it to not handle our data securely not even Wawa. Matthew Spoke is the founder of the nonprofit the Open Application Network and founded Deloittes first blockchain team. DURHAM, N.H. This is the place where Bernie Sanderss long-standing dream of a political revolution seemed most likely to become a reality. Four years ago, after a close finish in Iowa, Sanders scored a resounding victory in New Hampshires Democratic presidential primary. The win turned the Vermont senator from a long shot to a serious contender and helped mainstream his calls for universal health care, free public education and progressive tax rates designed to address wealth inequality. This year, faced with ascendant rivals, Sanders urgently needs a repeat performance in the Granite State, and his campaign is turning to young voters to make it happen. Sanderss campaign manager, Faiz Shakir, discussed the focus on youth in a brief conversation with Yahoo News on Monday evening. The reason why I feel confident is, if we are to succeed, the youth turnout needs to be very high, not only here but around the country. And thats also, by the way, the reason why we feel we can beat Donald Trump is we can drive a huge young-person turnout, Shakir said. Sanders spent Monday, the night before the primary, inside a packed arena at the University of New Hampshire where, according to his campaign, more than 7,500 people gathered to see the senator and a performance by the rock band the Strokes. Amid the roar of the crowd and the swirl of a fog machine, Shakir explained that the evening was designed to send an explicit message. We architected this event, top to bottom, from the stage, to the artists on there, to where we are, to the speakers that you will see they are an explicit attempt to reach out to young people and to get them energized, Shakir said. Bernie Sanders supporters at the University of New Hampshire on Monday. (Andrew Harnik/AP) Relying on young voters makes sense for Sanders, who dominated the under-30 demographic in 2016. However, that wasnt sufficient to propel him to the White House young people do not typically turn out at the same rate as older voters. According to the nonpartisan California Civic Engagement Project at UC Davis, just about one-third of registered voters between the ages of 18 and 24 cast a vote in the 2016 primary. Shakir acknowledged that as a problem. Story continues The problem, to the extent that there is a problem with young people voting, is that they dont vote, and if we can increase the percentage we will do phenomenally well, Shakir said. Its an increasingly high-stakes bet for Sanders as the fortunes of some of his opponents are rising in New Hampshire, which seemed like a stronghold for the senator prior to the Iowa caucuses on Feb. 3. Sanders headed into Iowa as a bona fide frontrunner with a clear path to victory and a lead in the polls. A clear win in Iowa likely would have propelled him to another, perhaps decisive, triumph in New Hampshire. No modern presidential candidate has lost their partys nomination after winning both Iowa and New Hampshire. Even in the exceptionally crowded field, starting the primary with back-to-back victories would have given Sanders momentum for the later contests in the West. But Sanders wasnt able to leave Iowa a clear winner. He won the popular vote, after a series of issues with calculating the results, but came in a fraction of a percentage point behind former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg in the state delegate totals. Due to the widespread problems with the reporting of results, both the Sanders and Buttigieg campaigns have requested recanvasses of specific precincts. But for now the picture is muddled. Pete Buttigieg with his husband, Chasten, after addressing supporters at his caucus night watch party in Des Moines, Iowa. (Tom Brenner/Getty Images) As the frontrunner, Sanders was expected to win in Iowa. Buttigieg, who was a relative unknown before entering the presidential race and had been polling fourth in Iowa, is a different story. His surprisingly strong showing resulted in a surge of donations and media attention, and moved him up in the polls in New Hampshire, where he has gained an average of about 7 points since the Iowa caucuses and is now a close second to Sanders. According to a source, the Sanders campaign has internal numbers showing the senator with a solid base of support that could net him more than a quarter of the vote in New Hampshire. But those numbers also show a wide range of possible outcomes for Buttigieg including potentially coming in first place. Along with youth turnout, the Sanders campaign is hoping to stay on top thanks to an army of volunteers who have flooded New Hampshire in recent days. Sanders noted this effort when he spoke to some of these supporters outside a field office in the town of Hudson on Monday, hours before his climactic concert. Here in New Hampshire, I am told by our campaign director that on Saturday, one day, we knocked our people, you knocked on 20 percent of the doors in the state of New Hampshire in one day, Sanders said. Thats how we win elections. Sanders framed the effort as part of a nationwide grassroots movement supporting his campaign. Bernie Sanders outside a polling place in Manchester, N.H. (Matt Rourke/AP) Sanderss campaign is emphasizing clear distinctions between his progressive platform and Buttigiegs more moderate approaches to health care, student debt and tax reform. Shakir, Sanderss campaign manager, insisted hes not worried about a surge for Buttigieg. With Pete, we feel like the distinctions between them are very clear, Shakir said. Youve got a corporate-funded Democrat who believes that you want to cut deals with special interests and, on the other hand, a grassroots-funded candidate who will stand up and has stood up to special interests his entire life. You decide. Sanders himself similarly attacked Buttigieg for taking donations from the billionaire class as he addressed volunteers on a loading dock outside a field office in Hudson on Monday afternoon. There are some people who say, you know, It doesnt matter a dollar is a dollar. Thats wrong, Sanders said, adding, You know and I know, and conservatives and progressives know that the fundamental problem in this country is the power that the billionaire class has over the economic and political life of this country. Buttigieg has responded to the attacks by pointing out that he, personally, is much less affluent than Sanders, whose net worth is as high as $2 million, largely from book royalties. Bernies pretty rich, and I would happily accept a contribution from him, Buttigieg said in an appearance on CNN Sunday. Buttigiegs campaign expressed confidence heading into the primary. However, it also tempered expectations by noting Sanderss past performance in the state and the fact that Sanders and another candidate, Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, are both from the region. Pete Buttigieg at a polling station on Tuesday in Hopkinton, N.H. (Win McNamee/Getty Images) Pete is running competitive heading into Tuesday night in a race that includes two senators from neighboring states one of which won the primary by 20 points last cycle, a Buttigieg campaign source said, adding, Weve seen some of our largest crowds to date in the closing days. Indeed, another surging centrist may be stealing some of Buttigiegs momentum. At least part of his rise is likely due to the falling fortunes of former Vice President Joe Biden, who came in a surprising fourth place in the disputed Iowa results. And as Biden has waned, Buttigieg isnt the only one picking up steam. Polls show that Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar has gained an average of about 5 points since the Iowa caucuses. Her growth could be a boon to Sanders that could help keep Buttigieg at the lower end of the wide range the Sanders campaign has predicted for him in New Hampshire. But rather than depending on the performance of other campaigns, Sanderss team seems confident in his bet on young people. As incense and fog wafted around the packed arena in Durham, Shakir surveyed the scene with a satisfied smile. As I look around this room, I feel a great sense of mission accomplished on our campaigns part, Shakir said. Because you see here, like an hour before Bernie speaks, its filled to the brim with young people, and thats exactly what we wanted. Indeed, at one point there was almost too much youthful energy in the room. As the Strokes played, some members of the audience surfed on top of the crowd, which was pressing forward against a barricade near the stage. Several Sanders staffers rushed forward in an effort to fish out the surfers and hold up the barricade to keep rally-goers from being injured. The campaign staff ended up pulling the barricades up onto the stage and letting the crowd surge forward. For at least one night, Sanderss young supporters could not be held back. Bernie Sanders at a campaign rally and concert at the University of New Hampshire. (Mike Segar/Reuters) _____ Read more from Yahoo News: Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Anurag Kotoky and Kyunghee Park (Bloomberg) Singapore Tue, February 11, 2020 12:39 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c350c 2 Business Boeing-737-MAX,US,aviation Free Boeing said it will take several quarters to return the global 737 Max fleet to the skies following a grounding that has left about 700 planes on the tarmac. We are not going to over-stress the system, Randy Tinseth, Boeings vice president for marketing, said in an interview Tuesday at the Singapore Airshow. The Chicago-based manufacturer will first ensure the 400 planes with customers and the 300 more stored in factories are flying again before ramping up production, Tinseth said. The process of doing this will take several quarters, he said. Boeing suspended production of its best-selling aircraft in January, 10 months after regulators grounded the plane following two fatal crashes linked to a software issue. The company said last week it had discovered another software problem on the plane, but still aims to get the jet flying again by mid-2020, a deadline it previously said includes room for additional flaws. The time needed to return the Max fleet to service, before Boeing picks up the pace of production, will do little to ease pressure on Boeings suppliers. Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, a maker of fuselage, engine pylons and wing components which depends on the Max for half of its sales, has slashed its dividend to preserve cash and laid off 2,800 employees. Supplier United Technologies has said sales and profit will take a hit this year from the crisis that has engulfed the Max. One key element of returning the jet to service is training pilots on simulators. While countries like India have advised Boeing to set up simulators locally, Tinseth on Tuesday said existing equipment should cover all training requirements. The training that will be linked to the Max is manageable with the simulators that are in the market, Tinseth said. If we look at the footprint today that we see in the market, we look at the retraining that is going to be needed to bring those planes back into the marketplace, were OK. An MoT helpline for priority vehicles has been established and three-year-old light goods vehicles will get automatic temporary exemptions certificates, the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) has confirmed. MoT tests for cars and light vehicles were suspended last month following concerns over lift equipment. The contact line is for use by three priority vehicles groups which include four-year-old cars due their first MoT, taxis and car dealerships. Those affected and who are due a test within the next two weeks are asked to contact the number in order to move their appointment forward. These groups had been unable to get temporary exemptions which are being issued to other car and light goods vehicle owners. DVA chief executive Paul Duffy said: DVA is continuing to work to contact priority vehicle owners as quickly as possible, however we do not have contact details for all of these customers. "Please state clearly when the vehicle test is due and have your booking reference to hand. This line will continue to be open to all relevant customers within the priority groups who need an urgent appointment within two weeks from the time of the call. DVA can only bring an appointment forward after a booking has been made on the system, so it is essential that customers continue to make a booking when they get a reminder letter. Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon launched two independent reviews after it was discovered most of the lifts used at test centres across Northern Ireland developed cracks. Two new vehicle lifts are now operational in Belfast and Newbuildings, increasing capacity at these sites. Three existing lifts in Belfast and Lisburn have been independently inspected and are operational. DVA has told owners of cars of five years and older whose tests have been cancelled that they will automatically receive a temporary exemption certificate allowing them to continue to drive and tax their vehicle. Exemptions have also been automatically issued to owners of three year old light good vehicles. Testing of heavy goods vehicles, buses, motorcycles and re-tests remain unaffected. The DVA's contact centre operates from 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and can be contacted on 0300 200 7862. According to local press reports, UZI Zambia Mobile, the latest operator entrant in the Zambian mobile market, is still not up and running, despite acquiring a concession to operate in Zambia as long ago as April 2018. The authorities have now given UZI until May this year to pull together the funding it needs to ensure a launch, which was originally set for late 2018. It seems that, at the time, it was unable to secure the frequencies it needed to operate, to formalise its operating licence, or to recruit necessary staff, meaning that the start date was postponed until early 2019 and then late 2019. It is now looking for funding for a 2020 launch. UZI is a subsidiary of Netherlands-based Unitel International Holdings, a financial services company that apparently has links with Angola. It is still not certain whether the company will get the funding or whether it will be able to operate effectively if it does. However, an interview with Patrick Mutimushi, director general of the Zambia Information and Communication Technology Authority, indicated that this may be UZIs last chance. Mutimushi was quoted as saying that the authorities are monitoring progress on a monthly basis and that it was still possible that the licence to operate could be withdrawn from UZI. Reader: Look past scare tactics To the editor: Government in the US is supposed to be by the people and for the people. We elect our government, so theoretically it represents us as a community. (Whether the result is actually a government for the people is a topic for another time.) The government already provides services that most of us believe it should such as the military, infrastructure, police, fire protection. Our government acting as us owns and manages these services, so they meet the definition of Socialism, and few would change these to private ownership. Imagine calling a privately-owned police or fire department and being asked to provide a credit card number before they respond. Services such as garbage pickup are provided by the government in some locations but by private companies in others. There are no black and white boundaries, but we as a society, have decided that some services are best provided by the government. Some politicians use the word "socialism" as a scare tactic. They want us to believe their opponents want the government to control everything, but that's not true. While some candidates advocate adding health care to the list of services managed by the government, no mainstream candidate advocates that all business should be owned and managed by the government. Perhaps we are to think that their opponents want to shift income so that all working people earn about the same. That's not socialism nor is it what mainstream candidates propose. Most are closer to advocating a living wage and/or fair share wealth, neither of which means that all workers earn the same. Most temper their views to include assistance for those who can't work. These views are neither simply black and white nor socialism. I'm tired of politicians manipulating voters with scare tactics and rhetoric including deliberate lies. I'm tired of having to work so hard to find out the truth when our leaders should already be telling us the truth. But a government by the people depends on informed voters, so as long as politicians peddle misinformation, we must inform ourselves. JAN BAUMGRAS Midland Midland native supports President Trump To the editor: A recent writer wants to know why Christians voted for Trump. His "thesis" is that Trump followers are single-issue people, supporting him because of abortion only. As a Christian, I am against abortion, unless to save the life of the mother, but my major reasons for voting for Trump were (and will be): 1. Results, results, results -- a proven track-record of getting things done. 2. A "paradigm-breaker" who would not be subject to the usual political influences. 3. A master delegator by virtue of his CEO experience. 4. A man with unusual energy, for any age person. 5. A man with an abundance of chutzpah, willing to go "against the grain-in-the-wheat-field." We can no longer afford life-long politicians with traditional answers that are already old and unadaptive to the marketplace. The president's job is the largest CEO position in the world, requiring significant corporate experience. We need CEO "paradigm-breakers" who are willing to disdain the conventional to get bottom-line results (Enter Trump!). Without this, we will always be behind in adapting to change and world threats. ALLAN PAYNE CINCINNATI, OHIO (Formerly of Midland) Uber Restarts DriverlessTests In California; Waymo Tests Driverless Trucks On Texas and New Mexico Roads MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. February 06, 2020; This is part of a self-driving big rig test conducted by Waymo, the California-based autonomous driving technology company thats owned by Alphabet Inc. Waymo is mapping and testing the trucks in these areas because they are interesting and promising commercial routes, the company said on Twitter. Management is exploring how the Waymo Driver, its branded self-driving system, can be used to create new transportation solutions. Waymo will concentrate on interstates because Texas has a particularly high freight volume, the company said. Texas testing will occur on highways around Dallas, Houston and El Paso. In New Mexico, Waymo will focus on the southern part of the state, particularly Interstate 10, which is a critical stretch of highway in both states. TuSimple, a self-driving trucking startup with operations in Tucson and San Diego also tests on I-10 in New Mexico and Texas. Waymo will concentrate on interstates because Texas has a particularly high freight volume, the company said. Texas testing will occur on highways around Dallas, Houston and El Paso. In New Mexico, Waymo will focus on the southern part of the state, particularly Interstate 10, which is a critical stretch of highway in both states. TuSimple, a self-driving trucking startup with operations in Tucson and San Diego also tests on I-10 in New Mexico and Texas. Waymo has tested its self-driving trucks in other locales, including Arizona, the San Francisco area and Atlanta. The company is best known for its pursuit of a robotaxi service. The test of autonomous long-haul trucks is the latest sign that Alphabet Inc. is expanding beyond its original focus. Uber to Restart Self-Driving Car Tests in California A new permit allows Uber to restart self-driving vehicle tests, two years after pedestrian death. ALEXANDRIA, Va. February 10, 2020; The California Department of Motor Vehicles issued a permit to Uber Technologies self-driving unit, Uber Advanced Technologies, which allows the ride-sharing company to restart tests for its self-driving vehicles, reports Automotive News. This comes almost two years after an Uber Advanced Technologies autonomous vehicle killed a pedestrian in Arizona. Tests must have a backup driver in the car and although the company doesnt have immediate plans to engage in autonomous driving on public roads in California, the new permit gets them one step closer. Once its ready, the company will notify local, state and federal stakeholders beforehand. After the fatal accident in May 2018, Tech Crunch says that Uber resumed on-road testing in Pittsburgh in December 2018 and has already started to map out Washington, D.C., this year. The company plans to launch autonomous vehicles in D.C. before the end of 2020. (TNS) You waited three days after the Iowa Democratic caucus to see the state partys best shot at saying how the presidential candidates fared.Get used to the delay.Waiting days maybe longer for results from caucuses and elections is likely to become common, a University of Iowa political science professor predicts.The new normal will be that were going have to wait for results, Caroline Tolbert said. Theres a high likelihood we wont know whos president on the night of the 2020 general election, and I would call that the new normal.While attention last week went to the state partys faulty technology, confusion at some precincts and surprise that the results hotline got pranked, another trend has been growing that doesnt involve human or mechanical errors.This fall, any delay in learning the results of the presidential election could in part be because 21 states are using absentee or mail-in ballots that, in some cases, will not be processed or counted until after the polls close Nov. 3.The delay last week in learning the Iowa caucus results is nothing when compared with the nearly four-week delay in 2018 in hearing the outcomes of four U.S. House races in Californias Orange County.The leader in an Arizona Senate race flipped during what Edward Foley of the Ohio State University election law program called the overtime count of provisional and mail-in ballots after the polls close on Election Day.In the Iowa Democratic caucuses, Tolbert said, the use of preference cards for the first time was essentially a transition to paper ballots.Frankly, this was the first caucus that acted like an election, she said. The Iowa caucuses have never had a paper ballot, Tolbert said.They just counted heads. We never reported our actual vote. We just reported out the state delegate equivalents, Tolbert said.The national partys requirement to report more information this time added to the delay.But in some ways, Iowa Democrats problems are small potatoes.In Texas, Democratic Party officials say changes in how election results are reported will delay the final tally of the 228 delegates won by the presidential hopefuls in the upcoming March 3 Super Tuesday primary. Iowa has just 41 delegates in comparison.Four of the states Oregon, Washington, Colorado and Hawaii hold all elections entirely by mail. In California, some counties now may conduct all-mail elections. And after 2020, all California counties will be allowed conduct all-mail elections.Several states, including Nebraska and Minnesota, allow all-mail elections in small cities and counties, and Missouri allows all-mail elections for non-partisan issue elections.Michigan voters approved no-reason absentee voting similar to Iowas absentee voting law and the secretary of state there has warned that the state may be the last to report results in the 2020 presidential election.Its going to take, like, multiple days after the election to get all those ballots counted, Tolbert said.Michigan is expected to be a battleground state again this year, so its results could be critical in determining the winner of the presidential race.This year, in an effort to be more transparent, the Iowa Democratic Party not only calculated state delegate equivalents but also reported raw body counts after caucusgoers formed preference groups and again when they realigned.While the party achieved that goal, the new steps also confused some caucusgoers and may have lengthened the process, according to Tolbert and political science colleagues from around the country who observed three caucuses at Iowa City West High.They saw people leave with their preference cards before precinct officials could record them. Caucusgoers around the state reported people leaving after the first alignment, especially if their preferred candidate was not viable.Tolbert doubts the party recognized that this transition to paper ballot was going to make this much difference.Its almost like it was under the radar, she said.However, the preference cards became important when the partys phone app for reporting precinct results failed.When that happened, Michael Waldman of the Brennan Center for Justice said, the caucuses became a mess ... painful to watch.Iowa Republicans have had their own problems with caucus results.In 2012, party officials declared Mitt Romney the winner.Two weeks later, they said, Oh, Im sorry, (Rick) Santorum won, Tolbert said. By that time, New Hampshire had voted, and that ship had sailed.So the adoption of mail-in ballots and all-mail elections is likely to continue as well as delays in announcing results, Tolbert said.No one wants to wait for caucus results, she said, but its important to maintain perspective.Nobody was killed. It wasnt the coronavirus. It wasnt a Boeing jet that went down and killed people, she said.And, Tolbert added, its probably a good thing that this early warning alarm for election officials everywhere went off in Iowa.You had blowback from the national media, from the Twitter-verse, from the social media world, from even the president and the whole national political establishment, and (Iowa Democrats) just held their own and they said, We will not be pushed, and they just counted those ballots, she said.You know, weve faced floods and how do we respond? We faced a trade war. How do we respond? Tolbert said. We have faith and we just kind of dig down and find a way out.The Iowa Democratic Party made some huge mistakes in the changes to the caucus rules, Tolbert said, but I am proud of them for how they and the Republican Party just ignore this blowback and just get down to business and just do what was the right thing to do. Theres something very Iowan about it. The 27th International Exhibition for Food, Beverages and Food Raw Materials, Prodexpo 2020, has opened at the central exhibition center 'Expocentre' in Moscow. The exhibition is to be attended by more than 2.6 thousand exhibitors from 70 countries. Prodexpo 2020 was opened by Minister of Agriculture and Food of the Moscow Region Andrei Razin, after which he answered questions from Vestnik Kavkaza. - What benefits from participation in the exhibition does Moscow oblast get? - For the Moscow oblast, this exhibition has become a traditional forum in which we are actively engaged. Stands of more than 50 of our enterprises are presented here. For us, this is a good platform to exchange views with colleagues, to see our foreign partners' things are going, to offer our products for export. For us, export is a new focus, which was stressed by both the president and our governor Andrei Vorobyov, so we actively promote our products. Moscow oblast is a leader region in ready meals. That's because we provide food for the metropolitan region and promote our products to foreign markets. - And you're working with the republics of the Caucasus? - Speaking about the Caucasus, there are unconditional prospects for joint development here, including export, in particular, with regard to halal products. Our Moscow oblast-based Ekol company is the country's leader in halal products. Its products are delivered to foreign countries, including the Arab markets, where production is certified and meets the highest demands. I mean lamb and lamb finished products - this is a promising direction for development. We also cooperate with our Caucasian colleagues in the fruit and vegetable industry through a network of wholesale and administrative centers located in the Caucasus and the Moscow oblast. In particular, the Slavtras-Service company works actively in these trade chains and can be a commodity-producing infrastructure for entering foreign markets. Inducing in China, where a certain demand for Russian products has already been formed. - The official sponsor of this Prodexpo is Azerbaijan. Do you remain in contact? - Azerbaijan supplies many fruits, vegetables and canned goods to Moscow oblast and Moscow. For our part, we supply dairy products and confectionery products abroad. There is synergy in trade relations, and we will continue to increase the volume of our interaction. Moscow oblast is the transport hub. Almost all product movements pass through there, are distributed there, and then sent to all regions: either to retail, or to distribution centers, or to specific consumers. Therefore, we have a certain aggregating role. Every time there is any bad news coming from Catalonia, I am struck by the enthusiastic glee with which it is cheered by some upstanding Spanish patriots, never mind if the story is true or not. This includes news about tech companies ditching Barcelonas Mobile World Congress [due to the coronavirus scare] and FC Barcelona getting knocked out at the play-offs. It feels as if they have declared Catalonia an independent country and they are behaving accordingly. Just so we are clear: if Catalonia is part of Spain and they are Spanish patriots as they claim to be, how can they possibly welcome something that negatively impacts a Spanish region? Lets pull out the time-honoured simile of the couple that splits up. After a break-up, many times the one who got dumped rejoices at the problems which their former partner has encountered following their separation. But if nobody has been dumped, if the hypothetical misfortune occurs while they are still a couple, surely it cannot be put down to a divorce that has not happened, but to a marriage that still exists. If any extraordinary problems were to befall Catalonia, surely independence would not be to blame: quite clearly Catalonia is not an independent country. If anything, Catalonias woes should be blamed on the existing status quo (i.e. being a region of Spain). Therefore, their cheers cannot be the result of conventional patriotism but, rather, a sort of colonial expression: the colony deserves be punished, not for having dumped them, but for merely having entertained the thought. NORTHBROOK, Ill., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As one of the industry's most accomplished authorities on real estate dispositions, including the sale of full-service and limited-service hotels, Hilco Real Estate, LLC is pleased to announce upcoming deadlines for the sales of three turnkey hotel properties, as well as a sizeable portfolio of 16 separate hotels throughout the Rocky Mountain area. February 13 is the offer deadline for the 87-room Super 8 Hotel in Kinder, Louisiana. It was originally built in 1999 and recently renovated in 2014 with common amenities such as a business center, conference facility, and shuttle service. Conveniently situated on Highway 165, the property is located just over five miles from the Grand Coushatta Casino, the largest casino resort in Louisiana. Offers for the hotel begin at $1 million dollars. With an offer deadline of February 21, the 119-room Badlands Inn & Suites is located in Dickinson, North Dakota. It includes a wide variety of amenities, such as a fitness center, business center, conference facility, bar/lounge area, guest laundry, and ample on-site parking. Conveniently situated just off Highway 22 and I-94, the property is in the hub of the area's local attractions. Within walking distance is the Dickinson Dinosaur Museum, and a short 1.5 miles southwest is Dickinson State University and the Ukrainian Cultural Institute. The property is approved for OYO flag with PIP capital available. It could also be an excellent redevelopment opportunity for multifamily, retail, or mixed-use. The 75-room Red Roof Inn in Somerset, Kentucky, a popular tourist destination, has an offer deadline of March 12 and is conveniently located on South Highway 27. The building was recently renovated in 2016 and includes amenities such as an outdoor pool, a meeting facility, and available parking for buses and trucks. The asking price for this property is currently $1.95 million, and the gross room revenue of 2019 totaled $710,298. James Keith, Hilco Real Estate Managing Director, states, "The sale deadlines for these hotels are coming up quickly, and we've been getting an astounding amount of interest in all three." Keith continued, "Selling these three separate turnkey hotels, along with the 16-hotel portfolio, is a great opportunity for Hilco to show our capabilities in this industry. Also available through a portfolio sale are 16 hotels located all throughout Utah, Colorado and Montana. With a total of 987 rooms, all hotels are operating and have a strong net operating income (NOI). The total trailing 12-month revenue amounts to $18,137,310. Featured in this portfolio is the 118-room Days Inn & Suites in Kanab, Utah. It has a trailing 12-month revenue of $1,993,551 and a solid NOI of $993,295. Another hotel that stands out amongst this portfolio is the 43-room Pioneer Lodge in Springdale, Utah with a trailing 12-month revenue of $1,717,826 and NOI of $934,715. The historic lodge includes a designated barbeque area, kitchen space, and a cozy outdoor theme throughout the property. Both featured hotels, as well as the others within the portfolio, offer beautiful views of Red Rock Mountain landscapes. Bids must be delivered to the offices of Hilco Real Estate on or before 5:00 p.m. (CT) on the day of the deadline to be considered. For more information regarding the sale process, please contact Chet Evans at 847.418.2702 or James Keith at 270.304.1020. Interested buyers can submit their bids via mail to the following address: Hilco Real Estate, 5 Revere Drive, Suite 320, Northbrook, IL 60062, or via email to [email protected]. For further information on the property, an explanation of the sale process, sale terms or to obtain access to property due diligence documents, please visit HilcoRealEstate.com or call (855) 755-2300. About Hilco Real Estate Hilco Real Estate ("HRE"), a Hilco Global company (HilcoGlobal.com), is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois (USA). HRE is a national provider of strategic real estate disposition services. Acting as an agent or principal, HRE uses its experience to advise and execute strategies to assist clients in deriving the maximum value from their real estate assets. By leveraging multi-faceted sales strategies and techniques, aggressive repositioning and restructuring experience, a vast and motivated network of buyers and sellers, and substantial access to capital, HRE exceeds expectations even in the most complex transactions. Media Contact: Gary Epstein Hilco Global Office: (847) 418-2712 Mobile: (847) 323-4943 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Hilco Real Estate OAKLAND, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Zesty.ai announces the opening of Zesty.ai Lab in Montreal, Canada. The newly established data science centre of excellence will focus on research and development of new artificial intelligence (AI) technologies for the insurance industry. With this investment, Zesty.ai will accelerate digital transformation in the property & casualty insurance industry using powerful data and cutting-edge AI technologies. Under the leadership of Bryan M. Minor, Ph.D., an executive with more than two decades of experience in AI, Zesty.ai lab will develop new risk insights for data-driven underwriting, rating, and digital consumer and agent experiences. The increased frequency of natural disasters, such as floods, wildfires and storms among others, now affect more than 160 million people around the globe every year. Those impacts are felt by both consumers and the insurance industry. Zesty.ai is pioneering technology to bring decades old understanding of catastrophe risk into the modern era using AI and more than 130 billion data points. To date, the company has partnered with leading insurance carriers, reinsurers and MGAs in catastrophe risk assessment, property insights, and property condition monitoring. Zesty.ai Lab serves as a cornerstone for the company's AI development. By choosing Montreal, the emerging AI hub in North America, Zesty.ai is well positioned to attract local talent in computer vision and data science, which is both plentiful and of high quality in the city. The research centre, under the leadership of Dr. Minor, will build a sizable team of data scientists with the unique skill sets that are required for the digital transformation of the insurance industry. "Bryan's deep experience in data science makes him the ideal executive to lead Zesty.ai Lab. His hands-on experience in building data-intensive products and proven track record in rapidly scaling talented teams in AI is a rare combination," said Michael Ulin, Head of Machine Learning at Zesty.ai. "We're in an incredible position to create risk insights that have never before been available to the insurance industry and to the communities impacted by disasters. AI is quickly changing the way we understand the world around us and there is no doubt that Montreal will be at the forefront of that change," added Bryan M. Minor, Head of Zesty.ai Lab. "In partnership with Montreal International, Investissement Quebec, and the support of our colleagues in Silicon Valley, Zesty.ai Lab is set to scale up quickly and build cutting-edge risk assessment products powered by AI." "We welcome Zesty.ai's decision to set up its brand new lab in Montreal. Thanks to its university network and world-class research community, the reputation of Montreal's AI ecosystem is well established now. With its enviable quality of life, Montreal has the ability to attract the best international talent and support the growth of activities that will have a significant impact on our lives," said Luc Rabouin, responsible for economic and commercial development for the City of Montreal's Executive Committee. "The Montreal AI ecosystem is still growing. More and more investors are settling here to develop new technologies which can then be applied by Quebec's companies, all sectors combined," said Stephane Paquet, President and CEO of Montreal International, the economic promotion agency for Greater Montreal. "There's a sense of kinship between the ecosystems of California and Montreal. In 2019, we supported 12 Californian companies; it's the American state we work the most with." "We welcome Zesty.ai's decision to open a facility here in Quebec, a move that speaks to the strength and expertise of Montreal's artificial intelligence ecosystem. The industry is booming, and the depth of its talent pool makes it fertile ground for any company interested in investing here. We are proud to have played a role in showcasing the Montreal and Quebec advantage for this key player in artificial intelligence for organizational applications," said Hubert Bolduc, President of Investissement Quebec International. About Us About Zesty.ai Zesty.ai is the leading partner for property & casualty insurance companies embarking on digital transformation. The company harnesses the power of artificial intelligence on cutting-edge data sources including aerial imagery to model risk to real property. Zesty.ai leverages predictive algorithms on 130+Bn data points to understand the potential impact of natural catastrophes on individual properties with unprecedented accuracy. Insurance companies rely on these property risk insights to make smart marketing, underwriting and rating decisions. For more information, visit https://zesty.ai About Montreal International (www.montrealinternational.com) Created in 1996, Montreal International (MI) is a non-profit organization funded by the private sector, the governments of Quebec and Canada, the Montreal Metropolitan Community and the City of Montreal. MI's mandate is to attract and retain foreign investment (companies and start-ups), international organizations, skilled workers and international students by offering them support services tailored to their needs. About Investissement Quebec (www.investquebec.com/quebec) The mission of Investissement Quebec is to participate actively in Quebec's economic development by stimulating business innovation, entrepreneurship and the growth of exports and investment in every region of Quebec. The Corporation provides enterprises and entrepreneurs with support services, including technology-based measures, as well as adapted financial solutions and investments. Through its Investissement Quebec International division, the Corporation assists enterprises with exports and prospects for foreign investments. Contacts Nick Allain Head of Marketing nick@zesty.ai Mobile: 1-774-922-2894 http://zesty.ai Ariane Lafreniere Advisor, Communications Work: 1-514-987-9327 ariane.lafreniere@mtlintl.com http://montrealinternational.com Isabelle Fontaine Senior Director, Public and Government Affairs isabelle.fontaine@invest-quebec.com http://invest-quebec.com Links http://www.investquebec.com/quebec http://www.montrealinternational.com http://zesty.ai SOURCE: Zesty.ai View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576009/Zestyai-Opens-State-of-the-Art-AI-Research-Centre-for-Insurance Russian military forces at Hmeimim air base in Syria have repelled two drone attacks carried out by militants, the head of the Russian Defence Ministry's reconciliation center, Maj. Gen. Yuri Borenkov, said on Monday. "On the evening of 9 February, when it became dark, the air defence of the Russian air base Hmeimim detected and repelled two attacks that used combat unmanned aerial vehicles launched from the area of the Idlib de-escalation zone controlled by the militants," Borenkov said. According to Borenkov, the first drone came from northeast and was repelled at about two kilometers, or 1.2 miles, from the base by the Pantsir-S missile system. The second drone came from the northwest and was shot down at some 3.7 miles from the base. There were no casualties or material damage, and the base continues to work as usual, Borenkov said. This is not for the first time the Russian base has been targeted in a drone attack. Earlier in the month, Russian air defences repelled another attack, destroying what was described as "a small-sized aerial target (UAV) of unknown origin" on a distant approach to the base. The base and personnel sustained no damage, according to a Russian Defence Ministry statement. Syria has been significantly crippled by an eight-year war between pro-government troops, militants from various groups that oppose the administration of Syrian President Bashar Assad, and terrorist groups such as the Nusra Front and Daesh. The latter has lost ground in recent years due to massive operations carried out by the Syrian government. The conflict in the country has produced an estimated 12-13 million refugees, with over 6 million internally displaced. Of the Syrians affected in the one of the worst humanitarian crises on the planet - according to the United Nations - nearly half are children and require immediate and ongoing humanitarian assistance. Russia, along with Turkey and Iran, are the guarantors of the ceasefire in war-torn Syria. Russia carries out ongoing and regular humanitarian operations across the country while assisting Damascus in providing safe passage for the return of the nation's refugees. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) You probably think you already know everything you need to know about chocolate. For instance: The higher the percentage of cacao, the more bitter the chocolate, right? The term single origin on the label indicates that the chocolate expresses a particular terroir. And wasnt the whole bean-to-bar movement started by a couple of bearded guys in Brooklyn? Wrong; not necessarily; and definitely not. Americans spend $21 billion on chocolate every year, but just because we eat a lot of it doesnt mean we know what were eating. And misunderstandings at the store can make it especially hard for chocolate lovers to figure out which of the myriad, jauntily wrapped bars crowding the shelves are the best to buy, in terms of both taste and ethics. Tamil filmmaker Vetrimaran has dished out many amazing films in the past and now the ace director is finally planning to enter the Telugu film industry. Dhanush and Manju Warrier starrer Asuran was his last directorial venture and the movie impressed the critics and the audience alike. The action-drama swept away many awards as well. After carving his niche in the Tamil cinema, Vetrimaran is now ready to storm the Telugu industry. As per the grapevine, the National Award-winning director is in talks with JR NTR for his Telugu film. Recently, Vetrimaran met the talented actor and discussed his project. And we hear a full-fledged narration will happen pretty soon. If everything falls into place then Jr NTR will probably play the lead in Vetrimaran's first Telugu venture. But if that happens then we are pretty sure their movie won't come out this year as Jr NTR is currently busy with SS Rajamouli's magnum opus, RRR. Initially, the period action-drama was supposed to release this year on July 30. But now that RRR has been pushed to next year, the 36-year-old star will be pretty much busy the whole year with Rajamouli's project. While we don't know how true this piece of information is but we would be happy if Vetrimaran and Jr NTR came together for a film. After all, when two talented people join hands, magic is bound to happen. And in this case, it will happen on 70 mm. Don't you guys agree? Anyway, coming back to Jr NTR and his much-awaited film RRR, the movie also features Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt in crucial roles. Made on a reported budget of Rs 350 to 400 crores, RRR is based in the pre-independence era and hence a lot of research was done before the film actually went on floors in November last year. Though Ram Charan, Jr NTR and Ajay have already started filming, Alia Bhatt is yet to join the cast. Surya To Star In Vetrimaran's Next? Deets Inside! South Korea and the U.S. met to discuss North Korean issues in Seoul on Monday, especially President Moon Jae-in's offers to the North of economic cooperation that might bypass international sanctions. The meeting had been requested by the U.S. as a follow-up to a meeting in Washington last month between the U.S.' North Korea point man Stephen Biegun and Lee Do-hoon, South Korea's chief nuclear negotiator. This time Alex Wong, the U.S. deputy special representative for North Korea, led the U.S. delegation to meet his counterpart Rhee Dong-yeol, a director genera at the Foreign Ministry. The U.S. officials asked questions about President Moon Jae-in's proposals to North Korea in his New Year's address in January, which included boosting individual tourism to the crackpot country, reconnecting inter-Korean railways and roads, and turning the demilitarized zone into a "peace zone." "We explained that this meant allowing members of separated families to go on individual tours on a trial basis," a government source here said. "The U.S. delegation reiterated that Washington supports inter-Korean talks but they must should proceed in keeping with the denuclearization process," which requires adhering to global sanctions against the North. U.S. attorneys are seeking to waive Patrik Mathews right to a speedy trial, due to the voluminous evidence in the case against the neo-Nazi recruiter and ex-Canadian reservist, according to a motion filed Monday in a Maryland court. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. U.S. attorneys are seeking to waive Patrik Mathews right to a speedy trial, due to the "voluminous" evidence in the case against the neo-Nazi recruiter and ex-Canadian reservist, according to a motion filed Monday in a Maryland court. "In light of the complexity of the case, the large amount of discovery, the possibility of disposition, and the relevant scheduling parameters, it is clear that the 70 days contemplated by the Speedy Trial Act for discovery, pre-trial motions, and trial preparation will be inadequate," reads the motion. MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Patrik Mathews outside his Beausejour home last August. "It is in the interests of justice for the parties to have beyond 70 days to review discovery, prepare the case for trial, and to engage in discussions regarding disposition." The motion was filed by U.S. Attorney Robert Hur; it is co-signed by assistant Thomas Windom, who is serving as lead prosecutor on the case. Discovery is the process in the lead-up to a trial where each party shares evidence with the other. In the motion, the prosecution asked U.S. District Judge Theodore Chuang to delay a potential trial. The government noted the defence counsels representing the accused have agreed to the delay. The parties propose to reconvene the week of March 9, to provide an update and discuss future scheduling for the case. The motion also provides additional insight into the methods U.S. federal law enforcement used in the investigation into Mathews, 27, and co-accused Brian Lemley Jr., 33, and William Bilbrough IV, 19. "Discovery in this case is voluminous, involving approximately one month of closed-circuit television recordings and Title III oral bug interceptions; FBI undercover employee recordings; the result of search warrants of four physical locations in Maryland and Delaware; recordings of jail calls; search warrants related to at least 15 email accounts and online messaging platforms; financial records; telephone records; and other records," the motion reads. RYAN THORPE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES U.S. Attorney Robert K. Hur addresses the media regarding Patrik Mathews outside U.S. federal court in Greenbelt, MD in January. The Winnipeg Free Press exposed Mathews as a recruiter for violent neo-Nazi paramilitary group the Base and a master corporal in the Canadian Armed Forces in August 2019, following a month-long undercover investigation. Soon after, Mathews Beausejour home was raided by the RCMP and firearms were seized. He was briefly taken into custody but released without charge. 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. In the subsequent days, he vanished, illegally crossing into the United States. On Jan. 16, the FBI arrested Mathews in Delaware, following a lengthy criminal investigation. Mathews is accused of plotting to open fire at a Jan. 20 pro-gun rights rally in Richmond, Va., in an effort to spark what he called a violent revolution for the white race. He is facing numerous criminal charges, including multiple firearm offences and one count of destroying evidence. If convicted on all counts, he could be sentenced to 60 years in U.S. prison. ryan.thorpe@freepress.mb.ca Twitter: @rk_thorpe The Mizoram government's Health department on Tuesday said that no case of novel coronavirus has been detected in the state. Health department principal director Dr F Lallianhlira told PTI that wrong information was circulated in social media that a person, who was suspected to be infected with coronavirus, has been admitted to states Zoram Medical College (ZMC). He said the patient have returned from Goa recently and was admitted to the hospital on Monday as he suffered from certain illness. "The patient did not develop any symptoms of coronavirus," Lianhlira said, adding that he confirmed the matter with the authority of ZMC. The princial director also said that there was hardly the possibility for the patient to contact with novel coronavirus as he arrived from Goa, where the spread of the deadly disease was not known. ZMC director Dr L Fimate also told PTI that the patient has been admitted at the medical college on Monday and was diagnosed with tuberculosis and other serious illness. Fimate said that he has convened a meeting with doctors and other medical staffs after the rumour was spread in social media and cautioned them against faux pas. "The was just a rumour as the patient was suffering from TB and other illness. We have confirmed that he did not develop symptoms of coronavirus," Fimate said. Meanwhile, the state government has put six students, who have returned from China, under home isolation as a precautionary measure. The students are being closely monitored by the health department. None of them were found developing symtoms of coronavirus. The state government has also sent blood samples of two out of the six students to Institute of Cholera and Enteric Disease (NICED) in Kolkata for laboratory test as a precautionary measure to prevent the spread of coronavirus in case the students develop the symptoms during incubation period. The students have returned to Mizoram from China in early February. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) ROCHESTER A federal judge ruled Tuesday that a former Roman Catholic bishop must answer questions about the history of child sexual abuse in the Rochester diocese, despite protests from his lawyers that the cleric's Alzheimer's makes him unable to testify. U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Paul Warren set strict limits, ruling that it would last three hours and that only two lawyers as well as Bishop Emeritus Matthew Clark's physician or aides, who will monitor his health, will be allowed in the room to avoid "a train wreck," the Democrat and Chronicle reported. Attorneys for people who say they were sexually abused by ministers in the upstate New York diocese had filed a motion asking that Clark be directed to testify about any abuse and any actions taken to shield those accused during his 33 years as the leader of the Rochester diocese. They said they knew about his diagnosis but want to be able to assess his abilities on their own. They are seeking information to support their case for compensation for their clients as part of the settlement of the diocese's Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the publication reported Monday. Mary Jo Korona, Clark's lawyer, had previously said Clark's Alzheimer's prevents him from offering a competent testimony. Clark's "memory impairment limits his ability to assimilate and recall information presented in lengthy or complex questions and his ability to recall past events," Dr. Anthony Maroldo, Clark's neurologist, wrote. "His language impairment limits his ability to formulate clear, cogent and reliable responses to such questions." Korona said in a filing that other diocesan officials could testify instead. She had asked Judge Warren to deny the motion to depose her client. But lawyers for the accusers argued that the doctor's letter did not say that Clark was not competent to testify. Judge Warren agreed. 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. Cambodia's Prime Minister Hun Sen waves as he arrives for a Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM) at the European Council in Brussels, Oct. 18, 2018. UPDATED at 11:50 A.M. ET on 2020-02-12 Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand criticized Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Tuesday for not trying to maintain a trade scheme giving the country tariff-free access to European Union markets, a day before an expected decision by the EU on whether it will withdraw the privileges. Thorn Sdoeurng, a laborer in Thailand, told RFAs Khmer Service that the Cambodian people need the Everything But Arms (EBA) scheme, which gives developing nations access to the EU for all products except arms and ammunition, to ensure workers have jobs. He also said the people do not support Hun Sens notion of getting rid of the EBA. The authoritarian leader has dismissed concerns over EU pressure to improve Cambodias human rights record or risk losing its preferential trade status, saying that his government is prepared to pay additional taxes without the scheme. What Hun Sen is doing is only to serve this family. He does not care if people dont have jobs, Thorn Sdoeurng said. Hun Sen and his children have exploited the country so they have enough money while people like us have to work in Thailand, he added. Cambodian workers have migrated to Thailand in high numbers for decades for better-paying job opportunities, though they work in low-wage jobs in labor-intensive economic sectors such as agriculture, construction, fishing, and manufacturing. Another worker, Sam Sambo, said that the prime minister does not want to implement the EUs recommendations because he wants to maintain his power. If he was a good leader, he would resolve the EBA issue, he said. The EUs threat to end the EBA program stems from the September 2017 arrest of Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) leader Kem Sokha on treason charges, followed two months later by the dissolution of the CNRP, amid a wider crackdown on civil society and independent media. The workers comments came in response to Hun Sens statement during a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday that Cambodia will not exchange its territorial sovereignty for EBA privileges. If they force us to follow them, we wont do it, he said at the ceremony. I urge all people in the entire country to please stand up to protect our independence, sovereignty, and peace. Ath Thon, president of the Cambodian Labour Confederation, told RFA that if the EU withdraws the EBA, workers would stand to lose the most. We dont want to see a disagreement between Cambodia and the EU over the EBA, he said. When we lose the EBA, workers will lose their jobs. Sam Rainsy very concerned Cambodian opposition leader Sam Rainsy said he is troubled by the issue because Hun Sens leadership is endangering the people. We are very concerned, he told RFA. Hun Sen should honor the EUs recommendations because Cambodians also want the same thing as does the EU, he said. Sam Rainsy also said he believes that the EU will partially sanction Cambodia to allow time for Hun Sen to realize the consequences of refusing to abide by EBA conditions, but that the move will greatly affect all of Cambodia. The EU warned in a preliminary report in November that Cambodia has not taken enough measures to prevent a withdrawal of its EBA status, pointing to the countrys further deterioration of civil, political, labor, social, and cultural rights since the launch of a review process in February 2019. Weekend media reports by Japans Nikkei Asian Review and Britains Financial Times indicated that the EU already decided on a partial suspension of Cambodias EBA privileges on some goods that the Southeast Asian country exports to the bloc. Sources told the FT that Brussels is expected to maintain some support for the garments sector to help protect the livelihoods of factory workers. Cambodia is the second-largest beneficiary of EBA trade preferences, accounting for more than 18 percent of all imports to the EU market under the EBA scheme in 2018. EU imports from Cambodia totaled 5.3 billion euros (U.S. $5.8 billion) that year, nearly all of which entered the EU duty-free, taking advantage of EBA preferences. Clothing and textiles a crucial industry in Cambodia that employs around one million people account for around 75 percent of EU imports from Cambodia. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Samean Yun. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. On Tuesday, the Chamber of Deputies unanimously adopted a bill on Romania's Airspace Code. The bill regulates civil and military aeronautical activities on Romania's soil and in its national airspace while establishing the bodies with responsibilities in the field of civil and military aviation administration, as well as the competences and attributions of other bodies in the field of aviation safety and security."The new provisions create a legal framework necessary for civil-military co-operation at the institutional level and establish a common language and conduct in the aeronautical area for all users of the national airspace, without affecting their specific attributions. Thus, flight safety is guaranteed to increase by applying common standards to military aeronautical activities, standards that will be provided at the European and NATO levels, as well as to the areas of military interest and aeronautical servitude," reads a report on the bill released by Parliament's specialist committee.Under the bill, the provisions of the Airspace Code apply to civil and military aeronautical activities, as well as to individuals, legal entities or entities without a legal personality carrying out in the national airspace and on the soil of Romania aeronautical activities or other activities, which may, by nature, endanger the safety and security of aviation.The aeronautical activities on Romania's soil and national airspace are regulated by this Airspace Code, the applicable European regulations and, as the case may be, the Convention on International Civil Aviation, signed in Chicago on December 7, 1944, to which Romania acceded under Decree No.194/1965, the international treaties to which Romania is a party, as well as other pieces of legislation on the matter. The application of the Airspace Code is done without prejudice to the full and exclusive sovereignty over the national airspace, as well as the specific regulations regarding defence, public order and national security, according to the bill.It also says, inter alia, that a special flight is the flight that is performed exclusively for the transport of the President of Romania, the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, the Prime Minister, deputy prime ministers, ministers, their foreign counterparts or other foreign officials visiting Romania.The special flight entails the imposition of security measures for the flights moving dignitaries. The measures are required not only in the case of an official mission, but also in the case of a private visit, as specified in the report on the bill by the specialist committee.The bill also says that any flight aboard an aircraft in the national airspace has to be authorised in order to be allowed. The procedure for authorising flights is regulated and approved by government decision.As from January 1, 2021, all aircraft operating in the national airspace are required to be equipped with a working location device to activate in an emergency. By way of exception, the Ministry of Transport, Infrastructure and Communications, as well as the Ministry of National Defence can establish, by specific regulations, categories and/or types of civil aircraft, or state aircraft that can operate in the national airspace without having a tracking device in case of emergency.The Chamber of Deputies is the decision-maker in this instance. AGERPRES RYANAIR'S chief marketing officer, Kenny Jacobs, is to leave the airline in May. He'll be the second key senior executive to leave the carrier within a matter of months. Chief operations officer Peter Bellew left in December following an acrimonious High Court battle that saw Ryanair fail in efforts to enforce a one-year non-compete clause. Mr Bellew left to join rival airline EasyJet. Mr Jacobs confirmed to the Irish Independent that he will make his exit after more than six years with the carrier. He joined Ryanair in January 2014 from Moneysupermarket.com, where he was also chief marketing officer. "I'm leaving on very good terms and I just want to do something new," he said. Mr Jacobs (46) is understood to have been one of the candidates in the running for chief executive at Ryanair DAC - a role which went to Eddie Wilson. Michael O'Leary is now Ryanair group CEO. Mr Jacobs said he has two young children and will take the summer off before considering his options. During his time at Ryanair, the carrier transformed its approach to dealing with passengers, grew substantially and recognised trade unions. "There's been challenges to deal with as well as good points in the cycle," he said. "Part of life in any kind of role is dealing with those challenges and I think we've learnt from them," Mr Jacobs said. "Since I started, the business has doubled in size in traffic and profitability. That's not all down to me, but I think we've made some very positive changes in the way we sell things, particularly what we've done on digital and on ancillary has boosted a lot of the underlying growth that we have in the airline, increasing demand and load factor." "It's a very different airline now than it was six years ago," added Mr Jacobs. Mr O'Leary said Mr Jacobs had been the author of Ryanair's 'Always Getting Better' campaign. Mr Jacobs said he is not intending at this time to take another job in the airline industry. "Something heavily digital in a kind of consumer-orientated business would be what I would be looking for. I like the travel industry. I like retail." While most of the other Democratic candidates for president were toiling through Iowa or New Hampshire, Mike Bloomberg was back in Texas recently doing the same thing he did weeks earlier: Trying to win over black voters. Bloomberg, speaking in Greater Greenspoint, addressed hundreds of members of African Methodist Episcopal Churches from around the nation, bluntly telling them something he never talked much about as mayor of New York City. The truth is, if I had been black I wouldnt have had the same opportunities and my life would have turned out very differently, the billionaire told the crowd. At the same time, I think its mostly true, that many black Americans of my generation would have ended up with far more wealth if they had been white. Hes far from the only candidate making outreach to black voters a key part of campaign visits to Houston, and Texas overall. During his last trip through Texas, in between private fundraisers, former Vice President Joe Biden spoke to the National Baptist Convention in Arlington, a predominately black audience. And in the fall Biden campaigned on the campus of Texas Southern University one of nine historically black universities in Texas. Biden spent 45 minutes shaking hands, posing for selfies and hugging students. Texas Take: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox Other Democratic contenders such as Bernie Sanders, Amy Klobuchar and Elizabeth Warren have participated in forums at TSU to make their case to black voters there. And before he dropped out of the race, Democrat Beto ORourke kicked off his campaign by holding a rally at TSU. If any of them think they can win without us, they wont, said Aimee Allison, the founder of a group called She The People that is pushing candidates to address issues of importance to women of color. The 2016 elections show just how critical black voters are to any Democrat hoping to win the White House. In 2016, a record 137.5 million Americans voted in the presidential election. But a report by the Pew Research Center shows that while almost every demographic group saw a corresponding boost, for the first time in 20 years black voter turnout declined, falling from 66.6 percent in 2012 to 59.6 percent in 2016. Allison said already in this cycle she feels that candidates are doing much more to earn the votes of communities of color. She said Warrens addressed the maternal mortality rates among minorities aggressively, Sanders has decried the rise of white nationalism in the U.S., and Bloomberg is talking about income inequality and the wealth gap between white and black communities. These are all topics that Allison said candidates have rarely given much attention in presidential primaries in the past. Recognizing and seeing us is an important first step, Allison said. For subscribers: Democrats address drop in black voter turnout in Houston forum President Donald Trumps campaign has also made a point to stress its work for minority communities. In speeches, including the State of the Union last week, Trump has honed in on unemployment data that shows black Americans are doing well under his administration. Unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half a century, Trump said in the State of the Union. African American, Hispanic American and Asian American unemployment have all reached their lowest levels ever recorded. Early polling suggests Biden has a huge lead among black voters in the Democratic primary. In a survey released last month by The Washington Post and nonpartisan research firm Ipsos, Biden was the choice of 48 percent of black respondents. In second place was Sanders, who had 20 percent. Warren was next, at 9 percent, and Bloomberg was at 4 percent. Bloombergs challenge is complicated by his tenure as mayor of New York City, where he pushed so-called stop and frisk policies that gave New York police broad authority to stop and search anyone suspected of a crime a policy that disproportionately affected minority communities. Since announcing his White House bid, Bloomberg has publicly apologized for stop and frisk, acknowledging his error in allowing it to remain in place as long as he did. I made a mistake, Bloomberg said. If you cant apologize, I dont know how you live with yourself. In an interview with the Houston Chronicle, Bloomberg said his internal poll numbers show hes making up ground and hes convinced future poll numbers are going to show him doing much better with black voters. Im addressing the issues they care about, said Bloomberg, who is expected to be back in Houston yet again Thursday. In his speech in Houston, Bloomberg emphasized his history in helping the black community as mayor of New York City and his plan to address income inequalities in America. He has outlined a program he said will triple black family wealth in three years, double the number of black-owned businesses in the nation and help a million black families buy homes. He said while mayor of the city, his administration created 500,000 jobs and 175,000 affordable housing units. I know something about creating jobs and building a business and generating wealth, Bloomberg said. Ive done it in the private sector and Ive done it in government for 12 years as the mayor of New York City. He calls the plan the Greenwood Initiative. That name is taken from the Greenwood Massacre of 1921 in Tulsa, Okla., in which white mobs attacked black residents and businesses in the Greenwood District. Those attacks killed 36 and left 10,000 black people homeless. Just acknowledging that history is a big deal for Susan Leath, a Philadelphia doctor who was at Bloombergs speech in Houston. A lot of white people dont even know about that part of history, Leath said. I was very moved by it. I think he does have not only black people, but all people in mind. But its not just their words that the candidates are being judged on. Who they hire and bring onto their campaigns has become a key topic as well. In Texas, Biden has won praise for tapping veteran Dallas political consultant Jane Hamilton to lead his campaigns effort to win the Texas presidential primary. And Sanders has brought on former Ohio state Sen. Nina Turner as his national campaign co-chair. While Sanders was in Washington, D.C., for the impeachment trial, Turner filled in for him before the African Methodist Episcopal Churches, making the case to voters that Sanders has a long history of working with the black community. The fact that women of color are part of campaign teams now, and that the candidates are trying to reach out more in places like Houston, shows important change is happening in the Democratic Party, Allison said. This is new territory in presidential politics, she said. jeremy.wallace@chron.com Singapore-listed companies are now given the option to move away from quarterly reporting (QR). But not every company will get that option, especially if they are earmarked as risky. Since 2003, companies with a market capitalisation above S$75 million have been required by the exchange to report their quarterly earnings. But in late-2019, Singapore Exchange (SGX: S68) hinted towards a new approach to QR, saying that the requirement will be risk-based rather than based on the companys market cap. Supporters and detractors The QR provides a timely, three-month update that could keep investors properly appraised on the financial health of their investments. However, not every company supports quarterly reporting. The market-cap based rule has arguably placed a financial and operational burden on smaller companies that do not have adequate resources to comply with such a requirement. On the other side, there were valid concerns from the investment community regarding the complete removal of QR, as it would mean less information provided to investors for their investment decision-making. Riskier companies Last month, I had shared my thoughts on the good and bad aspects regarding the proposed QR abolishment. Since then, SGX has revealed more details releasing a full list of companies that must continue to do QR of their financial results. The list comprises 109 companies that are deemed riskier issuers. 61 of them are listed on the Mainboard while the remaining 48 are listed on Catalist (SGXs second board). These firms have been ordered to continue QR because they either do not have clean audit opinions or face regulatory or financial issues. Of the 109, 24 of the firms used to fall below the size threshold of S$75 million and therefore were not required to do a QR. These companies will be given a one-year grace period to start doing QR. Quarterly assessment The 109 companies will be subject to a quarterly review by SGX to assess if they have managed to clear up their underlying issues. Story continues If the audit issues are cleared up, the firms will get a chance to drop the QR requirement. At this juncture, its not known if SGX needs to have a clear unqualified opinion from the auditor with all issues resolved. Generally, audits are conducted only once per year. The review may also throw up additional companies to be added to the list based on the new risk-based approach, and may not solely rely on audit-based opinions to form an assessment of higher risk. This area could be worth monitoring as it means investors can take the cue from SGX on whether a company may fall short of certain reporting or financial standards. The Blacklist The new risk-based approach could anger some stakeholders. For instance, companies within the list of 109 may complain of being blacklisted. The unfavourable status could impair their ability to conduct business in a normal fashion, as suppliers and customers will now know that the company is on SGXs QR list. While such concerns may be valid, I believe SGXs shift is overall positive for investors and the companies concerned. First off, the increased scrutiny and disclosure requirements will force these companies to be more aware of audit or risk-based issues, and perhaps spur management to clean up the accounts in order to exit the list as soon as possible. Secondly, investors will also be able to get a laundry list of companies that face audit or other issues without having to dig through the latest financials or annual reports in painstaking detail. The imposition of QR on these riskier companies also means that investors get to more closely monitor how management is dealing with the problems or issues they face. Get Smart: Use it wisely The list provides investors with better clarity of SGXs new requirements for QR and can act as a criterion for filtering out weaker companies or those with audit issues. Of course, investors should not simply tar all the companies on the list with the same brush as some of them may be undergoing temporary issues. As smart investors, we must understand that this list is just one of the filters or criteria that we should use to sift through companies for investment. While the list does suggest problems, there could also be interesting opportunities if we look carefully and do our own due diligence. Get more stock updates on our Facebook page or Telegram. Click here to like and follow us on Facebook and here for our Telegram group. If youd like to learn more investing concepts, and how to apply them to your investing needs, sign up for our free investing education newsletter, Get Smart! Click HERE to sign up now. The Smart Investor is not licensed or otherwise regulated by the Monetary Authority of Singapore, and in particular, is not licensed or regulated to carry on business in providing any financial advisory service. Accordingly, any information provided on this site is meant purely for informational and investor educational purposes and should not be relied upon as financial advice. No information is presented with the intention to induce any reader to buy, sell, or hold a particular investment product or class of investment products. Rather, the information is presented for the purpose and intentions of educating readers on matters relating to financial literacy and investor education. Accordingly, any statement of opinion on this site is wholly generic and not tailored to take into account the personal needs and unique circumstances of any reader. The Smart Investor does not recommend any particular course of action in relation to any investment product or class of investment products. Readers are encouraged to exercise their own judgment and have regard to their own personal needs and circumstances before making any investment decision, and not rely on any statement of opinion that may be found on this site. Disclosure: Royston Yang does not own any of the shares mentioned. The post Are Your Stocks on SGXs Blacklist? appeared first on The Smart Investor. The VFA, signed in 1998, accords legal status to thousands of US troops rotated in Philippines for humanitarian assistance and military exercises, dozens of which take place annually Manila: Philippine president Rodrigo Duterte has given formal notice to the United States of his decision to scrap a bilateral Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), officials said on Tuesday, following through on repeated threat to downgrade the defence alliance. The mercurial Duterte, who has made no secret of his grudge with the United States and his disdain for his countrys close military relationship, believed it was time to be more militarily independent, his spokesman said. Its about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defences and not rely on any other country, Salvador Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting Duterte. Defence ties between the Philippines and former colonial ruler the United States go back to the early 1950s and are governed by a Mutual Defence Treaty (MTD), which remains intact, along with an Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) made under the Obama administration. Duterte made the decision after the top commander of his war on drugs, former police chief Ronald dela Rosa, said his US visa had been rescinded over an issue related to the detention of a senator and top critic of Duterte. The VFA, signed in 1998, accords legal status to thousands of US troops rotated in the country for humanitarian assistance and military exercises, dozens of which take place annually. It is the first time Duterte has scrapped an agreement with the United States, having throughout his more than three years in office denounced Washington for hypocrisy and for treating the Philippines like a dog on a leash. Despite reassurances from his generals, Duterte has long accused US forces of conducting clandestine activities. In a rambling speech on Monday he said US nuclear weapons were being stored in his country. He has argued that the presence of US forces makes the Philippines a potential target for aggression. Dutertes move follows a Senate hearing last week during which his defence and foreign ministers spoke in favour of the VFA, both noting its overall benefits. Duterte said even US president Donald Trump wanted him to change his mind. Trump, and others are trying to save the Visiting Forces Agreement. I said I dont want, he said. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin on Twitter confirmed that the United States embassy in Manila had received notice. The termination takes effect 180 days from one side giving notice. Duterte favours warmer ties with China and Russia than the United States and has praised those countries and inflated their military contributions and donations, which are dwarfed by the $1.3 billion spent provided by the United States since 1998. Peter Phillips, the grandson of Britains Queen Elizabeth, and his Canadian wife are to divorce after 12 years of marriage, the couple announced today. Phillips, the eldest of the British monarchs eight grandchildren, and Autumn had informed the queen and their family last year, their statement said. The couple, who married in 2008, have two children. Phillips is son of Elizabeths daughter Princess Anne and 15th-in-line to the throne. The Sun, newspaper which first reported the split, said the monarch would be very upset by the news which comes on the back on a series of major setbacks for the royal family. Relatives of Altynbek Sarsenbaiuly have demanded that President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev allow investigators to question his predecessor Nursultan Nazarbaev and his daughter Darigha Nazarbaeva, the current Senate speaker, over the 2006 assassination of the opposition leader. Kazakh opposition politicians, journalists, civic activists and rights defenders gathered in Kazakhstan's commercial capital, Almaty, on February 11 to honor the memory of Sarsenbaiuly, who was shot dead execution-style along with two associates 14 years ago. At a meeting in the Astana Hotel to mark the anniversary of his demise, Sarsenbaiuly's older brother, Raiymbek Sarsenbai, presented a report he authored regarding the killings, saying that many questions linked to the tragedy remain unanswered and that state authorities should be interrogated about what happened. "To make Nazarbaev's questioning possible it is necessary to rescind the law on the leader of the nation that gives Nazarbaev lifetime immunity from prosecution and [President] Toqaev must met that demand of ours," Sarsenbai, a journalist, said. He added that the former leader of the Committee for National Security, Alnur Musaev must also be questioned in the case. Musaev lives in self-imposed exile in the European Union. Sarsenbaiuly (aka Sarsenbaev), a former Kazakh ambassador to Russia and Information Minister, was a co-chairman of the opposition Naghyz Aq Zhol (True Bright Path) party when he, his bodyguard Bauyrzhan Baibosyn, and driver Vasily Zhuravlyov, went missing on February 11, 2006. They were found dead two days later in the mountains near Almaty with their hands tied behind their backs and gunshot wounds to the back of their heads. The slaying of the opposition leader deepened a sense of shock in the Central Asian country three months after another influential opposition politician, Zamanbek Nurqadilov, was found dead with two bullets in his chest and one in his head at his home in Almaty. The death of Nurqadilov -- a former government minister and Almaty mayor who joined the opposition in 2004 and accused Nazarbaev of corruption -- was officially declared a suicide. Both politicians were interviewed in July 2004 by prominent independent journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov, who was found bloodied and unconscious the same day with a fractured skull. He died several days later in hospital. Police said he had been hit by a car, but friends and colleagues said his injuries suggested he had been struck in the head before being hit by a vehicle. Sarsenbaiuly's killing was officially declared to have been motivated by personal enmity. A former chief of staff of the Kazakh parliament, Erzhan Otembaev, was convicted of ordering the slaying and sentenced to 20 years in prison. However, in 2013, Otembaev's sentence was annulled after Kazakh authorities announced that the case had been sent for review based on newly obtained evidence they said indicated that Rakhat Aliev, Nazarbaev's former son-in-law, had ordering the killing. Aliev, who was deputy chief of Kazakhstans National Security Committee when the slaying took place and became a fierce opponent to Nazarbaev in 2007, was in self-imposed exile in Europe at the time. Aliev was later arrested by Austrian officials at the request of authorities in Astana, which accused him of involvement in the kidnapping and murder of two Kazakh bankers. In February 2015, Aliev was found hanged in a Vienna jail. Austrian officials ruled Aliev's death to have been suicide, but many in Kazakhstan believe he was murdered while in Austrian custody. With reporting by RFE/RL's Kazakh Service NOTE: The author of this article is a brother of the late journalist Askhat Sharipzhanov. In summer 2014, Hillary Bjorneboe was 25 and had just landed her dream job. The West High graduate had completed the police academy and been h SYRACUSE, N.Y. Thirty-nine projects that aim to reduce poverty in Central New York will share roughly $16 million in state funding, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today. The grants will range from $45,000 to assist an Imagination Library book delivery service in Cayuga County to just over $1 million for the nonprofit Syracuse Urban Partnership to help entrepreneurs in low-income neighborhoods. The money comes from the $500 million Upstate Revitalization Initiative award that CNY won in 2015. The grants announced today complete the $30 million promised for anti-poverty efforts in the URI. A first round of projects, totaling nearly $14 million, was announced in 2018. The projects were approved for funding after being recommended by the Alliance for Economic Inclusion, a group of CNY volunteers coordinated by Onondaga County. The county will front the money for projects, most of which are undertaken by local nonprofits, then seek reimbursement from the state. At his State of the County Address, County Executive Ryan McMahon noted that two of this years projects will focus on transportation for workers without cars or adequate bus service. Providence Services of Syracuse, which received funding two years ago to provide van rides to job locations, will receive another $243,000 in this round. CenterState CEO, the business development group, will receive $646,000 to provide a vanpooling service in parts of four counties. CenterState will collaborate with Centro and Commute with Enterprise, a service of the company known for rental cars. It is no secret that one of the biggest barriers for many in our community is access to reliable transportation, McMahon said. There are projects in each of the five counties for which the URI is designated: Cayuga, Cortland, Madison, Onondaga and Oswego. Among other projects selected: -- Hack Upstate, a company that received $206,000 in 2018 to train people in software coding, will receive another $618,000 to expand the program. -- Jubilee Homes will receive $914,000 to support its Build to Work job-readiness training program. -- OnPoint Career Services will receive $1,000,000 to expand its internship programs in Cayuga and Oswego counties. All 39 projects are listed below. by Larissa Faw , February 11, 2020 When Publicis Groupe unveiled its internal AI communications platform Marcel last year the plan was to roll it out region by region starting with the UK where a pilot test has been ongoing, followed by the U.S. later in 2019. Now, the company says, its scrapping the region-by-region rollout in favor of one big reveal set for the second half of 2020, three years after CEO/Chairman Arthur Sadoun first announced the vision and scope of the project at Cannes. The switch is due to the fact that Groupe executives now feel bullish enough and confident to introduce Marcel at once to the Groupes 80,000 workers, says Carla Serrano, Chief Strategy Officer Publicis Groupe. We are pretty excited, she says. When we looked at the long tail of the market-by-market rollout, we didnt think we would ever get to the point of reaching everyone. There were a number of reasons we selected the U.K. Two primary factors were that the U.K. provided a large market to debut Marcel for employee use and learnings and also the fact they knew this market would be cynical over Marcel, making it a strong environment for adoption and use learnings. We wanted to prove it in one of the more challenging regions, she says. advertisement advertisement Artificial intelligence is cited as the overarching reason for this massive adjustment. AI performs more effectively when it feeds on better and more wide-ranging data. It would take a long time to accumulate enough data in small doses to form Marcels knowledge network. Further, unlike original anticipations, there doesnt seem to be regional differences to require micro platform tweaks. Everyone engages in Marcel in their own way, says Serrano. We are on a constant feedback loop, she says. UK users, to that end, were thrilled with a better way to fill out timesheets. Who knows if those in India will feel the same way or whether they may prefer our Daily Digest roundup of news, she speculates. Although users prefer a hybrid model to enable them to either use vocal commands or text/tap, Serrano is surprised at the popularity for the web version. It is just as important as the app-based [model], she says, though she cautions the behavior might just be U.K. specific. Serrano feels the ability to use Marcel on a desktop computer is rooted in the fact that most of its workers primarily rely on emails. More importantly to Serrano is encouraging workers to engage with Marcel on a regular basis. Marcels success is dependent on amassing current and on-going data. One of the more liked tools is the Snap Jobs that lists open career opportunities one week before they go public. The descriptions themselves are less dry and classic to entertain potential position changers. Marcel continues to utilize "Marcelerators, well-trained mentors to instruct staffers on effective ways to use the application. All 80 U.K. ambassadors have remained in their roles, with the Groupe currently seeking participants to form its global roster. Serrano admits Marcel had oversized expectations given the hype when it was first announced during Cannes 2017, but asserts that the company remains very confident that the platform will be a cornerstone in positioning the company for the future. Matthias Knab, Opalesque: Based in New York City, Kalina Berova, CFA, joined Bodhi Research Group as a Visiting Researcher in Q4, 2019. Kalina is the third person to formally join the firm in this important role. By mirroring the university model, the Visiting Researcher Program involves global experts that work on special projects as required to meet specific client needs. "BODHI's clients are the big winners with Kalina's session as a Visiting Researcher," says Dr. Ranjan Bhaduri, CEO and Founder of Bodhi Research Group. "Kalina has deep knowledge and broad experience in the alternative investments sphere. She is a true professional and is a tremendous asset to BODHI. Being based in New York City presents an added benefit." Kalina has over fifteen years of extensive industry experience. During her time at OMERS, she was a Principal in the External Relationships Team and worked on a broad range of traditional and niche hedge fund strategies, custom alternative investment solutions and private equity funds and co-investments. Prior to OMERS, Ms. Berova worked at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (OTPP) in Toronto where she developed a quantitative solution for evaluating hedge funds and hedge fund portfolios. While part of the OTPP Total Fund Asset Mix and Risk Team, she gained risk management experience in a broad range of asset classes and investment programs including hedge funds and quantitative trading strategies. Bodhi Research Group, founded by ...................... To view our full article Click here A couple who tied the knot in Northern Irelands first same sex marriage said they are living the dream. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, became history makers at a ceremony in a hotel in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, on Tuesday afternoon. Their marriage came after a landmark law change in the region. Fresh from their civil marriage ceremony at the Loughshore hotel, the Edwards-Peoples, both wearing white bridal gowns, described the surreal feeling of making headlines around the world. For Northern Ireland we need to be the face of the people to show everyone its OK, said Robyn Edwards-Peoples, a senior care worker from Belfast. We fought so long and hard for this opportunity to be seen as equal and now we are here and its just amazing. She added: Its just to show that we are equal to a man and a woman, our love is just the same, its no different. Sometimes people might try to say its not. Our love is the exact same, and this means everything to us. Now we are married and we have this opportunity this is my wife, I can finally say she is my wife and we have had our marriage. The day marks their sixth anniversary as a couple and they had booked a civil partnership ceremony at the hotel months before Westminster MPs passed the legislation last summer. When it became clear the first same sex weddings could take place in Northern Ireland this week, they changed their ceremony to a civil marriage. Robyn (left) and Sharni Edwards-Peoples after they became the first couple to have a same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland (Liam McBurney/PA) We didnt expect to be the first couple, its coincidental, said Sharni Edwards-Peoples, a waitress from Brighton. Today is our six-year anniversary so we wanted to go ahead with a civil partnership but when the bill was passed it was perfect timing and it was a complete coincidence, a happy coincidence, we couldnt be more grateful. As the couple posed for a bank of press photographers and TV cameras during a short break from the post-ceremony celebrations, she added: Its completely surreal. Story continues We are literally living the dream, its incredible. After a long and high-profile campaign for reform, same-sex marriage was eventually legalised at Westminster by MPs who stepped in and acted on the controversial issue during the powersharing impasse at Stormont. Robyn Edwards-Peoples, who blamed the opposition of local politicians for delaying changes to marriage legislation, thanked those who had lobbied for change. Her wife echoed her words of gratitude, saying: If it wasnt for them guys we wouldnt be sat here right now, we just want to say thank you to everyone everyone who has marched and signed petitions, everyone who has helped us get to this stage, we just want to say thank you. The couple opted for Over And Over Again by Nathan Sykes and Ariana Grande for their first dance. After the wedding party they were set for an early morning flight to Cyprus for a two-week honeymoon. While the ceremony took place in Co Antrim, at Westminster campaigners were preparing for a celebratory reception to thank those MPs who acted on the issue. Sara Canning, the partner of murdered author and LGBTQ activist Lyra McKee, who was shot dead by dissident republicans in Londonderry last April, was there to attend the event organised by Amnesty International and the Love Equality campaign. She told the PA news agency that adding her voice to those calling for the law change had been massively helpful to the grieving process. It has been massively helpful to channel my feelings into this, because the alternative was lying down under it, or allowing the anger to be used in a way that isnt constructive, said Ms Canning, who had planned to marry Ms McKee. At least, speaking out about these things, its something that can be changed. And the platform was huge, because it was such an awful tragedy. So I felt the need was there to speak about something, that maybe a difference could be made. And we could see something that Lyra and I were passionate about coming to fruition. Police have charged two people with first-degree murder in last weeks death of a 29-year-old man in Etobicoke. Deandre Campbell-Kelly was found suffering from gunshot wounds after a shooting broke out around 11 p.m. in front of 546 The West Mall, near Rathburn Road and The East Mall, police said last week. He was rushed to a hospital where he was later pronounced dead, police said. He is Torontos 10th homicide victim of 2020. On Monday, police arrested Alyshia Smith, 19, and Anthony Johnson, 23, both of Toronto. They were scheduled to appear in court Tuesday. The alleged organizer is currently hiding abroad. SBU Security Service officers jointly with prosecutors have established the probable customer of an arson attack on RFE/RL correspondent Halyna Tereshchuk's car in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv last month. Read alsoRFE/RL correspondent's car set on fire in Lviv media (Photos) A resident of Lviv previously convicted and known in the criminal world for smuggling schemes and fuel theft from the Lviv railways is suspected of ordering the crime, the SBU's press center said. According to a theory being considered by the investigation, he hired a Lviv police officer for organizing the arson attack. The police officer picked up the performer and handed over the money for the "work done." The probable organizer is currently hiding from the investigation abroad. He was informed of suspicion in absentia and put on the international wanted list. The respective criminal proceedings have been initiated. Preventive measures against the customer and the police officer are to be decided. As UNIAN reported earlier, Tereshchuk's car was set on fire and completely destroyed on the night of January 29. Tereshchuk, who has worked for RFE/RL since 2000, said at the time that she suspected the attack was linked to her professional activities. Amaravati, Feb 11 : In a volte-face on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Tuesday said it is against the discriminatory law and also opposed the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The YSRCP, which had voted for Citizenship Amendment Bill (CAB) in the Parliament, has now said that it is against the legislation. Deputy Chief Minister Amjad Basha said the state government would not support CAA and NRC. He claimed that Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy has already made the party's stand clear. He said the people, especially the minorities, need not panic as the YSRCP was opposed to both CAA and NRC. He told reporters that that minorities are feeling insecure and were staging protests. "Our government is for welfare of the minorities and supports them. We already consulted various minority organisations and took their opinion," he said. "According to the Indian Constitution, those unable to adjust in other countries during Partition have come and takeb Indian citizenship, which is quite legal. Objecting such people's citizenship after these many years is not a fair step," a statement by the YSRCP quoted the minister as saying. The YSRCP, which has 22 MPs in Lok Sabha, had voted for CAB but had sought amendments to include Muslims. Interestingly both the YSRCP and opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) had supported CAB. However, Telangana's ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had voted against it. COLUMBIA, SC / ACCESSWIRE / February 10, 2020 / Every year 4 million people visit Yellowstone National Park. While Yellowstone is rich with natural beauty and a nature lover's paradise, not many first time visitors know where to start. After all, Yellowstone National Park has over 2 million acres of natural wonders. Bennett Velasquez, a young travel enthusiast, had the opportunity to enjoy everything Yellowstone has to offer. He shares useful tips for first-time visitors. Grand Canyon of Yellowstone According to Bennett Velasquez, first-time visitors to Yellowstone National cannot miss the opportunity to see the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone. The spectacular views of the Grand Canyon make it a paradise for hikers. Even if first-time visitors to Yellowstone are not into hiking, they can take in photo-worthy views. The canyon stretches to over 20 miles, and it's about a mile wide. Old Faithful First time visitors to Yellowstone National Park cannot miss Old Faithful. Bennett Velasquez points out the Old Faithful Geyser alone makes the visit worth it. While Old Faithful is not the largest geyser in the world, it does reach an impressive 130 feet. The best part is if visitors miss the eruption of Old Faithful, they can catch it again in an hour and a half. They can also catch the eruption of Old Faithful from the viewpoint of Upper Geyser Basin, and it's only a mile long hike. Yellowstone Lake Yellowstone Lake is the largest body of water in Yellowstone National Park. It sits 7,000 feet above sea level, which makes it the largest body of water in North America located at that altitude. During the winter months, the southern shore of the lake is the perfect place to catch animals in search of water since this area doesn't freeze. This is because there is geothermal activity happening nearby. Although the lake is a popular destination for boaters, the lake starts to freeze in early December and sometimes doesn't thaw until early June. Story continues Grand Prismatic Spring As the largest hot spring in the United States, Grand Prismatic Spring is a hot attraction in Yellowstone National Park. According to Bennett Velasquez, it's the rainbow-colored waters that attract all the visitors. The center of the spring is cerulean blue, and the colors change to red, yellow, and orange toward the edges. First-time visitors won't want to miss one of the most photographed attractions in the park. Bennett Velasquez is a young traveler who has visited France, England, Italy, Spain, Colorado, Hawaii, Monaco, and many more countries. CONTACT: Caroline Hunter Web Presence, LLC +1 7865519491 SOURCE: Web Presence, LLC View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/575877/Bennett-Velasquez-Shares-the-Best-Things-to-in-Yellowstone-National-Park-for-First-Time-Visitors The Special Investigation Team, probing the case where a 25-year-old woman lecturer was burned to death by her stalker at Hinganghat in Maharashtra's Wardha district, would file a charge sheet within two weeks, a senior official said on Tuesday. The victim, Ankita Pisudde, a resident of Hinganghat town, was set afire allegedly by her stalker Vikesh Nagrale (27) on February 3. She died in a Nagpur hospital, where had been undergoing treatment, on Monday morning. The SIT team led by Wardha Deputy Superintendent of Police Trupti Jadhav is handling the case. When contacted, Jadhav told PTI that statements of six witnesses have been recorded and evidences from the crime spot have also been recovered. The charge sheet in the case would be filed within two weeks, she said. "The accused is in police remand till February 20 and we will try to file the charge sheet before the end of that period," Jadhav said. She also dismissed reports in a section of media that the accused was accompanied by a couple of persons at the time of crime. According to information gathered by the probe team, the accused executed the crime alone and was not accompanied by any person, the official said. The state government on Monday appointed renowned lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as special public prosecutor in the case. Making the announcement in Mumbai, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray assured that the case, which has triggered widespread public anger and outrage, will be tried in a fast- track court to ensure speedy justice to the victim and her family. During his decades-long career, Nikam (66) has handled several high-profile cases like the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts and the film producer Gulshan Kumar murder case. The woman was set on fire by the accused, who was later arrested, while she was on way to her college on February 3, police earlier said. Nagrale and the woman were friends till two years ago when she severed ties with him due to his "irrational behaviour", they said. Since then, Nagrale, who is married, had been stalking her, the police said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) According to the Energy Information Administration, Russia has become a second oil supplier to the United States after Canada. The thing is that the U.S. has lost heavy oil from Venezuela due to its own sanctions.And it's Russian oil that have the necessary characteristics. As a result, Moscow earned billions of dollars. Last Autumn, the United States has become a net exporter of crude oil and petroleum products for the first time in at least 70 years. The nation exported 89,000 barrels a day more than it imported in September, according to data from the Energy Information Administration. "The oil industry can deliver surprises - in this case, the shale oil revolution - that upend global oil prices, production, and trade flows," a former energy adviser to President George W Bush and president of the consulting firm Rapidan Energy Group, Bob McNally, told Bloomberg. But since 2007, shares in an index of U.S. producers have fallen 31%. EIA estimates that production is set to expand by 400,000 barrels a day, the weakest growth since at least 2017. And U.S. oil output growth could decelerate by more than 50% in 2021 due to capital discipline or austerity in the Permian Basin. Vestnik Kavkaza earlier reported that according to the Energy Information Administration's report, Russia increased its oil supplies to the U.S. to record levels last year. Supplies peaked in October, when Russia sold 20.9 million barrels of oil and oil products to the U.S. That month, it bypassed Mexico and was second after Canada. In the year since the Trump administration declared an oil embargo against the Venezuela, the move has yielded some clear losers, including U.S. investors now shut out of the market, The Washington Post reported, adding that it has also produced one clear winner: Russia. "Deals between Moscow and Caracas to produce, transport and sell oil to other markets have become a cash cow for Moscow that is earning its state-controlled enterprises an estimated $120 million a month., the newspaper added. Over the 11 months of last year, Russia sold 210% more crude oil to the U.S. - 31.2 million barrels - compared to 10.1 million barrels of the same period in 2018. But sales increased by only 163.5% - from $0.74 billion to $1.95 billion. The total value of Russian oil products exported to the U.S. for the reporting period amounted to $3.8 billion. A leading analyst of the National Energy Security Fund, a lecturer at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Igor Yushkov, speaking to Vestnik Kavkaza earlier, noted that Russian oil was the most suitable option to replace Venezuelan supplies. "A lot of U.S. refineries specialize in refining Venezuelan oil, heavy and highly viscous, with a high yield of high-quality petroleum products. When the Americans started imposing sanctions against Venezuela, the question arose of where to get such raw material - and Russia's Urals oil, which is medium-grained, but quite similar to the Venezuelan, suits this purpose," Igor Yushkov said. "As for the growth of petroleum products, this is naphtha, that is, primary processed oil, and fuel oil," the economist concluded. February 11, 2020 Started in August 2019, the Apple (News - Alert) Card is a credit card that is the result of a collaboration with both Goldman Sachs and MasterCard. It got created as a physical extension to the Apple Pay ecosphere and is currently only available in the United States. Shortly after the credit cards introduction to the market, it began running into significant trouble as users started noticing that women had significantly lower lines of credit than men. As a result, news of the seemingly sexist Apple Card debacle soon reached social media. Women getting a ridiculously low limit David Hansson, a software developer and creator of the Ruby on Rails web application framework, took to Twitter to express his outrage at the noticeable gender divide. Both he and his wife, Jamie Hansson, each applied for and got accepted for an Apple Card. The problem is, Apple believes he has a much better line of credit than his wife, who got offered a ridiculously low limit of only $57 on her Apple Card. Adding insult to injury, she wasnt allowed to pay for anything on her Apple Card until the next billing period. Mr. Hansson went on to explain how his wife contacted Apple on two occasions, and both times the Apple customer service agents put the reason for the difference in credit limits to the algorithm that Apply Pay/Goldman Sachs uses when assessing credit affordability. The second agent also suggested that Mrs. Hansson check her credit score, so both she and Mr. Hansson did so by signing up for TransUnions credit score service. After doing so, Mrs. Hanssons credit score got shown to be higher than her husbands. Curiously, Apple decided to increase Mrs. Hanssons credit limit to match that of her husbands but failed to address the reason for the credit limit difference. In one tweet, Mr. Hansson described how his credit limit was twenty times that of his wifes limit. It would appear that the Hanssons case is not an isolated one as other couples took to Twitter (News - Alert) to state how the same problem happened to them. IT professional Carmine Granucci also took to Twitter to explain how his wife has a better credit score and earns more than him, yet only had one-third of his credit limit when she applied for an Apple Card. Even Apples co-founder, Steve Wozniak (News - Alert), wrote a tweet in response to David Hansson saying the exact same thing happened with both him and his wife and that they dont have any separate bank accounts or assets. Probe launched on Apple Cards alleged gender bias A Wall Street regulator has officially opened a probe into the alleged gender bias uncovered by several Apple Card customers. The New York Department of Financial Services has said they are investigating the issue to determine whether New York law was violated and ensure all consumers are treated equally regardless of sex. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs weighed in on the financial fiasco in a tweet by categorically denying they make decisions based on factors like gender. They also stated that customers do not share a credit line under the account of a family member. Apple Card: not the best way to buy a new iPhone (News - Alert)? Part of Apple Cards benefits is allowing customers to purchase a new iPhone and pay for it over monthly installments with the Apple Card. Given that there are serious concerns over the Apple Card gender bias, some consumers are now looking at alternative ways to fund their new iPhone, including no credit check mobile plans and even loans from other financial institutions. While Apple Card claims to offer interest-free monthly payments for iPhone purchases, some consumers can opt for interest-free credit cards provided by other companies. "Were already committed to finding additional ways we can create more sustainable products, and were excited to see how we can contribute to the VSCs mission and advance sustainability through collaboration within the vinyl industry. - Jesse Singh, AZEK CEO. The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), a self-funded business council advancing sustainability in the vinyl industry, is pleased to welcome The AZEK Company to its membership. Were pleased to have AZEK join the Vinyl Sustainability Council, said Jay Thomas, VSC Executive Director. While each of us can promote sustainable practices within our own individual entities, we see a much greater impact when were able to collaborate. AZEKs membership will be a great asset to the group. The AZEK Company, headquartered in Chicago, is the parent company to premium brands including AZEK Building Products, Versatex, Ultralox, Scranton Products, and Vycom. AZEK is an industry leader in the manufacturing of beautiful, low-maintenance outdoor living, residential, and commercial building products. AZEK utilizes more than 200 million pounds annually of recycled material in its TimberTech deck boards alone and is committed to accelerating the use of recycled materials across all product lines. Were excited to join the VSC and advance our sustainability goals, said Jesse Singh, AZEK CEO. Were already committed to finding additional ways we can create more sustainable products, and were excited to see how we can contribute to the VSCs mission and advance sustainability through collaboration within the vinyl industry. The VSC is open for membership to any company within the U.S. vinyl value chain from resin manufacturer to product retailer. Members work together to develop and implement best practices and innovation leading to continuous improvement throughout the industry, while promoting these achievements to key stakeholders. To learn more about the VSC and to become a member, please visit vinylinfo.org/vinyl-sustainability-council. About the Vinyl Sustainability Council The Vinyl Sustainability Council (VSC), founded in 2016 in partnership with the Vinyl Institute, is a council created to advance the vinyl industrys efforts in addressing sustainability. The VSC is a collaborative platform for companies, organizations and other industry stakeholders to come together to create a sustainable development path for the industry. For more information, please visit vinylinfo.org/vinyl-sustainability-council. Pentagons latest total is a significant increase over the 64 reported a little over a week ago. The United States military on Monday disclosed a more than 50 percent jump in cases of traumatic brain injury stemming from Irans missile attack on a base in Iraq last month, with the number of service members diagnosed climbing to over 100. No US troops were killed or faced immediate bodily injury when Iran fired missiles at the Ain al-Assad base in Iraq in retaliation for the US killing of top Iranian commander Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at the Baghdad airport on January 3. The missile attacks capped a spiral of violence that had started in late December. Both sides have refrained from further military escalation, but the mounting number of US casualties could increase scrutiny on the Trump administrations approach to Iran. Reuters News Agency was first to report earlier on Monday that there were over 100 cases of TBI, up from the 64 previously reported last month. The Pentagon, in a statement, confirmed that so far 109 US service members had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. It added that 76 of them had returned to duty. The US military in the past had said to expect an increase in numbers in the weeks after the attack because symptoms can take time to manifest and troops can sometimes take longer to report them. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last month that the service members suffering from traumatic brain injuries had been diagnosed with mild cases. He added that the diagnosis could change as time passed. Symptoms of concussive injuries include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said there has been no effort to minimise or delay information on concussive injuries. But the disclosures following Tehrans attack have renewed questions over the US militarys policy regarding how it internally reports suspected brain injuries and whether they are treated publicly with the same urgency as loss of limb or life. US Republican Senator Joni Ernst said more answers were needed. Ive called on the Pentagon to ensure the safety & care of our deployed forces who may be exposed to blast injuries in Iraq, Ernst said on Twitter. US President Donald Trump appeared to play down the brain injuries last month, saying he heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things following the attack, prompting criticism from politicians and a US veterans group. Various health and medical groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions. Since 2000, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, according to Pentagon data. HALIFAX - Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr provided a small window of insight about his life since his return to Canada in 2013 during a rare public speaking appearance in Halifax. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Jeremy MacKenzie, right, a Canadian military veteran who served in Afghanistan, talks with an unidentified woman outside the venue where Omar Khadr, the former child soldier is speaking in Halifax on Monday, February 10, 2020. The Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, in partnership with Dalhousie University's Open Dialogue series, is hosting the event with keynote speakers Khadr and Ishmael Beah. Several veterans gathered outside the facility as a protest. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan HALIFAX - Former Guantanamo Bay detainee Omar Khadr provided a small window of insight about his life since his return to Canada in 2013 during a rare public speaking appearance in Halifax. Khadr, who was part of a panel discussion on child soldiers hosted by the Romeo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative, told an audience at Dalhousie University that he always has to behave a certain way in public because of his past. He said he had been treated as a bad person for so long that he believes he has to constantly prove he isn't. "I always have to carry myself in a very professional way and I have to carry myself in a way that I'm always trying to convince people that I'm not bad," said Khadr. "I have to always be rational. I can't be emotional because I'm worried if I'm emotional people are going to think he's manipulative, and that's so burdensome." Khadr said it's a situation where he can't make any mistakes. "You can't live lightheartedly," he said. "Everything you do you have to be aware of what you are doing and it's tiring at some point." As a 15-year-old in Afghanistan, Canadian-born Khadr was captured and badly wounded in July 2002 and was accused of killing a U.S. soldier and injuring another. He was held at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba, and was returned to Canada in 2013. The 33-year-old appeared in Halifax with Ishmael Beah, a human rights activist and former Sierra Leonean child soldier, along with Dallaire and the Dallaire Initiative's executive director Shelly Whitman. The two-hour discussion focused on the experiences of children in conflict and their protection as well as the long-term consequences of those experiences. Specifics of Khadar's case were not discussed and organizers made it known prior to the event that Khadar would not entertain questions from the audience about it. Khadr pleaded guilty to five war crimes, including the murder of a U.S. special forces soldier, before a widely disparaged military commission at Guantanamo Bay in 2010. As part of a plea deal, the court sentenced him to eight more years rather than to the jury-recommended 40 years. Khadr later said the deal was his only way out of the infamous American prison. He has also spent more than six years trying to appeal his conviction but a military commission appellate court has so far refused to hear the case. Beah, who has written about his two-year experience as a child soldier from the age of 13, said he has been celebrated for turning his life around from a situation where he was indoctrinated and desensitized, while Khadr has had to fight for acceptance since his return to Canada. "Here was a child from North America who has been vilified," said Beah. "I felt there was a dishonesty in the way people had empathy for me but not for him." The Canadian government apologized to Khadr in 2017, and also paid him $10.5-million for having violated his rights while he was in Guantanamo Bay. Whitman made a point of telling the Halifax audience that no one on the stage was receiving a speaking fee. "This is not a publicity stunt," she said. "We are all here because we are all committed to a better world for children." Some had spoken out against Khadr's appearance in Halifax including Ezra Levant of Rebel Media. Khadr was asked by an audience member what he would say to a lone protester who stood outside prior to the event. "I wouldn't say anything," he said. "Let him protest. It's a free country." This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 10, 2020. A Rhode Island priest is prohibiting state legislators who voted for a 2019 abortion bill from receiving communion, saying they violated the teachings of the Catholic Church. The Rev. Richard Bucci of Sacred Heart Church in West Warwick, R.I., released a flier earlier this month listing the names of legislators who voted for the new law that codified abortion rights. That law, known as the Reproductive Privacy Act, prohibits all abortion restrictions and guarantees the right to an abortion even after fetal viability. In accord with the teaching of the Catholic Church for 2000 years, the following members of the legislature may NOT receive Holy Communion, the letter from Bucci read. ... In addition, they will not be allowed to act as witnesses to marriage, godparents, or lectors at weddings, funerals or any other church function. Several Democratic legislators who supported the law criticized Buccis action. Both Father Bucci and Bishop [Thomas] Tobin need to be reminded that the U.S. Constitution requires the separation of church and state, said Democratic state Rep. Carol McEntee, according to the Providence Journal. We as legislators have an obligation to the people of Rhode Island to vote for legislation that reflects the opinion of the majority of Rhode Islanders, and not allow our religious beliefs to get in the way of our civic obligation as elected officials. Bucci, though, defended the flier in an interview with the Journal. If they are proud of what they have done, why do they want to keep it a secret? he asked, rhetorically. We all hear about responsibility. Let them take responsibility. If they think this is a good and wholesome and holy thing ... they should be proud of it, and why should I hide that from my parishioners? They call me Father so that I may have an influence in their lives, and this is a serious issue of life and death, he said. Related: Joe Biden Denied Communion by S.C. Priest over Abortion Advocacy No Room for Pro-Lifers in Democratic Party, Sanders Says: Abortion Rights Are 'Essential' 'Life Is a Sacred Gift from God' Trump Backs Ban on Late-Term Abortion in State of the Union Address Does Pete Buttigieg Believe Abortion Should Be Completely Unrestricted? Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Wideonet Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. Michael Domanico, 60, of Doylestown, Pa., owner of Trump Store, right, and his wife, Monica Domanico, 47, help a customer with their purchase during the opening of their new store in Bensalem on Feb. 11, 2020. Read more At the new Trump Store in Bensalem, there are no Biden shirts or Bernie mugs. Mike Domanico, who opened the shop for business Tuesday morning in a Street Road strip mall after manning a mall kiosk during the holidays, said the market has spoken on merchandise for Democratic presidential contenders. It just doesnt sell. But slap President Donald Trumps image or political slogans on a T-shirt, coffee mug, pen set, bumper sticker, hat, or magnet? That, Domanico says, he can peddle with no problem. Hes betting that Trumps bid for a second term will mean expanding profits from political merchandise. Im pretty sure hes getting elected again, Domanico said at the store Tuesday. As long as hes president, people are going to keep buying Trump items. As long as he wins, we may be here for four years. Customer Charles Bernsteel from Northeast Philadelphia paid $20 for a T-shirt that said Trump 45 over a picture of a gold semiautomatic pistol emblazoned with a presidential seal. Under the gun were the words Because the 44 didnt work for 8 years..." a knock on former President Barack Obamas record. Hes helping the country out for the first time, said Bernsteel, who is 58 and on disability after a construction accident. Weve got somebody in there with, shall I say, brass balls. Hes not going to take any crap. Hes not a politician. And thats what I love about him. Bernsteel said there are Trump supporters in his neighborhood who keep quiet about it for fear of backlash." Its a joke," he said. I laugh at it. Linda Gerard, a 70-year-old retiree from Northeast Philadelphia, came to the store already wearing a T-shirt that read, Trump 2020 Keep America Great. She and her husband, Allen, 71, also a retiree, planned to shop at other suburban stores Tuesday, but both said they wouldnt dare wear one of these shirts downtown in Philadelphia. Georgeanna Revell of Feasterville spent $30 on Make America Great Again-branded socks for a friend, some buttons, and two pens. Revell, 68, also said Trump is not a politician," and credited him with a booming economy that allowed her to retire before 70. Hes a businessman, and hes run businesses, and hes been through bankruptcies and hes been through hard times, and hes come through it," Revell said. And look what hes doing with the economy. Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania by just 0.73% in the 2016 general election. It was key to his Electoral College victory, and remains a critical state in his reelection campaign. Clinton won Bucks County by a similar margin, 0.78%, and beat Trump by almost nine points in Bensalem. Domanico ran a kiosk in the nearby Neshaminy Mall during the holidays, selling T-shirts, hats, mugs, stickers, and other Trump merchandise. One T-shirt, emblazoned with the phrase Border Wall Construction Co. Build the wall, deport them all, became a best-seller and was back on display Tuesday at the new store. But there were also complaints. A T-shirt that read Trump 2020 Finally someone with balls" offended some mall-goers as too racy to be prominently displayed. The malls management company, wary of political controversy, insisted that Domanico also sell merchandise in support of Democratic candidates for president. He went along, printing up T-shirts and other items with logos for former Vice President Joe Biden and Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The experience with the kiosk was, nobody wanted the Democratic stuff, said Domanico, who nevertheless found the retail market thriving enough to expand to a full-size store. The search for that space mirrored Domanicos hunt for a kiosk before the holiday season, when several malls declined to rent to him out of an abundance of caution. Domanico said he sought to rent six different stores, encountering landlords who worried about controversy, before David Fiori Realtors Inc. offered him a one-year lease. The landlord here was pro-Trump, so he was fine with it, Domanico said. Broker Victor Fiori did not respond to a request for comment. Domanico also runs a building maintenance company in Bensalem and founded a T-shirt business from that office in 2017. He spent six months traveling around the state, selling Trump merchandise at festivals and rallies, before opening his kiosk. The Trump Store is next to a shop displaying a sign reading Panaderia, the Spanish word for bakery. Inside, people wearing Trump gear bought snacks and coffee from workers who were speaking Spanish. In 2018, women in Hungary received a pension that was on average 16% below that of men, meaning that the gender gap in pensions was smaller than the EU average of 30%, according to statistical agency Eurostat. While women received lower pensions in all EU member states, the extent of the gap varied widely. The largest difference was registered in Luxembourg, where women aged over 65 received 43% less pension than men. The gap was also significant in Malta (42%), the Netherlands (40%), Austria (39%), Cyprus (38%) and Germany (37%). On the other end of the spectrum, the smallest differences were reported in Estonia (1%), Denmark (7%), Slovakia (8%), and the Czech Republic (13%), followed by Hungary. Eurostat says that compared with 2010, the gender pension gap has decreased in the majority member states. The agency recorded the most significant decreases in Greece (from 37% in 2010 to 25% in 2018, - 12 percentage points), Denmark (-11 pp), Belgium and Slovenia (both -10 pp) as well as in France (-9 pp). However, the gender pension gap increased in seven member states over the same period. The most significant increase was observed in Malta (from 22% in 2010 to 42% in 2018, +20 pp), followed by Latvia (+9 pp) and Croatia (+4 pp), while it remained unchanged in Slovakia. Poverty risk also below EU average In 2018, the proportion of pensioners aged at risk of poverty in the European Union (EU) stood at 15%, up 1 pp since 2017, yet below the risk of poverty of working-age population (16 to 64 years), which stands at almost 17%. In Hungary, only 10% of pensioners are at risk of poverty, the joint-fourth lowest rate in the EU. The lowest rates were recorded in Slovakia (6%), France (8%), Greece (9%), followed by Denmark, Luxembourg, and Hungary (all 10%). The countries with an at-risk-of-poverty rate above 30% were Estonia (54%), Latvia (50%), Lithuania (41%) and Bulgaria (30%). Southern Lit Alliance will be hosting, Music, Morsels and Musings, the keynote dinner for SouthWord Literary Festival. The speaker and musician is award-winning author Steve Yarbrough. The dinner will take place at the Westin Chattanooga on Friday, April 3, at 7 pm. This event also functions as a fundraiser for Southern Lit Alliance. Tickets for the Keynote dinner are $75 each. A table of eight can be reserved for $600. Music, Morsels and Musings with Yarbrough is taking place as a part of this years SouthWord Literary Festival. SouthWord is a two-day event featuring more than 30 members of the Fellowship of Southern Writers who will be sharing their stores and their craft, hosting workshops, participating in panel discussions, signing books and mingling with the public. Attendees can purchase a ticket to the Keynote dinner in bulk with a 2-day ticket to SouthWord for $150. Tayari Jones, the original keynote speaker, recently canceled her appearance at the SouthWord event and Steve Yarbrough is taking her place. Tickets to the Keynote dinner and to SouthWord can be reserved here: https://www.southernlitalliance.org/southword. Turkish forces have hit 115 Syrian government targets and destroyed 101 of them in retaliation of an attack that killed five Turkish soldiers in Syria's rebel-held northwest, according to the Turkish Defence Ministry on February 10. The Ministry confirmed that Turkish forces would continue to counter back any attacks on its troops. In a statement, the Ministry further added that 115 targets of the Syrian government were fired upon, and 101 targets were hit, destroying three tanks and one helicopter was shot down. READ: Turkey Says It Has Retaliated After Deadly Syrian Shelling Retaliatory attack kills 76 Syrian forces: Erdogan The development occurred just hours after the Turkish Defence Ministry issued a statement and said that the Syrian government forces had allegedly attacked one of its military posts in Idlib which killed five soldiers and injured another five. Eight Turkish nationals were killed after Syrian government forces hit an observation post in Idlib a week ago. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that this is a retaliatory attack that has been carried out after the shelling which killed 76 Syrian servicemen. READ: Turkey Sends More Troops, Tanks To Syria Amid Idlib Assault The Adana agreement is a legal document that allows turkey to intervene in Syria. Turkey aims for a diplomatic solution that sees elections in Syria, while Assad uses military force to hold on his power. Turkey also sees YPG as a threat while Assad uses them to fight opposition. Loksa (@Sweptocon) February 11, 2020 Four Turkish soldiers killed Days after the incident, media reported that Turkey was drawing up forces in the region. A convoy of 150 trucks carrying Turkish special forces troops, military equipment, and ammunition was seen at the Turkey-Syria border in the province of Hatay. At least four Turkish soldiers were killed and nine others were wounded in "intensive shelling" on Monday by Syrian government forces in northern Syria, Turkey's National Defence Ministry said. READ: U.S. Investigators Inspect Site Of Fatal Turkish Plane Crash READ: More Turkish Reinforcements In Syria; Russian Troops Killed Arvind Kejriwal could not have asked for a better day to celebrate the Delhi Assembly Election victory. As he retained power in the national capital on Tuesday after a bitterly contested election, it is also the birthday of his wife Sunita Kejriwal. As the party was taking big leads in the assembly elections, the family was joined by AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, ND Gupta and Sushil Gupta as they cut the birthday cake at the party office. Sunita Kejriwal turned 54 on Tuesday. Both were officers of the Indian Revenue Service before Kejriwal joined politics. While she has always maintained a low profile, Sunita has always stood with her husband. She and their two children were also active in campaigning for the incumbent CM. BCCL On the voting day, Sunita had tweeted a family photo outside a polling station. She said her son voted for the first time in any election. She had also hit out at BJP leaders who called her husband a "terrorist" and said that, "I think people will give them a befitting reply. It's been 25 years since we are married. He has always told social service is his passion. Those who are saying even they know are lying... either they are under some sort of pressure or they lack an individual identity." Sunita had also accompanied her husband to the Hanuman Mandir on the eve of Delhi assembly Election. On Tuesday, also the couple went to the Hanuman Mandir after the election results showed a landslide victory for the AAP. BCCL Earlier, Kejriwal began his 'victory speech' chanting Bharat Mata ki Jai, and even said, "Love you Delhi". "I thank people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time. This is not my personal victory, this is the victory of Delhiites. This the victory of the people who consider me as their son and voted for us," Kejriwal said at party office here. He also referred to the trends of the assembly polls, as the beginning of a new kind of politics. AFP "This is the beginning of a new kind of politics. This is a new sign. Only the party will get vote who will built mohalla clinics and good schools... This is the victory of mother India and India. Today is Tuesday, Hanuman-ji's day. Hanumanji ji blessed Delhi today, I thank him. We pray that Hanuman Ji keeps showing the right path to us so that we continue to serve people for the next five years," he said. WASHINGTON The Trump administration has ended its antitrust probe into a deal between California and four of the world's biggest automakers, after failing to find that the companies' conduct violated the law. The Justice Department's investigation, which started last fall, had aimed to determine whether antitrust laws were violated by Ford, Honda, Volkswagen and BMW in reaching the July deal with California. Under the deal, the automakers planned to comply with pollution and related mileage requirements established by California that are tougher than the federal standards sought by President Donald Trump. The Justice Department didn't find conduct violating the law and has closed the investigation, a person familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly. In September, the administration revoked California's authority to set auto mileage standards, asserting that only the federal government has the power to regulate greenhouse gas emissions and fuel economy. Top California officials and environmental groups took legal action to stop the rollback. Democrats accused the administration of using antitrust powers to target political opponents with the investigation. A top Justice Department official defended the probe before Congress and denied any political motivation or influence from the White House. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, said Friday that the Justice Department's trumped-up charges were always a sham a blatant attempt by the Trump administration to prevent more automakers from joining California and agreeing to stronger emissions standards." Newsom called the closing of the probe a big loss for the president and his weaponization of federal agencies." California's authority to set its own, tougher emissions standards dates back to a waiver issued by Congress during passage of the Clean Air Act in 1970. The state has long pushed automakers to adopt more fuel-efficient passenger vehicles that emit less pollution. About a dozen states and the District of Columbia also follow California's fuel economy standards. Story continues The deal struck by the state and the automakers bypassed the administration's plan to freeze emissions and fuel economy standards adopted under President Obama at 2021 levels. Related Video: Click here to See Video >> The US counter-spy agency said Monday that cyber and surveillance technology advances have multiplied the intelligence threat to the country, putting hacktivists and online manipulators on a par with venerable foe Russia. The biennial National Counterintelligence Strategy for the first time singled out anti-secrecy organizations, independent hackers and Islamic extremist groups as espionage threats requiring close attention. "The United States is facing increasingly aggressive and complex threats from foreign intelligence services, as well as state and non-state actors," said William Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center, which issued the report. Previous editions of the report singled out Russia, China, Iran and North Korea, along with transnational crime groups, as the central spying threats to the United States. The new strategy report adds Cuba, Hezbollah, Islamic State and Al-Qaeda as groups able to undertake intelligence operations against the country. In addition, it lists "ideologically motivated entities such as hacktivists, leaktivists, and public disclosure organizations," and foreigners with no formal organizational affinity who also conspire to steal sensitive data and intellectual property. While the report did not mention the group by name, it was clear that WikiLeaks, which has published a huge amount of stolen US secrets as well as top secret CIA hacking tools, contributed to the shift in threat perception. The rapid spread of advanced but still cheap technology for hacking and surveillance has made it possible for anyone to pose a threat, the report said. It pointed to the widespread availability of technologies with intelligence applications like biometric devices, unmanned systems, high resolution imagery, enhanced surveillance equipment, encryption, artificial intelligence, and advance hacking tools. "Foreign threat actors have become more dangerous because, with ready access to advanced technology, they are threatening a broader range of targets at lower risk," it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Delhi Elections Result 2020 : AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has reached Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place to offer prayers following his party's thumping win in Delhi election 2020. The police has cordoned off the entire area owing to the security arrangements. According to the trends, AAP would clench 62 seats, while BJP will be contained to only 8. Congress will draw a blank and lose from every seat it had contested. Congratulatory messages have poured in for the winning party. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, DMK Chief MK Stalin and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray congratulated AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, BJP has conceded defeat. BJP chief JP Nadda said that the party respects the mandate of the people of Delhi. BJP's Manoj Tiwari also said that they did not perform well and the results will be evaluated. He also asked the party workers to not get disheartened. The victorious Aam Aadmi Party has said that this is the first time a party has won on the basis of its work. 10.06 pm: AAP wins 62 seats As the counting for votes concludes, AAP has emerged the undisputed victor with 62 seats to its name. BJP managed only 8 seats, whereas Congress was limited to none. 9.05 pm: Out of 70 seats in Delhi Assembly, AAP has won 58 and is ahead on 4 others, taking the tally t0 62. Meanehile, BJP has won 7 seats amd is leading in one constituency. 8.83 pm: Trends so far show AAP victorious on 55 seats, whereas it is still leading on 7 seats, bringing the total tally to 62 seats. Meanwhile, BJP has won 7 seats is ahead on 1 seat. 6.35 pm: PM Narendra Modi congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on the stellar show in 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2020 6.26 pm: Arvind Kejriwal has won from New Delhi constituency. His party has won 38 seats so far, and is ahead on 24 others. 6.20 pm: ECI declares results for 40 out of 70 seats; AAP wins 37 The election commission of India (ECI) has announced results for 40 out of 70 seats in Delhi election 2020. AAP has won 37 assembly seats and is leading on 25 others. Whereas, BJP has won three seats and is leading on five. 6.15 pm: Manoj Tiwari reacts when asked by a reporter if he (reporter) should delete the screenshots of the tweets posted by Tiwari over Delhi elections. Watch Tiwari's reaction. #WATCH Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari, when asked by a reporter if he (reporter) should delete the screenshots of the tweets posted by Tiwari (over Delhi elections)? #DelhiResults pic.twitter.com/gMrQ53EJYg - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 6.10 pm: AAP victorious on 36 seats, BJP 3 as of 6 pm Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has won 36 seats and is leading on 26. Whereas, BJP has won 3 seats and is leading on 5 as of 6 pm. 6.04 pm: Actor Swara Bhaskar reacts to AAP's win in Delhi election 2020 Reacting to AAP's victorious lead in Delhi election 2020 Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar took to Twitter to express her elation. "Dilli Meri Jaan! Phir sey pyaar ho gaya tum sey," Swara tweeted. Huge CONGRATULATIONS to You @ArvindKejriwal @msisodia @AtishiAAP @raghav_chadha @dilipkpandey @KhanAmanatullah and all other victorious Candidates and team of @AamAadmiParty," she further said in her tweet. Dilli Meri Jaan! Phir sey pyaar ho gaya tum sey!! - Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) February 11, 2020 5.56 pm: Delhi Election Results 2020: AAP's Atishi Marlena wins high-stake battle in Kalkaji Atishi Marlena of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won from the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi assembly elections for 2020 in a high-stake battle against Dharamvir Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shivani Chopra of Congress. Atishi won by a margin of over 11,000 votes against her closest rival Dharambir Singh. At one point, she was leading by just seven votes against her BJP rival. Atishi also faced stiff competition from Shivani Chopra, the daughter of Subhash Chopra, Congress President, Delhi. Read more here: Delhi Election Results 2020: AAP's Atishi Marlena wins high-stake battle in Kalkaji 5.45 pm: Arvind Kejriwal offer prayers at Hanuman Temple in CP AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and party leader Manish Sisodia offered prayers at Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. Delhi: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and party leader Manish Sisodia offer prayers at Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/lmIwEqAEPj - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 5.30 pm: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Temple in CP AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has reached Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place to offer prayers following his party's thumping win in Delhi election 2020. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Temple at Cannaught Place to offer prayers. #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/srlNUN34UJ - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 5.17 pm: Arvind Kejriwal to visit Hanuman mandir in CP shortly AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit the Hanuman temple in Delhi's CP in a shortwhile from now as the party has registered a thumping win in Delhi election 2020. The police has cordoned off the entire area owing to the security arrangements. 5.10 pm: AAP victorious on 26 seats, BJP wins 2 as on 5.10 pm Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP as won 26 seats and is leading in 37 as per trends coming till 5.10 pm. Whereas, the BJP has won two seats and is leading in five. 5.00 PM: "We don't do politics of hate, we do politics of 'sabka saath sabka vikas'. Lot of things are said during elections but we never wanted that roads should be blocked for 60 days. We opposed that yesterday, we are opposing that today," said Manoj Tiwari. 4.53 PM: AAP shares images of Delhi government schools and Mohalla Clinics. Dear Delhi Govt schools and Mohalla Clinics, this is your victory. In the last 5 years, you've made Delhi proud. pic.twitter.com/qA9leDJhTA AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 4.51 PM: AAP wins 18 seats while BJP manages to secure only 1 seat so far. AAP is leading in another 45 seats while BJP is leading in 6 seats. Congress has managed to draw a blank. 4.47 PM: Manoj Tiwari on AAP's victory: "I thank the people of Delhi. I thank our party workers for their hardwork, they've done a lot. I accept the mandate of people of Delhi and congratulate Arvind Kejrwial. I hope he'll perform well as per the expectations of the people. We couldn't perform well. We'll evaluate this. Sometimes we get discouraged when results are not as per our expectations but I would like to tell our workers to not be disheartened...Compared to 2015 our winning percentage has increased." 4.43 PM: Visuals from Arvind Kejriwal's victory speech. "Delhi, you have done it," said Aam Aadmi Party. Delhi you have done it!!! For the first time in the history of India, an election has been won on the basis of work. pic.twitter.com/aPGms4Myfn AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 4.41 PM: Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Arvind Kejriwal who celebrates her birthday on February 11 said, "It's the biggest gift I've received. This is the victory of truth. I think politics should be done on basis of issues. Political parties should learn that such comments shouldn't be made." 4.39 PM: Former Congress leader Urmila Matondkar congratulates AAP. Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal on sweeping victory against huge odds.Great to see victory of . Its also a victory of people of #Delhi as they show that we need to vote on d basis of Development n Progress for Progessive India.Bravo #DelhiResults #AamAadmiParty pic.twitter.com/FHGKhcoHIq Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) February 11, 2020 4.37 PM: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on AAP's victory: "Congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party for an emphatic victory #DelhiResults. Wish you the best for making Delhi better than it is. People have spoken. Democracy has strengthened. Hopefully, acrimony will end." 4.32 PM: AAP wins in 13 seats, while BJP has managed to win in 1 till 4:30pm, according to the Election Commission. AAP is also leading in 46 seats, while BJP is ahead only in 6 seats. 4.30 PM: Raghav Chadha on AAP's victory: "People of Delhi have proven that Delhi's son Arvind Kejriwal isn't a terrorist but a true patriot. He's working for nation building, the work he's doing is what constitutes patriotism. What BJP is doing, isn't patriotism." 4.23 PM: A dejected Anil Vij, BJP leader said that in Delhi freebies won and issues lost. The AAP has breached the psychological mark of 63 while BJP has been contained to only 7 seats. 4.19 PM: Manoj Tiwari thanks voters in Delhi. He also took to Twitter to thank the workers for their work. 4.15 PM: Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on AAP's victory: "Leaving aside electoral issues, one must work and fulfill promises. We must steer clear of the level of politics which was there in Delhi Election. I congratulate Delhi for giving a decisive mandate fearlessly. I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal." 4.06 PM: BJP's OP Sharma secures Vishwas Nagar seat. He defeated Aam Aadmi Party's Deepak Singla by more than 10,000 votes. 4.00 PM: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on AAP's victory: "AAP win in Delhi has shown the nation 'jan ki baat'. The people of Delhi have bursted the thought process of those who felt they were deshbhakts and those opposing them were anti nationals. Now it's not Mann ki Baat but Jan ki Baat that will rule the nations and people of Delhi have shown this. The so called nationalist government put in all the might yet couldn't stand in front of the broom." 3.59 PM: BJP concedes defeat. "The BJP respects the mandate given by the people of Delhi," said BJP chief JP Nadda. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 11, 2020 3.55 PM: AAP secures Seelampur constituency that recently witnessed intense anti-CAA protests. AAP's candidate Abdul Rehman defeats BJP candidate in the fray Kaushal Kumar Mishra by a margin of 27,887 votes. 3.54 PM: Tejaswi Yadav on AAP's victory: "I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. The mandate given by the people of Delhi has shown that they will vote on work and development." 3.44 PM: Lord Hanuman has blessed us, may god give us more strength to serve people of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal 3.40 PM: Arvind Kejriwal thanks people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time; this is victory of Delhi people who considered me as their son and voted for us. 3.38 PM: Atishi on her victory: "Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in @AamAadmiParty and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhi's Govt. Schools the best in the country and now we'll make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi!" 3.36 PM: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal greets party workers at party headquarters in Delhi. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal greets party workers at party headquarters in Delhi. #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/h3ICwir27n ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 3.16 PM: AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal is expected to hold a press conference at the party headquarters at 3.30 PM. His party is head for a resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2020. 2.58 PM: P Chidambaram on AAP's victory: "AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022." #DelhiElectionResults: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia shows victory sign as he leads from Patparganj assembly constituency https://t.co/OFVsRCy9zt pic.twitter.com/52CVfhPyUN ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 2.50 PM: AAP leader Manish Sisodia says the BJP tried a lot to divide people on the lines of Hindu-Muslims, but the people of Delhi have shown that they have rejected this narrative and want development. 2.45 PM: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia shows victory sign as he leads from Patparganj assembly constituency. #WATCH Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha celebrates with party workers as trends show he is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency. pic.twitter.com/KTDmilbjrV ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 2.37 PM: Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha celebrates with party workers as trends show he is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency. -ANI 2.35 PM: Check Assembly-Wise Delhi Election Results 2.33 PM: Latest tally AAP: 61 BJP: 09 Congress: 0 2.32 PM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has breached the psychological mark of 60, while BJP has been reduced to just 10 seats. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had held several rallies in Delhi, primarily on the agendas of Citizenship Amendment Act. 2.27 PM: Congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. "Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country," says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. 2.25 PM: Kapil Mishra, BJP candidate from Model Town constituency: "I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi." 2.00 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrates with wife Sunita as AAP takes big lead Delhi Election results. Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country. pic.twitter.com/oJYbH7YsA3 Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) February 11, 2020 1.47 PM: BJP MP Parvesh Verma has said the party accepts the result. "We will work hard and give a better performance in the next elections. If this election would have been on Education and Development, then Education Minister (Manish Sisodia) would not have been trailing." 1.42 PM: Amanatullah Khan, AAP candidate from Okhla: Dilli ki janta ne aaj BJP aur Amit Shah ji ko current lagane ka kaam kiya hai, ye kaam ki jeet huyi hai aur nafrat ki haar. Maine nahi, janta ne record (his lead margin) toda hai. 1.41 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders huddled at party office. Political strategist Prashant Kishor also present. AAP is leading on 58 seats as per official EC trends. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrates with wife Sunita as AAP takes big lead #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/Ie2lKRVoyJ ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.37 PM: Manish Sisodia may lose his seat: Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia is trailing with a vote share of 47.75 per cent whereas BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi is leading with a vote share of 49.16 per cent. Sisodia's prime focus throughout his campaign was education and highlighting the initiatives taken by the AAP in the same regard. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Will Manish Sisodia lose his seat? 1.28 PM: With 'massive mandate', Delhi has said Kejriwal is 'not a terrorist': AAP leader Sanjay Singh With the early trends suggesting a third term for the AAP in Delhi, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said by giving a "massive mandate", people of the national capital have said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a staunch nationalist. Despite the BJP using all its might to wrest power in the national capital, the "son of Delhi" won, he said. -- PTI Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders at party office. Political Strategist Prashant Kishor also present. AAP is leading on 58 seats as per official EC trends pic.twitter.com/sZ5gR0kmBv ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.21 PM: Kejriwal for 2024? A poster of Arvind Kejriwal urging citizens to call on a helpline number to give their inputs for nation-building has been put up outside the AAP headquarters in Delhi. AAP started the outreach programme soon after the early trends poured in indicating a huge win for the party. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal vs Narendra Modi in 2024? AAP releases poster for nation building 1.15 PM: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee congratulates Arvind Kejriwal: "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." 1.13 PM: DMK President MK Stalin congratulates Arvind Kejriwal on the massive mandate. "This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics," MK Stalin. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on #DelhiElectionResults: I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected pic.twitter.com/VgpX9TmoLs ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.09 PM: Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP from East Delhi: "We accept Delhi Election Results and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal." 1.05 PM: AAP brothers and sisters, when we win today, stay humble, stay grounded: Singer and musician Vishal Dadlani. I congratulate @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty for forming government yet again in Delhi,on a massive mandate. This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics. Federal rights and regional aspirations must be strengthened in the interest of our country. M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 11, 2020 12.57 PM: Political strategist Prashant Kishor meets Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the AAP office. AAP looks certain to retain power in Delhi. BJP MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir: We accept #DelhiElectionResults and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal. pic.twitter.com/GO4HG7s5fI ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 12.54 PM: Prashant Kishor has thanked the people of Delhi for standing up to protect the "soul of India". Haare toh mehnat karenge, Jeete toh aur mehnat karenge. Not watching the counting. Too stressful. Will be back post-result. May whatever is best for India, happen.#AAP brothers & sisters, when we win today, stay humble, stay grounded. Jai Hind. VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) February 11, 2020 12.52 PM: Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! 12.44 PM: As per the latest official trends, the AAP is ahead on 57 seats while the BJP is distant second on 13 seats. The Congress seems to have failed in securing lead. 12.42 PM: BJP chief Manoj Tiwari: "Now, all talk is over. Now, we have to wait for the blessings of the people. I am confident it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Don't be surprised if we win 55 seats." 12.32 PM: Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, while celebrating the party's victory at the party office, says 'Aaj Hindustan jeet gaya'. 12.27 PM: Cong leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: "Common people have decided they will choose either BJP or AAP. It's a vote for development agenda...From PM to grassroots workers, it's been a fight between a giant and a pygmy and the pygmy has won." 12.16 PM: AAP's Amanatullah Khan trailing from Okhla: In Okhla, AAP's candidate Amanatullah Khan is trailing against the BJP's Braham Singh. Braham Singh has so far secured a vote share of 52.48 per cent, whereas Khan has secured a vote share of 40.42 per cent. 11.53 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia trailing behind BJP's Ravi Negi by 1576 votes, in Patparganj Assembly constituency. AAP'a Rajesh Rishi leading against Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashish Sood from Janakpuri, after 7 rounds of counting. 11.42 AM: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is leading by a margin of 6,413 votes against BJP's Sunil Yadav with 5,182 votes. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Political Strategist Prashant Kishor at AAP party office pic.twitter.com/Lxx4fbdMM7 ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 11.08 AM: Aam Aadmi Party appears to be heading back to power for a second term in Delhi with the party leading in 57 seats of the 70 and the BJP ahead in 13 as votes for last week's Assembly elections are being counted. 11.03 AM: AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi now leading from Model Town constituency. BJP candidate Kapil Mishra was leading earlier in the day. India Today-Axis My India exit poll had predicted a victory for Kejriwal-led party. Delhi Election 2020: Check Model Town Election Results 11.01 AM: Visuals of AAP workers celebrating in Amritsar. Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) February 11, 2020 10.59 AM: AAP leads with 52 seats while BJP distant second with 18 seats. 10.57 AM: Close contest between AAP and BJP in Patparganj. AAP's Manish Sisodia is at 4,945 votes, BJP's Ravi Negi at 4,983 votes so far. 10.56 AM: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot leading by 85 votes from Najafgarh constituency, as per Election Commission. 10.55 AM: AAP candidate Sanjeev Jha leading by 6,988 votes from Burari constituency. 10.51 AM: AAP's Pramila Tokas leading from RK Puram constituency: Election Commission 10.50 AM: Visuals from BJP headquarters. Maharashtra: Aam Aadmi Party workers in Mumbai's Andheri celebrate the party's performance in #DelhiPolls2020. pic.twitter.com/gSJH8F8vkf ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 10.48 AM: Congress MP AR Chowdhury said, "Everyone knew that Aam Aadmi Party will return to power for the third time. Congress's defeat will not send a good message. The victory of AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party and its communal agenda is significant." 10.45 AM: Manoj Tiwari says he is ready to take responsibility of whatever happens. "I am ready to take responsibility for whatever the result is," he told India Today. 10.40 AM: According to Election Commission, AAP is leading on 45 seats, while BJP is trailing with leads on 19 seats. 10.38 AM: AAP's Jarnail Singh is leading from Tilak Nagar after first round of counting. 10.34 AM: Amid a huge gap between the BJP and AAP, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has said that there is still time before counting of votes concludes. He also said as the BJP chief, he would accept the Delhi people's mandate respectfully. Punjab: Aam Aadmi Party workers in Amritsar celebrate as trends indicate lead for the party. #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/D7LUgACXkE ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 10.23 AM: Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra leading from Model Town by a margin of 98 votes; Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj by a margin of 112 votes. Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra has the daunting task of dethroning Aam Aadmi Party's incumbent MLA from Model Town Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. Latest visuals from Bharatiya Janata Party Headquarters. BJP is at 18 seats and AAP is at 50 seats as per official EC trends right now pic.twitter.com/EUxnIR4vJj ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 Also read: Model Town Election Results: BJP's Kapil Mishra aims to dethrone AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi 10.15 AM: Almost two hours after the counting of votes started in Delhi, the AAP has secured lead on 49 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls 2020. The BJP as of now is a distant second at 20 seats whereas the Congress is still at 0 seats. 10.03 AM: Official EC trends suggest AAP is leading on 22 seats while BJP is head on just 14 seats. 9.57 AM: Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is leading by a margin of 2,026 votes from the New Delhi constituency. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijender Gupta is trailing by 1,172 votes from Rohini. -ANI Also read: New Delhi Election Results: Arvind Kejriwal leads in early trends as AAP eyes third term 9.55 AM: Reversing trend after two days of fall, market indices Sensex and Nifty opened bullish, up 0.70% each on Tuesday, tracking following strong cues from global equities amid Delhi Election Result Day. Check full story here. 9.45 AM: People of Delhi have accepted our governance model. At the counting centre, right now, I can see I am getting double the votes as compared to the BJP candidate: Saurabh Bhardwaj Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari: Trends indicate that there is a gap between AAP-BJP, there is still time. We are hopeful. Whatever the outcome, being the State Chief I am responsible. #DelhiElectionResults pic.twitter.com/k2G7r0OGCu ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.42 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Madal Lal leading from Kasturba Nagar after first round of counting. 9.40 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Saurabh Bhardwaj leading with a margin of 1,505 votes from Greater Kailash constituency, reports ANI. Saurabh Bhardwaj is one of the prominent candidates of the party. 9.35 AM: Celebrations have begun at the Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi after initial trends suggested the party is leading by a huge margin in the national capital. #DelhiElectionResults: Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra leading from Model Town by a margin of 98 votes; Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj by a margin of 112 votes. (file pics) pic.twitter.com/AOwR9ki4YE ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.30 AM: AAP candidate from Rajinder Nagar, Raghav Chadha, leading from Gole Market. The Rajinder Nagar constituency has witnessed a tough fight between 31-year-old Raghav Chadha from AAP and 25-year-old Rocky Tuseed from Congress and 58-year-old veteran RP Singh from BJP. While this is Raghav Chadha's first assembly election, he had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 General Elections from South Delhi. 9.27 AM: Aam Aadmi Party is leading on 24 of the total 27 strongholds of the party, says India Today. Burari: Leading Timarpur: Leading Mangolpuri: Leading Shalimar Bagh: Trailing Shakur Basti: Leading Model Town: Leading Sadar Bazar: Leading Karol Bagh: Leading Patel Nagar: Leading Madipur: Trailing Hari Nagar: Leading Tilak Nagar: Leading Vikaspuri: Leading Delhi Cantt: Trailing New Delhi: Leading Jangpura: Leading Kasturba Nagar: Leading Malviya Nagar: Leading Deoli: Leading Ambedkar Nagar: Leading 9.22 AM: Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj: Going by the early trends, Manish Sisodia looks like he will retain the seat.Sisodia is contesting against BJP's Ravi Negi and INC's Laxman Rawat. Both Negi and Rawat are first-timers. Ravi Negi is also BJP ward president from Vinod Nagar. 9.08 AM: AAP MP Sanjay Singh: "Wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win." Aam Aadmi Party's Saurabh Bhardwaj: People of Delhi have accepted our governance model. At the counting centre, right now, I can see I am getting double the votes as compared to the BJP candidate. https://t.co/6jdOIL4MJy ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.00 AM: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj Assembly constituency Manish Sisodia and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ravi Negi at Akshardham counting centre. Sanjay Singh, AAP MP on early trends: Wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win. #DelhiResults pic.twitter.com/XUHwuKbquC ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 8.53 AM: AAP leader Atishi leading in Kalkaji: Atishi has been widely credited for her role in the upliftment of government schools in Delhi. The Oxford University graduate said that education and health have been some of the primary issues of the Kejriwal government apart from women empowerment. 8.49 AM: The AAP headquarters has been decorated as initial trends suggest a big victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. As per reports, the Delhi CM will arrive the headquarters along with his family soon. 8.43 AM: All real-time trends and results of Delhi Elections 2020 will be available on ECI's website results.eci.gov.in and voter helpline app. #DelhiElections: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj assembly constituency Manish Sisodia and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ravi Negi at Akshardham counting centre pic.twitter.com/VAlUKxWMQj ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 8.30 AM: Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal leads from New Delhi Assembly seat. Counting still underway. If AAP wins Delhi polls 2020 then Arvind Kejriwal would become chief minister of the national capital for third term. The majority mark in the 70-member assembly stands at 36. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today 8.23 AM: Early trends show AAP leading on 31 seats. The BJP is ahead on eight seats and Congress on three seats. 8.11 AM: BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari says he's not nervous. "Today will be a good day for BJP. Workers at the party headquarters have started preparing for celebrations." All real-time trends and results of Elections will be available on ECI's website https://t.co/kpYetPcU6R and Voter Helpline App from 8:00 am onwards on 11th February 2020. Stay updated! For more details, visit: https://t.co/HAPCkSGWxL#ECI #DelhiAssemblyElections2020 pic.twitter.com/oaIFCQoulx Election Commission of India #SVEEP (@ECISVEEP) February 10, 2020 8.08 AM: Counting of votes begins, visuals from a counting centre in Maharani Bagh. 8.01 AM: Delhi Election Results 2020: Counting of votes starts The counting of votes has started for the Delhi Assembly polls 2020. The Delhi Assembly elections were held on February 8. The fate of 672 candidates across all 70 constituencies will be decided today. The Delhi elections were a tripartite contest between the Arvind Kejirwal-led AAP, the BJP and the Congress. 7.40 AM: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia offers prayers at his residence ahead of counting for Assembly elections. Sisodia says AAP is confident of a win because it has worked for people in the last five years. Counting of votes begins, visuals from a counting centre in Maharani Bagh. #DelhiResults pic.twitter.com/PzyFNLe9Em ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.33 AM: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia tweets a prayer 'Asato Ma Sadgamya' (Oh god, lead me to light from darkness). Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia: We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last 5 years. https://t.co/kBIW1zRSjH pic.twitter.com/eUuiVKSsk5 ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.18 AM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked AAP volunteers not to burst crackers during victory celebrations to prevent pollution. 7.10 AM: Children showing their support for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Counting for all 70 Assembly seats in Delhi to begin at 8 AM. ! Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 11, 2020 Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? 7.05 AM: Supporters of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal outside his house early morning on Tuesday. #DelhiElections2020: An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter reaches Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence with his children. Counting for all 70 assembly seats in Delhi to begin at 8 am. pic.twitter.com/jFG9M6VZ4W ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.01 AM: About 15,000 police personnel will guard the counting centres to ensure there's no untoward incident on the counting day. No one except authorised agents of political parties will be allowed enter the counting centres. Besides, the EC has deployed flying squads around headquarters of political parties. 6.55 AM: Delhi Traffic Police Update: Traffic movement will remain closed on Muni Maya Ram Marg near Guru Nanak Dev Institute of Technology (both carriageways) due to the counting of votes today. Traffic movement will also be closed on road number 224 Dwarka from Sector 7/9 crossing towards Sector 9/10. -- ANI 6.50 AM: Top candidates to watch out for in Delhi polls 2020 CONGRESS: Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Shivani, Yogananda Shastri, Priyanka Singh, Alka Lamba and Adarsh Shastri Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Shivani, Yogananda Shastri, Priyanka Singh, Alka Lamba and Adarsh Shastri BJP: Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, Jagdish Sharma, Sunil Yadav, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and Dharamveer Singh, Kapil Mishra Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, Jagdish Sharma, Sunil Yadav, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and Dharamveer Singh, Kapil Mishra AAP: Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chadha, Somnath Bharti, Atishi Marlena and Somnath Bharti 6.45 AM: How you can check Delhi Assembly Election Results To stay updated, the ECI's official website will have realtime information about the results. They will also be available on the Voter Helpline App. Apart from the ECI app and official website, the Delhi Assembly elections can be accessed live on BusinessToday.In, India Today TV, IndiaToday.In, AajTak TV. India Today and AajTak will begin live coverage anywhere between 6 am and 7 am. 6.42 AM: According to India Today-Axis My India survey, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is expected to win 59-68 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections 2020. The BJP will once again remain a distant second with only 2-11 seats. The exit poll predicted that about 48 per cent voters shifted from the BJP to AAP since General Election 2019. The 48 per cent voters comprise a large chunk of the lower and lower-middle-class, segment, the survey said. Other exit polls, conducted by Times Now-IPSOS, Republic-Jan Ki Baat, ABP News, NEWSx and TV9 Bharatvarsh, also predicted that AAP is likely to secure over two-thirds majority in Delhi Assembly Elections 2020. Almost, every exit poll signalled that Kejriwal remained the most preferred choice as the Chief Minister of Delhi. 6.35 AM: The progress of vote counting can be tracked live across various platforms offered by the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes and results on individual seats will be declared live on Election Commission of India websites -- eciresults.nic.in, eci.gov.in and results.eci.gov.in. 6.30 AM: Trends on the Delhi Assembly elections will start coming in soon after the counting starts around 8 am. Readers can log on to BusinessToday.In to catch all the latest updates on the Delhi Election results. You can also go to IndiaToday.In or Aaj Tak for early trends on the polls. 6.25 AM: Flashback to Delhi Elections 2015 India Against Corruption and the hunger strikes with Anna Hazare introduced a former Indian Revenue Service officer Arvind Kejriwal into the world of politics in 2013. Arvind Kejriwal won the Delhi elections and dethroned the Congress in its stronghold of 15 long years. The verdict was split and Kejriwal had to resign from the post of CM. This led to presidential rule in Delhi and elections were held after two years. In these elections,the AAP swept the Delhi Elections 2015 with a landslide victory by winning 67 out of 70 seats. This election saw the saffron party reduced to merely 3 seats. The Congress did not win any seat in this election. Also Read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Date, vote counting time, FAQs, exit poll results 6.15 AM: AAP Okhla candidate Amanatullah Khan & Jangpura candidate Praveen Kumar gather outside Meerabai Institute of Technology in Maharanibagh, the designated 'Strong Room' to store EVMs used in Delhi Assembly Polls 2020. After working in New York for several years post high school and taking a class at Columbia University with the famed art photographer Clarence H. White she decided to take off on a trip around the world with a friend; a pickpocket curtailed their ambitions and they never made it farther than California. Lange would live there for the next half century. Despite her brief experience with White, she was mostly self-taught, trained in the commercial demands of commissioned portrait photography, whose wealthy subjects sat for her in a rented San Francisco studio. She grew into her aesthetic style and moral motivations, which came to her, together, at once. She was still married to her first husband at the time, an esteemed landscape and mural painter, and her two sons were young. It was 1933, and the Great Depression had reached its lowest point. Lange looked out the window of her studio, where her wealthy and safely ensconced patrons sat, and saw the ravages of joblessness and hunger on the streets below. It was then that she took her first documentary photograph, White Angel Breadline, which today remains a kind of visual shorthand for food scarcity during the Depression. This single image of a group of downtrodden men, all with their backs to the camera except one, whose dirty face is looking hopelessly at the ground would position Lange alongside Woody Guthrie as a primary witness to Americas decline in the 1930s. With her camera she would capture remarkably intimate images that were universal in their communication of shared suffering: an oddly thin baby nursing at his mothers breast inside a homemade tent in Blythe, Calif. (Drought Refugees From Oklahoma Camping by the Roadside, 1936); a man sitting beside an upturned wheelbarrow, his head bowed low in desperation (Man Beside Wheelbarrow, 1934); two laborers walking down a long and empty dirt road with perhaps all they own in their hands, as they stride past a mocking billboard advertisement for the Southern Pacific railway that reads Next Time Try the Train, Relax (Toward Los Angeles, California, 1937). Not long after abandoning society pictures, Lange was separated from her husband and working alongside Paul Taylor, a Berkeley agricultural economist whom she would soon marry. The California State Emergency Relief Administration hired Taylor in 1934 to study migrant workers, and he convinced them to hire Lange in 1935, sneaking her onto his research trips as a typist, knowing very well that she would, in fact, be photographing everything. They traversed the state and together devised a new kind of multimedia sociology, one that was part oral history and part visual documentation. Sometimes their tactics were wily. In Arizona, Taylor got a running count of migrants by hiring a gas-station attendant to clock them. His figures, alongside Langes photographs of extreme destitution and hopelessness, were the first records of what would become known as the Dust Bowl, the name given to the drought-choked Southern Plains. The physical image we retain of this era was almost single-handedly shaped by Lange. Her initial joint report with Taylor was spiral-bound and included over 50 of Langes photographs. These were bureaucratic reports conceived like novels, with Lange capturing the sort of detail no pie chart could render the decaying roll of linoleum, for instance, that a homeless family had been carting around for three years in hopes of once again having a kitchen floor. What has turned Hamilton into the must-see hit that all your friends are talking about? For millennials in Ontario, it seems that a diverse cast and clever writing has skyrocketed this Broadway musical making its Toronto debut Tuesday night onto everyones radar. Anna Abraham, 23, is a self-described musical theatre person and has had tickets in hand for Hamilton since they went on sale for the productions run in Ottawa. She set up her laptop and logged onto Ticketmaster, where she purchased four tickets for a June performace for $675 total, well under her budget of $400 each. It isnt just the music that drew her into Hamilton. What is particularly appealing, Abraham said, is the shows wide representation of people of colour. Im a woman of colour . . . I dont get to see a lot of roles and musical theatre that really reflect my identity or experience, Abraham said. Hamilton crafts a politcal narrative in a way thats entertaining and relatable to people from all walks of life, Abraham said. And I think thats really cool in that you really get to find something you can connect to, she said. Theres also a humility and theres also sacrifice and . . . nuanced characters. None of them are perfect. Abraham said her friends are also fans. While one is a musical theatre fan, another doesnt really like musicals and doesnt really listen to a lot of music, Abraham said. But he loves Hamilton because he loves politics. He lives, eats and breathes politics. Abraham knows the show inside and out. She has even co-authored a full-length parody of the show called Jeb! and based on the 2016 Republican primaries which went viral. Abraham wrote the show with her friends instead of studying for midterms in 2016. The soundtrack was the draw for 21-year-old Zaib Qureshi, who snagged tickets for an April show in Toronto. I really love showtunes but incorporating hip hop and such contemporary music into it was so interesting to listen to, she explained. Its crazy how just listening to the songs gave me so much insight into the plot itself and got me so attached to every character. I think I cried about five times listening to it for the first time. Qureshi said she did a deep dive into the musicals creator, Lin Manuel Miranda, and how the production came together. Qureshi hasnt seen many musicals, despite her interest in showtunes. Before Hamilton, she had only seen Dear Evan Hansen which she attended on a student deal. This would be my second live musical and the only show Ive ever spent a lot of money to go see, Qureshi said. Qureshi paid $200 for her tickets each a maximum spend, as she is a student. Qureshi said she really couldnt justify spending more. She made sure to purchase tickets through the official Mirvish website instead of resale sites out of fear that prices could climb on the secondary market. Kate Dupuis told the Star she has loved musicals since she was a little girl. I sing showtunes around my house all the time, and love to see all sorts of artistic performances, she explained in an email. Dupuis, 37, said she paid $200 plus service charges for her ticket during the presale. I saw the musical in New York with my mom but my husband hasnt seen it yet so I was very eager to secure some tickets, she said. I love Hamilton, have been listening to the soundtrack since it was released and following along on social media. The backstory is incredible who would have thought that a musical about the American founding fathers would have become a worldwide phenomenon, Dupuis said. I love the diversity of its creators and original cast. The lyrics are so clever and the music is beautiful. Dupuis would hesitate to drop the money on a resale ticket out of fear it may be counterfeit. Unlike others, she didnt have a maximum spend in mind when she set out to get seats at the show. Having paid $200 (U.S.) to see the show on Broadway, the $200 price tag here seemed fair to her. For Rebecca Power, the musicals draw is less about the content and more about sharing in an experience with her friends. Sometimes if theres (a show) that seems interesting to me Ill go see it, but . . . I dont really have a lot of friends whod want to go but this time I did, Power, 26, said. She explained that shes interested in learning more about the plot of the show her friends have spoken so highly of. Power purchased tickets for the April 9 show in Toronto with two people, opting for the lower-priced mezzanine tickets for $110. I wouldnt spend more than $150 on tickets, Power said, noting that is her budget for bigger shows that she is interested in. She would never have considered purchasing resale tickets for the show, and simply wouldnt have attended if she couldnt get a seat in her desired price range. While Mirvish Productions doesnt keep hard data on the age range of people buying tickets, the customers have been younger than usual, said John Karastamatis, the companys director of communications. Karastamatis said 90 per cent of tickets were sold to people who had never purchased through Mirvish before. Though there arent numbers to back it up, Karastamatis expects Hamilton to have a young audience due to how contemporary the show is. It isnt our grandmonthers musical theatre, he said. It is also within the great tradition of American musical theatre. It hasnt given that up it updates it. Wildlife rescuers are racing to ensure koalas and other animals caught in this summer's devastating bushfires are saved. The massive inferno which engulfed Kangaroo Island in South Australia in January destroyed more than 210,000 hectares - about one-third of the entire island. The koala population has been drastically reduced to just 5,000 compared to nearly 60,000 before the horrific fires, Wildlife, Ecosystems and Habitat Bushfire Recovery Taskforce chairwoman Felicity-Ann Lewis said. The koala population on Kangaroo Island has drastically decimated to between 5,000-10,000 Aerial view from a drone of the burnt out areas on Kangaroo Island on January 18, 2020 Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park manager Sam Mitchell took in 600 koalas to help rehabilitate but only half survived due to lack of habitat. 'I have plantations on my own property so we have enough to feed them but that will only last a few months,' he told Adelaide Now. 'You go out there and see there was one or two trees that didn't burn and you'll see 30 koalas in there. 'Kangaroo Island was considered the insurance population the chlamydia-free population of koalas so when you have anywhere up to 60,000 that's a pretty good number that could save the species, and now we're down to 10,000 so that's another problem.' Injured koalas lay in baskets after being rescued from a bushfires on Kangaroo Island Orphaned joey koalas huddle together at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park Dr Rachel Westcott, a coordinator for South Australian Veterinary Emergency Management, said they are still struggling to find more koalas. 'Either the losses are a lot more than estimated, or there are areas we haven't got to,' she told 10Daily. 'We're finding a lot of dead bodies, deceased things, animals against fences where they couldn't get out. 'The landscape looks like it's been hit by a nuclear bomb.' An injured koala is transported by a vet at the Kangaroo Island Wildlife Park A dead koala found on Kangaroo Island following them massive inferno which engulfed the island A GoFundMe page launched in January has raised a staggering $2,432,070 - exceeding the initial $15,000 goal. The biggest challenge rescuers are facing is the lack of habitat as koalas and other animals struggle to find vegetation to eat. Ecologists have found more habitat further up on the island but there is not enough for 5,000 koalas. 'We don't have the resources to bring 5,000 koalas somewhere to feed them. At this stage people are just being calm and waiting to see how this pans out,' Dr Lewis said. Further to that, the Environment Department is building fences to control wild cats and foxes who are threatening native animals. Despite the drastic decrease in the number of koalas, the department is confident the population would recover after a successful regrowth from just 18 animals in the 1920s. EAST ALTON Rosewood Chiropractic Clinic at 33 East Airline Drive in East Alton is celebrating 60 years of service to the community. Designed and built by Dr. L. L. Hertenstein, Rosewood Chiropractic Clinic opened its doors to patients in 1960. Dr. Samuel G. Brinkley purchased the clinic in 1977. In 2004, Dr. Brinkley retired after providing chiropractic care for more than 27 years. Dr. Andy Dykeman, who graduated in 2003 from the Logan College of Chiropractic, acquired the practice from Dr. Brinkley and is currently the sole proprietor. Born and raised in Alton, Dykeman received a bachelors degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in 1990. After graduating from SIUE, he toured the U.S. with a rock band and released numerous recordings. In 1997, he began work at the Nashville Medical Examiners Office as a forensic technician/pathology assistant, completing technical aspects of postmortem examinations and assisting in forensic autopsies while completing pre-med requirements at Belmont University in Nashville, Tennessee. Dykeman is a past vice president of the Illinois Chiropractic Society and an alternate delegate of Illinois for the American Chiropractic Association. He served on the Madison County Health Department Advisory Committee and is a member of the American Chiropractic Association, the Logan College Alumni Association, the Missouri State Chiropractic Association, the Wood River Rotary Club and the Illinois Chiropractic Society. Dr. Hertenstein wouldnt be able to recognize the business of chiropractic anymore, Dykeman said. Although research has proven the efficacy of conservative chiropractic care, the current model of healthcare has made running a clinic quite a challenge, to say the least. But I still love coming into work everyday and treating my patients, he said. That makes it all worthwhile. For more information, call 618-259-2676 or visit www.rosewoodchirporactic.com. The owners of WestVic Common are taking a build it and they will come approach to the redevelopment of the shopping centre in Brandons west end. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Advertisement Advertise With Us The owners of WestVic Common are taking a "build it and they will come" approach to the redevelopment of the shopping centre in Brandons west end. Mark Olson, president of Winnipeg-based Landstar Development Corporation, the owner of WestVic Common, said the company is beginning extensive renovations to the outside of the 1970s shopping centre to bring it up to modern standards. Signs advertise the WestVic Common redevelopment at the corner of Victoria Avenue and 34th Street. (Drew May/The Brandon Sun) "Youve got to change this 1974 look to current standards, especially for tenants that want to come in and pay market-based rents," he said "Its a very big project. When its all said and done I suspect it will be over $10 million for the renovation and rework of this whole site." The shopping centre used to be home to a Zellers, but now Sobeys is the propertys lone occupant, filling a space in the western end of the building. The company is using a "flex space plan" in an attempt to find tenants for the buildings 83,000 vacant square feet, which means prospective renters can specify how much of the total space they want to rent, Olson said. The leftover space will be divided and used for offices or other smaller-scale tenants to boost revenue. The company filed an application with the city in November 2019 for conditional use of the property, for a retail development over 50,000 sq. ft. and updated land use. If approved, the company could start work on phase one of the construction, which Olson estimates will cost approximately $3 million. The first phase is about redoing the main building. According to documents submitted to the city by McGowan Russell Group on behalf of Landstar Development, an automotive service station could be built on one of five future pad sites and a self-storage facility could be built in the existing mall building. Olson clarified that the automotive station and storage facility are only examples of what could go in and are not confirmed. So far, only one new tenant is confirmed to be moving into WestVic Common, with Princess Dental confirming the move in a letter to patients in January. The letter of intent for the property submitted to the city says the developer also intends to add up to five standalone pad sites fronting Victoria Avenue and 34th Street. Possible uses for the pad buildings include convenience stores, medical offices or restaurants. The pad sites will be custom, Olson said, and wont be built until tenants are lined up. "This is really a white elephant in Brandon right now and I think people will get behind it when they start seeing what were doing and the idea of creating something that the community can now look at instead of being an eyesore something that will be an asset to the community rather than a liability," he said. Once completed, businesses will front both the south and east sides of the building. Coun. Barry Cullen (Victoria), who represents the area, said the empty property is a concern to the city. The longer it stays empty the more the propertys value drops, which means the city collects less property tax. Its also a concern for residents, who dont have those retail services close to home, he added. The city is growing in the south end, which means more businesses are opening along 18th Street, further away from west-end residents. "Its just nice to see something happening right now. Its been a big open space for a long time," Cullen said. "Its really nice to see this as being a catalyst. Hopefully, this will get everything moving." dmay@brandonsun.com Twitter: @DrewMay- VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / ZoomAway Travel Inc. (TSXV:ZMA) (US OTCQB:ZMWYF) (the "Company" or "ZMA") www.zoomaway.com, is excited to announce that it has been approved by the OTCQB Market ("OTCQB") and has begun trading under the symbol "ZMWYF". The OTC is one of the largest financial market service providers in the world, with a history spanning more than a century and over 10,000 listings. "Being quoted on the OTC Markets is very exciting for us. With the company located in the United States, and within close proximity to major technology and financial sectors; having the ability to trade in the US will provide for increased exposure for our company. Having a listing in both Canada and the U.S establishes a cohesive and coherent identity for current and prospective investors," commented Sean Schaeffer, CEO of Zoomaway. "We will have access to one of the deepest investment capital pools available, tremendous exposure, and the ability to interact directly with new potential shareholders and institutional investors. This opportunity also allows us to attract more US and globally based acquisitions." Mr. Schaeffer continued, "We believe that it is very important for investors to be selective and look for opportunities where there is evidence of disruption. ZoomedOUT, our groundbreaking flagship product allows us to differentiate ourselves from competitors in the marketplace. The team has been working very hard at finalizing this process, I believe it is the most significant landmark in the company's history to date." For additional information contact: Sean Schaeffer, President, ZoomAway Inc., at 775-691-8860 | sean@zoomaway.com or stay up-to-date and sign up for our newsletter. About Us Zoomaway Travel Inc. is a technology company that is revolutionizing the Hospitality and Travel Industries. We have developed a variety of software solutions that enhance the planning and engagement of everyday tourists. Our flagship project, ZoomedOUT, is a complete modernization and re-imagination of mobile travel apps. In a full 3D environment, we are able to integrate planning, booking, social media, and camaraderie into a tangibly rewarding experience. We are combining Travel, Hospitality, Mobile Gaming and Augmented Reality to change the way users travel into 2020 and beyond. Additional information about ZoomAway Inc. can be found at www.zoomaway.com. About Zero8 Studios, Inc. Zero8 Studios, based in Reno, Nevada, specializes in new and innovative games and technology platforms. With a focus on social gaming and almost two decades of experience building countless game titles, gaming platforms, and various technologies. The Zero8 Studios' team has assisted dozens of AAA publishers, large clientele, manufacturers, and casinos in the design, production, and delivery of their products to players around the world. Additional information can be found at www.zero8studios.com. Forward-Looking Statements This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Company expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "potential" and similar expressions, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could" or "should" occur. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates, and opinions of the Company's management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that management's beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor it's Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Offering and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. SOURCE: ZoomAway Travel Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576000/ZoomAway-Receives-Approval-to-Trade-on-the-US-Markets A Northwest Side convenience store was completely destroyed Monday night after a 2-alarm fire ripped through the building, the San Antonio Fire Department said. Crews responded to the Hamilton Food Mart, located near the 1300 block of Culebra Road, around 9:30 p.m. for the structure fire. The fire was burning through the roof when crews arrived, and completely destroyed the inside of the store, said SAFD Battalion Chief Mark Trevino. "Because it was a convenience store, there was a lot of content in the fire," Trevino said. "We had to go defensive pretty quickly because the roof was completely burned through." FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox He said the roof eventually ended up collapsing, though no firefighters were inside at the time. The building is a total loss, Trevino confirmed. Damage was estimated at about $120,000. "They are going to have to tear it down," he said. "There isn't going to be anything salvageable except for the lot." No one was inside the store at the time, as the business was closed for the night. Crews shut down Culebra as they battled the fire, as the area is heavy with traffic, Trevino said. "On an intersection like this, I think the majority of us would rather inconvenience the drivers for 30 minutes for their safety as well as ours, I don't think anyone is going to mind," Trevino said. "It is better to just shut it down, especially with a building where it is right on the corner where people are going to be looking and going to be passing." The cause of the fire wasn't determined, but arson investigators were called to the scene. 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 Many big farm produce wholesale markets and supermarket chains returned to normal operation on Monday, an official with the Ministry of Commerce said. Fifty big wholesale markets of agricultural products supervised by the ministry have opened for business, Zhu Xiaoliang, director of the ministry's market system development department, told an online press conference. Over 92 percent of more than 7,000 supermarket outlets in 34 large and medium-sized cities across the country have also resumed operation, he said. The ministry will continue to closely monitor the operation of wholesale markets and commercial outlets to keep track of inventory and price changes and ensure sufficient supplies of daily necessities, Zhu said. The country has released frozen pork reserves and increased imports to ensure supplies of food and medical gear amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The latest official data showed that the wholesale price of grain edged up 0.2 percent from three weeks ago, while that of eggs fell 9.7 percent during the period. The wholesale prices of pork, beef and mutton went up 3.5 percent, 0.7 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively, over the past three weeks. While 30 types of vegetables saw prices rise 10.7 percent, six kinds of fruits registered a mild hike of 1.7 percent. No panic buying Except for fresh meat and some leafy vegetables, most essentials are in abundant supply in Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, Zhu said, adding that there was no obvious panic buying in the city. The two biggest local wholesale markets have reopened for business, with daily transactions exceeding 3,000 tonnes, he added. As part of its efforts to ensure supplies in the city, the country allocated 2,000 tonnes of frozen pork to Wuhan last week. The ministry has also built an efficient supply network of daily necessities across nine provinces to strengthen inter-provincial cooperation and coordination. Since Jan. 23, eight provincial-level regions such as Chongqing and Guangxi have sent over 6,800 tonnes of vegetables, 20 tonnes of edible oil and 200 tonnes of convenience food to the hardest-hit Hubei Province. More than 4,000 tonnes of donated vegetables have been released in Wuhan since Jan. 29 and an additional 3,500 tonnes can be put on the market soon, Zhu said, while pledging more efforts from the ministry to ensure supplies and stable prices in Wuhan. US President Donald Trump will embark on a two-day visit to India from February 24 during which he will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad to further strengthen the strategic bilateral partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, the White House announced on Tuesday. President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and they will visit India on February 2425, White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. She said Trump and Modi talked on the telephone over the weekend. "During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people," she said. The President and the First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi's home State of Gujarat and played an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement, the White House said. Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had travelled to India in 2010 and 2015. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," M R Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, told PTI. Describing it as a significant visit, Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, noted that the last three American presidents had made trips to India. "It's essential to send a message to the region that India is a significant partner and the president values that," Aghi told PTI. India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighbourhood, but in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo Pacific region is part of the international global order, he said. Trump's visit follows Modi's tour of the US in September, during which he met with the US President in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting had come just days after the two leaders attended the mega 'Howdy Modi' rally in Houston which was attended by more than 50,000 Indian-Americans. The two leaders also met in August at the G7 summit held in the French town of Biarritz. Prime Minister Modi, while interacting with the media alongside President Trump, had rejected any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying the two countries can discuss and resolve all issues bilaterally and "we don't want to trouble any third country." India trip will be Trump's second overseas this year, after a two-day visit to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum in Davos. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (CNN) Over the weekend, a tweeted photo of President Donald Trump made the social media rounds. In it, Trump is captured walking on the South Lawn of the White House grounds on Friday. Now, Friday was a very windy day in Washington as a front blew through and the temperature dropped from the 60s in the morning to the 30s in the afternoon. That wind blew the President's hair backward on his head as the photo was taken and revealed what appeared to be a dark layer of make-up (or self tanner) around Trump's face and abruptly ending at his jawline. Dark and then, suddenly, stark white. Like many things that fly around the Internet, the picture would have been forgotten had it not been for you guessed it! Trump using his own Twitter feed to respond to it. "More Fake News," he wrote about the picture. "This was photoshopped, obviously, but the wind was strong and the hair looks good? Anything to demean!" So, in search of the truth, I went looking for a photo of the same moment from another photographer or as close to it as I could find. And this is what turned up a picture taken from a slightly different angle by Michael Reynolds for EPA-EFE/Shutterstock. Here's the photo: Because the photos are not exact replicas and I couldn't find the exact picture that was tweeted around over the weekend it's hard to say whether Trump's claim of a photo-shopping is accurate. The black and white image was tweeted by photographer William Moon, who responded to Trump saying on Twitter, "This picture was never photoshopped, but used the Apple smartphone's photo app to adjust the color of the picture." In both pictures, it is clear that the front of Trump's face is darker than his neck, hairline and near his ears. Is he slightly darker in the photo that was tweeted than in the original? Maybe? But that also could be simply the background -- green vs. black that is different. Here's what we do know from looking at the Reynolds image: Trump's face is two different shades. Is it heavy makeup? Is it a tan? The official line from the White House is that the President's, um, glow, is the results of "good genes" and some "translucent powder" that the President applies himself before television appearances, according to a senior administration official who spoke to The New York Times last year. Rumors of a tanning bed in the White House lave been dismissed by those in the know. Talk of self-tanner continues to kick around. (The Times quoted a Washington dermatologist saying that her professional opinion is that Trump uses some sort of self-tanning cream or lotion.) Trump's tan glow was part of the conversation in the 2020 race even before the photo controversy of this past weekend. In response to a barrage of attacks from Trump on Michael Bloomberg, the former New York City mayor's spokesman shot back: "The President lies about everything: his fake hair, his obesity, and his spray-on tan." How Trump gets his glow isn't exactly the stuff on which the election will be decided. But for a President who we know cares deeply about his own appearance and the look(s) of people close to him, he wasn't going to let this one pass by without weighing in. This story was first published on CNN.com 'The mystery of Donald Trump's 'photoshopped' tan-face picture' Ziath announces, that as a result of a booth raffle at the recent SLAS 2020 exhibition, that they will be donating $1000 to the KoalaComeback Campaign (KCC). A Koala clings to a tree in a wood devasted by the Australian wildfires Steve Knight, Commercial Director at Ziath: We are delighted to be able to make our donation to this very worthwhile cause. We particularly liked how KCC will give fifty percent of the donation to Earth Alliances Australia Wildfire Fund and the remaining fifty percent will go to WildArk (https://wildark.org/), which supports local organizations working on wildlife rehabilitation and habitat restoration". General Manager of Ziath America Landon Diaz added: Our total donation will go directly to where critical Australian wildlife and ecosystem recovery efforts are already underway. WildArk and Global Wildlife Conservation are targeting organizations that are vital in this recovery process. Such as Two Thumbs Koala Sanctuary, Port Macquarie Koala Hospital, the Byron Bay Wildlife Hospital, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and habitat rehabilitation on Kangaroo Island and throughout NSW and Victoria." Global Wildlife Conservation president - Don Church said: Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 10:08:50|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close English teacher Chen Hui gives an online tuition to students at Lushan International Experimental Primary School in Changsha, central China's Hunan Province, Feb. 10, 2020. As schools across the country are required to postpone the opening of the spring semester, schools in Changsha have offered online tuition as an alternative to help students study at home. (Xinhua/Xue Yuge) SAO PAULO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. ("GOL" or "the Company") (NYSE: GOL and B3: GOLL4), Brazil's largest domestic airline, announced today the execution of sale and leaseback agreements of 11 Boeing 737 Next Generation (NG) aircraft with Carlyle Aviation. This will further accelerate GOL's fleet renewal and balance sheet deleveraging. GOL intends to replace these NGs with Boeing 737 MAX-8 aircraft over the next few years. Value creation Since 2005, when GOL closed its first order for 80 Boeing 737s, the Company has realized over R$1.5 billion of gains on its aircraft portfolio. The 2005 order was comprised of 40 aircraft financed with a U.S. Ex-Im Bank guarantee, and 40 aircraft financed via sale and leaseback transactions. All of GOL's aircraft have been sold to unrelated parties, with gains, and all cash proceeds have been used to pay for aircraft re-deliveries and reduce secured and unsecured debt. As GOL transitions its fleet to approximately 50% Boeing MAX aircraft by 2025, it expects to create over R$4.0 billion of value for all GOL shareholders, comprised of over R$2.0 billion of equity value in aircraft assets and over R$2.0 billion of increased income from greater revenue productivity and lower fuel burn. "GOL's sophisticated capacity discipline enables us to operate at a lower cost than other less efficient airlines, and the sale of these 11 NGs reinforces the flexibility of our fleet plan," said Celso Ferrer, GOL's Vice President of Operations. Balance sheet deleveraging The sale of these 11 aircraft will reduce GOL's net debt by approximately R$500 million, comprised of a R$130 million reduction in finance lease debt and a R$370 million increase in cash liquidity. Subsequently, the Company plans to use a portion of these proceeds to call the outstanding amount of its 8.875% Senior Notes due in 2022. The asset management income and reduction in interest expense will contribute over R$420 million to the Company's 2020 earnings and improve GOL's credit ratios by reducing the net debt/EBITDA ratio by 0.2x and increasing the EBITDA/net interest expense ratio by 0.5x. "GOL accelerated its fleet renewal and modernization plan in light of favorable market conditions for transactions of Boeing 737 NGs," said Richard Lark, GOL's Chief Financial Officer. "Our track record of consistent gains obtained from our aircraft portfolio has provided continuous value creation for all of GOL's shareholders". Capacity management The accelerated fleet renewal will not alter GOL's planned capacity, as these aircraft will be returned simultaneously with the receipt of 737 MAX-8 aircraft under its order with Boeing. GOL is committed to upgauging its fleet to further drive operating efficiency. By 2025, approximately 50% of the fleet will be comprised of 737 MAXs. Over the next five years, the transition to the MAX is expected to increase productivity by over 20% and reduce fuel consumption by approximately 15%. "We believe the Boeing 737 is the best aircraft for the Brazilian market due to its ability to achieve over 13 hours of aircraft utilization in high density markets. This supports our highly flexible capacity management model, as well as providing high liquidity and market value consistency in our fleet," added Mr. Ferrer. Investor Relations [email protected] www.voegol.com.br/ir +55(11) 2128-4700 About GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. GOL serves more than 36 million passengers annually. With Brazil's largest network, GOL offers customers more than 750 daily flights to over 100 destinations in Brazil and in South America, the Caribbean and the United States. GOLLOG's cargo transportation and logistics business serves more than 3,400 Brazilian municipalities and more than 200 international destinations in 95 countries. SMILES allows over 16 million registered clients to accumulate miles and redeem tickets to more than 700 destinations worldwide on the GOL partner network. Headquartered in Sao Paulo, GOL has a team of approximately 16,000 highly skilled aviation professionals and operates a fleet of 125 Boeing 737 aircraft, delivering Brazil's top on-time performance and an industry leading 19 year safety record. GOL has invested billions of Reais in facilities, products and services and technology to enhance the customer experience in the air and on the ground. GOL's shares are traded on the NYSE (GOL) and the B3 (GOLL4). For further information, visit www.voegol.com.br/ir. SOURCE GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes S.A. Continuing the trend of using the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) stance at weddings, a groom in Kerala took it one step ahead when he arrived on a camel, holding a placard. The groom, Haja Hussain, came for his wedding ceremony riding on a camel holding an anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) poster in his hands, the unique form of protest. Hussain was accompanied by a huge crowd, mostly his friends and family members when he arrived at the weddign venue. He carried a placard which read, "Reject CAA, Boycott NRC and NPR", as he arrived at the wedding hall in Vazhimukku, about 20 km from Thiruvananthapuram, on a camel back. Haja Hussain said that he chose to do this to express his protest against the CAA. IANS "Along with the 'Meher' (the custom where the groom hands over gold or money to the bride), I also gave a copy of the Constitution. CAA should be rejected," said Haja Hussain, who is a local businessman. In Kuniyamuthur, a city in Coimbatore, the Muslim bride and groom became the talk of the town for carrying anti-CAA posters during their wedding ceremony. The groom Mohammad and his wife Aprina along with their relatives were seen posing on the stage with posters stating "No CAA, NRC." In the past well, there have been unique protests against CAA. In December, an ex Jamia student at her marriage, held a placard with NO CAA written on its. The groom and their friends also held placards and registered their protest. HT Photo In Kolkata, a couple voiced their protest against CAA, NRC and NPR on their wedding card. They had -- "No NRC, No CAA" -- printed above their names. We are getting married at a time when the entire country is protesting against NRC and CAA. I believe that as an Indian, I should also protest against the same. Hence, I designed the wedding card, voicing my protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. This is humble contribution to the movement. Protests against CAA have gripped the entire country, with men, women and children alike are speaking against it. The protests at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh are in its second month with women refusing to give up unless the government rolls it back. Until recently, efforts to give consumers more information about how much their medical services and prescriptions cost have failed to gain traction. South Florida leading healthcare experts will convene this coming Thursday and Friday, February 13th and 14th for the Annual Healthcare Summit: Consumerism In Healthcare, hosted by the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association (SFHHA). At the event, Miami Ad Agency principal Daniel Weinbach will join a panel of fellow executives to discuss the topic of healthcare price transparency, which has earned widespread attention following the Trump Administrations announcement in late 2019 calling for greater price transparency. In addition to Mr. Weinbach, who heads a healthcare marketing firm, the panel will include Matt Muhart from Memorial Healthcare System and Paul DeMuro, PhD, a healthcare attorney with the firm Nelson Mullins. Richard Klass, a healthcare strategist and former executive at Jackson Health System, will moderate the discussion, which is scheduled at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday at the Signature Grand in Davie, Fla. Increased consumer cost burden for healthcare services in the form of higher premiums, higher deductibles, higher copayments, and greater cost-sharing have catalyzed interest in more transparency regarding healthcare prices. However, until recently, efforts to give consumers more information about how much their medical services and prescriptions cost have failed to gain traction. For their part, hospitals and health insurance companies have sought to keep their fee arrangements secret. During the SFHHA panel discussion, participants will address key questions, such as, what do patients want with regard to healthcare price information? Have providers effectively used price and price transparency to attract patients? What healthcare services are most price-sensitive? And how does price fit into providers value propositions? Today, consumers even those with good insurance pay an ever-increasing portion of their healthcare costs, says Mr. Weinbach. So you would think that patients would shop around for the best deal when it comes to accessing care. However, healthcare is different than buying a washing machine, and the way we select healthcare providers typically has little to do with price. Mr. Weinbach, who leads a healthcare advertising agency, has written extensively on the topic of healthcare price transparency. In fact, along with Mr. Klass and healthcare entrepreneur Justin Irizarry, he co-wrote a report on healthcare price transparency: "Healthcare Pricing Strategies In A World Of Price Transparency: What You Need To Win." The healthcare public relations and healthcare marketing strategy experts also presented on the subject in 2017 at the annual meeting of the Society of Healthcare Strategy and Market Development. The session is eligible for continuing education credits awarded by the American College of Healthcare Executives (ACHE). For information about registration, call (954) 964-1660. About The Weinbach Group The Weinbach Group, now in its fourth decade of business, consistently ranks among South Floridas top advertising, public relations, and marketing firms. The agency serves clients in a range of industries, and has a reputation as one of the nations most experienced healthcare marketing firms. Notable clients have included The Renfrew Center for Eating Disorders, Hospital Corporation of America (HCA), the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and Jackson Health System. American antitrust policy has long placed the interests of consumers above those of smaller rivals often as measured by what a product costs a restrained approach that has allowed companies to grow into trillion-dollar giants. But that consensus is shifting among economists and policymakers. Still, Ms. Miller and her colleagues are threading a narrow political needle. The push for bold antitrust action faces resistance from many on the right, who argue that people like Ms. Miller exaggerate the problem they identify and demand excessive solutions. The claim that across the board youre seeing a diminution of competition in our economy because of lack of antitrust enforcement is overstated, said Daniel Crane, a professor at the University of Michigans law school. He added that breaking up existing companies is not a great way to start or terribly feasible from a legal perspective. The antitrust movement also has to build more support on the left. K. Sabeel Rahman, the president of Demos, a progressive think tank, said the antitrust movement needed a much better articulation of what the links are between concentrated corporate power and questions of racial equity and racial justice. Ms. Miller said she disagreed with the criticism from the right. If you look at meat processing, if you look at media, if you look at plagiarism detection software, if you look at baby formula, if you look at pacemakers, everywhere you look you see markets that have been rolled up and monopolized, Ms. Miller said. But she concurred with those on the left that making racial justice a part of the call for antitrust reforms was vital. She said her new group would engage in conversations with groups that look at work through a civil rights lens as it tapped into a populist anger that emerged from the financial crisis of 2008. Ms. Miller spent 2010 to 2012 working for the Treasury Department as it managed the recovery. She said she had found herself confused and dissatisfied by what she saw as the departments failure to help homeowners while shoring up big banks. The U.S. East and Gulf Coasts differ in how ocean and atmospheric circulation and sea level interact to produce storm surges, and both regions will experience greater storm surges as global warming progresses, according to new research from a University of Arizona-led team. The research is the first to compare how different parts of the Atlantic Coast might fare during storms. The scientists examined the impacts of both tropical cyclones, including hurricanes, and extra-tropical cyclones, such as nor'easters. The team did so by using a new global climate computer model that allowed them to combine information on weather, climate and sea level in a fully integrated way. The scientists found that even in the absence of global warming, the Gulf Coast, and especially New Orleans, is particularly vulnerable to storm surge. As the climate warms, the Gulf Coast will be even more susceptible to extreme storm surges, said first author Jianjun Yin, an associate professor of geosciences. More than 60 million people live in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions. Between 2000 and 2017, those regions were hit by 13 hurricanes that each caused more than $10 billion in damages. For both regions, storm surge heights will increase in the future as warming progresses, Yin and his colleagues found. Stronger hurricanes will affect the Gulf Coast and increased sea level will affect the East Coast. "For the Gulf of Mexico coast, the extreme sea level is highly sensitive to tropical cyclone characteristics like the storm winds. So if the hurricane becomes stronger, there's an elevated storm surge height because the region is highly sensitive to the storm's winds," Yin said. "But for the East Coast of the U.S., especially the Northeast coast of the U.S., the story is different - the maximum storm surge is mainly influenced by the background sea level rise," Yin said. The paper, "Response of Storm-related Extreme Sea Level along the US Atlantic Coast to Combined Weather and Climate Forcing," by Yin and his co-authors is published in the Journal of Climate. Yin's co-authors are listed at the bottom of this release. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the National Science Foundation funded the research. Yin had done previous research on sea level rise using computer climate models and wanted to investigate what scientists call "extreme sea level events" - big spikes in daily coastal sea level, generally caused by storms. However, previous models could not handle the complex interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere Yin wanted to include, either because the models lacked an integrated approach or were too coarse. New technology, in the form of a new global climate model developed by the NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, New Jersey, came to the rescue. By using the new model, GFDL CM4, Yin and his colleagues could incorporate information about tropical and extra-tropical cyclones, atmospheric and oceanic circulation, weather and sea level rise. Having such rich information in the model allowed the team to more accurately predict how the seas along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. would respond to storms. The team studied the coastline from Halifax, Nova Scotia, to Houston, Texas. The researchers analyzed several simulations using the model. The control used pre-industrial conditions similar to those in the 1800s. Another simulation added more and more CO2 into the model's atmosphere at a rate of increase similar to that observed since the mid-20th century. The pre-industrial control simulation revealed the underlying differences driving storm surge in the two regions - wind strength along the Gulf Coast and sea level along the East Coast. The simulation that added CO2 into the atmosphere year after year projected that as warming progresses, there will be fewer - but stronger - tropical cyclones. "For the CO2 experiment, we found that the elevated storm surge is influenced by different factors on the East Coast than the Gulf Coast," Yin said. In addition, as CO2 in the atmosphere increases, the model reveals that the Atlantic Ocean's Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation will slow down, exacerbating sea level rise and storm surge on the East Coast. "AMOC transports a lot of heat northward. It's mainly responsible for the mild climate over Europe," Yin said. "If AMOC slows down, it can influence the weather and climate over Europe and North America and cause regional sea level rise." ### Yin's co-authors on the paper, "Response of Storm-related Extreme Sea Level along the US Atlantic Coast to Combined Weather and Climate Forcing," are: Stephen M. Griffies of the NOAA GFDL and Princeton University; Michael Winton and Ming Zhao of the NOAA GFLD; and Laure Zanna of the University of Oxford in England and of New York University in New York City. The reported observations of the Supreme Court stating that the anti-CAA protesters at Delhis Shaheen Bagh cannot block public roads and create inconvenience for others must serve as an eye-opener for various hidden political forces that may be calling the shots. While the apex court has issued notices to the Centre, the Delhi government and the police on pleas seeking removal of protesters from Shaheen Bagh, the situation at ground zero amply indicates ... 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. 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Digital Editor Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders suggested Saturday there is no room for pro-lifers in the Democratic Party, calling the pro-choice position a central part of being a Democrat. Sanders, a U.S. senator from Vermont who is running for the Democratic nomination, was asked in a forum, Is there such a thing as a pro-life Democrat in your vision of the party? I think being pro-choice, Sanders responded, is an absolutely essential part of being a Democrat. In the Senate, probably 95 percent of the Democrats are pro-choice. You have a few who are not in the House [but it] may be even a higher percentage. He added, By this time in history, I think when we talk about what a Democrat is, I think being pro-choice is ... a central part of that. Bernie Sanders: no such thing as a pro-life Democrat, being pro-choice is an absolutely essential parthttps://t.co/GgiTeiBWIL pic.twitter.com/Vq0keeBavq RNC Research (@RNCResearch) February 8, 2020 Sanders made the comments in an Our Rights, Our Courts forum sponsored by several abortion rights groups, including the Center for Reproductive Rights and NARAL Pro-Choice America. The previous day, Sanders pledged to nominate only justices who support abortion rights if he is elected president. I will never nominate any person to the Supreme Court or the federal courts in general who is not 100 percent pro-Roe v. Wade, he said at an ABC Democratic debate Friday night. Number two, we have to codify Roe v. Wade into legislation. Sander's later reiterated his stance on Twitter writing, "We have got to codify Roe v. Wade into law and significantly expand funding for Planned Parenthood." We have got to codify Roe v. Wade into law and significantly expand funding for Planned Parenthood. February 8, 2020 Former Vice President Joseph Biden also pledged to codify Roe into law. He was asked if he would have a litmus test on justices he nominates. Its a womans right to do that. Period, Biden said. And if you call that a litmus test, its a litmus test. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) also supported a pro-Roe law. It is time to have a national law to protect the right of a womans choice, she said at the debate. Related: 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates Are More Radically Pro-Abortion than Ever before, NYT Says Major Christian Group Pledges $50M to Re-Elect Trump Does Pete Buttigieg Believe Abortion Should Be Completely Unrestricted? Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Justin Sullivan/Staff Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel. The Astellas Global Health Foundation ("Foundation") and the Academic Model Providing Access to Healthcare (AMPATH), under the direction of the Indiana University Center for Global Health, announced today that the Foundation has awarded a $1.35 million grant over three years to AMPATH to provide 400,000 people with access to mental health programming in western Kenya. AMPATH will integrate mental health services into AMPATH's chronic disease system in public health facilities and broaden population engagement through a mental health awareness campaign. Additionally, AMPATH will provide group transitional housing and care for patients with severe mental health disorders. "The Astellas Global Health Foundation funding will help AMPATH to meaningfully expand our mental health programming, as we are committed to improving access to and quality of mental health care, reducing treatment gaps and empowering patients in western Kenya," said Edith Kwobah, MBChB, MMED, consultant psychiatrist and head of mental health at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kenya and the Kenyan medical leader of the initiative. This grant will provide training for community health volunteers to screen for mental health disorders and refer members of the Kenyan community to appropriate care facilities to improve health outcomes for these patients." Matthew Turissini, M.D., assistant professor of clinical medicine, Indiana University School of Medicine Indiana University, which leads the consortium of North American academic health centers within the AMPATH partnership, will serve as the administrator for the grant. According to the World Health Organization, 75 percent of people affected by mental health disorders in low-income countries do not have access to the treatment they need. This is partially due to funding in many of these countries being prioritized to address infectious diseases and the significant stigma of mental illness3. The grant from the Astellas Global Health Foundation will help AMPATH address this treatment gap in western Kenya. "Access to mental health care is a worldwide issue with a particularly significant lack of proper diagnosis and treatment among low- and middle-income populations," said Moyra Knight, president of the Astellas Global Health Foundation. "The important work AMPATH is doing in western Kenya improves the diagnosis and sustains treatment of mental illness for communities in critical need." For the Astellas Global Health Foundation, formed in November 2018, this investment is the first focused on mental health, which is one of the Foundation's key focus areas in improving access to health in low- and middle-income countries where Astellas, a company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world, does not have a business presence. Additional priorities for Foundation funding are creating community resilience and providing grants for disaster support. RICHMOND The new Democratic majority has been busy this General Assembly session passing hundreds of bills to advance its agenda. Republicans have had to adapt to being in the minority, and many of them have found ways to build bipartisan support to pass their own bills. The session has been full of passionate debate on issues such as guns, abortion and Confederate monuments. Tuesday was when the House of Delegates and the state Senate needed to complete work on their bills so surviving measures can cross over to the other chamber for consideration. This session is scheduled to conclude March 7. Here is where some issues stand. Guns The House and Senate have passed several gun control proposals, but how many will reach the governors desk and in what form remains to be seen. All eight of the proposals backed by the Northam administration are alive, including capping handgun purchases to one a month, allowing localities to ban firearms from certain areas and banning people with restraining orders against them from possessing a firearm. The Senate didnt pass bills requiring people to report their lost or stolen firearms or updating a law about adults recklessly allowing a loaded firearm to fall into the hands of a minor. The House passed bills on those measures, so theyll head to the Senate. The House and Senate have passed significantly different versions of bills that would expand background checks and allow courts to temporarily ban people from possessing firearms if there are clear signs that they pose a danger to themselves or others. The legislation faces the toughest hurdle in the Senate, which has a few Democrats more willing to protect gun rights. The House also passed a controversial bill that would ban the sale of assault weapons and possession of high capacity magazines of 12 or more rounds. People who own assault weapons will be able to keep them and wont have to register them. Senate Democrats have been indicating they dont think its likely this bill will pass the Senate. School construction The proposed budget does not include any funding to help localities fix or replace their aging schools. But legislators are pushing for other ways to provide assistance. Rural educators are backing legislation from Sen. Todd Pillion and Del. Israel OQuinn, Republicans from Washington County, that would reestablish a fund that provides grants for school construction. A House panel killed OQuinns bill. The Senate passed Pillions bill, so it will head to the House with another chance. Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, saw two of his three bills dealing with school modernization pass. The Senate Finance and Appropriations Committee defeated his proposal to put on the November ballot a referendum that would ask Virginians whether they want the General Assembly to issue $3 billion in state general obligation bonds to go toward constructing or upgrading K-12 schools. But the Senate passed bills to create a fund used to repair or replace roofs and require the State Board of Education to establish minimum standards for modern public school buildings. The Senate also passed a bill from Sen. Jennifer McClellan, D-Richmond, to create the Commission on School Construction and Modernization, which will provide guidance to schools on construction and upgrades as well as make funding recommendations to the General Assembly and governor. Transportation The House and Senate have passed major transportation bills, but theyll still face some twists and turns by the end of the legislative session. Bills call for increasing the statewide gas tax, but whether itll be 8 cents a gallon over two years or 12 cents over three years still needs to be settled. Tucked into the transportation package is a bond authorization of up to $1 billion to support upgrades to Interstate 81. Gov. Ralph Northam wanted to get rid of the annual vehicle inspection fees, citing the lack of definitive studies that they improve safety. The proposal faced an uphill battle, because many legislators were skeptical that the inspections were useless. The Senates bill will keep inspections as they are, but the House passed a bill that would require inspections every other year. Both chambers also have passed bills to ban holding a phone while driving. Legislators say the current law that outlaws typing text or numbers, but leaves it open for people to scroll through apps, while driving is hard to enforce. The bills arent exactly the same, so theyll need to be reconciled. Last year, the legislation failed at the last minute because the chambers couldnt agree. Health care The Senate passed a bill from Sen. David Suetterlein, R-Roanoke County, to allow LewisGale Medical Center to equip and staff a neonatal intensive care unit so that it can care for tiny and ill newborns at its Salem hospital. LewisGale has been trying for years to open a NICU, but the health commissioner has repeatedly denied that request. LewisGale, which delivers about 1,000 babies a year, transfers those needing specialized care to Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospitals NICU. Also, both chambers have approved bills to transition from the federal health insurance exchange to the states own online marketplace as a way to save money and improve access to affordable insurance. Opioid crisis Needle exchanges will be able to continue to operate in Virginia. When Virginia enacted a law in 2017 that authorized harm reduction programs, it came with a sunset clause, meaning the law would expire in June 2020. These programs fight the spread of infectious diseases brought on by the opioid crisis. They offer various services, including testing for diseases, swapping used needles and syringes for clean ones and providing information about addiction services. Both chambers passed bills from Del. Sam Rasoul, D-Roanoke, and Pillion that would repeal the sunset. Additionally, the House passed another bill that would strip away some of the restrictive parameters for organizations to run needle exchanges. The bill would allow any locality to operate one and eliminate some of the requirements needed for approval from the health department. The Drop-In Center in Roanoke will be operating a mobile unit to serve as the needle exchange. Abortion Both chambers passed a package that would roll back abortion restrictions, including the requirement that women receive an ultrasound, as well as the mandate that women who are seeking an abortion wait 24 hours and undergo counseling. The Senate also passed a bill from Sen. Mark Peake, R-Lynchburg, which says a surrogate mother could not be forced to abort a fetus with abnormalities or reduce the number of fetuses she is carrying. The surrogate mother also could not be prohibited from terminating the pregnancy. Del. Les Adams, R-Pittsylvania, filed a similar bill in the House, but it, along with a few other abortion bills Republicans filed, did not receive a hearing. Confederate monuments The House and Senate both passed bills to set up a process for localities to follow if they want to remove war monuments, particularly ones to the Confederacy. Sen. Creigh Deeds, D-Bath, is a co-patron of the Senate bill. Senate Minority Leader Tommy Norment, R-James City, submitted a last-minute change to the Senate bill, adding that any memorial or monument located on the property of a public institution of higher education in Lexington would be excluded from the legislation. Virginia Military Institute has statues of Confederate Gen. Thomas Stonewall Jackson a member of the VMI faculty before the Civil War and a statue meant to honor VMI cadets who fought and died for the Confederacy at the Battle of New Market. Norment is a graduate of VMI. Reckless driving For five years, Suetterlein introduced legislation that would raise from 80 to 85 mph the threshold for reckless driving in areas of Virginia where a 70 mph limit is posted. Under Virginias driving laws, reckless driving is 20 mph over the speed limit. What Suetterlein is trying to address is more of an issue on the interstates, where speed limits may be set at 70 mph, so going 11 mph over is considered a reckless driving offense. The House and Senate both passed bills on bipartisan votes. Student journalists A bill from Del. Chris Hurst, D-Montgomery, to protect student journalists from censorship passed the House. But the bill doesnt look the way he would like it to. He originally proposed that protections from censorship be extended to middle and high school students. But throughout the legislative process, legislators gutted the bill so it only applies to students attending a higher education institution. High school students testified about their schools censoring their stories because they were too controversial or highlighted issues the school didnt want publicized. A companion bill in the Senate died early in committee, so Hursts bill faces an uncertain future in the opposite chamber. Housing Various bills have passed through both chambers to ban housing discrimination based on gender identity and to protect low-income residents in unstable housing situations. The House also passed a bill from Rasoul thats aimed at helping domestic violence victims from being discriminated against when seeking housing. The bill lays out ways for landlords to assess a domestic violence victims financial situation and determine if the person is suitable to rent to. Its common for domestic violence victims to also face financial abuse, which can damage their credit scores and put them in debt. Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Health Minister gives Coronavirus update no imported cases in Wales considering legislation to mirror Englands enforced supported isolation This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Feb 11th, 2020 Vaughan Gething, Minister for Health and Social Services has given an update on Coronavirus today, saying he is considering if Wales needs equivalent provisions in law to allow enforced supported isolation if required, as has been activated in England. In a statement the Minister said, You will be aware that the UK Government has introduced legislation with the primary purpose of enforcing supported isolation in England. I am currently considering whether our current legislation is sufficient to protect the wider public from coronavirus or other high consequence infections or whether we need to make equivalent provisions in Wales. The evolving 2019-nCoV outbreak, the increasing number of countries reporting cases and the change to the case definition have led to a significant increase in individuals requiring assessment and testing. The aim is to manage as many people as possible outside hospital Emergency Departments. Yesterday the Chief Medical Officer wrote to health boards advising on the importance of immediate implementation of community assessment and testing services and the establishment of Coronavirus Testing Units separate from Emergency Departments. To date there have been no imported cases of the novel coronavirus to Wales. UK figures on the number of people tested are published daily on the Public Health England website. The Chief Medical Officer will be updating Assembly Members in person later today to advise on the current situation. I will continue to provide AMs with a written update every Tuesday and more frequently if necessary. Yesterday Englands Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced strengthened legal powers to bolster public health protections against coronavirus. The UK Government say the strengthened powers, effective immediately, will ensure that NHS staff dealing with possible cases can be confident the necessary powers are in place to keep individuals in isolation where public health professionals believe there is a reasonable risk an individual may have the virus. The note that Englands Chief Medical Officer has written to health boards advising of the establishment of Coronavirus Testing Units separate from Emergency Departments would mirror the action of the Countess of Chester which opened a dedicated Coronavirus isolation area on site on Friday. UK figures state as of 2pm on 11 February, a total of 1,358 people have been tested, of which 1,350 were confirmed negative and 8 positive. The state of Georgia on Monday agreed to remove an extra layer of requirements for Puerto Ricans to transfer their drivers licenses to the state as part of a settlement in a federal class-action discrimination lawsuit. The Georgia Department of Driver Services said it had eliminated the knowledge and road test component of the application process for those who moved to the state from five U.S. territories. People from Puerto Rico, Guam, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa and the Northern Mariana Islands will now be treated the same as license holders from other states who become Georgia residents, the state said. The change came after a Hinesville, Georgia, man, who was born in Puerto Rico sued the driver services commissioner and a licensing inspector in U.S. District Court in Atlanta last July for discrimination. The man, Kenneth Caban Gonzalez, 23, was wrongfully arrested and accused of providing false documentation with his transfer application, which was held up for more than two years, the lawsuit said. The charges were later dropped. Kira Romero-Craft, a lawyer for Caban Gonzalez, said that the discrimination against Puerto Rican applicants by Georgias licensing agency was systemic. They were treating them as if they had a foreign drivers license Romero-Craft, a managing lawyer for the immigrants rights group LatinoJustice PRLDEF, said Monday. Some Puerto Rican Georgia residents were even forced to answer geographic and cultural questions to prove they came from the island, Romero-Craft said. They asked who Roberto Clemente was, she said. They asked where the beach was located. They also asked questions that were meant to be trick questions. The state licensing agency kept Caban Gonzalezs birth certificate, Social Security card and Puerto Rico drivers license that he had submitted with his application, the lawsuit said. Romeo-Craft said that hampered Caban Gonzalezs ability to drive for his job as a construction worker. They took all of his identity documents, she said. On Monday, when licensing offices are usually closed in Georgia, the state took the rare step of opening its Conyers, Georgia, branch which is four hours from Caban Gonzalezs home so that he could obtain a temporary drivers license. That ended a more than two-year ordeal since he first applied to transfer his license in October 2017. The top priority at DDS is to provide efficient customer service while following all Georgia and federal rules and requirements, Spencer R. Moore, the licensing commissioner, said in an email statement Monday. We welcome instances like this where opportunities for improvement can be made after additional assessment of existing law. Moore was named as a defendant in the lawsuit, which LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed jointly with the Southern Center for Human Rights, another advocacy group. We appreciate DDSs efforts to end discriminatory policies that treated Puerto Rican applicants like second-class citizens, Atteeyah Hollie, a senior staff lawyer for the center, said in a statement Monday. Caban Gonzalez, the lead plaintiff in the class-action suit, will receive a $100,000 payment as part of the settlement, according to the advocacy groups that represented him. Some of the payment will go to lawyers fees and court costs. I am forever thankful to my family for supporting me and helping me get to and from work while I was waiting for a decision in this case, Caban Gonzalez said in a statement provided by the Southern Center for Human Rights. I am eager to complete this chapter in my life and be able to give back to the family who has given me so much. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. ATLANTA, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PwC has announced that technology pioneer David Cummings, Founder of Atlanta Tech Village, has been selected as the 2019 Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia inductee. Cummings will be honored at the Technology Association of Georgia's (TAG) The Summit event on March 4, 2020 at the Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta. Sponsored by PwC since its inception in 1993, the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia includes a long list of visionaries, including: Georgia Gov. Zell Miller, technology industry icon Tom Noonan and CNN founder Ted Turner. Cummings is an Atlanta-based tech entrepreneur who has founded 10 companies collectively valued at nearly $1 billion, including Pardot, SalesLoft, and Terminus. Cummings is also the founder of the Atlanta Tech Village the United States' 4th largest tech hub and the largest investor in Calendly, the world's most popular scheduling app. After selling Pardot, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential Atlantans by the Atlanta Business Chronicle. "David is an innovative entrepreneur who has supported many in the Atlanta community with his business ventures," said Kevin Kelly, Managing Partner of PwC's Atlanta office. "It's an honor to welcome him into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia. I'm excited for the continued growth of this community and the innovative ideas it provides to Georgia." Cummings is a member of YPO Southern 7, Atlanta Rotary, on the board of the Metro Atlanta Chamber, and on the board of the Buckhead Coalition. A native of Tallahassee, Florida, David earned a bachelor of science degree in economics from Duke University and an honorary doctorate from Mercer University. David blogs regularly at DavidCummings.org and tweets at @davidcummings. "I'm humbled and honored to be inducted in the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia," said Cummings. "Georgia's had such an incredible impact on my life and entrepreneurial journey -- helping grow our tech startup community has been the highlight of my career." Cummings is also a long-standing partner and support of TAG. "David is such a key, visionary figure for Georgia's technology ecosystem," said Larry K. Williams, President and CEO of the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG). "It is through the vision, drive and support of leaders like him that our technology community continues to thrive, grow, break barriers and set global industry trends." Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia Each year an inductee is chosen by the current Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia members from a slate of nominees, in recognition of his or her contributions to the industry and impact on the state. Potential nominees are selected based on an individual's impact on the technology industry in the state of Georgia, such as establishing and growing successful technology companies and organizations, job creation and economic impact, developing breakthrough technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship, etc. PwC has been a sponsor of the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia since its inception in 1993. Previous inductees of the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia include: Gov. George Busbee (1993) Ben J. Dyer (1998) G. Wayne Clough (2008) Dennis C. Hayes (1993) Dr. H. Allen Ecker (1999) Ken Byers (2009) Dr. John E. Pippin (1993) Donald L. House (2000) Tripp Rackley (2010) Glen P. Robinson, Jr. (1993) William J. Todd (2000) H. Wayne Hodges (2011) John P. Imlay, Jr. (1994) Dr. Edward Roberts (2001) Peter J. Kight (2011) Parker H. Petit (1994) C. Tycho Howle (2002) Dr. Raymond Schinazi (2011) Jacquelyn M. Ward (1994) Shirley Mewborn (2003) Jeff Arnold (2012) Bill Goodhew (1995) Sid Topol (2003) Ted Turner (2013) Howard J. Morrison, Jr. (1995) Charles D. Moseley (2004) Alan Dabbiere (2014) J. Leland Strange (1995) Charles "Garry" Betty (2005) Jim Kennedy (2015) James C. Edenfield (1996) Said Mohammadioun (2005) Jeff Sprecher (2016) Richard K. Snelling (1996) Tom Noonan (2006) Dr. Bud Peterson (2017) Gov. Zell Miller (1997) Sig Mosley (2007) Christopher Klaus (2018) About PwC US At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We're a network of firms in 157 countries with over 276,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com . PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. TAG Summit 2020 The Summit, designed to help fuel the innovation economy, will be held March 3-4, 2020 at Cobb Galleria Centre in Atlanta and is expected to draw more than 1,300 technology professionals, entrepreneurs and academic leaders. The event will feature nationally recognized keynote speakers, 16 breakout sessions focusing on the most important global tech trends, winners of the Top 40 and Top 10 Innovative Georgia Companies competition, the newest inductee into the Technology Hall of Fame of Georgia, networking opportunities, and a two-day exhibitor showcase. About the Technology Association of Georgia (TAG) TAG's mission is to Connect, Promote, Influence and Educate Georgia's technology ecosystem to advance the innovation economy. Through those four foundational strategies TAG serves the technology community, helping to support, grow and ignite tech leaders, companies and the overall Georgia economy. TAG serves more than 30,000 members statewide through regional chapters in Metro Atlanta, Augusta, Columbus, Macon/Middle Georgia, and Savannah. TAG hosts more than 150 events each year and serves as an umbrella organization for 26 professional societies. TAG provides networking and educational programs; celebrates Georgia's technology leaders and companies, and advocates for legislative action that enhances the state's economic climate for technology. Additionally, the TAG Education Collaborative (TAG-Ed) focuses on helping science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education initiatives thrive. For more information visit the TAG website or TAG's community website at www.hubga.com. To learn about the TAG-Ed Collaborative visit www.tagedonline.org. Contacts: Julie Bryant Fisher, Technology Association of Georgia, (404) 920-2023, [email protected] Taylor Sneed, PwC, (267) 785-0751, [email protected] SOURCE Technology Association of Georgia Related Links http://www.tagonline.org STRANGE HOTEL by Eimear McBride (Faber 12.99, 160 pp) STRANGE HOTEL by Eimear McBride (Faber 12.99, 160 pp) At the start of this slim, intensely absorbing novel about life after shattering loss, a woman loses her bearings in France. She has no interest in the country, has ignored her surroundings and not bought a map. Finally, she spies a bowl of matchbooks printed with her hotel's address, and is able at last to locate herself. This, in miniature, is the arc of Strange Hotel, in which McBride's narrator moves between various anonymous hotel rooms, strictly policing her memory and trying to avoid its traps the sight of a one-night stand's naked back, for example. Like all McBride's creations, she's also addicted to words, and canny enough to know they're her way of holding the world at bay. McBride's prose boldly rhyming, viscerally urgent, blackly comic is always a startling joy, and if, in the latter stages of this novel, she seems to be re-treading the territory of 2016's The Lesser Bohemians, it ultimately matters little. INDEPENDENCE SQUARE by A.D. Miller (Harvill Secker 14.99, 240 pp) INDEPENDENCE SQUARE by A.D. Miller (Harvill Secker 14.99, 240 pp) A.D. Miller's atmospheric, Moscow-set thriller, Snowdrops, was shortlisted for the 2011 Booker Prize, and he's stuck close to his formula here. The setting is Kiev 2004, and in an icy Independence Square, beard-stroking diplomat Simon Davey is waiting to meet Kovrin, a billionaire crony of the president's. Simon's aim with the aid of young protester Olesya is to avert a bloodbath over the corrupt election of Victor Yanukovych. That we know he succeeds doesn't stall the plot, since a second strand picks up in London in 2017, where the unimaginatively unfaithful Simon is scraping along following a humiliating disgrace. It's a satisfyingly-structured yarn that suffers less from its lack of originality than from sporadic first-person interludes. In the case of Olesya suddenly fluent in English they're jarring; while windily inflated Simon seems to belong to another era. The result is that Kovrin, the deliciously pantomimic villain of the piece, rather steals the show. A SMALL REVOLUTION IN GERMANY by Philip Hensher (4th Estate 14.99, 336 pp) A SMALL REVOLUTION IN GERMANY by Philip Hensher (4th Estate 14.99, 336 pp) It's usual for a novel's hero to change; to evolve and deepen as a result of the challenges they overcome. Yet 'Spike', Hensher's self-christened and perhaps intentionally unsympathetic protagonist, prides himself on remaining true to his political principles while his former friends turn Tory and take over the establishment. We first meet Spike in the early 1980s, when he falls under the spell of a student radical and is introduced to his Chilean lover, Joaquin. A second act takes place in East Germany in the late 1980s, while part three reunites us with Spike and Joaquin in the present day. By now, lecturer Spike has little to do with politics, although he'll still vandalise posh estate agents. Throughout, Spike is subject to a series of traumas, yet a breakdown is confined to a single, coy sentence. Moments of formal experimentation miss the mark, and Hensher fails to engage us sufficiently with the supporting cast, about whose fates we're clearly meant to care. On August 24, 1953, Sylvia Plath, one of the most celebrated poets of the 20th Century, overdosed on pills but survived. She drove her car off the road into a river on June 1962 but survived again. On February 11, 1963, a nurse who helped Plath take care of her children, could not get into the flat and upon eventual entry found her dead of carbon monoxide poisoning. The renowned poet and author had placed her own head in the oven with the gas turned on, having sealed the rooms between her and her sleeping children. She was 30 years old. Born on October 27, 1932, the American poet, novelist and short-story writer is best known for her published collections The Colossus and Other Poems, Ariel and The Bell Jar. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry. Here are some of the beautiful lines written by the gifted writer: If you expect nothing from somebody you are never disappointed. I took a deep breath and listened to the old brag of my heart. I am, I am, I am. And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt. Kiss me, and you will see how important I am. We should meet in another life, we should meet in air, me and you. In #SylviaPlath's birthday week, poet Eunice de Souza reflects on her literary legacy https://t.co/waxWwegpnW pic.twitter.com/y6NEIZcpYS Hindustan Times (@htTweets) October 28, 2016 A few facts about Sylvia Plath -- She published her first poem in the Boston Heralds childrens section when she was eight years old and at age 11 started keeping a journal. By the time Plath enrolled in Smith College, she had already written over 50 short stories. -- Her father died when she was eight. His death deeply impacted Plath, leading to many memorable verses, including Daddy. -- Plath originally majored in studio art before switching to English. After her third year of college, she became a guest editor at Mademoiselle magazine. -- She was a huge fan of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas and unfruitfully hung around the White Horse Tavern and the Chelsea Hotel for two days, hoping to meet him. This was followed by perhaps her first attempt at suicide when she slashed her legs. She had to later undergo therapy for depression and tried to kill herself by overdosing on sleeping pills. 0571268862, 0061558893 -- Sylvia Plath met Ted Hughes on February 25, 1956, and got married to him on June 16. They had their honeymoon in Paris and both became interested in astrology and the supernatural. -- On April 1, 1960, she gave birth to their first child, a daughter Freida and in October, published her first collection of poetry, The Colossus. However, her second pregnancy ended in miscarriage in February 1961, with Plath writing to her therapist that she had been beaten up by Hughes two days before the miscarriage. On January 1962, she gave birth to her son Nicholas. -- Plath finished her semi-autobiographical novel The Bell Jar, while she was still married to Hughes. The novel was published under the pen name Victoria Lucas. It was only three years after her death that the book was republished in the UK under her original name. 0385720254, 0385493916 -- She wrote at least 26 of her most creative poems a few months before her suicide, published posthumously in her collection Ariel. -- She had discovered that Hughes had been having an affair with Assia Wevill and separated from him. She rented a flat at 23 Fitzroy Road, London, that was once inhabited by the poet William Butler Yeats. -- Plaths gravestone bears the inscription Even amidst fierce flames the golden lotus can be planted. The epitaph was chosen by Hughes. -- Freida Hughes, the daughter of Plath and Hughes, is a writer and an artist. Nicholas, their son, hanged himself in 2009 after a history of fighting depression. Follow more stories on Facebook and Twitter At Hindustan Times, we help you stay up-to-date with latest trends and products. Hindustan Times has affiliate partnership, so we may get a part of the revenue when you make a purchase. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The man who allegedly carried out two separate attacks against NYPD officers in less than 12 hours faces multiple counts of attempted murder, according to authorities. Standing in a gray sweatshirt, Robert Williams, 45, a resident of the 1100 block of Evergreen Avenue in the Bronx, was arraigned in criminal court on Monday. More than 100 cops attended the mans arraignment, according to social media reports, where Williams was charged with more than a dozen counts of attempted murder, among other charges. The string of shootings began at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, 2020 on the 900 block of Simpson Street in the Bronx. Williams allegedly engaged in conversation with uniformed NYPD Officers Paul Stroffelino and Brian Hanlon while they were in a marked police van before firing multiple gunshots at both officers, striking Stroffelino in the chin and neck, authorities said. The officers were able to drive away from the scene, and Williams allegedly fled the scene in an unknown direction, police previously said. Hours later, at the 41st Precinct station house less than half a mile from the first shooting Williams allegedly entered the building before firing multiple shots from a 9mm SIG Sauer at nine uniformed officers, striking Lt. Jose Gautreaux in the left arm, the complaint said. Then, Williams entered a side-room in the station house before firing more shots at other police officers and a civilian employee of the NYPD, authorities allege. NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea said the injured lieutenant returned fire but did not strike the suspect, adding that the perpetrator was quickly taken into custody lying down only after he ran out of bullets." Shea said Williams had a violent criminal history, and was paroled in 2017 after a 2002 spree in the Bronx ended in a gunfight with members of the NYPD. Both Stroffolino and Gautreaux were treated at Lincoln Medical Center in the Bronx and released receiving a warm send-off from fellow NYPD officers. Just one day after getting shot through the arm by a career criminal bent on killing New York City cops, @NYPD41Pct Lieutenant Gautreaux goes home today to recuperate. On behalf of every member of the NYPD, I wish him a speedy recovery and thank him for his service to all NYers. pic.twitter.com/aVhHrjSbo9 Commissioner Shea (@NYPDShea) February 10, 2020 The New York Post reported that authorities revealed at Mondays arraignment that Williams vowed to shoot more police upon his release. Im going to shoot one of you when I get out, Williams reportedly said to cops while recovering in the same hospital as Officers Stroffolino and Gautreaux. In addition to multiple attempted murder charges, the criminal complaint indicates Williams was charged with counts of criminal possession of a weapon, assault and resisting arrest. Following arraignment, Williams was taken into custody and is due back in court on Feb. 14. Twice in a matter of hours, hero police officers had to think fast and move faster to save their own lives and the lives of cops around them," said Police Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch. "Thanks to them, this would-be cop-killer is behind bars and will face justice. Now the prosecutors and the courts must do their job. Our justice system has already failed multiple times by returning Williams to the street. It must not fail again. ATTACKS SPARK WAR OF WORDS The PBA statement came after the head of the NYPDs sergeants union engaged in a war of words with Mayor Bill de Blasio, threatening to expose him for his perceived anti-police bias comments called reprehensible by the mayors office. Sergeants Benevolent Association President Ed Mullins made the comments, without offering specifics, in an interview with the Advance responding to questions about the union declaring war on the mayor after the shootings against police. Mayor DeBlasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you! We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isnt over, Game on! https://t.co/XyruPraM9T SBA (@SBANYPD) February 9, 2020 Mayoral Spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein said City Hall has no idea what Mullins is talking about, and that its main focus is keeping officers and communities safe, the Advance previously reported. NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan, the departments highest ranking uniformed officer, also took issue with attempts to politicize the attacks in a Monday morning interview with WPIX. Eddie Mullins speaks for Eddie Mullins,'' Monahan said. None of the other unions follow his lead, and the men and women that are out on the street right now care about keeping people safe. They care about keeping themselves safe, and thats what this is about. This isnt politics. This isnt grandstanding. At a press conference in Albany, de Blasio called the comments made by Mullins inappropriate, adding that he was disgusted by it. It suggests a kind of break down in the norms of democracy that needs to be taken very seriously, de Blasio said. Its worse, for me, to hear him say that after everything that transpired on Saturday and Sunday, when you had a united front of community members, elected officials, police officials and union officials all talking about the need to protect our officers and speaking out against the hate that has been directed at our officers, de Blasio continued. Its sad when someone feels they can be openly divisive and get away with it. He added that he thinks there should be consequences for destructive statements like the one Mullins made. Officials for the Police Benevolent Association, the NYPDs largest union, declined to comment on Monday about the SBAs war declaration. Just how much of a sense of history should a dive bar retain? This can be a hazardous proposition. Ignore the fans who kept you in business, and they may drift away. Stay too fixated on a long-gone era, and youll become a mustnt-touch set piece. Three bartenders who have worked at North Beachs Columbus Cafe for almost 30 years between them have decided to grapple with nostalgia on their own terms. On Feb. 1, the co-workers Will De Vault, Ben Morrison and Beka Woods-Kennedy became co-owners of the 84-year-old bar. They know what it means to buy this chunk of city history. De Vault, Morrison and Woods-Kennedy who formed a company called North Beach Pals LLC are not the first bar employees to save a beloved San Francisco institution. In 2014, seven employees and friends took over the Uptown bar after owner Scott Ellsworth died, and in 2017, an 18-person collective of employees and regulars formed in order to buy the Stud, whose owner was moving to Hawaii after a rent hike. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle Even as other old bars in the city close Portals Tavern, the Gangway, the Lexington these employee handovers suggest that theres still room in San Francisco for the unique communities that exist within its constellation of dive bars. More for you The Ultimate Guide to Classic S.F. Bars Columbus Cafe has belonged to Paul and Joe Marino, a father-son longshoremen duo, for the past 15 years. Joes looking to retire hes about to turn 80, says Woods-Kennedy. Pauls got a family now. So basically they wanted the legacy of a longshoreman bar to go on. The only real difference between a longshoreman bar and a regular dive baris its location near the port, De Vault says, adding that he hopes Columbus can continue attracting the citys remaining dock workers the union local isnt far away. Another qualifier: selling as many cheap drinks as we can get away with selling and still earn a living. The idea of the longshoreman bar is quintessential North Beach, a neighborhood that embraces its working-class, industrial past as much as its Italian heritage. So Columbus new owners will keep things largely the same, including the Sailor Jerry mermaid theme and framed black-and-white photos (many taken by Joe Marino) of an active waterfront. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle De Vault, Morrison and Woods-Kennedy are also dedicated to keeping alive the assertively friendly spirit of Columbus Cafe. Its a place thats always felt wholly North Beach without drowning in either Beat-era nostalgia or the meltwater from artisanal ice cubes. We wanted this bar to not become another cocktail bar with suspenders and 17-step cocktails that you pay $20 for, Woods-Kennedy says. Unsurprisingly, most of the longtime patrons are beer drinkers, she adds, although some prefer wine. This is North Beach, and wine-focused Belle Cora is right across the street. Does Columbus have a good wine list? Nope, Woods-Kennedy says. We said blue-collar! De Vault has been working on securing legacy-business status for rent-stabilization purposes, and his research into who owned the bar and when revealed that it originally opened on Columbus Avenue, around the block. (Columbus Cafe is not named for Christopher Columbus, whos fallen into serious disfavor these days.) In the 1940s, the bar moved to its current location, run by the founders son and later his wife, who sold it to a guy named Giovanni, who sold it to the Marinos in the early 2000s. Over the decades, its had a lot of regulars. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle The heiress from the Woolworths fortune used to come here, De Vault says, referring to the lovelorn Barbara Hutton, who had seven husbands. Theres some tragic story about how she lived and died, but she would get soused here with some of her beaus. She was a baroness who lived all over. As far as celebrities coming here, that was the biggest one I could find. Hutton was hardly a longshoreman, its true. The pool players and rocker types who populate the bar most days arent longshoremen, either. De Vault admits there can be tension between the punks and the longshoremen sometimes. We typically have to temper our own desire to play more metal and punk rock music with the crowd that we have to deal with, says De Vault, who also teaches college English composition classes. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle These days, theres a tight community to the workers behind North Beachs nightlife haunts, with employees of the Northstar Cafe and the Boardroom and the other half-dozen dives all traveling together, spending holidays with each other, and heading out to New Years Day rave Breakfast of Champions as a group at 6 a.m. Most of our regulars are either in the industry or spend enough time in bars and restaurants to qualify, Woods-Kennedy says. When you walk in the door, you know 25 to 30% of the people every day of the week, which is nice. Columbus Cafe hosted Thanksgiving this year, and almost 50 people came. Some of Columbus relationships with its neighbors are even more directly complementary. Belle Cora has good wine but no hard liquor license, so patrons cross Green Street for a stiff drink at Columbus. Sotto Mare can have long waits, so people pop into Columbus for a drink until their table opens up. North Beachs dives occasionally organize themed pub crawls with up to eight stops, spreading the love around. But the most encouraging development may be the return of Columbus Cafes 2-for-1 tokens, which fell out of circulation over the last couple years in a move that De Vault calls ill-advised. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. Lea Suzuki / The Chronicle The tokens are basically poker chips with custom designs, many bearing the Fernet Branca globe-and-eagle logo; Columbus claims it was once the No. 2 consumer of San Franciscos favorite amaro. Youd get a token when you ordered a drink during happy hour, and it was good for another free drink. They were such a hit that people have held onto them for 10 years or more. Like any good numismatists, the new owners of Columbus Cafe can identify tokens by the era in which they were circulated. But theyre pretty lenient about redeeming tokens issued before they took ownership. If you bring in your really old chips, you get a discount off of draft beer like a dollar or two, Morrison says, but maybe not a fully free drink. Then, like weathered $1 bills, the tokens leave circulation, but theyre still being put to use. Im making an art piece, De Vault says. I might use it to do a bar top or some sort of artistic installation. He has about 10 pounds of them. From here out, you can redeem a token for a beer from one of Columbus Cafes two dozen taps. The beer selection rotates, featuring mostly local breweries with an emphasis on sours. A fresh set of beer-and-shot specials should be coming down the pike, which is hardly surprising for a classic dive. What may perturb a grizzled day-drinker is the sight of cans of Truly. You almost have to have it, Woods-Kennedy says of the hard seltzer brand. But we dont have White Claw. I refuse. Columbus Cafes print-lined walls are set to get a bit of reorganizing, and the pool league is hopefully returning, but the major change is down below the main bar. Theres a special-events-only basement so underused that many regulars dont even know it exists. The basement is set to get new lighting, wallpaper and furniture for parties, plus a spiffy new bar. The team is keeping mum on most specifics for fear of jeopardizing any future permits, but the idea is for a sunken speakeasy with a sexy vibe and a projection screen. Still no suspenders, though. Any changes to Columbus Cafe have to fit with a vibe that has endured through the ages. One of the coolest things about the bar: Nobody leaves, Woods-Kennedy says. You come back four or five years later, the odds are youre going to know the bartender. Columbus Cafe: 2 p.m.-2 a.m. Monday-Friday; noon-2a.m. Saturday-Sunday. 562 Green St., S.F. 415-274-2599 or www.columbuscafesf.com Peter Lawrence Kane is a journalist and the communications manager for San Francisco Pride, and a former editor of SF Weekly. Twitter: @WannaCyber Email: food@sfchronicle.com The F.C. Sturtevant Company, Americas first skin care company, announced that skincare industry veteran Scott Friedman has been named Vice President of the Professional Skincare Division. Friedman will be leveraging his 20 plus years of industry experience to support F.C. Sturtevants revolutionary probiotic skincare line, Columbia SkinCare, in the dermatologic and medical spa markets. Columbia SkinCare has received national recognition as the first probiotic product line developed for topical use. The Professional Products Division develops products designed to help balance the bodys microbiome. I am very excited to be leading the Columbia Skincare Division of The F.C. Sturtevant Company. The emphasis on quality product development and commitment to comprehensive brand support and product training is best in class, says Friedman. Columbia Probiotics technology is the worlds first strain-specific probiotics created for topical usage. These clinically-proven, multi-functional products for all skin types fill a need that currently does not exist in the professional skincare market. Friedmans dynamic and diverse experience includes consulting with Coola Suncare and Fillerina USA and launching both in the physician and medical spa markets, building a successful startup suncare company, MDSolarSciences into a seven-figure sales company, and helping make MedSkin Solutions into a considerable contender in the Americas market. Scott Friedman is highly respected among colleagues, and he excels in product development, says company CEO Steven Rosenfeld. Friedman is currently developing the companys marketing plans for its expanded outreach into the professional skincare markets. Having the opportunity to bring in such an experienced leader allows us to maintain our position as a global leader in product development while introducing unique and innovative skincare products, says Dr. James Ryan, the Companys Chief Technology Officer. With an emphasis on the introduction of new technologies and ingredients, we look to continue to expand our position in the dermatology and medical spa marketplace. With Scotts guidance, we will be introducing several new products over the next 12-18 months. About The F.C. Sturtevant Company As Americas first skincare company, F.C. Sturtevant has been manufacturing the Columbia brand since 1871. Our unique products, formulated with natural ingredients, are clinically proven to improve skins health and appearance. Columbia Skincare was born out of Francis Crayton Sturtevants life work to create medicines to treat infection and belief that fighting infection while preserving good bacteria is necessary to balance the bodys ecosystem. About Columbia Probiotics Columbia Probiotic skincare products are the first strain-specific probiotic skincare company developed exclusively for topical use. The technology is proprietary and the formulation includes probiotics (good bacteria), plant stem cell extracts and amino acids, clinically-proven to help balance the microbiome and enhance the skins natural ability to renew itself. Cell regeneration is one of the most important biological factors in minimizing the effects of aging on skin. Our probiotic ingredients work harmoniously with the bodys endocrine, lymphatic, circulatory, integumentary, and immune systems, contributing to overall skin health. Columbia Probiotic products are available through skincare professionals and medical spas as well as online at http://www.columbiaprobiotics.com. EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information about Columbia Skincare and to arrange to speak with a company spokesperson, please contact Nancy Trent or Pamela Wadler at 212-966-0024 or pam@trentandcompany.com. Vijendra Gupta, a BJP veteran in Delhi, also the leader of opposition in the Delhi Assembly made a late comeback after trailing behind Rajesh Nama Bansiwala of AAP in Rohini, a seat Gupta had won in 2015 despite his partys dismal performance. Gupta, a former student leader of the Delhi University and one of the most well-recognized faces of Delhi BJP was trailing by around 800 votes against Bansiwala at around 11 am but has pulled ahead by close to 2,000 votes as per the latest data released by the election commission at 1 pm on Tuesday afternoon. Rohini is witnessing a very tight contest with no candidate running away with a seemingly insurmountable lead. Rohini is Guptas stronghold as he has also been a three-time councillor from here and is one of the senior-most leaders of the saffron party in the capital, having served as its president. He is also a member of the national executive of the BJP. Gupta visited a temple to offer prayers on Tuesday morning before heading for the counting centre, said his tweet. EDWARDSVILLE The purchase of 90 rifles and outfitting 19 new vehicles for the Madison County Sheriffs Department were among several items approved at the County Boards Public Safety Committee meeting Monday. Most of the meeting dealt with spending approvals from the Sheriffs Department and Madison County 911. The committee approved the purchase of 90 S.W.O.R. D. International MK-15 rifles, an AR-15 variant, for $131,780.30. During budget meetings last year Capt. Eric Decker, who discussed the purchase at the committee, said the department was planning to re-arm deputies because both the handguns and rifles used by officers were more than a decade old and having maintenance issues. In addition, the department is switching to 9mm handguns, from .40 caliber. The rifles will be semi-automatic .223 caliber short-barreled rifles, equipped with special sites and suppressors. The suppressors are a new item for the department. After the meeting Decker said they are becoming more common in law enforcement primarily because of concerns about hearing loss. He specifically cited active shooter situations and training inside buildings. According to information by the National Rifle Association, hearing loss can occur at above 140 decibels. Gunshots range from approximately 144 decibels for .22 rimfire rounds to 172 decibels for larger rounds, and suppressors can normally reduce that by about 30 decibels. Decker said because the rifles will be short-barreled and be equipped with suppressors they will be registered with the federal government as National Firearms Act weapons. The federal law, dating from 1934, regulates automatic weapons, silencers and short barreled rifles and shotguns, which are all generally illegal in Illinois except for law enforcement. The committee also approved a resolution to purchase and install new equipment in 19 new vehicles at a cost of $42,300. This is part of the departments routine vehicle replacement program. It was noted that when possible they would remove and use old equipment, but in the past officials with the sheriffs dpartment have said this often is not feasible because they are switching from cars to SUVs. Other sheriffs department expenditures approved include $8,000 in annual fees for the U.S. Marshals Task Force Officer and $6,782,20 for a one-year support contract for a video surveillance system. The committee also approved two resolutions for the annual New World computer aided dispatch system. One resolution for $24,523.86 would cover the sheriffs departments cost; the other is the $176,469.54 cost to Madison County 911. Also approved was $706,951 in reimbursements by Madison County 911 to local 911 dispatch centers. This is the second payment that would be made under a program begun last year as part of the consolidation of the countys 911 system. All of the purchases and spending resolutions must be approved by the Finance and Government Operations Committee, which meets at 9 a.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, before going to the full Madison County Board next week. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. The coronavirus will henceforth be known as Covid-19, the World Health Organisation (WHO) said on Tuesday. WHO Director-General, Tedros Ghebreyesus, said in Geneva while addressing journalists on the status of the disease that having a name matters to prevent the use of other names that can be inaccurate or stigmatizing. The disease was first detected in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China and has since spread to 24 other countries. There is also no certainty on how far the disease would spread before a cure or vaccine is found to curb the spread of the disease. In the last seven weeks, Covid-19 had been reported as coronavirus or 2019-nCoV, until scientists came up with the new official name. Mr Ghebreyesus said giving the novel disease a name would give the health community a standard format to use for any future coronavirus outbreaks. He said the new name was a coordination under agreed guidelines between WHO, the World Organisation for Animal Health and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. We had to find a name that did not refer to a geographical location, an animal, an individual or group of people, and which is also pronounceable and related to the disease. Outbreak Status Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases and the death toll from the disease has continued to rise. As of 6am Geneva time on Tuesday, there were 42,708 confirmed COVID19 cases reported in China and tragically about 1017 people in China have lost their lives to this virus. Of which outside China, there are 393 cases in 24 countries, with 1 death. According to Chinas National Health Commission, while there has been a steady decline in the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 outside Hubei in the last three days, the total number of new confirmed cases outside Hubei in the past seven days was 4916. The National Health Commission said it had received 42,638 reports of confirmed cases and 1,016 deaths on the Chinese mainland, and in all 3,996 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. There still remained 21,675 suspected cases. So far, 187,728 are now under medical observation, who have been identified as having had close contact with infected patients. The number of confirmed infections in Hong Kong and Macao Taiwan province had risen to 70 in total, according to the commission. New Confirmed Cases in China Seeking Solutions WHO said it is not yet relenting in efforts to find a cure and vaccine to curb the spread of disease. Mr Ghebreyesus said the agency will leverage on the power of the entire UN system in the Covid-19 response. He said the agency has activated a UN Crisis Management Team, to be led by Mike Ryan. This will help WHO focus on the health response while the other agencies can bring their expertise to bear on the wider social, economic & developmental implications of the COVID19 outbreak As you know, today and tomorrow WHO is hosting a meeting of more than 400 scientists from around the world, both in person and virtually. He said the main outcome expected from the meeting is not immediate answers to every question but to give a research roadmap which is important for organizations that fund research to have a clear sense of what the public health priorities are, so they can make investments that deliver the biggest public health impact The development of vaccines & therapeutics is one important part of the research agenda but it is only one part. They will take time to develop, but in the meantime, we are not defenceless But many of the people who cause problems are likely the ones who could benefit from a long-term city partnership with a mental health service provider. Saying she has much more to do in Hartford, state Rep. Kathy Kennedy,D-Milford, announced she plans to run for a second term this November. Kennedy is serving her first term in the General Assembly representing the 119th District, covering portions of Orange and Milford She currently serves on the Public Health, Environment and Education committees and is a member of the bipartisan Womens Caucus, the Coastal Caucus, the I/DD Caucus for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the EMS/Fire Caucus. Kennedy spent her first term fighting for a more affordable state for Connecticut residents, she said in her announcement. Key accomplishments of her first term, she said, include: Stopped multiple plans to toll all vehicles on state highways. Stopped a legislative proposal to force local school districts to regionalize and give up local control. Halted a state budget proposal to shift teacher pension costs to local communities. Voted to increase the penalties for those who manufacture and sell the drug Fentanyl. Voted to permanently ban toxic fracking waste in Connecticut. Opposed a state budget that raised taxes by $1.75 billion on Connecticut residents. Fought a plan to raid our Special Transportation Fund Lockbox by $171 million. Advocated for PTSD coverage for fire and police personnel; Additionally, Kennedy spent many hours communicating with residents through email and phone conversation while also having regular office hours making sure she was getting the true pulse of the district and what they wanted, according to her announcement. Last year, was a very eye-opening lesson into the legislative session. Many pieces of legislation came out of the State Capitol that quite frankly will harm the taxpayers and state businesses which is why I voted against so many bills, Kennedy said. I will continue to protect the interests of the people of Milford and Orange and will oppose legislation I see as hurting their family budgets. (Photo : henry perks / Unsplash) (Photo : Screenshot From Activated Adventures Facebook Page) Google Maps An interesting story has just emerged as a man from Minneapolis has fallen into the frozen river on a Sunday morning, Feb. 9, and he blames Google Maps for this misfortune. The man reportedly fell into the Mississippi River at around 3:00 a.m. near a very familiar Stone Arch Bridge, reported by WCCO. The official report was given by the man Interestingly, it was the Minneapolis Fire Department who was able to bring this man from the river and responded to his misfortune. The man blamed Google Maps for directing him to cross the river. The fire department then stated that Google Maps clearly meant crossing the bridge and not walking across the river. Read Also: Google Maps Hack: Simon Weckert's Stunt Shows How the App Works[VIDEO] Who is to blame? Well, even though the man did not really follow common sense, Google Maps' technical specifications were also off point, but this is a peculiar case of man versus machine. At the end of the day, Google Maps is just an application, which means that it is still subject to organic faults and lapses. This is normal with every application because of the lapses of technology when it comes to the physical world and the world over the phone. The recent headlines of Google Maps Google Maps has just recently experienced an awkward headline after an artist dragged 99 phones through the street, causing Google Maps to read it as a traffic jam. This story just recently went viral and has made Google Maps' authenticity questionable. This was a trick to test how Google Maps would respond to this bizarre movement of phones, and as the artist expected, Google Maps interpreted the data wrongly. Although this was corrected with a passing of a single phone moving at normal automobile speed, the temporary traffic jam was still very much highlighted. The man on following Google Maps This is quite a lapse of judgment in the situation of the man who found himself in the river for completely trusting Google Maps instead of his very own sense of sight. It is rather peculiar that the man did not pay intense attention to his movement but instead put his complete trust on Google Maps, which led him into the river. This case has been quite humorous for some as it is just another bizarre "what-on-earth" happened type of event. The creation of apps and their usefulness Apps are not necessarily created to substitute human capabilities but rather enhance them. Certain apps were created as navigation enhancers like Google Maps and others to store data and files like Google Drive and so many other apps out there that were created with the intent of improvement and not a replacement. Read Also: Google Drive Down: Users Flooded Twitter With Complaints; Reliability of Google Questioned Recently, self-driving cars have been the trend of some high-end places replacing the need for a physical driver, but this highly depends on the development of the location as well if it is technologically compatible. Some parts of Mississippi have not yet been properly mapped out by Google Maps, which may have caused the man to fall into the river. 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Nine years ago today, the Egyptian people toppled Hosni Mubarak, their ruler of nearly 30 years. What had begun as protests against police brutality drew inspiration from the success of anti-regime demonstrations in Tunisia, and escalated into demands for the fall of the dictatorship. Among the most popular chants in Cairos Tahrir Square and other protest venues was the demand for bread, freedom and social justice. Nearly a decade on, despite positive movement in several macro-economic indicators, those demands are just as elusive as ever. For a time, Egyptians enjoyed a great deal more freedom. In the immediate aftermath of Mubaraks fall, free speech flourished. New political parties were formed, with diverse ideological outlooks. Private and state-owned media began publishing stories critical of the government. On their TV sets, Egyptians were treated to the unfamiliar sight of journalists and activists openly challenging officials and politicians. But bread and social justice continued to be elusive, first under the military administration that took over from Mubarak, and then under the elected Islamist government. Egypts new rulers inherited structural problems that had plagued the economy for decades. These included poor infrastructure, inefficient public enterprises, a costly array of subsidies and a convoluted series of regulations that had accumulated over decades. In the years leading to the uprising, Egypt had posted some promising macroeconomic numbers, but the gains had not reached most Egyptians. In the decade before Mubaraks overthrow, GDP growth was relatively healthy, breaking 7% for two of the years. Foreign direct investment in those years reached the highest levels in modern Egyptian history. Hard-currency reserves were also at their peak, at $37 billion. Despite this, the poverty rate rose steeply throughout the decade, rising from 16.7% in 2000 to 21.6% in 2010. Millions fell into poverty while the elite cashed in. In an economy riddled with corruption, much of the business elite was more adept at leveraging connections and privileges for unproductive rent-seeking activities than at building efficient productive enterprises. Story continues Egypts infrastructure had long been neglected, and cities were left to decay while the elites escaped to gated compounds on Cairos outskirts and along the Mediterranean coast. Investment in luxury property developments ballooned as the wealthy sought safe refuge for their excess capital. Expectations following Mubaraks overthrow were high. The new freedom of expression led to increasing industrial action and demands for long overdue raises. The interim military administration promised the wage hikes, but as economic activity stagnated and spending to protect the pound grew, much of Egypts reserves quickly evaporated. There were fears that the currency would require a devaluation, as it eventually did. When the Muslim Brotherhood government took power, its inexperience, incompetence and decidedly brief tenure contributed to a general failure to successfully address the countrys economic demands. The coup in 2013 marked the abrupt end of free speech. Those opposed to General Abdel Fattah El Sisis power-grab were gunned down in the streets or imprisoned en masse. The media was quickly bullied into the old servility. But Sisi did promise bread and social justice. Egyptians were told they would have to endure some hardship while the new president set about fixing the economy, and for the most part they accepted the bargain of economic security in exchange for freedom. Now, once again, Egypts macro-economic indicators are looking up, winning praise for Sisis economic management from investors and the IMF. But as before, the improvements mask problems below the surface. While GDP growth has accelerated, the countrys private sector, aside from oil and gas, has kept contracting. Januarys non-oil and gas purchasing-managers index plunged to 46, the lowest level in nearly three years. As before, the fruits of growth appear to have been cornered by the well-connected few. Roughly 5 million more Egyptians fell into poverty between 2015 and 2018; the national poverty rate rose from 27.8% to 32.5%. While Egyptians increasingly struggle to cover basic commodities, Sisi publicly defends building lavish palaces and insists he will continue to do so. As debt grows at a troubling pace, the government continues to pursue unnecessary megaprojects like the $58 billion New Administrative Capital which is slated to be home to Africas tallest tower. Will Egyptians once again hold their rulers accountable as they did nine years ago? Although reliable opinion-polling is scarce, there is plenty of anecdotal evidence of deepening dissatisfaction, including the spasm of protests last September, sparked by a series of online videos about corruption in government contracts. After the failure of the Arab Spring, many commentators assumed the Arab world had lost faith in the power of street demonstrations. But 2019 showed, in Algeria and Sudan, that people-power can still topple brutal regimes. In Iraq and Lebanon, demonstrators continue to demand freedom, bread and social justice. In Egypt, despite the jailing tens of thousands of opposition politicians and activists since 2013, the threat and fear of an uprising persistsespecially since, having been made to sacrifice freedom for economic security, most Egyptians now have neither. To contact the author of this story: Timothy Kaldas at KaldasTimothy@gmail.com To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bobby Ghosh at aghosh73@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Timothy Kaldas is an independent risk adviser and nonresident fellow at the Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. The Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) says it will be difficult for schools to organise their students for this years National Science and Maths Quiz (NSMQ) at the regional and national levels as a result of inadequate funds. We, therefore, wish to inform management that until adequate funds are made available, schools will not be in the position to participate in the NSMQ in any form, a letter signed by the President of CHASS, Alhaji Yakub A.B. Abubakar, and addressed to the Director-General of the Ghana Education Service (GES), said. Dated February 6, 2020, the letter was copied to all regional directors of education, regional CHASS chairmen/chairpersons, all zonal CHASS chairmen/chairpersons and Primetime Ghana Limited, the organiser of the NSMQ. At the first quarterly meeting for 2020 held at the National CHASS Secretariat on February 8, 2020, the National Executive Committee (NEC) of CHASS has discussed thoroughly the challenges of the organisation of the NSMQ at the various levels. After a lengthy discussion, we have concluded that it will be difficult for schools to organise the students for the NSMQ at the regional and the national levels, it said. It, however, expressed the hope that the concerns of CHASS would be addressed quickly to facilitate the smooth organisation of the quiz. The NSMQ The quiz is Ghanas biggest academic competition that is aired on radio, television and various social media platforms. It has a huge following involving the old and the young. Besides academic considerations, the competition offers winning schools bragging rights over other competitors, at least for the period they reign as champions. Since the competition commenced sometime in 1993, no girls school has ever won it. Champions have come from co-educational and boys schools. It is produced by Primetime Limited and sponsored by the GES, in collaboration with CHASS, among other organisations. GES The GES, in a letter to regional directors of education, acknowledged receipt of the letter from CHASS, saying "the Director-General has also received representation from some schools indicating their willingness to participate in the competition". "In order to make an informed decision on the matter, regional directors are hereby requested to compile the list of schools which are willing to participate in the competition, so that appropriate action can be taken on the request since it is only schools which will participate in the competition which will be eligible for the money earmarked for the competition. "Regional directors prompt action on this exercise will be very much appreciated," the GES letter, signed by its Director-General, Prof. Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa, concluded. It urged the regional directors to act promptly on the request. Primetime When reached for her comments, the Managing Director of Primetime Limited, Nana Akua Ankomah-Asare, told the Daily Graphic that her outfit was yet to receive a letter from CHASS on its decision. We have not received a letter from CHASS, she said. She, however, said her outfit would hold a meeting with CHASS over the issue today. She expressed the hope that whatever issues the school heads had raised would be worked on. Mrs Ankomah-Asare said the regional competitions should have started in the Western and the Western North regions yesterday, February 10, only for Primetime to receive the news from the schools. The Upper West Regional competition should have been held today. She explained that before the free senior high school (SHS) policy was introduced, students were levied for the competition. The money never came to us; it went to CHASS, out of which the programme was paid for, she said. Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video Sinn Fein called on the European Union on Tuesday to back its bid for a united Ireland after a surge in support saw it become the second largest party in parliament at weekend elections. The result has shaken up the political landscape in the EU member state, with Sinn Fein -- once shunned because of its links to IRA paramilitaries -- also the second biggest party across the border in British-ruled Northern Ireland. When counting from Saturday's poll finished in the early hours of Tuesday morning, the nationalist left-wing Sinn Fein had secured 37 of the 160 seats in the Dail, Ireland's lower house of parliament. Centre-right party Fianna Fail was only one seat ahead with 38 while Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael took 35 -- a result likely to topple the premier from office. If a new government is to be formed when the Dail reconvenes on February 20, it must contain multiple parties. Talks have already begun to thrash out a coalition. Sinn Fein wants a central role in power after winning 24.5 percent of first preferences in Ireland's single transferable vote system -- the largest of any party. Its leader Mary Lou McDonald has already talked to smaller left-wing parties to try to determine whether it is possible to form a government without the two main centre-right parties. "I may well be the next taoiseach (prime minister)," she said on a walkabout in Dublin on Monday. "Sinn Fein won the election, we won the popular vote... I'm very clear that people who came out and voted for Sinn Fein have voted for Sinn Fein to be in government." Even if Sinn Fein form an alliance with the 29 lawmakers of the four small left-wing parties, they would still need support from independents to reach the 80-seat threshold to form a government. Ireland's president Michael D Higgins said Tuesday it would be "important to be positive" as negotiations began, telling the Irish Times he had "great confidence in the process we have". - Protracted talks - The surge in support for nationalist Sinn Fein, once regarded as the political wing of the IRA, broke the stranglehold of two-party politics in Ireland. Its former leader Gerry Adams and other party representatives were even banned from the airwaves in the UK as violence raged over British rule in Northern Ireland over the three decades to 1998. But with two decades of peace and new leader McDonald, Sinn Fein's left-wing policies on tackling crises in housing and health have found favour, especially among younger voters. McDonald said the two main parties -- Fine Gael and Fianna Fail -- were "in a state of denial" and had not listened to the voice of the people on pressing domestic issues. Coalition talks are expected to be protracted and difficult, all the more so as Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have both ruled out any deal with Sinn Fein because of its past associations with the IRA. Adams has long denied allegations that he had a leadership role in the IRA, which waged a bloody campaign over UK-rule in Northern Ireland that saw more than 3,000 killed on all sides. - Border poll - Sinn Fein's flagship policy of a united Ireland is likely to figure prominently in whatever role it plays in government. It wants to call a referendum on the issue within five years. McDonald herself called on the European Union to back the party's position. "I think the European Union needs to take a stand in respect of Ireland in the same way that it supported the reunification of Germany," she told BBC television on Monday night. "In the same way that it (Brussels) has a position on Cyprus, for example, and a positive approach to the reunification of that country. I think Ireland is no different." McDonald described the partition of Ireland in 1921 -- when six northern counties remained under British rule and the rest of the island became self-governing -- as a "disaster". "Reunification, reconciliation and good relationships with our next-door neighbours is the way forward," she added. Former Irish prime minister Bertie Ahern said a border poll was now "inevitable". But Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster said only Britain's Northern Ireland secretary could call a border poll "if it appears likely to secure a majority" in the province. "No such circumstances exist," said Foster, who is also first minister of the devolved administration in Belfast. She pointed to recent opinion polls indicating that a majority are not in favour of such a vote. The Supreme Court of the United States in Washington on May 7, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Texas Sues to Strike Down California Travel Ban That Punishes States for LGBTQ Policies Texas filed a lawsuit against California asking the Supreme Court to strike down the Golden States ban on state-funded travel to 11 states over their LGBTQ policies, arguing the prohibition violates First Amendment religious freedom protections. Texas is claiming the ban is unconstitutionally infected with animus towards religion, hurts Texas businesses, and runs afoul of federal interstate commerce laws. Conversely, California claims it had to act because Texas was allegedly discriminating against LGBTQ individuals. The ban was intended to apply pressure to conservative states and discourage lawmaking throughout the United States that in the opinion of California officials discriminates against LGBTQ persons. The case, filed in the Supreme Court on Feb. 10, isnt an appeal of a lower courts ruling. Article III, Section II of the U.S. Constitution gives the Supreme Court what is called original jurisdiction over lawsuits between two or more states and in all cases affecting ambassadors, other public ministers, and consuls. Californias travel ban took effect in 2016 following the North Carolina bathroom bill that required individuals there to use public bathrooms that are designated for use by members of one of the two biological sexes, as opposed to gender identity. The issue gave rise to a divisive cultural debate nationwide that prompted left-leaning California officials to act. There are limited exceptions to the travel ban, including for trips related to litigation, California law enforcement, public health, welfare, or safety. Oklahoma and Tennessee responded by banning state-sponsored travel to California. The other states blacklisted by California in this manner are Alabama, Kansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Oklahoma, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Iowa. California added Texas to the ban in 2017 after the Lone Star State enacted a law that allows faith-based foster care and adoption agencies to refuse placements that go against their religious beliefs. California characterized the Texas law as preventing same-sex couples from adopting children. But Texas rejects that characterization. Texas respects and honors the religious beliefs of its citizens, the office of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement. California lawmakers do not. As a co-author of Californias travel ban admitted, they see religious beliefs as nothing more than code to discriminate against different people. The legal complaint filed by Texas adds that California officials view laws protecting religious freedom as the last gasp of a decrepit world view. In Californias so-called forward thinking, it is not enough to burden religion in California; it must go further and coerce other States to increase burdens on religion within their own borders, it states. Texas partners with a diverse array of agencies to expand the number of safe and loving homes available to children. Californias opposition to diverse and inclusive options for foster children, along with its decision to utilize commerce as a tool of economic warfare, divide the nation and demonstrate a disregard for the safety and well-being of Texas children. Paxton himself accused California of attempting to punish Texans for respecting the right of conscience for foster care and adoption providers. The law California opposes does not prevent anyone from contributing to child-welfare; in fact, it allows our state to partner with as many different agencies as possible to expand the number of safe and loving homes available to foster children, Paxton said in a statement. Boycotting states based on nothing more than political disagreement breaks down the ability of states to serve as laboratories of democracy while still working together as one nationthe very thing our Constitution intended to prevent. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, took a shot at Texas in comments provided to The Epoch Times. In California, we have chosen not to use taxpayer money to support laws discriminating against the LGBTQ community, he said in a statement. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace plan is a "monstrous conception" of a Palestinian state that is not going to progress any further, according to a former chief of Saudi intelligence. The U.S. unveiled its long-awaited peace initiative for an Israeli-Palestinian deal with great fanfare late last month. The proposal, which Trump delivered standing alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, would give Israel most of what it has sought during decades of conflict. This includes the disputed city of Jerusalem and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the occupied West Bank. Palestine has rejected the U.S. proposal outright, while Israel strongly supports it. "What I have seen so far of that deal is that it is trying to make of Palestine what I can call a Frankenstein creation," Saudi Arabia's Prince Turki Al Faisal told CNBC's Hadley Gamble at the Milken Institute MENA Summit in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday. It is "generally just a monstrous conception of a Palestinian state. It's rightful capital Jerusalem is stripped from it, so that takes away its heart, and its borders are undefined and that takes away its soul." "So, it is not going to go very far not only in our part of the world but the whole world has rejected it," Al Faisal said. In response, a U.S. administration official told CNBC that Al Faisal was "no longer relevant and his comments are not aligned with the Saudi government." Grieving parents of a welder who mysteriously died alone in a car fear the autopsy may have been performed on the wrong body after finding a number of errors in the report. Bronson Pont is believed to have died of a drug overdose in his car in Sydney's Lane Cove in 2018. However, his parents Michael and Michelle Pont claim there were inconsistencies in the police investigation. They had hoped the autopsy would shed light on their son's mysterious death, but claim they have been left with more questions than answers. Bronson's autopsy report identified two faded tattoos on his left hand and shin, which his parents claim he never had. They are now concerned the morgue may have given them the wrong ashes. 'I had the most horrendous nightmares of my son chopped up on the table and people not knowing what body part was what,' Ms Pont told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'It was almost as bad as the day he died.' Bronson Pont (pictured) died in 2018. His parents Michael and Michelle Pont claim there were inconsistencies in the police investigation Bronson Pont is believed to have died of a drug overdose in his car in Sydney's Lane Cove in 2018 An experienced forensic pathologist concluded Bronson died from methadone and methamphetamine overdose. However, a syringe was never found. His car keys were also missing. His car and clothes were stained in blood and he had a scratch on his neck, which police suggested was an injection point. The idea that Bronson injected himself in the left of his neck was ridiculous, Ms Pont said. She said he had never injected his neck before and was left-hand dominant. Both Mr and Ms Pont fear their son's death may have been more sinister. And while police believe Bronson's death was not suspicious, the Pont's were relying on information from the autopsy to give them peace of mind - but instead it gave them more doubts. The report correctly identified Bronson's three tattoos, which were of stars, a spider web and a dragon. However, it also noted the two faded tattoos. Bronson Pont had three tattoos, those were of stars, a spider web and a dragon. However, the autopsy report also noted two faded tattoos, which his parents claim he never had An internal and external review were then ordered by the Department of Forensic Medicine and the coroner's office. Professor Johan Duflou, a former director of the Department of Forensic Medicine, performed the external review and found a 'number of errors'. One of which was the faded tattoos, which he was unable to find. His conclusion was that Bronson's cause of death was 'likely' a drug overdose. However, his report said it was also 'highly likely' drugs had not played a role due to the toxicology report. Following his report, the Pont's demanded answers. In a letter to the couple, Deputy State Coroner Magistrate Elizabeth Ryan wrote that some of the circumstances surrounding their son's death cannot be explained. Magistrate Ryan went on to say satisfied that inflicted violence did not cause or contribute to Bronson's death. A police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that 'following an investigation by detectives at North Shore Police Area Command, the matter was referred to and investigated by the NSW State Coroner'. 'An inquest has been dispensed with and the matter has been finalised. A post mortem determined the man died as a result of drug toxicity.' India - Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) and Related Equipment and Support Media/Public Contact: pm-cpa@state.gov Transmittal No: 19-55 WASHINGTON, February 10, 2020 -- The State Department has made a determination approving a possible Foreign Military Sale to India of an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) for an estimated cost of $1.867 billion. The Defense Security Cooperation Agency delivered the required certification notifying Congress of this possible sale on February 7, 2020. The Government of India has requested to buy an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) comprised of: five (5) AN/MPQ-64Fl Sentinel radar systems; one hundred eighteen (118) AMRAAM AIM-120C-7/C-8 missiles; three (3) AMRAAM Guidance Sections; four (4) AMRAAM Control Sections; and one hundred thirty-four (134) Stinger FIM-92L missiles. Also included are thirty-two (32) M4A1 rifles; forty thousand three hundred twenty (40,320) M855 5.56mm cartridges; Fire Distribution Centers (FDC); Handheld Remote Terminals; Electrical Optical/Infrared (EO/IR) Sensor Systems; AMRAAM Non-Developmental Item-Airborne Instrumentation Units (NDIAIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML); Dual Mount Stinger (DMS) Air Defense Systems; Vehicle Mounted Stinger Rapid Ranger Air Defense Systems; communications equipment; tool kits; test equipment; range and test programs; support equipment; prime movers; generators; technical documentation; computer based training equipment; training equipment; training towers; ammunition storage; training and maintenance facilities; infrastructure improvements; U.S. Government and contractor technical support, engineering and logistics support services; warranty services; Systems and Integration Checkout (SICO); field office support; and other related elements of logistics and program support. The total estimated cost is $1.867 billion. This proposed sale will support the foreign policy and national security of the United States by helping to strengthen the U.S.-Indian strategic relationship and to improve the security of a major defensive partner, which continues to be an important force for political stability, peace, and economic progress in the Indo-Pacific and South Asia region. India intends to use these defense articles and services to modernize its armed forces, and to expand its existing air defense architecture to counter threats posed by air attack. This will contribute to India's military goal to update its capability while further enhancing greater interoperability between India, the U.S., and other allies. India will have no difficulty absorbing these systems into its armed forces. The proposed sale of this equipment and support will not alter the basic military balance in the region. The principal contractors involved in this program are The Raytheon Corporation and Kongsberg Defense and Aerospace. There are no known offset agreements proposed in conjunction with this proposed sale; however, the purchaser typically requests offsets. Any offset agreement will be defined in negotiations between the Purchaser and the prime contractor(s). Implementation of this proposed sale will require 60 U.S. Government or contractor representatives to travel to India for a period of six weeks (non-concurrent). Activities will include de-processing/fielding, training, and technical/logistics support. There will be no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness as a result of this proposed sale. This notice of a potential sale is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. All questions regarding this proposed Foreign Military Sale should be directed to the State Department's Bureau of Political Military Affairs, Office of Congressional and Public Affairs, pm-cpa@state.gov. -30- NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Daytona Beach, Florida (February 10, 2020) Roger Slack, who promoters and manages Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, was introduced as the 44th Auto-Racing Promoter of the Year this morning at the 47th Annual RPM@Daytona Workshops presented at the Hilton Oceanfront in Daytona Beach, Florida, representing Region Three, the Central Region of RPM balloting. Slack won with over 73% of the votes during the final round of balloting. This is a tremendous honor, began Slack. This is voted on by the industry in which we all work and to be recognized like this is very humbling. It is truly a great honor and experience and I am very fortunate to have my family, friends and colleagues here to share in this. Its incredible. I am grateful for everyone who has played a role in my career to get to this point. Eldora has such a great legacy to it and I am proud to be a part of carrying on and building on such a great tradition. We have been very fortunate to have Tony (Stewart) be able to provide us a great platform to accomplish the things we can and carry on what Earl and Bernice Baltes built. Slack is the first Canadian born recipient of the award and comes from a long-line of family who has been involved in racing dating back to his Great Grandparents, who were involved in horse racing. His Grandfather Bob Slack was the visionary behind Cayuga Motor Speedway (now Jukasa Motor Speedway) in Nelles Corners, Ontario and his Father, Randy raced throughout the region while assisting at Cayuga. His brother Bob is now a business partner at Bicknell Racing Products, one of the most recognized names in dirt modified and specialty parts manufacturing. Slack received a trophy designed by Simes Graphic Designs artist, Jay Simes and the traditional watch from Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Racing has always been in our blood, Slack continued. It is what we have always done and today, this honor is not just for me, but for everyone who has given me an opportunity to reach this point. Slack was the flagman for Rex Robbins American Speed Association (ASA) as well as the Chili Bowl for several years before spending time with Speedway Motorsports as part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway under the direction of Humpy Wheeler and learning from legends like Glenn Donnelly. Slack served at World Racing Group while playing a major role in the production of Super DIRT Week at the New York State Fairgrounds on the legendary 1-mile track in Syracuse. Eldora Speedway also won the Kings Royal also won the Outstanding Event of the Year Award. The event has grown into a three-day racing, week-long celebration of the sport for the 410 Sprint Car division which features the World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series. This is a big year for us and these honors are incredible, added Slack. We work very hard at entertaining people and giving competitors a great experience and we will continue to do so. That experience is what makes Eldora so memorable for so many and we strive to have it with everything we do. Region One, Eastern Region; Lyle Devore from Albany-Saratoga (NY) Speedway; Region Five; Great Plains Region; Ray Marler of I-55 Speedway in Pevely, Missouri and Region Six; Southwest and Western Region; Dennis Gage from Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, California all accepted their awards. Jim Stannard accepted the award for Toby Kruse and the Ratajczak family for their Region Four, Northern Region win for their efforts at 141 Speedway in Maribel, Wisconsin. Chris Martin was recognized for his Region Two Southeastern Region win at Cochran Motor Speedway in Georgia. The 47th Annual RPM@Daytona stands as a cant miss event for track promoters nationwide. The Racing Promotion Monthly (RPM) Newsletter and RPM Workshops provide an educational and networking program to the motorsports industry. The program provides media and meeting platforms which offer promoters, motorsports management, tracks, sanctions and companies a forum to share, educate and network within. The newsletter and workshops are services of Hoosier Racing Tire and K&K Insurance, with supporting sponsorship coming from Chevrolet Performance Products, RACEceiver, Moffet Productions, IMCA Racing, Eldorado Hotel and Casino, Simes Graphic Design, Firethorn Marketing, Lucas Oil Products, Sunoco Racing Fuel and INEX US Legend Cars. Further information regarding the RPM e-newsletters and workshops may be found at the companys website, www.promotersnewsletter.com. A: Its a philanthropic organization. We do community activities, community service and we have a major benefit where the money goes to organizations. Our club started in 1912 and we have kept the name 20th Century Club. We also have a foundation that awards scholarships to local high school seniors. Our social services department of the club provides help to needy adults and children through food drives, holiday baskets and similar donations. The food drives help Maine Township Food Pantry and the holiday baskets and donations go to Center of Concern. We also have monthly programs that reflect the culture and social interest of our membership. In view of the upcoming visit of US President Donald Trump to Ahmedabad, the Gujarat government on Tuesday announced that it was rescheduling tabling of the Budget 2020-21 in the Legislative Assembly to February 26. As per the previous schedule, the budget was scheduled to be tabled in the House on February 24. Trump administration earlier Tuesday confirmed that the US President will travel to Ahmedabad and New Delhi on February 24 and 25 as part of his maiden official visit to India. "Gujarat deputy chief minister and finance minister Nitin Patel will present the budget in the state assembly on February 26," said Gujarat Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja. Meanwhile, Gujarat government officials are tight- lipped on the possible itinerary of the US President during the Ahmedabd visit. Chief Minister Vijay Rupani had recently said in Delhi that Trump will visit the Sabarmati River Front during his visit to India. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Pliny the Younger, the extra-hopped, extra-IPA'd nephew of Russian River Brewing Co.'s flagship Pliny the Elder, is available for the first time in bottles this year, and already profiteers are trying to make a fast buck reselling the craft beer. One seller offered two bottles of the Younger for $500 on the auction site MyBeerCollectibles.com. (The ad was later taken down.) Another was asking $250 for a pairing of a bottle of Younger and a bottle of Elder ($180 minimum bid). The transactions appear to be legally questionable. State and federal governments do not allow you to resell beer unless you are licensed to do so. Moreover, Russian River Brewing labels each bottle "Not Packaged Resale" to curtail illegal reselling of bottles. On Monday, the beer-reviewing site RateBeer named Pliny the Younger the best beer in California for 2019. A bottle of Pliny the Elder sells for $5.59 on Instacart. By comparison, the triple-IPA Pliny the Younger, which previously had been sold only on draft, retails for about $10 a bottle at the brewery's Santa Rosa and Windsor brewpubs. You can buy up to two bottles per day during the two-week window the beer is offered, from Feb. 7 to Feb. 20. Quantities are limited. Pliny the Younger is not available through wholesale distribution. The 10-ounce drafts at the brewpubs go for $6 each, no more than three per person per day. RELATED: Where you might find Russian River's Pliny the Younger in SF and Oakland Since 2009, Pliny the Younger's short-lived winter release has become something of a cultural phenomenon in Northern California, with people queuing up at the brewpubs for as long as nine hours on weekends to enjoy the beer. A limited number of bars in San Francisco, Oakland and Alameda will receive kegs of Pliny the Younger, but the list changes every year, so it's hard to predict if or when any given bar will have Younger on tap. --- Mike Moffitt is an SFGATE Digital Reporter. Email: moffitt@sfgate.com. Twitter: @Mike_at_SFGate I have no idea, like, why Im in this car. But Peter made his decision, and thats that. Does it suck? Yeah. Do I agree with it? No. I question his intentions because I just dont really know like what phase he is in life. The four that are left are like little babies. They dont really know who they are. Like, are you a child, or are you an adult? But, clearly, he doesnt agree, Flanagan said after Weber cut her from the show. Hes not able to sit there and make decisive decisions and stuff like that. Then thats on him. I dont really want him to waste my time either. You know, thank you for not coming and meeting my family. Sudan has agreed to hand ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir and others to the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes in Darfur, a member of Khartoum's ruling body said Tuesday. The Hague-based ICC has charged Bashir and three of his former aides with genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Sudan's western region during a devastating conflict from 2003. "Those who have been indicted by the ICC, they have to go there," Mohamed Hassan Al-Taishay, a member of the ruling sovereign council, said in a statement. "One of them is Al-Bashir and (there are) three others," he later told journalists in the South Sudanese capital of Juba, where a government delegation was meeting rebel groups from Darfur. "We agreed that we fully supported the ICC and we agreed... that the four criminals have to be handed over," Taishay said. "We fully supported the claim that the ICC wanted them and they have to be handed over." He did not specify when the decision would be carried out. Taishay said the Juba talks, still ongoing, focused on justice and reconciliation in Darfur, where the United Nations says about 300,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the conflict erupted. Taishay said they had agreed several mechanisms for achieving peace in Darfur, including the establishment of a special court to investigate crimes in the region. But "first, all those who have been indicted by the ICC should appear before the ICC," he said. - 'Rule based on justice' - A member of the rebel delegation in Juba also confirmed the move. "We have agreed with the sovereign council in Khartoum to rule Sudan based on justice, especially on issues related to the ICC," Nimir Mohamed Abdurahman told reporters. The conflict in Darfur, the size of France, erupted when ethnic minority African rebels took up arms against Bashir's then Arab-dominated government, accusing it of marginalising the region economically and politically. The ICC has charged Bashir with genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity for his role in the conflict. Bashir has denied the charges. The court has also indicted three of his former aides, Ahmed Haroon, Abdulrahim Mohamed Hussain and Ali Kushied. "We cannot achieve justice unless we treat the suffering of the victims because this is a truth that we can't escape from," Taishay said. Sudanese government spokesman Faisal Mohamed Salih also confirmed that the four would be handed over to the ICC. "Bashir and others will be presented to the ICC court. This is a government decision," Salih told AFP. Bashir was ousted by the army in a palace coup last April after months of protests against his iron-fisted rule of three decades. He was arrested following his ouster and has since been sentenced to two years in a detention centre on corruption charges. Anti-Bashir protesters, residents of Darfur and rebel groups from the region have consistently demanded that the ousted ruler be handed over to the ICC. For years before his toppling and despite the ICC indictments, Bashir had regularly visited regional countries as well as Russia and China. Days before the outbreak of mass protests against him in December 2018, he visited Syria's President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, becoming the first Arab leader to do so since the Syrian conflict began in 2011. In 2018, Bashir helped broker a tentative peace deal in South Sudan after five years of intense conflict in the world's newest country, which won independence from Khartoum in 2011. [February 11, 2020] Mike Weinbach to Join Wells Fargo to lead Consumer Lending Wells Fargo (News - Alert) announced today that Mike Weinbach will join the company as CEO of Consumer Lending in early May, reporting to CEO Charlie Scharf and based in New York. Weinbach will have responsibility for Home Lending, Auto, Credit Cards & Merchant Services, and Personal Loans. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005822/en/ Mike Weinbach (Photo: Business Wire) "I'm delighted that we've been able to attract someone with Mike's experience, skills and knowledge to Wells Fargo," said Scharf. "He has a broad range of experiences in the consumer space and will be a great addition to our management team. We are one of the largest providers of consumer credit in the country and want to continue serving that important role for our customers and the U.S. economy." Weinbach joins Wells Fargo after 16 years at JPMorgan Chase where he was most recently CEO of Chase Home Lending. Previously at Chase h held leadership roles across Consumer Banking, Business Banking, Home Lending and Auto Finance in sales, finance, branch management and operations. Before joining Chase, he founded a business focused on workplace motivation and held positions at Citigroup. He is a graduate of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and earned his MBA at Harvard Business School. "I am excited to join Wells Fargo and appreciate the opportunity to work with this remarkable franchise that serves over 70 million customers," said Weinbach. "I am passionate about providing outstanding customer experiences and helping customers live better lives. I am eager to work with the Wells Fargo team to do just that." Reporting to Weinbach will be Michael DeVito, head of Home Lending; Laura Schupbach, head of Wells Fargo Auto; Ray Fischer, head of Credit Cards & Merchant Services; and John Rasmussen, head of Personal Loans. Until Weinbach joins Wells Fargo, Mary Mack will oversee Consumer Lending on an interim basis in addition to her ongoing role as CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking. About Wells Fargo Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a diversified, community-based financial services company with $1.9 trillion in assets. Wells Fargo's vision is to satisfy our customers' financial needs and help them succeed financially. Founded in 1852 and headquartered in San Francisco, Wells Fargo provides banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through 7,400 locations, more than 13,000 ATMs, the internet (wellsfargo.com) and mobile banking, and has offices in 32 countries and territories to support customers who conduct business in the global economy. With approximately 260,000 team members, Wells Fargo serves one in three households in the United States. Wells Fargo & Company was ranked No. 29 on Fortune's 2019 rankings of America's largest corporations. News, insights and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories. Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter (News - Alert): @WellsFargo. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005822/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] 30 killed, women and children abducted in Nigeria's Borno Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 4:15 PM Takfiri terrorists have killed at least 30 people and abducted women and children in a raid in Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno. A regional government spokesman said on Monday that the attack Sunday evening was carried out in the village of Auno on a key highway to the regional capital Maiduguri. State government spokesman Ahmad Abdurrahman Bundi confirmed in a statement that the militants stormed in on trucks mounted with heavy weapons, killing, burning and looting before kidnapping women and children. They went for travelers who had stopped for the night and torched vehicles. The attackers "killed not less than 30 people who are mostly motorists and destroyed 18 vehicles," Bundi said after visiting the scene. Witnesses said militants set alight 30 vehicles in the raid. "Many of the drivers and their assistants who were sleeping the vehicles were burnt alive," media outlets quoted civilian militia fighter, Babakura Kolo, as saying. The attack occurred in an area where members of a faction which calls itself the West Africa Province (ISWAP) branch of the Daesh Takfiri terrorist group have been active. The faction made an alliance with Boko Haram in 2015 before separating in 2016. Auno lies on the 120-kilometer highway linking Maiduguri to Damaturu, a major regional city in neighboring Yobe state. The highway has been increasingly targeted by ISWAP militants in recent months. Last month, four Nigerian soldiers were killed and seven injured when militants attacked troops positioned in Auno. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Dyaning Pangestika (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 18:12 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063dc1bc 1 National feminism,violence-against-women,Sexual-assault,Women Free Global solidarity movement One Billion Rising (OBR) has invited people worldwide including in Indonesia to celebrate the upcoming Valentines Day by joining its call for an end to violence against women. Similar to campaign events held in previous years, OBR Indonesia will take to the streets of the countrys cities this year to deliver its message by dancing together in flash mobs. This year, OBR Indonesia is set to organize the campaign under the theme Raise The Vibration, Rise To Revolution in a bid to encourage women, victims and activists alike to speak up and take action against violence against women as well as other kinds of violence happening in the country. Hopefully this event will serve as a platform for Indonesian women to speak up against the injustice they have been subjected to, OBR 2020 coordinator Dinda Deselia said in a written statement received by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. Read also: Don't let us fight by ourselves: The women who fight to make Indonesia a safer place The campaign calls on the government and other stakeholders in the country to fulfil 14 demands, namely: 1. Put an end to gender-based violence; 2. Create equal pay and work opportunities and safe workplaces; eradicate outsourcing; 3. Provide welfare for poor people living in urban areas; 4. End child marriage; 5. End discrimination against minorities; 6. Stop commercialization of health; 7. Keep in place requirements for construction permits and environmental analysis; 8. Stop military operations in Papua; 9. Stop criminalization of activists; 10. Stop acts of intolerance; 11. Pass the protection of domestic workers bill; 12. Stop land-grabbing and forest fires; 13. Stop criminalizing sex workers; 14. Realize womens rights for sexual reproduction. Through the campaign, Dinda said, OBR hopes to increase public awareness that social injustice is a real issue that everyone not only activists, victims and survivors should speak up against. Our purpose is to achieve equality for everyone, she said. Beginning on Feb. 14, 2012, the OBR movement was launched in response to statistics published by the United Nations that one in three women or around 1 billion women experience sexual or physical abuse during their lifetime. Prior to the event planned for Friday, OBR started online and offline campaigns on Jan. 17 and Feb. 8, respectively, including a zine workshop, movie screenings and discussions. In a photo taken on Feb. 8, 2020, people bow before the statues of late North Korean leaders Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il on Mansu Hill, to mark the 72nd anniversary of the founding of Korean People's Army in Pyongyang. AFP North Korea continued to enhance its nuclear and ballistic missile programs last year in breach of United Nations sanctions, according to a confidential U.N. report seen by Reuters on Monday. The country also illicitly imported refined petroleum and exported some $370 million worth of coal with the help of Chinese barges, the report added. The 67-page report to the U.N. Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, which is due to be made public next month, comes as the United States tries to revive stalled denuclearization talks with North Korea. "In 2019, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) did not halt its illicit nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which it continued to enhance, in violation of Security Council resolutions," the independent U.N. sanctions monitors wrote. "Despite its extensive indigenous capability it uses illicit external procurement for some components and technology." North Korea has been subjected to U.N. sanctions since 2006. They have been strengthened by the 15-member Security Council over the years in a bid to cut off funding for Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. SHIP-TO-SHIP TRANSFERS The sanctions monitors said that in a fresh bid to evade sanctions, North Korea had started to export millions of tonnes of commodities - banned since 2017 - using barges. "According to a Member State, the DPRK exported 3.7 million metric tons of coal between January and August 2019, with an estimated value of $370 million," the report said. "According to the Member State, most DPRK coal exports, an estimated 2.8 million metric tons, were conducted via ship-to-ship transfers from DPRK-flagged vessels to Chinese local barges." The unidentified member state told the monitors that barges had delivered coal directly to three ports in China's Hangzhou Bay and also to facilities along the Yangtze river. The U.N. monitors also said a member state reported that North Korea had exported at least one million tonnes of sand from river dredging, worth at least $22 million, to Chinese ports. REDDING, Calif. - A Redding couple is trying to figure out their next step after a fire swept through their home. Firefighters got to the house around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday morning to smoke pouring out of the attic. Flames could be seen coming from the back of the home on the block of 1500 Lacey Lane in Redding. Redding fire crews are responding to a structure fire, Tuesday morning. Redding fire crews are responding to a structure fire, Tuesday morning. Firefighters managed to knock down the fire within 25 minutes. The Redding Fire Department said most of the damage is confined to the back of the house. But extreme heat and smoke did damage the rest of the home. "They will not be able to occupy this residence," Battalion Chief Chris Varnum said. "It's got severe smoke and heat damage throughout the house." Another big challenge for firefighters - the wind. Firefighters said no one was home at time of the fire and nobody was hurt. PG&E and Redding Electric Utility were also on scene to secure utilities and disconnect power. The approval was made during a weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen, the Khmer Time newspaper reported. The 265-megawatt plant will be constructed in northern Oddar Meanchey province by local firm Han Seng Coal Mines Co., Ltd. It is due to generate power in 2022. Meanwhile, the 700-megawatt plant will be built in southern Koh Kong province by a joint venture between Indonesias Royal Group and Chinese firm Sinosteel Equipment & Engineering Co., Ltd. It is scheduled to be put into operation in 2024. Currently, Cambodia has two thermal power plants in Preah Sihanouk with a combined capacity of 505 megawatts. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 13:30:15 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 862 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / MCTC Holdings, Inc. (OTC PINK:MCTC), a research and development company deploying new extraction and infusion technologies for the cannabinoid and hemp industries announces today the availability of Hemp You Can Feel Coffee, the industry's first 100% natural CBD coffee to be shipped in 100% compostable single-serving coffee pods. The new product line is based on the Company's patent-pending CBD and other cannabinoid infusion technologies that are free of all chemicals, emulsifiers and surfactants.In its first public debut of the products, the Company will be exhibiting at White Label World Expo US, Las Vegas on February 26 and 27 at Booth #451, where it will present Hemp You Can Feel Coffee to thousands of online sellers, suppliers and buyers who are expected to attend the exhibition. Product samples will be made available for exhibition attendees. For more information about the Company's attendance and the introduction of Hemp You Can Feel Coffee, please see the exhibitions' website at https://bit.ly/31HfHS8 "We invite everyone to stop by our booth at While Label Expo for a free sample of our new coffee products. Hemp You Can Feel Coffee is a revolution in CBD infusion products," commented Arman Tabatabaei, Chief Executive Officer. "Based on only the finest ingredients available anywhere in the marketplace, Hemp You Can Feel Coffee starts with ultra-premium organic coffee infused with our all-natural, patent pending dual infusion process. 100% organic green coffee beans are imported from South America directly onsite and we supervise the roasting, grinding, CBD infusion and packaging right at our facility. We then package everything onsite in 100% compostable containers, including the pods and the lids. This "green bean to packaged product approach" allows us to produce a superior product. We are well into production and will be shipping next week in preparation for the Las Vegas event." The Company is utilizing its unique CBD infusion process for Hemp You Can Feel Coffee and all of its upcoming product offerings. Based on only natural ingredients, like trace amounts of organic vegetable oils, honey, and agave, the Company invented a unique process for all-natural CBD infusion using no chemicals. The Company filed multiple patents on the technology.Mass market plastic coffee pods are single-use plastics that end up being incinerated, or deposited in landfills, polluting our air, water and soil. Hemp You Can Feel Coffee doesn't contribute to the problem. The Company's product is 100% compostable within 120 days of properly-being discarded - this includes not only the packaging, but also the single-serving coffee pod, lid and package inserts.About MCTC Holdings, Inc.MCTC Holdings, Inc. (d/b/a: Cannabis Global) is a Delaware registered, fully reporting and audited publicly-traded company. With the hemp and cannabis industries moving very quickly and with a growing number of market entrants, MCTC plans to concentrate its efforts on the middle portions of the hemp and cannabis value chain. The Company plans to actively pursue R&D programs and productization for exotic cannabinoid isolation, bioenhancement of cannabinoids and polymeric solid nanoparticles and nanofibers for addition into consumer products and for dermal application. The Company was reorganized during June of 2019 and announced its intent to enter the fast-growing cannabis sector and its intent to change its corporate identity to Cannabis Global, Inc. The Company is headed and managed by a group of highly experienced cannabis industry pioneers and entrepreneurs.More information on the Company can be viewed at www.CannabisGlobalinc.com For more information, please contact:Arman TabatabaeiIR@ cannabisglobalinc.com Forward-looking StatementsThis news release contains "forward-looking statements" which are not purely historical and may include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Such forward-looking statements include, among other things, the development, costs and results of new business opportunities and words such as "anticipate", "seek", intend", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "project", "plan", or similar phrases may be deemed "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with new projects, the future U.S. and global economies, the impact of competition, and the Company's reliance on existing regulations regarding the use and development of cannabis-based products. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that any beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that any such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our annual report on Form 10-k, our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. For more information, please visit www.sec.gov SOURCE: MCTC Holdings, Inc A Cookstown woman has recalled the night her father almost died in a horrific crash - as she praised the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance for saving his life. It was a routine November night in 2018 when Peter Kelly (48) was driving to his local shop in the Co Tyrone town to get sticks for the fire. What was a normal everyday journey turned his life upside down when the father-of-two's car collided with a van, leaving him suffering critical injuries. The crash was so extreme that the engine and gear box were ripped from his car and he had to be cut from the vehicle. Placed into an induced coma by paramedics at the scene, Peter was airlifted by the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast, where he underwent life-saving surgery and began months of agonising rehabilitation. While Peter still has no recollection of the events of that night, for daughter Erin Kelly (28) the stark thoughts and feelings of the journey to the hospital with mum Alanna (46) remain with her. "When I was first told, I sort of initially thought 'oh God', but didn't comprehend how bad it was," said Erin. "On our way to hospital we had been told that daddy had been cut out of the car and had been airlifted to the hospital. At that stage it didn't feel real. "All I was thinking was that we needed to get to the hospital as soon as possible in case he dies. Mummy and me didn't really speak during the journey. "The bones in his legs and pelvis were shattered, they weren't clean breaks. "He had broken nearly every bone in his body. The spine looked intact but they still didn't know if he could walk. "I just feel like it wasn't real. I was just listening and kept thinking 'I cant lose him, I didn't get to say goodbye'. It was like a bad dream." The silent, round-the-clock family vigil at Peter's bedside during those first few days saw Peter slowly displaying signs of progress, giving Erin, her brother Paul (23), and the rest of the family hope. "I just remember holding daddy's hand in the ICU when he came out of the operation," added Erin. "The next day he would open his eyes and look side-to-side, but he had a tube in his mouth to help him breathe so he couldn't say anything. "On the third day one of the ICU nurses had given him a pen and paper to write. The first thing he wrote was my name on the paper. We are really close and have been my whole life. "It was the first indication that he was still there with us. That was a really special moment." Following six months of operations and extensive physiotherapy in Musgrave Park Hospital, Peter began to come out the other side of his trauma. Still in significant pain from having to relearn to walk, he started to regain some independence. While Erin admits there were some dark days during the recovery, she explained it was their "tight-knit family" which got them through it. "I am so proud of him and how well he handled it, that he always had such a positive outlook and tried to push himself. "Every sort of stage the physio suggested, he would always get there slightly quicker," she said. "Once he moved to Musgrave for the physio, my daughter Amelia (2) was allowed to visit him and that was a massive goal in keeping his spirits up. He just dotes on her. "We are all so grateful for the small things in life now and the fact that daddy is still here. "He is amazing with my daughter. She calls him 'gaga'. I am so grateful she has that relationship. "My daddy has always talked about when he had grandchildren. I just worried during that time that she was never going to know him. It broke my heart to imagine that." With the life-saving role the Air Ambulance played in Peter's survival, Erin now says the family are forever grateful to them and want to raise more awareness of their important work. "My boss at work chose them for our charity of the year. Between work and family, everybody is going to get involved. What they do is amazing," Erin added. "The consultant we first spoke to at the hospital said that without the Air Ambulance intervening, it would have been very unlikely daddy would have made it. "They are the difference between him being here and not." current-affairs-trends Political Bazaar | Delhi Election Results: What early trends indicate Moneycontrols Opinions Editor Viju Cherian talks to Deputy Executive Editor Gaurav Choudhary about what the early trends mean for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP, the challenger BJP and the Congress Asia After Massacre, Thai Army Chief Admits Problems With Treatment of Soldiers Thai army chief Apirat Kongsompong reacts during a news conference in Bangkok following last weekend's shooting rampage by a soldier at a mall in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima, on Feb. 11, 2020. / Reuters Thai army commander-in-chief General Apirat Kongsompong confirmed on Tuesday morning that a failed land deal prompted army Sergeant Major Jakrapanth Thomma to go on a shooting rampage that killed 30 people before he was shot dead by security forces while holed up in a shopping mall in Nakhon Ratchasima on Sunday morning. He admitted that the incident reflected what he described as a problem of inadequate welfare and poor treatment of the army rank-and-file by their superiors. Speaking at a press conference, the army chief detailed the sequence of events that led to the shooting spree and the 14-hour dramatic siege at the Terminal 21 shopping complex in downtown Nakhon Ratchasima. He provided no details about the land deal, and said the shooting needed to be further investigated. He only said it involved Jakrapanths supervisor and relatives. It was a result of what he felt was injustice from a land deal, he said. Jakrapanth shot dead his commander, Colonel Ananrote Krasae, and a woman, and injured an army private following a heated argument before shooting his way into the arsenal inside the headquarters of the Battle Support Unit 2 in the northeastern province. He said Jakrapanth, who was commander of a rifle squad, took with him an assortment of weapons, including HK-22 assault rifles and hundreds of rounds of ammunition, before starting his shooting spree while he was heading toward Terminal 21 shopping mall in a stolen army vehicle. Trying to hold back tears and at times with his voice choked with emotion, Gen. Apirat asked the public not to criticize the army as an institution for what happened. He said the shooting rampage was an isolated incident. Nobody wants to see this kind of incident happen. So please dont criticize the army or the soldiers. Direct your criticism at me, Gen. Apirat Kongsompong. I am the army commander-in-chief. I am held responsible for what happened, he said. The moment he started committing a crime, he was no longer considered a soldier but a criminal, he said of the soldier-turned-gunman. The army has come under criticism for poor security for allowing the gunman to break into the arsenal and for ignoring the unfair treatment that the army rank-and-file receive from their commanders. Gen. Apirat admitted that the incident was a reminder of such problems and pledged to take action to tackle them. He also pledged to tighten security measures at all army units to prevent a repeat of the incident. He said he decided to call the press conference in order to provide a complete picture of the whole incident following public criticism that he said was sowing discord in the society. You may also like these stories: On Thai Buddhist Holy Day, Gunmans Carnage Shatters Temple Peace Death toll hits 21 from Thai rampage after attempt to stop shooter The relevant government departments in China have rolled out measures to boost both imports and exports amid the novel coronavirus epidemic. A China-Europe freight train from south China's Guangxi to Germany. (Photo/People's Daily) Vice Minister of Commerce, Wang Bingnan, said most foreign trade enterprises in the country are resuming production capacity, adding that departments and local governments at all levels are implementing targeted policies to create a sound business environment and alleviate the burden on enterprises. Ningbo in east Chinas Zhejiang province is a city well-known for its foreign trade. It has introduced 18 measures to help small and medium-sized enterprises, including foreign trade companies, during the epidemic. These measures include subsidizing foreign trade companies exhibition stand fees if they cannot attend exhibitions due to the epidemic, further improving export tax rebate (exemption) policies, and providing better legal aid services for them. Because of the epidemics impact, some foreign trade companies in Shenzhen, south Chinas Guangdong province, have been unable to deliver products to their foreign clients or fulfill their contracts. To deal with such problems, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) Shenzhen Committee offered the first batch of force majeure certificates for novel coronavirus to 11 enterprises in the city. According to CCPIT, the certificates can help enterprises minimize liability for contracts that cant be fulfilled due to the epidemic and safeguard their legitimate rights and interests. Furthermore, the Council and its branches have offered such certificates to a large number of enterprises in Zhejiang province, northeast Chinas Liaoning province and other provinces. Meanwhile, Chinas State Administration of Foreign Exchange (SAFE) has issued a notice to open up a green channel for imports of epidemic prevention materials. According to a separate notice jointly released by the Ministry of Finance, the General Administration of Customs and State Taxation Administration, China has adopted more favorable import tax policies, including the exemption of import duties, to speed up the import of donated supplies used for epidemic control work. In addition, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) released a notice to expand imports of medical supplies and raw materials, as well as meat products. According to the MOC, imported meat products will reach 640,000 tons in January, up 190 percent year on year. Zhang Jianping, director of the Research Center for Regional Economic Cooperation under the MOC, said Chinas foreign trade may decline to a certain extent due to the epidemic, but that will not be a long-term trend. The World Health Organization spoke highly of Chinas epidemic prevention and control efforts and did not recommend overreactions such as trade and travel restrictions, Wang said. China is confident in and capable of eventually winning the fight against the epidemic, and believes that governments and market players on the global supply chain will do more to facilitate both Chinas exports and imports, the vice minister added. The Head of Presidential Administration resigns Open source President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky has dismissed Andriy Bohdan from his post of Head of the President's Office. The relevant decree was published on the president's website. To dismiss Bohdan Andriy Yosypovych from the post of Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine, the text of the decree reads. As we reported earlier, Ukrainska Pravda informed about Bohdan's decision to resign on February 10, citing its sources. "According to five sources of the Ukrainska Pravda, Bohdan had a conversation about his resignation with President Volodymyr Zelensky on Monday, February 10. The head of the Presidents office also discussed the resignation with his deputies. Sources did not report on the reasons for Bohdans intention to leave the Presidents Office." Ukrainska Pravda asked for a comment to almost all the deputy heads of the Presidents Office, presidential aides Serhiy Shefir and Andriy Yermak, and to Bohdan himself," the statement said. The Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine Dmytro Razumkov commented on alleged resignation, saying that "he is not Andriy Bohdan's press secretary". An assassin used a vintage revolver to execute an innocent mother-of-nine and her sleeping nephew in a botched revenge hit after he sneaked into their unlocked flat, a court heard. Obina Ezeoke, 27, allegedly crept silently through the door of the flat in East Finchley, north London and shot 21-year-old student Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo in the back of his head as he slept as part of a 'vendetta of violence'. Ezeoko then blasted Bervil's aunt Annie Besala Ekofo, 53, in the chest when she came out of her bedroom dressed only in her underwear to investigate, before he fled the scene, jurors heard. Student Bervil Kalikaka-Ekofo, 21, (left) was shot in the back of the head by the assassin, prompting his aunt Annie Besala Ekofo, 53, (right) to investigate. She was shot in the chest Neither Bervil nor Annie were the intended targets, the Old Bailey was told. Ezeoke drove to Elmshurst Crescent, East Finchley, armed with the revolver before shattering the silence at around 6.25 am on 15 September 2016, it was said. Prosecutor Mark Heywood, QC, told the Old Bailey: '[Ezeoke] went there quite deliberately, with a gun and of course sufficient ammunition to use it, to attack and kill one of the young men of the family. Annie Besala Ekofo was a mother-of-nine who came to the UK with her husband in 1991 from the Congo 'His hate was such that he did not falter when confronted by a second person and he simply took her life as well. Both lives taken were wholly innocent.' Mr Kalikaka-Ekofo was visiting the flat in East Finchley at short notice for one night only so he was not one of those who could have been expected to be there. 'It was two separate murders within a short space of time,' said Mr Heywood. 'No one could, or will, we understand, possibly suggest anything else. 'These were execution killings, in effect.' Mr Heywood said the jury would have to decide whether Ezeoke was the killer or one of those involved. The bullets allegedly used were likely to be Smith and Wesson.44 calibre modified cartridges used for vintage weapons. Mr Heywood added: 'There had been a trend to modify ammunition to fit vintage weapons like this revolver and the overall likelihood is that that is what was done here. 'One of the typical guns you might see in a Western movie.' Mrs Ekofo, who came to the UK with her husband from the Congo in 1991, lived with her family at the flat in Elmshurst Crescent in East Finchley. Four other people were also in the house but were unharmed in the attack. The assassin is thought to have crept into the flat in East Finchley, north London before killing the two victims - with neither being intended targets Mr Heywood told the court: 'Just after dawn in the early Autumn of 2016, an assassin crept noiselessly into a second floor family home. 'He had waited until that time in order to be able to get into the block. 'By his great good fortune, the door of the home was not locked. 'The layout of that flat, mirrored by others on the same estate, was probably known and clearly understood. 'At first, not one of the six people sleeping inside it heard anything at all. Mr Kalikaka-Ekofo was a student and was visiting the flat for one night only at short notice 'The killer moved forward to his left and then into a bedroom. 'There, just in front of him, was a young man lying on a thin mattress on the floor under a duvet, his head nearer the door resting on pillows. 'For the killer, this was as good a target as he could expect, a young man of this home, this house, of just the right age. 'He crept forward, gun in hand. 'His weapon was a deadly one, perfect for concealment in close quarters use, repeatedly if necessary. It was a revolver. 'The killer raised the muzzle just enough and placed it at the back of the sleeping head. 'And then, with a deliberation and purpose that was as cowardly as it was murderous, he simply pulled the trigger. 'The silence of the home, the neighbourhood, was shattered and the life was immediately taken.' At the sound of the 'noise and so the hell he had just unleashed' Mrs Ekofo came out from her bedroom down the hall to investigate. 'The killer did not hesitate,' said Mr Heywood. 'Given his purpose and because he could not afford to be seen, and so caught, it suited him to use the weapon again. 'Rather than simply raise it for example to threaten or ward off, or just simply turn and run out of the front door, he instead levelled the weapon a second time and he pulled the trigger, even as the nearly naked woman bent away from the lethal danger that must have been obvious. 'His aim was central, towards the chest and the vital organs. 'For the second time in one minute the killer took a life. He then fled back to a black vehicle and returned to 'safe ground' on another estate, the court heard. The prosecutor added: 'The Crown's case is that this, you may think, cowardly killer is Obina Ezeoke. 'He went there deliberately with a gun to attack and kill one of the young men in the family. Probably one of those youngest in the house. Probably one of those in their late teens. 'Probably as a vendetta of violence.' Ezeoke, of no fixed address, denies two counts of murder. The trial continues. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana and Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya and Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 17:48 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d8624 1 National Brompton,bicycles,SNI-Indonesia-National-Standard,customs-and-excise,surabaya,East-Java Free Cyclists in Surabaya, East Java, have been concerned in recent weeks following reports of local police confiscating Brompton folding bicycles claiming they lacked the required Indonesia National Standard (SNI) certificate. Members of several biking communities in the region expressed their worries about the latest development, saying that they were afraid to take their Brompton bikes out for a ride over fears the bicycles would be seized by the police. Wed like to know more about the SNI [policy], specifically which party is subject to it. [The report of confiscation] has honestly unnerved us, Rachmat Septiarto of the Folks.id biking community in Surabaya told The Jakarta Post on Monday. Many biking enthusiasts in Surabaya have purchased imported bicycles from local resellers, while others personally bought the bikes during overseas trips and brought them on their return flights to Indonesia. Rachmat said fellow biking enthusiasts who owned imported premium bicycles such as British-made Brompton folding bicycles had discussed the issue on WhatsApp, informing each other of the latest news regarding the confiscation. Some even said they wouldnt dare bring their [imported] bicycles to any workshop for repairs, as they would risk giving their bikes away to the police, said Rachmat, who owns a number of imported premium folding bicycles, including a Brompton. Last week, media outlet Detik reported that Surabaya Police had confiscated five Brompton bicycles from a bike store in the city, arguing that the pricey folding bikes in the store had not obtained SNI certification in accordance with regulations. A 2018 Industry Ministerial Regulation requires all bicycles in circulation in Indonesia, both imported ones and those produced in the country, to be SNI-certified. Distributors who violate the SNI requirements can face up to five years in prison according to Article 120 of the 2014 Industry Law. At the time of writing, it is still unclear whether the bike store's owner in Surabaya would be charged with such a crime. Surabaya Police crime division head Adj. Sr. Comr. Sudamiran was not immediately available for comment when contacted by the Post. Although Brompton has yet to open an official store in Indonesia, demands for the premium bikes with prices ranging from Rp 30 million (US$2,183) to Rp 80 million have been on the rise in the country, along with the rising popularity of folding bikes. The London-based company sold about 5,000 Brompton bikes to Indonesian consumers over the past three years, tempo.co reported. Edi Priyanto, a member of the Port Sally Club biking community in Surabaya, called on the government to be more active in disseminating official information regarding the certification policy and procedures. [Brompton bicycles] are considered premium goods in their country of origin. How come they dont meet SNI requirements? Edi said. If such a policy were indeed in place, customs officials would prohibit the imported bikes from entering the country in the first place. But that is not the case. Those who purchased premium bikes such as Brompton paid the mandatory excise taxes as usual. He went on to say that the lack of information regarding the issue contradicted the governments endorsement of bicycles as an alternative, environmentally friendly transportation mode amid increased pollution. Janurwendo, the head of Customs and Excises subdivision of imported goods, said SNI supervision on imports was done post-border after the goods in question entered the country in accordance with Trade Ministerial Decree No. 12/2018. The SNI certificate is not only given to the goods but also to the parties or companies that imported the goods, he told the Post. (rfa) There is an Australian on top of the ILCA Laser Standard World Championship leader board, but it is not one of the pre-event favourites. Finn Alexander, ranked just 36th in the world, finished the day with a first and second place, to be tied with Rio Olympic silver medalist Tonci Stipanovic (CRO).The first day started slowly, with all three fleets held onshore while the race committee waited for an almost non-existent westerly to back to the south-east and freshen. This it duly did, and the first race got underway at 3.30pm in 8-10 knots from the SSE.By the time the second race started at around 17:00 local time, the wind had freshened to 15 knots and was relatively steady from the south.Alexander said that key to his success was, "staying pretty relaxed and keeping it pretty simple"."I got two good starts (at the boat end) and then it was about playing the long shifts throughout the day. They were long tacks, so you just had to be patient."Stipanovic was also very philosophical about his excellent start, describing it as "one small step".He said the conditions were "really great" and in the second race, "I managed to pass two boats on the downwind, then picked up another place when Irishman Finn Lynch overstood the top mark."German Philipp Buhl is in third place on five points, two ahead of London 2012 silver medalist Pavlos Kontides.Ranked number one in the world, Australian Matt Wearn is in 10th overall, seven points from the lead."It was a pretty average day," he said. "I made it look harder than it needed to be."He also felt he was hunted a bit, as the sail numbers being used have been issued in ranking order."People see the number one (on the sail) and want to take you out. In both races there were passing lanes, but I couldn't find them."Defending champion Tom Burton (AUS) also had an average day by his standards, with a 7th and a 13th which leaves him tied for 20th overall."I sailed OK but the results don't show it," he said. "In the second race I was third around the top mark then got caught up in a big group going slow and couldn't get myself out of it."Many of the sailors have more at stake than a medal at these Worlds. They are also competing for a place at the Tokyo Olympics. So far, the task for the New Zealand selectors has not become any easier. Rio bronze medalist Sam Meech is two points ahead of his close rival, Thomas Saunders.However, at this early stage things are looking good for British sailor Elliott Hanson, who holds 8th place on 10 points, well ahead of former world champion and Rio Olympian Nick Thompson, who languishes in 44th, 19 points behind.With two more days of qualifying, there is plenty of time for those who had a bad day to improve their placings. Tomorrow's forecast is for stronger winds which could increase to just under 25 knots by Thursday.Results can be found at http://sailingresults.net/?ID=80326 European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen says the European Union will only offer Britain unique access to its vast single market if the U.K. agrees to stick to the bloc's standards. Speaking this Tuesday, the EU chief also dismissed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's idea of brokering a loose trade deal with the bloc. During an adress to the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, Von der Leyen said she was surprised that Johnson had even raised the possibility of negotiating an Australia-style free trade deal, including quotas and tariffs with the EU, if he can't reach a comprehensive agreement. Criticising Johnson's proposal she said that Australia is a strong and like-minded partner, but the European Union does not have a trade agreement with Australia,'' adding we are currently trading on World Trade Organization terms. If this is the British choice, we are fine with that. We can decide to settle for less, but I personally believe we should be more ambitious." Post-Brexit trade and security must be hammered out Britain left the EU on 31 January - the first nation ever to do so - but it is continuing to follow EU regulations at least until the end of 2020. During this transition period, the British government and EU leaders will attempt to negotiate a free trade deal and agreements covering other areas like security cooperation. Britain wants the trade agreement to cover goods and services and exclude almost all tariffs. However, Johnson has been adamant that the U.K. won't keep following all of the EU's regulations. To strike deals with other countries, Johnson wants the flexibility to subscribe to varying standards for areas such as competition, state aid or even the environment. Von der Leyen insists the 27-nation EU is offering Britain something we have never offered before to anybody else" on the condition that the UK guarantees fair competition and protection for workers and the environment. The case Scottish independence returns On Monday, the leader of Scotland's government warned that Britain would pay a heavy cost" if it abandons EU rules and standards. Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also reiterated her desire for a referendum to win Scotland's independence from the U.K. and the possibility to join the EU as a member country. As the EU continually makes clear, the more we diverge from EU standards, the less access we will have to the single market," she said. The right to diverge will come at a cost, a very heavy cost." Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Just who was behind more than half of the income of WAs major political parties in 2018-19 remains a mystery. WAtoday has analysed the financial returns of the states four biggest political parties, and disclosures from donors and associated entities all lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission for the 2018-19 financial year. WAtoday has analysed donations to WA political parties in 2018-19. Credit:Marta Pascual Juanola Under current AEC rules parties are only forced to declare payments if they are over a $13,800 threshold. Confusingly though, WA Electoral Commission rules state gifts or donations of $2500 must be declared, but only those political parties registered under the WA commission are required to declare above that amount. Most of WA's major parties are registered under the federal commission. As the graphs below show, nearly $5 million of the Liberal Partys $8.25 million 2018-19 income, and $2.83 million of WA Labors $5.16 million, was not disclosed. The source of more than $500,000 of the Nationals $625,000 also remains a mystery. Advertisement Outside of entitlements paid to parties by taxpayers after the 2019 federal election and donations from their federal counterparts, wealthy individuals, unions and the business world were more than willing to chip in financial support. Perhaps unsurprisingly, WA Labor received the most payments from unions, which stumped up more than $1 million. The biggest of those was the retail workers' union SDA WA which contributed $375,000, followed by United Voice at $206,000. The CFMEU and Transport Workers' Union coughed up $116,000 and $128,000, respectively. Both the Liberal and Labor parties were showered with cash from the business sector, with big resources and property companies dumping in hundreds of thousands of dollars. In 2018-19, the oil and gas sector had huge projects in front of various government agencies and lobbied hard for the WA government to tame the WA Environmental Protection Authority after its surprise zero-carbon emission guideline announcement. The biggest of those companies, Chevron and Woodside, each spent tens of thousands of dollars on the Liberals, Labor and Nationals, which they said went to attending business forums held by each party. Advertisement Nationally, Woodside spent $283,000 across the political spectrum while Chevron spent $129,000. WA-based Mineral Resources was the biggest donor from the mining sector, giving $85,000 to the WA Liberals, $50,000 to Labor and $20,000 to the Nationals. Crown Perth was also a major donor to all WA parties, sending nearly $60,000 to the Nationals and Liberals and $29,000 to Labor. The property, development and construction sector spent a total of $316,000 on the three parties. The associated entities list detailed donations to holding companies, unions and fundraising machines for their aligned party. The Labor Partys Perth Trades Hall, which runs the 'cash for access' Labor Business Roundtable, saw payments come in from groups including Scarborough developer 3 Oceans Property, Fortescue Metals Group, Satterley and Georgiou Group. The Liberal Party of WA Pty Ltd took payments from Wesfarmers, Woolworths and the Commonwealth Bank. Advertisement The mystery surrounding donations and the size of corporate donations incensed WA Greens integrity of government spokeswoman Alison Xamon, who described donations as an outright attempt to influence politics. I think that it absolutely raises the question as to the degree to which decisions are being influenced by [donations], every single government will claim theyre not being influenced but I dont think that passes the pub test, I think people would expect that corporations give money to political parties because they hope to benefit from that, she said. I think it undermines democracy, it undermines good decision making and I think people should be very concerned about that. Ms Xamon called for an overhaul of the donations system, which included banning all corporate donations, drastically reducing the disclosure threshold to $1500, and removing discrepancies in state and federal laws. She also has a bill before parliament that would effectively ban cash-for-access forums such as the Labor Business Roundtable. We dont believe that entities that are simply in the business of trying to make a profit should be partaking in that democratic process in the same way that Australian citizens do, she said. The Greens have a self-imposed disclosure threshold of $1500 but $410,000 of the WA branchs 2018-19 donations were anonymous. Advertisement Ms Xamon said because of the nature of the Greens' membership, many of those donations were small amounts that fell even under their reduced threshold. When questioned about the payments, businesses defended their motives and stressed they donated lawfully and followed the Australian Electoral Commission disclosure rules. A Mineral Resources spokesman said as an Australian-founded and focused company it valued the democratic process and believed it was important to support major political parties in a bipartisan way to ensure that we retain a strong system of political parties and, in turn, a strong government. A Crown spokeswoman said political donations were a regular feature of Australias political landscape and Crown engaged with both sides of the political sphere to support the democratic process. Registered political parties in Australia rely heavily on donations in order to communicate their messages and policies to the Australian public, she said. A Woodside spokeswoman said the company did not donate to campaign funds for any political party, politician or candidate in any country, but did reveal it had renewed membership with both state and federal party business forums. Advertisement HERKIMER, N.Y. Herkimer Town Judge Michael Petucci has been censured by the New York Judicial Conduct Commission after pleading guilty to DWAI in January of 2019. Petuccis drivers license was suspended and he was order to pay a fine and attend a victim impact panel. He allegedly yelled obscenities at a paramedic and police officer when they responded to the crash at the former K-Mart in Herkimer. He was reelected to another four-year term in November. Washington also supports President Zelensky's anti-corruption efforts. The United States supports the Enhanced Opportunity Partnership for Ukraine, says Kay Bailey Hutchinson, a U.S. envoy to NATO. "First of all, the U.S. does support the Enhanced Opportunity Partnership for Ukraine in NATO. And I think there is wide approval of that in NATO as well," she told a Brussels briefing on Tuesday ahead of the NATO defense ministerial. "We have asked for reforms in Ukraine so that they would have civilian control of their military," the official said, adding that Ukraine is now "trying to deal" with corruption issues it has had. Read alsoUkraine's Defense Minister: Military bases meeting NATO standards to be built in Donbas "We support President Zelensky's efforts in that regard and we will continue to work with them as they solidify their democracy and instill the anticorruption measures that have been introduced by President Zelensky," the U.S. envoy said. As UNIAN reported earlier, on November 1, 2019, Deputy Prime Minister for European and Euro-Atlantic Integration Dmytro Kuleba said Ukraine had turned to NATO with a request to be accepted as member of the Enhanced Opportunity Partnership. As part of such a partnership, Ukraine may receive priority access to certification of events taking place along the NATO-Ukraine lines. The program also provides for an expanded dialogue in the field of intelligence, allowing representatives of a partner state to hold positions at NATO headquarters or in the Alliance's command structure. Touch n Go Digital has announced that it will be embracing the DuitNow QR by July 2020. Operated by Payments Network Malaysia (PayNet), the DuitNow QR is Malaysias national QR standard. It essentially functions as a common QR code that lets users make payments from any preferred bank or e-wallet apps, as long as the bank or e-wallet is part of the DuitNow ecosystem. With DuitNow QR, a merchant needs to sign up with only one bank or e-wallet acquirer, and customers of all participating banks and e-wallets would be able to make DuitNow QR payments to the merchant using their respective mobile apps, said the group chief executive officer of PayNet, Peter Schiesser. As of now, 40 banks have registered their participation in the DuitNow ecosystem, nine of which are already offering DuitNow QR in their mobile banking apps. Meanwhile, a total of 38 banks, e-wallets, and non-bank acquirers are expected to implement the DuitNow QR over the next 6 to 9 months, with Touch n Go being one of them. Our users and merchants are our utmost priority, and we strive to enable a seamless cashless experience for all. We can now proudly say we stand with PayNet as they rally to do the same. Merchants will now be able to run their businesses hassle-free knowing that users can seamlessly transact with their Touch n Go eWallet through the DuitNow National QR Standard, said the chief executive officer of TNG Digital Sdn Bhd, Ignatius Ong. That said, the process of transitioning over to the DuitNow QR will not be an immediate one. Instead, the e-wallet operator plans to progressively move its merchants over once DuitNow QR on Touch n Go eWallet goes live. This will then allow the merchants to collect payments from more than 22 million bank and e-wallet account holders. With Touch n Go eWallet being part of the DuitNow ecosystem in the near future, its users will also soon be able to transfer funds instantly between their Touch n Go eWallet and bank accounts, as well as with other e-wallets. Touch n Go eWallet is not the first e-wallet to adopt the DuitNow QR. GrabPay had announced a partnership in November 2019, with the e-wallet likely able to support the DuitNow QR code by the first half of 2020. (Source: FintechNews Malaysia) 5 1 vote Article Rating SHARE I personally dont think theres going to be any good news, but if there is, Im welcome to hear it, said Pedersen, whose district includes Antioch and Old Mill Creek. Again, I personally want to be able to look my constituents in the face and say we did everything we could to try to get all the information, to find out if this is something that we should have in the unincorporated area of Lake County. A Russian Soyuz 2.1v rocket launches a classified military satellite into orbit from the Plesetsk Cosmodrome in northern Russian on Nov. 25, 2019. The satellite can apparently track other satellites in orbit and is shadowing a U.S. spy satellite, officials say. A U.S. spy satellite is being trailed by two Russian satellites, according to the commander of the U.S. Space Force . Yesterday (Feb. 10), Gen. John "Jay" Raymond, the Space Force chief of space operations, revealed to Time magazine that a pair of Russian satellites have come extremely close, within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the U.S. spy satellite. "We view this behavior as unusual and disturbing," Raymond told Time magazine . "It has the potential to create a dangerous situation in space." Raymond said that the U.S. government has reached out to Moscow about the close range of the satellites, expressing concern "through diplomatic channels." Video: Watch Russia launch the two mysterious satellites More: Declassified US Spy Satellite Photos & Designs The Russian spacecraft launched in November as one satellite, which later released a second satellite from within it, almost "birthing" it, U.S. military analysts said. According to the Russian news agency TASS , this maneuver was meant to test the "technical condition of domestic satellites." In an interview with Business Insider, Raymond said the two satellites have been behaving similarly to what are known as "inspector satellites" from Russia. "In any other domain," such a move "would be interpreted as potentially threatening behavior," he told Business Insider. Related: The most dangerous space weapons concepts ever The Russian satellites were first spotted by Michael Thompson, a satellite and spacecraft enthusiast who tweeted about the observations. "Something to potentially watch: Cosmos 2542, a Russian inspection satellite, has recently synchronized its orbit with USA 245, an NRO KH11," Thompson tweeted. Something to potentially watch: Cosmos 2542, a Russian inspection satellite, has recently synchronized its orbit with USA 245, an NRO KH11.A thread: pic.twitter.com/LqvYiIYBMdJanuary 30, 2020 See more "This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known U.S. spy satellite," Thompson tweeted on Jan. 30. This is all circumstantial evidence, but there are a hell of a lot of circumstances that make it look like a known Russian inspection satellite is currently inspecting a known US spy satellite.January 30, 2020 See more This is the first time that the U.S. military has publicly revealed a direct threat from another country to a U.S. satellite. Identifying and rectifying such concerns was a huge reason behind the Space Force. As more and more satellites are launched with increased capabilities to gather information from space, more opportunities are created for interference from these satellites. Space Force, the new U.S. military branch, which will receive $15.4 billion as part of the Trump administration's 2021 budget proposal, will be a "technology-focused service," according to Raymond , Space Force's first official leader. The branch aims to protect the interests of the U.S. in space, which will include mitigating aggressive acts and interference in American progress. Ongoing efforts by both Russia and China to advance their space programs has factored into the establishment of the Space Force. Now, while the Space Force continues to investigate the two Russian satellites, political tensions between the two nations remain high over accusations of Russian interference in the U.S. electoral system. A man in a Hazmat suit at the Indeed offices in Dublin Around 1,000 staff in the Dublin office of a recruitment firm will have to work from home until next Monday amid fears about exposure to the coronavirus. The decision was made by Indeed, a multinational, due to concerns over a staff member in Singapore who may have been put at risk of the virus, which has killed more than 900 people. Members of the employee's family in Singapore are currently being tested for coronavirus after being admitted to hospital with pneumonia. The worry is that several staff members who had visited the Singapore centre had recently visited the Dublin and Sydney offices. Precaution Although none of the employees at Indeed have tested positive, staff were yesterday told to work from home as a precaution against possible infection. Expand Close The Dublin office was cleaned due to coronavirus fears. Photo: Mark Condren / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp The Dublin office was cleaned due to coronavirus fears. Photo: Mark Condren The offices in Dublin were being deep-cleaned yesterday by a cleaner in a hazmat suit and goggles as protection against potential contamination . Indeed said one of its employees in Singapore might have been exposed to coronavirus after their family members visited a facility caring for a patient with the infection. "While there are no confirmed cases, out of an abundance of caution for the health and safety of our employees, we have asked all employees in Singapore, along with anyone who has recently visited our Singapore offices, to work from home until February 17," it said. "Business continues uninterrupted across the globe. Indeed has been in touch with the HSE and confirmed that all of our actions are in line with their recommendations." The normal self-isolation period for someone who is not infected but may have been exposed is 14 days. Indeed employs about 9,000 people globally, including 1,000 based in Dublin. In response to Indeed's decision, the Department of Health here said it would not be providing information about "individual activations of preparedness". Asked if it intended to follow the UK and make quarantine mandatory in specific cases, an official said it was "not currently planning additional measures related to quarantine or enforced isolation". There have been no cases in Ireland so far and more than 30 patients who were tested proved negative. Australia declared its first confirmed case last month. Last week the spotlight fell on Singapore after a British businessman, not linked to Indeed, tested positive for the new virus which he picked up attending a conference in Singapore from January 20 to 22. He has since been described as a "superspreader" because he has since passed it on to 11 people in three countries. The man's travels multiplied the number of people he had potentially infected. Meanwhile, the death toll in China has reached 908 - but the number of newly infected people per day has stabilised. Caught Across China, 40,171 people are infected, while 187,518 are under medical observation. Some 60 more people have tested positive on the cruise ship Diamond Princess quarantined in Japan where two Irish people are passengers. It means 130 out of 3,700 passengers and staff have caught the virus. Princess Cruises told the Herald an additional 66 cases of coronavirus were diagnosed from Australia (four), Canada (one), England (one), Japan (45), the Philippines (three), Ukraine (one) and the US (11). Since it is early in the quarantine periods, it was not unexpected that more cases would arise among those exposed before the start of the quarantine, he added. NEW YORK The defense rested its case Tuesday in Harvey Weinsteins rape trial without the disgraced Hollywood mogul taking the witness stand, setting the stage for closing arguments in a landmark #MeToo trial punctuated by graphic testimony from six accusers. As expected, Weinstein chose not to testify, avoiding the risk of having prosecutors grill him on cross-examination about the vile allegations. He confirmed the decision after returning to the courtroom from meeting with his lawyers behind closed doors for about a half-hour as speculation swirled that they still hadnt talked him out of it. Asked as he left court if he was thinking of testifying, Weinstein said: I wanted to. Defense lawyer Arthur Aidala added that Weinstein was ready, willing, able and actually quite anxious to testify and clear his name but didnt do so because his lawyers felt prosecutors failed miserably to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt. Jurors are expected to hear the defenses closing argument Thursday, followed by the prosecutions closing Friday. Jury deliberations are slated to start Tuesday. Court is closed Wednesday and again on Monday for holidays. By not testifying, Weinstein followed the example of defendants in other high-profile sex crimes cases. The include Bill Cosby, who didnt take the witness stand either time he was tried for drugging and molesting a woman at his suburban Philadelphia home. After a mistrial in 2017, a second trial resulted in the comedians conviction. Weinstein, 67, is charged with raping a woman in a Manhattan hotel room in 2013 and forcibly performing oral sex on a different woman in 2006. Other accusers were called as witnesses as part of a prosecution effort to show he has used the same tactics to victimize many women over the years. Weinstein has maintained any sexual encounters were consensual. The Associated Press has a policy of not publishing the names of people who allege sexual assault without their consent. It is withholding the name of the woman accusing Weinstein of raping her in 2013 because it isnt clear if she wishes to be identified publicly. After the jury left for the day, Weinsteins lawyers sparred with prosecutor Joan Illuzzi-Orbon over her plan to mention in her closing argument that his physical appearance has changed significantly since the time of the alleged assaults. Weinstein has hobbled into court each day with a walker, parking the device behind the defense table. His lawyers say its needed because of recent back surgery, but Illuzzi said it seemed more like a prop put there to sway jurors sympathies. It is not a prop! Enough! Weinstein lawyer Damon Cheronis said. You can scream all you like, Illuzzi said. They did not have to have the walker back there. After more bickering, Judge James Burke said it was fine for Illuzzi to mention Weinsteins physical changes, but warned: Leave the walker out of it. The defense case mainly relied on the testimony of three witnesses that Weinsteins lawyers used to try to cast doubt on the accounts on two of the accusers. Talita Maia, a former roommate of the woman Weinstein is on trial for allegedly raping, told the jury the woman never gave any indication that he victimized her in fact, she said, the woman spoke highly of him and once called him her spiritual soulmate. She seemed to really like him as a person, Maia said. She would only compliment him. Maia also gave a breezy description of how the then-aspiring actress and Weinstein first met at a Hollywood party a few months before the alleged rape. She said when the women figured out he was an industry big shot, she jokingly told him thats why everyone is being so nice to you. Her roommate, she added, went even further. She testified that the woman put her arm around Weinstein, pinched his cheeks and said: No, its because he is so cute. Another friend of the woman testified Tuesday that she seemed like her everyday self when they met up for breakfast with Weinstein just a short time after she alleges he assaulted her. Thomas Richards, a Hollywood talent agent, testified Wednesday the woman was friendly toward Weinstein during the breakfast and didnt say or do anything to indicate shed just been raped. The third witness, Mexican model and actress Claudia Salinas, repudiated the testimony of Lauren Marie Young, one of the women called by the prosecution to bolster the allegations of Weinsteins main accusers. Asked about Youngs claims that she stood by and did nothing while Weinstein groped her at a Beverly Hills hotel in 2013, Salinas responded that it never happened. Young had testified that Salinas closed the door behind her and Weinstein as they went into the bathroom, where she alleges he stripped off his clothes, grabbed her breast and masturbated. Once it was over, Young said she found Salinas standing outside the bathroom and shot her an evil look before leaving as quickly as she could. If I had done that, I would remember that, Salinas testified. I would never close the door on anybody. ___ On Twitter, follow Michael Sisak at twitter.com/mikesisak and Tom Hays at https://twitter.com/aptomhays The Congress has moved a notice for privilege motion against Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot in Lok Sabha, accusing him of misleading the House over the Supreme Court judgement on the issue of reservation in promotion. Congress member Gaurav Gogoi has moved the privilege motion notice against the Union minister. The issue is under my consideration, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said after Gogoi raised the issue in the Lower House and said that he has moved a notice for privilege motion against Gehlot for misleading Parliament on the apex court's verdict on Tuesday. The Supreme Court, while hearing on a batch of petitions last week, held that an individual cannot claim reservation as a fundamental right and the government was not bound to provide quota in promotion for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) employees in public jobs. As the apex court verdict set off a political storm, Gehlot made a statement on the issue in Lok Sabha on Monday, informing the members that the Union government was holding a high-level discussion on the issue and would take necessary step accordingly after discussions are over. I want to make it clear here that neither government of India was ever made a party in this matter nor the government of India was asked to file any affidavit in this matter, the Union minister told the House, asserting that the Union government was committed to the welfare of the people belonging to the SCs, STs and Other Backward Classes (OBCs). He, however, sought to put the Congress on the dock, saying the issue was a result of the Uttarakhand government's decision in 2012 for not implementing the reservation. It would be appropriate to mention here that the Congress was ruling the state in 2012, Terming the minister's statement as wrong and misleading, Congress' leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday demanded to hold a discussion on the issue in the Lower House. Rajnath Singh (Defence Minister) had (on Monday) said that a discussion can be held, he said, holding the current regime of the BJP in Uttarakhand responsible for the apex court's verdict on the issue. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February, 11) Three airlines have canceled flights between Philippines and Taiwan amid the expanded travel ban imposed by the Philippine government to stop the spread of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific on Monday said the flights to and from Taipei are suspended immediately and indefinitely. This comes hours after the Health Department said Taiwan is included in the travel ban imposed on China, Hong Kong, and Macau. AirAsia on Tuesday said all flights between Philippines and Taipei and Kaohsiung have been canceled until further notice from the government. The following flights have been canceled: - PAL: PR890/891 Manila-Taipei-Manila and PR894/895 Manila-Taipei-Manila - Cebu Pacific: 5J 312/5J 310 Manila-Taipei, 5J 313/5J 311 (starting February 12) Taipei-Manila Affected passengers can have their tickets refunded and their refund fees waived. President Rodrigo Duterte on February 2 temporarily banned the entry of foreign nationals coming directly from China, Hong Kong, Macau or those with travel history to those areas in the last 14 days. The restrictions only apply to incoming foreign travelers, and not Filipino citizens and holders of permanent resident-visas issued by the Philippines. The inclusion of Taiwan in the travel ban means travel is also restricted for Filipinos going to the self-administered island that China considers as its province. The Health Department on Monday clarified Taiwan is included in the temporary travel ban imposed by the Philippines. Health spokesperson Eric Domingo said this is because Taiwan is considered by the World Health Organization as part of China. Featured stories 2 Ohio men say they encountered Bigfoot-like creature at Salt Fork State Park (Akron Beacon Journal) Erosion in Geneva-on-the-Lake erases 35 feet of shoreline in one week (WEWS Channel 5) Trump budget would fund new Cleveland FBI building and cut Lordstown loan program (cleveland.com) Lake Erie just broke February high water record -- and the lake level keeps rising (cleveland.com) Crime Getty Images Cleveland man pleads guilty to attempted murder in shootings of police officer and other man (cleveland.com) Life sentence for Cleveland man who killed woman during carjacking outside church before daughters quinceanera (cleveland.com) Missing mother of 3 kids left at gas station is found safe (cleveland.com) Robbers shoot at three men selling ATV via OfferUp app at former Cleveland elementary school (cleveland.com) Same men committed two violent Cleveland armed robberies within 90 minutes, police say (cleveland.com) Vermilion man charged with OVI in hit-and-run crash that killed Lorain bicyclist (cleveland.com) 46 cars broken into in Cleveland Heights in one night, police say (cleveland.com) Security increased at Akron middle school after threat posted to Snapchat (cleveland.com) Footprints in snow lead Akron police to burglary suspect (cleveland.com) Man who fired shots at vehicle in South Akron arrested after six-minute chase, police say (cleveland.com) Cleveland / Cuyahoga County Cleveland City Hall Clevelanders First withdraws petitions that forced issues to cut Cleveland City Council seats and slash pay onto ballot (cleveland.com) Cleveland City Council OKs tax incentives for two Ohio City development projects (cleveland.com) Cleveland City Council votes to cancel charter issues on March 17 ballot that propose shrinking council, slashing members pay (cleveland.com) Lawsuit says Cuyahoga County corrections officers did not properly handle womans mental health issues (cleveland.com) NASA Glenn Research Centers proposed 2021 budget lower than 2020s, but leaders predict strong future (cleveland.com) Former Harry Buffalo bartender sues restaurant, says owners underpaid him (cleveland.com) Fund for Our Economic Future creates space for diversity on its board (cleveland.com) Ginn Academy working to ensure all students graduate ready to work, with job certification (cleveland.com) Bishop Perez prepares for new role as Archbishop of Philadelphia: Im very sad leaving Cleveland (WKYC Channel 3) Local news East Actress Jane Fonda will speak at Kent State University on May 3. (Arthur Mola, Invision file photo via AP)Third-Party-Submitted Jane Fonda to speak at Kent State during weekend of events commemorating May 4, 1970 (cleveland.com) East Cleveland councilwoman says, by law, officers should not be allowed to chase suspects into her city (WOIO Channel 19) Local news West Cuyahoga Valley National Park closes section of Towpath Trail in Cuyahoga County through Feb. 21 (cleveland.com) Valor Acres, home of proposed Sherwin-Williams R&D center, nearly doubles in size with Brecksville land purchase (cleveland.com) Westlake committee recommends city charter amendments; contains gender inclusion (cleveland.com) Avon Lake councilman resigns after moving out of ward (cleveland.com) Mother, 5 children, pets escape house fire where smoke alarms not present, Lakewood Fire Department says (WOIO Channel 19) Akron / Canton area Akron City Council passes capital investment plan, more than half going for water and sewer projects (cleveland.com) State Bernie Sanders won the 2016 New Hampshire Democratic Primary, and Hillary Clinton was on the general election vote in New Hampshire.Rich Exner, cleveland.com Can the voters in New Hampshire tell us which presidential hopefuls would do well in Ohio? (cleveland.com) Paris Charles de Gaulle is set to eclipse Heathrow airport as Europes leading aviation hub within 18 months, The Independent has calculated. The airport in the French capital has four runways, compared with two at Heathrow. In 2019, Paris CDG grew by around 5 per cent to 76.15 million passengers. Heathrows growth was 1 per cent, to 80.9 million. The Independent calculates that, if those rates of growth are sustained, Paris CDG will handle 80 million passengers this year, compared with 81.7 million for Heathrow. The rolling annual totals for both airports, assuming constant growth, would be equal at 82.3 million at the end of July 2021. After that, Charles de Gaulle airport would move ahead. Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Show all 6 1 /6 Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Artist's impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L) Grimshaw Architects Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures The runway will pass over the M25 Grimshaw Architects Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Heathrow aiport as it currently stands Google Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Overlay shows the approximate size of the expansion plan for Heathrow Airport Google Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Design for the new terminal to serve the third runway PA Heathrow expansion plans revealed: In pictures Artist's impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L) Grimshaw Architects Predictions may well be confounded by the sharp decline in traffic between Europe and China because of the coronavirus outbreak. Five years ago, the Davies Commission on airport expansion in southeast England unanimously recommended a third runway at Heathrow. The plan was backed by government and parliament. But the project has lost momentum. The planned opening date of 2026 has been missed, and if it goes ahead the new northwestern runway may not open until the very end of the 2020s. Heathrows chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: If we are to be a truly global Britain, we need to be better connected to global markets than our rivals in Europe. It would be an economic disaster for the country to fall behind, just as we leave the EU. Heathrows new runway will make the UK a winner, connecting all of Britain to global growth and thats why we need to get on with delivering it. Heathrow has reported a record January, with 2.9 per cent more passengers than a year earlier. There was a spike in domestic flights, largely attributed to the Flybe link with Newquay in Cornwall than began in March 2019. The airline has announced it will end the Heathrow route in March 2020 and transfer flights to Gatwick. An American city council which houses some of the top universities of the world including Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has passed a resolution calling on the Indian Parliament to repeal the recently enacted Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and end the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC). The new citizenship law passed by the Indian Parliament in December 2019 offers citizenship to non-Muslim persecuted religious minorities from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan. The Cambridge City Council, which is part of the Greater Boston, in its unanimous resolution urged India to take steps towards helping refugees by ratifying various United Nations treaties on refugees. The Indian government has maintained that the CAA, which was passed by the Indian Parliament in December, is an internal matter of the country and stressed that the goal is to protect the oppressed minorities of neighbouring countries. The NRC exercise was conducted in Assam on the directions of the Supreme Court. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that his government has never discussed the NRC since coming to power for the first time in 2014 and it was done only in Assam. Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, who migrated to the United States from Karachi, Pakistan at the age of two, chaired the meeting of the Cambridge City Council on Monday. Currently serving her second term on the Cambridge City Council, and first as Mayor of Cambridge, Siddiqui was one of the co-sponsor of the resolutions along with Councilors Quinton Zondervan, Jivan Sobrinho-Wheeler and Patricia Nolan. The resolution, coming after a series of anti-CAA demonstrations in Cambridge by Indian Americans, Indian students community and those from South Asia, accuses the Modi government of being having racist policies which are inconsistent with Cambridge's values as a city that welcomes South Asian communities of all castes and religions. It alleges that a nationwide expansion of this policy could strip hundreds of millions of people of their citizenship rights with no option to be re-naturalized. Cambridge City Council in its resolution described the Howdy Modi event last year as a solidarity event of far-right politicians. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Donald Trump addressed a historic gathering of more than 50,000 Indian Americans in Houston in September. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 17:42:36|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close SHENYANG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A garment plant in Fushun, northeast China's Liaoning Province, recently purchased 10 tonnes of medical nonwoven fabric and began producing masks. "About 20 workers at the plant can produce over 5,000 masks a day," said the head of the company. These masks are expected to be delivered to medics at the front lines of the battle against the novel coronavirus. Many factories across the country have suspended their own production and turned to manufacturing medical supplies to fill the demand gap amid the outbreak. Data from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top economic planner, showed China produces about half of the world's masks with a daily output of 20 million. But that is still insufficient to meet the exploding demand. Even global stocks of personal protection equipment are raising red flags, according to the World Health Organization. Since masks are not a complicated product and can be manufactured by an existing production line without much retrofitting, China has encouraged factories to join the production of protective masks to increase supply. On Feb. 6, Liuzhou-based auto maker SGMW in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region announced that it will revamp 14 production lines to produce N95 and other surgical masks with a daily output expected to reach more than 1.7 million. A Foxconn plant also began trial-producing masks on Feb. 5 and is applying for product qualification certification. Data from Tianyancha.com, an online database query platform, showed over 3,000 companies in China have added "masks, protective clothing, disinfectant, thermometers and medical equipment" to their business scope between Jan. 1 and Feb. 7. Many local governments have also rolled out supportive policies such as fund subsidies, fast approval, financing and manpower support to help factories switch production. Five years ago, a medical science and technology company in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province, closed its production line for surgical masks due to poor management. After learning that the company still kept the equipment and factory, the local government helped it re-register its business license in a day and allocated funds to help resume production within days. "We now can produce 20,000 medical protective masks a day and the daily output is estimated to reach 220,000 when a new line enters production in about 20 days," said Gao Wei, the company's general manager. Some manufacturers expressed concern over overcapacity after the epidemic. In response, Lian Weiliang, deputy director of the NDRC, said the government would be the ultimate buyer if the market could not consume all the products. More than 76 percent of mask production capacity in China's 22 provincial regions had been resumed by Monday, according to Cong Liang, secretary-general of the NDRC. A few days ago, some students of Gargi College alleged that a handful of drunken men -- allegedly pro-CAA demonstrators -- had entered the colleges campus and misbehaved the students. The incident allegedly took place on the Day 3 of their annual fest Reverie. The group of drunken men, said to be chanting Jai Shri Ram slogans, entered the college and manhandled female students. "Girls were groped, locked in washrooms, stalked to the nearby Green Park metro, cat-called, eve-teased and misbehaved with during the festival," read the blog of one of the students of Gargi College. The blog added: "The men were allegedly shouting 'Jai Shri Ram' slogans that made us presume they had 'Hindutva/BJP' affiliation. We don't know how true this is as those who witnessed the episode are scared to come forward." A man began masturbating while looking at me The students were molested, sexually assaulted in their own college. A student, on the condition of anonymity, told around 6:30 pm on February 6, the field was so massively crowded that there was no space to move. Two of my friends who were accompanying me, they had held my hands so that I don't get lost in the crowd as there is no cell reception on the field. Suddenly immense pressure came from behind and my hand got jerked off so I lost my friends for the next 10-15 minutes, and in those minutes, I was molested thrice." ANI "I was groped thrice, somebody reached for inside my skirt and the problem was I couldn't move out of it," she said in a choked voice. "Somehow I struggled and moved out and ran towards the empty space behind the stalls. By that time, I had found my friends, they looked at me horrified, but they didn't know what had happened to me as I didn't want to talk about it. So they went to get water, and would have been gone for just around 5 minutes, but in those five minutes I saw that a 30-35-year-old man began masturbating while looking at me, so I ran from there too," she added, narrating her ordeal. Men molested & harassed us Another student said that around 3-3.30pm, large group of men started pushing the doors and entered the college campus. The student narrated that there was no police presence or bouncers at the main entrance between 3pm to 4pm, when 300-400 people entered college. "The college grounds are small, with little place to move around, and that is when some of these men started groping, molesting and harassing us," she told IANS. Why arent women safe? The horror that unfolded on the fateful is difficult to imagine, but easy to believe, given the dismal state of women security in our country. Making matters worse, this isnt the first time that such an incident took place at the Gargi college. The students have confessed that similar incidents took place last year as well during the college fest. A student said that no action was taken by the administration even such incidents were reported last year. Another student claimed that last year the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) was dissolved and there was no platform to raise the issue. "This is not the first time that such an incident has happened during the college fest. Similar instances of molestation and abuse happened in 2019 as well," recalled a student. They said that the college authorities should have learnt from the last year incident and ensured safety but despite that, nothing was done. Women safety in India is still a distant dream. Delhi, which came to be known as the rape capital after the December 2012 rape case, saw a decline in crime against women for two straight years, with 13,076 FIRs being registered in 2017, down from 15,310 in 2016, and 17,222 in 2015, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. Despite the numbers, the larger pictures remain the same. The eye-witness accounts narrate that though CRPF and Delhi Police personnel were deployed at the campus, they did little to control the mayhem that unleashed. Though things have moved a little further and better for females, much has not changed in the last decade. President Donald Trump slammed Democratic presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg on Tuesday as a "TOTAL RACIST" over a 2015 audio clip in which Bloomberg defended the "stop and frisk" police practice. In reply to Trump's tweet, Bloomberg said, "I am not afraid of you and I will not let you bully me or anyone else in America." Bloomberg made his comments defending stop and frisk in 2015, years before the three-term former New York mayor disavowed the policy in advance of launching his presidential bid in November. In the audio clip, Bloomberg said the vast majority of murderers and murder victims "fit one M.O. you could just take the description, Xerox it and pass it out to all the cops. They are male, minorities, 15 to 25 [years old]." "One of the unintended consequences is people say, 'Oh my God, you are arresting kids for marijuana. They're all minorities,'" Bloomberg said during a talk at The Aspen Institute. "That's true. Why? Because we put all the cops in the minority neighborhoods. Yes, that's true. Why do you do it? Because that's where all the crime is." "And the way you get the guns out of the kids' hands is to throw them up against the wall and frisk them, And then they start ... 'Oh I don't want to get caught.' So they don't bring the gun. They still have a gun, but they leave it at home." Trump pounced on the audio in an all-caps tweet Tuesday morning. "WOW, BLOOMBERG IS A TOTAL RACIST!" the president wrote in a reply to the audio clip. But Trump, who himself has been accused of racism and has praised stop and frisk during his presidency, appears to have deleted that tweet soon after it was posted. The White House declined to comment on why the tweet was deleted. But Trump, speaking to reporters Tuesday afternoon, heaped more criticism on Bloomberg for distancing himself from stop and frisk. "He goes to a church, and he's practically crying. He looked like hell ... saying what a horrible what thing he did. I think that's so disingenuous ... look, he's a lightweight. He's a lightweight. You're going to find that out," Trump said from the desk of the Oval Office. The president made his comments after Bloomberg hit back at Trump's tweet with a blistering statement . "President Trump's deleted tweet is the latest example of his endless efforts to divide Americans," Bloomberg said. Trump, he said, "inherited a country marching towards greater equality and divided us with racist appeals and hateful rhetoric. The challenge of the moment is clear: We must confront this president and do everything we can to defeat him." "The president's attack on me clearly reflects his fear over the growing strength of my campaign," Bloomberg said. "Make no mistake Mr. President: I am not afraid of you and I will not let you bully me or anyone else in America. Between now and November, I will do everything I can to defeat you whether I am on the ballot or not." A Trump campaign spokesman told CNBC he did not know why the president's tweet vanished, and offered another searing criticism of Bloomberg's comments. "It's no wonder Mike Bloomberg never wanted that tape to surface. It's disgusting," Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said, apparently referring to a 2015 report that said Bloomberg did not want the Aspen think tank to air footage of his appearance at the event. The recording was first shared on Monday by a supporter of Democratic presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders, Benjamin Dixon, a podcast host who has been seeking information about Bloomberg on social media. tweet Bloomberg was the mayor of New York from 2002 to 2013. During that time, NYPD officers engaged regularly in the practice of stopping, questioning and frisking civilians or suspects on the street. Critics said the practice was racially biased against minorities and unconstitutional in its implementation. In 2013, a federal judge in New York ruled that it violated rights under the Fourth and Fourteenth Amendments. Bloomberg championed stop-and-frisk during his time as mayor, arguing that the program "keeps New York safe" and has saved tens of thousands of lives. In November, however, Bloomberg changed his stance just days before announcing he would run for president in the 2020 contest. Addressing a black church in Brooklyn, Bloomberg said the practice often led to the disproportionate detaining of blacks and Latinos. He added that he "can't change history" but now realizes "I was wrong." If anyone was wrongly stopped by police, "I apologize," he said. In his statement Tuesday, Bloomberg again expressed regret for his prior stance on stop and frisk. "I inherited the police practice of stop-and-frisk, and as part of our effort to stop gun violence it was overused. By the time I left office, I cut it back by 95%, but I should've done it faster and sooner," Bloomberg said. "I regret that and I have apologized and I have taken responsibility for taking too long to understand the impact it had on Black and Latino communities." Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 14:59:13|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson of China's Permanent Mission to the United Nations on Monday expressed indignation and concern over the leakage of a report on sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). China has noted that the 2019 Final Report drafted by the Panel of Experts of the Security Council 1718 Committee on DPRK sanctions were leaked to the press and caused media hyping and baseless accusations against China. China expresses indignation and concern and requests investigation by the UN Secretariat, said the unnamed spokesperson. Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK should be implemented in a comprehensive, complete and accurate manner. Sanctions are a means rather than an end, said the spokesperson. Besides the sanctions, efforts toward a political solution are also required by the UN Security Council whose resolutions affirm that sanction measures are not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population of the DPRK, said the spokesperson. Bearing in mind that the UN Security Council has a primary responsibility to maintain international peace and security, China and Russia assumed responsibility and jointly tabled a draft resolution on the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue. China believes that it is imperative for the UN Security Council to take action and invoke the reversibility provisions in the UN resolutions and to make necessary adjustments to the sanctions regime, especially in areas concerning the livelihood of the civilian population of the DPRK, said the spokesperson. On the implementation of the Security Council resolutions concerning the DPRK, China has always faithfully and seriously fulfilled its international obligations and borne huge losses and tremendous pressure in the process. China will continue to work toward dialogue and detente, advance the political settlement process, and play a positive and constructive role in the denuclearization of the peninsula and efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region, said the spokesperson. February 11, 2020, 12:51 pm News Staff Regulations governing transparency of prices and cost-sharing and rules on medical loss ratios must center on patient care, the Academy reminded administration officials recently. "Price transparency is critically important for value-based care, and the AAFP supports steps for family physicians to reduce the costs of health care for their patients," said the Jan. 29 letter. "As our members pursue value-based care models that are responsible for total cost of care and involve financial risk, it is crucial for family physicians to have access to information on other providers' costs and quality performance to make informed decisions with their patients when making referrals." The AAFP was writing in response to the "Transparency in Coverage" proposed rule published in the Nov. 27 Federal Register. The regulation would require group health plans and health insurance issuers in the individual and group markets to disclose cost-sharing information when requested by a participant, a beneficiary or an enrollee; require plans and issuers to disclose in-network provider negotiated rates and historical out-of-network allowed amounts; and amend HHS rules pertaining to medical loss ratio the proportion of premium revenues spent on clinical services and quality improvement to credit insurers for savings they share with enrollees that result from the enrollee's shopping for, and receiving care from, lower-cost, higher-value providers. The letter was sent to CMS Administrator Seema Verma, M.P.H.; Sunita Lough, IRS deputy commissioner for services and enforcement; and Preston Rutledge, assistant secretary for the Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration. It was signed by AAFP Board Chair John Cullen, M.D., of Valdez, Alaska. "Improving access to cost, quality improvement and population health management information related to services furnished to their patients by other providers will enable family physicians and their patients to make better-informed decisions that consider both cost and quality," the Academy said. The letter cited a 2017 Academy survey on value-based payment models in which just 13% of respondents said they had access to other specialists' costs and 7% reported access to other specialists' quality measure performance information. Requiring cost-sharing information to be posted in conjunction with quality information "would better allow a consumer to weigh negotiated prices and quality performance," the AAFP said, expressing support for the proposed rule. However, the letter sounded a cautionary note on the proposed rule's approach to medical loss ratio requirements which historically, the Academy said, have helped to focus health care resources on patient care. "We urge HHS to closely monitor this change for any illicit plan activity," the letter said. "MLR policies must ensure that health care finances are focused on patient care rather than insurer profits." Phillip Schofield came out as gay in a post to Instagram. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) Dancing on Ice professional Matt Evers has said that Phillip Schofield paused rehearsals on the show to address his coming out news when he felt like it was an "elephant in the room". The host of the skating show came out as gay last Friday in a post to Instagram shortly before appearing on This Morning to discuss his announcement with friend and co-star Holly Willoughby. He told Heart.co.uk: "It was a really nice atmosphere in the studio. I think at one point in production he stopped rehearsals and said I just need to say this, I dont want to be the elephant in the room anymore, if you want to give me a hug, give me a hug. Read more: Joan Collins says Phillip Schofield coming out is 'odd' as people 'knew he was gay' The ice skater also explained how Willoughby had "teared up" at the moment before members of the Dancing On Ice team embraced him. Matt Evers, Holly Willoughby, Phillip Schofield and Ian Watkins during the Dancing On Ice 2019 photocall at the Dancing On Ice Studio, ITV Studios, Old Bovingdon Airfield on December 09, 2019 in Bovingdon, England. (Photo by Karwai Tang/WireImage) Evers, who is openly gay, competed in the first same-sex partnership on the show alongside Ian 'H' Watkins before they were voted out on Sunday's show. During the live programme, judge Ashley Banjo addressed Schofield's announcement from a few days earlier as he praised the presenter's bravery. "Can I just say on a completely separate note that it's been a big, big week," he began. "You have always been an absolute legend but never ever more so than this week my friend. Phillip Schofield and Stephanie Lowe attend the ITV Palooza 2019 at The Royal Festival Hall on November 12, 2019 in London, England. (Photo by Joe Maher/WireImage) I think I speak on behalf of everyone when I say we have got nothing but love and respect for you," the dancer went on. Schofield has been married to wife Stephanie Lowe for 27 years and the pair share two adult daughters, Ruby and Molly, together. She has vowed to stand by her husband, having shared that she loves him and "always will". SEATTLE - Though Genette Hofmann is still using her brain, last month she donated a bit of it to science. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. In this Jan. 14, 2020 photo, Genette Hofmann, center, is transported in an elevator by medical staff at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle just before undergoing brain surgery in hopes of reducing the epileptic seizures that had disrupted her life for decades. At the same time, Hofmann agreed to donate a small bit of her healthy brain tissue to researchers. The decision to contribute to the study was simple, even beyond her own epilepsy. She spent years caring for a grandmother with dementia. "It was the easiest decision I've ever made," she said. "This will be my chance to make a difference." (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) SEATTLE - Though Genette Hofmann is still using her brain, last month she donated a bit of it to science. Hofmann needed the surgery her Seattle surgeon was looking deep into her brain, where he found the trigger for the epileptic seizures that had disrupted her life for 30 years. But to get there, he teased out a bit of healthy tissue the size of a lima bean, and with her blessing quickly sent it to some researchers, who were eager to study brain cells while they were still alive. That's how Hofmann joined a long line of epilepsy patients whove helped scientists reveal basic secrets of the brain knowledge that could pay off in better ways to measure consciousness in brain-injury patients and new treatments for a variety of diseases. Research volunteers such as Ruth Nall, who made a different kind of contribution in a California hospital room, reading sentences aloud as a network of surgically implanted sensors kept close track of how her brain worked. Since she was going to have electrodes implanted anyway, she reasoned, why not help out? "Plus," she added, "Id have visitors." Epilepsy disrupts the brain's electrical activity, producing recurrent seizures that involve strange sensations, behaviours, emotions and, sometimes, loss of consciousness. Most people with epilepsy dont need surgery and can control seizures with medications. But when surgery is necessary, research scientists can ask to piggyback on the procedures for a rare chance to study the brain directly. For decades, studies of epilepsy patients have revealed secrets of the brain, like how the two halves operate differently. And research with "H.M.," a now-deceased Connecticut man whos been called the most famous patient in the history of neuroscience, revealed key insights into how memory works. The disease has a long history of revealing the importance of the brain to memory, emotion and everything we call the self, says Christof Koch, chief scientist at the Allen Institute in Seattle, where Hofmann's cells were analyzed. "Seizures have taught us more about brain and the mind, and the relationship between the two, than any other disease," he said. Hofmann's brain cells were rushed to the institute on "life support" in a cooler rigged up with artificial cerebral spinal fluid and oxygen. At the lab, researcher Herman Tung sliced the pearl of brain into thin sheets for viewing with a powerful microscope, readying it for a three-part series of experiments. After resting for an hour after slicing, Hofmann's brain cells were ready for their star turn under the microscope. Researcher Katherine Baker found a single brain cell and recorded its electrical activity. She injected dye that spread into the threadlike dendrites of the neuron to reveal its shape. Baker removed the cells nucleus for the third step: a readout of which genes are turned off and which are turned on. About three-quarters of such donations at the Allen Institute come from epilepsy patients; the rest come from cancer surgeries. The Allen Institute is building an online atlas that makes information on hundreds of human brain cells freely available for study. The institute hopes that will provide a new avenue, beyond brain scans and animal studies, for tackling conditions like Alzheimers disease and autism. For Hofmann, 57, the decision to contribute to the study was simple, even beyond her own epilepsy. She spent years caring for a grandmother with dementia. "It was the easiest decision I've ever made," she said. "This will be my chance to make a difference." Dr. Andrew Ko, who performed Hofmann's surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, stressed that it's important to make sure patients understand the difference between what's needed for therapy and what's optional for research. At Harborview, Ko talks to patients about treatment while a research co-ordinator discusses the opportunity to participate in studies, he said. Nall, the California woman, underwent surgery too. But before that, doctors had to discover the spot that was triggering her seizures. To do that, surgeons often implant arrays of 100 or more sensors on and within a patient's brain, to eavesdrop on its activity and catch the trigger in the act of causing a seizure. Patients being monitored in this way may spend a week or more in a hospital room as doctors wait for seizures to happen. During that time, patients dont have a lot to do. For neuroscience researchers, a group of people with implanted brain electrodes and plenty of time is a golden opportunity. "It is rare that you have the opportunity to study the brain in such a detailed way in awake people," says Dr. Joshua Rosenow of Northwestern University. In some cases, researchers use the implanted electrodes for stimulation. A few years ago, to explore the role of a certain part of the brain in perceiving faces, Dr. Josef Parvizi of Stanford University activated that area in a 41-year-old patient. The man was looking at Parvizi, who was next to his hospital bed, when the stimulation began. "You just turned into somebody else," the patient told Parvizi. "Your nose got saggy and went to the left. You almost look like somebody Ive seen before but somebody different. That was a trip." Other times, the brain electrodes are used to monitor what happens as patients do specific mental tasks. Patients may sniff odours, do math, sing, read specific words or sentences aloud, listen to music or speech, look at faces on a screen, name objects in line drawings, stick out their tongues, or do other things meant to create specific brain activity. All the while, scientists track whats going on in their brains. "There is an explosion of studies in this field, because it is immensely important to know the timing of events in the brain, which areas light up first" and which follow, said Parvizi. "And when area A lights up, what does area B do?" The monitoring of Nall's brain provided data for several papers published in the past couple years. One of her experimental tasks sounds a little strange: During her 2013 hospital stay she was asked to repeat the sentence, "I never said she stole my money" over and over, putting an emphasis on a different word each time. Those changes altered the meaning of the sentence. Researchers had sought her help in learning how the brain produces and controls speech, perhaps a step toward helping people unable to talk. That goal struck a chord with Nall, of Waterford, who recalled that an uncles voice was stilled by Lou Gehrigs disease. Looking back, she said shed encourage others to take the same step. "It is something you feel good about later," she said. "Let your life be defined by the lives that you change." 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. Two weeks after Hofmann's surgery, a scar curves from the top of her right ear to her forehead hairline. "So far, so good," she said. "No seizures." Part of her brain is gone, but she doesn't feel anything's missing. In fact, happy memories have surfaced, "things I haven't thought of since I was a girl." Contributing brain cells to science "makes me so proud and so satisfied," she said. "It makes me feel more connected to the human race." ___ Ritter reported from New York. __ The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute's Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:44:28|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close COLOMBO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's navy rescued 15 sea turtles entangled in a fishing net while patrolling off the coast of Talaimannar in northern Sri Lanka, local media reported Tuesday. State-owned Daily News reported that the navy patrol had encountered a group of sea turtles trapped in a fishermen's net while conducting routine patrols. The Navy officers had acted swiftly to release the sea turtles. Sri Lankan navy patrols routinely crack down on illegal forms of fishing and trade in marine products. Five out of seven species of sea turtle that are listed as endangered can be found off the coast of Sri Lanka. Sea turtles are protected by law in Sri Lanka. Murder accused Kieran Greene was visited in jail three times by his then girlfriend Louise O'Connor in the months after he is alleged to have killed her mother Patricia, a jury has heard. Prison records showed that over the course of six months in 2017, Mr Greene was visited by Ms O'Connor once on her own and twice with her ex-partner Keith Johnston. Both are accuused of impeding Mr Greene's prosecution for murder. The evidence was tendered at the request of the defence when the trial resumed at the Central Criminal Court yesterday afternoon. Four people are charged over grandmother-of-seven Patricia O'Connor's death. Mr Greene (34) is accused of murder, while Louise O'Connor (41), her daughter Stephanie O'Connor (22) and Mr Johnston (41) are charged with impeding the investigation. They all deny the charges. Patricia O'Connor (61), a retired hospital cleaner, was allegedly murdered on May 29, 2017, at the house in Mountain View Park, Rathfarnham, that she shared with family including Louise, Stephanie and Mr Greene. Her dismembered body was found in 15 parts, scattered in the Dublin and Wicklow mountains between June 10 and 14 that year. Stephanie is accused of disguising herself as her grandmother after her alleged murder to pretend she was still alive, while her mother Louise allegedly agreed to this. Mr Johnston is accused of assisting Mr Greene in buying implements to use in the concealment of Ms O'Connor's remains and refurbishing the bathroom at the house to destroy or conceal evidence. Children Yesterday, Walter Burke, a senior manager with the Irish Prison Service, was tendered as a witness by the prosecution at the request of the defence. He said a request was made for records of visits to Mr Greene from when he was in prison at Cloverhill on remand, covering the period from June 17 to December 7, 2017. Louise O'Connor was recorded as Mr Greene's girlfriend, visiting on June 17. On September 2, Mr Johnston was recorded visiting as "friend". Both Ms O'Connor and Mr Johnston visited on October 14 and again on November 16. Mr Burke told Michael Bowman, for Louise, that the records showed his client and Mr Johnston attended together with two children. There were no children present when she or Mr Johnston were there alone. The only other time children were recorded was on August 26, when three children attended with a party other than Louise. Hours of CCTV footage taken of the outside of the house at Mountain View Park has already been seen by the jury. Inspector Brian O'Keeffe agreed with Garnet Orange, for Stephanie, that "particular consideration" was given to a woman carrying a suitcase, leaving the house at 9.34pm on May 29, 2017. "You were trying to see if anything could be garnered from the analysis of the CCTV footage that would indicate who particular persons might be on the footage," Mr Orange said. Insp O'Keeffe agreed this assessment was only given to the defence after the trial had begun. The trial continues. The Philippines told the US on Tuesday it was quitting a pact key to their historical military alliance, triggering a six-month countdown to the deal's termination. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte ordered his cabinet to give notice to quit the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) after voicing anger over Washington cancelling the visa of the official who led his internationally condemned drug war. The move also follows Duterte's repeated, unfulfilled threats to shrink or even sever the nation's ties with its former colonial master and most important military ally. The 1998 VFA is the legal framework for the presence of US troops on Philippine soil and is central to hundreds of annual, joint military exercises, which are a major component of their deep military ties. The pact requires a 180-day notice to quit, which will likely set off a period of negotiation between the two countries. "This is a serious step with significant implications for the US-Philippines alliance," the US embassy in Manila said in a statement. "We will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests." The VFA is divisive in the Philippines, with leftist and nationalist critics long arguing it guarantees special treatment for US service members accused of crimes. - 'Negative impact' - But defenders of the decades-old agreement say ending it could both degrade the Philippines' ability to defend itself and undermine Washington's moves against Beijing's rise, particularly in the disputed South China Sea. Philippine foreign secretary Teodoro Locsin, an advocate of the pact, told lawmakers last week it was fundamental to the US alliance, which had provided tens of millions of dollars in support, equipment and training for the Philippine armed forces. "Terminating the VFA will negatively impact its (the Philippines') defence and security," Locsin said. "Our contribution to regional defence is anchored on our military alliance with the world's last superpower," he added. Duterte first warned he would scrap the deal in 2016, and then repeated that threat in a speech in January. That came after Ronald Dela Rosa, the former national police chief who is now a senator, said the US had cancelled his visa without telling him why. Philippine officials view the cancellation as a sanction for Dela Rosa's leadership of the campaign in which police have killed thousands of alleged traffickers, dealers and users. Since the visa issue surfaced, Duterte has barred his cabinet from going to the US and has turned down President Donald Trump's invitation to a southeast Asian summit set for March in Las Vegas. Duterte bristles at any Western criticism of his signature policy, which public opinion surveys say is widely supported by Filipinos despite the killing. The 1998 Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) is the legal framework for the presence of US troops on Philippine soil and is central to the two nations' hundreds of annual military exercises Philippine and US Marines taking part in a joint exercise in San Antonio, Zambales province, in 2014 In the recent past, targeted immunotherapy has been the first line of treatment in cancer, which includes CAR-T cell therapy. It is a very effective treatment as it has been preferred over chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation. CAR-T cells or Chimeric Antigen Receptor are special protein receptor. In CAR-T cell therapy T-cells are derived from patients blood and added with CAR that binds to specific proteins cancer cells. Millions of such cancer cells are developed in laboratory and are administered in patients through infusion. These cells have ability to bind to infected cancer cells and kill them, in order to cure the cancer. In fact, masking of cancer cells from immune cells can be dealt with inclusion of immune checkpoint inhibitors in the body, which can identify and remove cancer cells. This novel approach to use patients immune cells to combat cancer cells has been extremely successful and is used in the treatment of pediatric relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, refractory non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and other cancers. Get Free Sample Copy at: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/102 The global CAR-T cell therapy market is estimated to be valued at US$ 295.1 million in 2018 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 32.5 % over the forecast period (2018 2028). Market Dynamics Increasing prevalence of cancer cases and growing number patients showing negative response to alternative therapies is expected to drive growth of global CAR-T cells therapy market during the forecast period. For instance, according to The Cancer Research, UK, in 2012, over 14.1 million cancer cases were recorded across the globe. Furthermore, according to Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada, in 2016, around 22,340 people in Canada were diagnosed with some form of blood cancer, of which 9,000 cases were lymphoma. Furthermore, availability of new and effective therapy options to cure symptoms of the disease is another factor propelling growth of the global CAR-T cell therapy market. For instance, in 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved two CAR-T cell therapies Kymriah and Yescarta for children and adult lymphoblastic leukemia and advanced lymphoma in adults, respectively. This is expected fuel growth of the market over the forecast period. Increasing government initiatives for enhance healthcare infrastructure and promoting research for cell therapy in cancer is expected to drive growth of the market. For instance, in December 2016, the National Cancer Advisory Board sanctioned US$ 1.8 billion of fund for Cancer Moonshot, which is an initiative taken up to fasten the research with an aim to make more therapies available cancer patient. However, side effects associated with the cell therapy could lead to cytokine release syndrome (CRS) and other neurological problems that include seizures, coma, hallucinations, and delirium. This factor is expected to hinder the global CAR-T cell market growth. Browse Research Report At: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/car-t-cell-therapy-market-102 North America holds dominant position in the global CAR-T cell therapy market. This is owing to rampant development and launch of new therapies for cancer treatment by major companies in the region. For instance, in August 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Kymriah, a CAR-T cell therapy to treat pediatric and young adult patients suffering with a form of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Moreover, a large patient pool suffering from cancer in the U.S. and Canada and is expected to further support growth of the market in the region. Furthermore, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2016, around 171,000 patients with blood cancer are diagnosed each year in the U.S. Europe is also expected to hold significant position in the market, in terms of revenue. This growth is attributed to increasing investment and extensive research for development activities of cancer therapies in the region. For instance, according to the European Hematology and Oncology Departments study, in 2017, the role of CAR-T cells in treatment of Leukapheresis is extremely crucial. Furthermore, Asia Pacific is expected to register highest growth during the forecast period, owing to increasing number of market players involved in various business strategies such as collaboration and research agreements with local players to develop novel CAR-T cell therapies. For instance, in March, Cesca Therapeutics entered into a license agreement with China-based, Boyalife Group for CAR-T cell related bioprocessing, development, and manufacturing outsourcing. Key players are engaged in developing and launching innovative products and adopt merger and acquisition strategies to retain position in the global CAR-T cell therapy market Key players in the market are engaged in extensive research and development to launch new targeted cell therapies in the market. For instance, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston is conducting phase 1 clinical trial studies of central memoryderived CD19 CAR Tcell therapy for relapsed intermediate-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Moreover, key players are focused on strategic merger and acquisition to enhance their share in the global CAR-T cell therapy market. For instance, in April 2018, Pfizer, Inc. entered into a deal with Allogene, to develop an investigational CAR-T cell therapy for treating cancer. Key players operating in the global CAR-T cell therapy market include Novartis International AG, Kite Pharma, Inc. (Gilead Sciences, Inc.), Juno Therapeutics (Celgene Corporation), Bluebird Bio, Inc. (Celgene Corporation), Sorrento Therapeutics Inc., Mustang Bio, Inc., Aurora Biopharma Inc., Legend Biotech (Genscript Biotech Corporation), Pfizer, Inc., CARsgen Therapeutics, Ltd., and others. Detailed Segmentation: Global CAR-T Cell Therapy Market, by Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others Global CAR-T Cell Therapy Market, by Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others Global CAR-T Cell Therapy Market, by Region: North America By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: U.S. Canada Latin America By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: Brazil Mexico Argentina Rest of Latin America Europe By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: Germany U.K. France Italy Spain Russia Rest of Europe Asia Pacific By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: China India Japan Australia South Korea ASEAN Rest of Asia Pacific Middle East By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: GCC Israel Rest of Middle East Africa By Targeted Antigen: CD 19 BCMA HER2 GD2 CD 20 CD22 CD30 CD33 HER1 Others By Therapeutic Application: Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Diffuse Large B-cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) Follicular Lymphoma Mantle Cell Lymphoma Multiple Myeloma Glioblastoma Sarcoma Neuroblastoma Acute Myeloid Leukemia Breast Cancer Pancreatic Cancer Hepatocellular Carcinoma Colorectal Cancer Others By Country: South Africa Central Africa North Africa Company Profiles Novartis International AG * Company Overview Product Portfolio Key Highlights Financial Performance Strategies Kite Pharma, Inc. (Gilead Sciences, Inc.) Juno Therapeutics (Celgene Corporation) Bluebird Bio, Inc. (Celgene Corporation) Sorrento Therapeutics Inc. Mustang Bio, Inc. Aurora Biopharma Inc. Legend Biotech (Genscript Biotech Corporation) Pfizer, Inc. CARsgen Therapeutics, Ltd. About Coherent Market Insights: Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity. Media Contact: Name: Mr. Shah Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com Phone: US +12067016702 Country: United States Website: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/ Visit Blog: https://globalindustryresearchblog.wordpress.com/ Key dates in the life of Sudans ex-president Omar al-Bashir, whom a top official said Tuesday could be handed to the International Criminal Court on charges of genocide and war crimes in Darfur. January 1, 1944: Born to a farming family in the village of Hosh Bannaga, north of Khartoum. 1973: A soldier from a young age, fights alongside the Egyptian army in the Arab-Israeli Yom Kippur war. June 30, 1989: As brigade commander, seizes power in an Islamist-backed coup against the democratically elected government. 2003: Sends troops and militia to crush a rebellion in the western region of Darfur. The conflict claims more than 300,000 lives, according to the UN. 2009: The ICC issues a warrant for his arrest for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur. The following year it issues a warrant over alleged genocide. He denies the charges. 2010: Elected president in the first multiparty vote since he took power, boycotted by the opposition. Re-elected in 2015. 2011: South Sudan wins independence from Khartoum, which loses three quarters of its oil reserves. 2013: Deadly demonstrations against his government erupt after a petrol price hike. April 11, 2019: After four months of protests demanding he quit, Bashir is ousted by the military and detained. December 14, 2019: Convicted of graft and ordered to serve two years in a correctional centre. Bashir also faces separate charges in Sudan over the deaths of protesters and the 1989 coup that brought him to power. Just when you thought things couldn't get any wilder for cannabis stocks, it does. Following a miserable 2019 that saw the North American marijuana industry succumb to a combination of supply issues (both shortages and bottlenecks), high tax rates, and a resilient black market that is unwilling to give up market share, 2020 has begun with a number of key management changes. Within just the past two weeks, two CEOs of brand-name pot stocks have headed for the exit. Two brand-name pot stock CEOs are now gone It began on Jan. 31, when MedMen Enterprises (OTC:MMNFF) CEO and co-founder Adam Bierman announced that he'd be stepping down. This was a move that was considered long overdue by Wall Street and shareholders, with MedMen's valuation having plunged by well over 90% since October 2018. Although the vertically integrated multistate operator has offered glimpses of success, such as its longest-operating Southern California locations, which have rivaled Apple stores in terms of sales per square foot, MedMen's overzealous expansion efforts have led to ballooning operating expenses and unsustainable losses. In fiscal 2019, MedMen wound up losing almost $232 million on an operating basis -- and that was after a 30% reduction in selling, general, and administrative expenses between the beginning and end of the fiscal year. MedMen is also facing a serious cash crunch. The company recently admitted to attempting to pay off its vendors with its own common stock. This comes after management noted that the final $115 million in financing of the up to $280 million pledged from private equity firm Gotham Green Partners is no longer accessible. It was definitely time for Bierman to step aside. Next, on Feb. 6, we witnessed Aurora Cannabis (NASDAQ:ACB) CEO Terry Booth announce his plans to step down and retire. The most popular pot stock may not be in dire straits like MedMen, but its share price has declined by well over 80% since mid-March 2019. Booth led an aggressive campaign that saw Aurora Cannabis snatch up more than a dozen companies over a three-year stretch and become a leader in both peak estimated output and international presence. However, with supply issues rearing their head in Canada, Aurora is having to backpedal on its expansion plans at a breakneck pace. It's idled construction at both Aurora Sun in Alberta and Aurora Nordic 2 in Denmark, intends to sell its Exeter greenhouse, and announced plans to take major property & plant equipment and goodwill writedowns. There are also genuine concerns that Aurora's overextended balance sheet may not be able to recover from its overzealous spending. Even with its debt covenants now restructured, achieving positive EBITDA by fiscal Q1 2021 is no guarantee. Booth's departure is something Aurora Cannabis (and its shareholders) definitely needed. This marijuana stock CEO should be next to step down With all of this being said, there's one more brand-name cannabis stock CEO who needs to go: HEXO's (NASDAQ:HEXO) Sebastien St-Louis. My opinion of St-Louis's performance as CEO isn't nearly as harsh as that of Booth or Bierman. HEXO wasn't exactly spending at a frivolous pace, although it likely overpaid for its Newstrike Brands acquisition in 2019. HEXO also made a number of impressive deals, including a joint venture with Molson Coors Brewing (known as Truss) to develop cannabis-infused beverages. But as MKM Partners' analyst Bill Kirk recently noted when downgrading HEXO and slashing his firm's price target on the company by 70%, HEXO's management is notorious for making positive statements that never come to fruition. Said Kirk in the note released to clients, "Of 104 positive predictions made by HEXO over the last two years, just 3 of 48 resolved were correct." It's this inability to follow through and build trust with investors that has me believing St-Louis needs to go. Additionally, there are other problems. Financing, for one, is a pretty sizable short- and long-term concern for HEXO. Through a combination of stock issuances and convertible note offerings, the company raised about 100 million Canadian dollars (about $75.2 million U.S.) since October. But this may not prove to be enough, with HEXO continuing to lose money, traditional forms of financing essentially closed off, and St-Louis proclaiming in the company's most recent conference call that 20% market share would be needed throughout Canada to be profitable. Here's a news flash: No cannabis grower is anywhere near 20% market share throughout Canada, let alone HEXO. As noted, HEXO is also nowhere near profitability, despite getting very aggressive on the cost-cutting front. It has completely idled the Niagara facility, acquired with the Newstrike Brands purchase, as well as 200,000 square feet of its flagship Gatineau facility. I suspect this takes about a third of HEXO's 150,000 kilos of peak annual output offline, for the time being. HEXO also shed 200 jobs from a variety of departments. Put plainly, St-Louis has lost the confidence of shareholders, and his departure would be a stepping stone to, hopefully, rebuilding faith with investors. The wife of a senior US spy, who fled the UK last year after being involved in a road accident that led to the death of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, is reported to have been a CIA agent herself. According to the Mail on Sunday, Anne Sacoolas held a higher rank in the intelligence services than her husband. Harry was killed on August 27 when his motorbike collided with Sacoolass car, being driven on the wrong side of the road, just outside the RAF base at Croughton, Northamptonshire. The US Air Force runs a spy facility from the base known as the Joint Intelligence Analysis Centre, where Sacoolass husband Jonathan was employed by the National Security Agency (NSA). Sacoolas was charged with causing death by dangerous driving by British police but was released and fled the country with her husband on September 15. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has refused to grant a UK request for her extradition. It was already clear from the available facts that the UK government had determined to let Sacoolas go. Police visited her on August 28, the day after the incident, to be told she had diplomatic immunity as the wife of a diplomat. The Foreign Office claims to have asked the US embassy to waive immunity only on September 5. The US embassy refused this request on September 13, and Sacoolas was flown out of the country on a US Air Force plane two days later. The Foreign Office claims it was only informed the day afterward. Dunns parents only had it confirmed that Sacoolas had left the country on September 23. Now, as Harrys mother, Charlotte Charles, has said, things are beginning to fall into place. This charade, woven from lies, was used to prepare for the extraction and protection of a US spy. According to the Mail, multiple sources in London and Washington have confirmed Sacoolass past work in the CIA. Sky News has since claimed to have also confirmed this fact. The Foreign Office denied all knowledge, asserting that Anne Sacoolas was notified to us as a spouse with no official role. Senior Whitehall figures, however, confirmed to the Mail that they knew of her CIA history. The Mails report also states that the US government notified the Foreign Office that Sacoolas was leaving the country for America. The Dunn familys legal spokesman, Radd Seiger, explained it is high time that the nation can see with full transparency whether or not the government prioritised protecting the identity of the Sacoolas family over the welfare and rights of Harrys family. The US government told the FCO [Foreign and Commonwealth Office] that they were going to remove Anne Sacoolas from the UK unless the UK had any strong objections. Still to this day, the family have seen no evidence that the UK did indeed raise any such objections and indeed fear that they waved her off at the airport. Harrys parents and their legal team continue to wage a principled fight for justice for their son. Seiger is calling for a public inquiry. Responding to the revelations, his mother, Charlotte Charles, asked of the British government, How could they do this to us? Her leaving, and the US government protecting her and refusing the extradition request, is nothing short of a disgrace and we will not stand for it. Whether she is CIA or not, she must come back and I will not rest until she does. Adam Wagner, another lawyer for the Dunn family, said the Foreign Office needed to answer whether it knew Sacoolas was CIA at the time of Harrys death, and whether the US used her status as a family member to take advantage of the anomaly whereby family members are said to have more immunity than diplomats at the base. Wagner also reported, The Foreign Office have refused so far to disclose any information or documents about the discussions with the USA and the police after Harry died. The family are pushing hard for disclosures and have made an application for information and documents. The Dunn family lawyers dispute Sacoolass claimed immunity. Human rights activist and former British ambassador Craig Murray has written, I am not at all convinced, as a matter of law, that the government has the power to grant, by bilateral treaty or otherwise, immunity from criminal prosecution to foreign nationalsoutside the provision of the Vienna Convention (relating to diplomatic immunity). This should be tested by the courts. Thoroughly exposed, government representatives are still making a cynical pretence of demanding Sacoolass return while claiming ignorance of her CIA background. Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab and Home Secretary Priti Patel have all made pro forma criticisms of the US State Departments refusal to grant Britains extradition request. Speaking on Skys Sunday Show after the Mails report, Housing Minister Robert Jenrick claimed, I dont know the reasons why the US have turned down our requests so far to extradite her. She needs to return to the UK. She should face justice, and I think its a terrible situationI think we all agree on thatfor the family. Not only have they lost their child but theyre not seeing somebody brought to justice for that. On the same show, former Conservative Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said Sacoolass role as a CIA operative may have a bearing on it [her escape and protection], and I dont know the truth of these things because Im not foreign secretary any more, but I still think it is totally and utterly unacceptable that she is not facing justice in the UK. And if anyone is questioning that, I think we just need to ask what would have happened if the boot had been on the other foot, if a British diplomat had been involved in a road accident in the United States where someone had died and had fled on a private plane back to the UK and was evading justice. ... I dont think Britain would have behaved in that way. These crocodile tears have been a pathetic fraud from the start. Now that the real nature of the case has been revealed, this cynical posturing has become a naked insult. The UK grants US intelligence services the right to act with complete impunity. From the perspective of the ruling class, the Dunn-Sacoolas case is not an outrage, but business as usual. An Algerian military court on Monday upheld a 15-year prison term for the brother of former president Abdelaziz Bouteflika and two ex-intelligence chiefs convicted of conspiracy against the state, a lawyer said. The once mighty Said Bouteflika, 62, was long seen as the real power behind the presidency after his brother suffered a debilitating stroke in 2013. He had served as a key presidential aide but was detained in May last year, a month after Bouteflika quit office weeks into mass protests against his bid for a fifth presidential term. In September Said Bouteflika, along with several other senior regime officials, was sentenced by a military tribunal to 15 years in jail for "conspiring" against the state and undermining the army's authority. Their convictions were the most high-profile in a string of prosecutions of prominent politicians and businessmen after Bouteflika was pushed out in April after two decades in power. A court in Blida, south of Algiers, began hearing an appeal against the sentences on Sunday behind closed doors and amid heavy security. Algeria's state prosecutor sought an increased penalty of 20 years in jail, lawyers said, but the court confirmed the original sentences. "Said Bouteflika, General (Athmane) Tartag and General (Mohamed Lamine) Mediene received 15 years in prison. The initial verdict was confirmed," lawyer Boudjemaa Guechir told AFP. Mediene, known as "Toufik", headed the powerful Department of Intelligence and Security for 25 years and was sentenced in September alongside the former president's brother. Also in court were Mediene's former right-hand man, Tartag, and Louisa Hanoune, who had served as secretary general of the left-wing Workers' Party. Guechir, who represented Hanoune, said her initial sentence of 15 years was reduced to three years in prison. The four defendants were accused of having met in March 2019 in a bid to derail plans by the army high command to force the departure of Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Said Bouteflika allegedly wanted the intelligence bosses to dismiss the army chief of staff at the time, General Ahmed Gaid Salah. Defence lawyers had hoped the four would be released after Algeria's balance of power shifted following the December 23 death of Gaid Salah at the age of 79. "The person who, in our opinion, was at the origin of these proceedings has passed away," Mediene's lawyer Farouk Kessentini said ahead of Monday's decision. An Algerian anti-government protest movement that began almost a year ago and brought down Bouteflika has continued, demanding the dismantling of the political system and its representatives who have been in power for several decades. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A 30-year-old physical therapist has been arrested for sexually assaulting a 75-year-old hospital patient after he was caught on camera placing his genitals in the elderly woman's mouth, according to detectives. Regginald Jackson, who works at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida, was taken into custody Monday night after officers responded to reports he had abused a patient in his care. Hillsborough County Sheriff's deputies were called to the hospital when a nurse said an alarm sounded from the elderly woman's room Monday night. The nurse said she checked on the live feed camera inside the room and saw Jackson placing his genitals in the female patient's mouth, deputies reported. Regginald Jackson, 30, (above) was taken into custody Monday night after officers responded to reports he had abused a elderly female patient in his care The sheriff's office said Jackson refused to answer detectives' questions about the incident. He has been charged with sexual battery and is being held in the Orient Road Jail. The sheriff's office released footage Tuesday showing Jackson being booked into the jail wearing a hospital gown. Officials told DailyMail.com that was because he was a suspect in a sexual abuse case his clothing had been taken as evidence at the scene and the gown had been readily available to swap him into at the hospital. Baycare health system, which runs the hospital, said that Jackson had been fired. They said in a statement to WFTS: 'BayCare is terminating the employment of Regginald Jesse Jackson, who was working as a physical therapist at St. Josephs Hospital-South. 'We appreciate the team member who took appropriate, swift action after witnessing suspicious activity and we remain in close contact with authorities as they conduct their investigation. 'BayCare is committed to maintaining a safe environment for all our patients and team members and we do not tolerate the alleged conduct.' Deputies were called to St. Joseph's Hospital in Tampa, Florida (above), where Jackson works as a physical therapist, when a nurse allegedly saw him placing his genitals in the patient's mouth via a live feed camera Sheriff Chad Chronister said Jackson showed an 'appalling breach of trust' Sheriff Chad Chronister said he was 'disgusted' by Jackson and that he showed an 'appalling breach of trust'. 'This is an appalling breach of trust and abuse by a person who is trained and paid to look out for the well-being of patients,' he said. 'I am disgusted by the actions of Regginald Jackson, and we will work diligently to find out if there are others who have been victimized by him in the past to ensure that justice is served.' Chronister warned that there may be other victims. [February 11, 2020] Toorak Capital Partners Hires CTO, Makes Significant Investment in Proprietary Technology Toorak Capital Partners, the largest capital provider to the private real estate lending industry, announces today the firm is investing in a new technology platform to improve customer experience for its network of lending partners. To develop the platform, the firm has hired Sachin Venugopal as Chief Technology Officer. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005687/en/ Sachin Venugopal, Chief Technology Officer, Toorak Capital Partners. (Photo: Business Wire) "Toorak Capital Partners has always strived to provide the best possible service for our partner lenders. We are committed to take our customer service to the next level by investing in a new technology platform," says John Beacham, CEO of Toorak Capital Partners. "We've always felt that if it's easy for our customers to work with us, our business will grow. This belief has proven true over the years and it is the reason we have hired a top-tier CTO, like Sachin Venugopal, to upgrade our technology platform." Sachin, who has over 20 years of experience building customer focused digital platforms at AQR Capital, McGraw Hill and Lexis Nexis, will develop a proprietary technology platform to automate the loan submission, review and closing processes. Sachin will also be charged with improving overall operations and efficiency of the firm's technology stack. "Toorak is a data-focused capital provider which understands that technology and customer experience go hand in hand. Our goal is simple - make the loan process easy and efficient for our lenders. Toorak has been remarkably innovative in its approach and I'm incredibly excited to be part of an amazing team focused on further improving and streamlining the loan process for lenders," says Sachin. Backed by global investment firm KKR, Toorak Capital Partners has revolutionized how real estate investors access capital. The firm was the first to link small-balance commercial and residential originators with institutional capital. Toorak Capital Partners perfected this approach in the single-family residential bridge lending space, funding more than $3.0 billion in loans since 2016. The firm also offers, ground-up construction loans and single-family rental term loans. To learn more about Toorak Capital Partners' correspondent lending platform, please contact Devang Patel at [email protected]apital.com or (212) 461-4135. About Toorak Capital Partners Toorak Capital Partners is an integrated correspondent lending platform that funds small balance business purpose residential, multifamily and mixed-use loans throughout the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Headquartered in Summit, N.J., Toorak Capital Partners acquires loans directly from private lenders that originate high credit quality loans. Toorak Capital Partners' principals have a deep understanding of mortgage credit in the residential and commercial space with backgrounds in real estate lending, capital markets, securitization, asset-liability management, asset management and credit. Toorak Capital Partners-funded projects have renovated or stabilized housing for more than 9,000 families to date - an average of more than 500 families every month. Further information is available at www.toorakcapital.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005687/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] A detective involved in investigating William Tyrrell's disappearance has told a court the officer who led the investigation, Gary Jubelin, dismissed information that suggested a certain person of interest wasn't responsible. Mr Jubelin, 57, is facing a hearing in the Downing Centre Local Court accused of illegally recording four conversations with Paul Savage, 75, who lived across the road from where the child was last seen. He maintains he had a legitimate operational need to make the recordings. Gary Jubelin arrives at Downing Centre courts on Tuesday. Credit:Nick Moir William, 3, vanished from his foster-grandmother's home in the NSW Mid North Coast town of Kendall on September 12, 2014. Giving evidence on Tuesday, Detective Senior Constable Paul Apthorpe said his role in the investigation was to listen to covert recordings from Mr Savage's home and provide summaries. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) A last-minute spike in exports and a steady drop in imported raw materials led to a narrower trade gap in 2019, data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showed. Philippine manufacturers enjoyed a 21.4 percent lift in export items in December, the fastest growth in over two years. The outbound products were cumulatively worth $5.74 billion. The surge is led by a fivefold increase in cathodes of refined copper, followed by a 34.9 percent jump in exports of fresh bananas. Gold also enjoyed a 30.2 percent lift, while supply of electronic products which account for nearly 60 percent of shipments to the global market rose by a fourth. On the other hand, metal components saw export volumes slide by almost 18 percent, the PSA said. The United States was the biggest receiver of Philippine goods, followed by Hong Kong, China, Japan, and Singapore. Meanwhile, imports of raw materials and intermediate goods marked the eighth straight month of decline, as supply slipped by 7.6 percent to settle at $8.22 billion. Shipments of iron and steel sourced abroad slipped by 38 percent, followed by a 31 percent drop in cereal products. Industrial machinery, plastics, other food and live animals, electronic products, and transport equipment all suffered lower inbound shipments during the period. The PSA said imports from China accounted for a fourth of the sum, followed by Japan, South Korea, and the US. December shipments led to $177.7 billion in total external trade in 2019, with a $37-billion gap as imports continued to outweigh export receipts. Exports actually picked up by 1.5 percent last year, versus a 4.8 percent contraction in imports. Dimmer 2020 Demand for Philippine products likely grew as new orders picked up ahead of a phase one deal between the United States and China's long-standing tensions, ING Bank Senior Economist Nicholas Antonio Mapa said. However, this rally could be short-lived. Mapa said 2020 could be a "more trying scenario" as China's economy slows down. "Given China's prominence in the global supply chain, we can expect external trade to hit a snag with global growth expected to decelerate in the coming months," he said in a market commentary sent to reporters. Security Bank Chief Economist Robert Dan Roces said separately that imports may be revived this year as more infrastructure projects are rolled out, while electronics factories may enjoy increased orders. Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines, Inc. President Dan Lachica said last week that factories of electronic parts have been hit hardest by lockdowns and shipping disruptions due to the novel coronavirus outbreak. He said about $40 billion worth of exports are at risk as trade with China is cut off by travel restrictions meant to contain the virus. No expatriate hired by Ministry of Education 'in past two years' No expatriate hired by Ministry of Education 'in past two years' TDT | Manama No expatriates have been hired by the Ministry of Education in the past two years, it is learnt. As part of the Bahrainisation drive, the Ministry of Education has completely stopped the recruitment of expatriates during the past two years, a ministry official revealed. According to ministry sources, the ministry stopped the recruitment of expatriates to increase the recruitment of Bahrainis. "The ministry has terminated the contracts of 370 expatriates in recent years while 900 Bahrainis have been employed in the same period," a ministry official, who doesn't want to be named, said. "No expatriates have been hired to the ministry in the past two years. We are confident about Bahraini talent being able to fill in teachers requirement and other vacancies." Meanwhile, it emerged that around 300 expatriate employees in Bahraini ministries and government bodies will be terminated in order to be replaced by Bahrainis, according to officials. A Civil Service Bureau official said that the transition will be made soon as Bahrainisation drive intensifies. The official confirmed that 300 foreign employees from various government entities will not have their contract renewed and will be free to leave while Bahrainis will be chosen to take their posts. According to recent statistics, foreign employees in the education sector has been reduced from 7,582 to 7,206. A parliamentarian recently called for a ban on hiring foreigners in the public sector for one year. MP Adel Al Asoomi made a proposal for a renewable one year ban on hiring expatriates to government jobs. He said that the proposal is aimed at empowering Bahrainis by providing them more job opportunities. He pointed out that there is a need to increase the number of Bahrainis employed in the public sector. More than a year ago, a document circulated online sparked controversy after it showed that the Ministry of Education was recruiting 40 teachers from Egypt. The online document would raise concern over the Education Ministry's strategies to recruit unemployed Bahraini teachers, which had crossed 500 then, according to reports. The controversial document was apparently issued by the Secondment Directorate in the Egyptian Education Ministry. It showed the names of 91 Egyptian teachers who had their applications to work in Sudan, Oman and Bahrain approved. This included 38 teachers to work in the Kingdom in the fields of teaching Arabic language, mathematics and English language. Egyptian news sites confirmed the transfer of the teachers from Kafr El Sheikh Governorate in the northern parts of Egypt to Bahrain. Ahram Gate website quoted Education Ministry Undersecretary in Kafr El Sheikh Dr Buthaina Kushk saying that "the approved applicants met the necessary criteria, in terms of age, qualification and assessment". The matter stirred a debate on local social media networks, as Education Ministry repeatedly announced in the past few years that it strives to Bahrainise jobs in public educational institutions and reduce the numbers of unemployed Bahraini teachers. Photo: Ryan Pfluger Josh Thomas has figured out exactly how much gay anal he can get on basic cable. In Everythings Gonna Be Okay, his comedy on Freeform (the Disney-owned channel geared to teens), he can be explicit about the positioning of the bodies, with one man on top of another, legs splayed, after they banter about whether one of them can get hard and who can grab the lube and a condom. Then he can show the face of the person who is being penetrated. Theres a process of going through the standards-and-practices rules, Thomas says, and working out what I can do that lets us get away with stuff. Everythings Gonna Be Okay is Thomass first American TV series, and his follow-up to Please Like Me, a somewhat autobiographical comedy of floundering Australian 20-somethings. Both are filled with gay characters whose neuroses, obsessions with well-plated meals, and, of course, sex lives stem from Thomass own life and observations of those around him. The new series weds his fondness for sweetly cringe-inducing comedy to the structure of a more traditional family sitcom, centered on an older sibling abruptly saddled with more responsibility than he expects he can handle. (The series premiered in mid-January, but older episodes are streaming on Hulu.) Please Like Me snuck into the States via the now-defunct network Pivot, but it earned enough cult attention to allow Thomas to pitch the new show to Freeform. Which brings us back to anal sex. Im not, like, an easy guy to have on a call if you want to reduce the amount of anal sex in a thing, Thomas says, recalling the one (and so far only) time an American TV executive asked if he needed to include a shot of a character with his legs up. I didnt even let her finish the sentence. I was like, Yes, you need that shot because that shot signifies that they are doing anal sex. And gay sex is anal sex. And if youre telling me that I cant show anal sex, youre telling me I cant show gay sex. Thomas is impassioned in the retelling, a change of pace from his typically casual, self-deprecating demeanor. She was like, Im just asking! He laughs and says, They never brought it up again. Thomas is telling me this anecdote as we huddle on the upper level of an NYC sightseeing bus, both of us shivering but pretending to not be. Thomas had suggested a sightseeing tour, but thanks to my own incompetence, we ended up on a bus service without an in-person guide. When we put on our headphones, the prerecorded audio is transitioning out of a segment on 9/11 and into a tinny recording of Empire State of Mind. Oh no, Thomas says, this is the wrong bus tour. It feels appropriate for the tone of his comedy, like something that might happen on one of his shows. The 32-year-old Aussie, whos wearing vintage sunglasses and a dyed blue-purple coat he describes as a whole sheep, likes scenarios that veer from shambolic into sweet. The first episode of Please Like Me kicks off with his characters girlfriend dumping him because shes pretty sure hes gay and follows that up with his moms attempted suicide. Things do not necessarily improve from there, even if everyone involved keeps a sense of humor. Sorry about your life, Josh tells his friend Tom in the series final exchange. Im sorry about your life, Tom answers. Both shows star Thomas as a less competent version of himself, in the vein of Girls Hannah Horvath or Curb Your Enthusiasms Larry David, focusing the comedy on experiences that other series might handle with Very Special Episodes: Several Please Like Me characters lived with mental illness and Everythings Gonna Be Okay opens with a fathers death, leaving Thomass character to take care of his teenage half-sisters, one of whom is autistic. Weve set off from a stop in the Financial District after missing one bus thanks to Thomas running late (hed messaged me IM SORRY over Twitter), and stocking up for the journey with some stale Pop-Tarts at a kiosk across the street (neither of us had tried them untoasted). Thomas started writing the new series out of an interest in revisiting high school, having already mined most of his 20s for Please Like Me. He was nominally straight in high schoolIn my old stand-up, I used to say, Yeah, I used to have sex with girls, and once when I was 13, I tried to fuck a watermelon and sees versions of his teenage self represented in Everythings Gonna Be Okays younger characters. Thomas decided to write a character with autism primarily because he hadnt seen the experience represented well onscreen before. I was interested in how little I knew about [autism], and how little everyone that I know knew about it, he says. Those characters are always geniuses who come in and solve problems and leave; its rare for them to have interpersonal relationships [onscreen], he says. His characters sister Matilda, who has high-functioning autism, gets drunk, fights with her friends, and acts on her sexual desires. For research, Thomas interviewed teenage girls on the spectrum, and read books and watched videos on the subject, including a Ted Talk by Alix Generous, a woman with Aspergers who became a consultant on the series. The idea that someone on the spectrum would do well with public speaking became a plot point, when Matilda excels at giving a eulogy at her fathers funeral, full of the kinds of bleak jokes that have become Thomass specialty. (Dad used to get frustrated when I always made things about myself, Matilda starts her speech, but he is dead now. Surprise!) Matilda is played by Kayla Cromer, an actress who is on the spectrum. Thomas wanted to cast someone with autism to play the lead part, in defiance of TVs history of having neurotypical actors play characters on the spectrum (as in Atypical or The Good Doctor). He and his collaborators initially werent sure if it would be possible to find an actor with autism who could carry a leading role on a series, but quickly discovered that there were heaps of girls who could play the part. Matilda also takes classes with other kids on the spectrum, allowing Thomas to depict a range of autistic experiences, and to make it clear that Matildas specific attributes arent universal. Does he worry about getting it wrong? Its a community thats had such little representation, and you get very nervous that youre going to fuck their representation up, because it means so much to them, he says. But my experience with the community is that theyre very understanding. By this point in our journey around Manhattan, Thomas and I have decided to abandon ship, get off our (still empty) tour bus, and take refuge in a nearby bakery, where it will be warm and we can drink coffee. As we make our way over, Thomas compares the pressure he feels in representing autism on television to the way he often got asked about depicting gay characters on Please Like Me. It always annoyed me a bit when I would get praised for not making the guys too camp, he says. I dont think people would say that anymore. He has a way of being self-deprecating when he talks about representation, even though its clear how important it is to him. On Please Like Me, in addition to depicting gay relationships with nuance and, yes, sex Thomas paid careful attention to the way the show portrays experiences with depression and suicidal thoughts. Weve made it into the bakery, and Thomas is nursing a cappuccino with an extra shot, slowly warming himself up from our tour-bus misadventure. His characters try to act with good intentions but fumble in important situations, he says, because thats the way he tends to react. And even though the characters he plays tend to make a mess of things, fans sometimes assume Thomas is an expert. Sometimes people want to have meaningful conversations about the topics in my shows, and I dont really want to when Im out at a bar, he says, and sometimes theyre a bit surprised that I dont really want to talk about it, or dont talk about it that well. If his shows are honest and specific about topics, as Thomas air-quotes, its because the writing comes from an honest and specific understanding of how easy it is to get those topics wrong. The show is always about just being lost, he says. When somebody thinks Im gonna know how to solve their problem, Im like, No, thats the whole point! I dont know. *A version of this article appears in the February 17, 2020, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now! London: Peter Phillips, the grandson of Britain's Queen Elizabeth, and his Canadian wife are to divorce after 12 years of marriage, the couple announced on Tuesday. Phillips, the eldest of the British monarch's eight grandchildren, and Autumn had informed the Queen and their family last year, their statement said. The couple, who married in 2008, have two children, Savannah, 9, and Isla, 7. The Queen with her grandson Peter Phillips, left, and his wife Autumn in June last year. Credit:AP "They had reached the conclusion that this was the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship," their spokesman said. "The decision to divorce and share custody came about after many months of discussions and although sad, is an amicable one. The couple's first priority will remain the continued wellbeing and upbringing of their wonderful daughters Savannah and Isla." (Bloomberg Opinion) -- Ocado Group Plc, the British online grocer thats morphed into a technology company, has always been a jam tomorrow stock. Now its asking shareholders to wait not just for the jam but the full afternoon tea. The specialist in automating how supermarket orders are filled on Tuesday announced that its 2019 pre-tax loss jumped to 214.5 million pounds ($277 million), from a loss of 44.4 million pounds a year earlier. Part of this was due to a damaging fire at its Andover warehouse almost exactly a year ago, which was unfortunate but Ocado has coped well with the disruption. Whats more worrying for investors is the impact of investment in its burgeoning international division, which has been striking deals to operate the online grocery businesses of chains from the U.S. to France and Japan. While thats a credit to Chief Executive Officer Tim Steiner, who has been knocking on retailers doors for the the past five years, it means Ocado has an awful lot to do and pay for. Ocados international technology arm could be more lucrative in the future, but for now, its a drain on capital. Consequently, Ocado said expenditure would more than double this year to 600 million pounds. Take away the impact of the warehouse fire, and that leaves a balance of just over 500 million pounds for building state-of-the-art warehouses that are fully equipped to pack grocery orders with limited need for humans. The majority of this will be spent on getting its automated warehouses up and running for international customers, including Casino Guichard Perrachon SA in France, Canadas Sobeys Inc. and the U.S. chain operator Kroger Co. Some of the expenditure will be offset by expected fees from its international clients of more than 100 million pounds, but most of it is a down payment on future income once the systems are fully up and running. That doesnt leave much scope for any unexpected hiccups in the meantime.Until those warehouses are open, Ocado cannot recognize the international revenue, but it must incur the costs. That showed in its 2019 results. Ocado invoiced fees of 81.4 million pounds to its international partners, an increase of almost 40%. But revenue from this arm was less than 1 million pounds, while it made a loss before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization of 62.1 million pounds. For this year, Ocado forecasts international revenue of less than 10 million pounds. Warehouses for Casino and Sobeys will be open for only part of the period. Story continues In the meantime, Ocado must continue its heavy spending. It had 751 million pounds in the bank at the year end, thanks to its deal to sell half of its U.K. retail business to Marks & Spencer Group Plc. It also raised 600 million pounds through a convertible bond issue after the year end. The company says this gives it plenty of headroom. But with such an investment burden over the next few years it has also signed a deal with Aeon Co. in Japan further calls on shareholders cant be ruled out. And lets not forget challenges closer to home. In September, M&S will replace Waitrose as Ocados supplier for its U.K. online supermarket, a massive changeover with huge execution risk. For now, investors appear confident that once the different warehouses are operational the fees will start to flow into profit and cash flow. The shares have risen by a third in the past year. Ocados enterprise value is currently just over 4 times forward sales, even ahead of Amazon.com Inc., on just over 3 times. This looks divorced from the reality of both Ocados spending needs, and the long haul to generate a return on its investment. To contact the author of this story: Andrea Felsted at afelsted@bloomberg.net To contact the editor responsible for this story: Melissa Pozsgay at mpozsgay@bloomberg.net This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Bloomberg LP and its owners. Andrea Felsted is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering the consumer and retail industries. She previously worked at the Financial Times. For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. People cheer as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) arrives onstage during a campaign event at the Whittemore Center Arena on February 10, 2020 in Durham, New Hampshire. Joe Raedle | Getty Images Many New Hampshire voters are mulling Tuesday which Democratic presidential hopeful can beat President Donald Trump. The question is also on the president's mind. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., leads polls of Tuesday's New Hampshire primary as he gains traction nationally. As former Vice President Joe Biden falters, billionaire former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has climbed in national surveys, fueled by spending tens of millions of dollars of his fortune. Trump, during a rambling criticism of Bloomberg's 2015 comments that defended his city's stop-and-frisk policing practice with racist stereotypes, said unprompted that he would rather face the businessman than the Vermont senator. He pointed to Sanders' devoted supporters, who fueled an insurgent challenge to former secretary of State and senator Hillary Clinton in 2016. "Frankly, I'd rather run against Bloomberg than Bernie Sanders," the president told reporters at the White House. "Because Sanders has real followers, whether you like him or not, whether you agree with him or not. I happen to think it's terrible what he says. But he has followers. Bloomberg's just buying his way in." As Democrats consider who to put up against Trump in November's general election, many voters say they have thought most about who has the best chance to oust the president. NBC News exit polls of New Hampshire on Tuesday found 62% of Democrats would rather see a nominee who can beat Trump, while 34% would prefer a candidate who agrees with them. Trump has also kept a close eye on the field. Supporters of Biden, who has run a campaign around his ability to defeat Trump, have repeatedly said Trump asked Ukraine to investigate the former vice president and his son Hunter because he feared facing Biden in November. Trump's push for a probe sat at the center of the House's decision to impeach him, and the Senate acquitted the president last week. At the same time, Sanders' rivals including Biden have contended the senator, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist who has pushed for a vast expansion of the social safety net, would struggle to beat Trump. Sanders has fought that characterization, telling supporters in New Hampshire on Monday night that he can win because "our agenda speaks to the pain of the working families of this country." The main evidence against two men charged with committing public order offences on the night journalist Lyra McKee was murdered in Londonderry, was an analysis of 24 photographs, a court heard yesterday. The disclosure was made by barrister Eoghan Devlin, who represents one of the two men, both of whom applied for variations to their bail conditions at Londonderry Magistrates' Court. The applicants, Paul McIntyre (52), from Ballymagowan Park and Christopher Gillen (39), from Balbane Pass, both in Derry, are on court bail charged with riotous assembly, throwing and possessing a petrol bomb and with the arson of a tipper truck in the Creggan on April 18, 2019. Gillen is further charged with hijacking the tipper truck. Both are excluded from the Creggan area and the city centre as part of their bail conditions. Paddy MacDermott, solicitor for Gillen, said his client wanted his bail conditions varied to enable him to visit his family home in the Creggan for two hours each Wednesday afternoon. "During those two hours he will remain in the house. He will not wander around and meet people," he said. A detective constable said she opposed the application for reasons of witness protection and for fear of the applicant re-offending. Mr MacDermott said the presence of Gillen in his family home in Creggan "would not have any chilling effect on any witness". However, District Judge Barney McElholm refused the bail variation application and adjourned the case until April 2 for a preliminary enquiry hearing. He granted the application to allow McIntyre to live at an address inside the current exclusion zone, but ordered that he access and exit the address only via an approved direct route. Main opposition Liberty Korea Party Chairman Hwang Kyo-ahn eats tteokbokki at a snack bar near Sungkyunkwan University in central Seoul, Sunday, during his election campaign. Yonhap By Kim Rahn Main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) head Hwang Kyo-ahn has been under fire for a remark that critics say downplayed the May 18 Gwangju movement for democracy. The remark came on Sunday when he visited a snack stall near Sungkyunkwan University in Jongno-gu, as he started his campaign in the central Seoul district where he will run for the April 15 general election. Recalling his college days, he told reporters, "I attended this school. In 1980, there was some kind of incident or whatever so the school was shut down." The school closure he referred to in 1980 came after the then-dictatorial regime declared emergency martial law on May 17 and ordered all schools nationwide to temporarily close to prevent college students' pro-democracy protests. This led to clashes between students of Chonnam National University in Gwangju and the army, leading to the May 18 uprising. Hwang was a senior majoring in law at Sungkyunkwan at the time. Criticism toward Hwang mainly came from the term "incident." After the uprising, where hundreds of Gwangju citizens were killed, the regime called it an "incident of riot" and distorted relevant facts. It was not until 1995 that it was officially referred to as the "May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement." In 1997 the tragic event was designated by the government as a day of commemoration. Political parties other than the LKP and civic groups said the remark derogated the historic movement, adding Hwang holds the same perception of history as the leaders of the then-dictatorial authority. "This year marks the 40th anniversary of the May 18 pro-democracy movement. We are just shocked at the historical view of the person, who is the leader of the main opposition party and hopes to become the nation's president," Lee Kyung, a deputy spokesman of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, said in a statement, Monday. "If he thinks of the movement as just 'some kind of incident,' I strongly recommend he learn more about history." Other minor opposition parties also denounced Hwang and demanded he apologize to Gwangju citizens. "Are you insulting the blood of the Gwangju people and denying the nation's democracy?" Bareunmirae Party spokeswoman Kim Jeong-hwa asked. As criticism rose, Hwang said he did not specifically refer to the Gwangju movement but a series of protests and movements that took place in 1980. The LKP also issued a press release, Tuesday, and said its leader only recalled the time when the school was shut down due to the chaotic political situation. "We urge other parties to stop the smear campaign that distorts his remark, which was unrelated to the May 18 pro-democracy movement, as if he had an incorrect view of history," it said. Passengers queue to board a cargo plane, chartered by the U.S. State Department to evacuate Americans and Canadians from China due to the outbreak of novel Coronavirus, at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, China , on Feb. 7, 2020. (Courtesy of Edward Wang via Reuters) Second Plane Carrying Canadian Evacuees From China Arrives in Canada A second plane carrying 185 Canadian evacuees from the coronavirus-stricken Chinese city of Wuhan has landed at an air-force base in Trenton, Ontario, CBC news reported on Tuesday. Last week, 176 Canadian citizens and permanent residents were evacuated from Wuhan to an Ontario air-force base on a flight chartered by the Canadian government, while another 39 Canadian evacuees were flown out of China on an American flight. A plane carrying 176 Canadian citizens from the centre of the global novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China, lands at CFB Trenton, in Trenton, Ontario, Canada, Feb. 7, 2020. (Justin Tang / Canadian press /AFP via Getty Images) A 14-day quarantine period for the evacuees flown to the military base in Trenton, Ontario, has been imposed. The Canadian government has also told citizens not to travel to Hubei province and to avoid all non-essential travel to China. Canada has deployed 16 tonnes of protective equipment including masks, goggles, and gloves, to China since Feb. 4, Global Affairs Canada said on Monday. In Wuhan, China, depression of potential separation turned to joy for Edward Yuan, a Canadian citizen, and his wife, a permanent resident. Although they were first told that she would not be allowed to board the second evacuation flight back home to Canada, the Canadian authorities later called back to say she would be permitted on the plane. Travelers are seen wearing masks at the international arrivals area at the Toronto Pearson Airport in Toronto, Canada, on Jan. 26, 2020. (Cole Burston/AFP via Getty Images) I was first depressed and my wife was crying when we were told she cant leave, Yuan told Reuters before the flight took off. But a few hours later, the tears turned into surprise, happiness, and doubt. Only once they stepped onto the plane together could they finally feel relieved, Yuan said. Canadas Chief Medical Officer, Theresa Tam, said on Monday eight members of the Canadian Armed Forces who accompanied the first flight to and from Wuhan had been released from quarantine, as had five additional members of the flight crew. It is understandable that many in the public are worried about the virus, however the misinformation and rumours that continue to spread only undermine our response to the outbreak, Tam said. Writing by Kelsey Johnson in Ottawa, additional reporting by Caroline Pailliez in Paris and Moira Warburton in Toronto, additional reporting by Shariq Khan in Bengaluru The Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. hosts this annual meeting with legislators, health providers, and sickle cell support groups. This popular event, sponsored in part by Pfizer, brings patients, families, and advocates together with Georgia lawmakers to share their experiences regarding sickle cell and health care challenges statewide. Hospital billing records show that 3,908 metro Atlantans, 73.9% of whom were adults, had 49,581 hospital and ER visits an average of nearly 13 visits each for problems related to Sickle Cell Disease. As a group, only 8% of adults with Sickle Cell Disease report having a healthcare provider for their disease and the majority of adult SCD patients do not have health insurance. According to the Centers for Disease Control and National Institutes of Health, 8,427 or 40% of all cases in Georgia are linked to five metropolitan Atlanta counties, (Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton, Cobb, and Gwinnet). Individuals with sickle cell reside in all 159 counties. Of the 159 counties, 130 or 81% are designated as Medically Underserved Areas and 90 census tracts are designated as Health Professional Shortage Areas for regular primary care providers. According to a host of patient testimonials, these disparities make getting even routine healthcare challenging for patients to obtain. Advocates further explained that patients outside of Metropolitan Atlanta often drive more than one hour, one-way during a pain crisis, to obtain health care. The average one-way travel time on public transportation takes even longer, they said. Throughout the day, patients meeting with their hometown legislators cited access to specialty SCD care as the major challenge and urged continued funding for several SCFG programs that are helping. Georgia SCD patients may not qualify for Medicaid unless they are determined to be disabled, pregnant, or a single woman with children. "Unfortunately, far too many adults with Sickle Cell Disease rely on emergency rooms for care," said Deb McGhee McCrary, SCFG's President and CEO. "Through these new Sickle Cell Support Centers that the Foundation is opening, aided by technology, adult SCD patients have access to a hematologist and through partnerships with federally-qualified health centers they can access primary care, whether insured or not. In addition, she said that the Foundation and GA DPH are sponsoring Sickle Cell education workshops for non-specialty providers to improve care and outcomes throughout the state. Joining Riley as Capitol Day speakers were: East Point Mayor Deana Holiday Ingraham, SCFG's annual race partner; world recognized sickle cell expert Dr. James Eckman; SCFGs GA Sickle Cell Poster Child Kemar Vernon; and Maurice Ficklin, a parent of children with sickle cell, including a young adult son Markel Ficklin who recently transitioned. Advocates were recognized from the House floor and appreciated the support of legislators who wore red for the occasion. During his remarks, Dr. Eckman noted the launch of two new FDA approved drugs for SCD by GBT and Novartis. Rep. Gloria Frazier, a longtime champion for SCD, presented a bipartisan resolution naming Sickle Cell Day in Georgia. Advocates were individually greeted by a cascade of members before lunch. Joining Rep Gloria Frazier were Representatives: Roger Bruce, Kim Schofield, Karen Bennett, El Mahdi Holly, Calvin Smyre, Al Williams, Terri Anulewicz, Erick Allen, DarShun Kendrick, Meriam Paris, Sandra Scott, Carolyn Hugley, Camia Hopson, Bob Trammell, Erica Thomas, Mike Glanton, David Wilkerson, Dexter Sharper, David Dreyer, Derrick Jackson, Gregg Kennard, and Dexter Sharper. Senators included: Renee S. Unterman, Lester G. Jackson, Donzella James, Tonya Anderson, and Michael A. "Doc" Rhett. "Every year your attendance for Sickle Cell Day at the Capitol grows more and more and that is vitally important," said Rep. Frazier. "Your testimony and presence makes a compelling case for supporting sickle cell in Georgia." Worldwide the numbers of people affected by sickle cell are staggering, with as many as four hundred million projected by the year 2050. Well over a quarter million babies are born with the disease each year. In the United States, there are at least 100,000 individuals living with SCD, classified as a rare disease by federal agencies. For more information about sickle cell in Georgia, contact the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. at www.sicklecellga.org. Sign up for the annual sickle cell race/walk to be held in East Point, GA at Tri Cities HS on Saturday, April 11th. Registration now open www.sicklecellrace.com . About Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia: Founded in 1971 by two Atlanta physicians the late Nelson McGhee, Jr and Delutha H. King, the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. is a statewide nonprofit advocating for and serving children and adults with Sickle Cell and other abnormal hemoglobin. The Foundation hosts Camp New Hope, Georgia's first and only medical-supervised summer camp for children ages 6-17 with sickle cell and partners with clinics, hospitals and support groups throughout the state. Visit sicklecellga.org. CONTACT: Tabatha McGee 404.755.1641 [email protected] SOURCE Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia, Inc. Related Links http://www.sicklecellga.org Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed TPT Global Tech Inc. (OTCQB: TPTW) ("the Company"), a Technology/Telecommunications Media Content Hub for Domestic and International syndication and also provides Technology solutions to businesses domestically and worldwide. CEO and Chairman of The Board, Stephen Thomas III, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly. Jolly began the interview by commenting on the Company's significant revenue increases, combined with their exceptionally low market cap. Jolly then asked about the Company's background and current projects. Thomas shared that his experience in the telecommunications industry began nearly twenty years ago, which has since grown into extensive experience and interest in the conversion of technologies. "I have positioned TPT Global Tech to take advantage of that new paradigm shift that is going on in new generation technology," said Thomas. "TPT Global Tech is a technology company," said Thomas, adding that the Company currently features four primary divisions and is in the process of adding a fifth division. "We'll be getting into the whole federal space with our telecommunication infrastructure," shared Thomas. "Very soon here we will be deploying a 4G/5G network with our midwestern network," he added. Thomas then discussed the Company's dramatic increases in revenues over the past few quarters. "The reason that we have such great revenue growth in the second and third quarter of this year is because we have completed the acquisition of SpeedConnect, one of the largest rural wireless internet service providers in the United States," he explained. "We're upgrading that infrastructure into a 4G/5G network for rural America." "What are the deployment plans for the 4G/5G networks in rural America?" asked Jolly. Thomas noted that the deployment plan includes shifting to an upgraded spectrum. "We're upgrading it to better speeds into a 4G/5G mobile. So, we won't just be a broadband provider anymore, we'll also be a mobile provider as well, offering cellular on our infrastructure in rural America," said Thomas. "That will increase our revenues as well," he added. Jolly then commented on the Global Media TV and Social Media Platform, and asked about this division of the Company. "We acquired all of the IP technology for social media and television from two companies, one in Asia and one in the United States," said Thomas. "We're in the process of putting in the front-end technology," he explained. "The front-end prototype will actually be done in February," said Thomas. "It will basically deliver linear broadcast channels with all of your different social media functions all in one application." The conversation then turned to the Company's growth strategy throughout 2020. "As we start to deploy the new technology and give greater speeds, we'll be able to increase our pricing," said Thomas, adding that the upgraded technology will also allow for greater customer capacity. Jolly then asked about the progress of the Company's PPM investment raise. "We're just getting ready to go out and do a $40 million raise, it's a Series D Preferred Offering, 8% coupon for accredited investors," said Thomas. "We're really excited about getting those guys onboard and having people contact us and be a part of our story." To close the interview, Thomas expanded on the extensive experience and diversity of the Company's management team. "We're really excited about what we're doing and our direction," said Thomas. "We're taking conversion technology, pushing content over our infrastructure on our proprietary platforms, and positioning ourselves for incredible growth in 2020 and 2021," closed Thomas. To hear the entire interview with TPT Global Tech Inc., follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7501522-tpt-global-tech-ceo-stephen-thomas-iii-discusses-significant-revenue-growth-with-the-stock-day Also, watch the video presentation here: https://youtu.be/b2rPX2QXMd8 Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/ About TPT Global Tech TPT Global Tech Inc. (TPTW) based in San Diego, California, is a Technology/Telecommunications Media Content Hub for Domestic and International syndication and also provides Technology solutions to businesses domestically and worldwide. TPT Global offers Software as a Service (SaaS), Technology Platform as a Service (PAAS), Cloud-based Unified Communication as a Service (UCaaS) and carrier-grade performance and support for businesses over its private IP MPLS fiber and wireless network in the United States. TPT's cloud-based UCaaS services allow businesses of any size to enjoy all the latest voice, data, media and collaboration features in today's global technology markets. TPT's also operates as a Master Distributor for Nationwide Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) and Independent Sales Organization (ISO) as a Master Distributor for Pre-Paid Cellphone services, Mobile phones Cellphone Accessories and Global Roaming Cellphones. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of various provisions of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, commonly identified by such terms as "believes," "looking ahead," "anticipates," "estimates" and other terms with similar meaning. Specifically, statements about the Company's plans for accelerated growth, improved profitability, future business partners, M&A activity, new service offerings and pursuit of new markets are forward looking statements. Although the company believes that the assumptions upon which its forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, it can give no assurance that these assumptions will prove to be correct. Such forward-looking statements should not be construed as fact. The information contained in such statements is beyond the ability of the Company to control, and in many cases the Company cannot predict what factors would cause results to differ materially from those indicated in such statements. All forward-looking statements in the press release are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and by reference to the underlying assumptions. CONTACT: Frank Benedetto 619-915-9422 About The "Stock Day" Podcast Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona. SOURCE: Stock Day Media 602-441-3474 To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52310 A general view of the static display of aircrafts during a media preview of the Singapore Airshow in Singapore By Jamie Freed and Tim Hepher SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Asian airlines warned of "drastic" cuts in 2020 growth plans because of the coronavirus crisis, adding gloom to an already depleted Singapore Airshow as more firms dropped out. Asia's top aerospace event is going ahead. But a purpose-built aero exhibition centre is pockmarked with empty spaces reserved for Chinese companies and others skipping the show because of the outbreak, whose death toll exceeds 900. Major suppliers Honeywell and Leonardo joined a list of 70 no-shows on Monday amid concerns related to the new coronavirus, which first erupted in China. Although riddled with hype and pre-packaged announcements, air shows are widely seen as a litmus test of confidence in the aerospace industry and bring together tens of thousands of people to network around cabin mock-ups and arms stalls. But few deals are expected at the Feb 11-16 Singapore event, where the epidemic has triggered new safety measures and cast a shadow over airline profits and demand for airplanes. Fresh evidence of the impact emerged on the eve of the show as UK-based consultancy Ascend by Cirium said the number of flights scheduled to operate to, from and within China had dropped by 24% compared with expectations before the crisis. Worse, the number of flights actually operated was down by half compared with normal seasonal levels as many airlines continued to slash flights below their newly adjusted schedules. That means Asian airlines are bracing for a turbulent 2020. Cancellations bring costs in lost revenue and ticket rebates. "All bets are off in terms of traffic forecasts for this year," Andrew Herdman, the director general of the Association for Asia Pacific Airlines, said in an interview. Before the crisis, the International Air Transport Association, which represents global airlines, saw passenger traffic rising by 4% in 2020 and cargo traffic 2% higher. Story continues "If you look at the schedule cuts and the actual operations they have been cut by 50%, 60%, 70% within China. It is pretty drastic," Herdman said. A key question on delegates' minds is whether the virus will tip the aviation industry into a long-anticipated downturn. So far growth has been resilient to shocks such as the 2003 SARS virus. "One of the lessons from SARS was that traffic was affected but also that it rebounded in 6-8 months," Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, said. LARGE COSTS Brazil's Embraer is preparing to ride the crisis out. "I am hopeful that we will see the coronavirus peak in the next 2-3 weeks and then taper off, but until we do on the passenger travel side the impact is profound and immediate," commercial aviation head John Slattery said. Embraer is attending the show as part of a marketing blitz for its E195-E2 against the Airbus A220. Slattery lamented delays in European Union approval for a tie-up between Embraer and Boeing that echoes Airbus's purchase of the Canadian A220. The air show's organisers said on Sunday they still expected more than 930 companies from 45 countries and 45,000 trade attendees - down from the 54,000 at the last show in 2018. The lobbies of major hotels, usually bustling with attendees, were noticeably quiet, however. Privately, some delegates have expressed surprise the show is going ahead after the government advised against large-scale non-essential events. Organisers say they have a duty to those still wishing to attend a show that has grown in importance over the years. Reflecting the financial and strategic stakes involved in aerospace, such biennial events are not cheap to organise. One exhibitor who has planned air shows worldwide said supporting an aircraft flight display would typically cost $1 million or more and big manufacturers could spend $2 million to $5 million in total on a show of this size, including travel. Cancelling the show would lead to refunds running into tens of millions of dollars, a source at one exhibitor said on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. Organiser Experia Events, partly owned by ST Engineering and government agencies, charges at least S$1,550 per square metre for space in the show, according to its website. Experia on Sunday declined to comment on cancellation terms. (Reporting by Jamie Freed and Tim Hepher. Editing by Gerry Doyle, Louise Heavens and Mark Potter) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 14:09:05|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close HANGZHOU, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- With everyone wearing goggles and protective masks at a highway exit checkpoint, two different faces could hardly be recognized among a group of anti-epidemic volunteers working side by side with Chinese police, doctors and civil servants. Pakistani orthopedist Abdul Zahir Hamad and his wife Hosany Sumayyah, a surgeon from Mauritius, were busy taking the body temperature of passing drivers and passengers. The intercultural couple have lived in China for about a decade and speak fluent Chinese. "Where have you been lately?" "Did you come into contact with anyone from Wuhan or other places in Hubei Province in the past two weeks?" They questioned passersby carefully and patiently, again and again. Sumayyah, the 31-year-old wife, came to China in 2008 and gained her master's degree of clinical medicine at Wenzhou Medical University in coastal Zhejiang Province, while the husband, 35, came to the Wenzhou Panhealth Medical Center, where Sumayyah worked, after graduation from Zhengzhou University in central China. Wenzhou is a commercial hub with 180,000 people working and studying in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak. The city is the worst-affected across the country besides those in the hardest-hit Hubei Province, with 474 confirmed cases of infection reported by Monday. When their hospital recruited volunteers in a chat group on WeChat, without any hesitation, the couple mobilized. "We must do something," said the couple, who received higher education and fell in love with each other in China. "China is our second home." Soon they were assigned to the checkpoint at one of the only two highway exits left in Wenzhou, where most had been locked down to curb the spread of the virus. Each day, the couple work four to five hours a day screening thousands of cars to check whether people entering the city have a fever or not. They have to take shifts manning the checkpoint besides routine work in the hospital. Anyone with a body temperature exceeding 37.3 degrees Celcius who shows noticeable flu symptoms will be taken straight to the hospital, Hamad said. "We have to make sure that they won't have more contact with others." The couple haven't worried about getting infected, but their far-off families were cautious and anxious. Hamad's relatives and friends in Pakistan were alarmed by reports on social media about the epidemic outbreak in China and urged him to return home. "They want us to go back, because of all they saw on social media and the way the news was put," Sumayyah said. "Unreliable sources and fake news." The brave man didn't hold back. Instead, he told them the real situation on his Facebook posts, such as the mortality rate, the number of new infected cases every day and what the Chinese government has been doing in the anti-virus battle. "We feel that it's our responsibility to not only tell our parents, but also create awareness in our circle of friends to make them understand what is actually the situation here," Hamad said. His wife has also been posting short videos showing information from reliable sources where people can get the straight facts. "It was received very well. I think they understood that the situation is not as bad as what the media says," said Sumayyah, who recently replaced her old social media profile picture with a photo of herself wearing protective clothing as a medical volunteer. She also sent popular science videos and posters about the novel coronavirus on WeChat to netizens outside of China and tells them how to protect themselves. "We hope the epidemic ends soon and people can get back to their normal lives," she said. With the school term well under way, many working parents are already feeling the tension between the demands of work and family. It is a time of transition for many households, as children start school for the first time or change schools, move up to high school or commence Year 12. For someone wearing the dual hats of parent and employee, it can feel like its sink or swim. Donning school shoes for the first time and starting 'big school' is a big transition for any family. Credit:Joe Armao A report from the Perinatal Workplace Wellbeing Program notes that many employers have family-friendly programs but they are mostly focused on supporting new parents returning to work after having the baby. Cynthia Bailey from The Real Housewives of Atlanta has been getting close with Kenya Moore in recent years. Their friendship has blossomed and that is costing her the love of fans. The RHOA star went mum in a recent encounter between Moore and Tanya Sam which she couldve downplayed. After seeing her actions, viewers took to social media to protest against Bailey. Cynthia Bailey | Noel Vasquez/Getty Images How did the drama begin? Moore is a vengeful person and if someone tries to shade her she comes back shadier than ever. Thats precisely what happened between her and Sam. During their trip to Toronto, Canada, Moore left a hairpiece behind and Sam was kind enough of returning it. The problem the former beauty queen had was that she felt Sam made a spectacle of it to try to make her look bad. Moore has always prided herself in saying her hair is all-natural and developed a hair care line as a business. The new mother markets herself in a way that if word gets out she uses wigs, it could damage her business. In retaliation, Moore had found out about a woman Sams husband had talked to. She made it seem like Sams husband was flirting with the cookie lady and possibly cheating on her. To make things uncomfortable, Moore invited the lady to a luncheon the girls were having so she could confront Sam. The latter is secure in her marriage and trusts her husband, but the scheming way which Moore went about it has fans outraged. Fans slam Cynthia Bailey As a friend to Moore and a more reasonable person, fans feel Bailey should have talked her out of doing something so low in front of the cameras. Her silence spoke volumes to the RHOA viewers and took to Twitter to share their opinions. Kenya Moore is on the wrong show, this isnt the Bad Girls Club, a fan wrote. Cynthia Bailey has no backbone and lets Kenya Moore walk her like a dog. I am disappointed with Cynthia Bailey and will never understand her friendship with Kenya, a viewer added. Im shocked Cynthia Bailey just sat there and let that play out, a Twitter user said. Glad its for TV but that wasnt cool. Cynthia is spineless, another fan commented. Cynthia is a follower and evidently needs Kenya Moore as a friend because she cant think for herself. A real friend would say what you are doing is wrong but now I see why Kenyas husband treats her as he does, another viewer pointed out. Next time on RHOA The next episode of RHOA airs on Sunday, February 16 on Bravo. Episode 14 of Season 12 is titled, Lions and Tigers and Shade. In this episode, NeNe Leakes shows up again bringing to an end the pre-show, as the OG likes to call it when shes not featured. Leakes will finally be having a sit-down with Bailey to work out their differences and restart their friendship. The Broadway star is set to host a jungle-themed brunch and will invite all the ladies to eat. Things in the ATL dont always go as planned as some guests leave early and others show up unannounced. The Real Housewives of Atlanta airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Bravo. Australia will extend its China travel ban as the coronavirus outbreak continues to spread, despite a heavy blow to the nation's tourism and education sectors. Saturday will mark two weeks since Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced a temporary 14 day ban on foreign travellers who have left or passed through mainland China from arriving on our shores. Health Minister Greg Hunt has warned the travel ban will likely be extended as the worldwide death toll surges towards 1000. 'We expect it will continue. We're not putting a timeframe on it,' the minister told The Australian. The tourism industry is paying a heavy price from Australia's temporary ban on Chinese travellers, which will likely be extended later this week Mr Hunt added the government acted on the best medical advice to implement the ban. 'Ultimately, our job our responsibility, is to provide protection and national health security for the Australian people,' he said. 'They've been difficult decisions but made on the basis of the medical advice and we'll implement the medical advice.' Australia currently has 15 confirmed cases of coronavirus while four Australians are among 65 newly-confirmed cases aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship docked at Yokohama in Japan. The federal government also admits the ban has taken a toll on the tourism industry, which is losing an estimated $1billion a week. Qantas this week also enforced the temporary suspension of its two direct services to mainland China until March 28. Up to 100,000 international students will be unable to return to Australia in time for the start of semester if the travel ban is extended An extended travel ban will also impact Australia's $39 billion international education sector. Universities' plans could be thrown into chaos if 100,000 international students are unable to return to Australia in time for the start of semester. Some Australian universities have already delayed the start of the semester due to the coronavirus. Federal education Minister Dan Tehan acknowledged extended bans could cause a major disruption. 'It's very much wait and see what happens,' Mr Tehan told Sky News on Sunday. But my hope is that we will see some sort of a breakthrough and we will be able to get students here for the first semester, but we will have to wait and see.' Foreign travellers who have recently left or passed through mainland China are currently banned from entering our shores. Pictured are visitors arriving in Brosbane before the ban was implemented. More than 100 Australian residents remain stranded in the Chinese coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan after 266 'clinically well' evacuees arrived in Darwin on a chartered Qantas flight on Sunday. A further 243 Australians who were on the first rescue flight from Wuhan are almost halfway through a 14-day quarantine on Christmas Island after landing on Tuesday. The federal government has rejected desperate calls to put on a third evacuation flight from many of those trapped who missed out on selection for the second flight which departed Wuhan on Sunday morning. They include to up a dozen unaccompanied minors, according to Fairfax Media. Around 266 evacuees flown from Wuhan arrived in Darwin on Sunday afternoon Foreign Minister Marise Payne acknowledged it was a difficult situation for affected families. 'The children remain with family and are being well cared for,' she told Fairfax. Among the Australians still stuck in Wuhan desperate to return home are Lily and her two teenage children. 'One is in grade 12 and the other in grade 8. If we can't go back to Australia by April, [the elder one] will have to re-study at grade 12,' she told the Sydney Morning Herald. 'The children are very anxious, hoping to return to school as soon as possible. We are currently in good health, but we are worried about being infected.' Some soldiers at the war front in the north-east have expressed disappointment over the release of 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspec... Some soldiers at the war front in the north-east have expressed disappointment over the release of 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects. Babakura Jato, commissioner of information in Borno state, on Monday, told The PUNCH that 1,400 had been released in three tranches since Operation Safe Corridor programme was launched. Operation Safe Corridor is an initiative for the deradicalisation and rehabilitation of all ex-Boko Haram members. Jato said the majority of them are cleared suspects. These were people who were suspected of being members of Boko Haram and it was discovered that they were not, he said. The rest are children of Boko Haram or actual Boko Haram members. I cannot give you a breakdown of the figure now for security reasons. He also said he was aware of the allegation that some of those released had gone back to terrorism, but he added that some of these claims were mere speculation. soldiers, who confirmed the release of the suspects to TheCable on Tuesday, said they did not understand why suspected Boko Haram members are being released in large numbers. Reacting to the development,soldiers, who confirmed the release of the suspects to TheCable on Tuesday, said they did not understand why suspected Boko Haram members are being released in large numbers. A lot of soldiers are not happy about this. We were there at the Maimalari barracks when some of these Boko Haram people were released, one of the soldiers said. The authorities are releasing them, but Boko Haram are killing soldiers that they capture. This does not make sense to us at all. We continue to sweep across the bushes to flush these people out, and then the government will release them. Does that not amount to wasted efforts? Another soldier said he believes most of the released suspects find their way back to crime. You wonder why Boko Haram members are on the increase? When we arrest them and bring them here, some top people would come and start negotiating their release. But, I will tell you some of these so-called suspects are returning to the bush and they were never repentant. Speaking with TheCable on the matter, Onyema Nwachukwu, defence headquarters spokesperson, said the releases were in line with Operation Safe Corridor. Weve made some releases, thats the truth. We should know what the operation is about. But take note, its not that we capture Boko Haram suspects and then go back and release them. No, he said. The operation he said is under the direct supervision of the defence headquarters and managed in conjunction with 13 civil organisations. The civil organisations involved in the operation include UNICEF, International Office on Migration (IOM) and relevant government ministries and security agencies. Not left out of the oversight structure of the operation is the Gombe state govt where the DRR facility is located. As a testimony to the effectiveness of the Safe Corridor initiative, so far, about 800 ex Boko Haram fighters who would have unleashed unimaginable terror on citizens have been admitted and out of which 287 of them have been successfully rehabilitated and reintegrated into society, with many still undergoing the DRR programme, he said. At the launch of the operation in 2016, the military said the aim is to rehabilitate and reintegrate repentant Boko Haram members back into society. CONCORD, Mass., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SmartBooks a provider of outsourced accounting, CFO, tax, payroll and HR services -- is collaborating with Staples Connect to provide small businesses services to its customers. Staples Connect is a reinvented store where professionals, teachers and students alike can connect and grow together. The new Staples Connect stores, in six locations in greater Boston, illustrate a commitment to lifelong achievement at every stage. New elements of these stores include SpotlightSpace, a free community event space, Staple Studio, collaborative coworking, a podcast studio, a new store layout featuring a new way of shopping and a variety of professional services including marketing, tax, finance and legal. "Every small business owner needs help with finance, legal, and marketing," says Calvin Wilder, CEO at SmartBooks. "One of the biggest challenges many small business owners face is how to evaluate who is trustworthy and competent to help with these important tasks, and SmartBooks is thrilled to be that trusted outsource finance partner for Staples Connect customers." Founded by husband and wife Cal and Jenny Wilder, SmartBooks has spent the last 11 years delivering high quality service exclusively to small business owners. With services ranging from outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, HR, tax, and fractional CFO services, SmartBooks helps business owners make key decisions in real-time to keep their business thriving. SmartBooks designs service offerings to fit the exact needs of small businesses, priced affordably for their budgets. Staples Connect small business customers can now receive free video consultations with experienced Accountants, CPAs, and HR professionals to get guidance and advice on overcoming small business challenges in the Needham Massachusetts and Somerville Massachusetts Staples Connect stores. "Staples is excited to be collaborating with SmartBooks to offer finance, accounting and tax support to our small business customers," says Elissa Mekal, Category Merchant with Staples Connect. "SmartBooks' exclusive focus on small business and ability to offer a customized solution for any sized budget is going to be a tremendous value add." Learn more about SmartBooks at https://www.smartbookscorp.com/ Learn more about Staples Connect at https://www.staplesconnect.com/ ABOUT SMARTBOOKS SmartBooks manages the finance departments for hundreds of small businesses. Whether you need outsourced bookkeeping, accounting, CFO services, tax, payroll or HR help, SmartBooks has a solution to support your small business. We work with clients across the US and across a range of Industries. PR Contact: Jeff Provost SmartBooks [email protected] SOURCE SmartBooks Related Links https://smartbookscorp.com/ [February 11, 2020] Eckhart Launches New ERP Software Solutions Company, ShopSync Eckhart, Inc., an American owned Industry 4.0 advanced manufacturing solutions provider, announced today the launch of ShopSync, an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) manufacturing software tailored for America's small business community. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005109/en/ ShopSync provides small business owners with instant status-at-a-glance for all active projects in their company. Detailed cost drivers accurately capture current and historical costs, which enhance quote-to-purchase order win ratios. Project milestones are fully customizable and can be configured to match any customer project timeline. ShopSync benefits manufacturing companies who design and build custom tooling; every single part detail can be tracked through each step of the manufacturing process in real-time. From saw to machining, machining to weld, weld to paint, paint to assembly; ShopSync makes visible where each part detail is located in the value stream and how many minutes the part detail has spent in each node. All facets of cost (labor and material), in addition to time, can be captured instantaneously with the click of a button. Andy Storm, President & CEO of Eckhart, stated, "The Eckhart team is proud to announce the official launch of ShopSync. We believe the small business community is underserved by incumbents in the ERP space who focus their attention on big corporations and work through distributor partners. In the United States there are 30 million small businesses, and we see significant opportunity to help enhance the management of these companies using ShopSync" ShopSync's differentiating capability resides in its ability to track highly custom assemblies, many of which contain thousands of individual parts, down to the part detail level. Having that level of granular cost detail enables much more focused quoting and provides a significant advantage to business owners seeking levers to improve quote conversion, productivity and margins. International Mold Corporation (IMC) adopted ShopSync and found great success. With seven manufacturing centers in North America and over one hundred employees, ShopSync enabled company leaders at IMC to more precisely capture job costs, which helped improve quoting and winning new work. Mike Lilla, co-owner of IMC commented, "If you are in any kind of manufacturing environment where job costing and daily program management is required, ShopSync will be a perfect solution for your company. ShopSync has transformed how we run our business." ShopSync will operate as a stand-alone business from Eckhart. To learn more about ShopSync or to schedule a live demonstration, please visit the company website at shopsync.co. About Eckhart, Inc. With over 60 years of experience and based in Warren, Michigan, Eckhart engineers advanced industrial solutions that enhance the quality of life. Eckhart's proven portfolio of Industry 4.0 technology includes AUTOCRAFT autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs), collaborative robotic systems, traditional robotics, assembly line design & simulation, 3D printing tool development & production, and ergonomic assembly tooling solutions for the world's largest manufacturers. Eckhart serves an established and loyal, blue-chip customer base of leading automotive and industrial original equipment manufacturers that include General Mills, Cargill, Stryker Medical, Boeing, John Deere, Honeywell, and Schneider Electric (News - Alert). For additional information, please visit www.eckhartusa.com About ShopSync ShopSync is an American owned and operated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software solutions company that provides business intelligence & analytics for small business owners. ShopSync's real-time dashboards track individual part details through all nodes of a manufacturing process and provide granular cost detail that increases quote to purchase order conversion, employee productivity, and financial margins. ShopSync's global headquarters is in Warren, Michigan and the company has additional offices in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota. For additional information, please visit www.shopsync.co View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005109/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] After investing heavily in British carmaker Aston Martin, with the cash influx including an agreement to have Aston return to the F1 grid in 2021 as a constructor, Lawrence Stroll has reportedly told the company's employees he wants to establish the team as a top team. Racing Point, Stroll's team that will change its name to Aston Martin next year, has only existed about a year and a half. Stroll led a consortium of investors to buy Force India out of trouble in the summer of 2018, changing the team's name to Racing Point. With their line-up of Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez, the latter being contracted until 2022, the team has big ambitions as they can't seem to sit still. Read more 2020: The year Alex Albon has to prove his worth 2021 will be the third rebranding of the team in two-and-a-half years, and Stroll has let his crew know he wants to work Aston Martin to the top of the grid as a works team. On Twitter, a report from Irish F1 journalist Thomas Maher revealed what Lawrence Stroll told his side according to team principal Otmar Szafnauer. Stroll spoke to the staff last week and set out the clear objective to establish Aston Martin as one of the top teams," Szafnauer said. "Everyone is proud to represent a legendary car manufacturer returning to the pinnacle of motorsport. SALEM, Ore. One of the Democratic contenders for Oregon's Secretary of State announced that she would suspend her campaign on Monday, making vague reference to a story about her use of campaign funds. Former state House Majority Leader Jennifer Williamson posted the announcement to her campaign's Facebook early Monday afternoon. Wow! I had a blast during the first few days of my Democracy Tour! We traveled to Medford, Bend, and Hood River to hear directly from communities about why this election matters to them and how we can work together to increase access to the ballot for everyone. #orpol pic.twitter.com/BwlYnrg5QJ Jennifer Williamson (@Jennifer_for_OR) February 6, 2020 "Sadly, a story currently being pushed in the media is designed to question my use of campaign funds and unfairly attack my integrity," Williamson said. "Let me be clear, I have always followed Oregon campaign finance laws and fully reported all expenditures for travel and other expenses while fulfilling my responsibilities as House Democratic Majority Leader and fact-finding as a state legislator. In fact, I often used campaign dollars in place of taxpayer dollars." While it was not immediately clear what story Williamson was referencing, Portland publication Willamette Week later said that it had been working a story regarding the politician's campaign expenditures. "Politics is nothing new to me and I fully expected at least a few bruising fights over the course of this important election for Secretary of State," Williamson continued. "What I didn't expect was a baseless story that questions my integrity, that of my family, and the legal use of campaign funds. I won't allow my family to be put through this." An article posted by the Willamette Week following Williamson's announcement did not go into further detail about the story in question. Public records do indicate that Williamson's campaign paid for more than $32,000 in airfare between March 2014 and August 2019, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported which included trips to Europe, Asia, and Hawaii. RELATED: Race for Oregon Secretary of State heats up with third major candidacy Williamson said that she would suspend her campaign ahead of the March 10 filing deadline, in hopes "that another truly progressive leader will be able to step into" the primary. Current state Senator Mark Hass, 2018 Walden challenger Jamie McLeod-Skinner, and former Marine officer Cameron Smith remain in the race for the Democratic nomination. Both Hass and McLeod-Skinner expressed a certain level of sympathy for Williamson in posts to social media following her announcement. "I know today must be difficult for Jennifer Williamson," Hass said. "I wish her the best and hope she can return to public service someday." "Jennifer Williamson has a tremendous track record of advocating for women, families, and criminal justice reform. Oregon is a better state for her work," McLeod-Skinner said. Republican state Senator Kim Thatcher recently announced her candidacy for the Secretary of State post the only Republican candidate so far. Thatcher launched her campaign at the latest "Timber Unity" rally in Salem, later indicating that she had received an endorsement from the group. Secretary of State is currently the only statewide office in Oregon held by a Republican. The late Dennis Richardson was the last to win the seat through an election, and current Secretary Bev Clarno was appointed to fill the position following his death. Clarno, a former Republican Speaker of the House and Senator, came out of retirement to assume Richardson's role and has not filed to run for election in 2020. "I'm excited to carry on Secretary Richardson's legacy of an accountable and transparent government for us all, regardless of political party," Thatcher said in a post last week. On January 4, a day after the United States assassinated Iranian military General Qassem Soleimani, US President Donald Trump warned that if Iran retaliated, he would hit 52 Iranian sites. The targets represented the 52 Americans held hostage in Iran for 444 days in November 1979. The Iran hostage crisis influences Iranian and US politics to this day. An open re-examination of it could help us understand how respect for US constitutional law has been degraded in the decades since. Coup, revolution, coup In early 1979, the shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, installed in a 1953 coup to protect foreign oil interests, was overthrown by a revolution. In April that year, Iran voted by national referendum to become an Islamic republic. Partially in response to the US giving refuge to the fleeing monarch, and largely due to years of American support for a repressive regime, students stormed the US embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, seizing the Americans who worked there. What followed led to then-US President Jimmy Carters demise. He lost to Ronald Reagan in a presidential race where his inability to bring the hostages home was viewed by many as an intolerable weakness. Their release on January 20, 1981, the day of Reagans inauguration, was presented as Iran submitting to the threats he had made during his campaign. The world was asked to accept that the Iranian government despised Carter, but was daunted by Reagan, and feared what he might do to end the crisis. For those who understood recent Iranian history, this explanation did not fly the revolutionary government was unlikely to cower to any US intimidation. But questions about the strange timing of the release were overshadowed by relief that the hostages were finally home. As outgoing President Carter stated, they were alive, free, and well. In the years that followed, other events in the Middle East, including a long, brutal war between Iran and Iraq, eclipsed most interest in the issue. But in 1987 a scandal in the US would lead back to the Iran hostage crisis and its resolution. The Iran-Contra hearings revealed that the Reagan administration had been engaged in an array of illegal covert activities. A secret intelligence group in the White House had funded the Nicaraguan Contras, armed right-wing groups that opposed the Nicaraguan government, by selling sophisticated weapons to Iran, including ground to air missiles. Although the arming of the Contras was a stunning discovery the sales defied a direct congressional prohibition it also raised the glaring question of how Reagans covert relationship with Iran became intimate enough to include a secret supply of weapons. Reagan had appeared increasingly hostile towards Tehran throughout his presidency, so the revelation that his administration had no problem arming the Iranians was startling. Further investigation showed that covert arms sales to Iran by Israel and private companies had been tolerated by the US since the early 1980s. As more details of the Iran-Contra affair came to light, the mystery deepened. In the congressional hearings, a witness testified that Reagan had secretly sent a birthday cake and an inscribed bible to Ayatollah Khomeini, Irans supreme leader. A handful of researchers and reporters began to wonder if such gifts were the gesture of an old friend. Could the Reagan-Khomeini relationship have started during the 1980 US presidential election, they asked. Had the Republican campaign negotiated to delay the release of the hostages? Carters administration had been working to bring the hostages home. Had it succeeded in doing so securing an October Surprise it would have greatly increased Carters chances of re-election. If the charges were true, the Republican candidates and campaign staff allegedly involved were all private citizens at the time, with no authority to engage with a hostile foreign government, particularly to manipulate the results of a US presidential election. An impossible allegation Abolhassan Bani-Sadr, the first president of the Islamic Republic of Iran after the 1979 revolution, forced to flee in 1981, has consistently stated that he knew of the deal between Reagan and Khomeini. Gary Sick, a retired US Navy captain and a Middle East scholar who served on the National Security Council under Presidents Ford and Carter, was the most influential proponent of further investigation. He wrote an op-ed for the New York Times in 1991 (and shortly after, a book called October Surprise) that gave serious credence to the possibility of a successful effort by the Republican campaign to delay the release of the hostages. Because of his credentials and detailed research, the allegation was taken more seriously. He also became the subject of abuse and attacks for daring to present a case for re-examining the case. The Shakespearean adage could not have been better applied; the critics protested too much. The vehemence of the deniers only added incentive for investigators who continued to find reports and circumstantial evidence that a deal had been made. But anyone who approached the topic with an open mind was deemed a liar, a profiteer or a conspiracy theorist. However, a huge problem emerged for those who sought to marginalise and scorn researchers. Some of the former US embassy hostages believed that foul play was a possibility and that they had been political pawns. As no one dared disparage those who had survived the ordeal, their request to Congress in 1992 for an inquiry was honoured and a formal investigation by a congressional taskforce was initiated. Unwelcome questions The Republicans were on the defensive during the months of closed testimony and information gathering. If it was proven that the Reagan-Bush campaign had made a deal with Iran to secure the presidency, it would be a severe blow to party members including the sitting president, George HW Bush. All of Washingtons legislators, even the Democratic majority leading the investigation, had a difficult choice: An affirmative finding could undermine whatever faith the country had in the US government for years to come. Facts and truth had little weight in this matter. The Washington establishment eventually concurred there was no proof that any deal had been made. The lack of political will and the numerous omissions of the congressional inquiry are not obvious from the 250 page Joint Report. If not for one persons efforts, it would have stood unchallenged. Due to the resolve and relentless diligence of investigative reporter Robert Parry, including his review of unpublished taskforce files after the report was released, we now know that many facts and pieces of evidence were ignored or omitted. He also tracked how some editors, reporters and news outlets blindly mimicked those who needed to debunk the story. A central focus of the investigation, followed by the press, was whether William Casey, Reagans campaign manager and later his CIA director, had attended a key meeting with Iranians in Madrid in September 1980. A weak alibi for Caseys whereabouts was accepted, leading to a determination that it was impossible for him to have been in Spain at the time of any meeting. This was presented as a key revelation serving to blunt the inquiry. Almost 20 years after the report was issued, Parry located a 1991 Bush White House memo confirming Caseys Madrid trip; it had been withheld from the taskforce. The document would have had an explosive effect during the investigation but was virtually ignored when revealed in 2011. Parry, an award-winning reporter (who also broke the story revealing clandestine White House operations, igniting the Iran-Contra affair) was marginalised by mainstream media and relentlessly attacked. His sin was doubting conventional wisdom, particularly the objectivity of the Joint Report. Thanks to Parrys determination to challenge and investigate the accepted version of the events of 1980, which he continued to do until his death in 2018, a trove of details that strongly support the allegations have been exposed. The agenda endures Examining the evidence, a hardened sceptic might still view the allegations as unprovable. By the time of the October Surprise congressional investigation in 1992, the Republicans accused of a conspiracy held the most powerful positions in government, including the presidency and leadership in the intelligence community. They had immense clout and influence over Congress and the press. Furthermore, if a secret deal was made with Iran, those involved may have felt empowered to continue manipulating the political landscape in the years that followed. The degradation of respect for constitutional law in the US today can be viewed as having its foundation in the events of 1980. Impeachment hypocrisy Mitch McConnell, Senate majority leader who recently delivered acquittal for Trump, was one of the angriest opponents of the investigation into the October Surprise, defending the Bush White House with as much vehemence as he has defended Trumps impeachable offences. Alan Dershowitz, one of Trumps key attorneys in his impeachment trial, has attempted to normalise the treacherous activities of 1980. William Barr was head of the Justice Department in 1992. He ensured George HW Bush would never face questions on Iran-Contra or the alleged deal with Iran, refusing to appoint a special prosecutor. As Trumps advocate and attorney general, Barr has staunchly stood by the president, diligently working to minimise the effect of impeachment and the Mueller Report, which detailed Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Barr is a veteran at protecting presidents, using whatever tactics work to keep them from the light of truth. A recurring pattern The win at all costs methodology in the US was not new in 1980 and goes back to at least 1968. The Nixon campaign used nefarious tactics to delay the end of the Vietnam war as the presidential election approached. It took more than 20 years for details of that to be revealed, but eventually, proof was divulged. Sabotaging peace talks while troops were dying in 1968, delaying the release of hostages in 1980 or encouraging Russian support for Trumps candidacy in 2016 are all symptomatic of the same self-serving ideology. Neither the ends nor the means are justifiable. Manipulating elections, intimidating voters and ignoring the oversight powers of Congress have all become blatant norms for the Republicans. Democrats, unwilling to confront the worst tactics of political opponents decades ago, now face the continuing repercussions of their tolerance. Yet, cracks continue to develop in the defence of the secret activities of the Reagan-Bush presidential campaign of 1980 and truth has its own unpredictable way of emerging. Iran has been patient; the opportunity to use any incendiary evidence to their advantage has not arisen over the last 40 years. But Trumps provocation could change that. New revelations would not just rewrite the history of the era but could explode the political landscape of the US. Perhaps once again Iran will hold influence in a US presidential election. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. Amtraks return to Mobile could hinge on support from the three-member Mobile County Commission, which could be asked to pony up public money to improve train tracks or to help finance a new train station for a new service connecting the Port City to New Orleans. But at least two commissioners interviewed on Monday said they believe its a bit early for them to decide how the project will proceed. Commissioners Merceria Ludgood and Connie Hudson said there has been no formal presentation or request of the commission to dedicated funding for the project. The countys third commissioner, Jerry Carl, said he supports the project and anticipates the county potentially spending up to $3 million over a three-year period to support the construction of a new train station of platform. Our original conversation was for the county to come up with $1 million a year for three years, said Carl. That would build a train station and would be the maximum we could put into it. But we are waiting on (passenger rail advocates) to figure out their numbers. Well have our legal team talking to the city to make sure they OK with it. Nothing is guaranteed on (the project) until we see final numbers. Wiley Blankenship, a representative of the Southern Rail Commission the 21-member group that has long advocated for the return of Amtrak to the Gulf Coast said the conversations are likely to happen sooner rather than later. We dont want to ask (for county assistance) until they are fully educated (on the issue) and that we give them all the information so they can evaluate it and so they can make the best decision for the taxpayers, said Blankenship. Were planning on doing that over the next few weeks. The fate of Amtraks revival along coastal Alabama and into Mobile is shifting to the commission after the Mobile City Council, with a 6-1 vote Tuesday, committed to funding the trains operations at around $3 million spread out over three years starting in the year 2023. 14 Amtrak Mobile The councils support, however, was contingent on several factors including the backing of other governmental or private entities for capital improvements that are estimated to cost $2.2 million. Hudson said she anticipates the county partnering with the state on funding the capital improvements. But she said that support is contingent on the outcome of a study that is underway which will assess passenger rails impact on the freight trains that currently run along the Gulf Coast rail line. The study involves CSX Transportation, Norfolk Southern, and Amtrak, and is expected to be completed this summer. Depending on what comes out of the study, I think the state will step in and it will be determined what role the state and county will play in terms of infrastructure, said Hudson. Overall, the cost of improving the tracks, siding and switches from the Mississippi line to downtown Mobile is expected to run $5.786 million. Of that, $2.89 million is being financed through a $33 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, and $671,000 through Amtrak. Alabama Gov. Kay Iveys administration, last week, said it was waiting to see where the county commission stood on the project. The project includes connecting Mobile at the Brookley Aeroplex to New Orleans via an Amtrak state-supported route. Four coastal Mississippi cities are also included along the route Pascagoula, Biloxi, Gulfport and Bay St. Louis. Louisiana and Mississippi state governments have both dedicated resources toward the capital and operations of the project. Amtrak hasnt routinely rolled along the Gulf Coast since Hurricane Katrina damaged much of the line in 2005. [February 11, 2020] Low-Voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023 | Increased Investments in Data Centers to Boost Growth | Technavio Technavio has been monitoring the low-voltage MOSFET market and it is poised to grow by USD 892.58 million during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005690/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global low-voltage MOSFET market 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Increased investments in data centers has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, complexity of technological transitions might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Low-voltage MOSFET Market is segmented as below: Type 41-150 V MOSFET 0-40 V MOSFET Geographic segmentation APAC EMEA North America South America To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30724 Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our low-voltage MOSFET market report covers the following areas: Low-voltage MOSFET Market Size Low-voltage MOSFET Market Trends Low-voltage MOSFET Market Industry Analysis This study identifies growing investment in smart city projects as one of the prime reasons driving the low-voltage MOSFET market growth during the next few years. Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the low-voltage MOSFET market, including some of the vendors such as Infineon Technologies (News - Alert), ON Semiconductor, Renesas Electronics, STMicroelectronics and TOSHIBA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the low-voltage MOSFET market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Low-voltage MOSFET Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist low-voltage MOSFET market growth during the next five years Estimation of the low-voltage MOSFET market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the low-voltage MOSFET market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of low-voltage MOSFET market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005690/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] His mood is cheery, his gait still springy. For all the responsibilities that weigh on those hunched shoulders, his face glows with mischievous bonhomie. Clearly, Boris Johnson is enjoying being Prime Minister. Watching him with his frontbench colleagues in the Commons, laughing and joking and elbowing them playfully in the ribs, hes determined to squeeze every last drop of pleasure from his political honeymoon until the delirium subsides. Take his statement yesterday confirming the go-ahead for HS2. With a number of his senior backbenchers still wobbly on the idea, this was a duty he might well have hived off to his thick-skinned Transport Secretary Grant Shapps. His mood is cheery, his gait still springy. For all the responsibilities that weigh on those hunched shoulders, his face glows with mischievous bonhomie. Clearly, Boris Johnson is enjoying being Prime Minister Instead the PM grasped the moment with the enthusiasm of a terrier whos just been bunged his bedtime Bonio. Standing before the House, Boris announced a national transport revolution which, on top of HS2, would include a 5billion investment in buses and bike lanes. The language as ever was as ornate as Pugin wallpaper. He promised we would see mini-Hollands blooming like so many tulips in towns where children would bicycle safely and happily to school and work in tree-dappled sunlight. He spoke of the need to fix the musculoskeletal problem of UK transport: Yes, we must fix the joint between the knee bone and the thigh bone and the shin bone and the ankle bone. Yes, we must fix the arthritis in the fingers and the toes, but we also have to fix the spine. HS2 is no easy sell but the PM was pushing it harder than a market tradesman flogging suspect bottles of Chanel No 5. With a number of his senior backbenchers still wobbly on the idea, this was a duty he might well have hived off to his thick-skinned Transport Secretary Grant Shapps This is not just about getting from London to Birmingham and back, he bellowed, delivering a meaty backhander to the dispatch box. This is about finally making a rapid connection from the West Midlands to Liverpool smack! To Manchester smack! And Leeds smack! Its these sunny upland speeches where the PM so excels, talking of the future, teasing and daring colleagues to join him. In this form, he really is irresistible. Yes, it is ambitious, the PM hollered. But ambition is what we have lacked for far too long. The Government benches roared. Then Jeremy Corbyn rose. Cue awkward coughs. Amid the silence, someone groaned. Corbyn appeared to have a new suit on (or he got his old suit dry-cleaned). He accused the Government of stealing Labours ideas, moaning that when he advocated for more buses last year the media ridiculed him. Yet now it was being hailed as a masterstroke. Boris grinned at his opponent, throwing an imaginary uppercut. Then Jeremy Corbyn rose. Cue awkward coughs. Amid the silence, someone groaned. Corbyn appeared to have a new suit on (or he got his old suit dry-cleaned). He accused the Government of stealing Labours ideas, moaning that when he advocated for more buses last year the media ridiculed him. Yet now it was being hailed as a masterstroke Poor Jezza. It seems to be only just dawning on him that people didnt want him as Prime Minister. Behind him the Labour benches looked sullen. Rows of fed-up faces, like those pictures of delayed holidaymakers sprawled across Gatwick Airports South Terminal that you see on the news in August. Ed Miliband (remember him?) despondently stared into space. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tried to ridicule Boriss plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland over the 20-mile expanse of the North Sea. Oops, he meant Irish Sea, the ninny. I think he might need to check the geography of the United Kingdom, Boris chuntered. The Prime Ministers main critic from his own benches was Andrew Bridgen (Con, NW Leicestershire) who worried that HS2 would be an albatross hung around the neck of the country. SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford tried to ridicule Boriss plans to build a bridge to Northern Ireland over the 20-mile expanse of the North Sea Boris eloquently pointed out that all big infrastructure projects are loathed during their inception the M25 and the 2012 London Olympics. But both those have served their purpose. Quite so. He might have added the Channel Tunnel to that list. Most surprising objection of the session came from Labours Meg Hillier (Hackney S & Shoreditch) who asked of these grands projets: Where is the money going to come from? A Labour MP worrying about cost? Well, it was a new one for me, anyway. The PM said it would be paid for by the hard work and effort of the British people. Google Translate: By prudent governance, not pie-in-the-sky Labour recklessness. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-10 23:39:44|Editor: yan Video Player Close BUDAPEST, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Storm Ciara has arrived in Hungary with violent gusts disrupting international train traffic, the national railway company MAV said here on Monday. The rail services affected by the storm are westbound: the Eurocity EC 172 and EC 173 services towards the Czech Republic, and Railjet's EN 462 and EN 463 services towards Austria, MAV said. "Information on international lines is constantly updated on the official website and Facebook page of MAV Hungarian Railways," the statement said. Delays have also been announced in the east of Hungary duo to the wind bringing down power lines over the tracks. Meanwhile, the office of the mayor of Budapest reminded citizens that a second yellow warning had been issued to Budapest and central Hungary due to the gale-force winds, and asked people to stay at home if possible and be extremely careful. "Stormy winds can exceed 60-75 kilometers per hour in most parts of the country, with a lower chance of 80-90 kilometers per hour along the rivers Danube and Tisza," the mayor's office said. Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE A proposal to broaden the authority of New Mexicos health insurance exchange partly to address the potential repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, at the federal level passed the state House 44-23 on Tuesday. The legislation, House Bill 100, now heads to the Senate. The proposal would give the insurance exchange greater power to dictate which health plans are sold through the exchange and how they are sold. The insurance exchange would work with the Office of the Superintendent of Insurance to help shape the benefits and cost-sharing of plans offered through the exchange. Rep. Micaela Lara Cadena, a Mesilla Democrat and co-sponsor of the bill, said the measure also calls for increased reporting and public outreach. The goal, she said, is to make sure every New Mexican has access to affordable, high-quality health care. Republican lawmakers repeatedly questioned whether the proposal would open the door to a government-run, single-payer health insurance system. The bill, they said, would strip from the law a prohibition on the exchange buying qualified health plans from insurance health issuers to offer for purchase through the exchange. It looks to me like we are setting the stage here for single-payer health care in New Mexico, said Rep. Larry Scott, R-Hobbs. Lara Cadena said that isnt the case. Deleting the language was aimed at clearing up confusion about some of the exchanges powers, she said, but it still wouldnt be able to set rates or establish a single-payer system. The bill would, however, empower the exchange to establish standardized health plans that help limit out-of-pocket costs for New Mexicans, among other provisions, supporters said. The proposal would also allow the exchange to work with local governments or other third parties to pay premiums or share costs with qualified individuals. Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said one goal is to get more people signed up for health insurance by offering plans they can afford. About 45,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in the insurance exchange. An additional 43,000 arent enrolled but could qualify for financial assistance to help them purchase coverage through the exchange, state officials said. Cost remains a barrier for far too many New Mexicans, Lujan Grisham said in a news release. The health insurance exchange, known as beWellnm, is a marketplace intended to help people buy affordable health insurance if they dont qualify for Medicaid and dont get health coverage through their employer. House Bill 100 is jointly sponsored by Lara Cadena and Rep. Deborah Armstrong, D-Albuquerque. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia has issued a statement on the ECHR ruling on the Saribekyan and Balyan vs Azerbaijan case. The statement reads as follows: On January 30 the European Court of Human Rights ruled in the case of Saribekyan and Balayan vs Azerbaijan. It is related to the death circumstances of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia Manvel Saribekyan at the Military Police Department of the Ministry of Defence of Azerbaijan. On September 11, 2010, Manvel Saribekyan due to bad weather conditions lost his way in the borderline of Tavush region of Armenia and found himself on the Azerbaijani side. A month later Saribekyans body was returned to the Armenian side. According to the Azerbaijani version the Armenian shepherd had committed suicide at the Military Police Department of the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry. It should be recalled that the Azerbaijani side had initiated criminal proceedings against Manvel Saribekyan on obviously false charges and forced him to appear on the Azerbaijani TV by means of torture. The European Court of Human Rights has concluded that the fundamental human rights enshrined in the European Convention on Human Rights (hereinafter: the Convention) of the citizen of the Republic of Armenia were breached, particularly substantive and procedural aspects of the Right to Life (Article 2 of the Convention), as well as breach of Article 3 of the Convention prohibiting torture, as the European Court of Human Rights undoubtedly ruled that Saribekyan was subjected to very serious and cruel suffering and that it was carried out intentionally on a detained person under the exclusive control of the Azerbaijani authorities. The ruling is unprecedented: for the first time the European Court of Human Rights has found Azerbaijans responsibility for the deprivation of life of the citizen of Armenia and established that the citizen of the Republic of Armenia died as a result of the violent actions of others, notably personnel at the Military Police Department of Azerbaijan. This ruling once again demonstrates that Azerbaijan is overtly violating its international human rights obligations. It also indicates that every Armenian who would fall under the control of the Azerbaijani authorities, regardless of his or her status, is subjected to a life threat. The Republic of Armenia will continue its consistent efforts to ensure security of the citizens of Armenia and the Armenian people and achieve justice. Britain wants a stable relationship with the European Union for decades to come in financial services, Britains finance minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday, but received an instant rebuttal from Brussels. Britain left the EU last month and its large financial services sector will lose privileged access to EU customers from January 2021. Financial firms would be able to service those clients only in sub-sectors where rules are deemed equivalent. Javid called on the EU to find Britains financial sector equivalent, a reference to the blocs system of financial market access, based on Brussels acknowledging that UK regulation is as robust as the EUs rules. This is important not only in the short term, but to establish the norms and ways of working with the EU that will endure for decades to come, Javid said in an article in City AM newspaper. Replying to a lawmakers question later in parliament, Javid said the EU should continue to recognize the UK as meeting the EUs equivalent regulatory standards because on day one (Jan. 1, 2021) we will have exactly the same rules. However, EU chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier told EU lawmakers that Britain should be under no illusion on financial services as there would be no general, global, permanent equivalence with Britain. There will be no common management, Barnier told the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Equivalence only covers some financial activities, basic banking is excluded, and Brussels can in theory scrap access with just 30 days notice in some cases. Britain and the EU have agreed to make such an assessment by the end of June, but Brussels has said actual financial market access will be linked to broader trade issues, such as fishing rights. No Cutting and Pasting EU Rules An unverified photo of a government briefing paper on equivalence taken outside Javids Downing Street office by PoliticalPics on Monday spoke of comprehensive, permanent equivalence decisions as an opening position for Britain. Equivalence is used by countries such as Singapore, the United States and Japan, but it has never been applied before to a huge financial center on the EUs doorstep. The bloc has been toughening up conditions for equivalence ahead of Brexit. Brussels has also made clear that if equivalence is granted for trading, clearing or other financial activities, its regulators would closely supervise UK rules to ensure it was staying aligned to those in the bloc. Faced with uncertainty over equivalence, financial firms in Britain have opened hubs in the EU to avoid being cut off or having reduced access. Javid said Britain would no longer be a rule taker, meaning it will not continue to cut and paste EU financial regulations into UK law as it did while a member of the bloc. More broadly, the EU is prepared to offer Britain unrivaled access to its single market in a trade deal with zero tariffs and quotas, but has insisted that any such rights would have to come with obligations to ensure fair competition. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she was encouraged by British Prime Minister Boris Johnsons ambition on social and environmental standards and that these could form the basis of level playing field obligations between the EU and Britain. (Additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio and Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels and David Milliken in London, editing by Ed Osmond and Gareth Jones) Topics Legislation Europe Uk MANCHESTER, N.H. - President Donald Trump, who held a campaign rally here hours before the first-in-the-nation primary, has inserted himself into the Democrats' nominating contest with a fervor that exceeds his predecessors - many of whom were reluctant to directly involve themselves another party's political selection process. For Trump, visits to early-voting states allow him to inject his trademark bombast into a crowded and muddled field of Democrats while conducting a kind of political warfare against a party that is enduring bouts of disunity and uncertainty at the very moment that Republicans appear most unified behind him. Before leaving for New Hampshire, Trump wrote on Twitter that he wanted to "shake up the Dems a little bit." The president also held a rally in Iowa last month ahead of that state's critical caucuses. "They always talk about the Democrats, they have enthusiasm, right?" Trump told a crowd at the SNHU Arena here. "We have so much more enthusiasm, it's not even close. They're all fighting each other. They're all going after each other. You got them all over the place. They don't know what the hell they're doing. They don't know what they're doing. They can't even count their votes." Trump's campaign argues that the draw of Air Force One, a stable of Cabinet officials and White House aides, and a president known for lively rallies combine to boost Trump's supporters and deflate his detractors in key states where Democrats are trying to build momentum. Democrats have tried to capitalize on Trump's presence as well, using his visits to cast themselves as an alternative to his divisive brand of politics. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who has been leading in the polls in New Hampshire, spent considerable time contrasting himself with Trump ahead of the president's visit Monday. "I will not be lying to the American people every single day about everything," Sanders said in Manchester. Jeff Weaver, a Sanders adviser, said Trump's visit makes it easier for voters to imagine what a general election would look like. "Trump's presence in New Hampshire is an opportunity to contrast Senator Sanders's agenda against Trump's record of division and betraying working families," he said. A Quinnipiac University poll released Monday found that Sanders and several other Democratic candidates would defeat Trump nationally in a head-to-head matchup. But the power of incumbency and the fervor of Trump's political base have presented uncomfortable images for the group of Democrats trying to convince voters that they would be best positioned to defeat the president. Hours before Trump's rally in Manchester, hundreds of people lined up in the cold, waiting to get into the arena. The scene mirrored a similar event last month in Des Moines, Iowa, where the Trump campaign had to turn away supporters after Drake University's Knapp Center reached capacity. While Democrats have not had crowds as large as the throngs showing up to Trump's rallies, often many hours in advance, they have seen strong enthusiasm at events. In Des Moines, Trump used his 80-minute speech to attack several of the Democratic candidates, including former vice president Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana. After the caucuses, which were plagued by technical difficulties on the Democrats' side, Trump reveled in his opponents' misfortune and praised his 97% showing among Iowa Republicans. Before leaving Washington on Monday, Trump repeatedly referenced the large crowds in Manchester, including by retweeting an ABC News reporter who wrote: "Despite the miserable weather, there are already more people lining up outside the venue of @realDonaldTrump's rally tonight than you see at most of the events for the Democratic candidates." Trump's campaign has followed suit, with aides and surrogates traveling en masse to early states to tout the president's record and to handicap the Democratic races. "If Biden doesn't win big, I mean, he's probably in a lot of trouble," Trump's son Donald Trump Jr. said last week in West Des Moines, Iowa, just hours before the first-in-the-nation caucuses in which Biden ultimately placed fourth. Vice President Mike Pence, who toured parts of New Hampshire ahead of Trump's rally, will travel to Nevada on Feb. 21 for two political events a day before the Democrats' Nevada caucuses. "We did the same thing in Iowa, and it's safe to say you'll see us around quite a bit," said Marty Obst, Pence's top political aide. Campaign officials said they were pleased with the reception Trump received in Iowa ahead of the caucuses, noting that the president was featured on the front page of the Des Moines Register after his rally. Trump liked that the Democrats, who spent millions of dollars to compete in a competitive and critical first-in-the-nation caucus, were pushed off the front pages by Trump's reelection machine, according to the officials. "The thinking is, if everyone in the world has their eyes on the state, why aren't we there?" said a campaign official who, like others, spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. While Trump won Iowa by more than nine percentage points in 2016, his narrow 0.4-point loss in New Hampshire has made the state a top target for Trump campaign officials looking for ways to expand the electoral map. For that reason, Tuesday's primary - where Trump faces nominal opposition from former Massachusetts governor Bill Weld - is serving as a kind of training ground for the volunteers, campaign aides and supporters Trump is hoping will power his reelection, said Tim Murtaugh, a campaign spokesman. "We will have dozens of top surrogates in the state and have made tens of thousands of voter contacts by phone and door knocking, recruiting volunteers and continuing to build the Trump army," Murtaugh said. The Trump campaign's effort to counter the Democratic race extended to a "Cops for Trump" gathering Monday afternoon in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Pence and White House senior adviser Ivanka Trump both spoke at the event, which was attended by about 200 police officers, before later joining the president in Manchester. The Trump campaign has been active in New Hampshire for weeks, sending legions of surrogates to the state and booking them on state-based talk radio programs and at local Republican events. For Trump and his loyalists, New Hampshire holds a particularly special place in their collective political memory: It was his first primary victory and a significant boost that pushed him toward the 2016 Republican nomination. Its industrial history, working-class demographics and independent streak have kept it a prime target for the Trump campaign. Flashes of Trump's dominance of the GOP were everywhere as Pence toured the state with Ivanka Trump and Corey Lewandowski, the president's former campaign manager. At the Sheraton Portsmouth Harborside Hotel, former GOP senator from New Hampshire Kelly Ayotte - who was long an ally of establishment military hawks in the Senate - enthusiastically talked up the president's record, putting an emphasis on the administration's foreign policy, such as the president's decision to order a strike that killed Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the head of Iran's elite Quds Force. Ayotte also cast the Democrats as socialists, taking direct aim at Sanders, who describes himself as a democratic socialist. "Make no mistake, socialism is on the ballot," she said. Pence, who accepted the endorsement of the New England Police Benevolent Association, attacked Sanders over his opposition to the strike that killed Soleimani. "Today's Democratic Party has been taken over by radical leftists," Pence said in Portsmouth. There were tensions and signs of the nation's intense political divide. Early on in Pence's remarks, several protesters started to shout "Trump endangers Jews." Some police officers in the room, sitting near the disruption, grabbed the protesters' homemade signs, pulling them out of their hands. The protesters were quickly pulled out of the room by security. Trump has used his pre-vote rallies to highlight that the Republican Party is unified behind him while Democrats were struggling to rally behind a standard-bearer. He has also tested out attack lines against several of the Democratic candidates, tending to focus most on whichever contender is atop the polls. Lewandowski, who has served as a senior adviser to Trump's 2020 bid, said Trump's willingness to insert himself into the Democratic primary races will ultimately help him in November. "Donald Trump has once again demonstrated his ability to drive a narrative, coming to New Hampshire and taking the spotlight away from the socialists and reminding America about what he has delivered," he said. "If the president doesn't go out and tell his message, nobody will." - - - The Washington Post's Reis Thebault in Washington and Sean Sullivan in Manchester contributed to this report. Are you helping your parents with their finances while working toward your own goals? Email reporter Alicia Adamczyk at alicia.adamczyk@nbcuni.com if you're interested in being featured in a future Make It article. Growing up, Jenny W.* knew not to expect birthday presents. The 29-year-old's parents immigrated to New York City from China before she was born, and while they worked hard and made enough to get by never earning more than around $30,000 a year, Jenny says, often qualifying them for food stamps and Medicaid Jenny and her two younger siblings knew their parents didn't have extra money to hand out to their kids. She isn't resentful. Her parents moved to the U.S. to offer their children more opportunities, for which she is grateful. As the oldest, she feels a sense of duty to her parents, and much of her life plan has revolved around getting a high-paying job in order to repay her parents for their sacrifice, she tells CNBC Make It. "Throughout my whole working life it's been, I have to make money so I don't have to ask my parents for money," says Jenny. "My most lofty financial goal is to support my parents in their old age." She earns a base salary of $135,000 per year in IT, but keeps her expenses low. Besides the occasional trip with friends, much of her money goes to her parents and siblings to cover most of their expenses, including rent, bills and medication. She doesn't really date it's cheaper to be single, plus she values her independence and prefers to save and invest her money in a way that "feels like I'm living on $50,000." They could have gotten much better jobs in their home countries, and they gave it all up to come here to do honest but menial work. I'm making six figures, of course I'm going to support them. Jenny W. "They could have gotten much better jobs in their home countries, and they gave it all up to come here to do honest but menial work," she says, noting that her parents have worked as housekeepers and cooks. "I'm making six figures, of course I'm going to support them." Boomers are behind on retirement savings Stepping up after divorce Sarah H.*, a 33-year-old marketing executive living in Austin, Texas, first started giving her mother money when her parents divorced in 2009. Her father took most of the money, Sarah says, along with the house, leaving her mother with virtually no safety net. While she works full time, her 63-year-old mother often struggles to cover her bills month-to-month, never mind put money away for retirement. Like Jenny, Sarah's career path has been shaped by the realization that she would have to care for her mother. She switched careers at 28, partly because she knew she'd have to care for her mother, and now makes over $100,000 per year. While she doesn't regret the change, and is happy to be more financially comfortable, she always has her mother's needs now and in the future in the back of her mind. When Sarah and her wife got married, it was with the understanding that her mother would likely always need financial help. On top of sending her money for rent and other expenses, Sarah designated her mother as the recipient of a universal life insurance policy as a sort of ad hoc retirement plan. She expects to pay for her mother's full cost of living one day, or have her move into the house Sarah and her wife share. A knee surgery on the horizon also has Sarah budgeting to pay for the expenses that aren't covered by any short- or long-term disability payments her mother qualifies for. Sarah acknowledges that her mother has had a "tough life," and that she feels some sense of responsibility for caring for her, particularly after what she describes as a nasty divorce. "She's my mom," says Sarah. "I'm not going to let something bad happen to her." 'A surprise blessing' His parents' divorce also led Brock Howard to offer financial support to his mother. Growing up, Howard's family qualified for food stamps, until his father entered the computing industry and they "went from poverty to upper middle class pretty much overnight." His mother was a stay at home mom until about a decade ago, when she became a pharmacy technician and was able to save and invest in a 401(k) for the first time. But when the 32-year-old's parents divorced around a year ago, his father took half. His mother now lives with Howard and his wife and children. "As of now, economically speaking, I don't see it being possible for her to step out on her own and plan for retirement," Howard tells CNBC Make It. Howard and his wife pay the housing and utility bills, as well as his mother's cell phone. They are also helping his mother set up some basic financial accounts, and plan to help with medical and long-term care costs in retirement. In return, Howard's mother watches the kids, which saves the couple on child care. I get frustrated that you get lumped up in the millennial bubble, that we're seen as lazy and not planning and not working toward the future, or something bigger than ourselves. Brock Howard Activities will kick off during the after-school hours of 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Free Community Play Night will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Ten Days of Play Encourages Learning Through Play at Berkshire Museum PITTSFIELD, Mass. Ten Days of Play will return to Berkshire Museum with nearly 40 hours of indoor playtime plus special performances and activities Friday, Feb. 14, through Sunday, Feb. 23. First launched in 2012, this annual festival features hands-on activities throughout the museum for children of all ages that are designed to encourage learning through play. This year's event features new programs including The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons Animation Station and Bubble Trouble with Jeff Boyer, and free regular admission for children under 18. Ten Days of Play is part of Pittsfield's 10x10 Upstreet Winter Arts Festival. Activities will kick off during the after-school hours of 3:30 to 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 14. Free Community Play Night will be held Friday, Feb. 21, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. "Child-directed play is key to fostering and supporting every young child's creativity, problem solving ability, and self-worth," said Craig Langlois, Berkshire Museum's chief experience officer and founder of Ten Days of Play. "Museums like ours are the perfect environment for families and caregivers to practice child-directed play. We invite them to jump between active play during scheduled activities and passive play as they explore the galleries and engage with our collection and exhibitions. It is the balance between these two experiences that make Ten Days of Play so special." The following Ten Days of Play activities are included with regular museum admission: Daily Play Friday, Feb. 14, 3:30 to 5 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 15, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 16, noon to 3 p.m.; Monday to Saturday, Feb. 17 to 22, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.; and Sunday, Feb. 23, noon to 3 p.m. Kids of all ages are invited to build, collaborate, experiment, and learn with the big blue blocks of the Imagination Playground, colorful Bilderhoos boards, magnetic Tegu blocks, and tables piled high with LEGO bricks at the center of the museum. In the popular Tinker Lab, older children can take apart old electronics to create something new. At the Animation Station, kids and adults will explore the world of animation and learn how to create their own animations using various methods as part of The Art of Warner Bros. Cartoons. Daily Aquarium Program Saturday, Feb. 15, to Sunday, Feb. 23, Monday to Saturday, 12:45 p.m.; Sunday, 1 p.m. Help prepare delicious, nutritious meals for the creatures in the Aquarium or meet the residents of the Aquariums Discovery Tank in guided, drop-in experiences each day. Berkshire Music Schools Instrument Petting Zoo Tuesday, Feb. 18, 1 p.m. Records and Burpee Zoo Show Monday, Feb. 17, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Meet live animals from the Records and Burpee Zoo and learn about their adaptations, how they survive in the wild, and the consequences of keeping wild animals as pets. Berkshire Children's Theater's "Disneys Winnie the Pooh" Thursday, Feb. 20, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Friday, Feb. 21, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. The talented young performers of Berkshire Children's Theater return to the museum to perform their original musical version of the classic story "Winnie the Pooh" under the direction of Kara Demler. Bubble Trouble with Jeff Boyer Saturday, Feb. 22, 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. A bubble volcano. Bubble roller coaster. A kid in a bubble? Jeff Boyer takes bubbles to the max in this one-man bubble extravaganza. Its the most creative bubble show around. Jeff juggles bubbles, sculpts and builds with bubbles, makes fog-filled bubbles and more. Mixing comedy, music and interactive bubble-magic, he engages and delights audiences of all ages. Performance tickets include museum admission. Advance ticket purchases for special ticketed performances may be made online or by calling 413-443-7171, ext. 360. South Africa: Fitch affirms Denel stable outlook rating Denels efforts to restructure its business and implement a comprehensive turnaround plan are increasingly being recognised by analysts and rating agencies, says the state-owned enterprise. In a statement, Denel chief executive Danie du Toit says the decision by Fitch Ratings in London to affirm its long-term rating and to assign a stable outlook to the business is encouraging and will give further momentum to the efforts to restore the companys credibility after a period of state capture. We note the many concerns about aspects of the business that are still raised by Fitch and continue to implement measures to mitigate these factors. But we are also heartened by the positive aspects of our turnaround plan that are highlighted in the rating report, he said. In its report, Fitch affirms Denels National Long-Term Rating at B(zaf) and the National Short-Term Rating at B(zaf). In addition, it has removed the previously assigned Rating Watch Negative and replaced it with a Stable Outlook. Du Toit says the Fitch decision provides Denel breathing space to continue with its efforts to restructure the business, exit from non-core entities and find new markets for its advanced defence and high-technology products and services. It also recognises that the ongoing efforts by the Board and management to restore good corporate governance are producing results and affirms the wisdom of governments decision to provide a R1.8 billion recapitalisation to the business, said Denel. Fitch describes this as a significant capital injection which is likely sufficient to restart operation processes but is unlikely to contribute to any meaningful deleveraging in the short-term. It also notes that this is evidence of the governments ability and willingness to support Denel and is supportive of Fitchs National Long-Term Rating given to the company. We are confident that we will receive further support from our shareholder and that we will meet all the expectations of government, our clients and the South African public to turn Denel into a viable business again, said Du Toit. Fitch also emphasises the implementation of Denels turnaround plan with a focus on operational cost reduction, exiting onerous contracts, divestment of non-core assets and realising value through strategic equity partnerships. Despite recent trade disruptions, Denel continues to display a solid order backlog and the effective implementation of the turnaround strategy will stand the group in good stead to benefit from these orders. In explaining its decision, Fitch notes that it is making the assumptions that Denels revenue will continue to decline but return to solid growth after the 2022 financial year. Operating losses will be reduced, and the group is expected to return to profitability from the 2023 financial year. Du Toit says Denel is taking note of concerns about liquidity constraints and poor operating performance of the underlying business units, which have an impact on its short-term risks. We are addressing all these issues in a structured manner and with the support of our stakeholders in government. It is, however, clear that the turnaround is gathering momentum and I am confident that this will be increasingly reflected in the views of analysts and the broader business community, he said. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. A new plastic-free trial for supermarket fruit and vegetables could make its way into Woolworths stores across Australia. On Monday, Countdown in New Zealand, a national supermarket chain part of the Woolworths Group, began a new Unwrapped fruit and vegetable section at three stores where plastic packaging and single-use bags are replaced with paper and biodegradable alternatives. The trial will take place for two-and-a-half months at the Orewa, Ponsonby and Manukau stores on New Zealands North Island and involves 65 products such as tomatoes, grapes and corn. More than a tonne of plastic will be removed, however some products such as lettuce will still be wrapped in plastic until a suitable substitute is identified. Woolworths could ditch plastic packaging in the future depending on a new trial in New Zealand. Source: AAP When asked by Yahoo News Australia whether the trial would be implemented in Woolworths stores, a spokesperson said the trials results would influence how they progress the scheme. We're committed to reducing our environmental footprint across the Woolworths Group, the spokesperson said. We'll closely monitor the results from the 10-week trial in our New Zealand supermarkets before determining our next steps with this initiative. The news will surely be music to the ears of those who have persistently called for the removal of excess plastic packaging from Australian stores. Getting rid of plastic is something I hear a lot about from customers so its awesome to be able to give them some real and tangible changes, Countdown Ponsonby Store Manager Paul Maxwell said after Mondays introduction. Mr Maxwell said the feedback from Monday had been great. The new trial in New Zealand will be testing produce wrapped in paper and biodegradable alternatives for 10 weeks. Source: Getty Images [Customers] feedback could have a long-lasting impact on how all New Zealanders shop in the future and help guide our next steps, Kiri Hannifin who is Countdowns General Manager for Corporate Affairs, Safety and Sustainability said. Announcing the move on their Facebook, Countdown was inundated with comments from users praising the move. I am so proud that as a company you are leading the way in saving the environment from these awful plastics, one person said. Story continues Others called for it to be rolled out across all stores straight away. The move comes after the removal of single-use plastic bags from Woolworths and Coles stores in 2018. In October, Woolworths announced it was also trialling paper bags to counter criticism the bag ban was failing. 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. For a fourth straight year, the Trump administration has once again proposed the permanent elimination of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and with it virtually all federal funding for libraries. The Trump Administration's $4.875 trillion fiscal year 2021 budget blueprint, dubbed "A Budget for America's Future," proposes to boost defense, Veterans Affairs, and NASA, with steep proposed cuts to social programs including Medicare and Medicaid, as well as the State Department, foreign aid, and the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposal also lays out a path, including a sequestration order, to trim the annual budget deficit, which has exploded under the Trump Administration and is projected to top $1 trillion for FY2020. In a statement, IMLS officials confirmed the Trump Administration will once again propose the elimination of the agency, with $23 million reportedly proposed in the 2021 budget proposal to wind the agency down. Also for the fourth straight year, the Trump administration has proposed the elimination the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. "The White House has requested that Congress appropriate $33.4 million to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) for the orderly closure of the agency," reads a statement on the NEH web site, although NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede said the agency is "continuing normal operations and will announce our latest round of FY2020 awards this spring. The good news for library supporters: for the last three years, the library community has not only successfully countered the administration's proposal to axe the IMLSthe agency through which most federal library funding is distributed in the form of grants to states but IMLS has actually seen increases in each of the last three years. The FY2020 budget, which Trump signed in January, included a $10 million increase to the IMLS budget, including $6.2 million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the largest increase in LSTA funding in over a decade. "ALA takes the White House proposal seriously," ALA president Wanda Brown said in a statement. "After three years of consistent pushback from library advocates and Congress itself, the administration still has not gotten the message: eliminating federal funding for libraries is to forego opportunities to serve veterans, upskill underemployed Americans, start and grow small businesses, teach our kids to read, and give greater access to people with print disabilities in our communities." The latest bid to shutter the IMLS comes just weeks after the library community praised the Trump administration's choice of Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library executive director R. Crosby Kemper III to be the next IMLS director. The latest bid to shutter the IMLS comes just weeks after the library community praised the Trump administration's choice of Kansas City, Mo., Public Library executive director R. Crosby Kemper III to be the next IMLS director. Kemper was easily confirmed by the Senate in January, and has now succeeded Kathryn Matthew, whose four-year term ended in 2019. On the IMLS web site, Kemper said IMLS will "continue to engage in the budget process" with the administration and, for the remainder of FY2020, IMLS "will continue our work investing in libraries and museumsthose anchors in our communitiesand helping millions across the nation tell their American stories. As the last three years have illustrated, the president's annual budget proposal is largely a political document. But ALA officials insist that the funding increases in recent years are the result of the library community's strong grassroots interactions with Congress, and have consistently warned librarians not to take Trump's budget proposals lightly. "The administrations budget proposal is their ideal budget, and we should never discount that," ALA's Kathi Kromer told PW in an interview last July. "I think one of the reasons we have seen such a strong rebuttal to the president from Congress on library funding is because our advocates have taken the administrations proposals seriously, and theyve made it a point to remind their elected officials of the importance of libraries in their community." ALA officials say the plan is to maintain those strong advocacy efforts in the face of Trump's latest proposal. "ALA will continue our strategic approach to advocacy, rallying the growing number of library advocates to take action at each step of the appropriations process and to cultivate ongoing relationships with decision makers," says Brown. "ALA encourages everyonelibrary workers and library lovers aliketo email their members of Congress today and urge them to protect library funding in FY 2021. The Anti-Sanctions Day, as set by SADC, will now be an annual event, as the illegal embargo continues to exclude Zimbabwe from access to international capital markets, Zanu PF acting secretary for Administration Cde Patrick Chinamasa has said. The declaration comes after President Mnangagwa, in his address to the meeting of the Assembly of the African Union (AU) on Monday, reiterated calls for the unconditional removal of the unilateral sanctions that have been stifling economic growth for two decades. Speaking to The Herald, Cde Chinamasa said the ruling party had the interests of the people at heart as servant leadership was its hallmark. Sanctions were affecting the optimal operation of the economy, hence it was imperative that they be unequivocally lifted. As you know, last year we held an Anti-Sanctions Day which was basically a Sadc anti-sanctions programme, said Cde Chinamasa. As initiated by Sadc, we set aside a day to demonstrate and to make demands for the lifting of economic sanctions by those countries which imposed them. We still remain under sanctions and the Anti-Sanctions Day is going to be an annual event to demand the lifting of those sanctions because until those sanctions are lifted, we cannot expect a normal economy because the sanctions are excluding Zimbabwe from access to international capital markets. There are challenges that the people are facing and when people are facing challenges the party, too, is affected. We are very much concerned because we have the interests of the people at heart. We are a people-centred party. Cde Chinamasa criticised opposition MDC-Alliance leader Mr Nelson Chamisa for his recent global political escapades in search of more sanctions to be piled on the peoples plight. He said if the opposition leader was truly keen on finding lasting solutions to the plight of the general citizenry, he should participate in meaningful dialogue under the Political Actors Dialogue (POLAD). It is like Zanu PF is the only party interested in meeting the people, he said. I do not see any other party which seems interested in meeting the people, addressing their concerns, listening to them and seeking to find solutions to their concerns. Currently, no other party in Zimbabwe is people-centred, except Zanu PF. The main challenger is a party which spends most of its times organising demonstrations, travelling all over the world lobbying for the imposition of sanctions. Kissing is not 'universal', with research suggesting less than half of cultures do it. (Getty Images) With Valentines Day around the corner, love is in the air for many. The sight of smooching couples may warm your heart, or turn your stomach. Sharing saliva may seem an odd way to express your affection for your other half - particularly when one kiss can transfer 80 million bacteria. Why do we kiss? In the UK, kissing is considered a normal way to show your partner you care. Many may be surprised to learn, however, more than half of cultures worldwide do not engage in lip-to-lip contact. After looking at 168 cultures, scientists from the University of Nevada in Las Vegas found just 46% displayed the romantic-sexual kiss, debunking the theory it is human universal. The team found the more socially complex the culture, the higher frequency of romantic-sexual kissing. Read more: Piers Morgan isnt impressed about David Beckham kissing his daughter on the lips They noted communities in Sub-Saharan Africa and New Guinea, as well as Amazonian foragers, did not appear to engage. As recently as 2014, the indigenous Mehinaku people of Brazil reportedly found kissing gross. Kissing may therefore have evolved alongside oral hygiene or the rise of elite social classes that celebrate emotional displays. While the Nevada research suggests it is a relatively recent method of affection, Hindu Vedic Sanskrit written more than 3,500 years ago reportedly mentions kissing, suggesting it has long been acceptable in certain communities. To uncover why we kiss, scientists looked to animals. The BBC reported chimps kiss after conflict as a form of reconciliation, which is not considered romantic. Bonobos get affectionate more often, even using tongues. The great apes also apparently have sex as their version of a handshake, suggesting their kisses too are not particularly heartfelt. No other animals are thought to share saliva. This is said to come down to their acute sense of smell, with everything from boars to spiders sniffing out pheromones as a sign of fertility. Story continues Read more: People are being warned not to kiss cows in a bizarre new Internet challenge With a humans sense of smell not as sharp, scientists from the University of Oxford found many turn to kissing to assess a potential mate. Kissing may simply be a socially acceptable way of getting close enough to detect someones pheromones. It could also bolster bonding between a romantic pair, even if just by conforming to the imagined sexual script. Another theory is kissing is a sign of commitment, with people showing their partners they are willing to catch infectious conditions like flu to be close to them. With our poor sense of smell, humans may kiss to detect each other's pheromones. (Getty Images) Is kissing good for us? With many infectious pathogens lurking in saliva, kissing a sickly lover undoubtably puts you at risk. Puckering up with a healthy person, however, could do you the world of good. Scientists from the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research looked at 21 couples, with one member of each pair being given a probiotic yoghurt drink. The couple then enjoyed an intimate kiss, with bacteria counts on their tongues measured before and after. The scientists identified the probiotic Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium bacteria moved over to most kiss receivers. During a 10 second kiss, the total bacteria transfer was averaged at 80 million bacteria. High levels of good bacteria have been shown to boost our immune system, helping fight off disease. Read more: Baby almost dies after contracting herpes from a kiss on the lips The benefits do not stop there. Japanese medic Dr Hajime Kimata won a scientific Nobel Prize for his research on how smooching may ward off allergic reactions. He looked at 30 people with eczema, 30 with allergic rhinitis - a runny nose caused by allergens - and 30 healthy volunteers. The participants were exposed to their triggers, dust mites or Japanese cedar pollen. Both before and after exposure, they were told to kiss freely for 30 minutes with their lover or spouse alone in a room. This was found to significantly reduce the development of allergic wheals, red swollen marks on the skin. It also lowered levels of inflammatory protein markers typically released during an allergic reaction. Kissing is also known to help people unwind before sex, making it more comfortable for a woman and easier for both participants to climax. As if that was not enough, kissing has been linked to reduced anxiety, lower blood pressure and delayed signs of ageing - think of it as a work out for your face. IP decision follows recent success in false advertising case SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CareDx, Inc. (CDNA), a leading precision medicine company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers, today announced that on February 10, 2020, Magistrate Judge Christopher Burke of the U.S. District Court for the District of Delaware recommended the denial of Natera Inc.s and Eurofins Viracor, Inc.s motions to dismiss CareDxs patent infringement complaints against them. CareDx alleges that both Nateras and Viracors organ transplant products infringe CareDxs patent rights. Natera and Viracor argued to the court that those patents are invalid because they allegedly cover ineligible subject matter. The court rejected their attack on the patents, explaining that the patents state that the invention is a new, more accurate and useful analytic method to help determine if a transplanted organ is rejected. The Court stated that the patents do not merely claim as the invention an unprotectable natural law. CareDx is very pleased with the courts decision and is confident in the intellectual property rights protecting its industry leading organ transplant surveillance products. Edward Reines, counsel for CareDx, stated that the Delaware courts decision properly upholds CareDxs patent rights with a well-reasoned legal analysis. He further commented that on the heels of CareDxs success in its false advertising case against Natera, this courtroom success is another key step in its enforcement of its valid patent rights to protect its organ transplant surveillance products. About CareDx CareDx, Inc., headquartered in South San Francisco, California, is a leading precision medicine solutions company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of clinically differentiated, high-value healthcare solutions for transplant patients and caregivers. CareDx offers testing services, products, and digital healthcare solutions along the pre- and post-transplant patient journey, and is the leading provider of genomics-based information for transplant patients. Story continues For more information, please visit: www.CareDx.com . Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman was killed when two police marksmen fired a total of six shots, a watchdog has found. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating how counter-terrorism officers came to shoot Amman, 20, after he stabbed two bystanders on Streatham High Road on February 2. Investigators are also looking at how much information police had about Amman, and what action they took when he was released from prison on January 23. He was under 24-hour surveillance at the time of the attack on Sunday February 2. A police officer kneels down and looks at what appeared to be a suicide vest on Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman's body during the dramatic incident earlier this month Streatham terrorist Sudesh Amman was killed when two police marksmen fired a total of six shots, a watchdog has found The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating how counter-terrorism officers came to shoot the Amman, 20, after he stabbed two bystanders on Streatham High Road on February 2 The IOPC said no individual officers are under investigation and all those involved in the operation are being treated as witnesses. The evidence suggests two officers fired a total of six shots, one of which hit a supermarket window and another hit the window of a pharmacy. Investigators are awaiting a pathologist's report which will confirm how many times Amman was hit. IOPC director for London Sal Naseem said: 'Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the events of February 2. 'I would like to pay tribute to the police officers involved in responding to this attack and to those members of the public who assisted those injured. In the Life Cafe, diners enjoying lunch were oblivious to the terror until a police officer burst in. Asked by a waitress if they could have half-an-hour to finish their meals, his response was: 'Madam, a terrorist has been shot dead just down there' A police forensic officer works on Streatham High Road in south London on February 2 after Amman was shot dead by police 'Our role in these circumstances is to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we will be providing our evidence and an investigation report to the coroner and the Metropolitan Police in due course. 'It is also important that we establish what information the police had and how they responded to it in the days after Sudesh Amman's release and prior to his death.' The IOPC is carrying out a separate investigation into a crash between a Metropolitan Police car that was responding to the attack and two other vehicles. Two people suffered minor injuries in the collision. The Senate held its plenary briefly on Tuesday and then adjourned. After about 10 minutes plenary, the lawmakers adjourned their sitting to Wednesday. This was done in honour of a deceased senator, Ignatius Longjan. Mr Longjan died at a Turkish hospital in Abuja on Sunday, after a brief illness. Until his death, Mr Longjan, 75, represented Plateau South Senatorial District. He was the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Culture and Tourism. He was the deputy governor of Plateau State between 2011 and 2015. He replaced Jeremiah Useni of the Peoples Democratic Party who contested for the governorship seat in 2019. The adjournment followed a brief eulogy by the Deputy Senate President, Ovie Omo-Agege, who presided over plenary. Mr Omo-Agege said it was sad that the Senate lost two lawmakers in the space of two months. He described as painful, the death of Mr Longjan whom he said was an amiable gentleman who rendered patriotic service to his state and this country. We are going to miss him. On behalf of the Senate we extend our condolences to his family, the people of Plateau State, and indeed Nigerians, he said. He thereafter, in a voice vote, urged his colleagues observe a minute silence in honour of the late lawmaker. He also asked his colleagues to suspend all other legislative activities scheduled for the day and adjourn till Wednesday in his honour which was unanimously adopted. The senators observed the minute silence after which Mr Omo-Agege announced that Wednesdays plenary will be dedicated as a valedictory session for late Ben Uwajumogwu. He admonished lawmakers to dress appropriately. White or black. White because we are celebrating his life and black because we are mourning his demise. The lawmakers, thereafter, adjourned plenary around 10.55 a.m. Mr Longjans death comes barely two months after Imo senator, Ben Uwajumogwu, died in Abuja on December 18. He was ill for weeks. Mr Uwajumogu, 51, represented Imo North senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC). He was the chairman of the Senate Committee on Employment, Labour and Productivity. Bill de Blasio has demanded 'consequences' for a New York police union head after an incendiary tweet 'declaring war' on the mayor. Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) president Ed Mullins launched an attack on de Blasio after an officer was shot inside a patrol van Saturday night and another outside a Bronx police station the following morning. 'Mayor DeBlasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you!' Mullins tweeted. 'We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isn't over, Game on!' De Blasio told reporters he was 'disgusted' by the comments, adding that 'there should be consequences for that kind of speech. I think it's destructive.' New York Mayor Bill de Blasio (pictured in Washington last month) told reporters he was 'disgusted' by the comments of Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) president Ed Mullins A tweet by Ed Mullins, president of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, 'declaring war' on de Blasio. The New York mayor called the words 'destructive' NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea also rebuked the union boss. 'When you see a tweet like that, I think its wrong. I think Ed Mullins should think before he tweets something like that because its not helpful,' Shea said. Freddi Goldstein, the mayor's spokeswoman, called the comments 'absolutely reprehensible.' The SBA has been angered by de Blasio's limiting of stop-and-frisk powers, his plans to close the jail on Rikers Island and declaring New York a sanctuary city. Sergeants Benevolent Association president Ed Mullins launched an attack on de Blasio after an officer was shot inside a patrol van Saturday night and another outside a Bronx police station the following morning It comes as Robert Williams, 45, was arraigned Monday on attempted murder and other charges after a weekend of terror launched on police. The shootings have led to recriminations from police officials and union leaders who criticized recent demonstrations as creating an 'anti-police' atmosphere as well as pushback to that characterization from police reform advocates who said making that connection was irresponsible. Williams, of the Bronx, is accused of approaching a police patrol van on Saturday night and firing at two officers inside, wounding one before escaping on foot, and also of opening fire Sunday morning at the 41st precinct headquarters, where he wounded a police lieutenant before being arrested. Under the watching eyes of the police officers who packed a Bronx courtroom, Williams made his first appearance following his Sunday arrest, wearing a gray sweatshirt and sweatpants, one eye swollen shut and a bandage on his ear. Just before Williams was arraigned, it was revealed that he had been arrested in 2018 for driving driving while intoxicated. At the time of that arrest, Williams allegedly tried to resist, prompting officers to use a stun gun on him. Robert Williams (pictured in court on Monday), 45, who allegedly shot two NYPD cops has been arraigned in a Bronx court as it's revealed he was 'angry' at police for using a stun gun on him during a 2018 arrest Following his arrest, he was hospitalized and from his hospital bed, Williams is said to have made several rambling statements. According to News 4, Williams expressed his anger at police in general before mentioning the DWI arrest. Williams allegedly voiced anger about being stunned and labeled an emotionally disturbed person by the officers who arrested him at the time. After the 2018 arrest, Williams went back to prison on a parole violation for two months from December 2018 to January 2019. While in custody, Williams reportedly told officers at the hospital that he was going to shoot one of them once he gets out. 'I'm going to shoot one of you when I get out,' Williams said, according to the New York Post. Following the arraignment Patrick Lynch (pictured speaking), the president of the Patrolmen's Benevolent Association of New York City, condemned the shootings outside the court Williams was remanded into custody after his appearance on Monday and is due back in court on February 14. He was represented in court by an attorney from The Bronx Defenders. 'There is still much that we don't know about what happened and what led up to this incident,' attorney Tom Klein said in a statement. 'We look forward to investigating and learning more so that we can best represent Mr. Williams.' Earlier Monday, Lt. Jose Gautreaux, who was wounded at the 41st precinct, was greeted by lines of waiting officers as he left the hospital. His arm in a sling and a police jacket over his shoulders, Gautreaux got out of a wheelchair at the hospital entrance, walking to a waiting car and giving the crowd a thumbs-up. Among those there was NYPD Commissioner Shea. The officer who was wounded in that earlier attack, Paul Stroffolino, was released from the hospital on Sunday evening. Lt Jose Gautreaux, who was wounded on Sunday morning at the 41st precinct headquarters in the Bronx, was released from the hospital earlier on Monday Police said Williams had a long criminal history, including a 2002 shooting and carjacking in which he fired a gun at police. He was paroled from prison in 2017. Shea has been vocal in condemning criminal justice reform activists for engaging in protests that he suggested have been part of creating what he called an anti-police environment. 'These things are not unrelated. We had people marching through the streets of New York City recently,' Shea said Sunday. 'Words matter. And words affect people's behavior.' A public-private partnership school in North Charleston could expand to enroll middle school students next year. Meeting Street Schools serves students on two North Charleston campuses, Meeting Street @Brentwood and Meeting Street @Burns. The Charleston County School Board voted Monday to allow the Brentwood campus to add seventh- and eighth-graders to its campus off Leeds Avenue. No action was taken on Meeting Street @Burns, located off Dorchester Road. The K-8 school would be the first of its kind for the Charleston-based educational nonprofit that operates four elementary schools across South Carolina. Brentwood currently serves pre-K through sixth-grade students. If the proposal gets final approval from the school board later this month, seventh-grade students could attend the school in August, and rising eighth-graders would be added the following school year. The public-private partnership school has been praised for its strong academic results from high-poverty North Charleston neighborhoods but has faced criticism from others who worry about the so-called lack of public input and oversight associated with public-private partnership schools. Seven board members voted in favor of the expansion. One board member was not present at the vote and board member Priscilla Jeffery abstained. The North Charleston schools are funded, in part, by Sherman Financial founder Ben Navarro and receive millions of dollars in extra support from the nonprofit that runs them. They are the only two public-private partnership schools in Charleston County. Theyre still under the jurisdiction of the school district but have much more flexibility and decision-making authority on how funding is spent and the hiring and firing of staff. Both are public schools with a defined attendance zone, and theyve both been praised for their ability to accelerate academic growth. Across the district, Meeting Street takes more children in poverty and brings them to higher levels of achievement, said Superintendent Gerritta Postlewait. Student achievement is somewhat higher in English Language Arts and off the charts higher in mathematics compared to other schools in North Charleston that have a poverty index of 80 percent or higher, Postlewait said. There are some things offered at Meeting Street campuses, like longer school days and two instructors in the classrooms, that set the schools apart from traditional public schools. This greater degree of flexibility is allowed through the states designation of Meeting Street as a school of innovation. Parent and community demand is at an all-time high for us to grow through eighth-grade and we are humbled to be able to answer that call, said Meeting Street Schools representative Chris Allen. The partnership was created in 2014 "to prove that all students, no matter where they live, can achieve at the highest levels," Allen said. The school district faced community pushback last year after the board approved a plan to identify 13 low-performing schools as potential partnership schools. Our biggest concerns all along with the public-private partnership schools is transparency and accountability, said Sarah Johnson, co-leader the Charleston Area Community Voice For Education advocacy group. We just really want to make sure that's front and center because the public-private partnership schools are governed and operated differently from all of our other schools. But shes not opposed to the expansion, just as long as the process is transparent and accountable." North Charleston community leader and activist Elvin Speights said everyone he's spoken to who has children in Meeting Street supports the expansion. "I get a lot of complaints about a lot of schools, but I dont get any about Meeting Street," Speights said. A contract between Meeting Street Elementary @Brentwood and the district obtained by The Post and Courier states the district provides funding for the school based on the average of the per-pupil funding the district provides at other, similar schools. Meeting Street's flagship school, Meeting Street Academy, opened in 2008 and operates independently of CCSD. The next school board meeting is scheduled for Feb. 24. The hot topic in American politics is President Donald Trump's bid to win black voters away from the Democratic Party. His campaign ran a Super Bowl ad touting his signature on a bill that helped a black grandmother get out of federal prison; during his State of the Union address, the president boasted that African American unemployment has never been lower and presented a series of black beneficiaries of his policies. Will it work? Consider this ingenious experiment that social scientists conducted late in the 2012 presidential campaign. Pairs of African American students were given $100 each and told that they could donate either to President Barack Obama's campaign or to that of his opponent, Republican Mitt Romney. They were also told they could keep $1 for every $10 they gave to Romney. Each time, though, one of the two students, secretly cooperating with the social scientists, announced that he or she intended to give entirely to Obama. Thereupon, the other student did so as well, forfeiting an easy 10 bucks. Conclusion: Black Americans are such loyal Democrats, and voting for Democrats is such a powerful norm in the African American community, that you literally cannot pay black people to "defect" openly. These and other data appear in a provocative new book, "Steadfast Democrats: How Social Forces Shape Black Political Behavior," by political scientists Ismail K. White and Chryl N. Laird. They argue that peer pressure - or "racialized social constraint" - is a key determinant of African American partisanship. To be sure, most black Americans vote Democratic because they prefer that party, and what it stands for, over the RepublicanParty. Yet a significant minority of African Americans - nearly a third, White and Laird report - consider themselves conservative and share at least some Republican economic and social positions. It is on this segment of the black electorate that intragroup social pressure primarily operates, causing many to back Democrats, the authors argue. White and Laird's analysis superficially supports the right's complaint that coercive group dynamics confine black people to a "Democrat plantation," in pro-Trump black activist Candace Owens's derisive phrase. Actually, as White and Laird astutely note, racialized social constraint is a rational, and indeed natural, strategic response to the collective-action problems any minority group faces in a majoritarian political system. To the extent that individual black people's survival and progress depend on the group's ability to leverage its power - and during slavery, segregation and the civil rights revolution, that was a large extent - it makes sense to preserve unity and deter "free-riding." "None of the basic social or psychological mechanisms . . . are particularly unique to African Americans," White and Laird write. Unions brand non-dues-paying workers "scabs." Southern whites may be using their own form of racialized social constraint now to enforce pro-Trump Republican voting, the authors suggest. Note the herdlike pro-Trump behavior of Republican senators. Obama, uniquely popular among black voters, is not on the ballot in 2020, so the 2012 experiment does not apply simplistically to this year. Trump's strategists sense an opening to exploit economic self-interest - promoted by pro-Trump African American spokesmen such as musician Kanye West and Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina - and break through the social network effects that have caused some blacks to stick with the Democrats despite having a more conservative ideology. It's a brazen gambit, given the president's vicious personal attacks on not only his predecessor, Obama, but also other black Democratic icons such as Reps. John Lewis of Georgia and Elijah Cummings of Maryland (who died in October). There is a certain "so-crazy-it-just-might-work" quality to it, however. All Trump has to do to help his cause in swing states is increase his 8% national support among African Americans in 2016 by a couple of percentage points, or persuade a significant number of black voters to sit out the contest. "What he was saying to African Americans can be effective," Democratic commentator Van Jones, who is black, warned on CNN after the State of the Union address. Laird is skeptical. Though America is much less segregated than it was 50 years ago, she told me in an interview, black citizens still generally live in "predominantly black spaces, where there is enforcement of a group norm in terms of partisanship." As her book points out, would-be African American Trump voters still face the following choice: cast a secret ballot for Trump and admit it later to friends and family, taking heat at church or school; or conceal it, preserving social relationships but creating internal psychological distress. "Given the social rewards of conformity, voting Democratic is the least costly option," White and Laird write. It would probably take a dramatic increase in neighborhood integration to change these dynamics. But the GOP's white Southern base is not exactly clamoring for aggressive federal housing desegregation policies. In fact, the Trump administration rolled back the initiatives Obama took. It's not easy to get people's votes while signaling that you don't want them living next door. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Jordan Fabian (Bloomberg) Washington, United States Tue, February 11, 2020 11:37 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063bfe9e 2 World Ukraine,advisor,White-House Free President Donald Trumps National Security Advisor Robert OBrien said his staff was bloated when he took over last year and that he plans to reduce it to about 100 people, after an aide who testified in the House impeachment inquiry was dismissed on Friday. We think a more efficient NSC and leaner NSC is a more effective NSC, OBrien told reporters traveling with Trump to a campaign rally in New Hampshire on Monday, using the abbreviation for the National Security Council. This is something that people in both parties have been concerned about in the past, the size of the NSC, OBrien added. So I think weve streamlined it. Were reforming it. On Friday, the White House dismissed NSC aides Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman following Trumps acquittal in his Senate impeachment trial. Alexander Vindman, a lieutenant colonel in the Army, had testified in the House impeachment trial in response to a subpoena. His twin, Yevgeny, was a senior lawyer and ethics official for the NSC. The White House has not offered any official explanation for the ouster of either of the Vindmans. Most of the NSCs staff is made up of career officials on loan from other government agencies, including the Defense and State departments. They routinely return to their home agencies after serving a rotation at the White House, but Trump has suggested Alexander Vindman was removed in retaliation for his testimony. OBrien took over the NSC after former National Security Advisor John Bolton was dismissed in September. Trump ordered a reduction in the NSCs staff after a whistle-blower reported concern about the presidents July 25 call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which he asked for an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter. OBrien offered veiled criticism of Bolton in his remarks to reporters, saying he had restored process to the NSC. Were bringing the deputies and principals in to give their best advice, the best information theyve got on the issues were facing and their opinions so we can get those to the president, he said. Were very happy with how thats going. But the mayor did not tell the public or the City Council why Mr. del Pozo was placed on leave until Dec. 13, when Seven Days, an alternative weekly, approached him about the tweets. At the time, the mayor said doctors for Mr. del Pozo, who had been seriously hurt in a bicycle accident in 2018, confirmed he had an underlying mental health issue that had contributed to erratic behavior on the part of the chief. City councilors criticized the mayor, arguing he should have been more transparent with the public. Mayor Weinberger said he was trying to preserve Mr. del Pozos privacy. Our city employment professionals strongly advised that we should treat the chief like we would treat any other employee and protect his medical information, he said in an interview. It was a challenging decision but thats the way we chose to handle it and I stand by that decision. On Dec. 16, Mr. del Pozo submitted his resignation letter. It became clear by the end of that weekend that he was going to face continued criticism and that the path forward for him to remain in the position was going to be very challenging, Mayor Weinberger said. The mayor then appointed Jannine Wright, the deputy chief, to succeed Mr. del Pozo. But soon after her appointment, Ms. Wright told the mayor that she had created two fake Facebook accounts, one under the name Lori Spicer and the other Abby Sykes. She was demoted back to deputy chief the same day, and later put on administrative leave. The accounts went after Mr. Winkleman and city councilors, including Mr. Tracy, who were critical of the department following the death of a man who was punched during a confrontation with a Burlington police officer last March. You have publicly convicted an officer of murder when he has not had due process, said one post written in June 2019, according to the findings of an internal police investigation. Shame on you. VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. ("A2Z" or the "Company") (TSXV:AZ) announced today that the Israeli Ministry of Defense ("Israeli MOD") has awarded the Company a three-year contract for CAD $1.5 million that will be paid over the life of the contract. Under the terms of the contract the Israeli MOD will be leasing A2Z's products and equipment for which A2Z will be responsible for maintenance for the duration of the contract. The equipment will remain the property of A2Z throughout. At the end of the contract the Company will be able to determine how to best position the assets going-forward. There is also significant potential for a new contract for the same services following the end of the three-year contract period. "We are extremely pleased to have been awarded this contract and the continued strength we are seeing in our technologies and service businesses. This contract is not only a significant source of recurring revenues for the next three years but also deepens our relationship with one of our most long-standing government partners. A2Z and the Israeli MOD have been working together for decades now, and with our new innovative FTICS technology, which we believe is "the next seatbelt" to make automobiles safer than ever, we look forward to continuing to protect the lives of both military and civilian populations in future decades as well," said Bentsur Joseph, CEO of A2Z. Israel's MOD is the governmental department responsible for Israel's security at the political, military, and civilian levels, with their primary objective being to ensure the safety of Israel. The Israeli MOD also promotes research and development in security technologies and supports veterans and their families. More on Israel's Ministry of Defense: https://www.gov.il/en/departments/ministry_of_defense About A2Z A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. is an innovative technology company based out of Israel, specializing in military technology and expanding into the civilian markets. A2Z has been operating for over 30 years and has a client base with 75 recurring clients, including the Israel Defense Forces, Security Forces, and Ministry of Defence among others. A2Z plans to leverage their cash flow-generating core-business to expand into the civilian robotics and automobile markets. According to Zion Market Research, the Military Robotics space is expected to reach $53.93B by 2027 for a projected CAGR of 13.5%.(Summary of Report) Highlights: Core Business: A2Z's line of products include unmanned remote-controlled vehicles of various sizes designed for intricate bomb disposal, counter terrorism, and fire fighting, as well as energy storage power packs/generators. A2Z also provides maintenance services to both external and in-house complex electronic systems and products to over 75 clients. A2Z has been an Israel Ministry of Defense contractor for over 30 years and a significant portion of its business is long-term service contracts. Expansion into Civilian Markets: To drive growth, A2Z plans to adapt its military technologies for the much larger civilian markets. One patent-pending product is a capsule (FTICS) that prevents vehicle fires resulting from collisions. A2Z has also been granted a patent for a smart vehicle cover device that protects automobiles from natural elements while the vehicle is parked and is stowed away safely in the vehicle's bumper when not in use. Fuel Tank Inertia Containment System (FTICS): In the event of a collision, the FTICS installed into the fuel tank prevents the ignition of fuel, thereby mitigating the spread of fire and explosion, minimizing risk to human life and property damage. According to the NFPA, from 2014 to 2016, an estimated 171,500 highway vehicle fires occurred in the United States, resulting in an annual average of 345 deaths, 1,300 injuries, and $1.1 billion in property loss annually. Management: CEO Bentsur Joseph's previous venture, Comfy Interactive, was acquired by Shamrock Holdings, the family investment firm founded by Roy Disney. Previously, Bentsur Joseph was the chairman of Elad Hotels whose holdings include the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Bentsur Joseph has a ~64% ownership stake in the business with 30,000,000 shares subject to an escrow agreement. For more information regarding A2Z, please visit the Company's website at www.a2zas.com. Twitter: @A2Z_Advanced On Behalf of the Board, Bentsur Joseph, CEO CONTACT: Trenton Kwan, KIN Communications Toll Free: 1-866-684-6730 az@kincommunications.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws. SOURCE: A2Z Technologies Canada Corp. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575912/A2Z-Technologies-Canada-Corp-Awarded-15M-Three-Year-Contract-with-Israels-Ministry-of-Defense Caught off guard by unprecedented difficulties, most enterprises in China have rolled out active precaution measures while resuming production Monday amid the national fight against the novel coronavirus outbreak. On Monday morning, Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo held its work resumption ceremony in a silent way. Wearing masks, employees had their body temperature checked and hands disinfected before they were allowed to enter the company's headquarters in Beijing. Lenovo's factories in the cities of Shenzhen and Hefei have resumed work on Monday after substantial preparations for epidemic prevention and control, according to Lenovo Chairman and CEO Yang Yuanqing. The work resumption delay, logistics stagnation and impact on Lenovo's Wuhan plant will undoubtedly lead to production disruption for the company in the short run. "Thanks to Lenovo's global manufacturing and sales networks, we are able to minimize the potential impacts of the epidemic on customers, and we believe that we can deal with the current situation," Yang said. In a circular released over the weekend, the State Council, or China's cabinet, urged efforts to protect workers from getting infected and meanwhile resume production as soon as possible. Foreign enterprises At around 7:00 a.m. Monday, private cars and buses carrying employees started entering the Tesla Shanghai gigafactory, which resumed business Monday. Not far from the factory, Shanghai Lingang Joyson Safety Systems Co., Ltd, a supplier of made-in-Shanghai Model 3 and Model Y cars, also resumed work on Monday morning, helping speed up the delivery process of China-made Tesla vehicles. A total of 330 enterprises have been allowed to resume operation by Monday in the Lingang area, the newly launched section of the Shanghai free trade zone, where the Tesla factory is located. Over 20 factories across China under the U.S. agribusiness giant Cargill resumed production, following the instructions of the local governments in a bid to guarantee supply amid the epidemic outbreak. One of its feed plants based in Hubei Province, which is the hardest hit by the disease, has not yet resumed work. "The health and safety of our employees are of primary consideration, and we strictly apply comprehensive measures to protect our employees, resume production and fight against the epidemic," said Liu Jun, China president of Cargill. According to Liu, telecommuting solutions based on Internet technologies helped the company a lot in communication. "We can stay efficient with emails, calls and online video chats with communication apps of all kinds," said Liu. Eighteen of Honeywell's 21 factories in the Chinese mainland have resumed production as of Monday, while 95 percent of the company's office clerks will work from home this week. The company hosted an online meeting Monday with over 3,000 employees joining live through the Internet. There are some 50,000 foreign-invested companies in Shanghai, according to the Shanghai Association of Foreign Investment. Those manufacturing anti-epidemic materials and daily necessities did not halt their productions, while others are gradually resuming business and production. "China has taken decisive and powerful measures to control the epidemic, and we firmly believe that Chinese and Japanese enterprises will work together to tackle the difficulties," said Tatsuo Sugiyama, the regional general manager of the East Asia Region of Nippon Express Co., Ltd. Liu of Cargill said the current epidemic outbreak will have an impact on his company's business as well as China's society and economy to a certain degree. However, the trade volume will see recovery growth after the epidemic. "We are prepared in accordance with possible economic fluctuation," Liu said. Active precaution measures In eastern China's Anhui Province bordering Hubei, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, Gao Lanlan went back to work on Monday morning at the Delixi Electric (Wuhu) CO., LTD. The 30-year-old is a native of Anhui's Wuhu, a city where more than 770 enterprises resumed work Monday after the protracted holiday. "I feel quite safe as the company has beefed up prevention against the virus," Gao said. "We abide by the rules and regulations and strengthen self-protection while working hard to make money." The company requires employees to live alone in their dormitories and migrant workers have to go through a strict 14-day home quarantine before returning to work. So far, about 1,200 employees have returned to work out of the normal staff of around 3,000, according to Ye Xianbing, manager of the company's safety and environmental protection department. "For the sake of safety, mainly local workers have returned. Those from Hubei and other hard-hit areas are not back, making us a little shorthanded," Ye said. "Substantial preparations before the resumption of work have rendered smooth operation. However, due to traffic controls in some provinces, transportation and logistics have not fully recovered." In China's trade hub of Zhejiang, more than 162 companies in the provincial capital of Hangzhou have been approved by local authorities to resume work as of Feb. 8. "We passed Sunday's inspection by local authorities before we applied for resumption of work," said Jiang Xinlian, general manager of the Uhoo Office Stationery Co., Ltd in Zhejiang's Ningbo. Uhoo is a traditional manufacturing enterprise with 200 employees, half of whom are migrant workers. To resume work in an orderly way, the company has laid out detailed rules at every link, from the production line to the dining areas. Temperature-taking is enforced for frontline workers three times a day and working areas have to be disinfected every day. Besides temperature scanning, administrative staff who need to contact external personnel such as suppliers and customers are required to register the information of each contact to ensure it is traceable. To reduce crowds and prevent the spread of the coronavirus outbreak, some Chinese enterprises have resumed business online. In Shanghai, the latest official survey showed that over 80 percent of software and information service enterprises in the city have returned to work, and more than 70 percent of their employees have chosen to work from home using telecommuting and video teleconference services to avoid infection. Some employees of the Shaoxing Buting Textile Co., Ltd, Keqiao District in Zhejiang's Shaoxing, now work from home, communicating with domestic and foreign customers online. "As work resumes, we are trying our best to raise the working efficiency at this critical period," said Qian Shuijiang, head of the company. After just a year of operations, realme Philippines climbs to the fourth spot of the top smartphone brands in the country in Q4 2019, according to leading global market analyst firm Canalys. realme Philippines grew its year-on-year sell-in shipment by a staggering 709 percent, the fastest of any smartphone brand, making it claim nine percent of the countrys total unit shares. The same global study showed that the Philippines witnessed a growth of 28 percent in total smartphone shipments in the same quarter. realme Philippines grew 709 percent year-on-year, claiming a top spot in a study by Canalys In 2019,realme Philippines has established a strong presence in the market with the launch of six new devices positioned strategically across different price segments. The clear understanding of the markets demand for real value has ushered in record-breaking sales both in online and offline channels and critical accolades for the brand and its devices. Propelling the brands market value are its highly engaging products realme 3 series, realme C series, the recent quad-camera realme 5 series and the realme XT. realme Philippines record-breaking feat can also be attributed to the wide array of partnerships it has sealed in the previous year, such as those with SM Supermalls, Home Credit and Qualcomm. Cementing its stake in the local mobile gaming industry is its strong partnership with Mobile Legends Developer Moonton. realme Philippines also grew vigorously offline and online, strengthening its presence in Shopee and Lazada. The fastest growing smartphone brand also grew the number of its distributors, resellers and brick-and-mortar stores in 2019. The brand currently has 4,500 partner stores, 280 kiosks and 24 concept stores nationwide. Keeping the momentum strong Realme Philippines is determined to keep the growth momentum strong by keeping the same brand DNA in its products and promotional approach. The brand is also keen to further expand reach with its growing Artificial Internet of Things (AIoT) product line, which includes the realme Wireless Buds, realme Powerbank, realme Buds Air and more. Additionally, realme Philippines has shown intention to propel the growing demand for 5G by offering its very competitive 5G smartphone lineup in the Philippines. The brand is now in close coordination with local telecom operators to ensure the compatibility of its devices. Once the local 5G landscape and infrastructure are ready, Filipinos can expect the most attainable 5G smartphones to come from realme. We are much delighted to share this news to the realme community as this would not be possible without their constant support and loyalty to the brand. We are thankful for the support and patronage we are receiving. 2020 will be the year that we grow further with more competitive smartphones, AIoT, and 5G inclusion. Expect that we shall leap to greater heights with more Filipinos ready to enjoy the real value and the latest technology, shares realme Philippines Marketing Director Austine Huang. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 15:37:07 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 1112 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 SHERMAN OAKS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / On the eve of Saint Valentine's Day, Leo Robin Music wishes everyone true romantic love like that celebrated in the heartfelt lyrics of legendary lyricist Leo Robin's hit songs he wrote with great composers including "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" with Jule Styne, "Easy Living" with Ralph Rainger, "For Every Man There's a Woman" with Harold Arlen, "In Love in Vain" with Jerome Kern, "Love Is Just around the Corner" with Lew E. Gensler, "My Heart Won't Say Goodbye" with Sigmund Romberg, "My Ideal" with Richard A. Whiting, "No Love, No Nothin'" with Harry Warren, "Oh, but I Do!" with Arthur Schwartz and "Prisoner of Love" with Russ Columbo.Robin lived a lifetime of love through his work and his marriages. In 1916, he became a cub reporter for the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph where he wrote an "Advice to the Lovelorn" column, which he later said helped him with his love songs. Cherie Redmond once confessed that she fell in love with Leo's lyrics before falling in love with him. "I knew I had to marry the man who wrote such wonderful love songs," Cherie once said about him. After being together for more than 25 years, what one could call a lengthy courtship, on August 26, 1979, Leo married Cherie. Unfortunately, on December 29, 1984, after having been married only a little over five years, Cherie would lose Leo and the world would lose a giant.This Hollywood couple experienced requited love throughout their years together that would endure for the remainder of their lives, an unusual feat for any couple let alone a Hollywood one. "It's only human for anyone to want to be in love But who wants to be in love in vain?" These searing lyrics written by lyricist Leo Robin from his ballad "In Love in Vain" perfectly describe the conundrum between love and unrequited love. Cherie's love of Leo and his music drove her desire to ensure that Leo would be acknowledged for his many achievements. Her last act of love for Leo was to cement his legacy in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1988, both Cherie Robin, and actor, Bob Hope, sponsored Leo for a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But all too soon after that, Cherie, herself, already grief-stricken, was diagnosed with a terminal illness.Lena Horne singing the ballad "In Love in Vain," composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Leo Robin,from her 1966 studio album Lena in Hollywood, arranged by Ray EllisTragically, Cherie Robin never received the good news about Leo's star because she passed away on May 28, 1989, a little over one year before the letter from the Hollywood Chamber was sent out on June 18, 1990 announcing that her husband had been awarded the star. As a result of these ill-fated circumstances, Leo's star was never installed. On July 6, 2017, Leo's grandson discovered Leo's long-lost star when he stumbled upon it on the internet. When, later that day, the grandson called the Hollywood Chamber and spoke to Ms. Martinez, he told her about his discovery of Leo's long-lost star; she officially confirmed it was true and said, "Nothing like this has ever happened before." Almost two years later on May 23, 2019, Ashley Lee from the Los Angeles Times first broke the grandson's serendipitous discovery in her story, "Leo Robin never got his Walk of Fame star. Now his grandson is fighting for it." When, more than 29 years ago, the acceptance letter was mailed to Mrs. Robin (deceased) and subsequently returned to sender, Ms. Lee reported what happened, "The envelope was returned to its sender and has since remained in the Chamber of Commerce's records." She also tweeted, "at first I didn't believe that Leo Robin's star had really slipped through the cracks" with a photo of that acceptance letter and the envelope stamped "RETURN TO SENDER." The Hollywood Chamber made no attempt to notify the co-sponsor, Bob Hope, who has four stars on the Walk. In a press release issued by Leo Robin Music on June 26, 2019, the following was said about the Hollywood Chamber, "What the Chamber did after the letter was (marked) "Return to Sender" was not customary practice but smacks of disregard for the individuals honored by the Walk of Fame Committee." Caption: Leo Robin and wife Cherie Redmond at their wedding on August 26, 1979. (Scott Ora / Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)Leo Robin wrote the lyrics to the torchy ballad "In Love in Vain," composed by Jerome Kern, which was introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for the star Jeanne Crain in the 1946 musical film Centennial Summer directed by Otto Preminger. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, which starred Judy Garland. In the Best Years: Going to the Movies, 1945-1946, Charles Affron and Mirella Jona Affron give their critique of the scene with this song, "Centennial Summer did not, however, boast a Deanna Durbin or a Judy Garland, leading ladies of spectacular musical talent. Moviegoers had to make do with Jeanne Crain lip-synching Kern's [and Robin's] wonderful ballad "In Love in Vain."" This song whose heartfelt lyrics about the aspirations of love have been performed through the ages by a wide spectrum of entertainers from the most celebrated jazz musicians such as pianists Bill Evans and Nina Simone and vocalists such as Bobby Darin, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Margaret Whiting, Eydie Gorme, Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest to actresses such as Diahann Carroll, Doris Day and Jane Powell.Because everyone loved Robin and his works, he experienced outpourings of love during his lifetime and posthumously. However, after giving so much to Hollywood - which some might call Leo's first true love, he would finally experience unrequited love from the black-hearted officials at the Hollywood Chamber who are wrongfully refusing to install Robin's star. In contradiction of its mission, the Hollywood Chamber is not doing justice to the nomination of Robin. Instead we are witness to the injustice of Leo's long-lost star and the Hollywood Chamber's refusal to honor their commitment to Robin's memory. Moreover, in a press release issued by Leo Robin Music on July 30, 2019, the following was said about the Hollywood Chamber, "What a strange twist in irony; the Chamber, which administers this famous sidewalk landmark and usually assists honorees, performed the opposite of its mission and public expectations. Instead of assisting, the Chamber obstr Mike Bloomberg is paying influencers to make him appear more appealing to young voters. Experts say the social media stars are more trusted than celebrities. Last week food and travel blogger Alycia Chrosniak was phoned out of the blue by Bloomberg's campaign team who were offering $150 for a post about her backing the former New York Mayor. 'It feels weird to put out an ad supporting a person versus a product,' said Chrosniak, who is based in Connecticut and has over 3,500 followers. She said Bloomberg was not her 'top choice' candidate and said she did not take up the offer. The tactic of paying micro-influencers - people with a few thousand engaged social media followers - to spread political messages or make content is gathering momentum ahead of the 2020 race, though some industry players remain wary. Mike Bloomberg is paying influencers to make him appear more appealing to young voters because the social media stars are more trusted than celebrities (pictured: at a campaign stop at Eastern Market in Detroit, Michigan, last week) Several agencies who connect influencers with brands told Reuters they had been approached by political campaigns, though they would not name individual politicians or organizations. For the 2018 midterm elections, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee paid influencers to spread 'get out the vote' messaging. Progressive political action committee NextGen America has already recruited hundreds of Instagram micro-influencers to encourage young, less-likely voters to turn out in 2020, while Piedmont Rising, a North Carolina healthcare non-profit, is paying local influencers to share their stories ahead of the U.S. Senate election. Last week food and travel blogger Alycia Chrosniak (pictured) was phoned out of the blue by Bloomberg's campaign team who were offering $150 for a post about her backing the former New York Mayor. Conservative student group Turning Point USA has also built a network of more than 100 unpaid social media 'ambassadors,' who they invite to events and gift branded swag. The Bloomberg campaign's post on influencer marketplace Tribe, which was first reported by the Daily Beast, sought content from U.S. residents who were supportive of the former New York mayor. The Bloomberg campaign did not respond to Reuters requests for comment. Political groups and marketers say the idea is that voters have a more trusted connection with micro-influencers than with celebrities. They can also reach specific local or niche communities. 'They trust the mommy blogger who's active in their local community,' said Matt Anthes, vice president of digital communications firm The Hatcher Group. Marketer James Nord said influencers had earned tens of thousands of dollars for several pieces of political content during campaigns he had worked on. But NextGen America, which has partnered with influencers ranging from drag queens in the Iowa caucuses to famous huskies in Wisconsin for the state's Supreme Court election, said influencers were often turned off if they were offered money for content early in the conversation. Gil Eyal, who runs influencer platform HYPR, said he generally advises politicians to stick to unpaid deals, to avoid legal or reputational risks. Last November, BuzzFeed News reported that influencer database AspireIQ took down an ad run by a group offering to pay influencers to post content supporting then-candidate Cory Booker. AspireIQ did not respond when Reuters asked if it prohibited political influencer partnerships. The U.S. Federal Election Commission's rules do not explicitly address social media influencers. But it does say that public online communications advocating for the election or defeat of a candidate for a fee must include a disclaimer to inform who paid for the content. Personnel wearing protective suits wait near an entrance at the Cheung Hong Estate, a public housing estate during the evacuation of residents in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health evacuated some residents from the public housing estate after two cases of novel coronavirus infection to stop the potential risk of further spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) For most up-to-date information and most recent news, click here to follow AccuWeather's daily coronavirus briefing. With the overall death toll climbing each day, but the daily death toll showing signs of subsiding, fear and uncertainty have spread farther and farther around the globe as the novel coronavirus continues to captivate the world's attention. However, John Nicholls, a pathology professor at the University of Hong Kong, says he knows when the virus will become inactive. In a private conference call organized last week by CLSA, a brokerage firm based in Hong Kong, investment analysts had a chance to ask Nicholls, one of the world's foremost experts on the topic, questions about the novel coronavirus. In the days since the call took place, details of Nicholls' analysis have surfaced on social media and elsewhere online, including a transcript of the call. Nicholls responded to emailed questions from AccuWeather on Wednesday and confirmed his participation in the discussion, but emphasized that his remarks were made in "a personal capacity" and meant to remain "private." He said the call was recorded "without my knowledge or consent" and then leaked on social media. When asked by AccuWeather, Nicholls did not dispute any of quotes attributed to him in the leaked transcript. CLSA has not responded to AccuWeather's request for a comment on the conference call. The transcript of the call showed Nicholls believes weather conditions will be a key factor in the demise of the novel coronavirus. Referencing the SARS outbreak from 2002 and 2003, Nicholls said he thinks similar weather factors will also shut down the spread of the novel coronavirus. Story continues "Three things the virus does not like: 1. Sunlight, 2. Temperature, and 3. Humidity," Nicholls said in response to a question about when he thinks confirmed cases will peak. A traffic policeman adjusts his mask on a street in Beijing, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020. China's coronavirus death toll on Sunday has surpassed the number of fatalities in the 2002-2003 SARS epidemic, but fewer new cases were reported in a possible sign its spread may be slowing as other nations step up efforts to block the disease. (AP Photo/Andy Wong) "Sunlight will cut the virus' ability to grow in half so the half-life will be 2.5 minutes and in the dark it's about 13 to 20 [minutes]," Nicholls said. "Sunlight is really good at killing viruses." For that reason, he also added that he doesn't expect areas such as Australia, Africa and the Southern hemisphere to see high rates of infection because they are in the middle of summer. Regarding temperatures, Nicholls said the warmer the better for stopping the spread of the virus, according to the transcript of the conference call. "The virus can remain intact at 4 degrees (39 degrees Fahrenheit) or 10 degrees (50 F) for a longer period of time," Nicholls said, referring to Celsius measurements, according to the transcript. "But at 30 degrees (86 degrees F) then you get inactivation. And high humidity -- the virus doesn't like it either," he added, the transcript of the call showed. However, Nicholls also said that he doesn't consider SARS or MERS, a Middle Eastern novel virus that spread in 2012, to be an accurate comparison for this year's outbreak. Rather, the novel coronavirus most closely relates to a severe case of the common cold. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP "Compared to SARS and MERS, we are talking about a coronavirus that has a mortality rate of eight to 10 times less deadly to SARS to MERS," Nicholls said. "So, a correct comparison is not SARS or MERS but a severe cold. Basically, this is a severe form of the cold." Similar to a common cold, the surrounding environment of the outbreak plays an important role in determining the survivability and spreadability of the virus, he continued. Because of the impending shift in seasons, Nicholls said he expects the spread of the virus to be curbed in a matter of months. "I think it will burn itself out in about six months," Nicholls said. A woman with a face protection mask walks along the high street in Brighton, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. Britain has declared the new coronavirus that emerged from China a "serious and imminent threat to public health'' and announced new measures Monday to combat the spread of the disease.(AP Photo/Frank Augstein) According to the transcript, Nicholls elaborated on exactly when he expects the novel coronavirus to subside as investment analysts posed more questions. "The environment is a crucial factor. The environment will be unfavorable for growth around May," Nicholls said. "The evidence is to look at the common cold -- it's always during winter. So the natural environment will not be favorable in Asia in about May." Average temperatures typically reach as high as 86 F in Wuhan, the outbreak's epicenter, on June 17. The AccuWeather forecast calls for temperatures ranging from a high in the low 60s F to a low of below 30 F over the next seven days. When asked about the probability of the novel coronavirus becoming endemic, Nicholls responded, "If it is like SARS it will not be endemic. It most likely will be a hit and run just like SARS." Outside of China, Nicholls added to AccuWeather that he would expect the impacts of the virus to be varied in places such as Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore, Nicholls said, may potentially see the virus linger for longer due to an abundance of large public spaces with indoor air-conditioning, such as malls, where people congregate and temperatures and humidity remain lowered. AccuWeather Founder and CEO Joel Myers speculated earlier this month that spring may be a pivotal time for the fate of the coronavirus. In response to Nicholls analysis, Myers said, "By mid-April we should know" whether the virus is on the decline because of the changing weather. Experts that AccuWeather has spoken to previously have stopped short of linking weather to the spread of the virus. Earlier this month, Andrew Pekosz, Ph.D. professor and vice chair of the W. Harry Feinstone Department of Molecular Microbiology & Immunology at Johns Hopkins University, told AccuWeather cooler weather provides more favorable conditions for the spread of most respiratory viruses. "Many respiratory viruses transmit better at low temperature and humidity, but we have no data on how this might affect 2019-nCoV transmission," Pekosz said in an email to AccuWeather on Feb. 4. "Respiratory coronaviruses do appear more frequently in cooler months (late fall, winter). Since we don't know how this virus was transmitted within its natural host, it's difficult to predict if it will have the same pattern as human respiratory coronaviruses," Pekosz said at the time. Nicholls' comments, while made privately, represent the most definitive tie to the weather a health expert has made yet. At the University of Hong Kong, Nicholls has spent the past 25 years studying coronavirus and he served as a key member of the team that characterized SARS. The Hong Kong University Faculty of Medicine's Clinical Research Centre also created the world's first lab-grown copy of novel coronavirus, according to CNN correspondent Kristie Lu Stout, giving researchers a major breakthrough in understanding the behavior of the virus. However, in an interview with Lu Stout, Nicholls said there is one key difference between prior outbreaks and the current spread of the novel coronavirus. Unlike previous versions of coronavirus, the novel coronavirus has been able to be spread before symptoms present themselves in patients. coronaviruse outbreak A personnel wearing protective suit waits near an entrance at the Cheung Hong Estate, a public housing estate during evacuation of residents in Hong Kong, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health evacuated some residents from the public housing estate after two cases of novel coronavirus infection to stop the potential risk of further spread of the virus. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) But despite that frightening trait, Nicholls' long-term optimism hasn't changed in other public remarks that he's made recently. "My feeling is that this is going to be just like SARS, that the world is going to get a very bad cold for about five months," Nicholls told CNN last week. "Of course the weather and climate will be crucial," Myers said of the virus' capacity to spread as the seasons change. "Where spring comes early with above-normal temps and more sunshine, the virus spread will slow faster than where clouds diminish the sunshine and temperatures and humidities are slow to rise." The World Health Organization (WHO) officially designated the virus COVID-19 on Tuesday, adding that the first vaccine could be available in 18 months, according to Reuters. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios SHERMAN OAKS, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / On the eve of Saint Valentine's Day, Leo Robin Music wishes everyone true romantic love like that celebrated in the heartfelt lyrics of legendary lyricist Leo Robin's hit songs he wrote with great composers including "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend" with Jule Styne, "Easy Living" with Ralph Rainger, "For Every Man There's a Woman" with Harold Arlen, "In Love in Vain" with Jerome Kern, "Love Is Just around the Corner" with Lew E. Gensler, "My Heart Won't Say Goodbye" with Sigmund Romberg, "My Ideal" with Richard A. Whiting, "No Love, No Nothin'" with Harry Warren, "Oh, but I Do!" with Arthur Schwartz and "Prisoner of Love" with Russ Columbo. Robin lived a lifetime of love through his work and his marriages. In 1916, he became a cub reporter for the Pittsburgh Chronicle-Telegraph where he wrote an "Advice to the Lovelorn" column, which he later said helped him with his love songs. Cherie Redmond once confessed that she fell in love with Leo's lyrics before falling in love with him. "I knew I had to marry the man who wrote such wonderful love songs," Cherie once said about him. After being together for more than 25 years, what one could call a lengthy courtship, on August 26, 1979, Leo married Cherie. Unfortunately, on December 29, 1984, after having been married only a little over five years, Cherie would lose Leo and the world would lose a giant. This Hollywood couple experienced requited love throughout their years together that would endure for the remainder of their lives, an unusual feat for any couple let alone a Hollywood one. "It's only human for anyone to want to be in love But who wants to be in love in vain?" These searing lyrics written by lyricist Leo Robin from his ballad "In Love in Vain" perfectly describe the conundrum between love and unrequited love. Cherie's love of Leo and his music drove her desire to ensure that Leo would be acknowledged for his many achievements. Her last act of love for Leo was to cement his legacy in the Hollywood Walk of Fame. In 1988, both Cherie Robin, and actor, Bob Hope, sponsored Leo for a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. But all too soon after that, Cherie, herself, already grief-stricken, was diagnosed with a terminal illness. Lena Horne singing the ballad "In Love in Vain," composed by Jerome Kern with lyrics by Leo Robin, from her 1966 studio album Lena in Hollywood, arranged by Ray Ellis Tragically, Cherie Robin never received the good news about Leo's star because she passed away on May 28, 1989, a little over one year before the letter from the Hollywood Chamber was sent out on June 18, 1990 announcing that her husband had been awarded the star. As a result of these ill-fated circumstances, Leo's star was never installed. On July 6, 2017, Leo's grandson discovered Leo's long-lost star when he stumbled upon it on the internet. When, later that day, the grandson called the Hollywood Chamber and spoke to Ms. Martinez, he told her about his discovery of Leo's long-lost star; she officially confirmed it was true and said, "Nothing like this has ever happened before." Almost two years later on May 23, 2019, Ashley Lee from the Los Angeles Times first broke the grandson's serendipitous discovery in her story, "Leo Robin never got his Walk of Fame star. Now his grandson is fighting for it." When, more than 29 years ago, the acceptance letter was mailed to Mrs. Robin (deceased) and subsequently returned to sender, Ms. Lee reported what happened, "The envelope was returned to its sender and has since remained in the Chamber of Commerce's records." She also tweeted, "at first I didn't believe that Leo Robin's star had really slipped through the cracks" with a photo of that acceptance letter and the envelope stamped "RETURN TO SENDER." The Hollywood Chamber made no attempt to notify the co-sponsor, Bob Hope, who has four stars on the Walk. In a press release issued by Leo Robin Music on June 26, 2019, the following was said about the Hollywood Chamber, "What the Chamber did after the letter was (marked) "Return to Sender" was not customary practice but smacks of disregard for the individuals honored by the Walk of Fame Committee." Caption: Leo Robin and wife Cherie Redmond at their wedding on August 26, 1979. (Scott Ora / Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times) Leo Robin wrote the lyrics to the torchy ballad "In Love in Vain," composed by Jerome Kern, which was introduced by Louanne Hogan dubbing for the star Jeanne Crain in the 1946 musical film Centennial Summer directed by Otto Preminger. It was produced in response to the hugely successful 1944 MGM musical film Meet Me in St. Louis, which starred Judy Garland. In the Best Years: Going to the Movies, 1945-1946, Charles Affron and Mirella Jona Affron give their critique of the scene with this song, "Centennial Summer did not, however, boast a Deanna Durbin or a Judy Garland, leading ladies of spectacular musical talent. Moviegoers had to make do with Jeanne Crain lip-synching Kern's [and Robin's] wonderful ballad "In Love in Vain."" This song whose heartfelt lyrics about the aspirations of love have been performed through the ages by a wide spectrum of entertainers from the most celebrated jazz musicians such as pianists Bill Evans and Nina Simone and vocalists such as Bobby Darin, Carmen McRae, Sarah Vaughan, Lena Horne, Margaret Whiting, Eydie Gorme, Dick Haymes and Helen Forrest to actresses such as Diahann Carroll, Doris Day and Jane Powell. Because everyone loved Robin and his works, he experienced outpourings of love during his lifetime and posthumously. However, after giving so much to Hollywood - which some might call Leo's first true love, he would finally experience unrequited love from the black-hearted officials at the Hollywood Chamber who are wrongfully refusing to install Robin's star. In contradiction of its mission, the Hollywood Chamber is not doing justice to the nomination of Robin. Instead we are witness to the injustice of Leo's long-lost star and the Hollywood Chamber's refusal to honor their commitment to Robin's memory. Moreover, in a press release issued by Leo Robin Music on July 30, 2019, the following was said about the Hollywood Chamber, "What a strange twist in irony; the Chamber, which administers this famous sidewalk landmark and usually assists honorees, performed the opposite of its mission and public expectations. Instead of assisting, the Chamber obstructed installation by ignoring emails for a whole year and failing to honor its promise for the Walk of Fame Committee to consider the grandson's request for the star to be placed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame." Throughout the past sixty years, the Chamber has successfully kept track of 2,686 honorees and has seen to it that each and every one of them received a star, which was then successfully installed on the Hollywood Walk of Fame -- except for Robin. On this day of the hearts, one can't help but conclude that the good-hearted Robin has been treated unjustly by the Hollywood Chamber. Upon the passing of Johnny Grant on January 9, 2008, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said, "Angelenos will always remember Johnny as the heart of Hollywood Boulevard, the dignified guardian of its gilded prestige and the human shine behind every one of its stars..." Johnny Grant, who was Chairman of the 1990 Walk of Fame Committee and signed the acceptance letter addressed to Mrs. Robin, must be looking down and brokenhearted by the wickedness with which the Hollywood Chamber is spurning the decision by the 1990 Walk of Fame Committee to award a star to Leo Robin. It's time for the Hollywood Chamber to respect the decision made by the Walk of Fame Committee and honor its obligation to put Leo's long-lost star in its rightful place on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. For more information, visit the Newsroom at the official website of Leo Robin at http://leorobin.com/. About Leo Robin Music Leo Robin Music owns the copyrights of songs written by Leo Robin, who was known as the "Dean of Lyric Writers." He created lyrics that have inspired popular music and become part of the fabric of our culture. Considered to be one of the most influential songwriters of the 20th Century, he wrote many of the country's most popular jazz standards including "Blue Hawaii," "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," "Easy Living," "If I Should Lose You," "My Ideal," "Prisoner of Love" and "Thanks for the Memory." CONTACT: Scott D. Ora President - Leo Robin Music thanks4thememory@icloud.com (818) 618-2572 Leo Robin (@LeoRobinMusic) / Twitter SOURCE: Leo Robin Music View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/573299/On-this-Valentines-Day-The-Thanks-for-the-Memory-Oscar-Winning-Lyricist-who-Wrote-Heartfelt-Love-Songs-Was-Awarded-a-Star-on-the-Hollywood-Walk-of-Fame-over-29-Years-Ago-But-the-Wicked-Hearted-Hollywood-Chamber-Refuses-to-Install-LeosLostStar Nine spacious units occupy the buildings three floors, with two residential units in addition to commercial space on the first floor, four on the second and three on the third. They all get a lot of light because the building is on a corner, said Reishman, senior vice president of the Reishman Group. Four units have private roof terraces that are enormous and offer great views across the city. Air Force removes commander's name from prayer breakfast invitation after secular group complains Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A U.S. Air Force base in Illinois has removed a commanders name from a prayer breakfast invitation in response to a complaint from one of the nations leading secular legal organizations. Last Thursday, the New Mexico-based Military Religious Freedom Foundation sent a demand letter to Scott Air Force Base in St. Clair County on behalf of 15 unnamed Air Force officers, enlisted personnel and civilians. The letter was sent to Col. Jerimiah Heathman, objecting to a mass email he sent out to those stationed at the installation. The email included an invitation to the National Prayer Breakfast scheduled to take place on Feb. 25 at the bases event center. The invitation was sent under Heathmans formal title of commander of the 375th Air Mobility Wing. Because Heathman urged recipients to send in their RSVPs, MRFF argues that the invitation signified a command priority. MRFF also contends that Heathman violated the constitutional rights of subordinates under his command by establishing religion in a manner that violates the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. You have additionally created a de facto religious test, MRFF President Michael Weinstein said in the letter. MRFF further argued that Heathman blatantly breached the bounds of several Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force directives, instructions and regulations. The letter cites Air Force Instruction 1-1, Section 2.12, which states that leaders at all levels must balance constitutional protections for their own free exercise of religion. They must ensure their words and actions cannot reasonably be construed to be officially endorsing or disapproving of, or extending preferential treatment for any faith, belief, or absence of belief, the letter reads. Among the 15 people that MRFF claims to be representing are six self-identified Christians and nine people that hold minority faiths or no faith. MRFF threatened to lodge complaints with the Inspector General and Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or file a federal lawsuit. "The prayer breakfast isn't benign; it's meant to be a massive proselytizing," Weinstein told the St. Louis Dispatch. "You can't use your position as a commander to force [this]. In military culture, you're being told to go there." As the newspaper reports, the wording of the invitation flyer posted to social media was altered on Monday. The new flier/invitation no longer includes the commanders name. The original flier had Heathmans name and title at the top. The Commander 375th Air Mobility Wing Colonel J. Scot Heathman cordially invites you to attend The National Prayer Breakfast, the old version of the flier reads. The new version reads, You are cordially invited to attend The National Prayer Breakfast. Although a small change, Weinstein marked it as a win. Weinstein sent out an email to supporters after the St. Louis Dispatch article was published, stating, We just won! MRFF is a nonprofit legal group that regularly pressures the military to end any conceived endorsement of religion. After MRFF pressure, the Army and Air Force Exchange Service agreed last month to stop selling Jesus Candy in its stores. In 2011, the organization pressured the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs over its participation in Samaritans Purses Operation Christmas Child charity movement to provide Christmas gifts to children in war-torn nations. MRFF has also pressured military services to remove Bibles placed on tables honoring prisoners of war and service members missing in action. Last month, MRFF criticized the U.S. government for holding a ceremony to dedicate the Bible that will be used to swear in commanders for the newly-created U.S. Space Force. The dedication took place at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C., in a ceremony the FFRF called a display of fundamentalist Christian supremacy. Rotunda Rumblings Whats in it for Ohio: President Donald Trumps $4.8 trillion budget proposal for fiscal 2021 has money for Great Lakes restoration, cleveland.coms Sabrina Eaton reports. But it would cut a loan program that an electric truck builder hoped to use to repurpose General Motors closed Lordstown plant. Critics were not happy about proposed cuts to Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security Disability Insurance, Meals on Wheels, and heating and food assistance programs. White House call: Gov. Mike DeWine has been at the White House the past couple of days attending the National Governors Associations winter meeting, according to spokesman Dan Tierney. The governor and president spoke twice about coronavirus and budget flexibility, Tierney said, though he declined to give more specifics, saying the governor usually doesnt comment in detail on his conversations with the president. Endorsed: Ohio Right to Lifes PAC on Monday announced endorsements in contested GOP primaries, including in the heated Senate District 4 race in Southwest Ohio. The PAC chose Rep. George Lang over West Chester Township Trustee Lee Wong and notably Rep. Candice Keller, who runs a crisis pregnancy center. But the Ohio GOP has distanced itself from Keller after she blamed the Dayton mass shooting on gay marriage, transgender people, marijuana and other issues. New Hampshire primer for Buckeyes: New Hampshire is a state that voted Democratic in the last four presidential elections. And in the 2016 primary, it went heavily for Bernie Sanders over Hillary Clinton. Cleveland.coms Rich Exner put together a New Hampshire/Ohio comparison on elections, the economy and demographics so people in the Buckeye State can draw conclusions (or refrain from doing so) from Tuesdays primary results in the Northeast. Weapons grade: Ohio received a D in the Giffords Law Centers annual gun-law scorecard, though that was still high enough for the Buckeye State to rank 24th in the nation. The national gun-control group noted that Ohio doesnt have universal background checks, an assault-weapon ban, or local authority to pass stricter gun-control rules. However, Ohio avoided getting an F (as 21 other states did) because the state does require reporting of lost and stolen firearms. Be ready for some late nights: Conference committee meetings on House Bill 9, an education bill that was amended to include the Senates vision for school vouchers, will begin 5 p.m. each day Tuesday through Friday. On Saturday its scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Nothing is scheduled beyond Saturday. Unlike the House, which wants to phase out vouchers based on a public schools report card grade, the Senate wants to continue that part of the program but on a lower level, and expand incomes of families that would qualify for a voucher. A pattern? Ohio Democratic Party Chair David Peppers posts on Twitter critical of U.S. Sen. Rob Portman have gotten notice and maybe not for the right reasons. The Enquirers Jason Williams counted nearly 120 tweets in a week, which suggests Pepper may want to run for the seat in 2022. Former Ohio GOP Chair Kevin DeWine, in an Enquirer op-ed, was more critical, noting that Peppers focus on Portman may come at the expense of Democrats raising money and recruiting candidates. Filtering out: A small number of Ohio voters overseas might have difficulty casting ballots because of cybersecurity filters that are meant to deter hacking, Rick Rouan reports for the Columbus Dispatch. The Ohio Secretary of States office told Rouan it has contingencies in place to make sure voters in high-risk areas will be able to vote. Bill sparks concern: A bill that would allow people to use fireworks on their own property has prompted fears of more people being injured and more pets being stressed, Cole Behrens reports for the Dispatch. House Bill 253 also would impose a fee on the sale of consumer-grade fireworks, with the proceeds going to firefighter training. Getting some likes: Ohios first Facebook data center is now up and running, with more investment in the facility on the way, the Associated Press reports. The center, in New Albany, began operating Thursday and expects to eventually have more than 150 employees. Also, Amazons new Central Ohio distribution center is now in business, the Dispatchs Mark Williams reports. Labor of love: The Cincinnati Enquirers Jessie Balmert has an analysis of campaign finance reports that shows labor unions last year contributed about the same amount of money to Republicans as they did to Democrats. Balancing act: The George W. Bush Institute, in its journal The Catalyst, has a Q & A with former Gov. John Kasich that focuses on budgets and fiscal responsibility. And lest you wonder yes, he did mention the nearly $8 billion projected shortfall his administration faced and how the rainy day fund was replenished on his watch. Like Mike: Former Parma Mayor Dean DePiero is backing former New York Mayor Mike Bloomberg in the Democratic presidential primary. Mayors have tended to stick together during this primary, with former South Bend, Indiana Mayor Pete Buttigieg picking up both Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley and Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley. Bloombergs mayoral experience, infrastructure plan and dedication to combating climate change were some of the reasons DePiero cited in backing the former NYC mayor. AFP approved: Americans for Prosperitys Ohio chapter on Monday announced what the group expects will be its only two 2020 primary endorsements: state Rep. Mark Romanchuk for an open seat in Senate District 22 and businessman Thad Claggett, whos challenging state Rep. Mark Fraizer in House District 71. AFP Ohios director, Micah Derry, said his group will be buying digital and mail ads on behalf of the two Republicans, as well as deploying volunteers in the two districts to contact voters door-to-door and by phone. Lobbying Lineup Five organizations that lobbied on House Bill 162, which would increase the overall cap on the states motion picture tax credit from $40 million per fiscal year to $100 million every two fiscal years. State filings dont indicate which side of the issue groups are on. 1. PGA Tour Inc. 2. Cleveland City Council 3. AT&T 4. Ohio Association of Professional Fire Fighters 5. Ohio Association of County Boards Serving People with Developmental Disabilities On the Move Cincinnati City Councilwoman Amy Murray, former gubernatorial running mate of ex-U.S. Rep. Jim Renacci, is joining the Trump administration as director of small business programs for the U.S. Department of Defense, per Sharon Coolidge and Jason Williams of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Birthdays Thomas W. Bartley, Ohios 17th governor (1812-1885) Former Ohio Supreme Court Justice Terrence ODonnell Straight from the Source All Im saying is, if Joe Dills isnt morally fit for the Ohio Republican Partys endorsement, then neither is President Trump. -Kevin S. Aldridge, opinion and engagement editor for the Cincinnati Enquirer. Aldridge wrote a column on what he called the hypocrisy of the Ohio Republican Party withdrawing its endorsement of Dills, a state legislative candidate, for joining the Ashley Madison cheating website, while affirming its support for Trump, who has been plagued by allegations of affairs and sexual misconduct. Capitol Letter is a daily briefing providing succinct, timely information for those who care deeply about the decisions made by state government. If you do not already subscribe, you can sign up here to get Capitol Letter in your email box each weekday for free. : Vice-President M Venkiah Naidu would present an address at the 28th convocation of Pondicherry University on February 26. The Vice-President is also the Chancellor of the university. He would present certificates and medals to outgoing graduates of various departments on the occasion, an official source said. The convocation function is the only programme for Naidu during his visit to the union territory, the source said. President Ram Nath Kovind had addressed the students of the Pondicherry University at the 27th convocation on December 23 last year. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Amsterdam, 11 February 2020 The Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. will propose at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 23 April 2020 that Jean-Francois van Boxmeer be appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. with effect from 1 June 2020, for the maximum period of four years, i.e. until the end of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2024. Mr Van Boxmeer (1961) is a Belgian national. He joined HEINEKEN in 1984 and held various management positions in different countries around the world and was appointed member of the Executive Board of Heineken N.V. in 2001. On 1 October 2005 Mr Van Boxmeer became Heineken N.V.s Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO. Mr Van Boxmeer will leave Heineken N.V. on 1 June 2020. Mr Van Boxmeer is also a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Mondelez International in the USA, a member of the Shareholders Committee of Henkel AG & Co in Germany, and Chairman of the National Opera & Ballet in the Netherlands. The Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. proposes to appoint Mr Van Boxmeer in view of his broad experience and the way he has fulfilled his role as the CEO of Heineken N.V. For further information: Kees Jongsma tel. +31 6 54 79 82 53 cjongsma@spj.nl Editorial information: Heineken Holding N.V. engages in no activities other than its participating interest in Heineken N.V. and the management or supervision of and provision of services to that company. Heineken Holding N.V. and Heineken N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIO NA and HEIA NA and on Reuters under HEIO.AS and HEIN.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receipt (ADR) programmes: Heineken Holding N.V. (OTCQX: HKHHY) and Heineken N.V. (OTCQX: HEINY). Most recent information is available on the website: www.heinekenholding.com and www.theHEINEKENcompany.com. Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain price-sensitive information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Attachment The folks over at Humble Bundle are officially moving to support regional pricing for goods sold through any of the company's storefronts, including the Humble Store, Humble Choice subscription, and the titular Humble Bundles. The move aims to keep bundle pricing consistent across supported currencies and countries, and brings support for the Euro, British Pound, Canadian Dollar, Australian Dollar, New Zealand Dollar, Turkish Lira, Russian Ruble, and Philippine Peso to Humbles pricing system. More currencies are potentially coming in the future, and Humble notes on its support page that the system is set up to detect a purchaser's location rather than let them select their currency of choice. Any region without a supported currency, meanwhile, defaults to USD. MANCHESTER, N.H. Jensen Wilson had been standing outside Webster School behind a Pete 2020 sign for more than four hours on Tuesday when a parade of people carrying Elizabeth Warren signs came marching down the street. Wilson, a sophomore at Quinnipiac University who lives in Milford, marveled at the crowd of Warren supporters that arrived just in time for a scheduled appearance by the Massachusetts senator herself. More than 100 Warren supporters had gathered on the snow- and ice-covered grass, chanting and cheering, while just across the sidewalk, an equal number of media members shot photos and videos. This, of course, was a voting site. Election monitors implored the crowds to create a pathway for voters. The gantlet caved in on itself when Warren finally arrived, the sidewalk disappearing despite their efforts, and the gaggle of media followed the senator up the line of supporters as she shook their hands, her blonde head barely visible between cameras and media equipment. Wilson found herself in position to meet the candidate in the chaos. It was the epitome of Primary Day in New Hampshire, historically known for out-sized media coverage that accompanies the first primary of a presidential election. Described as Christmas for political junkies, the New Hampshire primary drew hundreds of volunteers from Connecticut to campaign for their favorite candidate all the more in 2020 because the field still includes at least five candidates who can truly see themselves waking up as president-elect on November 4. Those Connecticut activists included Gov. Ned Lamont backing former Vice President Joe Biden and many elected and Democratic Party officials, not to mention busloads of students from Quinnipiac and several other universities. As Warren worked the crowd at the Webster School, the lone Manchester police officer tasked with manning the polling site looked on in disbelief, shrugged and noted with a smirk, They dont pay me enough for this. Eventually, Warren made her way far enough down the sidewalk to where her signs blended into those of her competitors. She reached out and shook Wilsons hand, and a minute later disappeared, whisked away to her next appearance. She pretty much came over and just said thanks for what we were doing, Wilson said. It was honestly an amazing experience just to be able to meet one of the candidates. Fresh off an Iowa caucus that didnt produce a clear frontrunner, or even narrow the field, New Hampshires early primary was a huge draw for Connecticut activists, who wont weigh in as voters until April 28. By then the field may have narrowed. For now, supporters from Connecticut back all five of the top New Hampshire candidates Warren, Biden, former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar and Mike Bloomberg, whos not here but is rising in the polls. All of them held legitimate hopes for their candidates. Sarah Annabi, a freshman at Quinnipiac, and Tyler Delehoy, a junior, spent Tuesday canvassing for Sanders, walking door-to-door to make sure people were getting out to vote. Both were too young to vote in 2016, and have spent most of the 2020 race debating candidates. Annabi also likes Klobuchar, and Delehoy is Andrew Yang-curious, though that campaign was barely present here. They both managed selfies with Biden, who had scheduled a primary night event in New Hampshire but instead exited for friendlier territory, South Carolina. I got to shake his hand and had a quick conversation with him. I do work on the Special Olympics, Delehoy said, and he is starting to get involved in that, and he said he was proud of me for that. Wilson, who met Buttigieg over the weekend, said the 30-something war veteran represents change for young people. Im also a fan of his healthcare plan for all those who want it. Wilson said she felt it was more important for her to campaign in New Hampshire after Buttigieg narrowly won the Iowa caucuses, which were rife with errors that resulted in delayed results for several days. Its a really close race and we can make a difference, she said. Connecticut politicians in the Granite State in recent days, in addition to Lamont, who was on hand for the debate Friday night, included Mayor Luke Bronin of Hartford and legislators state Sen. Alex Bergstein, D-Greenwich, who campaigned for Klobuchar over the weekend, and Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, who arrived Tuesday night to support Buttigieg as the results rolled in. Support in New Hampshire appeared to be divided among Buttigieg, Warren and Sanders, with few Biden supporters making an appearance. A new national Quinnipiac poll released Monday showed Sanders had taken the lead at 25 percent among Democrats and independent voters who lean Democratic. Biden fell to 17 percent, with Bloomberg, who skipped Iowa and New Hampshire, polling at 15 percent. Warren had 14 percent and Buttigieg was at 10 percent. Klobuchar was at 4 percent and all other candidates received less than 2 percent. Linda Bouldin, who relocated to Manchester from Texas a year ago, stood just behind Sanders, a Bernie 2020 sign propped on her walker, at another elementary school as dozens of media members gaggled around the Vermont senator and his wife. She was most impressed, she said, by the consistency of his message. She voted for him in 2016, and though she voted for him in Tuesdays primary, she said shell vote for whichever Democratic candidate is on the ballot come November. At this point, if a ham sandwich wins, Im voting for a ham sandwich, said Bouldin, who, like Wilson, cited healthcare as the top issue on her mind. kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt NASHVILLE, N.C., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlantic Natural Foods, LLC (ANF), owner of the iconic Loma Linda brand of TUNO, announced today the company will cease further action against Diversified Communications, LP around the denial of its request to exhibit at the upcoming Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America. Previously, ANF requested attendance at the Expo to exhibit TUNO, a plant-based protein alternative containing ocean-based materials like seaweed, algae and other proprietary ocean proteins, yet was denied with the comment that the show is restricted to seafood producers. The company requested that Diversified Communications reconsider on the grounds that TUNO is not only made of ocean-based ingredients but also is currently developing applications for traditional seafood, but was repeatedly denied. In response to a subsequent request to see the show producer's policy for evaluating exhibitors, today, ANF received a formal response from a Diversified Communications representative stating that the organization "is not required to develop or to provide you with written policies governing exhibitor selection." "It is outrageous that Atlantic Natural Foods is not allowed to participate, as we have new ocean-based products that we were planning to unveil at this annual event," commented J. Douglas Hines, Chairman of ANF. "We are extremely disappointed but hopeful that this dialogue will continue to challenge key decision makers in the food chain to work toward new product innovation that responds to the world's environmental needs and requirementsnot just those furthering their personal agendas." ANF will continue to respond to the call for global sustainability by today's consumer, and will work toward creating foods that provide similar health benefits as seafood. For more information on Atlantic Natural Foods or its Loma Linda brand of products, visit www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com. About Atlantic Natural Foods Headquartered in Nashville, NC, Atlantic Natural Foods is the leading shelf stable manufacturer and provider of Loma Linda, Neat and Kaffree Roma brand products. Its mission is to provide affordable, sustainable and healthy sources of plant-based protein food for all lifestyles and people to live healthier, longer lives. The company operates its own manufacturing facility as well as a joint venture project in Thailand. The brands are sold throughout the U.S and in 18 countries, including the U.K. and Australia. To learn more about Atlantic Natural Foods, please visit www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com or follow the brand on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. SOURCE Atlantic Natural Foods, LLC Related Links http://www.atlanticnaturalfoods.com Last year, brokers from Chicago-based Paine Wetzel Commercial Real Estate and Champaign-based MWA Capital Advisors said the property would be sold at a Nov. 19 auction. The Stanleys property was packaged with separately owned, adjacent properties to form a combined site of almost 76,000 square feet. Bids were accepted for individual parcels or all of the land. If Dr. Ibrahim Shehata were the head of the Egyptian government in the years of the rise of Asia, Egypt would have shot ahead of the Tigers generation and would have been in an entirely different position today. The world-renowned Egyptian economist and jurist was born in Damietta governorate in 1937. In 1953, he was the high school graduate with the fourth highest grades in Egypt. In 1957, he topped the list of Faculty of Law graduates, while Dr. Hazem El-Beblawi, who would later become prime minister, came in second. Shehatas star rose during his studies at Harvard University. Ibrahim Shehatas PhD was the best that I saw in my entire academic life at Harvard, were the words of Erwin Griswold, the faculty dean. Shehata worked as a professor at the Faculty of Law, Ain Shams University in 1970. He was then appointed in many key posts around the world. In 1983, he was appointed deputy managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and continued in this distinguished post until 1998. He wrote his famous book My Testament to My Country in 1999. He passed away in 2001. Both the Right and the Left had deep respect for Shehata, with nobody ever questioning his academic knowledge, integrity or intellectual and moral standing. Mostafa El-Feki mentioned that while working as Egypts ambassador in Vienna, he was full of pride when he entered the OPEC building and found a picture of Shehata in the entrance of the building. In El-Fekys opinion, Shehata was capable of outdoing in Egypt what Mahathir Mohamad had done in Malaysia if he were given the same degree of power. The leftist Dr. Galal Amin spoke about the rightist Ibrahim Shehata, saying, Unlike my position, Ibrahim Shehata was enthusiastic about the World Bank. He was ready to acknowledge that the Bank committed a mistake in this issue or that, or a failure in this matter or that. But he never doubted the soundness of the Banks philosophy regarding development. Despite the intellectual disagreement between us, I believe that if Ibrahim Shehata had held high office in Egypt, he would have achieved results that are very close to what I aspire to. Shehatas writings ranged from economics, law, politics and literature. Egypt pillars of power Shehata said that Egypt is in the middle of the Old World and that it connects the worlds trade via the Suez Canal. It enjoys a strong national fabric, and due to its high population, it possesses important weight in the Arab World and Africa. As for soft power, it extends from culture to media to the international stature of the religious institutions of Al-Azhar and the Coptic Orthodox Church. It also extends to Egypts moral role with regards to the Palestinian cause and those of liberation around in the world. Legal reformation before economic reformation Shehata published a study in Modern Egypt magazine in July 1996 issue under the title The Legal framework of the Economic Reformation in Egypt, where he insisted upon the necessity of conducting legal reformation before the monetary or economic reformation. The three challenges Shehata saw that population, education and the private sector are the three big challenges. He advocated decreasing population growth and providing free basic education. He also advocated for free higher education only for high achievers through scholarships or study loans. All this should be accompanied by liberating and maximising the potential of the private sector in Egypt while setting up priorities and appropriations for the public sector. Three kinds of capitalism Shehata divided capitalism into three kinds: Enlightened Capitalism represented by the model of Talaat Harb and his companies, where individual wealth is public wealth and constitutes real development; Swindler Capitalism, which is based upon looting and smuggling money outside the country; and Crony Capitalism, which is based on seizing business opportunities due to being relatives or friends of those in power. The dangers of intellectual regression Shehata criticised extremist organisations that want the Islamic world to live under anachronistic rules. Shehata said that he was not advocating for abandoning basic values or Gods decrees, and we dont dispute the necessity of Egyptians holding their religions ideals high or having refined morals. Nor are we disputing the necessity of holding onto our distinct civilisation or having our own national identity. All these are necessary bases in the confrontation of the clash of civilisations. Modern solutions should be created which dont run in contradiction with Islamic values. Islam shouldnt be a vehicle for regressing into the past and in which we confine ourselves and imprison the future, Shehata said. Islams enemies couldnt desire this more. They would be glad if this trend was propagated and its advocates ascend to power. This would be a perpetual guarantee of Muslims backwardness. He cites as an example Vladimir Zhirinovsky, the Russian far-right leader, who hated Islam and Muslims: My biggest wish is to see the Islamic countries ruled by sheikhs and mullahs, so they can be controlled without shooting a single bullet. Even distant dreams can be achieved The world-renowned Egyptian economist and jurist was also a poet. He wrote three books of poetry in Arabic. He saw that rising from misery to fortune is always possible. He was influenced by the European thinker Jean Monnet, who supported European unity when it was an impossible dream until it became an existing reality. Shehata used to say: In order to change the path of things, the soul should be changed. Ibrahim Shehata lived a refined intellectual life. When he was beset by illness, he didnt write a testament to his family, he wrote a testament to his country instead. He always realised that the real asset is human beings and that the eternal shield is inner strength. His poem An Everlasting Beauty expresses his path and career: I spent my life searching for a beauty that doesnt end, Without knowing that it was inside me, Every beauty withers away Except the one that is inside you. Search Keywords: Short link: Today, the 27th International Exhibition for Food, Beverages and Food Raw Materials, Prodexpo 2020, has opened on the territory of the Central Exhibition Complex - Expocenter Fairgrounds. Over 2,600 exhibitors from 70 countries are expected to participate in the event. On the sidelines of the exhibition, Vestnik Kavkaza talked with the Chief Advisor of the Trade Mission at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Russia, Namig Khalilov. - Azerbaijan is not for the first time at Prodexpo, is it? - Azerbaijan takes part in the international food exhibition Prodexpo for the third time. This year, our country is represented by approximately 40 companies, most of them participate in the exhibition as part of a single national stand, and a small number of companies are represented by independent stands. As in previous years, our stand presents high-quality crop products, processed products - canned fruits and vegetables - nuts, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, dried fruits that are in great demand in the Russian Federation. In recent years, trade between our countries has been growing rapidly. Last year was no exception. The trade turnover reached a record $ 3 bln - an increase of 16% compared to 2018. Participation in such exhibitions helps our manufacturers introduce their products to Russian trading companies and consumers, and helps them better promote their goods. And this time, as in the previous two years, Azerbaijan is the official partner of the Prodexpo exhibition. - What does participation in the exhibition mean to Azerbaijani producers? - Azerbaijan declares itself as a strategic player in the Russian food market. For a variety of products, Azerbaijan is one of the leading or leading suppliers of the Russian market. The status of an official partner underlines these positions and also demonstrates the great focus of Azerbaijani producers on the Russian market. - At the end of last year, a new bridge was officially opened over the Samur River on the Azerbaijani-Russian state border. How will this affect trade turnover? - It will have a positive effect on the speed of cargo transportation both ways and will help to reduce the loss of travel time, and this is of great importance for perishable products. Plus, of course, less downtime, less cost. All of this will positively affect the cost of production. - To which other countries does Azerbaijan supply its products? - To the countries of the former Soviet Union, the Middle East, Asia, and Eastern Europe. We have a wide geography of exports. But Russia remains Azerbaijans largest market for non-oil products. By PTI NEW DELHI: The personnel at New Delhi's Barakhamba Road police station pooled in Rs 1 lakh and gave it to a woman, who is among their support staff, for her daughter's wedding, officials said on Monday. The Station House Officer and other police personnel made the contribution to the marriage scheduled on February 12, they said. The woman's husband died three years ago and was worried about the expenses of her daughter's wedding, the officials said. The contribution was made as a 'Kanyadaan', they added. Boris Johnsons Brexit deal could lead to Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK falling in different time zones for half the year, peers have warned. The European Parliament voted last year for a proposal to scrap the twice-yearly changing of the clocks to accommodate extra daylight hours. Under an EU directive, all 27 states currently switch to summer time hours on the last Sunday of March and back to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) on the last Sunday of October a pattern the UK follows. But under a potential swap by Brussels to a double summer time arrangement, Lords have warned that the PMs withdrawal agreement could see Northern Ireland legally obliged to be one hour ahead for six months every year. It would mean the 1.8 million people living in the six counties would follow summer time hours, even when those in Great Britain wind their clocks back by 60 minutes in the autumn. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA The fears over an obligation for Northern Ireland to follow Brussels lead if the EU does adopt double-summer time stem from Mr Johnsons Brexit deal, which signed Northern Ireland up to continuing to follow EU rules on goods and agriculture in order to prevent a hard border. Any EU-wide shift in timekeeping would apply to Ireland and due to the terms of the PMs divorce treaty Northern Ireland might have to follow suit, peers have suggested. Were this proposal [for double summer time] to become EU law under its current single market legal basis, Northern Ireland may be obliged under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement and the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to align with the EU and thus institute a time border with Great Britain, said the Lords EU internal market sub-committee in a report Clock changes: is it time for change? The group of cross-party peers have called on the government to give urgent further consideration to the impact the Brexit agreement could have if the EU does decide to make the summer time switch permanent and criticised ministers lax approach to what could be a significant change for the UK. Our inquiry has demonstrated that any such decision at EU level would have implications for the UK, notwithstanding UK withdrawal from the EU, wrote the peers. The nature and significance of such implications is not, however, well understood not least by the government. Baroness Donaghy, chair of the committee, said there was also the possibility that Ireland could face a situation where it has different time zones on either side of the border. So far the government has stuck its head in the sand on the EU Commissions proposal, hoping that it goes away, she said. However, if it does not, we could be caught unaware and unprepared to make a decision, leaving the island of Ireland with two time zones at different times of the year and causing difficulties for people and businesses in Northern Ireland. The report, published on Tuesday, praised ministers informal engagement with counterparts in Northern Ireland on the issue, but pushed for a more detailed review to take place. Peers recommended reviewing research carried out in countries that have different time zones, and identify the possible implications of time zone changes for both domestic and international businesses. Business minister Kelly Tolhurst, giving evidence to the committee last year, said: Anything that would create a time border in Northern Ireland we are completely opposed to, and so is the Irish government. The proposal to scrap the biannual time-switch across the continent derived from a citizens forum carried out by the EU. The consultation, undertaken when the UK was still a member, received 4.6 million responses, 84 per cent of which were in favour of abolishing the clock change practise. But peers noted that the respondents accounted for less than 1 per cent of the EU population, and 70 per cent of those responses came from Germany alone. Press Association By Tian Yuewan After three and a half years of tortuous road, Brexit finally became a reality on January 31 this year. UKs withdrawal from the European Union (EU) will not only bring important changes to the country itself, but also have significant impacts on European defense integration. After the development of European integration evolved from the community phase to the alliance phase, the common security and defense policy (CSDP) became one of the most important goals. The EU has established related mechanisms such as the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) and the European Defense Fund (EDF). However, the UK prefers close cooperation between the EU and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and opposes everything else that EU does outside NATO. For European defense integration, the changes brought by Brexit are bittersweet. The worrying aspect is that without the participation of the UK as a nuclear power, the deterrence of European collective defense will be significantly reduced. In terms of defense expenditure, the withdrawal of Britain, one of the largest defense spending countries in Europe, will increase the shares of other EU members. Prior to Brexit, the UK had planned to further increase its defense spending in the next few years and promised to achieve a target of two percent of its GDP. At the same time, the country is also among the top few in defense R&D spending in Europe. France, Germany and the UK contribute 92 percent of the EU's two billion defense R&D fund. A report by the US think tank Rand Corporation pointed out that Brexit may weaken the EU's collective defense capabilities by about a quarter. However, Brexit is not entirely a bad thing for European defense integration. Successive British administrations have been cautious about deepening European defense integration as they just regarded it as a supplement to NATO's collective defense mechanism. The UK believes that European military security is best achieved through NATO, and European military capabilities should also be advanced within the framework of NATO. This is clearly inconsistent with the EU's goal of strengthening strategic defense autonomy. At the same time, the UK has continued to vote against the EU Security and Defense Cooperation Plan within the EU, and hindered the major initiatives and its plan to increase its budget of the European Defense Agency in recent years. The UK has also been relatively passive at the operational level. It refused to participate in the PESCO, which is launched in 2017 and regarded as one of the union's important pushes to develop joint military and combat capabilities. So in that sense, UK's loss of decision-making power on EU defense policy after its departure may help existing member states move towards an independent European defense integration from the cooperation mechanism level. From a shared security perspective, Brexit has limited impact on the close cooperation between UK and its European allies. In fact, European defense integration has been progressing slowly in recent years. The power to develop and implement security defense policies lies in the EU member states, not the EU. In the future, the EU will in fact need to work with the UK in the process of defense integration. French President Emmanuel Macron hoped that the UK will continue to participate in European defense integration after its departure. He proposed the European Intervention Initiative and invited all European countries, including the UK, to plan for rapid defense deployment. French Minister of Armed Forces Florence Parly also stressed the importance of maintaining a close ties with London in defense. German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer advocated the establishment of an E3 group, involving France, Germany, and the UK, to play the "hinge" role between NATO and the EU. New York, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Global Marine Loading Arms Market 2020-2024" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05389630/?utm_source=GNW Our reports on global marine loading arms market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by rise in demand for oil and gas globally. In addition, new oil and gas discoveries is anticipated to boost the growth of the global marine loading arms market as well. Market Segmentation The global marine loading arms market is segmented as below: Application Crude Oil LG IG Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA Key Trends for global marine loading arms market growth This study identifies new oil and gas discoveries as the prime reasons driving the global marine loading arms market growth during the next few years. Prominent vendors in global marine loading arms market We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the global marine loading arms market, including some of the vendors such as Carbis Loadtec Group, Gardner Denver Holdings Inc., Jiangsu Changlong Technologies Co. Ltd., JRE Pvt. Ltd., KANON Loading Equipment BV, Lloyds Steels Industries Ltd., SVT GmbH, TechnipFMC Plc, Tokyo Boeki Holdings Corp. and WLT liquid & gas loading technology BV . The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05389630/?utm_source=GNW About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Iran has swatted away Canada's $1billion compensation claim for its citizens killed in last month's plane downing. Tehran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said today the claim 'lacks legal basis,' despite the regime admitting mistakenly shooting down the Ukrainian airlines jet. 'Iran's actions are based on international rules,' Zarif said, according to the Khabaronline website. Iran has rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's call to send the 'black box' flight recorders from the plane abroad to be decoded. Many of the 176 who perished in the disaster were Iranians with dual citizenship, which is not recognized by Iran. Canada had 57 citizens on board. Tehran's foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Canada's compensation claim 'lacks legal basis' Debris from the Ukraine International Airlines, flight PS752, Boeing 737-800 plane that crashed after take-off from Iran's Imam Khomeini airport last month Canadian lawyers, who previously successfully sued Iran, are seeking class action status in a lawsuit on behalf of victims aboard the plane, looking for at least C$1.5 billion ($1.1 billion) in compensation. The suit names Iran, its supreme leader, the elite Revolutionary Guards and others as defendants. The lead plaintiff in the case is anonymous, preliminarily identified as John Doe, and described as immediate family to a victim identified as Jack Doe. The filing says John Doe's identity must be protected because of the risk that 'his Iranian family would be put at risk of harm or death by the Iranian regime.' The suit alleges that the downing of the plane was 'an intentional and deliberate act of terrorism.' Iranian authorities did not immediately comment on Friday, when government offices are closed. Jonah Arnold is co-lead counsel with his father Mark Arnold, who has represented clients in several suits against Iran, including a 2017 appeal decision that led to seizure of some Iranian assets in Canada. Hundreds attended a candle light vigil for the victims of Ukraine International Airlines flight PS-752 on Parliament Hill in Ottawa - Canada lost 57 victims in the downing of the jet Iran has rejected Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's call to send the 'black box' flight recorders from the plane abroad to be decoded The 2017 ruling was in a case brought by U.S. victims of bombings, killings and kidnappings that U.S. courts ruled Iran was responsible for. But the plaintiffs could not claim the $1.7 billion in judgments in the United States. It was not clear whether Iran has any assets remaining in Canada. Arnold said the case would likely unfold over years, and any judgment could be renewed and enforced in the future. 'Providing a voice for the families and seeking compensation for them in the courts is the primary objective,' Jonah Arnold said. 'When we get there, and we need to look for those assets, that's what we'll do.' Besides Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, others named in the lawsuit are top commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, including the head of the unit responsible for shooting down the plane, Amirali Hajizadeh. Foreign states are not typically within the jurisdiction of Canadian courts. A 2012 Canadian law limited that immunity for countries Ottawa lists as 'foreign state supporters of terrorism,' currently Iran and Syria. The suit was filed Jan. 24 in Toronto, but it is not clear whether it has been served on defendants in Iran. Arnold said the Canadian government is required to ensure that happens, and that he has received confirmation that the suit is 'en route.' Global Affairs Canada did not immediately comment. Murder of Lyra McKee, which New IRA admitted to, led to outrage from both nationalists and unionist politicians. Northern Irish police arrested four men on Tuesday as part of an investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee, whose killing sparked outrage in the province where a 1998 peace deal mostly ended three decades of sectarian violence. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were arrested in Londonderry under the Terrorism Act over the shooting in April 2019 that was claimed by Irish nationalist fighters opposed to the Good Friday peace deal. The New IRA, one of a small number of groups that oppose the peace accord, said one of its members shot the 29-year-old reporter dead in Londonderry when they opened fire in the direction of police during a riot McKee was watching. Her death was condemned at the time by both Irish Catholic nationalist and pro-British Protestant unionist politicians. Then-Prime Minister Theresa May described the attack as shocking and truly senseless. I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved, said Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy in a statement after Tuesdays arrests. Murphy said he understood that people might be afraid to speak to the police but he promised people coming forward anonymity for the purpose of this investigation, appealing for any mobile phone footage of the incident. McKee, who was named Sky News Young Journalist of the Year in 2006, was writing a book on the disappearance of young people during the violence in Northern Ireland that largely ended with the 1998 deal. She had also written about her struggles growing up gay in the British province. Mark Anstis work Midwife has been shortlisted in the Adam Portraiture Award which has a first prize of $20,000 cash. His piece depicts Sheilla who left Zimbabwe in 2002 to escape the country's political turmoil and is now a practicing midwife in the Bay of Plenty. The figurine also depicted in the portrait is one of history's earliest known sculptures, the Venus of Willendorf, dated 25,000 B.C. It is understood to be a paleolithic representation of fertility and motherhood," Mark says. Mark received his tutoring from various painters and art academies internationally, before returning to New Zealand to pursue his own painting practice. I find the depth of expression that representational portrait painting affords to be fascinating, and value art that's personal, with evident ties to cultural traditions, he says. Midwife was selected along with 50 other portraits from 373 entries. Anyone can apply to enter this anonymously-selected biennial painting prize, as long as the artist and subject are a New Zealand resident or citizen. Midwife by Mark Anstis. Supplied image. Entries have been received throughout New Zealand from Whangarei to Dunedin, including entries from New Zealand artists based in Germany the United Kingdom and Australia. Shortlisted works range in size from the small (21cm x 28cm) to the very large (1.8m x 2.5m). There were several portraits utilising expected materials such as oil and acrylic paint while other artists chose to paint on a road sign, and another included the sitters hair which framed the portrait. Another interesting feature of the entries include a trend towards realism - often with a photorealistic face contrasted with an abstract or 'unfinished' background For the first time in the competitions history the gallery invited a New Zealand judge to join an international judge to examine the entries and decide on the finalists and winner. University of Auckland associate professor art history, museums and cultural heritage Dr Linda Tyler worked alongside international judge Karen Quinlan, director of the National Portrait Gallery of Australia to select the shortlist. What was most impressive about this years entries was the huge diversity of subjects depicted. The great and the good featured but so did the local motor mechanic and quite a number of kindly looking nanas. Photo realism remains popular, but as judges we were really struck by those artists who hadnt used a camera, working from sketches or memory, and sometimes creating fantasy pieces that were imaginative reconstructions of an individual, giving you a real insight into character and personality, Linda says. The winner of the competition will be selected by the judges at the start of a public exhibition showcasing all finalists works at the New Zealand Portrait Gallery at Shed 11 on Wellingtons waterfront. The winner will be selected on February 26 and the exhibition will run from February 27 to May 22 after this, the exhibition will tour nationally. Gopal Rai, who contested under the ticket of Aam Aadmi Party wins Babarpur Assembly seat. Rai, who regularly uses Twitter, took to the micro-blogging site after his win and dropped a tweet. Written in Hindi, the translated post reads, Whenever there has been a fight between hate and love, hate lost and love won. AAP candidate Gopal Rai, was leading in Delhi Assembly Election 2020 from Babarpur seat when the counting started. In 2015 Assembly Election, Rai contested from the same seat under AAPs ticket. At that time, he defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Naresh Gaur by the margin of 35,488 votes. Rai, when the counting started also took to Twitter to share a post about Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Written in Hindi, his translated tweet reads, Arvind Kejriwals work for people of Delhi will bring victory for the party in the election. Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government came to power in 2015 in Delhi. Now, after 5 years, the current government is going to complete its term on February 22, 2020. To select a new government, Delhi went to poll on February 8, 2020. For 70 constituencies, including Babarpur, the polling was conducted in a single phase. Babarpur Assembly seat is located in the Shahdara district of Delhi and it falls under North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. In the 2015 Assembly elections, thirteen candidates contested for the seat. To select Babarpurs MLA, around 66 per cent voters in the constituency exercised their franchise. This year, ten candidates from different political parties contested for Babarpur Assembly seat. They are: Anveeksha Jain - Indian National Congress Naresh Gaur - Bharatiya Janata Party Gopal Rai - Aam Aadmi Party Zahid Ali - Nationalist Congress Party Dharm Singh - Bahujan Samaj Party Kali Ram - Peoples Party of India (Democratic) Prince Kumar - Mazdoor Ekta Party Sadeque Muniroddin Shaikh - Tipu Sultan Party Jakir Chaudhary - Independent Shivani Gaur Independent The sitting MLA of Babarpur, Gopal Rai (AAP) defeated Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Naresh Gaur in 2015 Delhi assembly elections. While Rai secured 75,928 or 59.3 per cent of the votes, Gaur managed to garner 40,440 or 31.6 per cent of the votes. Rai defeated Gaur by a margin of 35,488 votes. Zakhir Khan of Indian National Congress grabbed the third spot with 9,916 votes. Also Read | Delhi Assembly Election Results 2020 Live Updates Pacific Drilling S.A. (NYSE: PACD) (the "Company") announced today that its subsidiaries, Pacific Drilling VIII Limited ("PDVIII") and Pacific Drilling Services, Inc. ("PDSI"), have filed an application with the High Court in London for leave to appeal the award that has been issued in the arbitration proceedings between PDVIII and PDSI and Samsung Heavy Industries Co. Ltd. ("SHI") related to the contract for the construction and sale of the Pacific Zonda. As previously disclosed, on January 15, 2020 an arbitration tribunal in London, England (the "Tribunal") awarded SHI approximately $320 million with respect to its claims against PDVIII and PDSI. Under the rules governing the arbitration proceedings, PDVIII and PDSI have no automatic right to appeal and the grounds on which the High Court in London may grant permission to appeal are limited. There can be no assurance that permission to appeal will be granted, or if granted, that the appeal will be successful. As previously disclosed, in connection with the Company's now concluded Chapter 11 proceedings, PDVIII and PDSI (the "Zonda Debtors") filed a separate plan of reorganization (the "Zonda Plan") under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which was confirmed on January 30, 2019. If the Zonda Debtors are successful in the appeal, they will emerge from their separate bankruptcy proceedings. If the Zonda Debtors are unsuccessful in the appeal, the Company expects the Zonda Debtors, which have approximately $4.5 million in cash and no other material assets, will be liquidated in accordance with the terms of the Zonda Plan. The Company does not expect the Tribunal's decision to have any material adverse effect on its operations or to cause any default under any of its material contracts including under the indentures for its outstanding notes. About Pacific Drilling With its best-in-class drillships and highly experienced team, Pacific Drilling is committed to exceeding our customers' expectations by delivering the safest, most efficient and reliable deepwater drilling services in the industry. Pacific Drilling's fleet of seven drillships represents one of the youngest and most technologically advanced fleets in the world. Pacific Drilling has principal offices in Luxembourg and Houston. For more information about Pacific Drilling, including our current Fleet Status, please visit our website at www.pacificdrilling.com. Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and are generally identifiable by their use of words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "our ability to," "may," "plan," "potential," "predict," "project," "projected," "should," "will," "would", or other similar words which are not generally historical in nature. The forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Our forward-looking statements express our current expectations or forecasts of possible future results or events, and include statements regarding potential timing and outcomes related to the Company's appeal of, and other legal remedies related to, the Tribunal's decision, expectations regarding the Zonda Debtors' bankruptcy proceedings, and expectations regarding the impact of the Tribunal's decision on the Company's operations, relationships, financial position, results of operations and liquidity. Although we believe that the assumptions and expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable and made in good faith, these statements are not guarantees, and actual future results may differ materially due to a variety of factors. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and are based on a number of judgments and assumptions as of the date such statements are made about future events, many of which are beyond our control. Actual events and results may differ materially from those anticipated, estimated, projected or implied by us in such statements due to a variety of factors, including if one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove incorrect. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from our expectations include: the risks of litigation in foreign jurisdictions and delays caused by third parties in connection with such litigation, the outcome of the Zonda Debtors' bankruptcy proceedings and any actions that SHI or others may take in the bankruptcy or other proceedings against the Company and its subsidiaries, and the other risk factors described in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 12, 2019 and our Reports on Form 6-K. These documents are available through our website at www.pacificdrilling.com or through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006065/en/ Contacts: Investor Contact: James Harris Pacific Drilling S.A. +713 334 6662 Investor@pacificdrilling.com Media Contact: Amy L. Roddy Pacific Drilling S.A. +713 334 6662 Media@pacificdrilling.com OTTAWA/WINNIPEG, Manitoba Canada said on Thursday it would impose temporary speed limits on trains hauling dangerous goods after a Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd crude oil train derailed and caught fire. The accident, which happened in the early hours of Thursday near Guernsey, Saskatchewan, was the second derailment in the area in a span of two months. Federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau said that effective at midnight on Friday (0500 GMT Saturday), trains hauling more than 20 cars of dangerous goods would be limited to 25 miles per hour (40 kph) across the country for the next 30 days. The limit in urban areas will be 20 mph (32 kph), he told reporters. The reductions represent a halving from the normal speed limits. Depending on results of the probe into Thursdays derailment, the 30-day period could be shortened or lengthened. I realize there will be an effect on the economy of the country but it is very, very important that we do not sacrifice safety, Garneau said. Canadian Pacific Chief Executive Keith Creel said he fully backed the move and had already implemented the slowdown. Until we better understand the facts relating to todays incident, it is prudent to operate with an abundance of caution, he said in a statement. The company said there had been no injuries. Canadas biggest railway, Canadian National Railway Co , will comply with the order and is reviewing its significant impact on our operations, spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said. Dangerous goods include crude oil that is diluted with condensate, gasoline, diesel, chemicals and some fertilizers, said John Zahary, chief executive of Altex Energy. The company operates terminals that load undiluted crude, which is not classified as a dangerous good. The order will have a knock-on effect through the transportation system as rail workers and locomotives are tied up on longer trips, he said by phone. There is a finite number of people, of engineers driving the trains, a finite number of locomotives. So there is a direct impact on the dangerous goods, and maybe an indirect impact on everything else, he said. All that stuff is going to slow down. In July 2013, 47 Canadians died in the Quebec town of Lac-Megantic after a train with oil tankers derailed and exploded. Authorities in Chinas Guangxi Province have decided to extend the closure of border markets and continue to suspend the trading of goods by individuals until the end of February. About 580 tonnes of Viet Nam's agricultural products were exported to China via the Kim Thanh International Border Gate No2 in Lao Cai on Sunday. Photo tuyengiao.vn Viet Nams Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) also said that authorities in Yunnan Province have so far released no official information on this issue, but due to the continuing threat of the epidemic, they are likely to make the same decision. Individual trade at border markets is still the main way of exporting some of Viet Nams farming produce to China, including dragon fruits and watermelons. Therefore, this decision is expected to have a significant impact on exporting these agricultural products to the neighbouring country, according to MoIT. MoIT and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development recently issued warnings about the problem. The two ministries have proposed local businesses regulate the volume of exported dragon fruits and watermelons via individuals at the border markets and increase exports under contracts. The batches of agricultural products exported under contracts, including dragon fruit and watermelon, are still allowed to carry out customs procedures as usual, though clearance takes longer due to strict measures for control of the epidemic. According to reports from provinces sharing a border with China, as of February 9 (Sunday), there were only 173 trucks carrying dragon fruits in Lang Son Province and 152 in Lao Cai Province, not much higher than the volume at the end of January. MoIT has requested logistics enterprises, especially those with cold storage, to continue supporting agricultural businesses facing difficulties in export to China, including giving priority to farm produce in need of preservation and reducing costs for storage, warehousing, transport, and loading and unloading of goods. The MoIT has also proposed distribution businesses, trade centres and supermarkets continue to help farmers sell the produce. Meanwhile, the ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development would continue to find new export markets and partners, including trade offices and commercial counsellors of Viet Nam in other countries, promoting consumption of agricultural products. Exports in Lao Cai On Sunday, a MoIT delegation led by Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Khanh with representatives of the Import and Export Department and the Asia-Africa Market Department visited Lao Cai Province to work with provincial authorities on border trade activities. Do Truong Giang, director of Lao Cai Department of Industry and Trade, said the province has enhanced measures to control the coronavirus epidemic in border gate areas. It has created favourable conditions for goods traded between the two countries. Lao Cai has also established a hotline with the authorities at the Ha Khau (Hekou) border gate in China to coordinate in customs clearance and control of the epidemic. Speaking at the meeting, Phan Van Chinh, director of the Import-Export Department, said the ministry has implemented solutions to find alternative export markets and target the domestic market. Le Hoang Oanh, director of the Asia-Africa Market Department, said that seeking new markets and boosting trade promotion activities would diversify markets. Meanwhile, quality assurance and traceability are very important for sustainable exports to China as well as other markets. According to the Lao Cai Border Gate Customs Sub-Department, 580 tonnes of Viet Nam's agricultural products were exported to China via the Kim Thanh International Border Gate No 2 on Sunday, earning over US$266,800. Most was stockpiled during the Tet (Lunar New Year) holiday. Now, due to the coronavirus epidemic, the businesses have reduced exported goods via Lao Cai. Tran Anh Tu, Deputy Director of Lao Cai Border Gate Customs Sub-Department, said usually, about 2,000 Vietnamese people unload goods in China's border market in Ha Khau (Hekou) Town but this labour force has not come back due to the epidemic. This has caused difficulties for Chinese businesses importing Vietnamese agricultural products. According to the Lao Cai Department of Industry and Trade, the total trade value at border gates in Lao Cai last year reached $3.8 billion; including $2.6 billion from exports. The total volume of agricultural products traded at the border gates was 1.57 million tonnes with a total trade value of over $1 billion. VNS nCoV outbreak forces Vietnamese, Chinese border resident exchange reschedule The exchange between Vietnamese and Chinese border residents, initially scheduled on February 10, is set to take place later this month due to impact of the novel coronavirus (nCoV). Addressing ambassadors and heads of diplomatic missions in Tehran on Monday, President Hassan Rouhani said slain Qods Force Commander Qassem Soleimani could have easily eliminated American generals but he did not because he sought stability and calm in the region. "Soleimani was looking for stability and peace in the region," the Iranian President said and added: "It was easy, very easy for General Soleimani to kill Americans in Afghanistan, Iraq and other places if he wanted to but he never did that". Major General Qassem Soleimani who was the commander of the Revolutionary Guard's Qods (Quds) Force was killed in a targeted drone attack along with senior Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and several others by the United States at Baghdad Airport on January 3. President Trump who ordered the attack said Soleimani had been planning attacks on American citizens. In a speech delivered at a conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna on the same day the head of Iran's nuclear program Ali Akbar Salehi also defended Soleimani's role in the region. Salehi said Soleimani's killing has weakened the fight against the Islamic State extremist group in the region and that the U.S. administration "has yet not come to its senses recognizing the realities on the ground". "You must know that if necessary, my country will never hesitate to attack again, just as it powerfully retaliated [for the killing of Soleimani] once," Salehi said in reference to firing 12 missiles on January 8 at Iraqi bases hosting American and other coalition troops. Referring to West's concerns over Iran's missile program in his speech on Monday Rouhani said Iran has used its missiles twice: Once against the Islamic State group and another time to attack American bases in Iraq. "We have never built and stockpiled missiles for aggression. We assure all our neighbors and the people of the region that we seek peaceful coexistence," Rouhani said in his speech today. Speaking to Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen on Saturday, however, Mohsen Rezaei, a former Revolutionary Guard commander who is now the Secretary of the Expediency Council, alleged that Israelis had provided the vital information on Soleimani's flight to the Americans and said Iran would definitely have "razed Tel Aviv to the ground" if Americans had attacked Iran. Houston, TX, USA, and Garching, Germany, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RadioMedix, and OncoBeta today announced the execution of an exclusive distribution agreement for the next generation of W/Re-188 generators in the U.S. and Canada. OncoBeta Tungsten (Wolfram)-188/Rhenium-188 (W/Re-188) Generator:OncoBeta Tungsten (Wolfram)-188/Rhenium-188 (W/Re-188) Generator The OncoBeta Tungsten (Wolfram)-188/Rhenium-188 (W/Re-188) Generators can be used for radiolabeling reactions or directly as a high dose liquid radioactive source. Rhenium-188 (Re-188) is a high energy-emitting radioisotope obtained from the W/Re-188 Generator. Re-188 has shown high efficiency and value for a variety of therapeutic applications in nuclear medicine, oncology, and interventional radiology/cardiology areas. Its advantageous physical properties, its potential low cost, and with a long-lived parent, make this generator an attractive option for clinical use. The high energy of the emission of Re-188 is particularly well suited for the effective penetration in solid tumors as well as skin cancers. Its total radiation dose delivered to tissues is comparable to other radionuclides used in therapy today. RadioMedix is pleased to leverage its know-how and network in the U.S. and Canada to distribute OncoBetas products. A generator-based production of beta emitter Re-188 can be a great additional option for developing new Targeted Radionuclide Therapies against cancer. The chemistry of Re-188 is similar to Tc-99m, the most commonly used radioisotope in Nuclear Medicine. We anticipate the availability of this generator will increase research and development activities based on this radioisotope, said Dr. Ebrahim S. Delpassand, Chairman and CEO of RadioMedix. We at Oncobeta are extremely pleased to initiate this collaboration with such a strong strategic partner such as RadioMedix. This distribution agreement is a key milestone in the implementation of our global strategy to supply the market with high-quality 188 W/ 188Re Generators, said Shannon D. Brown III, CEO and Managing Director of OncoBeta. Our generators are characterized for having high activity concentrations and elution volumes which can be used for radiolabeling or directly as a high dose liquid radioactive source. As the only organization worldwide presently capable of securing supply for 188W/ 188Re Generators, we expect to see a fast increase in demand and interest for projects using Rhenium-188 and look forward to supporting new and exciting market developments. Story continues About RadioMedix RadioMedix, Inc. is a clinical-stage biotechnology company, based in Texas, focused on innovative targeted radiopharmaceuticals for diagnosis, monitoring, and therapy of cancer. The company is commercializing radiopharmaceuticals for PET imaging and targeted alpha and beta-emitter therapy. RadioMedix established research and contract service facilities for academic and industrial partners at two locations: the cGMP Dose Manufacturing and Analytical suites for clinical trials, and the Drug Discovery and Pre-clinical Core Facility in Houston, TX. Also, a new state of art commercial manufacturing facility located in Humble, TX, has been established. To learn more, visit www.radiomedix.com . For more information about this press release, please contact: media@radiomedix.com Follow us on social media: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/radiomedix-inc-/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RadioMedix-Inc/ About OncoBeta OncoBeta GmbH, with its headquarters located in Garching near Munich, Germany, is a medical device and radiochemical company specializing in the development and commercialization of state-of-the-art, innovative radioisotope therapies and products utilizing Rhenium-188. OncoBeta offers an innovative Skin Cancer Therapy targeting non-melanoma skin cancers and produces Tungsten (Wolfram)-188/Rhenium-188 (W/Re-188) Generators for commercial use. Learn more us at https://www.oncobeta.com Follow us on social media: LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncobeta-gmbh/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OncoBeta/ Forward-looking statements This announcement includes forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of RadioMedix or OncoBetas control and which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning RadioMedix or OncoBetas plans, objectives, goals, future events, performance, and/or other information that is not historical. All such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by these cautionary statements and any other cautionary statements which may accompany the forward-looking statements. RadioMedix or OncoBeta undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances after the date made, except as required by law. Attachment Media Contact Izabela Tworowska PhD CSO, RadioMedix Inc. Bletchley Park: Build a Radio Receiver Bletchley Park is hosting another workshop with the RSGB on March 14 where you can build your own radio receiver The Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) invites young people (and an accompanying adult if the child is under 16 years) to join them at the National Radio Centre at Bletchley Park for a fun and hands-on workshop where they can learn more about radio and electronics. The workshop offers a short introduction to wireless communications, radio propagation and electronic construction, before moving on to the construction of a medium wave radio receiver. This will include using a printed circuit board, selecting components, soldering them in place and testing the circuit. Attendees will also be able to visit the National Radio Centre to learn more about the history of radio communications and to see a modern amateur radio station in operation. Full details are at https://bletchleypark.org.uk/whats-on/build-a-radio-receiver-3 A woman wearing a face mask uses her phone next to containers of hydrogen peroxide in Hong Kong on Feb. 11, 2020. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) US Lets Government Workers Leave Hong Kong Amid Coronavirus Fears The United States government is letting workers based in Hong Kong leave amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak. The virus, now officially named COVID-19, has sickened dozens in Hong Kong and tens of thousands in mainland China. Authorized departure gives these employees and their family members the option to depart if they wish. Departure is not required. The U.S. Consulates authorized departure status will be reviewed in 30 days, a State Department spokesperson said in a statement to The Epoch Times. The voluntary departure authorization applies to non-emergency U.S. government employees and their families. The decision was made out of an abundance of caution amid the virus outbreak to ensure the safety and security of U.S. Government personnel and family members, the statement said. The U.S. Consulate General in Hong Kong remains open to the public and continues to provide the full range of consular services to U.S. citizens. The State Department arranged for five flights into Wuhan to bring Americans there back to the United States. The hundreds of evacuees were isolated at military bases in three states. The first American among those groups to test positive was hospitalized on Feb. 10, health authorities said. That patient was at first released back into the quarantine at the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, California, after an initial test came back negative, then another test showed that the patient had the virus, prompting the isolation. An airplane carrying U.S. citizens being evacuated from Wuhan, China, lands at March Air Reserve Base in Riverside, Calif., on Jan. 29, 2020. (Ringo H.W. Chiu/AP Photo) A police officer (L) wears protective gear as he guards a cordon near a public toilet as a member of staff (R) stands in the doorway of a restaurant kitchen outside Hong Mei House at the Cheung Hong Estate in Hong Kong on Feb. 11, 2020, following the evacuation of more than 100 people from the housing block after four residents in two different apartments tested positive for COVID-19. (Anthony Wallace/AFP via Getty Images) A second patient from the base showing symptoms was also hospitalized. Authorities were preparing to release the first group of evacuees from a Riverside County air base after the end of a 14-day quarantine. None of the 195 people showed signs of having the virus and passed a number of medical screenings before boarding the plane, after landing, and throughout the quarantine, officials said. The case was the 13th confirmed in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated. CDC is conducting a thorough contact investigation of the person who has tested positive to determine contacts and to assess if those contacts had high risk exposures, it said in a statement. A second group was taken to the March Air Reserve Base, while the other groups are at bases in Texas and Nebraska. Hong Kong, meanwhile, has confirmed 49 cases of COVID-19. Nine of the newest cases came from of a group of 19 family members who shared a hotpot meal at a restaurant last month, which included two family members from mainland China. Australia's highest court ruled Tuesday the government can't deport Aboriginal people as part of its policy of ridding the country of foreign criminals. The High Court ruled in a 4-3 decision that indigenous Australians cannot be deported even if they do not hold Australian citizenship. The court had heard the case of two men who were born overseas but identified as being from indigenous tribes. The government attempted to deport them after they served prison sentences for violent crimes. The government has been criticized for deporting some criminals who have lived in Australia since they were children, but never became citizens. The court found that Brendan Thoms, 31, who was born in New Zealand to an indigenous Australian mother, was an Aboriginal Australian. Thoms had lived in Australia since he was 6, is accepted as a member of the Gunggari tribe and is recognized as a native title holder of their traditional land. But a majority of judges was not convinced that Daniel Love, 40, was indigenous and was accepted as a member of the Kamilaroi tribe. He was born in Papua New Guinea to an indigenous Australian father and has lived in Australia since he was 5. His lawyers say he will provide more evidence of his Aboriginality and another trial could be held to decide the issue. Both Love and Thoms were placed in immigration detention and threatened with deportation on their release from prison after serving sentences for unrelated crimes. Love has had his visa restored since his lawyers initiated court action and lives on the Gold Coast. Thoms has been in immigration detention in Brisbane for the 16 months since he completed a six-month prison sentence. Their lawyer Claire Gibbs demanded that Thoms be immediately released. The Home Affairs Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Gibbs said both Love and Thoms would sue the government for wrongful detention. "Both of my clients have suffered severe embarrassment about being Aboriginal men in immigration detention and they've been subject to a lot of ridicule. So it's been a very, very tough time for them both," Gibbs told reporters in Canberra. The court found Aboriginal Australians have a special cultural, historic and spiritual connection to Australia, which is inconsistent with them being considered "aliens" in the meaning of the Australian constitution. Indigenous Australians make up 3% of the population and are the most disadvantaged minority group in a range of measures. Indigenous Australians die younger than other Australians and are overrepresented in prisons. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir is seen during a swearing in ceremony of new officials after he dissolved the central and state governments in Khartoum, Sudan, on Feb. 24, 2019. (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters) Sudan to Send Former President al-Bashir for Trial at the Hague for Genocide CAIROA top Sudanese official said Tuesday the countrys transitional authorities and rebel groups have agreed to hand over former autocratic President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court for war crimes, including mass killings in Darfur. Al-Bashir, who was overthrown by the military last year amid a public uprising, is wanted by the ICC on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide related to the Darfur conflict. Since his ouster in April, he has been in jail in Sudans capital, Khartoum, on charges of corruption and killing protesters. Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the Sovereign Council and a government negotiator, said the council agreed with rebel groups in Darfur to hand over those wanted by the International Criminal Court to face justice in The Hague. He didnt mention al-Bashir by name. Al-Taishi did not say when they would transfer al-Bashir and others wanted by the ICC, and the transitional administration would need to ratify the ICCs Rome Statute to allow for the transfer the former president to The Hague. Sudans former president Omar Hassan al-Bashir smiles as he is seen inside a cage at the courthouse where he is facing corruption charges, in Khartoum, Sudan on Aug. 31, 2019. (Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters) He spoke in a news conference in South Sudans capital, Juba, where the government and rebels hold talks to end the countrys decades-long civil war. In the Darfur conflict, rebels among the territorys ethnic Central African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. The government responded with a scorched earth assault of aerial bombings and unleashed the Janjaweed. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes. Along with al-Bashir, the ICC has indicted two other senior figures in his regimeAbdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, who was interior and defense minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time who last month was named by al-Bashir to run the ruling National Congress Party. Flash Test results showed that 66 additional people on a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama are infected with the novel coronavirus, the Japanese Health Ministry said Monday. The newest test results brought the number of confirmed cases in Japan to 162, including 136 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship south of Tokyo. The ship has been kept in quarantine off the port of Yokohama after a passenger on board from Hong Kong was found to be infected with the pneumonia-causing virus. The 80-year-old passenger flew to Tokyo in mid-January and boarded the cruise ship in the city on Jan. 20. On board the cruise ship are 2,666 passengers and 1,045 crew members from 56 countries and regions. The 66 infected people include 45 Japanese, 11 Americans, four Australians, three Filipinos, one Canadian, one British national and one Ukrainian, according to U.S. company Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., which operates the ship. The Japanese government said it plans more tests of dozens of elderly people while it carries out investigations into any possible issues with hygiene control on the ship. "We are considering testing, if possible, all those over 80 years old who are in ill health," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Monday. The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare also said Monday that it is considering testing all the 3,711 people aboard the ship when the two-week isolation period ends on Feb. 19. However, Suga said later that it would be difficult to test all passengers and crew. "We need to properly address the unease and concerns of our citizens," said Japan's Health Minister Katsunobu Kato. According to local media reports, passengers have been confined to their rooms; however, they were allowed to spend some time on deck under staff monitoring. The cruise company said Monday that it will offer a full refund to all passengers who were unable to disembark in Yokohama due to the epidemic. The refund will include the cost of the cruise, hotel accommodation prior to and following the cruise, onshore excursions and services used aboard the ship. Japan is stepping up efforts to contain the spread of the virus as the number of confirmed cases continues to rise. The government has been urging the public to remain calm and resist a growing number of social media rumors concerning the outbreak. Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said a fifth flight was being arranged to bring home the few remaining Japanese in China's Wuhan and in the rest of Hubei Province. The charter plane was set to fly this weekend at the earliest and would be the last for the foreseeable future, he added. PLA conducts drills near Taiwan island for 2 days in a row Global Times By Liu Xuanzun Source:Globaltimes.cn Published: 2020/2/11 2:07:39 The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday launched joint drills featuring naval and air forces near the island of Taiwan, one day after it conducted a combat readiness drill which saw its warplanes encircle the island. For two consecutive days, concentrated military operations surrounding Taiwan have demonstrated PLA's capabilities to solve the Taiwan question by force amid Taiwan secessionist plans, experts said. Naval and air forces with the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Monday conducted joint drills in the southeastern waters of the island of Taiwan, said Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui, a PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson, in a statement released by the Ministry of National Defense on Monday. Citing Taiwan's defense authority, Taiwan news website udn.com reported on Monday that PLA aircraft including H-6 bombers and fighter jets crossed the Bashi Channel on Monday morning flying into the western Pacific, and returned on the same course. The joint drills on Monday came only one day after PLA forces conducted a combat readiness drill on Sunday with warships, bombers, jet fighters, and early warning aircraft. The combat planes cruised through the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait and conducted real combat-oriented training. Unlike Sunday's operation, PLA fighter jets crossed the "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits on Monday, udn.com said. Song Zhongping, a mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday the concentrated PLA drills are not only warnings to Taiwan secessionists, but also demonstrations of PLA capabilities to solve the Taiwan question by force. The recent drills on Monday mainly focused on real-combat scenarios including air-to-land assault and fire support, which trained and tested troop capabilities in joint operations, said Zhang. Song said these trainings are real-combat oriented and will be useful in potential battles against Taiwan's military force. Taiwan secessionist forces are disregarding the greater national interests, intensifying its scheme pursuing "independence," going against the trend and the will of the people, Zhang said, noting that the PLA Eastern Theater Command troops are always on high alert, closely following the situation and are ready to resolutely fulfill its missions. An authoritative source who declined to be named told the Global Times after the first operation on Sunday that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has been increasingly colluding with the US, attempting with the US to confront the Chinese mainland, planning Lai Ching-te's US visit, seeking "independence." NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address LaunchPort Logo Weve had companies from the Bay Area, Texas, Midwest and New England move to LaunchPort. Its just another statement that the Baltimore/DC area is a vibrant and growing Medtech hub. Past News Releases RSS The LaunchPort announced today that ExoRenal (http://www.exorenal.com) has moved into The LaunchPort medical device accelerator in Port Covington, Baltimore. The newly formed company is developing a novel pulsatile hemodialysis technology that is targeting the issues that must be addressed to manage increased demand for home dialysis treatments. The start-up company will be moving research functions from New England and will be adding engineering and R&D personnel from South Korea during the course of 2020. Dr. Jake Lee, the founder of ExoRenal, has been conducting R&D for 17 years regarding blood purification including hemo and liver dialysis devices, and previously worked for LG Electronics, BHK and Fresenius Medical Care Korea. He came to the US to conduct research at the University of Michigan and the University of Vermont, and has most recently worked with the US Army under a $1M contract to develop a multifunctional blood purifying device that is rugged and readily useable under battlefield conditions to manage soldiers with multiple organ failure. ExoRenal represented one of four South Korean technologies that were hosted at LaunchPort in 2019 during the Korean Bio I-Corps program a dual-country customer discovery process sponsored by the Korean Innovation Center (Tysons Corner, VA) and the National Research Foundation (Seoul, South Korea) and taught by The MVR Company (Annapolis, MD). At the conclusion of the program, ExoRenal was selected to receive a commercialization investment from the NRF. Dr. Lee commented, I chose Port Covington as the home base for our new company, based on our experience this past summer at The LaunchPort. We were impressed at the concentration of medical innovation in Baltimore especially the strong reception from physicians and researchers at Johns Hopkins and the University of Maryland. Proximity to the numerous Federal agencies that are located in Maryland was also a critical factor for us. Robert Storey, Managing Partner of LaunchPort, noted that ExoRenal is the fifth technology/company at LaunchPort that has relocated from elsewhere to Baltimore. Weve had companies from the Bay Area, Texas, Midwest and New England move to the site. Its just another statement that the Baltimore/DC area is a vibrant and growing Medtech hub. ExoRenal will be occupying engineering prototyping space within LaunchPorts engineering suites at the Port Covington City Garage and is collaborating with anchor tenant Engineered Medical Systems on commercial manufacturing. About ExoRenal (Baltimore, MD) ExoRenal is an early stage medical device company developing a novel hemodialysis unit the xKidney in which the entire dialysate compartment becomes disposable, addressing the need for the home care market for hemodialysis with simplification, lightweight, and significant convenience. Their patented active Piston Balancing (aPB) pumping technology integrates blood pump, dialysate pumps and the dialysate balancing chamber into a single disposable element, vastly reducing costs of operation and maintenance. About The LaunchPort (Port Covington, Baltimore, MD) The LaunchPort is a manufacturing accelerator that allows Medtech start-ups and emerging technology developers the ability to co-locate at an experienced, regulated manufacturing center. Located at the City Garage in Baltimores Port Covington, it is in close proximity to two of the Countrys premier medical schools (Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland) and at the center of the Nations largest urban investment project. About Engineered Medical Systems (Indianapolis, IN; Baltimore, MD; Penang, Malaysia) Established in 1986, Engineered Medical Systems, does contract manufacturing and private label medical devices for a variety of private and multi-national medical devices manufacturers and distributors. Engineered Medical Systems - Malaysia in Penang, Malaysia was established in 2014 to support international products and markets. All EMS facilities are ISO-13485 certified facilities. A sister company of EMS, Pulmodyne, Inc., develops, markets and sells a proprietary line of products in the Critical Care, Airway Management and Emergency markets, with a worldwide sales network of over 70 global distributors and 15 domestic distributors. It was particularly warm in Northeast Georgia this past week -- no doubt thrilling the earth-worshipping faithful. Weve also been very wet. After the latest round of rain, temperatures returned to a more winterlike feel. On this past Friday, there were a few murmurings of small amounts of snow on Saturday morning. Of course, any amount of snow in Georgia is news, but as late as Friday evening (scroll to the bottom of the page for the video of the Friday evening/Saturday morning forecast), most forecasts were making little of the potential snowy event. According to the Friday forecasts, most of north Georgia was only going to get one-half inch to one inch of snow, and temperatures were going to warm into the mid-to-upper forties by Saturday afternoon. Thus, any snow that fell was supposed to melt quickly. We were paying special attention to these forecasts because we were traveling several miles for a karate tournament on Saturday morning. Even on Saturday morning, forecasters were still saying the snow was going to be minimal and not much of a concern. We left our northeast Georgia house headed southwest about 9:30 a.m. Saturday morning. The snow was just starting to fall. The storm was moving southwest to northeast, so we were heading right into it. As we traveled, the snowfall was getting heavier. The precipitation on radar looked impressive. We were barely thirty minutes down the road, and we started getting nervous. The snow was quickly piling up and the traffic was slowing down. It was as if we were headed to a global warming conference and Al Gores plane had just landed! As we continued on our way we saw several cars on the sides of the road, unable to navigate the snow-covered asphalt. Whats more, as we communicated with friends already at the tournament, we were getting reports of road closures. We arrived safely at the tournament, but the parking lot was perhaps the most dangerous asphalt that we encountered. We were beginning to wonder if we were going to end up sleeping on the floor of a high school gym. After the tournament we made it home safely, but it was a mess! Contrary to the forecasts that were only hours old, much of north Georgia saw five to six inches of snow, and the temperatures never rose past the mid-thirties. Roads all across the area were closed. Again, I dont mind an inaccurate forecast. Im very used to them, especially in the winter in the southeastern United States. Im sure it happens all over the U.S. and the world every day. Even with all of our advanced technology, weather forecasting is a very tricky business. However, the missed forecast with this recent weather event highlights the kind of folly that is behind all of the doom and gloom predictions coming from Al Gores disciples. Even people who know what they are talking about have a difficult time predicting accurately the local weather just days, and sometimes even hours, in advance -- yet the climate-change faithful (fools is more appropriate) would have us drastically change our energy policy and enact crippling emission controls -- which would do virtually nothing to change the climate -- based on their dire predictions about the global climate that are decades and sometimes centuries in advance. To be accurate in weather -- or climate -- forecasting, it helps when ones forecasts are based on sound science. Yet, as John Nolte noted just a few months ago, climate experts are zero for forty-one (now 0 for 43!) in their doomsday predictions. Thus, why would anyone think that so-called climate science is in any way reliable? These climate frauds have long relied on the deceptive use of data to push their big government agenda. Daily it seems we are subjected to another global warming fraud. Everybody needs an Apocalypse, I suppose. Climate science has become such a joke that the faithful are now being led by a child. As Josef Joffe recently put it, Greta Thunberg, the teenager from Stockholm, is the prophet of a new religion sweeping the West. Call it Climatism. Like any religion worthy of the name, it comes with its own catechism (what to believe) and eschatology (how the world will end). Thunbergs bible is the latest report of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which gives us 12 years to save civilization as we know it. We have prayed to the false gods of fossil-fired growth, runs Thunbergs indictment. Guilty are the adults who have lied to us and given us false hope. But her childrens crusade -- no-school Fridays for Future -- will show the path to redemption. Climate science has become such a joke that the faithful are now confessing their sins to plants. As Tyler ONeil noted last year, Union Theological Seminary hosted a chapel service in which self-identified Christians confessed their climate sins to plants. No, this is not satire from the Babylon Bee -- this really happened, and the seminary is defending it without shame In worship, our community confessed the harm weve done to plants, speaking directly in repentance. This is a beautiful ritual, the seminary announced on Twitter. We are in the throes of a climate emergency, a crisis created by humanitys arrogance, our disregard for Creation. Far too often, we see the natural world only as resources to be extracted for our use, not divinely created in their own right -- worthy of honor, thanks and care. It is becoming increasingly clear that anthropogenic climate change is nothing more than, as Australias Ian Plimer put it years ago, the new religion of First World urban elites. With the mounting evidence against it, and the continued crumbling of its holy documents, its developing into a rather poor religion, at that. Thus, when it comes to the experts and predicting the future -- especially the future global climate -- as Jeff Jacoby noted last winter, your guess is as good as theirs. It seems this is also often the case with your local weather forecasts. Remember all of this the next time you encounter someone telling you what the global climate is going to be decades down the road. 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 Questo comunicato e stato pubblicato piu di 1 anno fa. Le informazioni su questa pagina potrebbero non essere attendibili. With having published myriads of reports for global clients, Future Market Insights exhibits its expertise in the market research field. Our dedicated crew of professionals ride the wave of advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence, and big data analytics, to project the adoption pattern and consumption trends regarding the market. A three-step quality check process - data collection, triangulation, and validation is paramount while assuring the authenticity of the information captured. Global Nylon Films Production Capacity Growth Report The latest business intelligence study by FMI suggests that the global market of Nylon Films Production Capacity Growth reached US$ --- Mn in 2019 with a CAGR of 5.1% from 2019 to 2026 (Forecast period). The research study focuses on the drivers, restraints, opportunities and trends impacting the Nylon Films Production Capacity Growth. 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At what rate has the global Nylon Films Production Capacity Growth been growing throughout the historic period 2014-2018? By end use segment, which segment currently leads the global Nylon Films Production Capacity Growth? And many more HOLYOKE A 53-year-old city man on Tuesday pleaded not guilty to criminal charges after a grandson brought his loaded pistol to a city elementary school in December. Juan A. Barreto-Hernandez pleaded not guilty to improper storage of a firearm and reckless endangerment of a child. Holyoke District Court Judge Matthew Shea released Barreto-Hernandez without requiring him to post bail and ordered him not to possess any firearms. Police said the 5-year-old brought Barreto-Hernandezs .22-caliber, semi-automatic handgun in his backpack to the E.N. White School on Jefferson Street on Dec. 6. School staff called police at about 11:30 a.m. when they found the child had the gun, which held a 10-round magazine that was fully loaded, according to a police department spokesman. The child did not remove the gun from the backpack at any time during the school day. Barreto-Hernandez was licensed to carry the gun, said Lt. James Albert, who added that a second handgun was seized from the defendants home. A pretrial hearing was set for April 15. This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available. Peter Buttigieg comes across as a slightly older version of the cocky high school kid who imagines that National Honor Society membership qualifies for and entitles him to a lifetime of grand accomplishments. In January, Buttigieg sat for an interview the LA Times published as, Q&A: Pete Buttigieg on the monumental task of cleaning up Trumps mess. Unsurprisingly, the softball interview maligned President Donald Trump while obscuring Mayor Petes failure to clean up his own mess in South Bend, Indiana. Amusingly, the less-than-successful two-term mayor of a crime-infested Midwest college town avoided mentioning his local ineptitude while sermonizing on national matters. A specialist in grandiloquent, albeit empty, often-opaque rhetoric, Buttigieg attempted to explain, why I believe Im the best nominee to defeat Donald Trump but, even more importantly, the extent to which this is by definition an election for the president who will have to deal with life after Trump. And that this is an election about who can gather up the pieces of what has been broken and establish what I believe is the next era, or will have to be the next era, in American life. (Inhale) Largely unmentioned were Americas robust economy, record low joblessness, growing incomes, tax reform, favorable trade deals, lower trade deficits, improved border security, energy independence, and ISIS shredded Caliphate. Buttigieg asserted that he wouldnt have withdrawn from the Iran nuclear deal because of Irans Middle East terrorist activities. He excused Irans bad actions in the region by speculating, they regard that as a core part of their security. (OK, then) He did express concern about stateless terrorism, though. Buttigieg said President Trumps order to kill Qasem Soleimani, the Iranian terror-master whose hands bore the blood of hundreds of Americans, lacked proportionality, even though Soleimani died in a neighboring nation while plotting more violence against Americans. Buttigieg: [T]he principles Im talking about are security, deterrence, upholding our values and engaging our allies (whatever that means) Polling poorly among blacks, Buttigieg pandered, I support HR 40, which is [Democratic Representative] Sheila Jackson Lees bill to examine reparations. Buttigieg made one statement upon which everyone can agree: I am who I am. Here is an inventory, beginning with who/what he is not: Peter Buttigieg is not a statesman, a successful executive, the next Kennedy or another Obama. Hes no party asset, either. If nominated, Buttigieg would lose his home state in the General Election. Buttigieg is an ambitious, calculating, smooth-talking, sanctimonious, focus group-driven, liberal Democrat whose non-combat military service lasted six months, and whose primary political asset is that hes a gay man in a same-sex marriage a plus among identity politics scorekeepers. Without the gay part, though, Buttigieg is merely an inexperienced, white, media-hyped, former mayor of a small, crime-ridden city thats home to black citizens who dont much like or trust him, and whose antipathy to Mayor Pete has infected American blacks, generally. His accomplishments might (necessarily?) put South Bend in Buttigiegs rear view mirror, but theyre far too meager to elect him president. Contact columnist Jerry Shenk at jshenk2010@gmail.com Milikhs sweeping proposal isnt likely to be adopted, but higher education funding cuts championed by Republican governors and the G.O.P. tax reforms bite out of high-dollar endowments represent a more modest version of this impulse. And a similar impulse lies behind the Trump architecture order: Its a repudiation of the idea that there exists some neutral community of cultural expertise to which Republican presidents as well as Democrats should defer, and its a deliberate attempt to use the power of the public purse to shift the balance of power within a specific culture industry. As such, its an act that provisionally deepens polarization, by elevating a new culture-war issue. But it also points to one plausible way that polarization might ultimately diminish: not through mutual disarmament, but through the fruitful use of power against power, so that different ideologies balance one another in different spheres and it becomes easier for Americans of all political persuasion to invest in their institutions once again. In A Time to Build, one of the few mildly optimistic political books to come out in this winter of depressing ones, the conservative scholar (and editor of National Affairs) Yuval Levin argues for just such a comprehensive recommitment to American institutions families and churches, academia and government as an alternative to the current tendency to use them instrumentally, as a platform for partisan ambitions and personal desires. Only a renewed institutionalism, in Levins telling, can correct both individualism and partisan tribalism, the two self-reinforcing spirits of our age. When we see our lives, personal or political, as mediated by institutions that structure appropriate ways to do what we do, he writes, we are more likely to act responsibly and to demand responsibility of others. But reading Levins admirable exhortation while contemplating our conservatives rule politics/liberals rule culture division made me wonder if, to reach the point where people are willing to submit themselves to institutionalism once again, we may first need our factions to more aggressively check one another, in politics and culture both. In politics, its easier for liberals to see how this might work. A movement to add Puerto Rico and Washington, D.C., to the roster of Senate-represented states, for instance, or to divide California into six states, two conservative-leaning and four liberal, would be a form of partisan aggression in the short run. But if successful, in the long run it might help depolarize the Senate somewhat, forcing conservatives to compete outside their current rural-state majority and restoring liberal confidence in the fairness of the upper chamber. But the same pattern might hold in cultural conflicts. Liberals have a harder time imagining this because they like to think of public architecture proposals or public-university hiring as independent and nonideological. But this is silly: Cultural production is obviously dominated by guilds with strong ideological dispositions, which alienate differently disposed citizens when those dispositions seem too all-controlling or oppressive. South Africa: Investigation launched into theft of water truck batteries The Department of Water and Sanitation has appealed to Qwaqwa residents, who have any information regarding the theft of batteries from water trucks, to share it with local law enforcement agencies. The department said it is shocked and disappointed by the theft of batteries from trucks on 7 February 2020. This act is not a theft against the department but to all who live in QwaQwa, as these trucks are forced to cease delivering water to the people. This further delays the immediate relief that could have happened, the department said. The department said a full investigation will be launched into the theft of the batteries, and warned that those involved will be prosecuted. The department said it has been working tirelessly in an effort to bring relief to the people of QwaQwa, since Minister Lindiwe Sisulu visited the area last month. During her visit, Sisulu declared that 10 water tankers will be delivered as part of the interim measures to address water challenges, and according to the department, this undertaking has been fulfilled. Sedibeng Water has thus been given directive to immediately address water supply challenges in QwaQwa, and ensure that the desired end result is water availability and water through taps in the long run, the department said. Social media video footage dismissed Meanwhile, the department has dismissed as false and misleading video footage and photos of water being flushed away, and reports of the mismanagement of drought relief funds, which are doing the rounds on social media. This is seemingly a tool utilized to spark more outcry and protests from the community. Some videos from other parts of the world and others even from years ago are made to seem like the current, updated material. This is a sign that there is a deliberate move to undermine the Minister and the departments intervention, leading to distrust of governments intentions. The community should be wary of such false news and be careful not to share without verifying the nature and intent of such material, the department said. Refurbishment of dysfunctional infrastructure The department stressed that Sedibeng Water is still hard at work to refurbish dysfunctional reticulation infrastructure in QwaQwa, as part of the intervention. The department, however, noted that the dysfunctional infrastructure is the responsibility of local government. As the national department, the department is intervening in order to alleviate the emergency situation, but it is not responsible for reticulation. That is the domain of local government, which the department will support without taking over its responsibilities. While these processes unfold, it is the department and Sedibengs intention to ensure that all proper procurement processes are followed, and that the Public Finance Management Act is adhered to in order to avoid any prospects of irregular expenditure. The R220 million set aside for this intervention will not go to the wrong hands, the department explained. Sisulu has appealed to community members to exercise patience while the department, working with all the stakeholders in the area, addresses their plight within the confines of the law and National Treasury prescripts. The community has also been requested to stay clear from rivers, especially as heavy rains can cause flash floods that can endanger lives. SAnews.gov.za This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Morocco has offered to host, on 10 December 2020 in Marrakech, the first African Regional Forum for the implementation of the Marrakech Global compact, which will serve as the African preparatory meeting for the 2022 International Migration Review Forum. The proposal came in the report of King Mohammed VI on the follow-up to the establishment of the African Migrations Observatory in Morocco, presented by head of the government, Saad Dine El Otmani, on Monday before the 33rd Summit of the African Union (AU), held in Addis Ababa. Morocco suggests hosting this 1st African Regional Forum in order to commemorate the second anniversary of the Marrakech Global Compact and to make it coincide with the celebration of International Human Rights Day, stresses the report. To take stock of its African implementation, we are convinced that there is no more symbolic setting than the very place where it was adopted, the report notes. Through the holding in Morocco of an African regional forum on the implementation of the Compact, our Continent is assuming its responsibilities, thereby maintaining the necessary momentum around a multilateral management of the migration issue that is beneficial to the people of Africa, and in particular its youth, the document states. King Mohammed VI, as Africas Leader on the issue of migration, also expresses, in this report, Moroccos readiness to share its national experience in migration management recognized by the United Nations as a model that can inspire other countries with sister African countries that so wish. The national immigration and asylum strategy, at once com-prehensive, humanistic and responsible, is in fact perfectly in line with the provisions and objectives of the Marrakech Global Compact, the Sovereign says, stressing the need to dispel any confusion between migrants, refugees and internally displaced persons. Similarly, the regularization operations from which undocumented migrants have benefited in Morocco are part of the Pacts efforts to promote legal channels for migrants, the report points out. Migrants access to education, work and health not only contribute to their integration, but also to the creation of favorable conditions that enable them to contribute to the enrichment and development of the places where they settled, the document added. Therefore, the measures taken by Morocco to eradicate the smuggling of migrants and the adoption of a legal framework to combat human trafficking are designed to reduce the situations of fragility and risks faced by migrants and to protect and respect their rights, the document says. Moroccos migration policy is a fundamental dimension of the Kingdoms African policy, in that it aims, inter alia, to combat the root causes of migration, according to the Monarch, who believes that through the integration of the migration-development nexus in its public policies, Morocco is effectively helping to promote the emergence, development and prosperity of the African continent as a whole. In coordination and cooperation with its neighbors and partners, Morocco implements its migration policy to ensure that migration to and from Morocco takes place in a safe, orderly and lawful manner, the report notes. Furthermore, by establishing the African Migrations Observatory, Africa is implementing the Marrakech Global Compact for Migration. Africa is thus establishing itself as a central actor in the implementation of the Marrakech Global Compact. By recognizing the importance of mutually beneficial migration governance for countries of origin, transit and destination, our continent is living up to its commitments. Farm and heavy equipment giant Deere & Company (Deere) is laying off 105 workers from its Dubuque Works plant, located on the eastern edge of Iowa, on April 6, 2020. Opened in 1946, the plant manufactures forestry and construction equipment. Each Deere factory balances the size of its production workforce with customer demand for products from their individual factory, Dan Bernick, manager of Public Relations for Deere & Company, said last Friday. No other Deere location is included in this announcement. In August, Deere revealed plans to cut costs and boost profits, or, as they put it, initiate organizational efficiency, which the World Socialist Web Site warned would lead to new rounds of layoffs and attacks on workers. Since then Deere has laid off 220 workers from plants across Iowa and Illinois. Additionally, 100 already temporarily laid off workers had their layoffs extended and 300 workers saw their hours and pay cut through forced demotions. In December, Deere announced its voluntary separation program, which threatens certain segments of salaried workers with possible involuntary layoffs in the future if they dont resign, or separate. Deere Harvester Works in East Moline, Illinois Laying off thousands of workers in the past decade, Deere continues slashing jobs not without but with the full support of United Auto Workers (UAW). The companys union partners are no doubt aware that even more cuts are on the agenda and is concealing this from workers. For the 2020 fiscal year, Deere predicts agricultural equipment sales will fall between 5 percent and 10 percent and construction equipment sales will drop by as much as 15 percent. John C. May, Deeres chief executive officer, said at the end of last year, John Deeres performance reflected continued uncertainties in the agricultural sector. He continued, Lingering trade tensions coupled with a year of difficult growing and harvesting conditions have caused many farmers to become cautious about making major investments in new equipment. Additionally, financial services results have come under pressure due to operating-lease losses. Export incomes of American farmers declined due to Trumps ongoing trade war with China. The American Farm Bureau noted in 2017 that China imported $19.5 billion of US farm produce, while in 2018, Chinas imports decreased to $9.1 billion. Meanwhile, shipments of US soybeans to China fell to a 16-year low as China moved to source most of its soybeans from Brazil. Retaliatory trade moves by Canada, Mexico, Turkey and countries of the European Union in response to US tariffs have also depressed American exports. This was compounded by a record-setting wet growing season last year, which decreased crop yields for large swaths of the American farm belt. According to the US Department of Agriculture, approximately 19.4 million insured acres across the United States went unplanted because of heavy rains, the highest since 2007, when the government first began its tracking. American farmers filed a total of 535 Chapter 12 bankruptcies last year, the highest since 2012. Deere is using every reason to slash its workforce and increase profits for stockholders. The question remains again, as the WSWS has warned, not if Deere will continue its layoffs, but when. The UAW, operating as a managerial extension of Deere, enforces the layoffs by actively suppressing any resistance from agricultural equipment workers. In 1997, the UAW imposed a sellout contract on workers leading to a two-tier wage and benefit system. Workers hired after 1997 were paid significantly less for doing the same job as those hired before. The UAW argued this was a necessary temporary evil to help Deere improve its profits and secure jobs. This was the same excuse used by the UAW to impose sellout contracts among the Detroit Big 3 auto companies. Billions of dollars in profits and thousands of layoffs later, the two-tier system remains in the agricultural equipment and auto industries. Former UAW-Fiat Chrysler Vice President Norwood Jewell, currently serving a slap-on-the-wrist 15- month prison sentence for taking bribes in exchange for signing sweetheart contracts, led the 2015 sellout contract at Deere. Workers accused the UAW of stuffing the ballot to get the deal ratified and called for a recount. The UAW ignored this demand. After destroying the livelihoods of thousands of Deere and Fiat Chrysler autoworkers, Jewell is now serving his 15 months at a minimum-security Federal Correctional Institution at Oxford, Wisconsin, known as the University. At Oxford, inmates enjoy the comfort of their own private cabins spaciously spread out over a sprawling 600-acre campus described by the Chicago Tribune as serene. Rank-and-file workers must reject the company-union conspiracy to destroy their jobs. This requires the building of rank-and-file factory committees, independent of the UAW, to mobilize Deere workers and unite them with workers throughout the agricultural equipment and auto industry. These committees, must uphold the rights of workers for secure and good-paying jobs and appeal to workers at Caterpillar, Case IH, Fiat New Holland and other equipment makers in the US and internationally along with autoworkers around the world, to wage a common fight. DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Integrity Marketing Group, LLC ("Integrity"), the nation's largest independent distributor of life and health insurance products, today announced it has completed the acquisition of ThomasArts, an advertising agency specializing in the senior insurance market. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. As part of the deal, ThomasArts Chief Executive Officer Dave Thomas, Co-President & Chief Marketing Officer Anne Wood, Co-President & Chief Creative Officer Troy Thomas and other key executives will become owners in Integrity. In addition, all 200 ThomasArts employees will become immediately eligible to participate in the recently announced, Integrity-wide Employee Ownership Plan. ThomasArts, headquartered in Salt Lake City with offices from coast to coast, including New York City, Washington D.C. and Costa Mesa, California, provides strategic direction, creative, digital, social media marketing as well as data and technology solutions to generate strong results for its Fortune 500 clients. ThomasArts has distinguished itself through work for national brands that drive healthcare and 50+ consumer marketing in the U.S. "With ThomasArts at our side, Integrity partner agencies and the more than 250,000 agents we work with will have an unprecedented advantage over their competition, with direct access to industry leading marketing and advertising expertise," said Bryan W. Adams, Co-Founder & CEO of Integrity. "Integrity is growing organically by almost three times (3x) the market rate and adding ThomasArts' deep industry experience will accelerate our growth and allow us to serve even more Americans with their life and health insurance needs." As part of Integrity, ThomasArts will develop and execute strategic marketing, social media and advertising programs to boost lead generation and agent recruiting. This addition to the company will continue to propel Integrity's industry-leading organic growth capabilities and product development pipeline that will benefit all Integrity's partner offices across the country. "As a family business, we connected with Integrity's mission and vision right from the start and knew immediately that we would be stronger together," said Dave Thomas. "Integrity lives our mantra of 'Work, Win, Prosper, Share' every day. I am really excited and feel privileged to bring our tools, resources and talents to aggressively advance Integrity's growth." Watch the following video for more details to ThomasArts' decision to partner with Integrity: www.integritymarketing.com/thomasarts "ThomasArts adds another dimension to Integrity," said Steven Prince, Integrity's Vice President of Marketing. "They are fast-thinking, nimble and incredibly knowledgeable about the life, health insurance and consumer markets. Dave and his team understand where we're going and will fuel our growth by innovating our marketing and advertising initiatives, lead generation systems, accelerating product development marketing and supporting our recruiting efforts." "The addition of ThomasArts illustrates how committed we are investing in cutting edge technology and expertise to better serve our agents, carriers and Integrity partners," said Steve Young, Chairman of Integrity. "ThomasArts are the very best at what they do and will provide us with enhanced capabilities that will launch our growth even higher." About Integrity Marketing Group Integrity Marketing Group, headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is the leading independent distributor of life and health insurance products focused on serving Americans. Integrity develops exclusive products with insurance carrier partners and markets these products through its distribution network that includes other large insurance agencies throughout the country. Integrity's almost 1,000 employees work with over 250,000 independent agents who service over 5 million clients. In 2020, Integrity expects to help insurance carriers place $2.5 billion in new premiums. For more information, visit www.integritymarketing.com About ThomasArts Founded in 2003 and headquartered in Salt Lake City with offices in New York City, Washington D.C. and Costa Mesa, California, ThomasArts is a data-driven, performance marketing agency with close to 200 employees. Their unique expertise in the marketing of life and health products to seniors, specifically Medicare products, enables them to serve some of the largest national brands in the nation. For more information, visit www.thomasarts.com Media Contact: Mike Goodwin Stanton PR [email protected] 646-502-3595 Partnership Inquiries: Eric Pederson, Vice President of Business Development Integrity Marketing Group [email protected] 866-650-1857 SOURCE Integrity Marketing Group, LLC Related Links http://www.integritymarketing.com Shares of Tesla stock continued their wild ride as they briefly rose above $800 and retreated on Monday, the same as they did last week. Shares of the electric vehicle maker's stock climbed as high as 7 per cent in Monday's trading, helping the company rise above the $800 level it hit on Tuesday, before backing off those gains and closing 3.1 per cent higher. The stock's rise came on news that Tesla's Shanghai plant would resume production after its recent Lunar holiday closure on Jan. 30 was extended due to coronavirus concerns. The plant has remained closed as China has has tried to contain the flu-like illness, which has claimed more than 900 lives. Shares of Tesla stock continued their wild ride as they briefly rose above $800 on Monday and retreated, the same as they did on Feb. 4 The latest rise in Tesla's stock came on news that its Shanghai plant (pictured) would resume production Tesla's Shanghai factory has remained closed as China has has tried to contain the flu-like illness, which has claimed more than 900 lives. Medical staff are pictured moving a patient infected with coronavirus into isolation at a hospital in Wuhan last week Tesla Vice President Tao Lin said production would restart on Feb. 10, although deliveries would be delayed, Reuters reports. The plant builds the company's Model 3, a mass production vehicle that will play a key role in helping the EV maker remain sustainable, while continuing to grow. Tesla's stock also hit the $800 level on Monday after Morgan Stanley said the market's shift to electric cars from those using combustible engines could be valued at $25 trillion over the next few decades, MarketWatch reports. Additionally, rival Nio of Shanghai, referred to as the Tesla of China, reported its January sales were off from a year ago, but the results were still viewed as 'satisfactory', given the coronavirus outbreak's impact on production and the timing with the lunar new year. Tesla stock rose as much as 9.6 per cent on Monday and hit $819.00 during intraday trading, which was the first level above $800 since the morning of Feb. 5, and then were up a little more than more than 4 per cent by afternoon trading, reports MarketWatch. The stock was now trading 12 per cent below its Feb. 4 record close of $887.06, and 19.5 per cent below the all-time intraday high of $968.99 that it hit the same day, MarketWatch reports. The stock has still more than doubled, up about 132 per cent, over the past 90 days, while the S&P 500 Index gained 8.1 per cent. Tesla's Shanghai plant builds the company's Model 3, a mass production vehicle (pictured) that will play a key role in helping the EV maker remain sustainable, while continuing to grow Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk attends a ceremony at Tesla's Shanghai plant in January Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas told clients that global electric vehicle penetration was currently about 2 per cent to 3 per cent, reports MarketWatch. Tesla became the most valuable US car maker of all time after the company closed on Jan. 13 with a market value of $81.39billion. The company surpassed Ford Motor's peak of $80.81billion that was set in 1999. But Tesla's market value still trails Toyota and Volkswagen. The carmaker's founder Elon Musk, meanwhile, has been on track to earning a record-breaking $346 million pay day. Musk, who doesn't earn a salary or cash bonus, instead gets options to vest based on Tesla's market cap and milestones for growth And he came close to earning the first $346 million tranche of options in a record-breaking pay package in January, after the electric vehicle maker's stock more than doubled its value of the previous three months. Jonas says that amid Tesla's rapid surge to become the most valuable US carmaker -- currently with a market cap of about $135 billion -- that many original equipment manufacturers 'are accelerating efforts to flip internal combustion propulsion systems to full battery electric vehicle architectures.' Jonas says EV penetration could more than triple to 11 per cent by 2025, then reach 24 per cent by 2030, 70 per cent by 2040 and 82 per cent by 2050. Evacuees from China arriving at Marine Corps Air Station in Miramar, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2020. (Krysten I. Houk/U.S. Department of Health and Human Services via AP) American Evacuated From Wuhan Is 13th Confirmed US Case of Coronavirus An American who was among a group that had been flown out of Wuhan, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China, by the U.S. government became the first evacuee to test positive for the coronavirus, health officials said. The patient had arrived at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego last week on one of the State Department flights that ferried Americans from Wuhan. The person was released from a hospital in San Diego to return to federal quarantine after initial tests indicated they werent infected, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The patient showed symptoms of the virus, COVID-19, but was released back to the base on Feb. 9. Additional testing showed the patient, in fact, was infectedbringing the number of confirmed cases in the United States to 13, the CDC stated. The patient has returned to the hospital. This morning, CDC officials advised San Diego Public Health that further testing revealed that one of the four patients tested positive for [COVID-19], the University of CaliforniaSan Diego, said in a statement on Feb. 10. The confirmed positive patient was returned to UC San Diego Health for observation and isolation until cleared by the CDC for release. Another evacuee was sent to the hospital. Tests on that patient were pending. Both patients are doing well and have minimal symptoms, the health system stated. A plane carrying evacuees from the virus zone in China lands at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar in San Diego, Calif., on Feb. 5, 2020. (Gregory Bull/AP Photo) Eleven patients acquired the virus while in Wuhan; the other two were infected by close contact with two of the patients in the United States. The new case is the seventh in California. Officials in Riverside County, California, also said on Feb. 10 that no one among the group of 195 evacuees at March Air Reserve Base has the virus. The group, the first to be evacuated from China, would be allowed to leave on Feb. 12, Dr. Cameron Kaiser, the countys public health officer, said in a statement. The patients were being held in mandatory quarantine for 14 days. People who have not developed symptoms will have successfully completed their quarantine and will be free to leave the base, Kaiser said in a statement. Health officials said repeated screenings of the patients showed no signs of the illness. Two of the patients showing symptoms of the virus were retested. Those tests were negative. A masked woman in a plastic rain coat walks on a street in Beijing on Feb. 11, 2020. (Andy Wong/AP Photo) U.S. officials at first declined to place the 195 persons under quarantine, but after one tried to leave, the CDC announced the 14-day quarantine. Officials in Alaska, where the first evacuation plane refueled before going on to California, said the evacuated Americans cheered when landing. They were happy to be here. They were very much cooperative with the questions, Dr. Christopher Braden, deputy director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, added at a press conference after the group arrived at the base. Four other planes carrying evacuees landed last week, including the one that dropped evacuees off in San Diego. Another group was quarantined at March Air Reserve Base. One was sent to Nebraska and another to Texas. The group in Nebraska was quarantined at Camp Ashland and the other group was quarantined at Lackland Air Force Base. Officials said they expect more of the evacuees to test positive for the virus. Peter Phillips attended church in Sandringham alone just weeks after he and wife Autumn were a no-show on Christmas Day, in what could be seen as a clue that the couple had split. The Queen's eldest grandson Peter, 42, and Autumn, 41, confirmed their separation after 12 years of marriage yesterday. The couple informed their families of their 'amicable' decision to divorce 'at the end of last year' after deciding it was 'the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship'. In December the pair did not make their regular appearance with the rest of the royal family for the Christmas Day service for the first time in years. Was this the clue that the royal marriage was on the rocks? Peter Phillips, 42, attended a morning service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, Norfolk, alone in January (pictured) The royal couple were also a no-show for the Christmas Day church service this year for the first time in years (pictured in the foreground Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex and his wife Sophie, Countess of Wessex, with their children, Britain's Lady Louise Windsor and James, Viscount Severn; in the second row, Princess Beatrice and Edo Mapelli Mozzi; in the third row, Prince William and Kate Middleton; behind, Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, attending the Sandringham service in December 2019) The couple, who have a decidedly more low-key life than Prince William and Prince Harry's families, live a relatively private life. However the couple have regularly joined other members of The Firm to walk from Sandringham House to church on Christmas Day. They have attended the service alongside their daughters Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven, for the past few years. However this December marked a departure from the norm, with the royal couple opting not to join the rest of the royals for the service. Autumn and Peter did not attend the Christmas Day service in Sandringham this year, despite regularly joining the rest of The Firm for the annual event (pictured, Autumn with Princess Beatrice in 2018) And just weeks later, Peter cut a lonely figure as he attended a Sandringham church service alone. The royal led a group of guests to the service at St Mary Magdalene in Norfolk on 12 January, but was not joined by Autumn or his daughters Isla and Savannah. The couple were pictured publicly together several times last year, and were last seen when they joined the Queen and Prince Charles at the annual Highland Games Gathering at Braemar in September. They also joined the rest of the royal family for the Trooping the Colour ceremony in June. Just weeks ago, Peter was spotted walking to St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham without his wife Autumn Autumn and Peter also attended the annual Easter Sunday Service at St Georges Chapel in Windsor Castle alongside the Queen, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince Harry as well as Princess Beatrice and Zara Phillips. The couple confirmed their separation yesterday in a statement released by a spokesperson. It revealed the former couple have both remained in Gloucestershire to co-parent daughters Savannah and Isla. However it does not address speculation that Autumn might now want to return to live in her native Canada with their children, who have dual citizenship. The couple made several public appearances alongside their children Savannah and Isla last year, including at Trooping the Colour in June Peter and Autumn made their last public appearance together alongside the Queen, 93, and Prince Charles, 71, at the Braemar Highland Games in September Today an unnamed friend of the couple told the Sun that there are fears Autumn might want to return home in the wake of the split. 'What worries some of us is that Autumn may want to go back to Canada,' the source said. 'Maybe she has been influenced by Harry and Meghan's departure. Perhaps she thought if that can happen then I can leave as well? That might be unfair on her but you have to consider it.' (Bloomberg) -- Samsung Electronics Co. on Sunday gave the world its first official look at the companys upcoming, more compact foldable smartphone in a commercial that aired during the Academy Awards ceremony. The brief advertisement shows off the devices square folded shape, tiny notification panel on the exterior, and large widescreen display on the inside. Scheduled for a glitzy launch event on Feb. 11 in San Francisco, the phone represents Samsungs effort to define a new era, in the words of its new mobile chief Taemoon Roh. The device will be known as the Galaxy Z Flip, according to people familiar with Samsungs plans, and Bloomberg News earlier reported that therell be a special edition in collaboration with fashion designer Thom Browne. Smaller and more compact than Samsungs original foldable, the book-like Galaxy Fold, this squarer device harkens back to the familiar form of flip phones, albeit at a larger size. Samsungs commercial shows some camera interface optimizations for using only half the screen, with the semi-folded device acting as its own stand. The phone will come in at least black and purple colors, according to the advertisement. The South Korea-based technology giant is also expected to debut a trio of new phones in its flagship Galaxy S family, all launching under the Galaxy S20 banner at the same event as the new foldable device. To contact the reporters on this story: Mark Gurman in Los Angeles at mgurman1@bloomberg.net;Sohee Kim in Seoul at skim847@bloomberg.net To contact the editors responsible for this story: Tom Giles at tgiles5@bloomberg.net, Vlad Savov, Peter Elstrom For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source. 2020 Bloomberg L.P. Lennar opened its second NuHome community of entry-level homes in the Houston area in Porter. The company plans to build more than 90 homes in the Country Colony community, located east of U.S. 59 off Ricewood Drive and North Lake Houston Drive. Prices in Country Colony start in the $170,000s. The one and two-story homes range from 1,174 to 2,229 square feet. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:21:24|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close TAIYUAN, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- North China's Shanxi Province recorded 144.69 billion yuan (about 20.75 billion U.S. dollars) in imports and exports in 2019, up 5.7 percent from the previous year, local customs authorities said Tuesday. Taiyuan Customs said Shanxi's exports totaled 80.69 billion yuan, down 0.4 percent, and imports increased by 14.6 percent to 64 billion yuan. Foreign-invested enterprises played an important role in Shanxi's foreign trade growth. Their imports and exports increased by 2 percent to 82.35 billion yuan, accounting for 56.9 percent of the province's total amount. The figure of state-owned enterprises totaled 34.37 billion yuan, up 0.5 percent from 2018. Private enterprises' imports and exports grew by 26.2 percent to 27.76 billion yuan, which accounted for 19.2 percent of the total foreign trade volume of Shanxi. Integrated circuits, all kinds of ore and mobile phone parts drove up the import growth, while mobile phone parts, wheel arbors and solar cells were among the main export commodities. Shares of Sprint soared Tuesday after a U.S. district judge ruled in favor of its $26 billion deal to merge with T-Mobile. The stock was up 77.7% Tuesday. It had risen in extended trading Monday after The Wall Street Journal reported the judge was expected to rule in favor of the deal. Shares of T-Mobile were up 11.8%. The ruling clears one of the final hurdles for the deal, which still can't close until the California Public Utilities Commission approves the transaction. Tuesday's ruling also culminates a yearslong courtship between Sprint and T-Mobile, which have made multiple attempts over the years to merge, only to abandon their plans fearing regulatory scrutiny. Attorneys general from New York, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Oregon, Wisconsin, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia and the District of Columbia originally brought the lawsuit to block the deal following approval from the Justice Department and the Federal Communications Commission. The states had argued that combining the No. 3 and No. 4 U.S. carriers would limit competition and result in higher prices for consumers. The companies had contended their merger would help them compete against top players AT&T and Verizon, and advance efforts to build a nationwide 5G network. In his decision filed Tuesday, Judge Victor Marrero wrote, "The resulting stalemate leaves the Court lacking sufficiently impartial and objective ground on which to rely in basing a sound forecast of the likely competitive effects of a merger." The judge laid out three points on which the court rejected the states' objections to the merger. First, he said, they failed to convince the court that the merged party "would pursue anticompetitive behavior that, soon after the merger, directly or indirectly, will yield higher prices or lower quality for wireless telecommunications services." Second, the court rejected that Sprint would be able to continue operating effectively as a wireless services competitor without the merger. "The Court is thus substantially persuaded that Sprint does not have a sustainable long-term competitive strategy and will in fact cease to be a truly national [mobile network operator]," the ruling said. And finally, the court rejected the states' argument that Dish Network "would not enter the wireless services market as a viable competitor nor live up to its commitments to build a national wireless network." The deal called for Dish to step in as a new wireless player based on agreements with the DOJ and FCC. Shares of Dish were up 7.1% on the judge's ruling. In a statement after the ruling, New York Attorney General Letitia James, who helped lead the states' push, said the states "disagree with this decision wholeheartedly, and will continue to fight the kind of consumer-harming megamergers our antitrust laws were designed to prevent." She called the ruling a "loss" for Americans who rely on wireless networks and said the states will review their options, including a potential appeal. "From the start, this merger has been about massive corporate profits over all else, and despite the companies' false claims, this deal will endanger wireless subscribers where it hurts most: their wallets," James said. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who also led the states' efforts, said in a statement: "Our fight to oppose this merger sends a strong message: even in the face of powerful opposition, we won't hesitate to stand up for consumers who deserve choice and fair prices. We'll stand on the side of competition over megamergers, every time. And our coalition is prepared to fight as long as necessary to protect innovation and competitive costs." Makan Delrahim, who leads the DOJ Antitrust Division, said in a statement he was "grateful that the judge recognized the expertise of the Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in his evaluation of the transaction." The case has seemed to escalate tensions between some of the state attorneys general and the DOJ, who are each pursuing investigations into Google. "As I have noted before, should a minority group of states, or even one, be able to undo the nationwide relief secured by the federal government, it would wreak havoc on parties' ability to merge, on the government's ability to settle cases, and cause real uncertainty in the market for procompetitive mergers and acquisitions," said Delrahim, who is recused from the DOJ's Google probe. Top executives at T-Mobile and Sprint claimed a victory with the judge's ruling. "[N]ow we are finally able to focus on the last steps to get this merger done!" T-Mobile CEO John Legere said in a statement. [February 11, 2020] CloudNOW Awards Holberton School Students Cost-of-Living Scholarships Sponsored by Facebook, Google, and Intel SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Helping defray costs while students attend the San Francisco and New Haven campuses of Holberton School , the college alternative educating the next generation of digital workers, the Cloud Network of Women ( CloudNOW ), the executive consortium for the leading women in cloud and converging technologies, today announced the recipients of the CloudNOW STEM scholarship. The scholarships are sponsored by Facebook, Google, and Intel. CloudNOW celebrates the accomplishments of this generations female cloud computing leaders and prepares the next generation of women, minorities, and other underserved communities for technology leadership roles. Previous years scholars secured employment as software engineers at Twitch, Change.org, IBM, Pinterest and more. The school actively works to bring more diversity to the tech industry. Actor, producer, and social activist, Priyanka Chopra , joined the Board of Trustees in 2018 to inspire more women to become software engineers. While Holberton is free to attend students are asked only to contribute a percentage of their salaries to the school for the first three and a half years of their post-Holberton employment, giving back to the next generation of students the school recognizes it can still be challenging to manage the cost of living in Silicon Valley and the Connecticut/New York area. Holberton Schools no-upfront tuition makes our education accessible to many, but attending is currently a full-time commitment, making it difficult sometimes for students to cover the cost of living, said Sylvain Kalache, co-founder of Holberton School. CloudNOW, along with Facebook, Google, and Intel, has generously offered to help defray these costs by assisting our students who need extra help to attend. CloudNOWs focus is to provide STEM scholarship funds to top talent, targeting women, minorities, and underrepresented individuals, 18 years and older, who are looking for accelerated STEM training allowing for immediate tech career opportunities. CloudNOW also provides support across the career lifecycle with networking, events, speaking opportunities, mentoring, and friendship. CloudNOW has always been blown away by Holberton Schools results and their ability to connect student outcomes to careers. They manage to enroll a diverse student population who get hired by Silicon Valleys best companies, said Jocelyn DeGance Graham, founder of CloudNOW. CloudNOW is happy to assist these future leaders who need additional financial help to achieve their dreams of becoming highly-skilled software engineers. This years recipients are: San Francisco: Tabitha O'Melay of Berkley, CA Hanh Nguyen of San Leandro, CA Tim Assavarat of El Sobrante, CA Farrukh Akhrarov of San Francisco, CA Erika Caoili of Fremont, CA New Haven: Kathleen McKiernan of North Haven, CT Flavio Espinoza of New Haven, CT Faizan Khan of Plainville, CT Hiram Velez of Easthampton, MA Victor Rivera of New Haven, CT Christian Williams of West Haven, CT Jennifer Tang of Brooklyn, NY About Holberton School Holberton trains software engineers in both practical knowledge and theory utilizing project-based and peer learning. Holberton has campuses in San Francisco, CA; New Haven, CT; Tulsa, OK; Medellin, Bogota, Barranquilla and Cali, Colombia; and Tunis, Tunisia, Go to www.holbertonschool.com to learn more. About CloudNOW CloudNOW is a non-profit consortium of the leading women in cloud computing, providing a forum for networking, knowledge sharing, mentoring, and economic growth. CloudNOW offers members the opportunity to creatively approach the technological challenges of cloud today, working in partnership with the tech industry and cloud thought leaders. To learn more, visit us at cloud-now.org . Contacts CloudNOW Jocelyn DeGance Graham [email protected] Holberton School Joe Eckert [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Thomas Gould of Sinn Fein tops the poll and is elected in Cork North Central, during the Irish General Election count at the Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork, Ireland. (Yui Mok/PA via AP) Irish Election Produces an Earthquake as Sinn Fein Tops Poll DUBLINIreland braced for weeks of political uncertainty on Feb. 10 after an earth-shaking election that saw the Irish Republican Army-linked party Sinn Feinlong shunned by its bigger rivalstake the largest share of votes. In a surge that upended Irelands traditional two-party system, the left-wing nationalist party beat both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, the centrist parties that have governed Ireland since it won independence from Britain a century ago. The vote in Feb. 8 election essentially split three ways, complicating the negotiations on forming a government that lie ahead. Sinn Fein received 24.5 percent of the first-preference votes, besting the two long-dominant parties. Fianna Fail received 22.2 percent of the votes. Fine Gael, the party of incumbent Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, got 20.9 percent. I think its a mess, to be honest with you, said Pat OToole, a public sector worker in Dublin. I think were going to be in a situation again where we are not going to be able to form a stable government in this country. I really dont know whats going to happen. Sinn Feins left-wing proposals for tackling Irelands housing crisis and creaking health care system proved a powerful draw for young voters in a country that is still dealing with aftershocks of the 2008 global financial crisis, which hammered its debt-driven Celtic Tiger economy. Vote counting resumed Feb. 10 to fill all the seats in the 160-seat Dail, the lower house of Irelands Parliament. Ireland uses a proportional representation system in which voters rank candidates from first to last, with the lower preferences of elected or defeated candidates redistributed among their rivals. Sinn Feins low number of candidates meant, however, that it could fall just short of the largest number of seats when two days of counting nears conclusion later on Feb. 10likely behind Fianna Fail but potentially above Fine Gael. No party is likely to reach the 80 seats needed for a majority, making some form of coalition inevitable. But forming a stable alliance looks tough. Both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael said before the election that they would not go into a coalition with Sinn Fein because of its links to past violence. Varadkar said Fine Gaels stance was unchanged. I say what I mean and I mean what I say, he said on Feb. 10. But as the scale of Sinn Feins surge became clear, Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin said, Im a democrat. I listen to the people. I respect the decision of the people, he told Irish broadcaster RTE. Talks among the parties are likely to take weeks, though some hope a new government can be formed by St. Patricks Day on March 17, when the Irish prime minister traditionally visits the White House. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald suggested her party could try to form a government with the support of independents and smaller parties such as the Social Democrats and Labour. We want to talk to anyone who is interested in delivering a program for government, that is about getting to grips with the housing crisis and solving it, getting to grips with the crisis in health and giving families and workers a break and giving a new lease of life to government, she said. The IRA was responsible for murders, bombings, and other violence for decades during decades of violence known as the Troubles in Northern Ireland. More than 3,500 people were killed in conflict between forces that sought to reunify Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland and those who wanted Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK. Supporters of Sinn Fein point out that it has been more than 20 years since Northern Irelands 1998 peace agreement and 15 years since the IRA announced the end of its violent campaign. Sinn Fein already sits in government in Northern Ireland as part of a power-sharing arrangement created by the peace process. Eoin OMalley, associate professor of political science at Dublin City University, said the partys past meant little to younger voters without memories of living through the Troubles. He said Sinn Fein had offered the clearest message on social problems in Ireland, which include a growing homelessness crisis, house prices that have risen faster than incomes, and a public health system that hasnt kept up with demand. Its a direct analog to the left-wing populism that you see in Greece and in Spain, OMalley said. In many ways, Sinn Fein are offering relatively simple solutions to pretty complex problems. Mary Lou McDonald said she was going to form a peoples government as if all the other governments that have been formed in Ireland had no connection with the ordinary people. It is classic populism. Fine Gaels third-place showing likely spells the end of the premiership of Varadkar, who has been Taoiseach, or prime minister, since 2017. Varadkar led Ireland during Britains lengthy divorce negotiations with the European Union. The outcome of those talks was crucial to Ireland, the only EU country to share a land border with the UK. Many Irish voters think Varadkar and his party handled Brexit well, securing guarantees that people and goods will continue to flow freely between Ireland and the north. But Brexit featured little in an election campaign dominated by domestic problems. Still, Sinn Feins triumph could have implications for Ireland and the UK. The partys struggle for a united Ireland was on the back burner during the election, but the party is calling for a referendum on reunification within five years. That is not something an Irish government can deliver without the support of Britain and Northern Irelandhighly unlikely in the short term. But Brexit looks likely to nudge Northern Irelands economy closer to that of its southern neighbor and could increase pressure for a vote on unification. In London, Prime Minister Boris Johnsons spokesman, James Slack, said the UK was following the results of the Irish election carefully. He insisted that the close relationship between the UK and Ireland will continue regardless of the election result. The shares of Adani Transmission were trading at Rs 333.95 apiece on BSE, up 0.6 per cent from previous close. New Delhi: Adani Transmission on Tuesday said it has sold 25.1 per cent stake in its arm Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) to Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) for approximately Rs 3,220 crore. "Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) has completed acquisition of 25.10 per cent stake in Adani Electricity Mumbai Ltd (AEML) from ATL (Adani Transmission Ltd) along with an investment in shareholder subordinated debt in AEML on 10 February, 2020," the transmission and distribution business arm of the Adani Group said in a filing to BSE. The total QIA investment in AEML is approximately Rs 3,220 crore, which includes equity consideration of approximately Rs 1,210 crore and shareholder subordinated debt of approximately Rs 2,010 crore, the filing said. The definitive agreements for the transaction were signed on December 11, 2019, and all the requisite approvals were received subsequently. AEML has recently completed an investment grade, USD 1 billion bond issuance, the first by a private integrated utility from India. The issue generated significant interest from international investors. The shares of Adani Transmission were trading at Rs 333.95 apiece on BSE, up 0.6 per cent from previous close. Police investigating the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland last year have arrested four men under the Terrorism Act. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52 , were arrested in Londonderry on Tuesday morning and taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast for questioning. Lyra McKee was shot dead in the Creggan area of the city on April 18 during a riot. The New IRA admitted responsibility for the murder, saying she had been shot accidentally by one of its members while firing shots at police officers. PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne, posting on social media, said: "I welcome today's developments in the Lyra McKee murder investigation. Detectives are working hard in the pursuit of justice. Anyone with information should come forward to police." Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy renewed his call for the public to help him bring Lyras killers to justice. I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved. I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us," he said. "I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyras murder." There was widespread condemnation in the wake of the murder which saw DUP leader Arlene Foster join a vigil at the scene of the killing alongside Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald. Ms McKee's funeral heard calls for political leaders to resolve their differences and restore power sharing. I welcome today's developments in the Lyra McKee murder investigation. Detectives are working hard in the pursuit of justice. Anyone with information should come forward to police. @PoliceServiceNI Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) February 11, 2020 Mr Murphy added: "I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. We saw widescale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice." I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist. "I would ask anyone who has mobile phone footage to upload it onto our Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk. One of the newest Italian restaurants in The Woodlands Zanti Cucina Italiana has a benefit of an executive chef with several decades of international cooking experience and a background in his own familys restaurant in Italy. Zanti Executive Chef Stefano Ferrero joined the restaurants team in 2017. The restaurant, located at 10000 Research Forest Drive, in the far-western area of The Woodlands, has been open since June 2019 and is nearing its one-year anniversary in the next few months. The brick structure has cutting edge architecture and interior design, creating both a warm and cozy environment for diners while also having an open concept with high ceilings and a kitchen that is open and not constrained by walls hiding what is going on. I am very happy, and I am really impressed with the community. They helpthey visit, they have a lot of parties, Ferrero said of The Woodlands. I think the Italian food is popular (for a long time). In Italy, you can eat very good for (cheap). It is traditional. In Italy, the really good food is house style, homemadethe flavor is homemade, from when your mom and grandma made. A lot of people like (Italian) food for that (remembered) flavors. Ferreros background in cooking harks back to his early childhood when he would work in his family restaurant in Carru, Italy, which is in the state of Piedmont, located in the northwest part of Italy close to France and Switzerland. The region is known for its famed beef cattle, as well as hearty dishes and pastas made primarily with butter, not olive oil which is more utilized in the southern parts of the country. Ferrero studied culinary arts in high school as well as gastronomy at the prestigious SPAI University of Lugano. I started to cook with my father, he is the same, a chef. I grew up in a restaurant in Italy, Ferrero said of his hometown of Carru, Italy. My father was working 12 to 14 hours a day, and when I looked at my father, I wanted to go into the kitchen. I passed a lot of time in the kitchen, and my father said, dont make this your work becase you are working Saturday, working Sunday and when your friends are partying, you are in the kitchen. I finally made the decision to make this (cooking) my (career). My father said, you need to go to Switzerland to study. He said, go to Switzerland because they have a very nice influence of every style. I studied two years and they worked a little in Switzerland and went back to Italy. His family recipes and childhood cooking with his father, Domenico, and grandmother, Margherita, have helped influence his career from Switzerland to Italy and Mexico. As for how he ended up in The Woodlands, Ferrero said the journey here first started in 2008, when he relocated his life and career to Mexico. It was there where he worked for the people who would later become owners of Zanti Cucina Italiana, and he relocated to Texas. I went to Mexico, my mother is Mexican, I wanted to see where my mother grew up. I started with travel and before two weeks, I started to work at a university in Puebla, and I stayed in Mexico nine years, Ferrero said. The last four years, I worked for a company owned by the owner of this restaurant. I moved to the United States, and a year later, they called me and said they had this idea (Zanti). The philosophy of the food on the menu of Zanti is original Italian dishes from his growing up in Italy. Ferrero said he is aware that many Italian dishes have become American-ized, such as chicken parmigiana, which some claim does not exist in Italy, and that his mixing is both traditional and following age-old recipes and ideas while also being modern, too, with morphed plates that many here have grown accustomed to. I try to maintain the most original as possible the recipes of Italian food. Sometimes it is really hard, because sometimes people around the workd, sometimes they make adaptations (to the food) to the culture, he explained. When you start to make something that is not right, they think it is original, but it not. Like alfredo di Roma. That is only butter and a really nice cheese. Sometimes, they put cream in it. But if you go to Rome, they never use cream. People do not have a philosophy of (maintaining) regional cultures. We try to make fresh pasta, use the most fresh ingredients possible. Ninety-five percent of our ingredients are fresh. The open concept is important for Ferrero, especially in relation to his kitchen, which for the most part, in not enclosed behind obscuring walls. There is no door to come inside my kitchen. This is a big philosophy. I dont have anything to hide. You make sure the client sees the process. When they know what way you make the food, you dont need to close the door. You dont need to panic when people look in your kitchen. I make the fresh pasta(they ask), where is your pasta machine? I dont have one, we make it every day, Ferrero said. You need to be honest with your client. Santiago Pelaez, who is both the CEO and founder of Zanti as well as the food and beverage director for the restaurant, said Ferrero embodies the philosophies of traditional recipes and high-quality ingredients. The philosophy is to maintain 100 percent Italian food, Pelaez added. We are adapting a little to the (United States palates). What we didthere are things you need to open your restaurant to even though it may go against the concept. Were little by little trying to teach (diners) and get to 100 percent (authentic) Italian. The customers are also starting to be more knowledgablewith the internet, travel, TV. The customers are more sophisticated. We get a lot of customers who say, I was in Italy last week and your pizza tastes just like it did there. Ferrero said he makes all his stocks are from scratch and also hand-makes pasta, too. This attention to process and care for ingredients is revealed to customers, he said, because they understand it is more authentic. There is also a limitation on sugar additions to dishes, which is common The pizza dough is a 24-hour fermentation, no sugar. Sometimes, this is a little more expensive for the company, but the quality you serve in the plates is different, he noted. When it comes to ingredients, Ferrero said his unique background of growing up and spending nine months per year in his hometown of Carru while also spending three months in the summertime in the coastal regions of Liguria has helped him diversify his menu choices and styles of cooking. For me, I prefer olive oil. But sometimes, when you need to make a traditional risotta, you need a good butter, Ferrero explained of his preference between the two ingredients. The (use) of butter in Piedmont is more prevalent. They have a good productin Piedmont they have a lot of sauces with no logic. There are crazy plates. The traditions he has brought from his home country of Italy are transferred to diners in The Woodlands with passion and care, Ferrero said. When I go to my grandfathers, he goes to the store in the street and they pick up their tomatoes and it is different, Ferrero said. (Our popular dishes) Are cheese ravioli, seafood, cioppino, lamb shank(customers) enjoy the lamb shank. You have arancini and the people like it. The pizza, from Napoli, is incredible. jeff.forward@chron.com Regular readers will know that we love our dividends at Simply Wall St, which is why it's exciting to see Bar Harbor Bankshares (NYSEMKT:BHB) is about to trade ex-dividend in the next 2 days. Ex-dividend means that investors that purchase the stock on or after the 14th of February will not receive this dividend, which will be paid on the 18th of March. Bar Harbor Bankshares's next dividend payment will be US$0.22 per share, on the back of last year when the company paid a total of US$0.88 to shareholders. Looking at the last 12 months of distributions, Bar Harbor Bankshares has a trailing yield of approximately 3.9% on its current stock price of $22.82. Dividends are a major contributor to investment returns for long term holders, but only if the dividend continues to be paid. We need to see whether the dividend is covered by earnings and if it's growing. See our latest analysis for Bar Harbor Bankshares If a company pays out more in dividends than it earned, then the dividend might become unsustainable - hardly an ideal situation. Bar Harbor Bankshares paid out 59% of its earnings to investors last year, a normal payout level for most businesses. Companies that pay out less in dividends than they earn in profits generally have more sustainable dividends. The lower the payout ratio, the more wiggle room the business has before it could be forced to cut the dividend. Click here to see how much of its profit Bar Harbor Bankshares paid out over the last 12 months. AMEX:BHB Historical Dividend Yield, February 11th 2020 Have Earnings And Dividends Been Growing? Businesses with shrinking earnings are tricky from a dividend perspective. If business enters a downturn and the dividend is cut, the company could see its value fall precipitously. That's why it's not ideal to see Bar Harbor Bankshares's earnings per share have been shrinking at 2.4% a year over the previous five years. Many investors will assess a company's dividend performance by evaluating how much the dividend payments have changed over time. Since the start of our data, ten years ago, Bar Harbor Bankshares has lifted its dividend by approximately 6.6% a year on average. That's interesting, but the combination of a growing dividend despite declining earnings can typically only be achieved by paying out more of the company's profits. This can be valuable for shareholders, but it can't go on forever. Story continues The Bottom Line Is Bar Harbor Bankshares worth buying for its dividend? We're not overly enthused to see Bar Harbor Bankshares's earnings in retreat at the same time as the company is paying out more than half of its earnings as dividends to shareholders. Bar Harbor Bankshares doesn't appear to have a lot going for it, and we're not inclined to take a risk on owning it for the dividend. Want to learn more about Bar Harbor Bankshares's dividend performance? Check out this visualisation of its historical revenue and earnings growth. A common investment mistake is buying the first interesting stock you see. Here you can find a list of promising dividend stocks with a greater than 2% yield and an upcoming dividend. 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 group of young schoolchildren laid flowers Tuesday outside a shopping mall at Nakhon Ratchasima in Thailand, the scene of the country's worst-ever mass shooting. A total of 29 people were shot dead by a disgruntled soldier during the rampage at the weekend. The soldier was holed up at the shopping mall for 16 hours before he was killed by security forces. It's still unclear how the gunman, identified as Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma, snatched three assault rifles and two machine guns from the base and escaped in a stolen military vehicle. Many are questioning the apparent security lapses that allowed him to steal the weapons he used in the assault. The December summit did not produce the sort of breakthrough some had hoped for, such as an agreement on expanding a ceasefire zone, but it did lead to a prisoner exchange deal. Ukraine's foreign minister said on Monday he saw no preparations taking place for a promised summit over the armed conflict in eastern Ukraine, adding that he had little hope it would make any progress even if it goes ahead. The leaders of Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany met in Paris in December to discuss the long-running Ukraine crisis and agreed to get together again within four months to keep the dialogue open, as reported by Reuters. Read alsoRussian FM Lavrov speaks about possible exchange of ambassadors with Kyiv "I am confident that when leaders say they will meet in April then they will ... what I don't see though is the preparation," Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko told reporters during a visit to Italy. "Before the December meeting ... (preparations) started half a year beforehand. Now we have two months to go and I have not seen anything prepared. Maybe it will be a much faster process than last time and maybe we will make much more progress. I am sorry, but I doubt it." The conflict in eastern Ukraine that broke out in 2014 has killed more than 13,000 people, left a large swathe of Ukraine de facto controlled by Moscow-backed armed forces and aggravated the deepest east-west rift since the Cold War. The December summit did not produce the sort of breakthrough some had hoped for, such as an agreement on expanding a ceasefire zone, but it did lead to a prisoner exchange deal. Prystaiko welcomed the subsequent large-scale prisoner swap that took place at the end of last year, but noted that more people had died in continued fighting in January 2020 than in the same month a year earlier. "We haven't managed to achieve a ceasefire ... But even if we have just an exchange of prisoners, that is a good step for Ukrainians," he said. Mrs. Evelyn Ama Kumi-Richardson, the Bono Regional Minister has handed over 47 motorbikes to the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) for distribution to Municipal/District offices and selected Disaster Volunteer Group (DVGs) for Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions. The Minister said the gesture was part of the logistical support by the Government to NADMO to help them reach out to remote communities on emergency and for effective disaster management to save lives and properties. Mrs. Kumi-Richardson noted that in the event of an outbreak of fire, NADMO Coordinators and volunteer groups should be able to take preventive measures before the Ghana National Fire Service (GNFS) arrived to saves lives and property with the delivery of the logistics. She on behalf of the Government of Ghana and the Director-General of NADMO, handed over the 47 motorbikes as logistical support to NADMO to enable them to deliver to their mandate. She noted that the NPP government is the listening government who listen from the grassroots and think of Ghanaians. And that was why the Government was delivering on the promises. The Minister reiterated that barely a week ago, she handed over 12 ambulances to the Regional Co-ordinator of Ambulance Service for distribution to the MCEs/DCEs to save lives. She said the motorbikes came timely for officers to deal with the harmattan season and its associated fire outbreaks. Testifying from the handwork of the government in delivering to the mandate, she said the NPP Government need four (4) more years to do more of the good jobs it was focus on. Mr. Rasheed Konlaabig the Regional Director of NADMO for Bono, Bono East and Ahafo Regions said this was the first of its kind in NADMO and thank H.E President Akufo Addo and the Director-General of NADMO for providing motorbikes to the organization. He said this would solve the transportation challenges of the organization. He advised District officers and volunteer groups to put the Motorbikes into good and effective use. Mr. Musah Shaibu, the Municipal NADMO Coordinator for Atebubu/Amantin, said the motorbikes will make them mobile to team up with the DVGs to fight bush fires which were rampant in the area. Mangolpuri Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Mangolpuri constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Mangolpuri Assembly Elections 2020: Rakhi Birla of the Aam Aadmi Party won the election from Mangolpuri against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Karam Singh Karma with a margin of 30,116 votes. A reserved constituency, Mangolpuri saw a straight contest between the AAP's Rakhi Birla and the BJP's Karam Singh Karma. Birla, a social worker-turned-politician, became known as a giant killer after she defeated former Congress minister Raj Kumar Chauhan in the constituency. A former journalist, in 2013, she was the youngest minister in the Kejriwal cabinet. Birla has a Master's Degree in journalism from the National Broadcasting Academy in Delhi's Sarojini Nagar. Interestingly, Chauhan, who had joined the BJP in 2019, rejoined the Congress just days before the first list came out. Karma, a prominent Valmiki leader, defected from the AAP in 2019. Ahead of the polling on 8 February, here is a look at the constituency: Constituency Name: Mangolpuri Constituency Number: 12 District Name: West Delhi Total Electors: 1,78,940 Female Electors: 82,818 Male Electors: 96,113 Third Gender: 9 Reserved: For SC Results in previous elections: Former minister Raj Kumar Chauhan was the MLA until 2014. In the 1998, 2003 and 2008 elections, Chauhan won his seat by securing over 50 percent of the votes polled in the constituency. However, in 2013 and 2015 polls, he was defeated by AAPs Birla. Demographics: Railway crossing across the densely-populated area is a major issue. People living in unauthorised colonies and Jhuggi Jhopdis (JJs) form a significant chunk of the electorate. The constituency covers the areas of Rohini and Mangolpuri. Crime is a huge problem in Mangolpuri. If Delhi is known as the 'crime capital' of India, Mangolpuri must shoulder a lot of the blame, as per a report in Hindustan Times. In 2018, Mangolpuri recorded over 800 criminal cases till October that year compared to south Delhi's Defence Colony registering 125 cases and Tughlaq Road recording fewer than 90 courses during the same period. A pilot waves as a Boeing 777X airplane taxis during its first test flight from the company's plant in Everett, Washington, U.S. January 25, 2020. Boeing posted a slow start to 2020, recording zero orders for new airplanes in the month of January. The lack of orders last month stands in contrast to its competitor Airbus, which logged orders for 274 commercial airplanes in January. January is the latest month without orders after the grounding of the 737 Max in March 2019. Boeing recorded a negative order rate in 2019 for the first time in decades as customers canceled or converted orders. In January, Boeing did not have any order cancellations. Meanwhile, the company delivered 13 new airplanes in January: six 787 Dreamliners, a pair of 777s, two 767s and three 737NGs. With the company's beleaguered 737 Max still grounded, Boeing did not deliver any Max models in January. The plane's software was at the center of two fatal crashes that killed a combined 346 people. Investors and industry insiders have grown accustomed to Boeing's low rate of orders and deliveries since production of the 737 Max halted earlier this year. Boeing has said it expects the Max to be recertified and for regulators to lift the grounding of the Max by the middle of 2020. The head of the FAA, Steve Dickson, has told executives with Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and United Airlines that he is encouraged by the progress Boeing has made in fixing problems with the Max. On Tuesday at the Singapore air show, Dickson told reporters there could be a certification flight for the Max within weeks. T he start of a new year is the perfect time to update your workwear wardrobe with a new pair of specs. Whereas once we bespectacled may have felt self-conscious about switching up our look day-to-day, it's now the ultimate fashion statement and a great way to show off some personality, made easy by the vast array of styles now available on the high street. We asked three of our favourite glasses brands for the styles and shapes they expect to be big in 2020. Transparent with warm accents Finlay London If you're a glasses wearer, chances are you've already invested in the huge trend for transparent frames which dominated 2019, so what's the new year update? "The transparent trend is still very much alive in 2020, expect to see lots of new colours and interesting lens combinations like two-tone faded lenses," say Dane Butler and David Lochhead, founders of Finlay London. "The traditional crystal (the clearest clear) is so transparent it has a reflective quality akin to a diamond, whilst colours such as Smoke (translucent with a grey accent), Butterscotch, Rose, Dark Rum and Champagne remove that highly reflective aspect of crystal whilst still being more subtle than an opaque frame." Ruud de Bruin and Lauren van der Kolk, creative director and design director at Ace & Tate, agree that warmer accents are having a moment. "Besides "cold" hues like smoke and crystal, we see an increase in the warmer earth tones, like greens and sandy colours." Marie Wilkinson, style director at Cutler and Gross, is also hot on warmth. "We can expect some womens opticals with makeup inspired colour tones: think blush, rouge and apricot shades," she says. Reworked classics Thin gold or silver rimmed glasses aren't necessarily going anywhere either, but you should expect to see some reworking of classics such as the aviator or wayfarer styles, according to the design team at Ace & Tate. "For an exaggerated take on the trend try Carter (above), a new frame which takes a nostalgic approach to the aviator with a more boxy frame. The extra thing acetate provides is a super light feel on the face with a skeletal vibe," they say. Tokio comes in titanium or satin gold lenses (Ace & Tate) "Another frame from our SS20 collection, Tokio (above), which is available as sunglasses and opticals takes the classic aviator into the future," they say. "The frame has been designed with plated titanium on the temples to elevate the style to new heights. It's rooted in craftsmanship and exposure of details." Go big and bold For 2020, it's all about making a statement with your specs. "Bold, heavyweight optical styles will dominate this year alongside a resurgence of the round or Pantoscopic oval styles," says Cutler and Gross's Wilkinson. "I think a bold choice of eyewear indicates a certain inner confidence and a positive outlook. A lot of personal style choice can be applied to eyewear, which people dont always consider. If you like wearing a blue jumper, why not try a blue optical frame?" Why not consider matching your glasses to your garms (Cutler and Gross) Rectangular shades And while it is only February, whether or not you've got some winter sun in the planning or not, many of us will already be curious about the new sunglass shapes for the summer, particularly with the first Winter Love Island keeping us entertained by night. Rectangle is the right angle in 2020 (Ace & Tate) Next season will continue to be dominated by rectangular frames," say the Ace & Tate designers. "They strike the perfect balance between novelty and commercial appeal. To bring a freshness to the style we'll implement monochrome and bright tones." The Nineties aren't going anywhere this summer (Cutler and Gross) Wilkinson agrees: "The major trend for sunglasses will be monochrome acetates inspired by 90s, attention seeking styles plus rectangular, slice acetates with sculptural landscaping to emphasise the layering of colours," she says. New geometric shapes Go for geometric shapes in all sizes (Finlay) Finlay founders Butler and Lochhead suggest opting for some of the newer geometric shapes this summer. "For 2020 we predict lots of geometric frames in both small and oversized styles. Some great examples are our new frame called Blake (below) which is a bold geometric shape, Charlotte which is an oversized panto." More sustainable specs Cubitts' Redux collection is made using solid wool Look out for more sustainable materials in eyewear collections going forwards, too, Currently many frames on the market are made using cellulose acetate, a semi-synthetic material which is mostly derived from a plant base but which is still a plastic and draws on natural resources, but more brands are experimenting with circular production techniques. Last year Cubitts launched Redux, a sustainable collection made of different waste materials like potatoes, sheeps wool, chopping boards, plastic packaging, human hair, mushrooms, yoghurt pots and CDs. In 2020 it plans to roll out an entire collection of frames made using solid wool which it deemed the strongest of all 10 materials tested and it's also just introduced a cleaning cloth made of recycled plastic bottles in collaboration with artist David Shrigley. Meanwhile Ace & Tate, which explored the use of waste materials in an exhibition with Plasticiet for Dutch Design Week, says it hopes to incorporate new circular production techniques into future capsule collections. Two police officers were killed and another injured on Monday in an attack on a police station in the Tillaberi region in western Niger. Armed men, riding a dozen motorcycles, carried out the assault. Other attacks reported in the regions of Diffa (southeast) and Tillaberi (west), between Thursday and Friday killed at least thirteen people and injured several. These attacks are imputed to the Islamic State group. The number of victims of terrorist attacks in the Sahel region is much higher than the figures disclosed officially. Jeju Air Co., South Korea's biggest low-cost carrier, said Tuesday it shifted to a net loss in 2019 from a year earlier due to lower demand for travel on Japanese routes. Jeju Air swung to a net loss of 34.1 billion won (US$29 million) last year from a net profit of 70.88 billion won a year earlier, the company said in a statement. "With competition with smaller rivals getting tougher, the bottom line was affected by lower demand on Japanese routes due to local campaigns against Japanese products following Japan's restrictions of exports to South Korea since July," the statement said. Lower demand on Hong Kong routes due to protests against the Chinese government also cut into its bottom line, it said. In July, Japan tightened regulations on exports to South Korea of three high-tech materials crucial for the production of semiconductors and displays. In August, Japan officially removed South Korea from its list of countries given preferential treatment in trade procedures. Japan took the moves as retaliation against a Seoul court ruling that ordered Japanese companies to compensate South Korean workers forced into labor during World War II. Jeju Air also swung to an operating loss of 32.89 billion won last year from an operating profit of 101.2 billion won a year ago. But sales rose 9.9 percent to 1.38 trillion won from 1.26 trillion won over the cited period. The airline expected weak performance in the first quarter of the year as the spreading new coronavirus outbreak further weighs on travel demand. Jeju Air has gradually suspended seven out of 17 routes to mainland China since Jan. 29. It also temporarily halted the Incheon-Macao route from Friday and reduced the number of flights on the Incheon-Weihai route from Monday, while planning to halt the Jeju Island-Hong Kong route from Feb. 19. Jeju Air currently serves eight routes to Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. (Yonhap) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Fadli (The Jakarta Post) Batam Tue, February 11, 2020 21:20 699 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063dffcd 1 World coronavirus,Wuhan-coronavirus,Singapore,Indonesian-Embassy Free Fadli The Jakarta Post/Batam Several big events in Singapore have been postponed following the nations decision to raise its disease outbreak alert from yellow to orange in response to the novel coronavirus outbreak, Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore I Gede Ngurah Swajaya said. Luckily, the Indonesian Embassy has no plans for mass gatherings in the near future, but some events that are scheduled for March are being postponed, he said on Saturday, referring to an event held by the National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (NATAS) Travel and Coffee Asia. According to the ambassador, Singapore decided to increase its alert level due to suspicions the virus had infected residents who had not visited China, where the outbreak originated, or interacted with Chinese citizens. By increasing the alert level, the Singapore government is also urging the postponement of mass events or the implementation of precautionary steps if such events are still held, Swajaya said. According to a press release issued by the Indonesian Embassy, Singapores Ministry of Health has confirmed 33 coronavirus cases. Of the 33 cases, two patients have been discharged, while two are in a critical condition and are currently being treated in an intensive care unit (ICU). As of Feb. 6, 310 suspected coronavirus cases had been found to be negative, while 147 cases are currently being examined. Batam Health Agency head Didi Kusumajadi said his agency would also step up its inspections of people entering Batam from Singapore. We will be more stringent toward people entering Batam from Singapore, but we are still formulating the procedures, Didi said. Riau Islands province was the second most popular destination for international travelers in Indonesia in 2019 with 2,590,802 foreign visitors, behind only Bali. As many as 1,228,489 visitors came from Singapore, while 260,274 came from China. (dpk) (Alliance News) - Anglo-German holiday operator TUI Group PLC on Tuesday reported a sharply widened first quarter adjusted loss and tweaked its guidance range for underlying annual earnings due to grounding of Boeing Co's 737 Max aircraft. For the three months to December 31, the company's underlying loss before interest & tax widened 77% to EUR146.9 million from EUR83.1 million the year prior. This was despite revenue rising 7.7% to EUR3.85 billion from EUR3.57 billion the year before. The widened underlying loss was attributed to a weak performance in the company's Holiday Experiences unit, higher fuel costs in Cruise business, a EUR45 million replacement cost relating to grounding of Boeing 737 Max aircraft and EUR29 million headwind from non-repeat of a hedging gain. The aircraft grounded by aviation regulators last year following two fatal crashes. First quarter underlying earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation multiplied to to EUR111.5 million from EUR27.2 million the year prior. Net loss narrowed by 5.9% year-on-year to EUR105.5 million. TUI is predicting to record a high single digit percentage growth in financial 2020 revenue, versus previous mid-to-high single digit percentage growth guidance, due to currently strong trading trends in its Markets & Airlines business. Annual EBIT is now expected to be between EUR850 million to EUR1.05 billion versus previous EUR950 million to EUR1.05 billion guidance range. The tweak in annual EBIT estimate was attributed to Boeing's intention to return 737 MAX to service by mid-2020 as compared with previous April return to service estimate. The company has narrowed costs related to the grounding of 737 Max to between EUR220 million and EUR245 million versus previous EUR220 million to EUR270 million range. It said that it has secured replacement capacity for the entire financial 2020. By Tapan Panchal; tapanpanchal@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. BANGKOK - Thai health authorities have barred a cruise ship from docking that has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan out of concern over a new virus, although no cases have been confirmed on board. The chief of the Department of Disease Control, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand. Prime Minister Prayuth Chano-cha confirmed the ban but said Thailand was looking a way to give humanitarian assistance, and will be able to provide the ship with necessities such as fuel and food. The Westerdam began its cruise on Jan. 16 in Singapore. Shipowner Holland America Line says there are no known cases of the virus on board. The virus has caused problems for the cruise industry. Japans health ministry has confirmed 135 cases of the disease aboard Carnival Corp.s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, Japan. The ships 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain under quarantine until at least Feb. 19. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakulhad indicated on his Facebook page several hours before the official announcement that the ship would be denied entry. He posted his declaration after Holland America announced it was sailing to Laem Chabang, where passengers would disembark on Feb. 13 to take flights home from Bangkok. The announcement by the shipowner attracted much attention among Thai social media users. Holland America had already announced that passengers would receive a complete refund. It said a scheduled departure of the Westerdam on Feb. 15 from Yokohama had been cancelled and planned departures after Feb. 28 were being assessed. A glamorous backpacker asking for a travel companion on a Facebook traveller's page has been told she is putting herself in 'danger'. German born Christina Graf, now based in Sydney, took to the Australia Backpackers 2020 Facebook page looking for a travel companion. Miss Graf was asking for someone who would be willing to travel by road from Sydney to Cairns in February. Backpacker Christina Graf (pictured) took to social media in search of a travel companion but she found herself having to defend her post as some said she was putting herself in danger Miss Graf was asking for someone to travel from Cairns to Sydney with over Facebook travellers' page Australia Backpackers 2020 One user accused Miss Graf of putting herself in danger by posting on a social media page for potential travel buddies (pictured) 'Does anyone have similar plans and has a spare seat for me?,' she wrote along with her travel details. However some other Facebook users were quick to caution Miss Graf from advertising her whereabouts, travel details and willingness to ride with strangers. 'You are putting yourself in such a big danger,' one concerned woman wrote. 'Queue all the creepy guys,' another added. 'What if you befriend a psychopath? Be safe don't trust anyone,' another added. Miss Graf hit out at their comments and said she was doing nothing out of the ordinary. 'What's wrong with you guys? Did I put up a bikini pic or whatever, did I show my boobs or anything," she replied. Most of the negative comments seemed to centre around the perceived danger of finding strangers to travel along distance with Miss Graf chose to defend her decision and told those on the page she was doing nothing out of the ordinary 'That's how you find travel mates here, wake up! I can still choose who I'm travelling with and trust my gut feeling. 'If we are living in a world of "be careful, be aware" then damn please stay home in your house and never leave it!' Others were also quick to defend Miss Graf. 'She's looking for likeminded people to enjoy the same fun, not a boyfriend. Also it is more common eaten by a shark ... (or) crash a car than it is to come across a "psychopath",' one user wrote. 'The problem is not Christina on her perfectly normal post, the problem is all you sick people who interpret her request for a lift as something else,' another added. FLINT, MI One of several suspects who pleaded guilty to impersonating a peace officer has received probation. Austin R. Erwin, 24, of Genesee Township, was sentenced Monday, Feb. 10 by Genesee Circuit Judge Celeste D. Bell to five years of probation and given credit for three days served in jail on the charge. He pleaded guilty in January on a single count of impersonating a peace officer, a four-year felony, as part of a plea deal that included dropping two counts of unlawful imprisonment and one count of felony firearms. Erwin was charged in connection to an incident that took place on Court Street in front of Mott Community College on Sept. 29, 2017. Fake cops held teens at gunpoint without getting caught A man and his girlfriend got into an argument. When the woman got out of her boyfriend's vehicle, she said she was pushed. An unmarked vehicle pulled up and Auston Rose and Erwin are accused of placing the pair in handcuffs. Both men got out of what appeared to be an unmarked police cruiser dressed like SWAT team members, investigators said. Erwin and four others who were part of the Genesee County Fire and EMS Media-Genesee County Task Force Blight Agency were acting as police at locations that include county parks, house fires, vehicle crashes and crime scenes, officials claimed. He led a fake police force in Flint. Heres how it all came crashing down The five were accused of acting as fake cops for years. Officials said they dressed like real officers, had badges, handcuffs and guns, drove vehicles with emergency lights and would tell people they were the police. Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton previously said plea deals with the five impersonators was in the best interest of justice. The additional four suspects also received credit for jail time served and were sentenced to five years of probation. I dont think these folks are public enemy number one, Leyton said. I think that they were very misguided. I believe they felt they were trying to help the community." Related stories: Leaders of fake Flint-area police group avoid jail time Fake cops wont serve jail time in plea deal with Genesee prosecutor Samsung didn't waste any time giving users the first ever official glimpse of its next foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Flip, at a major product event on Tuesday. While many details about the Z Flip had already been leaked prior to the event, Samsung still had a few surprises for users who tuned into its 'Unpacked' event, including a new and improved hinge that should help mitigate previous issues with its previous foldable devices as well as details on pricing and official release date. According to Samsung, the phone will be released on February 14 for a formidable $1,380 - several hundred dollars more than Apple's most expensive iPhone 11 Pro model. The Z Flip, which is the first ever commercially-available folding phone to have a horizontal crease across the center of the device which allows it to bend like a retro clam shell phone, will feature Samsung's foldable glass and come with a and a 6.7-inch display. Scroll down for video. Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip (pictured) was the first product announced at Samsung's 'Unpacked' product event on Tuesday and comes with several new tricks, including the ability to fold and stay at 90-degrees for a hands-free experience The form factor, which allows the phone to bend over itself horizontally, allows customers to use the device in some unique ways. Coupled with a hole punch style camera embedded in the Z Flips front-facing display, users can bend the device at a 90-degree angle to take videos, pictures, and also video-chat hands-free by setting the device down and pointing it whatever they want to capture. A new hinge that the company calls the 'Hideaway Hinge.' Samsung says its new hinge is reinforced by fibers that wrap around the actual hinge mechanism to help stave off dirt and other particles that can damage the display and hinder the folding mechanism. Samsung's previous folding device, the Galaxy Fold, was plagued by issues relating to its display and hinge that cause critical failures in the screen. GALAXY Z FLIP SPECS Display: Main Display 6.7 FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED Display(21.9:9) Infinity Flex Display 2636 x 1080 425ppi Cover Display: 1.1 Super AMOLED Display 300 x 112 303ppi Dimension & Weight Folded: 73.6 x 87.4 x 17.3mm (Hinge) - 15.4mm (Sagging) Unfolded 73.6 x 167.3 x 7.2mm - 6.9mm (Screen) Weight: 183 g Camera Front Camera: 10MP Selfie Camera: F2.4 Pixel size: 1.22m FOV: 80 Rear Dual Camera: 12MP Ultra Wide Camera: F2.2 Pixel size: 1.12m FOV: 123 12MP Wide-angle Camera: Super Speed Dual Pixel AF, OIS, F1.8 Pixel size: 1.4m FOV: 78 AP: 7 64-bit Octa-Core Processor 2.95 (Maximum Clock Speed) + 2.41 + 1.78 Memory: 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage Charging: Fast Charging compatible via power cord and wireless OS: Android 10 Advertisement In addition to bolstering the Z Flips hinge, the South Korean teach giant also made marked improvements on its folding lineups user interface. Among the innovations is what the company calls Multi-Active Window which helps users multi-task by allowing them to drag and drop the apps you want to use to different ends of the screen. For instance, the feature, which splits the screen horizontally would allow users to 'scroll through an article on the latest fashion looks on the top half while shopping for your favorite pieces on the bottom' according to Samsung. In the case of specific apps like YouTube, Samsung says this ability to split its screen into two would be dynamic and allow one to 'easily watch and navigate YouTube stream on the top while searching for other videos, reading descriptions and writing comments on the bottom.' When the devices is closed and folded over itself, a front-facing display will show users texts and reminders and allow them to check the date and time. One notable feature not included in the Z Flip will be Samsung's in-display fingerprint technology which was formerly introduced in its S10 flagship. Instead the device will use a fingerprint scanner fixed to the phone's side to unlock the phone. Previous issues with the S10's in-display fingerprint scanner created privacy concerns among users who noted that the device could be unlocked by anyone using the feature, especially if a screen protector was applied to the device. 'At Samsung, we were encouraged by the excitement for the Galaxy Fold. Galaxy Z Flip is an important next step as we look to build the foldable category by bringing to consumers a new form factor, new display and most importantly, a new kind of mobile experience,' said Dr. TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Communications Business, Samsung Electronics in a statement. The Z Flip will come in several different colors, including Mirror Purple, Mirror Black, and in some countries, Mirror Gold. It will be will be available in stores and online through AT&T, Best Buy, Sprint, Samsung Experience Stores and Samsung's own website. For the more refined among us, Samsung will also release a more expensive, designer addition of the Z Flip crafted with he help of American fashion designer, Thom Browne. While the company didn't list a specific price on the designer iteration of its Z Flip, earlier leaks suggest the device could cost as much as $2,500 - more than $1,000 more than the regular version. The Ponts became concerned there may have been a mix up after the report identified faded tattoos on Bronsons left hand and shin, which they said he did not have. It also stoked their fears of foul play, after police found a mysterious scratch on Bronsons neck, blood spatters on his car and clothes, and could not locate his car keys or a syringe at the scene. Bronson Pont, who died in mysterious circumstances in 2018. A review by the former head of the Department of Forensic Medicine, Professor Johan Duflou, alleged there were a number of errors in Dr Schwartzs report, including that she was likely to have been mistaken about the bruising and no evidence could be found of the two faded tattoos. Dr Schwartz has worked as a forensic pathologist since immigrating to Sydney from Israel in the late 1980s. She said she was promised in 1989 by the then director of the NSW Division of Forensic Medicine she would become a specialist after 12 months if her performance as a registrar was good. She was recommended for the position as promised. However, the recruitment process was held up due to confusion over whether her Israeli qualifications would be recognised. Professor John Hilton in 1993, shortly after he took over as head of the NSW Institute of Forensic Medicine. Credit:Peter Rae By the time those concerns were resolved, Professor Hilton had taken over as the director of the organisation. He became concerned about the poor management of the institute, a lack of careful supervision of Dr Schwartz and her competency to become a specialist. Professor Hilton ordered that autopsy reports by registrars - who were medical practitioners in training - had to be co-signed by a specialist. He refused to promote anyone to a specialist who had not passed exams to become a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Professor Hilton also brought in a system where difficult cases were not to be referred to Dr Schwartz, which she argued harmed her prospects of passing her exams. Professor Hilton told the court he considered Dr Schwartz a useful, pleasant and hard working colleague but was concerned there was a deficiency in her knowledge and skill which was greater that I would expect from someone with her experience." Dr Schwartz failed the professional exam in 1992, 1994, 1996, 1997 and 1999. She argued she was misled by Professor Hilton into believing that passing was a formal requirement to become a specialist, when it was in fact up to the discretion of the recruitment panel. When contacted by the Herald, Professor Hilton defended his decision to only promote people who passed their examination. I dont want to sound brutal but our academic standards have to be upheld, he said. Otherwise why have the examination? Chief examiner Dr Douglas Henderson wrote in 1997 that the panel was concerned about Dr Schwartzs intellectual process for arriving at the appropriate conclusions and her strong resistance to changing her opinion when the factual basis for her opinion was shown to be incorrect. He told the court that inflexibility of opinion can result in a miscarriage of justice. Another examiner, Professor Stephen Cordner from Monash University, gave evidence of serious mistakes by Dr Schwartz including failing to recognise a shotgun wound to the chest, instead assessing it as a stab type injury. Loading The court noted it was not in a position to assess Dr Schwartzs competency as a forensic pathologist but found Professor Hilton to be a truthful witness, accepting his evidence unreservedly. Professor Duflou said at the time he left his role as head of the department in 2015 Dr Schwartz was still having her autopsy reports co-signed by a specialist. Some people can do a decent and good enough job but not quite achieve the level of specialist practitioner capable of practising in a solo capacity, he said. In response to attempts by the Herald to contact Dr Schwartz for comment, the NSW Health Pathologys Forensic and Analytical Science Service responded on her behalf. GoAir on Tuesday announced that it will be starting a daily flight on the Mumbai-Doha route from March 19. Currently, the budget carrier operate flights to total nine international destinations -- Phuket, Male, Muscat, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuwait and Dammam. Jeh Wadia, the managing director of GoAir, said, "I must share that our operations in the Gulf region have received an exceptional response and the launch of the Doha sector is in line with our aggressive growth plans." The airline's press release said, "Doha is GoAir's first destination in the state of Qatar and the 6th in GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries. The Mumbai Doha Mumbai flights will commence from 19th March 2020," the airline said in its press release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Just days after winning Best Adapted Screenplay for his critically-acclaimed film Jojo Rabbit, writer-director Taika Waititi opened up about playing Adolf Hitler on Ellen. Waititi, 44, appeared on Ellen Tuesday with his 12-year-old co-star Roman Griffin Davis, where he spoke about his Oscar-nominated film. Ellen gushed about the film, calling it one of her favorite films of all time, before Waititi spoke about why he ultimately decided to play Hitler himself. Taika on Adolf: Just days after winning Best Adapted Screenplay for his critically-acclaimed film Jojo Rabbit, writer-director Taika Waititi opened up about playing Adolf Hitler on Ellen Oscar: Waititi, 44, appeared on Ellen Tuesday with his 12-year-old co-star Roman Griffin Davis, where he spoke about his Oscar-nominated film The film follows a young man named Jojo, who is part of the Hitler Youth program in Nazi Germany, who discovers a young Jewish girl (Thomasin Mackenzie), while consulting with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi). When asked when he decided to play Hitler himself, the writer-director said the studio, Searchlight Pictures, suggested it. 'Searchlight, who made the film, they said, we only really want to make it if you play Hitler,' Waititi said. Story: The film follows a young man named Jojo, who is part of the Hitler Youth program in Nazi Germany, who discovers a young Jewish girl (Thomasin Mackenzie), while consulting with his imaginary friend, Adolf Hitler (Taika Waititi) 'It made no sense to me, because look at me, way too good looking to play Hitler,' Waititi joked. He added that if it had been, 'an actual actor, someone who could act, I feel like it would have detracted a bit from the story.' Ellen also mentioned how this was the first movie for Davis, who added that he played a 'daffodil in a school play.' Too good looking: 'It made no sense to me, because look at me, way too good looking to play Hitler,' Waititi joked First movie: Ellen also mentioned how this was the first movie for Davis, who added that he played a 'daffodil in a school play' The writer-director added that the film is really about, 'learning things for yourself and not falling into the trap of just following the group and the trends.' Davis added that he loves the film because, 'the film is about seeing things through your own eyes and not someone else's.' When Ellen asked if he thanked everyone he wanted to thank, Waititi joked this was a great award because he didn't have to thank anyone. Learning: The writer-director added that the film is really about, 'learning things for yourself and not falling into the trap of just following the group and the trends' 'There is no one else, it was just me,' Waititi joked. 'I share the thing with my producers and my mom, who introduced me to the book I adapted, but she didn't do any of the typing.' Davis said next for him is his, 'mother's project,' referring to his mom Camille Griffin's film Silent Night with Keira Knightley. As for Waititi, he is going to, 'move to Australia, and do another Thor film with Chris Hemsworth,' referring to Marvel Studios' Thor: Love & Thunder, in theaters November 5, 2021. Actor Shia LaBeouf opened up last year about a trauma he suffered as a child that caused him a great deal of heartache in his adult years. Shia LaBeouf | John Phillips/Getty Images Find out how the Transformers star learned of his post-traumatic stress disorder diagnosis and how he brought art out of the intense pain. LaBeouf witnessed his mother being sexually assaulted The Transformers star told Esquire last year that as a child, around the age of nine, he was witness to his mother being assaulted. I froze. The man ran out, and my mom ran after him. [A neighbor] came running over. I remember he had a crossbow. Shia LaBeouf (right) and his mother, Shayna | Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic The actor heard his mother describing the attack to the police. It was the first time I ever heard the word pubic, he says. Thats how she described his facial hair. The next day at school, I told some kid that his hair looked like pubic hair, and I remember getting in trouble. They never found the guy. LaBeoufs 2017 arrest LaBeoufs helplessness during that traumatic incident affected and stayed with him, leading him to drink excessively. In 2017, while in Georgia filming The Peanut Butter Falcon, LaBeouf got miserably drunk, aggressive with an undercover officer who wouldnt give him a cigarette, and arrested. During his arrest, he made what seemed to be racist comments captured, unfortunately, by TMZ. Shia LaBeouf (L) and Zack Gottsagen | JC Olivera/WireImage He was permitted to finish the film but was guiltridden in returning to the movie set. Im feeling like people on set think Im a racist, he told The Hollywood Reporters Awards Chatter podcast in 2019, believe Im a racist, and Im feeling all of that and dont want to be alive, basically. This was my bottom. The actor credits his costar on the film, Zack Gottsagen, who was born with Down Syndrome, with enabling him to endure the pain and shame he was feeling. Gottsagens child-like faith was the balm LaBeouf needed. The best I could muster at the time was to look at Google maps of Zacks address of his house in Florida, LaBeouf recalled, and I would pray to the GPS coordinates above Zacks house, because I knew that Zack believed in God for real, and believed in me. And so I would pray to his God, and thats what got me through a lot. LaBeoufs rehab, recovery, and restoration After his arrest, the Los Angeles-born actor was ordered to go through rehab. The experience allowed him to peel back the memories from his childhood. When I got to rehab . . . LaBeouf continued in his conversation with Esquire, they said I had PTSD. Shia LaBeouf | Rich Fury/Getty Images He learned in rehab that what he witnessed as a child had developed in him a violent defensiveness. The first time I got arrested with a real charge, it stemmed from the same s**t, he said. Some guy bumped into my mothers car with his car in a parking lot, and my head went right to You need to avenge your mother! Part of his rehab treatment was journaling and writing out his life experiences, which led to his script for the autobiographical film, Honey Boy, in which he took on the role of his father. The Amazon Studios film was released at the end of 2019. Shia LaBeouf | Rich Fury/Getty Images The films director, Alma Harel, told Deadline in 2019 about the emotional toll of making a film about a real-life trauma with someone who had lived through it. It was so painful, Harel said. It was probably the longest 19 days of my life. Its been almost a year since weve been to Sundance and put this film out there for people, and it feels shorter than what it felt to shoot this film. Every day was like breathing in pain and breathing out love, and trying to get through it. Stephanie Keith/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- A 60-year-old man has been accused of targeting students at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers, New York, and subjecting them "to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse," according to an indictment released Tuesday. Lawrence Ray was charged with sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor and other offenses regarding his alleged criminal actions, some of which he went on with for nearly a decade, according to the indictment from federal prosecutors in Manhattan. He is believed to have laundered about $1 million from his victims, most of whom were teens and young adults that participated in so-called therapy sessions he put on to purportedly help with psychological problems, prosecutors said. Sarah Lawrence College said in a statement to ABC News that the school "just learned of the indictment," but called the charges "serious, wide-ranging, disturbing, and upsetting." "We have not been contacted by the Southern District of New York, but will of course cooperate in their investigation to the full extent of the law if invited to do so," according to the statement. Ray's alleged criminal activity started through the so-called therapy sessions, which he ran after he was released from a prison sentence for security fraud and moved into on-campus housing at the liberal arts school with his daughter and her roommates. The group eventually moved into a one-bedroom apartment on East 93rd Street on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. Ray presented himself as a father figure to the students and learned "intimate details about their private lives, vulnerabilities, and mental health struggles under the pretense of helping them" during the sessions, according to the indictment. Yet he then alienated them from their parents and convinced several that they were "broken" and "in need of fixing by Ray," the indictment claimed. He also made up lies about them, and, when they denied it, would subject them to interrogations that included "sleep deprivation, psychological and sexual humiliation, verbal abuse, threats of physical violence, physical violence, and threats of criminal legal action" -- actions that then garnered false confessions, according to the indictment. Ray videotaped the false confessions from at least seven victims and used them to extort money, unpaid labor and forced prostitution, according to the indictment. If the students couldn't pay, the indictment claimed, Ray ordered them to drain hundreds of thousands of dollars out of their parents' savings accounts, open lines of credit, engage in real estate fraud and in one case earn money through prostitution. He also allegedly took explicit photographs of some of the students. Ray was the subject of a lengthy 2019 profile in New York Magazine's The Cut, which detailed his dealings with the Sarah Lawrence College students. The piece was titled "The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence: What happened to the group of bright college students who fell under the sway of a classmate's father?" Ray did not talk to the outlet about parts of his past because he said they were either "classified" or would "endanger other people." He denied mostly all the accusations in The Cut article, but did admit to taking money from one of his alleged victims that she earned through escorting. "We know what is and is not. We know whats truth and whats wrong," he told the outlet. It was not immediately clear if Ray had obtained legal representation. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Spiked reports: This week, we have seen the true toll of political correctness. PC isnt just irritating or stupid. It isnt just woke students banning sombreros or schools getting iffy about Baa Baa Black Sheep. PC destroys lives. A report into police and council failings in Manchester has found that gangs of predominantly Pakistani men were free to abuse up to 57 girls after chief cops and local officials turned a blind eye to this foul, cruel behaviour. Why did they turn away? Partly out of fear of stoking racial tensions. Partly because they were worried that drawing attention to the grooming and exploitation of mostly white working-class girls by Asian men might incite racial hatred and damage multicultural relations. Sure one should be sensitive to stoking racial tensions. But if the facts are that gangs of Pakistani men were abusing dozens of girls, then preventing crime comes first. Lets put it plainly: they sacrificed girls to political correctness; they thought that preserving the ideology of multiculturalism was more important than protecting girls from harm. Sadly true. The independent review into grooming and abuse in Manchester in the mid-2000s, published yesterday, makes for grim reading. It says there were up to 57 victims, mostly white girls aged between 12 and 16, and 97 potential perpetrators, mostly men of Asian heritage. The review makes clear, from some of the evidence it acquired, that some of the abuse networks were made up of predominantly Pakistani men. That is, similar to Rotherham, Telford and other parts of the UK, this was a case involving what is sometimes referred to as a Muslim grooming gang. The girls were groomed, sexually abused, plied with drugs and raped. They suffered, in the reviews words, the most profound abuse and exploitation. But little was done to help them. Their abusers were not brought to justice. And this catastrophic failing was in part fuelled by what the review refers to as Greater Manchester Polices concerns about sensitive community issues. As one news report summarises it, the police were keen not to be seen targeting [a] minority group. As a result of this PC cowardice, of this mad multicultural sensitivity, the abuse continued. Many of those girls could have been saved from what happened if the Police had acted properly. Share this: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp More Pinterest Print Tumblr Love Island fans are not impressed with 'game playing' Natalia after she seemingly did a 360 and decided she still had feelings for Luke M. On Monday night's show Natalia told Luke T and Siannise that she and Luke M weren't totally 'done' despite her previously informing the Justin Bieber lookalike that she wasn't sexually attracted to him and didn't want to kiss him. While Luke M - and everyone else - presumed that was the end of their relationship, Natalia seemed to contradict this, while Luke M tried to move on with Demi. Games games games! Love Island fans are not impressed with 'game playing' Natalia after she seemingly did a 360 and decided she still had feelings for Luke M As he and Demi flirted, Natalia insisted that she didn't think she and Luke M were completely over - which enraged viewers. One took to Twitter to seethe: 'Natalia doesnt want Luke but wants to keep him around so she doesnt get dumped from the villa.' Another typed: 'I think Natalia is going to realize that what saved her is being with Luke M and start trying to crack on with him. Hopefully he doesnt fall for it.' As someone else posted: 'When Natalia said she didnt think it was fully over with Justin Bieber I was like....' Followed by: 'Natalia is a joke! She's been so off with Luke since Casa Amor & now she's saying it's not totally over... Nope, she's got to go next! Only reason she didn't go tonight is because she was coupled up with @MabbottLuke & he's lovely!' Love Island's Casa Amor rejects aren't so convinced by Natalia either, as they claimed that she is 'playing a game' after being dumped from the show on Friday. Onwards and upwards: As he and Demi flirted, Natalia insisted that she didn't think she and Luke M were completely over - which enraged viewers She can't stick him: On Monday night's show Natalia told Luke T and Siannise that she and Luke M weren't totally 'done' despite her previously informing the Justin Bieber lookalike that she wasn't sexually attracted to him and didn't want to kiss him Jade Affleck, 25, admitted that she thinks Natalia is putting on a front in her romance with Luke M, after frustrated fans also claimed that she was a 'fraud.' Speaking about her time in the villa, Jade said: 'I definitely think Natalia's playing a game. If Luke M asked you to cuddle him, you'd cuddle him wouldn't you?' Jamie McCann seemed to agree, adding: 'I don't think Natalia really likes Luke M. She did say she takes time to get to know people. Are you kidding? 'But I think he was really, really trying with her and I don't know if she was giving as much back. But it's really hard to tell. You hope people wouldn't play games.' Asked who she thinks is the most genuine in the villa, Jade said: 'Molly and Callum, 100 per cent. From the get go him and Molly, they just clicked straight away. 'Shaughna, she's more like his mum. I didn't think that was going to work anyway - he'd have got bored of that.' Savage: Love Island's Casa Amor rejects aren't so convinced by Natalia either Bizarre: Jade Affleck, 25, admitted that she thinks Natalia is putting on a front in her romance with Luke M, after frustrated fans also claimed that she was a 'fraud' Tension: Jade also claimed that Shaughna's relationship with Callum Jones would never have worked, as she seemed to be more like 'his mum' It seems that fans also aren't convinced by new girl Natalia as well, after a spoiler clip for Sunday's show hinted that she was already having doubts about her relationship with Luke. In a spoiler clip on Friday, Natalie could be seen confessing that she has 'no sexual chemistry' with Luke while he questioned whether she had ever been genuine with him. Fans were quick to react on Twitter, with many calling Casa Amor newcomer Natalia a 'fraud,' Awkward: It seems that fans also aren't convinced by new girl Natalia as well, after a spoiler clip for Sunday hinted that she was already having doubts about her relationship with Luke Luke can be seen talking things through with best pal and Luke T and sharing his doubts over Natalia, he says: 'I don't know if Casa Amor was forced or what?' The camera then cut to Natalia, who is stood around the fire pit, and speaking about Luke M, who chose to bring her back to the main villa with him, says: 'I don't feel any sexual chemistry whatsoever.' Fans were quick to react to the teaser on Twitter and were quick to slam Natalia for 'using' Luke M, so she could maintain a place on the dating series. They wrote: 'Nice guys finish last for some reason I don't understand. Luke M, take a page off of Mike's book. It's time to become savage #LoveIsland. 'If one more girl mugs off luke M I'm flying over to Africa myself #loveisland. Tense: Luke is seen questioning whether Natalia has been genuine with him in a spoiler clip 'Natalia is fake. Wants her PLT clothing line not Luke M #loveisland. 'actually feel soooo bad for Luke M, he's one of the most genuine, sweetest boys in there but just has no luck with the girls he chooses #LoveIsland. 'If Luke M gets hurt again I stg, he is the purest little soul ever, not to mention the fact he is G O R G E O U S!!!! What are these girls missing???? Omg. 'In Conclusion, Natalia didn't like Luke M in any way she just used him to enter the main villa #LoveIsland.' During Friday's episode, viewers saw Luke M admit that he is still yet to kiss Natalia, after the pair decided to take things slow when it comes to their relationship. 'Fraud alert': Fans accused Natalia of 'using' Luke after seeing Sunday night's teaser The boys were left shocked by his revelation, but unfazed, Luke said he would 'wait as long as he needs to' when it comes to getting affectionate with the beauty. All six girls that entered Casa Amor set their sights on Luke, with all of them admitting they fancied the Geordie lad. He was initially attracted to Molly, but seemed to hit things off with Natalia and didn't second guess his decision to bring her back into the main villa with him. Luke had been coupled up with Jess Gale, but ended things with Jess after realising the twin was more interested in Mike Boateng. Love Island continues Tuesday night at 9pm on ITV. The Trump administration is seeking to announce this week that it has reached an agreement with the Taliban to deescalate violence in Afghanistan, CNN reported on Tuesday. The expected deal is being referred to within the administration as a reduction in violence announcement, which would see a ceasefire between Taliban and U.S. coalition forces that could pave the way to an eventual peace deal. On Tuesday Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wrote on Twitter that Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had told him of a Taliban offer to enact a significant and enduring reduction in violence in the country. CNN reported there is skepticism within the administration over whether the reduction in violence plan will actually work. Taliban commanders may not be able to guarantee that all branches of the organization will abide by the deals terms, due to the groups loose command structure in certain areas of Afghanistan. U.S. officials also fear the possibility that ISIS Khorasan, ISISs Afghan affiliate, may recruit Taliban fighters disillusioned by a ceasefire or peace deal with U.S. forces. President Trump has repeatedly pushed to remove American troops from Afghanistan, so far without success. Trump has also sought a peace deal with the Taliban that would allow American forces to return home, and caused controversy in September by announcing his intent to invite Taliban leaders to Camp David for peace negotiations. After facing backlash from within his administration, Trump backtracked and canceled the meeting. The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the reported ceasefire agreement in time for publication. More from National Review Constellation Brands Inc. STZ is witnessing robust top and bottom-line trends on strong beer business and margins. Further, the company sees immense opportunities in the fast-growing hard seltzer category, which should help gain market share. Additionally, its commitment toward reviving its wine & spirits business should bolster performance. Backed by the aforementioned positives, shares of the Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 8.8% in the past three months compared with the industrys 0.5% growth. Opportunities in the Hard Seltzer Category The beverage industry has transformed with the arrival of hard seltzers, which has taken the alcohol-drinking American population by storm. The exponential rise of these products resulted from growing health-consciousness among drinkers and demand for better, refreshing beverages that offer more variety in terms of taste. Apparently, seltzers are stealing a large share from the beer, and wine & spirits categories, with a significant share sourced from the beer category. Total wine volume in the United States declined 0.9% year over year in 2019, marking the first decline in 25 years, according to market research firm IWSR. Beer volume in the United States slipped 2.3% in 2019, which was the fourth consecutive year of a decline. Meanwhile, last year was remarkable for hard seltzer producers, after the beverage hit the $1-billion mark in annual sales. Per IWSR, hard seltzer volume in the United States was 82.5 million cases in 2019 and volumes are expected to more than triple by 2023 to 281 million cases. Consequently, Constellation Brands is looking for opportunities in the hard seltzer category, with the planned launch of Corona hard seltzer in spring 2020. The company is spending more than $40 million for the launch, marking its biggest investment ever for a single brand. It plans to launch four flavors of the hard seltzer, namely tropical lime, mango, cherry and blackberry lime. The company decided to name its hard seltzer brand after Corona due to the brands huge popularity with Hispanic and drinkers aged 21 to 54. Additionally, the refreshment characteristics of seltzers are a perfect match for Coronas refreshment quotient. Other Growth Fundamentals Constellation Brands has been significantly gaining from strength in the beer business over the years, owing to rise in shipment volume and depletions. For fiscal 2020, management estimates 7-8% net sales growth for the beer segment, with operating income growth of 8-9%. Furthermore, as part of its wine and spirits transformation strategy, the company has revised the terms of its original deal, pertaining to the divestiture of its certain wine and spirits business to E. & J. Gallo Winery. It excluded the sale of some brands from the transaction and reduced the deal value to $1.1 billion (from $1.7 billion mentioned earlier). The transaction is likely to close by end of fiscal 2020, after receiving regulatory approval. In a separate but related deal, the company agreed to divest its New Zealand-based Nobilo Wine brand and related assets to E. & J. Gallo for $130 million. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of fiscal 2021, after receiving regulatory approvals. Gains from these transactions are now likely to result in an 8-10% decline in net sales and operating income for the wine and spirits business. Earlier, it anticipated a 15-20% decline in net sales for the wine & spirits business, with a 25% dip in operating income. Additionally, the companys consistent focus on brand building and initiatives to include new products are its key revenue drivers. Owing to its endeavors, it is gaining market share, especially in the U.S. beer category. Its innovations and marketing efforts are well-recognized in the beverage market. The company expects its strong innovation pipeline to drive growth in the years ahead. Furthermore, its premiumization strategy is gaining traction as its wine and spirits Power Brands (sold at price points of greater than $11) continue to outpace competitors in the high-end market. Looking for More favorable Stocks? Check These The Coca-Cola Company KO currently has a long-term earnings growth rate of 7.2% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Monster Beverage Corporation MNST, also a Zacks Rank #2 stock, has a long-term earnings growth rate of 14.3%. Coca Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V. KOF has a long-term earnings growth rate of 9.1%. It presently has a Zacks Rank #2. Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020? Last year's 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Dont miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys. Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Constellation Brands Inc (STZ) : Free Stock Analysis Report Coca-Cola Company (The) (KO) : Free Stock Analysis Report Coca Cola Femsa S.A.B. de C.V. (KOF) : Free Stock Analysis Report Monster Beverage Corporation (MNST) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research This is the #MeToo of the French publishing world, said Francois Busnel, the host of La Grande Librairie, Frances most important television literary program. A voice has been set free in an environment, the French literary environment, which is male chauvinist, quite misogynistic, and which stays silent omerta. Mr. Matzneffs fall, if late in coming, was swift. His three publishers dropped him. The head of the National Book Center said that Mr. Matzneff would lose a prestigious, seldom-awarded lifetime stipend. The Culture Ministry is re-examining two state honors conferred on him in the mid-1990s. He lost his column in the magazine Le Point. Prosecutors opened an investigation. The statute of limitations is believed to have expired in the case involving Ms. Springora. But, in addition to the charge of promoting pedophilia, Mr. Matzneff could face criminal charges for more recent sex acts with minors in France or abroad. From his hiding place on the Italian Riviera, Mr. Matzneff rejected the accusations of wrongdoing. Who are they to judge? he said. These associations of the virtuous, how do they sleep, what do they do in bed and who do they sleep with, and their secret, repressed desires? The Writer as Icon Mr. Matzneffs story is one, many have said, that could happen only in France. From Voltaire to Hugo to Zola to Sartre, the writer has been regarded as sacred in France. In Paris, countless streets named for writers serve as a physical reminder of their outsize influence. Every Wednesday, a major network devotes 90 live minutes of prime time to discussing books on La Grande Librairie. Although not one of Frances greatest writers, Mr. Matzneff still benefited fully from this tradition. He wrote nearly 50 novels, essay collections and diaries that never would have made it to bookstores in an industry more concerned with the bottom line. The Palestinians have abandoned their request for a vote at the UN Security Council Tuesday on rejecting the US Mideast plan, over a lack of international support, diplomats said. Introduced by Indonesia and Tunisia, the resolution risked not having nine out of 15 votes in its favor, the minimum required for adoption provided there is no veto by a permanent member, the diplomats told AFP. Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is set to take part Tuesday in a session on President Donald Trump's January 28 plan, which paves the way for Israeli annexation of much of the West Bank but also allows for a demilitarized Palestinian state. The sudden Palestinian withdrawal of their request came after the United States -- which enjoys veto power as a permanent member -- proposed a series of amendments that could come for a vote at the session attended by Abbas. In proposals seen by AFP, the United States would significantly alter the text to remove references to 1967 lines being the basis of peace. It would also cut out a line stating that Jewish settlements built in the West Bank since 1967 are illegal, a position taken by virtually every country except the US and Israel. The United States is also seeking to eliminate language that equated East Jerusalem with the occupied West Bank. The Trump plan calls for recognition of the contested holy city as Israel's undivided capital, while establishing a Palestinian capital on its outskirts. While recognizing that the Trump plan "departs from the internationally endorsed terms of reference and parameters," the US wants the resolution to state that the Security Council "welcomes discussion on this proposal to advance the cause of peace." "Discussions are continuing on the text," a diplomat said on condition of anonymity. Other diplomats cast doubt on whether a vote could take place at a later date, considering the wide divergences in positions. Diplomats, however, said they had no reason to think Abbas' appearance would be scrapped. Prime Minister-designate Ludovic Orban said on Tuesday that any party that would boycott Parliament's vote of confidence in the government "will be severely censured by the citizens of Romania." "In my opinion, any political party that will boycott the plenary session will be severely censured by the citizens of Romania. To be a parliamentarian and play truant when Parliament casts a vote of confidence in the government, the main attribution of Parliament apart from the lawmaking attribution, in its relation with the government, it is to vote a government in office. Playing truant when there is a sitting where a government is voted into office is a sin that will be dramatically censured by all citizens. I wish the lawmakers will come at work," Orban said at the Parliament House asked if the Social Democratic Party (PSD) MPs told him that they will not come to the joint plenary session in which a vote of confidence in the Orban Government 2 will be called.He added that PSD cannot vote for the new government after they ousted a Liberal government under a censure motion. "PSD would be ridiculous if they gave at least one vote for the National Liberal Party (PNL) government," said Orban.The prime minister said that PNL MPs will be present at the confidence vote meeting to ensure the quorum, but they will not vote."We will endeavour to convince all political parties to participate in the confidence vote, but in the end each one will decide for themselves. All political parties and all lawmakers who will play truant will be filled with ridicule," said Orban. DENVER, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Galvanize announced today that it's data science and Hack Reactor coding bootcamps have been named as best data science and coding bootcamps by at least 12 independent review companies, including industry-leading authorities Course Report and Switchup . Recognition for Galvanize's data science bootcamps include: Best Data Science Bootcamps, Course Report 2020 Best Data Science Bootcamps, Switchup Best Data Science Bootcamps For Boosting Your Career, Technology Innovators Best Data Science Bootcamps, Career Karma 21 Data Science Bootcamps To Know, BuiltIn Recognition for Galvanize's Hack Reactor coding bootcamps include: 2020 Best Coding Bootcamps, Switchup 2020 Best Online Coding Bootcamps, Switchup Best Coding Bootcamps, Course Report Best Online Coding Bootcamps in 2020, Career Karma Best Coding Bootcamps in 2020, Study Web Development Best Coding Bootcamps, CodeBurst 25 Best Coding Bootcamps, Successful Student Best Online Coding Bootcamps, We Work Remotely 7 Best Coding Bootcamps in 2020, Remote Bliss Top 5 Coding Bootcamps In The U.S., Investopedia Best Coding Bootcamps, Growth Marketing Pro Data Science and Software Engineer job postings continue to grow, and so does the gap in filling these positions. With a growing alumni base of over 12,000, Galvanize continues to address that gap by generating more midlevel developers and data scientists than any other company. Galvanize Data Science graduates and Hack Reactor Software Engineering graduates earn, on average, annual base salaries of $90,000 or more - across all campuses - including remote. About Galvanize Galvanize is a learning community for technology with eight physical campuses across the U.S. where innovative startups, aspiring students, and large enterprises benefit from a dynamic, unique technology ecosystem. Galvanize is an industry leader in technology education, offering the Data Science and Hack Reactor Software Engineering immersive bootcamps, that propel careers and help individuals thrive in the digital economy. In addition to its physical campuses, Galvanize offers full-time and part-time immersive bootcamps to individuals remotely, and tailored workforce training to enterprise clients to address each of their unique needs. With 8,000+ graduates, Galvanize alumni have gone on to bring their talents to over 2,250 companies. Learn more at www.galvanize.com . SOURCE Galvanize Related Links http://www.galvanize.com Eileen Naughton, the current head of Google HR, now plans to step away from her position with the company according to a recent report from Fortune. The human resources leader will still work for the search giant in some capacity but her future position has not been made public. The search giant indicates that Ms. Naughton is leaving the position in order to be closer to her family. Theres currently no set timeline in place for when Ms. Naughton will formally step down. But she has been with the company for 14 years and has served in human resources over the past four of those. Before filling in the position at the head of Googles human resources, Ms. Naughton held several leadership roles with the company. Those have been based out of a wide range of divisions, from Googles Mountain View headquarters to London and New York. Among the positions filled, Ms. Naughton has served as vice president of sales and operations in the U.K. and Ireland as well as vice president of global sales. She has also previously served as managing director of media strategy and operations for the Americas. Advertisement Controversy and fixes Eileen Naughtons time as the Head of HR at Google has not been without controversy. The company has faced a number of scandals, particularly over the past two years, and many of those have centered around worker treatment. The most prominent of Googles scandals center around allegations of and the alleged mishandling of complaints regarding sexual misconduct. In late 2018, the company confirmed that it had fired as many as 48 of its employees over such claims. Those claims stretch back much further, however, with the company reportedly letting some executives go with large payouts as far back as 2014. The events culminated in worker walkouts which ultimately led to a change of direction internally. Specifically, Ms. Naughton spearheaded alterations to the policy that make it easier to report such misconduct. Part of that meant that Google now has a program that allows victims to bring a support person with them when filing those types of complaints. That individual can remain with them throughout any ensuing investigations. Advertisement Further controversy has arisen in the form of deep-seated criticism regarding worker treatment outside of the primary workforce. In response to that, Ms. Naughton led a bid to increase the minimum pay rate for US temp employees and vendors. That was increased to $15 per hour alongside both healthcare benefits and parental leave for non-employees. Who will be the new HR Head at Google? In a statement regarding her plans, Ms. Naughton has said that the process of stepping down is still in its earliest stages. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Googles Parent company Alphabet, Inc and CFO Ruth Porat will be responsible for finding a replacement to fill the position. They plan that search to take place both within Googles ranks and outside of the company. Ms. Naughton indicates that she will be assisting in that search for a new lead for Googles people operations team. Advertisement She will also serve in the vital role of aiding in the transition once a replacement is found. The search giant has not provided any indication as to whether or not there are any candidates already being considered. Having been the Janata Dal (United)'s most visible face on national television, Pavan K. Varma is now a man disillusioned with the party and specially its leader Nitish Kumar. After raising his voice against his one-time mentor, which was followed by his expulsion from the party, Mr Varma, in an interview with Sreeparna Chakrabarty, accused Mr Kumar of political opportunism and clinging to power. The former diplomat goes on to say that Mr Kumar was close to rejoining hands with the Congress in 2018 and was stopped only when the BJP got wind of it. How and why did things come to such a pass between you and Nitish Kumar? I have been associated with the JD(U) since 2013 ever since I resigned from the foreign service to join Nitish Kumar. Over the years, Mr Kumar has changed and today he is not the same Mr Kumar whom I had joined. Today his focus is only on power and political gains irrespective of ideology therefore it came to such a pass. Do you think Mr Kumar compromised with ideology when he broke the alliance with the RJD-Congress Mahagathbandhan and joined the BJP in 2017? I think Mr Kumar used ideology to justify his political interactions and switches. And now instead of being guided by ideology, it has become an instrument for him to gain his political purposes. Therefore, after having opposed the BJP and Narendra Modi from 2013 to 2017, after opposing the BJP and after saying that he wants a Sangh Mukt Bharat, after saying that Mitti mein mil jaaonga par saath nahin jaoonga when the BJP was under Mr Modi, whom he had called Hitler and a fascist, Mr Kumar suddenly became an ally of that party again. Did your problems with the party begin then? My problems began with Mr Kumar from then (2017) onwards as I believe that the policies and directions of the BJP were not in sync with the ideologies and principle for which Mr Kumar and our party stands for. What is more important is that even after having joined the BJP in 2017, Mr Kumar continued to harbour reservations about the BJP and its leadership and even came to the point where he almost ditched the BJP to rejoin the Congress. When was this? Why did it not materialise? In 2018. In my view it did not happen as the BJP got wind of what could have transpired and came to a seat arrangement, which was acceptable to Mr Kumar. Because whether it is the BJP or the Congress, he was not being guided by ideology but by the possibility of short-term political gains. Having achieved it with the BJP then, the Congress was not important for him. The important point is that he was willing to go with the Congress even while being with the BJP. Since 2018, has there been any other discussion in the party on switching sides? On several occasions, not on public platforms but privately at smaller party fora or when with party leaders, Mr Kumar had expressed reservations about the BJP leadership and about its policies. Do you think the JD(U) as a party is split wide open in the matter of remaining in the NDA? Right now, Mr Kumar is surrounded by a coterie of people for whom political benefit is not the greater but the only motive. If they see their bread and butter, position and power with the BJP, they will advise him to remain with the BJP. What saddens me is that Mr Kumar has become far from being the leader who took decisions based on what he considered right both for the party and the country. He has accepted becoming a passive accessory of the BJP, in order to possibly retain the chief ministers post after the elections later this year. Do you think Mr Kumar betrayed socialist ideology as well? Mr Kumar cannot be accused of betrayal because in the first place he never had any loyalty to any ideology except the ideology of short-term political gains. He merely changed tactics in order to use political situations to remain in power and somehow hold on to the CMs chair in Bihar. Some people in the party say that both you and Prashant Kishor have no connection with ground realities as you have never won an election on your own. Neither of us I certainly cant speak about Mr Kishor, to whom you can talk separately. I never ever claimed the need or the opportunity to fight an election in order to prove my political worth to Mr Kumar. I was the person who became his voice nationally and catapulted him from being a promising regional leader, to becoming an important personality on an almost a daily basis on the national level. Every party has people with different roles. What I have done for the JD(U) in terms of its manifesto, its ideological line and above all projecting Mr Kumar nationally, is something that was my role. If my role was of no benefit to Mr Kumar or the party, then why did he send me to the Rajya Sabha and why subsequently he made me the national general secretary and the national spokesperson of the party? There are several leaders, including Mr Kumar himself, who have not fought an election for the last 15 years. There are many leaders like the late Arun Jaitely and others who may not wish to or fight elections on the ground but contribute to the party significantly. What role can we expect to see you in next? Are you joining the Congress? I will do what I believe is right for my country. I would make my position at the right time. I am not in talks with any political party. Right now, I am deeply introspecting on what are the best things for my country for which I can make my contributions. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan sent congratulatory letters to Irans President Hassan Rouhani and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution, the PMs Office told Armenpress. In his letter addressed to Rouhani, Pashinyan said: I warmly congratulate you and the good people of Iran on the 41st anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution. The centuries-old friendship and historical traditions between our peoples are a firm base for the constant progress of the Armenian-Iranian uninterrupted relations. I am sure that the complete implementation of joint programs and agreements reached during my visit to Iran will contribute to the expansion of bilateral relations for the benefit of the two peoples. By using this chance I invite you to visit Armenia at your appropriate time. I wish you good health, success, and peace and prosperity to the Iranian people. The letter addressed to Irans Supreme Leader says: Accept my warmest congratulations on the 41st anniversary of the victory of Islamic Revolution. I am confident that the Islamic Republic of Iran will continue its development path by recording new success and achievements. The centuries-old Armenian-Iranian relations, which are based on the friendship and mutual respect between our peoples, are a guarantee for expanding the bilateral partnership. Armenia is interested in pushing forward a comprehensive bilateral agenda with friendly Iran for the benefit of the welfare and progress of our peoples. I wish Your Eminence good health, and peace and prosperity to the good people of Iran. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan [February 11, 2020] FHLB Dallas Loan Helps Dream Come True for Owners of Arkansas Dance Studio For the owners of a dance studio in Sherwood, Arkansas, the Small Business Boost (SBB) program did exactly what it was intended to do. It helped them qualify for a loan to build the studio they'd always dreamed of owning. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006033/en/ A Small Business Boost (SBB) program loan from First Security Bank and FHLB Dallas helped sisters Marissa Duren and Jacquelyn Bowman open a dance studio in Sherwood, Arkansas. (Photo: Business Wire) Sisters Marissa Duren and Jacquelyn Bowman, owners of Marissa and Jacq's Dancers LLC, had tried to get a loan to buy land and build their own studio, but they just couldn't swing it. All the banks they had approached wanted a 20 percent down payment for the commercial loan. Then Keith Byrd, vice president and commercial loan officer for First Security Bank in Sherwood, a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas), suggested they try the SBB program. SBB is a program offered by FHLB Dallas through member financial institutions like First Security Bank. The program provides financing for qualified small business transactions by filling the gap between the amount an FHLB Dallas member institution can provide and the loan request made by an eligible small business. SBB loans are unsecured and subordinate to the primary loan made by the member bank. The loans help meet the finacing needs of the small business when there is a lack of equity or shortfall in collateral. "Marissa and Jacquelyn had great cash flow, but they just didn't have the down payment," Mr. Byrd said. "We worked through it, and the Small Business Boost made up exactly what they needed for the down payment." Mike Hutsell, president of First Security Bank, based in Searcy, Arkansas, said the SBB helped create "a great success story for the community of Sherwood and our bank. We are a community bank that loves to support the businesses in the communities we serve. But sometimes there is a gap between what a business wants and what we can provide. The Small Business Boost was there to fill that gap for Marissa and Jacquelyn and help make their dream come true." Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment for FHLB Dallas, said the situation that the sisters found themselves in is not uncommon for small businesses. "Small business owners often find themselves a little short of the funding they need to develop their businesses," he said. "It was exactly for this reason that we created the SBB program, which is intended to help our member institutions fill the gap between what they can lend a small business and what that business needs." Mr. Hettrick said FHLB Dallas hopes the SBB can trigger a sequence of events that is beneficial to a community. "Not only is the small business that received the loan able to grow and provide more jobs in the community, but as they repay their loan, the funds will be recycled back into the program to be reinvested in other small businesses which will create even more jobs over time." Another advantage of SBB is that the borrower does not begin to repay until after the first year. This feature is designed to help a small business build critical cash flow during the first year of the loan. Ms. Duren and Ms. Bowman could not be happier. "We are so excited," said Ms. Duren. "All the doors opened because of the Small Business Boost. It was the only reason we could get the loan." About First Security Bank Based in Searcy, Arkansas, privately held First Security Bancorp has the most complete and diverse product offering of any Arkansas-based financial services holding company. Supported by the strength of $1.18 billion in total capital and $5.4 billion in assets, First Security can meet any financing need - right here in Arkansas. With more than 1,000 employees covering locations throughout the state, we offer solutions for the financial needs of individuals, businesses and the public sector, including a network of local community banks, respected investment banking and wealth management services, public finance, real estate development and revitalization, leasing and mortgage services. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $73.8 billion as of September 30, 2019, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 815 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211006033/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Government ministers and other high-level representatives from more than 140 countries adopted a declaration at a major International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) conference today to enhance global nuclear security and counter the threat of nuclear terrorism and other malicious acts. From a possible cyberattack on a nuclear power plant to the illicit trafficking of radioactive materials, nuclear security is a growing international concern. The IAEA and its Member States have in recent years intensified their efforts to strengthen nuclear security but agree that more action is needed. Nuclear and radioactive material is a magnet for groups with malicious intent that see in this material a possibility to create panic and bring distress and pain to our societies, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said at the opening of the week-long conference at IAEA headquarters, shortly before the declaration was adopted by the participants, including more than 55 ministerial-level representatives. Nuclear technology and science help improve the lives of millions of people around the world in areas ranging from clean energy and cancer care to food security and pest control. But the nuclear and radioactive materials used to produce those benefits must be secured at all times to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands. Nuclear security involves preventing, detecting and responding to malicious acts with nuclear material, radioactive substances or their associated facilities. In the declaration, IAEA Member States reaffirmed the common goals of nuclear non-proliferation, nuclear disarmament and the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and recognized that nuclear security contributes to international peace and security. We remain concerned about existing and emerging nuclear security threats and committed to addressing such threats, the ministerial declaration said. We encourage the Member States to implement threat mitigation and risk reduction measures that contribute to improving nuclear security, including, but not limited to, ensuring the protection of nuclear and other radioactive materials and facilities. Nuclear security is a national responsibility, but the central role of the IAEA in facilitating and coordinating international cooperation in this area was also highlighted at the conference and in the declaration. The adoption of a Declaration at ministerial level is indicative of the continuous commitment to nuclear security of IAEA Member States. It is a concise, politically driven and forward-looking document, adding value to the efforts of strengthening nuclear security worldwide, said Bogdan Aurescu, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Romania and Co-President of the conference. In the coming years, global stocks of nuclear material are expected to continue growing, especially as we look into emerging nuclear technologies and their role in mitigating the consequences of climate change, said Federico Alfaro, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Panama and Co-President of the conference. We cannot allow for such material to fall into the wrong hands. The IAEA Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts brings together about 1900 participants from more than 130 IAEA Member States. The conference addresses topics such as how to secure nuclear materials from theft or sabotage during transportation, the use of nuclear forensics to assist in criminal investigations and emergency preparedness and response in case of a nuclear security event. It follows earlier high-level IAEA nuclear security meetings held in 2013 and 2016. Since the last conference, the IAEAs activities to strengthen nuclear security include training nearly 13,000 experts, donating radiation detection equipment to 33 countries and providing support to 17 major public events, including World Youth Day in Panama, which was attended by Pope Francis and the presidents of seven Latin American countries, and major sporting competitions. Two years ago, the IAEA and the Government of Japan signed an agreement aimed at enhancing nuclear security measures for the summer Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in Tokyo later this year. New Delhi, Feb 12 : Two BJP leaders have managed to stand tall amid the Arvind Kejriwal-powered AAP storm in Delhi even as the saffron party could not put up an impressive show in the recently held Assembly election. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Vijender Gupta and Om Prakash Sharma, for the second time in a row, managed to retain their seats -- Rohini and Vishwas Nagar, respectively. Sharma won the Vishwas Nagar seat for the second time by defeating Congress in the 2013 assembly elections. Earlier in 1993, the BJP won this seat. Also, during the Aam Aadmi Party's dominating performance in 2015, Sharma was successful in retaining the seat for the BJP. He has maintained the winning streak in the 2020 assembly elections too. Besides, Gupta won the Rohini Assembly seat that comes under the North West Delhi Lok Sabha constituency in 2015, and this time as well. The results of February 8 Delhi Assembly election was announced on Tuesday and the AAP stormed back to power by bagging an enviable 62 of 70 seats. The BJP got eight seats while the Congress -- just like the 2015 polls -- drew a blank. (Navneet Mishra can be contacted at navneet.m@ians.in) According to national polling averages, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and former Vice Pres. Joe Biden are the frontrunners to win the Democratic nomination for president this year. But Biden may have slipped after a poor showing in last weeks disastrous attempt at a caucus in Iowa, while another contender may have taken a step forward. The caucus was plagued by numerous problems and ended the week with confusion over which candidate won the most delegates there. The state Democratic party declared former South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg the winner over the weekend, but the Associated Press refused to call the race due to errors in the caucus reporting process. Biden likely finished fourth, behind Sanders, Buttigieg, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Biden will be looking to rebound in New Hampshire this week, but his true focus is likely elsewhere. Specifically the South - Alabama included. Based on previous election cycles and current polling, Biden is likely to do well in the South, and especially in Alabama. He already has endorsements from many of the states most prominent Democrats, including Sen. Doug Jones, Rep. Terri Sewell and Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin. There hasnt been much polling here, but a poll from SurveyMonkey in July of last year showed Biden at 36 percent, with Sanders in second at 15 percent. That poll had Buttigieg at just 5 percent, though California Sen. Kamala Harris, who has now dropped out of the race, was showing at 13 percent at that time. Much has changed since then, as Buttigieg and Sanders have both risen in national polls. But history suggests Sanders could struggle to pull ahead in Alabama. In 2016, when Sanders ran and lost against eventual Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton, he failed to gather much support in the South, and Alabama was among the states where he performed the worst. Clinton won nearly 78 percent of the vote in Alabama over Sanders in 2016, the second highest margin for Clinton in the country behind neighboring Mississippi. Hillary Clinton just about swept the South from Bernie Sanders in 2016. Will we see a repeat performance for Sanders this time around? | Graphic by Ramsey Archibald In fact, Clinton just about swept the South in 2016, winning every Southern state except Oklahoma and West Virginia. Clinton didnt just win the South, she dominated there. She racked up big wins over Sanders, thanks in part to her ability - and Sanders apparent inability - to win over black voters. The 12 states where Clinton won with the biggest margins over Sanders in 2016 were Southern states. Bidens campaign is banking on similar support. Sanders failed to win a single county in Alabama. He fared the best in Blount County, just north of Birmingham and one of the whitest counties in the state. He still lost there by a margin of 16.5 points. In Clarke County, in south Alabama, Sanders lost by 86.7 points. Sanders lost by a margin of at least 50 points in 44 of Alabamas 67 counties. Bernie Sanders failed to win a single county in Alabama in 2016. | Graphic by Ramsey Archibald Meanwhile, Biden was out-raising Sanders in Alabama as of the end of September, according to data from the Federal Election Commission. Even though Biden didnt declare until April 25, he still raised just over $76,000 in individual contributions, compared to Sanders $66,000. This data doesnt show the meat of the fundraising, though. The deadline for data for the last quarter of the year was January 31st, and new fundraising data wasnt available as of this week. In 2016, Clinton raised far more than Sanders in Alabama, $898,000 to $308,000. Of course, whoever wins the Democratic primary in Alabama will face an uphill battle to win the state come general election time. When the general election rolled around in 2016, now-President Donald Trump dominated in Alabama and across much of the South. The same was true with Mitt Romney in 2012, and John McCain before him. Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Email Ramsey Archibald at rarchibald@al.com, and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 02/10/2020 ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade. couple Robert Springs and Anny will apparently be returning to TLC on a future season of one of the reality franchise's spinoffs.Robert and Anny were recently photographed filming at Monkey Joe's, an inflatable play center and party place for children, along with Robert's young son Bryson in photos obtained by the Instagram account @FraudedbyTLC."Robert, Anny, and Bryson! Guess we're gonna see them on Happily Ever After?" the Instagram account captioned a slideshow of pictures this past weekend.Given Robert and Anny got married within the 90 days of Anny's K-1 visa and are currently living in the United States together, it would make sense the couple would appear on an upcoming season of : Happily Ever After? rather than : Before the 90 Days or : The Other Way.However, it is also possible Robert and Anny's footage will only end up being part of : What Now?', a TLC GO digital original series that's available for streaming on TLC's website and TLC GO app and gives viewers briefer updates on some of the franchise's former couples.: What Now?'s most recent season, Season 3, was released in April 2019 and provided viewers with updates on eleven couples -- including Jonathan Rivera and Fernanda Flores Kalani Faagata and Asuelu Pulaa , and Rachel Bear and Jon Walters Each : What Now?'s episode runs anywhere from 6 minutes to 14 minutes in length, not including commercial breaks, and the third season consisted of a total of 21 episodes.The new photos also seem to indicate Robert, a 41-year-old from Winter Park, FL, and Anny, a 30-year-old originally from the Dominican Republic, are still together and raising Bryson as a team.According to a copy of Robert and Anny's marriage license obtained by Soap Dirt, the pair filed their marriage paperwork in Orange County, FL, on August 12, 2019.Soap Dirt reported Robert and Anny traveled to Eustis, FL -- which is just about 35 miles north of Orlando -- to tie the knot and they exchanged vows on September 21, 2019. The ceremony took place at the Chapel of Love.Robert and Anny only spent one day together in person before Robert popped the question.Robert and Anny's romantic day was in the Dominican Republic, where Robert stopped when he was on a vacation cruise.After accepting Robert's sudden and unexpected marriage proposal, Anny traveled to the United States so the pair could start a life together. Robert was hoping Anny would become a mother to his son Bryson.But things certainly didn't go smoothly for Robert and Anny once she arrived in Florida, as they bickered more during their time together than they appeared to get along.Robert was hoping to marry a responsible and classy woman, but Anny's behavior left him with a lot of questions and doubts about her character and the future of their romance.Anny had a problem with the limited amount of money Robert was willing to spend on her, and her dream wedding was in Miami Beach, FL, with an extensive seafood menu, which Robert definitely could not afford.Anny desired a new iPhone, moving into an expensive two-bedroom apartment with a nice view, and more physical intimacy in her relationship.She also seemingly loved to party and the stripclub scene. When she once mentioned to Robert they should have a threesome, he flipped out and said he didn't want that type of behavior around Bryson.When the pair fought, Robert accused Anny of complaining too much, and he called her "selfish," "ungrateful" and "inconsiderate" on several different occasions.In addition, Anny didn't seem to get along with Bryson's grandparents, Ben and Stephanie, and she fought with Robert over old photos he had on his phone and social media of ex-girlfriends.Robert said he wasn't trying to hide anything from Anny and had welcomed "five beautiful children by four different women." Robert revealed he didn't get to see his other children often and used to be a player but his priorities had changed drastically.Robert was trying to get to know Anny better before their wedding and he said he loved her, but concerns from family and friends weighed on him at times.Robert therefore had second thoughts about marrying Anny, even on his wedding day, but the pair was shown becoming husband and wife in 's seventh-season finale , which aired on Sunday night.The day turned out to be a romantic and emotional day for everyone who attended, especially when Robert got down on one knee and presented Anny with a diamond engagement ring he felt he owed her."I'll love you until the day I leave this earth," Robert told Anny."Thank you for believing in me in every way," Anny told her new husband.The couple said they enjoyed every moment of their wedding and looked forward to having more kids in the future.'s Tell-All special for Season 7 is set to air next week, and then Season 4 of : Before the 90 Days will premiere Sunday, February 23 at 8PM ET/PT on TLC.Want spoilers? Click here to visit our Spoilers webpage! (@FahadShabbir) Sindh Minister for Anti-corruption Jam Ikramuallah Dharejo has directed to establish Intelligence Wing to keep an eye on the performance of the officers and a helpline to redress the complaints and maintain computerized record of the complaints KARACHI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Feb, 2020 ) :Sindh Minister for Anti-corruption Jam Ikramuallah Dharejo has directed to establish Intelligence Wing to keep an eye on the performance of the officers and a helpline to redress the complaints and maintain computerized record of the complaints. This he said while presiding over a meeting of Deputy Directors and Circle Officers of Anti-corruption Department here in Tuglaq House on Tuesday. Additional Secretary Sohail Baloch and Deputy Directors and Circle Officers from across the province attended the meeting. The Minister said that there was a dire need to take result-oriented steps to improve department's perception and asked the officials concerned to conclude pending inquiries on merit and get the negligent staffers punished. He said that circle officers had main role in inquiries and they must perform well as he would not tolerate any lethargic attitude in dispose of pending cases. Jam Ikramuallah Dharejo assured the officers that their genuine issues would be resolved on priority basis and for promotion of the staff, the department was going to be restructured. He directed the officers to complete inquiries in stipulated time and process the applications on daily basis. He asked to submit their performance report on monthly basis and deficiency of the staff would be meted out soon. "Good officers would be rewarded while departmental action would also be taken against those who fail to perform well", he concluded. UN Chief Antonio Guterres will visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, in Kartarpur during his visit to Pakistan next week. The UN Secretary-General will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday and will hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on that day and speak at an event on sustainable development and climate change. Guterres will travel to Kartarpur to visit a holy site, Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters here on Monday. The UN Chief is expected to visit one of the most prominent Sikh pilgrimage sites next Tuesday. Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the worlds largest Sikh Gurdwara. On February 17, Guterres will also speak at the International Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan, which is being organized by the Pakistan government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), along with High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. He will participate in a high-level panel discussion and other events at the conference. Guterres will also meet Pakistan President Arif Alvi. The Secretary-General will be in Lahore on February 18, where he will meet students and attend an event on Pakistans polio vaccination campaign. He will visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib before returning to New York on February 19. In November last year, the UN Chief welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan, saying it paved the way for interfaith harmony and understanding. We welcome #Pakistan and #India opening #KartarpurCorridor today connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites, paving way for interfaith harmony and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims to holy shrines, spokesperson for the Secretary-General had tweeted. The Kartarpur Corridor links Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. It was opened by Prime Minister Khan on November 9 in a historic people-to-people initiative between the two countries. The Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is located across the Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in future. Dismissed Minister of National Defence Nicolae Ciuca on Wednesday and Thursday is set to participate in the meeting of defence ministers of the NATO member states, to be held at the North-Atlantic Alliance's Headquarters in Brussels, informs a press release of the Ministry of National Defence (MApN) sent to AGERPRES. The debates at this meeting will be subsumed to the continuity lines in decision making adopted at the NATO Leaders Meeting held in London, in December, in view of modernising and preparing the Alliance for the "increasingly more complex challenges in the regional and international security environment," said the abovementioned source.The event is structured on four working sessions, with the main items on the agenda focusing the allied operations and missions, with an emphasis on the NATO Mission in Iraq, the strengthening of the NATO-EU cooperation to ensure the European and transatlantic security, implementing decisions in the deterrence and defence posture field and reconfirming allied unity and solidarity, through a substantial contribution to the equitable split of responsibilities, as well as the future of the Resolute Support Mission (RSM) in Afghanistan.On the sidelines of the Meeting, Nicolae Ciuca will have bilateral meetings with counterparts from allied countries. Sinn Fein's deputy leader has said police have told her dissident republicans are planning an attack on herself and party colleague Gerry Kelly. PACEMAKER BELFAST 11/02/2020 Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill has said police have informed Sinn Fein of dissident republican threats against her after the party showed support for a PSNI recruitment campaign. Speaking at Stormont on Tuesday the Sinn Fein vice-president said threats were also made against party colleague and Policing Board member Gerry Kelly. First Minister Arlene Foster condemned the threats saying they had no place in a democracy. The threat is thought to be in relation to Ms O'Neill and Mr Kelly's attendance at a PSNI recruitment earlier this month. Sinn Fein's attendance at the policing recruitment event was seen as groundbreaking, given the party's historically uneasy relationship with the police. While Sinn Fein has supported the PSNI since 2007, the party has declined to attend passing out parades for new recruits. I have been told by police that dissident republicans are planning attacks on myself and my colleague Gerry Kelly," Ms O'Neill said. This comes in the same week as over 500,000 people have supported Sinn Feins agenda for change. The debate on Irish unity is centre stage. It is against this backdrop that so-called Republicans are planning attacks on Sinn Fein." These armed groups have nothing to offer. Its time they packed up and disbanded. Michelle O'Neill The Mid Ulster MLA said the pair would not be deterred by the threats. These people have no politics, no strategy and nothing to offer. They are at war with their community and are now threatening political representatives who serve the people," Ms O'Neill said. These threats are coming a week after Gerry Kelly and I attended a PSNI recruitment event. Expand Close Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill meets with PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne and Anne Connolly, Chairperson of the NI Policing Board, at the launch of a new student officer recruitment drive by the PSNI at Garnerville Training College, Belfast today. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill meets with PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne and Anne Connolly, Chairperson of the NI Policing Board, at the launch of a new student officer recruitment drive by the PSNI at Garnerville Training College, Belfast today. PICTURE BY STEPHEN DAVISON Sinn Fein will not be deterred. We will continue to pursue our objective of a united Ireland while building a civic, accountable representative policing service, which polices with the community. These armed groups have nothing to offer. Its time they packed up and disbanded. Whether in 1970, 1980, 1990 or 2020, violence from every hue must be condemned. Arlene Foster DUP leader Mrs Foster said "there is no place for violence and threats". "The ballot box is how we effect change, not through the bomb or bullet," she said. "Whether in 1970, 1980, 1990 or 2020, violence from every hue must be condemned." Justice Minister Naomi Long said those behind the threats "must be brought to justice". I want to see a peaceful, shared society where we respect the law and each other. The PSNI works day and daily to keep everyone in our community safe and I welcome support for its recruitment campaign," the Alliance leader said. "Those who would issue threats against elected representatives or anyone else for that matter have nothing to offer." SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said the threats were "an attack not just on one party but on the peace we've all fought for". "Those behind it are setting themselves against the Irish people and they will never win. My thoughts are with Michelle, Gerry and their families today." A PSNI spokesperson said that they do not discuss the security of any individual and "no inference should be drawn from this". "If we receive information that suggests an individual may need to review their security we will take steps to inform them immediately. We will never ignore anything that could place an individual at risk," the spokesperson said. Expand Close Dolores Kelly; Mervyn Storey; First Minister Arlene Foster; PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne; Policing Board chair Anne Connolly; Gerry Kelly; Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill, and Deputy Chief Constable-elect Mark Hamilton at the PSNI recruitment drive / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Dolores Kelly; Mervyn Storey; First Minister Arlene Foster; PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne; Policing Board chair Anne Connolly; Gerry Kelly; Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill, and Deputy Chief Constable-elect Mark Hamilton at the PSNI recruitment drive Ms O'Neill and Mr Kelly attended the PSNI recruitment launch on February 4 alongside First Minister Arlene Foster, Chief Constable Simon Byrne and other Policing Board members and politicians. The event took place in the midst of a debate about increasing the representation of Catholic officers in the police force. Speaking at the event Mr Byrne acknowledged the step taken by Ms O'Neill and Mr Kelly in attending the event. "We don't underestimate the significant step forward Sinn Fein has taken in endorsing this campaign merely by being here and beginning a conversation about how we can work differently to improve policing right across the country," the Chief Constable said. Of 6,900 current PSNI officers 67% are from a Protestant background, 32% Catholic and 1% from an ethnic minority. Jaipur, Feb 11 : The tussle between the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government and the bureaucracy continues. It culminated into transfer of over 30 IAS officers on Sunday, right before the start of the budget session on Monday. The face-off that started 13 months ago has seen six Ministers and two MLAs making direct attacks on the bureaucracy, alleging non-cooperation. First among them was Tourism Minister Vishwendra Singh. He was so annoyed with bureaucrats of his ministry that he stopped visiting the Paryatan Bhavan. For the past many months, he has regularly been tweeting his grievances against officials in allotment of tenders. Finally on Sunday, Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation Managing Director Kunj Bihari Pandya was transferred. Upset with the officials, Transport Minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas had openly said those who didn't listen to their Ministers must be transferred. Finally, Principal Transport Secretary Rajesh Kumar Yadav was shifted out. He had dispute with Khachariwas over implementation of a central law. Mines Minister Pramod Bhaya too was upset. In June, he tweeted despite the change of government, the working style of bureaucracy remained the same. The tiff between the Minister and the officials continued since then. On Sunday, Principal Secretary (Mines) Dinesh Kumar was shifted out. Forest Minister Sukhram and Principal Secretary Shreya Guha were in disagreement over the wildlife board membership. Guha has been re-designated as the Principal Secretary of the Tourism, Art and Culture Department and Sudhansh Pant, who was awaiting posting, appointed the Principal Secretary of the Forest and Environment Department. Principal Secretary (Water Supply) Sandeep Verma who had locked horns with Minister B.D. Kalla over engineers' promotion was transferred too. Not only with Ministers, reports suggested that all was not well with the Chief Minister's Office. Eventually, Ajitabh Sharma, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, was transferred to the Energy Department. On the Minister Vs Officials, a senior official told IANS, the Congress Ministers were seeking to get their self-sustaining objectives fulfilled and if objected they would turn againt the official. Showing a paper, he said Health Minister Raghu Sharma had started ordering 10-50 food packets each day from National Health Mission (NHM) office soon after the formation of Congress government in December 2018. He also requested ACs to be installed with the NHM funds at his home. When it was questioned by a senior officer, he got upset and started demanding his transfer. With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) looking set for another landslide win in the Delhi assembly polls by decimating its main rival BJP, NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said the results marked the "mood of change" in the country, and expressed the need for regional parties in states to come together to keep the saffron party out of power. As per the Election Commission website, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party has won 55 of the total 70 Assembly seats in Delhi and is leading in 7. The BJP has won seven seats and is leading in one while the Congress stared at blank. Talking to reporters here, Pawar said the results of the Delhi elections indicated that "winds of change" were blowing in the country. "Today's result is not limited to Delhi alone as people from various states live in the national capital. There is an environment of change in their own states which they expressed while voting in Delhi," the former Union minister said. Pawar, who played a crucial role in bringing ideologically incompatible Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress to form a government in his home state, said there is a "trend" of regional parties or the alternatives (to the BJP) becoming stronger in their respective states. Underlining the need for regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power, Pawar cited the example of the Maharashtra alliance. "Regional parties need to come together under a 'common minimum programme' and provide a stable government to keep the BJP out of power. "In Kerala, there is Communist Party...in Maharashtra, we did some experiment. It means going forward, there is a need to come together on the basic common minimum programme, and I am sure people will support it," the veteran politician said. Pawar also said that there was a feeling among Opposition parties that the BJP was like a "calamity" for the country, and there was a need to stand united. "Last time we had come together in Kolkata and put forth our stand. Today, people have expectations from us and there is a need to go with a common minimum programme," he said. Pawar was apparently referring to the rally of opposition parties hosted by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee in Kolkata in January 2019, ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. The NCP supremo attributed the AAP's stellar performance in the Delhi polls to the common people rejecting the BJP's "communal polarisation" agenda. (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 Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu Wed, February 12 2020 Animal cruelty: A wild crocodile caught in a used motorcycle tire appears in the Palu River, Central Sulawesi, on Dec. 25, 2019. The 4-meter-long crocodile is believed to have been entangled in the tire since 2016. (Antara/Basri Marzuki) With a permit from the Indonesian government in hand, Australian TV presenter and crocodile expert Matthew Nicholas Wright returned to Palu, Central Sulawesi, on Tuesday to rescue a wild crocodile that has had a motorcycle tire caught around its neck for years. Together with fellow crocodile observer Chris Wilson, Wright set a trap on the Palu River on the first day of his attempt to catch the reptile where it lives. The Australians flew from their outback to join a special rescue team formed by the Central Sulawesi Natural Resources Conservation Agency (BKSDA) and the Environment and Forestry Ministry. 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 "I am extremely proud of the work we have done to help customers meet their evolving IT needs by driving the channel GTM strategy this year," McCoy said. "Our ultimate program goal is to help partners identify new opportunities with their customers while also solving many of the IT challenges customers face today. We firmly believe that a consultative approach to reach certain outcomes versus selling specific technology is what sets our partners apart. Our team of consultants is committed to providing the resources needed to create exceptional outcomes for customers. We look forward to making 2020 a year of continued growth with our partners." CRN's 2020 Channel Chiefs list honors the distinguished leaders who have influenced the IT channel with cutting-edge strategies and partnerships. The 2020 Channel Chiefs have shown outstanding commitment, an ability to lead, and a passion for progress within the channel through their partner programs. The Channel Chief honorees were chosen by the CRN editorial staff for their dedication, industry prestige and exceptional accomplishments in driving the channel agenda and evangelizing the importance of channel partnerships. "The IT channel is undergoing constant evolution to meet customer demands and changing business environments," said Bob Skelley, CEO of The Channel Company. "CRN's Channel Chiefs work tirelessly, leading the industry forward through superior partner programs and strategies with a focus on helping solution providers transform and grow. Our team here at The Channel Company congratulates these outstanding individuals for their dedication to the channel." CRN's 2020 Channel Chiefs list will be featured in the February 2020 issue of CRN Magazine and online at www.CRN.com/ChannelChiefs. About Flexential Flexential offers flexible and essential services that help organizations optimize their journey of IT transformation while simultaneously balancing cost, scalability, compliance and security. The company, co-headquartered in Charlotte and Denver, is committed to building trusted relationships and delivering tailored solutions that suit the individual needs of its customers. Flexential is deeply invested in the success of its customers, who trust it to deliver core data center solutions of colocation and connectivity, as well as, cloud, managed solutions and professional services. Flexential's robust suite of assets spans 21 markets and comprises 40 highly redundant and connectivity-rich data centers. For more information on Flexential, please visit www.flexential.com. Flexential is a registered trademark of the Flexential Corp. Follow Flexential on LinkedIn , Twitter , Facebook and YouTube . About The Channel Company The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers and end users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequalled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative new solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com Follow The Channel Company: Twitter, LinkedIn , and Facebook. 2019. CRN is a registered trademark of The Channel Company, LLC. All rights reserved. The Channel Company Contact: Jennifer Hogan The Channel Company [email protected] Contact: Lori Stafford-Thomas Senior Director, Corporate Marketing, Flexential [email protected] 720-891-1070 SOURCE Flexential Related Links http://www.flexential.com [February 10, 2020] Georgia sees strong migration to fibre broadband Sydney, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Georgia outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Georgia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses The telecommunications sector remains one of the fastest growing areas of the Georgian economy, accounting for between 5% and 7% of GDP. There is still room for further growth, with penetration rates in the mobile and broadband segments relatively low by the standards of European benchmark countries. Growth in mobile broadband has been steady, supported by the auction of spectrum in the 800MHz and 2100MHz bands which has enabled the network operators to expand the reach and capabilities of LTE services. LTE services now cover the vast majority of the population. The regulator during 2019 worked on a framework to develop services based on 5G, though given the existing capacity of LTE it is unlikely that 5G services will be made available by operators before 2022. The country still faces economic challenges, which have impacted on the telecom sector. Revenue from fixed-line voice services has fallen sharply, while revenue from the mobile sector has been under stress from intense competition, compounded by the fall in messaging traffic as subscribers migrate to alternative OTT services. The overall market is largely propped up by the broadband sector, where the number of subscribers continues to increase steadily. The sharp growth in the number of fibre broadband connections has impacted on the DSL segment as customers are migrated from copper to fibre networks. DSL now accounts for only a small proportion of fixed broadband connections. This development reflects the significant increase in investment in infrastructure in recent years, spurred by the governments national broadband plan. Much of the investment in fixed-line infrastructure is earmarked for fibre networks, which will provide backhaul for future 5G services. Key developments: Fixed-broadband sector continues to migrate from copper to fibre; MagtiCom closes down its CDMS service; Report update includes the regulators annual report for 2018, market statistics to November 2019, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Caucasus Online, Georgia Online, United Telecom, Telecom Georgia, Egrisi, SaNet, SilkNet, Georgian Railway Telecom, Akhali Kselebi Table of Contents Key statistics Country overview Telecommunications market Market analysis Regulatory environment Regulatory authority Fixed-line developments Privatisation Number Portability (NP) Licensing and auctions background information Illegal operations Call termination Mobile network developments Unrecognised operators Spectrum auctions Mobile Number Portability (MNP) Mobile market Market analysis Mobile statistics Mobile infrastructure 5G 4G/LTE 3G Mobile data SMS and MMS Mobile broadband Mobile commerce M-banking Major mobile operators Operator statistics Geocell MagtiCom VEON Georgia SilkNet Fixed-line broadband market Introduction and statistical overview Broadband statistics Fixed-line broadband technologies Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks Other fixed broadband services Fixed network operators SilkNet Telecom Georgia (Sakartvelos Telekomi) NewNet Telecommunicatins (Akhali Kselebi) Egrisi Georgian Railway Telecom (GRT) MagtiCom Telecommunications infrastructure Overview of the national telecom network International infrastructure Appendix Historic data Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities - Georgia 2019 (e) Table 2 Change in Georgias GDP growth rate 2006 - 2019 Table 3 Growth in retail and wholesale telecom revenue 2013 - 2018 Table 4 Development of telecom sector investment 2016 - 2018 Table 5 Distribution of telecom investment by sector 2016 - 2018 Table 6 Change in the number of fixed number portings 2011 - 2019 Table 7 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2011 - 2019 Table 8 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 9 Change in mobile market retail revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 10 Fall in mobile market voice revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 11 Change in mobile voice traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 12 Decline in SMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 13 Decline in SMS revenue 2010 2019 Table 14 Change in MMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Table 15 Fall in MMS revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 16 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 17 HSPA/EVDO internet subscribers 2010 2019 Table 18 Development of CDMA and LTE internet subscribers 2012 2019 Table 19 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers 2013 2019 Table 20 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers by operator 2013 - 2019 Table 21 Growth in mobile internet traffic 2010 2018 Table 22 Development of mobile internet traffic by technology 2015 2018 Table 23 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 - 2019 Table 24 Development of mobile ARPU by operator 2010 - 2019 Table 25 Development of mobile revenue by operator 2013 - 2019 Table 26 Growth in the number of MagtiComs mobile subscribers 2007 - 2019 Table 27 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias mobile subscribers 2007 - 2019 Table 28 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias standard mobile internet subscribers 2010 - 2019 Table 29 Growth in the number of SilkNets mobile subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 30 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by customer type 2013 - 2018 Table 31 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by technology 2013 - 2018 Table 32 Change in the proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate 2013 - 2018 Table 33 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 34 Growth in fixed broadband market revenue 2010 - 2019 Table 35 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by major operator 2013 - 2019 Table 36 Fall in the number of DSL subscribers 2008 - 2019 Table 37 Growth in the number of MagtiComs fixed broadband subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 38 Growth in MagtiComs internet revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 39 Growth in the number of SilkNets internet subscribers 2012 - 2019 Table 40 Growth in SilkNets internet revenue 2013 - 2019 Table 41 Growth in the number of FttP subscribers 2010 - 2019 Table 42 Change in the number of Wi-Fi subscribers 2010 2019 Table 43 Fall in the number of fixed line subscribers by major operator 2010 - 2019 Table 44 Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and penetration 2009 - 2024 Table 45 Decline in the number of fixed-line subscribers by technology 2013 - 2019 Table 46 Decline in fixed-line revenue by technology 2010 - 2019 Table 47 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic by technology 2010 - 2019 Table 48 Growth in international internet bandwidth capacity 2009 - 2018 Table 49 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration rate 1999 - 2009 Table 50 Historic - Geocell subscribers 2002 - 2018 Table 51 Historic - Fixed lines in service, annual change and penetration 1995 - 2009 Table 52 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate 1996 - 2016 Table 53 Historic - Fixed-line internet subscribers and penetration 2001 - 2009 Table 54 Historic - household internet penetration 2005 - 2015 Table 55 Historic - fixed broadband subscribers and penetration 2001 - 2009 Table 56 Historic - Fibre broadband providers 2010 2016 Table 57 Historic - WiMAX subscribers 2010 2017 Table 58 Historic - Telecom market revenue 2010 - 2016 Table 59 Historic - International internet bandwidth capacity 2001 - 2009 List of Charts Chart 1 Growth in retail and wholesale telecom revenue 2013 - 2018 Chart 2 Change in the number of mobile number portings 2011 - 2019 Chart 3 Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 4 Change in mobile market retail revenue 2010 - 2019 Chart 5 Fall in mobile market voice revenue 2013 - 2019 Chart 6 Change in mobile voice traffic 2010 - 2019 Chart 7 Decline in SMS traffic 2010 - 2019 Chart 8 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 9 Development of CDMA and LTE internet subscribers 2012 2019 Chart 10 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers 2013 2019 Chart 11 Growth in the number of standard mobile internet subscribers by operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 12 Development of mobile internet traffic by technology 2015 2018 Chart 13 Change in mobile market share of subscribers by operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 14 Development of mobile ARPU by operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 15 Development of mobile revenue by operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 16 Growth in the number of MagtiComs mobile subscribers 2009 - 2019 Chart 17 Growth in the number of VEON Georgias mobile subscribers 2009 - 2019 Chart 18 Growth in the number of SilkNets mobile subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 19 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by customer type 2013 - 2018 Chart 20 Development of fixed broadband ARPU by technology 2013 - 2018 Chart 21 Change in the proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate 2013 - 2018 Chart 22 - Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 23 Growth in fixed broadband market revenue 2010 - 2019 Chart 24 Change in the number of fixed broadband subscribers by major operator 2013 - 2019 Chart 25 Fall in the number of DSL subscribers 2008 - 2019 Chart 26 Growth in the number of MagtiComs fixed broadband subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 27 Growth in the number of SilkNets internet subscribers 2012 - 2019 Chart 28 Growth in the number of FttP subscribers 2010 - 2019 Chart 29 Change in the number of Wi-Fi subscribers 2010 2019 Chart 30 Fall in the number of fixed line subscribers by major operator 2010 - 2019 Chart 31 - Decline in the number of fixed lines in service and penetration 2009 - 2024 Chart 32 Decline in the number of fixed-line subscribers by technology 2013 - 2019 Chart 33 Decline in fixed-line revenue by technology 2010 - 2019 Chart 34 Decline in fixed-line voice traffic by technology 2010 - 2019 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 United Telecoms Tbilisi network infrastructure Click here to access the report : https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Georgia-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg [email protected] Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Srinagar, Feb 11 : Senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar was booked under the stringent Public Safety Act for exhorting people to read Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's book while he was the state's education minister, among other reasons, according to a dossier accessed by IANS. He was also booked for terming BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's West Bengal poll speech as an "open call for a Hindu Rashtra". The dossier said PSA was slapped on Akhtar as he had alleged that BJP is playing a dangerous game for electoral gains in the country and inciting communal hatred to win elections. "The subject in order to achieve nefarious designs has been since long giving such statements which are not only instigating general public to rise against Union of India but are also of such nature which instigate disgruntled elements to indulge in violence and illegal activities like stone pelting so as to keep peace distant," the dossier reads. It said the statements of Akhtar are indicative of the fact that he is bent upon not allowing public order to return and to disturb the peace process. "His leaning towards radical elements can be gathered from his statement in which he as education minister advised people to read separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's book 'Wullar Kinarey'," it said. The dossier states that reports collected from discreet sources reveal that Akhtar is reported to have called on the youth to continue unlawful activities and aroused anti-India sentiments. Akhtar had also hit out at the government over the National Investigation Agency summoning separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to New Delhi alleging that it was "aimed at hurting the sentiments of lakhs of Muslims in Kashmir." Click here to read the full article. Basic has become something of a dirty word in our current culture. Certainly, its not a desirable descriptor for ones wardrobe. But there are certain wardrobe essentials, chiefly underwear, that are an inescapable part of everyday life. Even among the most style-conscious men, underwear remains, well, elemental at best. You may be discerning about your suit and shoes, but what about the skivvies and socks beneath them? Swedish brand CDLP is raising the bar on mens underpinnings, creating elegant, grown-up essentials on par with the rest of ones thoughtfully-outfitted wardrobe. These are basics worth coveting. The brand was founded in Stockholm in 2016 by Andreas Palm and Christian Larson, best friends since their first meeting in business school. Larson wound up ditching the number-crunching to become a successful filmmaker and photographer. While shooting a lingerie campaign for Agent Provocateur, he had a realization about how uniformly lackluster the world of mens underwear was. I got jealousreally, Larson recalls. Women have this much more exciting world, this ritual of choosing undergarments based on occasion or mood or feeling. Whereas men have usually always looked at underwear as a necessity; they wear the same thing whether theyre going on a date or working out or anything in between. More from Robb Report And usually, that same thing is usually unremarkable, if not cringe-worthy. As friends who often travel together and share hotel rooms, the two wound up seeing a fair share of each others undies. We basically turned to each other and said What the fuck are you wearing? Palm remembers. After one particularly laughable pair of these Muchachomalos with a huge logo and some horrific pattern in lime green, they decided to make something that better reflected their style. Our mission was to elevate it from a necessity to a garment you choose, says Larson, to give men that choice in their morning ritual. Story continues Beyond a better aesthetic, they want to create shorts that surpassed the quality and performance of what was available. Their research found that around 80 percent of all mens underwear on the market is produced in the same region of China using low-grade cotton. CDLP landed on a family-owned, third-generation factory in Portugal (which has been a powerhouse in textiles for centuries) and, rather than standard cotton, they opted for Lyocell: a silky-soft fabric derived from wood pulp. While Lyocells sustainable edge is attractive, it won out because of its naturally superior moisture-wicking and anti-bacterial properties and ability to hold its shape and color. The brand launched with the boxer trunk ($33), a trimmer, more tailored alternative to a traditional boxer brief, which continues to be a best-seller. It quickly added the aforementioned boxer brief ($33), a classic y-brief ($29), and a looser boxer ($39), all of which are now available in black, white, navy, army green and an especially attractive shade of burgundy. Their beauty is in their Scandi-minimalism, free from loud prints or overt branding. The subtle sheen of the tonal waistband is sexy without trying. But really, every element of CDLP is sexy, from the campaign photography (all of which is shot by Larson and features friends of the founders rather than models) to the packaging (a luxurious yellow box that maybe even chicer than Hermes ubiquitous orange vessels). Having incorporated several pairs of CDLPs into my own underwear drawer, I can attest to their appeal. The lyocell has the softness of the very finest Sea Island cotton but is notably lighter; it feels like wearing nothing at all. The main complaint Ive always had with my underpantsthat they inevitably get stretched out and frayedhasnt been an issue with my CDLPs after a year of wearing and washing. It didnt take long for the brand to convert other guys to the school of better basics. Theyve had customers buy an entire wardrobe of underpants and will soon launch Automatique, a subscription service that delivers a fresh batch of undies at an interval of your choosing. Indeed, being greeted by the Marie Kondo-esque purity of a CDLP-exclusive underwear drawer every morning is a very enticing prospect. We can see a behavior change in men buying occasional underwear, says Palm. Larson adds: Weve always promoted the idea of having an underwear collection and now we see that our customer is buying a range of stylestheyre not just a briefs guy or a boxer guy or a boxer brief guy. Since theyve expanded into socks, swimwear, long-johns and, most recently, t-shirtsall made with the same standard for quality textiles and understated coolCDLP is making easy work of elevating ones everyday staples. Next, theyre tackling traditionally schlubby sweats and pajamas. There are a lot of brands working with loungewear, but it often feels like dressing down, says Larson. We always want CDLP to feel like youre dressing up. Looking sharp even while loafing? Thats the kind of basic every man can be proud of. Best of Robb Report Sign up for Robb Report's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. BRECKSVILLE, Ohio -- A North Royalton landscape design and maintenance company is moving to Brecksville and buying land from the city for its new headquarters. Morel Landscaping LLC has an option to purchase 2 acres of vacant land at the end of Noble Park Drive, which runs north to south off Snowville Road, west of Brecksville Road. The land deal is contingent on the city approving Morels site plan for the project. I love Brecksville, Rob Morel, president of Morel Landscaping, told cleveland.com. Its central for us. We serve a lot of clients in the area, and the city has immediate access to (Interstate) 77. We can get wherever we need to go very quickly. Morel said his customers are in Brecksville, Broadview Heights, Independence, Bath Township, Richfield, Hinckley Township, Medina and Macedonia. What Im most excited about is that when we are in this spot, we will be one of the only -- if not the only -- landscaper in Brecksville, Morel said. Morel is buying the city-owned parcel for $169,400, which is the exempt market value listed on the Cuyahoga County Fiscal Office website. According to the companys website, Morel serves both residential and commercial customers. The firm designs, installs and maintains landscaping. Morel said he established the company in 2011 when he was still in high school and started full time in the business in 2015. Today, the company employs about 25 people on Progress Parkway in North Royalton. Its annual sales are about $2 million. Morel said the company is outgrowing its existing site and that he might add another five or so workers after moving to Brecksville. The new location will include a small warehouse for equipment, but an office-design center will occupy most of the site. Sometimes landscaping gets a bad rap as dirty and messy, Morel said. Were not like that. Were very clean and professional. Morel said he hopes to start construction in May, but it depends on how quickly he can win city approval for his site plan. His goal is to open in Brecksville by the end of the year. Read more from the Sun Star Courier. [February 11, 2020] InterSystems Announces Enhanced Open Source Availability for InterSystems iKnow Technology InterSystems, a global leader in information technology platforms for health, business, and government applications, today announced that InterSystems iKnow, the InterSystems IRIS Data Platform natural language processing (NLP) technology, is now available via open source. Open source availability enables existing InterSystems (News - Alert) partners and customers, as well as other organizations and academics, to capitalize on the unique and unbiased bottom-up approach that delivers deeper insights with NLP provided by InterSystems iKnow. Moving the InterSystems iKnow software into the public domain makes it easier to embed the technology deep in applications an business processes inside and outside of InterSystems IRIS. It also enables customers to customize the technology at a foundational level, tune, and broaden language models beyond what is possible within fixed release cycles of proprietary products. "Accelerated (News - Alert) insights can be derived from aggregated data using machine learning, natural language processing, and artificial intelligence," said Cynthia Burghard, research director at IDC (News - Alert). "With ever tightening budgets, open source solutions for NLP will be an attractive option for any organization looking to apply automation to their work." InterSystems will continue to support InterSystems iKnow as part of the InterSystems IRIS platform for exploration and search use cases, and provide long-term support and maintenance to the open sourced projects. InterSystems IRIS customers will have access to InterSystems iKnow technology free as part of their InterSystems IRIS investment. "Organizations are being pressured to innovate faster to keep pace with the demands of today's automated workplace," said Jeff Fried, director of product management for InterSystems IRIS Data Platform. "Harnessing natural language is key to delivering the intelligent applications that make this possible. Making InterSystems iKnow available to the public is part of our initiative to provide our customers, partners, and the broader technology community with the tools and resources required to reach their full potential and make a lasting impact in healthcare, business, government, and more." You can access the open source version of InterSystems iKnow here. About InterSystems InterSystems is the information engine that powers some of the world's most important applications. In healthcare, business, government, and other sectors where lives and livelihoods are at stake, InterSystems has been a strategic technology provider since 1978. InterSystems is a privately held company headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts (USA), with offices worldwide, and its software products are used daily by millions of people in more than 80 countries. For more information, please visit https://www.intersystems.com/. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005730/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] By this point, though, Borstein had given up on Hollywood. Recently divorced (from her former writing partner Jackson Douglas), she moved with their children to Barcelona. Alex Borstein has described the role of Susie as being her triple crown. Credit:Todd Williamson/January Images And so it was from Barcelona that Sherman-Palladino had to pluck Borstein to play Susie. Fortunately, Borstein who had been frustrated with the limited range of roles for older women who had never been, in her words, classically beautiful was keen, instantly conjuring together a look for Susie that has etched its way into the show. I wanted her to wear a hat like Susie now wears, and I was very specific about wanting to wear keys around my neck. I liked the idea of suspenders. It was good, too, that upon flying to New York Borstein instantly had chemistry with Rachel Brosnahan, who plays Midge: That was very easy. From the get-go weve had a good mix. Im old enough to be her mother and her and I are just very, very different in many ways but were also very similar. Its kind of like lady and the tramp, you know. Theres a little mutt in the room with a poodle and you cant help it, its just funny. Borstein has previously described the role of Susie as being her triple crown: a tough, driven woman who at once craves and fears success. She wants to be something. She wants to affect someone. She wants. She wants. She wants. And a woman who wants something can be the most interesting creature on the planet. She would know she was raised by them. Earlier this year Borsteins Emmy acceptance speech (her second for playing Susie, although she has earned nominations for Lois Griffin) went viral after she told the story of her grandmother, whose decision to step out of line of fire in Budapest during the Holocaust led to her very existence, at the podium. She expected Olivia Colman, nominated in the same category, to win. Its all about Fleabag this year, this is all just a waaaste of timee, she whines, mimicking her phone call to Amazon. But then we land and Im like, Well, anythings possible, it would be stupid to not have anything and thought about anything. I knew I wanted to talk about strong women and in particular Amy Sherman-Palladino and my mother and my grandmother and the innate strength and push for survival, she continues. I often think about what I would have been capable of if I was faced with what my grandmother was faced with. Alex Borstein (right, pictured with Rachel Brosnahan) says she is surprised that her character Susie Myerson has become a major character in the hit show The Marvelous Mrs Maisel. Credit:Amazon Prime Video What perhaps got overlooked by the sheer power of the story was her grandmothers sense of humour. My grandmother was very, very funny, Borstein says. Ive been wondering a lot is it a cultural thing, or is it genetic? Its probably a blend. I think a lot of people who are culturally Jewish have a certain leaning towards the comedic, because theyve had to find comedy in the darkest of places. My parents are pretty funny and can deliver a zinger with the best of them. Some of my favourite quotes and material are things my parents have said. While Borstein has always written comedy, she doesnt, she says, mess with Sherman-Palladinos Maisel script. When we do a table read sometimes, if theres something I think might work a little bit, maybe changing one word or putting a f--k here or removing it there, Ill say it, she explains. If [Sherman-Palladino] likes it then next time I see the script shell have adapted it, and if she hasnt then Ill know not to. We do it to the letter. What she and Brosnahan do work on, though, is their physical comedy, especially in the current, third season, which sees Midge and Susie encounter new environments such as the bright lights of Las Vegas and the stifling humidity of Miami the latter much to Susies umbrage: A lot of them we kind of ran with it, and those are really fun. [Director] Dan Palladino enjoys that process in particular. Alex Borstein, front left, and Rachel Brosnahan accept the award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a comedy series for The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel at the 26th annual Screen Actors Guild Awards. Credit:Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP By now, Susie is a major role on the show more than Midges manager, shes also her confidante, mentor and unlikely friend. So far, season three is showing Midge to be giving Susie much of the same, encouraging her to take her career as a comedy manager to the next step. Its a marked change from the sidekick Susie started out as in season one and something Borstein says is a definitely a surprise. I signed on to do it, thinking it was going to be a small thing, Oh Ill fly in and work maybe three months out of a year. I didnt know what it would turn into. She continues: A lot of times it feels it feels like the Midge-and-Susie show. But its great. Thats something you cant help but be delighted that people are liking what youre doing and as long as its presenting a new, funny circumstances and new information is constantly given that Im happy to have her continue to grow, grow, grow I dont want her to have to do the same thing over and over again. Borstein also thinks that roles like Susie have changed the landscape for actresses who, like she was a few years ago, were feeling frustrated by the parts on offer. Playing the mum in a sitcom was not what I wanted to do, she says. I feel very lucky, but there are also a lot of cool parts out there now. Youve got Fleabag and youve got Killing Eve and youve got Russian Doll and all these great, flawed, broken, interesting, powerful characters; its nice, not just a sea of sitcom mums. Our time comes to an end. Borstein has another flight to catch, another show to prepare for, several more obscenities to spit out. The phoneline misses its cue and fails to cut out. Instead, she says goodbye and Im almost disappointed with the good manners of it all. The Marvelous Mrs Maisel is on Amazon Prime. The Michael Bloomberg campaign opened its Springfield office on Tuesday, but according to Mike Nutter, the Democratic presidential hopeful already occupies space elsewhere. "For the past few weeks, Mike Bloomberg has been renting free space in Donald Trumps head. Donald Trump is actually afraid of Mike Bloomberg,'' said Nutter, the former mayor of Philadelphia, Pa., and national campaign co-chair, at the opening of headquarters on Worthington Street. Nutter said Bloomberg is running a general election-style campaign unlike that of any other Democrat. The focus is on defeating Trump, and some polls say Bloomberg matches up more favorably against the incumbent than anyone else in the field. Bloomberg is the first presidential candidate in memory to open a Springfield office. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren has an office in Northampton. The Bloomberg campaign will operate six offices in the state, which holds its primary on Super Tuesday, March 3. A late entry to the campaign, Bloomberg chose not to compete in Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada and South Carolina, the four earliest contests but those representing only a very small percentage of Democratic delegates. "Even in New Hampshire, we got three votes at midnight. Only 65 million to go,'' Nutter said with a grin. The Bloomberg campaign will field a staff of more than 45 people in Massachusetts, according to state director Jordan Overstreet. The campaign literature includes signs declaring I Like Mike, which, for older voters, harkens back to the I Like Ike posters for Dwight Eisenhower in the 1950s. The Bloomberg staff was speaking only of the forseeable future, not the distant past. The biggest thing on folks minds is, who can beat Donald Trump? Overstreet said. Thats why people are uprooting their lives and working 90 hours a week for several months in this campaign. In a race populated by aging candidates - Warren, Trump, Joseph Biden and Bernie Sanders are all between 70 and 78 - Bloomberg is part of the age discussion. The former New York mayor turns 78 on Friday. Nutter praised Bloombergs energy and raved about his performance as New Yorks chief executive from 2002 to 2013. Graduation rates and job creation rose during that time, while crime went down. Nutter said he considered Bloomberg a mentor whose leadership he followed during his own career as Philadelphia mayor. Bloomberg has pledged for the United States to rejoin the Paris Agreement on climate policy as soon as he takes office. Nutter said the worlds nations are anxious to see where voters turn in November. "The world is questioning whats going on with the United States,'' he said. Because Bloombergs campaign is self-financed, and because he entered the race months after it began, his candidacy has taken on a wild-card element that has fascinated pollsters, either captivated or intrigued voters looking for a new, moderate choice - and frustrated many Democratic candidates who have poured their energy and resources into the race for as long as a year. As many as 25 Democrats once sought the nomination. More than half have thrown in the towel, but Bloomberg has emerged as potentially able to compete on a level field with Sanders, Warren, Biden, rising Democratic star Pete Buttigieg and Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar. In Massachusetts, Bloomberg will compete against Warren, an incumbent U.S. senator from the state. Former Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has also been in the running, though Patricks tiny poll numbers have led to speculation that he may be out of the race by Super Tuesday. Bloomberg spent his early and teen years in Greater Boston, mostly in Medford, though he is now considered a New York political figure. Political analysts say his candidacy has had its most dramatic effect on the moderate vote, where his presence is seen to be damaging Bidens claim to the centrist base. He may also take votes from Buttigieg and Klobuchar, who are attempting to appeal to the Democratic center and center-left. But Nutter said the real target is Trump, and added that he would relish a Bloomberg-Trump debate. "You could put that on pay-per-view and possibly solve the deficit,'' Nutter said. We have a real campaign with a real candidate and a real history of getting things done. The Tehran-backed militias are critical to Irans efforts to maintain control over Iraq, where the U.S. still maintains some 5,000 troops. The country has experienced years of civil war since U.S. forces toppled Saddam Hussein and more recently, the government and the militias have faced growing protests against Irans influence in the country. Iran helped found some Iraqi militia groups. In the months ahead of his death, Soleimani had waded ever deeper into the Iraq crisis, holding meetings with the Iraqi militias in Baghdad as Tehran sought to defend its allies and interests in its power struggle with the United States, one of the two Iraqi sources said. Hezbollahs involvement marks an expansion of its role in the region. The Shiite group, founded by Irans Revolutionary Guards in 1982, has been at the heart of Irans regional strategy for years, helping Soleimani to train paramilitary groups in both Iraq and Syria. One pro-Iran regional official said Hezbollahs guidance of the militias would continue until the new leadership in the Quds Force a unit of the Revolutionary Guards led by Soleimani since 1998 gets a handle on the political crisis in Iraq. Sudan has agreed to hand ousted president Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face genocide and war crimes charges. The country's transitional authorities and rebel groups agreed the handover of the former leader today, who also allegedly ordered mass killings in the Darfur region. Al-Bashir was overthrown by the military in April following a popular uprising and has since been held in jail in the country's capital, Khartoum, on charges of corruption and killing protesters. Al-Bashir has languished in jail in Khartoum, the country's capital, since he was deposed by the military in April last year He has been held on charges of corruption and killing protesters since he was removed from office. He is pictured above in July 2018 at a ceremony in Ankara, Turkey Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the Sovereign Council and a government negotiator, said the council agreed with rebel groups in Darfur to hand over those wanted by the International Criminal Court to face justice in The Hague. Al-Taishi did not say when they would transfer al-Bashir and others wanted by the ICC, and the transitional administration would need to ratify the ICC's Rome Statute to allow for the transfer of the former president to The Hague. He spoke in a news conference in South Sudan's capital, Juba where the government and rebels held talks to end the country's decades-long civil war. In the Darfur conflict, rebels among the territory's ethnic Central African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of discrimination and oppression by the Arab-dominated Khartoum government. He was removed from office following popular protests. Al-Bashir is pictured above greeting supporters at a rally in the country's capital three months before his removal from office Sudan is pictured above following the separation of the South Sudan region in 2011 The government responded with a scorched earth assault of aerial bombings and unleashed the rebel group that supported them, the Janjaweed. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million driven from their homes. Along with al-Bashir, the ICC has indicted two other senior figures in his regime - Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, who was interior and defence minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time who last month was named by al-Bashir to run the ruling National Congress Party. Al-Bashir also oversaw the country's second brutal civil war, where an estimated two million were killed by either conflict, famine or disease, and a further four million were displaced. Despotic ruler who oversaw the execution of women and children and the destruction of thousands of homes: Who is president Bashir al-Assad? Sudan's former President Omar Hassan Ahmad al-Bashir oversaw a violent civil war that claimed the lives of more than two million people and the ethnic cleansing of the Darfur region during his turbulent 30-year reign. The autocrat, educated by the Egyptian military, seized power by overthrowing the democratically elected government in 1989 with the support of the military. Al-Bashir pictured delivering a speech in Khartoum in April last year He declared himself Chairman of the Revolutionary Command Council for National Salvation, President in 1993, and then held 'elections' in 1996 where his name was the only one on the ballot paper. He shared power with National Assembly speaker Hassan al-Turabi, until the politician opened negotiations with Southern rebels, which caused al-Bashir to order his removal from office. The president oversaw two major conflicts while in power, the Second Sudanese civil war and the alleged ethnic cleansing of the Darfur region. When he took power the civil war had already been raging for six years. By the end it had claimed the lives of two million either through armed conflict, famine or disease, and displaced more than four million, according to the United States Committee for Refugees. He fanned the flames by marching soldiers into the region and funding certain groups as part of a 'divide and rule' strategy, which triggered conflicts between different ethnic groups. The war with South Sudan was begun when Sudan imposed Arabic language and culture on the area, leaving its residents locked out of administering their own affairs. The conflict also led to the war in Darfur, which led Al-Bashir to be charged with war crimes by the International Criminal Court. Southern rebels marched into Darfur, in the west of the country, claiming to be arriving to support non-Arab groups suppressed by the government. Al-Bashir and his forces responded with what the criminal court has described as 'ethnic cleansing'. They oversaw the summary executions of women and children, burning of towns and villages, depopulation of large swathes of land, and the desecration of holy places, according to Human Rights Watch. Advertisement LANSING, MI -- On Friday afternoon, Michigan issued a recall after vaping cartridges tested positive for vitamin E acetate, a potentially dangerous ingredient blamed for a nationwide deadly outbreak of lung illness. Now operators of two marijuana dispensaries named in that recall, Greenhouse of Walled Lake and Elite Wellness in Vassar, are speaking out about what they consider unfair, inconsistent handling of the situation by the Marijuana Regulatory Agency. In both cases, the stores were selling Motor City High vaping cartridges that passed vitamin E acetate tests. PSI Labs in Ann Arbor detected no vitamin E acetate in three samples submitted Jan. 8 by Greenhouse of Walled Lake. Those lab results were shared with MLive. The state said, go ahead, put them back on the shelf, owner Jerry Millen said. Weeks later, Greenhouse of Walled Lake was notified those same cartridges, nearly 500 valued at up to $15,000, some of which had sold to customers between Jan. 10 and Feb. 5, were part of a recall. In the case of Elite Wellness in Vassar, manager Ray Murad said the nearly $20,000 worth of the 500-plus cartridges his company bought had already passed vitamin E testing by the time his business placed the order. Tags on the product indicate testing was conducted Dec. 17. Some of those were also sold to customers between Jan 10 and Feb. 5, according to the Marijuana Regulatory Agency. Recalled Motor City High vaping cartridges from Elite Wellness in Vassar. Photo provided by Ray Murad. Marijuana Regulatory Agency spokesman David Harns said the recall on product that passed testing was ordered out of an abundance of caution" and there has been zero evidence of violations by any licensee who had caregiver products that failed for vitamin E. Other Motor City High cartridges that originated from the same source, a medical marijuana caregiver who sold them to a state-licensed marijuana business that then distributed them to retail locations, tested positive for vitamin E, according to Harns. Because they came from the same source, all affiliated product was recalled. Duane Karmo, the operations manager for Liv Wellness in Ferndale, believes the recall stems from positive vitamin E test results linked to cartridges distributed to his dispensary. Samples from nearly 400 cartridges his store bought were sent to a different lab, Iron Laboratories in Walled Lake. Submitted for vitamin E testing in January, results came back positive for vitamin E on Thursday, Feb. 6, Karmo said. I want consistency, more so than anything, for the patients, said Millen, who worked as a medical marijuana caregiver prior to opening his dispensary. " ... When the states system for lab test consistency is messed up and then you throw it in the laps of someone who is trying to do this right, as a small business owner, is unfair." Millen and Murad may now be forced to destroy the vaping cartridges in their possession and say theres little recourse to recoup their financial loss, since sample tests indicate the cartridges were devoid of vitamin E. I just feel that we are getting the blame for something that we havent done, Murad said. Weve done out due diligence" and "the (cartridges) came through a licensed facility. Both operators took issue with the Friday-afternoon timing and lack of information contained in the Marijuana Regulatory Agencys recall notice. The notice didnt indicate their vaping cartridges actually passed testing. I totally agree with (the state) that, lets err on the side of caution, Millen said, but if you dont handle the media appropriately, you cause hysteria. In response to the vaping lung illness outbreak, the Marijuana Regulatory Agency on Nov. 22 banned all vaping cartridge sales, until they could be tested for vitamin E. It also instituted new rules banning future use of the ingredient and mandated that any licensed vaping cartridge manufacturer attest to and submit product formulations with all ingredients used. Further, any vaping products purchased by licensed businesses from medical marijuana caregivers are required to be tested in their finished state. Beginning March 1, caregivers will no longer be allowed to sell THC oil or finished vaping cartridges into the licensed market. Theyll be limited to marijuana flower sales only. While the CDC and Marijuana Regulatory Agency focused their vitamin E acetate concern on black-market products, contaminated products were discovered in Michigans regulated market once testing began. The Marijuana Regulatory Agency recalled 65,000 vaping cartridges suspected of containing vitamin E acetate in December and 9,380 more on Jan. 22. While the Marijuana Regulatory Agency didnt reveal how many total cartridges are part of the latest recall on Feb. 7, it said nearly 3,400 were sold to customers. Full information on the recall, including sales locations tracking numbers the flavors sold, are available here. Anyone with recalled cartridges is asked to return them to the point of sale for destruction. The Centers for Disease Control strongly linked THC vaping products containing vitamin E acetate to illnesses that resulted in 60 deaths, including three in Michigan, and more than 2,700 hospitalizations. While vitamin E acetate is safely used in topical products and in food, it may interfere with normal lung functioning when inhaled, the CDC said. Vaping cartridge manufacturers added vitamin E acetate as a less-expensive, inconspicuous filler to dilute THC oil, increase product volume and thereby profits. -- Gus Burns is the marijuana beat reporter for MLive. Contact him with questions, tips or comments at fburns@mlive.com or follow him on Twitter, @GusBurns. Read more from MLive about medical and recreational marijuana. More on MLive: Vaping cartridge recall includes 3,400 that were sold Michigan issues updated vaping rules Michigan cant tell who brought contaminated cartridges to licensed market Michigan recalls Savage Sticks vaping products Michigan recalls nearly 65,000 vape cartridges Michigan bans vitamin E acetate in vaping products Michigan marijuana industry supports vitamin E acetate ban Michigan issued first recreational licenses Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Mong-Koo Chung Inducted into Automotive Hall of Fame Chung to be the first Korean inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, industrys top honor Automotive Hall of Fame inducts business leaders who have contributed to advancement of auto industry each year Chung recognized for being a steadfast champion for automobile industry and Korean economy Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Mong-Koo Chung will be inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, the industrys top honor, in the class of 2020. Chung will be the first Korean inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame, which was established in 1939 and has honored nearly 800 business leaders from around the world. The 2020 Induction and Awards Ceremony will be held in Detroit at the MGM Grand Ballroom on July 23. Induction into the Automotive Hall of Fame is reserved for individuals who have created, shaped, and changed the mobility market. These individuals have exceeded in a way that stands out from their peers they are responsible for a step change in innovation, business operations, and impact on consumers and the public, Hall of Fame President Sarah Cook said. The Hall of Fame Induction is recognized as the most prestigious and honorable award in the industry. Past inductees have included: Ford Motor Company founder Henry Ford, American inventor Thomas Edison, founder of Mercedes-Benz Karl Benz, founder of Honda Motor Company Soichiro Honda, and Toyota Motor Corporation founder Kiichiro Toyoda. Previously, the Automotive Hall of Fame honored Chung with its Distinguished Service Citation Award in 2001. According to the Automotive Hall of Fame, Chairman Chung has been credited with the success of Hyundai Motor Group. Chungs legacy is on par with other legends of the industry who have launched and guided automotive firms to global growth and renown. Through Chungs leadership, Hyundai Motor became Korea's largest automaker and Hyundai Motor Group became the worlds fifth-largest automotive group. Chung is noted for many remarkable accomplishments, including: Acquiring Kia Motors Corporation for Hyundai Motor Group Spearheading the groups growth with new plants in key regions, including United States, Europe, China, India, Brazil and Russia Creating a highly efficient vertically integrated business structure that produces everything from steel to vehicles. As one of the top business leaders in Korea, Chung has been a steadfast champion for development of the nations automobile industry and economy. Amid collapse of Korean automotive industry during 1990s Asian financial crisis, Chung successfully revived Kia Motors and fostered it as a global automotive brand. Under Chungs leadership, Hyundai Motor Group rapidly expanded to compete head to head with the worlds leading automakers. As a result, Chungs efforts affected lasting change in the global automotive landscape and the Korean economy. In pursuit of global competitiveness, Chung placed great emphasis on quality management. He established a standard plant construction system that can be rapidly implemented anywhere to help assure consistent high-quality production evident in the many quality awards earned by Hyundai and Kia vehicles around the world. Chung has also established one of worlds largest research and development centers to advance the companys competitiveness. Chung also helped grow material industry by constructing integrated steel mill operations, creating highly efficient vertically integrated business structure which produce everything from steel to vehicles. The integrated steel mill allowed for synergy maximization within the group and environmentally sustainable manufacturing by establishing the worlds first resource-circulation business structure. Chairman Chungs innovative leadership and business philosophy has been recognized and celebrated through various awards over the years, including Korea Management Associations CEO of the Year Award (1996), Business Weeks Auto CEO of the Year (2004), Automotive News Top Automotive CEO in Asia (2005), Van Fleet Award (2009) and named in Harvard Business Reviews The CEO 100. Reaching within: What traditional art offers the heart I recently saw Leon Bonnats painting Job, which powerfully represents the suffering and spirituality of Job. I decided to visit Jobs story in the Bible, and I came to deeply consider my relationship to my own sufferings. Leon Bonnat Leon Bonnat was a French academic painter during the 19th and early 20th centuries. He traveled to Spain to study Spanish Baroque art under Federico Madrazo before returning to Paris to study painting at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts, the national school of art in France. Instruction at the Ecole, however, had become stagnant and abstract. Instructors were no longer teaching methods for creating art but were theorizing about art, and student work was suffering as a consequence. According to art historian Alisa Luxenberg, Bonnat saw three cancers within the academic system: partisanship, routine, and entitlement. Students were often selected to win competitions because of favoritism and persistence instead of talent; they became lazy and felt entitled in an environment that fostered absolute and unvaried instruction. Self-portrait of Leon Bonnat, 1855, at the age of 22. Orsay Museum. (Public Domain) In 1863, a decree was implemented to reform instruction at the Ecole. Many of the faculty members resisted these reforms. But Bonnat, at this point a practicing artist, signed a letter to Napoleon III that supported the reforms. This signature created tensions between Bonnat and his colleagues. The debates concerning the reforms were very tense. Artists were potentially sacrificing their future careers depending on what stance they took in relation to the reforms. Later, Bonnat said this about signing the letter: That blessed signature is in the process of causing me disagreements with all my friends. Where I only saw a question of transforming [the Ecoles] studies, wholly to their benefit, they see an act of profound intrigue, and they associate me with people who want to destroy the Institut, the Rome prizes, freedom itself and, consequently, . . . the death of art. It is very serious and I will have trouble getting out of it. Despite the tensions between Bonnat and his colleagues, he later became a professor and director at the Ecole. Interestingly, teaching caused Bonnat to question his original concerns with the instruction at the Ecole. He came to reflect that perhaps being abandoned by his professor was not negligence at all. On the contrary, it was likely part of the training. In reference to his atelier training, he stated: [Art instructor Cogniet] knew that one learns well only what one learns on ones own, in trying, in seeking. He thought that mutual learning is the most efficient teaching, and finally and above all, he did not want to impose on his students his way of seeing, of understanding, and interpreting life. Bonnat endured professional hardships because he remained true to and sincere in his convictions. Yet he also was not dogmatic in his views but open to questioning them, and he came to believe that his greatest education in painting came not in the instruction that was provided but in the sincerity of ones own efforts. In 1880, Bonnat completed his painting of Job, after the reforms of 1863 but before he became a professor at the Ecole in 1888. Jobs Sufferings Job is a biblical character of the Old Testament whose faith in God is tested due to great suffering caused by Satan. Jobs story is paraphrased as follows from the Book of Job: Job is a very successful and blameless man who shuns evil and worships God. God asks if Satan has seen Jobs virtue and faith. Satan suggests that Job is virtuous and faithful only because he is successful; take away his success, and his virtue and faith will falter. God, believing Satan to be wrong, allows Satan to take away Jobs successes. In one day, Job loses his sheep, servants, and children to thieves or natural disasters. Despite this, Job praises God. Satan returns to God and suggests that Job still praises God only because his body has not been harmed. Satan then causes Job to have horrible boils and skin sores. Jobs wife asks him to renounce God and die. Job refuses and states the importance of accepting the good with the bad. Three of Jobs friends, Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar arrive to comfort him. At this point, Job curses the day he was born and believes he is living only to increase his suffering. Each of his friends tells him that his suffering must be the consequence of sinful behavior, and each explains Gods justice according to his own understanding. Job, however, sure of his virtue, comes to question Gods justice. He denounces his friends accusations and demands to defend his virtue before God. God reveals himself to Job and tells him that he, with his limitations, cannot understand the justice of God but must, nonetheless, trust God. Job agrees. God also tells the three friends that they were wrong about God and that Job was right. God was satisfied with Job, because Job is sincere with his questions and concerns. God restores Jobs health, gives him twice as much property as he had before, new children, and a long life. Job, 1880, by Leon Bonnat. Oil on canvas. (Public Domain) Bonnats Depiction of Job Bonnat depicted Job naked and alone on a background of darkness. He used baroque contrast of light and dark to illuminate the form of Job in front of the darkness. Jobs head tilts toward the heavens with a pleading look of suffering on his face, and his hands are stretched in front of him with his palms up as if he is preparing to receive something. Though the composition is a simple one with a single figure, Bonnat arranged the figure in one of the most compositionally stable shapes: a triangle. Jobs head is the top of the triangle, his arms are the sides, and his legs are the bottom. Why did Bonnat depict Job in the shape of a triangle? Why is Job depicted naked and alone? Why are his hands outstretched? What moment of Jobs story did Bonnat depict? An Interpretation I think Bonnat depicted the moment in which God reveals himself to Job. Job has called to God for a face-to-face meeting and God appears. Job receives Gods message with his hands outstretched. Job is naked and alone because sincerity and honesty are necessary in order to meet with God. Thus, Job is shown in his bare truth as he meets with God. Maybe this is why Jobs hands are outstretched with his palms up: It is only in his sincerity and honesty, in baring himself, that he is able to receive what God is to provide. Maybe the exposure of his palms is also an acceptance of trust in Gods justice. This whole event is confusing and turbulent for Job, yet Bonnat depicted him in the shape of a stable triangle. Maybe, despite his sufferings and despite Satans role in the story, Jobs soul was always being taken care of by God. In this case, his sufferings may have appeared as unjust and therefore unstable. Is it possible that Jobs sincere and honest approach to his sufferings allowed him a deeper trust in God, a more stable faith? Enduring Great Suffering It is simply a fact of life that human existence goes hand-in-hand with suffering. Irrespective of wealth, class, race, or gender, we all suffer. How we deal with that suffering can define who we become as human beings. It is tempting to want to blame our sufferings on others. It is often too convenient to say that everything would be different if this one thing would change. Another temptation is to use our sufferings to elevate ourselves: I am better than others because I suffer more. Both of these positions can lead one away from God. What might it mean to approach our suffering sincerely and honestly? What might it mean to lay ourselves bare? Before requesting to defend himself before God, Job first questions his own virtue and finds himself true to Gods law. Maybe this actthis introspectioncontains within it what it means to approach our sufferings sincerely and honestly; maybe we must be honest with ourselves about our actions and their consequences and ask God the questions that are deep in our minds and hearts. Like Job, Bonnat had to stay true to what he believedin this case, what he thought to be good for the arts in Francedespite pressure from his colleagues. Bonnat stuck to his guns as a supporter of reform as a means to promote actual instruction at the Ecole, but this threatened his friendships and career in the process. Despite this, however, he was eventually granted a professorship and directorship at the Ecole. He was blessed through his sincere but plagued efforts, just as Job was later blessed after enduring his sufferings. To me, Bonnat seemed more interested in sincerely helping the arts than in holding on to insincere views in order to save face, friendships, or his future. Job does the same in the presence of his friends: He approaches God sincerely and honestly, and God reveals himself to Job. Moving forward, I will do my best to avoid blaming others for my suffering. I will also avoid elevating myself above others because of what Ive suffered. Theres always someone who has suffered more than I have. Instead, I will share my sufferings with God in an honest and open way so that I may be fortunate enough to experience his blessings. Hopefully, I will have the wisdom to question my assumptions and stay sincere in my heart and mind despite the temptations around me. Art has an incredible ability to point to what cant be seen so that we may ask What does this mean for me and for everyone who sees it? How has it influenced the past and how might it influence the future? What does it suggest about the human experience? These are some of the questions we explore in our series Reaching Within: What Traditional Art Offers the Heart. Eric Bess is a practicing representational artist. He is currently a doctoral student at the Institute for Doctoral Studies in the Visual Arts (IDSVA). Safer Internet Day highlighted at event in Douglas An event will be held in Douglas today to mark the national Safer Internet Day. Experts in all things technical will be available to talk to members of the public about spotting online scams, on staying safe online, device security, passwords, reducing the risk of fraud and keeping children and young people safe. There will be the opportunity to bring your device with you for a free security health check from both Sure and Manx Telecom. The free drop-in sessions at the Sea Terminal Welcome Centre are between 10:30 am - 12:30 pm, and again from 1:30 pm 3:30 pm. Safer Internet Day was launched 15 years ago by the joint Insafe/INHOPE network, with the support of the European Commission, to promote the safe and positive use of digital technology, and has grown to be celebrated in over 150 countries across the globe. The Isle of Man Governments commitment to Safer Internet Day is part of a broader programme of work on digital inclusion, which sees the Isle of Man Government leading the British Irish Council (BIC) Digital Inclusion Work Sector. As part of this work, the BIC Digital Inclusion Work Sector will publish a series of infographics in support of digital inclusion, the first of which will be launched on Safer Internet Day. Minister for Policy and Reform and Ministerial Chair of the British-Irish Council Digital Inclusion Work Sector, Chris Thomas MHK, said: 'We are delighted to be able to offer these invaluable free online safety sessions to the public in order to build confidence in getting the most out of the online experience in a secure and informed way.' Media Gavin Callow - IOM Constabulary Safer Internet Day NASA's Terra satellite passed over the South Pacific Ocean and found a stronger Tropical Cyclone Uesi after obtaining infrared imagery of the storm. Uesi continues moving away from Vanuatu and today is affecting New Caledonia. Infrared data provides temperature information, and identifies the strongest thunderstorms that reach high into the atmosphere and have the coldest cloud top temperatures. On Feb. 11 at 6:15 a.m. EST (1115 UTC), the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite gathered that temperature information about Uesi's cloud tops. MODIS found powerful thunderstorms south and east of the center of circulation where temperatures were as cold as or colder than minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 Celsius). Cloud top temperatures that cold indicate strong storms with the potential to generate heavy rainfall. On Feb. 11, the Vanuatu Meteorology and Geo-Hazards Department (VMGD), in Port Vila issued an update on Uesi. At 7:48 a.m. EST (11:48 p.m. Vanuatu local time), Tropical Cyclone Uesi was located at latitude 19.6 degrees south and longitude 162.6 east, about 435 miles (700 km) west of Tanna. Winds close to the center of the system have increased from near 55 mph (90 kph/50 knots) to 78 mph (125 kph/67 knots), making it equivalent to a Category 1 hurricane. Uesi was moving in a south-southeasterly direction. VMGD said that the potential for the system to recurve and move towards Vanuatu is low. VMGD's final advisory on Uesi said, "Isolated heavy rainfalls may still be expected about [the] Vanuatu group today and tonight. Seas will remain very rough with heavy to phenomenal swells over coastal and open waters to the west of the Vanuatu group. Severe weather warning for heavy rainfalls for northern, central and southern provinces, while Marine strong wind warning for all coastal waters are current." Meteo France, the forecast entity that provides forecasts for New Caledonia, which is located to the south-southwest of Vanuatu, is now feeling more of the effects from Uesi. On Feb. 11, Meteo France noted, "Uesi continues to move south passing west of Belep and Grande-Terre a hundred kilometers (62 miles)." Rainbands continue to affect the whole territory and generate large accumulations of rain. As Uesi continues moving toward the south on Feb. 12, it is pulling away from New Caledonia. However, forecasters note that bands of thunderstorms can still bring heavy rainfall and gusty winds on Feb. 11. Highest rainfall is likely especially on the eastern side of the island. For updates from VMGD's website: whttp://www.vmgd.gov.vu and VMGD's Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/vmgd.gov.vu. For updates on New Caledonia's forecast, visit Meteo France: http://www.meteo.nc/ Tropical cyclones/hurricanes are the most powerful weather events on Earth. NASA's expertise in space and scientific exploration contributes to essential services provided to the American people by other federal agencies, such as hurricane weather forecasting. ### The FBI is expanding its focus on domestic terrorism, and that includes pro-choice violenceeven though such violence is so vanishingly rare, its all but nonexistent. In testimony before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday, FBI Director Christopher Wray disclosed that the bureau has recently changed our terminology as part of a broader reorganization of the way in which we categorize our domestic terrorism efforts. Its part of a much-heralded reinvigoration of the bureaus domestic terrorism focus after a rising tide of mostly white-supremacist terrorism. Among four broad categories of domestic terrorism that the FBI confronts, Wray said, is abortion violent extremism. But Wray wasnt only talking about the pro-life extremism that murders abortion providers in their churches, he hastened to add, but people on either side of that issue who commit violence on behalf of different views on that topic. His questioner, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), was puzzled at Wrays seeming equivalence: People on either side of that issue don't commit violence. In fact, the FBI pointed The Daily Beast to just one episode of pro-choice-inspired terrorismone that did not involve an actual act of violence, but rather a threat in an online comments section. But Wray persisted: Well, we've actually had a variety of kinds of violence under that, believe it or not. But at the end of the day. Bass asked, Really, that blow up buildings and threaten doctors? Rather than responding, Wray moved on to detailing the FBIs next domestic-terrorism category, one about animal rights and environmental extremism. Wrays comments werent the first instance of the bureau promoting the idea of pro-choice violence as a real threat. In 2017, the FBI distributed a brief Abortion Extremism Reference Guide at a counterterrorism training for local law enforcement, listing pro-choice extremists as a group of domestic terrorists. The document, first reported by Jezebel, claimed that these extremists believe it is their moral duty to protect those who provide or receive abortion servicesthough even this document noted that only one pro-choice extremist had ever been prosecuted. Additionally, an earlier FBI training document obtained by the ACLU in 2012 referenced pro-choice violence but did not provide a single example of violence against abortion opponents, the ACLU wrote. Story continues Abortion violent extremism of any sort accounts for a only small percentage of FBI domestic terrorism cases. Wray on Wednesday that the top threat of domestic terrorism comes from what he called racially/ethnically motivated violent extremists. Out of approximately 850 current cases that a senior FBI official cited in congressional testimony last May, about half concern anti-government extremism and another 40 percent concern racist terrorism. That leaves around 85 cases of violence motivated by animal rights, ecological degradation, abortion and miscellaneous cases. An FBI spokesperson confirmed the total caseload and the breakdown are still current. But abortion extremism doesnt have an either side. The primary case of pro-choice violent extremism that the FBI pointed The Daily Beast towardthe same one cited in the 2017 FBI documentis the 2012 conviction of Theodore Schulman, who had a long history of threatening anti-abortion activists. Schulmans ultimate downfall was the result of posting a threat in the comments section of religious conservative outlet First Things: if Roeder is acquitted, someone will respond by killing Princetons Robert George and Father Frank Pavone of Priests for Life, he wrote. That itself spoke to the discrepancy in violence between the two sides. Roeder was a reference to Scott Roeder, who murdered abortion provider George Tiller in the foyer of a Wichita church in 2009. Other instances of anti-abortion violence include a trio of bombings at Florida abortion clinics in 1985, a string of arson attacks on a Washington clinic in 1983, and a 2015 shooting at a Colorado Planned Parenthood that killed three. Between 1993 and today, anti-abortion activists murdered 11 people and attempted to kill another 26, according to the National Abortion Federation. Anti-choice violence as we know it is constant, pervasive, and escalating dramatically, and it threatens the civil liberties as well as the lives of our patents, our members, our society, NAF President Katherine Ragsdale told The Daily Beast. Wrays comments, she added, are a danger to public perception. It tars everyone with the same brush when in fact pro-choice folks simply are not doing this, she said. The Daily Beast has filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the FBI to document the extent of its focus on alleged pro-choice violent extremism. Mila Johns, a domestic terrorism researcher affiliated with the University of Marylands Global Terrorism Database, said violence was very much lopsided in the other direction, the anti-abortion side, and called Wrays equivalence a very political statement. The database, which tracks terrorist attacks across the world since 1970, records about 300 incidents related to anti-abortion violence and none for pro-choice violence. However, an Austin woman in 2016 was charged with throwing a crude Molotov cocktail at anti-abortion protesters. And last year, an 85-year old anti-abortion protester in San Francisco was knocked to the ground after he attempted jamming the bicycle spokes of a man who appears to have stolen a pro-life groups banner. Troy Newman, the president of Operation Rescuea radical anti-abortion group that moved its headquarters to Wichita, Kansas, specifically to target Dr. Tillersaid his movement has been on the receiving end of threats. He estimated he had made between 20 and 50 complaints to federal law enforcement over the last two decades, for everything from anthrax scares to online intimidation. Wichita resident Christopher Thompson, he noted, was sentenced to 12 months in jail last year for making menacing calls to Operation Rescues office and employees. But when asked about specific instances of pro-choice violence, Newman cited only the murder of James Pouillon, an Operation Save America activist who was shot while protesting abortion outside a high school in 2009. (The judge in that case said the killers motivations were not tied to abortion.) Newman declined to give examples of abortion-rights violence of the scale and magnitude of that enacted by the anti-abortion movement. You got your scorecard and I got mine, he said. All of them are terrible. The FBIs position is that pro-choice activists and groups not concerned with violence dont need to worry about the new domestic terrorism categorization. We don't investigate ideology or rhetoric or anything of that sort, Wray testified. An FBI spokesperson declined to comment, but pointed to comments from the bureaus former assistant director for counterterrorism, Mike McGarrity, from last June. It is important to remember that in line with our mission to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States, no FBI investigation can be opened solely on the basis of First Amendment-protected activity, McGarrity testified to a House panel in June. Rather, domestic terrorism investigations on individuals are opened on the basis of information concerning the occurrence or threat of violent criminal actions by the individual in furtherance of an ideology. However, prior episodes during the 18-year-old war on terror show the FBI does not always hold a rigid distinction between ideology that isnt to be investigated and violence that is. In 2011, its counterterrorism training at Quantico included instructional material that held Islam was an ideology, rather than a religion, with violence baked into its doctrines. The point of the training was to portray Islam itself as a threat to national securitywhich, for an investigative entity with broad domestic powers, was ominous enough for the Obama administration to order the training materials removed. Michael German, a former FBI special agent who investigated domestic terrorism, said the FBI was not only engaging in a false equivalence but the manufacturing of an imaginary violent movement, reminiscent of its now-discarded black identity extremism category. Anti-Abortion Violence at All-Time High The bureau seems to be grasping a tiny number of unrelated incidents that are not part of any organized effort to falsely imply that such a domestic terrorist movement exists, said German, now with the Brennan Center for Justice. This is a misleading analysis of dubious purpose, apparently to satisfy some political constituency, which is not what an objective law enforcement agency should be doing. But for some in the reproductive rights space, the threat posed by anti-abortion violence is enough that they are willing to accept dubious FBI categorization to ensure it gets investigated. Those of us in this movement have lost friends and family, Ragsdale said. By all means, investigate the escalating violence. And if politics requires you to have a category that says pro-choice violence, go right ahead, she added. Id be interested to see if anything ever pops up." Read more at The Daily Beast. Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here 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. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:27:17|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close WELLINGTON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese community in New Zealand is rallying to help fight against the novel coronavirus in China, community leaders told Xinhua on Tuesday. With tens of thousands of New Zealand dollars raised, medical suppliers such as face masks, gloves and decontamination suits ready to be sent to frontline hospitals and volunteers gathering to help those affected by the outbreak, the Chinese community in New Zealand is rallying to help motherland fight against the novel coronavirus. Rao Jinsheng, president of New Zealand Chinese Culture and Arts Exchange Centre, told Xinhua on Tuesday that they have packed ready 2,400 medical-standard masks, 8,000 general-standard masks, 450 medical goggles and 1,000 protective suits. These medical supplies donated by New Zealand Chinese Culture and Arts Exchange Centre and New Zealand Culture and Art Foundation will be sent to frontline hospitals in central China's Hubei Province, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak, as soon as possible. "The novel coronavirus outbreak concerns every overseas Chinese. We are working in our way to help fight the virus. Together, we will win this fight," said Rao. Rao is not alone. Many other overseas Chinese in New Zealand are doing the same thing. Chen Zhi, vice chairman of Chao Shan General Association of New Zealand, said the association has already raised more than 70,000 New Zealand dollars (about 44,737 U.S. dollars) and 34,000 Chinese yuan (about 4,873 dollars). With the funding, they have purchased N95 medical-standard masks, disposable masks and protective suits in New Zealand. "5,280 N95 masks, 100,000 disposable masks along with a batch of hand soap have already been airlifted to hospitals in China for use," said Chen. Efforts are also being made to help Chinese students who have recently arrived in New Zealand. As they need to be quarantined for up to two weeks, the association is offering free meals and other assistance to those in need. "We are grateful to our community members who donated their money and time in fighting against the virus outbreak. Solidarity among New Zealand Chinese is essential in our joint effort to help our motherland," said Chen. Besides the Chinese communities, New Zealand people have also provided support for China. Milk New Zealand Diary Ltd donated 2,000 cases of dairy products and 1,000 cases of natural spring water to the Chinese medical personnel battling the novel coronavirus. New Zealand farmers hope the Chinese people can win the fight against the epidemic, the company said. Across New Zealand, online fundraising pages, medical supplies donation campaigns, and even art auctions are being staged by the Chinese communities to give their support in every possible way. Zong Yuan, director of Ai (Auckland International) Gallery, organized the "Art against virus; Love without boundaries" online art show and auction in New Zealand to call for support for the anti-virus fight. "Art is what you could encourage people and promote people's confidence and pursuit for a better life. It reinforces the fact that New Zealand Chinese are standing alongside our brothers and sisters back in China in the fight," said Zong. An aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Lawyer Godwin Edudzie Tamakloe, has disclosed that Martin Amidu's investigation into the Airbus SE bribery scandal "will amount to nothing". According to him, Mr Mahama never erred even if he played any role in the airbus scandal, thus the New Patriotic Party is just bent on confusing Ghanaians with the issue of the Embraer and the Airbus, because "they can not pin anything on the former president". The Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) has confirmed that it has started investigations into the Airbus bribery scandal. The Special Prosecutor, Martin Amidu, said there is enough reasonable suspicion of corruption and bribery in the deferred prosecution agreement between the European aircraft manufacturing company, Airbus and the British Serious Fraud Office in which Ghana was featured, hence a decision to commence an investigation. Speaking on Okay Fm's "Ade Akye Abia" programme, he accused President Akufo-Addo of harbouring an intense dislike against his predecessor, the flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress. "I am happy the Office of Special Prosecutor has taken the matter up. All that I am praying for is the matter will be investigated thoroughly to redeem and restore the name of the next coming president, HE John Dramani Mahama... "You see all this is going on because of the hatred the president (HE. Nana Addo Dankwah) has for the John Mahama and his family, but ...the table will turn one day," he added. On January 31, 2020, Ghana was named as one of five countries that Airbus paid or attempted to pay millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for contracts, leading a court in Britain to slap a fine of 3 billion on the company. In addition to Ghana, the company allegedly paid bribes to officials in Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, and Taiwan within the same period. The UKs Serious Fraud Office, however, in its statement of fact did not name the Ghanaian officials. This led to President Akufo-Addo tasking the Office of the Special Prosecutor to further probe the scandal. Watch Video Below Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video By Trend Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger in Vienna and the sides discussed the ways to enhance co-operation between OSCE and Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing MFA press service. Secretary General Greminger said that the OSCE is committed to supporting Azerbaijan in the implementation of its commitments in all three fields of security: politico-military, economic and environmental, human. In this regard, the Secretary General said that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission to Azerbaijan to observe early parliamentary elections on 9 February, following an official invitation from the authorities. Mammadyarov stressed that these elections should be viewed in the context of the reform process in Azerbaijan. Mammadyarov briefed Secretary General Greminger about his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, which took place under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on 28-30 January in Geneva. The minister emphasized the importance of such detailed discussions on the substantive aspects of early conflict resolution, on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act principles. Greminger expressed his full support to the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and welcomed the talks and concrete steps to prepare the populations for peace through intensified people-to-people contacts. Mammadyarov and Greminger also discussed the current phase of implementation of the OSCE project on Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region. The project aims at supporting Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan in making the best use of renewable energy, digitalization and trade, and transport facilitation to promote connectivity across the Caspian Sea and the wider region. Elmar Mammadyarov invited Greminger to visit Azerbaijan in the near future. The minister announced that on the occasion of the Secretary Generals visit a conference on promoting green ports and connectivity will be organized in Baku. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Rajasthan Energy Minister B D Kalla said the power tariff hike of 11.21 per cent will not affect more than half of the consumers even as the opposition blamed the state government for burdening people with its losses. During a debate on the power tariff hike in the state Assembly, which came into effect in the state from February 1, Kalla said it will not affect 57 per cent of the total consumers, including 20 lakh BPL families, 42 lakh small domestic electricity consumers and 14 lakh farmers. He said 76 lakh consumers will not be affected by the power tariff and government has not put the burden of losses on the consumers as alleged by the BJP. Kalla said power production cost has increased by 14 per cent since 2016. He said that previous BJP government had increased tariff twice in Feb 2015 by 16.89 per cent and 9.58 per cent in 2016. Former School Education minister Vasudev Devnani questioned the logic of charging more than Rs 7 per unit from consumers when the government was purchasing electricity at Rs 3 to 3.5 per unit. No media source currently available The URL has been copied to your clipboard The code has been copied to your clipboard. Elan Carr, U.S. Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism, recently told a panel on Capitol Hill that the evil of anti-Semitism is relentless and indefatigable. NEW HAVEN After the Board of Education bought out former Superintendent of Schools Carol Birks contract for $175,000 in October, the boards then-President Darnell Goldson said he would wait for the results of the November mayoral election before pursuing a search for a new superintendent. Now, with new leadership on the school board and a new mayor, the search has yet to be addressed. We havent discussed it, said Yesenia Rivera, who was elected president of the school board last month. We would have to discuss it at a board meeting and see what the rest think. Rivera said shes pleased with Interim Superintendent of Schools Iline Traceys leadership over the last four months. I think shes doing a great job, she said. It doesnt mean a search shouldnt be done, though. Mayor Justin Elicker said that, with Tracey, theres a period of stability and calm and he thinks its appropriate to work with her and not move into a new search. The search process that culminated in hiring Birks was marked by chaos, with former Mayor Toni Harp and Goldson boycotting meetings to deny the board a quorum, community members arguing that the process lacked transparency at multiple meetings and a challenge to a duel between board members on the field beside James Hillhouse High School. I would like to see a discussion around what we plan on doing about a search, Goldson said Monday. He said initiating a search would be fair to Tracey as she seeks permanency. Tracey said she does not feel her interim title has stripped her of any agency or latitude to make decisions. Fran Rabinowitz, executive director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents, was an interim superintendent in Bridgeport for three years. I wouldnt say its typical, but I would say that I believe every district works in their best interest in what is going to work for them right now, she said. They had a great deal of transition, and it seems as though Iline Tracey is bringing stability to the school district right now. Shes been there for a long time, shes very competent and knows the school district. Before Birks was hired, then-Interim Superintendent of Schools Reginald Mayo served for most of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 school years. Mayo initially was hired for a maximum of 174 days, but received a contract extension once it became clear the district would not hire a superintendent before his initial contract expired. Its not that unusual actually for a district, particularly a district that sees the need for some stability in their leadership, to use an interim, said Patrice McCarthy, deputy director for the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education. It gives the district a period of stability and it gives both the board and the (interim) superintendent an opportunity to see if this will be a successful fit on a permanent basis, McCarthy said. McCarthy said school boards should be trusted to make the hiring decisions that are best for them. A national search is a lengthy and complex process, so thats always a consideration that weighs on a board, she said. Bridgeports school board raised eyebrows across the state earlier this year when its acting superintendent entered a closed-door 90-minute performance evaluation and left with a three-year contract and a raise something the superintendent himself said he was not expecting to receive. During New Havens last search process, Mayos charge was to keep the district afloat, without making organizational changes. As interim leader of the district, Tracey has made a number of executive hires and changes in principal positions since October. She said she had no further comment on a potential search for a permanent superintendent, saying its in the school boards hands. In the search that led to Birkss hire, the district paid nearly $40,000 to a search firm. Board members have discussed that having Tracey, a longtime administrator already on the districts payroll, is a benefit financially as her assistant superintendent role is held vacant while she carries out the duties of superintendent. Birks, who left the district at the end of October, received about eight months of pay in her buyout agreement. The deal was similar to the one cut for former superintendent Garth Harries when he left the district in late 2016, about one year before Birks was hired by the board and about three before she left the district herself. brian.zahn@hearstmediact.com The United States has reportedly charged four Chinese military personnel for hacking into a credit rating company and stealing sensitive and personal data of customers that affected more than 147 million Americans. According to the ruling, the hackers in 2017 breached into credit rating giant Equifax's system and stole personal data and documents. As per reports, the court documents said that the four people who hacked into Equifax's system were allegedly members of the People's Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute, a component of the Chinese military. Read: US Prepares For Cyber Threats From Iran Amid Heightened Tensions State-sponsored crime According to media reports, the location of the four military personnel is still unknown and it is highly unlikely that they will stand trial in the United States. The data stolen by hackers also included personal information of customers from Canada and the United Kingdom, as per reports. Attorney General William Barr while announcing the indictment called the hack one of the largest data breaches in history. Media reports suggest that the group spent weeks in the company's system breaking into security networks and stealing personal data of customers and trade secrets including data compilation and database designs. Read: Digvijaya Singh Warns People Against New Cyber Threat - Juice Jacking According to reports, the credit rating company holds data of over 820 million customers and 91 million businesses across the world. Equifax's CEO Mark Begor in a statement said that he is grateful for the investigation and it is reassuring that the federal investigating agencies treat cybercrime with the seriousness it deserves. Mark also referred that data breach as state-sponsored crime, targeting Chinese authorities. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich while talking to the media said that they can't take the accused persons in custody and neither can they try them in the court of law or lock them up. Read: US Firm Offers Free Cybersecurity Help To Federal Campaigns The four Chinese military personnel in question are Wang Qian, Xu Ke, Liu Lei and Wu Zhiyong, who reportedly used 34 different servers in nearly 20 countries to hack through the company's system and to hide their true locations. Equifax was forced to pay $700 million in settlements to the Federal Trade Commission after their system was hacked and the then CEO of the company, Richard Smith had to tender his resignation. Read: Home Minister Amit Shah Launches New Cyber Crime Centre And National Reporting Portal (With inputs from agencies) LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting today announced its presence at Oracle OpenWorld Europe. Infosys leverages Oracle Cloud technologies to empower businesses across Europe to transform into 'Live Enterprises', helping them drive intuitive decisions, automate processes, create new user experiences and reinvent businesses for accelerated growth. One such organisation that has transformed its way of working, in collaboration with Infosys and leveraging Oracle technology, is the University of Nottingham. The UK-based institution wanted to overhaul its academic and student management system to improve productivity and drive growth. To address the complex IT infrastructure that was previously in place, the university rolled out Oracle's PeopleSoft Campus Solutions in partnership with Infosys, which is detailed in this case study. The new integrated system is expected to bring dramatic productivity and user experience improvements for both employees and students. Digital security leader Gemalto, a Thales company, has also enhanced its operations leveraging the Infosys and Oracle alliance, by setting up a robust single source of master data management and improving data integrity. Remi Medevielle, Global ERP Program Director at Gemalto, a Thales company, commented: "We undertook an ambitious digital transformation project to integrate our ERP platforms into a single, shared global platform. Our partner, Infosys helped guide us in streamlining and optimizing key processes and automating workloads, ultimately resulting in significant improvements in data integrity and management across our team." Meanwhile, bpost, Belgium's leading postal operator, worked with Infosys to replace a previous Oracle ERP solution with a new system using Oracle Cloud Solutions. This enabled the company to streamline its business processes, while also reducing the cost of future support and maintenance. Olivier Hernandez, CIO Corporate Services at bpost, commented: "Infosys has been a key partner in shaping our work to transform our organisation's digital processes. Whilst many of our processes were previously manual, with the new Oracle Digital Platform we have been able to automate and gather actionable insights on our Sourcing, Procure to Pay and Record to Record processes. Infosys worked with us to optimise and consolidate this using Oracle Cloud Solutions, greatly streamlining our operations." "We're delighted to see continued momentum amongst our customers in Europe as they embark upon their Live Enterprise journey with Oracle-based solutions," said Dinesh Rao, Executive Vice President, Enterprise Applications Services at Infosys. "Europe is a region of intense growth and focus for us, as we continue to invest in our localisation offering here. Together with our partnership with Oracle, Infosys is uniquely positioned to empower our customers with the latest next-generation technologies and agile business processes that increase efficiency, maximise productivity, and improve the user and customer experience, ultimately accelerating our clients' transformation on their Live Enterprise journey." Infosys is a Platinum Cloud Elite level member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), and the Infosys Oracle collaboration spans across a wide variety of technologies including but not limited to ERP, IaaS, PaaS, SaaS, SCM, HCM, CX, Autonomous Database and Oracle Cloud. About Oracle PartnerNetwork Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) is Oracle's partner program that provides partners with a differentiated advantage to develop, sell and implement Oracle solutions. OPN offers resources to train and support specialized knowledge of Oracle's products and solutions and has evolved to recognize Oracle's growing product portfolio, partner base and business opportunity. Key to the latest enhancements to OPN is the ability for partners to be recognized and rewarded for their investment in Oracle Cloud. Partners engaging with Oracle will be able to differentiate their Oracle Cloud expertise and success with customers through the OPN Cloud program an innovative program that complements existing OPN program levels with tiers of recognition and progressive benefits for partners working with Oracle Cloud. To find out more visit: http://www.oracle.com/partners. Trademarks Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. About Infosys Infosys is a global leader in next-generation digital services and consulting. We enable clients in 46 countries to navigate their digital transformation. With over three decades of experience in managing the systems and workings of global enterprises, we expertly steer our clients through their digital journey. We do it by enabling the enterprise with an AI-powered core that helps prioritize the execution of change. We also empower the business with agile digital at scale to deliver unprecedented levels of performance and customer delight. Our always-on learning agenda drives their continuous improvement through building and transferring digital skills, expertise, and ideas from our innovation ecosystem. Visit www.infosys.com to see how Infosys (NYSE: INFY) can help your enterprise navigate your next. Safe Harbor Certain statements mentioned in this release concerning our future growth prospects are forward-looking statements regarding our future business expectations intended to qualify for the 'safe harbor' under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties relating to these statements include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties regarding fluctuations in earnings, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, our ability to manage growth, intense competition in IT services including those factors which may affect our cost advantage, wage increases in India, our ability to attract and retain highly skilled professionals, time and cost overruns on fixed-price, fixed-time frame contracts, client concentration, restrictions on immigration, industry segment concentration, our ability to manage our international operations, reduced demand for technology in our key focus areas, disruptions in telecommunication networks or system failures, our ability to successfully complete and integrate potential acquisitions, liability for damages on our service contracts, the success of the companies in which Infosys has made strategic investments, withdrawal or expiration of governmental fiscal incentives, political instability and regional conflicts, legal restrictions on raising capital or acquiring companies outside India, unauthorized use of our intellectual property and general economic conditions affecting our industry and the outcome of pending litigation and government investigation. Additional risks that could affect our future operating results are more fully described in our United States Securities and Exchange Commission filings including our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2019. These filings are available at www.sec.gov. Infosys may, from time to time, make additional written and oral forward-looking statements, including statements contained in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission and our reports to shareholders. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company unless it is required by law. SOURCE Infosys Out of the three contractual servicemen who were stuck under an avalanche at the maintenance station of N military unit in Armenias Syunik Province on February 7, 24-year-old Nver Shahbazyan was the only child of his family, had quit his job as a waiter and had gone to serve as a contractual soldier in the Armed Forces. This is what Nver Shahbazyans maternal uncle told Armenian News-NEWS.am. Armenian News-NEWS.am also contacted the military registration office in Kashatagh where the representatives said the other serviceman who was stuck under the avalanche, Karapet Nazaryan, had moved to Kashatagh with his family in 2000. The tragic event took place while the servicemen were moving from the military posts to their military unit. Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae answers a question from a journalist during a press conference in the ministry headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, Tuesday. The conference took place to mark her first 40 days in the office./ Yonhap By Kim Se-jeong Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae defended herself Tuesday over her controversial decision to stop disclosing the full text of indictments involving President Moon-Jae-in's close allies, saying it was necessary step. During a press conference marking her first 40 days in office, the minister also explained her move to separate the investigation procedure from the indictment process. Choo is seeking to create a separate prosecution unit to decide on indictments after it reviews the results of investigations by subordinate prosecutors. "What I did was a first step to correct wrong practices by giving defendants the benefit of the doubt and the right to a fair trial," she said during the press conference held at the ministry headquarters in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province. On Feb. 5, Choo ordered the ministry to stop disclosing information to the National Assembly about the indictments of Moon's allies involved in the 2018 Ulsan mayoral election-meddling scandal. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors Office is currently investigating allegations that Cheong Wa Dae aides helped Song Cheol-ho win the election in 2018 by initiating a police probe into his rival, then-incumbent Kim Gi-hyeon of the main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP). The prosecution office indicted 13 people Jan. 29, including Song; Ulsan Vice Mayor Song Byung-gi; former Ulsan Police chief Hwan Un-ha; Han Byung-do, former senior presidential secretary for political affairs; Baek Won-woo, former presidential secretary for civil affairs; and Park Hyoung-chul, former presidential secretary for anticorruption. A local Korean newspaper obtained the full 71-page indictment, Feb. 7. On Jan. 30, Im Jong-seok, a former presidential chief of staff, was questioned over his role in the scandal, but the prosecution decided to stop the investigation until after the April 15 general election. As to separating the investigation and indictment arms of the prosecution, Choo said, "I am considering this option because when an investigation and indictment are done by same team, there is the risk of the loss of impartiality and objectivity" Asked how her prosecution reform drive was going, the minister said, "Reform is not only about big changes like revising laws or moving people around. It is about putting myself in the shoes of ordinary citizens and changing practices, no matter how miniscule they are, to meet their needs." Ahn Cheol-soo, a former presidential candidate defeated in the 2017 election and the former head of the Bareunmirae Party, was among the first to react to Choo's comments: "If I get elected in the general election, I will hold Minister Choo accountable for interfering into the prosecution's investigation of the election-meddling scandal." Ahn was particularly critical of Choo removing lead prosecutors in charge of investigations of corruption among President Moon's aides, effectively stymying the probes. There was no immediate reaction from the LKP, however, one day earlier, the party filed a crime investigation request to the prosecution and vowed to seek Moon's impeachment. HERKIMER, N.Y. -- The state Commission on Judicial Conduct has recommended an Upstate New York judge be censured for driving drunk, crashing into a building and acting hostile toward first responders. Herkimer Town Justice Michael Petucci yelled obscenities and was belligerent with first responders after the crash Dec. 12, 2018, according to the state judicial watchdog report released Monday. Petucci admitted he was coming from a bar and had consumed alcohol, but he refused to take field sobriety tests, records show. Instead, he yelled, No, f&#k you to a Herkimer police sergeant, the commissions report said. Petucci was taken to St. Elizabeth Medical Center in Utica after the crash and charged later that night with driving while intoxicated and refusal to take a breath test. An administrative judge suspended Petucci from performing judicial duties after the alcohol-related crash and a Herkimer County court judge ordered Petuccis pistol permit be suspended after the arrest. Petucci had been carrying a licensed handgun at the time of the crash, the report said. After the criminal court case was moved to Little Falls City Court, Petucci pleaded guilty Jan. 8, 2019 to driving while ability impaired by alcohol. He was ordered to pay a $500 fine and a $255 surcharge, attend a victim impact panel, undergo a comprehensive clinical assessment and his driving privileges were suspended for 90 days. He later received a conditional drivers license. More than a year after the court case concluded, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct released its written decision to the public on Monday. In the report, the commission found Petucci had been drinking for about three hours before the crash. Petucci, director of the IT department at Slocum-Dickson Medical Group in New Hartford, had left work around 6 p.m. the night of the crash and drove to Stoneys Tavern in Herkimer, the report said. He drank at least two alcoholic beverages there between 6:40 p.m. and 7:10 p.m., then drove about a half-mile to the Elks Lodge in Herkimer. There, he drank at least two more alcoholic beverages between 7:15 and 8:20 p.m., then drove back to Stoneys Tavern, where he drank more alcohol until shortly after 9 p.m., the report said. At 9:28 p.m. Dec. 12, 2018, Petucci crashed his car into the side of a former Kmart building in Herkimer. The left front wheel of his car flew off and airbags deployed, police reports said. The building also was damaged in the crash. Police and paramedics reported Petuccis breath smelled of alcohol and he acted belligerent after the crash. Although he was licensed to carry a firearm, the commission found Petucci exercised extremely poor judgment by carrying a loaded handgun with a full magazine of ammunition the night of the crash. Petucci, a Herkimer town justice since 2008 and president of the state Magistrates Association at the time of his arrest, said he did not recall acting belligerent with the arresting officers, but he also did not dispute their account. Petucci later apologized to the officers and first responders, according to the state Commission on Judicial Conduct report. Petucci voluntarily attended outpatient treatment with a social worker, even though a credentialed alcoholism and substance abuse counselor recommended he did not need treatment, the report found. Petucci was re-elected as a Herkimer town judge last year, and his term is set to expire in December 2023, according to Law.com. After reviewing all the facts, the state Commission on Judicial Conduct found Petucci violated his ethical obligation to respect and comply with the law by driving drunk and recommended he be censured. It is the responsibility of every judge to act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary and to avoid conduct that detracts from the dignity of judicial office, the commission said. Censure is a formal, but light sanction for violating the Code of Judicial Conduct. It is a declaration that a judge is guilty of misconduct that does not require suspension or removal, according to the National Center for State Courts. The commissions decision to censure Petucci means he can continue to serve as a judge. Judge Petucci made a grave mistake by drinking to excess and driving, Commission Administrator Robert H. Tembeckjian said in a news release. He was lucky not to harm himself or others when he crashed into a building. He compounded his wrongdoing by carrying a loaded gun while his faculties were so impaired. To his credit, he is conscientiously engaged in counseling to abstain from alcohol. The state Unified Court System is considering whether to take further action after receiving the commissions report on Monday, according to news reports. 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. [February 11, 2020] Esri Federal GIS Conference Spotlights Government Organizations Creating a Sustainable Future Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, is hosting the 23rd annual Esri Federal GIS Conference, which started today in Washington, DC. The gathering is an opportunity for federal government GIS professionals to discuss best practices, participate in more than 130 professional development workshops, and connect with subject matter experts from across the country. At the opening Plenary Session, Esri founder and president Jack Dangermond discussed how GIS, as the intelligent nervous system for the nation, is powering data-driven decisions that can help create a sustainable future. The session featured thought leaders from several organizations, giving presentations on their uses of GIS to help address the economic, social, environmental, and security needs of the nation. Presentations included the following: US Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Agricultural Research Service: "Partnerships for Data Innovations: Engaging Scientists through Data Sharing" "Partnerships for Data Innovations: Engaging Scientists through Data Sharing" US Environmental Protection Agency: "Mapping Today's Air Quality Data for a Cleaner Future" "Mapping Today's Air Quality Data for a Cleaner Future" US Census Bureau: "50 Days until Census Day 2020-How Will You Respond?" "50 Days until Census Day 2020-How Will You Respond?" The Y (YMCA): "Strengthening Communities across America" "The Plenary Session is an opportunity for federal GIS users to come together, demonstrate their achievements, and learn from each other," said John Calkins, Esri executive producer. "Each of the organizations presenting is creating a sustainable future through their inspiring and innovative use of geospatial technology." A highlight of the Plenary Session was te presentation of the Making a Difference Award, given to the USDA Forest Service for its innovative use of GIS in conservation, forest management, wildfire prevention and response, and citizen engagement. "The Forest Service utilizes GIS in virtually every aspect of delivering its mission-wildland fire management, recreation, forest management, forest inventory, wildlife and fisheries, citizen science, and so much more," said John Steffenson, Esri director of business development for national government, natural resources. "By automating the mapping of aerial retardant avoidance area, the agency reduced the cost by approximately 70 percent, allowing users to do more with their resources." The conference continues on Wednesday with the Keynote Session, where attendees will hear from Vice Admiral Robert D. Sharp (News - Alert), director of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA). VADM Sharp will participate in a conversation onstage with Jack Dangermond to discuss the four priorities of NGA-people, partnerships, mission today, and mission tomorrow-and how GIS plays a significant role to achieve the agency's mission. Additionally, Dr. Healy Hamilton, chief scientist at NatureServe, a Western Hemisphere biodiversity information network, will share the Map of Biodiversity Importance and ways in which federal agencies can use this data and engage with NatureServe for precision conservation. The Esri Federal GIS Conference is being held February 11-12 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC. To learn more, visit go.esri.com/FedGIS2020PR. 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 US, as well as all 15 Executive Departments of the US 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/20200211005718/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Photo credit: Max Mumby/Indigo - Getty Images From Red Online The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent the past few weeks settling into their new life in Canada, after their announcement last month that they will be stepping down as senior royals. However, they will be coming back for a UK visit with their child Archie sooner than expected. The Queen has requested they attend the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey in London on 9 March, according to The Sunday Times. This event will be part of the final round of royal engagements in which Meghan and Harry take part before they make their final transition to non-royal life. They will attend the service as president and vice-president of the Queen's Commonwealth Trust. The Commonwealth service is very different from the commitments Meghan and Harry have been making in their new life. Last week, they attended an event for JP Morgan in Miami, where Harry spoke to 425 bankers about facing his grief after the death of his mother, Princess Diana, in August 1997, when he was just 12 years old. Meghan reportedly spoke at the event about how much she loves her husband. The Sunday Times notes there has been no confirmation that the couple got paid for their appearances, but there have been reports that the speech earned them $1 million (760,000). Photo credit: Chris Jackson - Getty Images Last month, Harry stayed in England to discuss negotiations of what life will look like going forward for the Sussexes. Negotiations about financial details are still underway, but the Sunday Times reports that the Queen is unfazed by Meghan and Harry's decision to walk away from their life as senior members of the royal family. She has reportedly told friends: 'If thats what they wantif they want to gowe must let them go.' Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox. SIGN UP You Might Also Like Lucknow A BJP lawmaker of the state has demanded shifting of Baikunth Dham cremation ground, citing pollution and has written a letter to chief minister Yogi Adityanath in this regard. Situated along the Gomti, it is the biggest cremation ground in the city. The crematorium causes pollution and this leads to filth on both sides of the river, which not only affects nearby residents, but also visitors who come to visit the Gomti riverfront, reads the letter written to the CM by Rakesh Singh Baghel, BJP MLA from Sant Kabir Nagar. The letter was sent to the chief minister on January 20. HT has a copy of it. When contacted, Baghel claimed that a plan to shift the cremation ground was mooted a few years back, but was shelved. The cremation ground is located in the central part of the city. It is close to important routes and several residential societies have come up close to it. Considering the effect of pollution on people living nearby, the government must make arrangements for cremation to other place, Baghel said, adding that he wrote the letter on the complaint of people living in residential complexes close to Baikunth Dham. The cremation ground is managed by the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC). Civic officials claimed that the cremation of bodies is done as per guidelines to ensure minimum pollution. Pollution and traffic caused by the cremation ground are two major problems, which we face in the area. The traffic situation becomes worse whenever there is a cremation of a VIP, said Sitaram Tondon, president, Sunshine Court Society, Prag Narain Road, located close to the cremation ground. The Equifax data breach that compromised the personal data of almost 150 million Americans in 2017 unfolded like a classic robbery. The criminals identified a flaw in the credit agency's security system, executed a plan of attack to penetrate it and devised a scheme to cover their tracks on their way out, according to a criminal indictment unsealed Monday. Those alleged criminals, four members of the Chinese military, exploited a flaw in software that allowed U.S. consumers to dispute problems with their Equifax credit reports. That gave the hackers access to Americans' personal information, according to the indictment. The breach occurred after Equifax security officials failed to install a software upgrade that had been recommended to seal off digital intruders from obtaining access to the names, birthdates and Social Security numbers of the victims, the indictment says. The U.S. Department of Justice announced that a federal grand jury in Atlanta delivered a nine-count indictment accusing four hackers and members of China's People's Liberation Army Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Liu Lei of serving as masterminds of the hack. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said there's no evidence the Chinese military used the stolen information for illegal purposes, but the "brazen theft" illustrates that "China is one of the most significant threats to our national security today." Equifax hacking: Four members of Chinese army charged with stealing 145 million Americans' data Security group: Equifax had patch 2 months before hack and didnt install it Equifax suffered a massive data breach. According to the indictment, the hackers: Recognized that Equifax failed to install an upgrade to Apache Struts software, which Apache recommended around March 7, 2017. The software underpinned an online portal that allowed consumers to dispute their credit report details. Used the flaw to upload programming language to an Equifax server to gain remote access to the system. Story continues Uncovered Equifax database credentials and "thereby falsely represented that they were authorized users of Equifax's network." Searched the system about 9,000 times for sensitive personal information while hiding the searches through encryption. Stuffed the personal information in temporary files, compressed them and divided them into smaller-sized files to increase their chances of transmitting the stolen data without being noticed. Used 34 servers in 20 countries during the breach and employed various other techniques, such as remote-desktop access and encrypted log-ins, to mask the origin of the hack. Deleted the compressed files after transferring the data into external storage, then configured settings to wipe out information tracking their activity. The Apache Foundation which oversees the widely used open-source software that the hackers exploited to obtain access to Equifax servers revealed in September 2017 that "the Equifax data compromise was due to (Equifax's) failure to install the security updates provided in a timely manner." Equifax acknowledged that the criminals who gained access to its customer data exploited a website application vulnerability known as Apache Struts CVE-2017-5638. Equifax CEO Mark Begor said Monday in a statement that the company has made significant investments since the breach to bolster its data protection, including $1.25 billion for "enhanced security and technology" from 2018 to 2020. "Our industry-leading cloud technology transformation will make us more secure and enable us to innovate and develop solutions. Today's announcement is another positive step forward in helping us turn the page on the cybersecurity attack as we continue our focus on being a leader in data security," he said. Could a similar hack happen to others? "The reality is theres little consequence for companies that are holding onto this information" and who fail to protect it, said Adam Garber, consumer watchdog with the Public Interest Research Group's Education Fund. "And without those consequences, theres not a lot of incentive for them to stay on top of the highest data security (protocol) out there." John Yanchunis, an attorney at law firm Morgan & Morgan who helped lead negotiations for a $380.5 million settlement with consumers affected by the Equifax breach, said companies need an incentive to take proactive security steps. "All too often we see companies acting out of consequence instead of conscience," he said. Can companies play defense? But are companies capable of fending off military hacking attempts at all? "Combating this challenge from well-financed nation-state actors that operate outside the rule of law is increasingly difficult," Equifax CEO Begor said in a statement. "Fighting this cyberwar will require the type of open cooperation and partnership between government, law enforcement and private business that we have experienced firsthand. These cyber attacks on U.S. companies continue to escalate and are increasingly challenging to defend when well-financed state actors are involved." PIRG's Garber said the fact that state-sponsored actors have significant capabilities doesn't excuse companies from making a sophisticated effort to protect consumers. "Is anything ever perfectly secure? Probably not. But they should do everything in their power to make sure that its safe," he said. Yanchunis said companies can hire ethical hackers to test their systems for vulnerabilities and award them when they find flaws. Companies should also implement early detection systems and conduct breach simulations to better prepare themselves for inevitable attacks, he said. Consumers have few defenses But how can consumers prepare themselves as more and more personal information falls into the wrong hands? You can take steps to protect yourself: stop reusing passwords and get a password manager, deploy two-factor verification, and exercise caution when installing software on your computer or apps on your phone. Still, it's nearly impossible to insulate yourself from data breaches like the one at Equifax in which thieves made off with Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers and other information which can then be used to impersonate you and wreck your financial record. If your identity is stolen, it takes time to prove you're a victim. In the meantime, your credit cards can be denied, collection agencies may harass you and you can get turned down for mortgage applications. Consumer advocates urge anyone whose data has been breached to monitor your accounts regularly to keep fraudsters from opening credit cards and other loans in your name. You can set up fraud alerts with credit bureaus or freeze your credit. But, advocates say, problems can keep popping up, often for years. Security experts say corporations across all industries are vulnerable to hacks. Credit reporting agencies by their very nature amass the kind of sensitive personal data that can be used to swipe someone's identity. Monday's indictment does not detract from "vulnerabilities and process deficiencies that we saw in Equifax's systems and response to the hack," Senator Mark Warner, the senior Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. He has introduced legislation to hold credit reporting agencies including Equifax accountable for such breaches. Contributing: Jessica Guynn This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Equifax breach: How Chinese army hackers allegedly stole personal info The beleaguered Jersey City Board of Education has settled a lawsuit with its former superintendent for $398,250, according to the settlement agreement. Marcia Lyles had sued the district last January, saying the school board and the teachers union impeded her ability to run the school district, defamed her and created a hostile work environment. Lyles was fired in early February 2019. The settlement of the federal lawsuit, which was finalized last month, calls for Lyles to be paid $273,250 and the law firm that represented her to be paid $125,000. Of the $273,250 paid to Lyles, $173,250 was paid by the school district as consideration for her resignation and another $10,000 was paid by the district with no reason given. Summit Risk, an insurer, was responsible for $75,000, $37,500 of which was described as damages in the settlement. Berkley Select, also an insurer, was responsible for $15,000 in damages, the settlement said. The payment to the Weiner law firm paid by Summit Risk. The settlement of the lawsuit was first reported by HudsonCountyView.com. The news of the settlement comes amid Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulops call for the elected board to be replaced by an appointed board. The district, struggling to balance its budget because of cuts in state aid, has also come under fire for its lack of progress in taking back control of the district from state oversight. The board has also been criticized for its handling of the issues with A. Harry Moore school, which was closed because of dangerous conditions. Students are currently housed at a state regional day school in Jersey City. Lyles was hired by the 30,000-student district in 2012, replacing longtime schools chief Charles Epps. Her relationship with the Jersey City Education Association, the teachers union, had grown increasingly hostile. Lyles was replaced on an interim basis by Franklin Walker, and the interim tag was removed in December. The settlement agreement included a clause in which both side agreed not to publicly disparage or otherwise bring into question or disrepute the each other, including the parties, and past and present board employees with regard to their reputation, abilities, or capabilities. Also included in the settlement was a confidentiality agreement in which the sides were bound not to discuss or even acknowledge the settlement to the extent permitted by law. The settlement agreement, however, is a public record. Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun, left, shakes hands with U.S. Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes during their meeting at Menezes' office in Washington D.C., Tuesday (Korea Standard Time). By Nam Hyun-woo Hyundai Motor has signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the U.S. government under which the South Korean automaker will expand its hydrogen fuel cell business in the country, the carmaker said Tuesday. The move is interpreted as way to lay the groundwork for the faster penetration of hydrogen energy infrastructure in the U.S., helping the car manufacturer advance its hydrogen economy initiative. According to Hyundai Motor, it partnered with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to support the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program. The agreement calls for both parties to strengthen technical collaboration to better understand challenges and to collect and publish independently validated data by demonstrating fuel cell technologies. For this, Hyundai will provide five Nexo hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to the U.S. government agency and offer funds for the operation of a hydrogen charging station in Washington D.C. There is one hydrogen fueling station in Washington D.C., but it recently ceased operations. Data from the vehicles and infrastructure will be collected, analyzed and published to identify additional research needs in durability, performance and reliability. According to Hyundai, the MOU bears significance as it was signed with the federal government and will serve a pivotal role for fuel cell vehicles to spread across the U.S., expanding beyond its current California-centric market. Before signing the agreement, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun and Under Secretary of Energy Mark Menezes discussed ways to deploy hydrogen technologies across the U.S. "Hyundai Motor is proud to partner with and support the U.S. Department of Energy's Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program as part of our commitment in supporting the transition to clean energy," Chung said in a statement. "With the potential for application across multiple industries, we firmly believe that hydrogen fuel cells are necessary for a sustainable future. We are delighted that our technologies can help the U.S. Department of Energy as it continues to explore the future potential of hydrogen." Hyundai Motor Group has been working with the U.S. government since 2004, when Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors offered 33 fuel cell vehicles for the DOE's Controlled Hydrogen Fleet and Infrastructure Demonstration and Validation Project. In 2012, the group also ran pilot projects running Tucson IX fuel cell vehicles with the DOE. "With the strengthened cooperation with the DOE, we expect a significant boost in the public and industrial acceptability of hydrogen fuel cell technologies," a Hyundai Motor official said. "Also, the MOU will make contributions in spurring investments, creating jobs and spreading eco-friendly transportation services." According to market tracker MarkLines, the number of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in Korea and the U.S. each stood at 5,126 and 7,937 at the end of last year, making the two countries the world's top 2 hydrogen car markets. Who, us? Lefties are doing their level best to dismiss the now open attack on police officers in New York as the piffling acts of outliers, not the political climate they created that is now seeing gunmen walking into police stations because they're "tired of police" and opening fire. Here's one shameless such leftie quoted in USA Today: Robert Gangi, who heads the Police Reform Organizing Project, called the accusations by de Blasio and Shea irresponsible, noting that police revealed no connection between Williams and the protests. There is no defense for a "lunatic" who shoots at police officers, Gangi said, but he described the protests against police as legitimate. "For the many NYers who fear, loathe, & distrust #NYPD, it's based on all too substantive reasons: daily targeting, harassment, & harm inflicted by cops on poor people of color," Gangi tweeted. "Until that changes, until pols in power like deB take steps to end it, anger & protests will continue." That's just one such anti-police leftist trying to weasel out, and don't forget this group we wrote about earlier, the subway vandals, who now say the violence against cops has nothing to do with them: Protest organizers include a group called Decolonize This Place, which advocates for free transit and removal of police from the transit system among other things. "Linking the right to protest and to take direct action with unassociated and random acts of violence is a well-worn and gratuitous tactic long used by authorities to suppress dissident speech," the group said in a statement on Twitter. "The mayor, at least, should pretend to know better." Fact is, these naked assassination attempts at police in New York come after rivers of rhetoric blasting the police as "human rights violators," "storm troopers," and "racists." One of the first things that led to was the election of New York's craziest anti-police mayor, Bill de Blasio. De Blasio, recall, once said he had to have "the talk" with his biracial son about the racist orientation of the New York Police. Since then, the hate-cop crowd has enacted zero-cash bail policies, an end to gang enhancements in charges, an end to stop and frisk, a repudiation of the broken windows theory of law enforcement, and a string of other anti-cop measures. Combine it with a mayor who's earned that much contempt from cops from his anti-cop stances, and it's all gone downhill. De Blasio stands up for all left-wing activists over defending the police, and he has since then earned himself this bitter remark from a top police union official: "Mayor de Blasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you!" The SBA tweeted. "We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you. NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you. This isn't over, Game on!" Now it's open season on police, and we're all supposed to pretend that anti-police sentiment from the left had nothing to do with it, which is utter nonsense. Dan Bongino, a former NYPD officer, put it this way: This is almost exclusively a problem with the radical left," Bongino said. "I have vivid memories of my time with the police department in New York City from 1995 to 1999 and I have never seen anything like this." Bongino, a Fox News contributor, made the comment on "Fox & Friends" on Monday. He said that "there has always been street crime, there has always been violence against police" but not conversations in NYPD police precincts "about potentially being assassinated while going to work." What this really shows is that giving the left so much as an inch, or maybe a couple of miles, on their pet anti-police agenda whether through zero bail, end to gang enhancements, or whatever else is bound to put the police on a long slide downward. This is their handiwork. Leftists can now stand up and take a bow. Image credit: Pixabay, public domain. The Solano County coroner's office has identified an elderly couple who died as a result of a fire in their Vacaville home late Sunday night as Maggie McDaniel, 91, and Raymond McDaniel, 92. The fire was reported at about 11:50 p.m. at the home at 508 Scottsdale Drive. Firefighters rescued Maggie McDaniel from the home and she was taken to a hospital, where she died a few hours later, Fire Chief Kris Concepcion said. Raymond McDaniel was found dead near the kitchen, the likely origin of the fire. Firefighters extinguished the fire and made a secondary search of the single-story home. A dog also perished in the fire, Concepcion said. The cause of the two-alarm fire is under investigation but it appears accidental, Concepcion said. At least one person has died and another suffered minor smoke inhalation injuries following a fire at a home in Oakland early Monday morning, according to fire officials. The blaze was first reported at 4:12 a.m. in the 30 block of Malta Court, Battalion Chief Tracey Chin said. Fire crews arrived to find a home fully involved and she immediately called for a second alarm. A total of 36-40 firefighting personnel, including air support, fought the blaze and were able to get it contained in just under 90 minutes at 5:34 a.m., Chin said. Fire crews entered the structure to find one resident dead, according to Chin. The other resident was transported to a hospital for treatment. A Capitol Corridor train struck and killed a person on the tracks in Richmond on Monday morning. The collision was reported at 10:10 a.m. involving train No. 531 heading from Sacramento to Oakland, Amtrak spokeswoman Olivia Irvin said. The Contra Costa County coroner's office confirmed later Monday that the person was killed, but is not yet releasing their name. No injuries were reported to the 65 passengers on board or any of the crewmembers, Irvin said. The Bodega Volunteer Fire Department said one person died in a residential fire Sunday night. The fire was reported around 11:50 p.m. on Salmon Creek Road. Further details were not available. Authorities are investigating flaring from Chevron's Richmond refinery on Monday. The Governor's Office of Emergency Services received a report at 4:43 a.m. about "an unknown amount of hydrogen sulfide into the air from a flare" at the refinery. The flaring was apparently due to a "process upset" in a unit at the refinery, and caused precautionary evacuations from part of the site, the report to the state office said. More flaring and visible emissions were reported later in the morning as well, Bay Area Air Quality Management District spokesman Ralph Borrmann said. The air district sent staff members to the site and they are working with refinery officials to investigate the cause of the flaring, Borrmann said. Embattled San Francisco Public Works Director Mohammed Nuru has resigned amid a federal corruption probe, Mayor London Breed announced Monday afternoon. Two weeks ago, FBI agents arrested Nuru, along with restaurant owner Nick Bovis, in connection with an alleged scheme to bribe a San Francisco International Airport commissioner for help in obtaining a restaurant concession. The scheme, however, never came to fruition, according to a criminal complaint unsealed on Jan. 28. Federal prosecutors have charged both Nuru, 58, and Bovis, 57, each with one count of honest services wire fraud. Prosecutors have also alleged Nuru was engaged in four other corrupt schemes, but he hasn't been criminally charged in any of those alleged schemes. The fraud charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison if the men are convicted. The Sonoma County Sheriff's Office has identified a man who died in a house fire in Bodega late Sunday as 77-year-old William Fink. The fire that destroyed the single-story house in the 800 block of Salmon Creek Road was reported around 11:50 p.m. Fink's wife and two friends were able to escape the fire but flames and heat prevented firefighters from reaching Fink, a Bodega Bay man who was found dead near a front door of the single-story home, Gold Ridge Fire Protection District Chief Shepley Schroth-Cary said. The cause and origin of the fire has not been determined, but the fire is not considered suspicious, Schroth-Cary said. A man killed in a two-car crash on Hegenberger Road in Oakland on Saturday night has been identified by the Alameda County coroner's bureau as 24-year-old Angel Hernandez. Officers responded at 9:24 p.m. Saturday to the crash in the area of Hegenberger Road and Hamilton Street. A maroon Honda going north on Hegenberger collided with a silver Infiniti heading east on Hamilton, police said. Hernandez, an Oakland resident, was driving the Honda and died at the scene. An 18-year-old woman driving the Infiniti was taken to a hospital with severe injuries, but was listed in stable condition as of Sunday, according to police. There were no passengers in either vehicle. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the crash, police said. A 37-year-old man was injured in a shooting in San Francisco's Bayview District on Friday afternoon, police said Monday. Officers responded at about 12:20 p.m. to the shooting reported on Dukes Court, located off of Cashmere Street, and found shell casings. The victim was taken to a hospital and his injuries are not considered life-threatening, according to police. No arrest has been made in the shooting and no suspect information was immediately available from San Francisco police. A 40-year-old man was arrested late Sunday night in Fremont after allegedly backing into a police vehicle while attempting to flee from officers, police said. Shortly after 11 p.m., officers found a 1992 Honda Accord that had been stolen out of Hayward and was seen on an automated license plate reader camera in the area of Interstate Highway 880 and Stevenson Boulevard, according to police. The vehicle pulled into the Avalon Fremont apartments where officers tried to contact the driver, later identified as Hayward resident Andre Poole. Poole allegedly failed to yield for the officers, then put the vehicle in reverse and backed into the police vehicle and hit a separate parked car, police said. He then allegedly drove across a grass pedestrian area and abandoned the vehicle. Officers quickly apprehended a 24-year-old woman who had been in the car, then they surrounded the area and eventually Poole at a neighboring apartment complex, 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. Irish film director Aislinn Clarke, who is originally from Fatima, attended The Oscars in Hollywood on Sunday, February 10. Speaking to the Dundalk Democrat last week Aislinn The Devil's Doorway director told us she was very excited to attend the high profile event after being awarded the AMPAS (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) Gold Fellowship for Women for 2020. The director, who says she currently has a few projects in the pipeline in LA, posted the below Tweet as she was getting ready for the major event: So thats me off to the Oscars! More makeup and preening than I even had for my wedding! Beautiful Roisin Dubh kimono by Irish designer extraordinaire @SaraONeillArt thanks to @TheAcademyfor inviting me and to @swarovski pic.twitter.com/oicTidjlqn Ash Clarke (@AislinnClarke) February 9, 2020 Sara O'Neill, who designed Aislinn's kimono posted the below tweet: Total Hollywood glamour! Fabulous director @AislinnClarke at #TheOscars last night in the #Eadach Roisin Dubh kimono. How stunning? Delighted to see Irish design, my scribbles, on the red carpet. Very special . pic.twitter.com/VsnCJqYFVa Sara O'Neill Artist (@SaraONeillArt) February 10, 2020 Speaking to the Democrat ahead of the event last week Aislinn said: "I will be attending with my friend, producer Marianne Maddalena (Producer of Scream, Nightmare on Elm St) who I am currently working on a project with. My father, Johnny Clarke, who many will remember as a breadman for McCanns, gave me my love of horror films by introducing me to Nightmare on Elm St when I was 8 or so. "I coincidentally met Marianne years later at a film festival in Atlanta and we struck up a friendship, so attending the Oscars with Marianne is extra special. Marianne has produced an Oscar-nominated film herself (Music of the Heart with Meryl Streep in 1999) so she knows the ropes!" You can learn more about the acclaimed director's previous works here: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5240404/ Engineering professor to lead US and UK teams as part of NSF-funded research involving phosphorous levels in soils Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 Suprem Das, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering at Kansas State University, right, works with student in his lab. | Download this photo. MANHATTAN A project led by a Kansas State University engineering professor and funded by the National Science Foundation through its program Signals in the Soil, United Kingdom Research and Innovation, is expected to strengthen national and economic security of both the U.S. and the U.K. by addressing global challenges of sustainable food production and regulation of fertilizer application. Suprem Das, assistant professor of industrial and manufacturing systems engineering and a David and Lynda Dawson Carl and Mary Ice Keystone research scholar, will spearhead efforts toward "Real-Time and Continuous Monitoring of Phosphates in the Soil with Graphene-based Printed Sensor Arrays." The collaboration will include faculty members Saugata Datta, University of Texas, San Antonio; Biswajit Ray, University of Alabama, Huntsville; and Adrien Chauvet, Natalia Martsinovich and Duncan Cameron, all from the University of Sheffield in the U.K. The goal of the three-year research project, supported by $799,950 in funding in the U.S., and a total of nearly $1.7 million in both countries, is to develop and use a graphene-based additive manufacturing technology to design a low-cost sensor for real-time monitoring of phosphorus content in soil. "Phosphorous, one of most important nutrients in soil, is required for plant growth and is an indicator of soil health," Das said. "It is important to understand the variations of phosphate in soils and soil-water systems when addressing sustainable food production and regulating fertilizer applications for crops grown in various soil conditions and climate regimes." The team will develop new graphene soil-sensor technology that will continuously and wirelessly monitor soil phosphates in U.S. Midwest soils and U.K. East Midlands soils. "Our work will benefit both the U.S. and U.K. as it vitalizes the future workforce by bridging the gaps between science, technology, agriculture and environmental disciplines," Das said. The project will propel interdisciplinary research at both Kansas State University and the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering in areas such as advanced manufacturing, advanced materials, and sensors for agriculture and environment, while training and educating graduate and undergraduate students as well as postdoctoral researchers. Heathrow has warned it is set to lose its title as Europe's leading hub airport within the next two years. The airport says that EU competitor Paris-Charles de Gaulle is growing at twice its rate and will eventually claim the No1 spot if this rate of growth is sustained. Heathrow's chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, says it would be an 'economic disaster for the country to fall behind, just as we leave the EU'. Heathrow, pictured, has warned it is set to lose its title as Europe's busiest hub airport within the next two years He said: 'If we are to be a truly global Britain, we need to be better connected to global markets than our rivals in Europe. 'Heathrows new runway will make the UK a winner, connecting all of Britain to global growth and thats why we need to get on with delivering it.' New figures show that 6.1million passengers travelled through Heathrow in January - up 2.9 per cent on the same month last year. The most significant growth was on UK routes, where passenger numbers were up 10.2 per cent. Routes to Newquay and Guernsey were highlighted as being particularly popular. Middle East routes grew by 7.6 per cent while North America routes were up 4.7 per cent. However, passenger numbers were down to Latin America and Asia Pacific destinations - both by 3.9 per cent. Heathrow says that EU competitor Paris-Charles de Gaulle, pictured, is growing at twice its rate and will eventually claim the No1 spot if this rate of growth is sustained In addition in January, over 115,000 metric tonnes of cargo travelled through Heathrow, the UKs largest port by value. Last year saw 80.9million passengers use Heathrow - a record annual total. It also had its busiest ever December in 2019, with more than 6.7million passengers using the airport during the festive season. The airport said that the availability of larger aircraft drove passenger growth. 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. Prosecutors asked a federal judge on Monday to sentence President Donald Trump's longtime adviser Roger Stone to between seven and nine years in prison, saying such a term will 'accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law'. Stone is due to face sentencing by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson on February 20, after a jury in November found the self-proclaimed 'dirty trickster' guilty on seven counts of lying to the U.S. Congress, obstruction and witness tampering. The government said that under U.S. sentencing guidelines, he faces a range of 7 years and 3 months to up to 9 years, and told Jackson he 'should be punished in accord' with those. Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Donald Trump's confidant Roger Stone to serve between seven and nine years in prison Roger Stone and his wife Nydia at Trump's Inauguration Stone was convicted in November of a seven-count indictment that accused him of obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. He was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation. Prosecutors said in their sentencing memorandum on Monday that Stone 'decided to double and triple down on his criminal conduct by tampering with a witness for months in order to make sure his obstruction would be successful'. 'Stones actions were not a one-off mistake in judgment. Nor were his false statements made in the heat of the moment. They were nowhere close to that,' prosecutors wrote in the court papers. Stone has denied wrongdoing and consistently criticized the case against him as politically motivated. He did not give evidence during the trial and his lawyers did not call any witnesses in his defense. Stone was convicted in November for witness tampering and obstructing an investigation into whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to win the 2016 election The evidence presented in the trial did not directly address Mr Mueller's conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to tip the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in Mr Trump's favor. But it provided new insight into the scramble inside the Trump campaign when it was revealed in July 2016 that the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks had more than 19,000 emails hacked from the servers of the Democratic National Committee. Witnesses in the case testified that Trumps campaign viewed Stone as an 'access point' to WikiLeaks and tried to use him to get advance word about hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. Roger Stone, left, with his wife Nydia Stone, pictured in November after leaving federal court in Washington. Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence Stone to serve between 7 and 9 years in prison after his conviction on witness tampering and obstruction charges Stone was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation Prosecutors alleged Stone lied to Congress about his conversations about WikiLeaks with New York radio host and comedian Randy Credico - who scored an interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2016, when he was avoiding prosecution by sheltering in the Ecuadoran embassy in London - and conservative writer and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. During the 2016 campaign, Stone had mentioned in interviews and public appearances that he was in contact with Assange through a trusted intermediary and hinted at inside knowledge of WikiLeaks plans. But he started pressing Credico to broker a contact, and Credico testified that he told Stone to work through his own intermediary. Earlier testimony revealed that Stone, while appearing before the House Intelligence Committee, named Credico as his intermediary to Assange and pressured Credico not to contradict him. After Credico was contacted by Congress, he reached out to Stone, who told him he should 'stonewall it' and 'plead the fifth,' he testified. Credico also testified during Stones trial that Stone repeatedly told him to 'do a `Frank Pentangeli,' a reference to a character in 'The Godfather: Part II' who lies before Congress. Prosecutors also charged that Stone had threatened Credico's therapy dog, Bianca, saying he was 'going to take that dog away from you.' By Express News Service CHENNAI: British Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai, Oliver Ballhatchet MBE has profusely praised the State government for its constant efforts to eliminate the bonded labour system.My congratulations to the chief minister of Tamil Nadu for heading one of the few state governments in India, leading the fight against the crime of bonded labour. In 2019, Tamil Nadu gave India its first-ever Commentary on the Bonded Labour Act, launched right here in Chennai, by my predecessor, he said. He was addressing the commemoration ceremony of the enactment of the Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, organised by the International Justice Mission (IJM) and British Deputy High Commission, Chennai. The British envoy said in 2019, Tamil Nadu launched a first of its kind in India, One-Stop Crisis Team (OSCT) in all 32 districts of Tamil Nadu, to prevent and tackle the issue of human trafficking. Since its launch, this OSCT team and the State administration has rescued 122 victims of human trafficking including as many as 50 bonded labourers, the British Deputy High Commissioner added. Justice Vineet Kothari, Executive Chairman, State Legal Services Authority, and Judge, Madras High Court, said to tackle the prevalence of bonded labour, the government needs to work towards stopping it. Model Town Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Model Town constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Model Town Assembly Elections 2020: The Aam Aadmi Party's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi has won the election from the Model Town constituency against the Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra by a margin of 11,133 votes. Model Town, part of the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, is a largely affluent area. However, it also has a significant population living in slums. Part of the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, the largely affluent area of Model Town saw a triangular contest, with the AAP pitted against the BJP and Congress. The AAP has renominated Akhilesh Pati Tripathi to fight from the seat. Tripathi had come under scrutiny as he has been the legal radar for rioting and assaulting the police in 2013. He will be up against controversial former AAP MLA Kapil Mishra, who is contesting on a BJP ticket. Sharma, who was ousted from the AAP, faced a 48-hour campaigning ban last week after he compared the elections in Delhi to "India vs Pakistan". The Congress has nominated Akansha Ola, a secretary of the Mahila Congress. The constituency goes to the polls on 8 February and the results will be announced on 11 February. Constituency Name: Model Town Constituency Number: 18 District Name: North West Delhi Total Electors: 153672 Female Electors: 68477 Male Electors: 85192 Third Gender: 3 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Congress' Kanwar Karan Singh was the MLA from Model Town between 1998 and 2013. In 2008 election, the first after delimitation, he defeated long-time rival Bhola Nath Vij by less than 3,000 votes. The Congress leader was defeated by Akhilesh Pati Tripathi in 2013 and 2015 polls, the first time by a margin of less than 8,000 votes and the second time by a comfortable margin of over 16,000 votes. Demographics: Model Town, part of the Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, is a largely affluent area. However, it also has a significant population living in slums. Model Town houses the Chhatrasal Stadium, which was used during the Asian Games held in Delhi in the 1980s. It also has the popular Naini Lake and is in close proximity of the Delhi Universitys North Campus, which has some of the highly-renowned colleges in the country. The area is surrounded by popular localities including Hudson Lines, Old Gupta Colony, Vijay Nagar, Kalyan Vihar, Gujranwala Town and Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar. The lives of Cambodias opposition activists who have fled to neighboring Thailand to escape persecution back home are growing increasingly desperate, according to one former party official, who said they cannot earn enough to provide for their families and face the constant threat of deportation. Khin Roeun, the 38-year-old former chief of the youth wing of the banned Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) in Cambodias capital Phnom Penh, relocated with his teenage daughter to Thailand in October 2018, a month before his wife, Leng Kolyan, joined him with their 10-year-old disabled son. Their exodus to Thailand followed the arrest of CNRP President Kem Sokha in September 2017, the dissolution of the CNRP by Cambodias Supreme Court two months later, and a wider crackdown on the political opposition, NGOs, and the independent media that paved the way for the ruling Cambodian Peoples Party (CPP) to win all 125 seats in parliament in the countrys July 2018 general election. Khin Roeun, who was jailed for three years in Cambodia after joining an opposition protest in Phnom Penh in 2014, told RFAs Khmer Service that regular persecution of CNRP supporters after the electionincluding arrests on what observers have said are politically motivated chargesforced him and other activists to flee their homeland with their families. But while they no longer face the threat of arrest and can freely pursue their activism campaigning for political change back home, many of those who have relocated to Thailand are now living under difficult conditions in which they cannot work because they lack legal status. Khin Roeun said that he and his family are living in a single room in Bangkok with a small bathroom, but no kitchen, which they rent for around 3,000 baht (U.S. $100) a month. We couldnt afford to live in conditions better than this, he said, adding that even when we have enough to eat, we are still lacking. We need to evade the Thai police every day, because we dont have legal documents to work. While Khin Roeun and his family were granted refugee status by the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Bangkok in August 2019, Thailand is not a party to the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol, and he said that he and his family members live under the constant fear of deportation. Because they cannot work, Khin Roeun said that his family relies on a monthly stipend of U.S. $100 from the CNRP leadership in exile, and that when their son requires emergency medical treatment, they have been forced to ask for hundreds more from relatives back home. They receive some support from the UNHCR, he said, but not enough to provide for his family in Thailand, and they regularly collect food from ethnic Khmer Buddhist monks at local pagodas. We are so strained by the cost of living here that we must apply for aid from the U.N., which offers us assistance once or twice a month, he said. I regularly go to one or two pagodas where Khmer monks live, as they know me, and they provide me with food donations. Family sacrifices Leng Kolyan told RFA that her sons health has worsened ever since Khin Roeun was jailed in 2014, but that despite the challenges her family faces in caring for him, they had to leave Cambodia because of the harassment they faced. I am very upset [about how difficult life is here], but we cant say anything just because we see that some people have food to eat when we do not, she said. I want to go to work, but there is no one to take care of my children. If my husband found a job, wed be afraid that the police would arrest him because we dont have work permits, so things are very difficult. Leng Kolyan said that despite the difficulties, she believes in her husbands work, and has always supported him in helping to bring democratic freedoms to Cambodia. I'm not angry with him because he is doing a job for the nation, she said. Khin Roeuns daughter, Sovan Lyda, told RFA that she has had to suspend her regular education since relocating to Thailand and now attends classes to study the Thai language at the Bangkok Refugee Center. The teachers are Thais and there are students of many different nationalities, but few Khmer students, so I am forced to speak Thai to everyone, she said. My dad is committed to his work and I am his child, so we have to follow him. I'm not angry at him about it. Facing harassment While both Hun Sen and Cambodias Interior Minister Sar Kheng have both repeatedly claimed that Cambodia is fully free and democratic, they have also called refugees from the CNRP illegal rebels and accused them of plotting to overthrow the government. Cambodias National Police spokesman Chhay Kimkhoeun recently told RFA that his government was unconcerned about opposition activists fleeing to Thailand and dismissed reports that authorities are persecuting them. He also suggested that the activists fears are unwarranted and that the decision to leave the country was entirely up to them. Meanwhile, multiple local and international nongovernmental organizations have issued reports condemning Cambodias government for what they say are serious human rights abuses in the country, and have demanded that political freedoms are reinstated so that the public can feel safe enough to express their own opinions. London-based Amnesty International recently said it had found that rights violationsincluding persecution, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests of CNRP supporterssaw a significant increase in 2019. Acting CNRP chief Sam Rainsys planned to return to Cambodia on Nov. 9 last year to restore democracy through nonviolent protest, but Hun Sens government labelled the move part of a coup attempt and ultimately blocked his entry. In the aftermath, authorities jailed around 100 CNRP activists and supporters, and charged a similar number with crimes widely dismissed as politically motivated. Reported by RFAs Khmer Service. Translated by Pheap Aun. Written in English by Joshua Lipes. 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. An On-Air Personality with Rainbow FM, Victor Udoh has revealed how two secondary girls from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun State, sold their friend to a ritualist in Epe, Lagos State. On his Facebook page, Victor alleged that the two school girls lured their from Ijebu Ode to Epe in Lagos and sold her off to a ritualist for the sum of N50,000. The girls where caught and handed over to the police on their way back, but the victim had already been gruesomely murdered and dismembered. Two secondary school girls led their friend from Ijebu Ode to Epe in Lagos and sold her off to ritualist!!!?? But the same taxi driver that took them fortunately picked them on their way back. He saw them sharing wads of notes but they could not give him a convincing response as to the where about of their friend. As a correct thinking adult, he quietly drove them to a police station. By the time the police reached, the girl had been dismembered! ??? Meanwhile, A video has emerged online showing a secondary school female student engaging her teacher in a very serious fight in the presence of the entire students. It is not clear what triggered the fight but the two parties could be seen in the video initially holding a log before pushing it to the ground in anger, then exchanging blows to the point that attempts to separate them proved abortive. People's values of personal choice, su?h as their attitudes towards abortion, divorce, and premarital sex, are usually determined their level of education, age, religiosity, and social status. At least this is the case in many countries such as the US and those in Europe. In a recent study, sociologists from HSE University and Max Planck Institute found that in post-Soviet countries, personal values are most determined by people's level of patriotism. http://jourssa.ru/?q=en/Lopatina%20et%20al_2019_4_Article In post-Soviet countries, the transition from a planned economy to a market economy was accompanied by political instability and economic stagnation. Despite the fact that each country of the former socialist camp has had its own path of development, they are united by a prevalence of patriarchal and nationalist ideologies. When a nation is defined by ethnicity ('blood and soil'), as opposed to the constructivist approach, in which ethnicity and nation are considered to be politically constructed, an emphasis is often placed on primordial rhetoric. The state propaganda of many post-Soviet societies places great importance on family values and fertility, while practices of individual choice, such as abortion, divorce, and premarital sex, are portrayed in the media and official discourse as dangerous to the nation and state. In transitional societies that have experienced economic collapse or disintegration, the desire of elites to reconstruct national identity can lead to a revival of traditional values ?. To test this postulation, sociologists analyzed data of the sixth wave of the World Values ??Survey, collected in 2014 from surveys of residents of ten former Soviet republics: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan. Scientists looked at the relationship between values of personal choice and national pride. http://jourssa.ru/sites/all/files/volumes/2019_4/Lopatina%20et%20al_2019_4.pdf Approval of individual choice was measured on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 indicated that a given decision 'can never be justified' and 10 indicated that a given decision 'was always justified'. The extent of a subject's nationalism was determined by two questions. The first question was, 'How proud are you that you are Russian (Belarusian, Uzbek, etc.)?' The second question regarded the main goals of the state. For this question, respondents had to choose from four options: 'military strength'; 'high level of economic growth'; 'improvement of the urban environment and rural regions'; and 'ensuring that the voice of ordinary people is taken into account when making decisions'. If a respondent answered that 'military strength' should be a state's main goal, then his or response was considered to be militaristically oriented. In addition, researchers took into account respondents' level of education, age, gender, religiosity, and marital status. Post-Soviet Syndrome Despite the prevalence of divorce, abortion and premarital sex in post-Soviet countries--Russia ranks first in the world in divorces (with 51% of marriages ending in divorce), while Kazakhstan, Belarus and Estonia rank among the world's top five countries for highest abortion rates--residents of these countries expressed conservative views on all three practices. Researchers, however, consider these expressions to be more a matter of lip service than actual practice. In their opinion, doublethink is characteristic of inhabitants of the former Soviet Union, where views that differed from those generally accepted were persecuted, and to this day remain in some places prosecuted by law and condemned by society. 'For example, homosexuality, which also falls under to purview of "values ??of individual choice" here, is so taboo in the post-Soviet context that it is almost impossible to study attitudes toward it,' notes Veronika Kostenko https://www.hse.ru/en/org/persons/26409382, one of the study authors. 'People are used to living in a system of double standards where people say one thing in public and another at home.' The researchers found that the most significant predictor of conservative attitudes in all respondents was national pride. To the contrary, the other factors of gender, age, religiosity and education, if they did have any influence, did not do so in concert or consistently in every country. For example, only in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, and to a lesser extent, Georgia, was there a relationship between having higher education and holding slightly less negative views towards abortion, divorce, and premarital sex. In other countries, including Russia, the factor had no effect. Gender had some significance only in Armenia. There, women were less critical of values ??of personal choice less than men. The researchers observed a link between age and values of personal choice among respondents from Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. In these countries, older generations are less tolerant of abortion, divorce, and premarital sex. However, in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, researchers found no generational differences with regard to these questions. In Estonia, Russia, and Ukraine, the more frequently an individual attends church, the more likely he or she is to reject values of individual choice. This is also the case, to a lesser extent, in Azerbaijan and Belarus. As for marital status, divorced people turned out to be the most tolerant only in Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Belarus, Georgia, and Ukraine. The influence of national pride is especially significant in Armenia, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and, to a lesser extent, Estonia and Ukraine. In these countries, the higher the respondents' reported national pride, the stronger their rejection of the values of individual choice. In Russia, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan, militarism is more important than national pride. Respondents in these countries who did not approve of abortion, divorce, and premarital sex believed that military power should be their state's main goal. ### The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained what it is doing to allow persons with disabilities (PWDs) take an active part in the electoral process across the country. The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Zamfara State, Asmau Maikudi, disclosed this on Tuesday at a one-day meeting in Kano. The meeting was aimed at fashioning the mechanism for capturing the data of persons with disabilities in the country. She said that the unavailability of this data has limited the commissions plan for inclusive and effective participation of PWDs in the electoral process. According to her, data on the size, location and gender of PWDs are needed to provide the required service effectively. She added that data on the literacy level amongst PWDs is also needed. Those who required braille, they need to be educated on how to operate before they can effectively use it in making their choices on Election Day. In August 2019, the commission organised a national strategy meeting to develop a strategy of collecting the disaggregated data of PWDs across the country. The meeting developed a harmonised format to be used to ensure uniformity in the collection of the disaggregated data of PWDs in the register of voters across the nation, she explained. In her remarks, the deputy director, civil society organisation division of the INEC, Lakunuya Dorothy-Bello, said the full participation of PWDs in the electoral processes is one of the underlining principals of the United Nations (UN) convention on the rights of persons with disabilities adopted in 2016. She added that the commission has demonstrated its commitment toward ensuring their participation. She, however, noted that inclusion of PWDs in the electoral process required accurate data. She said the commission would ensure that relevant statistics and research data are made available to policymakers as a precondition for responsive and effective evidence-based policymaking. There is an urgent need to capture the disaggregated data of PDWs across the country. This will assist the commission towards knowing the concentration of voters with disabilities, number, gender and type of assistive aid to procure and deploy. The database of eligible PWDs disaggregated by type of disabilities and gender will help the commission in inclusive planning, she said. Meanwhile, the Executive Director, Center for Citizens with Disabilities, David Anoyaele, commended the electoral body for involving persons living with disabilities in the process. He said, INEC is really building inclusive with the release of the PWD active participation in electoral process documents. According to him, such has become a motivating factor and power for every disabled person. Over the past several months at congressional hearings, in a report by the Soufan Center, and in a letter to the State Department signed by 40 members of Congress we have documented the existence of a global network of white supremacist extremists that stretches across North America, Europe and Australia. White supremacists today are organizing in a similar fashion to jihadist terrorist organizations, like Al Qaeda, in the 1980s and 1990s. They transcend national barriers with recruitment and dissemination of propaganda. And just as jihadists exploited conflicts in Afghanistan, the Balkans and Syria, so too are white supremacists using the conflict in Ukraine as a laboratory and training ground. Yet despite these profound similarities, United States law has not caught up to the new threat we face. International white supremacist groups are still not designated as foreign terrorist organizations, which means our law enforcement and intelligence agencies cannot access the full suite of tools available to them in countering groups like ISIS and Al Qaeda. A few examples lay bare the extent of this tangled, transnational web. The Australian who in March last year murdered 51 worshipers at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, claimed in his manifesto that he had traveled to Ukraine; during the attacks he wore a symbol used by the Azov Battalion. The F.B.I. director recently warned that American extremists, too, are traveling overseas for paramilitary training. Among those who have trained with Azov are several of the men responsible for fomenting violence at the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Va., in August 2017. James Alex Fields Jr., who murdered a protester with his car, was a member of Vanguard America, a group with ties to the British network that celebrated Thomas Mair, the far-right extremist who assassinated the British legislator Jo Cox in 2016. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan Tue, February 11, 2020 14:02 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c9a5c 1 National coronavirus,self-quarantine,North-Sumatra,China Free Sixty-eight people that have just returned from China are undergoing self-quarantine in their homes for 14 days in North Sumatra to prevent a potential coronavirus outbreak. The Medan Port Health Authoritys (KKP) quarantine control head, Rahmad Ramadhan Nasution, told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that foreign nationals were among the returnees and were under observation by health agencies in the province. All 68 people are spread in several regions in North Sumatra. They have signed an agreement to conduct self-quarantine and to always use medical masks, Rahmad said. The new coronavirus has infected more than 42,000 people and killed more than 1,000 on mainland China, overtaking global fatalities in the 2002-03 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic. Cases have also been reported in two dozen other countries. North Sumatra Health Agency head Alwi Mujahit Hasibuan said the returnees must remain in their own houses for 14 days and were being monitored by the agency and the KKP. Well observe them for 14 days and in the meantime, theyre prohibited from leaving their homes, he said. He added that during the observation period, the agency and the KKP could dispatch a team to monitor the returnees health development at any time. Read also: Indonesian reporter and family in self-imposed quarantine upon return from China It could be daily, twice a day, or once a week depending on the requirements, he said. He also urged the public to remain calm as the self-quarantined returnees were said to be in good condition. While no coronavirus infection has been reported in Indonesia, health experts have expressed concern over the possibility of undetected cases in the country. A recent study conducted by researchers at Harvard University has suggested that Indonesia should have confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus already, considering the high air travel volume from Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak in China, to the country. The study, carried out by researchers at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health, revealed that Indonesia's zero confirmed cases "may suggest the potential for undetected cases in these locations given the expected connection before travel control measures were implemented. However, the study has not been peer-reviewed. It was published on pre-print server medRxiv on Feb. 5. The ministry has repeatedly brushed off these concerns. Its communicable disease prevention and control director, Wiendra Waworuntu, said Indonesia had learned from its previous encounters with outbreaks, including the 2002-2003 SARS outbreak. (mpr) Cipla said its wholly owned subsidiary Cipla Medpro South Africa and South Africa's third largest pharmaceutical company in the private sector, concluded an exclusive agreement securing originator and authorised generic brands of an atypical anti-psychotic drug, Quetiapine. Infosys announced a definitive agreement to acquire Simplus, one of the fastest growing Salesforce Platinum Partners in the USA and Australia. Simplus is a recognized leader and advisor in cloud consulting, implementation, data integration, change management and training services for Salesforce Quote-to-Cash applications. Petronet LNG reported 15.76% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 679.22 crore on 11.85% fall in total income to Rs 8998.43 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. CARE Ratings said the company has received a show-cause notice from SEBI, calling upon the reasons why the penalty amount should not be enhanced. Earlier on 20 December 2018, and 31 December 31 2019, the company was issued a notice and imposition of penalty of Rs 25 lakhs by SEBI in the matter of credit rating assigned to one of the company's customers and its subsidiaries. Bombay Dyeing & Manufacturing Company reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 162.42 crore against a net loss of Rs 190.11 crore on 9.55% fall in total income to Rs 389.66 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. Cadila Healthcare said the company's topical manufacturing facility located at Ahmedabad, India has received an Establishment Inspection Report (EIR) from the USFDA signifying the successful closure of the audit. The topical manufacturing facility had completed the USFDA audit from 16 to 20 December 2019 with zero 483 observations. Capacite Infraprojects informed that the company has received contract worth Rs 350.17 crore (excluding GST) from marquee private sector client in Mumbai under its Commercial and Institutional Portfolio. Chalet Hotels reported 133.87% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 33.28 crore on 11.64% rise in total income to Rs 284.73 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. In line with its strategy to optimally utilize available land, the company has embarked on 2 commercial projects with an area of around 1.1 mn sqft in Mumbai and Bengaluru adjoining its existing hotels. Kalpataru Power Transmission reported 16.51% rise in consolidated net profit to Rs 127.00 crore on 15.09% rise in total income to Rs 3172.00 crore in Q3 December 2019 over Q3 December 2018. The company's consolidated order book stood at Rs 25,359 crores as of 31 Dec 2019. GMR Infrastructure said that its subsidiary, GMR Airports, has bagged the concession commencement date to design, construct, finance, operate and maintain the new international airport of Heraklion at Crete, Greece. GMR Airports, along with its Greek partner GEK TERNA, had signed the concession agreement in February 2019. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Gilead Sciences could be the best positioned biotech stock here. That's according to Mark Newton, founder of Newton Advisors, who says the biotech company looks technically attractive as it works toward a cure for the new coronavirus. "Gilead broke out last week. Gilead Sciences is up to new six-week highs on an explosion of volume last week. We saw the call open interest jump over 88%," Newton said Monday on CNBC's "Trading Nation." "This stock had been going down and had been cut in half really since 2015 then moving sideways," said Newton. "This little breakout last week is very interesting to me technically from a risk-reward standpoint." Newton said the shares could see an additional boost given the company is at the forefront of coronavirus treatment testing. China began a clinical trial of Gilead's antiviral treatment remdesivir in the country last week. "I like Gilead and I would own it and look to buy any weakness," said Newton. In the same interview, Joule Financial President Quint Tatro said the fundamentals back up the bull case for Gilead. "I was really surprised when I started digging into Gilead just today surprised so much that I had to pick up some shares for our firm today," Tatro said. "The stock is trading 11 times forward [earnings] and has very impressive earnings growth, and most importantly ... is generating over $6 a share in free cash flow with a 4% dividend." While Gilead trades at nearly 11 times forward earnings, the IBB biotechnology ETF trades at a far higher 89 times forward multiple. "From a valuation standpoint, we like this stock quite a bit, started a position, and will be digging in to the [fundamentals] further," said Tatro. Disclosure: Tatro and Joule Financial hold a position in Gilead. Disclaimer (Reuters) - A U.S. district judge is expected to rule in favor of allowing Sprint and T-Mobile to merge, according to sources familiar with the matter. (Reuters) - A U.S. district judge is expected to rule in favor of allowing Sprint and T-Mobile to merge, according to sources familiar with the matter. The decision is expected to be made public on Tuesday. The third-largest U.S. wireless carrier by subscribers has been awaiting a decision from a federal judge on whether it can move forward with its $26.5 billion (20.5 billion pounds) merger with Sprint. The two companies are expected to start talks on renegotiating the terms of their merger in the next few days, the sources said. Multiple states had sued to block the deal, arguing it is anticompetitive and will raise prices for customers. Sprint did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment, while T-Mobile declined to comment. Shares of Sprint were up 50% at $7.2 in after-market trading, while T-Mobile rose 6.5%. The Wall Street Journal earlier reported that the court was expected to approve the deal on Tuesday. (Reporting by Arundhati Sarkar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Uttaresh.V) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. Ukraine's infrastructure minister to meet with Poland's counterpart to discuss expansion of transport quotas for Ukraine Ukrainian Infrastructure Minister Vladyslav Krykliy will visit Poland with a working in a week to discuss the expansion of road transport quotas provided by Poland to Ukrainian haulers. "After a week I am going to Poland purposefully to discuss this issue. I will meet with Poland's Minister of Infrastructure Andrzej Adamczyk. We have support in Belarus [the intergovernmental protocol on the liberalization of road transport with Belarus], and I think we will be able to move forward," he told Interfax-Ukraine. As reported, last week Ukraine and Belarus signed an intergovernmental protocol providing for the exemption from the permit system of road transportation of goods and passengers as irregular traffic. As Krykliy previously said, the situation with haulage through the Polish border in 2020 could worsen due to the fact that Poland issues additional permits for international trucking in 2019, reducing the number of permits for 2020. (Newser) For the first time in 30 years, it will be soon be legal to own a pit bull in Denver. The City Council on Monday repealed a ban on the dogs enacted after a series of attacks in 1989. Shira Hereld cried at the decision. "I am over the moon," she told the Denver Post, noting she'd moved to the Denver suburb of Arvada with her mixed-breed dog to avoid the ban. "I was constantly concerned she wouldn't pass the visual test," she said. Dr. Kendall Houlihan of the American Veterinary Medical Association's Animal Welfare Division praised the decision, saying breed-specific bans are "an overly simplistic approach to a complex social problem." story continues below "While it is commonly suggested, pit bull-type dogs also do not have unique 'locking' jaws that necessarily cause more damage than other large breeds," Houlihan tells the Denver newspaper. While some city residents described pit bulls as a "plague," the city ultimately decided to allow the dogs under a probation period. An owner can apply for a restricted license for a fee and with proof that the dog is vaccinated and microchipped. If there are no issues in three years, the pit bull will then receive a regular license. Animal control workers may inspect a home to ensure a safe environment, per KUSA. The change will take effect in 90 days when the mayor signs it into law, reports the Denver Channel. (Read more Denver stories.) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has discussed the continued disengagement process in Donbas in a telephone call with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "The parties discussed the designation of three additional areas for disengagement along the line of contact in Donbas and expressed the hope that progress could be made in this process at the next meeting of the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk on February 12," the Ukrainian presidential press service said. Merkel, as a part of the discussion of the implementation of the agreements reached during the meeting in the Normandy format in Paris on December 9, 2019, expressed concern about violations of the ceasefire by illegal armed groups. Zelensky, in turn, emphasized the need to ensure unhindered access for international humanitarian organizations, in particular the International Committee of the Red Cross, to persons held in the occupied territories. The parties also discussed the need to extend the personal sanctions of the European Union against former Ukrainian top officials who are suspected of misusing state funds and committing crimes during the Revolution of Dignity. Arvind Kejriwal led the Aam Aadmi Party to a stupendous victory yet again in the Delhi Assembly polls, dealing a body blow to the main rival BJP and completely decimating the Congress in a keenly-watched battle in the midst of anti-CAA protests. The 51-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician almost replicated the AAP's fairy-tale victory of 2015 by riding on his government's development agenda, and in the process emerged as a key leader in the national political landscape. As AAP was poised to bag 62 out of 70 seats, leaders cutting across party lines including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi (Congress), Sharad Pawar (NCP), Mamata Banerjee (TMC), Naveen Patnaik (BJD) and MK Stalin (DMK) congratulated Kejriwal for the historic victory. According to latest results, the AAP won in 56 seats and was leading in six others with a total vote share of 53.58 per cent. The BJP recorded victory in seven seats and was ahead in one constituency, receiving 38.49 per cent of the total votes. The Congress could not even manage a single seat and ended with 4.27 per cent vote share. The AAP's stupendous victory comes nearly eight months after it suffered a severe drubbing in the Lok Sabha polls in which the party drew a blank while the BJP won all the seven seats. The victory also assumes significance as it came in the face of BJP's no holds barred attack against protesters opposing the Citizenship (Amendement) Act as "supporters of Pakistan" during the bitterly-fought campaign. "Dilliwalon, ghazab kar diya aapne (Delhiites, you have done the impossible). I love you," Kejriwal, flanked by his wife, daughter and senior party leaders, said in a brief thank you address at the party's headquarters here. "It is the beginning of new kind of today. This is very auspicious message for the country and the of work can only take our country to the 21st century," he added. "It is a victory for Bharat Mata (mother India)," he said as a large number of supporters cheered him. Later, he visited the famous Hanuman temple near Connaught Place along with his family and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia. All AAP heavyweights including Sisodia, Ragav Chaddha and Atishi, Gopal Rai, Satyender Jain emerged victorious. Modi congratulated Kejriwal for his party's win and wished him "the very best" in fulfilling the aspirations of the people "Congratulations to AAP and shri Arvind Kejriwal ji for the victory in the Delhi assembly elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi," the prime minister tweeted. Opposition leaders hailed AAP'S landslide win as a defeat of the of polarisation and hate and a victory of inclusive politics, saying "winds of change" are blowing in the country. Leaders of non-BJP parties cutting across party lines said the poll outcome showed that elections can be fought and won on the development plank. There was also a call for all regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was among the first to congratulate Kejrwial, said the Delhi polls have proven that only development will work. "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." the TMC supremo told reporters in Kolkata, amid the protests against the CAA, National Register of Citizens(NRC) and National Population Register(NPR). NCP supremo Sharad Pawar utilised the AAP's sweeping win to stress that regional parties need to come together to keep the BJP out of power. "The Delhi poll results indicate that 'winds of change' are blowing in the country. The results are not surprising to me," Pawar told reporters in Pune. "The BJP, as usual, played the communal card to polarise votes, but failed," he said. The elections in the national capital took place in the midst of massive protests in the city and elsewhere over the new citizenship law, an issue which was strongly raised by the BJP top leadership during the campaigning which often turned bitter and vitriolic. Though BJP's campaign focused on national security issues, the AAP mainly focused on its achievements in the fields of education, healthcare and infrastructure. The AAP had registered a sensational victory in 2015 by winning 67 seats in a hurricane march that almost wiped out the BJP and the Congress. "We have been saying since the beginning that the upcoming polls will be fought on the basis of work done by us" AAP spokesperson Sanjay Singh told reporters. A clear majority shows that doing Hindu-Muslim politics will not work anymore, said AAP volunteer Fareen Khan at the party office. After he was declared winner from the Patparganj seat, Sisodia said the BJP indulged in "politics of hate", but people refused its agenda. "The BJP indulged in politics of hate, but I thank the people of Patparganj...Delhi's people have chosen a government which works for them and explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate," he told reporters. Carrying blue and white balloons, buntings and giant cut-outs of their leader Arvind Kejriwal, AAP workers celebrated at the party's headquarter in the national capital. Grooving to the tunes of the party's campaign song - 'Lage Raho Kejriwal' - and drumbeats, AAP workers and supporters hugged each other and offered 'ladoos' amid a surcharged atmosphere. The Congress accepted defeat and vowed to rebuild and revive itself at the grassroots level in the city. "People's mandate is against us, we accept it. We have resolved to revive and rebuild the party," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said at a press conference. A total of 672 candidates, including 593 men and 79 women, were in the fray for the hotly contested elections. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi: The condition of a person who has been affected by the devastation of one corona has worsened today, while the Maldives has thanked India for bringing seven Maldives citizens from the city to Wuhan, suffering from Chinese Coronavirus. Significantly, another Air India aircraft has reached Delhi carrying 323 Indians from Wuhan, China. 7 Maldives citizens have also been brought in the aircraft. Maldives Foreign Minister Abdullah Shahid thanked PM Modi and Foreign Minister Jaishankar. He said that this assistance from India once again reveals the special friendship between the two countries. The Government of India is bringing them back to the country to protect its citizens from the coronavirus spread in China. On Saturday, 324 Indians were brought from China. Delhi Election Live: Prashant Kishore arrives to meet Kejriwal, felicitated on victory The Indian government has arranged for all Indians coming from China to stay in the Cantonment camp of Delhi and Manesar camp in Haryana. According to the Health Ministry, "It has been decided to keep all these people who have returned from China at least two weeks apart from the rest of the Indian citizens." Under this decision of the Government of India, all Indians returning from China have been kept in the building of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) in the outskirts of Chawla in Delhi and in the building of the Indian Arm Force Medical Services in Manesar, Haryana. Delhi Results Live: Know who is leading from these major seats The maximum infection of coronavirus has spread in the Wuhan province of China. This infection of the coronavirus from Wuhan has now spread to 30 different states of China. Wuhan is the only state in China where most Indian students and other citizens are stranded. Most of the Indians who returned home on Saturday have the highest number of students. Coronavirus: WHO says, 'virus can also take the form of epidemic' [February 11, 2020] Hikvision launches new generation of AcuSense products HANGZHOU, China, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Hikvision, the world's leading provider of innovative security products and solutions, announces the launch of a new generation of its signature AcuSense products, with significant updates. "Hikvision AcuSense products were introduced in 2018, with the idea of making intelligent alarms and services available to small businesses and residential customers for the first time," says Frank Zhang, President of International Product and Solution Center at Hikvision. "In a nutshell, AcuSense technology enables security personnel to focus on human and vehicle events rather than insignificant objects, so they can act more efficiently which helps save time and costs, while end users can get full control of their security system anytime, from anywhere." Improved alarm accuracy The latest Hikvision AcuSense devices are engineered with an upgraded deep learning algorithm, which analyzes live video streams and labels them as "human," "vehicle," or "other events." Those labeled as human and vehicle will trigger alarms for security staff, while other events such as rain drops, animals, or the movement of foliage, for example, will be drastically disregarded. The result is a striking reduction in false alarms now with an accuracy approaching 98%. In this way, security personnel can focus on genuine security issues and take action. Additionally, related videos are automatically sorted by categories for easier search. Enhanced motion detection with human / ehicle classification Customers familiar with Motion Detection will appreciate the capabilities of AcuSense technology as well. Taking users' habits into full consideration, Hikvision designed AcuSense products to integrate human and vehicle classifications with motion detection. More specifically, when motion is detected, the system analyzes whether or not it is associated with a human or a vehicle, and whether an alarm should be triggered. So, when users enable the motion detection function, they can enjoy the same level of alarm accuracy afforded by Hikvision's AcuSense technology. Flashing light and two-way voice conversation When real-time deterrence is needed, Hikvision also offers camera models with a flashing light and auditory warning. As soon as an alarm is triggered, the built-in light flashes. Simultaneously, security personnel can communicate with the person who triggered the alarm to confirm their authorization, thanks to the built-in speaker and microphone in the camera. Of note, the latest AcuSense cameras even support customized audio tracks, which can be pre-recorded to suit various environments. Better performance in low-light environments The latest AcuSense camera lenses are equipped with an aperture reaching up to F1.4. This technology allows more light to enter the lens, for optimized image brightness, and better performance in low-light environments. Larger detection area Compared with previous AcuSense cameras, this new generation extends target classification distances from 10, 15, or 22 meters to 20, 25, or 30 meters, depending on the model. Customers can choose from 2 MP, 4 MP, or 4K resolutions, as well as dome, turret and bullet housings to suit their specific installation requirements. For more information about the latest generation of Hikvision AcuSense products, visit https://www.hikvision.com/en/products/IP-Products/Network-Cameras/Pro-Series-EasyIP-/ Contact us today for your hassle-free solution! About Hikvision Hikvision is a world leading provider of security products and solutions. Featuring an extensive and highly skilled R&D workforce, Hikvision manufactures a full suite of comprehensive products and solutions for a broad range of vertical markets. In addition to the security industry, Hikvision extends its reach to smart home tech, industrial automation, and automotive electronics industries to achieve its long-term vision. Hikvision products also provide powerful business intelligence for end users, which can enable more efficient operations and greater commercial success. Committed to the utmost quality and safety of its products, Hikvision encourages partners to take advantage of the many cybersecurity resources Hikvision offers, including the Hikvision Cybersecurity Centre. For more information, please visit us at www.hikvision.com. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20200211/2716972-1 SOURCE Hikvision Digital Technology Co., Ltd. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] In this Feb. 2, 2020, file photo, a military officer wearing a protective suit gives instructions to evacuees from Wuhan, China, as they travel to a hospital after their arrival at a military base in Wroclaw, Poland. Arek and Jenina Rataj were starting a new life in the Chinese industrial center of Wuhan when a viral outbreak spread across the city of 11 million. While they were relatively safe sheltering at home, Arek felt compelled to go out and document the outbreak of the new type of coronavirus. Among his subjects: the construction of a new hospital built in a handful of days; biosecurity check points; and empty streets. (AP Photo/Arek Rataj, File) As confirmed cases of the Wuhan coronavirus continued to rise, death toll continued to rise as well - with 97 more fatalities blamed on the infection on Sunday alone. The total for the day broke the virus' record for the number of deaths in a single day, according to NPR. The total number of confirmed cases of the coronavirus has reached 43,106, compared to the 8,100 total SARS cases in 2002-03 after being transmitted for eight months, Bloomberg reported. Compared to SARS' mortality rate of 10 percent, the coronavirus is lower at 2 percent. However, the coronavirus has spread at a more rapid pace. In the 2002-03 outbreak, which also started in China, SARS was blamed for 774 deaths, meaning that deaths from the coronavirus have already surpassed the number of fatalities caused by SARS after less than two months. A total of 3,575 people have reportedly been cured of the coronavirus so far. None of those cured were from Europe or North America. Anthony S. Fauci, head of the U.S. National Institute of Health's National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told Bloomberg that he "can't guarantee" that China has reported the correct number of cases. He also said U.S. officials are hoping to be able to send a team of their own into China to monitor and study the outbreak themselves. Story continues Bloomberg further reported that Wuhan's health services are not adequately equipped to handle such an outbreak, and the ability to care for each patient is "limited." Mild cases may also be missed. In this Jan. 28, 2020, file photo, a worker wearing a face mask sprays disinfectant along a path in Wuhan in central China's Hubei Province. Halting the spread of a new virus that has killed hundreds in China is difficult in part because important details about the illness and how it spreads are still unknown. (AP Photo/Arek Rataj, File) After 17,000 patients were analyzed, The World Health Organization (WHO) determined 82 percent had "mild" cases, according to Bloomberg. More than 6,400 cases are reportedly considered "severe." Adam Kucharski, an associate professor of infectious disease epidemiology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told Bloomberg that the peak of the virus is expected to hit around mid-to late February. He said at its peak, the virus may affect 1 in 20 people in Wuhan, or 500,000 people within the quarantined city. AccuWeather founder Dr. Joel N. Myers said the rapid spread of the virus may have weather-related reasons. "Right now and over the next several months, because of the weak sun and the colder temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, the weather may be helping to spread the virus," Myers said last week while pointing out that health officials still don't know if weather impacts the spread of the coronavirus. "However, based on what we've seen from past flus and viruses, including the SARS virus and others, there is less viral spread when the sun is strong and the temperatures are warm from May to September. It's possible the sunshine intensity, the longer daylight periods and the warmer weather could suppress the virus in the summer months," he added. "Still, this coronavirus may be very different - and we're just learning about it. The possibility is this does not behave like all of the others and that it does not decline once the sun gets stronger and the temperatures increase throughout the spring and summer," Myers said. "Instead, if it continues to compound through the entire spring and summer it may infect millions and become a pandemic." CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP Of the more than 40,000 coronavirus cases that have been reported, 136 of those have been on the now-quarantined Cruise Ship Diamond Princess - 66 of the cases being newly confirmed, The Guardian reported. Officials with protective suites prepare work around the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess in the Yokohama Port Monday, Feb. 10, 2020, Yokohama, Japan. Japan's health ministry said Monday that about 60 more people on the quarantined cruise ship have tested positive for a new virus. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) Monday, Feb. 10, marks one week into the ship's quarantine, which is expected to last 14 days. The quarantine is scheduled to end on Feb. 19, although the WHO reports that the quarantine may be extended if it is deemed necessary due to close contact with confirmed cases. The WHO reported further that all passengers have been asked to remain in their cabins and wear masks when in communal spaces. Passengers who have tested positive for the virus were disembarked and admitted to infectious disease hospitals located on land in Yokohama, Japan. Among 3,700 passengers aboard the ship, 600 need medications, and Japan's health ministry reported to have delivered medications to half of those people over the weekend, according to the Guardian. In the most recent situation report posted on Feb. 9, the WHO reported China at "very high" in its risk assessment, and regional and global levels to be "high." The WHO further reported that no new cases have turned up countries where cases have not been previously confirmed since Belgium confirmed one case on Feb. 5. At least 26 countries have reported cases of the virus. From Feb. 11-12, WHO will be holding a "global research and innovation forum," to share and discuss research, and aims to create an agenda for global research on the virus. WHO reports the forum will "fast-track the development and evaluation of effective diagnostic tests, vaccines and medicines, while establishing mechanisms for affordable access to vulnerable populations and facilitating community engagement." Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios. DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Just in time for warmer weather, JSX the hop-on jet service dedicated to making short haul air travel simple and joyful has announced that it will begin seasonal flights to Monterey from both Burbank and Orange County. Tickets start at only at $99 each way and are available for booking today at jsx.com for flights beginning April 16. In only its fourth year of operation, JSX is dramatically improving air travel for thousands each month by offering the comfort and hassle-free experience of flying between private terminals on 30-seat jets. Travelers heading to the beautiful California coastal city arrive just 20 minutes before departure and quickly check-in up to three complimentary bags. For families and adventure-seekers alike, JSX offers a seamless solution between California coasts for the perfect getaway. Once onboard, customers can kick back with business-class leg room along with free snacks and drinks, including cocktails. JSX saves customers up to two hours compared to traditional airlines, meaning travelers can spend less time getting there and more time exploring all Monterey and the surrounding area has to offer. "JSX is continuing to connect the dots along the West Coast to give travelers a fast, fun and seamless alternative to commercial air travel," said JSX CEO Alex Wilcox. "Monterey Regional Airport has welcomed JSX with open arms and we're thrilled to bring our hop-on jet service to this iconic California destination." Hop-on service from Burbank and Orange County will commence on April 16 with daily roundtrip flights on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday. "We are extremely excited to welcome JSX service to Monterey," said Michael La Pier Executive Director of Monterey Region Airport. "Their unique and innovative service should be well received in our community and by those visiting our region. The Los Angeles basin is one of the most significant generators of visitors to our region. This new service will offer an affordable, luxurious and convenient way to connect the two regions like never before. As always, it is vitally important that we support this new service fully so we can enjoy the new access it provides for many years to come. We look forward to growing with JSX." JSX operates a fleet of 30-seat Embraer 135 and 145 aircraft daily from: Burbank (BUR), Las Vegas (LAS), Orange County (SNA), East Bay/Napa/Concord (CCR), Oakland (OAK), Seattle-Boeing Field (BFI) and Phoenix (PHX) and seasonal service to Mammoth Lakes (MMH) and Monterey (MRY). JSX is introducing service from its eighth destination, Portland, Oregon (PDX), on April 2. For additional information and to purchase tickets visit jsx.com. SOURCE JSX Related Links http://jsx.com Quantum engineers from UNSW Sydney have created artificial atoms in silicon chips that offer improved stability for quantum computing. In a paper published today in Nature Communications, UNSW quantum computing researchers describe how they created artificial atoms in a silicon 'quantum dot', a tiny space in a quantum circuit where electrons are used as qubits (or quantum bits), the basic units of quantum information. Scientia Professor Andrew Dzurak explains that unlike a real atom, an artificial atom has no nucleus, but it still has shells of electrons whizzing around the centre of the device, rather than around the atom's nucleus. "The idea of creating artificial atoms using electrons is not new, in fact it was first proposed theoretically in the 1930s and then experimentally demonstrated in the 1990s - although not in silicon. We first made a rudimentary version of it in silicon back in 2013," says Professor Dzurak, who is an ARC Laureate Fellow and is also director of the Australian National Fabrication Facility at UNSW, where the quantum dot device was manufactured. "But what really excites us about our latest research is that artificial atoms with a higher number of electrons turn out to be much more robust qubits than previously thought possible, meaning they can be reliably used for calculations in quantum computers. This is significant because qubits based on just one electron can be very unreliable." Chemistry 101 Professor Dzurak likens the different types of artificial atoms his team has created to a kind of periodic table for quantum bits, which he says is apt given that 2019 - when this ground-breaking work was carried out - was the International Year of the Periodic Table. "If you think back to your high school science class, you may remember a dusty chart hanging on the wall that listed all the known elements in the order of how many electrons they had, starting with Hydrogen with one electron, Helium with two, Lithium with three and so on. "You may even remember that as each atom gets heavier, with more and more electrons, they organise into different levels of orbit, known as 'shells'. "It turns out that when we create artificial atoms in our quantum circuits, they also have well organised and predictable shells of electrons, just like natural atoms in the periodic table do." Connect the dots Professor Dzurak and his team from UNSW's School of Electrical Engineering - including PhD student Ross Leon who is also lead author in the research, and Dr Andre Saraiva - configured a quantum device in silicon to test the stability of electrons in artificial atoms. They applied a voltage to the silicon via a metal surface 'gate' electrode to attract spare electrons from the silicon to form the quantum dot, an infinitesimally small space of only around 10 nanometres in diameter. "As we slowly increased the voltage, we would draw in new electrons, one after another, to form an artificial atom in our quantum dot," says Dr Saraiva, who led the theoretical analysis of the results. "In a real atom, you have a positive charge in the middle, being the nucleus, and then the negatively charged electrons are held around it in three dimensional orbits. In our case, rather than the positive nucleus, the positive charge comes from the gate electrode which is separated from the silicon by an insulating barrier of silicon oxide, and then the electrons are suspended underneath it, each orbiting around the centre of the quantum dot. But rather than forming a sphere, they are arranged flat, in a disc." Mr Leon, who ran the experiments, says the researchers were interested in what happened when an extra electron began to populate a new outer shell. In the periodic table, the elements with just one electron in their outer shells include Hydrogen and the metals Lithium, Sodium and Potassium. "When we create the equivalent of Hydrogen, Lithium and Sodium in the quantum dot, we are basically able to use that lone electron on the outer shell as a qubit," Ross says. "Up until now, imperfections in silicon devices at the atomic level have disrupted the way qubits behave, leading to unreliable operation and errors. But it seems that the extra electrons in the inner shells act like a 'primer' on the imperfect surface of the quantum dot, smoothing things out and giving stability to the electron in the outer shell." Watch the spin Achieving stability and control of electrons is a crucial step towards silicon-based quantum computers becoming a reality. Where a classical computer uses 'bits' of information represented by either a 0 or a 1, the qubits in a quantum computer can store values of 0 and 1 simultaneously. This enables a quantum computer to carry out calculations in parallel, rather than one after another as a conventional computer would. The data processing power of a quantum computer then increases exponentially with the number of qubits it has available. It is the spin of an electron that we use to encode the value of the qubit, explains Professor Dzurak. "Spin is a quantum mechanical property. An electron acts like a tiny magnet and depending on which way it spins its north pole can either point up or down, corresponding to a 1 or a 0. "When the electrons in either a real atom, or our artificial atoms, form a complete shell, they align their poles in opposite directions so that the total spin of the system is zero, making them useless as a qubit. But when we add one more electron to start a new shell, this extra electron has a spin that we can now use as a qubit again. "Our new work shows that we can control the spin of electrons in the outer shells of these artificial atoms to give us reliable and stable qubits. "This is really important because it means we can now work with much less fragile qubits. One electron is a very fragile thing. However an artificial atom with 5 electrons, or 13 electrons, is much more robust." The silicon advantage Professor Dzurak's group was the first in the world to demonstrate quantum logic between two qubits in silicon devices in 2015, and has also published a design for a full-scale quantum computer chip architecture based on CMOS technology, which is the same technology used to manufacture all modern-day computer chips. "By using silicon CMOS technology we can significantly reduce the development time of quantum computers with the millions of qubits that will be needed to solve problems of global significance, such as the design of new medicines, or new chemical catalysts to reduce energy consumption", says Professor Dzurak. In a continuation of this latest breakthrough, the group will explore how the rules of chemical bonding apply to these new artificial atoms, to create 'artificial molecules'. These will be used to create improved multi-qubit logic gates needed for the realisation of a large-scale silicon quantum computer. ### Research collaborators and funding Other authors on the paper include Drs. Henry Yang, Jason Hwang, Tuomo Tanttu, Wister Huang, Kok-Wai Chan and Fay Hudson, all from Professor Dzurak's group, as well as long-time collaborators Dr Arne Laucht and Professor Andrea Morello from UNSW. Dr Kuan-Yen from Aalto University in Finland assisted the team, while Professor Kohei Itoh from Keio University in Japan provided enriched silicon-28 wafers from which the devices were made. The qubit devices incorporated nano-scale magnets to help enable qubit operation, and these were designed with support from a team led by Professor Michel Pioro-Ladriere at Universite de Sherbrooke in Canada, including his PhD student Julien Camirand Lemyre. The project was funded with support from the Australian Research Council, the US Army Research Office, Silicon Quantum Computing Proprietary Limited, and the Australian National Fabrication Facility, with Drs Saraiva and Yang acknowledging support from Silicon Quantum Computing. The Canadian team received support from the Canada First Research Excellence Fund and the National Science Engineering Research Council of Canada. UN Chief will visit the Gurdwara Darbar Sahib, the final resting place of Sikhism founder Guru Nanak Dev, in during his visit to next week. The UN Secretary-General will arrive in Islamabad on Sunday and will hold bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Imran Khan and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on that day and speak at an event on sustainable development and climate change. Guterres will travel to to visit a holy site, Gurdwara Sahib, Deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters here on Monday. The UN Chief is expected to visit one of the most prominent Sikh pilgrimage sites next Tuesday. Guru Nanak Dev spent the last 18 years of his life at Kartarpur Sahib, which has now become the world's largest Sikh Gurdwara. On February 17, Guterres will also speak at the Conference on 40 Years of Hosting Afghan Refugees in Pakistan, which is being organized by the government and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), along with High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. He will participate in a high-level panel discussion and other events at the conference. Guterres will also meet President Arif Alvi. The Secretary-General will be in Lahore on February 18, where he will meet students and attend an event on Pakistan's polio vaccination campaign. He will visit Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib before returning to New York on February 19. In November last year, the UN Chief welcomed the opening of the Kartarpur Corridor between India and Pakistan, saying it paved the way for interfaith harmony and understanding. We welcome #Pakistan and #India opening #KartarpurCorridor today connecting two key Sikh pilgrimage sites, paving way for interfaith harmony and understanding by facilitating visa-free cross border visits by pilgrims to holy shrines, spokesperson for the Secretary-General had tweeted. The Kartarpur Corridor links Dera Baba Sahib in Gurdaspur in India and Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib in Pakistan. It was opened by Prime Minister Khan on November 9 in a historic people-to-people initiative between the two countries. The Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib is located across the Ravi river in Pakistan and is about four kilometres from the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district of Punjab. According to the agreement between Pakistan and India, 5,000 pilgrims from India can visit the shrine daily and the number can be increased in future. WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors on Monday said longtime Trump confidant Roger Stone deserves a sentence of seven to nine years in prison for lying to Congress and tampering with a witness related to his efforts to learn about hacked Democratic emails during the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The sentencing filing came after days of tense debate within the U.S. attorney's office in Washington about the proper prison term for the sixth Trump associate convicted and last person indicted in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Frontline prosecutors, some previously with Mueller's team, argued for a sentence on the higher end for Stone than some of their supervisors were comfortable with, according to two people familiar with the discussions. A recommendation on the higher end prevailed, with prosecutors' filings citing federal sentencing guidelines that ratchet up in cases involving obstruction that impedes the administration of justice. A sentence of 87 to 108 months, "consistent with the applicable advisory Guidelines would accurately reflect the seriousness of his crimes and promote respect for the law," prosecutors Jonathan Kravis, Michael Marando, Adam Jed and Aaron Zelinsky wrote in a 22-page filing. Stone's defense is expected to file its separate recommendation later Monday. Hours before the filing was due Monday, the new head of the District of Columbia office, interim U.S. Attorney Timothy Shea - a former close adviser to Attorney General William Barr - had not made a final decision on Stone's sentencing recommendation, according to the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations. Disagreements among prosecutors about sentencing recommendations are not uncommon, especially when it comes to politically sensitive high-profile cases. It would have been unusual, however, for the U.S. attorney's office to endorse a sentence below the guideline range after winning conviction at trial, according to former federal prosecutors. The Justice Department declined to comment before filing Monday. Stone, 67, was convicted by a jury in November of lying to Congress and tampering with a witness. Stone has been a friend and adviser to the president since the 1980s and was a key figure in the Trump 2016 presidential campaign to discover damaging information on Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton. Federal guidelines typically call for a sentence ranging from 15 to 21 months for first-time offenders convicted of obstruction offenses, such as lying to Congress, making false statements and witness tampering, as Stone was. The range ratchets up steeply, potentially to more than seven years in prison, if the offense involved other factors such as threatening physical injury or property damage to a witness; substantially interfering with the administration of justice; or the willful obstruction of justice. Each was cited by prosecutors. A seven-to-nine year term "will send the message that tampering with a witness, obstructing justice, and lying in the context of a congressional investigation on matters of critical national importance are not crimes to be taken lightly," prosecutors wrote. They added that "Roger Stone obstructed Congress's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election, lied under oath, and tampered with a witness. And when his crimes were revealed by the indictment in this case, he displayed contempt for this Court and the rule of law." Sentencing recommendations come from prosecutors and the defense team. U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson will have the final word at Stone's hearing Feb. 20. Stone attorney Bruce Rogow declined to comment Monday, saying, "We are speaking only in our submission to the court." Stone was found guilty on seven counts resulting from his September 2017 testimony to the House Intelligence Committee, which was investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Kremlin's efforts to damage Clinton's campaign. Prosecutors said Stone lied to the intelligence committee to conceal his central role in the Trump campaign's efforts to learn about computer files hacked by Russia and made public by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks. He also threatened a witness who was an associate in an attempt to prevent the man from cooperating with lawmakers. Lawyers for Stone have said that his statements to the House panel were voluntary and that he believed questions about what he deemed unproven allegations of Russian interference were outside the probe's jurisdiction. Stone's two-week trial in November refocused attention on the Trump campaign's keen appetite for dirt on its political opponents, including testimony by former 2016 deputy campaign manager Rick Gates, who testified that he overheard a July 2016 phone call in which Trump seemed to discuss WikiLeaks with Stone. The trial also highlighted Trump's ongoing standoff with congressional Democrats then conducting an impeachment inquiry into how the president pressured Ukraine to bolster his 2020 reelection bid. Trump directed the White House to withhold documents and block testimony in the inquiry, which ended in a Senate acquittal. Prosecutors asserted at trial that Stone thwarted Congress because the truth would have "looked terrible" for Trump and the campaign. Prosecutors said Stone lied to protect the president from embarrassment. They called as witnesses Gates and Trump campaign strategist Steve Bannon, who took over in August 2016 when Gates's boss, Paul Manafort, was fired over his Ukraine ties. Gates and Bannon said the campaign viewed Stone as a liaison to WikiLeaks who claimed - even before the Russian hacking was known - to have insight about its plans. Stone's defense repeated his position that there was "no collusion" with Russia, and portrayed its client as a hapless victim of the same braggadocio and chicanery that he practiced on others, burnishing his reputation as a political dirty trickster. Prosecutors pointed to an email to Stone from another acquaintance, conservative writer Jerome Corsi, saying: "Word is friend in embassy plans 2 more dumps . . . Impact planned to be very damaging." Corsi referred to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who had been living under house arrest at the Ecuadoran Embassy in London since 2012. Last year, he was expelled and jailed in Britain. The U.S. government is seeking his extradition to face charges for computer intrusion and violating the Espionage Act by seeking classified information. Stone and Corsi have denied having contact with WikiLeaks, saying they were guessing based on Assange's public statements. Stone did not testify during the trial, which ended Nov. 15. Instead jurors saw videos of his television appearances and heard audio of his testimony before the House committee. Jackson on Feb. 3 directed both sides to address whether prosecutors might re-raise their request to immediately put Stone behind bars or seek other punishment for what they termed his repeated violations of a court gag order. Before trial, Stone posted a photo of Jackson with an image of crosshairs next to her head on Instagram in February 2019. During his trial he purportedly appealed for a presidential pardon through Alex Jones, a conspiracy theorist who hosts the right-wing Infowars website. - - - The Washington Post's Matt Zapotosky contributed to this report AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin En espanol | Four Chinese military personnel have been indicted in the massive hack of Equifax's computer network nearly three years ago, a data breach that exposed the sensitive information of about 145 million Americans, the Justice Department revealed Monday. The breach occurred between May and July of 2017 and has been called one of the largest and perhaps one of the most dangerous in U.S. history. An FBI official heralded the news as a day of reckoning." According to the criminal indictments, the data breach at the credit-reporting giant, which is based in Atlanta, exposed: The names, birth dates and Social Security numbers of the approximately 145 million victims, who represent nearly half the U.S. population, which now exceeds 329 million. Driver's license numbers stored on Equifax databases for at least 10 million Americans. Credit card numbers and other identifiers belonging to about 200,000 U.S. consumers. The personal information of nearly a million citizens of the United Kingdom and Canada. "This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people, Attorney General William Barr said in announcing the indictments. The grand jury indictments were handed down last month in the Atlanta-based U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. The allegations were unsealed Monday. Other coconspirators The indictments allege that the four defendants are part of the People's Liberation Army, a branch of China's military. The defendants allegedly conspired with others to exploit a vulnerability in the software used by Equifax's online dispute portal. The attackers ran about 9,000 queries on Equifax's computer system and took steps to evade detection by routing traffic through about 34 computer servers in nearly 20 countries. "This was an organized and remarkably brazen criminal heist of sensitive information of nearly half of all Americans, Barr said, as well as the hard work and intellectual property of an American company, by a unit of the Chinese military." FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said the indictments reflect a commitment to act against cybercriminals no matter who or where they are. This is not the end of our investigation. To all who seek to disrupt the safety, security and confidence of the global citizenry in this digitally connected world, this is a day of reckoning, he added. Last July federal and state officials announced a civil settlement with Equifax of up to $425 million in connection with the massive breach. The deal to resolve class action litigation was reached between the firm and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and state attorneys general. The FTC said that although the Jan. 22 deadline to file a claim for settlement funds had passed, victims still have recourse. If any expenses are incurred between Jan. 23, 2020, and Jan. 22, 2024, as a result of identity theft or fraud related to the breach, victims may file a claim for losses from unauthorized charges to their accounts; fees paid to professionals, such as accountants or attorneys, to help them recover from identity theft; and other expenses such as notary and document-shipping fees. According to the FTC, you can check online to determine whether your personal data was compromised in the Equifax breach. In a statement Monday, Equifax CEO Mark Begor thanked federal officials and said the firm is spending $1.25 billion between 2018 and 2020 to enhance its data security and technology. "The attack on Equifax was an attack on U.S. consumers as well as the United States, Begor said. Presidential spokesman says foreign affairs chief has been told to give formal notice to the US to terminate 1998 deal. Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has told his foreign affairs chief to give official notice to the United States of his termination of a Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between their militaries, his spokesman said on Tuesday, reiterating an earlier threat. Duterte, who has openly disapproved of the two countries military alliance, made the decision after a close ally said his visa for the US had been rescinded, in an issue related to the presidents deadly war on drugs. Its about time we rely on ourselves, we will strengthen our own defences and not rely on any other country, Dutertes spokesman Salvador Panelo told a regular briefing, quoting the president. The Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), signed in 1998, accorded legal status to thousands of US troops who were rotated into the country for military exercises and to provide humanitarian assistance. In the last few days, Dutertes cabinet members have been going back-and-forth on the presidents policy, with his spokesman saying on Friday that an order to end the deal had been issued, while his foreign and defence secretaries said there has been no final decision yet on the matter. But on Saturday, Defence Secretary Delfin Lorenzana called the announcement fake news. Last month, Duterte said he would end the 1999 deal after the US government cancelled a tourist visa issued to Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, the former national police chief and top Duterte ally. Im warning you if you wont do the correction on this, I will terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement. Ill end that son of a b****, the brash-speaking Duterte said in a January 23 speech. Dela Rosa implemented Dutertes crackdown against illegal drugs, which has left thousands of suspected drug users dead. It was not clear when the termination notice was officially issued. 180-day notice According to the agreement, it can be terminated through written notice from either party, which would take effect in 180 days. At the end of last year, Duterte had also ordered a ban on US senators entering the Philippines. That was in response to the US doing the same against Filipino officials who played a role in the detention of opposition Senator Leila De Lima, a staunch critic of the presidents campaign against illegal drugs. Duterte has also barred his cabinet officials from travelling to the US and turned down an invitation to join a special meeting with Trump and leaders of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations in March. A separate defence pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allowed the extended stay of US forces and authorised them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defence equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. But terminating the VFA would affect more than 300 joint training sessions and other activities this year alone with US forces which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, according to Dutertes Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. The US provided more than $550m in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a chilling effect on our economic relations if the Philippines withdraws from the security alliance with Washington. US forces have also provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how US military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by armed fighters aligned with the ISIL (ISIS) armed group in the southern city of Marawi in 2017. The EUs foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, has just returned from his first diplomatic visit to Washington. Behind closed doors, tense conversations have likely taken place with senior US officials, including secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Donald Trumps senior-advisor-cum-son-in-law, Jared Kushner. The transatlantic relationship is under unprecedented strain. The latest stress test for Europe is Trumps so-called deal of the century for Israel-Palestine, which Borrell has denounced. Trumps deal crystallises his administrations policy towards the conflict: unconditional support for Israel while turning the screws on the Palestinians. It promises a realistic two-state solution while offering a one-state reality. It completely rejects the international consensus and contravenes decades of US and EU policy redrawing the internationally agreed 1967 borders. It realises the wildest dreams of Israels far right, including the annexation of 30 per cent of the West Bank. It leaves a fragmented Palestinian entity, devoid of meaningful sovereignty or statehood. It anoints Jerusalem Israels capital; and allocates far-flung eastern neighbourhoods including a refugee camp as the capital of a future Palestinian state. It sets a litany of conditions for Palestinian self-governance, of which Israel and the US are the ultimate arbiters. Although the plan will probably never be implemented, it will embolden Israel to push ahead with the de jure annexation of the West Bank, and may come to shape the contours of a future settlement. Israel has pursued a policy of creeping annexation in the West Bank for decades, expanding its settlements. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wanted to begin formal annexation immediately, but after a warning from Kushner, he will wait until after the March election. De jure annexation would bring hundreds of thousands of Palestinians under Israeli jurisdiction, creating an indisputable one-state reality of unequal rights for two peoples. The peace plan has already provoked violence. Mortar shells and other projectiles have been fired over from Gaza, and Israel has responded with air strikes on Hamas targets. Violent protests have erupted in the West Bank, with four Palestinians killed by the Israeli army, including three teenagers. Israeli soldiers were injured in three attacks in Jerusalem last week, with the army killing one perpetrator. How, then, should the EU respond? The blocs initial response was weak: a promise to study and assess the plan. Individual member-states issued conflicting statements. Austria, France and Poland welcomed the plan, which Brexit Britain called a serious proposal. By contrast, Ireland expressed grave concern and Luxembourg issued a critical statement. This fractured response is symptomatic of the EUs foreign policy predicament, where decisions require unanimity which is often elusive. Hungary blocked a stronger unanimous statement by the EU-27 on the Trump plan, later coming out in support of it. Netanyahu has forged alliances with some central and eastern European member states, finding common ground in particular with Hungarys populist Prime Minister, Viktor Orban. But Borrell appears ready to find ways around the paralysis. Rather than abandoning the statement, he put one out on his own authority, saying that steps towards annexation could not pass unchallenged. In an opinion piece on Saturday, he acknowledged Europes foreign policy divisions. The High Representative called for Europe to embrace its power and urged member-states not to use their vetoes to weaken the Union. Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Show all 18 1 /18 Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Palestinian protesters burn pictures of US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a demonstration in the West Bank against the expected peace plan proposal AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan US President and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announce Trump's Middle East peace plan in the White House AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan Reuters Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan EPA Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AFP via Getty Palestinian protests against President Trump's Middle East peace plan AP Statements are all very well, but Borrell should be careful not to fall into the trap of declaratory diplomacy like his predecessor, Federica Mogherini. The EU has plenty of leverage in the form of economic heft, large aid budgets, strong defence capabilities, and an extensive and experienced diplomatic service. In spite of, or perhaps even because of, the destructive position taken by the US, there are constructive steps Borrell can take to oppose Trumps plan. Borrell should capitalise on this moment of crisis to push for recognition of Palestine, with East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. He should encourage willing EU member-states to take action in smaller groups, circumventing the need for consensus a format which has proved effective on the Iran nuclear deal and on Venezuela. Borrell could also revive the idea of a European Security Council a forum for a small group of EU member-states plus the UK to discuss action. Borrell should strengthen the EUs policy of differentiation between Israel proper and the territories occupied after 1967, which excludes the settlements from the benefits of the EU-Israel bilateral relationship. This means ensuring that businesses and entities in the settlements do not benefit from preferential access to European markets, institutions or programmes. The High Representative should also resist calls to deepen the relationship any further without progress on the peace process. Trump says Jerusalem will be Israel's 'undivided capital' under Middle East peace plan The occupied Palestinian territories' economy and democracy are in poor health the economy is expected to slip into recession in 2020-2021, there have been no elections since 2006, and the institutions are in a dire state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas is blocking reconciliation between the two main Palestinian political factions. Borrell should ensure that aid to the Palestinian Authority is conditioned upon progress towards reconciliation and democracy. He should also push to end Europes policy of no-contact with Hamas: contact will be essential for supporting reconciliation and national elections. The High Representative should apply pressure to Israel to relax its restrictions on access, movement and trade across the occupied Palestinian territories (as well as to Egypt and the Palestinian Authority in the case of Gaza) which the World Bank attributes as the main cause of Palestines economic woes. The EU cannot simply hunker down in the hope that Trump will disappear he may well win another term. Europe has a crucial role to play in containing his destructive impulses. Without Europe, the one-state, unequal reality in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories will harden. It is time for Europe to come out of hibernation. Beth Oppenheim is a research fellow at the Centre for European Reform. Bangkok, Feb 11 : A cruise ship carrying thousands of people will not be allowed to disembark in Thailand over fears of travellers infected with the novel coronavirus, the countrys Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said on Tuesday. In a Facebook post, the Minister said that the Westerdam cruise ship's 2,257 people will not be allowed to leave the vessel once it docks in Thailand, reports Efe news. The vessel, operated by shipping company Holland America Line, announced that it would dock on Thursday in the coastal city of Laem Chabang, about 125 km southeast of Bangkok. "Westerdam is sailing for Laem Chabang, Thailand, where the current cruise that departed February 1 will end on Thursday," Holland America Line had said in a statement on Monday, adding that guests would be transferred to Bangkok for their return home after disembarking the vessel. The ship had previously been denied entry into Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines and the US island territory of Guam. The Westerdam is carrying 1,455 passengers and 802 crew members, who departed from Hong Kong on the first day and planned to arrive on Saturday in Yokohama, Japan. Thai health authorities have confirmed the infection of 32 people in the country, of which at least 10 have already been discharged. In China, where the outbreak's origin is linked to a fish market in Wuhan, Hubei province, the National Health Commission on Tuesday raised the number of deaths to 1,016 and the number of infected people to 42,638. To date, all but two deaths - in the Philippines and Hong Kong - have occurred in mainland China and, although about 20 countries have identified cases. China accounts for about 99 per cent of those infected. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) Scientists in Brazil discover mysterious virus with unknown genealogy Scientists in Brazil have identified a new virus strain that has never before been documented and whose genes are unfamiliar to the scientific world. The mysterious virus with no known genes has been found in Lake Pampulha, an artificial lake in the Brazilian city of Belo Horizonte. Researchers have named the enigmatic virus Yaravirus, after Yara or Iara, a water-queen figure in Brazilian mythology. Yaravirus (Yaravirus brasiliensis) constitutes "a new lineage of amoebal virus with a puzzling origin and phylogeny," the research team stated in a new pre-print paper about the discovery. Two of the senior members of that team virologists Bernard La Scola from Aix-Marseille University in France, and Jonatas S Abrahao from Brazil's Federal University of Minas Gerais ought to know what they're talking about. Two years ago, the pair helped to discover another water-dwelling viral novelty: Tupanvirus, a giant virus found in extreme aquatic habitats. Giant viruses, as opposed to the regular variety, are so-called because of their huge capsids (protein shells that encapsulate virions - virus particles). These much larger viral forms also possess more complex genomes, giving them the ability to synthesise proteins, and therefore perform things like DNA repair, plus DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Prior to their discovery, it was thought that viruses couldn't do things like that, being regarded as relatively inert, non-living entities, only capable of infecting their hosts. Recent research has found viruses as much more complex than was once believed, and in recent years, scientists have uncovered other kinds of viral forms that find new and unusual ways of spreading and infecting. Yaravirus if composed of small 80 nm-sized particles, but their genes are unique. "Most of the known viruses of amoeba have been seen to share many features that eventually prompted authors to classify them into common evolutionary groups," the authors write. "Contrary to what is observed in other isolated viruses of amoeba, Yaravirus is not represented by a large/giant particle and a complex genome, but at the same time carries an important number of previously undescribed genes." In their investigations, the researchers found over 90 percent of Yaravirus genes had never been described before, constituting what are known as orphan genes (aka ORFans). Only six genes found bore a distant resemblance to known viral genes documented in public scientific databases, and a search through over 8,500 publicly available metagenomes offered no clues as to what Yaravirus might be closely related to. "Using standard protocols, our very first genetic analysis was unable to find any recognisable sequences of capsid or other classical viral genes in Yaravirus," the researchers explain. "Following the current metagenomic protocols for viral detection, Yaravirus would not even be recognised as a viral agent." As for what Yaravirus actually is then, the scientists can only speculate for now, but suggest it could be the first isolated case of an unknown group of amoebal virus, or potentially a distant kind of giant virus that may somehow have evolved into a reduced form. Either way, it's clear we still have an awful lot to learn, the researchers say. "The amount of unknown proteins composing the Yaravirus particles reflects the variability existing in the viral world and how much potential of new viral genomes are still to be discovered," the authors conclude. The findings are reported in bioRxiv. The Republicans recently retired Executive Editor Wayne Phaneuf is being honored by the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts for his contributions to journalism over a 50-year career. Phaneuf, who retired at the beginning of the year, will be presented with the Bishops Award Tuesday, Feb. 25, during the dioceses annual Blessing of Journalists at noon at Christ Church Cathedral, 25 Chestnut St. The service was initiated two years ago by the Right Rev. Douglas Fisher, diocesan bishop, to show support for the work of a free press." Phaneuf is the second person to receive the award that honors a journalist for excellence in bringing local and national concerns to the people of Western Massachusetts. Carrie Saldo, host of WGBY 57s news magazine program Connecting Point, was the first recipient last year. The Very Rev. Tom Callard, cathedral dean, will welcome attendees along with Fisher, who will speak, as will Jesse Lederman, Springfield City Councilor At-Large. Phaneuf became executive editor of The Republican in 1998. His appointment followed a career that began on May 13, 1969 at the Springfield Daily News, where he started as a temporary artist on his 20th birthday, and included being a reporter, columnist, suburban editor, assistant managing editor and managing editor for a decade before being named executive editor. He remains with The Republican as executive editor emeritus and, along with writing partner, Joseph Carvalho, is concentrating on developing the book publishing arm of the newspaper. Under his guidance, The Republican has published 19 books to date and will be working on seven more in 2020. He was succeeded by Cynthia G. Simison, the newspapers first woman executive editor. The Feb. 25 service is open to the public and will include the reading of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution as well as readings from Scripture. Prayers will be offered for journalists locally and around the world. The service is held in February in conjunction with the Episcopal Churchs annual commemoration of Frederick Douglass, the 19th century orator, civil rights leader and editor of the pro-abolition journal The North Star. The award recipient is given a framed page from the paper founded by Douglass. Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland, but was able to escape North, and died Feb. 20, 1895. Douglass appeared before a a large audience at City Hall in Springfield on the night of April 12, 1865, speaking on the topic of equality before the law. On another occasion, he also debated the Rev. Leonard Collins, pastor of St. Johns Congregational Church here, on whether blacks had the right to organize their own churches. His belief in equal rights included equality for women as well. In 1848, he was the only African American to attend the first women's rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York. Douglass second wife, Helen Pitts, an early feminist, was a graduate of Mount Holyoke College in South Hadley. The books in The Republicans Heritage Series that Phaneuf has served as an editor and contributor include The Struggle for Freedom: The History of African Americans in Western Massachusetts. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., speaks at a campaign stop for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., at La Poste, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, in Perry, Iowa. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik): ASSOCIATED PRESS Former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera announced on Tuesday she will run in the Democratic House primary in New York against freshman representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. In a statement, Ms Caruso-Cabrera said: "I am the daughter and granddaughter of working class Italian and Cuban immigrants. I am so lucky to have had such a wonderful career and I want everybody to have the opportunity that I've had. That's why I'm running." The anchor worked with CNBC for more than two decades before moving into a contributor role in September 2018. She will not work for the network during her campaign, a CNBC representative said. Besides her work as an anchor and contributor, Ms Caruso-Cabrera wrote a book in 2010 titled "You Know I'm Right: More Prosperity, Less Government." She has registered as a Democrat in the last several years while advocating for less government involvement and supporting free markets. Related: AOC Explains Why She Supports Sanders for President Ms Caruso-Cabrera will face a tough challenge in her attempt to unseat the incumbent. Ms Ocasio-Cortez, 30, stunned the political world in 2018 by upsetting 10-term Democratic incumbent Joe Crowley during the party's congressional primary for the 14th District of New York, which covers parts of the Bronx and Queens. Following the primary, the Bronx-native easily won the seat during the general by earning 76 per cent of the votes against Republican nominee Anthony Pappas. Former CNBC anchor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera announced on Tuesday she will run in the Democratic House primary against Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Her role as a freshman representative in Congress did not stop Ms Ocasio-Cortez from making her mark as the far left of the Democratic Party. Popular positions she's advocated for during her two-year term include Medicare For All, universal healthcare, and pushing for The Green New Deal -- legislation aimed at combating climate change and economic inequality. She's hit the campaign trail in recent months for democratic socialist Bernie Sanders as he vies for the presidency. Since the 2018 election, Ms Ocasio-Cortez has also garnered more than 6.3 million followers on Twitter, sparking reactions President Donald Trump and other Republican congressional members advocating against her platform. Story continues The primary for New York's 14th District seat is scheduled for June 23 with nearly a dozen registered to run. Ms Ocasio-Cortez' team has not responded to a request for comment about the newest addition to the race. Read more Trump calls Bloomberg a 'total racist' for supporting stop and frisk Trump and Sanders square off in rival rallies Is New Hampshire Tulsi Gabbard's last stand? VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Calibre Mining Corp. (TSX: CXB; OTCQX: CXBMF) (the "Company" or "Calibre") is pleased to announce initial results from exploration drilling completed during the fourth-quarter of 2019 at the La Libertad mine and the Amalia exploration property. The program tested four zones of prospective epithermal-style gold mineralization at varying stages of development, ranging from active mining to pre-discovery exploration. The Company completed 27 drill holes targeting the Jabali and Esmeralda deposits and the Buenos Aires gold system. A further eight shallow drill holes were completed on two vein structures at the Amalia property. The results will serve to further orient the Company's 2020 exploration program for La Libertad and Amalia, which is part of the Company's broader exploration strategy that includes the El Limon mine and Pavon advanced stage exploration project (see figures (https://calibremining.com/site/assets/files/4366/20200209-ll_nr_images_v6-mapedit_final.pdf)). Highlighted Drill Results Include: Amalia 17.84 g/t Au over 7.0m Estimated True Width ("ETW") from 60.6 metres depth in hole EZ19-001 La Libertad 10.66 g/t Au over 1.7m ETW from 123.5 metres depth in hole JB19-473 2.59 g/t Au over 3.0m ETW from 38.0 metres depth in hole EM19-004 4.56 g/t Au over 1.1m ETW from 4.6 metres depth in hole PU19-004 Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer, stated: "As highlighted by the shallow high-grade intercept, the Amalia property offers excellent potential for the discovery of additional mill feed for La Libertad. The Amalia property encompasses a large system of low-sulphidation, epithermal gold structures that has had very limited modern exploration and no previous drilling. Our 2020 exploration program is off to a great start and we have ramped-up to include four drill rigs between La Libertad and Amalia." At La Libertad, 27 drill holes totaling 3,429 metres were completed to begin testing the gold vein systems at the Jabali and Esmeralda deposits, as well as the Buenos Aires prospect which had not been previously drilled. At Amalia (located approximately 35 kilometres northeast of the La Libertad mill) eight holes totaling 1,181 metres were drilled as an initial test of the Espinoza and Pavona vein structures. Six holes were drilled along a 250-metre section of the Espinoza vein structure to test the down-dip potential of anomalous gold grades identified from previous surface trenching, which has so far traced the structure over a one-kilometer strike extent. The first hole (EZ19-001) intercepted 7.0m averaging 17.84 g/t Au within 45 metres vertical depth from surface. Drilling is currently in progress to follow up on these positive initial results. (See a complete table of drill hole details at the bottom of this press release.) At the Jabali underground mine, two infill holes were drilled to upgrade resource classification in support of mine planning and engineering design. At Esmeralda, results have been received for twelve of thirteen holes drilled along a 600-metre extension of the Esmeralda vein system as it continues beyond the past-producing Esmeralda open-pit. Six of the holes intercepted near-surface gold mineralization over narrow widths and the results are being evaluated. At Buenos Aires, first pass reconnaissance drilling targeted three vein structures exposed within a 3.5 km2 area that is a site of widespread artisanal mining. Significant surface trenching results at Buenos Aires range from 1.5m @ 7.1 g/t Au to 6.2m @ 2.3 g/t Au. Anomalous gold mineralization was confirmed along all three of the structures tested, including hole PU19-004 which intercepted 1.1 metres grading 4.6 g/t Au along the Pulpito structure. Drilling results from the Esmeralda and Buenos Aires targets are being evaluated in combination with results from ongoing reconnaissance drill testing of other targets within the broader La Libertad property. 2020 Exploration Program Calibre's exploration program during the first half of 2020 will include: Additional drilling at Amalia to follow-up on the strong results from hole EZ19-001, accelerated surface mapping and sampling along strike extensions of the Espinoza vein trend, as well as reconnaissance level prospecting over the Company's 83 km 2 of mineral concessions; of mineral concessions; First-pass drilling at La Libertad to test the resource expansion potential along the vein systems in the Jabali, Rosario and San Antonio areas; and Reconnaissance drilling of the untested Tranca and Nancite vein systems located 500 meters south of Jabali. The Company plans to complete approximately 20,000 metres of drilling at La Libertad and approximately 5,000 metres at Amalia during the first half of 2020. Results from the first half will form the basis for further exploration and resource delineation work during the latter half of 2020. All of the results of the Company's 2020 exploration drilling will be incorporated into updated mineral resource and reserve estimates to be completed at year-end. Quality Assurance / Quality Control Calibre maintains a Quality Assurance/Quality Control ("QA/QC") program for all its exploration projects using industry best practices. Key elements of the QA/QC program include verifiable chain of custody for samples, regular insertion of certified reference standards and blanks, and duplicate check assays. Drill core is halved and shipped in sealed bags to Bureau Veritas in Managua, Nicaragua, an independent analytical services provider with global certifications for Quality ISO9001:2008, Environmental Management: ISO14001 and Safety Management OH SAS 18001 and AS4801. Prior to analysis, samples are prepared at Veritas' Managua facility and then shipped to its analytical facility in Vancouver, Canada. Gold analyses are routinely performed via fire assay/AA finish methods. Analyses for silver and other elements of interest are performed via Induction Coupled Plasmaspectrometry ("ICP"). Qualified Person The scientific and technical data contained in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mark A. Petersen, P.Geo., VP Exploration, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101. To view a PDF of the figures as referenced in this news release, please go to the following link: Link 1 (https://calibremining.com/site/assets/files/4366/20200209-ll_nr_images_v6-mapedit_final.pdf) - PDF Figures ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD "Russell Ball" Russell Ball, Chief Executive Officer For further information, please contact: Ryan King Vice President, Corporate Development & IR Calibre Mining Corp. T: 604.628.1012 E: calibre@calibremining.com (mailto:calibre@calibremining.com) W: www.calibremining.com (http://www.calibremining.com) Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information All statements in this news release that address events or developments that we expect to occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, although not always, identified by words such as "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "project", "target", "potential", "schedule", "forecast", "budget", "estimate", "intend" or "believe" and similar expressions or their negative connotations, or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "could", "should" or "might" occur. All such forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management as of the date such statements are made. Forward-looking statements necessarily involve assumptions, risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond Calibre's control, including risks associated with or related to: the volatility of metal prices; changes in tax laws; the dangers inherent in exploration, development and mining activities; the uncertainty of reserve and resource estimates; cost or other estimates; actual production, development plans and costs differing materially from the Company's expectations; the ability to obtain and maintain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for mining activities; the current ongoing instability in Nicaragua and the ramifications thereof; environmental regulations or hazards and compliance with complex regulations associated with mining activities; the availability of financing and debt activities, including potential restrictions imposed on Calibre's operations as a result thereof and the ability to generate sufficient cash flows; remote operations and the availability of adequate infrastructure; fluctuations in price and availability of energy and other inputs necessary for mining operations; shortages or cost increases in necessary equipment, supplies and labour; the reliance upon contractors, third parties and joint venture partners; the dependence on key personnel and the ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; the risk of an uninsurable or uninsured loss; adverse climate and weather conditions; litigation risk; competition with other mining companies; community support for Calibre's operations, including risks related to strikes and the halting of such operations from time to time; conflicts with small scale miners; failures of information systems or information security threats; compliance with anti-corruption laws, and sanctions or other similar measures. The list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect Calibre's forward-looking statements. Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the applicable assumptions and factors management considers reasonable as of the date hereof, based on the information available to management at such time. These assumptions and factors include, but are not limited to, assumptions and factors related to Calibre's ability to carry on current and future operations, including: development and exploration activities; the timing, extent, duration and economic viability of such operations, including any mineral resources or reserves identified thereby; the accuracy and reliability of estimates, projections, forecasts, studies and assessments; the availability and cost of inputs; the price and market for outputs, including gold; the timely receipt of necessary approvals or permits; the ability to meet current and future obligations; the ability to obtain timely financing on reasonable terms when required; the current and future social, economic and political conditions; and other assumptions and factors generally associated with the mining industry. Calibre's forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management and reflect their current expectations regarding future events and operating performance and speak only as of the date hereof. Calibre does not assume any obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's beliefs, expectations or opinions should change other than as required by applicable securities laws. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that any events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits or liabilities Calibre will derive therefrom. For the reasons set forth above, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. A complete summary of the drill hole assays and drill hole locations for Calibre's 2019 drilling program at Amalia and La Libertad is provided in the following table. For additional details, please refer to the Company's website at www.calibremining.com (http://www.calibremining.com) and the NI 43-101 Technical Report for La Libertad dated August 30, 2019, which is available at www.sedar.com (http://www.sedar.com). 2019 AMALIA and LA LIBERTAD DRILLING RESULTS Target Zone Drill Hole ID From (m) To (m) Interval (m) Estimated True Width (m) Au (g/t) Amalia EZ19-001 0.0 60.6 60.6 0.01 60.6 70.0 9.5 7.0 17.84 Includes 60.6 65.4 4.9 3.6 16.92 65.4 66.5 1.1 0.8 49.48 66.5 68.8 2.4 1.8 13.61 68.8 70.0 1.2 0.9 1.89 70.0 170.7 100.7 0.01 EZ19-002 0.0 47.2 47.2 0.01 47.2 50.9 3.7 2.8 2.76 50.9 54.5 3.6 0.39 54.5 108.2 53.7 0.02 EZ19-003 61.0 124.3 63.3 0.02 124.3 126.4 2.1 0.82 126.4 131.7 5.3 0.14 131.7 133.5 1.8 1.2 1.34 133.5 141.5 7.9 0.51 141.5 144.6 3.1 2.1 2.27 144.6 175.3 30.7 0.01 EZ19-004 1.5 157.0 155.5 0.01 EZ19-005 0.0 167.6 167.6 0.02 EZ19-006 0.0 64.0 64.0 0.03 PV19-001 3.4 52.7 49.4 0.01 52.7 54.3 1.6 0.56 54.3 100.5 46.2 0.02 100.5 101.5 1.0 0.8 1.16 101.5 105.5 4.0 0.01 PV19-002 0.0 68.6 68.6 0.01 Buenos Aires BU19-001 0.0 109.7 109.7 0.05 BU19-002 0.0 122.4 122.4 0.00 BU19-003 0.0 129.9 129.9 0.01 BU19-004 0.0 120.4 120.4 0.01 BU19-005 3.1 52.8 49.8 0.02 52.8 55.0 2.1 1.9 1.03 55.0 89.9 35.0 0.02 PU19-001 0.0 134.7 134.7 0.01 PU19-002 0.0 112.0 112.0 0.02 112.0 113.2 1.3 0.8 2.63 113.2 150.9 37.7 0.10 PU19-003 0.0 22.9 22.9 0.02 22.9 24.2 1.4 1.0 2.82 24.2 183.3 159.1 0.01 PU19-004 0.0 4.6 4.6 0.01 4.6 6.1 1.5 1.1 4.56 6.1 177.9 171.8 0.02 PU19-005 0.0 137.7 137.7 0.02 SS19-001 0.0 40.3 40.3 0.01 SS19-002 0.0 19.7 19.7 0.02 19.7 22.1 2.3 2.2 1.09 22.1 92.8 70.8 0.00 Esmeralda EM19-001 0.0 170.7 170.7 0.01 EM19-002 0.0 109.7 109.7 0.03 EM19-003 0.0 53.0 53.0 0.05 53.0 54.6 1.6 1.5 0.82 54.6 103.6 49.1 0.01 EM19-004 0.0 38.0 38.0 0.12 38.0 41.5 3.5 3.0 2.59 41.5 44.6 3.2 0.84 44.6 65.5 20.9 0.01 EM19-005 0.0 78.5 78.5 0.04 78.5 79.7 1.1 1.0 2.35 79.7 108.2 28.6 0.07 EM19-006 0.0 18.3 18.3 0.13 18.3 39.6 21.3 0.49 39.6 99.1 59.4 0.05 99.1 101.4 2.3 2.0 1.83 101.4 170.7 69.3 0.03 EM19-007 0.0 179.8 179.8 Assays pending EM19-008 0.0 55.9 55.9 0.05 55.9 60.1 4.2 4.0 0.42 60.1 114.3 54.3 0.01 EM19-009 0.0 57.4 57.4 0.05 57.4 58.6 1.2 0.9 1.97 58.6 94.5 35.9 0.01 EM19-010 0.0 79.0 79.0 0.03 79.0 83.8 4.9 4.4 0.42 83.8 137.2 53.3 0.05 EM19-011 0.0 152.4 152.4 0.02 EM19-012 0.0 8.5 8.5 0.08 8.5 10.2 1.7 0.92 10.2 27.9 17.7 0.06 27.9 29.2 1.3 1.2 2.40 29.2 38.1 9.0 0.18 38.1 39.5 1.4 1.3 1.09 39.5 52.8 13.3 0.07 52.8 54.0 1.3 1.2 1.64 54.0 77.7 23.7 0.07 EM19-013 0.0 89.9 89.9 0.01 Jabali JB19-473 69.3 113.5 44.3 0.05 113.5 115.4 1.9 1.11 115.4 123.5 8.1 0.41 123.5 125.7 2.2 1.7 10.66 125.7 128.1 2.4 0.44 128.1 135.4 7.3 0.10 JB19-474 20.7 25.4 4.7 0.04 25.4 27.4 2.0 1.9 1.72 27.4 30.1 2.7 0.14 30.1 31.9 1.8 1.7 1.88 31.9 60.2 28.2 0.09 2019 AMALIA and LA LIBERTAD DRILL HOLE COLLAR LOCATIONS Mine Property Target Zone Drill Hole ID UTM North (m) UTM East (m) Elevation (masl) Total Depth (m) Azimuth (degrees) Dip (degrees) La Libertad Amalia EZ19-001 718163.38 1384461.31 447.66 170.69 137.53 -44.63 La Libertad Amalia EZ19-002 718218.28 1384497.01 444.06 108.20 137.32 -44.35 La Libertad Amalia EZ19-003 718220.20 1384576.17 402.44 175.26 137.55 -44.90 La Libertad Amalia EZ19-004 718279.59 1384606.80 416.78 156.97 136.46 -44.27 La Libertad Amalia EZ19-005 718092.70 1384455.37 439.07 181.36 136.85 -44.86 La Libertad Amalia EZ19-006 718317.52 1384557.07 434.64 64.01 317.00 -55.00 La Libertad Amalia PV19-001 717873.99 1384409.64 449.27 201.17 90.00 -45.00 La Libertad Amalia PV19-002 717916.94 1384649.99 352.74 123.44 90.24 -44.87 La Libertad Buenos Aires BU19-001 701564.88 1352845.98 532.07 109.73 339.12 -45.92 La Libertad Buenos Aires BU19-002 701847.63 1352829.38 534.60 122.42 2.33 -45.73 La Libertad Buenos Aires BU19-003 702365.99 1352742.11 534.70 129.85 2.02 -44.95 La Libertad Buenos Aires BU19-004 702805.05 1352857.99 541.85 120.40 166.05 -44.84 La Libertad Buenos Aires BU19-005 703280.97 1352846.14 562.90 89.92 344.33 -46.31 La Libertad Buenos Aires PU19-001 703948.02 1353024.51 646.68 134.71 1.72 -45.00 La Libertad Buenos Aires PU19-002 703843.74 1353003.25 629.07 150.88 2.00 -45.00 La Libertad Buenos Aires PU19-003 702927.46 1353026.54 554.90 190.50 1.95 -45.00 La Libertad Buenos Aires PU19-004 703120.25 1352984.41 561.59 192.02 344.75 -45.40 La Libertad Buenos Aires PU19-005 703178.15 1352933.93 562.65 184.82 345.04 -45.30 La Libertad Buenos Aires SS19-001 702953.42 1352561.06 535.56 80.77 344.85 -45.10 La Libertad Buenos Aires SS19-002 703341.35 1352558.86 550.97 129.54 344.90 -44.95 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-001 697351.88 1353215.78 506.95 170.69 330.04 -50.96 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-002 697240.44 1353169.48 511.66 109.73 330.10 -45.00 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-003 697158.49 1353073.05 496.90 103.63 330.10 -45.00 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-004 697068.96 1352991.30 503.85 65.53 329.01 -44.86 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-005 697034.82 1352922.45 508.63 108.20 330.01 -50.86 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-006 696847.09 1352758.71 524.00 170.69 149.28 -45.90 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-007 696862.86 1352552.79 501.74 179.83 330.11 -44.82 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-008 697015.06 1352650.07 502.31 114.30 330.00 -45.00 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-009 697100.12 1352682.38 495.33 94.49 329.53 -45.63 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-010 697354.48 1352780.57 493.74 137.16 330.04 -45.00 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-011 697507.07 1352876.52 491.37 152.40 330.04 -45.32 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-012 697632.46 1353267.37 521.73 88.86 329.83 -50.16 La Libertad Esmeralda EM19-013 696058.46 1352327.31 531.17 89.92 330.04 -45.00 La Libertad Jabali JB19-473 708226.33 1355794.86 325.81 138.40 22.80 -23.88 La Libertad Jabali JB19-474 707836.95 1355743.53 375.33 69.40 328.10 -24.61 Note: UTM collar coordinates refer to UTM map datum WGS84 Zone 16 North The moon seen from the International Space Station on July 9, 2018. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is asking Congress for a $25.2 billion budget next year, a 12% increase from last year that will likely be a boon for companies across the space industry. NASA's request represents a "bigger than expected increase" to its budget, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas wrote in a note to investors on Tuesday, with significant implications. "The pace of development of the space economy is a function of interaction between private investment, government/policy support and public awareness," Jonas said. NASA got $22.6 billion from Congress for fiscal year 2020 and its increased request stems largely from the agency's goal of fulfilling President Donald Trump's directive to land astronauts on the moon by 2024 known currently as the Artemis program. Nearly half of this year's request, or $12.37 billion, is for NASA's lunar campaign much of which would go some of the biggest space companies in the U.S. The agency outlined $1.4 billion for the Orion spacecraft and $2.26 billion for the Space Launch System, programs for which Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and Aerojet Rocketdyne are the primary beneficiaries. There is also $3.37 billion proposed to fund the development of competing crewed lunar lander systems, up for grabs with several coalitions submitting competing bids. "This kind of budget would move us a long way towards the administration's 2024 goals by funding development of two or more of the large lunar landers proposed by SpaceX, Blue Origin, Boeing, Dynetics and others," Rob Meyerson, an industry consultant and former president of Blue Origin, told CNBC. NASA noted that this is the first time it would direct funding to such a system since the Apollo program. Deloitte specialist Jeff Matthews explained that these commercial providers stand to benefit from NASA budget, although it has yet to be seen what Congress adjusts before approving the budget. "This is the first step in long process towards appropriations, but I'm encouraged by the ambitious plan presented by the Agency," Matthews said. Gay Courter, 75, has a perfect view of the Yokohama docks from the balcony of her cabin on the virus-stricken Diamond Princess. There are currently thirty-something ambulances, some with their headlights on, she tells TIME by phone. There are men in military uniforms and more executive-looking types holding clipboards. People in white hazmat suits are getting out of their fire trucks and heading towards the ship. Im assuming somethings happening. Like the other 3,700 passengers and crew, Courter and her 77-year-old husband have been quarantined on the cruise ship since Feb. 5, after the vessels operator learned that a passenger from Hong Kong who had previously been onboard had tested positive for coronavirus. Scientifically known as 2019-nCoV, the virus originates from the central Chinese city of Wuhan and has infected nearly 43,000 people, almost all of them in China, claiming over 1,000 lives. A writer from Florida, Courter spoke to TIME on Feb. 10the day the captain announced that 66 more cases of infection had been confirmed on the boat in the largest jump since quarantine began. The spike brings the total number of Diamond Princess infections to 135, making the ship the largest cluster of cases outside China. Among the new cases are 45 passengers from Japan, 11 from the U.S., 4 from Australia, 3 from the Philippines and 1 each from Canada, England and Ukraine. Today has been the most distressing, says Courter, watching the ambulances ferry passengers away. Workers use tarpaulin to cover a gangway off the Diamond Princess cruise at Daikoku Pier in Yokohama, Japan, on Feb. 10, 2020. | Keita IijimaAP This isnt really happening The quarantine will end on Feb. 19, barring any unforeseen developments, Princess Cruises says. Until then, passengers are living in an atmosphere of both boredom and fear. It feels like Im in a bad movie, says Courter, who, as a senior, is in a high-risk group. (Coronavirus mortality is disproportionately higher among older patients with pre-exisiting health conditions.) I tell myself, Wake up, wake up, this isnt really happening. Story continues Passengers are mostly confined to their rooms, their chief human interaction being with staff who deliver meals three times a day. Since the weekend, they have been allowed out on the open decks in shifts, for about an hour at a time, provided they wear face masks and stand no closer than 2 meters (6.5 feet) to each other. For those staying in cabins without windows or balconies, its the first opportunity they have had to breathe fresh air in three days. Still, some have chosen not to leave their rooms to minimize contact with others. Read more: The Coronavirus Outbreak Should Bring Out the Best in Humanity The cruise company has given all passengers thermometers, advising everybody to check their temperatures routinely. Kent Frasure, 42, checks his three or four times a day. Hes not taking any chances; his wife Rebecca, who he was traveling with, tested positive for the virus despite not showing any symptoms and has been taken to a hospital by authorities. It was a big shock when we found out about the results, says the engineering technician from Portland, Oregon. His wife, who he is in close communication with, still hasnt shown any symptoms and is doing fine health-wise. Frasure tested negative once before and is awaiting the results of a new test. He acknowledges that he could come down with the disease following his wifes diagnosis. Weve been living in a small room with each other for more than two weeks, he says. Theres no way were going to not pass things to each other. An official in a protective suit walks near the Diamond Princess docked in Yokohama, Tokyo, on Feb. 10, 2020. | APCopyright 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. In fact cruise ships, like other close-contact environments, can facilitate the spread of disease according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Preventions. Last January, a Royal Caribbean cruise ship was rerouted back to Florida after more than 560 passengers and crew members were infected with norovirus, a contagious gastrointestinal illness. According to the Japan Times, just 336 of the over 2,600 passengers on the Diamond Princess had been tested for the coronavirus as of Monday. Authorities say a limited capacity to process virus test samples means that it is hard to speed up the process, so they are focusing on at-risk groups and those exhibiting symptoms. Many passengers are naturally hoping that testing can be extended to everyone onboard. It would give me a peace of mind, says Aun Na Tan, a 43-year-old administrator from Melbourne, Australia, who is on the ship with her husband and two children. Read more: News Coverage of Coronavirus in 2020 is Very Different Than it Was For Ebola in 2018 For now, many are turning to social media to find out what they can. Some are in a private Facebook group, where they share their concerns and get updates. Passengers staying in rooms with a view of the pier post pictures and videos of what they can seeambulances and men in hazmat suits, mostlyso others can know whats going on. The general consensus in the group is frustration, says Sarah Arana, 52. But we also share jokes and memes, and try to cheer each other up. Arana, a medical social worker from Pasa Robles, California, made an effort to mingle with fellow passengers during the cruise. She recalls once sitting next to a British passenger one tea time and talking with him about Prince Harry and the Queen. She has since found out that he has tested positive. The Diamond Princess is Aranas first cruise, and likely her last, she says. With the number of cases increasing dramatically, shes been wondering if the virus is being passed through the ships ventilation systems, and if infected crew members had previously prepared her food and delivered it. There are just a lot of unknowns, she says. Its like being on a roller coaster. I have no choice but to ride it out. LONDON - Uncertainty related to Brexit seems to have weighed heavily on the British economy during the final quarter of 2019 as output flat-lined, official data showed Tuesday. In its first assessment of the quarter as a whole, the Office for National Statistics said increases in the services and construction sectors were offset by another poor showing from manufacturing, particularly the motor industry. As a result, the economy stagnated following an upwardly revised 0.5% growth performance in the third quarter. Overall, the British economy grew by 1.4% in 2019, just ahead of the previous years rate of 1.3%. That annual performance was slightly better than anticipated and largely due to the fact that the previous two quarterly performances were revised higher. The statistics agency noted that growth has been particularly volatile throughout 2019, in part reflecting changes in the timing of activity related to the U.K.s delayed exit dates from the European Union. Brexit wasnt the only reason behind the flat performance. Like other major economies in Europe, Britain has been hurt by the trade war between the United States and China, which has hobbled global growth. The noisy U.S.-China trade negotiations and downturn in global trade and manufacturing further added to business and household anxieties, said Kallum Pickering, senior economist at Berenbeg Bank. Compared with other countries, Britain actually didnt do that badly the nearby 19-country eurozone economy only expanded by 0.1% during the quarter, with France contracting during the period. Britain officially left the EU on Jan. 31 but was meant to have done so on previous occasions during 2019. That fostered a high degree of uncertainty that prompted many firms, particularly those in the industrial sector such as car manufacturers, to tweak with their production schedules. That was evident in the quarterly manufacturing figures, which showed a 1.1% quarterly decline in output, with many firms holding back production around the time of the Oct. 31 Brexit departure date, which was subsequently extended by three months. The quarterly stagnation was widely anticipated in light of the uncertainty that was dominant at the time. During the October-December period, Britain was in the midst of one of its biggest political crises in decades that eventually led to a general election on Dec. 12. The victory for Prime Minister Boris Johnsons Conservative Party ended the uncertainty over whether Britain would actually leave the European Union as he had the numbers in the House of Commons to drive through his withdrawal agreement with the bloc. There will now be interest to see if the economy starts to rebound this year. The sharp reduction in domestic political uncertainty since the election ... should enable the economy to regain momentum in the first quarter (of 2020), said Samuel Tombs, chief U.K. economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics. Some evidence did emerge in Tuesdays report to suggest that the greater clarity that emerged with the election has helped shore up the economy. The statistics agency said the economy grew by 0.3% in December, offsetting the previous months decline. Monthly figures though can be volatile so the increase should be treated with caution. Brexit uncertainty has been largely to blame for Britains tepid growth in the years since the country voted to leave the EU in June 2016. Firms have been holding back investment amid fears that Britain would leave the EU without a divorce deal and consumers have become cautious. Some Brexit uncertainty remains as its still not clear what the economic relationship between Britain and the EU will look like beyond the end of this year. Britain is now in a transition period through the end of the year during which time it will remain part of the EUs tariff-free single market and customs union. Johnson has said he wont request an extension to that transition period and that 11 months represents ample time to secure a comprehensive new trade deal between Britain and the EU for goods and services. Citizen Journalist in Coronavirus Epicenter of Wuhan Has Been Detained by Local Police A Chinese citizen journalist who chronicled desperate scenes from the virus-stricken city of Wuhan has been detained by police, according to his friends. Fang Bin, a Wuhan resident, has been targeted by local authorities since he started sharing video footage on Chinese social media, taken at hospitals in the city, which has been on lockdown since early January. A video he took, showing eight dead bodies inside a funeral home van that was parked near a hospital, recently went viral. WARNING: Graphic content#Wuhan Insider Secretly Records Inside #WuhanHospital, Finds Dead Bodies#CoronavirusOutbreak: After counting the body bags and then entering the hospital, he comes back out to find more dead bodies. pic.twitter.com/tsPNU9b3BR The Epoch Times China Insider (@EpochTimesChina) February 3, 2020 He was taken from his home by local police at roughly 3 p.m. local time on Feb. 10, according to his friends, after local fire department personnel pried open the door. The police also took away several boxes from his home. Local artist Hua Yong also confirmed Fangs detention on Feb. 10. While speaking on his YouTube channel, Hua said that the order to arrest Fang came from the public security bureau. The Epoch Times tried to call Fang multiple times, but no one answered his phone. When this outlet reached several local police stations in Wuhan, they responded that they had no knowledge of Fang or his situation. One of his friends told The Epoch Times he suspected that the internet connection to Fangs home and cellphone was cut off prior to his detention, because Fang did not upload a new video in the morning of Feb. 10. Fang usually uploads a video every morning, saying he is safe and sound. This is not the first time he was detained. On Feb. 1, at around 7 p.m. local time, half a dozen masked men, claiming to be medical officers on duty, broke into Fangs home to take his temperature. They took away two computers and his cellphone. Fang ended up at a local police station. He was eventually released on Feb. 2 and got his cellphone back. Fang said in a later video that the police accused him of taking money from foreign forces and threatened to place him in quarantine for creating fear with his videos. He believes that the outbreak in Wuhan is, at least in part, a man-made disaster. Chinese state-run media has warned people not to spread fake information about the coronavirus, for they could be in violation of Article 291 of Chinas Criminal Law. According to Chinas official government website, a section of Article 291 states that anyone found fabricating and spreading false information on an epidemic, disaster, or police activity, can be sentenced to three to seven years in prison. However, Chinese authorities have used the law to silence people who publish valuable information about the virus, most notably the recent case involving doctor Li Wenliang. Li, an ophthalmologist, was one of eight doctors who first publicized information about an unknown pneumonia outbreak on Chinese social media on Dec. 30 last year. A day later, the Wuhan Health Commission confirmed the outbreak. On Jan. 3, Li was summoned to a local police station, where he was reprimanded for rumor-mongering. He was also forced to sign a statement saying he wont commit any more unlawful acts. Li died of the coronavirus in Wuhan in the morning on Feb. 7, after being diagnosed with the virus five days earlier. He contracted the virus after unknowingly treating an infected person. Also on Feb. 7, Amnesty Internationals regional director Nicholas Bequelin said that Lis death highlights human rights failings in China. The case of Li Wenliang is a tragic reminder of how the Chinese authorities preoccupation with maintaining stability drives it to suppress vital information about matters of public interest, Bequelin said in a statement. China must learn the lesson from Lis case and adopt a rights-respecting approach to combating the epidemic. Nobody should face harassment or sanctions for speaking out about public dangers, just because it may cause embarrassment to the government. [February 10, 2020] Telecom API Market by Technology, Application and Service Type, Stakeholder, User Type, Deployment (Enterprise Hosted, Public Cloud, Private Cloud), and Platform as a Service Type 2019 - 2024 NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Communication Service Providers (CSP) continue to see Telecom APIs as a means of leveraging their network and subscriber assets to generate revenues with high margins. However, the ecosystem remains one in which largely third-parties, such as OTT players, maintain the end-user relationship with app and service clients, while CSPs merely provide essentially data as a service on a B2B basis. While this model may suffice for CSPs with respect to the consumer segment and SMBs, it is not sustainable for large corporate clients. CSPs are facing increasing pressure to provide a greater variety of high quality enterprise communications and business collaboration solutions. Accordingly, Mind Commerce sees this as an area ripe for leveraging Telecom APIs to offer value-added carrier offerings such as team collaboration, telepresence, and unified communications (UC) as part of a Telecom API enabled marketplace. This vision is beginning to come true. With the help of leading Telecom API and Communications-enabled app providers like Ribbon Communications, AT&T has recently launched an API Marketplace, which is something that Mind Commerce has recommended since 2011. Offering a turn-key approach by levering solutions such as Ribbon's Kandy APIs and Wrappers, AT&T plans to facilitate enterprise customer ability to leverage telecom assets for embedded applications. Ribbon is also supporting KPN's Telecom API marketplace. Other leading telecom vendors such as Mavenir support the programmable telecom (Telecom APIs, platforms, and apps) ecosystem. The company recently announced its Mobile-Native Unified Communications and Collaboration as a Service (mUCaaS) solution. One of the key differentiators claimed by this solution is the ability for business-critical communications are prioritized by the mobile network using quality of service indicators that don't have to compete with other existing OTT UCaaS applications. For many larger Telecom API vendors, a substantial proportion of revenue continues to be generated from SIP Trunking in support of their client's VoIP, UC, and other IP-based communications apps and services. However, many smaller players are innovating in areas that have high growth potential such as analytics data, device information, edge computing, and number management for calls, data, and subscribers. The last category in particular is emerging as an important area for unwanted call management solutions including robocall management. Longer term, Mind Commerce sees CSPs leveraging Telecom APIs and related tools to support a variety of industry requirements in which carriers are amply positioned to leverage their market position. Those opportunities include Internet of Things (IoT) authentication, robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, Mobile Edge Computing (MEC), and support of Blockchain. Three areas that represent great opportunities for carriers to aggressively pursue solution development in the more near-term timeframe are AI, IoT, and Mobile Edge Computing. Telecom APIs in IoT IoT represents a huge and largely untapped market for CSPs, which Mind Commerce sees emerging once carriers begin to fully leverage 5G for IoT apps and services. More specifically, we have identified the opportunity for carriers to act as a orchestrator/mediator within the IoT ecosystem. Uniquely positioned as owner of the primary network to be used for IoT, and provider of data services for humans and machines alike, CSPs have the opportunity to provide various critical services such as IoT authentication, authorization, and accounting. This will include use of Telecom API resources to help manage IoT related access control, permissions, and usage tracking. Telecom APIs in Mobile Edge Computing Carriers are also well positioned to leverage Telecom API enabled capabilities in support of many edge computing use cases as MEC is rolled-out to optimize LTE, 5G, and IoT. Many MECuse cases will require support from multiple Telecom API categories such as Location, Presence, Subscriber Data, and QoS in support of zone-based enterprise apps, services, and data analytics. This will create both a challenge and opportunity for CSPs, which will need the assistance of systems integrators for implementation and managed infrastructure services providers for ongoing operations. Telecom APIs in Artificial Intelligence While many AI capabilities will be embedded within other areas (such as platforms, devices, semiconductors, etc.), AI will also be closely associated with end-users, creating an opportunity for CSPs to provide resource support for many AI enabled use cases. This will include basic support for AI, such as user verification, as well as more advanced functionality, such as identifying resource usage and behaviors among a closed user group like enterprise collaboration teams. Now in its seventh year of covering the Telecom API market, Mind Commerce is pleased to offer the most comprehensive research covering the ecosystem including players, platforms, tools, solutions, and service offerings. Telecom API Market by Technology, Application and Service Type, Stakeholder, User Type, Deployment (Enterprise Hosted, Public Cloud, Private Cloud), and Platform as a Service Type 2019 2024 provides an in-depth assessment of the global Telecom API market, including business models, value chain analysis, operator strategies and a quantitative assessment of the industry from 2019 to 2024. This report evaluates the current state of the market and outlook for the future including analysis and forecasts for the Telecom API market segmented many ways including: Globally, Regionally, and Countries Stakeholder Type (Carriers and Vendors) Network Technology (2G, 3G, LTE, and 5G) API Category (Presence, Location, SCM, etc.) App Developer (Carrier, Enterprise, Long Tail, and Partner) Deployment Type (Enterprise Hosted, Private Cloud, and Public Cloud) Implementation (Development and Set-up) and by Ongoing Operations Solution (AI, Analytics, Blockchain, Edge Computing, Robotics, WebRTC, etc.) Forecasts by Service Type include: Messaging (SMS, MMS, RCS) API, WebRTC API, Payment API, IVR/Voice Store and Voice Control API , LBS and Map API, Subscriber Identity and SSO, Management API, Content Delivery API, M2M IoT API, IoT Platform Specific API, IoT Authentication API, Blockchain Specific API, AI Platform Specific API, Robotics Specific API, Analytics API, Call screening API, Device Information API, QoS (Quality of Service) API, Do not Disturb API, Edge/Fog Device Specific API. Forecasts by Developer Type include: Enterprise Developer, Internal Telecom Developer, Partner Developer, and Long Tail Developer. Forecasts by Deployment include: Enterprise Hosted, Public Cloud, and Private Cloud. Platform as a Service forecasts include: CPaaS and UCaaS. All purchases of Mind Commerce reports includes time with an expert analyst who will help you link key findings in the report to the business issues you're addressing. This needs to be used within three months of purchasing the report. Select Report Findings: Total global Telecom API related revenue will reach $442.1.1B by 2024 Global UCaaS revenue will reach $61.9B by 2024 growing at CAGR of 48.0% Enterprise-hosted deployment is growing most rapidly through the study period While smallest in revenue at $48.6B by 2024, MEA is fastest growing region at CAGR 31.7% Report Benefits: Gain a better perspective of the State of the Market for Telecom APIs Identify challenges and opportunities across the entire API ecosystem Understand the role of Telecom APIs within the realm of Programmable Telecom Identify leading companies and solutions for Telecom API enabled apps and services Understand the market dynamics, players, and outlook for communication enabled apps Forecasts for every major Telecom API area including Categories, Solutions, Stakeholder Share, and more Forecasts for Telecom API support of Unwanted Call Management including Do Not Disturb and Call Screening Target Audience: Telecom API providers ICT Infrastructure providers CPaaS and UCaaS companies Legacy MNOs and OTT service providers Systems integrators for enterprise communications Application developers such as UC and enterprise collaboration Vendors in Report: Amdocs Apidaze (VoIP Innovations) Apifonica Aspect Software Bandwidth BICS CA Technologies Cisco CLX Communications Ericsson Fortumo Google hSenid Mobile Huawei Hubtel LocationSmart Mashape MessageBird Mulesoft Nokia Networks Oracle Persistent Systems Ribbon Communcations Syniverse TeleStax Telnyx Twilio Tyntec Vidyo Vonage Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05827244/?utm_source=PRN Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05827244/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/telecom-api-market-by-technology-application-and-service-type-stakeholder-user-type-deployment-enterprise-hosted-public-cloud-private-cloud-and-platform-as-a-service-type-2019--2024-301001766.html SOURCE Reportlinker [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:49:01|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Palestinians participate in a rally in support of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, in Gaza City, Feb. 11, 2020. Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated on Tuesday in the West Bank and Gaza against the U.S. Mideast peace plan, known as the "Deal of the Century." (Photo by Yasser Qudih/Xinhua) GAZA/RAMALLAH, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Thousands of Palestinians demonstrated on Tuesday in the West Bank and Gaza against the U.S. Mideast peace plan, known as the "Deal of the Century." A main rally was held in the center of the West Bank city of Ramallah in the aftermath of demonstrations all over the West Bank. Demonstrators waved Palestinian flags and carried banners that slammed the U.S. plan. Earlier on Tuesday, the Palestinian Authority government called on its employees to join the rallies and the protests. Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said at the rally that "the Palestinians are united behind their leaders in rejecting the American plan until toppling it." He stressed that the Palestinians "are able to topple all deals and projects which aim at eliminating the just Palestinian cause." Mahmoud Aloul, deputy chairman of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, told the participants of the rally that "we are all united against the American plan." "There is no single Palestinian citizen, who is ready to accept the deal, which targets the Palestinian people's legitimate rights and their holy places," said Aloul. In Gaza, hundreds of Palestinians also demonstrated against the U.S. peace plan. They waved Palestinian flags and chanted slogans against the United States and Israel. Abbas will address the United Nations Security Council later to present the Palestinian vision towards peace with Israel and he will ask the council to vote against the U.S. plan. KABUL, Afghanistan More than 18 years after the United States invaded Afghanistan, President Trump has conditionally approved a peace deal with the Taliban that would withdraw the last American troops from the country, potentially beginning the end of Americas longest war, according to Afghan and American officials. But the deal will only be signed if the Taliban prove their commitment to a durable reduction of violence over a test period of about seven days later this month. If the Taliban do end hostilities and a deal is signed, the United States would then begin a gradual withdrawal of American troops, and direct negotiations would start between the Taliban and Afghan leaders over the future of their country. [Update: Taliban ramp up attacks on Afghans after Trump says no violence.] Secretary of State Mike Pompeo informed Afghanistans top leaders in separate phone calls on Tuesday that Mr. Trump had given tentative approval to this approach, according to a senior Afghan official briefed on one of the calls. A senior American official aware of the developments also confirmed Mr. Trump had given his preliminary approval for a deal on Monday, dependent on a cessation of violence, the same day he visited Dover Air Force Base to receive the remains of the latest American fatalities in the war, which has killed tens of thousands of Afghans and more than 3,500 American and coalition troops since the United States drove the Taliban from power in 2001. The Hague-based court has over the years issued several arrest warrants over alleged crimes committed in Darfur. Sudans transitional authorities have agreed that all those wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged atrocities in Darfur should appear before the tribunal in The Hague. The list of suspects includes Omar al-Bashir, Sudans former president who was overthrown last year in the face of mass protests against his 30-year rule. Al-Bashir, who in December was sentenced by a Sudanese court to two years in detention for corruption, is wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity, charges he denies. The ICC opened its investigation into Darfur in June 2005 following a referral to the court by the UN Security Council. An estimated 300,000 people were killed in the conflict that broke out in the region in 2003. Al-Bashirs government had said the death toll was grossly exaggerated. Who are the accused and what are they charged with? Omar al-Bashir Who is he? Born in 1944, al-Bashir came to power in a military coup in 1989 and governed Sudan until 2019, when he was overthrown by the army following months-long demonstrations against his rule. He was the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC. Warrants for arrest : The ICC first issued an arrest warrant for al-Bashir on March 4, 2009, and again on July 12, 2010. Charges : Five counts of crimes against humanity: murder, extermination, forcible transfer, torture, and rape. Two counts of war crimes: intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as such or against individual civilians not taking part in hostilities, and pillaging. Three counts of genocide: genocide by killing, genocide by causing serious bodily or mental harm, and genocide by deliberately inflicting on each target group conditions of life calculated to bring about the groups physical destruction. Status: Not in ICC custody. Abdel Raheem Muhammad Hussein Who is he? One of al-Bashirs closest aides, Hussein was minister of the interior and the presidents special representative in Darfur. He later also served as defence minister. Warrant for arrest: March 1, 2012. March 1, 2012. Charges: Seven counts of crimes against humanity: persecution, murder, forcible transfer, rape, inhumane acts, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, and torture. Six counts of war crimes: murder, attacks against a civilian population, destruction of property, rape, pillaging, and outrage upon personal dignity. Status: Not in ICC custody. Ahmad Muhammad Harun Who is he? Born in 1964 (approximately), Harun served as state minister of the interior between 2003 and 2005. He later held a number of other official positions, including state minister of humanitarian affairs. Warrant for arrest : The ICC issued a warrant for his arrest on April 27, 2007. Charges : Twenty counts of crimes against humanity: murder, persecution, forcible transfer of population, rape, inhumane acts, imprisonment or severe deprivation of liberty, and torture. Twenty-two counts of war crimes: murder, attacks against the civilian population, destruction of property, rape, pillaging, and outrage upon personal dignity. Status: Not in ICC custody. Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-al-Rahman (Ali Kushayb) Who is he? Born in 1957 (approximately), Aki Kushayb Kushayb was allegedly a Janjaweed militia commander who led deadly attacks on towns and villages. The pro-government Janjaweed were accused of committing atrocities during the conflict in Darfur. Born in 1957 (approximately), Aki Kushayb Kushayb was allegedly a Janjaweed militia commander who led deadly attacks on towns and villages. The pro-government Janjaweed were accused of committing atrocities during the conflict in Darfur. Warrant for arrest: April 27, 2012. Charges: Twenty-two counts of crimes against humanity: murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population, imprisonment or other severe deprivation of physical liberty in violation of fundamental rules of international law, torture, persecution, inhumane acts of inflicting serious bodily injury and suffering. Twenty-eight counts of war crimes: violence to life and person, outrage upon personal dignity in particular humiliating and degrading treatment, intentionally directing an attack against a civilian population, pillaging, rape, destroying or seizing the property. Status: Not in ICC custody. Abdallah Banda Abakaer Nourain PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 21:33:03 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 408 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / The Company HDII (OTC PINK:HDII), at this time would like to inform all Shareholders that the Company, Gerpang Healthcare Group, located in Jinan Pharma Valley will not be Merging into Hypertension Diagnostics Inc., at this time. Gerpang Healthcare Inc. has decided to enter into an Agreement with a different Company due to the recent Control Dispute caused by previous Management, Kenneth Brimmer.Liangjian Peng the current CEO, was able to bring the Company current with the State of Domicile, OTC Markets, and the Company's Transfer Agent after being left dormant for many years by previous Management. Only, to be met with false claims from Mr. Brimmer regarding his position with the Company.Unfortunately, due to Kenneth Brimmer, the previous CEO of the Company Hypertension Diagnostics Inc., there is now a "Control Dispute" claim to the Company.New Management Liangjian Peng, the current CEO of Hypertension Diagnostics Inc. will be filing a Legal Action against Mr. Brimmer in regards to his unlawful claims.Mr. Peng the current CEO stated, "Mr. Kenneth Brimmer has deliberately left Hypertension Diagnostics Inc. "HDII" dormant for many years, causing financial burden to both, the Company and its Shareholders. Furthermore, his false claims have no merit. I as the current CEO, currently have all supporting documentation that not only reflect absolute proof that Mr. Brimmer's claims are false, but evidence that he continues to financially burden the Shareholders of the Company and the Company itself deliberately." *Safe Harbor Statement Information in this press release may contain 'forward-looking statements.' Statements describing objectives or goals or the Company's future plans are also forward-looking statements and are subject to risks and uncertainties, including the financial performance of the Company and market valuations of its stock, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Forward-looking statements in this news release are made pursuant to the 'Safe Harbor' provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, including, without limitation, risks relating to the ability to close transactions being contemplated, risks related to sales, acceptance of Hypertension Diagnostics Inc.'s products, increased levels of competition, changes, dependence on intellectual property rights and other risks detailed from time to time in Hypertension Diagnostic Inc. periodic reports filed with the regulatory authorities.CONTACT:Jeff PengSOURCE: Hypertension Diagnostics Inc. The remarkable career of naval aviation pioneer Frederick Trap Trapnell encompassed biplanes, airships, World War II fighters, research planes and early carrier jets. Today every U.S. naval aviator who straps into an aircraft cockpit owes a debt to a man they never met and few have even heard of, Vice Admiral Frederick M. Trapnell, the godfather of modern naval aviation. Every fighter, attack aircraft, troop carrier, transport, helicopter and aerial surveillance plane in the Navy inventory for the last 65 years has been tested, evaluated and improved by the dedicated graduates of the U.S. Naval Test Pilot School at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Maryland. There, hundreds of men and women are the direct inheritors of the legacy that Trapnell began when he first pinned on his wings of gold in 1927. Born in July 1902, Trapnell displayed a love of the sea and ships at an early age. An appointment to the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis honed his gift for engineering, a trait that served him well all his life. There he gained the nickname by which he was forever known, Trap. His good looks, winning personality and humility made him popular. Serving on battleships and cruisers after his graduation in 1923, the young officer earned the respect of the enlisted men through his willingness to work alongside them and get his hands dirty. Fascinated by the Navys early scout biplanes, Trapnell applied for aviation training at NAS Pensacola in Florida. He displayed a natural ability as a pilot and took great pains to familiarize himself with every airplane he flew. When he earned his wings in March 1927, Trapnell was unknowingly situated on the threshold of the most dynamic generation in aviation history. In 1930 Trapnell (right) and fellow naval aviators (from left) Lieutenant Aaron Storr and Lt. Cmdr. Matthias Gardner formed a demonstration team flying Curtiss F6C-4s. (Frederick M. Trapnell) In 1930 Trapnell (right) and fellow naval aviators (from left) Lieutenant Aaron Storr and Lt. Cmdr. Matthias Gardner formed a demonstration team flying Curtiss F6C-4s. (Frederick M. Trapnell) Lieutenant Trapnell was assigned to the pioneering Torpedo Squadron 1 of the newly commissioned aircraft carrier Lexington, flying the three-seater Martin T3M biplane, the Navys first torpedo bomber. In 1928 Lexington joined the fleet exercises off Hawaii, where Trapnell began to fly and evaluate the current crop of bombers. He then joined the Navys first officially designated fighter squadron, VB-1 (later VF-5). The Red Rippers would become the longest-serving fighter squadron in the Navy. They flew the nimble and rakish Curtiss F6C Hawk, a carrier-capable variant of the Armys P-1 Hawk. Trapnell loved the agile biplane. Under the tutelage of fellow pilot and friend Lt. Cmdr. Matthias Gardner, Trapnell practiced the new doctrine of coordinated air attacks with dive bombers, torpedo planes and fighters. Still, he had to prove his skills as a wingman with a more experienced leader, Lieutenant Jimmy Barner. Virtually every nugget pilot required several sessions to become proficient at close-quarters maneuvering and aerobatics. But when Trapnell landed at NAS San Diego after his first trial and awaited his written evaluation, Barner simply shook his hand and said, Im glad to welcome you aboard. In early 1929 the Pacific Fleet conducted extensive exercises in the Panama Canal Zone, recognized as a prime target for any oceangoing belligerent power. Trapnell and the other Rippers flew almost daily, fine-tuning tactics that would shape the Navys future. He flew the new Boeing F4B from August to December of that year. During a test flight over Kearny Mesa north of San Diego, he joined the Caterpillar Clubthe elite fraternity of pilots who had to parachute in an emergencywhen an F4Bs fuel line caught fire and he bailed out. Unhurt, he landed near the burning biplane and kept the ripcord D ring as proof of his new membership. Trapnell (right) holds the ripcord D-ring from his parachute after bailing out of a burning Boeing F4B near San Diego in November 1929. (Frederick M. Trapnell Jr.) Trapnell (right) holds the ripcord D-ring from his parachute after bailing out of a burning Boeing F4B near San Diego in November 1929. (Frederick M. Trapnell Jr.) In those early days a manufacturer rarely provided detailed information on a particular airplanes performance envelope, so it was up to the Navy to assess its strengths and weaknesses. Assigned to fly recently repaired planes or new models, Trapnell displayed an uncanny knack for recognizing flaws in an aircrafts design and making astute recommendations to remedy the problems. This would be a recurring theme throughout his career. In December 1929 Lieutenant Barner had Trapnell assigned to the Navys Flight Test Section at NAS Anacostia in Washington, D.C. It was there that Trapnell found his true calling. His clear and concise notes and performance data stemmed directly from his work on hydrodynamics at Annapolis. He was able to fly every single plane on the field, greatly adding to his personal understanding of what qualities the best fighters and bombers possessed. Trapnell was the sharpest student of aerodynamics and flight testing that we had, wrote fellow test pilot Robert Pine. I believe he is the best pilot and probably the best test pilot I have ever been associated with. In the early 1930s the Navy, particularly Bureau of Aeronautics chief Rear Adm. William Moffett, was dedicated to the dirigible for long-range fleet reconnaissance. In 1931 Akron, the worlds most advanced airship, was nearing completion at the Goodyear-Zeppelin hangar in Akron, Ohio. Akron was designed to carry small biplane fighters in an enclosed bay in the ships belly. Trapnell evaluated the tiny Curtiss F9C-2 Sparrowhawk, working with Akrons Heavier-Than-Air (HTA) unit to develop procedures and tactics to make the vulnerable airship into a long-range scout aircraft carrier. A complicated trapeze system lowered the Sparrowhawk into the airstream, from which the pilot would then release and fly off on his scouting or defensive mission. Disengaging from and hooking onto the trapeze required deft control and could only be accomplished under ideal weather conditions. When Akron was commissioned in late 1931, the trapeze system was still seriously flawed. Trapnell designed a simpler and more automated system that stabilized the fighter without the pilot having to do it manually. The new system was successful, and in a few months Akron and sister ship Macon were ready. But there was still some controversy as to how the massive airships should be employed in warfare. A few of the ships officers and I of the enlightened heads at BuAer [Bureau of Aeronautics] thought the airship should hang back at the [sight of the] enemy and let her airplanes do the scouting, said Trapnell. In any case, the airships moment in the sun would be brief. On April 3, 1933, Rear Adm. Moffett was on board Akron for a demonstration flight off the mid-Atlantic coast in which three Sparrowhawks were to fly out and hook up. Trapnell was tasked with flying Akrons two-seater running boat from NAS Lakehurst in New Jersey to the airship as a ferry plane for the admiral. But the weather closed in and he had to wait for takeoff clearance. As the hours passed the weather off the Jersey coast turned vicious, and Trapnell became worried. Many of the 76 men on board the airship were his friends. As dawn broke the following day the cruel truth emerged: Akron had crashed at sea, killing Moffett and all but three of his crew. At the time it was the worst air disaster in history. Trapnell had come within a whisker of being on board when Akron took its fatal plunge into the stormy Atlantic. Named head of the HTA unit, Trapnell worked on Macon out of NAS Moffett Field in Sunnyvale, Calif. After the Akron disaster, the pressure was on to validate what proved to be a flawed concept. In 1935 Macon crashed, ending the Navys experiment with giant airships. By then the Consolidated P2Y, the first successful long-range flying boat, was proving capable of doing the airships job of patrolling the seas, with far less vulnerability. In 1936 Trapnell was assigned to VP-10 in Hawaii, where he helped develop the search and patrol strategies that would serve the Navy well in the years to come. He commanded a successful squadron deployment of new Consolidated PBY Catalinas from California to Hawaii in January 1938, setting a record of 20 hours for the 2,550-mile flight. As war clouds loomed, Trapnell was never out of the sky for long. He flew, evaluated and made recommendations for nearly every prototype and production plane in the Navy and Marine Corps inventory. The early torpedo and dive bombers were as much an exercise in theory as in aeronautical technology. The Navys Northrop XBT-1 monoplane dive bomber pioneered the use of split dive brakes. It was followed by the Vought SB2U-1 Vindicator, which, like its predecessor, was obsolete by the beginning of World War II. Only when the sturdy Douglas SBD Dauntless took to the skies did America field a truly effective dive bomber for carrier warfare. After the smoke cleared over the shattered battle fleet at Pearl Harbor in December 1941, it was obvious that the outcome of the Pacific War hinged heavily on aircraft carriers. At Anacostia, Trapnell was eager to get into combat but the Navy thought his engineering skills and experience were too valuable to lose. Working 12-hour days six and seven days a week, he strove to perfect the Navys next generation of warplanes. Every new design had to be tested and wrung out to learn its strengths and weaknesses. Trapnell flew them all, including the Grumman F4F Wildcat and Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters. But it was with the radical and tricky Vought F4U Corsair that he really made a significant contribution to the future of Navy fighters. The Corsairs inverted gull wings, long nose and powerful engine resulted in some major teething problems. With the project experiencing severe delays and accidents, Trapnell went to the Vought plant in Stratford, Conn., to test the new fighter. He quickly came to appreciate the Corsairs potential, taking it to 402 mphmaking it the fastest production piston-engine fighter in the world at the time. By November he was testing and evaluating the Corsair at Anacostia, helping Vought and the Navy iron out the design of what ultimately became one of the most successful fighters in the Pacific. By 1940 Trapnell had flown more than 80 different types of aircraft, logging over 3,800 hours in the air. In order to expedite the development of new planes, he proposed that the Navy collaborate in early flight testing with the manufacturers. This was a radical concept but it was the principal reason so many warplanes quickly entered production. In mid-1942, with the Pacific War in full fury, Trapnells skill as a flight test engineer gave him the opportunity to fly the most feared Japanese fighter, the Mitsubishi A6M2 Zero. During the Japanese attack on the Aleutians in the June Midway campaign, Zero pilot Tadayoshi Koga was forced down into the tundra on Akutan Island. Koga was killed but his Zero was nearly intact. The Navy recovered it and spirited the highly secret plane to San Diego. After being repaired it was turned over to Trapnell, by then a full commander, to assess its capabilities and limitations. With Trapnell flying a new Corsair and Lt. Cmdr. Eddie Sanders in the Zero, the two pilots dueled off San Diego, soon learning what the Zero could and could not do. They shattered the myth that it could fly rings around anything in the sky and proved that the Zero did have some serious shortcomings, particularly in its high-speed and high-altitude performance. In his report to the Navy Department, Trapnell wrote, The Zero was faster and had a faster climb rate than the Wildcat, but was more vulnerable and less maneuverable at high speed. Their findings and recommendations were quickly sent to fighter and bomber pilots all over the Pacific. Meanwhile, Trapnell read Pacific combat reports and made recommendations to improve the next generation of fighters, including the Grumman F6F Hellcat. He came to the factory and flew the prototype F6F, said Leroy Grumman. It suited him, as I remember, except for the longitudinal stabilityhe wanted more of that. We built it in, and rushed into production without a Navy certificate on the modelwe relied on Trapnells opinion. His test flight took less than three hours. Im not sure that we ever got an official O.K. on the Hellcat design. I think it finally came through after V-J Day. By that time Hellcats had shot down 5,155 Japanese planesand thats over half of the Navys total bag for the war. Trapnell was still itching to get out to the Pacific. In a request for transfer, he wrote, Urgently desire C.O. of any kind of CV [aircraft carrier]. Get me out of this backwater. Trapnell finally made it into the war in the spring of 1944 as executive officer of the escort carrier Breton, which was ferrying planes to the war zone from the West Coast. He earned the Bronze Star for developing a system allowing Hellcats to take off from a carrier deck in just 190 feet, thus increasing the number of planes that could be carried on the small ships. After participating in the invasion of Saipan, Trapnell was assigned as chief of staff to Rear Adm. Arthur Radford, whom he had known since the 1930s, on the flagship Yorktown in Task Group 38.1. There he played a role in the huge campaigns in the Carolines and later the Philippines. Trapnell witnessed kamikaze attacks and in December survived the fury of Typhoon Cobra, the worst tropical storm of the war. He coordinated every aspect of Yorktowns air operations, from fuel to ordnance, targets and after-action reports. He gained satisfaction in seeing the planes he and the team at Anacostia had helped mold into effective weapons taking the fight to the Japanese. After the war, Trapnell returned to the States to continue testing new aircraft. He maintained his belief that full spectrum testing within their operational environment was the best way to evaluate new designs. In June 1943 the Flight Test Section had moved from Anacostia to NAS Patuxent River. There the Navy put each new prototype and production plane through rigorous tests of speed, rate of climb, high-altitude performance, maneuverability, carrier suitability and several other criteria. Each plane was evaluated on its armament, electronics and maintenance requirements. Naval aviation had radically changed in the years since Trapnell had earned his wings. The new jet aircraft promised greater speed and power but also posed a serious challenge for the aircraft carrier fraternity. The entire science of carrier operations needed major refinement for the faster and heavier jets. Flight decks had to be reinforced and new approach, landing and launch procedures developed. The pressure to put jets on carriers in a reasonable schedule reinforced the need for early testing. Vice Admiral Radford, now deputy chief of naval operations for air, tagged Trapnell to head up the new Naval Air Test Center (NATC) as coordinator. Trapnell would have full creative control of the center, including the selection and training of the new crop of naval test pilots. By February 1947 he had begun a vigorous recruiting campaign to fill out the ranks with the most talented, experienced and educated aviators he could find. The learning curve was hellishly steep, as the early jets proved to be unforgiving of errors. They required test pilots who were not only good stick-and-rudder men but who also had the engineering background to understand the finer points of each testing program. Transitioning into jets at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in the late 1940s, Trapnell (left) returns from a flight in a North American FJ-1 Fury. (Frederick M. Trapnell Jr.) Transitioning into jets at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in the late 1940s, Trapnell (left) returns from a flight in a North American FJ-1 Fury. (Frederick M. Trapnell Jr.) By the early 1950s the NATC was in full swing and the test pilot school was turning out dozens of new naval aviators eager to make their mark evaluating the hottest new planes from Grumman, Vought, McDonnell, Douglas and a dozen other companies. Some of the new planes, such as the Convair XF2Y Sea Dart and Vought XF7U Cutlass, proved to be colossal failures, but others, like the Grumman F9F Panther, Vought F-8 Crusader and Douglas A-4 Skyhawk, successfully took the Navy into the jet age. Trapnell oversaw every test program and recommendation with the same zeal and skill he had displayed in the past. He also played a small role in the testing of transonic and supersonic research aircraft, getting a chance to fly the Douglas D-558 Skystreak to a speed of Mach 0.86. In 1950 Trapnell was granted his fondest wish, command of an aircraft carrier. As captain of Coral Sea, he would miss the highly dynamic world of flight test but was back in his element, on a ship at sea. Coral Sea was the first U.S. carrier to deploy with jets and the first to carry a plane that Trapnell personally considered the best, the McDonnell F2H Banshee. During his time on the carrier, he developed the concept of double-line launching, greatly increasing the carriers ability to rapidly deploy aircraft. In January 1952, at age 49, Trapnell was diagnosed with a heart ailment that put an end to his flying career. He had flown 6,272 hours during 5,012 flights in 162 airplane types. After suffering a heart attack, he retired in September 1952 with the rank of vice admiral. In October 1957 the Society of Experimental Test Pilots elected him one of its first honorary fellows. Trapnell died on January 30, 1975, and his ashes were scattered at sea. The following year the airfield at NAS Patuxent River was officially named Trapnell Field in his honor. He was posthumously inducted into the U.S. Naval Aviation Hall of Honor in Pensacola on May 8, 1986. Trapnells legacy is evident in the past, present and future of naval aviationfrom the earth to the moon. All the Navy and Marine aviators who joined NASA as astronauts in the late 1950s and 1960s were graduates of Pax Rivers test pilot school, including Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Wally Schirra, James Lovell, Alan Bean, Dick Gordon, Pete Conrad and John Young. Frequent contributor Mark Carlson recommends for further reading Harnessing the Sky: Frederick Trap Trapnell, the U.S. Navys Aviation Pioneer, 192352, by Frederick M. Trapnell Jr. and Dana Trapnell Tibbitts. This feature originally appeared in the March 2020 issue of Aviation History. To subscribe, click here! The 900-pound manatee that washed up along the shore in the Delaware Bay in Cape May County on Sunday may have been pioneering outside its home territory and got caught in water too cold for survival. Bob Schoelkopf, director of the Brigantine-based Marine Mammal Stranding Center, said Tuesday thats the best guess for the wayward 11-foot manatee found in Middle Township. Thats when animals venture out of their natural habitat and expand into new areas, Schoelkopf said of the pioneering theory. Thats what we think is happening. More are heading north in the summer looking for food sources and in New Jersey, there are good food sources in those back bays and marshes. Officials from the stranding center took photographs and biological samples of the male manatee and sent them to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which has a prominent manatee rescue program. The mammals are most commonly found in the warm waters off Florida and in the Caribbean. The Florida researchers will attempt to determine where the manatee came from and how it ended up in New Jersey, but that process could take weeks, Schoelkopf said. In recent years, two manatee were spotted off the Virginia coast, Schoelkopf said. One died, while the other disappeared. The whereabouts of a different manatee seen off Maryland are also unknown. Manatees generally need to be in water of at least 68 degrees. Manatees in waters close to New Jersey are rare. In October 2009, a manatee later named Ilya was pulled from a creek at a Linden oil refinery. A massive rescue effort involving dozens of people, including 20 workers from the refinery, two boats, a dive team and a special crane was launched to pull Ilya from the waters. The manatee had traveled as far north as Cape Cod, Massachusetts before turning around. Ilya was taken to the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine for a few days of rehabilitation and evaluation before the manatee was treated to a flight to the warmer waters of Florida aboard a Coast Guard C-130 transport plane. Ilya died in 2018 after being struck by a boat off the Florida coast. A manatee that washed up Sunday at a beach in Middle Township along the Delaware Bay might have died after spending too much time in cold water, officials said. (Phone: Marine Mammal Stranding Center) Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. 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. A 20-year-old woman who was abused as a child by paedophile couple Gary and Heather Talbot paid tribute to all survivors of sexual abuse as she told how the pair "took her innocence away". A 20-year-old woman who was abused as a child by paedophile couple Gary and Heather Talbot paid tribute to all survivors of sexual abuse as she told how the pair "took her innocence away". She released a statement after the Co Down couple were handed sentences totalling 24 years. She said: "I am glad that my abusers have finally faced justice and will have to serve time in prison for what they did to me. "I was only a child when they took my innocence away. "The abuse left me traumatised and upset as they betrayed my trust in the most despicable way. "The trauma caused me to lose all my childhood memories and develop PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). "The past year has been very difficult for me, my family and friends. I would like to thank them for being there for me, not only for every court hearing but for supporting me day to day as I have struggled to come to terms with my abuse. "I would also like to thank the police detective who investigated my case. "She has been thorough and dedicated whilst at the same time being compassionate, caring and kind to me." She added: "Pursuing justice has been a long process however, seeing my abusers jailed has given me renewed strength and I am now looking forward to the future in which I'm hoping to become a counsellor as counselling has been essential in my recovery, and thank you to my counsellor as you have inspired me to help others overcome traumatic experiences. "I would really like to thank and commend all survivors of sexual abuse for your amazing strength as it has helped me to fight to get my justice. "Together we will send a message across the world that there is no shame in being a survivor of sexual abuse - the shame is on the abuser." Also welcoming yesterday's sentence was Detective Chief Inspector Claire McGuigan, who described the case as "disturbing and harrowing". Branding the sentences handed to the couple as "significant", the senior policewoman said: "The sentence handed down today reflects the serious and shocking nature of the crimes they committed against a young, vulnerable and innocent child. "It is hard to comprehend the impact their crimes have had on the victim and her family. "I would like to pay tribute to the victim and her family for their courage and commitment in seeing this case through the criminal justice system and they have today finally achieved justice. "I hope that others who are suffering sexual abuse or who are aware of sexual crimes taking place are encouraged to come forward and speak with police. "We have specially trained detectives in our Public Protection Branch, and they will treat you sensitively, fairly, with compassion and respect." Joseph Murphy from the Public Prosecution Service (PPS) paid tribute to the bravery shown by the victim and said the department's serious crime unit worked closely with the PSNI to build a "robust prosecution case". Mr Murphy said: "Gary Talbot pleaded guilty to offences including the rape of a child, sexual assault and taking and distributing indecent images. Heather Talbot pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting her husband in the rape of a child, indecent assault, gross indecency and taking indecent photographs. "This is a particularly grave and distressing case of abuse against a very young child who was aged just 18 months when the Talbots started to violate her. "Gary Talbot entered guilty pleas at an early stage. "At police interview, Heather Talbot had admitted being present when some of the indecent images were taken but denied taking any of the photos or assisting her husband in abusing the child. "The PPS directed an expert report to prove the photographs were taken by manual operation of a hand-held camera, proving Heather Talbot must have taken all of them. "Heather Talbot entered guilty pleas after her lawyers examined all of the images and agreed the PPS expert report was accurate. "This saved the victim from the upsetting experience of having to give evidence in court. "The positive outcome in this case was achieved through collaborative working with the PSNI. "I want to commend the bravery shown by the victim, who is now an adult, and her family throughout the criminal justice process." tech2 News Staff Japanese wireless carrier NTT Docomo and Sony Corp pulled out of the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on Monday because of the coronavirus outbreak. As per a new update by VentureBeat, Intel will also not attend MWC. As per the report, an Intel spokesperson said, "The safety and wellbeing of all our employees and partners is our top priority, and we have withdrawn from this years Mobile World Congress out of an abundance of caution. We are grateful to the GSMA for their understanding and look forward to attending and supporting future Mobile World Congress events,. In addition, Vivo has also announced that it's backing out of MWC 2020. As per a report by Android Authority, Vivo gave a statement via email that read: "Vivo has been closely monitoring the Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (NCP) outbreak and continuously evaluating planned activities. The health and safety of our employees and the public are our top priority. Based on the present situation, we have decided to withdraw from our debut at MWC 2020 and other related events later this month in Barcelona, Spain. Amazon, South Korea's LG Electronics, Swedish equipment maker Ericsson and US chipmaker Nvidia have already withdrawn from MWC, which had more than 100,000 visitors and upwards of 2,400 exhibitors in 2019. MWC, due to take place on 24-27 February is the telecom industry's biggest annual gathering, with companies spending millions on stands and hospitality to fill their order books. (Also read: Coronavirus outbreak FAQ: Face masks, safe meat, tips to stay safe from the deadly airborne infection) Barcelona's economy got a boost of around 470 million euros ($515 million) last year from the event, its organiser the GSMA estimated. The GSMA had no immediate comment. Gremi d'Hotels de Barcelona, the city's main hotels association, said coronavirus concerns had resulted in cancellations but it was too early to quantify the impact on overall bookings. And the region's digital policy councillor, Jordi Puignero, told local radio station RAC1 the Catalan regional government was "taking measures so that everything proceeds as normal". "There is no reason to not attend," he added. Sources close to exhibitors said that if participants cancel, they would have to bear the cost. The GSMA, an industry association representing more than 750 operators and 400 companies, would only be liable if it calls off the event. Sony and NTT said in statements they had withdrawn after taking into consideration the safety of customers, partners and staff. Sony said its launch event would be held via video. NTT did not immediately confirm whether its chief executive, Kazuhiro Yoshizawa, would continue as a panel speaker. US-Israeli software provider Amdocs also pulled out of the event on Monday. "While we appreciate the precautionary measures put into place by the (organiser) GSMA, we believe the safest option is not to attend MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Amdocs' CEO Shuky Sheffer said in a statement. Chinese electronics company TCL said it was cancelling a press event but would still attend MWC and showcase new devices, while Norway's Telenor said it was planning to cut the number of staff attending as well as reducing its programme. No hand shakes GSMA said on Sunday that no-one from China's Hubei province, where the coronavirus outbreak began, would be allowed to attend, while visitors from China must prove they have been outside the country for at least two weeks prior to the event. These measures add to earlier actions aimed at preventing the spread of the virus, including changing microphones between speakers and advising all attendees not to shake hands. The death toll from coronavirus in mainland China has risen above 900, with more than 40,000 people infected. More than two dozen countries are grappling with the virus, which has infected more than 330 people outside China. In 2019, some 6 percent of Mobile World Congress attendees were from China, GSMA's post-congress report showed. Most were from Europe, around 64 percent, as were about 45 percent of the exhibitors. China's Huawei and ZTE have said they will attend, ordering China-based staff to self-isolate ahead of MWC and drafting in European staff to cover for those not able to attend from China. (With inputs from Reuters) Asia Thailand Refuses Entry to Cruise Ship With No Coronavirus Cases The MS Westerdam / REUTERS BANGKOK/HANOIThailand has barred passengers from Holland Americas cruise ship MS Westerdam from disembarking, its health minister said on Tuesday, becoming the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the coronavirus despite there being no confirmed infections on board. The Netherlands-flagged ship was sailing in a westerly direction, 96 km off the southern coast of Vietnam on Tuesday morning, according to data from the Marine Traffic ship tracking website. Holland America, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, had said on Monday that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on Feb. 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody on board had the virus. I have issued orders. Permission to dock refused, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post. The coronavirus that emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan last month has caused chaos in Asia and beyond with many flights suspended, businesses disrupted and entry restrictions imposed by governments trying to ward off the spread. It has also roiled the world of luxury cruises. Another cruise ship, the Diamond Princess, with 3,700 passengers and crew onboard, is quarantined in the Japanese port of Yokohama, with 135 cases of coronavirus detected on the Carnival Corp-owned vessel. The World Dream cruise ship was held up in Hong Kong for days after it was linked to three cases but all passengers and crew later tested negative and were allowed to disembark. The virus has killed more than 1,000 peopleall but two in Chinaand infected more than 40,000, most in China but including 319 cases in 24 other countries and territories. The Westerdam had already been turned away from several countries, including Japan and the Philippines, amid fears of the virus. Voyage to nowhere Holland America says no one on board has the virus. Media reports say it carries 1,455 passengers and 802 crew; its original destination was Yokohama, Japan, which refused it permission to dock. The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports, the company said. It had earlier said the Westerdam was sailing toward Bangkok, and it is not immediately clear whether the ship would change course. Calls to the companys media hotline went unanswered on Tuesday. The 285-meter-long Westerdam can carry up to 1,964 passengers, according to the Holland America website, and is packed with cafes, restaurants and a blues club. The ship had already introduced extra health screening measures, including temperature checks and cleaning to defend against the virus, Holland America said in a statement. Passengers have taken to Twitter to express their frustration with the voyage to nowhere, after days at sea with no opportunity to get off. We have been at sea 14 days as of this Friday. We have no passengers sick in any way, wrote one Twitter user who said they were a passenger on board the ship. It was not clear if the passengers were aware that Thailand had denied permission for the ship to dock. You may also like these stories: Another 65 Test Positive for Coronavirus on Cruise Ship in Japan 60 More Test Positive for Coronavirus on Cruise Ship in Japan Virus Death Toll Tops 900 in China as Businesses Reopen After Long Holiday Liquor baron on Tuesday appeared before the Royal Courts of Justice here for his appeal against extradition to India to face fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores, where his lawyers claimed "multiple errors" in a magistrates' court's order. The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who remains on bail since his arrest on an extradition warrant in April 2017, avoided the usual scrum of reporters at the court entrance and went in with his lawyers separately. "I'm just here to listen," he said, when asked for a comment. Justice Stephen Irwin and Justice Elisabeth Laing were told by Mallya's barrister that Chief Magistrate Emma Arbuthnot's verdict in favour of extradition in December 2018 was flawed and also questioned the admissibility of some witness statements submitted by the Indian government. Clare Montgomery opened her arguments to try and establish that Mallya had no fraudulent intentions when he sought bank loans for his now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines because he is no "fly by night figure but an immensely wealthy man who was not running any sort of ponzi scheme but a reputable airline, which fell into economic misfortune along with other Indian airlines. In what she described as a "very dense case", which has proved extraordinarily difficult to manage as there are any number of rabbit holes to go down, Montgomery said: "She (Arbuthnot) did not look at all of the evidence because if she had, she would not have fallen into the multiple errors that permeate her judgment." The hearing is scheduled for three days with Mallya's barrister to lay out her oral arguments, with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on behalf of the Indian government set to counter on Wednesday. A verdict may be handed down at the end of the hearing on Thursday, but judgment could be delayed to a later date depending on how the hearing progresses. Representatives from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) were present in court as Montgomery once again sought to raise questions over whether the CBI behaved "properly in bringing charges" against Mallya under former Special Director Rakesh Asthana, who she said may have been guilty of misconduct. Judge Irwin intervened to question whether she could re-enter these pervious claims, which had already been rejected at the magistrates' court level and sought clarifications on where the law may have been wrongly applied by the Chief Magistrate. Mallya had received permission to appeal against his extradition order signed off by former UK home secretary Sajid Javid last February only on one ground, which challenges the Indian government's prima facie case against him of fraudulent intentions in acquiring bank loans. The High Court has already accepted Judge Arbuthnot's conclusions on all other aspects of the extradition case, including so-called extraneous circumstances of Mallya being pursued by the Indian authorities for political reasons of a clash between the ruling BJP and Opposition Congress party. Some of the other grounds invoked in last year's hearing claimed Mallya would not receive a fair trial in India, which was also dismissed as the judges upheld Arbuthnot's ruling on the matter that the wide media interest in the Mallya case would ensure justice. His legal team had also sought to challenge the Indian government's assurances that Mallya would be held in safe prison conditions at Barrack 12 in Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, which was dismissed by the High Court. At the end of a year-long extradition trial at Westminster Magistrates' Court in London in December 2018, Judge Arbuthnot had found clear evidence of dispersal and misapplication of the loan funds and accepted a prima facie case of fraud and a conspiracy to launder money against Mallya, as presented by the CPS on behalf of the Indian government. Mallya remains on bail involving a bail bond worth 650,000 pounds and other restrictions on his travel while he contests that ruling. As China returns to work after the Lunar New Year holiday that got extended due to the coronavirus outbreak, the Indian steel industry will be hoping that the worlds largest maker and consumer of the metal gets back to business as soon as possible. The outbreak of the virus, having claimed over 1,000 lives in China, has forced the country to pause much of its economic activity, including construction of roads, bridges and buildings. The transportation sector, too, has gone on a slow mode. These sectors are the main consumers of steel. Even though the first few months of the year are traditionally slow for the Chinese economy, the outbreak has raised fears of the sluggishness continuing and, thus, impacting the worlds second largest economy. Already, the likes of UBS and Goldman Sachs have cut their forecasts of Chinas GDP growth in the first three months. The uncertainty has already seen much of the commodities already hitting their lowest numbers in recent times. Here are a few: Doctor copper - called so because it is widely used and, thus, is a parameter of the economys health - has fallen 12 percent in less than a month. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show Prices of iron ore, the main raw material for making steel, has fallen to its lowest levels in six months. A Reuters story pointed out that 90 percent of Chinas ports that ship the raw material are located in regions impacted by the virus. Coal is another important raw material, and despite a demand for it from China, the hassle is in getting it shipped from major coal producing countries like Indonesia and Australia. With Australia announcing a 14-day quarantine on vessels coming from China, from February 1, the supply chain will be disrupted and thus making spot prices volatile. Either way, it is not good news for the steel industry. Chinas dominance The country is the worlds manufacturing capital, and much of the worlds TVs, phones and cars are produced in China. It is the same in the case of steel, too. In 2018, a little over a half of the worlds steel output of 1.8 billion tons was produced in China. The countrys share in steel consumption is similar. Initial reports from the country said that local steel mills continued to produce despite a slump in demand. S&P Global Platts has said that the steel demand in China could plunge by 43 million tons, in February. That is nearly half of what India produces in a year. The local steel association in China, the CISA, added that its not optimistic of the steel sector in the first three months. Much of the hopes are for a turnaround from April onwards but that is dependent on the government stimulus. What it means for India? The coronavirus outbreak has entered in the central province of Hubei and its capital Wuhan. The region is also one of the biggest steel producing hubs in China. The situation is being closely followed by the Indian steel industry. We are closely monitoring the situation, said a senior executive from one of the Indian steel companies. Apart from the impact on steel prices, the other problem could be in the supply of spare parts for the steel sector. Much of the spare parts come from China, said the official. A demand slump in China could flood the world market, and that could become a headache in India. Though imports have fallen recently, local steelmakers have alleged that much of steel coming into the local market is Made in China, but routed through countries with whom India has free trade agreements. A downward trend in prices will be bad news for the likes of JSW Steel and Tata Steel, who saw their profits plunge in the third quarter of the financial year. JSW Steels profits plunged 88 percent, and Tata Steel suffered losses of Rs 1,229 crore in the third quarter. Fall in rates will especially hurt as steel prices had just started going up in the last three months; and will definitely impact profitability. The only good news at present is that new cases of coronavirus may be waning, and that would signal a rebound of the Chinese economy. A well-designed restaurant should not only sit harmoniously with its surroundings but also enhance them. When it came to the refresh of the new dining room at Claridges in LondonDavies and Brook by Swiss-born chef Daniel Hummthe mission was to bring the space back to life. Named for the intersection of roads on which the hotel stands, the restaurant delivers on upscale elegance that Claridges is synonymous with, but it also sets the stage for chef Humms culinary genius, which gifted him three Michelin stars at his New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park. Every design detail, from how the sauce pools on the stoneware plates to the ephemeral shimmering of the Irish cast-glass columns, is orchestrated as an amazing theater of service. Everything we did was to try to fill the room with light, explains Brad Cloepfil, of NYC-based design practice Allied Works, who previously collaborated with Humm on Eleven Madison Park. The restaurants share similarities, primarily that they are both in the Art Deco style, but chef Humm adds: I am also connected personally to the space, as I worked in the kitchen at Claridges more than 25 years ago at the start of my career, so this feels like a full circle moment for me. Photo: Jamie McGregor-Smith The setting is open, airy, and connected to the street, so the way that daylight passes through the glass columns and glints off the white bronze metalwork is really beautiful. The floor is travertine with inset custom-made carpets to soften sounds, and the dark-stained wood chairs feature smart white bronze socks with a top-stitch patterna lovely detail for the eye. The sofa-like velvet banquettes wrap around the space, adding a level of comfort thats almost residential in feel. The elegant neutral scheme (with a touch of red) is typical of a high-end restaurant, but its also warm. It has a wonderful vibe that way, says Cloepfil. The decor has a light hand. However, all the materials are rich. Deeply interested in contemporary art, Humm and Cloepfil chose a 40-art photography installation by American artist Roni Horn, which is integral to the spaceto a degree, the landscape imagery informed the lighting and palette. I think we got Roni to approve the wall color, Cloepfil admits. Chef Humm adds: When we create restaurants, one of the most important things is the sense of welcoming people into our home. Just as a home has personal touches, I wanted to make sure the restaurant had elements that were personal to me. Roni Horn is one of my closest friends. This work was a result of that friendship and created specifically for this space. Story continues Photo: Evan Sung Photo: Jamie McGregor-Smith All the linear proportions, soft colors, and curvaceous shapes lend a certain femininitya point Cloepfil doesnt discount. This is Claridges after all, he explains. It is inherently such an elegant space. We wanted to make the feel inviting so guests would visit the restaurant all the time. When the arts hung and the people are there, the space feels fantastic. It all comes to life. See the video. The best restaurants are dictated by the people who inhabit them, as well as the time period, the legacy of the location, and how they reflect the chefs view of food and hospitality. Its an alchemy of all these things. In other words, the incarnation of Davies and Brook may lead with the history of the building in a now-contemporary spacebut the architecture is not the only subject here. Chef Humm is the guiding force. Describing the collaboration, Cloepfil says: Its like working with a theater director where you have to wait to see whats being interpreted before you can even start. He thinks like an artist, his food is mind-blowing, and when you get to dine there you understand what his vision is. Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest The Delhi High Court Tuesday advised Twitter to not delete from its servers the data pertaining to a senior advocate's account, which was permanently suspended by the social media giant. Justice Navin Chawla said the court was not passing any formal order in this regard while advising the US-based firm not to delete senior advocate Sanjay Hegde's data, in case it hasn't done so already. The court was hearing Hegde's plea challenging permanent suspension of his account by Twitter on November 5, 2019, for allegedly re-tweeting two posts. As an interim relief, Hegde, through senior advocate Jaideep Gupta, sought a direction to Twitter that the data of his account must not be deleted. Senior advocate Sajan Poovayya, representing Twitter Inc, opposed the petition saying it was not maintainable. He sought time to file a brief note on the question of maintainability and on the issue of jurisdiction of the high court to entertain the petition. The court allowed Twitter to file the note within two weeks and listed the matter for further hearing on March 27. The government, in its response filed through central government standing counsel Kirtiman Singh, said the issue of suspension of account was prima facie between Hegde and Twitter and it has not directed that the account be suspended. It also submitted that the government was not a necessary party to these proceedings and claimed that the petition was not maintainable and it should be dismissed. Regarding the plea for framing of appropriate guidelines, the Centre has claimed that it has fulfilled its statutory obligation by framing the Information Technology Intermediaries Guidelines) Rules, 2011. The senior advocate, in his petition, has also sought for directions to the Centre to frame guidelines for censorship on social media as per provisions of the Constitution. In his plea, filed through advocate Pranjal Kishore, Hegde asked if large multi-national corporations like Twitter are not amenable to the constitutional scrutiny for their actions. According to his petition, the first of the two posts re-tweeted by him, was of Kavita Krishnan, the secretary of All India Progressive Women's Association (AIPWA) and a member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) (CPI-ML) Politburo. She had posted Gorakh Pandey's poem 'Unko phaansi de do' on her Twitter profile. Hegde had re-tweeted and shared Krishnan's post with the caption 'Hang Him', an English translation of the poem's title, the petition said. The second post was a picture of August Landmesser which Hegde was using as his profile header/ cover photo for over a year, it said. It said, "The photograph in question was taken on June 13, 1936 and shows a large gathering of workers at the Blohm Voss shipyard in Hamburg. Almost everyone in the image has raised his arm in the Nazi salute. The only exception is Landmesser, who stands behind the crowd, with his arms crossed over his chest." The petition stated that Hegde's account was suspended purportedly for the use of the two posts whose original tweeters have faced no action. The plea contended that suspension of the senior lawyer's Twitter account "is illegal, arbitrary and contrary to the Respondent No.2's (Twitter) own terms of use and rules" and also violates his right to freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution. "The arbitrariness of Respondent No.2's conduct is clear from the fact that while the petitioner's account was suspended for sharing a post/tweet by another user, no action has been taken against the user who wrote the original tweet. The same continues to be in public domain," it said, adding that no action has been taken against those who had subsequently, shared the poem and photograph on their twitter profiles. The petition said before coming to court, Hegde had followed the internal appeals procedure of Twitter, but his appeal was rejected. He had also served a legal notice on the social media platform, but no response was received to the same, it said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The U.S. diplomat emphasized inadmissibility of Russia's interference in Ukraine's affairs. The United States has called on Russia to withdraw from the sovereign territory of Ukraine, says Kay Bailey Hutchison, U.S. Permanent Representative to NATO. "We are calling on Russia to withdraw from the sovereign territory of Ukraine and to let the Ukrainian people come together and move forward as they have shown they want to do in freedom and democracy with the rule of law and human rights," the official told a video conference briefing ahead of a NATO defense ministerial in Brussels on Tuesday, February 11. Read alsoZelensky, Merkel discuss implementation of agreements reached at Normandy summit Also, Kay Bailey Hutchison reiterated U.S. "commitment to Ukraine to be helpful". She noted that NATO defense ministers in Brussels this week will meet their Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Zagorodnyuk to reinforce the commitment that NATO has to the sovereign boundaries of Ukraine. ROMULUS, MI -- A Wayne County Judge who was arrested over the weekend and charged Monday with domestic violence and misdemeanor assault and battery is also facing charges of drunken driving from a 2018 incident in Manistee. According to WDIV Detroit, 34th District Court Judge David Parrott was arrested on Christmas Day 2018 for allegedly driving drunk. Parrott was in court Monday to be arraigned on the domestic violence charges stemming from an incident at his Van Buren Township home Saturday night. Police were called to the home shortly after 7 p.m. Saturday and while investigating, they spoke with a woman living in the home. That woman -- who is Parrotts live-in partner -- told police Parrott allegedly assaulted her, causing injuries to her head, hand and tailbone. During his arraignment Monday, Parrott was ordered by Judge James Plakas to surrender his guns and to avoid using alcohol while also wearing an alcohol-monitoring device while he is out on bond. The 2018 drunken driving case is still pending and is in the Michigan Court of Appeals where a probable cause conference is expected later this month. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:58:30|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close BEIRUT, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Sources close to Lebanese House Speaker Nabih Berri said that Berri is in favor of seeking technical support from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for an economic rescue plan for the country, local newspaper Annahar reported on Tuesday. However, Berri also said Lebanon cannot surrender itself totally to the IMF because the organization will impose conditions that the country cannot bear. Debate has recently intensified among Lebanese authorities and experts as the country is struggling to decide what to do about a 1.2 billion U.S. dollars Eurobond maturing in March. Berri believed that any decision regarding the payment of the Eurobond should be taken based on IMF's advice. Lebanon has never defaulted on its debt but the country is currently experiencing an unprecedented financial crisis with a budget deficit estimated at no less than 10 billion U.S. dollars in 2019. Banque Du Liban, Lebanon's central bank, has for years dealt with maturing bonds on behalf of the finance ministry but the bank is currently facing a drop in its foreign reserves caused by economic slowdown amid nationwide protests. The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige has asked unemployed Nigerian graduates not to rely on the government for jobs, saying there are more sustainable lucrative ventures outside their focus. Ngige stated this during a townhall meeting on popularisation of blue/green collar jobs among graduates of tertiary institutions in Benin, Edo State, on Monday, February 10, 2020. The minister, who was represented by Martina Nwordu, director of special duties and projects department in the ministry, advised the youth to invest their time in creative jobs, noting that the richest youth in the world are not working for the government. The minister urged Nigerian youths to invest their talent in other job sectors, as the richest youth of the world, aged between 21 and 31 years, are not employees of government but smart entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves in creative skills in various areas, Nwordu said. The minister disclosed that the purpose of the meeting, which held concurrently in four other geo-political zones of the federation, was to sensitise representatives of key stakeholders in graduate employment on the benefits of blue/green-collar jobs as an alternative response to the challenges of graduate unemployment. While urging the unemployed graduates, parents, career counsellors, students of tertiary institutions to embrace the profitable opportunities offered by jobs outside government offices, Ngige said such opportunities had the capacity to give high income, self-dignity and esteemed self-worth. He asked stakeholders to cooperate with the government on the programme as it would also contribute to achieving the presidents promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years. This is coming two months after the Senate asked the Federal Government to pay stipends to unemployed Nigerians until such persons secure employment. The upper chamber said the inability of the government to provide employment for the large numbers of graduates is a time bomb waiting to explode. CAIRO - Sudans transitional authorities have agreed to hand over ousted autocrat Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court to face trial on charges of war crimes and genocide, a top Sudanese official said Tuesday, in a deal with rebels to surrender all those wanted in connection with the Darfur conflict. For a decade after his indictment, al-Bashir confounded the court based in The Hague, Netherlands. He not only was out of reach during his 30 years in power in Khartoum, but he also travelled abroad frequently to visit friendly leaders without fear of arrest. He even attended the 2018 World Cup in Russia, where he kicked a soccer ball playfully during an airport welcome ceremony and watched matches from luxury seating. The military overthrew al-Bashir in April 2019 amid massive public protests of his rule, and he has been jailed in Khartoum since then. Military leaders initially ruled out surrendering him to The Hague, saying he would be tried at home. But the joint military-civilian Sovereign Council that has ruled Sudan since last summer has agreed with rebel groups in Darfur to hand over those wanted by the ICC to face justice in The Hague, according to Mohammed Hassan al-Taishi, a member of the council and a government negotiator. He didnt mention al-Bashir by name, but said, We agreed that everyone who had arrest warrants issued against them will appear before the ICC. Im saying it very clearly. He did not say when they would be handed over. We can only achieve justice if we heal the wounds with justice itself, he said. We cannot escape from confronting that. He spoke at a news conference in South Sudans capital, Juba, where the government and multiple rebel groups are holding talks to end the countrys various civil wars, including Darfur. In the Darfur conflict, rebels from the territorys ethnic central and sub-Saharan African community launched an insurgency in 2003, complaining of oppression by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum. The government responded with a scorched-earth assault of aerial bombings and unleashed militias known as the Janjaweed, who are accused of mass killings and rapes. Up to 300,000 people were killed and 2.7 million were driven from their homes. Al-Bashir, 76, faces three counts of genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes for his alleged role in leading the deadly crackdown. The indictments were issued in 2009 and 2010, marking the first time the global court had charged a suspect with genocide. The ICC has indicted two other senior figures in his regime: Abdel-Rahim Muhammad Hussein, interior and defence minister during much of the conflict, and Ahmed Haroun, a senior security chief at the time and later the leader of al-Bashirs ruling party. Both have been under arrest in Khartoum since al-Bashirs fall. Also indicted were Janjaweed leader Ali Kushayb and a senior Darfur rebel leader, Abdullah Banda, whose whereabouts are not known. Al-Taishi also said that the transitional authorities and the rebels agreed on establishing a special court for Darfur crimes that would include crimes investigated by the ICC. ICC spokesman Fadi Al Abdallah said the court had no comment until it received confirmation from Sudanese authorities. However, he said the country would not have to ratify the courts founding treaty, the Rome Statute, before sending al-Bashir to The Hague. There is an obligation for Sudan to co-operate with the courts arrest warrants, he said. The ratification of the Rome Statute itself is not a requirement for the surrender of suspects. Another member of the Sovereign Council said the government delegation to the Juba talks has a green light from military leaders in the council, including its head, Gen. Abdel Fattah Burhan, to announce that Sudan will hand over al-Bashir. We want to reassure the armed groups that we are serious and want to achieve peace as soon as possible, he said. The Sovereign Council member also said any extradition might take months, because he is wanted for other crimes in Sudan related to the revolution and the Islamist-backed military coup in 1989. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media. The decision could face a backlash from within Sudans military, from which al-Bashir emerged, and also from Islamists in the country. Al-Bashirs lawyer, Mohammed al-Hassan, warned that handing him over would have dire political and security repercussions for Sudan. He said he hoped Burhan keeps his obligation that al-Bashir or any Sudanese wont be handed over to the International Criminal Court. This matter will not happen easily, he told the AP by phone. Handing over al-Bashir is a sensitive issue in Sudan as the country tries to steer toward democratic and economic reforms. The deputy head of the Sovereign Council, Gen. Mohammed Hamadan Dagalo, commands a paramilitary unit that was involved in crushing the Darfur insurgency. The transitional government is under pressure to end its wars with rebel groups as it seeks to rehabilitate the battered economy, attract much-needed foreign aid and deliver the democracy it promises. The fledgling post-Bashir Sudan government is demonstrating a serious commitment to human rights principles in its first months in office. said John Prendergast, expert and co-founder of the Sentry watchdog group. Finally seeing a small measure of justice done for the mass atrocity crimes in Darfur will hopefully breathe new life into global efforts in support of human rights and genocide prevention. Rebel negotiator Ibrahim Mousa called it a big breakthrough. Another rebel leader, al-Murzi Abuel-Kassem of the Justice and Equality movement, hailed it as an important day for the Sudanese people, particularly the displaced and refugees in the camps. If al-Bashir is handed over, it would be only the second time a country has surrendered a foreign leader to the ICC. Ivory Coast transferred former President Laurent Gbagbo in 2011 to The Hague, where he was acquitted last year of crimes against humanity charges linked to alleged involvement in post-election violence. Al-Bashir would be the highest profile figure yet to appear before the ICC, which was founded in 2002 but has been unable to gain acceptance among major powers, including the United States, Russia and China. Although the ICC has generated important legal precedents, it has had few important cases brought to verdict, said Jens David Ohlin, vice dean of Cornell Law School. Al-Bashir is the ICCs white whale. Kenneth Roth, executive director of Human Rights Watch, tweeted that handing al-Bashir over to the ICC is potentially a huge and long-awaited step for justice for the people of Darfur. Amnesty Internationals acting secretary general, Julie Verhaar, hailed Sudans decision and urged authorities to translate these words into action and immediately transfer al-Bashir and other individuals under ICC arrest warrant to The Hague. They should further show that the era of impunity for al-Bashirs government is over by bringing to justice all other alleged perpetrators of horrific crimes of the previous regime, she said. __ Associated Press writer Mike Corder in The Hague, Netherlands, contributed. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The government has sought legal opinion on its proposed move to separate the National Pension Scheme Trust from pension regulator Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority to address the issue of conflict of interest. Government sources said that the draft cabinet note on separation of regulator's powers has already completed inter-ministerial consultations and final note would be sent to the cabinet soon after legal opinion on the matter is secured. The government intends to get cabinet approval on the proposal this month itself so that PFRDA Act, 2013, is amended and the Bill is introduced for clearance when Parliament reconvenes after the break in the budget session. The role of the PFRDA includes implementation and regulation of NPS and Atal pension Yojana through various entities including the NPS Trust. This creates a situation of conflict of interest as PFRDA has to perform dual function of regulating the pension sector in the country while at the same time running pension schemes through NPS that ultimately it regulates as well. "Keeping in view the wider interest of the subscribers and to maintain at arm's length the relationship of the NPS Trust with PFRDA, steps will be taken to separate the NPS Trust from PFRDA with appropriate organisational structure," a Finance Ministry note on implementation of budget proposals for FY20 said. NPS Trust was established by the PFRDA for taking care of the assets and funds under its pension scheme that is subscribed by both government employees and those in the private sector. In fact, in order to make the scheme popular among employees in the private sector government allows an additional deduction of Rs 50,000 for all investment made in a year into NPS. T ickets for the Eurostar's new direct route from Amsterdam to London have now gone on sale. The new trains will not start running until April 30, 2020, but Eurostar opened bookings on its website on Tuesday with starting fares at 35 each way. The cross-Channel rail operator also started selling tickets for the direct Rotterdam to London route also at 35 each way. These trains will start running at the later date of May 18. Eurostar has been running trains from London to both Amsterdam and Rotterdam since 2018. Flying the flag: The new service will start in April / Getty Images for Eurostar But it was only the outbound leg from the UK which was a direct service. Passengers wishing to travel back to London from the Netherlands with Eurostar have had to change trains in Brussels to go through passport control and security screening. All aboard: Eurostar is to start running direct trains in both directions / PA This "temporary measure" was put in place while the UK and Dutch governments completed an agreement due by the end of 2019. The direct trains will cut the journey time down by around an hour, with an expected journey time of four hours and nine minutes. Eurostar has started selling tickets for its new direct route / PA There are currently three outbound services a day from the UK to the Netherlands. The direct inbound journey from Amsterdam to London will kick off with two services, with the idea being to increase this to a third, and then a fourth. The Eurostar offers a more sustainable way to travel to Europe, with a journey between London and Amsterdam resulting in 80 per cent less carbon per passenger than the equivalent flight, according to the company. Grant Shapps, Secretary of State for Transport in the UK, said: "Were continuing to invest in modern, efficient transport links with the continent so our businesses and tourism industry can flourish. A Cullman County sheriffs deputy was critically injured and his K9 partner also hurt in a wreck during Tuesday mornings heavy rains. Sheriffs officials said dispatchers lost contact with Deputy Adam Clark. His coworkers found the injured deputy a short time later. He had wrecked on Alabama 69 South near Bremen and was unconscious. Clark was taken to a Huntsville hospital with critical injuries. His K9, Figo, was taken to a local veterinarian and is in stable condition. I would like to thank all the first responders from the local volunteer Fire departments , Cullman EMS, Morgan County Sheriffs Office, Madison County Sheriffs Office, Huntsville Police Department, Falkville Police Department, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Huntsville Hospital nurses and doctors who have shown overwhelming love, support and care for Deputy Clark and his life, said Sheriff Matt Gentry. The BJP has issued a whip asking its members of parliament to be present in their respective Houses on Tuesday when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply to discussions on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha New Delhi: The BJP has issued a whip asking its members of parliament to be present in their respective Houses on Tuesday when Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is expected to reply to discussions on the Union Budget in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. Sitharaman is likely to speak in Lok Sabha first and then in Rajya Sabha. Discussions on the Union budget, which was presented on 1 February, has been going on for the last few days in Parliament. The Direct Tax Vivad se Vishwas Bill will be discussed in the Lok Sabha. Sitharaman had earlier on 5 February introduced the bill which provides for a mechanism for resolution of pending tax disputes in the lower house. While opposition members have attacked the government over economic slowdown and "record-high" unemployment, treasury benches have lauded the Centre for various initiatives in the budget. Since the beginning of the the Budget Session, the Parliament has seen protests by Opposition against various issues, including the Citizenship Amendment Act and National Register of Citizens and the police atrocities on those protesting against this law. There has also been an uproar over BJP leader Anantkumar Hegde's remark about Mahatma Gandhi's freedom struggle. The House had been discussing a Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. In his address to a joint sitting of the Parliament, President Ram Nath Kovind had hailed the government for introducing the amendments to the Citizenship Act. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had addressed the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on 7 February. A St. Louis cop who was told to 'tone down his gayness' and who was passed over for promotion 23 times has reached a $10.25 million settlement on the same day that his police chief announced he was stepping down. Gay police officer Keith Wildhaber and St. Louis County, Missouri, finalized the agreement of the discrimination lawsuit Monday, county executive Sam Page confirmed in a press conference. Wildhaber was originally awarded almost $20 million by a jury back in October who found the police department had discriminated against him because he is gay. But the two sides agreed to go through mediation before reaching the final decision in order to avoid what could have been a lengthy appeals process. Gay police officer Keith Wildhaber (pictured) and St. Louis County, Missouri, reached a $10.25 million settlement Monday in the discrimination lawsuit Wildhaber was told to 'tone down his gayness' and was passed over for promotion 23 times, the lawsuit stated Wildhaber has since been promoted to lieutenant and into a newly created role of commander of the force's Diversity and Inclusion Unit in December. Page said Monday's settlement was 'substantially less than the $20 million judgement by the jury. And substantially less than up to $22 million which is what it could have cost us during an 18-month appeal'. He added that the payout 'sends a message' and is an opportunity for the department to now 'move forward'. 'This lawsuit acknowledges what Lt Wildhaber survived in the police department and lets us move forward as a county,' said Page. 'I think it's important to recognize that this sends a message to everyone in county government and to all of our employers in the St. Louis region that discrimination will not be tolerated.' The settlement came just hours after St. Louis County police chief Jon Belmar made the shock announcement that he was stepping down from the role and retiring after six years. The settlement came just hours after St. Louis County police chief Jon Belmar (above) made the shock announcement that he was stepping down from the role and retiring after six years County Executive Sam Page insisted that Belmar's (above) retirement was the chief's own decision and not part of the settlement Belmar, 56, said in a statement Monday that he will retire on April 30 from the force which has been rocked by accusations of an anti-LGBT culture, St Louis Post Dispatch reported. Page insisted that Belmar's retirement was the chief's own decision and not part of the settlement. 'The chief had confided in me even before I became county executive that he would consider retiring in 2020 so I think this has always been in his mind. I believe the chief wanted to make sure we moved forward and got the department on the right track after this settlement,' Page said in a statement. However, he added that he had 'said all along that change begins at the top'. William Ray Price Jr., a recently appointed police board chairman, added that 'I did not encourage' Belmar to stand down but refused to comment on whether he felt the chief should stay in the role, according to the St Louis Post Dispatch. News of the change in the top job comes after the department has been given a drastic makeover since the discrimination trial in October. When he first filed a discrimination complaint, Wildhaber (above) says he was transferred to a different precinct 30 miles from home and put on midnight shifts as punishment Wildhaber was promoted to lieutenant in December and also named the commander of the newly-created Diversity and Inclusion Unit of the force Four of the five police board members were ousted and replaced, with Page saying at the time that the 'time for leadership changes has come and change must start at the top'. He also warned that other shake-ups were 'forthcoming'. Belmar's own leadership came under fire during the trial with Democratic councilwoman Lisa Clancy urging the chief to resign. In December, two months after the trial, Belmar promoted Wildhaber to lieutenant and set up a new Diversity and Inclusion Unit, of which Wildhaber became the first commander. Belmar said the Diversity and Inclusion Unit would improve how officers interact with the local community as well as review procedures, policies and practices to identify areas of opportunity related to diversity. Belmar's successor is yet to be announced but the St. Louis Police Officers Association said in a statement that 'we feel strongly' that the new chief 'is already wearing a St Louis County Police uniform'. Page said Monday's settlement was 'substantially less than the $20 million judgement by the jury' after the trial originally gave a verdict that Wildhaber be awarded more in October Page added that the payout 'sends a message' and is an opportunity for the department to now 'move forward'. He has ousted four of five police board members since October Wildhaber filed a lawsuit back in 2017 claiming he was discriminated against because he was gay. He first joined the force in 1994 as a security officer and was designated as the department's liaison to the gay community. He became a police officer in 1997 and rose through the ranks first as a patrolman, then a detective and then a sergeant. Wildhaber's written performance reviews were considered top among the department, but he said he was passed over for promotion 23 times while his colleagues were promoted around him. Court documents show he was told that his mannerisms and appearance 'do not fit the stereotypical norms of what a 'male' should be'. He testified that he had been told by John Saracino, a member of the St. Louis County Board of Police Commissioners, that he 'should tone down your gayness' if he wanted to be promoted to lieutenant. John Saracino (top left) is alleged to have told Wildhaber to 'tone down your gayness' 'The command staff has a problem with your sexuality. If you ever want to see a white shirt [i.e., get a promotion], you should tone down your gayness,' Saracino reportedly said in February 2014. Wildhaber said in the suit that he had responded: 'I can't believe we are having this conversation in 2014.' 'We had never spoken of my sexuality before, and I thought he was just trying to be helpful to me and looking out for my best interest in the promotional process.' Wildhaber also claimed that when he filed the complaint with the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and Missouri Commission on Human Rights he was transferred to a different police precinct 30 miles from his home and put on midnight shifts as punishment for blowing the whistle. In the October trial, a jury awarded Wildhaber a $19 million payout that included $1.9 million in actual damages and $10 million in punitive damages on the discrimination claim and $999,000 in actual damages and $7 million in punitive damages for the retaliation claim. The jury foreman said at a time that they had wanted to 'send a message' to the police department that 'if you discriminate you are going to pay a big price'. The county could have settled the case as far back as April for $850,000 but instead went to trial, stating that the Human Rights Act does not bar discrimination against gay people. The $10.25 million settlement, which was hammered out during three mediation sessions over the last three months, will now be paid through general revenue including sales and property tax funds. The county plans to bond the money over 10 to 30 years and the county's budget will likely be affected about $500,000-$600,000 each year over that time, Page said. Photo: Fire Chief Darrell Reid/Twitter A cat receiving oxygen after being rescued from a building fire on Feb. 11. Multiple Vancouver residents including a cat were rescued from a business fire early Tuesday morning. Emergency crews arrived to a fire on Kingsway at a business between Tyne St. and and Melbourne St. in the early hours of the morning, according to CTV News Vancouver. The residents living above the business in an apartment were forced to evacuate, and some were rescued from a balcony. One pet was rescued from inside the apartment. After the rescue, Fire Chief Darrell posted a photo on Twitter of a feline receiving oxygen. It is said that the cat has since been reunited with the owner who has since taken it to an emergency vet. The fire remains under investigation. -With files from CTV News Vancouver A US district judge is expected to rule in favor of allowing Sprint and T-Mobile to finally merge, despite a state antitrust challenge, two sources familiar with the matter say. The two companies had agreed to merge nearly two years ago in a $26billion deal that has already been approved by federal regulators. US District Court Judge Victor Marrero is expected to make his decision public on Tuesday, one source said. Once merged, Sprint and T-Mobile vowed to build the next generation of wireless service called 5G, but initial reports said it could mean a surge in prices for customers. Increased prices was the argument that the coalition of state attorneys general, led by New York and California, brought to the court, claiming that the merger of the No. 3 and No. 4 U.S. wireless carriers in the country would affect millions of customers. They argued the price surge would hit customers who use prepaid plans, which is popular among people with poorer credit, the hardest. A US district judge is expected to rule in favor of allowing Sprint and T-Mobile to finally merge, despite a state antitrust challenge, two sources familiar with the matter say The two companies had agreed to merge nearly two years ago in a $26billion deal that has already been approved by federal regulators The coalition of state attorneys general could appeal the judge's decision if he votes in favor. US District Court Judge Victor Marrero is expected to make his decision public on Tuesday Shares of Sprint surged 69% in after hours trade and T-Mobile stock rose 8% on Monday. In court, T-Mobile and Sprint officials said they needed to merge in order to compete with the other big competitors in the industry. But the decision faced a lot of backlash as Sprint and T-Mobile are two of the four wireless companies that dominate the US market along with Verizon and AT&T. Executives from the companies, including outspoken T-Mobile Chief Executive John Legere, testified during the trial that Sprint's business was deteriorating and would not survive if it did not merge with T-Mobile. The two companies are expected to start talks on renegotiating the terms of their multi-billion-dollar merger in the next few days, two sources said. The new T-Mobile will have more than 90 million US customers under the deal. T-Mobile CEO John Legere pictured leaving a hearing at Manhattan Federal Court during the T-Mobile/Sprint federal case in New York City on January 15, 2020 Sprint Chief Executive Officer Marcelo Claure looked upbeat as he left Manhattan Federal Court after a hearing for the T-Mobile/Sprint federal case in New York City on January 15, 2020 T-Mobile parent Deutsche Telekom is keen to cut the price of the deal, arguing that Sprint's fortunes have deteriorated since they inked their agreement, the sources added. However, Sprint, in which Japan's Softbank Group has a major stake, is expected to argue that T-Mobile needs Sprint in order to grow its cashflow and to boost its capacity using its spectrum, according to the sources. There is no certainty that there will be a renegotiated deal, the sources cautioned. One merger opponent, Gigi Sohn, a former telecoms regulator now at Georgetown Law, tweeted her displeasure with reports of the decision. 'If #antitrust law doesn't even block a 4-3 merger like this, we need to start from scratch,' she tweeted, referring to the market shrinking to three from four competitors. 'I'll have more to say tomorrow after I read the judge's decision (through my tears).' While a group of states decided to fight the deal in court, the federal government approved it with conditions, a decision which remain in effect. The U.S. Justice Department approved the deal in July after the carriers agreed to sell some assets to satellite provider Dish Network Corp, which would create its own cellular network to ensure that there would still be four competitors in the market. The Federal Communications Commission signed off on the deal in October. Dish shares rose 2% after hours. The states maintained that Dish was ill-equipped to become a competitive fourth wireless carrier. Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, a former military officer at the National Security Council who testified during the impeachment hearings on Capitol Hill, walks down the steps of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex in Washington on Jan. 27, 2020. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) GOP Senators Say Trump Had the Right to Fire Vindman, Sondland Senate Republicans said President Donald Trump has every right to dismiss two key witnesses who testified against him during the impeachment inquiry last year. Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman was dismissed from his National Security Council (NSC) role last week while Gordon Sondland, the U.S. ambassador to the European Union, confirmed via his lawyer that he was recalled back to Washington but thanked Trump for allowing him to serve. Vindman will now work in the Pentagon, according to officials. Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), denounced the move, while Schumer on Feb. 10 sent letters to dozens of inspectors general about protecting whistleblowers. These attacks are part of a dangerous, growing pattern of retaliation against those who report wrongdoing, Schumer wrote in a letter, while Pelosi described Vindmans dismissal as a clear and brazen act of retaliation. Vindman had testified in November 2019 about a July 25, 2019, phone call between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and that he had raised concerns. Over the weekend, Trump wrote that Vindman was dismissed because he was very insubordinate and received poor reports from his former NSC boss, and he noted that other NSC staffers had raised concerns that he was leaking information. However, Republican senators, most of whom voted to acquit the president on the articles of impeachment, said the president was well within his bounds to dismiss the two officials. Gordon Sondland, the U.S ambassador to the European Union, testifies before the House Intelligence Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington on Nov. 20, 2019. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images I think the president has every right to believe that the people that are advising him give him advice and then follow the policy, said Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), a member of the Senates leadership, according to The Hill. He said the president can decide who can serve in the executive branch in jobs particularly that are either directly appointed by him, like ambassadors, or directly advising him, like people at the National Security Council, The Wall Street Journal reported. Blunt said Vindman shouldnt be taking action on a policy problem outside the chain of the command, according to reporters. I would have dismissed him for that. I would have dismissed him earlier. Its the presidents prerogative, said Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), The Wall Street Journal reported. The top Republican in the House, Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), noted that Vindman wasnt fired by Trump but reassigned to a different job in the executive branch, and that this was appropriate. Is it appropriate for the news to say he was fired when he was not, he was reassigned? McCarthy told reporters during a Feb. 11 press conference. I think that is appropriate. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said Trump wasnt retaliating against Vindman but wanted to get administration officials to follow his policy mandates. This is not about getting even, this is about having a team around you thats willing to support your agenda. Listen, this is the only president who can run on his accomplishments in the first three years and still run against his own administration because part of his administration is trying to defeat the Trump agenda, Meadows told Fox & Friends. But some Republicans had urged Trump to wait before ousting Sondland, who had donated to Trumps inauguration committee. That group included Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), who confirmed Feb. 10 that he attempted to prevent the White House from taking action and had conversations with officials before Sondland was removed on Feb. 7. I think Gordon was trying to do the right thing. His heart was in the right place, and, by the way, I have no problem with people in the administration trying to figure out how they can change the presidents opinion, Johnson said, reported The Hill. He was going to leave anyway. It would have been nice if he could have just left on his terms. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) echoed Johnsons statements by saying that Sondland was planning to depart his post. Hed been there for two years, and it was just more of a timing issue than anything, he said, the Journal reported. I was just suggesting that we had a little bit longer glide path, but now it is what it is. Orangeburg County officials broke ground Monday on an $8.5 million library and conference center designed to be a focal point for the community. This building will be iconic, stand the test of time, but most importantly, put the heart back into the community and be a building that the people of Orangeburg could be and would be proud of, project developer Andrew Silver of M&P Land, LLC said. The library and conference center will be built on the site of the former Piggly Wiggly at 1645 Russell St. The work is expected to take 18 months to two years. The new library will be roughly 50,000 square feet, which is double the size of the current library, and will feature 80 computer stations, art space and multipurpose rooms, County Community Development Division Director Richard Hall said. The site will also house an amphitheater and a 10,000 square-foot, 450-seat conference center, Hall said. The funding for the project will come from the capital project sales tax and the capital improvement fund. I think what weve designed here is a building thats going to take us into the next century technology-wise. Its a gorgeous building. I dont think weve wasted any money on this building, weve put it all in the infrastructure and making sure this is a building that could serve our community for a long time to come, Hall said. The construction of the library will be overseen by OCain Construction of Orangeburg. All of the buildings here will be demolished, and well be putting back about a little less than 50,000 square feet. Very contemporary, outdoor amphitheater, a very, very nice project for Orangeburg County, Michael OCain said. OCain, who is the president of the company, said, Were handling the entire project from demolition to finish. At any given time, there will be 30 to 40 craftsmen out here. Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler said, This is an exciting time in the history of Orangeburg to build a library such as this that will move us into the digital age. Library Director Anna Zacherl praised the efforts of the county to improve the lives of its citizens. Orangeburg County has been on a steady upswing with a renewed vigor to answer the call of its citizens, to excel at every measurable indicator of a communitys wellbeing, Zacherl said. Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young gave a large amount of credit for the library project, and the overall advancement of the county, to the county council members. You have to talk about the vision of this county council. Their legacy is something that is unheard of. A lot of the major projects that are moving this county forward are due to the legacy of the county council we have, Young said. Its a group that you have to proud of. For the future of Orangeburg, this is one of the biggest things that weve seen, Young said. He said the project will be significant because, its for the children. This is not for us, but its for the future and our children. And thats where it all starts. Young also noted the librarys proximity to both Claflin and South Carolina State universities. This facility is also close enough so that the students of these universities can come here and take part in this library experience, Young said. Young noted that the North branch of the library will be moving into an expanded space and Bowman will getting a branch library. Were going to keep bringing projects to you. This is going to be a wonderful 2020, Young said. Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright thanked those involved with the project. We just want to thank everyone. Teamwork gets it done, no matter how small a part you played, he said. Contact the writer: bharris@timesanddemocrat.com or 803-596-6530. Love 13 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 1 Angry 5 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. Last week's Iowa caucuses continue to embarrass Iowa Democrats, but "tomorrow's vote in New Hampshire is the first actual primary of the 2020 election," Stephen Colbert said on Monday's Late Show. "The latest polls in New Hampshire are all over the map. Most show Bernie Sanders first, followed by Pete Buttigieg," and "one poll in New Hampshire said New Hampshire Democrats would prefer an extinction-causing meteor over Trump re-election. Hey New Hampshire Democrats, you okay? This explains why they've changed the state motto from 'Live Free or Die' to 'Please Let Us Die.'" "With all the polls relatively tight, the candidates are getting nastier with each other, especially Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg," Colbert said, showing some of Biden's shots at Buttigieg. "But the strangest moment on Biden's campaign-resurrection tour came on Sunday," when Biden called a voter "a dog-faced pony soldier," he said. "What's going on inside Biden's head when he comes up with these insults?" Colbert tried out a Biden insult generator to find out. "Believe it or not, this was not the first time Biden has used this particular weird insult," he said, and it turns out "there's a perfectly reasonable, rambling explanation: John Wayne and Indian chief." The Daily Show created an actual Joe Biden insult generator if you want to see if you can top Colbert's "devious squirrel-kneed kangaroo mailman." Listen up, Jack -- We made a Joe Biden Insult Bot. Tweet @BidenInsultBot to get personally insulted by Joe Biden, ya dog-brained milksop! pic.twitter.com/TRsZo9YaBP The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) February 10, 2020 Buttigieg has responded to Biden but hasn't attacked him in any ads, "and maybe that's because he doesn't need to, because Biden keeps attacking himself," The Daily Show's Trevor Noah said, showing the "lying dog-faced pony soldier" clip. "Those are strong words that ... I don't really understand at all," he said, trying various out various literal representations of a dog-faced pony solider. "Nobody has been able to find this in any John Wayne movie, and I guess that's the beauty of quoting something from before the internet was invented," Noah said. "But look, wherever the line came from, it's not a great look for Biden, because it's yet another example of him beefing with a civilian on the campaign trail." Story continues The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng traveled to New Hampshire to see how it plans to avoid another Iowa. Watch his report below. More stories from theweek.com In Twitter rampage, Trump attacks federal judge set to sentence Roger Stone Why Wall Street isn't freaking out about Bernie Sanders Biden and Warren will likely leave New Hampshire without delegates Nairobi: African leaders in Kenya for the state funeral of Daniel Arap Moi, the country`s longest-ruling president who died last week at 95, hailed his role as a peacekeeper who tried to mediate conflicts including in Uganda and Ethiopia. Despite his longevity, Moi was a divisive personality who won admirers for keeping Kenya on an even keel for much of his rule but was hated by others for a legacy of corruption that still haunts the East African nation today. Tens of thousands of people turned out in the capital Nairobi to watch Moi`s coffin, draped in the Kenyan flag, travel on a gun carriage from the State House, the official presidential seat, to an open-air stadium 3 miles (5 km) away. Personnel from the army, air force and navy accompanied the coffin into the stadium, where choirs sang gospel songs as they awaited the cortege. "As an avid peacemaker, statesman, Pan Africanist, and champion for a more united and just world, Moi spearheaded a number of initiatives that brought peace within our region and beyond," Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta told mourners. Tuesday was declared a public holiday, allowing people to mourn Moi`s passing. "Moi was a humble man. Anybody who knew him, they know he was a humble man. President Moi never bragged in any success, instead he attributed it to God," said long-time friend Silas Yego, a retired bishop of the Africa Inland Church where Moi had worshipped. Moi came to power in 1978 when he was serving as vice-president after the nation`s first leader President Jomo Kenyatta died. Makau Mutua, who as a young law student at the University of Nairobi was detained by the Moi regime in 1981 and then exiled for the next 10 years, cautioned against forgetting Moi`s excesses. "We can`t forget, or forgive. If we do, we will continue to repeat our horrible history," he wrote in his weekly column in the local Sunday Nation newspaper. During Moi`s rule, thousands of activists, students, and academics were held without charge in underground cells. Prisoners say they were sometimes denied food and water. Poverty also deepened on his watch and corruption flourished. A 2004 report by corporate investigations firm group Kroll accused Moi and his inner circle of stealing $2 billion of state funds, an accusation the government at the time dismissed. Moi won elections in 1992 and 1997, defeating a divided opposition. But he was booed and heckled into retirement when term limits forced him to step down in 2002 and he lived quietly on his sprawling estate in the Rift Valley. He will be buried there on Wednesday. This article is part of David Leonhardts newsletter. You can sign up here to receive it each weekday. Whenever I have heard military leaders argue that the biggest long-term threat to American national security is our national debt, Ive had mixed feelings. On the one hand, Ive been glad that the leaders are willing to engage in important issues beyond military matters. On the other hand, I think theyre wrong on the substance and that the debt is not the pre-eminent danger to American interests. Id rank it behind climate change, the stagnation of mass living standards and the erosion of democracy. In Foreign Policy magazine, Jennifer Harris and Jake Sullivan have published a piece urging not just military leaders but the entire foreign policy community to focus more on economic questions than they have in recent years. Its happened before. After both the Revolutionary War and World War II, foreign policy experts saw economic policy as a way to strengthen the United States against foreign rivals, Harris and Sullivan point out. INTERSECTIONAL THEOLOGY: An Introductory Guide. By Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 208. Xix + 129 pages. By Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan M. Shaw. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 208. Xix + 129 pages. When I scan my theology bookcase, I quickly discover that the vast majority of books on these shelves were written by white, heterosexual, men. That is, they were written by people who look a lot like me. It's not surprising since for the past two millennia white men have been the dominant force in matters of theology and biblical studies in the Christian West. It's not that the books that line my shelves arent worthy of being read, its just that if my theological conversations are limited to these conversation partners then my theology will be undernourished. There is a tendency for us to live in ethnic/gender silos, which hinders our encounters with those who do theology from different vantage points. Back in my seminary days, I found myself attracted to liberation theology, which widened my perspective. Nevertheless, most of these liberation theologians were male, like me, and most had been educated in European and American contexts. So, how do we break out of these silos? How do we broaden our theological conversations? I recognize that there are many Christians who are quite satisfied living in their theological silos, engaging only those figures who not only think as they do but like them. Im not one of them, which is why Ive been trying to add more diverse voices to my bookshelves. One of the central points in doing theology in this form is through personal narrative. In other words, we cannot separate our theological work from our own identities, and these identities are complex. Our identities include our gender, our ethnicity, our social-location, our education-level, our sexual orientation, and more. To expand the conversation, well need to find new ways of doing theology. One possible avenue to pursue is known as intersectional theology . Grace Ji-Sun Kim and Susan Shaw have provided us with a primer on this form of doing theology.One of the central points in doing theology in this form is through personal narrative. In other words, we cannot separate our theological work from our own identities, and these identities are complex. Our identities include our gender, our ethnicity, our social-location, our education-level, our sexual orientation, and more. Since were talking about narrative here, I should note that I requested the review copy after running into the authors in San Diego while at the AAR-SBL meeting in November. My son Brett and I were walking toward the Convention Center when we encountered the authors having lunch. It was in that conversation that Grace suggested that I might find this book interesting and worthy of a review. Since the publisher was at the meeting, I went to the display and put in the request, which leads to this review. I share that bit of information, simply to say that sometimes personal relationships can inform ones reading of theology. Its also why Im reviewing a book published in 2018, which isnt my normal pattern. But, as youll see it was worthy of a review. Since personal narrative is important to the task of doing intersectional theology, it is important to get to know the authors of this book. Grace Kim is a Korean-American heterosexual woman who grew up and was educated in Canada after immigrating from South Korea. She currently is Associate Professor of Theology at Earlham School of Religion. Susan Shaw is a white American woman, who is also a lesbian by sexual orientation. She is Professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Oregon State University.Since were talking about narrative here, I should note that I requested the review copy after running into the authors in San Diego while at the AAR-SBL meeting in November. My son Brett and I were walking toward the Convention Center when we encountered the authors having lunch. It was in that conversation that Grace suggested that I might find this book interesting and worthy of a review. Since the publisher was at the meeting, I went to the display and put in the request, which leads to this review. I share that bit of information, simply to say that sometimes personal relationships can inform ones reading of theology. Its also why Im reviewing a book published in 2018, which isnt my normal pattern. But, as youll see it was worthy of a review. Getting back to the identities of the authors, they bring their biographies into the conversation and demonstrate how their biographies influence the way they do theology. They write that "intersectionality recognizes that people experience multiple and intersecting of oppression and domination simultaneously" (p. xiii). This is an important point. We can find ourselves being in positions of oppression and domination at the same moment. Thus, one can be a woman and experience discrimination or suppression, but because one is white, that puts her in a dominant position over against, perhaps, a black male, who might be in a dominant position in relation to a Latinx woman. And, on it goes depending on the situation. Even being a white heterosexual male doesnt preclude being in both positions, depending on the context. To do theology intersectionally one must let go of single-axis thinking and instead, look at things with a both/and lens. We need to see ourselves on both sides of the equation, embracing the complexity of our identities. As the title suggests, this is an introductory text. Its intended to be used by beginning graduate students in theology and ministry (and perhaps even undergraduate theology students might find it of value). Because its an introductory text, it's accessible to the non-specialist. That doesn't mean, however, that it is shallow. The subject itself is challenging (especially for those of us who are white, heterosexual males). The book itself is comprised of six chapters, plus a glossary and bibliography. The book begins with a chapter introducing the reader to intersectionality. In this opening chapter, the authors set intersectional theology in a broader conversation about intersectionality, and central to this conversation is the importance of social justice. This is one of the end goals of doing intersectional theology. It is intended to help us achieve social justice, so "that people's basic needs are met, people are treated with equity and fairness, differences are welcomed and valued, and economic, social, political, and religious equality is achieved." (p. 2). They root the origins of this methodology in Black Feminist theological work. From this introductory chapter, we move to a chapter focused on the relationship of biography to intersectional theology. Here the focus is on identifying the complex nature of our identities. Kim and Shaw illustrate this by telling their own stories of growing up, their calls to ministry, their experiences of love and marriage, and their developing theological orientations. They note that biography and experience are set in diverse contexts, including family, country, and faith tradition. These first two discussions set the table for chapter three, where they set out intersectionality as a theological method. In this process, theology is not focused on discovering ultimate truth, but instead focuses on destabilizing "fixed notions of theological truth." (p. 42). In other words, this is a move away from hegemonic theological systems. They invite us to look at our social locations and ask how they influence our theological discussions. Again, this involves both/and thinking. The following chapter extends the conversation to include biblical interpretation. Chapter 5 takes the conversation into practical theology, focusing on topics such as worship, sacraments, and ordination. In this chapter, they ask us to consider what an intersectional/intercultural church might look like. That is, how do we move beyond our current ecclesial silos? In their conclusion to the book, Kim and Shaw again remind us that intersectional theology focuses on multiplicity and indeterminacy, which arise from biography and social context. I'm of an age where the assumptions that we inherited or were taught largely ignored social context and identity. We made assumptions that white European male theologians represented the truth. We might have recognized theological differences, but we largely ignored gender, race, and sexual orientation. We can't do that anymore. We can try, but only if we cut ourselves off from people whose stories are different from our own. If we step outside our silos, we will hear voices challenging single-axis attempts to do theology. As a 60-something white, male, heterosexual, married, pastor/historian/theologian, I find this path both intriguing and challenging. I understand the need to step back and listen to other voices, but I also wonder how my own identity fits into this new conversation. I wonder the same thing for my son who is also studying theology. Where will he fit? I don't know that the complete answer is present here in this book, but it is a starting point for understanding how to do theology in a more pluralistic context. For that reason, we have much to be thankful for to these two theologians, for giving us a pathway to follow. Mindy Kaling has opened up about how her stylist Jessica Mulroney ensured that she would have plenty of designer Oscar gowns to choose from, even though she isn't 'sample size.' In the first episode of Vanity Fair's new video series 'Camera Ready,' the actress and writer gives a behind-the-scenes look at how her glam squad helped her get ready before she stepped onto the red carpet in a custom gown by Dolce & Gabbana. 'The way that I used to get styled, sort of, before Jessica was that there wouldn't be that many options because, you know, I am not a sample size,' Mindy explains while getting primped and pampered. Scroll down for video Smile! Mindy Kaling, 40, was joined by her glam squad in the first episode of Vanity Fair's new series 'Camera Ready,' which documented her getting ready for the Oscars Stunning: The actress dazzled in a custom gown by Dolce & Gabbana, but she admitted that she used to get very few dress options because she wasn't 'sample size' 'We would have a couple options that I was not crazy about, and then at the end, we'd just wear the thing that fit. You know, but things have changed in the past couple years,' she added. 'I think people are so much more open to women and actors who have something to say, and it's not just about them fitting into a sample. And so this year, we had so many amazing designers build custom, beautiful dresses, and that was because I think designers' attitudes have changed. And Jessica's relationships with a lot of designers has a lot to do with it.' The Late Night star notes that this is the first time where she 'had, like, seven dresses' to wear to the Oscars, and 'they were all gorgeous.' Jessica, who is one of Meghan Markle's closet friends, has worked with a number of celebrities, including Shania Twain and Canada's first lady, Sophie Gregoire Trudeau, but that doesn't make her job any easier. 'When it comes to Mindy, you know, whenever she steps out on a red carpet, I always feel pressure,' she admits. 'I never want her to ever step out and not look her best.' Making it work: Mindy credited her stylist Jessica Mulroney a close friend of Meghan Markle with making sure she had plenty of designer gowns to choose from Candid: Jessica, 40, admitted that she feels 'pressure' when she is dressing Mindy, saying: 'I never want her to ever step out and not look her best' The 40-year-old Canadian stylist and her client had numerous conversations about how to make sure her Oscars look was 'really elevated' especially because Mindy was presenting at the awards ceremony. 'To me, the Oscars is about bringing the glamour. It is not about taking a fashion risk,' Jessica says. 'It's about finding the right color, the right silhouette. Just making sure that she shines, and not the dress.' The I Do, Redo host explains that it is a lot of fun to work with Mindy because she 'looks great in so many colors' and is 'so into fashion.' 'We talk like girlfriends,' she says. 'We look at dresses, and she sends me looks that she likes; I send looks that I like, and it's this really fun process. 'It's like as if you're kind of working with your girlfriend and helping her get dressed for a night out,' she adds. The clip also features Mindy's makeup artist Janice Kinjo and hairstylist Marc Mena. All three of them collaborated with each other to make sure the comedian looked perfect at the biggest event in Hollywood. Exciting: The Late Night star said this was the first time where she 'had, like, seven dresses' to wear to the Oscars, and 'they were all gorgeous' Squad: The clip also features Mindy's makeup artist Janice Kinjo and hairstylist Marc Mena. They agreed that they wanted the actress looked 'elegant' and 'glamorous' at the show Nailed it: Janice said she knew that she wanted to do 'a dark but natural lip' on Mindy, noting that 'elegance is sort of the key here' Last minute touches: Janice and Marc couldn't finish Mindy's makeup or hair until they knew what dress she was wearing Janice says she knew that she wanted to do 'a dark but natural lip' on Mindy, noting that 'elegance is sort of the key here.' 'I'm not a really serious person who thinks of myself as elegant, but I really wanted to seem elegant for this,' Mindy explains. For Marc, he says he 'wanted her hair to be glamorous, and sophisticated, and lush, and shiny.' However, they couldn't finish her makeup or hair until they figured out what dress she was going to wear, and the decision came down to the wire. 'There's a lot of dresses the come into play. Sometimes they come into play a day before. Sometimes they come a week before,' Jessica says. 'You never really know when that dress is going to come into play.' Mindy ended up donning a golden yellow Dolce & Gabbana gown, matching platform heels, and a glitzy diamond necklace that required it's own security guard at the show. Best job: The I Do, Redo host explained that it is a lot of fun to work with Mindy because she 'looks great in so many colors' and is 'so into fashion' Helping hand: Mindy ended up donning a golden yellow Dolce & Gabbana gown and matching platform heels, which Jessica strapped onto her feet Surprise: During one of her interviews, Mindy ended up chatting with Jessica's husband, Canadian television host Ben Mulroney, who didn't know his wife was on the red carpet Her dark hair was tucked behind her ears and styled in loose waves. She sported smokey eye makeup and a dark lip, just like Janice intended. 'It's, like, all old Hollywood glamour. That's all I wanted for her, and I think we achieved that,' Jessica says in the Vanity Fair video. She also can't resist gushing about her client and friend, adding: 'Mindy is so smart, so talented. She's gorgeous. She's so funny. But really, at the end of the day, she's so authentic and so many people relate to her.' For Mindy, presenting at the Oscars was particularly important to her because there still isn't a lot of representation of Indian-American women in Hollywood. 'There wasn't growing up, a lot of people that looked like me on TV and film, and, honestly, there aren't that many now,' she says at the end of the video. 'I would have been thrilled to see a dark-skinned Indian woman presenting at the Oscars. I think that would have been really exciting for me, and given me a lot of reason to think that I could make it too.' Date: Mindy attended the ceremony with her friend and former co-star B.J. Novak On stage: The Morning Show star presented the Oscar for Best Animated Feature Film Next look: Mindy changed into a vibrant purple Reem Acra gown to attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party later on in the night Mindy's team traveled with her in a van to the awards ceremony, and Jessica made sure she looked perfect before she hit the red carpet. During one of her interviews, The Morning Show star ended up chatting with Jessica's husband, Canadian television host Ben Mulroney. 'I'm just so happy because his brilliant, genius wife, Jessica Mulroney, is staying with me and got me ready. She actually came over. She was like right there,' Mindy says in the clip. 'Oh, was she here?' Ben asks. Jessica shared the video on Instagram, writing: 'When we are so busy we dont even know we are a few feet away from each other. Love you Ben see you in Toronto. Also Im no genius but Ill accept brilliant.' After the awards ceremony, Mindy changed into a vibrant purple Reem Acra gown to attend the Vanity Fair Oscars party. A facial recognition company which has amassed a three-billion-strong database of social media photographs includes pictures which are private or have been deleted, its founder has revealed. Clearview AI, which identifies people by cross-referencing their mugshot with its mammoth image archive, has sent chills up the backs of privacy campaigners since it began selling its service to police. Relentless mining of their users' personal photos has left internet giants such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter threatening legal action against Clearview. And lawyers have also recoiled, slamming the software for encroachment on privacy which they fear could be weaponized by hostile foreign powers. But the AI firm's chief executive is relaxed about incurring the wrath of the Silicon Valley titans, and has even admitted stashing photos which have long been wiped from the internet or are behind a privacy wall. Hoan Ton-That, 31, has admitted Clearview stashes photos which have long been wiped from the internet or are behind a privacy wall Relentless mining of their users' personal photos has left internet giants such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter threatening legal action against Clearview. But the AI firm's young, long-haired chief executive is relaxed about incurring the wrath of the Silicon Valley titans Hoan Ton-That, 31, demonstrated the jaw-dropping matching power of his software in a recent showcase for CNN. As part of the demonstration, the computer whizz ran a picture of the broadcaster's producer through its database. It easily identified her by using a spool of Instagram pictures - to which the producer expressed alarm as her account settings are private. Recalling the 'spooky' experience, the reporter wrote: 'As we scrolled through the images it had found, my producer noticed that Clearview had found pictures from her Instagram account, even though her account has been private, accessible only to her followers. 'Ton-That explained that Clearview had probably downloaded the photos from her account before she had made it private last year.' The extraordinary depth of the database was also laid bare in the demonstration, as the computer was also able to dredge up a local newspaper photograph of the reporter as a 15-year-old as a match to his current appearance. Ton-That explained that Clearview had downloads photos from account before they are made private last year New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal instructed prosecutors across the state to stop using Clearview AI. He decided to issue the ban after seeing Clearview had used footage from a 2019 sting operation in New Jersey promoting its own services, something even he hadn't been aware of at the time Ton-That claimed to have sold his product to more than 600 American and Canadian law enforcement agencies as well as big banks for their private fraud investigations. He boasts that detectives are lapping up the software due to its 99 per cent accuracy in profiling people. Recent success stories include identifying a pedophile in New Jersey, which allowed police to sting the man before he met a child. Clearview's website says its technology has 'helped law enforcement track down hundreds of at-large criminals, including pedophiles, terrorists and sex traffickers'. But despite Clearview's role in crime-fighting, its encroachment on individual privacy has left senior lawyers recoiling. New Jersey attorney general Gurbir Grewal told CNN of the software: 'I was deeply disturbed. I was concerned about how Clearview had amassed its database of images that it uses with its technology.' Clearview AI (logo pictured) has come under fire for privacy encroachment Eric Goldman, co-director of the High Tech Law Institute at Santa Clara University, told the New York Times: 'The weaponization possibilities of this are endless. 'Imagine a rogue law enforcement officer who wants to stalk potential romantic partners, or a foreign government using this to dig up secrets about people to blackmail them or throw them in jail.' As disgruntled social media companies close in on Clearview, Ton-That defended his data harvesting. He said: 'You have to remember that this is only used for investigations after the fact. This is not a 24/7 surveillance system. 'The way we have built our system is to only take publicly available information and index it that way.' The Cayce Department of Public Safety said that Faye Mary Swetlik was last seen playing in front the Londonderry Lane home in Cayce at approximately 3.44pm South Carolina authorities are searching for a six-year-old girl who was last seen playing in front of her home following a day in school on Monday. The Cayce Department of Public Safety said that Faye Mary Swetlik was last seen playing in front the Londonderry Lane home in Cayce at approximately 3.44pm. Authorities have contacted her immediately family and share that no further contact has been made with the first grade girl. Swetlik - a student at Springdale Elemetary School - was last seen wearing a black shirt with neon colors, a flower print skirt and polka dot rain boots. She is described as being 3'10" and 65lbs with strawberry blonde hair. Swetlik had been playing in front of her home at the time she went missing Swetlik - a student at Springdale Elemetary School - was last seen wearing a black shirt with neon colors, a flower print skirt and polka dot rain boots Officials describe her has being lactose intolerant with a speech impediment from having a tethered tongue Officials describe her has being lactose intolerant with a speech impediment from having a tethered tongue. Tethered tongue, or ankyloglossia, is when a thick band of tissue tethers the bottom of the tongue to the tip of the floor of the mouth. A special hotline has been created for anyone with information about the girl's whereabouts. Please contact the Cayce Dept of Public Safety with any information at 803-205-4444. This is a dedicated hotline just for calls about #FayeSwetlik Viktor Orban has said EU member states are sure to reach a deal on the bloc's next budget that would satisfy everyone, but more time was needed to get there. Speaking to reporters ahead of talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, the prime minister noted the next EU budget was among the issues on the meetings agenda, adding that although Hungary and Germany had disagreements on the matter, EU leaders with experience in putting together an EU budget would certainly find a way to strike a deal. Orban said he and Merkel will also discuss bilateral matters with European dimensions. The prime minister said Merkel was keen to discuss issues relating to European competitiveness and industrial policy at next months EU summit. Orban said this would be a crucial summit, arguing that the most important question was how Europe may regain its competitiveness. Orban said developments in the positive agenda on cooperation in innovation, digitalisation, the defence industry and R+D which Merkel had proposed at their 2018 meeting would also be a topic of discussion. Bilateral trade turnover hit a new record last year, Orban said, adding that it could exceed 55 billion euros. MTI Photo: Szigetvary Zsolt Visitors to Saudi Arabia are predicted to increase 38 per cent, from 15.5 million in 2019 to 21.3 million by 2024, according to new research by Colliers International, commissioned by Arabian Travel Market (2020), which takes place at Dubai World Trade Centre from April 1922. This increased demand will be driven by an increasing number of GCC residents wishing to visit the kingdom on short city or mini breaks. It will also be bolstered by business travellers extending work trips to explore the kingdom's expanding tourism offerings or attend one of the many sporting or cultural events. Underpinning this trend, the data from Colliers revealed that over 21.3 million visitors were estimated to visit the country by 2024. Danielle Curtis, exhibition director ME, Arabian Travel Market, said: As Saudi Arabia continues to reduce its reliance on oil, increasing tourism arrivals is becoming instrumental in the countrys economic diversification, and at ATM, we are witnessing this growth firsthand, with the total number of exhibitors from the kingdom increasing 45 per cent year-on-year between 2018 and 2019. With an ambition to increase inbound tourism to 100 million by 2030, Saudi Arabia no longer wants to be viewed as solely a religious destination for the worlds Muslim community, or a corporate destination as one of the richest countries in the world. It has an incredible landscape, with diverse regions and an array of tourism offerings for leisure travellers. In line with growing tourism numbers, the global hotel industry has gained a renewed interest in Saudi Arabia with a number of international and regional brands looking to expand their presence across the kingdom. According to the latest data from STR, 79,864 hotel rooms are expected to be added to the kingdom's existing inventory by 2025, with the majority of rooms (34,270) in Makkah, followed by Jeddah and Riyadh with 14,525 and 11,632 new rooms, respectively. Hotels in Riyadh witnessed a strong year in 2019, with RevPAR growing 5.2 per cent following a 9.2 per cent increase in occupancy and 3.6 per cent decline in ADR. In Q4, Riyadh's RevPAR reached SAR529.33 ($140.8) - the highest it has been since 2014. While, this new supply may place additional competitive pressure on hotels performance across the country, the projected growth in visitor numbers over the next four years is expected to continue to boost occupancy levels throughout 2020 and well beyond, said Curtis. Following the introduction of the new tourist visa, which allows visitors from 49 countries to apply for an e-visa or receive a visa on arrival the kingdom has developed a two-phase tourism strategy in line with Vision 2030. Phase one 2019-2022 will focus on attracting first-time visitors to discover Saudi Arabia, in particular, its pristine beaches, deserts, mountains and heritage sites such as Diriyah as well as its packed calendar of sporting and cultural events. While, phase two 2022-onwards will focus on the full development of giga projects such as Neom and the Red Sea Project. Turning to outbound tourism, Saudi Arabias outbound tourism market is expected to reach over $43 billion by 2025, according to the latest data from Renub Research. While family holidays currently dominate the market, a rising generation Z population, who are heavily influenced by the image of a destination whether it be gastronomy, adventure, culture or overall unique experiences, are expected to change this trend. Looking ahead to ATM 2020, Saudi exhibitors who will highlight what the kingdom has to offer and the exciting developments in the pipeline, include Saudi Commission for Tourism and National Heritage, Saudia and flynas, among others, with NEOM making its debut. The Saudi pavilion will occupy almost 2,300-sq-m of stand space this year, an increase of 20 per cent compared to last year. Curtis added: As GCC travel and tourism companies and destinations look to attract a larger share of the Saudi Arabian market, ATM 2020 will introduce the Saudi Arabia Tourism Summit as part of the shows new forum & networking series. The session will outline what destinations are doing to attract visitors from this key market while also providing an informal networking event for buyers from Saudi Arabia and exhibitors. ATM, considered by industry professionals as a barometer for the Middle East and North Africa tourism sector, welcomed almost 40,000 people to its 2019 event with representation from 150 countries. With over 100 exhibitors making their debut, ATM 2019 showcased the largest ever exhibition from Asia. Adopting Events for Tourism Growth as the official show theme, ATM 2020 will build on the success of this years edition with a host of seminar sessions discussing the impact events have on tourism growth in the region while inspiring the travel and hospitality industry about the next generation of events. - TradeArabia News Service Former Vice President Joe Biden said Monday that Sen. Bernie Sanders' democratic socialist label would hurt Democrats' chances of winning control of the Senate in the general election if the Vermont independent is the party's presidential nominee. In an interview with CNN's Don Lemon on "CNN Tonight" in New Hampshire on Monday, Biden bragged that Democratic candidates in red states had asked him to campaign with them in the 2018 midterm elections. Visit CNN's Election Center for full coverage of the 2020 race "Are they inviting him to speak?" Biden said of Sanders in the interview. "Bernie's a great guy, but it's his self-definition," he said. "But the question is who can help us win back the Senate most?" Biden's comments come as the Democratic field battles over which candidate is the most electable in a general-election matchup with President Donald Trump. Sanders and his campaign have said Biden's history of backing free-trade agreements and adjustments to entitlement programs would make him vulnerable to attacks from Trump; Biden has responded that Sanders' progressive platform of "Medicare for All" is politically unrealistic and would alienate voters in swing states. "Are you going to walk into any of those states we have to win, like Florida, and other places that we're going to win, in Georgia and North Carolina," and embrace a Democratic nominee who describes himself as a democratic socialist, Biden asked. "What do you think Trump is going to do with that?" In the interview, Biden -- who has polled well behind Sanders and former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg in New Hampshire -- admitted he faced an "uphill race here." He attributed the challenge to running against two candidates, Sanders and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren,from neighboring states. "I don't get a sense that there's any of that kind of panic. I was on the phone today with the South Carolina team; they feel good, I feel good," Biden said, nodding to the fourth state to vote, after Nevada. And he said no Democratic contender can win the nomination without black voters backing them. "The only people that have ever won are people who have overwhelming support in the African American community," he said. Biden argued that he'll be best positioned to win in swing states against Trump. "The next nominee is going to have to be able to win in Pennsylvania and Michigan and Arizona and places that ... we didn't win last time," he said. Biden also told Lemon he agrees with James Carville, the Democratic operative and former top Bill Clinton aide who in recent days has lambasted Democrats for embracing policies he's called out of touch with the voters the party will need in a general election. "I think he's absolutely right about African Americans. I also think he's right about white middle class folks and working class folks. They want to know what you're doing. They want authenticity. Tell me what you're going to do, how it's going to work, how are we going to pay for it, who's going to pay for it. And tell me whether it's real. Can you get it done?" Biden said. "And that's the place where I think I'm in the strongest position. I've been able to bring people together, I've been able to get things done -- big things done." This story has been updated with additional quotes from the interview. Ukraine and Russia agreed to move back more of their forces from the current front line in eastern Ukraine (D0nbas). In early December there was an agreement to exchange prisoners and continue discussing measures to reduce the violence, most of it instigated by Russian-backed Donbas separatists. Russia, Ukraine, France and Germany have agreed to meet in Germany during April to continue negotiations to end the Donbas stalemate and resolve the problems there. Apparently Russia has lost its appetite for further confrontation in Ukraine. There have always been some Russian leaders who backed leaving Donbas, and maybe even Crimea, to get the sanctions lifted. Ukraine wants all its territory back. That is a hard sell for Russian leaders, who spent a lot of money seizing and later subsidizing Crimea and Donbas, in addition to the even larger economic costs of the sanctions. Crimea was seized quickly in early 2014 but the subsequent mid-2014 effort to repeat the process in Donbas backfired when Ukraine mobilized its decrepit armed forces and resisted the Russian attempt to take the two east Ukraine provinces that comprise Donbas. The best the Russians could do was grab about half of Donbas and by 2015 the front line had become a stalemate line. Nothing the Russians could do made much difference and now the get out faction in Russia is dominant. These peace efforts may eventually fail for any number of reasons but as long as the discussions make progress, no matter how small, there is reasonable hope for a solution ending this expensive mess. Turkey Regrets Russia and Turkey are enemies in Libya, where each backs a different faction in a civil war. Russia backs the better organized, more united and more successful HoR (House of Representatives) government based in eastern Libya. Turkey backs the more recent, UN approved GNA (government of national accord) which is more tolerant of Islamic groups, including some radicals. The GNA was also dependent on many militias for military and police operations. The HoR rebuilt the armed forces as the LNA (Libyan National Army) and since 2014 have gained control over most of the country. The GNA now only controls two large cities (Tripoli and Misrata) on the northwest coast. Recently Russians and Turks have been killing each other near Tripoli and neither will back down. The confrontation in northwest Syria (Idlib province) is closer to home for Turkey because Russian support for the Syrian (Assad) government offensive to eliminate the last rebel (and Islamic terrorist) stronghold in Syria is driving hundreds of thousands of civilian refugees, along with many Islamic terrorists disguised as refugees trying to get into Turkey. The Turks are on good terms with some of the Islamic terror groups in Idlib, as they are with Islamic groups in Libya. The Russians are generally hostile to all Islamic terrorist and Islamic political groups. For that reason, the Turks are openly calling on the Russians to decide if they are a friend of Turkey or not. The Russians dont want to make an open declaration, at least not yet. Turkey is a new customer for Russian weapons and helpful against the sanctions Russia is operating under. In Libya, there are hundreds of Russian combat advisors and trainers. Most of them have been there since 2018. These troops are civilian contractors working for the Wagner Group, which also has several hundred Russian technical advisors in Libya to keep LNA heavy weapons operational. Earlier in 2019 Russia revealed that it had increased its logistic and maintenance support for the LNA. This support had been going on since late 2018 and returned hundreds of Cold War era Russian armored vehicles and artillery to working order. This work was done with the battle for the Libyan capital Tripoli in mind. The LNA expected to begin this campaign in early 2019. While Russia has been backing the LNA since 2016, the Turks only recently (mid-2019) came to the rescue of the GNA, which is trying to defend the city of Tripoli, its last stronghold. The Turks favor the GNA because it is largely a collection of militias, several of them described as Islamic although not Islamic terrorists. Turkey is apparently also receiving financial backing from Qatar for this Libyan effort. The Turkish intervention is part of a larger conflict. Turkey is allied with Iran and Qatar against the rest of the Moslem world, especially Egypt and the Gulf Arab oil states. That is a major incentive for the Turks to get involved in Libya. One reason for Russia not publicizing their Libyan efforts is because Russia and Turkey are allies in Syria. Turks dont have any military or contractor personnel at the front lines but some have been killed or wounded by LNA airstrikes. The Russians are seen as reliable allies of Libya, even though it was Russia which supplied Libya with most of its weapons throughout the Kaddafi era (1960s to 2011) and is now delivering fewer but more modern ones, like ATGMs (anti-tank guided missiles) and portable anti-aircraft missiles to bring down UAVs. The Turks are seen as a former imperial overlord trying to make a comeback. The Turks also ignore the fact that most Libyans oppose the Islamic conservative militias that the Turks support and see the Turks as more of a threat than the Russians or Arabs who are backing the LNA. The Eastern Threat Many Chinese neighbors are actively resisting Chinese offers of more trade, large investments and loans for building transportation and other economic infrastructure because these nations know what it means; eventual annexation of some or all their territory because after all that Chinese investment there are a lot more Chinese living, working and investing in the area. Even Russia and North Korea are threatened by this. Former Soviet Union provinces in Central Asia, independent since 1991, are seeking closer ties with nuclear-armed Russia for defense against these Chinese moves. China would be all over North Korea if it werent for the fiercely nationalistic North Korean dictatorship. All Koreans know that the historical Greater Korea used to include large portions of northeast China that once had majority Korean populations. These areas now have a large Korean minority populations but are indisputably Chinese. The same thing is happening in northwest China where Xinjiang province was once known as East Turkestan with a majority Uighur Moslem population. Centuries of Chinese efforts to turn Xinjiang from a conquered province into a Han (ethnic Chinese) majority region have succeeded in many respects. A similar effort is underway in Tibet, where the local population are distant cousins to the Han but have for over a thousand years resisted Chinese occupation and domination. Tibet is losing that battle. There is a similar situation in Chinese Inner Mongolia, a portion of neighboring Mongolia, where centuries of Chinese trade and Han migration turned a large portion of Mongolia into what is now the Chinese province of Inner Mongolia. China started its Hanification of the area in the 14th century, after the Mongol dynasty in China was overthrown and China sought to eliminate any future Mongol threats by gradually absorbing Mongolia. Currently, the rest of Mongolia is called Outer Mongolia by the Chinese and is independent only because of alliances with Russia. In time the Chinese will make all of Mongolia Chinese. Russia faces the loss of its far eastern (Pacific coast) territories. Communist China never renounced Chinese claims on these territories and there was some fighting on the border over that in the 1970s. January 29, 2020: China has apparently become the second-largest weapons producer on the planet, ousting Russia from that position. Despite secrecy about such matters in both countries, SIPRI (Stockholm International Peace Research Institute), an independent defense research organization tracks such things and has a good track record for accuracy. A year ago SIPRI declared that as of 2017 Russia had become the second-largest arms manufacturer in the world. Russia passed Britain for the first time since the Cold War ended in 1991. The United States remains in first place, with $227 billion in sales by 42 major firms. Russia was second with $38 billion and Britain third $36 billion. Taken together Western European nations had total sales of $94 billion which is about the same as Chinese arms firms, whose published data shows about $95 billion for 2017. SPIRI notes that it leaves China out because it has not got comparable data for China going back to 2002, which is when the current data begins for the Top 100 Defense firms. During the Cold War SIPRI did not include Russia or other communist nations with command economies (most of East Europe, Cuba, North Korea, Vietnam and China) for the same reason. But unofficial (and eventually verified) estimates put Russia in second place during most of the Cold War. SIPRI was founded in 1966 with the help of the Swedish government to compile and publish, among other things, unclassified (open source) data on weapons production and exports to be used as a basis for negotiation arms control agreements. SIPRI has been pretty strict about using only reliable sources and that was a problem with the larger communist nations which produced a lot of weapons. These communist nations tended to sell to anyone who can pay and that practice did not end with the collapse of most communist nations in the late 1980s and early 1990s. January 28, 2020: The U.S., in cooperation with Canada, imposed sanctions on six Russian individuals and one transportation company for illegal activities in Crimea and the use of the Kerch Bridge across the Kerch Straits. These sanctions were developed in cooperation with Ukraine which is being economically harmed by Russian activities in Crimea, especially their use of the new Kerch Bridge to restrict access to the Sea of Azov and Ukrainian ports there. January 27, 2020: The government confirmed that Russia would provide the American space program six RD-180 rocket engines in 2020. So far Russia has supplied the United States with 116 RD-180s. Thats over $1.2 billion for Russian manufacturers. Since 2014 Russia has refused to allow American sanctions to halt shipments of RD-180 rocket engines to the United States. Russia did threaten to halt RD-180 shipments. The U.S. protested to Russia, without much effect, that halting the RD-180 shipments was breach of contract and that breaching this particular contract would do enormous damage to Russian exports in the future because now many countries and firms would assume that a contract with a Russian firm could be canceled by the Russian government for any reason. This was always seen as a risk when doing business with Russia and many Western firms declined to do so or have pulled out of Russia since 2000 because of the growing unreliability of Russia as a business partner. The RD-180 affair got a lot of publicity, all of it bad with regard to future Russian exports of manufactured goods. Europe, which gets about a third of its natural gas from Russia, is already looking for alternate sources and investors are fleeing Russia (and taking their money with them). After a few months, Russia admitted that it was going to continue shipping the RD-180s because it needed the money. It was no secret that the profits from the RD-180 sales were keeping several Russian firms (rocket engine design firms and the engine manufacturer) in business. Unofficially Russian trade officials had warned their bosses about the problem with the loss of future export business and this was apparently listened to, but could not be mentioned officially. The corruption in Russia and the problems foreign firms are having with that, and the eternally difficult Russian bureaucracy are all known problems inside Russia but have proved impossible to fix so far. Russia needs the exports, even though the official line is that the sanctions are not hurting. January 26, 2020: In eastern Syria (Hasaka province) a Russian convoy was stopped at an American checkpoint and turned away. The road led to a Kurdish controlled oilfield. This is the fourth time since the 18th that American troops have blocked Russian efforts to drive past Kurdish oil facilities in Hasaka and Deir Ezzor provinces. January 25, 2020: The UN reports that at least seven nations are violating the Libyan arms embargo and supplying weapons and other military aid. The biggest offenders currently are Turkey and Russia. January 24, 2020: Bulgaria expelled two Russian diplomats who had been accused of involvement in illegal espionage. Bulgaria has long been subject to Russian pressure for all sorts of things. Since 2004 Bulgaria has been a member of NATO, in the hope that getting rid of its Russian-backed communist government in 1990 and joining NATO would get Russia to back off. That strategy has limited success. January 23, 2020: In northwest Syria (Idlib province), rebels launched an offensive against Syrian troops and drove them back enough so the rebels could again occupy two villages. This was a rare setback because for the last few months the government forces have been slowly but relentlessly pushing the Islamic terrorist rebels back. This is with the assistance of Russian and Syrian airstrikes, often over a hundred a day. As a result, many rebels who do not retreat are killed by the many airstrikes. The rebel advance was followed the next day but massive airstrikes and attacks by Syrian and Russian ground forces. Turkey accuses Russia of responsibility for the current Syrian offensive against the Idlib rebels, which has sent about 400,000 Idlib civilians towards the Turkish border. Without Russian support, Syria could not have carried out such an effective offensive, which began in May 2019. Turkey thought they had Russian agreement to a ceasefire in Idlib but that never worked and the Syrians keep advancing. January 22, 2020: The government has announced bonuses for security forces who must deal with the growing number of public protests. The bonuses will be up to an additional month's pay for months in which security personnel deal with protesters. Apparently there have been morale and motivation problems among security personnel as they continued to face civilians who were complaining about the same government corruption and mismanagement that hurt the families of security personnel. The government also noted that there were 155 illegal (without a permit) protests took place in Moscow during 2019. These illegal protests led to over 3,000 arrests. The protest activity was up 50 percent compared to 2018. More economic data became public. GDP growth in 2019 was only one percent and few Russians have seen their living standards improve. Per capita, GPD has increased since 2018 but most of that went to the wealthiest men in the country. For most Russians, the economy is still in trouble. Sanctions brought on by invading Ukraine and lower oil prices caused by increased North American production are the main culprits but the high levels of corruption are also a major factor. Exports are way down as a result, although there are exceptions. Exports to North Korea increased in 2019, from $32 million in 2018 to $42 million in 2019. Imports from North Korea were also up, to $2.31 million from $1.98 million in 2018. North Korea is under more extensive sanctions than Russia but some legal trade is allowed. Russia is also accused of a lot of illegal trade with North Korea. January 21, 2020: Russia has shipped 120 S-400 missiles to Turkey, which received two battalions of S-400 systems in mid-2019. Turkey expects to have these two battalions operational by mid-2020. The new S-400 equipment cost the Turks $2.5 billion, which included training, technical assistance and a 20 month warranty. Russia revealed that it had moved one of its own S-400 batteries to eastern Syrias Hasaka province. The battery is stationed outside the border city of Qamishli, which is controlled by Kurds, but also has Syrian troops present to prevent an attack by the Turks. This S-400 battery is now 100 kilometers from the Iraq border and the S-400 search radar has a range of 600 kilometers, meaning it now covers most of the Iraqi border with Syria. Russia claims that it tracked six American F-35s flying along the Iran-Iraq border on the 7th. This was when Iran fired 16 ballistic missiles at American bases in Iraq. The U.S. had no comment on the F-35s. January 20, 2020: Belarus has rebuffed Russian demands that the two nations merge. Since the late 1990s, Russia has been trying to persuade Belarus to rejoin Mother Russia. Two decades of persuasion has not worked. Belarus had good reason leave the collapsing Soviet Union in 1991 and Russia, viewed from Belarus, has not changed much since the Soviet Union shed nearly all its non-Russian citizens and became a majority ethnic Russian state with a lot of territory but half the population of the Soviet Union. In 2014 Russia persuaded Belarus, Kazakhstan and Armenia to join a new economic union with Russia. This Eurasian Economic Union became effective in January 2015 and allowed goods to move freely member countries without customs levies. Kyrgyzstan considering joining but never did so. Nor did anyone else. Kazakhstan did agree to become part of a unified multi-national air defense system sponsored by Russia and other nations showed interest. These Russian led organizations never caught on because the non-Russian nations know what is going on. All this is more than helping out a neighbor with their defense or economic needs. This is the less violent Russian approach to rebuilding their empire. For over a decade Russia has been proposing things like customs unions, military cooperation and rebuilding the old Soviet air defense system that used to defend everyone in the empire. Ukraine refused to consider joining the union or air defense system and made it clear it preferred closer ties with the West. Russia took violent exception to that attitude but that has led to more complications. Now Belarus is looking towards the West for help in avoiding Russian entanglement and assimilation. Central Asian nations that were once part of the Soviet Union are more willing to cooperate to avoid economic and political domination by China. But none of the Central Asian states or any former parts of the Soviet Union want to rejoin a Russian empire. January 19, 2020: In northern Syria, near the Hmeimim (or Khmeimim) Russian airbase Syrian troops activated at least one battery of their new Russian S-300 air defense systems. It has taken nearly a year for the Syrian crews to be trained. Russia is believed to still have a veto over when the Syrian S-300s can be used. In Germany, an international conference assembled to deal with the stalemate in Libya. Those invited included the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France, Italy, the EU, UN, AU (African Union), Arab League, Republic of Congo, Algeria, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey. GNA and HoR representatives also showed up but would not meet with each other. GNA and HoR representatives attended and agreed to discuss a peace deal, which is supposed to include the dissolution of the militias in Tripoli and Misrata that are the remaining obstacle to peace in the country. The LNA has suppressed Islamic terrorists and tribal rebels in most of the country and has been trying to take Tripoli since April. January 18, 2020: In eastern Syria (Hasaka province) a Russian convoy taking a Russian general to the Turkish border was stopped and rerouted when the convoy sought to drive near Kurdish controlled oil fields. This was apparently the result of poor planning because the Kurdish held oilfields have been off-limits to Russians since 2018 when Russian military contractors tried and failed, to take control of the oilfields in neighboring Deir Ezzor province. January 16, 2020: Corruption remains a major problem for Russia and years of well-publicized efforts to deal with it have failed and Russia is stuck near the bottom of the list when it comes to clean government. For 2019 Russia ranked 137th out of 180 nations compared with 135 in 2017 in international rankings. Corruption in the Transparency International Corruption Perception Index is measured on a 1 (most corrupt) to 100 (not corrupt) scale. The most corrupt nations (usually Yemen/15, Syria/13, South Sudan/12 and Somalia/9) have a rating of under 15 while of the least corrupt (Finland, New Zealand and Denmark) are over 85. The current Russian score is 28 (versus 29 in 2017) compared to 30 (30) for Ukraine, 45 (44) for Belarus, 58 (60) for Poland, 80 (81) Germany, 65 (61) for Taiwan, 39 (40) for Turkey, 41 (40) for India, 39 (41) for China, 57 (54) for South Korea, 14 (17) for North Korea, 37 (35) for Vietnam, 85 (84) for Singapore, 73 (73) for Japan, 40 (37) for Indonesia, 38 (38) for Sri Lanka, 29 (33) for the Maldives, 34 (34) for the Philippines, 32 (32) for Pakistan, 26 (28) for Bangladesh, 26 (30) for Iran, 16 (15) for Afghanistan, 29 (30) for Burma, 71 (71) for the UAE (United Arab Emirates), 60 (64) for Israel, 69 (75) for the United States, 26 (27) for Nigeria, 44 (43) for South Africa, 20 (18) for Iraq, 39 (40) for Turkey, 53 (49) for Saudi Arabia and 28 (28) for Lebanon. The Russian corruption score has not changed much since 2012 when it was 28. January 15, 2020: The Russian government (the ministers of major departments) resigned to allow president Putin to carry out his recently announced constitutional reforms. As the law currently stands Putin will not be able to run for a president again after 2024. Putin has made a lot of enemies during his 21 years in power and he does not see peaceful retirement as an option. So he wants to reorganize the government, via constitutional changes, that will give him options to disperse power away from the presidency to posts that can be held indefinitely, like parliament leader or head of the State Council. Putin does not want to do away with democracy, but he does want to establish tighter control over it by making it easier to manipulate elections and ensure that only his party regularly wins them. Prime minister Medvedev, a longtime Putin henchman, also resigned and agreed to take a lesser post in the Defense Ministry. Medvedev has been identified in too many corruption investigations and is considered a political liability for Putin. January 14, 2020: In Syria, Israeli airstrikes again hit the T4 airbase in Homs province, killing at least three pro-Iran soldiers and destroying a lot of structures and equipment. This airbase, in central Syria near Palmyra has been hit by Israeli airstrikes several times in 2019 and many more times in earlier years. The T4 airbase is the largest in Syria. This is where Iran moved its UAV operations in 2018 after its original UAV base in Syria was destroyed by an Israeli airstrike. Russia later revealed that its electronic jammers, which were supposed to disrupt the guidance systems of missiles attacking Syrian bases failed to do so during the 2018 T-4 attack. Details were not given, only that the Russian jammers were interfered with by external forces. Russia is embarrassed by the apparent ineffectiveness of its air defenses when used against Israeli airstrikes. The Israelis dont rub it in and generally respond with no comment when asked about it. January 12, 2020: In Libya Russia and Turkey got both the GNA and HoR to agree to and implement a ceasefire. LNA supreme leader general Hiftar went to Russia to discuss the matter with his largest foreign supplier of military assistance. Hiftar agreed to the ceasefire but refused to sign the agreement. Turkey and Russia are allies, sort of, in Syria but Turkey, like the GNA, is tolerant of Islamic militias. Actually Turkey regularly supports cooperative Islamic terrorist groups but has not sent any of those to Libya to reinforce the defense of Tripoli. Instead, Turkey has sent about 2,000 trusted members of its FSA (Free Syrian Army) mercenary force. The FSA has been doing most of the fighting for the Turks in Syria, in return for good pay and eventual Turkish citizenship. Some of these Turkish mercenaries in Libya already received their citizenship, plus about $2,000 a month for serving in Libya plus a large payout to next of kin if they are killed. Russia hopes to do business with Libya after the war but is also dependent on Turkey financially. Turkey has become a major customer for Russian weapons and Russia, under heavy sanctions for invading Ukraine, needs the money. At the same time Russia recognizes that Hiftar and his LNA are the most effective military force in Libya and also the most effective at dealing with Islamic radical groups. January 9, 2020: In the Persian Gulf a Russian electronic intelligence ship came dangerously close to an American destroyer. The Russians later denied that the incident occurred but the Americans had captured it all on video. KABUL -- A suicide bombing targeting a military academy in a southern neighborhood of Kabul has killed at least five people, in what was described as the first major assault in the Afghan capital in months. The attack came as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani wrote on Twitter that he had been informed by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo of "notable progress" in peace talks with the Taliban, which has denied involvement in the bombing. The Defense Ministry told RFE/RL that the February 11 blast at a checkpoint near the entrance of the government-run Marshal Fahim Military Academy claimed five lives. However, Interior Ministry spokesman Nasrat Rahimi put the death toll at six, saying those killed included four army personnel and two civilians. Rahimi said 12 people were wounded, including five civilians. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, which happened around 7 a.m. local time as employees and cadets were entering the academy. The Taliban militant group denied any involvement in the attack in a statement to news agencies through a WhatsApp message. A security source was quoted as saying the attacker was on foot when he targeted a vehicle as it was entering the facility. A witness said there was a big explosion followed by gunfire. The academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an assault in May last year that was claimed by the Islamic State (IS) extremist group. The latest attack comes as U.S. and Taliban negotiators wrangle over a possible peace deal to end the nearly two-decade war. Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called the bombing "a crime against humanity" and reiterated his call for a nationwide cease-fire. He later wrote on Twitter that he had received a call from Pompeo, who told him of "notable progress" in the ongoing peace talks between U.S. and Taliban negotiators. "The Secretary informed me about the Talibans proposal with regards to bringing a significant and enduring reduction in violence," Ghani wrote without providing specifics. Pompeo last week demanded "demonstrable evidence" from the Taliban that it will lower the violence level in Afghanistan before signing a deal that would lead to peace talks and a withdrawal of American troops from the country. However, the extremist group rejected Pompeo's demands and accused the United States of impairing negotiations, and it remains unclear where talks now stand following conflicting comments from those involved. In Brussels, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the Kabul attack "shows the consequences of horrendous violence against innocent civilians" and "demonstrates the strong need to find a peaceful resolution" to the Afghan conflict. "We are troubled by this attack," the U.S. envoy to NATO, Kay Bailey Hutchison told RFE/RL in Brussels. "We are hoping that we can have a peace accord that will take the process to an intra-Afghan dialogue that will allow all of the Afghan community groups, citizens' groups, to sit at the table and determine for themselves what they want for the country," she added. On February 10, President Donald Trump traveled to Dover Air Force Base in Delaware to pay respects to two U.S. soldiers killed this weekend in Afghanistan. The two U.S. servicemen were killed and six others were wounded in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province on February 8 when a soldier dressed in an Afghan National Army uniform opened fire with a machine gun. A total of six U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan since the start of the year. With reporting by Tolo News, AP, AFP, and Reuters TORONTO, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fura Gems Inc. (Fura or the Company) (TSXV: FURA, OTC: FUGMF and FRA: BJ43), a gemstone mining and marketing company with emerald, ruby and sapphire assets in Colombia, Mozambique and Australia, respectively, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a share purchase agreement and non-competition agreement (together, the Agreements) with Gemrock Company Ltd (GemRock), pursuant to which the Company will acquire interests in three ruby mining licences/concessions in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique and certain rights to explore in various countries without competition from GemRock. Key Highlights Acquisition of participating interests in Mozambican mining companies which hold the following ruby mining licences and concessions in Mozambique for a total cash consideration of US$3.8 million (approximately C$5 million): 100% participating interests in SRL Mining, Limitada, a Mozambican mining company holding each of ruby mining concession 8955C and ruby exploration licence 7414L; and 20% free carried and non-dilutive participating interest in Ibra Moz SA, a Mozambican mining company holding ruby mining concession 8921C (together with ruby mining concession 8955C and ruby exploration licence 7414L, the Licences) (note: Fura expects to acquire the remaining 80% interest in Ibra Moz, SA and thereby ruby mining concession 8921C as part of its acquisition of the New Energy Assets, described below). Rights to explore without competition from GemRock: US$3.5million is payable to acquire rights under the non-competition agreement, pursuant to which GemRock has agreed not to compete with Fura in certain jurisdictions in respect of its ruby mining activities US$500,000 is payable as a reimbursement of GemRocks expenses in connection with the transactions contemplated in the Agreements The acquisition of the participating interests in the Mozambican mining companies holding the Licences is expected to add a further 95.15 sq. km to Furas existing land package in the main ruby belt of the Montepuez district of Mozambique Fura expects to commence bulk sampling at the licence areas by March 2020 Dev Shetty, Furas President and CEO, commented: We are pleased to further consolidate our position in the main ruby belt of the Montepuez district of Mozambique. Completion of the merger of ruby assets agreement with New Energy Minerals Ltd. announced in November 2018, combined with Furas acquisition of ruby mining licence 5572L announced on October 17, 2019 and now Furas anticipated acquisition of the interests in SRL Mining, Limitada and Ibra Moz, SA, and thereby the Licences, is expected to give Fura the ability to explore for secondary alluvial and a primary deposit of rubies in the region. In the last 3 years, Furas portfolio of assets has grown significantly. We now have three important silos of colour-gemstone properties in our portfolio, emeralds from Colombia, the worlds largest emerald supplier in value, rubies from Mozambique, the worlds largest ruby supplier by volume and sapphires from our sapphire project in Australia. With these assets and our hugely experienced team, we believe we are in a strong position to be able to create a leading colour gemstone company. I would like to thank my team in Fura for their passion and dedication and our local partners in Australia, Colombia and Mozambique for their continued support. Share Purchase Agreement Fura and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company have entered into a share purchase agreement (the Share Purchase Agreement) dated February 4, 2020 with GemRock. Pursuant to the Share Purchase Agreement, and subject to the terms and conditions set out therein, Fura will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Vedas International DMCC (Vedas), which holds a 100% interest in SLR Mining, Limitada and a 20% interest in Ibra Moz SA (the Acquisition). As of the date of this press release, 100% of the issued and outstanding shares of Vedas have been transferred to Fura. In addition, in connection with the Acquisition, GemRock agreed to the terms of a non-competition agreement in respect of its ruby mining activities in Russia, Brazil and the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique (the Non-Competition Agreement). The aggregate purchase prices for the Licences and rights under the Non-Competition Agreement are US$3,800,000 and US$3,500,000, respectively, plus US$500,000 for the reimbursement of expenses incurred by GemRock in connection with the Acquisition, to be paid as follows: US$4,500,000 in cash to be paid to GemRock immediately following the execution of the Agreements, which amount as of the date of this press release has been paid; and US$3,300,000 in cash to be paid to GemRock upon the Company obtaining formal approval from the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique (MIREME) for the acquisition of the target companies. The Acquisition is an arms length transaction for the purposes of the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange (TSXV) and the Company understands that the Acquisition qualifies as an Exempt Transaction under TSXV Policy 5.3. Fura is not paying any finders fees in connection with the Acquisition. Prior to entering into the Agreements, GemRock delivered to Fura several documents, including, inter alia, a binding tax opinion, confirmation that all amounts set out in the binding tax opinion have been paid, and applicable legal opinions. The only condition remaining for completion of the Acquisition is obtaining formal approval from MIREME. Fura is currently in the process of completing the purchase and sale of interests in three additional ruby prospecting licences/concessions in Mozambique as follows: (i) 75% of the issued shares of Montepuez Minerals Pty Ltd., which owns a 70% interest in mining licence 5030L and an 80% interest in mining concession 8921C; and (ii) a right to earn a 65% interest in mining concession 8955C under a joint venture agreement (collectively, the New Energy Assets). Please see the Companys press release dated November 29, 2018 for further details regarding the terms of this proposed acquisition, which remains subject to TSXV approval. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75b8afe4-0006-44bd-9084-e82b8237c483 For more information about Fura Gems Inc., please contact: Fura Gems Inc. Dev Shetty President & Chief Executive Officer Tel: +971 (0) 4 240 8760 dev.shetty@furagems.com Rupak Sen Vice President - Marketing & Sales Tel: +971 (0) 4 240 8760 r upak.sen@furagems.com Public Relations Tavistock (UK) Jos Simson / Barney Hayward Tel: +44-207-920-3150 fura@tavistock.co.uk About Fura Gems Inc. Fura Gems Inc. is a gemstone mining and marketing company which is engaged in the mining, exploration and acquisition of gemstone licences. Furas headquarters are in Toronto, Canada and its administrative headquarters are located in the Gold Tower, Dubai. Fura is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol FURA. Fura is engaged in the exploration of resource properties in Colombia and owns a 76% interest in the Coscuez emerald mine in Boyaca, Colombia. Fura is involved in the exploration and mining of sapphires in Australia through its 100% interests in two mining permits (EPM 25973 and EPM 25978) and three mining licences (ML 70419, ML 70447 and ML 70451), and rubies in Mozambique through its 80% effective interest in four ruby licences (4392L, 3868L, 3869L and 6811L) and its 100% interest in ruby licence 5572L. About GemRock GemRock is a coloured gemstone mining subsidiary of Diacolor International DMCC, which was co-founded by father-son duo Mr. Rajkumar Tongya and Mr. Rishabh Tongya. GemRocks gemstone mining portfolio consists of ruby mining licenses in Mozambique and emerald mining licenses in Colombia and Ethiopia. Regulatory Statements This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys ability to complete the Acquisition and obtain the MIREME approval, the Companys ability to complete the acquisition of the New Energy Assets, the mineralization and prospectivity of the New Energy Assets and the areas covered by the Licences, the Companys exploration activities and mining activities and the Companys performance. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of exploration activities; regulatory risks; risks inherent in foreign operations, legacy environmental risks, title risks and other risks of the mining industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. Pacific Coast Safety Fest Region 9 Logo Our goal is to offer participants from the larger community an opportunity to learn more about workplace safety by providing low-cost OSHA standards-based safety training. The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District, the only OSHA authorized OTI Education Center headquartered in Northern California, is hosting the Pacific Coast Safety Fest, an annual low-cost OSHA safety training event, on March 24-26, 2020. This years event, which is designed to raise worker safety and health awareness and communicate best work practices, takes place in two locations Dublin, California, and Reno, Nevada. Our annual Pacific Coast Safety Fest is open to contractors, small business owners and anyone interested in creating a safer workplace, says Cari Elofson-Callahan, Assistant Director of the OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. Our goal is to offer participants from the larger community an opportunity to learn more about workplace safety by providing low-cost OSHA standards-based safety training. Attendees at the Pacific Coast Safety Fest pay a nominal fee of $20 per class. Topics include recordkeeping rules, safety and health management, outreach training for construction and general industries, and transitioning to safer chemicals. Attendees will receive credit for all sanctioned Education Center classes and a certificate of attendance for all classes. Space is limited and early registration is advised. Walk-ins will not be permitted. Attendees will also have the opportunity to attend the Safety Fest Expo on Tuesday, March 24, from 7:00 am-1:00 pm. The Pacific Coast Safety Fest locations include: OSHA Training Institute Education Center 7600 Dublin Boulevard Dublin, California 94568 Dublin Schedule and Registration Regional Public Safety Training Center 5190 Spectrum Boulevard Reno, Nevada 89512 Reno Schedule and Registration All those who are interested in enhancing workplace safety are encouraged to attend the 2020 Pacific Coast Safety Fest. About the OSHA Training Institute Education Center The OSHA Training Institute Education Center at Chabot-Las Positas Community College District offers high quality Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) standards-based training for construction, maritime and general industries in Dublin, California, conveniently located in the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as locations throughout California, Nevada and Hawaii. Programs offered include OSHA safety standards, Outreach Trainer courses, Cal/OSHA standards and customized on-site safety training. For more information, including a complete course schedule, visit the OSHA Training Institute Education Center website, email otc@clpccd.org or call (866) 936-OSHA (6742). Throughout the impeachment inquiry and trial of President Donald Trump, Republicans argued that the proceedings were interrupting legislative work. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler, who represents a southwestern part of Pennsylvania, said in December that instead of holding impeachment hearings, Congress should work to lower prescription drug prices. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, admonished Democrats for wasting an entire calendar year. This argument was never strong. The impeachment process did not prevent the House and Senate from passing the United State-Mexico-Canada Agreement, a trade deal. When the issue is important to President Trump, Congress finds the capacity to walk and chew gum. Now that the impeachment trial is over, so is one of the last excuses for inaction even on those issues less dear to the president. Even in this highly polarized political moment, there are issues that both parties should be able to work on together. It might surprise some observers that one of those issues is gun control. A year ago, the House passed two bills to broaden federal background check requirements to all private sellers and extend the period of time that a background check can take. In the six months between the passage of the bills and Speaker Nancy Pelosis announcement of the impeachment inquiry, neither bill got a single hearing or vote in the Senate. According to McConnell, the bills wont get a vote in the Senate as long as Trump doesnt indicate that he would sign them. READ MORE: Trump abandons proposing ideas to curb gun violence after saying he would following mass shootings Not all Republicans oppose the legislation, and Pennsylvanians can lead the way. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, from Bucks County, was among a few Republicans who voted for both House bills. Almost all other Republicans fell in line with the National Rifle Associations position against any gun control measure. Senator Pat Toomey has advocated for a weaker background check bill for years a bipartisan effort he is ready to revisit and believes the White House could get behind. Still if the Manchin-Toomey bill it would be the most significant piece of gun control in decades. It is rare in the current political climate to find something a majority of Americans can agree on. Despite the conventional wisdom that gun control is a wedge issue, and despite the NRAs best efforts to maintain that status, universal background checks are extremely popular. The vast majority of both parties support universal background checks 96% of Democrats and 83% of Republicans, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll from September. A 2015 survey by the American Center for Progress found that even 72% of National Rifle Association members support background checks. READ MORE: The gun control movement has had more momentum than ever. But will that matter in the response to El Paso and Dayton? Between their popularity and their demonstrated effectiveness, there is no excuse not to enact a universal universal background check bill. Even if the measure alone is not a panacea to stop the bleeding in cities like Philadelphia with high rates of gun violence, it will prevent some of the violence and lay the foundation for future efforts to ensure that people who intend to use a gun on themselves, or on a member of their community, cannot buy a gun. A gun control victory could also restore faith in Congress ability to do its job, instead of just coming up with excuses. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) A blaze aboard an oil tanker last week off the United Arab Emirates' sheikhdom of Sharjah killed at least four people, an Indian diplomat said Monday. Vipul, the Indian consul general in Dubai who goes by one name, told The Associated Press that Emirati authorities would conduct a DNA test to see if two of the dead were the two Indian sailors missing since the blaze on Wednesday. Two others Indians were also killed, he said. The fire started on the vessel, earlier identified as the Zoya 1, as the ship's crew of 12 Indians and 44 others worked to prepare the ship to be scrapped in India, Vipul said. The cause of the blaze remains unknown. Emirati officials did not immediately acknowledge the deaths and the missing sailors. The state-run WAM news agency had described the tanker as unloaded and had said its crew had been rescued last week. The blaze broke out some 34 kilometers (21 miles) off the coast of Sharjah. Mariners on the Zoya 1 reportedly had been stuck on the vessel for a year, unpaid, trying to come ashore amid a legal dispute over the vessel. They finally were repatriated in June 2018, but the ship remained off the coast of the UAE, a federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula home to Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Young desert locusts that have not yet grown wings cover the ground in the desert near Garowe, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia on Feb. 5, 2020. (Ben Curtis/AP Photo) Africa Locust Invasion Spreading, May Become Devastating Plague, UN Warns A United Nations official warned that an outbreak of tens of millions of locusts is spreading throughout East Africa and is ravaging its vital farmland, putting the lives of millions of people at risk. The U.N.s top humanitarian official, Mark Lowcock, said swarms of the insects crossed into Uganda overnight. And now, South Sudan and Tanzania, he said, are on the watch list. In this region, where there is so much suffering and so much vulnerability and fragility, we simply cannot afford another major shock. And thats why we need to act quickly, Lowcock said Feb. 10, according to a U.N. news release. We do have a chance to nip this problem in the bud, but thats not what were doing at the moment. Were running out of time. At the same time, the locusts are putting a strain on an already hard-hit region, according to the intergovernmental organization. Sudan and Somalia faced famine threats in 2017, and in the past two years, droughts, poor rains, and even floods have affected communities in the region. Such conditions, the U.N. official argued, create the environment to facilitate the current locust outbreak. Pest-control sprayers demonstrate their work on the thorny bushes in the desert that is the breeding ground of desert locusts for a visiting delegation of Somali ministry officials and experts from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in the desert near Garowe, in the semi-autonomous Puntland region of Somalia on Feb. 4, 2020. (Ben Curtis/AP Photo)) Pest-control sprayers in the Puntland region of Somalia on Feb. 4, 2020. (Ben Curtis/AP Photo) And across the region, the swarms have the potential to be the most devastating plague of locusts in any of our living memories if we dont reduce the problem faster than were doing at the moment, he said, according to NBC News. Keith Cressman, the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organizations senior locust forecasting officer, provided an update on the swarms in Kenya, adding that they have emerged from the Horn of Africa since the start of 2020. Over the weekend, they moved on the side of Mount Kilimanjaro across the border into Tanzania, he said at the organizations headquarters in New York City, reported The Associated Press. Also over the weekend they moved into northeastern Uganda, he added. Were expecting, any day, they will move across the border into the southeast corner of South Sudan. To combat the swarms, Ugandan authorities said they have transported pesticides to affected areas. Thousands of people have been mobilized. We are using motorized sprayers, a drone, and manual sprayers, Stephen Byantwale, the commissioner for crop protection at the ministry of agriculture, told The Guardian. They [locusts] are spreading like wildfire, so they are a real, major threat. A farmer looks back as she walks through swarms of desert locusts feeding on her crops, in Katitika village, Kenya, on Jan. 24, 2020. (Ben Curtis/AP Photo) Locusts are a collection of several species of short-horned grasshoppers in the family Acrididae. The insects are generally solitary but under some conditions, they can become abundant and swarm. Throughout human history, locusts have formed plagues and are mentioned by ancient Egyptians, in Homers The Iliad, by ancient Chinese historians, and in other sources. More famously, locusts are mentioned numerous times in the Bible, including in Revelation, Exodus, and in other books. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday told district Collectors to organise panchayatsammelanam (conventions) in the next 15 days to impart knowledge to elected representatives and panchayat secretaries towards bringing about a positive change in the rural areas in 25 days. "In the coming 15 days, organise panchayat sammelanam at the district-level. Invite the elected representatives, panchayat secretaries. Explain how to develop the villages. Inform them about the duties and responsibilities of each person," he said. Explain what sarpanches and secretaries should do, he said in a conference with the Collectors. State ministers, MPs, MLAs and zilla parishad chairpersons should be invited as chief guests, he said in an official press release. The Chief Minister suggested that effort be made to herald a change in 10 days after the 15-day period. In all, in 25 days, there should be a change in the villages. After that, surprise checks will be conducted all over the state. Flying squads will tour the state," he said, adding that he would also conduct surprise checks. Action should be taken against villages which are not up to the mark, while presenting awards and rewards to those who keep their villages clean, Rao said. The government has appointed Additional Collectors to assist the district Collectors, he said. Stressing on checking pollution, he said steps should be taken to promote electric vehicles in Hyderabad, while seeking to decrease the number of diesel vehicles. Hyderabad, which was being regarded as the most liveable city, would face severe pollution if it is neglected and proper measures were not taken now. The chief minister suggested growing trees in the 1.60 lakh hectares of forestland within and outside Hyderabad. Though Telangana is ahead in several sectors, it is lagging behind in literacy, he said. Take a pledge to make the state totally literate. Sarpanches should take the responsibility of turning the illiterate into literate in the village, he said. The Collectors should also take responsibility to make their districts totally literate, he said. Enlist the literacy rates in the Population Register. Give top priority to improve literacy rate among the SCs and STs, he said. The state government was of the firm opinion that administration can be streamlined by strengthening the institution of Collectors, Rao said. The government has decided to provide a wireless network to the top district administration to be in regular touch with the Collectors and other officials, he said. The meeting was attended by state Ministers and senior officials. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) White House budget chief Russell Vought says his agency will cooperate with congressional committees and an independent watchdog after a scathing report said his office broke the law by holding up Ukraine security funds. Vought, who rolled out the administration's $4.8 trillion budget on Monday, also spoke about the $391 million in security and other aide that the administration held back from Ukraine an action that became a central feature of President Trump's impeachment trial. He said he would work with the General Accountability Office, the nonpartisan congressional watchdog that said the administration violated the Impoundment Control Act while also saying it was holding back documentation as part of its inquiry. 'We are happy to work with the committees of jurisdiction and work with GAO,' Vought told DailyMail.com, when asked about the January 16 GAO report, which concluded that OMB and the State Department 'failed, as of yet, to provide the information we need to fulfill our duties under the ICA regarding potential impoundments of FMF funds.' Office of Management and Budget Acting Director Russell Vought pauses as he speaks during a television interview at the White House, Monday, Feb.10, 2020 in Washington. He spoke about the budget in a non-televised briefing for reporters Then he blasted the GAO for dropping the report amid impeachment. 'It's interesting the GAO complained about us not providing information. GAO normally provides a rundown of their reports before they go public with them, and that was different in this case' he said. When the report did drop, House impeachment managers immediately made use of it in their presentations. The Senate acquitted Trump 52-48 on the abuse of power charge relating to his actions toward Ukraine. The GAO report concluded: 'Faithful execution of the law does not permit the President to substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law. OMB withheld funds for a policy reason, which is not permitted under the Impoundment Control Act (ICA). The report says the president may not 'substitute his own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law' The report notes that the OMB withheld $214 million appropriated to the Defense Department for security assistance to Ukraine. The government was eagerly seeking Javelin anti-tank missiles It also concluded: 'The withholding was not a programmatic delay. Therefore, we conclude that OMB violated the ICA.' The report also concluded with a plea for cooperation it said it had not gotten. House Democratic managers also included an article on obstruction of Congress, after the administration withheld documents and resisted subpoenas. Trump also was acquitted of that article. 'OMB and State have failed, as of yet, to provide the information we need to fulfill our duties under the ICA regarding potential impoundments of [foreign assistance] funds,' GAO founds. 'We will continue to pursue this matter and will provide our decision to the Congress after we have received the necessary information.' Countered Vought: 'Look, at every step of the way, we were consistent with the law and the tools at our disposal. And GAO, you know, has long been a skeptic of executive branch authorities. And this particular GAO has flipped its position three times in the last six months. One of those precedents was about 40-year precedent,' he said. He made his remarks in an off-camera but on-record briefing from the White House briefing room. A woman from Satara district of Maharashtra stranded in Wuhan in China due to the novel coronavirus outbreak there has appealed to the Centre through social media to airlift her and several compatriots facing a similar situation. Ashini Avinash Patil, in a video being circulated on social media, claimed she was stuck in Wuhan, one of the worst-hit cities in China, along with 70-80 other Indians. "Last week, the Indian government airlifted 700-800 people from here, but I and other 70-80 Indians are stranded in the city. The Indian government should make necessary arrangements to airlift us," she said in the video appeal. Responding to her appeal, former Maharashtra chief minister and Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday wrote a letter External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar asking him to take necessary steps for help. In the letter, Chavan said he had spoken to Patil on Monday night and Tuesday morning, besides contacting the point person in the Indian Embassy at Beijing. According to Chavan, Patil submitted her passport with VFS Global for processing visa, but due to 2019-nCoV outbreak in Wuhan, all commercial operations have been suspended and her passport remains stuck with the VFS. "She is running out of food and water. It is therefore necessary to arrange emergency travel documents and ensure her travel out of Wuhan. All the necessary transport arrangements will have to be made," Chavan said in his letter to the EAM. "She has agreed to comply with all the medical and quarantine procedures as required by authorities," his letter read. Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government issued a release saying state minister Rajendra Patil-Yadravkar also called Patil and assured her of necessary steps to bring her and others back to the country. The release claimed 26 students from Maharashtra have been brought back from China and are in quarantine currently. "Currently the students are under observation and health department will send them home soon," said Yadravkar. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Sandy Jaffe The Irishman may have failed to receive the awards and recognition that director Martin Scorsese and producer Netflix were anticipating, but it certainly has generated renewed interest in the character study of one of its main characters: James Hoffa, the powerful leader of the Teamsters Union. Its a good time, perhaps, to share a personal story, one that features Mr. Hoffa as a witness for the government. I called Hoffa to testify in a case I was prosecuting in New Jersey in 1963. I was an assistant U.S. attorney in Newark and chief of the Criminal Division, and I had information that top managers at the G. Krueger Brewing Company in Newark were bribing workers in violation of the Taft-Hartley Act. Those workers were members of the Teamsters Union. So, asking Hoffa, the union president, to provide relevant evidence seemed like a good idea to me at the time. And, I needed something to liven things up a bit. I thought Hoffas presence might do that. Was I right! The government, though, was prosecuting Hoffa for jury tampering in another federal case in Nashville, with his trial scheduled to take place in a matter of weeks in Tennessee. Accordingly, the attorney general, Robert Kennedy, my boss, was none too happy with my calling Hoffa to appear in New Jersey, let alone for the government! The week before my case was to be argued, Kennedy came to visit Newark as the nations attorney general, he visited offices all over the country from time to time. On this visit, though, he singled me out, asking pointedly what I was doing bringing Hoffa in for the government. Didnt I know that, if Hoffa testified honestly, that his defense team in the governments case in Tennessee could call me as a government witness for Hoffa, and hurt the governments case? It was a well-known fact, of course, that Kennedy was relentless in his pursuit of the union leader. Getting in his way wasnt such a smart move for a young prosecutor who hoped to have a career ahead of him. Kennedy told me that he had spent two years trying to put Hoffa in jail and the Tennessee trial was in three weeks! Kennedy asked me to change my mind. It seems incredible to me, now, but I told Kennedy that I thought I needed Hoffa for my case and so I would ask him to testify. I refused the AGs request. Kennedy grimaced, thought a few minutes, and then said to me: OK. Im not going to tell you how to try your case, so you can call him, but if you lose the case, youre probably going to lose your job. On the morning of the trial in Newark, I arrived at the courthouse to a mob scene. Teamsters virtually occupied the courthouse, lining the walls and filling the seats in the courtroom. I proceeded to my office to meet with Hoffa. We discussed the questions I intended to ask him on the stand, and advised him that he could have a lawyer. He declined, saying he didnt need one. I tell the truth, he said. Before too long, there was a knock on the door, and in came the U.S. Marshall. He announced he was there to escort Hoffa to the courtroom! This was unheard of, even in New Jersey. In any event, Hoffa was escorted to the court, and, as he arrived, cheers rang out from the assembled teamsters. It seemed as if royalty had arrived in Newark! Next, the presiding judge welcomed Hoffa, and the trial began. Ill never forget it! As the trial proceeded, Hoffa testified to the facts as I presented them, honestly, I believe. After arguments and summations, the jury retired. It returned several hours later with a guilty verdict. I headed home at close to midnight. Shortly after, the phone rang. It was the Attorney General himself. He congratulated me on the victory and invited me to come to D.C. with my wife and young son. We did go, spent a good amount of time with him; he bounced my son, Gregory, on his lap and put him on the stuffed tiger he kept in his office, posing for photographs. He presented me with a PT 109 pin and tie clip, precious mementos from his brother, the President of the United States, John F. Kennedy. I think of this episode quite often. Of course, I do wonder what would have happened if I had lost the case. One historical note: I was not called as a witness for Hoffa. And, yes, Kennedy won his case, too. Hoffa was convicted in Tennessee of attempted bribery of a grand juror and sentenced to eight years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Even if you didnt catch the Netflix movie, you probably know what happened to him a little more than a decade later. Sandy Jaffe was the chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorneys Office, District of New Jersey from 1961 through 1965. He is currently co-director of the Center for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution at the Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy of Rutgers University. 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. By Neil Michael and Eoin English A Fine Gael TD who likened losing his seat to spoof TV host Alan Partridge's attempts to get a second TV series is to stand for the Seanad. Former Fine Gael TD Noel Rock lost his Dublin North-West constituency seat in the General Election, which he had won in 2016. He now describes himself as the youngest former TD since 1987', the year he was born. The 32-year-old plans to approach Fine Gael about being nominated next week. The party, which ultimately decides who it wants to stand in the Seanad, is likely to announce its nominations by the end of February. Among the seats that will be available in the March elections of the Seanad are those of senators who were elected in the General Election. These include Neil Richmond and Frank Feehan. In addition, there are senators like James Reilly - the former Health Minister - who have said they do not intend to stand again. Ive been asked by a number of people to consider it, so I am going to do that, he told the Irish Examiner. I would like to continue voicing issues and serving the public, whether its in politics or outside, so this could be one way to achieve this. There are three ways to get to be one of the Seanads 60 senators. The Taoiseach of the day nominates 11, three can be elected by graduates of two universities and 43 are elected by members of five special panels. Mr Rock, an advocate of increased public transport, has yet to decide which way to get in. A Fine Gael party source said, when asked about his chances, the former TD stands a good chance of being nominated. Hes hard working, popular and he has an appeal that connects with all ages. He has a good personality, and he is good at mixing with people from all sorts of background. They added: He stands a good chance. However, he will have some stiff competition. Former Lord Mayor of Cork, Independent Cllr Mick Finn, has set his sights on an NUI Seanad seat. Mr Finn, who held the chain of office last year and who repeated his poll-topping performance in his ward at the last local elections, said it would be an uphill task but worth a shot. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy at Maple Shade High School, in Maple Shade, N.J., on Feb. 11, 2020. Read more New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday dismissed a Trump administration lawsuit against his state as nothing more than the president vilifying immigrants for political gain as he seeks reelection. Murphy spoke the day after Trump officials sued New Jersey in federal court, challenging state-imposed limits on cooperation between state and local law-enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities. This lawsuit represents the Trump administrations latest attempt to vilify our immigrant communities for the sake of election year politics," Murphy said in a statement. "New Jersey is a safer state when all residents feel comfortable coming forward to law enforcement, including crime victims and witnesses.... We will continue to provide a welcoming and inclusive home for our immigrant communities. The lawsuit is part of a broad and intense effort by Trump administration officials to stop immigration by undocumented foreign nationals and to compel cities and localities around the country to help them do it. That tension plays out in big public lawsuits and day-to-day interactions between agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, and local officials who contend that enforcement is strictly a federal duty. The suit, filed in Newark, seeks to restore the balance of power between the federal and state governments, Craig Carpenito, the U.S. attorney in New Jersey, said in a statement. In Pennsylvania, many county and municipal governments, including some in the Philadelphia suburbs, use their local manpower to actively assist federal immigration agents, often alerting those authorities to undocumented migrants in their custody. Other jurisdictions turn away from that. In 2018, Bensalem officials dropped plans to have township police officers partner with ICE agents, amid opposition from scores of people who packed a public meeting and from organizations including the Anti-Defamation League and the Bucks County NAACP. A year earlier Philadelphia officials fought and won a federal lawsuit after the Trump administration sought to withhold grant money unless the city agreed to help federal authorities identify and arrest undocumented migrants. Murphy, speaking later Tuesday at Maple Shade High School, where he announced a new statewide mental-health initiative to help students, promised to vigorously defend against the lawsuit, saying the facts favor the state. Communities are safer when all people feel comfortable coming forward to report crimes, he said. This is cold-bloodedly about the safety and security of all nine million people who call this great state their home," Murphy said. In 2018, state Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal issued a sweeping directive that included two restrictions the Justice Department wants a federal judge to declare invalid. The Immigrant Trust Directive prohibits state officials from sharing information with ICE that relates to immigration status and to release dates of people in their custody. The directive also requires law-enforcement officials to promptly notify a detained individual if ICE has filed an immigration detainer request for that person. Those detainers have been highly controversial. ICE officials say they are valid, legally binding orders. But cities including Philadelphia say the detainers are merely administrative, issued by the agency on its own authority, and that ICE must get a signed judicial warrant if it wants local jurisdictions to hold and turnover detainees. ACLU-NJ legal director Jeanne LoCicero called the lawsuit another attempt by the Trump administration to intimidate immigrants by eliminating a critical tool for public safety and civil rights. The ACLU pledged to help defend the initiative in court. Our state has an important responsibility to keep communities safe, LoCicero said, and immigrants and their loved ones need to know that they will not be targeted for deportation just for reporting a crime or serving as a witness. And Johanna Calle, director of New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, said the lawsuit is "filled with egregious falsehoods. The directive to New Jersey law enforcement is clear and straightforward. It simply directs local police departments to use their already limited resources for protecting their local jurisdictions. ICE continues to separate families, violates civil rights, and perpetuates violence in our communities, Calle said. When local and state law enforcement officers work with ICE, they are put at risk of violating the constitution. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 02:27:38|Editor: yan Video Player Close BAGHDAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi prominent Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr on Tuesday dissolved his loyalist group of Blue Hats, who were tasked to protect the anti-government protests in Iraq. Al-Sadr tweeted that he dissolved the Blue Hats and called on them to merge with the demonstrators without declaring that they are part of al-Sadr Movement. He said that his move came because the protests return to its original peaceful course, despite that there are still some violent advocates. Al-Sadr also called on the security forces to protect the peaceful protesters from any other party. The Blue Hats are unarmed group loyal to al-Sadr and were tasked to protect the anti-government demonstrations in Baghdad and other central and southern Iraqi cities. However, violent acts and clashes occurred with the demonstrators in Baghdad and other cities during the protests, which resulted in the killing and wounding of dozens of demonstrators and al-Sadr loyalists. Mass anti-government demonstrations have been continuing in Baghdad and other cities in central and southern Iraq since October of 2019, demanding comprehensive reform, fight against corruption, better public services and more jobs. According to Iraq's Independent High Commission for Human Rights, the nationwide anti-government protests of over four months has caused the death of 544, with 23,700 others wounded. Hitting back at the Congress for its "incompetent doctors" remark on handling of the economy, the BJP on Tuesday said there was no foundation for the opposition criticism and termed as "wrong" the diagnosis and treatment of the economy done during the UPA regime. Participating in the discussion on the Finance Bill, BJP member Ashwini Vaishnaw said the Union Budget for 2020-21 has taken care of all sections of society and all sectors to ensure all-round development of the country. He said the demand will rise due to increased spending power and the government has infused money to increase public sector spending. "Our doctor is right and our diagnosis is also right....You did vote bank politics, while we are doing 'sabka saath, sabka vikas,' he said. "Your diagnosis was wrong and your treatment was wrong too. There is no foundation for your criticism. But you are indulging in misleading the country," he said. Initiating the debate on the Union Budget for 2020-21, Congress leader P Chidambaram had said on Monday that the economy was close to collapse and was being attended by "very incompetent doctors." The BJP MP said investment and demand will rise through this budget and every section of society will be benefited. Justifying the RBI paying the government out of its reserves, he said it is the duty of every central bank to return extra income to the government and central banks across the world do this. Opposition members said the Budget has not lived up to expectations and fails to address challenge faced by the Indian economy. They also attacked the Union government for the "step- motherly" treatment to states and privatisation of public sector units including Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC). PL Punia (Congress) said the government is not ready to accept the crisis in the economy and urged the finance minister to consult experts to address the problem. He also accused the government of doing nothing for the welfare of scheduled castes and tribals, saying sub-plans be restored for SCs and Tribals. Continuing the debate on the Budget, TRS member K Keshava Rao said the Budget has set up an ambitious disinvestment target and would be difficult to achieve. He said the dual tax system proposed in the Budget would benefit chartered accountants. The TRS member also raised the issue of "step motherly" treatment being given to States in devolution of taxes. Binoy Vishwam (CPI) said the economy is already on "ventilator" and the Budget does not provide any solution to it. He accused the government of selling off national wealth to select private companies. Vishwam said even the BJP-RSS affiliated trade union BMS is opposing the stake sales in the LIC. He also rued that allocation for MNREGA has been lowered by around Rs 10,000 crore. BSP member Veer Singh said the Centre has "ruined" the Indian economy and unemployment is at a 45 year-high. He charged the BJP-ruled central government has failed to fulfil its promises. He alleged the Centre is ending reservations for SC/STs and OBCs. Singh asked the government to provide reservation to SC/STs and OBCs in private sector if it is serious and committed to welfare of backward classes. Kumari Selja of the Congress focused on Haryana in her speech and said the State has not got its due in terms of allocation of funds. "There was lot of expectation from the Budget that it will address problems of the country as well that of women," she said, adding the Budget turned out to be a damp squib. The Congress leader raised the reservation issue and accused the Central government of misleading the House. Participating in the debate, BJP leader Rajeev Chandrashekar said the Budget continues to address the "mess" in the economy left by the previous government. The UPA regime had left the economy in a crisis and financial market in a devastating state as scams exploded owing to loans given to 10 groups, he charged. "This nightmare was turned around by our government...Our economic management is in sharp contrast to theirs. We have delivered unprecedented macro economic strength to the economy. This is the fact," he said, listing out achievements of the Modi government in the last six years. However, there were cyclical and structural issues owing to disruptions in global trade, he said and added, "these are growing pains in any economy and the government will address them all." Hitting out at Chidambaram for the doctor remarks, the BJP leader said, "Atal Bihari Vajpayee's government had left health and robust patient (economy) and handed it over to a dream team of doctors (Congress) which after ten years left it terminally ill... "But the Modi government revived it although some pain remains and that will be addressed. The government will not leave the patient to relapse," he said, adding the Budget 2020 is a "careful and prudent" budget. He said the government is off to a good budget start and hopes to achieve the target of USD 5 trillion economy. Criticising the budget, Congress leader Ripun Bora said it was the "longest budget with shortest expectations" and listed out failures of the present government. He said the government has not set up a mechanism for doubling of farmers' income. The budget allocation has been made only for 100 water stressed villages even though the government's survey had identified 255 villages in 2019. Even on ease of living, the government has not made any progress as purchasing power of people has been declining besides there is rise in prices of essential items and growing unemployment, he said. Although one cooking gas cylinder is given free under the Ujwala Scheme, people are not able to afford subsequent cylinders at such high rates, he said. Bora said a person gets rice at a subsidised rate of Rs 3/kg from ration shops but to cook it he needs Rs 45 per litre for kerosene and over Rs 1,000 per cooking gas cylinder. On Swachh Bharat Mission, he requested the House to send a parliamentary panel to Assam to check the quality of toilets been build under this programme. Most toilets are not functional as they are not clean in the absence of water and even quality of construction is poor. On unemployment, the Congress leader said lower allocation of Rs 3,000 crore for skill development shows the level of government's commitment towards resolving the problem of unemployment in the country. Similarly on developing smart cities, the budget allocation has been made for only five cities, although 100 cities were identified, he said, adding Assam was ignored in the budget. "Overall, this budget is not 'Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas', it is Ambani and few companies' vikas," he charged. Mr. Trump is running for re-election this year, so his budget can be read as a policy blueprint for his second term if he wins. The budget leaves to the imagination just what that vision is. Unlike in previous years, when the health care budget laid out specific plans to repeal large sections of the Affordable Care Act and replace it, this years proposal barely mentions President Barack Obamas signature health care law. But the deep cuts enshrined in the budgets numbers are not consistent with modest tweaks. Taken together with Medicaid changes recommended elsewhere in the budget, the proposal would strip about $1 trillion out of Medicaid and the Affordable Care Acts premium subsidies, the two pillars of the laws expansion of insurance coverage. By 2029, the cuts to those programs in Mr. Trumps budget would represent around 85 percent of the total that the Congressional Budget Office estimates would otherwise be spent on Obamacare coverage that year. Aviva Aron-Dine, the vice president of health policy at the progressive Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and a former Obama administration budget and health care official, said that she found the magnitude of cuts difficult to square with the budgets language. You cant cut $1 trillion from these programs and protect the most vulnerable, she said. Mr. Trump began his presidency with a promise to repeal the Affordable Care Act, but efforts to do so in 2017 were unsuccessful. Despite Republican control of both houses of Congress, legislators were unable to agree on an approach. The Senate tried and failed to pass several different bills that would have reshaped big parts of the 2010 health law. With Democrats making health care central to their 2020 campaigns, Mr. Trump has been facing pressure to propose his own health care overhaul. He has repeatedly promised to release one. The administration is backing legal action pressing to declare the entire health law unconstitutional, and if it wins in court, the result could be a wave of disruption as an estimated 20 million Americans lose health insurance, insurance consumer protections crumble, drug approval pathways disappear, and Medicare fraud statutes are weakened, among many other effects. The leader of Sinn Fein has refused to condemn one of her MPs for shouting 'up the Ra' during an election victory speech, saying she is 'not their mammy'. David Cullinane made the comment - a longstanding slogan of support for the IRA - after Sinn Fein made historic gains in the Irish election on Sunday. Sinn Fein surged into first place in the popular vote by positioning itself as a left-wing alternative to Ireland's two major parties, but many still see the party as tarnished by its historic links to the IRA. However, party leader Mary Lou McDonald yesterday dismissed Mr Cullinane's use of the slogan as a 'throwaway comment'. 'I'm not their mammy and I don't censor them either,' she said. Mr Cullinane says he was caught up in the 'excitement of the night' and insists his sloganeering was a nod to the past rather than an ambition for the future. Mrs McDonald wants a referendum on a united Ireland within five years but the DUP's Arlene Foster has already rejected those calls today. This footage shows David Cullinane shouting 'up the Ra' along with other nationalist slogans after winning re-election to the Irish parliament Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald (pictured in Dublin yesterday) has dismissed a party colleague's 'up the Ra' remark as a 'throwaway comment' Mr Cullinane erupted into his nationalist tirade after he was re-elected as MP for Waterford on Sunday. 'They didn't break the hunger strikers, they didn't break Bobby Sands and Kevin Lynch, they'll never break us, they'll never break Sinn Fein,' he said, referring to IRA hunger strikers of the 1980s. 'What we say is, up the Republic, up the Ra and tiocfaidh ar la [a republican slogan meaning 'our day will come'].' The speech won cheers from Sinn Fein supporters but the party's critics have demanded an apology. Mr Cullinane, the party's Brexit spokesman, later insisted his comments were 'not about the future', saying that 'the IRA is gone as everybody knows'. 'I know some people will think the comments were about the here and the now and the future, they weren't,' he said. 'It was reflecting back on that time in Irish history that I'm proud of and those hunger strikers and it was I suppose part of the excitement of the night when we were celebrating that victory. 'I don't feel I have to apologise for reflecting back on that time period. What I'm saying is that I'm putting context on the comments that I made.' Mr Cullinane said he was 'very proud' of the party's 'republican legacy', again referring to the IRA hunger strikes. David Cullinane shouted the IRA slogan during a nationalist tirade (pictured) after he was re-elected as MP for Waterford on Sunday Sinn Fein was the political wing of the IRA during the Troubles as violence raged over British rule in Northern Ireland. The violence was mostly ended by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and the IRA officially ended its armed campaign in 2005. Mrs McDonald, who has been party leader since February 2018, has less direct IRA baggage than her predecessor Gerry Adams but has herself faced controversy on the subject. In 2004, she was accused of having 'warped principles' after joining IRA members at a commemoration event for Sean Russell, an Irish nationalist and Nazi sympathiser who died aboard a U-boat off the Irish coast in 1940. Five years later, it emerged that IRA souvenirs were being sold at Mrs McDonald's campaign headquarters in Dublin. The items on sale included a T-shirt in tribute to IRA members and lapel pins in the shape of a Kalashnikov rifle. In a documentary in 2013 she said that she 'completely understood and understand why people volunteered for the IRA'. Last year she came under attack again for walking in a St Patrick's Day Parade in New York behind a banner with the slogan: 'England get out of Ireland'. Democratic Unionist Party leader Arlene Foster (pictured during the 2019 election campaign) has today rejected calls for a border poll Mrs McDonald is now at the centre of what could be protracted coalition talks after Sinn Fein's historic gains at the election. The final results showed Sinn Fein winning 24.5 per cent of first preference votes, ahead of 22.2 per cent for Fianna Fail and 20.9 per cent for Fine Gael. Sinn Fein did not win the most seats, but wants to talk to smaller left-wing parties in the hope of reaching a majority. Both Fianna Fail and Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael have previously refused to work with Sinn Fein because of its IRA past. Mrs McDonald's party wants a referendum on a united Ireland within five years. Fianna Fail and Fine Gael support a united Ireland in principle but are reluctant to hold a border poll which could restart the bitter divisions of the 20th century. Northern Ireland's DUP has already rejected calls for a referendum. Party leader Arlene Foster cited figures from the 2001 and 2019 UK elections to argue that republicans had lost rather than gained support in the last two decades. Mrs McDonald, a 50-year-old mother of two, has been a member of the Dail Eireann, the Irish parliament, since 2011. Promoted by Adams over the years, she became his designated successor as party president and other major figures either stood aside or lent their support. She previously served as an MEP for the Dublin constituency from 2004 to 2009. A piece of tropical paradise in Honolulu is headed for the auction block with an opening bid of $8 million. The owner, Japanese beauty mogul Akemi Shimomura, purchased the property in 2010 for $7 million. Shimomura has had the residence on and off the market since 2016, at prices that ranged as high as $20 million. In 2018, the home was in the news when Bloomberg reported that Shimomura had chopped the price to $15 million. After another price cut to $13.8 million last year, with no takers, she's pursuing the auction angle. However, should a buyer propose a bid that the seller accepts before the live auction date of Feb. 20, the auction will be called off, according to the listing agent, Dianne Willoughby with Harcourts Island Real Estate. Willoughby adds that an auction may be the best way to sell this languishing gem and unlock its true value. The unique property doesnt easily compare to the one next door," she says. "An auction is the best way to find out what the market is. Midcentury modern estate in Oahu, HI realtor.com Indoor pond realtor.com Living room realtor.com Dining room realtor.com Master bedroom realtor.com Tub with water views realtor.com Backyard, lagoon, and pool realtor.com Built in 1964 by Vladimir Ossipoff, the secluded property, which is surrounded by water, was created to take advantage of its location. The interior design made Hawaii's famous trade winds a focal point, to bypass the need for air conditioning. (The home is now in fact equipped with AC.) Much of the glass-walled home opens outside to the 1.1-acre grounds, which include a pool and the Kanewai Fishpond, which is fed by one of the few natural springs left on Honolulu. Willoughby says the pond, now controlled by the Trust for Public Land, is preserved in perpetuity. The fishpond also feeds Paiko Lagoon, a wildlife sanctuary of local and endangered plants and wildlife. Apart from the occasional visit by curious sea creatures, the owners' privacy is pretty much guaranteed. The aquatic theme continues inside, with an indoor waterfall and pond that both connect to the pond outside. The 7,995 square feet of interior space incorporates five bedrooms and six bathrooms, including a staff bedroom and guest quarters. The master suite includes a bathroom with a sunken tub that looks out to the fishpond and a shower that has access to the outdoors. The well-maintained, open concept home includes a large living area that opens out to the grounds. The kitchen and bathrooms were updated about a decade ago. The beauty business entrepreneur, who owns a substantial Tokyo-based chain of beauty salons and schools, hasnt left the area. The agent notes that Shimomura owns other properties in the area. Its time for the next adventure, she adds. For potential bidders, the top selling pointaside from the marvelous midcentury architectureis the location. Its so private. Its so secluded. The house itself is massive, its hugeits majestic. It would be very easy for a large family to feel very comfortable. When youre there, theres such a feeling of serenity and peace, Willoughby says. The energy that flows around the property, its very Hawaii. The post Midcentury Modern Hawaii Estate Owned by Japanese Beauty Tycoon Up for Auction appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com. The Holland America Westerdam is stranded close to Thailand over coronavirus fears (AP) A cruise ship carrying British nationals has been stranded off the coast of Thailand over coronavirus fears, despite no cases being confirmed on board. The Holland America Westerdam cruise ship, which has more than 2,000 people on board, has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. A Foreign Office spokesman said: We are in contact with the Thai authorities and operators of the Westerdam cruise ship, and are ready to support the British nationals on board if required. Thailands public health minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced on Facebook that he had instructed authorities to turn the boat away due to fears over the deadly disease. Prime minister Prayuth Chano-cha confirmed the ban but said Thailand was looking at a way to give humanitarian assistance, and will be able to provide the ship with necessities such as fuel and food. The liner said on Tuesday morning it was working to provide an update. A spokesperson told Yahoo News UK: We are aware of the reports regarding the status of Westerdams call to Laem Chabang (Bangkok), Thailand. We are actively working this matter and will provide an update when we are able. We know this is confusing for our guests and their families and we greatly appreciate their patience. The Westerdam began its cruise in Singapore on 16 January. Read more from Yahoo News UK Coronavirus cases may ease in summer before re-emerging in winter, experts say Coronavirus: how to wash your hands to ward off infection North Korea sends 500 workers to patrol Chinese border over coronavirus fears A Holland America statement on Monday 10 February said: The ship is not in quarantine and we have no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board despite media reports. Another cruise ship, Carnivals Diamond Princess, is under quarantine in Japan after 135 cases of coronavirus were confirmed on board. Two people wave from the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship in Yokohama, Japan (AP) A passenger waves from the cruise ship Diamond Princess (Kyodo News via AP) The ships 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain under quarantine until at least 19 February. Story continues A total of 78 UK passport holders including crew were among those who boarded the ship, sources told the PA news agency. The death toll from the coronavirus outbreak in mainland China has passed 1,000 people, health authorities announced early on Tuesday morning. Eight cases have been confirmed in the UK in total. Speaking on Tuesday, the businessman at the centre of a UK outbreak of coronavirus has thanked the NHS for his treatment and said he is fully recovered. Steve Walsh, 53, from Hove in East Sussex, who is still in quarantine at St Thomas Hospital in London, picked up coronavirus while at a conference in Singapore. On his way back to the UK, he stopped off for several days at a French ski chalet, where five Britons were subsequently infected with the virus. He is also linked to at least five further cases of coronavirus in the UK, including two doctors, one of whom worked at a Brighton surgery that has closed its doors. Mr Walsh is also linked to one male patient taken ill in Majorca. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:55:54|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance have asked local governments and schools to provide financial aid to students from poor families that are affected by the novel coronavirus outbreak. According to a joint statement issued by the ministries, relevant offices must keep abreast of the health and living conditions of impoverished students and pay special attention to those from hard-hit regions, poverty-stricken areas, rural and remote areas. For poor students whose families are infected with the virus, financial aid including temporary subsidies, reduction or exemption of tuition fees should be adopted to ensure their study and life in school, said the statement. The ministries also required schools across the country to take care of students from poor families who stay in school during the winter vacation. Burma Yangon Pollution Hits Danger Levels Each Morning: Monitors Yangon residents have been advised to wear masks. / The Irrawaddy Yangon Air Quality Yangon(AQY), a team monitoring the condition of the citys air, has called on residents to wear masks as pollution has reached the red stage that can affect health. The team was formed in 2018 by Dr. Kirt Page, an academic adviser at the American University of Yangon, with six of his students. The team has been recording Yangons air quality with six monitors and sharing the data on Facebook. On Tuesday morning, Yangon reached the red stage of air pollution with an air-quality index (AQI) value of 173, which can affect health. Ma Myat Phoo Pwint Kyaw, a member of AQY, told The Irrawaddy that Yangon since November 2019 had recorded red stage air pollution every morning and the orange stage each evening. Orange pollution measures an AQI from 101 to 150, which might affect sensitive people. The red stage measures 150 to 200 and may begin to have health effects for everyone and sensitive people may suffer seriously. Hazardous levels are marked maroon with results over 300, triggering emergency conditions when everyone is expected to suffer serious effects. According to AQY, Yangon reached the purple stage last month with levels from 201 to 300. People are gaining an awareness of air pollution. Wearing a mask is appropriate, said Ma Myat Phoo Pwint Kyaw. She said people should avoid using cars but instead opt for public transport. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that air pollution is a major cause of death and disease. An estimated 4.2 million premature deaths globally mainly from heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer and acute respiratory infections in children are linked to air pollution, according to the WHO. The World Bank said in 2017 that air pollution was to blame for more than 45,000 premature deaths in Myanmar. According to AirVisual, an application that monitors air quality, today Beijing was in the purple stage of air pollution with an AQI value of 283, meaning everyone may experience serious health effects. Yangon, Bangkok and Chiang Mai all recorded similar air pollution in the orange stage with AQI values of 101 to 150, according to AirVisual. Advertisement Iraqis awoke to see Baghdad covered in snow for the first time in more than a decade today. Baghdad residents rushed to take pictures while youngsters had snowball fights after a cold wave from Europe sprinkled snow across the city. The city's palm trees were outlined in white, while tents belonging to protesters in long-running anti-government demonstrations in Tahrir Square were also covered in snow. The last recorded snowfall in Baghdad was in 2008, but that was brief and mostly slushy. Before that, it had been a century since the capital saw any snowflakes. An Iraqi woman makes a snowball in her hand as snow covers the bonnet and windscreen of her car in Baghdad, where residents awoke today to the city's first snowfall since 2008 An Iraqi girl plays with her mother in the snow in the Shiite holy city of Karbala today, which was covered by snow after what meteorologists described as a cold wave coming in from Europe A man wearing a hood and a warm coat walks along a bridge during a snow storm in Mosul today, which was hit by heavier precipitation than the capital Baghdad An Iraqi boy wears a bobble hat covered in snow in Karbala today amid snowfall which is expected to continue until tomorrow Iraqis play in the snow in the city of Karbala, shaking snow off a tree while much of the park is powdered with snow An Iraqi boy takes a blow during a snowball flight while a woman looks at her car which was blanketed by the snow in Baghdad 'Snowfall may continue until Wednesday given the very cold weather,' said Amer al-Jaberi of the Iraqi Meteorological Centre, explaining that the cold wave had come from Europe. People on their way to work stopped their cars to take pictures or break out into impromptu snowball fights. 'Thank God it is snowing this morning,' said Aymen Ahmed, one of the Tahrir Square protesters. 'The atmosphere is beautiful ... the people are very happy because this is the first time snow falls in Iraq.' South of the capital, snow also carpeted the Shiite holy city of Karbala which draws pilgrims from around the world to see its golden-domed mausoleums. Baghdad residents are more suited to heat, with a record temperature of 124F (51C) repeatedly coming under threat in recent years. A man cleans the snow off his windscreen in Baghdad which had not experienced any kind of snowfall since 2008 A palm tree in Karbala stands in a snow-covered park early this morning as many Iraqis woke to see snow for the first time Two Iraqi boys have a snowball fight in Karbala, with many Iraqis stopping their cars to take pictures or play in the fallen snow Protesters in long-running anti-government protests in Baghdad clean their tent after snow fell on Tahrir Square Iraqis shake snow off a tree at a park in the holy Shiite city of Karbala, which is usually known for drawing pilgrims from around the world to see its golden-domed mausoleums One of the Tahrir Square protesters wipes snow off his tent in Baghdad today. Over 500 people have died in the protests as security forces used live rounds and tear gas to disperse crowds in Baghdad and southern Iraq An Iraqi man with a scarf wrapped around his dead takes pictures on his smartphone during the snowfall early this morning in Baghdad Snowfall is more common in northern Iraq, where snow covered the war-battered city of Mosul, but in the centre and south there is rarely enough precipitation. In 2018, chronic water shortages sparked a health crisis in the centre and south but the following year, heavy rains caused deadly flooding and heavy damage to homes and crops. Blistering temperatures then hit the north triggering wild fires and scorching crops. Experts say Iraq lacks the funding or infrastructure to cope with climate change and the desertification of once productive land. Two men walk along a pavement in Baghdad early this morning while snow was falling in the city for the first time since 2008 Iraqi boys shake snow off a tree at a park in Karbala today, south of the capital Baghdad where snow is extremely rare A young Iraqi man poses as a woman takes a picture of him on a smartphone, in a snow-covered park in Karbala today A young Iraqi man poses for a selfie in the park in Karbala where trees were also sprinkled with snow One of the protesters in the long-running Tahrir Square demonstrations cleans the freshly fallen snow off his tent today Baghdad's Karrada residential neighbourhood under snow fall today with snow covering trees and bushes An Iraqi youngster walks in the park in Karbala with some footprints visible today after snow covered the ground overnight A protester stands in the snow in Tahrir Square during anti-government protests in Baghdad Schumer Asks Defense Watchdog to Probe Trump Impeachment Retaliation By Ken Bredemeier February 10, 2020 U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer asked the Defense Department watchdog on Monday to investigate what he said was "shameful" and "Illegal" retaliation by President Donald Trump against a witness who testified against him at last year's impeachment hearings. Schumer asked 74 inspectors general throughout the government to probe any retaliation against federal workers who report Trump administration misconduct, but singled out the president's dismissal of Army Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman as a Ukraine expert at the National Security Council in the White House. Vindman testified against Trump at House of Representatives impeachment hearings leading up to approval of two articles of impeachment, although Trump last week was acquitted after a three-week trial in the Senate. A short time before dismissing Vindman, Trump was asked about his status, responding, "I'm not happy with him. You think I'm supposed to be happy with him? I'm not." Vindman testified about concerns he had about Trump's request last July to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to investigate one of Trump's chief 2020 Democratic challengers, former Vice President Joe Biden, his son Hunter Biden's lucrative work for a Ukrainian natural gas company and a debunked theory that Ukraine meddled in the 2016 U.S. election to undermine Trump's campaign. Trump's request came at the same time he was temporarily blocking release of $391 million in military aid Kyiv wanted to help fight pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine. In addition, Trump ousted Vindman's twin brother, Yevgeny (Eugene) Vindman, also an Army lieutenant colonel and an ethics attorney at the security council, returning both of them to positions at the Defense Department. Within hours on Friday, Trump also fired Gordon Sondland, who had donated $1 million to Trump's 2017 inauguration, as the U.S. ambassador to the European Union in Brussels. Sondland angered Trump by testifying that the president had engaged in a quid pro quo with Ukraine, withholding a White House meeting that Zelenskiy wanted until he announced the Biden investigations. Trump, after a 55-day delay, released the military aid in September without Zelenskiy announcing any Biden investigations. Schumer told Defense Department acting inspector general Glenn Fine that Alexander Vindman "lived up to his oath to protect and defend our Constitution by bravely stepping forward to tell the truth." But Schumer said Vindman "has been viciously attacked by the president and forced to endure threats to his and his family's safety." Schumer, leader of the minority bloc of Senate Democrats, said, "These attacks are part of a dangerous, growing pattern of retaliation against those who report wrongdoing only to find themselves targeted by the president and subject to his wrath and vindictiveness. They also include attempts to publicly identify the anonymous whistleblower who used the proper legal channels to initially report the president's attempts to compromise our national security for his personal benefit." The lawmaker urged Fine to "take immediate action to investigate any and all instances of retaliation against anyone who has made, or in the future makes, protected disclosures of presidential misconduct to Congress or inspectors general." Schumer also demanded that the inspectors general throughout the government notify Congress of the last time that federal workers at their agencies were reminded of their legal rights to "make protected disclosures anonymously and free from reprisals." The Senate cleared Trump of both impeachment charges against him, that he abused the power of his presidency and obstructed congressional efforts to investigate his Ukraine-related actions. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address No matter what happens in the coming days, the first sitting of the 33rd Dail will take place next Thursday. By that stage, Mary Lou McDonald will hope to have garnered more support than any party leader for the eventual Dail vote to elect a Taoiseach. She will also hope she has the numbers to form a government. A Dail majority of 80 without either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael is nearly impossible. But Sinn Fein is very serious about trying to make it happen. "The aim here is to form a government," said a senior party figure last night. "Everyone is exhausted. A lot of people we want to talk to are still caught up in counts. But what we're saying publicly is what we're saying privately." Since Sunday, Ms McDonald has reached out to the leadership of the Green Party, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Labour. The Greens are coy but Eamon Ryan is due to meet Ms McDonald as early as tomorrow. The SocDems are open to talks as well, but Labour says it has no mandate to go into government and is uneasy about Sinn Fein anyway. "Brendan Howlin's view is that a stable government requires two of the three largest parties," said a Labour source. People Before Profit TDs Richard Boyd Barrett and Gino Kenny both confirmed they would be inclined to support Ms McDonald in a vote for Taoiseach. "A no-brainer," said Mr Kenny. Rise TD Paul Murphy is also available for talks and anxious to form a left-wing government. Talks will kick off tomorrow and are likely to intensify as we head towards the weekend. "I think everyone is still weighing up the numbers and people are fairly exhausted," said a second senior Sinn Fein figure. "We're looking to meet in [the] next few days when people know where they stand." As the lengthy counts progressed yesterday, the outlook for Fianna Fail and Fine Gael became increasingly darker than was first apparent when the boxes were opened on Sunday. It was a terrible day two for Fianna Fail, with several high-profile casualties as the day progressed. The expectation that Fianna Fail would comfortably win more than 40 seats was shattered. And the growing view among the Soldiers of Destiny was that Sinn Fein should be allowed to try to form a government. The momentum has unquestionably shifted towards Ms McDonald, even more so than was the case on Sunday. Even her former colleague, Peadar Toibin, who left Sinn Fein in acrimonious circumstances in 2018, said he wanted to hold talks with Sinn Fein - and Fianna Fail - about forming a government with a view to pitching for the role of transport minister. Ambitious, perhaps, but he is conscious of where the political sands have now shifted. Mr Toibin has reached out to a number of Independent TDs about forming a bloc. "I would be open to talking to Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail about a future government," he said. "I think it's very relevant to both rural and urban areas. It is one of those spaces where you can make a serious difference. "So I would talk to them with regards to the desire for a pitch for minister of transport." Mr Toibin was one of a number of incumbent TDs across the country fearing for his seat amid the Sinn Fein surge. In the end, he was elected in Meath West along with new Sinn Fein TD Johnny Guirke, a former ESB worker who lost his local authority seat last May. He was one of four Sinn Fein TDs elected who lost their council seats last year. The party also had a number of TDs elected who it would never have imagined would be in the running, including Patricia Ryan in Kildare South who went on holiday during the campaign. There was also the remarkable and stunning success of Violet-Anne Wynne, a mother of five and a psychology graduate from Trinity, who secured a seat in Clare having polled just over 300 votes in last year's local elections. All these new TDs will bring their own challenges in the months and years ahead as the party seeks to maintain discipline and keep all of its deputies on message. It's a challenge that faces all parties that undergo massive growth at rapid pace. More than half a dozen of the new intake who were contacted yesterday were all full of praise for the campaign and the role of Ms McDonald. "Mary Lou was a big winner on the doors," said Louth TD Ruairi O Murchu, a former party staffer in Leinster House who worked with outgoing TD Jonathan O'Brien. They were also on message when it comes to the process of forming a government. "Mary Lou McDonald has outlined Sinn Fein's position and I support it entirely - the parties need to be realistic in relation to this," said Meath East TD Darren O'Rourke. Chris Andrews, the former Fianna Fail TD who took a Dail seat in Dublin Bay South for Sinn Fein, said: "I would hope that we will do what was said to me by all the people that voted for me in the inner city and right across the constituency. "They want a left-of-centre government and I think they do not want to see Fianna Fail and Fine Gael back in government." But there was also some acknowledgement of the political reality that now faces Sinn Fein if it does want to go into government. If Fianna Fail moves on key issues - with a rent freeze, the pension age and preparations for a Border poll top of Sinn Fein's agenda - then there may be grounds for talks. "We're in this to make real change and if another political party says they will implement real change we are proposing it would be our obligation to deliver that. But are they willing to change tack and tackle the hard issues like health and education, all of those issues that are really core to us?" asked Dublin West TD Paul Donnelly. Kerry TD Pa Daly, who succeeds former IRA prisoner Martin Ferris, said of a possible coalition deal with Fianna Fail: "It wouldn't be my first preference, but it would be a numbers game." He said Ms McDonald would prefer to form a government without the Civil War parties, but admitted she was just as aware of the numbers game as he was. "She's on top of her game so she does know that," he added. MBABANE He is an elderly man, apparently more than 70 years old. Inside him there resides an animal, a vicious one at that. This is how Judge Titus Mlangeni described Mkhalashane Magagula before finding him guilty of the murder of his wife Rose Maphanga (63). Magagula assaulted his wife with an axe until she died inside their two-room house at Mgungundlovu. In his judgment, Judge Mlangeni said: It is apparent that Rose Maphanga learned to live with this cruelty, such that even when she sustained permanent disability at the hands of her husband to the extent of requiring a crutch to walk, she did not leave him. Evidence The court further noted that Magagulas violence was unbridled and on August 12, 2013, he assaulted his wife until she died inside their two-room house. The bone of contention was a paltry amount of money. Their marital life was characterised by constant violence, perpetrated by the accused upon his wife, said Judge Mlangeni. The court found that the evidence against Magagula was overwhelming. It is of significance that the accused, faced with damning evidence against him, opted to remain silent. The reason for this stance is not difficult to see. The result of this is that the evidence of the Crown stands undisputed, observed the court. Judge Mlangeni said in his view, the evidence proved beyond reasonable doubt that Magagula intentionally killed his wife. At the commencement of the trial, a post-mortem report in respect of tMaphanga was handed in by consent of both parties and it was marked Exhibit A. According to the report, the deceased (Maphanga) was about 63 years old when she met her death. The report attributed death to multiple injuries. Scarcity The first witness who was paraded by the Crown was Philemon Madijane Magagula, who is the biological son of the accused and Maphanga. He is a traditional healer. He testified that on August 11, 2013, he was at Nkamazi area on traditional healing business. Philemon told the court that he had left his parental home on a Friday and came back on Sunday, August 11, 2013. He narrated that because he was tired, he went straight into his one-room house. According to Philemon, when he approached his room, he saw his mother coming out of the toilet. This being a rural home, the toilet was a stand-alone structure within the homestead and the witness stated that his room was next to the toilet. He recounted that as his mother came out of the toilet, she said the following words: Waze wangisita mntfwanani ngekufika, ngilamthoyi nje ngibhacile. This translates to; You came at the right time my son, I have been hiding in the toilet. Philemon said he enquired why she was hiding in the toilet and she told him that the accused wanted money from her. He went on to narrate that on August 10, 2013, he had hired a motor vehicle to take his wife to hospital in Piggs Peak. Maphanga had accompanied his (Philemons) wife on the trip to hospital and it appeared that on this vehicle, some other people were given a ride and they paid. Judge Mlangeni noted that in rural areas, this was a common practice and it was largely due to the scarcity of means of transport. The accused believed that the riders had paid money to Maphangaand he wanted her to hand over the money. This was despite the fact that he was not the one who had paid for the hired motor vehicle. Prosecutions The court heard that after Maphanga (deceased) had told Philemon that his father wanted money, his response was that since he was tired, the matter would be discussed the following morning. The witness stated that he then went to sleep. At about 7pm, his mother was calling for help, saying Ngafa! meaning: I am dying, and this awoke the witness. Philemon did not go to give assistance because he had reservations that in the past, he would intervene and his father would attack him. The witness said he continued hearing the noise from her mother who was crying until 11pm when the noise faded. He told the court that after the noise had faded, he went to sleep again. He said he did not think that on this occasion, she would die. According to Philemon, he was able to hear the noise from the conflict because his room was close to that of his parents. Appearing for the Crown was Patrick Mkhatshwa from the chamber of the Director of Public Prosecutions while Musa Motsa represented Magagula. The investigator of the case was Mhlaba Hlatshwayo. Magagula is yet to be sentenced. New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is all set to sweep Delhi Assembly election 2020 as the results are showing that Arvind Kejriwal is inching closer to become Chief Minister of the national capital for the third term. The factors that played a key role in the AAP's massive victory are given below: 1. AAP's promise of giving free electricity upto 200 units has played a significant role. 2. 700 litres free water for households has also played a positive role. 3. Free travel for women in DTC buses managed to woo women voters. 4. Free education till graduation has also attracted women voters. 5. Free treatment facilities in Delhi hospitals also contributed to AAP's victory. The AAP workers started celebrations at its Delhi office ahead of the announcement of final results for the 70-member Assembly seats. The party workers wearing caps and holding Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's posters, congregated at the party headquarters in big numbers to mark the party's historic victory. The AAP contested on all 70 seats, while the BJP fielded candidates on 67 seats, while Congress also fought valiantly on 66 seats. The Congress, which was in power for 15 years at a stretch in Delhi under the leadership of former Chief Minister late Sheila Dixit till the party lost to AAP in 2015 polls, is expecting a revival. In the 2015 assembly polls, the AAP had won 67 seats, the BJP 3, while Congress had failed to open its account. SAN FRANCISCO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nextdoor, the neighborhood hub, today announced that Maryam Banikarim has joined Nextdoor as Head of Marketing. Maryam will lead Nextdoor's efforts to elevate the Nextdoor brand and manage across the company's Marketing, Communications and Policy, and International teams. Sarah Friar, Nextdoor CEO, said, "Maryam is an incredible leader with a strong track record of results in building integrated teams, elevating global brands, and driving growth. Her passion for local community and purpose driven leadership makes her an ideal fit for Nextdoor, and I'm thrilled to welcome her to the neighborhood." Ms. Banikarim said, "Purpose should be the heart of a company's brand. Nextdoor's purpose of cultivating a kinder world where everyone has a neighborhood they can rely on immediately resonated with me. I couldn't be more excited to join this extraordinary team that is committed to creating meaningful connections that bridge our online and offline worlds." Maryam has more than 25 years of marketing experience, managing global brands and international teams. She was most recently the Global CMO of Hyatt Hotels, repositioning the Hyatt brand as purpose driven by putting the guest at the center of the business. The work she led on Hyatt's "A World of Understanding" campaign delivered significant lift across brand tracking metrics and received high praise from colleagues and owners, as well as recognition from the advertising industry. Maryam also created partnerships to extend Hyatt's reach with organizations such as (RED), Dua Lipa, AFAR media, and No Barriers. Her brand work at Hyatt resulted in increased brand awareness and organic user acquisition across online and offline channels. Prior to Hyatt, Maryam was SVP & CMO of Gannett, broadening the company's "Make a Difference Day" which resulted in the largest day of volunteering across the country. This commitment to local events and community outreach is crucial for Nextdoor. Maryam also sits on Adweek's Women Trailblazers Council Board, Fast Company's Impact Council, and is the U.S. Board Chair of Reporters Without Borders. Maryam was born in Iran and moved to the U.S. when she was 12. She has lived in London and Paris and spent a significant amount of time in Argentina and Brazil. Maryam is based in New York where she will be well positioned with major clients and Nextdoor's global footprint. About Nextdoor, Inc. Nextdoor is the neighborhood hub for trusted connections and the exchange of helpful information, goods, and services. We believe that by bringing neighbors together, we can cultivate a kinder world where everyone has a neighborhood they can rely on. Building connections in the real world is a universal human need. That truth, and the reality that neighborhoods are one of the most important and useful communities in our lives, have been a guiding principle for Nextdoor since the beginning. Today, neighbors rely on Nextdoor in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Australia, and Canada, with many more to come. Nextdoor is a privately-held company based in San Francisco with backing from prominent investors including Benchmark, Shasta Ventures, Greylock Partners, Kleiner Perkins, Riverwood Capital, Bond, Axel Springer, Comcast Ventures, and others. For additional information and images: nextdoor.com/newsroom. SOURCE Nextdoor, Inc. GUERNSEY, SASK.The Saskatchewan government says about 1.2 million litres of oil spilled during a fiery train derailment in a rural area last week. The amount of oil recovered is still being determined, but a significant portion was burned off, the provinces Environment Ministry said in an email Tuesday. The Canadian Pacific Railway freight train jumped the tracks near Guernsey, about 115 kilometres southeast of Saskatoon, early Thursday. Thirty-two of the trains 104 cars derailed and a dozen caught fire. Flames and thick black smoke poured from the crumpled train cars and prompted an evacuation of about 85 residents from the area for more than 24 hours. Reeve Jack Gibney of the Rural Municipality of Usborne, which includes Guernsey, said there is concern in the agriculture community over the second major oil spill in two months. Another derailment in December about 10 kilometres away on the same set of tracks also caused a fire when 1.5 million litres of oil spilled. The rural municipality is to meet with CP officials Wednesday. Remediation efforts were already underway at the site of the most recent derailment, the province said. The rail line was reopened on Friday. CP has contracted environmental consultants and contractors to assess any environmental impacts. The province said the rail company is responsible for all costs associated with the derailment, emergency response and remediation. Cleanup is expected to take several months. The province said the spill was fully contained to railway and highway ditches, and the frozen ground helped reduce the risk of contaminants penetrating too far down. Local officials have said there is concern over the safety of rail transport for oil and have suggested its time to look to pipelines. Trains, often carrying oil and other dangerous goods, move through the Saskatchewan hamlet every hour, Gibney said. After last weeks derailment, the federal government ordered lower speed limits for all trains carrying large amounts of dangerous goods. CP has also confirmed the tank cars involved were TC-117J types, which became the industry standard following the phaseout of the DOT-111 cars involved in the deadly rail disaster in Lac-Megantic, Que., in 2013. Forty-seven people were killed when tanker cars loaded with crude oil derailed and caused an explosion. The TC-117 cars have additional safety features including thicker steel and thermal protection. A retrofitted version of the TC-117 tank type was involved in crashes and subsequent oil leaks in the December derailment in Saskatchewan, as well as in other recent accidents in St. Lazare, Man., Iowa and Texas. It has a thinner shell than newer models. Mumbai, Feb 11 : Telugu super-director SS Rajamouli is not done with breaking records. After the tremendous success of his "Baahubali" films, he is back with "RRR". The film's theatrical rights have registered big numbers in south India, confirms the trade. "@ssrajamouli's #RRR shatters pre-release business of #Baahubali2 with huge margin. AP, Telangana collect record Rs 215 cr. Karnataka rights sold - 50cr. Overseas rights bought for 70 cr. #RRR would easily do the pre-release business of more than 400 Crores, South India and Overseas," trade analyst Komal Nahta tweeted on Tuesday. It is said that the makers are eyeing on big numbers in the North India market too, as the director had already made his mark with the "Baahubali" franchise. In order to reach out to an all-India market, Rajamouli has cast Bollywood stars Alia Bhatt and Ajay Devgn in "RRR", along with Telugu stars NTR Jr. and Ram Charan. International actors Olivia Morris, Alison Doody and Ray Stevenson will also be seen in pivotal roles. "RRR" is scheduled to release on January 8 next year in 10 Indian languages, and is being said to be one of the most expensive films ever made in India. -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:24:34|Editor: yan Video Player Close CAIRO, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Egyptian police forces killed 17 terrorists during a shootout in the country's restive North Sinai Province, Egyptian Ministry of Interior said on Tuesday. In a statement, the ministry said the national security sector obtained information about a hideout of terrorist elements in al-Obaidat area of al-Arish city. A shootout between police forces and the terrorists resulted in the death of all 17 terrorists, the ministry said, adding that a number of automatic guns and bombs were found at the terrorists' den. The incident came two days after Egypt's army announced that it killed 10 terrorists as its forces thwarted a major terror attack on a military checkpoint in North Sinai. An army spokesman said the assault caused the death and injury of seven troops, including two officers. Egypt has been fighting against terrorism that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians since the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and the massive crackdown on his currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group. Most of the attacks were claimed by a Sinai-based terrorist group loyal to the Islamic State. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone , a leading national commercial real estate lending, investment, and advisory company, announced that its Seniors Housing finance team, led by Cary Tremper, recently closed $222.9 million in loan volume at year-end in 2019. Greystone either placed or provided funding for a recent collection of six transactions at year-end that span Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, life company, debt fund, and bank loans for seniors housing investors in six different states. The transactions, 50% of which are for new construction, included: A 10-year Fannie Mae loan to refinance a 129-unit independent living community in Hendersonville, NC; Placed a construction loan from a Texas-based bank for a 250-unit independent living, assisted living, and memory care community to be built in Summerfield, FL; A Freddie Mac loan Assumption for a 71-unit seniors housing property in Carmichael, CA; A debt fund placement for the refinance of a 134-unit assisted living and memory care community in Dallas, TX; Placed a construction loan from a Texas-based bank for a 191-unit seniors housing community to be built in Chandler, AZ; and A 10-year Fannie Mae Structured ARM loan for a 96-unit assisted living and memory care community in Boulder, CO. I think the sampling of transactions that we closed late last year illustrates the true depth and breadth of our teams capabilities to be a full-service capital solutions provider for our clients, said Mr. Tremper. We have truly embraced the challenges and rewards of working with such high-caliber seniors housing sponsors, and have enjoyed working closely with them to help them grow and optimize their seniors housing portfolios. About Greystone Greystone is a real estate lending, investment, and advisory company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Our range of services includes commercial lending across a variety of platforms such as Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, CMBS, FHA, USDA, bridge and proprietary loan products. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greyco.com . The BJP was trounced in the Delhi assembly polls against the expectations of its top leaders, as the saffron party trailed far behind the AAP that returned to power with 62 seats in the 70-member legislature. Although the BJP managed to improve its vote share to over 39 percent as compared to 32.19 percent in the 2015 elections, the increase did not materialise in sufficient number of seats to bring the party back to power after a gap of over two decades. The party managed to win 8 seats, registering a slight increase from the three it had bagged in 2015. In the over three-week long high voltage campaign for the polls, the BJP leadership including Union Home Minister Amit Shah and party chief JP Nadda as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi assailed AAP and Kejriwal over a host of issues including the Shaheen Bagh protest against the amended citizenship law and their alleged failure to come up with schools, hospitals and other facilities promised by them. Shah would end his election speeches by appealing to people to press the electronic voting machine (EVM) buttons with such anger that its "current" was felt at Shaheen Bagh. Objectionable statements also came from BJP leaders like MP Parvesh Verma and Union minister Anurag Thakur resulting in the Election Commission imposing temporary bans on campaigning by them. The opposition AAP and Congress accused the BJP of running a campaign of "division and hatred" in the elections. A section of Delhi BJP leaders held that the party went "overboard" while focusing on its agenda of "Hindutva and nationalism" in the campaign. "With party leaders seen prompting slogans like 'shoot the traitor' and giving speeches and terming a chief minister as terrorist in election campaign, you cannot expect to have a positive response from the masses," said a top BJP leader. However Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari rejected the charge of opposition parties that his party fought the polls on a "divisive" agenda. "We do not practice of hatred, our principle is 'sabka saath sabka vikas'. In elections much is talked about as per emerging developments. But, we would never want that some people block a road for protest and cause problems to others. We opposed it (Shaheen Bagh road block) in the past and still do," Tiwari said. Some BJP leaders also cited lack of a chief ministerial face, organisational shortcomings, failure to reach out to voters in unauthorised colonies and JJ clusters, and differences of leaders in Delhi party unit as possible reasons for the party's "humiliating" defeat. Tiwari, however, said the causes of BJP's debacle will be "reviewed" on the party forum. BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain alleged that the party's poor show was due to Congress "shifting" its votes to the AAP in the elections. "BJP is the only party which has gained and our seat tally increased while even the number of AAP seats has gone down. Congress shifted its vote to the AAP yet we gave a good fight," Hussain told reporters at the Delhi BJP office. The results have come as a rude shock to the BJP that had fought the Delhi polls under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi. Shah, who had spearheaded the party's poll campaign, had predicted that BJP would win more than 45 seats. Tiwari had tweeted that BJP will form the government in Delhi by winning 48 seats and had even dared people to save his tweet. The BJP has been out of power in Delhi for over two decades. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Sean Carroll in Preposterous Universe: The Greek statesman Demosthenes is credited with saying I am a citizen of the world, and the idea that we should take a cosmopolitan view of our common humanity is a compelling one. Not everyone agrees, however; in the words of former British Prime Minister Theresa May, If you are a citizen of the world, you are a citizen of nowhere. On the other side of the political spectrum, groups who share a feature of identity race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and others find it useful to band together to make political progress. Kwame Anthony Appiah is a leading philosopher and cultural theorist who has thought carefully about the tricky issues of cosmopolitanism and identity. We talk about how identities form, why they matter, and how to negotiate the difficult balance between being human and being your particular self. More here. Shoppers have been warned to expect price hikes and shortages of fresh fruit and vegetables, even if Boris Johnson succeeds in striking a post-Brexit trade deal with the EU. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) hit out after the government admitted traders will face multiple border checks on almost all goods from January even if a no-deal Brexit is avoided. Andrew Opie, the BRCs director of food, said higher prices and some empty supermarket shelves were the inevitable consequences, without a dramatic upgrade of channel ports. This is going to hit us in January - thats our peak import season for things like fresh fruit and vegetables, he warned. Customers are really going to see the problems on supermarket shelves unless we get that infrastructure. The stark warning came after Michael Gove finally lifted the lid on the realities of leaving the single market and customs union, after the issue was ducked during the election campaign. He highlighted checks on food and goods of animal origin, customs declarations and the need for safety and security certificates while admitting new IT systems will not be ready until 2025. Mr Opie said the BRC was braced for checks on vehicles and drivers and, crucially, on food which meant thousands of vehicles being held at Dover and other ports. Although the checks might take as little as two minutes, even that would trigger 17-mile tailbacks at Dover without new infrastructure and there was very little space for holding lorries. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Asked of shoppers should expect empty shelves, Mr Opie told BBC Radio 4: There will definitely be a problem with availability if we dont see a massive upgrade of how those facilities work. Also, lets not forget, additional friction will lead to additional costs and that will impact on consumers as well. The comments lay bare how what were long predicted to be the horrors from crashing out of the EU with no agreement are now thought likely even if a deal is struck. The prime minister has abandoned Theresa Mays promise of frictionless trade in favour of a loose Canada-style agreement with the EU, allowing the UK to break free of some of its rules. Boris Johnson's deal is very different, Raoul Ruparel, Mrs May's former Europe adviser, told Sky News. "Boris Johnson's deal is closer to no trade agreement than to membership, whereas May's was closer to membership than no agreement. It is a big step down from the May deal because she wanted to avoid border friction and customs checks and regulatory checks. The Local Government Association also warned of the extra burden on councils legally responsible for undertaking checks, of imported live animals for example. Currently, products arriving from Europe do not receive the same checks as imports from the rest of the world. Introducing equivalent checks will have a significant impact, said Kevin Bentley, chairman of its Brexit Taskforce. In his speech on Monday, Mr Gove told businesses: You have to accept we will need some friction. We will minimise it, but it is an inevitability of our departure. Advertisement A 'bunch of idiots' who decided to climb Ben Nevis in trainers and without a map during Storm Ciara are 'lucky to be alive' after mountain rescuers saved the group from hypothermia and 80mph winds. The quartet, described as 'stupid' by Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, got caught on steep and icy ground on Coire Eoghainn near the 4,413ft-high summit as a -20C blizzard stormed around them. Poorly-equipped - without ice axes, crampons, or maps on them - and separated from each other, discerning mountain rescuers called the suspected Glasgow-based students 'lucky to be alive'. They used mobile phone app what3words to flag their location, before 22 fearless volunteers rushed to their aid and performed a long rescue operation in the midst of a ferocious lightning storm. All four are now being treated at Belford Hospital in Fort William. The 'stupid' quartet (one walker pictured sitting down and another left) became trapped near the 4,413ft-high summit in the Scottish Highlands after embarking upon a walk up Ben Nevis during freezing 80mph winds After a long rescue operation by 22 volunteers (one pictured above) in the middle of a blizzard and lightning storm, the 'stupid' group-of-four are now being treated at Belford Hospital in Fort William What equipment and knowledge do mountaineers need to climb Ben Nevis in winter? At 4,413ft, the conditions on the summit of Ben Nevis will always be much colder and more treacherous than they are at sea level. That means that yesterday the summit of the mountain was experiencing winds of 80mph and a minus 20C wind chill while conditions at sea level were a relatively benign minus 4C with 40mph winds. On the summit it will have been difficult for the students to stand, and their feet would quickly have started to suffer frostbite in trainers. White out conditions would also have made keeping their bearings almost impossible. Outdoor experts say that even experienced mountaineers would think twice about going out onto Ben Nevis in such conditions. Those that do will be equipped with crampons, ice axes, thick mountain boots and several layers of high-tech clothing. They will also have a map or GPS system and the ability to navigate at night and during a whiteout. Advertisement Rescue-team leader John Stevenson revealed how his team gave the four 'a piece of our minds'. He praised his team who 'risked their lives' during the 'whiteout', and warned ominously: 'Those four would not have survived the night - no way'. Speaking of the quartet, Mr Stevenson said: 'It was sheer stupidity. They were a bunch of idiots. We have never had to rescue people in trainers in winter before. They are so lucky to be alive. 'It was whiteout with winds gusting 80mph at the top with minus 20C wind chill. 'We found them several hundred yards apart and had to cut footsteps in the ice to get three of them down. They were so poorly-equipped it was not true. 'I cannot praise my team highly enough. They risked their lives and did a brilliant job. 'Those four would not have survived the night - no way. 'They couldn't say much at the time - because they were so traumatised. But we have since had a message from the hospital to say that they are grateful.' He went on: 'They were absolute idiots. They were wearing trainers and decided to walk up Ben Nevis in those conditions! They were just plain stupid. 'They weren't climbing - just walking but I don't think they even made the summit. They were poorly-equipped for any weather let alone those conditions. 'We found the first, then the others and walked them down half-way to where the helicopter airlifted them to the base and we then took them to hospital. 'It was so bad - with lightning strikes about as well - that the chopper could not even fly back to Inverness for a while. These guys didn't have a Scooby. It really is maddening. 'Two of them were particularly bad from the cold. All four would have never survived the night up there.' The quartet got caught on steep and icy ground on Coire Eoghainn near the 4,413ft-high summit as a -20C blizzard stormed around them. They had got lost in white-out conditions and could have plunged off a cliff if they had gone further John Stevenson, leader of Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team, has said how the quartet (one pictured sitting) was 'given a piece of our minds'. He praised his team, who 'risked their lives' during the 'whiteout', and warned omninously: 'Those four would not have survived the night - no way'. Mr Stevenson called the four men 'absolute idiots' Mr Stevenson said: 'It was sheer stupidity. They were a bunch of idiots. We have never had to rescue people in trainers in winter before. They are so lucky to be alive.' He added: 'These guys didn't have a Scooby. It really is maddening' A UK Coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness was also called to assist but was hampered by the weather. The four rescued men were airlifted from the Half Way Lochan - half way up Ben Nevis - by the helicopter (pictured) off the mountain Hundreds of people took to the team's Facebook page to vent their fury. One social-media user cried: 'Unbelievable! How dare people put so many others at risk by going out in ridiculous weather conditions. There's been a major storm and snow predicted for almost a week and 4 prats choose to climb the UKs highest mountain! Do YOU know the four Ben Nevis climbers? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com. Advertisement 'Some people may be able to climb in snowy conditions, but add the storm in and that's well out of anyone's ability range. They put 22 volunteers lives at risk. They should be charged. Respect to all at LMRT and your families.' A UK Coastguard rescue helicopter from Inverness was also called to assist but was hampered by the weather. The four men were airlifted from the Halfway Lochan off the mountain. A Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team spokesperson described the quartet as 'extremely lucky people'. They told MailOnline: 'No winter kit - no ice axes, no crampons and as far as we are aware no maps. Three of the guys were in trainers!!!! They were about 150 metres down into Coire Eoghainn on steep ice and if they had slipped or gone down any further consequences could have far more serious. The weather forecast for Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Tuesday is expected to be another day of wintry weather for most of the country BEN NEVIS: The 4,413ft peak that people climb in TRAINERS, FLIP-FLOPS, AND BARE FEET Ben Nevis, view of the north ridge (stock) Yesterday is not the first time that the team have rescued somebody in trainers - but the first in full-on winter - or other inappropriate footwear. A walker was blasted as 'incredibly stupid' by the team in March 2018 after he called for help trying to scale Ben Nevis in thick snow in work boots. The man was found slipping and sliding by two other walkers. Mr Stevenson admitted he gave him 'piece of my mind.' In March 2016, a 28-year-old woman came close to perishing after scaling Ben Nevis in shorts and tights. Sara Albone, of Brighton, reached the summit amid blizzard conditions and started displaying signs of hypothermia. But two pairs of male climbers spotted her and gave her dry clothes and dextrose tablets to boost her energy, before another trio of climbers provided a tent and assisted her down the mountain. In the summer of 2014 rescuers on Ben Nevis's sister peak, Aonach Mor, had to carry a man to safety when he slipped and hurt his ankle - while wearing flip-flops. The walker's two companions, who said they came from Asia to Scotland to 'see the snow', were in bare feet and trainers. Members of Lochaber MRT found the trio halfway up the 4,006ft Aonach Morr. The men later apologised. 160,000 people conquered Ben Nevis in 2018, according to figures from the charity which manages the peak. More than 1,000 hikers, runners and charity racers trekked to the summit on busy days, leading to 'long tailbacks' at certain points on the path. Advertisement 'Fantastic effort by the team members to find them and get them down safely. The boss is letting the team members from summit team have an extra sugar in their tea and a ginger nut each now.' This 'maddening' incident came as Britain was battered at the weekend by the 'storm of the century', which is soon to be eclipsed by a week of projected snow and ice by 'Storm Dennis'. Heavy snow fell in some regions after the bad weather disrupted flights, ferries and trains throughout Britain yesterday, while gusts swept across the country felling trees and causing chaos on the roads. Storm Ciara has moved eastwards from the UK, but it will leave mass white-outs in its wake up and down the country as the Met Office issued fresh snow warnings for today. The Met Office has issued a warning over the next named storm, Storm Dennis, which a spokesman said is not expected to be as extreme as Storm Ciara but will bring widespread strong winds and heavy rain this weekend. The effects of Storm Ciara, that hit the UK at the weekend leaving more than 20,000 homes without power overnight, was felt by commuters this morning who encountered further delays. There was reported disruption on the M25, a closure still on the M11, and delays to some Southeastern, Greater Anglia and Southern train services. The Queensferry Crossing, connecting Fife and Edinburgh in Scotland has been closed due to the wintry conditions. The forecaster has warned that treacherous icy conditions will sweep across the Midlands, parts of the northeast, Scotland and Northern Ireland. A yellow warning for heavy snow and strong winds is in place for Northern Ireland and most of Scotland, while a yellow warning of snow and ice is in force for north-west England today. There is also a yellow snow and ice warning covering these regions on Wednesday, as snow showers and icy stretches could cause further disruption. A yellow weather warning has been put in place for much of England and Wales on Saturday, with gusts of more than 50mph forecast and heavy rain bringing a further risk of flooding. A statement said: 'Storm Dennis is expected to bring a range of impacts, including delays and cancellations to transport services, damage to power supplies and large coastal waves.' Steve Ramsdale, chief meteorologist at the Met Office, added: 'Another spell of very wet and windy weather is expected for Saturday, although Storm Dennis is currently not expected to be as severe as Ciara disruption is still likely. 'Our confidence in the forecast means we have been able to issue severe weather warnings well in advance, giving people time to prepare for potential impacts of the storm.' Snow covered houses in Princetown on the top of Dartmoor, Devon, where snow has fallen on high ground A Royal Mail worker attempts to push a stuck delivery van up a snow covered road in Nenthead, Cumbria A van driver off the road in County Durham as severe weather of high winds snow and ice hits the North of England today Queuing traffic on roads affected after the Queensferry Crossing was closed for the first time since it opened in 2017 A huge floating island of rubbish has washed up in Salford Quays after Storm Ciara battered the region. Experts said the disgusting pile-up emerged due to heavy rain and five rivers and canals draining into the Quays Flooding in York Knavesmire, Yorkshire today. 30 flood warnings are in place in the Yorkshire region today A bull grazes in a snow covered field off the A66 in County Durham today as further snow and ice is expected A car covered with snow drives through the streets in Princetown on the top of Dartmoor, Devon, where snow has fallen on high ground The treacherous driving conditions are causing a number of incidents on the road network. Pictured: a car crashed in Oldham this morning, the driver was not thought to have suffered any injuries Storm Ciara has already claimed two victims after a falling tree killed a 58-year-old Mercedes driver and a 77-year-old man fell over and banged his head on ice. Emergency services were scrambled to the scene in Clydebank, West Dumbartonshire at around 11am yesterday after the pensioner fell over in icy conditions but they were unable to save him. The 58-year-old man died in the storm in Hampshire on Sunday. The victim was driving from Winchester to his home in Micheldever, when the tree came down on top of his Mercedes at around 4pm. Wind speeds in the area reached 60mph at the time of the incident and the man was declared dead at the scene. **Do you know the climbers? Email jack.wright@mailonline.co.uk and tips@dailymail.com** American model and certified car enthusiast Constance Nunes is no stranger to the car-loving population. As one of the stars of the hit Netflix show, Car Masters: Rust to Riches , Nunes has become one of the most recognizable faces in the car industry. Theres no doubt her presence in the show has contributed to her stature dramatically shooting up, but Nunes is more than just a pretty face in a car restoration show. The American born model of Portuguese descent is also a certified car enthusiast whose first, second, and third passions in life involve working on cars. In addition to her involvement in Car Masters , Nunes also works on personal builds and is heavily involved in a lot of car clubs in Southern California, and her experience in the industry also includes years spent working in the service departments of automakers like Acura, Audi, BMW, and Ford. We can see her on Car Masters most of the time, but rest assured, were going to see and hear more of Constance Nunes in the coming years. Constance Nunes Best Instagram Posts While the red gown with high slit looks good on Constance Nunes, we cant help but check out that piece of hot sauce that shes leaning against. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a 1964 Ford Mustang. The car itself is a sight to behold, but more important than staring at the Stang is knowing that Nunes actually bought that car when she was only 16 years old. She has since restored it to peak condition, and shes given it a nickname to go by. Say hello to Baby Stang, folks. Most of the photos on Nunes Instagram page include pictures of her with a car. This ones particularly saucy because it was taken during her visit to the Land Down Under for Hot Import Nights Australia. Not only did Nunes get a chance to enjoy the sights and sounds of the aftermarket show, but she also had a chance to experience the car culture in Oz. That photo of her standing on an A80 Toyota Supra is enough to get our blood flowing. Unless you count that Dodge Challenger peaking from behind the Craftsman booth (or throne, as she calls it), this is one of the rare photos of Nunes posing without a car. Thats ok. The Craftsman throne will still catch your eye, in large part due to its resemblance to the Iron Thron from Game of Thrones. Lets be real, though. Were not really looking at that chair made of wrenches, are we? Oh, boy. By now, you should know that Nunes is a big fan of the Ford Mustang. In addition to Baby Stang, Nunes has gotten her hands dirty restoring a lot of Dearborn-based muscle cars, including the one shes posing with in this photo. She calls her new baby Danger Stang. Its a beaten up Mustang that Nunes stripped down and rebuilt as part of her 2019 SEMA project with Rockstar Garage and Rockstar Energy. If youve seen what the finished product looks like, youll realize just how good Nunes is at what she does. Baby Stang once again makes an appearance in Nunes Instagram, and were not complaining one bit. It certainly helps that Nunes herself looks incredible in the dress she was wearing at the Fabulous Fords Forever event in California last year. Between these two, its hard to pick which one is the star of the photo, so well settle for both of them. Nunes garage might be stocked to the brim with Mustangs, but shes also shown herself to be an equal-opportunity car-lover. As much as she loves her American muscle, Nunes also has a soft spot for German-made performance vehicles like her Audi A5. Apparently, this A5 is the only car in her garage thats still in stock form at the time of her post. Lets hope she kept it that way, though were not really ones to complain if she did give her A5 the aftermarket treatment. When Constance Nunes asks you what you drive for your Friday night cruises, you answer her question. No ifs and buts about it. As you might expect, Constance Nunes was in attendance at the most recent SEMA Auto Show. As you might expect, too, Nunes was a star among stars at the event. Thats what happens when you get recognized for your knowledge, passion, and straight-up talent in the field of car restoration. A car as beautiful as the new Porsche 911 deserves to be in the same photo with a woman as beautiful as Constance Nunes. Or is it the other way around? It really doesnt matter. Both ways work with us. The Bachelor recap: An emotional three-on-one-date leads to another shocking elimination originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com On Mondays episode of The Bachelor, Peter and the six remaining ladies travel to Lima, Peru, but with the hometown dates around the corner, the pressure is mounting on him and the women, as only four will move on. After a heart-to-heart video chat with his mom, Peter decides to pay a surprise visit, where he asks the girls to seriously think about whether or not they see themselves as his future wife. The first one-on-one date goes to 23-year-old Auburn, Alabama native Madison, who, after a day of exploring the fishing village of Pucusana, the two reveal that they are falling in love with each other. If you recall, Madison met Peters family and watched his parents renew their wedding vows on their first one-on-one date, and next week, Peter will get a chance to meet her family. Natasha, the only lady who has yet to score a one-on-one date with Peter finally gets her wish, as the two spend a fun day at the Plaza de Armas, the birthplace of Lima and the citys cultural center. PHOTO: The pressure mounts as hometown dates loom, but first Peter and the remaining six women travel to beautiful Lima. After a supportive conversation with his mom, Peter is inspired to pay the women a surprise visit for a serious chat. (Francisco Roman/ABC) He confesses to her that shes been the one who has shown him more sides of herself than any other woman in the competition, and her ability to call it as she sees it is something he finds attractive. True to form, she doesnt mince words and says that while she feels a connection to him, she wants to know how he feels about her before she makes a commitment. Explaining to the camera that he sees his relationship with Natasha as more of a friendship than a romance, he sends her home. Kelsey is the recipient of the last one-on-one date, which has her and Peter hopping aboard a pair of ATVs for a thrilling ride in the Peruvian mountains. Shes excited at the prospect of him meeting her family, but has a little secret to reveal first. Kelsey has recently reconnected with her estranged father after 10 years, but her mother doesnt know. She warns him that things could get awkward if her father comes up in conversation. Citing her strength and grace, Peter offers her the date rose, exclaiming, Were going to Iowa, Kelseys home state. Story continues Finally, Kelley, Hannah Ann and Victoria face off against each other in a three-on-one date to determine which two will land the final hometown date. Peter escorts them to a 250-year-old hacienda with, appropriately enough, a beautiful chapel. Hannah Ann offers Peter a list of reasons why shes starting to fall for him. Kelley is next, and after surveying the competition, she is feeling pretty confident. She snags Peter for a private conversation, which only makes her more confident shell bring him back to her hometown. Give me a rose and lets just continue this journey and have fun, Peter, she says, addressing the camera. Chop, chop, lets go, adds an exuberant Kelley. Next up is Victoria, who doesnt mask her displeasure when Peter brings up their last one-on-one date, where she revealed her fears over the possibility of a future with him. It sparks a minor argument, during which he accuses her of pushing him away and she admits that its due to her fear of coming this far in the competition and losing him. He assures her that he would never string you along or lead you on in any way. Afterwards, shes mortified over the conversation. After rejoining the other ladies, Peter asks to speak with her alone, leaving all convinced Victoria will be going home. Victoria is shocked and relieved when he offers her one of the two roses, explaining, I dont mind a little crazy. Its now down to Kelley and Hannah Ann. In a surprising twist, its Hannah who ends up with the final rose. Kelley, whose journey began with a chance encounter between her and Peter shortly before the competition, leading both to believe a relationship was in the stars, is sent packing. Heres to hometowns! Well see you next week on #TheBachelor! pic.twitter.com/2Zk13CEEdW The Bachelor (@BachelorABC) February 11, 2020 Here are the four remaining women: Hannah Ann, 23, a model from Knoxville, TN Kelsey, 28, a professional clothier from Des Moines, Iowa Madison, 23, a foster parent recruiter from Auburn, AL Victoria F., 26, a medical sales representative from Virginia Beach, VA The Bachelor continues Monday at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. AMSTERDAM, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The collaboration between Moco and Studio Irma has resulted in a new immersive digital art exhibition that - although it will first be seen at the Moco Museum - clearly has the ambition to make many a heart beat faster on an international scale. The interactive Studio Irma - "Reflecting Forward" exhibition opens today in the museum at the Museumplein in Amsterdam. About Studio Irma - "Reflecting Forward" Brightly coloured lights, dance and music drive you through these interactive works of art. These are the ingredients that bring dreams to life: infinitely variable spaces with ever-changing dimensions and ethereal works of art that communicate with each other. Visitors feel a sense of bliss as they wander around the digital and constantly changing spaces: Diamond infinity room, Kaleidoscope, We all live in bubbles, Connecting dots and Universe. There is no language barrier, allowing every visitor to optimally enjoy this reflecting world in their own way. Here, life is not imitated by art or vice versa; instead, the experience is a captivating celebration of the interplay between man and art, man and man, art and art. Irma de Vries of Studio Irma: "With 'Reflecting Forward,' we are introducing a new art movement based on Connectivism. The exhibition emphasises how internet technologies such as web browsers, search engines and social media contribute to a new way of life. In it, the primary goal of art is to connect people in a world without borders." Kim Logchies, founder and curator of Moco Museum: "Usually, we reflect by looking back on the past. With this digital art experience and the infinite connections it shows us, we reveal what the future might look like and what your role in it could be." The influence of colour Our early ancestors used colour to recognise ripe food. Hunger pushes one to search for food, while happiness is the reward for finding it. Over the course of millions of generations, colour has become such a reliable predictor of food that the act of eating has gradually evolved to become associated with a feeling of happiness. During the age of colonisation, bright pigments were sometimes considered closely guarded state secrets. A new colour was developed specifically for Studio Irma's exhibition. It is a shade of pink designed to induce energy and dopamine. Studio Irma - "Reflecting Forward" is the first of many projects coming to Moco in 2020 to celebrate female artists. Welcome to IRMA - "Reflecting Forward" IRMA - "Reflecting Forward": from Monday 10 February 2020 Location: Moco Museum - Honthorststraat 20, Amsterdam Museumplein Website: www.MocoMuseum.com About Irma de Vries Among other things, Irma de Vries has earned national renown with her work for the Amsterdam Light Festival, where here pieces caused many people to stop and stare. Internationally, she has won several prizes for her unique video mapping. At the Gerrit Rietveld Academy, she combined her school work with modelling; her love for fashion is a recurring element in her digital patterns. Her art makes people feel happy, which is a quality she does not take lightly. She has read many books about how and when people experience happiness: when seeing round shapes and bright colours, which our brain still associates at some level with the search for ripe fruit when the body is hungry. Her life experience has made Irma a strong believer in the power of dopamine and serotonin. She invites you to go on a journey and briefly let go of everything to become part of something bigger, where everything and everyone is connected. Her twenty years of experience combined with her technical expertise and her unique vision on art make Irma a major new player in the art world. https://we.tl/t-oCuq9KtOHd Credits: Andy Hendrata SOURCE Moco Museum NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global Bio-Based Resins Market 2020-2024 The analyst has been monitoring the global bio-based resins market and it is poised to grow by USD 11289.75 k MT during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of 19% during the forecast period. Our reports on global bio-based resins market provides a holistic analysis, market size and forecast, trends, growth drivers, and challenges, as well as vendor analysis covering around 25 vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04912783/?utm_source=PRN The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current global market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. The market is driven by the rising consumer appeal toward eco-friendly packaging. In addition, sustainable production is anticipated to boost the growth of the global bio-based resins market as well. Market Segmentation The global bio-based resins market is segmented as below: Type Non-Biodegradable Biodegradable Application Packaging Automotive Construction Others Geographic segmentation APAC Europe MEA North America South America Key Trends for global bio-based resins market growth This study identifies sustainable production as the prime reasons driving the global bio-based resins market growth during the next few years. Prominent vendors in global bio-based resins market We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the global bio-based resins market, including some of the vendors such as Arkema SA, Archer Daniels Midland Co., Ashland LLC, BASF SE, Braskem SA, Corbion NV, DuPont de Nemours Inc., Huntsman International LLC, Koninklijke DSM NV and Trinseo SA . The study was conducted using an objective combination of primary and secondary information including inputs from key participants in the industry. The report contains a comprehensive market and vendor landscape in addition to an analysis of the key vendors. Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p04912783/?utm_source=PRN About Reportlinker ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place. __________________________ Contact Clare: [email protected] US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001 SOURCE Reportlinker Related Links www.reportlinker.com A leader of a right-wing organisation was injured while a trader died as unidentified assailants opened fire at Punjab's Dhariwal town in Gurdaspur district, police said on Tuesday. The incident took place on Monday evening. Shiv Sena Hindustan youth wing president Honey Mahajan was rushed to a hospital after the attack while the deceased was identified as Ashok Kumar. Mahajan was sitting in the shop of his neighbour Ashok Kumar when the attackers arrived in a car and opened fire at him. One of the bullets fired by the assailants hit Ashok. Punjab's ADGP (Internal Security) R N Dhoke visited Dhariwal on Tuesday to inspect the crime spot. Dhoke was accompanied by SSP Swarandeep Singh and some other senior police officials. Dhoke also held meetings with senior officials, where he reviewed the status of investigations into the case. Taking stock of the situation, Punjab DGP Dinkar Gupta reviewed the law and order situation in the state. During a videoconference with senior police officials, Gupta deliberated upon security-related inputs and issues. He ordered area domination operations, checking of suspicious vehicles, deployment and patrolling plans in districts, said an official statement. The DGP also discussed the security measures to monitor the movement of those arrested in the past for heinous crimes, especially those arrested in the NDPS, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act and Arms Act cases, the statement said. The DGP directed the commissioners of police and SSPs to execute a comprehensive manpower audit to pull out police personnel from non-essential duties and deploy them on operational duties for enhancing efficiency in the day-to-day functioning of the department. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Brazil's Vale SA on Tuesday posted a sharp output decline and $US671 million ($1 billion) in net additional provisions stemming from a deadly dam burst about a year ago, underlining the enduring effects of the incident on the iron ore giant. Production delays at Vale saw it lose its status as the world's top iron ore producer to Rio Tinto. Credit:Bloomberg In a statement, the company reported a 22.4 per cent fall in fourth-quarter iron ore production from the same period last year and a 9.6 per cent drop in quarterly terms. With that, Vale officially lost its position in 2019 as the world's top iron ore producer to Rio Tinto. In late January 2019, a Vale-owned tailings dam in the town of Brumadinho burst, killing some 270 people. The incident led to serious production stoppages, pledges by Vale to reconstruct or decommission many of its other dams and the firing of a number of executives. In a filing, Vale said it was decreasing the provisions previously allotted to "decharacterising," or modifying some smaller internal dikes, at nine dams similar to the one that burst last year by $US447 million. North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread has issued a cease and desist order to AirMedCare Network, alleging the company is selling air ambulance subscriptions to North Dakotans illegally. Consumer protection legislation enacted in 2017 banned the sale of air ambulance subscriptions in North Dakota. The complete disregard for North Dakota law displayed through the business practices of AirMedCare Network will not be tolerated, Godfread said in a media release. Since this issue has come to my attention, I have given them every opportunity to correct this malpractice. They have been informed that they are breaking the law and yet theyve responded by essentially stating that North Dakota law isnt valid. AirMedCare Network has left us with no other choice but to take action against them. It has been alleged that AirMedCare Network, a self-described alliance of air ambulance providers including Guardian Flight and Valley Med Flight, has knowingly sold air ambulance subscriptions relating to services or the billing of services provided by an air ambulance provider and used targeted Facebook advertisements for air ambulance subscription services in North Dakota. Valley Med Flight, a subsidiary of Guardian Flight, has also allegedly knowingly sold air ambulance subscriptions by posting a website directing consumers to a link to the AirMedCare Network air ambulance subscription service application, according to the state insurance department. North Dakota has taken a proactive step in banning the sale of these subscription plans because they have been shown to be predatory and counterintuitive to health insurance. As it stands in North Dakota, only one of AirMedCares four providers and only one of the nine providers that operate in North Dakota is affiliated with AirMedCare. Also, Guardian Flight is currently in-network with North Dakotas largest health insurance company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (BCBSND). Which means if you have insurance through BCBSND, a subscription is worthless. Because these plans offer limited to no value, the North Dakota Legislature took the proactive step of banning the sale of these subscriptions in 2017. AirMedCare is aware of North Dakota law and has willfully disregarded the actions taken by the Legislature, the insurance department says. In 2017, Governor Doug Burgum signed Senate Bill 2231 regarding the regulation of how insurance companies pay for air ambulance services in North Dakota into law. The law protects consumers with insurance from receiving balance bills from air ambulances, prohibits air ambulance subscriptions from being sold and requires hospitals to inform patients in non-emergency situations about which air ambulances have contractual agreements with the patients health insurance company. A federal judge issued a split decision regarding SB 2231 in January 2019 invalidating the portion of the law that protects North Dakotans from receiving balance bills from air ambulances. However, the provision prohibiting the sale of air ambulance subscriptions remains valid and enforceable by law. The insurance department says AirMedCare has been aggressive is their sales of these illegal subscriptions. The department recommends those who purchased such subscription after Aug. 1, 2017, you are encouraged to reach out to the Department at (701) 328-2440 or insurance@nd.gov. There is limited recourse for consumers who have purchased a subscription, however, the Department continues to investigate how many North Dakotans have purchased these illegal subscription plans in hopes of ordering a refund of their money. Source: North Dakota Insurance Department Topics Aviation North Dakota 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. As children during Chinas 1949 revolution, my parents, like so many Chinese of their generation, fled the Communist takeover of the mainland. Many of them planned to return when the Communist leadership collapsed. It doesnt appear that any of them will live to see it. Both sides of my family landed for a while on Taiwan and then, in the early 1970s, my parents came to the United States, where I was born not long after. I grew up in Colorado as the only person of Asian descent in most of the environments I lived in, and so learned to assimilate into American culture while rejecting, sometimes violently, my parents and their culture. And so I looked on with anxiety and some measure of fear as the South Korean film Parasite won four Academy Awards on Sunday evening, including the biggest prize of all, best picture. The victory of Parasite is a stunning moment that may not also be a watershed moment. Its certainly cause for celebration that an organization with notoriously questionable taste seems to have gotten it right this year, and its unquestionably huge for the South Korean film industry. But despite the initial euphoric reaction from many Asian-Americans, the Parasite victory has nothing to do with Asian-American representation. This is merely Hollywood recognizing, very belatedly, South Koreas amazing film industry which has been making superlative films for decades. US military presence in the disputed South China Sea has been seen as a crucial The termination will take effect in six months unless both sides agree to keep it American forces currently allowed to train in Philippines but this will soon end Officials said it would terminate a major security pact it had with the US military The Philippines has threatened its 69-year treaty alliance with the United States The Philippines notified the United States today it would end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country. The move is the most serious threat to the two country's 69-year treaty alliance under President Rodrigo Duterte. Philippine official announced it was quitting a pact key to their historical military alliance, triggering a six-month countdown to the deal's termination. US military presence in the disputed South China Sea has been seen as a crucial counterweight to Beijing, which claims virtually the entire sea. The move also follows Duterte's repeated, unfulfilled threats to shrink or even sever the nation's ties with its former colonial master and most important military ally. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that Manila's notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Manila. The termination would take effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep it. Locsin signed the notice on the order of Duterte, who has often criticized US security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine military's close historic ties with its American counterpart. Philippine and US Marines taking positions during a beach assault exercise facing the South China Sea in San Antonio, Zambales province in 2014 Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte speaking during the 11th Biennial National Convention and 22nd founding anniversary of the Chinese Filipino Business Club in Manila yesterday The US Embassy in Manila acknowledged receipt of Manila's notice and said Washington 'will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests.' 'This is a serious step with significant implications for the US-Philippines alliance,' the embassy said in a statement. 'Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples.' In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the 1998 security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. Locsin proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues, including criminal jurisdiction over erring American troops, instead of abrogating it. Philippine defense and military officials did not immediately issue any reaction to the government move. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Senator Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the president's deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the bloody campaign Duterte launched when he took office in mid-2016, alarming the US and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Philippine Navy ship BRP Conrado Yap (right) sailing next to US Navy supply ship USNS Cesar Chavez in Subic Bay, Zambales province, Philippines, this month Philippine Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. during a senate hearing in Manila. On Tuesday the Philippines notified the US of its intent to terminate a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country Duterte gave the US a month to restore dela Rosa's visa, but US officials have not publicly reacted to the Philippine leader's demand. Duterte said in a speech late Monday that President Donald Trump has moved to save the agreement but added that he rejected the idea. He accused the US of meddling in Philippine affairs, including seeking the release of opposition Senator Leila de Lima, whom he has accused of involvement in illegal drugs. She has dismissed the allegation as a fabricated charge meant to muzzle dissent. 'America is very rude. They are so rude,' Duterte said. Locsin outlined in the Senate hearing what he said were the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The US is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. The accord, known by its acronym VFA, legally allows the entry of large numbers of American forces along with US military ships and aircraft for joint training with Filipino troops. It specifies which country will have jurisdiction over American soldiers, who may be accused of crimes while in the Philippines, a sensitive issue in the former American colony. Philippine soldiers and a US Army soldier from the 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat unit of the 5th Infantry Division taking positions after disembarking from a C-47 Chinook helicopter during an air assault exercise inside the military training camp at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva Ecija province in 2015 A separate defense pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allows the extended stay of US forces and authorizes them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defense equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. A Filipino senator and former national police chief, Panfilo Lacson, said terminating the treaty would reduce the two allies' 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty 'to a mere paper treaty as far as the US is concerned.' Some Philippine senators have said the government decision to terminate the treaty, which the Senate ratified, should have the chamber's consent. US State Department Assistant Secretary R. Clarke Cooper said in a telephone news conference Monday that abrogating the pact would put at risk more than 300 military engagements, including joint training, this year between the allies. 'All the engagements, all the freedom of navigation operations, all the exercises, all the joint training, having US military personnel in port, on the ground, on the flight line, does require that we have a mechanism that allows that,' he said. 'That's why the VFA is so important.' Terminating the VFA would affect the joint exercises and other activities with US forces 'which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security,' Locsin said. The temporary camp of US Marines participating in a live fire exercise as part of the Philippines-US amphibious landing exercises (PHIBLEX) at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac province, in 2016 The US provided more than $550 million in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a 'chilling effect on our economic relations' if the Philippines draws down its security alliance with Washington. American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyber-attacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how US military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants in southern Marawi city in 2017. US military presence in the South China Sea has also been a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed waters, Locsin said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and three other governments have rival claims in the strategic waterway. Duterte first threatened to abrogate the VFA in late 2016 after a US aid agency put on hold funds for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines. He has walked back on such threats but his governments action on Tuesday is the most serious indication of his intent to set back military ties with the US. Aside from threatening to end the VFA, Duterte has said he will ban some critical US senators from entering the Philippines. Duterte has also barred Cabinet officials from traveling to the US and turned down an invitation by Trump to join a special meeting the US leader will host for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in March in Las Vegas. District Attorney Isidro R. Chilo Alaniz is addressing concerns from the community about a suspected cop shooter being released on bond. READ MORE: Bond granted for Laredo man that allegedly shot at police with AR-15 Cesar Rene Terrazas, 22, was arrested on Nov. 26 on the charges of two counts of capital murder, one count of burglary of habitation with intent to commit other felony, and three counts of aggravated assault of a date, family, household member with a weapon, Webb County Jail records show. Alaniz said Terrazas was initially given a capital murder charge instead of attempted capital murder despite no deaths at the shooting. Therefore, pursuant to Art. 1.07 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Terrazas was given a no bond status. The defense attorney filed a writ challenging the legality of the no bond status and requested a hearing. Terrazas then posted bail on Jan. 31, custody records show. Alaniz said that every person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law and has a right to a reasonable bond. A high bond is not a form of punishment. Its to assure that the defendant will appear in court, Alaniz said. He added that the magistrate judges administer and oversee the current bond system in Webb County. At a bond hearing on Jan. 24, Associate Judge David Garcia, in agreement with the prosecution, set the total bond at $275,000. Terrazas also had to meet the following conditions: To have no contact with the victim. To avoid coming within 200 yards of the victims home. To comply with the imposition of a curfew beginning at 7 p.m. and ending at 6 a.m. with the only exception for work. The District Attorneys responsibility is to prosecute the case. The offense report was delivered to the District Attorneys office on Feb. 4. The office is preparing to indict the case and will seek justice for all the victims, including the LPD officers, Alaniz said. The Laredo Police Officers Association took it to their Facebook to ask for justice. READ MORE: Laredo man dead, woman injured after single-vehicle rollover in central Laredo LPOA is a brother and sisterhood of the officers from the Laredo Police Department that stand together to ensure we keep our community safe, said LPOA President Rojelio Nevarez in a statement. We are disappointed that a suspect charged with not just one but two counts of attempted capital murder, one count of burglary of habitation with intent to commit other felony and three counts of aggravated assault of a date, family, household member with a weapon would be given such a low bond. If this suspect is willing to take a high-powered rifle and directly and intentionally shoot at several officers, what will he do now that he has been released back into the community? We stand together and demand our state judicial system act swiftly and just. Incident The case unfolded at about 5:42 a.m. Nov. 26 in the 100 block of Knoll Avenue, when Terrazas had allegedly gone looking for his ex-girlfriend of 2 years. Then, Terrazas allegedly used his AR-15 to ambush responding cops and wounded Officer Anthony Whitehawk Cabello, a seven-year veteran, in the right leg. He then broke into his ex-girlfriends home on Knoll and shot a locked bedroom door where the 19-year-old ex-girlfriend, her 52-year-old mother and her 21-year-old brother were seeking shelter, according to the affidavit. Police said they fought and disarmed Terrazas. Terrazas allegedly shot the mother twice in the upper torso during the physical altercation. Shots fired inside the home went out from the dwelling in the direction of police officers, authorities said. After several minutes, a male subject then exited the home with an assault weapon in his hands and charged toward LPD officers. At this point, an LPD officer discharged a single shot at the male subject carrying the assault rifle in an attempt to end the threat. It was later confirmed that the man carrying the assault rifle was the 21-year-old brother of the former girlfriend and not Terrazas, police had said in a statement. Officers Cabello; Eduardo Benavides, a 1-year rookie; and David Hinojosa, 27-year veteran, are on administrative duties, pending the outcome of the criminal and internal investigations. READ MORE: Alleged cartel leader captured, charged with murder in Nuevo Laredo Police believe that the three cops discharged their weapons 14 times throughout the incident while Terrazas fired more than 80 rounds. 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 Edison, NJ -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2020 -- Advance Market Analytics released a new market study on Global Glass Wool Insulation Market with 100+ market data Tables, Pie Chat, Graphs & Figures spread through Pages and easy to understand detailed analysis. At present, the market is developing its presence. The Research report presents a complete assessment of the Market and contains a future trend, current growth factors, attentive opinions, facts, and industry validated market data. The research study provides estimates for Global Glass Wool Insulation Forecast till 2025*. Some are the key players taken under coverage for this study are Owens Corning (United States), Knauf Insulation (Belgium), Superglass Ltd (United Kingdom), Saint-Gobain Isover (France), Johns Manville (United States), Knauf GmbH (Germany), PPG Industries (United States), CertainTeed Corporation (United States), UP Twiga Fiberglass Limited (India), Fletcher Insulation (Australia) and Uralita Group (Spain). The Vendors having a strong hold in the market are Owens Corning, Knauf Insulation, Superglass Ltd., Saint-Gobain. Glass wool insulation is the most commonly used type of insulation installed today in the construction industry. Glass wool insulation is made by heating sand and glass to about 15000c to melt the mixture. Then the mixture is spun at high speed to form fibers, which are then stuck together using a resin binder, creating a thick web of fibers that is resembles sheep's wool and highly flexible. Glass wool insulation products are manufactured to be applied in multiple areas of buildings worldwide. Glass wool is most commonly known for insulation in ceilings of buildings. Free Sample Report + All Related Graphs & Charts @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/sample-report/60303-global-glass-wool-insulation-market Important Features that are under offering & key highlights of the report: 1) What all companies are currently profiled in the report? Following are list of players that are currently profiled in the report Owens Corning (United States), Knauf Insulation (Belgium), Superglass Ltd (United Kingdom), Saint-Gobain Isover (France), Johns Manville (United States), Knauf GmbH (Germany), PPG Industries (United States), CertainTeed Corporation (United States), UP Twiga Fiberglass Limited (India), Fletcher Insulation (Australia) and Uralita Group (Spain). The Vendors having a strong hold in the market are Owens Corning, Knauf Insulation, Superglass Ltd., Saint-Gobain. ** List of companies mentioned may vary in the final report subject to Name Change / Merger etc. 2) Can we add or profiled new company as per our need? Yes, we can add or profile new company as per client need in the report. Final confirmation to be provided by research team depending upon the difficulty of survey. ** Data availability will be confirmed by research in case of privately held company. Upto 3 players can be added at no added cost. 3) Can we get more level of segmentation to meet our market intelligence objective? Yes it can be provided, however ETA would vary and final confirmation would be given only after checking data in data repository. 4) Can inclusion of additional Segmentation / Market breakdown is possible? Yes, inclusion of additional segmentation / Market breakdown is possible subject to data availability and difficulty of survey. However a detailed requirement needs to be shared with our research before giving final confirmation to client. ** Depending upon the requirement the deliverable time and quote will vary. Enquire for customization in Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/enquiry-before-buy/60303-global-glass-wool-insulation-market Market Drivers - Rising Recovery in Building Construction Activity Globally - An Enhanced Requirement for Energy Efficiency in Developed Economies Market Trend - Rising Demand for Glass Wool Insulation Products leading to Increased Industrial Productivity Restraints - Stringent Building Codes and Lack of Awareness about Insulation Opportunities - The Rising Growth in Building Construction Activity Globally - Technological Advancement in Glass Wool Insulation To comprehend Global Glass Wool Insulation market dynamics in the world mainly, the worldwide Glass Wool Insulation market is analyzed across major global regions. AMA also provides customized specific regional and country-level reports for the following areas. - North America: United States, Canada, and Mexico. - South & Central America: Argentina, Chile, and Brazil. - Middle East & Africa: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Turkey, Egypt and South Africa. - Europe: UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, and Russia. - Asia-Pacific: India, China, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Singapore, and Australia. Get Reasonable Discount on This Premium Report @ https://www.advancemarketanalytics.com/request-discount/60303-global-glass-wool-insulation-market Try a limited scope research document specific to Country or Regional matching your objective. GET FULL COPY OF United States Global Glass Wool Insulation market study @ --------- USD 2000 And, Europe Global Glass Wool Insulation market study @ --------- USD 2500 Major Highlights of TOC: Chapter One: Market Overview Chapter Two: Executive Summary ---------- Free of Cost Chapter Three: Market Dynamics ------ USD400 Market Drivers, Market Challenges, Market Trends, Restraints & Opportunities Chapter Four: Market Factor Analysis ------ USD400 Supply/Value Chain, Porters Five Forces, PESTEL analysis, Market Entropy, Patent & Trademark Analysis, Bargain Power Chapter Five: Global Glass Wool Insulation, by Market Segmentation and Geography (value, volume**) (2013-2018) ------ USD1400 Global Glass Wool Insulation By Type: A-Glass, C-Glass, D-Glass, E-Glass, S-Glass By Application: Housing Construction, Non-Residential Construction, Industrial Equipment, Commercial Equipment Global Glass Wool Insulation Region North America (United States, Canada and Mexico) Europe (Germany, France, United Kingdom, Spain, Italy, Netherlands, Switzerland, Nordic, Others) Asia-Pacific (Japan, China, Australia, India, Taiwan, South Korea, Middle East & Africa, Others) Chapter Six: Global Glass Wool Insulation - Manufacturers/Players Analysis ------ USD1200 Competitive Landscape, Comparative Market Share Analysis (2017-2018), Peer Group Analysis (2018), BCG Matrix, Company Profile, Product/Service Offering Matrix Chapter Seven: Global Glass Wool Insulation, by Market Segmentation and Region (value, volume**) (2019-2024) ------ USD1400 ------ Sections same as Chapter Five ------ Chapter Eight: Company profiles / Competitive Landscape [12 Players] ------ USD1250 Chapter Nine: Methodology/Research Approach, Data Source, Disclaimer ** If applicable Actual Numbers & In-Depth Analysis, Business opportunities, Market Size Estimation Available in Full Report. AMA also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research according to clientele objectives. Thanks for reading this article; you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report like North America, Europe or Asia. About Advance Market Analytics Advance Market Analytics is Global leaders of Market Research Industry provides the quantified B2B research to Fortune 500 companies on high growth emerging opportunities which will impact more than 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Our Analyst is tracking high growth study with detailed statistical and in-depth analysis of market trends & dynamics that provide a complete overview of the industry. We follow an extensive research methodology coupled with critical insights related industry factors and market forces to generate the best value for our clients. We Provides reliable primary and secondary data sources, our analysts and consultants derive informative and usable data suited for our clients business needs. The research study enable clients to meet varied market objectives a from global footprint expansion to supply chain optimization and from competitor profiling to M&As. Contact Us: Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager) AMA Research & Media LLP Unit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJ New Jersey USA 08837 Phone: +1 (206) 317 1218 sales@advancemarketanalytics.com Jarrell Kwabbie Boyan, 29, had worked with the department for over five years in October 2016, when he and two lower-ranking officers restrained an inmate and removed him from his cell, where the inmate had broken a lightbulb, according to federal court records. People walk under banners about precautions against a new coronavirus at the Yeonsei University in Seoul, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. AP South Korea said Tuesday that it is considering expanding its strict quarantine screening to entrants from Hong Kong and Macao, in addition to those who arrive from China. Currently, entrants from China are asked to fill out health questionnaires to check whether they had fever or respiratory symptoms. Highly anticipated: Microsoft has been out of the smartphone game for quite a while. Since the final Windows Phones left the shelves, the tech giant's focus has shifted toward the development of laptops, tablets, and, of course, software. However, in October of 2019, Microsoft surprised the world with the reveal of its upcoming Android-based smartphone: the Surface Duo. The device isn't set to release until this year's holiday season, but early prototypes are already being spotted in the wild. While riding the subway, YouTube user Israel Rodriguez noticed the dual-screen device in the hands of a fellow passenger. The individual in question operated the phone for several minutes, seemingly without noticing that they were being filmed -- or perhaps Rodriguez asked permission. Either way, the clip allows us to get a brief glimpse at how the Duo might function in the real world, without the perfect-world conditions of a major tech conference or reveal event. The Duo user puts the device through its paces, testing it in multiple form factors. They open it up like a book to use it in dual-screen mode, they fold it back so that the touchscreens face away from each other (one facing the user), and they also close it fully. Though the Duo is clearly still a prototype and runs a bit slow at some points in the video, it's still an impressive and sleek little gadget. When used in book-like form, apps seem to be capable of displaying different information on both screens at once, and they adapt relatively quickly to horizontal or portrait orientation changes. The Duo is Microsoft's take on the hybrid smartphone concept, and it seems to be just as versatile as some competing devices, like the Galaxy Fold or Huawei Mate X. Granted, it's missing the true folding-display tech they boast, but we're not so sure that's a bad thing. From our perspective, the Surface Duo looks like a considerably more practical phone than the Fold and Mate X, and its distinct design might just let it avoid the durability problems that plague those devices. Perhaps the Duo will even be a bit cheaper, but at this point, we simply can't say for sure. Microsoft has not revealed the Surface Duo's cost, its exact release date, or any of its technical specifications. However, if the company truly has decided to move forward with semi-public testing (and this video isn't just an elaborate hoax), perhaps some answers will be revealed sooner rather than later. Woman wearing a face mask walks on the Qianmen pedestrian street in the morning after the extended Lunar New Year holiday caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Beijing (Reuters) - Automakers including Daimler, Ford and Tesla are looking to resume production in China after being forced to shut factories following the outbreak of a new coronavirus. Below are details on carmakers' plans (in alphabetical order): - BMW's China venture with Brilliance said on Feb. 5 the Chinese firm planned to restart production on Feb. 17. - Daimler said on Feb. 3 it plans to resume passenger car production in Beijing on Feb. 10. - Fiat Chrysler said on Feb. 6 that disruption to parts supplies could threaten production at one of its European plants within two to four weeks. - Ford Motor said on Jan. 29 it planned to resume production on Feb. 10 at its factories in Chongqing and Hangzhou with joint venture partner Chongqing Changan Automobile. - General Motors said on Feb. 10 it plans to restart production in China on Feb. 15. - Honda said on Feb. 7 it would restart its three plants in Wuhan, which it operates with Dongfeng Motor Group, on Feb. 13. Honda said there were no supply chain issues that would impede production. - Hyundai Motor and sister firm Kia Motors will gradually increase production in South Korea from Feb. 11, the companies said in a statement on Feb. 10. - Nissan Motor said on Feb. 4 it was considering restarting production in China at its venture with Dongfeng sometime after Feb. 10. Production in Hubei will start sometime after Feb. 14, it said. Its sales in China fell by 11.8% in January. - PSA Peugeot Citroen, which is in the process of merging with Fiat, said on Jan. 31 its three plants in Wuhan will remain closed until Feb. 14. - Renault said on Feb. 7 that its South Korean unit RSM would suspend production at its Busan site for four days from Feb. 11 due to supply chain disruptions. - Suzuki Motor Corp said on Feb. 7 that it was considering sourcing vehicle components from outside China because the outbreak was threatening to disrupt vehicle production in its biggest market, India. - Tesla's factory in Shanghai will resume production on Feb. 10 with assistance to cope with the outbreak, a Shanghai government official said on Feb. 8. Story continues - Toyota Motor on Feb. 7 extended the shutdown of its China factories to Feb. 16 from Feb. 9. The Japanese automaker operates 12 car and parts factories in regions such as the northern city of Tianjin and the southern province of Guangdong. - French car parts maker Valeo said on Jan. 31 its three sites in Wuhan will remain shut until at least Feb. 13. - Volkswagen said on Feb. 8 that it has postponed restarting production at most plants at its Chinese JV with SAIC Motor and the Tianjin plant of its JV with FAW Group until Feb. 17. One plant it operates with SAIC in Shanghai and most of the plants in the FAW JV will restart on Feb. 10. (Compiled by Sayantani Ghosh in Singapore; editing by Jason Neely) Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects the novel coronavirus prevention and control work at Anhuali Community in Beijing, Feb. 10, 2020. Xinhua via Reuters The toll from China's deadly coronavirus outbreak passed 1,000 on Tuesday after President Xi Jinping called for more "decisive" measures to tackle the outbreak in a rare visit to a frontline hospital. The Chinese president donned a face mask and had his temperature checked while visiting medical workers and patients affected by the deadly coronavirus that has killed at least 1,011 people. The fatalities soared after hardest-hit Hubei province the epicentre of the outbreak reported another 103 deaths on Tuesday, the highest single-day toll since the virus emerged. At a hospital treating infected patients in Beijing, Xi on Monday called the situation at the epicentre "still very grave" and "more decisive measures" to contain the spread of the virus, said state broadcaster CCTV. Xi has largely kept out of the public eye since the virus outbreak spiralled across the country from Hubei province to infect more than 42,000 people. He appointed Premier Li Keqiang to lead a group tackling the outbreak and it was Li who visited ground zero in Wuhan last month. On Monday, Xi put on a blue mask and white surgical gown to meet doctors at Beijing Ditan hospital, observe the treatment of patients and speak via video link to doctors in Wuhan, state media said. He then visited a residential community in central Beijing to "investigate and guide" efforts to contain the epidemic, said CCTV. Video footage showed Xi having his temperature taken with an infrared thermometer then speaking with community workers and waving at smiling residents leaning out of apartment windows. The outbreak has prompted unprecedented action by the Chinese government, including locking down entire cities in Hubei as well as cutting transport links nationwide, closing tourist attractions and telling hundreds of millions of people to stay indoors. The sweeping measures have turned cities into ghost towns but there were some signs of normality returning as many went back to work this week. In this photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping, left, wearing a protective face mask, receives a temperature check as he visits a community health center in Beijing, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. Xinhua via AP Courtesy of Autism SpeaksAfter skipping 2019, Stephen Stills is bringing back his star-studded Light Up the Blues Concert, which raises money for the Autism Speaks charity, for 2020. This year's benefit show will take place May 30 at L.A.'s Greek Theatre and will feature performances by Stephen, his Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young band mate Neil Young, country legend Willie Nelson, indie-pop act Lucius and Promise of the Real -- the roots-rock band fronted by Willie's son Lukas. Also performing will be two of Stills' sons: Chris and Oliver. Stephen and his wife Kristen once again will serve as the hosts of the Light Up the Blues Concert, which will be emceed by Jack Black. Tickets for the show go on sale to the general public this Friday, February 14, at 10 a.m. PT via TicketMaster.com, while an artist pre-sale will be available starting Wednesday, February 12, at 10 a.m. PT. "With this year's stellar lineup -- and a meaningful venue in the Greek Theatre, our hometown favorite -- I am itching to get on stage with this crew and support the efforts of Autism Speaks," says Stephen. "It's going to be another exciting and marvelous show!" Autism Speaks is an organization that supports research and advocacy for people affected by autism and their families. One of Stills' sons is on the spectrum. In addition to raising money for Autism Speaks, the Light Up the Blues Concert will help contribute to the organization's "Year of Kindness" campaign, which has set a goal of achieving one million acts of kindness during 2020 to make the world a kinder place for people with autism. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. Saffron partys CAA, Hindutva cards fail to impress Delhi voters. Renowned sand artist Manas Kumar Sahoo congratulated Arvind Kejriwal for AAP's astounding victory in Assembly elections through his art work at Puri beach in Odisha on Tuesday. New Delhi: After facing a humiliating defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls, where it failed to bag votes on the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is likely to tweak its poll strategy in the forthcoming Bihar and West Bengal elections. While Bihar will go to the polls this year, elections in West Bengal are scheduled next year. Both states could be challenging for BJP as they have a significant Muslim vote bank and both the CAA and NRC are perceived to be anti-Muslim. It is being perceived that after the Delhi poll results, the BJP's bargaining power seems to have diminished. After backing the CAA in Parliament, BJP ally JD(U) chief and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar declared that the NRC would not be implemented in the state. The BJP had declared Mr Kumar as the NDA's face only after realising that going solo can be detrimental. Additionally, state politics is abuzz with speculations on whether Mr Kumar will ditch the BJP. The saffron partys poll managers are, however, confident that Mr Kumar will not repeat his mistake as it would only tarnish his image and credibility. In West Bengal, where the BJP had been desperately trying to increase its strength electorally, the CAA and NRC could damage its poll prospects as a section within the party is of the view that the top brass should focus on development instead of polarisation. Besides, the leadership crisis in the BJP's state unit is also an issue, which is worrying the party top brass as Trinamul supremo and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee is considered a massive vote-catcher. Ms Banerjee has been a strong critic of the CAA, NRC and NPR. The state assembly has also passed a resolution urging the Central government to repeal the CAA. Moreover, Ms Banerjee had declared that NRC will not be implemented in the state. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:20:13|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close ISLAMABAD, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed on Tuesday evening after a multistorey building collapsed in Muzaffargarh district of Pakistan's eastern Punjab province, local media reported. As the BJP crashed to another humiliating defeat in the Delhi assembly elections, its former ally Shiv Sena said that the people of national capital have rejected the BJPs divisive and hate-filled campaign. Shiv Sena chief and Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray said that the so-called national party could not stand against Kejriwals broom. Thackeray, in a jibe at the BJP and Prime minister Narendra Modi said people are now opting for Jan Ki Baat and not Mann ki Baat. The Shiv Sena boss congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and said, The people of Delhi have shown that Jan Ki Baat will work on the country now and not Mann ki Baat. The so-called national government that put all its might could not succeed against the broom. They powerful party parachuted its senior leaders in the elections, compared Kejriwal to a terrorist, they ignored the local issues... but the people of Delhi stood firmly behind a man who sincerely worked towards development. The CM added that Delhiites have broken the illusion of some that only they are nationalists and those who oppose them are traitors. Sena minister Anil Parab on Tuesday said that the people have defeated the ego of the BJP, which intended to rule indefinitely. Ebb and flow keep happening in politics but what has happened today is that the ego that only we can and we will rule has been defeated by the people today, Parab told reporters in Mumbai. The Sena minister added that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had campaigned on development and people have shown faith in it while BJPs experiments to polarise voters has failed. He added that the Shiv Sena has shown the country the direction to keep BJP out of power. Parab said that the BJP has been losing state polls, and gradually in the next five years, the picture will be clear what the people want, hinting that BJP would lose the next Lok Sabha polls if their poor poll performance continues in state polls. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) taunted the BJP and said that the voters in Delhi have declared BJP traitors. NCP Minister Nawab Malik said that people of Delhi have chosen development by re-electing the AAP government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had appealed to the people to vote against the traitors. And the people of Delhi have declared BJP the traitors by not voting for them, Malik said. Congratulating Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the sweeping victory in Delhi Assembly polls, former Congress leader and Shiv Sena deputy leader Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted: Delhi has rejected BJPs hate filled and divisive campaign by decisively voting for AAPs development & better standard of living agenda. Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON The number of confirmed cases of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak that began in the Chinese city of Wuhan has now surged past 43,000. The number of fatalities is now at least 1,013 and at least 25 countries have at least one person suffering the disease. Dozens more countries are either monitoring patients with fevers and pneumonia-like symptoms or preparing for potential infections. The outbreak has now exceeded both the number of infections and fatalities of the 2002-2003 Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) epidemic and is continuing to spread, despite the quarantine measures imposed by Chinese and world governments. Students line up to sanitize their hands to avoid contracting the coronavirus before their morning class at a high school in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2020. (AP Photo/Heng Sinith) Cities across China, especially in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus, remain under partial or total lockdown in an effort by the government to contain the spread of the virus. Millions of people have remained home and turned many of Chinas major urban centers, including its most populated city Shanghai, into veritable ghost towns. Those who do venture outside are often relatives of the infected, who are seeking aid from overtaxed hospitals or searching for food and other necessities to care for those that have already been turned away from medical facilities. The coronavirus contagion has become a disaster and a tragedy for the tens of thousands infected and the tens of millions who remain under quarantine, shocking people all over the world. Yesterday, Beijing and Shanghai announced new controls on the movement of residents and vehicles, including tracking and quarantining anyone who was in Wuhan or another highly infected area in the past 14 days. Both cities have joined at least 80 others across 20 provinces that have imposed either partial or total lockdowns, affecting at least 103 million people. At the same time, work across China resumed yesterday after an extended Lunar New Year holiday. As the population begins to travel once again, they are doing so under extraordinary scrutiny. The government has set up infrared cameras to measure body temperature at public transportation stations, offices, factories and industrial parks. Residents have been advised that they shouldnt leave their homes if they dont have a surgical mask. Multiple cities, including Wuhan and Beijing, have set up special quarantine zones where people suspected of being infected are being forcibly remanded. Threats have been issued that people breaching quarantine could face the death penalty. There are now concerns that essential supplies are running out in Wuhan and elsewhere in Hubei province. To date, the Chinese government has sent 17,000 medical personnel and more than 3,000 tons of supplies to the province, which has somewhat lessened the pressure facing doctors and nurses, though hospital beds are still in short supply. However, places such as Singapore, where there are 45 confirmed cases, are considering only hospitalizing the worst cases. If we still hospitalise and isolate every case, our hospitals will be overwhelmed, admitted Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Songon on Saturday. Lees remarks came alongside reports that the virus is likely more widespread than officially known. Neil Ferguson, an infectious diseases expert at Londons Imperial College, wrote Sunday that only 10 percent or less of all infections in China and a quarter in other countries were being detected. A paper published by Chinese respiratory expert Zhong Nanshan on Monday theorized that the incubation of the novel coronavirus could be up to 24 days, not the 14 days currently accepted. This position was given further weight when a patient in Chinas Henan province was diagnosed as an infected patient after displaying no symptoms for 17 days. There has been an outpouring of solidarity from the worlds population since the imposition of quarantine measures in China. Thousands of Go Fund Me and similar pages have been set up to direct money and supplies to the beleaguered areas. Doctors and medical professionals have begun multiple efforts to find a cure to 2019-nCoV while working to care for and heal those currently infected. At the same time, the tens of millions that have been caught in the quarantine zones have done everything they can to limit the spread of infection, including isolating themselves as much as possible, even when their employers have demanded they return to work. The sympathy from the workers and youth internationally towards China is all the more significant under conditions of growing national antagonisms. In a particularly vicious comment, hedge fund manager Kyle Bass tweeted Sunday, We should take our supplies and go back home. Let the Chinese virus rampage through the ranks of the GT [state-owned newspaper Global Times] and the rest of the Communist Party. Bass comment came little more than a week after US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross gloated that the coronavirus outbreak would undermine China as an economic competitor and give US-based companies yet another thing to consider when they go through their review of their supply chain... So, I think it will help to accelerate the return of jobs to North America. The Commerce Department itself stated: It is also important to consider the ramifications of doing business with a country that has a long history of covering up real risks to its people and the rest of the world. The United States governments response to the coronavirus has been to ban foreign nationals who were recently in China from entering the country, while enforcing quarantine on its own citizens for the first time since the 1960s. It has also demanded $1,000 airfare to repatriate its citizens to the US and is reportedly charging both for any treatment they require and for their mandatory housing on military bases. The responses internationally have been along the same draconian lines. Across Asia, businesses have put up signs declaring that Chinese citizens are unwelcome, forcing Chinese people living abroad to describe themselves as Korean or generically Asian in order to get essential services. Australian citizens in China attempting to evacuate have been sent to Christmas Island, a remote facility in the Indian Ocean built to imprison so-called illegal refugees. Britain yesterday declared the coronavirus an imminent threat, allowing the government to detain and quarantine anyone suspected of being infected. In Brazil, which has eight suspected cases and zero confirmed cases of the coronavirus, the right-wing government has already announced a public health emergency. It has isolated 34 individuals on an airforce base who were repatriated from China, where they will remain for the next 15 days. One of the few things they will be allowed to do is watch the bases military band play live. Pharmaceutical companies are already looking to profit from the attempts to find a cure, with some stocks rising by as much as 110 percent after announcing their own teams to develop a vaccine. They are in a scramble not to protect human beings, but to get a larger portion of the $8.54 trillion global health care market. The contrasting responses between ordinary people and the ruling elites internationally pose the question of what sort of social system is needed not just to stem, but to prevent and eliminate, the danger of global pandemics. Hundreds of billions of dollars are spent every year by the United States and China on their defense budgets, while they grudgingly hand out ever-decreasing amounts to medical and scientific institutions that could put a stop to the coronavirus and other outbreaks if they were properly funded. As workers and youth around the world over have realized, the response to contagious diseases must extend across national borders. As with every other social problemincluding the ever-widening social inequality, accelerating climate change and the heightened threat of warthe coronavirus epidemic is a global problem that requires an international solution. Moreover, the fight against the spread of such diseases must not be held hostage to the corporations and the shareholders who only work to find a vaccine when they can profit off the dead and dying. The response to the coronavirus epidemic has exposed the incompatibility of the capitalist nation-state system with the most fundamental human needs. Riven by national divisions and the scramble for geopolitical power, the capitalist nation-state system is incapable of any systematic or planned response to the threats facing humanity, from infectious disease to extreme weather and climate change. It is therefore critical for those alarmed at the outbreak of the novel coronavirus to turn to the working class. It is the working class that has suffered the brunt of the epidemic. It is the working class that is objectively and increasingly defining itself as an international class. It is the working class whose social interests lie in socialism: the overthrow of capitalism, the abolition of private ownership of the means of production, and the establishment of an economic system based on the satisfaction of human need, including the highest living standards and health care of every human being. The science, technology and productive capacity exists to solve the great social problems of our time: pandemics, global warming, the destruction of jobs, social inequality, the assault on democratic rights and the threat of world war. At the same time, the rational and coordinated democratic planning of the world economy can ensure increased living standards and quality of life for the worlds population. The only social force that can achieve this goal is the international working class, through the method of world socialist revolution. The rare disease LCH discovered in the remains of a dinosaur that lived in Canada at least 60 million years ago, TAU researchers say The fossilized tail of a young dinosaur that lived on a prairie in southern Alberta, Canada, is home to the remains of a 60-million-year-old tumor. Researchers at Tel Aviv University, led by Dr. Hila May of the Department of Anatomy and Anthropology at TAU's Sackler Faculty of Medicine and Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, have identified this benign tumor as part of the pathology of LCH (Langerhans cell histiocytosis), a rare and sometimes painful disease that still afflicts humans, particularly children under the age of 10. A study on the TAU discovery was published on February 10 in Scientific Reports. Prof. Bruce Rothschild of Indiana University, Prof. Frank Ruhli of the University of Zurich and Mr. Darren Tanke of the Royal Museum of Paleontology also contributed to the research. "Prof. Rothschild and Tanke spotted an unusual finding in the vertebrae of a tail of a young dinosaur of the grass-eating herbivore species, common in the world 66-80 million years ago," Dr. May explains. "There were large cavities in two of the vertebrae segments, which were unearthed at the Dinosaur Provincial Park in southern Alberta, Canada." It was the specific shape of the cavities that attracted the attention of researchers. "They were extremely similar to the cavities produced by tumors associated with the rare disease LCH that still exists today in humans," adds Dr. May. "Most of the LCH-related tumors, which can be very painful, suddenly appear in the bones of children aged 2-10 years. Thankfully, these tumors disappear without intervention in many cases." The dinosaur tail vertebrae were sent for on-site advanced micro-CT scanning to the Shmunis Family Anthropology Institute at TAU's Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, which is located at the Steinhardt Museum of Natural History. "The micro-CT produces very high-resolution imaging, up to a few microns," Dr. May says. "We scanned the dinosaur vertebrae and created a computerized 3D reconstruction of the tumor and the blood vessels that fed it. The micro and macro analyses confirmed that it was, in fact, LCH. This is the first time this disease has been identified in a dinosaur." According to Dr. May, the surprising findings indicate that the disease is not unique to humans, and that it has survived for more than 60 million years. "These kinds of studies, which are now possible thanks to innovative technology, make an important and interesting contribution to evolutionary medicine, a relatively new field of research that investigates the development and behavior of diseases over time," notes Prof. Israel Hershkovitz of TAU's Department of Anatomy and Anthropology and Dan David Center for Human Evolution and Biohistory Research. "We are trying to understand why certain diseases survive evolution with an eye to deciphering what causes them in order to develop new and effective ways of treating them." ### American Friends of Tel Aviv University supports Israel's most influential, comprehensive and sought-after center of higher learning, Tel Aviv University (TAU). TAU is recognized and celebrated internationally for creating an innovative, entrepreneurial culture on campus that generates inventions, startups and economic development in Israel. TAU is ranked ninth in the world, and first in Israel, for producing start-up founders of billion-dollar companies, an achievement that surpassed several Ivy League universities. To date, 2,500 US patents have been filed by Tel Aviv University researchers -- ranking TAU #1 in Israel, #10 outside of the US and #66 in the world. At least 15 Rohingya refugees, including four children, drowned when the overcrowded boat they were in capsized off the coast of Bangladesh on Tuesday, according to the Bangladesh Coast Guard. A Bangladesh Coast Guard official, Hamidul Islam, told Reuters that the boat was filled with people trying to leave camps near Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, where hundreds of thousands of refugees have been living since a scorched-earth ethnic cleansing campaign by Myanmars military in 2017. It was inhumane, he said. The boat was carrying roughly 130 people, while it had a capacity of 50. Coast Guard officials said that at least 40 people were still listed as missing. More than 730,000 Rohingya, a predominantly Muslim ethnic group, have fled Myanmar to Bangladesh since a campaign of killing, rape and arson began against them in 2017. Though both governments have promised the refugees would imminently return to Myanmar, the promise has not been kept. A Lafayette College student hospitalized on Feb. 3 with a respiratory infection does not have the Chinese coronavirus, the Easton school informed the campus on Tuesday morning. Some test specimens are pending, but testing so far has been negative, the update said. The Pennsylvania Department of Health has cleared the student to resume normal activities on campus, the update said. The student is in good condition, the update said. The school will continue to work with the health department and if pending tests tell a different story, we will coordinate any additional action that needs to be taken, the update said. We are so grateful to the student for seeking medical attention immediately when the symptoms developed, college Director of Health Services Dr. Jeffrey Goldstein said in the update. It was obvious to me from our encounters at the health center that the students primary concern in seeking care was for the health and safety of our community. I have found this to be the case with all of our international students from China and we should all be grateful for their efforts during this challenging period. The college has a number of students from Hubei Province, which is ground zero for the virus outbreak that has killed more than 1,000 people. The students had gone home for the holiday break, the college said. Those students have been back on campus for nearly 14 days, the upper range of the incubation period, the college said. While the epidemic in China remains very serious, the concern for widespread infection in the U.S. remains low, Goldstein wrote. Students and staff were told to be vigilant anyway, because that can limit the spread of contagious infectious diseases on campus. People should wash their hands with soap and water, cough or sneeze into a tissue or a sleeve, clean often-touched surfaces with germicidal wipes, stay out of class when sick and avoid touching their eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, the update said. Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Samir Ali - Trend: Envious of modern Azerbaijan's success, some opposition groups want to stay afloat, seeking minor flaws, the editor-in-chief of Azerbaijan's SS (Voice) newspaper, political expert Bahruz Guliyev told Trend. Bahruz Guliyev made the remark while commenting on the preliminary conclusion of the international election observation mission, consisting of representatives of the OSCE/ODIHR, OSCE PA and PACE ,on the early elections to the Azerbaijani Parliament. According to Guliyev, this time these groups are trying to attract attention, without any reason casting a shadow on the results of the early parliamentary elections held in Azerbaijan on Feb. 9. "These groups have always tried to denigrate the elections held in the country. In particular, noting the minor flaws indicated in the reports of international organizations, they inflate them, trying to create hype. The results of the parliamentary elections were highly appreciated by many authoritative structures, international organizations and monitoring groups, their official reports and statements were published by the country's media," Guliyev said. Bahruz Guliyev noted that the report contains a number of positive aspects, which emphasize the transparency and democratic nature of the electoral process. "The report said that a large number of candidates were registered. This proves that these elections differ from the past ones by various advantages. There were twice as many candidates as in the previous elections. Representatives of 19 political parties participated in them, 89,000 local and 883 international observers conducted observations. In fact, it pleases that many European structures that previously disseminated negative reports based on unfounded data already recognize the realities of strengthening democratic values in Azerbaijan," the analyst added. Guliyev noted that the reports of these structures also say that the elections were well organized, despite the short time and noted progress in the work of the Central Election Commission (CEC). "Indeed, the CEC made every effort to apply the principles of transparency, including, the installation of numerous webcams in the polling stations, and the CEC website almost every hour provided the public with information from district election commissions. The CEC meetings on the elections were open to both local and foreign observers and reporters, which is very important for the timely provision of information. The assessment of these realities in the reports proves that European organizations look differently and understand the dynamically developing process of democratization in Azerbaijan," Bahruz Guliyev said. "It is also encouraging that the OSCE/ODIHR, OSCE PA and PACE missions, although not directly but at least indirectly recognized the aggressive policy of Armenia, stated that as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, elections couldn't be held in 10 constituencies that are completely or partially outside Azerbaijan's control. We hope that in the future this issue will be brought up for discussion of these structures and the double standards policy will not be used. Azerbaijan wants to hope that this moment, which negatively affects the election results, namely the aggressive policy of Armenia, would be condemned by the international community," said Guliyev. The European Union's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier arrived in Luxembourg on Monday. He found time for an interview with RTL Radio on Tuesday morning. Whilst Brexit may be definite, it remains unclear just what the EU and United Kingdom's future relationship will look like. Every member state, including Luxembourg, has its own red lines, which must be juggled by one man - Michel Barnier, the former Brexit negotiator and now head of the taskforce managing the EU's relationship with the UK. Barnier came to Luxembourg to hear the government's and Luxembourgish Chamber of Deputies' position on Brexit. In the interview, Barnier made it clear there would be no negotiations on financial services. It is, after all, of extreme importance for Luxembourg that London continue to respect European regulations on financial services, even after the transition period. Asked about the risk that London may try to play the fishing industry for financial services, Barnier made it clear that the two areas have nothing to do with each other. When it comes to financial services, the EU and UK will attribute "equivalents when it becomes appropriate to do so". Nevertheless, he highlighted the need to pay attention to ensure that regulatory divergence, something the UK is keen on pursuing, does not become a competitive or dumping tool. Asked more generally about the rise of populists in the EU, and whether they will continue to gain ground, Barnier acknowledge the question as important. He likened this, much like the vote for Brexit, to an expression of social anger. The former French minister then called upon all the member states to hear this anger and respond to it. Germany has not given up its industry, whereas France has partly given it up, but it was not the fault of the European Union. He also added that housing is not an issue overseen by the EU. (video report in French) Ambedkar Nagar Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Ambedkar Nagar constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Wazirpur Assembly Election 2020 | With a comfortable margin of over 5,000 votes, AAP's Rajesh Gupta surged ahead of BJP's Mahender Nagpal. While Gupta's 15,961 votes accounted for 54.89 percent share, Nagpal's 10,822 comprised 37.21 percent of the votes. Part of the high-profile Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha constituency, Wazirpur Assembly constituency will see a repeat of the 2015 battle as incumbent AAP MLA Rajesh Gupta takes on BJP's Mahender Nagpal for the second consecutive time. The Congress, on the other hand, has nominated Hari Kishan Jindal, an ex-councillor of the NDMC and a local Congressman. Wazirpur is known for being a major industrial area and was recently in the news as several workers went on strike against the Centre's policies. Here's a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency name: Wazirpur Constituency number: 17 District: North West Delhi Total electors: 1,63,100 Female electors: 71,916 Male electors: 91,181 Third gender electors: Three Reserved: No Results in previous elections: The constituency has elected representatives from all three parties in the last 27 years. Congress' Deep Chand Bandhu was the elected representative from the Assembly constituency in the 1993 and 1998 elections. In the 2003 polls, BJP won the seat for the first time when its candidate Mange Ram Garg defeated his nearest Congress rival Rattan Chand Jain by 2,507 votes. However, Hari Shanker Gupta won back the seat for Congress in the 2008 election. In the 2013 election, Gupta lost to BJP's Mahender Nagpal by nearly 13,000 votes. Nagpal, however, could not hold on to his seat in the AAP wave of 2015 as he lost to Rajesh Gupta by over 22,000 votes. Click here for complete coverage of Delhi Assembly Election 2020 Demographics: Wazirpur is dominated by migrants from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The constituency also houses many trading centres, which points out that there is a sizeable Vaishya community in the constituency. In fact, in the past, all the three parties AAP, Congress and the BJP have nominated Vaishya (trader community) candidates this election. According to media reports, there is also a sizeable presence of South Indian voters in Wazirpur and has seen Congress bring their leaders from the South to campaign for the local candidates. Bernie Sanders has surged to the top of a new national poll of Democratic candidates, as support for Joe Biden has tumbled. On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, the second opportunity for people to actually cast a vote rather simply be questioned by pollsters, the Quinnipiac University poll put the veteran Vermont senator on 25 points. At the same time, the poll, conducted after Mr Bidens poor fourth place showing in Iowa, had the former vice president down 9 points to 17. Michael Bloomberg, the former New York mayor who has spent millions of dollars of his own money, stormed to third place, ahead of Elizabeth Warren and Pete Buttigieg. Biden scrambles to bounce back in frigid New Hampshire after an icy slide to 17 percent, his lowest national number, said Quinnipiac University poll analyst, Tim Malloy. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters Is the Bloomberg camp prepping the white horse for him to ride to the rescue? Maybe not yet, but without setting foot in Iowa or New Hampshire, he is suddenly a looming shadow over the primary field. Meanwhile, another poll, appeared to underscore the challenges facing Mr Biden. The Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Monday, suggested 17 per cent of registered Democrats and independents would vote for Mr Biden, down five percentage points from a similar poll that ran last week before Iowa held its first-in-the-nation nominating contest. Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders claim Iowa wins despite results delay Mr Sanders led other candidates in the poll with 20 per cent of support, up one point from last week, while 15 per cent supported Mr Bloomberg, an increase of six points. The poll put Ms Warren on 11 points with Mr Buttigieg on 5. The poll had Andrew Yang on 5 points and Amy Klobuchar on 3. The poll underscored what has been a steady decline in support for Mr Biden, who until recently was considered the favourite to win the highly contested race for the partys nomination. Mr Bidens primary appeal to voters has been his claim to be the most electable of all of the candidates. Yet he finished in fourth place in Iowa, behind Mr Sanders, Mr Buttigieg and Ms Warren. Additional reporting by Reuters The biggest smartphone trade show of the year may not happen in 2020. Update: Several Spanish news outlets are reporting that MWC *will* take place this year, after convening a meeting of 26 major telecommunications companies. But the organization behind the conference says it will monitor the development of the coronavirus outbreak closely to see if any further steps are necessary. Meanwhile, the list of tech companies pulling out of the conference is growing. Update 2: It looks like reports of the shows survival have been greatly exaggerated. Now it looks like the GSMA has decided to cancel this years show. Over the past week or two a number of major tech companies have announced theyre cancelling their Mobile World Congress press events or pulling out of the show altogether. Now Spanish newspaper La Vanguardia reports that organizers of the annual event are planning to meet on Friday to decide whether to cancel the show altogether. Its set to begin February 24th, although pre-show events typically begin a day or two early. At issue is the coronavirus outbreak that began in Wuhan China late last year. Trade shows like Mobile World Congress bring together tech industry workers and journalists from around the globe, which could potentially help spread the contagion if any of the attendees are infected. So far Mobile World Congress has stated that anyone traveling to the show has to be able to prove that they havent been to China in the past two weeks. But so far the following companies have announced that theyre staying home this year: Amazon Cisco Ericsson Facebook HMD Intel LG MediaTek Nokia NVIDIA Sony Sprint Vivo Several other companies have also said theyll scale back their presence at the show to some degree. This doesnt mean that product announcements scheduled to coincide with the show will all be cancelled multiple companies have said theyll reveal new products as planned, while others say theyll postpone their launch announcements until a later date. While it would normally be a surprising move for a major trade show like MWC to just skip a year, especially on such short notice, it would also be hard to put on a good show when so many key partners are choosing not to participate. And with new companies joining that list almost daily, I wouldnt be surprised to see even more big names scaling back their plans between now and the Friday decision on whether to proceed with MWC 2020. That said, theres also been a growing trend of companies announcing new products outside of major industry trade shows. Case in point today Samsung is holding a Galaxy Unpacked event to reveal its latest flagship mobile devices, widely expected to include the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable phone, the Samsung Galaxy S20 series smartphone family, and the new Samsung Galaxy Buds+ true wireless earbuds. via Android Police and xda-developers Owen Williams will play no part in the Six Nations after hurting his hamstring in the warm-up against Ireland as his injury nightmares continue. The playmaker, 27, was hopeful of making a first Wales appearance since November 2017 off the bench in Dublin. Williams has managed to play four club games for Gloucester this season but this latest blow will see him out for the rest of the tournament. Wales back Owen Williams will miss the rest of the Six Nations after suffering injury There is better news, though, about in-form winger Josh Adams. The Cardiff Blues flyer - who scored a hattrick against Italy - was taken off in the first half against Ireland with a hip injury. But Wales confirmed on Tuesday that he would be 'back in full training this week'. Meanwhile Dan Biggar has returned to his English club Northampton - like Wales' other exiles in a fallow week - and will continue to go through the return-to-play protocols after a head-knock against the Irish. Saints face Bristol on Sunday in the Premiership, but Sportsmail understands Biggar is unlikely to be considered for selection as he has taken two head injuries this season. He will hope to return to action when Wales face France next at the Principality Stadium on Feb 22. The World Customs Organization (WCO) held a national training workshop in Customs Valuation for the benefit of Customs officials of the Seychelles Revenue Commission (SRC) from 3 7 February 2020. Twenty two Customs officials working in different areas of the Customs Department attended the basic course, co-facilitated by an expert from the Secretariat and a WCO Accredited Expert. The mission was made possible through the WCO-Finland ESA project II, with the financial support of the Government of Finland. In his opening remarks, and in the presence of the Commissioner General of the SRC, the Commissioner of Customs welcomed the participants. He noted that the course would enhance their knowledge in the application of Seychelles "Customs Management (Valuation of Goods) Regulations 2014", implementing the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement, and also provide the participants with the necessary background for future advanced training on Customs valuation. During the five days, the participants were familiarized with the provisions of the WTO Customs Valuation Agreement, including the various valuation methods it provides, as well as the tools and instruments developed under the Revenue Package. Emphasis was laid on the transaction value of the imported goods, price actually paid or payable and the related adjustments. The participants had the opportunity to apply the knowledge gained during the training when examining some specific valuation issues encountered in their work. Drug dealer: Matthew Maxamillion Hilton A cocaine dealer who bragged about his lavish lifestyle faces 11 years behind bars after he was busted in a major police operation. Fitness trainer Matthew Maxamillion Hilton, 32, showed off his excessive life in the tropical party town of Cairns to his 12,000 Instagram followers. Pictures showed him driving expensive cars and speedboats, wearing designer clothes and jetting off on opulent holidays to destinations including Las Vegas. The former hairdresser, who owns a nightclub security company, also showed off his ripped physique in selfies taken in the gym. But Hilton funded his life of luxury by selling drugs and was caught red-handed in 2018. He was busted when police tapped his phone and planted recording devices in his car in a two-year operation to catch a major gang working between Sydney and Cairns. The operation, code-named Oscar Aymara, saw 39 people charged with 127 offences. Hilton pleaded guilty to trafficking steroids, cocaine, crystal meth and ecstasy pills between March 1, 2016 and January 3, 2018. Hilton (pictured) funded his life by selling drugs and was caught red-handed in 2018 He faces eleven years in jail when sentenced at Queensland's Supreme Court on Wednesday. According to the Courier-Mail, the court previously heard that Hilton would boast his cocaine had a 'diesel smell of signature quality' and was 63 per cent pure. But he cut it with substances like creatine to double the amount and police tests found the purity to be only 10 per cent. Hilton sold cocaine for $300 a gram or to others dealers for $6,500 an ounce, the court heard. The United States has charged four Chinese military hackers in the 2017 breach of the Equifax credit reporting agency that affected nearly 150 million American citizens, Attorney General William Barr said on Monday. This was a deliberate and sweeping intrusion into the private information of the American people, Barr said in announcing the indictments of four members of the Chinese Liberation Army in connection with one of the largest data breaches in U.S. history. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang denied the allegations on Tuesday and said Chinas government, military and their personnel never engage in cyber theft of trade secrets. The announcement is the latest in an aggressive campaign by American authorities to root out Chinese espionage operations in the United States. Since turning the spotlight on China in 2018, the United States has snared a growing group of Chinese government officials, business people, and academics pursuing American secrets. Roughly 147 million people had information, including Social Security numbers, birth dates and drivers license data, compromised by the Equifax breach. The hackers spent weeks in the Equifax system, breaking into computer networks, stealing company secrets and personal data. The hackers routed traffic through approximately 34 servers located in nearly 20 countries to obfuscate their true location. Equifax Chief Executive Mark Begor said the company was grateful for the Justice Department investigation. It is reassuring that our federal law enforcement agencies treat cybercrime especially state-sponsored crime with the seriousness it deserves, he said in a statement. Government, Marriott Hacks U.S. officials have said Chinese hackers were behind a massive breach at the Office of Personnel Management, which came to light in 2015 and involved the compromise of sensitive personal data submitted by applicants for U.S. government security clearances. That breach exposed the names, Social Security numbers and addresses of more than 22 million current and former U.S. federal employees and contractors, as well as 5.6 million fingerprints. Chinese hackers are similarly suspected of being behind a massive breach at hotel group Marriott International Inc . The Equifax hack fits into a pattern of past Chinese cyberattacks, said Michael Daniel, a former White House cybersecurity coordinator, because the stolen data can support other spying efforts. Its primary utility would be in developing potential targets for approach by intelligence operatives or feeding artificial intelligence machine learning tools, said Daniel, who currently serves as president of the Cyber Threat Alliance, a cybersecurity information sharing group. Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng, when asked about the indictments, said on Tuesday that Beijing is also a victim of U.S. cyber intrusion, surveillance and monitoring activities. We have lodged stern representations to the US and asked it to make explanations and immediately stop such activities, he said. Senator Ben Sasse, a Republican member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, urged tougher action to counter Chinese hacking. The Chinese Communist Party will leave no stone unturned in its effort to steal and exploit American data. These indictments are good news, but weve got to do more to protect Americans data from Chinese Communist Party influence operations, he said in a statement. The Equifax data breach, because it was so large and involved so much sensitive financial information on so many Americans, had far-reaching implications for Equifax and the consumer credit industry. The company agreed to pay up to $700 million to settle claims it broke the law during the data breach and to repay harmed consumers. The scandal sent the company into turmoil, leading to the exit of its then-CEO, Richard Smith, and multiple congressional hearings as the companys slowness to disclose the breach and security practices were challenged by lawmakers. Policymakers and consumer groups have questioned how private companies could amass so much personal data, sparking efforts to bolster consumers ability to control their information. Both the Senate Banking and House of Representatives Financial Services Committees are considering legislation that would require companies to better protect consumer data. (Reporting by Doina Chiacu and Diane Bartz; additional reporting by Huizhong Wu in Beijing; Editing by Marguerita Choy and Muralikumar Anantharaman) Topics Cyber USA Abuse Molestation China New Delhi: With the Bharatiya Janata Party's crushing defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls in which Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) won 62 of the 70 seats rejecting the policies of Narendra Modi and Amit Shah, former Janata Dal-U national vice president and poll strategist Prashant Kishor congratulated the Delhi voters thanking them for 'protecting the soul of India'. Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) February 11, 2020 Kishore, who was recently shown the door by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for 'speaking out of turn' had helped Kejriwal and his AAP in Delhi against the BJP juggernaut that also sought help from Kumar to solidify Bihari votes in the state capital. The former JD-U national vice president had been a fierce critic of Modi-Shah sponsored Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Registration of Citizens (NRC) calling them divisive and against the fundamental tenet of the Indian constitution. Nitish Kumar, who has tough days ahead with signs of BJP's magic waning in Maharashtra, neighboring Jharkhand, and now in Delhi, is hoping to retain his power in Bihar when the state holds Assembly polls later this year. With nowhere else to go after his reputation of a principled leader taking a massive hit in his repeated act of betrayal, first when he abandoned BJP in 2013 to join hands with the Mahagathbandhan and then again in 2017 when he abruptly chose to walk out of the same alliance to go back to the BJP-led NDA, Kumar is left with no choice but to play second fiddle to the behemoth BJP despite Amit Shah's promise of him being the face of Bihar in the coming elections. A furnace inside a closet might have started a fire late Sunday night that killed a man in the Bodega area of west Sonoma County, a county fire inspector said. William Fink, 77, was found dead near a door in the single-story house in the 800 block of Salmon Creek Road. His wife and two other people were able to escape the blaze that was reported around 11:50 p.m. Now Open 11 February 2020 Le Meridien Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International, Inc., along with national real estate developer Charles S. Cohen today announce the opening of Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport. Taking cues from the brand's mid-century design aesthetic, the top-to-bottom conversion of the property brings to life Le Meridien's distinctive French heritage and the allure of the Cote d'Azur to South Florida. Located just steps from the city's famed The Design Center of the Americas, the 12-story hotel, designed by David Ashen of dash design, features 245 thoughtfully designed guest rooms and suites. Throughout the exterior and interior of the hotel guests will find references to the sky and sea with design details such as a grand oculus in the lobby that frames the sky to pay homage the glamorous era of air travel, allowing guests to stargaze and view planes passing over. The guestrooms are minimal and modern in design with touches of blue and grey to reflect the destination, features custom-made headboards with mappings of the city inlaid into the wood veneer, and local photography captured by Elizabeth Gill Lui that celebrates the diverse architecture and environment of Fort Lauderdale. Guests will have the opportunity to indulge in five culinary outlets throughout the hotel including the brands signature Latitude/Longitude Bar serving light fare at Le Meridien Hub and Cabana, as well as Toro Latin Kitchen, serving up a South American menu, La Bibloteca de Tequila which is an exclusive tequila bar and lounge, Constellation Cafe serving daily French fare, and the hotel's outdoor bar offering Caribbean-style fare poolside. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 25,000 square feet of state-of-the-art flexible meeting space within a prime location, in the epicenter of South Florida. Conveniently located minutes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) and Fort Lauderdale Everglades Cruise Port, the new hotel also neighbors Las Olas Boulevard, downtown Fort Lauderdale and the evolving Dania Pointe. Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport will also offer guests a sensorial environment through the brand's signature scent, which was developed with MALIN+GOETZ. Aptly named LM002 for airplane tail numbers, the alluring scent will be featured in the public spaces, as it is at all of Le Meridien's properties globally. Paying homage to its French roots, the brand also has a signature soundtrack that will fill the Hub and public spaces, curated by French Bossa Nova band Nouvelle Vague. In addition, Le Meridien Dania Beach at Fort Lauderdale Airport will offer guests a variety of amenities including a signature Club Lounge with views of Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, a fully equipped state-of-the-art 1,200-square-foot Fitness Center and Yoga Room, an 82-foot zero-entry pool and an outdoor terrace called the "Water Club." The Hub will serve custom-brewed, barista-crafted coffee beverages as part of the brand's collaboration with illly coffee for guests to sip and savour. The perpetrator turned out to be a resident of the occupied part of Luhansk region. Ukrainian counterintelligence operatives have prevented the illegal export of military goods to Russia, according to the SBU press center. Law enforcers stopped a Niva car with a trailer in close proximity to the border, moving offroad in an attempt to bypass the border checkpoint, in the area of the village of Lozno-Oleksandrivka. In the trailer, the security officials discovered a keel beam of a Mi-24 strike helicopter The driver turned out to be a resident of the occupied part of Luhansk region. Read alsoMan detained at Donbas checkpoint, caught trying to smuggle C4 explosive from occupied area (Photo) On the territory of the Russian Federation, the driver was set to be met by his accomplice, according to the SBU. The investigation has already established the origin of the helicopter part that was about to be smuggled to Russia. The perpetrator is facing charges of illegal arms and military goods trafficking ("violation of the procedure for international transfers of goods subject to expert control"). Playing an elf was tall order even for a pastor whos 6 feet, 6 inches tall. But Pastor Michael Geiler took on the role with zest as he portrayed Buddy the Elf during the Halloween Bash at StoneBridge in Fremont. Its just one role the pastor has fulfilled in the active church. Since Fremonts campus opened in 2017, the local congregation which now has a weekly attendance of about 220 has been busy with a plethora of projects. Kids programming, mission trips and help for flood victims have been among the churchs endeavors. This month, local parishioners will be part of a Mexico mission trip, which involves building houses. Locally, theyll participate in a cupcake decorating and delivering project. Plans next fall include a discipleship experience called Rooted. Its an industrious schedule for any church let alone one that just opened its doors three years ago. The Fremont location at 1041 N. Nye Ave., is one of four campuses of the StoneBridge church. The main campus is in Omaha with others in Millard and Benson. Attendance at all four campuses totals about 2,200. After purchasing the former First Christian Church in 2016, StoneBridge renovated the building. It had a soft launch in January 2017 and a grand opening the following month. You dont realize how quickly time flies, Geiler said, adding that things have been going well. The nondenominational church has services at 9:30 and 11 a.m. The Rev. Mark Chitwood preaches the sermon which is livestreamed electronically from Omaha to the other campuses. Each site has a campus pastor. Geiler is the Fremont campus and worship pastor. Originally from Waverly, he and his Fremont-born wife, Nicole, and family live in Omaha. A Kid Min program is also part of Sunday mornings and takes place during the services. It averages about 35 kids. That number is in addition to the 220 people attending worship services. Kid Min takes place on Wednesday nights, too. Theres also a student ministry for youth from sixth through 12th grades. Both programs take place from 6:30-7:30 p.m. The church has kids from Fremont, along with those from North Bend, Hooper and Arlington. We have a number of families that are from North Bend and also Hooper. We have some from the Nickerson-Winslow area, he said. A couple of families were displaced during flooding. The church was able to help them and the community during that time. Supplies collected in Omaha were flown from the Millard airport to Fremont for distribution. StoneBridge parishioners also helped removed flood-damaged carpet and drywall and clean out houses. Geiler describes it as an opportunity for congregants to practice their faith. More opportunities to practice the faith lie ahead when about five or six parishioners from the Fremont campus become part of a 50-person group of adults and youth who will take part in the annual Mexico Mission Trip from Feb. 14-18. The group, which includes people from all of the campuses, will go to Puerto Penasco, Mexico, about an hour south of the Arizona border. The endeavor is a partnership with Amor Ministries based in Arizona. They identify families who are in need of housing, he said. They have several families that apply for housing and then Amor partners with churches to have people come to build the houses. The two-room houses are small, but have a locking door and windows and a concrete slab floor. The structures are much better than the conditions in which the families previously lived. The group usually builds two structures. I went on it last year with my son and it really changes your perspective when you can be in an environment and see how people live thats much different than your experience, he said. Once the houses are built, the group conducts a ceremony and hands the keys to the family, blesses and prays with them. Its a way for us to live out our faith in service, he said. Were called by God to serve people and this is one way we can do that and meet a practical need. The church meets needs in other ways, too. Geiler said many times people have been driving by the church and will show up on a Sunday morning, because they feel like they need to be someplace where they can feel hopeful. Its been heartbreaking to listen to the stories of people who are struggling. I hope that Ive been able to encourage them that there is hope, he said. We often dont sense that God is with us, but the reality is hes there and he does love us. Jesus does love us. And sometimes it takes sitting with someone who takes the time to care to listen that helps people realize that all is not lost. Congregants will be able to show love in another way. A family cupcake decorating event is planned for Feb. 16. Families will spend a couple hours decorating cupcakes. Theyll keep some and deliver some to other folks as an act of kindness. All campuses, including Fremont, will launch a 10-week discipleship experience called, Rooted, in the fall. Participants will learn and practice seven rhythms of the Christian faith, which include prayer, worship, service and celebration. Groups of eight to 10 people will go through this experience together. Its a deeper discipleship opportunity than weve ever had before, he said. The pastor encourages area residents to come to the church. We love to have people join us for worship on Sundays, he said. Its great music. Its great teaching. We have a really welcoming environment here at the campus. And its an empowering, life-giving experience and we want as many people to experience that as possible so they encounter Jesus. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. None of them are in custody, nor are they likely to be any time soon. But officials said that charging and naming them served the purpose of publicly shaming them for their actions and enabled the United States to arrest them if they travel one day. Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) S Ramadoss on Tuesday said that in order to double farmers' income, agriculture should grow at the rate of 6 per cent. Addressing a press conference here, he said that the shadow budget of his party shows the PKM is working for a development agenda. "We have released our agriculture shadow budget for the 13th year today. We started it from 2008-9. This shows the PMK is working towards development agenda," he said. "Recently Chief Minister Edapadi K Palaniswami announced the Cauvery delta region as a safe region for agriculture. When we got an alliance with the AIADMK, we gave 10 memorandums in which safeguarding the delta region was one," he said. The PMK founder also demanded a toll-free movement for farmers who carry their crops from one place to another. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Heavy rains in Sao Paulo brought Brazil's most populous city nearly to a halt on Monday with floods, mudslides and enormous traffic jams. Sao Paulo Mayor Bruno Covas told the online news portal G1 that in some areas it had already rained half of what was expected for the month of February. The Tiete and Pinheiros rivers overflowed, flooding nearby highways and trapping drivers and passengers for hours. Parts of the city received 100 mm (4 inches) of within three hours, swelling the Tiete River to its highest level in 15 years, according to the state's infrastructure secretary. Covas, the city's mayor, said 43 schools cancelled classes, buses were operating partially and some urban trains were cancelled. [February 10, 2020] The Japanese market will be driven by the uptake of both 4G LTE and 5G services. Sydney, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Japon outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report :https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Japan-Mobile-Infrastructure-Broadband-Operators-Statistics-and-Analyses Mobile subscriber growth is expected to be relatively low over the next five years to 2024 due to a highly mature and highly competitive market. The market will be driven by the uptake of both 4G LTE and 5G services. Japans mobile market is dominated by three major operators NTT DoCoMo, KDDI and Softbank Mobile. However, the Japanese government was looking to open its mobile market up to new players for 5G services. This could result in the entry of new players, even those from outside the traditional telecoms space, and potential foreign players, including those looking to target the Internet of Things, virtual reality and automotive applications. Mobile broadband subscriber growth is expected to be relatively low over the next five years to 2024 due to a highly mature mobile subscriber market, with the vast majority of subscribers already having wireless broadband access. The three carriers plan on launching 5G services commercially in 2020, with DoCoMo targeting nationwide coverage by 2023. The anticipated surge in interest for IoT and related technologies such as driverless cars is expected to help fuel a boom in spending. The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) is preparing to embark on R&D work in Japan to explore a new telecoms standard that will eventually succeed 5G technology. NTT DoCoMo has launched a global Internet of Things solution designed to aid customers in the development, of IoT services and has claimed a world first in a 5G test using a 28GHz band antenna on a 5G connected ca. Key Developments: Government considers telecom tax to fund rural 5G networks. The three carriers plan on launching 5G services commercially in 2020. DoCoMo is targeting nationwide 5G coverage by 2023. NTT DoCoMo claimed a world first in a 5G test using a 28GHz band antenna on a 5G connected car. Companies covered in this report include: NTT DoCoMo; KDDI; Softbank; eAccess, eMobile; IIJ; JCI; Line Mobile Table of Contents Market overview and analysis Mobile statistics and forecast Mobile broadband statistics and forecast Regulatory issues Fees for mobile services Licensing and Spectrum 3G LTE 5G Mobile infrastructure 5G Overview Trials and Testing 4G VoLTE 3G 2G Major mobile operators Operators Entry of new mobile providers NTT DoCoMo KDDI Softbank Mobile Ratuken Mobile Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) IIJ JCI Line Mobile Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Mobile Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2007 2024 Table 2 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2024 Table 3 Mobile subscribers in Japan by operator and market share 2019 Table 4 Historic - Carrier share of mobile telephone and PHS market 2004 2011 Table 5 NTT DoCoMo major shareholders Table 6 NTT DoCoMo revenue, net income, capex and EBITDA 2005 - 2019 Table 7 Historic - NTT DoCoMo ARPU (per month) and churn 2004 2019 Table 8 NTT DoCoMo ARPU ( per month) 2017 2019 Table 9 NTT DoCoMo subscribers (thousands) 2011 - 2019 Table 10 Historic - KDDI - ARPU and churn 2001 2017 Table 11 KDDI ARPU and Churn Rate () 2018 2019 Table 12 KDDI mobile subscribers 2011 2019 Table 13 Softbank subscribers (millions) by segment 2007 2019 Table 14 Softbank financial data 2009 2019 Table 15 Historic - Softbank financial data 1995 2011 Table 16 Softbank mobile ARPU and churn 2004 2019 List of Charts Chart 1 Mobile Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2009 2024 Chart 2 Mobile Broadband Subscribers and Penetration (with Forecast) 2010 2024 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 NTT DoCoMo investment in international operators Click here to access the report :https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Japan-Mobile-Infrastructure-Broadband-Operators-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg [email protected] Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The UN undersecretary general for humanitarian affairs called on the international community Monday to help East African countries affected by locust swarms, expressing his deep concern over the situation. There are 13 million people in the affected countries who are severely food insecure now, said Mark Lowcock during a UN press conference. Ten million of those people are in the places affected by locusts.Lowcock, who said he had recently released $10 million for the crisis, warned that unless there was a rapid response, we are going to have a huge problem later in the year. The locusts have devastated food supplies in Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. They were reported in Uganda on Sunday. According to Lowcock, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated at the end of January that a locust control plan would cost $76 million. What we have so far is just $20 million, he said. Unless we get a grip of this in the next two or three or four weeks, we are worried we are going to have a really serious problem.Lowcock said the locust outbreak was the worst for 70 years in Kenya, for 25 years in Ethiopia, Somalia, and said one of the reasons behind the swarms was climate change. Desert locusts -- whose destructive infestations cause major crop damage -- are a species of grasshopper that live largely solitary lives until a combination of conditions promote breeding and lead them to form massive swarms. Swarms formed in eastern Ethiopia and northern Somalia have moved through the region. The FAO says the current invasion is known as an upsurge -- when an entire region is affected -- however, if it gets worse and cannot be contained, over a year or more, it would become what is known as a plague of locusts. There have been six major desert locust plagues in the 1900s, the last of which was in 1987-89. The last major upsurge was in 2003-05. Tricia Barker was just a 21-year-old college student at The University of Texas when she was involved in a head-on collision car accident. As surgeons worked diligently to save her life, she flatlined for two and a half minutes. In college, she struggled with depression, which was largely a result of her childhood trauma. Her mother was both emotionally and physically abusive, and her father was a narcissistic alcoholic. My parents did not love each other at all. All that I saw between the two of them was hatred, and I had no model for what a healthy relationship was, Barker explained. Near-Death Experience During her senior year of college, Barker was driving to a 10K race when she collided with another car head-on as she went through an intersection. Initially, she was conscious and realized she could move. The last thing she remembered before she lost consciousness was being lifted into the ambulance on the way to the hospital. As doctors worked to save her life, she succumbed to her internal injuries, and her heart stopped. Then, Barker found herself having an out-of-body experience; she left her body and found herself looking down on it. She was agnostic at the time, and despite the circumstances, the experience was a pleasant surprise. I was so happy that this spiritual form continues onthat theres something essential about me and about everyone, something eternal, that continues on after death, Barker said. Tricia Barker had an out-of-body experience as doctors tried to save her life. (Courtesy of Tricia Barker) She watched the surgeons, and then she noticed two large beams of light at the end of the operating table, which she now refers to as angels. She remembers the angels telling her that she would live and would be able to walk again despite her catastrophic injuries. Then her whole body illuminated as the surgeons continued to work to save her. When the heart monitor flatlined, her spirit left the hospital and she felt a sense of unity with the people of Austin. Barker found herself in the night sky and began receiving messages from a higher being. One of the messages was: Love is all that matters. Initially, she was a bit skeptical. Then, she was told to be like a child and to connect with nature. These messages were meant, I guess, to make an impression on my soul, Barker explained. At a certain point, a light started coming toward her. The higher being told her to look into peoples hearts, to not judge others, and to see the good in people. Finally, Barker felt she had entered a realm with flowing grass as her five-year-old self. She encountered her grandfather who had passed away, but he appeared younger. Then he looked at her and asked if she wanted to continue toward the light. She replied yes, and her spirit form flew closer and closer to what she now considers God. She could hear the words of the people who were praying for her and could feel their prayers. Tricia Barker flatlined for two minutes as doctors tried to save her life. (Courtesy of Tricia Barker) I felt safe and free, and just an atomic bomb of love was going off inside of me. There was so much energy I couldnt even contain it all. I just knew that Im fine the way I am, that Im loved, and everyone is loved, and if we could all tap into that we would be so much happier in our day-to-day interactions, Barker recalled. Barker almost didnt want to return to her body when she heard a deep voice that told her to look down. She saw a river with souls. Some were covered with light and others were covered in darkness. God then told her that she would live, and teach and remind people to connect to their light and be lights in this world. Back to Life Before she knew it, Barker found herself in the recovery room in the hospital. Initially, she found it difficult to connect to her physical body. As the nurse asked Barker questions, she found herself referring to herself in the third person. Then the pain hit, and she knew for certain that she was back. She asked for a notebook and a pen, and wrote down as much as she could remember about her out-of-body experience. When Barker went home, she began reading about near-death experiences and other spiritual literature. After she healed from her injuries, Barker began teaching English literature in Austin before moving to South Korea to teach English as a second language. Barker had always had a passion for creative writing, and her near-death experience would ultimately influence her writing. After Barker was interviewed by National Geographic, she felt compelled to write a memoir about her experience. There are plenty of people who have brought near-death experiences into mainstream America, but I wanted to bring it into writing classes and writing about spirituality, Barker said. Barker, now 48, lives in Fort Worth, Texas, where she teaches creative writing. Copies of Tricia Barkers book Angels in the OR: What Dying Taught Me About Healing, Survival, and Transformation. (Courtesy of Tricia Barker) Barker is the author of Angels in the OR: What Dying Taught Me About Healing, Survival, and Transformation. Through her experience, Barker discovered that there is a lot of suffering in the world and that a lot of that pain comes from focusing too much on oneself. Barker wanted to convey through her book the importance of being of service to others, to be more like a child to enjoy life, and the healing power of nature. While she was recovering in a full-body cast and then learned how to walk again, she discovered how meditation and eating well could assist in the healing process. I would spend hours in meditation connecting with that healing light, and I know it assisted in helping my body, Barker said. I would encourage people to, if theyve not heard a near-death experience story beforeso many of us have had them at this pointthat if you dont resonate with my story, there are people from all walks of life, all different professions, from neurosurgeons to mechanics, so the language is different depending on the person and their personality, but I would say spend some time looking at them because you might resonate with someone, Barker said. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 17:37 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d805c 1 Entertainment The-Strokes,music,Bernie-Sanders,Democratic-National-Convention,united-states,album Free American rock band The Strokes announced a new album at Bernie Sanders Bernie Beats Trump rally in Durham, New Hampshire, on Monday. According to Pitchfork, The Strokes front man Julian Casablancas told the audience at the end of the performance, Albums coming out April 10. The announcement may not have been a surprise to some fans, as the group hinted at the impending release of a new album titled The New Abnormal last month. This comes seven years after the band released its last studio album, Comedown Machine. The Strokes performed for a crowd of approximately 7,500 at the University of New Hampshire ahead of the states primary election on Tuesday, as reported by the Washington Examiner. The Strokes also premiered their new song, Bad Decisions, and a music video for another new song, At the Door. At the rally, the Strokes performed right after speeches by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sanders. They covered Talking Heads Burning Down the House and performed their own classics, including Someday, Hard to Explain and New York City Cops. American rock acts Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend have also shown support for Sanders by playing at rallies in late January and early February. Formed in 1998, The Strokes are considered to be among the pioneers in the garage rock revival of the early 2000s. Their debut album, Is This It, received critical acclaim when it was released in 2001. They collected several awards, including the Best International Newcomer category at the 2002 BRIT Awards and Best New Act at the 2002 NME Awards. (mad/wng) Finnish English ASIAKASTIETO GROUP PLC, STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE ON 11 FEBRUARY 2020 AT 4.00 P.M. EET Asiakastieto Group Plcs Notice to the Annual General Meeting Notice is given to the shareholders of Asiakastieto Group Plc to the Annual General Meeting to be held on Friday 27 March 2020 starting at 10:00 a.m. (EET) at Finlandia Hall (Terrace Hall, address Mannerheimintie 13 E, Helsinki). The reception of persons who have registered for the meeting and the distribution of voting tickets will commence at 9:15 a.m. (EET). A. MATTERS ON THE AGENDA OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING At the general meeting, the following matters will be considered: 1. Opening of the meeting 2. Calling the meeting to order 3. Election of persons to scrutinize the minutes and to supervise the counting of votes 4. Recording the legality of the meeting 5. Recording the attendance at the meeting and adoption of the list of votes 6. Presentation of the Financial Statements, the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Report of the Board of Directors and the Auditors Report for the year 2019 Review by the CEO. 7. Adoption of the Financial Statements 8. Resolution on the use of the profit shown on the balance sheet and the distribution of funds The Board of Directors proposes that the profit for the financial year is carried forward to the retained earnings and that from the financial year ended 31 December 2019, equity repayment of EUR 0.95 per share, i.e. EUR 22,793,627.40 in total based on the companys registered total number of shares at the time of the proposal, from the reserve for invested unrestricted shareholders equity be distributed. The equity repayment from the reserve for invested unrestricted shareholders equity will be paid to a shareholder registered in the companys shareholders register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd on the payment record date of 31 March 2020. The Board of Directors proposes that the funds be paid on 9 April 2020. The remunerations to be paid on the basis of the Matching Share Plan 2018-2020 of the companys managements Long Term Incentive Plan are further expected to result in an issuance of approximately 14,000 new shares in Asiakastieto Group Plc, entitling to the distribution of funds from the financial year 2019. Thus, the proposed total amount of distributed funds would increase approximately EUR 14,000.00. 9. Resolution on the discharge of the members of the Board of Directors and the CEO from liability 10. Adoption of the Remuneration Policy for governing bodies The Board of Directors proposes to the Annual General Meeting that the Remuneration Policy for the governing bodies to be adopted. The Remuneration Policy for the governing bodies is available on the companys website by 6 March 2020 at the latest. 11. Resolution on the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors The Shareholders Nomination Board proposes increases in the remuneration payable to the Board of Directors. The Shareholders Nomination Board proposes that the remunerations payable to the Chairperson of the Board of Directors be EUR 51,000 per year and to other Board members EUR 36,000 per year. In addition, an attendance fee of EUR 500 per Board meeting will be paid for the attendance to the Board meeting. The Shareholders Nomination Board also proposes that the chairpersons of the committees of the Board of Directors will be paid an attendance fee of EUR 500 per committee meeting and the committee members will be paid an attendance fee of EUR 400 per committee meeting. The Nomination Board proposes that the reasonable travelling expenses for the attendance to the meetings will be paid to members. The Nomination Board proposes that no remuneration will be paid to the members of the Nomination Board. 12. Resolution on the number of members of the Board of Directors The Shareholders Nomination Board proposes the number of members of the Board of Directors be resolved to be six (6). 13. Election of members of the Board of Directors The Shareholders Nomination Board proposes that Petri Carpen, Patrick Lapvetelainen, Carl-Magnus Mansson, Martin Johansson, Petri Nikkila and Tiina Kuusisto be re-elected as the members of the Board of Directors for the term that will continue until the close of the next Annual General Meeting. The presentations of the proposed persons are available on the companys website at https://investors.asiakastieto.fi/ by 6 March 2020 at the latest. The Shareholders Nomination Board has evaluated the proposed persons independence of the company and of the major shareholders and it has been determined that the proposal has been made in accordance with the Finnish Corporate Governance Code. 14. Resolution on the remuneration of the auditor The Board of Directors proposes that the remuneration of the auditor be paid according to the reasonable invoice approved by the Board of Directors Audit Committee. 15. Election of the auditor The Board of Directors proposes that PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy, Authorised Public Accountants Firm, be re-elected as the companys auditor for a term that will continue until the end of the next Annual General Meeting. PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy has announced that the auditor-in-charge would be Martin Grandell, Authorised Public Accountant. 16. Amendment of articles 1 and 13 of the Articles of Association The Board of Directors proposes that the article regarding the trade name of the company be amended as follows: 1 Trade name The trade name of the company is Enento Group Oyj. The trade name in English is Enento Group Plc. Furthermore, the Board of Directors proposes to amend the article on the Annual General Meeting so that the Annual General Meeting shall also resolve, in addition to the items currently listed in article 13 of the Articles of Association, on the adoption of the remuneration policy, when necessary (amended article 13, second paragraph, new sub-item 6), and on the adoption of the remuneration report (amended article 13, second paragraph, new sub-item 7), and that the numbering of current sub-items 6-9 of article 13 be changed accordingly due to the above-mentioned amendments. According to the proposal, article 13 of the Articles of Association would read as follows in its entirety: 13 Annual General Meeting At the Annual General Meeting the following shall be presented 1. the financial statements and consolidated financial statements, and 2. the Auditors Report; shall be decided upon 3. adoption of financial statements, which encompasses the adoption of the consolidated financial statements, 4. the use of the profit shown on the balance sheet, 5. discharge of the members of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director from liability, 6. adoption of the remuneration policy, when necessary, 7. adoption of the remuneration report, 8. the number of members of the Board of Directors, and 9. the remuneration of the members of the Board of Directors and the auditor; as well as shall be elected 10. the members of the Board of Directors and 11. the auditor. 17. Authorising the Board of Directors to resolve on the issuance of shares The Board of Directors proposes that the Board of Directors be authorised to resolve on one or more issuances of shares, including the right to issue new shares in the company or to transfer the companys treasury shares. The authorisation would cover up to a total of 1,500,000 shares, corresponding to approximately 6.3 per cent of the companys registered total number of shares at the time of the proposal. The Board of Directors would also be authorised to resolve on a directed issuance of shares in the company. The authorisation could be used for material arrangements from the companys point of view, such as financing or carrying out business arrangements or investments or for other such purposes determined by the Board of Directors in which case there would be a weighty financial reason for issuing shares or for a directed issuance of shares. The Board of Directors would be authorised to resolve on all other terms and conditions of the issuance of shares, including the payment period, grounds for the determination of the subscription price and subscription price or issuance of shares without payment or that the subscription price may be paid besides in cash also by other assets either partially or entirely. The authorisation is proposed to be effective for 18 months from the close of the Annual General Meeting i.e. until 27 September 2021. If this authorisation is approved, it will revoke the share issuance authorisation granted to the Board of Directors by the Annual General Meeting on 28 March 2019. 18. Authorising the Board of Directors to resolve on the repurchase of the companys own shares The Board of Directors proposes that the Board of Directors be authorised to decide, in one or several instalments, on the repurchase of maximum of 1,500,000 companys own shares. The proposed maximum number of shares corresponds to approximately 6.3 per cent of the companys registered total number of shares at the time of the proposal. The shares would be repurchased using the companys invested unrestricted shareholders equity, and thus, the repurchases will reduce funds available for distribution. The shares could be repurchased for developing the companys capital structure, for financing or carrying out potential corporate acquisitions or other business arrangements, to be used as a part of the companys remuneration or incentive plan or to be otherwise transferred further, retained by the company as treasury shares, or cancelled, for example. In accordance with the resolution of the Board of Directors, the shares could also be repurchased otherwise than in proposition to the existing shareholdings of the company as directed repurchases at the market price of the shares quoted on the trading venues where the companys shares are traded or at the price otherwise established on the market at the time of the repurchase. The Board of Directors shall resolve on all other matters related to the repurchase of the companys own shares, including on how shares will be repurchased. Among other means, derivatives may be used in acquiring the shares. The authorisation is proposed to be effective for 18 months from the close of the Annual General Meeting i.e. until 27 September 2021. If this authorisation is accepted, it shall cancel the authorisation to repurchase the companys shares granted to the Board of Directors by the Annual General Meeting on 28 March 2019. 19. Closing of the meeting B. DOCUMENTS OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The above-mentioned resolution proposals relating to the agenda of the Annual General Meeting as well as this Notice and Remuneration Policy for governing bodies are available on Asiakastieto Group Plcs website at investors.asiakastieto.fi. The Financial Statements, the Consolidated Financial Statement, the Report of the Board of Directors and the Auditors Report of Asiakastieto Group Plc, are available on the above-mentioned website no later than 6 March 2020. The proposals for decisions and the other above-mentioned documents are also available at the Annual General Meeting. Copies of these documents and of this Notice will be sent to shareholders upon request. The minutes of the meeting will be available on the above-mentioned website as from 10 April 2020, at the latest. C. INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 1. The right to participate and registration Each shareholder, who is on the record date for the Annual General Meeting on 17 March 2020 registered in the shareholders register of the company held by Euroclear Finland Ltd, has the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting. A shareholder, whose shares are registered on his/her personal Finnish book-entry account, is registered in the shareholders register of the company. A shareholder who is registered in the shareholders register of the company and wants to participate in the Annual General Meeting shall register for the meeting no later than on 24 March 2020 at 4:00 p.m. (EET) by giving a prior notice of participation. Such notice can be given a) on the website at investors.asiakastieto.fi; or b) by e-mail to ir@asiakastieto.fi or c) by mail Asiakastieto Group Plc / Legal Counsel Juuso Jokela, PO Box 16, FI-00581 Helsinki, Finland. In connection with the registration, a shareholder shall notify his/her name, personal identification number/business identification number, address, telephone number and the name of a possible proxy representative or assistant and the personal identification number of a proxy representative. The personal data given to Asiakastieto Group Plc is used only in connection with the Annual General Meeting and with the processing of related registrations. The shareholder, his/her authorised representative or proxy representative shall, where necessary, be able to prove his/her identity and/or right of representation at the meeting venue. 2. Holder of nominee registered shares A holder of nominee registered shares has the right to participate in the Annual General Meeting by virtue of such shares, based on which he/she on the record date of the Annual General Meeting on 17 March 2020, would be entitled to be registered in the shareholders register of the company held by Euroclear Finland Ltd. The right to participate in the Annual General Meeting requires, in addition, that the shareholder on the basis of such shares has been temporarily registered into the shareholders register held by Euroclear Finland Ltd. at the latest by 24 March 2020, 10:00 a.m. (EET). As regards nominee registered shares this constitutes due registration for the Annual General Meeting. A holder of nominee registered shares is advised to request without delay necessary instructions regarding the temporary registration in the shareholders register of the company, the issuing of proxy documents and preregistration for the Annual General Meeting from his/her custodian bank. The account manager of the custodian bank has to register a holder of nominee registered shares, who wishes to participate in the Annual General Meeting, temporarily in the shareholders register of the company by the time stated above at the latest. 3. Proxy representative and powers of attorney A shareholder may participate in the Annual General Meeting and exercise his/her rights at the meeting by way of proxy representation. A proxy representative shall produce a dated proxy document or otherwise in a reliable manner demonstrate his/her right to represent the shareholder at the Annual General Meeting. When a shareholder participates in the Annual General Meeting by means of several proxy representatives representing the shareholder with shares at different securities accounts, the shares by which each proxy representative represents the shareholder shall be identified in connection with the registration for the Annual General Meeting. Possible proxy documents should be delivered to Asiakastieto Group Plc / Manager, legal affairs Juuso Jokela, PO Box 16, FI-00581 Helsinki, Finland before the last date for registration. 4. Other information Pursuant to Chapter 5, Section 25 of the Finnish Companies Act, a shareholder who is present at the Annual General Meeting has the right to request information with respect to the matters to be considered at the meeting. On the date of this notice to the Annual General Meeting 11 February 2020, the total number of shares in Asiakastieto Group Plc is 23,993,292 shares and the total number of votes in Asiakastieto Group Plc is 23,993,292. Helsinki, 11 February 2020 ASIAKASTIETO GROUP PLC Board of Directors For further information: Juuso Jokela, Legal Counsel Asiakastieto Group Plc Tel. +358 10 270 7403 Distribution: Nasdaq Helsinki Major media investors.asiakastieto.fi Asiakastieto Group is one of the leading providers of digital business and consumer information services in the Nordic countries. The Group's products and services are primarily used for risk management, finance and administration, decision-making and sales and marketing purposes. We are operating in Finland under the brand Suomen Asiakastieto and in Sweden under the brand UC. Our annual net sales for 2019 was EUR 146 million and the number of employees was approximately 420. The Group serves several industries, the largest ones including finance and banking as well as wholesale and retail sectors and expert service companies. Asiakastieto Group is listed on Nasdaq Helsinki with the trading code ATG1V. More information about Asiakastieto Group is available at www.asiakastieto.fi and www.uc.se. Alicia Robinson, a 2014 graduate of Garinger High School in Charlotte, North Carolina, never knew Mike Smith, who graduated 50 years before she did. If she had, Robinson would have liked and respected him. Pinky, as his friends at Garinger called him, was a tough cookie, a hard worker and well-liked by all who knew him. His closest buddy, Marine Vietnam veteran Don Mullis, said Pinky was walking to his own graduation when Don and his family picked him up on the street and took him to the ceremony. After graduating from Garinger in 1964, Smith enlisted in the Marines and served in Vietnam as a member of B Company, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. In May 1967, he was killed in Quang Nam province in northern South Vietnam. Friends from Garinger mourned his loss thenand still do. Since the summer of 2014, Robinson and Smith have been indelibly linked. In August 2014, the Garinger Education Foundation, headed at the time by 1964 graduate and Air Force veteran Ron Tucker, erected a 6-foot-tall, 3-foot-wide granite monument in front of the school, engraved with the names of the 15 Garinger men then known to have been killed in action during the Vietnam War. But the foundation, a nonprofit established to support the schools students, wanted to do more than remember the Vietnam KIA with a monument. It decided to also honor them with scholarships, granted in their memory, to help Garinger graduates headed to college. When Robinson went to Winston-Salem State University in 2014, she did so with a $2,000 scholarship in honor of Michael Pinky Smith and wearing a bracelet that bore his name. Fourteen additional scholarships were awarded to deserving students on their way to college, in memory of the other 14 Garinger men on the Vietnam monument. Robinson graduated from college in spring 2018 and is teaching elementary school children in Charlotte. So long as she teaches children, Robinson has been told, the memory of Pinky Smith will continue to live in her. Significantly for students from a rough area of town, 11 of the 15 young people awarded scholarships in 2014 graduated from college in 2018an impressive percentage for any demographic group. The idea for some kind of memorial had been dwelling in Tuckers mind for a long time. One of his first cousins, Perry Dean James from Baltimore, was killed while serving with the 1st Battalion, 9th Marine Regiment, 3rd Marine Division. And in the early 1970s, he bumped into a school buddy, a Marine suffering the effects of wounds as well as depression. Tucker, stationed in South Korea during his Air Force service, hoped that someday he could do something for the men who served in Vietnamthose who made it back and those who didnt. The Garinger Class of 1963, at its 50th reunion in 2013, decided to award scholarships to graduates of the school through a program sponsored by a newly formed alumni organization, the Garinger Education Foundation. Tucker contacted the foundation and was given the job of leading it. He proposed awarding $2,000 annual scholarships (later increased to $2,500) in memory of the 15 men known to have died in Vietnam. Tucker also broached the idea of a Vietnam memorial on the school grounds, with the names of the KIA engraved on the monument. His proposal, endorsed by the school and foundation, was approved by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the local public school system. The monument was dedicated on Aug. 8, 2014. The families of all 15 men were contacted, and 13 families attended the service, along with 500 other people. The 82nd Airborne Division band played at the dedication. The event was filled with emotion for the families, those who worked on the monument and especially those of us who knew and loved our buddies listed on the memorial. In 2016, after learning of three additional men who needed to be added to the memorial, the Garinger foundation had those names engraved on the monument. A dedication for them was held on May 22, 2016. Scholarships were awarded in memory of those men as well. Besides the scholarships for all 18 Garinger men whose names grace the memorial, the foundation awards about 50 additional scholarships (some sponsored by other institutions) each year to graduates headed mainly to community colleges in the area. The top 18 graduating seniors each receive a certificate and bracelet in memory of a Vietnam KIA. The 18 men whose names have been engraved on the Garinger Vietnam memorial are: Michael Ray Smith, Archie Monroe Carlyle, Daryl Lee Davis, James Randall Williams, Fred Melvin Wrenn, Donald Ray Chamblin Jr., Ronald Devone Griffin, William Samuel Irby, Terry Alan Hodges, George Michael Price, Robert Merrill Campbell, Glenn Richard Cook, Robert Lane Fallows, Ansel Wendell Morse, Johnny Saxon, William Allen Johnson, Royd Steve Kerly Jr. and Robert Harold Petit. On the back of the monument is the fourth verse of English poet Laurence Binyons famous 1914 poem, For the Fallen: They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. Those of us who were privileged to know the Garinger men and worked on this project visit it with emotion and honor on a frequent basis. Larry Walker, an active duty Marine 1964-68, served with Marine All Weather Fighter Squadron 235, part of the 1st Marine Air Wing, III Marine Amphibious Force, at Da Nang in 1966. He was a corporal when released from active duty. Do you have reflections on the war, you would like to share? Email your idea or article to Vietnam@HistoryNet.com, subject line: Reflections This feature originally appeared in the April 2020 issue of Vietnam magazine. To subscribe, click here. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, February 11) The Labor Department is preparing for the worst in case the franchise of TV network ABS-CBN does not get renewed or if it is nullified. Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello on Tuesday said the government is ready to assist over 10,000 regular and non-regular employees and talents who may lose their jobs if the network is forced to cease operations. But he admitted it is no easy feat. "Malaking sakit ng ulo sa amin kasi we have to provide them immediate response. Magiging malaking problema iyan, but we just need to prepare for that," he told CNN Philippines. [Translation: It's going to be a headache for us because we need to provide them help. It will be a big issue, but we need to prepare for it.] The Duterte administrations top lawyer, Solicitor General Jose Calida, ran to the Supreme Court on Monday to ask the high court to revoke the existing franchise to ABS-CBN Corporation and its subsidiary, ABS-CBN Convergence Inc., for allegedly violating the rules set by Congress. This comes amid the languishing bills in the House seeking to renew the TV giants franchise for another 25 years. The existing franchise expires on March 30. Bello said that whatever the outcome in the Supreme Court and Congress, they have prepared short-term financial assistance for the thousands of workers. He said DOLE can offer minimum wage jobs and possibly livelihood assistance through loans. Hindi namin pwedeng pabayaan ang mga manggagawa. Bibigyan namin ng emergency employment yan. Bibigyan namin sila ng trabaho, he said. [Translation: We cannot neglect the workers. We will give them jobs, emergency employment.] He added the possibility that other media networks can absorb the displaced workers. He even hinted that new owners of the TV network may take them in. President Rodrigo Duterte has urged ABS-CBN executives to sell the company with its hazy future in the business. Assuming na ma-terminate ang prangkisa ng ABS-CBN, ang mangyayari siyempre may mga kukuha siguro, magkakaroon ng new owners, siguro naman ia-absorb nila ang mga employees ng ABS, the labor chief said. With the looming uncertainty, Bello advised the workers to keep calm. Let the judicial process, legislative process take its natural course. Huwag natin haluan ng pulitika (Lets not muddle it with politics). DOLE is prepared to give immediate, but not long-term, assistance, he said. Since 2018, Duterte has personally vowed to put the Kapamilya channel and its subsidiaries out of business. He has repeatedly slammed the network since 2018 for not airing his presidential campaign advertisements in 2016. By Express News Service BHUBANESWAR: The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) will host second Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation Disaster Management Exercise (BIMSTEC- DMEx) in the State from Tuesday. The three-day exercise to be conducted in Bhubaneswar, Puri and Konark will discuss standardisation of protocol, formulation of policy and guidelines for protection of heritage sites during disasters and their conservation post-disaster. Five out of seven BIMSTEC countries -- Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Nepal -- will participate in the first-of-its-kind exercise conducted on the theme of protecting a cultural heritage site that suffers severe damage in earthquake, flooding or storm. Addressing mediapersons, Director General, NDRF, Satya Narayan Pradhan said The objective of this exercise is to test the existing emergency procedure for notification, preparedness and response. The exercise will provide an opportunity to the participating countries to enhance coordination and cooperation involving multi-agency operations in an earthquake, flooding and storm surge. An exercise village has been set up at Ramchandi beach where simulation on aquatic disaster response with special attention to the damage to heritage structures will take place. The exercise will be different from the mock drill where our focus will be on making it as real as possible, he added. The NDRF DG said after completion of the exercise, draft guidelines will be framed which will be vetted by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) for preparation of a policy and guidelines for protection of the heritage structures at the time of diaster and their conservation post disaster. He also said Odisha was selected for the exercise as it has experience in tackling disasters successfully and also has a number of heritage structures. Special Relief Commissioner (SRC) PK Jena said the exercise will be helpful for all the stakeholders, especially the NDRF and ODRAF units as ordinary buildings and heritage structures sustaining damage in disaster can not be dealt the same way. Odisha Government may also impart special training to ODRAF teams in this regard, he said. Officials of ASI, NDMA, IMD, INTACH, Central Water Commission, INCOIS along with international observers from UNDP, International Search and Rescue Advisory Group, International Centre for the Study of Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property will take part. In 2013, Mr Sisodia had won by a margin of 11,000 votes and in 2015 by over 28,000 votes. NEW DELHI: Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on Tuesday had a tense day in a see-saw battle in his Patparganj constituency, which he finally won by a margin of 3,271 votes. For many hours, Mr Sisodia, who held all key portfolios in the AAP government, trailed by a whisker. After several rounds of counting, he was behind his BJP competitor, Ravinder Singh Negi, by about 200 votes. The turnaround took place a little after 2 pm. After his victory, Mr Sisodia, who retained his seat for the third time, said that the BJP indulged in politics of hate, but people refused to be divided. Mr Negi was leading the close race till 11 rounds and till Mr Sisodia turned the tables in the 13th round. Mr Negi (43), who gave Mr Sisodia a scare, is a businessman by profession and his wife is a contractor. People of Delhi have explained the true meaning of nationalism through their mandate, said Mr Sisodia as he clinched victory. Mr Sisodia, who retained his seat for the third time, said that the BJP indulged in politics of hate, but people refused to be divided. In 2013, Mr Sisodia had won by a margin of 11,000 votes and in 2015 by over 28,000 votes. Besides Mr Sisodia, AAPs prominent woman face Atishi, who registered victory in her Assembly election debut from Kalkaji, was also trailing in the early trends. She later surged towards victory and defeated BJPs Dharambir Singh by a margin of over 11,000 votes. She said that the mandate has shown that kaam ki rajneeti (politics of work) has won and that work is true nationalism. Ms Atishi had unsuccessfully tested waters in the Lok Sabha elections last year. It was clear that people of Delhi had made up their minds about Arvind Kejriwal. They voted for him on the basis of his work. Its kaam ki rajneeti which has won over the politics of hatred, said Ms Atishi. Guiseppe Barranco, STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER / Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise A Vidor man pleaded guilty Monday to federal gun violations after a motorcycle accident last summer led to police finding a pistol, ammunition, drugs and $3,000 in cash. Taylor Graham Cozart pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm to U.S. Magistrate Judge Keith Giblin. HUNTSVILLE, Ala., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avion Unmanned, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) division of Avion Solutions, Inc., signed a participating addendum with the State of North Dakota and all its state agencies, political subdivisions and institutions. This contract opens the door for Avion Unmanned to provide UAS services to state and local government agencies in North Dakota. "Providing a simplified direct path for government agencies at all levels to request unmanned aircraft operations is finally a reality. With the signing of this Participating Addendum with North Dakota, Avion Unmanned has been selected to provide critical data collection services to organizations who desperately need it, but have never before had a contract vehicle to acquire vetted, legal, and safe operations in a timely manner," said Taylor Abington, Senior Program Manager of Avion Unmanned. Based on proven expertise, Avion Unmanned has been chosen to provide UAS services nationwide through the National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint Cooperative Purchasing Organization. Among the UAS services Avion Unmanned can provide are: Emergency Services, Law Enforcement Support, Aerial Inspection and Mapping Data Services, support to Agricultural and Gaming, as well as Agency Media Relations and Marketing. Virginia's Department of General Service (DGS) and NASPO are working together through Contract E194-79435 to provide agencies easier access to UAS or drone services to organizations like Avion Unmanned. "Avion Unmanned's solutions will help North Dakota's state and local agencies reduce operational risks, improve efficiency, and gather better data for use in critical areas, including law enforcement, disaster response, agriculture management, infrastructure monitoring, and construction development," said Chad Donald, President and CEO of Avion Solutions. For more information, visit https://www.naspovaluepoint.org/portfolio/unmanned-aerial-vehicle-drone-services-2019-2024/avion-solutions-inc/. About Avion Unmanned Avion Unmanned, the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) service provider of Avion Solutions, Inc., provides UAS flight operations, Red Team support, aerial inspections, training, and program development for commercial, military and non-military government agencies. The UAS team seeks to improve the efficiency, safety, and effectiveness of organizations through quality UAS services. About Avion Solutions Avion Solutions, Inc. is an employee-owned innovative engineering and logistics solutions provider for complex military-grade projects. Headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama with a presence in multiple states across the U.S., Avion Solutions has provided solutions to Department of Defense customers and commercial clients since 1992. Our broad range of technical expertise includes engineering, logistics and technical services, data analysis, software development, small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and drone services, and development of a full spectrum of training solutions ranging from on-site classroom training to interactive multimedia instruction (IMI) programs. Avion Solutions is a 2019 Best Places to Work award winner. To learn more, visit www.avionsolutions.com. Contact: Michael Jones, Marketing Manager Phone: 256-327-7155 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Avion Solutions Inc. Related Links avionsolutions.com Renovations include new floor tiles and a switch from brass accents to stainless steel at the CambridgeSide mall in Cambridge, MA on Jun. 13, 2017. UBS is reportedly racing to stanch outflows at its landmark $20 billion real-estate fund amid worries about its retail holdings and extended underperformance. Investors are standing by to withdraw some $7 billion from the UBS Trumbull Property Fund as a growing number move away from more cautious funds, a person familiar with the matter told the Wall Street Journal. Hoping to stem the flow, UBS has reportedly offered to cut costs for investors willing to stay in the fund and to forego management fees for new investments, the Journal added citing an analyst presentation to the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts. The Swiss bank's Trumbull fund owns real estate in Cambridge, including the CambridgeSide mall as well as properties across the country in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco. UBS did not immediately respond to CNBC's request for comment. An isolated uptick in redemption requests can lead to a host of issues for investment funds like Trumbull if other investors grow nervous the peer withdrawals and, as a result, choose to join the exodus. If real estate fund managers don't have enough cash on hand to meet a small number of redemption requests, they may be forced to initiate the sale of properties. The sale of such illiquid assets can take time and add to investor angst in the meanwhile, placing even more pressure on the manager to sell property. But in contrast to riskier private-equity funds, which dictate when investors are allowed to extract money and include early-exit penalties, the majority of big core funds aren't as strict about how often or how much its clients are allowed to redeem. And while Trumbull isn't the only big-bank property fund seeing outflows, its underperformance versus industry benchmarks has hastened the investor flight. It had performed worse than the NCREIF NFI-ODCE index on a 1-year, 3-year and 5-year basis as of a 2018 presentation to the City of Naples, Florida, Police and Fire Pension Plans. Read the original Wall Street Journal report here. SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Created to increase access to high-quality higher education that meets students where they are, Western Governors University (WGU) has topped the 20202021 Military Friendly Schools list in the online/vocational category. Learn about how WGU serves military students at www.wgu.edu/military. To see WGU's Military Friendly listing, visit https://www.militaryfriendly.com/western-governors-university/. Image of WGU graduate speaker, Dion Brown speaking in Indianapolis, IN Currently, WGU serves nearly 15,000 active-duty or veteran students and 900 military spouses or dependents. This is WGU's 10th consecutive year receiving a Military Friendly Schools designation. Competency-based, affordable, portable, and relevant to today's workforce, WGU offers active-duty military personnel, their spouses and children, and veterans the opportunity to further their careers with higher education in a way that fits their unique and often unpredictable circumstancesor, as one two-time graduate puts it, "Western Governors University was just what I needed." "I am truly thankful for what this school has allowed me to accomplish," said Dion Brown of Las Vegas, Nevada, who enrolled in WGU's B.S. Business Information Technology program in 2016 while deployed at Kandahar Airfield in Afghanistan with the U.S. Air Force. He completed that degree and a subsequent M.S. Management and Leadership while on active duty. Like many WGU students, Brown's path to higher education wasn't traditionalattempting college shortly after finishing high school but quitting after three semesters. Years later, while serving in Operation Resolute Support, he "found a fire within myself" to go back and earn his bachelor's degreeafter all, "if I could overcome all the challenges that come with being in a hostile land, away from friends and family, I could go back to school." He just needed a school that could accommodate his deployment. He recalled a conversation he had had a few years earlier with his fatherhimself a WGU graduateabout how the competency-based model enabled him to complete courses as quickly as he could learn the material, and to do it all on his own schedule. "I was pleased to find that the curriculum I was engaged in at WGU was directly relevant to my profession," Brown said. "As I advanced in rank and my professional military education, the management techniques and theories I was studying at WGU helped me immensely." Brown has since transitioned out of the military and is working as an air defense analyst for an IT, intelligence, and data consulting company. Now in its 19th year, the Military Friendly Schools list has come to set the standard for higher education institutions to provide the best opportunities for veterans and their spouses. This prestigious list provides a comprehensive guide for veterans and their families using data sources from federal agencies, veteran students, and proprietary survey information from participating organizations. More than 1,000 schools participated in the 20202021 survey, with 625 schools earning the designation. Founded to increase access to high-quality education and designed to provide personalized learning experiences as the world's most student-centric university, WGU specializes in serving nontraditional students, students from historically underserved populations, and students for whom traditional higher education may not be an option. About WGU Established in 1997 by 19 U.S. governors with a mission to expand access to high-quality, affordable higher education, online, nonprofit WGU now serves more than 121,000 students nationwide and has more than 172,000 graduates in all 50 states. Driving innovation as the nation's leading competency-based university, WGU has been recognized by the White House, state leaders, employers, and students as a model that works in postsecondary education. In just 22 years, the university has become a leading influence in changing the lives of individuals and families, and preparing the workforce needed in today's rapidly evolving economy. WGU is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities, has been named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies, and has been featured on NPR, NBC Nightly News, CNN, and in The New York Times. Learn more at www.wgu.edu. Follow WGU: http://www.facebook.com/wgu.edu http://www.linkedin.com/companies/western-governors-university http://twitter.com/wgu http://www.youtube.com/WesternGovernorsUniv http://news.wgu.edu/news/news.xml Contact for media inquiries: Contact for enrollment information: Doug Smeath Senior Manager, Public Relations 866-225-5948 801-924-4533 wgu.edu [email protected] SOURCE Western Governors University Related Links www.wgu.edu ANCHORAGE, Alaska - The state of Alaska agreed to pay $550,000 to settle a negligence claim by the family of a man who died in jail, court documents said. Joseph Murphy suffered a fatal heart attack in 2015 while he was being held in Juneaus Lemon Creek Correctional Center, The Anchorage Daily News reported Sunday. An investigation found Murphy had a heart condition but was denied medication by guards. Murphys family filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in 2017, naming the state, corrections officers and a nurse as defendants. The settlement announced Friday resolved the claims against all parties except the nurse Jill Robinson. Murphy was not charged with a crime at the time of his death, but was taken into a protective hold with a 0.16% blood-alcohol level, twice the legal limit. State law permits police to detain people who cannot take of themselves for up to 12 hours. The investigation found Murphy was held longer than 12 hours. The investigation found Murphy died within 90 minutes of being denied medication by guards, including one who said, I dont care, you could die right now and I dont care. Mark Choate, the attorney representing the family, said the settlement was a negotiated resolution with the state that allows us to continue with what we think is the most significant claim, against the nurse. The nurse failed to render aid to Murphy, Choate said. Allegations that Robinson caused Murphys death, failed to render aid or withheld medication are simply false, said attorney John Teimessen of Fairbanks. Ms. Robinson had a single brief encounter with Mr. Murphy prior to her shift during which she offered him ambulance transport back to the emergency room. He refused her offer, Tiemessen said. Murphy was in no apparent distress during his short meeting with Robinson, he said. She relayed his complaints to the corrections staff so they could continue to monitor him. No medication was withheld from Mr. Murphy. Mr. Murphy did not have any cardiac history or medication noted on his paperwork or on his person when he arrived at Lemon Creek from the emergency room. Mr. Murphy did not relate any cardiac history or mention any medication during his brief encounter with Nurse Robinson, Tiemessen said. Unfortunately, Mr. Murphy had his third heart attack and died shortly after she met him. The nearly complete blockage of his coronary artery combined with his preexisting heart damage ultimately proved fatal. Her attorneys are reviewing the settlement and are concerned that state officials may have violated their duties under a collective bargaining agreement to defend and indemnify her, Tiemessen said. He said they will respond in court filings. The corrections departments main concern is ensuring the safety and well-being of inmates and staff, spokesperson Sarah Gallagher said. We deal with a very high-risk population, and we do everything we can to try and prevent tragic events like this from occurring, Gallagher said. Murphy worked for the National Park Service in Kotzebue and served in the Alaska Army National Guard with a deployment to Iraq in 2005, according to his obituary. Log on if you are already subscribed or Subscribe... Coronavirus Outbreak Will Trigger Deluge of Bankruptcies in China: Economist As China expands lockdowns to many more cities to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, a crisis of supply chain disruption will arise when all manufacturers run out of inventory due to the stagnation of labor, transportation and procurement of supplies. A massive number of companies could collapse in China within one or two months, an economist predicts. Liu Mengjun, a Taiwanese economist and researcher from the First Research Division of Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, spoke with the Chinese-language Epoch Times in an exclusive interview on Feb. 6. He said that Chinas economy did not suffer much from the 2003 SARS epidemic, because at that time China had just joined the World Trade Organization (WTO); and with a fairly low share in international trade, it managed to survive when the overseas market demand diminished during the SARS outbreak. Domestic Consumption and Urbanization Currently, Chinas service industry accounts for a higher share of GDP than the industrial sector, including manufacturing and construction industries; and in the long run, China will have to make the transition toward a domestic demand driven economy, Liu said. But now, the coronavirus outbreak will have an impact on the countrys domestic consumption. Urbanization, with tens of millions of people living in major cities, has also been an important factor driving Chinas domestic demand, Liu noted. But its precisely the more urbanized regions that feel the greatest impact of the outbreak due to the lockdowns. The Wuhan coronavirus has thus also shaken Chinas ambition to drive its economy through further urbanization. Immobility of Workers, Transportation and Supply Chain Disruption Liu pointed out that the lockdown has expanded to important cities like Wuhan, Hangzhou and Nanjing, which all have high concentrations of Taiwanese and foreign-funded companies and businesses. Those companies that rely on China as a processing and export base will feel the short term impact, he said. Eventually, a crisis of supply chain disruption will be felt when all manufacturers have exhausted their inventory due to immobility of labor and stagnation of transportation flows. In addition, as these regions are mostly the Made in China 2025 manufacturing and R&D bases, the spread of the coronavirus may cause a brain drain that further threatens Chinas future economic prospects. According to Liu, since the U.S.-China trade war began, some Taiwanese businesses, considering the increased tariffs and many uncertain factors, chose to return to Taiwan and restart their production lines there. Others moved production to ASEAN countries. With the spreading of coronavirus and the decline in Chinas domestic demand, Taiwanese businesses that are still operating inside China will quickly look for alternative production bases. Domestic Businesses Vulnerable Due to High Financial Leverage Jia Guolong, chairman of Xibei Catering Group, a leading restaurant chain in China, said recently that the companys funds may not last another three months if the coronavirus continues to spread. Liu said its the norm in China that companies operate using high financial leverage, where huge amounts of money is borrowed. So the market downturn will pose more difficulties for those businesses with high leverage financing. Even though the Peoples Bank of China has cut its reserve requirements recently, its difficult for capital to flow to small and medium-sized firms that are in need of money, Liu said. It is estimated that a deluge of business failures would appear in China within one or two months, a testament to the vulnerability of Chinas economyit appears even better than other economies with a fair wind, but during an economic slowdown, the weakness of companies will be magnified. Liu suggested that Taiwanese businesses should diversify both their investment and operations. It is still not practical for those who have businesses in mainland China to withdraw all their capital because the Chinese communist authorities will thwart their plans in various ways, he said. But it is feasible to adopt Japans overseas investing strategy called China Plus One [other region], namely, not putting all of ones eggs in one basket. Bernie Sanders is on a roll. Following his strong showing in Iowawhere he won the most votes and the second most delegates (pending the mess there ever being cleared up)hes the favorite to win todays primary in New Hampshire, which would establish him, surely, as the Democratic frontrunner. Yesterday, a new poll from Quinnipiac showed Sanders leading the field nationally, eight points ahead of Joe Biden, who led the last national poll that Quinnipiac released. The data site FiveThirtyEight currently has Sanders as a 2 in 5 bet to win the nomination outright. Second favorite, at 3 in 10, is No One. The usual caveats about polls, probabilities, and predictions apply here, of course. Still, in light of longerterm trends, the Sanders surge shouldnt come as a surprise. In the latter months of last yearas Sanders climbed in Iowa and New Hampshire, in particularhis campaign and its supporters complained repeatedly that mainstream news-media coverage was understating his rise, and ignoring other indicators of his strength, including fundraising. In November, David Sirota, a former journalist who works for Sanderss campaign, listed examples of the trend in Bern Notice, his email newsletter; they included a New York Times push notification comparing the polling positions of Biden, Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg, but omitting Sanders, even though he came second in the poll in question, and a CNN chyron to similar effect. To hammer his point home, Sirota quoted a headline from The Onion: MSNBC Poll Finds Support For Bernie Sanders has plummeted two points up. ICYMI: Why did Matt Drudge turn on Donald Trump? Its not just polling stories. Supporters of Sanders believe he has been the victim of a range of media sins, both in 2016, when he ran against Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination, and now. Sins of omissionthe claim that the media ignores Sanderscan be hard to quantify, but some left-wing journalists have tried; writing for In These Times, for example, Branko Marcetic calculated that, in August and September of last year, primetime shows on MSNBC mentioned Sanders less than they did Warren and far less than they did Biden. Marcetics study, while limited in scope, found evidence, too, of sins of commissionthe idea that when Sanders is covered, hes often treated more negatively than his rivals. Online, his supporters frequently call out stories and snippets that, to their eyes, fail to give Sanders a fair shake. So far this year, those have included Sanderss interview with the Timess editorial board (sample question: Im wondering how you flying around the country in 2021 rallying the people would be different than what Donald Trump has been doing?); a range of pieces, including one in the Times, on the perceived bullying tactics of Sanderss internet army; and the wall-to-wall coverage of Warrens claim that Sanders told her a woman cant win in 2020. Sanders has denied saying this; when he reiterated the denial during a debate on CNN last month, the moderators plowed on as if Warrens claim were an undisputed statement of fact, riling Sanders fans some more. Sanderss strong showing in Iowa has made him harder to ignore; nonetheless, the past week has seen some repetitions of these tropes. After ABC News wrapped its debate on Friday night, its political panel didnt substantively mention Sanders for 13 minutes. Over on MSNBC, Chris Matthews launched into a bizarre anti-Sanders rant, railing about the Cold War, Castro, the Reds, and executions in Central Park. Also last week, Matthews compared Sanders to some old guy with some old literature from his socialist party, and to George McGovern. Mooted explanations for skewed coverage of Sanders run the gamutfrom conspiracies about the medias corporate overlords to subtler, structural critiques. (Last summer, Sanders himself suggested that the Washington Post is mean to him because its owned by Jeff Bezos, whose business practices Sanders has criticized; later, he clarified that he doesnt see an intentional effort to harm him, but rather a framework of what we can discuss and what we cannot discuss.) As Ive written before, whatever the reasons for it may be, its hard to avoid the conclusion that important parts of the medianewspaper opinion sections and cable news panels, in particularlack an adequate conceptual framework for the discussion of progressive politics and issues. (Not everyone, its important to note, falls into this category; progressive outlets, many of which have boomed under Trump, have often been much more sophisticated in their coverage of the left.) In one sense, this is a problem of language. In recent years, as the right has burgeoned, weve worked to parse its ideological gradations. The left is growing, too, yet we still use disparate termsprogressive, liberal, leftmore interchangeably. Sign up for CJR 's daily email In a broader sense, such parts of the media often have a hard time conceiving of possible worlds beyond the status quo. Inevitably, that failure of imagination has limited our coverage of Sanders. Thats not to say Sanders shouldnt face scrutinyhis agenda is highly ambitious, and we should ask sharp questions about its political viability as well as its logistics. But those arent the questions were asking; not consistently, at least. Instead, when he toured the Sunday shows this past weekend, Sanders faced questions about remarks he made 50 years ago, competency concerns raised by the mess in Iowa (for which he was not responsible), his hostility toward billionaires (Theyre People, Too! Chuck Todd said), and the likelihood of Trump weaponizing the toxicity of socialism to harm him. (This is a fair point, but in making it incessantly, we risk wielding the weapon on Trumps behalf.) Too often, we channel a world in which the status quo is neutral; where action always costs money but inaction does not. Do we ask other politicians to justify capitalism every time we interview them? Do we ask how much not doing Medicare for All or the Green New Deal would cost as often as we ask the inverse? Again, this isnt about advocacy; its about recognizing that, at present, we tend to talk about such ideas, and the politicians who espouse them, in a one-sided way. Imagination might not seem a desirable trait to fact-based journalists, but without it, our coverage is constrained by the deadweight of conventional wisdom, which is a bias in itself. Itll take imaginationmore than were currently showingto adequately frame, and interrogate, the choice facing America this year. Below, more on the election: Dixvilles Midnight Runners: Continuing a primary-day tradition, a handful of small New Hampshire towns voted just after midnight. One of them, Dixville Notch, gave us a surprise winner: Michael Bloomberg, who isnt on the ballot in New Hampshire. Bloomberg was written in by 50 percent of votersor two people, of the four present. Continuing a primary-day tradition, a handful of small New Hampshire towns voted just after midnight. One of them, Dixville Notch, gave us a surprise winner: Michael Bloomberg, who isnt on the ballot in New Hampshire. Bloomberg was written in by 50 percent of votersor two people, of the four present. Stranglehold: For the Times, Marc Tracy profiles Stranglehold, a controversial podcast about the primary from New Hampshire Public Radio. Lauren Chooljian, its cohost, believes that the primary has been protected and upheld by powerful people who stand to benefit from its survival; the podcasts detractors, including the former publisher of the Union Leader newspaper, have called it a hatchet job. (For more on the role of local media in the primary, Nieman Labs Sarah Scire has a useful roundup.) For the Times, Marc Tracy profiles Stranglehold, a controversial podcast about the primary from New Hampshire Public Radio. Lauren Chooljian, its cohost, believes that the primary has been protected and upheld by powerful people who stand to benefit from its survival; the podcasts detractors, including the former publisher of the Union Leader newspaper, have called it a hatchet job. (For more on the role of local media in the primary, Nieman Labs Sarah Scire has a useful roundup.) The never-ending Iowa story: Yesterday, the Times published a deep dive on the epic fiasco of the Iowa caucuses, which, believe it or not, were an even bigger mess than we all first thought. Among the new details: the chief financial officer of the Iowa Democratic Party, who was in charge of the caucus-night nerve center, did not know how to operate a Google spreadsheet application used to input data. Other notable stories: ICYMI: How the Washington Post pulled off the hardest trick in journalism Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Jon Allsop is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in the New York Review of Books, Foreign Policy, and The Nation, among other outlets. He writes CJRs newsletter The Media Today. Find him on Twitter @Jon_Allsop. The show must go on...even if Storm Ciara is unleashing her worst, as ITV's Scotland correspondent discovered last night. With conditions in East Renfrewshire, just south of Glasgow, treacherous yesterday evening, reporter Peter Smith still made it outside to broadcast back to Mary Nightingale in London's ITV studio. However, footage of his brief, weather-battered report have gone viral after he struggled to speak such was the snow and rain being dumped upon him. ITV News posted a clip of the footage, saying: 'It is snowing heavily in Scotland, as our reporter @PeterAdamSmith found out'. The clip has since been viewed more than 73,000 times. Scroll down for video Wet wet wet! ITV's Scotland correspondent was filmed being defeated by Storm Ciara's treacherous conditions during a live bulletin last night Reporting from East Renfrewshire, just south of Glasgow, Smith struggled to see due to snow and heavy rain hitting him The ITV News clip has since gone viral, with more than 73,000 people having watched Adam's drenched live report With water dripping from his nose, Smith is seen telling viewers that 'we've seen a Scottish winter in just one day' with thunder, lightning, rain and snow all descending on Monday. As he discusses the region's 'yellow weather warning' he has to keep blinking furiously as large snowflakes and drops of rain keep landing. Later, warm and dry once more, Smith commented that he'd found the answer to a hard day's work at the bottom of a glass. He told his Twitter followers: 'Scotland can deliver the worst weather. Thankfully, we also produce the best cure.' Many of those who've seen the clip questioned why broadcasts in such inclement conditions were necessary. Many questioned why reporters are expected to stand in the thick of such conditions, with one viewer asking 'Are we trying to kill him?' @loznew wrote: 'This is ridiculous, I think we can all imagine how severe the weather conditions are without this poor man having to stand freezing to death in a snow blizzard.' @SteveJ4530 agreed, writing: 'Never understood why we need to show presenters in bad weather.' @Marwood1987 said: 'Does he really need to be outside? FFS' @tindsaylully wrote: 'Poor bloke. Why do they make them do that? We get the idea just as easily if you put him inside next to a window.' Others couldn't hide their mischievous laughter at Adam's meteorological misfortunes, with one friend of Smith's saying he 'cried laughing' at the footage. Vezeeta, a healthcare platform operating in the Middle East and Africa, has raised a $40 Million Series D funding round led by UAE-based Gulf Capital, alongside further investment from existing Riyadh-based investor Saudi Technology Ventures (STV), which previously led Vezeetas Series C round in September 2018. Vezeetas other investors include BECO Capital, Silicon Badia, Vostok New Ventures, Crescent Enterprises CE-Ventures and Endeavour Catalyst. Prior to this raise, the company had raised $23M, so this latest news takes its total to $63M. Alvaro Abella, a director at Gulf Capital, joins the board. It now plans to roll out new products, such as an online pharmacy, as well as 'tele-health' services across its existing footprint and new markets. This is one of the largest funding rounds of any tech startup in the Middle East and Africa to date. The startup has become something of a MENA success story by allowing patients to effectively see Uber -style ratings for healthcare providers, thus encouraging the providers to improve their services. It puts the power in the hands of patients (vs providers) by giving them the ability to search, book, rate, and review healthcare providers. U.S.-based ZocDoc, which has raised $223M, has done something similar, moving away from a B2B towards a B2C transactional-based model. Other competitors globally include Practo, Doctolib (which raised $266.7M) and Docplanner. Launched initially in Cairo in 2012 as a sort of Uber for Ambulances, Vezeeta has gradually reversed into Middle Eastern healthcare systems to provide a free of charge medical search platform for end-users by integrating information about medical practices and doctors individual schedules. Currently operating in 50 cities across Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Lebanon, the platform generates 4 Million annual appointments, and claims to have tripled in size year over year. In a statement, Amir Barsoum, founder and CEO of Vezeeta said: Gulf Capital provides us the perfect synergy for our future plans to diversify and expand our product portfolio on a global scale Leveraging our technology, we have helped patients tap into the power of choice, and the power of information, to access the kind of healthcare that our users deserve. He said the company plans to use the cash to expand its product portfolio to several regional markets. Story continues Dr Karim El Solh, Chief Executive Officer of Gulf Capital said: Empowering patients and their families through technology to give them better access to healthcare services and more meaningful and manageable relationships with their healthcare providers has never been more important. We were impressed with the work that Amir and his team were doing and are excited to be working with Vezeeta on its next phase of growth. Ahmad AlNaimi, senior principal at STV said: The progress the company has achieved since our investment, especially in Saudi, is incredible. We are thrilled to double down on our position and to welcome Gulf Capital to the table. Vezeeta reaches around 4 million patients across 4 countries, enabling them to search, book and review doctors and medical services. It also provides a SaaS solution to more than 30,000 healthcare providers. By Liu Xuanzun The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday launched joint drills featuring naval and air forces near the island of Taiwan, one day after it conducted a combat readiness drill which saw its warplanes encircle the island. For two consecutive days, concentrated military operations surrounding Taiwan have demonstrated PLA's capabilities to solve the Taiwan question by force amid Taiwan secessionist plans, experts said. Naval and air forces with the PLA Eastern Theater Command on Monday conducted joint drills in the southeastern waters of the island of Taiwan, said Senior Colonel Zhang Chunhui, a PLA Eastern Theater Command spokesperson, in a statement released by the Ministry of National Defense on Monday. Citing Taiwan's defense authority, Taiwan news website udn.com reported on Monday that PLA aircraft including H-6 bombers and fighter jets crossed the Bashi Channel on Monday morning flying into the western Pacific, and returned on the same course. The joint drills on Monday came only one day after PLA forces conducted a combat readiness drill on Sunday with warships, bombers, jet fighters, and early warning aircraft. The combat planes cruised through the Bashi Channel and Miyako Strait and conducted real combat-oriented training. Unlike Sunday's operation, PLA fighter jets crossed the "middle line" of the Taiwan Straits on Monday, udn.com said. Song Zhongping, a mainland military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times on Monday the concentrated PLA drills are not only warnings to Taiwan secessionists, but also demonstrations of PLA capabilities to solve the Taiwan question by force. The recent drills on Monday mainly focused on real-combat scenarios including air-to-land assault and fire support, which trained and tested troop capabilities in joint operations, said Zhang. Song said these trainings are real-combat oriented and will be useful in potential battles against Taiwan's military force. Taiwan secessionist forces are disregarding the greater national interests, intensifying its scheme pursuing "independence," going against the trend and the will of the people, Zhang said, noting that the PLA Eastern Theater Command troops are always on high alert, closely following the situation and are ready to resolutely fulfill its missions. An authoritative source who declined to be named told the Global Times after the first operation on Sunday that Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party has been increasingly colluding with the US, attempting with the US to confront the Chinese mainland, planning Lai Ching-te's US visit, seeking "independence." Brussels, Feb 11 : A crisis within Yemen's humanitarian emergency, deemed the world's greatest, could be reaching breaking point over the control of lifesaving aid millions of Yemenis need to survive, a media report said on Tuesday. Major donors and some of the world's biggest aid agencies will meet in Brussels on Thursday in an effort to forge a collective response to what is being widely described as unprecedented and unacceptable obstruction by Houthi authorities who hold sway over large swathes of northern Yemen, the BBC said in the report. A recent UN Security Council briefing on the war-torn country underlined that access constraints were affecting 6.7 million Yemenis who needed assistance - a figure which it noted has "never been so high". "Humanitarian agencies must operate in an environment where they can uphold humanitarian principles," the BBC quoted Lise Grande, the UN's Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, as saying on Monday. "If we reach a point where the operating environment doesn't allow us to do that, we do everything we can to change it." Months of meetings, a succession of envoys despatched to the capital Sanaa, and a series of statements to the UN Security Council have failed to resolve a catalogue of complaints ranging from delays in permits to harassment and detention of staff. Concerns spiked when a levy on every aid agency was proposed, amounting to 2 per cent of operational budgets, by the body established to exert greater control over aid known as the Supreme Council for the Management and Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (SCMCHA). This report comes after 24 patients were evacuated from Yemen to Jordan on February 8 on a UN-chartered plane, the second flight of a medical air bridge from the closed airport in Sanaa. The World Health Organization had launched the medical air bridge operation last week with the first flight carrying seven patients to the Jordanian capital. The air bridge of 'mercy flights' was initially due to be launched in October, but negotiations with the countries involved, including Saudi Arabia, caused delays. Sanaa is under the control of Houthis, an Iran-aligned rebel group opposed to the internationally recognized government of Abdu-Rabeh Mansour Hadi. The airspace is in the hands of the pro-Hadi Arab coalition and has remained closed to civilian aircraft since 2016. Houthi health authorities say that around 32,000 patients need to be airlifted via Sanaa airport for medical treatment abroad. Fighting broke out in late 2014 when Houthi rebels, backed by Iran, occupied Sanaa and other provinces in the country and dissolved the government. The battle intensified in 2015 with the intervention of the Arab-led coalition made up of Sunni countries in favour of forces loyal to President Abdo Rabu Mansur Hadi, who is internationally recognized and currently in exile in Riyadh. Over 24 million Yemenis, around 80 per cent of the war-torn country's population, are in desperate need of humanitarian aid due to the conflict, according to UN reports. One of the two elite CoBRA commandos killed in an encounter with Naxals in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district on Monday was set to get married on March 27 and had even applied for leave for it, a relative said. Purnanand Sahu, part of the 204th battalion of the Central Reserve Police force's elite Commando Battalions for Resolute Action, was killed along with colleague Vikas Kumar in a gunfight with Maoist ultras in Pamed area of Bijapur. Sahu was a native of Jangalpur near Ranjangaon town in Chhattisgarh and had joined the Central Reserve Police Force, the parent body of the CoBRA unit, in April, 2013. "Purnanand was with his family to celebrate New Year. We had no idea it is the last time he would be coming home. It is absolutely numbing. He was set to get married on March 27 and had even applied for leave," his uncle Vedprakash Sahu said. "Purnanand was the main breadwinner of the family and was taking care of the education of his four siblings, including two sisters," he added. Purnanand's father Lakshman Sahu said, "I always wanted to join the police but could not do so. Nobody in the family was aware of my son's willingness to join the force until he was selected for the CRPF. That day I told myself Purnanand was no longer my son but the son of this country. I am proud of my son's martyrdom." Sahu was cremated with full state honours in Jangalpur village with his body brought to the site wrapped in the tricolour, amid hundreds of villagers who shouted slogans hailing his bravery. Among those who attended were Dongargaon MLA Daleshwar Sahu, Rajnandgaon Collector Jaiprakash Maurya as well as police and CRPF officers. Collector Maurya said a government school in the village would named after the martyred commando. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A video circulating on social media has led to the closure of three upscale restaurants in Tehran, a local court announced. The video shows men and women in a restaurant dancing in violation of the Islamic Republic law that bans people from dancing in public. The managers of the three restaurants are behind bars for allowing their customers to hold a mixed-gender party. The prosecutor has charged the managers with preparing an environment for men and women to mix and creating an "atmosphere against moral and religious principles." However, the video circulated on social media shows that all women dancing in the restaurant were respecting the Islamic Republic dress code and wore headscarves. At the same time, a number of them even had full hijab and covered in "chador." The chador is a large piece of loose cloth wrapped around the head and upper body to toe, leaving only the face exposed. The sealed-off restaurants, Divan, Ferdowsi, and Shabestan, are among the best-known eateries in the Iranian capital city. Closing down restaurants for having allowed customers to dance is not unprecedented in the clergy-dominated Iran. As recently as January 5, Boustan Gate in the capital city of the oil-rich province of Khuzestan was sealed off for hosting a party during the funeral procession of the fallen Chief Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps' Qods Force, Qassem Soleimani. General Soleimani was killed in a targeted U.S. drone strike on January 3, 2020, outside Baghdad international airport. The video in this tweet shows customers dancing in one of the sealed-off restaurants. President of Russia Vladimir Putin has congratulated his Azerbaijani counterpart on Yeni Azerbaijan Partys victory in the snap parliamentary elections, reports TASS. Accept my sincere congratulatory remarks on the occasion of victory of Yeni Azerbaijan Party in the snap parliamentary elections. The results of the nationwide vote showed that the political party has a high reputation. I hope for further strengthening of the strategic cooperation between our nations, the congratulatory message reads. Putin wished Aliyev and his companions more success and wished the people of Azerbaijan welfare and prosperity. The European Commission's head of task force for relations with the UK Michel Barnier told MEPs the EU would not open financial services up for negotiations in trade talks. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco) Europes chief Brexit negotiator has warned UK politicians not to kid themselves about continued access to the EU market for UK financial services firms. Addressing the European Parliament on Tuesday, Michel Barnier told MEPs the EU would not open financial services up for negotiations in trade talks. Instead, the EU will offer equivalence, which means European regulators will dictate the standards that UK-based finance firms must uphold. Barnier signalled that regulators will also regularly check to make sure these standards are being met. Firms could be kicked out of the Single Market if they fall short. Read more: EU offers UK 'best in class' trade deal but wants fishing access Were not negotiating on these topics with the United Kingdom, rather we are checking that there is consistency and wherever possible we will grant equivalence, Barnier said. They should not kid themselves about this, there will not be general open-ended ongoing equivalence in financial services. We will keep control of these tools and we will retain a free hand to keep our own decisions. UK-based financial services firms are set to lose passporting rights at the end of the transition period on 31 December 2020. Passporting allows EU-based finance firms to use their own local licenses to operate anywhere in the Single Market. Read more: Boris and Barnier spar in first Brexit trade skirmish Equivalence, on the other hand, would mean EU watchdogs grant specific firms or sectors the right to operate in the EU, so long as they meet centrally defined standards. It is a much more hands-on approach. Thats what we did with Canada, thats what we do with the United States and Japan, and it works, Barnier said. So I dont see why it shouldnt work with the United Kingdom. However, George Buckley, chief UK and European economist, said earlier this month there are a few big problems with the equivalence regime. Read more: Boris Johnson's Canada and Australia-style trade deals explained Story continues The EU can pull the plug on them within a month, Buckley told Yahoo Finance UK. Financial services might one month be in scope and next month be out of scope. You cant run a business reasonably on the assumption that you might not be able to trade with Europe in a months time. Theyve always got their own definitions of what equivalence means and it might not stack up with us. Britain and the EU are set to begin trade talks next month. Barnier signalled in a speech earlier this month the UK must align closely to EU standards if it wants continued deep access to the Single Market. Irish leader Leo Varadkar said last month the UK may also have to make concessions on fishing access in exchange for financial services access. Watch the latest videos from Yahoo Finance UK The token industry is applauding SEC Commissioner Hester Peirces Safe Harbor proposal, calling it a mature response to the 2017 ICO bubble. Announced the day before decentralized finance (DeFi) protocol 0xs 0xpo conference last Friday in San Francisco, founders, lawyers and tokenization fanatics of all stripes said the proposal could be a boon for both entrepreneurs and investors in the nascent tokenization industry. And what better a place to ponder the news: an event dedicated to the permissionless exchange of digital assets with a deep roster of ethereum veterans in attendance. Add to that, news of the DeFi sector breaching $1 billion in locked-in crypto and the energy at 0xpo rivaled tip-off at March Madness. Related: Options Market Sees More Risk in Ether Than Bitcoin in Coming Months It shows a remarkable level of personal care, Richard Burton, an independent DeFi developer, told CoinDesk. [Peirce] has clearly really thought through the opportunities and challenges of people building these systems in America. Ultimately she doesnt want to see innovation leave Americas shores. The SEC proposal has two major points: a three-year grace period for token projects to sufficiently decentralize according to SEC standards plus a documentation process involving both team and code disclosures. Peirce said the three-year window would provide enough time for projects to decentralize their tokens so as not to fall under the securities definitions enshrined in the regulators infamous Howey Test. In March 2019, SEC Chairman Jay Clayton seconded SEC Director William Hinmans opinion that ethereum, the second-largest cryptocurrency by market cap, had decentralized enough to no longer be considered a security. Robert Leshner, CEO of DeFi protocol Compound, said the Peirce proposal could lead to novel financial assets coming onto the blockchain. For Compound, that opens up more loans based on previously difficult-to-trade assets such as real estate. Story continues Related: Vermont Turns to Home-Grown Blockchain Company to Track Hemp With Ethereum It creates an avenue to safely create financial assets, Leshner said of the proposal. I think there might be more other types of collateral assets available not just to Compound but to DeFi in general over time. 0x data scientist Alex Kroeger told CoinDesk the 0x team was excited to see the proposal move forward. As a past developer for Stripe and the founder of now-defunct wallet startup Balance, Burton called the three-year safe harbor period just about right for projects, noting bitcoin, ethereum and DeFi protocol Maker took about three years to get out the door. Good projects should be met with healthy regulation, Burton added. If youre in North Korea explaining how to use DAI or you get a celebrity to help you sell a shitcoin, you deserve to meet the tough arm of the law, Burton said. If youre trying to build new financial services with sensible valuations and using experienced investors that should be what America should encourage. The Peirce proposal comes after massive investor losses following the 2017 ICO boom and subsequent bust. Dozens upon dozens of coins remain 90 percent or more underwater from all-time highs. Bitcoin remains nearly 50 percent down from $20,000 peak in December 2017 and ethereum down some 84 percent, according to data provider Messari, despite its recent run-up to $220. Kevin Owocki, who operates an open-source funding project for ethereum, Gitcoin, called the proposal a positive step. Although Gitcoin does not have a token and never ran an ICO, Owocki told CoinDesk the proposal keeps the U.S. a competitive place for technological innovation. Compounds Leshner came to a similar conclusion, telling CoinDesk that stronger teams and products will ship because of the clear regulatory stance. We are going to see some sense of comeback of higher quality teams into the market willing to create financial assets knowing that theres a path for them to do so safely, he said, This will probably take at least a year to play out before we start to see the comeback of the token. Even still, the proposal is just that: a proposal. As a commissioner, Peirces stance is notable and valuable for the industry but has a long road before becoming law, said Daniel A. Nathan, a partner at San Francisco-based securities law firm Orrick. Orrick has successfully defended 100 securities class actions in the U.S., according to documents from the firm. Shes out there by herself, Nathan said. Related Stories Watertown, NY (13601) Today A mix of clouds and sun. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 8F. Winds WNW at 5 to 10 mph.. Tonight Cloudy skies this evening will become partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 5F. Winds S at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible. Previous budget proposals by President Trump along these lines have been soundly rejected by Congress, which has increased funding in each of the past three years for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities. The total budget for those agencies in fiscal year 2020 is $162.25 million, a 10-year high. SAN FRANCISCO After two months of missed rent, it was the knock on the door that the family had been dreading. Eviction brought the prospect of homelessness after months of living on the brink. But little did they know that the man handing over the eviction documents, John Hebbring, was homeless himself. Believe me, we see the irony, said Mr. Hebbring, whose job it is to deliver eviction notices with his girlfriend, Kim Hansen. Together they live in a 50-year-old trailer infested by rats. At Your Credit Union Partner we spend most of our time on-site with credit union leaders, discussing opportunities and challenges. During 2019, we traveled more than 150,000 miles, making 56 site visits and facilitating 32 strategic planning sessions. These diverse experiences give us firsthand insight into what is top-of-mind for credit union leaders. Five critical observations standout: Board Transitions The good news here is that a majority of the boards we worked with throughout the year, are becoming more diverse. New recruits are mostly younger, female, and are racially/ethnically diverse, leading to strategic conversations that are richer and significantly more inclusive. An emerging challenge facing board chairs and credit union leaders, centers on legacy board members who no longer make measurable contributions and its time for them to go. Credit unions are looking for the best ways to address this issue so they can make room for new board members who have more to offer. Human Resource Dilemma Human Resource issues have been a hot topic for many years it got even more heated in 2019. This years conversations centered on the retention of key staff and strengthening the mid-level leadership bench. The search for great talent has gone as far as competitor banks and credit union recruiters appearing in credit union offices, on-site, trying to woo talent away. One client shared that nearly every member of their executive and mid-level leadership team received at least one offer from another institution in the area during the past year. Successful credit unions are digging deep to find better ways to keep their best people. These ideas include robust educational opportunities. One credit union leader launched a cool development idea, creating a Mission and Margin themed educational plan. This plan (bundle) included CMS, CUDE, and a leadership development program for emerging leaders. Another fresh example is a mid-sized credit union that leveraged a bring your baby to work program. The program allows moms to bring their new baby to work with them for the first six months. This is the third time we have heard of this type of program. Proponents share they are keeping great talent, and its endearing great loyalty. Recruitment and retention are issues that will be with us for a long time (forever?). Successful credit union leaders are identifying programs that are different and better. To do this, they focus on making sure they have the earnings to be leading edge. A Shorter Lending Window Fintech and other technology-savvy lenders are shortening the time lenders have to fund loans that have been approved. Of course, the strategic conversations are focused on improving the ability to automate the approval and funding process. The more credit union lenders can do this, the less likely they are to lose the loan request to a competitor. However, a majority of credit union loans are still being underwritten manually and not immediately funded due to system, delivery, or other challenges (e.g., lender requirements such as purchase agreement, paycheck stubs, etc.). When this occurs, the window between the time a loan is approved and the time its funded is larger. From the moment a consumer triggers an auto, mortgage, or another credit search, they are immediately bombarded with offers, many of which provide a better rate or a more convenient process. Most credit unions are investigating strategies to improve loan approval and delivery automation. Credit unions that still rely on a very manual approval and disbursing platform are paying closer attention to funding loans as quickly as possible upon approval. The Most Engaged Teams By far, the most engaged and passionate teams we work with are at credit unions with a well-defined community development purpose. Like most leaders, they face capacity, technology, human resource, regulatory, and competitive challenges. Their plates are full. Yet, they still find the energy, time, and capacity for those things that matter most to them. They intentionally serve underserved groups and take on significant community challenges. Their staff actively volunteer for opportunities to serve the community and are not coerced by management to participate. Their passion for making a material and meaningful impact in the lives of their members and communities drives them to stretch to do more. These teams shed tears when they share stories of how they and/or their credit union made a big difference in someones life. Thriving Small Credit Unions Nothing irritates me more than comments that indicate there is no future for small credit unions. Its irritating because it runs counter to what we experience when working with small credit unions that are very much thriving. Consider this: at a time when the rate of loan and membership growth decreased for a majority of credit unions (of all sizes) in 2019, there are small credit unions that have increasing growth and revenue trends. Its in this environment of decreasing growth trends that the group of small credit unions we work with regularly achieved the following average results: ROA of 0.623 percent, increasing average loan growth of 8.19 percent, and a high level of membership growth of 5.4 percent. This is ALL organic growth. These are not the ratios of organizations that are going away any time soon. Of course, there are smaller credit unions that fail to embrace change and fail to find a niche where they can effectively compete. The same can be said for larger institutions. Why it matters If I had to select a few words that summed up our credit union experiences in 2019, they would be change, purpose, and inclusion. Regardless of asset size, successful credit unions are all engaged in significant changes to ensure competitiveness and long-term viability. Successful credit union leaders are clarifying their purpose and more widely sharing it internally and externally. The best credit union leaders can clearly articulate what makes them better and different. The best organic growth sources for smaller and midsized credit unions are coming from inclusion strategies that focus on underserved markets. Nobody said it would be easy. But we were promised this by early credit union pioneer Edward Filene: The credit union movement. It is a great movement, worthy of great deeds, deserving of great loyalty. We believe Mr. Filene was spot-on. British finance minister Sajid Javid vowed Tuesday to build a "durable relationship" for financial services in a post-Brexit trade deal, under plans he will outline in the coming months. Javid's powerful Treasury department "will come forward with a white paper in the spring on the future of the UK financial sector", Javid said in London's free City AM daily business newspaper. "From next year, we will have the freedom to make our own rules outside the constraints of the Single Market and customs union," he wrote. "And ... we want a future relationship with the EU where we work together in pursuit of common interests." He added: "We will no longer be rule-takers, but we remain committed to the highest international standards of financial regulation and to shaping global rule-making. "We may choose to do things in the same way as the EU if it works for the UK. But there will be differences, not least because as a global financial centre the UK needs to keep pace with and drive international standards." Britain left the European Union on January 31 after nearly half a century of membership -- and the post-Brexit transition period ends on December 31. The remarks on London's influential finance industry come one week after Catherine McGuinness, policy chair of the City of London Corporation, declared she was hopeful that a financial services deal can be reached with Brussels by the end of 2020. Javid repeated London's desire to achieve "equivalence", whereby its rules for firms are considered sufficiently compatible in order to maintain access to the EU market. "We will pursue fulfilling the joint commitment that the UK and EU have already made to conclude a full range of equivalence assessments by June 2020," he wrote. "As we leave the EU with the same rules, achieving equivalence on day one should not be complicated. "Of course, each side will only grant equivalence if it believes the other's regulations are compatible. "But compatible does not mean identical, and both the UK and the EU have at different times recognised the importance of focusing on regulatory outcomes." Until now, London's Brexit focus has largely been on trade -- and the plight of Britain's symbolic fishing sector. "If the EU, like us, wants a durable relationship, we should also include measures to directly address the long-term needs of industry for a reliable equivalence process," added Javid on Tuesday. "This would provide the certainty on which internationally mobile businesses can depend. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Uber and Postmates were rebuffed Monday by a federal judge who denied their request to temporarily halt enforcement of AB5, Californias new gig-work law, against them. AB5 makes it harder for companies to claim that workers are independent contractors, rather than employees. Uber and Postmates, as well as many other gig-economy companies, contend that this would ravage their business models. The balance of equities and the public interest weigh in favor of permitting the state to enforce this legislation, wrote U.S. District Judge Dolly M. Gee in a 24-page ruling on the San Francisco companies request for a preliminary injunction. The case, Olson vs. California, was filed Dec. 30 in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles. The two companies, along with a driver for each of them, sued California in late December, contending that AB5 is irrational and unconstitutional. They claim the law unfairly targeted modern app-based ride and delivery companies, in part because it exempts many other professions such as doctors, lawyers, engineers and architects. But, ruling that there are rational explanations for AB5s exemptions, Gee wrote that the plaintiffs were unlikely to prove they had been discriminated against. Uber disagreed. State legislators ... passed AB5 using a biased and overtly political process that ignored the voices of the workers most affected by the law and granted preferential treatment to an arbitrary group of industries, the company said. We are joining a growing group of companies and individuals suing to ensure that all workers are equally protected under the law and can freely choose the way they want to work. Postmates said it was disappointed in the decision. AB5 is undercutting workers across the economy, and Postmates remains committed to the modernization of worker classification and worker protections and sees our ballot conversation with voters, our legal conversation with drivers, and our continued outreach to all stakeholders as critical pieces to an enduring pro-worker, pro-innovation solution that preserves the flexibility and autonomy of California workers while adding meaningful benefits, it said in a statement. Both companies are considering whether to appeal the order. Gee used some of the companies own insistence that they can pass AB5s stricter employment test to undercut their arguments. The lawsuit claimed that AB5 deprives Uber and Postmates drivers of their ability to pursue their chosen occupation, and impairs the companies contracts with drivers. However, she said, since Uber and Postmates have explicitly stated that AB5 does not require them to reclassify their drivers as employees, they cannot at the same time claim they were subject to forced classification. Even if drivers were reclassified as employees, she said, they potentially could still pursue their line of work, provided that their employers compensate them properly and allow them to have flexible work schedules. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes The companies failed to prove that AB5 does not serve a significant and legitimate public purpose, she write. Uber and Postmates contended that they face a Hobsons choice. By not classifying workers, they could be subject to litigation and the threat of criminal penalties, while reclassifying would involve costly business restructuring, their suit said. But the judge wrote that since the companies insist AB5 wont affect their drivers employment status, any irreparable injury based on a costly business restructuring process and unrecoverable expenditures is speculative. Uber is battling AB5 in multiple ways. Uber, Lyft, DoorDash, Postmates and Instacart have pledged $110 million for an initiative that they hope to place on the November 2020 ballot. The proposed measure would keep their drivers and couriers as independent contractors while allowing them to receive some benefits and wage guarantees. Uber has also retooled some ride processes to give its California drivers more independence. Other lawsuits over AB5 have had differing results so far. Truck drivers won a preliminary injunction last month to temporarily stop enforcement against motor carriers until their case challenging the law is heard in court. But freelance writers and photographers were denied in their request for a temporary restraining order. Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid Pune, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The global Next-Generation Sequencing Market size is projected to reach USD 31,411.3 million by 2026, thereby exhibiting a CAGR of 22.2% during the forecast period. However, it stood at USD 6,335.2 million in 2018. Fortune Business Insights published this information in a report, titled, Next-Generation Sequencing Market Size, Share and Industry Analysis by Type (Products, Instruments & Software, Consumables, Services), By Application (Diagnostics, Research), By End User (Research Institutes, Healthcare Facilities & Diagnostic Centres, Pharmaceutical & Biotechnological Companies, Contract Research Organization) & Regional Forecast, 2019 2026. The report further mentions that the market would gain momentum from the implementation of genomics projects in countries, such as Qatar and the U.K. For more information in the analysis of this report, visit: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-market-101000 This Report Answers the Following Questions: What are the NGS market trends, growth drivers, and hindrances? What are the opportunities and challenges that the market is expected to face? Which strategies are being adopted by key players to increase sales? How many mergers and acquisitions took place in the industry? Which region would lead in terms of revenue in the coming years? Drivers- Increasing Prevalence of Chronic Diseases to Accelerate Growth Increasing demand for accurate, cost-effective, and quick DNA sequencing data interpretation is affecting the market positively. NGS facilitates the diagnosis of diseases and research by enabling the sequencing of massive amount of DNA in a single run. Additionally, active government support and the introduction to next-generation sequencing-based diagnostics are set to boost the NGS market growth. Moreover, the application of NGS is upsurging rapidly across the world for diagnosing diseases owing to its low cost. The emergence of numerous testing services and test kits for genetic testing, cancer diagnosis, and non-invasive prenatal testing would also contribute to the growth of the market. In addition to that, improved reimbursement coverage for NGS-based diagnostic tests, increasing research activities, and rising incidence of chronic diseases are anticipated to augment the growth of the market in the coming years. Request a Sample Copy of the Research Report: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/request-sample-pdf/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-market-101000 Regional Analysis- Active Government Support to Favor Growth in North America In terms of geography, the market is segregated into the Middle East and Africa, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and North America. Out of these, North America generated USD 2,331.4 million in 2018 in terms of next-generation sequencing market revenue. This growth is attributable to the increasing prevalence of cancer, the direct presence of reputed manufacturers, and active government support. Europe, on the other hand, is estimated to expand considerably backed by increasing strategic partnerships amongst key players, rising emphasis on precision medicines, and growing investments in research. Asia Pacific would grow remarkably on account of the ongoing improvements in healthcare infrastructure, rising number of awareness programs regarding reproductive health, and increasing incidence of genetic disorders. Competitive Landscape- Key Players Focus on Strategic Collaborations to Strengthen Position Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., and Illumina, Inc. are projected to lead in the forthcoming period owing to their rising number of strategic partnerships, robust geographical presence, and diversified product portfolio. Other companies are also striving persistently to gain the maximum NGS market share by launching new products. Below are a few of the key industry developments: June 2019 : Saphetor SA, a precision medicine company headquartered in Switzerland, collaborated with Swift Biosciences Inc., a developer of molecular biology reagents for research and diagnostic applications based in Michigan, to provide a set of NGS technologies and products for clinical, translational, and genomics research applications. : Saphetor SA, a precision medicine company headquartered in Switzerland, collaborated with Swift Biosciences Inc., a developer of molecular biology reagents for research and diagnostic applications based in Michigan, to provide a set of NGS technologies and products for clinical, translational, and genomics research applications. January 2019: PierianDx, Inc., a provider of a comprehensive combination of technology and services based in Missouri, declared its multi-year, non-exclusive, and strategic partnership with Illumina, Inc., a developer of integrated systems headquartered in California. The main aim of this collaboration is to offer a variant interpretation and reporting solution based on the formers clinical genomics knowledgebase and clinical genomics workspace platform for specific Illumina oncology products. Fortune Business Insights lists out some of the most renowned companies operating in the next-generation sequencing market. They are as follows: Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. Illumina, Inc. PierianDx Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. BGI Agilent Technologies, Inc. Macrogen, Inc. Eurofins Scientific PerkinElmer Inc. QIAGEN Other prominent players Have Any Query? Ask Our Experts: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/speak-to-analyst/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-market-101000 Detailed Table of Content: Introduction Research Scope Market Segmentation Research Methodology Definitions and Assumptions Executive Summary Market Dynamics Market Drivers Market Restraints Market Opportunities Key Insights Overview of Next-Generation Sequencing Diagnostics Test Regulatory Scenario - For Key Countries New Product Launch Startups with their Funding Overview Key industry Developments - Mergers, Acquisitions and Partnerships Global NGS Industry Analysis, Insights and Forecast, 2015-2026 Key Findings / Summary Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Type Products Instruments & Software Consumables Services Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Application Diagnostics Research Others Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By End User Research Institutes Healthcare Facilities & Diagnostic Centers Pharmaceutical & Biotechnological Companies Contract Research Organization (CROs) Market Analysis, Insights and Forecast By Region North America Europe Asia Pacific Latin America Middle East & Africa TOC Continued.! Request for Customization: https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/enquiry/customization/next-generation-sequencing-ngs-market-101000 Have a Look at Related Reports: Nuclear Medicine/ Radiopharmaceuticals Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Diagnostic Radiopharmaceuticals, Therapeutic Radiopharmaceuticals), By Application (Neurology, Cardiology, Oncology, and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics, Diagnostic Centers, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Connected Drug Delivery Devices Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Injectable Devices and Inhalation Devices & Others) By Technology (Bluetooth, NFC, and Others) By End User (Homecare Settings and Hospitals) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Vaccines Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Recombinant/Conjugate/Subunit, Inactivated, Live Attenuated and Toxoid), By Route of Administration (Parenteral and Oral), By Disease Indication (Viral Diseases and Bacterial Diseases), By Age Group (Pediatric and Adults), By Distribution Channel (Hospital & Retail Pharmacies, Government Suppliers and Others) and Region Forecast, 2019-2026 Point of Care (POC) Diagnostics Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Product (Blood Glucose Monitoring, Infectious Diseases, Cardiometabolic Diseases, Pregnancy and Fertility Testing Products, Hematology Testing Products, Others), By End User (Hospitals Bedside, Physicians Office Lab, Urgent Care & Retail Clinics, Home and Self Testing) and Geography Forecast till 2026 ePharmacy Market Size, Share and Global Trend By Product (Over-the-Counter Products, Prescription Medicine) and Geography forecast till 2026 In-vitro Diagnostics (IVD) Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Instruments, Reagents & Consumables), By Technique (Immunodiagnostics, Clinical Chemistry, Molecular Diagnostics, Point of Care, Hematology and Others), By Application (Infectious Diseases, Cardiology, Oncology, Gastroenterology, Others), By End User (Clinical Laboratories, Hospitals, Physicians Offices, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019 2026 Plasma Fractionation Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Product Type (Albumin, Immunoglobulin (Intravenous Immunoglobulin and Subcutaneous Immunoglobulin), Coagulation Factors, Protease Inhibitors and Others), By Application (Immunology & Neurology, Hematology, Critical Care, Pulmonology and Others), By End User (Hospitals & Clinics,) and Geography Forecast, 2019-2026 Influenza Medication Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Treatment (Baloxavir marboxil, Oseltamivir phosphate, Others), By Influenza Type (Influenza A, Influenza B), By Route of Administration (Oral, Others), By Distribution Channel (Hospitals Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Diabetic Foot Ulcer (DFU) Treatment Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Ulcer Type (Neuropathic Ulcer, Ischemic Ulcer, Neuro-ischemic Ulcer), By Product (Wound-care Dressings, Wound-care Devices, Active Therapies, and Others), By End User (Hospitals, Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers, and Homecare Settings), and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 Schizophrenia Drugs Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Therapeutic Class (Second Generation, Third Generation, Others), By Treatment (Oral, Injectable), By Distribution Channel (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies, Online Pharmacies, and Others) and Regional Forecast, 2019-2026 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 to 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. Contact Us: Fortune Business Insights Pvt. Ltd. 308, Supreme Headquarters, Survey No. 36, Baner, Pune-Bangalore Highway, Pune - 411045, Maharashtra, India. Phone: US :+1 424 253 0390 UK : +44 2071 939123 APAC : +91 744 740 1245 Email: sales@fortunebusinessinsights.com Fortune Business Insights LinkedIn | Twitter | Blogs Copyright 2020 Albuquerque Journal SANTA FE Legislators on a key House committee rejected a proposal Monday that called for sharply increasing the gasoline tax as part of an effort to reduce pollution and improve New Mexicos roads. The proposal would have raised about $300 million in new revenue a year with the proceeds split among road improvements, investments in clean transportation projects and tax rebates to help low-income New Mexicans. It would have been phased in over time, eventually pushing the gas tax from 17 cents a gallon to 47 cents. Members of the House Appropriations and Finance Committee voted 14-1 to table the bill, a procedure that prevented it from advancing to the full House for consideration. The vote came after about 75 teenagers turned out to urge lawmakers to support the measure as a way combat climate change. Waiting to take action, they said, would require even more drastic steps to protect New Mexico from the effects of rising temperatures. I believe this bill will help move New Mexico to a cleaner future, said Angelina Miller, an 18-year-old from Santa Fe. Now is the time to act. But ranchers and business groups opposed to the legislation said the gasoline tax would fall hardest on rural residents who dont have the option of taking a bus or walking to work. The people I represent drive over 100 miles to get their groceries, said Rep. Anthony Allison, D-Fruitland. This would be a big burden upon them. His district covers parts of the Navajo Nation in far northwestern New Mexico. New Mexicos gas tax 17 cents a gallon hasnt been increased since 1993 and is one of the lowest in the region, legislative analysts said. The proposal, House Bill 173, called for adding a 30-cent surtax, phased in through 2025. Rep. Matthew McQueen, a Galisteo Democrat and sponsor of the bill, said the proposed tax rebate was an important part of the legislation. A gas tax is typically regressive, he said, but the rebate would have provided relief to low-income residents. Nonetheless, opponents questioned the need for new taxes amid the oil boom in southeastern New Mexico, which has pushed state revenue levels to new heights. Given the budget surplus, there is no reason to raise taxes, said Ashley Wagner, manager of public policy and communications for the New Mexico Association of Commerce and Industry. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota has risen in recent polls ahead of Tuesdays Democratic primary in New Hampshire, while Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has remained ahead of the other top presidential contenders by a margin of more than five percentage points. Sanders leads the congested primary race in the Granite State with 26.60% of likely Democratic voters in the state saying they would cast their ballot for him, according to the most recent Suffolk University, Boston Globe and WBZ poll. Five-hundred New Hampshire residents, who said they were very or somewhat likely to vote in their states Democratic presidential primary, were interviewed on Saturday and Sunday. Mayor Pete Buttigieg of South Bend, Indiana, trails Sanders with 19.40% of those polled saying they would vote for him. Klobuchar has now jumped to third place in the tight New Hampshire race with 13.60% of the vote, leaping ahead of Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and former Vice President Joe Biden. We are one day from the New Hampshire primary, we are surging and we arent going to stop! Klobuchar tweeted Monday. We are one day from the New Hampshire primary, we are surging and we arent going to stop! Join us tonight and get ready to hit the ballot box tomorrow!https://t.co/QK2QSub1GH https://t.co/wznZOEZr1A Amy Klobuchar (@amyklobuchar) February 10, 2020 Sanders was neck-and-neck with Buttigieg in Iowa after the delayed caucuses results were reported, and he was previously ahead of the mayor in New Hampshire by just two percentage points, according to previous polling. Sanders jumped by nearly three percentage points in New Hampshire, though, while Buttigieg dropped by more than two points. Warren too has declined by around two percentage points. A little more than 11.50% of those polled in New Hampshire said they would vote for her, while Biden stands at 11.80%. More than seven percent of Granite State Democratic voters said they are still undecided. Sanders, who won New Hampshire in the 2016 primary against Hillary Clinton, raised $25 million in the month of January for his campaign, more funds than any other Democratic presidential candidate raised during any full quarter last year. The progressive Democrat planned to use the money to buy $5.5 million in television and digital ads in Arkansas, Colorado, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Utah, The New York Times reported. Four years ago New Hampshire kicked off our political revolution and now is the time to complete it, Sanders tweeted. Four years ago New Hampshire kicked off our political revolution and now is the time to complete it. Join us live from Rindge, NH and find your polling location for tomorrows primary at https://t.co/SzA3x65zxh: https://t.co/whz19eNY63 Bernie Sanders (@BernieSanders) February 10, 2020 As the Democratic candidates campaigned across the state on the eve of the primary, Republican President Donald Trump held a rally. The president, who lost the state to Clinton in the 2016 general election, falsely claimed at Mondays rally he would have won if Massachusetts residents had not crossed over state lines to illegally vote in New Hampshires election. Trump lost the popular vote to Clinton four years ago by around 3 million. He frequently made false claims that voter fraud occurred in several states. Voting in New Hampshire started this morning. The booths will close at 7 p.m. Related Content: Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 22:24:13|Editor: ZD Video Player Close Children interact with a robot at the International Makers Exhibition in Hawalli Governorate, Kuwait, on Feb. 11, 2020. Kuwait launched on Tuesday the International Makers Exhibition in Hawalli Governorate to support its homegrown industrial projects. More than 170 projects from 12 Arab nations participated in the five-day exhibition. (Photo by Asad/Xinhua) KUWAIT CITY, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait launched on Tuesday the International Makers Exhibition in Hawalli Governorate to support its homegrown industrial projects. More than 170 projects from 12 Arab nations participated in the five-day exhibition. At the opening ceremony, Kuwait's Minister of Commerce and Industry Khaled Al-Roudhan said that Kuwaiti-made projects dealing with industry and technology take precedence over other endeavors in different fields. Kuwait fully supports leading Kuwaiti projects, especially those that are specialized in the fields of industry, technology and even handicrafts, he said, noting that this would contribute to a qualitative shift in the nature of the Kuwaiti industry. The purpose of the exhibition is to give a chance to local entrepreneurs to put their projects on display, said Yousef Al-Ali, chairman of the Kuwait Investment Company. Such exhibitions provide a learning experience for these young men and women as they seek to turn their ambitions into realities, said al-Ali, also the organizer of the exhibition. In addition, the show offers entrepreneurs opportunities to come together and share their ideas in a bid to propel the region's technology and industry sectors, he added. As the AAP is all set for a massive victory in the Delhi assembly elections, posters were seen at the BJP's office featuring Amit Shah's pictures with a message that the party neither becomes arrogant with victory nor gets disheartened with defeat. The posters at the BJP's Delhi unit office carried the message "Vijay se hum anhakari nahi hote haar se hum hatash nahi hote (Victory doesn't make us arrogant, and defeat doesn't dishearten us). Shah was the force behind the BJP's high octane campaign in the national capital, where the party had deployed more than 200 of its MPs, Union ministers and many chief ministers. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Even before the deadly virus struck, another menace confronted the global energy industry: the warmest winter anyone can remember. Russias winter was so balmy that snow was trucked into downtown Moscow for New Year, and bears came out of hibernation. In Japan, ski competitions were canceled and the Sapporo Snow Festival had to borrow snow. On the shores of Lake Michigan, Chicago residents watched playgrounds and beaches disappear under the waves as warm weather swelled the water level. Norwegians basked in T-shirts in January. Londons spring daffodils have already flowered. AT THE PUMP: Gasoline prices fall to lowest since oil bust For global energy markets its a disasterand as the world continues to get hotter its something producers, traders and government treasuries will have to live with long after the acute dislocation of the coronavirus has passed. The industry relies on cold weather across the northern hemisphere to drive demand for oil and gas to heat homes and workplaces in the worlds most advanced economies. Climate activists might find a certain poetic justice in energy markets suffering from the global warming caused by fossil fuels. Burning natural gas, oil and other fuels to heat homes and businesses accounts for as much as 12% of the greenhouse-gas emissions blamed for raising the worlds temperatures. The loss in global oil demand due to mild temperatures is probably about 800,000 barrels a day in January, according to Gary Ross, chief investment officer of Black Gold Investors LLC and founder of oil consultant PIRA Energy. Thats the equivalent of knocking out Turkeys entire consumption. The natural gas market has taken a similar hit. The oversupply keeps coming and winter so far hasnt really showed up, said Ron Ozer, chief investment officer of Statar Capital LLC, an energy-focused hedge fund in New York. Last month was the hottest January ever in Europe, the Copernicus Climate Change Service reported. Surface temperatures were 3.1 degrees Celsius (5.6 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than average. Northern Europe was particularly hot, with some areas from Norway to Russia more than 6 degrees above the 1981-2010 January average. Temperatures in Tokyo took until Feb. 6 to hit freezing point, the latest date on record. Globally, the last five years have been the hottest for centuries, as greenhouse gases change the Earths ecosystem. Natural gas prices have collapsed globally as the weather crimped the need for heating. U.S. futures are trading at the lowest levels for this time of the year since the 1990s. Asian spot prices for liquefied natural gas have crashed to a record as demand slumps in the worlds three biggest importersJapan, South Korea and China. Based on weather-driven demand data, the U.S. and Asia are having their warmest winters on record and Europe is having its second warmest, according to Joe Woznicki, a meteorologist for Commodity Weather Group LLC. A key measure of heating demand, known as heating degree days, is 12% below the 10-year average in the U.S., 14% lower in Asia and 13% in Europe. And its not just markets that are reeling. Its also an issue for government treasuries. Russia, for example, relies on its oil and gas companies for around 40% of budget revenues. Oil exports have been holding steady, but gas exports are dropping. Sergei Kapitonov, gas analyst at Moscow-based Skolkovo Energy Center, estimates Gazproms exports to Europe and Turkey fell in January by about a quarter from a year earlier. Gazprom stock is down 11% this year. The collapse in oil pricesspurred by the coronavirus but pushed along by the warm weatherprompted Saudi Arabia to press its OPEC+ allies for a production curb. Three days of wrangling in Vienna didnt produce a clear result, but its a reminder that the kingdom cant run its state finances with oil prices in freefall. From Algeria to Venezuela, similar dynamics are in play. This years especially warm winter was triggered by events in the Arctic. An intense weather pattern there kept the cold locked in the Arctic region, leaving North America and Eurasia relatively mild. When the winds are stronger they act as a barrier to keep Arctic air focused over the pole and keeps them from spilling southward, said Bradley Harvey, a meteorologist with Maxar in Gaithersburg, Maryland. That is likely to continue for the balance of the month and even into March. Rain patterns have also been unusualand thats added to volatility too. In Norway, the biggest source of electricity comes from running water through turbines. The wettest January since records began turned a deficit of water in reservoirs in December to a huge surplus in Januaryand sent prices crashing in the Nordic power market. The abnormal winter could hardly have come at a worse time for the U.S. gas market, which is already suffering a glut. U.S. shale drillers have delivered two years of unprecedented production growth and in the Permian Basin of West Texas and New Mexico theres so much gasthe byproduct of drilling for oilthat producers are even paying to get rid of it. Europe and Asia were set to become important export outlets for American gas. Then the weather changed. Its unfortunate that were making all this LNG thats not worth very much around the world, Corey Grindal, senior vice president of supply at Cheniere Energy Inc., said. Advertisement The photographers vying for the top prize in this year's Sony World Photography Awards' professional category have been revealed. And here we present a selection from the shortlisted entrants that shows exactly why they are pros. The awards professional competition aims to recognise a 'remarkable body of work for technical excellence and a fresh perspective on contemporary subjects'. This year, over 135,000 photographs were submitted in the professional competition - the highest number of entries in the awards' 13-year history. There are 10 categories including architecture, environment, natural world and wildlife, landscape, documentary and portraiture. The winner of the Photographer of the Year 2020 title will be announced during the Sony World Photography Awards 2020 ceremony in London on April 16. The winners of the Sony World Photography Awards' open contest and youth contest will also be announced at the same event. Scroll down and pick your favourite... Chinese photographer Peixia Xie, shortlisted in the landscape category, captured this mesmerising aerial image of a winding mountain road in Xinjiang, north-west China Hasheem Shakeri, from Iran, is a finalist in the discovery category for his series of images that look at the lives of those forced to leave the Iranian capital Tehran due to an economic downturn. This picture he captured shows half-constructed buildings in the new town of Pardis. He said: 'Many of the apartments are owned by people who pre-purchased them many years ago and are still waiting for them to be completed so they can move in. However, the timing of the completion is being constantly postponed' Marko Dimitrijevic from Switzerland is shortlisted in the natural world and wildlife category for his series of snaps of wildlife in the Yukon, Canada. Pictured is a shot by Marko of a grizzly bear who has been chasing salmon. He said: 'With temperatures reaching -30C their wet fur instantly freezes when they get out of the river. The white icicles create a strong contrast on their dark fur giving their faces profound and varied expressions' A macaque walks in front of a wall featuring monkey graffiti on the outskirts of the Thai city of Lopburi. The striking image was captured by Spanish photographer Joan de la Malla, who is shortlisted in the natural world and wildlife category. She said: 'Many people in Lopburi have a great appreciation for the macaques' Ronny Behnert, from Germany, is a finalist in the landscape category for his series of photographs of Buddhist and Shinto temples across Japan. This image shows the Bentenjima temple on the west coast of Japan. He said: 'It was like a little paradise, waiting for its visitors. I liked the combination of the detailed green trees and the beautiful red torii gate' Korean photographer Chang Kyun Kim is shortlisted in the landscape category for a series of images that show Japanese internment camps, where thousands of US citizens and residents of Japanese ancestry were imprisoned during the Second World War. Pictured is the Topaz War Relocation Center in Delta, Utah. He said: 'I tried to show this long-lasting artefact and the harsh landscape that surrounds the campsite' A dramatic image by Dutch photographer Jeroen van Dam at an unknown location. He is shortlisted in the landscape category for his series of images following urban explorers. He said: 'I follow these people all over the world, documenting their adventures. This particular series features tunnel systems, which are often intriguing and architecturally pleasing due to their circular shapes and massive scale' Shortlisted in the portraiture category is Jon Enoch from the United Kingdom for his images showing delivery drivers on the streets of Hanoi, Vietnam. He snapped this picture of a scooter driver with a delivery of pet fish. Jon said: 'The riders have an amazing ability to transport all wonder of goods in amazing quantities. I spent a week chasing down amazing looking riders and their cargos and convincing them to pose for the camera' Tobias Friedrich, from Germany, captured this stunning coral reef picture during a sunset in Egypt for his series called Below Surface, which is shortlisted in the natural world and wildlife category A colourful diamond squid captured by Chinese photographer Songda Cai in the waters of Anilao Bay in the Philippines. He is shortlisted in the natural world and wildlife category. He said: 'After trying with all the different compositions and poses, it offered me this very symmetrical photo with all the tentacles extended, as if it's trying to show off its beautiful tripes and chromatophores' Eddy van Wessel, from the Netherlands, is shortlisted in the documentary category for his series shot in March 2019 of families living in the last ISIS stronghold of Baghuz in Syria. His image shows people trying to escape Baghuz, heading towards the desert. He said: 'The remaining ISIS families in town found themselves caught between the front lines, leaving few options for escape' Shortlisted in the sport category is American photographer Anton Dotsenko for his series on bigorexia, also known as muscle dysmorphia. He said: 'This anxiety disorder causes individuals to believe that their bodies are small and lacking in muscle, despite the fact that many sufferers could be described as big and muscular. Sufferers choose different approaches to build up muscles, from compulsively working out in the gym to injecting themselves with mystery substances. Some of these methods are dangerous, and occasionally deadly' Japanese photographer Marashiro Hiroike is a finalist in the natural world and wildlife category for a portfolio of work showing fireflies in the forests of Tottori, Japan. This image was snapped in the mountains German photographer Swen Bernitz is shortlisted in the architecture category with this image. It shows a former mining dump in the city of Bottrop, Germany. He said: 'Through the erection of a number of art installations, some of these piles of slag and rubble have become unlikely tourist attractions. As such, they have been photographed many times' U.S. President Donald Trump emphasized the importance of faith and religious freedom at the 68th National Breakfast Prayer held in Washington, D.C. Many politicians, including Vice President Mike Pence, and Christian leaders attended the meeting. "So far, we have done many great things, " Trump said in his speech. "The wonderful things this country has achieved are the result of the prayers and faith of the American people. " "But there are still a lot of people who don't like what we're doing right now, " he said, calling for support in November's presidential election. "We are creating one of the most prosperous and inclusive nations in the world that does not discriminate between race and religion," he said. Meanwhile, a day earlier, the U.S. Senate rejected the impeachment charges of President Trump. President Trump appeared at the prayer hall, showing the Trump's acquittal news on the front-page. 11.02.2020 LISTEN Zeenat Zita D. Yirenkyi is an entrepreneur who loves marketing and is passionate about technology. Zeenat Zita as she popularly called is a serial entrepreneur with businesses across Transport, Health and Non-Profits, plus doubles the CEO of Tec Konsult a Technology and Entrepreneurship Consulting firm. The born and bred Dagaati darling is a strong STEM advocate, doubles as the executive producer, host, and director of The Zeenat Zita TV talk show and Vim Time on Radio show. As a philanthropist and brand influencer, her works and voice have gradually touched lives not only in her hometown but across the length and breadth of Ghana. For a lady who has been into Tech Consulting for over a decade, she feels that she has proven herself enough in a supposedly male domineering venture, thus, her story over the years has orbited that business has no gender, regardless the industry, women can succeed if they put in the work as much as the men do. Business isnt gender-based so is making money. Though she agrees that managing a Tech Team can be very draining, unlike most fields, because, they often defy the odds so they dont really like being guided by so many rules because they need the freedom to be so creative. Most of them arent so outspoken so it takes quite some time to know how to manage each member to get the best out of them. From intense findings, we realized that prior to getting financial rewards from this line of business, comes so much work, sleepless nights and frustration. Forgetting to eat well, sleep and connect socially can be a downside and these have been some of the hard knocks that Zeenat has had to go through. Zeenats strength cuts across different spheres as she comes from an entrepreneurial family so its part of the values she has had to walk upon, that of freedom to be creative and most importantly the jobs she has created to help other people earn and cater for themselves and families. Albeit, she wanted to first learn about running a business and how to manage the day-to-day activities of a business. She needed practical experience to help her make fewer mistakes. She wanted to learn to be subordinate, to learn humbleness. She wanted to learn to manage a team, and decide on the type of leader she would want to be; then she needed to raise capital for her entrepreneurship journey. This made her work in corporate for some time until she felt she was ready. Before she was ready, she started a transport business with three cars and a van just to make sure she was getting cash flow, in other not to struggle with living and abandon her dream within three months and in the fourth month, she started her serial entrepreneurship which helped her raise more money. Then after she had enough in cash, she dived right into her Tech Company Tec Konsult with full office setup, team and all other things she needed. On being a mother, wife and businesswoman, Zeenat has had to work thrice as hard. She reckons that to be excellent in all, she needed to create a structure that works for her as in when its time for family, she doesnt bring work and vice versa. She has a support system she can rely on from the structure of the school she chose for her child to her personal structures and so for her husband. Thus, for work, she upgraded the capacity of her team so that she can supervise. Zeenats passion cuts across just technology, thus, her new television appetite The Zeenat Zita Show, comes rightly in time as she uses her platform to address thought-provoking topics on social issues, economic issues and swing politics. Just like TV, she hosts VIM TIME on Fridays 1:00pm to 3:00pm, where she touches on very daring topics so that her listeners appreciate every bit as they gambol with her. On her benevolence side, she created a charity initiative that supports the already existing charity organizations on their projects for free so one can say that she has an NGO supporting other NGOs; how does that work? Every year she and her team handpick three charity organizations that have projects that ignites their interest, they partner those three charities for help to push their projects for that year. In 2019, her focus was on Women Empowerment, Kids with Special Needs and Hepatitis issues. More also, she and her team assisted five women groups in different ways to help make their planned projects successful [Miss Ghana Mentoring session for delegates, aMLAll Moms in Leadership event, Obaasima Conference, TellitMum Conference, Mums Day Out]. In same year, they were fully part of the fun day project with their UK Partner Jennys Foundation, and their target was to assist kids with special needs and their families. In 2020, Zeenat is committed to seeking justice for kids in adult prisons for very minor crimes or those that get to be framed for things they know nothing of. Still in 2020, she is keen on seeing that her Northern people in Ghana move forward with stints of positive vibes. She figures some Ghanaians have very wrong perceptions of how the North is/looks like, thus, that side of the country need its stories to be told with some intense pride. She feels that the more light is shone on Northern Ghana; it can actually help reduce teen migration. Her concept gaits on coming to the table and renegotiating their developmental expectations and monitoring it into action. She wants to use her initiative to pull the world up North to experience Northerners so their experience would be fair and complete. Also she wants to use the network to act as a support system for Northerners in Ghana and around the world, honor and celebrate their dead heroes/heroines who laid their lives, fought for and led progressive discussions on their behalf, celebrate Northerners making significant strides, push for Northern development and set a new pace for their youth and generations to come. Aside the inspirational path (so far) of a tech enthusiast who plans to give her life to seek justice for innocent kids in adult prisons amongst other things in her tracker, Zeenats general magnificence for years to come shall remain a story that Ghana and the world at large would always want to be a part of. They are tourists who returned from China and two people who were in contact with them Open source Ukraines Ministry of Healthcare is examining five Ukrainians with suspected cases of coronavirus. Health Minister Zoryana Skaletska said this at the briefing, as Interfax-Ukraine reports. They are three Ukrainian citizens who returned from China and turned for medical aid, as well as two other people who were in contact with them. For today, we have five people whom we examine to find out if they have a coronavirus, she said. Skaletska noted that there was no deficit in medical masks in Ukraine. As it was reported, two Ukrainians with coronavirus are being treated in the hospital in Japan. They were infected on Diamond Princess cruise liner. According to the minister, they are doing fine, as they have minor symptoms. As it was reported earlier, the number of people who died from coronavirus pneumonia increased to 901, including 97 deaths for the last 24 hours. By Associated Press BANGKOK: Thai health authorities have barred a cruise ship from docking that has already been turned away by the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan out of concern over a new virus, although no cases have been confirmed on board. The chief of the Department of Disease Control, Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchai, said Tuesday that the Public Health Ministry had rejected a request from the crew of the MS Westerdam to dock at Laem Chabang in eastern Thailand. He said the ministry will further consider how to deal with the ship's situation. It began its cruise on January 16 in Singapore. Shipowner Holland America Line says there are no known cases of the virus on board. The virus has caused problems for the cruise industry. Japan's health ministry has confirmed 135 cases of the disease aboard Carnival Corp.'s Diamond Princess, which is docked in Yokohama, Japan. The ship's 3,700 passengers and crew are expected to remain under quarantine until at least February 19. Thai Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakulhad indicated on his Facebook page several hours before the official announcement that the ship would be denied entry. He posted his declaration after Holland America announced it was sailing to Laem Chabang, where passengers would disembark on February 13 to take flights home from Bangkok. The announcement by the shipowner attracted much attention among Thai social media users. Holland America had already announced that passengers would receive a complete refund. It said a scheduled departure of the Westerdam on February 15 from Yokohama had been cancelled and planned departures after February 28 were being assessed. We're always interested in hearing about news in our community. Let us know what's going on! Go to form File image An election campaign which had it all development, nationalism, hyper-nationalism, religion, communalism, name calling has thrown up a verdict which has in it something for everyone. While the results are yet to be formally announced by the Election Commission of India, trends suggest that the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is returning to power. The main opposition party in Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is in a distant second place. The Congress appears to be where it was five years ago with no seats. If the trends were to continue, of the 70 assembly seats, the AAP will win 60-62 and the BJP the remaining 8-10. If this were the case, the AAP will be losing about eight seats from its 2015 tally, while the BJP will be increasing its numbers from three in 2015. Sweeping Statement This election was AAPs to lose. Of course, repeating a 67-seat victory was near impossible, though spokespersons of AAP expressed confidence that a repeat of 2015 was possible. Of the 67 seats it had won in 2015, AAP changed its candidates in more than 15. Of the 12 reserved seats, AAP changed candidates in six; and this seems to have largely paid off because for except one, AAP is poised to retain the 11 seats. The hallmark of the 2020 Delhi elections will be the development platform on which AAP fought this election the party focused on the promises it made in 2015 and on the work it did in the past five years. AAP has showed perhaps for the first time that elections in India can be fought and won on the development plank. This is heartening news for anyone who is fed up of the communal and below-the-belt discourse election campaigns in India usually stoop to. Blunt Weapons When BJP sits to analyse the results, it will be good if it recognises that the extreme polarisation of its campaign has not yielded commensurate returns. The BJPs campaign exposed it on two fronts: One, when the Congress is not in the picture, the saffron party does not have the going easy. Two, when challenged on development, the BJP does not have much to talk about (or promise) and, resorts to the time-tested electoral binaries of Hindu-Muslim, India-Pakistan, and nationalist-terrorist. The BJPs viciously polarising campaign, where it did not have any bones in calling the sitting Chief Minister a terrorist, is a lesson on the law of diminishing returns. While a hyperbolic focus on the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) protests in Shaheen Bagh might have helped it in a few seats in East Delhi and North East Delhi, it failed in other areas. Rather than keeping AAPs failures as its focal point, BJP chose to scaremongering the voters. For now it seems that BJP has overused its nationalism card. Grand Gone Old Party From a high of polling in 48.1 percent of the votes in the 2003 assembly polls, the Congress saw its vote share reduce to 9.7 percent in 2015; in the 2020 elections, its vote share has gone below 5 percent. This from a party which had three consecutive governments in the national capital and was predominantly responsible for the facelift Delhi has today. If the narrative that the Congress was in a tacit understanding with AAP is negated, this result is a reflection of the Congress increasing and near certain irrelevance in Delhi. For two terms now the Congress will not have a representative in the assembly. The leadership crisis the party is facing at the national level is percolating to the states and what better example than Delhi? In not even one of the 70 seats has a Congress candidate come in a respectful second place. Two candidates Arvinder Singh Lovely and Alka Lamba who could have fared better, were pulled down most likely by the general indifference towards the Congress. Would they have done better had they fought the elections as independents? Vote Share Takeaways AAP has managed to more or less retain its vote share: it was 54.3 percent in 2015 and is about 53.4 percent now. The BJP, however, has reason to cheer as it has improved its tally from 32.2 percent in 2015 to 39 percent. This increase in BJPs vote share could be attributed to the erosion in the Congress vote share. In the days ahead there will be a clearer picture, but for now whats clear is that the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP will have to continue to deliver, the BJP will have to reassess its strategies and the Congress will have to wake up and smell the coffee. The brother of a young girl run down by an alleged drink-driver as she went to get ice cream in Sydney posed a heartbreaking question to his father after her tragic death. Veronique Sakr, 11, who was killed when a car mounted an Oatlands footpath 10 days ago, was described by her family as a compassionate and witty child who embraced life ahead of her funeral at the Santa Sabina College chapel in Strathfield on Tuesday. She died at the scene alongside her cousins Sienna Abdallah, 8, Angelina Abdallah, 12, and Antony Abdallah, 13, who were farewelled in a funeral on Monday. Veronique Sakr, 11, was killed when a car mounted an Oatlands footpath 10 days ago. Source: AAP The love between Veronique and her brother Michael was "beautiful and unrivalled", the family said in a statement. "When Michael was told about the tragedy he asked 'Dad, how do I do it?' I asked 'Do what?' Michael said 'Live my life without her?'" a statement released by Veroniques family said. The heartbreaking tribute was issued by her dad Bob Sakr, mum Bridget Sakr, her brother Michael and Ms Sakr's partner Craig Mackenzie. "Our beautiful girl Veronique will always be loved and eternally missed," the family said. "She brought so much love and joy to our family and the world around her. She will always be in our hearts." The photographs and coffins of Antony Abdallah, 13, Angelina Abdallah, 12, and Sienna Abdallah, 8, are seen during their funeral on Monday. Source: AAP Danny Abdallah (left), daughter (middle left) and Leila Geagea (middle right) are seen during the funeral of their children with Veronique's mum Bridget Sakr. Source: AAP Veronique, who had just started year 6 at Santa Sabina College, was "a bright spark with an infectious smile and a cheeky grin who could hold her own in any company", they wrote. "Veronique had an incredible sense of compassion and empathy for others. She always opened her kind heart to everyone who was in need of a friend. "She loved and she was loved in return. Family meant everything to her. She loved her parents and brother with all her heart." The family said Veronique had a great sense of humour and was quick and witty. Story continues "She was a very affectionate girl and wasn't shy to show it. Her amazing eyes and smile will forever be the vision we see every time we blink or close our eyes." About 2000 people filled Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral in Harris Park on Monday morning to farewell her three cousins. Monsignor Shora Maree in his homily praised parents Danny Abdallah and Leila Geagea for their display of faith in the face of the tragedy. When Ms Geagea visited the site where three of her six children died she said she forgave the alleged drink-driver Samuel William Davidson. Seen are Sienna Abdallah, 8, Antony Abdallah, 13 and Angelina Abdallah, 12. Source: AAP These "words of forgiveness stunned the world", Mons Shora told the packed church. Davidson, 29, was allegedly three times the legal blood alcohol limit when he drove into the children. He's been charged with 20 offences including four counts of manslaughter. 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. Many Chinese experts have yet to return to Vietnam for work due to the rapid spread of the Wuhan coronavirus, pushing back the date of the 20-day trial run of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway. A train of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway system. The rapid spread of the Wuhan coronavirus has pushed back the date of the 20-day trial run of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway in Hanoi City A representative of the Railway Project Management Unit, under the Ministry of Transport, on February 10 noted that as planned, on February 1, the project will start a 20-day operation run for inspection purposes, the local media reported. However, over 100 Chinese experts have failed to return to Vietnam amid coronavirus fears, delaying the date of the trial operation of the railway, the representative said, adding that the Chinese experts are in charge of the trial operation. Drivers and staff responsible for the planned trial run of the Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway in Hanoi City have been granted driving licenses and operation certificates. Vietnamese employees who had previously been trained to operate the urban railway are ready to participate in the trial operation. During the 20-day test, the Chinese general contractor takes responsibility for verifying system safety and evaluating the capacity of all employees. After being evaluated thoroughly, the project will be put into commercial operation if it is certified as safe. The 13-kilometer Cat Linh-Ha Dong urban railway was designed to have 12 stations and one depot. The urban railway system runs from Cat Linh Station in downtown Dong Da District to the Yen Nghia Station southwest of Ha Dong District. Elevated section of Hanois French-funded metro line to be soon completed Hanois metro line 3 runs 8.5 kilometers on elevated tracks through eight stations and four kilometers underground through four stations. The construction of the elevated section the Nhon Hanoi Railway Station sky train, also known as Hanois metro line 3, is being accelerated to put it into operation in April 2021, Kinh Te & Do Thi newspaper quoted a leader of the Hanoi Metropolitan Railway Board (MRB) as saying. According to the MRB, the packages for the elevated section are in due progress. Specifically, the CP01 package has been completed 100%, the CP02 package has 71.3% of the volume fulfilled, the CP05 package has reached 58.22%. Workers conduct three shifts per day at the Nhon - Hanoi Railway Station project. Photo: Ngoc Hai Deputy Head of the MRB Le Trung Hieu affirmed that construction progress of the items related to electricity, information supplying and signaling will be ensured and the elevated section will become operational in April 2021. "We will strive to bring the first trains to Vietnam in July to prepare for trial operation," Hieu said. Under the plan, the elevated section of the metro line, which also include an underground section, will be put into operation first. Immediately after Tet holiday, from February 3, construction of the Nhon Hanoi Railway Station has resumed with three shifts per day, employing 836 people who are regularly present at the project. In November, a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) will start digging the underground section. Construction of this project was started on October 10, 2010. According to the MRB, the projects first 8.5 km of the elevated tracks is set to be inaugurated in April 2021, then 4 km of the underground section is scheduled for completition in December 2022 and the entire line is expected to become operational by that time. The total cost of the project has been revised up to EUR1.176 billion. Of which, EUR178.7 million comes as ODA provided by the French Development Agency (AFD) and EUR355.1 million as loan from the French government. It is one of several metro lines planned for the capital city to ease traffic congestion and reduce emissions. SGT/Hanoitimes Debt payment for urban railway to proceed despite ongoing delay When a finished urban railway in Hanoi is put into service remains unknown but Vietnam must pay a US$6.5 million debt for the project this year to the Chinese side, according to the local media. Good morning, Bay Area. Its Tuesday, Feb. 11, and a San Francisco agency head resigning over fraud charges is just the beginning of the story. Heres what you need to know to start your day. The largest school bond in state history, at $15 billion, is going to voters in March as supporters try to put a dent in a $100 billion backlog of failing boiler rooms, leaky roofs and new construction projects needed at K-12 schools and universities. Reporter Jill Tucker explains what the bond is expected to fund and who is campaigning for and against it. More: See our March 3 primary voter guide. Next up: Five ways California Democrats will be affected by the New Hampshire primary. Looking skyward Gabrielle Lurie / The Chronicle Meteorologists say much of Northern California will likely not see a drop of rain in February, heightening concerns that summer will arrive with below-average rainfall and tinder-dry hillsides susceptible to wildfire. The last time there was no rain in February? A year before The Chronicle started publishing: 1864. Michael Cabanatuan reports on what happens when one of the typically soggiest months in Northern California is bone dry. Masks needed in China LiPo Ching / Special to The Chronicle In late January, the Foothill Community Health Center in San Jose had a problem. The nonprofit network of medical and dental clinics was running low on N95 masks the respirator mask that officials recommend health care workers wear when coming in contact with patients who may have coronavirus. Theres a huge shortage, said Umer Murtaza, the safety manager and facilities coordinator for Foothills clinics. Employees normally wear surgical masks during flu season, but with the coronavirus starting to spread beyond China, Foothill wanted to upgrade to N95s. It had some, but not enough. Murtaza was able to get supplies from a nonprofit. But supply chain problems run deep, partly due to the fact that most of the worlds face masks are made in China where the need to prevent transmission of the virus is far more acute. More: Some Bay Area companies resume operations in China amid coronavirus outbreak Mind your mindfulness Helen Weng has practiced Buddhist meditation for more than two decades. She researches meditation at UCSF, and in her clinical psychology work she offers the practice as one of many possible therapeutic interventions. Still, she calls the recent spread of meditation as a fad and mindfulness very freaky. Part of it is cultural appropriation where its this magical, mystical thing that then people can say does all these things, and I think were still in the height of that and its going to take some time for things to settle down. Writer Ryan Kost considers the rise of app-based and corporate-backed mindfulness against the wider context and benefits of the practice. Read more. Nia Wilsons sister takes the stand On the third day of testimony in Nia Wilsons murder trial, her older sister, Tashiya, recalled the moments of horror and panic just before the 18-year-old died on the Oakland BART Station platform. Defense attorneys have acknowledged that John Lee Cowell attacked the Wilson sisters. But a verdict in the case will instead hinge on whether a jury believes Cowell was in control of his actions at the time of the crime. Read more about the ongoing trial from reporter Megan Cassidy. Around the Bay S.F. corruption case: Ahead of an expected firing, Mohammed Nuru resigns in wake of fraud charges, but fight over his pension looms. 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. Need help on BART? The transit agencys ambassadors start work. Their task: defuse conflicts, roust transients sleeping on seats, direct people in need to local homeless services, and provide an extra layer of security. Helping hand: Anonymous donor helps Bay Area victims of rent scammer to recover. Next bike barrier frontier: A concrete barrier on the bike lanes of San Franciscos bustling Embarcadero? Welcome back: Madison Bumgarners absence felt as Giants pitchers and catchers report. GoX: Rogue S.F. e-scooter company says its back in business. Not so fast, city officials say. Companies considering appeal: Federal judge denies Uber, Postmates request to halt AB5 enforcement. Columbus Cafe: Longtime bartenders save 84-year-old dive bar in North Beach. New guy: Why Warriors Draymond Green is confident Andrew Wiggins can be a long-term fit. Wage and labor violations: Union-backed law reaps payments for California employees state gets a cut, too. Chronicle Covers The Chronicle And you thought Bay Briefing was chock-full of stories: The Chronicles cover from Feb. 12, 1927, features more than two dozen headlines, some of which are good enough for framing (Wed me or die, fiat of wooer to rich widow). Our front page design is a bit different these days but see this historic full cover here. Dispatches from The Chronicles archives: Sign up for The Vault newsletter here. Bay Briefing is written by Taylor Kate Brown and sent to readers email inboxes on weekday mornings. Sign up for the newsletter here, and contact Brown at taylor.brown@sfchronicle.com. A Russian couple are facing up to 20 years in prison after allegedly blowing a Russian spy's cover when he appeared in the background of their wedding photos. Antonina Zimina and Konstantin Antonets were charged with treason yesterday after an investigation which has been running since 2018. Today, Russian newspaper Kommersant reported that the case surrounded an FSB security agent who was one of the guests at their wedding in 2015. The pair are accused of compromising him but the father of the bride says the spy 'did not make a secret of his work' and had even handed out business cards. Antonina Zimina (pictured) and her husband Konstantin Antonets are accused of compromising a spy at their wedding, but her father says the agent talked about his work The couple at their 2015 wedding where they are accused of revealing the identity of an FSB spy who had studied with Antonina at university Konstantin Zimin, Antonina's father, told Russian media the spy was a man called Maxim who had known his daughter since university. The pair studied together at Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University in Kaliningrad, a Russian outpost on the Baltic Sea. After graduating, Maxim is said to have joined the FSB and worked his way up to the rank of captain. When he was invited to Antonina's wedding in April 2015, he happily told guests where he worked, Mr Zimin claims. The alleged spy even 'handed out business cards and took pictures with guests', it is claimed. 'No one thought it was a crime because Maxim made no secret of his work,' Mr Zimin said. However, Russian authorities opened a criminal case after pictures of Maxim at the wedding were posted on social media. One of the pictures even ended up appearing on Baltic television, for reasons which have not become clear. Zimina and Antonets both deny the charges and say their friendship with Maxim did not give them access to state secrets. Konstantin Antonets (pictured at a German railway station) and his wife Antonina Zimina both deny the treason charges Previous reports said that Antonina Zimina had been arrested on treason charges in 2018, with her husband not detained until July 2019. Zimina's father claims that she has remained in custody awaiting trial even though the legal detention period has expired. Activists say that Russia's pre-trial detention laws are frequently overlooked. The pair have been charged under Article 275 of the Russian criminal code, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Before her arrest, Zimina had worked as director of the Baltic Center of Dialogue of Cultures, Russian media says. She also worked as a freelance expert of the Gorchakov Foundation for Public Diplomacy Support. Her husband was also working at the Baltic Center when he was arrested, previous reports said. Panellists from Richemont, Mars, Spectris and British American Tobacco shared insights on how to start a conversation with company executives on patent value, at this years MIP International Womens Leadership Forum in London on January 30. Unlike technology or pharmaceutical companies, which rely heavily on patents, the panellists all came from brand-focused businesses that traditionally depend on copyright and trademarks to protect their products. But as their business models shift, panellists said that patents are becoming more important to their IP strategy. Their best advice to other women in the boardroom who need to communicate the value of their patent portfolio was simple: tell a good story. Long story short Sheila Henderson, chief IP counsel at Richemont in the UK, demonstrated the value of storytelling from working for a luxury company protecting top brands such as Cartier and Montblanc. She told the conference members that the first thing they needed to do when talking to the C-suite was to understand the audience. This will sound terribly basic, but the data points have to be relevant. We are telling stories with our brands so I also need to create legal stories. Its about using the relative data at our fingertips, so I present samples of counterfeits and examples of what is on social media, she said. Emily ONeill, chief counsel of IP and litigation at instrumentation company Spectris in the UK, said that she gets her board to listen by illustrating a story of how IP supports the company. She told the audience that her difficulty in protecting IP was complicated because she had many divisions in her company, which made knowing her competitors challenging. Being able to illustrate a story of how IP supports the company is important. To get our board to understand where our risk lies and manage that appropriately has been a work in progress, she said. After we work out a consistent vocabulary, we can then talk about how IP can support the technology strategy. For example, looking at our brands and how we are stopping counterfeits in our online business in Asia has specifically helped win over our C-suite. Communication challenges Lizzie Morters, patent counsel at British American Tobacco (BAT) in London, said that one of her challenges in communicating IP value to her C-suite was that her company has morphed from a traditional cigarette business that relied on brand protection to one that was technology driven and protected by patents. For her company, this means relying on innovation to stay one step ahead of the competition. Right now is a very volatile landscape for tobacco because we are moving away from the traditional cigarettes. Before, we had a patent portfolio and we knew who our competitors were, she said. Patents have become much more of a commercial tool, when they werent so much before. We are constantly having discussions with our C-suite that we need to increase our portfolio and match our competitors. I have to explain that if we dont keep up, we wont have the tools available to be competitive. From Nestle to Mars Amira Mukhtar, European counsel for IP at Mars, also works for a well-known company that relies heavily on trademarks to protect its innovations. With many different chocolate bars on the market, customers recognise the trademarked logos of her companys different confectioneries. This does not mean, however, that patents are any less important to her company. For sure, consumers dont buy a Snickers bar because it is patented. They associate it with the brand and the logo, which is not to undersell the patent because they might buy a KitKat bar because its crispy, she said. She explained that in her previous role at Nestle, the board understood the value of innovation to the company and that filing patents for trailblazing technologies was an exciting part of her job. One example she gave was patenting a natural sugar that would help her company keep up with customer pressure to have more health and wellness products. I was working at Nestle a few years ago and it had a good understanding of IP on its board. We had regular visits of the R&D sites, which gave scientists the opportunity to showcase their inventions. There was always a question about filing patents, and they had a good understanding of the technological developments, she said. Sob story The panellists shared the belief that as companies become more technology driven, more money should be allocated in the budget for patent protection. Henderson from Richemont said that one method she used to communicate to her C-suite that her budget needed to increase was to compare the money spent on patents to other areas of the budget. I find it really hard to present patent data in an interesting way, but we have benchmarked it against influencers and it is terrifying that we spend more on patents than we do on influencers, she said. If you tell the board you pay somebody 20,000 to go to a dinner, it can get them to think about increasing your patent budget. She added that she tried to get in front of her board twice a year to make the point of how her company was doing compared to its competitors and to be sure it was winning all the IP fights it needed to. I tell the board that if it wants to cut the budget, that will mean fewer raids. We will reduce the online takedowns by 10%. Then we tell the C-suite that the business can make a choice, and sometimes the budget is reassessed. Sometimes they think you can do more with less, which, of course, you cant. She added that while nobody is perfectly happy with their IP budget, what a lawyer does with the allocated money can be one way of proving their talent. I take the view that a mediocre lawyer can do well with a huge budget. Its when the budget is cut and you need to prioritise that people really begin to shine, she said. For Morters at BAT, her struggle is getting her C-suite to understand that shifting its business strategy from being brand focused to innovation driven means getting her executives to fund their patent division. Now they want to utilise the technology to build the brand and this means they have a very different take on how to use the IP. They need to give us more money, she said. Whether in-house teams present their IP strategy through social media stories or tales of counterfeit infringement, the important thing, it seems, is to present IP in an easily understandable way that will make the C-suite sit up and pay attention. For more information about the conference, visit: https://www.managingip.com/stub.aspx?stubid=34791 The material on this site is for law firms, companies and other IP specialists. It is for information only. Please read our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Notice before using the site. All material subject to strictly enforced copyright laws. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article Posted on Monday, February 10, 2020 KINGSVILLE (February 10, 2020) Texas A&M University-Kingsville students can potentially save the life of a cancer patient by joining the Be The Match Registry during GenCures fifth annual Be The Cure On Campus marrow registry drive Feb. 17-19. The drive is in honor of Lou Gonzalez, an A&M-Kingsville student who passed away in his junior year after a long battle with leukemia. Lou is no longer here, so this is my mission, said Cindie Barrera Deleon, Lous mother. I dont want any other parent to feel the way that I did. GenCure, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based BioBridge Global, works with Be The Match to find potential donors in South Texas. Every person who joins the Be The Match Registry gives hope to blood cancer patients. For many patients fighting leukemia, lymphoma, and other blood cancers and blood diseases, a stem cell or marrow transplant is their best hope for a cure. Just 30% of patients find a match from within their family. Most patients turn to the Be The Match Registry in hopes of finding an unrelated donor who closely matches the genetic tissue typing of their immune system, which is inherited from a persons ethnic background. However, only 7% of the current registry is made up of donors who are of Hispanic descent, leaving many Hispanic patients, including Lou, with no available matches on the registry. Having a child go through this battle and to never get the news that he had a match, its devastating, Deleon said. Instead, Lou received a matching cord blood transplant, which includes stem cells collected from umbilical cord blood. He relapsed soon after and received a 50% matched marrow transplant from his father. After two years of battling cancer, Lou passed away in June 2018. Texas A&M-Kingsville students can join the registry by visiting one of GenCures sign-up tables from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday through Wednesday, Feb. 17-19. Tables will be located at: Memorial Student Union Building (First Floor) Outside the Javelina Dining Hall Outside the Jernigan Library Dotterweich College of Engineering Building Fine Arts Quad Since the program began at A&M-Kingsville in 2016, more than 1,700 students have joined the Be the Match Registry. This years drive aims to add 300 potential marrow or stem cell donors to the registry. For Deleon, every person who signs up for the registry fulfills her mission. I want anyone fighting this to hear that wonderful, amazing news that We found a perfect match for you, she said. Potential donors must be between the ages of 18-44 to register, in general good health, and have no history of or current serious illnesses. Those who sign up will be on the registry until they are 61. More information about the registry is available at GenCure.org/BeTheMatch. Media Opportunities: For interviews with Cindie Deleon prior to the drive, contact Leticia Mondragon. Cindie will be available for interviews on Feb. 17 from 10 a.m.-noon at the bookstore in front of the Student Union. Footage of sign-up tables. # # # About GenCure: GenCure, a subsidiary of San Antonio-based nonprofit BioBridge Global, is focused on enabling the development of cell-based therapies by providing access to source materials, cGMP biomanufacturing experience and clinical research support. GenCure focuses on regenerative medicine through the Texas Cord Blood Bank, a biomanufacturing facility, an apheresis center and a deceased donor tissue bank. Learn more at GenCure.org. About Be The Match For people with life-threatening blood cancerslike leukemia and lymphomaor other diseases, a cure exists. Be The Match connects patients with their donor match for a life-saving marrow or umbilical cord blood transplant. People can contribute to the cure as a member of the Be The Match Registry, financial contributor or volunteer. Be The Match provides patients and their families one-on-one support, education, and guidance before, during and after transplant. Be The Match is operated by the National Marrow Donor Program (NMDP), a nonprofit organization that matches patients with donors, educates health care professionals and conducts research through its research program, CIBMTR (Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research), so more lives can be saved. To learn more about the cure, visit BeTheMatch.org or call 1-800-MARROW-2. -TAMUK- Chris Ngige, Nigerias Minister of Labour and Employment, has asked Nigerian youths to seek other means of employment as the government cannot provide everyone with jobs. A statement released by the Deputy Director/Head of Press of the ministry, Charles Akpan, said the minister stated this during a Townhall Meeting on Popularisation of blue/green collar jobs among graduates of tertiary institutions in Nigeria, which was held in Edo State.. The Minister who was represented at the event by the Director, Special Duties and Projects Department in the ministry, Martina Nwordu, said told the young graduates that the wealthiest youths in the world at present were not government employees. Thai Army Chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong holds a news conference in Bangkok to discuss events that led a soldier to kill 29 over the weekend, Feb. 11, 2020. Thailands army chief on Tuesday tearfully apologized to the nation and offered condolences to victims of a deadly shooting spree by an army sergeant, while claiming that the soldier had been cheated by his superior officer in a land deal. Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma, 32, was killed by security forces Sunday morning, ending a 17-hour stand-off at a shopping center in Nakhon Ratchasima, a city of 2.6 million people about 260 km (160 miles) northeast of Bangkok. During the rampage, which began on Saturday, he allegedly killed 29 people including his superior, civilians and police while injuring 58 others. As of Tuesday, 24 remained hospitalized five of them in intensive care units, according to Narinrat Phitchayakhamin, the health official in in Nakhon Ratchasima. During a nationally televised news conference, Army Chief Gen. Apirat Kongsompong discussed the timing of events that led to what officials are calling the worst mass shooting by a lone gunman in Thailand. As army chief, I apologize and offer deepest condolences to the families of the slain civilians, officials on duty and the injured in the tragedy carried out by an army personnel, said Apirat, who burst into tears. At the second he pulled the trigger to kill his commander, he turned into a criminal, no longer a soldier, Apirat said. Dont scold the army, soldiers, but me Gen. Apirat Kongsompong. I accept criticism. You can scold me because Im the army chief. Despite that statement, Apirat, who is to retire in September, said he had no plans to leave his post because of the mass shooting. Is it appropriate to ask me this question? Apirat told a reporter who asked if he would resign. Im responsible for what I order, but I cannot assume responsibility for a personal matter. ... I cant accept that. He said Jakrapanth was angered over a bad deal with a superior officer. The perpetrator did not receive justice from his superior and his family over a land-purchase deal. We will take a look at the details. When the promise was broken, that motivated him to carry out this rampage, Apirat said. The survivors of Col. Anantharot Krasae, Jakrapanths superior officer and the first person killed on Saturday, challenged Apirats statement. Anantharots mother-in-law, Anong Mitrchan, was shot and killed as well. Anantharots widow, Pornlaphat Mitrchan, said her husband never bullied the gunman and had nothing to do with the loan, The New York Times reported, adding that Jakrapanth was owed about $1,700. My husband was a very kind guy, she said. You can ask his subordinates. Her father, Narupol Mitrchan, a retired colonel, also discounted Apirats statement. No, we did not cheat him, Narupol said, according to the Times. We were actually trying to help him because he was the subordinate of the colonel and had debts. Commander promises probe Speaking to the nation, Apirat vowed to investigate alleged shady deals carried out by some senior military officials. There are many projects among army personnel who collaborate with businessmen including real estate and loan sharking businesses. I know that and there will be generals down to colonels who will go jobless this month and in the coming months, Apirat said. In addition, he said changes would be coming to the military to better serve lower ranking members. [W]hen we see something that needs to be changed and needs to be developed, we have to develop the whole plan at every level, he said. We have to take a very good care of our soldiers down to the privates and especially the lower subordinates, including NCOs. [F]or the welfare of our soldiers, we need to give them good direction and we must have direct communications with them which in the past has been lacking. Also on Tuesday, Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha, said officials should learn from the weekend assault. All sides must find a practical way to prevent repetition of this, Prayuth told reporters following Tuesdays routine cabinet meeting. Im concerned about copycats, especially through websites and social media, Prayuth said. Police said they have arrested at least five people who allegedly posted threats of similar attacks on social media. Also on Tuesday, the Office of Sheikhul Islam, Thailands Muslim leader, expressed remorse. The Sheikhul Islam and the Islamic committee of Thailand hope this incident will be taken as a lesson learned to create justice, mercy and compassion in society and adopt religious teaching to guide our lives forward, it said in a statement. Security measures questioned Meanwhile, a former national human rights commissioner questioned security measures at military facilities in light of Jakrapanth stealing weapons and ammunition from an arsenal before carrying on with his rampage. It ended at the Terminal 21 shopping center where he was killed Sunday morning. I wonder how such a young and lone perpetrator could rob the arsenal and caused massive tragedy. Security at the arsenal must be lax, Angkhana Neelapaijit said. During his news conference, Apirat explained that Jakrapanth had exploited his familiarity with a soldier on guard duty, forcing him to turn over an HK-33 rifle. From there, Jakrapanth moved to a battalion arsenal, killing a private and injuring two others before shooting open a door lock and ramming the arsenal door with a military vehicle to steal a machine gun and ammunition, Apirat said. The military commander said Jakrapanths actions showed the need to review security measures, which vary depending on the post. The Indian Texpreneurs Federation and the Federation and Tirupur Exporters Association on Tuesday proposed a meeting of domestic, MNC brands and organised retailers to create a platform with SME textile and apparel manufacturing units in Tamil Nadu. The proposal was made in the wake of the successful meeting organised by the union textile ministry in Delhi on Monday for engaging a common platform for connecting brands and SME textile and apparel manufactures. Textile minister Smriti Irani organised the meeting following an appeal from the industry to help to connect with MNCs and domestic brands and organised retailers to create one nationwide engagement platform with SME textile and apparel manufacturing units. The meeting was attended by 30 brands and retailers from across India and was hugely successful. There was a good exhange of views regarding the challenges and opportunities, convenor of Indian Texpreneurs Federation Prabhu Dhamodharan said in a press release on Tuesday. Thanking Smriti Irani for the effort, he said this would strengthen the brands and SME connect and help improve the domestic sourcing and in turn help the sector to create more jobs. The apparel clusters - Coimbatore, Tirupur, Erode and Karur were suppliers of apparels to global brands and can deliver best products at best prices. In spite of the capabilities, there was lack of a more professional connect between SME manufacturers and brands. This gap led to over Rs 6,500 crore worth of apparel being sourced last year from one country. If all these apparels were sourced locally, it would have created direct jobs for around 1.5 lakh people, Dhamodharan said. In view of this, the Federation and Tirupur Exporters Association proposed to organise one such engagement platform soon, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) EUGENE, Ore. -- Business groups and local governments are banding together to help the 60 employees of electronics-giant Philips find new jobs after the company announced plans to shutter its Eugene operation. Philips, which purchased Eugene-based Electrical Geodesics Inc in 2017, said the company is leaving Eugene by the end of 2020 and elminating about 60 positions. According to the company, employees will be let go starting March 27. The business designs products to monitor brain activity in order to better understand conditions like epilepsy, autism, stroke and other health problems. On Tuesday, Onward Eugene, the Eugene Chamber, University of Oregon and the City of Eugene will host a "biotech happy hour" to connect the 60 affected employees with local biotech companies that are actively hiring. The private happy hour at is at Broadway Street Public House on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is free to Philips employees but guests are asked to register online first. Companies that are hiring at this event include Abcam Eugene, Brain Electrophysiology Lab, Lane Council of Government, LogRhythm and others. PORTLAND, Ore., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) and Avangrid Renewables, a subsidiary of Avangrid, Inc. (NYSE: AGR), announced an agreement to purchase power from a new 162-megawatt solar generation facility the largest in Oregon to be developed and built in eastern Oregon. The new facility will supply power and the accompanying renewable energy credits to PGE's Green Future Impact customers, helping them source up to 100% of their energy from a local renewable energy resource that they've helped make possible. "We're proud to meet growing customer demand for clean energy," said Maria Pope, president and CEO of Portland General Electric. "These partnerships are critical for creating jobs, thereby creating a green economy and accelerating clean energy delivery to customers." Green Future Impact is a voluntary renewable energy program that PGE introduced to give large businesses and municipalities more ways to meet their ambitious sustainability goals and strengthen the local clean energy industry. Avangrid Renewables will develop and own the project, which Green Future Impact customers will participate in naming. PGE will purchase the facility's entire output for 15 years, increasing the amount of clean energy in PGE's system and creating a tangible connection between participating customers and their energy resource. The new solar facility will be Avangrid Renewables' 11th renewable energy facility in Oregon and will be built on 1,200 privately owned acres in Gilliam County. Construction is expected to begin in late 2020 or early 2021. At its peak, construction will generate approximately 300 jobs in partnership with local unions. When the facility begins operating in late 2021, it will produce enough power to serve the equivalent of about 40,000 homes and will generate an estimated $1.3 million of taxes and property owner lease payments each year, benefitting the local economy for years to come. "We value the opportunity to partner with PGE to build the largest solar facility in Oregon," said Alejandro de Hoz, Avangrid Renewables president and CEO. "Given our company's long history in the Pacific Northwest, we are proud to play a key role in delivering more renewable electricity to forward-thinking commercial energy customers." Approved by the Oregon Public Utilities Commission in 2019, Green Future Impact is available to cities and other large businesses who meet threshold requirements for energy use. By committing to long-term participation, the program ensures that customer prices reflect the actual cost of producing and delivering the energy. The program is structured to be self-supporting and avoid shifting costs to non-participating customers. Additional capacity in the Green Future Impact program remains available. For more information, visit www.PortlandGeneral.com/greenfutureimpact. Participating Green Future Impact customers include Adobe, Comcast, Daimler Trucks North America, Digital Realty, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland Community College, Portland State University and the cities of Beaverton, Hillsboro, Lake Oswego, Milwaukie, Portland, Salem, West Linn and Wilsonville, along with Multnomah and Washington counties. To see what customers have said about Green Future Impact, visit https://portlandgeneral.com/our-company/news-room/news-releases/2019/08-21-2019-sustainability-leaders-claim-pges-green-future-impact-in-record-time. About Portland General Electric Company: Portland General Electric (NYSE: POR) is a fully integrated energy company based in Portland, Oregon, with operations across the state. The company serves 892,000 customers in 51 cities, has 16 generation plants in five Oregon counties, and maintains and operates 13 public parks and recreation areas. For 130 years, PGE has delivered safe, affordable and reliable energy to Oregonians. Together with its customers, PGE has the No. 1 voluntary renewable energy program in the U.S. PGE and its 3,000 employees are working with customers to build a clean energy future. PGE, employees, retirees and the PGE Foundation donate more than $4 million annually to support nonprofits and schools. In addition, employees and retirees log more than 45,000 volunteer hours annually. For more information visit portlandgeneral.com/cleanvision. About Avangrid Renewables: Avangrid Renewables, LLC is a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. It is a leading renewable energy company in the United States, owning and operating 7.3 gigawatts of installed renewable energy capacity, primarily using wind power, with a presence in 22 U.S. states. IBERDROLA, S.A., is an energy pioneer with one of the largest renewable asset bases of any company in the world. Avangrid Renewables is headquartered in Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.avangridrenewables.com. About AVANGRID, Inc: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) is a leading, sustainable energy company with approximately $34 billion in assets and operations in 24 U.S. states. With headquarters in Orange, Connecticut, AVANGRID has two primary lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns eight electric and natural gas utilities, serving more than 3.2 million customers in New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable energy generation facilities across the United States. AVANGRID employs approximately 6,500 people. AVANGRID supports the U.N.'s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World's Most Ethical Companies in 2019 by the Ethisphere Institute. For more information, visit www.avangrid.com. Safe Harbor Statement Statements in this news release that relate to future plans, objectives, expectations, performance, events and the like may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding earnings guidance; statements regarding future load, hydro conditions and operating and maintenance costs; statements concerning implementation of the company's integrated resource plan; statements concerning future compliance with regulations limiting emissions from generation facilities and the costs to achieve such compliance; as well as other statements containing words such as "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "estimates," "promises," "expects," "should," "conditioned upon," and similar expressions. Investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, including reductions in demand for electricity; the sale of excess energy during periods of low demand or low wholesale market prices; operational risks relating to the company's generation facilities, including hydro conditions, wind conditions, disruption of fuel supply, and unscheduled plant outages, which may result in unanticipated operating, maintenance and repair costs, as well as replacement power costs; failure to complete capital projects on schedule or within budget, or the abandonment of capital projects, which could result in the company's inability to recover project costs; the costs of compliance with environmental laws and regulations, including those that govern emissions from thermal power plants; changes in weather, hydroelectric and energy markets conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of purchased power and fuel; changes in capital market conditions, which could affect the availability and cost of capital and result in delay or cancellation of capital projects; the outcome of various legal and regulatory proceedings; general economic and financial market conditions; severe weather conditions, wildfires, and other natural phenomena and natural disasters that could result in operational disruptions, unanticipated restoration costs, or liability for third party property damage; and cyber security breaches of the company's customer information system or operating systems, which may affect customer bills or other aspects of our operations. As a result, actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements included in this news release are based on information available to the company on the date hereof and such statements speak only as of the date hereof. The company expressly disclaims any current intention to update publicly any forward-looking statement after the distribution of this release, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions or otherwise. Prospective investors should also review the risks, assumptions and uncertainties listed in the company's most recent annual report on form 10-K and in other documents that we file with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, including management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations and the risks described therein from time to time. Source: Portland General Company CONTACTS: Andrea Platt Morgan Pitts Portland General Electric Avangrid Renewables 503-464-7980 503-933-8907 [email protected] [email protected] SOURCE Portland General Company Related Links https://www.portlandgeneral.com Thousands of Kenyans on Tuesday gathered to mourn the country's longest serving leader, the hardline Daniel arap Moi, as a week of mourning climaxed with a state funeral. Moi, whose 24-year rule saw Kenya become a one-party state where critical voices were ruthlessly crushed, died on February 4 aged 95. Mourners began gathering at the stadium before dawn to pay their respects. Moi, who towered over Kenya between 1978 and 2002, lay in state for three days in parliament, with tens of thousands of people filing past. On Tuesday morning, he was taken on a gun carriage draped in Kenya's flag through the streets of Nairobi to the crowded Nyayo national stadium flanked by soldiers. President Uhuru Kenyatta, who opened the memorial with the national anthem, has called Moi "a father of our nation, a champion of Pan-Africanism." Shortly after, the cortege entered the stadium flanked by long lines of red-coated soldiers and a brass band playing marching tunes and Christian hymns, their shining boots glinting in the bright sun. Several foreign leaders from regional nations attended the ceremony, including Djibouti's Ismail Omar Guelleh, Ethiopia's Sahle-Work Zewde, Rwanda's Paul Kagame and South Sudan's Salva Kiir. The body of the late president will be buried on Wednesday in his home area of Kabarak, 220 kilometres (135 miles) northwest of Nairobi. "The Last Salute", Citizen TV wrote. "Fare thee well, 1924-2020" national broadcaster KBC headlined. The usually congested and noisy streets of Nairobi were quiet, with Tuesday declared a national holiday. While those at the stadium had come to pay their respects to a ruler they revered, others in Kenya remembered a man that they had long feared. Moi's 24-year rule saw critical voices crushed, corruption become endemic and tribal divisions stoked and turn bloody. Moi was however praised for keeping Kenya a relative haven of peace during a chaotic period in east Africa. Participants hold placards during a special prayer meeting held for China in Noida, on the outskirts of New Delhi, India, Feb. 10, 2020. A special prayer meeting was held for China on Monday in Noida. The participants, mostly young students, came to express their solidarity with Chinese people -- especially the doctors and paramedical staff who are on the forefront working with dedication. (Xinhua/Javed Dar) 2 1 [ Editor: WPY ] [February 11, 2020] PCS Edventures! Announces $1.8 Million STEM Order for PCS STEM Enrichment Programs BOISE, Idaho, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PCS Edventures!, Inc., (PCSV) a leading provider of K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs and drone products, today announced the receipt of orders totaling $1,776,037.00 for PCS STEM Enrichment Programs from a long-time corporate customer. This years order represents a 25% increase over last years order, and is the largest order PCS has received from this customer. Michelle Victor, Director of STEM Development at PCS, commented, Our enrichment programs are designed to make it easy for educators to bring their students high-quality and highly engaging STEM programming. We are very excited that this summer so many kids will have the chance to build, code, create and imagine new possibilities for the future." Michael Bledsoe, President of PCS, stated, Within the next few weeks, we will be coordinating a joint pressrelease with our long-time partner and customer describing the nature of their program and how PCS fits into their highly successful summer school curriculum. In the interim, we felt compelled to release this information to the public in a timely manner given the significance of this order to the Company. For more information about PCS Edventures!, Inc., visit our website . Company financial information and reports can be found at https://www.otcmarkets.com/ . About PCS Edventures!, Inc. PCS Edventures!, Inc. (OTCPK: PCSV) is a Boise, Idaho company that designs and delivers technology-rich products and services for the K-12 market that develop 21st-century skills. PCS programs emphasize experiential learning in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). https://www.edventures.com/ . This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934; actual results could differ materially from such statements. Contact Investor Contact: Michael Bledsoe 1.800.429.3110, [email protected] Investor Relations Web Site: pcsv.global President Donald Trump on Monday proposed USD 740 billion as the country's national security budget for 2021, with an eye on China and Russia that are on a military modernisation programme that poses a challenge to the United States Washington: President Donald Trump on Monday proposed USD 740 billion as the country's national security budget for 2021, with an eye on China and Russia that are on a military modernisation programme that poses a challenge to the United States. A key aspect of his defence budget proposals is a massive nuclear modernisation worth USD 28.9 billion, missile defeat and defence budget USD20.3 billion. He has also proposed USD 18 billion for the space sector, USD 9.8 billion for the cyber sector and USD 56.9 billion in the air domain. In his budget proposals, as released by the White House and by the Pentagon, the Trump administration has underscored the threat posed by its two main adversaries, Russia and China, which it alleges are on a military modernisation spree and coercing its neighbours. "While the American people still face dangers posed by Islamist terrorists and transnational criminals, America also faces challenges by resurgent rival nation-states, including China and Russia. The Budget reflects the need for a new American posture to match the realities faced in this new era," says the budget proposal sent by the White House to the Congress. Unlike India, where the Union finance minister tables the budgetary proposals and delivers a speech in the Parliament, the US president sends his annual budgetary suggestions in document format to the Congress, which, over the next few months, debates, deliberates and votes on it. "The Budget prioritizes funding for programs that would deliver warfighting advantages against China and Russia and sustains efforts over the last three years to focus defence investments in modernization, lethality, and innovation that provides the Nation's troops a competitive advantage over all adversaries, the White House said. Underpinned by the 2018 National Defense Strategy, the budget sustains and builds on efforts over the last three years to prioritise investments in modernisation, lethality, and innovation. The budget continues the administration's work to rebuild the military and improve readiness while balancing the need for reform, efficiency, and accountability at every level, the White House said. The Pentagon, in its budget proposal, said the security environment continued to change in dangerous ways, China and Russia continue to employ aggressive tactics to coerce neighbours, suppress dissent and undermine freedom. "They present existential challenges to United States interests and global norms," it said, adding that Iran and North Korea continued to pursue weapons of mass destruction. According to the Pentagon, China possesses one of the largest militaries in the world and is becoming increasingly comfortable portraying itself as a counter to the United States. Russia has also upgraded conventional forces while investing heavily in cyber, space, electronic warfare, and hybrid warfare capabilities. Beijing continues to violate the sovereignty of Indo-Pacific nations and expand its control abroad under the pretense of Belt and Road infrastructure investments, it said. Meanwhile, it is pursuing advantages in emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence and 5G, while exploiting other nations' intellectual property for its own gain, the Department of Defense said.s (NDI AIU); Multi-spectral Targeting System-Model A (MTS-A); and Canister Launchers (CN); High Mobility Launchers (HML). YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. As the novel coronavirus began spreading in China, some foreigners left the country, while others didnt. Armenian national Emma Petrosyan has been living and working in China for 1,5 years. She was visiting Armenia a month ago, and as soon as she traveled back to China for work the outbreak began. Petrosyan told ARMENPRESS she doesnt intend to repatriate yet. There were times I thought about coming back, but now Ive made my mind to stay. I will stay here until this period is over, she said, adding that her employer has suspended work indefinitely because of the outbreak. We must start working from home for now, she said. Emma lives in Tianjin, a city where 90 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus have been recorded as of February 9. She told ARMENPRESS that the initial panic is subsiding and the city is returning to normal life. In the beginning there was panic, among both the locals and foreigners. No one was leaving home, everyone was ordering everything online. Now everything is a bit calmer. For example, yesterday one of my friends came to visit me. She brought protective masks and some things that I needed. I didnt have masks and a thermometer. You have to check your temperature every day during this period. Generally the Chinese are very attentive, especially towards foreigners, trying to support and help in every way, Emma Petrosyan said. Emma says they have one more Armenian colleague working at the same office, who also doesnt plan to leave due to the virus. Edited and translated by Stepan Kocharyan Community anti fracking group Love Leitrim are calling on Irish MEP's to reject the 4th Projects of Common Interest (PCI) list tomorrow in the European Parliament. This list includes 55 fossil fuel infrastructure projects across the continent such as Shannon LNG. If the Shannon LNG project is allowed to proceed then it will see Ireland become a European hub for imported American fracked gas. There has been growing opposition to this project over the past number of years in both Ireland and abroad including from American communities in Pennsylvania from whom the gas will be exploited who have asked that Ireland not import this fossil fuel. Read Also: The moment Martin Kenny was elected Opposition to has come from the recent RTE Youth Assembly on Climate who have called for the project to be stopped while during the general election campaign 200 candidates signed a pledge opposing the importation of fracked gas, almost 80 of which have been elected to Dail Eireann. Love Leitrim Chairperson Jamie Murphy said: "The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) say we have approximately 10-12 years to take urgent action to avoid worst impacts of climate change. "If Shannon LNG is allowed to proceed it will result in Ireland being locked in to imported fracked gas for the next 40 years. It doesn't make any sense if we are trying to reduce our carbon footprint to commit to a fuel source for the next 40-50 years which has a carbon footprint 44% worse than coal while methane associated with fracked gas is 87 more potent than carbon dioxide as a greehouse gas. Read Also: "This may have been a tsunami for Sinn Fein but it was also an avalanche for independents" says Deputy Marian Harkin "Irish MEP's have a very clear choice to make on this issue. They can be on the side of the young people whose futures are most at risk and have asked that Ireland does not import fracked gas and American communities from whom the gas will be exploited or they can stand with the fossil fuel industry and vote for the PCI list. We are asking as many people as possible to contact their MEP's via the easy to use online system." Two men were on Tuesday charged with killing a crocodile for meat at Periyur village in Coimbatore district, police said. Rajan (50) and Mariappan (60) from Sirumugai, a panchayat town in the district, were cooking the reptile when the forest officials, based on information, arrived at the spot to nab them, the police said. Rajan was arrested while Mariappan escaped, they said. Preliminary investigation revealed that the two had trapped the reptile in their net while fishing in Bhavani river, the police said. The two were booked under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, they said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) As the regime shows no intention of backing down and Turkey sending more fighters and hardware, Idleb is preparing for clashes between the two sides writes Brocar Press. Events have accelerated over the past few days in Idleb in northern Syria, which has witnessed a heavy military campaign by the Syrian regime and its Russian ally, with the province now awaiting the results of discussions between the two guarantors (Russia and Turkey), to learn its fate. But indications are that a confrontation is nearing between the regime and Turkey, which it has threatened, in the event that the regime does not withdraw its forces to the border of the Sochi agreement. Turkey hints at new military operation in Syrian territory On Sunday, Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar said that his country could put in place two plans, known as Plan B and Plan C, in Idleb, hinting that a new Turkish military operation on Syrian territory could occur on the model of the three previous operations. In press statements, he said that the implementation of the two plans depended on the regimes adherence to the deadline given by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to withdraw from the Turkish observation points, adding that if the regime does not abide by the deadline, set for the end of the month, we will impose Plan B and Plan C. Akar did not give details about Plans B and C apart from hinting that they would resemble the Turkish military operations in northeastern Syria against the Islamic State in 2016 and the Syrian Democratic Forces in 2018 and 2019. Turkish statements came a day after talks between Russia and Turkey in Ankara to discuss the latest developments in Idleb. No results have been issued from this meeting, with the Turkish Foreign Ministry only saying in a statement: Ankara hosted talks which lasted three hours. The delegation included representatives for the Foreign Ministry, the army, and intelligence agencies of both countries, in addition to the special representative for the Russian president to Syria, Alexander Lavrentiev. The situation in Idleb province was discussed, as well as steps which aim to move forward the political process in Syria, and in the end it was decided that negotiations would continue next week. Turkey has escalated its rhetoric around what is happening in Idleb and has threatened a confrontation with the regime after 13 soldiers were killed and wounded when regime forces bombarded an observation point near the city of Saraqeb. Military reinforcements continue and Ankara calls on factions to be ready Over the last few days Turkey has been sending reinforcements to its observations points in Aleppo, Hama and Idleb, and has set up a number of military points in these areas. The reinforcements included tanks, armored vehicles and troop transporters, as well as rocket launchers and other military hardware, and a large number of soldiers, although Turkey has not officially announced the number of troops and equipment in Idleb. In this respect, sources told Brocar Press that Turkey had called on rebel groups in Idleb to be ready. Brocar tried to contact rebel group military leaders but some of them refused to comment on the matter entirely and other said it was difficult to give any information at the current time. 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. D ominic Cummings has mocked the Cabinet saying the team of cartoon superheroes known as PJ Masks could do a better job than the current crop of ministers. Boris Johnson's senior adviser made the comments ahead of a reshuffle on Thursday which is expected to see a number of ministers lose their jobs. Downing Street confirmed the reshuffle ahead of a meeting for the new-look Cabinet on Friday. Senior ministers including Chancellor Sajid Javid, Home Secretary Priti Patel and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab are expected to remain in place, while Downing Street has confirmed that Grant Shapps will stay on as Transport Secretary. Dominic Cummings, special advisor for Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, is seen outside Downing Street i / REUTERS Mr Cummings had reportedly been seeking a wider reshuffle and shake-up of Whitehall ministries than is now expected to be delivered. Asked for his views, he suggested that PJ Masks - a team of animated superheroes popular with children - could do a better job than all the Cabinet. Dominic Cummings has said PJ Masks could do a better job than the current crop of ministers. / PJ Masks Leaving his home in Islington, north London, Mr Cummings uttered an allusion to the theme tune of PJ Masks when asked about the HS2 high-speed rail project - which is set to go ahead despite his objections. "The night time is the right time to fight crime," the bemused-looking father said in a bizarre doorstep interview by the BBC. "I can't think of a rhyme." Asked about the reshuffle, he replied: "PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together." Mr Javid is expected to be safe at the Treasury despite his reported feud with Mr Cummings, but Defence Secretary Ben Wallace's fate looks less certain. The PM is widely expected to cut a number of women ministers from the eight in his 31-strong Cabinet, jeopardising the already poor gender balance. Fearing she is among those to be cast aside, Business Secretary Andrea Leadsom issued a warning against "male-dominated" environments in a Daily Telegraph article. A replacement Culture Secretary is also likely as the Government considers controversial changes to the BBC licence fee, with Nicky Morgan saying she expects to go. The PM must also find a new president of the COP26 environment summit in Glasgow, having provoked an attack on his green record from former minister Claire O'Neill when he sacked her. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster Michael Gove appears to be the frontrunner having previously been environment secretary, but he refused to be drawn on his chances on Tuesday. The Rajasthan government has made an additional budgetary provision of Rs 10 crore for the financial year 2019-20 to meet a shortfall in the implementation of the Rajasthan Victim Compensation Scheme. Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot made the provision, approving a proposal of the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority, an official statement said. The proposal, pending with the state's Finance Department, had sought an additional budgetary provision for the scheme, it added. State government had originally made a budgetary provision of Rs 18 crore for the year 2019-20 for the scheme, but the money had fallen short of meeting the demand for the compensation to various types of victims in the state. Accordingly, the government earlier had made an additional provision of Rs 5 crores, but with the sum of Rs 23 crore too falling short of the requirement, the government had to make a fresh budgetary provision of Rs 10 crore, the statement said. Out of the total budgetary provision of Rs 23 crores, Rs 22.77 crore has already been spent, it said. The statement said the Rajasthan State Legal Services Authority has said in its proposal that applications for payment of over Rs 7 crore under the Victim Compensation Scheme were pending with it in various districts. In view of such an immediate requirement, the chief minister approved an additional provision of Rs 10 crore under the scheme. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has told African leaders that its time to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Addressing the annual African Union summit in Addis Ababa, Guterres said the UN would drum up international support that would enable the country to overcome its challenges. The US government added Sudan to its list of state sponsors of terrorism in 1993 over allegations that then-President Omar al-Bashirs Islamist government was supporting terrorist groups. The designation makes Sudan technically ineligible for debt relief and financing from the IMF and World Bank. The country is being welcomed back into the international fold following the toppling last year of Omar al-Bashir. Sudans Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok has repeatedly urged the West to end his countrys international pariah status. He says it is the only way to save the nations fragile democratic transition from a plunging economy. It was the former regime that supported terrorism and the Sudanese people revolted against it. These sanctions have caused tremendous suffering to our people, Hamdok, who was appointed prime minister in August, said during an address at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in September. In November, the State Department announced that the United States no longer has an adversarial relationship with the Sudanese government and was working with its counterparts on the possibility of removing the African country from the list of state sponsors of terrorism. Remembering Kobe Bryant should be as solemn as possible. However, after Snoop Dogg defended him in pursuit of offering respect to the family, things got even noisier when he got accused of threatening Gayle King's life. Snoop Dogg recently posted a video on his Instagram calling out Gayle's attention after she disrespected Kobe, who died in a horrific helicopter crash in Calabasas last Jan. 26. The "CBS This Morning" journalist got involved in a controversial interview where she allegedly pushed Kobe's friend, the former WNBA player Lisa Leslie, to give her some thoughts about the Black Mamba's sexual assault charges in the past which was eventually dropped. The 48-year-old "Young, Wild, & Free" rapper found it ill-mannered, most especially when Kobe's family, friends, and fans were still mourning over his sudden passing. A few hours after the interview, Uncle Snoop attacked Gayle on Instagram and madly asked what she gained from disrespecting the ESPY Icon Awardee. The journalist explained her side afterward and said through a CBS clip that the network took the interview out the context and only posted the jarring part. After Snoop Dogg's went viral, his fans supported him and praised him for defending Kobe. However, Gayle's believers also took a step forward and slammed the rapper for threatening the TV personality. Uncle Snoop Defended Back! The throwing of words seemed to be unending after Snoop clarified that his Instagram video was misinterpreted and that he did not mean to threaten nor harm Gayle in any way. In the new Instagram update, the "Drop It Like It's Hot," hitmaker said, "I don't want no harm to come to her, and I didn't threaten her. All I did was say, 'Check it out. You out of pocket for what you doing, and we watching you.'" In his previous video where he heavily criticized the reporter over her recent interview, Snoop said that she should respect the family and back off before they come and get her. Co-Journalists, Celebrities Safeguarded Gayle Though he sincerely explained that he did not mean any harm, it appeared to be not working that a roster of celebrities and journalists came hand in hand, shared their opinion online, and made him realize that he had gone too far. Yashir Ali, a journalist, took to Twitter and called the aggressive move of Snoop disgusting. The said post was immediately retweeted by thousands of others and included #IStandWithGayle in every tweet. "This is despicable. King is one of the most principled, fair and tough journalists alive. Snoop, back the **** off. You come for Gayle King, you come against an army. You will lose, and it won't be pretty," the former national security advisor, Susan King, wrote. I am very disappointed at the black men and women who are twisting and turning to give grace to Snoop Dogg over calling Gayle King a bitch. It is never OK to call a woman a bitch. This conversation is draining . T Ray-Ray (@Russian_Starr) February 9, 2020 Another user mentioned Snoop's first video and said, "Wow. This is terrible. Shame on you, Snoop. A dog-head b--? Really? To Gayle King, one of our most beloved women and journalists? You just lost a fan, and I hope you lose a lot more for this." Fans only hope that this feud will be over soon if they want to pay respect to Kobe and his family. READ MORE: Snoop Dogg Slams Gayle King For Disrespecting Kobe Bryant With THIS! 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This is in reaction to the recent spate of rampant armed robbery and criminal violence in the Metropolis and its environs. The safety of residents in the Kumasi Metropolis has been threatened following recent attacks. We are all witnesses to the fact that for three months now we have heard of murders going on in Kumasi mysteriously and so far as we are concerned the police who are responsible for our security havent talked about it, he said at the maiden Town Hall Meeting, Tuesday. Responding to the murder, the Bantamahene said, We know that in the Western democracy when these things happen the police come out to solicit for help and let the citizens see that something is being done but here in Kumasi, we have seen that nothing is being done about it. Since October, we have heard nothing from the police so we have assumed they are doing nothing. But once the Vice President is here, we want to bring it to his attention. Bantamahene also said the number of men who patrol the area should be increased to ensure that enough men are available to handle the robbers. This follows the killing of a community nurse, Ruth Ama Eshun at Sewua in the Bosomtwe District over the weekend after her family reported her missing. Ruth Eshun, who is a mother of three, was found dead at a secluded area close to her Ayoum new site residence in the Bosomtwi District. Relatives of Ruth Ama Eshun, who could not trace the whereabouts of the deceased after she closed from work on Monday, February 3, found her lifeless body a day later. ---KingdomfmOnline Libya focus of meeting between French and Italian FMs 'Respect embargo and implement ceasefire' (ANSAmed) - PARIS, FEBRUARY 11 - Several international issues and especially Libya were on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting between Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. A statement issued by the French foreign ministry shortly before the working dinner between the two said they would concentrate on several international issues, ''especially Libya, after the Berlin Conference. They will reiterate the link between our two countries on the weapons embargo as well as the implementation of a ceasefire.'' Le Drian and Di Maio will also take stock of the ''situation in the Sahel, where France and Italy are involved, in particular, as part of the Sahel Alliance''. They also planned to discuss Iran, Syria, and the Middle East peace process, as well as ''important European priorities, such as future relations with the UK and enlargement''. The meeting is being held two weeks before of a highly awaited bilateral summit between France and Italy on February 27 in Naples. (ANSAmed). Warning: Youll have to read, ahem, subtitles if you dont speak Korean. Photo: Courtesy of Magnolia Pictures In honor of Parasites Hulu debut, we are republishing this piece that originally ran in February. Mother, The Host, and Barking Dogs Never Bite are also available to stream on Hulu now. Oh, so you learned how to read and watched Parasite? Congratulations! As the newly Oscar-minted director Bong Joon Ho said onstage at the Golden Globes: Once youve overcome the one-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films. To that end, we know you might be curious about some of the other Korean-language works from Bong Joon Ho that havent received the global attention of his mixed-language releases like Snowpiercer (2013), his revolutionary uprising set in a speeding train, or Okja (2017), his descent into the bowels of factory farming via an adorable, genetically engineered superpig. And while both films boast Bongs biggest budgets, his best work still might be the movies set domestically in South Korea, like Memories of Murder and Mother, where you would have to read, ahem, subtitles if you dont speak Korean. So foreign-language fluency aside, weve put together a little guide to some of the deeper cuts in Bong Joon Hos oeuvre that display his breadth and evolution as one of the modern heirs to Hitchcock. Incoherence (1994) Incoherence is Bongs thesis film made during his time at the Korean Academy of Film Art, and features a four-part story (told in episodes) of various public figures in the intellectual class of Korean society (like professors and public prosecutors) who criticize the younger generation for malfeasance, laziness, and sexual immorality all while doing these acts in private. In person, Bong said that hes partially proud of the film for its structure and some camera movements, many of which can be seen in episode two, as he tracks the editor-in-chief of the Chosun Ilbo (a famously conservative national paper), who steals milk from other peoples houses. The film contains many of Bongs obsessions: a satirical stab at the wealthy, long tracking shots, and the trope of fake news. Most of it is available on YouTube. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) While the Korean title more straightforwardly references its original inspiration, The Dog of Flanders, the film itself is entirely original and Bong Joon Hos first feature film that he both wrote and directed. As such, while there are familiar thematic concerns a circle of malfeasance, the hypocrisy of the Korean elite its very much still an early project, in which hes working out his style. The protagonist is an ornery, unemployed academic (Lee Sung-jae) who becomes fixated on a barking dog in his apartment complex, and goes to extreme lengths to silence it. Meanwhile Bae Doona (Sense8; The Host) plays the one trying to save the animals. Theres a memorable visual in the film where a roll of toilet paper unfurls onto the street a handy metaphor for tracing a through line from Barking Dogs to Parasite. Barking Dogs Never Bite is currently streaming on Hulu and Tubi. Memories of Murder (2003) At a retrospective screening of Memories of Murder in New York last month, Bong acknowledged that there were spiritual similarities between his crime drama and the 2007 movie Zodiac but, he pointed out, as much as hes a fan of David Fincher, his film came first. Memories of Murder is, like Zodiac, about a search for a serial killer that becomes more about the mental states of the men in charge of the investigation as it stretches on and resources are taxed. Theyre a pair of detectives one a blustery local played by Bongs muse Song Kang-ho, the other an aloof but more experienced investigator from Seoul who clash at first, then become close. But their odd-couple partnership doesnt make them any better equipped to proceed or the answers more forthcoming. Memories of Murder plays, in some ways, like an anti-procedural, as much about fumbled information and lost opportunities as about who may be responsible for the gruesome happenings. It begins as a story of a crime and becomes, imperceptibly, one about a tragedy enveloping not just the murderers victims but the men who find themselves splintering under the pressure to catch him. Memories of Murder is streaming on Popcornflix right now, and Neon, the company that released Parasite, recently picked up the film for a Blu-ray and theatrical release. Influenza (2004) This short film from 2004 is both a fascinating technical exercise as well as the bleakest distillation of Bong Joon Hos worldview of the unrelenting brutality of life under capitalism. He shot the film as part of a digital-shorts grant through the Jeonju International Film Festival, and made it to look as though it were cobbled together from found footage taken from CCTV cameras rigged around Seoul. Its through this surveillance footage that he begins to tell a narrative of a businessman who loses his job and gradually turns to violent crime over the years. Theres no dialogue, and the shots are often fixed at odd angles (except for one scene that rather horrifyingly uses an oscillating security camera in a parking lot) all of which only manages to heighten the darkness of the physical comedy. Influenza is probably Bongs work that most directly speaks to the absolute devastation wrought by the IMF crisis of 1997 on modern Korean society. Its available to rent or buy on Grasshopper Film. The Host (2006) In South Korea, this 2006 phenom about a mutant that crawls out of the Han River to terrorize Seoul still holds the record as Bongs highest-grossing hit. Given the director, though, you should know better than to expect any of the standard creature-feature beats. The monster in The Host is an ungainly creation born from the illegal dumping of chemicals on an American Army base. Years later, in a sequence thats equal parts frightening and funny, it emerges to gallop alongside the riverbank, gobbling up and regurgitating random leisure seekers unlucky enough to get in its way. While it makes off with children and leaves destruction in its wake, its never as scary as the partnership between the Korean government and the U.S. military that lurches into motion to deal with it, instantly becoming a morass of misinformation and trampled rights. As is always the case in Bongs work, its the lumbering systems that are most likely to crush individuals underfoot especially if theyre as powerless as the ragtag family at the films heart. The clan of oddballs and down-and-outs has more than a little in common with the Kim family in Parasite, including Song as a hapless patriarch. The Host is streaming for free on Hulu and Tubi. Mother (2009) The opening and closing scenes of Bongs masterful 2009 film are, swear to God, among the greatest bookends in movie history. They both involve the unnamed protagonist, a small-town widow played by the incredible Kim Hye-ja, dancing. The first, which takes place in a grassy clearing while the credits appear onscreen, is a sequence of deadpan absurdism. The second occurs on a bus in the golden sunlight of a late afternoon, and is utterly devastating. What unfolds in between these points is a thriller about a woman whose life is turned upside down when the son she dotes on and lives for, a teenager with an intellectual disability played by Won Bin, is accused of murder. When she first starts trying to clear his name, Mother comes across as a blackly and unpredictably funny story of an unlikely amateur detective in over her head. But the film soon reveals depths much murkier than youd ever initially expect, delving into what it means to love someone so much that theres no price you wouldnt pay to protect them, no matter the cost to yourself. Mother is available to steam on Hulu and rent on all the usual platforms. Dont have Hulu yet? You can sign up here. (If you subscribe to a service through our links, Vulture may earn an affiliate commission.) EASTON With a new twist on the grandparents scam popping up in Rhode Island, local police urge residents to be aware and call police with any suspicious activity. Last month it was the law enforcement impersonation scam. This month, police say its the elderly fraud scam commonly referred to as the grandparents scam. Police said over the last few weeks, several law enforcement agencies in Rhode Island have reported scams involving elderly victims being defrauded out of several thousand dollars. Scammers are contacting victims by phone and are told that a family member needs bail money resulting from a fictitious claim that the family member was arrested, usually out of state, said a Facebook post shared by Easton police, based on information from multiple Rhode Island police departments. In some cases, suspects have identified themselves with names of local police officers to gain credibility. Despite it being a common scam, the suspects in recent cases in the area will tell victims that theyll send a courier to pick up the money at the victims home or a neary location. Some victims have made numerous incremental drops to the suspects, police said. To date, police said, the suspects involved in this recent scam have accumulated over $100,000 from victims. Phone numbers provided by suspects have not led police to any credible information. Any suspicious information, or possible scam calls can be reported to Easton police at 203-268-4111. Signs in Calais as firms are warned they face border checks. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images) A government minister has warned UK firms they will inevitably face new customs paperwork and border checks on trade in goods with the EU. Business groups reacted with alarm after Michael Gove set out the new barriers facing importers and exporters, bringing an end to the current system of largely seamless trade. There are fears the changes could mean new costs and delays for firms, and even significant disruption to fruit and vegetable supplies in the short term. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) urged the government to move fast in its preparations for when the Brexit transition period finishes at the end of the year. Trading arrangements currently remain the same as when Britain was in the EU, as the UK agreed to stay aligned with EU rules. Gove, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, said anyone importing or exporting goods to or from the EU would have to submit customs declarations forms. Different arrangements are expected be announced for trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK and Ireland. Read more: Johnson set for Brussels showdown over hard Brexit Products could also face new checks at borders, such as health and safety checks or to ensure the right paperwork, VAT, customs or excise duties have been paid. Firms will need to apply for a special registration number to be able to trade, and many are expected to need to hire customs agents to handle potentially complex paperwork. The government also announced it had extended the deadline for firms to apply for funding to prepare for the customs changes, with 7.5m ($9.7m) still available. Gove said in a speech at an event on Monday: The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow. Andrew Opie, director of food and sustainability at the BRC, said: Without the necessary infrastructure up and running from day one, consumers in the UK will see significant disruption, particularly in the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. Story continues He said firms needed detailed advance information on how controls would work, or it will be consumers who suffer on 1 January. Read more: UK firms demand seat at the table in Brexit trade talks Elizabeth de Jong, UK policy director at the Freight Transport Association, also feared IT systems would not be ready for some years. We are naturally disappointed that the promise of frictionless trade has been replaced with a promise that trade will be as seamless as possible but not until 2025, with a more realistic but costly make do and mend approach to be employed until then, she said. The European Commissions chief Brexit negotiator had warned earlier this month there would not be business as usual even if Britain and the EU struck a best-in-class trade deal this year. He said checks were the automatic consequences of Britains choice to leave and pursue a looser free trade deal with the EU, outside the customs union and single market. Businesses must adapt to this reality, he said in a speech. (CNN) Samsung has a new weapon in the flip phone wars. The world's biggest smartphone maker unveiled a new foldable device, the Galaxy Z Flip, at its Unpacked press event in San Francisco on Tuesday. The 6.7-inch smartphone folds into a square about half its size, with a small rectangular display on the front cover for notifications. It comes in three colors purple, black and gold though only the first two colors will be available initially when it goes on sale Friday February 14 in select stores and online. Samsung also unveiled a limited edition of the flip phone in partnership with New York fashion brand Thom Browne, which features the brand's signature red-white-and-blue stripe on a gray exterior. "This is no ordinary smartphone. It changes everything," Rebecca Hirst, Samsung's head of UK mobile marketing, said while unveiling the device. The phone will cost $1,380, placing it at the higher end of Samsung's new S20 lineup. It features three variants: the 6.2-inch S20 starting at $999.99; the 6.7-inch S20+ starting at $1199.99; and the 6.9-inch S20 Ultra starting at $1399.99. But the Galaxy Z Flip is cheaper than its closest competitor: Motorola's rebooted smartphone version of its iconic Razr flip phone costs $1,500. And while the Samsung flip phone's camera system isn't as powerful as the one on the S20 devices, it does have three lenses two at the back and one in the front capable of taking wide and ultra wide shots. This is Samsung's second folding smartphone, and the company will be hoping to avoid the problems it had with its first. The rollout of the $1,980 Galaxy Fold was delayed by several months after some early reviewers in April flagged that the phone constantly flickered and the folding screen broke too easily. The phone finally launched last fall. Unlike the Galaxy Fold, which folded vertically outward similar to butterfly wings, the Galaxy Z Flip stays true to its name by adopting the clamshell design typical of more traditional flip phones. The company promises that its "ultra thin" folding glass display won't break as easily this time. "This glass is built to last," Hirst said. Samsung first teased the Galaxy Z Flip in an ad during the Oscars two days before its "Unpacked" event. More mna was the slogan printed on Social Democrat councillor Holly Cairns badges as she and her campaigners pounded the pavements and by-roads around Cork South Wests extensive sprawl. And its lucky they did, because Ms Cairns, 30, is now the only female Dail representative elected from Cork the largest county and the second-largest city in the country. Despite a 30% gender quota, female representation is looking disappointingly low in the 33rd Dail, with many high-profile female candidates losing their seats although Mary Lou McDonald bucked the trend, sweeping her party to unprecedented success. The Social Democrats reached beyond the gender quota, however, choosing more female candidates than any other party, and their elected representatives reflect that choice, with four women elected nationwide at the time of going to press. First-time Dail candidate Ms Cairns made history by claiming the third seat in the Fine Gael heartland of Cork South West breaking the partys hold on the constituency for the first time since it was formed in 1961. She beat Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard to the seat in the constituency that contains the homeland of party icon, pro-Treaty revolutionary, and politician Michael Collins. Ms Cairns was first mobilised politically during the abortion rights campaign which, in May 2018, culminated in a landslide referendum result in favour of legalising abortion in Ireland. She said that, despite two-thirds of her constituency voting for repeal, two of the three TDs of the time Independent Michael Collins and Fianna Fails Margaret Murphy-OMahony opposed even holding a referendum on the issue at all. It made Ms Cairns realised there was space for a progressive vote in a historically conservative constituency. We were repeatedly told that we couldnt do it, she says. People said oh thats a Fine Gael seat, or thats a Fianna Fail seat. But I thought: No, theyre all Cork South West seats. We need young women to get involved in politics. We call it representation for a reason, if we have all-male representation, then more than 50% of us are not being represented in that one way. The three main players in this constituency [Collins, Fianna Fails Christopher OSullivan, and Fine Gael senator Tim Lombard] were right-wing men, and we knew that there were enough people who would like something more progressive not necessarily in terms of gender, but in terms of stance. For example, those three main players would not have represented more than two-thirds of the constituency in the last referendum. "So I felt like there was a seat here for a new candidate. But we didnt know if we could reach those voters in the three weeks of the snap election. It just goes to show that that assumption that were all conservative by default in rural Ireland is not true. Many people were delighted to vote for change. Despite a successful campaign, Ms Cairns says casual sexism plagued her to such an extent that she is reluctant to be pictured with her boyfriend, fellow newly elected TD to the Dail, Fianna Fails OSullivan, who is also mayor of Co Cork. The campaign really showed the casual sexism in politics, she says. In media coverage, I was reduced to his girlfriend. In the RTE summary of our constituency, everyone had their titles, so it would be Senator Lombard, Deputy Collins, Councillor Paul Hayes, County Mayor Christopher OSullivan, and his girlfriend Holly Cairns. I was the only without my title. Consistently. Its really frustrating, to be honest. Now she is looking forward to working with OSullivan and Collins. She is also aiming to affect change with her party colleagues. When you look at how much Catherine [Murphy] and Roisin [Shortall] did as a duo things like the Parental Leave Bill its really exciting to think of what we can do with more TDs. Were building a viable alternative for people who want change, she says. She believes that change involves changing politics at a fundamental level. The Social Democrats stand on a policy of transparency, says Ms Cairns. Increasing transparency is something Ive been working really hard on in the council. And its clear to me, as someone new to politics, that theres a lot of work to be done. For example, the Social Democrats are the only party with an anti-corruption policy. It should be standard to have things like an independent watchdog for Government. On a personal level, Ms Cairns, a farmer and her partys spokeswoman on agriculture, is motivated by climate action. I think the biggest injustice facing us now is climate change, she says. The debates around it have been frustrating, things like pitting farmers against environmentalists. I dont know any farmers who want to damage the environment. We just need to change that narrative and that debate and come up with intelligent solutions. "We have to make changes, but they cant fall unfairly on rural Ireland or low-income households, and we just need some more joined-up thinking rather than divisive debate. Ms Cairns is also in favour of gender quotas for local elections. Since the foundation of the State, weve been apparently trying to engage more women in politics, and its not working, she says. Quotas are a blunt instrument, but how long do we have to wait? Ciairin de Buis, CEO of Women for Election, agrees, saying that gender quotas must be introduced to boost female participation in local government, and that parties must start recruiting more female candidates now if they hope to meet the 40% gender quota set to be in place by 2023. The number of women in the Dail has been increasing achingly slowly, but steadily. The first Dail in 1918 saw just one woman Constance Markievicz elected, representing 0.9% of parliament. By 2011, that number had increased to 25 out of 166 seats (15.1%) and with the introduction of the 30% gender quota in 2016, that number grew again to 35 out of 158 (22.1% of parliament Independents are exempt from the quota). And although the 33rd Dail will still look largely male, this is the first time every constituency fielded a female candidate in a general election. The larger parties seem to regard the gender quota legislation as a providing a target rather than the minimum that it actually is for them to access their full funding, says Ms de Buis. They need to cop on to that. Women are over half the electorate now. The quota is clearly working, because in the previous election in 2016, the first time that 30% threshold was there for parties, most of them met it, whereas previously they ran significantly fewer women on the slate. The quota will increase to 40% in 2023 and some of the parties need to be tackling that now to ensure that they have candidates ready to run. It will be a huge challenge if they dont start recruiting now. In order to do that, she says, parties need to go out and ask women to run. If you look to the smaller parties like the Social Democrats and the Green Party, they have been asking women to run. Why havent the larger parties? Ms de Buis says she did not expect a huge increase in female TDs once she knew how many female candidates had entered by the close of nominations. If women are not on the ticket, theyre not going to be in the Dail, she says. It might sound obvious, but they cant win a seat if theyre not on the ballot paper. And if parties are running 30% or just above 30%, gender balance will not be reflected in their representation. Some high-profile women have lost their seats. You couldnt help but have empathy with them. But weve also seen women elected who werent necessarily expected to win. Mairead Farrell, who lost her seat in the local elections last year, is romping home in Galway. And Holly Cairns, who people were giving an outside chance to, has showed again how important it is for women to stand. She is now the only female TD representing Cork. Her election also shows how important it is for people to vote down the ballot paper, because it was transfers right down the ballot paper that got her elected. This election was all about change. There seems to be this huge shift in the political landscape, but there hasnt been any significant change in the number of women. That needs to change. Inside Hook Certain things just dont seem to fit together, like floor wax and dessert toppings. Stock trading and meditation would seem to be another inherently dissonant pair. One is a high-stakes, high-energy activity focused on making money; another is about calmness, serenity and a journey into the inner self. And yet the two might not be quite as far apart as you might think. A new article by Nick Ravo at The Wall Street Journal unearths a surprising piece of information: new evidence suggests that meditation might just make stock traders better at their jobs. And some statistics indicate that plenty of people in the industry are already engaging in meditation, including 16 percent of the members of the CFA Institute. Finnish Paper Workers' Union and Finnish Forest Industries Reach Agreement, End Strike Stora Enso, one of Finland's biggest paper producers, has said the strike cost it 11 million euros ($12 million) for each week of industrial action. Feb. 11, 2020 - The Finnish Paper Workers' Union and Finnish Forest Industries came to an agreement yesterday, ending a two-week strike that halted production of one of Finland's primary exports pulp and paper products. An estimated 9,000 Paper Workers' Union members participated in the strike that began at 6 a.m. on Jan. 27, affecting pulp and paper mills across Finland. Petri Vanhala, the chairperson of the Finnish Paper Workers' Union, described the new agreement as a cake "with a bit of sand and cream" for both parties. "Everything is now set and we will start starting up the factories," said Vanhala. The agreement will increase salaries by 3.3% over a 25- month period, and increase annual production time of factories by 24 hours through shortening midsummer stoppages in late June, Finnish Forest Industries association said in a statement. Jyrki Hollmen, the director of labor market affairs at Finnish Forest Industries, said the industry cannot be satisfied with the agreement because it will, at best, maintain the current level of competitiveness and fails to tackle the structural issues of the industry. "We cannot be satisfied with the agreement as it fails to improve our competitiveness," he told YLE on Monday. Hollmen also viewed that the strikes cost the industry "way too much." Stora Enso, one of Finland's biggest paper producers, has said the strike cost it 11 million euros ($12 million) for each week of industrial action. Strikes in the mechanical forest industry are still ongoing as an agreement continues to elude the Industrial Union and Finnish Forest Industries. Attempts to resolve the labor dispute will continue at the office of the National Conciliator on Wednesday, February 12. SOURCE: Helsinki Times and Reuters / -- Bruce Clay, global SEO Guru and founder of Bruce Clay, Inc. will be on his annual visit to India in the month of March to conduct an exclusive three-day SEO master class. One of the year's most-awaited master classes; the event is annually attended by top Indian brands, who recognize the benefits of a solid SEO strategy. Also known as the 'Father of SEO', Bruce also holds a Lifetime Achievement Award in Search Marketing. He has trained 5,000+ professionals across USA, Australia, Europe and Asia, and authored books such as 'Search Engine Optimization All-In-One for Dummies' and 'Content Marketing Strategies for Professionals'. The 3 day SEO training course enables online businesses to achieve higher search rankings, boost CTR and increase traffic/sales. Bruce's SEO master class is in line with Google's latest updates, and using the same methodologies, some Indian clients were able to: Attract Organic yearly traffic valued in excess of INR 60 crores Achieve top rankings for 100s of keywordsOutperform bigger competitors on lower budgetsThis International training is highly-rated and past attendees have raved about the program:"Loved it, a definite must attend for anyone dealing in SEO" - Sudipto Nandy, Sr. Product Manager at Magic Bricks, Times Business SolutionsAbout The 3-Day Master Class:Date: 17th - 19th March, 2020Time: 9:30 AM to 5:30 PMVenue: Hotel Le Meridien, GurgaonPast events have been sold out. Applicants can avail a 22% discount if they register by Feb 28, 2020. For pricing information, special offers and more details about the course please visit: https://www.bruceclay.com/in/seo/training/ or contact Sanjeev Duggal on +91(124) 414-3292 About Bruce Clay India Bruce Clay India (BCI) is a leading provider of Digital Marketing Services with an emphasis on Search Engine Optimization (SEO). BCI is a part of the Bruce Clay group and provides SEO Training, SEO services, Content Marketing, Google Ads Management & Web Design services to the Indian market. In 2017, Bruce Clay India won the DMA Choice Awards for Most Trusted Marketing Partner - SEO Agency and MD Siddharth Lal has been named One of the Top 100 Digital Marketers in India two years in a row. Bruce Clay, Inc. has been a top search engine optimization company since 1996, through contributions such as the 746-page Search Engine Optimization All-In-One for Dummies and SEO Training and Certification Programs that promote ethical SEO practices. Headquartered in Los Angeles, Bruce Clay, Inc. has global locations in Dubai, Delhi, Sydney & Tokyo. Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088193/Bruce_Clay. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) MONTREAL, QCNoir Male, the interracial gay studio from Mile High Media, together with respected director Chi Chi LaRue celebrate the new year not only with Cybersockets 2020 Surfers Choice Award for Best Black-Themed Site, but also with the studio's plans to usher in a new era for its online content, which henceforth will be exclusively bareback. Jon Blitt, vice president of Mile High Media, stated, Since our launch, content from Noir Male has strived to be distinctive to the gay marketplace and embody genuine and intense exchanges between black men and interracial pairings. Were so honored fans agree, voting us Cybersockets Best Black-Themed Site. We are proud of what weve accomplished so far and know that listening to the fans and site members evolves our studio further. Going condom-free is just one more way we are making the best possible scenes. Noir Males condom-free scenes are available now at NoirMale.com. The latest scene features its contract performer and GayVN Best Actor DeAngelo Jackson with Papi Suave in the scorching bareback scene "Solid Connection," which can be viewed here. Other popular performers featured condom-free on Noir Male include Armond Rizzo, Aaron Reese, Mr. Cali, Trent King and Beaux Banks. Director Chi Chi LaRue commented on going condom-less in 2020, saying, As we come up on two years of fantastic, amazing content with todays most exciting talent, its so incredible to announce that weve come full circle and are giving customers and fans what theyve been asking for. LaRue continues, Im also so excited for everyone to see our first big feature Sin City, that just wrapped, and introduce some fantastic, fierce new guys to the Noir Male family! This year will be outstanding for Noir Male. Noir Male strives to break down interracial porn stereotypes and conventions, while blending classic elegance with modern style, showcasing men of color as they deserve to be seen: sensual, sexual, and unapologetically fineand now completely bare. For the latest news, release info and BTS previews, follow Noir Male on Twitter or Instagram @OfficialNoirMale. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Delegation of the Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry (Belneftekhim Concern) has held a number of meetings with Kazakh oil extracting companies, Kazakhstans Minister of Energy Nurlan Nogayev said, Trend reports with reference to Kazakh media. Nogayev noted that currently, Kazakhstan expects to sign a corresponding agreement. We are talking about the intergovernmental agreement which regulates the mechanism of oil supplies. Belneftekhim delegation has come and held talks with Kazakh companies which could possibly export oil to Belarus, the minister said. He added that a number of Kazakh companies are interested in the oil export. We organized meetings with Karachaganak Petroleum Operating, North Caspian Operating Company, Tengizchavroil and other companies. The agreement will be signed following government bodies working out and agreeing on all issues, he said He added that the date of another negotiations' session is not known yet. Recently, Belneftekhim delegation visited Kazakhstan to hold negotiations on oil import from Kazakhstan. Earlier this month, by a decree 27, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko authorized the countrys government to carry out negotiations with Kazakhstan over trade and economic cooperation in area of oil and petroleum products' import to Belarus, as well as on drafting agreement and its signing after it is approved. According to then Kazakhstans Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev, during Lukashenkos visit to Kazakhstan in April 2019, parties signed a preliminary agreement on export of Kazakhstans oil and petroleum products to Belarus and on overall cooperation in the area. As noted earlier by Asset Magauov, Kazakhstans Vice Minister of Energy, Kazakhstan is counting on signing the agreement on oil export to Belarus in the beginning of 2020. Kazakhstan is planning to export from 1 to 3.5 million tons of oil and petroleum products a year to Belarus. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh Infosys announced a definitive agreement to acquire Simplus, one of the fastest growing Salesforce Platinum Partners in the USA and Australia. Simplus is a recognized leader and advisor in cloud consulting, implementation, data integration, change management and training services for Salesforce Quote-to-Cash applications. This acquisition, coupled with the acquisition of Fluido announced in September 2018, further elevates Infosys' position as an end-to-end Salesforce enterprise cloud solutions and services provider, offering clients unparalleled capabilities for cloud-first digital transformation. Simplus brings to Infosys globally recognized Salesforce expertise, industry knowledge, solution assets, deep ecosystem relationships and a broad clientele, across a variety of industries including high-tech, financial services, retail, healthcare, life sciences and manufacturing. It has offices across North America, Sydney, Melbourne, London, and a large delivery center in Manila. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) by Brad Camara | Diamondbacks Correspondent | Mon, Feb 10th 7:55pm EST Nick Ahmed agreed to a four-year extension on Monday. (Nick Piecoro on Twitter ) Fantasy Impact: Ahmeds four-year extension is worth a guaranteed $32.5 million. He set career-highs in average (.255), OBP (.318), homers (19) and RBI (82) last season. Ahmed who is known as elite defender, should see plenty of at-bats as Arizonas starting shortstop. He is currently the 37th shortstop on the consensus rankings, and is worth a late round flyer in mixed-league drafts. Travel agency counters at Terminal 1 in the Incheon International Airport, remained largely empty, Tuesday, amid fears of coronavirus infection. /Yonhap By Bahk Eun-ji The government is urging citizens to limit travel to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, Taiwan and also eastern neighbor Japan which have all reported community transmission of the coronavirus, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) Tuesday. "The measure is a part of the government's efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus in Korea from visitors to other countries, in addition to China" said Kim Gang-lip, vice minister of the Ministry of Health and deputy head of the central disaster headquarters during a regular media briefing. The decision is based on a report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) on Sunday, which named the six countries as places where the coronavirus is thought to be spreading through communities. It is a separate advisory from the regular travel warning announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The foreign ministry has maintained the second-highest level of "withdrawal recommendation" for Hubei Province in China. South Korea's 3rd evacuation plane arrives from virus-hit Wuhan Third evacuation flight sent to Wuhan Seoul city offers coronavirus information in 12 languages Couples in dilemma over wedding ceremony amid coronavirus fears Along with the foreign ministry's alert level of "restraint," the third highest level in the four-tier travel warning system, to Hong Kong and Macao, the KCDC also said it will apply strict quarantine screening to entrants from the two regions. Currently, entrants from China are asked to fill out health questionnaires to check whether they show symptoms of the virus infection, such as fever and respiratory problems. They are also required to provide their mobile phone numbers and addresses of the places they will stay in Korea, which are then checked for their veracity. The strict measures took effect from Wednesday, following the country's 26th and 27th confirmed patients who stayed in Guangdong Province in China then Macao for three months before returning to Korea on Jan.31. "Given the large number of confirmed cases of the virus in the two regions 36 confirmed cases and one death in Hong Kong, and 10 confirmed cases in Macao the government can't ignore the possibility of an inflow of the infected patients to Korea from those regions," said Jung Eun-kyeong, the head of the KCDC. The public health authorities will also start providing travel information on countries with confirmed cases to local medical institutions and pharmacies later in the day in an effort to create stronger safeguards in communities. Meanwhile, the government also confirmed one more case of the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of such cases to 28. The KCDC said the 28th patient is a 30-year-old Chinese woman who appears to have been infected by the nation's third confirmed patient. The Chinese woman had been in self-quarantine before testing positive to the virus, and she didn't show any symptoms of the virus infection. An Australian family trapped aboard the quarantined Diamond Princess cruise ship amid coronavirus fears in Japan said they are 'missing out on their lives'. Mother-of-three Aun Na Tan is one of 225 Australian passengers in lockdown on the boat, where people are being confined to their cabins for two weeks. Along with two of her children and husband, she has been stuck in their small room - with only a few films and books to occupy their days with no natural light. Their quarantine terror is expected to finally end on February 19, she explained, while at least 135 on board have been struck down by the deadly virus. Scroll down for video Aun Na Tan (pictured, centre) her children Xander Soh (left), 19, and Kaitlyn Soh (right), 16, and husband Jeff Soh (back, centre) are spending two weeks in quarantine on a cruise ship 'I'm just glad we are together as a family,' she said. 'I know some other families who, because they've got separate rooms with kids are unable to see their kids. 'We're all together, we can see each other, we know we're all safe - so we're fine in the area we are in. 'So it hasn't affected us as much.' She is trapped in the cabin along with her husband Jeff Soh and teenage children, Xander, 19, and Kaitlyn, 16. They are among 3,600 passengers in lockdown on the ship in the port of Yokohama, with only small numbers of passengers allowed out of their rooms for an hour at a time. The Soh family (pictured) have been keeping themselves in high spirits by sharing their plight on social media Ms Tan (pictured) and her family have been trying to stay fit by exercising in their tiny cabin Sharing pictures of her family exercising, and even doing handstands against the tiny cabin's walls, she explained they were trying to stay healthy. Her husband is even back to work, working remotely on his laptop inside the cramped interior room. 'We're being looked after here,' she said. 'We've been doing a bit of stretching and exercise in the room, just to make sure we're staying a bit healthy. Aun Na Tan (pictured) has been exercising with her family in their tiny cabin to try and stay healthy during their quarantine Some of the 3,500 passengers are being allowed to walk around the deck (pictured) but not very often 'I've been chatting to a lot of family and friends. I've had a lot of messages coming in, they're keeping me occupied. 'We're really, we've got movies to watch. The kids are doing a lot of social media stuff, chatting with friends and surfing the internet with their smart devices, playing games. 'We were looking forward to the Queen and Adam Lambert concert, but we've missed that now. 'So we're just missing out on our everyday life, I guess.' Passengers have been told they will get a full refund for the cruise, The crisis began when an 80-year-old man from Hong Kong fell ill after disembarking the ship. A mandatory quarantine period was then put on the ship by the Japanese government. While many can disembark on February 19, those who came in close contact with confirmed coronavirus sufferers on board will have to wait until a fortnight since the interaction. Four Australians are among the 135 passengers who have tested positive for the virus. Those suffering with the respiratory disease have since been removed and taken to hospital in Japan. The Diamond Princess cruise ship (pictured) is docked in the port of Yokohama in Japan during the quarantine The Soh family (pictured) are doing exercise, as well as watching films, reading books and using social media to pass the time A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said the department is urgently seeking advice from Japanese authorities on new cases among Australians on the ship. Local health officials confirmed that among the new infections were 45 Japanese nationals, 11 Americans, four Australians, three from the Philippines and one each from Canada and Ukraine. None of the 266 people in quarantine in Darwin after being evacuated from the coronavirus epicentre in China have shown any signs of the respiratory infection, medical authorities said. PHOENIX Legislation to outlaw social promotion in schools hit a snag Monday as two Republicans declined to go along with a proposal by one of their own. Rep. Joanne Osborne, R-Goodyear, reminded lawmakers of her own story about holding back her son in the fourth grade after she found that he was still reading at a second-grade level due to hearing problems he had as a baby. It was the right thing to do for my son, she said, adding that House Bill 2013 was heading in the right direction. But when the issue came up for a final roll-call vote on Monday, Osborne said proponents had not looked at what such a policy would mean to schools during the next few years as they try to handle the many children that may be held back. What does that mean to class size? Osborne asked. What does that mean to the overall education to all that are in those areas? Without answers, she said, she could not support the measure. Osbornes opposition by itself was enough to quash the bill in the 60-member House, where 31 votes are needed for final approval, as all 29 Democrats were in opposition. It's no coincidence that some of the worst viral disease outbreaks in recent years -- SARS, MERS, Ebola, Marburg and likely the newly arrived 2019-nCoV virus -- originated in bats. A new University of California, Berkeley, study finds that bats' fierce immune response to viruses could drive viruses to replicate faster, so that when they jump to mammals with average immune systems, such as humans, the viruses wreak deadly havoc. Some bats -- including those known to be the original source of human infections -- have been shown to host immune systems that are perpetually primed to mount defenses against viruses. Viral infection in these bats leads to a swift response that walls the virus out of cells. While this may protect the bats from getting infected with high viral loads, it encourages these viruses to reproduce more quickly within a host before a defense can be mounted. This makes bats a unique reservoir of rapidly reproducing and highly transmissible viruses. While the bats can tolerate viruses like these, when these bat viruses then move into animals that lack a fast-response immune system, the viruses quickly overwhelm their new hosts, leading to high fatality rates. Some bats are able to mount this robust antiviral response, but also balance it with an anti-inflammation response. Our immune system would generate widespread inflammation if attempting this same antiviral strategy. But bats appear uniquely suited to avoiding the threat of immunopathology." Cara Brook, postdoctoral Miller Fellow at UC Berkeley and the first author of the study The researchers note that disrupting bat habitat appears to stress the animals and makes them shed even more virus in their saliva, urine and feces that can infect other animals. "Heightened environmental threats to bats may add to the threat of zoonosis," said Brook, who works with a bat monitoring program funded by DARPA (the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) that is currently underway in Madagascar, Bangladesh, Ghana and Australia. The project, Bat One Health, explores the link between loss of bat habitat and the spillover of bat viruses into other animals and humans. "The bottom line is that bats are potentially special when it comes to hosting viruses," said Mike Boots, a disease ecologist and UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology. "It is not random that a lot of these viruses are coming from bats. Bats are not even that closely related to us, so we would not expect them to host many human viruses. But this work demonstrates how bat immune systems could drive the virulence that overcomes this." The new study by Brook, Boots and their colleagues was published this month in the journal eLife. Boots and UC Berkeley colleague Wayne Getz are among 23 Chinese and American co-authors of a paper published last week in the journal EcoHealth that argues for better collaboration between U.S. and Chinese scientists who are focused on disease ecology and emerging infections. Vigorous flight leads to longer lifespan - and perhaps viral tolerance As the only flying mammal, bats elevate their metabolic rates in flight to a level that doubles that achieved by similarly sized rodents when running. Generally, vigorous physical activity and high metabolic rates lead to higher tissue damage due to an accumulation of reactive molecules, primarily free radicals. But to enable flight, bats seem to have developed physiological mechanisms to efficiently mop up these destructive molecules. This has the side benefit of efficiently mopping up damaging molecules produced by inflammation of any cause, which may explain bats' uniquely long lifespans. Smaller animals with faster heart rates and metabolism typically have shorter lifespans than larger animals with slower heartbeats and slower metabolism, presumably because high metabolism leads to more destructive free radicals. But bats are unique in having far longer lifespans than other mammals of the same size: Some bats can live 40 years, whereas a rodent of the same size may live two years. This rapid tamping down of inflammation may also have another perk: tamping down inflammation related to antiviral immune response. One key trick of many bats' immune systems is the hair-trigger release of a signaling molecule called interferon-alpha, which tells other cells to "man the battle stations" before a virus invades. Brook was curious how bats' rapid immune response affects the evolution of the viruses they host, so she conducted experiments on cultured cells from two bats and, as a control, one monkey. One bat, the Egyptian fruit bat (Rousettus aegyptiacus), a natural host of Marburg virus, requires a direct viral attack before transcribing its interferon-alpha gene to flood the body with interferon. This technique is slightly slower than that of the Australian black flying fox (Pteropus alecto), a reservoir of Hendra virus, which is primed to fight virus infections with interferon-alpha RNA that is transcribed and ready to turn into protein. The African green monkey (Vero) cell line does not produce interferon at all. When challenged by viruses mimicking Ebola and Marburg, the different responses of these cell lines were striking. While the green monkey cell line was rapidly overwhelmed and killed by the viruses, a subset of the rousette bat cells successfully walled themselves off from viral infection, thanks to interferon early warning. In the Australian black flying fox cells, the immune response was even more successful, with the viral infection slowed substantially over that in the rousette cell line. In addition, these bat interferon responses seemed to allow the infections to last longer. "Think of viruses on a cell monolayer like a fire burning through a forest. Some of the communities -- cells -- have emergency blankets, and the fire washes through without harming them, but at the end of the day you still have smoldering coals in the system -- there are still some viral cells," Brook said. The surviving communities of cells can reproduce, providing new targets for the the virus and setting up a smoldering infection that persists across the bat's lifespan. Brook and Boots created a simple model of the bats' immune systems to recreate their experiments in a computer. "This suggests that having a really robust interferon system would help these viruses persist within the host," Brook said. "When you have a higher immune response, you get these cells that are protected from infection, so the virus can actually ramp up its replication rate without causing damage to its host. But when it spills over into something like a human, we don't have those same sorts of antiviral mechanism, and we could experience a lot of pathology." The researchers noted that many of the bat viruses jump to humans through an animal intermediary. SARS got to humans through the Asian palm civet; MERS via camels; Ebola via gorillas and chimpanzees; Nipah via pigs; Hendra via horses and Marburg through African green monkeys. Nonetheless, these viruses still remain extremely virulent and deadly upon making the final jump into humans. Brook and Boots are designing a more formal model of disease evolution within bats in order to better understand virus spillover into other animals and humans. "It is really important to understand the trajectory of an infection in order to be able to predict emergence and spread and transmission," Brook said. When you hear fans of The View complaining about the direction the shows taken in recent years, it usually comes down to the energy Meghan McCain brings to the table. In a word, its the negative energy McCain has brought to The View that has many viewers wishing her gone. The shows producers see it a different way, of course. Replacing a co-host with a famous name is never easy. Just ask yourself who replaced Abby Huntsman after her January departure. Or ask why the show wanted both Joy Behar and Elisabeth Hasselbeck back after letting them go in 2013. For now, fans who have tired of McCain have to settle for days when the co-host is out and Ana Navarro takes her place. But on February 10, with McCain and Whoopi Goldberg both out, fans got a look at Navarro and guest-host Tyra Banks on The View. It was a relatively drama-free hour. The View had a much more positive vibe with Banks aboard THE VIEW Joy Behar, Ana Navarro, and Sunny Hostin in 2019 | Jeff Neria/Walt Disney Television via Getty Images Changing the makeup of the table always has an impact on the feel of The View, but it was more pronounced than normal with McCain and Whoopi both absent. With Behar in the moderators chair and a Banks seated between Navarro and Sunny Hostin, the show lost its confrontational feel. For fans whove grown weary of McCains habitual tantrums, that must have been a welcome change. With Banks not diving deep into the political segments, the show also had a lighter feel than usual. However, the script included the usual number of Hot Topics segments. WAS VINDMAN REMOVAL VINDICTIVE? The co-hosts react to Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, the National Security Council expert who testified in the House impeachment inquiry last year, and his twin brother being removed from their posts. https://t.co/kr6tW2euKg pic.twitter.com/etRGGOhJCF The View (@TheView) February 10, 2020 On the subject of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindmans dismissal from his post, Navarro brought her usual passion. Im so pissed, Im livid, she said. Alexander Vindman has shrapnel in his body, has a purple heart, wore the uniform of this country and got escorted out of the White House like a common thief by a draft dodger. Soon after, Behar asked Banks an interesting question. As a mogul would you fire someone you considered disloyal [as Trump had Vindman]? In response, Banks told the story of having staffers do anonymous feedback interviews so shed become a better boss. In that moment, it felt like a throwback episode of The View circa 2003. Someone who hadnt grown up in a famous family (e.g., Huntsman, McCain) was bringing wisdom shed gained from her career in business world. View fans on Twitter liked Banks but wanted more political edge Tyra Banks shows off a laid-back look on February 10, 2020 in New York City. | Patricia Schlein/Star Max/GC Images Theres a sizable following of The View on Twitter, and fans began taking stock of Banks as soon as the show started. Many on the site expressed joy at McCain being out and were happy to see Banks in her place. However, a number of viewers said they preferred co-hosts with more political chops. If you saw the tweet previewing Banks appearance, you could have predicted the enthusiasm levels were low. The View account, with over 800,000 followers, only saw eight retweets and about 75 likes from the tweet. COMING UP: The fabulous @tyrabanks joins us at the table as a guest co-host! pic.twitter.com/N2XRgq8Q9t The View (@TheView) February 10, 2020 While Twitter only tells a part of the story, the low engagement should answer any questions whether producers are considering Banks as a replacement for Huntsman. (Its highly unlikely.) The last time The View steered away from politics and went with a pop-culture angle (the Jenny McCarthy experiment), the show got some of its worst ratings to date. Dont expect them to try that again. Also see: Why The View Insiders Believe Abby Huntsmans Days Were Numbered Anyway BANGKOK Thailands army commander said Tuesday the soldier who killed 29 people in a shooting rampage had not been treated fairly in a land deal involving his commander and such arrangements would have to be halted. The gunman killed his superior officer and the officers mother-in-law, stole weapons and a vehicle and headed to a popular shopping mall in a northeastern city where he holed up for hours before security officers killed him. Gen. Apirat Kongsompong said at a news conference at army headquarters in Bangkok that such arrangements would have to be halted. The perpetrator did not receive fair treatment from his superior and the relative, he said. They were involved in a land purchase deal that had gone wrong. We will investigate further about who else is involved in the issue. Sgt. Maj. Jakrapanth Thomma started his rampage Saturday by killing Col. Anantarote Krasae, his commanding officer in the 22nd Ammunition Battalion, and the officers 63-year-old mother-in-law, a real estate dealer who marketed to local soldiers, at Anantarotes home. The gunman then stole heavy weapons from an army camp and shot people at random from the stolen army vehicle en route to the Terminal 21 Korat mall in the city of Nakhon Ratchasima. He holed up in the airport-themed mall overnight before security forces cornered and killed him. Apirat deflected criticism over how the army safeguards its weapons, describing the theft of arms as the criminal act of an individual. He admitted to shortcomings in some military procedures, but said the gunman took advantage of his military rank to confuse guards and gain access to the weapons. Apirat said the security for arms depots is up to standard but will be reviewed. Military affairs specialists have have suggested systemic problems with security of army and police weapons, pointing to repeated leakage through theft and force. The shooting raises serious questions about stockpile security, said Michael Picard, research director of GunPolicy.org who until recently was based in Bangkok. It is alarming if thats all it took that one guy was tasked with guarding/monitoring a well-stocked armory, Picard wrote in an email interview. Its possible that the assailant used his rank and knowledge of the base to bypass existent controls, but this still shows that the level of control over this bases armory was woefully insufficient in terms of manpower and access restriction. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha asked Cabinet members and civil servants to dress in black as an expression of sympathy for the shooting victims. He said King Maha Vajiralongkorn has offered royally sponsored funeral rites and cremations for all of the dead. The death toll of 29 surpassed Thailands last major attack on civilians, a 2015 bombing at a shrine in Bangkok killing 20 people that was allegedly carried out by human traffickers in retaliation for a crackdown on their network. Some of the 58 wounded are still in critical condition. Terminal 21 Korat will reopen Thursday with a Buddhist ceremony, building department administrator Amnuayphorn Sankong said. Thai media reported two people had been arrested for making threats online to carry out similar shootings. One was a former soldier who told police he had been drunk and arguing with his girlfriend and the other was a 16-year-old who told police he posted a threat for fun, the Bangkok Post reported. Both face charges of violating the Computer Crime Act, which is punishable by up to five years in prison, and causing public fear, which carried a one-month sentence. ___ Associated Press journalists Emily Schmall and Preeyapa T. Khunsong in Nakhon Ratchasima and Grant Peck in Bangkok contributed to this story. Development is on track for investigational new drug filing by the end of 2020, and we have placed our trust in Catalent to deliver on-time and with the highest quality in true partnership. Catalent, the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products, today announced that it has signed an agreement with Zumutor Biologics, Inc., to manufacture Zumutors lead candidate, ZM008, for the treatment of solid tumors. Zumutor is a biologics company that develops novel immuno-oncotherapeutics to drive transformational improvements in cancer treatment. ZM008 is a first-in-class monoclonal antibody targeting tumor cell receptors that block natural killer (NK) cell inhibitory signals and enables NK cell activation to generate a potent immune response. NK cells are a type of cytotoxic lymphocyte (white blood cell) and are a critical component in the innate human immune system, which ZM008 can utilize to target solid tumor cells for diseases such as prostate cancer. We were able to fast track the development of ZM008 by leveraging INABLR, our proprietary antibody discovery platform, stated Kavitha Iyer, Founder & CEO of Zumutor Biologics. Robust preclinical data for ZM008 demonstrates tumor cell death, immune cell infiltration, and tumor growth inhibition. In vivo studies demonstrate anti-tumor efficacy as a monotherapy or in combination with immune checkpoint inhibitors. Development is on track for investigational new drug filing by the end of 2020, and we have placed our trust in Catalent to deliver on-time and with the highest quality in true partnership. Under the terms of the agreement, Catalent Biologics will provide process optimization and drug substance manufacturing services from its site in Madison, Wisconsin. The site is currently undergoing a significant expansion, with the build-out of two new suites, each with a 2 x 2,000-liter single-use bioreactor system, providing additional clinical and commercial production. The expansion is scheduled to be completed by mid-2021 and will more than double Catalent Biologics commercial biomanufacturing capacity. Catalent values the long-standing partnership and technical relationship that we have developed with Zumutor over the years, commented Mike Riley, Region President, Catalent Biologics, North America. We are excited to work on this innovative lead candidate as the company prepares to take it into the clinic and beyond and look forward to working closely with Zumutor to support its clinical development and commercialization needs. INABLR is a trademark of Zumutor Biologics, Inc. About Zumutor Biologics, Inc. Zumutor Biologics, Inc., is a next generation Tumor-Directed IO therapeutics company headquartered in Cambridge, MA with R & D Lab in Bangalore, India. The 25-strong science team works seamlessly with a world renowned scientific advisory board with expertise in immuno-oncology and clinical development. Zumutors assets include a pipeline of immuno-oncotherapeutics molecules, two proprietary antibody discovery platforms and a robust IP portfolio with a landscape beyond 2034. For more information, visit http://www.zumutor.com About Catalent Biologics For more than two decades, Catalent Biologics has built capabilities and experience in development, manufacturing, and analytical services for new biological entities, cell and gene therapies, biosimilars, and antibody-drug conjugates. Catalent has worked with 600+ mAbs and 80+ proteins, and 13 biopharmaceutical drugs produced using GPEx cell line development technology have been approved and marketed, with more than 120 ongoing clinical trials utilizing therapeutic candidates developed using the GPEx platform. A further 26 commercially-approved products have employed Catalent Biologics capabilities through to aseptic fill/finish. Catalent has recently acquired MaSTherCell, a technology-focused cell and gene therapy development and manufacturing partner with facilities in the U.S. and Europe. With expertise in both autologous and allogeneic cell therapy development and manufacturing, this latest acquisition complements Paragon Gene Therapys industry-leading capabilities and expertise in the development and manufacturing of adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, next-generation vaccines and oncolytic virus production. Its manufacturing facilities in Baltimore, Maryland have produced over 100 GMP batches across 40 clinical and commercial programs. Using advanced technology and tailored solutions for clinical through commercial supply, Catalent Biologics brings better biologic treatments to patients, faster. For more information on Catalent Biologics, visit http://www.catalent.com/biologics About Catalent Catalent is the leading global provider of advanced delivery technologies, development, and manufacturing solutions for drugs, biologics, cell and gene therapies, and consumer health products. With over 85 years serving the industry, Catalent has proven expertise in bringing more customer products to market faster, enhancing product performance and ensuring reliable global clinical and commercial product supply. Catalent employs over 13,000 people, including over 2,400 scientists and technicians, at more than 35 facilities, and in fiscal year 2019 generated over $2.5 billion in annual revenue. Catalent is headquartered in Somerset, New Jersey. For more information, visit http://www.catalent.com More products. Better treatments. Reliably supplied. Pen Underwriting has announced the appointment of Tom Downey to the role of chief executive officer, subject to regulatory approval. He takes over the leadership of the 500 million (USS$646 million) GWP underwriting business from current CEO Jonathan Turner, who has been appointed as CEO of the UK-based Specialty business for insurance broker Gallagher the parent company of Pen Underwriting. Turners appointment is subject to regulatory approval. Downey joined Pen Underwriting as managing director of Specialty in 2014 before being appointed chief underwriting officer in 2017. As CEO, he will assume full day-to-day management of Pen and its team of more than 350 insurance professionals across its 12 UK offices. In addition, Pen announced that two other members of its leadership team are assuming new executive-level responsibilities: Jennifer Martin, managing director of International & Financial Lines, will succeed Downey as chief underwriting officer, subject to regulatory approval. Martin joined Pen Underwriting in 2015 to build and drive the expansion of its specialist financial lines business into international territories, before being promoted to lead its overall International & Financial Lines division. Upon regulatory approval, she will also join the Pen board. Adrian Scott, head of Cyber Liability, will succeed Martin as managing director of International & Financial Lines. Scott joined Pen Underwriting in 2016 to enhance its capabilities in cyber risk management and insurance, build a dedicated team of sector specialists and extend the geographic reach of Pens cyber offerings. Scott will become a member of Pens executive team. From my very first day six years ago, Ive been passionate about Pen as a specialist underwriting business and am incredibly proud of the virtual insurer we have shaped and built as a team, said Downey. Pen now brings together all the robust capabilities of an insurance company with the entrepreneurial mind-set and flexibility of an MGA that continues to deliver for our customers and capacity providers alike. Five years ago, Pen Underwriting was essentially a disparate group of 12 specialist underwriting businesses, and Tom has been integral to their effective integration and our transformational change, said Turner. Theres no pair of hands more skilled and secure to which to pass Pens leadership reins. Source: Pen Underwriting Topics Legislation Underwriting Insurance Wholesale More than 100 U.S. service members have traumatic brain injuries from Iranian airstrikes on the Ain al-Asad air base in Iraq in January, the Defense Department said, a number that was more than 50% higher than previously disclosed. Of the 109 troops who have been diagnosed with brain injuries, 76 had returned to duty, officials said Monday. We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70% of those diagnosed to return to duty, said Alyssa Farah, the Pentagon press secretary. The latest tally, which has steadily grown since the Jan. 8 strike, drew a sharp contrast with the assertion by the Trump administration in the hours after the attack that no Americans were hurt. The number also underscored the unseen effects of traumatic brain injuries, which sometimes do not manifest symptoms for days or weeks but can have long-term physical or mental effects. And as the injury toll has mounted, veterans groups and others have levied criticism at the White House, in part because, in January, President Donald Trump dismissed the injuries as not very serious. I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, Trump said at a news conference Jan. 22 in Davos, Switzerland. I dont consider them very serious injuries relative to other injuries I have seen. At least a dozen missiles were fired during the attack, which was a retaliation for the killing of a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, by a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3. The Trump administration at first said there were no injuries, but a week later said several service members were evaluated for possible concussions. Then, days after Trumps statements in Davos, the Defense Department said that 34 people had suffered brain injuries. The number was later increased to 50 and then to 64, with military officials saying that the symptoms of traumatic brain injuries could take weeks to appear. The repeated revisions have drawn outrage from some veterans and senators. The number just keeps going up, Paul Rieckhoff, the founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said on Twitter on Monday. Its time for Congress to demand a full investigation. The public and our military families deserve the truth. Frank Luntz, a longtime Republican strategist, said on Twitter on Monday that a traumatic brain injury can have debilitating lifelong effects. We shouldnt hide our veterans injuries just to pretend like were invincible, he said. Traumatic brain injuries can result from the powerful changes in atmospheric pressure that accompany an explosion like that from a missile warhead. Only in the last several years has the Pentagon made a considerable effort to understand the injuries. Trumps statements appeared to echo sentiments common in the early years of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, where troops rattled by explosions were visibly uninjured and ushered back to duty, only to have long-term effects from the blasts manifest weeks and months later. Defense Secretary Mark Esper said at a news conference in January that the Pentagon took those types of injuries very seriously. The White House did not immediately respond to questions Monday afternoon. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. UNESCO is calling on the government to prioritise the promotion of freedom of expression, access to information and gender equality to improve networking and international cooperation between broadcasters. The call comes at the period UNESCO and non-governmental organisation Farm Radio International are gearing up for World Radio Day Forum scheduled for Thursday, 13 February 2020 in Accra. World Radio Day celebrates radio and how it shapes lives and public opinion. It is to create awareness among the public and the media about the relevance of radio, whip up the interest of decision-makers to ease access to information through radio to enhance networking and international cooperation among broadcasters. Speaking to Class News Jerry Akornor ahead of World Radio Day Forum in Accra, UNESCO Ghana Office National Programme Officer Abdul Hamid Yakubu said: "The government should create an enabling environment for freedom of expression to make sure we live in a democratic space. At the top is the freedom of expression and that's the role of government, laws must be specifically made to empower people to be able to enjoy freedom of expression, access to information and gender equality. This years World Radio Day Forum would focus on diversity in the use of radio, advocate pluralism in radio (a mix of public private and community broadcasters), encourage presentation in the newsroom with teams comprised of diverse society groups and promote diversity of editorial content and programme types reflecting a variety of audiences. The Country Director of Farm Radio International, Benjamin Fiafor, said the government should scale up the granting of licences to communities to expand the number of community radio stations in the country. How can the government ensure that when we talk about pluralism, Ghana has more community radio stations?" he pondered. He said: Radio is a powerful medium for celebrating humanity and constitutes a platform for democratic discourse. At the global level, radio remains the most widely consumed medium. This unique ability to reach out to the widest audience means radio can shape a societys experience of diversity, stand as an arena for all voices to speak out, be represented and heard. Radio stations should serve diverse communities, offering a wide variety of programmes, viewpoints, content, and reflect the diversity of audiences in their organisations and operations. ----classfmonline LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TheBusinessResearchCompany.com offers Soap And Other Detergents Global Market Report 2020 from its research database. The complete report is spread across 150 pages and covers research on different countries across the globe. The Soap (And Other Detergents) Market Will Grow At 7.5% CAGR Soap and detergents are chemical compounds that are surface active agents. These products are made from animal fats or vegetable oil and are used to clean a solid surface. Surface-active agents are categorized in four groups: anionic detergents, cationic detergents, nonionic detergents and ampholytic. The global soap and other detergents market was worth $100.04 billion in 2019. It is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.5% and reach $133.85 billion by 2023. The introduction of innovative new products is a key factor leading to the growth of the soap and other detergent industry. Manufacturers continue to focus on innovative product development to meet the unmet needs of their customers. Companies are launching anti-allergy soaps and natural ingredients containing detergents that are widely adopted. For instance, in 2019, Unilever, a British-Dutch consumer goods company, launched a new liquid detergent product under the brand Hindustan Unilever (HUL), Love Home and Planet, which is HUL`s fifth fabric wash brand. New product development, thereby, is driving the demand for the soap and other detergents market globally. Read More On The Business Research Company's Soap And Other Detergents Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/report/soap-and-other-detergents-global-market-report Increasing Use Of Water-Efficient Laundry Products With increasing water scarcity worldwide, soap and other detergent manufacturers are working continuously on creating opportunities for water-efficient laundry products. These water-efficient laundry products require less water for rinsing as these concentrated detergents contain chemicals with less water-dependent laundry ingredients. Furthermore, these products also cut down packaging and transportation cost for the manufacturers. In 2015, Unilever launched the Sustainable Washing Challenge, aimed at improving cleaning products and reducing the water consumed for washing clothes. Uncertain Regulatory Environment Of The Soap Market Soap and other detergent providers globally faced uncertain regulatory environment in the historic period. There are certain regulations aimed at reducing the release of toxic chemical substances into the atmosphere during the manufacturing process of soaps and detergents. Manufacturers of soap and detergent must comply with the US code of federal regulations (40 CFR), regarding the safety of the environment (part 417). Request A Sample Of The Soap And Other Detergents Market Report: https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/sample.aspx?id=2709&type=smp Soap And Other Detergents Market Global Overview And Segmentations The soap and other detergents market is a segment of the soap and cleaning compounds market. Soap and cleaning compounds manufacturers produce and package soaps and other cleaning compounds, surface active agents, and textile and leather finishing agents, used to reduce tension or speed the drying process. The soap and other detergents market is segmented by type into laundry detergent, soap, dishwashing detergent, toothpaste, and others. It is also segmented by end use into body, clothing, and others. The soap and other detergents market is geographically segmented into North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, Eastern Europe, South America and Middle East & Africa. In 2019, Asia Pacific accounted for around 33% of the market. Major players in the market are Procter & Gamble, Ecolab Inc, Unilever plc, Henkel AG & Co KGaA, Church & Dwight Co. Inc, Colgate-Palmolive Company, Dial, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, The Clorox Company, and Lion Corp. Place a Direct Purchase Order of Entire Report @ https://www.thebusinessresearchcompany.com/purchaseoptions.aspx?id=2709 . Here Is A List Of Similar Reports By The Business Research Company: Soap And Cleaning Compounds Global Market Report 2020 Toiletries Global Market Report 2020 The World's Most Comprehensive Database: The Business Research Company's Global Market Model analyzes all the above data and more. It is the world's most comprehensive database of integrated market information. This market intelligence platform covers various macroeconomic indicators and metrics across 60 geographies and 25 industries. Interested to know more about The Business Research Company? The Business Research Company has published over 1,000 industry reports, covering over 2,500 market segments and 60 geographies. The reports draw on 150,000 datasets, extensive secondary research, and exclusive insights from interviews with industry leaders. Contact Information: The Business Research Company Nitin Europe: +44-207-1930-708 Asia: +91-8897263534 Americas: +1-315-623-0293 Email: [email protected] Follow us on LinkedIn: https://in.linkedin.com/company/the-business-research-company Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/tbrc_Info SOURCE The Business Research Company Nancy Pelosi leaves out Christians when naming persecuted religious minorities Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment When Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Catholic, spoke at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., last week, she prayed for the persecuted, listing religious persecution around the world, but did not specifically mention Christians. Oh, Lord, we thank all gathered at this prayer breakfast for lifting our voices for the poor and the persecuted, the millions who are missing or murdered because of their faith, Pelosi prayed at the event Thursday, according to The Daily Signal. Let us pray for the Panchen Lama and all the Tibetan Buddhists imprisoned in China or missing for following their faith, she continued. The House speaker also prayed for the 1 to 3 million Uighurs in China forced from their homes and incarcerated in camps, as well as for Raif Badawi in Saudi Arabia and for all the writers and religious free thinkers imprisoned for speaking their minds. Pelosi then prayed for priests, rabbis, pastors, and religious leaders around the world whose freedoms have been stolen because of what they believe countless Muslims and other religious minorities, often unseen and unnamed, who have been abducted, oppressed, and abused because of who they are and what they believe, their faith. In its 2020 World Watch List, leading Christian persecution watchdog Open Doors USA released its annual data report, saying this year highlights a drastic increase in attacks against Christian buildings and the imprisonment of Christians. At least 2,983 Christians were killed for faith-related reasons during the last reporting period (Nov. 1, 2018 to Oct. 31, 2019). That is an average of eight Christians killed per day. The data also showed that about 260 million Christians experience high levels of persecution in the top 50 countries on the list. The report stated that 9,488 churches or Christian buildings or an average of 25 per day were attacked during the 2019 reporting period. The number of Christians detained without trial, arrested and imprisoned increased from 2,625 in the 2019 report to 3,711 in the 2020 report. Also at the National Prayer Breakfast Thursday, the day after the United States Senate voted to acquit him of two articles of impeachment brought by Democrats in the lower chamber, President Donald Trump apparently criticized Pelosi, who months back had said that she prays for the presidents well-being. Without specifically naming Pelosi, who led the impeachment charge against the president, Trump said, Nor do I like people who say I pray for you when they know that thats not so. So many people have been hurt and we cant let that go on. At the event, conservative author Arthur Brooks encouraged biblical love amid a nationwide crisis of contempt and polarization. Brooks, a professor of public leadership at the Harvard Kennedy School and senior fellow at the Harvard Business School, described himself as a follower of Jesus, explaining, [The same Jesus] who taught us to love God and taught us to love each other. Today, Im here to talk to you about the biggest crisis facing our nation and many other nations today: Its the crisis of contempt and polarization thats tearing our societies apart. A Florida mom says her fifth-grade daughter is too embarrassed to return to school after her teacher asked if she was a lesbian if front of her entire class. Jezenia Gambino is now homeschooling her daughter following the incident, which took place at Northport K-8 in Port St. Lucie last month. According to Gambino, rumors had been flying around the school that her daughter and a female classmate were dating. The news eventually reached their teacher, who confronted the pair in front of fellow students. 'She asked them if they were a couple together and she asked them in a way that they felt they were in trouble,' Gambino told WPTV on Monday. Gambino said she did not find out about the incident until she noticed her daughter looking visibly upset several days later. Gambino's daughter had received a text from the female friend saying 'she wasn't sure if they should hang out together anymore because of what happened in school'. 'She [the friend] didn't want anyone to think they were gay,' Gambino stated. Jezenia Gambino ays her fifth-grade daughter is too embarrassed to return to school after her teacher asked if she was a lesbian if front of her entire class The furious mom contacted the school upon which the teacher was reported to the Florida Department of Education for engaging in inappropriate communication with student. The teacher - whose gender has not been disclosed - was given a verbal warning over the incident. But Gambino says that is not enough. Gambino received an email from the school confirming that the teacher had been given a verbal warning 'What they did affected my daughter in a way that now I'm having to go back and fix, she told WPTV. She has now pulled her daughter out of the school and is homeschooling her for the rest of the year. The Port St. Lucie school district says they 'will not tolerate sexual harassment or any other form of illegal harassment by any of its employees, students, volunteers or agents'. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:19:58|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A growing number of leaders from political parties around the world in recent days have spoken highly of China's progress against the novel coronavirus and expressed confidence in a timely victory against the outbreak. President of the Hungarian Workers' Party Gyula Thurmer praised China for efficiently mobilizing its human and medical resources in a short period like no other country could, a demonstration of the strength of the socialism with Chinese characteristics. Zinaida Greceanii, president of Moldova's Party of Socialists, appreciated China's efforts to timely inform the international community of the evolution of the epidemic, saying that tackling the epidemic is not a matter for one country but of all countries in today's increasingly globalized world. Moldova firmly supports China's prevention and control measures and wishes for an early end to the battle against the epidemic, said Greceanii, also Moldova's parliament president. Jose de Venecia, chairman of the Standing Committee of the International Conference of Asian Political Parties, expressed support for China on behalf of 350 ruling parties, oppositions and independent parties from 52 Asian nations. De Venecia, also former speaker of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, voiced confidence that under the leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, the Chinese government and people will definitely overcome the outbreak. Chairman of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party Narayan Man Bijukchhe said that under Xi's leadership, the Chinese people have united as one and courageously faced up to challenges. Calling China's response to the outbreak a rare success story regarding public health, which sends a positive message to the world, Bijukchhe said that he believes China will eventually contain the outbreak. Tilvin Silva, general secretary of the People's Liberation Front party of Sri Lanka, said it is admirable that China has made remarkable achievements in virus research, effective management and control as well as in timely responding to the outbreak. Silva denounced those who have slammed China's efforts to control the outbreak, adding that the Chinese government has the capability to defeat the epidemic at an early date. Iskhak Masaliyev, president of the Party of Communists of Kyrgyzstan, said that the Chinese people have overcome various difficulties throughout their history and this time will be no different. Solly Mapaila, first deputy general secretary of the South African Communist Party (SACP), said the CPC and the Chinese government have displayed outstanding leadership in face of the epidemic under the leadership of Xi, which reflects the advantages of a socialist system. The SACP is proud of and stands with China, he said. Ilyas Moussa Dawaleh, general secretary of the People's Rally for Progress of Djibouti, said that the Chinese government has taken decisive and effective measures to curb the spread of the virus to other countries and regions, a move that safeguards global security, and that China's efforts to combat the epidemic deserves worldwide admiration. Ahmed Abdelaziz Mahmoud Sallam, special representative of the president of Egypt's Syndicate of Journalists, said that China has demonstrated its major-country status in the fight against the epidemic. China has taken responsibility for its own people and the whole world, he said. Fan Bo, president of the U.S.-China Partnerships organization, said that during this unprecedented epidemic, the CPC and the Chinese government have spared no efforts to cure the infected and safeguard the public, efforts that have deeply impressed the international community. The Chinese people have made enormous contributions to humanity in the fight against the epidemic, he added. Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) rose 0.88% to Rs 532.70 after the Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the proposed joint venture (JV) between M&M and Ford Motor. CCI on Monday (10 February) approved M&M's acquisition of majority stake in a subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, which will form a JV in the country. In October last year, M&M and US-based Ford Motor Company signed a definitive agreement to create a JV that will develop, market and distribute Ford brand vehicles in India and Ford brand and Mahindra brand vehicles in high-growth emerging markets around the world. In the JV, M&M will hold 51% controlling stake while Ford will have the remaining stake of 49%. Ford will transfer its India operations to the JV, including its personnel and assembly plants in Chennai and Sanand. Ford will retain the Ford engine plant operations in Sanand as well as the global business services unit, Ford Credit and Ford Smart Mobility. The joint venture will be operationally managed by M&M, and its governance will be equally composed of representatives of M&M and Ford. The joint venture will be responsible for growing the Ford brand in India and exporting its products to Ford entities globally. Ford will continue to own the Ford brand, and its branded vehicles will be distributed through the current Ford India dealer network. M&M will continue to own the M&M brand and operate its own independent dealer network in India. On the technical front, the M&M stock's RSI (relative strength index) stood at 24.628. The RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Traditionally the RSI is considered overbought when above 70 and oversold when below 30. M&M's profit after tax (excluding one-off items and EI) rose 7% to Rs 934 crore on a 6% decline in revenue to Rs 12,120 crore in Q3 December 2019 (Q3 FY20) over Q3 December 2018 (Q3 FY19). The results include the combined earnings of M&M and Mahindra Vehicle Manufacturers (MVML), which is a manufacturing unit of M&M. The Q3 earnings were disclosed on 8 February 2020. M&M's segments include automotive, farm equipment, financial services, real estate, hospitality and others. Automotive segment comprises of sale of automobiles, spares, mobility solutions and construction equipment. Its farm equipment segment comprises of sale of tractors, implements and spares. Powered by Capital Market - Live News (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Lok Sabha on Tuesday passed a Bill by voice vote to include more tribes in Karnataka Scheduled Tribes' list. Replying to a debate on the Bill, Union Minister Arjun Munda said the government was determined for welfare of Scheduled Tribes and the Bill was a step in that direction. The Bill, passed by the Rajya Sabha during the Winter Session, seeks to amend the Constitution (Scheduled Tribes) Order, 1950 to modify the list of Scheduled Tribes in Karnataka. It seeks to include Parivara and Talawara tribes in the ST category to ensure reservation and other benefits to them. The Siddi tribe of Belagavi Dharwad would also be included in the ST category apart from those living in the Uttar Kannada districts. The Karnataka government had recommended inclusion of Parivara and Talawara trines as synonyms to the 'Nayaka' community appearing at serial number 138 in the STs' list in the state. BARTs new security team boarded a train at Lake Merritt Station on Monday, wearing earpieces, police radios and navy blue polo shirts with the word ambassador printed on the back in silver. They look a little timid, laughed Serella Crockett of Oakland, who was riding a San Francisco-bound train to her own security job at a bank. They need nightsticks; they need Tasers, Crockett said. There are some crazy people on BART. Yet BART officials view the team more as a welcoming presence than an arm of the police force. Theyre meant to inspire confidence in a rail system thats overwhelmed with cell phone thefts, drug use and homelessness, even as it struggles with the day-to-day business of carrying thousands of commuters across the bay. The ambassadors are going to be out on evenings and weekends, along with our officers, to give a presence, Police Chief Ed Alvarez told reporters at the Lake Merritt Station concourse. He emphasized that the new team would patrol parts of the system that need a few more eyes. During rush hour, theyll head toward the end of the line. Later at night, theyll go back to the transit systems heavily traveled heart. Thats kind of nice, said Betty Woods, of Portland, Ore., who was sitting on a San Francisco International Airport-bound train with her suitcases when two ambassadors stepped on. It was Woods first time riding BART. Working in teams of two, the 10 unarmed employees will ride trains and stand on platforms, looking stern or smiling affably. Their task: defuse conflicts, roust transients sleeping on seats, direct people in need to local homeless services and provide an extra layer of security to boost riders trust. The teams will work seven days a week from 2 p.m. to midnight, when the last trains depart, with extra patrols on Saturday. They will carry Narcan and pepper spray, and report biohazards or safety concerns to BARTs operations control center. When board Director Bevan Dufty first pitched the ambassador idea in March 2018, he and other directors saw it as a way to give jobs to ex-offenders and addicts in recovery. That would have required the transit agency to contract with community organizations to do the work a proposal the labor unions representing station agents and BART police didnt like. But the program the board approved last month looks more like traditional law enforcement. The ambassadors dont have the power to arrest people, and they work closely with the transit agencys police department. In fact, they already have been working for BART police as community service officers trained to de-escalate fights, control their own biases and handle passenger complaints. 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 difference, Alvarez said, is that community service officers mostly stand in parking lots and do parking enforcement. Ambassadors, by contrast, will roam the trains in their recognizable uniforms, which Dufty described as part polo shirt, part Power Ranger. Board President Lateefah Simon perceives the ambassadors as social workers trained to intervene in a crisis, rather than as law enforcement officers wielding a gun and a badge. I think of them as the neighborhood crossing guard, she said. They tell people where to go. They wake people up. They ask if someone needs help, or did they miss their stop. She said the program has already sparked a lively debate on Twitter, where some people have criticized the transit agency for spending money on security officers, rather than hiring mental health workers. Simon argues that ambassadors can fulfill both roles. Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @rachelswan ORLANDO, Fla. Feb. 10, 2020 Orlando, Fla. February 29-March 1 Becky Bailey Cheryl Cotter Becky Bailey Joanne Quinn Rhode Island /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Leading social and emotional learning (SEL) provider Conscious Discipline will host a two-day workshop inon. The workshop, titled Conscious Discipline (SEL) for Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), will feature Conscious Discipline founder and SEL pioneer Dr., Conscious Discipline Master Instructor Kim Jackson, and The Autism Project's Director of Programs, who is also a Conscious Discipline Certified Instructor.Conscious Discipline is a trauma-responsive, comprehensive social and emotional learning (SEL) provider that combines evidence-based practices in SEL, school climate, classroom management and self-regulation. The Autism Project is a collaboration of parents, professionals and community members who provide quality resources and education to children with ASD, their families and other adults who work with them."Social and emotional learning is critical to the success of children with autism," said author, educator and Conscious Discipline founder Dr.. "It supports children in connecting with others, developing social skills, and managing their emotions so they can problem-solve, learn and thrive socially and academically."The two-day workshop is intended for educators and administrators of all ages, special education teachers, school counselors, school psychologists and social workers seeking strategies for effectively supporting children with ASD. Attendees will build a better understanding of brain development as it relates to autism and will learn best practices that create the structure, safety and connection that students with ASD need to learn and succeed."It's been eye-opening to us how impactful Conscious Discipline is to people on the spectrum through connection, even the most non-verbal children. Together, we've been able to impact the lives of so many people," said The Autism Project's Executive DirectorIndividuals interested in attending the February workshop can register on the Conscious Discipline website: https://consciousdiscipline.com/professional-development/event/conscious-discipline-sel-for-students-with-autism-spectrum-disorder/.About Conscious Discipline Conscious Discipline provides a comprehensive, trauma-informed social and emotional learning program that is based on current brain research, child development information and developmentally appropriate practices. All aspects of Conscious Discipline focus on creating a safe, connected environment for children to learn and practice the skills needed for healthy social, emotional and academic development. Conscious Discipline methodology has been recognized by SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), and it was named a national model for character education by the Florida State Legislature. Research shows that Conscious Discipline decreases aggression, impulsivity and hyperactivity while creating a positive environment in the school or home. In schools, Conscious Discipline has been shown to decrease discipline referrals while increasing teaching time and academic achievement. Learn more at http://www.consciousdiscipline.com.About The Autism Project The Autism Project is a "Hub of Hope" that connects people with a spectrum of needs to the available resources and education that support independent and purposeful lives. Founded in 1997, it is a unique collaboration of parents, professionals and community members who provide quality support, training and programming that is accessible to all children and adults with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, their families and those who work with them. They offer training, consultations, workshops, social skills groups, and other resources for children, families and educators. The nonprofit organization also works to support individuals with other disabilities and with communication, social-emotional and regulation challenges inand beyond. Learn more at http://www.theautismproject.org.SOURCE Conscious Discipline Barr Says Policies of Rogue District Attorneys Are Causing a Rise in Violent Crime Attorney General William Barr reiterated his concerns over district attorneys (DAs) who have vowed not to enforce categories of crime, saying that their policies are pushing a number of Americas cities back toward a more dangerous past. This growing number of non-traditional DAsmany who are known as progressive prosecutors or social reform DAshave been repeatedly criticized by senior leaders at the Justice Department (DOJ) along with many legal experts who are concerned that their policies promote a lack of respect for the rule of law, undermine the separation of powers, increase the risk to public safety, and threaten to undo the DOJs progress in reducing crime across the country. Many of these DAs have won their offices by seeking to implement what they claim to be a more balanced approach to criminal justice in their efforts to fix the system. Their policies steer away from the traditional tough-on-crime approach toward less punitive measures, pledging to increase police accountability. Barr said that these policies strike at the very root of our law enforcement system and lead to greater criminality. He said under these policies the homicide rates for several cities have seen an increase, with Philadelphias murder rate reaching its highest point in over a decade, despite a falling nationwide crime rate. According to the Philadelphia Police Department, the homicide count in 2019 was 356, which is the highest its number since 2008. Philadelphias attorney general office is led by Larry Krasner, a notable progressive prosecutor who has faced criticism for his extreme plans for criminal justice system reform. Since taking office in 2018, Krasner has implemented policies that he said would reduce prosecution, repeatedly clashing with law enforcement. The police department reported a 5 percent increase in violent crime offenseswhich include homicide, rape, robbery with a gun, and aggravated assaultbetween 2018 and 2019. These DAs think they are helping people, but they end up hurting them, Barr said during his remarks at the Major County Sheriffs of America (MCSA) Winter Conference on Tuesday. He was presented with the MCSA Presidents Award during the event. The attorney general said that the U.S. criminal justice system is based on a graduated response where punishment is imposed based on an individuals criminal history. He said this means it is important to collect accurate criminal histories in order to protect the safety of the community. Even if we are going to treat early, and petty offenses leniently, we still need them charged and recorded so we know who we are dealing with as time goes by, he said. Our whole system is undermined by the practice of ignoring whole categories of criminal offenses. Barr added that the policies also sabotage the effectiveness of community policing and Precision Policinga policing approach pioneered by the New York Police Department that targets a smaller number of suspects by focusing on data and information to build investigations. He said the DA policies are undermining the effective policing approaches that have taken decades of painstaking work to build, referring to a New York case where a man who was set to testify against MS-13 was killed by one of the gang members. Some have said the witness was killed as a result of new reforms of the pre-discovery process that requires the prosecution to share information with the defense. Defense attorneys in the case were provided the witnesss identity but denied sharing it with the defendant, according to Newsday. We understood that because crime, particularly violent crime, is committed by a small segment of our population, repeat offenders need to be taken off the streets, Barr said. Pushback on Sanctuary Policies His comments on Tuesday comes after the attorney general announced that the department was significantly escalating its efforts against jurisdictions that implement policies and laws designed to thwart the ability of federal officers to take custody of these criminals and thereby help them escape back into the community, commonly known as sanctuary policies. He revealed several measures the department was taking in order to ensure the the proper and lawful functioning of our nations federal immigration system, including suing several states over their sanctuary policies, assessing whether jurisdictions across the country are complying with federal criminal laws, and reviewing the actions of certain district attorneys who may have implemented policies that charge foreigners with lesser offenses that would shield them from federal immigration consequences. Two of the key witnesses in the Trump impeachment have been removed from their positions. Gordon Sondland is out as Ambassador to the European Union. Lt. Col Alexander Vindman has been reassigned from the National Security Council to the Pentagon. Democrats are crying foul, of course. But was it improper for Trump to take these personnel actions? Sondlands case seems easy to me. Ambassadors serve at the pleasure of the President. Trump lost confidence in Sondland. Thus, his removal made sense. Vindmans case is somewhat different and less easy for me. Unlike Sondland, hes a career government employee and military man. Thus, ousting him from the government would be highly problematic, in my view. However, Vindman wasnt ousted from the government. He was reassigned to the Pentagon. As far as I know, Vindman will suffer no loss of pay or rank. Nor is it extraordinary for NSC staffers to be sent back to their previous posting. As I understand it, these people often circulate back and forth from their Department to the White House. In fact, Vindman was scheduled to rotate back to the Pentagon this summer. It may well be true that Vindmans reassignment was in retaliation for his testimony, or at least that retaliation was one of his motives. In defending his decision, Trump cited Vindmans report of his conversation with Ukraines president, calling it inaccurate. (I think Vindmans report and his testimony held up well.) In addition, Trump cited insubordination. He was relying, I assume, on an order from the White House that Vindman not testify before Congress. Trump also said that the person Vindman reported to at the NSC gave him a horrendous report. However, during his testimony Vindman read from his fitness report. It stated: Alex is a top 1 percent military officer . . . He is brilliant, unflappable, and exercises excellent judgment. In any event, the bottom line for me is that the president should have NSC staffers he trusts. He doesnt trust Vindman. Thus, it made sense to transfer him back to the Pentagon. Had Trump gone further and taken some extraordinary measure of retaliation e.g., firing Vindman from the government, demoting him, or slashing his pay that would be objectionable, in my view. But Trump didnt. He simply moved Vindman back to his old posting (albeit unceremoniously), as is commonly done with NSC staffers. The counterargument is that whistleblowers like Vindman wont come forward in the future if they face the consequences he did. But thats why the lack of severity of these consequences is important. Im confident that Vindman would have acted just as he did had he known that doing so would hasten his move back to the Pentagon. Trump could have waited until this summer, when Vindman was scheduled to leave. That might have been the more prudent course. However, I dont think Trump deserves the flak he is taking for reassigning Vindman. Tamil star Vijay's fans are convinced that the 92nd Academy Award Winner Parasite is inspired by the 1999 Tamil release, Minsara Kanna. Bong Joon Ho's Parasite went on to receive 4 awards in major categories like best picture to best international feature film. Fans took to their social media to list down the similarities between the two movies. Minsara Kanna, released in 1999 was directed by K.S. Ravikumar and starred Vijay and Monica Castelino in leading roles. The film showcased a young man who falls in love with a millionaire's sister and then begins to work at her household. He also brings in the rest of his family members to influence their decision about their love. @khushsundar Today parasite movie got 4 oscar awards but after watching the movie I came to know the plot of the story which was taken from Minsara kanna. In minsara kanna all the family was employed for love help& the same here parasite all the family were employed for survival. rajeshkannan (@rajesh7) February 10, 2020 Minsara Kanna = Parasite Parasite (@_twitz99) February 10, 2020 Also just hit me that Minsara Kanna( Vijay padam) is same storyline/plot as Parasite... just diff kind of twists & turns.. #aarootales Aarti (@talesfromaaroo) February 10, 2020 Fight me on this but #Parasite is essentially a Korean version of Minsara Kanna. pic.twitter.com/R2v0msbXNF Joshua Michael (@joshmadj) February 10, 2020 Watched korean movie #parasite lately & realized that the movie is inspired by @actorvijay 's tamil movie #minsarakanna directed by k.s.ravikumar.Parasite is a worldwide hit,but we made such films long back.#legendksravikumar#parasiteisminsarakanna#ThalapathyVijay#Thalapathy Andrew Rajkumar (@iamrajdrew) February 5, 2020 Parasite only shares a similar infiltration theme but has nothing else, remotely common. The trope where a boy falls in love and works at her house to impress her or her family, has been highly common and successful over the years in South as well as Hindi films. Apart from Kamal Haasan's Kadhala Kadhala and Malayalam movie Odurathaman, plenty of other Bollywood releases like 1975 film Chupke Chupke, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Govinda's 1997 release Hero No 1, have shared similar stories. Many filmmakers around the globe have also explored extensions of storyline, however, Parasite directed by Bong Joon Ho is a black comedy where the lead Ki-woo is struggling for everyday needs and infiltrates Mr Park's family only for the steady income. Soon a string of unusual events began to take place in the house which tie the fate of the two families together. Parasite won four Oscars on Sunday night, at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. During one of the acceptance speeches, Bong Joon Ho said, "When I was young and studying cinema, there was a saying that I carved deep into my heart which, 'The most personal is the most creative.' That comes to us from our great Martin Scorsese." Oscars 2020: Bong Joon Ho's 'Parasite' Becomes First South Korean Film To Win Best Picture Award Parasite Movie Review: Bong Joon-ho's Oscar Nominated Film Will Make You Anxious Days Later Even as early results show AAP will win in Delhi but with a lower seat and vote share than in 2015, the politics that the BJP represents just won another silent battle Just before the 2014 General Election, AAP candidate and Narendra Modi's challenger from Varanasi Arvind Kejriwal pulled out the last trick from his 'secular' hat: A skullcap. It could not save him from a rout. Since then, he sported it again and again, attended iftaar, met with Bareilly's Maulana Tauqeer Raza who had issued a fatwa on writer Tasleema Nasreen, and his party distributed cheques to imams before last year's General Election. All that changed before this Delhi election. Kejriwal did not dust off his skullcap from the trunk, hardly uttered a word in support of communally-charged Shaheen Bagh protests, and was not even spotted campaigning in Muslim-dominated areas. Instead, he 'outed' as a Hanuman bhakt, recited the chalisa, and even visited a Bajrang Bali temple. He congratulated the Centre for its decision to create a trust for building a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya. "There is no right time for good work," he said. The man who had once called Modi "a coward and a psychopath" did not utter a single harsh word against the prime minister throughout the campaign. Nudged by his newest electoral advisor Prashant Kishor, this Kejriwal could be passed off as a rather taciturn BJP chief minister if the broom wasn't his party symbol. Some who were celebrating Modi in 2014, now saying likely defeat of BJP in Delhi is the defeat of Hindutva politics in India. Pure Nonsense. 1. AAP has NOT challenged BJP on Hindutva 2. AAP has NOT challenged Modi's Leadership 3. AAP has NOT gone to JNU, Jamia or Shaheenbagh. Ashok Swain (@ashoswai) February 8, 2020 The march of ideology So, even as early results show AAP will win in Delhi but with a lower seat and vote share than in 2015, the politics that the BJP represents just won another silent battle. Its ideological mentor RSS an organisation with infinite reserves of patience and determination in spreading Hindutva has much to be happy about. Sangh sarkaryavah Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi succinctly articulated this just a couple of days before the Delhi results. He said opposing the BJP did not amount to opposing Hindus. The nation's polity has changed unrecognisably over the past six years. And that change is captured less in the thumping march of the BJP than the gingerly following footsteps of the Opposition. Not many may admit it, but competitive Hindutva has slowly but surely replaced competitive minority appeasement. Letter sent by Arvind Kejriwal to senior citizens of Delhi (this one addressed to my grand father who by no means needs any dole) offering FREE teerth yaatras. Soft Hindutva anybody?! I think so! #DelhiElections2020 pic.twitter.com/htbftQFRl0 Shreyasi Goenka (@anvivud) February 7, 2020 The first to capitulate was the Congress. Rahul Gandhi hops from one temple to the other before elections, avoids Muslim-dominated rallies and skullcap photo ops, fashions himself as a Shiv devotee and a "janeudhari brahmin". Mamata Banerjee, perpetrator of the most brazen minority-ism in recent times, has been lately invoking Hindu gods and goddesses at rallies, announced stipends for Hindu priests and doled out huge donations to local Durga Puja committees. Even the anti-BJP coalition of the Shiv Sena, NCP and the Congress in Maharashtra could not give anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protesters in Mumbai a free run after they cheered Islamist radical Sharjeel Imam. It slapped sedition charges against 50 young people, sensing the flames of nationalistic outrage lick at their chairs. Hobson's choice for Muslims The Muslims are left with choosing between shades of saffron. Years of appeasement politics has left them with no genuine leader who has any appeal beyond a section of the community. Even if AAP wins it wont be a death-knell for communalism because on imp ideological issues -Article 370 abrogation in #Kashmir, #CAA - Arvind Kejriwal has supported the BJP. He has also pandered to public display of religiosity to cater to soft Hindutva votebank. #DelhiResults Farzana Versey (@farzana_versey) February 11, 2020 The secular parties have started to openly take them for granted. You can't go to the BJP, you will have to come to us, the Gandhis and the Kejriwal seem to be telling them. There lies the downer: Identity politics begets identity politics. Hindus, who were never an organised vote bank, have coalesced into one after witnessing unbridled minority politics for decades, leftist and colonial distortions of history, apologists covering for Islamist terror, and an unchecked demographic takeover. If Muslims respond with more strident identity politics instead of mainstreaming, Hindus consolidation will deepen. Indian polity will change even more, perhaps irreversibly. Hindutva has got a grip on it finally. It knows the party of its first choice losing an election is fleeting defeat, but the ideology sending deeper and wider roots is lasting victory. A Flat Earth conspiracist has been branded 'deluded' by This Morning viewers after clashing with Phillip Schofield over his claims that live footage from the International Space Station is actually just computer-generated imagery (CGI). Mark Sargent, who stars in Netflix documentary Behind the Curve, appeared on the ITV programme today to explain why he believes the Earth is a flat disc, surrounded by an ice wall. However, presenters Phillip, 57, and Holly Willoughby, 39, were less-than-impressed with the American YouTuber's claims, which were also relentlessly mocked by viewers. Phillip explained that he had flown at 60,000ft on Concorde and had seen the curvature of the earth with his own eyes. Scroll down for video A Flat Earth believer, Mark Sargent, (pictured) has been branded 'deluded' by This Morning viewers after clashing with Phillip Schofield over his claims that live footage from the International Space Station is CGI Phillip (pictured) insisted to Mark that he had flown at 60,000ft in a Concorde and had seen the curvature of the earth with his own eyes Phillip, 57, and Holly Willoughby, 39, were less than impressed with the American YouTuber's claims, which were also relentlessly mocked by viewers Mark was quick to hit back at the host and suggest there is weather balloon footage from 120,000ft that shows the earth to be 'table top flat'. When asked by Holly if he was calling her co-presenter a liar, Mark replied: 'No, I'm not saying that you're lying. I'm saying you wanted to see the curvature.' Phillip added: 'But don't you want to believe that it's flat. I've got more proof than you do.' The conspiracist was then shown live footage from the International Space Station - which orbits the Earth - and insisted it was just computer-generated imagery. Sargent (pictured on the show) was shown live footage from the International Space Station - which orbits the Earth - and insisted it was all generated by a computer and not real We're not ready to hear the truth, claims Mark about the Earth's true shape WHAT IS FLAT EARTH THEORY? Those who believe the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere. Because Earth's surface looks and feels flat when we walk around it, the conspiracy theorists denounce all evidence to the contrary. The leading theory suggests Earth is a disc with the Arctic Circle in the centre and Antarctica, a 150-foot-tall (45-metre) wall of ice, around the rim. Those who believed the Flat Earth Theory claim our planet is shaped like a flat disc instead of a sphere. Pictured is a model presented to attendees at the first annual Flat Earth International Conference, held in North Carolina in November 2017 Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'round Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies. Proponents of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. Some believe the Earth is covered by a glass dome which sits over the flat disc. The international scientific community has consistently denounced the Flat Earth theory. Decades of space imagery and peer-reviewed astronomical research back their claims. NASA has proved that the Earth is round using satellites, GPS and images from space, but 'Flat Earthers' believe the space agency is lying. Advertisement When asked by Holly why anyone would want to fake the Earth being round, he argued that people 'weren't ready' to find out. He said, somewhat cryptically: 'Pilots, scientists, astrophysicists like Brian Cox, none of them have anything to do with it. Generals know the battle plans but most of the officers don't.' And the reason we don't fall off the edge of the 'flat world' is because Antarctica goes all the way round, according to Mark. The interview ended with Phillip sarcastically suggesting everyone should go on holiday behind the ice wall, after Mark suggested there was more land behind it. Reaction: This Morning viewers were keen to hit out at Mark's controversial claims and took to Twitter to share their bemusement The presenter said: 'I say of all the things going on in the world, of everything happening, I think we would cope. 'Stop spending all that money on CGI and space products and let's build some hospitals. Let's go there and see what's on the other side. There could be nicer places to be. We could go on holiday there.' NASA has proved that the Earth is round using satellites, GPS and images from space, but 'Flat Earthers' believe the space agency is lying. Theorists claim that satellite images and evidence pointing to a spherical Earth are part of a 'Rround Earth conspiracy' orchestrated by NASA and other government agencies. Several viewers (pictured) were not impressed with the YouTuber's claims and insisted he must have been joking Proponents of the bizarre theory also claim the Earth is stationary in space rather than orbiting the sun. This Morning viewers were keen to hit out at Mark's controversial claims and took to Twitter to share their bemusement. One wrote: 'This guy is deluded. Why waste your time with him? Forget images from space. I am ex royal navy and have seen the curvature of the earth from ground level at sea. How would he explain that?' Another said: 'So bloody funny. He's so convinced the earth is flat. Why would they lie about it being round?' A third added: 'Don't know about anything else but that guy is definitely on another planet. Earth is not flat.' One of the perks of hiking is the chance to see beautiful landscapes and stunning vistas. The United States is filled with world-class National Parks. These National Parks are packed full of hiking trails for all skill levels. Within these parks, you will find waterfalls created by the vast river systems of the United States. Yosemite Falls Yosemite Falls Trail in California can be challenging because the incline is very steep. However, experienced climbers will be able to witness spectacular views. The highlight of the hike is a breathtaking view of Upper Yosemite Falls. Yosemite Falls is the tallest waterfall in California with a height of 2,425 feet. Havasu Falls Havasu Falls in Arizona is famous for its crystal clear blue water. The waterfall is located on the tribal lands of the Havasupai people. The biggest challenge for hikers is the heat, so be sure to pack plenty of sunscreen. The journey from the start of the trail to Havasu Falls is 10 miles. Waimoku Falls Maui, Hawaii is famous for its hiking trails. The Pipiwai Trail offers hikers one of the most rewarding hikes on the island. Makahiku Falls, which is located 0.5 miles into Pipiwai Trail, is stunningly beautiful. Makahiku Falls is 185 feet, but it is only the first waterfall on the trail. Hikers who reach the end of the two-mile trail will be treated to amazing views of Waimoku Falls. Waimoku Falls has a 400-foot drop, and it is one of the tallest waterfalls in Maui. Virginia Falls And Saint Mary Falls The hike to Virginia Falls and Saint Mary Falls in Glacier National Park, Montana is perfect for beginner hikers. The trail to Virginia Falls is only three miles round trip, and the route can be completed in only one hour and thirty minutes. The first part of the hike slopes down towards Saint Mary Falls, and the second part of the hike ascends 656 feet toward Virginia Falls. Nugget Falls And Mendenhall Glacier The hike to Nugget Falls is brisk and leisurely, and many travelers visit this trail as a day trip during an Alaskan cruise. Most visitors can complete the hike in only 45 minutes, but some choose to go at a slower pace in hopes of seeing wildlife and nature. Travelers can enjoy bird watching or identify numerous species of wildflowers. The summer season is very busy, so be prepared for crowds. The trail is two miles, and hikers are treated to the glorious view of Nugget Falls and Mendenhall Glacier during the trip. The vast trail system in the United States has something for everyone, and even beginner hikers can enjoy some of these hiking trails. If you are in search of adventure, then you should visit a national park like Grand Canyon National Park or Yosemite National Park to experience the hiking trails and waterfalls found within them. People take part in a candle-lit vigil for victims following the mass shooting in Nakhon Ratchasima (Source: AFP) People lit candles, laid down flowers and condolence messages out on the ground, as Buddhist monks led prayers for the 29 people killed and the 57 wounded. The gunman, identified as 32-year-old rogue soldier Jakrapanth Thomma, went on a shooting spree on February 8th afternoon, showering bullets at various locations around the city before holing himself up at a local shopping centre. He was shot dead the next day. Also on February 9th, Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha visited a hospital where the wounded were being treated. He said the incident is unprecedented in Thailand and authorities must learn from this experience to prevent similar situation./. STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Three tires, rims and lug nuts were stolen from a vehicle parked on a quiet residential street over the weekend, prompting an ongoing investigation by the NYPDs Auto-Crime Unit. Police responded Monday morning to a home on the 200 block of Delmar Avenue in Huguenot for a report of a grand larceny, according to an NYPD spokeswoman. The value of the stock tires and rims taken from the 2019 Honda Accord Sport are valued at about $2,100, police said. The car owner, who asked his name not be published, said he walked out his front door at about 6:20 a.m. Monday morning and saw a brick on his front lawn. I took a step back, and I was like, 'are my f----- tires missing? As he circled the car, he saw it had been propped up with bricks, the tail light was busted and the fourth tire was crooked, leading to speculation the perpetrator(s) either were spooked or were unable to jar it loose. I thought, this is not f------ real right now," he said. I said, what am I in the Bronx?" Upon further inspection, he realized the bricks used to prop up the car were taken from a neighbors wall, directly in front of a surveillance camera and under a security light. The neighbor said police attempted to review the footage, but the camera wasnt working at the time. A car found stripped of its tires and rims Monday morning was propped up with bricks from a nearby home, feet from a surveillance camera and security light. (Staten Island Advance/Kyle Lawson) How bold do you have to be to come here, and take the bricks... knowing theres a camera here," said the neighbor Adrian, who asked that only his first name be published. I have two dogs, and I always leave the light on... The car owner said he also has a dog, but that even if he had been alerted to what was happening, hed close the door and call 911. Who knows if one of them is carrying a gun," he said. New York City ranked fifth amongst U.S. cities for highest car insurance rates last year, due in part to thefts of parts, according to The Zebra, an insurance search engine and independent source for auto insurance quotes. In 2017, police recovered two stolen cars near Holland Avenue in Mariners Harbor, with the tires, rims and other parts removed, a police source told the Advance. A short distance away on a two-mile stretch of Richmond Terrace, a half-dozen businesses advertise buying and selling auto parts for cash. A man at one of the businesses -- which consisted of a dirt lot and a shipping container full of tires -- said at the time he would pay $150 cash for four tires from a 2009 Honda Accord. A clear favorite in the Democratic race for Congress will likely emerge Saturday when Onondaga County Democratic Committee members vote to designate a candidate to challenge Rep. John Katko in November. The three candidates Dana Balter, Francis Conole and Roger Misso have spent the past 10 months campaigning for this decisive week in Democratic party politics. Two of the candidates, Conole and Balter, picked up momentum Monday night when Democratic committee members in two of the four counties in the 24th Congressional District met in designating conventions. Conole, 41, an Iraq War veteran from Syracuse, won the designation in Cayuga County. Balter, 43, an educator from Syracuse, won the Democratic designation in Oswego County. Wayne County previously decided to endorse all three candidates in the race. Saturdays designating convention in Onondaga County represents the biggest prize in the contest: About 74% of the congressional districts enrolled Democrats live in Onondaga County. The county committee support is significant because the winner in each county will be able to use party resources to help their campaign. The resources include aid from committee members who circulate nominating petitions to help candidates make it onto the ballot. No matter what happens Saturday, the Democrats may still face off in a primary election on June 23. None of the three candidates has indicated that they will drop out of the campaign after the party designations. Conole and Balter have raised enough money and gained significant endorsements -- to continue their campaigns through a primary election. Conole started the year with about $250,000 cash on hand. Balter had about $223,000. Misso had about $130,000 in his campaign bank account. Conole has picked up endorsements from more than a dozen elected officials in Central New York and the only labor union to endorse one of the candidates, Iron Workers Local 60. Balter has the backing of local Democratic activist groups and national progressive groups that include EMILYs List, the Congressional Progressive Caucus and Democracy for America. A dozen elected officials from Central New York have also endorsed her campaign. Misso, 31, a Navy veteran and native of Red Creek in Wayne County, has billed himself as a rural Democrat. He has the backing of elected officials in some rural towns and villages, including Sodus, Spafford and Walworth, as well as from Syracuse Common Council member Rita Paniagua. In advance of this weeks votes, the three candidates have worked to make themselves available to answer questions from committee members with a last-minute blitz of meet-and-greets and public events. The candidates appeared at about 16 different Onondaga County Democratic Committee candidate forums or interviews across the county. In the last two weeks, Conole met with Democrats at six Conole on Your Corner events in Onondaga County. He plans to hold one or two more events before Saturday. Balter hosted 28 public events since January. She plans to hold an open house with Democratic committee members Wednesday night to answer their questions and will attend a house party Thursday night with Syracuse Democrats, a campaign spokesman said. Misso hosted nine meet-and-greets, house parties and other public events over the past six weeks, according to his campaign. Hell be available to meet with committee members at Drinks with Roger at The Evergreen in Syracuse on Thursday night, and at his campaign headquarters on Friday. In 2018, Balter won the Democratic Party designation in all four counties in the district. She was challenged in a primary election by Juanita Perez Williams, a Syracuse lawyer who was backed by the national party in Washington. Balter won the primary election by more than 20 percentage points. But she lost to Katko by about 5 percentage points in the November election. The 24th Congressional District covers all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne counties and the western half of Oswego County, including the cities of Fulton and Oswego. Read more Conole, Balter split designation for Congress from Cayuga, Oswego Democrats Rep. John Katko starts 2020 campaign with $1 million edge over Democrats 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. LAS VEGAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Snow may shut down mountain roads this winter, but it won't stop a Montana toddler from reaching the medical care she needs to win her fight against brain cancer. Two-year-old Joanna Hoskins of Great Falls, Montana, smiles on a recent Miracle Flight to Seattle Children's Hospital. Snow has made it too dangerous for Jojo's family to reach her chemotherapy treatments by car, so Miracle Flights is flying the family there free of charge. As the nation's leading medical flight charity, Miracle Flights provides hundreds of free plane tickets each month to help patients and their families reach specialty medical care not available in their local communities. Two-year-old Joanna "Jojo" Hoskins from Great Falls has been battling medulloblastoma for almost a year. Symptoms came on suddenly last March, when Jojo began struggling to swallow and sleeping for hours at a stretchdefinitely out of character for the energetic toddler who often refused naps. At first, local doctors chalked it up to a virus. Then they suspected a toy might be lodged in her throat. A CT scan finally revealed the awful truth. Jojo was immediately airlifted to Seattle Children's Hospital and remained there for six monthsundergoing multiple surgeries, blood transfusions and chemotherapy treatments. In September, the family returned home to Great Falls, planning to continue Jojo's chemotherapy every other week at a hospital four hours away in Kalispell. But snow comes early in the mountains, and it wasn't long before winter weather made the drive too dangerous. "There were times we were driving on mountain passes in white-out conditions," says Jojo's mother, Meghan. "We realized we were risking our lives to do this drive every other week." Flying wasn't an option. Though the Hoskins live 10 minutes from the Great Falls airport, there are no direct flights to Kalispell. But nonstops do depart from Great Falls to Seattle. Without much deliberation, the family decided to move Jojo's treatment back to Seattle Children's Hospital for the winter. At the suggestion of their doctor in Kalispell, they contacted Miracle Flights for financial assistance to get there. The national charity provides free plane tickets to help families reach specialized medical treatment not available in their local communities. For the Hoskins familywhich includes mom Meghan, dad Chad and Jojo's six siblingsMiracle Flights alleviates a tremendous financial burden. "Gas to drive there, hotelthose costs aren't covered by insurance," says Meghan. "Without Miracle Flights, we would have had to divide our family and just stay in Seattle, and we didn't want to do that again. Those first six months after Jojo's diagnosis were so hard." Jojo and Meghan now take the two-hour direct flight to Seattle every other week for Jojo's chemotherapy treatments. They board their sixth Miracle Flight on February 18. To help Jojo and other critically ill children reach life-saving treatment far from home, or to request a flight for your loved one, visit www.miracleflights.org. About Miracle Flights Miracle Flights is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides free medical air transportation to children and adults via commercial airlines throughout the United States. The organization, founded in 1985, has provided 129,703 flights and currently books more than 600 flights per month. To request a flight, learn more or donate, call 800-359-1711 or visit miracleflights.org. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram. Press Contact: Erika Koff: (702) 261-0494 or [email protected] SOURCE Miracle Flights Related Links https://miracleflights.org Aboriginal people cannot be deported from Australia because they are exempt from immigration laws, the High Court has decided. Australia's most powerful court has delivered a majority 4-3 verdict ruling that indigenous residents born overseas can't be considered 'aliens' under the constitution. The full-bench decision, announced in Canberra on Tuesday morning, is a major win for two indigenous men fighting deportation from Australia after serving time in prison for violent crimes committed in Queensland. This is especially so for New Zealand-born Brendan Thoms, who has lived in Australia since 1994 and is a descendant of the Gunggari people through his maternal grandmother. The 31-year-old man was detained in 2018 and had his residency visa cancelled after serving part of an 18-month jail sentence for a domestic violence attack. He also had further convictions dating back more than a decade. Aboriginal people cannot be deported from Australia because they are exempt from immigration laws, the High Court has decided. Pictured: New Zealand-born Brendan Thoms, who had his residency visa cancelled after serving part of an 18-month jail sentence for domestic violence The court verdict is also likely to spare Papua New Guinea-born man Daniel Love from deportation, although the judges disagreed on whether he had been accepted as part of the Kamilaroi tribe. The 40-year-old man, with a PNG mother and an indigenous father, has lived in Australia permanently since he was five. He was detained in a Brisbane immigration detention centre before being released in September 2018 after he had served a 12-month sentence for assault occasioning bodily harm. Neither man holds Australian citizenship, but both identify as indigenous, and each has one Australian parent. The men are seeking damages for false imprisonment after being placed in immigration detention pending their deportation. The High Court released a statement confirming the 'majority' of justices held the view Parliament could not 'treat an Aboriginal Australian as an "alien"' under the constitution. The court, however, was unable to agree as to whether Papua New Guinea-born Daniel Love was Aboriginal, casting some continued uncertainty over his case Claire Gibbs, a senior associate with social justice law firm Maurice Blackburn who acted for both men, said the High Court decision would stop Aboriginal people from being removed from Australia. 'This is a very significant decision today that has helped to clarify the law it is now beyond doubt that Aboriginal Australians cannot be deported through the exercise of the aliens power,' she said in a statement on Tuesday. Last year, a barrister for the two men, Stephen Keim SC, invoked the landmark Mabo native title case of 1992, which acknowledged the history of indigenous dispossession. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said the High Court verdict was likely to have implications for the Australian Citizenship Act and the Migration Act 'To remove Aboriginal Australians from the country would be another, if not worse, case of dispossession,' he said. Both men had their visas cancelled under Section 501 of the Migration Act by virtue of being jailed for at least 12 months. They were not awaiting deportation under Section 116 of the same law, where the Immigration Minister can have someone expelled from Australia if they are deemed a threat to public safety. Ms Gibbs called for Thoms to be released immediately from immigration detention. 'Brendan has spent 500 nights in detention, he has missed two Christmases with his family,' she said. 'He has paid a hefty price for a crime he had already served time for and he must be released as a matter of urgency.' Both men were represented by Maurice Blackburn and the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service based in Brisbane. Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said Thoms was released on Tuesday morning following the High Court decision. He said the verdict was likely to have implications for the Australian Citizenship Act and the Migration Act. 'On the face of it, it has created a new category of persons; neither an Australian citizen under the Australian Citizenship Act, nor a non-citizen,' he said in a statement. 'The government is currently reviewing the decision and its implications.' The first batch of foreign envoys from 15 nations had been taken to J&K last month on January 9 and 10. New Delhi: German ambassador Walter J. Lindner will be part of the second batch of foreign envoys who will visit Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) this week on the trip organised by the Indian government, sources have confirmed. With more envoys from European Union (EU)-member nations also likely to be part of the group, Prime Minister Narendra Modis expected visit to the Belgian capital Brussels next month for the 15th India-EU Summit seems to be on track. The participation of European envoys in the visit to J&K is being seen a positive indication for New Delhi. It may be recalled that the European Parliament had recently postponed until March a vote on a joint motion criticising Indias Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and also the revoking of Article 370 at Brussels. India had then said it had noted a clarification put out by the European Commission that the opinion expressed by the European Parliament and its members does not represent the official position of the European Union (EU). New Delhi had however said it would continue to engage with the MEPs (Members of European Parliament) and other stakeholders on the matter. The second batch of foreign envoys from different geographical regions is being taken to J&K as part of another move by India to further convince the international community that the situation there is fast returning to normalcy. It may also be recalled that the first batch of foreign envoys from 15 nations had been taken to J&K last month on January 9 and 10 but there had been no envoys then from the EU-member nations. Only Norway which is not a member of the EU had participated in that visit. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) had earlier said after the visit of the first batch that those envoys had been taken there to see the efforts being made by the government to bring the situation to normal, and had added that normalcy had been restored to a large extent. Last month, envoys of 15 countries the United States, South Korea, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Fiji, the Maldives, Norway, the Philippines, Morocco, Argentina, Peru, Niger, Nigeria, Guyana and Togo had been taken by the Indian government on the two-day visit to the newly-created union territory of J&K. A Florida Republican has proposed legislation that seeks to ban gender reassignment surgery and treatment for children. The legislation, put forward by State Rep. Anthony Sabatini, stipulates a $10,000 fine or 15 years in prison for any doctor who facilitates gender reassignment treatment for minors. Sabatini said that he sponsored the bill in response to a lack of information regarding the risks associated with undergoing gender reassignment as a child. Its the wild west ... theres no real guidelines, laws, no real valid diagnoses given to a child before they go down the path of changing their gender, he said, according to the Miami Herald. This bill makes sure that a young person waits until they are 18 years old before they make an irrevocable decision to change into the opposite sex. Talking to the Blaze about the "Vulnerable Child Protection Act, Sabatini noted that there has been an unprecedented push from the left to normalize the life-altering treatment, despite the fact that, statistically, most of those who transition seek to go back to their biological gender at a later date. Sabatini said that "80 percent of children who experience gender dysphoria outgrow it, but radical leftists want to make it permanent with dangerous medical procedures simply to further a political agenda. The Republican Representative also highlighted the adverse effects of puberty blockers, which have been well-documented by a series of medical experts; one of the commonly-used drugs, Lurpon, has been linked to serious bone problems, alongside anxiety and depression. The Democrats have pushed back, slamming the legislation as a clear-cut attack on the LGBT community. Sabatini, however, believes that, in light of the risks of the treatment, the left must only be seeing the issue from an ideological point of view. "Shockingly, the entire Democrat Party has become so radical, that it now defends shutting down puberty for minors and medical sex change for children, he said. It's mind-boggling. Last month, South Dakotas House of Representatives passed a landmark bill criminalizing transgender treatments for children under 16. The bill is now heading to the Republican-majority Senate. Photo courtesy: Pixabay Will Maule is a British journalist who has spent the past several years working as a digital news editor. Since earning a degree in international relations and politics, Will has developed a particular interest in covering ethical issues, human rights and global religious persecution. Will's work has been featured in various outlets including The Spectator, Faithwire, CBN News, Spiked, The Federalist and Christian Headlines. Follow him on Twitter at @WillAMaule. New York, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2020 -- Artificial intelligence (AI) software controls all the functionality related to sensors working and RADAR sensor is used to detect obstacles. Such advance technologies helps control these vehicles efficiently. Self-driving buses provide advantages such as reduction in accidents caused due to driver's error and reduction of hazardous gas (CO2) from vehicles.The market is anticipated to witness a significant growth over the years, owing to the growth in connected infrastructure for automobile. Get Access to Sample : https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/sample/72056 Key players including AV Volvo, Continental AG, Volkswagen AG, Tesla, Scania AB, Daimler AG, Proterra, Hyundai Motor Company, and Hino Motors, Ltd., and Navya hold a major self-driving bus market share. Autonomous vehicles also known as self-driving vehicles use artificial intelligence (AI) software, light detection & ranging (LiDAR), RADAR, and cameras to sense the surrounding environment and navigate by forming an active 3D map of that environment. There are different levels of autonomy ranging from semi-autonomous that require driver assistance to fully autonomous, which does not require a human operator. A lot of gas is burned while driving at high speeds or braking and re-accelerating excessively. Self-driving vehicles use less battery and consume less gas, which results in less pollution. This adds benefits to make it suitable for environment. Factors such as reduction in traffic congestion due to improved safety and growth in connected infrastructure are anticipated to drive the self-driving bus market growth. However, high manufacturing cost and data management challenges are the factors that hinder the growth of the market. Further, development of smart cities is anticipated to provide remarkable growth opportunities for the players operating in the self-driving bus market. Reduction in traffic congestion due to improved safety: Autonomous vehicles have several advantages over traditional vehicles from improved safety to reduction in fuel and traffic congestion and emissions. An autonomous bus is installed with a number of sensors including LiDAR, RADAR, camera, and GPS. These sensors are short range (providing details of moving objects near the vehicle) as well as long range (providing details of high-speed oncoming vehicles) to help a vehicle sense any object or obstacle in its way, thus eliminating chances of accidents. Autonomous vehicles can also help to reduce traffic congestion. Based on a study by University of Illinois, it was proved that one autonomous vehicle stuck in a traffic congestion with 20 other human driven cars can ease the congestion by controlling the pace of the vehicle. Fuel consumption also reduces with the use of autonomous vehicles as fuel use increases when cars slow down. Thus, reduction in traffic congestion and improved fuel efficiency due to self-driving buses is expected to boost the growth of the self-driving bus market. Get Discount : https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/discount/72056 By Level of Automation o Level 3 o Level 4 o Level 5 By Component o Hardware o Software o Services Rise in connected infrastructure : With the rapid adoption of Internet of Things (IoT), transportation infrastructure across the globe is evolving quickly. Companies such as Cisco and IBM have created digital platforms, which can automate street and traffic lights, optimize trash pickup, and augment surveillance. For instance, installation of IoT sensors in Las Vegas has managed to control traffic congestion and solve environmental issues. Connected infrastructure includes car parks, toll booths, smart street, and traffic lights, which in turn, boosts the growth of the autonomous vehicle market and eventually drive by wire market, as drive by wire system is necessary for autonomous driving technology. Thus, growth of connected infrastructure creates favorable conditions for adoption of autonomous vehicles, which, in turn, drives the growth of the self-driving bus industry. Few TOC point : Chapter 7: Company Profiles 7.1. Av Volvo 7.1.1. Company Overview 7.1.2. Company Snapshot 7.1.3. Operating Business Segments 7.1.4. Business Performance 7.1.5. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.2. Continental Ag 7.2.1. Company Overview 7.2.2. Company Snapshot 7.2.3. Operating Business Segments 7.2.4. Product Portfolio 7.2.5. Business Performance 7.2.6. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.3. Volkswagen Ag 7.3.1. Company Overview 7.3.2. Company Snapshot 7.3.3. Operating Business Segments 7.3.4. Business Performance 7.3.5. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.4. Tesla 7.4.1. Company Overview 7.4.2. Company Snapshot 7.4.3. Operating Business Segments 7.4.4. Product Portfolio 7.4.5. Business Performance 7.5. Scania Ab 7.5.1. Company Overview 7.5.2. Company Snapshot 7.5.3. Operating Business Segments 7.5.4. Business Performance 7.5.5. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.6. Daimler Ag 7.6.1. Company Overview 7.6.2. Company Snapshot 7.6.3. Operating Business Segments 7.6.4. Business Performance 7.6.5. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.7. Proterra 7.7.1. Company Overview 7.7.2. Company Snapshot 7.7.3. Key Strategic Moves And Developments 7.8. Hyundai Motor Company 7.8.1. Company Overview 7.8.2. Company Snapshot 7.8.3. Operating Business Segments 7.8.4. Business Performance 7.9. Hino Motors, Ltd. 7.9.1. Company Overview 7.9.2. Company Snapshot 7.9.3. Business Performance 7.10. Navya 7.10.1. Company Overview 7.10.2. Company Snapshot 7.10.3. Product Portfolio 7.10.4. Business Performance Have any query ? Inquiry now : https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com/inquiry/72056 Key Benefits for Self-driving Bus Market: This study presents the analytical depiction of the global self-driving bus market analysis along with the current trends and future estimations to depict the imminent investment pockets. The overall self-driving bus market opportunity is determined by understanding the profitable trends to gain a stronger foothold. The report presents information related to the key drivers, restraints, and opportunities of the global self-driving bus market with a detailed impact analysis. The current self-driving bus market is quantitatively analyzed from 2019 to 2026 to benchmark the financial competency. Porter's five forces analysis illustrates the potency of buyers and suppliers in the industry. About Market Growth Insight Market Growth Insight is a one stop solution for market research reports in various business categories. We are serving 100+ clients with 10000+ diverse industry reports and our reports are developed to simplify strategic decision making, on the basis of comprehensive and in-depth significant information, established through wide ranging analysis and latest industry trends. We are striving to provide the best customer friendly services and appropriate business information to accomplish your ideas. Contact 2nd Floor, Manikchand Ikon, B-Wing, Dhole Patil Road, Sangamwadi, Pune 411 001, Maharashtra,India. +1 347 767 5477 (US) +44 131 463 4161 (UK) + 91 8956 049 020 (IN) Email: Sales@marketgrowthinsight.com Website- https://www.marketgrowthinsight.com Follow Us:- LinkedIn | Twitter | Google+ | Facebook T wo police officers responding to the Streatham terror attack fired six shots at knifeman Sudesh Amman, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has said. One bullet hit a supermarket window and another hit the window of a pharmacy, with one woman injured by flying glass. Investigators are awaiting a pathologists report which will confirm how many times Amman, who was shot dead by police, was hit. In a statement, the police watchdog said: The officers involved provided their initial accounts on the day of the incident and have now provided more detailed accounts. "At this stage we have established that two officers from the MPS discharged a total of six shots. Armed police officer on Streatham High Road / PA No police officers are under investigation and they are being treated as witnesses, the IOPC added. Amman, a convicted terrorist, wore a fake suicide belt as he grabbed a knife from a shop in Streatham High Road on February 2 before stabbing two bystanders. He was shot dead by police minutes after beginning the knife rampage. Police activity at the scene following the terror attack in Streatham High Road / PA The 20-year-old had been previously jailed for possessing and distributing terrorist documents in December 2018, but was freed automatically halfway through his sentence on January 23. He was put under 24-hour police surveillance on his release, with sources describing him as an extremely concerning individual. The IOPC are also looking at how much information police had about the 20-year-old, and what action they took when he was released from prison. Streatham terror attack - In pictures 1 /28 Streatham terror attack - In pictures Police are dealing with an incident in Streatham Andy Bullemor Police officers conduct a search of a bail hostel in south London AFP via Getty Images A woman reacts near to the scene where a man was shot and killed by armed police Getty Images Forensic officers at the scene following the terror attack in Streatham High Road PA Police cordon off a property in Streatham PA Forensic officers outside a property on Leigham Court Road, Streatham PA Police activity at the scene following the terror attack in Streatham High Road PA Police officers look under a bus as they work at the scene of Sunday's terror stabbing attack in the Streatham area of south London AP Forensics investigate the scene of the terror attack on Monday morning Jeremy Selwyn Armed police at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Police officers at the scene after a man was shot by armed police Getty Images Forensics investigate the scene of the terror attack on Monday morning Jeremy Selwyn Armed police officer on Streatham High Road PA Forensics investigate the scene of the terror attack on Monday morning Jeremy Selwyn Police officers guard a cordon on Streatham High Road, at the junction of Prentis Road AFP via Getty Images Forensics investigate the scene Nigel Howard Police officers at the scene after a man was shot by armed police Getty Images Armed police at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Items left on the pavement at the scene in Streatham High Road PA Police secure the area in Streatham AP Forensics investigate the scene Nigel Howard IOPC Director for London, Sal Naseem, said: Our thoughts are with all of those affected by the events of February 2. "I would like to pay tribute to the police officers involved in responding to this attack and to those members of the public who assisted those injured. Our role in these circumstances is to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident and we will be providing our evidence and an investigation report to the coroner and the Metropolitan Police in due course. It is also important that we establish what information the police had and how they responded to it in the days after Sudesh Ammans release and prior to his death. Houston is a maximal kind of city, where more is generally considered to be more. For better or worse, our collective palate tends to follow suit. At the table, we as a clan crave hotter, saltier, sweeter, contrast-ier thrills. Chef Mark Holley fits right into that bold template. He came through the Brennans of Houston kitchen, where two sauces have often been considered to be better than one; then went on to claim his own fame at upscale seafood venue Pesce and later at Holleys Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar, which closed in 2017, post-Hurricane Harvey. Now hes back at the promising but awkwardly named Davis St. at Hermann Park featuring Chef Holley seriously, thats the restaurants full name in a bright, glassed-in space at the base of the Mosaic high-rise on Almeda. On PreviewHouston.com: Alison Cook hopes third time is a charm at In-N-Out Burger Filled with the strains of classic jazz, this crisp, contemporary room is a more buoyant setting for the chefs lively Creole- and global-inflected Gulf Coast cooking than the somber gray cave that was Holleys in Midtown. It feels right from the minute the exceptionally well-tailored young host greets you at the door to the moment the $10 bread service hits the table, to collective sighs of wow, this is so worth it. That it is. A half dozen downy, benne-seeded Parker House rolls rear up on a slate platter, along with two dips and a relish dish brimming with pickled red onion and marinated grapes so explosively tart they could probably jump-start a balky lawnmower. Theres a poblano-laced version of pimento cheese to daub on the rolls, and a creamy smoked drum dip that exerts its own deep, oceanic pull. I could make dinner out of this spread, with a nice glass of wine. And maybe a piece of Holleys justifiably famous coconut layer cake, but well get to that later. Right now, you need to hear about the gumbo. Bouttes Gumbo, as the menu bills it, is a chestnut-colored roux larded with soft flaps of duck confit, some big pearly shrimp and in a brilliant textural flourish a raft of fried oysters that snap with a crackle of cornmeal grit against the rich, suave soup. Its really special stuff, a hymn to Holleys time in Creole kitchens here and in New Orleans, and the ingredients of his adopted Gulf Coast. Those staples show up in his Muddled Stew, one of many dishes revived from his menu at Holleys. Its a Gulf Coast version of bouillabaisse with a soft cushion of grits thrown in, so that saffron-tomato broth meets shrimp, fish, pork belly and a 13-minute egg in a wide, comforting bowl. The chefs garlicky, Parmesan-crusted Nola-Style Charbroiled Oysters are still prime, but the Baked Oysters Yvonne I remember so fondly from Holleys, smothered in crabmeat filaments and a dab of caviar, had lost their light step. What happened to that airy champagne cream? Davis St. at Hermann Park featuring Chef Holley Two stars 5925 Almeda, Suite A; 877-328-4778 Hours: Dinner 4 -10 p.m. Tuesdays-Thursdays; 4 -11 p.m. Fridays; 5:30 -11 p.m. Saturdays; brunch 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays; family-style fried chicken dinner, 5 -8 p.m. Sundays Prices: Starters $9-$18; entrees $16-$56; desserts $10-$12 Must-orders: Benne-seed Parker House rolls with smoked drum dip, pickles and pimento cheese; Crispy Thai Shrimp; Caribbean Mussels; Boutte's Gumbo; Crab and Corn Bisque; Muddled Stew; Berkshire pork chop with country-fried apples; duck-fat and bacon potatoes; coconut layer cake; key lime cheesecake with gingered beet Reservations: Via opentable.com; walk-ins welcome; bar seating Noise level: Quiet to moderate Parking: $5 valet lot, very limited street parking Website:davisstreet.com STAR RATINGS Four stars: superlative; can hold its own on a national stage. Three stars: excellent; one of the best restaurants in the city. Two stars: very good; one of the best restaurants of its kind. One star: a good restaurant that we recommend. No stars: restaurant cannot be recommended. See More Collapse Prices for entrees here range well into special-occasion territory ($28 to $42, mostly), but Davis St. is a restaurant where I can happily graze through the left side of the menu. The gumbo meets its match in a deceptively gentle crab and corn bisque loaded with satiny crab lumps and bits of crisped pancetta. Then Holleys signature twinge of heat kicks in, by way of floating dots of red chile oil. That same sneaky heat applies to Caribbean Mussels, which sounds as if it might chime too sweetly in its coconut-curry bath laced with charred pineapple. But lo, the vegetal kick of shishito pepper dawns, making the dish riveting. At 14 bucks for a generous serving, this could pass for dinner. So, if Im being perfectly honest with myself, could the trio of Crispy Thai Shrimp, colossal shellfish fried only to silkiness in their crunchy batter jackets, then decorated with sweet/hot Thai chili sauce, a zippy slaw and drizzles of cilantro-shot aioli. More, in this case, is a blast. Holley manages his love for sweet touches like an acrobat. I did mourn the slight devolution of the wedge salad I loved so much at Holleys. At Davis St., its based on a romaine heart rather than baby iceberg; and despite the presence of a tempura-fried okra pod and a crunchy strip of candied bacon, its buttermilky ranch dressing seemed to have lost its oomph the night I tried it. Blackened flounder for two seemed like the best idea ever on the entree slate, with its shrimp etouffee and tumble of mirliton (chayote) and okra. It would have been, too, had the thin, delicate fish not been overcooked. Next time, Id ask for it on the rare side. While Harissa-Dusted Cornish Hen with farro, feta and preserved lemon sounded frisky, the salt content proved too much for me. (A tablemate scarfed it up with pleasure.) But oh, that 16-ounce Berkshire pork chop! Its country-fried apples relaxed into the chops pan juices and sorghum glaze, making a gently sweet sauce. Against the vigorous salt and crunch of duck-fat-and-bacon fried potatoes, a side dish, the pork was powerful stuff. The dining room is bordered by a glassed-in wine wall, and there is a thoughtful wine list to match, ably administered by general manager and sommelier Glenn Newbeck. You can spring $80 for a lovely Huet Vouvray that goes splendidly with much of Holleys oeuvre; or $28 for a stirring Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes-du-Rhone thats a real bargain. Seek Newbecks sound advice, right down to the dessert wines he pairs so well with your final course. (I admired his choices even though I dont care for dessert wines, which tells you something.) About that coconut layer cake: Its a tall, bronzey swoon of pecans and tropicality, and I really cant imagine coming here without ordering it. Also high in my affections is a spectacularly fluffy, tart key lime cheesecake round adorned with white-chocolate-coated cornflake crisps and brittle shards of gingery candied beet. Beautiful and effective. And dont even get me started about Sunday brunch, with its pork debris eggs Benedict that turns out to include thinly sliced pork loin in a lilting sherry gravy not to mention a Hollandaise flavored with sprinkles of chicory coffee. The biscuits its housed on can be had a la carte, too, and they are square marvels of biscuitude served with one of the most compelling pepper jellies Ive ever eaten. If they sold this jelly by the jar, Id be first in line. The dining-room service is both personal and attentive. Theres an ample bar, with both counter seating and tables, for patrons who want to dine less formally, a particular gift when theres a menu this strong in first-course seafood ideas. On Wednesday evenings, the estimable Vincent Gross plays trumpet and sings with his combo for Jazz Night. His old-school repertoire from the 1940s and 50s can transport you to another time, but Holleys smart, modern Southern cooking keeps you rooted in our own Houston place. alison.cook@chron.com twitter.com/alisoncook Hyderabad, Feb 11 : Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Tuesday congratulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal after the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) scripted a resounding victory in the Assembly elections to retain power in Delhi. Rao, who was busy with the district collectors' conference throughout the day, sent a congratulatory message to the AAP leader. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief hoped that under Kejriwal, Delhi will march ahead in all sectors and successfully implement various schemes for the welfare of the people. In a statement issued by the Chief Minister's Office on Tuesday night, Rao said that Kejriwal's victory showed that if governance is people-centric, people will definitely extend their full support. Rally: Bernie Sanders kisses grand-daughter Tess Driscoll as his wife Jane Sanders looks on at an event in New Hampshire. Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images Democratic presidential contenders including Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, who topped the field in the Iowa caucuses, entered their last full day of campaigning in New Hampshire yesterday as they fight for the chance to seek the White House. On the eve of New Hampshire's primary, the pair were looking to build on momentum from Iowa last week, where they emerged first and second in delegates, respectively, while nine rivals including US Senator Amy Klobuchar, US Senator Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden bid to gain ground. The man they are all seeking to take on in November, Republican President Donald Trump, was trying to command the national spotlight with a campaign rally of his own last night in Manchester, the state's largest city. "Want to shake up the Dems a little bit - they have a really boring deal going on," Mr Trump wrote in an early morning tweet touting the event that he said promised "big crowds". Mr Sanders (78), an impassioned progressive who serves as a US senator for neighbouring Vermont, has long led in opinion polls for the New Hampshire contest. But Mr Buttigieg, a 38-year-old moderate and military veteran who served two terms as mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has rapidly gained ground since Iowa. Mr Buttigieg, who would be the first openly gay US president, and Mr Sanders sparred on Sunday over visions for their party and fundraising models. Expand Close Pete Buttigieg / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Pete Buttigieg "The idea that we've either got to wait for a revolution or wait for the status quo leaves most of us out," Mr Buttigieg said in a thinly veiled references to Mr Sanders and Mr Biden. "We need a politics that brings all of us in." Mr Sanders, speaking in Plymouth, criticised Mr Buttigieg for taking money from "40 billionaires," adding: "Our agenda is the agenda that represents working families." Mr Buttigieg noted he was the least wealthy of the Democratic candidates and said he had never hesitated to stand up to industry. "Bernie's pretty rich, and I would happily accept a contribution from him," Mr Buttigieg said on CNN. Julia Cervone, a 54-year-old healthcare worker who supports Ms Warren, said she came to Mr Buttigieg's Sunday rally in her hometown of Salem out of curiosity. "I wanted to see what all the buzz was about," Ms Cervone said. Since signing up for Mr Buttigieg's rally, she has been bombarded by texts and emails from his campaign but received nothing from Ms Warren's, even though she is a registered supporter, Ms Cervone said. She said that made her worried for Ms Warren's candidacy. "My guess is Pete got a big financial boost from Iowa and he's spending it," Ms Cervone said. A 'Boston Globe' poll released late on Sunday showed Ms Klobuchar in third place behind Mr Sanders and Mr Buttigieg following the party's Friday night debate in the New England state. "After that debate, something switched," Ms Klobuchar told MSNBC in an interview yesterday. "It just allowed the people of New Hampshire to see me in a different way." Ms Klobuchar has questioned whether Mr Sanders - a self-described democratic socialist - can attract centrist voters Democrats need to beat Mr Trump, and questioned whether Mr Buttigieg has enough experience as a mayor to counter the president. "I've won statewide," including rural and suburban areas, she said, making an appeal for the large number of undecided and independent voters in the state and noting just a few thousand votes handed Mr Trump victories in several key states in 2016. The 'Globe' poll, conducted with Suffolk University and WBZ-TV, showed Mr Sanders with 27pc ahead of Mr Buttigieg with 19pc and Ms Klobuchar with 14pc among 500 likely voters polled over the weekend. Mr Biden and Ms Warren each saw 12pc in the survey, which had a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points. Another 7pc were undecided. The Sanders campaign expected to draw a large crowd in Durham last night when progressive star US Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and rock band The Strokes join him for a rally. Ms Warren, Ms Klobuchar, Mr Buttigieg, entrepreneur Andrew Yang and the rest of the Democratic field also held events through the state. BOSTON, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eagle Growth and Income Opportunities Fund (the "Fund") (NYSE: EGIF) today announced the declaration of its monthly distribution of $0.085 per common share, payable on February 28, 2020. Based on the Funds share price of $17.04 as of its close on February 10, 2020, the distribution represents an annualized yield of 5.99%. Information regarding the distribution rate is included for informational purposes only and is not necessarily indicative of future results, the achievement of which cannot be assured. The distribution rate should not be considered the yield or total return on an investment in the Fund. The following dates apply to this distribution: Ex-Dividend Date: February 14, 2020 Record Date: February 18, 2020 Payable Date: February 28, 2020 A portion of the distribution may be treated as paid from sources other than undistributed net investment income, including but not limited to short-term capital gain, long-term capital gain or return of capital. As required by Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, a notice will be distributed to the Funds shareholders in the event that a portion of the distribution is derived from sources other than undistributed net investment income. In January or February of each year, investors will be sent a Form 1099-DIV for the previous calendar year that will define how to report the Fund's monthly distributions for federal income tax purposes. The investment return, price, yield, market value and net asset value (NAV) of the Funds shares will fluctuate with market conditions, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. Closed-end funds frequently trade at a discount to NAV, which may increase the investors risk of loss. There is no assurance that the Fund will meet its investment objective. Investment return and principal value will fluctuate. Past performance is not a guarantee of future results. Additionally, the Fund announced the adjournment of its Special Meeting of Shareholders scheduled to be held on January 21, 2020, as adjourned to January 27, 2020 and February 10, 2020. About Eagle Growth and Income Opportunities Fund The Fund is a diversified, closed-end management investment company that is advised by First Eagle Alternative Credit LLC and sub-advised by Eagle Asset Management, Inc. The Funds investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income and capital appreciation. There can be no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. About First Eagle Alternative Credit, LLC First Eagle Alternative Credit is an alternative credit investment manager for both direct lending and broadly syndicated investments through public and private vehicles, collateralized loan obligations, separately managed accounts and co-mingled funds. First Eagle Alternative Credit maintains a variety of advisory and sub-advisory relationships across its investment platforms. First Eagle Alternative Credit is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Eagle Investment Management, LLC. About Eagle Asset Management, Inc. Founded in 1984, Eagle provides an array of fundamental equity and fixed income strategies designed to meet long- term goals of institutional and wealth clients. Eagles multiple independent investment teams overseeing separately managed accounts and funds have the autonomy to pursue investment decisions guided by their unique philosophies and strategies. Forward-Looking Statements Statements included herein may constitute "forward-looking statements", which relate to future events or our future performance or financial condition. These statements are not guarantees of future performance, condition or results and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those described from time to time in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). The Fund undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements made herein. Contact the Fund at 1.833.845.7513 or visit the Funds website at http://thlcreditegif.com for additional information. Additional Information and Where to Find It The Fund filed with the SEC and mailed to its shareholders a definitive proxy statement (the definitive proxy statement) and other relevant materials. THE FUNDS SHAREHOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT AND OTHER RELEVANT MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE FUND AND THE PROPOSALS SET FORTH THEREIN. Shareholders may obtain the definitive proxy statement and other relevant materials and any other documents filed by the Fund with the SEC, free of charge, from the SECs website at www.sec.gov. Shareholders also may obtain free copies of the definitive proxy statement, the other relevant materials and other documents filed with the SEC from the Fund by contacting the Fund at 1.833.845.7513. Participants in the Solicitation The Fund and its Trustees and officers and employees of THL Credit and Eagle may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies of the Funds shareholders. Shareholders of the Fund may obtain information about the Funds Trustees and executive officers, including their beneficial ownership of the Funds shares, in the Funds annual report for the year ended December 31, 2018, filed as part of Form N-CSR with the SEC on March 11, 2019. More detailed information regarding the identity of potential participants, and their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, and information about THL Credit and Eagle, is set forth in the Funds definitive proxy statement filed as part of Form DEF 14A with the SEC on November 29, 2019. These documents may be obtained free of charge from the sources indicated above. Contact Andrew Park First Eagle Alternative Credit LLC 212.829.3126 Kolkata, Feb 11 : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday described the Aam Aadmi Party's win in the Delhi Assembly polls as a victory of democracy and said the people did not want divisive politics. Banerjee, who made a phone call to AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on his party's resounding success, later told media here that the BJP was losing every poll now. Banerjee recalled that there was a time when the BJP was disturbing the AAP government a lot. "We (many non-BJP regional parties) had then rushed to his house. Today, we are very happy that despite the bigotry and narrow-minded politics of hatred, it has turned out to be a victory of the people. The politics of hatred did not work this time." "It's a victory of democracy. I congratulate the people of Delhi." The Trinamool Congress Chief said though Delhi has a small area, the BJP-led Centre had used all its might to "capture the state". "Despite letting loose its might and also those of its agencies to to capture the state forcibly, the BJP has lost. It is continuously losing every election everywhere," she said. Banerjee said the reason was people don't like the BJP's despicable politics, the divisive politics. "People want jobs, food, dress and shelter, development and peace. So politics should be for peace and development, and for the good of the country and its people," she said. Recapitulating the election results post the Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee said while the Congress-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party combine was running the government in Maharashtra, the BJP also lost Jharkhand. "Last year, they were defeated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In between, they somehow managed to win the parliamentary elections. But, after they won the second term at the centre, they started their audacity and political vendetta again. As a result, the country is burning," she said. In an apparent reference to the new Citizenship Amendment Act, Banerjee said the country had more important issues like unemployment, economy, development, industry and price hike. Banerjee charged the BJP with using "so-called" NGOs and heretic organisations to spread lies. "In the name of so-called NGOs and so-called heretic organisations, they only spread garbage of lies, rumour, and are spending money as if through a hose pipe. And, they are spreading all such rumours and false propaganda between communities," she said. UTICA, N.Y. Mohawk Valley Community College has kicked off its Week of Giving, a campaign that raises money for the College-Community-Connection, or C3, program. The C3 program connects students in need of services with community agencies that can assist them with child care, health care, food assistance and counseling. MVCC Foundation President Frank Duross says the goal is to help students receive support they need to achieve long-term stability and success. "National research shows that 15% of community college students are homeless, up to 50% of community college students are food insecure, don't know where their next meal is coming from -- so we have this fundraising to raise fund to help support the students," he said. As of early Tuesday afternoon, the campaign already raised just over $6,600. For more information, or to donate to the campaign, visit: givecampus.com. Tanger Factory Outlet Centers (STK) is the largest owner of outlet centers in the United States and Canada; its portfolio consists of 36 outlet centers that comprise 2,600 stores representing approximately 400 store brands, observes Stephen Mauzy, contributing editor to Personal Wealth Advisor. Tanger is formed as a real estate investment trust, which promotes dividend payments. Most REITs lease space and collect rent on the buildings they own. The income generated, in turn, is paid to shareholders as dividends. REITs must pay at least 90% of their taxable income to shareholders. More from Stephen Mauzy: Qualcomm: 5G Dividends Tanger is lumped into the wallflower mall-REIT category. The segment has lost favor with investors over the past year, and for good reason. Many malls are anchored by tenants whose business outlook is precarious at best. Tanger is considered a mall REIT, but mall REITs are hardly photocopies of each other. Pronounced differences exist. Tanger differs consciously from its mall brethren. It owns outlet centers and only outlet centers. These outlet centers are less costly to build and operate. Its tenant costs are roughly 9.9% lower than those of the enclosed mall REITs. Unlike many mall REITs, Tanger continues to attract occupants. Thanks to strong leasing program last year, its consolidated portfolio occupancy rate rose to 97.0% for 2019. Tanger offers 27 years of annual dividend growth. It offers that growth with a 9.3% starting yield. And like with Altria Group, the record should be maintained well into the future. The all-important dividend is supported by funds from operations (FFO) the key cash-flow metric investors vet. Tanger generates plenty of FFO. Management guided for 2020 FFO per share of $1.96-to-$2.04. The dividend this yield will consume only 70% of projected FFO. Most mall REIT investors will find that it takes 80% or more of FFO to support the dividend. Story continues See also: MGM Growth Properties: Good Odds Growth and Income Tanger shares trade at 7.5 times the expected FFO for 2019. The long-term average is near 10. While we wait for mean reversion to occur, I recommend hanging your hat on an enviable record of annual dividend growth and a 9.3% starting dividend yield. More From MoneyShow.com: With more workers joining the strike at Brazils giant state-owned energy conglomerate Petrobras, last Tuesday, February 4, Labor Court minister Ives Gandra Martins Filho ruled that 90 percent of the Petrobras workers must continue to work during the strike. The minister also imposed daily fines of up to R$ 500,000 (US$ 116,000) against unions that disobey his decision. According to the oil workers union federation FUP, which is affiliated to the Workers Party (PT)-controlled CUT union federation, the daily fines could cost the 13 unions affiliated with it as much as R$ 4.5 million (US$ 1 million). According to Martins Filho, there is a risk of shortages due to the strike. In addition, he found that Petrobras had not breached the collective bargaining agreement signed last November as the FUP claims. The FUP has already appealed the ministers dictatorial decision, which will be discussed by the Labor Court plenary and may be reversed. Petrobras workers have been on strike since February 1 against the closure of the Nitrogen Fertilizer Factory (Fafen) in the southern state of Parana, the layoff of its nearly 1,000 workers and the moves by the government of Brazils fascistic President Jair Bolsonaro to privatize refineries and subsidiaries of the energy conglomerate. Martins Filhos decision, prepared in close contact with the Bolsonaro government, is an attack on the right to strike by oil workers and other sections of the Brazilian working class. However, Petrobras oil workers have defied the ministers decision, deciding last week to continue their strike. With the oil workers decision to continue the strike, on February 6, Martins Filho ordered the blocking of the bank accounts of the unions participating in the walkout, while allowing temporary workers to be hired to scab on the strike. He declared that the strike is abusive and has political connotation. Martins Filho has a long record of attacks on workers, particularly oil workers. A right-wing judge and member of the reactionary Catholic order Opus Dei, he banned the start of the strike by oil workers last November, also ruling the strike abusive and threatening to block the unions bank accounts and to impose millions in fines. The unconstitutional character of Martins Filhos decision led to its being overruled at the beginning of last December by the Labor Court plenary, which considered his decision to be a violation of the right to strike. Martins Filhos decision has not been the only police state measure employed to suppress the struggle of Petrobras workers. Last Monday, 120 military police officers were deployed to the Duque de Caxias Refinery, in Rio de Janeiro. There are also reports that workers were prevented by the Petrobras management from leaving two refineries to keep them in operation, in addition to numerous cases of harassment against striking workers. The Bolsonaro government is closely monitoring the strike movement at Petrobras. Last year, the daily Folha de S. Paulo reported that the Institutional Security Office (GSI), which controls the Brazilian Intelligence Agency (ABIN), was closely following the process that led to the signing of the Collective Labor Agreement (ACT) between the company and FUP in view of the risk of strike. Martins Filhos decision attests to the fear within the Bolsonaro government and the Brazilian ruling elite that the strike of Petrobras workers will grow and spread to other sections of public and private sector workers. Last week, teachers from the southeastern state of Minas Gerais, the second most populous in the country with 90,000 teachers in the state public schools, and from the northeastern state of Piaui, which is governed by the PT, decided to go on strike against low wages. These strikes, which are taking place as the school year has just begun, are a continuation of the wave of teachers strikes in several Brazilian states at the end of 2019. Also last week, the CUT affiliated postal workers union federation, Fentect, was pressured by rank-and-file workers to announce a national strike starting February 12. Since last year, postal workers have been struggling against the privatization of the company, scheduled by the Bolsonaro government for next year, and a nearly 100 percent increase in contributions to their health care plan. However, for the second time this year, Fentect postponed the strike until March 3 after meeting with the other postal worker union federation, Findect, affiliated with the union federation CTB, which is controlled by the Maoist Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB). Meanwhile, the strike of Petrobras workers continues to grow. On Saturday, according to FUP, the strike involved nearly 20,000 oil workers, affecting 88 Petrobras units in 13 Brazilian states, including 37 offshore oil platforms, 11 of the 13 Petrobras refineries and 17 terminals of Transpetro, the subsidiary responsible for transporting oil and gas. Last Friday, as the oil workers strike completed one week, Petrobras workers and supporters gathered in front of the companys headquarters in Rio de Janeiro for a rally. A PCdoB federal deputy from Rio, Jandira Feghali, made a nationalist speech denouncing the Bolsonaro government for its total alignment and submission to the US, which, according to her, undermines national development. She added that we Publicly demand that president [of the Lower House Rodrigo] Maia help in the negotiation and enforcement of the collective labor agreement (ACT). Striking Petrobras workers, however, have nothing to gain from this appeal to Maia, who is the leader of the Democratas (DEM), the successor to ARENA, the party which ruled under Brazilian military dictatorship. PCdoB has a long record of alliances with Maia and his DEM, having supported his election for president of the Brazilian Lower House in 2017 and 2019. Last year, Maia was largely responsible for approving the Bolsonaro governments pension reform. Feghalis call comes amid the moves of the PCdoB and other Brazilian parties to form an electoral coalitions for this years municipal elections, which, in turn, will prepare the coalitions for the 2022 presidential election. In late January, the party launched the Movimento 65, which replaced the hammer and sickle in the partys logo with the green and yellow colors of the Brazilian flag. According to the Movimento 65 manifesto, its goal is to unite leaders of the working class and of business segments, who have a commitment to the defense of Brazil. The movements goal is to reproduce throughout Brazil the political alliance that governs the northeastern state of Maranhao. There, the governor of the PCdoB, Flavio Dino, who is being mentioned as a candidate for the 2022 presidential election, governs in alliance with the DEM and, in his previous term, governed in alliance with the right-wing Brazilian Social Democracy Party (PSDB). In the last few weeks, Dino met with multi-millionaire TV host and neoliberal critic of Bolsonaro, Luciano Huck, who has close ties with the PSDB and is also being cited as a candidate for the 2022 presidential election, and with former PSDB president Fernando Henrique Cardoso (FHC). Last year, Governor Dino followed the Bolsonaro government in pushing through pension reform in his state. Last week, the PT also moved toward creating a broad front for the next elections. Last Monday, in the demonstration called by the union federations against the deindustrialization of Brazil and the presence of Bolsonaro at the Industry Federation of the State of Sao Paulo (FIESP), the president of the CUT, Sergio Nobre, stated, I have a lot of respect for many [FIESP] directors because I have already negotiated with many of them. Now, FIESP has not been an employer union for a long time, it has become a political apparatus of [its president] Paulo Skaf. Nobres complaint against Skaf exposes the fact that he and the other union federations leaders do not see FIESP as a class enemy. What he and the other union federations leaders would like to do is to replace Bolsonaro by negotiating away the interests of Brazilian workers with FIESP. This was further exposed in the document released by the union federations on the February 3 demonstration, which repeated the old language of bourgeois nationalism, boosting the industrial sector as of great importance for a development project, which will only be possible with structured actions that involve different government bodies in tune with union and business groups. Then, last Friday, Folha reported that Lula, after saying that Bolsonaro had the right to complete his four-year term of attacks on the Brazilian working class, has defended the expansion of tactical alliances in the confrontation with the Bolsonaro government and that the PT had authorized alliances with parties such as FHCs PSDB and Maias DEM. In view of the negative repercussions, the partys national directory, which met in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate the PTs 40th anniversary, hurried to launch a document defending the formation of a Popular Democratic Front in 2022 to rescue the project of popular government initiated with Lula, in 2003. Lulas alleged popular government was based from the start on a series of alliances with right-wing elements from the Brazilian bourgeoisie and subordination to the international financial markets. To assure the capitalist ruling class of his governments reliability, Lula chose as his vice-president, the right-wing industrialist Jose Alencar, and Henrique Meirelles, the former general director of the Fleet Boston Financial Group, as president of the Brazilian Central Bank. The PTs document defends an emergency employment and income plan and a fair and solidarity tax reform, in addition to defending as its strategic electoral center the construction of alliances with the PCdoB, the bourgeois parties PDT and PSB, and the pseudo-left party PSOL. According to the document, this is how we will accumulate strength and the conditions to DEFEAT BOLSONARO AND HIS GOVERNMENT. The attempt to present these alliances as some sort of left alternative to Bolsonaro is a fraud. The PT backs an alliance with the PCdoB, which in turn backs an alliance with the FHCs PSDB and Rodrigo Maias DEM, which support the government of the fascistic president. Petrobras oil workers and those who are starting their fight against the Bolsonaro government and the PT state governments must reject the nationalist and pro-corporate appeals of the unions and the calls of the PCdoB and PT to form a broad front against the Bolsonaro government. The consequence of this political movement is the political subordination of the working class to factions of the Brazilian ruling elite dissatisfied for tactical reasons with the Bolsonaro government, for whom the PT and PCdoB have served as spokesmen. The urgent task for Brazilian workers is the formation of rank-and-file committees to overcome the conciliatory policy of the unions and bourgeois left and pseudo-left parties with an internationalist and socialist program. This requires building the Brazilian section of the International Committee of the Fourth International to lead the working class in its struggle against Bolsonaro and for a workers government in Brazil. After production in court, he will be shifted to the Joint Interrogation Centre in Bhuj for detailed questioning by different security agencies Bhuj: A Pakistani national has been apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) for illegally entering Gujarat's Kutch district after crossing the India-Pakistan border, an official said on Tuesday. The accused, Shoaib Ahmed (38), a resident of Shah Nawaz Bhutto Colony in Karachi town of Pakistan's Sindh province, appeared to be a drug addict, he said. Some Pakistani currency, an identity card and 150 grams of a "sniffing powder" were seized from his possession, the BSF said in a release. "The Pakistani national was apprehended when he tried to enter India near Dholavira on Monday night. He was held from near the border pillar number 1024 by the BSF patrolling team. He appears to be a drug addict," Inspector General, BSF, Gujarat Frontier, GS Malik said. After preliminary questioning, he was handed over to local police on Tuesday morning, the official said. After production in court, he will be shifted to the Joint Interrogation Centre in Bhuj for detailed questioning by different security agencies, an official at Balasar police station in Kutch said. PHILIPSBURG (DCOMM):--- Ministry of Public Housing, Environment, Spatial Development and Infrastructure (Ministry VROMI), announces that there will be emergency road repairs taking place on Monday, February 10 in the evening hours on the Airport Boulevard. The works will be carried out by Windward Roads at 8.00 pm in the vicinity of the Airport Fire & Rescue Services Building. Motorists are advised to be vigilant and observant of the traffic diversion directional signs as well as road crews who will be busy carrying out asphalt patch work. Ministry VROMI apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause. Microsofts as-yet-unreleased foldable tablet phone has been spotted in public. The rotating hybrid device, which consists of two screens that swivel on a central pivot, was filmed by a YouTuber on public transport. The unknown Surface Duo user is can be seen playing games and reading emails on the device, which was unveiled by Microsoft in October but remains unreleased. Once folded, a shiny silver casing with the embossed Microsoft logo is clearly visible. The Surface Duo can split into two separate displays for multitasking and fold into a pocket-sized device The video has been posted to YouTube by a user called Israel Rodriguez and was filmed on Vancouvers SkyTrain, according to The Verge. Its not known who the owner of the Surface Duo is or how they got their hands on the device, but the video provides a good idea of how it handles. Microsoft calls its Surface Duo the perfect balance of productivity and mobility. Surface Duo users can choose to view webpages or documents on one big display, separated by a central hinge With two screen connected by a revolutionary 360-degree hinge, Surface Duo brings together the best of Microsoft and Android to re-imagine productivity on the go, the company states on its website. Rather than having a foldable screen like Samsungs Galaxy Fold, Surface Duo consists of two 5.6-inch screens that rotate around a central hinge. The two screens provide two separate displays or can form one complete 9-inch display like any tablet albeit with a gap in the middle due to the hinge. The idea is that users can enjoy a tablet-sized screen while being able to fit the device in their pocket. Users can also lie one screen flat and use an attachable Bluetooth keyboard to resemble a conventional laptop. The unknown user is seen playing games on the device on one of the Surface Duo's 5.6-inch screens The Microsoft logo is seen on the device once folded. The Surface Duo is yet to be released which makes this video a rare sighting of the device in the wild Microsoft maintains that the Surface Duo is not a phone, despite the fact it makes phone calls, but a new tablet. Make no mistake, this is a Surface device, said the companys chief product officer Panos Panay at the Surface Duos launch event back in October. We know scientifically you'll be more productive on two screens, he said. But it has to be elegant. It has to fit in your pocket. The companys days of releasing smartphones are over, with the company advising users of its now defunct Windows 10 Mobile operating system to switch to Android or iOS devices because of its lack of app support. Photo taken October 2, 2019 in New York shows Microsoft Corp.'s foldable smartphone Surface Duo This new Surface Duo runs Android and is scheduled for release around Christmas 2020. Microsoft also revealed the Surface Neo last October, which is similar to the Surface Duo but has a larger screen. The Surface Neo has two 9-inch screens that unfold to form a substantial 13-inch display. It's equipped with a pen that attaches and charges magnetically on the back and a magnetically attached keyboard that folds over onto one screen creating a laptop-like device, just like the Surface Duo. The Surface Neo has two screens connected with a 360-degree hinge for seamless opening and closing of the device. And the notepad may have two separate screen, but Microsoft has designed it to let users to spread a single screen across for a larger view Like the Surface Duo, Surface Neo folds down a central hinge, which could be seen as something of an eyesore when the device is fully unfolded. Microsoft hopes the lack of a novelty bendy screen wont hold back the Surface Duo and Surface Neo when they are released into what is becoming a crowded foldable device market. On Tuesday, Samsung is set to unveil a smartphone with a screen that folds up like the clamshell phones of the 1990s and 2000s. The Galaxy Z Flip, which is rumoured to have a 6.7-inch foldable display made of 'ultra-thin' glass, was revealed in an advert during Sundays Academy Awards ceremony but will be officially unveiled by the company tonight. The new phone comes in black and purple and can sit open on a flat surface so users can get a good angle will making video calls hands-free The Galaxy Z Flip will join Samsungs 1,800 Galaxy Fold smartphone, which was released last year, as well as Motorolas Razr and Huaweis Mate X. Dell revealed a concept for a device with a screen that folds last month, while tech giant Apple is still smoothing out the cracks in its plans to release foldable devices. Apple may be working on a new foldable version of the iPhone, according to a patent filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office this week, but its unlikely to be released this year. A three-year-old girl was rescued in Florida on Monday after an amber alert was issued when she was snatched from her father's car in her driveway. Madeline Mejia had been buckled into her father Lester's car in Apopka, near Orlando, on Monday at around 6am when he ran back inside to grab his keys. In the few seconds that he was back in the house, he said he heard a scream. He then went back outside to find Madeline gone. She had been snatched by a man her father did not recognize and placed in a black Honda which sped off. This is the moment three-year-old Madeline Meija was rescued from an abductor's car on I-1O near Tallahassee, Florida, on Monday, five hours after being snatched from her father's yard. Police used a plane to track down the vehicle - which had traveled 250 miles away. Four people, three men and a woman, arrested, including the man shown being cuffed (right). They have not been named The girl's father followed the vehicle as it sped away but lost sight of it. He then had to return home because he had forgotten his cell phone, he said. Police then took a Cessna plane out to try to track down the vehicle. Lester was able to describe it and give them its Texas license plate. Madeline was sitting in her front yard at 6am when she was snatched. An amber alert was later issued Authorities found it around 5 hours later, 250 miles away, on Interstate 10 near Tallahassee. They arrested four people, including 19-year-old Kevin Olmeda-Velis and 18-year-old Tania Fortin-Duarte. The other two men who were taken into custody have not been named. The Florida Department of Law Enforcement shared a photograph of the dramatic rescue on Monday afternoon. It showed Madeline clutching on to a cop while being lifted out of the car. Lt. Kim Montes Madeline 'was scared' and that the situation was 'very traumatic.' The girl's father said her mother lives in a different state. 19-year-old Kevin Olmeda-Velis and 18-year-old Tania Fortin-Duarte are two of the four people arrested. The other two men have not been named Police tracked down the car to 250 miles away and were able to swoop in on it The girl's father had put her in the back of his car in the driveway of their home in Apopka on Monday when he went back inside to get the keys This is the black Honda with Texas plates that abducted the girl on Monday It is unclear if that has anything to do with the police theory that the car Madeline was in was heading towards Texas. He said he has a good relationship with the girl's mother. Madeline's father gave an interview afterwards where he described the five hours they were apart as 'anguish'. 'It was anguish not knowing what was happening to my daughter. 'Im happy for my baby coming back,' Lester Mejia told WFTV9. She was happy to be home. This week in Christian history: Notable black preacher dies, Lourdes vision, Galileo arrives for trial Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Christianity is a faith with a long and detailed history, with numerous events of lasting significance occurring throughout the ages. Each week brings the anniversaries of great milestones, horrid tragedies, amazing triumphs, telling tribulations, inspirational progress, and everything in between. Here are just a few things that happened this week, Feb. 9-15, in Church history. They include the death of a prominent African-American church leader, the reported beginning of the Our Lady of Lourdes visions by St. Bernadette, and Galileo arriving in Rome for his heresy trial. 1 2 3 4 Next Latest News CoreLogic data shows new listings on the rise in early 2022 First data of the year suggests supply is already entering back into the market, cooling hot property market Business NSW calls for support as pandemic bites Staff shortages and customer falls causing severe problems in recovery Brokers should discuss the availability of commercial finance options with SME owners to keep their personal and business finances separate and avoid the risks of a property market upswing, OnDeck Australia has urged. Indeed, CoreLogics latest Hedonic Home Value Index shows the three months to 31 January 2020 saw the residential property market record gains of 3.7% nationally and 4.2% across the state capitals. And according to a recent statement by the Reserve Bank of Australia, Lenders have indicated that at least three-quarters of their small business lending is collateralised, often with the family home acting as the key source of security. According to OnDeck, this means that the sustained rise in property values since mid-2019 could lead to more SME owners resorting to home equity as a source of business finance a strategy that concentrates risk for SME owners and their families. Cameron Poolman, CEO of OnDeck Australia, said, We know that around eight out of 10 SMEs have business finance secured against the owners home. And this may rise following the uptick in property values. So, the main risk is that relying on home equity blurs the line between business and personal assets, which can put an SME owner and their family in financial jeopardy if the business fails. Poolman continued, Lenders such as OnDeck use advanced lending technology and analytics to assess an SMEs eligibility for finance. This ensures SME owners and their families are able to keep their personal assets separate from business assets. Rise of alternative lending options Based on their research, OnDeck found that one in four Australian SMEs have been rejected by banks for finance before. According to OnDeck, this underpins the growing awareness of alternative lending options, with one in five SMEs saying they would go for an online specialist lender. Poolman said, Lack of access to capital is the single greatest impediment to small business growth in Australia. So, it is good to know that alternative finance options including online lenders are on the radar of SMEs. We allow SMEs owners to quarantine their personal assets, in particular the family home, from their business, which can be an effective risk management strategy, concluded Poolman. SUMMARY: Mr Omotosho claimed that From 2016 to 2019, there were over 10,000 accidents recorded at the General Hospitals alone. Data from FRSC and NBS show that, within the same time, the state recorded 1,644 road accidents, leaving 462 dead. Moreover, nationwide, cars are the number one vehicle involved in the recorded cases; not motorcycles as FRSC data showed. Full Text The Lagos State government said weeks ago that motorcycles (okadas) and tricycles (keke) contribute to most accident deaths on Lagos roads, justifying its ban of the two popular means of transportation. Known for its incessant traffic snarls, both okadas and kekes serve as alternatives for commuters in Lagos State to escape the full extent of the states jam. Last week, the state government, through its commissioner for information and strategy Gbenga Omotosho, said these alternatives, especially okadas, are claiming more lives and are the cause of a lot of road accidents in the state. This number excludes unreported cases and those recorded by other hospitals. The total number of deaths from reported cases is over 600 as at date, he added, referring to accidents caused by these alternatives. The states chief press secretary, Gboyega Akosile, in an interview with Dubawa, the fact-checking site and PREMIUM TIMES sister organisation, also buttressed this position. If you see the number of at the hospitals you will be shocked and all of this is Okada. We had to create an Okada ward, Mr Akosile said over the phone. But are motorcycles the cause of most deaths resulting from road accidents in Lagos State? And, while killing over 600 people, has the government recorded over 10,000 accidents in the state in three years? Verification DUBAWA contacted Mr Omotosho who verified the quote. He, however, declined to provide the source of his claim. Governments claim versus FRSC figures The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) keep the records of road accidents in the country. The two institutions have collaborative data on road traffic accidents that are up-to-date to the third quarter of 2019. In 2016, the FRSCs quarterly road traffic report places traffic mishaps at 444 in Lagos state. Data from the NBS corroborates this figure as well. The figure breakdown accounts for a death toll of 165 as well as 971 injured. In 2017, recorded cases dropped to 425; 892 people injured and 113 dead. The following year featured another drop with 356 cases, leaving 772 people injured and 100 dead. The figure increased in the first three quarters of 2019, as a total of 419 cases occurred; of which 721 people suffered injuries, and 84 died. An overstatement Cumulatively, from 2016 to September 2019, stats show a total record of 1,644 cases of accidents in Lagos State, resulting in 3,818 casualties. This figure is the sum of 3,356 injured people and 462 that died from the tragedies. Thus, it stands to reason, evidenced by the foregoing, it is wrong to say 10,000 accidents were recorded in the state in three years, and that this has caused over 600 death cases. Automobiles not bikes This aside, different vehicles are responsible for the cases recorded over the years. And while there is no state-by-state breakdown of accidents by vehicles, motorcycles did not cause the most mishaps. Rather, cars are responsible for most of the accidents. Road accident trend in Lagos. For instance, in 2016, while cars were responsible for 34 per cent, motorcycles were responsible for 20 per cent of the accidents nationwide. Minibuses took 18 per cent of the blame. In 2017, the share taken by cars remained 34 per cent while minibuses reached 20 per cent and motorcycles dropped to 19 per cent. What is a fatality? Bisi Kazeem, spokesperson of the Federal Road Safety Corps, told DUBAWA the data quoted covers all accidents on all federal, state and local roads, reported to them. He further said they collaborate with relevant agencies, including hospitals, to come up with the data. This platform asked if the records counted as dead correspond to those who died on the spot and those who died in the hospital, Mr Kazeem said: We do what is known as hospital check-up. If an (accident) happens today, after 30 days, whatever happens to the (victim) if he dies, is still classified as fatality we still count it. This metric leaves room for several discrepancies ranging from the care given to a patient, existing medical conditions and other unseen factors. Hence, this suggests that the records could in actuality be less. Advertisements Conclusion Lagos State government claimed over 10,000 road accidents have occurred in the state in three years, killing over 600. But, data from FRSC and NBS show that, within the same time, the state recorded 1,644 road accidents, leaving 462 dead. Also, nationwide, cars are the number one vehicle involved in the recorded cases; not motorcycles, FRSC data showed. FRSC also said it works with hospitals and other agencies to follow up on victims of road mishaps before counting them as dead. Post-stabilisation notice 11thFebruary 2020 Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. The German State of North Rhine-Westphalia EUR 1,150,000,000 senior, unsecured Tap due 2038 Increase of its 1.65 % February 2038 Landesschatzanweisung Post-Stabilisation Notice Commerzbank (contact: Daniela Olt-Farrelly; telephone: -49 69 136 23492) hereby gives notice that no stabilisation (within the meaning of Article 3.2 (d) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU Regulation 596/2014) was undertaken by the Stabilising Managers named below in relation to the offer of the following securities. Issuer: German State of North Rhine-Westphalia Guarantor (if any): none ISIN: DE000NRW0KZ2 Aggregate nominal amount: 1,150,000,000 Description: 1.65 % Increase of its 1.35 billion LSA due 22 February 2038 Stabilisation Coordinator: Stabilisation Managers: Commerzbank AG BNP Paribas Citigroup DekaBank Norddeutsche Landesbank This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction. This announcement is not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful. At least 30 people were killed and many women and children were abducted Sunday evening by the Islamic State Group in West Africa (ISWAP), near a village close to the capital of Borno State, Maiduguri. The terrorists also burned around 30 vehicles, according to a statement from the local government. Despite the presence of African and foreign security forces, there is a resurgence of deadly attacks perpetrated by different Islamist and criminal groups in the Sahel and Lake Chad regions. Former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar on Tuesday took potshots at Sangh national general secretary Suresh 'Bhayyaji' Joshi for his statement that opposing the BJP does not amount to opposing Hindus. Velingkar, who was unceremoniously removed as Goa Sangh chief in the year 2016 and since then heads Goa Suraksha Manch, said the BJP has been steadily losing its base in Goa due to "fence-sitting politicians". "BJP is in a precarious situation in the coastal state due to its wavering stand on various issues," he told reporters. Referring to Joshi's statement, which he had made on Sunday, Velingkar said, "In the case of Goa, the Sangh behaved as if the BJP is the RSS". Speaking during a question-answer session in Panaji, Joshi had said, "We should not consider opposition to the BJP as opposition to Hindus. It is a political fight that will continue. That should not be linked with Hindus". (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Australias High Court has made a historic ruling that Aboriginal people cannot be deported, even if they do not have citizenship. The ruling, which gives Aboriginal people special status under the law, is seen as a landmark moment for the countrys first inhabitants. The judges narrowly voted in favour of the decision by four to three. The case related to two men, Brendan Thoms and Daniel Love, who have Aboriginal heritage but were born abroad. They both moved to Australia as young children. Thoms and Love faced deportation after serving prison sentences for violent crimes. Lawyer Claire Gibbs speaks to reporters outside the High Court in Canberra (AP) Acting Immigration Minister Alan Tudge said the judgement was significant, adding that the court had created a new category of persons neither citizen nor non-citizen. Claire Gibbs, the lawyer acting for Thoms, celebrated the ruling, saying: This case isnt about citizenship. Its about who belongs here, whos an Australian national and whos a part of the Australian community. Gibbs said that Thoms, who had spent 500 sleepless nights worrying about deportation, was very happy to be reunited with his family after his release from detention in Brisbane. Thoms is part of the Gunggari tribe and has legal rights to traditional land. However, judges could not decide whether the same special status applies to Love, who is from the Kamilaroi tribe. They considered it unclear whether he is a recognized member of the tribe. Mary Crock, professor of public law at Sydney University, said the ruling was radical and a very positive development. The case only went to the High Court because Australia uniquely has been trying so hard to deport so many different people. I cant think of another country that has gone as far as we have towards locking up and then trying to deport people who literally have no other country that they deeply belong to, Crock added. Additional reporting by AP President of Ukraine is sure that Pope will be in Ukraine and will visit not only Kyiv President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky during an audience with Pope Francis invited the pontiff to Ukraine. The press service of the Presidents Office reports. Zelensky has noted that the Pope is very expected in Ukraine. "I invited him to Ukraine. I am sure that he will be in Ukraine - not only in the capital. I said that in order to fully understand what is happening in the east, we must go to the east," Zelensky said. The President also noted the important role that the Holy See could play in bringing peace to Ukrainian soil. "The main thing we talked about is peace. He even called me the "president of peace" - this is my image in Europe now," Zelensky said after the audience. As we reported, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky met with the head of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella. As Zelensky noted, it is important for Ukraine to develop relations with Italy as an influential member of the EU and NATO. The President of Ukraine also added that new opportunities are now opening up for enhancing cooperation between the two countries. The former chief of Yanukovych administration is suspected of organizing a violent crackdown on Maidan protesters. The High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has canceled the arrest in absentia ruled by a lower instance court January 3, 2020, in the case of former First Deputy Prime Minister Andriy Kliuyev, who was in the office during the rule of disgraced ex-president Viktor Yanukovych. That's according to a judgment by the court's Chamber of Appeals of February 4, which states that the judges saw no sufficient grounds for taking Kliuyev into custody, at the same time admitting that the charges put forward are sufficient enough to justify further investigation or preparing an indictment. Read alsoEU to remove Azarov, Stavytskiy from sanctions list journalist Kliuyev held the post of Presidential Administration chief when the investigation believes he organized a violent crackdown on protesters in Kyiv during the Revolution of Dignity in February 2014, involving a deadly shooting. He fled from Ukraine on February 28, unhindered, despite suspicions voiced over his possible complicity in the Maidan violence. Kliuyev is also suspected of repeated, large-scale embezzlement of state-owned assets by abuse of power and in conspiracy. Viktor Yanukovych also fled from Ukraine in the wake of mass protests across the country and settled in Russia. The Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra. Samsung Samsung announced several new phones during a news conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, including the Galaxy S20, Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra. Pricing starts at $999 and all models will go on sale March 6. All three phones support new 5G networks in the U.S., and two of them are the first in the U.S. to work on both the slower and faster flavors of 5G that some carriers are rolling out. That gives Samsung about a seven-month lead over Apple with 5G, assuming Apple introduces its new 5G iPhones in September, as expected. While I still think most people probably don't need 5G phones just yet the networks are still rolling out, after all these are the first you should consider buying. They're really nice. They also have a lot of what we've come to expect from Samsung phones: great screens and lots of fun camera tricks. I tried the phones out early and one feature I really liked is called "Single Take." It's available on all three models. You just tap a single button inside the camera and it begins snapping photos and pictures for 10 seconds. After that, the camera's software automatically selects several neat pictures and videos with different effects, like a black-and-white filter or portrait mode with the background blurred behind the subject. It's perfect for when you don't know if you want to take a video or a picture. It just does it all for you. Here's what you need to know. Galaxy S20 The Samsung Galaxy S20 Samsung The Galaxy S20 has a 6.2-inch screen, making it the smallest of the three phones announced by Samsung. It will cost $999 and features almost all of most the high-end specs you can put in a phone. That includes a really bright and sharp screen, a camera that can zoom up to 30 times so you can take pictures from really far away, a wide-angle camera for fitting more into pictures, the option to record video at 8K resolution, the latest and fastest processor from Qualcomm and more. I like the size of the Galaxy S20 the best, since it didn't feel too big in my hands. And it has pretty much all of the features found in the larger Galaxy S20+ except one thing. Unlike the Galaxy S20+ and Galaxy S20 Ultra, it only supports the slower kind of 5G right now that's rolled out nationwide by T-Mobile and is being deployed by AT&T. It won't support millimeter wave (mmWave), the version of 5G that provides the fastest possible speeds. Galaxy S20+ The Samsung Galaxy S20+ Samsung The $1,199.99 Galaxy S20+ is the one I think most people should buy. It's pretty big with a 6.7-inch screen, but it supports both flavors of 5G networks that carriers are rolling out. That means you'll get the really fast mmWave speeds when you're near a tower, but will otherwise get the just slightly faster than 4G speeds when that's available, too. (The exception is Verizon, which isn't rolling out the slower 5G.) 5G isn't really that important yet, since it's still rolling out and only available in limited areas around the country. But if you're going to keep a phone for three or four years years, then you should buy the one that supports the most networks. Aside from the bigger screen and added 5G support, it's pretty similar to the Galaxy S20. It has the same cameras and, like the S20, has an in-screen fingerprint reader, a really sharp screen with a new 120 Hz refresh rate, which just means things like scrolling through lots of pictures and websites is much smoother, and plenty of memory for running lots of apps at the same time. Galaxy S20 Ultra The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra Samsung The Galaxy S20 Ultra is overkill. It's for people who want everything Samsung is capable of stuffing into a phone. It has a huge 6.9-inch screen which is really nice to look at but a bit hard to hold and a 108 megapixel camera that can zoom up to 100 times thanks to Samsung's fancy mix of hardware and software tricks. It worked OK during a quick test, but some of the stuff in my picture was still kind of blurry. Next to that is a new time-of-flight sensor that can be used for augmented reality, 3D image scanning and more. We first saw this on last year's Galaxy Note 10+. The Galaxy S20 Ultra also has a huge battery, and supports both the slower and faster 5G networks being rolled out in the U.S. It felt a little big and heavy to me, but it seems like something Samsung's die-hard fans will love, especially since it has things the iPhone doesn't, like 5G and that smooth 120 Hz display. But they'll pay for the most high-end phone from Samsung: the Galaxy S20 Ultra starts at $1,399.99. Availability Heres How You Can Get Tara Sutarias Casual Yet Glam Look Aqua (Image: Sinot) Dutch company Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design has dismissed reports pertaining to the sale of its 'superyacht' concept, named Aqua, to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. The company said in a statement on its website dated February 10, said that the, "the Hydrogen concept Aqua is not linked to Mr Gates (or his representatives) in any form or matter". It added that the company has no business relationship whatsoever with Bill Gates. "In recent days, various articles have appeared in international media, stating that Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design sold its concept 'Aqua' (presented at the Monaco Yacht Show 2019) to Mr Bill Gates. These articles are factually incorrect," the Dutch firm said in its statement. It clarified that Aqua is a concept under development and has not been sold to Bill Gates. Sinot added, "Aqua is a concept showed in Monaco meant to build a better future and inspire clients and the industry. We invite any visionary client to show their interest!" Earlier on February 10, several reports claimed that Bill Gates had commissioned a hydrogen-powered superyacht designed by Sinot for around $644 million. WEST SPRINGFIELD Peter Picknelly, Andy Yee and their partners have a general understanding a handshake deal with Edward E.J. Barkett, owner of the closed White Hut and with the Barkett family trust, which owns the real estate, to bring the popular eatery back. Picknelly, chairman and CEO of Peter Pan Bus Lines, said Tuesday that he and his partners are also talking with the White Huts creditors. "That very well may take time," he said. The creditors are crucial stakeholders who will have to be on board if Picknelly, the Yee family, led by general partner Andy Yee, and investors Michael K. Vann and Kevin B. Vann can refurbish and reopen the White Hut. Picknelly said Tuesday he and his team are talking with bankers about the deal and he is very hopeful and energetic. "I'm telling you that path is certainly there," Picknelly said. "Listen, this is an emotional decision for everybody. Nobody wants to see the White Hut close." Andy Yee and Peter Picknelly a at the Student Prince and Fort. They partnered in 2014 to save the Fort and are now working to buy and reopen White Hut. (MARK M.MURRAY/THE REPUBLICAN) Staff-ShotThe Republican file Peter Pan Bus Lines marketing department sent out social media messages Tuesday asking folks to send Save the hut as a text message to 319-96. An automated response says, Peter Pan Bus Lines LOVES the WHITE HUT! Lets SAVE THE WHITE HUT in West Springfield, Ma! Stay tuned for whats cooking next! West Springfield Mayor William Reichelt was among those forwarding the message Tuesday. It was just one day after Andy Yee and Picknelly told The Republican of their plans. Picknelly said he and his partners have spoken with West Springfield officials about their plans to renovate the building. A design team is set to visit next week, Picknelly said. We have to do renovations. We are going to polish it up, just like The Fort, he said, referring to the Springfield restaurant, which the partners bought and revitalized in 2014. Picknelly said he and the Yees have also talked with the Eastern State Exposition to ensure a continued White Hut presence at The Big E in 2020. Like White Hut, Peter Pan Bus Lines is a third-generation business with more than 80 years of history. Dating back to 1939, White Hut is a iconic food stop for Western Massachusetts visitors and natives alike. It sold burgers and hot dogs with fried or raw onions, french fries and soda from a bottle or a fountain, with coffee and breakfast sandwiches in the morning. Back in 2014, the Scherff family was on the verge of closing The Student Prince Cafe and The Fort Dining Room forever. To save the restaurant, Picknelly recruited the Vanns and the Yees as partners and bought the business. They spent $750,000 remodeling and updating it. "It's the same thing with the White Hut," Picknelly said Tuesday. "We dont want to lose it." Picknelly said local suppliers and purveyors of commercial restaurant food are already offering support, just as they did with The Fort. Before closing, E.J. Barkett explored the idea of moving White Hut to a new Colvest Group strip mall, citing the high rent charged by the family trust that owns the real estate and the difficulties of renovating and updating the historic building. Bobby Barkett said he owned White Huts Longmeadow location in partnership with his brother E.J., who relocated to Saint Petersburg, Florida, in November 2017. Bobby Barkett stayed in Longmeadow and rebranded the White Hut Kitchen to simply The Kitchen. Minister of Planning and Development Nguyen Chi Dung speaks on the countrys socio-economic development plan for the next 10 years (2021-30). Minister of Planning and Development Nguyen Chi Dung. Photo baodauthau.vn What are the major achievements Vietnam has gained in the past 35 years, particularly in 2019? The year 2019 was the second year Vietnam achieved all 12 socio-economic development targets laid down by the National Assembly. One of the most outstanding achievements was maintaining a stable national economy amid many changes in the region and elsewhere in the world. National independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity were held high. Vietnams role and prestige in the world were consolidated and enhanced. In the past 35 years, Vietnam has achieved much notable socio and economic development while maintaining an environment of peace and stability for the nation to advance under the leadership of the Party and Government. Vietnam's foreign policies have won high praise and support from the international community in the 35 years. Will you please talk about the plan to restructure the national economy? First of all, well draw lessons from the five years of restructuring the national economy from 2016-20 and come up with solutions for the five years from 2021-25. In the year 2020, economic restructuring should be the core mission for the Government, ministries, sectors and localities nationwide. To ensure the task is strictly implemented, the Ministry of Planning and Investment has asked all ministries, sectors and localities to develop plans on how to achieve their missions. What is the guiding principle in economic development in the coming years? Science, technology and innovation should be the main tools for us in the course of economic development. Besides, we need to complete and improve the quality of our socialist-oriented market economy in the course of international integration. We should also do our best to build an independent and autonomous economy while integrating into the world economy. Vietnam sets a target that by 2030 it will become an industrial country and in the group of upper middle-income nations. From the year 2030, its annual GDP will be about 7 per cent and annual per capita income will be US$8,000. VNS Vietnams stable macroeconomy in 2019 drives following years Despite difficulties and challenges, 2019 has been a year in which Vietnam's economy gained comprehensive results in many fields and met the set goals. These results will be a foundation for next years goals. Film club members celebrate as they watch a TV live broadcasting of Korean director Bong Joon-ho's "Parasite" receiving the award for best picture at the Oscars, at the Yeonsei University in Seoul, Monday, Feb. 10, 2020. AP South Koreans reacted with rare collective joy Monday after director Bong Joon Ho's ''Parasite'' won the Oscar for best picture and three other awards, good news that came as their country struggles to guard against a new virus and counter North Korea's nuclear threat. The movie's wins made history in both the Hollywood and South Korean film industries. The class satire is the first non-English-language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the Academy Awards, and is the first South Korean movie to ever win an Oscar. ''Can you believe that 'Parasite' won the Academy best picture?'' South Korea's biggest newspaper, Chosun Ilbo, said in a headline. ''It rewrote the Academy's 92-year-old history.'' South Korean social media were overwhelmed with congratulatory messages. Bong, ''Parasite'' and other Oscar-related news also dominated search terms throughout Monday at major internet portal sites, which had been preoccupied with the outbreak of a virus in China that has killed more than 900 people and sickened tens of thousands of others, mainly in China. Worries about the virus have been growing in South Korea, where 27 cases have been reported, though no deaths have occurred. Sales at tour agencies, restaurants, movie theaters and department stores have sharply declined, raising worries about the impact on South Korea's already-lagging economy. Opposition parties are accusing the government of ineffectiveness in coping with the outbreak. But the concerns about the virus and political warfare eased Monday to celebrate Bong's wins. Not long ago, the ubiquitous, open internet promised unfettered, borderless communication and, along with it, the democratizing, empowering values traditionally associated with free speech. But while the internet has undeniably connected people and allowed for near-instantaneous sharing of information, it has not always been free and open, and some of its transformative impacts have been decidedly unhealthy. Bullies, pedophiles, violent extremists, malicious foreign governments, and a range of other nefarious players have capitalized on online platforms power to disseminate their hateful behavior, ideologies, and images onlineputting at risk our personal and national security, our democracy, and even our faith in the defining line between truth and lies. Advertisement In response, countries around the world are taking steps to limit what can and cant be distributed onlineincreasingly going so far as to shut the internet down entirely. Some of the major gatekeepers controlling access to the dissemination of speech online, such as Google, Facebook, and Twitter, have hired thousands of content curators to try to address the harms. As platforms find themselves stuck between the promise of connecting the world and the demands that they police harmful speech and actors, they have developed shifting terms of service, ad policies, and accountability mechanisms. Faced with abuse and misinformation, many Americans find themselves questioning our nations historically staunch belief in the absolute nature of our First Amendment free speech rights, and not only online. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Yet, the quick fixesinternet shutdowns, calls for ever closer monitoring and censoring of unwanted speech, bans on political advertisingoften yield their own sets of unintended and often undesirable consequences. Were left with core, unresolved questions about how to define and protect free speech, while also addressing the real-world harms. The Free Speech Projecta collaborative effort between Future Tense and the newly launched Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Lawwill examine the many ongoing debates about free speech (and its boundaries) in a series of live events and articles published on Slate over the course of the year. The project is an open-minded and far-reaching inquiry, posing questions and seeking reflections from diverse perspectives. We will put the issues into a historical context, revisit the strengths of traditional free speech doctrine, look at the evolving regulation of political ads, address thorny issues of intermediary liability, examine the roles of foreign censors and foreign platforms, consider the harms speech can inflict on vulnerable communities, and ask whether the First Amendment needs an update. We invite you to join our Free Speech Project, by reading our articles, attending our events, and sharing with us your thoughts on the future of free speech. The first event will be held Feb. 24 at American University in Washington. For more information and to RSVP, visit the New America website. You can keep up with the Free Speech Project by following Future Tense on Twitter and subscribing to our newsletter. Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society. This decision represents a total about-face for Sudan and is a measure of how far Sudan has come in such a short time. Sudan has gone from leading the international coalition against the ICC to delivering it the most important case it has ever had, said Cameron Hudson, a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council who focuses on Sudan. The decision also demonstrates the fundamental shifts occurring within the country. Five schools in one city issued coronavirus warnings to parents after a local scout leader was revealed to be the British 'super-spreader' of the disease. Stephen Walsh, 53, broke his silence after discovering he was the source of an extraordinary web of cases stretching across the UK and Europe. Speaking from an NHS isolation room, the sales executive yesterday revealed he had 'fully recovered' and insisted he acted as quickly as possible once he realised the threat he posed. Stephen Walsh, 53, inadvertently brought coronovirus to the UK having attended a conference in Singapore. Health officials told people he had been in contact with to 'self-isolate' The County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton had to be cleaned thoroughly after a GP contracted the virus having been in contact with Mr Walsh Staff at the Grenadier pub in Hove were also asked to self-isolate after being in contact with Mr Walsh Steve Walsh, pictured, self-isolated himself after being warned he might have been at risk of the disease and then went into quarantine after he became symptomatic. He has since recovered from the virus Two GP surgeries in his home city of Brighton and Hove have been closed and a nursing home was yesterday placed in lockdown as a precaution. Meanwhile, several schools have been told to place themselves in quarantine. One of the largest secondary schools in Brighton yesterday told parents a 'member of its community' was in quarantine because of suspected coronavirus contact. Varndean School, which has around 1,300 pupils, was one of the schools in the city to announce that somebody connected to it had been told to 'self-isolate' for 14 days by Public Heath England. Parents at Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School in Hove told of their shock after learning two pupils thought to be Mr Walsh's children were in quarantine. Mr Walsh, a cub scout leader and father-of-two from Hove who children refer to as Shere Khan after the tiger from Jungle Book, contracted the virus after travelling to a business conference in Singapore in mid-January. Risk of the 'silent carrier' patients Three patients have tested positive for coronavirus after initially being given the all-clear raising the prospect of 'silent carriers'. The cases reported yesterday in the US and Japan raise the prospect that people can be infected with the disease while believing they are healthy. It also calls into question the accuracy of the test, which since the start of the outbreak has returned negative results for 1,350 patients in the UK. However, scientists claim such occurrences are 'common' when patients have not yet entered the 'diagnostic window' when infections are large enough to be detected. Professor Richard Tedder, an expert in viruses from Imperial College London, explained that if individuals were tested very soon after they have become infected, there may not be enough of the virus in the body to show up on the analysis. He stressed that 'on the balance of probability' these patients were unlikely to be infectious at that time.One case involved a Japanese man in his 50s who had fled the Chinese city of Wuhan on an evacuation flight on January 29. He was tested twice and both came back negative, but a third test on Monday 12 days later was positive. He has been isolated in his hotel room since his return from China. The second man, who is in his 40s, returned from Wuhan on January 30 and initially tested negative but was diagnosed with the virus on Monday. He is also understood to have been in isolation. Meanwhile, in San Diego in California, a woman who had been evacuated from Wuhan to a military quarantine centre tested positive after developing a cough. She had previously been given the all clear and had been allowed to live alongside others who were also in isolation on the base. Professor Tedder, a visiting professor in medical virology, said: 'This is inevitable when you are sampling people shortly after they have become infected. This is common to all infections a so-called diagnostic window. 'I don't think we should be unduly worried by these cases.' Advertisement But after almost two weeks of carrying the virus, authorities discovered he was linked to at least 11 cases in the UK, France and Spain. Yesterday, authorities were still tracking the contacts of Mr Walsh and his five associates including two GPs who have also tested positive in the Brighton area over the last few days. One of the two infected GPs also worked at the A&E unit at Worthing Hospital in West Sussex, which was last night contacting patients and staff to tell them what precautions they should take. The doctor, who has not been identified, treated a 'small number' of patients at the hospital on February 4 and 5 before they became unwell and 'self-isolated'. Boris Johnson last night said the UK should be 'confident and calm' over the threat of coronavirus. Speaking in Birmingham, the Prime Minister praised the response of the NHS and said anyone concerned should 'simply follow their advice'. During Mr Walsh's 6,736-mile journey home from Singapore, he stopped in the French Alps for a four-day ski holiday, with several of his associates on the trip since testing positive. He contacted his GP, the NHS's 111 helpline and Public Health England as soon as he realised he may have encountered the virus at the conference. 'I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed,' he said. 'When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves.' The businessman has been treated at St Thomas' Hospital in London since his case was confirmed last Thursday. He is an employee of Servomex, a British gas analytics firm that organised the conference in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore where he and employees in other countries contracted the virus. After returning home to the UK on January 28, Mr Walsh was told to work from home by his company over then-unfounded concerns about the virus's circulation at the conference. But he is understood to have gone about his everyday life as normal until February 3 when the company found out that one of the conference's 94 attendees had contracted the virus. The cases related to Mr Walsh have prompted authorities to hunt for all those who may have come into contact with him and the other carriers. Nearly two-thirds of the global population could be infected with the virus if it is not properly controlled, an expert has warned. Professor Gabriel Leung, chairman of public health medicine at Hong Kong University based his claim on figures which show the average infected person transmits the virus to 2.5 other individuals. Rory Stewart today launched a bizarre bid to boost his hopes of becoming the next Mayor of London as he asked voters to invite him to stay at their homes. The independent candidate has launched a new initiative called 'Come Kip With Me' so that he can be shown the capital through the eyes of ordinary Londoners. He pledged to arrive with a 'sleeping bag and a box of chocolates' as the announcement instantly sparked online mockery and suggestions that it is 'a tad creepy'. Mr Stewart said: 'Today I am launching Come Kip With Me - asking Londoners to invite me into their homes and show me the city through their eyes. 'I want to know your concerns and your ideas. And I promise to bring a sleeping bag and a box of chocolates!' Mr Stewart is hoping to oust incumbent Sadiq Khan when London goes to the polls in May this year and he is pulling out all of the stops to try to make an impression on the race. Rory Stewart is asking Londoners if he can stay at their houses in the run up to the London mayor election in May Mr Stewart promised to bring his own sleeping bag. He said he wanted to see London through the eyes of the people who live there The former MP and Cabinet minister was stripped of the Tory whip last year after rebelling over Brexit. He then opted not to stand at the 2019 general election, deciding instead to throw his hat in the ring in the race for City Hall. The 47-year-old is aiming to walk through each of the city's 32 boroughs during his mission to unseat Mr Khan, repeating the strategy he used in his unsuccessful attempt to become Tory leader last year. The former diplomat, who walked across Afghanistan in 2002, posted a video online asking for places to stay as he journeys across the capital during the listening exercise. He said he hoped the 'Come Kip With Me' initiative would help him better understand the problems and challenges faced by Londoners. He said: 'Fixing London's issues - whether on crime, housing, or our air quality - will not come from issuing press releases or edicts from a distant office building. 'It comes from getting out into communities across the capital, staying with people - listening to their concerns, as well as their ideas for the best solutions. 'So that's why I'm launching 'Come Kip With Me!' - asking Londoners to show me their life and their city. 'Already I've stayed with a young man on a council estate in Lambeth, and with "the Queen of Newham" who helps rough sleepers every single night. Mr Stewart's announcement prompted a wave of ridicule online as Twitter users mocked his plan 'These experiences, and the many more to come, will make me a better Mayor of London - governing from the ground in every borough.' The announcement was welcomed and praised by some online but others mocked it and questioned the wisdom of the move. One user said it was a 'cool idea' but that Mr Stewart had made it seem 'a tad creepy'. Another jokingly compared it to Pulp's famous Common People song from the 1990s while someone else suggested Mr Stewart was proposing the 'worst Tinder date ever'. Another Twitter user claimed the former Cabinet minister 'gets weirder by the hour'. NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday attributed the Aam Aadmi Party's stellar performance in the Delhi assembly elections to the common people rejecting the BJP's "communal polarisation" agenda which he said marked the "mood of change" in the country. Pawar also underlined the need for regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power. As per the latest update, the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has won 46 of the total 70 assembly seats and leading on 16 as per the latest results and trends. The BJP has won five seats and is leading on three others, while the Congress stares at a blank. Pawar said the BJP committed "blunders" during the campaigning for the Delhi polls like "inciting religious sentiments to divide people along communal lines", but failed. Without naming Union minister Anurag Thakur, the NCP chief said some people in the government made statements such as 'goli maro', which were indicative of the BJP "crossing the limits, but people of Delhi rejected them". Talking to reporters here, Pawar said the results of the Delhi elections indicated that "winds of change" were blowing in the country. "The series of BJP's defeat in elections will not stop now," he added. "The BJP, as usual, played the communal card to polarise votes, but failed. The Delhi Assembly poll contest was only between the Aam Aadmi Party and BJP, hence one might claim the saffron party's vote share is soaring," Pawar said. He said the Delhi poll results indicated that the "winds of change" are blowing in the country. "The results are not surprising to me," he said. Today's result is not limited to Delhi alone as people from various states live in the national capital. There is an environment of change in their own states which they expressed while voting in Delhi, the former Union minister said. "There is an area called Karol Bagh in Delhi, where many Marathi-speaking people live. I had once gone there for a function. I had asked people about the poll trend and they had said only Kejriwal (will win)," he said. "People had said that the the Kejriwal government tried to solve basic issues such as electricity and water bills, healthcare, education in Delhi," he said. Referring to the BJP's defeat in the assembly polls held in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh during 2018-19, Pawar said, "I don't think this series of BJP's defeat will stop now". "There is some kind of disappointment among the people which was reflected in the outcome of Delhi polls," he said. Underlining the need for regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power, Pawar cited the example of Maharashtra, where the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress formed an alliance to come to power. "Regional parties need to come together under a 'common minimum programme' and provide a stable government to keep the BJP out of power. "In Kerala, there is Communist party...in Maharashtra, we did some experiment. It means going forward, there is a need to come together on the basic common minimum programme, and I am sure people will support it," the veteran politician said. Pawar said there is a feeling among Opposition parties that the BJP is like a "calamity" for the country, and there was a need to stand united. "Last time we had come together in Kolkata and put forth our stand. Today, people have expectations from us and there is a need to go with a common minimum programme," he said. Pawar also congratulated Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on victory in the polls. Without taking names, Pawar said some "egotistic people are in power at the Centre". "What I hear about (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and (Union Home Minister Amit) Shah from MPs suggest that there is a great anxiety among people in the government," he said. Pawar said BJP MPs look "scared" these days. "They ensure that they do not get heard when they talk about their party. A BJP MP first looks to his right, then to his left, and after ensuring that nobody listening, he reveals the truth," Pawar said. Referring to the vitriolic poll campaign, Pawar said, "The BJP committed some blunders in the Delhi elections by trying to incite religious sentiments of people and create a chasm between communities". "The way they treated people from minority communities and ensured to create a rift on the lines of religion..but the people of Delhi did not accept it and rejected them," he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Jerusalem, Feb 11 : In a massive breach, an election app named Elector in use by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party exposed sensitive personal data -- including identity card numbers, full names and addresses of the country's entire national voting registration of about 6.5 million citizens. The Authority for Defending Privacy issued a statement Monday night that it had opened a probe into the actions of multiple parties involved in Likud's leak of the personal information of close to 6.5 million Israeli voters, The Jerusalem Post reported on Monday. The statement said that the authority would probe both the Likud officials responsible and third parties hired by the party, who had obligations to protect the personal data, the report added. The massive breach was tied to a mobile app used by PM Netanyahu and his Likud party to communicate with voters, offering news and information about the March 2 election. The flaw, first reported by the newspaper Haaretz, was the latest in a long series of large-scale software and data breaches that demonstrated the inability of governments and corporations around the world to safeguard people's private information and ensure the integrity of electoral systems, according to The New York Times. According to an Israeli investigative website focused on the media industry, the Elector app's web version was sloppily written, thus, allowing anybody using a simple browser to obtain high-level access to the full database. VIRGINIA CITY, Nev., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Comstock Mining Inc. (Comstock or the Company) (NYSE American: LODE) today provided updates on key components of the Companys strategic objectives, including updates on its strategic investees, Mercury Clean Up LLC (MCU) and Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund Inc. (SSOF). Strategic Transactions Advancing Value During 2019, the Comstock Board of Directors approved a transformational strategy focused on high-value, cash-generating, precious metal-based activities, (the Strategic Focus) including, but not limited to, environmentally friendly and economically enhancing clean mining and processing technologies, precious-metal exploration, resource development, economic feasibility assessments and cash-generating mineral production. The Company has made major strategic advancements with its new ventures, including its recent investment in and partnership with Mercury Clean Up LLC and recent investments in and by Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund Inc. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3925e997-3bec-47db-a699-48c97f849bd6 Mr. Corrado De Gasperis, Executive Chairman and CEO stated, MCU has engaged its first international remediation project, signing a landmark, definitive agreement with Clean Ore Solutions, and forming a joint venture where MCU will lead and partner in a major mercury remediation and rehabilitation project in the Philippines. Additionally, SSOF has acquired and owns 100% of Silver Springs Regional Airport LLC and Sierra Clean Processing LLC, a 180,000 plus square foot manufacturing facility adjacent to the Silver Springs Regional Airport. MCU Signs Landmark International Joint Venture Agreement In 2017, over 125 countries and signatories adopted the Minamata Convention, an international treaty that pushes governments to reduce mercury pollution. The treaty bans the mining of mercury ores, requires implementation of the most up-to-date mercury reduction technologies, and instructs mercury-using industries to stop using by 2020. In June 2019, Comstock Processing LLC, joined MCU, in collaboration with Oro Industries Inc. (Oro), for the manufacture and global deployment of mercury remediation systems with proprietary mechanical, hydro, electro-chemical and oxidation processes to reclaim and remediate mercury, and contained metals, from soils and tailings. On February 7, 2020, MCU signed a definitive joint venture agreement with Clean Ore Solutions OPC (COS), to partner and lead in a major mercury remediation project located in the Philippines. The joint venture will be named Clean Mineral Recovery Technologies (CMRT), and be between COS (60%) and MCU (40%), with the goal of removing mercury in accordance with government sponsored mercury remediation plans (the Philippines Project.) MCU and COS shall work closely on securing all of the joint ventures rights to the Philippines Project and securing and maintaining all pertinent government permits and approvals using MCUs mercury remediation technologies. A seven-member JV Board shall include three members from MCU, with equipment deliveries expected this summer. Only recently, through the Minamata Convention, has there been a global effort to stop the use of mercury in mining. This United Nations priority has united scientists, NGOs, governments and communities against these practices. More recently, actual engineered technologies and solutions through MCU, have begun testing and evaluating mercury remediation solutions from contaminated sites. This year, governments, led by the Philippines and others, are zeroing in on the biggest mercury polluter of all, gold mines, and have begun prohibiting the use of mercury. MCU, partnered with COS, and coupled with Oro and Comstock, has the technology, equipment, and process know-how, to commence the remediation and rehabilitations of these environments and provide one of the most advanced solutions for remediating mercury contamination and eliminating future use of mercury by providing clean solutions. MCU, The Comstock and The Carson River Mercury Superfund Site Comstock and MCU have also secured the necessary Nevada permits and approvals and are beginning to mobilize equipment to commence sampling this week. The state-of the-art mercury remediation equipment is also scheduled to begin arriving on site this week. MCU is focused on its first domestic (Carson River Mercury Superfund Site) and its first international (Philippines Project) opportunities, as it establishes itself as the global leader in mercury remediation and related services. Comstock has ownership options for 25% of MCU and other rights that can result in Comstock receiving up to 62.5% of the profits for each mercury remediation opportunity. Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund and Non-mining Asset Sales Last year, the U.S. Treasury confirmed that all of Storey County and significant parts of Silver Springs, NV, had been certified as Qualified Opportunity Zones. The Company owns non-mining assets in these locations, including substantial lands and senior water rights in Silver Springs, NV, and the Gold Hill Hotel in Storey County, NV. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/76df942f-0267-4c8c-b194-7d0526cf3e8b These two, adjacent qualified opportunity zones are located on growing, high volume, logistical highways, railways and airports, with the State of Nevada investing over $125 million in the new USA Parkway and the four-lane expansion of Highway 50, all converging in Silver Springs, NV. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a19a6833-7617-4f7d-bae6-7a1dda2be422 Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund Inc. (SSOF) was formed to capitalize on the extraordinary, explosive growth of high-tech industries in northern Nevada, and its qualified opportunity zones. During 2019, SSOF raised over $11 million and acquired Silver Springs Regional Airport LLC and an adjacent, 180,000 plus square foot manufacturing complex (shown below), both as qualifying opportunity zone businesses. A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/85f4599c-ae32-4170-8fcd-5c52452cf4bb SSOF also secured the rights to thousands of developable acres of land and other assets, including an agreement to purchase Comstocks Silver Springs properties and water rights, all within the immediate proximity of the Tahoe Reno Industrial (TRI) Center. Comstock expects its SSOF ownership, on a fully diluted basis, to be about 9%. The Company has definitive agreements to sell its two properties in Silver Springs, and over 200 acre-feet of senior water rights for just over $10 million and has received an additional $100,000 deposit (totaling over $400,000 escrowed) toward the purchase of these properties. The closing dates for these sales is now February 28, 2020. The Company has reduced its debenture down to approximately $4.8 million, and upon completion of the non-mining asset sales, the Companys remaining debt will be eliminated, plus initial funding for the Companys growth. Liquidity and Capital Resources The following sequence of pro formas represents the near-term transition of Comstocks financial position over the next 6 months, giving effect to the elimination of debts and other obligations, including the Northern Comstock JV obligations and transitioning to a debt free, JV obligation-free, well-funded Company, positioned for growth. The Company has not raised equity in 2020, and looks forward to the non-mining asset sales for eliminating debt and funding growth. The Company expects over $5 million in proceeds from Tonogold and $10 million in proceeds from non-mining assets sales, both under existing agreements, for achieving the estimated pro forma results below. (US$ in thousands, except per share data. Non-GAAP) Pro Forma - Unaudited Lucerne Sale (50%) 12/31/2019 Pro Forma Estimate Post Silver Springs Sales 2/28/2020 Pro Forma Estimate Lucerne & Daney Sales (100%) 6/30/2020 Cash and Cash Equivalents $ 1,015 $ 4,500 $ 10,000 Assets Held For Sale and Cash Payments Due Lucerne Properties (1) $ 1,539 $ 1,539 $ -0- Industrial Land & Water (Silver Springs) 2,739 -0- -0- Commercial Land (Downtown Silver Springs) (2) 3,590 -0- -0- Daney Ranch and Gold Hill Hotel 2,625 2,625 478 Total Assets Held For Sale $ 10,493 $ 4,164 $ 478 Cash Obligation Due-From-Tonogold $ 5,275 $ 4,450 $ -0- Tonogold Convertible Preferred Stock (3) 9,195 9,195 9,195 Total Assets Intended for Sale/Monetization $ 24,963 $ 17,809 $ 9,673 Debt and Other Obligations Senior Secured Debenture $ 4,929 $ -0- $ -0- Northern Comstock JV 6,620 6,320 -0- Equipment Financing (CAT) 646 593 -0- Total Debt and Other Obligations $ 12,195 $ 6,913 $ -0- Total Common Shares Outstanding(4) 27,236,489 27,236,489 27,236,489 (1) On November 18, 2019, the Company transferred 50% of the membership interest in Comstock Mining LLC, owner of Lucerne, but retained entity control. (2) Represents the acquisition of the non-mining asset (160-acre Downtown Silver Springs) parcel in December 2019, contracted to sell in February, 2020. (3) Represents Convertible Preferred Stock from Tonogold with a stated value of $6,100,000 and a fair-market-value of $9,195,000, as of December 31, 2019. (4) Includes 1,833,332 restricted common shares privately placed in December, 2019, for proceeds of $550,000, and rounding for fractional shares. Comstock Mining LLC and Tonogold Closing Tonogold now has a 50% membership interest in Comstock Mining LLC, the entity that owns the Lucerne mine. The transaction alone is now expected to deliver at least $26 million ($11.2 million in cash, $7.6 million in FMV of stock received and over $7.2 million in assumed liabilities) of tangible value to Comstock. The agreement also subsidizes $2.2 million in annualized savings and retains a 1.5% NSR royalty on Lucerne plus future rents payable under a Lease-Option for using the Companys processing facilities. These agreements are expected to and may deliver additional value to Comstock of $20-$35 million based on Tonogolds final mine plans. Tonogold is current on payments to date and the remaining $5.175 million in cash owed to the Company represents a secured obligation of Tonogold with payments continuing through June 2020. The stated value of the $6.1 million in Tonogold Convertible Preferred Stock was valued at $7.6 million, when received, and was subsequently valued at $9.15 million at December 31, 2019, by an independent third-party valuation firm. Value Proposition Comstocks foundational value starts with its land, water and mineral rights on and in its mineral properties on the historic, world-class Comstock Lode, and our planned growth from Comstocks existing mineral properties, including planned resource developments, and new, clean-technology-based ventures from its permitted platform. This permitted platform includes the 100% owned Comstock Processing LLC, with processing equipment and metallurgical labs, that enable the clean-technology platform, joint ventures and partnerships especially in the area of mercury remediation and reprocessing of residual-leached mineralized materials. The following table summarizes the components of Comstocks announced strategies, and upward arrows identifying areas of recent progress, based on the estimated potential of future value contributions for the Company (with the low representing the most known and quantifiable and the high representing least known or most nascent): (Dollars in millions) Valuation Targets(1) Strategic Value Proposition High Investment in the Sierra Springs Opportunity Fund, Inc. $ 3.3 $ 115.0+ Mercury Clean-up International Project #2 25.0 62.5+ Mercury Clean-up Clean Mercury Recovery Technology (Philippines) 25.0 62.5+ Mercury Clean-up Comstock Remediation Project (USA) 1.7 20.0+ Leach Material Reprocessing Comstock Project 7.0 60.0+ Dayton Mineral Resource Development 40.0 120.0+ Lucerne Mineral Resource Development 26.0 60.0+ Initial Consolidated Comstock Value Target Ranges $ 128.0 $ 500.0+ (Dollars in millions) Valuation Estimate Non-Mining Assets Low High Non-Mining Senior Water Rights $ 4.5 $ 4.5 Non-Mining Land Values 5.6 10.0 Residual Land Values (post-reclamation) 24.0 32.0 Total Base Land Value $ 34.1 $ 46.5 Note (1): Valuation Targets represent management estimates (please see forward looking statements at the end of this release). Mr. De Gasperis concluded, We are making remarkable progress since the fourth quarter of last year. MCU has both signed onto its first international remediation project and commenced drilling on the Comstock, with equipment scheduled to begin arriving in Nevada this week. The launch of SSOF and the OZ Funds closing on $11 million in new capital increased the value of Comstocks investment to over $3 million. SSOF also closed on its first acquisitions, including Silver Springs Regional Airport LLC and the 180,000 plus square foot Sierra Clean Processing LLC, manufacturing facility and looks to close on the $10+ million purchase from Comstock this month. The platform is positioned for tremendous growth and we are starting to realize the higher values for this progress. About Comstock Mining Inc. Comstock Mining Inc. is a Nevada-based, gold and silver mining company with extensive, contiguous property in the Comstock District and is an emerging leader in sustainable, responsible mining that is currently commercializing environment-enhancing, precious-metal-based technologies, products and processes for precious metal recovery. The Company began acquiring properties in the Comstock District in 2003. Since then, the Company has consolidated a significant portion of the Comstock District, amassed the single largest known repository of historical and current geological data on the Comstock region, secured permits, built an infrastructure and completed its first phase of production. The Company continues evaluating and acquiring properties inside and outside the district expanding its footprint and exploring all of our existing and prospective opportunities for further exploration, development and mining. The Companys goal is to grow per-share value by commercializing environment-enhancing, precious-metal-based products and processes that generate predictable cash flow (throughput) and increase the long-term enterprise value of our northern Nevada based platform. Forward-Looking Statements This press release and any related calls or discussions may include forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements. The words believe, expect, anticipate, estimate, project, plan, should, intend, may, will, would, potential and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of doing so. Forward-looking statements include statements about matters such as: consummation of all pending transactions; project, asset or Company valuations; future industry market conditions; future explorations, acquisitions, investments and asset sales; future performance of and closings under various agreements; future changes in our exploration activities; future estimated mineral resources; future prices and sales of, and demand for, our products; future impacts of land entitlements and uses; future permitting activities and needs therefor; future production capacity and operations; future operating and overhead costs; future capital expenditures and their impact on us; future impacts of operational and management changes (including changes in the board of directors); future changes in business strategies, planning and tactics and impacts of recent or future changes; future employment and contributions of personnel, including consultants; future land sales, investments, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, operational, tax, financial and restructuring initiatives; the nature and timing of and accounting for restructuring charges and derivative liabilities and the impact thereof; contingencies; future environmental compliance and changes in the regulatory environment; future offerings of equity or debt securities; the possible redemption of debentures and associated costs; future working capital, costs, revenues, business opportunities, debt levels, cash flows, margins, earnings and growth. These statements are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical and current trends, current conditions, possible future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees, representations or warranties and are subject to risks and uncertainties, many of which are unforeseeable and beyond our control and could cause actual results, developments and business decisions to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Some of those risks and uncertainties include the risk factors set forth in our filings with the SEC and the following: counterparty risks; capital markets valuation and pricing risks; adverse effects of climate changes or natural disasters; global economic and capital market uncertainties; the speculative nature of gold or mineral exploration, including risks of diminishing quantities or grades of qualified resources; operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or mining activities; contests over title to properties; potential dilution to our stockholders from our stock issuances and recapitalization and balance sheet restructuring activities; potential inability to comply with applicable government regulations or law; adoption of or changes in legislation or regulations adversely affecting businesses; permitting constraints or delays; decisions regarding business opportunities that may be presented to, or pursued by, us or others; the impact of, or the non-performance by parties under agreements relating to, acquisitions, joint ventures, strategic alliances, business combinations, asset sales, leases, options and investments to which we may be party; changes in the United States or other monetary or fiscal policies or regulations; interruptions in production capabilities due to capital constraints; equipment failures; fluctuation of prices for gold or certain other commodities (such as silver, zinc, cyanide, water, diesel fuel and electricity); changes in generally accepted accounting principles; adverse effects of terrorism and geopolitical events; potential inability to implement business strategies; potential inability to grow revenues; potential inability to attract and retain key personnel; interruptions in delivery of critical supplies, equipment and raw materials due to credit or other limitations imposed by vendors or others; assertion of claims, lawsuits and proceedings; potential inability to satisfy debt and lease obligations; potential inability to maintain an effective system of internal controls over financial reporting; potential inability or failure to timely file periodic reports with the SEC; potential inability to list our securities on any securities exchange or market; inability to maintain the listing of our securities; and work stoppages or other labor difficulties. Occurrence of such events or circumstances could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows or the market price of our securities. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements by or attributable to us or persons acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Except as may be required by securities or other law, we undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Neither this press release nor any related calls or discussions constitutes an offer to sell, the solicitation of an offer to buy or a recommendation with respect to any securities of the Company, the fund or any other issuer. [February 11, 2020] Education Records Stay Safe: Unicheck's New Data Centers in Australia and Canada SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /CNW/ -- To comply with all regional and institutional regulations on personal data processing, Unicheck keeps opening domestic data centers for all its clients. This time, two units have been launched, Australian and Canadian, to securely store and process all education records locally, complying with the countries' regulations. In the world of academia, securing personal information becomes critical as more and more EdTech solutions are being incorporated into the educational process. The users of educational software end up seeding bits of personal data across those services without even knowing whether it's being properly processed and stored. This has led to an increased number of regulations regarding data protection issued in recent years across the world. Therefore Unicheck, a company that creates a solution that helps prevent plagiarism in education, pays particular attention to their customers' privacy and security. Serhii Tkachenko, CEO at Unicheck "At Unicheck, we value full-fledged data security and privacy, above all. Consequently, every clent of ours is receiving the highest standards of data protection that are currently available. Every data protection-related act, including FERPA, COPPA, GDPR, and more counts. This is what we're doing by launching new Amazon data centers across the globe, as the needs of our customers and partners always go first." Being hosted in the region is only one critical part of keeping data confidential according to local legislation. Close to 100% service availability. That's what each regional data center guarantees. Having several fully independent availability zones, connected via a low latency network, ensures that Unicheck is live at all times and at a fast pace, regardless of the scanning intensity. Yehor Melnykov, Chief Technology Officer "Amazon has all the capacities in place to satisfy the needs of the faculty, students, and other staff of the academic institutions. They allow for scaling the system automatically when the load increases. No server interruptions or network issues. And most importantly, AWS creates conditions for us to store and process a university's data in obedience to the region- and institution-wide regulations." ABOUT UNICHECK Unicheck is a community-driven company that builds comprehensive solutions to prevent plagiarism and contract cheating. The company strives to streamline the daily routine of educators and help them grow new generations of authentic learners, and stimulate students to show up their individual voice. Get connected with Unicheck Team: https://unicheck.com/contact-us . Media Contact: Yuliia Danyliuk Email: [email protected] SOURCE Unicheck [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] For His Glory: a gripping piece that will let the readers understand the mysterious plans of God for everyone. For His Glory is the creation of published author M.B. Wright who is a retired member of the armed forces who specialized in communications and investigations. She has a degree in psychology, political science, and history. She is also a world traveler, spending significant amounts of time in Europe, the Middle East, and the Pacific. Wright shares, Throughout life, we face different crises and many different types of pain. Most days, were in an emotional roller coaster. Most of us believe if we do right, life will be great. We believe if we obey God and mans laws, we should never face any hardships, thinking, If I dont harm anyone, no harm should come to me or my loved ones. However, in our lifetime, we will face trials and tribulations, not for our glory but Gods glory. Many of us have trusted someone only to be betrayed. Weve loved and lost in love. The death of a loved one takes us through various stages of grief and pain. Many were facing homelessness, natural disasters, bullying, crime, mental health issues, employment and family issues, hunger, loneliness, and betrayal. Weve witnessed men and women of God fall in disgrace. Its easy to say the church isnt real anymore. We should be able to feel safe in Gods house. However, things will and do happen. Sometimes our pain is so great we feel theres only one way to escape it. We turn in every direction, searching for a solution, and theres none to be found. We just want to be whole and normal again. Those of us who are believers ask God, Why me? What did I do? Why is this happening to me? Havent I suffered enough? Constantly, we go back and forth with telling God we trust Him. We do everything we can to make things work in our favor, but what if our way is not the right way? Just because things dont work out as we planned doesnt mean its the end. God always has a plan for His children, and we must know that sometimes we must linger deep in the valley before we can reach the mountaintop. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, M.B. Wrights new book is a compelling account that talks about ones agony, making the readers realize that no matter how hard their situation in life is, God will never leave them alone in their darkest days. With this purpose, the author hopes that the stories in this book will give the readers an understanding that everyone is supposed to fall, but what matters most is forgiveness, love, and deciding to live. View a synopsis of For His Glory on YouTube. Consumers can purchase For His Glory at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about For His Glory, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. Bajaj Finance share price hit its all-time high today amid a rally in benchmark indices Sensex and Nifty on positive global cues. Share price of Bajaj Finance rose 1.37% to Rs 4,785.15 compared to the previous close of Rs 4,720 on BSE. The large cap stock opened higher at Rs 4,750. However, the stock pared some gains to close 0.61% or 29 points higher at Rs 4,749 on BSE. According to a media report, the firm plans to raise $200 mln-$300 mln through external commercial borrowing by March 31. The company has received fresh nod from the Reserve Bank of India to raise another $650 mn in the next six months, the report quoted Managing Director Rajeev Jain as saying. Market cap of Bajaj Finance stood at Rs 2.85 lakh crore on BSE. 0.33 lakh shares changed hands amounting to turnover of Rs 15.67 crore. The stock has gained 2.2% in last two days. During the last one year, the stock has risen 79% and gained 12.14% since the beginning of this year. 16 of 26 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or 'outperform', nine "hold" and one "underperform", according to analysts' recommendations tracked by Reuters. On January 29, 2020, Bajaj Finance announced its Q3 earnings. Net profit of the non-banking finance company rose 52 per cent in Q3 compared with Rs 1,060 crore profit in the year-ago quarter. Total income rose 41 per cent to Rs 7,026 crore for in Q3 against Rs 4,992 crore in year ago period. Net interest income rose 42 per cent at Rs 4,537 crore in Q3 compared to Rs 3,206 crore in the corresponding period of previous fiscal. Interest income rose 39 per cent to Rs 6,105 crore in last quarter from Rs 4,387 crore in Q3 of 2018-19. Assets under management (AUMs) as on December 31, 2019, rose to Rs 1,45,092 crore, up 35 per cent from Rs 1,07,507 crore. New loans booked in terms of volume increased 13 per cent to 76.7 lakh from 67.7 lakh, it added. Share Market Updates: AAP set to win Delhi Election Result 2020; Sensex ends 236 points higher, Nifty at 12,107 Gross non-performing assets (NPAs) and net NPAs as on December 31, 2019, stood at 1.61 per cent and 0.70 per cent, respectively. After earnings were announced, brokerage Anand Rathi revised the target price to Rs 4,910 per share. "Bajaj Finance has comfortably sailed through the recent liquidity crisis and maintained strong growth rates. We continue to remain positive on the company over medium to longer term perspective and assign a HOLD rating on the stock with a revised target price of Rs 4,910 per share," the brokerage said. Motilal Oswal in a note said, "In a tough environment and a hyper-competitive festive season, Bajaj Finance maintained robust growth by deepening geographical penetration and increasing repeat business with existing customers. Over past two years, it has enhanced capabilities on two fronts: generating higher fee income and improving deposit franchise. Bajaj Finance is likely to deliver robust return ratios with return on assets /return on equity of 4.3%/22% and healthy AUM Compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 25%. " Meanwhile, Sensex closed 236 points higher at 41,216 and Nifty gained 76 points to 12,107 amid a rally in global markets. Wall Street's benchmark S&P 500 index closed at a new high on Monday, recovering from Friday's decline. Anxiety about the virus was partially offset by stronger US corporate earnings and expectations that global central banks would step in to support economic growth. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index surged 1.2% to 27,583.02 while the Kospi in Seoul rose 0.9% to 2,221.14. The Shanghai Composite Index added 0.3% to 2,900.14. Tokyo's Nikkei 225 lost 0.6% to 23,685.98 while the S&P-ASX 200 in Australia gained 0.5% to 7,048.90. By Aseem Thapliyal Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:46:50|Editor: yhy Video Player Close FRANKFURT, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- "In this moment, in this crisis, we are all the same. We are all China!" A five-minute video, made by German video blogger Tobias Dominiczak, opens with this powerful statement and has been retweeted numerous times on social media since it was posted on Friday. In this video, Dominiczak expressed support for China's efforts to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak and also to countries who mobilized resources to help China. Meanwhile, he said that he was sad to see the racist comments and acts against Chinese as the outbreak captured spotlight across the world. The 35-year-old video blogger and engineer studied in China's Tsinghua University as a student and now lives near Stuttgart with his Chinese wife and two children. This latest video has won him thousands of likes on YouTube and the post on Weibo has been retweeted for over 3,000 times. "I never expected it would be so well-received," he said, adding that he was just doing what was right. "There is a huge injustice between the efforts of people in China and the perception of the rest of the world. We all have to stand together against the virus," he told Xinhua. In the video, Dominiczak said that he was deeply impressed by how overseas Chinese spared no effort to help those fighting the virus in China, yet it is hugely underrepresented in Western media. On social media, calls for reason were often drowned by negative comments, he pointed out. He criticized those who called the epidemic "China virus." "Millions of people work together on one thing. They give everything they can. They completely limit their lives and sacrifice themselves for one thing to fight the virus, to prevent the global outbreak," he said. "It is time for solidarity, not stigmatization." On YouTube, this video of his was liked by some 2,500 users and drew hundreds of comments. Many chorused with the hashtag "#IamChina." "I've never commented on YouTube. Now it is the right time! #IamChina," said one user named Christian Schmidt. "In my circle of friends /acquaintances, I found out how quickly people treat China and the Chinese with misjudgments and open racism. It is extremely sad," commented another user "Tobito." Apart from this video, Dominiczak also uploaded two more videos on the German society's reactions to the novel coronavirus. "From what I've seen, I have very strong confidence that China can overcome this crisis, but the best way to do it is we all stick together," Dominiczak said. More than 100 US troops sustained "mild" traumatic brain injury, far more than originally announced, when Iran launched missiles at their base in Iraq last month, the Department of Defense said. "As of today, 109 US service members have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, an increase of 45 since the previous report," the Pentagon said in a statement on Monday. Of them, 76 have returned to duty while most of the rest are still undergoing evaluation and treatment. President Donald Trump had initially said that no Americans were injured in the strike on the Ain al-Asad base in western Iraq on the night of January 7-8, although authorities later reported that 11 troops were injured. Iran fired ballistic missiles at the base to retaliate for the January 3 US drone strike that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani while he was in Baghdad. Trump was understood to downplay the impact on US troops to help ratchet down tensions between the two countries, amid concerns that a full war could break out. It was only a week later that reports surfaced that US troops had experienced concussions and other brain injuries. But the US leader then dismissed the reported injuries as "headaches" and "not very serious." "We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty," said Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah in a statement on Monday. "We must continue to address physical and mental health together," she said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 17:33:35|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close WINDHOEK, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Namibia in partnership with the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO) on Tuesday launched a 10 million Namibian dollars (about 667,000 U.S. dollars) agriculture input scheme to assist farmers in averting the challenges of a ravaging drought in the central town Okahanjia. The program which will run for six months between January and July is meant to avert challenges faced by farmers across the country's regions who are losing crops and animals because of drought. According to Namibian government the current drought is by far the worst phenomenon to hit the country in the past 60 years. Executive director in the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and Forestry Percy Misika, said the initiative will create alternative for farmers including hydroponics fodder production as well as irrigation. Misika said Namibia is one of the hardest hit by the effects of climate change in the Southern African region. "Farmers in Namibia are hard pressed with the ongoing drought and urgent remedies are needed to avert the problems inflicted on the farmers by the calamity," he said. The support scheme, Misika also added, will include provision of veterinary services to farmers who are into animal husbandry. Misika said investment in better forms of agriculture will go a long way in protecting farmers from losing their yields to drought. FAO also revealed that their organization looks forward to working with the Namibian farmers. The project will also include Namibian National Farmers Union. The rescue teams rescued 70 people. The fishing vessel the were onboard traveled with a boat of which there are no traces. The victims were fleeing the overcrowded camps of Coxs Bazar. Border guard commander: "The Rohingya lured by traffickers". Since last year, authorities have stopped the departure of over 500 refugees. Coxs Bazar (AsiaNews / Agencies) - At least 14 people drowned this morning and more than 40 are missing following the sinking of a boat carrying Rohingya refugees off the southern coast of Bangladesh. About 130 people were massed on the fishing boat, which tried to cross the Gulf of Bengal to Malaysia. This was reported by the spokesman for the Bangladeshi coast guard, Hamidul Islam. So far, rescue teams have pulled 70 people to safety. In 2017, following clashes between the Burmese army and Rohingya armed groups, over 700 thousand Rohingya fled Myanmar to refugee camps in neighboring Bangladesh. Many attempt, often unsuccessfully, to abandon the overcrowded reception facilities in the Coxs Bazar district on board makeshift boats. Due to the humanitarian crisis, the routes of the boats to Southeast Asian countries with Islamic majority have reopened: Indonesia and especially Malaysia, a country that hosts one of the largest Rohingya communities (about 150 thousand people). The boat that sunk this morning was one of two boats that were making the dangerous journey. We found an upturned boat - says the coastguard spokesman -. The people on board came mainly from the refugee camps of Cox's Bazar. We have not found any trace of the second boat yet. We will continue our operation." Commander Naim ul Haq adds: "So far we have recovered 14 bodies and 70 people alive." He explains that naval and coastguard ships are continuing their search near the island of St Martin. Border guard commander Faisal Hasan Khan says: "[Refugees] had been lured by traffickers." Since last year, Bangladeshi authorities have stopped over 500 Rohingya before they came on boats. In 2019, police killed at least seven suspected traffickers in armed clashes. The trafficking increases during the period November-March, when the sea is safer for small fishing boats. Since 2015, when Thai authorities have dismantled the regional networks of human traffickers, Rohingyas have rarely attempted to sail the southern sea routes. Following the Bangkok crackdown, thousands of Rohingya had landed in Indonesia and Malaysia after being stranded in the Andaman Sea. That year, 25,000 are estimated to have left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats, trying to reach Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds have drowned. CALGARY, AB and SAN ANTONIO, TX / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSXV:EBY)(OTC PINK:EMBYF) (the "Company" or "Emerald Bay") reported that the Company commenced operations yesterday to repair flow lines on the recently acquired Rouse lease near LaVernia, Texas. The Rouse lease is owned 100% by Emerald Bay, and is one of the 30 leases acquired by the Company in the acquisition announced on February 3, 2020. A flow line to the water injection well on the lease was accidentally severed several months ago, and repairs to the flow line had not been done prior to the Company acquiring the property. The repairs on the Rouse lease will be completed this week, and will add 5-6 bbls/day of oil production to the 15 bbls/day as announced at the time of acquiring the properties last week. About Emerald Bay Emerald Bay Energy Inc. (TSX Venture: EBY, OTC: EMBYF) is an energy company with oil producing properties in Southwest Texas as well as non-operated oil and natural gas interests in Central Alberta, Canada. EBY is the operator of the Wooden Horse and Nash Creek Projects in Guadalupe, Texas, where the Company currently owns a 50.00% working interest those projects. Additionally, the Company owns and operates various working interests in the HugoCellR, Cotulla, and MarPat partnerships. The Company also owns 75% of Production Resources Inc., a South Texas oil company. For all upcoming news releases, articles, comments and questions, to stay updated and speak with management about Emerald Bay Energy. Please JOIN our Investor Information Group at: http://bit.ly/8020EBY For further information, please contact: Emerald Bay President, Shelby D. Beattie, or CFO, Mike Rice, by telephone at (403) 262-6000 Email: info@ebyinc.com www.ebyinc.com. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. SOURCE: Emerald Bay Energy Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576001/Emerald-Bay-Energy-Commences-Operation-at-Rouse-Lease By Trend Azerbaijan closely follows the ongoing worldwide trends in nuclear security, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov said at the third International Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts (ICONS 2020) organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Trend reports Feb. 10. The minister noted that Azerbaijan supports existing nuclear security initiatives and pays special attention to the international multilateral mechanisms in this area. Sharing international communitys concerns about nuclear security issues, especially regarding proliferation of nuclear weapons, Azerbaijan ratified Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) after regaining its independence and actively supported extension of the Treaty indefinitely in 1995, Mammadyarov added. We remain concerned about existing and emerging nuclear security threats and committed to addressing them. International cooperation has always been at the center of our efforts in the field of nuclear security and safety, said the minister. We believe that the progress achieved in this area strengthens peace and security and promotes confidence. Azerbaijan has developed a successful cooperation with IAEA on various aspects of nuclear security. We are ready to deepen existing fruitful collaboration. Within the IAEA Technical Cooperation Program, in 2015, the Republic of Azerbaijan and IAEA signed a Country Program Framework document for 2015-2020, which establishes a basis for national projects in the area of improvement of the regulatory and legislative infrastructure, capabilities in radiation safety, security of nuclear materials, radioactive waste management, as well as in radiation monitoring and control of border and customs check points, Mammadyarov noted. Azerbaijan also welcomes the efforts of the United Nations for strengthening nuclear security, said the minister. In this regard, ensuring full implementation of Security Council Resolution 1540 and subsequent resolutions plays an important role in prevention of proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, as well as their means of delivery. Nuclear security is fundamental in the management of nuclear technologies and in applications where nuclear or other radioactive materials can be used or transported, Mammadyarov added. In this regard, necessary efforts are being made in Azerbaijan to strengthen the protection and control of such materials. We continue working on legislation on control over radiation security, said the minister. Azerbaijan has already adopted normative acts and regulations strictly banning import of nuclear and radiation wastes into the country. With the assistance of the IAEA, the laws and other legislative acts of Azerbaijan concerning registration and control of nuclear and radioactive materials are brought into compliance with international standards. Azerbaijan has joined the International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism and Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material (CPPNM) and also ratified the Amendment to this Convention, Mammadyarov noted. Azerbaijan attaches great importance to maintaining and further strengthening nuclear security, added the minister. Especially, in the face of persistent threat of radical extremism and terrorism in the region and due to our geographic location, we attach the utmost importance to the prevention of use of our territory as a transit route for illicit nuclear trafficking. However, due to the continued occupation of about twenty percent of our territory by Armenia, we are unable to provide proper control along a substantial part of our borders, Mammadyarov said. This situation offers favorable conditions for illegal activities, including for nuclear smuggling and nuclear terrorism. In conclusion, I would like to once again stress that Azerbaijan is committed to continue cooperation with international organizations and our partners in strengthening nuclear security in the region and around the world and reducing threats emanating from illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials and counts on support and cooperation of the IAEA in this matter, the minister added. Reiterating the importance of this Conference in promoting nuclear security worldwide, Azerbaijan supports the Ministerial Declaration of International Conference on Nuclear Security: Sustaining and Strengthening Efforts, Mammadyarov noted. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz UNDER OCCUPATION By Alan Furst 206 pp. Random House. $27. Fursts best-selling spy novels excel at pulling his readers back in time, often to World War II and the years leading up to it. His exotic European settings in this case, German-occupied Paris traffic in nostalgia for the days when good and evil appeared to be more clearly delineated. Paul Ricard, the crime-writer hero of Under Occupation, sees a man shot and killed in the streets of the Latin Quarter and comes into possession of an engineering schematic for a detonator, maybe for a German torpedo. Ricards task becomes to get help from the resistance, cross enemy lines and deliver the plan to the Allied forces before its too late. Fursts clever machinations gain real momentum in the second half of the novel, where Ricard and his new companion, Leila, become embroiled in a plot involving Polish laborers, torpedoes and possibly deadlier weapons. Even if the depictions of women as sexpots and ingenues are as stuck in time as the rest of the story, theres comfort in knowing that better days are ahead for the people of Paris. AGENTS OF INFLUENCE A British Campaign, a Canadian Spy, and the Secret Plot to Bring America Into World War II By Henry Hemming 371 pp. PublicAffairs. $28. A Gallup survey in June 1940 demonstrated that a mere 8 percent of the United States population supported declaring war on Germany and sending American troops to fight overseas. That same month, a Canadian-born spy named Bill Stephenson set up his MI6 station in a swanky penthouse overlooking Central Park. A year and a half later, even before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, more than two-thirds of the American population agreed that it was time to go to war. That change in public attitudes was no accident. As Hemming explains in this timely book, Stephenson successfully organized the largest state-sponsored influence campaign ever run on American soil. His propaganda and disinformation rallied American support for Winston Churchills war effort and pitted him against the aviator Charles Lindbergh, whose popular radio broadcasts advocated an America First isolationism that now sounds all too familiar. Stephenson succeeded by spreading rumors, winning over prominent isolationists, using opinion polls and even helping to set up a new American intelligence agency. New York, Feb 11 : US President Donald Trump is proposing to cut foreign aid by 21 per cent while allocating more than $2 billion to support the Indo-Pacific strategy in the $4.4 trillion budget for the next fiscal year. The allocations in the budget unveiled on Monday seek to counter "the Chinese Malign influence and champions security, democracy, and economic growth for a free and open Indo-Pacific", the State Department said. The $1.5 billion in foreign assistance and $596 million in diplomatic engagement for Indo-Pacific strategy is "to enable countries to assess the full costs of Chinese loans; facilitate US private sector investment; expand security cooperation in the region; promote a US model of democratic, transparent, responsive and business-friendly governance; and engage foreign audiences to strengthen alliances", the Department said. The US has expressed concern over China's 'One Belt, One Road' initiative that is pulling developing countries into deep debt from which they find difficult to recover and could potentially cede control of vast tracts of their economies to Beijing. The budget proposal has incentives for allies and partners like India to buy more weapon systems from the US and build their militaries around American systems. The budget will have to be approved by the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives, which has a different set of priorities and will hedge its bets with the November 3 presidential election. The budget for this year was passed only last December. The budget proposal includes $5.6 billion in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) grant assistance, along with a provision to offer FMF loans to NATO and major non-NATO allies, to make Amerian defence equipment "a more competitive and more affordable option", according to the State Department. "This expanded toolkit increases opportunities for allies and partners to build their militaries around US innovation and quality," it said. The proposed budget seeks to allocate $753.6 million to combat the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, reinforce counterterrorism efforts, and support demining and other weapons destruction. The State Department said that "this includes programming aimed at preventing Iran and other states and terrorist actors from acquiring weapons of mass destruction". The budget proposal calls for allocating $763.8 million in foreign aid and $24 million in dedicated funding to counter what it calls "Russian malign influence and disinformation" in Europe, Eurasia and Central Asia. Domestically, NASA will be one of the biggest winners in the proposed budget with its allocation increased by about 13 per cent to $25.2 billion with nearly half of it going to ambitious Trump plans to send manned missions again to the moon and eventually to Mars. The budget proposal offers cuts to social services, education, health and environment, which will be resisted by the Democrats. (Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis) KYODO NEWS - Feb 11, 2020 - 17:15 | All, World, Japan, Coronavirus More than a week after the Diamond Princess cruise ship was quarantined in Yokohama, the exact scale of the coronavirus epidemic among the remaining 3,600 passengers and crew is unclear. Within the Japanese government, debate continues over whether to put valuable resources toward screening everyone on board the ship, diminishing its ability to deal with future outbreaks. The number of people from the ship confirmed to be infected with the potentially deadly coronavirus nearly doubled on Monday to 135. While they are being treated at medical facilities, most others have yet to even be tested, meaning the actual number of infected could be much higher. Being trapped in cramped quarters is also taking a toll on the elderly who require medical care for conditions unrelated to the coronavirus. While the solution may seem obvious -- screen the remaining people and let those who are negative disembark -- it is not so clear cut. Health minister Katsunobu Kato said Monday his ministry is considering screening everyone aboard, but a government official said there is only a limited number of test kits to go around. "We would be overrun," the official said. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga was similarly cautious, telling reporters that "as it stands, it would be difficult." Related coverage: 2 more Japanese evacuees from Wuhan infected with coronavirus: gov't New coronavirus death toll tops 1,000 in China Japan to let elderly off quarantined cruise ship soon: source The Diamond Princess has remained in Yokohama Port near Tokyo since Feb. 3 after a man who disembarked in Hong Kong was discovered to be infected with the coronavirus. The quarantine will not be lifted until Feb. 19 at the earliest. The government has conducted a total of 439 tests as of Monday, initially prioritizing those with symptoms such as coughing and high fever and others who had been in close contact with such people, and later including the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. Experts are split on whether everyone aboard should be screened for the coronavirus. Yoshiaki Katsuda, a professor at Kansai University of Social Welfare, said no. "It would use up a lot of test kits, meaning if another outbreak happens in Japan we may not be able to deal with it swiftly." Hiroyuki Kunishima, a professor at St. Marianna University School of Medicine, said it will ultimately be decision for politicians to make. "We still don't know much about this virus, including how contagious it is. Considering how anxious the passengers must be, politically speaking it will probably become necessary to test everyone," he said. The situation is further complicated by the fact that many on the ship are elderly. According to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 2,144 or around 80 percent of the passengers are above 60, with 215 in their 80s and 11 in their 90s. A man on the ship who spoke to Kyodo News on Monday complained that there are not enough doctors and nurses to tend to those feeling unwell, and that an onboard hotline for medical inquiries is always busy. The government over the weekend delivered some 750 doses of medicine to treat common conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure, but other treatments readily available in pharmacies, such as fever-reducing medicine, sometimes do not arrive for several days, the man said. Masahiro Kami, head of the Tokyo-based nonprofit organization Medical Governance Research Institute, warned that the stress of being trapped indoors for days on end could have a dangerous effect on elderly people with pre-existing conditions. "It will make them more vulnerable to the coronavirus, which could be life-threatening." At least 15 women and children drowned and more than 50 others were missing after a boat overloaded with Rohingya refugees sank off southern Bangladesh as it tried to reach Malaysia Tuesday, officials said. Some 138 people -- mainly women and children -- were packed on a trawler barely 13 metres (40 feet) long, trying to cross the Bay of Bengal, a coast guard spokesman told AFP. "It sank because of overloading. The boat was meant to carry maximum 50 people. The boat was also loaded with some cargo," another coast guard spokesman, Hamidul Islam, added. Seventy-one people have been rescued including 46 women. Among the dead, 11 were women and the rest children. Anwara Begum said two of her sons, aged six and seven, drowned in the tragedy. "We were four of us in the boat... Another child (son, aged 10) is very sick," the 40-year-old told AFP. Fishermen tipped off the coast guard after they saw survivors swimming and crying for help in the sea. The boat's keel hit an undersea coral in shallow water off Saint Martin's island, Bangladesh's southernmost territory, before it sank, survivors said. "We swam in the sea before boats came and rescued us," said survivor Mohammad Hossain, 20. Coast guard commander Sohel Rana said three survivors, including a Bangladeshi, were detained over human trafficking allegations. Nearly one million Rohingya live in squalid camps near Bangladesh's border with Myanmar, many fleeing the neighbouring country after a 2017 brutal military crackdown. With few opportunities for jobs and education in the camps, thousands have tried to reach other countries like Malaysia and Thailand by attempting the hazardous 2,000-kilometre journey. An estimated 25,000 Rohingya left Bangladesh and Myanmar on boats in 2015 trying to get to Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Hundreds drowned when overloaded boats sank. Begum said her family paid a Bangladeshi trafficker $450 per head to be taken to Malaysia. READ | One Drowns, Three Missing As Boat Capsizes In Sarayu River In UP "We're first taken to a hill where we stayed for five days. Then they used three small trawlers to take us to a large trawler, which sank," she said. Shakirul Islam, a migration expert whose group works with Rohingya to raise awareness against trafficking, said desperation in the camps was making refugees want to leave. "It was a tragedy waiting to happen," he said. "They just want to get out, and fall victim to traffickers who are very active in the camps." Islam said in the past two months dozens of Rohingya reported approaches from traffickers to his OKUP migration rights group. "Human smuggling and trafficking in the Bay of Bengal is particularly difficult to address as it requires concerted effort from multiple states," the Bangladesh head of UN agency the International Organisation for Migration, Giorgi Gigauri, told AFP. "The gaps in coordination are easily exploited by criminal networks." Since last year, Bangladesh authorities have picked up over 500 Rohingya from rickety fishing trawlers or coastal villages as they waited to board boats. Trafficking often increases during the November-March period when the sea is safest for the small trawlers used by traffickers. Bangladesh and Myanmar signed a repatriation deal to send back some Rohingya to their homeland, but none have agreed to return because of safety fears. Save the Children called on Myanmar to "take all necessary steps to ensure the Rohingya community can return to their homes in a safe and dignified manner". "The tragic drowning of women and children... should be a wake-up call for us all," Athena Rayburn of Save the Children said in a statement. READ | 14 Rohingya Refugees Die As Boat Capsizes Off Bangladesh Coast: Report READ | 14 Rohingya Refugees Die On Boat Off Bangladesh: Official [February 11, 2020] Profesia - Lynx Group SpA Company - Expands Partnership with WSO2 to Become the Distributor for WSO2 in Italy Turin, Italy and Mountain View, CA, USA, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Profesia and WSO2 announced that they have entered into an agreement in which Profesia is the distributor for WSO2 in Italy. Under this agreement, Profesia will act as WSO2 Italy, the access point for WSO2 products and support services for customers in the country. The move builds on the strong, multi-year partnership between WSO2, the worlds leading open source integration vendor, and Profesia, the Italian integration specialist and a WSO2 Premier Certified Integration Partner. The agreement also serves to extend WSO2s commitment to the Italian market. Profesia brings more than 12 years of expertise in delivering solutions for enterprise applications, helping companies to move towards building digital businesses using open source technology and with a short time to market. Its implementation experience complements WSO2s open source, API-first products (WSO2 API Manager, WSO2 Enterprise Integrator, and WSO2 Identity Server), which offer a decentralized aproach to helping enterprises simplify their integration projects, secure their APIs, and provide freedom from vendor lock-in. We are very proud that WSO2 has chosen Profesia to be its distributor in the Italian market. Our collaboration over the years has been very fruitful. As a result of this partnership and with the investment by the Lynx Group, Profesia can now rely on a large and heterogeneous team that is able to provide 360 support for our customers, said Chairman of the Board of Directors at Profesia Srl Lynx Group SpA Matteo Moretti. Profesia wants to increase investments in marketing and training as we believe that WSO2 is the right integration vendor to accelerate the digital transformation of Italian companies. As a longstanding WSO2 Premier Certified Integration Partner, and more recently as a WSO2 Value-Added Reseller, Profesia has been instrumental in expanding our market presence in Europe and helping customers to build simpler, flexible integrations with WSO2 technologies, said WSO2 President and COO Shevan Goonetilleke. Im excited by the opportunities provided by this distributorship with Profesia and look forward to seeing more customers empowered to accelerate the creation of great digital products. About WSO2 Founded in 2005, WSO2 enables the composable enterprise. Our open source, API-first, and decentralized approach helps developers and architects to be more productive and rapidly build digital products to meet demand. Customers choose us for our broad, integrated platform, approach to open source, and digital transformation methodology. The companys hybrid platform for developing, reusing, running, and managing integrations prevents lock-in through open source software that runs on-premises or in the cloud. With offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Sri Lanka, the UK, and the US, WSO2 employs over 600 engineers, consultants, and professionals worldwide. Today, hundreds of leading brands and thousands of global projects execute over 6 trillion transactions annually using WSO2 integration technologies. Visit https://wso2.com to learn more. Follow WSO2 on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Profesia Profesia, a Lynx Group SpA Company, is an Italian company specialized in enabling digital transformation with open source and agile technology. Profesia is the most advanced and the only WSO2 Premier Certified Integration Partner in Italy and now the official Distributor of WSO2 for the Italian territory. Our business is founded on the belief that agility and innovation are the keys of a digital company. We support this agilityfrom technology to methodology and mentoringby applying an open source-first, API-first, and cloud-first strategy. At Profesia, we deliver first-class professional services based on deep expertise and experience on real projects. Our services range from enterprise and solution architecture to software development; operational support; and WSO2 product services. Visit www.profesia.it for more information. Follow Profesia on LinkedIn and Twitter. Trademarks and registered trademarks are the properties of their respective owners. Shifali Erasmus Kinetic.PR for WSO2 [email protected] Mobile: 650-544-6424 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The family of a missing British backpacker who hasn't been seen since going on a demanding hike in New Zealand are 'really hoping' for her safe return. Stephanie Simpson, 32, told friends she was going hiking over the weekend at Mount Aspiring National Park on the South Island. The alarm was raised when she failed to turn up at her landscaping job on Monday. Ms Simpson's friends and family are hopeful they will receive some news on Tuesday, a spokesperson told the New Zealand Herald. Stephanie Simpson, 32, hasn't been seen since going on a demanding hike in New Zealand 'Until they get some news, [the family] are in the dark. Just really hoping we may hear something today from the foot searches,' the spokesperson said. They are trying to spread the word to any trampers who have been in the area over the weekend. 'The police, search and rescue and friends are all trying very hard for her safe return,' the spokesperson said. A police search including a helicopter found no sign of her on Monday. The Fox Glacier Alpine cliff rescue team, a search dog and handler, and Wanaka LandSAR volunteers began their search on Tuesday. They will search Fantail Falls to Mt Brewster, the Brewster Hut and Mt Armstrong track, and Makarora Valley. The alarm was raised when she failed to turn up at her landscaping job on Monday Heavy rains have caused flooding around the national park where two hikers were found dead in a swollen river on Friday. It is believed Miss Simpson, who moved to Wanaka last year after traveling Australia, went walking alone. She told friends she planned to make a four-hour trek to Brewster Hut before heading to the Blue Pools on Saturday. Friends said she is an experienced hiker, who is strong and fit. 'She's a really beautiful, kind-hearted person. She can make friends in an instant, she's awesome. She's just here to tramp and see the country,' a friend earlier told the New Zealand Herald. Anyone who may stayed in the Cameron Flat area on Friday and may have spoken to Stephanie are encouraged to contact police. Police and prosecutors sent Sheryl Sublet to prison for six years and took $50,000 from her for dealing methamphetamine. Now theyre coming for the 62-year-olds home. Yamhill County authorities are attempting to seize Sublets residence under the states civil forfeiture law, which allows law enforcement agencies to take and keep private property connected to criminal activity. The case could determine just how far authorities in Oregon can go when imposing civil penalties on those convicted of dealing drugs and other crimes. And, in a rare twist for such proceedings, a jury will decide. The trial begins Tuesday. Civil forfeiture nationally has come under intense criticism as examples surface showing how law enforcement has taken peoples cash, cars and homes, sometimes without securing a conviction or even filing a criminal charge. The landscape is different in Oregon, where voters two decades ago approved an amendment to the state constitution that restricts civil forfeiture activity. Under the law, authorities can only seize items from a person if they are first convicted of a crime and the property is suspected to be a proceed or instrument of the illegal conduct. The statute also emphasizes that the value of the property forfeited should be proportionate to the conduct underlying the criminal conviction. Law enforcement agencies in the state conducted 120 asset forfeitures in 2018, according to figures compiled by the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, seizing a total $840,000 in property. The value of Sublets home, according to courts records, is $354,000 or 42 percent of all forfeitures in 2018. High-level property seizures are unusual in Oregon as are trials, said Andrew Kohlmetz, a criminal defense lawyer who serves on the states Asset Forfeiture Oversight Advisory Committee. Anecdotally, I dont hear of homes being seized as a matter of routine. Records show the case against Sublet was the culmination of a five-month investigation in 2017 and 2018 by the Yamhill County Interagency Narcotics Team, which suspected she was dealing drugs shipped to her from Southern California. Authorities during the investigation seized more than eight pounds of meth, some of it from inside Sublets home on Northwest Pike Road, about 3 miles outside the town of Yamhill, according to a probable cause affidavit. Police also took $50,000 in cashier checks made out to Sublet, the affidavit shows. Sheryl Sublet (Yamhill County Sheriff's Office) In a sworn deposition, Sublet said she was a military veteran who had been medically discharged after being raped by a superior officer. She said she struggled with addiction for years after, but eventually got clean and started working full-time at Central City Concern, a social services organization in Portland. Sublet said she started using methamphetamine again after she contracted HIV from a romantic partner, and she began selling drugs to support her addiction, she said. I could not cope with that depression, anxiety, and grief in a healthy manner, and I relapsed into my drug habit, Sublet said in her deposition. She pleaded guilty to two counts of unlawful delivery of methamphetamine in July 2018 and was sentenced to 72 months in state prison, records show. Two months later, a judge ordered Sublets $50,000 forfeited to Yamhill County law enforcement, court documents show. The narcotics team that worked the case said it also wanted to take the womans home. They offered Sublet a deal, according to court records. If she sold the property, law enforcement would allow her to keep two-thirds of the money she made and take the rest. Sublet rejected the offer. I do not understand how forfeiture counsel believes that taking six years of my life and $50,000 in cashier checks from the previous forfeiture case is not sufficient punishment, she said in her deposition. At the trial, lawyers for Yamhill County will seek to demonstrate that Sublet could not have paid for the taxes and maintenance of her property without the money she earned from dealing meth, making it a proceed of her criminal activity. The lawyers, according to court filings, will also argue that Sublets home helped facilitate the crimes for which she was convicted, which makes it subject to seizure under Oregon law. Should the jury agree with either claim, it will then have to decide whether the value of Sublets home is proportionate to the conduct that led to her convictions. Sublets attorney, Zachary Stern, has argued in court filings that its not, since she ultimately pleaded guilty to distributing less than 1,000 grams of methamphetamine worth about $10,000. Legal observers disagree. Just because you pleaded to something less doesnt mean the jury has to put blinders to the totality of the illegal activity, said Leslie Westphall, a former federal prosecutor in Oregon who handled forfeiture cases for the U.S. Attorneys Office. Regardless of the outcome, Westphal said the trial promises to be interesting. In 25 years of handling asset forfeiture cases, she said only three went before a jury. This isnt some slip and fall case, Westphal said. The jurors are going to find themselves in a world they dont know much about. -- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632 Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories. ELKO, NV / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Lithium Corporation (OTCQB:LTUM) ("LTUM" or "the Company"), a North American company focused on energy metals for the growing energy storage sector and high tech industries, is pleased to announce the Company's 25% owned subsidiary Summa, LLC (Summa) recently signed a Letter of Intent with 1237025 BC Ltd, and its subsidiary 1237025 Nevada Inc., (collectively 123) wherein 123 can earn a 100% interest in Summa's property here, subject to a 0.50% Net Smelter Revenue interest by issuing cash and shares at predetermined intervals, and by performing work on the property. Under the agreement 123 would pay $400,000 to Summa in semi-annual installments, and issue $400,000 worth of stock in similar installments over the next five years. Additionally 123 must perform $1.5 million dollars worth of work on the property over five years. As previously mentioned Summa would retain a 0.50 % Net Smelter Revenue royalty on the property once 123 has earned its interest. Lithium Corporation staff will continue to provide consultative services for the project on an as-needed basis. About Lithium Corporation Lithium Corporation is an exploration company based in Nevada devoted to the exploration for energy storage related resources throughout North America, and looking to capitalize on opportunities within the ever-expanding next generation energy storage markets. The Company maintains a strategic alliance with Altura Mining, an ASX listed Lithium mining company that is currently producing at near nameplate capacity at its 100% owned world-class Pilgangoora lithium pegmatite mine in Western Australia. Website: www.lithiumcorporation.com Contact Info Tom Lewis, CEO Lithium Corporation 775-410-5287 info@lithiumcorporation.com Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This current report contains "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined in Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Statements in this press release which are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions regarding the future. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors. Such factors include, among others, the inherent uncertainties associated with mineral exploration and difficulties associated with obtaining financing on acceptable terms. We are not in control of minerals prices and these could vary to make development uneconomic. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release, and we assume no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the beliefs, plans, expectations and intentions contained in this press release are reasonable, there can be no assurance that such beliefs, plans, expectations or intentions will prove to be accurate. Investors should consult all of the information set forth herein and should also refer to the risk factors disclosure outlined in our most recent annual report for our last fiscal year, our quarterly reports, and other periodic reports filed from time-to-time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. SOURCE: Lithium Corporation View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576078/Lithium-Corporation-Hughes-Tonopah-Option Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 18:33:44|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Epidemic prevention measures have been intensified at venues with crowded people across the country, as more people are about to resume work after a prolonged holiday. As of Monday, more than 7,000 enterprises in China's high-tech hub Zhongguancun had resumed work, and about 2,100 enterprises had restarted operation in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. In Shanghai, the latest official survey showed that over 80 percent of software and information service enterprises in the city have returned to work, and more than 70 percent of their employees have chosen to work from home. By Xinhua writers Ma Yujie, Ma Xiaoran BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Monday marks the first working day for the majority of businesses in China, which has been plagued by the novel coronavirus outbreak and extended the Spring Festival holiday -- originally scheduled to end on Jan. 30 -- to control the spread of the virus. "I left home more than 10 days in advance to get back to work in time," said Wu Shaosong, a safety inspector at a plant under Galanz Group, a leading household electrical appliances manufacturer headquartered in Shunde, south China's Guangdong Province. Before heading back, Wu and his colleagues had been trained in epidemic prevention through WeChat to help them better protect themselves at work. Wu left his hometown in the neighboring Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and drove back to Shunde on Jan. 29, almost two weeks before the plant resumed production. "I immediately contacted the local community committee and began self-quarantine after I got back," said Wu. On Feb. 10, about 70 percent of the group's over 5,000 Shunde-based employees had returned to work. The company requires regular disinfection at the plant and all employees to wear masks and take their body temperature every four hours. "Workers at the production lines must have their temperature taken every two hours," said Wu. The company also temporarily closed its canteen and prepared boxed meals instead. Staff members work at a workshop of Skyworth in Guangzhou, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Deng Hua) In a circular released over the weekend, the State Council, or China's cabinet, urged efforts to protect workers from getting infected while resuming production as soon as possible. Despite risks of further infection, ensuring nationwide work resumption is a crucial part of China's efforts against the ongoing novel coronavirus outbreak, Cong Liang, secretary-general of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said at a press conference Tuesday. A staff member disinfects a bus handrail at a bus station in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Ren Chao) INTENSIFIED MEASURES Epidemic prevention measures have been intensified at venues with crowded people across the country, as more people are about to resume work after a prolonged holiday. "I had my temperature taken 18 times and registered my personal information five times on my way back," said Ma Guanpu, who took the train from Mudanjiang in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province to Beijing over a distance of about 1,400 km. Beijing subway and bus operators on Monday said they would increase the departure frequency of buses and subway trains, limit passenger numbers during rush hours and enhance disinfection to curb the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. The capital city has been conducting daily disinfection and body temperature checks of passengers in 23 subways lines covering 405 stations. Passengers with fever will be immediately isolated and taken to hospital for further diagnosis. A staff member measures temperature of people entering Ping'an International Financial Center in Shenzhen, south China's Guangdong Province, Feb. 10, 2020. (Xinhua/Liang Xu) Shanghai has also beefed up prevention measures by enforcing full coverage of information registration and temperature taking for people entering the city, and residential communities are required to enhance management, with all persons and vehicles coming in and out to be registered. CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC As of Monday, more than 7,000 enterprises in China's high-tech hub Zhongguancun had resumed work, and about 2,100 enterprises had restarted operation in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area. In Shanghai, the latest official survey showed that over 80 percent of software and information service enterprises in the city have returned to work, and more than 70 percent of their employees have chosen to work from home. The Tesla Shanghai gigafactory and its supplier also resumed operation on Monday. According to Tao Lin, Tesla's global vice president, the scheduled delivery of vehicles in early February will be postponed and Tesla would "try its best to make up for the suspension when the epidemic takes a turn for the better." Tesla CFO Zachary Kirkhorn said the temporary shutdown may slightly impact the company's profitability for Q1 2020 but the impact is "limited" as the profit contribution from the Model 3 in Shanghai remains in the early stages. Staff members record residents' reservation information of masks inside a residential area of east China's Shanghai, Feb. 2, 2020. (Xinhua/Gao Feng) "We're still understaffed," said Zhang Shuai, a testing operator of CT scanners in Philips Healthcare (Suzhou) Co., Ltd. in east China's Jiangsu Province. "Most of the returned workers are from within the province as long-distance bus service is still restricted in some places." "About 350 workers of our 1,300 employees in Suzhou have returned to work as of Feb. 10," said Kent Cheng, plant manager of the company. "The majority are engineers and workers on the production lines of medical equipment that are necessary for outbreak control. We encourage others to work at home until Feb. 17." "There will be two possible consequences for us if the contagion continues. One is that our sales volume will significantly surge due to the high demand for medical equipment," said Cheng. "But if someone in the company gets infected, all of us will have to be isolated and our production will have to be paused. That may also happen to our suppliers, which could also hinder our production." Despite the epidemic, Cheng is still bullish on the prosperity of the Chinese market. "China is our most important market. If we get past this outbreak in March and April, we still expect growth in revenue this year. China has a huge market potential for medical equipment and we are very confident in our future development in China," said Cheng. (Meng Yingru, Zhu Xiao, He Leijing, Qin Huajiang, Xu Xiaoqing, Zhou Rui, Zhou Qiang, Gai Boming, Xie Hao, Qiu Yi, Ding Jing, and Ji Ning, Yang Youzong, He Xinrong also contributed to the story.) (Video reporters: Lin Kai, Wang Pu, Gai Boming, Li Jiarui, Zhang Chao, Huang Guobao, Wang Pan, Zhou Rui, Ding Ting, Luo Xuefeng, Liang Xu, Li Sijia, Dai Wei, Sun Qing, Pan Xu, Zhang Mengjie, Guo Jingdan, Tang Wen; Video editor: Zhu Cong) As senior adviser Tim O'Brien arrived Monday in Rochester to set up a field office for Mike Bloomberg, a new poll sent a temblor through the Democratic presidential nominating contest. A new Quinnipiac University national poll showed Bloomberg in third place, with 15 percent of the vote among Democratic voters and independents who lean Democratic. It showed that Bloomberg and his money were moving numbers. Without setting foot in Iowa or New Hampshire, the first two states to hold Democratic contests, New York's former mayor was suddenly casting a shadow over the primary field, said Quninipiac University poll analyst Tim Malloy. Monday's opening of a Bloomberg field office in the Barlow Plaza, 1139 6th Street NW, was local evidence of the nationwide campaign infrastructure Bloomberg is building with his eye on March 3, Super Tuesday. ADVERTISEMENT That's when 14 states, including Minnesota, will be holding contests with about one out of three delegates at stake. Super Tuesday is where Bloomberg is pushing all of his chips. O'Brien said that Bloomberg was planning to open offices in eight to 10 cities, including Duluth, St. Paul and Minneapolis. "Our goal is to be really present here," O'Brien said. "We want to be in people's communities. And all of our offices are locally staffed." Bloomberg is also filling the airwaves with ads and hiring large numbers of staff, thanks to an investment so far of a quarter-billion dollars. A presidential campaign built on a near-bottomless vault of dollars has spurred charges that Bloomberg is buying this way into the contest. But O'Brien said that if money were the primary determinate of a candidate's viability, billionaire Tom Steyer would be faring far better than the 1 to 2 percent he's registering in the polls right now. "You can buy exposure," O'Brien said. "You can't buy an election. (Bloomberg) is getting lots of traction with voters, because he has a very robust history as a public servant." The poll and the muddled and crowded Democratic field have fed speculation that Bloomberg's effort to win the Democratic nomination might not be such a long-shot bid, after all. The party is desperate to beat President Trump. But as Trump's approval rating has hit or tied record highs, concerns over electability could dominate the thinking of Democratic primary voters. That would benefit Bloomberg, O'Brien said. ADVERTISEMENT It's not unheard of for presidential candidates to skip the first couple of nominating contests and focus on states more amenable to their message. But usually they focus on one or two states. Bloomberg's money allows him to focus on all of them. But the way O'Brien sees it, it won't be Bloomberg who is the late-comer. It will be everyone else. While all the other Democratic candidates slog it out in the first four states, Bloomberg has been focused on the 14 Super Tuesday states. "When they come out of these first four states, we're going to be waiting for them," O'Brien said. "We will already have been campaigning for six weeks in the (Super Tuesday) states." The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake their first official visit to the Republic of Ireland, Kensington Palace announced today. Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, will travel to the Emerald Isle from 3-5 March at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, according to a statement released on Instagram. Details of the trip have not yet been confirmed but earlier reports suggest the couple could visit Dublin and Cork. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will undertake their first official visit to Ireland, Kensington Palace announced today. Pictured, the couple in Loughborough today William and Kate will travel to the Emerald Isle from 3-5 March at the request of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, according to a statement released on Instagram, pictured William and Kate have visited Northern Ireland twice in recent years but this is their first visit to the Republic of Ireland. The British Embassy in Dublin tweeted today: 'We look forward to welcoming The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to Ireland next month.' In 2011 the Queen made history by becoming the first British royal to make an official visit to the country in 100 years. Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have visited Ireland five times since 2015 while the Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a two-day trip in July 2018. William and Kate are said to be particularly keen to go to Cork after the Queen visited the city's English market on her 2011. It comes as Ireland's political parties enter into discussions to form a government after no single party secured a working majority. They will be following in the footsteps of Harry and Meghan who have visited the Emerald Isle. They are pictured at Trinity College, Dublin, in July 2018 Sinn Fein, which has historic links to the IRA, stunned pollsters by scooping up the largest share of first preference votes in Saturday's ballot - but ended up with 37 seats to Fianna Fail's 38 once back-up preference votes were taken into account. Despite being Ireland's largest party, the result will be a disappointment for Fianna Fail - one of Ireland's two main governing parties - as it lost six seats compared to the result in 2016. The result also spells disaster for current premier Leo Varadkar and his Fine Gael party which ended up with 35 seats, a loss of 15 which is likely to put an end to his leadership career. Sinn Fein, meanwhile, is celebrating an historic triumph after picking up 14 seats which has seen the party complete its rise from fringe movement to potential leaders of the next government. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has made it clear on Monday that her goal is to become the next taoiseach - replacing Varadkar - and said she is in talks to 'test' the viability of a left-wing coalition without either of the two main parties. NEW YORK, Feb. 10, 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 Spirit AeroSystems Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPR) between October 31, 2019 and January 29, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). The lawsuit seeks to recover damages for Spirit investors under the federal securities laws. To join the Spirit class action, go to http://www.rosenlegal.com/cases-register-1765.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) the Company lacked effective internal controls over financial reporting; (2) the Company did not comply with its established accounting principles related to potential contingent liabilities; and (3) 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 April 10, 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-1765.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 Fax: (212) 202-3827 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] www.rosenlegal.com SOURCE Rosen Law Firm, P.A. Related Links https://www.rosenlegal.com The meeting took place right after Ambassador Le Thi Tuyet Mai, new Permanent Representative of Vietnam to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and other international organisations in Geneva, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Valovaya hoped that in Mais term of office, Vietnam will continue making contributions to the UN and fostering ties between the UN and ASEAN for peace, security, sustainable development and prosperity for all nations. The Vietnamese diplomat said she is honoured to take over the new role at the time when Vietnam holds a non-permanent seat at the UN Security Council for the 2020-2021 term and ASEAN Chair in 2020. Promoting the ties with the UN is always a top priority in Vietnams foreign policy and the country is doing its best to be an active and responsible UN member who effectively contributes to the UN and other international organisations as well as beef up relations between the UN and ASEAN, she said. She also looked forward to receiving continued support and cooperation of the UN Office to fulfil her mission. Subscriber content preview Rendering by HPA [enlarge] Core Spaces bought the site in 2018 with plans to build a 25-story tower for student housing. Core Spaces of Chicago has been planning what it calls Hub U District at 4515 Brooklyn Ave. N.E. The 25-story, 211-unit tower will go on the parking lot immediately north of the Graduate hotel (the former Hotel Deca). Permits for the project haven't yet been issued, but the city's Department of Construction and Inspections approved the project at the very end of last year. . . . A magistrate in Ilorin, A.S Muhammed, has adjourned the case of defamation against two journalists, Gidado Yushau and Alfred Olufemi. Last year, the duo were arraigned by the police for criminal conspiracy and defamation over an instigative report against Hill Crest Agro-Allied, a company owned by Sarah Alade, an Economic Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari. They both pleaded not guilty. The investigative report titled: Inside Kwara factory where Indian hemp smoking is legalised, was authored by Mr Olufemi in 2018. Mr Yushau is the Editor-In-Chief of NewsDigest, an Abuja-based online newspaper which commissioned and published the story. According to the report, Hillcrest Agro-Allied Industry, a company owned by Mrs Alade, a former Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), allowed the smoking of cigarettes, as well as Indian hemp by workers within its vicinity. The report also stated that the firm refused to respond to Mr Olufemis inquiry after he had put several calls and text messages to the industrys hotlines. Nevertheless, on Tuesday, the case was adjourned for hearing due to the inability of the prosecutor to provide witnesses. According to the prosecutor, who identified himself as Inspector Nasir, the two witnesses, who are police officers, were sent on an official assignment to get some robbery suspects from Ibadan, Oyo State capital. This case was adjourned for hearing today, but regrettably, the two witnesses are absent, he announced. Although he could not present the official letter, he said the notification of their absence was communicated to him via a text message sent about 5 a.m. on Tuesday. Tuesday made it the third adjournment the case has experienced. The case was earlier adjourned to February 11 after Mr Nasir could not provide the witnesses on January 28, the initial date set for hearing. However, in his reaction, the defendants lawyer, Yusuf Suleiman, urged the court to consider the security of Messrs Yushau and Olufemi who travel from outside the state to attend the court sittings. Although I dont doubt the veracity of the excuses given, I will like this court to take note of the nature of the prosecution. This is the third time. The inability to provide the witnesses shows the prosecution is not taking seriously, Mr Suleiman protested The magistrate instructed the prosecutor to provide the witnesses for hearing to commence on March 4, the next date of adjournment. Durham, N.H. On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, only two politicians were able to draw big enough crowds to fill up arenas: Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump. While the incumbent Republican president drew 12,000 to a rally in Manchester, Sanders addressed a packed house of 7,500 at the University of New Hampshire in Durham. The Vermont socialist boasted that his rally was three times larger than any other event of the Democratic campaign in the state. But he had the distinct you might even say unfair advantage over his Democratic rivals of being able to lure attendees with a free concert by The Strokes that started immediately after the rally. (If you want to see The Strokes next month in California, the cheapest tickets on StubHub run close to $150 a pop.) Bernies election eve rally vs. Warrens election eve event. pic.twitter.com/f9GYrTndY7 John McCormack (@McCormackJohn) February 11, 2020 Still, the thousands gathered at the University of New Hampshire were wild for Bernie as well as his opening acts: Cynthia Nixon, Cornel West, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Nixon told the crowd that she had backed Hillary Clinton in 2016 but has since seen the light. Four years ago, I supported Hillary Clinton for president, Nixon said. The crowd began to boo. Oh no. Oh no. Were not gonna do that here, she said, perhaps mindful of the incident in Iowa where Representative Rashida Tlaib, another prominent Sanders surrogate, led the crowd in booing Clinton, drawing national headlines that forced her to later apologize. Nixon said she had come to realize that voters wont show up for a candidate who simply checks all the boxes. People show up in droves for someone they are passionate about, she said. We dont need just another politician. We need a hero, and that is Bernie Sanders! Story continues The multimillionaire actress of Sex and the City fame added that people have been making do with crumbs and weve been told that those crumbs are a meal. Bernie has taught us to say: Im done with these crumbs. I want the whole pie. When West took the stage, he called Donald Trump a neo-fascist gangster to loud cheers. But some of the loudest applause of the night was reserved for Ocasio-Cortez. The congresswoman from New York hailed him as standing up for a left-wing agenda his entire life, even when it was unpopular. It is hard to stand up and fight for someone you dont know when it is not popular, and he has done it his whole damn life! Ocasio-Cortez exclaimed. Who stood up for women and gender-non-conforming peoples right to choose in the 90s when it was unpopular? Senator Bernie Sanders! she continued. Fast-forward to this campaign. Who is the only candidate to call to break up ICE and CBP? Senator Bernie Sanders! That matters. The young progressive star also sought to put to rest Democratic fears that Sanders cant win in November. We know that in every poll, Bernie beats Trump, she said, framing the Democratic race as a choice between returning to business as usual or moving forward. Business as usual was not working for working people. . . . As someone who has been told to go back, Im telling you: Were moving forward! Then, to raucous cheers, she introduced the man himself: I am so excited to bring you the candidate that will get us there: Senator! Bernard! Sanders! When Sanders took the stage, he briefly introduced his family, but, unlike his Democratic rivals, spared the crowd any personal biographical details. Of course, he didnt need to: The crowd already knows who he is. Sanders took a few shots at Trump. The president is a racist, sexist, and a religious bigot, Sanders told the crowd. And those are his nice qualities. He called Trump not only a liar but a fraud who hired undocumented workers as a businessman and tried to take away health care from millions by repealing Obamacare. He then proceeded to run through a laundry list of left-wing policies his administration would implement: a $15 minimum wage, $60,000 minimum salaries for every teacher in America, Medicare for All, the Green New Deal, legalizing marijuana in every state in this country, codifying Roe v. Wade, and so on. Sanders said his election would not only remove the most dangerous president in modern history but help start a political revolution. The last that I heard is that the 1 percent may be very powerful, but there are a hell of a lot more people in the 99 percent than in the 1 percent, he said as he brought his speech to close. Lets win this thing! Lets transform America! More from National Review The Bexar County Sheriffs Office is dealing with its second homicide in a matter of hours after responding to a fatal shooting that occurred less than 2 miles from a deadly incident it was already investigating. The homicide cases are also the first two of the year for the department. Deputies responded to the 900 block of Mogford Road in south Bexar County just after noon on Tuesday for a shooting. There, they found a 45-year-old woman dead from multiple gunshot wounds. The womans partner, a 37-year-old man, fled the scene but was captured several miles away by deputies, Sheriff Javier Salazar said. The couples daughter told deputies they had been fighting Monday night into Tuesday, which escalated to the shooting, according to Salazar. We're doing the best that we can to try to determine what it was that what happened, Salazar said. For now, we're happy to have the suspect in custody. Certainly, it's a heartbreaking scene with this young lady that lost her mom. FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox The 37-year-old suspect is expected to be charged with murder and more charges could be pending, Salazar said. Salazar said violent crime in the county has decreased, but family violence incidents have skyrocketed. Thats a grim trend we don't want to see keep climbing, Salazar said. We're doing our very best but it's a crime that takes a long time to prevent because its an escalating crime. So, we are telling anybody that if you're experiencing family violence on any level and if you don't get yourself out of that situation or try to get some help, it's not something that goes away on its own, the sheriff added. A slap today becomes a punch tomorrow, becomes a choke the next day, and it ends with this. Salazar said domestic incidents like this are frustrating for everyone because its like a slow-moving train wreck that you can see coming for months or years in advance. We've absolutely got to put a stop to this," Salazar said. And if I come across as angry, I am, it's frustrating. It's my job to protect my county and the deputies that I've got are doing a great job of that. They're bringing down violent crime, but this is a crime that keeps going up. We've got to figure something else out. What we're doing is not working. Salazar was conducting a news conference less than 2 miles away about a case his department is treating as a homicide when the deadly shooting at Mogford Road occurred. In the earlier case, a 37-year-old-man was found dead at around 8:30 a.m. in his backyard by a 6-year-old relative. The sheriff said the cases don't seem to be related and the proximity of the two incidents is a coincidence. Deputies are still searching for a suspect in the earlier case. 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 In three of the five seats, which matter for all political parties, candidates of the Aam Aadmi Party, including Arvind Kejriwal, were leading as early trends came up in the counting of votes for February 8 Delhi assembly elections was underway on Tuesday. These leads are, however, subject to change as the counting is still in its early stages. As the counting votes, starting with postal ballots, began at 8am, Arvind Kejriwal was seen ahead of his rivals Sunil Yadav of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress Romesh Sabharwal from the prestigious New Delhi seat. Arvind Kejriwal, who won the seat for the first time by defeating the then chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit, is seeking re-election for the third time. In the high-stakes battle, the BJP and the Congress have fielded Yadav, the Delhi BJPs youth wing head, and former National Students Union of Indias (NSUI) Delhi unit, Sabharwal, respectively. It is their first electoral contest. In Patparganj, Kejriwals deputy Manish Sisodia was leading against the BJPs Ravi Negi and Laxman Rawat of the Congress. Manish Sisodia has won from the seat for two consecutive terms in 2013 and 2015 securing 41.5% and 53.5% vote share respectively. For Negi and Rawat, both migrants from the Garhwal hills of Uttarakhand, it is their first election outing. Raghav Chadha, the AAPs national spokesperson, is also ahead of RP Singh and Rocky Tuseed of the BJP and the Congress respectively in Rajendra Nagar constituency. The contest is interesting as two young faces Chadha and Tuseed fought a BJP veteran leader, Singh. Tuseed is a former Delhi University Students Union president and a newcomer in electoral politics. Atishi of the AAP, after leading in Kalkaji, was trailing on the seat where the BJPs Dharambir Singh and Shivani Chopra are also in the fray. For Atishi, who is credited for the reforms in the education sector in Delhi government schools, and Shivani Chopra, who is Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopras daughter, it is a personal battle as both are hoping to kick-start their career in electoral politics. Subhash Chopra has represented the constituency thrice in the Delhi assembly. They are pitted against BJPs former area councillor Dharambir Singh, who is in-charge of Delhi BJPs booth-level management. In Rohini, the AAPs Rajesh Nama Bansiwala was trailing behind BJP leader Vijender Gupta. It is a prestige battle for the BJP and the AAP in Rohini assembly segment, as the national party fights for change in a BJP stronghold. The BJP had survived the AAP onslaught in the 2015 assembly electionsAAP had won 67 out of 70 assembly segmentin Rohini. Gupta, who was the leader of the opposition in the outgoing assembly and former Delhi BJP chief, has represented the area as a councillor and MLA. Bansiwala unsuccessfully contested the 2017 municipal election, while this is the first election outing for the Congress candidate. In early trends, the AAP was seen ahead in 41 seats and the BJP in at least 13 seats in the Capital, which saw a bitter electoral campaign. All the exit polls have predicted a comfortable win for Arvind Kejriwals AAP and a better performance for the BJP. (These leads are, however, subject to change as the counting is still in its early stages.) The Outward Bound Asia Regional Staff Symposium 2020 has been kicked off with participants from different countries Outward Bound Vietnam (OBV) organised the second Asia Regional Staff Symposium for the Outward Bound International network, on February 7-9, 2020, at the Outward Bound Vietnam interim basecamp and the adjacent Singapore International School in Quang Ninh provinces Halong city. This symposium promotes continuous professional development for outdoor experiential training and will be attended by 100 delegates. Over 50 delegates are foreigners, travelling to Vietnam from more than 10 other countries, including Singapore, Japan, and India. The OBV team will have the total participation of 35 staff and 10 board members. This biennial Regional Staff Symposium is hosted on a rotational basis by Outward Bound schools in the Asia region. Concurrent Regional Symposia are also being held in Mexico for the Outward Bound schools in the Americas and in Germany for the Outward Bound schools in Europe. Presentations during the symposium will include safety and risk management, curriculum, facilitation, and games leadership, research and evaluation of programmes, and environmental education. Various outdoor adventure activities will be discussed, on top of regular Outward Bound activities. Other activities will also occur off-site, including kayaking, caving, and hiking. Also, there will be opportunities for networking, further regional collaboration, and partnerships. OBV acknowledges the generous support of Singapore International School, Halong for providing an excellent venue for this symposium. Outward Bound Vietnam specialises in organising life skills training activities Outward Bound Vietnam was established in 2016 and is licenced with the Department of Education and Training as an educational provider of life skills. It has a permanent purpose-built outdoor education centre on the coast near Quy Nhon, Binh Dinh province, and operates an interim basecamp in Halong, Quang Ninh province. Outward Bound Vietnam provides five-day outdoor education courses that seek to build valuable life skills such as resilience, teamwork, communication, and leadership. These are conducted for school groups, often as part of an international school curriculum, as well as running corporate team-building programmes. It is a non-political and non-religious movement and is registered as a social enterprise in Vietnam. Outward Bound Vietnam is a fully licenced member of Outward Bound International network of schools. The Outward Bound global network was established in 1941 and operates in over 30 countries around the globe. Over 200,000 people complete an Outward Bound course every year. Beijing, Feb 11 : Chinese health authorities on Tuesday said the death toll due to the novel coronavirus in China has increased to 1,016, with 42,638 infected cases. According to China's National Health Commission, 7,333 serious cases had been recorded as of Monday midnight, while 3,996 people were discharged, reports Efe news. The Commission said it had tracked 428,438 patients in close contact with those infected, of which 187,728 are still under observation. Of the latter, 21,675 are suspected of having contracted the virus. At 108, Tuesday's data reflects the largest increase in the number of deceased in a single day, in addition to surpassing the 1,000-death mark. A further 2,478 people were added to the list of new infections. Monday marked the beginning of a slight slowdown in the number of new infected registered daily, according to official statistics, which said another 716 patients were also discharged on Tuesday. Of the 108 deaths, 103 occurred in Hubei province, of which Wuhan is the capital and also epicentre of the outbreak, and has remained in de facto quarantine since January 23. The remaining five cases were reported from Beijing, Tianjin, Heilongjiang, Anhui and Henan. Hubei also holds 2,097 of the 2,478 new cases. To date, all but two deaths - in the Philippines and Hong Kong - have occurred in mainland China and, although about 20 countries have identified cases, China accounts for about 99 per cent of those infected. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the Director-General of the World Health Organization, on Monday called on the international community not to politicise the coronavirus response. Ghebreyesus described the outbreak as a "common enemy against humanity" and said all countries need to work together to defeat it. Meanwhile, international scientists will meet on Tuesday to accelerate the development of diagnoses, treatments and vaccines against the disease. Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19) -- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text Description GIS - 11 February, 2020: Passengers from all flights will undergo strict screening at the SSR International Airport as Government reinforces its preventive measures following the outbreak of the Coronavirus. After the New Souillac Hospital and the Anse-La-Raie Youth Centre, a third Quarantine Centre has been identified at Pointe Jerome to cater for patients. Passengers from all flights will undergo strict screening at the SSR International Airport as Government reinforces its preventive measures following the outbreak of the Coronavirus. After the New Souillac Hospital and the Anse-La-Raie Youth Centre, a third Quarantine Centre has been identified at Pointe Jerome to cater for patients. The Minister of Health and Welfare, Dr Kailesh Kumar Jagutpal, made this announcement, this afternoon, in Port Louis, at a press conference where he gave an overview of the current situation as regards of the novel Coronavirus. As at date some 43 104 cases have been reported around the world, with 1 018 deaths. Minister Jagutpal pointed out that in view of the situation Government is putting emphasis on surveillance, detection and prevention both at the airport and port. Prior to the press conference, the Minister met several stakeholders, namely from the Central Water Authority, Central Electricity Board, Banks and the transport sector to discuss about sensitising the population on the precautionary measures to be taken regarding the Coronavirus. Pamphlets and brochures are also being distributed, he added. Speaking about the preventive measures, Minister Jagutpal stated that a provision of some 10 000 N95 masks has been made. He also indicated that as date 57 people have been placed in quarantine, 28 at New Souillac Hospital and 29 at Anse-La-Raie Youth Centre. With regard to the 12 students who are presently quarantined in France, he underlined that they are in good health, have already undergone two tests and will be put through a last one soon. If all the three tests are negative, he said, they will able to leave France for Mauritius. As for the two Mauritians on board the Princess Diamond cruise in Japan, Dr Jagutpal said that they are in good health. He appealed to all stakeholders to collaborate closely while adding that the support of each and everyone is needed to raise awareness on the Coronavirus. CALF prices remained extremely strong in the marts this week as tighter numbers than expected boosted the trade. The surge in calf numbers that was anticipated last week has not materialised, with dairy farmers holding calves for longer so far this spring before selling them. Mart managers report strong supplies of older calves in the marts over the last few weeks, with a sizeable premium being paid for these hardier animals. Up to 200/hd was paid in New Ross on Saturday for four to five-week-old Friesian bull calves. The shippers were generally paying from 40/hd to 90/hd for lighter Friesian bulls. There was a lively trade for Angus and Hereford bulls, with a top of 340-350 being paid for older lots. Younger and 'softer' bulls made 140-150. Up to 400/hd was paid for Continental bulls, with the best of the prices being secured by Belgian Blues. Good-quality Angus and Hereford heifers sold for 250-270/hd, with the best of the Continental heifers making close to 400/hd. Active It was a similar story in Fermoy Mart. Friesian bulls sold from 50/hd to 170/hd, with the shippers active for stock and paying from 50/hd to 110/hd. Hereford and Angus bulls made from 140/hd to 345/hd, while prices for Hereford and Angus heifers ranged from 100/hd to 270/hd. Continental bulls made from 200/hd to 380/hd, with Continental heifers generally making 170-310/hd. The ICSA warned beef farmers last week that they risked losing an "absolute fortune" by paying over the odds for calves this spring. ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham said there was "no sense" in beef farmers buying calves at current prices unless they had "a contract for a viable price" from the beef factories for 2022. "At current beef prices, farmers are buying calves to make absolutely nothing on them," he claimed. However, ICMSA president Pat McCormack said current calf prices reflected the improved outlook for beef following the recent lift in prices in both the marts and factories. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will hold a meeting with internet giants, social media platforms and other stakeholders on the issue of circulation of videos and images relating to child pornography and sexual offence, the Supreme Court was informed on Tuesday. A Bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde posted the matter for hearing after four weeks and in the meantime, the Centre will hold a meeting with intermediaries including Google, Microsoft and Facebook and other stakeholders to deal with the issue of circulation of videos of child pornography, rape and gang rape. The court was hearing a matter following a letter sent in 2015 to the apex court by Hyderabad-based NGO Prajwala, along with two rape videos in a pen-drive. Advocate Aparna Bhat, appearing for one of the parties in the case, informed the court that the government had come with a portal and but since September government has not conducted any meeting with the parties and intermediaries. The government had set up a portal for centralised lodging of complaints by citizens against child pornography and rape videos circulated on social networks. The amicus curiae in the case, advocate NS Nappinai, submitted a status report to the Court detailing the steps taken so far since the 2018 order. In October 2018, the Supreme Court had laid down proposals and guidelines to tackle this issue. The amicus said that there is also another issue that when pornographic content is circulated and a complaint is made, the content is removed only from one point but remaining copies which may have been circulated at some other point is not removed. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Three Pakistani terrorists were killed in retaliatory firing by Indian troops across the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir's Mendhar sector on February 9, said Army sources. The Indian Army has been responding to Pakistan Army's ceasefire violations in other sectors as well over the past few days. "As per intelligence inputs, three Pakistani terrorists were killed in Indian retaliation across LoC in Mendhar sector on Sunday. Army has been effectively responding to Pakistan Army's ceasefire violations in Mendhar and other sectors going on for last few days," said Army sources. Earlier on Sunday, Pakistan violated ceasefire in Balakot and Mendhar sectors in Poonch district. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) (TNS) Should we embrace technology in the workplace or fear it?That was the issue tackled during a discussion in the Millyard about technological change and its impact on jobs, productivity and the New Hampshire economy.My new simple approach is: Look, youre not going to change the pace of technology anyway, so the only real issue is: Do you want to be on that bus or do you want to be under it? said Manchester inventor Dean Kamen, whose inventions include the first portable insulin pump and the Segway Human Transporter.More than 100 people listened to a panel of speakers Wednesday from industry, academia and government discuss ways for technology to transform work.The United States wont experience a problem of too few jobs, according to Elisabeth Reynolds, executive director of the MIT Task Force on the Work of the Future.Our issue will be too few workers, said Reynolds, a Manchester native.Automation might be our friend to try and address some of the lower-skilled jobs that people are not going to want, said Reynolds, who co-authored a report on the future of work.I dont blame people for fearing it, particularly if theyve been on the wrong side of technological change, Reynolds said in a later interview. Technology historically has been a net gain for society.MIT has hosted similar talks in Chicago, Detroit and Denver.From my perspective, I was really impressed with how much New Hampshire is already doing to ensure pathways forward to those most vulnerable, Reynolds said. I think theres a lot of innovation and experimentation going on and a focus on work-based learning. I was quite encouraged by all that I heard.Will Arvelo, director of the states Division of Economic Development, offered words of caution.Despite the nations and New Hampshires economic prosperity, we still have significant and deep-rooted inequality, he said. Technology can help to temper or better yet help to eliminate economic injustice, or it can accelerate it. We cannot we must not let advances and integration of technology in our work and daily lives widen the gaps of economic inequality.Several employers discussed their difficulty in finding workers.Health care provider Dartmouth-Hitchcock is struggling to attract people for 1,000 open job positions in the region, including more than 900 in New Hampshire.That makes us think if I cant fill this gap with humans, how do I start to think about work differently and find ways for us to use robots, artificial intelligence or some partnership between people and technology to be able to substitute for that and put people in a place where people can do the work that only they can do, said Sarah Currier, vice president of workforce strategy at D-H.Employers need to re-imagine uses for technology.If I were to think about how do we clean patient rooms, are there things that are part of a typical housekeepers daily routine that dont require a human to do them that we could give to some sort of technology that frees the humans up to make decisions around infection control or patient care that allow us to be both more efficient and more compassionate? Currier said.Kamen said he employs about 800 people and wants to fill another 100-plus open positions.Im looking for just about every kind of engineer, Kamen said. Every partner and every client I have is having exactly the same problem. I dont know of any tech company that wouldnt tell you that their biggest concern right now is finding enough smart people, so that they can meet their commitments and grow their opportunities.Joseph Helble, provost of Dartmouth College, said people need to figure out how to educate the next generation of workers.Dartmouth is partnering with local school systems, he said.How do we get them excited about technology, excited abut the information revolution, so theyll have a part of their education steer them in that direction? Helble saidCollaboration is needed to help solve the states workforce crunch, said Kim Cadorette, vice president of operations-electronic systems at BAE Systems in Nashua.I look at it as a triangle of partnerships so its industry, academia and government all working together, especially locally, but all working together because not one can solve the problem of what skills do I need and how do I train those skills, she said.BAE, for example, worked with Nashua Community College to start a microelectronics boot camp, guaranteeing successful students a job interview with the defense contractor.Answering a question from the audience, Cadorette said she hadnt seen a lack of a work ethic in the youngest generation of workers, but a shift in expectations.Its no longer OK just to come into work, punch a time clock, sit in a cube and then go home, she said. The folks that are coming in now want to be challenged, they want to learn.Currier, among others, said companies need to keep employees interested and energized or risk losing them.You get out of an employee what you put into an employee that if you create an environment where they feel valued and you spark an interest and you invest in them, people will dazzle you every single time, Currier said. LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 10, 2020 / As the Academy Awards wrapped on Sunday, one question is why the Academy ignored the critically-acclaimed movie, The Islands', from director Timothy Chey. Was it due to the film being faith-based? The Islands' was released theatrically on December 6, 2019 in over 45 major cities across the nation, including Los Angeles, Washington, DC, Houston, Orlando, Phoenix, etc The film was also nominated for Best Picture of the Year' by the Hawaii Film Critics Association. So why was the film ignored by the Academy? The Islands' is about a brave Hawaiian chiefess who challenged the volcano due to her faith in Christ in 1823 and has spent ten weeks in the theaters. The film starred a mostly Hawaiian/Polynesian cast and Oscar-Award winning actress Mira Sorvino. "It's out of our hands," says Chey. "I'm just happy our film had a national theater release and several thousand people saw the film. That's my Academy Award!" he laughs. Was the film ignored because of the faith component? "I think the last faith-based film nominated was Ben Hur' in 1959," Chey replies. "But I don't think there was any anti-faith discrimination. We didn't do a good enough job marketing to the Academy. But we'll do better with the sequel." Chey believes the sequel, The Islands: Betrayal," which begins shooting this summer (2020) will be nominated for Best Picture'. "We'll definitely have the budget this time to do a full Academy push and screen the film to all the members," he says. Chey has signed on to direct The Islands: Betrayal'. The sequel is based on the true story of Queen Lili'uokalani whose faith and courage saved Hawaii as she was dethroned and jailed. Casting has already begun for the actress to play Queen Lili'uokalani'. "The Islands: Betrayal" Begins Shooting Summer 2020 Directed by Tim Chey CONTACT: Karen Stalberg 424 220 8172 karen@riverrainproductions.com SOURCE: RiverRain Productions View source version on accesswire.com: https://www.accesswire.com/575957/Was-Tim-Cheys-Movie-The-Islands-Ignored-by-the-Academy-Due-to-Faith The headmaster of an elite Melbourne private boys school has penned a dire letter to parents warning the college would feature in an ABC expose. St Kevin's College headmaster Stephen F. Russell told parents on Monday that the school will appear in an episode of Four Corners expected to air next week. Mr Russell's note did not reveal what the broadcast concerns but said he had sought 'professional advice'. Scroll down for video Elite Melbourne private boys school St Kevin's College (pictured) will feature in an episode of Four Corners next week 'Dear parents and guardians,' the letter provided to 3AW begins. 'We are aware that St Kevin's College will be featured in a program by the ABC Four Corners. It is likely to air on 17 February. 'We felt it was important to inform our parents of this program.' 'We are currently seeking professional advice and will be in a better position to respond and communicate with you again, once we see the actual program.' The leader of the $19,000-a-year prestigious Catholic school then promised children would be provided with 'support' in the aftermath of the television report. 'Our students will be supported and spoken to on the day after the program in age-appropriate addresses and assemblies,' he continued. Headmaster Stephen F. Russell said he is receiving 'professional advice' in a letter sent to parents warning of an ABC expose due to air on February 17 'It would be inappropriate to make further comment until then. In the meantime, please be assured that, as always, the care of our students is our first priority.' Last October, St Kevin's College was plunged into controversy after a video surfaced of students singing a sexist chant on a train. The school responded by immediately suspending students involved, but a second video came to light days later of students performing another x-rated rap. The mass outrage drew a former pupil out of the shadows who spoke out against the 'misogynistic culture' he believed was entrenched within the all-boys school. Founded in 1918, St Kevin's College Toorak is a leading Catholic boys school based in Melbourne's most expensive suburb, Toorak. Daily Mail Australia has contacted St Kevin's College for comment. Syrian and Russian warplanes have pounded residential towns in Aleppo, killing over a dozen people reports Levant News. Attacks carried out by the Syrian regime and Russia on residential areas in the de-escalation zone in northern Syria killed 17 people on Sunday. Local sources said that Syrian regime and Russian warplanes carried out strikes on residential areas in the Kafr Nouran, Kafr Naha, Jamiyat Rihal, Sheikh Ali, Urum al-Musghar, and Atarib areas, all of them in Aleppo province. Sources in the Syrian Civil Defense (White Helmets) said that the strikes killed nine civilians in Kafr Nouran village and three in Sheikh Ali, two in Urum al-Musghar, and three in Atarib, adding that the number of wounded was more than 30. Turkey, Russia and Iran reached an agreement in May 2017 for the de-escalation zone in Idleb province as part of the Astana negotiations on Syria. Despite the agreements and deals, the killing of civilians by Russia and the regime has continued, and the severity of military escalation by the regime has increased, with regime forces advancing after the agreement that was signed and the regime and its allies taking control over broad areas of the de-escalation zone areas, as well as increasing the number of people displaced to the border regions in search of more secure area. 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. Delhi Elections Result 2020 : AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has reached Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place to offer prayers following his party's thumping win in Delhi election 2020. The police has cordoned off the entire area owing to the security arrangements. According to the trends, AAP would clench 62 seats, while BJP will be contained to only 8. Congress will draw a blank and lose from every seat it had contested. Congratulatory messages have poured in for the winning party. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, DMK Chief MK Stalin and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray congratulated AAP and Arvind Kejriwal. Meanwhile, BJP has conceded defeat. BJP chief JP Nadda said that the party respects the mandate of the people of Delhi. BJP's Manoj Tiwari also said that they did not perform well and the results will be evaluated. He also asked the party workers to not get disheartened. The victorious Aam Aadmi Party has said that this is the first time a party has won on the basis of its work. Catch all the latest updates on the Delhi Elections Result 2020 on BusinessToday.In live blog. 10.06 pm: AAP wins 62 seats As the counting for votes concludes, AAP has emerged the undisputed victor with 62 seats to its name. BJP managed only 8 seats, whereas Congress was limited to none. 9.05 pm: Out of 70 seats in Delhi Assembly, AAP has won 58 and is ahead on 4 others, taking the tally t0 62. Meanehile, BJP has won 7 seats amd is leading in one constituency. 8.83 pm: Trends so far show AAP victorious on 55 seats, whereas it is still leading on 7 seats, bringing the total tally to 62 seats. Meanwhile, BJP has won 7 seats is ahead on 1 seat. 6.35 pm: PM Narendra Modi congratulated Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on the stellar show in 2020 Delhi Assembly elections. Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 11, 2020 6.26 pm: Arvind Kejriwal has won from New Delhi constituency. His party has won 38 seats so far, and is ahead on 24 others. 6.20 pm: ECI declares results for 40 out of 70 seats; AAP wins 37 The election commission of India (ECI) has announced results for 40 out of 70 seats in Delhi election 2020. AAP has won 37 assembly seats and is leading on 25 others. Whereas, BJP has won three seats and is leading on five. 6.15 pm: Manoj Tiwari reacts when asked by a reporter if he (reporter) should delete the screenshots of the tweets posted by Tiwari over Delhi elections. Watch Tiwari's reaction. #WATCH Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari, when asked by a reporter if he (reporter) should delete the screenshots of the tweets posted by Tiwari (over Delhi elections)? #DelhiResultspic.twitter.com/gMrQ53EJYg - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 6.10 pm: AAP victorious on 36 seats, BJP 3 as of 6 pm Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has won 36 seats and is leading on 26. Whereas, BJP has won 3 seats and is leading on 5 as of 6 pm. 6.04 pm: Actor Swara Bhaskar reacts to AAP's win in Delhi election 2020 Reacting to AAP's victorious lead in Delhi election 2020 Bollywood actor Swara Bhaskar took to Twitter to express her elation. "Dilli Meri Jaan! Phir sey pyaar ho gaya tum sey," Swara tweeted. Huge CONGRATULATIONS to You @ArvindKejriwal @msisodia @AtishiAAP @raghav_chadha @dilipkpandey @KhanAmanatullah and all other victorious Candidates and team of @AamAadmiParty," she further said in her tweet. Dilli Meri Jaan! Phir sey pyaar ho gaya tum sey!! - Swara Bhasker (@ReallySwara) February 11, 2020 5.56 pm: Delhi Election Results 2020: AAP's Atishi Marlena wins high-stake battle in Kalkaji Atishi Marlena of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won from the Kalkaji constituency in the Delhi assembly elections for 2020 in a high-stake battle against Dharamvir Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Shivani Chopra of Congress. Atishi won by a margin of over 11,000 votes against her closest rival Dharambir Singh. At one point, she was leading by just seven votes against her BJP rival. Atishi also faced stiff competition from Shivani Chopra, the daughter of Subhash Chopra, Congress President, Delhi. Read more here: Delhi Election Results 2020: AAP's Atishi Marlena wins high-stake battle in Kalkaji 5.45 pm: Arvind Kejriwal offer prayers at Hanuman Temple in CP AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and party leader Manish Sisodia offered prayers at Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. Delhi: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, his wife Sunita Kejriwal and party leader Manish Sisodia offer prayers at Hanuman Temple in Connaught Place. #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/lmIwEqAEPj - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 5.30 pm: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Temple in CP AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal has reached Hanuman Temple at Connaught Place to offer prayers following his party's thumping win in Delhi election 2020. Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal reaches Hanuman Temple at Cannaught Place to offer prayers. #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/srlNUN34UJ - ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 5.17 pm: Arvind Kejriwal to visit Hanuman mandir in CP shortly AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal will visit the Hanuman temple in Delhi's CP in a shortwhile from now as the party has registered a thumping win in Delhi election 2020. The police has cordoned off the entire area owing to the security arrangements. 5.10 pm: AAP victorious on 26 seats, BJP wins 2 as on 5.10 pm Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP as won 26 seats and is leading in 37 as per trends coming till 5.10 pm. Whereas, the BJP has won two seats and is leading in five. 5.00 PM: "We don't do politics of hate, we do politics of 'sabka saath sabka vikas'. Lot of things are said during elections but we never wanted that roads should be blocked for 60 days. We opposed that yesterday, we are opposing that today," said Manoj Tiwari. 4.53 PM: AAP shares images of Delhi government schools and Mohalla Clinics. Dear Delhi Govt schools and Mohalla Clinics, this is your victory. In the last 5 years, you've made Delhi proud. pic.twitter.com/qA9leDJhTA AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 4.51 PM: AAP wins 18 seats while BJP manages to secure only 1 seat so far. AAP is leading in another 45 seats while BJP is leading in 6 seats. Congress has managed to draw a blank. 4.47 PM: Manoj Tiwari on AAP's victory: "I thank the people of Delhi. I thank our party workers for their hardwork, they've done a lot. I accept the mandate of people of Delhi and congratulate Arvind Kejrwial. I hope he'll perform well as per the expectations of the people. We couldn't perform well. We'll evaluate this. Sometimes we get discouraged when results are not as per our expectations but I would like to tell our workers to not be disheartened...Compared to 2015 our winning percentage has increased." 4.43 PM: Visuals from Arvind Kejriwal's victory speech. "Delhi, you have done it," said Aam Aadmi Party. Delhi you have done it!!! For the first time in the history of India, an election has been won on the basis of work. pic.twitter.com/aPGms4Myfn AAP (@AamAadmiParty) February 11, 2020 4.41 PM: Sunita Kejriwal, wife of Arvind Kejriwal who celebrates her birthday on February 11 said, "It's the biggest gift I've received. This is the victory of truth. I think politics should be done on basis of issues. Political parties should learn that such comments shouldn't be made." 4.39 PM: Former Congress leader Urmila Matondkar congratulates AAP. Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal on sweeping victory against huge odds.Great to see victory of . Its also a victory of people of #Delhi as they show that we need to vote on d basis of Development n Progress for Progessive India.Bravo #DelhiResults#AamAadmiPartypic.twitter.com/FHGKhcoHIq Urmila Matondkar (@UrmilaMatondkar) February 11, 2020 4.37 PM: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on AAP's victory: "Congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party for an emphatic victory #DelhiResults. Wish you the best for making Delhi better than it is. People have spoken. Democracy has strengthened. Hopefully, acrimony will end." 4.32 PM: AAP wins in 13 seats, while BJP has managed to win in 1 till 4:30pm, according to the Election Commission. AAP is also leading in 46 seats, while BJP is ahead only in 6 seats. 4.30 PM: Raghav Chadha on AAP's victory: "People of Delhi have proven that Delhi's son Arvind Kejriwal isn't a terrorist but a true patriot. He's working for nation building, the work he's doing is what constitutes patriotism. What BJP is doing, isn't patriotism." 4.23 PM: A dejected Anil Vij, BJP leader said that in Delhi freebies won and issues lost. The AAP has breached the psychological mark of 63 while BJP has been contained to only 7 seats. 4.19 PM: Manoj Tiwari thanks voters in Delhi. He also took to Twitter to thank the workers for their work. 4.15 PM: Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on AAP's victory: "Leaving aside electoral issues, one must work and fulfill promises. We must steer clear of the level of politics which was there in Delhi Election. I congratulate Delhi for giving a decisive mandate fearlessly. I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal." 4.06 PM: BJP's OP Sharma secures Vishwas Nagar seat. He defeated Aam Aadmi Party's Deepak Singla by more than 10,000 votes. 4.00 PM: Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on AAP's victory: "AAP win in Delhi has shown the nation 'jan ki baat'. The people of Delhi have bursted the thought process of those who felt they were deshbhakts and those opposing them were anti nationals. Now it's not Mann ki Baat but Jan ki Baat that will rule the nations and people of Delhi have shown this. The so called nationalist government put in all the might yet couldn't stand in front of the broom." 3.59 PM: BJP concedes defeat. "The BJP respects the mandate given by the people of Delhi," said BJP chief JP Nadda. Jagat Prakash Nadda (@JPNadda) February 11, 2020 3.55 PM: AAP secures Seelampur constituency that recently witnessed intense anti-CAA protests. AAP's candidate Abdul Rehman defeats BJP candidate in the fray Kaushal Kumar Mishra by a margin of 27,887 votes. 3.54 PM: Tejaswi Yadav on AAP's victory: "I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. The mandate given by the people of Delhi has shown that they will vote on work and development." 3.44 PM: Lord Hanuman has blessed us, may god give us more strength to serve people of Delhi: Arvind Kejriwal 3.40 PM: Arvind Kejriwal thanks people of Delhi for reposing their faith in AAP for the third time; this is victory of Delhi people who considered me as their son and voted for us. 3.38 PM: Atishi on her victory: "Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in @AamAadmiParty and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhi's Govt. Schools the best in the country and now we'll make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi!" 3.36 PM: AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal greets party workers at party headquarters in Delhi. AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal greets party workers at party headquarters in Delhi. #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/h3ICwir27n ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 3.16 PM: AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal is expected to hold a press conference at the party headquarters at 3.30 PM. His party is head for a resounding victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections 2020. 2.58 PM: P Chidambaram on AAP's victory: "AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022." #DelhiElectionResults: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia shows victory sign as he leads from Patparganj assembly constituency https://t.co/OFVsRCy9ztpic.twitter.com/52CVfhPyUN ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 2.50 PM: AAP leader Manish Sisodia says the BJP tried a lot to divide people on the lines of Hindu-Muslims, but the people of Delhi have shown that they have rejected this narrative and want development. 2.45 PM: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia shows victory sign as he leads from Patparganj assembly constituency. #WATCH Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha celebrates with party workers as trends show he is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency. pic.twitter.com/KTDmilbjrV ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 2.37 PM: Aam Aadmi Party's Raghav Chadha celebrates with party workers as trends show he is leading from Rajinder Nagar constituency. -ANI 2.35 PM: Check Assembly-Wise Delhi Election Results 2.33 PM: Latest tally AAP: 61 BJP: 09 Congress: 0 2.32 PM: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has breached the psychological mark of 60, while BJP has been reduced to just 10 seats. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah had held several rallies in Delhi, primarily on the agendas of Citizenship Amendment Act. 2.27 PM: Congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. "Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country," says Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. 2.25 PM: Kapil Mishra, BJP candidate from Model Town constituency: "I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi." 2.00 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrates with wife Sunita as AAP takes big lead Delhi Election results. Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country. pic.twitter.com/oJYbH7YsA3 Pinarayi Vijayan (@vijayanpinarayi) February 11, 2020 1.47 PM: BJP MP Parvesh Verma has said the party accepts the result. "We will work hard and give a better performance in the next elections. If this election would have been on Education and Development, then Education Minister (Manish Sisodia) would not have been trailing." 1.42 PM: Amanatullah Khan, AAP candidate from Okhla: Dilli ki janta ne aaj BJP aur Amit Shah ji ko current lagane ka kaam kiya hai, ye kaam ki jeet huyi hai aur nafrat ki haar. Maine nahi, janta ne record (his lead margin) toda hai. 1.41 PM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders huddled at party office. Political strategist Prashant Kishor also present. AAP is leading on 58 seats as per official EC trends. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal celebrates with wife Sunita as AAP takes big lead #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/Ie2lKRVoyJ ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.37 PM: Manish Sisodia may lose his seat: Deputy CM of Delhi Manish Sisodia is trailing with a vote share of 47.75 per cent whereas BJP's Ravinder Singh Negi is leading with a vote share of 49.16 per cent. Sisodia's prime focus throughout his campaign was education and highlighting the initiatives taken by the AAP in the same regard. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Will Manish Sisodia lose his seat? 1.28 PM: With 'massive mandate', Delhi has said Kejriwal is 'not a terrorist': AAP leader Sanjay Singh With the early trends suggesting a third term for the AAP in Delhi, senior party leader Sanjay Singh said by giving a "massive mandate", people of the national capital have said that Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a staunch nationalist. Despite the BJP using all its might to wrest power in the national capital, the "son of Delhi" won, he said. -- PTI Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders at party office. Political Strategist Prashant Kishor also present. AAP is leading on 58 seats as per official EC trends pic.twitter.com/sZ5gR0kmBv ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.21 PM: Kejriwal for 2024? A poster of Arvind Kejriwal urging citizens to call on a helpline number to give their inputs for nation-building has been put up outside the AAP headquarters in Delhi. AAP started the outreach programme soon after the early trends poured in indicating a huge win for the party. Also read: Arvind Kejriwal vs Narendra Modi in 2024? AAP releases poster for nation building 1.15 PM: West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee congratulates Arvind Kejriwal: "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." 1.13 PM: DMK President MK Stalin congratulates Arvind Kejriwal on the massive mandate. "This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics," MK Stalin. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on #DelhiElectionResults: I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected pic.twitter.com/VgpX9TmoLs ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 1.09 PM: Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP from East Delhi: "We accept Delhi Election Results and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal." 1.05 PM: AAP brothers and sisters, when we win today, stay humble, stay grounded: Singer and musician Vishal Dadlani. I congratulate @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty for forming government yet again in Delhi,on a massive mandate. This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics. Federal rights and regional aspirations must be strengthened in the interest of our country. M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) February 11, 2020 12.57 PM: Political strategist Prashant Kishor meets Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal at the AAP office. AAP looks certain to retain power in Delhi. BJP MP from East Delhi, Gautam Gambhir: We accept #DelhiElectionResults and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal. pic.twitter.com/GO4HG7s5fI ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 12.54 PM: Prashant Kishor has thanked the people of Delhi for standing up to protect the "soul of India". Haare toh mehnat karenge, Jeete toh aur mehnat karenge. Not watching the counting. Too stressful. Will be back post-result. May whatever is best for India, happen.#AAP brothers & sisters, when we win today, stay humble, stay grounded. Jai Hind. VISHAL DADLANI (@VishalDadlani) February 11, 2020 12.52 PM: Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! 12.44 PM: As per the latest official trends, the AAP is ahead on 57 seats while the BJP is distant second on 13 seats. The Congress seems to have failed in securing lead. 12.42 PM: BJP chief Manoj Tiwari: "Now, all talk is over. Now, we have to wait for the blessings of the people. I am confident it will be a good day for BJP. We are coming to power in Delhi today. Don't be surprised if we win 55 seats." 12.32 PM: Aam Aadmi Party leader Sanjay Singh, while celebrating the party's victory at the party office, says 'Aaj Hindustan jeet gaya'. 12.27 PM: Cong leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury: "Common people have decided they will choose either BJP or AAP. It's a vote for development agenda...From PM to grassroots workers, it's been a fight between a giant and a pygmy and the pygmy has won." 12.16 PM: AAP's Amanatullah Khan trailing from Okhla: In Okhla, AAP's candidate Amanatullah Khan is trailing against the BJP's Braham Singh. Braham Singh has so far secured a vote share of 52.48 per cent, whereas Khan has secured a vote share of 40.42 per cent. 11.53 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia trailing behind BJP's Ravi Negi by 1576 votes, in Patparganj Assembly constituency. AAP'a Rajesh Rishi leading against Bharatiya Janata Party's Ashish Sood from Janakpuri, after 7 rounds of counting. 11.42 AM: Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal is leading by a margin of 6,413 votes against BJP's Sunil Yadav with 5,182 votes. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Political Strategist Prashant Kishor at AAP party office pic.twitter.com/Lxx4fbdMM7 ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 11.08 AM: Aam Aadmi Party appears to be heading back to power for a second term in Delhi with the party leading in 57 seats of the 70 and the BJP ahead in 13 as votes for last week's Assembly elections are being counted. 11.03 AM: AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi now leading from Model Town constituency. BJP candidate Kapil Mishra was leading earlier in the day. India Today-Axis My India exit poll had predicted a victory for Kejriwal-led party. Delhi Election 2020: Check Model Town Election Results 11.01 AM: Visuals of AAP workers celebrating in Amritsar. Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! Prashant Kishor (@PrashantKishor) February 11, 2020 10.59 AM: AAP leads with 52 seats while BJP distant second with 18 seats. 10.57 AM: Close contest between AAP and BJP in Patparganj. AAP's Manish Sisodia is at 4,945 votes, BJP's Ravi Negi at 4,983 votes so far. 10.56 AM: Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gahlot leading by 85 votes from Najafgarh constituency, as per Election Commission. 10.55 AM: AAP candidate Sanjeev Jha leading by 6,988 votes from Burari constituency. 10.51 AM: AAP's Pramila Tokas leading from RK Puram constituency: Election Commission 10.50 AM: Visuals from BJP headquarters. Maharashtra: Aam Aadmi Party workers in Mumbai's Andheri celebrate the party's performance in #DelhiPolls2020. pic.twitter.com/gSJH8F8vkf ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 10.48 AM: Congress MP AR Chowdhury said, "Everyone knew that Aam Aadmi Party will return to power for the third time. Congress's defeat will not send a good message. The victory of AAP against the Bharatiya Janata Party and its communal agenda is significant." 10.45 AM: Manoj Tiwari says he is ready to take responsibility of whatever happens. "I am ready to take responsibility for whatever the result is," he told India Today. 10.40 AM: According to Election Commission, AAP is leading on 45 seats, while BJP is trailing with leads on 19 seats. 10.38 AM: AAP's Jarnail Singh is leading from Tilak Nagar after first round of counting. 10.34 AM: Amid a huge gap between the BJP and AAP, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari has said that there is still time before counting of votes concludes. He also said as the BJP chief, he would accept the Delhi people's mandate respectfully. Punjab: Aam Aadmi Party workers in Amritsar celebrate as trends indicate lead for the party. #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/D7LUgACXkE ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 10.23 AM: Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra leading from Model Town by a margin of 98 votes; Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj by a margin of 112 votes. Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra has the daunting task of dethroning Aam Aadmi Party's incumbent MLA from Model Town Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. Latest visuals from Bharatiya Janata Party Headquarters. BJP is at 18 seats and AAP is at 50 seats as per official EC trends right now pic.twitter.com/EUxnIR4vJj ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 Also read: Model Town Election Results: BJP's Kapil Mishra aims to dethrone AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi 10.15 AM: Almost two hours after the counting of votes started in Delhi, the AAP has secured lead on 49 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls 2020. The BJP as of now is a distant second at 20 seats whereas the Congress is still at 0 seats. 10.03 AM: Official EC trends suggest AAP is leading on 22 seats while BJP is head on just 14 seats. 9.57 AM: Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is leading by a margin of 2,026 votes from the New Delhi constituency. Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vijender Gupta is trailing by 1,172 votes from Rohini. -ANI Also read: New Delhi Election Results: Arvind Kejriwal leads in early trends as AAP eyes third term 9.55 AM: Reversing trend after two days of fall, market indices Sensex and Nifty opened bullish, up 0.70% each on Tuesday, tracking following strong cues from global equities amid Delhi Election Result Day. Check full story here. 9.45 AM: People of Delhi have accepted our governance model. At the counting centre, right now, I can see I am getting double the votes as compared to the BJP candidate: Saurabh Bhardwaj Delhi BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari: Trends indicate that there is a gap between AAP-BJP, there is still time. We are hopeful. Whatever the outcome, being the State Chief I am responsible. #DelhiElectionResultspic.twitter.com/k2G7r0OGCu ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.42 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Madal Lal leading from Kasturba Nagar after first round of counting. 9.40 AM: Aam Aadmi Party's Saurabh Bhardwaj leading with a margin of 1,505 votes from Greater Kailash constituency, reports ANI. Saurabh Bhardwaj is one of the prominent candidates of the party. 9.35 AM: Celebrations have begun at the Aam Aadmi Party office in Delhi after initial trends suggested the party is leading by a huge margin in the national capital. #DelhiElectionResults: Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra leading from Model Town by a margin of 98 votes; Aam Aadmi Party's Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj by a margin of 112 votes. (file pics) pic.twitter.com/AOwR9ki4YE ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.30 AM: AAP candidate from Rajinder Nagar, Raghav Chadha, leading from Gole Market. The Rajinder Nagar constituency has witnessed a tough fight between 31-year-old Raghav Chadha from AAP and 25-year-old Rocky Tuseed from Congress and 58-year-old veteran RP Singh from BJP. While this is Raghav Chadha's first assembly election, he had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 General Elections from South Delhi. 9.27 AM: Aam Aadmi Party is leading on 24 of the total 27 strongholds of the party, says India Today. Burari: Leading Timarpur: Leading Mangolpuri: Leading Shalimar Bagh: Trailing Shakur Basti: Leading Model Town: Leading Sadar Bazar: Leading Karol Bagh: Leading Patel Nagar: Leading Madipur: Trailing Hari Nagar: Leading Tilak Nagar: Leading Vikaspuri: Leading Delhi Cantt: Trailing New Delhi: Leading Jangpura: Leading Kasturba Nagar: Leading Malviya Nagar: Leading Deoli: Leading Ambedkar Nagar: Leading 9.22 AM: Manish Sisodia leading from Patparganj: Going by the early trends, Manish Sisodia looks like he will retain the seat.Sisodia is contesting against BJP's Ravi Negi and INC's Laxman Rawat. Both Negi and Rawat are first-timers. Ravi Negi is also BJP ward president from Vinod Nagar. 9.08 AM: AAP MP Sanjay Singh: "Wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win." Aam Aadmi Party's Saurabh Bhardwaj: People of Delhi have accepted our governance model. At the counting centre, right now, I can see I am getting double the votes as compared to the BJP candidate. https://t.co/6jdOIL4MJy ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 9.00 AM: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj Assembly constituency Manish Sisodia and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ravi Negi at Akshardham counting centre. Sanjay Singh, AAP MP on early trends: Wait for the final result, we are going to register a massive win. #DelhiResultspic.twitter.com/XUHwuKbquC ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 8.53 AM: AAP leader Atishi leading in Kalkaji: Atishi has been widely credited for her role in the upliftment of government schools in Delhi. The Oxford University graduate said that education and health have been some of the primary issues of the Kejriwal government apart from women empowerment. 8.49 AM: The AAP headquarters has been decorated as initial trends suggest a big victory for the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. As per reports, the Delhi CM will arrive the headquarters along with his family soon. 8.43 AM: All real-time trends and results of Delhi Elections 2020 will be available on ECI's website results.eci.gov.in and voter helpline app. #DelhiElections: Delhi Deputy CM and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from Patparganj assembly constituency Manish Sisodia and Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Ravi Negi at Akshardham counting centre pic.twitter.com/VAlUKxWMQj ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 8.30 AM: Delhi Chief Minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal leads from New Delhi Assembly seat. Counting still underway. If AAP wins Delhi polls 2020 then Arvind Kejriwal would become chief minister of the national capital for third term. The majority mark in the 70-member assembly stands at 36. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today 8.23 AM: Early trends show AAP leading on 31 seats. The BJP is ahead on eight seats and Congress on three seats. 8.11 AM: BJP Chief Manoj Tiwari says he's not nervous. "Today will be a good day for BJP. Workers at the party headquarters have started preparing for celebrations." All real-time trends and results of Elections will be available on ECI's website https://t.co/kpYetPcU6R and Voter Helpline App from 8:00 am onwards on 11th February 2020. Stay updated! For more details, visit: https://t.co/HAPCkSGWxL#ECI#DelhiAssemblyElections2020pic.twitter.com/oaIFCQoulx Election Commission of India #SVEEP (@ECISVEEP) February 10, 2020 8.08 AM: Counting of votes begins, visuals from a counting centre in Maharani Bagh. 8.01 AM: Delhi Election Results 2020: Counting of votes starts The counting of votes has started for the Delhi Assembly polls 2020. The Delhi Assembly elections were held on February 8. The fate of 672 candidates across all 70 constituencies will be decided today. The Delhi elections were a tripartite contest between the Arvind Kejirwal-led AAP, the BJP and the Congress. 7.40 AM: Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and AAP leader Manish Sisodia offers prayers at his residence ahead of counting for Assembly elections. Sisodia says AAP is confident of a win because it has worked for people in the last five years. Counting of votes begins, visuals from a counting centre in Maharani Bagh. #DelhiResultspic.twitter.com/PzyFNLe9Em ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.33 AM: Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia tweets a prayer 'Asato Ma Sadgamya' (Oh god, lead me to light from darkness). Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia: We are confident of a win today because we have worked for people in the last 5 years. https://t.co/kBIW1zRSjHpic.twitter.com/eUuiVKSsk5 ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.18 AM: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked AAP volunteers not to burst crackers during victory celebrations to prevent pollution. 7.10 AM: Children showing their support for Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Counting for all 70 Assembly seats in Delhi to begin at 8 AM. ! Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) February 11, 2020 Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? 7.05 AM: Supporters of AAP convenor Arvind Kejriwal outside his house early morning on Tuesday. #DelhiElections2020: An Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporter reaches Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence with his children. Counting for all 70 assembly seats in Delhi to begin at 8 am. pic.twitter.com/jFG9M6VZ4W ANI (@ANI) February 11, 2020 7.01 AM: About 15,000 police personnel will guard the counting centres to ensure there's no untoward incident on the counting day. No one except authorised agents of political parties will be allowed enter the counting centres. Besides, the EC has deployed flying squads around headquarters of political parties. 6.55 AM: Delhi Traffic Police Update: Traffic movement will remain closed on Muni Maya Ram Marg near Guru Nanak Dev Institute of Technology (both carriageways) due to the counting of votes today. Traffic movement will also be closed on road number 224 Dwarka from Sector 7/9 crossing towards Sector 9/10. -- ANI 6.50 AM: Top candidates to watch out for in Delhi polls 2020 CONGRESS: Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Shivani, Yogananda Shastri, Priyanka Singh, Alka Lamba and Adarsh Shastri Haroon Yusuf from Ballimaran, Arvinder Singh Lovely, Shivani, Yogananda Shastri, Priyanka Singh, Alka Lamba and Adarsh Shastri BJP: Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, Jagdish Sharma, Sunil Yadav, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and Dharamveer Singh, Kapil Mishra Vijender Gupta, OP Sharma, Jagdish Sharma, Sunil Yadav, CM Arvind Kejriwal, Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga and Dharamveer Singh, Kapil Mishra AAP: Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chadha, Somnath Bharti, Atishi Marlena and Somnath Bharti 6.45 AM: How you can check Delhi Assembly Election Results To stay updated, the ECI's official website will have realtime information about the results. They will also be available on the Voter Helpline App. Apart from the ECI app and official website, the Delhi Assembly elections can be accessed live on BusinessToday.In,India Today TV, IndiaToday.In, AajTak TV.India Today and AajTak will begin live coverage anywhere between 6 am and 7 am. 6.42 AM: According to India Today-Axis My India survey, the Arvind Kejriwal-led party is expected to win 59-68 seats in the Delhi Assembly elections 2020. The BJP will once again remain a distant second with only 2-11 seats. The exit poll predicted that about 48 per cent voters shifted from the BJP to AAP since General Election 2019. The 48 per cent voters comprise a large chunk of the lower and lower-middle-class, segment, the survey said. Other exit polls, conducted by Times Now-IPSOS,Republic-Jan Ki Baat,ABP News, NEWSx and TV9 Bharatvarsh, also predicted that AAP is likely to secure over two-thirds majority in Delhi Assembly Elections 2020. Almost, every exit poll signalled that Kejriwal remained the most preferred choice as the Chief Minister of Delhi. 6.35 AM: The progress of vote counting can be tracked live across various platforms offered by the Election Commission of India. The counting of votes and results on individual seats will be declared live on Election Commission of India websites -- eciresults.nic.in, eci.gov.in and results.eci.gov.in. 6.30 AM: Trends on the Delhi Assembly elections will start coming in soon after the counting starts around 8 am. Readers can log on to BusinessToday.In to catch all the latest updates on the Delhi Election results. You can also go to IndiaToday.In or Aaj Tak for early trends on the polls. 6.25 AM: Flashback to Delhi Elections 2015 India Against Corruption and the hunger strikes with Anna Hazare introduced a former Indian Revenue Service officer Arvind Kejriwal into the world of politics in 2013. Arvind Kejriwal won the Delhi elections and dethroned the Congress in its stronghold of 15 long years. The verdict was split and Kejriwal had to resign from the post of CM. This led to presidential rule in Delhi and elections were held after two years. In these elections,the AAP swept the Delhi Elections 2015 with a landslide victory by winning 67 out of 70 seats. This election saw the saffron party reduced to merely 3 seats. The Congress did not win any seat in this election. Also Read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Date, vote counting time, FAQs, exit poll results 6.15 AM: AAP Okhla candidate Amanatullah Khan & Jangpura candidate Praveen Kumar gather outside Meerabai Institute of Technology in Maharanibagh, the designated 'Strong Room' to store EVMs used in Delhi Assembly Polls 2020. Members of an Indonesian family who escaped from the Islamic State group in Raqqa gather inside their tent at a refugee camp, in Ain Issa, Syria, July 24, 2017. A tearful TV plea by the young daughter of an Indonesian Islamic State (IS) fighter languishing in Syria has stoked a debate in Indonesia about whether the government should take back citizens and their children who traveled to the Middle East to fight for the terrorist group. For months, officials with Indonesias government have wrestled with the question of what to do with hundreds of citizens many of them women and children who have been confined to camps since Islamic States (IS) last bastion in Iraq and Syria fell in March 2019. But a BBC interview with Nada Fedulla, who said her father had taken her with him when he left Indonesia in 2015 to join the extremist group, has gone viral on social media since airing last week. It has added new fire to a national debate on whether citizens and their families who joined IS in Syria or Iraq should be allowed to return home. Agustinus, a Jakarta resident, said nobody had forced the Indonesians to go to the Middle East. Surely, they knew the risks, he told BenarNews. I dont believe they should be repatriated. Augustinus worried that people who had gone to Syria or Iraq would still hold onto radical ideas and not be able to tolerate citizens who disagreed with their ideology. I think people who have been exposed to such an ideology are difficult to change, he said. Who can guarantee they will not get involved again with terrorism after returning here? But others think Nada and others should get a second chance. Nasdiana, a Jakarta resident, said the interview touched her and she believed that Nada and people like her should be allowed to return. I can see that she is genuinely remorseful. They will have a better future if repatriated, she said. She said the government must prioritize women and children who live in Syrian camps, but those who fought for IS should be prosecuted. If they feel sorry, they can still be guided again to the right path, Nasdiana told BenarNews. In the interview from Syria, Nada recalled how she had dreamed of becoming a doctor in Indonesia but wound up in the camp in Syria, years after her father took her there when he left Indonesia to join IS. Now, the visibly remorseful Nada said, she wanted to return to her home country. Im really tired here. Were thankful if there are people who forgive me, she told a BBCNews correspondent as tears streamed down her face. On Wednesday, the day the interview aired, Indonesian President Joko Jokowi Widodo said that if it were up to him, he would not allow IS followers to return to Indonesia, but he said the government would make a decision on their fate after a meeting involving relevant institutions. Were still deliberating and soon we will decide, he said. Were weighing pros and cons. Everything must be considered carefully. If you ask me but we havent held an executive meeting over this Id say no [to their repatriation], the Coconuts news website quoted him as saying. Security minister Mahfud MD said a decision was likely to be made in May or June. Father: The craziest thing in my life Nada told the BBC that she was taken to Syria in 2015 by her father, Arif Fedulla, who was tempted by promises of a better life under ISs self-proclaimed caliphate. Her father is now a prisoner of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia who declared they had captured IS last bastion, the Syrian town of Baghouz, last March. The Indonesian government has said more than 600 citizens who joined IS in the Middle East were stuck in camps in the region. Nada said her father had apologized to her. Before I didnt know my father would bring us here. When I was in school, I really wanted to be a doctor and I really liked to study, Nada said in the interview. She said she had seen IS fighters display the bodies of their victims. Sometimes we saw they slaughter people and they [do] it on the street [to make] people see the heads and the bodies, she said. Nadas father said he regretted his decision to bring his child to Syria. The craziest thing in my life is bringing my family to Syria. Everyone makes mistakes in his life. And this is the biggest mistake in my life, he told the BBC. PKS: Many innocent little children IS once controlled a swath of land that spilled across the boundaries of Iraq and Syria until they were defeated by U.S.-led allied forces and the SDF, whose victory also ushered in a series of concerns, including extradition, rehabilitation or criminal trials for captured foreign fighters, as well as their wives and children. Pro-IS Indonesians entered Syria between 2015 and 2017, mostly through Turkey, according to security officials in Jakarta. In August 2017, Indonesia repatriated 18 citizens from Syria and subjected them to a month-long deradicalization program. Based on intelligence information, Indonesians in Syria are staying in three camps Al-Hol, Al-Ruj and Ain Issa where they are guarded by different groups, Suhardi Alius, chief of Indonesias National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), said Friday. There are three authorities the SDF, the Syrian government and the Kurdistan government, he told reporters in Jakarta, adding that most Indonesians at the camps were women and children. Suhardi said he had requested intelligence agencies in friendly countries help with the verification of the Indonesians. Citing humanitarian grounds, leaders of the opposition Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) called for the former IS members and their families to be repatriated. I feel sorry for them stranded there. Their children, their parents are there, Mardani Ali Sera, PKS central advisory board chairman, told reporters. Many of them are innocent little children. But, under the countrys citizenship law, those who left for Syria and joined IS lost their citizenship, according to one analyst. When they joined ISIS, they considered it as their country, therefore they willingly gave up their Indonesian citizenship, Hikmahanto Juwana, a lecturer of international law at the University of Indonesia, told BenarNews, using another acronym for IS. He said some of the Indonesians had intentionally destroyed their passports. In theory they are stateless, but they are not in Indonesia, he said, So the government does not need to be bothered about their citizenship. The most important and biggest trade show in the mobile world, the Mobile World Congress (MWC) is set to kick off in Barcelona Spain on February 24-27, 2020. However, major tech companies, Amazon and Sony have pulled out of the said congress due to the coronavirus outbreak. Following their move are LG, ZTE, Nvidia and Ericsson which have recently pulled out of the MWC due to the same reasons. In a statement that Amazon released through TechCrunch, they advised that they will withdraw their participation and exhibits at the MWC 2020 due to issues concerning the spread of the 2019-nCoV. Sony, on the other hand, posted a statement in their website saying that they have been in close monitoring of the progression novel coronavirus outbreak, which the World Health Organization (WHO) has declared as a global emergency on January 30. In addition, Sony said that the well being and safety of its customers is their utmost concern; thus, they have decided to withdraw from the trade event in Barcelona. Also read: Over 7,000 Tourists Quarantined in Japan and HongKong Cruise Liners for Coronavirus While Amazon did not have a consumer-focusing presence at the MWC historically, Sony usually releases its latest mobile devices in the congress. This year Sony was supposed to launch its latest Xperia phone in Barcelona. However, Sony advised its customers not to worry because they will still be holding a Press Conference on February 24 to launch the newest Xperia and reveal news about its products through the Xperia Youtube channel, 8:30 AM (CET). On the other hand, TLC also released a statement that they will also cancel their press event during the MWC but emphasized that they will still participate in other activities in MWC including the release of their products in their booth. Despite major mobile companies pulling out of the event, the organizer Groupe System Mobile (GSM) or more commonly known as Global System for Mobile Communications, advised that they will still go through with MWC 2020. According to the GSMA, there will be increased medical support and disinfection measures put out during the event. There will also be a "no handshake policy" and speakers will be subjected to a new protocol regarding microphone changes. The GSM Association has also released a statement that no travelers from Hubei Province, China, the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak will be allowed to enter the event. While those who have traveled in China will need to provide proof that they have left the country 14 days before coming to Barcelona. Major companies have dropped out of the MWC 2020 wherein most of these are based in China. Thus, a rather large delegation is expected from China, however, given the circumstances that is unlikely to happen. With two weeks to go before the event, it's still unknown if other companies will follow the lead of Sony and Amazon and pull out of the event as well. If this happens, this may result in MWC 2020 not being as huge as it was in the previous years. Regardless of the assurance of the organizers and the precautions that they have taken to prevent nCoV from affecting the event, it already has. Related article End of the World: Coronavirus Continues to Spread, Ignites More Apocalypse Talks @ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. Mayor Jim Kenney speaks during the Annual Chamber of Commerce Mayoral Luncheon at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. Kenney addressed issues facing the city and outlined his priorities for his next term. Read more Following high-profile clashes between the business community and City Hall in recent years, Mayor Jim Kenney made the case Tuesday that Philadelphias government is pro-business, touting efforts to cut regulations and lure companies to the city. Lets please put to rest once and for all that Philly is bad for business," Kenney said in his annual speech to the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Philadelphia. Companies, including those who have the power and money to be anywhere in the world, are investing in Philadelphia like never before. Thats why Im asking you to join us as we continue to change the narrative and show the world that Philadelphia is in fact open for business. But, Kenney said, growing the citys economy must involve more than cutting red tape for businesses. Our administration is pro-growth, Kenney said. But it is important that we harness that growth in a responsible way. We need only look at the homelessness and housing crises in cities like San Francisco and Seattle to see the potential impact of growth that is not inclusive of everyone. Kenneys defense of the citys business climate effectively served as a rejoinder to comments made last year by Comcast executive and political power broker David L. Cohen, who told 6ABC that recent pro-worker legislation approved by City Council and supported by Kenney is hostile to business. Cohen, who announced last year he will be stepping back from his operational role at Comcast to become an adviser to CEO Brian Roberts, is a former chair of the chambers board. Comcast is seen as the most influential company in the chamber. The mayors speech during the chambers luncheon at the Convention Center is often a preview of sorts for the administrations budget proposal to City Council. Kenney will deliver his budget address to Council on March 5. Kenney, who coasted to reelection last year, reiterated many of the goals he laid out during his inauguration for a second term last month: reducing violence, improving schools, and bringing street sweeping to every neighborhood. Many in the business community are attempting to recalibrate their relationships with City Hall by taking a more collaborative approach and changing the perception that the chamber is out touch with regular Philadelphians. READ MORE: Big business in Philly campaigned for real change. Change came but not the kind it wanted. Independence Blue Cross CEO Dan Hilferty, the current chair of the chambers board, said Kenneys goals align with recent initiatives like the chambers Neighborhood Growth Project. We must reduce not only the burdens on business, but also the burdens of crime and poor health, Hilferty said as he introduced Kenney. It is very clear we have a shared destination. Despite the notes of harmony at Tuesdays event, there are several policy debates in which the business community may again clash with city officials. On the first day of their new four-year term, councilmembers last month introduced proposals to strengthen enforcement of rules meant to protect workers, to require employers to offer paid family medical leave, and to consider rent-control legislation. The most sought-after attendee of the chamber luncheon did not give a speech. Glad-handers swarmed new Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, who was on her second day on the job, as politicians and business leaders mingled before the mayors address. Kenney jokingly thanked her for being the center of attention. Its the first time in five years no ones talked to me. They all came surrounding her, Kenney said during his speech. I could eat my lunch. One of the most galling things that the left has done is to block Immigration and Customs Enforcement by creating so-called sanctuaries to protect known criminal illegal aliens from arrest. The phrase "sanctuary city" (or sometimes "sanctuary state") is something of a misnomer because while these places are sanctuaries for criminals who are being released back into the community, they're anything but sanctuaries for the communities ravaged by those same aliens. Early on, the Trump administration tried to withhold federal funds from California as a way to block it from declaring itself a sanctuary. The problem was that California rushed into federal court, where a friendly activist judge immediately issued a nationwide injunction. It wasn't until July 2019 that the Ninth Circuit reversed that decision, and then only on narrow grounds. Suddenly, after three years, the Trump administration is moving aggressively against the sanctuary city/state problem. It began last week, when the administration announced that it was prohibiting New York state residents from participating in programs such as Global Entry and NEXUS, which allow low-risk travelers to enter the U.S. more easily. This was a response to New York's new law allowing it to issue driver's licenses to illegal aliens. More significantly, the law prohibits the DMV from sharing data with the federal government. That last was a bridge too far. Without the DMV information, the federal government says it can no longer determine whether people holding New York licenses are, in fact, low-risk travelers. The reality is that illegal aliens are not low-risk. When David Brooks called out President Trump for telling "bogus" stories about illegal aliens during the State of the Union speech, Heather Swift, a DHS spokesperson called him out with actual facts instead of mere opinions: From your own paper, the story @POTUS shared in the SOTU. A 92 year old woman was savagely raped and murdered by an illegal alien NYC refused to turn him over to @ICEgov after he was arrested for assault. https://t.co/EOHhQW5f72 Heather Swift, DHS spokesperson (@SpoxDHS) February 10, 2020 Here's a video of a mother whos teenage son was murdered by an illegal alien, begging for stronger enforcement of immigration laws nationwide. https://t.co/Snf7B3Lcxk Heather Swift, DHS spokesperson (@SpoxDHS) February 10, 2020 An illegal immigrant targeted a woman he previously raped once he was released from custody in Oklahoma after authorities failed to honor an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer https://t.co/e99dr4vAFp Heather Swift, DHS spokesperson (@SpoxDHS) February 10, 2020 The administration's challenge to New York is only the beginning. On Monday, in a speech to the National Sheriffs' Association, Attorney General Bill Barr announced that the administration will act aggressively to take to end cities' and states' flouting of federal law: "Let us state the reality upfront and as clearly as possible," Barr began. "When we are talking about sanctuary cities, we are talking about policies that are designed to allow criminal aliens to escape. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society. Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. This is neither lawful nor sensible." Also on Monday, the DOJ began filing federal suits seeking injunctive orders barring cities and states from engaging in the sanctuary charade. The first cases were filed in New Jersey and Washington State. So what changed? The probable answer lies with something Trump said the day after his acquittal, when he held a public celebration at the White House. During the event, Trump called out and honored all the people who stood by him. When it came to Mitch McConnell, in addition to praising McConnell's steady hand during the Senate impeachment hearings, as well as McConnell's intelligence, Trump had something else to say: And he's also given us 191 now. (Applause.) A hundred and ninety-one federal judges. Two Supreme Court judges, right? It's up to 191. (Applause.) True. And just last week, one of those two Supreme Court justices, Neil Gorsuch, issued a concurring opinion in which he warned district court judges that, in the future, the Supreme Court will almost certainly crack down on their habit of imposing nationwide injunctions. What this means is that, for the first time in his presidency, Trump has the wind at his back in the federal courts. The Trump administration can finally do the forum-shopping that the left has perfected over the years. Instead of looking for judges who ignore the law in favor of activist outcomes, though, Trump's administration will be able to argue its cases before judges who look for guidance to the Constitution, the law as written, and precedence. This is the time, therefore, to start pressing against lawless regional administrations. It's likely that judges constrained by law will rule against the so-called sanctuaries, in which case leftist governments will have two choices: stop acting as sanctuaries, which is the ultimate goal, or ignore the rulings, in which case Trump has strong footing to move harshly against them, whether through severe economic sanctions or other creative acts. Curious just how far your dollar goes in Houston? We've rounded up the latest places for rent via rental sites Zumper and Apartment Guide to get a sense of what to expect when it comes to scoring apartment rentals in Houston if you're on a budget of up to $900/month. Take a peek at what rentals the city has to offer, below. (Note: Prices and availability are subject to change.) Hoodline offers data-driven analysis of local happenings and trends across cities. Links included in this article may earn Hoodline a commission on clicks and transactions. 9801 Meadowglen Lane (Westchase) Listed at $802/month, this 758-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment is located at 9801 Meadowglen Lane. In the apartment, you can anticipate a dishwasher and hardwood flooring. The building offers a gym and on-site laundry. Good news for animal lovers: The property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area isn't very walkable, is fairly bikeable and has good transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 5219 Richmond Ave. (Greater Uptown) Next, there's this one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment over at 5219 Richmond Ave. It's also listed for $802/month for its 725 square feet. The building has a swimming pool. In the apartment, you can expect a dishwasher, hardwood flooring and a walk-in closet. Pet lovers are in luck: This property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is somewhat walkable, is relatively bikeable and has good transit options. (Take a gander at the complete listing here.) 2750 Wallingford Drive (Westchase) Next, check out this 634-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's located at 2750 Wallingford Drive. It's listed for $803/month. The building offers a swimming pool. In the unit, expect to see a balcony, in-unit laundry and a dishwasher. Good news for pet lovers: The property is both dog-friendly and cat-friendly. The rental doesn't require a leasing fee. According to Walk Score's assessment, the area around this address is moderately walkable, isn't particularly bikeable and has good transit options. (See the complete listing here.) 6505 Westheimer Road (Mid West) Located at 6505 Westheimer Road, here's a 706-square-foot one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment that's listed for $791/month. The short-stay rental comes with a dishwasher, in-unit laundry and a balcony. When it comes to building amenities, expect garage parking. For those with furry friends in tow, this property is pet-friendly. There isn't a leasing fee associated with this rental. Per Walk Score ratings, the surrounding area is friendly for those on foot, is bikeable and offers many nearby public transportation options. (Check out the complete listing here.) 1370 Afton 39th (Spring Branch East) Here's a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment at 1370 Afton 39th that's going for $805/month. When it comes to building amenities, expect a gym and assigned parking. You can also expect to see a dishwasher and a walk-in closet in the unit. Pet owners, inquire elsewhere: This spot doesn't allow cats or dogs. Future tenants needn't worry about a leasing fee. According to Walk Score, the area around this address is somewhat walkable, is relatively bikeable and has some transit options. (See the full listing here.) This story was created automatically using local real estate data from Zumper and Apartment Guide, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about what we're doing. Additionally, if youre in the real estate business learn how to do local real estate advertising in your ZIP codes. Got thoughts? Go here to share your feedback. Church leaders raise concerns over Christianitys future in Iraq Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment The Islamic State has been defeated and bombings and kidnappings have also decreased, but Iraqs Christians still dont find the cradle of Christianity livable and continue to leave the country that has now become a land of militias, causing concerns among church leaders. St. Josephs parish in Baghdad once had 5,000 families, but the number has now reduced to 150 thanks to a mass exodus in the last decade to the West. They feel there is no peace, law or justice here in Baghdad, and that our country has become a land of militias, the parish priest, Father Nadheer Dako, told The Telegraph. A parishioner, Nasib Hana Jabril, further explained, It is true that people are no longer getting kidnapped as much, and the Islamic State is gone. But the infrastructure of the country has been ruined, and people want a better future, not so much for themselves but for their children. Christians are also concerned about their safety, as they dont have traditional tribal networks for self-defense. We have no tribe here, so if things go wrong, there is nobody here to help us, the parishioner revealed. Dako, who earlier served as a priest in London, confirmed what the parishioner said. Returning here from London after six years, I've noticed how the quality of education in Baghdad has gone down in nearly all the primary schools. The new generation just have very little hope of making a life here anymore. If Christians continue to leave, Dako fears, Will there still be a Christian community here in Baghdad in 2050? The persecution facing Christians and other minorities in Iraq is unprecedented, said Loay Mikhael, head of foreign relations for the Chaldean Syriac Assyrian Popular Council, on Wednesday at the National Prayer Breakfast sideline event on religious persecution worldwide, co-hosted by the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C., and 21Wilberforce. He explained that because of persecution at the hands of the Islamic State, also known as ISIS or IS, the Christian population in Iraq dwindled from 1.5 million to just 250,000. He said his own family was forced to relocate due to persecution. We are all over the world, he said, not because of our choice, but because we were forced to flee. The challenge is tremendous. After IS was driven out of Iraq, Christians hoped that life would return to normal and be prosperous once again, Mikhael said. Yet, thousands remain displaced, jobless and traumatized with life taken from them in the presence of the international community. Mikhael criticized the Iraqi government for its inaction, explaining that no official has tried to do something tangibly on the ground to bring those communities back to their lives. Its really unspeakable, he said. I believe, to restore the dignity, you need to create jobs, you need to improve security He urged the international community to make efforts to improve life for Christians, Yazidis, and other minorities in their home countries instead of accepting thousands of refugees every year. People want to stay, he stressed. Nobody wants to leave. Last year, some media outlets, including ProPublica, criticized the U.S. Agency for International Development for giving a grant to help restore the Nineveh Plains and strengthen communities victimized by IS, claiming that USAID could be in violation of the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution for favoring Iraqi Christian groups for grants in a predominantly Muslim country. However, some religious freedom advocates said they felt that criticism of USAID funding going to these groups was an attempt to turn Americas bipartisan desire to aid religious minority communities decimated by IS and on the verge of extinction into a partisan issue. It is irrational, immoral and inconsistent with international human rights theory and policy to argue that the United States should not be helping Christians or a religious group targeted with religious genocide by ISIS, international human rights lawyer Nina Shea, a senior fellow with the conservative think tank Hudson Institute, told The Christian Post. Their conclusion is that the U.S. should not be helping religious genocide survivors because they are a religious group even though they were targeted for religious reasons. Before the Trump administration came to power in 2017, USAID funding for Iraq was funneled through the United Nations. But many advocates spoke out about how aid funding that was sent to the U.N. was not making its way to help thousands of displaced Christians. Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil, whose Kurdistan-based archdiocese sheltered and fed thousands of displaced Christians afraid they would be persecuted at U.N. displacement camps, was on the forefront of speaking out about how little to no aid was going to help the displaced families his archdiocese was caring for. Math anxiety is a persistent challenge for teachers in K-12 classrooms. Brainerd High School in Minnesota is no exception . Three 9th-grade algebra teachers at the schoolEunice Peabody, Janelle Menzel, and Alexis Marcelohave taken several steps to counteract that anxiety, including online assessment, personalized learning, and credit recovery. Perhaps the core of the groups approach, though, is a daily video, between 10 and 20 minutes long, that summarizes the contents of the class session and walks students step by step through sample problems. Education Week got the math teaching team on the phone to talk about overcoming math anxiety and using technology tools to help students achieve their potential. Here are five tips they shared: Establish strong bonds with your colleagues. If all three teachers had to record their own lessons each day, the workload would be unbearable. Instead, the trio coordinates their lessons day by day so theyre always teaching the same material at the same time. Then they take turns recording the video for the days recap. The idea of recording a spiel every single day for every single homework assignment all year long, that would be a daunting task, Menzel said. By being committed to collaboration, and being really clear with each other on what our learning targets are, the standards that we want to assess, we have cultivated a curriculum that we all have been involved in. Students also benefit from hearing different teachers approaches to similar materialsome might connect more with one teachers comments than the other. Know your audience. The idea to create daily videos gained steam once the school district transitioned to a 1-to-1 computing environment a few years ago. Students often said they felt teachers went through material too quickly in class, or that they understood the lesson while in school but couldnt remember the process once they got home. Parents told the teachers they often couldnt help their students because they werent there during the school day. Now parents and students watch the videos together. It allows us to almost trick the students into some additional class time because we get to explain it further, Menzel said. The videos are also useful for students who are absent, and for students with disabilities, who get the opportunity to rewind and pause at their leisure. Their case managers love having that resource because it allows them an opportunity to get direct instruction from the people in the math classroom, Peabody said. Dont be afraid to change your approach at the midway point. At first, the teachers uploaded videos to YouTube and then created a QR code that would be pasted onto each homework assignment students received during class. But that meant the teachers had to finish the videos and create the QR codes before each assignment was due. If something wasnt lining up perfectly, you couldnt print until the last second, Marcelo said. After more research, the teachers switched to Screencastify , which allows them to record their voices while using an electronic pen over PDFs to demonstrate concepts with help from OneNote or SmartNotebook. Screencastify has a subscription service but the Brainerd teachers use the free version. Its okay to be nervous. Marcelo in particular doesnt enjoy being on camera. That is why they opted not to use the version of the software that would require them to appear in front of students. But their voices are recorded. The most nerveracking aspect of the endeavor, though, is the amount of time it takes. All three teachers said they usually complete the videos after school or on the weekendeach one takes between 45 minutes and an hour up to four times the length of the video itself. Thankfully, its typically only one of these per week, Marcelo said. Thats what it averages out to, because were sharing all the rest with each other. Take one step at a time. For schools without much precedent for projects of this kind, Menzel recommends experimenting with it for a single unit of a course first, before committing to doing it year round. Peabody said the project became more rewarding once the team had standardized its assignments and assessments. Theyre still working towards a common curriculum that theyll reuse year after year, which will substantially reduce the number of new videos they have to produce. Our job is to provide as many resources as possible for students to grow, said Marcelo. We recognize that it is helping students grow and change their outlook. Climate change is spurring a new, deep dive into a complex, little-studied weather system blamed for creating billions of dollars in flood damage across the western U.S. Atmospheric rivers are narrow ribbons of concentrated moisture that originate in the Pacific and can flow thousands of miles before dropping rain and snow on land. Scientists are ramping up their research into the systems this winter fearful that warmer temperatures tied to climate change will boost the moisture they carry, supercharging them moving forward. Hurricane hunter planes are set to fly at least 12 missions directly into the systems, double last years number, to gather a wide range of meteorological data. At the same time, 100 new ocean buoys will monitor how the systems form. The goal: Better warning processes to stave off flooding. It is 100% completely saturated air, said Rich Henning, a flight director for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who conducts onboard weather observations. If youre ever wondering how six feet of snow can fall in the Cascades in one day, this is exactly how all that moisture is transported. The systems flow between 1,000 and 2,000 feet above the surface, with 80 mile-per-hour winds pushing the water vapor through the air, Henning said. Last week, crews from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Air Force Reserve flew into an atmospheric river that traveled from Hawaii to the Pacific Northwest. The NOAA flight took off as the system bore down on their airport near Portland, Oregon, said Lieutenant Commander Ron Moyers, the pilot. The plane was wrestling with turbulence and icing almost as soon as the wheels left the runway, he said. Once in the air and over water, the NOAA crew dropped about 30 sensors from a height as high as 45,000 feet, the upper end of the Gulfstream IVs ceiling, Henning said. Slowed in their decent by small parachutes, the sensorscalled dropsondesmeasure temperature, moisture, wind and air pressure, data that will later be assessed by scientists at NOAA and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. A study released in December by Scripps and the Army Corps of Engineers found that atmospheric rivers caused 84% of the flood damage suffered in 11 western states over 40 years through 2017. The average annual cost: $1.1 billion, according to the report. In a warmer climate, the study concluded, atmospheric rivers will be more intense as they become wetter, longer, and wider; there is some indication that this is already happening. It wont take much of a temperature change to boost their moisture content, according to John Dickson, a flood researcher who is the chief executive officer of Aon Edge, a Montana-based flood insurance provider. A rise of just 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit can boost water vapor in the air by 7%, he said. Our world continues to change and our land use practices are constantly evolving, Dickson said., Yet we rely on risk management tools that are decades old to navigate the current times. Besides helping forecasts in the western U.S., the new data will have international significance, since the rivers can originate in oceans worldwide. There has been an amazing amount of research on the hurricane problem and tornadoes and noreasters, said Marty Ralph, a Scripps scientist. But it turns out atmospheric rivers are a real issue on the West Coast, and they have not really had that much attention. Ralph sees the new research as critical. One of the fundamental findings on the science of climate change in the West is the increasing likelihood of extremes, both plus and minus, he said. The results cant come soon enough for Curt Aikens, general manager of the Yuba County Water Agency in Marysville, California. California can get half its water from the storms, according to NOAA. Getting advanced warning on the size of an atmospheric river and where it will hit could let managers make room in reservoirs to absorb an expected deluge, or keep water intact they might have released needlessly, Aikens said. They also can affect snowpak in the mountains, increasing the water flowing into streams and rivers longerterm. Twenty years ago I would wait to see the rain hit the ground and see the runoff before the decisions were made, Aikens said. With the new data, we can make decisions days ahead of the arrival of the storm. About the photo: A storm darkens the sky at the mouth of the Russian River, north of Bodega Bay, Calif. The storm was driven largely by an atmospheric river over California. Photo courtesy of NOAA. Copyright 2022 Bloomberg. Good shows often have mediocre pilots the nature of pilots usually makes them awkward (too much exposition and the characters arent developed, for example). So when you watch a pilot that isnt any good, how do you decide how much of a chance to give it? Joanna The difference between a bad pilot with potential and a bad pilot without is often execution versus taste. Some jokes dont land, some moments are overly broad, some characters a bit too reminiscent of an actors previous role those all feel conquerable to me. Trafficking in bland stereotypes, demonstrating a lack of imagination or relying on anonymous, naked dead women as vague motivation all feel more urgently terrible. They didnt achieve what they were going for is easier to look past than the thing they are going for is bad. There are always going to be genre hiccups: Shows that have high-concept premises or unusual settings often suffer from pilot-itis, but as a viewer I know they wont explain the world in every episode. Sitcoms often have the day everything changed pilots, but presumably the new character will be warmly subsumed into the rest of the ensemble in the second episode. Great pilots still exist in both of these formats for example, Battlestar Galactica and Cheers but I am more likely to forgive a familiar failure. I also try to look at the world the show is set in, if I can imagine myself spending more time there. On the pilot of Madam Secretary, were meant to find drama in the protagonist agonizing over whether to become secretary of state. We know that she will do it, because that is what the show is going to be! Ugh. But I liked a lot of the characters, and I liked the vibe, and I like hopeful political stories and that turned out to be a show I enjoyed tremendously. Jussie Smollett in his February 2019 mugshot Jussie Smollett has been indicted by a special prosecutor in Chicago, nearly a year after the initial charges against him over an alleged hoax attack were dropped. A Cook County grand jury hit the Empire actor with six counts of disorderly conduct on Tuesday for allegedly staging a racist and homophobic hate crime and lying to police about it. Special prosecutor Dan Webb announced the charges against Smollett and said that the further prosecution of the actor is in the 'interest of justice'. It is now more than a year since Smollett claimed he was attacked at 2am on January 29, 2019 while walking to a Subway near his Chicago home to buy a sandwich. He told police his attackers called him racist and homophobic slurs and that they appeared light-skinned. Nigerian brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo were then identified by police as the people he'd said attacked him. The pair knew Smollett and told the authorities he paid them to attack him in a staged incident to allegedly boost his celebrity profile and salary. Brothers Abel (left) and Ola (right) Osundairo told police Smollett paid them to stage the attack 'This is clearly all about politics not justice': Full statement from Jussie Smolletts Attorney Tina Glandian This indictment raises serious questions about the integrity of the investigation that led to the renewed charges against Mr. Smollett, not the least of which is the use of the same CPD detectives who were part of the original investigation into the attack on Mr. Smollett to conduct the current investigation, despite Mr. Smollett's pending civil claims against the City of Chicago and CPD officers for malicious prosecution. And one of the two witnesses who testified before the grand jury is the very same detective Mr. Smollett is currently suing for his role in the initial prosecution of him. After more than five months of investigation, the Office of the Special Prosecutor has not found any evidence of wrongdoing whatsoever related to the dismissal of the charges against Mr. Smollett. Rather, the charges were appropriately dismissed the first time because they were not supported by the evidence. The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook County State's Attorney election is clearly all about politics not justice. Advertisement Smollett was then hit with a 16-count grand jury indictment and faced more than 50 years behind bars until State's Attorney Kim Foxx suddenly dropped all the charges last March in exchange for him doing community service. It was a decision that blindsided and outraged Chicago's former mayor Rahm Emanuel and former Chief of Police Eddie Johnson. Smollett, who has all along insisted he is innocent, then sued the city for malicious prosecution. His attorney Tina Glandian issued a statement Tuesday saying: 'The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook County State's Attorney election is clearly all about politics not justice.' There have been various rounds of civil litigation, but the cases have been delayed because it has been so difficult to identify an impartial prosecutor. Webb was eventually brought in to examine the case. The saga began on January 30 last year when it emerged that Smollett claimed he had been the victim of a racist, anti-gay attack. At the time, it seemed he had been walking home from Subway in the middle of the night after returning home late on a delayed flight when he was approached. He told police afterwards his attackers identified him from the show he was on, Empire, and called him both the N-word and 'f****t'. He said they beat him, poured bleach on him then put a noose around his neck. Smollett went back to his apartment where his friend, Frank Gaston, was. It was Gaston who insisted they call police. When officers arrived, the actor refused to hand over his phone. He went to the hospital to be checked over but had no major injuries. Smollet pictured suffering injuries to his face in the hospital after the alleged attack This is a police photo of the rope used to create the noose in the alleged attack The Chicago Police Department vowed to investigate the incident with all its might, and celebrities around the world rushed to share their support of Smollett. He became a household name almost overnight. But as the police investigation progressed, leaks began from within the police department that all may not have been as it seemed. As the controversy grew, Smollett - determined to make his case - went on Good Morning America where he cried and insisted he was telling the truth. By then, Chicago PD had released grainy surveillance camera footage of two men walking near the scene of the incident itself which was among the only part of his journey not captured on Chicago's vast network of security cameras that night. Chicago Police have released 69 hours of video related to Jussie Smollett's alleged hate crime case on Monday including footage of him wearing a noose he claimed his assailants threw on him. Smollett pictured above muzzed wearing the noose Smollett unequivocally identified the two men in the grainy footage as his attackers. Neither their faces nor skin color could be made out in it. Unbeknownst to him while he was conducting his GMA interview, the Chicago PD was building a case against him. They had identified the people in the video as the Osundairo brothers and had backed-up their belief by tracking the pair's movements in the days and hours both before and after the incident. Smollett was eventually arrested and charged with suspicion of lying to police. The brothers flew to Nigeria within hours of the January 29 incident and missed the media storm which followed. The Empire actor (left) had claimed that he was attacked by two men who launched racial and homophobic slurs at him and threw a noose on him. Police later determined that he staged the attack and charged him with filing a false police report and those charges were later dropped by Cook County prosecutor Kim Foxx (right) When they landed back in the US, police investigators were waiting to question them. After hours of secret interviews, they told cops that Smollett had paid them to carry out the attack as part of an elaborate hoax. Special Prosecutor Dan Webb was appointed in August to examine what occurred in the case Smollett was then arrested. In an extraordinary press conference afterwards, then police chief Eddie Gallagher accused him of inflaming race relations in Chicago and of wasting police time. He bellowed that Smollett had tried to leverage the 'attack' to get his bosses at Empire to pay him more. Despite police outrage, prosecutor Kim Foxx was quiet. The case then went to a grand jury which returned a stunning, 16-felony indictment that would have put Smollett behind bars for more than 50 years if he had been convicted. By then, Foxx had informally recused herself from the case. Her conflict of interest was that in the early days of the police investigation, she intervened at the request of Smollett's family and their friend - Time's Up CEO Tina Tchen - who wanted the FBI to take over the police investigation. JUSSIE SMOLLETT TIMELINE January 29: The 'hoax' attack outside Smollett's apartment in Chicago occurs. January 30: A wave of public sympathy rushes over Smollett, until then a relatively unknown actor February 14: After a series of unfavorable leaks from the Chicago PD, Smollett goes on Good Morning America to plead his case. Unbeknownst to him, brothers Abel and Ola Osundairo are being interviewed by police after returning from Nigeria. February 20: Smollett is arrested and accused of lying to police. He is bailed out on a $10,000 cash bond. March 7: Grand jury indicted Smollett March 26: Charges dropped April 11: Chicago sues Smollett for $130,000 - the cost of the investigation August: Dan Webb is appointed special prosecutor November: Smollett counter-sues, alleging malicious prosecution February 11, 2020: Reports emerge that Dan Webb has charged Smollett Advertisement They said they were worried by the number of leaks that had come from the Chicago PD and asked Foxx to help. She said she would try. After the grand jury indictment, the case stalled for a few weeks. Then, in March, Foxx's deputy Joseph Magats - who had taken over - announced the decision that the charges against Smollett had been dropped. Foxx had intervened again, it emerged, and pointed to what they called 'alternative prosecution' whereby Smollett, a first-time offender, was let off with a $10,000 bail forfeiture and community service. There was outrage and calls for Foxx to be investigated herself for prosecutorial misconduct. As judges and special prosecutors for that task were tossed around, the city came out swinging in civil court. They sued Smollett, asking him to reimburse them for all the money they said they'd wasted investigating what they believed were bogus claims. Smollett counter-sued, accusing the city and Eddie Gallagher of malicious prosecution. He lost his job on Empire and became a pariah in the showbiz world he was allegedly trying to ascend through. Webb was appointed in August to investigate why Foxx's office had dropped the charges. He himself faced criticism and claims of another conflict of interest when it emerged he had donated $1,000 to Foxx's re-election campaign once. Photo: iStock Here's the most recent top news you may have missed in Chicago. Voter registration error risks deportation for some immigrants Read the full story on AP. 23 shot, 9 fatally, over weekend Read the full story on ABC Chicago, WLS. Iconic Chicago bakery Gonnella halts fresh bread deliveries Read the full story on Eater Chicago. Alderman demands US Postal Service hire more Spanish-speaking workers Read the full story on ABC Chicago, WLS. City seeks federal help after storms cause millions in damage on lakefront Read the full story on ABC Chicago, WLS. 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. Some immigrants could face deportation or criminal charges after a mistake in Illinois automatic voter registration system allowed hundreds of people who identified themselves as non-U.S. citizens to register. Sixteen cast ballots. Four of the deadly shootings happened within a 12-hour period Saturday, while three others occurred in under an hour early Sunday. Suburban bakery Gonnella Baking Co. is laying off 40 workers and transitioning from fresh bread production and delivery to selling frozen dough, the Chicago Tribune reported. Alderman Byron Sigcho-Lopez is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to make changes he says are necessary for the community. An F/A-18 Hornet aircraft sits on the flight line as a wall of fire detonates behind it during an air show at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, Calif., Oct. 3, 2010. WASHINGTON The Defense Department is asking Congress for $705.4 billion in its fiscal 2021 budget, $13 billion less than what Congress gave the Pentagon in fiscal 2020. The White House released the broad details of President Donald Trump's budget proposal for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1, which seeks a colossal $740.5 billion for national defense. The Pentagon's portion of the budget is comprised of a $636.4 billion base and an additional $69 billion for overseas contingency operations funding, aka the war budget. Under the Trump administration, the Pentagon's budget swelled from $670 billion in 2018 to $712 billion in 2020. Palmdale, CA (93550) Today Sunny. High 63F. Winds NNE at 10 to 20 mph. Stronger winds in and below canyons and passes.. Tonight A mostly clear sky. Low 32F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Syracuse, N.Y. -- Flooding along Great Lakes shorelines could be even worse than the record flooding set in 2017 and 2019, the federal government said recently. Levels of all five lakes, including Lake Ontario, are higher now than they were a year ago, setting the stage for a third year of floods, said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The corps urges those impacted by the high water levels of 2019 to prepare for similar or higher levels again in 2020, corps officials said in a news release. The most recent six-month forecast of Great Lakes water levels shows water levels continuing to be well above average and near record high levels over this period. Rick Cavallaro, who owns a camp on Port Bay, said hes not surprised by the corps announcement. Back in October, Cavallaro was already concerned that high water levels then could spell problems again in spring and summer. I was out at the cottage a week ago to check on things and we could be somewhere around 2 feet higher than we should be, he said. No ones happy about it. According to corps data, the level of Lake Ontario is about 20 inches higher the long-term average, and about a foot above the same time last year. The lakes tend to rise with spring rain and snow melt, then slowly decline after peaking in early summer. All three of the upper Great Lakes -- Superior, Huron and Michigan -- hit record levels in January, and could remain at record levels through July, said Keith Koralewski, a technical adviser with the Army corps office in Buffalo. Ontario is close to record highs, but were not there yet, Koralewski said. Certainly levels are going to rise. The million dollar question is are they going to be higher than 2017 or 2019. That we dont know. The corps said excessive rain is the main reason for the high levels, with many Great Lakes cities enduring record rainfall last year. Four of the eight states that border the Great Lakes -- Michigan, Minnesota, Illinois and Wisconsin -- just had their wettest year on record. Precipitation in the other four states, including New York, was much above average, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Those are based on water years," which is Nov. 1 to Oct. 31. A mild winter has also led to higher water, the Army corps said. The warmer than normal temperatures in January led to greater runoff and reduced evaporation across much of the Great Lakes basin, the corps said. The joint U.S.-Canada board that adjusts the level of Lake Ontario said the volume of water released from January 2017 to December 29 was the highest of any 36-month period on record, but the water keeps coming back in. Total inflows were also the highest on record, the International Lake Ontario-St. Lawrence River Board said this month said in a news release. Lake Ontario shoreline residents suffered record flooding in 2017, only to be hit with even worse flooding last year. New York state and residents say the board hasnt done enough to lower levels, giving priority to shipping when it should have been more worried about residents. The state has filed a lawsuit, and a citizens group is preparing one. READ MORE Water is flowing out of Lake Ontario at record pace. So is the water flowing in Lake Ontario water level remains high, residents worry about more spring floods Is climate change to blame for Lake Ontarios alarming water levels? Late winter and spring is a period of seasonal rise on all of the Great Lakes due to increased rainfall and runoff. Water levels typically peak in the summer or early fall. Significant erosion continues in many locations as water levels remain extremely high. Strong storm systems and resulting large waves have led to substantial erosion along much of the Great Lakes coastline. Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) founder Kamal Haasan on Tuesday greeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for the ruling AAP's victory in the Assembly elections there, saying the voters have chosen "progressive " The actor expressed confidence that Tamil Nadu will "follow suit next year," apparently hinting at the assembly polls due in the state in 2021. "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal Ji on winning Delhi again. The righteous people of Delhi have embraced progressive and have shown the way by voting AAP to victory," the actor-politician said in a tweet. Tamil Nadu "will follow suit next year," he said, adding "Lets march towards honesty and growth. #ReImagineThamizhNadu." Kejriwal and Haasan are said to share close ties and the AAP supremo was present at the launch of the MNM in Madurai in 2018. The two leaders have also had a couple of meetings in the past in Delhi and here. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) An artistic rendition of DARPAs Hypersonic Technology Vehicle (HTV-2). The Chinese regime recently held its fourth test of a hypersonic missile. (DARPA) Pentagon Keeps Focus on Modernizing to Counter China in FY2021 Budget Request The Pentagons budget proposal for fiscal year 2021 keeps the U.S. military on course to counter China and Russia, boosting hypersonic missiles, nuclear modernization, 5G technologies, and missile defense, as well as the newly minted Space Force. After three years of ramped-up military spending, the proposal is virtually flat at $740 billionjust $2 billion more than the current year. The Department of Defense request is technically $705 billion, but another $35 billion is earmarked for a sister agency that handles nuclear weapons. The White House announced its 2021 FY budget proposal of $4.8 trillion on Feb. 10. The 2021 budget request must now run the gauntlet of Congress, which has ratcheted up annual military spending by over $100 billion since 2017 but had already set a cap on the 2021 proposal. The latest proposal supports the irreversible implementation of the 2018 National Defense Strategythe Trump administrations military game plan, the Pentagon says. That plan points to countering China and Russias rising military prowess as the top priority, pivoting away from the rolling demands of counter-insurgency toward modernizing for the next-generation warfighting environment. The budget we are submitting today builds on the last four years by continuing our focus on the National Defense Strategy priorities of nuclear modernization and homeland defense, while refining our focus on the cyber and space warfighting domains and joint enablers for all domain operations, acting Under Secretary of Defense (Comptroller) Elaine McCusker told reporters on Feb. 10. According to the Pentagon, the budget proposal also advances critical technologies including hypersonics, microelectronics/5G, and artificial intelligence. Hypersonics are the latest military super-power brag, already touted by Russia and Chinaa new type of missile that is able to maneuver at high speed and potentially dodge anti-missile defenses. A latecomer to the hypersonic race, the United States is rushing to overtake its rivals. The budget proposal puts aside $3.2 billion to invest in hypersonicsa 23 percent increase on the previous year. The Pentagon is also asking for an almost 20 percent increase in spending to upgrade the nuclear deterrenttotaling $28.9 billion (pdf). That request includes a new $4.4 billion Columbia-class nuclear submarine. The Space Force, which was established late last year, gets a 28 percent increase in the budget request. The Ohio class USS Florida sails off the coast of the Bahamas on Jan. 22, 2003. (David Nagle/U.S. Navy/Getty Images) The Smallest Military Since 1940 At $106.6 billion, the research, development, test, and evaluation request is the largest in 70 years, according to the Pentagon. The Trump administration inherited a military that had been operating under destructive spending caps, Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist told reporters at the budget proposal briefing. That left the United States with its smallest military since 1940, along with key munition shortages, low readiness levels, and an outdated nuclear deterrent, he said. At the same time, we are grappling with a new warfighting environment, given the reemergence of great power competition from Russia and China, he said. One thing had become evidentwars of the future were going to be radically different than the short conventional wars and protracted counterterrorism operations we have fought since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Because of bipartisan support, he said in the past three years, the Pentagon received the increased funding needed to rebuild and modernize the military. The spending ramp-up stopped last year, with Congress having already locked in the FY 2021 flatline budget in their 2019 defense authorization act. But the Pentagons thirst for modernization is unquenched. That means that we had to make additional tough choices and major cuts in some areas in order to free up money to continue to invest in preparing for the high-end fight, Norquist said. A Defense-Wide Review (pdf) had harvested over $5 billion in savings for the year 2021. Trapped Between the New and Old The militarys pivot away from a counter-insurgency outfit is hampered by Cold War legacy systems and old maintenance-heavy equipment. Thats especially so for the Air Force and the Navy, with their slow-build, big-ticket items that can get battered in the political winds. The military is trapped between the high costs of maintaining out-of-date equipment and the high costs of buying new gear. For example, at 28 years old, the average age of Air Force fighter planes is higher than at any point in the history of the service. The average age of bombers is around 45 years. Older equipment isnt just behind the tech curveits also more expensive to maintain. The Pentagons FY 2021 budget request would retire a portion of its B-1 bombers, A-10 Warthog attack planes, RQ-4 Global Hawk surveillance drones, KC-135 and KC-10 tankers, and C-130H planes. According to the White House, the budget supports the Department of Defenses effort to divest $20 billion of legacy systems. By shedding older and less capable aircraft, surface ships, and ground systems, DOD can more effectively focus resources to modernized platforms and systems that support both high-intensity conflict and operations in highly contested environments, according to a White House statement (pdf). Adding to the difficulty of budget choices is the changing military challenge. China and Russia have built up their militaries specifically to counter the dominance of major U.S. military investments that once assured dominance. For example, a question mark hangs over the future role and numbers of U.S. aircraft carriers, the acting secretary of the Navy recently indicated, as he said the force will shift to a fleet that relies less on the military muscle of large ships. The Navy and Air Force cutbacks and changes dont go as far as making the difficult choices some strategists suggest will be needed, and effectively kick the can down to the political crossroads of the November election. The Navy budget doesnt yet reach the goal of a 355-ship fleet, which the Pentagon is committed to working toward by law. The U.S. Navy, the future USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), underway on its own power for the first time in Newport News, Va., on April 8, 2017. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ridge Leoni/U.S. Navy via Getty Images) The Navy budget proposes cutting its shipbuilding budget by $4 billion. According to the Army, its budget request continues to bolster its six modernization priorities: long-range missiles, next-generation lift (helicopters), soldier lethality, next-generation combat vehicles, missile defense, and improved network. The Marine Corps, which is reinventing itself as an expeditionary force to counter China in the Pacific, would lose over 2,000 active-duty Marines. Meanwhile, the Navy would grow in numbers by about 5,300. (Newser) A fascinating story in the Washington Post sounds like the far-fetched plot of a spy thriller. But it's all true: The piece details how the CIA, with help from West Germany, was able to read the secret communications of other nations with surprising ease for more than 50 years. It seems these nations paid a Swiss firm called Crypto AG for equipment used to safeguard the communications of spies and diplomats. The company got its start with code-breaking machines in World War II, then evolved to remain on top of the field. Here is the takeaway in the Post: What "none of its customers ever knew was that Crypto AG was secretly owned by the CIA in a highly classified partnership with West German intelligence," writes Greg Miller. "These spy agencies rigged the companys devices so they could easily break the codes that countries used to send encrypted messages." story continues below The newspaper, in tandem with German broadcaster ZDF, got the scoop by obtaining a classified CIA report on the now-defunct program. It was the intelligence coup of the century, the CIA report says. Foreign governments were paying good money to the U.S. and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries. The lengthy story notes that Germany left the partnership in the 1990s, but the CIA kept it going until 2018. Of note: Neither Russia nor China were customers of Crypto, but the US was able to glean info on both from nations friendly to them, including Iran. Read the full story, which includes interviews with Western officials who ran the secret program. (Read more spying stories.) Ronald Regan handed Margaret Thatcher top secret hacked communications between Argentinian military commanders at the time of the Falklands conflict in 1982, new documents have shown. The Central Intelligence Agency and the West German BND Federal Intelligence Service were running a major Swiss communications company which sold encryption equipment to governments around the world. The company, Crypto, supplied equipment to 120 countries - including many in South America and India and Pakistan. The CIA hacked Argentinian generals during the Falklands conflict in 1982 and handed the intelligence over to Britain, new documents have shown The CIA and the German spy agency Bund had helped establish a Swiss encryption company, Crypto, pictured, following the Second World War. This company sold communication encryption equipment to governments around the world US President Ronald Reagan, pictured at Camp David in Maryland with British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, authorised the CIA to hand over the top secret intercepts to London in 1982 to assist in the prosecution of the war Officials in those governments were unaware that US and German spies had backdoor access into their communications systems. According to the Washington Post, Margaret Thatcher was one of the beneficiaries of the intelligence. The Argentinian junta relied on Crypto equipment which was being intercepted by US spies and passed onto the British. Following the war, the Argentinian government was convinced, quite rightly, that their secure communications had been intercepted. However, the CIA, using the front company, managed to convince them that it was an alternative system which was flawed, rather than the According to the secret CIA history: 'After the Falkland Islands War, the Argentines discovered that the British and Americans had broken their systems. 'The furious Argentines summoned Henry (a Swedish maths professor named Kjell-Ove Widman, who ran the firm on behalf of the CIA and the German Bund) to Buenos Aires to explain. 'The matter was not simple, said Henry, but it appeared that NSA had broken an analog speech system these systems were notoriously weak, he said, but the CAG 500 systems were unbreakable. The bluff worked. The CAG equipment.' The CIA has not confirmed the nature of the information passed between Washington and London. Citing a classified internal CIA history of what was originally called operation 'Thesaurus' and later 'Rubicon,' the reports said that in the 1980s the harvest from the Crypto machines supplied roughly 40 percent of all the foreign communications US codebreakers processed for intelligence. Meanwhile, the company took in millions of dollars in profits that went to the CIA and BND. 'It was the intelligence coup of the century,' the history says, according to the Washington Post. 'Foreign governments were paying good money to the US and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries.' The BND had no immediate reaction to the story. CIA spokesperson Timothy Barrett declined to comment on it. Crypto AG was founded by Russian-born entrepreneur Boris Hagelin who fled Scandinavia to the United States in 1940 when the Nazis occupied Norway. He had created a portable mechanical encryption machine that could be used in the field, Some 140,000 were produced for US troops during the war by the Smith Corona typewriter company in New York. After the war Hagelin moved to Switzerland and began producing more advanced encryption machines American spies worried would allow governments everywhere to shield their communications. But the premier US cryptologist, the National Security Agency's William Friedman, persuaded Hagelin to restrict sales of his most advanced machines to countries approved by Washington, while older machines - with penetrable encryption - were sold to others. When integrated circuits replaced mechanical encryption in the 1960s, the NSA helped Hagelin design new machines, which included coding that US cryptologists knew how to crack. When Hagelin sought to retire, the United States headed off a French government effort to buy his company and arranged its own takeover. In 1970, the US and Germany reached a deal to take it over for $5.75 million - with the stipulation that the French be excluded. They then controlled virtually all Crypto AG's operation, hiring the staff, designing the technology, and directing sales. The intelligence operation underlying Zug-based Crypto Ag had long been suspected and was alluded to, but never proven, in documents that surfaced decades ago. The company's true ownership was masked by front companies in Liechtenstein registries. While scores of countries bought Crypto's coding machines, the top Western adversaries, Russia and China, never trusted them. Apparently nervous about being exposed and uncomfortable with the CIA's aggressive targetting of both friends and rivals with Crypto machine sales, BND pulled out of the relationship and the CIA bought its shares in the 1990s. Bernd Schmidbauer,former secret service coordinator for the German government, confirmed the story to ZTE. 'The Rubicon operation clearly contributed to making the world a little safer,' he said. With online technology, including advanced encryption apps, now more powerful than the kind of machines that Crypto AG made, the CIA finally sold the company in 2018, the Post reported. It was broken into two companies. Its Swiss-client business remained in Zug under the new name CyOne, and the international business and company name were taken over by Swedish investor Andreas Linde. The Swedish company, Crypto International, called the news reports 'very distressing.' 'We have no connections to the CIA or the BND and we never had,' the company said in a statement on its website. 'We are currently assessing the situation and will be commenting once we have a full picture.' Carolina Bohren, a Swiss Defense Ministry spokeswoman, said the government was informed of the Crypto AG case last November and has named a retired federal judge to investigate. Meanwhile the country has suspended export licenses for Crypto's successor companies. 'The events in question began in 1945 and are difficult to reconstruct and interpret today,' Bohren said. When most people think of a guillotine, they think of rivers of blood flowing during the French Revolution and during Hitler's ascendancy in Germany (when he guillotined around 16,500 people). Civilized countries do not decapitate people to gain political power. Nevertheless, Bre Kidman, an attorney who is challenging Senator Susan Collins for her Senate seat in Maine, has decided that a stylized image of a guillotine is the perfect logo for its campaign. (Kidman claims not to be either male or female and adopts the pronouns "they or them." This is consistent with Progressive demands that individuals who call themselves non-binary should be accorded plural pronouns. That, however, is a grammatical bridge too far. The English language has a perfectly good singular pronoun for things and people that are neither male nor female: "it.") Of course, Kidman contends that the guillotine is merely symbolic. It's not a call for actual blood; it's just a suggestion that, if Kidman and the Left generally do not get the change they demand, there might be blood: "The guillotine is an image which calls to mind what people have done for revolution before," said Kidman, an attorney who's running for the seat held by Republican Sen. Susan Collins. "If we can find a better path to revolution than that we owe it to ourselves and our country." [snip] "We're not going to start a guillotine in Monument Square (in Portland) and start beheading people," Kidman said. "It's a symbol of the work we have to do to overcome flaws in our system flaws that have become deeply evident in the last few weeks." The guillotine will decorate the "merch" that Kidman plans to hand out to supporters: I was gonna wait until tomorrow to show off these beauties, but Trump got acquitted and I feel like folks could use something to look forward to. So. Get ready for Merch-You-Cant-Buy! You shouldnt buy elections, so you cant buy our locally silk screened, upcycled merch. pic.twitter.com/B0A4HSvDIw brekidmanforMaine(D) (@BeeKay4ME) February 5, 2020 While Kidman may think it's cute and edgy to co-opt an instrument of mass murder for its Senate campaign, the reality is that Leftists are already bringing their thuggery to the streets. Once on the streets, what's just a stylized t-shirt in Maine is Bernie Bro James Hodgkinson trying to murder 24 Republican congressmen in 2017. It's a crazed man intentionally driving a van into a tent where Republican voters were being registered. And it's Antifa thugs, hundreds of Antifa thugs, acting out all over America: Update: The woman, who is a left-wing demonstrator, was shoved toward traffic by antifa because she was accused of calling the police. https://t.co/Hpgqkt3tLT Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 10, 2020 Video recorded by antifa writer Shane Burley shows the mob harassing, assaulting & pepper spraying local citizen journalist Brandon Brown. Brown was attacked & robbed by antifa militants for recording them in Olympia, Wash. in December. https://t.co/jC6I7aRcVs pic.twitter.com/flERgVLfKm Andy Ngo (@MrAndyNgo) February 8, 2020 We already know from James O'Keefe's undercover videos that American leftists, echoing leftists in revolutionary France and National Socialist Germany, like violence, see it as the ultimate political weapon, and are toying with the idea of a guillotine. The fact that Kidman dresses this up with cutesy emojis ranging from the rainbow flag to the American flag to a pretty rose does not change the threat inherent in that guillotine logo. These threats should not be ignored. Despite losing the White House in 2016, the left is, in some ways, more organized than ever. Karin McQuillan argues compellingly that, thanks to Obama's efforts, including shaking down banks and handing their money over to activist groups, today's Marxists are "well-funded and highly trained." The only way to tamp them down without full-scale war is to administer such a drubbing to them in November that they slink away, much as they did in 1968. The World Health Organization asks countries to be as aggressive as possible in combating virus. The World Health Organization (WHO) has said a vaccine for the coronavirus could be ready in 18 months, as the UN health body announced that the official name for the virus would be COVID-19. The announcement came as the death toll in mainland China reached more than 1,000, after 108 people died from the virus on Monday the highest daily toll since the outbreak began late last year in the central Chinese city of Wuhan. The total number of deaths on the mainland was 1,016, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday, while 42,638 infections have been reported. The vast majority of deaths and infections are in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. Two deaths have been recorded outside mainland China one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. At least 25 countries have confirmed cases and several nations have evacuated their citizens from Hubei. Here are the latest updates: Tuesday, February 11 Germany confirms two more cases Germany has confirmed two more cases of coronavirus in the southern state of Bavaria, raising the overall total to 16. The two new cases are related to infections among staff at a company in the Starnberg district west of Munich, the Bavarian health ministry said. Car supplier Webasto said last month that a Chinese employee had tested positive for the virus on returning to China following a visit to the headquarters near Munich. The employee apparently infected several German colleagues during the visit. Read more about which countries have confirmed cases here. US health official hopeful some evacuees may be released from quarantine today An official from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said she hoped the first group of US citizens evacuated from Wuhan could be released from quarantine today. Dr Anne Schuchat, the CDCs principal director, told a news conference at the National Press Club in Washington that 195 people who arrived in the US on January 29 are being assessed, and she is hopeful they will travel home on Tuesday after 14 days in quarantine. World must consider coronavirus public enemy number one, WHO says The WHO has asked countries to be as aggressive as possible in fighting the newly-named COVID-19 coronavirus. If the world doesnt want to wake up and consider the virus as public enemy number one, I dont think we will learn from our lessons, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. We are still in containment strategy and should not allow the virus to have a space to have local transmission, he said. WHO says vaccine could be ready in 18 months The first vaccine targeting the coronavirus could be available in 18 months, so we have to do everything today using available weapons, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in Geneva. He also announced that the new name of the virus would be COVID-19, explaining it was important to avoid stigma and that other names could be inaccurate. If we invest now we have a realistic chance of stopping this outbreak, Tedros said. New coronavirus will be named Covid-19: WHO World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said COVID-19 would be the new official name for the deadly coronavirus. We now have a name for the disease and its COVID-19, Tedros told reporters in Geneva, explaining that co stood for corona, vi for virus and d for disease. Read the full story here. BREAKING "We now have a name for the #2019nCoV disease: COVID-19. Ill spell it: C-O-V-I-D hyphen one nine COVID-19" @DrTedros #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/Kh0wx2qfzk World Health Organization (WHO) (@WHO) February 11, 2020 US allows government staff to leave Hong Kong The United States has authorised the voluntary departure of US government employees and their family members from Hong Kong, the State Department said. According to a department spokesperson the authorisation was made out of an abundance of caution related to uncertainties associated with the coronavirus. Departure is not required and the US consulate in Hong Kong remains open to the public. Xi: Coronavirus prevention, control work having positive results Chinese President Xi Jinping said that Chinas prevention and control work on the new coronavirus is having positive results, and the country will win the battle against the virus, state media reported. China will be more prosperous after the battle against the virus is won, the report cited Xi as saying. Xis comments came a day after he made his first public appearance since the outbreak began [File: Aly Song/Reuters] Situation in Chinas Huanggang remains severe: Communist Party The Communist Party boss of Chinas Hunggang city, which has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak said the situation in the city was still severe. It continues to face shortages of medical supplies such as face masks and protective goggles, Liu Xuerong told a news conference carried live on state television. UK team tests coronavirus vaccine on mice A team of UK scientists believe they are among the first to start animal testing of a vaccine for the new coronavirus. Researchers at Imperial College London said their ultimate goal was to have an effective and safe way of halting the strains spread by the end of the year. At the moment we have just put the vaccine that weve generated from these bacteria into mice, researcher Paul McKay told AFP. Were hoping that over the next few weeks well be able to determine the response that we can see in those mice, in their blood, their antibody response to the coronavirus. Indonesia says it has nothing to hide with no cases detected Indonesias health minister said the country is not hiding anything, after some medical researchers expressed concern that coronavirus cases may have gone undetected in the worlds fourth most populous country. While the virus has quickly spread from China throughout much of the rest of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond, the sprawling Southeast Asian archipelago of more than 260 million people has not recorded any cases. We have kits to check coronavirus and theyre certified nothing is concealed, Health Minister Terawan Agus Putranto said after a cabinet meeting in Jakarta. Researchers have expressed surprise that no cases have been recorded in Indonesia [Willy Kurniawan/Reuters] Second plane carrying evacuees from China arrives in Canada A second plane carrying 185 Canadian evacuees from Wuhan has landed at an air-force base in Trenton, Ontario, CBC news reported. GMs South Korean unit to suspend output for two days General Motors South Korean unit said that it plans to suspend production at one of its factories on February 17 and 18, becoming the latest automaker affected by a Chinese parts shortage stemming from the coronavirus outbreak in China. The affected line, located in the city of Bupyeong near Seoul, produces the Chevrolet Trailblazer crossover for export to the United States and other markets and domestic sales, she said. Novacyt biotech company says winning race for high-speed virus test Franco-British biotech company Novacyt says it can offer a coronavirus test that is faster than rival methods by focusing on a narrow sequence of DNA coding, as it fights stiff competition to turn the outbreak into a business opportunity. Novacyt shares have risen by almost 400 percent so far this year after it said it had designed a test able to detect the coronavirus in less than two hours. Current testing, which can also identify other strains, can take up to a day. The test has not received regulatory approval but Novacyt hopes to receive a green light from the European Union next week and has applied to the United States Food and Drug Administration for emergency use. Malaysia drafting stimulus for tourism, retail and aviation Malaysia is crafting a stimulus package for tourism, retail and aviation industries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said, after a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. Todays meeting discussed specifically the impact of the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak on the countrys economic growth, the ministry said in a statement. Among the sectors identified are the services sectors such as the tourism, retail and aviation industries. Two Japanese evacuees confirmed infected Two Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan have been diagnosed with the infection after initially testing negative, the health ministry said. One of the two, a man in his 50s who returned on the first Japanese evacuation flight on January 29, previously twice tested negative for the virus. However, a third test 12 days later found the man who has been isolated in his hotel room since his return was infected. The second evacuee, a Japanese man in his 40s, returned from Wuhan on January 30 and initially tested negative for the virus, but was diagnosed after a second test on Monday. Chinas top virus expert says outbreak may peak this month Chinas coronavirus epidemic may peak in February and then plateau before easing, the governments top medical adviser on the outbreak said. In an exclusive interview with Reuters news agency, Zhong Nanshan, a leading epidemiologist who won international fame for his role in combating the SARS epidemic in 2003, said the situation in some provinces was already improving, with the number of new cases declining. Zhong, who had previously predicted an earlier peak, said the forecast was based on modelling and developments in recent days, as well as government action. Zhong Nanshan rose to national prominence during the SARS outbreak [Thomas Suen/Reuters] WHO: Coronavirus emergency holds a very grave threat for world The coronavirus outbreak poses a very grave threat for the rest of the world, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said in an appeal for sharing virus samples and accelerating research into drugs and vaccines. With 99 percent of cases in China, this remains very much an emergency for that country, but one that holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world, WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in opening remarks to a meeting of more than 400 researchers and national authorities, including some participating by video conference from mainland China and Taiwan. German car supplier to reopen HQ German auto parts supplier Webasto will on Wednesday reopen its headquarters close to Munich, it said, after eight of its employees contracted the new coronavirus. Workspaces, meeting rooms, kitchen facilities and sanitary installations were cleaned and disinfected before workers return, the company added. South Korea raises concerns over Hong Kong travel South Korea will implement strict quarantine screening on people arriving from Hong Kong and Macau beginning on Wednesday, the countrys health authority said. Jung Eun-kyeong, head of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, told Yonhap News Agency the decision was taken as the possibility of an inflow of coronavirus patients from such regions heightened. Taiwan advises against Hong Kong, Macau travel Taiwans government raised its travel warning for the new coronavirus, advising people not to visit Hong Kong or Macau unless they have to, and to take precautions if going to Singapore or Thailand. Singapore expects up to 30 percent drop in visitor numbers The Singapore Tourism Board said it expected visitor numbers to the city-state, the location of one of the worlds busiest airports, to take a significant hit of up to 30 percent because of the virus. Beijing has banned the departure of tour groups in response to the outbreak, while neighbouring countries have imposed restrictions on Chinese visitors. Visitors from China made up a fifth of Singapores 2019 total, with tourism accounting for almost six percent of gross domestic product (GDP). Thailand records one more case of coronavirus A health official from Thailand said the country had recorded its 33rd case of coronavirus. The new case is a 54-year-old Chinese woman from Wuhan who was put in quarantine after coming into contact with another Chinese virus patient while in Thailand, said Suwanchai Wattanayingcharoenchia, the director-general of the Department of Disease Control. Officials in Bangkok give out masks free of charge as a preventive measure against the coronavirus [Soe Zeya Tun/Reuters] The 33rd patient got sick from contact and her condition is not severe, Suwanchai said. Ten of the infected people have recovered and returned home, while 23 are still being treated in hospital Hong Kong urges people to stay at home Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam on Tuesday appealed for residents to stay indoors as much as possible. As part and parcel of enhancing social distancing we are making an appeal to the people of Hong Kong to stay at home as much as possible, Lam told reporters. But at the moment, were making this appeal, were not going for compulsory closures because Hong Kong is a free society. Parts of Hong Kong, including restaurants, shopping malls and cafes, are almost deserted as people work from home and schools remain closed. Taiwan urges Philippines to lift Taiwan travel ban Taiwan urged the Philippines on Tuesday to lift a travel ban on its citizens after Philippine airlines cancelled flights to Taiwan following a government ban on all foreigners travelling from the island. Ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou made the comments at a regular news briefing in Taipei, adding that some Taiwanese were stranded at airports in the Philippines as a result of the ban. Senior Hubei health officials removed from posts: report Chinas state broadcaster CGTN said two senior health officials from the worst-affected province of Hubei had been removed from their posts. #Hubei removes director and Party secretary of provincial health commission from posts https://t.co/OLWAYJlsK4 CGTN (@CGTNOfficial) February 11, 2020 Vietnams coronavirus cases climb to 15, baby infected Vietnam confirmed its 15th case of the new coronavirus on Tuesday, a three-month-old baby, infected by her grandmother. The infant tested positive for the virus on February 9, the ministry said in a statement. It said 10 out of 15 confirmed cases are from the northern province of Vinh Phuc. Vietnam has made plans to quarantine hundreds of its citizens returning from China, including 950 at military camps outside Hanoi, and 900 at temporary facilities on the Vietnam-China border. Hong Kong health officials say four people from evacuated building have symptoms Four people evacuated from a building in Hong Kong where a man and a woman were confirmed with the coronavirus both lived have shown symptoms of the flu-like virus, a government official said on Tuesday. About 100 people were evacuated from the block in the early hours of the morning. Authorities are investigating pipes within the building amid concerns the virus may have been spread through the system, raising concerns of a community outbreak. Residents were evacuated from the public housing block after two people living there were found to have the coronavirus [Tyrone Siu/Reuters] Secretary for Food and Health Sophia Chan was speaking after a 62-year-old woman was confirmed as having lived in the same block as another virus patient, triggering the evacuation. United States reports 13th coronavirus case The US reported a new case of coronavirus, bringing the total across the country to 13, after a person who was on board its first evacuation flight from Wuhan was confirmed to have the infection. Permission to disembark refused: Thailand bars cruise passengers Thailand has refused permission for passengers from Holland Americas cruise ship MS Westerdam to disembark, its health minister said on Tuesday, the latest country to turn it away amid fears of the spreading coronavirus. The company, owned by Miami-based Carnival Corp, on Monday said that passengers would disembark in Bangkok on February 13 and that there was no reason to believe anybody on board had the virus. I have issued orders. Permission to disembark refused, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a Facebook post. China companies seek billions in loans More than 300 Chinese companies are seeking bank loans totalling at least 57.4 billion yuan ($8.2bn) to help soften the effect of the coronavirus outbreak, two banking sources told Reuters News Agency. Among the prospective borrowers are food delivery giant Meituan Dianping, smartphone maker Xiaomi, ride-hailing provider Didi Chuxing Technology, facial recognition start-up Megvii Technology and internet security business Qihoo 360 Technology, the sources said, adding that the companies seeking loans were either involved in the control of the epidemic or had been hardest hit. Philippine Airlines cancel Taiwan flights over coronavirus Philippine Airlines cancelled flights to Taiwan after the government expanded its travel ban to include all foreigners coming from the island to help contain the spread of the coronavirus. Philippine Airlines (PAL) and Cebu Pacific said they were cancelling flights to and from the self-ruled island. These restrictions are in relation to the coronavirus situation, in the interest of public health and safety, PAL spokeswoman Cielo Villaluna said in a statement. The Bureau of Immigration said late on Monday the travel ban would take effect immediately and follow the same procedures as in the previously announced restriction that covered China, and its Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macau. More than 115,000 Filipinos live and work in Taiwan, mainly in factories and as household helpers. Read all the updates from Monday, February 10 here. An agreement on the next exchange of detainees will be concluded within one or two months, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has said. "We are still observing the agreements on the exchange of detainees, and we hope that we will complete negotiations this or next month," Prystaiko said at a press conference in Rome, DT.ua reports. During a visit to Italy, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky asked Pope Francis to assist in releasing Ukrainians who are held captive in Donbas. ish After Kuldeep Singh Sengar now another BJP lawmaker in the state is facing similar charges. A woman accused BJP MLA from Bhadohi, Ravindranath Tripathi and six others of raping her. "The woman, whose husband died in 2007, met MLA Ravindranath Tripathi's nephew in 2014. She said that she was physically exploited by him for many years on the pretext of marriage," Ram Badan Singh, Superintendent of Police, Bhadohi, was quoted as saying by ANI. "The woman further said that the MLA's nephew got her lodged in a Bhadohi hotel for about a month during the 2017 Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly elections where she was raped by the MLA and his family," said Singh. The case has been handed over to Additional Superintendent of Police. This comes at a time when the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh which has come under heavy criticism for shielding rape-accused MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar for long before he was finally expelled from the party. Last month, the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi which found the expelled BJP MLA guilty under the POCSO Act sentenced him to imprisonment for life. The Special CBI Court also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on Sengar, out of which Rs 10 lakh will be given to the victim and remaining Rs 15 lakh to be settled towards prosecution expenses. BCCL/FILE The four-time BJP MLA from Bangermau was charged under the POCSO Act under which sexual assault on a child below the age of 16 years is punishable with imprisonment between 20 years to life. The rape complainant was 17 years old in 2017 when the crime happened. This is not the only sexual assault case that the UP BJP leadership has to deal with. Another party strongman, former Union minister Swami Chinmayanand, is also facing an accusation of sexually abusing a law student. Chinmayanand who evaded arrest in the case for long even while the girl who had accused him rape was arrested on charges of extortion was finally taken into custody on September 20. The victim had also claimed that she had several videos ''exposing'' the ''sexual exploitation'' by the former union minister. Chinmayanand had alleged that the law student and her two friends tried to blackmail him by threatening to make the 'videos' public. Chinmayanand, whose trust runs the Shahjahanpur law college was booked under section 376-C of the IPC. He was granted bail in the case earlier this month. The law student had been granted bail by the Allahabad high court last month. Tughlakabad Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Tughlakabad constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Tughlakabad Assembly Election 2020 | With 3,192 votes, BJP's Vikram Bidhuri is leading in the Tughlakabad constituency with a meagre margin of 76 votes. Bidhuri's vote share is 49.3 percent, while the trailing AAP candidate Sahiram's vote share is 48.12 percent. One of the most economically backward areas of Delhi, civic issues like regular water supply and sewage lines are likely to be the main poll issues in Tughlakabad Assembly constituency, especially in unauthorised colonies. The fight in this constituency, which falls under the South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency is between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). While the AAP has fielded the incumbent MLA Sahi Ram Pehlwan, the BJP has given the ticket to Vikram Bidhuri, a Gujjar leader and nephew of the incumbent South Delhi MP Ramesh Bidhuri. The constituency will be voting on 8 February. Here is a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency Name: Tughlakabad Constituency Number: 52 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 1,55,327 Female Electors: 60,480 Male Electors: 94,837 Third Gender: 10 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: After tasting defeat in the 1998 polls, Ramesh Bidhuri, the incumbent South Delhi MP, won the Tughlaqabad seat thrice between 2003 and 2014. Currently, the seat is held by Sahiram Pehelwan of the AAP, who defeated Bidhuri by nearly 34,000 votes in the 2015 Assembly election. Demographics: Gujjars are the predominant community in Tughlaqabad. Both Bidhuris Ramesh and Vikram belong to this community. Migrants from Purvanchal and Rajasthan are also found in sizeable numbers. WATERLOO Grant Veeder is seeking a ninth straight term as Black Hawk Countys auditor. Veeder, 67, of 135 Graceline Blvd., Waterloo, announced his plans to run in the Nov. 3 general election to retain the job hes held since first being elected in 1988. He will run for the Democratic nomination in the June 2 primary. I am running on my record of integrity and good service, Veeder said. And I hope to continue to work cooperatively with the staff in my office, with other departments in the county, with other county auditors, with government officials throughout Iowa and the nation, and with the public. County auditors oversee elections, county real estate records, payroll, property tax calculations, clerking Board of Supervisors meetings and several other county government functions. Veeder pointed to his role as commissioner of elections in his announcement. While the county election office did not administer the troubled Iowa caucus, the situation shows what happens if technology falters during an election. Even if an election is conducted on the up-and-up, technological problems and poor administration result in a lack of public confidence in election outcomes, whether vote totals are affected or not, he said. My staff and I have worked diligently to keep up with new laws, new technology and constantly evolving threats to make sure that your vote will be counted accurately. Veeder said the county has taken advantage of protection against cyber threats made available through the federal and state government. He is a member of the state board that certifies qualified voting systems in Iowa and serves on Secretary of State Paul Pates County Auditors Advisory Working Group, which is conducting outreach to other states to aid in the development of the states new voter registration database and election management system. He is a member and former chair of the elections subcommittee of the National Association of Counties Finance, Pensions and Intergovernmental Affairs Steering Committee. He also said hes been a leader in using social media to inform the public with up-to-date results on election nights. As auditor he serves on the boards of the National Association of Counties, Iowa State Association of Counties and Iowa State Association of County Auditors. In the community, he is actively involved with the Black Hawk County Partners in Education partnership with Lowell Elementary School; serves on the boards of Friends of KHKE/KUNI and Public Employees Credit Union; and is a past co-chair of My Waterloo Days. He is involved with West High Band Parents and Grace United Methodist and Kimball Avenue United Methodist Churches. Photos from the 2020 Iowa caucuses: Love 0 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 for example, If the Netherlands is to participate in a military intervention abroad, and the civilian casualties it causes than the State, is required by law to be claims against you for damages, for example, survivors are to be awarded, it has been in 2014, drawn up in a document that, on Monday, the ministry of Defence has been released. the notes are not the procedures that victims should have to go through. Also, if any funds are not highlighted. you can follow the guidelines of The department, are at right angles to the line of that defence minister Ank Bijleveld maintained around the deaths in the air campaign in the year 2015, the Iraqi town of Hawija. At least seventy people were killed. Bijleveld stated that the next of kin, for compensation, in the first instance, the Iraqi authorities have had to strike because of Iraq, among others, the Netherlands was asked to help in the fight against the Islamic State (IS). A spokesman for the Defence late in the meeting with the NRC to know that the department is still in that state. However, it is clear from the document that there was no agreement with Iraq, in which the potential claims are included. "It is not, it is also expected that at this convention there are going to be." Documentation is going to factor in the potential matter Party and against the State' The newspaper reported earlier that dozens of Iraqis to an insurance claim, preparing against the Dutch, because they feel that they have been victims of the raid in Hawija. Their lawyer, Liesbeth Zegveld, predicts that the document "plays a role in the upcoming process". in the Netherlands, from October 2014 to June 2016 to be a part of the mission to fight in Iraq. In 2018, the mission continues and was extended to Syria. The Dutch F-16's and have about three missions to be completed, and in seven out of the ten missions, and their weapons are used. Updated Date: 10 February 2020, 22:00 VANCOUVER, Feb. 11, 2020 - Trilogy Metals Inc. (TSX/NYSE American: TMQ) ("Trilogy" or the "Company") is pleased to announce the completion of the formation of a 50/50 joint venture with South32 Limited (ASX, LSE, JSE: S32; ADR: SOUHY) ("South32"). The joint venture company is named Ambler Metals LLC ("Ambler Metals"). Joint Venture Structure As part of the formation of the joint venture, Trilogy contributed all of its assets associated with the 172,675-hectare Upper Kobuk Mineral Projects ("UKMP"), including the Arctic and Bornite projects, while South32 contributed US$145 million, resulting in each party owning a 50% interest in Ambler Metals. The funds will be used to advance the Arctic and Bornite projects, along with exploration in the Ambler mining district. Ambler Metals is an independently operated company controlled by Trilogy and South32 through a four member Board of Directors. Trilogy has appointed James (Jim) Gowans, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer and a Director of Trilogy and Kalidas Madhavpeddi, a Director of Trilogy, to the Ambler Metals Board. South32 has appointed Simon Collins, Chief Development Officer of South32 and Pat Risner, President of South32's Hermosa Project, to the Ambler Metals Board. The current ownership structure of Ambler Metals is set forth below. Ambler Metals Board Members The joint venture is controlled by an experienced team of respected and talented individuals. Messers Collins, Gowans, Madhavpeddi and Risner each have extensive careers in the mining industry and collectively, they have worked all over the world and on various commodities. Simon Collins: Mr. Collins is the Chief Development Officer of South32 based in Vancouver. Prior to this role, Mr. Collins was Head of Corporate Development of South32. He brings over 25 years' experience in the resources industry, working in senior leadership and business development roles. More information about Mr. Collins is available at www.south32.net. Jim Gowans: Mr. Gowans is currently Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of Trilogy. Mr. Gowans has experience in Alaska, having worked for Cominco Limited where he oversaw the completion of a feasibility study and the subsequent design and construction of the Red Dog Mine. Mr. Gowans then operated the Red Dog Mine for three years following its commissioning. More information about Mr. Gowans is available at www.trilogymetals.com. Kalidas Madhavpeddi: Mr. Madhavpeddi has an extensive career in the mining industry spanning over 30 years including Chief Executive Officer of CMOC International and Senior Vice President of Phelps Dodge Corp. (now Freeport McMoran). More information about Mr. Madhavpeddi is available at www.trilogymetals.com. Pat Risner: Mr. Risner is the President of South32's Hermosa Project located in Southern Arizona. He is an experienced mining operator, having worked in technical, planning and operational roles in both the United States and Australia. With strong leadership experience in mining health, safety, and environment, he is regarded as an industry expert in complex project planning and development. More information about Mr. Risner is available at www.south32.net. Ambler Metals LLC Management To ensure a successful startup of the joint venture, management from Trilogy and South32 will take on interim roles. Darryl Steane, South32's Business Development Manager will take on the duties as Interim President of Ambler Metals; Elaine Sanders, Trilogy's Chief Financial Officer will take on the duties as Interim Vice President Finance of Ambler Metals; and Robert (Bob) Jacko, Trilogy's Senior Vice President Operations will take on duties as Interim Vice President Operations of Ambler Metals. The technical team of Trilogy, who have been operating the UKMP in northwest Alaska, will be transitioning to Ambler Metals. The team has been busy preparing programs to advance development and exploration of the assets. The Company anticipates communicating more details, including the 2020 work programs and budgets later this month. Although the interim management team of Ambler Metals is located in Canada and the United States, it is anticipated that the permanent management of the joint venture will be based out of Alaska. Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements This press release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included herein, including, without limitation, the use of proceeds from South32's subscription payment, the successful startup of Ambler Metals, the timing of the 2020 work programs and budgets and the anticipated location of Ambler Metals' permanent management are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "potential", "possible", and similar expressions, or statements that events, conditions, or results "will", "may", "could", or "should" occur or be achieved. Forward-looking statements involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations include the uncertainties involving the startup of Ambler Metals' success of exploration, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended November 30, 2018 filed with Canadian securities regulatory authorities and with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and in other Company reports and documents filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The Company's forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made. The Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or beliefs, opinions, projections, or other factors, should they change, except as required by law. View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/trilogy-metals-announces-the-completion-of-the-joint-venture-formation-with-south32-limited---ambler-metals-llc-301003229.html SOURCE Trilogy Metals Inc. Four men have been arrested in connection with the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Northern Ireland. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were detained under the Terrorism Act in Londonderry this morning and are being questioned by detectives at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast. Ms McKee was shot dead while observing disorder in the Creggan area of Derry on April 19, 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the murder, which sparked headlines and revulsion across the UK, Ireland and beyond. Four men aged between 20 and 52 have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee (pictured) in Northern Ireland Ms McKee was shot dead while observing disorder in the Creggan area of Derry on April 19, 2019 (crime scene pictured) Chief Constable Simon Byrne welcomed the arrests, saying on Twitter that detectives are 'working hard in the pursuit of justice'. Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, renewed an appeal for information, adding: 'I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved. 'I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us. I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyra's murder. Robyn Peoples and Sharni Edwards, the first couple to be legally married in a same-sex couple in Northern Ireland, are pictured kissing in front of a tribute wall to Lyra McKee in Belfast 'I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. 'We saw wide-scale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice. 'I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist.' The force asked for anyone with mobile phone footage to upload it to the Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk. CLEVELAND, Ohio Alexander Pierce Restaurant will hold a wine dinner, Gervasi Vineyard is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and many other wine events are set. Deadline to send info on events for our wine calendar is Thursday; email me. Most dinners do not include tax and tip. Always check on availability. February Tuesday, Feb. 11: Flight Wine Bar will host Jeff Meyers, winemaker and general manager of Terra d'Oro Winery in the Sierra Foothills, California, for a tasting of eight wines 7-9 p.m. Cost is $30. Email for reservations, wines@flightcleveland.com, or call 216-400-6867. Tuesday, Feb. 11: Gervasi Vineyard will hold Flights and Bites at 5:45 or 7:15 p.m. Three wines will be paired with three appetizer bites. Cost is $19. It's at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. Tuesday, Feb. 11: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with half off corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Wednesday, Feb. 12: Leo's Italian Social has half-price bottles of wine during social (happy) hour 3-6 p.m. It's at 2251 Front St., Cuyahoga Falls. Thursday, Feb. 13: North Coast Wine Club is open to the public 4:30-8 p.m. on Thursdays. Email info@northcoastwineclub.net. The club is 30700 Bainbridge Road, Solon. (Here's more details.) Thursday, Feb. 13: Heinen's will hold the second of four educational tasting classes on Spanish wines 6:30-8 p.m. Cost is $115 for four classes. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Friday, Feb. 14: Valentines Day dining, drinking guide: Where to eat, drink in Greater Cleveland Friday, Feb. 14: The Wine Room's tasting is themed Zinful Valentine's Weekend 4-11 p.m. Taste six wines (plus a bonus pour for wine-club members). Cost is $18. Includes appetizers. No reservations required. Cost is $18. It's at 35840 Chester Road, Avon. Friday, Feb. 14: Urban Farmer offers select $25 bottles. Its at 1325 E. 6th St., Cleveland. Friday, Feb. 14: The Wine Room's tasting is themed Zinful Valentine's Weekend noon to 11 p.m. Taste six wines (plus a bonus pour for wine-club members). Cost is $18. Includes appetizers. No reservations required. Cost is $18. It's at 35840 Chester Road, Avon. Friday, Feb. 14: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature Cabernet at 5 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Saturday, Feb. 15: Gervasi Vineyard will hold free 30-minute winery tours at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. beginning at The Crush House tasting bar. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. Saturday, Feb. 15: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature Cabernet at 11 a.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Monday, Feb. 17: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with no corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Monday, Feb. 17: Jukebox Cleveland will hold Monday Night Plates 7-9 p.m. Chef Chris Palton rotates themes each month. February's is French Cuisine. Cost is $35 and includes an amuse bouche, three-course dinner, dessert and wine flight paired with each course. Its at 1404 W. 29th St., Cleveland. Tuesday, Feb. 18: National Drink Wine Day. What's your varietal of choice? Like wine? Here are some options for buying. Online wine retailers offer chances to choose what you want, curate cases and find discounts. Heres a selection to consider: wine.com, cellarswineclub.com, zachys.com and splashwines.com. Tuesday, Feb. 18: Rozi's Wine House's night school on the porch, set for 6-7:30 p.m., is sold out. Patrons will taste six 2-ounce pours of wine from six wine regions in France. Vintage Wine Distributors' Traci Ezzo will guide the tasting. Cost was $20 and includes snacks. It's at 14900 Detroit Ave., Lakewood. Thursday, Feb. 20: The Wine Spot will hold a "New Santa Barbara" tasting of California wines with Colin Casey of Skurnik Wines 6-8 p.m. Taste three selections each from Tyler Winery and Stolpman Vineyards. Details are in the works. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Thursday, Feb. 20: Wine Down & Sweets Cafe will hold a Girl Scout cookie pairing at 6:30 p.m. Wine, cocoa and cocktail samples will be paired with nine cookies. Cost is $25; seating is limited. Call 440-268-8305. It's at 14785 Pearl Road, Strongsville. Thursday, Feb. 20: North Coast Wine Club is open to the public 4:30-8 p.m. on Thursdays. Email info@northcoastwineclub.net. The club is 30700 Bainbridge Road, Solon. (Here's more details.) Thursday, Feb. 20: Heinen's will hold the third of four educational tasting classes on Spanish wines 6:30-8 p.m. Cost is $115 for four classes. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Friday, Feb. 21: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature blends at 5 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Friday, Feb. 21: Fleming's Prime Steakhouse will hold a whiskey-pairing dinner at 6:30 p.m. Cost is $89. It's at 4000 Medina Road, Akron. To be served: Thai chili-spiced steak skewers, soy honey glaze, crispy fried onions with Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey. Cedar plank roasted salmon with arugula spinach salad, truffle lemon vinaigrette, roasted portobello mushroom, chevre with Basil Hayden's Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. Braised pork osso buco, roasted garlic risotto, brussels sprout hash, demi-glace with Knob Creek Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 12-year. Cookies and cream fudge, Oreo cookie, Callebaut Belgian chocolate, Chantilly whipped cream with Basil Hayden's Caribbean Reserve Rye. Friday, Feb. 21: Mustard Seed Market & Cafe will hold its annual Italian wine tasting 7-9 p.m. Sample 20 reds, whites, roses and dessert wines. Cost is $25 (advance), $30 (at the door). Includes light appetizers, gourmet cheeses and sweets. It's at 3885 W. Market St., Akron. Saturday, Feb. 22: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature blends at 11 a.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Saturday, Feb. 22: Gervasi Vineyard will hold free 30-minute winery tours at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. beginning at The Crush House tasting bar. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. Sunday, Feb. 23: Gervasi Vineyard will hold a winter crawl 1-4 p.m. Advance-sale-only cost is $34. Register at The Crush House to begin your crawl and receive one beer or wine along with a winter favorite bite at four stops. Turn in your completed passport at the marketplace for a 20% discount. It's at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. To be offered: Monday, Feb. 24: Flight wine bar will host Large Format: A Night with The Black Pig 6-9 p.m. The informal night will include five plates and five wines. Cost is $50. It's at 5712 Detroit Ave., Cleveland. Monday, Feb. 24: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with no corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Tuesday, Feb. 25: North Coast Wine Club's monthly tasting event is 6:30 p.m. Featured grape is Chenin Blanc. The private event is open to members and guests. Cost is $20. Email info@northcoastwineclub.net. The club is 30700 Bainbridge Road, Solon. Thursday, Feb. 27: North Coast Wine Club is open to the public 4:30-8 p.m. on Thursdays. Email info@northcoastwineclub.net. The club is 30700 Bainbridge Road, Solon. (Here's more details.) Thursday, Feb. 27: Heinen's will hold the fourth of four educational tasting classes on Spanish wines 6:30-8 p.m. Cost is $115 for four classes. It's at 900 Euclid Ave., Cleveland. Friday, Feb. 28: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature Pinot Noir at 5 p.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Saturday, Feb. 29: The Olde Wine Cellar will feature Pinot Noir at 11 a.m. Cost is $15 and includes samples, tasting notes and cheese. It's at 7932 Main St., Olmsted Falls. Call 440-427-1222. Saturday, Feb. 29: The Wine Spot will hold tasting of organic Slovenian wines from Gonc Winery 6-8 p.m. Details are in the works. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Saturday, Feb. 29: Master Sommelier Larry OBrien will teach a two-day Level I introductory somm course 8 a.m.-6 p.m. This is the first day. (There are blocked seats for 750ml Wines club members and 750ml Wines patrons.) Cost is $699 for the two-day course. Taste 24 wines as you learn about regions, varietals and blind tastings. Email for details. Info@750mlwines.com. It's at 777 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Saturday, Feb. 29: Gervasi Vineyard will hold free 30-minute winery tours at noon, 1 and 2 p.m. beginning at The Crush House tasting bar. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton. March Sunday, March 1: Master Sommelier Larry OBrien will teach a two-day Level I introductory somm course 8 a.m.-6 p.m. This is the second day. (There are blocked seats for 750ml Wines club members and 750ml Wines patrons.) Cost is $699 for the two-day course. Taste 24 wines as you learn about regions, varietals and blind tastings. Exam is this afternoon. Email for details. Info@750mlwines.com. It's at the Westin Cleveland Downtown, 777 St. Clair Ave., Cleveland. Monday, March 2: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with no corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Wednesday, March 4: To mark its 10th anniversary, Gervasi Vineyard will offer $10 off Gervasi bottles (except the Italian collection) for customers dining in at The Bistro, The Crush House, The Still House and the Twisted Olive in Green. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, and the Twisted Olive is at 5430 Massillon Road, Green. Saturday, March 7: The 17th annual Ice Wine Festival, a progressive tasting of ice wine produced in Ohio's Grand River Valley, is noon to 5 p.m. Participating wineries include Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards. Each will offer a sample of their ice wine. Cost is $6 at each winery. It includes wine, glass at each winery and appetizer. Bring a canned-food donation to support food banks and receive $1 off per person. For details, call 440-466-3485. Saturday, March 7: 750ml Wines holds a graduation party at the Westin Cleveland for those who took the somm class Feb. 29-March 1. Party cost: Free for those who completed the somm course; $49 for 750ml Wines club members who did not complete the course and $59 for non-members who did not complete the course. For details, email info@750mlwines.com. It's at 8903 Brecksville Road, Brecksville. Monday, March 9: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with no corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Wednesday, March 11: To mark its 10th anniversary, Gervasi Vineyard will offer $10 off Gervasi bottles (except the Italian collection) for customers dining in at The Bistro, The Crush House, The Still House and the Twisted Olive in Green. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, and the Twisted Olive is at 5430 Massillon Road, Green. Wednesday, March 11: Table 45 will hold a Groth Vineyards wine dinner 5:30-8 p.m. Suzanne Groth, president and CEO of the winery, will guide the tasting of four wines from the family's Napa Valley, California, vineyard paired with Table 45's cuisine. Cost is $125. Call for reservations, 216-707-4160. It's at 9801 Carnegie Ave., Cleveland, in the InterContinental Cleveland. Saturday, March 14: The 17th annual Ice Wine Festival, a progressive tasting of ice wine produced in Ohio's Grand River Valley, is noon to 5 p.m. Participating wineries include Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards. Each will offer a sample of their ice wine. Cost is $6 at each winery. It includes wine, glass at each winery and appetizer. Bring a canned-food donation to support food banks and receive $1 off per person. For details, call 440-466-3485. Monday, March 16: Customers can buy and drink a bottle of wine off the shelf with no corkage fee at The Wine Spot. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Wednesday, March 18: Alexander Pierce Restaurant is holding a Santa Barbara wine dinner featuring Greg Brewer of Brewer-Clifton Winery. Arrival is 6:30 p.m. Dinner is at 7 p.m. Master sommelier Larry O'Brien will guide the four-course, five-wine dinner featuring Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Cost is $125. It's at 797 E. Market St., Akron. Wednesday, March 18: To mark its 10th anniversary, Gervasi Vineyard will offer $10 off Gervasi bottles (except the Italian collection) for customers dining in at The Bistro, The Crush House, The Still House and the Twisted Olive in Green. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, and the Twisted Olive is at 5430 Massillon Road, Green. Friday, March 20: Ohio wine and beer tasting is 7-10 p.m. at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Admission is $40 ($30 for Greater Cleveland Aquarium Passholders, $20 for designated drivers) and includes food samplings, 20 tasting tickets and souvenir glass. Includes local wineries, breweries and eateries. It's at 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland. Saturday, March 21: The 17th annual Ice Wine Festival, a progressive tasting of ice wine produced in Ohio's Grand River Valley, is noon to 5 p.m. Participating wineries include Debonne Vineyards, Ferrante Winery, Grand River Cellars, Laurello Vineyards and St. Joseph Vineyards. Each will offer a sample of their ice wine. Cost is $6 at each winery. It includes wine, glass at each winery and appetizer. Bring a canned-food donation to support food banks and receive $1 off per person. For details, call 440-466-3485. Wednesday, March 25: To mark its 10th anniversary, Gervasi Vineyard will offer $10 off Gervasi bottles (except the Italian collection) for customers dining in at The Bistro, The Crush House, The Still House and the Twisted Olive in Green. Gervasi is at 1700 55th St. NE, Canton, and the Twisted Olive is at 5430 Massillon Road, Green. Thursday, March 27: Western Reserve Distillers will hold an educational Bourbon class and tasting 6:30-9:30 p.m. Included is a flight of four to six samples. Cost is $22. It's at 14221 Madison Ave., Lakewood. April Monday, April 20: The Wine Spot will hold tasting of wines from Grochau Cellars of Oregon 5:30-7:30 p.m. Details are in the works. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. May Saturday, May 9: The Wine Spot will hold the first of two tastings - Rose Wines of 2020, part I, 1-4 p.m. Tickets will be released in March. It's at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. Friday, May 15: Fur-Ever Home wine tasting is 7-10 p.m. at the Greater Cleveland Aquarium. Admission is $40 ($30 for Greater Cleveland Aquarium Passholders, $20 for designated drivers) and includes food samplings, 20 tasting tickets and souvenir glass. Cleveland Animal Protective League will be onsite with adoptable dogs and cats. It's at 2000 Sycamore St., Cleveland. Saturday, May 16: The Wine Spot will hold the second of two tastings - Rose Wines of 2020, part II, 1-4 p.m. Tickets will be released in March. Its at 2271 Lee Road, Cleveland Heights. The Jammu and Kashmir administration booked National Conference (NC) leader Hilal Ahmad Lone, who was among hundreds of people detained ahead of the nullification of the Constitutions Article 370 in August, under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) that allows detention for up to two-year without trial, officials said on Monday. Lone is the seventh politician to have been booked under the PSA since Thursday. The politicians include former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. Lone was arrested in August and was first lodged at a hotel in Srinagar. He was then shifted to a legislators hostel and booked under the PSA on Sunday. Lones father and Baramulla MP, Akbar Lone, said, We are definitely going to challenge the slapping of the PSA on my son. The administration cited Abdullahs ability to garner votes even during the peak of militancy and poll boycotts while it blamed Mufti for inciting violence, promoting separatism and making anti-national statements during detention. PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 09:15:24 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 973 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Emgold Mining Corporation (TSXV:EMR) (OTC:EGMCF) (FRA:EMLM) ("Emgold" or the "Company") announces it has signed an Earn-In with Option to Joint Venture Agreement (the "Agreement") with Kennecott Exploration Company ("Kennecott"), a subsidiary of Rio Tinto PLC (RIO:L) ( RIO.AX) RIO.N) , for the New York Canyon Property, Nevada (the "Property"). The Property hosts both copper oxide skarn and copper-molybdenum-gold-silver sulfide porphyry mineralization in three known targets - Longshot Ridge, Copper Queen, and Champion. Kennecott can earn up to a 75% interest in the Property by completing US$22.5 million in exploration expenditures.Key points of the Agreement include:Kennecott will have an option (the "First Option") to acquire a 55% undivided interest in the Property by incurring US$5.0 million in expenditures over a 5 year period, of which US$1.0 million is a committed expenditure that must be completed prior to the 18 month anniversary of the Agreement.Kennecott will have a second option (the "Second Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 65%) by incurring an additional US$7.5 million in expenditures over a 3 years period.Kennecott will have a third option (the "Third Option") to earn an additional 10% undivided interest in the Property (for a total of 75%) by incurring an additional US$10 million in expenditures over a three year period.Any expenditure in excess of an option expenditure requirement in a given time period will be credited against subsequent option expenditure requirements. Kennecott may, at any time or from time to time, accelerate its satisfaction of the First, Second, or Third Option by paying Emgold money in lieu of incurring expenditures.While earning in, Kennecott will have the right to make exploration and development decisions.Kennecott must maintain the Property in good standing during the option period(s), including payment of BLM and County maintenance fees and any underlying property payments due to Searchlight Resource Corporation (TSXV: SCLT) ("Searchlight"). Emgold currently has an underlying agreement to acquire a 100 percent interest in the New York Canyon Property from Searchlight, which required three payments over an 18 month period totaling CDN$300,000 (see Emgold's July 16, 2019 press release).Kennecott will have the right to elect to form a joint venture (the "Joint Venture") with Emgold upon completion of either the First, Second, or Third Option. Upon establishing a Joint Venture each participant will fund the joint venture according to its participating interest, with Kennecott acting as the Manager of the joint venture. If a party's participating interest falls below 10%, then such parties participating interest will be converted to a 1% Net Smelter Royalty, capped at US$25 million.In addition, Kennecott has staked 265 unpatented mineral claims at New York Canyon. This is in addition to Emgold's 152 unpatented mining claims and 21 patented mining claims. The 417 unpatented claims and 21 unpatented claims, totalling approximately 8,700 acres, are now combined under the Agreement and make up the Property.David Watkinson, President and CEO of Emgold stated, "The Agreement with Kennecott represents another successful example of Emgold's business strategy of acquiring assets, adding value and monetizing them through sale, option, joint venture or other business transactions. In this case, we are pleased to have Kennecott earn-in and, if successful, become a joint venture partner with Emgold and take the leadto advance New York Canyon." Qualified PersonRobert Pease, C.P.G., a qualified person under the NI 43-101 instrument, has reviewed and approved the content of this press release.About EmgoldEmgold is a junior gold and base metal exploration company focused on Nevada and Quebec, the #1 and #4 jurisdictions for mining investment according to the Fraser Institute's Annual Survey of Mining Companies, 2018. The Company's strategy is to look for quality acquisitions, add value to these assets through exploration, and monetize them through sale, joint ventures, option, royalty, and other transactions to create value for our shareholders. Our Nevada properties, owned or under option, include Golden Arrow, New York Canyon, Mindora, Buckskin Rawhide East, Buckskin Rawhide West, and Koegel Rawhide. Our Quebec properties, owned or under option, include Casa South and a 50% interest in the East-West Property (with option to increase ownership to 55%).The Casa South Property is adjacent to Hecla Mining Corporation's (NYSE: HL) operating Casa Berardi Mine. Buckskin Rawhide East is an inlying property to Rawhide Mining LLC's operating Rawhide Mine. East-West is adjacent to and on strike with Wesdome Gold Mine Ltd.'s (TSX: WDO) Kiena Complex (past producing Kiena Mine) and Osikso Mining Corporation's (TSX: OSK) Marban Block (past producing Marban, Norlartic, and Kierrans Mines). Note that the location of Emgold's properties adjacent to producing or past producing mines does not guarantee exploration success at Emgold's properties. Emgold also has a strategic share investment in Troilus Gold Corporation (TSX: TLG) which is advancing the Troilus Gold Project in Quebec. For more information on the Company, investors should review the Company's website at www.emgold.com or view the Company's filings available at www.sedar.com On behalf of the Board of DirectorsDavid G. Watkinson, P.Eng.President & CEOFor further information, please contact:David G. Watkinson, P.Eng.Tel: 530-271-0679 Ext 101Email: info@ emgold.com Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.Cautionary Note on Forward-Looking StatementsCertain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipate Its been over a year and a half since the first Democratic candidate announced his candidacy, and weve since managed to whittle the field down to a still-incredibly-alarming 11 candidates. In addition to making the debates mostly pointless, such a large primary field also inevitably means more feuds, more screw-ups, and more opportunities for wild, often unfounded suspicions. Never was this more apparent than during last weeks Iowa caucuses with their Dreaded App. In case youve somehow, mercifully forgotten, much of the trouble started when the new app that was supposed to help precincts report results failed miserably, forcing volunteers to attempt to call in results to phone lines that would leave them on hold for hours. The app maker and the nonprofit that owns it, Shadow and Acronym respectively, both have names that sound like a too-on-the-nose Black Cube parody and boast ties to the Pete Buttigieg camp, Clinton World, and the Democratic establishment in general. Naturally, accusations of rigging in any number of directions flourished, despite the most likely explanation being simple, profound incompetence. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement But isnt chaos itself a tactic to conceal the true order of things? Surely there is a patternor patternsto be found in the Democratic disarray. To help you make sense of the various Truths to which you must open your eyes or risk being a pawn in the Democratic National Committees globalist game, weve collected some of the more prominent conspiracy theories from this election cycle. Andrew Yang The theory: Andrew Yangs mic was cut during Junes Democratic debate. After Andrew Yangs first Democratic debate, he logged onto Twitter to share a few thoughts with his faithful followers. Among his reflections was this: Second, I feel bad for those who tuned in to see and support me that I didnt get more airtime. Will do better (my mic being off unless called on didnt help) and glad to have another opportunity in July (and afterwards)! Andrew Yang (@AndrewYang) June 28, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement His fans were outraged. Wait what?! Your mic was off? OMG they taking this to a whole new level. Were gonna have to do something about this! wrote @Zhangomango1. If thats the case. Make a scene of it next time and accuse them of rigging it which they did anyways. Walk in front of your podium and ask for your mic to be turned back on, wrote @ADarkSoulAtWar. But Yangs supporters offered more than just kind words; they also provided proof, sort of. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the video, you can see Andrew Yang raise his hand and say excuse me as Kirsten Gillibrand, too, attempts to get a word in. Meanwhile, Joe Biden looks toward Yang, presumably upon hearing his interjection, before finally turning to face Gillibrand, who continues speaking undisturbed. Advertisement Advertisement According to the Yang-heads among us, this is the precise moment that proves their math daddys mic was cut. Advertisement Advertisement In the videos comments, one user wrote, Biden isnt next to Yang but Biden turns to Yang and looks at Yang as Yang starts speaking because Biden can hear Yang. Yet the mic is silenced. Its obvious. #LetYangSpeak #CancelComcast. User msanto, too, saw what was afoot: Biden even looks over at him as if to acknowledge him speaking. Then he realizes whats going on. Advertisement What Yang might have been attempting to say is difficult to decipher, particularly since his mouth never actually seems to move after the clearly heard excuse me. Advertisement Still, Yang himself told supporters directly following the debate that hed been silenced, according to Politico: There were also a few times, FYI, where I just started talking, being like, Hey, Id like to add something there, and my mic was not on, Yang told his fans. Its not like if you start talking it all of a sudden takes over the convo. Its like I was talking and nothing was happening. Advertisement NBC, meanwhile, denied that anything was awry, telling the Washington Post, At no point during the debate was any candidates microphone turned off or muted. Case closed, you might be thinking. Proof that @AndrewYang's mic was cut . . . the feed back happened when they were trying to turn it on his mic. You can hear him say "Its The Russians" out loud but the mic does not pick up his voice #YangGang #DemDebate #LetYangSpeak pic.twitter.com/eXmOs2R0X1 GIFShinobi (@GIFShin0bi) February 8, 2020 Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement You trusting fool. Mike Bloomberg The theory: Mike Bloomberg is either a DNC plant or an avatar of the archangel Michael in fulfillment of biblical prophecy. The presence of a Jewish billionaire media mogul with an established disregard for rules (as they apply to him) and a thirst for power certainly seems like internet conspiracist catnip. And yet most of the theories around Bloomberg center on his self-interest and his potential role as a DNC plant, only occasionally touching on his potential role in the coming New World Order. Advertisement Advertisement The extent of and motivation for Bloombergs alleged collusion with the DNC vary from conspiracist to conspiracist. On the lesser end, we have the president positing that he somehow convinced the DNC to let him stand on a height-enhancing box for his upcoming debut in a presidential debate. Advertisement Mini Mike is now negotiating both to get on the Democrat Primary debate stage, and to have the right to stand on boxes, or a lift, during the debates. This is sometimes done, but really not fair! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 2, 2020 Advertisement And on the more sinister (but also much more plausible) end, we have the idea that the DNC is actively backing Bloomberg. After all, it did change the debate rules in a way that specifically favors Bloomberg, and the former mayor does have two surrogates on the DNC rules committee, as reported by investigative outlet Sludge. So its not all that surprising that some, like Reddit user bch2478595, believe hes a DNC pawn meant to spark a brokered convention: Advertisement The current goal of the DNC elites is to have no clear winner. They want the majority of pledged delegates will go to No one, resulting in a brokered convention. Once the first ballot, or vote, has occurred, and no candidate has a majority of the delegates votes, the convention is then considered brokered; thereafter, the nomination is decided through a process of alternating political horse trading(super) delegate vote tradingand additional re-votes.[1][2][3][4] In this circumstance, all regular delegates (who may have been pledged to a particular candidate according to rules which vary from state to state) are released and are able to switch their allegiance to a different candidate before the next round of balloting. The chances of No one winning are pretty good. See here. The DNC will try to unwind the superdelegate reforms they passed in 2017, allowing superdelegates to vote in the first round. At the convention, the Chosen candidate (probably Bloomberg) will receive a lot of these superdelegates in the first round, not enough to win outright, but enough to tip enough votes in the second round. On the second round he will receive the most votes and will be crowned as the nominee. It wont be fraud because this is the way the winner is decided in a contested convention. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement On the other hand, perhaps its simply divine intervention, as suggested by one user on conspiracy forum GodlikeProductions.com. Advertisement When asked to comment on both possibilities, longtime Bloomberg spokesperson Stu Loeser said, Theologians point out that Michael appears in the Jewish Scriptures, the Christian New Testament and the Muslim Quran. So when Mike Bloomberg says that he can bring Americans together to replace Trump, is he secretly referencing the archangel? I can neither confirm nor deny. However, Loeser conspicuously ignored the question of whether Bloomberg was involved in some sort of DNC scheme. Curious, indeed. Elizabeth Warren The theory: Warren knew the mic was on when she confronted Bernie after Januarys debate, and/or she was conspiring with CNN. Advertisement Considering this was part of one of the more excruciating controversies this election cycle, I apologize for even bringing it up. I am, of course, talking about Sanders and Warrens tiff over whether or not Bernie had told her in private more than a year ago that a woman wouldnt be able to win the presidency. Advertisement The feud between old friends peaked during CNNs January debate, when Sanders denied ever making the comment, contradicting Warrens insistence that he had. At the end of the night, viewers got to see a noticeably tense exchange between the senators, but it was not until the next day that audio of their conversation surfaced. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement In the clip, Warren approaches Sanders and says, I think you called me a liar on national TV. Sanders, taken aback, responds, Lets not do it right now. You wanna have that discussion, well have that discussion, before adding, You called me a liar. You told meall right, lets not do it right now. Both then turn away. Because the original report about the past conversation was based partly on two people Warren spoke with directly soon after the encounter, there had already been suspicions in more Sanders-friendly circles that Warrens campaign might have been behind the actual leak. Add in the fact that she was the one who first approached Sanders after the debate, and close observers couldnt help but wonder. Advertisement YouTube comments ranged from She knew she was micd up to notably more elaborate theories: More theater from Warren. She knew she was being filmed. This whole chain of events has been carefully orchestrated between Warren, her Obama/Clinton advisors, and CNN to undermine Sanders days before Iowa. And its disgusting. Anderson Cooper himself seemed to imply there was some intentionality behind the confrontation: Its also interesting, Jeff, because they were miked. It was literally the debate. You know, the applause was still going on, and they were aware they were miked. And Senator Warren went over and had this exchange with the camera moving right past them. Advertisement Advertisement Even parenting forum DCUrbanMom.com got in on the action, with one user writing, This whole kerfuffle was obviously planned. The only questions I have are 1) whos she working with? and 2) to what end? Advertisement According to CNN White House correspondent Jeff Zeleny, though, the provenance of the audio clip is much more benign than anti-Warrenites might have hoped: My colleagues here at CNN spent the day looking through backup audio. It was not recorded from the primary audio system. It was a backup, separate system, and they found it late today. And not everyone was convinced. Toward the end of that same DCUrbanMom.com thread, a different user notes, The clip shared shows too people annoyed with each other. You think politicians do not yell at each other? This raises the real question: What exactly is this DC Urban Mom or Dad trying to hide? Amy Klobuchar There do not seem to be any substantial conspiracy theories involving Amy Klobuchar, which is in itself incredibly suspicious. Bernie Sanders The theory: Bernie Sanders got cosmetic treatments so that he might have a perfectly smooth, wrinkle-free forehead. Advertisement The quickly dubbed Smooth Bernie theory first appeared on conservative news site Free Beacon in a post titled Bernie Sanders Flaunts Suspiciously Smooth Forehead at Democratic Debate. Advertisement Advertisement Bernie Sanders Flaunts Suspiciously Smooth Forehead at Democratic Debatehttps://t.co/OgMXyo2JIv Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) November 21, 2019 Advertisement Advertisement The article seemed to imply that not only was Bernie getting secret forehead injections of some sort, but his alleged heart attack might also have been a ruse: Sen. Bernie Sanders (I., Vt.), who made his second appearance in a Democratic primary debate since suffering a heart attack on Oct. 1, was looking spry as ever on the stage in Atlantaa little too spry, in the opinion of some medically curious observers. The debate in question was indeed a mere few weeks after Sanders announced hed suffered a heart attack, and the 78-year-old senators forehead did indeed appear smooth and baby soft, as evidenced by the photo below. Advertisement And for those still unconvinced about Sanders smoothness, a closer look: Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Whatever you might think about the reasons behind the smoothness, its impossible to deny that, compared with other Bernies like the one below, the above Bernie is in fact remarkably smooth. Advertisement There are, of course, a number of possible reasons for a sudden apparent change in forehead smoothness, namely photoshopping. And in a discussion of Bernies impossibly supple skin in r/The_Donald, Reddits largest pro-Trump forum, one user wondered if it might not be the man himself, but an image digitally enhanced like an Instagram filter. Advertisement Unfortunately for Reddit user InVirtute, a spokesperson for Getty quickly shot this particular variation on the theory down, telling Mashable, Plainly, no this image was not edited. We adhere to strict editorial guidelines and are committed to editorial principles, practices and process. One could easily attribute the change in forehead texture to mere makeup and lighting tricks, or to the relaxation that comes with being a front-runner. When asked for comment, the campaign pointed me to this tweet from Sanders press secretary, Briahna Gray, in which she says, Im just glad people are finally recognizing that Bernie is, in fact, smooth. Pete Buttigieg The theory: Pete Buttigieg is a CIA plant. Advertisement Advertisement This one has been floating around the internet with varying degrees of earnestness for months now and is largely based on Petes status as an establishment darling despite his relative newness. For instance, despite having no foreign policy experience (there is, after all, very little reason for a small-town mayor to dabble in international affairs), Buttigieg has racked up endorsements from a number of former CIA officials. Now, Buttigieg denied any present connection to the CIA in an Atlantic interview elaborating on his time spent at McKinsey (No, he told me, he was not in the CIA.). And while the CIA didnt grace Buttigiegs list of clients from his time at the consulting firm, McKinsey itself has worked with the CIA in the past. Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement That last point point, paired with Buttigiegs initial refusal to discuss exactly what it was he did at McKinsey, was enough for at least one conspiracy-minded blog. From a post on TheCultureChronicles.com, which also ended up making the rounds on Reddits conspiracy forum: So at this point in the story, we have Buttigiegs only private sector job being a short stint at a CIA connected consulting firm. Then immediately he jumped to Naval Intelligence, where his job description is very vague and he joked that most of what he did was simply to be a driver. If all of this sounds like someone who is trying to obfuscate their true career path, you wouldnt be alone in thinking that. Buttigiegs constant deflections about the true nature of his work at Mkinsey and in Naval Intelligence reeks of someone trying to hide their clandestine past. Advertisement Seems the obvious answer is, very likely, said one unusually cautious Reddit user in response to the posts title, Was Pete Buttigieg groomed by intelligence since his time at Harvard? Exactly how involved the CIA supposedly is in Buttigiegs candidacyand how it might plan to use himseemed less certain. One Reddit user wrote that the CIA rigged Iowa. If by some miracle they fail to steal the election, they will assassinate Bernie. We are at war, and both parties are the enemy. The US is occupied by a fascist shadow govt. Another seemed to imply that while Pete may not be a direct plant himself, his presence is still being used by the deep state for nefarious ends (aliens): I am starting to firmly believe hes there to protect CIA secrets that top candidates on the democratic side would release (aliens). Maybe not groomed and selected, but aided and connected. A company man. But, then again, is any of this really new? It would seem that no, it is not. The Calcutta High Court on Tuesday allowed the resumption of tunnel-boring work for the city's East-West Metro corridor, which had come to a halt after an aquifer burst in August last year leading to severe ground subsidence and collapse of buildings. Accepting a report by IIT-Madras, the court directed the Kolkata Metro Rail Corporation (KMRC), the executing agency for the project, to restart work between Esplanade and Sealdah stations in Bowbazar area of central Kolkata, in consultation with the institute. The division bench comprising Chief Justice TBN Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee had in September ordered the suspension of tunnelling work till further orders. Three months later, the KMRC, in view of a report prepared by its expert committee, moved the court seeking its permission to resume work. On a prayer by an NGO to get the expert committee report vetted by an independent agency, the KMRC then requested IIT-Madras to review its findings. The institute, in its report, stated that tunneling work could be resumed. Work on the project had come to a halt after a machine boring a tunnel hit an aquifer in Bowbazar on August 31 last year, triggering large-scale subsidence. Many buildings developed cracks and hundreds of people had to be relocated. However, truncated services between Sector V in Salt Lake to Yuva Bharati Krirangan stadium are scheduled to commence on February 13. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) JERUSALEM - Israels Energy Ministry said Tuesday that a power outage at the countrys newly operational offshore natural gas platform halted operations for several hours overnight. Residents of northern Israel reported a loud blast at 3:40 a.m., and Homeland Guards, an Israeli watchdog group monitoring Israels offshore gas platforms, posted a video showing a massive flame visible from shore illuminating the night sky. The ministry said in a statement that the malfunction at the Leviathan gas field required operators to expel and ignite natural gas from the rig, resulting in the flame. The platform is located about six miles off Israels Mediterranean coast. The ministry said it would investigate the incident. Israel began preliminary pumping from the Leviathan undersea gas field to a rig just off the coast in December, and started exporting natural gas to neighbouring Egypt last month. Local environmental activists had called on Delek Drilling and its American partner, Noble Energy, to move the platform farther offshore out of fears of hazardous substances contaminating the air and water. According to the group, Tuesdays incident was the eighth time operators have burned off natural gas since operations began at the offshore rig. A High Court judge has ruled that farmer Thomas Reid's application for permission to legally challenge decision to allow Intel Ireland go ahead with a 3.6 billion expansion to its facility in Co Kildare must be heard in the presence of the other parties. Mr Reid is seeking to have a decision by An Bord Pleanala made last November to grant the computer chip manufacturing giant planning permission to expand its manufacturing facility at Collinstown, in Leixlip. Mr Reid whose farm at Hensor House, Blakestown Maynooth Co Kildare is located beside lands that are the subject of the planning decision, claims the decision is flawed, was rushed and should be set aside. In proceedings against the board, and where Intel Ireland Ltd is a notice party, Mr Reid seeks various orders and declarations including an order quashing the decision to grant planning permission. Represented in court by James Devlin SC and Margaret Heavy Bl, Mr Reid also seeks various declarations including that the decision is contrary to various EU directives, including the Habitats and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) directives. In 2015, Mr Reid won a landmark Supreme Court decision against the IDA over the use of compulsory purchase orders for his 72 acre farm. Under the proposed expansion plan, Intels facility's acreage will increase from 120 to 150 acres. On Monday Mr Reid's application, which was brought on an ex-parte basis, for permission to bring his challenge against the decision came Mr Justice Charles Meenan. The judge, after hearing detailed submissions from Mr Devlin, directed that the application be made on notice to the other parties. The matter was adjourned to a date in March. In October, an unexpected visit from the Oklahoma State Department of Health forced us to change our community-focused small business model. Not because it was unsafe, but because under current Oklahoma law, home-baked goods may only be sold at outdoor farmers markets. Indoor markets may only sell baked or prepared goods if they are licensed by the health department and the goods are produced in a commercial kitchen, all at the expense of the home baker. By going from outdoor to indoor, our business went from legal to illegal even though selling homemade goods is arguably safer in a climate-controlled shop than at an outdoor market. We opened our doors so local vendors could serve their community. These are people we personally know, many single moms and retirees, just trying to make income, who cannot afford an expensive commercial license, which then requires the purchase of tens of thousands of dollars in specialty equipment. Instead, they bake their delicious products in the same kitchens where they prepare food for their families. - In the wake of a deadly disease sweeping the planet, about 30,000 people from around the world have attended a mass wedding in South Korea - Despite the outbreak of coronavirus, a mass wedding was held at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul - Recall that coronavirus has killed more than 800 people in China, where the disease was first recorded About 30,000 people from around the world defied the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus and attended a mass wedding in South Korea. The wedding, which had 6,000 new couples getting married, was held at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul. Despite the outbreak of coronavirus, a mass wedding was held at the Cheong Shim Peace World Center in Gapyeong, northeast of Seoul. Photo credit: Reuters Source: UGC During the mass wedding, church staff prepared hand sanitiser, handed out surgical masks and checked couples' temperature, India Times reports. Couples and wedding attendees. Photo credit: Reuters Source: UGC Legit.ng gathers that coronavirus has killed more than 800 people in China, where the disease was first recorded. Mass wedding in South Korea. Photo credit: Reuters Source: UGC Pictures of the event show a lot of people putting on masks to avoid being infected, while several others did not bother wearing masks. Coronavirus has killed more than 800 people in China, where the disease was first recorded. Photo credit: Reuters Source: UGC PAY ATTENTION: Install our latest app for Android, read the best news on Nigerias #1 news app In other news, following the outbreak of coronavirus in China and other parts of the world, the Asian country completed building a hospital to treat the deadly virus in Wuhan. According to South Front, the Huoshenshan Hospital, which was built in 10 days, was completed on Sunday, February 2. A total of 1,400 medical staff from the armed forces are tasked with treating patients at the medical facility. It should be noted that 361 have been killed and another 17,238 are infected by the coronavirus inside China, but over 480 people have recovered. Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that the coronavirus pandemic has not only taken but also affected the lives of people in many parts of the world but most significantly in China. Many in the Asian country have seen their normal lives change for the worst as people continue to isolate themselves from others in fear of contracting the virus. A short video of a mother and daughter comforting each other at a hospital in Zhoukou, China, has moved many on social media. The young girl paid a visit to her mother, Lui Haiyan, a nurse at the said hospital. Nigerias health system is very very bad - Kiki Omeili | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng China on Monday welcomed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's offer of support and help to fight the deadly novel coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 900 and infected around 45, 000 people in the Asian gaint. "India's acts of goodwill fully demonstrate its friendship with China. We thank and appreciate India's support for China's fight against the coronavirus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said during an online media briefing while replying to a question on Modi's letter to President Xi Jinping. Modi on Sunday in a letter offered assistance to President Xi in the fight against the ongoing health emergency and offered his condolences at the unfortunate loss of lives due to the outbreak. Modi had also expressed solidarity with the Chinese President and the people of China in this time of crisis. In his letter, the Prime Minister had conveyed appreciation for the facilitation provided by the Chinese government for evacuation of around 650 Indian citizens from Wuhan in Hubei province which is the epicentre of the outbreak and has been placed under lockdown for the past several weeks now. "We stand ready to work with India and other members of the international community to jointly tackle fight the epidemic and safeguard regional and global public health security," Geng said. Indian Ambassador to China, Vikram Misri on Monday said New Delhi was in touch with Chinese officials to assess the immediate requirements to fight the outbreak. Kapil Mishra election result 2020 live news and latest updates online - Read about Kapil Mishra AAP candidate who is fighting Delhi assembly (Vidhan Sabha) election from Karawal Nagar seat and many more at Firstpost.com. Kapil Mishra, the controversial AAP leader who defected to the BJP in 2019, lost from Model Town constituency to AAP's Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. The former Karawal Nagar MLA has been in the media glare ever since he rebelled against the party in May 2017, accusing chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and health minister Satyendar Jain of corruption. As a result, he was sacked as a minister and suspended from the partys primary membership. Mishra first rose to prominence in 2010 when he protested against the alleged irregularities in the preparations for the Delhi Commonwealth Games. However, his association with public causes dates back to the early 2000s when he founded the Youth for Justice, an action group that led protests across Delhi during the Jessica Lal murder trial. Moreover, as a citizen journalist he also exposed the rampant encroachments along the Yamuna river. After associating himself with the AAP, he contested the 2013 polls but narrowly lost to veteran BJP leader Mohan Singh Bisht. He, however, made a stunning comeback in the next election, defeating Bisht by a margin of over 44,000 votes. He was made a cabinet minister and given the charge of the water resources ministry. However, he was sacked from the position in 2017 after he accused Kejriwal of accepting a Rs 2 crore bribe from Jain. The allegation, however, has never been proven, with the official investigation finding no proof against the chief minister. In a dramatic change of heart, Mishra became an ardent Narendra Modi supporter after his rebellion. Not only did he vocally support the BJP on national and local issues, he also campaign in support of the saffron party during the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. In August 2019, he was expelled from the Delhi Assembly under the anti-defection law. Subsequently, he joined the BJP. Recently, he came under fire for his tweet comparing 8 February (the day of voting) to an India versus Pakistan match. The Election Commission later imposed a 48-hour campaign ban on him. This guys coming barreling towards us, and Im honking the horn to say slow down, Im right here, let me turn, and hes not stopping, and we had a follow van behind us. So I honked the horn a bunch of times, and he just sort of sped up, and so I just braced myself to die, Sidibe told the Tribune by phone last week. Well, I would have made it, but everyone in the back because theres no seat belts, no seats, or anything they would have definitely been hurt. And at the last second, (the car) swerved out of the way and almost hit the follow van and just kept going. We found out maybe 30 minutes later that the police were chasing them. Its time for a new party to take over center stage in the political arena. Time to walk away from the Democrats and Republicans, as neither party has our interest at heart anymore. The Democrats are a mess between Albany, bail reform, and the Iowa caucus. Whether it is the rigging of the primaries in 2016 for Hillary or blaming everything on Russia, how can anyone trust this party anymore? Just this week, Nancy Pelosi childishly ripping up President Trumps speech. How do you let her represent you? Her actions are outright disrespectful. She may not like the President, but she should still respect the office. The Republicans have given up in such states as New York and California. Did you know its been over 20 years since a Republican has won a statewide election here in New York? Twenty years, with most of the representatives giving up and quitting, such as Peter King. They claim to cut taxes, but what they really do is rearrange them, to make it appear like they do. They have let our federal budget grow to 23 trillion dollars. So much for our kids having a great life. Maybe our grandchildren will? President Trump continually shows the country his childish side. Yes, Pelosi impeached him. However, I feel he shouldve acted like the better person and shook her hand regardless. One of the fastest growing parties in the country is the Libertarian Party. We had 23 wins this past election cycle; 7 of them right here in New York state. The enrollment went from 2,000 to over 13,500 people this past year. We have great candidates running across both the state and country. This brings me to Staten Islands Libertarian Party, which has also significantly grown. We now have 251 registered party members; most attributing the change to the realization that the two big parties dont have our backs anymore. Most feel the two parties have stomped all over the United States Constitution. One member said she has joined the party because she feels, government isnt the answer for everything and has only made things worse through its corruption. Another member joined the Libertarian Party, after being a life-long Republican from the time of Ronald Reagan. I was unhappy with the way things changed after 9/11. War-hawk, neo-cons and the further left/Socialist Democrats just made it unbearable. It seems like most people lost the idea of a Constitutional Republic, where everyone leaves everyone else to live in peace to follow what the Founding Fathers envisioned for us. If you feel you have some of the same concerns and want true change, please look into the Libertarian Party. We truly are a party for the people, by the people. We want people to live the way they want, without causing harm to others. The Libertarian Party is truly socially liberal, but fiscally conservative. We dont need or want government in every aspect of our lives. Come check us out at LP.org. The state website is LPNY.org and our local site is statenisland-lp.org. (Joseph Portelle is a Sunnyside resident.) At the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians hosted His Majesty King Abdullah II bin Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan who is on an official visit to Armenia, as reported the Information Service of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin. Welcoming the visit of the King of Jordan to Armenia and the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness voiced hope that this visit will further reinforce the relations between the two countries. During the meeting, His Holiness, with satisfaction, stated that the sons of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide were able to get back on track in Jordan and made their helpful contributions to the countrys advancement. Touching upon the fact that the Armenians of Jordan live next to representatives of various cultures and religions due to historical circumstances, His Holiness attached great importance to the close cooperation between the spiritual leaders of different countries. In his turn, King Abdullah II expressed joy for the meeting and talked about the relations between Christians and Muslims. Touching upon the major role of the Armenian community in Jordan and the Middle East, King Abdullah II voiced hope that the Armenian community of Jordan will become strong through the development of Jordans relations with Armenia as well. He also reaffirmed his willingness to continue to support the Armenian Church and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. King Abdullah II also expressed concerns about the state of affairs and reduction of the Christian presence in the Middle East and particularly the Armenian community of Syria and expressed willingness to provide necessary support to maintain the presence of Christian Armenians. When Ivan Duque was elected to replace Juan Manuel Santos as president of Colombia in 2018, it was seen as a further blow to the fledgling peace agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia Peoples army (FARC-EP) and the Colombian government. The agreement followed lengthy negotiations and was designed to end the conflict with FARC-EP which, since the 1970s, had cost the lives of more than 220,000 Colombians and led to the forced displacement of more than seven million. The agreement had already been defeated by the narrowest of majorities in the referendum intended to establish its legitimacy, and although consequently amended to reflect some of the views of its opponents the new Final Agreement remained subject to vocal criticism, not least from former President Alvaro Uribe and his chosen candidate in the 2018 elections, Ivan Duque. Since succeeding in the elections, President Duque has been clear that he intends to amend the Final Agreement and particularly the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (known by its Spanish initials as the JEP). These criticisms designed to shore up support among his base are couched in populist rhetoric about protecting the rights of victims and being tough on international crimes. Trying to impose a special Chamber for the military One of President Duques first proposals after entering office was an amendment to the law to enable the introduction of a special chamber within the JEP dedicated to hearing cases against members of the armed forces. President Duque affirmed that the change was necessary to address a perceived lack of military expertise at the JEP and because it was claimed the military should be treated differently to members of illegal armed groups. The proposal met strong resistance from victims groups who have long stated that they do not believe a specialised military chamber can provide a fair and unbiased tribunal for state crimes, such as the false positives. Paradoxically, even the military did not welcome the proposal because of the uncertainty it created and ultimately the Constitutional Court rejected the amendment. However, the proposal has since been amended and is now back before Congress. While it seems unlikely that it will receive the necessary approvals, the fact that the government continues to claim that the JEP cannot properly try state crimes undermines public faith in the institution and risks affecting its ability to perform its mandate. Perhaps the biggest threat to the JEP followed President Duques announcement in March this year that he objected to six out of the 159 articles in the then draft Statutory Law that defines the JEPs mandate and powers. The law had already been approved by both houses of Congress and the Constitutional Court. However, President Duque took the exceptional step of refusing to sign the legislation and referring it back to Congress for the houses to consider his proposed amendments. Recommended reading In Colombia, transitional justice is caught up in politics The Santrich Case: Attracting as much negative publicity as possible Two amendments were particularly significant and will be considered briefly here. The first was a proposal to change the JEPs powers in relation to extradition requests. The Final Agreement creates a system of immunity from extradition in cases where the alleged offence was committed during the course of the conflict i.e. prior to 1 December 2016, the date on which the Final Agreement was signed. This provision had not received much attention until the case of Seuxis Hernandez, better known as Jesus Santrich. Santrich is a former FARC-EP commander who, after acting as one of FARC-EPs chief negotiators during the peace talks with the Colombian government in Havana, was destined to take one of the seats in Congress guaranteed for FARC-EPs political party under the terms of the Final Agreement. Santrich was arrested in April 2018 following an extradition request from the United States for an alleged conspiracy to supply cocaine. The procedural history of the case is strange and convoluted but the issue for the JEP was relatively simple: the Final Agreement prevents extradition for crimes committed during the course of the conflict (i.e. up until the signing of the Final Agreement on 1 December 2016). To decide if that prohibition applied in Santrichs case the JEP needed to determine the date on which the alleged offence had been committed. Ultimately, the JEP rejected the extradition request stating that, in spite of making repeated requests to the United States for evidence in support of the extradition request, it had not been provided with sufficient evidence to determine the date of the alleged offence. Vital evidence that had not been made available to the JEP was released to the public almost immediately after the JEPs decision. This created a public outcry and Attorney General Nestor Humberto Martinez resigned in protest against the decision (although critics would say it was a pre-emptive move due to his alleged involvement in the Oderbrecht corruption scandal). The Santrich case raises more questions than answers. Yet, what followed the JEPs decision seemed designed to attract as much negative publicity as possible to what was always going to be a controversial decision. The debate was polarised between those who view FARC-EP as primarily a drug trafficking group and those who believed the extradition request was an attempt to undermine peace and sabotage FARC-EPs political ambitions. President Duques objection to the provision on extradition within the draft Statutory Law capitalised on the division in public opinion. Shortly after the JEPs decision, Santrich defected and, along with another of FARC-EPs principal negotiators, Ivan Marquez, declared their intention to form a new armed group. Their actions have dismayed supporters of the peace process. They have also detracted from the 92% of demobilised FARC-EP who have remained engaged with the process in spite of the difficulties faced which include the killing of at least 158 former members of FARC-EP since the signing of the Final Agreement. Selection of cases vs impunity Another significant objection raised by President Duque to the draft statutory law was the provision that enables the JEP to focus on the most serious cases. The President criticised the measure for allowing impunity for perpetrators of international crimes. Although the criticism has popular appeal nobody condones impunity for perpetrators of international crimes it fails to recognise the realities of transitional justice. Selection and prioritisation are necessary to ensure that the most serious and representative cases are prosecuted. The approach taken by the JEP in publishing their criteria for the selection of cases follows that recommended by experts in international criminal justice as a means to ensure transparency and help victims to better understand the process. Congress rejected the amendments proposed by President Duque and, in June 2019, President Duque finally signed the Statutory Law. The signing came as a huge relief to supporters of the JEP and averted a constitutional crisis. Since then, the Security Council has emphasised that the JEP must be able to work independently and autonomously, with the necessary political and financial support. The challenge of escalating violence Although some of the proposals to amend the jurisdiction of the JEP are still being considered, it seems increasingly unlikely that any significant changes will be made to the jurisdiction. A recent proposal to reduce the 2020 budget of the court by almost 30% has been rescinded in the face of overwhelming international pressure. The challenge now for the JEP is likely to be ensuring continued participation of all parties but especially victims. Recent reports have noted the difficulties of ensuring the full participation of victims particularly those in remote areas who lack the resources to access the mechanism. The assassination of at least 486 human rights defenders and social leaders (these include indigenous leaders, community representatives and political activists) since the signing of the peace agreement exacerbates this problem, creating a climate of fear in some of the areas worst affected by the conflict and where armed groups, new and old, are now fighting for territorial control. The states failure to prepare adequately for the demobilisation of FARC-EP, combined with a lack of political will to implement the parts of the Final Agreement designed to facilitate rural development have led to an escalation of violence and many areas feeling they are worse off than before the agreement. Fragile government, fragile peace President Duque has placed the JEP at the centre of his criticisms of the Final Agreement and, by trying to position himself as being on the side of victims, he has sought to gain popular support for his proposals. However, the approach does not seem to have worked. Not only has he faced a backlash from the international community, but his Centro Democratico party also suffered huge setbacks in recent local elections which saw independent candidates elected to three of the countrys major cities, including the capital. Polling shows that President Duques popularity ratings are historically low. An unprecedented national strike which took place on 21 November 2019 saw hundreds of thousands of people protesting against a range of issues including the governments failure to implement the transitional justice arrangements. Smaller national protests have continued since 21 November and look set to continue into 2020. Whether this will be enough to cause a change in government policy in relation to the peace agreement and transitional justice arrangements therein is yet to be seen. Colombia has a long history of experiences with transitional justice mechanisms none of which have succeeded in securing lasting peace in a country where economic inequality has fuelled decades of conflict. For this attempt at peace to succeed, it will take both political will and real investment. Big Bazaar - Indias leading hypermarket chain from Future Group has always stayed ahead and met the requirements of all its customers. Today, Big Bazaar is a one stop shopping destination; that offers the best of food, fashion, home and daily utilities, all under one roof for the entire family. Reaching out to all beauty enthusiasts, make-up lovers, youth and women across all age group Big Bazaar presents Indias Beauty Bazaar. Announcing the launch to its consumers Big Bazaar launches, Be Everyday Ready a phase wise holistic campaign that is promoted across all stores, social media platforms and print media. Connecting with Gen Z and Y customers who are digitally savvy and keen fashion enthusiasts, Big Bazaar will engage with them on new age platforms. Self-care and grooming is essential and should be a health regime that is followed by everyone. While this is a necessity, it tends to get expensive and often neglected due to limited budgets. Big Bazaar communicates this through a digital video which highlights; how Beauty Bazaar provides branded products priced under 99, only so that everyone can be stylish everyday. Speaking about Indias Beauty Bazaar Pawan Sarda, Group Head Digital and Marketing, Future Group says, At Big Bazaar, we have always worked towards empowering our customers in a way that they enjoy a valuable shopping experience. In todays digitally savvy world everyone wants to be insta or selfi ready; this has led to an increasing need and demand for personal grooming. With Beauty Bazaar customers can save more by buying the same branded products at a much lower price and not compromise on self-love. During the next phase of the campaign, Big Bazaar will increase direct customer engagement and launch its first Big Bazaar Beauty Ready YouTube channel. Through the channel, fashion lovers will be treated with the latest beauty trends, skin care regimes, tips, tutorials and much more. Beauty Bazaar is present at all Big Bazaar stores in the country. Customers can walk-in their nearest Big Bazaar store and choose from a wide range of hair, skin, face, eyes, lips, nail and other beauty essentials all under the price range of 99. From housemakers, to office going women, to teenagers and young elders the Beauty Bazaar includes all everyday essentials. Lakme enrich lip crayon lipstick MRP 225 at 99, Maybelline lip balm MRP 175 at 99, Faces black kajal MRP 179 at 99, Garnier Cleanser Micellar Water MRP 175 at 99, Kara makeup remover wipes MRP 175 at 99, TS Manicure set MRP 125 at 99. Go visit your nearest Beauty Bazaar and Be Everyday Beautiful! By Laman Ismayilova Your muse always sleeps in your soul. All you need is just to wake her up... Vidadi Narimanbayov Where does inspiration come from? This topic is probably the most frequent questions when it comes to artists, poets, musicians and everyone who lives with art in his/her soul. World-famous artist Nigar Narimanbayova sees inspiration in stunning surroundings of two wonderful cities - Paris and Baku. These incredibly fascinating places never cease to amaze her. For Narimanbayova, Baku and Paris are among the most beloved and native cities. The artist, who has Azerbaijani and French roots, enjoys strolling around the streets of her native cities which are full of poetry, music and art. "While in Paris, I like strolling around its cozy neighborhoods, sit in small cafes, listen to street musicians and make sketches in a notebook. After that I review all the work and create a new painting based on my fantasies and night dreams. I also like walking around the Old city in Baku, so dear to me. I enjoy the ancient stones of the old fortress, sitting on a bench on the shores of the gray Caspian Sea and start drawing. All the colors of my hometown turn into masterpieces, born from my feelings and fantasies," Narimanbayova said. "For me Paris and Baku are two native and beloved cities. They are both beautiful, saturated with music, poetry and painting, these are two great cultures, that I am very proud of. While in Paris, I really miss Baku, I see it in my dreams and I create paints full of nostalgic feelings. Here I enjoy a company of my friends and relatives. I also walk around my favorite places of my childhood....Then returning to Paris, which I also miss, I pour all my Baku emotions and sentiments onto the canvas in my paintings. Therefore, my paintings brilliantly unite Azerbaijan's riot of colors and French sophistication and mystery...," she added. Speaking about her muse, Nigar Narimanbayova noted the words once said by her father, prominent artist Vidadi Narimanbayov: "Your muse always sleeps in your soul. All you need is just to wake her up... As a child, Nigar painted still lifes, landscapes, portraits inspired by her poems. The young artist adored white canvas and the smell of oil paints. At that time, her father's close friends, incredibly talented artists and writers such as Gorkhmaz Efendiyev, Sattar Bakhlulzade, Muslim Abbasov, Rauf Shashikashvili, her uncle Togrul Narimanbayov and writer Viktor Golyavkin gathered in her small apartment on Parkovaya Street and admired art works of the young artist. "My uncle Sattar took me in his arms and said: "She will be a great artist!" Since then I have always carried this great mission in my soul...," she told Azernews. As artists says, all her paintings comprise her fantasy stories. Her series of paintings "Childhood Dreams", which consisted of more than twenty paintings, feature fantastic creates like fairies, guardian angels shone with golden light, small cupids and much more. The next series of paintings, the idea of which came to artist in her night dreams, was " Love Toy", which fully reflect woman's role in the world, her dreams, hopes, ups and downs. This series of paintings was successfully presented within a huge number of art projects in France and Europe, such as Salon Business Art Fair, Art en Capital, Business Art Salon and many others. Moreover, the paintings from this series were marked by honored diplomas such as "Golden Canvas 2016" (TOILE D OR 2016) for the diptych "Adagio", diploma "For creating a magical enchanting Universe" awarded by National Federation Of French Culture and other prizes. Nigar Narimanbayova also spoke about her successful partnership with Stella Art International Association, headed by famous gallery owner and a fine art connoisseur Stella Kalinina. The Association unites world-talented artists from around the world. Stella Kalinina highly appreciated the works of national artist and invited her to join the Association. Finally, the artist's first grand exhibition was held at Salon Business Art Fair at the Pierre Cardin Center. A series of paintings "Childhood Dreams" were a huge success and were covered in famous Parisian magazine "La Gazette des Arts". Since then, Narimanbayova has been captivating art scene as a member of Stella Art International Association. In her interview, Nigar Narimanbayova also shared her family story. The artist's grandmother was French fashion designer Irma Larude, while her grandfather Yagub Farman Narimanbayov was born into a noble family, originally from Shusha. "In 1918, my grandfather, among 100 students, was sent to the city of Toulouse to study engineering, while my grandmother studied there as a fashion designer. They finally met and it was love at first sight! They got married in 1926 in France in the city of Caen in Normandy, where the young people continued their studies. And then they had their first child - my father Vidadi Narimanbayov. After graduation, the newlyweds moved to live in Paris, where they worked and lived in the art district of Montparnasse. In 1930, my grandfather decided to return with his spouse, a Frenchwoman and the small son to his native Azerbaijan. In Baku, they had their second son, my uncle Togrul Narimanbayov...", the artist said. "My grandfather participated in the creation of the Mingachevir hydro power plant, while grandmother sewed amazing clothes and was famous in Baku couturier. She even created a series of costumes for the first decade of Azerbaijani culture in Moscow...," she added. However, the Bolsheviks came to power and the Stalinist repressions began to gain momentum. In 1937, the wheel of repression gained momentum and the artist's grandparents were arrested and exiled. Thus, the artist's father and his younger brother were left alone with Polish nanny, who remained devoted to the family until the end of her life. Togrul Narimanbayov promised his mother to become a great artist. And he kept his promise... When in 1961, the artist's grandparents returned to Baku, they were very proud of their sons, who had become brilliant artists. Speaking about her last projects, Nigar Narimanbayova mentioned the exhibition "ESPRIT DE RENCONTRE" held at the Russian Orthodox Spiritual and Cultural Center in Paris last November. Two of her beautiful paintings - "Fantasy" and "Princess" were successfully presented at the exhibition. The painting "Fantasy" was a huge success at the exhibition in the Grand Palais and was previously presented at the Tauride Palace in St. Petersburg. The painting "Princess" is also popular among art lovers. It was presented at ART 3F, which opened its doors at Grand Palais. Among her last projects, Nigar Narimanbayova also noted charity exhibition which united many artists. The large-scale project, headed by incredibly talented artist Milena Nabiyeva was held in Azerbaijan for the first time. All funds from the charity were used for the treatment of Narmina Kichibayova, who has T-cell lymphoma. "I displayed my famous painting "Blessing" which was already popular in France. It depicts Madonna with a small guardian angel. I was happy that my painting was one of the first to be sold. Thus, I contributed to this good deed. I have promised Milena if this project is regular, I will bring my paintings to this exhibition, because helping those in need is the most important mission in the artists life," said Narimanbayova. In near future, the artist will surprise her art lovers with major art projects in Paris and Baku. The upcoming exhibition will take place in Paris. Several paintings have been already finished for exhibition in Paris. "I honesty want to present my paintings to my dear Baku audience. Fans of my work have long been asking me for this. Everyone has long dreamed of seeing my paintings and I will put an efforts to organize an exhibition in Baku probably at the end of the year as a New Year's gift to my art lovers," she said. In conclusion, Nigar Narimanbayova addressed young artists who still have a long way to go. "Work sincerely and reflect all your love on the canvas! Find your own style and go your own way without copying anyone. Use all your talent and energy for each art work. And then the viewers will feel all your love and creativity. Your art is priceless and necessary like a breath of fresh air...", the artist concluded. --- Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz Today, by not putting forward a polarizing resolution, the United Nations Security Council demonstrated that the old way of doing things is over, a senior U.S. official said. For the first time on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, the council was willing to think outside the conventional box, and not reflexively fall back on the calcified Palestinian position, which has only allowed the failed status quo to continue. Customs Agents Seize Bag of Dead Birds From Passenger Traveling From China U.S. Customs agents said they seized a package of dead birds in a passengers baggage at the Washington Dulles airport, adding that the person recently traveled from China to the United States. The person came from Beijing in late January and was heading to an address in Prince Georges County, Maryland, according to Customs and Border Protection (CPB) in a news release on Monday. That was before U.S. officials in early February implemented travel restrictions on passengers coming in from China to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The agents conducted an examination of the baggage, which had pictures of a cat and dog that the passenger said was cat food, according to the news release. But instead, customs officials discovered the baggage actually contained a bunch of unknown small birds, about 2.5 to 3.5 inches in length, the agency said. Customs agents noted that birds from China cannot be imported into the United States due to the potential threat they might be carrying a form of avian influenza, which has ravaged Chinese poultry farms in recent years. A photo posted on the Customs and Border Protection website showed that the person was carrying about 50 dead birds. These dead birds are prohibited from importation to the United States as unprocessed birds pose a potentially significant disease threat to our nations poultry industries and more alarmingly to our citizens as potential vectors of avian influenza, said Casey Durst, with the CPBs Baltimore Field Office, in the news release. Customs and Border Protection agriculture specialists continue to exercise extraordinary vigilance every day in their fight to protect our nations agricultural and economic prosperity from invasive pests and animal diseases. On Monday, Chinse authorities reported the first case of H5N6 bird flu on a poultry farm in Sichuan Province, which killed hundreds of birds. Days before that, the same type of bird flu was discovered in swans in Xinjiang, officials said. Earlier this month, Chinas Hunan Province confirmed an outbreak of H5N1 bird flu, which also left thousands of birds dead or culled, on another farm. The countrys ministry of agriculture said on Feb. 2 that 18,000 chickens were culled in Shaoyang, Hunan province. The Department Homeland Security in early February said it will enforce restrictions for all passenger flights to the United States carrying individuals who have recently traveled from China amid the threat of coronavirus, which is believed to have originated in Wuhan, Hubei Province. The new rules will restrict American citizens who have gone to China within the past 14 days of their arrival, the agency said at the time. All you need is TIME. Time to share, time to live, time to love and time to celebrate this love. The Clifton Baumatic 10467 with the refined gradient blue dial combines understated elegance and technical reliability, thanks to the latest generation of the Baumatic calibre certified by the COSC (Official Swiss Chronometer Testing Institute) and resistant to the magnetic fields encountered in daily life. The Clifton Baumatic is the ideal gift for aesthetes with assertive tastes in perpetual pursuit of performance and innovation. The self-winding diamond-set Classima 10479 reveals a luminous face in white mother-of-pearl, embellished by diamonds set into the design all around the bezel. Its frosted silver minute track along the edge of the dial brings a perfect finishing touch to its timeless style. The 31mm case features a transparent sapphire back that makes it possible to admire the self-winding movement within. A true ode to femininity and love. Whether you'll be celebrating Valentine's Day or not, and whether you'll be spending time with your significant other, your friends, or just yourself, Baume & Mercier would like to take this opportunity to tell you all... WE LOVE YOU! Happy Valentine's Day! Los Angeles, Feb 11 : An American rapper has confessed to murder on television. The rapper Lil D Man's confession was captured on camera for a local news show, reports aceshowbiz.com. The camera was on when the rapper was picked up by the police for his reported involvement in a shootout. He was walking out of a building with his hands behind his back, apparently handcuffed, into a patrol car. He then started saying: "Shout out to the MPD, they caught me." The full form of MPD stands for Marion County Police Department, the department that arrested him. Through his freestyle rapping, Lil D Man spoke of what crime he had committed that would possibly land him behind bars. A reporter then asked him: "Did you do it?" The Nebraska-based rapper replied: "Yeah I did it." Asked why he did it, he replied after a pause: "Self defense." Details on the crime are awaited. Sappi Begins Consultation Process Related to the Closure of Paper Machine 2 at Its Stockstadt Mill in Germany Sappi Stockstadt Mill in Germany operates two paper machines PM 1 and PM 2 with a compbined production capacity of up to 445,000 tons per year of uncoated and coated woodfree paper. Fdeb. 11, 2020 (Press Release) - Sappi's strategy recognises the leadership position of the company in graphic papers markets and the need to strengthen its position in these markets to deliver maximum value to the company. The continuing and accelerating structural drop in demand for coated papers in Europe and elsewhere has made it impossible for Sappi Europe to fill its capacities adequately and to be sufficiently profitable in its current form. Importantly the current unfavourable market situation is caused by factors that are beyond Sappi's control. Taking these market conditions into account, Sappi has undertaken a thorough review of its European production assets. It has concluded that the least disruptive way to adjust its capacity in line with market demand would be to operate fewer machines. Exhaustive analysis indicates that the preferred option to achieve this would be to relocate the entire production output of Paper Machine 2 at Stockstadt mill (some 240,000 tpa of coated graphic paper) to other Sappi paper machines in Europe. To this end, Sappi Europe has today begun a process of consultation with the competent employee representatives at Stockstadt mill. The task at hand is to identify viable alternatives for Paper Machine 2. Berry Wiersum, CEO of Sappi Europe commented: "We fully recognise and commend the enormous efforts, both past and present, that employees and the management of Stockstadt mill have undertaken to reduce costs in order to earn better margins. Despite these relentless efforts the situation will not improve in the foreseeable future. We very much regret that we are confronted with this situation and hope that the consultation period can be used to find jointly socially acceptable solutions. At the same time, it is imperative that we not lose sight of the overall objective of improving the competitiveness of Stockstadt mill and securing its future." The mill currently employs 760 people, of which up to 150 positions may be impacted by the consultations. Sappi stands ready to provide the required support and to implement the decisions reached as a result of the consultation process. About Stockstadt Mill Sappi Stockstadt Mill was founded in 1898 as a chemical pulp mill. Paper Machine 1 was put into operation in 1963, Paper Machine 2 in 1970, and the coating machine in the early 1990s. Sappi Stockstadt Mill in Germany produces up to 145,000 tons per year of bleached chemical pulp for its own consumption and market pulp, and up to 445,000 tons per year of uncoated and coated woodfree paper primarily used in the production of high-quality calendars, picture and art books. Sappi is a leading global provider of sustainable woodfibre products and solutions, in the fields of Dissolving wood pulp, Printing papers, Packaging and speciality papers, Casting and release papers, Biomaterials and Bio-energy. For further informayion, visit: www.sappi.com . SOURCE: Sappi Ltd Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has dismissed the chief of his administration, Andriy Bohdan, and replaced him with Andriy Yermak, an aide whose name has been linked to U.S. President Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Rudolph Giuliani. The presidential decrees on relieving Bohdan from his duties and appointing Yermak were signed on February 11 and placed on the presidential website. Evidence and testimony gathered during Trump's recent impeachment hearing shows Giuliani met with Yermak to "strongly" urge an investigation Trump wanted of Democratic rival Joe Biden and his son's ties to Ukrainian energy firm Burisma. The Democratic-led House of Representatives impeached Trump in December for his alleged corruption involving the demands for the investigation, only the third such hearing against a president in the country's history. The Senate later acquitted him on the impeachment charges. Bohdan's appointment to the post in May last year, after Zelenskiy won the presidential election, sparked controversy as Bohdan used to be a lawyer for powerful tycoon Ihor Kolomoyskiy, who returned to Kyiv days ahead of Zelenskiy's inauguration after two years of self-imposed exile in Geneva and Tel Aviv. Kolomoyskiy had left Ukraine to avoid criminal charges. Under the previous president, Petro Poroshenko, the government had nationalized PrivatBank, which Kolomoyskiy once co-owned, and accused him of stealing $5.5 billion at a time when the war-torn country was being propped up by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the United States, and the European Union. Many said at the time that Kolomoyskiy returned to influence Zelenskiy's policies via Bohdan. Kolomoyskiy's 1+1 television channel also aired Zelenskiy's comedy shows when he was an actor and supported his presidential bid with glowing wall-to-wall coverage during the campaign. The Space Force will be taking one giant leap towards reality if the Department of Defense's proposed budget and operations go through. The $15 billion budget request would fund a number of missions and help establish the more than 10,000 personnel expected to join the new military branch over the next year. Estimates for how much it would cost to really establish the Space Force have varied widely, due in some part to the original haziness of the vision; however, even if the vision had been crystal clear, the timing and method of accomplishing it would be the subject of major debate. In the end, the Pentagon has decided in true military style to strike fast and hard at this, which for all they know may be the last opportunity to do so with this administration. Who knows what the new year may bring? Its request, detailed as part of an overall Defense budget proposal of $705 billion, would be for $15B in FY2021. These funds would be used to "consolidate the preponderance of space missions, units, resources, and personnel from the existing Military Services into the new U.S. Space Force," with a goal of doing so completely by 2024. This isn't exactly new funding as much as shifted over from elsewhere within the Air Force, under which Department the new branch will exist, and which currently has authority over the most of the armed forces' space-related missions, assets and personnel. For reference, $15B is about 60 percent of the size of the proposed NASA budget (which, to be clear, is not coming out of the DoD's pocket). Notably the National Reconnaissance Office, which essentially presides over space-based spying, will not transfer over. Under the proposed budget and transfers, the Space Force will grow from a ragtag group of 122 civilians and 38 military personnel to only a few shy of 10,000 about 35 percent civilian and the remainder military. These are mostly going to be from the Air Force's Space Command, which is essentially being eaten by Space Force. Story continues Three projects are given line items in the budget: $1.6B for three launches for national security purposes (unlikely to be detailed further given their nature); $1.8B for two launches of GPS satellites and related systems; and $2.5B to continue development of the Next-Generation Overhead Persistent Infrared project for missile detection. As with other budgets we've covered in the last week, this one is a proposal, not an allocation; Congress will be the ones to make the final decision on amounts, though it seems unlikely that the Space Force will be derailed at this stage. Since it is largely taking custody of existing programs and service members, with new HQs and projects still years off, it seems relatively safe from cuts. The Tata HBX concept showcased at Auto Expo 2020 is 97% close to hitting production. Tata Motors has made quite an impression in the minds of Indian automotive enthusiasts with the showcase and unveiling of multiple products, in both concept and production-ready formats, at Auto Expo 2020. However, the main highlights of the Tata Motors pavilion were two concepts: Sierra and HBX. While the Tata Sierra is more of an aspiration, the HBX concept is getting closer to production at a good pace. The Tata HBX compact-SUV (which will sport a different name towards its official introduction) is placed in a segment below the popular Nexon, with a launch timeline scheduled for this year itself. The HBX made its very first appearance back at the Geneva International Motor Show 2019 as the Tata H2X concept. In an interesting turn of events, it received a Hornbill moniker which was not even coined by Tata Motors. Finally, at Auto Expo 2020, the concept was tweaked a bit and given the title, HBX (a mix of H2X and Hornbill). Pratap Bose, Vice President (Global Design) of Tata Motors, has shared a few initial renders and digital sketches of the Tata HBX on social media. He claims that the HBX concept we saw at Auto Expo 2020 is around 97% close to the actual production car. Yes, you read that right and we are also a bit sceptical (and excited) about the fact. This is simply because the Tata HBX concept looks too good to be true as a production model. Apparently, only a few bits such as the wheels, auxiliary fog lamps, hood scoop and some interior ornaments will be making the cut. The Tata HBXs lines and proportions have taken inspiration from a Rhinoceros (FYI, there is a species of bird called Rhinoceros hornbill). Unlike the usual case of taking aesthetic inputs from an animal or any other living form, the design of the Tata HBX gives ample justice to its claimed rhino DNA. Tata Motors has presented the HBX as a rugged, adventure-ready, compact off-roader and one can be sure that the production version will not be like this, but a front-wheel-drive sub-four-metre raised urban vehicle. To exemplify, the H5X concept is significantly different from the real-life Tata Harrier, even though it would seem remarkably similar if we take the individual design components. This is no deal-breaker since Tata Motors (arguably) makes some of the best and well-rounded products in the respective segments it competes in. Furthermore, the Indian automotive market is rather unusual by itself with raised hatchbacks regarded as SUVs, compact-sedan abominations, etc., to point out a few. The design department of Tata Motors has truly risen to global standards. For instance, the Tata Sierra concept has received a lot of praise from many for its styling, theory and overall appeal. Tata Motors has raised the bar in terms of Indian automotive design and many are following suit. KABUL - Rebuilding Afghanistan has cost hundreds of lives, according to a new report released Tuesday by a U.S. government watchdog that monitors the billions of dollars Washington spends in the war-ravaged country. The Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction, John F. Sopko, says his report is the first to look at the human cost of rebuilding Afghanistan following the 2001 U.S.-led invasion that toppled the Taliban. The casualties it chronicled were the result of Taliban and other militant attacks on reconstruction projects since 2002. Such projects are often seen as easy targets. The SIGAR report did not include accidental or other deaths associated with reconstruction projects. The findings come amid renewed U.S.-led peace talks with the Taliban aimed at opening the way for withdrawing American troops. U.S. Congress created the office of SIGAR to ferret out waste and corruption in the billions of dollars America spends in Afghanistan. The watchdogs reports had previously focused almost exclusively on the financial costs of rebuilding the war-torn country. For years, SIGAR has spent considerable effort to track the financial costs of reconstruction and stabilization activities in Afghanistan, said Sopko in a preamble to the report. However, little effort has been made up to now to track the human costs the number of people killed, wounded, or kidnapped to accomplish these activities. The report found that 2,214 people have been killed, most of them Afghans, in largely U.S.-led projects to rebuild the country. That deaths included 284 Americans, both civilian and military. Another 2,291 people were wounded in projects from road construction, to building schools and health clinics around Afghanistan. Afghanistans 18-year war has been deadly for civilians. The United Nations calculates that between 2009, when it first began documenting civilian casualties, and October 2019, a total of 34,677 Afghan civilians have been killed in insurgent attacks and caught in the crossfire in fighting between militants and Afghan security forces and their U.S.-led coalition allies. The report pointed out that the focus on financial waste had until now left policymakers with an incomplete picture of the true cost of U.S. efforts in Afghanistan. It said this was the first U.S. government probe to focus on the human toll of reconstruction programs. The most dangerous job was road construction, according to SIGAR, amid a range of projects that included counter-narcotics, governance, and demining. Road construction accounted for 30% of all casualties, the agency said. The report didnt identify who carried out the attacks. Alongside the Taliban, other militants operate in Afghanistan, including the Islamic State group. SIGAR also said 1,182 people were either abducted or disappeared while on reconstruction jobs. The report didnt say how many among the kidnapped had been recovered. Of the Americans killed helping rebuild Afghanistan, 216 were U.S. service members. According to the report, most of the casualties came the peak of reconstruction from 2008 to 2011. The United States has spent nearly $1 trillion in Afghanistan, the majority of which has been spent on security and war-fighting costs. About $136.97 billion has been spent on Afghan relief and reconstruction since 2002. Yet according to an earlier SIGAR report last month, the poverty rate in Afghanistan is climbing. In 2012, 37% of Afghans were listed below the poverty rate, surviving on less than $1 a day. Today that figure has risen to 55% of Afghans. The Taliban and the U.S. peace talks underway in Qatar, where the Taliban maintain a political office, have become bogged down over agreeing on how to end or substantially reduce hostilities. The Taliban today control or hold sway over roughly half of Afghanistan, staging near-daily attacks targeting Afghan and U.S. forces, as well as government officials and those seen as linked to the government. Scores of civilians are killed in the crossfire. A reduction in violence would allow the U.S. and Taliban to sign a final agreement, prepare the way for ending Americas longest war and for starting broader Afghan negotiations over the countrys post-war future. ___ Associated Press Writer Kathy Gannon in Islamabad contributed to this report Two men who gang-raped and killed a 12-year-old girl in Somalia were publicly executed by a firing squad this morning that was chosen by the girl's father. Aisha Ilyaas Aden was abducted at a market, raped and strangled to death near her home in Galkayo, Puntland region, in February last year. Abdifatah Abdirahman Warsame and Abdishakur Mohamed Dige were both shot in Bossasso town square, on Somalia's north coast, after they were found guilty of the shocking attack. Aisha Ilyaas Aden was abducted at a market, raped and strangled to death near her home in Galkayo, Puntland region, in February last year Her father Ilyaas Aden said he chose the execution squad for the two men convicted for her killing and called them shortly beforehand to ask their forgiveness Aisha's father Ilyaas Aden told the BBC he appointed their executioners and asked them for forgiveness by phone before they were killed today. He even said he walked over to make sure they were dead after viewing the execution. He is also alleged to have delayed the execution of Warsame's brother, Abdisalam Abdirahman, who had also been found guilty of the crimes, by at least ten days so that his case can be re-evaluated. The case sparked uproar and demonstrations across the country, and an online protest using #JusticeForAisha. He attended the execution today with officials and members of the public, reports Mustaqbal radio. Abdifatah Abdirahman Warsame (pictured centre) and Abdishakur Mohamed Dige were shot by a firing squad in Bossasso town square today after being found guilty of the attack 'Sexual violence is sadly not a shocking occurrence in Puntland,' Hawa Aden Mohamed, founder of the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development, which promotes women's rights, said in February. 'For years it has been relatively common place.' 'Aisha's is a truly tragic case, which has resonated very deeply here in Puntland. I hope it will shake things up. The seemingly never-ending violence against women and girls, where men can evade any responsibility for what they do, has to end.' Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region passed the country's first Sexual Offences Law in 2016, which criminalises rape, sexual harassment and online sexual offences. Under the law, five men who gang raped a teenage girl - with a video of the attack posted on social media - were sentenced in 2017 to lashes and up to 10 years in prison, according to the United Nations. Campaigners say police are either unaware of violence of women or do not see it as a serious crime, which deters women from reporting abuse. An official with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said Monday that an infectious-disease specialist from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is en route to Tokyo to help with the cruise ship crisis. The official was not authorized to discuss the assistance and spoke on the condition of anonymity. The official was not aware of any plans to begin evacuating the Diamond Princess. (Newser) The mayor of a Tennessee town is behind bars, where he could remain for the next 25 years. Mount Carmel's Chris Jones was arrested Monday, days after he was indicted on charges of stealing nearly $400,000 from his grandmother, who suffered from dementia in the year before she died. Previously, Jones was ordered by a court to pay $571,569$394,000 in compensatory damages plus punitive damages, lawyer fees, and interestto his mother and uncles. They sued Jones after accusing him of stealing the money from Marceline Carpenter during her stay in a West Virginia assisted care center, reports the Times-News. story continues below The 48-year-old has now been charged with theft over $250,000, which carries a sentence of up to 25 years. He allegedly penned checks to himself from Carpenter's account while she was in an unfit state, reports WJHL. A local district attorney said the indictment resulted from "an almost year-long investigation" by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. Tennessee got involved because Jones deposited the money in a bank there. The mayor, who won in a landslide in 2016, per the Kingsport Times-News, is now booked into Hawkins County Jail on a $300,000 bond. (Read more theft stories.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Chen Dongxiao (The Jakarta Post) Shanghai Wed, February 12 2020 The novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) epidemic has become a common international concern. Since the first infection was diagnosed in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the coronavirus has been spreading at a speed beyond expectations. Chinas government mandated a quarantine of Wuhan city on Jan. 23 and 31 provinces and municipalities have also taken first-level response measures to this major public health emergency. On Jan. 30, the World Health Organization declared the epidemic a global health emergency. The actions of Chinas government and people are key to the global campaign against this epidemic. Why has Chinas government taken such strong measures? How effective are they? What are the epidemics effects on Chinas economy? And how can the international community together tackle the international emergency? 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 President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with families of victims of the latest attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State. He assured tha... President Muhammadu Buhari has commiserated with families of victims of the latest attacks in Maiduguri, Borno State. He assured that his administration will continually frustrate the devilish operations of Boko Haram, and bring it to an end. Buhari condemned the murderous and cowardly attack on innocent passengers by the Boko Haram terrorists near Maiduguri. In a statement by his spokesman, Garba Shehu, Buhari added that his administration is ever determined to frustrate their goal to hold Nigeria to ransom. The commitment of this administration to protect the lives of Nigerians will not be derailed by the cowardly and indiscriminate violence against innocent people by Boko Haram terrorists, he said. President Buhari, who also condoled with the government of the state, warns that terrorists are clearly on the back foot and their days are numbered. As our armed forces continue to receive more hardware and intelligence to counter our current security challenges, the remnants of Boko Haram will ultimately be crushed. The peculiar challenges of asymmetric warfare notwithstanding, our armed forces are ever determined to defeat these enemies of humanity, President Buhari said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 02:28:39|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese envoy on Tuesday reiterated China's firm support for the Palestinian people's just cause to restore their legitimate national rights, in the wake of the unveiling of a controversial U.S. Middle East peace plan. China takes note of the U.S. announcement of its new Middle East peace plan and the responses of Palestine, the Arab League, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, the UN secretary-general and others, said Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the United Nations. China always believes that the relevant UN resolutions and such international consensus as a two-state solution and the land-for-peace principle constitute an important foundation for solving the question of Palestine, and must be effectively observed, he told the Security Council, which met to discuss the U.S. plan. The question of Palestine can only be solved through political means. Any proposal must be based on heeding the views and opinions of the major parties, in particular those of Palestine, as well as the voices of regional countries and organizations. Any such proposal must come up with dialogue and negotiation on an equal footing, and must contribute to a comprehensive, fair and lasting solution, said Zhang. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China is causing a global alarm. So far, the death toll in China has risen to 909 and almost 40,185 people have been declared affected (which may not be the true number). Coronavirus cases have been detected in other countries, including in India. The consequences of the outbreak for Chinas economy, its authoritarian leadership, the global economy and for India deserve examination. Given Chinas massive global economic footprint, the millions of Chinese that travel abroad for business or as tourists and its reverse, the numerous Chinese students in the West, the thousands of foreign companies operating in China, and the sizeable expatriate population in the country, the impact of the epidemic is beginning to be felt, without a crisis point being reached as yet. Domino effect The Chinese economy has been hit, with reports about massive closure of outlets of Starbucks, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Ikea stores, Uniqlo shops, Disneyland parks and cinemas affecting consumption. With several countries suspending flights to China (including Air India) and from China, cancelling e-visas for the Chinese by India, six of eight airlines in Africa stopping flights, Russia closing its border in the east and only Aeroflot allowed to fly to China, with domestic travel groups in China prohibited, the travel industry has taken a blow. When the SARS epidemic erupted 17 years ago, Chinas share of the global economy was 5 per cent, whereas now it is 16 per cent. The SARS virus cost the global economy $50 billion; the coronavirus could cost it $360 billion, given Chinas current share of global GDP. As the manufacturing hub of the world, China is a critical part of global supply chains. Its the largest oil importer and its travellers are the top spenders in international tourism, spending $277 billion abroad in 2018. It is the largest market for several categories of consumer goods automobiles, spirits, luxury items. The car industry has been hit in particular. Hyundai has closed all its factories in South Korea because component supply from China has been disrupted. VW and BMW have announced a temporary closure of their Chinese plants. Toyota, General Motors, Renault and Honda operations have been affected. So far, the death toll in China has risen to 909 and almost 40,185 people have been declared affected. (Photo: Reuters) Qualcomm has warned about the impact on the smartphone sector. Luxury good makers have been hit. Fuel demand within China has dropped, causing Chinas largest refinery to cut production by around 600,000 barrels a day. Chinas stock market has plummeted. China has injected $171 billion to ease the pressure on the domestic money market and the banking system. Global risk The current level of disruption is considered manageable by some economists, but if the epidemic is not controlled soon, the economic damage worldwide will escalate. According to a study, the countries most at risk from a coronavirus epidemic and a dampening of Chinese and global demand, are Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Philippine and Sub-Saharan Africa. Countries with links to China through trade, investment and movement of people such as Mongolia, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Myanmar could be economically impacted more than others. The most exposed African countries include Angola (which exports 60 per cent of its goods to China), Congo, Sierra Leone, Lesotho and Zambia. How much of an impact the lockdown in China will have on Indias exports and imports in areas such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, mobiles, and auto parts needs analysis. Telecom instruments, electronics components, computer hardware and peripherals, industrial machinery for dairy, and organic chemicals are the top five items accounting for 46 per cent of our imports from China. Approximately 85 per cent of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) imported by Indian companies are from China and this dependence exposes India to raw material supply disruption and price volatility. Indian pharmaceutical companies have two months stock of APIs and intermediates, which along with higher capacity utilisation of existing manufacturing plants may address the issue of shortage now. Trial for China Chinese travellers accounted for 3.12 per cent of tourists in India in 2019. Around 50-60 per cent of Indias demand for electronics is met by China, but in 2019, the share of imports from China declined to about 37 per cent from 57 per cent, limiting the impact in this sector. Vehicle makers, including Maruti Suzuki, import Chinese components and raw materials, but Marutis chairman thinks this will not impact the sector. At this stage, the relatively negligible economic impact is anticipated but India isnt immune. The outbreak may test President Xis authority, as with the unprecedented lockdown in Wuhan, confining millions to their homes, along with Dr Li Wenliangs death, the doctor who sounded an early warning about the virus outbreak but was silenced, anger has grown on Chinese social media. Chinas belief in the superiority of its political and economic system will come under questioning. President Xi has not taken a visible leadership position in the handling the emergency, leaving it to Premier Le Keqiang, which has invited caustic comments on the social media. Sensing potential political damage, the state media is trying to shield Xi from criticism. How a prolonged outbreak will affect Chinas BRI ambitions remains to be seen. (Courtesy of Mail Today) Also read: What is coronavirus? Should Wuhan flu worry you? In late summer 1777 Gen. Sir William Howe, commander in chief of the British army in North America, sailed from New York City with 15,000 troops in a bid to capture Philadelphia. Moving up the Chesapeake Bay, his fleet landed on August 25 at Head of Elk (near present-day Elkton), Md., some 45 miles southwest of the American capital. After skirmishing with Patriots at Coochs Bridge south of Newark, Del., on September 3, Howe approached Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania on September 11. Opposing him was Gen. George Washington with 11,000 men, many of whom were poorly trained militia. Outflanked by Howe, Washington was forced to retreat east to Chester. The British then pressed American rear elements near Malvern, until a violent noreaster prematurely ended the clash, aptly dubbed the Battle of the Clouds. Washington retired to the Continental depot in Reading, Penn., seeking powder and supplies. Meanwhile, nearly impassable roads and the rising waters of the Schuylkill hindered Howes progress. To harass the British, Washington left behind 1,500 Regulars with four cannons under Brig. Gen. Anthony Wayne and ordered Brig. Gen. William Smallwood north from Oxford with 2,100 Maryland militiamen. By September 19, Wayne, believing Howe was unaware of his presence, had encamped southwest of Paoli Tavern, within 5 miles of the British. Smallwoods force was camped a few miles east. But Howe was aware and sent out an 1,800-man assault force, including fearsome Highlanders of the 42nd Foot (aka Black Watch), under Maj. Gen. Charles Grey (father of the namesake of Earl Grey tea). Late in the evening, on September 20, Greys men marched west along Swedes Ford Road to Admiral Warren Tavern, about a mile north of the American camp. To maintain the element of surprise, the British captured any passersby, including a blacksmith they forced to serve as a guide. At 1 a.m. on September 21, Grey ordered his men to fix bayonets and remove the flints from their muskets to preclude any accidental warning shots, a tactic that earned him the nickname No Flint. Approaching undetected through the woods, the British overran the American picketts and poured into Waynes sleeping camp. Lacking bayonets, the surprised Americans were decimated. Wayne sought to cover the retreat of his artillery and supplies, but his orders to Col. Richard Humpton were misunderstood, and more chaos ensued. The British bayoneted the Americans by the dozens and drove the survivors from the field. Wayne joined the exodus west to White Horse Tavern, where he linked up with Smallwood, who also turned tail. Grey suspended any further pursuit. Wayne lost 53 killed, 113 wounded and 71 captured to Greys four killed and seven wounded. Though there was no evidence of improper British conduct, the one-sided nature of the engagement led to its designation by enraged Patriots as the Paoli Massacre. Though an Army court of inquiry cleared Wayne of misconduct, it determined hed made several tactical errors. Known by the sobriquet Mad Anthony, a furious Wayne demanded a court-martial and was exonerated. He went on to victory at the 1779 Battle of Stony Point and the postwar defeat of a confederation of Indian tribes at the 1794 Battle of Fallen Timbers in Ohio Country. While Grey was busy smashing Waynes division, Washington assumed a strong defensive position at Swedes Ford. Howe moved farther north to seek an uncontested crossing site, which he found at Flatlands Ford on September 23. Interposing his army between Washington and the capital, Howe captured Philadelphia on September 26. The Continental Congress had already fled. While campaigning to recapture the city, Washington was narrowly defeated at Germantown on October 4. After additional failed operations, Washington went into winter quarters at Valley Forge. Following Frances entry into the war in 1778, the British made a strategic withdrawal from Philadelphia. Five years later they were forced to grant the United States its independence. In 1817 veterans of the late rematch with Britain erected a simple marble monument atop the soldiers burial mound at Paoli. Six decades later local citizens replaced it with a larger granite obelisk. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the 40-acre park is owned by the borough of Malvern and administered by the Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund. Present-day Paoli Battlefield Historical Park sadly appears to function more as a dog park than as hallowed ground dedicated to 53 fallen Patriots of the American Revolution. This feature originally appeared in the May 2020 issue of Military History magazine. To subscribe, click here. Tripoli, Libya (PANA) - Libya's Minister of Finance in the Government of National Accord (GNA), Fraj Boumtari, on Tuesday announced a programme of reforms in his ministry which include the creation of a joint body for public and private sector projects, a unified account for the State and the reduction of wide differences the civil service wages China today denied involvement in any hacking activities after the US indicted four members of the Chinese military for allegedly breaking into computer networks and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of people. The Justice Department accused Beijing on Monday of engineering one of the biggest hacks in history, targeting consumer data at the Equifax credit reporting agency. Today, China's Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China was committed to 'firmly oppose and combat cyber-attacks of any kind'. He added that it is a staunch defender of cyber-security and its institutions 'never engage in cyber-theft of trade secrets', claiming China was also the victim of cyber-attacks from the US. Geng also turned the accusation back on the US, saying past events had shown Washington is 'engaging in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber-stealing, spying and surveillance activities on foreign governments, enterprises and individuals.' China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Geng Shuang claimed the US is 'engaging in large-scale, organized and indiscriminate cyber-stealing, spying and surveillance' Xu Ke is among the four people suspected of stealing personal data belonging to 145 million Americans in 2017 Members of the People's Liberation Army Wang Qian (left) and Wu Zhiyong (right) are among four Chinese servicemen who have been charged with hacking Equifax in 2017 'China is also a victim of this,' Geng also claimed. 'The Chinese government and army...never engage in or participate in activities of trade theft through the internet,' said foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang at a regular press briefing. The four accused - Wu Zhiyong, Wang Qian, Xu Ke and Liu Lei - are members of the People's Liberation Army, which is an arm of the Chinese military. They remain at large, Attorney General William Barr said during a news conference. All four men are also accused of stealing the company's trade secrets. The criminal charges were filed in federal court in Atlanta where the company is based. Barr said the hackers spent weeks in the Equifax system, breaking into computer networks, stealing company secrets and personal data. According to the indictment, the four member of the People Liberation Army's 54th Research Institute 'exploited a vulnerability in the Apache Struts Web Framework software used by Equifax's online dispute portal. They used this access to conduct reconnaissance of Equifax's online dispute portal and to obtain login credentials that could be used to further navigate Equifax's network. Attorney General William Barr speaking during a news conference on Monday at the Justice Department in Washington, as Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Seth Ducharm looks on Four members of the Chinese military have been charged with breaking into the networks of the Equifax credit reporting agency and stealing the personal information of tens of millions of Americans, the Justice Department said The hackers also used encrypted communication channels within Equifax's network to blend in with normal network activity and deleted compressed files and wiped log files on a daily basis in an effort to eliminate records of their activity. FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said there was no evidence yet of the Equifax data having been used, for example to hijack a person's bank account or credit card. The accusation is the latest against Chinese suspected of breaching the computer networks of American corporations, including steel manufacturers, a hotel chain and a health insurer. The 2017 breach affected roughly 145 million people, with the hackers successfully stealing names, Social Security numbers and other personal information stored in the company's databases. It comes as the Trump administration has warned against what it sees as the growing political and economic influence of China, and efforts by Beijing to collect data for financial and intelligence purposes and to steal research and innovation. Even as President Donald Trump points to a preliminary trade pact with China as evidence of his ability to extract concessions from Beijing, members of his administration have been warning against cyber-security and surveillance risks posed by China, especially as the tech giant Huawei seeks to become part of new, high-speed 5G wireless networks across the globe. Experts and US officials say the Equifax theft represents Beijing's interest in accumulating as much information about Americans as possible. The 2017 breach affected roughly 145 million people, with the hackers successfully stealing names, Social Security numbers and other personal information stored in the company's databases The data could be used by China to target US government officials and ordinary citizens, including possible spies, and to find weaknesses and vulnerabilities that can be exploited - such as for purposes of blackmail. The FBI has not seen that happen yet in this case, but officials don't rule out it happening in future. The scandal sent Equifax into turmoil, leading to the exit of its then-CEO, Richard Smith, and multiple congressional hearings as the company's slowness to disclose the breach and security practices were challenged by lawmakers. Equifax ultimately agreed to pay up to $700million to settle claims it broke the law during the data breach and to repay harmed consumers. In a statement Equifax thanked the Justice Department for its help and pledged to better protect consumer data. 'Cybercrime is one of the greatest threats facing our nation today, and it is an ongoing battle that every company will continue to face as attackers grow more sophisticated,' it said. The Obama administration in 2014 charged five Chinese military hackers with breaking into the networks of major American corporations to siphon trade secrets. If the previous cases are any indication, there is little to no chance the accused perpetrators of the sweeping Equifax breach would ever be brought to justice by US authorities because the US does not have an extradition agreement with China. SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) A mining company has withdrawn its request for the federal government's permission to dig up minerals near the vast wildlife refuge in the Okefenokee Swamp, saying it plans to submit a new application that proposes a smaller area for the project. The Army Corps of Engineers disclosed last summer that it was weighing a mining permit for Twin Pines Minerals to mine for titanium dioxide less than 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) from the southeastern boundary of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge. It's the largest federally protected refuge east of the Mississippi River, covering nearly 630 square miles (1,631 sq. kilometers) near the Georgia-Florida state line. Critics feared the mining project could cause irreparable harm to the swamp's fragile ecosystem that serves as habitat to alligators, bald eagles and other protected species. Twin Pines, based in Birmingham, Alabama, said it's not abandoning the mining proposal. Company President Steve Ingle said in a statement sent Monday to The Associated Press that a revised application is in the works. In an effort to be even more conservative in our approach than we were in our initial application, we have agreed with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to reduce the size of the permit area and resubmit new documentation for further review and evaluation as soon as possible, Ingle said. The Twin Pines proposal came 20 years after chemical giant DuPont abandoned plans to mine outside the Okefenokee amid staunch opposition from environmentalists and the administration of then-President Bill Clinton. Twin Pines wants to mine titanium dioxide that is primarily used to produce white pigment for paints and paper. The application the company withdrew Friday sought permits to mine on a sandy ridge that serves as the eastern edge of the giant bowl-like depression that holds water in the swamp. The plan initially called for mining on about 4 square miles (10 square kilometers), but the company said it eventually wanted to expand to about 19 square miles (49 square kilometers). Story continues The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said in a letter to the Army Corps that there's great uncertainty surrounding how mining deep into the sandy soil might reduce or otherwise alter the ridge's ability to hold water. That's because the soil would lose its distinct layers after it's scooped at average depths of 50 feet (15 meters). Once minerals are removed, the soil would be returned to the ground as a homogenized mixture. The Service cannot definitively say that the mining proposal will significantly affect the environment, the agency said in a letter to the Army Corps dated Oct. 8. However we have concerns that the proposed project could pose substantial risks for adverse impacts to (the Okefenokee refuge) and the surrounding environment that may be irreversible even with mitigation. The company last week released a 91-page report detailing its own scientific studies that concluded "the proposed mining activities will have negligible impact on the hydrologic system of Trail Ridge and the Okefenokee Swamp. Billy Birdwell, an Army Corps spokesman in Savannah, said it's not uncommon for applicants to withdraw and later resubmit updated permit proposals with added information. Depending on how much Twin Pines' updated application differs from the previous one, the agency may not have to seek a new round of public comments or otherwise restart the permitting process, Birdwell said. That sort of thing happens often enough that we consider it routine, Birdwell said. MUNICH and BLUE BELL, Pa., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Unisys Corporation (NYSE: UIS) today announced that Telefonica, one of the world's largest telephone operators and mobile network providers, has expanded its successful partnership with Unisys in Europe to provide secure, next generation voicemail services to millions of Telefonica Deutschland customers in Germany. Unisys communications solutions support more than 200 million mobile subscribers around the world. Under the terms of a mid-term contract signed in Q3 2019, Unisys will deliver enhanced voicemail capabilities, including visual voicemail, a visual interface that improves user experience by providing key message details, such as the contact details of the sender, the time and date it was recorded and the message duration. The solution will also pave the way for new capabilities for Telefonica Deutschland's customers regarding modern voicemail messaging. "We will provide a large amount of our customers in Germany with the latest voicemail capabilities," said Heiko Hofmann, Head of Network Services at Telefonica Deutschland. "This new solution will help us to increase customer satisfaction, through the simplification of the management of voicemail services and the IT environment that supports them, as well as being able to provide additional capacity to meet peaks in voicemail demand as required." The voicemail solution is based on Unisys' Voicemail Solutions (VMS) software and Dell EMC PowerEdge servers and Unity All flash disk arrays as part of the companies' strategic partnership, while the whole data processing will be handled via Telefonica's infrastructure in Germany. Jose Ramon Trave, commercial sector director for telecoms and financial services, Unisys, said, "Over the last 25 years, Unisys has developed a deep understanding of Telefonica's business and has become a trusted partner. The latest version of our platform is designed to deliver both operational and financial benefits, but also to futureproof its voicemail capabilities for Telefonica customers. In the near future, the platform will enable secure new features not only from Unisys, but from different vendors, including connection with social networks and IoT devices." In 2019, FOCUS Money recognized Telefonica Deutschland with its Digital Champion Award for the telco sector and the F.A.Z.-Institut named the company Germany's innovation leader. In addition to innovation, Telefonica Deutschland is committed to providing exceptional customer satisfaction and it now manages more than 45 million connections under the core brand O 2 as well as several secondary and partner brands such as Blau, AY YILDIZ, Ortel Mobile, Aldi Talk and Tchibo mobil no other company connects more people to mobile communications in Germany. About Unisys Unisys is a global information technology company that builds high-performance, security-centric solutions for the most demanding businesses and governments. Unisys offerings include security software and services; digital transformation and workplace services; industry applications and services; and innovative software operating environments for high-intensity enterprise computing. For more information on how Unisys builds better outcomes securely for its clients across the Government, Financial Services and Commercial markets, visit www.unisys.com. Follow Unisys on Twitter and LinkedIn. About Telefonica Telefonica Deutschland offers telecommunications services for private and business customers, as well as innovative digital products and services in the fields of the Internet of Things and data analytics. With a total of 50.1 million customer connections (as of 30 September 2019), the company is one of the leading integrated telecommunications providers in Germany. In the mobile segment alone, Telefonica Deutschland is responsible for more than 45 million connections no other domestic network operator connects more people. By 2022, the company aims to become the "Mobile Customer & Digital Champion", meaning the preferred partner for customers in the German mobile service market that allows them mobile freedom in the digital world. Through its core brand O 2 and various secondary and partner brands, the company sells postpaid and prepaid mobile telecommunications products including innovative mobile data services. The basis for this is a mobile service network based on a high-performance GSM, UMTS and LTE infrastructure. Telefonica Deutschland also provides telephony and high-speed internet products, such as VDSL, in the fixed network field. Telefonica Deutschland Holding AG has been listed in the Prime Standard on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TecDAX) since 2012. In the 2018 financial year, the company generated revenue of EUR 7.3 billion with almost 9,000 employees. The company is majority owned by the Spanish telecommunications group Telefonica S.A., headquartered in Madrid. With operations in 14 countries and a customer base of base of approximately 350 million connections, the group is one of the world's biggest telecommunications providers. RELEASE NO.: 0211/9746 Unisys and other Unisys products and services mentioned herein, as well as their respective logos, are trademarks or registered trademarks of Unisys Corporation. Any other brand or product referenced herein is acknowledged to be a trademark or registered trademark of its respective holder. UIS-C SOURCE Unisys Corporation Linde plc LIN is set to report fourth-quarter 2019 results on Feb 13, before the opening bell. The leading industrial gases and engineering player, which was formed following the closing of the merger between Praxair and Linde AG on Oct 31, 2018, beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in the last three quarters, the average positive surprise being 7.8%. Linde plc Price and EPS Surprise Linde plc Price and EPS Surprise Linde plc price-eps-surprise | Linde plc Quote In the last reported quarter, the companys earnings per share were $1.94, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.78, thanks to improved prices across all business segments. Lets see how things have shaped up prior to the upcoming announcement. Estimate Picture The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $1.85 per share, which has not seen any revision in the past 30 days. Key Factors to Note Per data provided by the Federal Reserve, industrial production in the United States was 1%, 0.7% and 1% lower in October, November and December, as compared to the year-ago comparable months in 2018. This is likely to have hurt Lindes fourth-quarter earnings as it is a leading producer and distributor of industrial gases which are utilized by various industries. Moreover, the business scenario was not favorable in Europe. Notably, in Germany the largest economy in the Eurozone area industrial production declined 4.6%, 2.5% and 6.8% in October, November and December, from the comparable months in 2018, per TRADING ECONOMICS. Earnings Whispers Our proven model does not predict a beat for Linde this earnings season. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. That is not the case here as you will see below. Earnings ESP: Linde has an ESP of 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before theyre reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Story continues Zacks Rank: Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2. Stocks Poised to Beat Estimates Here are some companies in the basic materials space you may want to consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: Agnico Eagle Mines Limited AEM has an Earnings ESP of +0.47%. It currently carries a Zacks Rank #3. The company is scheduled to release earnings on Feb 13. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. YAMANA GOLD INC. AUY has an Earnings ESP of +9.09% and is a #3 Ranked player. The company is scheduled to release earnings on Feb 13. Ternium SA TX has an Earnings ESP of +5.13% and is a #3 Ranked player. The company is set to release earnings on Feb 18. Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2020? Last year's 2019 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +102.7%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Dont miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys. Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2020 today >> Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Agnico Eagle Mines Limited (AEM) : Free Stock Analysis Report Yamana Gold Inc. (AUY) : Free Stock Analysis Report Ternium S.A. (TX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Linde plc (LIN) : Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Partys broom swept rivals away in the 2020 Delhi Assembly elections in a near repeat of its stunning performance from five years ago as it mopped up 62 of the total 70 seats in results declared on Tuesday to net a third term for Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Despite a demagogic campaign and a galaxy of star politicians canvassing for it, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) bagged only eight constituencies, a minor improvement on its 2015 tally of three. The Congress, once more, was reduced to nought. Before holding a triumphant roadshow to the Hanuman Mandir in the heart of the capital, Kejriwal termed it a victory for the entire country and the birth of the politics of work. With a wide smile on his face as several party colleagues stood alongside on a balcony at the AAP headquarters, the 51-year-old former bureaucrat and anti-corruption activist said, Dilliwaalon I love you, prompting roars of approval from scores of cadres and supporters gathered below. Today is Tuesday, Hanuman jis day. Hanuman ji has showered Delhi with blessings, said Kejriwal, who was taunted by BJP leaders and supporters on social media after he recited verses from the Hanuman Chalisa during a television news show. Observers saw it as an attempt by the AAP chief to deflate the saffron partys attempts to portray itself as the champion of Hinduism. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia from Patparganj as well as popular party face and educationist Atishi from Kalkaji overcame initial jitters to win their seats in white-knuckle contests. The results brought to a close a vitriolic and fiercely fought election that was pocked with communally charged statements, personal attacks and disinformation campaigns. The BJP, led by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, used the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and resentment against related protests in Delhis Muslim-dominated Shaheen Bagh locality as its primary canvassing theme, backed by its larger nationalism plank and attempts at consolidation of Hindu votes in its favour. AAPs campaign recipe had performance and delivery on basic services like education and healthcare as key ingredients, its populist measures such as cheap electricity and water as the cherry on top, with a sprinkling of soft Hindutva, analysts say. The two crore families of Delhi have now said that their son Arvind Kejriwal is not a terrorist but a staunch nationalist. I salute the people of Delhi for giving AAP such a massive mandate, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said in a tweet. He was referring to remarks made at a poll rally by BJP MP Parvesh Verma who had called Kejriwal a terrorist while alleging that he was supporting the anti-CAA protesters at Shaheen Bagh most of them Muslim women whom the Lok Sabha member had on another occasion termed rapists and murderers. The AAPs sweeping victory comes about eight months after it was decimated in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls where it drew a blank while the BJP picked up all the seven seats in Delhi. Political observers say the BJP was hamstrung this time by a lack of credible leadership in the state unit and the failure to put up a chief ministerial face who could challenge Kejriwal. Also, local issues trumped national themes, and AAPs freebies as well as perceived performance in sprucing up government schools and strengthening the capitals primary healthcare system with its mohalla clinics worked in the incumbents favour, they maintain. The national capital must have given its mandate after careful thinking. Our vote percentage has increased from 32% to around 38%, said BJPs Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari, who was viewed as a possible chief ministerial candidate in case his party won. We indulge in the politics of development and not in the politics of hatred. Were against the roadblock in Shaheen Bagh as we were earlier. The outcome is likely to have a bearing on upcoming polls Bihar later this year and West Bengal in mid-2021 analysts say, and the BJP may have to focus more on local issues and putting up state leaders who inspire confidence rather than banking only on national narratives and Prime Minister Narendra Modis popularity. The results mean the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has lost power in six states in the last two years and now has governments in 16. The NDA holds the reins of Bihar while it faces a tough challenge against the ruling Trinamool Congress led by Mamata Banerjee in Bengal. AAP had buried rivals under a landslide in the 2015 Delhi elections, winning 67 of the 70 Assembly seats on offer. The BJP had bagged three while the Congress failed to open its account. While Kejriwal was his partys star campaigner for the 2020 Assembly polls, Modi, Shah and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath were among those who held rallies for the BJP. The Congress was listless in the run-up to the February 8 elections and appeared to be still recovering from the death of its three-time Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit last year, though party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi campaigned in some areas. As its victory became apparent, AAP gave hints of taking its politics national. Addressing volunteers, the partys Delhi chief Gopal Rai said the city gave votes to love and defeated hate. Baat nikli hai toh dur talak jaigi (We will go a long way), he said, adding this politics of change will not just be limited to the national capital. Analysts say AAP could be eyeing Punjab and Goa where it has significant support before considering a plunge in the 2024 parliamentary polls. The party had fielded 434 candidates in the 2014 general elections but managed to win just four, all of them in Punjab. It contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls in 40 constituencies, mainly from Delhi, Goa and Punjab, bagging just one seat. It has also tried its luck in assembly elections of Punjab, Goa, Maharashtra and Haryana but without any notable success. (With agency inputs) Sinn Fein supporters are in cheery form this week because of their astonishing performance in the southern election. And some of them are in smug form, too, delighted by the failure of what they saw as a strategy to damage the party. That is how they represent the discussion last week about the murder of Paul Quinn and the Finance Minister Conor Murphy's past maligning of him as a criminal. Even on Monday, callers to the Nolan Show (the biggest programme in the province) accused Stephen of trying and failing to influence an election by interviewing the bereaved parents of Paul Quinn on his radio and television shows. This annoyed them, yet it had no apparent impact on the result. For, despite the revival of the story about Paul Quinn and the shaming of Conor Murphy, Sinn Fein's vote measured up to what the polls had anticipated. If there was villainy to be remarked on it was, apparently, the media coverage of the story, not Conor Murphy's comments. These callers and commentators were forgetting who it was that had revived the story in the first place. Who was it that had brought the issue to life? One was Mairia Cahill, who had written about it. But lift-off was achieved by Mary Lou McDonald herself, assisted by Conor Murphy. If Conor Murphy had not misled his own party leader, whether intentionally or not, about what he had once said in a broadcast about Paul Quinn, she would have been better equipped to field questions and dampen the story down. But Murphy had told her he had not said what he was accused of saying and she walked exposed into a party leaders's debate, where she would have the denied statement quoted to her. A party leader, humbled in such a way in an election debate, is a legitimate story in anybody's reckoning. In observing that the party was not damaged by the humiliation of Mary Lou McDonald, by the presumed inadvertent deception of Conor Murphy, the commentators were pointing to a new development. No longer, some were saying, will it be possible to hurt Sinn Fein simply by raking up the past and reminding voters of how the party has endorsed, excused and even commemorated murder. You can now cast up against them the lies told about the bombings of Claudy and Birmingham, the excusing of hundreds of kneecappings, the annual tributes to murderous "martyrs" and you'll have no impact at all on election results. And that, for Sinn Fein, is progress. They are understandably glad of that. But murder isn't made legitimate, or moral, just by the blinkered ignorance of a section - about a fifth - of the electorate. So, what point are these tweeters making? Well, some of them profess to be coming to the defence of victims who, they claim, were ill-used for political motives. It hardly mattered to them that the Quinn family had been happy with the coverage. Some said that those who had brought up the story of Paul Quinn's murder were not interested in victims, had shown no previous record of concern for victims, which is slander against journalists and politicians and others who have spoken many times about the need for consideration for those who suffered during the Troubles. Tweeters claimed that the only reason people were concerned about Paul Quinn and his family last week was because there was an election on. Yet, one had only to watch the Nolan Show and the interview with Paul Quinn's parents to see the shocked and appalled expressions of people in the audience. Their emotional response was genuine. The cynical ones in this argument are those who accuse the friends and supporters of the Quinn family of interference in an election. And when you consider that this accusation comes in defence of the party of Conor Murphy, the party which maligned Paul Quinn and which for decades has been the apologist, endorser and commemorator of the IRA, then it isn't hard to see who benefits from the lie. What those commentators at the weekend were marvelling at was that the electorate - or a fifth of it - has absolved Sinn Fein of any need to be answerable for the atrocities it defended and which many of its senior members participated in. That is indeed a marvel. It is good news for Sinn Fein. But there is no decency in being glad of it. Then take the argument that people were only attacking Sinn Fein because there was an election on. For one thing, it is not true, since Micheal Martin and Leo Varadkar had attacked Sinn Fein many times. As had the media. But what do these people think an election is for? It is a contest in which political parties compete for votes; in which they try to damage the reputations of their rivals and promote their own. And in which the media gathers round to monitor and debate the issues. Sinn Fein and its defenders seem to think that dragging up the fact that the party has maligned murder victims and commemorated killers is somehow playing dirty. They seem to be saying that they want elections to be governed by a new understanding, that reminding the public of Sinn Fein's endorsement of - and organic links to - the IRA is improper, not playing fair. This is the argument of political wimps, though it sounds very clever the first time you hear it. Yet, maybe even in that there is some intimation for progress. For implied in that wimping is an understanding that the past was, indeed, shameful. They are only glad it doesn't seem to hurt them anymore, because it has long had the potential to. They wouldn't have wanted atrocities excluded from debate if they didn't fear being damaged by blame. Well, maybe now that they think they are not damaged by reminders of the past, they will feel more free to be honest about it. But that would be a lot to hope for. Sinn Fein could have come out fighting and defended the maligning of Paul Quinn - citing that old expert, the dogs in the street. It could have included more emphatically in its campaign its assertion that the IRA was a noble and dignified force, serving the people in the most self-sacrificing way. Thankfully, it didn't. My fear is that they are saving that bit for when they hold office, that one day Tanaiste McDonald will receive the army council at Leinster House and bestow the gratitude of a humble nation on those gnarled and bitter men. RTHK: Wuhan evacuee in Japan tests positive on third test Two Japanese citizens evacuated from Wuhan have been diagnosed with coronavirus infection after initially testing negative, the health ministry said on Tuesday. One of the two, a man in his 50s who returned from Wuhan on the first Japanese evacuation flight on January 29, previously twice tested negative for the virus. However, a third test 12 days later found the man who has been isolated in his hotel room since his return was infected. According to the World Health Organisation, the coronavirus incubation period "could be up to 14 days". The second evacuee, a Japanese man in his 40s, returned from Wuhan on January 30 and initially tested negative for the virus, but was diagnosed after a second test on Monday. The new cases bring the number of infections inside Japan to 28, excluding dozens diagnosed aboard a cruise ship moored off the coast. So far, 135 people on board the Diamond Princess have tested positive for the virus since it arrived off Japan on Monday. Authorities on Tuesday were removing from the ship the most recently diagnosed 65 crew and passengers. The ship was carrying 3,711 people when it arrived off Japan on the evening of February 3, and was officially placed into quarantine two days later. Only those diagnosed with the virus or suffering other serious health conditions have been allowed off the boat, which is expected to remain in quarantine until at least February 19. People on board the ship on Tuesday tweeted that medicines were being delivered to passengers, and that the ship's captain had announced the vessel would head out to sea overnight to produce fresh water and other operations. Japan has evacuated hundreds of its citizens from Wuhan since the outbreak began. They have been asked to self-quarantine, with most staying in government-appointed hotels for a period of 14 days. Evacuees from the first flight, which landed January 29, are expected to be released from self-quarantine this week after undergoing an additional test for the virus, officials said. Japan is planning to send a fifth evacuation flight to Wuhan later this week. (AFP) This story has been published on: 2020-02-11. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article. Click the photo to watch the video. The Moca Westlake, a private museum in Hangzhou, the Power of Children, a charity foundation in Shanghai, Beijing Huachen Auctions, and the Beijing Association of Auctioneers have jointly initiated a charity drive starting late last month to help fight the novel coronavirus, calling for donated artwork. Quickly, a dozen studios and institutions from China and abroad have joined in. Now they are staging Artists in Action Against Virus, a series of online charity auctions starting today, to raise funds for medical workers and hospitals in Wuhan and Huanggang, two cities hit hard by the virus in Central China's Hubei province. Veteran artist Zhang Ding's calligraphic piece will be auctioned off today. Starting today, a series of online charity auctions will be held by Beijing Huachen Auctions to raise funds for medical workers and their hospitals in Wuhan and Huanggang, two virus-hit cities in Central China's Hubei Province. [huachen.zai-art.com] "When we sent out our message, we were unsure whether our voices would be heard," said Moca Westlake general manager Tong Yanrunan, a key organizer of the charity project. "To our delight, more and more artists from home and abroad have been answering our call. We have so far received more than 200 donated artworks, from artists or art galleries. Still more are coming in." Chinese Artists Association chairman Fan Di'an's calligraphic work will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] The first of the online actions is being held today and will end at 8 pm. Going under the hammer today are 100 works, mostly contemporary and vanguard artworks, created by 70 world-renowned artists from home and abroad. Vanguard artist Qiu Shude's mixed media work will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Among featured artists are Zhang Ding (1917-2010), chief designer of China's national emblem, Fan Di'an, chairman of the Chinese Artists Association, Giuseppe La Bruna, director of Venice Academy of Fine Arts and experimental ink artist Qiu Shude. Anyone who is interested in art collection can log on and join in the bidding after paying a small deposit, organizers said. More online auctions will be held in the coming weeks. Venice Academy of Fine ArtsdirectorGiuseppe La Bruna's sculpture will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Xue Song's lithographic print piece will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Chen Jinqing's sculpture will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Hong Hao's experimental ink painting will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Wang Hui's oil landscape painting will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Gao Xiaowu's sculpture will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Shao Yinong's experimental ink painting will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Chen Wenling's sculpture will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] Qu Guangci's sculpture will be auctioned off today. [huachen.zai-art.com] (Source: chinadaily.com.cn) Furious parents have pulled their children from school after learning a mining camp next to the campus is being used as a coronavirus quarantine centre. Around 280 Australians will be isolated at the unused Inpex workers village in Howard Springs, 30km east of Darwin, after fleeing the coronavirus epicentre of Wuhan. Good Shepherd Lutheran College notified parents at a meeting on Monday, but some felt authorities did not allow time to hear their concerns. Now some parents plan to keep their children at home after reading the deadly disease could be transmitted through the air. Pupils at Good Shepherd Lutheran College (pictured) are being withdrawn by their parents amid concerns they could be infected with the coronavirus 'Yeah, its a bit of a joke,' parent Beckie Kernich told NT News about the lack of community consultation. 'Im assured that thats the information they have currently and thats the information they believe and thats the information theyre acting on, from my perspective theres a lot of international information you can see immediately online which may put that into doubt.' Ms Kernich said she was unsure if she would allow her teenage son to attend school when he is due back next week. But mother-of-two Karen Donald said her children would be kept at home until the site is shut down. NT deputy chief health officer Di Stephens has offered assurance the virus can only be spread through droplets during close personal contact. She said those with the virus would have to cough, kiss or spit on someone, and those particles rubbed into someone's eyes for them to become ill. The Inpex workers camp (pictured), 500 metres away from the school, is housing around 280 Australians for two weeks Other parents are not worried their children will be infected. Nicolette McCourt said social media allowed a lot of false and misleading information to circulate and her children would remain at school. 'Its not airborne, its only via droplets, theres a 50-metre buffer zone between the village and our fence so theres just no concerns for me,' she said. She added that if her family had of been one of those caught up in the crisis overseas while visiting relatives, she would want the Australian government to provide her with the same treatment. Hundreds of evacuees arrived at Howard Springs on Sunday, where they will spend the next two weeks housed at least 300 metres within the facility and 500 metres from the school. Australian evacuees from the Chinese city Wuhan arrive at the Inpex Plant Manigurr-ma Village in Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, 9 February Evacuees were initially expected to be quarantined on Christmas Island, but that is at capacity with two flights from Wuhan already taken there. The camp once housed 3,500 workers involved in Inpex's construction of a $55 billion gas plant on Darwin Harbour. Those on board the first evacuation flight included 77 children, 11 infants and one 'less-than-able' 90-year-old man, the Australian Border Force said. They were subject to tests for the coronavirus before and during the six-hour Qantas flight from Wuhan and upon landing and were unlikely to have the coronavirus. The new viral outbreak that began in China has infected more than 40,546 people globally resulting in more than 910 deaths so far. Wuhan wages total war at novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/10 21:23:40 All suspected cases of infection to be tested by Tuesday: officials Wuhan, capital of Central China's Hubei Province and the epicenter of the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) outbreak, has sounded the horn of total war to combat the epidemic, as more than 16,000 public service servants and college teachers have been mobilized to help carpet screen the city to make sure timely and concentrated admission and treatment of all patients needing medical assistance. All of the 1,499 newly discovered confirmed cases of novel coronavirus pneumonia patients who were in critical condition and not in hospital, have all been transferred to hospitals as of Monday noon, as result of the city's step-up efforts over the last two days, Wuhan officials announced at a press conference on Monday. Wuhan government has also given health examination for 10.59 million of its residents, about 99 percent of the city's population, as of Sunday, Wuhan Party chief Ma Guoqiang said at the press conference. Efforts to test all suspected cases of infection are still underway, Wuhan officials said, while vowing to accomplish the goal by Tuesday. The city dispatched on Sunday a total of 16,739 people including Party officials, employees from state-owned enterprises and institutions as well as faculty members from colleges and universities to the most heavily epidemic-hit communities to run the carpet screen of the four-type personnel in a round-the-clock fashion to make sure the thorough coverage of the four-type personnel in the city. The four types of personnel include patients of confirmed cases, suspected cases of the virus infection, patients with fever symptoms and those who have close contact with the patients involved. "The 'admission of all possible patients' of the novel coronavirus infection in Wuhan would mark the most fundamental and foremost task accomplished toward a key victory in the war of combating the epidemic, based on which the country could make scientific policies on next stage," Luo Yameng, a Beijing-based renowned urban management expert, told the Global Times. On Sunday, 41 charted civil planes carrying some 6,000 medics from more than 10 provinces across China also arrived in the city's Tianhe International Airport, marking the largest number of arrivals of medical assistance personnel in a single day since the outbreak of the novel coronavirus pneumonia. From 1:05 to 23:30, 328 tons of epidemic prevention and control materials from all over the world, including 23 tons from Russia, have arrived in the city. Since January 24, the Wuhan airport has received 124 flights carrying 17,000 medics and 115 flights of assistance materials, which weighed 2,205 tons in total. The resolute implementation of thorough admission of "the four types of persons", and the procurement of medical resources from all over the nation to Wuhan, shows the central government's determination to address the epidemic in a fast manner, and reduce negative impacts on the nation as well as on the world to a minimum, a Shanghai-based government policy study expert who requested not to be named, told the Global times on Monday. Built within 10 days, Huoshenshan Hospital which is designated to treat NCP patients in critical condition, is staffed by 1,400 medical personnel from the armed forces. It received the first group of patients on February 4. And it will accommodate over 800 patients as of Monday night, China National Radio reported on Monday. Another designated hospital Leishenshan, has taken in the second batch of patients, increasing the total to around 70 as of Sunday 11 pm. "Fangcang" makeshift hospitals that would offer thousands of beds for concentrated admission and treatment of infected patients in mild condition also stood ready for providing medical services. According to the Xinhua News Agency on Sunday, there are more than 8,800 beds in 28 designated hospitals in Wuhan, and 2,600 beds in the Huoshenshan and Leishenshan hospitals specially for those in heavily sick and in critical conditions. And there would be some additional 9,600 beds to be made available in the three already operational "fangcang" hospitals and other medical facilities renovated from schools. Global Times reporters in Wuhan saw that during one midnight transfer operation in the city's Wuchang district around Sunday midnight, problems occurred such as shortages of standard protective outfits and goggles for the driver and a lack of seats on the designated bus for patients. Some patients had to be seated in the aisle, and there was no protection screen to separate the bus driver from the sick passengers. Some 30 heavily ill and senior patients were on board the government designated bus that was headed to a branch of the Tongji Hospital in Wuhan on Sunday midnight. After they arrived in the hospital on early Monday morning, many spent even longer time walking back and forth in the hospital to handle admission procedures, and some grew rather desperate in the process as neither guiding employees from the hospital nor officials in charge of the transfer operation were there for help, Global Times reporters were told. Some residents in Wuhan reached by the Global Times on Monday also said that "although many were transferred to the hospital, they could not get follow-up medical treatment in a timely fashion, as there were too many of them." Such operation should have been initiated earlier, but it is still most urgent one for the city government. And the emerging problems with resource shortage at its center could be addressed by building more "fangcang" makeshift hospitals in the city's public venues such as stadiums and in all the city's colleges and exhibition centers, Luo said. Luo also proposed to transfer some of the patients in critical conditions with charted flights to cities with better medical facilities, and the point-to-point transfer via special vehicles can reduce the chance of infections to the lowest chance. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address These are the jobs that robots are taking over. Robots take retail. Headlines such as these have become so common, theyre practically accepted as fact. While many are quick to blame advancing technology such as artificial intelligence, the real problem is how that technology is deployed in the workplace along with who stands to benefit from it. Though tech hubs such as San Francisco, Boston and Seattle routinely grab the limelight, Houston too is on the forefront of an innovation that could drastically change the lives of some workers. Starting last year, a robotics company based in Silicon Valley, Nuro, has been using the suburbs of Houston to test its autonomous grocery delivery service. In this age of driverless cars, were spending less time celebrating the freedom technology brings and more time worried about what it means for those such as the gig economy workers who deliver groceries who will eventually be replaced by autonomous vehicles. These concerns are legitimate. Just as urgent is the need to grapple with how we can deploy this new technology to benefit workers. In short, the economic benefits of technology should be broadly shared among all of us. How technological change is implemented, who benefits and who pays a price, will be based on choices that we make as a society. What scholars are learning, unfortunately, is that high economic inequality is confining the benefits of technological progress and accompanying economic growth primarily to the very rich. Economic inequality the differences between the top 1 percent and the rest of us has been growing in the United States since the 1980s and stands at its highest point in a century. Houston is not immune: In 2015, the Houston metropolitan area ranked seventh among nearly one thousand metropolitan areas in its share of people who reside in the top 1 percent of incomes nationwide, according to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute. Technological progress, while making many workers more productive and adding high-skill jobs to the economy, also reinforces economic and other kinds of inequality, such as by race and gender. Technology has contributed to the rise of independent contractors, franchises and the gig economy. These trends have undermined their bargaining power to obtain wage increases and improved conditions. Though it might be difficult to predict where technology will take jobs and employment in the decades ahead, we can make policy changes today that address inequality and ensure that workers are treated fairly and can earn their share of the productivity benefits technological advancement provides. A fundamental step to reducing inequality is to ensure that our economy remains competitive and that the first mover advantage to create new platforms doesnt calcify into monopolies that stifle future innovation and entrepreneurship. Our 21st-century policies must be up to the task of ensuring market competition in the face of new technologies. We also need to ensure that the gains of growth are shared. We have an easy way to do this: put in place a tax code that does not fossilize wealth into the hands of few. Changes in recent years have mostly benefited the wealthy and corporate interests, not the many. We need a tax code that gives us the capacity to make much-needed investments in our communities and our people that will ensure our economy can be competitive for generations to come. A number of proposals for taxing wealth have been offered; though some go farther than others, any step is a step in the right direction. And, to directly support the workers who must contend with changing technologies, we need to modernize labor laws and other policies affecting workers to account for the changes taking place in the economy and to reverse actions that have weakened labor unions and worker power. The federal labor standards enacted in the 20th century essentially do not exist for millions of gig workers and others. Those standards for safety, for wages, for working conditions should be updated to meet the needs of todays families by including things like paid leave and extended to all. In addition, workers voices need to be heard in the workplace. Worker input can lead to greater equity and more efficient production processes. See Harvard Universitys Labor and Worklife Program, which recently issued the Clean Slate for Worker Power, an agenda of policy recommendations that would strengthen the ability of organized labor to rebalance the power between workers and employers. Luckily Houston has already begun to take action. In 2017, the Mayoral Task Force on Equity produced an in-depth report with a series of recommendations for addressing inequality in Houston. The policies included in Rising Together: A Roadmap to Confront Inequality in Houston ranged from a new jobs program and early childhood education reforms to greater investment in low-income neighborhoods and a more progressive tax system. Too many conversations about technology and the future of work start from the premise that technology controls us, and not the other way around. If we want to ensure that technology serves all of us and that its benefits are broadly shared then we need to address inequality so that workers are better positioned to weather any challenges the robots might bring. Boushey is the president and CEO of the Washington Center for Equitable Growth. She will be speaking about her book "Unbound: How Inequality Constricts Our Economy and What We Can Do About It" at Rice University on Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public but registration is recommended. She will also be presenting at a Rice Scientia Conference on Work in the 21st Century: Automation, Workers, and Society Feb 13-14. Prince Georges County States Attorney Aisha Braveboy (D) has assigned a prosecutor to review the 2011 fatal shooting at the request of the victims family, according to a spokeswoman. In that case, Owen fatally shot 35-year-old Rodney Deron Edwards. Owen told investigators in December 2011 that while in uniform, he had pulled over his unmarked van to help a man lying in the grass near Greenleaf Road in Palmer Park and that Edwards then pulled a gun on him, according to police. A loaded revolver was found at the scene, police said at the time. Mustafabad Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Mustafabad constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Mustafabad Assembly Elections 2020 | Securing a whopping lead of almost 27,000 votes over the trailing AAP's Haji Yunus, sitting MLA and BJP candidate Jagdish Pradhan secured 57,056 votes and a 62.25 percent vote share. The Mustafabad Assembly constituency came into existence in 2008 as part of delimitation exercise. The constituency is part of the North East Delhi Lok Sabha constituency and is slated to vote on 8 February along with 69 other seats in Delhi. Counting of votes will be held on 11 February. Results in last three years The Mustafabad Assembly Constituency is currently held by Jagdish Pradhan of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the 2015 Assembly election, Pradhan got 35.33 percent of the total votes and had defeated two-time MLA Hasan Ahmed of Congress. In 2013 Mustafabad was one of the three seats bagged by BJP with Pradhan, a non-Muslim face, winning the seat with 58,388 votes. Congress' Ahmed and AAP's Mohd Yunus came second and third, respectively. In 2008, Ahmed had won the seat by defeating Pradhan with a margin of just 979 votes. For the upcoming Delhi Assembly Election 2020, the key candidates in Mustafabad constituency include Haji Yunus of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Jagdish Pradhan of the BJP and Ahmed's son Ali Mehndi from Congress. Mehndi is also head of the Congress party's minority wing. Demography According to Economic Times, five constituencies Rithala, Shahdara, Seemapuri, Babarpur and Mustafabad have Muslim population between 30 percent and 40 percent. Over the last seven years, AAP has successfully weaned away Muslim voters, who have long been considered a traditional Congress vote bank. In 2015, when AAP had swept the Delhi elections winning 67 seats and giving away only three to BJP, Mustafabad was the only Muslim-dominated seat that was won by BJP. Click here for complete coverage of Delhi Assembly Election 2020 Okhla, Seelampur, Matia Mahal, Ballimaran, Mustafabad and Chandni Chowk seats, were all seats that were once a Congress stronghold but are now represented by the AAP and BJP in the Assembly. And they all fall in minority-dominated areas. After the massive protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), 2019, the National Population Register (NPR) and the proposed National Register of Citizens (NRC), the Congress is eyeing a comeback on these seats. Here's a profile of constituency (as of 2015): Constituency number: 69 Total electors: 2,33,426 Male: 1,29,496 Female: 1,03,923 Others: 7 Voter turnout in last Assembly Election: 70.65 percent Polling stations: 192 District: North East Delhi Major parties in the fray: Congress, AAP and BJP are the main two contenders in the state. According to reports, in North East Delhis Mustafabad Assembly constituency, which has a sizeable Muslim population, bijli-paani (electricity and water) are the main issues for the locals. Mustafabad is one of the three Assembly constituencies which the BJP had won in 2015 elections because of a split on Muslim communitys votes. A Syrian family flees ongoing attacks around Idlib, December 2019. Ritzau Scanpix UNHCR is deeply concerned about the safety and well-being of civilians in north-west Syria. The humanitarian crisis is becoming increasingly desperate, with massive numbers of people on the move. UNHCR, as part of the UN humanitarian response, is stepping-up to reach those in need. Around 700,000 people have fled within or from the conflict areas in Syrias Idlib and Aleppo Governorates since early December. A critical need is shelter, compounded by the harsh winter conditions. Many have had to flee already several times, leaving behind possessions, and with limited places for them to stay. Existing camps and settlements of internally displaced persons are overcrowded, and shelter in existing houses is getting scarce. Many schools and mosques are filled with displaced families, and even finding a place in an unfinished building has become close to impossible. UNHCR seeks to support people in need where-ever they are, and through all available channels. UNHCR is contributing urgently needed tents as well as other essential core relief items, including blankets together with humanitarian partners. However, this will only meet a small part of the total needs, as recent displacement has outstripped capacity. More resources and funding are urgently required. Protection services, targeting the most vulnerable displaced persons are also scaled up, including psychosocial counselling and other emergency protection support, including to many children. The conflict in Syria has caused the biggest displacement crisis in the world. Over 5.5 million Syrians live as refugees in the region. More than six million Syrians are displaced within the country. For more information on this topic, please contact: [February 11, 2020] PenTera Selected by the Israel Electric Corporation to Validate its Cyber Security Controls TEL AVIV, Israel, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pcysys announces that the Israel Electric Corporation has chosen PenTera, the company's Automated Penetration Testing platform, to automate its cyber security validation efforts. "The fact that we can run penetration tests on-demand is unheard of," says Yaniv Avihazira Head of IT Infrastructure at the Israel Electric Corporation. "We have a huge network and make changes constantly, so it's imminent for us to be able to focus security testing on specific segments or assets and validate they're secure at any time. PenTera provides us with an accurate cyber security health check of the network, a practice the industry couldn't offer until now." The PenTera platform scans and ethically penetrates the network with the latest hacking techniques, prioritizing remediation efforts with a business impact perspective. With PenTera, organizations can maintain the highest resilience posture by performing penetration tests on-demand in alignment with the MITRE ATT&CK framework. The PenTera platform covers the scope of what is nowadays managed by several separate tool, including vulnerability assessment, security control validation, credential strength validation, segmentation integrity, sensitive data hygiene, network equipment testing, and privileged access audits. "The Israel Electric Corporation is a pioneer in its approach to cyber security,'' says Sivan Harel, Regional Sales Director for Israel and Northern Europe at Pcysys. "With PenTera, the corporation has full visibility of the network and can ensure constant overwatch of their cyber posture. We're proud to be the industry leader enabling this capability." About The Electric Company Founded in 1923, the Israel Electric Corporation is the largest supplier of electrical power in Israel. The IEC builds, maintains, and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as transmission and distribution networks. The company is the sole integrated electric utility in the State of Israel. Its installed generating capacity represents about 75% of the total electricity production capacity in the country. It transmits and distributes substantially all the electricity used in Israel, including power generated by other producers. 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] View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/pentera-selected-by-the-israel-electric-corporation-to-validate-its-cyber-security-controls-301002749.html SOURCE Pcysys [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] HOLYOKE Police arrested a Chicopee man on drug and gun charges after stopping his car when he made an erratic turn in front of detectives. Angel M. Rivera, 29, was arrested at about 5:30 p.m., Monday, and charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in the commission of a felony, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without a permit and on motor vehicle charges, Police Lt. James Albert said. Holyoke narcotics detectives and members of the FBIs Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force were patrolling the area of Chestnut and Appleton Streets due to several recent shootings and spotted Riveras car because it had a broken headlight, he said. Officers stopped Rivera after he cut off detectives while making a turn, he said. During a search of his car, police seized a Taurus .38-caliber revolver, about 100 bags of heroin, marijuana, $2,254 in cash and drug paraphernalia, Albert said. Rivera is expected to be arraigned in Holyoke District Court on Tuesday. Since last week's post on the Syrian Idleb campaign the Syrian army has made significant progress. Idleb governorate Feb 3 2020 bigger Saraqib, Al Eis and dozens of other cities and towns were liberated. Large parts of the M5 highway in Idleb are now under Syrian government control. Idleb governorate Feb 10 2020 bigger The aim of the current campaign is to regain control over the M5 highway between Damascus and Aleppo city and the M4 highway between Latakia and Aleppo. These highways are of importance for the revival of Syria's economy. It was originally Turkey's task to guarantee free civilian traffic on both highways. The Sochi Memorandum of Understanding (pdf) between Turkey and Russia, signed on September 17 2018, provides (machine translated): 3. A demilitarized zone with a depth of 15-20 km will be created in the de-escalation zone. 4. The specific passage of the lines defining the demilitarized zone will be agreed upon in the course of further consultations. 5. All radical terrorist groups will be withdrawn from the demilitarized zone by October 15, 2018. 6. All tanks, artillery, MLRS and mortars of the conflicting parties will be withdrawn from the demilitarized zone by October 10, 2018. 7. The Armed Forces of the Republic of Turkey and the military police of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation will carry out coordinated patrols and monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles in the demilitarized zone. 8. In the interests of ensuring free movement of local residents and goods, as well as restoring trade and economic ties, transit traffic along the routes M4 (Aleppo-Latakia) and M5 (Aleppo-Hama) will be restored before the end of 2018. None of these points were ever fulfilled by Turkey. Idleb is still under control of the al-Qaeda aligned Hayat Tahrir al Shams (HTS) which has continued to attack Syrian government positions as well as civilian targets. HTS is internationally recognized as a terrorist organization, including by Turkey. But Turkey has done nothing to remove it. It instead provides the organization with weapons and other supplies. The reaction of Turkey's wannabe Sultan Erdogan to the Syrian army campaign has been hysterical. He threatened several times that he would militarily intervene if the Syrian army operation does not stop. Over the last days more than 1,450 Turkish military vehicles, including tanks, heavy artillery and armored infantry vehicles, invaded the terrorist held Idleb area. Turkey says that these are just reinforcements for its 'observer posts'. But in reality these forces are configured to attack the Syrian army. One Turkish artillery groups tried to set up a position at the former Syrian military airbase Taftanaz north of Saraqib. Earlier today it came under Syrian artillery fire. At least six Turkish soldiers were killed and several wounded. A Turkish helicopter was allowed to come in to evacuate the casualties. Turkish and Russian 'observation points' Source: ISWnews - bigger The Turkish military claimed that it retaliated for the attack: The Turkish army responded to the targets determined in the region, said the statement. The necessary response was given, the targets were destroyed and the blood of our martyrs was not left on the ground. The developments are being closely monitored and necessary measures are being taken, said the statement. There is no evidence that any such retaliation has taken place. Turkey demands that the Syrian army retreats back to the lines where its current campaign started months ago. That is not going to happen. Today, while the Turkish army settled among the terrorist, HTS sent two suicide vehicles against the Syrian lines. It is not yet known if they caused casualties. If the Turkish army wants to be the bodyguard of such terrorist it will be handled appropriately. The Russian and Syrian air forces are in control of the airspace over Idleb. Russian war ships are deployed near the coast of Syria and are ready to launch their cruise missiles. Russia can reinforce its airforce in Syria within 24 hours. Turkey's airforce is not able to change that picture. After the 2016 coup attempt against Erdogan nearly three quarters of Turkey's airforce pilots were dismissed. The maintenance status of Turkey's 240 F-16 fighter jets is dubious. It is estimate that less of a quarter of them are ready to fly. The F-16s are no match for the Russian Su-34 jets which cover Syria. They also lack the capabilities to overcome the Russian air defenses. Then there is also Russia's economic leverage over Turkey. Over the last few days there have been intense talks between the Russian and the Turkish side. The Russians are not budging. Syria will liberate the two highways that Turkey promised would be opened under the Sochi MoU. Should the Turkish army try to prevent that it will be bombed to high heaven. Erdogan can not risk a war with Russia in Syria. He is bluffing and his bluff will be called. 1.9k SHARES Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Pinterest Reddit Print Mail Flipboard Federal prosecutors have asked the judge to give Roger Stone what amounts to a life sentence of 7-9 years in prison. According to The AP: WASHINGTON (AP) Federal prosecutors ask judge to sentence Trump confidant Roger Stone to serve between 7 and 9 years in prison. Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) February 10, 2020 Roger Stone was found guilty of all charges in November and is going to be sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison for lying for Donald Trump. Stones daughter has already gone on Fox News and asked Trump to pardon her dad. If Trump loses the election in November, it is a certainty that he will pardon all of his criminal accomplices on the way out of the White House door. No president in modern history has had so many of his close associates end up in prison as Trump. If it looks like a crime wave, and the people closest to the president are being sent to prison, then its a crime wave. For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group. Follow Jason Easley on Facebook BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Ilhama Isabalayeva Trend: Twelve people who arrived from those Chinese cities where the outbreak of coronavirus was observed have been placed in a special medical facility in Baku, a joint statement made by the Azerbaijani Ministry of Health and the State Agency for Compulsory Medical Insurance reads, Trend reports. There is one person in the department of infectious diseases of the Clinical Medical Center, the statement said. "He is an Azerbaijani citizen and he has no serious health problems, the statement said. He was in a Chinese city where the coronavirus was not observed." The quarantine period of six people who arrived on January 29 from the Chinese city of Wuhan expires on Feb. 12. They do not have health problems, the statement said. They are expected to be discharged tomorrow. The quarantine period of the remaining six people in the special medical facility will expire on February 14. They do not have health problems either." BOISE For the second time in a week, Idaho lawmakers considered introducing legislation that aimed to improve access to public land. For the first time, they voted to move it forward. The Senate Resources and Environment Committee on Monday voted to print a bill that would mean fines for people who knowingly block public land access. Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, sponsored the legislation Monday. Last Wednesday, the House Resources and Conservation committee swiftly voted down printing a comparable bill, which was sponsored by Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise. Martin told the Senate committee that public land is an incredibly popular issue he said when sharing posts on social media about public land access, he sees much more engagement than he does for posts about his work in the Senate or about his grandchildren. If a person knowingly blocks access to public land, the first violation is a warning. A second violation in two years warrants an infraction and $200 fine, while a third violation would be a misdemeanor carrying a $1,000 fine. No jail time is associated with the bill. The proposal also would allow individuals to file a civil suit if they can show proof of damages. Law enforcement doesnt have the resources to address these disputes, Martin told the committee. Its not the first time Martin has raised the issue with the Resources and Environment Committee. During the 2019 session, he sponsored a more broad version of the bill, which was drafted by the Idaho Wildlife Federation, a local conservation nonprofit. The 2019 bill got some traction in the Senate committee, though it eventually died there. At the time, some legislators echoed concerns from the Idaho Farm Bureau Federation, Idaho Cattle Association and representatives for DF Development, a company owned by Texas billionaires Dan and Farris Wilks, that the bill would open landowners up to constant litigation. Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, and Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, raised the same issues on Monday. Brackett said its a serious endeavor for landowners to try to match longtime fencing with updated GPS property boundaries. Many fence lines are not on property lines, Brackett said. They werent when they were put in 100 years ago, and theyre still not. I dont know where my fence lines are, many of them. In an interview following the committee hearing, Martin told the Statesman hes sensitive to the legislators concerns. For lots of Idahoans, access to public land is extremely important, Martin said. Now the balance is the agricultural industry has some legitimate concerns that their private property (wont be) illegitimately crossed. Sen. Brackett did a good job of saying, Hey, Im concerned. Public land access remains an important issue for Idahoans Though Martins district is a suburban one, he said his constituents are proponents of public land access. The senator said its perhaps one of the top issues in his district behind education and property taxes. Idaho Wildlife Federation Executive Director Brian Brooks said its heartening to have the senators support following the bills defeat in the House. Last week, Brooks told the Statesman he didnt think public land access would be addressed in the 2020 session. He was taken by surprise when Martin expressed interest in reviving the legislation. Somebody is listening, Brooks said in a phone interview Monday. Sen. Martin said, This is a really good bill. Im relieved that theres bipartisan support for it. Martin cited Boise Ridge Road as an example of a situation he hopes the legislation can prevent. In 2018, the Wilks brothers gated the popular road in the Boise Foothills because it crosses land owned by their DF Development company. Critics said the road is a public right-of-way with a longstanding easement. There is an honest dispute in respect to that road, whether its public or private, Martin said, noting that the gate is currently open. Though the Wilks have drawn much of the public ire over access, a 2019 study found millions of acres of public land inaccessible. Martin said the problem is widespread across Idaho. He hopes the legislation could serve as a catalyst for landowners to keep access available. The main thing is it does set up an avenue for dispute through the court system, Martin said. Love 1 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Prominent left-wing TD Richard Boyd Barrett has played down the prospect of a Sinn Fein-led leftist government. The Dun Laoghaire TD, whose Solidarity-People Before Profit alliance won five seats in the general election, said he doesnt believe the numbers are there for an alternative coalition of progressive parties. If you look at the numbers it appears we dont quite have the numbers, he told Newstalk. We will explore what we can do in that regard, but looking at the raw numbers, it would seem we are short of a majority to be able to do that. Mr Boyd Barrett said he believed there would be discussions between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail about a possible coalition and also Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and the Greens. Mary Lou McDonald has said her first preference would be to form a coalition involving neither Fianna Fail nor Fine Gael. The Sinn Fein leader indicated she will hold talks with Solidarity-People Before Profit, the Greens, the Social Democrats and Labour as well as Independents. Former Taoiseach and Fianna Fail leader Bertie Ahern suggested there was a possibility of Sinn Fein forming a left coalition, with like-minded Independents. I cant see that being a success, but it could be, he said. There is a sizeable number of rural Independents, probably a group of at least 10 who are like-minded enough, who got strong votes. Mr Ahern told Newstalk that over the last 30 years new things come up out of Dail and election chaos. On the possibility of a Fianna Fail/Sinn Fein coalition, Mr Ahern said he didnt think there would be a a sizeable number of Fianna Fail people who would have an appetite for it. On the suggestion of a revolving Taoiseach as part of a coalition arrangement, he added that he couldnt think of any country where such an arrangement was in place. It would be very hard to see how it would work, he added. Sinn Feins Matt Carthy said the numbers are going to be tight in its efforts to forge an administration without the two former largest parties but said we have an obligation to talk to the left-wing parties first over the coming days. Sinn Fein has had no contact with either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael at this stage, the Cavan Monaghan TD told RTE Radio One. My preference is that (a government) is formed as quickly as possible but my more pressing wish is that the government, when in place, is robust and has a strong mandate and more importantly it implements the kind of changes people voted for last Saturday, he said. Fine Gaels outgoing Minister of State for European Affairs Helen McEntee said the onus is on Mary Lou to try and form a government. Ms McDonald has made preliminary contact with the leaders of the smaller parties as a prelude to negotiations on putting together what would be an extraordinarily diverse administration. But she also said that of course she intended to talk to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael about the possibility of government formation. Both parties had ruled out working with Sinn Fein after the election. She said that the question of a rotating taoiseach would be part and parcel of any negotiations with the other big parties. Fianna Fail is deeply divided over whether it should seek a coalition with Fine Gael or with Sinn Fein. It has ended up with 38 seats well short of expectations of a seat haul in the mid 50s and a view has taken hold among party TDs that it should enter opposition and allow Sinn Fein to attempt to form a minority government. Senior Fine Gael sources reiterated the view that they would not consider entering government with Sinn Fein, with some senior figures favouring a spell in opposition for the party after nine years in government. Some party sources said a coalition with Fianna Fail could come on to the agenda after some weeks if no other government was formed. Meanwhile, Peadar Toibin, Aontu leader and Meath West TD, said he has reached out to about five Independents who he is planning to talk to over the coming days about a common platform to negotiate a place in a coalition. Basically what we are looking at doing is to see if we can build a common platform of objectives which would be core to any future government and then potentially negotiate to have those objectives included in a programme for government, he told RTE Radio One. Mr Toibin said he would not be confining his would-be alliance to the five. The TTC has a massive problem with riders abusing child Presto cards to ride the system for free, and the agency has no immediate plan for how to fix it. At a meeting of the TTC audit committee Tuesday, agency staff gave a presentation that indicated nearly nine in 10 trips taken using child Presto cards could be a result of misuse adults fraudulently using the cards to take advantage of the TTCs kids ride free policy. Roughly 6.2 million trips were taken using child cards last year, and that rate of misuse would translate into $12.4 million in lost revenue for the TTC annually, according to agency staff. The figures were based on Presto data collected over three weeks in January, which showed riders were using the cards that are supposed to be reserved for children 12 and under at unlikely locations and at all times of day, including during class hours, on days schools were closed, and after 9 p.m. For instance, the third most common site for child card taps over the testing period was York University subway station, where about 4,500 tapped using child cards over three weeks. York University station is not likely used by children ages 0-12 who attend nearby schools, the presentation stated. A separate presentation discussed Tuesday determined, based on different methodology than the January study, that abuse of child cards accounted for 33.7 per cent of all fare evasion incidents in 2019. That would put the TTCs losses from the problem at more than $23 million annually. An agency spokesperson said both fraud rate estimates were equally valid. The numbers detailing the child card fraud come on the heels of an internal audit report released last week that concluded the TTC lost more than $70 million to fare evasion last year, with roughly 5.7 per cent of trips not paid for. The agency is working to address fare evasion by hiring an additional 50 transit officers this year, which would bring its complement of fare inspectors and special constables to 183. Mayor John Tory led the TTC to adopt the kids ride free policy in 2015, before Presto became the primary way to pay to ride Torontos system. Although children dont have to pay to ride buses, streetcars or subways, the TTC introduced a child Presto card in part because the only way to open the new fare gates at subway stations is by tapping a card. Parents can set a child concession on a Presto card by visiting Shoppers Drug Mart locations or TTC customer service outlets. Proof of age is required, but there appears to be little to prevent adults from visiting different locations and setting the concession on multiple cards. Ads for unlimited Presto cards have become common on online forums. That child cards are open to widespread abuse has been known for at least a year. A report released by Toronto auditor general Beverly Romeo-Beehler last February also highlighted the problem, and recommended the TTC work with Metrolinx, the provincial transit agency that oversees Presto, to produce child cards that would look different than adult versions in order to make fraud easier to detect. Although the TTC has discussed the issue with Metrolinx since then, the two public agencies have yet to develop a solution. TTC deputy CEO Kirsten Watson said the agency isnt confident that introducing a visually distinct child card would be effective in deterring fraudsters because transit employees cant watch every rider tap. We dont necessarily think thats the silver bullet to this massive problem that were seeing, Watson told the committee. Instead, the agency is contemplating getting rid of child cards altogether. Doing so would likely require finding a way for children to get through subway Presto gates without a card. I dont want to say that thats our recommendation, Watson said of scrapping kids cards, but I certainly think that option remains on the table. Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins said the provincial agency is actively investigating the requirements and costs of introducing a visually distinct child Presto card, as well alternative approaches to the problem. Metrolinx is fully committed to working in partnership with the TTC to address fare evasion, she said. The mayors spokesperson Don Peat said that despite the fraud problem, Tory stands by the kids-ride-free policy. It helps families, helps keep the city affordable, Peat said in an email. He said Tory had lobbied Metrolinx directly to come up with a visually distinct child Presto card, and to improve the overall Presto system. Peat described reports of fare evasion as outrageous and infuriating, and noted the TTC is planning to hire additional officers this year. TTC officers carry Presto readers that can detect misuse of child cards. The agencys plan to increase enforcement has been criticized, particularly in light of a viral video that captured transit officers grappling with and pepper spraying a streetcar rider Friday. The TTC is retaining an external party to investigate. Shelagh Pizey-Allen, director of transit advocacy group TTCriders, said the child Presto card problem is a design issue that is not going to be solved by more enforcement officers. She argued that stepped up enforcement will unfairly punish marginalized riders who cant afford to pay. Tickets for fare evasion come with fines of up to $425. TTC CEO Rick Leary said the child card misuse was concerning, but maintained the best way to combat fraud is to have transit officers working the streetcars and in the stations, and being able to challenge people. There are roughly 24,000 child Presto cards in use on the TTC. Adoption of the cards grew 75 per cent last year, while concession fares for other groups such as students and seniors collectively grew only 25 per cent. Read more about: This essay is part of a series this month, coinciding with the concept of Flagship February, wherein we intend to revisit the flagship beers of regional craft breweries, reflect on their influence within the beer scene, and assess how those beers fit into the modern beer world. Click here to see all the other entries in the series. Observing the modern beer scene, it initially feels odd how a product like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and the brewery that makes it, manage to generate almost universal goodwill from the craft beer community as it exists in 2020, but the same cant always be said about one of the other most important beers in the history of the American microbrewing movement. Because really, even if something like SNPA inspires more devotionals today, or is more trendy for members of Beer Twitter to rep on a Throwback Thursday post, its really Samuel Adams Boston Lager that was the single most visible standard-bearer for the idea of craft beer in the U.S. for several decades. This was the beer that most people on the street would have been most likely to cite if someone told them to name a microbrew. It was the first non-BudMillerCoors lager that many of us sampled as we began to expand our horizons in beer. And yet, today the average beer geeks relationship with Boston Lager (and Boston Beer Co. by extension) tends to be fraught with a few more shades of gray than how we perceive a company like Sierra Nevada. Somewhere along the way, humble old Boston Lager got surprisingly complicated. Theres no denying that Boston Lager was a runaway success in the three decades following its debut in 1984, putting the Samuel Adams lineup of beer styles on the map and eventually building Boston Beer Co. into a publicly traded company in a much ballyhooed IPO in the mid-1990s, even as it became the biggest craft brewer in the country via the Brewers Association definition of the term. Leaning on the savvy business sense and everyman beer dude likability of co-founder Jim Koch as its public face, the brand projected an amiable, non-threatening vibe that was key in converting drinkers who had been pounding industrial macro lager for decades. At the same time, though, Boston Beer Co.s advertising for Boston Lager also went a long way toward establishing some of the tropes we now associate with seemingly every single depiction of craft beer advertising, such as the founder with a fistful of hop flowers, inhaling deeply publicity shot that Koch has surely recreated 1,000 times at this point. Other brands like Anchor or SNPA may have been on the market first, but it was Boston Lager that really felt most perfectly built for mass appeal. Part of that, of course, comes down to how perfectly the beer itself fit into the emerging interest in more flavorful drinks during craft beers adolescent years. Whether intended or not, Boston Lagers European influences and hint of amber maltiness were exactly the sort of mild deviation from the norm that provided a perfect stepping stone/entry point to generations of drinkers who were sampling better beer for the first time. Nothing about Boston Lager is too assertive, brash or challenging, but its subtle sweetness and hints of Noble hop flavor allowed curious drinkers to dip a toe into that whole microbrew thing without venturing too far from their comfort zone. By means of direct comparison, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would have been too big a departure and too much of a hoppy shock to the system for many of these drinkers. They needed a gentle entry point, and thats exactly what Boston Lager provided. Of course, theres also a downside to being viewed as a potential training wheels beeras the rate of new drinkers entering the craft beer market starts to drop, and the existing craft beer drinker becomes more experienced and selective (we are a picky bunch), a beer like Boston Lager runs the risk of becoming viewed as painfully un-hip, and its difficult to argue this isnt exactly what happened in the 2010s. Growth of the brand slowed, then eventually slipped into yearly declines, along with the rest of the Samuel Adams beer lineup. At the same time, Boston Beer Co. threw more of its attention into the more rapidly expanding areas of its businessfirst hard cider via Angry Orchard, and then shockingly successful malternatives (Twisted Tea) and hard seltzer (Truly). And all in all, it only took a handful of years for the previously unthinkable to happenproduction of non-beer products at BBC surpassed the production of beer. This prompted another change of that pesky craft brewer definition by the ever-protective Brewers Association in order to keep Boston Beer Co. in the fold, but the truth of the matter is that Boston Lager has never been less important to the future of the company than it is right now. And thats a little sad, considering how much Boston Lager undoubtedly meant to so many burgeoning craft beer geeks of the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s. Still: Times change, even if the beer stays the same. Unlike some of the other beers in this series, Boston Lager is still something I tend to revisit fairly often, so I dont expect to be shocked by anything in re-tasting it. Lets see how its drinking in 2020. Tasting: Samuel Adams Boston Lager Boston Beer Co. has never been wanting for advertising copy to describe Boston Lager, but heres the short version: Samuel Adams Boston Lager also uses only the finest of ingredients, including two row barley, as well as German Noble aroma hops. The exclusive use of two row barley not only imparts a full, smooth body but also gives the beer a wide spectrum of malt flavor ranging from slightly sweet to caramel to slightly roasted. The Noble hops varieties, Hallertau Mittelfruh and Tettnang Tettnanger, add a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes, which are present from the aroma, through the flavor, to the lingering smooth finish. The thing with these types of descriptions from the brewery is that they sometimes ring more true if you place them into their initial time period than when you assess them with your senses given purely modern perspective. Case in point: Boston Lager doesnt really read as particularly hop forward to a modern hoppy beer drinker, who has had their conception of hoppy radically altered over the course of the last decade. In the time of its earlier prominence, howeverthink the 1990s and early 2000sthe judicious use of hops were one of the things that helped it to stand out, especially if you were comparing it to other lagers rather than to the pale ales of the day. On the nose, though, the first thing I register tasting Boston Lager today is mildly malty sweetness, with a hint of something like butterscotch and a trace of honey. Hops arent big on the noseyou certainly dont take a sniff and think of a wide range of floral, piney and citrus notes. Aromatically, its a malt-driven lager that suggests hints of toast and sweetness. On the palate, however, some of the hop character does indeed come through, supported by gentle, biscuity malt. Hop notes, on the other hand, are slightly grassy, and evocative of a touch of grapefruit zest, although I cant help but wonder if they might be more pronounced if the bottle I was drinking was more fresh. Theres a hint of sweetness to it, but it has the dry finish youre almost always going to want in a lager, overall seeming calculated to just be a bit more characterful in every way than the standard American adjunt lagers it was initially conceived to combat. Is Boston Lager a good beer in 2020? If what you want is a mild, nicely balanced amber lager, sure. But given the companys ongoing scramble toward almost anything other than beer, its a fair question to ask just how many drinkers still want the classic, though time-worn flavors it offers. Jim Vorel is a Paste staff writer and resident craft beer geek. You can follow him on Twitter for much more drinks writing. 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Human rights activists hit out at the US leaders remarks, which came as he addressed the nation from the White House on Monday. The president said countries that have the death penalty for drugs offences such as dealing dont have a drug problem. I dont know that our country is ready for that, but if you look, throughout the world, the countries with a powerful death penalty, with a fair but quick trial, they have very little if any drug problem, he said. Criminal in China for drugs by the way means thats serious. Theyre getting a maximum penalty, Mr Trump said. And you know what the maximum penalty is in China for that, and it goes very quickly. Chairman of the Human Rights Foundation Garry Kasparov described Mr Trumps comments as amounting to the classic authoritarian line. Give the murderers badges and give the thieves cabinet posts, then say crime is solved. And a fair trial in a dictatorship is an oxymoron. Trump has always praised authoritarian power and dictators. His nature and his desires have always been clear. The matter is preventing him from realising those desiresand from normalising them among Americans. Ben Rhodes, a White House adviser under Barack Obama, wrote on Twitter: Maybe we should pay attention to the fact that Trump consistently praises the efficiency of totalitarian systems. Forecasts for Great Lakes water levels to keep rising means Michigans related costs will climb into the hundreds of millions of dollars as the state confronts the impact. Thats the initial conclusion offered by directors of state agencies after the first statewide task force meeting to tackle high water issues that also extend inland. The Great Lakes are at record levels, rivers are full and soils are saturated, said Gary McDowell, director of the state Department of Agriculture and Rural Development. We just cant absorb any more. Among the expected impact: About 40 roads across the state are affected by high water, said Michigan Department of Transportation Director of Bureau of Development Brad Wieferich. That ranges from slope failures to failing drainage systems. The department is trying to quantify the risk, with initial estimates of $5 million immediate repairs and $100 million to make permanent fixes, which could include moving some roads. Historic rains suppressed Michigans $104 billion agriculture industry, and "this year is probably going to be more bleak than last year, said McDowell. In 2019, over 920,000 acres went unplanted, he said. That number could climb this year. Department of Natural Resources is trying to understand and evaluate where some of our most critical infrastructure challenges are, said Director Dan Eichinger. He has no ballpark costs, but said the risk looks at the numerous coast shoreline facilities operated by the state parks system, including camp sites, that generate user fees to fund the department. The early risk snapshots were detailed when state and federal officials spoke to news media on Monday after their first Michigan High Water Coordinating Summit. That event, which also involved local leaders from around the state, was set up for all of them to address the challenges in front of us from high water, said Liesl Eichner Clark, director of Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Weve had the wettest September through December on record, Clark said. That follows going from record low levels to record high levels in record time. Over the past six years, she said, lake levels changed faster than ever. Meanwhile, she added, the state had the wettest 12-60 months in recorded history. That combines to raise questions about the risks facing Michigans shoreline and infrastructure in the coming year - and beyond. How do we deal with this differently and think about the next 8 to 10 months?" Clark said was the driving question during the summit. According to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, lakes Michigan and Huron both set new record high January levels, previously set in 1987. Lake Superior set new record high January levels previously set in 1986. It is likely that water levels on lakes Michigan and Huron will set new monthly mean record high levels over the next six months, John Allis, chief of the Great Lakes Hydraulics and Hydrology Office, Detroit District, said last week. This sets the stage for coastal impacts and damages in 2020 similar to, or worse than, what was experienced last year. By mid-2019, Michigan residents were seeing warnings about shoreline high waters, which were blamed for several drownings and homes falling into Lake Michigan. Thats an ongoing concern from the southwest corner of the state up the coast, as the erosion continues unabated. Keith Kompoltowicz of the U.S. Army Corps said the persistent wetter-than-average conditions will keep water levels high. And while history shows concerns and damages from high water levels in 1986, within a few years drought abated the problems. We see no clear sign thats upcoming, he said in response to a question about whether waiting out the high water was a viable strategy for shoreline property owners. The high water summit comes a few weeks after testimony before the Legislature about the impact of high Great Lakes water and the erosion its causing across communities. Last week, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced several initiatives in her proposed 2021 budget to help municipalities along the shoreline deal with problems stemming from the high water, which ranges from damage to roads and bike trails to disappearing beaches and other infrastructure risks. I called for the Michigan High Water Coordinating Summit to ensure our state agencies lead the way with a highly coordinated and cooperative response to high water impacts," Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said. "With our local and federal partners, our team will do everything we can with the resources at our disposal to help Michigan families and communities living through extraordinarily difficult circumstances. So far, there is no movement to declare a state of emergency over high water levels, said Inspector James Grady of the Michigan State Police. Multiple counties have made the request, but the state hasnt reached disaster level yet, he said. Typically a state declaration is requested by local jurisdictions after its exhausted its resources, Grady said. Clark said the high water action team will start meeting regularly. In other steps, town hall meetings will be scheduled around the state this spring. Officials said details will be announced soon. EGLE already has streamlined the permitting process for shoreline property owners seeking to build seawalls and take other measures to protect their property. Weve been communicating with residents on the lakeshore that they need to take the actions necessary, Clark said. There arent a lot of things that stop Mother Nature, she said. We know some of these solutions really are temporary in nature, and we foresee challenges going forward. Correction: Inspector James Grady spoke for the Michigan State Police. He was misidentified in an early version of this article. 44 Lake Michigan erosion in Southwest Michigan Related coverage: Gov. Whitmer seeks $64M in 2021 for 3 new environmental initiatives Rivers have poured a years worth of water into some Great Lakes in just 4 months Lakeshore communities say erosion is an emergency. Why isnt the state acting? BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- More state and government leaders and heads of global institutions have expressed their sympathy to China over the novel coronavirus outbreak and voiced support to the country's fight against the epidemic. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that India highly appreciates China's effective measures to fight the epidemic, and is willing to provide support and assistance to China in the battle. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Britain fully supports the prevention and control efforts of the Chinese government, and is willing to work side by side with China and continue to provide assistance. Portuguese President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa extended sympathy to China and wished it an early victory in the battle against the epidemic. Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos extended deep condolences to the Chinese people and expressed the hope that China's resolute measures and unremitting efforts will contain the epidemic in a rapid manner. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that under the strong leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping, China will eventually contain and eliminate the epidemic. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said that tremendous efforts made by the Chinese government to combat the epidemic have positively contributed to the global and regional public health security. Ethiopian President Sahle-Work Zewde expressed his appreciation of and firm support for China's commitment and efforts to prevent and control the epidemic. Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar, praising and supporting China's anti-epidemic measures, said that his country stands ready to provide China with any assistance within its capacity. China has made great efforts against the outbreak, United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said, adding that the UN firmly supports the measures taken by the Chinese government and people to tackle the epidemic, and hopes that all countries work together to deal with the outbreak in a spirit of solidarity and cooperation. President of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly Tijjani Muhammad-Bande said that the resolve and resilience of the Chinese people are admirable, while expressing his confidence that under the strong leadership of Xi, China will defeat the epidemic soon. China's efforts to control the source of the virus and contain its spread have bought valuable time for the rest of the world, said World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, adding that without China's efforts, the number of global cases would be much higher. The global health agency firmly supports China's efforts to prevent and control the epidemic, and will send a team of specialists to work with Chinese experts, the WHO chief added. Mongolian President Khaltmaa Battulga, Brunei's Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah, Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, Zambia's President Edgar Lungu, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, Moldova's President Igor Dodon, Icelandic Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir, Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, President of the Federated States of Micronesia David W. Panuelo, Samoan Head of State Tuimalealiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, Malian Prime Minister Boubou Cisse, Fijian Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama, Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell, foreign ministers of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Angola and Norway, as well as the head of the United Nations Development Program, the International Civil Aviation Organization Council president, secretary-general of the UN Industrial Development Organization and other people in charge of various international and regional organizations also extended their support and sympathies. These accidental heroes have been burrowing into an underground pool of water located on a beef farm southwest of Merriwa, New South Wales, ABC News reported. In the process, they have opened up the water hole for other species to enjoy. Newsweek reports in its article 'HERO' WOMBATS ARE SAVING OTHER ANIMALS FROM DROUGHT BY DIGGING CRATERS that in this instance, the wombats apparently took on the role of environmental engineers, expanding a hole on Ted Finnie's farm. According to Finnie's estimates, the holewhich looks more like a "crater"is now around 20 meters (65.6 feet) in diameter and four meters deep. Finnie told the news outlet a recently erected camera trap captured birds, goannas, possums, echidnas and emus drinking at the water hole. While wombats, kangaroos, wallabies and wallaroos were already frequent visitors to the well, the wombats' construction work appears to have encouraged new guests to the area. Associate Professor Julie Old, a biologist at Western Sydney University, told ABC News: "It's almost like the wombats are water diviners, they're finding the water and digging the holes to get to the water and the other animals are taking advantage of it." Old has visited the hole and called it unique. She said she is unaware of any other incidents of wombats digging for water in this way. This is not the first time wombats have attracted attention for their "heroism." Earlier this year, a tweet claiming wombats were saving local wildlife by "herding" fleeing animals into their burrows went viral. It read: "Apparently wombats in fire affected areas are not only allowing other animals to take shelter in their deep, fire-resistant burrows but are actively herding fleeing animals into them." However, this good news story was not quite as accurate as it appeared. Experts chimed in to dispel the rumor, saying animals hiding from the fires in wombat burrows were uninvited guests. "I wouldn't say that wombats are "happy" about sharing with other animals, but they will "tolerate" them as long as they don't disturb the wombat too much," Dr. Michael Swinbourne, an ecologist at the University of Adelaide, told AFP. Wombats are generally solitary creatures but may share spaces with close relatives. In the past, they have been seen with other species, including reptiles, rodents, echidnas and koalas. "We have images of penguins sheltering in a wombat burrow to escape the attention of a sea eagle," said Swinbourne. The severe fire season is thought to have killed more than 1 billion of Australia's unique fauna, as well as at least 33 people. The country may be about to see some relief from the flames as heavy rains hit the east coast, putting out around a third of fires in the state of New South Wales, the BBC reported. Fire officials and politicians have expressed relief at the change of weather, which brings much-needed water to regions of the country that have spent the last three years in drought. However, they expect hot, dry conditions to return before the fire season is out. South Korean tech giant Samsung is mulling to scale back its presence at the upcoming Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona citing concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus. According to a recent report in the CNET, Samsung is scaling back its plans to attend the wireless extravaganza, with many executives cancelling their trips. The company is still "considering" its options and might change its approach again, the sources said, but it might not have nearly as much beyond its usual booth. "The rapidly changing conditions surrounding the coronavirus could cause Samsung's plans to change again," the report added quoting people familiar with the matter. Japanese electronics giant Sony also joined in to announce on Monday that it was withdrawing from MWC over coronavirus outbreak. "As we place the utmost importance on the safety and wellbeing of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain," Sony said in a statement. This comes at a time when e-commerce giant Amazon has also confirmed that it was pulling out of the MWC. Samsung's South Korean rival LG Electronics, Swedish telecommunication giant Ericsson and graphics giant Nvidia have already withdrawn from the world's largest mobile conference. Meanwhile, global smartphone production in the first quarter of the year may drop to a five-year low due to the novel coronavirus outbreak, market researcher TrendForce said on Monday. TrendForce said it expects global smartphone production in the first quarter to decline 12 per cent year-on-year to 275 million units following the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 900 people in China. Among the top six smartphone vendors, No. 1 player Samsung Electronics Company was expected to produce 71.5 million smartphones in the first quarter, a 3 per cent fall from its initial forecast, according to TrendForce. However, Samsung was projected to suffer less damage from the virus outbreak than other manufacturers since the South Korean tech giant's main production base is in Vietnam, TrendForce said, adding that the company's smartphones account for only 2 per cent of the domestic market in China. Huawei Technologies Co., the world's No. 2 smartphone producer, was expected to produce 42.5 million smartphones in the first quarter, down 15 per cent from TrendForce's previous forecast, while Apple Inc. was projected to see its production going down from 45.5 million to 41 million units over the same period. The Border Security Force on Tuesday arrested a Pakistani national who was roaming near a Border Out Post in Mamdot area along the Indo-Pakistan border in the Ferozepur Sector here under mysterious circumstances, officials said. The foreign national was identified as Sadiq (50), a resident of village Ukara in Pakistan. During the frisking of the intruder, Pakistani currency of Rs 170 besides his identity card was found. After the preliminary interrogation, the national was handed over to the police following which an FIR under relevant provisions of the law was registered against him. The security agencies are trying to ascertain the exact reasons behind his venturing across the border, sources said. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Dean Dickinson became the CEO of Castleton Technology plc (LON:CTP) in 2016. This analysis aims first to contrast CEO compensation with other companies that have similar market capitalization. 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. This method should give us information to assess how appropriately the company pays the CEO. Check out our latest analysis for Castleton Technology How Does Dean Dickinson's Compensation Compare With Similar Sized Companies? According to our data, Castleton Technology plc has a market capitalization of UK58m, and paid its CEO total annual compensation worth UK618k over the year to March 2019. While this analysis focuses on total compensation, it's worth noting the salary is lower, valued at UK185k. We note that more than half of the total compensation is not the salary; and performance requirements may apply to this non-salary portion. We looked at a group of companies with market capitalizations under UK155m, and the median CEO total compensation was UK251k. Thus we can conclude that Dean Dickinson receives more in total compensation than the median of a group of companies in the same market, and of similar size to Castleton Technology plc. However, this doesn't necessarily mean the pay is too high. A closer look at the performance of the underlying business will give us a better idea about whether the pay is particularly generous. You can see, below, how CEO compensation at Castleton Technology has changed over time. AIM:CTP CEO Compensation, February 11th 2020 Is Castleton Technology plc Growing? Over the last three years Castleton Technology plc has grown its earnings per share (EPS) by an average of 62% per year (using a line of best fit). In the last year, its revenue is down 1.3%. This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently. A good result. While it would be good to see revenue growth, profits matter more in the end. It could be important to check this free visual depiction of what analysts expect for the future. Story continues Has Castleton Technology plc Been A Good Investment? With a total shareholder return of 27% over three years, Castleton Technology plc shareholders would, in general, be reasonably content. But they would probably prefer not to see CEO compensation far in excess of the median. In Summary... We examined the amount Castleton Technology plc pays its CEO, and compared it to the amount paid by similar sized companies. We found that it pays well over the median amount paid in the benchmark group. Importantly, though, the company has impressed with its earnings per share growth, over three years. Looking at the same time period, we think that the shareholder returns are respectable. While it may be worth researching further, we don't see a problem with the CEO pay, given the good EPS growth. So you may want to check if insiders are buying Castleton Technology shares with their own money (free access). If you want to buy a stock that is better than Castleton Technology, this free list of high return, low debt companies is a great place to look. 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. LONDON - David Hockneys exuberant painting The Splash sold at auction Tuesday for almost $30 million. The painting fetched 23.1 million pounds ($30 million) at Sothebys in London. Its pre-sale estimate had been 20 million pounds to 30 million pounds, Painted in 1966, Hockneys bold canvas shows a California swimming pool in the moment after a diver has leapt in. Hockney left gray Britain for southern California in the 1960s, and captured the intense LA light and the rippling surface of swimming pools in a series of paintings including A Little Splash and A Bigger Splash. The Splash was last sold in 2006, when it fetched $5.4 million at a Sothebys auction at the time, a record for Hockneys work. The current record price for a work by the 82-year-old artist is 70 million pounds ($90 million), paid at a Christies auction in 2018 for another pool painting, Portrait of an Artist (Pool with Two Figures). Controversial movie The Hunt about 'liberal elites' hunting 'deplorables' from red states is to be released six months after a backlash forced NBC Universal to shelve it, in the wake of mass shootings and President Trump slamming the film's creators as 'racist'. The film caused outrage ahead of its scheduled September release, with its violent plot showing a group of people from predominately Republican states being kidnapped and hunted for sport by privileged liberals. It was slammed on social media, particularly in the aftermath of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton that left 31 dead and sent shockwaves across the US. Conservatives called it everything from 'political violence' to 'sick murder fantasies about right-wingers'. President Trump even waded into the debate, branding the movie's creators 'racist' and saying it was 'made to inflame and cause chaos'. 'Liberal Hollywood is Racist at the highest level, and with great Anger and Hate! They like to call themselves 'Elite,' but they are not Elite. In fact, it is often the people that they so strongly oppose that are actually the Elite,' Trump scorned from the White House Lawn in August. 'The movie coming out is made in order to inflame and cause chaos. They create their own violence, and then try to blame others. They are the true Racists, and are very bad for our Country!' The day after the president's attack, Universal announced that 'after thoughtful consideration' it was cancelling the film's release on September 27 altogether. Universal has backpedaled on its decision, announcing Tuesday that it will release the film on March 13 and capitalizing on the publicity its controversy brought with a new marketing campaign (above) President Trump branded the movie's creators 'racist' and said the film was 'made to inflame and cause chaos' one day before the studios shelved it Universal has now backpedaled on its decision, announcing Tuesday that it will release the film on March 13 and capitalizing on the publicity its controversy brought with a new marketing campaign. The film studios broke the news with a new ad poster proclaiming: 'The most talked about movie of the year is one that no one's actually seen. Decide for yourself.' The original release date has been crossed out with the new date 'March 13' next to it and snippets of the news coverage the film has garnered pre-release. A new trailer has also been released showing scenes of intense violence. The film caused outrage ahead of its scheduled September release, with its violent plot showing a group of people from predominately Republican states being kidnapped and hunted for sport by privileged liberals It was slammed last year on social media, particularly in the aftermath of mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton that left 31 dead and sent shockwaves across the US Conservatives called it everything from 'political violence' to 'sick murder fantasies about right-wingers', leading the film studios to make the call to pull the movie back in August 'You actually believed we were hunting human beings for sport,' says one character in the trailer, to the rebuttal: 'But you are.' Producer Jason Blum and screenwriter Damon Lindelof defended the film as a satirical take on the divided nation and insisted the movie does not show political allegiance, in an exclusive interview with The Hollywood Reporter released Tuesday. 'None of us were interested in taking sides with this movie,' Blum said. He said he received threats last summer in the lead-up to the film's original release. 'It's probably the most judged movie that's ever existed that everyone who judged it hadn't seen,' he said. Lindelof said that the film actually draws attention to the division between political party supporters across the US. 'We think that people who see it are going to enjoy it and this may be a way to shine a light on a very serious problem in the country, which is that we're divided. And we think the movie may actually, ironically, bring people together,' he said. Lindelof said that critics linking the movie to the tragic mass shootings is unfounded. A test screening a couple of days after the August shootings found that the audience drew no connection to the tragedies, he said. The Hunt is a satirical take on wealthy thrill-seekers who take a private jet to a five-star resort where they embark on a 'deeply rewarding' expedition that involves hunting down and killing designated humans. Characters in the film, which was originally called Red State Vs. Blue State, apparently refer to the victims as 'deplorables' - a term that Hillary Clinton infamously dubbed Trump supporters during the 2016 election. Hilary Swank and Betty Gilpin star as the two leads playing women on the opposite political sides. President Donald Trump on Friday called Hollywood racist, amid controversy over a film that shows 'deplorables' being hunted There was a backlash on social media over the premise of the film ahead of its original release date Universal first agreed to 'temporarily pause' the movie's marketing campaign in August in the wake of two mass shootings, but had planned to plow on with its September release. On August 3, 22 people were killed in a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas when Patrick Crusius stormed a Walmart and opened fire. The next day gunman Connor Betts shot and killed 10 people in a bar in Dayton, Ohio. Despite the decision to pull the ads, Fox News and Fox Business slammed the film, with anchor Lou Dobbs calling it 'sick' and 'twisted' and 'a little too real.' The Hunt will be released in cinemas on Friday March 13. It is produced by Jason Blums Blumhouse, is directed by Craig Zobel and was written by Lindelof and Nick Cuse When it announced the original cancellation Universal said in a statement: 'While Universal Pictures had already paused the marketing campaign for The Hunt, after thoughtful consideration, the studio has decided to cancel our plans to release the film,' it said in a statement. 'We stand by our filmmakers and will continue to distribute films in partnership with bold and visionary creators, like those associated with this satirical social thriller, but we understand that now is not the right time to release this film.' The Hunt will be released in cinemas on Friday March 13. It is produced by Jason Blums Blumhouse, is directed by Craig Zobel and was written by Lindelof and Nick Cuse. Amazon wants President Donald Trump to submit to questioning over the tech company's losing bid for a USD 10 billion military contract. The Pentagon awarded the cloud computing project to Microsoft in October. Amazon later sued, arguing that Trump's interference and bias against the company harmed Amazon's chances of winning. Amazon was considered an early front-runner for a project that Pentagon officials have described as critical to advancing the US military's technological advantage over adversaries. The project, known as Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure, or JEDI, will store and process vast amounts of classified data, allowing the US military to improve communications with soldiers on the battlefield and use artificial intelligence to speed up its war planning and fighting capabilities. The Pentagon was preparing to announce its decision between finalists Amazon and Microsoft when Trump publicly waded into the fray in July. Trump said then that other companies told him the contract wasn't competitively bid," and he said the administration would take a very long look. Oracle had also protested after it and IBM were eliminated from an earlier round of bidding. Amazon is looking for more information about what happened before and after Trump ordered a review. Amazon's court filing cites an alleged comment that surfaced in a book last year that said Trump privately told then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to "screw Amazon" out of the contract. George Washington University procurement law expert Steve Schooner said a deposition of Trump would be clearly relevant to the primary allegations underlying their lawsuit, but that doesn't mean it will happen. I can't imagine this president sitting for that deposition, Schooner said in an email Monday. Besides seeking Trump's deposition, Amazon is also asking to depose Mattis, current Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other government officials. In a filing with the U.S. Court of Federal Claims unsealed Monday, Amazon said Trump has a well-documented personal animus towards Amazon, its CEO Jeff Bezos and The Washington Post, which Bezos owns. Amazon says that Trump is the only who can testify about the totality of his conversations and the overall message he conveyed about the bidding process. Trump has accused Amazon of not paying its fair share of taxes and of putting brick-and-mortar stores out of business. Trump has also gone after Bezos personally and accused the Post of being Amazon's chief lobbyist. The White House, Pentagon and Department of Justice didn't immediately return requests for comment Monday. Amazon said in a statement Monday that it's important to discover what happened to preserve public confidence in the procurement process because Trump has repeatedly demonstrated his willingness to interfere with government processes to advance his personal interests. "The question is whether the President of the United States should be allowed to use the budget of the DoD to pursue his own personal and political ends, the company said. A judge is expected to decide as early as this week on whether Microsoft can start working with the Pentagon on the cloud computing project. Amazon has asked for work to be halted as its lawsuit proceeds. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Catholicos of All Armenians Karekin II hosted on February 11 King Abdullah II of Jordan, who is in Armenia on an official visit. As ARMENPRESS was in formed from the Facebook page of the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin, His Holiness hoped that this visit will further strengthen the relations between the two countries. Karekin II reaffirmed with pleasure that the careful attitude of the authorities of Jordan towards the Armenian community and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem is the best prove of friendly relations. The Catholicos of All Armenians noted with satisfaction that the heirs of the survivors of the Armenian Genocide were able to resume to normal life in Jordan, making their contribution to the progress of the country. Referring to the fact that for historical reasons Armenia has a great Diaspora living next to various cultures and religions, His Holiness highlighted the close cooperation between the spiritual leaders of different countries aimed at prevention of abuse of religious feelings and intolerance among societies. In this context, Catholcos Karekinn II noted that the relations between Armenia and Jordan, as well as the life of the Armenian community on Jordan can serve as a good example of friendship and co-existence for many nations in their efforts to establish Christianity-Islam or other inter-religious relations. King Abdullah II of Jordan expressed satisfaction for the meeting, talking particularly about the relations between Christian and Islamic peoples. Referring to the important role of the Armenian community in Jordan and the Middle East, King Abdullah II of Jordan hoped that the Armenian community in Jordan will strengthen parallel with the development of Armenian-Jordanian relations. The King reaffirmed his readiness to continue supporting the Armenian Church and the Armenian Patriarchate of Jerusalem. King Abdullah II of Jordan noted that Armenia and Jordan have many opportunities for developing cooperation. The King of Jordan expressed concern over the situation in the Middle East, the problem of the diminishing number of Christians in that region and particularly about the Armenian community in Syria, expressing readiness to provide necessary assistance to the preservation of the Armenian Christian presence. Catholicos Karekin II wished success to the King for the sake of the progress of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the welfare of the Jordanian people. Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan Isuzu Philippines Corporation (IPC) has hailed Isuzu Pasig as the 2019 Dealer of the Year for its exemplary contribution to the local arm of the Japanese marque. During the 15th Dealer of the Year Awards (DOYA) held at Hilton Hotel Manila in Newport Boulevard, Pasay City, Isuzu Pasig was awarded as this years big winner. Aside from Pasig, are Isuzu Bulacan and Isuzu Sta. Rosa are the next biggest contributors as 1st and 2 runners up, respectively. The 2019 DOYA capped off a challenging but fulfilling year for the dedicated men and women of the IPC dealer networks sales force and aftersales operations. Held annually since 2004, the DOYA acknowledges the hard work and successful achievements of Isuzu front liners in IPCs dealer principals and operators. Achievements awards were handed out to branch, sales, service and parts managers, sales supervisors, and sales executives in an elegant black-tie dinner gala attended by IPCs top executives and managers of the dealership network. In his welcome remarks, IPC President Hajime Koso encouraged all to perform their vest to serve their valued customers. As we give due recognition to our best dealers and performers of 2019, I would like to encourage all of you to step up to our commitment to serve our valued customers, Koso said. Let 2020 be the year wherein we see a turn-around in our aftersales service and excellence in vehicle sales as we gear towards a sustainable business and as we once again claim the No. 1 position for truck brand this year, he added. Aside from the announcement of the main awards, other recognition were given to the other members of the Isuzu Philippines family. The Most Improved Dealership of the Year award was handed to Isuzu Makati. The Sales Executive of the Year in the LCV Category was Migueland Castro from Isuzu Edsa, while the Sales Executive of the Year in the CV Category was Erlinda Erfe of Isuzu Cagayan de Oro. 2019 DOYA Awards were also given to Isuzu Pasig, Isuzu Cebu, and Isuzu Bulacan for being Excellent in Sales Operations, Isuzu Bulacan, Isuzu Sta. Rosa, and Isuzu EDSA for being Excellent in Parts Operation, Isuzu Sta. Rosa, Isuzu Cavite, and Isuzu Alabang as Excellence in Service Operations, and Isuzu Butuan, Isuzu Sto. tomas, and Isuzu Cabanatuan as Excellence in Customer Service Operations. Story continues For the closing remarks, IPC Executive Vice President Mr Shojiro Sakoda congratulated the winners, and inspired the rest of the sales force. This 2020, may we become more ambitious, and being ambitious means that you go out and do what you set out to do. Part of that is committing to learning what you dont know because limitations can be overcome, and you shouldnt let your limitations stand in the way of achieving your goals, he noted. Also read: The post IPC Pasig wins 2019 DOYA, Bulacan, Sta. Rosa runners-up appeared first on Carmudi Philippines. HALIFAX, NS / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Namibia Critical Metals Inc. ("Namibia Critical Metals" or the "Company" or "NMI") (TSXV:NMI) today announced details of the Term 1 planned work program for the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project ("Lofdal") in northern Namibia. As was recently announced (Company press release dated January 27, 2020) the Company has entered into an agreement with Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation ("JOGMEC") to jointly explore and develop Lofdal. Following the first meeting of the Management Committee formed by NMI and JOGMEC, the objectives of the initial Term 1 work program have been agreed to as follows: Complete a 7,700 m drill program at Area 4 with the objective to double the current mineral resource and deliver an updated NI43-101 report Complete 1,500 meters of exploration drilling on two priority satellite deposit targets Undertake further metallurgical test work on sorting, magnetic separation, flotation and gangue acid leaching to refine the process flow sheet The $3,000,000 Term 1 work program will be undertaken from February 2020 to March 2021 and will be sole funded pursuant to a firm non-refundable commitment by JOGMEC. Following completion of the Term 1 program, JOGMEC has the right to earn a 40% interest in the Project by funding an additional $7,000,000 in exploration expenditures and may earn an additional 10% interest by funding an additional $10,000,000 in exploration expenditures. Further details of the agreement are provided in the Company release dated January 27, 2020. Area 4 Resource The Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project is located 450 kilometers northwest of the capital city of Windhoek in the Kunene Region of north-western Namibia (Figure 1). The project area covers 314 square kilometers centered on the Lofdal carbonatite complex which hosts a number of rare earth occurrences, including the Area 4 deposit. Mineralization at Area 4 is dominated by xenotime, which is highly enriched in heavy rare earths. Value drivers at Lofdal are dysprosium and terbium as opposed to praseodymium and neodymium which are the value drivers in light rare earth deposits. Current mineral resources for the Area 4 deposit are estimated to be 2.88 Mt of indicated mineral resources at a grade of 0.32% TREO1 yielding 9,230 t of REO, of which 7,050 t are estimated to be heavy rare earth oxides ("HREO") and 3.28 Mt of inferred mineral resources at a grade of 0.27% TREO yielding 8,970 t of REO, of which 6,700 t are estimated to be HREO. The current mineral resource has been drilled to depths of between 125 - 225 vertical meters. Planned drilling will test for extensions of the mineralization along strike and to vertical depths of 250-300 meters. Figure 2 shows a typical drill section with the outline of the current mineral resource and planned drill holes to test for extensions of the mineralization to a vertical depth of 300 meters. The Management Committee has set an objective to double the size of the mineral resource through the provision of 7,700 meters of diamond drilling at Area 4. Exploration Drilling The Area 4 deposit is one of several rare earth occurrences know within the Lofdal carbonatite complex and the Company has evaluated a number of these occurrences with detailed mapping, geophysics and drilling. There are two priority heavy rare earth targets that have not been drill tested and a total of 1,500 meters of diamond drilling has been allocated in Term 1 to investigate xenotime mineralization at the Northern Splay and at Dolomite Hill (Figure 3). Metallurgical Programs A number of sequential processing stages have been recommended for treatment of the xenotime mineralization at Lofdal and include upfront sorting, magnetic separation, flotation and gangue acid leaching to produce a mineral concentrate. Each of these stages will be further evaluated during Term 1 through metallurgical test work programs at the appropriate facility/laboratory. Provision has also been made to re-evaluate gravity processing techniques. The initial focus will be on XRT and XRF sorting using an 18 tonne representative sample that has been prepared by Light Deep Earth at their test facility in South Africa. Sorter tests will be conducted by Rados International using a Rados XRF sorter and by IMS Engineering using a Steinert XRT sorter. Products generated from this first step test work will be utilized for subsequent process stage test work. Namibia Critical Metals is the operator for the Lofdal Joint Venture with JOGMEC and will provide updates on the progress of the drilling and metallurgical programs as results become available. Figure 1 - NMI project areas in Namibia highlighting location of the Lofdal Heavy Rare Earths Project near Khorixas Figure 2 - Drill section 550E showing limits of current mineral resource and proposed drill holes to test for extensions of the mineralization to a vertical depth of 300 meters Figure 3 - Geology of the project area showing the location of the Area 4 deposit and the two exploration drill targets at the Northern Splay and Dolomite Hill About Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Namibia Critical Metals Inc. holds a diversified portfolio of exploration and advanced stage projects in the country of Namibia focused on the development of sustainable and ethical sources of metals for the battery, electric vehicle and associated industries. The Company also has significant land positions in areas favourable for gold mineralization. At the Erongo Gold Project, stratigraphic equivalents to the sediments hosting the recent Osino gold discovery at Twin Hills have been identified but not yet sampled. Detailed soil surveys are planned over this highly prospective area. In addition to Lofdal, the Epembe Tantalum-Niobium Project is also at an advanced stage with a well-defined, 10 km long carbonatite dyke that has been delineated by detailed mapping with over 11,000 meters of drilling. Preliminary mineralogical and metallurgical studies including sorting tests (XRT), indicate the potential for significant physical upgrading. Further work will be undertaken to advance the project to a preliminary economic assessment stage. The Kunene Cobalt-Copper Project comprises a very large area of favorable stratigraphy ("the DOF") along strike to the west of the Opuwo cobalt-copper-zinc deposit. Secondary copper mineralization over a wide area points to preliminary evidence of a regional-scale hydrothermal system. Exploration targets on EPLs held in the Kunene project comprise direct extensions of the DOF style mineralization to the west, sediment-hosted cobalt and copper, orogenic copper, and stratabound manganese and zinc-lead mineralization. Earlier stage projects include the Grootfontein Base Metal and Gold Project which has potential for magmatic copper-nickel mineralization, Mississippi Valley-type zinc-lead-vanadium mineralization and Otjikoto-style gold mineralization. The common shares of Namibia Critical Metals Inc. trade on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "NMI". Donald M. Burton, P.Geo. and President of Namibia Critical Metals Inc., is the Company's Qualified Person and has reviewed and approved this press release. Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. For more information please contact - Namibia Critical Metals Inc. Don Burton, President Tel: +01 (902) 835-8760 Fax: +01 (902) 835-8761 Email: Info@NamibiaCMI.com Web site: www.NamibiaCriticalMetals.com The foregoing information may contain forward-looking information relating to the future performance of Namibia Rare Earths Inc. Forward-looking information, specifically, that concerning future performance, is subject to certain risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially. These risks and uncertainties are detailed from time to time in the Company's filings with the appropriate securities commissions. 1 "TREO" refers to total rare earth oxides; "HREO" refers to heavy rare earth oxides; "heavy rare earths" as used in all Company presentations comprise europium (Eu), gadolinium (Gd), terbium (Tb), dysprosium (Dy), holmium (Ho), erbium (Er), thulium (Tm), ytterbium (Yb), lutetium (Lu) and yttrium (Y). Light rare earths comprise lanthanum (La), cerium (Ce), praseodymium (Pr), neodymium (Nd) and samarium (Sm). "Heavy rare earth enrichment" is the ratio of HREO:TREO, expressed as a percentage -30- SOURCE: Namibia Critical Metals Inc. View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/575904/Namibia-Critical-Metals-Outlines-Planned-Work-Program-for-Lofdal-Heavy-Rare-Earths-Joint-Venture-with-JOGMEC TARGETS MET 2019 TURNOVER UP 4.6% TO 840.8 MILLION SUSTAINED SALES MOMENTUM AND STRENGTHENING OF A GLOBAL PLAYER POSITION ACQUISITION OF THE COMPANY TOITS DE FRANCE Consolidated (M) unaudited 12 months 4th quarter 2019 2018 % change 2019 2018 % change sales 840.8 804.0 +4.6% 239.4 222.1 +7.8% of which home building 693.3 690.4 +0.4% 186.4 185.3 +0.6% of which Renovation 141.9 109.3 +29.9% 49.8 33.8 +47.5% of which Other (development & promotion) 5.6 4.3 +30.0% 3.2 3.0 +6.7% Annual revenue up by 4.6%. The group Hexaom achieves another year of growth with a 2019 revenue of 840.8 million, up 4.6% compared to 2018. Each business sector contributed to this performance, especially the renovation sector with a revenue of 141.9 million up by 29.9%. The Plaire group -consolidated since mid-December- contributed 1 million in revenue. At constant scope, the group's revenue at December 31st, 2019 amounts to 839.8 million, up 4.5%. In the last quarter, the group recorded a 7.8% increase in production, reaching 239.4 million. The home building business posted revenue of 186.4 million, up 0.6%. The renovation business was up 47.5% during the last quarter, leveraging momentum from the B2B segment with a revenue up by 80%. An order book that reflects an increasingly transversal position The group Hexaom continues to outperform the home building market. In the home building business, excluding the Plaire group, Hexaom recorded an excellent performance of 7,654 sales at December 31st, 2019, representing revenue of 924.2 million. Organic growth reaches 6.9% in numbers and 9% in value, compared to 2018. The number of sales in the last quarter contracted by 3% but they remain stable in value compared to the same period in 2018, which saw a slight rebound that limited the decline in the 2018 order book. Sales for the renovation business are up 34.9% to 210.7 million. They represent 19% of the Hexaom group's overall order book, as the group continues to successfully pursue its diversification strategy. The cumulative order intake for the B2B segment at December 31st, 2019, was up 52.5% to 162.6 million versus 106.60 million during the same period in 2018. In the last quarter, sales more than doubled reaching 71 million. The B2C segment rebounded, as expected, by +18.1% in the second half. Over the full year, its sales amounted to 48.1 million, down by only 3% compared with 2018. Improved profitability in the second half of 2019 and favorable trends for 2020 As expected, the group's profitability improved in the second half of the year due to the combined effect of the disappearance of non-recurring costs related to the celebrations of the 100th anniversary and a significant improvement in the operating profitability of the B2B renovation sector. The group is confident for 2020 thanks to a strong intake of orders in 2019, and its recognized capacity to increase its market share in home building and develop its high potential growth relays. The Plaire group's revenue of 30 million will fully contribute to Hexaom's revenue as of January 1st, 2020. Earlier this year, Hexaom also acquired Toits de France, a home builder with over 35 years experience, to increase its presence and coverage in the south of France. This company is based in Nimes and will continue to be managed by its founder Robert Criado and his daughter Stephanie. It posted revenue of more than 3 million and an operating profit around 7%. Hibana, a real estate development subsidiary, will contribute to the group's revenue starting in 2020. It is in line with its development plan and has to date launched four real estate programs. It aims to reach a production of 100 million by 2023. Finally, the prolongation of interest-free loans in zones B2 and C is good news for the group; however, the group will continue to implement its action plan to reduce its exposure to these loans. With a growth and diversification strategy which is proving successful, a solid reputation, and an extremely healthy financial structure, the group Hexaom has what it takes to strengthen its position as a major player in the French housing market. Next press release: 2019 annual results, March 16th, 2020 after market close. ABOUT THE GROUP Since 1919, five generations of the same family have successively taken over the helm of Hexaom, a group that drives and federates an ecosystem of 40 brands and subsidiaries with complementary expertise. A unique story of family entrepreneurship characterized by its stability in a complex market sector. The group is a leader in the home building, renovation, and first-time owners' markets in France. It currently serves more than 9,500 customers a year, has built more than 100,000 homes, has carried out over 75,000 renovations, employs over 2,000 people, and recorded sales for 804 million in 2018. Hexaom securities are eligible for inclusion in company retirement savings plans. Hexaom is listed on Euronext Paris - Compartment B. ISIN code: FR 0004159473 - Indices: CAC Small, CAC Mid & Small, CAC All-Tradable, CAC All-Share CONTACTS Hexaom Patrick Vandromme Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tel: 02 33 80 66 61 E-mail pvandromme@hexaom.fr EDIFICE Communication Nathalie Boumendil Analyst/Investor/Press Relations Tel: 06 85 82 41 95 E-mail nathalie@edifice-communication.com Jean-Christophe Godet Chief Financial Officer Tel: 02 33 80 66 61 E-mail finances@hexaom.fr GLOSSARY: Gross order intake: a contract is recorded in gross order intakes on signature by the client and acceptance by our sales administration departments (control of accounting documents and validity of the project's financing plan, return of the field survey, verification and acceptance of the selling price). The amount recorded corresponds to the pre-tax turnover generated on this contract. Order book: all recorded orders which have not been cancelled or transferred to "Work in progress". Work in progress: all orders for which the suspensive conditions to begin work have been met (building permit and customer financing obtained, customer ownership of the land) and which have not been accepted (delivered) by the customer. Evolution of sales at constant scope: evolution of sales of periods to be compared, recalculated as follows: In the event of acquisition, the turnover of the acquired company that has no correspondence in the comparison period is deducted from the current period, In the event of transfer, the turnover of the transferred company that has no correspondence in the current period is deducted from the comparison period B2B (business to business): describes the sale of goods and services to companies. B2C (business to consumer): describes the sale of goods and services to private individuals. Net contribution margin: corresponds to the difference between the sales generated by contracts and the costs directly related to these contracts (construction costs, sales or broker commissions, taxes, insurance, etc.). Cash position: includes cash on hand and demand deposits. Debt: includes all current and non-current financial liabilities. Cash net of debt: available cash less debt. ------------------------ This publication embed "Actusnews SECURITY MASTER ". - SECURITY MASTER Key: yGlvZ5WaY5qVlp2bZsZsbWRqm5eXxpXJmpebl5WcY8eZnG9klpuUZ5jJZm9jlmtm - Check this key: https://www.security-master-key.com. ------------------------ Copyright Actusnews Wire Receive by email the next press releases of the company by registering on www.actusnews.com, it's free Full and original release in PDF format:https://www.actusnews.com/documents_communiques/ACTUS-0-62160-hexaom_revenue_2019.pdf CPI leader Kanhaiya Kumars convoy was attacked once again by motorbike borne men in Gaya on Tuesday when he was travelling from Nawada district to address a rally against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, NPR and NRC. The CAA supporters also pelted stones in which a vehicle of an MLA was damaged. Gaya SSP Rajiv Kumar Mishra said that the miscreants had been identified and would be nabbed soon. According to the police, the incident took place near the Maoist infested Banke Bazar police station area when Kanhaiya was on his way to Imamganj. The police said that additional forces like one battalion of BMPs had been deputed at venues like Gandhi Maidan (Imamganj) and Beda (Sherghati) while an SHO rank police official with armed forces escorted him. Earlier too his convoy was attacked at Supaul, Saran, Madhepura, Katihar and Jamui districts. Former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi alleged that RSS supporters were behind the attack on Kanhaiya at Vishrampur village. Manjhi, who was present at Imamganj said that some people emerged from the crowd and threw eggs and lubricants (commonly known as mobil) targeting the vehicle in which the Kanhaiya was travelling. In Nawada, some people, who had gathered to protest against the Left leader, are believed to be behind the attack. Slogans like Kanhaiya Go Back could also be heard. Later, while addressing a rally, the former JNUSU president slammed PM Narendra Modis government for pursuing politics of religion by bringing in an ill-conceived law like the CAA. During his one-month-long tour, he is scheduled to visit almost all major cities and towns of Bihar. He will also conduct around 50 public meetings. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said on Tuesday that he did not consider it "wise" to raise the issue of easing visa restrictions with Russia HELSINKI (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 11th February, 2020) Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said on Tuesday that he did not consider it "wise" to raise the issue of easing visa restrictions with Russia. "I do not think it would be wise," Reinsalu said, fielding questions in parliament. Estonia at the same time is interested in reducing obstacles for its citizens crossing the Russian border, the minister stated. Reinsalu, in particular, added that Russian e-visas, which are popular among Estonians, did not pose a threat to the country's security. In a February report, the Defense Ministry of neighboring Lithuania notably designated Russian e-visas as a national security threat, claiming that Russian security services are the main beneficiary of the measure as they allegedly actively recruit spies from the three Baltic nations. In his speech, the Estonian minister also expressed a belief that the European Union and NATO should continue their current policy toward Russia. In 2019, Russia started issuing free e-visas for nationals from 53 countries to visit St. Petersburg, the Leningrad Region and the Kaliningrad Region. Earlier, the same measure took effect in Russia's Far East. Starting January 1, 2021, the service will be extended onto all Russian regions. The passengers and crew of another quarantined cruise liner were allowed to leave the ship Sunday after Hong Kong authorities tested all 1,800 crew members on board and found that none had the virus. Japans government says that it has the capability to test at least 1,000 people a day but that it would be difficult to test everyone on board the Diamond Princess. Seven Detained in Tibet For 'Spreading Rumors' on the Coronavirus Threat 2020-02-10 -- Chinese authorities in Tibet have cracked down on online discussions of the rising number of infections from China's coronavirus, detaining seven people in Tibet's Chamdo prefecture on charges of spreading rumors and misinformation, according to state media and other sources. One of those detained, a resident of Chamdo's Gonjo (Gongjue in Chinese) county identified by the name Chen, had posted a comment online on Jan. 29 saying that people from mainland China were arriving in secret in the county, "causing panic among Chamdo netizens," the People's Daily said on Feb. 5. Public security officers immediately "clarified the situation" and took Chen into custody, sentencing him to a period of 10 days' detention and a fine of 500 yuan (U.S. $72 approx.) the People's Daily said, without saying whether Chen was an ethnic Tibetan or a Han Chinese. Meanwhile, a man identified by the name Tse was detained in Chamdo's Tengchen (Dingqing) county for posting a message on the popular WeChat social media platform asking readers to recite a particular prayer 10 times and send the request on to 10 other people to guard against infection. "The Tengchen County Public Security Bureau punished the man with a term of administrative detention of seven days, according to the law," the People's Daily said. "The posting of information and remarks online must comply with relevant laws and regulations," the county's Public Security Bureau warned in a notice quoted by the state-controlled paper, urging netizens not to "create rumors, believe rumors, or spread rumors," and to create a "clean and harmonious cyberspace." Speaking to RFA's Tibetan Service, a Chamdo resident confirmed the paper's report, saying, "Seven people have been detained for allegedly spreading disinformation." Numbers continue to rise Meanwhile, the number of confirmed coronavirus infections in Tibetan-populated areas of China rose over the weekend, state media said, with a total of 23 cases now reported in Sichuan's Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and six in Gansu's Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. One infection has also been confirmed in Sichuan's Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, three in the Tsojang Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of neighboring Qinghai province, and 15 in Qinghai's provincial capital Xining. On Feb. 5, a tea-shop owner in Tibet's regional capital Lhasa was discovered to have opened his shop in defiance of a Jan. 28 government order closing all discos, cyber cafes, tea shops, and movie theaters, a source in Lhasa told RFA, adding that the owner was "fined according to law for violating the government ban." Tibetan monks are meanwhile working to curb the spread of the virus, collecting donations at the Labrang monastery in Gansu's Sangchu (Xiahe) county and distributing thousands of face masks in Kardze's Tawu (Daofu) county, already hard-hit by the infection's spread. "This is the least we can do in service to the people living in Tawu," one monk from the Shedrup Tenphel Choeling monastery said, quoted by the Beijing-based Tibetan writer Woeser on her Facebook page. "We can only hope that we can be of some help in preventing [the further spread of] this epidemic," the monk said. Reported by RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by Dorjee Damdul and Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney. Copyright 1998-2020, 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 February 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 Fire Service tackle a fire at a building site in the centre on Glenavy. Pic Steven McAuley/McAuley Multimedia A new build home has been damaged after a blaze at a building site in Co Antrim. Firefighters were called to the blaze in a semi-detached house on Main Street in Glenavy at 10.30pm on Monday. The blaze was well alight when firefighters arrived. Hose reel jets were used to extinguish the fire and the incident was dealt with by 5.20am. The cause of the fire has been determined as accidental. Seven firefighting appliances including one from Crumlin, two from Lisburn, one from Antrim, two from Springfield and one from Cadogan attended the scene. Baku, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov met with the OSCE Secretary General Thomas Greminger in Vienna and the sides discussed the ways to enhance co-operation between OSCE and Azerbaijan, Trend reports citing MFA press service. Secretary General Greminger said that the OSCE is committed to supporting Azerbaijan in the implementation of its commitments in all three fields of security: politico-military, economic and environmental, human. In this regard, the Secretary General said that the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) deployed an Election Observation Mission to Azerbaijan to observe early parliamentary elections on 9 February, following an official invitation from the authorities. Mammadyarov stressed that these elections should be viewed in the context of the reform process in Azerbaijan. Mammadyarov briefed Secretary General Greminger about his meeting with Armenian Foreign Minister Zohrab Mnatsakanyan, which took place under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs on 28-30 January in Geneva. The minister emphasized the importance of such detailed discussions on the substantive aspects of early conflict resolution, on the basis of the Helsinki Final Act principles. Greminger expressed his full support to the efforts of the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and welcomed the talks and concrete steps to prepare the populations for peace through intensified people-to-people contacts. Mammadyarov and Greminger also discussed the current phase of implementation of the OSCE project on Promoting Green Ports and Connectivity in the Caspian Sea Region. The project aims at supporting Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan in making the best use of renewable energy, digitalization and trade, and transport facilitation to promote connectivity across the Caspian Sea and the wider region. Elmar Mammadyarov invited Greminger to visit Azerbaijan in the near future. The minister announced that on the occasion of the Secretary Generals visit a conference on promoting green ports and connectivity will be organized in Baku. German Chancellor Angela Merkel Thomas Lohnes The next leader of Germany is in focus following the announcement Monday that Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the head of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU), will stand down from the party leadership and not run for the position of chancellor. Kramp-Karrenbauer was widely seen as the chosen successor to Chancellor Angela Merkel, due to step down from the German leadership in 2021, but a series of electoral misses, divisions over the party's direction and an apparent lack of authority prompted the CDU leader and defense minister to step down. A leadership race is expected to take place in summer and there are already possible contenders for the role, including several that lost out to Kramp-Karrenbauer in the party leadership election in December 2018. Friedrich Merz (who was narrowly beaten by Kramp-Karrenbauer in the leadership vote), current Health Minister Jens Spahn and the state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet, are seen as front-runners in a forthcoming leadership race. Markus Soder, the head of the CDU's Bavarian sister party, the Christian Social Union (CSU) and the CDU's Daniel Gunther or Raplhp Brinkhaus are candidates with an outside chance, analysts say. The favorites Friedrich Merz, the pro-business, vice president of the CDU's Economic Council and a favorite for the CDU leadership, made no reference to the news of Kramp-Karrenbauer's departure but tweeted Monday that falling industrial production figures for Germany were a "warning sign" and that "now would be the right time to stimulate economic and financial policy measures," he said. "The purchasing power of private households could be increased with a reduction in the tax burden, as could the investment power of companies," Merz, a corporate lawyer and millionaire, noted. Florian Hense and Holger Schmieding, economists at Berenberg Bank, noted Monday that the favorites to replace AKK as party leader are Merz and Laschet. Laschet's experience as state prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia would make him well suited to lead a coalition with the Greens. "He would be a candidate of continuity which could not only be an advantage. Many in the party may regard him as too close to Merkel, though," they noted. Merz, meanwhile, they noted, is "well supported by those in the CDU base who look for a bigger change after Merkel's reign. Having come only narrowly behind AKK in late 2018, he may have a slight advantage over Laschet who did not run at the time. He may be better suited to take on the right-wing AfD than the other candidates." Traditionalists Vs. Centrists Analysts note that Kramp-Karrenbauer, a protegee of Merkel seen as continuing her political direction, had failed to unite a party riven with division over whether to assert its traditional, Conservative values or to remain more centrist, as it has been under Merkel and AKK. But Jens Spahn aged 40, gay and staunchly Conservative (and a contender for the leadership) paid tribute to Kramp-Karrenbauer, saying he had "great respect for this unexpected decision" and that she had brought the party together. "The separation of party leadership and chancellery was a difficult situation. It is AKK's credit for bringing the CDU and CSU together again. The cohesion of our party must now be our guiding principle," he said. Assessing the top candidates for the CDU leadership, J.P. Morgan Economist Greg Fuzesi said that a "new CDU leadership election may produce a less Merkel-friendly and a more fiscally-conservative leader" such as Friedrich Merz, given that Kramp-Karrenbauer was essentially an ally of Merkel. "But, in any case, the process of replacing Kramp-Karrenbauer will involve heated and divisive debates within the CDU about the party's direction and perhaps reduce the likelihood of significant new policy initiatives by the German government in the meantime. Other parties also still face pressures, with the new leadership team of the SPD having failed to have any impact on the polls. Hence, new elections cannot be ruled out at some point." Franca Wolf, Europe analyst at global risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft, said that Spahn and Laschet would likely continue Merkel's centrist direction, while victory for Merz would signal a return to the CDU's "more traditionally conservative roots." Disunity Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo on Tuesday announced the creation of a web page to combat disinformation about the coronavirus that is sparking health fears around the world. There are no reported cases of the flu-like virus in the Houston area or Texas, though Hidalgo said online rumors suggesting otherwise have caused unnecessary fear in the community. Well continue watching social media, and debunking myths, because we dont want falsehoods to spread, Hidalgo said. It causes unnecessary concern and its just wrong. She said the page on the countys readyharris.org website would help residents separate facts from fiction about the virus. Developed with the help of the county health department, she said the web page would be a trusted source of health information. Worldwide, more than 40,000 people have been infected by the novel coronavirus. China, where the outbreak began, has reported more than 1,000 deaths related to the virus, which causes upper respiratory infections. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreak a global public health emergency. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control has confirmed 13 cases in the United States. Dr. Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health, said local Asian businesses have experienced severe drops in customers, which he attributed to an unfounded panic around coronavirus. There have been some specific, very hate-drive, offensive comments driven toward the Asian community, Shah said. In Chinatown and southwest Harris County, they reported to us grocery stores and restaurants have seen 50, 60 70 percent decreases in traffic. Shah said he wants to combat fears of coronavirus so residents who worry they may have the disease will seek medical treatment and report their cases to the county. While the county is at low risk for coronavirus, February is the height of flu season. Hidalgo urged residents to take common-sense health precautions by covering coughs, staying home when sick and washing their hands. zach.despart@chron.com Chinese scientist Tu Youyou [Xinhua] ADDIS ABABA Chinese Nobel laureate Tu Youyou has been awarded the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences for her research into parasitic diseases. At ceremony held on Monday as a side event of the ongoing 33rd African Union (AU) summit in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa, two other scientists, namely Prof. Cato Laurencin (USA) and Prof. Kevin McGuigan (Ireland) have also been awarded the prize. As the winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, Prof. Tu Youyou of the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, discovered an entirely new anti-malarial treatment, artemisinin, which made possible the treatment of thousands of patients in China in the 1980s. Since the turn of the century, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been recommending artemisinin-based combination therapies as the first-line treatment for malaria; and these combination treatments have saved 6.2 million lives reducing malaria mortality in Africa by 66 percent, and by 71 percent among children under 5 years of age. Speaking at the awarding ceremony at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa, Audrey Azoulay, the Director-General of UNESCO, has hailed the contribution of Tu Youyou to lives of humanity. "Professor Tu has not been able to be with us, who we would like to greet is also an exceptional woman. Her work is revolutionary; she used traditional Chinese remedy at the manuscript of a 12th century in order to provide a new treatment for malaria," the Director-General has noted. "She is among the ones who have received the Nobel Prize; she has used indigenous knowledge and we are very proud in UNESCO because we have specific program which is very ambitious in order to develop the position of women in sciences," she said. With its fifth edition now, the UNESCO-Equatorial Guinea International Prize for Research in the Life Sciences rewards outstanding scientific research projects in the life sciences that have led to an improvement in the quality of human life. (Source: Xinhua) Abdullah, a Rohingya who uses only one name, shows his refugee identification card at a coast guard station on St. Martins island in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, after he was rescued when the boat that was supposed to take him to Malaysia sank in the Bay of Bengal, Feb. 11, 2020. At least 15 people drowned when an overloaded boat carrying 138 Rohingya refugees to Malaysia struck a slab of coral in shallow water and capsized in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday, the Bangladeshi coast guard and survivors said. Rescuers saved 72 people after the 40-foot wooden boat capsized off the southern island of St. Martins, according to Lt. Comdr. Sohel Rana, chief of the coast guard station in Teknaf, a sub-district in Coxs Bazar district. The boat capsized on their way to Malaysia near St. Martins, Rana told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. Weve recovered 15 bodies. Among the rescued passengers were 46 women and four children, he said, adding that two of the survivors were Bangladesh citizens, One of the survivors who identified himself as Abdul also told BenarNews that he dialed the emergency number 999 and asked the coast guard to launch a rescue operation after the trawler began taking on water. Our boat capsized after it had hit a big slab of sunken stone near St. Martins, Abdul said. Coast guard reached the spot immediately, but we were 138 in that wooden boat, he said. Many are still missing. A man named Zubair, another survivor from the Balukhali Rohingya camp, also confirmed to BenarNews that the boat hit what he described as a stone slab before it sank. But Coast Guard spokesman Hamidul Islam blamed overloading. The boat was meant to carry maximum 50 people, he told AFP news service. The boat was also loaded with some cargo. Two survivors told BenarNews that they each spent 30,000 taka (about $353) as a down payment to traffickers who had promised them better life in Malaysia. Now our dreams got shattered, said Anwara Begum, a refugee at the Kutupalong camp who said she once owned a home in Myanmars Rakhine state. But thank God, we are still alive. About 740,000 Rohingya from Rakhine state fled their homes beginning in August 2017 after Myanmars military launched a brutal offensive in response to deadly attacks by a rebel group on government security posts. The Rohingya who crossed the border into southeastern Bangladesh joined thousands of other Rohingya who had previously fled Myanmar, bringing the number of refugees in camps in and around Coxs Bazar district to more than 1 million. Mohammad Rakibul Islam Khan, an official at the Refugee, Relief and Repatriation Commission in Bangladesh, told BenarNews that Rohingya refugees were often willing to take risks with a perilous sea journey to secure a better future for their children. They are desperately trying to avail a better living and consider Malaysia to be the best place to move, Khan told BenarNews. Bangladeshi authorities said they had blocked more than 600 Rohingya refugees, including women and children, while they were attempting to sail to Malaysia last year. Human traffickers have become active in this period as the sea remains calm in the winter, Mohammad Iqbal Hossain, additional superintendent of police in Coxs Bazar, told BenarNews in November. Myanmar classifies Rohingya Muslims as illegal migrants from the Indian subcontinent and denies them citizenship, despite claiming roots there that go back centuries. In a joint statement, the U.N. refugee agency and the International Organization for Migration said they were ready to offer assistance to the needs of the survivors and expressed sadness over this tragic loss of life. Tun Khin, chairman of U.K.-based Burma Rohingya Organization, said Rohingya refugees had been trying to escape from their camps. As soon as Myanmar authorities return citizen rights to Rohingya, the problem of boat people could be stopped, he told RFA's Myanmar Service. So, we call Myanmar government to return citizen rights to all Rohingya. Athena Rayburn, Coxs Bazar manager of the humanitarian agency Save the Children, said the incident should serve as a wake up call that Rohingya families were willing to risk their lives to escape a life of misery and suffering in refugee camps. Such tragic incidents are caused by desperation, she said. Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service. According to Trumps administrations list of six countries facing travel and visa restrictions from February 21 will include Nigeria. Nigerian-Americans have reacted with shock, disbelief and dismay after knowing the adminitsration's decision. Nigeria is one of Africa's most populous countries and the source of the largest African diaspora in the US. Nigerian-Americans shocked The Trump administration has cited safety and security as one of the reasons why Nigeria is on the list of banned countries. But some see racism and others have seen it as dirty politics at work. In 2018, the US accepted 7,900 immigrants from Nigeria. The state of Maryland contains the second-largest community of Nigerian Americans, after Texas. For the thousands of Nigerians in the US, the ban feels personal and like betrayal, claim reports. According to Olusegun Adeyina, who is the former president of the Nigerian-American Public Affairs Committee in Georgia, called the ban as 'un-American'. He believes that the country needs to rethink its strategy in order to be able to be inclusive of all people. Read: Jihadists Of Boko Haram Kill At Least 30 People In Nigeria: Reports Read: Nigerian National Held For Charas Smuggling In Himachal Pres. Trump's new Travel Ban which takes effect on Feb. 22nd says the entry into the US of immigrants (green card) from Nigeria as well as Myanmar, Kyrgyzstan & Eritrea is now suspended-however, this does not apply to non-immigrants. The justification is "national security." Neil A. Weinrib & Assoc. (@neilweinrib) February 10, 2020 Recently in Nigeria, Boko Haram jihadists killed at least 30 people and abducted women and children in the Borno state. According to reports, the extremist group reportedly stormed the area with heavy weapons and abducted women and children after killing many people, said government spokesperson Ahmad Abdurrahman Bundi. Bundi, in a statement, said that the attackers killed at least 30 people and torched the vehicles present in the area. According to media reports, most of the victims were travellers who stopped at a place which was around 25 kilometres west of Maiduguri, active region for fighters from the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP). Reports suggest that many of the drivers sleeping in the vehicles were burnt alive by the jihadists. Read: U-19 WC: Australia Edge Past England By Two Wickets, WI Maul Nigeria By 246 Runs Read: U-19 World Cup: West Indies Beat England, Australia Crush Nigeria Two Manitoba bishops are among 71 Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran and United Church of Canada leaders and others from across Canada showing support for the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs protesting the $6-billion, 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline that will go through their traditional territory. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Two Manitoba bishops are among 71 Anglican, Presbyterian, Lutheran and United Church of Canada leaders and others from across Canada showing support for the Wetsuweten hereditary chiefs protesting the $6-billion, 670-kilometre Coastal GasLink pipeline that will go through their traditional territory. Both The Right Reverend Geoffrey Woodcroft, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Rupertsland, and Bishop Susan Johnson, National Bishop, Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada, signed the solidarity statement that calls on the Canadian government and the RCMP "to immediately cease their occupation, arrests, and trespassing on Wetsuweten sovereign territory." The statement, goes on to note "these unlawful occupations and tactics violate the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples" and violate the wishes of the Wetsuweten Clan Chiefs who "hold sole title to their unceded territory and unanimously do not support the construction of the pipeline." It goes on to say the pipeline project would mar the landscape, cut down trees, harm migration patterns of animals, and put the entire watershed at risk of a leak and contamination. "We are deeply concerned about the militarized arrests, pressure and trespassing presence of the RCMP on Wetsuweten sovereign territory," it states, adding this treats "Indigenous peoples like prisoners on their own territory." The statement concludes by noting the pipeline not only tramples on the rights of Indigenous Nations, but endangers "our collective wellbeing and future." For Johnson, signing the statement was a way to remind Canadians "we are not living in to the calls to action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, including the commitment to free, prior and informed consent." Shes also "deeply concerned about climate justice and about responsible resource extraction. The concerns of the Wetsuweten overlap all of these concerns." For her, using the RCMP is the wrong way to deal with the issue. "If we are serious about addressing these concerns, then we need to take time to have a real consultation," she said. By signing the statement, she wants members of her denomination, and other Canadians, to know "we stand with the Wetsuweten people and hold our government accountable for its actions." As for Woodcroft, one reason he signed it because the Anglican community in Manitoba and northwest Ontario is "well connected" with Indigenous people. He also sees signing it as a way to promote the Anglican Churchs goal of promoting reconciliation with Indigenous people, and of ensuring treaties are fulfilled. Concern about climate change, and the future of the planet, is also on his mind. "I am convinced that Creator, God is calling not only me, but all of goodwill, to get on with providing a better tomorrow for all people," he said. The church has "always had a voice and a strength to care deeply for Gods creation," he added, concluding that is something "we somehow forget" until situations like this arise. Then "we are called back to exercise love, justice and humbleness." 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. Other signers of the statement include The Most Reverend Mark MacDonald, National Anglican Indigenous Archbishop; The Right Reverend Ron Culter, Archbishop of the Anglican Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island; The Right Reverend Andrew Asbil, The Bishop of Toronto; Jennifer Henry, Executive Director, KAIROS; Carragh Erhardt, Justice Ministries, The Presbyterian Church in Canada; Peter Haresnape, General Secretary, Student Christian Movement of Canada; The Reverend Dr. Joanne Mercer, Anglican Parish of Twillingate, Anglican Diocese of Central Newfoundland. Find the full statement here: https://bit.ly/2uy25MQ. In addition to the solidarity statement, members of Hope Mennonite Church in Winnipeg signed a petition sent to the Prime Minister to honour the jurisdiction of the Wetsuweten traditional governance and publicly affirm the demands of all five Wetsuweten Clan Chiefs. In the petition, they also call on Coastal GasLink to vacate the territory of the Wetsuweten; that the Canadian and British Columbia governments uphold their commitments to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and that the RCMP respect the rights of the hereditary chiefs and refrain from interfering with Wetsuweten law. Faith@freepress.mb.ca Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC), the countrys largest insurer is getting ready to be listed on the stock exchanges as announced in Budget 2020. However, the initial public offering (IPO) via a government divestment is expected to be a lengthy process involving the evaluation of thousands of LIC documents since its inception in 1956. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2020 speech had announced that the government will divest its stake in LIC through an IPO. Later, finance ministry officials added that the IPO will be brought out in the second half of FY21. Ahead of the IPO, here's a lowdown on how the entire process will pan out: Parliamentary nod and LIC Act changes Once the Finance Bill gets a Parliamentary nod, the proposal related to divestment in LIC will be brought up for voting. After the Finance Bill is passed, the government will have to bring in legislative changes to the LIC Act, 1956. Given the timeline that the government has planned, the amendment will have to be brought in in the Budget session itself, or latest the Monsoon session of Parliament. Amendments specifically related to LIC Act include the sections related to the sovereign guarantee provided to policyholders, dividends payable to the government as well classification of the entity. Since LIC is termed as a corporation, changes will have to be made to change its classification to company. Getting IRDAI approval While LIC is governed by its own regulations, being a part of the insurance sector means that it would need a regulatory nod. The sector regulator Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) would need to give an approval twice, once before the process begins and once LIC is closer to the IPO. IRDAI will also study LIC's financials and consider the necessity and feasibility of its IPO. However, since LIC is a government entity, no major objection is expected. Appointment of bankers Once the legal and regulatory clearances are received, LIC will appoint a banker who will be the book running lead manager (BRLM) for the IPO. The BRLM will be responsible for the due diligence of LIC and will also handle the most important aspect of the IPO, which is valuation. While conservative estimates put LICs value at Rs 10 lakh crore, the bankers (BRLM and others) will have to do a complete re-evaluation of the books and its business. Considering that it will be a mega-listing, LIC may appoint at least five bankers for this process. LIC has been in business since 1956. Its balance sheet size exceeds Rs 31 lakh crore. Its total investments in debt and equity exceed Rs 25 lakh crore. The task for the bankers would be to scrutinise all the minute details of these investments while arriving at a valuation. Further, the real estate assets of LIC will also be part of the valuation process. Another task is that LIC reports businesses separately including non-linked, linked and pension. Each segment also has separate investment accounts and provisions for doubtful debts. These books will have to be individually scrutinised and any cleanup, if required, has to be done to ensure compliance. Filing draft papers with SEBI Once the draft red herring prospectus is filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), the markets regulator will do a detailed analysis of the offer and the fundamentals of LIC. Any queries or clarifications sought by Sebi will be sent to LIC subsequently. Once this query resolution process is complete, Sebi gives its go-ahead for the IPO. A separate filing also needs to be done with the Registrar of Companies prior to the IPO. Roadshows Investor roadshows by LIC will help them gauge the public perception and demand for the upcoming IPO. This is likely to be done a few months before the IPO. Considering that this could be one of the largest IPOs in the Indian market, LIC is expected to conduct roadshows in both India and South-East Asian markets apart from select locations in Europe and the US. This will also help attract large foreign institutional investors to put money in the IPO. Pricing and allocation The last leg of the LIC IPO process will be book building and the pricing of the IPO. The pricing process is crucial because the demand will be based on how the offer is priced. It is likely that a part of the IPO will be reserved for LIC staff members as well. However, considering that LIC has more than 1,00,000 employees it is not clear whether only those above a certain grade will be eligible to subscribe. Final listing Once the final documents for the IPO are filed with RoC and SEBI, the listing date is announced. The IPO bids will be open for 3-4 days during which both individuals, employees as well as institutions can participate. While LIC chairman M R Kumar has stated that the H2FY20 IPO timeline is possible, in reality, it looks like a mammoth task. Considering the depth of LICs insurance and investment books, a basic cleanup could take a few months. Whether LIC keeps its FY21 IPO date will be keenly watched by the market. - DP Ruto and several Cabinet secretaries had lined up to receive visiting VIP guests during late ex-president's Moi's service at Nyayo Stadium - President Kagame arrived and was received by CS Mucheru who followed him to the entrance - There was a scuffle at the VIP entrance as Kenyan security personnel seemed to be in friction with Kagame's bodyguards - The CS was caught up in the scuffle and was blocked from entering alongside Kagame Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) Cabinet Secretary (CS) Joe Mucheru has had a rough time making his way into the VIP section at the Nyayo Stadium during retired president Daniel arap Moi's prayer service. The CS was caught in a scuffle between Kenyan security personnel and Rwanda president's Paul Kagame's bodyguards as he tried to walk through the Heads of State entrance into Nyayo Stadium. READ ALSO: Daniel Moi: Laikipia, Samburu residents donate bulls to feed mourners Remains of the retired president Moi entering Nyayo Stadium ahead of prayer service. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original READ ALSO: Maafisa 4 wa polisi wakamatwa kwa kumpiga mbunge wa zamani Jakoyo Midiwo Mucheru who TUKO.co.ke learnt had been assigned to escort Kagame to the stadium was barred by mean looking security personnel immediately after the Rwandese president was allowed access. The resulting scene raised speculation among keen Kenyans who witnessed the incident. Mucheru whose suit resembled that of bodyguards was blocked by a security officer ahead of him following a signal from other officers behind the CS who looked uneasy with his entry through the VIP access. The CS retreated shortly after the scuffle . The former head of State will be interred at his Kabarak home on Wednesday, January 12. Photo: TUKO.co.ke. Source: Original Leading the Cabinet in welcoming the VIP guests was Deputy President William Ruto who also witnessed the scuffle. The confusion that lasted for about two minutes also saw a push and pull between Kenya's and Rwanda's security personnel. President Uhuru Kenyatta greeting Kagame at the VIP section. Photo: State House Kenya. Source: Facebook Other Heads of State who attended the function were President Silva Kir of South Sudan, Djibouti's Ismail Omar and President Yoweri Museveni. Nigerian president Mohammed Buhari was represented by his deputy president while former Tanzanian presidents Benjamin Mkapa and Jakaya Kiwete delivered Pombe Magufuli's message. 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. Light moments during Moi's farewell: Kenyans excited to enter Parliament for the first time |Tuko TV. Source: TUKO.co.ke DALLAS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Parks Associates announced today that FLO, a subsidiary of AddEnergie and Canada's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging network and the second largest in North America, will host the special session "Building the Fast-Charging Infrastructure: Speeding up EV Adoption" at the 11th annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer, February 17-19, at the Omni Austin Hotel in Austin, Texas. FLO is also sponsoring the networking reception on February 18, at 5:30 p.m., with a special theme "Recognizing Women in Technology." Parks Associates: Ownership and Purchase Intentions for Plug-in Electric Vehicles Smart Energy Summit The special session, Tuesday, February 18 at 3:00 p.m., will share case studies involving the implementation of a fast-charging network, the rationale behind charger locations, and actual observed results on station use, charging patterns, and EV sales. Parks Associates research finds 7% of US broadband households owned a plug-in electric vehicle at the end of 2019, up from 4% at the end of 2017. "As prices drop and mileage range increases, electric vehicles enjoy increasing popularity," said Chris O'Dell, Research Analyst, Parks Associates. "With sales continuing to increase year-over-year, consumers are finding value in eco-friendly transportation, particularly now that charging stations are becoming more prominent in most urban areas. This special session at Smart Energy Summit will address the growth of electric vehicles and charging stations in North America." Session speakers: Jeff Dion , Project Line Manager, FLO , Project Line Manager, Matthieu Loos , Director of Decarbonization, Hoa Cleantech , Director of Decarbonization, Karl Popham , Manager, Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies, Austin Energy , Manager, Electric Vehicles & Emerging Technologies, Michael Wenzlaff , Senior Program Manager, Electric Vehicles, BC Hydro "At FLO, we think that we are entering a new and exciting new phase in EV adoption, where an increasing number of Americans are now willing to consider the acquisition of a battery-powered car," said Jeff Dion, Project Line Manager, FLO. "In this context, we think it is particularly important to build a comprehensive charging infrastructure, as we know that availability and reliability of charging stations represent one concrete way to convince more people that EV driving can be simple, convenient, and easy." At Smart Energy Summit, industry leaders from utilities, service providers, manufacturers, and technology companies will address the impact of direct consumer participation in energy management and strategies to increase consumer engagement. Event sponsors include FLO, Rapid Response Monitoring, AutoGrid, Bidgely, Copper Labs, Everise, Johnson Controls, Zen Ecosystems, Alarm.com, Sprosty Network, Austin Energy, Grid4C, and Inspire. To schedule an interview with an analyst or to request data, contact Elizabeth Parks at [email protected], 972-490-1113. About Smart Energy Summit Parks Associates' eleventh annual Smart Energy Summit: Engaging the Consumer examines the changing role of utilities and energy providers in the IoT era and offers research and insights on new opportunities to empower consumers with smart solutions to manage and save energy in the home. The conference identifies new business models and technologies that provide opportunities to change the customer relationship and drive engagement and participation in utility-sponsored programs. Smart Energy Summit will take place February 17-19, 2020, at the Omni Austin Hotel Downtown in Austin, Texas. The summit agenda features leaders from utilities, state and national regulators, telecom and security companies, retailers, and OEMs. Follow the event on Twitter at @SmartEnergySmt and #SmartEnergy20. For information, visit www.ses2020.com. Media Contact: Elizabeth Parks Parks Associates 972-490-1113 [email protected] SOURCE Parks Associates The novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) has only been around for about 2.5 months. It originated in China, and national health officials around the world have been concerned about the spread of this virus, especially when it was found to be capable of human-to-human transmission.Here in the United States, our public health system is functional from the bottom up. Everything starts at the bottom, normally at the county level. To give you what I think is an active and model response, see the King County Public Health webpage on the Coronavirus. They are working to provide current status reports on their preparatory activities to medical facilities and first responders. What is your public health doing? If you don't know, now is the time to make that connection and become plugged into their preparations and messaging. Seattle-based computing giant Microsoft has criticized its rival Amazon for employing "sensationalist and politicized rhetoric" in a lawsuit over a lucrative military contract known as JEDI, according to court records made public Monday. Microsoft's comments, included in a motion to partially dismiss a protest filed by Amazon, paint the clearest picture yet of how the company will defend its surprise win in the Joint Enterprise Defense Infrastructure procurement. Microsoft was awarded the contract in late October after an 11th-hour intervention by President Donald Trump prompted Defense Secretary Mark Esper to reexamine the Pentagon's approach. For weeks, Amazon has charged that Microsoft's allegedly inferior cloud computing technology could not possibly have won in a fair competition. It argues that the results were skewed by "repeated public and behind-the-scenes attacks" from Trump and is seeking to depose Esper and the president, among others. (Amazon founder Jeff Bezos owns The Washington Post.) Microsoft's attorneys said Amazon's claims are not supported by evidence and should be rejected. "Without a compelling case on the merits of a traditional bid protest, [Amazon Web Services] tries to make this case all about President Trump," Microsoft's attorneys wrote in a filing unsealed Monday. Amazon "has alleged zero facts - nothing - plausibly indicating that any DoD official involved in the JEDI procurement, at any level, was actually influenced by the alleged anti-Bezos statements in any way," they wrote. Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said the company disagrees with Microsoft's motion. "AWS believes that all of its protest grounds are valid, and that it's important that the numerous evaluation errors and blatant political interference that impacted the JEDI award decision be reviewed," Herdener said in an email. Trump's interest in the contract came after a long-running legal and lobbying campaign by Oracle, whose federal business is threatened by the broader shift to cloud-based computing systems. The company's lobbying operations seemed to bear fruit on the eve of a planned contract award by the Pentagon last summer. Trump said in a July 18 news conference that he had received "tremendous complaints" from companies that compete with Amazon, specifically naming Oracle, IBM and Microsoft. Around that time an Oracle lobbying document labeled "A Conspiracy To Create A Ten Year DoD Cloud Monopoly" reached the president's desk, The Post and CNN reported. In late July during his first week on the job, Esper launched a review of the Pentagon's broader approach to the JEDI contract, telling The Post that he wanted to "take a hard look" at the contract and that he had heard complaints from the White House and members of Congress. As part of that review, Esper met with at least one person, whose name was redacted, who was closely involved in the bid evaluations, according to court records. Those briefings covered the JEDI program and the different options available to the Pentagon, a Defense Department spokeswoman said Tuesday. Then, on Oct. 7, Esper completed paperwork recusing himself from the competition, forwarding major decisions on the contract to Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist. His office has said the decision to recuse was made "out of an abundance of caution" to avoid any concerns regarding his impartiality, because his son was employed with one of the original bidders. Despite Esper's meetings with procurement officials, the Defense Department has insisted that his review was strictly limited to the broader strategy around JEDI and that it in no way touched on the evaluation of specific bids. In its motion to depose Trump, the company is seeking information related to comments recounted in a recent book by a former speechwriter of former Defense Secretary James Mattis, retired Navy Cmdr. Guy Snodgrass, who wrote that Trump had sought to "screw" Amazon out of the contract and that Mattis had demurred. His claims have not been independently verified. Amazon's bid protest has relied primarily on the president's own public statements. The company cited a February 2016 campaign rally in Texas, in which Trump said Amazon would "have problems" if he were elected. The company is also citing a Fox News segment against Amazon as well as Trump's statement that he had heard "tremendous complaints" from Amazon's competitors. In its motion to dismiss, made public Monday, Microsoft called the president's comments irrelevant, arguing that none of them directly mention the JEDI procurement. "Virtually none of the public statements cited by AWS in its complaint mentions the JEDI procurement in any way," Microsoft's lawyers wrote. "Nor does the complaint make even a single factual allegation that President Trump ever spoke directly to any identified DoD procurement officers about the JEDI procurement, much less instructed them to award the contract to Microsoft." Microsoft further argued that Amazon should have raised its concerns over the Defense Department's handling of the contract at the time that they occurred, rather than waiting for a contract to be awarded. Also this week, two nonprofits, Protect Democracy and Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, filed briefs in support of Amazon's request to depose Trump. "The plaintiffs in this case have credibly alleged that the President personally intervened in a government-contracting process to punish a critic," Protect Democracy wrote in its legal brief. "If true, this would be a grave abuse of power in its own right that would be broadly chilling to anyone who wishes to exercise their right to dissent against the government." The Defense Department is expected to file a separate brief in the coming weeks explaining its position. The company said it has teamed up with DriveTech, consulting giant Mercer and Pearson in an initiative to ensure that Ola riders in London will benefit from the highest standard of driving skills, and driver customer service and communication. Bengaluru-based ride-hailing firm Ola said on Monday that it is now live in London. The platform is fully operational with three categories: comfort, comfort XL and exec ride classes. Ola has over 25,000 drivers registered on the platform, bringing scale to its London offering immediately. The SoftBank-backed company said it will maintain its differentiated focus on drivers, safety and a collaborative approach with local authorities and regulators. We are thrilled to now be live in London. This is a major milestone for our business and represents the next step in our ambitions to connect people in cities throughout the country, said Simon Smith, head of Ola International. We are proud of the progress Ola has made in the UK and we look forward to building on our success by offering a differentiated service to Londoners, focused on quality, safety and reliability. The company said it has teamed up with DriveTech (Part of the British motoring association AA), consulting giant Mercer and Pearson in an initiative to ensure that Ola riders in London will benefit from the highest standard of driving skills, and driver customer service and communication. Ola will partner with DriveTech to use its driving risk assessment to improve the level of driving skills and knowledge of all drivers on the Ola platform in London. Each driver has completed a risk assessment and is given complimentary E-Learning modules to further accelerate their professional development. On completing these modules, they will receive a DriveTech Permit to Drive, attesting to their skills. Additionally, every Ola driver in London has passed the Versant spoken English test, from education experts Pearson plc, ensuring a high level of communication in English. They have also successfully completed Olas Customer Service Test, developed with global selection experts Mercer, ensuring they have the skills and mindset to deliver a great experience to their passengers. The company said London drivers joining the platform will benefit from six weeks of zero commission and market-leading commission rates thereafter, enabling them to keep more of their earnings. Earlier last year, Ola received an operating licence from Transport for London (TfL), the UK Capitals transport regulator. Late last year Olas US-based rival Uber lost its licence to operate in London. TfL had said that Uber will not be given a new licence in London after repeated safety failures. A key issue identified was that a change to Uber's systems allowed unauthorised drivers to upload their photos to other Uber driver accounts. This allowed them to pick up passengers as though they were the booked driver, which occurred in at least 14,000 trips - putting passenger safety and security at risk. Ola said it will continue its collaborative approach with TfL and local authorities, as well as its clear focus on safety, drawing on industry-leading and global best practices. The company said it is raising the standards of safety in the UK ride-hailing industry and bringing global best practice to the market. In a number of innovative moves for the UK, Ola is launching its flagship global safety feature, Guardian. It uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to automatically detect irregular vehicle activity. The firms platform has a Start Code feature to ensure customers and drivers are correctly matched. The company is also providing 24/7 voice support for riders and drivers, and a cap of six penalty points for drivers on its platform. Ola began its international foray in February 2018 by launching in Australia, followed by the UK and New Zealand in the same year. In the UK, Ola is present across 28 regions with a network of over 35,000 drivers. Photograph: Ola via Twitter I would hate for this to pass and everybody thinks theyve solved our pay problem, Mendez said, suggesting it would be better to leave the allowance where it is and instead convince voters for a salary hike. Gov. Doug Ducey vetoed similar legislation last year. But SB 1461, as approved by the panel, is designed to get around at least part of the reason the governor found fault with the plan. Borrelli agreed to strip from his bill a provision that also would have boosted the per-diem allowance for Maricopa County legislators who get to go home each night and do not need lodging from $35 a day to more than $92. Ducey, in his veto message, made it clear he saw no reason for such an increase. A stripped-down bill one for only out-of-county lawmakers is much more likely to gain a gubernatorial signature. Arizona is the sixth largest state in terms of land area, the governor wrote last year in his veto message. So for rural legislators and those representing areas outside of Maricopa County, there is a strong case to be made for ensuring we are appropriately recognizing what is required for them to be here at the state Capitol in Phoenix during session. Kolkata, Feb 11 : From shoe shops to restaurants, orchards to iconic buildings, the office of Custodian of Enemy Property for India (CEPI) has 2,786 properties spread over 13 districts of the state, according to official sources. Of these, 2,735 are immovable assets of those who left these behind and took citizenship of Pakistan after partition or after the 1965 and 1971 wars with India. The remaining 51 constitutes immovable properties of those who took Chinese citizenship in the aftermath of the 1962 Sino-Indian War. Across India, the number of immovable enemy properties range from 9,280-9,406 belonging to Pakistan nationals and 126 of Chinese nationals, that have been declared and are vested in the CEPI. However, as per the CEPI records around 5,866 properties are still remaining to be verified and declared as enemy properties in the country. Apart from the immovable assets, the CEPI also has enemy shares of 257 listed companies and 327 unlisted ones. According to CEPI, it also possesses gold and jewellery items worth around Rs 38 lakh. Late last month, the Centre constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah to monitor the disposal of enemy properties, which are likely to fetch the exchequer of about Rs 1 lakh crore. Following that, the CEPI has begun working on a pilot project in Bengal to study the nature, including the legal issues connected to the properties, before identifying the first batch that could go under the hammer. West Bengal has the second highest number of immovable enemy properties left by either Pakistani or Chinese nationals. Uttar Pradesh (4,991) tops the list of Pakistani enemy properties, while Meghalaya (57) has the largest number of properties left behind by the Chinese. Among the Bengal districts housing property of Pakistani nationals, Murshidabad (929) leads the pack, followed by Cooch Behar (542) and Bibhum (456). According to government records, Haji Abdul Hamid, resident of Rajshahi district (now in Bangladesh) owns 207 of those properties, in Bhabta village of Murshidabad - the capital of Bengal, Bihar and Odisha during the rule of the Nawabs till the mid 18th century. In Cooch Behar, 191 of the properties are registered in the name of Nazubar Rahaman at Hemkumari Mouza under Haldibari block, while 149 of them are owned by Ekramul Haque Prodhan in Paschim Fatemamud mouza's Haldibari block. In Birbhum district, 195 enemy properties are against the name of Hameera Khatoon in Khoyrasole block. Kolkata houses 96 such properties, many of them situated in prime locations of the city like B.B.D Bag (erstwhile Dalhousie Square - the central business district). A famous address is 1 and 1B British Indian Street - an iconic building that now houses a large number of small and big commercial and business establishments. Other cream addresses in the CBD include Phears Lane, Ganesh Chandra Avenue, Netaji Subhas Road. Interestingly, the National Bank of Pakistan property on 14, Netaji Subhas Road also finds a place in the list. Shakespeare Sarani, A.J.C Bose Road, R.N Mukherjee Road, B.B Ganguly Street, Bentick Street, Upper Circular Road, Prafulla Sarkar Street, Marquis Street are among other upscale neighbourhood in the heart of the city where these enemy properties stand. A number of properties are commercial establishments and large estates with the names of Pakistani nationals featuring as owners.. In Malda, there are some orchards in the enemy properties list. As for the properties of Chinese nationals, 25 are located in Darjeeling district (though after the division of the district, 15 of them fall in Kalimpong), 19 in Kolkata and seven in Jalpaiguri. Of the Kolkata properties, 13 are tanneries mostly located in the Tangra area of the city's famous China Town. There is also a stationery outlet, a dry cleaners and a carpenter's shop, two other shops and another address. The Darjeeling and Kalimpong assets are primarily restaurants, thukpa joints, shoe stores and dentist chambers. Four of the properties in Jalpaiguri are tea estates, besides a stationery shop and Chinese dentist chamber. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 06:08:56|Editor: yan Video Player Close UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Security Council on Tuesday adopted a resolution to extend the ban on the illicit export of petroleum, including crude oil and refined petroleum products, till April 30, 2021. Resolution 2509 won the support of 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council. Russia abstained. The current ban expires on Feb. 15, 2020. Resolution 2509 also extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts assisting the Libya sanctions committee of the Security Council till May 15, 2021. It decides that the panel shall provide to the Security Council an interim report on its work no later than Sept. 15, 2020, and a final report to the council no later than March 15, 2021, with its findings and recommendations. The resolution calls for full compliance by all UN member states with the arms embargo and the travel ban and asset freeze, and further calls on all member states not to intervene in the conflict or take measures that exacerbate the conflict. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan hosted King Abdullah II of Jordan at the government on February 11, the PMs Office told Armenpress. King Abdullah II of Jordan arrived in Armenia on an official visit. Welcoming the guest, the Armenian PM said: Your Majesty, its a great honor for me to have you in our country. This is a historical visit, your first visit to Armenia. We hope to see you in our country again and again. Our relations with Jordan are very important for us because Middle East in general and your country we see as a direction of strategic partnership. I am very glad that the relations between our countries are being intensified. We already have concrete results and specific directions of mutual interest. And I am also happy that economic delegation came with you, and we are going to sign a concrete document to make even better and even effective our relations. I am very glad to see you one more time and to have this opportunity. I would like to stress that our people have very positive historical memory about your country because your country and people supported greatly the survivors of the Armenian Genocide, and this fact makes our approach to Jordan and Jordanian people warmer, and it is really very strong ground for our relations, and I hope that on that ground we will be able to create really impressive relations. Thank you very much. In his turn King Abdullah II said: Your Excellency, thank you very much. As you said, I think we are very proud of the history that our peoples share. I have been welcomed so warmly since my arrival to Armenia yesterday, and as you said, I hope that is one of my many many visits. Our special friendship continues for many years and I hope it will continue with warmth. We still have a lot of work to do. I am very optimistic and impressed with your hospitality. At the meeting the sides discussed a number of issues relating to the development of the Armenian-Jordanian economic and humanitarian relations. PM Pashinyan said currently Armenias economy has good development trends and the country has created a favorable economic climate. He said the Armenian government is interested in attracting the Jordanian business and capital as there are good cooperation prospects in different branches of the economy. Pashinyan added that Armenia can become a good platform for Jordanian businessmen to enter into the market of the Eurasian Economic Union with privileged terms. King Abdullah II said the government of Jordan is also interested in developing the commercial ties with Armenia and cooperating in the fields of tourism, agriculture, IT, etc. The sides also highlighted the implementation of joint actions to facilitate the visa regime. The Armenian PM and the King of Jordan exchanged views also on the ongoing developments in South Caucasus and Middle East. They touched upon the negotiation process for the settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict and highlighted the importance of resolving the conflict through negotiations. King Abdullah II invited Pashinyan to pay an official visit to Jordan. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Over the past 20 years, more than 1,000 people have been killed, according to Human Rights Watch. At least 15 Bangladeshis were shot dead by the Indian border forces in January one of the worst months in decades. That is despite Indias promise to stop using live ammunition. As Al Jazeeras Bernard Smith reports, the border between the two nations is often unmarked, making it dangerously easy to cross by mistake. Indias defence purchases from the United States have reached USD 17 billion since 2007. Modis cabinet committee on security is expected to clear the purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Indian navy in the next two weeks. (Representational Image) New Delhi: India is set to give final approval to a USD 2.6 billion deal for military helicopters from US defence firm Lockheed Martin ahead of a visit by US President Donald Trump this month, defence and industry sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modis government is trying to pull out all the stops for Trumps trip in a bid to reaffirm strategic ties between the two countries, which have been buffeted by sharp differences over trade, to counter China. Indias defence purchases from the United States have reached USD 17 billion since 2007 as it has pivoted away from traditional supplier Russia, looking to modernise its military and narrow the gap with China. Modis cabinet committee on security is expected to clear the purchase of 24 MH-60R Seahawk helicopters for the Indian navy in the next two weeks, a defence official and an industry source briefed on the matter separately told Reuters. Its a government-to-government deal, it is close, said the industry source. To cut short lengthy negotiations between Lockheed and the Indian government, the helicopters that will be deployed on Indias warships will be bought through the US foreign military sales route, under which the two governments will agree details of the deal. Trump will visit India Feb 24-25, the White House said on Monday, his first official trip to the country. Both countries are separately working on a limited trade agreement ahead of the trip, after earlier imposing tit-for-tat tariffs on each others imports. Trump has called India the tariff king of the world but the Modi government has been trying to address some of his concerns. Trade officials have pointed to large-scale US arms purchases, from surveillance planes to Apache and Chinook helicopters, as proof of Indias willingness to tighten strategic ties. On Monday, the US State Department said it had approved an Indian request for an Integrated Air Defense Weapon System for an estimated cost of USD 1.87 billion, which would further strengthen the two countries defence ties. The two sides are expected to move forward on the deal over the year. The multirole helicopters from Lockheed will be equipped with Hellfire missiles and torpedoes, and are meant to help the Indian navy track submarines in the Indian Ocean, where China is expanding its presence. Many of Indias warships are without any helicopters because of years of underfunding, and the navy had sought their acquisition as a top priority. The government outlined only a modest rise in its 2020-21 defence spending to $73.65 billion in the budget on Feb. 1, of which a part will go towards making a down payment on the helicopter purchase, a defence official said. We expect a positive announcement soon on the helicopters, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of service rules. There are limited resources, but there is an allocation. The US State Department approved the sale of the choppers to India last year along with radars, torpedoes and 10 AGM-114 Hellfire missiles. The clearance came after the Trump administration rolled out a new Buy American plan in 2018 that had relaxed restrictions on sales, saying it would bolster the American defence industry and create jobs at home. The United States has also offered India the armed version of Guardian drones that were originally authorized for sale as unarmed for surveillance purposes, the first such approval for a country outside the NATO alliance. India plans to buy 30 of these unmanned aircraft for surveillance of the Indian Ocean, at a cost estimated to be about USD 2.5 billion, from General Atomics. However, the defence official said the deal is unlikely immediately because of lack of funds. Advertisement A map showing just how the coronavirus could have been spread from the epicenter Wuhan has been compiled by researchers as the outbreak is revealed to have killed more 1,000 people the world over, according to data form the Chinese government released Monday evening. A total of 103 people died in a single day in China's Hubei province on Monday - the highest toll recorded in any one 24-hour period since the outbreak began in December. It comes the same day as World Health Organization (WHO) experts and scientists have finally arrived in China to help officials there contain and study the outbreak which has now struck at least 42,729 people worldwide. A map created by Southampton University researchers shows how 60,000 out of a total of five million people who have traveled out of Wuhan since the beginning of the outbreak and before the city was fully locked down have crisscrossed the globe. Researchers used a combination cell phone tracking data and flight trackers to trace travelers paths. The result is a red scribble of trajectories to 382 cities elsewhere in China and in countries the world over. A map based on data from flight and cell phone data tracking by Southampton University researchers shows how 60,000 out of some 60,000 people who left Wuhan after the coronavirus outbreak began but before the city was locked down have crisscrossed the globe More than 1,000 people have died in the coronavirus outbreak that's spread to at least 24 countries worldwide as of Monday As the coronavirus outbreak spread to another 10 people in Hong Kong between Sunday and Monday, people there began to protest that its borders should be close to contain the deadly virus that's killed one there Over the weekend, the first death of an American from coronavirus was also reported in Wuhan, the Hubei city where the virus is believed to have first made the jump from game sold at an open-air market to humans. Now, cases have been confirmed in at least 24 other countries, although only two of the confirmed deaths occurred outside China. On a single cruise ship docked and quarantined in Japan, at least 136 people have contracted coronavirus - including 23 Americans - with the number of passengers or crew on board testing positive for the virus doubling over Sunday night. The number of new cases reported each day in China does seem to be slowing, and travel restrictions appear to be keeping many countries case counts fairly stable, but global health experts warn the outbreak is far from over. In fact, earlier on Monday, the WHO warned that the more than 40,000 cases already reported by then were likely just 'the tip of the iceberg,' as they expect that people with mild or no symptoms have not been diagnosed - yet - leading to an underestimate of total illnesses worldwide. As of the latest figures, China still has the vast majority of coronavirus cases, with 42,268 and 1,011 deaths. Of those patients, more than 7,300 are in 'serious/critical' condition. There are now 391 cases outside China with cases of coronavirus, but only one death has been confirmed in the Philippines, and one in Hong Kong. Coronaviruses are a common cause of respiratory illness and, even for severe ones like the 2003 SARS virus and the current outbreak - temporarily dubbed 2019-nCoV - they are not particularly dangerous to most healthy people. But SARS infections had a relatively high death rate, killing nearly 10 percent of those it infected. The current coronavirus has a death rate below 2 percent. The vast majority of cases and deaths are still in China's Hubei province, where health professionals in protective gear work 24-hours a day to care for thousands of victims in clinical condition Some experts believe that the rate will fall as low as one percent, as more, milder illnesses are diagnosed worldwide. The same good news for the death rate is bad news for the containment of 2019-nCoV. In less than two months since it was discovered, the new coronavirus has spread to 24 countries, surpassing the number death toll and number of infections for six months of the SARS outbreak. And it seems to pass quite readily between humans, perhaps even when they don't display symptoms. For that reason, officials in the US, UK and most countries anticipate that they will see more and more cases of coronavirus, even though rates are presently low, with 12 positive patients confirmed in the US and eight in the UK. In its short existence, the corona virus has had vast opportunities to travel far and wide. In the US, two of the 12 patients caught coronavirus from their spouses, who were well enough to pass travel screens and display no symptoms on their way back from China, but carried the virus and passed it on to their husbands or wives. And in the UK, one Brighton man became a 'super-spreader,' passing coronavirus to another three associates, meaning his infection accounts for fully half of the eight people confirmed to have the infection there. In the hopes of containing the virus, Wuhan was locked down on January 23. City officials closed off all roads in and out, arriving and departing flights were canceled, and public transportation was halted altogether. Its created a humanitarian issue in the city, but other countries have subsequently followed suit, restricting or banning travel to and from Wuhan and China. The US is now rerouting all passengers who have been to China within the past two weeks through 11 airports where they will be screened for any evidence they could have contracted coronavirus. Anyone who's been to Wuhan in the prior 14 days will be subject to a mandatory federal quarantine - the first of its kind in 50 years in the US - at one of 13 military bases near the 11 airports. Both the US and the UK have evacuated citizens from the epicenter of the outbreak and placed them under mandatory quarantines. The Chinese government has sent an official guide on treating coronavirus to the Nigerian authorities as death toll in the Chinese mainland reached 908 on Monday. The Chinese embassy in Nigeria confirmed that the official guide on coronavirus was shared with Nigeria and other countries through an official channel with documents including Lab Test Procedure, Epidemic Update and Risk Assessment, Diagnosis and Treatment Protocol, Management of close contacts, Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation. According to a statement on coronavirus sent by the Chinese embassy, the National Health Commission in China had received a total of 40,171 confirmed cases, while 3,281 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. The statement reads, Official Guide Documents on preventing and controlling the novel coronavirus pneumonia have been provided by China National Health Commission to its counterpart in Nigeria and other countries through official channel. Documents include Lab Test Procedure, Epidemic Update & Risk Assessment, Diagnosis and treatment protocol, Management of Close Contacts, Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation. As of February 9, the National Health Commission had received 40,171 reports of confirmed cases and 908 deaths on the Chinese mainland and in all, 3,281 patients had been cured and discharged from hospital. There still remained 23,589 suspected cases. So far, 187,518 are now under medical observation, who have been identified as having had close contacts with infected patients. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates KYODO NEWS - Feb 11, 2020 - 21:43 | All, Japan, Coronavirus Japan plans to ban foreign nationals who have visited China's Zhejiang Province from entering the country as an additional step to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus, a government source said Tuesday. The measure, if adopted, may deal a blow to Japanese businesses investing in the province, just south of Shanghai. Chinese data show a total of 1,117 people have been infected with the virus in the province, compared with 31,728 in Hubei Province at the center of the outbreak. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will hold a meeting with his all Cabinet ministers on Wednesday morning to discuss ways to better respond to the deadly pneumonia-causing virus. Beginning Feb. 1, the Abe government has barred the entry of foreigners who stayed in the province within two weeks prior to their arrival in Japan even if they do not show symptoms. The government has also prohibited holders of Chinese passports issued in Hubei from entering the country in principle. Earlier Tuesday, the health ministry said two more Japanese men were confirmed to have been infected with the virus after returning home from China's Wuhan, the center of the virus outbreak, on government-chartered planes in late January. The confirmation brought to a total of 163 the number of people who have tested positive for the deadly pneumonia-causing virus in Japan, including 135 on a cruise ship quarantined in Yokohama, south of Tokyo. The two men, one in his 40s and the other in his 50s, had tested negative in initial testing, according to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare. After testing negative, the man in his 40s remained at his home in Saitama Prefecture, north of Tokyo, from Feb. 1 but had a fever of 39.5 C on Saturday, the ministry said. The man was hospitalized at a medical institution in the prefecture after he was found to have developed pneumonia on Monday. While staying at a hotel in Chiba Prefecture, the second man, a resident of Wuhan, was hospitalized at a medical institution in the prefecture after having a fever of 38.5 C on Friday. He tested positive on Monday. Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, a health ministry official said the government is considering allowing the elderly and those with chronic illnesses to disembark from the cruise ship because passengers have apparently been under stress during their prolonged isolation there. The elderly and passengers with chronic illnesses are expected to leave the ship, the Diamond Princess, as early as Wednesday, according to a government source. About 3,600 passengers and crew members were scheduled to be isolated aboard the ship through Feb. 19 to prevent the spread of the virus in Japan. The ship has been kept in quarantine since a passenger who disembarked in Hong Kong was found to be infected with the virus. Of an additional 65 people on the ship who had tested positive for the virus, 43 are Japanese, the ministry said. U.S. company Princess Cruise Lines Ltd., operator of the ship, said 66 people have tested positive, but the ministry said there could be some overlapping in the operator's figure. The ship departed Yokohama near Tokyo on Jan. 20 and returned Feb. 3 after visiting Kagoshima Prefecture in southwestern Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa. Those confirmed as infected upon arrival have been hospitalized in Japan. On Tuesday, health authorities conducted new tests at a hotel in Chiba Prefecture to give the all-clear to some 170 Japanese people who returned on a government-chartered plane from Wuhan on Jan. 29 in the first evacuation flight for Japanese nationals from the city. Results of the quarantine tests will be made available as early as Wednesday afternoon. Once their test results are clear, they will be allowed to go home. Japan has brought back a total of 763 Japanese and their non-Japanese family members on four chartered planes since late last month. Related coverage: Raging coronavirus from China named COVID-19 by WHO Japan torn over whether to test all on cruise ship for coronavirus G-20 to focus on impact of coronavirus on global economy The 68th National Breakfast was held on Feb. 6, 2020 in Washington D.C. with U.S. President Donald Trump in attendance. There were major attendees such as Vice President Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi. At a prayer meeting after the acquittal of President Trump's impeachment in the Senate the day before, Professor Arthur Brooks (Harvard Kennedy School) said in a keynote that "Jesus loved his enemies." "[The same Jesus] who taught us to love God and taught us to love each other," said Professor Brooks, who teaches public leadership. "The biggest crisis facing many countries, including the United States, was called 'contempt and polarization' that divide society. "In this crisis resides the greatest opportunity we have ever had as people of faith to lift our nations up and to bring our people together," he said. " It is important to think differently to get new and effective solutions to old problems such as contempt and polarization. " He added: "You heard in Matthew chapter 5, 'You have heard that it was said, 'Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." "It can sound as counterintuitive and subversive today as it was in those two thousand years ago," Brook said. "To apply this word to today's polarized society, we have to approach it personally," he said. "My parents were devout Christians, but they were politically liberal, unlike conservative beliefs. "How many of you love somebody with whom you disagree politically?" he said. " "Moral courage isn't standing up to those with whom you disagree." Brooks then presented the audience with three tasks, asking them to "pray to God to give you the strength to do this hard thing, to go against your human nature, to follow Jesus' teaching." He then urged others to promise to "refuse to annihilate." Professor Brooks said, "It could be an opportunity for moral integrity. This is because people change the country when they treat you with hatred and answer you with love," he said, "I'm like a missionary. This is an opportunity to show people what leadership is," he said. He went on to say, "If you leave the event today, you will face many worlds of contempt. 'Look at it as your chance'," he said. "if we see the world outside the room as mission territory, we will be able to mark this day as the point where national healing begins." The name Samuel Adam Mahama alleged to be a close relative of former President John Dramani Mahama is coming up strongly as Intermediary 5 in the British investigations into the raging Airbus SE scandal. Until now, the subject remained a conundrum and, therefore, left to conjectures, with no strong premises to support conclusions. Emerging Details However, details of one of the companies related to the Airbus transaction, Deedum Limited, show that it had three directors, namely Nana Kwaku Donkor, company secretary; Philip Sean Middlemiss, director, and Samuel Adam Mahama, director. At the time of registering the company in Accra, the said Samuel Adam Mahama gave his address as 19 Avenue Road, Penge, London. Deedum Limited was incorporated on 8th May 2012, and it was dissolved on 26th June 2019, with its registered address being Bentleys Chartered Accountants, Level 8 Alg Building 41 Shortland Street, Auckland 1010, New Zealand. Further details of Samuel Adam Mahama show his occupation as a facilitator and events officer. Change of Name Intermediary 5, Samuel Adam Mahama by 14/2/19 appeared to have turned to Samuel Adam Foster per British records with a company called Furneaux Limited. The details alteration was done at UK's Companies House, the equivalent of local Registrar General's Department. The title of the document is Change of Particulars for Director with bar code X7Z9PQLM. The address given per the records was 4 Wimpole Street, London, Greater London UK, W1G 9S8. On the document the additions appeared The usual address of this person has not changed. The foregone contrasts with the previous details of Adam Samuel Mahama of 19, Avenue Road Penge, London. Company Positions Samuel Adam Foster, Director of Deedum Limited, was appointed director of the company on 10th February 2010. Instructively, Deedum Limited was dissolved on 26th June 2019. Deedum Limited registered in the UK and of which Samuel Adam Mahama is director bore similar features with the one incorporated in Ghana. Although not in good standing, this does not stop it from doing business, DAILY GUIDE has learnt. Samuel Adam Foster shares the same address as Samuel Adam Mahama 19 Avenue Road Penge, London, the last being the details he gave the Registrar General's Department when he was registering as director of Deedum Limited in Ghana- 19 Avenue Road Penge, London. One of the directors, Philip Sean Middlemiss, has turned out to be a television and radio personality, who plays a role in a popular series in the UK. Airbus Saga The Airbus saga continues to rage in local politics because of the political figures thought to have played ball with the bribe-giving executives of the giant European aircraft manufacturing company. A British court recently fined Airbus an amount of 3 million pounds using bribe to induce the purchased aircraft from them. Ghana was one of the countries cited in the matter; the reference to a certain Government Official 1 and his brother Intermediary 5 without mentioning their names, compelling observers to probe who the said Government Official 1 and Intermediary 5 could be. NPP Counter Attack Without wasting much time, the members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) went overdrive and claimed that former President Mahama is the person that the UK and US investigations revealed took the 5 million bribes in respect of the sale of aircraft to Ghana by Airbus SE. They even dared him to come out and clear the air but unusual of him, the former President has gone silent ever since, not even his characteristic social media posts. Striking Similarities In the UK Crown Court documents, the SFO names the elected NDC guru as 'Government Official 1' and that powerful official is the same person being referred to as 'Individual 1' in the US court documents. In the same vein 'Intermediary 5' in the UK court documents who has been described as the brother of the powerful elected official in Ghana is the same person being referred to as 'Consultant 4' by the US authorities. Presidential Power The fact that only the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the President can authorize such a purchase makes the subject even more worrying. Now that the said Intermediary 5 has been unmasked the mask covering the visage of Government Official 1 is automatically unveiled. Special Prosecutor Following the order by the President to the Special Prosecutor to wade into the issue, Martin Amidu has swung into action. A press statement from the Special Prosecutor released yesterday acknowledged the President's order on the allegations of bribery of some Ghanaian Officials in the military aircraft deal disclosed in two deferred prosecution agreements and judgments on 31st January 2020 in the United Kingdom and the United States of America respectively, implicating Airbus SE, certain individuals and Ghana Government public officials for consideration and possible action. Reasonable Suspicion Continuing, the Special Prosecutor observes in the release that the said referral and the deferred prosecution agreements and judgments accompanying them raise reasonable suspicion of the commission of corruption and corruption-related offences of bribery of public officers and the use of public office by public officers for private profit, which are offences falling within the mandate of this Office under the Office of the Special Prosecutor Act, 2017 (Act 959). A preliminary investigation was accordingly opened on 4th February 2020 by this Office into the allegations contained in the judgments referred to this Office aforesaid. Assistance Call The Special Prosecutor announced that relevant domestic public institutions with information helpful to the investigations have been asked to support the Special Prosecutor's Office with relevant document and information under Act 959. Foreign Contacts Contacts with foreign authorities, he added, had been made for documents and information and documents to assist in the ongoing investigations. He appealed to the public not to speculate or politicize the disclosures made in the deferred prosecution agreements and judgments so as to, as he put it, allow this Office to treat the suspected crimes as suspect crimes simpliciter and nothing more, pending the conclusion of the investigation. ---Daily Guide Zimbabwe's Health Minister Obadiah Moyo says the country is ready to handle suspected cases of the deadly coronavirus. He made these remarks while touring Wilkins Infectious Hospital facilities in Harare on Monday. The coronavirus has killed over 1,000 people following its outbreak in China. The countries of Africa, like Indonesia, as of Tuesday had not yet reported a single confirmed case, though there have been many suspected cases. Africa, too, is a frequent destination for Chinese travelers though most come to the continent for work, not tourism. Five researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded in a study last week that Indonesia and Cambodia, which has reported only one case, should quickly intensify its monitoring of potential cases. Based on a statistical analysis, the disease could have arrived in Indonesia already, the authors concluded. Many of the imported cases have been linked to a recent travel history from Wuhan, suggesting that air travel volume may play an important role for the risk of cases being exported outside of China, the study said. The chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, Jusuf Kalla, a former vice president of Indonesia, also said it was possible that the disease had already entered the country and that Indonesians might not recognize the symptoms as being coronavirus. Singapore has a tight system, but even there the virus got in, he said. Its possible that there are infected people but here in Indonesia people think that it is only a regular fever or they think it is dengue fever. Mr. Kalla expressed concern about how prepared Indonesia was to handle the virus if it were to strike in remote parts of the archipelago nation where underfunded community health centers are the main health care provider. (Indonesia is the worlds fourth most populous country, with nearly 270 million people scattered across 6,000 inhabited islands.) Autumn and Peter Phillips could be seen smiling and laughing alongside the Queen and Prince Charles as they attended the Highland Games in September on their final public appearance together. The Queen's eldest grandson Peter, 42, and Autumn, 41, confirmed their separation after 12 years of marriage yesterday. In their last pictures together as a married couple, Autumn and Peter joined Her Royal Highness, 93, and Prince Charles, 71, at the event in Braemar, which came months before they announced their separation. At the time, Autumn appeared relaxed as she sat alongside Prince Charles and was seen sharing a smile and a joke with other members of the royal family. In their final public appearance together as a married couple, Autumn, 41, and Peter Philips, 42, joined the Queen, 93, Prince Charles, 71, and Camilla, 72, for the Braemar Royal Highland Games in September Peter and Autumn could be seen laughing and joking with other members of the royal family at their last appearance together as a married couple At the event in September, the Queen looked in high spirits as she sat beside her son Prince Charles - known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland - and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Autumn looked gorgeous in green as she wrapped up in a 435 chic tweed coat dress by Guinea London - and added a fancy fascinator to complement her outfit. She wowed the crowds of 15,000 spectators with her apt outfit, which featured luxurious velvet lapels and buttons, and offered a flattering tailored fit. The brand is a favourite among the royals, with Kate Middleton and Zara Tindall having opted for the British designer in the past. Autumn Phillips (pictured), 41, looked stylish in a 435 tweed coat dress and a moss green hat while attending the Braemar Highland Games The mother-of-two appeared in high spirits at the event, and could be seen laughing and jokign with the rest of the royal family The former PA, who wore her hair loose, swept a pale blush across her cheeks and added a layer of deep pink lip stick, which perfectly complemented the pale pink trim of her coat. Throughout the day, competitors took part in both running and sack races, tossing the caber, hammer throw, tug of war and highland dancing. Pipe bands and Highland dancers also performed at the gathering, which is organised by the Braemar Royal Highland Society. Autumn appeared relaxed as she walked the grounds at the Highland Games event in September (pictured together) Autumn (pictured) complemented her chic tweed coat dress with a deep plum bag and moss green hat by Sally Ann Provan Autumn could be seen sharing a laugh with her husband Peter and at another stage leaned in to joke with Prince Charles. But despite the happy display, it was just months later that they announced their separation to their families. Peter and Autumn informed their families of their 'amicable' decision to divorce 'at the end of last year' after deciding it was 'the best course of action for their two children and ongoing friendship'. Autumn made the rare public appearance alongside The Queen, Prince Charles, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and her husband, Peter Phillips The royals were presented with flowers during the 2019 Braemar Highland Games in Aberdeenshire The royal family appeared amused as they watched the Highland Games unfold, with Prince Charles leaning towards Autumn to engage in conversation The statement, released by a spokesperson on behalf of the couple yesterday, reveals the former couple have both remained in Gloucestershire to co-parent daughters Savannah, nine, and Isla, seven. However it does not address speculation that Autumn might now want to return to live in her native Canada with their children, who have dual citizenship. It has been suggested that Autumn might be in some way inspired by the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who are now living in Canada with son Archie after quitting their roles as senior royals. Thiel College is launching its second graduate degree program with an intensive and innovative 12-month M.B.A. program. The modern workplace is competitive and moving in a direction where an advanced degree is going to be, not just preferred, but essential. Thiel is in a great position to offer this style program. Thiel Colleges new Master of Business Administration has been approved by its Board of Trustees and will begin enrolling students in July 2020. Through Thiels innovative, intensive and accelerated residential program, students will earn an M.B.A. in just 12 months. The Thiel M.B.A. program is designed to give students a head start on their careers by capitalizing on their momentum as students to transition from undergraduate work to post-graduate work. Many M.B.A. programs require work experience before students are admitted, by design Thiel M.B.A. students will acquire experience through experiential learning and programmatic activities. The Board of Trustees approval of the M.B.A. creates the second graduate program at Thiel College. A Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology was awarded provisional accreditation in August. The first students will start classes in that program this May. The M.B.A. program is designed to send graduates into the work force in five years with the experience and business credentials to immediately be an ethical leader in the professional world. Students enrolled in the M.B.A. program at Thiel College have the opportunity to learn by doing. Every student will complete 400 hours of career-focused work as a graduate assistant. As part of the required credit-bearing coursework each student will work in a paid internship for a private sector business for a minimum of 120 hours. In addition, each student will work in a team-based environment acting as consultants to a non-profit organization. Throughout the program, students will work with faculty and businesses to solve real problems as part of the required coursework. Specific programmatic experiential learning experiences will be required of all students in settings that extend the learning environment beyond the classroom. The modern workplace is competitive and moving in a direction where an advanced degree is going to be, not just preferred, but essential, Chair of the Arthur McGonigal Department of Business Administration and Accounting and M.B.A Program Director Anthony Kos said. Thiel is in a great position to offer this style program. We are fortunate to have a wealth of faculty with great academic credentials and in addition they have worked in the business world and bring that experience to the classroom. The Thiel College program is a rare offering in eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania, Kos said. Most programs are designed for working professionals. Thiels residential program will benefit both graduates and employers, Kos said. Students will not have to put careers on hold once they enter the workforce to get their M.B.A., and employers will not have to wait or work around an employees schedule to gain the value of an M.B.A. Initially, the program will be a one-year intensive program, but plans are also being considered for a working professionals program that would last longer than a year. We are doing something unique, Kos said. Kos was Special Assistant to the Dean of the Williamson College of Business Administration at Youngstown State University. He also served two stints as the M.B.A. Director of the Williamson College at YSU and also held the rank of Professor in the Management Department. In addition, Kos taught internationally within the M.B.A. program at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. Kos received both his bachelors and masters degrees from the Williamson College of Business Administration. He earned his Ph.D. from the Graduate School of Management at Kent State University in the area of macro-organizational theory (strategic management). The term Orwellian has always struck me as curiously Orwellian a mild example of doublespeak that ties an authors good name to the dystopia he so memorably depicted. (See also Dickensian and Kafkaesque.) Instead of referring to George Orwells crisp prose or moral clarity, Orwellian is like the doctors name that ends up anointing the terrible disease he discovered, forever yoked to the affliction he abhorred. Machiavellian is another shorthand that inverts its namesake, even if the Renaissance statesman and writer Niccolo Machiavelli still gets cast in the popular imagination as a cynical proponent of ruthless power politics. In Machiavelli: The Art of Teaching People What to Fear, the French historian Patrick Boucheron joins an estimable list of scholars who have been trying to debunk the crude stereotype of Machiavelli as a fascist enabler and tyrant whisperer. This energetic little book started out as a series of talks for French public radio in 2016, and it offers a knowing guide to Machiavellis life and work. The tone, in Willard Woods translation, is playfully conspiratorial. Boucheron invites us to think through how Machiavelli became synonymous with unscrupulous despotism when the real man suffered for his republican allegiances. Boucherons breezy use of the first-person plural keeps his argument humming amiably along, though some English-language readers might feel buffeted by the occasional gusts of cultural presumption. We are familiar with Guy Debords prophetic 1967 work The Society of the Spectacle, Boucheron declares in passing. (We are?) We have therefore been warned about the pernicious effects of commodity fetishism and the frenzied acclamation it generates. Advertisement It's the holiday with a licence to thrill James Bond fans. A seven-night package to Tuscany has been launched to mark the release of the latest Bond film, No Time to Die, on April 3 - and it includes a helicopter ride, driving cars that have featured in Bond films and a stay in a villa used as a filming location in Quantum of Solace. Guests will also get the chance to sail along the Tuscan coast on a Quantum of Solace-style speedboat and dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant. Talamon Tower in Italy, which featured in the James Bond film Quantum of Solace. Guests can stay in the villa on a 007-themed holiday The villa is an ancient watchtower on a spectacular clifftop that has been fully restored. It sleeps up to 12 people James Bond, played by Daniel Craig, outside the villa in the 22nd Bond movie, Quantum of Solace Bond and agent Rene Mathis, played by Giancarlo Giannini, in a scene from Quantum of Solace, filmed on the villa's terrace The package has been created by holiday rental company Oliver's Travels and costs 90,000 for 12 people, or 7,500 per person. The adventure kicks off with guests being taken by private helicopter transfer from Pisa airport to their accommodation - Talamon Tower in southern Tuscany, where Rene Mathis tells Bond that Vesper loved him in Quantum of Solace. The fully restored former watchtower has six bedrooms and six bathrooms and occupies a spectacular clifftop position. Sleeping up to 12 people, it offers views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the sandy beaches of Maremma Natural Park and the surrounding pine forests. A professional butler will welcome guests with martinis and be on hand to make sure every need is met. Not only do guests get to stay at the villa on the 007-themed holiday, but they are also treated to a helicopter ride from the airport to the property The James Bond-themed holiday, which includes a seven-night stay in the villa, costs 90,000 for 12 people. This works out at 7,500 per person One of the bedrooms in Talamon Tower. It has six bedrooms and six bathrooms and a professional butler is on hand Throughout the trip, Oliver's Travels will also give guests the chance to drive through the Tuscan countryside in a selection of classic cars, such as an Aston Martin DB5, as seen in Skyfall, a Bentley Mark IV, which appeared in From Russia With Love, and a Ford Mustang, driven in Diamonds Are Forever. Guests will also have access to a Sunseeker boat, reminiscent of the Sovereign 17 as featured in Quantum of Solace, to sail around the coast and the islands of Giglio and Giannutri. The boat will also take holidaymakers to the Michelin-starred Pellicano restaurant at the prestigious Hotel Il Pellicano, a regular celebrity haunt. There, a black-tie dinner will be served and guests will watch the sunset as they enjoy 'delectable creations' by chef Michelino Gioia, known for his 'contemporary twists on traditional Italian cuisine'. Throughout the trip, guests will get the chance to drive through the Tuscan countryside in a selection of classic cars such as an Aston Martin and a Bentley Mark IV One activity that comes as part of the holiday is a lesson with a mixologist, to learn how to make some of the most famous cocktails featured in Bond films. They can then be enjoyed on the terrace, pictured The tower offers views of the Tyrrhenian Sea, the sandy beaches of Maremma Natural Park and the surrounding pine forests As a final touch, guests will also be taught how to make some of the most famous cocktails featured in Bond films by one of Tuscany's most experienced mixologists. Guests can then enjoy their creations with dinner cooked by a professional Oliver's Travels chef on Talamon Tower's beautiful terrace. As an added bonus, the travel firm will also organise a professional poker dealer to host a game of Texas hold 'em at the villa for guests to experience their very own Casino Royale moments. The village board is working on the details of a plan, which would allow drivers to park for free on the garages first level for up to six hours, and on the street for up to three hours. That would allow time for someone to get multiple services at a salon and have time for lunch or shopping, Village Manager Kathleen Gargano said, but not enough time for commuters leaving from the nearby Metra station. BENTON HARBOR, MI -- The Easter bunny will be getting some assistance this spring in Southwest Michigan as a helicopter plans to drop 10,000 eggs for an egg hunt. Local organizations in Benton Harbor partnered to bring a helicopter egg drop which will feature 10,000 eggs, three hunts and two drops, according to the website. The event is planned for 11 a.m. Saturday, April 11 at Overflow Church located at 300 E Napier Ave. Egg hunts will be separated by age groups: babies through 3-year-olds, 4-year-olds through second graders, and third through fifth graders. Admission to the event is free but pre-registration is available online at swmichiganeggdrop.com. The event will also feature food, music and inflatables. Also on MLive: Snow leopards go on blind date, Michigan zoo hopes theyll mate Woman buys $5 scratch-off ticket at Saginaw store, wins $500,000 Natty Light will rent your college diploma for $100 as part of fight against student debt After the storm comes... the squall. The winds of change blew right across the country in this general election. The rulebook about demographics, geography and loyalty was thrown out the window. Never before, and perhaps never again, will we see such a result. In virtually every constituency in the country, new TDs have been elected with enormous votes that would have been unfathomable a month ago. The political system will be reeling from this tumult for some time to come. And yet it doesn't answer the questions: what does change mean and what next? Fianna Fail, Sinn Fein and Fine Gael are separated by only a few seats. Fianna Fail has taken a battering, Fine Gael has taken a hammering and both need time to catch breath and figure out what to do next. The Civil War parties are taking a step back and letting Mary-Lou McDonald make the first moves in trying to make sense of the new alignment in politics. The path to power is already mapped out by senior figures who this newspaper has spoken to. And McDonald is not wasting any time. Sinn Fein is reaching out to the other parties to seek their views on coalition. The numbers simply don't add up for the so-called left-led government. But that doesn't mean it can't provide the foundations for a new coalition. A majority government will need Fine Gael or Fianna Fail's input. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has stated his party is heading for opposition. It's a reasonable conclusion to adopt that the party of government for the last nine years has no mandate to govern. Fianna Fail is giving Sinn Fein the opportunity to see what it can muster. Sinn Fein is immediately appointing a negotiating team. They have a lot of experience in this area from their participation in the Northern Ireland peace process. They know when to hold 'em, when to fold 'em, when to walk away and when to run. McDonald will seek to get the Green Party and Social Democrats on board with her first before approaching Micheal Martin about forming a government. The Labour Party will also be contacted but Brendan Howlin has indicated an unwillingness to deal with Sinn Fein and other party figures think it's too soon for them to be going into government again. The scars of the last time are still painful. Howlin has his chance to get on board, if he wants. People Before Profit will be given every opportunity to come on board, but the chances of them agreeing to anything are slim. When nothing other than revolution and socialist utopia is satisfactory, it's a high bar to meet. Sinn Fein will try to get the backing of Eamon Ryan and Roisin Shortall with tempting offers around core policies. The Greens will be offered the climate change portfolio and the chance to introduce their policies. The Social Democrats get to take health and the chance to implement the Slaintecare plan. Sinn Fein will take the housing portfolio. Everybody takes their area of speciality. A solution to the rent freeze can be found within legal limits to provide certainty to renters for a set period of time. The principle of Sinn Fein's housing policy, wanting to revert to the State supplying homes to the masses, is not all that far away from traditional Fianna Fail policy, which Martin himself has been pointing to. The position of Taoiseach would be on the table, the Irish Independent understands. McDonald might even have the backing of the Greens and Social Democrats to become Taoiseach. The tradition and convention in this country is for the largest party to provide the Taoiseach. But that was when it was obvious from the numbers which was the largest party. What if the larger numbers of TDs within a coalition wanted McDonald over Martin? The chances of Martin entering a coalition with Sinn Fein and not being Taoiseach would be non-existent. It's a handy bargaining chip. But it would be yielded in negotiations with Fianna Fail - at a price. Martin can, of course, be Taoiseach, but he'd be giving up other roles in government. The Finance Minister's job would also be up for grabs. And what of Sinn Fein's exclusively self-interested policies, linked to their all-Ireland agenda? The unity referendum within five years can be watered down to a Citizens Assembly on the future of the island of Ireland and a working group within the Department of the Taoiseach to look at how it would all work. The independent review of the Special Criminal Court by a senior judge wouldn't have to lead to its abolition, but might actually come up with some recommendations on how to improve its workings. While perhaps agreement can be reached on housing, health and climate change, economics will be another matter. The tax and expenditure commitments Sinn Fein, in particular, are the major stumbling block. McDonald's party would have to compromise significantly on the estimated 22bn package on the table. Clear commitments and delivery on housing and health are what their voters will want to see to avoid disappointment. And here there are actually a lot of areas of broad agreement between the parties and a booming economy providing the resources to provide action. What's clear is Confidence and Supply will not be utilised again. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are scapegoating the arrangement for their current woes. In reality, there was nothing wrong with deal in principle, it was the way it was utilised in practice. Fine Gael had power without having the authority to do anything with it. Fianna Fail was both influential in the exercise of government but also in opposition too. Neither side wanted the accord to be too successful, for fear of the other side getting the credit. In the 100th anniversary of the first sitting of the Dail, the national parliament was treated with disdain by the very two parties who claim ownership the legacy of our founding fathers. The 'do-nothing Dail' was left devoid of the necessary impetus to make an impact. A Fine Gael TD flew around Europe for the past two years working on political campaigns elsewhere, with the blessing of his party leader and none of his colleagues batted an eyelid. Fianna Fail TDs voted for each other casually, pushed each others buttons, in defiance of their Constitutional duty to the people and it was all a bit of craic. In both cases, the public were appalled when the parties got caught out. No wonder they weren't rewarded when Confidence and Supply became associated with such lax and lazy attitudes. New Politics had a very old school feeling to it. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail seemed to be the last ones to realise the Civil War had ended. When the music stopped in this general election, they quite literally found they had no seats. The next government, whatever shape it takes, will not be built around similar structures. You're either in or you're out. The Green Party and Social Democrats are in the invidious position now of needing to show they too recognise the public mood for change. The Greens have quadrupled their seat numbers and the Social Democrats have trebled their numbers of TDs. But they were also helped along by Sinn Fein's surpluses. The alternative for Fianna Fail and the smaller parties - another general election - isn't all that appealing. The parties that stand to lose the most from a general election where there are more Sinn Fein TDs on the ticket are the beneficiaries of the transfers from McDonald's excess of votes: People Before Profit, the Greens and Social Democrats. Still licking their wounds, Martin's party is left with an identity crisis. Fine Gael can pivot right to being the party of low taxation, fiscal rectitude, socially progressive and pro-European integration, in line with any number of their Christian Democratic sister parties in northern Europe. The days of being a catch-all, wide appeal party may be over for Fine Gael, but there is still a significant cohort of about a fifth of the electorate who would still support such a party into the future and the opportunity to build further. Fianna Fail is stuck in the middle, with Martin arguing it is the party of the working classes, while also seeking votes across all social tiers. In this general election, the coping classes of the squeezed middle moved to Sinn Fein. This was traditional Fianna Fail territory in decades gone by. People affected by quality of life issues, around housing, health, childcare, transport and education. Sinn Fein spotted these people were up for grabs, allowing them to break out of their working class base, and went for it. Ordinary people identified with Pearse Doherty's criticism of lack of progress in halting the rise in insurance costs and Eoin O Broin's advocacy for housing. Change in this general election means making progress on the ills of society to match the development of the economy. The parties that find a way to get our society to keep pace with our economy will be on to a winner with the voters. But the electorate don't tend to be very forgiving when politicians go back to them without solutions. The people have spoken. Now it's up to the politicians to figure out exactly what it is that they have said. NCLATsuggested there should be 'reverse corporate insolvency resolution process' in such cases, where insolvency process is initiated against a realty company, no home buyer can approach NCLT or NCLAT to seek refunds. New Delhi: In a relief to realty players, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) has held that any insolvency process initiated by a flat buyer or financial institution would be limited to the project concerned only and not impact other projects of developers. An NCLAT bench headed by Chairman Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya said that the entire insolvency process initiated over the plea of either a flat buyer or bank or any other financial institution would be limited to the project only. Besides, the appellate tribunal has also suggested that there should also be a reverse corporate insolvency process in such cases. "In CIRP against a real estate, if allottees or financial institutions, banks or operational creditors of one project initiated CIRP against the corporate debtor, it is confined to the particular project, it cannot affect any other projects of the same real estate company in other places where separate plans are approved by different authorities," the NCLAT said in its order. The order came over a petition filed by a group of allottees - Flat Buyers Association Winter Hills-77, Gurgaon. The appellate tribunal also suggested that there should be "reverse corporate insolvency resolution process" in such cases, where insolvency process is initiated against a real estate company, no home buyer can approach the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) or the NCLAT to seek refunds for the project. In case the flat owners of such projects wish to seek a refund for the particular project of the real estate company which is undergoing insolvency, they are open to signing an agreement, either with the interim resolution professional, or the promoter to find a new buyer and get the money back if and when that flat is sold, the NCLAT said. "As we find it is very difficult to follow the process as in normal course is followed in a Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process, we are of the view, that a 'Reverse Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process' can be followed in the cases of real estate infrastructure companies in the interest of the allottees and survival of the real estate companies and to ensure completion of projects which provides employment to large number of unorganised workmen," said the NCLAT. Earlier, the Delhi-based principal bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) had on 20 August 2019 directed to initiate Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process' against Umang Realtech. This was challenged before the NCLAT by a group of allottees - Flat Buyers Association Winter Hills-77, Gurgaon - contending that the project in question, will be completed by the end of Diwali (October, 2019). According to them, just because of the plea of two allottees, insolvency was triggered. Citywide Vote by mail envelopes include the "I voted!" stickers on the instructions sheet. | Photo: Sasha Perigo San Franciscans who vote by mail have something new to look forward to when they open their ballots this month: For the first time ever, the San Francisco Department of Elections has included I voted! stickers in vote by mail envelopes. Eve Pena, Outreach Assistant Manager with the SF Department of Elections, said the department has wanted to include stickers in mailed ballots for a long time, but faced logistical challenges the vote by mail envelopes are assembled using an assembly line which wasnt designed to handle stickers. Voters are very excited about this, and so is the Department, Pena said. Its great to be able to provide equal opportunity access to show pride about voting for vote-by-mail voters. Kayla Kaufman is one voter whos excited about the new development. I love stickers! Kaufman said. They make me feel like I accomplished things! Voters can find the sticker on a card in their envelope that contains voting instructions. The upcoming election will take place on Tuesday, March 3. Early voting started this Monday. Vote by mail voters can return their ballots at any point between now and March 3. Ballots must be postmarked by Election Day to be counted. The contest on most people's minds is the Presidential primary. That includes the much-anticipated Democratic presidential primary, as well as presidential primaries for the Republican, Green, Libertarian, Peace and Freedom, and American Independent parties. The March 3 ballot also includes primaries for for San Franciscos Congressional representative, State Senator, and State Assembly representative. Voters will also choose judges for three open district court seats, and decide on one statewide ballot measure and five San Francisco ballot measures. San Francisco voters who are registered members of the Democratic, Republican, Green or Peace & Freedom parties will also vote for representatives to their party's County Central Committee or County Council. Story continues If you already received your vote-by-mail ballot, and it doesn't include candidates for the Presidential primary, it's because you didn't choose a political party when you registered to vote. If you still want to vote in a Presidential primary on March 3, or you want to change which party's primary you're voting in, you still can! You can register to vote, or change your voter registration until February 18th. You have until February 25th to request a vote-by-mail ballot. The SF Department of Elections has a webpage explaining the rules for voting in a Presidential primary, as well as a tool to help you figure out how to vote for your preferred candidate in the Presidential primaries. You can also check on the current status of your voter registration and your vote-by-mail ballot. You can also re-register, change your party preference, and vote in person any time between now and election day at City Hall. If you've already received your vote-by-mail ballot, make sure to bring it with you if you decide to vote in person you have to surrender your original vote-by-mail ballot if you change your party preference. You can also call the Department of Elections at 415-554-4375, or by email at SFVote@sfgov.org, if you have any other questions. MADRID - Spain has located 69 African migrants who had gone missing while trying to reach Europe by boat, the countrys Maritime Rescue service said Tuesday. A spokeswoman with the government agency said that a merchant ship found the boat some 36 nautical miles south of the Spanish port city of Malaga. An official rescue vessel that had been looking for the group since it went missing on Monday was transferring the migrants to a nearby port, the official said. A rescue charity had alerted authorities about the departure of a boat with 67 people from Moroccan shores. The spokeswoman said on Tuesday that the rubber dinghy turned out to be carrying two more people than initially reported, including 13 women and 5 children. She was not authorized to be named in media reports. The latest rescue comes a day after 119 migrants were found on two smuggling boats in the Alboran Sea, east of the Strait of Gibraltar that separates Europe and Africa. Refugees fleeing violence and migrants fleeing poverty look for a new life in Europe by setting off on dangerous trips by sea from African coasts. Spain became the main entry point into Europe for migrants in 2018 but saw the number of arrivals halved last year to 26,168. Recently it has seen an uptick in the number of boats heading to the Canary Islands, which lie in the Atlantic Ocean off Africas northeastern coast. Morocco received 140 million euros ($155 million) in European Union funds in 2019 to crack down on illegal migrant crossings. Pope Francis will make an official trip to Malta on May 31, the Vatican said Monday, bringing the pontiff to one of the top disembarkation spots for migrants fleeing Libya. The visit, to both the main island of Malta and the archipelago's island of Gozo, is the pontiff's first announced journey for 2020. Malta is on the front line of migration into Europe, situated 95 kilometres (60 miles) south of Sicily and due north of Libya's capital of Tripoli. That makes it a central port of entry into Europe for the increasing numbers of migrants attempting the perilous Mediterranean crossing, fleeing the renewed fighting in Libya. Francis has often spoken up for migrants and has called on the European Union to be more welcoming of those fleeing chaos in their home countries. The Argentine pontiff will meet Malta's new prime minister, Robert Abela, who took office in January promising to strengthen the rule of law there. Malta has been gripped by a widespread allegations of corruption, another global problem regularly addressed in the pope's declarations. Malta's previous prime minister, Joseph Muscat, stepped down as the investigation into the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 implicated some of his closest collaborators. According to Catholic tradition, St. Paul was shipwrecked in the Maltese archipelago on his way to his trial in Rome in the year 60 AD. While no other papal trips have yet been announced for this year, he has been formally invited to visit Iraq, Cyprus, Indonesia and Montenegro. He has also expressed an interest in visiting South Sudan, where he has personally interceded in efforts to end the civil war there. Australians arriving in Denpasar on Tuesday expressed confidence in Indonesian government processes and were pressing ahead with their holidays. Loading Melbourne woman Barbara O'Donnell said she had booked her flight to Bali only a week ago, despite the virus having been reported in most countries in south-east Asia. "I am not worried. I am sure if they, the government, have someone sick [with coronavirus] they would have reported it, as it's a matter of public health. I am here for a week. I packed a hand sanitiser, that's it." Melbourne woman Amanda Jones, travelling with her partner Simon Jones, said "I am a little concerned that Indonesia has not reported a single case when we even have it in Australia. But we're not concerned enough to cancel our holiday. We have hand sanitiser with us". The couple said they had been given a health alert card to fill out on board their flight. "We keep one [half of the card] with us, in case we get sick during our trip," she said. "We are confident the Balinese will be able to handle things should anything happen." Asked at what point the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade would consider upgrading its travel advice for Indonesia, a DFAT spokesman said it keeps its advice "under close review" and is "in regular contact with the Department of Health on the coronavirus outbreak". President Joko Widodo and Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed the coronavirus in their meeting. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen Indonesian President Joko Widodo did not specifically mention the coronavirus when he addressed the Australian Parliament on Monday as part of an official visit centred around the Indonesia-Australia free trade agreement, referring only to "co-operation" on health more broadly. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the topic was discussed in his meeting with Mr Joko, telling the Parliament the pair had talked about "working together to ensure we can contain the impact of the coronavirus between our two countries". Professor Terence Hill from the Australian National University's Indonesia project said the issue was highly diplomatically sensitive, as Indonesian citizens were "increasingly resentful of what they regard as Western condescension". Professor Clements said Indonesia must be "encouraged to report" any cases of coronavirus it detected to avoid a repeat of the SARS epidemic, which spread quickly in part due to the Chinese government's initial hesitation to share information about the outbreak. "It's not in anybody's interest that any country tries to hide coronavirus," he said. Should an outbreak occur, he said, the Australian government should "implement appropriate responses" domestically "and support the Indonesian government to manage the epidemic if it occurs there". The World Health Organisation last week urged Indonesia to do more to prepare for a possible coronavirus outbreak, amid concerns about reporting and testing kit availability in the country of 270 million people. Professor Murphy said on Tuesday he believed Indonesia did "have some testing capability now", after the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age last month revealed the country did not have the right testing kits to detect the novel coronavirus. We may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general World Health Organisation director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Monday called on all countries to "step up efforts" to prepare for the possible arrival of the coronavirus, "do their utmost to contain it should it arrive" and share information in real time. "This means lab capacity for rapid diagnosis, contact tracing and other tools in the public health arsenal," he tweeted. Loading The detection of "a small number of cases" in people who had no travel history in China "may indicate more widespread transmission in other countries", he said. "In short, we may only be seeing the tip of the iceberg."Indonesian health authorities said on Tuesday they had conducted testing for coronavirus on 64 people and 62 results had come back negative. The last two tests were still being processed. Married At First Sight brides Hayley Vernon and Poppy Jennings shared a steamy kiss during a wild night out with their co-stars last month. And now their castmate Mishel Karen has revealed all about that night - including whether or not the PDA went further than locking lips. Speaking on Hit105's breakfast show Stav, Abby and Matt on Tuesday, the 48-year-old called the smooch, 'staged'. 'It was staged!' Married At First Sight brides Hayley Vernon (left) and Poppy Jennings (right) shared a steamy kiss during a wild night out with their co-stars last month. On Tuesday, their co-star Mishel Karen revealed what really happened that night She told the radio hosts: 'That was probably a staged photo opportunity. Poppy is desperately heterosexual and I am pretty sure Hayley is also.' The Brisbane-based brunette went on to say she does not believe the women's amorous display went any further that night. '[They] definitely didn't [take it further]. A pash is a different story. Any one of the girls on the show would have gone there. A party pash is fine,' she said. Speaking on Hit105's breakfast show Stav, Abby and Matt, Mishel (pictured) said: 'That was probably a staged photo opportunity. Poppy is desperately heterosexual and I am pretty sure Hayley is also' That's all folks! '[They] definitely didn't [take it further]. A pash is a different story. Any one of the girls on the show would have gone there. A party pash is fine,' she said. Pictured: Poppy Asked if Hayley and Poppy are now together, the teacher insisted: 'I don't think so. Definitely not.' Pictured: Hayley Asked if Hayley and Poppy are now together, the teacher insisted: 'I don't think so. Definitely not.' However, Mishel admitted she didn't actually see the kiss occur on the night as she left for a cigarette break before it happened. She said: 'We were having a drink that night, and I [took] my cigarettes and [left] with Vanessa. I didn't actually see the girl pash. ' Wed: On the show, Hayley 'married' truck driver David Cannon, 31 (left) Last month Hayley, 32, showed off her countless tattoos in a black dress as she packed on the PDA with Poppy, 38, at the Chelsea Hotel in Sydney's Chatswood. While sitting down together, the pair locked lips and could be seen giggling as they smooched and got close. They appeared in high spirits as they cosied up together, with Poppy touching Hayley's leg as they kissed. On the show, Hayley 'married' truck driver David Cannon, 31, while Poppy tied the knot with FIFO worker, Luke Eglin, 39. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP If Tulsi Gabbard drops out of the Democratic race in the coming days, her unique campaign is likely to be remembered more for her spats with the Democratic party, accusations of being a Russian operative, and the imagery of her promise to bring a soldiers heart to the White House than a realistic bid for president. The Hawaii congresswomans unusual political journey, which has seen her go from a rising progressive star to a regular Fox News guest supported by Republicans and libertarians, has so far not endeared her to supporters in New Hampshire, which goes to the polls Tuesday. While Iowa traditionally holds the first caucuses in the presidential election, New Hampshire has held the first primary since 1920. The goal for presidential candidates is to win early-voting states and create name recognition and a sense of momentum, as well to pick up their first delegates, who will eventually choose the nominee in summer. Sometimes a clear favorite for the nomination emerges quickly, but the last two major Democratic primary contests, pitting Barack Obama against Hillary Clinton and then Bernie Sanders against Clinton, have lasted from the Iowa caucuses in January through to late spring. After more than a year campaigning and holding more than 130 events in the Granite state alone, Gabbard is currently at 3.3% in the polls. She held 70 events in Iowa, an effort that won her the votes of 342 people on caucus night. As president I will have your back, she told a crowd in Rochester this weekend. I promise I will treat every American with respect. In all likelihood, Gabbard will not get the opportunity to prove that. The Democratic contest has not been kind to the long-shot candidates so far. The businessman and former congressman John Delaney, after spending two and a half years and more than $25m campaigning, dropped out days before the Iowa caucus. Joe Sestak, a three-star admiral and two-term congressman, pulled out at the end of 2019. Bigger names such as Cory Booker, Julian Castro, Kamala Harris and Beto ORourke have all fallen to the whims of the Democratic electorate. Story continues A supporter of Tulsi Gabbard attends a campaign event in Lebanon, New Hampshire on 6 February 2020. Photograph: Brendan McDermid/Reuters Gabbards rally in Rochester had gotten off to an inauspicious start, when the Elks Lodge venue misspelled her name: a TV screen displaying a Tulsie rally alongside listings for western night and meat raffle. Gabbard is 38 and has made physical vitality along with her military service in the Hawaii national guard a central feature of her campaign. She has posted videos of her surfing, taking part in push-up contests and working out in the gym. Yet for all that she has run a strangely joyless campaign. At rallies she speaks slowly, using lingering pauses, more like a university lecturer than a politician inspiring a crowd. In Greenland, it didnt bother the crowd. I met Tulsi on New Years Day, said Spiro Paras, an ardent Gabbard supporter. With direct personal contact I realized she has a soul and means what she says. Thats visible in her eyes and face. The rally came amid a busy weekend for Gabbard. On Saturday she went on Fox News to defend Donald Trumps decision to fire key impeachment witnesses Lt Col Alexander Vindman and EU ambassador Gordon Sondland. On Sunday, she went on Fox News again, this time appearing on Sean Hannitys show. Hannity, a friend and informal adviser to the president who has promoted conspiracy theories about Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the dead DNC staffer Seth Rich, praised Gabbard for her courage. I think shes taken politically brave acts that have blacklisted her with the Democratic party leadership, Paras said. He was referring not just to Gabbards Fox News sojourns. Gabbard bucked her partys elders to back Bernie Sanders over Clinton in 2016, and in December did not vote to impeach Trump. In January, Gabbard sued Clinton for $50m in retaliation for Clinton suggesting the Hawaiian was a Russian asset, months after Gabbard filed a $50m lawsuit against Google for allegedly suspending her campaigns advertising. Despite all evidence to the contrary, Gabbards campaign believes she can outperform expectations in New Hampshire. One aide pointed to polls that show her with more than 5% support here those polls exist, they are just few and far between and Gabbards supporters seem just as optimistic. Definitely top three, possibly even the top one, was Parass prediction for Tuesdays vote. Tulsi Gabbard takes a selfie with members of the staff at Cranmore Mountain Resort on 28 January 2020 in North Conway, New Hampshire. Photograph: Mary Altaffer/AP Gabbard does have some reason to feel aggrieved at her treatment. Along with Clintons Russia accusations, Gabbard was left out of a pair of CNN town halls last week, even as the former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick polling even lower than Gabbard was invited. She has regularly complained that her campaign hasnt received enough coverage from the press. That was the case at her rallies on Saturday and Sunday, where there were comparatively few journalists. They missed Gabbard, whose central theme is ending wars and diverting military funding to social programs, playing up the political diversity of her supporters, who are often male and skew conservative. Gabbard asked the Democrats in the crowd to raise their hands, then the Republicans to raise their hands, and then the libertarians or independents to put their hands in the air. Kevin Frost, 38, who was at the Greenland event with his wife and daughters, fitted into the independent camp. I feel like some of the field is a little bit far left for where I feel we are as a country, Frost said. He voted for Mitt Romney over Barack Obama in 2012, and for John McCain in 2008. In 2016, Frost said he voted against Clinton, but not for Trump. The idea that [Gabbard] stepped out and held off the impeachment fiasco, that speaks volumes, Frost said. To me it seems like if shes going to do that now, then when shes president shell maybe think of things a a little bit more too. If the vote on Tuesday reflects the polling, Gabbard will probably not be president. To her fans, her attempt to bring people with different political beliefs together might have been a noble effort, but it just isnt clear how it helps in winning the Democratic nomination. As we embark upon a new decade, the surplus lines insurance market has never been stronger. Growth in specialty products and demand for insurance protection in an increasingly dynamic, technological climate necessitates a new, fresh look at many of the statutory and regulatory standards applicable to surplus lines insureds, brokers and insurers alike. This article presents 20 frequently asked questions by insurance professionals who have a fundamental understanding of excess and surplus lines insurance but seek to understand the nuances of federal and state-specific surplus lines insurance laws. LAWS APPLICABLE TO THE SURPLUS LINES INSURANCE INDUSTRY 1. What laws apply to the surplus lines insurance market? While surplus lines insurers are excused from filing rates and forms, surplus lines insurance policies are not completely exempt from state regulation. For example, many states expressly apply their cancellation and nonrenewal of insurance policy requirements to the surplus lines market. Some states that traditionally prohibit the insurance of punitive damages nevertheless allow surplus lines insurers to assume such risks. Jurisdictions also differ as to whether defense-within-limits clauses and claims-made policy standards apply to the surplus lines market, to name just a few. 2. Can personal and commercial automobile insurance be written with a surplus lines insurer? It usually depends on the purpose of the insurance. Most states specifically require that any automobile insurance seeking to satisfy the financial responsibility requirements of the driver under a states applicable motor vehicle laws be offered only by an admitted (licensed) insurer in the state. Many jurisdictions allow for excess insurance beyond the financial responsibility layer to be satisfied through the surplus lines market. Moreover, some (but not all) states allow cargo financial responsibility requirements, Hired and Non-Owned Auto (HNOA) and other forms of commercial automobile insurance policies to be satisfied through the surplus lines market. In the commercial market, some states permit financial responsibility requirements to be satisfied via a surplus lines policy for certain types of commercial vehicles. For example, many states have enacted legislation in the last few years allowing for the financial responsibility requirements of drivers for transportation network companies or TNCs such as Uber and Lyft to be satisfied through the surplus lines market. However, states differ as to whether commercial automobile programs may satisfy the financial responsibility requirements of their on-duty drivers outside of the TNC context. 3. Does the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) apply to surplus lines policies? TRIA applies to surplus lines insurance policies and, depending on the nature of the policy, TRIA can even capture insurance coverage issued to non-U.S. individuals with risks residing in the United States. Under TRIA, an insurer is required to make available terrorism coverage on certain lines of commercial property and casualty insurance policies. The term insurer is defined under TRIA to include all licensed insurers in the U.S. as well as surplus lines insurers. Under TRIA, whether or not an insurer must make available terrorism coverage hinges on whether the risk itself is located in the U.S. (or with respect to a U.S. air carrier, flag vessel or at the premises of a U.S. mission), not where the insured resides. 4. Is policyholder consent required for an insurer to transfer a surplus lines policy to another insurance company? Most states do not expressly apply their policy transfer consent requirements to surplus lines policies. However, a number of states still require that the surplus lines insurer abide by the applicable policyholder notification requirements. Moreover, general principles of contract law could nevertheless prohibit the transfer absent consent from the applicable policyholder. Some states are beginning to enact legislation to expressly allow for insurance business transfers of insurance policies between insurance companies applicable to both the admitted and surplus lines markets. PERMISSIBLE TYPES OF SURPLUS LINES INSURANCE 5. What lines of insurance may be written by a surplus lines insurer? It depends on the state. While the Nonadmitted and Reinsurance Reform Act of 2010 (NRRA) authorizes the placement of property and casualty insurance coverage on a surplus lines basis, a number of states, such as New York, expressly prohibit certain lines of insurance that are viewed as traditional lines of property and casualty insurance in other states from being exported to the nonadmitted market, such as financial guaranty insurance. Disability and workers compensation insurance are also permitted through the surplus lines market in some states. There has been an increased push by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in recent years to enact model legislation allowing for limited forms of health insurance (including short term medical, international medical and excess disability) to be written on a surplus lines basis, which has been adopted by some states as well. 6. If a state only allows for surplus lines insurance policies to provide property and casualty coverage, can the policy provide ancillary non-P/C coverage under a multi-peril insurance product? While a handful of such states in practice allow flexibility as to the issuance of non-property and casualty insurance coverage on a surplus lines basis, the general answer is no. For example, a travel insurance policy that offers to reimburse the insured for medical costs incurred while the insured is on a trip provides the insured a form of health insurance coverage that may not be offered through the surplus lines market in many states. FILINGS, TAXES AND FEES 7. What policy filings are required? While surplus lines insurers are generally exempt from the rate and form filing requirements, most states that have surplus lines associations require filing of the surplus lines policy, and some of these associations may decline to stamp the policy (i.e., collect a fee and acknowledge the policy is acceptable under the states surplus lines laws) if it offers insurance coverage in contravention of applicable law. At least one jurisdiction (New York) also requires the filing of surplus lines producer agreements with insurance carriers that grant the surplus lines broker binding authority as well, and the Excess Line Association of New York encourages specific language be utilized in such agreements. 8. Who is responsible for the payment of surplus lines premium taxes? Traditionally, the surplus lines broker is legally responsible for the payment of surplus lines premium taxes, but some states hold the insured and/or the surplus lines insurer also liable for such taxes if the broker does not satisfy its legal obligation. Most states allow the surplus lines broker to pass the tax on to the insured. However, some states treat the payment by the insured of the surplus lines premium tax as an additional fee levied on the insured, and consequently that the broker obtain a written acknowledgment from the insured that its payment of the tax is in addition to the premium under the insureds insurance policy. 9. Where are surplus lines premium taxes paid on group insurance policies? The NRRA generally requires that all surplus lines premium taxes be paid to the home state of the insured. Under the NRRA, the home state of an affiliated group is the state of the member of the group that has the largest percentage of premiums attributed to it. An affiliated group is comprised of entities that are under common control. However, as to nonaffiliated groups (including risk purchasing groups, or RPGs), many states take the position that every certificate issued is its own policy and the certificate holder/members domiciliary state is considered the home state for each such certificate and require surplus lines premium tax be remitted accordingly. 10. Can surplus lines brokers charge clients fees other than the premium set forth in the insurance policy? It depends on the jurisdiction. Some states expressly prohibit all forms of broker fees, whether charged on admitted or surplus lines placements. Other states provide more leniency as to the surplus lines market in particular. For example, Florida prohibits most types of broker fees charged on admitted insurance policies but amended its surplus lines laws in 2019 to specifically allow for the charging of reasonable broker fees on surplus lines insurance policies. Nearly all states that allow for surplus lines broker fees require that the insured provide its written consent prior to being charged such a fee along with various disclosures about the brokers compensation. DILIGENT SEARCH REQUIREMENT 11. How is the diligent search requirement satisfied? Assuming no exemption from the diligent search requirement is available, most states require three (3) declinations to be obtained from admitted insurance companies, but this is not uniform throughout the country. For example, in Maine, under Bulletin 439 (November 26, 2019) doing a specific number of inquiries does not mean that the producer has fulfilled this requirement. By contrast, a few states (e.g., Louisiana) have eliminated the diligent search requirement altogether. Some states require that evidence of the procurement of declinations simply be maintained in the offices of the surplus lines broker; whereas, others require that affidavits be filed with the applicable insurance department or surplus lines stamping office. A number of states expressly require the diligent search to be repeated each time a particular policy is renewed. 12. Does the diligent search need to be performed on a per-risk basis? Usually, yes. Some states have narrow exceptions for RPGs, allowing one search for all members of the RPG residing in that state during a given time period. By contrast, many states require that the diligent search be completed as to each certificate holder under a non-RPG group policy. 13. What qualifies as a permissible declination? Many states do not allow price to be the sole factor for obtaining a declination. Moreover, some states do not recognize a declination with respect to a multi-peril policy where components of such policy could be written by the admitted market (and some states, like California, only allow exportation in such case if commissioner approval is granted). In addition, most states do not recognize multiple declinations obtained from both an insurer as well as an affiliate thereof. ELIGIBILITY, MARKETING AND PERMISSIBLE ACTIVITIES 14. How does an alien (non-U.S.) insurance company become eligible to write surplus lines insurance in the United States? Alien (non-U.S.) insurance companies can write surplus lines business across the United States if they are listed on the Quarterly Listing of Alien Insurers (Quarterly List) as maintained by the NAIC which requires, among other things, an application to be submitted thereto and the establishment of a trust fund as security for U.S. policyholders. The information as reported to the NAIC must be updated on an annual basis. In addition, most alien insurers obtain listing on the eligibility lists or White Lists of the states that continue to maintain such lists in order to signal to the market that the insurance carrier is approved by the state. The Quarterly List and White List filings and associated U.S. trust obligations are often maintained for alien insurers by U.S. regulatory counsel or other U.S.-based representatives. Another increasingly-used method of entering the surplus lines market is through the establishment of a domestic surplus lines insurer that is formed in a state solely for the purpose of writing surplus lines coverage nationwide. Currently, 21 states have adopted domestic surplus lines legislation. 15. What activities can be conducted by a surplus lines insurer in a state? While all states require surplus lines insurance to be placed through a surplus lines broker, some U.S. jurisdictions restrict even the presence of a surplus lines insurer or its employees within its borders. For example, California generally takes the view that only surplus lines brokers may have a physical presence in the state with respect to surplus lines transactions, although domestic insurance companies affiliated with the surplus lines insurer may perform certain administrative functions unrelated to underwriting. Other jurisdictions, such as New York, have adopted broader exceptions for licensed affiliates of surplus lines insurers to conduct certain functions on behalf thereof in the state. In addition, depending on the state, surplus lines insurers may not always take advantage of various exceptions to licensing laws that are often available to admitted insurance companies, such as exemptions from adjuster licensing requirements applicable to authorized insurers in many states. 16. What marketing activities can be conducted by surplus lines insurers and brokers? A number of states place substantial restrictions on marketing unauthorized products. For example, California and New York generally prohibit the marketing of surplus lines products unless highly stringent standards are met, including the avoidance of targeted solicitation, restrictions on dissemination of certain policy terms, not calling attention to unauthorized insurers (subject to exceptions), and the inclusion of disclaimers regarding the unavailability of certain products to insureds in the state. As online and app-based marketing tools become more prevalent, the surplus lines advertising laws are being revisited once again by insurers, brokers and legislatures alike. 17. Does an individual P&C insurance producer also need a surplus lines broker license to place insurance on behalf of a surplus lines agency? What if the individual acts as a retail producer for a wholesale surplus lines broker? When an individual places coverage on behalf of a surplus lines brokerage firm, the individual must hold a surplus lines broker license; a regular property and casualty license is not sufficient. However, most states allow a non-surplus lines producer to act in a retail broker capacity when facilitating a transaction through a licensed surplus lines broker. However, strict attention must be paid to the activities conducted by the appropriately licensed entities to make sure that no regulatory lines are crossed, including but not limited to making sure that the surplus lines broker is the only licensee that negotiates insurance with an unauthorized insurer. In addition, many states allow the retail broker to conduct the diligent search of the admitted market, although states differ as to whether the retail broker or the wholesale surplus lines broker must keep evidence of, and execute affidavits relating to, the satisfaction of the diligent search requirement. 18. Can surplus lines brokers place insurance policies with ineligible unauthorized insurers on a direct procurement basis? Surplus lines brokers in the home state of the insured are generally prohibited from assisting insureds with respect to the direct procurement (also known as independent procurement or direct placement) of insurance coverage with unauthorized insurers. Rather, most states require that a prospective insured leave its home state and obtain insurance coverage directly from the unauthorized insurance company (or through a non-domiciliary broker) in a jurisdiction where the insurance carrier is licensed. However, some states allow brokers to act on behalf of their insureds and physically leave the state to procure the desired insurance coverage, provided that the broker abides by the governing tenets of direct procurement as if it were itself the insured. FINES AND PENALTIES; INDUSTRY TRENDS 19. Which individual or entity bears responsibility for violations of surplus lines law? Traditionally, the surplus lines broker is most exposed to sanctions in the form of fines and penalties for breach of applicable surplus lines insurance law as the licensed insurance actor in the state. However, a number of states have enacted statutes allowing for the inspection of books and records of unauthorized insurers and the ability to levy fines in connection therewith. In addition, there have been a few instances in recent years where states have entered into consent orders levying penalties and fines against surplus lines producers, insurers, and even insureds (particularly in the group policy context where master policyholders, such as associations, market surplus lines insurance products). 20. What is insurtech and how does it impact the surplus lines industry? The term insurtech refers to the wave of technological innovation impacting the insurance industry, from the way insurance is sold and administered to the types of risks for which insurance policies have evolved to provide coverage. The surplus lines industry both benefits and suffers from the emergence of insurtech. The utilization of dynamic pricing models and other algorithmic underwriting guidelines takes time to work its way through the admitted market process of rate and form approval, which is generally bypassed by surplus lines insurers. However, surplus lines products are required to be obtained through surplus lines brokers which restricts direct-to-consumer transactions. Moreover, surplus lines brokers must conduct a diligent search of the admitted market (absent an exception), which hinders the ability to quickly bind coverage through the internet or app-based products. Topics Carriers California Agencies Legislation USA Excess Surplus Abuse Molestation New York Property Property Casualty Market Casualty 11.02.2020 LISTEN Anti-corruption campaigners say Ghanas quest at meeting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3, 4 and 16 are threatened by corruption. They fear these areas of health, education, peace; justice and good governance could be derailed by poor procurement practices. These were highlighted in a corruption risk analysis report commissioned by the Ghana Anti Corruption Coalition and the Ghana Integrity Initiative The findings appeared worrisome as the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4 which focus on universal health care and comprehensive and inclusive education come up as one of the cardinal needs for developing countries like Ghana. The next indicator of priority which touches the core of development falls on SDG 16 which harps peace, justice and strong institutions. Unfortunately, though, Anti Corruption bodies fear Ghana will not be able to meet these targets because of the canker of corrupt procurement practices associated with these critical areas of heavy expenditure. It findings highlight loopholes, political patronage, nepotism, financial misappropriation and the lack of monitoring as the biggest threats to the attainment of the UN Sustainable Goals in Ghana. Speaking to Ultimate News on the sidelines of a media sensitization, the communications officer for the Ghana Anti Corruption Coalition Faustina Djabatey warned that until the E-Procurement Systems are implemented and strictly monitored to the letter; grave infractions will continue to fester in these three critical areas of national life. The adoption of the E-Procurement platform hosted by the Public Procurement Authority will have the procurement processes clear and if there is bidding for a particular contract, even the citizens will have the opportunity to scrutinize which contracts have been awarded to who and on what merits, She explained. The Ghana Integrity Initiative which is a partner to the project has indicated that it will be using the findings to demand answers from sector heads in health, education, peace, and justice. Zonal coordinator for the GII Osei Bonsu Enin told reporter Ivan Heathcote Fumador, some positive actionable steps from these institutions will put the UN SDGs back on track. Some Journalists who benefitted from the media sensitization shared observations and how the information empowers them to play their anti-corruption watchdog roles in their various media houses. The project which is funded by Starr Ghana is expected to be graduated into a national dialogue which will pile pressure on the government to demonstrate its commitment to ensuring a corruption-free procurement regime in the management of Healthcare, Education, Public Services and the Judiciary. F our men have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee in Londonderry. The men, who are aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were arrested in Derry under the Terrorism Act on Tuesday morning. They are being questioned by detectives at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast. Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead while observing disorder in Derry on April 18 2019. Police forensic investigators at the scene of a shooting in which journalist Lyra McKee was killed / Getty Images Following the arrests, the Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy renewed his call for the public to help him bring Lyras killers to justice. He said he always believed that "some people within the community know what happened and who was involved". He added: "I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us. I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyras murder. "I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. We saw widescale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice. I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist. I would ask anyone who has mobile phone footage to upload it onto our Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk. Four people have been arrested in connection with murdering journalist Lyra McKee / PA Media PSNI Chief Constable Simon Byrne welcomed the arrests. Girls are starting puberty nearly a year earlier than they did four decades ago, research suggests. Scientists believe the global obesity epidemic may be to blame for this because being overweight skews the hormones in the body. The researchers, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, assessed data from 38 studies involving tens of thousands of girls from around the world. Each study examined when the development of glandular breast tissue which is known in medical terms as 'thelarche' and is a key marker of the onset of puberty began to take place. The researchers, from the University of Copenhagen in Denmark, assessed data from 38 studies involving tens of thousands of girls from around the world (stock image) This was found to have crept forwards by three months per decade between 1977 and 2013. Puberty among girls generally starts between the ages of eight and 13. But in Europe, the most recent studies found that the average age of onset among girls is now about ten years. Boys tend to start puberty slightly later than girls about a year on average. The researchers told JAMA Pediatrics medical journal: 'The ongoing global obesity epidemic could partially explain the observed change in age at pubertal onset assessed as age at thelarche.' They pointed to US research, published in 2017 in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, which found that obese girls were more than twice as likely to start puberty early than those of normal weight. This is thought to be because being overweight causes insulin resistance, which in turn increases levels of the sex hormone oestrogen, which is key in puberty. Obesity rates are soaring across the world as junk food becomes more readily available and income levels increase in developing countries. Two billion people worldwide are overweight or obese with 70 per cent of them in low or middle-income countries. In Britain, a third of children and two-thirds of adults are now overweight. Girls are starting puberty nearly a year earlier than they did four decades ago, research suggests (stock image) The Danish researchers, however, pointed out that obesity is not the only theory as to what is driving early puberty. Chemicals in the environment including 'endocrine [gland]-disrupting' chemicals are another possible cause. Many of these, such as insecticides DDT and DDE, have been banned but remain as pollutants in the soil. 'Changes in age at pubertal onset may serve as a sensitive indicator of environmental influences on human health,' the team of researchers wrote. 'The banned but persistent chemicals such as DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane) and DDE (dichloro-diphenyldichloro-ethylene) have been associated with earlier age of puberty.' Psychological factors may also have an influence on the age of puberty, with stress thought to hasten the biological transition to adulthood. One study found that children who were adopted from a developing country to parents in Denmark were up to 20 times more likely to start puberty at an early age. Other research has found similar trends among children immigrating to Sweden, France, Belgium, Switzerland and the US. The early onset of puberty is linked to a higher lifetime risk of heath conditions such cancer, heart attack and stroke. It is also linked to early menopause. HLATIKHULU What was meant to be a celebration for textile workers from a firm in Nhlangano ended badly when one of them got her fingers hacked off, allegedly by her husband. FTM Garments in Nhlangano had reportedly organised an event to thank the companys workforce for their commitment last Saturday. The party was held at a popular local hangout spot, where the workers enjoyed themselves to the point of returning to their respective homesteads very late, with some even reporting home on the following morning. Aggressively This was especially the case with a certain female textile worker who was allegedly dropped off by friends on Sunday morning. This apparently did not amuse her husband, who immediately became very angry and combative. An argument broke out, which quickly escalated after the man had enquired why his wife had not returned home on the previous day. When he couldnt get a satisfactory response, the man is said to have become very angry. Incensed, the man is alleged to have aggressively hit the woman repeatedly before reaching out for a bush knife which he used to hack her several times all over the body. The woman sustained serious injuries, mostly to the head and limbs. Some of her fingers are also said to have been chopped off during the vicious attack by the husband. The incident took place shortly before 11am on Sunday, at Mathendele Location in Nhlangano, where the woman shared a house with the husband. A neighbour who heard the commotion swiftly moved in to separate the two. Following the intervention by the male resident, the suspect reportedly fled the scene, leaving behind the injured woman who was lying in a pool of blood. Following the horrifying attack, an ambulance was called and the woman was whisked to the Nhlangano Health Centre, where she received treatment before she was further transferred to the Hlatikhulu Government Hospital due to the extent of the injuries. According to information gathered from the health facility, the woman had to undergo surgery. Interviewed health personnel considered the woman very lucky to have survived the onslaught, allegedly by her husband. Condition She is said to have suffered several head injuries and fractures as well as deep cuts to the arms and other parts of her upper body. The woman is currently fighting for her life at the health facility, where her condition is being closely monitored by doctors. The incident is said to have left the womans workmates shocked. This is nothing short of barbaric. It is completely insane. One only gets to wonder if there wasnt there any other way the man could have addressed their differences? remarked one of the textile workers. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati acknowledged receiving a report about the incident. She further confirmed that the suspect was still at large and that he was being sought by detectives from the Nhlangano Police Station. Vilakati also indicated that the suspect could be charged under the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act 15 of 2018 or possibly face an attempted murder charge. Road salt is piled high at the International Salt Co. facility at the former U.S. Steel plant in Fairless Hills. The salt works is one of dozens of companies that have used the site, along with a U.S. Steel galvanizing plant, since the company's steelmaking operations closed in the 1990s. Local officials say there's room for much more. Read more U.S. Steel, which stopped most work at its Fairless Works in Falls Township, Bucks County, back in 2001, is finally selling nearly three square miles of the property. The steel giants sales agents are telling potential buyers that the aging industrial site, now an industrial park, could support up to eight million square feet of new warehouse, factory, and office space, and thousands of jobs. The site, which sits across the river from Trenton, is seeking a buyer at a time when Amazon, Walmart, UPS, and other big companies are building million-square-foot logistics centers, among other potential tenants. William Hinckley, head of real estate for U.S. Steel in Pittsburgh, other company officials, and Tom Golarz, the Colliers International broker handling the sale, declined to comment on plans for the property. Hinckley pointed out that U.S. Steel chief executive David B. Burritt is often quoted saying its a public company and everything is for sale. The Inquirer learned about the proposed sale from area developers, who have been solicited to bid. I would absolutely welcome a new owner. That site has been poorly managed, said Bob Harvie, a Bucks County commissioner who until last year was an elected supervisor of Falls Township. Its nothing like what could be if it were marketed and managed effectively, Harvie added. Its the furthest upriver deepwater port on the Delaware. Its got fantastic railroad and highway access and every trade in the [regional] labor pool. There are infrastructure challenges. It goes back to the 1950s. But it needs imagination, and it could be so much more. The 1,751-acre property includes 1.5 million square feet of industrial space as big as a Center City skyscraper and is home to industrial employers including Kinder Morgan, which operates the port on the property; power systems maker Starwood Energy Group; Covanta Metals; Morton Salt; the Toll Bros. home building company; and GMA Garnet Group, which carries on one of Pennsylvanias oldest industries, preparing garnet stones, as abrasives for industrial use. Port workers are members of the United Steelworkers union, rather than the Longshoremen or Teamsters as at other Delaware River terminals. The businesses on the site, which U.S. Steel calls the Keystone Industrial Port Complex, generate $11 million in net operating income rents minus expenses according to a company document. Companies on the site employ an estimated 1,000 workers a fraction of the 7,000 who once filled Fairless Works. U.S. Steel, which still maintains a galvanizing mill employing about 100 at the site, is under financial pressure. The company invested more than $1 billion in its Pittsburgh-area and Slovakia plants in hopes that the Trump administration would make good on its plans to boost U.S. infrastructure spending and Navy construction. But the Pittsburgh-based company faces soft demand, analysts at Moodys Investors Service warned last year. Harvie noted that the site has enjoyed sales and property tax breaks as a Keystone Opportunity Improvement Zone. He said he had supported that designation as a local official but has been disappointed by the results. That tax-break designation expired at the beginning of this fiscal year, according to financial documents posted by the local Pennsbury School District. The U.S. Steel property is currently assessed at about $6 million for real estate tax calculation purposes, trailing only a neighboring landfill and Oxford Valley Mall, among Pennsbury school district properties. Tax assessments in Bucks County are typically a fraction of market values. Update Feb. 12: U.S. Steel and affiliates paid $1.1 million in taxes to Pennsbury schools this year on properties whose opportunity zone tax exemptions expired, said Christopher M. Berdnik, business manager for the school system. The company was assessed additional taxes by the county and township. The property levies reduce U.S. Steel profits from rents at the site and make a sale more attractive. An Environmental Protection Agency survey found the site included mostly low level lead, naphthalene, benzene, and other metals and organic contaminants in mill sites and flooded pits. An effort to bring in green energy companies in the 2000s has been only modestly successful. Windmill maker Siemens Gamesa has agreed to sell its former assembly plant at the site, to an as-yet-unidentified buyer, says Bucks County industrial real estate broker Frank Roddy. One of Pennsylvanias most successful real estate investors is familiar with the Fairless property. Ira Lubert is a board member of Keystone NAP LLC, which operates a data center in the complex, and is a partner in MLH Explorations LLC (Solterra), which last year won a state permit to grow marijuana there. He didnt respond to an inquiry about his or his partners interest in the property. Broker Roddy said that large building sites have become scarce in the Philadelphia area, making redevelopment at Fairless more attractive. The largest area industrial site recently advertised on broker Colliers official list is the 1.5 million square foot former Cardone Industries auto parts rebuilding plant in North Philadelphia. Once the largest industrial employer in Philadelphia, Cardone has relocated production to South Texas and Mexico, citing China competition and the difficulty of finding enough factory workers in Philadelphia. Staff writers Harold Brubaker, Bob Fernandez, and Sam Wood contributed to this article. Three surviving paintings of one of the most famous portraits of Queen Elizabeth I are to go on public display together for the first time in their 430-year history. Painted to commemorate the failed attempt by the Spanish Armada to invade England in 1588, the images were curated by an unknown artist during the height of her power. Copies of the portrait have been made over the centuries but the three that will be 'united' at the 'Faces of a Queen: the Armada Portraits of Elizabeth' exhibition at Queen's House, Greenwich, south-east London are the only known contemporary versions in existence. Curator Allison Goudie poses with the three portraits ahead of the opening of the 'Faces of a Queen: The Armada Portraits of Elizabeth exhibition in Greenwich Painted to commemorate the failed attempt by the Spanish Armada to invade England in 1588, the images were curated by an unknown artist during the height of her power Royal Museums Greenwich will showcase their own version of the Armada Portrait alongside the two other works - one from the National Portrait Gallery, the other from the private art collection at Woburn Abbey. Allison Goudie, curator of pre-1800 art at Royal Museums Greenwich, said it was a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come face to face with Elizabeth like never before'. Describing the context behind the paintings, she said: 'It's a bit of an elaborate fiction because in actual fact the Armada was defeated largely by matters of weather and by chance but nonetheless it was celebrated as a tremendous victory for Elizabeth. 'And in these portraits Elizabeth is positioned really at the centre of the action almost like this celestial and divine presence.' Royal Museums Greenwich will showcase their own version of the Armada Portrait alongside the two other works - one from the National Portrait Gallery, the other from the private art collection at Woburn Abbey Allison Goudie, curator of pre-1800 art at Royal Museums Greenwich, said it was a 'once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to come face to face with Elizabeth like never before' Ms Goudie revealed that Elizabeth 'almost certainly' did not sit for the paintings personally but it is thought they were all based on a miniature artwork painted by one of her favourite artists - Nicholas Hilliard The versions of the portrait, each offering a different depiction of the Queen 'turning her back to the Spanish fleet,' will be side by side at the free exhibition from February 13 to February 31. Ms Goudie revealed that Elizabeth 'almost certainly' did not sit for the paintings personally but it is thought they were all based on a miniature artwork painted by one of her favourite artists - Nicholas Hilliard. She explained that different studios and artists could have created multiple images using the picture pattern from Hilliard's original miniature. The versions of the portrait, each offering a different depiction of the Queen 'turning her back to the Spanish fleet,' will be side by side at the free exhibition from February 13 to February 31 Each has minor differences, such as in the seascapes painted in the windows behind the monarch and the details and colours on her gown and jewels 'And that's how we've ended up with three like this. We can't even say for certain who painted any of these which is quite a different way of thinking of art in the 21st century,' she said. Each has minor differences, such as in the seascapes painted in the windows behind the monarch and the details and colours on her gown and jewels. Royal Museum Greenwich took ownership of its Armada Portrait in 2016 after a successful 10.3m fundraising campaign to buy the painting from descendants of Sir Francis Drake. It included 7.4m from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Web Toolbar by Wibiya The digital age has made search engines like Google one of the most popular ways for potential clients to find a business. Because of this, most law firms have taken advantage of search engine optimization opportunities to reach a wider audience. Despite the oversaturated market, dNovo Group, law firm marketing agency in Toronto shares several ways to earn your spot rightfully among Googles top rankings. Technological advancements have made potential clients reliant on search engines to find law firms. It makes sense especially when you think about the convenience it offers. Gone are the days of scouring a phone directory to find leads. Google has made it possible to access information with a few taps of your fingers. Nevertheless, SEO is not a new thing. Thanks to its growing potential, law firms have invested time and energy into their website and raising their SEO ranking. Because of this, the legal niche has become one of the most competitive branches of optimization. To keep up with the growing competition in rankings, experts from dNovo Group have shared a couple of tweaks that you can take advantage of yourself to raise your ranking. Nonetheless, raising your search engine ranking will not happen overnight. If you want real change to happen, you have to continually invest in changes that leverage your companys website while maintaining substantial information for your clients. Understanding how search engines like Google function is important for raising your ranking. For example, when you search for Toronto Law Firm, you will find 20 results on the first page. Most of these results are paid advertisements. If you look closely, there are only 9 results that are organic or what is called blue links. That accounts for only 45% of the first page results. These spots are understandably highly coveted. Consider this, you rarely search for anything more beyond the first page of Google searches. Expect your client to stay on that front page as well. However, ranking in Google isnt your only option when trying to gain organic traffic to your website. It is important to adjust your strategy when one outlet is not working and to remain realistic about your goals. Competitive spaces like Google ought not to be your last and only option. Utilize keywords aggressively but base them on your intentions, shares Shamil Shamilov, Senior Marketing Consultant at dNovo Group. Keyword mapping is one of the most ignored stages of optimization. Most companies think that by utilizing keywords aggressively, they will instantly see results. However, that is not true. Keywords should be utilized to drive traffic into your website by catching your clients attention, allowing them to discover your website or services and converting them organically. There are three types of keywords you should understand and take note of: Money keywords these are keywords that guarantee conversion. IT shows a customers intent in searching for your services or business. For example: Hire a Toronto slip and fall Lawyer. Discover keywords these keywords show your potential clients intent to learn more about your products or services. For example: Toronto lawyer reviews. Attention keywords these keywords will let your potential clients know that you can add value to their case. For example: How will a criminal case affect my immigration status? Investing in raising your rank for all three of these keyword types will guarantee that your organic exposure will rise and increase your organic traffic as well. Furthermore, keywords and content shouldnt be your only focus. On the technical side, it is important to make sure your website delivers results fast and efficiently. It is important to optimize your websites structure to rank higher on search engines. Google will boost your rankings faster if your navigation and URL settings are clear and organized, says Sadaf Ahmad, Head of Development at dNovo Group. This means that you have to optimize your URLs to make it easier to locate. You may not know it but your links are a prime real estate for keyword usage. Utilize it and raise your rankings organically while keeping your website structured and easy to navigate. Website optimization also comes with its own set of challenges. Due to the nature of business in Law, clients gravitate toward companies that look more professional and reliable. This means you need to invest in the look of your business as well. This includes organizing a coherent branding plan from your company colors to the font you use and the logo you utilize. It is also important to solidify what brand experience you want your clients to feel. This means choosing between a friendly personality or more formal no-nonsense tone when posting content and interacting with potential clients. This can be achieved by creating a client persona profile, which will act as your guide on how to attract and interact with your potential clients. There are multiple methods to raising your rank and growing your traffic and conversions organically. It is important to utilize all available methods in your disposal and not stick to one outlet. When trying to raise your rankings, it is important to remember that your overall competency and success will be determined by the content you put out and your ability to sustain your brands identity. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Tamil Nadu government to request the Governor to inform it about his decision on the mercy plea of a Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict. Ther state government informed the court that the TN Cabinet had passed a resolution that recommended the Governor for premature release of all seven convicts, but it had no information on the Governor's decision. The convicts had filed mercy petition under Article 161 of the Constitution. The Article 161 gives the Governor the power to pardon a person proved guilty in court. A Division Bench, comprising Justice L Nageswara Rao and Justice Deepak Gupta, said it couldn't issue any direction to the Governor and asked the state government to seek about his decision. The Governor couldn't sit indefinitely on a file, it added. The court deferred the hearing for two weeks. On January 21, the Supreme Court asked the TN government to inform it within two weeks if a decision had been taken by the Governor under Article 161 on pardon, commutation or remission of sentence of the 1991 Rajiv Gandhi assassination case convict. The court pulled up the Centre for lack of substantial progress in the CBI-led multi-disciplinary monitoring agency (MDMA) probe to unravel the larger conspiracy behind the former Prime Minister's killing. Additional Solicitor General Pinky Anand, representing the Centre, said things were beyond its control especially in the absence of response from various foreign countries on the letters rogatory. The top court's response came on the plea of A.G, Perarivalan, 46, who sought suspension of his life sentence as the MDMA's probe remained incomplete. Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for Perarivalan, said his mercy petition was pending before the Governor. The Supreme Court had earlier expressed displeasure on progress of the CBI probe, underway for the 22 years. The court also observed that the latest CBI report was a mirror image of the report filed two years ago. "What is the progress, we want to know", the court told the CBI. In November 2019, the matter came up for hearing before the apex court, which sought latest status report on the assassination, and gave four weeks to the MDMA to furnish its report. A new breed of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that go by the names of "smart beta," "active" or "themed" investments are very different from their better-known counterparts that simply track benchmark returns of share markets. Most ETFs are "passive" investments in that they track a major market index or sub-index in Australia or overseas. Others may track commodity prices or even currency exchange rates. Global technology, biotech, battery tech and robotics ETFs are becoming more common. Illustration: Simon Letch Credit: However, ETFs are spreading their wings away from the benchmarks, with an increasing number emerging with a more thematic investment approach. ETF Securities, for example, has listed a "Future Present" range of ETFs that invest in indices covering each of global technology, biotech, battery tech and lithium, and robotics and automation. James Middleton has returned to Instagram after taking a sabbatical from social media for the past month. The 32-year-old brother to the Duchess of Cambridge, who last posted to his 165,000 followers just before Christmas, returned to his account with a picture of him with his dogs on his beloved bike. 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 has returned to Instagram after taking a sabbatical from social media for the past month. The 32-year-old brother to the Duchess of Cambridge , who last posted to his 165,000 followers just before Christmas, returned to his account with a picture of him with his dogs on his beloved bike Sharing a snap as he cycled across Albert Bridge between Chelsea and Battersea, he wrote: 'Were back After a detox of all things social media Me, Ella & Co + our beloved bike are back. 'Its been over a year now since writing publicaly about my experiences with clinical depression & how my dogs played a vital role in my recovery. 'This year I want to focus on hi-lighting how amazing dogs really are, not just from a pet perspective, but how your physical & mental health can benefit too (and much more)'. The picture racked up over 10,000 likes in an hour, among them from Princess Beatrice's fiance Edo Mapelli, with followers welcoming him back online. Sharing a snap as he cycled across Albert Bridge between Chelsea and Battersea, he wrote: 'Were back After a detox of all things social media Me, Ella & Co + our beloved bike are back. 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 (seen) -who he has credited with helping him through tough times James Middleton has previously credited his dogs for playing a 'vital role' in his recovery from clinical depression. The 32-year-old brother to the Duchess of Cambridge, who has been frank about his struggles with mental health in an effort to raise awareness around the topic, also revealed his new role in a 2020 Crufts project. The entrepreneur announced that he would be reading out the stories of the 'unsung dog hero' entrants of a new competition by dog welfare charity The Kennel Club, before meeting the finalists at the 'Friends For Life' competition next year. And it appears his romance has also helped to boost his happiness. In June James also shared his first picture alongside French financial expert Alizee Thevenet, 29, who he started dating two summers ago. 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. Last autumn 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.' Bharat Mata ki Jai, Inquilab Zindabad, Vande Mataram. Delhis chief minister, Arvind Kejriwal, chanted these slogans on Tuesday afternoon with the crowd outside the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) office in Delhi cheering him on to mark his partys spectacular victory in the assembly elections, and capturing the essence of his political campaign. The first and the third slogan are often heard in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rallies, the second in protest rallies against the regime. Kejriwal walked a fine line between the two, and it paid off. For the second time in a row, Delhi voted overwhelmingly for the AAP, giving it 62 seats in the 70-member assembly. In 2015, the AAP won 67 seats. The AAP also garnered 53.5% of the vote share, just around a percentage point less than its 2015 vote share. For an incumbent to win over half the votes polled for a second time, when faced with a strong opposition in the form of the BJP, is a huge success. And that is why Kejriwal, at the same victory gathering on Tuesday, told the citizens of Delhi, I love you, and thanked them profusely for their support. Its a love that will get statutory recognition when the AAP government is sworn in on February 14, Valentines Day, the same day it was sworn in on in 2015. Kejriwals victory sparked celebrations among non-BJP regional parties, many of which are competing with the BJP in their own states. The BJP, which mounted an aggressive campaign primarily centred around the issue of the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, or CAA, faced its second consecutive assembly loss and a huge setback only nine months after it swept all of Delhis seven parliamentary constituencies with a vote share of over 50% in the last general elections. The BJP won eight seats, up from three in 2015, and 38.5% of the vote share, up from 32.3% in 2015. To be sure, the party contested only 67 seats with its allies contesting three. Last time, it contested all 70 seats. While it increased both the seat tally and the vote share, the BJP fell far short from mounting a challenge to the AAP, raising questions about its strategy in state elections. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Kejriwal on Twitter, Congratulations to AAP and Shri @ArvindKejriwal Ji for the victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi. Kejriwal responded minutes later: Thank u so much sir. I look forward to working closely wid Centre to make our capital city into a truly world class city. The third force in Delhis politics, the Congress, which governed the city for 15 years from 1998 to 2013, failed to win a single seat in the assembly polls and crashed to its lowest vote share of 4.26%. The loss represents the fifth consecutive defeat for the Congress in Delhi after the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, the 2015 assembly polls, the 2017 municipal polls, and then the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and sparked questions about its lack of credible national or state leaders, and the collapse of its social base in the Capital. Late on Tuesday evening, the Congresss state unit president for Delhi, Subhash Chopra, offered to quit. The AAPs victory came on the back of a clever campaign that leveraged Kejriwals leadership, delivery of public goods and concessions to various demographic segments, and assertion of both religiosity and nationalism in order to prevent the BJP from monopolising these issues. A key campaign theme for the AAP was that it had a CM who had delivered. Just like the BJP in 2019 asked the Opposition, We have Modi, who do you have?, to capitalise on the absence of a national face against the PM, the AAP asked, in this election, We have Kejriwal, who do you have?. The absence of a CM face, who could match Kejriwals stature, hurt the BJP. It relied exclusively on Narendra Modis name but as recent state elections in Haryana, Maharashtra, Jharkhand have shown, voters make a distinction between national and state polls, and many of those who voted for Modi in 2019 in Delhi, and may still do so if Lok Sabha polls are held, shifted to a strong CM face in the state. Kejriwal was also careful not to take on Modi directly, in order to win over precisely this support base and kept his focus local. But the AAPs most significant campaign platform was its record of delivery. By focusing on improving government schools infrastructure has improved, pass percentages have shot up, students are being introduced to new styles of teaching, teachers have undergone training in best practices the AAP delivered on an often-neglected sphere. Political scientist Manisha Priyam said, It increased its education spending to over one-fourth of its gross budgetary spend (26%). There is a learning revolution among the underclass akin to no other example I have seen around the world. The investments in education, the changed school culture, and better outcomes speak of an ethic of care. This was coupled with its focus on public health mohalla or neighbourhood clinics have been upgraded, patients are given quick care, the government has unveiled free schemes for medicines, diagnostics and even surgeries, which clearly resonated with a segment of the population, particularly the poor. The AAP supplemented this focus on education and health with the provision of electricity and water at rates low enough, and free quotas so generous that many people do not pay anything for the two utilities. These were key issues when Kejriwal first began campaigning against the Congress government in Delhi. And the beneficiaries have included demographic groups across classes. Free public transport to women, offered last year, has also had an impact, with many women employees particularly those in the informal sector availing of the benefits. Savita, a household support staff who works in Defence Colony and commutes from Badarpur, said on the day of voting: I voted for the AAP because it has helped us save money. I convinced my husband to vote for them too. And when my brother-in-law was mocking me for voting for them in return for free rides, I told him, we run the household and we know how much easier it has become to manage our expenses with AAP in power. But the AAPs campaign faced its strongest challenge when BJP leader and Union home minister, Amit Shah, made the protests against the CAA at Shaheen Bagh a poll issue, terming it a hub of anti-nationals, and alleged that the AAP was backing it, based on a statement by deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia. Kejriwal was quick to place the onus back on Shah to clear the protests, and in order to prevent a communal division on the issue, played up his own religious identity as a devout Hindu. AAP candidates visited local temples: Kejriwal recited the Hanuman Chalisa in a television interview; and he took a strong stand against a Pakistani leader who commented on the Delhi elections. On the day of victory too, Kejriwal invoked Hanuman and said his blessings had helped. This approach helped neutralise the BJPs aggressive campaign, which hoped to offset its weaknesses at the local level with a sharply ideological campaign which could polarise the Delhi electorate on religious lines. The BJP, however, faced three challenges, which, eventually proved insurmountable. The first was the absence at the local level Manoj Tiwari, the party chief in Delhi, is not seen as a chief ministerial candidate capable of taking on Kejriwal; there was also internal factionalism. As a BJP leader on the eve of the counting day said on condition of anonymity since he was not authorised to speak on the issue, Our organisational cadre was thoroughly demotivated in Delhi. Each Delhi leader saw himself as a CM-aspirant and was more busy undercutting other party rivals than challenging Kejriwal. The second was its inability to counter the AAPs welfare politics. While Modis own welfare schemes have been praised, the state unit did not have a manifesto which could provide a clear framework on how it would improve on public goods and service delivery. And the third was its almost exclusive reliance on a strategy of religious polarisation. This may have helped the party secure its own vote base, and even expand it beyond the 2015 level, but it was not sufficient to win. Swapan Dasgupta, Rajya Sabha MP and a political commentator aligned with the BJP, tweeted that there were three obvious challenges to the party. 1) Ideological issues must be supplemented by a solid governance agenda 2) There has to be a vibrant local unit with mohalla presence, & not merely during polls 3) A chief ministerial face is a must. Modi-Shah cant be a substitute. Commenting on the BJPs increase in vote share, Ashutosh Varshney, professor of political science at the Brown University in the United States, said, Vote share matters a lot to small parties, not to big parties who not only want to increase share but also win. That is what the BJP wanted. Moreover, in political analysis, vote shares are critical in systems based on proportional representation, where seat shares critically depend on vote shares. In the first past the post system, winning is the real issue, not vote shares. The Congress failed to open its account in Delhi yet again, grappling with an unprecedented crisis, and turning the contest bipolar from triangular. This was the first election fought after the death of late former chief minister, Sheila Dikshit; it was also held in the backdrop of a weak campaign by the national leadership; and an inability to articulate its agenda or preserve various social groups which have supported it in the past. Pawan Khera, Congress spokesperson and a close aide of Dikshit who worked in the Delhi government, said, For a party that got over 22% votes under Dikshit in the Lok Sabha elections, this result is shocking. All organisations depend on a towering personality. With her passing away, the party is struggling to find its feet. It must, however, be added that even when Dikshit was present, the partys decline in the city had begun. The AAP now heads to another renewed term of five years, with a set of newer, younger leaders having won their first assembly election these include names such as Raghav Chadha and Atishi Marlena, who are expected to find space in the government. In the next term, as Kejriwal told HT in an interview this month, the focus of the government will be on clean water, cleanliness, and tackling pollution. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON Just because the series ended in dramatic fashion over the weekend doesn't mean there will be a Power outage. Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson took to Twitter on Sunday to announce that there were three spin-offs in the works in addition to the already announced sequel starring Mary J. Blige for his highly popular Starz original series. The post on the micro-blogging site simply said: 'Mary J. Blige-led Power Book II: Ghost, Power Book III: Raising Kanan, Power Book IV: Influence Larenz Tate, and Power Book V: Force TOMMY #powerneverends' You can find him In Da Club: Curtis '50 Cent' Jackson took to Twitter on Sunday to announce that there were three spin-offs in the works More on the way! 'Mary J. Blige-led Power Book II: Ghost Power Book III: Raising Kanan Power Book IV: Influence Larenz Tate Power Book V: Force TOMMY #powerneverends,' he tweeted Wow factor: The news comes in addition to the already announced sequel starring Mary J. Blige In addition to Power Book II: Ghost starring the 49-year-old Family Affair hitmaker, 50 Cent will be returning for Power Book III: Raising Kanan which is a prequel to Power set in the 1990s. It will chronicle the life of the 44-year-old executive producer and rapper's character Kanan Stark. Meanwhile, Power Book IV: Influence will focus on Larenz Tate's character Rashad Tate who is a shady politician. Back in the day: 50 Cent will be returning for Power Book III: Raising Kanan which is a prequel to Power set in the 1990s Dodgy: Meanwhile, Power Book IV: Influence will focus on Larenz Tate's character Rashad Tate who is a shady politician Changed man? Last but certainly not least is Power Book V: Force which follows fan-favorite character Tommy (played by Joseph Sikora) who leaves New York on his own in search of greener pastures Last but certainly not least is Power Book V: Force which follows fan-favorite character Tommy (played by Joseph Sikora) who leaves New York on his own in search of greener pastures. On Monday, Starz released the first look of Mary J Blige's character Monet in Power Book II: Ghost. She is not the only big star of music and acting joining the cast as Wu-Tang Clan member Clifford 'Method Man' Smith will be joining her as David McClean. The series will also have a familiar face at the helm as Power creator Courtney Kemp will serve as showrunner. Family Affair: On Monday, Starz released the first look of Mary J Blige's character Monet in Power Book II: Ghost M-E-T-H-O-D Man: She is not the only big star of music and acting joining the cast as Wu-Tang Clan member Clifford 'Method Man' Smith will be joining her as David McClean Chess moves: The series will also have a familiar face at the helm as Power creator Courtney Kemp (seen over the weekend) will serve as showrunner The 42-year-old television writer and producer told TV Line that the first two spin-offs 'have really strong female characters in a way that I am trying to push even further than what we had in the original Power. 'Marys character is like super strong and interesting, and the same is true of the lead characters in the next spin-off after that. 'I think women, especially women of colour, but all women, are going to find really great inspiration while watching as we move forward.' The original Power began airing in June 2014 and ran for six seasons until reaching its finale on Sunday night. Power Book II: Ghost is set to premiere this summer on Starz, and on Stan in Australia. ALBANY A 33-year-old former Albany County assistant district attorney will challenge District Attorney David Soares for the Democratic nomination by calling into question Soares' progressive bona fides. Matt Toporowski, an attorney with The Wagoner Firm, said he is running because he believes Soares has become a "regressive" prosecutor overseeing an office that supports a system of mass incarceration and institutional bias. Citizen Action of New York, a progressive social justice group, has endorsed Toporowski, who said he will seek the Working Families Party nomination. We have two unequal and unfair systems of criminal justice, Toporowski said in an interview Monday. "One for rich people, predominantly white; one for people of color, working class people, everybody else. And we need a DA that understands this and is going to bring fairness for all communities." When asked about Toporowski's views on Soares' time in office, Soares' campaign sent the same statement he had released when he announced his bid for a fifth term. Toporowski, who will formally announce his campaign at 12:30 p.m. Tuesday in Townsend Park, said he made the decision to run about a year ago after he represented a 21-year-old Albany man in a gun possession case. He said the man, Kalim Lewis, was charged with felony possession of a weapon after State Police found a gun beneath some clothes in a room where he was sleeping. Toporowski said the gun didnt belong to Lewis and his prints were not on the weapon. Toporowski said the district attorneys office successfully challenged the makeup of the jury during the selection process leaving Lewis, who is black, facing an all-white jury. Lewis slumped over and looked down when the last minority member was struck from the jury, Toporowski said. He knew and I knew he wasnt going to get a fair trial, the lawyer said. Lewis was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in state prison. Ive seen this happen over and over as a prosecutor (and) as a criminal defense attorney, and thats why Im running for district attorney," Toporowski said. The Saugerties native graduated from The College of Saint Rose and New York Law School. He previously worked in Soares office as an assistant district attorney from 2013 to 2015. He said he resigned after several disagreements over how to resolve misdemeanor-level cases, then worked as a litigator in New York City before returning to Albany and joining The Wagoner Firm. He lives in the city and serves as president of the Ten Broeck Triangle Preservation League. His time working in Soares office led him to conclude the prosecutor "sought an incarceration-first approach, and this has destabilized families, whole communities, Toporowski said. " ... All these policies and his positions have led to a lack of accountability and trust with the community. And my position is there is no way you can do this job without the communitys trust and their involvement. Toporowski said he supported the state's new bail reform laws, and criticized Soares for criticizing the reforms and engaging in "fear-mongering." Though Soares a recent past president of the state district attorneys association has supported criminal justice reforms broadly, he has opposed the state's new rules on cash bail, arguing that they prevent judges from exercising their discretion and does not cover some felonies that he believes should be eligible for the imposition of bail. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Soares has also criticized how the Legislature and Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo passed the new reforms, including them in last year's state budget package rather than as separate legislation. Soares last month confirmed he was running for a fifth four-year term. His re-election campaign announcement said he would run on his record of being tough on crime while pushing for reforms within the criminal justice system. "This hard work has resulted in the reduction of both local and state prison populations, proving that you can improve public safety while addressing mass incarceration," he said in a statement. The Bethlehem resident first ran as a progressive in a 2004 Democratic primary against his own boss, Paul Clyne. At the time, Soares ran on a platform of opposing the states severe Rockefeller Drug Laws, which were finally repealed in 2009. Soares ran unopposed in the 2012 and 2016 general elections. He beat his most recent opponent, defense attorney Lee Kindlon, in the 2012 Democratic primary by an unofficial count of 14,498 to 10,1432. Soares' most recent filing with the state Board of Elections shows a campaign fund balance of $25,672. Toporowski said he filed paperwork to create a campaign committee on Monday. The primary will be held June 23, with early voting beginning on June 13. Outlaw motorcycle gangs are "one of the most high-profile manifestations of organised crime" with 85 per cent of gang members apprehended for crime before turning 33. A new study by the Australian Institute of Criminology examines the criminal histories of more than 5600 known outlaw motorcycle gang members from 39 gangs across Australia. Of the 39 clubs examined, it identified 475 chapters or regional branches, while three quarters of all gangs were linked to recent organised crime offending. The report used national data on the criminal histories of 5669 known outlaw motorcycle gang members. Credit:Craig Abraham By matching two national data sets from the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACCI), the study found one in four members had been apprehended for a recent violence and intimidation offence while more than 50 per cent had a recorded history of violent offending. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - Cansortium Inc. (CSE: TIUM) ("Cansortium" or the "Company"), a vertically-integrated, global provider of premium-quality medical cannabis, announces that it has changed its auditor from Macias Gini & O'Connell LLP ("Former Auditor") to MNP LLP ("Successor Auditor") effective January 21, 2020. At the request of the Company, the Former Auditor resigned as the auditor of the Company effective January 21, 2020 and the board of directors of the Company appointed the Successor Auditor as the Company's auditor effective January 21, 2020, to hold office until the next annual meeting of the Company. There were no modified opinions in the Former Auditor's audit reports for the Company's two most recent financial years and ending at the date of the resignation of the Former Auditor. There are no "reportable events" (as the term is defined in National Instrument 51-102: Continuous Disclosure Obligations ("NI 51-102")) between the Company and the Former Auditor. In accordance with NI 51-102, the notice of change of auditor, together with the required letters from the Former Auditor and the Successor Auditor, have been filed on SEDAR. ABOUT CANSORTIUM INC. Headquartered in Miami, Florida, and operating under the Fluent brand, Cansortium is focused on being the highest quality cannabis company in the State of Florida driven by unrelenting commitment to operational excellence from seed to sale. Cansortium has developed strong proficiencies in each of cultivation, processing, retail, and distribution activities, the result of successfully operating in the highly regulated cannabis industry. In addition to Florida, Cansortium is seeking to create significant shareholder value in the attractive markets of Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania, where the Company has secured licenses and established operations. Cansortium Inc.'s common shares and warrants trade on the CSE under the symbol "TIUM.U" and "TIUM.WT.U", respectively, and on the OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol (OTCQB: CNTMF). Investors can find current financial disclosure and Real-Time Level 2 quotes for the Company on www.otcmarkets.com. Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this news release, may constitute forward-looking information. In some cases, but not necessarily in all cases, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "targets", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "an opportunity exists", "is positioned", "estimates", "intends", "assumes", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate" or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances contain forward-looking information. Statements containing forward-looking information are not historical facts but instead represent management's expectations, estimates and projections regarding future events. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on a number of opinions, assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the Company as of the date of this news release, are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to the factors described in the public documents of the Company available at www.sedar.com. These factors are not intended to represent a complete list of the factors that could affect the Company; however, these factors should be considered carefully. There can be no assurance that such estimates and assumptions will prove to be correct. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release, and the Company 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. For information on Cansortium Inc., please visit www.cansortium.com. For further information, contact: Neal Hochberg, Chairman 646-752-5736 neal@getfluent.com To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52316 WFH for Private offices in Delhi, restaurants & bars to be shut as Omicron-led to sudden rise in Covid cases Please save us...soon we all will be infected: Indian chef on quarantined cruise appeals to PM India oi-Madhuri Adnal New Delhi, Feb 11: An Indian crew member aboard cruise ship Diamond Princess, which has been quarantined off Japan since February 5, on Monday appealed to the Indian government and the United Nations to rescue them and bring them back to the country. Making a public appeal on Facebook, Binay Kumar Sarkar, 31, said that those who are healthy should be allowed to disembark before they are all infected with the coronavirus. "Day by day..its spreading rapidly..Please somehow save us as soon as possible," Sarkar appealed. "What's the point if something happens [to us]?... I want to tell the government of India, Modi ji, please segregate us and bring us back home safely." Earlier on Monday, the Indian Embassy said,'' an unspecified number of Indians were among the nearly 3,000 passengers and crew members onboard a cruise ship quarantined off Japan due to diagnosis of coronavirus cases.'' Indias first coronavirus patient recovers, to be discharged soon Cruise ship Diamond Princess, carrying 3,711 people, arrived at the Japanese coast early last week and was quarantined after a passenger who de-boarded last month in Hong Kong was found to be the carrier of the novel virus on the ship. Around 60 people tested positive of the virus on Monday, taking the total number of those infected on the ship to 130. Authorities had initially tested nearly 300 people when the ship arrived at the Japanese coast. Indian Embassy in Tokyo on Monday tweeted the information about the Indians on the ship. Those on the ship have been asked to wear masks and allowed limited access to the open decks as they are advised to remain in the cabins most of the times to contain the spread of the virus, according to media reports. According to an AFP report, people on board the ship are facing difficulty due to the quarantine measures, particularly those in windowless interior cabins and others who require medication for various chronic conditions. Coronavirus: China's death toll exceeds 900, surpasses total from SARS The Japanese health ministry said Monday that around 600 people onboard urgently needed medication, and around half received supplies over the weekend, it said. The death toll in the coronavirus outbreak in China has gone up to 908 with 97 new fatalities reported mostly in the worst-affected Hubei province and the confirmed cases of infection crossing 40,000. The coronavirus outbreak originated in central China's Hubei province in December last year. 135 passengers tested positive for virus on the ship, including four Australians They are growing increasingly concerned they will be next to contract virus It took the couple four days before they were allowed to go out onto the deck Two Australian couples on-board the quarantined Diamond Princess have shared an eerie inside life on the ship dubbed the 'floating prison'. Brisbane couple John and Carol Welsch have spent a week inside their small five-by-five metre cabin during the 14-day quarantine in Yokohama, Japan. As their days confined to the small inside cabin increase the couple are growing increasingly concerned they may be the next to contract the deadly virus. Footage filmed by the Australians reporting back from the ship showed about a dozen people all wearing masks walking in a sombre fashion along the deck. Brisbane couple John and Carol Welsch are among the Australians trapped on-board the Diamond Princess cruise ship 135 passengers have tested positive for the virus on the ship - under quarantine until January 19 - with four more of them on Monday confirmed to be Australian, bringing the total to 11. 'We are worried - we are quite vulnerable,' Mr Welsch told A Current Affair. 'I think even though we are in quarantine and confined to cabin it seems more people are being affected by the virus.' The Australian couple have to take it in turns to eat at a small table inside their cabin, with the food being delivered to them by a chef wearing a mask. Mr Welsch filmed himself out on deck during a rare sanctioned outing on deck, comparing his chance of catching the SARS-like virus to a game of Russian Roulette. The Brisbane couple were told they could go out on deck four days into the quarantine, but had to keep 1.5m away from other people on the deck to prevent contamination. John Welsch is pictured out on deck in a brief sanctioned trip outside his cabin four days into the quarantine Another Australian couple onboard - Jan and Dave Binskin - are lucky enough to have a cabin with a balcony so they can enjoy the sea breeze while in quarantine. But they said checking in on their friends elsewhere on the ship by phone can be a nervous experience. 'Hopefully we get an answer every morning they haven't died,' Mr Binskin said. He also called on the Australian government to get its citizens off the ship. The Australian couple have to take it in turns to eat at a small table inside their cabin, and a chef in a mask hands them their food 'We're happy to do the fourteen days (at Christmas Island's quarantine centre). We're happy to go wherever, just get us out of here!' Mr Binskin added. One passenger has previously told Associated Press the cruise ship was akin to a 'floating prison'. Passengers have been told they will get a full refund for the cruise. The crisis began when an 80-year-old man from Hong Kong fell ill after disembarking the ship. A mandatory quarantine period was then put on the ship by the Japanese government. The Diamond Princess cruise ship (pictured) is docked in the port of Yokohama in Japan during the quarantine While many can disembark on February 19, those who came in close contact with confirmed coronavirus sufferers on board will have to wait until a fortnight since the interaction. Those suffering with the respiratory disease have since been removed and taken to hospital in Japan. A Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said it is urgently seeking advice from Japanese authorities on new cases among Australians on the ship. For its employees, China Life Singapore will provide a lump sum payment of SG$8,000 upon diagnosis, as well as SG$80,000 in case of death. According to the insurers statement the financial support campaign will last until whichever of the following dates comes first: 30 days after the Singapore government announces that the coronavirus outbreak ceases to be a health threat; August 31, 2020; or when the total amount of financial support payments disbursed under both schemes reaches SG$620,000. In this challenging time amidst the virus outbreak shrouded with uncertainties, it is critical that we as a life insurer do our part to serve the community by providing financial support to those affected by the coronavirus outbreak in Singapore, said Lin Xiangyang, CEO of China Life Insurance Singapore. For this reason, we take this opportunity to thank them for their support since 2015 this year being our fifth anniversary by giving them the financial support of up to SG$88,600 during this period if any unforeseen event happens. Egyptian parliamentary speaker Ali Abdel-Aal met a delegation affiliated with the Egyptian-French Parliamentary Friendship Association on Tuesday. During the meeting, Abdel-Aal reviewed the Egyptian parliament's list of legislative achievements in the most recent period and also discussed issues of mutual interest with the French delegation. "The speaker reviewed the laws passed by parliament in the last period, the upcoming parliamentary elections, the nature of the newly created Senate, and the local council law," read a statement, adding that "the discussion also covered issues like Egypt's economic reforms and its one-year chairmanship of the African Union, the Grand Egyptian Museum and the Egyptian experience in combating terrorism." The statement said the visit by the French delegation is intended to reinforce relations with Egypt at all levels and to give an insight into the latest economic and political developments in Egypt. Search Keywords: Short link: Twenty-seven years ago, legislators passed significant unpaid leave legislation: the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). The bill was a positive step forward in empowering women and families in the workforce. Unfortunately, FMLAs important protections are out of reach for some of the most vulnerable workers, and in particular do not extend to survivors of gender-based violence a spectrum of violence that overwhelmingly impacts women and includes intimate partner violence, sexual assault, trafficking, and harassment. A comprehensive national paid family and medical leave program, which is nearly universally supported by women and is broadly supported by voters across party lines, would fill this gap in the law. In the aftermath of abuse, survivors immediately need physical safety and financial independence from their abusers. But today, there is no guaranteed, job-protected program that allows them to take the necessary time off they need without jeopardizing their financial security. Comprehensive paid family leave would offer survivors of gender-based violence reprieve from having to make the impossible choice between their safety and their paycheck. As the countrys largest network of domestic and sexual violence service providers, YWCA witnesses how crucial economic security is to the immediate safety and independence of survivors every day. In over 200 associations across the country, we help women and children find the support they need, when they need it. Whether its housing, counseling, or financial literacy, YWCA opens our doors to women seeking safer lives. Through our work, weve seen firsthand how it is critical for survivors to be financially secure to obtain professional, economic, and physical independence from their abusers. Understandably, it becomes incredibly difficult for survivors to secure and retain work after experiencing trauma. According to the American Bar Association, up to half of all domestic violence and sexual assault survivors lose their jobs as a result of the violence. And the financial stakes are even higher for women of color, who experience lower wages, lower lifetime earnings, and other employment disparities. Story continues There are other factors that compromise the financial wellbeing of survivors. Abusers can, and frequently do, actively interfere with or sabotage their victims employment. Abusers look for opportunities to prevent their victims from going to work harassing them while they are at work, limiting their access to cash and transportation, and manipulating childcare arrangements. This combination of economic abuse and trauma, and lack of a paid-leave program, causes survivors of gender-based violence collectively to lose nearly eight million days of paid work each year. The need for a national paid leave program extends beyond protections for gender-based violence survivors. While FMLA transformed workplaces when it was enacted over a quarter century ago, protections for todays workforce lag behind. Nearly 40% of workers dont qualify for FMLA. Even if workers are covered, many cannot afford to take unpaid leave without jeopardizing their familys economic security. Without paid family and medical leave, missing a few days, or even just one day, of paid work can have significant economic consequences for most employees. But the reality is that survivors of gender-based violence are even more vulnerable, and have unique needs that FMLA protections do not address. Many of the reasons that survivors have for taking time away from work arent covered. They are limited to using unpaid leave for medical treatment, to care for their own serious illness, or to care for a sick or injured family member, but cannot use it to seek legal or law enforcement protection from their abuser, to obtain assistance from a victim services provider, or to relocate or take steps to secure their existing home. Sadly, even if they are approved for FMLA, survivors often cant afford to take the unpaid leave and receive a smaller paycheck. Paid leave has broad bi-partisan support, with Democrats and Republicans acknowledging the urgent need for such a program. Currently, there is only one proposal on the table the FAMILY Act which is a comprehensive solution ensuring leave for the full array of needs faced by survivors, and the long-term economic security of all women, including low-wage workers and women of color. Women in the U.S. are certainly ready for lawmakers to take action on this issue. When YWCA USA surveyed women on their priorities and concerns for 2020, nearly 89% of women said they consider creating a paid family and medical leave program a top legislative priority. Three-quarters or more of women of color even more intensely support a paid family and medical leave program, as compared to 65% of white women.We need to build on the progress that FMLA started, and immediately pass a comprehensive paid family and medical leave program like the one imagined under the FAMILY Act. No one should have to choose between their livelihood and the health and safety of themselves and their family. Lets celebrate the anniversary of FMLA by advancing the economic, medical, and family support needs of survivors. Alejandra Y. Castillo is the CEO of YWCA USA, the countrys oldest and largest womens organization which currently serves over 2.3 million women, children, and family members in hundreds of communities. Like what you see? How about some more R29 goodness, right here? Why The Ivanka-Rubio Paid Leave Plan Is Not Enough Why The Candidates Need To Talk About Paid Leave Ivanka & Democrats Agree On Paid Family Leave A man who got involved in a human trafficking operation within the State has avoided a jail sentence. Adil Muhammad, 32, was today ordered to complete 240 hours of community service in lieu of a four-year prison sentence for his role in providing fake passports to six Afghan nationals in 2018. Muhammad, of Ankers Court, The Bower, Athlone, Westmeath, said he did not receive any payment for his role in providing passports for the Afghani Sikhs, who entered the State with fraudulent Indian passports. Muhammad pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to two counts of possession of false passports of January 15, 2018. He is originally from Pakistan. Judge Martin Nolan said that the case troubled him and that Muhammad had involved himself in a human trafficking scheme. People should not be profiting from human misery and distress, he said. But he said there was no evidence that Muhammad had profited, rather that he had become involved after a family friend contacted him and asked him to do so. His motivation was some misplaced loyalty. That explanation has been offered and not contradicted, the judge said. He ordered Muhammad to carry out 240 hours of community service and warned him he would serve a four-year prison sentence if he failed to do so. Detective Garda Anthony Collins previously told Dublin Circuit Criminal Court that the six individuals were all from one family and had contacted a criminal group in order to traffick them from Afghanistan to Europe. He said they would have paid individuals in this group to provide them with travel documents and move them across into Europe. This movement would coalesce in Spain with the transport to Ireland being the last leg of the journey. Gardai investigating the suspicious movement of individuals from India began to monitor certain flights coming in from Spain. The flights normally came into Dublin Airport in the afternoon and the individuals would have an onward flight booked. In this case, six individuals came in on a flight from Malaga on two separate days. On each day the individuals had onward flights booked for Abu Dhabi but once they passed immigration control they left the airport and took a taxi into town where they checked into a hotel for a number of days. The court heard that the defendant met with them and they subsequently returned to Dublin Airport and attempted to board flights to the UK. Gardai approached them and, on inspection, found the passports in their possession were false. A follow-up search of the defendants' home in Athlone found six Indian passports. These were genuinely issued passports which had being obtained using false documentation, the detective said. Amsterdam, 11 February 2020 -The Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. will propose at the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders on 23 April 2020 that Jean-Francois van Boxmeer be appointed as a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. with effect from 1 June 2020, for the maximum period of four years, i.e. until the end of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders to be held in 2024. Mr Van Boxmeer (1961) is a Belgian national. He joined HEINEKEN in 1984 and held various management positions in different countries around the world and was appointed member of the Executive Board of Heineken N.V. in 2001. On 1 October 2005 Mr Van Boxmeer became Heineken N.V.'s Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO. Mr Van Boxmeer will leave Heineken N.V. on 1 June 2020. Mr Van Boxmeer is also a non-executive member of the Board of Directors of Mondelez International in the USA, a member of the Shareholders' Committee of Henkel AG & Co in Germany, and Chairman of the National Opera & Ballet in the Netherlands. The Board of Directors of Heineken Holding N.V. proposes to appoint Mr Van Boxmeer in view of his broad experience and the way he has fulfilled his role as the CEO of Heineken N.V. For further information: Kees Jongsma tel. +31 6 54 79 82 53 cjongsma@spj.nl Editorial information: Heineken Holding N.V. engages in no activities other than its participating interest in Heineken N.V. and the management or supervision of and provision of services to that company. Heineken Holding N.V. and Heineken N.V. shares trade on the Euronext in Amsterdam. Prices for the ordinary shares may be accessed on Bloomberg under the symbols HEIO NA and HEIA NA and on Reuters under HEIO.AS and HEIN.AS. HEINEKEN has two sponsored level 1 American Depositary Receiptand www.theHEINEKENcompany.com. Market Abuse Regulation This press release may contain price-sensitive information within the meaning of Article 7(1) of the EU Market Abuse Regulation. Attachment The 33rd African Union Summit wrapped up in the Ethiopian capital even thought the usual conluding ceremony was cancelled after much delay. But the two-day summit tackled the on-going crisis in Libya and South Sudan with promises to find "African solutions to African problems" to other conflicts, all in the name of silencing the guns across the continent. Following numerous disussion through the summit, the goal now is to take the declarations out of the rooms and put them into action. This includes the vision of making peace a reality for African people. But the reality for many in Africa is in fact living through conflict, or living in places where policing authorities are highly armed, making the notion of Silencing the Guns hard to fathom. Thats not to say, however, developments have not taken place during this Summit. Libyan civil war Since the ousting and lynching of Libyas longtime leader Muammer Qaddafi in 2011, the country has fallen into a perpetual state of civil war since 2014 fueled by supporters of rival militia either loyal to Qaddafi, to UN-backed leader Fayez el-Saraj or loyal to Russian-and-Saudi-backed warlord Khalifa Haftar. The internationally recognized government headed by Saraj versus the self-proclaimed government in the east of the country headed by Haftar are the two main rival camps. Many saw the 2019 AU chairmanship of Egyptian president Abdelfattah al-Sisi as having created many divisions within the African Union as he openly supported the camp headed by Haftar, while the African Union has traditionally supported the faction headed by Saraj. Inter-Libyan forum Delegations from both sides attended the lead-up to the Summit, agreeing to an inter-Libyan forum. The caveat to the creation of this force is the implementation of a long-term ceasefire. The United Nations in Geneva is waiting for a vote to finalise a ceasefire with UN Secretary General Antonio Guterrez adding earlier today that he believes this will be achieved very soon. Story continues Once this has been formalised, a cross-faction forum will be held, although the location for the meeting has yet to be decided. Algeria has been involved in the negations and insists that it be held in Algiers, while others want to see it take place in Addis Ababa, since it is considered neutral ground. Location aside, one point everyone has agreed to is the inclusion of all camps; not just those of Saraj and Haftar, but to open it up to those from the Qaddafi camp and civil society groups. African involvement When the cessation of hostilities becomes officially signed, we want to join the UN [United Nations Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL] in an assessed mission in Libya to evaluate what is necessary to oversee, to make sure the cessation of hostilities is respected by everybody. And we want also to be part of the observer deployment mission in Tripoli and elsewhere in the country where it is needed, said Smail Chergui, the AU Commissioner of Peace and Security. This support from the AU is to undo the feeling of being slighted in all previous mediating efforts pertaining to Libya that have been primarily outside of the continent. Chergui added that in addition to a ceasefire and the continued enforcement of the arms embargo to Libya, the AU is demanding an immediate cessation of all external interventions and interferences in Libyan affairs. South Sudan Following the creation of South Suda in 2011, fighting erupted two years later between President Salva Kiir and his then vice-president Riek Machar. The two are on a tight deadline to make progress in establishing a government of national unity government before 22 February. On Saturday Kirr and Machar met separately with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, the new chairperson of the African Union. And on Sunday, both met with Ugandas President Yoweri Moseveni and Sudan's transitional Prime Minister Abdella Hamdok. Its worth noting, given it was the first time theyve met outside South Sudan since November 2019. Sticking point The problem with this round of talks is the issue of how many states should make up the country. Initially South Sudan had 10 states, but in 2017 Kiir went ahead and unilaterally created 32 states. Machar refuses to agree to a national unity government without addressing this problem, but Kiir believes they can agree to form a government and return to this detail at a later date. The regional bloc, IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) and South Africas vice president David Mabuza, are alleged to have become frustrated with this latest round of negotiations. In an effort to move things alone, one source in Addis Ababa has told RFI that IGAD will likely propose a return to 10 states so the deadline for the creation of a national unity government can be maintained. Married At First Sight fans have labelled bride Stacey Hampton a 'hypocrite' and 'cow' after her first fight with 'husband' Michael Goonan. The blonde lawyer, 26, and the company director, 28, argued after he had drinks with other couples at the Fijian resort they were honeymooning at, in Tuesday's episode. Michael offered an apology which she refused to accept, and fans on Twitter called her out including one who wrote: 'Good lord Stacey is awful.' 'Good lord she's awful!' Married At First Sight fans labelled Stacey Hampton (pictured) a 'hypocrite' and 'cow' after her heated fight with 'husband' Michael Goonan on Tuesday's episode 'Stacey is a hypocrite,' while another wrote: 'Stacey needs to chill the f*** out and act her age....' One wrote: 'Okay so Michael's a d***, but Stacey is a straight up cow. Get her off my screen!' 'Stacey making him bloody beg for it so the gold digging is less obvious,' another said. The blonde lawyer, 26, and the company director, 28, argued after he had drinks with other couples at the Fijian resort they were honeymooning at, in Tuesday's episode. Michael offered an apology, which she refused to accept Outrage: Fans on Twitter called her out, including one who, 'Good lord Stacey is awful' Other viewers slammed Michael for his behaviour including one who Tweeted: 'If I was Stacey I would walk already. She deserves better.' 'Michael appears to get pretty obnoxious when hes had a few. I wouldnt want my kids exposed to that,' they added. Another said: 'I know they're trying to make her the villain but she is in the right.' 'She deserves better': Other viewers slammed Michael for his behaviour including one who tweeted: 'If I was Stacey I would walk already' 'She's right': Another said, 'I know they're trying to make her the villain but she is in the right' But there were seemingly cynical viewers who called both Stacey and Michael. One tweeted: Shes a cold b**** and hes a smart a**** idiot. Stay single and be done' There were also cynical viewers who called both Stacey and Michael out. 'Pffft good luck arguing with a lawyer. Youll never win. Shes a cold b**** and hes a smart a**** idiot. Stay single and be done,' they Tweeted. 'Stacey is the exact same person as that sheila from last season that was with Billy and ended up with Todd Carney,' another said. Married At First Sight continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Nine About 4,000 years ago, Asyut was an important cultural center in Middle Egypt. The ancient city with its temples, palaces, libraries, and houses later disappeared under Nile flood sediments and modern construction, which is why its sights have never become as popular as those in Thebes or Luxor. Quite the reverse: Until recently, little was known about the history of ancient Asyut, while the large city has not been highly regarded in modern Egypt. But this picture is changing thanks to a joint German-Egyptian project that has thoroughly investigated the necropolis in the mountain of the Gebel Asyut al-gharbi in the west of the city. The project that ran for 16 years has been shedding light on the monumental royal tombs, shaft tomb complexes, diverse ceiling paintings, colorful wall decorations, endless inscriptions, and grave goods. "The finds broaden our knowledge about the history and art of a region that experienced a cultural and economic boom during the First Intermediate Period and the period of the Middle Kingdom," said Professor Ursula Verhoeven-van Elsbergen of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU). "Asyut, consequently, has a significant role to play in Egypt's cultural memory." Together with Professor Jochem Kahl from Freie Universitat Berlin, Verhoeven-van Elsbergen led the project in close cooperation with researchers from Sohag University in Egypt. Over 14 field seasons, the international and interdisciplinary team worked for two months each summer on the mountain complex, which was reopened for archaeological fieldwork by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities for the first time in 80 years in 2003. The first documentary record of individual graves dates from Napoleon Bonaparte's Egyptian campaign in 1799. Shortly afterwards, quarrying work resulted in the collapse of tomb ceilings and entrances. Tomb robbery and archaeological excavations in the 19th and early 20th century led to the plundering of the mountain. Valuable burial objects found their way into museums all over the world, mostly without sufficient description of the context in which they were found. The project created the first map of the necropolis with over 300 entries The large nomarchs' rock tombs of the western desert mountain of Asyut were constructed in the First Intermediate Period and the Middle Kingdom, i.e., approximately 2200 to 1900 BC. However, the 200-meter-high limestone massif was also the site of Christian and Islamic burials after the Pharaonic Period. It was also a burial site for animals, an ancient and early modern quarry, a destination for excursions, a retreat for hermits, the site of Coptic monasteries, and, most recently, a decade-long, restricted military area. Reopening of access enabled the first scholarly investigation of the mountain, which was supported by long-term funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) and accompanied by agents of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities. From the outset, the team worked on creating the first map of the necropolis, which now identifies over 300 tombs and other structures. More than 17,000 finds have been cataloged. An unknown grave yields numerous new insights In 2005, based on a suggestion from a local guard, the project discovered an almost completely buried, hitherto entirely unknown rock tomb constructed by the provincial governor Iti-ibi-iqer in approximately 2000 BC. "Tomb N13.1 was constructed during a time of political upheaval and is therefore historically important, but it also contains well-preserved and unusual wall decorations," said Verhoeven-van Elsbergen. These include portrayals of the tomb owner and his immediate relatives as well as of divine beings, columns of soldiers, and scenes depicting craftwork, cattle breeding, hunting, music, and dance. Particularly noteworthy are the 215 ink graffiti made by visitors 500 to 900 years later. They include praise of the local temples, writing and drawing exercises, and extensive excerpts from prominent teachings, which until now had almost exclusively been preserved from Thebes. The longest of these texts, the Teaching of Hordjedef, extends over several walls, is eleven meters in length, and opened up important insights into the history of literature. The information in the visitors' texts about persons, deities, and temples at Asyut in the New Kingdom (about 1550-1070 BC) is particularly valuable since the cemetery of this era has not been discovered yet. "They're often wonderful texts. One unique example is a song that describes in imaginative comparisons and in several stanzas the beauty of the face of the local goddess Hathor," said Verhoeven-van Elsbergen. The Mainz-based egyptologist is an expert in Hieratic, the cursive script in which these texts are written. Some, however, are barely legible. Requiring detective work and comparison with a large number of similar texts, the script must be deciphered, transcribed into standard hieroglyphics, translated, and finally interpreted. Members of the project took photographs, made hand copies, and digitally documented the entire graffiti with its texts and drawings of men and animals. The largest tomb of its time was 120 meters long, up to 11 meters high, and extended downwards 28 meters The discovery of previously unexplored burial shafts was another highlight for the members of the project. These are architecturally unique and include a 28-meter deep shaft, which was only fully excavated after six seasons. This burial site, called Tomb I, belongs to the provincial governor Djefaihapi I (approx. 1900 BC) and is the largest tomb on Gebel Asyut al-gharbi, scheduled to be opened for tourists this year. It is the only known tomb of a high-ranking official of such a size from this period. In its original form it was at least 120 meters long and is still preserved today over a length of 55 meters, with ceilings up to 11 meters high. The interior of the rock tomb is decorated with paintings and inscriptions carved in stone. Many of these texts continued to circulate in Egypt for more than 2,000 years - a testament to the esteem in which Asyut was held as well as its theological importance and the linguistic quality of its inscriptions. Close collaboration with the project's Egyptian partners contributed to its success Project director Verhoeven-van Elsbergen describes the collaboration between the groups from Mainz and Berlin with colleagues from Sohag University, who were actively involved in the project from the start, as unique. The team consisted of about 25 researchers from around the world and up to 100 local workmen. Their main task was to remove high mountains of rubble and debris from the excavation sites. "The significance of the city has been reestablished, thanks to the field studies at the necropolis and our cataloged work," emphasized Professor Ursula Verhoeven-van Elsbergen. "We have reinstated the role of Asyut in Egypt's history." Instrumental to this success was the fact that the project considered the mountain's entire history, from thousands of years ago to the present day: the large-scale dog burial from the late first millennium BC, the settlement by Coptic monks and hermits, the building of monasteries, Islamic burials, and, last but not least, the perspectives of the local workmen, which were also the subject ethnological research. The project has published its findings in its own ongoing series of volumes, twelve to date, entitled The Asyut Project. As part of its long-term funding, the German Research Foundation supported the project until the end of 2019 with a total of EUR 3.5 million. But the work is still ongoing. Professor Jochem Kahl has already secured a follow-up project in cooperation with the Polish Academy of Sciences under the title "Asyut - an ancient trading center." Professor Ursula Verhoeven-van Elsbergen heads the long-term project "Ancient Egyptian Cursive Scripts" at the Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz, in which scripts, including those from Asyut, are processed and made accessible in a digital paleographic database. This academy project was launched in 2015 and will run for 23 years. ### Doctors treating a 4-year-old shooting victim found that somebody had placed 151 packages of heroin under his clothing, police in Puerto Rico said Tuesday. The boy was hospitalized following a shooting Monday at the apartment his mother and 2-year-old sister shared with 26-year-old John Hernndez at a public housing project, Ponce city police Capt. Joel Gonzlez said. He told The Associated Press that gunmen had chased Hernndez from a drug distribution point in the housing complex and he had fled into the apartment. The attackers caught him there and opened fire, killing him and injuring the boy, who suffered several bullet wounds. Gonzlez said police are investigating who placed the drugs, which were wrapped in foil, underneath the boy's clothes. Gonzlez said a 2-year-old girl and two adults who were in the apartment at the time of the shooting were not injured. He said the children's mother was not home at the time. No one has been arrested. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers in Punjab's Amritsar started celebrating as trends indicated a lead for the Chief Minister and party head Arvind Kejriwal. The assembly poll voting was held on February 8. (Image: Twitter/@ANI) As of 11.10 am, AAP was leading in 49 of the total 70 seats, according to trends from the Election Commission (EC). The majority mark is 36. (Image: Twitter/@ANI) While AAP workers began celebrations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarter wore a deserted look. The JP Nadda-led party is running behind the incumbent AAP (Image: Twitter/@ANI) As of 11.10 am, BJP was leading in 21 of the total 70 seats, according to trends from the EC. (Image: Twitter/@ANI) Greg and Nina Schipp are happy with their new home in the Symphony Bay subdivision under construction in Lake Geneva. The couple from Milwaukee moved into their new home Dec. 13 in the new neighborhood being developed near the corner of Townline Road and North Edwards Boulevard. Greg Schipp said he enjoys the peaceful atmosphere that the subdivision offers and its convenient access to downtown Lake Geneva and other local attractions. Everyone in the community is so friendly, Schipp said. Everyone says Hi. Its close to shopping. Its a nice community. The Lake Geneva City Council approved plans for the subdivision in 2017, and construction began that fall. Brian Pollard, president of development company FairWyn Ltd., said the development will be completed in several phases during the next 10 years, with between 30 and 40 homes constructed each year. Pollard said when the subdivision is completed, it will feature about 427 homes. He said 42 homes have been purchased during the past year, with 30 already built and 12 currently under construction. Pollard said he is pleased with the number of homes that have been sold already. Weve had some great customers, he said. Were very happy with the buyers that weve had in the community that were creating. The homes that are being constructed are mostly targeted toward people who are 55 years and older; however, people of all age groups are welcome. Were not restricted to that, Pollard said. Anybody can buy in here. The price of the homes range in price from about $281,000 to $320,000 and in size from 1,354 square feet to 1,940 square feet, depending on the style that a customer chooses. Residents can choose from five different styles of homes, each offering two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, dining area and two-car garage. Other amenities can be added, too, such as a fireplace, basement, third bedroom, study area or covered rear patio. We can build two of the same homes next to each other, but have totally different elevations, he said. The company also is constructing a clubhouse by Geneva Lake, which should be completed in the spring. Another clubhouse is planned in the future. Nina Schipp said she and her husband began looking for a new home last year, as her husband was planning to retire. After meeting with Symphony Bay sales staff, they were sold. Nina Schipp said she likes that the homes are not too close together and that a homeowners association is responsible for mowing lawns and shoveling snow. Its like living in a condominium development with our private home, own yard and own place, she said. Another new homeowner, Mariesa Knoth, moved into Symphony Bay in December. Knoth, formerly of Ann Arbor, Michigan, said she had been looking to move into the area. She originally planned to move to Delavan, but she changed her mind after driving through Lake Geneva. I drove down Main Street, and I just fell in love with it, Knoth said. A friend told me about Symphony Bay, and I decided to look into it. Once she saw Symphony Bay, she realized it ideal for her. Its very quiet. Its not in a busy area, she said. Its a quick drive to the downtown, and its very peaceful. Besides the custom-built homes and clubhouses, the subdivision is located near wooded areas, bike and walking paths, and a dog park. Its just some nice features like that, that people appreciate, Pollard said. Nina Schipp said she likes that her new home is within walking distance of retail shopping centers. The other day I was able to walk to Walmart in 30 minutes and back in about 30 minutes. So, I was able to get about an hour walk, she said. Thats really nice for us. Knoth said she had an opportunity to meet other Symphony Bay homeowners during a Christmas party held in one of the developments model homes. Everyone seemed very nice, she said. Were all pretty hunkered down for the winter, but everyone seems very friendly. Greg Schipp said he, too, has enjoyed meeting others in Symphony Bay. It seems to be a consensus that everyone likes it, he said. 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. El Salvador soldiers occupy parliament as president issues warning over loan Iran Press TV Monday, 10 February 2020 10:06 AM A group of Salvadoran soldiers armed with automatic weapons have briefly occupied El Salvador's parliament while President Bukele issued an ultimatum to lawmakers to approve a loan, which the government needs to equip crime-fighting forces. They forced their way into the Congress building on Sunday, with President Nayib Bukele taking the seat reserved for the president of the legislative chamber to address the lawmakers on the $109-million loan he seeks for his crime-fighting plan. Lawmakers from the established left and right political groups had postponed the approval of the loan. Bukele took office in June 2019, pledging to tackle the legacy of gang violence and corruption in the impoverished and crime-stricken Central American country. The rise to power of Bukele, who is considered an outsider, ended nearly three decades of the two-party system dominated by the left-wing Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front and the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance. Reminding the legislators of public frustration with the two-party rule, the president slammed the Congress for what he described as foot-dragging over approval of the loan he needs to equip police and soldiers in their anti-crime campaign. Under Bukele's plan, the loan would be spent on purchasing a helicopter, police cars, uniforms, night vision goggles and other equipment, including a video surveillance system. The Salvadoran president had called on his supporters to take to streets to pressure the lawmakers. Responding to his call, some 50,000 pro-government demonstrators turned out. Bukele warned lawmakers that the pro-government demonstrators will return to streets if the loan requested was not approved. The president told his supporters in a fiery speech outside the building that he will remain patient with the lawmakers for the time being, promising his power base that all the lawmakers opposed to his proposals will be kicked out of Congress in next year's election scheduled for February. "I ask you for patience," Bukele told his supporters. "If those shameless people don't approve the plan of territorial control, we'll summon you here again on Sunday." Top commanders of police and military have voiced support for the president during the stand-off. The Congress on Monday was due to discuss the proposals to better equip police and soldiers to fight crime and violence. Bukele's move 'reminiscent of El Salvador's darkest times' Bukele's opponents accuse him of using intimidation and authoritarian tactics in governing the country. Human rights organizations have questioned his political tactics as well. Reacting to the deployment of security forces to the parliament, Amnesty International warned in a statement that Bukele's move "reminds us of the darkest times in El Salvador's history and raises international alarm over the future of human rights in the country." "The multiple reports of snipers stationed near the Legislative Assembly, the unnecessary military presence and the restrictions on press freedom could mark the beginning of a dangerous route for institutions and for human rights in the country," it added. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Probax, a market leader in cloud data protection solutions, today announced the release of Probax Hive to MSPs globally. Hive is the company's fourth generation dashboard and their most sophisticated offering to date, boasting unmatched intelligence, automation, security, monitoring, and reporting capabilities. "Hive is the ultimate data protection dashboard for MSPs who are managing multiple client environments and workloads using Veeam, StorageCraft, Microsoft Office 365 and/or Dropbox," says Sam Meegahage - CEO of Probax. "We worked very closely with our Partner Advisory Council members in ANZ and North America to ensure we addressed the many challenges MSPs face when it comes to data protection," he continued. Kevin Allan, CTO of Probax, went on to add, "Not only does Hive provide MSPs with a holistic view of data protection across multiple clients and workloads, it also helps to identify what is and isn't protected in a client's environment. Hive has the ability to detect new resources on a network and our partners can even choose to monitor whether antivirus and firewall services are enabled per resource. We are essentially helping MSPs build an effective and proactive data protection strategy for their clients using the intelligence, automation and monitoring capabilities of Hive. We have also implemented proprietary algorithms to determine a rank of at-risk clients, so that engineering resources can prioritize the order in which they work. In some cases, Hive can fix common data protection issues with little to no user interaction using our network of remote agents." The announcement builds on Probax's continued record growth in North American and the opening of a new data centre zone in Canada. Hive promises to be the first of many new data protection solutions, vendor integrations and further product enhancement that the company has scheduled for release in 2020. For more information on Hive, visit www.probax.io/hive. About Probax (www.probax.io) Probax is an award-winning provider of data protection solutions and services including data backup and retention, disaster recovery and business continuity. With unmatched partner enablement and support, together with continued innovation and integration with leading technology vendors including Veeam, StorageCraft, Dropbox and Microsoft; Probax empowers businesses to protect their most valuable asset, their data. For more information on the Probax platform and portfolio, please contact: Nadia Allan Vice President of Sales, North America nadia.allan@probax.io +1 8888-776229 SOURCE: Probax View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576014/Probax-Releases-Hive-the-Channels-Most-Intelligent-Data-Protection-Dashboard-Purpose-Built-for-MSPs-Globally Meghan Markle 'listened intently' when she met with Justice for Girls in Canada - and said it was 'important to get to know the context around issues in the communities'. The Duchess of Sussex, 38, travelled by seaplane from Vancouver Island to the non-profit's headquarters in Vancouver on January 14 to meet with members of the charity - which promotes equality, freedom from violence, and the health and wellness of teenage girls who live in poverty. Throughout the visit, Meghan 'listened intently' as she chatted with a group about everything from climate justice to the rights of indigenous people, Annabel Webb, 52, the group's co-founder, told PEOPLE. Zoe Craig-Sparrow, a co-director at Justice for Girls, said the meeting was 'a testament to the duchess' because they all felt 'at ease' throughout the visit. The Duchess of Sussex, 38, travelled by seaplane from Vancouver Island to the Justice for Girls headquarters in Vancouver on January 14 'We all felt at ease, and I think that was a testament to the duchess', Zoe said. 'She said it was important for her to get to know the local context around the issues in the communities.' At the end of the meeting, Justice for Girls gifted Meghan an 18-karat yellow gold and diamond whale tail pendant, which retails for 1,311 and had been donated by local jeweler Hollie Bartlett. Annabel, who celebrated the 20th anniversary of Justice for Girls last year, said the duchess was 'very grateful' for the gift. ''It's a cornerstone of our indigenous culture to give a gift, so I explained that to the duchess as well,' added 22-year-old Zoe. 'She was really gracious.' Throughout the visit, Meghan 'listened intently' as she chatted with a group about everything from climate justice to the rights of indigenous people (Pictured: Meghan with Zoe Craig-Sparrow) Zoe Craig-Sparrow, a co-director at Justice for Girls, said the meeting was 'a testament to the duchess' as they all felt 'at ease' throughout the visit Justice for Girls was founded in 1999 in response to local, national and international calls for 'girl only' programmes and services that 'acknowledge and address the specific needs and vulnerabilities of girls'. Their work includes criminal justice monitoring, advocacy and outreach for girls, education and promoting girls' human rights. 'We locate our work within the overall project of women's equality. We believe it is necessary to eliminate violence and poverty in young womens lives in order to bring about equality', the non-profit writes on its website. 'Recognizing and addressing the interlocking forms of oppression that young women face is fundamental to our work toward ending violence against girls and young women.' STUTTGART, Germany, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Group unit sales of 3.34 million vehicles (2018: 3.35 million) Revenue up 3% to 172.7 billion (2018: 167.4 billion) Group EBIT of 4.3 billion (2018: 11.1 billion) Adjusted Group EBIT of 10.3 billion Net profit of 2.7 billion (2018: 7.6 billion) Free cash flow industrial business of 1.4 billion (2018: 2.9 billion) Net liquidity of the industrial business of 11.0 billion (2018: 16.3 billion) Net liquidity including IFRS 16 effects of 13,1 billion at beginning of 2019 Dividend proposed of 0.90 per share (2018: 3.25) Outlook given on Capital Market Day confirmed Daimler AG (ticker symbol: DAI) today reported its preliminary results for the fiscal year 2019 ended December 31, 2019. The Group's total unit sales of 3.34 million passenger cars and commercial vehicles were in the magnitude of the previous year (2018: 3.35 million). Revenue was 172.7 billion (2018: 167.4 billion), an increase of 3%. The Daimler Group posted full-year EBIT of 4.3 billion (2018: 11.1 billion), reflecting material adjustments including expenses from legal proceedings and related measures, restructuring measures and M&A transactions. Adjusted EBIT, reflecting the underlying business, was 10.3 billion. Ola Kallenius, Chairman of the Board of Management of Daimler AG and Mercedes-Benz AG: "While our results in 2019 reflect ongoing strong customer demand for our attractive products, we cannot be satisfied with our bottom line. Above all, material adjustments affected our financial results last year. The future of the Daimler Group lies in CO 2 -neutral mobility as well as in consistent digitization, leveraging its full potential in our products and our processes. To achieve that, we have substantially ramped up our investments into new technologies. We are determined to materialize our technological leadership and at the same time to significantly improve profitability. To this end, measures to cut costs and to increase cash flows are necessary. In 2019, we defined them and we have started executing. We will take the necessary actions to enhance our financial strength as the basis for our future strategy." In 2019, net profit weakened to 2.7 billion (2018: 7.6 billion). Net profit attributable to the shareholders of Daimler AG amounted to 2.4 billion (2018: 7.2 billion), leading to a decline in earnings per share to 2.22 (2018: 6.78). At the Annual General Meeting on April 1, 2020, the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose a dividend of 0.90 per share (2018: 3.25). The total payout will therefore amount to 1.0 billion (2018: 3.5 billion). Investments, free cash flow and liquidity At the Group, investments in property, plant and equipment decreased to 7.1 billion (2018: 7.5 billion). Research and development expenditure increased to 9.7 billion (2018: 9.1 billion). The free cash flow of the industrial business was 1.4 billion (2018: 2.9 billion). The sharp decrease resulted from a substantial cash outflow in connection with legal proceedings relating to diesel vehicles. Also, a continued high level of expenses for new products and technologies had a negative effect. The net liquidity of the industrial business stabilized at 11.0 billion (2018: 16.3 billion), taking into account lessee accounting in accordance with IFRS 16 and the dividend payment for fiscal year 2018. The inclusion of lessee accounting in accordance with IFRS16 reduced the net liquidity of the industrial business from the end of 2018 to the beginning of 2019 by 3.2 billion. Divisional results Mercedes-Benz Cars sold 2,385,400 vehicles in the fiscal year 2019, and thus slightly topped the record level of the prior year (2018: 2,382,800). Mercedes-Benz Cars' revenue increased to 93.9 billion (2018: 93.1 billion) and its EBIT fell by 53% to 3,359 million (2018: 7,216 million). Return on sales was 3.6% (2018: 7.8%). A negative impact resulted from a new assessment of expenses for ongoing governmental and legal proceedings and measures relating to Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles as well as expenses for a recall of Takata airbags. Growth in unit sales and revenue as well as better pricing were offset by continued high investment in new technologies and products. Adjusted EBIT was 5,841 million and adjusted return on sales was 6.2%. Daimler Trucks showed a decrease in unit sales of 6% to 488,500 vehicles in the fiscal year (2018: 517,300). Revenue increased by 5% to 40.2 billion (2018: 38.3 billion). EBIT fell by 11% to 2,463 million (2018: 2,753 million) and return on sales was 6.1% (2018: 7.2%). With continued strong business in NAFTA region, declines in volume, particularly in Europe and Asia, had a negative impact on earnings. Negative effects were also due to higher upfront expenditures for new technologies and costs related to capacity adjustments. Mercedes-Benz Vans' unit sales increased in the fiscal year 2019 by 4% to 438,400 (2018: 421,400) vehicles. Revenue was 9% higher at 14.8 billion (2018: 13.6 billion). EBIT decreased to minus 3,085 million (2018: plus 312 million) while return on sales fell to minus 20.8% (2018: plus 2.3%). While the higher unit sales and a more favorable model mix had a positive impact on earnings, the division's EBIT was crucially affected by a reassessment of expenses for ongoing governmental and legal proceedings and measures relating to Mercedes-Benz diesel vehicles as well as expenses for a recall of Takata airbags. Furthermore, expenses for the review and prioritization of the product portfolio reduced EBIT. In 2019, measures were initiated to significantly improve the situation. Adjusted EBIT was 284 million and adjusted return on sales was 1.9%. Daimler Buses' sales grew by 6% to 32,600 units in the fiscal year 2019 (2018: 30,900). Revenue increased by 5% to 4.7 billion (2018: 4.5 billion). EBIT amounted to 283 million (2018: 265 million), an increase of 7%. Return on sales was 6.0% (2018: 5.9%). The positive development was driven by the increase in unit sales in Brazil, among other things, as well as favorable exchange rate effects. In Europe, the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city bus is in series production at the plant in Mannheim and is being delivered to customers. At Daimler Mobility, new business increased by 3% to 74.4 billion in the fiscal year 2019 (2018: 71.9 billion). Revenue was 9% higher at 28.6 billion (2018: 26.3 billion). The division's EBIT amounted to 2,140 million (2018: 1,384 million), an increase of 55% compared to the prior year. At 15.3%, return on equity was above the figure of 11.1% in the prior year. A positive effect resulted from the merger of the mobility services of Daimler and BMW Group. Furthermore, the higher volume of new business contributed to the EBIT increase. A higher equity ratio caused by tighter regulatory requirements had a negative impact. EBIT was also reduced by expenses relating to the realignment of the YOUR NOW group. Adjusted EBIT was 1,827 million and adjusted return on equity was 13.1%. The workforce At the end of the fiscal year, the Daimler Group employed 298,655 people worldwide (2018: 298,683), 173,813 people worked in Germany (2018: 174,663), 25,788 in the United States (2018: 26,310), and the consolidated subsidiaries in China employed 4,439 people (2018: 4,424). Sustainable business strategy Daimler faces the challenges posed by the transformation of the automotive industry with a sustainable business strategy. Demand for individual mobility and the worldwide transport of goods and people will continue to grow and will continue to form the basis for the core business as a vehicle manufacturer. The premium market for passenger cars will continue to grow sustainably and faster than the volume market in the future. At the same time, Daimler is consistently committed to CO 2 -neutral mobility. In order to achieve the CO 2 targets and to finance the important future fields of electric mobility and connectivity, enormous technical and financial efforts are required. The resulting costs require comprehensive measures to increase efficiency, streamline the company and increase the free cash flow. Those measures include the significant reduction of material and administrative costs and the reduction of personnel costs by more than 1.4 billion by the end of 2022. The aim is to cut jobs worldwide in a socially responsible manner, including the reduction of management positions. Daimler will continue its product and electrical offensive in the current year: To this end, Mercedes-Benz Cars is launching among others the new S-Class with the latest version of the MBUX multimedia system. The EQA will be the first fully electric SUV compact model to be launched this autumn. Mercedes-Benz Vans is expanding its product portfolio to include the all-electric EQV van. In addition, the model range will also include numerous variants with plug-in hybrid drivetrain and 48-volt technology. Overall, Mercedes-Benz plans to quadruple the share of plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles in total sales in 2020. This is linked to a further increase in the company's own battery production: Batteries for electric vehicles will be manufactured in nine plants at seven locations on three continents. Outlook Daimler expects Group unit sales in the fiscal year 2020 slightly below the prior-year level. Mercedes-Benz Cars, Mercedes-Benz Vans and Daimler Trucks assume a slight decrease in unit sales compared to the previous year. Daimler Buses sees slightly higher sales numbers. At Daimler Mobility new business should weaken slightly, while the contract volume should remain at the prior-year level. Group revenue in the fiscal year 2020 is expected to be stable at the level of 2019. At Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans, revenue should be around the prior-year level. Daimler Trucks & Buses expects a significant revenue decrease. The Daimler Mobility division forecasts revenue at the prior-year level. Daimler assumes that Group EBIT in 2020 will be significantly above the level of 2019, which was negatively impacted by various material adjustments. The divisions have the following expectations for their returns in 2020: - Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans: adjusted return on sales of 4% to 5%, - Daimler Trucks & Buses: adjusted return on sales of 5%, - Daimler Mobility: adjusted return on equity of 12%. Significant efficiency measures already initiated in all business areas, such as personnel and material cost savings, portfolio and model adjustments and the further implementation of platform strategies, as well as more stringent capital allocation, should have an initial positive impact on earnings as early as the 2020 fiscal year. These measures will take full effect in subsequent years. Restructuring measures and the initiated job cuts, on the other hand, will have a negative impact on earnings in 2020. Daimler will continue to review all non-core activities in order to focus the financial resources on the businesses with the highest economic potential. High upfront investments for new products and technologies will continue to have a negative impact on the free cash flow of the industrial business, even though upfront investments should have peaked in 2019. Given these conditions, Daimler assumes that the free cash flow of the industrial business should be significantly higher than in the previous year. Items not yet included are possible expenses related to governmental and legal proceedings. Against the background of an even more targeted capital allocation and prioritization of projects, investments in property, plant and equipment and for research and development in 2020 should remain in the magnitude of the 2019 volume. Harald Wilhelm, Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Finance & Controlling and Daimler Mobility: "The focus in the coming years will be on the significant improvement of our margins as well as the cash flow. Our goal is to ensure solid net liquidity to protect the necessary investments, and at the same time, to pay attractive dividends. We will ensure disciplined capital allocation in all areas." The figures in this document are preliminary and have neither been approved yet by the Supervisory Board nor audited by the external auditor. This document contains forward-looking statements that reflect our current views about future events. The words "anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "can," "could," "plan," "project," "should" and similar expressions are used to identify forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to many risks and uncertainties, including an adverse development of global economic conditions, in particular a decline of demand in our most important markets; a deterioration of our refinancing possibilities on the credit and financial markets; events of force majeure including natural disasters, pandemics, acts of terrorism, political unrest, armed conflicts, industrial accidents and their effects on our sales, purchasing, production or financial services activities; changes in currency exchange rates and tariff regulations; a shift in consumer preferences towards smaller, lower-margin vehicles; a possible lack of acceptance of our products or services which limits our ability to achieve prices and adequately utilize our production capacities; price increases for fuel or raw materials; disruption of production due to shortages of materials, labor strikes or supplier insolvencies; a decline in resale prices of used vehicles; the effective implementation of cost-reduction and efficiency-optimization measures; the business outlook for companies in which we hold a significant equity interest; the successful implementation of strategic cooperations and joint ventures; changes in laws, regulations and government policies, particularly those relating to vehicle emissions, fuel economy and safety; the resolution of pending government investigations or of investigations requested by governments and the conclusion of pending or threatened future legal proceedings; and other risks and uncertainties, some of which we describe under the heading "Risk and Opportunity Report" in the current Annual Report. If any of these risks and uncertainties materializes or if the assumptions underlying any of our forward-looking statements prove to be incorrect, the actual results may be materially different from those we express or imply by such statements. We do not intend or assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements since they are based solely on the circumstances at the date of publication. Daimler at a Glance Daimler AG is one of the world's most successful automotive companies. With its Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans, Daimler Trucks & Buses and Daimler Mobility divisions, the Group is one of the leading global suppliers of premium cars and one of the world's largest manufacturer of commercial vehicles. Daimler Mobility offers financing, leasing, fleet management, investments, credit card and insurance brokerage as well as innovative mobility services. The company founders, Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz, made history by inventing the automobile in 1886. As a pioneer of automotive engineering, Daimler sees shaping the future of mobility in a safe and sustainable way as both a motivation and obligation. The company's focus therefore remains on innovative and green technologies as well as on safe and superior vehicles that both captivate and inspire. Daimler continues to invest systematically in the development of efficient powertrains from high-tech combustion engines and hybrid vehicles to all-electric powertrains with battery or fuel cell with the goal of making locally emission-free driving possible in the long term. The company's efforts are also focused on the intelligent connectivity of its vehicles, autonomous driving and new mobility concepts. Daimler regards it as its aspiration and obligation to live up to its responsibility to society and the environment. Daimler sells its vehicles and services in nearly every country of the world and has production facilities in Europe, North and South America, Asia and Africa. In addition to Mercedes-Benz, the world's most valuable premium automotive brand (source: Interbrand study, 17 Oct. 2019), and Mercedes-AMG, Mercedes-Maybach and Mercedes me, its brand portfolio includes smart, EQ, Freightliner, Western Star, BharatBenz, FUSO, Setra and Thomas Built Buses as well as the brands of Daimler Mobility: Mercedes-Benz Bank, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services and Daimler Truck Financial. The company is listed on the Frankfurt and Stuttgart stock exchanges (ticker symbol DAI). In 2019, the Group had a workforce of around 298,700 and sold 3.34 million vehicles. Group revenues amounted to 172.7 billion and Group EBIT to 4.3 billion. Figures for the 4th quarter and full-year 2019 Daimler Group Q4 Q4 Change FY FY Change 2019 2018 19/18 2019 2018 19/18 Revenue, in millions of EUR 47,127 46,610 +1% 172,745 167,362 +3% EBIT, in millions of EUR 388 2,669 -85% 4,329 11,132 -61% Net profit, in millions of EUR -11 1,642 - 2,709 7,582 -64% Earnings per share (EPS), in EUR -0.10 1.46 - 2.22 6.78 -67% Dividend proposed, in EUR - - - 0,90 3.25 -72% Employees (Dec. 31) 298.655 298,683 -0% 298.655 298,683 -0% Net liquidity (industrial business, Dec. 31), in millions of EUR 10,997 16,288 -32% 10,997 16,288 -32% Free cash flow (industrial business), in millions of EUR 1,890 2,958 -36% 1,368 2,898 -53% EBIT by Divisions Q4 Q4 Change FY FY Change in millions of EUR 2019 2018 19/18 2019 2018 19/18 Mercedes-Benz Cars 1,310 1,883 -30% 3,359 7,216 -53% Daimler Trucks 382 710 -46% 2,463 2,753 -11% Mercedes-Benz Vans -1,050 81 - -3,085 312 - Daimler Buses 119 132 -10% 283 265 +7% Daimler Mobility 87 378 -77% 2,140 1,384 +55% RoS by Divisions Q4 Q4 Change FY FY Change in % 2019 2018 19/18 2019 2018 19/18 Mercedes-Benz Cars 4.9% 7.3% -2.4pts 3.6% 7.8% -4.2%pts Daimler Trucks 3.9% 6.8% -2.9pts 6.1% 7.2% -1.1%pts Mercedes-Benz Vans -24.5% 2.0% -26.5%pts -20.8% 2.3% -23.1%pts Daimler Buses 8.2% 8.6% -0.4%pts 6.0% 5.9% +0.1%pts Daimler Mobility (RoE) 2.4% 12.0% -9.6%pts 15.3% 11.1% +4.2%pts Revenue by Divisions Q4 Q4 Change FY FY Change in millions of EUR 2019 2018 19/18 2019 2018 19/18 Mercedes-Benz Cars 26,859 25,858 +4% 93,877 93,103 +1% Daimler Trucks 9,868 10,424 -5% 40,235 38,273 +5% Mercedes-Benz Vans 4,293 3,978 +8% 14,801 13,626 +9% Daimler Buses 1,449 1,540 -6% 4,733 4,529 +5% Daimler Mobility 7,534 7,059 +7% 28,646 26,269 +9% Sales Q4 Q4 Change FY FY Change in units 2019 2018 19/18 2019 2018 19/18 Daimler Group 910,163 917,756 -1% 3,344,951 3,352,415 -0% Mercedes-Benz Cars 649,826 638,263 +2% 2,385,432 2,382,791 +0% Daimler Trucks 120,745 143,524 -16% 488,521 517,335 -6% Mercedes-Benz Vans 129,898 126,088 +3% 438,386 421,401 +4% Daimler Buses 9,694 9,881 -2% 32,612 30,888 +6% The figures in this document are preliminary and have not yet been approved by the Supervisory Board nor audited by the external auditor. SOURCE Daimler North America - Corporate Communications Related Links https://www.daimler.com On Tuesday, federal prosecutors indicted Larry Ray for physically, sexually and mentally abusing his daughter and her roommates from 2010 to 2018. Jim Mustian/AP Prosecutors announced charges against Lawrence "Larry" Ray, a father of a Sarah Lawrence College student who allegedly moved on campus and manipulated her daughter's friends to participate in an abusive sex cult. Ray's alleged physical, mental, and sexual abuse were detailed in a New York magazine story that went viral last year. Prosecutors announced Tuesday that Ray would be indicted for predatory behavior detailed in the article, claiming Ray "subjected his victims to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse." Ray is being charged for the indoctrination and exploitation, engaging in sex trafficking, extortion, and forced labor of his victims. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. Lawrence "Larry" Ray who drew nationwide attention last year when a viral New York magazine article detailed how he manipulated and allegedly abused his daughter's classmates at Sarah Lawrence College now faces criminal charges. "College is supposed to be a time of self-discovery and newfound independence a chance to explore and learn all within the safety of a college community," Geoffrey Berman, the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York, said at a press conference Tuesday. "The defendant exploited that vulnerable time in these victims' lives." The explosive article alleged that he moved into his daughter's Sarah Lawrence dormitory, where he manipulated her and her roommates with physical, mental, and sexual abuse. His psychological lock on the students, according to the article, amount to a cult where he forced them to do his bidding. On Tuesday, Berman and William Sweeney, the head of the FBI office in New York, announced that Ray was being charged with nine counts of sex trafficking, extortion, forced labor, and an array of other crimes. Prosecutors claim that Ray, 60, subjected his victims to "sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse" over the course of 10 years. Ray was arrested Tuesday morning at his home in New Jersey. Story continues "Ray ensnared many of his victims when they were teenagers a time of particular vulnerability for the young people he preyed on," Berman said. "Ray used physical, sexual, and psychological abuse to make his victims confess to alleged wrongdoing, then agreed to make substantial payments to Ray, payments that these young students did not actually owe and could not actually afford." Ray allegedly made as much as $1 million from his manipulations Using these coerced confessions, Ray laundered as much as $1 million obtained from his victims, prosecutors said. His victims went to great lengths to pay Ray back, draining their parents' bank accounts, soliciting money from friends, and participating in free forced labor, prosecutors said. In one case, federal prosecutors accused Ray of "sexually grooming" a victim, forcing her into prostitution, then taking $500,000 of her earnings. Ray allegedly convinced his victims that they needed to pay him money that they did not owe and did not have the means to pay. The Sarah Lawrence College campus. Wikipedia One of his victims took over $200,000 from their parents' savings account and others worked on his family's property in North Carolina without pay, prosecutors said. The indictment included charges for crimes committed from 2010 to 2018 for which he could face life in prison. However, Berman and Sweeney encouraged any other of Ray's victims or people with information to come forward to authorities and contribute to the ongoing investigation. Ray allegedly roped his victims into a cult Ray was accused of starting the abusive sex cult in Slonim Woods 9, a two-story brick dorm close to the center of the Sarah Lawrence College Campus, where his daughter Talia lived. The father reportedly cast his daughter and her roommates under his spell by making steak dinners, prompting deep philosophical conversations, and becoming a confidant to some of his daughter's friends. In a similar ethos of the NXIVM cult, Ray would hold intense group interrogations in the pursuit of "personal transformation" that would "reveal deep personal truths," the Cut reported. Under the guise of personal growth and exploration, Lawrence would command students to have sex together, sometimes partaking in the "sessions" himself, according to New York magazine. He would also hold therapy sessions in which he would "diagnose" his vulnerable victims with largely made up psychological problems, convincing "them that they were broken and that only Ray could fix them," Berman said. "[In these therapy sessions], he laid the groundwork for psychological conditioning these young adults of becoming unwitting victims of sexual exploitation, verbal and physical abuse, extortion, forced labor, and prostitution," Sweeney said. Sarah Lawrence College. petit hiboux/Flickr According to the indictment, once Ray gained their trust, he turned on them. He would allegedly physically and mentally abuse victims to coerce confessions of fabricated crimes committed against him, including poisoning him or damaging his property. The abuse ranged from food and sleep deprivation to verbal and physical abuse, including threatening to dismember a victim and choking another until they passed out, prosecutors said. While the sex cult began in his daughter's college dormitory, Ray's abuse later moved to his Manhattan apartment in the Upper East Side. It would even reach as far as his family's property in Pinehurst, North Carolina. "He has continued to mental and physically torture victims. There's no knowing damage he's caused in the years to come," Sweeney said. When Ray was arrested by authorities in his New Jersey home, he was found with one of the victims mentioned in the indictment and one of his daughter's former college roommates. Sarah Lawrence's administration said it wasn't aware of Ray's activities In a statement, Sarah Lawrence College said "the charges contained in the indictment of are serious, wide-ranging, disturbing, and upsetting," and that it looked into Ray's activities after the publication of the New York magazine story. And internal investigation, the statement said, didn't substantiate specific claims in the article about activities that took place on the campus. Students at Sarah Lawrence told Insider at the time that the story was so egregious, they had trouble believing it. "Everyone was so freaked out and angry," one student, Haley Beecher, said after the New York magazine article was published. "Like, how could this happen? Why did the school let this happen?" Read the original article on Insider Nigerias Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the 7.5 per cent value-added tax in the country, remains the lowest in Africa. ... Nigerias Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, has said that the 7.5 per cent value-added tax in the country, remains the lowest in Africa. The federal government increased VAT from 5% to 7.5% from February 1, 2020. Speaking in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Osinbajo explained that no payment of VAT on food, drugs and educational items. The Vice President stated this in Lafia during the launching of the national micro, small and medium enterprises clinics for viable enterprises. The new value-added tax which has gone up from 5% to 7.5%, many people have said it is higher tax burden on the consumers and of course it has implications for those who are trading as well. But we must remember that this is the lowest VAT rate in the whole of Africa; Ghana VAT rate was 15%, they reduce it to 12.5%, ours is 7.5%. It is also important to mention that companies and MSME with low turnover of less than N25m do not have to register for VAT and as a result of this, government has worked out a way of not creating any extra burden for small and medium-size companies. In other to reduce the impact of VAT increase on consumers, several basic items such as food, drugs and educational items are exempted from VAT, so there is no payment of VAT on food, drugs and educational items, he said. Viewers quickly labelled Stacey Hampton a 'gold digger' after she appeared to be only interested in her new 'husband' Michael Goonan after discovering his millionaire status. But the 26-year-old law graduate has claimed the real events played out differently to how it was portrayed on Married At First Sight. The law graduate said she decided to give Michael a chance, before she found out about his family's Adelaide-based business empire. Setting the record straight: Married At First Sight star Stacey Hampton (pictured) has addressed claims she's a 'gold digger' and revealed the real reason she's on the show 'They weren't showing a lot of bits,' Stacey told Nova's Fitzy and Wippa on Tuesday. The mother-of-two claims the show's producers gave her friend a phone with the enlightening information on it. She added: 'The phone thing. No one in reception had a phone so I felt it very bizarre my friend just happened to have one. That was very weird.' Edited? But the 26-year-old law graduate has claimed the real events played out differently to how it was portrayed and she decided to give Michael a chance, before she found out about his family's Adelaide -based business empire Stacey remembered telling her friends she would give him a chance before she found out Michael was the manager director of Adelaide Ice, not after like it appeared on the show. 'Then it (the scene) cuts to me giving him a chance. I said that before she even brought the phone out. They chopped that bit in after,' Stacey claimed, telling skeptics to ask the people who were really at her wedding. Stacey's accusations come after a production source revealed wedding guests weren't allowed to use their phones during filming. 'Very weird': The mother-of-two suggested the show's producers gave her friend a phone with the enlightening information on it. How Carla (pictured) supposedly had access to her phone remains a mystery Was it staged? Stacey's accusations come after a production source revealed wedding guests weren't allowed to use their phones during filming 'The weddings are always closed sets and mobile phones aren't allowed,' said the source. 'Guests are briefed beforehand and told to keep their phones turned off and out of sight. There are runners constantly watching to make sure nobody gets them out.' The mobile phone ban is to prevent spoilers from leaking on social media, as all of the MAFS weddings are filmed several months in advance. This suggests that producers may have 'staged' the scene by encouraging Carla to Google Michael's name at the reception. But it's unlikely she was given strict instructions, as crew members instead prefer to 'nudge people in the right direction' and let things play out naturally. Married At First Sight continues Tuesday at 7:30pm on Channel Nine The year was 1942, and Lenny Singerjust a teensensed the draft was coming for him. The wor London: The story of a travelling British businessman who appears to have passed the coronavirus to Britons in at least three countries has prompted concerns over a "superspreader" who could play a large role in transmitting the infection. The British national may have unwittingly spread the pneumonia-like virus to at least 11 people in the course of his travels from Singapore to France to Switzerland to England, according to public health authorities and accounts in the British media. Infected Britons in England, France and Spain probably caught the virus from him. On Tuesday, the businessman was identified as Steve Walsh, a project management leader for Servomex, a gas analytics company. He attended a sales conference from January 18 to 22 at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore, which is where he is thought to have contracted the virus. In a statement to sent via his employer, Walsh said his thoughts were with the other infected people. Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on Tuesday took action against two police officers who had hit a photojournalist covering a sit-in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act. While Assistant Inspector Ghanshyam Borse was placed under suspension, the probation period of Sub Inspector Azim Shaikh was increased for assaulting photojournalist Ashish Raje near an anti-CAA protest site in Nagpada here on February 6. An association of photojournalists and journalists met Deshmukh on Tuesday who announced the action against the two police officers. After the incident, Borse and Shaikh were shunted to the police control room. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) For those who wonder whether the world really needs the election needle, we realize the actual results will emerge soon enough. But we also think that the millions of people who follow election night results online ought to have the context to understand them as well as experts do. Is New Hampshire hard? The New Hampshire primary isnt the easiest contest to forecast, but its not the hardest either. The state reports its election results by township, offering a more granular look than the typical returns by county. (The Iowa results, which were reported by precinct, gave us a good sense of where we might expect the candidates to fare better or worse.) Pete Buttigieg will probably excel in the affluent suburbs of southeastern New Hampshire, as he did in the suburbs of Des Moines. He might also hope to fare well in older parts of rural and small-town New Hampshire, but Bernie Sanders will find great strength along the border of Vermont, his home state. Mr. Sanders will also probably do well in many of the states larger communities, like Concord and Portsmouth, and in most of the states college towns. But he might not be as strong in the elite bastion of Hanover, home to Dartmouth, where Elizabeth Warren, Mr. Buttigieg or even Amy Klobuchar might have a shot. What happened in Iowa? The Iowa Democratic caucus was not the smoothest-run electoral contest weve ever seen, and that was reflected in the needles performance. In the broadest sense, the needle fared all right: It consistently showed Mr. Buttigieg favored to win the most state delegate equivalency results, while showing Mr. Sanders favored to win the most votes. This is the current result, irregularities in the existing data notwithstanding. But we believe the needle was too confident before full returns were reported. Most important, it did not handle the depth of one candidates strength in the satellite caucuses. These caucuses, first used on a large scale this year, were held for Iowans in places like hospitals, out-of-state military installations and overseas, and they broke overwhelmingly for Mr. Sanders. A man disinfects a room at a quarantine center for people suspected with nCoV infection in Vinh Phuc Province, northern Vietnam, February 7, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Tat Dinh. A three-month-old girl in Vinh Phuc Province, a grandchild of one of the infected patients, has tested positive for the new coronavirus. It is Vietnams 15th confirmed case, with Vinh Phuc accounting for 10 of them. On January 28 the infant was taken to her grandmothers house in the provinces Binh Xuyen Town. The woman had earlier contracted the infection from her 23-year-old cousin, one of eight workers who went to Wuhan City for work training last November and returned on January 17. Six of them have tested positive for the virus, and two others are awaiting results. After the grandmother tested positive for nCov, the provincial center for disease control quarantined the baby and her mother since they had had close contact with the patient. On February 6 the child coughed but did not have a fever. A test of her blood sample showed she had the nCov virus. The baby's mother is healthy but has also been isolated at a local medical center pending test results. Of the 15 patients in Vietnam, six have been discharged from hospital after recovering: three workers in Vinh Phuc, a woman in Thanh Hoa, a hotel employee in Nha Trang, and a Chinese man in HCMC. According to the Vinh Phuc Department of Health, 249 people who had come into contact with the infected people are now quarantined and under observation. Doan Thanh Binh, chief of the department, said the provincial government has ordered construction of two field hospitals to cope with the coronavirus outbreak. They will have around 200 beds. The global death toll of the 2019-nCoV has reached 1,018, with 1,016 dying in mainland China and one each in the Philippines and Hong Kong. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 10:20:42|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Photo taken on Feb. 11, 2020 shows a view near the Hong Mei House, Cheung Hong Estate of Tsing Yi area in south China's Hong Kong. Dozens of households in the residential building in Hong Kong's Tsing Yi area were evacuated after two cases of the novel coronavirus infection were found in the same building, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on early Tuesday. The total number of the novel coronavirus infection cases in Hong Kong has risen to 42 as of Tuesday morning. Among Monday's six confirmed cases, five involve two families, triggering warning about outbreaks in families and communities. (Xinhua/Li Gang) HONG KONG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Dozens of households in a residential building in Hong Kong's Tsing Yi area were evacuated after two cases of the novel coronavirus infection were found in the same building, Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on early Tuesday. As the 62-year-old female patient of Hong Kong's 42nd case announced on Monday and the 75-year-old male patient of the 12th case confirmed on Jan. 30 both reside at the 07 unit on different floors in Hong Mei House, Cheung Hong Estate, the CHP said it is proactively following up to investigate whether the infections of the two cases are related. The CHP has immediately coordinated with relevant government departments and organizations to formulate and execute corresponding measures on Monday night. A multi-disciplinary response team has also been activated to investigate and examine if environmental factors were involved in the infection of the two cases. Taking into the opinions from experts, the CHP decided to carry out prudent measures on infection control. Personnel from the CHP inspected the building on Monday night and conducted active case-finding on residents living at the 07 units of the whole block, covering 30 odd floors, to identify if there are undiagnosed cases so as to stop the potential risk of further spread. Symptomatic residents will be sent to the hospital for quarantine while asymptomatic residents will be issued quarantine orders and be transferred to the quarantine center, the CHP said. The Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Housing Department will conduct thorough cleaning and disinfection for the building. The Department of Health will provide residents with guidelines on professional cleaning and disinfection, such as to maintain drainage pipes properly and regularly pour about half a liter of water into each drain outlet (U-traps) to ensure environmental hygiene, and after using the toilet, to put the toilet lid down before flushing to avoid spreading germs, it said. The total number of the novel coronavirus infection cases in Hong Kong has risen to 42 as of Tuesday morning. Among Monday's six confirmed cases, five involve two families, triggering warning about outbreaks in families and communities. Its a bit of patriotism in every bite. Oreo is celebrating Team USA just in time for the 2020 Olympics with the release of a special red, white and blue creme-filled cookie. The sweet treats, which will have three layers of creme each, will also feature the American flag and the Olympic rings on the cookie itself. You can expect it to hit store shelves this summer, reports People.com. With three layers of creme, the limited edition Oreos will have about the same amount as Mega Stuf Oreos (which are the best Oreos of all time, just saying) -- but not as much as the Most Stuf Oreo cookies. You can see what they look like thanks to Instagrammer junkfoodleaks_. Swipe to the third and fourth photo in the Instagram post below to see the Team USA in all their sugary glory. While youll have to wait until summer to enjoy these patriotic cookies, you can still indulge in some special Oreos. The cookie company is slated to release Tiramisu Flavor Creme Oreo this spring, according to The Today Show. Oreos have been an American staple since they were invented in New York (and sold in New Jersey) in 1912. Learn more about Oreo at oreo.com. 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. An Italy-bound passenger was apprehended by CISF personnel at the Delhi airport for allegedly carrying four live bullets in his baggage, a senior official said on Tuesday. A Central Industrial Security Force official deputed at Terminal-3 of the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) to scan baggages detected bullet-like objects while checking the bag of Indian national Amrik Singh on Monday, he said. "Four live bullet rounds of .32mm calibre were recovered from the passenger who was supposed to take an Air India flight to Milan," the official said. The traveller was not allowed to board the flight and was handed over to the Delhi Police as he could not produce any document for carrying the ammunition, he added. Carrying arms and ammunition inside an airport terminal area or an aircraft is banned under the Indian aviation laws. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) By Rasana Gasimova Russias Gazprombank plans to implement a number of projects in Azerbaijan, which it considers one of the key countries for cooperation, the banks Vice President Denis Kamyshev has told Russian media. Kaymyshev said that Gozprombank has business interests with other CIS countries. He noted that Gazprombank has outlined positive dynamics in the banks relations with Azerbaijans business, as well as with various local authorities. Kamyshev added that as a significant share in both Russias and Azerbaijans economy is occupied by the petrochemical industry. He added that the infrastructure is an essential part of the Azerbaijani economy. Part of it required a radical modernization, and it was important not to miss the moment. The Azerbaijani leadership understood this. We knew that SOCAR is a very demanding partner with whom it is necessary to be as frank and involved in the process as possible, he said. Kamyshev noted that Gazprombank is engaged in a large project in Azerbaijan to build factories for the production of polypropylene and high density polyethylene. The production site is located in the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, 30 km from Baku. The project is called SOCAR Polymer. The total cost is about $800 million. The first plant was commissioned in July 2019. This is a major breakthrough for the countrys economy, and a very interesting experience for us, Kamyshev emphasized. He said that the bank has now launched the second large project in Azerbaijan - the construction of the SOCAR GPC gas processing and petrochemical complex, where Gazprombank acts as a financial consultant. He noted that the projects budget is about $4 billion. Kamyshev stressed that the bank intends to actively cooperate with local financial organizations during the implementation of projects in Azerbaijan. We have signed a cooperation agreement with two major Azerbaijani banks - PASHA Bank and the International Bank of Azerbaijan. We agreed on joint financing of investment projects in Azerbaijan in such priority areas as the petrochemical and oil and gas refining industries, agriculture, transport and logistics, communications and telecommunications, including with the use of factoring and leasing tools, he said. In addition, the bank intends to offer a number of innovative hallmark products for sale in Azerbaijan. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz InovaSure recently partnered with the Kannaland municipality to construct a R1.2-billion solar farm in the region, which will deliver reserves of renewable energy to combat load-shedding. During off-peak periods, the solar farm system will be able to draw energy from Eskom and store it for release later, and the power can be used to supplement shortages during peak hours or sent to nearby municipalities such as Mossel Bay. This will ease pressure on the grid, thereby protecting residents against load shedding and also generate an income for the Municipality, InovaSure said. This solution is named the InovaSure Energy Vault, and it has been implemented successfully in various other countries over the past 10 to 40 years. This is just the beginning of InovaSures strategy to deliver power reserve systems across South Africa, however, as it plans to install its Energy Vaults across the country. Government support The ultimate goal is for InovaSure to eventually roll out this technology to the rest of South Africa and, ultimately, the entire continent, InovaSure said. The Energy Vault project is supported by key stakeholders in Government such as the Central Energy Fund, the National Treasury and the Development Bank of Southern Africa. It is also supported by international partners in the BRICS alliance and various collaborating organisations. The documents for the project are currently being processed by the Development Bank of Southern Africa and the National Treasury and is expected to start construction in the Kannaland Local Municipality within the next couple of months, InovaSure said. InovaSure said it has invested a significant amount of effort and money into finding a solution for the electricity supply issues in South Africa. The Energy Vault solution could help to reduce peak demand on the national power grid by rebalancing off-peak usage and reserving it for demand relief during peak usage times. Through a national public-private partnership, InovaSure aims to provide energy security in South Africa by providing more municipalities with this technology. The plan to install 120 Energy Vaults InovaSure has posited a strategy for rolling out 120 InovaSure Energy Vaults across 20 different municipalities. It stated that this level of energy security could help to mitigate the sensitivity of the national grid by reducing peak demand by 4,000MW per day. As the first municipality to receive one of these Energy Vaults, Kannaland will be able to provide businesses with a far more reliable supply of energy. On top of this, InovaSure will set up a Public Benefit Organisation into which a significant portion of the proceeds of the Energy Vault will be paid. This money will then be used to uplift the local community, mostly through the provision of free educational media, said Kannaland municipal manager Reynold Stevens. The Energy Vault project will be funded by InovaSure on a build, own, operate, and transfer basis and will be handed over to the Municipality over a 25-year period using the money generated from the distribution devices. Initiatives like InovaSures Energy Vault and a renewed push for private power generation point to a potential solution for South Africas load-shedding problem originating from the private sector. This follows after Eskom CEO Andre de Ruyter voiced his support for the unbundling of Eskom and the plan to allow independent power producers (IPPs) to generate their own electricity. Wiser classicists know better: Modernism, now well over a century old, is, like it or not, a part of history whose impact cannot be wished away. And while modernisms glassy, transparent volumes boldly departed from the solid masses of classically-inspired buildings, its masters, like Mies, simultaneously learned from that tradition and enlivened it by placing their buildings and urban spaces in vivid counterpoint to it. A sterling Chicago example, chiefly designed by Jacques Brownson, is the Richard J. Daley Center, the muscular courts high-rise whose bridgelike beams relate directly in scale to the monumental Corinthian columns of the City Hall-County Building across Clark Street. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP (www.kaplanfox.com) is investigating Sasol Limited ("Sasol" or the "Company") (NYSE: SSL). A class action securities lawsuit has been filed on behalf of investors who purchased Sasol securities, including Sasol American Depositary Receipts ("ADRs"), between March 10, 2015 and January 13, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). According to the complaint, on October 27, 2014, Sasol announced the construction of an $8.1 billion ethane cracker and derivatives complex in Lake Charles, Louisiana, the Lake Charles Chemicals Project ("LCCP"). On June 6, 2016, Sasol reported that "the expected total capital expenditure for the [LCCP] could increase up to US$11 billion. . . ." Following this news, the price of Sasol's ADRs fell $3.53 per share, nearly 11%, to close at $28.60 per ADR on June 6, 2016. On May 22, 2019, Sasol disclosed that the cost estimate for LCCP had been revised to a range of $12.6 billion to $12.9 billion, about 50% more than initially planned. Following this news, the price of Sasol's ADRs fell $4.50 per share, nearly 15%, to close at $25.64 per ADR on May 22, 2019. On August 16, 2019, Sasol issued a press release disclosing that it was delaying the announcement of its 2019 financial results due to "possible LCCP control weaknesses." Following this news, the price of Sasol's ADRs fell $0.74 per share, about 4%, to close at $17.67 per ADR on August 16, 2019. On October 28, 2019, Sasol disclosed that its review of the LCCP control weaknesses had found "errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in the [LCCP] cost estimate" and, according to the complaint, that a number of unethical and improper reporting activities had taken place at the highest level of management. Sasol also announced the resignations of its Joint Chief Executive Officers, Mr. Bogani Nqwababa and Mr. Stephen Cornell. Finally, on January 14, 2020, Sasol issued a press release confirming that on January 13, 2020, the Company "experienced an explosion and fire at its LCCP low-density polyethylene (LDPE) unit." Further, Sasol stated that "[t]he unit was in the final stages of commissioning and startup when the incident occurred" and "has been shut down and an investigation is underway to determine the cause of the incident, the extent of the damage and resulting impact on the LDPE unit's [beneficial operation] schedule. Following these disclosures, the price of Sasol's ADRs fell $1.70 per share, or 7.84%, over two trading days, to close at $19.99 per ADR on January 15, 2020. The complaint alleges, among other things, that throughout the Class Period, the Company and other Defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that: (i) Sasol had conducted insufficient due diligence into, and failed to account for multiple issues with, the LCCP, as well as the true cost of the project; (ii) construction and operation of the LCCP was consequently plagued by control weaknesses, delays, rising costs, and technical issues; (iii) these issues were exacerbated by Sasol's top-level management, who engaged in improper and unethical behavior with respect to financial reporting for the LCCP and the project's oversight; and (iv) all of the foregoing was reasonable likely to render the LCCP significantly more expensive than disclosed and negatively impact the Company's financial results. If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may move the court no later than April 6, 2020 to serve as a lead plaintiff for the purported class. You need not seek to become a lead plaintiff in order to share in any possible recovery. If you would like to discuss the complaint or our investigation, please contact us by emailing [email protected] or by calling 800-290-1952. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, with offices in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and New Jersey, has many years of experience in prosecuting investor class actions. For more information about Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP, you may visit our website at www.kaplanfox.com. If you have any questions about this Notice, the action, your rights, or your interests, please contact: Donald R. Hall KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 850 Third Avenue, 14th Floor New York, New York 10022 (800) 290-1952 (212) 687-1980 Fax: (212) 687-7714 E-mail: [email protected] Laurence D. King KAPLAN FOX & KILSHEIMER LLP 1999 Harrison Street, Suite 1560 Oakland, California 94612 (415) 772-4700 Fax: (415) 772-4707 E-mail: [email protected] SOURCE Kaplan Fox & Kilsheimer LLP Related Links http://www.kaplanfox.com Portuguese Government to Co-Finance 5.1 million for Two Innovative Research Programs DEV4ALL and GOLEM OutSystems, provider of the number one low-code application development platform, today announced that the Portuguese government has agreed to co-finance 5.1 million through the Portugal 2020 economic development program for a pair of innovative research and development programs led by OutSystems. The DEV4ALL and GOLEM projects, done in partnership with Carnegie Mellon and several universities and research institutions, aim to accelerate disruptive innovation in the low-code development industry and make app development more accessible to non-technical people, also known as citizen developers. The Carnegie Mellon Portugal Program (CMU Portugal) is a platform for education, research, and innovation that brings together Carnegie Mellon University and several Portuguese universities, research institutions, and companies. Carnegie Mellon is a world-leading university in the field of Computer Science and is home to 13 laureates of Turing Awards, the Nobel prize of computing. The mission of CMU Portugal is to place Portugal at the forefront of research and technological development in the area of Information and Communication Technologies, by promoting an innovation ecosystem with a tight coupling between cutting-edge research, world-class graduate education, and highly innovative companies in the data-driven economy. DEV4ALL (Development for All Towards a Society of Software Developers) is a portfolio of initiatives aimed at making low-code development even easier. OutSystems will collaborate with the University of Minho, INESC TEC, and the NOVA LINCS lab hosted at Universidade Nova de Lisboa. The collaboration will focus on unifying web and mobile development models, developing easy-to-use domain-specific languages, advancing collaborative development in low-code, creating intelligent apps without coding, enhancing AI-assisted development, and making low-code platforms easier to learn. GOLEM (Automated Programming to Revolutionize App Development) is the most ambitious collaboration effort OutSystems has pursued with academic communities. The main goals of the three-year program are to automate programming and revolutionize the app development experience. The program aims to answer questions like: What is the next generation of low-code? What is the most natural way for a citizen developer to create fit-to-purpose apps without having to write code? How can such a visionary development experience be implemented? GOLEM is one of a few select large-scale collaborative research projects to run under the CMU Portugal cooperation program. OutSystems will be working with Carnegie Mellon, the NOVA LINCS lab at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and INESC-ID. "These two projects illustrate how OutSystems continues to look to the future and support initiatives that will disrupt the app development market," said Joao Abril de Abreu, Innovation and University Relations Manager at OutSystems."They reflect the work OutSystems has been doing building strong ties with strategically selected universities and research institutions to boost the company's ability to do top-quality research." About OutSystems - Thousands of customers worldwide trust OutSystems, the number one low-code platform for rapid application development. Engineers with an obsessive attention to detail crafted every aspect of the OutSystems platform to help organizations build enterprise-grade apps and transform their business faster. OutSystems is the only solution that combines the power of low-code development with advanced mobile capabilities, enabling visual development of entire applications that easily integrate with existing systems. Visit us at www.outsystems.com, or follow us on Twitter @OutSystems or LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/outsystems. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005097/en/ Contacts: Ann Conrad, OutSystems (US) +1 404-994-2614 ann.conrad@outsystems.com or Kyle Tildsley (US) outsystems@pancomm.com +617 502 4300 or Jose Franco (Portugal) +351 213 026 150 josebfranco@corpcom.pt According to the latest market report published by Persistence Market Research titled Remote Patient Monitoring Device Market: Global Industry Analysis and Forecast, 20162024, the global remote patient monitoring device market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% and is estimated to reach US$ 1,502.9 Mn by 2024, creating incremental opportunity of US$ 657.1 Mn between 2016 and 2024. Persistence Market Research analyzes the overall performance of the global remote patient monitoring device market and provides key insights on the factors and trends likely to influence the market during this eight-year period. Market dynamics Rising prevalence of cardio vascular diseases, respiratory disorders, and diabetes in the general population are major factors driving the growth of the global remote patient monitoring device market. Increasing healthcare expenditure and increasing availability of effective treatment solutions for chronic diseases is also projected to boost revenue growth of the global remote patient monitoring device market. To Remain Ahead Of Your Competitors, Request for a Sample Here @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/3287 Other factors boosting market growth include an increasing awareness among people to self-monitor before disease advancement and government reimbursement issued on homecare settings facilities. Lack of trained professionals to help with remote patient monitoring devices is expected to hinder market growth of the global remote patient monitoring device market. Insufficiency in maintaining the privacy and security of the stored data, lack of uniformity in device functionality, and lack of general awareness on patient monitoring devices are the key restraints challenging the market. Market highlights The global remote patient monitoring device market is segmented on the basis of Product Type (Cardiac Monitors, Respiratory Monitors, Hematological Monitors), Application (Cardiac Arrhythmia, Diabetes, Ischemic diseases, Hypertension, Sleep apnea, Chronic respiratory diseases, Hyperlipidemia), End User (Hospitals, Homecare Settings, Long-term Care Centers, Others), and Region (North America, Latin America, Europe, APEJ, and MEA). By product type, the cardiac monitors segment is expected to remain the largest segment and is anticipated to reach US$ 765.4 Mn by the end of 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.9% over the forecast period. By the end of 2024, the respiratory monitors segment is projected to reach US$ 435.0 Mn, expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% over the forecast period. By application, the cardiac arrhythmia segment is estimated to reach US$ 307.7 Mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.8% over the forecast period. The diabetes segment is projected to reach US$ 196.8 Mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 5.6% over the forecast period. For Critical Insights On The Remote Patient Monitoring Device Market, Request For Customization Here @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/request-customization/3287 By end user, the hospitals segment is anticipated to reach US$ 690.1 Mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.6% over the forecast period. The homecare settings segment is anticipated to reach US$ 347.3 Mn by 2024, expanding at a CAGR of 6.2% over the forecast period. Among regions, North America is estimated to dominate the global remote patient monitoring device market with 31.4% revenue share of the overall market by the end of 2016. The Europe remote patient monitoring device market is anticipated to reach US$ 341.1 Mn by 2024. By 2024, North America and Europe markets are expected to account for over four-fifth share of the global remote patient monitoring device market revenue. For In-Depth Competitive Analysis, Buy Now @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/checkout/3287 Vendor highlights Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang is facing backlash in light of his softer views on abortion, as reported by Faithwire. In a recent forum in New Hampshire, the up-and-coming candidate called abortion a tragedy, and several abortion advocates called for him to drop out of the race. There is a really important tone to set on this, where you dont just say, like were absolutist about it, though I have to say I am relatively absolutist about it on this, he said. Like I think that it should be completely up to the woman and her doctor and the state should not be intervening all the way through pregnancy. But its a tragedy to me if someone decides that they dont want to have a child and theyre on the fence and then maybe at some point later; its a very difficult personal decision and its something that we should be very, very sensitive to. He continued to call out those who celebrate abortion and said that celebrating children, family, these are universal human values. But those in favor of the Abortion is Healthcare movement believe Yang has no room to lead the country because of his views. Popular writer and communications consultant Lauren Rankin tweeted, Abortion is an incredibly common human experience, one that deserves dignity and respect. You dont get to lead the Democratic Party in 2020 if you belittle and demonize those whove had abortions and those whove defended and supported them. 1 in 4 women have had an abortion in this country, and Andrew Yang is mocking their choice and humanity when he demonizes abortion in this callous way. You dont have to be ashamed because you made the right choice for you. Abortion isnt a tragedylack of access to it is. 1 in 4 women have had an abortion in this country, and Andrew Yang is mocking their choice and humanity when he demonizes abortion in this callous way. You dont have to be ashamed because you made the right choice for you. Abortion isnt a tragedylack of access to it is. February 8, 2020 When Yang referenced celebrating abortion, he was likely referring to the #ShoutYour Abortion campaign in 2015 that encouraged women to discuss their abortion on social media. Or potentially when National Abortion Rights Action League President Ilyse Hogue declared at the 2016 DNC that she was fortunate enough to get an abortion when she got pregnant at the wrong time. Yang seems to be one of the few Democratic candidates not drawing a hard line on the issue. Sen. Bernie Sanders has said abortion is absolutely essential for Democrats to support. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and former Vice President Joe Biden also promised to codify access to abortion nationwide should they get elected. Related: 2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates Are More Radically Pro-Abortion than Ever before, NYT Says No Room for Pro-Lifers in Democratic Party, Sanders Says: Abortion Rights Are 'Essential' Does Pete Buttigieg Believe Abortion Should Be Completely Unrestricted? Abortion Rights Are Human Rights, Elizabeth Warren Says at 5th Democratic Debate Photo courtesy: Getty Images/Scott Eisen/Stringer Mikaela Mathews is a freelance writer and editor based in Dallas, TX. She was the editor of a local magazine and a contributing writer for the Galveston Daily News and Spirit Magazine. Kazakh President Replaces Regional Governor Following Deadly Ethnic Clashes By RFE/RL February 10, 2020 NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has sacked the governor of the southern Zhambyl region following deadly ethnic clashes in the area over the weekend. Toqaev's press service said on February 10 that the president issued decrees to relieve Asqar Myrzakhmetov from his duties and was appointing Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbaev in his place. The announcement comes after 10 people were killed in the violence that erupted between local Kazakhs and ethnic Dungans, a Muslim group of Chinese origin, in the region's villages of Masanchi, Sortobe, Auqatty, and Bulan-Batyr last week. Dozens were also injured, including two police officers, while more than 30 houses, 15 commercial buildings, and 23 vehicles were destroyed or damaged in the battles. Earlier, on February 10, Toqaev ordered Myrzakhmetov to sack the Zhambyl region's deputy governor for social issues, Slushash Qurmanbekova, and the governor of the Qordai district, Bolatbek Baitole, where the deadly clashes took place. Toqaev also ordered Interior Minister Erlan Turghymbaev to sack regional police chief Arman Orazaliev and the Qordai district police chief Azamat Aiqymbekov. Kazakh Deputy Interior Minister Aleksei Kalaichidi said on February 9 that the violence was sparked by a conflict on a highway after men in two cars brawled following a traffic disagreement. Kalaichidi added that the brawl was recorded and placed on social media networks which led to the wider clashes in which firearms were used. Kalaichidi also said that police detained a man suspected of placing the video on the Internet and adding "misleading" statements that sparked the ethnic conflict. Thousands of people fled villages where the violence erupted, ending up in the neighboring Kyrgyz Chui region, where the majority of ethnic Dungans in Central Asia traditionally reside. On February 8, groups of mainly ethnic Dungans could be seen lining up along the Kyrgyz side of the border, while on the other side of the border, Dungan people handed out food and offered medical assistance to those arriving. Kyrgyz officials told RFE/RL that some 4,500 Kazakh citizens, mainly Dungans, entered the country in the wake of the clashes last week. Kazakh officials said on February 9 that over 1,000 of them had returned to Kazakhstan following a call from the Kazakh government. Deputy Finance Minister Alikhan Smailov said on February 10 that the government will provide the families of those killed in the clashes with financial support and fully restore destroyed and damaged houses. Police have launched probes into the murders and the organization of the groups who clashed. A specially created government commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Berdibek Saparbaev is working in the Qordai district on the case. The Kazakh government has been positioning the country as an example of interethnic civility for years, though local ethnic conflicts have been reported in the country since it gained independence following the Soviet Union's collapse in 1991. However, it is the first ethnic clash of such scale in Kazakhstan that involves ethnic Dungans. Dungans, also known as Hui, are Sunni Muslims who speak a dialect of Mandarin with many words and phrases borrowed from Arabic, Persian, and Turkic. Their ancestors came to Central Asia, which was then part of the Russian empire, in the late-19th century after the Chinese government's violent crackdown on the Dungan Revolt of 18621877. The number of Dungans living in the former Soviet Union is about 120,000, most of whom reside in Kyrgyzstan's northern region of Chui and the neighboring Kazakh region of Zhambyl. With reporting by Tengrinews, RFE/RL's Kazakh and Kyrgyz services Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/kazakh-president- orders-sacking-of-regional-officials-following- deadly-ethnic-clashes/30426603.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 Three foreigners were denied entry into Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi last week for having recently traveled to areas affected by the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) epidemic. The first passenger, a 24-year-old U.S. woman, arrived at Noi Bai on Friday evening from Bangkok, Thailand. She was turned away as she had traveled to a 2019-nCoV-hit location within the past 14 days, which is the incubation period of the virus. On Saturday, a 35-year-old Malaysian man who boarded a flight from Kuala Lumpur to the airdrome was denied entry for a similar reason. A 32-year-old South African woman arriving from Siem Reap, Cambodia on the same day was also refused entry for having stayed in China within the past 14 days. Vietnam Airlines, Air Aisa, and Vietjet Air - the respective airlines which these passengers flew with - are in charge of taking them back to their airports of origin pursuant to established protocols. The novel coronavirus, which first surfaced in Wuhan in December 2019, has killed 1,018 people and infected over 43,000 globally as of Tuesday, according to the South China Morning Post. It has spread across mainland China and to 27 other countries and regions, Reuters reported on the same day. Vietnam has so far confirmed 15 cases, including 12 Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese. Among them, one Chinese and five Vietnamese have fully recovered and been discharged from the hospital as of Monday. They were all treated for free. Nearly 550 people remained in quarantine in Vietnam because of 2019-nCoV as of Monday evening, including 64 cases of suspected infection and 483 asymptomatic cases isolated due to having recent close contact with high-risk individuals, according to the Ministry of Health. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The U.S providing $170 million for military aid to Europe and Eurasia - GeorgianJournal Andriy Yermak believes that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Ukraine was another step showing that Ukraine-US relations are taking a new leap Assistant to the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky Andriy Yermak noted that there were no dates for official visit of the Head of the Ukrainian state to the US yet, but he expects that they may be settled soon, Interfax-Ukraine reports. "There are no dates yet. Mr. Pompeo said they should be set soon. I think this visit (U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeos visit to Kyiv 112 International.) reinforced the development of Ukrainian-American relations, a good trend that has emerged," Yermak stated. Andriy Yermak believes that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's visit to Ukraine was another step showing that Ukraine-US relations are taking a new leap. "I think they (the US ed.) will now have all their internal impeachment proceedings over and so on. I think we should get a date for the visit soon. And I am pretty sure it will be President Zelenskys historic visit to the United States," he noted. As we reported earlier, Mike Pompeo said that the State Department was working on a new meeting between US President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. We work on many things with them (the Ukrainian leadership - ed.). When the time comes - they are both busy people - we will find a suitable opportunity for him (Zelensky - ed.) And the president (Trump - ed.) To meet. Do you remember that they met in New York in January or, sorry, in September. I am sure they will meet again somewhere, U.S. Secretary of State said. U.S. President Donald Trump said he strives towards nuclear arms reduction, but while such talks with Moscow and Beijing are taking place, Washington will continue increasing its nuclear arsenals. "Now, at the same time, Russia and China both want to negotiate with us to stop this craziness of spending billions and billions of dollars on nuclear weapons," he said at the White House Business Session with governors. "But the only way, until we have that agreement the only thing I can do is create, by far, the strongest nuclear force anywhere in the world," Trump said in a statement posted on the White House website. WOOD RIVER A truck hauling a load of construction supplies to a Subway restaurant in Idaho ended up in Alton, where it was recovered by police Tuesday morning. Few details have been made public. Wood River Police Chief Brad Wells said the case is still under investigation. Arron DeWerff of Wood River-based DBI Construction said he had sent a truckload of construction supplies to Idaho, where his company is renovating a Subway restaurant. However, the driver never showed up. Weve been looking for him for two days, DeWerff said, saying the driver eventually told him he had dropped the supplies off. However, there were no gas receipts to show the truck had traveled that far. Wells said his department was contacted Monday and eventually found the truck in the 1800 block of Ervay Avenue in Alton where the contents had been unloaded into a garage. Officers from Wood River and Alton, along with others, loaded the materials back into the truck. Its been a hectic couple of days, DeWerff said. Wells said when that, when the investigation is complete, it will be turned over to the Madison County States Attorneys Office. Reach reporter Scott Cousins at 618-208-6447. MANILA, Philippines AirAsia on Tuesday, February 11, announced the cancellation of its flights between the Philippines and Taiwan in compliance with the Philippine governments expanded travel restrictions to China and its regions that were affected by the outbreak of novel coronavirus acute respiratory disease (2019-nCoV-ARD). In an advisory, the AirAsia said that flights going Taiwan (Taipei and Kaohsiung) are now cancelled until further notice. The airliner previously cancelled flights from the Philippines to and from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao until March 2020. AirAsia guests affected by the flight cancellations and travel restrictions may choose from the following options: Move flight: One-time flight change to a new travel date on the same route within 30 calendar days beginning 29 March 2020 from original flight time without additional cost, subject to seat availability. Applicable for guests affected by cancelled flights and travel restrictions imposed. Credit account: Retain the value of your fare in your AirAsia BIG Loyalty account for future travel with AirAsia. The online credit account is to be redeemed for booking within 90 calendar days from the issuance date for your travel with us. The actual travel dates can be after the expiry date as long as our flight schedule is out. This is applicable for affected flights to/from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR until 28 March 2020. Full refund: Obtain a full refund to your original payment method for the amount equivalent to your booking. Applicable for affected flights to/from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong SAR, and Macao SAR until 28 March 2020. AirAsia said guests whose flights fall into the above date range can obtain a full refund in the amount equivalent to that booking in the form of original payment. Refund requests can be made with AVA at support.airasia.com. For bookings made through travel agents including online travel agents, refund requests are to be made via the respective travel agents. Story continues AirAsia also strongly encourages its guests to update their contact details to ensure that they receive timely notifications. The airline companys action follows the Department of Healths announcement Monday that Taiwan is covered in the expanded travel ban in an effort to curb the spread of novel coronavirus. The post AirAsia cancels PH flights to Taiwan amid novel coronavirus travel ban appeared first on UNTV News. Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - The Yield Growth Corp. (CSE: BOSS) (OTCQB: BOSQF) (FSE: YG3) subsidiary Flourish Mushroom Labs Inc. applauds the recent momentum toward decriminalization of psilocybin across the U.S., including Washington D.C, California, Colorado, Michigan, Vermont and Oregon. Flourish Mushroom Labs To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: https://orders.newsfilecorp.com/files/6377/52302_image.jpg Denver and two California cities, Santa Cruz and Oakland, have already decriminalized psychedelics. While the legislation does not remove penalties related to the sale or cultivation of mushrooms in Santa Cruz, it does mean the city's law enforcement is unlikely to investigate or arrest individuals for possession. In November, Decriminalize California teamed up with the Beckley Foundation to replicate the success of decriminalization in Oakland throughout the state of California. Decriminalize California has 180 days to collect at least 625,000 valid signatures as of January 2020 in order to get the issue on the November 2020 Ballot. In Washington D.C. residents may vote in November 2020 to decriminalize certain psychedelic plants and fungi making enforcing drug laws related to psychedelics a low priority for law enforcement in the state. Proponents must gather 25,000 signatures by July 1 in order to get this on the November ballot. In Michigan, Decriminalize Nature Ann Arbor is holding a fundraiser to support a lobbying campaign to decriminalize psychedelic plants in the city. The goal of the campaign is to make entheogenic plants, including psilocybin mushrooms, peyote, ayahuasca, mescaline, ibogaine and other plants, the lowest prosecutorial priority. Vermont lawmakers filed a bill in January of this year that would decriminalize certain psychedelic substances such as psilocybin, ayahuasca, peyote and kratom. The Oregon Psilocybin Services Act would allow adults to visit licensed medical facilities to have the psychedelic administered under professional supervision. In order for the initiative to qualify for the November 2020 ballot, 112,020 signatures must be collected by July 2. Story continues "There is tremendous momentum across the United States and globally with greater awareness of the potential of psychedelics and their potential therapeutic benefits," says Yield Growth and Flourish CEO Penny White. "The Flourish Mushroom Labs team is working closely with leading organizations throughout the industry to support the forward movement of these efforts." Last week, COMPASS Pathways announced its acquisition of U.S. Patent No 10,591,175, which covers methods of treating drug-resistant depression with a psilocybin formulation. In 2018, COMPASS received a breakthrough therapy designation for psilocybin therapy for treatment-resistant depression. About Flourish Mushroom Labs Inc. Flourish Mushroom Labs aims to legally and safely commercialize psilocybin (magic) mushrooms. Flourish Mushroom Labs is planning to build a psilocybin mushroom laboratory in St. Vincent and the Grenadines and is conducting research into potential therapeutic benefits of compounds found in magic mushrooms. It has filed a U.S. patent application for the use of psilocybin to aid in weight loss and treat obesity, diabetes and to help prevent heart disease. Flourish also plans to be a leader in the fast-growing medicinal mushrooms market-and improve life by offering high-quality mushroom-infused products. Flourish Mushroom Labs is a majority owned subsidiary of The Yield Growth Corp. About The Yield Growth Corp. The Yield Growth Corp. develops and manufactures plant-based products and conducts research for plant-based therapeutics 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. The Yield Growth management team has deep experience with global brands including Johnson & Johnson, Procter & Gamble, Skechers and Aritzia. Its all natural hemp skincare brand, Urban Juve, has signed agreements for distribution in Canada, Colombia, Brazil, Costa Rica, Panama, Argentina, El Salvador, Ecuador, Peru, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia. Yield Growth's Wright & Well brands have manufactured a THC/CBD line of topical and edible products in Oregon. 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 other intellectual property. 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/52302 Expect fireworks as JBL unveils its new brand film featuring superstar and youth icon Ranveer Singh, urging consumers to Live it real and Live it raw. Featuring striking visuals and inspiring rap vocals by the superstar and JBL ambassador himself, the film showcases the power of staying original and authentic and daring to take the world head on! It reflects JBLs ethos of daring the listeners to follow their hearts and to experience the raw and unfiltered sound of music. The slick flick makes a strong case for unwavering self-belief and confidence to conquer all - in Ranveer Singhs inimitable style. The campaign with take the philosophy of living raw and real forward across multiple consumer touch points like digital and social media, E-commerce platforms and retail channels. The film will debut on OTT platforms and cinemas in the coming weeks, giving viewers a taste of JBL and Ranveer Singhs quintessential flair. Talking about the film, actor and JBL brand ambassador Ranveer Singh said, Working on the film with the folks at JBL has been an incredible experience. I love the brands philosophy of living raw and real as it resonates with my personal life choices. Our youth is all about authenticity and this brand film aims to reinforce the same self-belief. I look forward to working with JBL on some great projects that connect with the spirit of the youth. The new brand film is a true representation of JBLs uncompromising quality and Ranveer Singhs indomitable spirit. It is a powerful celebration of the raw potential of our youth and reflects their fearless attitude, said Vikram Kher , Vice President- Lifestyle Audio, HARMAN India. JBL has always urged its consumers to dare and reach out for the best and the film brings to life our philosophy with perfection. We are confident that the youth across the country will love the uplifting feel inspired by the message. Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical ServicesDepartment, said about 50 firefighters responded around 5:18 a.m. to the blaze in the 600 block of Darrington Street SE, not far from the D.C. and Maryland border. Before now, it was up to the discretion of the officer whether to contact the shelter. If a victim asked for it, officers would help. But if they didnt ask, it wasnt routinely offered. Nash said victims are better off using both police and community-based services. Regardless of whether the case results in a conviction, she said, the victim should get the message during the criminal process that the police are on their side. Its such a tactic of abusers to say, like, Nobodys going to believe you, that kind of thing, Nash said. So if they experience, These guys believe me, they care about me, theyre not just here to punish people, theyre really here to help, it makes it more likely that the victims will call for help next time, if there is a next time. Lambert said there are times when the YWCA has to turn people away because the shelter is full. Its pretty rare for it to go more than 24 hours for a bed to be vacant, Lambert said. Staff at the Dublin tech recruitment firm Indeed are set to return to work in their offices early next week. Hundreds of staff had been told to work from home yesterday after it emerged a worker in their Singapore office may have been exposed to the coronavirus. At last! Honesty from a bank. Peter Hobbs of Mosman recently tweeted UBank about their "environmental vandalism" in sending 16 letters and 32 single-sided pages per quarter with no opt-out or digital option. "They replied: 'Thanks for reaching out your environment concern. We do welcome and prevaricate any feedback we receive'." "The weekend downpour pretty much washed-out most outdoor markets across Sydney," writes Jack Dikian of Mosman. "So I was bemused by the fact the only stall open for business was the tarot card reader at Crows Nest. Didnt she see the rains coming?" Still talking about the weather, Warren Menteith of Nyatnyatan, Bali says: "For me the best comment on the BOMs forecasting capability (C8) came from Clive Robertson on the 2BL morning show back in the '70s: "The BOM is buggered. Since they airconditioned the building they cant put their heads outside." Robyn Lewis of Raglan adds: "I believe the BOM is in line for a creative writing award. In the Central West we have seen 100 per cent chance of a storm or rain for the last six days, but until now we have had 7mls for the entire time. Not even enough to wet under the trees. This morning, a fifth rainwater tank is being delivered to our home so I'm hoping it will not be a white elephant to match our umbrellas and Driza-bones." "I'm wondering how the police select names for the various task forces they establish to investigate crimes," ponders Graham Russell of Clovelly. "Strike Force Henrick was mentioned last week. Do they use a random name generator or draw strange names out of a hat?" "My raw emotion has turned to naked ambition to skinny dip into the conversation about the 'nude solution' (C8), posing the question: Is Buff Point moonlighting as a nudist colony? Perhaps Ron Elphick could bare his soul to clarify," suggests Allan Gibson of Cherrybrook. Remaining with the natural state, Don Bain of Port Macquarie recalls "Elvis rendering a line from one of his hits as 'Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me bare?' Drove his audience many of them female into quite a tizz!" Nervous public speakers also appreciated the King's advice. "Singapore is increasingly a center of gravity for all of Asia, not only for commercial and business operations, but as a regulatory and policy innovator," said Ambassador Robert Holleyman, president and CEO of C&M International and former deputy U.S. Trade Representative responsible for Asia. "Our work and client demand is driving this commitment in Singapore and the office only strengthens our ability to serve our clients in Asia and globally." Clark Jennings, director at C&M International and former White House official, will serve as managing director of Asia and oversee the new operation in Singapore. Jennings served at the National Economic Council of the Obama Administration, where he helped coordinate the president's trade agenda, and as chief of staff at the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. His work at C&M International focuses on digital transformation and related policy developments in Asia. "Our work is already deeply rooted in the Asia-Pacific, and we're keenly watching how digital transformation is reshaping every industry and reorienting the way that governments work with the private sector," Jennings said. "Having a physical presence in the region will help us deepen our collaboration with governments, associations, and business executives to shape the policies and manage the emerging issues that will define economic growth in 'the Asian century'." C&M International is well established in Southeast Asia, having advised on high-profile policy initiatives and supported the development of unique, impactful public-private partnerships for a wide range of industries. This includes advising on the creation of a new framework within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to enable cross-border data flows and helping launch the region's largest public-private platform to strengthen ethical business practices across national health systems. The firm has long worked with governments to raise standards, having secured a political commitment from 21 AsiaPacific trade ministers to align regulatory approval procedures for medical products, and is now working to deploy international standards for the energy sector, particularly for LNG importation. Beyond its traditional trade policy and supply chain analysis capabilities, the firm has a growing portfolio related to sustainable infrastructure development and public-private sector collaboration to address the global environmental challenge around plastic marine debris. The move into Singapore comes less than one year after C&M International opened an office in Shanghai to support clients facing cross-border transactional, investigative, policy, and regulatory needs. "Singapore is a market that is growing in importance to our clients," said Philip T. Inglima, a board member of C&M International and chair of Crowell & Moring, LLP. "With the rapid growth in Asia, a presence in Singapore will help C&M International meet client needs to navigate the ever-changing nature of international sanctions, expand operations, align with regional partners, and engage with multilateral organizations and governments. The direct experience in the region and the insights that C&M International has gained through more than three decades of work in the region will add additional value through our on-the-ground presence." McKinsey Global Institute has noted that Asia is on its way to exceeding 50 percent of global GDP by 2040 and driving 40 percent of the world's total consumption. Over 70 percent of global economic growth last year came from Asia. C&M International provides government affairs, public policy, and public affairs services that complement legal services provided by Crowell & Moring, LLP in areas such as digital transformation; innovation policy and IP; trade, investment, and market access, including supply chain analysis; global health policy and regulation; data protection, privacy and cybersecurity; and other emerging policy areas. "Singapore has established a reputation for being one of the best places in the world in which to do business. Having an office there complements Shanghai by allowing C&M International to serve clients in China and throughout Asia and to connect their policy and commercial priorities to the issues evolving in Washington, Brussels, London, and beyond," Inglima said. About Crowell & Moring International Crowell & Moring International, LLC is a global government affairs and public policy consulting firm that helps clients shape the international regulatory landscape to support innovation, sustainable growth, and commercial competitiveness in global markets. For more than thirty years, our team of public policy experts, former trade negotiators and government officials, economists, and researchers has worked with clients to resolve commercial and trade challenges, clear political hurdles, and engage in the policymaking processes that affect their international business goals. Our professionals have served in senior roles on Capitol Hill and at key U.S. government agencies, including the White House, the Office of the United States Trade Representative, and the Departments of State and Treasury, among others. Media Contact: Rebecca Carr +1 202.508.8835 Email: [email protected] SOURCE Crowell & Moring International Related Links https://www.crowell.com/Practices/C-M-International The Central Bureau of Investigation Tuesday filed a charge sheet against Dubai-based businessman and alleged middleman Manoj Prasad in connection with a bribery case involving the probe agency's former Special Director Rakesh Asthana. The CBI, however, gave a clean chit to Asthana in the charge sheet filed before special CBI Judge Sanjeev Aggarwal, court sources said. The agency has also absolved RAW chief S K Goel, who was also under the scanner in the case. CBI DSP Devender Kumar, who was arrested in 2018 and later got bail, has also got a clean chit by the probe agency. The court has put up the final report for consideration on Wednesday. Prasad was arrested on October 17, 2018 and got bail on December 18 the same year. According to the sources, the charge sheet further states that investigation in the matter is still underway and the agency may file a supplementary report. The CBI's failure to file a charge sheet within the mandatory 60 day period had in December 2018 led a Delhi court to grant statutory bail to Prasad. The trial court had on October 31 last year granted bail to Kumar, arrested on October 23, after the agency chose not the oppose his application. The CBI had registered the case against Asthana on the basis of a complaint from Hyderabad-based businessman Satish Sana, facing probe in the 2017 case allegedly involving meat exporter Moin Qureshi. Sana alleged that the officer had helped him get a clean chit. The agency had arrested Prasad in the case when he returned from Dubai. It was alleged by Sana that Prasad and his brother Somesh had taken Rs 2 crore to arrange a clean chit to him. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) See thisarticle, Cruise ship coronavirus infections double, exceeding the total for any country but China. When the ship docked in Japan, it was quarantined for 14 days to be sure only healthy people disembarked. But now, the only people disembarking are those who are sick and being taken to hospitals. Ships are places of close quarters and even though they are implementing social distancing with a variety of measures, people continue to get sick. Now, are they getting sick from previous contact, or are they being newly infected?Because of all the uncertainty, they are likely putting "all options" back on the table. A shipboard mutiny is possible. Katy Independent School District high school seniors can compete for two scholarships for next year by writing a one-page essay on their experience volunteering. The two $1,500 scholarships are up for grabs in the Stepping into the Future writing contest, sponsored by Dr. James Jacobs, DPM with Your Total Foot Care Specialist. We love being able to give back to the Katy community by encouraging future generations to reach and accomplish their dreams, said Jacobs. We believe the key to future success requires support, commitment, dedication and drive. He said the monies give opportunities to students that display academic promise through both academic success and the capability to be a leader. We want to be able to support the community where we live, work and play, Jacobs said. Seniors from Katy Independent School District with a GPA between 2.5 and 3.7 may apply. Other eligibility requirements include an official high school transcript, plans to enroll full-time, or at least 12 hours, at a higher education institution and a complete and legible application that can be downloaded here. Qualifications include defined career and study goals, a range of extracurricular activities, demonstrated leadership skills and experience in community service. Applications and essays are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, and can be submitted in-person or by mail to Your Total Foot Care Specialist Scholarship, Attention: Human Resources, 23230 Red River Drive, Katy, TX 77494. A third party will evaluate the applications and decide the winners. The scholarship recipients will be revealed at the Katy ISD Awards Ceremonies in May. For further information, visit https://www.katyfootcare.com/patient-resources/scholarships/. tracy.maness@hcnonline.com Selexis SA, a JSR Life Sciences Company, today announced that Women In Bio (WIB) has named Jessica Bosc, Selexis Director of Business Development and Licensing, as the organization's President following a one-year term as President-Elect. Ms. Bosc began volunteering with WIB's Greater Boston chapter in 2016. Her new role with WIB became effective January 1, 2020. "Women In Bio is an organization of deeply committed professionals providing support for women at every career stage, from the classroom to the boardroom. Through my volunteer efforts with WIB, I've been able to leverage my passion for mentorship and work alongside scores of like-minded women working to make positive and lasting changes in our industry," said Ms. Bosc. "I am deeply honored to continue leading WIB in my new role as President." "We're proud of Jessica's achievements with Women In Bio and congratulate her on being selected to serve as President," said Igor Fisch, PhD, CEO, Selexis SA. "Fostering equality is non-negotiable at Selexis as part of one of our core values, which is caring. We care about our mission and our people, and believe that our compassion and empathy are the driving forces behind our success. This is one of the reasons we've earned recognition as a Great Place to Work in Switzerland for the last two years. We fully support Jessica's contributions to Women In Bio and her efforts to transform the life sciences careers of women on our team and beyond." At Selexis, Ms. Bosc is responsible for growing and maintaining Selexis partner relationships in the Eastern part of the United States. Prior to Selexis, Ms. Bosc was business development manager, Northeast for Cytovance Biologics, Inc. where she designed, directed and executed business development activities for mammalian, microbial and flex contract development and manufacturing services. She also spent four years at Sartorius-Stedim Biotech, formerly TAP Biosystems, as an applications specialist-ambr systems. Previously Ms. Bosc spent more than a decade in scientific roles of increasing responsibility at organizations such as Laureate Biopharmaceutical Services, Inc., Percivia, LLC., BioProcessors, Corp., and Immunogen. She was awarded a Master of Science at Tufts University, and completed her Bachelor of Science at Colgate University. About Women In Bio (WIB) Founded in 2002 to support women employed in the field of life sciences, from the classroom to the boardroom, WIB is a multifaceted organization with 13 chapters in North America. It offers an array of professional educational programs, peer to peer learning, mentoring and networking opportunities, and is the only organization for women that integrates all career levels and life sciences fields. WIB is funded by sponsors and partners dedicated to supporting diversity and inclusion for women of all ages in their lifelong journey; in the life sciences and beyond. Please visit www.womeninbio.org. About Selexis SA Selexis SA, a JSR Life Sciences Company, is the global leader in cell line development with best-in-class modular technology and highly specialized solutions that enable the life sciences industry to rapidly discover, develop and commercialize innovative medicines and vaccines. Our global partners are utilizing Selexis technologies to advance more than 125 drug products in clinical development and the manufacture of six commercial products. As part of a comprehensive drug development process, the Company's technologies shorten development timelines and reduce manufacturing risks. More information is available at www.selexis.com. FOR MORE INFORMATION - Web www.selexis.com - LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/company/selexis-sa - Twitter www.twitter.com/SelexisSA - Facebook www.facebook.com/SelexisSA View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005060/en/ Contacts: Media Inquiries for Selexis Mike Beyer Sam Brown Inc. +1 312-961-2502 mikebeyer@sambrown.com Company Inquiries for Selexis Robert Meister Head, Corporate Communications +1 602-953-1716 robert.meister@selexis.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-10 20:55:21|Editor: Xiaoxia Video Player Close Chairman of the Munich Security Conference (MSC) Wolfgang Ischinger holds a copy of Munich Security Report during a press conference in Berlin, Germany, on Feb. 10, 2020. The upcoming 56th Munich Security Conference will discuss a theme coined as "westlessness", the loss of the common standing of what it means to be part of the West, according to a report published on Monday. (Xinhua/Ren Ke) BERLIN, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- The upcoming 56th Munich Security Conference (MSC) will discuss a theme coined as "westlessness", the loss of the common standing of what it means to be part of the West, according to a report published on Monday. The Munich Security Report, which is published annually ahead of the MSC, sets the tone for the conference that is known as the "Davos" in global security and political issues. This year's MSC will be convened from Friday to Sunday this week. "There is a double phenomenon right now, that the first is the West is less western, and the second is the world as a whole is less western. What does it mean to German, European and global relations, especially to our security politics?" said Wolfgang Ischinger, chairman of the MSC, at a press conference Monday morning in Berlin. According to the organizer, the westlessness means a widespread feeling of uneasiness and restlessness in the face of increasing uncertainty about the enduring purpose of the West. Many security challenges seem to have become inseparable from what some describe as the decay of the Western project. "What is more, we appear to have lost a common understanding of what it even means to be part of the West. Although perhaps the most important strategic challenge for the transatlantic partners, it appears uncertain whether the West can come up with a joint strategy for a new era of great power competition," the organizer wrote. The MSC 2020 will seek answers and solutions to this fundamental question by examining the European project, defense cooperation, and the liberal international order as a whole. Decision-makers and experts from across the world will also discuss hotspots from Libya to the Persian Gulf and further to East Asia, the trade disputes between the EU and the United States, and the discord between Germany and the United States over the Russia-Germany gas pipeline project "Nord Stream 2." Pressing global challenges will be a focal point, above all the effects of climate change, but also the intersections of trade and technological progress with international security, according to the organizer. More than 500 high-level international decision-makers, including over 35 heads of state or government as well as some 100 foreign and defense ministers, are expected at the conference. These leaders from the fields of politics, business, academia, and civil society will discuss current crises and future security challenges. French President Emmanuel Macron, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend the MSC for the first time, which will be opened by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Grain Millers Association of Zimbabwe (GMAZ) failed to appear before a Parliamentary portfolio committee yesterday to explain how it used a US$27 million facility to import wheat and refurbish the Grain Marketing Board silos. GMAZ, led by Mr Tafadzwa Musarara, declined to attend yesterdays meeting saying that the chairman of the committee on Lands, Agriculture Water and Rural Resettlement, Cde Justice Mayor Wadyajena (Gokwe Nembudziya) was biased. He said the financial arrangements were a matter for the Public Accounts Committee. The GMAZ said the financial arrangements were a confidential matter between itself and the Government. Cde Wadyajena was sticking to his guns that the GMAZ was obliged to meet his committee. He said Parliament would now invoke its standing orders and charge GMAZ with contempt of Parliament. They feel this committee is unfair with them and they prefer the Public Accounts Committee, said Cde Wadyajena. They have engaged their lawyers to fight us. They have to appear before us. The committee resolved that we are going to summon them. We want information from them. They received US$27 million from Government and we want them to explain how they used it. There are two issues. The first is rehabilitation of GMB silos which they claimed they did, but GMB said no silos were refurbished. The other issue is the money they got for importing wheat. We have got confirmation from RBZ that they got US$27 million. So, we are merely performing our constitutional oversight duty. Their lawyers wrote about four letters, they do not want me to chair the meeting. I do not understand why. In their latest letter dated January 22, 2020, lawyers representing GMAZ said their client felt they would not be treated fairly. The lawyers said they expressed the same reservations last year against Cde Wadyajena and the agreement GMAZ had with Government was confidential, adding that disbursement of funds was done by GMAZs financial advisors, and legislators should direct any queries to them. As far as appearing before the committee on the nominated date is concerned, we are instructed to point out that a formal meeting is not necessary for purposes of providing documentary proof of financing silo repairs countrywide, said the lawyers. Further and in any event, our clients executive have other prior engagements on the proposed date of the meeting. We are further instructed, for what it is worth, to communicate our clients view that the issues being raised are not for the portfolio committee on Agriculture, Lands, Water and Rural Resettlement. The issues relate to a tripartite funding transaction involving our client, a parastatal and the Government. Residents Flee 20 Rakhine Villages in Surge in Myanmar Fighting After Local Internet Ban 2020-02-10 -- More than 1,100 residents from 20 villages in Myanmar's war-torn northern Rakhine state have fled a surge in fighting between government troops and the rebel Arakan Army, a local administrator and a lawmaker said Monday. The new wave of internally displaced persons (IDPs) comes amid the daily shelling of communities and the restoration of an internet service ban in five townships where the armed conflict has intensified during the past year and the population of displaced has swelled past 100,000 people. "So far, we've got over 1,100 IDPs," said Nyi, administrator of Buthidaung's Thaykan Kwasone village, adding that the fleeing villagers arrived on Feb. 5-9, a day after the Myanmar Army, Navy, and Air Force launched clearance operations in the area. "The Social Welfare Ministry is providing assistance for 600 IDPs, though we have requested more," he said. "The [displaced] have been divided up between the monastery and in a village. We're building temporary camps for those who exceed the capacity of the monastery." The IDPs are from Konedan, Kularchaung, Zeyarmyaing, Oophauk, Thameehla Ywathit, Thameehla Ywa Haung, and Ohnchaung villages in Rathedaung township and from Kyaukpyin Seik and Seikkhu villages in Buthidaung township. The ministry is providing 3.5 pyi of rice, a measurement unit equal to 2.7 U.S. quarts, per person per month, and officials are collecting donations to build enough temporary camps for the IDPs, Nyi Nyi said. Aung Thaung Shwe, an ethnic Rakhine lawmaker who represents Buthidaung township in Myanmar's lower house of parliament, said the villagers fled because of constant firing of heavy artillery by both the Myanmar Air Force and Navy. Clashes that have occurred in more than 10 villages in the area have prompted residents to leave since last year, with some seeking safety in nearby villages, he said. "The military has been conducting clearance operations," Aung Thaung Shwe said. "They fled when shells exploded in their villages. When the military stop firing the shells, they went back to the village." "Now, internet services are shut down, and the military is firing from both air and navy vessels, so they were terrified and fled," he added. On Feb. 3, the government reimposed an internet shutdown in four northern Rakhine townships, including Rathedaung and Buthidaung, and in Paletwa township of neighboring Chin state after partially lifting the block five months ago. The move came amid escalated hostilities between Myanmar forces and the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic Rakhine armed group that seeks greater autonomy in the region, which have left dozens of civilians dead and driven more than 100,000 from their homes, according to a Rakhine relief group tallying the number of IDPs. Four cuts strategy AA spokesman Khine Thukha said that armed assaults by Myanmar forces are not in response to clashes, but are based on an assumption that villagers are harboring AA troops in communities along the Mayu River. "They are destroying villages along the Mayu River in Buthidaung and Rathedaung. They are using the four cuts strategy in their operations," he said in a reference to the Myanmar military's counterinsurgency tactic designed to deny armed opposition groups access to food, money, information, and recruits. "They assume that when the villagers flee, AA soldiers cannot get food supplies, so they cannot live in the villages," he said. Khine Thukha pointed to reports, for example, that Myanmar soldiers burned harvested rice paddies in the Mahnyin Taung area, with some damage caused by helicopter fire. Colonel Win Zaw Oo, spokesman for the Myanmar's military's Western Command responsible for Rakhine state, said that government soldiers are conducting a clearance operation in Rathedaung and Buthidaung and that villagers should not provide support to the AA. "If these villages harbor AA troops, they will be caught in the battles," he said. The latest clash occurred at about 10 a.m. local time Monday along the border of Buthidaung and Rathedaung in an area where AA troops are active and have been attacking vessels in the Mayu River, Win Zaw Oo said. "We're conducting the clearance operation in response to them," he said. Reported by Waiyan Moe Myint for RFA's Myanmar Service. Translated by Ye Kaung Myint Maung. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin. Copyright 1998-2020, 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 February 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 A Virginia father was brought to tears when he was gifted a teddy bear with the sound of his late son's heartbeat from the man who received the 16-year-old's heart. Stephanie Reid shared a heartbreaking video of her husband, John Reid, being overcome with emotion as he opened the package from the recipient of his son's heart, Robert O'Connor. Their son, Dakota, was killed in a crash in January 2019 when he was riding with a driver who pulled out in front of an SUV. In the video, John is seen opening a large box and grabbing a note that was placed inside. In the video, John is seen opening a large box and grabbing a note that was placed inside. John begins reading the letter aloud, saying: 'We would have preferred to give this to you in person, but not sure when that would happen.' John, who says he talks to O'Connor daily, begins reading the letter aloud, saying: 'We would have preferred to give this to you in person, but not sure when that would happen.' 'As you know, I went for my one-year check-up this past week. While we were there the staff made arrangements with the echocardiogram team...,' John reads before trailing off. He then pulls out the Build-A-Bear box and continues reading the note. 'Dakota's heartbeat...' John says through tears before opening the Build-A-Bear box. John pulls out the adorable teddy bear that has 'Best Dad Ever' written on its shirt. He then squeezes the bear's paw and holds it close to his ear. He wasn't able to control his emotions as he listened to the sound of Dakota's heartbeat. 'Dakota's heartbeat...' John says through tears before opening the Build-A-Bear box. John pulls out the adorable teddy bear that has 'Best Dad Ever' written on its shirt (right) John wasn't able to control his emotions as he listened to the sound of Dakota's heartbeat The Reid family (John and Stephanie, right) didn't know where Dakota's (left) organs were going when they were donated, but they have learned that their son helped save a farmer who needed a kidney and pancreas and a 21-year-old man who can see due to his son's eyes. In an interview with CBS, John said: 'When I got the bear, my heart was filled with joy. I did not expect any of this.' 'To give the gift of life is to continue God's plan for both the donor families and the recipient,' John added. The Reid family didn't know where Dakota's organs were going when they were donated, but they have learned that their son helped save a farmer who needed a kidney and pancreas and a 21-year-old man who can see due to his son's eyes. John said he and O'Connor are also planning to meet in person for the first time. 'We are blood now. We are family,' John added. realme has made great efforts to become one of the first smartphone brands of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platform. realme, the fastest growing smartphone brand, officially announced today that it would hold the 5G new product launch event with the theme of "Speed of the Future" at MWC 2020 in Barcelona, Spain at 9:30 am on February 24th (UTC+01:00). The first 5G flagship smartphone of realme, realme X50 Pro 5G, will debut on site. It will mark realmes first time to participate in MWC, the grand exhibition in the global communications industry. As a global 5G popularizer, realme adheres to the brand concept of Dare to Leapwill unveil its first 5G flagship, realme X50 Pro 5G, equipped with the first batch of Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platforms, realme will continue to bring more surprises to consumers. At the fourth Qualcomm Snapdragon Technology Summit held at the end of last year, Qualcomm announced that realme would be one of the first smartphone brands of Snapdragon 765G and Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platforms. On January 7th, 2020, realmes first 5G smartphone equipped with Snapdragon 765Gthe 5G Youth Flagship realme X50 5G, was officially launched in China. With the whole product portfolio of leaping experience, it has received excellent reviews from consumers. realme is making further efforts, for the first time at MWC, realme will bring a significant product realme X50 Pro 5G, its first 5G flagship product coming with the Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platform. As a young brand, realme has made great efforts to become one of the first smartphone brands of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 865 5G mobile platform, which is not that easy. At the same time, it shows that realme has built close cooperation with the supply chains represented by Qualcomm, enabling it to offer global consumers with the most advanced technologies and products instantly. realme endeavours to become a tech-trendy brand that "Dare to Leap and will debut at MWC as a leading global brand. Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter. The reasons for Charles Zogbys abrupt departure from the Erie School District remain murky, but the state Department of Education appears to have a clear idea of what will happen next. The Erie School District will get a successor to Zogby, who had been the district's state-appointed financial administrator from March 2018 until he exited the job late last week. The process is underway to select a successor, and a new financial administrator will be announced when that process is complete, Department of Education spokesman Rick Levis said in an email to the Erie Times-News on Monday. Levis did not provide a response to the Erie Times-News questions about why Zogby had left the $148,000-a-year state job. Mr. Zogby is no longer employed by the Department of Education, Levis said in the email. No one in Harrisburg or Erie has offered an explanation for why Zogby left, including whether he resigned or was removed from a job that he was expected to hold until late 2021. He was to end his tenure once the Department of Education agreed that the 11,00-student Erie School District had achieved enough financial stability that state oversight was no longer necessary. Erie schools Superintendent Brian Polito on Friday confirmed that Zogby was no longer the school districts financial administrator and no longer a state employee, and he referred questions to the Department of Education. Polito said the district is expecting the appointment of a new financial administrator and would continue to execute the financial improvement plan that Zogby developed. Zogby, 57, did not respond to a request for comment. He had moved to Erie from eastern Pennsylvania. Zogby in his financial improvement plan said the Erie School District was on course to get out of financial watch as early as December 2021. The Erie School District received a financial administrator as part of state aid to the district to keep it solvent. Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, selected Zogby as the Erie School Districts financial administrator based on a list that, under state law, state Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Scarnati submitted. Wolfs office has not commented on Zogbys departure, and Scarnati in a statement also provided no reasons for Zogbys exit. Scarnati, a Republican from Jefferson County, said Zogby had been working well with the school district. Zogby previously worked for three Pennsylvania governors, all Republicans: Tom Ridge, Mark Schweiker and Tom Corbett. Zogby was state education secretary from 2001 to 2003 and budget secretary from 2011 to 2015. "I was surprised to learn of the departure of Erie School District Financial Administrator Charles Zogby," Scarnati said in a statement. "For nearly two years, Charles has been working collaboratively with the District Superintendent, PA Department of Education, Erie School Board, other local officials and Erie residents to provide rigorous financial oversight and help the district to regain a solid financial footing." The ranking Democrat for Erie's legislative delegation in Harrisburg, Pat Harkins, also said he had not been made aware of why Zogby departed. Harkins, who represents the 1st Legislative District, said he believes the Erie School District no longer needs a state-appointed financial administrator. Harkins said the district is solvent and has already followed Zogby's 64-page financial improvement plan, which state Education Secretary Pedro Rivera approved in May. The state could used the financial administrator's $148,000 salary on other concerns, Harkins said. "The district is doing what it needs to do. I don't see a need for a new one," Harkins said. "Take the cost savings and help the district in another way. The district is proving that they can handle it on its own." By Ed Palattella, Erie Times-News, Pa. (TNS) Precinct captain Carl Voss, of Des Moines, Iowa, holds his iPhone that shows the Iowa Democratic Party's caucus reporting app, in Des Moines, Iowa, on Feb. 4, 2020. (Charlie Neibergall/AP Photo) Nevada State Democrats Will Not Use the Same App Used for Iowa Caucus The Democratic Party of Nevada will not use any apps in their caucus at the end of February after the technology caused serious confusion and delays in the full release of results from Iowas caucus last week. Nevada had planned to use an app developed by Shadow Inc., the same company that created the program that was used in Iowa. However, according to the Nevada state party, because of the problems Iowa experienced, no apps will be used at any point in the Nevada caucus process. After noting the troubles that Iowa experienced, Nevada democrats decided they would not be using that type of app and running the risk of what Iowa described as a coding error in the technology. After the new app failed to transmit the Iowa results, Nevada state Democratic Party Chair William McCurdy II issued a statement saying, confidently that what happened in Iowa would not occur in Nevada on Feb. 22, the date of its party caucuses. It took Iowa Democrats about a week to verify and release the results from the caucus. However, Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez called for a recanvass of some results. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) told the Hill his state is taking precautions to avoid the mistakes that delayed results in Iowa. Nevadas got a great program. Weve got some great people that are hired, that are onboard, Sisolak said in an interview. Weve got a lot of informational meetings out there. Im confident weve taken every precaution. Weve learned from Iowa, and hopefully, we wont have any of those problems. Were not using an app like they did in Iowa, so hopefully we wont have any problems, Sisolak said. The Nevada Independent reported on Feb. 8 that the party would use a computer-based tool to gather caucus results, though it is not clear how that will differ from an app. Democratic volunteer for the Nevada caucus, Seth Morrison is a site leader and told ABC theres very little information about the new tool state party leaders plan to use on February 22. Im afraid, weve got to fix this, Morrison told ABC Nevada 8. They kept reinforcing that it is not an app, but it is a software product that is going to be on an iPad, which is a game of semantics. Results from each of the on-site precincts will be reported to the Nevada State Democratic Party by precinct chairs. Coming up with an alternative plan in Nevada is challenging. The states Democratic caucuses are complicated because they involve four days of early voting at dozens of sites around the state and then the caucus day of voting. Any registered Democrat in the state can participate in the caucus process through one of two ways: in-person early voting or attending your precinct caucus. There will be over 200 day-of voting precincts. The 2020 Nevada Democratic caucuses are the third nominating contest in the Democratic Party presidential primaries and will take place on a Saturday. The Nevada caucuses are a closed caucus, with the state awarding 48 delegates, of which 36 are pledged delegates allocated based on the results of the caucuses. San Francisco, Feb 11 : In a new letter to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, 15 US senators have called upon the online retail giant to improve safety practices and treatment of its workers. "Any practice that puts profits before worker safety is unacceptable," read the letter signed by Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, and Cory Booker, among others. The letter requests a written response, including what action the company will take, by February 21, The Verge reported on Monday. The letter mentioned that recent analysis of Amazon's own internal injury records by The Atlantic, Reveal from the Centre for Investigative Reporting and by a coalition of workers advocate organisations found disturbing injury rates at the Amazon warehouse. "Recent investigations into Amazon's safety records found that the injury rate of workers at Amazon facilities is much higher than the injury rate for private sector employees in the U.S. - and even for the warehouse industry generally," reads the letter. "Amazon's dismal safety record indicates a greater concern for profits than for your own workers' safety and health," the letter said. An Amazon spokesperson, in a statement to The Verge, said that "nothing is more important" to the company than the safety of its employees. Washington, Feb 11 : Native American burial sites in Arizona have been blown up by construction crews building the US-Mexico border wall, according to lawmakers and tribal leaders. Authorities confirmed that "controlled blasting" has begun in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, a Unesco recognised natural reserve about 185 km west of Tucson, the BBC said in a report on Tuesday. The UN had designated Organ Pipe, also known as Monument Hill, as an International Biosphere Reserve in 1976, calling it "a pristine example of an intact Sonoran Desert ecosystem". Officials have said that the aim of the project is to construct a 30ft-tall (9m) steel barrier that runs for 43 miles on the national park land. Reacting to the development, Raul Grijalva, a Democrat congressman, called the destruction "sacrilegious", adding that the federal government failed to consult the Tohono O'odham Nation. According to Grijalva, the chairman of the House Committee on Natural Resources who represents a district that encompasses the area, which shares 400 miles of border with Mexico, the O'odham people buried warriors from the rival Apache tribe there. "What we saw on Monument Hill was opposing tribes who were respectfully laid to rest - that is the one being blasted with dynamite," the BBC quoted Grijalva as saying. Tribal chairman Ned Norris Jr told the Arizona Republic that even though the land was now controlled by the US government, "we have inhabited this area since time immemorial". An internal report from the National Park Service has said that the border wall Trump promised during his 2015 campaign would destroy up to 22 archeological sites within Organ Pipe alone. It was reported that the ancient saguaro cacti, which Grijalva said the O'odham people see "as the embodiment of their ancestors", has been destroyed. The Trump administration has been able to build sections of the US-Mexico border wall on public land due to the 2005 REAL ID Act, which gives the federal government the right to waive laws that conflict with US national security policy. In their bid to build the wall, the White House has waived dozens of laws - including ones that protected Native American graves. A small community in southern Mexico has started offering military-style weapons training to children. Some of them are as young as six or seven years old. Cartel violence plagues Guerrero state and residents say they have little choice. They say some schools in the area are controlled by the cartels. Bernardino Sanchez founded a "community militia" that defends the town. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FOUNDER OF SELF DEFENCE ''COMMUNITY POLICE'' FROM GUERRERO STATE MOUNTAIN REGION, BERNARDINO SANCHEZ, SAYING: ''There are children who don't go to school anymore. Instead of wasting time forming gangs in the street, we prepare them to keep them busy so that they don't join the criminals. That's part of their education.'' Only 6,500 people live in Rincon de Chatula. But it's seen an outsized amount of violence in recent years. Ten people from the area were ambushed and killed just last month by suspected members of the Los Ardillos cartel. Many more have been tortured or even beheaded. Sanchez says the gangs want to extort farmers and force them to grow opium. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) FOUNDER OF SELF DEFENSE ''COMMUNITY POLICE'' FROM GUERRERO STATE MOUNTAIN REGION, BERNARDINO SANCHEZ, SAYING: ''The Los Ardillos trick the indigenous people by going into their communities and offer to purchase poppy paste at a high cost but once they have bought two or three times from them, they lower the price. If they don't want to sell to them anymore, they take it by force and kill them.'' The move to train children in firearms shocked Mexico and made global headlines. But privately - elders in the community admit - its mainly an attempt to grab the attention of officials in faraway Mexico City. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has denounced using children to shine a light on the problem. Mexico saw a record number of murders last year, over 34,000. Meanwhile many residents of the town live in fear. Farmers tend their cornfields with shotguns on their backs and militiamen patrol around the clock. Restoring the Five-Fold Ministry 2nd Edition: Avoiding the Pastoral Supremacy Syndrome: a masterful handbook that aims to provide enough scripture to help the church to understand the principle of eldership. Restoring the Five-Fold Ministry 2nd Edition: Avoiding the Pastoral Supremacy Syndrome is the creation of published author Hartwell Paul Davis, a man who has been a professor of English, Psychology, and Business at several universities in Florida for the past ten years. He also has a postgraduate degree in teaching and a curriculum from Liberty University. Davis writes, The church represents the largest organization in the world, covering all nations, all cultures, and millions of members. Church leadership, like leadership in many organizations, is of vital importance. However, the difference is that Jesuss model of leadership and the use of power and authority can be different from leadership in the world of business. The differences between the fivefold ministry gifts and the leadership of elders and deacons are often misunderstood, and the changing nature of church leadership from biblical roots has resulted in several forms of maladaptive leadership in the church today, the most common being the rise of the pastoral supremacy syndrome, where the focus on the pastoral gift has effectively destroyed the fivefold ministry intended to be Gods leadership design. This book is about leadershipspecifically about leadership in Gods church. Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Daviss new book is an enthralling treatise that opens the eyes of the readers as the author allows them to see the different aspects of spiritual leadership. Included in this book is a conversation about one of the root causes of the misapprehension that decreases the role of fivefold ministry in the church which is the pastoral supremacy syndrome. Along with its chapter is the authors doctoral study in leadership from Liberty University or Regent University. View a synopsis of Restoring the Five-Fold Ministry 2nd Edition: Avoiding the Pastoral Supremacy Syndrome on YouTube. Consumers can purchase Restoring the Five-Fold Ministry 2nd Edition: Avoiding the Pastoral Supremacy Syndrome at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble. For additional information or inquiries about Restoring the Five-Fold Ministry 2nd Edition: Avoiding the Pastoral Supremacy Syndrome, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919. An Australian who returned an initial positive result for the coronavirus has been cleared - as the global death toll scales over 1000. South Australia Health said the person recorded a 'weak positive' result and was cleared following further tests on Tuesday. They had no known link to the virus. The first confirmed case of the virus in the state was recorded on February 1, after a Chinese couple in their 60s arrived in Adelaide from Wuhan. There are 25 South Australians awaiting test results for novel coronavirus. Passengers from Wuhan, China, arrive into Sydney airport on January 23 amid the coronavirus crisis 'Patients should continue to present to their GP if they are displaying any symptoms and have recently returned from mainland China, or have been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case,' SA Health said. 'Importantly, patients should call ahead first so their GP can prepare for their visit.' Anyone who has travelled to mainland China is encouraged to self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last date of exposure. There are 15 confirmed cases of the virus in Australia, with five patients recovered and 10 in a stable condition. There are 42,723 cases confirmed worldwide and the death toll has reached 1013. More than 500 Australians have been evacuated from China amid fears about the spread of the virus. A radio interview with Married At First Sight star Ivan Sarakula has sparked a possible theory about why he insists on pronouncing his first name 'ee-vahn' rather than 'eye-vun'. After Ivan spoke to Perth's Xavier, Juelz and Pete on Monday, the hosts speculated that he'd made a conscious decision to go by 'ee-vahn' because the name is synonymous with backpacker killer Ivan Milat. Ivan Milat is commonly pronounced 'Eye-vun Mil-at' and the alternative pronunciation is rarely, if ever, used when referring to the notorious murderer. Scroll down for audio Hmm! A radio interview with Married At First Sight star Ivan Sarakula has sparked a possible theory about why he insists on pronouncing his first name 'ee-vahn' rather than 'eye-vun' 'I just got a note, it's "ee-vun" not "eye-vun",' radio host Xavier Ellis said, to which his colleague Pete Curulli replied: 'No, "ee-vahn".' Xavier then added: 'Mate, because [of] Ivan Milat!' Pete strongly disagreed, however, saying the pronunciation was 'nothing to do with Ivan Milat'. Odd: After Ivan spoke to Perth's Xavier, Juelz & Pete on Monday, the hosts speculated that he'd made a conscious decision to go by 'ee-vahn' because the name is synonymous with Ivan Milat When he debuted on MAFS, Ivan shook the producers' hands while introducing himself as 'eye-vun', before swiftly correcting himself by saying 'ee-vahn'. This slip-up appears to suggest that he commonly uses the anglicised pronunciation, but decided to go by 'ee-vahn' for the purposes of the show. Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment. Killer: Ivan Milat (pictured before his arrest) is commonly pronounced 'Eye-vun Mil-at' and the alternative pronunciation is rarely, if ever, used when referring to the notorious murderer Ivan Milat murdered seven backpackers and hitchhikers between 1989 and 1992 in the Belanglo State Forest, south of Sydney, and was suspected of killing others. His victims were English backpackers Caroline Clarke, 21, and Joanne Walters 22; Melbourne couple James Gibson and Deborah Everist, both 19; and German backpackers Simone Schmidl, 20, Gabor Neugebauer, 21, and Anja Habschied, 20. He died of cancer in October at the age of 74, while serving a life sentence at Long Bay Correctional Centre. Photo: Johannes Eisele/AFP via Getty Images Harvey Weinstein, who is on trial in Manhattan for rape and sexual assault, will not testify, his defense attorney said in court on Tuesday. Your honor, we discussed it. Mr. Weinstein has obviously pled not guilty, said Damon Cheronis. The state has not met their burden, and hes not going to be testifying. Mr. Weinstein, is that accurate? Justice James Burke asked. Yes, thats accurate, Weinstein said in a hushed voice. Cheronis then said that the defense rested its case. Weinsteins decision was announced after an approximately 30-minute meeting he had with his lawyers in a private room. As Weinstein left court, a reporter asked him whether he wanted to testify. I wanted to, he said. Juda Engelmayer, Weinsteins spokesman, said the former movie mogul didnt need to testify. The prosecution didnt meet the burden of proof, in our opinion, said Engelmayer outside the courthouse. Harvey was fully prepared to, and in the end, we decided, his lawyers helped him decide, not to do it because he didnt have to do anything. Harvey has been wanting to tell his story, to tell his narrative, to get his side out for a long time, and in the end, we didnt need to do it, Engelmayer added. Weinsteins decision not to testify isnt surprising. If he took the stand, prosecutors would have the opportunity to grill him on everything he said, meaning a slipup could ruin whatever headway his defense team might have made. The disgraced Pulp Fiction producer faces five counts in New York City involving two women, former Project Runway production assistant Mimi Haleyi and onetime actress Jessica Mann. He is charged with criminal sexual act for allegedly forcing oral sex on Haleyi at his Soho apartment in 2006. He is charged with rape in the first and third degrees for allegedly raping Mann at a midtown hotel in March 2013. He also faces two counts of predatory sexual assault. The actress Annabella Sciorra, who alleged that Weinstein raped her around late 1993, provided testimony to bolster the prosecutors claim that Weinstein has a pattern of predatory behavior. Prosecutors also called three other women to the stand who testified about alleged prior bad acts. Weinstein was not charged in New York related to any of these three other womens allegations. Weinsteins legal team called a total of seven witnesses to the stand over the course of four days. Some of those witnesses testimony didnt bode so well for Weinstein. His longtime friend, producer Paul Feldsher, was called to undermine Sciorras claim that Weinstein raped her. When prosecutors questioned Feldsher during cross-examination, however, Feldsher said, It was my understanding, for a very long time, that Harvey had a sex addiction and that he dated a lot of women. And a psychologist, whom the defense hoped would raise doubts about the accusers accounts, testified about false memories but wound up saying that shes not an expert in brain regions when shown a brain diagram. On Monday, however, two women provided testimony that undermined allegations from Mann and Lauren Young, one of the three women called to testify about prior bad acts. Young claimed that Weinstein groped her breast and masturbated after trapping her in a Beverly Hills hotel suite bathroom seven years ago. Weinstein is charged in Los Angeles for the alleged incident involving Young. He is also charged with rape in California for an allegation involving another woman. Weinsteins team will present their closing argument on Thursday. Update, February 24: Harvey Weinsteins verdict has been announced. The Duchess of Corwall faced a battle with the icy winds as she arrived at a food market in Leicester today. Camilla, 72, who is in the East Midlands city for a day of engagements with the Cambridges, separated from Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, to join Prince Charles, 71, in visiting stallholders at a fruit and vegetable market. Charles and Camilla met workers at the market along with members of a local women's charity, before attending a performance by local schoolchildren to celebrate the diversity of the city, and will later unveil a commemorative plaque in the new market square. During their visit Camilla was seen petting a sweet pug she met during her visit to the Cambridge Satchel company, where they toured the company's workshops and met staff. The Duchess of Corwall faced a battle with the icy winds as she arrived at a food market in Leicester today. Camilla is in the East Midlands city for a day of engagements with Prince Charles Charles looked quite taken by the fruit on display, joking with the stallholder as he embarked on a day of engagements During their visit Camilla was seen petting a sweet pug she met during her visit to the Cambridge Satchel company Camilla managed to cut a chic figure despite the challenging weather, matching her forest green coat to her clutch bag for the occasion. Warding off the chill in woolly tights, boots and a hat, she shook bystanders' hands as she made her way around the market. Meanwhile Charles looked quite taken by the fruit on display, joking with the stallholder. Leicester market is around 800 years old and is the largest outdoor covered market in Europe. Camilla, 72, who is in the East Midlands city for a day of engagements with the Cambridges, separated from Prince William, 37, and Kate Middleton, 38, to join Prince Charles, 71, in visiting stallholders at a fruit and vegetable market Leicester market is around 800 years old and is the largest outdoor covered market in Europe The Prince is also due to attend a reception to launch the Midlands chapter of the British Asian Trust, in his role as the organisation's founding patron. The duchess, who is president of Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), will visit Leicester General Hospital to take part in the RVS's Big Trolley Push recruitment campaign, where she was due to be joined by West End musical star Elaine Paige. Charles will also celebrate craftsmanship, visiting a workshop said to be the last in Britain producing rattan products, before again being joined by Camilla for a visit to the Cambridge Satchel Company. The Duchess of Cornwall (right), meets an employee and her dog during a visit to The Cambridge Satchel Company Camilla managed to cut a chic figure despite the challenging weather, matching her forest green coat to her clutch bag for the occasion The Prince is also due to attend a reception to launch the Midlands chapter of the British Asian Trust, in his role as the organisation's founding patron Charles will also celebrate craftsmanship, visiting a workshop said to be the last in Britain producing rattan products, before again being joined by Camilla for a visit to the Cambridge Satchel Company The fab four! Charles, Camilla, William and Kate came together to visit to the new Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC), Loughborough, in their first official outing as a foursome since 2011. Pictured, the royals at the centre today The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall with a presentation cake during a visit to The Cambridge Satchel Company in Leicester, where they toured the company's workshops and met staff Later, Camilla visited Leicester's General hospital during the launch of their Big Trolley Push charity campaign. The Big Trolley Push is a nationwide volunteer recruitment campaign by volunteering charity, Royal Voluntary Service aiming to get hospital trolley services to reach more patients, in more wards, more often. Camilla, who is President of the Royal Voluntary Service, was seen pushing a trolley full of fruit, magazines and confectionery alongside Elaine Paige OBE. She is later seen shaking hands with the charity Chairman, Stephen Dunmore and meeting the doctors and nurses of Leicester's General hospital. Later, Camilla visited Leicester's General hospital during the launch of their Big Trolley Push charity campaign The Big Trolley Push is a nationwide volunteer recruitment campaign by volunteering charity, Royal Voluntary Service aiming to get hospital trolley services to reach more patients, in more wards, more often She is pictured pushing a trolley with Elaine Paige OBE (right)and John Thompson (left), at the launch of her charities 'Big Trolley Push' campaign Camilla, who is President of the Royal Voluntary Service, was seen smiling as she met doctors and patients at the hospital today Camilla is pictured walking down the corridor and chatting with doctors and nurses with Catherine Johnstone The royal is pictured chatting with Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, Catherine Johnstone as they walk down the hospital corridor. Camilla was seen meeting staff in the Royal Voluntary service shop as well as meeting volunteer Valerie Ridsdale at the launch and hospital shop manager Ken Ayton. The Duchess of Cornwall was seen speaking to Chairman of the University Hospital, Karamjit Singh while holding flowers presumably gifted to her by a royal fan. Camilla smiles as she poses for photos from the hospital's nursing staff while walking down the corridor The royal is pictured chatting with Chief Executive of Royal Voluntary Service, Catherine Johnstone as they walk down the hospital corridor Camilla was seen smiling and shaking hands with the chairman of the charity Stephen Dunmore Camilla is pictured meeting staff in the Royal Voluntary service shop at the Big Trolley Push campaign launch Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall speaks to Chairman of University Hospital Karamjit Singh while holding flowers at the launch The Duchess of Cornwall was seen smiling at the camera at the campaign launch The Duchess of Cornwall was pictured meeting volunteer Valerie Ridsdale at the launch When Arvind Kejriwal first made his mark in Indias public life, he was seen as a well-intentioned, sincere civil society activist, using the Right to Information Act to empower citizens. When Kejriwal truly became a visible public figure, as a leader of the India Against Corruption (IAC) movement, he was seen as an angry disruptor. He was channelling the fury that many felt at the infirmities and the corruption in the system; he was also providing a tangible solution by suggesting that having a strong Lokpal would tackle this systemic issue. When Kejriwal set up a political party, became chief minister, went on dharna, contested against Narendra Modi in Varanasi, and attempted to expand the party nationally, he was seen as a bit of an anarchist, whose ambitions far outstripped his partys base and experience. He hunkered down, went back to the basics, and won Delhi in 2015. When Kejriwal decided to confront the Centre on governance issues in Delhi, oppose demonetisation, and take on the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition in Punjab, where he finished a distant second to the more established Congress, he came across as a strident Modi critic who had slipped away from the focus on governance in the city where he was elected. His leadership model To his credit, Kejriwal learned from all these episodes and the public perception around it to evolve. He also, possibly, looked at what other chief ministers who had been successful, and had retained power, were doing. From 2017, his politics has been different. His leadership style has both seen elements of continuity, but also a degree of rupture. And this has paid off now, with the Delhi CM re-elected for his third term in office. What, then, are the components of this leadership model? The first is complete control over the party. The AAP began with Kejriwal as the face, but also as a political formation that relied largely on collective decision making, with a set of other prominent leaders such as Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav. But Indian politics is largely driven by personality-based formations where it is a single leader who drives decisions. Be it the current BJP, where Narendra Modi or Amit Shah are in the driving seat, or the Congress, which is a party where the word of the Gandhi family is supreme, or a range of regional satraps from Nitish Kumar to Mamata Banerjee, from Stalin to Naveen Patnaik, from the Badals to Sharad Pawar the party is of the leader. The AAP is Kejriwals party, and those who have a problem with that, can find other alternatives. The second element is recognising the power of the media. Kejriwal was among the first leaders, when he was leading the Anna Hazare agitation, to sense both the power of television and social media. His was the politics of theatre, which appealed to television audiences. His party, like the BJP, was as active on all social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp. Over the past year, Kejriwal has kept up this engagement with media, to broadcast his message with striking regularity and precision. What helps is Kejriwals entirely distinctive style, which is conversational; this allows common citizens to relate with the CM. The third element is messaging, and keeping the message simple. Positive politics Kejriwal recognised that, as an incumbent, negative politics and just blaming the Centre would not work. Instead, he carved out a positive platform based on microeconomics, almost like Narendra Modi did in 2019. This involved improvement in public schools, public health, provision of water and electricity at subsidised rates, and free public transport. The specific elements of the governance campaign were weaved under the framework of projecting the AAP as a force which delivers development and governance. This welfare model is not unique from Patnaik in Odisha to the Dravidian parties in Tamil Nadu, a range of formations have attempted it. But the singular focus on health and education helped the AAP stand out as a party that cares. It was, therefore, usual to hear on Delhi streets, in the run up to the election, a common refrain: Kejriwal ne kaam toh kiya hai (Kejriwal has got work done). The message hit home. On Tuesday, after it became apparent that AAP was in for another landslide victory, Kejriwal addressed the party workers, crediting Delhiites for giving birth to the politics of work. The people of Delhi have sent a message saying that they will vote for those who open schools, mohalla clinics, provide 24*7 cheap electricity, water in every house ...This politics will take our country into the 21st century, Kejriwal said. The fourth is the decision not to take on the BJP on the question of national leadership. The resounding mandate in favour of Narendra Modi in 2019 convinced Kejriwal that if the contest became a PM versus CM contest, he would be at a disadvantage. And that is why he made a conscious attempt over the past nine months to not be seen as aggressively confronting Modi a major departure from his politics of five years ago. This was aimed at winning the support of those who may have voted for Modi in 2019, but could be brought back to the AAP since they may not be a committed voter segment of the BJP. The ploy worked. If AAP went up from its 18% vote share of 2019 to over 50% now, the decision not to take on Modi even as the BJP made the PM the face of the campaign worked. The fifth is the decision to assert his religious faith and nationalist identity. Quite early on, during the Anna agitation, Kejriwal was careful to stay away from a paradigm which could come across as anti-national. Remember the Bharat Mata ki jai chants in Ramlila Maidan. As the BJP successfully painted one opponent after another as anti- Hindu and, by extension, anti-Indian, Kejriwal carefully sought to ensure that he did not get placed in the same pigeonhole. Be it his recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa, his visit to the Hanuman temple, his advertisement of organising pilgrimages for the elderly, his tweets against Pakistan, his support for the nullification of Article 370, Kejriwal played with the same textbook that the BJP had used adroitly. Damage control There were two moments which could have derailed his plans, though: the violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University, when AAP leaders, despite pressure, decided not to visit; and the Shaheen Bagh protests, especially after deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia expressed his support for the protests. But Kejriwal immediately got into damage control mode, took charge of the messaging, placed the onus on Amit Shah to clear the protests, and stayed away from the site himself. It is this combination of control over his party, the recognition of the media as an important tool of communication, the power of simple messaging, which is positive and revolves around delivery rather than being merely a critique of the opposition, keeping the focus local rather than confronting the PM, and proudly asserting ones own religious faith and nationalist identity which explains the new Kejriwal school of leadership. It is an example many regional leaders will soon seek to emulate. Commenting on Kejriwals mode of functioning and leadership, Neelanjan Sircar, political scientist associated with Ashoka University and the Centre for Policy Research, said, Kejriwal is following a trope that has been taken up by many regional leaders who came up in the 1990s a charismatic leader that demonstrates control over media and state machinery. He has benefited from a city-state in Delhi... Kejriwals innovation is to distil this strategy without an explicit identity-based or language-based appeal. He has demonstrated the success of a version of politics that does not rely on identity, or at least a version of identity that does not descend into identity politics explicitly... Chinese President Xi Jinping on Jan. 30, 2015. China has applied to join CPTPP, an 11-nation trade pact formed in 2018 after the U.S. withdrew from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The World Bank is offering technical assistance to China to help battle the coronavirus epidemic but no new loans, the development lender's president, David Malpass, said on Monday. Malpass told Reuters the bank was working with the World Health Organization (WHO) to aid China, including offering advice about past health crises, but did not plan any financial assistance because China has ample resources of its own. "My thought is that we all wish them a speedy way to address the coronavirus in China," he said in an interview on Monday. "We've offered technical assistance in the area of health, sanitation and disease policies." Formed after World War Two to rebuild Europe, the World Bank has some $470 billion in assets and counts China among its largest borrowers, with $14.8 billion in loans committed since 2011. China is also the bank's third largest shareholder after the United States and Japan. "China has its own large international reserves," and new loans are not being considered at this time, said Malpass, a former Trump administration Treasury official who took over as World Bank president last April. China reported that it held $3.115 trillion in foreign exchange reserves in January. The World Bank has said its experts are in discussions with Chinese authorities and could help provide assistance on disease surveillance, food safety, lessons from previous pandemics and analysis of the effect of the outbreak on China's economy. Inside China, more than 300 companies from food delivery services to smartphone makers are seeking more than $8.2 billion in loans to ease the impact of the coronavirus, banking sources told Reuters. Economic growth is expected to slow to 5% or less this quarter because of the virus, one Chinese government economist estimates. Malpass declined to offer an estimate of the effect of the crisis on China's or the world's economic growth. He said it was too early to say if the World Bank's already tepid full-year forecast would be cut. "Clearly, coronavirus is slowing growth in the first half of 2020. What the long-term consequences are we'll have to see as the response occurs and the adjustments are made," he said. "China is just coming back from a long Lunar New Year holiday, so we'll have to evaluate the growth." Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Priya Pillai (The Jakarta Post) Colombo Wed, February 12 2020 Justice not yet delivered: Rohingya children are seen at a refugee camp in Coxs Bazar, Bangladesh, in March 2019. The International Court of Justice issued a ruling last month, ordering Myanmar to end genocidal practices against the Rohingya. (Reuters/Mohammad Ponir Hossain) It was a few weeks ago on Jan. 23 that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued what amounted to a cease and desist order against Myanmar, ordering authorities there to end genocidal practices against the Rohingya. The ruling of the so-called World Court has brought hope that international justice will prevail after the horrors inflicted on women, men and children in Rakhine state by Myanmars security forces. 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 The country's president has proposed corresponding legislative changes. In Latvia, the share of Russian-language programs on television may be cut down to 20%. President Egil Levits turned to the Seimas Commission on Human Rights and Public Affairs, putting forward a proposal to revise the law on electronic media and increase to 80% the share of TV programs in the official languages of the EU and the Eurozone, according to CurrentTime. According to Levits's idea, the basic package for subscribers must include television programs produced by state-owned and commercial Latvian media, as well as regional shows. If additional programs are included in the basic package, at least 80% of them should be aired in the official languages of the EU and the Eurozone. There are 24 of these languages now, including English, German, Spanish, and Latvian. This means a decrease in the number of TV programs in Russian to 20%. Read alsoRussian State Duma member brands European Union "Hitler's coalition" media The president is convinced that these requirements should also apply to cable TV service providers and electronic media broadcasting television programs. "Strong information space is an essential part of the country's security and democracy in Latvia. It should be possible to ensure at the legislative level that Latvia residents have access to high-quality, pluralistic TV programs strengthening Latvia's identity as part of Europe's cultural space and contribute to the inclusion of Latvian residents in Europe's general information discourse," said Levits. Changes in the legislation will address "a long-recognized issue, which couldn't be effectively resolved by other mechanisms." As UNIAN reported earlier, Latvia adopted a resolution against Russia's attempts to rewrite history. Police are searching for the gunman who shot a man Monday night at a north Houston McDonalds restaurant. Christepher Howard, 27, was later pronounced dead at a nearby hospital, Houston police say. Earlier in the night, Howard had agreed to take his girlfriend to the fast-food joint in the 5400 block of Airline Drive around 8 p.m., according to Houston police. His girlfriend walked inside to use the restroom, leaving the 27-year-old Howard behind to wait in the parked car, police said. Thats when a man walked up and started shooting as Howard stepped out of the car. He was struck several times, police said. The suspected shooter fled before police arrived. Paramedics rushed Howard to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Anyone with information is urged to call the Houston Police Department Homicide Division at 713-308-3600 or Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS (8477). 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 The European Union should continue to recognise Britain's financial services industry as meeting equivalent regulatory standards when a Brexit transition period ends next year, finance minister Sajid Javid said on Tuesday. "On day one we will have exactly the same rules," Javid said in parliament, after a lawmaker asked him if it would be reasonable for the EU to grant Britain's insurance industry less access than Bermuda's. "As we forge a new relationship with our European friends, financial services will be a key part of it," he added. Earlier on Tuesday, Javid wrote in the City A.M. newspaper that he wanted a durable relationship over financial services that would last for decades to come. Search Keywords: Short link: Two Ghanaian celebs who became famous through the internet, Local Jesus (Mmebusem) and defeated Assemblyman aspirant, Honourable Aponkye have set the internet on fire with their rap skills. Hon Aponkye Apparently called for the duel which was settled in the house of rapper, Yaa Pono. We never knew aside the comedy Mmebusem portrays in his Local Jesus comedy skit, he can rap too. The battle started with Hon. Aponkye going in hard with some wicked punchlines which drew applause from the audience. When he was done, Mmebusem came in and spoiled the whole place. Just watch the interesting video here: ---Ghbase.com Prasanta Mazumdar By Express News Service GUWAHATI: The Assam government will carry out a headcount exercise of people belonging to certain Muslim communities, similar to the population census. The states Welfare of Minorities and Development Department on Tuesday convened a meeting with some Muslim organisations and other stakeholders and finalised the plan. Official sources said the proposed census was not aimed at finding out if people belonging to the communities in question are Khilonjia (indigenous). Initially, the plan was to identify the states indigenous Muslims. However, the organisations, which attended the meeting, suggested that the exercise should be community-based and not religion-based, the states Minority Development Board chairman, Mominul Aowal, told this newspaper. He said the survey would cover communities such as Goria, Moria, Deshi and Jola. The Budget declaration had made mention of a community called Ujani. It has been removed from the scheme of things as it is similar to Deshi community. Similarly, the Syed community is similar to Goria and hence it has been removed, Awal said. He said they had suggested to the state government to exclude the Maimal community of southern Assams Barak Valley. The government will separately think of the Maimals as well as Pangal and Kachari Muslims of Barak Valley, he said. The states Home, Revenue and Minorities Development Department will be involved in the entire house-to-house exercise. There will be some members from the organisations which attended Tuesdays meeting. Through the census, families and people will be listed, Awal explained. Some minority organisations such as opposition party All India United Democratic Front and All Assam Minority Students Union had on Monday criticised the state government. They alleged the move to identify indigenous Muslims was a ploy to divide the states Muslims. Kalki Keochlin Shares The First Picture Of Daughter Sappho Cradled In The Arms Of Boyfriend Guy Hershberg Ocado has reported bigger annual losses of 214million after a fire burned down one of its hi-tech warehouses in Andover a year ago. The online supermarket and technology group is about to launch Marks and Spencer's first grocery home delivery service, meaning shoppers will soon be offered the joint venture between Ocado Group and M&S. The partnership signals the end of Ocado's supermarket's supply contract with upmarket chain Waitrose which will stop in September. Ocado has reported a ballooning annual pretax loss as well as a 27 per cent fall in core earning Ocado shares closed 3 per cent higher at 12.54, despite revealing losses before tax widening to 214.5million in the year to 1 December 2019, compared to 44.4million in 2017 to 2018. The M&S deal was completed last summer and came as Ocado has transformed itself from a domestic grocery delivery firm to an online retail technology provider, expanding globally to win partnerships with Kroger in the United States, Casino in France and most recently Aeon in Japan. These deals helped push its shares 31 per cent higher in the last year, giving it an 8.6billion stock market valuation. Ocado shares have more than trebled in value over the past five years. The rise has put its value above British supermarket giants such as Sainsbury's, worth 4.4billion and M&S at 3.5billion, according to Refinitiv Eikon data. Ocado reported earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of 43.3million compared to a re-stated 59.5million for 2017 to 2018, according to today's update. That outcome, which also reflected accounting changes and the costs of share schemes, was largely in line with analysts' predictions. However, the losses and drop in core earnings were despite a 9 per cent increase in group revenue to 1.76billion. The loss reflected exceptional charges of 94.1million relating to the write-down of the Andover site, where a fire burned for four days and was attended by 300 firefights, before being put out. The site is expected to be rebuilt but it is likely to take a year before it will be completed. Picture of the fire at one of Ocado's hi-tech warehouses in Andover - it took four days to put out Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown: 'Ocado has always seen itself as a technology business, but until recently its been all about retail. 'With 50 per cent of the retail business sold to M&S, the spotlight is shifting to the solutions division where Ocado charges retailers to use its robotic warehouses and smart platform technology. 'It looks like 2020 could be the year Ocado's tech vision comes true. She added that deals done in Asia and Australia and the launch of international customer fulfilment centres has seen it pick up momentum, and 'Ocados automated bots should be busier than ever'. Questions remain over Ocado's ambitious valuation, however, said Ms Lund-Yates. Ocado shares have more than tripled over the past five years as the online grocer has begun to deliver on its tech firm ambitions Tim Steiner, chief executive of Ocado, said: 'We are pleased to report results which show strong momentum in the business. 'Although statutory results reflected a combination of factors, including the impact of the Andover fire, the underlying performance of Ocado Retail and the successful growth of Ocado Solutions were very encouraging. 'The landscape of grocery retailing globally is changing. 'We are excited to be able to play a leadership role through Ocado Retail, our joint venture with M&S, and through our Solutions partnerships, as we fulfil our mission of "changing the way the world shops"'. For the 2019 to 2020 year, Ocado forecast retail revenue growth of 10 to 15 per cent and invoiced international technology fees growth of at least 40 per cent. It forecast EBITDA from retail above its revenue growth. However, EBITDA from UK solutions and logistics and from international solutions was forecast to decline. Prior to Tuesday's update analysts', the average forecast for 2019 to 2020 EBITDA was 33million. WATERLOO Nearly 100 members of the community and the Iowa Army National Guard gathered Tuesday to talk about supporting soldiers and their families. People from organizations in Black Hawk County and throughout eastern Iowa that provide assistance to active duty members of the military and veterans attended the morning-long Joint Community Forces event at the Waterloo Readiness Center. The organizations provide services ranging from assistance with mental health issues to job placement. Maj. George Mosby, the Guards director of family services, said the event was an opportunity to bring (together) local community resources and connect them with the National Guard and connect them with the community. In opening comments, Iowa National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Joe Hjelmstad said speakers would talk about suicide prevention, mental health and substance abuse issues. He emphasized the important roles each of the attendees and their organizations play with service members and veterans. The things that you folks are doing are absolutely amazing, said Hjelmstad. You support the forces and their families. That is needed now more than ever, he noted. In Iowa here, were going to be deploying over the next year about 2,000 soldiers. Among those are 550 soldiers from the Guards 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division. Known as the Ironman Battalion, it is headquartered at the Waterloo center and also includes units from armories in Charles City, Davenport, Dubuque, Iowa City, Iowa Falls and Oelwein. They will be deploying at the end of May in support of Operation Spartan Shield for the U.S. Central Command Area of Responsibility, which encompasses 27 countries. Among those are Afghanistan, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The exact location is expected to be announced closer to the deployment date. We know that were going to be doing force protection and security operations over there, said Lt. Col. Garrett Gingrich, commander of the Ironman Battalion. Tuesdays event had been planned for several months and was unrelated to the deployment announced Thursday. Joint Community Forces events are typically held annually in multiple locations around the state. Still, the timing couldnt have been better. Merelene Freet, a family assistance specialist for the Iowa National Guard, noted that soldiers and their families will experience a great shake-up in the next year as they are deployed. ... A very important part of our jobs will be reaching out to families during the deployment. Today, our goal is to build and strengthen our networks. The topics discussed are all things that soldiers sometimes struggle with, said Gingrich. For the soldiers and their families we want to make sure there are organizations and mechanisms they can rely on. He was impressed with the turnout for the event. I think this is incredible, the amount of support we have for the Ironman Battalion. Womens Mobile Museum exhibition PHOTOS 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. By Hallie Bradley Valentine's Day is just the first of a few romantic holidays on the calendar in Korea. It is celebrated traditionally with women gifting their beaus chocolates and other goodies to show their admiration and adoration. Not to worry though; on March 14, or White Day, it's up to the men to shower women with gifts in return. Though this has been true for some time, in recent years both Valentine's Day and White Day have been the target of a pretty heavy onslaught of retail marketing to promote both days in order to drum up more business. For the consumer it means there will be plenty to do, buy and enjoy for Valentine's Day, and beyond really. It's not difficult to find little gifts of chocolates and flowers in various romantic shapes and sizes in every convenience store on the block. Many restaurants will cater to the holiday by preparing special settings where all of the tables will be placed with just two chairs with the romantic couple in mind. Here are five ideas for things to do if you want to get out and about and celebrate your love in style. Seoul Sky & Dinner at STAY: Want to treat yourself and a date to luxury with a view? Head to Seoul Sky in Lotte World Tower, the tallest building in Korea and the fifth-tallest in the world, and find the restaurant STAY in Signiel Hotel. Take in the sunset and look on as the city lights begin to twinkle far down below on the streets of the city as you dine on fine French fare. This restaurant features a stunning set menu produced by renowned Chef Yannick Alleno. After dinner, head to Bar 81 on the same floor to find Korea's largest collection of champagne and create an unforgettable evening. Reservations can be made by calling 02-3213-1230. Seoullo 7017 Stroll: This walkway is rather stunning when it is all lit up at night. And given the fact that it is right downtown near Seoul Station, it's a convenient place for a meet-up or a date. Enjoy the neon lights and light installations before finding a restaurant. Walk to the west end to find Very Street Kitchen which serves dishes that bear the names of various cities around the globe. It's perfect for a date night. Make a reservation by calling 02-312-0205. Follow up the meal with a visit to nearby Manri199 Taproom for a nightcap. Visit fb.com/verystreetkitchen or fb.com/MANRI199 for more information. Valentine's Day at Club FF: If live music is your jam for the romantic day, then head to Hongdae to find Club FF and the musical talents of Surl, Hey Men, Lacuna, Jackingcong and Wave to Earth. The entrance fee is 25,000 won and Club FF will be preparing special "Love Cocktails" for all couples for free. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show ends at 11 p.m., in time for a second show featuring Byeol Bora and 2 Day Old Sneakers. Visit fb.com/hongdaeff for more information. Valentine's Day Singles Party at The Dead Poets: For those singles who want to mingle on Feb. 14, head to The Dead Poets in HBC for a casual mingle from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. but drinks will be served at the bar from 6:00 p.m. The Dead Poets is a local community space so get ready to connect with neighbors and have some fun this holiday evening. Visit fb.com/thedeadpoets.kr for more information. Soap Seoul's Valentine's Special: If you're looking to head to a club and move and groove on Valentine's Day, check out Soap Seoul in Itaewon. Entry is 20,000 won and includes two free drinks: one for you and one that you can give to someone you fancy. The features B2B couple DJ sets including Spray with Gary, Fallens with Benjamin, Daul with Sailli, L-Like with Denny Wickid, Abyss with Mason, Yeondo with Cakeday, and Hagy with TYSN. Visit fb.com/soapseoul for more information. Hallie Bradley is a writer based in Seoul and runs the popular site thesoulofseoul.net. San Diego, CA -- (SBWIRE) -- 02/11/2020 -- An investor, who purchased shares of Westpac Banking Corporation (NYSE: WBK), filed a lawsuit over alleged violations of Federal Securities Laws by Westpac Banking Corporation. Investors who purchased shares of Westpac Banking Corporation (NYSE: WBK) have certain options and for certain investors are short and strict deadlines running. Deadline: March 30, 2020. NYSE: WBK investors should contact the Shareholders Foundation at mail@shareholdersfoundation.com or call +1(858) 779 - 1554. On November 19, 2019, Westpac Banking Corporation was charged by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre ("AUSTRAC") with over 23 million violations of the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (the "AML-CTF Act"). Among other things, AUSTRAC's Statement of Claim contends that the Company failed to distinguish money laundering or risky payments to and from Southeast Asia indicative of child sexual exploitation, despite Westpac senior management being "specifically briefed" in 2016 on how the bank's international digital payments service could be at risk for such abuse. Shares of Westpac Banking Corporation (NYSE: WBK) declined from 20.56 per share on September 12, 2019 to as low as $16.31 per share on November 26, 2019. The plaintiff claims that between November 11, 2015 and November 19, 2019, the defendants made false and/or misleading statements and/or failed to disclose that contrary to Australian law, the Company failed to report over 19.5 million international funds transfer instructions to AUSTRAC, Australia's anti money-laundering and terrorism financing regulator, that the Company did not appropriately monitor and assess the ongoing money laundering and terrorism financing risks associated with movement of money into and out of Australia, that the Company did not pass on requisite information about the source of funds to other banks in the transfer chain, that despite being aware of the heightened risks, the Company did not carry out appropriate due diligence on transactions in South East Asia and the Philippines that had known financial indicators relating to child exploitation risks, that the Company's AML/CTF Program was inadequate to identify, mitigate and manage money laundering and terrorism financing risks, and that 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. Those who purchased shares of Westpac Banking Corporation (NYSE: WBK) have certain options and should contact the Shareholders Foundation. Contact: Shareholders Foundation, Inc. Michael Daniels 3111 Camino Del Rio North - Suite 423 92108 San Diego Phone: +1-(858)-779-1554 Fax: +1-(858)-605-5739 mail@shareholdersfoundation.com About Shareholders Foundation, Inc. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is a professional portfolio monitoring and settlement claim filing service, , which does research related to shareholder issues and informs investors of securities class actions, settlements, judgments, and other legal related news to the stock/financial market. Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is in contact with a large number of shareholders and offers help, support, and assistance for every shareholder. The Shareholders Foundation, Inc. is not a law firm. Referenced cases, investigation, and/or settlements are not filed/reached and/or related to Shareholders Foundation. The information is provided as a public service. It is not intended as legal advice and should not be relied upon. A Wall Street Journal op-ed published by a pair of former US Marines has called presidential candidate Pete Buttigiegs military experience into question. Greg Kelly, a host at conservative Newsmax TV and a former pilot in the US Marine Corps, and Katie Horgan, a Marine officer deployed in Iraq for 13 months between 2006 and 2012, wrote the piece. Throughout the op-ed, Mr. Kelly argues that the former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, has overstated his military experience, painting the candidate instead as a careerist who used his connections to land a cushy paperwork job for the majority of his time in the service. The usual route to an officers commission includes four years at Annapolis or another military academy or months of intense training at Officer Candidate School. ROTC programs send prospective officers to far-flung summer training programs and require military drills during the academic year, Mr Kelly wrote. Mr. Buttigieg skipped all thatno obstacle courses, no weapons training, no evaluation of his ability or willingness to lead. Paperwork, a health exam and a background check were all it took to make him a naval officer. Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Show all 7 1 /7 Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Pete Buttigieg and South Bend The population of South Bend is around 100,000 Andrew Buncombe Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Annetter Newbill is fighting for justice for her son, Eric Logan, who was shot and killed by a white police officer Andrew Buncombe Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Mr Logan was shot by police, who claim he was trying to break into cars with a knife - an accusation his family has denied Andrew Buncombe Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Henry Davis, a council member who failed in a 2015 to oust Buttigieg, said he would not endorse him as a presidential candidate Andrew Buncombe Pete Buttigieg and South Bend When Pete Buttigieg returned to South Bend after the shooting, he was confronted by protesters Getty Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Buttigieg has pitched himself as "Mayor Pete", and a man who can get things done Getty Pete Buttigieg and South Bend Logan's mother says Buttigieg is only interested in 'running for president' AP According to Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan, officers who entered the service through direct commission were begrudged by combat veterans and were often called pomeranian princes. Most of Mr Kelly and Ms Horgans criticisms were rooted in the idea that Mr Buttigieg wasnt actually involved in combat yet uses language to suggest he was. The closest he came to combat was ferrying other staffers around in an SUV: In his campaign kickoff speech last April he referred to 119 trips I took outside the wire, driving or guarding a vehicle. Thats a strange thing to count. Combat sorties in an F-18 are carefully logged. Driving a car isnt, Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan wrote. Mr Buttigieg does walk a fine line between presenting himself as someone who experienced danger and someone who experienced combat. Mr Buttigiegs first television ad in Iowa showed the candidate walking amongst rubble carrying a military rifle and starting with the phrase As a veteran The image is clearly meant to evoke ideas of armed men and women fighting for the homeland. However, Mr Buttigieg has refused to refer to himself as a combat veteran when pressed. According to a report by the Chicago Tribune, Mr Buttigieg drew a distinction between himself and combat veterans during a bus tour in Iowa. It kind of felt like combat when the rocket alarm went off. But I dont feel prepared to use that term for myself, he said. Rocket alarms feeling like danger are not enough to warrant his bragging, according to Mr Kelly and Ms Horgan. Candidate Buttigieg takes every opportunity to lean in on those months in Afghanistan. Questions ranging from student debt to Colin Kaepernick to gun control prompt him to reference his military stint, sometimes indignantly, the authors wrote. I dont need lessons from you on courage, he lectured former Rep. Beto ORourke in an October debate, political or personal. Two months later he told Sen. Amy Klobuchar, Let me tell you about my relationship to the First Amendment. It is part of the Constitution that I raised my right hand and swore to defend with my life. That is my experience, and it may not be the same as yours, but it counts, Senator, it counts. The duo also criticised the media, claiming that the press frequently brings up Mr Buttigiegs military service, but frequently ignores his Democratic opponent Representative Tulsi Gabbards own experience. Ms Gabbard has been a member of the Hawaii Army National Guard since 2003 and was deployed for a year to Iraq in 2004 and for a year to Kuwait between 2008-2009. Debate moderators and other journalistshardly a veteran among themeagerly sell Mr. Buttigiegs narrative. Debate moderators often point out that he served in Afghanistan and, if Tulsi Gabbard isnt there, is the only veteran on the stage. When Ms. Gabbard is present, the moderators seldom mention her military experience, which dwarfs Mr. Buttigiegs, the writers said. Ultimately, it seems the pair believe only those who have engaged in combat should exploit their military service to further their political aspirations. In our experience, those who did the most in war talk about it the least, they said. Serving in a support or noncombat role is honorable, but it shouldnt be the basis of a presidential campaign. Click here to read the full article. On the heels of Parasites history-making Oscar win, its hard to imagine that just 18 months earlier, Hollywood had a crazy rich awakening. Although Asians had long been present in American movies, they were rarely treated as central characters and even less often as romantic leads. And then suddenly that summer, 2018s Singapore-set Crazy Rich Asians showed that audiences werent as hung up on race as the studios seem to have thought. The first movie to benefit from this overdue eureka moment was Netflixs already-in-the-can To All the Boys Ive Loved Before, a more-honest-than-not look at the awkward missteps of adolescent love, as seen from a shy girls point of view. When it came to casting Vietnam-born America-raised actor Lana Condor as the films endearingly inexperienced heroine, the producers took their cues from Jenny Hans novel the first in a popular trilogy about a romantic neophyte named Lara Jean, of half-Korean, half-European descent. To the companys credit, Netflix had never subscribed to the conservative idea that American audiences only watch movies about white characters directed by white men. The service had the data to suggest otherwise, and To All the Boys went on to become the second-most-streamed original movie on Netflix that year. More from Variety Now, this is where Netflix starts to think like a Hollywood studio: As soon as execs realized they had a hit on their hands, they greenlit not one but two sequels to be shot back-to-back in which Lara Jean (still played by Condor) continues to untangle the mess her little sister Kitty (Anna Cathcart) made by postmarking a series of soul-baring letters that Lara Jean had written to the five guys over whom shed swooned in her short 16 years on Earth. (Love seems far too strong a word for such unrequited yearning.) At the end of To All the Boys, Lara Jean winds up landing Peter Kavinsky (Noah Centineo), the popular jock shed only been pretending to date, but just before the credits roll, she hears back from her very first crush, John Ambrose represented by an ultra-preppy actor. Story continues Out just in time for Valentines Day 2020, Netflixs To All the Boys: P.S. I Still Love You picks up as if no time has passed. Peter and Lara Jean are now officially boyfriend and girlfriend, and since she has no experience in this department, Lara Jean is understandably intimidated. Instead of showing up at her door with flowers, John Ambrose politely writes her back (DP-turned-director Michael Fimognari, who takes over helming duties for Susan Johnson, has recast John Ambrose with a dreamy new actor, Jordan Fisher, choosing someone of color this time around). So, at just the moment happily ever after might normally begin although how many of us really wind up happily marrying the first person we date? Lara Jean is presented with two options, where shes never had so much as one before. If To All the Boys was a frank and contemporary spin on the teenage rom-com, then P.S. I Still Love You is pure fan service. (At the movies Los Angeles premiere, a very vocal crowd expressed their approval and surprise on cue, as when Peter appears at Lara Jeans door with flowers, looking just like John Ambrose had at the end of the previous movie, or later, when he gives her a locket for Valentines Day.) The sequels all about Lara Jean getting over the insecurity of dating the Big Man on Campus, knowing that he used to do all the same things and more with her ex-best friend Gen (Emilija Baranac). Whereas the first movie felt modern (Lara Jean might have sent those letters via snail mail, but she still had to cope with the 21st-century challenge of being slut-shamed around school when a hot tub make-out video went viral), this squeaky-clean follow-up would have felt awfully square had it come out anytime in the last half-century: It makes everything from Fast Times at Ridgemont High to Thirteen look like Larry Clarks Kids by comparison. Granted, Lara Jean is nervous that Peter will expect her to have S-E-X, but it doesnt deal with the issue in a realistic way (as one amateur reviewer crudely put it on Amazon.com, He is a guy so yes, stop asking). Still, Lara Jean seems less concerned about the relationship moving too fast than she is with managing her jealousy: For every first I was having with him, she realizes, Peter had already crossed that threshold with Gen before which might be true of baby stuff like holding hands and kissing and eating out at an Italian restaurant (classic Kavinsky, Gen gloats), but just goes to show what a lame partner Lara Jean would be: She has no imagination, and no capacity to steer their relationship in a different direction. Meanwhile, shes actively looking for faults in Peter to justify her feelings for John Ambrose, whod moved away but is now back in town and volunteering at the same retirement home she thinks will look good on her college applications. The trouble with P.S. I Still Love You is that nearly all the reasons that Lara Jean makes such a refreshingly different romantic lead are contained in the earlier film, and here, shes reduced to a version of the passive Disney princess, trying to decide between two dudes who both think shes swell. But The Philadelphia Story this aint, even if audiences are sure to be torn between #TeamPeter and #TeamJohn (Fisher certainly gives the goofy Centineo a run for his money in the charm department). Besides, its still infinitely better than the template thats overtaken young-love movies lately: namely, doomed romances in which one or both of the characters are dying of some rare disease. Lara Jeans situation is infinitely more relatable, even as director Fimognari ties himself in knots trying to make every scene feel iconic none more outrageous than the March/April snowstorm that accompanies the finale. Through it all, the best thing about the To All the Boys movies remains the casting of Condor. While Lara Jeans cultural heritage sets her apart from other cookie-cutter rom-com leads, its easy for anyone to identify with the character. And who at her age wouldnt love to be caught between the most popular kid in school and a piano-playing, poetry-writing gentleman like John Ambrose? P.S. Thats not all she wrote. Theres still another movie to come in the series. Best of Variety Sign up for Varietys Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Despite sanctions imposed by the United Nations on North Korea, the country has continued to importer greater amounts of oil along with luxury cars and alcohol. According to an annual report delivered on February 10 to the UN Security Council, North Korea 'violates the resolutions' through these illicit imports of petroleum. The report was conducted by UN experts who are responsible for monitoring the application of sanctions. Read - North Korea Delays Removal Of S Korean Facilities Over Outbreak The global agency has quoted the UN report saying North Korea has increased procurement including through a significant increase in the number of large foreign-flagged tankers which directly deliver to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea on several occasions. The 67-page UN report also stated that the country imported and exported nearly $370 million worth of coal with the help of Chinese barges. The document submitted to the UNSC North Korea sanctions committee will be made public next month. Read - North Korea's Internet Usage Surge Helped Evade 'maximum Pressure' US Sanctions: Study UN sanctions on North Korea North Korea has been sanctioned by the UN since 2006 and has been intensified by the 15-membered UNSC over the years in order to halt the funding of Pyongyang's nuclear and ballistic missile programs. However, the UN monitors have noted that the sanctions have still not been successful. Nonetheless, these sanctions have caused an escalation of tensions between North Korea's supreme leader Kim Jong Un and US President Donald Trump. Read - High-level North Korean Defector To Run In S. Korea Election The negotiations between Pyongyang and Washington have not progressed over the issues of sanctions and relief. Under the leadership of Trump, it was for the first time ever in 2018 that the US started talks with North Korea. The UN Panel of Experts has reportedly said that they received a report from the US in the previous year with satellite images and data covering from January 1, 2019, to October 31, 2019. The US report also showed that North Korea has authorized the import quotas for refined oil. The UN report seen by global news agency requested the Russian Federation and China to make more conclusive evidence in order to make any judgements. Read - North Korea Making 'all-out Efforts' To Guard Against Coronavirus Read - North Korea Delays Removal Of S Korean Facilities Over Outbreak (With agency inputs) A two-year-old boy has died in Ukraine after choking on his own blood when a routine stomach examination went horribly wrong. Maksim Mygovych died on February 5 at Kiev Children's Clinical Hospital where he had been taken the previous day after swallowing a piece of plastic. Medics had ordered an endoscopy - where a tube fitted with a camera is inserted down a patient's throat - in order to try and find the plastic in his stomach. Maksim Mygovych, two, died at a Ukrainian children's hospital after his throat was punctured during a routine stomach exam, causing him to choke on his own blood During the procedure, Maksim was forced to sit still by his parents while a doctor was inserting the endoscope down his oesophagus. The boy's mother Olena Mygovych said to local media: 'We were told to hold our son while the doctor was pushing the thick tube down his [throat]. 'Maksim was trying to yank out of our hands and was crying heavily. 'Then the doctor said that he saw nothing and that the procedure needed to be repeated. 'I walked out of the room because I could not bear the sufferings of my son any longer.' The childs father Yury Mygovych added: 'When he [the endoscopist] pulled the tube out for the second time it was covered with blood. 'The neck of my son horribly swelled. He became blue and started bleeding from the mouth. Mother Olena Mygovych (left) told how she was forced to hold her son down by a doctor during the inspection, before father Yury (right) recalled the moment his son turned blue and began bleeding from his mouth 'Then he began choking on the blood and I felt his heart stopped beating.' Medics rushed Maksim in the intensive care unit in a state of clinical death and tried to revive him but the boy died, say Ukrainian media. Several hours later the parents received a death certificate which said that their son had choked on his blood due to ruptures to his oesophagus. Police have now launched an investigation to establish whether the medic who carried out the exam can be held criminally responsible for the boy's death. Svitlana Bragynska, head of the surgery unit at the hospital, commented: 'The gastroscopy was arranged for the boy because he had blood in his stomach. 'During the procedure, he suddenly started bleeding and was taken to intensive care in a state of clinical death. We do not know why it happened.' Following the incident, law enforcement initiated a criminal case for failure to fulfill professional duties resulting in the death of a person. The head deputy for the local prosecutor office Anton Yefimov said: 'A forensic examination is being conducted to establish the exact causes of the child's death. Police have launched an investigation at Kiev Children's Hospital (pictured) to see whether the endoscopist can be held criminally responsible for the boy's death 'Police are interrogating the hospital staff and the parents at the moment.' Reports say the endoscopist will face up to five years in prison if his guilt is proved. Meanwhile, the children's gastroenterologist Galina Saltykova explains the gastroscopy is painful even for adults and that the boy should have been put to sleep before the procedure. She said: 'Gastroscopy is a quite painful procedure and not every adult can stand it. 'Children under six years should be put under anaesthesia before undergoing it. 'Also, the size of the endoscope should correspond to the height and weight of a child.' Thailand denies Westerdam cruise ship entry LAEM CHABANG: Thailand will not allow a cruise ship from Japan to let passengers disembark at the Laem Chabang port, Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said today (Feb 11). healthmarinetourismtransport By Bangkok Post Tuesday 11 February 2020, 09:22AM The Westerdam cruise ship docked at Port Everglades in Florida in April 2007. The vessel will not be allowed to disembark passengers at the Laem Chabang port on Thursday (Feb 13). Photo: Wikimedia Commons Mr Anutin posted a short Facebook message saying he has directed authorities not to allow the Westerdam ship to dock in Thailand. The Bhumjaithai Party leader is the deputy prime minister in charge of transport. The message was posted after the operator of the vessel announced yesterday (Feb 10) the ship will let passengers off at the deep-sea port in Chon Buri on Thursday (Feb 13), Kyodo News reported. The vessel carrying 1,455 passengers, including four Japanese nationals, and 802 crew members was scheduled to enter Naha Port in Okinawa prefecture on Saturday (Feb 8). But following Japans order, the plan was cancelled. MOUNT PLEASANT Dave Giordano is tired of hearing about how environmental advocates want to block business growth. Not only does that label get in the way of his work as executive director of the nonprofit Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network, Giordano also believes its untrue. Years ago, we viewed this as an either-or situation you can have economic growth or environmental protection, said Giordano, who has led Root-Pike WIN for four years. Thats not the way it should be, he thinks. Were not an anti-development nonprofit. We look at smart development. Giordano points to the 120 properties in Mount Pleasant that are no longer in the Pike Rivers flood plain (i.e. are no longer considered susceptible to flooding) thanks to a $20 million, 70-acre restoration project undertaken by the Village of Mount Pleasant in the mid-2000s. Root Pike WINs next project is smaller in scale, but could be even more impactful on southeastern Wisconsin. An approximately 1-mile-long tributary of the Pike River, known as Lamparek Ditch, runs west from the rivers north branch into the Foxconn area. It is considered to be a critical Lake Michigan tributary, but has been labeled highly degraded by Root-Pike WIN. Lamparek Ditch is high in phosphorus and other chemicals, exceeds the Department of Natural Resources recommended maximum for the presence of E. coli, is often contaminated with road salt, and has a low diversity of wildlife. Its very polluted, no question about it, said Mount Pleasant Village Trustee Sonny Havn. To fix that, Root-Pike WIN has a multi-year plan, which wouldnt directly charge taxpayers, that involves breaking up underground drain tile and repairing the creeks banks that have been impacted by farming to the detriment of the river. Pike River North Branch Before and after flooding of the Pike River in July 2017. The proposal has received unanimous support from the Racine County Board and Mount Pleasant Village Board. We need to keep the environmental corridors clean. We have a lot of runoff from the farm fields and a lot of salt runoff, Havn said. Support from elected officials is a big deal, not only because Mount Pleasant owns much of the land around Lamparek, but also because it signals to the public how serious our boards are about environmental stewardship, according to County Supervisor Monte Osterman. But now it needs to get funded. Nothing happens unless theres funding, Osterman said. We feel like there is a way to fund this without affecting taxpayers. Estimating the cost of the project is not an exact science, but it will likely be between $3 and $4 million, Giordano said. After getting approvals from Mount Pleasant and Racine County, Root-Pike WINs small staff based on the campus of the University of Wisconsin-Parkside has reached the grant-finding phase that is necessary to turn the design into an actualized wildlife area. Besides improving water quality, Giordano and Osterman believe this restoration project will also help entice businesses to open up near Foxconn. It can be a recruitment tool for a lot of people, Osterman said. It also could function as new parkland and recreational areas for fishing, biking, hiking and birding thanks to two miles of planned multi-purpose trails and 100 acres of prairie and uplands. People want to be near clean water and open spaces, Giordano said. Its going to be a great asset You can see why this corridor makes a lot of sense. To me, thats the really important part of it, Havn said, considering the planned trails will be easily accessible for Mount Pleasant and Sturtevant residents, as well as Foxconn employees. He pointed to the slowly expanding Pike River Pathway of an example of what could happen near Foxconn. On top of that, creating an area that helps the economy, human wellness and the environment fulfills something that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency calls the Triple Benefit. Thats something Girodano wants to achieve here. Will Foxconn help? One of the big questions that comes next is Foxconn. The Taiwanese tech giant has promised to create two acres of wetland for every one acre it removes or changes. But some are skeptical of that guarantee ever being fulfilled, considering Foxconn has already been fined once for stormwater violations and has been criticized for its state-approved plan to divert 7 millions gallon of water per day from Lake Michigan. When Supervisor Fabi Maldonado asked during a County Board meeting last month if Foxconn had put any money toward the project, the short answer was No or at least Not yet. Foxconn has publicly stated it supports this project, but theres no guarantee theyll provide funding. When the time is right, I think theyll want to get involved, Giordano said regarding Foxconn. In a statement to The Journal Times, the Foxconn Technology Group said Environmental sustainability is a priority for Foxconn, and that includes compliance with all relevant laws, rules, and regulations that apply to our operations land parcels currently under control of the Village of Mount Pleasant play a strategic role for development within the Wisconn Valley Science and Technology Park, but currently its too early to share future specifics. Path to Wisconn Valley This map shows the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network's general "Path to Wisconn Valley" plan for how it wants to restore the Lamparek Dit Path to Wisconn Valley 2 This map shows the Root-Pike Watershed Initiative Network's general "Path to Wisconn Valley" plan for how it wants to restore the Lamparek Dit 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. Arvind Kejriwal election result 2020 live news and latest updates online - Read about Arvind Kejriwal AAP candidate who contested the Delhi assembly (Vidhan Sabha) election from New Delhi seat and many more at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Arvind Kejriwal Profile: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal won a third consecutive term as a legislator from the high-profile New Delhi Assembly constituency on Tuesday. Kejriwal won the seat by a margin of 21,697 votes. He defeated BJP candidate Sunil Yadav who received 25,061 votes and Congress candidate Romesh Sabharwal who received just 3,220 votes. A former Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, he founded the NGO Parivartan in December 1999. In 2006, Kejriwal was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for his use of the Right to Information Act to combat corruption. With the award money, he and his close confidant Manish Sisodia founded the Public Cause Research Foundation, which worked towards greater accountability in governance. The IIT-Kharagpur graduate rose to national prominence during the 2011 anti-corruption movement led by social activist Anna Hazare. The movement specifically strived for the passing of the Jan Lokpal (ombudsman) Bill in the Parliament. The bureaucrat -turned-anti-corruption crusader founded the Aam Aadmi Party in November 2012 after splitting from the Hazare-led movement. In the very first election next year, he defeated then-chief minister Sheila Dikshit of the Congress by a margin of over 25,000 votes. After resigning as the chief minister after a mere 49 days in 2014, due to his partys inability to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly, his party made a spectacular comeback in the 2015 Assembly elections. In the 2015 polls, the AAP won a whopping 67 out of the 70 seats in the Assembly. Kejriwal won his seat by over 31,000 votes, defeating Nupur Sharma of the BJP. In his second term as chief minister, Kejriwal was involved in a long-standing feud with the Delhi LG over jurisdiction of powers in the Union Territory. In July 2018, his government got a much-needed boost, when the Supreme Court ruled that the LG is bound by the advice given by the council of ministers except in a few matters. Moreover, he has also been in an uneasy relationship with the BJP-led Centre over the issue of granting full statehood to Delhi and the alleged interference of the Centre into Delhis matters. However, Kejriwal and his government has also been lauded for his pioneering work in school education and public healthcare in Delhi. The education budget in the Union Territory has risen from Rs 6,600 crore to Rs 15,600 crore, while 20,000 new classrooms have been added in the last five years. Interestingly, many of the government schools now rank among the best in the country. Mohalla Clinics, which are primary health centres in Delhi, have been lauded for their cheap and affordable healthcare facilities. For his visionary leadership, Kejriwal has been recognised as one of the 50 top visionary global leaders by Fortune magazine. According to the Healthcare Minister of Ukraine Zoriana Skaletska, they are fine; the symptoms and signs are minimal Two Ukrainians, infected with new Chinese coronavirus at the board of Diamond Princess cruise liner, stay in the hospital in Japan as 112 Ukraine reported citing Healthcare Minister of Ukraine Zoriana Skaletska. Two Ukrainian citizens are in the hospital in Japan. They are fine; the symptoms and signs are minimal, Skaletska said. It is known that about 3,700 people from more than 50 countries stay at Diamond Princess. The total amount of infected is 70 people. On February 10, it was reported that one more Ukrainian got infected with Chinese coronavirus on the Diamond Princess liner. 136 persons at the vessel diagnosed with coronavirus; the number of diseased increased twice for 24 hours. 25 Ukrainians stay at the vessel, while two of them infected. Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that the situation with the spread of the coronavirus can only turn out to be the "tip of the iceberg", as infectivity outside China is still low. Besides, the State Health Committee of China called for the rational use of protective suits and other means that are used to protect against coronavirus. Almost six hours after the counting of votes started in the national capital, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has won three seats and is leading on 60 seats in the Delhi Assembly polls 2020. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is a distant second at 7 seats whereas the Congress has drawn a blank in these elections. Clearly, Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP is set to register a massive victory in the Delhi assembly election 2020. According to Election Commission of India, AAP has secured 53.5 per cent of voter turnout till 3:30 pm on Tuesday. Whereas, BJP has witness a growth in its vote share in 2020 Delhi polls. The saffron party's voter share was recorded at 38.81 per cent in Delhi assembly polls. Also read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: Delhi listens to AAP ki baat! No Entry for Congress Meanwhile, the Congress party on Tuesday accepted defeat in the Delhi Assembly polls and vowed to rebuild and revive itself at the grassroots level in the national capital. It said the poll results also had a message for the BJP that the "most toxic campaign" unleashed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah has been defeated. Here's what BJP and Congress and other opposition parties said on AAP's victory: 1. Parvesh Verma, BJP MP from West Delhi: I accept the result. We will work hard and give a better performance in the next elections. If this election would have been on Education and Development, then Education Minister (Manish Sisodia) would not have been trailing. 2. Gautam Gambhir, BJP MP from East Delhi: We accept Delhi election results and congratulate Arvind Kejriwal & the people of Delhi. We tried our best but, probably, we could not convince the people of the state. I hope Delhi develops under the chief ministership of Arvind Kejriwal. 3. Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister, West Bengal: I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected 4. Subhash Chopra, Delhi Congress Chief: I take responsibility for the party's performance, we will analyse the factors behind this. Reason for the drop in our vote percentage is politics of polarisation by both BJP and AAP. 5. Kamal Nath, Chief Minister, Madhya Pradesh: We were already aware of it. The question is - what happened to BJP which was making big claims? 6. P Chidambaram, former fiance minister: AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022. 7. MK Stalin, DMK President: This is clear vindication that development trumps communal politics. 8. Prashant Kishor, electoral strategist: Thank you Delhi for standing up to protect the soul of India! 9. Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP from Berhampore: Common people have decided they will choose either BJP or AAP. It's a vote for development agenda...From PM to grassroots workers, it's been a fight between a giant and a pygmy and the pygmy has won. 10.Pinarayi Vijayan, Chief Minister, Kerala: Congratulations to Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country. 11. Kapil Mishra, BJP candidate from Model Town constituency: I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi. 12. Akhilesh Yadav, Samajwadi Party chief: I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal ji. I also thank the people of Delhi who rejected the politics of hate, betrayal, and destruction. After the result of this election, BJP will not remember any Bagh. 13. Uddhav Thackeray, Maharashtra CM: I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal and the people of Delhi for AAP's victory in Delhi Polls 2020. People have shown that the country will be run by 'Jan Ki Baat', not 'Mann Ki Baat'. Also read: Delhi election 2020: Manish Sisodia wins from Patparganj by 2,073 votes Dear Hofesh, When I heard you were coming to Sydney I thought how wonderful it would be to finally have the chance to see your creativity on stage with your latest work Grand Finale -- I have heard so many good things about it. In fact, we met in Finland not long ago, in a little town called Koupio. I was struck with a thought that we were two rivers that have been flowing for a long distance before meeting briefly and flowing onwards, yet again. Lately, I have been thinking about connection and how things come together. Like how water moves around the earth and guide different elements to connect. Mostly this results in a change or a shift to something more special, perhaps even something new. I feel this is something that society has become fixated on. But what if everything we create isnt something new or elements of those creations already exist? Hofesh, I dont know you well but I sense that you might not always look for the new. Instead you look for the emotions captured in the moment, in this present life. Feel the reason for what Im doing,'' you once said. That has stayed with me. As an aspiring artist and choreographer myself, I strive to convey what comes from my mind and my body without any restriction. I have always admired the honest energy moving out of your groups choreography. Music, art and dance are things that bring people together in such a simple way and your work creates moments where things change shape and develop, without any pressure, following the flow of instinct. You and I come from the opposite side of the world, but not far from each other. Two lands, Israel and Italy, with long histories and communities that continue to search for hope. Finding hope in this current day is no easy feat and I see how this theme takes shape in your work as your dancers search for light in the dark. As we find ourselves in a time where Mother Nature is questioning whether we deserve to enjoy the precious gifts of Earth, all we can do as dancers is continue to discover moves and rhythms which convey these vibrations to the spectator. You have already achieved so much in your career but I feel frightened to think about the future. What I try to remember is that we have a duty as creators, dancers, choreographers and artists to look inside ourselves and translate this into a language of movement and rhythm which only a few in this world can speak. You are certainly one of them. You also once said that with achievement comes disappointment. I think this is more true than ever. As we appreciate the daylight, we can also welcome the darkness, because without her there wouldnt be a sunrise. Ive seen beautiful ones here in Australia as Im sure youve seen many around the world. I hope one day to travel for dance, just as you do. In the meantime, I will keep jumping and hoping there will be no rocks underneath. Written by Davide Di Giovanni, Sydney Dance Company See him perform as part of Bonachela / Forsythe from 21 March at Roslyn Packer Theatre. Find out more and book now. See Hofesh's Grand Finale from 29 January in the Sydney Opera House Drama Theatre. Find out more and book now. John Daly discusses Irelands role in the global aviation services sector with John Ludden of GECAS. Gecas or GE Capital Aviation Services is an Irish-American commercial aviation financing and leasing company. Gecas, a subsidiary of GE Capital (the finance arm of the General Electric conglomerate), the company was first established in the Shannon Free Zone in 1993 and is located in a 70,000 sq ft office premises at Westpark business campus. It offers a wide range of aircraft types and financing options, including operating leases and secured debt financing, and also provides productivity solutions such as spare engine leasing, spare parts financing, and management. Ireland is the global hub of aircraft leasing, generally speaking, with more than 50 companies based here, says John Ludden, Gecas executive vice-president and general counsel. More than 60% of the worlds leased aircraft are managed from Ireland, with 5,000 jobs created through leasing and financing. Gecas has more than 575 employees and 26 offices worldwide, with the larger of the companys two global headquarters located in Shannon. It has a fleet of over 1,850, comprised of 1500 planes and 350 helicopters, servicing more than 250 customers in over 75 countries. John Ludden added: Most of our workforce is based in Shannon, and we are very proud of our origins and history in Ireland and which offers a great environment from which to do business. "Ireland has a great pool of talent, a robust legal system, a very comprehensive treaty network, and a low corporate tax rate all factors which really are very attractive to this type of business. Mr Ludden joined Gecas in 1996 at Shannon, gaining a range of experiences in a broad spectrum of Gecas transactions. He subsequently relocated to the companys Dubai office, leading the Gecas Emerging Markets legal team, before returning to Shannon in 2015 to assume the role of General Counsel of Gecas. Prior to joining Gecas, he qualified as a lawyer in Liverpool, and worked in private practice specialising in aircraft financing based in London and in company law in Bermuda. While Ireland has stolen a significant march on other territories in establishing this flourishing economic sector, continual investment and nurturing of future talent is vital to sustaining its success. We will continue to work with the Government to ensure that Ireland remains a very attractive place to do business, and we are very mindful of the need to invest in education to keep that pipeline of talent coming through, he says. Gecas has established a strong partnership with the University of Limerick, and brings in 20 students annually to the companys offices at Shannon in a variety of functions. This gives us an opportunity to look at this great young talent and offer them the chance to see whether this is an industry in which they would like to pursue their careers in, he says. Indeed, we have a significant number of Gecas employees who were formerly students here. Gecas and UL Women in Aviation scholarship Ciara Hurley, of Cloyne, Co Cork, who won the first ever Women in Aviation Scholarship by Gecas and UL. Picture: Julien Behal In 2019, Gecas and the University of Limerick School of Engineering launched the annual Women in Aviation Scholarship this year to help drive increased engagement by female students in Aeronautical Engineering. Ciara Hurley from Cloyne, Co Cork, is the first recipient of the award. Gecas will provide the Scholarship each year to one qualifying first-year female student of the UL Bachelor of Aeronautical Engineering course. Ciara will be awarded a 5,000 bursary for each year of her studies, meaning a total of 20,000 will be granted to her by the time of her graduation. There was a general recognition within the aviation industry around the lack of female talent, and we were very keen to increase this talent, particularly in the engineering space, John explained. We are committed to investing 20,000 each year in this scholarship programme in recognition of helping diverse talent coming through, because we recognise the value that brings to an organisation. Gecas was also amongst a number of companies to develop an MSc in Aviation Finance at the UCD Smurfit Graduate Business School. Suitable for graduates from a wide variety of disciplines including business, economics, finance, engineering, and science who want to pursue a career in the dynamic sector of aviation finance and leasing, it is the only MSc Aviation Finance Degree in Europe, and is supported through internships, scholarships, and research projects. Also in 2019, Gecas launched the first ever Aerovate aviation innovation competition, challenging students to foster ideas that will help revolutionise the world of aviation, and which have the potential to develop into a real-life business opportunity. Callum Winship, who is a third-year student of Aeronautical Engineering, won the top prize of 5,000 for his innovative submission, AeroZero. Callums initiative proposed to lower the net carbon emissions produced by aviation through offsets generated by a not-for-profit organisation. This organisation, AeroZero, would in turn be responsible for producing and investing in green energy technology that could then be returned to the grid. Its a privilege to be invited to share new concepts with the likes of Gecas, Callum said. Being selected as the winner gives me confidence not only is AeroZero a credible concept, but one that lessors might be able to put into effect, promoting carbon efficiencies and green technologies. Ireland centre of global leasing Since Guinness Peat Aviation started a leasing business in the 1970s, Irelands offering in the sector has grown hugely. In 2020, Ireland is now the global centre for aviation finance and aircraft leasing. Over 50 aircraft leasing companies are based in Ireland, including Aercap, SMBC, Pembroke Capital, Awas Capital and Avolon. Around the world an Irish-leased aircraft takes off every two seconds, and over 60% of all leased aircraft worldwide are managed by Irish-based leasing companies. A 2018 study by PwC noted Irelands stable and competitive headline rate of corporation tax together with a tax depreciation write-off period of eight years. The number of aircraft assets rose 36% between 2012 and 2016, with projected growth of 22% between 2016 and 2021. It found that the sector contributed 660m to the economy in 2016 and supported almost 5,000 jobs. London Two big Japanese companies are the latest to pull out of a major European technology show due to fears over the outbreak of the new coronavirus. Electronics manufacturer Sony and mobile phone carrier NTT DoCoMo said Monday they're scrapping their appearances at Mobile World Congress, the world's biggest mobile industry trade fair, in Barcelona, Spain, this month. Sony Corp. will instead launch its latest devices through its YouTube channel on Feb. 24, the first day of the show. "As we place the utmost importance on the safety and well-being of our customers, partners, media and employees, we have taken the difficult decision to withdraw from exhibiting and participating," Sony said. NTT DoCoMo said that given the expanding impact of the virus, it canceled out of consideration of safety for staff, visitors and partners. Amazon said over the weekend that it is withdrawing "due to the outbreak and continued concerns about novel coronavirus." The e-commerce giant's cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, was expected to have a big presence at the show. Software company Amdocs and telecommunications equipment maker CommScope also backed out Monday. Organizers and local authorities remained upbeat. "We don't envision any other possibility but the celebration of the Mobile World Congress," Barcelona's deputy mayor, Jaume Collboni, told reporters. He noted that while the companies that have pulled out are among the show's biggest exhibitors, they're only a handful of the 2,800 taking part. GSMA, the show organizer, didn't immediately respond to a request for comment, but said Sunday it's "moving ahead as planned" with the event, and outlined additional health and safety measures. They include banning visitors from China's Hubei province, where the outbreak originated; requiring people who have been in China to prove they left at least 14 days earlier; and carrying out temperature screening. "We are contending with a constantly evolving situation that will require fast adaptability," the GSMA said. It had already planned to step up cleaning and disinfecting measures, recommend a "no handshake policy" and make sure speakers don't use the same microphone. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Swedish equipment maker Ericsson, one of the show's biggest exhibitors, has also dropped out, along with South Korean electronics giant LG and graphics chip maker Nvidia. China's ZTE and handset maker TCL Communication, meanwhile, scaled back by dropping their press conferences. More than 100,000 people, including 5,000-6,000 from China, typically attend Mobile World Congress and organizers were expecting similar figures this year. Meanwhile, the turmoil in China over the virus is disrupting supply chains around the world, with Nissan the latest manufacturer to announce a suspension. It said that due to supply shortages from China, the Nissan Kyushu facility in Japan will stop production on Feb. 14 and Feb. 17. Hyundai said last week that it was suspending production in South Korea, while Fiat Chrysler said it might have to do the same for a plant in Europe if disruptions continue. General Motors said Monday it would restart its halted production facilities in China from Feb. 15, though that depends on developments in the outbreak. The 37-year-old former owner of a high-end car dealership in Bergen County who authorities say cheated dozens of customers and a finance company out of more than $1.7 million has surrendered after more than five years on the lam. Afzal Khan, also known as Bobby Khan when he owned Emporio Motor Group in Ramsey, was charged by indictment in 2015 with five counts of bank fraud. He surrendered at a U.S. Embassy on Jan. 21, according to his Instagram account and a family member. The FBI said he was taken into custody in the United Arab Emirates and returned to the United States Monday. Mr. Khan came to the sobering reality that he could not outrun the FBI, Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie of hte Newark office said in a statement. People who flee to other countries to avoid prosecution only delay the inevitable and live every day with the knowledge that we are still in pursuit. Mr. Khan obviously reached the conclusion that it wasnt worth it. Born in Scotland, Khan was on the FBIs Most Wanted List and was known to have ties to the United Arab Emirates, Canada, the United Kingdom and Pakistan, officials said. Khan obtained loans from the auto finance division of a large bank for cars that he never delivered, but the purchaser was still responsible, authorities said. He also obtained loans from the bank for cars that were delivered, but for which neither he nor Emporio had the title, authorities said. People who bought the cars were then unable to legally drive or register the vehicles. Khan also allegedly sold cars on consignment on behalf of owners, but failed to deliver either the cash or the cars to the buyers. He obtained at least 21 loans from the lending company, according to court papers. More than 75 customers filed complaints regarding Khans actions at the dealership, prosecutors previously said. Among the cars Khan secured loans for in 2014 were a 2013 Rolls Royce, a 2013 Lamborghini Aventador, a 2010 Audi, a Porche 911 and a 2012 Rolls Royce Ghost, charging documents state. The loan amounts ranged from $50,000 for the Audi to $160,000 for the Rolls Royce Ghost. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Khan on Oct. 21, 2014, according to the FBI. A $20,000 reward was offered for information leading to the capture of the former Egg Harbor Township resident. Editors Note: This story has been updated with information from the FBI. Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. 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. Boateng said she joined the chamber after discussing the benefits to the American Cancer Society with Jay Lavrinc, director of membership relations with the chamber. She said the exposure in the community and getting information about the ACS out to chamber members will benefit them. Boateng said she doesnt have an advertising budget, and having that outreach will be beneficial to the organization. This will mean more folks to share the word, she said. Boateng doesnt have an office in Florence. She works from her home at the beach. Boateng started as a volunteer and team captain with Relay for Life. She said her mother, father and a sister died of cancer, and she has two brothers who are prostate cancer survivors. When people asked her why she volunteered before becoming an ACS employee, she said, The life I fight for could very well be my own. Herring has worked for ACS for 16 years. I think it is important to let folks know that we appreciate all the investment they has put into the American Cancer Society, she said. europe The Schuldschein instrument has become significantly more popular in recent years as European corporates search for less heavily-regulated products in an increasingly burdensome market. What is Schuldschein? A Schuldschein is a privately-placed, medium to long-term, unsecured debt governed by German law. In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular option for those beyond the Dach region (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). Originally, a Schuldschein was a very German, domestic instrument, typically used by German banks only, says White & Case partner Karsten Wockener. But corporates are increasingly taking an interest in the product. For example, the German supermarket group Rewe entered the Schuldschein market in 2019, seeking 300 million ($330 million) to fund its acquisition of wholesaler Lekkerland. As Wockener says, Schuldschein has gradually become useful for a more diversified funding portfolio for corporates with a high credit quality. Its nothing but a loan under German law, he adds. However, the more unique reasoning for its popularity is that the look and feel is very much that of a eurobond. If we look at it, aside from the fact that its a loan, it has hybrid elements. The product is somewhere between a syndicated loan, a privately-placed bond and a loan participation note. This status between bond and loan means that it draws the benefits of each, enjoying the flexibility of a loan with the lower cost of capital of a bond. What makes it trustworthy to the financial community is that it is over 100 years old and enshrined in the German Civic Code Burgerliches Gesetzbuch. The product comprises a loan agreement (a Schuldscheindarlehen or SSD) and a certificate of indebtedness: the actual Schuldschein. Schuldschein is a bilateral loan agreement with the potential for a large number of lenders, says Sebastian Zank, corporate ratings executive director at Scope Ratings. Hes clear that its not a financial market instrument, adding: I think its more comparable to a normal loan. A great advantage of it is that you do not have to book it on a mark-to-market basis. It remains on the loan book until maturity. EXCLUSIVE: Interview with EU bank regulation head Nathalie Berger While there are structural similarities with securitisation, a Schuldschein is not considered a securitisation under local nor EU law. This means borrowers do not need to offer a prospectus. In addition, while under the jurisdiction of German law, this has not stood in the way of international engagement. Typically, the Schuldschein agreement is drafted in German and English; sometimes even in a third local language of the borrower if required meaning that unfamiliarity with the local language does not create a barrier to use. What are the main benefits? As Katie Kelly, senior director of market practice and regulatory policy at the International Capital Market Association (ICMA) points out, private placements such as Schuldschein are not subject to the same regulatory and market scrutiny as public offers. Listing is not always required, so it takes private placement out of the scope of the requirements of the EUs Prospectus Regulation, which could be extremely onerous for the target issuers, she says. The documentation needed for Schuldschein is also significantly lighter and typically negotiated on a much smaller scale, often between the issuer and a handful of investors, rather than hundreds. Because of this, the conditions and covenants are more bespoke and easier for the investors to monitor. Meanwhile, in the event of something going wrong such as a covenant breach there is an easier channel for communicating with the investors to address the situation, rather than automatic default. As a rating is not essential for private placement, issuers do not have to go through this process, which can be difficult. An SSD offers borrowers a new and diverse investor group, largely made up of international banks, who are asset-takers and not looking for relationships and ancillary business, says Richard Waddington, head of syndication and sales at Commerzbank. Waddington pointed out that it is often used as a first approach to the international capital markets for borrowers who have traditionally been reliant on loans and are looking to diversify their funding sources, but perhaps isn't yet ready to issue a bond. Volumes can be below bond benchmark requirements, although we also see some sizeable deals now and no rating is needed, he continues. An SSD means a borrower can raise funding in one issue via a range of different tenors, interest structures and currencies. Deals can really be tailormade. Waddington also pointed out that a big plus for borrowers is that a floating rate SSD can be prepaid if required. The product is not listed, has no formal prospectus, and is generally a lower cost product to issue than a regulated bond with all the associated costs, he says. His thoughts on costs were echoed by others in the banking community. "Regardless of an issuers rating, the costs for third parties are much lower in the Schuldschein market," said Michael Bures, head of DCM corporates at Raiffeisen Bank International. "As there is no prospectus requirement, lawyer costs and legal opinion are much cheaper. Moreover, there is no comfort letter required." Bond covenant trends in 2020: what to expect What are the risks? The biggest risk for the market at the moment is the fact it has grown so quickly out of the DACH region, says Martin Strohmeier, fixed income analyst German bank NORD L/B. Since the shift into eastern Europe and then elsewhere, companies beyond the DACH region are now using it as a financing diversification, shifting from the traditional issuer and investor base. Weve seen recently that it has come out of the investment space, migrating more and more into high yield. As Strohmeier indicates, newfound reach also delivers newfound problems. The instruments growing popularity means more issuers such as non-rated and often rather small companies where investors have limited transparency on the issuer are realising that they can take advantage, says Zank. We have observed a few defaults and selective defaults with debt restructurings over the past few years. British firm Carillion, for instance, went bankrupt less than a year after raising around $155 million on the Schuldschein market. If this continues, we could end up with the reputation of the product declining, he says. Wockener adds: Warnings have been issued due to insolvent companies who have entered into transactions. I dont follow these views. Its a debt instrument. The credit risk of a borrower or issuer applies to all debt instruments. The ways of restructuring a debt instrument might be very different though. Zank says that while there have been issues, he thinks the market is still able to regulate itself, and that the underlying regulatory framework is sufficient. In the end, its the investors who invest consciously, he says. If theyve not undertaken analysis properly, or monitored, they have to justify the investment. In addition, arrangers who usually seriously take their responsibility as gatekeepers to the market simply have to stick to very general rules, and there is lots of experience in the market. Regardless, Zank raises the issue that loan documentation often doesnt address how to move forward in the case of a debt restructuring. For Schuldschein, you need 100% lender agreement on restructurings, he continues. If there are excessive lenders, and everyones opinions differ about how a loan should be restructured, it risks being the case that it cant be restructured anymore and goes into default. This is a peculiarity of the instrument, and its important because of defaults and selective defaults. However, due to the increase in these instances, it has also become well known to investors who are engaging, he says. Whats currently happening in the market? Over the past five years, the main development of the product we have seen has been the material growth in the use of the product outside of Germany as it has been adopted by a broad range of non-German issuers and investors, says Penny Smith, head of private debt origination, western Europe at Commerzbank. Its fair to say that SSD has become the pan-European private placement product of choice for investment grade and crossover companies. The changing face of Schuldschein However, while SSD has grown significantly beyond its traditional German base and is now pan-European with circa 30 billion of issuance in 2019, Smith and Waddington do not think it will ever be viewed as a global product. The instrument has however been celebrated in the digital space. Digitisation has allowed SMEs into the market and they are able to use digital platforms, which are quicker and more efficient than the traditional route, says Strohmeier. Due to digitisation, we observed that SMEs are using the market in an opportunistic manner, such as issuing Schuldschein more than once per year, which is new. This had not been anticipated. We expect that this must be happening due to increased SME experience with digital platforms, which they feel more comfortable tapping, he continues. This has been a remarkable turning point for the Schuldschein market that has contributed, among other factors, to the increase in issuance volume and deals per year. The Schuldschein market has also been of benefit to sustainable finance. Its a very flexible product and can be adapted for both green and ESG issuances, says Smith. Similar to the growth of green and sustainable loans, we saw a material increase in green and ESG SSD issuance in 2019, and we expect that to continue this year. Last year, Spanish bank BBVA negotiated a 220 million sustainable Schuldschein for the Madrid government, using blockchain and ICMAs green bond principles for the debt structuring. Companies bank on blockchain bonds to cut costs, time Lean documentation makes it easy to include another paragraph that refers to ESG KPIs, says Zank. While 2020 has only just begun, he has already seen deals with ESG elements, such as a new issues from Faber-Castell, Verbundnetz Gas and Voith. When looking at the progress made in the last few years, I think it is likely we will see plenty more sustainability-linked Schuldschein deals coming to the market, he summarised. 2021 Euromoney Institutional Investor PLC. For help please see our FAQs. Share this article By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland's Fianna Fail and Fine Gael let Sinn Fein proceed with trying to form a government without them on Tuesday, a process most acknowledged would ultimately require two of the now three largest parties to work together. Sinn Fein, a left-wing Irish nationalist party, stunned the establishment by winning the highest number of votes in Saturday's poll but its low number of candidates meant it finished between the two centre-right parties by number of seats. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said her party "won the election" and would try to form a left-wing led government with smaller parties and independent lawmakers, technically possible but a task even some of her senior colleagues said was highly unlikely to succeed. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael and historical rival Fianna Fail, which have led every previous Irish government but fell to their lowest ever combined level of support, were also sceptical but happy to let others talk while they regrouped. "Mary Lou McDonald is the leader of the party who got the most votes in the election and should now do what she says she's going to do," Health Minister Simon Harris of Fine Gael told national broadcaster RTE. "She made a lot of promises, a lot of commitments, let her off now and see if she can try and form a government. If she can't, I do think there is an obligation on the centre of Irish politics, which still won a hell of a lot of votes by the way." Fine Gael has strongly ruled out governing with Sinn Fein, citing policy differences and the nationalist party's role as former political wing of the Irish Republican Army (IRA) The IRA fought against British rule in Northern Ireland for decades in a conflict in which some 3,600 people were killed before a 1998 peace deal. Harris said a pre-election offer of a first ever full coalition with Fianna Fail still stood. UNCERTAINTY Story continues Fianna Fail insisted it would not enter government with either party during the campaign, although its leader declined to repeat earlier outright refusals to consider Sinn Fein, saying only there were significant incompatibilities on policy. There are open divisions over such a tie-up among Fianna Fail lawmakers, who won 38 seats to Sinn Fein's 37 in the 160-seat parliament. Fine Gael have 35 seats. Analysts say it will eventually come down to whether Fianna Fail is willing to negotiate with Sinn Fein and if they can even then agree to a policy programme its members would back. The process could take weeks or months, they say. "The momentum is with Mary Lou McDonald, there's no doubt about that, but at some point Fianna Fail will have to make a crucial decision as to which way to go," said Theresa Reidy, a politics lecturer at University College Cork, "If those kind of refusals continue, we are looking at a second election, although it is very unlikely any of the parties will want that. There are a lot of obstacles on the pathway to an arrangement (between Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein) too and that is why it is really very uncertain where we go from here." (Additional reporting by Graham Fahy; Editing by Gareth Jones) The Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday named John W. Busterud, a former PG&E attorney, to head its West Coast office, replacing Mike Stoker, who was ousted from the post last week. Busterud, 65, a resident of Belvedere, in Marin County, will oversee the agencys Region 9, and will be charged with heading up federal health and environmental regulation in California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii, the Pacific Islands and much of the Wests American Indian tribal lands. Under President Trump, the Region 9 office has been in an unusually antagonistic position with California, recently taking issue with water pollution in San Francisco that the president blamed on homeless people. Former employees of the agency and some members of Congress have asked for a federal investigation into whether the scrutiny is political. Busterud, whose first day on the job will be Tuesday, comes to the position with more than 30 years of experience as an energy and environmental attorney. Much of his career was spent at Pacific Gas and Electric Co., where he started in 1985 and left the job of managing attorney in 2016. In that role, he oversaw the utilitys legal and policy matters regarding hazardous materials cleanup, water quality and endangered species. A registered Republican, he had a reputation in the legal department at PG&E as a solid litigator who was friendly, jocular and not outwardly political. He has deep knowledge, expertise and experience in climate policy, said Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesman, in an email. He helped the company advocate for its positions supporting Californias bold clean energy goals, with a focus on our customers and communities. Busteruds wife, Gretchen, has been a lawyer in the EPA regional office since 2009. Jared Blumenfeld, the former regional administrator who stepped down in May 2016, said his former colleagues are cautiously optimistic about the appointment. Busterud was on the board of the nonprofit California Council for Environmental and Economic Balance and worked on environmental issues with the EPA when Blumenfeld was the administrator. He seems reasonable and generally thoughtful on the issues, so I think he has the potential to do a good job, Blumenfeld said. Hopefully, hell be able to fulfill EPAs mandate to protect human health and the environment. Hes going to have a tough job because the Trump administration is out to get California, San Francisco and the environment in general. Busterud also served as the industry representative to the EPAs Clean Air Act Advisory Committee from 2012 to 2017. He received his bachelors from Union College, N.Y., and his law degree from the UC Hastings College of the Law. He is also a graduate of the U.S. Armys Command and General Staff College. He previously served in Iraq and Africa and kept a warrior club from Kenya, known as a roongu stick, in his office at PG&E as a memento. Busterud is the son of the late San Francisco Republican Assemblyman John Busterud, who in 1971 was appointed by President Richard Nixon as the first deputy assistant secretary of defense for environmental quality. 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. John Busteruds extensive background in energy and environmental issues makes him a great choice to lead Region 9, EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a statement. I look forward to working with him to advance the agencys mission of protecting human health and the environment for all in the Pacific Southwest. Busterud could not be reached immediately for comment. Stoker, who was appointed regional administrator nearly two years ago, was fired Feb. 5. In a recent interview with The Chronicle, he said he was given no reason for his dismissal, but suspected it was because of his friendly relationships with some Democrats and a personality clash with a top EPA executive in Washington. Stoker had been criticized by some for allegedly abusing his travel privileges and trying to manage the San Francisco office from Los Angeles. Environmental groups denounced him as a stooge of the Trump administration who did little to advance a cleaner, safer environment. Peter Fimrite and Kurtis Alexander are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com, kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite, @kurtisalexander LONDON (Reuters) - Oil rose to $54 a barrel on Tuesday, recovering from a 13-month low as the number of new coronavirus cases slowed in China, easing some concerns about lengthy destruction of oil demand. The death toll climbed above 1,000 on Tuesday, while the number of new confirmed cases fell. The epidemic could peak in February and then plateau before easing, said the Chinese governments top medical adviser on the outbreak. Brent crude LCOc1 rose $1.07 to $54.34 a barrel by 1216 GMT, having dropped on Monday to its lowest since January last year at $53.11. U.S. West Texas Intermediate CLc1 crude was up 89 cents at $50.46. The bottom seems to be in place for oil prices, said Edward Moya, analyst at brokerage OANDA. It is way too early to be confident that peak of the virus will happen this month, but optimism is growing that we could see Beijing resume some normalcy in travel and trade outside of the Hubei province. Investors remain wary that Chinas oil demand could take a further hit if the coronavirus cannot be contained and if OPEC and its allies, known as OPEC+, fail to agree on further steps to support prices. Though oil is recovering again today, the lack of any coordinated action by OPEC+ means that oversupply concerns are likely to retain the upper hand, said Commerzbank analyst Eugen Weinberg. The virus is already denting demand in the worlds second-largest oil consumer. Chinese state refiners plan to cut as much as 940,000 barrels per day (bpd) - almost 1% of world demand - from their crude processing rates in February. Oil rose alongside a rally in world equities, which resumed their climb towards record highs on Tuesday on hopes the virus is peaking. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and allies including Russia are restraining output by 1.7 million bpd in 2020 to support the market and have been considering further curbs. An OPEC+ advisory panel proposed an additional cut of 600,000 bpd last week, but Russia has delayed delivering its official stance, frustrating some OPEC members. In a development that could add downward pressure on prices, U.S. crude inventories are expected to rise for a third straight week, by 2.9 million barrels in the week ended on Feb. 7, a Reuters poll showed. U.S. supply reports are due later on Tuesday and on Wednesday. An internally displaced Congolese family shelter in a school in Oicha, North Kivu province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, July 2018. UNHCR/Natalia Micevic UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is concerned by the worsening situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congos eastern Beni Territory where violence has forced more than a hundred thousand civilians from their homes over the past two months. Attacks by armed groups since December last year on a number of towns and villages that comprise the Watalinga Chiefdom, near the border with Uganda, have displaced women, men and children to the town of Nobili and surrounding areas. Many were displaced previously and had only just returned to their villages in November last year, after fleeing violence in April. They remain in dire need of assistance. Tensions in the region have been rising since the launch of a government-led military operation in December against the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). Civilians, including those displaced in November and December, are among those targeted by armed groups, including the ADF. An estimated 252 civilians are reported to have been killed in Beni Territory since December last year, according to local authorities. Many people told UNHCR staff that they now live in fear, after witnessing killings, sexual violence and abductions at home and during flight. The majority of those forced to flee in the latest wave of violence are now being sheltered by local host communities in Nobili town who have welcomed displaced families without hesitation but lack resources to even meet their own needs. Others took refuge in overcrowded schools and churches around Nobili town. UNHCR and partners are providing them with emergency shelter assistance which is also enabling schools to be returned to their normal purpose. Thousands more are living in dire conditions across a hundred or so informal settlements, sleeping in huts made of branches. They are exposed to the elements and face serious threats to their safety and protection, including from the lack of privacy. The vast majority of those displaced are women and children who, along with other internally displaced people (IDPs) remain in urgent need of basic assistance and protection. Key needs include food, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene and access to education. A large number of displaced children are not attending school. Schools either do not have the capacity to host additional pupils or are closed because they are now sheltering IDPs, placing a huge strain on already inadequate educational infrastructure. Mambale school in Nobili currently hosts 500 displaced students, bringing the total number of students to 800. The school now runs double shifts with pupils attending either in the morning or the afternoon. To respond to the needs of those displaced and their local host communities, UNHCR and partners, together with local authorities and humanitarian actors, are now providing aid to those displaced in Nobili. Last week UNHCR distributed emergency shelter assistance in the form of tarpaulins to help 3,000 displaced families. To help improve the protection and safety of those displaced, UNHCR is also supporting the development of three community-based protection structures. These will help in the identification, prevention and response to human rights violations. UNHCR is also contributing to an ongoing profiling exercise coordinated by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) with technical support from UNHCR. The data has already helped to target humanitarian assistance and will continue to improve the quality of multisectoral protection, assistance and services for those in need. More than five million people remain displaced in the DRC, representing Africas largest internal displacement situation. Our staff are currently present in North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika and Ituri Provinces responding to the massive waves of displacement. UNHCR needs US$150 million to respond to refugee and IDP needs in DRC this year but has only received four per cent to date. For more information on this topic, please contact: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass. AP Photo/John Locher Elizabeth Warren held a town hall event in Lebanon, New Hampshire Sunday. A voter asked whether Warren seeks running mate recommendations from her dog, Bailey. Responding to the question, on who will be her "Mike Pence," Warren said she already has a dog. Visit Insider's homepage for more stories. 2020 presidential hopeful Sen. Elizabeth Warren, who finished third in the Iowa caucuses last week, made a jab at Vice President Mike Pence at a town hall event held in a Lebanon, New Hampshire high school a week before the state's primary. A voter asked the Massachusetts senator whether she whispers into her dog's ear at night, asking her for recommendations on a running mate. "Do you whisper into Bailey's ear, 'who is going to be my Mike Pence?'" the voter asked at the event Sunday. "'Who is going to look at me with adoring eyes?'" "I already have a dog," Warren replied, prompting cheers from the audience. Warren followed it up with, "You got to watch these feisty women!" Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., pets her dog Bailey following a campaign event Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020 in Urbandale, Iowa AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki In the Iowa caucuses last week, Warren landed behind former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, in first place, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, in second. Bailey, her golden retriever, is a frequent presence on the campaign trail. In fact, the prospective First Canine was sent to Iowa in Warren's place when she was stuck in Washington as a juror in President Donald Trump's impeachment trial earlier this year. After her quip on Sunday, Warren responded to the voter more seriously. "What kind of vice president do I want? I want someone who is going to be in the fight with me," she said. "I want a partner." Read the original article on Insider [February 11, 2020] Cars.com Inc. Launches FUEL In-Market Video to Help the Automotive Industry Better Target Ready-to-Buy Car Shoppers and Eliminate Up to 95% of TV Advertising Waste CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading automotive digital solutions provider Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) announced today the launch of FUEL In-Market Video (FUEL IMV), an innovative digital video solution focused on the $9.7 billion spent on TV advertising by the U.S. auto market.1 The new solution helps dealers, original equipment manufacturers and regional/dealer ad associations pinpoint serious ready-to-buy shoppers and combat the high costs and inefficiencies of selling in a crowded, fragmented media industry. FUEL IMV will be launched at the 2020 National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas from Feb. 14-17. More than 50 percent of U.S. automotive advertising spend goes to traditional, untargeted TV well above the global industry average across all categories2 even though consumers are spending more time on mobile devices than on traditional TV consuming content from a variety of social platforms and streaming apps.3 Furthermore, less than 5 percent of households in a local market are serious about buying a new or used vehicle, so finding them requires more data-driven science to succeed.4 "The opportunity to leverage data and science to drive sales more efficiently is here," said Alex Vetter, chief executive officer of CARS, whose brands include Cars.com, Dealer Inspire and DealerRater. "We are in an era of opportunity where dealers and OEMs can take advantage of the most pure, comprehensive in-market car-shopper data, intelligent solutions and advanced technology platforms to drive some of the most efficient and effective advertising this industry has ever seen. CARS is committed to delivering connected technology solutions like FUEL IMV to attack inefficiencies for automotive advertisers and fuel sales and dealer profits." FUEL IMV gives OEMs and dealers the opportunity to harness the untapped power of digital video which is predicted to increase at a rate of 19 percent to $4.8 billion in the automotive space by 20235 by leveraging Cars.com's 23 million monthly shoppers, 82 percent of whom are in-market to buy.6 "TV advertising is dated and inefficient compared to where users spend their time," said Dean Evans, executive vice president of CARS. "Automotive advertisers relying on linear TV to generate traffic are wasting money by directing 95% of their spend towards those not in the market to buy a car, and therefore not getting the returns they deserve. FUEL IMV is the antidote to smarter automotive marketing that could eliminate the massive waste while yielding the same or better results." A recent FUEL IMV pilot revealed positive outcomes for a Hyundai dealership in the Atlanta metro area. During the test, the dealership saw a 153 percent increase in new users on its website, a 31 percent increase in organic traffic and a 180 percent increase in referral traffic from social media as a result of the new digital video campaign.7 Key features of FUEL IMV include: nmatched, pure in-market audience data: Exclusive access to Cars.com's valuable audience, which is the industry's most sophisticated and comprehensive view of ready-to-buy shoppers. More than 70 percent of the company's steadily growing traffic is organic. 8 Exclusive access to Cars.com's valuable audience, which is the industry's most sophisticated and comprehensive view of ready-to-buy shoppers. More than 70 percent of the company's steadily growing traffic is organic. Interactive channels: Providing shoppers the ability to click for more information or connect online with dealerships, something traditional TV cannot do. Providing shoppers the ability to click for more information or connect online with dealerships, something traditional TV cannot do. Competitive advantage: Dealers can claim their preferred ZIP codes, giving them access to data about households currently shopping for vehicles. Dealers can claim their preferred ZIP codes, giving them access to data about households currently shopping for vehicles. Custom campaign builder: Offers dealers access to a library of creative ad campaigns and the ability to customize them to a dealer's branding and special offers. Offers dealers access to a library of creative ad campaigns and the ability to customize them to a dealer's branding and special offers. Artificial intelligence: Built in AI to respond to viewers, collect customer information and provide personalized offers. Built in AI to respond to viewers, collect customer information and provide personalized offers. Comprehensive integration: Ability to sync across all CARS properties, delivering a connected experience across a dealership's entire digital portfolio to guide shoppers through the buying process. Ability to sync across all CARS properties, delivering a connected experience across a dealership's entire digital portfolio to guide shoppers through the buying process. Connected reporting: Metrics flow directly into the new Dealer Inspire reporting platform PRIZM (also being debuted at NADA), enabling dealers to see at a glance the effectiveness of each advertising dollar spent. GrowWithCars.com or visit the Cars.com-Dealer Inspire-DealerRater booth #3577C in the Las Vegas Convention Center during the 2020 NADA Show. ABOUT CARS.COM Cars.com is a leading digital marketplace and solutions provider for the automotive industry that connects car shoppers with sellers. Launched in 1998 and headquartered in Chicago, the Company empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools needed to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. In a rapidly changing market, Cars.com enables dealerships and OEMs with innovative technical solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence ready-to-buy shoppers, increase inventory turn and gain market share. In 2018, Cars.com acquired Dealer Inspire, an innovative technology company building solutions that future-proof dealerships with more efficient operations, a faster and easier car buying process, and connected digital experiences that sell and service more vehicles. Cars.com properties include DealerRater, Dealer Inspire, Auto.com, PickupTrucks.com and NewCars.com. For more information, visit www.Cars.com. 1 Zenith Media, Global Intelligence "Automotive Adspend Forecasts 2019" 2 Zenith Media, Global Intelligence "Automotive Adspend Forecasts 2019" 3 Los Angeles Times, eMarketer & Nielsen, "People Spend More Time on Mobile Devices Than TV", June 5, 2019 4 Estimate based on Cars.com Avg. Internal Traffic Data, 2019 5 Borrell's 2018 Outlook "Automotive Advertising Takes a Sharp Turn" 6 Cars.com Internal Data, Q3 2019 7 Cars.com pilot Jan 14-31, 2020, compared to Dec. 27, 2019-Jan 13, 2020 View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carscom-inc-launches-fuel-in-market-video-to-help-the-automotive-industry-better-target-ready-to-buy-car-shoppers-and-eliminate-up-to-95-of-tv-advertising-waste-301002454.html SOURCE Cars.com Inc. [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 03:31:43|Editor: Yurou Video Player Close Palestinians watch a speech by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the UN Security Council on the U.S. Middle East peace plan in the West Bank city of Ramallah, on Feb. 11, 2020. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday reiterated the rejection of a newly released U.S. Middle East peace plan, calling it an "Israeli-American proposal." (Photo by Ayman Nobani/Xinhua) UNITED NATIONS, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday reiterated the rejection of a newly released U.S. Middle East peace plan, calling it an "Israeli-American proposal." "I have come to you on behalf of 13 million Palestinians to call for a just peace. That is all. I have come to you today to reaffirm the Palestinian position that rejects the Israeli-American proposal," Abbas told the UN Security Council, which met to discuss the U.S. plan. The rejection of this plan reaffirms, or is the result of its unilateral steps and the fact that it violates international legitimacy and the Arab Peace Initiative, said Abbas. "It annuls the legitimacy of Palestinian rights, our rights to self-determination, freedom, and independence in our own state. It legitimized what is illegal: settlements and confiscation of land, and annexation of Palestinian land." "I would like to reaffirm that this plan or any part in this plan should not be considered as an international reference for negotiations," he said. "This is an Israeli-American preemptive plan in order to put an end to the question of Palestine. It was rejected by us because it considers that East Jerusalem is no longer under the sovereignty of the state of Palestine. That alone is enough for us to reject this plan." He warned that the plan would put an end to the question of Palestinian refugees. It will end all basis for a peace plan. It means the rejection of all agreements and obligations to establish two states along the pre-1967 lines, said Abbas. "This plan will not bring peace or stability to the region. And therefore, we will not accept this plan. We will confront its application on the ground." Tuesday's Security Council meeting was requested by Tunisia and Indonesia after U.S. President Donald Trump on Jan. 28 revealed a controversial Middle East peace plan, which calls for a two-state solution while recognizing Jerusalem as Israel's "undivided capital." The U.S. plan was immediately rejected by Palestine and the Arab world as well as other countries around the world. Prior to Tuesday's meeting, the four EU members of the UN Security Council -- Belgium, Estonia, France and Germany -- plus Poland, which has just left the council, said in a joint statement that the U.S. plan "departs from internationally agreed parameters." The victim told police Michael Brown, who was first elected in 2013, gets angry when she confronts him about catching him lying to her about having sex with other women, but he would normally take it out on the walls" and would throw and break things, according to a probable cause affidavit. The situation lately, however, had been getting worse and she feared for her safety," court records said. Boris Johnsons suggestion that Britain could trade with the EU on the same terms as Australia would amount to a no deal, the president of the European Commission has said. Ursula von der Leyen said she was surprised to hear the prime minister propose an Australian-style Brexit because the European Union does not have a trade agreement with Australia. Mr Johnson made the comments in a speech last week where he rejected suggestions the UK could align to EU rules to gain more market access the blocs key requirement. Honestly, I was a little bit surprised to hear the prime minister of the United Kingdom speak about the Australian model, Ms Von der Leyen said during a debate in the European Parliament on Tuesday. Australia, without any doubt, is a strong and a like-minded partner, but the European Union does not have a trade agreement with Australia. Recommended Warning of price hikes and food shortages from Johnson Brexit deal The head of the EUs executive branch said that if the UK wanted to leave without a deal, the bloc was fine with that, however. We are currently trading on WTO terms and if this is the British choice, well, we are fine with that, without any question, she said. Of course the UK can decide to settle for less, but I personally believe that we should be way more ambitious. Mr Johnson has set himself a deadline of the end of this year to negotiate a trade deal with the EU. If one is not secured, the UK will crash out of the transition period and trade on WTO terms, with British businesses facing high tariffs and quotas for trade. Two key battlegrounds are emerging in the early stages of talks: the extent to which the UK guarantees it will play by EU rules on a level playingfield when it trades, and the extent to which the European Court of Justice will oversee the agreement. Id like to make it clear to certain people in the UK in authority that they shouldnt kid themselves Michel Barnier, EU chief Brexit negotiator The EU also wants fishing rights for its fleets in British waters, while the UK wants access for its financial service firms to European markets. On Tuesday, the chancellor Sajid Javid said he wanted a reliable equivalence process for financial services rules on which a durable relationship can be built with the EU. But Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator who was also speaking in the parliamentary debate, knocked back the chancellors demands, stating: Id like to make it clear to certain people in the UK in authority that they shouldnt kid themselves. There will not be general, open-ended, ongoing equivalence in financial services. Well retain a free hand to take our own decisions. He said the bloc would simply not negotiate with the UK on this issue. As a result of Britains departure from the EU, City firms will lose their automatic passporting rights to keep doing business on the continent. Mr Barnier added that the opening of our markets, access to data, and equivalencies for financial services will be proportional to the commitments made to meet a true level playingfield in the UK staying tied to EU regulations. It comes amid reports that member states are pushing the commission to toughen up conditions on Britain even further, requiring it to stay aligned with new EU rules after it leaves. Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Show all 66 1 /66 Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A message projected onto the White Cliffs of Dover Sky News/AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The Union flag is taken down outside the European Parliament in Brussels PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU EU Council staff removed the Union Jack-British flag from the European Council in Brussels, Belgium EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pedestrians pass in front of the Ministry of Defence Building on Whitehall, illuminated by red, white and blue lights in central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supporter shouts during a rally in London AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU campaigners take part in a 'Missing EU Already' rally outside the Scottish Parliament, Edinburgh PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A large pro-EU banner is projected onto Ramsgate cliff in Kent PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU supporters light candles in Smith Square in Westminster PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU The five-year old Elisa Saemann, left, and her seven-year old sister Katie hold a placard during a rally by anti-Brexit protesters outside the Scottish parliament in Edinburgh AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Europe supporters gather on Brexit day near the British embassy in Berlin, Germany EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit protester hugs a man while holding a placard REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A decorated, old fashioned fire pump in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit Elvis impersonator performs at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexiteers stands with his dog in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Paddy from Bournemouth wears Union colours as he sits next to an EU flag decorated bag in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-EU activist plays a guitar decorated with the EU flag during a protest organised by civil rights group New Europeans outside Europe House, central London AFP via Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Pro Brexit supporter has a Union Jack painted onto his face at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Men hold placards celebrating Britain leaving the EU REUTERS Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters dance in the street draped with Union Jack flags at Parliament Square Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU An anti-Brexit demonstrator spreads his wings during a gathering near Downing Street AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters display a banner ' Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out' from Westminster bridge EPA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-Brexit supporters burn European Union flags at Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses for a picture on Parliament Square in a 'Brexit Day' t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People celebrate Britain leaving the EU Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man wears a pro-Brexit t-shirt Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators visit Europe House to give flowers to the staff on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporter wears a novelty Union Jack top hat outside the Houses of Parliament Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Customers Scott Jones and Laura Jones at the Sawmill Bar in South Elmsall, Yorkshire, where a Brexit party is being held throughout the day PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU activists protest Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A pro-Brexit demonstrator burns a European Union flag AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro Brexit supporters Getty Images Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A Brexit supports holds a sign in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man carries an EU themed wreath Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Ann Widdecombe reacts with other members of the Brexit party as they leave en masse from the European Parliament PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Anti-Brexit demonstrators in Parliament Square PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro EU supporters let off flares from Westminster Bridge Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British MEPs Jonathan Bullock, holding the Union Jack flag and Jake Pugh leave the European Parliament, in Brussels on the Brexit day AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Newspapers and other souvenirs at a store, near Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Brexit supporters hold signs in Parliament Square AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU French newspapers PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald with a Border Communities Against Brexit poster before its unveiling in Carrickcarnon on the Irish border PA Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU National growers organisation British Apples & Pears has renamed a British apple to EOS, the Greek goddess of dawn, to commemorate Brexit day AP Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Pro-EU protesters hold placards in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Britain's departure from the European Union was set in law on January 29, amid emotional scenes, as the bloc's parliament voted to ratify the divorce papers. After half a century of membership and three years of tense withdrawal talks, the UK will leave the EU at midnight Brussels time (23.00 GMT) on January 31 Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man poses with paintings on Parliament Square Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU People sporting Union Flags gather in Parliament Square Getty Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A man walks with a St. George's flag at Westminster bridge on Brexit day Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU A British bulldog toy and other souvenirs at a souvenir store Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU British pro-brexit Members of the European Parliament leave the EU Parliament for the last time Reuters Brexit day: UK says goodbye to EU Jonathan Bullock waves the Union Jack as he leaves the European Parliament EPA Mr Johnson had said in his speech: In the very unlikely event that we do not succeed, then our trade will have to be based on our existing withdrawal agreement with the EU. The choice is emphatically not deal or no deal. The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canadas or more like Australias. Under the Australia scenario, the UK would end up paying tariffs and having quotas imposed on its imports and exports with the EU. Under an agreement mirroring the Canadian deal with the EU, a relatively hard Brexit, there would also be tariffs and quotas though fewer. The UK has also said it wants to try and negotiate a deal with zero tariffs and quotas. There are currently no tariffs and quotas during the transition period, under which the UK stays aligned to EU rules until the end of 2020. BUCKS COUNTY >> Police in Northampton, Lower Southampton and Upper Makefield townships report the following incidents and arrests: Lower Southampton THEFT >> In the early morning hours on Monday, Jan. 10 two individuals made off with the entire change machine from the Feasterville Laundromat along Bustleton Pike. The male appears to be "cracking himself up" while he hatches his scheme... Pakistan is the cheapest of the 132 countries according to a study by CEO World Magazine, mainly because of the very cheap level of rent required to live in the country. Food, meanwhile, is cheapest in Afghanistan, followed by Pakistan and Uzbekistan. The lowest prices for restaurants in the world can be found in Tunisia, followed by Algeria and Pakistan. Switzerland was named the most expensive country, with a 122.4 on the cost of living index (life in New York City was the control level of living costs so was rated at 100.0 in the index). In comparison Pakistan rated at 21.98 on the cost of living index. Switzerland got particularly large numbers due to the cost of restaurants and groceries categories. Second on the list of the world's most expensive countries to live in was Norway, followed by Iceland, Japan, Denmark, Bahamas, Luxembourg, Israel, Singapore and South Korea. The index used data from a range of different studies, consumer price indexes, cost of living data and international media sources. The living costs focused on included bills, transport, clothing and accommodation. What's better than your mum arriving into LA to accompany you to the Oscars? Why, a mum bearing Barry's Tea and Tayto crisps, of course. Given that Saoirse Ronan is a four-time Academy Award nominee, her Dubliner mum Monica knows full well the drill by now. That's why she came well prepared with decent supplies for the seven-hour, meal-free ceremony. "She's my best pal and we've been on a journey together from day one," Monica told the Irish Independent last week before she boarded a plane to Los Angeles. "We have the Barry's Tea and Tayto crisps, bring it on." Expand Close Laura Dern and her mother Diane Ladd. Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Laura Dern and her mother Diane Ladd. Photo: ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images And in 2018, having tracked down a dog-sitter in advance after her new puppy put paid to her absence at that year's Golden Globe ceremony, Monica was proudly at her side as Saoirse glided down the Oscars red carpet. In fact, the two nearly missed the start of the event as they were busy chatting to people at the bar. Later, they were photographed enjoying mid-ceremony libations at the bar. But the Irish actress was far from the only one with her mammy in tow. Fellow Best Actress nominee, Charlize Theron brought her mum Gerda. "I win the award for best date, for sure," the 44-year-old star said on the E! News pre-show of having her mother at the Academy Awards. Expand Close Two of a kind: Charlize Theron and her mother Gerda Jacoba Aletta Maritz at the Oscars. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Two of a kind: Charlize Theron and her mother Gerda Jacoba Aletta Maritz at the Oscars. Photo: Amy Sussman/Getty Images Video of the Day Gerda jumped in to add that she is "very proud" of her daughter. "Oh are you? Thanks," Charlize quipped. "A little bit, just a little bit," her mother said, laughing. As most showbiz followers know, the two share an uncommonly strong bond. When Theron was 15 in June 1991, her father, Charles, drunkenly attacked her mother, who then shot him dead in self-defence (no charges were filed in the end). In 2019, several stars - among them Bradley Cooper, Lady Gaga and Michael B Jordan and Amy Adams - brought their mums along for the Oscars ceremony. And this year, it's a trend that's hotter than recycled designer gowns. Leonardo Di Caprio's mother Irmelin Indenbirken, Cynthia Erivo's mum Edith, Janelle Monae's mother Janet, Florence Pugh's mum Deborah, Beanie and Sharon Feldstein all of them cut a dash on the red carpet. Best Supporting Actress winner Laura Dern brought along her mother, actress Diane Ladd. It was a full-circle moment for Dern, who had previously gone to the Oscars as a child when her mother was nominated for her role in Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore. When Dern won her Oscar for her part in Marriage Story, she gave her mum - a three-time Oscar nominee - a shout from the stage. "Some say, never meet your heroes, but I say if you're really blessed, you get them as your parents. I share this with my acting heroes: my legends Diane Ladd and Bruce Dern," she said. Jojo Rabbit director Taika Waititi managed to lose his mum Robin somewhere on the labyrinthine pre-ceremony photocall. She did get a shout from the stage when he won his Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay: "I'd like to thank my mother. I don't know where you are, Mom. I lost you hours ago," Waititi joked on stage. Then, he thanked his mum "for giving me the book that I adapted (Caging Skies). This film wouldn't have existed without you doing that." Rooney Mara was by her fiance Joaquin Phoenix's side for much of the ceremony, but his mum Arlene was also on hand to see her son win his first Oscar (and pay an emotional tribute to his late brother, River). The one star-and-mum pairing that caught everyone's attention was Toy Story 4 star Keanu Reeves and his mum, Patricia Taylor, in contrasting monochrome outfits. Keanu's age-defying mother was initially misidentified by both the Associated Press and Getty Images as Keanu's girlfriend, Alexandra Grant. You may recall the furore that Keanu and his gorgeous, silver-haired partner made when they appeared together on the red carpet last year at the LACMA Art + Film Gala. The union spawned a gazillion think pieces about Hollywood men and their age-appropriate girlfriends, as well as rampant ageism on the Hollywood red carpet. Which may in fact offer us a clue as to exactly why the A-list decided on that the whole 'bring your mum to work' thing might be a good idea. Bringing your mother as an award ceremony plus-one offers precisely zero negative publicity. In Hollywood circles, taking your romantic partner on the wild ride of the awards circuit is up there with bending the knee. If you're Oscars Official, you are most definitely serious. If, however, you have a fairly casual lover, or you perhaps prefer not to fuel public speculation about your dating life, mum's very much the word. When an actor brings his mother and his girlfriend, another subtle message gets relayed: I'm not in this game for the attention. Hollywood history is stuffed to the gills with actors who have used the red carpet to pack on the PDAs (that's public displays of affection) with a significant other. They can be as affectionate with whomever they like, as often as they like but an actor's actor prefers to leave this sort of carry-on to the 'celebrities'. If you don't want the media to fixate on whom you're dating, don't bring them to the biggest show in town. Simple as that. As PR tactics go, shining a light on familial love gets everyone in the feels. Joaquin Phoenix appears to have made himself unpopular in Hollywood circles; he said as much from the stage. But once you're the sort of guy who brings mum along for the greatest night of your life well, you can't be that bad, after all, can you? But perhaps the decision to bring mum along on the biggest night of your professional life is a lot simpler (and less cynical than that). They want to share a huge moment with the person that they are closest to. It's also a lovely moment of payback, of saying thanks, a time to bask in the glory of being at the top of your professional game. Look into the backstory of most actors, writers and directors, and you're likely to find a mum who was their first ardent supporter. Someone who was the first of many to spot that glimmer of talent, and nurtured it as best she could. A mum who drove them tirelessly to dance or drama classes. A woman who sewed costumes for school productions, who helped fund drama school, and who never stopped believing in her child. When you put it like that, who else, really, could get a look-in? We will see that every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company. Caffeinea mild stimulant typically ingested in the form of coffee or tea but also consumed in caffeinated energy drinks and soft drinks such as Coca-Colais the worlds most popular mood-altering drug. Billions of people rely on it daily to boost energy and mental alertness and fend off drowsiness. It is also considered one of the worlds most benign drugs. Unlike alcohol and tobacco, caffeine does not killat least not short of extreme doses equivalent to 60 to 90 strong cups of coffee for a 200-pound adult. Nevertheless, the drug has been complicit in plenty of killing. Caffeine has kept armies awake and alert, energized empires and rebellions, and otherwise helped to mobilize the worlds militaries. When there is fatigue and the food is diminished, U.S. Army brigadier general Michael Ryan Morgan observed in 1896, such a stimulant is indispensable, and must be an ingredient of every reserve and emergency ration. Caffeine was first isolated in 1819 by German chemist Friedlieb Ferdinand Runge. Caffeine is certainly not unique to tea leaves and coffee beansmore than 100 other plants contain the alkaloid, including the guarana climbing vine, the kola nut, the yerba mate tree, and the guayusa holly treebut no other source of the drug approaches the significance of tea and coffee, the most widely consumed beverages on the planet apart from water. Tea was an essential ration for British and Canadian soldiers around the world, and coffee was just as important to Union and Confederate soldiers in the Civil War. (If your men get their coffee early in the morning, Union major general Benjamin Butler assured another general, you can hold.) Coca-Cola, the pioneer of caffeinated soft drinks, was named after its two defining ingredients: the coca leaf and the kola nut. As the first advertisement for the drink in the Atlanta Journal on May 29, 1886, put it: Coca-Cola. Delicious! Refreshing! Exhilarating! Invigorating! The new and popular soda fountain drink containing the properties of the wonderful Coca plant and the famous Cola nut. Andean coca leaves contain small quantities of the alkaloid drug cocaine, while the nuts of the West African kola plant contain about 2 percent caffeine. Cocaine was removed from Coca-Cola in 1903, but caffeine remained, albeit at a lower level than the original formula. John Stith Pemberton, the Georgia pharmacist who invented Coca-Cola in 1886, touted it as a valuable brain tonic that could cure headaches, relieve exhaustion, and calm nerves. Pemberton, however, sold the rights to the drink shortly before he died in 1888 and never got to see it become a national drink, as he had once predicted. By 1895 Coca-Cola was being sold in every state in the union, and by World War I the drink had found its way into military bases and camps from coast to coast. In 1918 an officer of the 55th Infantry Exchange at Camp MacArthur in Waco, Texas, pleaded with the local bottling company for more. Unless we have Coca Cola we will have to admit defeat at the hands of Enemy Heat & Thirst, he plaintively wrote. The Army has been schooled to like and want Coca Cola because Coca Cola is the wholesome thirst quenching drink and this Exchange, representing Four Thousand Coca Cola drinkers, begs that our supply be multiplied by ten and even more if possible. Over the next 20 years, Coca-Cola remained enormously popular in the United States and found its way to Cuba, Canada, and Germany. But it took the massive stimulus provided by World War II to transform Coca-Cola into a global beverage. As Mark Pendergrast puts it in his unauthorized history For God, Country, and Coca-Cola, The Japanese didnt realize that by bombing Pearl Harbor they were indirectly giving the Coca-Cola Company a worldwide boost that would ensure the soft drink companys unquestioned global dominance of the industry. As the United States entered World War II, Robert Woodruff, the president of the Coca-Cola Company, boldly ordered that every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for five cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company. This patriotic gesture was also a savvy business move. And the demand was certainly there: We sincerely hope that your Company will be able to continue supplying us during this emergency, one officer wrote in a letter. In our opinion, Coca-Cola could be classified as one of the essential morale-building products for the boys in the Service. Coca-Cola, with the armys blessing, used 100 such letters in 1942 to successfully lobby Capitol Hill lawmakers to exempt the company from the sugar ration. Coca-Colas Washington lobbyist even managed to get an executive of the company appointed to the sugar-rationing board. Rival soft-drink makers received no such similar preferential treatment and had to sharply cut production. The Pepsi-Cola Companys complaints that Coca-Cola had unfair access to military bases fell on deaf ears in Washington. Coca-Cola could use the conflict to simultaneously beat its domestic rivals and boost foreign sales. A 1943 magazine ad touts Coke as the global high-sign for American fighting men overseas.(Advertising Archives/Bridgeman Images) Still, there was the logistical challenge of getting Coke into the eager hands of the more than 16 million thirsty American soldiers fighting overseas. Shipping the bottles was inefficient and cumbersome, especially in wartime. The solution, wherever possible, was to set up bottling plants in military bases so that the company needed only to ship its syrup. The company deployed 248 employees to build and maintain 64 bottling facilities across the world, mostly paid for by the military, that would serve 16 billion Cokes during the war. Coca-Cola representatives were even deemed technical observersthe official status granted to civilians necessary to the war effortwearing T.O. as a shoulder patch on their army uniforms and nicknamed Coca-Cola Colonels. Far from being resented for having avoided the draft and staying safe behind the front lines, the technical observers from Coca-Cola were deemed as vital as those [T.O.s] who fixed tanks or airplanes, according to Pendergrast. They even developed a portable soda dispenser for use in the jungle and a slimmed-down version that could squeeze through a submarine hatch. Throughout the war, the company even made sure that its product was accessible to those living near U.S. military bases abroad. Consequently, as author Tom Standage noted in A History of the World in 6 Glasses, People around the world, from Polynesians to Zulus, tasted Coca-Cola for the first time. The Coca-Cola archives are filled with letters from appreciative servicemen who equated America with Coca-Cola. To my mind, I am in this damn mess as much to help keep the custom of drinking Cokes as I am to help preserve the million other benefits our country blesses its citizens with.May we all toast victory soon with a Coke, one wrote. If anyone were to ask us what we were fighting for, another soldier wrote, we think half of us would answer, the right to buy CocaCola again. And it wasnt only the foot soldiers who felt this way. Such famous generals as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur, and George S. Patton Jr. were also famously fond of Coke. In June 1943 Eisenhower made sure the Allied campaign in North Africa did not go without its Coca-Cola supply, sending a telegram order for three million bottled CocaCola (filled) and complete equipment for bottling, washing, capping same quantity twice monthly. Preference as to equipment is 10 separate machines for installation in different localities, each complete for bottling twenty thousand bottles per day. Also sufficient syrup and caps for 6 million refills. Quartermasters at U.S. bases lobbied equally hard for their Coke supplies: Colonel John P. Neu, the quartermaster at an American base in Dutch Guiana, pleaded for bottling equipment in early 1942, arguing that it was vital to the maintenance of contentment and well-being of the military personnel stationed at this far away post. Immediately after D-Day Coca-Cola also entered Western Europe; indeed, its name was even adopted as a password by U.S. soldiers as they battled across the Rhine. After the invasion of Normandy, one U.S. soldier joked in a letter to his sister: The most important question in amphibious landings: Does the Coke machine go ashore in the first or second wave? Ive told you before what a problem this is. If you send the Coke machine in with the first wave, future waves come pouring in without enough nickels. Obviously, getting change for a dime or a quarter on an enemy beach is quite difficult. On the other hand, if you hold the Coke machine up until the second wave, the men of the first wave wait on the beach for it to come in, instead of driving forward to attack the enemy. Back in the States, the companys advertisements promoted a patriotic image, highlighting its contribution to the war effort. One advertisement depicted American sailors enjoying a Coke aboard ship, with the caption Wherever a U.S. battleship may be, the American way of life goes along.So, naturally, Coca-Cola is there, too. At the same time, Germany and Japan, which before the war had imported Coca-Cola, now denounced the drink. Japanese propagandists proclaimed, With Coca-Cola we imported the germs of the disease of American society, and their counterparts in Germany derided America for having never contributed anything to world civilization except chewing gum and Coca-Cola. Behind the scenes, company executives scrambled to secure the key ingredients to keep the Coke flowing. This included encouraging Monsanto Chemical Company to build special caffeine manufacturing plants in Brazil and Mexico and turning to recycled bottle caps to cope with metal shortages. The company faced constant threats of shortages of both vanilla extract (25,000 gallons needed per month) and the coca leaf and kola nut extract referred to as Merchandise No. 5 (a million pounds needed per year). When the fighting finally ended, few companies were as well positioned as Coca-Cola to take advantage of postwar business opportunities. After all, the U.S. military had bankrolled the startup costs of the companys extraordinary global expansion. And the military-sponsored bottling facilities kept running for another three years before shifting to civilian operation. By that time, author Standage observes, with the exception of Antarctica, Coca-Cola had established itself on every continent on Earth, carried on the coattails of the American military. In the words of one company official, the war had guaranteed the almost universal acceptance of the goodness of Coca-Cola. Even some Soviet leaders became Coke drinkers. Among them was Georgy Konstantinovich Zhukov, the celebrated marshal who led the Red Army into Berlin at the end of the war. Eisenhower introduced Zhukov to Coca-Cola during their negotiations over the postwar carving-up of Germany, and the Soviet marshal liked it so much that he asked whether a special colorless versionto make it look like vodkacould be made just for him. With President Harry S. Trumans blessing, Coca-Cola was happy to comply with the request and sent Zhukov shipments of unlabeled bottles sporting white caps with a red Soviet star. During the Cold War, Coca-Cola came to be either denounced or embraced as a symbol of American consumer capitalism. Coca-Colas aggressive postwar expansion into foreign markets was interpreted in many places as a form of U.S. imperialism. The term Coca-colonization was coined by French communist sympathizers, who hoped to block the building of new bottling plants in their country and even argued that the drink was poisonous and should be banned. French mobs overturned Coca-Cola trucks and broke bottles in protest. Austrian communists warned that the local Coca-Cola plant could double as an atom bomb factory. Italian communists went so far as to charge that the drink turned childrens hair white. Nonetheless, Coca-Cola became ever more popular throughout Western Europe and across the globe. And when the Berlin Wall came down in 1989, East Berliners were soon seen standing in line to buy it by the crate from the Coca-Cola bottling plant in West Berlin. Peter Andreas is the John Hay Professor of International Studies at Brown University. He is the author of Killer High: A History of War in Six Drugs (Oxford University Press, 2020), from which this article is adapted. This article appears in the Spring 2020 issue (Vol. 32, No. 3) of MHQThe Quarterly Journal of Military History with the headline: Behind the Lines | Quench Warfare Want to have the lavishly illustrated, premium-quality print edition of MHQ delivered directly to you four times a year? Subscribe now at special savings! President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani. "On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I heartily congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national day of your country, Victory of the Islamic Revolution," President Aliyev said. "Today's level of Azerbaijan-Iran relations, which are based on historical, cultural and religious roots and are developing in an atmosphere of good neighborliness, is satisfactory. I am confident that our cooperation both in bilateral format and within international organizations, especially within the Non-Aligned Movement, will be strengthened further through our joint efforts to the benefit of our peoples," President Aliyev said. "Taking this pleasant opportunity, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Iran everlasting peace and prosperity," Ilham Aliyev added. We had a very difficult time narrowing down the candidates for this years scholarship, they were all very driven and have wonderful ambitions for their chosen field. Ultimately, we couldnt choose just one so we chose two winners this year. Two Winners Chosen for The James Davidson Innovative Student Scholarship SprayWorks is proud to announce they have selected two winners for the second annual James Davidson Innovative Student Scholarship. This years pool of candidates was extremely driven and passionate about their chosen field of study. The scholarship was intended for just one winner, however it was impossible to select just one recipient this year. The scholarship is named after SprayWorks Equipment Group owner, James Davidson. The James Davidson Innovative Student Scholarship was designed to encourage Chemical Science students to create innovation in their chosen industry and during their university education. The scholarship recipients are Ellen Goff, a Chemical Engineering student at Trine University in Indiana, and Drew Horton, a Chemical Engineering student at the University of Akron in Ohio. Ms. Goff has ambitions of improving the way metals are used, as well as how plastics decompose while impacting our environment. My goal is to innovate a better, more cost-effective steel that could be used for building in low-income areas, said Ellen Goff. Drew Horton, a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers student chapter as well as the Society of Plastics Engineers, is interested in research within anti-corrosive materials. As I am studying Chemical Engineering, I will have a significant knowledge regarding practical chemical science which will allow me to apply chemical science to future problems, said Drew Horton. We had a very difficult time narrowing down the candidates for this years scholarship, says James Davidson, Owner, SprayWorks Equipment Group. They were all very driven and have wonderful ambitions for their chosen field. Ultimately, we couldnt choose just one so we chose two winners this year. About SprayWorks Equipment Group SprayWorks Equipment Group is a spray foam and polyurea company; supplying equipment, training, material, mobile rigs, and parts and the #1 distributor for PMC equipment. With nearly 100 years of combined experience, SprayWorks has knowledge in commercial and residential buildings, bridges, and infrastructure. SprayWorks provides training and education for new contractors and equipment operators; open cell, closed cell, polyurea & coating applications for interior & exterior building envelope design, waterproofing, below grade, bridge deck, barge, secondary containment all types of roofs and structures. For more information, visit Store.SprayWorksEquipment.com or YouTube. Call 330-587-4141. There is no pain involved in this procedure. The general procedure in the use of a Holter monitor involves carrying a monitor (weight- ~190 g; dimensions 70 x 95 x 20 mm) that is equipped with a flashcard to record data from 2 to 3 electrode adhesive patches connected to the monitor by lead wires. These electrodes are stuck on the chest, and the electric activity is recorded and stored on the flashcard for a period of 24 to 48 hours. The monitor is battery-operated. The analysis of the data is in digital format. Patients can carry the Holter monitor in a pouch around the neck or the waist. Patients are requested to maintain a diary to note down the symptoms. The exact time of occurrence of the symptoms should be noted. This helps in comparing heart activity irregularities in the data recordings with the symptoms. The Holter monitor or continuous electrocardiography or ambulatory electrocardiography was developed by Norman J. Holter, an American researcher in the 1940s, and is used to continuously record the electrical activity of the heart (continuous ECG or EKG) over a period of 24 hours to 48 hours. The Holter monitor is a home monitor and is used to understand conditions, such as arrhythmia of the heart, fatigue, fainting, palpitations, and dizziness. Such conditions may not be detected with the standard ECG. This is due to the fact that many of these conditions, such as dizziness, occur suddenly and subside after a period of time. If the standard ECG recording is not taken during the events, it is difficult to detect these conditions. Hence, continuous monitoring of the electrical activity of the heart is preferred. The doctor first explains the procedure to the patient and lets the patient clarify any doubts regarding the procedure. The doctor also assesses the patients medical history to identify any additional procedures to be followed before using the monitor. The patient is requested to remove jewellery and other accessories on the upper half of the body. The clothes from the upper half of the body are removed and the adhesive electrodes are stuck onto the chest. The patient should inform the doctor of any allergies to adhesives before the electrodes are stuck to the chest. Some patients may need to have their chest shaved in order to fix the electrodes to the chest. The patient should shower before the electrodes are attached. Once the monitor is attached, the patient cannot shower until the monitor is removed. The patient is educated on the use of the monitor and how to replace and attach the electrodes if they fall off. The monitor should always be kept close to the body. The patients can resume their normal activities after being fitted with the electrodes. When the data is analyzed, any abnormality in the data is compared with the symptoms recorded by the patient. Since the monitor records the electrical activity of the heart, the patient is advised to keep clear of high-voltage areas, magnets, and electrical appliances, such as hair dryers, shavers, toothbrushes, and electric blankets. The Holter monitor may be used for the following purposes: To check the condition of a pacemaker To detect arrhythmias of the heart To detect possible cardiac cause of dizziness, fatigue and fainting To detect the risk of cardiac events in certain conditions affecting the heart, such as Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome (abnormal electrical activity within the heart), weakness of the walls of the heart following a heart attack, or thickening of the heart walls (idiopathic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) To monitor chest pain that does not occur due to exercise To analyze the effectiveness of drugs used to treat the heart for conditions, such as cardiac arrhythmia To detect slow heart beat rate (bradycardia) or fast heart beat rate (tachycardia). Abnormalities in the heart rate need to be correlated with patient symptoms. When the patient does not log in the symptoms correctly, it is difficult to correlate and identify the condition of the heart. The data is recorded over time and does not give data collected at a specific time or in other words, real-time analysis. The diagnostic efficiency of Holter monitors is high for patients who exhibit daily symptoms. However, it is low compared with the newer continuous recording devices. Certain medications and smoking can interfere with the recording of data in the monitors. Perspiration can cause the electrodes to fall off from the chest. On the other hand, sensitive skin on the chest may be inflamed or irritated with continuous application of the electrodes. A Holter monitor test is a non-invasive test and can be used o an outpatient basis. The Holter monitor can record ECG continuously providing an overall picture of the heart activity. The digital data can be obtained without any additional effort from the patient. Costs of a Holter Monitor Test In the USA, a Holter monitor scan can cost ~357 dollars, while a Holter monitor recording can cost ~395 dollars. In India, it costs anywhere between Rs. 1000 to Rs. 4000. Recent Advances in Holter Monitors There are new Holter monitors that can record data for nearly 2 weeks. In addition, Holter monitors with 12-lead electrodes have been used to analyze heart rate irregularities in underwater divers at different stages (pre-diving, diving, and post-diving). Sydney, Feb 11 : The heavy rains lashing New South Wales (NSW) state have led to hopes that all the bushfires in the Australian state could be out by the end of the week, an official said on Tuesday. Since February 7, parts of the fire-ravaged Australian state have experienced their heaviest rainfall in years, leading to widespread flooding and power outages, the BBC reported. According to the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS), the deluge has extinguished 30 fires, leaving only four "uncontained". In total, 24 fires remain burning across the state. "Given the forecast, we should be able to get on top of those relatively quickly and set the fires down," RFS spokesman James Morris told the BBC. "We are hoping by the end of the week we may be able to have zero uncontained fires across NSW," he said. Nationally, blazes have killed at least 33 people and destroyed thousands of homes. More than 11 million hectares of land - an area comparable to the size of England - has been affected. Officials have renewed wet weather warnings for parts of the coast and the neighbouring state of Queensland, but said the heaviest downpours had passed by Tuesday. Emergency response services in NSW said they had received about 10,000 calls across the state on Monday as wild weather brought down trees, flooded homes and disrupted public transport. Among the hundreds of rescues carried out, emergency workers saved one man from a flooded river in the state's north, the BBC report said. He had been swept away and survived by clinging to a tree for 10 hours. In another rescue north of Brisbane, a man and woman were saved after they were also spotted clinging to a tree. They had been swept away from their campsite on a blow-up mattress, authorities said. You cannot imagine the shock and the dismay that my husband and I felt, Collins said, pausing to compose herself, when the judge dismissed the hate-crime charge. It brought back images of the day when those two state troopers came to my home at 7 oclock in the morning to tell us my son was murdered. Solapur : , Feb 11 (IANS) The Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday launched an economy lunch 'thali' to mark the 52nd death anniversary of Bharatiya Jan Sangh leader Pt. Deendayal Upadhyaya in the temple town of Pandharpur here. Priced at Rs 30, it comes barely a fortnight after the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government launched a 'Shiv Bhojan thali' at Rs 10 a head for the poor from January 26 as a pilot project. State BJP spokesperson Madhav Bhandari said that women's self-help groups affiliated to the BJP are preparing the food for the 'Deendayal thali' which comprises three chapatis, two vegetables, a bowl of rice and chutney-pickle. "This is purely our independent initiative, we are not taking any financial help from the government. On the inaugural day, we were prepared with 75 'Deendayal thalis', but the demand was a lot more, so we shall cater to it accordingly from tomorrow," Bhandari told IANS. In contrast, the 'Shiv Bhojan thali' includes two chapatis, one vegetable, a bowl of rice, dal and dessert and has become popular especially in the rural areas. After the initial launch at a centre near the famed temple of Lord Vitthal and Rukmini in Pandharpur, it will be made available around the state subsequently, Bhandari added. It may be recalled that prior to the last Assembly elections, the BJP had announced a Rs 25 per plate 'Atal thali' scheme, subject to the party winning the polls. However, since it did not come to power, the 'Atal thali' scheme plan was abandoned and now it has unveiled the 'Deendayal thali', and this will continue irrespective of whether the party is in government or not. Fredrickson, a Hinsdale-based writer acclaimed for his Windy City series featuring private investigator Vlodek Dek Elstrom, is a sneaky stylist. On the one hand, he deftly engages in classic, hard-boiled tropes: He doubted anyone about to kill himself would open a beer and take only a tiny sip before pulling the trigger. And though the beautiful supervisor who seduces Rigg may be the stuff of fantasy she keeps her string of pearls on in bed not many journalism thrillers get as much right as this one does. (Repeating to fix slugline) By Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, appearing before the United Nations Security Council, angrily rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's Middle East peace proposal on Tuesday as a gift to Israel and unacceptable to Palestinians. Waving a copy of a map that the U.S. plan envisions for a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine, Abbas said the state carved out for Palestinians looks like a fragmented "Swiss cheese." His appearance came as a draft U.N. Security Council resolution is being circulated that would condemn an Israeli plan to annex its settlements in the West Bank, in what would amount to a rebuke of the Trump plan. The draft text, circulated to council members by Tunisia and Indonesia, would face a certain U.S. veto, but nonetheless reflected some members' dim view of the peace plan that Trump rolled out two weeks ago with great fanfare. Abbas called on Trump to disavow the plan and seek a return to negotiations based on existing U.N. resolutions that call for a two-state solution based on pre-1967 border lines. He urged the Security Council to hold an international conference to implement a settlement. "The U.S. cannot be the sole mediator," he said. Suggesting violent protests could break out, Abbas said that "the situation could implode at any moment. ... We need hope. Please do not take this hope away from us." Later he said Palestinians would not "resort to terrorism." Trumps plan, the product of three years' effort by senior adviser and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner, would recognize Israels authority over West Bank settlements and would require the Palestinians to meet a difficult series of conditions to be allowed to have a state, with its capital in a West Bank village east of Jerusalem. Released on Jan. 28, the plan drew immediate Palestinian condemnation for imposing strict conditions and agreeing to let Israel maintain control of long-contested West Bank settlements. Story continues Although Trump's stated aim was to end decades of conflict, the plan he advanced favored Israel, underscored by the absence of Palestinians from Trump's White House announcement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at his side. While the Palestinians have rejected the plan, a number of Arab governments have said it represents a starting point for a renewal of long-stalled negotiations. Abbas said the deal is not an international partnership but rather a proposal from one state supported by another state to be imposed on Palestinians. "This is the state that they will give us," said Abbas. "It's like a Swiss cheese, really. Who among you will accept a similar state and similar conditions?" Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, accused Abbas of being unrealistic. "President Abbas refused to be pragmatic. He refuses to negotiate. He is not interested in finding a realistic solution to the conflict," Danon told the Security Council. (Reporting by Steve Holland and Arshad Mohammed; editing by Jonathan Oatis) Hand-written lyric sheets used by Oasis while touring for their iconic second album have gone up for sale with a starting bid of 10,000. The 10 A4 sheets of paper were used by Noel Gallagher as prompts for the band while they performed to sell-out crowds in 1996, the year after they released era defining album (What's The Story) Morning Glory. The well known lyrics for hit singles Roll With It, Wonderwall, Dont Look Back in Anger and album track Hello have been scrawled onto each, along with guitar chords. Memorabilia: Hand-written lyric sheets used by Oasis while touring for their iconic second album have gone up for sale with a starting bid of 10,000 The sheets have spent several years in the ownership of an esteemed Oasis collector but are now set to sell as a full set. They have been consigned for sale with Omega Auctions of Newton-Le-Willows, Merseyside who have described them as a "smart investment opportunity". Dan Hampson, from Omega, said: 'We know that Noel often produced similar examples, he would write them up prior to recording sessions or gigs to use as prompts, however it is rare to see a complete set for such a classic album come to market. Iconic: The 10 A4 sheets of paper were scrawled on by Noel Gallagher as prompts for the band while they performed to sell-out crowds in 1996, the year after they released era defining album (What's The Story) Morning Glory Main man: Noel wrote every song on the band's second LP, widely considered to be the most important British indie album of the 1990s 'They were owned by a major Oasis collector, who kept them in very good condition and who acquired them generally through other auctions or private sales down the years.' He added: 'Oasis memorabilia and indeed 90s indie/rock/pop is having a real moment now, many of the generation that grew up listening to this music and these bands now have the disposable income to spend on collecting vinyl and memorabilia. 'Many people would regard a set such as this as a smart investment opportunity.' All yours... for a price: The sheets have spent several years in the ownership of an esteemed Oasis collector but are now set to sell as a full set Old times: The band salute fans after performing at Knebworth in August 1996 Oasis released second album (What's The Story) Morning Glory in October 1995, selling 347,000 copies in its first week - a record at the time. It went on to become the best selling album of the decade, with 15 platinum certifications and millions of copies sold world wide. The iconic cover, featuring partially obscured DJ Sean Rowley and album cover art designer Brian Cannon passing each other, was shot on an empty Berwick Street in London's Soho in the early hours of the morning. Investors are always on the prowl for high returns. They can look for this in the traditional places, of course, the Apples and the Amazons and the Googles, where shares appreciate at fast rates, or they can look at the Microsofts and Mastercards and JPMorgans, where steady share gains are paired with steady dividends. These are viable strategies. But sometimes, investors like to follow the roads less traveled. The average dividend yield among stocks listed in the S&P 500 index is only 2%. This is just slightly higher than Treasury bond yields. But its also just an average. There are plenty of stocks with higher yields. Companies may reach those yields of 7, or 9, or even 15% for various reasons, but what they all have in common is a strong draw for investors. Weve used TipRanks Stock Screener tool to pull up some of these lesser-known, but profitable, dividend stocks. Setting the filters to show small-cap stocks with yields exceeding 5%, we narrowed the list from the full database of 6,500 stocks to just 86, a far more manageable number. Here are three that income-minded investors should take note of. MVC Capital, Inc. (MVC) Well start with business development company. MVC Capital holds a diverse portfolio of investments, which it uses to realize long-term growth for its own investors and shareholders. In recent years, the company has transitioned from a capital loss carry strategy to a yielding investment strategy, with an emphasis on dividend returns. And its not just dividend returns from the companys portfolio MVC is a top performer in its niche at paying out dividends to investors. The company has a nine-year history of consistent, regular payments, without missing a quarter, and in recent years has been increasing the payout. The current dividend, at 17 cents quarterly, represents an annual payment of 68 cents per share and impressive yield of 7.12%. Thats 3.5x the S&P average. MVC maintains its dividend with strong earnings. The company reported $8 million in total income for Q4 2019, up 35% year-over-year. Net operating income, at $3.1 million, was also up significantly and more important, MVC has a dividend payout ratio of 100%, so all of that income was paid back to company investors. Story continues Michael Diana, 4-star analyst with Maxim Group, looks ahead at MVCs potential and writes, Over the next four quarters, we expect: 1) a dividend yield of 7.4%, and 2) stock price appreciation of 40.5%, which should result in an estimated 12-month total return of about 48%. Beyond that timeframe, we expect MVC to grow its yield investments and raise its dividend further. In line with his bullish view, Diana gives MVC a Buy rating supported by a price target of $13. His target implies a solid upside potential of 36%. (To watch Dianas track record, click here) In agreement with Diana is Ladenburg analyst Christopher Nolan. Nolan wrote of the MVCs portfolio, Asset quality was steady with the same 2 credits on non-accrual and totaled 1.6% of the investment portfolio at cost. Nolan put an $11 target on MVC shares to back his Buy rating. This indicates an upside potential of 15% in the coming year. (To watch Nolans track record, click here) All in all, shares in MVC are priced at just $9.55, a bargain for a stock with a 25% average upside potential. That potential is derived from the average price target of $12. With 2 Buy ratings and 1 Hold given in recent weeks, the analyst consensus on MVC is a Moderate Buy. (See MVC stock analysis on TipRanks) Amplify Energy Corporation (AMPY) Our next stock is in the energy sector. Amplify is an oil and natural gas exploration and drilling company. The bulk of the companys operations are located in Texas and Louisiana, with additional production sites in Wyoming and the California offshore. Amplify is an upstream company in the industry, meaning that its operations focus on directly extracting oil and gas resources from acquired properties. Amplify has more than 1,400 active wells on its lands, and backs them up with another 1,00 well in various stages of development. In proven reserves, Amplify boasts over 900 billion cubic feet equivalent. Last year, the company reduced its competition by absorbing Midstate Petroleum in a merger-of-equals deal. The merged entity uses the Amplify name. Most dividend champs get that status through long-term, consistent payment. Amplify, however, only began paying out its dividend in Q3 of 2019, after its merger with Midstate. It commands attention, even though it is new, because of the yield. At over 15%, AMPYs dividend yield is one of the best in the market. Its a whopping ten times better than Treasury note yields, and 7.5x higher than the average dividend yield on the S&P 500 index. Due to AMPYs low share price, the dividend is modest only 20 cents per quarter. That makes the annual payout 80 cents. So far, the company has made the payment twice, in September and December of 2019. The payout ratio, at 133%, may indicate long-term sustainability issues, but those are mitigated by the oil and gas industrys ability to produce high cash flows. Analyst Jeff Grampp, reviewing AMPY for Northland Securities, sees a bullish case here. He says of the stock, We sense there is some investor skepticism about the sustainability of the dividend and believe that as the company proves it is sustainable, yield compression can occur. We estimate AMPY can fund its 2020 dividend through FCF down to an average ~$52/BBL WTI price Investors should note that WTI trended up from October through December, but slipped in January and now appears to have leveled out at $50. Oil volatility has been high in the past 12 months. Grampp puts his money where his mouth his, giving AMPY a $10 price target to support a Buy rating. This target suggests a hefty upside potential of 91%. (To watch Grampps track record, click here) Amplifys two recent reviews are both Buy-side, making the consensus view of the stock a Moderate Buy. Shares are trading low, at just $5.21, and the average price target of $10.25 indicates room for 96% growth in the coming 12 months. (See Amplify stock analysis on TipRanks) Hunt Companies Finance Trust (HCFT) Well wrap up our look at dividend champions with Hunt Companies, a real estate investment trust (REIT). These companies make their profits through buying, owning, managing, and leasing combinations of commercial and investment properties, as well as financing customer mortgages and investing in mortgage backed securities. That latter niche is Hunts specialty the companys portfolio is focused on mortgage backed securities, loans, and related real estate investments. A common feature of tax regulations required REITs to pay back the lions share of their earnings to investors, and most of them choose dividends as their payment vehicle of choice. The company manages this with a 7.5 cent quarterly payment, which annualizes to 30 cents and a yield at a whopping 9.2%. HCFT has a history of adjusting the dividend to meet both tax regulations and sustainability issues, and the current payout ratio is an impressive 75%. Due to a strong US economic climate, the company has been able to grow the dividend over the past two years. JMP Securities analyst Steven Delaney lays out a bullish case for HCFT, writing in his recent note on the stock, We remain positive on shares of HCFT and believe the company is well positioned to take advantage of access to a larger CRE lending platform following the newly entered Management Agreement. While the companys micro market cap and limited trading liquidity may restrict its investor audience, we believe the shares offer attractive potential upside To demonstrate that potential upside, Delaney gives the stock a $4 price target, indicating confidence that the potential is 22%. He rates the stock a Buy, of course. (To watch Delaneys track record, click here) Delaneys is the only recent review on HCFT as he pointed out in his note, this is a micro-cap company of limited liquidity; it is a classic under the radar investment. It is still worth looking at, however. With a dividend yield exceeding 9%, and a potential upside of 22%, the $3.26 current share price is a bargain thats hard to beat. (See Hunt's price targets and analyst ratings on TipRanks) German online bank N26 has said that it will close all of its British customers' accounts and leave the UK market because of Britain's exit from the EU at the end of last month. A relative newcomer in Britain, the firm said that due to it being unable to operate with its European banking licence, its hundreds of thousands of UK customers would have their accounts shut on April 15. "While we fully respect the decision that has been taken, it means that N26 will in due course be unable to serve our customers in the UK and will have to leave the market," chief banking officer Thomas Grosse said in a statement. The firm added that its customers outside of Britain would not be affected and the move did not indicate its global ambitions had dimmed. Grosse said the bank, which recently raised USD 300 million to enter the lucrative US market, now had more than five million customers across the European Union. Launched in 2015, N26 lets customers open a bank account within a few minutes from their smartphone or computer, offering a bank card at no extra charge. Like similar "fintech", or financial technology firms, it dispenses with traditional lenders' network of branches and can charge much lower fees as a result. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Elsevier is a global information analytics business that helps scientists and clinicians to find new answers, reshape human knowledge, and tackle the most urgent human crises. For 140 years, we have partnered with the research world to curate and verify scientific knowledge. Today, we're committed to bringing that rigor to a new generation of platforms. Elsevier provides digital solutions and tools in the areas of strategic research management, R&D performance, clinical decision support, and professional education; including ScienceDirect, Scopus, SciVal, ClinicalKey and Sherpath. Elsevier publishes over 2,500 digitized journals, including The Lancet and Cell , 39,000 e-book titles and many iconic reference works, including Gray's Anatomy . Elsevier is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. www.elsevier.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. Calgary, Alberta--(Newsfile Corp. - February 11, 2020) - InnoCan Pharma Corporation (CSE: INNO) ("InnoCan" or the "Company"), today provided an update and summary of its activities and achievements as a public company during its first five months. All supporting documents and references can be found at www.sedar.com Iris Bincovich, InnoCan's CEO, said, "InnoCan has made significant strides in less than two quarters as a public company. We are successfully executing our business plan and, in some ways, are ahead of schedule. We are a highly commercially driven team that has the experience to bring successful consumer products to market and the scientific resources to monetize groundbreaking research. Our team has been successful in both endeavors before and we aim to repeat those successes." As InnoCan products prepare to enter the commercial market, the points below summarize the ongoing evolution of InnoCan's corporate development. Developing technology enabling the injection of cannabinoids, based on the research and license agreements it has entered into with Yissum Research and Development Company (Yissum), the merchandising arm of Hebrew University of Jerusalem (HUJ). As part of the research by Professor Chezi Barenholz from HUJ, a new patent application was filed based on a unique liposome platform loaded with cannabinoids which was developed as a result of the research funded by the Company. Innocan executed its option to receive a world-wide exclusive license to market products which will be developed based on the research technology developed with HUJ. An extension and expansion of the research and license agreement was subsequently signed on January 21, 2020. On November 5, 2019, InnoCan Israel signed a manufacturing agreement for its CBD line of products with FANCYSTAGE UNIPESSOAL LDA from Portugal. These products are designed for the European market. Completion of the first manufactured product and initial sales are expected in March 2020. On November 18, 2019 Innocan Israel signed a manufacturing agreement for its cosmetic products, including over the counter (OTC) pharmaceutical products, with BIOGENESIS, Inc. based in the USA. BIOGENESIS is a leading manufacturer of pharmaceutical and Dermo Cosmetic products in the US market. The initial manufactured product and sales in the USA are expected on April 2020. On January 13, 2020 InnoCan announced successful first laboratory test results for its flagship cannabidiol (CBD) loaded liposomal platform technology developed under the Company's funded research agreement with Yissum Research and Development Company. Development efforts and tests for the CBD loaded liposomes were performed over several months by Prof. Chezy Barenholz, Head of Membrane and Liposome Research Lab, Hebrew University Hadassah Medical School, Jerusalem and head researcher and supervisor under the Yissum Agreement. Research is now in the next phase of testing. On January 23, 2020 Mr. Peter Bloch joined the company's Board of Directors, replacing Mr. Daryl Fridhandler. Mr. Bloch has held senior management positions with Sanofi-Aventis Canada, Intellivax International Inc., Gennum Corporation and Tribute Pharmaceuticals and is currently the CEO of Bresotec Inc. On January 28, 2020 InnoCan signed a distribution agreement with Active Therapeutics Ltd ("Active Therapeutics"), part of Natural Resources (NW) LTD ("Natural Resources") of Lancashire, United Kingdom to distribute InnoCan's CBD based Derma Cosmetic products in the UK and Ireland markets. Iris Bincovich further stated, "We are now manufacturing and introducing innovative new CBD based products into some of the world's largest consumer markets. At the same time our research program continues to advance and create new opportunities. As both corporate segments evolve we will share more and more detailed numbers and projections." Caution regarding forward-looking information Certain information set forth in this news release, including, without limitation, information regarding the markets, requisite regulatory approvals and the anticipated timing for market entry, is forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. By its nature, forward-looking information is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond InnoCan's control. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by InnoCan, including expectations and assumptions concerning the anticipated benefits of the product markets, satisfaction of regulatory requirements in various jurisdictions and satisfactory completion of requisite production and distribution arrangements. Forward-looking information is subject to various risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results and experience to differ materially from the anticipated results or expectations expressed in this news release. The key risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to: general global and local (national) economic, market and business conditions; governmental and regulatory requirements and actions by governmental authorities; and relationships with suppliers, manufacturers, customers, business partners and competitors. There are also risks that are inherent in the nature of product distribution, including failure to obtain any required regulatory and other approvals (or to do so in a timely manner) and availability in each market of product inputs and finished products. The anticipated timeline for entry to markets may change for a number of reasons, including the inability to secure necessary regulatory requirements, or the need for additional time to conclude and/or satisfy the manufacturing and distribution arrangements. As a result of the foregoing, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking information contained in this news release concerning the timing of launch of product distribution. A comprehensive discussion of other risks that impact InnoCan can also be found in InnoCan's public reports and filings which are available under InnoCan's profile at www.sedar.com. Readers are cautioned that undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking information as actual results may vary materially from the forward-looking information. InnoCan Pharma does not undertake to update, correct or revise any forward-looking information as a result of any new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. For further information, please contact: For InnoCan Pharma Corporation: Iris Bincovich, CEO +972-54-3012842 info@innocanpharma.com For Investor Relations: Proconsul Capital Ltd. Andreas Curkovic 416-577-9927 NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER HAVE REVIEWED OR ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE. To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/52317 Burma Recruiters Face Ban as Myanmar Assesses Their Efforts to Aid Sailors Held in China One of the detained Chinese ships, MV.HAI LONG Fa (IMO 8773172) / Vessel Finder YANGONThe Myanmar Marine Administration Department said it is monitoring 14 seafarer recruitment and placement companies whose licenses were temporarily suspended to see whether the companies are providing adequate help to Myanmar sailors detained in China. The Myanmar government suspended the companies licenses in October last year after Chinese authorities arrested 60 Myanmar nationals working on ships that were transporting restricted goods. The 14 seafarer recruitment and replacement services (SRPS) companies being monitored have sent about 60 Myanmar seamen to work on ships in China since late 2017. Chinese authorities consider the ships illegal as they transport sugar and frozen meats, which are restricted goods in China. In 2018 and 2019, 40 of the 60 arrested were able to return to Myanmar after authorities completed their investigations. The remaining 20 workers are still being held in China, according to U Hein Htet Soe, the director of the Marine Administration Department, which is under the Ministry of Transport and Communications. He added that the Myanmar Embassy in China is intervening in the cases. The director told The Irrawaddy last Friday that based on the SRPS companies actions, the ministry will decide whether to completely revoke or reissue their licenses. If they do not care about the welfare of those seamen, we will be revoking their licenses and will take further actions to force the shutdown of the companies, he said, adding that if the licenses were revoked immediately, the companies might not help the workers whom they helped to recruit and place. He explained that the arrests were related to the ongoing trade war between the United States and China which started in 2018, and that frozen meats, some of which come from Europe and the US, and sugar were put on a list of restricted items. On Dec. 22, 2019, the Marine Administration Department also announced the names of 36 illegal ships arrested in China, in order for SRPS companies to avoid sending workers to the illegal ships. These included Chinese illegal ships and sanctioned ships from North Korea. Some people do not know what they were shipping, U Hein Htet Soe added. The sailors would not know what is in the containers. The department also sent the list of illegal ships to the Myanmar Seafarers Employment Service Federation (MSESF). The sailors load the goods and then transport them to ports to deliver the goods. Many do not know whether these are legal or illegal ships. If [the workers] knew, they would not do it, said MSESF Chairman U San Oo. SRPS companies in Myanmar send workers abroad to specific ships but the companies do not know exactly what the ships will be transporting. We now tell the companies to ask the ships where they will be heading. If they do, [the SRPS companies] can guess [what the ships might be transporting], U San Oo added. Currently, over 25,000 Myanmar nationals are working on ships internationally, compared to an annual average of nearly 30,000. The story is updated and translated from Burmese by Nyein Nyein. [February 11, 2020] Puerto Ricans receiving near national 5G coverage Sydney, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Just released, this edition of Paul Budde Communications focus report on Puerto Rico outlines the major developments and key aspects in the telecoms markets. Click here to access the report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Puerto-Rico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Puerto Ricos telecom market has been deeply affected in recent years by a combination of economic mismanagement and natural disasters, including two hurricanes which landed in late 2017 and an earthquake which struck in January 2020. The general destruction following the hurricanes led to a marked decline in the number of subscribers for all services, while straightened economic circumstances forced many people not to resume telecom services after these were restored. After some delay, the FCC in late 2019 issued an order relating to the release of funds to help rebuild telecom infrastructure. Although Puerto Rico is a US territory it lags well behind the mainland US states in terms of fixed-line and broadband penetration. This is partly due to high unemployment rates (and consequently low disposable income) and poor telecoms investment in a market largely dominated by the incumbent Puerto Rico Telephone Company. The activities of the US-based telcos, including T-Mobile US, Sprint and AT&T continue to impact on the Puerto Rican market. This has recently been seen in these operators securing spectrum in the 600MHz, expanding the reach of LTE services and launching services based on 5G. The Puerto Rico Telephone Companys fixed-line market dominance was augmented following its acquisition by the largest wireless company in Latin America, America Movil. In contrast, the mobile (cellular/wireless) market, with six network operators, has been experiencing more robust competition and growth. Although America Movils Claro briefly took the lead from AT&T Mobility in terms of subscriber numbers, AT&T regained the top position following its acquisition of Centennial Communications. In early 2017 Sprint and Open Wireless agreed to merge their networks in a bid to offer better market competition by increasing their scale and combining spectrum holdings. The acquisition by Liberty Global of the remaining cable TV operator Choice Cable, completed in mid-2015, created a monopoly player in this sector. Liberty Cablevision, now wholly-owned by Liberty Globals LLA division, is in a stronger position to capitalise on scale, and so provide improved services based on greater investment and on the use of technology based on the DOCSIS3.1 standard. Liberty Cablevision has also become better placed in the bundled service market following LLAs acquisition of AT&Ts wireless and wireline units in Puerto Rico. The deal is expected to complete by mid-2020. Key developments: FCC issues order to release additional funds to rebuild Puerto Ricos telecom infrastructure; T-Mobile US completes 600MHz LTE network rollout, launches 5G services to majority of the population; AT&T sells its mobile and fixed business units in Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands to Liberty Latin America for $1.95 billion; Government-funded Gigabit Island project aiming to provide access speeds of 1Gb/s to 70% of premises by end-2020; Report update includes the regulators market data to November 2019, telcos operating and financial data to Q3 2019, Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, recent market developments. Companies mentioned in this report: Puerto Rico Telephone Company, America Movil, AT&T, Liberty Cablevision; OneLink Communications; T-Mobile; Open Mobile; Sprint PCS; Choice Cable. Table of Contents Key statistics Regional Caribbean Market Comparison Caribbean Teleco Maturity Index TMI versus GDP Mobile and mobile broadband penetration Fixed and mobile broadband penetration Country overview Telecommunications market Overview Regulatory environment Fixed-line developments Telecom sector liberalisation Privatisation of PRTC Mobile network developments Spectrum Mobile market Market analysis Mobile statistics Mobile broadband Major mobile operators AT&T Mobility Claro Puerto Rico T-Mobile US Sprint PCS Open Mobile/Boost Mobile Mobile infrastructure 5G 4G (LTE) Fixed-line broadband market Market analysis Broadband statistics Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks Liberty Cablevision Acquisitions Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks Other fixed broadband services Wireless broadband Fixed network operators Introduction Puerto Rico Telephone Company (PRTC) AT&T Telecommunications infrastructure National telecom networks International infrastructure Submarine cable networks Satellite networks Appendix Historic data Related reports List of Tables Table 1 Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities Puerto Rico 2019 (e) Table 2 Development of telecom and cable TV revenue 2009 2018 Table 3 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Table 4 Change in the number of postpaid and prepaid subscribers 2009 2019 Table 5 Change in the proportion of postpaid vs prepaid subscribers 2009 2019 Table 6 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2011 2024 Table 7 Change in the number of Lifeline phone service connections 2003 2018 Table 8 Change in the number of internet subscribers and penetration 2010 2019 Table 9 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 2024 Table 10 Change in the number of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 2019 Table 11 Proportion of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 2019 Table 12 Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers - 2009 2020 Table 13 Growth in the number of Liberty Cablevisions broadband and telephony subscribers 2010 2019 Table 14 Development of Liberty Cablevisions financial results 2013 2019 Table 15 Change in the number of DSL broadband subscribers - 2009 2020 Table 16 Change in the number of public payphones in service 2009 2019 Table 17 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2009 2024 Table 18 Historic - Mobile subscribers and penetration 2001 2009 Table 19 Historic - Postpaid and prepaid subscribers 2001 2009 Table 20 Historic - Mobile prepaid vs postpaid market share 2000 2009 Table 21 Historic - Internet users and penetration rate 1997- 2009 Table 22 Historic - Fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2001 2009 Table 23 Historic - Public payphones in service 2003 2009 Table 24 Historic - Fixed lines in service and teledensity 2001 2009 List of Charts Chart 1 Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index by country Chart 2 Caribbean Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per Capita Chart 3 Caribbean mobile subscriber penetration versus mobile broadband penetration Chart 4 Caribbean fixed broadband penetration versus mobile broadband penetration Chart 5 Development of telecom and cable TV revenue 2009 2018 Chart 6 Change in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration 2009 2024 Chart 7 Change in the number of postpaid and prepaid subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 8 Change in the proportion of postpaid vs prepaid subscribers 2009 2019 Chart 9 Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers 2011 2024 Chart 10 Change in the number of Lifeline phone service connections 2003 2018 Chart 11 Change in the number of internet subscribers and penetration 2010 2019 Chart 12 Growth in the number of fixed-line broadband subscribers and penetration - 2009 2024 Chart 13 Change in the number of fixed broadband connections by data rate - 2017 2019 Chart 14 Growth in the number of cable broadband subscribers - 2009 2020 Chart 15 Growth in the number of Liberty Cablevisions broadband and telephony subscribers 2010 2019 Chart 16 Development of Liberty Cablevisions financial results 2013 2019 Chart 17 Change in the number of DSL able broadband subscribers - 2009 2020 Chart 18 Change in the number of public payphones in service 2009 2019 Chart 19 Change in the number of fixed lines in service and teledensity 2009 2024 List of Exhibits Exhibit 1 Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment Exhibit 2 Caribbean - Key Characteristics of Telecoms Markets by Select Country Exhibit 3 Major submarine cable networks serving Puerto Rico Click here to access the report: https://www.budde.com.au/Research/Puerto-Rico-Telecoms-Mobile-and-Broadband-Statistics-and-Analyses Nicolas Bombourg [email protected] Within Australia (02) 8076 7665 Outside Australia +44 207 097 1241 [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Assisted Living Locators, a nationwide senior care placement and referral service, announced they've partnered with Rehburg Life Settlements, a leading, nationally licensed life settlement brokerage, to provide families with an opportunity to help pay for long term care. A life insurance settlement is a financial transaction that enables qualified life insurance policy owners to receive a cash payout on their life insurance coverage by selling it to interested buyers. This first-of-its-kind collaboration offers seniors and their families an alternative funding solution for senior living expenses such as in-home care, assisted living or memory care, according to Assisted Living Locators CEO RN Angela Olea. "As 10,000 baby boomers turn 65 each day, older Americans face both financial and health care challenges," Olea stated. "Our local senior care advisors are on the frontlines in their communities every day helping guide families to the right care solution that meets their financial needs. By partnering with Rehburg Life Settlements, we can provide our clients with an important alternative funding solution that can help pay for long term care." "According to the Insurance Studies Institute, 500,000 seniors a year lapse their life insurance policies, translating to over $100 billion in policy value," explained Lisa Rehburg, president of Rehburg Life Insurance Settlements. "That is a lot of potential funds that seniors are giving up, for nothing, each year. Additionally, 90% of seniors who have let a policy lapse would have considered selling it had they known life insurance settlements existed. We help clients benefit from life insurance policies they no longer need or can afford," said Rehburg. "Life insurance settlements can be a good option for them to benefit from their 'hidden' asset and help them pay for senior living expenses." Assisted Living Locators offers a no cost, nationwide senior placement and referral service for in-home care, independent retirement options, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing facilities. The company has 130 franchisees in 36 states and the District of Columbia and was recently named in Entrepreneur's 2020 Franchise 500 and Franchise Business Review's 2020 Top Franchises Report. To learn more, visit: www.assistedlivinglocators.com. For more information about Rehburg Life Settlements, visit www.rehburglifesettlements.com. SOURCE Assisted Living Locators Related Links http://www.assistedlivinglocators.com By the end of 1959, the tense relationship between the United States and the Soviet Union had relaxed just a bit. That autumn, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev had toured the U.S. and then had two days of meetings with President Dwight Eisenhower at Camp David. Both world leaders went into the meetings with high hopes and, when they were over, announced in a joint announcement that they hoped their exchanges of views will contribute to a better understanding of the motives and position of each. While there were no agreements or treaties, both nations did agree to hold more talks about the situation in Berlin and other issues related to cultural exchanges and trade. One of the interested parties of the meetings was a young Syracuse automobile dealer, Robert Castle, who hoped to bring a piece of the USSR to Americas roads and highways. A February 1960 Post-Standard ad for the two foreign car dealerships owned by Robert Castle in Syracuse. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm Robert Castle was just 31 years old in 1960 but had already made a name for himself in the automobile industry. He was a graduate of Nottingham High School and had briefly attended Syracuse University, before leaving school to open an automobile dealership on the citys west side. In 1949, at only 20 years old, he opened a Ford dealership in Herkimer, where his wife was from, becoming the youngest Ford dealer in the country. A year later, he opened a Syracuse Ford dealership and then two foreign car dealerships in the city, Michael-Ivy Imported Cars and Andrea Motors, both on West Genesee Street. It was as a dealer of foreign cars like Triumph and Renault, that Castle would hit on his big idea, one he thought could bring the U.S. and the Soviet Union closer. In 1958, while at an international auto show in London, he inquired about the Moskvitch automobile, a product of the Soviet Union. Its name translates to a native of Moscow. He toured the government-run automobile factory in Moscow and came away impressed by both the Soviet people and its most popular car. Everywhere I went in Moscow those who could speak English wished me well, he said. I got a feeling of great curiosity and friendship. He thought the Moskvitch car could be popular in America, after all, the average Soviet citizen often waited for up to two years to purchase one. The Moskvitch is a happy medium in the car business, Castle said. It is larger than the average popular European import and smaller than the Detroit compacts. The Moskvitch was a four-door, four-seater with a standard shift. Its 45-horsepower engine could reach a top speed of 72 miles per hour. American car critics were less impressed. Ben Phlegar, automobile writer for the Associated Press, called it comparable to American cars... of the 1950s. A writer for the Utica Observer Dispatch was less kind, writing, with a good deal of sarcasm: This car is startling. It is equipped with radio, heater and has a steering wheel-mounted manual transmission shift lever. Nevertheless, on Feb. 2, 1960 Castle agreed to purchase 10,000 of the little cars over the next two years and started taking offers from dealerships to distribute them across the U.S. He would be the sole distributor of them in the country. Robert Castle stands beside his Soviet-made Moskovitch car in a clipping from the Feb. 9, 1960 Post-Standard. He purchased 1,000 of them to be sold in the United States. Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm He even bought one for his own, becoming the only one in America to have one. If you dont believe this is a good car, he would tell critics, come and see the first one in the country. (His belief in the Moskvitch only went so far. When an Upstate mayor challenged Castle to run his car at an ice race of Sackett Lake in Sullivan County, he turned the offer down. Ill take him up on it next year, he said.) While Castle said his desk was covered with positive letters and offers to carry the Moskvitch at dealerships all over America, his transaction did arouse a lot of anger. Some in the auto industry were upset that he planned on charging $1,400 for the car, far less than its American equivalent. Lester Llewellyn, president of the Syracuse Automobile Dealers Association, argued that selling cheap Soviet automobiles, built by less expensive labor, was a threat to the American economy. If we are forced to compete with them, he said, the economy of our country will sink to the level of theirs. We should not lower our standards to compete with them. A Senator from Indiana, Vance Hartke, thought the American government should investigate to stop any importation and accused Castle of dumping the Moskvitch cars, worth about $6,000, though shoddily built on the American market for just over $1,000. U.S. Secretary of Commerce Frederick Mueller predicted that Castle would take a licking on the venture, adding: I have ridden in and seen a number of Russian automobiles and in my opinion, they do not compare with the products of this country. They do not meet the American concept of what an automobile should be. Castle fought back. He said that Mueller was grossly misinformed and personally offered his Moskvitch to be used by the Secretary wanted to take a test drive. And he scoffed at the notion that his Soviet cars would harm the powerful American automobile industry. It is like David without the stone beating on Goliath, he said. Castle noted that his 10,000 cars would be a drop in the bucket when one considered that 700,000 imports were sold in the U.S. each year. He firmly believed that the opening of the Soviet market and the beginning of trade between the two superpowers could only be a good thing. If we could trade some of our superior consumer goods for some of their technically advanced goods, we could have a market for the next 50 years, Castle told the Post-Standard. The result of this trade would bring much goodwill. Following the arrest of Francis Gary Powers, the deal to bring Soviet cars to the United States was scrapped. The Post-Standard called Robert Castle a "Cold War victim." Heritage MicrofilmHeritage Microfilm The first shipment of 100 Moskvitch cars arrived in the United States in May 1960, with another 500 scheduled for June. But then, world affairs ended Robert Castles plans. On May 1, 1960, American Francis Gary Powers U-2 spy plane was shot down over the Ural Mountains. He survived the parachute jump but was arrested by Soviet authorities. A few days later, Nikita Khrushchev announced that Powers had confessed to being a spy. The Powers incident derailed a long-awaited summit in Paris after President Eisenhower refused to apologize, which caused Khrushchev to cancel the Presidents anticipated visit to the USSR. In Syracuse, Castle cancelled the order for more Moskvitch cars. Unfortunately, ours is a business tied too closely with political trade winds and since the summit collapse, we havent tried to sell Russian products, he said. When the Post-Standard asked if Castle had lost any money on the deal, he only replied, Naturally in any business venture that does not go as planned you lose something. The Moskvitch is in mothballs until Mr. Khrushchev sends our imprisoned U2 pilot Francis G. Powers home driving one. He said that the 100 or so Moskvitch cars in the U.S. were at dealerships in Los Angeles and New York City. According to his obituary, Robert Castle would eventually sell off his Syracuse dealerships and concentrate solely on his Ford dealership in Herkimer, which he ran for 36 years. He got into the real estate and natural gas businesses and became a partner in the formation and construction of the Tri-State Auto Auction in Cicero. He twice ran for Congress. He died in 2008 at the age of 79. READ MORE 1949: The time Adolf Hitlers limousine was lost in Syracuse 1955: In a promotional stunt, Syracuse car racers compete for the Kirk Douglas Trophy 1899: Meet T.D. Wilkin, owner of Syracuses first automobile This feature is a part of CNY Nostalgia, a section on syracuse.com. Send your ideas and curiosities to Johnathan Croyle at jcroyle@syracuse.com or call 315-427-3958. 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. Inadequate tailoring of services, which could impact local election jurisdictions. Not always providing actional recommendations. The inability of CISA personnel supporting election security operations to access social media websites from situation awareness rooms, which hindered the collection and analysis of threat information. Few capabilities that CISA field staff could quickly provide on Election Day, which could limit its response to an incident. A lack of clarity regarding CISAs incident response capabilities. Illinois created a program that helps local election officials improve their cybersecurity readiness and conduct risk assessments. It hired IT specialists to help local election offices beef up their security. created a program that helps local election officials improve their cybersecurity readiness and conduct risk assessments. It hired IT specialists to help local election offices beef up their security. Iowa is using a federal grant to offer counties cybersecurity vulnerability scanning and to pay for hardware and anti-malware tools. It also is piloting cyberprojects with schools, cities and hospitals. is using a federal grant to offer counties cybersecurity vulnerability scanning and to pay for hardware and anti-malware tools. It also is piloting cyberprojects with schools, cities and hospitals. North Carolina developed a partnership with the states National Guard and emergency management division to help local governments, school systems and community colleges recover data compromised during a cyberattack and provide training to help prevent future incidents. developed a partnership with the states National Guard and emergency management division to help local governments, school systems and community colleges recover data compromised during a cyberattack and provide training to help prevent future incidents. Pennsylvania partnered with the county commissioners statewide association to provide security awareness training and phishing exercises for all 150,000 county and state employees and contractors. Phishing victims unwittingly click on emailed links designed to get personal information, such as passwords. Welcome to the latest edition of the Future of Security newsletter. Lets get started:s* business editor. While anyone can obtain a website using .com, .net, or .org, from vendors like GoDaddy.com, acquiring a .gov website requires the buyer to submit evidence they are purchasing the domain name on behalf a state or local government entity, according to cybersecurity firm McAfee.Yet, in a survey of 13 states that will be battlegrounds in the 2020 elections, McAfee found that just 54 percent of counties had an encrypted front webpage, 17 percent had an official website ending in .gov and only 10 percent had a website that was both encrypted and .gov.While scammers have targeted citizens pretending to be government websites, McAfee said it has seen no evidence of malicious actors spoofing county websites to misinform voters. Yet the barriers for staging a political misinformation campaign are low.Last week, the Government Accountability Office released a report on the DHS election security efforts, and while state election officials said they were generally satisfied with the support they were receiving to secure election infrastructure, challenges remain with planning efforts.DHS, through its Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), has assisted state and local election officials in security election infrastructure. To guide state and local election officials, CISA was to finalize strategic and operational plans, but has run into problems completing its work. In the absence of those plans, the GAO stated that CISA is not well-positioned to execute a nationwide strategy prior to the start of this years election cycle.CISA has not developed plans for how it will address challenges, such as concerns about incident response, according to the GAO report. Those challenges include:The report provides a detailed look at the types of physical and cyberthreats to the countrys election infrastructure throughout the election process. It also details the services DHS provides to state and local election officials, including information sharing and analysis through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.According to the GAO, State election officials with whom we spoke were generally satisfied with CISAs support to secure their election infrastructure. Specifically, officials from seven of the eight states we contacted said that they were very satisfied with CISAs election-related work, while officials from the eighth state said that they were somewhat satisfied.But CISAs inability to complete its plans could hamper how it carries out certain goals: The lack of finalized plans can affect CISAs achievement of higher-level objectives that take time to accomplish, such as building stakeholder capacity and public awareness. Until CISA finalizes its strategic and operations plans for supporting elections in 2020 and ensures that the operations plan fully addresses all of the aspects of its strategic plan, CISA will not be well-positioned to execute a nationwide strategy for securing election infrastructure prior to the start of 2020 election activities.According to Stateline, a recent report by the National Governors Association and the National Association of State Chief Information Officers, found 65% of states report they provide some cybersecurity services to local governments; however, the scope varies widely.For a long time, the extent of the ransomware problem has been obscured by the fact that many companies and organizations privately pay the extortion fee without notifying authorities.However, in 2019, 205,280 organizations submitted files that had been hacked in a ransomware attack a 41 percent increase from the year before, according to information provided toby Emsisoft, a security firm that helps companies hit by ransomware.reported the average payment to release files spiked to $84,116 in the last quarter of 2019, more than double what it was the previous quarter, according to data from Coveware, another security firm. In the last month of 2019, that jumped to $190,946, with several organizations facing ransom demands in the millions of dollars.The article points out that while cities appear to be heavily targeted by ransomware attackers, the figures are skewed because they are the only victims required to report their attacks. In reality, public sector organizations represented only around 10 percent of all victims last year, Coveware toldis a news organization of e.Republic,s parent organization. LG is working hard on its next flagship smartphone, the LG V60 ThinQ. A leak last month had suggested that the smartphone will feature a quad-camera setup on the back. Now a fresh leak has reiterated the same while revealing additional bits of information. The latest round of leak comes from noted leaker Evan Blass, who has shared a pair of images on Twitter. The pictures reveal that the V60 ThinQ will feature four microphone channels, though its unclear what each of the mics is for. The handset will pack a 5000mAh battery, which charges via a USB Type-C port located at the bottom. The USB-C port is flanked by a speaker and a 3.5mm headphone jack on either side. Theres a single front-facing camera at the center, so the LG V60 ThinQ will likely sport a waterdrop notch display. Rumors have it that the device will feature a big display between 6.7 and 6.9 inches. And since the images dont appear to show a physical fingerprint scanner on the back, there will probably be an in-display fingerprint reader on this device. Advertisement On the left side of the device are presumably the volume control buttons and the dedicated Google Assistant button. The power button is positioned on the right side. Under the hood will likely be the Snapdragon 865 SoC as this device is expected to come with 5G support. Note that the LG V60 ThinQ will not have a transparent back despite what you see in the images below. LG V60 ThinQ launch date Theres no word yet from LG on when the V60 ThinQ will arrive on the market. The South Korean tech giant was reportedly planning to unveil the device at MWC 2020 in Barcelona later this month. However, it has now pulled out of the event over coronavirus concerns. The company says it will hold a separate event for product announcements. Though no date has been confirmed, expect an LG event around the same time. MWC 2020 commences on February 24. Advertisement Interestingly, the device shown in images shared by Evan Blass looks identical to the previously leaked LG G9 ThinQ. LG has been traditionally launching a G series phone around February, while V series devices were announced in the latter half of the year. However, Blass says the company is shaking things up this year, bumping the G series as the spring model. Going by this, the LG G9 could actually be the LG V60 ThinQ. The earlier leak came via OnLeaks and he wasnt sure of the branding either. He was simply assuming that it was the LG G8 successor based on the timing. Either way, LG hasnt yet given up on the smartphone business, though it continues to post huge losses. Will it be able to turn things around a bit with the V60 ThinQ, we will get to know in a few months of time. Policeman Wu Shengzao (1st L) patrols with his colleagues at the Daxing International Airport in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 1, 2020. (Photo by Peng Ziyang/Xinhua) China's cabinet urged efforts to protect workers from getting infected and meanwhile resume production as soon as possible. BEIJING, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Chinese authorities are carefully balancing efforts to control the novel coronavirus epidemic and minimize its impact on the economy as millions of people head back to work Monday after an extended holiday. In a circular released over the weekend, the State Council, or China's cabinet, urged efforts to protect workers from getting infected and meanwhile resume production as soon as possible. Companies providing epidemic control supplies and services such as medical material and daily necessities are among the first groups to resume work and have already begun racing back to full capacity to fight the novel coronavirus outbreak. The virus was first detected in central China's city of Wuhan in December. Easy to transmit from person to person, it has kept people indoors and led to a sharp increase in demand for protective equipment like masks and goggles. About 73 percent of the country's mask production capacity had been recovered by Friday, according to Chen Da, an official with the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planner. For medical masks, the rate has gone up to 87 percent. Trucks loading medical devices set out for Hubei Province, in Qinhuangdao, north China's Hebei Province, Feb. 5, 2020. Two vehicles carrying ten medical devices donated by a medical system enterprise in Qinhuangdao set out to help hospitals in Xianning City of Hubei fight against novel coronavirus outbreak. (Xinhua/Yang Shiyao) Courier companies are also resuming service Monday as they are essential to meet people's daily needs and guarantee the delivery of resources for epidemic control. Logistics companies are expected to restore over 40 percent of their normal handling capacity by mid-February and continue to increase the capacity according to the development of the epidemic outbreak, according to the State Post Bureau. For other sectors, production is recommencing in a steady but more gradual manner as both authorities and entrepreneurs are cautious over the novel coronavirus epidemic which has killed 908 and infected more than 40,000 on the Chinese mainland by Sunday. In Shanghai, the latest official survey showed that more than 80 percent of the local manufacturing companies are willing to resume work, of which about 70 percent have already done so. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Shanghai's software and information service enterprises have returned to work, and 70 percent of their employees have chosen to work from home using telecommuting and video teleconference services to avoid infection. Wu Jinzhong, head of eyewear maker Roring Industries in China's southeastern Fujian Province, said only half of his 900 employees would resume work Monday. "We advised workers outside the province not to rush back, while local employees need to be investigated whether they have traveled out of town in the past two weeks," he said. Wu said he has also increased spending to prevent the disease, including providing larger workspaces and essential protection materials like face masks. People make protective suits at the workshop of a company in Fuzhou, southeast China's Fujian Province, Feb. 2, 2020. To help fight the outbreak of pneumonia caused by novel coronavirus, workers of many medical material companies rushed to work ahead of schedule. (Xinhua/Lin Shanchuan) To support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in work resumption, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has pledged to help with the supply and transportation of raw materials as well as protective gear like masks and body temperature detectors. Local governments are encouraged to reduce or waive taxes and administrative fees on certain SMEs, increase subsidies to corporate training programs and extend the payment deadline for their electricity and gas bills to back them in harsh times, said the MIIT. Likewise, local governments are ordered to take measures to help foreign-funded companies resume production and operation in an orderly manner. Particular support shall go to large foreign investment projects, according to the commerce ministry, which called for coordinated efforts to solve their difficulties and minimize the impacts of the epidemic. Now with the country heading back to work, many are confident that the potential economic blow brought by the national production halt is expected to be only a short-term, one-off hit against China's solid economic foundation. The epidemic might disturb economic activities in the first quarter of this year, but the economy is likely to steady shortly after the epidemic is contained, as the unleashing of pent-up demands will make up for previous weak economic performance, said Pan Gongsheng, vice governor of China's central bank. Bayer AG has asked a California appeals court to overturn an $86 million verdict that found it was responsible for a couples cancer caused by its glyphosate-based weed killer Roundup. In a Friday night filing with the California First District Court of Appeal in San Francisco, the company said the jurys verdict could not be reconciled with either the law or sound science. The May verdict by a California jury drew nationwide attention for its massive damages, with the jury awarding more than $2 billion to Alberta and Alva Pilliod, who sprayed Roundup on their property for more than three decades to destroy weeds. The trial judge later reduced the damages to $86 million. Bayer in a statement on Monday said U.S. regulators had consistently found glyphosate to be non-carcinogenic and that the Pilliods lawyer during trial repeatedly violated court orders in an attempt to inflame jurors. The company denies the allegations made by more than 42,700 plaintiffs in the United States, saying decades of studies have shown Roundup and glyphosate are safe for human use. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which oversees the regulation of herbicides, in January reaffirmed the safety of glyphosate. A lawyer for the Pilliods did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Bayer, which acquired Roundup manufacturer Monsanto in a $63-billion deal in 2018, to date has faced three juries over claims that Roundup causes cancer. It lost all three trials, resulting in a shareholder revolt and a roughly 20% drop of its stock price since the first verdict in August 2018. Bayer has already appealed the other two verdicts, but it is unclear when courts will issue rulings in those cases. Since July 2019, the company and lawyers for the plaintiffs are engaged in settlement talks under the leadership of mediator Ken Feinberg. Feinberg in January said Bayer could be close to settling what he estimates are around to 75,000 Roundup lawsuits, but cautioned the negotiations were complex and difficult. To avoid distractions and aid in settlement talks, at least six scheduled jury trials have been postponed in recent months and Feinberg has asked a federal judge overseeing the bulk of the Roundup cases to postpone all legal deadlines by one month, a Friday court filing showed. Some analysts said the postponement could mean a comprehensive settlement was near. (Reporting by Tina Bellon in New York) Vice President HE.Dr. Alhaji Mahamoud Bawumia has disclosed that Government has already spent over Ghc13 billion paying depositors of collapsed banks and other financial institutions. According to him, the President has given the assurance no depositor of a Bank, Savings and Loan or Microfinance Company would lose even a pesewa of their deposits. Cleaning NDCs Mess Speaking at the Kumasi edition of the Town Hall meeting and Results Fair at the Great Hall of the Kwame Nkrumah University Of Science And Technology (KNUST), he explained that all depositors of these institutions will receive [a 100%] refund of their deposits since this was no fault of their own. "The government has asked the receiver (working with the Bank of Ghana) to expedite the validation and payment of depositors so that all depositors will receive their monies after validation. "I will also like to add that this refund will also extend to customers of DKM who have not as yet received the full refund of their deposits. We are therefore cleaning up the mess the NDC created in the financial sector," he added. Playing the Ostrich Dr Bawumia also accused the erstwhile Mahama government of playing the Ostrich, burying its head in the sand and papering over the cracks, which were noticeable as far back as 2012. "We (the Akufo-Addo government) inherited a financial system that was weak and fragile with several institutions tht ahd collapsed or were on the verge of collapse. The Bank of Ghana in cleaning up and strengthening the financial sector, revoked the licenses of many banks, savings and loans and microfinance companies. Some have criticized the action the action of the Central Bank for a variety of reasons. "(But) first of all, let us remember that the failures of financial institutions that have witnessed recently, were a direct result of a system of poor licensing, non-existent capital, weak corporate governance characterized by related party transactions, political influence peddling, cronyism, among other things. "The NDC government and the previous management of the Bank of Ghana had ample time to address impending failures. They were aware of the problems in 2015 in the case of banks and as far back as 2012 in the case of savings and loans and microfinance companies. Even in opposition, I alerted the country that on the basis of available data, 8 banks were likely to collapse but they refused to act," the Vice President Bawumia recalled. The financial sector clean-up, commenced by the Akufo-Addo administration in August 2017, has led to the collapse of nine universal banks, 347 microfinance companies, 39 microcredit companies or money lenders, 15 savings and loans companies, eight finance house companies, and two non-bank financial institutions over issues of maintaining the minimum capital requirement.The most recent has to do with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) revoking the licenses of some 53 Fund Management Companies.The fund management companies who have lost their licenses were said to be managing a customer base of about 56,000 whose funds run in excess of GH8 billion out of the total GHc25 billion of the entire securities sector.SEC also explained that the revocation is in accordance with its mandate of protecting investors and the integrity of the capital market.A Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, Elsie Awadzi had earlier said that the Central Banks banking sector clean-up had started to yield positive results.According to her, the move which led to the collapse of some banks has helped to protect depositors funds and instilled confidence in the Ghanaian banking sector.Currently, some directors of the collapsed financial institutions have been put before the court whilst others are facing trial.The on-going prosecutions will specifically ensure that all those culpable, as well as the negligent officials of the regulators, will face justice as soon as possible. Source: Isaac Kwame Owusu/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected] Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video FARMINGTON Fotis Dulos has been cremated, but his attorneys are fighting to exonerate him and possibly file malicious prosecution and legal malpractice lawsuits as a way of clearing his name. Attorney Kevin Smith, a member of his criminal defense team, told Farmington Regional Probate Judge Evelyn Daly during a hearing Tuesday that his client's interest in his estate should be considered. Daly appointed attorney Christopher Hug, of the Hartford law firm, Robinson + Cole, as the temporary administrator of the Dulos estate. When he died from an apparent suicide on Jan. 30, Fotis Dulos was facing murder charges in the death and disappearance of his estranged wife, Jennifer Dulos, two foreclosure proceedings and $2.5 million in lawsuits filed by his mother-in-law. Smith said he expects all the criminal charges to be dismissed on March 3 during a proceeding in state Superior Court in Stamford. But he and lead defense attorney Norm Pattis have filed a request for court officials to continue the prosecution with the estate of Fotis Dulos as the defendant as a way of bringing the case to trial. If the charges are dismissed, he and Pattis will consider filing wrongful death, malicious prosecution and legal malpractice lawsuits to exonerate their client, he said. His last instructions were to make sure that his name was cleared and that he was exonerated, Smith said. READ MORE: See what Michelle Troconis wants back from Fotis Dulos home Smith and Pattis want a temporary administrator who wont be hostile to their clients interests to be appointed. We feel as though Mr. Dulos interests should be heard, Smith said. Dulos was cremated, according to his death certificate that Smith provided to the probate court. The New York Medical Examiner is waiting on toxicology results before determining the cause of death, Pattis said. His sister, Rena, had said the family planned to return him to his native Greece. Dulos died with about $200,000 in a Fidelity 401K account and he had about $14,000 in a separate personal account, Hug told the court. "Unfortunately, it doesn't appear there was a tremendous amount of liquid assets," Hug said. As the temporary administrator, Daly said Hug has about 30 days to inventory the assets and debts of Dulos so the court can give what's left to his five children. The 45-minute proceeding offered details into the life Fotis Dulos was leading in the time leading up to his estranged wifes disappearance on May 24. His girlfriend Michelle Troconis, who was charged with conspiracy to commit murder in the case, wants her gray bath and hand towels back, as well as her juicer, bathroom soap tray, plant and a host of other ordinary items, including a lemon squeezer, a crepe maker and her daughters sporting equipment, according to a request filed in the probate case by her her attorney. She lived with Dulos at the Jefferson Crossing residence for about two years, said her attorney Jon Schoenhorn. She hasnt been allowed to go back to the house by Superior Court order, Schoenhorn said. With the unfortunate death, we want to make sure the contents of the house that are hers are not disposed of. Madonna, the 16-year-old cat belonging to the mother of Fotis Dulos, went into hiding after his apparent suicide attempt. It took several hours on Sunday to coax the cat out and she has been left with someone who could care for her until an owner could be found, Hug said. Anna Curry, who Dulos listed as his best friend on bond documents, has expressed interest in taking ownership of the cat, Smith said. Curry helped post Dulos $6 million bond and remained by his side at a New York hospital until he died. Attorneys for Fotis Dulos and his mother-in-law, Gloria Farber, have been sparring in court filings over the care of his Jefferson Crossing home since the apparent suicide. Farber paid off the mortgage to the home in July after her daughter disappeared and then filed foreclosure proceedings against Dulos to take possession of the property. Her attorney, Richard Weintsein, has been leading the charge in keeping the Jefferson Crossing home preserved with all its contents intact until an inventory of his assets can be completed. Weinstein told the court he paid $2,000 to have the propane tanks filled so the pipes in the 14,000-square-foot home wouldnt burst in the cold. The house is now secure, Hug said, with new locks, a newly reset alarm and instructions to Farmington police about who is allowed in the house and on the property. The Savings Bank of Danbury also started foreclosure proceedings on the Sturbridge Hill Road home in New Canaan that Dulos was trying to sell through his company, Fore Group. His company also owns 80 Mountain Spring Road in Farmington and the property at 585 Deercliff Road in Avon. Jennifer and Fotis Dulos were involved in a two-year acrimonious divorce when she disappeared on May 24. The divorce was officially dismissed by the court last week. Fotis Dulos was also being sued by Farber for what she claimed were $2.5 million in unpaid business loans made to his high-end real estate company. Arrest warrants said police believe Fotis Dulos was lying in wait for his estranged wife at her New Canaan home as she dropped off their children at school. Around the time she was reported missing that night, police said Fotis Dulos and Troconis were captured on video in Hartford dumping bags of garbage that were later determined to contain Jennifer Dulos blood and clothing. Fotis Dulos, 52, and Troconis, 45, were each charged last year with two counts of tampering with evidence and hindering prosecution. On Jan. 7, Dulos was also charged with murder, felony murder and first-degree kidnapping. Troconis and Dulos close friend and former attorney, Kent Mawhinney, 54, were also charged that day with conspiracy to commit murder. CLEVELAND, Ohio - Deaths from the China coronavirus continue to increase, topping 1,000 in the last 24 hours. While officials in both China and around the world continue the fight to limit the spread of the virus, the head of the World Health Organization called for global unity in the battle against the disease. More than 43,000 have been infected with the virus and there are currently 1,018 confirmed deaths. Live coronavirus tracker Coronavirus news in the United States First US evacuee infected with coronavirus was mistakenly released from hospital (CNN) CDC confirms 13th case in U.S. (San Francisco Chronicle) Cruise ship finally set to depart from New Jersey after patients test negative (CBS New York) As some Americans prepare to leave quarantine, workers on Air Force base face harassment (NBC News) Another suspected coronavirus case as five others are cleared, including three in New York City (amNY) The impact of the coronavirus on mail delivery services (KRCG) Fishermen feel the pinch as virus hits Santa Barbara lobster business (SB Independent) 6th Virginia, 2nd Maryland patients test negative for coronavirus (WTOP) Patient in Bozeman under evaluation for possible coronavirus (NBC Montana) Austin stores are selling out of masks because of coronavirus scare (KVUE) Coronavirus news around the world A passenger wearing a full-body protective suit catches the eyes of others as they walk out from the Beijing railway station in Beijing, Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. China's daily death toll from a new virus topped 100 for the first time and pushed the total past 1,000 dead, authorities said Tuesday after leader Xi Jinping visited a health center to rally public morale amid little sign the contagion is abating. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)AP Beijing takes direct control over coronavirus response In Hubei Province (NPR) Community outbreak in Hong Kong believed to be spreading (South China Morning Post) 9 family members infected after sharing hot pot meal (Fox News) UK superspreader may have passed coronavirus to nearly a dozen people in 3 countries (LiveScience) UK businessman linked to China virus cases speaks out (BBC) Canadian toddler stuck in coronavirus epicenter after dad contracts virus while visiting family (Fox News) Local coronavirus news Ohio Department of Aging offers tips to prevent illness from flu, coronavirus (Mahoning Matters) No students reported with virus symptoms at Wright State (Beavercreek News Current) Shelby mother, son on lockdown in China (Richland Source) Read complete prior coronavirus coverage on cleveland.com FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. More than four years after gunshots rang out before dawn on a quiet college campus and stirred fears of a mass shooting, an Arizona man has been sentenced to six years in prison for killing a fellow student and wounding three others. Steven Jones had faced up to 10 years behind bars in the October 2015 death of Colin Brough, 20. Rather than risk a potential second-degree murder conviction, Jones pleaded guilty to manslaughter and aggravated assault. The sentence Tuesday brought little relief to the shooting victims and their families who filled a courtroom in Flagstaff, a mountainous city that is home to Northern Arizona University. School officials said it was the first deadly shooting at the university founded in 1899. Prison wont be easy for Jones, but it doesnt bring my son back, said Broughs father, Doug. Through this four-and-a-half years of whats been going on, everything has been one-sided to the defendant, even after he admitted doing everything, he said. Hes guilty. He pleaded guilty. But he still gets the benefit of the doubt. Jones, 23, displayed little emotion during the hearing, except when his attorney played a video showing him crying uncontrollably in a police interview the night of the shooting and shortly before learning his punishment. Standing before the judge in a blue jail-issued jumpsuit, Jones said it would be disrespectful to the victims and their family to talk about how he personally had been affected by the shooting. I should probably just say, if it were possible, I would in a heartbeat trade places with Colin Brough, he said tearfully. If he could be home with his family and I could be dead, I would do that. But thats not possible. Jones was weeks into his freshman year in college sheltered and naive, his attorney said when he and friends walked by an apartment complex that housed fraternity members. One of Jones friends rang a doorbell at the complex and ran off. Someone came out and punched Jones in the face, though its not clear who. His glasses flew to the ground. Jones ran to his car believing he was being chased and verbally attacked to retrieve a gun from his glove box. He walked back toward campus and shined a tactical light affixed to it into the darkness. Most people thought it was a police officer or security guards flashlight. No one thought it was a gun, although Jones said he announced it as such and told people to stand down before pulling the trigger and killing Brough. Nick Piring was struck in the arm and hip as he jumped over a bush to reach Brough, his onetime roommate. These other guys were angry at us, and I dont know, someone pulled a gun and shot us, Piring said in a video played in court Tuesday. Jones, who was trained to use firearms growing up, fired again as a group piled on top of him, trying to wrest away the gun but without aiming the weapon. Nick Prato was struck in the neck and suffered permanent nerve damage. Zientek was hit twice in the back, losing a kidney. None knew Jones before then. Police arrived to a chaotic scene and separated people while they tried to determine whether there was another shooter. Jones told them he was solely responsible. A jury deadlocked on charges in Jones first trial in 2017. His attorneys later argued successfully to reduce the first-degree murder charge, which carried a maximum penalty of life in prison upon conviction, to second-degree murder. But before a retrial could start in January, Jones pleaded guilty. Doug Brough said he supported a plea agreement because of the multiple delays in the case, caused mainly by turnover in Jones defense team. Lou Diesel, a longtime attorney in Flagstaff who represented some of the shooting victims, said he had to assure his clients that the case would move forward. I continue to tell them, this normally doesnt happen. How do you console the inconsolable? How do you do that? The late-night phone calls, the screams, the horror, the depression, he said in court, his voice rising then falling. We almost lost Claudia. Broughs mother, Claudia, described in court how she sank into a deep depression after her son died, withdrew from everyone and tried to end her own life. Time has healed nothing, she said, gripping the papers that bared her words and seesawing on the heels of her shoes. I have learned to live with my pain, and I still have days when the pain is stronger than I am. She spoke after prosecutor Ammon Barker played a 17-minute video that had pictures of Brough smiling and laughing as a child, and at family gatherings, parties and in college. Groups of people in the slideshow set to the theme song of the 1991 film Dying Young wore orange shirts with Colins image on the back and #LiveforColin on the front a campaign his parents started to advocate for gun-free campuses. Wow, what a great life Colin had, cut way too short, for no reason, said Doug Brough, shaking his head and throwing up his hands as he pleaded for the lengthiest sentence possible. He and his family left the courtroom as the defense began its presentation. Doug Brough later said we knew it was all lies. Jones attorney, Christopher Dupont, tried to draw parallels between Brough and Jones, saying Jones also was well-loved by extended family, friends and co-workers, and grew up with Christian values. Jones long maintained he shot the four in self-defense. But the tone changed Tuesday. Jones actions the night of the shooting were reckless and unjustified, Dupont said, then described what he saw as a convergence of fear and anger. Fear on the side of Jones that he could be severely injured or killed after he was punched in the face, heckled and assaulted, he said. Anger on the side of fraternity brothers who lived at an apartment complex and who Dupont said reveled in drugs and alcohol and were unkind to outsiders. With all the wildness going on, police incidents, it was only a matter of time before something went horribly wrong there, he said. Barker, the prosecutor, said the victims werent bullies or thugs and never attacked Jones. Jones received six years in prison on the manslaughter charge and five years on each of the three counts of aggravated assault all of which will run concurrently. He must serve at least 85% of the sentence and also gets credit for the seven months he was in jail. Jones spent much of the time since the shooting in the custody of his parents in metropolitan Phoenix, about 145 miles (233 kilometers) south of Flagstaff. A presentence reported noted zero violations. Coconino County Superior Court Judge Dan Slayton took into account Jones lack of criminal history, his age, cooperation with police, use of a deadly weapon and other factors in handing down the sentence. No matter the length of punishment, it wouldnt bring peace and closure, Slayton said. This case has been troubling for our community, for citizens of the state, even for the nation, he said. Our guest is Khalil Tafakji, director of the cartography department at the Jerusalem-based Arab Studies Society. He is also a former member of the Palestinian peace delegation and the author of a new book which examines the geographical extent of Israeli colonies in the occupied West Bank. He tells us why he thinks the US "deal of the century" is nothing more than the realisation of a vision shared by both left and right-wing Israeli leaders since 1996. He also tells us why he believes Benjamin Netanyahu's ultimate plan is to evict Palestinians from the West Bank. This trio of power agents enables farmers of all kinds, and victims of soil, waterway, and facility damage, to achieve the ever-elusive environmental goal: sustainability. The Axalton Group, for Greentech, a division of The Axalton Group, announced at CES, Las Vegas, that they are bringing three of their long successful products for increased crop yield, soil and waterway health, and disaster remediation to the United States. With proven results in Europe, Axalton brings these innovative products, BIOMIT, Biofluid and BioresQ, to the U.S. to fill growing need. All products are suitable for organic farming. BioresQ is an emergency soil and water remediation solution that reverses oil spill, sewage sludge, and ammonia contamination damage. BIOMIT and Biofluid serve as effective plant and soil nutrients that together are drought-resistant, boost crops immune system and yield, and nourish the soil, instead of depleting it. The Green Arsenal, as Axalton CEO Andras Patkai calls this trio of power agents, enables farmers of all kinds, and victims of soil, waterway, and facility damage, to achieve the ever-elusive environmental goal: Sustainability. We fill the need for cost-effective solutions to every day agriculture realities, and believe we have the answer for certain hazards to the environment, so they cannot only be managed and contained, but restored to health, said Patkai, to crowds at CES eager to try samples of the Green Arsenal products. BIOMIT, Biofluid, and BioresQ apply innovative methodology to natures intrinsic procreative attributes. BIOMIT, a mineral-based compound, completely covers the surface of the leaves, creating an enveloping layer that prevents water from evaporating," said Karoly Bandi, BIOMITs inventor, who spent 15 years perfecting his solution. Plants remain hydrated for long periods. Also, the solution cannot be washed off easily. It is a plant-nourishing system based on photosynthesis through exposure to light, as a result of which plants make use of minerals more easily. Both Bandi, and the inventor of the two vermicompost-based agents, Biofluid and BioresQ, Tibor Kovacs, were working on sustainable farming innovation very early on. Our society in Hungary knew very little about organic farming when we started in 1986, with our first tribe of worms, said Kovacs. I knew that the quality and taste of the food were better, and then over the decades we learned another important lessonthat the Biofluid agent could also be used for land disaster recovery remediation. Kovacs proven agent in farming, which not only produced great yield as a foliar spray, but also fed the soil, thereby obviating need for as many fallow fields, proved itself mightier than he ever imagined. The Biofluid agent reversed what was thought to be irreversible damage from a crude oil spill, and BioresQ was born. The success fortified Kovacs belief in the power of vermicompost applications, and drove Axalton to bring these innovations to the U.S., in order to help solve the pervasive and seemingly insurmountable problems of oil, sewage, and ammonia contamination. THE GREEN ARSENAL PRODUCTS: BIOMIT: A natural, mineral-based plant nutrient, which strengthens plants, boosts their self-defense system, and may increase agricultural yields. Biofluid: A vermicompost solution that can be used both as a soil treatment and as a foliar spray to support any plants physiological process. It enables stronger crops, it is not only environmentally safe, it is environmentally enriching. BioresQ: A vermicompost-based, enzymatic solution that restores oil, ammonia, or sewage contaminated areas and facilities. These problems are big, and only getting bigger. Remediation. Taking the permanent out of the problem. For Media and Product Inquiries in the U.S., please contact: Rivka Tadjer 914-466-5976 rivka@axalton.com For Media and Product Inquiries in Europe, please contact: Zora Gergely 36-30-983 -0334 Zora.gergely@axalton.com Advertisement Sydney looks set to be smashed by another torrential downpour with twice the amount of rain originally forecast, bringing more flash floods and power outages. The Bureau of Meteorology issued a severe thunderstorm warning late on Tuesday for parts of the northern rivers, mid north coast, north west slopes and plains and northern tablelands forecast districts. Sydney was expected to get drenched with 6-25mm on Wednesday and 15-35mm on Thursday, however, forecasters have increased their prediction and are now expecting about 50mm each day. Further north, Byron Bay will see about 150mm, while the Gold Coast will get hit with 130mm, as a stationary upper trough lingers over the east coast, forecasters said. As the weekend approaches a tropical cyclone Uesi is threatening to cause four-metre swells and coastal erosion after forming in the Coral Sea northwest of Vanuatu. The cyclone, 1,400km off Queensland, is tracking south to south-southwest and is expected to affect conditions from Fraser Island to northern NSW. It is forecast to weaken as it approaches the coastline and is not expected to make landfall - but winds from the storm could bring more chaos to the NSW coastline. BOM forecaster Jordan Notara told Daily Mail Australia: 'The winds from the storm could cause hazardous surf conditions and coastal erosion. 'We are not expecting conditions to be as bad as last weekend but the waves may exacerbate the coastal erosion that we have already seen.' Scroll down for video Australia's east coast is set for another drenching today with up to 100mm of rain bringing flash floods and power outages. Pictured: Map showing rain forecast on Wednesday Flood warnings are in place in Coffs Harbour where 200mm of rain has fallen in the past 24 hours, with up to 40mm more expected today. In the northern rivers, Byron Bay and Tweed Heads could each receive 15-50mm on Wednesday. The BOM is saying 15-45mm is possible in Nowra on Wednesday, while on Thursday the south coast town could get 40-80mm. Also on the south coast, Huskisson could get 20-60mm of rain on Wednesday and 40-80mm on Thursday, while Ulladulla could receive 45-90mm on Thursday. The NSW coast was drenched over the weekend, with up to 550 millimetres of rain falling across parts of the northern rivers, mid-north coast, Central Coast, Sydney, Blue Mountains and the Illawarra. Sydney recorded its heaviest rain in three decades and was battered by gale-force winds, with emergency services on Tuesday left to clear fallen trees, remove debris and extract cars from floodwaters. The SES on Tuesday night said it had received some 12,951 requests for help since last Wednesday night, with 10,660 call-outs completed. About 50,000 NSW households were still without power on Tuesday night, with Ausgrid asking customers to prepare for outages into the weekend. Dam levels restored Sydney's dams are 70 per cent full after the heaviest rain in three decades - but water restrictions will stay in place. The Warragamba Dam in Sydney's west, which accounts for 80 per cent of the city's water storage, is 69 per cent full, up from just 42 per cent on Friday. The dam has increased by 553 billion litres in five days - enough to supply the whole city for a year. The falls have been welcomed across Queensland, with storage capacity at almost 60 per cent, rising from 56.4 per cent on February 7. Advertisement Residents in New South Wales have been warned to prepare for flooding and property damage. Those with properties at risk of inundation should raise moveable items such as furniture as high as possible onto benches or tables, placing electrical items on top, the State Emergency Service said. Farmers on low-lying land close to rivers and creeks were urged to monitor livestock, pumps and other equipment. In Queensland, flood warnings remain current for coastal catchments stretching from Bundaberg to the NSW border, with the southern inland also bracing for heavy falls. The region's catchment areas are saturated after days of rain, leading to heavy runoff and possible flash flooding, Bureau of Meteorology forecaster Kimba Wong says. 'There has been significant rainfall and as the catchment is very wet, its capacity to soak up more rainfall is reduced,' Ms Wong said. 'So when we have the significant rainfalls that we have seen in recent days, there can be rapid responses from the rivers with the catchments so wet.' More rain is also forecast for the drenched towns of Dalby, Oakey, Applethorpe, Warwick and Roma, which have already surpassed their average February rainfall total. Destruction: A resident at Collaroy on the Northern Beaches as a high tide and large waves impact the coast on February 10 in Sydney, Australia Devastation: A submerged car is seen on a bridge over the Nepean River at Cobbitty on February 10, 2020 in Sydney Floods take toll: Desperate search for Land Cruiser A desperate search is under way for a motorist who was pictured driving through a fast-flowing weir in torrential rain. A Toyota Land cruiser was captured on a security camera heading across the flooded road at Audley Weir in Sydney's Royal National Park at 5.38pm on Sunday. The raging water was so high that it reached the car's side windows. A Toyota Land cruiser was captured on a security camera heading across the flooded road at Audley Weir in Sydney's Royal National Park at 5.38pm on Sunday It is not known if the car or driver made it safely to the other side. The NSW State Emergency Service uploaded the photo to Facebook on Tuesday in a desperate bid to track down the driver. Officials said they wanted to know if the driver was safe. The post read: 'Okay, so we need your help please! On Sunday afternoon a 4WD was spotted entering a flooded Audley Weir. 'We have exhausted every avenue to make sure the person in this photo is ok! 'We have no intention of trying to get whoever this is in trouble, we just want to know that they are ok and got out alive! 'If this is you, or you know who this is please get in touch to let us know. 'The water was 2m deep per the flood gauge when this, and other images where taken. 'For everyone else, PLEASE DON'T DRIVE THROUGH FLOODWATER'. Advertisement Oakey and Warwick exceeded their monthly average in a day. 'We are expecting further showers and thunderstorms to pop up in the next couple of days, with the potential for heavy rainfall continuing through southeast Queensland,' Ms Wong said. 'Widespread rainfall totals (of) 50 to 100mm are not out of the question and certainly some higher rainfall total will be dotted in the mix as well as severe storm pop-up.' Shark nets and baited hooks have been pulled from all Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast beaches, Rainbow Beach, Bribie Island and North Stradbroke Island ahead of the wild weather. The falls have been welcomed across the Queensland water grid, with storage capacity at almost 60 per cent, rising from 56.4 per cent on February 7. Deputy Prime Minister of Armenia Tigran Avinyan today chaired a discussion on the 2020-23 Plan for Improvement of the Business Climate in Armenia, as reported the news service of the Government of Armenia. Avinyan stated that the evaluations in internationally reputable reports are important for Armenia to create a favorable business climate and become an attractive country in terms of engagement of investments and particularly touched upon the World Banks Doing Business 2020 Report in which Armenia is ranked 47th out of 190 countries. Between 2018 and 2019, Armenia has carried out several reforms and has improved the regulation of business. Based on the conclusions in the Doing Business Report, over the past years, Armenia has implemented significant reforms in the areas of ownership registration, payment of taxes, foreign trade and connection to the network of energy supply. The 2019 Action Plan for improvement of the business climate in Armenia was composed of 51 actions, 26 of which are completed, 6 havent been launched and 19 are in the stage of implementation. Tigran Avinyan stated that the government agencies need to be more careful and consistent during implementation of the actions and that those who are slow and dont perform the tasks for non-objective reasons must be subject to liability. Speaking at the pre-launch of the channel, Allu Aravind said it would be launched officially on Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. Top producer Allu Aravind is entering the digital zone with a new OTT channel named Aha. He is launching the channel along with MyHome Rameshwara Rao and a few others. Speaking at the pre-launch of the channel, Allu Aravind said it would be launched officially on Ugadi, the Telugu New Year. Nearly a year back, I watched a programme till 3 am. On another day, I found that Bunny (Allu Arjun) was awake around midnight, and he told me he was watching Netflix. That was when I realised that this is the future and also that another medium was cutting into our films. I didnt look on this medium as an enemy, I looked on the positive side and decided to start an OTT channel, reveals Allu Aravind. The producer said he wanted to come up with a Telugu channel. I met MyHome Rameshwara Rao and his son Ramu Rao and they agreed to join me immediately. There are some other exciting partners too in this venture, Aravind added. He said his sons were totally supportive of the venture, and that he had also taken help from a few people in Kolkata as well as an American company. Specifying that it would have bold content, Allu Aravind suggested that parental controls be installed in respect of the upcoming Aha Channel. Ajay Thakur from Mumbai has been given charge of content. Actor Vijay Deverakonda was the special guest at the event, which was attended by many Tollywood celebrities. Several young actors who are popular on YouTube were also present. They showcased trailers of web series to be screened on their channels. President Donald Trump will arrive in India on February 24-25, the White House announced on Monday. During his visit to PM Narendra Modi, the president will make stops in New Delhi and Gujarat. The trip will further strengthen the U.S.-India strategic partnership & highlight the strong & enduring bonds between the American & Indian people, the White House tweeted. Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump. Just hours before the White House disclosed Trumps India visit dates, the United States of America had announced clearing the sale of Integrated Air Defense Weapon System (IADWS) to India at an estimated cost of $1.87 billion to boost defence ties between the two countries. The government-to-government sale cleared by the US State Department was announced by a US defence department agency after a notification was issued to the US Congress. The White House also said that over the weekend, Trump and Modi had telephonic conversations. The two leaders have pursued a close relationship, with Modi visiting in September and hosting Trump at a huge rally in Houston, Texas, dubbed Howdy, Modi! (with agency inputs) THE 41-INCH TIGER MUSKIE Steve Zehr said he used to live in Lewis County until moving to New Hampshire in 1996. He has a lifetime license to hunt and fish in New York and often returns to this state to fish. He was recently fishing in an ice fishing tournament on Beaver Lake In Lewis County with a friend when he landed a memorable fish a 41-inch tiger muskie that weighed a little over 16 pounds. It was during the Dave Tuttle Memorial Tournament. He was on the ice with friend, Rick Martin, when he landed the big fish on a tip-up baited with a small shiner. I was expecting to catch pickerel and perch. I did not even know that tiger muskies were in the lake, he said. After he went by the hole the first time I knew it was not a pickerel, but not sure what it was. Thought maybe a pike to be that big. He made a few more runs and next time by the hole I got a better look. He told his friend to get the gaff out of his basket. No way was he pulling this up the hole, he said. As I got him back to the hole Martin saw it and said, Holy crap, its huge! Martin got the gaff on it just in time. As he pulled it out the water, the nylon leader broke. We both just stood there, shocked. Others who were fishing came running over. A few of the younger kids were afraid to get near it, Zehr said. Some parents took pictures of their little kids lying beside the fish. It was longer than they were tall, Zehr said. Rick had a great line. He told the kids at least it will be safe to swim there next summer, he said. Dylan Lyon, of Boonville, N.Y., with a 43 1/2-inch northern pike he caught on Delta Lake in Oneida County. THE 43 1/2-INCH NORTHERN PIKE Dylan Lyon used a gas-powered auger to drill seven, 10-holes through the ice on Delta Lake the morning of Feb. 9 The 28-year-old Boonville, N.Y. resident set up seven tip-ups on ice about three to five feet of water, each baited with a shiner he had bought from Hometown Bait in Marcy. At about 9 a.m., the flag on one of his tip-ups went up. He hurried over to check it out. The reel was really spinning. I knew then it was a big fish, he said. Following a battle of nearly 20 minutes, Lyons buddy Justin Ziegler reached into the water with his hands and pulled out a 43 -inch northern pike. The fish, weighed a short time later the AOK campgrounds on the backside of Delta Lake, tipped the scale at 22.31 pounds big enough to take over first place in the pike division of the New York Winter Fishing Classic, which continues to the end of February in waters across the state. The huge pike didnt come in easy. It got to the hole 8 to 10 times. It would see the hole, see the daylight and go back down, Lyon said. He added his buddy unsuccessfully reached in the hole five times trying to grab it. The sixth time was the charm. He said he often fishes the Oneida County waterway with two to four friends, and since winter the group has caught eight northern pike 40 inches or larger on Delta. However, this my largest ever and groups largest, he said. All the other fish we let go. I decided to keep this one for the tournament. Afterward, he intends on taking it to a taxidermist and having a trophy mount made. Did he do anything special the day he caught the lunker? No, it was just kind of lucky that it hit my tip-up and not Justins, he said. He had more flags that day. I just happened to catch the bigger fish. AND DIDNT I HOOK SOMETHING BIG' Thomas Phillips, who lives on the Akwesasne Reservation in northern New York, related how he picked up his son, Jeffrey, 6, after school on Feb. 4 and headed over to his uncle Vaugh Phillips home, who lives at the mouth of the Raquette River at the St. Lawrence River. Phillips keeps his fishing gear at this uncles place. From there, its only a short, two-minute snowmobile ride to get to our favorite fishing spot, he said. Phillips said he uses regular ice fishing poles and reels. He baited one pole that day with a spoon, tipped with half of a minnow. As soon as he felt a bite, he handed the rod to his son. Jeffrey, a rookie at ice fishing, struggled a bit but eventually landed a 9-pound, 4-ounce walleye. One of the biggest walleye Ive ever seen, the father said. Jeffrey Phillips, 6, with a 9-pound, 4-ounce walleye he caught through the ice on the Raquette River. We took a picture then released her, the father added. "We explained to Jeffery that she needed to be let go so she can go lay eggs. He was a little hesitant, but he did let her go himself. I was a little jealous, Ive fished all my life and havent caught a walleye this big. Then on Feb. 10, Phillips was back out on the ice again in the same spot with his uncle, using the same spoon and bait his son used when he reeled in his walleye. And I dont hook something big, the father said. It was another walleye one that was slightly bigger than his sons. The fish weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces. Thomas Phillips with a 9-pound, 7-ounce walleye he caught through the ice on the Raquette River. About an hour later, a big marker on the fish finder shows up. Its not chasing my lure. So I drop it down on top of it. It hit that same spoon really hard. Vaughn comes over to help again. We land this walleye again. This one comes in at 10 pounds, 14 ounces. This was an epic day for me. Thomas Phillips with a 10-pound, 14- ounce walleye he caught through the ice on the Raquette River. Phillips said he and his uncle have a personal rule that if a walleye weighs more than five pounds it gets released. They just dont taste as good. So all our monsters were released back into the Raquette River, he said. Send us your ice fishing photos: Photos should be sent to outdoors writer David Figura at dfigura@NYup.com. Angler who caught the fish must be in photo. Include anglers full name, where he or she lives, where and when the fish was caught -- and on what. MORE: NY angler lands monster northern pike on Super Bowl Sunday (video) Upstate NY ice fishing: Anglers share their eye-opening catches (reader photos) NY freshwater fishing generates more than $2 billion annually, 10,000-plus jobs K orean scientists have used virtual reality technology to allow a grieving mother to talk to a virtual copy of her dead child. Jang Ji-Sung was able to see a recreation of her late daughter Nayeon while taking part in the show Meeting You. Nayeon died when she was seven from an unspecified illness four years ago, according to reports. The production team spent eight months crafting the childs likeness, and even tried to accurately recreate her voice. Tearful Jang wears the ashes of her dead offspring in a charm around her neck to remember her. The pair met in a digital park setting, with Nayeon wearing a pink dress. Jang was wearing Vive VR goggles, and broke down when she saw the CGI child. She says: Oh my pretty, I have missed you. Jang said she hopes to help other bereaved families by appearing in the film As the encounter unfolds, other members of the family watch on misty eyed from the side of the studio. A clip of the documentary - created by the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation - shows the jarring scenes. Speaking after the meeting, Jang said: Maybe its a real paradise. I met Nayeon, who called me with a smile, for a very short time, but its a very happy time. I think Ive had the dream Ive always wanted. The encounter took place in a greenscreen-clad studio During the meeting between the mother and the recreation of her daughter, the projection of the little girl said: I missed mum a lot. Jang replied I missed you, too. At another point the spectral image says Mummy, you can see that I'm not hurting anymore, right? as it hands Jang a flower. The meeting ended with the 3D image lying down and going to sleep. Jang said she took part in the documentary to help other people who had lost family members. According to the Mail Online, the mother wrote in her blog: Three years later, I now think I should love her more than miss her and feel sick so that I can be confident when I meet her later. As educators, we always believe in the best for our students, which is why we teach, so this audience of educators was very supportive, not critical," Temple said, adding: Performing for the states music educators is a very positive and celebratory experience for our students. The city of Toronto says it is not aware of residents being given preferential treatment regarding bylaw enforcement in the Scarborough-Agincourt ward, despite claims made by the wards councillor in a secretly made recording. In the recording obtained by the Star, Coun. Jim Karygiannis can be heard driving around his ward seeking out suspected bylaw infractions. He is also heard saying that he does not report suspected infractions at homes of those who have supported him in the election with donations or by volunteering. But that behaviour might breaks councils code of conduct, one democracy watchdog told the Star, and has drawn criticism from Karygianniss colleagues across the political spectrum at city hall. Colourful language aside, I trust people understand that a politician will at times speak politically, Karygiannis told the Star last week. But that doesnt mean the integrity of city staff and the fine work they do should be called into question as a result of this secret recording. Asked on Monday for comment, he referred to his previous statement to the Star, which outlined his commitment to the community and his residents. City spokesperson Brad Ross told the Star that all complaints about suspected bylaw infractions are investigated and that they primarily come through the citys 311 hotline for residents. However, if councillors refer specific complaints/issues directly to (municipal licensing and standards), they are investigated as well, Ross said in an email to the Star. Ross said the city is not aware of residents being given preferential treatment in Karygianniss ward. Since 2015, there has also been a dedicated hotline for councillors to relay issues that require time sensitive action or follow up, Ross said. That line has handled some 650 interactions. The councillor hotline was initiated at Karygianniss request, Ross said Asked if municipal licensing and standards staff want councillors driving around their ward policing their own residents, Ross said it is not uncommon for councillors, or residents, to submit issues/complaints to 311 for investigation. Duff Conacher, the co-founder of advocacy group Democracy Watch, said the recording could warrant a code of conduct complaint against Karygiannis. This is an appearance of a conflict of interest if youre letting people off who voted for you, or donated, or volunteered for you, he said. Council code of conduct investigations are done on a complaints basis and are dealt with by the citys integrity commissioner. The Star is not aware of any complaint about the recording having been made. Councillor Michael Ford, who was elected in Ward 1 (Etobicoke North) after the area had long been represented by his uncles Rob and Doug Ford, called Karygianniss comments unacceptable. When seeking public office, you know that you will have some people that support you and others who will not. In Etobicoke North, we serve all of our constituents no matter who they vote for. I believe that this is a fundamental part of our job, Ford told the Star. Ford said being proactive in responding to community issues is part of the role, however, I dont believe it is our role to police individual residents and act as bylaw officers. He added that he believes Karygiannis cares deeply about his Scarborough community. City councillors serve every resident in the ward they represent, not only those who voted for them or donated to their election campaign, said Coun. Josh Matlow, a centrist who represents Ward 12 (Toronto-St. Pauls). In fact, we should work hard, with integrity, to earn the confidence of our community with every decision we make and action we take. Mayor John Torys spokesperson Don Peat said only that Tory expects all councillors to deal with all residents fairly and respectfully. Rhoda Potter, president of the Agincourt Village Community Association, told the Star that Karygiannis has worked to make many improvements to her community in a short amount of time, noting several examples. I have never seen any of what youre saying in your article, she said. Our city councillor is working for positive change in Scarborough-Agincourt. Jentezen Franklin identifies how to 'rediscover God's best' amid lifes trials Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Jentezen Franklin is no stranger to the hardships of life. The senior pastor of Free Chapel, a multi-campus church with a global reach, shared with The Christian Post how he clearly felt Gods call on his life as a teenager. At 16 years old, I heard a preacher preach and it moved me to my core, he recalled. I was fighting back to tears. I went to the altar and whispered a prayer: God, if you want me to preach, I want to be able to touch people. And I felt like God had heard my prayer and that all would be well moving forward. But within six months of his conversion, Franklin experienced what he referred to as the trial of a lifetime. After developing a deficiency in his blood, boils broke out all over Franklins face and body, severely impacting his quality of life. I went to doctor after doctor and I ended up having to drop out of school, he said. Teachers were kind enough to let me do my assignments from home, but I lived an isolated life for a full year. It was depressing. It became the worst nightmare of my life. I looked like a freak. Kids would laugh at me at school. I felt like a monster. In the midst of his pain, Franklin cried out to God and asked, Why me, Lord? In that moment, he was faced with a decision: I could either let roots of bitterness grow or choose to produce the fruits of the spirit, he said. So I began truly reading the Bible for myself and pray and listening to cassette tapes of the preacher. I was getting the Word in me and developing a relationship with God like never before. Today, The New York Times best-selling author said he still draws on those times of solace with God when preparing for sermons: The Holy Spirit will take me back to that year of life when I was totally isolated, cut off, and lonely, he said. I wouldnt change that year for anything. Sometimes, he added, we ask God for something, and He sends it in strangely-wrapped packages we dont recognize. When I asked God for the ministry, I thought it would come with a pulpit and microphone. I never dreamed the package would come in suffering and boils and through questioning God. According to Franklin, abundant life can be found in every setback: If we dont give up, God will prove Himself faithful, the pastor said. When you get there, it wont be about the reward. It will be about God and the process He took you through. Youll give Him the glory. Its the process of sanctifying the dream, purpose, and mission. The husband of 32 years and father-of-five draws on his own experiences to inspire others to uncover the hidden potential right where they are, even in the midst of lifes challenges and difficulties, in his new book, Acres of Diamonds: Discovering God's Best Right Where You Are. He encourages readers to learn the art of contentment and find joy in every opportunity. Doing so, he says, reveals the hidden potential within ones family, job, ministry and community. This book is a life message from God to people, Franklin told CP. Ive always believed that God has a great purpose for every person, and I believe the takeaway is dont devalue where you are right now. Dont despise the day of small things or give up on where God has called you to be, especially when the grass looks greener. I believe God is saying to rediscover His best right where you are. Sometimes, Franklin argued, success is a four-letter word: Stay. Its a word this generation needs to hear, he said, adding that the pressures, comparison, and temptations perpetrated by social media undermine Gods best for our lives. God is doing a work and taking you to His promise, he stressed. People want the quick way, instant success, and God tells the children of Israel, Im going to take you to the Promised Land, but you wont get here instantly. Itll be little by little. Thats the intense heat and pressure that gives birth to diamonds. In his book, the pastor writes: You cant choose what happens to you, but you can choose to let it take you down or take you up. He explained: Our attitude in difficult circumstances is more important than what happens to us. Everything that comes at us in life, theres a line spiritually where you have to make a decision: This will either take me up and Ill produce the fruits of the spirit, or Im going to let it turn into roots of bitterness of my life. Those who make the latter choice become bonsai Christians, the Georgia native said. Bonsai trees should be huge, but their roots are clipped so they become miniature, he explained. There are a lot of bonsai Christians, bonsai marriages and bonsai families. Its the storms that bring about the strength to stand. Without struggle, without storms, without adversity, we will not stand. Our attitude is what will determine whether we reach those acres of diamonds. To those discouraged by their life circumstances whether its ministry, work, or marriage difficulties Franklin offered a word of advice: Dont give up; the best is yet to come. Its not about us just getting to the place of success and dream, its about surrendering to the process, he stressed. If your dream has been torn and tattered, if your marriage has been torn, God has a way of making it more valuable after you go through the tattered and torn place. Thats the truth in marriage, family and other areas. Put your tattered dreams in Gods hands, because He can restore them. Life is full of hardships, he added, but we must be willing to trust God to give birth to diamonds in our lives. Acres of Diamonds: Discovering God's Best Right Where You Are is available now at Chosen Books (Baker Publishing Group) and everywhere books are sold. Southwest Airlines is now asking passengers to report any 'unwelcome behavior' to flight attendants as part of a new safety announcement played prior to takeoff. The company has confirmed that they amended their safety procedures to include the new notice as of January 22. According to CNN Travel, the pre-flight announcement now includes the lines: 'We are here for your comfort and safety. Please report any unwelcome behavior to your flight attendant. Thank you for your attention.' The notice is read out on all domestic flights and come directly after instructions about how to operate oxygen masks in an emergency. A company spokesperson told the publication that the change 'reflects Southwest's commitment to ensuring a safe and welcoming environment at all times'. Southwest flight attendants have been trained to deal with such unwelcome behavior and have a variety of procedures in place to mitigate the effect of unruly or offensive passengers. Southwest Airlines is now asking passengers to report any 'unwelcome behavior' to flight attendants as part of a new safety announcement played prior to takeoff Procedures include 're-seating offending passengers, requesting that offending passengers stop with their offensive behavior, notifying the captain and seeking law enforcement to assist upon landing'. Southwest is following in the footsteps of Alaska Airlines who have also implemented a pre-flight announcement urging passengers to immediately report sexual harassment or assault. The changes came in 2017, after Mark Zuckerberg's sister, Randi, came forward to report that she was sexual harassed while flying with Alaska. That same year, the FBI reported a surge in sexual assaults occurring on commercial aircraft. Between 2014 to 2017 reports of midair sexual assault nearly doubled from 38 to 63. Most other airlines do not read out instructions about reporting unwelcome behaviour prior to takeoff. However, several prominent carries -including United and American - told CNN Travel that their flight attendants have been trained to deal with any bad behavior. The UAE has unveiled a new initiative titled Consortium for Africa with a committed investment of $500 million to help fulfil the vision of a "turbocharged" and connected new Africa, driven by its youth at the African Union (AU). The UAE Minister for International Cooperation and Director General of Expo 2020 Dubai Reem Al Hashimy told members that the Consortium would be a long-term builder of human capital on the continent with two immediate priorities: digitisation and youth. She said the Consortium would align the UAE government and its private sector's commitment to Africa, combining ambition for progress, and resource to support it, into one focused entity to assist development and investment, contributing to an optimistic new future vision for Africa and with Africans. Al Hashimy explained: "More than simply donor or a provider of concessionary loans, the UAE understands that real value lies in the long-term building of human capital. And we are committed to helping deliver the apparatus in which start-ups can thrive, entrepreneurs can lead, and young people can look forward with optimism to a future that is firmly in their control." The focus on digitisation and youth would ensure that our young and talented populations are not overwhelmed by, but embrace, the opportunities of the future," she added. "We have listened closely to what you have told us, as a continent represented by the African Union, and as nations that make up its member states. And we have heard your call to the UAE: to draw on lessons learned through our own development, and to target the UAE's investment into Africa's digital economy," Al Hashimy continued. The UAE has been an active partner on the continent throughout its 49-year history, investing billions during that time and by 2016 was the second largest investor country in Africa, with support for a wide variety of projects including roads, bridges and ports, schools, clinics and hospitals. The Consortium for Africa would ensure a more consolidated, adaptive and impactful support in the future, said Al Hashimy, who was the first UAE Minister to address the AU with a speech to its Executive Council at its headquarters. She also heralded the first participation of the African Union at a World Expo, showcasing the continent's rich history and many achievements within its own pavilion. For the first time in World Expo's 169-year history, every single participating nation a record-breaking 192 will be represented with an individual pavilion of its own at the World's Greatest Showcase of human brilliance and achievement. Some 25 million visits are expected at the first World Expo in the Middle East, Africa and South Asian region (MEASA). Located in Expo 2020's Opportunity District, the African Union Pavilion will explore the speeches of Africa's great leaders, illustrating just how much the institution has achieved since its inception as the Organisation of African Unity in 1963. Millions of visitors will step in to a colourful, borderless space, where they will discover Africa's vast potential and optimism for the future, reflected in its Agenda 2063 aspirations that address agriculture, transport, science and technology, and health. For six months from 20 October 2020 until 10 April 2021, the UAE will host the world's largest meeting of minds, welcoming creative critical thinkers to a powerful platform that will shape our future and reveal a raft of opportunities to be explored by and in African countries. TradeArabia News Service A recent report by the United Nations suggests that the dreaded Islamic States's South Asia branch remains 'active, ambitious and threatening' and also has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan. According to the report, the UN said that the Islamic State also has established contacts with other terror groups like Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan. Further, they said that even though the Afghan authorities took custody of more than 1,400 people, the terror still remains a threat to regional security. The UN report said, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan remains active, ambitious and threatening. It continues its online recruitment and propaganda, for which it also conducts outreach activities in religious and academic institutions in Afghanistan, including Kabul University. READ: Israeli Court Sentences Radical Islamic Cleric To 28 Months The recent report is the 10th report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by ISIL (Da'esh) to international peace and security and the range of United Nations efforts in support of Member States in countering the threat. According to the report, the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan (ISIL-K) came under severe military pressure from the security forces in Afghanistan and Taliban fighters towards the end of 2019 which later led to its virtual expulsion from what had been its Afghan headquarters in Nangarhar Province. READ: Islamic Outfit SIO's Leader Detained In 'hate' Speech Case READ: UN Experts: Islamic State Steps Up Attacks In Syria And Iraq 'Threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan' The reports further also noted that most of the ISIL-K fighters taken into custody by the Afghan authorities were Afghan nationals, however, it also included foreigners from Azerbaijan, Canada, France, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan. Further, nearly 2,100 fighters are now in Kunar Province, which has now effectively become the group's new Afghan core area. There are also a number of fighters elsewhere in Afghanistan which may now be as low as 400, giving a total estimate of 2,500 for the whole country. The report further added, It has established informal contact with other terrorist groups, including Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and Lashkar-e-Islam, which regularly mount attacks on border posts of Pakistan. The approach of Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan has the potential to exacerbate the security threat to countries neighbouring Afghanistan. (With PTI inputs) READ: Islamic State Operative Hurls Shoe At Chief Judge Mid-hearing In A Kolkata Court READ: Islamic State Steps Up Attacks In Syria & Iraq After Losing Territory: UN Experts The Nigeria Labour Congress, (NLC) on Tuesday commiserated with the government and people of Borno State over Sundays attack by Boko Haram in which 30 stranded travellers were killed in Auno, a village 24 kilometres away from Maiduguri. More than 30 travellers, who were locked out of Maiduguri at the military-controlled gate, were killed by the insurgents on Sunday night. An unidentified number of persons, including women and children, were reported to have been abducted after the attack. A total of 18 vehicles were also set ablaze by the armed group. In a letter signed by the NLC President, Ayuba Waba, the union commiserated with the governor and the entire good people of Borno State on the recent gruesome attack by the Boko Haram terrorists at Auno town, which is twenty-four kilometres from Maiduguri metropolis along the Maiduguri Damaturu Highway. Mr Waba said the attack which took place on Sunday, 9th February 2020 at about 9.30 pm left more than 30 people dead and 18 vehicles burnt. We also understand that scores of children and women were abducted. This is the umpteenth time that insurgents would be attacking innocent commuters and villagers along this very important road artery in North-Eastern Nigeria. He said the attack was clearly aimed at undermining the good efforts that your administration and our security forces are making to bring the current wave of terrorism and insurgency in the North East to an end and to restore the peace. The labour leader who is from Borno State noted that at this rate, we have a duty to urge the government and our security services not to be discouraged. It is also important for the government and our security forces to seriously consider adopting an entirely new approach to the fight against terrorism and insurgency especially in a manner that would break the spinal cord of those bent on unleashing mayhem on our people, their livelihoods and our collective sanity. It has now become totally unacceptable to allow blood-sucking marauders to operate for an uninterrupted period of up to four hours without repulsion by our security forces. We must now draw the line! The adoption of a new security strategy to the anti-terrorism fight has become acutely necessary given the grave danger that a much more prolonged insurgency portends for the socio-economic survival of our people. There are already fears that the recent upscale in violence along the Maiduguri-Damaturu corridor could be geared at cutting off this critical transportation artery and thus isolating Maiduguri from the rest of the country. The humanitarian impact in terms of the supply of food and other basic life-supporting amenities can only be imagined. While saluting the efforts of the governor in supporting the security forces to end this carnage, and bring peace cum accelerated development to the good people of Borno State the NLC called for increased vigilance, resilience, grit, discipline, patriotic commitment and innovative solutions by the Federal government, security agencies and citizens to bring this reign of madness and impunity in North-East Nigeria to a conclusive end. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources has awarded a $50,000 Small Community Engineering Assistance Program (SCEAP) grant to Bonne Terre to evaluate its wastewater system. The SCEAP grants help small communities cover engineering costs involved in evaluating wastewater systems for areas of improvement. Bonne Terre will use the $50,000 to fund its wastewater system evaluation, which is designed to identify improvements needed to continue reliable service to customers and reduce inflow and infiltration of stormwater into sewer collection pipes. City Administrator Shawn Kay said the citys clay tile lines were probably installed more than 75 years ago, are assuredly compromised, and are letting in an inordinate amount of rainwater that tends to tax the wastewater system. The system is riddled with cracks, he said recently. A few cracks, theres not much of a problem. But 500 of them, and you have a problem. Especially if you have a period of heavy rain. Kay said the four inches of rain that fell about three weeks ago resulted in processing a million gallons of wastewater a day, "and that doesn't include what is diverted to the storm ponds." Anything diverted to the storm ponds must be brought back through the plant for treatment after the rain event is over. He said whether its stormwater or wastewater, whatever is in the pipes is treated the same, at great cost to the citys system and electric bill. The project should be complete by July 2021. The director of DNRs Division of Environmental Quality, Ed Galbraith, said in addition to Bonne Terre, the town of Willow Springs also received a $50,000 grant. Water and wastewater systems are essential parts of a communitys infrastructure that help support its health and economic vitality, said Galbraith. Through this grant, these two communities can identify improvements that are needed now and plan for future needs. The department is committed to assisting Missouri communities with water and wastewater infrastructure improvement projects. Through its Financial Assistance Center, the department provides funding opportunities for communities with water quality, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure needs. Sarah Haas is the assistant editor for the Daily Journal. She can be reached at 573-518-3617 or at shaas@dailyjournalonline.com. Love 0 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. Technavio has been monitoring the automotive powertrain testing market and it is poised to grow by USD 2.15 billion during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of 4% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005848/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled global automotive powertrain testing services market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire) Governments regulations to upgrade to newer emission norms has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, dearth of resources with appropriate skill sets for powertrain testing might hamper market growth. Request a free sample report Automotive Powertrain Testing Market 2019-2023: Segmentation Automotive Powertrain Testing Market is segmented as below: Powertrain Type ICE powertrain Hybrid and electric powertrain Geographic segmentation North America APAC Europe South America MEA To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR30826 Automotive Powertrain Testing Market 2019-2023: Scope Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive powertrain testing market report covers the following areas: Automotive Powertrain Testing Market Size Automotive Powertrain Testing Market Trends Automotive Powertrain Testing Market Industry Analysis This study identifies increasing demand for electric and hybrid vehicles as one of the prime reasons driving the automotive powertrain testing market growth during the next few years. Automotive Powertrain Testing Market 2019-2023: Vendor Analysis We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive powertrain testing market, including some of the vendors such as A&D Company Ltd., AKKA Technologies SE, ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc., AVL List GmbH, FEV Group GmbH, HORIBA Ltd., Industrieanlagen-Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, Intertek Group Plc, Ricardo Plc and thyssenkrupp AG. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive powertrain testing market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Automotive Powertrain Testing Market 2019-2023: Key Highlights CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2019-2023 Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive powertrain testing market growth during the next five years Estimation of the automotive powertrain testing market size and its contribution to the parent market Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior The growth of the automotive powertrain testing market Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive powertrain testing market vendors About Us Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005848/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: www.technavio.com/ Since the first cases of the novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) were recorded in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, the infection has quickly spread to all of mainland China and to at least 27 other countries and territories around the world, according to news reports and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern on January 31, 2020. A WHO map showing the global distribution of cases can be seen here . As new information emerges, updated health advice and outbreak news will be issued by the relevant authorities. To keep up-to-date, journalists covering the outbreak should monitor the WHO , the CDC and Public Health England (PHE). Journalists who are planning to cover the coronavirus outbreak should consider the following safety information: Pre-Assignment A nut allergy sufferer rowed with Ryanair cabin crew after they 'refused' to stop selling Kinder Buenos because they told the university masters student that the chocolate treats do not contain enough hazelnut to trigger an allergic reaction. Ayah Wafi, 22, had spent a spontaneous weekend in Milan last January when she spotted a passenger with a Kinder Bueno on the flight back to Britain. Though she had told the crew when boarding that she has severe nut allergies, Ms Wafi, a masters student at the University of Manchester, was told by the passenger that the 10.5% hazelnut chocolate treat had been sold to her by Ryanair staff. Ayah Wafi (pictured) had spent a spontaneous weekend in Milan last January when she spotted a passenger with a Kinder Bueno on the flight back to Britain Ms Wafi, whose allergies are so severe that they can be triggered even by the smell of nuts, has accused a stewardess of telling her that there was such little hazelnut in the Ferrero product that she wouldn't have an allergic reaction. Offended but not wanting to cause a fuss, she spent the final hour of her holiday nervously on the lookout for passengers eating Kinder Buenos. Now the masters student is calling on Ryanair to find experts to teach their staff 'in more detail' about allergies, and is urging severe allergy sufferers to be wary. She has accused a Ryanair stewardess of talking down her concerns, saying that she wouldn't have an allergic reaction because the traces of hazelnut were so small Ms Wafi, from Birmingham, wants staff to be more 'vigilant' and even suggested Ryanair stop selling products containing key allergens, especially on shorter flights. Anaphylaxis: A reaction to nuts and fish that can kill within minutes EpiPens are the most commonly-used auto-injector of adrenaline for treating anaphylactic shock (stock) Anaphylaxis, also known as anaphylactic shock, is a severe and potentially life-threatening reaction to a trigger, such as an allergy, that can kill within minutes. The reaction can often be triggered by certain foods, including peanuts and shellfish. However, some medicines, bee stings, and even latex used in condoms can also cause the life-threatening reaction. It occurs when the immune system overreacts to a trigger. Symptoms include: Feeling lightheaded or faint; Breathing difficulties; Wheezing; A fast heartbeat; Clammy skin; Confusion and anxiety; Collapsing or losing consciousness. It is considered a medical emergency and requires immediate treatment. Insect stings are not dangerous for most victims but a person does not necessarily have to have a pre-existing condition to be in danger. An incremental build-up of stings can cause a person to develop an allergy, with a subsequent sting triggering the anaphylactic reaction. Advertisement She revealed that she would have an anaphylactic shock - breathing difficulties, a rash, or start vomiting, or all of these - if she ever ate nuts. 'The Food Standards Agency website has a list of the main allergens and it would be nice if they didn't sell products which contained these allergens,' she said. 'I told staff Kinder Bueno contains hazelnuts and they refused to stop selling it - telling me the amount is so little that it would not cause me to have an allergic reaction. I came off the plane very annoyed at the way that they handled it and it just changed my mindset completely. I was like "just focus on how nice the trip was". 'If they do not do what they say, then how can I put my trust in this airline? 'I just felt [the staff member] doesn't really know - she hasn't been trained properly to understand the seriousness because different people are affected in different ways. 'It just made me feel she doesn't understand what allergies were. 'I just didn't want to make a fuss and go back to the cabin crew and be rude. 'I must have touched something that had nuts in it or passed someone who was eating nuts, I don't know, but my entire body has broken out in hives. 'I've been in hospital and taken oral steroids and everything. 'For me just a small amount of nuts can trigger a reaction. 'So the fact they're telling me a small amount will not cause you to have a reaction and dubbing it down saying "you'll be fine" kind of thing, just shows how unaware they are of what allergy really is and the scale and the seriousness of it.' Ms Wafi added: 'I'd like an apology. For me it's affecting the quality of people's lives and it's something that's causing a lot of anxiety and unneeded stress.' A Ryanair spokesperson told MailOnline that: 'Customers with nut allergies are asked to inform cabin crew when boarding the flight and a public address is then made informing other customers and advising that no products containing nuts will be sold onboard. 'While other customers are asked not to open peanut products on board, Ryanair cannot guarantee a peanut-free aircraft.' Picture of a sign with the logo of Tim Hortons on their main cafe for downtown Toronto. (Getty Images) Tim Hortons is revamping its loyalty program in an effort to push more members to register, but one expert says the changes will do little to boost sales for the coffee and doughnut chain. Starting February 26, the program will shift to a points-based system that will see members earn 10 points for each purchase and allow them to redeem a wider range of menu items. Under the previous system, customers were eligible for a free coffee, tea or baked good every seventh visit to Tim Hortons. With approximately 7.5 million Canadians signed up for Tim Rewards, the loyalty program has been weighing on sales as restaurants are forced to give away coffee and food items for free. Jose Cil, the chief executive of Tim Hortons parent company Restaurant Brands International (QSR), said on Monday that the loyalty program dragged comparable sales down three per cent. Comparable sales, a key metric that measures sales at locations opened for more than a year, were down 4.6 per cent in Canada, an all-time low for Tim Hortons. We've attracted far more guests to our loyalty program, far more quickly than we had planned, Cil told analysts. Of those 7.5 million active loyalty members, just 25 per cent are registered online and have shared their contact information with Tim Hortons. A key part of the rewards revamp is to encourage a higher digital registration rate, which will allow the chain to offer exclusive offers to customers based on their purchase history. Joshua Kobza, RBIs chief corporate officer, told analysts Monday that the companys future success will be increasingly dependent on digital capabilities. In the next phase of loyalty, the goal is really about driving two things. One is being able to open up the menu and give more options and the other thing is about moving more into a digital form of the program, Kobza said. That's going to allow us to better understand how our guests interact with our brand and use our brand... and provide more personalized benefits to those guests. Story continues But one loyalty program expert does not believe the changes will help Tim Hortons boost sales. While the new system will provide a wider range of benefits to customers, RewardsCanada.ca founder Patrick Sojka is skeptical that changes will drive additional revenue for the company. I dont think its going to lead to more business at all, Sojka said. The point-per-visit system, he said, will not encourage additional spending, as customers will earn 10 points regardless of how much money they spend. With loyalty programs, its not only about loyalty, but also trying to influence behaviour. And this isnt going to influence behaviour because theres no change on the earning (points) side. How the new program will work Under the new system, registered loyalty members will first select a reward they want to earn points towards before they are able to redeem the item. Tim Hortons said this is to ensure that guests will have a quick and seamless in-store experience. Customers will earn 10 points per eligible purchase, which is defined as worth more than 50 cents and made 30 minutes or more after your most recent transaction. Points can be banked and saved for up to a year. Registered members who dont select a reward level will still be able to redeem a hot drink or baked good after seven visits. As of April, those that are not registered will have to wait every 12 visits to get a free item. The menu items up for redemption will cost members between 50 points for hash browns, classic donuts and cookies, and 220 points for lunch sandwiches and chili. Heres how the point system breaks down: 50 points: hash browns, classic doughnuts, specialty doughnuts, cookies 70 points: brewed coffee, tea, Dream doughnuts, bagels and baked goods 100 points: hot chocolate, French vanilla, iced coffee, wedges 140 points: Classic Iced Capp, frozen beverages, espresso drinks, box of 10 Timbits, yogurt, oatmeal 180 points: breakfast sandwiches, soups 220 points: BELT, farmers breakfast sandwiches, lunch sandwiches, chili Download the Yahoo Finance app, available for Apple and Android and sign up for the Yahoo Finance Canada Weekly Brief. ANKARA, Turkey - Turkeys defence minister said Tuesday as many as four observation posts and two military positions are now in Syrian government-controlled territory as Syrian forces continue their advance into the last rebel stronghold, an offensive that has escalated tensions between Syria and Turkey. In an interview with The Associated Press, Defence Minister Hulusi Akar said that Turkey would not vacate any of its 12 observation posts in Idlib and warned that Turkish soldiers were under orders to retaliate forcefully to Syrian attacks on the military posts. In the event of any action against them, they have been given instructions to retaliate even more powerfully, Akar said. In the event anything happens, there will be retaliation. We expect the regime to not take any action under any circumstances. We have said over and over that we would not pull back our personnel, soldiers from there. They will continue their mission, he said. Turkey has recently sent additional troops and tanks to bolster its military presence in northwestern Syria, where President Bashar Assads forces have been advancing in a devastating, Russian-backed offensive that has sparked a massive exodus of people. Syrias Idlib region near the border with Turkey and parts of nearby Aleppo are the last rebel-held bastion in the war-ravaged country. The push by Assads forces into towns and villages in the province over the past months has angered Turkey, which backs the rebels, and brought the two countries troops into a rare, direct confrontation. Two separate clashes between Syrian and Turkish troops have killed 13 on each side, including five Turkish soldiers who were killed in Syrian shelling on Monday. Akar spoke as the Syrian government forces came closer to capturing the last rebel-held part of a strategic highway linking southern and northern Syria, which would bring the road under Assads full control for the first time since 2012. With backing from Russia, Syrian troops have been on the offensive for weeks in Idlib and parts of Aleppo, triggering a humanitarian crisis with some 700,000 people fleeing their homes and surging north toward the Turkish border. Akar said Turkey was pressing Russia to use its influence on Syrias government to ensure that Syrian forces pull back to a previously agreed cease-fire line, and to vacate a strategic highway. We have asked for regime elements to immediately withdraw from the M5 route and we will continue to ask (for that), Akar said. We want (them) to stop these regime attacks immediately, to (ensure) the ceasefire is complied with and in turn, for the people to return to their homes, their land, the minister said. The minister insisted Turkeys aim in Idlib is to shore up a cease-fire agreement for the region that was negotiated in 2018 and prevent a refugee flow. The cease-fire, which has since collapsed, was brokered by Russia, which backs Assad, and Turkey, which supports some rebel groups in the area. Akar spoke hours before he was due to depart Ankara for a NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels. Asked what Turkeys expectations were from the meeting, Akar called for concrete moves by allies to stop Syrian government aggression in Idlib, which he said would trigger a new refugee wave that would threaten Europe and beyond. He also warned that the humanitarian situation in Idlib would lead to increased radicalization. NATO countries, NATO, Europe and the world must look at this issue more closely and must provide serious, concrete support, Akar said. People who lose their homes and households try to do things in desperation and this strengthens the hands of the radicals. And in one way or another paves the way to radicalization, he said. Rep. Seth Grove said potential penalties could include withholding funding from agencies that fail to comply. Read more Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and PennLive/Patriot-News. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter. HARRISBURG A state House lawmaker wants Pennsylvania to end an honor system that allows agencies to keep big-dollar contracts from the public, closing a loophole highlighted by Spotlight PA. Under state law, all agencies and departments are required to publish contracts worth at least $5,000 to an online search tool for government spending maintained by the treasurers office. Thats not what happened in 2018, when the Office of State Inspector General quietly bought nearly $160,000 in guns and related equipment, as Spotlight PA revealed in January. The office later learned its investigators were barred from carrying firearms, and the purchases have been sitting in storage since. (A spokesperson for the office said it is working to return or repurpose the firearms.) It is not clear why the gun purchases were not disclosed. The state treasurers office has no record of the contract, meaning it did not appear on the online portal. The office also has no authority to compel agencies to upload contracts, meaning the tool provides an incomplete look at state government spending. The issue was the focus of a 2019 investigation by The Caucus. In response to the Spotlight PA article, Rep. Seth Grove (R., York) is calling on the General Assembly to make state agencies follow the disclosure law. It frustrates me a little bit to find this stuff out in the newspaper, Grove told Spotlight PA, adding that at some point, the General Assembly needs to do a better job of digging into contracts. Current reporting requirements amount to an honor system with no real teeth, he said. To remedy that, he would like to see the legislature compel state government entities to report spending for publication on the portal, potentially by withholding funding for agencies that dont comply. This sort of information shouldnt be tucked away. Rather, it should be readily and easily available to the public, he wrote on his legislative website. Grove is asking the Senate to add the requirement into his bill codifying an updated version of the treasurers transparency portal. The measure passed the House, 200-0, last June and is awaiting consideration in the Senate Appropriations Committee. That committees chair, State Sen. Pat Browne (R., Lehigh), did not respond to a request for comment. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman (R., Centre) said the proposal has not yet been discussed, but as always, we will consider any House bill when it reaches the Senate. In January, State Treasurer Joe Torsella sent a letter to all commonwealth agencies reminding them of their obligation to submit required contract details. Those reminders will now go out twice a year, he said. Ashley Matthews, a spokesperson for the treasurer's office, said Torsella "strongly supports efforts to increase transparency and efficiency in state government and he commends Rep. Grove for his continued commitment to transparency." Pennsylvanians deserve to know exactly how their tax dollars are spent, she said. Spotlight PA receives funding from nonprofit institutions and readers like you who are committed to investigative journalism that gets results. Become a Founding Donor today at spotlightpa.org. A New Jersey man who moved into his daughters dorm at Sarah Lawrence College was indicted Tuesday on charges that he subjected a group of her friends to sexual and psychological manipulation and physical abuse, according to an indictment unsealed by the U.S. Attorneys Office of the Southern District of New York. Lawrence Ray, also known as Lawrence Grecco, was charged with extortion, sex trafficking, forced labor conspiracy and trafficking, two counts of use of interstate commerce to promote unlawful activity and money laundering, according to authorities. The 60-year-old was arrested at his home in Piscataway on Tuesday morning. The charges come nearly 10 years after Ray moved into on-campus housing at Sarah Lawrence College in Yonkers with his daughter, who was a sophomore at the time. According to the indictment, Ray began holding therapy sessions with some of his daughters roommates and presented himself as a father figure. By 2011, a number of the college students began living with Ray at an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, authorities said. Through the therapy sessions, Ray convinced several of the victims that they were broken and in need of fixing," according to the indictment. He used this authority to gain power over the young adults and alienate them from their parents, authorities said. Ray often held interrogation sessions that lasted hours, according to the indictment, and allegedly subjected the victims to sleep deprivation, psychological and sexual humiliation, verbal abuse, threats of physical violence, physical violence and threats of criminal legal action. He allegedly made one woman work as a prostitute and Ray obtained the majority of womans proceeds, which authorities said amounted to over $500,000, through force, threats of force, fraud and coercion, according to the indictment. Ray also allegedly made some of the young adults under his control perform manual labor at a family property in Pinehurst, N.C, authorities said. He allegedly berated them, restricted their access to food and became violent when he thought they were doing an inadequate job, according to the indictment. Authorities allege that Ray laundered around $1 million in proceeds from criminal activity through numerous bank accounts, including some of the victims. Over the last decade, authorities said at least seven young adults were victims of Rays allegedly abusive behavior. A spokesperson for Sarah Lawrence College said they had not been contacted by the U.S. Attorneys Office of Southern District of New York, but said the charges in the indictment are serious, wide-ranging, disturbing, and upsetting. As always the safety and well-being of our students and alumni is a priority for the College, the statement said. Rays alleged criminal behavior first came to light in April 2019 after New York Magazine published a story, The Stolen Kids of Sarah Lawrence, detailing how Ray was able to move in to a college dorm and assert power over a group of young adults that eventually led to psychological and sexual abuse. The spokesperson said the college launched an internal investigation regarding the incidents that allegedly happened on campus after the story published. The investigation did not substantiate those specific claims, the spokesperson said in a statement. Officials at the college told the magazine last year they had no record that Ray lived on campus at any time." According to the New York Times, a law enforcement official said that the magazine story prompted the federal investigation that led to the charges. Ray is expected to be appear in court Tuesday afternoon in Manhattan. According to New York Magazine, Ray previously co-owned Malibu, a now-defunct nightclub in Scotch Plains. Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com. Follow on Twitter @monavage. Have a tip? Tell us. nj.com/tips. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. Businesses in Dubai and Sao Paulo reaffirmed commitment to explore untapped trade and investment potential in key sectors and areas of mutual interest such as agri-business, technology, innovation, transport and logistics, according to officials speaking at the Dubai-Sao Paulo Business Forum. The forum, held today (February 11) at Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industrys premises, was joined by a high-level delegation from Sao Paulo led by Joao Doria, Governor of Sao Paulo State, as well as public and private sector stakeholders from the UAE and Brazil, said a statement. Doria and the visiting delegation were received by Majid Saif Al Ghurair, chairman of Dubai Chamber; Dubai Chamber board members, officials and directors. Following a private meeting, Invest Sao Paulo, the investment promotion agency of Sao Paulo state, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Dubai Chamber that aims to facilitate cooperation and knowledge sharing between the two entities and business communities. The agreement was signed by Wilson Mello, president of the Invest Sao Paulo and Omar Khan, director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber. Addressing delegates at the forum, Joao Doria noted that the trade mission to the UAE is the largest of its kind to be led by Sao Paulos government as 50 business leaders and six Secretaries of State joined the delegation. Doria highlighted Sao Paulos expanding trade ties with UAE, and revealed that 25 per cent of Sao Paulos exports were bound for the UAE in 2019, while 30 per cent of the Brazilian states imports came from the Gulf country. He added that the UAE has surpassed Italy to become one of Sao Paulos top trading partners. In addition, Sao Paulo Governor invited UAE companies to participate in major agri-business exhibitions taking place in Brazil and called on Emirates Airline to add an additional flight to Sao Paulo, which he says, would be key to further boosting bilateral ties. For his part, Al Ghurair stressed the significance of the forum in creating channels of cooperation and open dialogue between government and business leaders from Dubai and Sao Paulo. He highlighted synergies shared by Dubai and Sao Paulo as leading business hubs for their respective regions, and explained the crucial role that Dubai Chambers representative office in Sao Paulo is playing in facilitating bilateral trade and investment. Al Ghurair described the Dubai Chamber-Invest Sao Paulo agreement and the inauguration of investment promotion agencys new representative office in Dubai as important developments that will take UAE-Brazil economic ties to the next level. Dubai Chamber is building strong relationships in Brazil, and our representative office in Sao Paulo is a testament to our efforts to expand trade links with the Latin American country. We are fully committed to provide all necessary support to ensure that relations between Dubai and Sao Paulo continue to develop and flourish in the future, added Al Ghurair. The forum featured several informative presentations from officials joining the Sao Paulo delegation, including Henrique Meirelles, State Secretary of Finance and Planning; Gustavo Junqueira State Secretary for Agriculture and Supply; Patricia Ellen State Secretary of for Economic Development; Joao Octaviano State Secretary of for Logistics and Transportation; and Wilson Mello president of Invest SP, who provided an overview of Sao Paulos business landscape, investment opportunities and public-private partnership projects. In addition, Omar Khan, director of International Offices at Dubai Chamber, briefed delegates on Dubais economy, as well as the various competitive advantages that the emirate offers foreign companies and investors. Brazil is one of Dubais largest trading partners in Latin America with bilateral non-oil trade reaching $1.5 billion in 2018. There are more than 130 Brazilian companies registered with Dubai Chamber, it stated. TradeArabia News Service YOKOHAMA, Japan As coronavirus cases rapidly multiply on the quarantined cruise ship Diamond Princess, the more than 2,500 passengers on board live in effective isolation. They receive meals in their cabins. They keep an officially mandated distance of 6 feet from each other for the few minutes each day when they are allowed on deck for walks. Below decks, the situation is different. There, hundreds of crew members are eating, living and working elbow to elbow as they try to keep life as comfortable as possible for those above. They line up for simple buffet meals and then sit down together to eat. Bathrooms are shared by up to four people, and cabins often by two. These conditions have raised fears that a quarantine meant to halt the viruss spread on board, and keep the contagion from expanding on Japans shores, is endangering the health and safety of the crew. The ship, which is under a two-week quarantine in the port of Yokohama, has become host to the highest concentration of coronavirus cases outside China, the epicenter of the outbreak. The risk to crew members and passengers was dramatically reinforced Monday as Japans health ministry said that an additional 65 people had tested positive for the virus, nearly doubling the total to 135. Among them, at least 10 crew members have been infected, with five cases announced Sunday and five more Monday. According to employees, the infected crew members identified Sunday had been eating in the mess hall alongside their co-workers. Unlike the passengers they serve, most of whom come from wealthy nations, the ships employees are overwhelmingly from developing countries like India and the Philippines. They have not received the same global attention as passengers from countries like the United States, Australia and Britain, whose social media posts have been widely read. In a video posted to Facebook on Monday, Binay Kumar Sarkar, who works in the ships galley preparing meals and washing dishes, asked the Indian government to help get him and his co-workers off the ship before the virus spread further. There are 132 Indians among the crew of more than 1,000. The ship is like a small city, Sarkar said in a Facebook chat, making it very easy to spread the virus. In response to emailed questions, a representative of Princess Cruises, which operates the Diamond Princess, said that all crew members are highly trained in safety and public health standards. Without offering specifics, the representative added that the company was implementing processes developed in coordination with public health officials to support the elevated requirements of this situation. In some ways, the cruise ship quarantine is analogous, albeit with a much smaller pool of people, to the lockdown of Wuhan, China, where the epidemic began. In Wuhan and the surrounding province, Hubei, the authorities have barred close to 50 million people from leaving, and cases there are still rising as family members infect each other. Similar to the situation in Wuhan, but at a smaller scale, by quarantining the ship, the crew members are being forced to stay together, which increases the likelihood of transmission, said John B. Lynch, an associate professor of infectious diseases at the University of Washington. We have to remember that quarantines protect those outside the quarantine, not those within. Other experts said supervisors on the ship needed to enforce strict hygiene policies, including frequent hand-washing. Both passengers and crew members should also be keeping distance from others and avoiding congregating, said Dr. Peter Rabinowitz, who is co-director of the University of Washington MetaCenter for Pandemic Preparedness and Global Health Security. Crew members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity for fear of losing their jobs, said they had been provided with masks, gloves and hand sanitizer, but given little training on how to reduce their chances of infection in a situation of this magnitude. Like passengers, they have been given thermometers and told to monitor their own temperatures and report back if they develop a fever. They have received no new guidance since the quarantine began a week ago, according to one employee. Passengers said they were grateful to the crew but also worried that the employees, even though they are wearing protective gear when they enter cabins, might be passing the infection to people isolated inside. On Monday, passengers were given new masks designed to filter out 95% of airborne particles, as well as packages of alcohol wipes. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta also sent a letter to passengers advising them to wear face masks if they shared cabins with other passengers and to avoid sharing personal household items. Japans health ministry said Monday that so far it had tested 439 people on the ship for the coronavirus. That leaves more than 3,000 who have not been tested, receiving only initial health checks. Japanese officials have said they do not have the capacity to test everyone on the ship. But on Sunday, the health minister, Katsunobu Kato, said his ministry needed to consider whether it could do so. In Hong Kong, where another cruise ship, the World Dream, has been held at port, about 1,800 crew members aboard were tested for the coronavirus after authorities said that infected passengers had disembarked Jan. 24 in Guangzhou province, China. When the ship arrived in Hong Kong last Wednesday on a subsequent journey, health authorities first tested those who had fevers or showed symptoms of the virus. All of those initial tests came back negative, but out of an abundance of caution, Hong Kong health authorities decided to test all crew members. Experts said authorities should also test everyone on board the Diamond Princess in Yokohama. It is extremely possible that the infection has been transmitted on the ship, said Harue Okada, a professor of public health at Hakuoh University in Tochigi Prefecture. She added that it was difficult to identify who had been exposed to infected people, including those who came into contact with other people during shore excursions. Furthermore, as it is assumed that there are asymptomatic but infected people, the virus test is necessary, Okada said. The cruise ship terminal where the Diamond Princess is docked has been closed to the public. On Monday, a sort of war room had been set up where around a dozen people sat at computers and on phones. Some of them wore jackets that identified them as members of a psychological support team. The rooms walls were plastered with long strips of butcher paper, where information about the patients and a timeline had been scribbled in thick black marker. At the port, the daughter of a passenger tried to deliver food and water to her elderly mother, who she said had a fever and was having trouble getting attention from the medical staff. She feels sick. I hope she can disembark soon, Etsuko Takashima said through tears as she spoke about her mother, Ayako Jinnai, 84. At least, I hope she can get a drip infusion in the medical room on the ship. I dont think her current condition is known to the staff. This article originally appeared in The New York Times. (L-R) Moderator Tom Tillotson, supervisor of the checklist Joe Casey, and town clerk Deborah Tillotson look on as Coralie Stepanian marks a Republican write-in vote on the board for Democratic candidate and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg during the presidential primary election midnight vote in Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, on Feb. 11, 2020. Three of the five votes went to Bloomberg. (Paul Hayes/Caledonian-Record via AP) New Hampshire Residents Head to Vote in First-in-the-Nation Primaries Voters in New Hampshire started voting early Feb. 11 and will continue throughout the day as political observers keep a close eye to see who emerges as the Democratic winner after the chaotic caucuses in Iowa. Former South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, 38, was declared the winner of the caucuses but his campaign and that of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), 78who came secondfiled requests to recanvass on Monday amid widespread disputes on the final tallies. The first votes in New Hampshire took place just after midnight, when three small townships in the state cast their ballots. Polls in two cities opened at 6 a.m.; the opening times in other areas varied, with some as late as 11 a.m. Voters in many parts of the state would have until 7 p.m. to cast votes; others would have until 8 p.m. A winner is expected to be projected by the end of the day. Democratic presidential candidate former South Bend, Ind. Mayor Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Exeter, New Hampshire, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Elise Amendola/AP Photo) Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) accompanied by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) takes the stage at campaign stop at the Whittemore Center Arena at the University of New Hampshire in Durham on Feb. 10, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/AP Photo) Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) speaks to the press following a town hall at South Church in Plymouth, New Hampshire, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Scott Olsen/Getty Images) Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) answers media questions following a campaign event in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, on Feb. 9, 2020. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Registered Democrats and people who arent members of a political party can vote in the Democratic primary; only registered Republicans can vote in the GOP primary. Republican President Donald Trump, 73, was expected to easily win another state with only one longshot challenger, former Massachusetts Gov. Bill Weld, 74, left in the race. But the winner of the Democratic primary is still very much open. New Hampshire has 33 delegates that will be awarded based on vote totals for candidates who earn more than 15 percent of the vote across the state or in at least one of the states two congressional districts. News organizations may try to apportion delegates based on early results, but they may be wrong because they dont consider each Congressional districts totalwhich are the numbers used to assign delegates, the New Hampshire Democratic Party said in a statement. Democratic 2020 U.S presidential candidate Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) speaks during a campaign event at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, on Feb. 8, 2020. (Brendan McDermid/Reuters) Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang exits Hopkinton Town Hall following a campaign event in Hopkinton, New Hampshire, on Feb. 9, 2020. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images) Democratic 2020 U.S. presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a campaign event in Gilford, New Hampshire, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Carlos Barria/Reuters) While the party is in charge of running a primary or caucus in other states, the primaries in New Hampshire are run by the states secretary of state. The primary is the first in the nation, which is mandated by state law. While the Iowa caucuses were roiled by issues with an application designed to speed up and make easier the reporting of precinct results, New Hampshire officials said no such problems will happen in the primaries. Its not going to happen here, Secretary of State Bill Gardner, 71, told the Portsmouth Herald. Were in good shape. Former Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick attends the SiriusXM Broadcast of the 2020 New Hampshire Democratic Primary in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Mark Sagliocco/Getty Images for SiruisXM) SiriusXM host Julie Mason speaks with Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Paul Marotta/Getty Images for SiriusXM) Former New York Mayor and 2020 presidential candidate Michael Bloomberg during the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington on Jan. 22, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) The primaries will have voters cast ballots that are primarily counted by machines not connected to the internet, in stark contrast to the relatively complex caucuses that include three different sets of numbers. Machines used to count the votes were tested by the city and two clerks, Gardner said. The results were confirmed by hand. After the tests, which were conducted in public, the vote-counting boxes were locked up until Tuesday. Gardner said on his offices website that he expects 292,000 ballots cast in the Democratic primary and 128,000 ballots cast in the Republican primary. If the numbers hold, it would be the most votes cast in a presidential primary when an incumbent is running for reelection. We will be able to walk our future child to school, said Mr. Blanchard. Theres a certain level of adulting, and peace of mind, that comes with living in a neighborhood like the Palisades, and we truly appreciate it. Image 16038 MIAMI WAY | A four-bedroom, three-bath house on 0.13 acres, listed for $2.675 million. 310-230-3722 Credit... Beth Coller for The New York Times What Youll Find Pacific Palisades, where Sunset Boulevard forms much of the border as it winds toward the Pacific Ocean, is one of only a few Los Angeles neighborhoods offering direct access to both the mountains and the beach. With around 24,000 residents spread across 22.9 square miles that include state parkland, it also boasts one of Los Angeless lowest population-density ratios. Temescal Canyon Park and the Santa Monica Mountains form the northwest border, and many of the neighborhoods houses are set on bluffs overlooking canyon roads or Portrero Canyon Park. Will Rogers State Beach runs the length of the neighborhood, lined by the Pacific Coast Highway. Many residential lots are large, and many homes are set behind high hedges including those belonging to Steven Spielberg, Billy Crystal and Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine. Some of the homes are midcentury landmarks, including the Eames House, which was part of the postwar Case Study House Program that challenged architectural norms from the 1940s to the 1960s. The housing stock also includes many newer homes, particularly in the partially gated Palisades Highlands community, near the end of Sunset, and among the less expensive section known as the Alphabet Streets, which is popular among young families. Image 574 MOUNT HOLYOKE AVENUE | A four-bedroom, four-bath house on 0.08 acres, listed for $1.675 million. 818-501-4800 Credit... Beth Coller for The New York Times Palisades Village, a retail complex conceived by billionaire developer Rick Caruso, opened in 2018 with upscale restaurants, a park and high-end shops, as well as a Cinepolis movie theater, at the intersection of Swarthmore Avenue and Sunset Boulevard. Man Who Attempted to Ram Republicans in Florida Driven by Dislike of Trump: Police The man arrested for trying to ram Republican volunteers in Florida with his van told police that he doesnt like President Donald Trump, a report shows. Gregory Timm, 27, told officers that he drove at the volunteers in Duval County on Feb. 8 because someone had to take a stand, according to a police report released on Feb. 11. Timm said he went to a Walmart to get some food and cigarettes before noticing the tent and parking near it. He showed officers video footage of him driving toward the tent with Republican volunteers standing in front of it. The footage cut out before he struck the tent. The suspect was upset that the video ended before the good part, as he described it, a police officer wrote in the report. The suspect advised that he does not like President Trump and that is part of [redacted]. According to WJCT, one redaction in the report hides that Timm told officers that he waited to run the tent over until there were no people there, which was in direct conflict with the video footage. Timm was arrested on Feb. 8 after the incident in Jacksonville. The Republican Party of Duval County said that the volunteers were working on registering voters. The volunteers were intentionally targeted, the party said in a statement. We are outraged. This is not who we are. This is un-American, Dean Black, chairman of the Duval County Republican Party, said during a press conference on Feb. 10. We are thankful that no one was injured; no one was killed. Black called Timm a coward and said Timms aim was to sweep us from the street. He is not going to be successful. We will return in ever bigger numbers on street corners across America, Black said. Remember, the best revenge is victory; righteous, peaceful victory in November for President Trump and all Republican candidates. A voter registration tent lays on its side after Gregory Timm drove a van through it, in Jacksonville, Fla., on Feb. 8, 2020. (WJXT News4Jax via AP) Jacksonville Sheriffs Office Lt. Larry Gayle said at a press conference over the weekend that officers were unsure the attack was politically motivated. Timm was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a person over the age of 65, criminal mischief, and driving with a suspended license. Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said the attack was part of a pattern of unprovoked, senseless attacks on Trump supporters. Trump shared McDaniels tweet, adding: Law Enforcement has been notified. Be careful tough guys who you play with! President Donald Trump's budget anticipates the gross federal debt could top $30trn (27.5trn) over the next decade despite deep proposed cuts to social programmes. The US president's $4.8trn spending plan, a summary of which was obtained yesterday by Bloomberg News, would increase debt partly because of tax cuts and billions more in spending on defence. The budget is an election year embodiment of many of the policy priorities Mr Trump has championed over his first three years in office. He proposes continuing his efforts to "rebuild" the US military by investing heavily in defence spending - $740.5bn in the next fiscal year - including the creation of Space Force. But the president also calls for deep cuts to government programmes he believes are unpopular with his base, slashing discretionary spending by 5pc - down to $590bn - in the coming year. That includes major reductions in foreign aid - with the State Department and international programmes cut 7.7pc, and the Environmental Protection Agency cut 26.5pc next year. The proposals call for stringent new work requirements on welfare programmes. Bloomberg That sense of natural development warped, of relationships dictated and distorted by status, reverberates throughout Turner's production. This Hamlet's "antic disposition" sees him raiding a dressing-up box, initially interestingly with the collusion of Sian Brooke's Ophelia, who helps button him into a scarlet toy soldier's tunic. A drum strapped around his neck, Cumberbatch marches back and forth, mechanical, maniacal, comically grotesque. Turner overworks both the image and the idea later on, when he drags on a toy fort, from which Rosencrantz and Guildenstern discover him pretending to take potshots. But the notion that these toys are in the Elsinore attic and that Cumberbatch's prince, Brooke's Ophelia, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith's Laertes and perhaps even Leo Bill's earnest Horatio all played here together once lends a melancholy air of innocence lost to proceedings. It's an impression reinforced by Holdbrook-Smith and Brooke playing childlike duets together at a piano and by Brooke's art-studenty Ophelia frequently snapping photographs, as if by capturing a moment she can halt the passing of time. She cannot, of course and the wordless moment when she wanders from the hall, and Anastasia Hille's Gertrude discovers a pile of her photographs and comes to a stricken realization of her suicidal intention, is perhaps the production's most startlingly emotionally affecting moment. A volunteer explains epidemic prevention to international students in Zhenhai District, Ningbo City. (Photo/Chinanews.com) Amid furious efforts to stem the tide of the expanding coronavirus outbreak, China is also stepping up epidemic prevention and control measures for foreigners in China. Many cities in eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province have adopted strict management measures and special services for foreigners, winning high praise from foreign friends. Everything is going well. Thank you all, Juliet, a French woman living in Ningbo, eastern Chinas Zhejiang Province, recently said in a message to frontline staff in her community. Zhejiang province has been heavily affected by the outbreak, and stepped up health checks on people leaving or arriving at their residential communities. When Juliet returned to China from Malaysia, she had a "high temperature", which greatly concerned community staff. After hearing about this, a local language volunteer from a cultural exchange association came to Juliet and gave her information related to epidemic prevention and control. In Zhenhai District, Ningbo, nearly a thousand foreigners like Juliet have learned how to protect themselves from coronavirus thank to local authorities and universities, which have been spreading knowledge on epidemic prevention via WeChat groups and Moments in foreign languages including English and French. A foreigner in Zhejiang Province bows to a community staff member to thank her for her work. (Photo/Chinanews.com) Yongjiang village is one of the most popular areas to visit for foreigners in Zhenhai district. In order to reduce their risks of getting infected, local police officer Yang Yanfei downloaded foreign language versions of epidemic prevention materials for their reference. Yang also inquired about and recorded their travel history and people they had come into contact with. "It's all for their health," Yang said. Many foreigners have shown understanding and support for these efforts. Keqiao District of Shaoxing City in Zhejiang Province is one of the largest textile production bases in Asia, with over 80 percent of businesses depending on foreign trade. Since the outbreak, nearly 1,000 foreigners have been staying in the district. Like Chinese citizens, these foreigners also have trouble buying face masks. To address the problem, the local commerce authority has applied for a batch of masks for foreigners and has been distributing them since Feb. 3 in order to protect their health. The special management measures and services in Zhejiang Province have been commended by many foreigners living there. "I believe my university and the Chinese government can protect us," said Anne Li from South Africa. Two new turtle nests found in Phang Nga PHUKET: Two new leatherback turtle nests have been found on beaches in Phang Nga, north of Phuket. marineanimalsenvironmentnatural-resources By Tanyaluk Sakoot Tuesday 11 February 2020, 11:55AM The nest is now protected and under 24-hour surveillance. Photo: DMCR Officers took four hours to find the new turtle nest on Koh Kho Khao Beach in Phang Nga yesterday (Feb 10). Photo: DMCR Officers took four hours to find the new turtle nest on Koh Kho Khao Beach in Phang Nga yesterday (Feb 10). Photo: DMCR Officers took four hours to find the new turtle nest on Koh Kho Khao Beach in Phang Nga yesterday (Feb 10). Photo: DMCR Officers took four hours to find the new turtle nest on Koh Kho Khao Beach in Phang Nga yesterday (Feb 10). Photo: DMCR Officers took four hours to find the new turtle nest on Koh Kho Khao Beach in Phang Nga yesterday (Feb 10). Photo: DMCR Local resident Surang Kipairoth reported finding turtle tracks on Ban Bodarn in Thai Muang at 6:38am on Sunday (Feb 9), Prarop Plangngarn, Chief of Operation Center 2 at Sirinath National Park, on Phukets west coast, told The Phuket News. The tracks measured some 1.8 metres across, he added. Officers arrived at the beach at about 7am and started carefully digging the sand out along the tracks and discovered the turtle nest at around 11am, Mr Prarop said. We didnt move the eggs. Officials constructed a fence to prevent people stealing the eggs and we now have officers to watch over the nest, he added. The second nest found was reported yesterday (Feb 10), Haritchai Rittichuay, Chief of the Khao Lampi Hat Thai Mueang National Park, told The Phuket News. Sane Churat, village headman of Ban Thung Tuk in Moo 4, Koh Kho Khao subdistrict, discovered turtle tracks, measuring about 1.6 metres across, on Koh Kho Khao Beach at 8:40am, Mr Haritchai explained. Officers arrived and found the nest at about 10:40am, he added. Both nests were left in place to let the turtles hatch undisturbed. If we moved the eggs, it could have adversely affected them. We have constructed a fence to prevent people stealing the eggs or disturbing the nest in any other way, and the nest is under constant 24 hour surveillance, Mr Haritchai said. Officers will watch over both nests for the next 60 days until the eggs hatch and the newborn turtles are ready to return to sea. If anyone sees a turtle laying eggs on a beach, please call us at 076-679134 so we can quickly go to protect the eggs and take care of them, Mr Haritchai added. The best clue as to their second-best quality is the movement of patients who have the ability to seek a higher level of care through physicians. Although there are anecdotal exceptions, when nurse practitioners and health care administrators or their families get sick, they want to see a doctor. When patients get off Medicaid and get better quality insurance, they want to see a doctor. When a facility is lucky enough to get a doctor to supplement nurse practitioners, patients want to transfer to the doctor. When they are really sick or hurt in the emergency room, patients want to see the doctor. A stay-at-home mother-of-two who transformed an old caravan has revealed $3 vinyl from Kmart was the key to creating her dream bohemian van. Shannon Lott, 32, picked up her $4,800 mobile home last August, and has spent the past six months renovating and transforming the interior with budget Kmart items. The Melbourne mother said she transformed the caravan by 'Kmart-ifying' it - and she is particularly pleased with the 11 vinyl wrap rolls she bought for $35 which have helped to give the van a final flourish. 'Van update six months on,' Shannon posted on Facebook on Tuesday. AFTER: A stay-at-home mother-of-two who transformed a dated caravan from 1987 into a sophisticated living space has revealed why $3 vinyl from Kmart has been key to creating her dream, bohemian van AFTER: Shannon Lott, 32, picked up her $4,800 mobile home last August, before she spent the past six months renovating and transforming the interior with budget Kmart items BEFORE: The Melbourne mother said she transformed the caravan by 'Kmart-ifying' it - and she is particularly pleased with the 11 vinyl wrap rolls she bought for $35 Shannon picked up the van for $4,800 and then spent $450 renovating it (exterior pictured) 'I am impressed! In the last six months in Victoria we have had many zero degree to 43 degree days and the vinyl has NOT moved! 'I was expecting to have to completely renovate our van this year but to be honest, I'm not even going to bother.' Shannon continued to say that she has two children and her family are 'not careful', but bar a few scratches 'here and there', the van is totally fine. 'For $3 a roll, the Kmart vinyl is amazing!' she said. Shannon used the vinyl on her floors, counters, kitchen backsplash, fridge, support poles and table stand. Shannon (pictured with her kids) said that over the past six months, they have had both zero and 43 degree days and she expected the vinyl to have suffered somewhat AFTER: But it hasn't ruined at all and Shannon said: 'For $3 a roll, the Kmart vinyl is amazing!' BEFORE: Elsewhere in the van renovation, Shannon said she also bought a woven fruit bowl for $6, knives for $10 and a stylish two-toned hand towel Elsewhere in the van renovation, Shannon said she also bought a woven fruit bowl for $6, knives for $10 and a stylish two-toned hand towel. The mum added to her haul in the soft furnishings department by buying one of the brand's $29 ottoman stools and two Fifi and Zola cushions worth $20. Shannon complemented her new purchases with Kmart items she already owned, but said the price of her latest haul was 'ridiculously cheap'. AFTER: Shannon complemented her new purchases with Kmart items she already owned, but said the price of her latest haul was 'ridiculously cheap' BEFORE: She turned to another major Australian retailer to accentuate her look by using Bunnings spray paint on some of the caravan's fixtures She turned to another major Australian retailer to accentuate her look by using Bunnings spray paint on some of the caravan's fixtures. She also used the spray on the kitchen tap as well as the handles on the new-look overhead cabinets in the caravan's living room. The handles were also bought from Bunnings, as were the $12 MDF boards which sit on an incline behind the couch. AFTER: The caravan has been finished with stylish jute interiors (pictured) BEFORE: Despite her extensive makeover, Shannon said her son actually made very little wholesale furniture changes to the caravan AFTER: m planning to travel with my kids and do smaller trips around Victoria, and then do one big trip up to Queensland and back through Northern Territory,' Shannon said Despite her extensive makeover, Shannon said her son actually made very little wholesale furniture changes to the caravan. 'All he really did was get rid of the fixed bed, bedside tables and one other cabinet,' she told FEMAIL. In place of the previous fixtures, the 32-year-old bought an IKEA sofa bed for $110 on Facebook Marketplace and gave the space a touch of colour with a $49 Target tufted jute rug. AFTER: In place of the previous fixtures, the 32-year-old bought an IKEA sofa bed for $110 on Facebook Marketplace and gave the space a touch of colour with a $49 Target tufted jute rug Her total spend on the caravan's refurbishment across all four stores was $450. 'I'm planning to travel with my kids and do smaller trips around Victoria, and then do one big trip up to Queensland and back through Northern Territory,' she said. 'My son is planning to do long-distance learning while we travel. A lot of it is online so we're going to have portable 4G Wi-Fi with us,' she said. Church-supported charity to create tiny house community for low-income families Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment A charity with strong ties to a United Methodist congregation in Ohio plans to create a tiny house community on property near their church for low-income families. The Monroe Street Neighborhood Center, a group located at Monroe Street United Methodist Church of Toledo that is separate from the church, plans to begin construction on the first house as early as this summer. Known as Bluff City Village, the project will create around 20 houses at an estimated cost of $1 million, each 400 square feet in size, and charge $400 a month in rent for families living there. Monroe Street pastor Larry Clark, who also serves as project director for Bluff City Village, told The Christian Post that the idea for the village derived from discussions over how we could redevelop Bluff Street which is next to our church. The street once had houses but now is empty lots, explained Clark. We also saw an opportunity to service many of the people who take advantage of our program called The Bridge. On Tuesdays we serve a light lunch and provide food, clothing, and social services to people in need. The idea for Bluff Street Village came from the Tiny Home development in Detroit at Cass Community. These houses will be barrier free so those with mobility issues can live in these houses. Presently, the project is in the fundraising stage. The church controls six lots on the block while the rest of the space is owned by Toledo/Lucas County Land Bank, which is also committed to the project. Clark told CP that they were building tiny houses because they fit on a small urban lot and do not have to adhere to the same building codes as larger houses. The tiny houses are also more affordable to build and therefore enable more to be built. These houses are for single people or couples, he continued. As we move forward we envision that we may build larger homes on adjacent streets for families. We are creating a community where people can sit out on their front porch and have a yard in which they can plant flowers or grow vegetables. Monroe Street UMC is not the only church looking to support the construction of a tiny house community to benefit the poor and homeless. Faith Lutheran Church of Forest Lake, Minnesota, recently voted to support the creation of a tiny house community to help homeless veterans known as Sacred Settlement. Faith Lutheran Senior Pastor John Klawiter told CP in an earlier interview that the concept of the Sacred Settlement matches the values of our congregation in many ways. We have a lot of members who have served or are actively in the military. We have a newly established veterans committee that will walk alongside any of the veterans that live in the Sacred Settlement, said Klawiter. Faith Lutheran also has a long history of helping support homeless ministry, which includes the establishment of a family shelter in nearby Hugo. STAMFORD The state Department of Education recently released the results from the latest Next Generation Accountability Index for the 2018-19 school year. J.M. Wright Technical High School, part of the Connecticut Technical Education and Career System, was named a School of Distinction for high growth. We are very proud to see J.M. Wright Tech on the School of Distinction list, said Jeffrey Wihbey, CTECS superintendent. Administrators, teachers and students have put in the hard work to advance, so this public acknowledgment of their effort is well earned, Wihbey said. For our school to receive this award based on data indicators that provide a more comprehensive and holistic picture of student and school performance just further validates all the truly good work we dedicate ourselves to doing as a learning community each and every year at J.M. Wright Technical High School, said Principal Phyllis Bartoli. According to the Department of Education, NGAI is a broad set of 12 indicators that help tell the story of how well a school is preparing its students for success in college, careers and life. The system moves beyond test scores and graduation rates and instead provides a more holistic, multifactor perspective of district and school performance and incorporates student growth over time. All results and additional support materials are available on the CSDEs data portal EdSight at http://edsight.ct.gov. J.M. Wright Tech is now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year. Learn more and apply at wright.cttech.org. An American cruise ship riddled with vomiting passengers has been denied entry to its Caribbean destination and is steaming back to the United States. More than 300 on-board have come down with gastroenteritis, an uncomfortable stomach bug which causes vomiting and diarrhea. Spooked by the outbreak which has quickly spread, Trinidad and Tobago's health ministry turned around the Caribbean Princess liner, which is making the 1,600-mile journey back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The two-week trip carrying 3,000 holidaymakers and 1,100 crew departed American shores on February 2 before heading south to the popular tourist island. The Caribbean Princess cruise liner (file photo) riddled with puking passengers has been denied entry to its Caribbean destination and is steaming back to the United States Trinidad and Tobago's health ministry turned around the Caribbean Princess liner, which is making the 1,600-mile journey back to Fort Lauderdale, Florida But it was cut short when 299 passengers and 22 crew began suffering the stomach-inflaming illness and is expected to reach Florida on Thursday. Princess Cruise Lines Ltd, headquartered in California, said: 'This is a highly unusual development and we share the disappointment of our guests. 'However, the health and safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and in working with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it was decided out of an abundance of caution, in this specific instance, to discontinue the cruise.' Passengers will be compensated a 50 per cent refund on fares and a future cruise credit valued at 50 per cent of their cruise. Gastroenteritis is an uncomfortable bug, but fortunately it is very common and usually passed after a week. Unlike more potent infections, such as the new coronavirus, there was no need to quarantine patients for immediate testing. Such probing is currently ongoing in Yokohama, Japan, where the Diamond Princess cruise ship where 135 have tested positive for the deadly virus, which has killed more than 1,000 worldwide. Such probing is currently ongoing in Yokohama, Japan, where the Diamond Princess cruise ship where 135 have tested positive for the deadly virus The global outbreak of coronavirus: 1,018 have been killed worldwide and 43,112 have been infected Authorities on today were removing from the most recently diagnosed 65 crew and passengers. The ship was carrying 3,711 people when it arrived off Japan on the evening of February 3, and was placed under lock-down two days later. Only those diagnosed with the virus or suffering other serious health conditions have been allowed off the boat, which is expected to remain in quarantine until at least February 19. People on board the ship on Tuesday tweeted that medicines were being delivered to passengers, and that the ship's captain had announced the vessel would head out to sea overnight to produce fresh water and other operations. Scene at a house in the Killymaddy Hill area of Dungannon, after it was attacked with petrol bombs. Photo Laura Davison/Pacemaker Press A 34-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been charged with offences including arson and throwing a petrol bomb by detectives investigating an attack on a house in Dungannon. It happened in Killymaddy Hill in the town on Sunday. The pair are expected to appear at Omagh Magistrates court on Tuesday morning. The charges will be reviewed by the PPS. Press Release 11 February 2020 It goes without saying that certain hospitality skills are must-haves in the pursuit of a successful career in the industry. Much heralded soft skills, such as time management, adaptability and teamwork, are developed during fledglings' formative years and professional life beyond. In an increasingly digitalized work environment, an ever-evolving host of hard skills are also assets - take cloud computing or artificial intelligence, for example. Advertisements But there is another component, one that speaks to strength of character, to the willingness to put in both the hours and the hard graft, that kicks in when you assume your very first role: the value of starting at the bottom and working your way up. The following hospitality heavyweights are flagship examples of the importance of staying power, gleaning insights, wisdom and appreciation from the interim tasks along the path to leadership. from motel night cleaner to President & CEO of Marriott International Long before Arne Sorenson made history in 2012 as the first person to become Chief Executive Officer at Marriott without the family name, he worked the graveyard shift as assistant foreman of the night cleaning crew at a hotel in Minnesota. Working on this team of jumbled together individuals, each laboring through the night for their own reasons, taught Sorenson that "there is pride and dignity in every single job", no matter how low-profile. This wisdom now feeds into his roles on various boards, including Microsoft's Board of Directors since 2017. from maintenance worker to President & CEO of Hilton Worldwide Christopher J. Nassetta, President & CEO of Hilton, took his first job in the hospitality industry at a Holiday Inn when he was 18 years old. His "entry-level position in the engineering department" - a somewhat glorified title - saw him see to tasks of the likes of plunging toilets. Via a seven-year stint as President & CEO of Host Hotels & Resorts Inc., he joined Hilton in 2007. He has also served as Chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council since April 2018. from busboy to President & CEO of Auberge Resorts Collection In an impressive display of hospitality skills and perseverance, Craig Reid has gone from spilling a drink on a customer on his first day as a busboy at London's Grosvenor Hotel at the tender age of 15 to acting as Auberge Resorts' President & CEO from 2014 onwards. His path led, via a management traineeship with The Savoy Group, a degree in hotel administration from Westminster College, London, and a long career at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts. from dishwasher to President & CEO of Best Western Hotels & Resorts Turn back the clock to 1970, and David Kong - now President & CEO at Best Western - was upping sticks: leaving his home country to pursue his studies at the University of Hawaii. Instilled with his parents' work ethic and grit, and inspired by childhood memories of Sunday dinners at a Hong Kong hotel, he took a job as a dishwasher and busboy at the Hilton Hawaiian Village on the side. Having worked his way up to waiter, he later joined Omni Hotels' food and beverage team. After a subsequent ten years at Hyatt, he joined Best Western in 2001, before being promoted to his current role in 2004. from commis chef to CEO of Forbes Travel Guide Filip Boyen first honed his hospitality skills as a commis chef aged 18. Over time, he worked his way up in the culinary world to roles in Michelin-star restaurants in Belgium, England and France, before transitioning to hotel management. Having acted as General Manager followed by COO at Belmond Hotels (Orient-Express Hotels at the time), he took the reigns as CEO of Small Luxury Hotels, overseeing a portfolio of over 520 independent hotels in 80 countries. Epitomizing the success of his career, "verifying luxury", Boyen is now CEO of Forbes Travel Guide. from construction site helper to former President & CEO of Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts December 2018 may have seen J. Allen Smith, former President & CEO at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, take things down a notch in assuming a part-time role as Advisory Chairman at Latch, but the early days of his career remain an inspiration. A tale of back-breaking work for measly pay: Smith's first job was that of brickmason's helper at a construction site in Lexington, South Carolina, earning USD 1.85 an hour. After a cripplingly hot summer of mixing mortar and hauling bricks up scaffolding, he "graduated" to concrete finisher, forever appreciating the value of hard work. No matter where you are on your journey into the professional world of hospitality: value education, understand the importance of lifelong learning and invest in building strong networking ties. Yes. But don't forget that the key to progressing from cleaner to CEO may well lie in your ability to work hard, commit, persevere and allow your environment to shape your hospitality skills. For it is in this way that hospitality skills lead to leadership. February 11, 2020, 3:04 pm David Mitchell Jack Westfall, M.D., M.P.H., the new director of the AAFP's Robert Graham Center for Policy Studies in Family Medicine and Primary Care, is bringing nearly three decades of experience as a clinician, educator and award-winning researcher to the position. It's a good match. Westfall has authored or co-authored 130 research articles in multiple peer-reviewed journals and contributed to numerous books. The Washington, D.C.-based Graham Center has published hundreds of papers, policy briefs and one-pagers during the past two decades, emerging as one of the nation's most respected voices on issues related to primary care. Westfall will bring his insights to a panel discussion on rural care Feb. 13 in Washington during the Rural Health Disparities Summit, which is hosted by the AAFP, the American Heart Association and the National Rural Health Association. AAFP News recently spoke with Westfall about his vision for the Graham Center. Q: You practiced in rural communities for decades. How will you apply that experience to your work at the Graham Center? A: Rural practice taught me how to be a family doctor. How to be pragmatic, solve the local problems and engage the local people. I hope to bring that to the Graham Center, to make sure the work we do is relevant to the local practicing family doctor or other primary care clinician, whether that is in Yuma, Colo., or downtown D.C. Second, I hope to engage both the practicing members of the AAFP and their patients and community members in the work of the Graham Center. Our patients and AAFP members have been solving their local dilemmas for years. How do we take advantage of that broader collective knowledge to solve some of the wicked problems we face in family medicine? Q: Some members might not be familiar with the Graham Center. How does the center's work apply to a typical family medicine practice? A: The Robert Graham Center seeks to create and curate evidence that informs policies aimed at supporting family medicine and primary care. The Graham Center aspires to address head-on the wicked problems we face in health care: workforce, payment reform, access to primary care, resilience and burnout, social drivers of our patients' health and ill health. Q: What is your vision for the Graham Center? How does it affect the practicing family physician and/or specialty as a whole? A: We want to be the go-to source for the policy issues facing our members. I got an email from a member out west who is finding that the local hospital system is recruiting his patients for their annual Medicare wellness visit. He is missing out on that opportunity to spend extra time with his long-time patients. He wondered if others might be facing this loss of continuity due to large hospital systems seeking to game the Medicare benefits. The Graham Center is doing the research to see what kind of problem this might be in his community and across the United States. The Graham Center has the unique ability to identify local problems and analyze the state and national impact. We hope more practicing family physicians will ask us the questions they have. Q: What are your thoughts on integrating different Academy research resources, such as the Graham Center, the AAFP National Research Network and HealthLandscape? A: I spent 20 years in Colorado working with the High Plains Research Network, a practice-based research network in rural and frontier eastern Colorado. Practice-based research is a wonderful tool for research in family medicine without placing too much burden on any one physician or practice. The HPRN has over 50 small primary care practices, and the physicians, nurses and PAs are eager to help identify clinical problems and questions and work with the HPRN staff to implement local solutions. So, I am keen to work with the National Research Network to consider how to partner our efforts: primary care policy and family medicine clinical practice research. It really is exciting to see the growth and maturation of both the Graham Center and the National Research Network. The access to practices and family physicians afforded to the NRN will help the Graham Center begin to engage our AAFP members in our policy work, as well. HealthLandscape is a tool to help us figure out how this all fits across communities, states and the nation. Sometimes a map is just what we need to help us find our way. Q: Workforce is a big issue. What role, if any, will the Graham Center play in the Academy's Rural Health Matters initiative? A: I have an interest in making sure rural communities have the best family doctors. Rural health care has been a fragile enterprise for centuries; this is not a new problem. Too often policymakers try to create a policy that works in the city and simply apply it to the rural. That just won't work. Rural communities have been solving problems for centuries, but this physician workforce problem has been too tough for rural communities to do alone. There are other factors, incentives and business implications that make rural health difficult to do alone. So, I am hoping that the Graham Center can work with rural communities to identify the local solutions and work to create the evidence that might support policies to build on those local solutions. I don't want to just apply a broad urban Band-Aid to rural America and hope it heals the wound. I think we can do better if we pay attention to our rural members' ideas and solutions. Q: You're moderating a panel discussion at the Rural Health Disparities Summit. What key issues will you be covering there? A: The National Rural Health Association is a wonderful partner with the Graham Center. We are facilitating a conversation about enabling primary care practice in rural communities. Rather than just focus on recruiting a few doctors for a couple of years, we want to consider local, state and national policies that truly enable rural practice. Payment, family and professional connection are just some of the topics we want to discuss, identifying some bright spots across the country and some innovative ways to connect family doctors to the land. MANILA, Philippines The Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it would end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country, in the most serious threat under President Rodrigo Duterte to their 69-year treaty alliance. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet that Manilas notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the U.S. Embassy in Manila. The termination would take effect after 180 days unless both sides agree to keep it. Locsin signed the notice on the order of Duterte, who has often criticized U.S. security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine militarys close historic ties with its American counterpart. The U.S. Embassy in Manila acknowledged receipt of Manilas notice and said Washington will carefully consider how best to move forward to advance our shared interests. This is a serious step with significant implications for the U.S.-Philippines alliance, the embassy said in a statement. Our two countries enjoy a warm relationship, deeply rooted in history. We remain committed to the friendship between our two peoples. In a Senate hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the 1998 security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster aggression in the disputed South China Sea. U.S. military presence in the strategic waterway has been seen as a crucial counterweight to China, which claims virtually the entire sea. Locsin proposed a review of the agreement to fix contentious issues, including criminal jurisdiction over erring American troops, instead of abrogating it. Philippine defense and military officials did not immediately issue any reaction to the government move. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the U.S. visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the presidents deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. Thousands of mostly poor suspects have been killed under the bloody campaign Duterte launched when he took office in mid-2016, alarming the U.S. and other Western governments and human rights watchdogs. Duterte gave the U.S. a month to restore dela Rosas visa, but U.S. officials have not publicly reacted to the Philippine leaders demand. Duterte said in a speech late Monday that President Donald Trump has moved to save the agreement but added that he rejected the idea. He accused the U.S. of meddling in Philippine affairs, including seeking the release of opposition Sen. Leila de Lima, whom he has accused of involvement in illegal drugs. She has dismissed the allegation as a fabricated charge meant to muzzle dissent. America is very rude. They are so rude, Duterte said. Locsin outlined in the Senate hearing what he said were the crucial security, trade and economic benefits the accord provides. The U.S. is a longtime treaty ally, a major trading partner and the largest development aid provider to the Philippines. The accord, known by its acronym VFA, legally allows the entry of large numbers of American forces along with U.S. military ships and aircraft for joint training with Filipino troops. It specifies which country will have jurisdiction over American soldiers, who may be accused of crimes while in the Philippines, a sensitive issue in the former American colony. A separate defense pact subsequently signed by the allies in 2014, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, allows the extended stay of U.S. forces and authorizes them to build and maintain barracks and warehouses and store defense equipment and weapons inside five designated Philippine military camps. A Filipino senator and former national police chief, Panfilo Lacson, said terminating the treaty would reduce the two allies 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty to a mere paper treaty as far as the U.S. is concerned. Some Philippine senators have said the government decision to terminate the treaty, which the Senate ratified, should have the chambers consent. U.S. State Department Assistant Secretary R. Clarke Cooper said in a telephone news conference Monday that abrogating the pact would put at risk more than 300 military engagements, including joint trainings, this year between the allies. All the engagements, all the freedom of navigation operations, all the exercises, all the joint training, having U.S. military personnel in port, on the ground, on the flight line, does require that we have a mechanism that allows that, he said. Thats why the VFA is so important. Terminating the VFA would affect the joint exercises and other activities with U.S. forces which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, Locsin said. The U.S. provided more than $550 million in security assistance to the Philippines from 2016 to 2019, Locsin said, adding that there may be a chilling effect on our economic relations if the Philippines draws down its security alliance with Washington. American forces have provided intelligence, training and aid that allowed the Philippines to deal with human trafficking, cyberattacks, illegal narcotics and terrorism, Locsin said, citing how U.S. military assistance helped Filipino forces quell a disastrous siege by Islamic State group-aligned militants in southern Marawi city in 2017. U.S. military presence in the South China Sea has also been a deterrent to aggressive actions in the disputed waters, Locsin said. China, the Philippines, Vietnam and three other governments have rival claims in the strategic waterway. Duterte first threatened to abrogate the VFA in late 2016 after a U.S. aid agency put on hold funds for anti-poverty projects in the Philippines. He has walked back on such threats but his governments action on Tuesday is the most serious indication of his intent to set back military ties with the U.S. Aside from threatening to end the VFA, Duterte has said he will ban some critical U.S. senators from entering the Philippines. Duterte has also barred Cabinet officials from traveling to the U.S. and turned down an invitation by Trump to join a special meeting the U.S. leader will host for leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in March in Las Vegas. Iraqis in the capital Baghdad woke up to snow for the first time in more than a decade, with the rare event giving residents a welcome respite from the country's political unrest. Photographs and videos show people enjoying the unusual weather conditions on Tuesday, throwing snowballs and skating down the streets. The country has been rocked by months of anti-government protests and soaring tensions with the US, following the assassination of a top Iranian general in Baghdad in early January. More than 500 people have been killed since protests erupted in October, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission. In the citys Tahrir Square, the centre of the protest movement, the protesters sit-in tents were covered in snow on Tuesday morning. Snowfall last recorded in the Iraqi capital back in 2008. Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Show all 17 1 /17 Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi protesters take cover behind a barricade on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on 25 October, 2019. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Protesters push down concrete walls during a protest over corruption, lack of jobs, and poor services, in Baghdad. Reuters Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Anti-government protesters try to break into the provincial council building during a demonstration in Basra. AP Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi women protesters march with national flags during an anti-government demonstration in the central holy shrine city of Najaf. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire An Iraqi protester uses a mobile phone to take a selfie photo with an army soldier standing atop a humvee during a demonstration outside the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi protesters gather during an anti-government demonstration at the burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi protesters wave a national flag as they stand atop the gatehouse to the local government headquarters in the southern city of Basra. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire An Iraqi protester throws back a tear gas canister fired by security forces amid clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi protesters carry away an injured protester following clashes during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi security forces stand guard on Al-Jumhuriya Bridge during an anti-government demonstration in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Anti-government protesters gather in Tahrir Square during a demonstration in central Baghdad. AP Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire The burning local government headquarters in Nasiriyah, the capital of Iraq's southern province of Dhi Qar. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Protesters take cover behind a concrete barricade during a demonstration in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi paramedics help injured protesters in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Iraqi protesters gather in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire An Iraqi protester takes cover between concrete barricades in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Iraq protests: Death toll soars as live rounds and tear gasfire Protesters take cover from teargas canisters fired by security forces in Baghdad. AFP/Getty Elsewhere in the country, snow carpeted Mosul, the city liberated from ISIS in 2017. Snow is much more common in the north of the country than in the capital. But Katharina Ritz, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Iraq, tweeted her concern on Tuesday for displaced families living in tents and other non-permanent structures. She wrote: Being Swiss, I felt home when I smelled snow this morning. But it quickly reminded me of the many displaced #Iraq families in tents and unfinished shelters who are exposed to the cold temperatures and who have no means to stay warm. Most of the snow in Baghdad melted by midday on Tuesday. Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+ or S20 Ultra - which is the one to get? Did watching the Samsung Unpacked event leave you you may still be wondering which of the three Galaxy S20 flagships is the right one for you? Here well try to simplify the comparison between the trio. Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is a phone you buy for the camera. The 6.9 screen is slightly larger than the 6.7 panel on the S20+, but it offers no advantage in terms of resolution or other features (all three screens have 1440p+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate and HDR10+ support). Honestly, we think that the Ultra is larger by necessity as it has to fit massive camera hardware. We should note that this phone weighs 220g, making it noticeably heavier than the plus (186g). But the camera capabilities are unique. The 108MP main sensor has significantly more resolution than any previous Samsung. And even though theres already a 108MP phone on the market, the nona-pixel (i.e. 9-in-1) pixel binning is a first in the industry with 2.4m effective pixel size, the Ultra should be the phone to beat when it comes to low-light shooting. The telephoto camera uses Samsungs first periscope lens. Unlike previous periscope-equipped phones, this camera is based on a very high resolution sensor, 48MP. For comparison, the Oppo Reno 10x zoom had a 13MP sensor, the Huawei P30 Pro an 8MP sensor behind the extra-long lens. Naturally, this extra resolution allows for pixel binning (4-in-1) and should drastically improve the image quality. Samsung advertises 10x hybrid optical zoom and 100x super resolution zoom (using image stacking to reduce noise). The selfie camera is also best-in-class. It has a 40MP sensor, the highest resolution dedicated selfie cam yet. It should come as no surprise that 4-in-1 pixel binning is the default mode, which should provide superior image quality compared to the other two S20 models (they have 10MP sensors with 1.22m pixels, the Ultra gets 10MP shots with 1.4m pixels with binning enabled). The Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra is the only model of the three to support 45W fast charging (wired). However, like with the Note10+, Samsung only provides a 25W power brick in the box, so unless you buy a 45W charger yourself, the Ultra will charge at the same speed as its siblings. It does have a slightly larger battery, though 5,000mAh vs. 4,500mAh for the S20+. Samsung Galaxy S20 Theres little to separate the S20 and S20+. Youd choose the Samsung Galaxy S20 either because of price (you save 100 compared to the plus model) or because of size. The S20 is the most compact of the three, measuring 151.7 x 69.1 x 7.9mm, compared to 161.9 x 73.7 x 7.8mm for the S20+. Its also a good 20g lighter. You do lose 500mAh in battery capacity, the total is 4,000mAh, but you get the same 25W fast charging using the included adapter. All three phones support 15W wireless charging along with reverse wireless charging, so thats not a consideration. Samsung Galaxy S20+ The Samsung Galaxy S20+ has a larger 6.7 screen. Due to the 20:9 aspect ratio, display falls between the S10+ and Note10+ in terms of surface area. Unlike last year, you get a single selfie cam, theres no depth sensor on the front. There is one on the back, the DepthVision module, which the non-plus model lacks. However, unless it makes a massive difference in the image quality of portrait shots (and we suspect it wont), its not a huge loss. That aside, the rear camera is the same. The wide lens is paired with a 12MP sensor, but thats actually an upgrade over last years phones as its a larger sensor with 1.8m pixels (up from 1.4m). The 64MP module is much more interesting. It acts as both the telephoto camera (offering 3x hybrid optical zoom) and as the main video camera, capable of recording 8K video. The Galaxy S20 Ultra shoots 8K video using its main camera instead (you have to keep in mind that a single frame of 8K footage is equivalent to a 33MP photo). Anyway, these are the first phones to offer proper 8K video capture. You can stream it locally to your Samsung 8K QLED TV or upload it to YouTube over 5G. Samsung also upgraded the video stabilization, so even handheld footage should be smoother. The third camera on the back has an ultra wide-angle lens (120) and has a 12MP sensor. This module is shared between the three S20 models. If youre excited about trying out what 5G networks have to offer, you may want to get the Galaxy S20+ or S20 Ultra over the vanilla model. The Galaxy S20 only supports sub-6GHz, which is still faster than 4G, but not nearly at the mmWave level, which the S20+ and Ultra also support. Still, you need to check what kind of networks your local carriers plan to launch. In terms of processing power, all three phones are powered by either the Snapdragon 865 or the Exynos 990 (which one you get depends on your region). The Ultra does have an option for 16GB of RAM, though, the other two top out at 12GB. However, all three start at 128GB storage, yes, even the Ultra. If you're going to shoot any 8K video (even 108MP stills are pretty hefty), you may want to go up to a higher storage option. There's a microSD slot that supports cards up to 1TB, but you may run into bandwidth limitations. You can check our our comparison tool for a three-way view of the Galaxy S20 phones. For a more detailed look into Samsungs latest flagships, check out our Galaxy S20 and S20+ hands-on and the Galaxy S20 Ultra hands-on. Srinagar, Feb 11 : There are no reports of existence of any de-radicalisation camps in the country, especially Jammu and Kashmir, Minister of State for Home G. Krishan Reddy told Lok Sabha on Tuesday. Earlier supporting the idea of de-radicalisation centres in Kashmir, as suggested by Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, J&K Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbagh Singh said such a move was welcome. Singh had said experts and civil society members must join hands to counter radicalisation. Last month, speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in New Delhi, General Rawat had sparked a controversy by speaking about setting up de-radicalisation camps. Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, has asked unemployed graduates to invest their time in creative jobs. According to... Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, has asked unemployed graduates to invest their time in creative jobs. According to Charles Akpan, a spokesman of the ministry, Ngige said this in Benin, Edo state, during a townhall meeting on popularisation of blue/green collar jobs among graduates of tertiary institutions, on Monday. Represented by Martina Nwordu, director of special duties and projects department in the ministry, Ngige advised the youth to look beyond government jobs. He said the richest youth in the world are not working for the government, but those involved in creative entrepreneurship. The minister urged Nigerian youths to invest their talent in other job sectors, as the richest youth of the world, aged between 21 and 31 years, are not employees of government but smart entrepreneurs who distinguished themselves in creative skills in various areas, Akpan said in a statement. The minister disclosed that the purpose of the meeting, which held concurrently in four other geo-political zones of the federation, was to sensitise representatives of key stakeholders in graduate employment on the benefits of blue/green-collar jobs as an alternative response to the challenges of graduate unemployment. Ngige asked stakeholders to cooperate with the government on the programme as it would also contribute to achieving the presidents promise to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years. Enabling two-factor authentication for your Nest account is a no-brainer when it comes to keeping hackers from taking control your Nest cameras, and if you havent already done so, Google is about to do it for you. Google just announced that starting this spring, it will switch on two-factor email authentication for Nest accounts that dont already have two-step authentication enabled, or for Nest users who havent migrated to a Google account. Once Google turns on the security feature, Nest users attempting to log into their accounts who havent yet enabled two-factor authentication will get an email from account@nest.com with a six-digit code, which theyll need to verify their identity. The extra layer of authentication makes it that much tougher for hackers to seize control of your account, even if theyve managed to steal your password. Owners of both Nest and Ring cameras were subject to a rash of attacks over the past year, with hackers taunting users over the cameras built-in speakers, speaking to their kids, and (in a particularly bizarre case) even sending a false warning of a North Korean missile attack. For its part, Amazon-owned Ring just rolled out a new Control Center dashboard that makes two-factor authentication mandatory for all new accounts, although both new and existing owners can opt-out of two-step authentication if they wish. Of course, theres no reason to wait if you havent already enabled two-step authentication on your Nest account. If you havent migrated to a Google account yet, open the Nest app, tap Account > Manage account > Account security, select 2-step verification, then follow the prompts. If you have migrated your Nest account to Google, you can turn on two-factor authentication by going to the main Google Account page, clicking the Security tab, then selecting 2-Step Verification. Congratulations, iii.gov.in got a very good Social Media Impact Score! Show it by adding this HTML code on your site: Iii.gov.in scored 97 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 5/5.0 Stars by Social Team This CoolSocial report was updated on 9 Jan 2013, you can refresh this analysis whenever you want. iii.gov.in is very popular in Twitter, Facebook and Stumble Upon. It is liked by 24 people on Facebook, it has 17 twitter shares and it has 46129 twitter followers. Furthermore its facebook page has 2428 likes. Add a widget like this on your site: click here The total number of people who shared the iii homepage on Google Plus by a google +1 button. This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared, liked or recommended the iii homepage on Facebook + the total number of page likes (if iii has a Facebook fan page). This is the sum of two values: the total number of people who shared the iii homepage on Twitter + the total number of iii followers (if iii has a Twitter account). The total number of people who shared the iii homepage on Delicious. The total number of people who shared the iii homepage on StumbleUpon. Basic Information PAGE TITLE Welcome to the website of Adviser to PM on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations DESCRIPTION The office of Sam Pitroda, Adviser to the PM on Public Infrastructure, Information and Innovations will Operationalising the National Knowledge Network to interconnect all educational and research institutions, Overseeing broadband connectivity to Panchay KEYWORDS Public Information Infrastructure, Information Infrastructure, Information, Innovation, Innovations, Innovation in India, National Innovation Council, Innvoation Council, Sam Pitroda, State Innovation Council, Sectoral Innovation Council, Industry Innovat OTHER KEYWORDS CoolSocial advanced keyword analysis tool is able to detect and analyze every keyword on each page of a site. The URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the address of the site. The keywords meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The description meta-tag found in the head section of the homepage. The title found in the head section of the homepage. Domain and Server DOCTYPE XHTML 1.0 Transitional CHARSET AND LANGUAGE English (United Kingdom) UTF-8English (United Kingdom) DETECTED LANGUAGE English English SERVER Apache/2.2.3 (Red Hat) OPERATIVE SYSTEM Linux Linux The language of iii.gov.in as detected by CoolSocial algorithms. Represents HTML declared type (e.g.: XHTML 1.1, HTML 4.0, the new HTML 5.0) Operative System running on the server. Type of server and offered services. Character set and language of the site. Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world. Referring domains for iii.gov.in by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines. Facebook link FACEBOOK PAGE LINK FOUND FACEBOOK PAGE www.facebook.com/pages/New-Delhi-India/Adviser-to-the-PM-on-Public-Information-Infrastructure-and-Innovations/100738043327407?v=wall DESCRIPTION Welcome to the Office of the Adviser to the Prime Minister of India on Public Information Infrastructure & Innovations (PIII). For more information visit the official website at http://www.iii.gov.in/ LIKES 2428 PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT 34 PAGE TYPE Government organization TIMELINE PAGE TIMELINE The type of Facebook page. A Facebook page link can be found in the homepage or in the robots.txt file. Facebook Timeline is the new layout of Facebook pages. The total number of people who tagged or talked about website Facebook page in the last 7-10 days. 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. The URL of the found Facebook page. Twitter account link TWITTER PAGE LINK FOUND TWITTER PAGE twitter.com/#!/pitrodasam DESCRIPTION Adviser to the Indian Prime Minister on Public Information Infrastructure and Innovations'} ACCOUNT CREATED ON 24 May 2010 LOCATION null TWEETS 438 FOLLOWERS 46129 LISTED 368 Gunman killed, 2 officers injured in Walmart shooting: Two police officers were wounded, and a gunman was killed Monday morning in an exchange of gunfire at a Walmart store in Forrest City in eastern Arkansas, authorities said. Forrest City Police Chief Deon Lee said one of the officers was taken to a hospital about 45 miles to the east in Memphis, where he was in surgery. The officers responded to the Walmart after someone called police to report a man who was making threats and was "kind of talking out of his head," Lee said. Kansas City prepares for citywide trash services KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City, Missouri, will soon do away with contracted trash-collection services and assume those responsibilities citywide. Discussions occurred at this time last year regarding the city taking over trash collection in the Northland and south Kansas City. Privatization proved nothing but a hot mess as companies FAILED on prompt pickup in several upscale communities who complained LOUDLY about garbage on local streets . . . Here's a preview of the upcoming move: ROTTERDAM - Spectrum's local cable TV customers can request a credit on their next bill after a massive outage left millions of customers across upstate New York and New England without service for hours over the weekend. Spectrum customers in the Capital Region were among those upstate who lost several hours of cable TV service on Saturday until it was restored at about 5 p.m., according to the cable company. The issue was first identified in Maine on Friday night but then appears to have spread all the way to upstate New York where Spectrum is the dominant cable TV provider. The heavy snow and ice that brought down trees and tree limbs in communities along the Northway causing widespread electrical outages was also blamed for the local cable TV outages, Spectrum spokeswoman Lara Pritchard told the Times Union on Tuesday. At its peak, 166,000 people in National Grid's eastern division from Saratoga Springs up through the Adirondacks lost electric power during the storm. "The outage was caused by weather-related fiber damage to primary and redundant networks, and our teams worked to restore service as quickly as we could," Pritchard said. "On credits, we will work with affected customers who contact us individually." The customer service number to call is: 855-707-7328. Pritchard said decisions would be made on a "case-by-case basis." One local Spectrum customer who asked not to be named told the Times Union she received a $5 credit after about 20 minutes on the phone with a Spectrum customer service rep, although she said that the rep initially denied that any TV outage had occurred on Saturday. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. Spectrum service also was interrupted in some areas that were spared the ice and snow. Among those losing service was the Times Union newsroom. Spectrum crews attempting to restore service were hindered by the weekend's snow and ice storm, which made it difficult for them to get access to restore service. National Grid crews also had to deal with the storm as they attempted to fix downed power lines. Essentially, safety of the line workers was the priority over speed. "For example, in one location, there were storm-related live power lines down, along with trees, right next to damaged fiber," Pritchard said. "Our field teams are not allowed to access impacted areas until the area is deemed clear by utility providers." Long term investing works well, but it doesn't always work for each individual stock. We really hate to see fellow investors lose their hard-earned money. For example, we sympathize with anyone who was caught holding Navios Maritime Acquisition Corporation (NYSE:NNA) during the five years that saw its share price drop a whopping 91%. Even worse, it's down 41% in about a month, which isn't fun at all. Importantly, this could be a market reaction to the recently released financial results. You can check out the latest numbers in our company report. While a drop like that is definitely a body blow, money isn't as important as health and happiness. Check out our latest analysis for Navios Maritime Acquisition Because Navios Maritime Acquisition made a loss in the last twelve months, we think the market is probably more focussed on revenue and revenue growth, at least for now. Shareholders of unprofitable companies usually expect strong revenue growth. Some companies are willing to postpone profitability to grow revenue faster, but in that case one does expect good top-line growth. In the last five years Navios Maritime Acquisition saw its revenue shrink by 7.2% per year. While far from catastrophic that is not good. The share price fall of 39% (per year, over five years) is a stern reminder that money-losing companies are expected to grow revenue. We're generally averse to companies with declining revenues, but we're not alone in that. Fear of becoming a 'bagholder' may be keeping people away from this stock. You can see how earnings and revenue have changed over time in the image below (click on the chart to see the exact values). NYSE:NNA Income Statement, February 11th 2020 You can see how its balance sheet has strengthened (or weakened) over time in this free interactive graphic. What About Dividends? It is important to consider the total shareholder return, as well as the share price return, for any given stock. Whereas the share price return only reflects the change in the share price, the TSR includes the value of dividends (assuming they were reinvested) and the benefit of any discounted capital raising or spin-off. So for companies that pay a generous dividend, the TSR is often a lot higher than the share price return. We note that for Navios Maritime Acquisition the TSR over the last 5 years was -84%, which is better than the share price return mentioned above. This is largely a result of its dividend payments! Story continues A Different Perspective While the broader market gained around 23% in the last year, Navios Maritime Acquisition shareholders lost 20% (even including dividends) . However, keep in mind that even the best stocks will sometimes underperform the market over a twelve month period. However, the loss over the last year isn't as bad as the 31% per annum loss investors have suffered over the last half decade. We'd need to see some sustained improvements in the key metrics before we could muster much enthusiasm. While it is well worth considering the different impacts that market conditions can have on the share price, there are other factors that are even more important. Consider risks, for instance. Every company has them, and we've spotted 4 warning signs for Navios Maritime Acquisition you should know about. Of course, you might find a fantastic investment by looking elsewhere. So take a peek at this free list of companies we expect will grow earnings. Please note, the market returns quoted in this article reflect the market weighted average returns of stocks that currently trade on US 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. Candice Swanepoel wasted no time heading to fashion week after a night at the Oscars. Following a night out at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party the 31-year-old supermodel headed off to the Zimmermann fashion show in the Big Apple. While outside, Candice gave a big smile before getting ready to walk the runway for the famous luxury Australian line. Getting ready: Following a night out at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party Candice Swanepoel headed off to the Zimmermann fashion show in the Big Apple She's arrived: While outside, Candice gave a big smile before getting ready to walk the runway for the famous luxury Australian line As she headed inside, she rocked a black and brown stripe long sleeve crop top complete with black high-waisted jeans. Candice carried a peach-colored Chanel on her shoulder as she gave a big laugh as she made her way to hair and makeup. When it was time for her to take the runway, she knew just how to turn heads in a purple and pink ruffled get-up complete with a nude fedora. So chic: As she headed inside, she rocked a black and brown stripe long sleeve crop top complete with black high-waisted jeans Working the runway! When it was time for her to take the runway, she knew just how to turn heads in a purple and pink ruffled get-up complete with a nude fedora This night comes after the star partied it up at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday evening. She rocked a stunning Zuhair Murad with sequin shorts and a satin blue train. The dress was complimented with a pair of Rene Caovilla shoes and minimal jewelry as she posed with other fellow angels. Details: She wore a pair of high-heeled brown boots that matched the brown scarf tied around her waist 'Dreamy evening with @vanityfair Thank you for having me,' she captioned a photo showing off her stunning look. While inside, Candice appeared to have a blast as she posed with fellow model Adriana Lima at the star studded event. Other models such as Jasmine Tookes, Stella Maxwell, Josephine Skriver, Taylor Hill, and Barbara Palvin also joined the star during the hottest party of the night. Oscar look: This night comes after the star partied it up at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on Sunday evening Heading in: She gave a quick pose for the camera as she headed to the party Friends: While inside, Candice appeared to have a blast as she posed with fellow model Adriana Lima at the star studded event Work it: From one show to another, Candice later was spotted working the runway at Oscar De La Renta Pop of color: She rocked a bright red lip as she rocked the stunning black dress Wow! Oscar De La Renta looked like it was made for the model on the runway The details: Her dress had a plunging neckline that looked so elegant on the model Party members 'pioneers' in outbreak battle Global Times By GT staff reporters Source:Global Times Published: 2020/2/10 18:28:41 Anti-CPC forces use emergency to smear China's political system During the difficult fight against the novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP), some foreign forces have constantly tried to find and exaggerate the mistakes and imperfections of the Chinese political system and attempted to portray the crisis as a failure of the Communist Party of China (CPC). But in fact, the CPC is leading the country in every aspect, including the fight against the NCP. Dr. Li Wenliang, who died of the virus and mourned by the Chinese public due to his brave warning of the outbreak early on, is also one of the numerous Party members, most of whom are continuing to fight on the frontline in this tough campaign. Some anti-China and anti-CPC forces within and outside the country are still exploiting Li and trying to distort him as a 'dissident' who challenged the Chinese political system or a doctor who was persecuted only because he sent early warnings via his social media account. On some Hong Kong social media networks frequently used by Hong Kong anti-government rioters, some antagonists used Li's picture to design anti-CPC propaganda posts and even blurred out his CPC emblem pinned on his white medical gown, but dare not remind their readers that Li is also a member of the CPC. Using Li's death to serve an anti-CPC political agenda has had some effects on China's internet, but is generally useless, as most rational Chinese people can judge that the misconduct of some officials who reprimanded Li cannot represent the whole Party, and the immediate decision of the Party to send a supervisory team to Wuhan to investigate the issues related to Li was a response to the anger of the Chinese public, said Chinese analysts. Zhang Weiwei, a professor and director of the China Institute of Fudan University in Shanghai, told the Global Times that actually in January, the Party at the central level had already learned that the eight doctors including Li Wenliang should not have been reprimanded, meaning that the misconduct was taking place at the local level. The Supreme People's Court already published an article on its official WeChat public account on January 28 to explain the whole issue of "spreading rumors" on the virus outbreak in Wuhan early on, as well as what the eight "whistleblowers" including Li had done. The article noted that these "whistleblowers" were wrong as they misidentified the NCP as SARS, but if people in Wuhan had been warned effectively early on to at least wear masks and stay at home, the situation today would be much better, said the article. As these people did not intend to make trouble and the information they spread was mostly based on facts, and could have even brought positive consequences, law enforcement should be tolerant, the article noted. Zhang noted that according to the information reflected by the social network platforms and media reports, the people can tell who is doing their job and who isn't, and mentioned three names: Zhong Nanshan, Zhang Hongwen and Yao Gaoyuan, who are all Party members. Chinese respiratory scientist Zhong Nanshan is playing a leading role in this fight as he did in the previous fight against SARS in 2003, and is widely respected and trusted by the public. Most Chinese people, even those who are not very educated, take his words as a guidance during this whole outbreak. Doctor Zhang Hongwen of Huashan Hospital under Fudan University of Shanghai ordered all Party members under his management to replace other personnel in the frontline posts and frequently educated people with professional knowledge on preventing NCP during interviews with the media. Videos about him on Douyin, a short video sharing social network in China, have received more than 90 million views. Yao Gaoyuan, mayor of Wenzhou, Eastern China's Zhejiang Province, impressed the public with his professional response to media questions using very detailed and clear information without referring to notes. Wenzhou under his leadership also did a good job in preventing and controlling NCP. Frontline warriors Li is not the only doctor and Party member who died in the fight against the NCP, and according to incomplete statistics online and reported by the media, apart from the patients, most casualties since the beginning of the fight have been Party members, including doctors, police officers and grass-roots officials. Most of them died because of overwork or from being infected by NCP while treating patients. In the fight against NCP, as always, when a huge crisis occurs, such as a massive natural disaster like the Wenchuan Earthquake in 2008 or an accident like the Tianjin Blast of 2015, the most dangerous missions and heaviest pressure always land on Party members first, Global Times reporters learned from different cases across the country. Min Songlin, a 40-year-old Party member and father of a four-month-old baby, works in a leading hospital in East China's Fujian Province. He decided to stay in his hometown of Huanggang to join the fight during the Lunar New Year festival, when he was supposed to be reunited with his family, the first time in four years. Huanggang, a city neighboring epicenter Wuhan in Central China's Hubei Province, has recorded a significant increase of confirmed coronavirus cases. The confirmed infection cases reached 2,041 as of Saturday (to be updated), following Wuhan. Working in the frontline - the emergency department - Min has to wear protective clothing from 8 am to 8 pm without time to go to the toilet or drink water. For the past week, he has not gone back home and has been immersed in the selection, checking and confirmation of patients. The situation of the patients in his department is more complicated, as the flow of people is large. Not only does he have to treat pneumonia patients infected by the novel coronavirus, but also has to take into account other patients in critical conditions, such as those with cerebral hemorrhage, respiratory failure, heart failure, and multiple injuries. Min said he does not know how long this battle will last, but he is fully prepared. "I am a doctor, more importantly, I am a Party member," Min told the Global Times on Friday. "I must first listen to the Party's call and obey the Party's arrangement. So I'm going to fight until the end and that's what I'm supposed to do." Xia Shiwei, a grass-roots local official in Poyang county, East China's Jiangxi Province, is also a Party member who joined the campaign to fight against the coronavirus outbreak on January 27, the third day of the 2020 Lunar New Year. Poyang, the most populous county in Jiangxi, only had one confirmed case by February 1, but experienced a dramatic rise during the past few days and reported 48 confirmed cases as of the end of Sunday, which triggered increasing anxiety among local residents, some of them told the Global Times. The local Party branch requested their members be the first to join the campaign, which lasts around the clock, Xia said. Their daily routines involve going door to door to publicize virus control and prevention measures and requirements for every household in their administration areas at least twice a day, stopping residents from gathering together to chat, playing mahjong or dining, helping clarify rumors about the epidemic, stopping people from outside entering Poyang, and closely monitoring residents who have returned from Hubei Province where the virus originated and discouraging them from going outside, Xia noted. Xia said he was impressed that his fellow Party members and activists for joining the Party actively volunteered to join the campaign and donated daily living materials and medical masks to residents under quarantine. Xia also donated a total of 500 yuan ($72) recently from his monthly salary of 4,000 yuan. "As the county is still troubled by a shortage of medical materials, Party members working on the front-line of the campaign do not have enough face masks and some have to wear the same mask for several days because they don't have new one," Xia said. A Party member should act as a pioneer instead of a hands-off leader in the campaign, a wise man who has a clear and actual understanding of the epidemic and dispels rumors for the public, a cultivator who never tires of repeatedly educating residents on how to protect themselves, Xia noted. Zhang Cheng is a TV program director at China Central Television (CCTV). He just spent his 35th birthday in Wuhan. Before the Spring Festival holiday, when the nationwide fight against NCP had not fully started, he went back to his hometown of Wuhan to get together with his family, but the situation changed rapidly and the fight against the coronavirus quickly went beyond Wuhan to the whole of the country. Zhang quickly ended his holiday and began to devote himself to reporting the outbreak. As a media professional, he felt fortunate to be able to work at the frontline of this battle. Since January 23, he has been doing interviews in Wuhan's hospitals and residential communities, where he was exposed to higher risk of infection. To avoid being infected, he wore masks and goggles. Given the shortage of medical materials, he and his colleagues did not often wear protective suits, and chose to work at venues outside wards. "When work needs me, I cannot think too much, but devote myself to work as soon as possible," said Zhang Cheng, adding that he would try to protect himself as much as possible. Zhang Cheng said he is an "old" Party member, as he joined the Party in college. What impressed him most was the motto that a Party member must play a pioneer role, Zhang Cheng said. "That's why I keep working here and try to give the audience a true picture of what's happening in Wuhan," Zhang Cheng told the Global Times. Zhang Cheng has mixed feelings to share and said there are many touching stories he is eager to explore. His affection toward the city and the country only gets stronger as a frontline participant in a battle, Zhang Cheng said. "I know many Western reporters view this fight through a biased lens, and my only suggestion to them is to come to China to see for themselves," Zhang Cheng said. CPC's role Western ideologists have created a stereotype of the CPC as a outdated, bureaucratic and corrupt political force, but they always failed to explain why China has been able to overcome so many crises and challenges, Chinese experts noted. In past decades, almost every pessimistic prediction from the Western world about China has eventually turned out wrong, and one key reason is that the West still doesn't understand what the CPC is, Zhang Weiwei said. "The political parties in the Western world always represent the interests of specific groups rather than the general interests of the overall people and nation like the CPC, so it would be very hard for them to learn what the CPC is," Zhang Weiwei noted. The CPC combines the advanced people and elites from every circle in society, and the more than 90 million Party members in the nation are a significant leading power making up a massive body that is active and vibrant, so that it is able to push the country to move on in every aspect, whether in normal times or special situations, said Su Wei, a professor at the Party School of the CPC Chongqing Municipal Committee. The Party has experienced many tough situations and challenges, and has also made some mistakes since its founding in 1921, and most of them have been much more serious and dangerous than the fight against the NCP, Su noted. "But the Party has a strong capability of self-correction and can always make correct decisions and march on the right path at the critical time." So it would be really na?ve for foreign forces to expect the NCP to turn the situation into a huge crisis that can shake the governance and leadership of the CPC in China, said Chinese experts. NEWS LETTER Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list Enter Your Email Address The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has added milk and dairy products to the list of items not eligible for forex. However, the bank... The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has added milk and dairy products to the list of items not eligible for forex. However, the bank exempted six companies from the restriction. As part of efforts to increase local production of milk, its derivatives and dairy products, the Central Bank of Nigeria has engaged with some companies in the industry who have keyed into the banks backward integration program to enhance their capacity and improve local milk production, a notice published on the banks website on Tuesday read. Accordingly, all authorised dealers are to note that all Forms M for the importation of milk and its derivatives shall only be allowed for the following companies: Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria Chi Limited TG Arla Dairy Products Limited Promasidor Nigeria Limited Nestle Nigeria Plc (MSK only) Integrated Dairies Limited For the avoidance of doubt, all established Forms M for the importation of milk and its derivatives for companies other than the above for which shipment has not taken place should be cancelled immediately. The exempted companies have begun investments in local milk production as part of the central banks backward integration plan. Godwin Emefiele, the CBN governor, first confirmed plans to restrict forex for milk importation in July 2019 saying the bank is convinced that the product can be manufactured in Nigeria. In August 2019, President Muhammadu Buhari directed the apex bank to restrict forex for food importation saying the directive is to ensure steady improvement in agricultural production and attainment of full food security. Robots and scanners bring tech to front line - Chinadaily.com.cn China has been stepping up technology-assisted efforts to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus pneumonia, with technologies from facial recognition to artificial intelligence kicking in to arrest the epidemic. With the number of confirmed cases rising in Hubei province, the epicenter of the outbreak, and other parts of China, local transport authorities nationwide have been taking full advantage of multiple technologies in a bid to effectively combat the disease. In Wuhan, Hubei's provincial capitalwhich has been locked down since late January, with all public transport suspendeddelivery robots from e-commerce platform JD.com's logistics arm have been delivering parcels as part of efforts to sustain daily operations and curb the spread of the virus. Kong Qi, director of JD Logistics' autopilot research and development department, said each robot, loaded with around 30 parcels, is capable of monitoring the surrounding environment through radar and other sensors, which helps it avoid roadblocks and pedestrians. They use facial recognition when handing over the packages. On Thursday, JD Logistics started a trial delivery service for medical supplies and daily necessities for healthcare workers at Wuhan Ninth Hospital, one of the city's designated hospitals for treating infected patients. As human-to-human contact is discouraged across the country to reduce the risk of infection, the company has also transferred robots from other cities to Wuhan to cover more areas including quarantined neighborhoods to make sure unmanned delivery will become the norm in the virus-stricken city, Kong added. To better protect people from infection, Guangzhou Communication Information Investment Group, a transportation infrastructure company in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, rolled out a new function for the city's more than 20,000 taxis that warns people who do not wear face masks. Drivers and passengers are checked via facial and action recognition technologies during the ride and those not wearing a mask will be reminded to put one on. Guangzhou, where many migrant workers are employed, will see a large number of people travel back to the city in the coming week. Wearing a mask can greatly reduce the possibility of getting infected, said Hu Peng, project manager at the company. "With the new function, we can supervise and remind the drivers and passengers online instead of launching outdoor inspections that are less efficient and more timeconsuming," he said. The transport authority in Shandong province is using a temperature screening tool that can help monitor human body temperatures in crowded transportation hubs and identify individuals who might have a fever. Coupled with big data and artificial intelligence, the system is also able to trace the previous movements of people with high temperatures and find others who might have been in close contact with them. The department said it has started piloting the technology in Jinan's highway services work, enhancing the efficiency of health checks, reducing drivers' wait times and helping front-line workers avoid infection. YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian and King Abdullah II of Jordan discussed issues relating to the cooperation potential of the two countries in different areas during their meeting in Yerevan. We had wonderful discussions with His Majesty today and yesterday. We discussed the cooperation potential of our countries in the fields of tourism, education, science, technologies, security and agriculture, the Armenian President said following the meeting with the King of Jordan at the Presidential Palace. President Sarkissian said the visit of the King of Jordan to Armenia is historic. I think this is a historical visit not only in a sense that His Majesty is visiting Armenia for the first time, but also in a sense that the friendship of the two countries, peoples has a history of hundreds of years, or perhaps, millennia. This is a good opportunity for me to express my gratitude as an Armenian to your people and family because we all remember that 100 years ago your great grandfather has sent a message to the Arab world asking to provide shelter to those Armenians who survived the Genocide. I want to bow my head before your family and your ancestors and also want to thank you on behalf of our people, the Armenian President said. King Abdullah II of Jordan arrived in Armenia on a two-day official visit. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan [February 11, 2020] Workplace Drug Testing Expert Nina French Joins Hound Labs as Senior Vice President of Employer Solutions OAKLAND, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hound Labs Inc., creator of the worlds first dual marijuana and alcohol breathalyzer, announced today that Ms. Nina French, a nationally-recognized expert in workplace drug testing, has joined the Hound Labs team as its Senior Vice President of Employer Solutions. French will lead the team developing drug testing solutions for employers, including the Hound Labs charter customer program launching in late Q1 2020. French will also be instrumental in working with strategic partners in the employee drug testing industry and introducing the Hound marijuana breathalyzer to employers across a wide range of industries. Her expertise in the employer screening industry and her insight into the future of workplace drug testing will help Hound Labs tailor solutions for employers who want to balance safety and fairness in the workplace. Formerly a co-founder and managing partner for Current Consulting Group, LLC (CCG), French is an expert in substance abuse testing. With nearly 30 years of experience in all aspects of drug-free workplace operations, product development, and sales strategy, her unique expertise will allow her to provide strategic insight to Hound Labs partners and customers as they establish workplace drug testing policies and procedures for the new decade. Her guidance will support a holistic approach to changing existing workplace drug testing policies to accommodate both employer and employee desire for safety and fairness through the latest developments in science and technology. Ive been in the workplace screening market for over 30 years and have experienced first-hand the challenges associated with drug testing and occupational health services, said Larry White, COO & President of Employment Background Investigations, Inc. (EBI), a national provider of background screening with clients across a wide variety of industries. Ninas knowledge of the industry and her ability to assess a businesss strengths and weaknesses and make impactful recommendations that deliver real value is parallel to none. Nina takes a progressive approach, understands the current market and legislative landscape, and will continue to influence the industry as it evolves. This progressive approach is critical for employers and the drug testing industry as they scramble to adapt drug testing practices in the wake of marijuana legalization in 34 states. Employers need to be able to identify very recent marijuana use because peak impairment only lasts for a few hours after smoking, but current tests do not provide that information. Oral fluid, blood, urine, and hair tests can measure THC1 for days or even weeks after someone last used marijuana and therefore do not provide enough information for employers to detemine whether employees used marijuana recently and may be jeopardizing workplace safety, or last week and are no longer impaired. "In my previous role as managing partner with CCG, employers contacted me because they knew marijuana legalization had momentum, and they needed solutions like the Hound marijuana breathalyzer to help them identify recent marijuana use related to work hours not use from the prior weekend, said French. The tight labor market has created a sense of urgency. Employers know that if they do not figure out how to create drug testing policies that balance safety and fairness, they will lose talent and profits to their competitors. Current marijuana drug tests were developed when marijuana use was illegal. The efficacy of oral fluid, blood, urine, and hair tests to measure use from days or months earlier was helpful when employers had zero-tolerance policies that prohibited use of marijuana because it was uniformly classified as an illegal substance. Unlike other tests, the Hound marijuana breathalyzer measures THC in breath for only a few hours after smoking, which aligns with the peak impairment window identified by global researchers2. The ability to pinpoint recent use helps employers understand which employees have used legally and responsibly outside of work hours and which have used recently enough to possibly impact job performance. This is critical to employers who want to evolve their use policies so that they are not required to fire or discipline employees for lifestyle choices that are unrelated to impairment on the job. We have heard from thousands of employers over the years who are looking for tools that allow them to retain employees and maintain safety, said Dr. Mike Lynn, CEO and co-founder of Hound Labs, Inc. Ninas experience in the drug testing industry is unparalleled, allowing her to help key industry stakeholders reframe the challenges created by marijuana legalization and look at these challenges as opportunities to make changes that will have long-term benefits. Nina will have an immediate impact helping the company to build partnerships with drug testing providers and help employers from around the world navigate the new landscape of marijuana legalization. 1 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. 2 According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, typical marijuana smokers experience a high that lasts approximately 2 hours https://bit.ly/370uCI6 About Hound Labs Inc. Hound Labs is a breath technology company that has developed ultra-sensitive technology for non-invasive breath measurement. Utilizing this groundbreaking technology, the Hound marijuana breathalyzer is the worlds first breathalyzer to rapidly, accurately, and inexpensively measure recent marijuana use and alcohol in a persons breath. The Hound breathalyzer is intended for law enforcement, employer, and insurance purposes only. Founded in 2014, the Oakland-based company was created by Dr. Mike Lynn, an ER physician, reserve deputy sheriff, and former venture capitalist, his co-founder, Mr. Kuni Oh, a patent attorney with a deep background in engineering and science, and his co-founder, Ms. Jenny Lynn, a business executive with twenty years of experience launching new ventures. Benchmark, Icon Ventures, Intrinsic Capital Partners, Main Street Advisors, NFP Ventures, and individual investors have funded the Company. To learn more, visit: https://houndlabs.com/ . CONTACTS CommStrat Linden Kohtz [email protected] (512) 964-3784 Hound Labs, Inc. Jenny Lynn, Co-Founder [email protected] [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] The Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr has revealed how he endured corporal punishment back in the day when he was attending Presbyterian boys boarding school, Aburi. "If you take three students in the whole world who have been canned a lot, I will be one of them," he said Kwesi Pratt who was speaking on Peace FM morning show 'Kokrokoo' further narrated how they (students in his old school) were given 12 lashes in the morning and 48 in a day. Listen to him in the video below Source: Peacefmonline.com Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video In the February 11 episode of In The News podcast, host Anvita Bansal gets in conversation with Nachiket Deuskar, Siddhesh Raut and Shraddha Sharma from the Moneycontrol newsroom to find out the top stories of the day. First up she discusses the results of the Delhi election with Deuskar, who reveals why the Aam Aadmi Party managed to retain power in the national capital. Next Raut talks about the Enforcement Directorate (ED) unearthing a software through which Dewan Housing Finance Corporation (DHFL) allegedly siphoned off Rs 12,773 crore. He discusses how the NBFC used it to create hundreds of dummy accounts through 79 shell companies. He then talks about BSNL, MTNL and Air India incurring the highest losses among PSUs in 2018-19. Overall, the top 10 companies in the red claimed a whopping 94.04 percent of the total losses incurred by all 70 loss-making CPSEs in 2018-19. Lastly, Sharma discusses the suspension of an IndiGo pilot by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The pilot was accused for threatening a woman and her elderly mother over wheelchair assistance on a Chennai-Bengaluru flight in January. Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden leaves a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire, February 5, 2020. The move signals the Biden campaign sees South Carolina where the former vice president has enjoyed a comfortable lead among black voters as critical to reviving a faltering operation. Two new polls this week have found Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., comfortably leading Biden among Democratic voters nationally. But as polls show Biden struggling to even crack the third place spot in the Granite State, he heads to South Carolina, where he has led just about every survey ahead of its Feb. 29 primary. Candidates typically hold election night events in states that just cast votes. All of Biden's rivals for the presidential nomination plan to gather with supporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday night. Former Vice President Joe Biden will travel to South Carolina on Tuesday night, while New Hampshire Democratic primary results come in, as polls show his support waning in early nominating states and nationwide. Speaking to reporters in New Hampshire on Tuesday morning, Biden said "this race isn't over" noting a "significant portion" of the electorate has not voted yet. The one-time Democratic front-runner, who recently telegraphed a poor New Hampshire performance, said, "we're still mildly hopeful here in New Hampshire." When asked if South Carolina was "do or die" for his campaign, Biden responded, "No, I don't think so." "Look, the rest of the nation is out there. There's an awful lot of electoral votes to be had," he said. Later Tuesday, as reporters shouted questions and one held a microphone near him, Biden reportedly said: "I'm not giving up on New Hampshire! And don't poke that in my face, OK buddy?" Matt Viser tweet Biden has run a campaign centered on his ability to beat President Donald Trump in November's general election. But voters in the small, predominantly white states of Iowa and New Hampshire have so far appeared to prefer their alternatives. Former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg left last week's messy Iowa caucuses with the most allocated national delegates, followed closely by Sanders. Biden finished a distant fourth, according to the Iowa Democratic Party's results that contained some apparent inconsistencies. The Vermont senator has led the vast majority of recent polls of New Hampshire, followed by Buttigieg. The Biden campaign will hold the Tuesday event, which it called a "launch party," in Columbia, South Carolina. Rep. Cedric Richmond, a Louisiana Democrat, initially planned to headline it without Biden. Biden said he still plans to go to Nevada next week ahead of its Feb. 22 caucuses. The next Democratic debate will take place in Las Vegas on Feb. 19. Biden has narrowly led Sanders in an average of Nevada polls, but surveys have been limited in recent weeks. Queen Elizabeth II dedicated her whole life ensuring that the monarchy is growing better and stronger. However, in just a snap, Prince Charles could ruin everything and bring danger instead once he takes over as King. For over 60 years, the Prince of Wales, being the heir to the throne, trained himself to become the ideal monarch in the U.K. He even planned to apply some changes in the monarchy by slimming down the members of the royal family to save and give the people of the U.K. everything that they deserve. However, despite dedicating his life to pursue his life-long dream, Prince Charles would only hurt and jeopardize the monarchy once he becomes King. Prince Charles Putting Monarchy's Life in Danger? If there is one thing Prince Charles is unaware of, it could be the fact that he is causing troubles over the past years. In an interview with Sky News Australia, Rita Panahi, an opinion columnist, said that the Prince of Wales could ignite more danger than Prince Charles and Meghan Markle. According to Panahi, Prince Charle always chooses to be "too political" when it comes to the Palace's relation with other countries, and it is something a future incumbent should not possess. "Prince Charles, he is the next king, and these royals live a long time, he might be king for a good 20-30 years," she suggested. "I don't think the monarchy can survive the reign of a Prince Charles, a King Charles I should say." Because of this one particular character he has, Panahi said that Queen Elizabeth II should decide to pass the throne directly to Prince William, the first reserve, to avoid Prince Charles from "polluting" and breaking the Royal Family's face with his political views. If ever the Prince of Wales decides to try to get rid of that bad habit of him, he still could not make it since he already became too open that he always allows politics to affect his duties as a senior member of the Royal Family. When Did Prince Charles Become Too Political? In the past, he received massive backlash numerous times after he broke the royal household's neutrality. A report revealed that he had an intense connection with politicians over his reign as Prince of Wales numerous times. Moreover, back in 1999, the Prince of Wales embarrassed Queen Elizabeth II after he snubbed the Chinese President who was on a state visit to the United Kingdom. Apparently, the Prince of Wales chose not to attend the state dinner held at the Chinese embassy in London. According to royal reporter Richard Kay, the Prince only showed a sign of protest against China and chose to support the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama. "By not attending on this occasion, he was not only letting down the monarchy, he was embarrassing his mother," Kay said. "Those who work for the Prince of Wales didn't have an explanation other than that he had an unbreakable arrangement elsewhere." Prince Charles may still be able to be King despite this issue. However, people can expect that the monarchy's end would be nearing if that continues. READ MORE: Royal Heartbreak: The Sad Reason Why Princess Beatrice Was Forced to Change Her Wedding Plans PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Aberdeen Global Premier Properties Fund (NYSE: AWP) (the "Fund"), a closed-end fund, today announced that it will pay on February 28, 2020, a distribution of US $0.04 per share to all shareholders of record as of February 21, 2020 (ex-dividend date February 20, 2020). The Fund reduced its monthly distribution from $0.05 per share to $0.04 per share, commencing with the distribution paid on August 27, 2019. Your Fund's distribution policy is to provide investors with a stable monthly distribution out of current income, supplemented by realized capital gains and, to the extent necessary, paid-in capital. Under U.S. tax rules applicable to the Fund, the amount and character of distributable income for each fiscal year can be finally determined only as of the end of the Fund's fiscal year. However, under Section 19 of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the "1940 Act") and related Rules, the Fund may be required to indicate to shareholders the source of certain distributions to shareholders. The following table sets forth the estimated amounts of the sources of the distribution for purposes of Section 19 of the 1940 Act and the Rules adopted thereunder. The table has been computed based on generally accepted accounting principles. The table includes estimated amounts and percentages for the distribution to be paid on February 28, 2020 as well as the estimated cumulative distributions declared fiscal year to date (11/01/2019 - 01/31/2020), from the following sources: net investment income; net realized short-term capital gains; net realized long-term capital gains; and return of capital. The estimated composition of the distributions may vary from month to month because the estimated composition may be impacted by future income, expenses and realized gains and losses on securities and currencies. Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Current Monthly Distribution per share (%) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share ($) Estimated Amounts of Fiscal Year to Date Cumulative Distributions per share (%) Net Investment Income $0.0124 31% $0.0496 31% Net Realized Short-Term Capital Gains* - - - - Net Realized Long-Term Capital Gains - - - - Return of Capital $0.0276 69% $0.1104 69% Total (per common share) $0.0400 100% $0.1600 100% *includes currency gains The Fund estimates that it has distributed more than its income and capital gains; therefore, a portion of your distribution may be a return of capital. A return of capital may occur for example, when some or all of the money that you invested in the Fund is paid back to you. A return of capital distribution does not necessarily reflect the Fund's investment performance and should not be confused with "yield" or "income." Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the amount of the Fund's current distributions or from the terms of the distribution policy (the "Distribution Policy"). The amounts and sources of distributions reported in this notice are only estimates and are not being provided for tax reporting purposes. The final determination of the source of all distributions in 2020 will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the remainder of the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes. The following table provides the Fund's total return performance based on net asset value (NAV) over various time periods compared to the Fund's annualized and cumulative distribution rates. Average Annual Total Return on NAV for the 5 Year Period Ending 01/31/20201 9.35% Current Fiscal Period's Annualized Distribution Rate on NAV2 6.56% Fiscal Year to Date (11/01/2019 to 01/31/2020) Cumulative Total Return on NAV1 2.39% Cumulative Distribution Rate on NAV2 1.64% 1 Return data is net of all fund expenses and fees and assumes the reinvestment of all distributions reinvested at prices obtained under the Fund's dividend reinvestment plan. 2 Based on the Fund's NAV as of January 31, 2020. While NAV performance may be indicative of the Fund's investment performance, it does not measure the value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund. The value of a shareholder's investment in the Fund is determined by the Fund's market price, which is based on the supply and demand for the Fund's shares in the open market. Pursuant to an exemptive order granted by the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 30, 2010, the Fund may distribute any long-term capital gains more frequently than the limits provided in Section 19(b) under the 1940 Act and Rule 19b-1 thereunder. Therefore, distributions paid by the Fund during the year may include net income, short-term capital gains, long-term capital gains and/or a return of capital. Net income dividends and short-term capital gain dividends, while generally taxable at ordinary income rates, may be eligible, to the extent of qualified dividend income earned by the Fund, to be taxed at a lower rate not to exceed the maximum rate applicable to your long-term capital gains. Distributions made in any calendar year in excess of investment company taxable income and net capital gain are treated as taxable ordinary dividends to the extent of undistributed earnings and profits, and then as a return of capital that reduces the adjusted basis in the shares held. To the extent return of capital distributions exceed the adjusted basis in the shares held, capital gain is recognized with a holding period based on the period the shares have been held at the date such amount is received. Shareholders should not draw any conclusions about the Fund's investment performance from the terms of the distribution policy. The final determination of the source of all distributions will be made after year-end. The actual amounts and sources of the amounts for tax reporting purposes will depend upon the Fund's investment experience during the fiscal year and may be subject to change based on tax regulations. The Fund will send you a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell you how to report distributions for federal income tax purposes. The payment of distributions in accordance with the Distribution Policy may result in a decrease in the Fund's net assets. A decrease in the Fund's net assets may cause an increase in the Fund's annual operating expense ratio and a decrease in the Fund's market price per share to the extent the market price correlates closely to the Fund's net asset value per share. The Distribution Policy may also negatively affect the Fund's investment activities to the extent that the Fund is required to hold larger cash positions than it typically would hold or to the extent that the Fund must liquidate securities that it would not have sold, for the purpose of paying the distribution. The Fund's Board of Directors has the right to amend, suspend or terminate the Distribution Policy at any time. The amendment, suspension or termination of the Distribution Policy may affect the Fund's market price per share. Investors should consult their tax advisor regarding federal, state and local tax considerations that may be applicable in their particular circumstances. Circular 230 disclosure : To ensure compliance with requirements imposed by the U.S. Treasury, we inform you that any U.S. tax advice contained in this communication (including any attachments) is not intended or written to be used, and cannot be used, for the purpose of (i) avoiding penalties under the Internal Revenue Code or (ii) promoting, marketing or recommending to another party any transaction or matter addressed herein. In the United States, Aberdeen Standard Investments is the marketing name for the following affiliated, registered investment advisers: Aberdeen Standard Investments Inc., Aberdeen Asset Managers Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments Australia Ltd., Aberdeen Standard Investments (Asia) Ltd., Aberdeen Capital Management, LLC, Aberdeen Standard Investments ETFs Advisors LLC and Standard Life Investments (Corporate Funds) Ltd. Closed-end funds are traded on the secondary market through one of the stock exchanges. The Fund's investment return and principal value will fluctuate so that an investor's shares may be worth more or less than the original cost. Shares of closed-end funds may trade above (a premium) or below (a discount) the net asset value (NAV) of the fund's portfolio. There is no assurance that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. Past performance does not guarantee future results. If you wish to receive this information electronically, please contact [email protected] aberdeenawp.com SOURCE Aberdeen Global Premier Properties Fund Related Links http://aberdeenawp.com Russias Supreme Court proposes to empower jurors to try economic crimes cases RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov 15:34 11/02/2020 MOSCOW, February 11 (RAPSI) The Supreme Court of Russia proposes to empower jurors to examine economic crimes cases, the Supreme Court Chair Vyacheslav Lebedev said addressing a judicial conference on Tuesday. Taking into account the fact that Russian courts have sufficient experience in examining cases tried by jury, Lebedev noted, it was possible to extend this procedure to the criminal cases over all especially serious crimes and economic crimes on condition the materials thereof contain no state secrets. The Supreme Court holds a judicial conference devoted to the results of the activities of the court system of the Russian Federation in 2019 and discussion of its plans for year 2020. It was a nail-biting contest for senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia, who won from the Patparganj seat in east Delhi, defeating Ravinder Negi of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by a margin of 3,207 votes. For much of the day, Sisodia trailed his opponent in what was considered a safe seat for the AAP. The deputy CM trailed till the ninth round of counting, out of a total of 15. While chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and many other leaders from the party steered clear of commenting on the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests at Shaheen Bagh, Sisodia tweeted last month that he stood with the protestors. Shaheen Bagh is where a group, largely comprising Muslim women, have been protesting by staging a sit-in on a road for 58 days, against a law that they say is discriminatory to Muslims because it fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. The BJP sought to present the protesters at Shaheen Bagh as anti-nationals and also claimed that the protest was being backed by the AAP and the Congress. Sisodias comment was used by the BJP to target the deputy CM and the party. Negi was BJPs Vinod Nagar Mandal Adhyaksh (ward president) before being fielded by the party as its candidate against Sisodia. He was picked because of his background; Negi is from the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand, and at least 20% voters in Patparganj are migrants from the state according to demographic estimates by various political parties. Even the Congresss Laxman Rawat is a migrant from Uttarakhand. In their election campaign too, both Rawat and Negi highlighted their Garhwali origins. As the competition in the constituency intensified in the days running up to the election, Sisodia spent almost all of his time at Patparganj. It was still a tough fight. On Tuesday, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal who arrived at the partys headquarters by 10am, delayed his victory speech till it was clear that his deputy was winning. Sisodia received 70,163 votes to Negis 66,956. In the 2015 assembly elections, Sisodia won the Patparganj seat with a vote share of 53.5%, whereas this time his vote share decreased to 49.33%. A visibly anxious Sisodia, considered the architect of the AAP governments education reforms, was at the counting centre through the day, and came out to talk to reporters only after he was certain of his win. I am happy to become the MLA from Patparganj assembly constituency again. The BJP tried to do politics of hate but people from my constituency rejected it. A lot of education and water-related work was done in Patparganj, which people appreciated, Sisodia said. He also took out a victory march in the area. His opponent said the AAPs generous welfare schemes did the trick for Sisodia. The AAPs freebies (free 20,000 litre water, bus rides for women and free electricity) swayed the public to their side. But, people in Patparganj love me due to my extensive social work since 2008 and hence voted for me so much, added Negi. Kris Chudawala, the 22-year-old who was accused of sedition by Mumbai police for raising a slogan in favour of Sharjeel Imam, was granted pre-arrest bail by the Bombay High Court on Tuesday. Justice SK Shinde who granted anticipatory bail to the Tata Institute of Social Sciences student, also questioned how the Azad Maidan police booked Kris Chudawala for sedition for a slogan that allegedly supported Sharjeel Imam. The judge also noted that Mumbai police had failed to comply with the guidelines laid down by the high court in the 2015 Asim Trivedis verdict that requires the police to seek written opinion of the governments law officer before invoking sedition charges under section 124-A of the Indian Penal Code. The government counsel had told the court that Kris Chudawala was booked for sedition for raising slogans supporting Sharjeel Imam, who had been booked earlier for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches against Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC). Does this (sedition case) satisfy the twin requirement of intention and tendency to create public disorder, as contemplated under section 124A of the Indian Penal Code, Justice SK Shinde said, responding to public prosecutor Deepak Thakare. Deepak Thakare had alleged that Kris Chudawala and 50 to 60 participants of Queer Azadi March had shouted: Sharjeel Imam tere sapno ko ham manzil tak pahuchayenge (Sharjeel Imam, we will fulfil your dream and make it a reality). Thakare said that Sharjeel Imam had advocated cutting the entire north-east India from the mainland by cutting the chickens neck (Assam). But Kris is not the first person to put forth that ideology, Justice Shinde retorted. Somebody else has proclaimed the ideology, she has merely supported it, added the judge. The court has told the student to report to the investigating officer on Wednesday and Thursday from 11 am to 2 pm and there after, as and when she is called. Kris Chudawalas mobile phone will have to be surrendered to the police officer. German govt condemns Syrian regime attacks in Idlib The regime's recent military offensive on Idlib has led to fears of a humanitarian crisis and another refugee influx towards Turkey and Europe. Germany on Monday strongly condemned the Syrian regime for its aerial bombardments and ground attacks in Idlib, a northwestern province under a nominal cease-fire. BERLIN'S STATEMENT CAME BEFORE THE ASSAD REGIME ATTACK Speaking at a news conference in Berlin, German Foreign Ministry deputy spokesman Rainer Breul expressed grave concerns over the escalating situation in the region. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the regimes military offensive, and call for an immediate cease-fire, he said. Breul urged all conflicting parties to contribute to de-escalation, and expressed hope that recent talks between Turkey and Russia could help ease the conflict. He underlined Russias special responsibility as one of the main supporters of the Assad regime. On Monday, at least five Turkish soldiers were martyred and several injured in an attack by Assad regime forces on troops stationed in Idlib to monitor a cease-fire and fight terrorist groups. Ankara said it launched immediate retaliation, hitting regime targets. The city and county of San Francisco has officially named Jason Lally as its new chief data officer.Lally, who has been with the city for close to seven years, replaces Joy Bonaguro, the first-ever CDO, who stepped down from her position in September of 2018. Though now officially CDO, Lally has managed operations at DataSF, the city's data team, since Bonaguro's departure.Under Bonaguro, the city saw the expansion of numerous data initiatives, including creating processes to inventory, monitor and standardize open data.Lally started with the city in 2013 as a mayor's innovation fellow for the Office of Civic Innovation, where he worked on various data projects for the city. From there, he was hired by Bonaguro and rose within the organization to become manager of the city's open data program, after which he was promoted to manager of data services in 2017.Speaking with, Lally said that working with Bonaguro helped set the stage for the work being done now."Our goal [at the time] really was to take that original policy idea [of open data] and institutionalize it into the way we do our work," Lally said, of his work with Bonaguro. "My job really was to bring process and automation wherever we could to make open data as easy and accessible as possible."Lally said that his team will continue making open data valuable by not just making it accessible to city staff and residents, but by adding context and meaning to it, as well."We've done a pretty good job at making our data available ... but what does it mean in context? How do these things relate to one another? So we're really trying to do more of that for our city staff and analysts, but also for the public, for our internal and external users alike."Lally also said that he will be looking to improve the team's work around user-oriented data development, while also experimenting with different ways in which data analytics can be deployed to measure and mitigate issues across city departments.Before entering the public sector, Lally spent over seven years with PlaceMatters, a nonprofit think tank focused on civic engagement and planning, according to his LinkedIn . He holds a bachelor's degree in information sciences and technology from Pennsylvania State University and a master's in city and regional planning from the University of Pennsylvania. Applies to list its common shares on NYSE MONTREAL, Feb. 10, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TFI International Inc. (TSX: TFII; OTCQX: TFIFF), a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, today announced the launch of a marketed offering of 6,000,000 common shares in the United States and Canada, representing TFI Internationals initial public offering in the United States. In connection with the initial public offering in the United States, TFI International has applied to list its common shares on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol TFII. Trading in TFI Internationals shares is expected to commence on the NYSE following the pricing of the offering. TFI Internationals common shares will continue to trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol TFII. The public offering will be conducted through a syndicate of underwriters led by Morgan Stanley, BofA Securities, J.P. Morgan and Credit Suisse as joint lead book-running managers, with RBC Capital Markets and UBS Investment Bank as joint-bookrunners and Cowen, National Bank of Canada Financial, Stephens Inc., Stifel and Wolfe Capital Markets and Advisory as co-managers. The offering will be priced in the context of the market; the issue price per share and size of the offering will be determined when TFI International enters into an underwriting agreement for the offering. TFI International expects to use the net proceeds from the offering to reduce the amount outstanding under one of its credit facilities, thereby increasing the amount available under the credit facility for future use by TFI International. TFI International may use the credit facility in the future for working capital and general corporate purposes, including potential acquisitions. TFI International will also grant the underwriters an option to purchase up to an additional 900,000 shares, representing 15% of the number of shares to be sold pursuant to the public offering, solely to cover the underwriters over-allocation position, if any, and for market stabilization purposes. The option will be exercisable by the underwriters for a period of 30 days following the closing of the offering. Story continues In connection with the public offering, TFI International has filed a preliminary prospectus supplement to its short form base shelf prospectus dated October 12, 2018. The preliminary prospectus supplement was filed with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada as well as with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as part of a registration statement on Form F-10 under the U.S.-Canada multijurisdictional disclosure system (MJDS). A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with the SEC but has not yet become effective. These securities may not be sold nor may offers to buy these securities be accepted prior to the time the registration statement becomes effective. Completion of the offering will be subject to customary closing conditions. The public offering will be made in Canada only by means of the base shelf prospectus and prospectus supplement and in the United States only by means of the registration statement, including the base shelf prospectus and prospectus supplement. Such documents contain important information about the offering. A copy of the preliminary prospectus supplement and of the prospectus supplement will be available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov, and a copy of the registration statement is available on EDGAR at www.sec.gov. Copies of the prospectus supplements and the registration statement, when available, may also be obtained from any of the following sources: Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, 180 Varick Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10014; BofA Securities, NC1-004-03-43, 200 North College Street, 3rd floor, Charlotte NC 28255-0001, Attention: Prospectus Department, email: dg.prospectus_requests@bofa.com; J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, NY 11717, telephone: (866) 803-9204, email: prospectus-eq_fi@jpmchase.com; and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Attention: Prospectus Department, Eleven Madison Avenue, 3rd floor, New York, NY 10010, telephone: (800) 221-1037, email: usa.prospectus@credit-suisse.com. Prospective investors should read the prospectus supplements and registration statement before making an investment decision. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved the contents of this news release. This press release 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 province, state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such province, state or jurisdiction. ABOUT TFI INTERNATIONAL TFI International Inc. is a North American leader in the transportation and logistics industry, operating across the United States, Canada and Mexico through its subsidiaries. TFI International creates value for shareholders by identifying strategic acquisitions and managing a growing network of wholly-owned operating subsidiaries. Under the TFI International umbrella, companies benefit from financial and operational resources to build their businesses and increase their efficiency. TFI International companies service the following segments: Package and Courier; Less-Than-Truckload; Truckload; Logistics. TFI International Inc. is publicly traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TFII.TO) and the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. (TFIFF). CAUTION CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS Certain statements included in this press release may be forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and such statements are subject to the safe harbor created by those sections and by the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including statements regarding the proposed public offering, the terms of the proposed public offering and the listing of TFI Internationals common shares on the New York Stock Exchange. This forward-looking information is identified by the use of terms and phrases such as may, might, expect, intend, estimate, anticipate, plan, foresee, believe, to its knowledge, could, design, forecast, goal, hope, intend, likely, predict, project, seek, should, target, will, would or continue, and the negative of these terms and similar terminology, including references to assumptions, although not all forward-looking information contains these terms and phrases. Forward-looking information is based upon a number of assumptions and is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond TFI Internationals control, that could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking information. Completion of the proposed public offering and listing on the New York Stock Exchange is subject to numerous factors, many of which are beyond TFI Internationals control, including but not limited to, the failure of customary closing conditions and other important factors disclosed previously and from time to time in TFI Internationals filings with the securities regulatory authorities in each of the provinces of Canada and the SEC. The forward-looking information contained in this press release represents TFI Internationals expectations as of the date of this press release (or as of the date they are otherwise stated to be made), and are subject to change after such date. However, TFI International does not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law. The death toll in China from the new coronavirus epidemic jumped on Wednesday, as the chief of the World Health Organization urged countries to work together against the "grave threat" posed by the outbreak. The WHO is holding a conference in Geneva on combating the virus, which has killed more than 1,100 people in China and spread to dozens of countries around the world. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said viruses could have "more powerful consequences than any terrorist action". Although 99 percent of the infections are in China, where it remains "very much an emergency", it also "holds a very grave threat for the rest of the world", Tedros said at the conference, where the virus was officially named "COVID-19". The case of a British man who passed on the virus to at least 11 other people -- without having been in China -- has raised fears of a new phase of contagion abroad. "We have to use the current window of opportunity to hit hard and stand in unison to fight this virus in every corner," Tedros said, warning that a failure to act would lead to far more cases in the future. WHO sent an advance team to China this week for an international mission to examine the epidemic, where more than 44,000 people have now been infected. Chinese authorities have locked down millions of people in a number of cities, but another 94 deaths were reported on Wednesday in the hardest-hit province of Hubei, the central province where around 56 million people are under lockdown. The mortality rate remains relatively low at around 2 percent. - 'Bigger fire' - Several governments have banned arrivals from China and major airlines suspended flights in a bid to keep the disease away from their shores. Most cases overseas have involved people who had been in Wuhan, the quarantined central Chinese city where the virus emerged late last year, or people infected by others who had been at the epicentre. The Briton caught the virus while attending a conference in Singapore and then passed it on to several compatriots while on holiday in the French Alps, before finally being diagnosed back in Britain. The 53-year-old said Tuesday he had fully recovered, but remained in isolation in a central London hospital. "The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire," Tedros said on Monday. - 'I'm scared' - The biggest cluster of cases outside China is aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship moored off Japan, where 135 people have been diagnosed. The ship has been in quarantine since arriving off the Japanese coast early last week after the virus was detected in a former passenger who had disembarked in Hong Kong. More than 100 people were evacuated from a 35-storey Hong Kong housing block Tuesday after two residents in different apartments tested positive for the virus. People were forced to leave as health officials in masks and white overalls scrambled to work out whether the virus had spread through the complex of about 3,000 people. "Of course I'm scared," a 59-year-old resident, who gave her surname as Chan, told AFP. The United States said Tuesday it had authorised non-essential consulate staff to leave Hong Kong "out of an abundance of caution" linked to the virus. - Torrent of criticism - Chinese authorities dismissed two senior health officials from Hubei and tightened restrictions in the capital Wuhan, forbidding people with fever from visiting hospitals outside of their home districts and sealing off residential compounds. Local authorities both in Wuhan -- where the virus is thought to have emerged in a market selling wild animals -- and Hubei have faced a torrent of criticism for hiding the extent of the outbreak in early January. The death of a whistleblowing doctor from Wuhan has sparked calls for political reform in China. Most deaths and cases are in Hubei. "The problem of human-to-human transmission has still not been solved in Wuhan," the official Xinhua news agency quoted Zhong Nanshan, a renowned scientist, as saying. "I believe that with enough venues, enough doctors, better protective gear and our various support teams, the situation in Wuhan should improve quickly, but it is still at a rather difficult stage," he said, forecasting a mid- to late-February peak in the outbreak. Toward the end of January, Zhong had expected a peak in a week to 10 days. President Xi Jinping has largely kept out of the public eye since the outbreak spread across the country. But he emerged on Monday, pictured wearing a mask and having his temperature taken at a hospital in Beijing. Xi called the situation in Hubei "still very grave" and urged "more decisive measures" to contain the spread of the virus. Maybank Islamic Berhad, the largest Islamic bank in Malaysia and the ASEAN region by assets size, has opened its first overseas branch in Dubai at Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC). The opening ceremony was attended by Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and president of DIFC. Maybank Islamic is the Shariah-compliant division of Malaysias largest lender Malayan Banking Berhad (Maybank), and one of the leading arrangers in Bloombergs Global Sukuk League Table. Maybank Islamics total assets stood at more than $57.35 billion as of September 30, 2019. Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed said: Islamic Finance is a key element of Dubais economic strategy based on Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoums vision for a new phase of transformative growth in the next 50 years. The establishment of the first overseas office of Malaysias largest Islamic bank in Dubai is an acknowledgement of Dubais pivotal role at the heart of the Islamic economy and the strong advantages it offers institutions that base themselves here. Over the coming decade, Dubai aims to further consolidate its role as the capital of the rapidly growing Islamic Economy sector, which currently caters to the needs of about a quarter of the world's population. By building this sector, we look forward to creating new economic opportunities and establishing new partnerships that can bolster not only the development of the region but also the strength and sustainability of the global economy, he added. Maybank Islamic was granted the full Islamic banking licence from the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA) in July 2019, to open a branch in the DIFC making it Malaysias first Islamic bank to have a foreign presence. Maybank Islamic Dubai DIFC branch will engage in wholesale banking with emphasis in corporate financing, treasury and capital markets and trade finance. We are delighted to be announcing the launch of Maybank Islamics operations in Dubai. The opening of our DIFC branch is indeed significant for us. Not only does this mark our very first overseas branch, but it also establishes us as Malaysias first Islamic bank to have a presence overseas, said Dato Mohamed Rafique Merican, Group CEO Maybank Group Islamic Banking & Maybank Islamic CEO. With Dubai being a leading Islamic economic centre, it was timely for Maybank Islamic to be here to tap into the increasing demand for financing in the global halal economy and to become a link between the GCC countries and the worlds 5th largest economy that is the ASEAN Economic Community. Indeed, we look forward to making the Dubai DIFC branch our hub for the MENA region. He commented that it has been the aspiration of the Maybank Group that Maybank Islamic becomes a Global Leader in Islamic Finance, and the opening of the Dubai DIFC branch in a leading Islamic financial hub, the DIFC, is a major achievement for the Bank into that direction. Essa Kazim, Governor of DIFC said: The DIFC continues to be a catalyst for growth in the Islamic finance sector, offering sharia-compliant products and services to over 600 million Muslims in the Middle East and Africa region alone. Aligned with the visionary leadership of Dubai to establish the city as the capital for the Islamic Economy, we are committed to continuing to support the growth of sharia transactions in the DIFC and transforming the future of finance. We are pleased to welcome Maybank Islamic Berhad to the home of the regions Islamic finance with its newly established regional headquarters in Dubai. The addition of Maybank Islamic reinforces the rapid growth of financial institutions with Shariah-compliant services and complements the sharp rise of Islamic assets managed at the DIFC. Maybank Islamic joins more than 2,300 active registered companies that have chosen the DIFC as their preferred location of choice to gain easy access to the fast-growing MEASA region. Bryan Stirewalt, chief executive, DFSA said: The launch Of Maybank Islamics operations in the DIFC demonstrates the Centres growing appeal as an international hub for Islamic finance. The DFSA will continue to operate a regulatory regime that facilitates Islamic finance. We are pleased to see Maybank Islamic formally launch their operations in the Centre. The new branch is headed by country manager Nik Joharris Nik Ahmad who has over 20 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has extensive experience, having worked across geographies such as Malaysia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia particularly in Islamic corporate debt financing. TradeArabia News Service Additional storms are possible on Thursday and over the next seven days 50,000 homes could go without electricity until Sunday as crews fix hazards The NSW Government must sign off on the request before the Army can step in Ausgrid also called on the New South Wales Government to back their request The desperate bid for help has the backing of Energy Minister Matt Kean More than 50,000 homes remain in the dark after the weekend's downpour Electricity companies are asking the Army to help restore power to more than 50,000 homes which remain in the dark after the weekend's downpour. Ausgrid plans to submit an official 'Australian Defence Force task request' to help clear debris as they work to fix fallen powerlines across the NSW east coast in the aftermath of the storm. 'We have asked all levels of government for assistance, specifically in the form of extra tree clearing resources,' an Ausgrid spokesperson said. The electricity company also called on the New South Wales Government to back their request, which has the 'full support' of Energy Minister Matt Kean. 'Ausgrid have told me of their request to get extra support if it's available from defence, which I fully support,' Mr Kean told the Daily Telegraph. More than 50,000 homes in the city and greater Sydney remain in the dark after the weekend's downpour Ausgrid said about 41,000 homes and businesses across Sydney and the Central Coast remained without power on Tuesday night, with customers asked to prepare for outages into the weekend 'I have asked our state department to fast track the process and do everything they can to work with the federal government on this request quickly.' But before the Army can step in to help restore power to tens of thousands of homes, the state government must sign off on the request. Ausgrid hopes to have power restored within the next week, but there are fears it will take much longer without the ADF's help. The company revealed on Tuesday afternoon power had been restored to 79,000 homes since the heaviest downpour in 30 years, but 50,000 homes could go without electricity until Sunday as they work to fix hazards. Ausgrid plans to submit an official 'Australian Defence Force task request' to help clear debris as they work to fix fallen powerlines in the aftermath of the storm Energy Minister Matt Kean said he 'fully supports' Ausgrid's request for the Australian Defence Force to be brought in to help Ausgrid said about 41,000 homes and businesses across Sydney and the Central Coast remained without power on Tuesday night, with customers asked to prepare for outages into the weekend. 'This was one of the biggest storms on the network for the past two decades and in many locations parts of the network will need to be rebuilt from the ground up,' Ausgrid said. Residents in Sydney's north and the Central Coast have been warned they may not have electricity until the end of the week while crews work to fix the 'extremely damaged' network. 'At Ourimbah 1 of the 2,400 hazards crews are working to make safe before we can turn power back on. Safety is our number one priority,' Ausgrid said. More than 200 homes in Sydney's inner west remain without power. Some residents in the eastern suburbs, including Bronte, Waverly and Woollahra, are also in the dark. In the meantime, Ausgrid have warned people not keep at least eight metres clear of fallen power lines. Residents without power have also been urged to use generators with caution, and tune into local radio stations for updates. People living in Sydney's affluent north shore suburbs could be without power for the rest of the week. Pictured: Beach erosion is seen at Collaroy Flood warnings remain in place for several waterways, including the Hawkesbury River at North Richmond and Windsor, the Orara River at Coutts Crossing and St Georges Basin at Sussex Inlet. Up to 550 millimetres of rain fell across parts of the northern rivers, mid-north coast, Central Coast, Sydney, Blue Mountains and the Illawarra over the weekend. The Bureau of Meteorology says severe thunderstorms with heavy rainfall are possible across eastern NSW on Wednesday. Additional storms are possible on Thursday and over the next seven days. Well, nobody saw that one coming. Except they did, of course. The last few weeks have seen poll after poll predicting a strong Sinn Fein surge and, like some political equivalent to Monty Python's Spanish Inquisition, the main players affected surprise when it repeatedly showed up. Of course, neither Fine Gael nor Fianna Fail should have been surprised. The last four years have seen public confidence in traditional politics, carried out in the old Irish way, falling off a cliff. Both parties could argue they grudgingly engaged in confidence and supply purely in the cause of the national interest and they would both have a point. After all, Brexit has been the pre-eminent political issue of the last few years. But while it may have been the pre-eminent political issue, and one which required full attention, it is far from the most pressing social issue. Even in the febrile fortnight in the run-up to Saturday's truly historic election, canvassers for Fine Gael were admitting they seemed to have adopted the wrong game plan. Their talk of managing to avoid a truly catastrophic Brexit consistently fell on deaf ears. That is because, much to the frustration of the political classes, Brexit remains a rather abstract concept for a lot of voters. They know it's bad, and they have an opinion on the UK's choice. But the simple reality is that it pales into insignificance against the broader and more pressing issues of housing and health. Voters don't appreciate being scolded for their stupidity by their political masters. The barely concealed irritation displayed by Leo Varadkar whenever he realised people just weren't as interested in the matter was perceived by many observers as another example of a Taoiseach who seemed just that little bit out of step with the public. Sinn Fein, on the other hand, played a blinder. It knew what the punters wanted to hear and gave it to them in spades. It knew it had to keep beating the drum on housing and health. Even when Mary Lou McDonald was briefly winded by the various Sinn Fein scandals and historic crimes of some of its members, she consistently returned to the core issues of beds. In other words, the right to have a bed in a hospital and the right to have a bedroom in a house without some vulture fund doubling the rent overnight and kicking you, literally, to the kerb. This was always going to be an election that would leave blood on the carpet. The public had become increasingly weary of this government in particular and the broader political establishment in general. Despite the undoubted - and frequently overlooked - improvements to the economy and the rise in employment to an almost unprecedented level, the anger on the streets which played into Sinn Fein's hands was palpable and justified. Mr Varadkar's decision to stick with Simon Harris in Health and Eoghan Murphy in Housing may have been a most uncharacteristic display of political loyalty, but it struck many as sheer hubris. That appearance certainly wasn't helped by Mr Harris's repeated declarations that he was perfectly happy with the job he was doing. In fact, he seemed either oblivious or simply indifferent to the legitimate concerns of patients and their families. The starkest example of the tone-deaf nature of the outgoing government could be seen in the Health Minister's assertion that complaints about the heath service were simply a result of not looking at the correct 'metrics'. Rightly or wrongly, there appeared to be not so much an empathy gap but an empathy vacuum and Sinn Fein was the one to fill that space. This leads back to one question - what the hell has happened to Labour? After all, the traditional party of the working classes should have been in prime position to benefit from this disconnect between the people and the government, particularly when the issues were of such concern to its traditional base. Instead, Sinn Fein, which had endured a rotten time in the presidential election, as well as the locals and Europeans, swooped in to steal its thunder. That some exit polls indicated five out of 10 people who voted for Sinn Fein for the first time did so precisely because of health and housing should be cause for serious rancour within Labour's remaining rank and file. That Joan Burton lost her seat is hardly a surprise but is also indicative of the general malaise which seems to have struck this once-proud party. Its own admission yesterday that it was unlikely to seek a place at any coalition because it "did not have the mandate to govern" is as close to the waving of the white flag as you're ever going to get. Labour looked a busted flush going into this election and if it never appeared comfortable or confident of success, why should the voters be expected to support it? Sinn Fein enjoyed an almost Trumpian surge from voters who, as in the US election, held their nose and voted for someone on the basis that they were the least bad option. They did so on Saturday largely for the reason that the one party which should have been offering a viable alternative seemed tired and downcast even before the polling stations had opened - its performances in the debates were lacklustre and its canvassing was minimal. Now the electoral map has changed utterly and we are entering a period of frantic coalition-building - a coalition which, at this stage, is virtually impossible to confidently predict. If there is one lesson for Labour to absorb from this election, then it is surely to look at Sinn Fein's remarkable resurgence from irrelevance to king-making importance. But even if it does rediscover its mojo, has it left it too late for the future? Has it simply handed its traditional place as the third party in this country over to a newly energised and invigorated Sinn Fein? The Financial Supervisory Services' headquarters on Yeouido, Seoul, left, and Woori Financial Group's headquarters in central Seoul / Korea Times file Financial group fights back against financial authorities' sanctions Armenia To Hold Referendum On Constitutional Court Amid Spat With Pashinian By RFE/RL's Armenian Service February 10, 2020 YEREVAN -- Armenia is set to hold a referendum on constitutional changes in April, in an attempt by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian to remove a majority of judges at the country's Constitutional Court. President Armen Sarkisian signed a decree on February 9 setting April 5 as the date for the vote, three days after parliament voted to hold the referendum that would lead to the dismissal of seven of the court's nine members installed before nationwide protests swept Pashinian to power in 2018. The seven would be replaced by judges to be confirmed by the National Assembly in which Pashinian's My Step bloc holds a majority. The court's two other judges, who were appointed to their posts later, will keep their powers. "On April 5, we will say "yes" to the Revolution, say "yes" to Freedom and slam the door on corruption," Pashinian wrote on his Facebook page after Sarkisian signed the decree. Pashinian has accused the seven judges of maintaining ties to Armenia's former leadership and impeding reforms that he says are aimed at creating an independent judiciary. His critics say the prime minister is seeking to gain undue control over the courts. The chairman of the Constitutional Court, Hrair Tovmasian, was charged in December with abuse of power while he was serving as justice minister. He has denied the accusation as politically motivated. Earlier in December, a controversial law gave Tovmasian and the six other Constitutional Court members financial incentives to resign before the end of their mandates. Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/armenia-to-hold- referendum-on-constitutional-court-amid-spat- with-pashinian/30426517.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 Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal gave the credit of Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) victory to the people of Delhi and thanked them for electing a government that talks about development and progress. Delhi Assembly Election Result 2020: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) emerged victorious again with a huge mandate in the battle of Delhi on Tuesday. The AAP clinched 63 seats and the BJP won 7 seats off the 70-member house. While the Congress again failed to open its account in the capital, according to the data shared by the Election Commission. The poll governing body reported 53.69% votes in favor of the Aam Aadmi Party, whereas the runner up BJP bagged 38.43 % of votes. Congress secured only 4.33% votes which clearly shows that the people of Delhi have lost their faith in the grand old party. Soon after the election commission announced a landslide victory for the AAP, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal came out to thank the people of Delhi, party workers who did hard work during the election campaign and his ministers for contesting with full power. Kejriwal said the people of Delhi have opted for a government that will build schools, hospitals, provide affordable electricity, and other basic amenities. AAP convenor said the people of Delhi today voted for development and a corruption-free government. He thanked Lord Hanuman for this victory stating the Lord has blessed him to serve the people again. Arvind Kejriwal also took a march from Connaught Places Hanuman Mandir to his constituency. Kejriwal was joined by his wife Sunita Kejriwal, Delhi Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, Raghav Chadha and other leaders. AAPs heavyweight leaders like Gopal Rai, Satyendra Jain, Raghav Chadha, Atishi Marlena, Girish Soni, SK Bagga, and others won their respective seats with a big margin. Soon after the BJPs was clear, the BJP Delhi unit chief Manoj Tiwari talked to the media and took whole responsibility of the defeat. He thanked the people of Delhi for participating in the festival of democracy, his party workers for their hard work and accepted the mandate of people of Delhi. Also read: Coronavirus in India: How to make hand sanitizers at home? Also read: Coronavirus in India: KKR co-owner Shah Rukh Khan says players, spectators health first Manoj Tiwari also congratulated CM Arvind Kejriwal for the victory adding hope hell perform up to the expectations of the citizens. Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Kerala CM P Vijayan and others congratulated the Delhi Chief Minister. As for how? Theres a great, galvanizing chapter at the end of Orensteins book. But for rational, evidence-based advice on how to talk to your son about every internal and external force hell experience from fourth grade through college, Cara Nattersons zippy, bighearted Decoding Boys is the guide you need. Better yet, read these books in tandem. Natterson, who has written best-selling body guides for kids, is ambitious in her scope. She acknowledges that explaining neurobiology, testicular growth, the gun crisis, screen addiction, sexting, consent and how to talk about it all is too much for 200 pages. But those are the intertwined realities of parenting a boy in 2020, and none of us can opt out. Natterson is empathic and funny in her approach to topics like myelination the growth of insulation around the brains nerve cells, which has an impact on decision-making and the fact that boys puberty starts years before most of us see the signs of it. Weave these concepts together and we have a generation of boys who are maturing physically earlier and emotionally later than we previously realized. Enter Kavanaugh. And Parkland. And Juul ads. And PornHub-induced desensitization (yes, it comes up here too). Routinely, Natterson checks her writerly ego for the sake of clarity and health, offering anecdotes right up front and bullets of how to talk about this stuff at the end of every chapter. Some takeaways: 1. The best way to prevent addiction is by delaying the potentially addictive behavior. Explain brain maturation to your kid so that when you say no, not yet, youre a scientist, not a ruthless dictator. 2. The Talk is more like 100 talks. Have them all, at every opportunity, especially in the car where you dont have to look at each other. (Orenstein offers the same tip.) 3. Boys are less identifiable than girls in nude pictures because they generally aim their phone down their pants as opposed to up their shirts where you might see a necklace or freckle. That said, it all counts as child pornography and can be prosecuted as such. 4. No phones in the bedroom at night. Charge all devices in a common room. Her most important point: Boys sudden silence in early adolescence is as much a product of our society as their brains. Puberty, Natterson writes, radically changes how our kids talk to us and how we talk to them, and this shift empowers the communicators (who are more often girls) while leaving the noncommunicators (typically the boys) at a distinct disadvantage. The boys in Orensteins book prove they can and will talk; Natterson tells you how to make it happen. While I was reading Orensteins and Nattersons books, my sons had a lockdown drill at school. It was scary enough to prompt tears and an email to me from a teacher, so we talked about it. A new study came out about the risks of vaping, so we talked about that too. Then we got a new iPad and, instead of surreptitiously turning on YouTubes restricted mode, I told my boys I was doing it and explained why. I know I wont always have the right words, but were going there. And that, as I learned from these books, is the point. New Netflix series shows how Christian pharmacist took down deadly opioid 'pill mill' Email Print Img No-img Menu Whatsapp Google Reddit Digg Stumbleupon Linkedin Comment Warning: This article contains spoilers A new four-episode Netflix docuseries highlights the story of a Christian pharmacist in New Orleans suburb who turned the grief from his sons death into a determination to shut down a doctor he believed was fraudulently prescribing painkillers to thousands in his community. The online streaming platform released the new series, The Pharmacist, last week. The program centers on the efforts of Dan Schneider, who worked for years at a local pharmacy in St. Bernards Parish, an upper-middle-class community located adjacent to New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward. The Lower Ninth Ward had developed a reputation through the decades for crime and drug addiction. It was a community plagued by the crack epidemic during the 1980s and 1990s. In 1999, Schneiders son, Danny Jr., was shot to death during what was believed to be a drug deal gone bad in the Lower Ninth Ward. With so many killings happening in the Lower Ninth Ward at the time, Schneider was not pleased that authorities were not able to find and hold accountable his sons killer. As Schneider took time off from his job to run his own investigation into his sons murder, the entire first episode was devoted to his months-long quest to find out who killed his son. Schneider canvassed the streets looking for clues. Thanks to a courageous witness who faced death threats and had to flee her hometown, a teenager named Jeffery Hall was identified and eventually sentenced to prison for the crime. After Schneider returned to work at the pharmacy following Halls conviction, he noticed a high number of teenagers about his sons age coming in with prescriptions for OxyContin. Produced by Purdue Pharma, the pill was billed at the time as somewhat of a revolutionary pain medication that was supposed to have a lower risk of addiction. However, the people he noticed coming into this pharmacy to fill the prescriptions showed no signs of obvious pain that would warrant such pain medication. Schneider would often ask questions of the customers to figure out what their need for the medication was and consulted many of them not to take the medication. Schneider began to notice a troubling pattern as he looked through the records at his pharmacy most of the prescriptions the store was filling were for pain medications being prescribed by the same doctor. That doctor is Dr. Jacqueline Cleggett. What Schneider was noticing was the beginning of the nations opioid epidemic in his community. Being that many of those filling prescriptions were his sons age, he saw his sons spirit in them. He wanted to do something and he did. I want to do something for my son and myself. I want a calling and I believe I may have a special calling, because I also, God, have given my only son, Schneider said in the docuseries. And I want to give him purpose on Earth, as it is in Heaven. He became a martyr I don't know if that's the right word but he may save some of these other kids' lives. And again, maybe that's my mission. Schneider notified the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Agency about his concern about Cleggett. However, Schneider received little information from either agency about what the federal government was doing to investigate the matter. Therefore, Schneider launched his own investigation with the help of a former patient of Cleggetts who used to fill prescriptions at his pharmacy. According to a former patient interviewed in the documentary, Cleggett would usually prescribe him three drugs: Oxycontin, Soma and Xanax. Those three drugs are referred to as the Holy Trinity. Cleggett was selling prescriptions for cash and would see a staggering 76 patients per day on average, according to a DEA investigator interviewed for the series. Seventy-six is far more patients than an average doctor can consult in a day if they are doing a serious consultation. Cleggetts operation was described in the docuseries as a pill mill, a term to describe doctors who open medical clinics to sell prescriptions for OxyContin, Soma and Xanax. Schneider continued to grow troubled that federal authorities were taking so long on their investigation into Cleggetts practice. He grew conflicted even more when he began to read or hear in the news about how people his pharmacy was filling prescriptions for were dying of overdoses. Schneider heard about how one doctor in Ohio was prosecuted for writing 4,000 fraudulent prescriptions. Knowing that Cleggett had prescribed far more than 4,000 prescriptions, Schneider was advised by a local prosecutor in Ohio to voice a complaint with the local medical board. He was hoping to get smoking gun proof at his work at Bradleys Pharmacy. The smoking gun turned out to be a mother and her small daughter who came into the pharmacy with high-dose prescriptions for OxyContin, Valium, Soma and Roxicodone. Those drugs were alleged to help the 100-pound child deal with pain from Sickle Cell Anemia. However, Schneider said that such a high dose of those medications could have killed the girl. After they left, Schneider called Cleggetts office and asked Cleggett directly if she issued the prescription. She confirmed that she did. When Schneider pressed her on the danger of the child taking such medication, Schneider said that Cleggett told him: Who the f*** made you a doctor? He eventually spoke with the young girls physician who treated her for the illness. The doctor told him that he only prescribed the child Tylenol for the pain. Schneider then filed an affidavit with the local medical board, which then suspended Cleggetts license and halted her practice. As a pharmacist, I felt it was my mission to make a difference, Schneider said. An investigation uncovered that Cleggett had prescribed as many as 180,000 OxyContin pills in just one year across only 10 pharmacies. Although Cleggett faced the possibility of 20 years in prison and 37 counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances for no medical purpose, she was involved in a terrible car wreck that left her with two brain hemorrhages and five skull fractures. Cleggett accepted a plea deal in which she was convicted of one count of conspiracy to prescribe a controlled substance without a legitimate medical purpose. Because of her medical condition, Cleggett was spared jail time and sentenced to three years probation. I pleaded guilty to one count even though I knew that I had not done what they stated I had done, Cleggett, who was also accused of abusing prescriptions herself, said in the docuseries. Cleggett was one of the first pill mill doctors in the U.S. to be shut down and prosecuted. She was followed by many more across the nation as the opioid crisis took a grip. After Dr. Cleggett got shut down I felt like I had accomplished my mission, Schneider said. And I thought that might be the end of this. That wasn't the end. That was the beginning. It was like a cancer. It metastasized. With Cleggett out of business, more than 60 other pain clinics popped up in New Orleans and fatal overdoses doubled in St. Bernard Parish. Schneider continued to do his best to make a difference in this community by pushing legislators to do something to tackle the crisis. He also advocated for a prescription monitoring program, which made it easier to prosecute doctors. I not only wanted to change St. Bernard, but I also wanted to change the country, he said. I felt God wanted me to do something beyond Cleggett. In 2007, Purdue Pharma was convicted of misrepresenting the addictive potential of OxyContin. The companys marketing of the pill was said to be deceptive and criminal. Although Purdue Pharma was forced to pay $600 million in fines, the company continued to push the product. As the company faces thousands of lawsuits claiming that the company misled doctors about OxyContin, Purdue Pharma filed for bankruptcy last September. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 Trend: Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 21 times, Trend reports referring to the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry on Feb. 11. The Armenian armed forces were using sniper rifles. 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 2020 election campaign of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which according to early trends and leads was set to return to power in Delhi, had some prime markers. These included concepts such as report card of the government and a crisp guarantee card for the future, town hall gatherings, intense use of social media leading to a virtual war over memes and parodies with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and a unique campaign song to resonate across all constituencies. All these different approaches focussed on highlighting one thing - brand Arvind Kejriwal, Delhis chief minister and the partys national convenor. Full Coverage: Delhi Assembly Elections | Track Live Updates The AAP has so far contested six elections in the national capital - two Lok Sabha polls, three assembly polls, and one municipal election. But this was the first time they involved a professional election strategist in the form of Prashant Kishor and his agency I-PAC, which has worked in the past with campaigns for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and leaders such as Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh, and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee. Also Watch | Delhi poll results: Trends show majority for AAP, cadres celebrate The report card was conceptualised around November, when the party was about to begin its third phase of the poll campaign, and had already drafted a plan for a thorough door-to-door drive covering 3.5 million households. The report card was essentially a list of achievements of the party and it had to go together with townhalls. The idea was to project the chief minister like a confident leader who does not shy away from one-on-one conversations about his work and from taking questions from the crowd. The plan worked out well and we could see more support, said the AAPs Rajya Sabha MP and election campaign in-charge Sanjay Singh. With that, the party also released its campaign song, Lage Raho Kejriwal, created by Bollywood composer and self-proclaimed Kejriwal supporter Vishal Dadlani. This soon became the theme for over 8,000 events - ranging from local public meetings by leaders of different ranks to Kejriwals roadshows - organised across the city. In the roadshows, a large number of people across all constituencies could be seen dancing to the song that endorsed Brand AK even though, in many cases, it emerged that they did not know the partys candidate from the seat, especially on the 23 constituencies in which new faces were fielded. Meanwhile, a new kind of war continued - of memes and parodies on social media. The AAP was clearly on the front foot, with the social media team of the party led by Ankit Lal coming out with new video content every second day - taking digs at the BJP, its leaders such as party president Manoj Tiwari, and the Congress. The content was based on a wide range of things - popular films and songs, to popular advertisements, to Web trends, to the Nintendo classic Super Mario Bros. For this, a group of young volunteers joined the AAPs Delhi war room from other cities. At the forefront was a 23-year-old media studies graduate, Abhijeet Dipke from Pune. In the very early stages, we realised that we were much ahead of our competitors in the social media battle. Social media strategies can impact voters of wide demography. The strategy worked well, said Dipke. By the first week of January, however, something changed. The Shaheen Bagh protests grabbed centrestage and the BJP lost no time in making it a campaign pitch, openly attacking the AAP, and with that, changing the discourse of the campaign, which, till that point, was focussed on core development and welfare issues. That caused a delay in the manifesto, which the AAP was supposed to release on January 19. So, on that day, the party released a guarantee card instead. It was a document to assure voters that the Delhi governments work on certain areas would continue unhindered if the AAP is voted back to power, said a senior party leader who did not want to be identified. With time, the campaign turned toxic, diving people on religious lines. Union minister Anurag Thakur was seen leading a shoot the traitors slogan, for which he was punished by the Election Commission, and BJP MP Parvesh Verma called Kejriwal a terrorist, for which he too was chastised. The AAP, at this point, acted quickly by changing this challenge into an opportunity by launching a campaign which stressed on asking voters if they saw Kejriwal as their son or a terrorist. The new strategy helped a lot in bringing back the discourse of the campaign to Delhis local issues such as water, power, sewer, roads, schools, hospitals and welfare schemes among other things, AAP convener in Delhi Gopal Rai said. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Tuesday congratulated his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal for AAPs hattrick win in the assembly elections. Patnaik, who is also the Biju Janata Dal supremo, in a Twitter post said, Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal ji and @AamAadmiParty on the hatric win in #DelhiPolls2020. Best wishes for a successful tenure. BJD too congratulated Kejriwal over his partys victory in the Delhi polls. BJD spokesman P K Deb said, Since the national parties fail to meet the aspirations of the people, they prefer to vote for regional parties". In the coming days too the regional parties will prosper in the politics, he added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Ursula von der Leyen today mocked Boris Johnson's claim the UK could opt for an Australia-style trading arrangement with the EU as she said even Australia does not like the deal it currently has with the bloc. Mr Johnson has told Brussels that post-Brexit Britain would prosper with either a Canada-style free trade agreement or a much looser relationship with the EU like Australia's. Many in the EU believe an 'Australia-style' agreement is simply 'code for no deal'. Ms von der Leyen said the EU 'does not have a trade agreement with Australia' and the two sides are exploring how to improve their relationship. She insisted that if the UK wants similar trading terms to what Australia has now 'we are fine with that'. However, the president of the European Commission urged Mr Johnson not to 'settle for less' during talks and insisted the EU wants a deal which is as 'ambitious' as possible. Ursula von der Leyen, pictured in the European Parliament in Strasbourg today, said she was 'surprised to hear' the UK suggest it could accept an Australia-style trading relationship with the EU Boris Johnson, pictured leaving Number 10 last week, said the UK would prosper with either a Canada-style free trade agreement with the EU or with a looser 'Australia-style' arrangement Michel Barnier warns it won't be 'business as usual' after 2020 if UK and EU fail to strike trade deal Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, today warned that business between the UK and the continent will not be status quo after the transition period ends if the two sides fail to agree a trade deal. Mr Barnier suggested that tariffs and quotas would be immediately imposed on all British products. He said: 'The opening of our markets, access to data and equivalence for financial services will be proportional to the commitments made to respect a true level playing field, regulatory coherence, protection of citizens and financial stability.' Mr Barnier said that 'if we fail to reach agreement' by the end of the year then 'there will be quotas and tariffs on all British produce'. He predicted trade talks will be 'difficult, very difficult' and that both sides should be 'ready for every option, including the one without a basic deal before December 31'. Advertisement Addressing the European Parliament, Ms von der Leyen noted that the UK had suggested it would be willing to trade with the EU on basic World Trade Organisation terms. But she warned: 'I was a little bit surprised to hear the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom speak about the Australian model. 'But the European Union does not have a trade agreement with Australia. We are currently trading on WTO terms. 'And if this is the British choice, well, we are fine with that without any question. 'But in fact, we just are in the moment where we [are] agreeing with Australia that we must end this situation and we are working on a trade deal with them. 'Of course the UK can decide to settle for less but I personally believe that we should be way more ambitious.' The UK left the EU at the end of January with the two sides entering into a standstill transition period during which they will try to hammer out the terms of their future partnership. That transition period will end in December this year and Mr Johnson has made clear he will not agree to any extension. He has stressed that the end of 2020 should be viewed as a hard deadline for talks and he used a big speech last week to repeat his stance that the UK will be willing to walk away without a deal. He said: 'The question is whether we agree a trading relationship with the EU comparable to Canada's or more like Australia's. And I have no doubt that in either case the UK will prosper.' Mr Johnson's preference is for a Canada-style deal but if that proves impossible then he would settle for something akin to Australia's. Officials in Brussels do not believe there is enough time before the end of the year to finalise a comprehensive trade deal. Senior figures have suggested prioritising some issues and leaving others to be resolved after transition has ended. This approach has been rejected by the UK. Sajid Javid this morning spelled out his desire for the UK to maintain current access to EU financial markets after Brexit Britain is hoping to negotiate new trade deals with the United States, Japan, Australia and other nations alongside an agreement with the EU. Ms von der Leyen's intervention came as Chancellor Sajid Javid set out his vision for UK-EU financial services cooperation for the years ahead. Writing in the City AM newspaper, Mr Javid said the Treasury 'will come forward with a white paper in the spring on the future of the UK financial sector'. Mr Javid repeated the government's desire to achieve 'equivalence' with the EU in the financial sector. This would mean UK rules are considered sufficiently compatible with EU rules in order to maintain current access to the EU market. However, the EU has ruled out 'equivalence'. The bloc is adamant that non-members of the bloc cannot enjoy the same access to the single market as members. Michel Barnier, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, told the European Parliament today: 'There must be no illusion on this issue: there will be no general, global or permanent equivalence on financial services.' This afternoon, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: 'We are seeking a trade agreement with the EU which is a Canada style free trade agreement.' This reprieve is helpful to those who end up transitioning. They never have to live in an adult body that clashes with their identity, and any further treatment may not need to be as extensive which helps explain why research suggests puberty suppression results in better mental-health outcomes for patients. The pause is also helpful to those who ultimately decide against a change. In fact, blockers give children exactly what these lawmakers claim to be offering: a chance to wait until theyre older. Morgan County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Bethany J. Browning, 34, of 24 Timberview Road, Franklin, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 7:53 a.m. Monday on charges of aggravated driving under the influence/no drivers license and driving while license is revoked or suspended. Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Todd M. Linear, 30, of 347 Caldwell St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 10:26 p.m. Saturday on a retail theft charge. Jeremiah S. Williams, 30, of 1135 Elm St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 12:08 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended. Timothy L. Lindsey, 33, of 1512 S. East St. was booked into the Morgan County jail at 11:04 p.m. Sunday on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended, leaving the scene of an accident and following too closely. Dakota J. Powell, 27, of 1042 N. First St., Springfield, was arrested at 9:14 a.m. Monday on a possession of methamphetamine charge after police said they found meth on him while he was being arrested on another case. South Jacksonville Police ARRESTS, CITATIONS Brian M. White, 42, of Memphis, Tennessee, was booked into the Morgan County jail at 2:24 p.m. Monday on charges of driving while license is revoked or suspended and operating an uninsured motor vehicle. Brown County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS John M. Martin, 26, hometown unavailable, was arrested at 10:48 p.m. Feb. 3 after a traffic stop at Illinois Route 107 and County Road 700 North. He was booked into the Schuyler County Jail on charges of driving while license is revoked, unlawful display of an unauthorized registration sticker, operating a vehicle with expired registration, possession of methamphetamine and obstructing justice. Pike County Sheriff ARRESTS, CITATIONS Kathrine M. McKinny, 37, of Pittsfield was arrested at 3:49 a.m. Sunday on charges of driving under the influence and improper lane use. Bryon K. Foil, 25, of Champaign was arrested at 10:50 p.m. Saturday on a charge of possession of cannabis in a motor vehicle. Joseph N. Montemurro, 29, of New Alexandria, Pennsylvania, was arrested at 2:02 a.m. Saturday on charges of possession of cannabis, delivery of cannabis and cannabis trafficking. Auston S. Mason, 24, of Barry was arrested at 1:46 a.m. Friday on a battery charge. Brittany L. Ballenger, 23, of Louisiana, Missouri, was arrested at 11:21 p.m. Thursday on a charge of illegal transportation of alcohol and on an unspecified Pike County warrant. Isaac E. Henson, 19, of Barry was arrested at 4:05 p.m. Wednesday on charges of indecent solicitation of a child and sexual exploitation of a child. Jordan E. Roberts, 32, of Pittsfield was arrested at 6:48 p.m. Feb. 4 on a driving under the influence charge. Compiled by David C.L. Bauer and Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree CLEVELAND, Ohio Deaths from novel coronavirus surpassed 1,000 worldwide today, and much still remains unknown about the virus. Here are some of the major questions that doctors and researchers will likely discuss at a World Health Organization (WHO) meeting today in Geneva: Incubation period: Right now, experts estimate that it can take from five to six days, and up to two weeks, to show symptoms of coronavirus after infection. This incubation period helps officials figure out how long to maintain quarantines and how far back to look for potentially exposed people when tracing an infected persons movements. How deadly is the virus? The mortality rate of coronavirus is still unknown, though early estimates have put it at around 2%, and case studies of people hospitalized with the virus in Wuhan, China, indicate it may be as high as 4% for those who are ill enough to go to the hospital. Figuring out how many people have the virus but are only mildly ill, or showing no symptoms at all, is the next step in determining how lethal it really is. A good estimate will help health authorities estimate how much it will take to treat and control the outbreak. Most susceptible: So far, studies of those with the virus indicate that the people at highest risk are older adults, the obese, and those with underlying health conditions, writes Hong Kong doctor Gabriel Leung in an opinion piece for the New York Times. Very few children have been infected, but its unclear why. How its spread: People have been evacuated from a Hong Kong apartment building after the virus appeared to have spread through the buildings pipes, infecting two people on different floors. A cluster on a cruise ship docked in Japan raises questions about fecal-oral transmission, as well. How its contained: While masks and other protective measures are abundant in areas where there is infection, its not yet clear if these measures and the forced quarantines are making a difference in containing the spread of coronavirus. More health news: Ohio economy could feel impact if Chinas coronavirus outbreak continues much longer What are the best ways to keep reusable bags germ-free? Health Matters Two more flu-related deaths raise total to 8 in Cuyahoga County this season Novel coronavirus less deadly than past epidemics, local experts say WASHINGTON When an outbreak of the Ebola virus touched the United States shores in mid-2014, Donald J. Trump was still a private citizen. But he had strong opinions about how America should act. Mr. Trump, who has spoken openly about his phobia of germs, closely followed the epidemic, and offered angry commentary about what he said was the Obama administrations dangerous response. He demanded draconian measures like canceling flights, forcing quarantines and even denying the return of American medical workers who had contracted the disease in Africa. Ebola patient will be brought to the U.S. in a few days now I know for sure that our leaders are incompetent. KEEP THEM OUT OF HERE! Mr. Trump tweeted on that July 31 after learning that one American medical worker would be evacuated to Atlanta from Liberia. The U.S. cannot allow EBOLA infected people back, Mr. Trump wrote the next day, adding: People that go to far away places to help out are great but must suffer the consequences! In nearly 50 tweets, as well as in appearances on Fox News and other networks, Mr. Trump supported flight bans and strict quarantines and branded President Barack Obamas deployment of troops to West Africa to fight the disease as morally unfair. The U.S. military on Monday disclosed a more than 50% jump in cases of traumatic brain injury stemming from Irans missile attack on a base in Iraq last month, with the number of service members diagnosed climbing to over 100. No U.S. troops were killed or faced immediate bodily injury when Iran fired missiles at the Ain al-Asad base in Iraq in retaliation for the U.S. killing of Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at the Baghdad airport on Jan. 3. The missile attacks capped a spiral of violence that had started in late December. Both sides have refrained from further military escalation, but the mounting number of U.S. casualties could increase scrutiny on the Trump administrations approach to Iran. Reuters was first to report earlier on Monday that there were over 100 cases of TBI, up from the 64 previously reported last month. The Pentagon, in a statement, confirmed that so far 109 U.S. service members had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury. It added that 76 of them had returned to duty. The U.S. military in the past had said to expect an increase in numbers in the weeks after the attack because symptoms can take time to manifest and troops can sometimes take longer to report them. Army General Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said last month that the service members suffering from traumatic brain injuries had been diagnosed with mild cases. He added that the diagnosis could change as time passed. Symptoms of concussive injuries include headaches, dizziness, sensitivity to light and nausea. Pentagon officials have repeatedly said there has been no effort to minimize or delay information on concussive injuries. But the disclosures following Tehrans attack have renewed questions over the U.S. militarys policy regarding how it internally reports suspected brain injuries and whether they are treated publicly with the same urgency as loss of limb or life. U.S. Republican Senator Joni Ernst said more answers were needed. Ive called on the Pentagon to ensure the safety & care of our deployed forces who may be exposed to blast injuries in Iraq, Ernst said on Twitter. U.S. President Donald Trump appeared to play down the brain injuries last month, saying he heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things following the attack, prompting criticism from lawmakers and a U.S. veterans group. Various health and medical groups for years have been trying to raise awareness about the seriousness of brain injuries, including concussions. Since 2000, about 408,000 service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, according to Pentagon data. New Delhi, Feb 11 : The Centre on Tuesday said it would rename the National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM), Faridabad, as the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management (AJNIFM). "Aligning the vision and aspiration of the institute for the future with the vision and contribution of late Arun Jaitley, the government has decided to rename National Institute of Financial Management (NIFM) as the Arun Jaitley National Institute of Financial Management," said an official statement. Former Finance Minister Jaitley is credited with taking the next level of reforms in the economy through the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC). He was also awarded India's second highest civilian award Padma Vibhushan this year. His tenure at the Finance Ministry remained controversial as it coincided with the implementation of demonetisation, which is still a major subject of debate over its actual need and eventual implications. NIFM, Faridabad, was set up in 1993 as a registered society under Department of Expenditure, Ministry of Finance, Government of India to train officers of various Finance and Accounts Services recruited by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) through the civil services examination as also officers of Indian Cost Accounts Service (ICoAS). The Union Finance Minister is the President of the NIFM Society. The Finance Ministry statement further said that over a period of time, the institute has become a premier resource centre to meet the training needs of central government for senior and middle level of management in the fields of public policy, financial management, public procurement and other governance issues for promoting highest standards of professional competence and practice. "NIFM also caters to the state governments, defence establishments, banks, other financial institutions and PSUs. It has ventured beyond training into the field of management education and runs certain AICTE-approved programmes leading to postgraduate diplomas in management, in various areas of financial management," the Finance Ministry statement said. BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb. 11 By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend: Kazakhstan will send out additional planes to evacuate its citizens from China due to coronavirus outbreak, Trend reports with reference to the press office of the countrys prime minister. Measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection in Kazakhstan were considered at the government session chaired by Kazkahstans Prime Minister Askar Mamin. Some 497 citizens of Kazakhstan currently remain in China, including 337 students. From Feb. 10 to Feb. 11, 217 citizens of Kazakhstan were evacuated Air Astana company from Beijing to Nur-Sultan. On Feb. 12, 2020, the same plane will be sent to evacuate 155 more citizens from China. Upon completion of the evacuation, 343 citizens of Kazakhstan will remain in China as they have expressed a desire to stay in China. During the meeting Mamin highlighted that there are no patients with coronavirus in Kazakhstan to date. The outbreak in the Chinese city of Wuhan - which is an international transport hub - began at a fish market in late December 2019. Since then over 1,000 people have died and over 43,000 people have been confirmed as infected. Some sources claim the coronavirus outbreak started as early as November 2019. The symptoms include cough, headache, fatigue, fever, aching and difficulty breathing. It is primarily spread through airborne contact or contact with contaminated objects. Chinese health authorities say that the majority of the people who have died were either elderly or had underlying health problems. Aside from Mainland China, the cases of coronavirus spreading have also been confirmed in Japan, Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Germany, the US, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam, Macau, France, Canada, the UAE, India, Italy, Russia, Philippines, the UK, Nepal, Cambodia, Belgium, Spain, Finland, Sweden and Sri Lanka. --- Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh (Alliance News) - Cranswick PLC on Tuesday said it has further expanded its pig processing business through the acquisition of a pig farming and rearing business in the UK. The Kingston upon Hull, England-based food producer has acquired the Buckle family's pig farming and rearing operations, as well as the family's 50% share of the White Rose Farms Ltd pig production joint venture which was set up by Cranswick and the Buckle family in 2018. The Buckle operations are Lincolnshire and Yorkshire. No financial details of the transaction were disclosed. Cranswick Chief Executive Adam Couch said: "I am pleased to announce today's transaction, which further reinforces our strategic commitment to supporting and growing the British pig farming industry. We have worked with the Buckle family for over 25 years and we are delighted to welcome Rick, as managing director of White Rose Farms, and the wider team to Cranswick." The company, which in December acquired pig rearing business Packington Pork Ltd, anticipates the Buckle deal to increase its self-sufficiency in UK pigs processed to over 30%. Shares in Cranswick were 1.1% higher on Tuesday morning in London at a price of 3,686.00 pence each. By Tapan Panchal; tapanpanchal@alliancenews.com Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved. The CIA were able to read the secret messages of allies and enemies for decades after buying a Swiss company that owned the machines responsible for encrypting their codes. A joint investigation published Tuesday by Germany's ZDF public broadcaster and The Washington Post shows that a firm called Crypto AG gave the CIA and West German spies access to the communications of more than 120 countries after making a multi-million dollar deal in the 1950s that Langley called the 'intelligence coup of the century'. For more than 50 years, the CIA and West German intelligence helped rigged the devices sold to clients such as Iran, Latin American military juntas, India and Pakistan, so they could break their codes, steal secrets and take millions of dollars of their money. Agents controlled Crypto AG's hiring decisions, helped design the technology to their liking and manipulated the algorithms so they could sabotage the channels international customers had trusted the firm to keep under wraps. The CIA secretly owned a Swiss company that ruled global spy communications for decades, enabling them to read messages from their allies and enemies. They reportedly sold secure models to friendly governments, and rigged systems for the rest of the world Crypto AG made millions of dollars for the CIA and Germany's BND foreign intelligence agency, in what the CIA said in an internal report was 'the intelligence coup of the century' The deal meant US intelligence could more closely monitor major diplomatic situations - such as the 1979 Iran hostage crisis - and were able to share intelligence with other countries. They gave Britain information on Argentina during the Falklands War, kept track of assassination plots on South American leaders. While the BND used the proceeds generated from the sale of cryptography devices to fund field operations, the CIA used the money to buy up rival companies and establish a quasi-monopoly for Crypto. Swedish businessman and inventor of encryption machines, Boris Hagelin is pictured with one of his company's products, circa 1970 The CIA and the NSA controlled almost all of Crypto AG's operations between the 1970s and 2018, when the company was sold and ended their work with intelligence agencies. With the millions earned from the project, that was known first by the code name 'Thesaurus' and later 'Rubicon', the BND used the proceeds to fund field operations, and the CIA bought up rival companies to establish a quasi-monopoly for Crypto, a German intelligence expert said. They reportedly sold secure models to friendly governments, and rigged systems for the rest of the world. Crypto, whose products are still in use in more than a dozen countries, was liquidated in 2018 and the two companies that purchased most of its assets say they have no ongoing connection to any intelligence services. But the 96-page account of the operation, completed in 2004 by the CIA's Center for the Study of Intelligence, raises questions about whether the US knew about global atrocities and failed to intervene in order not to expose their secret. The report is also a 2008 complication of oral history from German intelligence officials. Similar U.S. operations involving manipulated communications equipment were detailed by Edward Snowden, a former American intelligence employee once based in Geneva who leaked a large trove of intelligence documents in 2013. The new report claims the CIA operation was based out of a military installation used by American troops in Munich and later in the attic of a building adjacent to the U.S. Consulate. Hagelin - who was originally from Russia, raised in Sweden, and then fled to the States in 1940 - is pictured with rotor cipher machines NSA director Bobby Ray Inman said that when the Carter administration questioned them about the how the Ayatollah Khomeinei regime was reacting to the latest messages in a deal to free 52 hostages in the US Embassy: 'We were able to respond to his questions about 85 percent of the time'. Pictured, a blindfolded American hostage with his hands tied up is brought out on to the compound of the embassy Egyptian President Anwar Al Sadat (1918 - 1981) (left) and US President Jimmy Carter talk together during the Egyptian-Israeli peace negotiations, on the porch of Aspen Lodge at Camp David, near Thurmont, Maryland, between September 5 and 17, 1978 It claims the National Security Agency controlled nearly every aspect of the operation and that eavesdropping targets were split into three areas; 'A for the Soviets, B for Asia and G for virtually everywhere else'. The Washington Post report claims that by the early 1980s, more than half of the intelligence gathered by G group was going through Crypto machines. They managed to take over from rivals with a 1970 deal from the machine's creator Boris Hagelin - who was originally from Russia, raised in Sweden, and then fled to the States in 1940. He planned on passing the company down to his son, Bo. But Bo - who the CIA considered a 'wildcard', died in a car crash that was not considered suspicious. 'Imagine the idea of the American government convincing a foreign manufacturer to jimmy equipment in its favor,' the documents obtained by the Post, state. 'Talk about a brave new world.' Hagelin told only one member of the board, Sture Nyberg, about CIA involvement. They used code names for the operation and covered up ownership deals with the help of a German law firm that created shell companies and contracts that required only the signature of a 'bearer'. Crypto AG encryption customers from the 1950s to 2000s Argentina Austria Algeria Iran Bangladesh Brazil Angola Iraq Burma Czechoslovakia India Egypt Chile Jordan Greece Indonesia Gabon Colombia Kuwait Hungary Japan Ghana Honduras Lebanon Ireland Malaysia Guinea Oman Mexico Italy Pakistan Ivory Coast Qatar Nicaragua Portugal Philippines Libya Saudi Arabia Peru Romania South Korea Syria Mauritius Uruguay Spain Thailand Morocco U.A.E. Venezuela Turkey Vietnam Nigeria Vatican City Rep. of the Congo Yugoslavia South Africa Sudan Tanzania Tunisia Zaire Zimbabwe PLUS - United Nations Advertisement The main adversaries of the U.S. in the Cold War, the Soviet Union and China, were never Crypto customers but other clients included Iran, India and Pakistan, military juntas in Latin America and the Vatican, the two outlets reported. 'Foreign governments were paying good money to the U.S. and West Germany for the privilege of having their most secret communications read by at least two (and possibly as many as five or six) foreign countries,' the CIA report from the 1970s states. The Washington Post reports that 'the Germans were taken aback by the Americans' willingness to spy on all but its closest allies, with targets including NATO members Spain, Greece, Turkey and Italy'. The operation allowed them to monitor Iran's mullahs during the 1979 hostage crisis. NSA director Bobby Ray Inman said that when the Carter administration questioned them about the how the Ayatollah Khomeinei regime was reacting to the latest messages in a deal to free 52 hostages in the US Embassy: 'We were able to respond to his questions about 85 percent of the time.' It also fed Britain intelligence about Argentina's military during the Falklands War. But when Argentina questioned the encryption device's security, they claimed the NSA likely cracked an older machine used but the latest CAG 500 machine was 'unbreakable'. 'The bluff worked,' the newly-released CIA history says. 'The Argentines swallowed hard, but kept buying CAG equipment.' Involvement of western spy agencies in Crypto had long been alleged. In 1992, a Crypto representative was arrested in Iran and spent months in prison before being released after the BND allegedly paid a $1 million dollar ransom. The incident was one of the reasons why the German spy agency left the politically sensitive operation in 1993, he said. Munich-based Siemens reportedly advised on business and technical issues in exchange for five percent ownership and Motorola made the devices less bulky over the years. Motorola knew it was being done for intelligence purposes. The CIA history ends around the time Germany left the program, but evidence shows the program continued. The CIA owned Crypto until 2018. Swiss authorities said Tuesday they have opened an investigation into allegations a Zug, Switzerland-based maker of encryption devices was a front operated by the CIA and West German intelligence that enabled them to break the codes of the countries that used their products. Swiss Defense Ministry spokeswoman, Carolina Bohren, told The Associated Press that 'following research carried out by the media' her office had notified the Cabinet about the Crypto case on November 5, 2019. On January 15, the decision was made to appoint a former supreme court judge to look into the reports and report back by the end of June. 'The events under discussion date back to 1945 and are difficult to reconstruct and interpret in the present-day context,' she said. The Associated Press reported that Erich Schmidt-Eenboom cast doubt on the notion that the Swiss government wasn't aware of Crypto's true nature. 'That's not credible,' he said. 'They shut both eyes.' Germany's BND, the CIA, Siemens and Motorola refused to comment on the story. Konstantin von Notz, a lawmaker with Germany's Greens party who sits on the parliamentary committee that oversees the BND, told ZDF that he has asked for answers to questions raised by the report about the operation. The machines also fed Britain intelligence about Argentina's military during the Falklands War. Pictured, Royal Navy Westland Sea King HC.4 of 825 Naval Air Squadron takes off after transporting J Company, 42 Commando, Royal Marines from Port San Carlos to Darwin, June 1982 A Brampton immigration consultant with a long history of disreputable conduct, including allegedly taking $95,000 from one family and failing to carry out the work, has been stripped of his professional licence. Artem Djukic had faced 30 complaints since 2011 16 of which resulted in disciplinary action but the professional regulatory body for immigration consultants decided only in January to remove him from their ranks for providing misleading and erroneous advice to clients. Djukic, 55, who operated Soko Immigration and Consulting Services in Mississauga, now faces a charge of defrauding the public, laid in January by Peel Regional Police. So far, investigators have identified 23 alleged victims and say they expect that number will rise. Djukic is scheduled to appear in court later this month. Critics say the litany of complaints Djukic faced over the years and the slow pace of action show the professions self-regulatory approach to policing consultants has no teeth. On top of losing his consultants licence in January, Djukic had his licence to operate as a paralegal revoked four years ago after the Law Society found him guilty of misappropriating more than $900,000 from clients. In a text message to the Star on Friday, Djukic declined to comment on the complaints that led to his licence being revoked by his professional regulator the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council or on the Peel police charge, following the advice of his lawyer, Dragi Zekavica. Djukic had opted not to defend himself in the recent proceeding before the immigration consultants regulatory council that resulted in his licence being revoked. Djukic remains unapologetic for all of his ethical transgressions. He has not demonstrated any remorse, acceptance of responsibility or an understanding of the effect of his misconduct on others. Instead, he has chosen not to respond, said the regulatory body in a 51-page disciplinary order dated Jan. 8. Djukic claims he is unable to do so owing to health reasons, yet when asked for supporting documentation, he failed to produce evidence of any medical issues that prevented him from co-operating with the (investigators). His failure to co-operate demonstrates that he is likely ungovernable. Former client Gyorgy Lang took his complaints about Djukic to the regulatory body. He said he had paid $95,000 in cash and with no receipts to the consultant between 2011 and 2018 for help with his familys asylum claim as well as an application to stay in Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. For that amount, Djukic also offered to fast-track their permanent residence application, according to their complaint. Djukic, according to the disciplinary decision, withdrew the Lang familys refugee claim without consulting them, and never submitted the humanitarian and compassionate application or delivered the permanent residence promised. Lang, 43, his wife, Andrea, 44, and their daughter Agnes, 19, are now facing deportation to their native Hungary, where they say they fled threats by criminal gangs. We have suffered so much because of him. We have worked day and night since we came here. We borrowed money and gave all our hard-earned money to him, said Lang, who is an electrician by trade and runs a landscaping company with his wife. Money comes and goes. Its not that important to us. We just want justice. According to the Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council, since its inception in 2011, Djukic had been the subject of 30 complaints. While a number were deemed unfounded, 16 resulted in disciplinary action. Of those, six complaints filed in 2018 including that of the Lang family formed the basis of the decision that led to the revocation of his licence. The federal Immigration Department would not comment on Djukics case or provide a timeline for a new regulatory body for immigration consultants that it is creating. Last year, the Liberal government announced it was pumping $51.9 million into helping protect Canadians from unscrupulous immigration consultants and would establish a new body to police the profession. The government said the proposed College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants the third regulator since 2003 would have the power and tools it needs for vigorous oversight, investigations and the means to discipline fraudulent consultants and hold them accountable. However, the self-regulatory model will remain essentially the same, which goes against the recommendation of an all-party parliamentary committee in 2017 urging Ottawa to scrap the existing regulatory body and take over policing of the profession. Critics say the root of the problem comes down to the inability of consultants to govern themselves. Ive seen this over and over in my practice. Some of these consultants are doing so much harm to the public and hurting the integrity of our immigration system, said Ravi Jain, president of the Canadian Bar Associations immigration section. Jain is urging the federal government to repeal a law passed last year authorizing the creation of the proposed regulator. The Immigration Department said the new body will also be given the power to identify and pursue unlicensed consultants, who operate under the radar and are beyond the reach of the licensing body. Currently, only lawyers in good standing and licensed consultants are allowed to offer immigration advice for a fee. Licensed consultants are not bound by any fee schedule and can charge clients whatever they like. The government of Canada is committed to taking decisive action to hold immigration and citizenship consultants to account by improving oversight of consultants, strengthening compliance and enforcement, and increasing accountability to protect both the public and consultants in good standing from dishonest consultants who are taking advantage of vulnerable people, said department spokesperson Nancy Caron. The Immigration Consultants of Canada Regulatory Council (ICCRC) was created in 2011 by then immigration minister Jason Kenney to replace the original regulator, established in 2004. Kenney said the new body was armed with enhanced investigative powers. At a news conference then, Kenney delivered this message to the bad apples in the industry: We are onto you. Your days are numbered. While the regulatory body, which has seen its members quadruple to almost 6,200 from 1,600, is not going to defend the inefficient and ineffective manner in which it dealt with previous complaints and discipline, its spokesperson Christopher May said the revocation of Djukics paralegal licence by the Law Society was an aggravating factor in the penalty the consultants regulator handed down. Djukic was ordered to return $156,510 to six complainants (including the Lang family) as well as pay a $10,000 fine and $73,800 in costs to the regulator. May said the resolution of the 2018 complaints against Djukic is an example of the type of deliberate effort the regulator is now making to crack down on bad consultants; Djukic was quickly suspended last March on the grounds that his continued registration might result in harm to the public. The six cases at issue were dealt with within 10 months, May noted. The (previous) department handling complaints bears the brunt of ICCRC lacking federal statute. Without the investigative and disciplinary powers now included in the new College Act, the complaints department has had to work with one hand tied behind its back, May told the Star in an email. ICCRC has over the past two years invested significant effort and resources into that department, increasing staff five-fold, overhauling the process in a manner that allowed it to focus on serious complaints such as those involving Mr. Djukic. The immigration consulting industry emerged years ago to fill a need in migrant communities where language barriers made it difficult to access help from the mainstream legal system. Lawyer Amina Sherazee said a new crop of multilingual lawyers and a more robust interpretation service have helped removed those barriers. Sherazee, who now represents the Lang family, said she has no faith that the new college for consultants will be any different from its predecessors. We need to ask the question why the consulting industry has failed to protect the most vulnerable. The bottom line is they are ungovernable, she said. Read more about: Byron Mounce, of Puyallup, Wash., pleaded guilty in Pierce County Superior Court to one count of third-degree theft after an investigation showed it was trying to defraud his auto insurer. An investigation by Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidlers Criminal Investigations Unit showed Mounce bought an Esurance policy for his 2000 Mercedes sedan on Oct. 31, 2018. The same day, he filed a claim for more than $3,500 in damage to his car and injuries to his passengers. He said the collision occurred in Tacoma earlier that day when he was run off the freeway by another driver and hit a concrete wall. While he was on the phone with the insurance adjuster, he was overheard telling the tow truck driver that a steering issue with the car caused him to hit the wall. Washington State Patrol records showed the Mercedes had been impounded two days earlier after a collision on Interstate 90 in King County. Esurance denied the claim, which it had determined to be a total loss, and referred the case to Kreidlers investigators. Mounce was sentenced to serve 80 hours of community service and probation, to pay a $500 crime victim compensation penalty and restitution to be determined at a future court date. Topics Auto Washington This afternoon, in the function room of the Loughshore Hotel in Northern Ireland, a newlywed couple smiled bashfully for the crowds and cameras. Dressed in floor-length gowns, Sharni Edwards and Robyn Peoples proudly held up their hands to reveal their rings and kissed beneath an awning of white silk. While most couples are used to being subject of attention on their wedding day, Sharni and Robyn, as the first legally married same-sex couple in Northern Ireland, received more than most. Today is a rare moment of happiness in a fight for LGBT+ rights in Northern Ireland that has been long and hard. Despite being part of the UK in most other regards, when it comes to the rights of the LGBT+ community, Northern Ireland is on its own. While homosexuality was decriminalised in the UK in 1967, the ban remained here; at the time, Northern Irelands conservative Christian population deeply opposed the law. Ten years later, in 1977, Ian Paisley, then leader of the Democratic Unionist party (DUP), launched a campaign called Save Ulster from Sodomy. At a time when violent rhetoric and even more violent attacks on LGBT+ people were commonplace, few felt comfortable to come out; they either moved abroad to start new lives in more tolerant parts of the world, or stayed in the closet. Despite appeals from the LGBT+ community, the UK government refused to intervene in Northern Irelands laws on homosexuality until, in 1982, a gay man successfully took a legal challenge which forced the UK to finally legalise homosexuality in the region. While this improved safety for the community in the short term, homophobic and transphobic attitudes remained rife in Northern Irish society. The first gay pride parade was held in Belfast in 1991 but saw protesters line the streets. Marriage for same-sex couples was legalised in England, Scotland and Wales in 2014 but was not extended to Northern Ireland, as local politicians argued it was contrary to peoples religious beliefs. Again, the UK government ignored pleas from the LGBT+ community and refused to intervene; arguing it was a matter devolved to the Stormont parliament and not something which Westminster could act on. Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Show all 5 1 /5 Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Revellers celebrate equal marriage at Belfast's Maverick Bar Martha Brown and her partner Louise McCullough and equal marriage supporters at Maverick Bar, Belfast, celebrate the change to abortion and same sex marriage laws in Northern Ireland at 00:01. The law passed by Westminster MPs will decriminalise abortion and pave the way for the introduction of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland Liam McBurney/PA Wire Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Celebration time for same-sex couples and campaigners Same-sex couples and campaigners in Northern Ireland had an early celebration at the Merchant Hotel in Belfast on Monday to mark the historic change Rebecca Black/PA Wire Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Christopher and Henry Flanagan-Kane in Belfast Christopher and Henry Flanagan-Kane in Belfast on Monday. The pair were one of the first same-sex couples in the UK to have a civil union in 2005. Now they are looking forward to changing their civil union to a marriage over a decade later Rebecca Black/PA Wire Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland Drag Queen, Titty Von Tramp, at Belfast's Maverick Bar Drag queen Titty Von Tramp at Maverick Bar, Belfast, counts down the clock to midnight as a change in the law passed by Westminster MPs will decriminalise abortion and pave the way for the introduction of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Liam McBurney/PA Wire Marriage equality celebrations in Northern Ireland A landmark day for equal rights in Northern Ireland Martha Brown with her partner Louise McCullough and equal marriage supporters at Maverick Bar, Belfast, celebrate the change to abortion and same sex marriage laws in Northern Ireland at 00:01. The law passed by Westminster MPs will decriminalise abortion and pave the way for the introduction of same sex marriage in Northern Ireland Liam McBurney/PA Wire However, in recent years, social attitudes have changed immensely. In post-conflict Northern Ireland, the influence of the Protestant and Catholic churches, entrenched by the Troubles, finally waned. The Republics May 2015 legalisation of same-sex marriage had considerable cultural impact in Northern Ireland; increasingly, it began to feel like the region was falling behind on an issue increasingly considered a human right. Finally, in November 2015, a majority of politicians at Stormont voted to legalise equal marriage. However, outrage ensued when it was blocked by the DUP which, while no longer led by Paisley, remained vehemently opposed to what it called the redefinition of marriage. Debate rumbled on but was largely confined to discussions within Northern Ireland and the difference in LGBT+ rights appeared to be little known in other parts of the UK. However, that suddenly changed in 2017 when a snap election saw the Conservatives lose their parliamentary majority and enter a confidence-and-supply arrangement with the DUP. For the first time, a party little known outside of Northern Ireland was thrust into the national spotlight. Many people expressed their horror and disbelief that the party held such homophobic views, and were continuing to block equal marriage in Northern Ireland. While the UK government once again insisted it was for Stormont to decide, public opinion seemed to have turned against the DUPs stance for good. This was compounded during Brexit debates, when the DUPs main argument about the negotiations was that Northern Ireland had to be subject to the same treatment as the rest of the UK in EU withdrawal or else would feel less British. This was clearly incompatible with their stance on subjecting Northern Irelands LGBT+ to different laws. The DUP were never able to convincingly explain this paradox within their thinking. Furthermore, the collapse of Northern Irelands government in 2017 presented another opportunity for progress towards equal marriage. While it initially collapsed following a public finances scandal, a three-year deadlock ensued in which both the DUP and Sinn Fein could not agree to go back into government. This put pressure on Westminster to act, as MPs could no longer argue that Stormont was in a position to decide, when it had not sat for several years. The matter came to a head in July 2019, when MPs finally voted to legalise same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland. Crucially, they inserted a clause stating that if politicians returned to Stormont by 21st October, they could block the law. Yet if the government had not returned by one minute past midnight on 22nd October, the first marriages would be possible by February 2020. The DUP was furious. On 21st October, party leader Arlene Foster led a delegation of her party colleagues who trooped into Stormonts chamber in protest, describing it as a shameful day for Northern Ireland. However, their protest was merely symbolic. As the clock struck midnight that night, celebrations erupted across Northern Ireland from drag queens replete with confetti cannons to private embraces between couples whod been engaged for years. After such a long wait, many were fearful that their hopes could still be dashed, and refused to be overly optimistic. Yet the moment many feared would never come is finally here: Northern Irelands first same-sex wedding. Today is a day of joy not just for Sharni and Robyn, but for generations of LGBT+ people who have fought tirelessly for the simple right to marry the person they love. Louise Callagy Louise Callagy, a former senior director for global external affairs at Gap Inc. and senior VP at FleishmanHillard, has joined Sutherlandgold as executive VP to bolster its integrated marketing communications offering She'll work with CEOs and founders to create storytelling opportunities and positioning programs. Most recently, Callagy ran her own consulting firm and served as interim CMO for early-stage and mid-sized companies in the San Francisco Bay area. Lesley Gold, co-founder of Sutherlandgold, said Callagy knows "how to cut to the chase, win the confidence of CEOs and get meaningful results." Sutherlandgold, which has offices in San Francisco and New York, has worked for Figure Technologies, BREX, Bill.com, Circle Financial, Doctor on Demand, and SurveyMonkey. [February 11, 2020] L'eggs Announces Partnership with 'Operation: Deploy Your Dress' L'eggs Hosiery is partnering with "Operation: Deploy Your Dress" to support women in the military, military spouses, and their families. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005180/en/ L'eggs Hosiery is partnering with "Operation: Deploy Your Dress" to support women in the military, military spouses, and their families. (Photo: Business Wire) Operation: Deploy Your Dress (ODYD) began as a kitchen conversation in Fort Bliss, Texas, in late 2015 between Army spouses about the expense of getting formalwear for military balls. The friends organized a dress swap among unit spouses. From there, the Operation: Deploy Your Dress founders built a nonprofit that provides formal attire to military families at no cost through eight "shops" on bases across America. The grassroots organization is run by volunteers and depends entirely on donations. Operation: Deploy Your Dress collects new and gently-loved special occasion dresses, shoes, hosiery and accessories to give to servicemembers and their loved ones. During the past four years, Operation Deploy Your Dress has distributed more than 11,000 dresses free of charge to military spouses, daughters and female soldiers. L'eggs Hosiery, an iconic brand owned by HanesBrands (NYSE: HBI), is perfectly suited to support the group's mission. "Service members and their families across the country make sacrifices every day for our nation," said Jill King, general manager of hosiery for HanesBrands. "Learning about Operation: Deploy Your Dress is simply inspiring. It isn't just about a dress. It is about feeling amazing and the excitement of dressing up for such a special occasion. L'eggs is beyond honored to support women in the military and women who are part of military families by supporting this outstanding nonprofit." L'eggs Hosiery's sponsorship includes supporting the launch of a new 2020 Operation: Deploy Your Dress shop, collecting dresses through a Hanes corporate dress drive, and donating sheer hosiery and tights to the organization' eight current locations. Partnering with L'eggs Hosiery gives Operation: Deploy Your Dress a chance to serve more military families by spreading the word about their mission and attracting more donations. "L'eggs can help us share our main pillar of 'Deploying America's Patriotism One Dress At A Time' and gives civilians a tangible way to show their support," said Yvonne Coombes, the nonprofit's co-founder. "Every dress we receive is like a hug from someone who appreciates the sacrifice our soldiers and families make on a daily basis. A dress may seem like a small thing, but traditions such as military balls are important in building camaraderie and esprit de corps, which translates into unit cohesion during deployment and at home. Young military families live on tight budgets and attending a ball is often not something they can easily afford." Military members and spouses often share how much the free dress shops mean to them. One woman in Fort Bliss, Texas, wrote: "I just had a baby two months ago and there is a ball next week. I'm not very confident in my current body, nor have I been looking forward to the extra financial strain of buying a gown. As soon as I saw into the window, I actually gasped at all of the gorgeous gowns and felt so excited! I have never had an opportunity to do anything like that: to spend an afternoon playing dress up in beautiful, fancy things I've never imagined owning or wearing. The staff was incredibly helpful, encouraging and friendly. For an afternoon, I felt like a princess. I will definitely be paying it forward ASAP." A dress donor wrote: "Just wanted to send a little love and gratitude your way. I was an Army wife for five years and had to miss a ball because we just didn't have the money to get me a dress. This is near to my heart! Hope this helps anyone. Love and Hooah." Join L'eggs Hosiery in supporting Operation: Deploy Your Dress by: Gifting prom dresses, bridesmaid dresses, or other formal gowns to the nonprofit, and letting others know about the opportunity. Using Amazon Smile with Operation: Deploy Your Dress designated as your charity of choice. Making a financial donation to or volunteering your time with Operation: Deploy Your Dress. To learn more, visit OperationDeployYourDress.org. About L'eggs One of the most recognized brands in America, L'eggs is the leading legwear brand in food, drug and mass merchandisers. L'eggs hosiery is available at Walmart, Target (News - Alert), Walgreens, CVS, Kroger, and Publix stores nationwide and online at One Hanes Place and Amazon. Connect with L'eggs on social media on Facebook (News - Alert) at https://www.facebook.com/LeggsBrand/ and Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/leggsbrand/. About Operation: Deploy Your Dress Non-profit Operation: Deploy Your Dress operates 8 "shops" at Fort Bliss and Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Benning and Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Eustis in Virginia, Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington, and Fort Irwin in California. Additionally, in an effort to help more military families in all branches of service, the group organizes a two-day "pop-up shop" in Washington, D.C. annually. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005180/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Zimbabwean artistes are mourning after the death of Imbube/Isicathamiya Lady Smith Black Mambazo group founder Joseph Shabalala, saying Africa and the world had lost a gem. Shabalala (78) died on Tuesday morning in Pretoria, South Africa. He had retired from music in 2014 due to health reasons. Through his group, Shabalala won five Grammy awards. Zimbabweans knew more about Lady Smith Black Mambazo and Shabalala through the late Dr Oliver Mtukudzi. They did collaborations such as a remix of the all-time classic Neria released in 2018 and Hello My baby in 2016. Mtukudzis former manager Walter Wanyanya said the last time Tuku and Shabalala met was in July 2018. When we went to South Africa to shoot the music video for Neria and after it being shot, Dr Tuku insisted on us visiting Shabalala. He wasnt feeling well at that time. It was quite an experience for me, it was very surreal. He couldnt talk much and what was weird for me was that he could sing. So, him and Dr Tuku were singing most of the time of our visit there, said Wanyanya. Lady Smiths influence saw the formation of numerous groups such as Black Umfolosi, Indosakusa: The Morning Star and all female group Nobuntu. Indosakusa: The Morning Star founder Oscar Siziba, said they were deeply hurt by Shabalalas death. He shared that Shabalala composed and featured on a song called Wobyoyo ubuye from their Amaqinga aphelile album released in 2013 when they were called Impumelelo Shining Stars. Shabalala also produced it. They recorded the album at United Rhythm Studio which is owned by Mtshengiseni Shabalala of Umaqondana fame. Mtshengiseni is younger brother to Joseph. Such a great man who in 2013 featured on our album, which was an honour. He was a perfectionist when he was producing it. One lasting memory he left us with was three Ps, Prayer, Practice and Patience. Hes more than a father, a mentor and teacher. We knew him personally, said Siziba. He said they were working on travelling to South Africa to pay their last respects. We want to go and pay respects to such a great man who took time to mentor us and even collaborate with the group. We are hurt by his death that has robbed the world of a man who made isicathamiya such a great genre to listen to and was given five Grammy Awards, said Siziba. Black Umfolosi founding member Tomeki Dube described Shabalala as a world icon that would be sadly missed. Shabalala is an icon in this genre. We shall remember all he did for the genre and even us as Black Umfolosi we used to refer to his music. We developed a unique style of music just because of studying Black Mambazo and Shabalala, said Dube. He said they were also considering travelling to South Africa to mourn with the family, Shabalalas death. South Africa based Amavevane who met Shabalala in 2015 described him as a welcoming man. We met him with my group Amavevane in 2015. We were honoured. We know one of his sons and we asked him to see his father and he agreed. That was one of the special moments in our lives. Shabalala was friendly and welcoming and he said he was happy that people were united in keeping isicathamiya music alive, said Amavevane leader Future Ndebele. He said he would cherish the advice he was given by Shabalala. Well forever remember him for the work that he did, not for us but everyone who follows isicathamiya. As TV titles go, Faboriginal is surely fab-original. And NITVs first Indigenous arts game show is also as no-frills as they come. Here comes a game show literally staged inside the Art Gallery of NSW. Theres no flashing lights, no prizes, and barely anything that passes for a set. But host and creator Steven Oliver (Black Comedy, A Chance Affair, From Darkness) exudes such enthusiasm one would probably be overshadowed anyway. Instead this is stripped back to one podium and two tables on a stage in front of a very agreeable audience. Its pub night in the Art Gallery. Faboriginal is a TV edition of a live event devised by Oliver and the Art Gallery of NSW. All the questions centre around Indigenous Art with Spicks & Specks-style parlour games and Olivers unapologetic hosting (he even sings the theme tune!). In episode one we meet two deadly teams of three: Elaine Crombie, Christine Anu, Meyne Wyatt plus Daniel Browning, Shari Sebbens & Brendan Boney. A Taboriginal adjudicator (Coby Edgar) is tasked with the scoring, quite literally with a clipboard and pen -I did say this was no-frills. The trivia rounds get Olivers camp titling: Ahhh You Dont Know, What This Mob Talking About, Who You Mob?, a charades round Move Your Parts to Title These Arts, and a fun true / false quiz in which everyone must answer either Course! or Dont Be Stupid! While questions about Albert Namatjira paintings may not be readily apparent to everybody (including some of the young panel), the show moves swiftly and finds ways to educate in an entertaining way. Much of this is due to Oliver who, we are told, has the juiciest cheeks in the country. Who am I to argue? He is quick, too, with the barbs such as one question around a sculpture becoming culturally significant: In other words when Aboriginal art became important to white people. Art doesnt always readily translate to television (Everyones a Critic, anyone?) but Faboriginal works as community TV for one frequently under-represented. It may yet work as cult TV (Gogglebox alert!). And you may just learn a thing or two about Albert Namatjira. Faboriginal airs 8:30pm Thursdays on NITV. We invite all vendors to register on the Empire State Purchasing Group to start receiving business opportunities. The Ellicottville Fire District announced it has joined the Empire State Purchasing Group and will be publishing and distributing upcoming bid opportunities on the system. BidNets Empire State Purchasing Group connects participating agencies from across New York to a large vendor pool and streamlines the bid and vendor management process. BidNets New York purchasing group provides notifications to registered vendors of new relevant solicitations, as well as any addenda and award information from participating agencies from across New York, and can be accessed at http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york. The Ellicottville Fire District joined the purchasing group in January, and will be utilizing the system to streamline their purchasing process including bid management, bid distribution and vendor relations. The Empire State Purchasing Group is a single, online location for managing sourcing information and activities and provides local New York government agencies the tools needed to minimize costs and save time throughout the purchasing process. The Empire State Purchasing Group expands an agencys vendor pool and enhances vendor competition without increasing distribution costs. In addition to the existing vendors on the Empire State Purchasing Group, all vendors looking to do business with the Ellicottville Fire District can register online: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york. The Ellicottville Fire District invites all interested bidders to register today. Registered vendors can access all open bids, related documents and files, additional addenda and award information. In addition, the Empire State Purchasing Group offers a value-added service to notify vendors of new bids targeted to their industry, all addenda and advance notification of expiring term contracts. Registered vendors have access to not only the Ellicottville Fire District bid opportunities, but all participating agency bids. Our vendors can now save time and paper. They not only have direct access to our open bids, but those from other agencies throughout the state. We invite all vendors to register on the Empire State Purchasing Group to start receiving business opportunities, stated Amy Ginnitti, Treasurer of the Ellicottville Fire District. Vendors may register on the Empire State Purchasing Group at: http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york. BidNets vendor support team is available to answer any questions regarding the registration process or the bid system at 800-835-4603 option 2. Other local New York government agencies looking to switch from a manual bid process, please contact the Empire State Purchasing Group for a demonstration of the no-cost sourcing solution. About the Ellicottville Fire District: The Ellicottville Fire District is a completely volunteer organization with approximately 50 members. The Fire Department was incorporated in July of 1945. The new Fire Hall was dedicated in October of 1996. About the Empire State Purchasing Group: The Purchasing Group is a part of BidNets regional purchasing groups available at no cost to local government agencies throughout the country. With years of input from procurement professionals, BidNet specifically developed the bid system to fill the need for a robust bid and supplier management solution for local government agencies. BidNet runs regional purchasing groups across all 50 states that are used by over 1,300 local governments. To learn more and have your government agency gain better transparency and efficiency in purchasing, please visit https://www.bidnetdirect.com/buyers The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Mr Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu says the government was working on a Bill to ban the importation of accident and overaged vehicles into Ghana. This is to help create an enabling environment and the market for various vehicle manufacturing companies, which have pledged to set up assembling plants in Ghana. According to Mr Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who is also the Majority Leader in Parliament, the Bill is still in its consultation processes. He said it has been presented to the appropriate Parliamentary committee as a first stage and some recommendations have been made and it has been taken back into government circles for further consultations. Various vehicles manufacturing companies such as Nissan and VW have formed up plans to set up assembling plants in Ghana to serve the Ghanaian market and other West African countries. There is currently a huge market for salvaged (accident) and second-hand vehicles in Ghana. Mr Osei-Kyei-Mensah made this known in a radio interview on Accra based Okay FM Tuesday morning [February 11, 2020]. More to follow... Source: Daily Graphic Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. Featured Video PSD (Social Democratic Party) is going to notify the Ombudsman to challenge with the Constitutional Court the emergency ordinance regarding the early polls, the leader of the PSD Deputies, Alfred Simonis, stated on Tuesday. "We are going to file a notification with the Ombudsman to challenge the emergency ordinance that modifies the electoral legislation less than six months before the elections. On the other hand, I want to say this very clearly that the public is also making comments about the PNL (National Liberal party) representatives, who lie nonchalantly. I understand that what they claim with this ordinance is that the Romanian citizens who didn't have a right to vote will do have a right to vote after this ordinance. I want to be very clear: if this ordinance comes into force, if it comes out ok from the constitutionality check, basically any citizen from the Timis County who is vacationing in the Vaslui County will be able to vote including for the Vaslui MPs. If you believe that someone from Timisoara, like me, who has never been to the Vaslui County before the election day, can vote for the Vaslui MPs, well, I do not find this normal," said Simonis, when he was asked about the provisions of the emergency ordinance on early polls.He also said PSD is ready for snap polls, but also that it was not normal to have early polls organised four months before the official date.About the PSD MPs being worried in relation to the early polls possibility, Simonis said that "there were voices who supported the snap polls and others who said that, for the stability of the country, it was better not to have snap polls.""I haven't discussed this with all my colleagues in Parliament, but there is no major concern in respect to this," he added. Ricky Bearden grew up on Lake Conroe. The 39-year-old Willis resident completed his first fishing tournament when he was 8 and began manning a boat at 14. In the spring, Bearden will catch up to 100 fish, either bass or crappie. Wintertime is a little rougher with a good day bringing in maybe 10 fish. As temperatures drop, winds pick up and rain falls during the earlier months of the year, Bearden is one of the few on the waters of Lake Conroe. There are between 10 or 15 boats on the expansive lake when inclement weather hits, according to Lt. Tim Cade of Montgomery County Precinct 1 Constables Marine Division. They will come out, no matter what the weather is and they will get it done, Cade said. Getting it done is what Precinct 1s lake patrol does, staying busy as ever. There are as many deputies on watch on a chilly and gray winter day as there are on a bright spring day, Cade said. On its slower days, the lake patrols deputies work on any host of things from monitoring road traffic and serving out warrants. To more quickly respond to an emergency situation, Cade said deputies remain in the general vicinity of Lake Conroe and keep their boats fully prepped. The lake is our primary mission, Cade said. On a recent day when north Montgomery County hovered a little above 40 degrees, the wind chill sat below 39 and overcast enveloped the scene, Cade stood resolute. As the north wind whistles off the barrier-free waters of Lake Conroe, the temperature automatically descends, he explained. Walking down a deck outside the marine divisions headquarters, a black leather jacket-clad Cade said a north wind guarantees lake waters will be choppy. He pointed at an American flag waving due south on the near horizon to demonstrate the ferocity of the north wind. Looking from here it doesnt look that bad, but once you get out there and get on it, the boat is rocking, Cade said. Though winds are the fiercest element boaters may face while out on the lake, Januarys visitors may have experienced a lot of fog, which Cade said lowers visibility in half. Navigation lights and slower speed are essential to safely boating, he added. Foggy days are scary out there, Cade said. The lake patrol also uses its blue overhead lights and siren to safely respond to the site of an emergency on the lake. For the lake patrols protection when jumping in chilly waters for rescues, about five NRS-brand wet suits are at arms length thanks to an asset forfeiture-funded $1,075 grant from the Montgomery County District Attorneys Office. District Attorney Brett Ligon said public safety comes in successfully prosecuting criminal offenders and protecting people in danger. Pct. 1s lake patrol does all of these tasks and much more in a very difficult environment, and our hope is that the equipment and training we helped to provide will only aid their efforts, Ligon said. The men and women of Precinct 1 generally, and Lt. Cade and his lake patrol specifically, do excellent work, and we are always proud to partner with them in their efforts wherever and whenever possible. Wintertime is when Pct. 1s marine division heals itself, Cade explained. During the summer, we run hard. We run the boats hard. We run ourselves hard. We work extra-long hours to make sure that people are being safe, he said. Through those months, theres not downtime to fix boats, theres not much downtime to fix us. Deputies during the wintry downtime will do more training to better prepare for when the lake draws hundreds of boats, Cade added. This includes dive training and boat handling training. The DAs Office also previously provided $2,940 in dive training drawn from asset forfeiture funds. We train a lot to stay on top of our game, Cade said. Though Old Man Winter may make Lake Conroe a rough setting, Bearden and other die hard fishermen, as Cade calls them, remain undeterred in carrying out their well-learned trades. The fish are gonna bite, you just gotta find them, Bearden said. Preparation like gear and location are a must when fishing in inclement winter weather, Bearden explained. Before he boards his watercraft, Bearden will choose a boat ramp close to areas he enjoys fishing so he will not have to run his motor as much. He checks the forecast for lightning, looking to see how many mph the wind is going and in which direction as he knows the force his boat can bear. Because the wind starts to cool down the remainder of the lake, the north ends relative warmth attracts most looking to fish. That part of Lake Conroe has a lot of standing timber from when the man-made reservoir was built off wooded land. Stumps are appearing more frequently this winter because of lower rainfall compared to in early spring and the San Jacinto River Authoritys seasonal lowering of the lake. Strong winds are pushing waves over left behind stumps. A boater less familiar with the lake, Bearden warned, will wrongly think he or she is in the clear and possibly crash into one falling into the cold, black waters. Youre probably not gonna survive, he said. Whether Lake Conroe is undergoing inviting or inclement weather, or being visited by well-experienced or less-experienced boaters on it, Precinct 1s marine division is on hand. Because even the most experienced of fishers may need their help. We have to be ready, just in case, Cade said. Risk is just part of being on the water. jose.gonzalez@chron.com twitter.com/jrgzztx Former Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore installed his famous 2.5-ton Ten Commandments monument in the office of his Foundation for Moral Law in Montgomery on Tuesday while protesters chanted no rapists in Alabama politics. Moore, taking off his suit jacket on his 73rd birthday, helped a crew from Clark Memorials put the monument in the office of the non-profit foundation. The Foundation for Moral Law, of which his wife, Kayla, is president, has its office at One Dexter Avenue, where a recently installed statue of Rosa Parks marks the spot where she refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in 1955, setting off the Montgomery Bus Boycott. After the monument was set up, Moore talked to reporters about putting the Ten Commandments in school and getting government to acknowledge God, which he hopes to do if he is elected to office again. Hes running for the Republican nomination for U.S. senate, after losing a 2017 special election for that seat to U.S. Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat. During that campaign, several women came forward with accusations of past inappropriate behavior. One woman accused him of a sexual encounter when she was underage. Another woman accused him of sexual assault. U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, a Republican, urged voters not to vote for Moore. Moore called the allegations a disinformation campaign and blamed Shelby for his loss. Doug Jones was elected because of Richard Shelby, Moore said. Of the accusations against him, Moore said, Weve denied them. Weve sued them. Moore could hear the chanting protesters outside his office. I dont hate anybody out there, Moore said. I hate sin. I love people. Mia Raven, director of Power House and Montgomery Area Reproductive Justice Coalition, which escorts patients into the Reproductive Health Services abortion clinic, said she was driving by when she saw the monument being moved into the lobby of the foundation office. I saw it going in, she said. Ive been protesting him since the first time. As chief justice, Moore installed the monument in the Alabama Judicial Building in 2001. That set off a two-year legal battle. Moore was ousted from office in 2003 and the monument was removed. Moore said it was moved to Crosspoint Community Church in Gadsden after that. Raven said she had no problem with Moore displaying his monument in his private office, but was opposed in 2001 when he put it in a public building. This is where it belongs, on private property, she said. But Raven said the move Tuesday was just to drum up support for his current campaign to return to office. Its a stunt, she said. She summoned her clinic escorts to Dexter Avenue to protest. I dont like anything he stands for, said Bianca Cameron-Schwiesow, who did most of the shouting outside the window during Moores monument ceremony. Judge Roy Moore needs to go ahead and retire. I consider him a pedophile and a rapist. We dont have room for him in Alabama politics. Moore said the protesters were misguided. Thats not love, he said. Thats not unity. Thats hate. For what reason? Because I acknowledge God. Roy Moore and his Ten Commandments monument Posted by al.com on Tuesday, February 11, 2020 Every child needs a strong early childhood support system, and it is often difficult for families in at-risk situations to provide that for their children. In Lincoln, 26% of families with children under age 5 live in poverty or near poverty. This equates to 3,362 children in families that fall below the poverty threshold. In the short-term, increasing access to affordable early care programs enables more parents to engage in the workforce in Lincoln. In the long-term, investing in quality child care creates the greatest opportunity for our 3,362 children living in poverty to be healthy successful adults. These types of community investments and long-term visioning give us the best chance to break intergenerational poverty cycles that put a strain on public resources. Fortunately, in 2020 we know more about the value of quality early childhood programs than ever before. James Heckman, a Nobel Prize winner in economics from the University of Chicago, says if we want to reduce government deficits and strengthen the economy, we should make significant investments in quality early childhood education. Israeli police are investigating a possible hate crime after Christian families in the country found their car tires slashed and extremist graffiti written on vehicles and buildings on Tuesday. Security footage shows three suspects in hooded sweatshirts slashing car tires in the predominantly Christian town of Jish. More than 150 cars were damaged, CBN News reports. I woke up at seven in the morning to take my kids to school [and] I heard noise outside, Shadi Khalloul, an Aramaic Christian living in Jish told CBN News. I went to see what was happening. I see my father and the other neighbors and everyone standing near his car and looking very sadly [at] the carthey said someone punctured the car wheels. The three suspects also spray painted the Star of David on some of the cars and painted messages on buildings. Jews wake up. Stop assimilating! one of the messages reportedly said. Police believe the town was targeted by Jewish extremists. Jish council head Elias Elias told reporters that this is not the first time residents in the area have dealt with Jewish extremists. : -200 | @rubih67 (: ) pic.twitter.com/2jyrclrAUD (@kann_news) February 11, 2020 Khalloul said this was the third attack in 18 months. Ive heard some people tell me Look, what [if] they come and burn your house or burn or car or shoot at your home? Now they are puncturing wheels but what if worse comes?" he told CBN News. These people should be treated like any terrorist and put in jail in order to educate others not to do this, he added. The town of Jish is predominantly Christian, but many Arab Muslims also live there. It is a peaceful Christian Aramaic town mixed with some Arab Muslims [who] are also peaceful. We live together in coexistence with our neighbors, Khalloul told CBN News. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a statement regarding the attack, noting that they would find the lawbreakers and bring them to justice. He warned, We will not accept any attacks on our citizens. Photo courtesy: Pixabay 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. Researchers from Drexel University have found a way to destroy stubbornly resilient toxic compounds, ominously dubbed "forever chemicals," that have contaminated the drinking water of millions across the United States. These chemicals, commonly called PFAS - a shortening of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, were used for some 60 years as coatings for nonstick pans and waterproof clothing and in fire-fighting foams. In the last two decades concerns about health risks associated with exposure to PFAS - from cancer and thyroid problems to low birthweights and high blood pressure - have led to federal bans, monitoring mandates and massive remediation efforts. But eliminating these chemicals - originally designed to resist high-temperatures of fuel-driven fires - from drinking water has proven to be nearly impossible. "The carbon-fluoride chemical bonds in PFAS compounds are extremely stable, so it's impossible to break down these compounds using standard treatment methods," said Christopher Sales, PhD, an associate professor of environmental engineering at Drexel who studies degradation of environmental contaminants. Sales is part of a team from Drexel's College of Engineering and the C. & J. Nyheim Plasma Institute exploring how a blast of charged gas, called cold plasma, can be used to eliminate PFAS from water. His group recently published its research in the journal Environmental Science: Water Research & Technology. "This has become an urgent issue because we are seeing PFAS turn up everywhere, not just in the water and soil near airports that used it in fire-fighting foam, but also in many consumer goods like stain-resistant fabrics and food packaging designed to repel liquids and grease" Sales said. "Because these chemicals do not readily biodegrade, PFAS is leaching into ground and surface water from products that have been sitting in landfills for decades." Though precise exposure routes have not yet been identified, studies suggest that PFAS has been detected in the bloodstream of as much as 98 percent of the U.S. population through some combination of direct exposure, drinking water contamination and bioaccumulation. The Department of Defense is currently spending billions of dollars to clean up contaminated soil water supplies around hundreds of military bases where PFAS fire-fighting foam had been used. But the best efforts are only a stopgap, according to Sales. "The current standard for dealing with PFAS-contaminated water is activated carbon filters," Sales said. "But the problem with filtration is that it only collects the PFAS it doesn't destroy it. So, unless the filters are incinerated at high temperatures, the spent filters become a new source of PFAS that can make its way back into the environment through landfill runoff and seepage." To truly eliminate the chemicals treatment needs to split apart the carbon-fluoride bond that is key to the compound's staying power. Different types of PFAS, which now number in the thousands, are comprised of different length carbon-fluoride chains. The primary goal of proposed decontamination methods is to break the chain into smaller pieces to render it inert. A secondary, and more challenging target, is completely removing the fluoride atoms from the compounds - an achievement called defluorination. One way to remove PFAS from water is through elevating its temperatures which raises the activity of its atoms enough to stretch the carbon-fluoride bond to its breaking point. Unfortunately, it takes a lot more than boiling to get rid of PFAS, according to Sales. "To break the extremely stable bond between carbon and fluoride in PFAS, you need to raise the temperature of the compounds to at least 1,000 Celsius - so 10 times the temperature of boiling water," Sales said. "But that's clearly not feasible for water treatment operations, due to the massive amount of energy it would consume." The Drexel team is proposing the use of highly energized gas, or plasma, as a way to activate the PFAS atoms without heating the water. In non-equilibrium, or "cold" plasma, an electromagnetic field is used to excite the electrons in a gas without raising its overall temperature. In a common example of cold plasma, a fluorescent light, electrons are excited to the point where they emit visible light while the gas itself remains at room temperature. Researchers at the Nyheim Plasma Institute have been harnessing non-equilibrium plasma technology for decontamination and sterilization of produce and meat and in health care settings. Turning it loose on PFAS is the chemical equivalent of using a blender to make a smoothie. First, a device called a gliding arc plasmatron creates a rotating electromagnetic field that activates electrons of gas bubbles in the water. The high-energy electrons split apart chemical species in the water and begin to emit ultraviolet radiation. Ultimately, the spinning vortex of atoms, ions and radiation reaches a level of activity high enough to sever the carbon-fluoride bond in the PFAS compounds - all without raising the temperature of the water. In just an hour of treatment, that uses a little more energy than it would take to get a tea kettle to boil, the gliding arc plasma treatment can eliminate more than 90 percent of PFAS from the water and defluorinate about a quarter of the compounds, according to the group's recently published study. "This is just one example of how effectively and energy efficiently cold plasma technology can be used to address difficult chemical contamination problems," said Alexander Fridman, PhD, director of the Nyheim Plasma Institute. "Cold plasma has the potential to help us eliminate a variety of chemical toxins that threaten our food and drinking water supplies." While plasma treatment methods for PFAS removal have been tested by other groups, thus far none of them lend themselves to being easily scaled up for use at large treatment facilities, according to the Drexel researchers. "Now that we have proven the effectiveness of cold plasma water treatment our next step is to continue testing it on a larger scale," Fridman said. "We also believe the technology could be adjusted to treat contaminated soil and to achieve near-complete defluorination of PFAS compounds." ### In addition to Sales and Fridman, at Drexel, Gregory Fridman, PhD, of AAPlasma, LLC, and Erica MaKenzie, PhD, from Temple University, also contributed to the research. Press Release February 11, 2020 Transcript of Interview with Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon Q: The President says he is really going to terminate the VFA, what will happen to the resolution and the Senate review of the VFA? SFMD: If the President finally terminates the VFA, there is no sense reviewing it, because what we will review if the VFA has been in fact terminated. And if the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot stand alone, because the basis of the EDCA is the VFA, and if the VFA is terminated, the EDCA cannot be effective. If the VFA and EDCA are no longer effective, then the MDT, as mentioned by Sec. Locsin, would be inutile and would serve no purpose. Q: What do you say to the statements of the President that the told to those who are appealing to him that he won't listen? SFMD: That is his privilege insofar as the VFA, at this point, is concerned. He has the prerogative. We recognize that. That is why we introduced a resolution in the 17thCongress that expressed the sense of the Senate that the termination of treaties should carry with it the consent of the Senate. A treaty is part of the law of the land. The moment the Senate concurs in the ratification of a treaty, that treaty becomes the law of the land. In our view, the termination of the treaty, like the repeal of any law, must carry the concurrence of the Senate. In fact, there are about 20 resolutions concurring in the ratification of treaties where the consent of the Senate is specified that must be secured in order to make the termination effective. However, there is a debate as to whether or not that will apply to the VFA because as that time VFA as ratified, there was no such requirement in the ratification. Q: How will it impact the country? SFMD: The question raised by a number of our colleagues are at this point, insofar as the military relationship is concerned, are we prepared to stand on our own? Here it is the shortcomings of all the administrations when we failed to prepare adequately our security capability. It is a rule in foreign relations that a foreign policy is always to the benefit of the country that enunciates the policy. In other words, no foreign policy is altruistic in character. It is always to the benefit of the country promulgating it. so, it is up to us to protect our own national interest. At this stage, the view is, our national interest would fall for the continued existence of the VFA. But the President has another view and, at this point, he is the principal actor insofar as foreign relation is concerned and insofar as the VFA is concerned. Q: Sir, don't you think the President should give due course to those appeals? SFMD: We can give advice. But the matter of whether or not the President will listen to advice is the prerogative of the President. We cannot do anything. That's a political issue. Q: Are we ready for the impact? SFMD: Well, whether of not we are ready for the impact is a matter that the President would have to consider in the course of his decision making. As I said, this is a political decision and he is the political leader. He holds himself responsible for the people for the consequences of the political decision. But, I repeat, this is a decision that he will make - the advice of all others being considered. Q: On the ABS-CBN franchise, what's your school of thoughts about this? SFMD: I do not understand it. the ABS-CBN franchise will expire on March 30 and that is barely 50 days from today. I don't think the court can rule on the petition and in 50 days, the issue will become academic if the franchise is not renewed. Now, if the Congress will grant the franchise, it must be Congress which will hear of the arguments of the alleged violation of the existing franchise and take this into account in renewing or not renewing the franchise of ABS-CBN. The jurisdiction is with Congress at this point. At this point, I really could not understand the action of the Solicitor General. I repeat, in 50 days time the issue will become academic if the Congress does not renew the franchise. The court will not rule on an academic question. They will not rule simply for the information of the public. They will rule if it affects the rights of a person or parties and they will rule on this if the franchise is still valid after 50 days. If Congress is not renewing it, there is no sense in the ruling on a legal issue which will just be theoretical and academic. If Congress is going to renew, it is Congress that has the jurisdiction and which should hear the arguments or the grounds for non-renewal of the franchise. Q: Can the committee be held accountable? SFMD: No, you cannot hold them accountable. They are not required to act on this recommendation. This is an exercise of a political judgment. The members of Congress are answerable to the people insofar as this is concerned. You cannot even go to court and compel Congress to renew the franchise. Q: What happens to ABS-CBN after March 30? Can it still operate legally? SFMD: No, they need a franchise to operate. FLORIDA CITY, Fla. - On a recent afternoon, many stools stood empty beside a conveyor belt where workers examined a stream of green tomatoes and tossed aside those with holes and cracks at a South Florida packing house. Paul J. DiMare, one of the countrys leading producers of fresh tomatoes, recalls the days when hundreds of foreign workers lined up to labour in the fields or box the produce at his facility in Florida City. The machines roared for more than 12 hours a day as truckloads of tomatoes rolled in to be washed, inspected and packaged. Now, they run for only four. If you have no labour, you cant run your operation, DiMare says. The influential farmer and head of DiMare Inc. is among a group of businessmen trying to kill a Florida bill that would require private companies to verify each new hires eligibility to work in the U.S. through a screening process called E-Verify. DiMare says that could reduce the pool of candidates when his business faces a labour shortage of more than 30%. I think illegal immigration is one of the worst things that has happened to this country, he said. But we dont have a good immigration policy. And what are we going to do to replace those people? Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has made the issue a priority, saying it would remove an incentive for people to come illegally. The state Senate Judicial Committee approved a watered down version of the proposal Tuesday. It exempts agriculture employers and companies that have fewer than 150 employees, but otherwise requires companies use E-Verify. Sen. President Bill Galvano has been skeptical about a law that would require all employers use E-Verify because it would create a burden for employers in Floridas vital agriculture, tourism and construction sectors. Similar measures have failed in the past. More than 54,000 employers in Florida are currently enrolled in the E-Verify database, federal government records show. That list includes local and state agencies, which have been required to use the database since 2011. U.S. Census Bureau data shows Florida had more than 480,000 establishments with employees in 2016. The American Business Immigration Coalition, which DiMare co-chairs, says the measure could devastate the economy and cost Florida companies billions of dollars because they cant hire as many labourers. The group says the first year of E-Verify compliance would cost small businesses anywhere from $1,250 to $24,422 per company. The Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association says its a food security matter, as Florida harvests the majority of fresh fruits and vegetables for the U.S. in the winter months. It says reducing the workforce would mean relying more heavily on imports. The Florida GOP chairman, Sen. Joe Gruters, is championing the bill. He says by curbing illegal immigration to Florida it will allow market forces to increase wages at the low end. Farmers however say they have already been raising wages to solve the worker shortage as the unemployment rate reaches record lows. Raising the cost of doing business has put them at a disadvantage with international competitors. It will render (our produce) unsellable, said Dan Richey, one of the largest growers of grapefruit. If you try to sell a fruit made in America for $3, or three for $1 made elsewhere, what do you think the consumer will pick? Richey had to close one of his harvesting companies last summer because he couldnt replace dozens of workers who were aging out. The CEO of the Vero Beach-based Riverfront Packing Company says using guest worker visas has been cumbersome and expensive because of housing and transportation costs. Another Republican in Tallahassee has sponsored a compromise plan that would exempt the private sector. But critics say it still pushes companies to use E-Verify because it subjects private employers to a stricter hiring process than federal law does. Its a de facto E-Verify mandate, said Alex Nowrasteh, director of immigration studies at the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute. If the Republican proponents of E-Verify ran businesses they would understand. Nine states have required all or nearly all employees to be screened through the portal. In a Fox News interview last year, a few months after all the Trump Organization properties enrolled in the system, President Donald Trump acknowledged that verifying each new hires eligibility would be tough for farmers if the mandate were expanded to all states. Studies have shown that comprehensive mandates have reduced the number of unauthorized workers, but not eliminated them, indicating that some workers switch to the informal economy. Mississippi passed a mandate in 2008, yet hundreds of people were arrested there in immigration raids last summer at food processing plants. The numbers suggest employees and employers have found ways to work around the requirements. Even so, Moses Kashem, a young Florida farmer, says he worries that lawmakers will make it even harder for him to find workers to harvest kale, tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables. Kashem, who sells produce to Whole Foods, says hes tried to attract college students, without much luck. Typically 80% of them are not cut out or dont have the desire to work on a farm, no matter how well you pay them, Kashem says. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has retained public policy and communications consulting firm The Williams Group to provide strategic counsel on how to build relationships on Capitol Hill. WG will counsel Saudi Arabias Embassy in Washington, D.C. on how to best establish relationships with members of U.S. Congress and staff, according to Foreign Agents Registration Acts documents filed in February. The contract, which began in October, runs for a year. It brings WG a fee of $30,000 per month. WG founder Michael Williams was formerly staff director of legislative affairs during the Clinton Administration. He also served as a special assistant to the President, where he was a key member of the team responsible for developing and implementing that Admins agenda on financial services, tax and international trade legislation. A woman was robbed and suffered a severe laceration to her head outside First Horizon (First Tennessee) Bank in Brainerd last Friday. Police have arrested Desmond Gearing (Marsh), 33, who earlier was identified by police as a member of the Bloods gang. The woman said she had left the bank and was walking to her car around 2 p.m. She said there was a vehicle parked next to hers with three black males in it. She said a passenger got out of the vehicle and grabbed her purse. She said when she would not let go the man pulled a gun and said, "Bitch, I will shoot you." The woman was found bleeding from the head by arriving officers. Witnesses said the vehicle was a green Volkswagen Jetta and the driver had long dreads and a large tattoo on his neck. Police said they received a call from Gearing, who said his green VW Jetta had been stolen earlier that morning. After he was interviewed in detail, police said Gearing admitted being the driver during the robbery and said the Jetta is his. CYR3CONs technological potential extends far beyond their current products I see this company scaling immensely over the years as they address a myriad of problems through predictive AI. The artificial intelligence powered cybersecurity startup Cyber Reconnaissance, Inc. (d.b.a. CYR3CON) has announced today that entrepreneur and former NSA Deputy Director Bill Crowell has joined the companys advisory board. After ending his exemplary government career in the NSA, Mr. Crowell led the public cybersecurity firm, Cylink Corp. as CEO in addition to serving on the boards of BroadWare Technology (as chairman prior to acquisition by CISCO), Sun Microsystems Federal, NARUS, ArcSight, SafeNet and other prominent technology and cybersecurity companies. No one else in the industry is doing what CYR3CON does, stated Crowell, their roots in government-funded research and development have led to platform which is only partially monetized today I see real potential in long term-growth and look forward to working with the team to further extract that value. Bill seeks to build on CYR3CONs success in predicting the emergence of exploits in their PR1ORITY product. While used by multiple Fortune 500 companies, PR1ORITY represents a small portion of the companys intellectual property portfolio that includes additional technology that builds on their AI-driven platform. CYR3CONs technological potential extends far beyond their current products I see this company scaling immensely over the years as they address a myriad of problems through predictive AI energizing use cases reaching from next-generation cybersecurity prediction to AI-driven efficient IT operations to halting malicious use of social media. Bill will be crucial in identifying go-to-market strategies building on and extending our existing technology, stated CYR3CON CTO Jana Shakarian, kudos to our engineers and all who support them for having done a fantastic job over the past 12 months weve not only submitted nine patent applications, but also have worked hard to release reliable and resilient technology solutions in a timely manner. CYR3CON has had a busy year delivering significant enhancements to its core product as well as unveiling its FUS1ON product in the fall, which already has earned several customers. We are really proud to have Bill join our team, remarked CYR3CON President Greg McNulty, there is no one else in the industry with a comparable background. Bill will not only be key in identifying how to rapidly push new technology in the market, but he will also be instrumental in some of our ongoing transition of previous government funded efforts to DoD and intelligence community users. I think Bill will be an enabler of growth. CYR3CON, which has recently closed on a new investor, completed 2019 with enterprise users in multiple Fortune 500 companies in addition to OEM license sales supporting several hundred organizations, and is quickly extending its customer base. The company seeks to establish its quantified predictions of cyber threat as an industry standard as its AI-approach achieves a high level of accuracy and has undergone multiple evaluations through peer-reviews and government-funded agencies. About CYR3CON CYR3CON predicts cyberattacks using proprietary artificial intelligence technology. The company broke new ground with key technical innovations in predicting security events and the emergence of new exploits. CYR3CONs customers use the companys open-architecture SaaS-based platform to increase their efficiency in vulnerability management, assess their security posture, and justify the use of resources to avoid costly incidents like infrastructure compromises and data breaches. William Bynum Jr. JACKSON, Miss. The president of Jackson State University was among 17 people busted in a prostitution sting in Mississippi this weekend. Police in Clinton, Mississippi, arrested William Bynum Jr., 57, and charged him with procuring the services of a prostitute, false statement of identity and possession of marijuana. Bynum has resigned, according to the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning. The board said it will meet "soon" to discuss interim leadership at Jackson State. Also arrested was Shonda McCarthy, director of Jackson State Art Galleries. She was charged with procuring services of a prostitute and possession of marijuana while operating a motor vehicle. City spokesman Mark Jones said Monday that the two-day operation led to eight felony charges. Coronavirus onboard Diamond Princess cruise spreads: At least 135 cases, 20 Americans Jones said police made contact with the alleged offenders through online "dark web" sites, where services were discussed. A local hotel was the agreed meeting place. The charges include prostitution, procuring the services of a prostitute, promoting prostitution, conspiracy to promote prostitution and also controlled substance violations. Bynum is described as a God-loving, God-fearing man on the university's website. He is married and the father of six children. Shonda McCarthy Follow reporter Justin Vicory on Twitter: @justinvicory Coronavirus: 40,000 cases may be 'tip of the iceberg' as death toll nears 1,000 Equifax data breach: Four members of Chinese army charged with stealing 145 million Americans' data This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Jackson State University President William Bynum Jr. arrested, resigns Egyptian police have killed 17 militants in a shootout in the restive northern Sinai, the interior ministry said Tuesday. Security forces are battling a long-running insurgency in the peninsula, spearheaded by the Islamic State group. The shootout flared as police, acting on intelligence, raided a hideout in North Sinai's provincial capital of El-Arish, the ministry said in a statement. They found "terrorist elements" who were planning "hostile operations" and had weapons and explosives, the ministry added. The date of the raid was not specified. Egypt has for years been fighting an Islamist insurgency in North Sinai, which escalated following the military's 2013 ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi. Scores of policemen and soldiers have been killed in militant attacks. The army said Sunday that seven soldiers were killed or wounded and 10 militants killed following an attack on a North Sinai army post. A local affiliate of the Islamic State group later claimed responsibility. Earlier this month, the group said it had blown up a gas pipeline in the Sinai Peninsula that it claimed was connected to Israel. Security sources, however, said the pipeline targeted was a domestic one. Egypt launched a nationwide operation against militants in February 2018, mainly focusing on North Sinai. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Despite tepid consumer spends, the total private equity inflows into Indian retail hit a new high in 2019 with an inflow of $970 million - a 19 percent share of the total $5 bn in overall Indian real estate, says research by ANAROCK Capital. While commercial offices topped the funding charts, the retail sector witnessed the second-highest investments from various PE funds in 2019. Delhi-NCR received 63 percent funds of the total $970 million, followed by Hyderabad with a 20 percent share, it said. Back in 2018, retail inflows stood at a mere $355 mn, comprising just a 7 percent share of the total PE funds. In the previous five years, after 2019, the year 2017 saw the second-highest PE inflows in retail at $890 mn. Interestingly, in 2019, Delhi-NCR received the maximum PE inflows of about $610 mn a massive 63 percent share of the total retail funds into Indian realty during this period, said Shobhit Agarwal, MD & CEO ANAROCK Capital. While commercial offices topped the funding charts, the retail sector witnessed the second-highest investments from various PE funds in 2019, says Agarwal. Compared to 2018, total PE inflows into Indian retail saw an almost three-fold jump in investments from $355 mn in 2018 to over $970 mn in 2019. Investors are betting big on selected Grade A mall projects which have a high scope of business profitability. Despite the consumption slump, many malls are doing excellent business today - and investors are keenly vying for such projects, he said. Apart from the top cities, Tier 2 and 3 cities are also on the radar of many PE funds which see these cities actively driving retail going forward. At least 36 percent (nearly $1 bn) retail-focused funds went to cities like Ahmedabad, Amritsar, Bhubaneshwar, Chandigarh, Nagpur and Mohali. Overall PE inflows in Indian retail touched $2.8 bn in the five years between 2015 and 2019 - fairly close to the residential segments total PE inflows of $3.4 bn in this period. Delhi-NCR received the maximum retail-focused PE inflows between 2015-2019 more than $750 mn. MMR was second with $410 mn funnelled into retail over the last five years. Pune saw PE inflows of nearly $150 mn in the retail segment. Bengaluru retail saw total PE investments of $275 mn since 2015. Hyderabad and Chennai together attracted close to $230 mn during the same period, the report said. Chandigarh was a major funding target for US-based Blackstone which invested $340 mn in a single large deal in 2017. Ahmedabad also drew the attention of PE investors and saw its retail sector draw nearly $220 mn in the last five years, the report said. Starting on Tuesday, Uber is letting its Boston riders take their pets with them. The ride-hailing service announced on Tuesday it is now letting pets ride along at an additional $6 to users, according to CBS Boston. Uber Pet allows for one animal per rider, and the company recommends that they be leashed or in a crate, according to the companys website. After inputing a pick-up and drop-off location into the app, users will now be prompted with Uber Pet after selecting Choose a ride. Tapping Choose Uber Pet will let the driver know that the rider will be bringing a pet on board. Users should also ask drivers if they have a preference for where the pet should sit during the ride. The company is allowing riders to ride with service animals free of charge. For Chinese President Xi Jinping and his cadres, the most pressing thing is to be seen to be acting in the face of a threat that outranks the SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) outbreak of 2002, the Sichuan earthquake of 2008 or the Wenzhou train crash of 2012. The test for the party-state is greater even than the pro-democracy rebellion in Hong Kong or the global condemnation of Chinas mass detention of Uighur Muslims in the Xinjiang region. Beirut, Feb 11 : Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Beirut on Tuesday blocking roads in the Lebanese capital in an attempt to prevent MPs from joining a meeting to pass a confidence vote on the new cabinet. Protesters from all over the country gathered in Beirut and managed to block some of the streets leading to Parliament, reports Xinhua news agency. The demonstrators also hurled stones at security forces, prompting the police to use tear gas and water cannons against the protesters. The protesters also threw eggs on the cars of Ministers and MPs to express resentment and anger towards the ruling political class. Prime Minister Hassan Diab announced the formation of his new cabinet last month. "How can we accept this new cabinet while it was appointed by the same parties that led the country to deterioration?" one protester said. Meanwhile, security forces issued a statement calling upon the protesters to demonstrate in a peaceful way to guarantee their safety and security. Protests erupted since October 2019, hoping to overhaul the political system. The protesters have called for a cabinet totally independent from the current ruling class. A MAN with a long history of psychiatric problems sexually assaulted a teenage girl who had been placed in an adult ward directly behind him. Medical staff only became alerted to Andrew Donovans assault on the 17-year-old when they noticed his heart monitor showing elevated cardiac activity. The teen has now called for the patient admission age for paediatric units in acute Irish hospitals to be raised from 16 to 18 years. My mental health has been shattered by this, the girl told a court in a harrowing victim impact statement. I was petrified and helpless. I thought I would be safe in hospital. I never thought I would be in any danger. Judge Sean ODonnabhain queried how ODonovan (63) could ever have been placed alongside the girl in a four patient ward in Cork University Hospital (CUH). You have to question the management of the ward system at CUH that allowed a young girl to be placed in close proximity to a man who was known to have a history of schizophrenic tendencies and a long psychiatric history, said the judge. Judge ODonnabhain warned it was a very, very troubling case. The teenager, who cannot be identified by court order, was in hospital having been involved in an accident which left her with life-threatening injuries two years ago. But she was admitted to the adult ward where ODonovan was also a patient. She was unable to reach the emergency call button overheard as ODonovan began sexually assaulting her as she lay in bed on May 14, 2018. ODonovan of Butlers Gift, Drimoleague, Cork received an 18 month suspended prison sentence after he admitted sexually assaulting the girl at Cork Circuit Criminal Court. When initially confronted about the sexual assault complaint from the teen, ODonovan claimed he was just attempting to shake hands with the girl to wish her well. He was not in court for the sentencing hearing - he attended court in the morning but then inexplicably left before his case was heard. The judge said the hospital management and supervision involved had to be queried - and warned that hospital management needed to buck up. He queried how the teenage girl could ever have been placed in a four bed ward with three older men. ODonovan was charged before Cork District Court last June with sexually assaulting the teenage girl in Cork University Hospital on 14 May, 2018. Detective Garda Caroline Keogh of the Cork Protective Services Unit gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. She said the man initially denied the charge put to him, replying: I did nothing to that girl, I just shook her hand. However, he pleaded guilty to a sexual assault charge when the case came before the Circuit Criminal Court last November. Det Garda Keogh said the young girl awoke at 5am to discover ODonovan standing by her hospital bed. ODonovan queried her name before asking if she would like to go for a drink or the cinema. After examining her hospital name bracelet, he then began stroking her arm before sexually assaulting her. When he stopped, he said to her: Promise me you will write to me? ODonovans heart monitor displayed elevated cardiac activity and a nurse came to investigate minutes after the assault commenced. The nurse thought ODonovan might be having a heart attack. She was then able to raise the alarm. The teenage girl said the incident had left her very afraid of older men - as well as being unable to sleep, traumatised and suffering panic attacks. She said her studies had also been impacted and she had not been able to undertake the university course of her choice. But she said the defendants guilty plea had been a relief - and it had vindicated her account of the incident. Judge ODonnabhain was told the defendant had a long history of mental health issues and his wife had only died last year. He had no previous convictions and currently lives a very simple life in west Cork, largely keeping to himself and tending his animals. The judge imposed an 18 month suspended sentence. A country is formed only when the surrounding cities are connected to each other. But have you ever heard of a city which is not of its own country. This city is completely cut off from its country. The city was under German occupation during World War II. Yes, we are talking about Kaliningrad, which is a city in Russia, but far from Russia. The city, with a population of about four lakhs, is undoubtedly situated between Lithuania and Poland, but a Russian visa is required to enter the region. People have to cross the border of another country to go to this city. The city of Kaliningrad is located at the mouth of the Pregolia River falling in the Baltic Sea. In the Middle Ages, the city was a town called Tawangaste in Old Prussia. Actually, Prussia became a German historical state of northern northern Europe. This state was at its peak in the 18th and 19th centuries, but later the existence of this state disappeared and most of it was taken over by communist East Germany, Poland and Russia. During the Northern Crusades in the year 1255 in the city of Kaliningrad, a new fort was built by the Teutonic Knights. The city was heavily bombed by the British Army during World War II, in 1944, which completely devastated the city and then in 1945 when it became a Russian city, its population (German citizens) fled or escaped. Was forced. Now about 87 percent of the people living here are of Russian origin. Since it is between the Russian city of Lithuania and Poland and the inhabitants have to pass through another country to go to their country, an agreement has been reached between Poland and the Russian Federation. According to this, a special card has been made for the residents of this place, so that they can travel to their country, ie Russia, repeatedly through the cities of Poland. Also Read: The growing bond between Likee and Bollywood Delhi Election Result Live: How Congress will be saved in Delhi? achieved edge on this sole seat Delhi Election Live: AAP's clear majority in Exit polls, leading with 42 seats Delhi Election Live: BJP ahead on 10 and AAP leading on 32 seats, Vijay Goel claims BJP victory The UN Security Council was asked Tuesday to vote on a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Libya, in what would be the first binding text adopted since fighting flared in April last year. The United Kingdom, which has been drafting a text for three weeks, called for the vote to take place on Wednesday, diplomatic sources said. The position of Russia, which blocked a draft resolution last week, is unknown. The resolution "affirms the need for a lasting ceasefire in Libya at the earliest opportunity, without pre-conditions." It aims to end fighting between the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) in Tripoli and eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar. Since April 2019, the GNA has fought back against an offensive by fighters loyal to Haftar, who is supported by several countries including Russia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and France. The UN has accused foreign actors of intensifying the conflict and violating an arms embargo on the war-torn country. The draft that will be voted on maintains mention of the Security Council's concerns over the increasing involvement of "mercenaries" in Libya. Russia had blocked a draft resolution on February 5 due to inclusion of the word "mercenary" in the text. Moscow is accused of sending several thousand mercenaries from the private Russian security company Wagner to support Haftar, who controls much of the south and east of Libya. Russia denies involvement. The British draft invites the African Union, Arab League and European Union to help supervise the proposed ceasefire. It calls for the continuation of talks between representatives of Libya's warring parties. Discussions in Geneva ended on Saturday with no deal on a ceasefire but the UN has proposed a second round of negotiations for February 18. The text confirms commitments made by world leaders at a summit in Berlin last month to ending all foreign interference in the country and to uphold a weapons embargo. UN envoy Ghassan Salame has said the commitments are being violated. Oil-rich Libya has been torn by fighting between rival factions since a 2011 NATO-backed uprising killed dictator Moamer Kadhafi and toppled his regime. Libyan security forces stand guard at a checkpoint on August 23, 2018 Professor Mary Beard has examined some of the most famous nudes in history during her BBC2 series Shock of the Nude. However, in the second episode of her latest television series, it was the 65-year-old historian's turn to disrobe, a feat that she admitted on Twitter had left her a 'tad embarrassed'. Viewers tuning in saw Beard's third and final sitting for artist Catherine Goodman, in which she drew several charcoal-on-canvas portraits of Beard in the buff. Before removing her dressing gown, Dame Mary admitted that she felt 'slightly brave' for taking her clothes off in the name of art. Ahead of the show airing last night, she told her Twitter followers to brace themselves, saying: 'Just sitting down to #shockofthenude. About to be a tad embarrassed about myself! Stick with me friends! M' In the latest episode of Mary Beard's Shock of the Nude, the classicist, 65, disrobes for a series of naked portraits by artist Catherine Goodman - something she admits feels 'slightly brave' The professor, who's BBC2 series examines the portrayal of the nude through art history, sits down with artist Catherine Goodman before deciding to pose naked The classicist is then seen reclining in her third and final sitting for the charcoal on canvas art Before the show aired on BBC2, Beard tweeted 'Just sitting down to #shockofthenude. About to be a tad embarrassed about myself! Stick with me friends!' Artist Catherine Goodman gets to work with her charcoal. Mary's dressing gown lays in a pile on the floor However, when Beard is finally shown the portraits made, she's pleasantly surprised, saying: 'I thought I'd be a bit horrified and I'm not remotely.' She said that the 'fleshy over 60s bits work fine', adding 'I look at myself and don't think "Oh god, she should lose a bit of weight". I think "that's me"'. On social media, viewers were supportive of her decision to be fully immersed in the show, which has examined how many famous nudes in history were commissioned by men for mens' pleasure. @18thCent_Kitty wrote: 'Oh Mary! I didnt think I could love and respect you more than I already did, but you just topped it - you are a legend, and youre one of my favourite inspirational women!' @RSK176 added: 'You nailed it be proud, it wasnt a shock or shocking but beautiful and totally honest, wonderful! #shockofthenude' It's not Beard's first experience of disrobing upon request. The historian revealed she was 'insistently' told to strip down to her 'scrappy undies' at Heathrow's security gate in October 2019. Support: Many heaped praised on the professor for being 'honest' about the portraits First look: Beard casts her eye on the intimate drawings and admitted she'd expected to be 'horrified' She told her followers on Twitter at the time, that to the 'curiosity and embarrassment' of startled passengers, she was left standing awkwardly in a skimpy black vest and no bra. The airport apologised to the 64-year-old Cambridge classicist after she gave them a dressing down on social media. Beard's current programme has seen her make the claim that many female nude artworks risk being 'soft porn for the elite'. However, far from being disappointed, Beard told viewers she wasn't 'remotely' shocked by the images of herself She told Goodman that she felt like her 'fleshy over 60s bits' actually added to the artwork The TV historian said that gallery visitors should reflect more on the origins of nude works of art and how the female body has been historically objectified for male pleasure. 'I think western art has centred on a sexualised version of the female body more than other cultures,' the Cambridge professor warned in a Radio Times interview. She added: 'I think it's about opening our eyes to it and saying, 'What is this? I this realty soft porn for the elite, dressed up in a classical guise?'. Robert Irwin is following in late dad Steves footsteps with his commitment to wildlife conservation, but a new photo of the 16-year-old has fans doing a real double-take. Uploaded this morning, the photo shows Robert holding a koala, and snuggling his face into the animals fur. Fans were quick to point out a striking resemblance to the croc hunter, Robs dad Steve Irwin. Read more: Bindi Irwin shares tribute to father Steve amid bushfire crisis A quick look at a photo of the late Aussie confirms that his son is his spitting image. An old snap of Steve Irwin confirms the resemblance. Photo: Getty Images I legit thought this was Steve, one person wrote. Did anyone else think this was Steve at first? another wondered. Seemed like plenty did, the photo was soon spammed with comments comparing the teenage photography enthusiast to the wildlife warrior. He looks so much like his father, one wrote. You look so much like your dad in this photo! Bless you both, was one womans kind message. Its not the first time the Aussie has made a stir with his remarkable likeness to his late dad. Last year a side by side shot with another Aussie creature, a crocodile called Murray, caused jaws to drop over the pairs similarity. Rob has blown up all over the world of late, as the youngest and only son of Terri and Steve comes into his own as a wildlife photographer. Though only 16, Robert, who was homeschooled at his familys home base at Australia Zoo in Queensland, is already internationally known, thanks to his appearances on the hugely successful Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and his role on the familys reality series, Crikey! Its the Irwins. Robert Irwin is already a well-known figure, pictured beside Sophie Monk. Photo: Getty Images A budding photographer, he regularly shares photos of wildlife in particular, birds with his 1.6 million Instagram followers. Along with his sister Bindi Irwin, the pair have in excess of 4.6 million followers. Robert was only two years old when his father tragically passed away, killed when a stingray barb pierced his heart while filming episodes of his television series. WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As a reporter, filing a Freedom of Information Act request should be your last resort. The government documents you need may be hiding in plain sight. Whether you're a Washington policy writer, a regional reporter or a local journalist covering a beat, this workshop from three accomplished reporters will show you how to get the government records you always wanted but weren't quite sure how to find. The session will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 19 from 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. at the National Press Club. Jerry Zremski, Washington Bureau Chief for the Buffalo News, will share tactics from his dogged coverage of Rep. Chris Collins' investments, which led him to a pump-and-dump scheme that caught the attention of federal prosecutors. Last month, Collins was sentenced to 26 months in prison for insider trading. Zremski will describe how he uses available public records to connect dots and track the work of the congressional delegation he covers for his readers. Alex Mann, crime and courts reporter for the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, has pursued the case involving the 2018 murders of five people in the Capital Gazette newsroom. Mann found that scores of documents had been closed without any court order or public notice as lawyers were taking advantage of a loophole in electronic record filings. Mann will discuss how to use court records to keep abreast of a running story, how to discover new ones, and how to question any record that is declared confidential. Alison Fitzgerald Kodjak, investigative editor for the Associated Press and immediate past-president of the National Press Club, has covered money in politics, the financial crisis, the BP oil spill, and health care policy by digging through government agency records. Kodjak will share tips that fueled her award-winning coverage at NPR, the Center for Public Integrity and as a reporter at Bloomberg News, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Palm Beach Post. Registration is $10 for the general public; National Press Club members pay $5. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/foia-as-a-last-resort-getting-public-information-through-the-front-door-tickets-94232037561 About the Institute The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute serves as a beacon for journalism in the public interest. Event Details National Press Club 529 14th Street NW (14th & F Streets) 13th Floor, Conference Rooms Washington, DC 20045 Wednesday February 19, 2020 11 a.m. 12:15 p.m. $5 for NPC members; $10 for general public Press contact: Jim Kuhnhenn, Press Freedom Fellow, National Press Club Journalism Institute, [email protected] SOURCE National Press Club Journalism Institute by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, February 11, 2020 First and foremost, let us be clear here: The TV Blog believes Joaquin Phoenix's acceptance speech was the standout highlight of the Oscars on ABC Sunday night. The speech rambled far afield -- like free-range livestock, you might say -- eventually landing on the subject of cows, calves and cow's milk. The Joker Wasnt Joking could have been a headline (and likely was somewhere) on any of the sidebar stories focusing on Phoenix's speech that were part of the subsequent Oscar-story packages produced on news websites and newspaper news pages in the aftermath of the awards. Phoenix (pictured at the Oscars above) won this year's Best Actor Oscar for the title role in The Joker. People already familiar with his work are well-aware of his intensity when it comes to acting, which he apparently takes very seriously as a profession and art form. advertisement advertisement He can also be famously ill-at-ease in these kinds of public settings. Many of us still remember an appearance he made on David Letterman's Late Show in 2010 in which Phoenix sported long hair, a shaggy beard and dark glasses -- and seemed incoherent. So, when he went on stage at the Oscars Sunday night, he did not use the opportunity to thank a living soul, but instead delivered a speech about humankind's disconnection to, and exploitation of, the natural world. Most notably, the passage of his speech about cows and calves will take its place alongside the most memorable Oscar moments in the shows entire history. Here it is, with some context: I think that we've become very disconnected from the natural world, and many of us, what we're guilty of is an egocentric worldview -- the belief that we're the center of the universe, Phoenix said. We go into the natural world, and we plunder it for its resources. We feel entitled to artificially inseminate a cow, and when she gives birth, we steal her baby, even though her cries of anguish are unmistakable. Then we take her milk that is intended for her calf and we put it in our coffee and our cereal, and I think we fear the idea of personal change because we think that we have to sacrifice something to give something up. It is highly likely that in all the years of the Academy Awards (92 of them, to be exact), no one ever raised the subject of the artificial insemination of cows. That topic was so unexpected, and Phoenix was evidently so uncomfortable, that you had the feeling that anything could happen. This was electrifying, edge-of-your-seat Oscar television. Incredibly, the consensus in the media -- both social and otherwise -- seemed to be that Phoenix's speech was ungracious at best, and at worst, offensive in its eccentricity. A headline on the New York Post website, for example, called the speech a disgrace. A disgrace? They must be kidding. The TV Blog takes no stand either way on Joaquin Phoenix's bovine advocacy, but compared to the rest of this bloated, boring Oscar show, Phoenix's speech rose like an oasis in the Sahara. His speech not only aroused millions who were probably already dozing, but if there are still newsrooms out there with editors who prize creativity in headline writing, then this speech presented a goldmine of possibilities. I thought about it for only a few minutes and came up with these: Joaquin Phoenix's Moo-vie Moment: Phoenix Makes Hay With Cow Speech; Oscars To Phoenix: Don't Have A Cow, Man!; Oscar Meets Elsie; Joaquin's Oscar Cattle Call; Udderly Unexpected; etc., etc., etc. Here is a thank-you speech I would like to give right now: I would like to thank Joaquin Phoenix for enlivening an awards show that in so many ways was almost unbearable to watch. Thank you, Joaquin, for being your authentic self, an artist who is not at all comfortable giving speeches, but had the courage to give this one anyway. For what it is worth, you have gained a new, lifelong fan -- me. Regulator unveils new steps for SMEs - Chinadaily.com.cn The country's top industry regulator has unveiled new measures, including financial support, to encourage smalland medium-sized enterprises to resume production as early as possible. The move is part of China's broader efforts to maintain economic stability and help companies weather temporary difficulties caused by the novel coronavirus epidemic. The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said in its latest notice that it will spare no efforts to help companies resume production after the Lunar New Year holiday. A string of 20 measures have been unveiled to support SMEs and help boost their innovation capabilities. On the premise of ensuring employees' health, companies are encouraged to start normal operations. One of the top priorities is to implement favorable tax policies designed for crucial medical equipment makers, the ministry said. The ministry also said it has encouraged local governments to roll out their own favorable fiscal policies to support SMEs. Also, more efforts will be made to help SMEs better apply for loans from banks and adopt cutting-edge technologies to advance digital transformation. Song Xuanyi, an expert at the China Centre for Promotion of SME Development, said favorable tax and fiscal policies are crucial for boosting the confidence of SMEs in weathering the temporary difficulties. Apart from helping lower production costs for companies, measures have also been promised for financial support to SMEs to sustain employment, Song said. A number of Chinese companies have already resumed normal operations. Zhang Ying, deputy head of the Shanghai Municipal Commission of Economy and Informatization, said on Monday that 80 percent of Shanghai manufacturing enterprises surveyed by the commission are willing to resume production. Also, 80 percent of software enterprises in Shanghai have started normal operations, with 70 percent of them engaged in remote work from home, Zhang said. In Shandong province, most medical supplies companies have also gone back to work, with some producing masks, protective suits and goggles. As of Thursday, 32 mask makers in the province have been running at full capacity, data from the Department of Industry and Information Technology of Shandong province show. Also, about 1,268 enterprises in the province said they have restarted or are ready to immediately restart operations. To maintain stability and promote healthy economic development amid the novel coronavirus outbreak, measures have already been taken to facilitate work resumption in different places in China. Staff members have disinfected workshops and self-protection training has also been offered to prevent staff from being infected by the novel coronavirus in East and South China. Song said all the above measures will lay down a relatively sound base to help enterprises to smoothly resume work. State Sen. Eddie Melton, D-Gary, who last year tested the waters on a campaign for Indiana governor, no longer has a Democratic rival standing in the way of his winning a second, four-year term in the Indiana Senate. On Monday, Calumet Township Board Chairman Darren Washington withdrew his candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Senate District 3, which includes all or portions of Gary, Merrillville, Hobart, Crown Point, Lake Station and New Chicago. Washington said he initially decided to run for the Senate when it appeared Melton was pulling the strings for state Rep. Ragen Hatcher, D-Gary, to succeed him; an outcome Washington said he simply "couldn't allow" because of "how she's represented that district." Specifically, Washington said the first-term state representative and former Gary city councilwoman has been unresponsive to her constituents and unimpressive at the Statehouse. "To be honest with you, I really had no issues with Senator Melton," Washington said. "My motivation came from this switcheroo stuff with Ragen Hatcher, and she definitely needs to get herself together as a state legislator." Jen Harley was spotted heading into a Van Nuys courtroom in Los Angeles on Tuesday. The mother-of-two was sharply-dressed for court in a black trousers and blouse combination, with a red jacket giving the outfit a pop of color. Harley, 32, was in court for a hearing in relation to her ongoing domestic violence case against Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 34, according to UsWeekly. She means business: Jen Harley was spotted heading into a Van Nuys courtroom in Los Angeles on Tuesday The Jersey Shore star did not attend the hearing, with his lawyer Leonard B. Levine appearing in his absence, according to the gossip magazine. After asking for more time while Ronnie attends domestic violence counselling in Nevada, the judge agreed to continue the hearing on March 13. 'We want to resolve this and do whats best for their child,' Levine told Us, referring to the couple's 22-month-old daughter Ariana Sky. During the hearing, Deputy City Attorney Heidi Matz asked the judge to order Ortiz-Magro to stop contacting Harley, to which Levine agreed, stating 'there will be no contact' from his client. The look: The mother-of-two was sharply-dressed for court in a black trousers and blouse combination, with a red jacket giving the outfit a pop of color Happier times: Harley, 32, was in court for a hearing in relation to her ongoing domestic violence case against Ronnie Ortiz-Magro, 34, according to UsWeekly. The couple seen here in October last year Jen's appearance comes amid her latest explosive spat with on-and-off ex Ronnie Ortiz-Magro. The reality star was granted a protective order against Jen after she allegedly assaulted him last Saturday night. She already has a restraining order against him. During part of the attack, she allegedly attempted to gouge his eye out with an eyeliner pencil. The fight all started after Jen says she found makeup belonging to another woman at his home, according to TMZ. She accused him of cheating on her, allegedly assaulted him with eyeliner she found in the trash, and hit him in the face. No show: The Jersey Shore star did not attend the hearing, with his lawyer Leonard B. Levine appearing in his absence, according to the gossip magazine Jen must stay 100 yards away from him until February 25, when the order expires. However Jen's lawyer Lisa Bloom on Tuesday denied that any restraining order had been issued against her client, reported UsWeekly. The exes share one-year-old daughter Ariana Sky. Jen also has an older son named Mason from her marriage to her former high school sweetheart. Ronnie shot to stardom on the hit MTV reality series Jersey Shore, which followed the antics of a group of young adults living in a vacation home in Seaside Heights. The cast have returned to the small screen for Jersey Shore: Family Reunion, which will premiering season three February 13 on MTV. The autumn-winter collection is ready in Carlotta Checchi's atelier A young entrepreneur who has already conquered the world UDINE, Italy, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Italian refined luxury lingerie created by using unprecedented techniques and materials, such as silver fiber, is the core business of Carlotta Checchi, a young entrepreneur who at the age of 23 launched her brand, C.ALLA, already renowned in Italy's haute couture scene. Her activity is based in Bologna, the Italian capital of lingerie, where the atelier has become a benchmark for those who love high-quality, sophisticated creations, characterized by unique elegance and attention to detail. In C.ALLA's showroom, located in via del Lavoro. 85, at Casalecchio di Reno (Bologna), the new autumn/winter collection is ready to be discovered and admired. In describing this season's collection Carlotta Checchi says that she was "fascinated and inspired by the contrast between the mischievous darkness of the forest at night and the purity of the satin." Carlotta named her company after a beautiful flower, full of symbolism. "This name embodies and reflects various concepts - she explains: class, grace, and sinuousness." The new collection is elegant and stylish. Without losing sight of sensuality and eroticism, C.ALLA's shapes and designs are modelled on and perfectly fitted to the female body. The atelier not only produces panties, bras, nightwear, corsetry, tailor-made bridal underwear, but also men's underwear. The fabrics used by C.ALLA include satin, lace and chiffon, muslin, tulle, organza, and the dermatologically and toxicologically-tested silver thread which promotes hygiene with its antiseptic properties. The atelier offers three lines: The Basic line, characterized by essential elegance, the Luxury line, designed in the name of preciousness, and the Silver line, which is characterized by the innovative use of silver fiber. C.ALLA's Lingerie is produced in Italy, and precisely in Emilia-Romagna. "I choose 'Made in Italy' as this is crucial to the ethos of my brand - the entrepreneur emphasizes - as I believe it is essential to support and boost Italian creativity and our country's great tradition." Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1088395/Calla_Lingerie.jpg Contact: Alberto Rochira, Press Office, +39 335 7040604, ufficiostampa2@nextcommunications.it Thank you for writing, Mr. Busker My father, Bart Busker, lost his long battle with prostate cancer on Feb. 5. Dad got a lot of joy writing hundreds of letters to you over the years. That was one of his paths of activism and a labor of love. Thanks for providing him with that outlet. Christian Busker, Houston Partisan politics Regarding the Bible verse, (A12, Feb. 7): The Houston Chronicle featured the perfect Bible verse for our divided country. Just below a photo of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shredding the State of the Union Speech and President Donald Trump looking prideful is a message that all of us in Houston should practice today: Put on then, as Gods chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. Col 3:12 Tim Logsdon, Houston My dream: A leader for our country who is capable of reconciliation following a national trauma, rather thanexacting revenge against his perceived enemies. I dream of a leader who can bring out the best in all of us through example. Is this an impossible dream? Suzanne Marion, Houston Firings Regarding Trump fires impeachment witnesses, (A1, Feb. 8): I am a Republican and voted for Donald Trump. I am very pleased with his policies and the economy, but absolutely appalled at his firing of Gordan Sondland and Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman. I watched both of their testimonies. They didnt ask to be there. They were subpoenaed! Does serving at the pleasure of the president mean that they were supposed to lie and go against their core principle of telling the truth to save this president who never admits to doing anything wrong? Not one person would turn me into a liar to cover up for him. Trumps actions are reprehensible. His childish antics at the National Prayer Breakfast were also hard to defend, and I wont. Its a conundrum for me as I will never vote for a socialist Democrat. This may be the first year in 60 years of voting that I will not cast a vote. Ginger Jones, Missouri City President Donald Trump unceremoniously fired a Purple Heart recipient and life-long public servant for simply telling the truth to Congress while under subpoena. He also fired his brother, another life-long public servant who played no part in the impeachment hearings. Ironically, the family of the men he fired fled from the Soviet Union to the United States looking for a better life, and felt assured there would be no retribution. Dad, my sitting here today in the U.S. Capitol, talking to our elected officials, is proof that you made the right decision 40 years ago to leave the Soviet Union and come here to the United States of America in search of a better life for our family, he testified. Do not worry, I will be fine for telling the truth. Trump has proven them wrong. Paula Wehrman, Fayetteville The federal health minister and her Ontario counterpart are urging people not to give in to misinformation and stigma surrounding the novel coronavirus, adding that Canada continues to do its part to combat the global health emergency by containing cases of the illness to this country. Patty Hajdu and Christine Elliott met Tuesday in Torontos Chinatown, along with Mayor John Tory, to address the discrimination and loss of business they say some in the Chinese-Canadian community have felt. The two health ministers also toured Sunnybrook Hospital, which treated Canadas first patient with the virus, and Hajdu praised the response from health-care providers, who she says have learned valuable lessons from the SARS outbreak in 2003. The collaboration that we have at the local, provincial and federal levels is really paying off in our ability to work together and ensure people are supported so that we can do our global part to prevent the spread of disease around the world, she said. The virus has killed 1,016 people among 42,638 confirmed cases in mainland China, and infected more than 43,000 people globally. In Canada, there have been seven confirmed cases of the illness. The federal government has agreed to provide $2 million to the World Health Organization to help vulnerable countries prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak beyond China. Hajdu said in addition to that effort, Canada must continue to be vigilant when it comes to monitoring for cases of the illness as part of the effort to contain its spread. This is our global contribution to reducing the risk of a pandemic, she said. If Canada can take care of its own country in terms of reducing our rate of infection, in fact, were supporting the entire global populations health. Elliott said the provinces health-care system is working and the risk from the virus remains low. She stressed that the virus is an international situation and is not related to any one group of people. Theres still a lot of discrimination out there, she said. We want to make sure that people know its safe to go out. Its safe to come to your favourite restaurants ... its safe to go shopping. Tory praised the collaborative work of all three levels of government during the response, and asked people across the province to support people in the Chinese-Canadian community who have been impacted by some of the stigma and misinformation surrounding the virus. What we must not do is allow ourselves in anyway to stigmatize or to stop patronizing the businesses of or otherwise treat differently any group of people, he said. I think, in particular, of our Chinese-Canadian population ... which is so positive a contributor to the well-being of Toronto and to Canada. Read more about: When Quereshi entered the garage, the dog attacked her without provocation. She managed to close the door leading to the house so that her child, who was still in a car seat, would be protected. Quereshi screamed for Aprillo, the father of Cati, and Aprillo broke out of his cage and did enough to allow the woman to retreat back into her home. She was covered in blood and suffering from significant injuries as she went out the front door screaming for help. Cati heard the screaming and went out of the garage door, which had been opened during the commotion. The dog attacked Quereshi again, this time on the front porch. Neighbors managed to get the dog off Quereshi and she again got back into the house. Meanwhile, Cati and Aprillo were loose in the yard. Both attacked one of the deputies who were trying to get into the home to assist the badly injured Quereshi. Court records state that Cati caused such injuries to one deputys upper thigh that there was initial concern the deputy might die from internal bleeding, court records state. Deputies had to shoot and kill both dogs so they could help Quereshi. [February 11, 2020] HAVEN Grant Funds New Roof and Repairs for Gold Star Widow Each time Leslie Haynes glances at her new roof as she enters her home, she remembers how people reached out to her in a time of need. This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005879/en/ A $10,000 Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) grant from Arvest Bank and FHLB Dallas helped fund a roof replacement for an Arkansas military widow. (Photo: Business Wire) Ms. Haynes' husband, Rodric, died in 2009 at the age of 39 of a rare form of lung cancer after serving more than 20 years in the United States Army, including three tours in Iraq, where he served as a technical inspector of weapons electronics. While on duty in Iraq, he experienced breathing difficulties, and when he returned to the U.S., he was diagnosed with cancer. "It's like my husband is still taking care of me even though he's been gone for 10 years," Ms. Haynes said. She said her roof, which had not been replaced in many years, had begun to leak. In addition, condensation from her heating and air-conditioning system had caused mold to form in her crawl space. Ms. Haynes said she didn't initially know about the mold, which was discovered after she sought repairs. Housing Assistance for Veterans (HAVEN) funds were used to address both issues. As a Gold Star widow, Ms. Haynes qualified for a $10,000 HAVEN grant that helped fund a new roof and mold removal from the crawl space of her Jacksonville home. HAVEN assists post-9/11 U.S. veterans, active-duy military, reserves and National Guard service members, who became disabled as a result of their post-9/11 service. It was recently expanded to assist Gold Star families - those who have lost loved ones to military service since 9/11. Households with income of 165 percent or less of the area median income may qualify. The grant can be used for home repairs and modifications or to offset the construction cost of a new home. HAVEN grants are awarded through member institutions of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) such as Arvest Bank, which provided the grant to Ms. Haynes. In 2019, FHLB Dallas made $300,000 in HAVEN funds available to its member institutions to distribute to qualified applicants. "We are honored to be able to assist our servicemen and women and their families through HAVEN grants, in return for their service and sacrifice, both personally and for our country," said Jim Cargill, president and CEO of Arvest Bank in Central, Northeast and Southwest Arkansas. "It is through acts of kindness and service that we build stronger communities, and the security and peace of mind these grants provide can be life-changing for many families." Ms. Haynes said she first heard about the HAVEN grant from Survivor Outreach Services (SOS (News - Alert)), an Army program that offers support, information and services to surviving families of fallen soldiers. SOS then connected her with Arvest Bank. Ms. Haynes, who works and is a full-time student seeking her master's degree in social work, said she couldn't afford to fund the repairs herself. "Without the HAVEN grant, I would have had to wait until I finished school, started my new career and saved up some money," she said. "It is beyond a true blessing. It's overwhelming to know there are still people willing to help." Greg Hettrick, first vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas, said HAVEN is a special way for members to honor military families. "The HAVEN grant offers members an avenue through which they can help military families who have suffered so much since September 11," said Mr. Hettrick. "We were pleased to join with Arvest Bank to offer Ms. Haynes the help she needed to make her home safe and secure again." About Arvest Bank Arvest Bank, named by Forbes magazine as one of the "World's Best Banks" for 2019, operates more than 260 bank branches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Missouri and Kansas through a group of 14 locally managed banks, each with its own board and management team. These banks serve customers in more than 135 communities, with extended weekday banking hours at many locations. Arvest also provides a wide range of banking services including loans, deposits, treasury management, credit cards, mortgage loans and mortgage servicing. Arvest is an Equal Housing Lender and Member FDIC. About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $73.8 billion as of September 30, 2019, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community investment by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 815 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005879/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Japan's Immigration Services Agency is to tighten the screening process for issuing student visas, increasing tenfold the number of countries subject to stricter checks starting with foreign nationals applying from April. Under the measure, which is aimed at preventing foreign nationals from using student visas as a way to gain entry to Japan and work illegally in the country, the agency says it will ask applicants from the expanded list of countries to submit documentation including diplomas and account balance certificates. After a growing number of foreign nationals have entered Japan and stayed beyond their visa expiration dates, the government has decided to tighten screening procedures to ensure sound growth of foreign nationals working in Japan. The measure is also aimed at promoting use of the country's "specified-skills" work visa program that was introduced in April 2019 but has been underused. The latest move represents the first major overhaul of Japan's student visa screening system in about three decades. Currently, students from seven countries -- China, excluding Hong Kong and some other regions, Vietnam, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Bangladesh and Mongolia -- are subject to enhanced student visa screening processes. As many nationals of those countries have been found to overstay illegally, Japan requires them to submit multiple documents, including the applicant's highest academic level of diploma, the account balance certificate of a relative who plans to pay for the applicant's living expenses in Japan, and an official document proving the applicant's relationship with the relative. However, there have been many cases in which foreign students outside this scope have stayed in Japan after graduating from local schools. At the beginning of 2019, foreign nationals who had been allowed to enter Japan for study purposes but overstayed illegally totaled about 4,700, increasing 70% from 2,800 in 2015. The figure makes student visa overstayers second only to the 47,000 short-term residents who overstay, including many who entered Japan without undergoing screening, and about 9,000 technical trainees, many of whom have gone missing in the country. Vietnamese nationals account for the highest share of student visa overstayers, totaling 3,065, followed by Chinese and South Koreans, accounting for 1,074 and 148, respectively. A beloved K-9 named Bruno has retired after serving his Arizona police department for seven years, and his last day on the job was quite the treat. Bruno's handler, Officer Roger Reynolds, let the pup happily munch on a delicious ice cream sandwich as a police dispatcher announced his retirement from the Oro Valley Police Department through a radio transmission. "This transmission is for K-9 Bruno," the dispatcher announced. "He has just finished his last shift on duty and is now headed for retirement. Thank you for your seven years of service. Thank you for all your hard work and for making sure your handler got home safe every night." Bruno joined the police department in September 2013. The very good boy, a male Belgian Malinois imported from Czechoslovakia, was trained and nationally certified in patrol tactics and narcotics detection. After helping the department seize nearly $1 million in narcotics, Bruno deserves "some much-earned belly rubs," the dispatcher said. While Bruno will leave behind a legacy, his fellow K-9 comrades, Justin and Diesel, will follow in his pawsteps by detecting narcotics and explosives in Oro Valley, just outside Tuscon. "You can now chase rabbits instead of bad guys," said the dispatcher. "The officers of this department will miss you. Enjoy your retirement." MALIBU, Calif., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The mission at HEMP LOVE is to offer an organic chocolate bar that is both nutritious and great tasting. So fabulous that you can indulge with no regrets. Nancy Kaye, Founder and CEO of HEMP LOVE, saw an opportunity to create a healthier chocolate bar by including organic hemp seeds, one of nature's most perfect foods. She wanted to inspire people to make healthier choices and avoid processed foods by offering this unique product to only the best food retailers. "I am so excited to have HEMP LOVE available to the EREWHON customer. At HEMP LOVE, we are determined to create a pure & nutrient-rich product," said Kaye. "I like to indulge in nutritious foods that fuel my body while encouraging others to do the same. I love that hemp seeds contain vitamins A, C & E, beta-carotene, iron, protein and fiber." At HEMP LOVE we want to enrich people's lives through wholesome superfoods that create a delicious & well-balanced experience. About HEMP LOVE: HEMP LOVE sources the finest organic ingredients while promoting a clean, simple and relevant brand. HEMP LOVE is the first chocolate bar with hemp seeds that give you our trademark HEMP SEED CRUNCH. Hemp seeds are a good source of protein, minerals and Omega-3 & Omega-6 essential fatty acids with a delicious nutty taste. Our chocolate bars are made in a Vegan-only facility and certified CCOF Organic, gluten free, soy free, palm free, dairy free, certified Kosher & non-GMO. HEMP LOVE chocolate is an ethically sourced and premium blend of Ecuadorian & South American Cacao. Available at EREWHON and WHOLE FOODS Markets in Southern California. Each of our six unique flavors are also offered online at https://www.hemplove.com/ in mint, lavender, peanut butter, cinnamon/salt, orange/vanilla & dark chocolate. HEMP LOVE is a California, women-owned business. About EREWHON Market: Our mission is to make healthy, pure, nutrient-rich foods and products available to all and to inspire people to eat better, eat less and live longer. We are committed to bringing pure foods, made with the highest quality ingredients to as many people as possible. Market Locations: Calabasas - 26767 Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302 - 26767 Agoura Road, 91302 Los Angeles - 7660 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036 - 7660 Beverly Blvd, 90036 Santa Monica - 2800 Wilshire Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90403 - 2800 Wilshire Blvd, 90403 Venice - 585 Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291 - 585 Venice Blvd, 90291 Pacific Palisades - 15285 W. Sunset Blvd, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272 - 15285 W. Sunset Blvd, 90272 Silverlake - 4121 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90026, Opening summer 2020 Media Contact: Nancy Kaye [email protected] SOURCE Hemp Love, LLC Related Links https://www.hemplove.com Opposition forces have launch an attack to retake control of the town of Saraqeb and secure the M4 and M5 highways reports Zaman Al Wasl. The Syrian National Army, backed by Turkish artillery barrages, launched major attack to retake the strategic town of Saraqeb in northern Idleb province, after the arrival of heavy Turkish reinforcements, local activists said Monday. The Syrian regime captured Saraqeb on Saturday after weeks of bombardment. Saraqeb is considered a strategic prize for the government as it seeks to regain control of the M4 and M5 highways that meet in the town. The M5, Syrias longest highway, connects the second city of Aleppo to the capital Damascus and continues south to the Jordanian border. Sources told Zaman al-Wasl on Sunday that the Turkish-led National Army had mobilized 10,000 fighters to join the Turkish army in Idleb, if the regime forces refused to pull back from the newly-captured territory in the northern province. With Saraqeb recaptured, little more than half of Idleb province remains in rebel hands, along with slivers of neighbouring Aleppo and Lattakia provinces. Turkeys President Tayyip Erdogan threatened on Wednesday to drive back regime troops in Idleb unless they withdraw by the end of the month to stem an assault. Over the past week, about 1,240 Turkish vehicles carrying tanks and attack weapons entered Syria. Also about 5,000 Turkish soldiers have been deployed, including 500 elite forces. The source said the Syrian rebels have obtained TOW missiles, canons and ammunition. Syrian regime forces have recaptured more than 600 square kilometers of territory so far in a campaign to seize control of the last rebel strongholds of Idleb and the Aleppo countryside, a statement from Syrias armed forces said on Sunday. Zaman al-Wasls reporter said the regime forces on Sunday have taken control of 11 villages including the village of al-Eis and its strategic hill just east of the M5. Meanwhile, Russian airstrikes on Monday killed at least five civilians in Aleppo countryside, bringing the death toll to 25 in less than 24 hours, a monitor said. The early morning raids hit the populous village of Abyn where battles between Russia-backed regime forces and their opponents have raged for weeks, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. The victims include at least one child and a number of internally displaced Syrians, the Britain-based monitor said. It follows a night of heavy bombardment by Russia and the regime that left at least 20 civilians dead in the neighbouring provinces of Idleb and Aleppo, according to the Observatory. The weeks-long regime offensive has created a humanitarian crisis with about 600,000 people fleeing their homes in Syrias last rebel stronghold since the beginning of December, according to the United Nations. 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. Maharashtra transport minister Anil Parab has sought funds to the tune of Rs 600 crore in the state budget 2020-21 to procure 2,000 new buses for the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC). The corporation, chaired by Parab, has already approved the proposal in its board meeting recently, a release here stated. The MSRTC is one of the biggest public transport undertakings in the country, with a fleet of at least 18,500 buses that ferry over 65 lakh passengers everyday. According to the release, the MSRTC had sought Rs 186 crore for new buses in the last financial year. However, the state had alloted Rs 110 crore, with which the corporation managed to purchase 700 buses, 500 ordinary ones and 200 'vithai' pilgrimage buses to Pandharpur, the release stated. Highlighting the rise in demand, Parab claimed the highest number of passengers use MSRTC buses to travel within 60 km radius between villages, talukas and districts. "The MSRTC's 'Parivartan' buses ply continuously for such passengers. Hence, to improve the standard of this journey, the MSRTC has submitted a proposal seeking Rs 600 crore to buy new buses," Parab was quoted saying in the release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Wife of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Aisha Buhari, played host to the wife of ex-president Goodluck Jonathan, Dame Patience Jonathan, at the State House in Abuja on Monday. According to Aisha Buhari, below is what they discussed: We discussed my efforts with regards to the greater involvement of women in politics & participation of women at lower level of governance. We also discussed girl child education and her pet project women for change I got to hear her experience during her tenure and listened to her perspectives on issues affecting women and children in the society. It was really nice having her around and I look forward to having more of such moments, Aisha Buhari said as Dame Patience departed the State House. Follow Us on Facebook @LadunLiadi; Instagram @LadunLiadi; Twitter @LadunLiadi; Youtube @LadunLiadiTV for updates Dublin, Feb 11 : Fianna Fail replaced the ruling Fine Gael to be Ireland's largest party by winning the largest number of parliamentary seats in the country's 2020 general election, according to the official results. Fianna Fail won a total of 38 seats in the 160-seat Dail, the lower house of the Irish parliament, followed by Sinn Fein (37), Fine Gael (35), Green Party (12), Labour Party (six), Social Democrats (six) and Solidarity-People Before Profit (five), Xinhua news agency quoted Irish national radio and television broadcaster RTE as saying on Monday. But, Fianna Fail lost seven seats in the election compared with the 45 seats it held in the last Dail, while Fine Gael lost 12 seats, making it now the third largest party in the Dail. The number of seats held by Sinn Fein and Green Party in the Dail witnessed a rapid increase. The number of Sinn Fein's seats increased by 15 from 22 seats, while Green Party replaced Labour Party to be the fourth largest party in the Dail with 12 seats, up four-folds from the past. The situation in which the top three parties are closely tied in the number of their seats in the Dail will make the formation of the next government very difficult, said Fine Gael leader and Prime Minister Leo Varadkar. Analysts said that it could take weeks to see the new government formed. A total of 515 candidates, either fielded by different parties or running on their own, competed in 39 constituencies across the country in the general election held on February 8. Over 3.4 million people were eligible to vote and the actual turnout was 62.9 per cent, lower than that of the 2016 general election, according to official statistics released here. The term of the Dail does not last more than five years, according to Irish laws. Burger King has temporarily closed about half of its 1,300 locations in China amid the coronavirus epidemic thats claimed more than 900 lives. The Restaurant Brands International Inc.-owned chain is carefully watching the situation in China, which it has said provides a big growth opportunity for Burger King, along with its two other brands Popeyes and Tim Hortons. Tim Hortons has just 30 locations in China, and Popeyes hasnt yet opened its doors there. Most of the closures are being driven by local regulations. In some cases, malls are closing, Chief Executive Officer Jose Cil said in a phone interview Monday after the company posted fourth-quarter earnings. Its too early to tell what impact, if any, its going to have on short-term performance or results. Across China, especially in the Hubei province where the outbreak started, businesses are closing their doors. Dunkin Brands Group Inc., Starbucks Corp. and McDonalds Corp. have shuttered some of their establishments. Read more about: A new case of the novel coronavirus was confirmed in a woman who lives 10 floors below a patient diagnosed last month, sparking fears that the deadly virus is spreading through the building. On Monday, a 62-year-old woman who had developed a cough a week earlier was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus, Wong Kai-hing, the controller of the Hong Kong Centre for Health Protection, said at a briefing Tuesday. The woman lives in the same apartment building in Hong Kongs New Territories as a 75-year-old man who was confirmed to be infected with the coronavirus on Jan. 31, Wong said. Hong Kongs government has evacuated the building and quarantined some of its residents who had, or may have had, close contact with the confirmed cases. Four of those residents have developed symptoms and have been hospitalized for treatment, a local health official said Tuesday (link in Chinese). The case has especially rattled Hong Kong residents because of a similar case that occurred in the city during the epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) early last decade. In March 2003, a man who unknowingly had been infected with the SARS virus visited relatives in their apartment in Hong Kongs Kowloon Bay. During his visit, he used the bathroom, allowing the virus to spread down the buildings drainpipe to other apartments. More than 300 people ended up infected, 42 of whom died, making it the most seriously affected residential community in Hong Kong. Read more Caixins coverage of the new coronavirus For the latest cases, Hong Kongs health authorities plan to investigate whether there could be environmental factors involved, an official statement said Tuesday. Yuen Kwok-yung, a leading microbiologist in Hong Kong, said at the briefing that the new coronavirus could have been spread through the apartments drain pipes into the bathroom of the latest infected person. Scientists on the Chinese mainland have detected that the excrement of some confirmed patients tested positive for the novel coronavirus. However, they need to do more research to determine whether the virus can be passed through excrement, said a researcher from the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention at a briefing on Feb. 2. The virus could also have been transmitted if the two residents crossed paths in the elevator or on the street, Tse Chin-wan, a deputy director of Hong Kongs Environmental Protection Department, said at the briefing. Authorities planned to thoroughly clean and disinfect the building, the statement said. As of press time Tuesday, Hong Kong has reported 49 confirmed cases of the new coronavirus, including one death. Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (yingzheguo@caixin.com) and editor Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com) China has fired the two most senior health officials in the quarantined Hubei region amid public fury over their handling of the coronavirus outbreak. Zhang Jin, the Communist party boss of the provincial health commission in Hubei, and its director Liu Yingzi were removed by decree of the party yesterday. Local officials have faced claims of incompetence in their response to the crisis, especially after the death of a doctor who was punished for raising the alarm. Hubei, which includes the city of Wuhan, remains in virtual lockdown with its train stations and airports shut and roads blocked. Health workers in protective suits walk past patients wearing masks at a hospital in Wuhan, the city at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak State broadcaster CCTV said Wang Hesheng will take over the two jobs, having previously been deputy director of the nationwide national health commission. Senior Beijing official Chen Yixin has also been sent to Wuhan to guide epidemic control work in another sign of personnel changes at ground zero. Chen, a former deputy party chief in Hubei, will be deputy head of a central government group dispatched to the province. Local Communist party secretary Ma Guoqiang acknowledged last week that officials had worsened the spread by failing to restrict travel earlier. 'Right now I'm in a state of guilt, remorse and self-reproach,' said the official in an interview with CCTV last month. 'If strict control measures had been taken earlier, the result would have been better than now.' Authorities were accused of playing down the extent of the outbreak in early January because they wanted to project an image of stability. Doctor Li Wenliang (left and right), 34, who died from coronavirus in the early hours of Friday morning after first raising the alarm about the illness Wuhan authorities also faced criticism for going ahead with an annual public banquet for 40,000 families just days before the city was placed on lockdown. Matters worsened last week when doctor Li Wenliang, who had tried to raise the alarm about the virus at the end of the last year, died after being infected by it. The city government was criticised for its heavy-handed treatment after reprimanding Li for 'spreading rumours' about the virus. Other manpower changes have been taking place in the province, including the removal of a top Red Cross official in Wuhan for dereliction of duty. The area has found itself at the centre of a coronavirus outbreak that has infected more than 42,000 across China since December. The coronavirus death toll today surged past 1,000 after another 108 deaths were reported in mainland China. Another two people have died outside mainland China, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. The virus is believed to have emerged in a market selling wild animals in Wuhan last year before spreading across China. The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz Announces Investigation on Behalf of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc., Investors (SBH) The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz announces an investigation on behalf of Sally Beauty Holdings, Inc. ("Sally Beauty" or the "Company") (NYSE: SBH) investors concerning the Company and its officers' possible violations of federal securities laws. If you are a shareholder who suffered a loss, click here to participate. On February 6, 2020, Slly Beauty announced its first quarter 2020 financial results in a press release. Therein, the Company reported net sales of $980.2 million, a 0.9% decline over the prior year period. According to Sally Beauty's Chief Executive Officer ("CEO") Chris Brickman, the shortfall was due, in part, to "implementation-related technology disruptions" which "led to product pricing issues, the misapplication and unintended increase of promotional discounts, and a resulting disruption of [the Company's] planned marketing activities during the quarter." On this news, the Company's share price fell $2.48, or over 15%, to close at $13.50 per share on February 7, 2020, on unusually heavy trading volume. Follow us for updates on Twitter (News - Alert): twitter.com/FRC_LAW. If you purchased Sally Beauty securities, have information or would like to learn more about these claims, or have any questions concerning this announcement or your rights or interests with respect to these matters, please contact Frank R. Cruz, of The Law Offices of Frank R. Cruz, 1999 Avenue of the Stars, Suite 1100, Los Angeles, California 90067 at 310-914-5007, by email to [email protected], or visit our website at www.frankcruzlaw.com. If you inquire by email please include your mailing address, telephone number, and number of shares purchased. This press release may be considered Attorney Advertising in some jurisdictions under the applicable law and ethical rules. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005886/en/ Cheshire will soon be raising a glass to a popular area business. On Tuesday afternoon, the Hamden-based brewery Counter Weight announced on its website that the busines has an agreement to purchase land in Cheshire for the future home of the brewery. This move isnt about aggressive growth, but rather about building a space that will allow us to further our quality control, the efficiency of our day to day production, and to design a more focused experience for our guests, the statement continues. The brewery, which advertises a variety of beers on its website, from beautiful, rustic Belgian ales and refined, sturdy German lagers to bright, hop-forward American IPA's, is a well-known Connecticut brewery amongst regional beer enthusiasts. We have been really fortunate in Hamden, said owner Matt Westfall. But we realized we were running out of space and the people of Cheshire have just been so nice to us. Westfall and his team started the search for a new brewery location about a year ago and, after speaking with Cheshires Economic Development Coordinator Gerry Sitko, they decided to settle on Cheshire. They are really great people with a really great product, said Sitko. I am really excited to have them here, and I hope others are too. I think itll be a great addition to the community. The new location, according to Westfall, will offer the same social vibe as the current Hamden location, but will provide the brewery the ability to host events and gatherings on a much larger scale. We will still have food trucks and a heavy social scene, Westfall added. But this time we are able to make the place entirely our own from scratch, which is very exciting. Counter Weight is perhaps best known for its Headway American IPA, which is described as being brewed with four varieties of American hops and a flavor profile described as bright and expressive, according to their website. While the exact location of the new brewery is being held under wraps for now, Westfall insists that location was taken very seriously when the company decided to search for a larger space. We originally wanted to stay in Hamden, but there was nothing close to what we wanted there, he explained. Cheshire is great because its not too far away from our old location, so our staff and regulars can move with us. Once Westfall and his team at Counter Weight make the move to Cheshire, the Hamden location at 23 Raccio Park Rd. will close, but the timeline as to when the new one will open is yet to be determined. Thank you for reading! To read this article and more, subscribe now for as little as $1.99. Former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi on Monday urged the people to 'trust the judges' for resolving the issues around the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Speaking at an event organised at the Gujarat National Law University, Gogoi said that the resolution of the CAA issue must be done through 'constitutional means'. "The matter is pending before the Supreme Court. I would say trust your judges," he added. Further, Gogoi appealed to the students of the university to think about the judiciary. According to him, the most important fundamental duty for any citizen is to respect the unity and integrity of the nation. He said, "The moment we have an independent and fearless judiciary, our country will march ahead." Nationwide protests against CAA Protests against the newly amended Citizenship law, which fast-tracks Indian citizenship for non-Muslim minorities from three neighbouring countries, have flared since December last year. The mood in the national capital has been tense ever since violence erupted in the Jamia Millia Islamia University on an earlier occasion. The protests spread nationwide following that. Read: NHRC seeks report from UP DGP, Chief Secretary on police brutality during anti-CAA protest Prime Minister Narendra Modis government had said that the law is required to help persecuted minorities who came to India before December 31, 2014, from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan. However, protesters insist the law discriminates against the countrys Muslim minority and violates Indias Constitution. Speaking about the protests, the former CJI said, "The protests originated from my state, Assam. When I had just retired and returned to Guwahati, I saw protests for five days. The student community which was spearheading the protests said that they will stop the protests at 5 pm on the fifth day. From the sixth day onwards there was no violence. The protests continued but they were held in a democratic and peaceful manner. I am yet to see a more constructive role played by the students' organizations in the country." Read: 'Not me, someone else': Ex-Assam CM Tarun Gogoi makes curious pitch for new regional party States pass resolution against CAA Ever since the passing of the CAA, a few across the country have shown strong resistance towards implementing it. Recently, West Bengal has become the fourth state to pass a resolution against it. Along with it, Kerala and Punjab have also passed a resolution demanding to scrap the contentious law. Reports stated that Maharashtra is also considering to pass a resolution against CAA. Read: 'CAA cannot be questioned or deliberated in any manner', Kiran Bedi tells Puducherry CM Read: Delhi election: Manish Sisodia says 'work is deshbhakti', exudes confidence in victory (With ANI Inputs) Delhi Election Results 2020: Bharatiya Janata Party's Kapil Mishra has the daunting task of dethroning Aam Aadmi Party's incumbent MLA from Model Town Akhilesh Pati Tripathi. The Congress party is also aiming to regain the seat that it last won in 1993. The grand old party has fielded a Mahila Congress secretary, Akansha Ola in the Delhi Elections 2020. According to early trends, Mishra is leading from the constituency. Mishra is a former AAP leader who defected to BJP in 2019. He had accused CM Kejriwal and health minister Satyender Jain of corruption and rebelled against the party in 2017. The BJP candidate first rose to prominence in 2010 when he protested against the alleged irregularities in the Delhi Commonwealth Games preparation. He had founded the Youth for Justice action group in the early 2000s that took out protests in Delhi during the Jessica Lal murder trial. He fought the 2013 elections on an AAP ticket but lost to BJP leader Mohan Singh Bisht. In 2015, he defeated Bisht by a margin of over 44,000 votes. He was fired from the cabinet after he accused Kejriwal of corruption. He subsequently became a BJP supporter. Also read: Delhi Election Results Live Updates: Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP crosses majority mark; BJP surges on 20 seats The Election Commission had also imposed a 48-hour campaigning ban on Mishra for his controversial tweets. He had also accused the Congress party and AAP of fuelling protests in the national capital. On the other hand, Akhilesh Pati Tripathi defeated long time Congress MLA from Model Town Kanwar Karan Singh in 2013 and 2015 polls. Before that Singh had been serving as the Model Town MLA between 1998 and 2013. According to the India Today-Axis My India exit polls, AAP is likely to win 59-68 seats in the 70-seat Delhi assembly. The poll also stated that AAP is likely to win 9-10 seats in the Chandni Chowk district that includes Model Town. BJP might be restricted to 0-1 seat in the area, while Congress might not win any. Also read: Delhi Election Results 2020: Watch live streaming on Aaj Tak, India Today Also read: Delhi Election Result 2020: Counting time; how to check; when will trends start coming in? Badarpur Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Badarpur constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Badarpur Assembly Election 2020 | With a margin of over 3,000 votes, AAP's Ram Singh Netaji took the lead over BJP's Ramvir Singh Bidhuri. While Netaji got 30,228 and a 49.41 vote share, Bidhuri got 26,944 votes and a 44.04 percent vote share. Among the few constituencies in Delhi where the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chose to field a fresh face despite having won the seat in the 2015 election, the Badarpur Assembly constituency is likely to see a bipolar contest between the ruling AAP and challenger the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In an interesting development, the AAP has denied the ticket to incumbent ND Sharma and given it to local strongman and former Congress leader Ram Singh Netaji. On the other hand, the saffron party has nominated Ramveer Singh Bidhuri, a known rival of Netaji. Meanwhile, Sharma will contest on a Bahujan Samaj Party ticket. The largely rural constituency of Badarpur goes to the polls on 8 February. Here's a brief profile of the constituency: Constituency Name: Badarpur Constituency Number: 53 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 2,60,887 Female Electors: 1,07,522 Male Electors: 1,53,329 Third Gender: 36 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of the BJP won the seat in the 2013 Assembly election defeating Congress Netaji by over 12,000 votes. However, he lost to Sharma of the AAP by a margin of over 46,000 votes in the 2015 Assembly election. Demographics: Gujjars are a dominant vote bank in Badarpur constituency, which is a predominantly rural area. The Gujjar voters in the constituency also tend to vote along caste lines as per reports. However, with the BJP and AAP fielding Gujjar candidates, it would be interesting to see how much the Gujjar vote would split in the upcoming election. Moreover, the lack of basic amenities like potable water, sewer, open drains and roads are likely to take centre stage in the polls. Michael Flynn, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, leaves the federal court with his lawyer Sidney Powell (L), following a status conference with Judge Emmet Sullivan, in Washington on Sept. 10, 2019. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP Photo) Judge Indefinitely Postpones Flynn Sentencing A federal judge on Feb. 10 indefinitely postponed the date for sentencing President Donald Trumps former national security adviser Lt. Gen. Michael Flynn, as prosecutors asked the court to give them access to communications with his former lawyers. Judge Emmet Sullivans order on Monday to cancel the sentencing hearingwhich had been scheduled for Feb. 27came weeks after Flynn asked the court to allow him to withdraw his guilty plea in former Special Counsel Robert Muellers investigation into alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Flynn pleaded guilty in late 2017 to lying to the FBI about interactions with Russias ambassador to the United States in the weeks before Trump took office, but has since argued that prosecutors violated his rights and duped him into a plea agreement. The charge stemmed from a Jan. 24, 2017, interview he gave to two FBI agents: Peter Strzok, former FBI deputy assistant director for counterintelligence operations, and Supervisory Special Agent Joe Pientka. In his statement of offense, Flynn also admitted to lying on foreign lobbying paperwork for his now-defunct consultancy, Flynn Intel Group. He wasnt charged for this. FBI Deputy Assistant Director Peter Strzok testifies at the Committee on the Judiciary and Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Joint Hearing on Oversight of FBI and DOJ Actions Surrounding the 2016 Election in Washington on July 12, 2018. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times) Sullivan did not schedule a new hearing, but delayed the sentencing date until further order of the court. He said it will allow both parties to prepare arguments in response to Flynns recent accusations that his former lawyers at the law firm of Covington & Burling gave him bad advice, violating his constitutional rights. Prosecutors in a Feb. 9 court filing (pdf) argued that they should be granted access to Flynns communications with his former lawyers, suggesting they are interested in information that could help them level additional charges against him. Communications with lawyers are normally protected by attorney-client privilege. The prosecutors argued, however, that Flynn gave up that privilege when he accused the lawyers of giving him bad advice. When a defendant claims that his conviction should be vacated or his sentence reduced because his counsels professional performance was so deficient that it violated the defendants constitutional rights, it follows that the defendant must have waived his attorney-client privilege in that case, the prosecutors said, arguing that Flynns former attorneys should testify. Sullivan on Monday ordered both sides to discuss the terms of Flynns waiver of attorney-client privilege, giving them a deadline of Feb. 24 to reach an agreement on the authorization of disclosure of information with respect to Mr. Flynns ineffective assistance of counsel claims, so prosecutors could discuss details with his former lawyers. In the event that the parties are unable to reach an agreement on the waiver of attorney-client privilege and disclosure of information issues, Mr. Flynn shall file his opposition brief by no later than 12 p.m. on Feb. 24, 2020, and the government shall file its reply brief by no later than 12 p.m. on March 2, 2020, Sullivan said Monday. Flynn faces a maximum prison sentence of five years if sentenced on the false-statements felony charge. Prosecutors, however, have urged the judge to sentence him to a maximum six months in prison. Petr Svab and Reuters contributed to this report. Correction: A previous version of this article incorrectly described the situation of Lt. Gen. Michael Flynns guilty plea. Flynn asked the court to allow him to withdraw his plea. Atishi, the AAPs candidate from Kalkaji assembly seat, on Tuesday beat her Bharatiya Janata Party rival Dharambir Singh by 11,333 votes in a battle of prestige for her party. It was also being seen as a personal battle for the 38-year-old Atishi, known as an education reformist but not much political experience, as she looked at kick-starting her political career. She had also unsuccessfully contested the Lok Sabha elections from East Delhi last year, securing the third place. It was clear that the people of Delhi had made up their mind about Arvind Kejriwal. They voted for him on the basis of what he did for Delhi, AAPs Atishi said. We have got an opportunity to work for the people of Delhi, she said while speaking to reporters. Moments after, Atishi also tweeted her gratitude to the citizens of the Capital city. Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in @AamAadmiParty and voting for politics of development. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhis Govt. Schools the best in the country and now well make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi! Atishi (@AtishiAAP) February 11, 2020 Thank you to all the people of Delhi for putting their faith in Aam Aadmi Party and voting for politics of development, she tweeted. Atishi also put forward her agenda for the next five years. In the last 5 years we have endeavoured to make Delhis Govt. Schools the best in the country and now well make Kalkaji the best constituency in Delhi! she said. The veteran she defeated is Singh, who is head of the Delhi BJPs booth-level management wing and was a councillor from Sriniwaspuri ward (2007-2012). He had worked at the ward and district levels for years and unsuccessfully the contested assembly election from the constituency in 2013 on an AAP ticket. He had left the BJP after being denied a ticket in the assembly elections that year. It was for the first time in more than two decades the BJP fielded its own candidate from Kalkaji. It had always given this seat to its old and trusted ally Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) at least 50-55% voters belong to the Sikh-Punjabi community. Detainees facing deportation still have no idea whether a charter flight to Jamaica organised by the Home Office will take off as planned with just hours to go before the scheduled departure. A flight carrying around 50 people had been due to take off at 6.30am on Tuesday, but a last minute legal challenge by human rights groups means many of the intended passengers cannot yet be removed. On Monday evening the Home Office was ordered not to deport anyone held in two detention centres close to Heathrow Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth amid concerns mobile phone outages had prevented access to legal advice. Lady Justice Simler said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3. The judge granted the order without a court hearing following an urgent application on paper by charity Detention Action. The charity argued that some of the detainees at the two Heathrow centres still do not have a functioning mobile phone, following issues with an O2 phone mast in the area. But the order does not apply to Brook House detention centre, which is close to Gatwick, although campaigners say detainees have experienced similar problems with communication networks. DEPORTATIONS LATEST: We're hearing people detained at Brook House have evidence about phone signal outage & access to justice problems. We understand they want to make legal representations by are being stopped by guards. Gov MUST cancel this flight immediately #Jamaica50 Detention Action (@DetentionAction) February 10, 2020 The Home Office refused to comment on the number of detainees it could still deport without being in breach of the order, or whether the flight would take off as planned. Story continues It said in a statement: The planned charter flight to Jamaica is specifically for deporting foreign national offenders. Those detained for removal include people convicted of manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing Class-A drugs. We are urgently asking the judge to reconsider their ruling and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing. A spokesman for Detention Action said they were also in the dark as to whether the flight would take off. It is very difficult to see how, amid all the problems, they could go ahead with this flight but the situation is still very unclear, he said. According to Detention Action, around 56 people are being held in the two Heathrow detention centres. It is not known exactly how many people are held in Brook House. The planned flight sparked a protest outside Downing Street on Monday evening, which ended up with demonstrators blocking the roads around Parliament Square. At one point, the protesters managed to box in a ministerial car carrying Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith. Protesters obstruct Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith in a ministerial car as he leaves the Houses of Parliament in London (Aaron Chown/PA) Mr Smith was delayed for about 10 minutes before police were able to disperse the crowd. There were heated scenes in the House of Commons on Monday afternoon as Labour MPs put in an urgent question on the matter for the Government. There were shouts of shame as Home Secretary Priti Patel left the chamber, leaving junior minister Kevin Foster to respond. Mr Foster insisted no British nationals were on the flight and said deportation rules were applied on the criminality, not the nationality of the offender, adding: The foreign nationals on that flight have been sentenced to a total of 300 years in prison. The offences are, as we said, relate to everything from sex offending, serious drug trafficking offences, violent offences, firearms offences. Mr Foster was repeatedly asked by MPs for more specific information on the nature of offences committed by those on the flight but refused to provide more detail. More than 150 MPs have signed a letter calling on the Prime Minister to step in and stop the flight. The planned flight follows news of a leaked report commissioned by ministers in the wake of the Windrush scandal which warned the Government that the deportation policy should be reconsidered in all but the most severe cases. Written in June 2019, the document seen by PA said: Government should review its policy and approach to FNOs (foreign national offenders), if necessary through primary legislation. It should consider ending all deportations of FNOs where they arrived in the UK as children (say before age of 13). Alternatively deportation should only be considered in the most severe cases. A number of the people due on the flight are thought to have been convicted of one-time drug offences when they were young and have lived in the UK for most of their lives. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 12:49:57|Editor: ZD Video Player Close WASHINGTON, Feb. 10 (Xinhua) -- Over 100 U.S. troops had been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury due to last month's Iranian missile attack on U.S. military bases in Iraq, U.S. Defense Department said Monday in a statement. "As of today, 109 U.S. service members have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, an increase of 45 since the previous report," the statement said. Among the injured, 76 ones have been treated and returned to duty, it added. In addition, 27 troops have been transported to Germany for further evaluation, and 21 of them were subsequently transported to the United States, the Pentagon noted. "This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change," according to the statement. Days after the killing of Iranian senior commander Qassem Soleimani by a U.S. drone in early January, Iran retaliated by launching ballistic missiles on military bases housing U.S. troops in Iraq's western province of Anbar and near the city of Erbil, capital of the semi-autonomous region of Kurdistan. U.S. military initially said that no casualty was reported from the Iranian attack. U.S. President Donald Trump then downplayed the seriousness of the attack, saying "I heard that they had headaches and a couple of other things, but I would say and I can report that it's not very serious." More than 5,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battle against Islamic State militants. A Belfast couple have described making history as the first same-sex couple to tie the knot in Northern Ireland as "surreal". Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, got married in a hotel in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, on Tuesday afternoon, after a landmark law change in the country coincided with the couple's sixth anniversary. They had booked a civil partnership ceremony at the Loughshore hotel months before Westminster MPs passed the legislation last summer. When it became clear the first marriages could take place in Northern Ireland this week, they changed their ceremony to a wedding. First same-sex wedding in Northern Ireland - In pictures 1 /16 First same-sex wedding in Northern Ireland - In pictures Reuters Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, became history makers at a ceremony in a hotel in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, on Tuesday afternoon. PA Their marriage came after a landmark law change in the region. REUTERS The day marks their sixth anniversary REUTERS They had booked a civil partnership ceremony at the Loughshore hotel months before Westminster MPs passed the legislation last summer. REUTERS They said the wedding showed the world that: "We are equal". REUTERS When it became clear the first marriages could take place in Northern Ireland this week, they changed their ceremony to a wedding. Getty Images Robyn Peoples (left), 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27 PA Ms Peoples, a senior care worker from Belfast, said the pair were sending a message to the world that we are equal. PA The pair showed off their rings PA Our love is personal, but the law which said we couldnt marry was political, she said. REUTERS Sharni Edwards, 27, at the Loughshore Hotel, in Carrickfergus, after marrying Robyn Peoples PA After a long and high-profile campaign for reform, same-sex marriage was eventually legalised at Westminster by MPs who stepped in and acted on the controversial issue during the powersharing impasse at Stormont. As the couple basked in their newly-wed status, Sharni said: "It's completely surreal. "We are literally living the dream, it's incredible." Robyn, a senior care worker from Belfast, added: "For Northern Ireland we need to be the face of the people to show everyone it's OK. We fought so long and hard for this opportunity to be seen as equal and now we are here and it's just amazing." Robyn Peoples (left), 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, at the Loughshore Hotel / PA They also paid tribute to the LGBTQ activists who had campaigned for the law change. Sharni said: "If it wasn't for them guys we wouldn't be sat here right now, we just want to say thank you to everyone... everyone who has marched and signed petitions, everyone who has helped us get to this stage, we just want to say thank you." The couple's married name is Edwards-Peoples. Robyn described the significance of the occasion: "It's just to show that we are equal to a man and a woman, our love is just the same, it's no different. "Sometimes people might try to say it's not. Our love is the exact same, and this means everything to us. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, got married in a hotel in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, on Tuesday afternoon / Reuters "Now we are married and we have this opportunity - this is my wife, I can finally say she is my wife and we have had our marriage." Sharni added: "It's amazing." Robyn Peoples (left), 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, at the Loughshore Hotel, in Carrickfergus / PA Sara Canning, the partner of murdered journalist Lyra McKee, said adding her voice to those calling for the landmark law change had been "massively helpful" to the grieving process. "It has been massively helpful to channel my feelings into this, because the alternative was lying down under it, or allowing the anger to be used in a way that isn't constructive," she told the PA news agency. "At least, speaking out about these things, it's something that can be changed. And the platform was huge, because it was such an awful tragedy. Girlfriend of Lyra McKee hails 'phenomenal' first same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland "So I felt the need was there to speak about something, that maybe a difference could be made. "And we could see something that Lyra and I were passionate about coming to fruition." Ms Canning is attending a celebratory Parliamentary event in Westminster on Tuesday evening, alongside the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, MPs and campaigners. Belfast couple to make same-sex marriage history Prior to the ceremony, Sharni, a waitress from Brighton who did not even know the law was different in Northern Ireland until she moved to Belfast from England, added: We feel humbled that our wedding is a landmark moment for equal rights in Northern Ireland. "We didnt set out to make history we just fell in love." The high-profile ceremony Jan. 20 in which thousands of Nubians were officially compensated for their lost land was beyond their dreams. Nevertheless, some are still clinging to the possibility of returning to their ancestral land at Egypt's border with Sudan, no matter how slim this possibility may be. It's been over a century since Nubians experienced their first displacement in 1902 when the construction of the Aswan Low Dam currently known as the Aswan reservoir began and they had to move from their ancient hometown stretched along the banks of the Nile River in southern Egypt. Still others were forced to move in 1912 and 1933, with the heightening waters of the Aswan Low Dam. Then came the construction of the Aswan High Dam in 1963, which forced even more some 55,000 people to leave their historically affluent area. Since then, Nubians have hoped to return to their land although some of it is now underwater, some is part of a development project, and some villages are considered no-go zones and are being used for military purposes. On Jan. 20, a ceremony in Upper Egypt's city of Aswan was orchestrated to show that Egypt was providing compensation for the Nubians displaced over the last century. A number of ministers, advisers to President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and senior state officials were in attendance. Prime Minister Mustafa Madbouly described Nubians as an integral part of society and expressed the governments determination to solve their problems," referring to Sisis directives to solve the problems of affected Nubians at the National Youth Forum in 2017. "This is a response to our demands of many years," Khalil el-Gebaly, one of the beneficiaries of the current compensation, told Al-Monitor. The former head of the local council of Nasr El-Nuba Center a body that deals with municipal affairs Gebaly migrated to the agricultural town of Kom Ombo in Aswan at the age of 18 along with many others. Gebaly, now in his 70s, explained that his father was compensated one house and some land after they left behind their four homes and 18 acres when they were displaced in the 1960s. But they are also being provided with cash in this new compensation cycle because they had not yet received all of the compensation they were entitled to, he said. Mohamed Saleh Aadlan, head of the Nubian General Club in Cairo, told Al-Monitor the recent wave of compensations covers two groups: those who have received no compensation in the last 50 years, and those who have received some but not full compensation for their losses in the 1960s. He noted the compensation will go to great-grandchildren who have deeds of ownership to inherit their deceased parents' or grandparents' lost properties from lands or houses or both. Aadlan said he is not entitled to compensation because the list of the current compensation cycle includes those who were displaced in 1964 and not in 1933, as his parents had been. According to the government, all of those affected by the construction of the reservoir and from the High Dam will be compensated gradually. A second call for requests will be opened in February, Aswan Gov. Ashraf Attia told the local media. Meanwhile, Cabinet spokesperson Nader Saad stated Jan. 20 that "by the end of the second phase, the government will have closed the file permanently and found a fundamental solution to the problem of compensation for the people of Nubia." A committee Sisi ordered established in 2017 on Nubian compensation matters said there were 11,500 Nubians eligible for compensation either with money or allocation of comparable lands and residences, according to an infographic published by the Cabinet Jan. 25. The infographic shows that 6,171 Nubians lodged a request for compensation in 2019; 1,680 beneficiaries requested compensation in cash. Some 302 million Egyptian pounds (nearly $19 million) is allocated for compensation. The government will pay 225,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $14,275) for each house lost or confiscated, and 25,000 Egyptian pounds (nearly $1,586) for each acre. Smaller numbers of Nubians require land, houses or a land deed for the areas they have settled in. Some 77 people said they would prefer to wait for a loan or financial aid under Sisis plan to pump investments of up to 5 billion Egyptian pounds (nearly $316,455 million) over the next five years into the development of southern Egypt. Tentative attempts were made on behalf of Nubians in 2010 by President Hosni Mubarak, such as building 200 housing units as the first phase in Wadi Karkar village 9 kilometers (5 miles) south of the High Dam. But Mubarak who was ousted in 2011 did not really address the issue, and the Karkar village was far away from the Nubian homeland, Aadlan explained, adding it did not have employment services. "The current compensation is satisfactory, but we have other demands, such as returning to the ancient land of Nubia, which is located from the High Dam to the borders of Sudan on an area of 370 kilometers (229 miles)," Gebaly told Al-Monitor. He explained that all land located south of the High Dam represents the remnants of ancient Nubia, adding, "There is no infrastructure yet available for living there, so we want village councils to get established there to facilitate our transition." Though chances seem slim, both Gebaly and Aadlan point out that the Egyptian Constitution guarantees their return to Nubia within 10 years. Article 236 of Egypt's 2014 Constitution says the state has to develop border and underprivileged areas, including Upper Egypt, Sinai, Matrouh and Nubia. The second paragraph of the article says "the state works on developing and implementing projects to bring back the residents of Nubia to their original areas and develop them within 10 years in the manner organized by law. We want to go because we have our roots, our civilization there, said Gebaly. He added, "None of us will give up on our right to return to Nubia." Kelvin Fletcher's wife Liz Marsland reportedly 'felt like a fool' after he and his Strictly pro partner Oti Mabuse were seen enjoying a 3.30am nightcap during the early hours of Saturday morning. The mother-of-two was said to be 'humiliated' as her husband of five years was out 'gallivanting' with his pals while she was at home with the kids. Married actor Kelvin, 36, was spotted walking into the Sanctum Soho Hotel in London on Friday alongside his glamorous former Strictly Come Dancing partner, 29 hours before his wife unfollowed him on Instagram. Trouble: Kelvin Fletcher's wife Liz Marsland reportedly 'felt like a fool' after he and his Strictly pro partner Oti Mabuse were seen enjoying a 3.30am nightcap during the early hours of Saturday morning A source told The Mirror that although she was 'not worried about anything going on', it had irked her that she was at home looking after the children whilst he went out drinking. They explained: 'It all got a bit too much when she saw the pictures. She has been at home looking after the kids while he has been away on tour having a good time. 'She got upset and angry and unfollowed him. She feels a bit silly now but to be honest he shouldnt have put her in that situation where she had all her friends ringing her yesterday morning asking if she was OK. She hated being put in that position and felt like a fool.' They went on to say that the star is now home and suggested that Liz's reaction would've been 'exactly the same' had Kelvin been out with anyone else. Night out: Married actor Kelvin, 36, was spotted walking into the Sanctum Soho Hotel in London on Friday alongside his glamorous former Strictly partner, 29 hours before his wife unfollowed him on Instagram MailOnline have contacted representatives of Kelvin and Oti for comment. It comes as Kelvin was seen with his arm around Oti's waist as they waited to be let into the hotel, following the evening out with the rest of their Strictly Live Tour co-stars. There is nothing to suggest that anything untoward was going on between the pair as they enjoyed celebratory end-of-tour drinks. However, a source exclusively told MailOnline that Kelvin's wife and the mother of his children Liz Marsland unfriended him on the social network after learning of his late night rendezvous with the Strictly cast. Not impressed: The mother-of-two was said to be 'humiliated' as her husband of five years was out 'gallivanting' with his pals while she was at home with the kids Late night fun: It comes as Kelvin was seen with his arm around Oti's waist as they waited to be let into the hotel, following the evening out with the rest of their Strictly Live Tour co-stars Liz, who's been at home with the couple's children Marnie, three, and Milo, one, while Kelvin performed on the Strictly tour, was upset after seeing pictures of the soap actor still out drinking at gone 3am. A source told MailOnline: 'Naturally Liz wasn't happy after finding out Kelvin had been out late drinking with the Strictly lot. 'It wasn't easy for her to see him still out at 3:35am, while she's at home looking after their two young children. Any woman would be upset if they were in the same situation. Tough: 'It all got a bit too much when she saw the pictures. She has been at home looking after the kids while he has been away on tour having a good time' 'In the heat of the moment she unfollowed him on Instagram, it was just a shock for her to see him out so late. 'But now she's had the chance to speak to Kelvin face-to-face after he came home and they're spending today together, she feels silly for unfollowing him and admits she acted on impulse.' A source close to Oti told The Mirror of the pair's late night drink on Friday: 'lt was perfectly innocent. 'They wanted to have a few more drinks and the bar was still serving. They are just friends.' That was then: In new images, married Kelvin was spotted on the town with his co-star, during which he placed a hand on her back to guide her into the hotel lobby (pictured in October) On Friday night, Kelvin shared a sweet snap of his wife and children on Instagram. He captioned the shot: 'Counting down the days until I'm back home to my family' and tagged Liz in the post with her unfollowing him hours later. It isn't the first time that Kelvin and Oti, who's married to dancer Marius Lepure, have been pictured enjoying a drink together. Last month the Sun on Sunday revealed the pair had been for an intimate catch-up together at Shoreditch's Cirque bar. A source revealed at the time: 'Oti and Kelvin were in the bar when we arrived at 12am and seemed very close.' Loved up: Kelvin has been married to his childhood sweetheart Liz Marsland for five years and the couple share two children Marnie, three, and Milo, one, together No longer friends: Kelvin's wife Liz unfollowed him on Instagram hours after she saw he had been partying until the early morning with the Strictly gang, including his ex-pro partner Oti MailOnline has contacted Oti and Kelvin's representatives for comment. Kelvin and Liz are childhood sweethearts who grew up down the road from one another in Royton, Lancashire, and shared their first kiss at just eight years old. However they officially got together two years after she finished university. They were engaged in 2015, after Kelvin proposed on the beach during a romantic trip to Wales. Then they wed exactly one year later in a lavish ceremony reportedly costing 55,000 at London's One Mayfair, with famous guests such as Mark Wright and Michelle Keegan in attendance. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin K Oanh Ha (Bloomberg) Tue, February 11, 2020 15:43 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063ce49d 2 News Holland-America-Line,cruise-ship,Thailand,coronavirus,travel,Miami,united-states Free Thailand became the latest country to turn a Holland America Line cruise ship away from one of its ports, prompting pleas for help from some of the 2,257 passengers and crew desperate to disembark after almost two weeks at sea. Fearing some guests aboard the Westerdam may be infected with the deadly new coronavirus, Thailands Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul announced in a short Facebook post Tuesday that hes directed authorities to refuse entry into a port near Bangkok. Operated by Holland America Line, a brand owned by Miami-based cruise giant Carnival Corp., the ship has been refused entry by at least three other ports. Guam, Manila and Yokohama sent it away on concerns over the virus, which has killed more than 1,000 people since it was first reported late last year in Wuhan, China. The refusal and quarantine of cruise ships is the latest effort by governments around the world seeking to contain the outbreak. Carnivals Diamond Princess and its 3,700 passengers are quarantined in the port of Yokohama as authorities battle against an increasing number of infections on board. On board the Westerdam, passengers posted desperate messages as they learned from media outlets about Thailands refusal. Definitely stressful.we have been at sea 14 days as of this Friday. We have no passengers sick in any way. Westerdam is a ship of primarily US, Australian, British cruisers with no contact with mainland China other than to land in Hong Kong and go straight to our ship. #westerdam AJ (@Mountain_AJ) February 11, 2020 Read also: Italy lets passengers off cruise ship after virus scare In a blog post Monday evening, Holland America Line announced the ship was headed to Laem Chabang port -- about 50 miles east of Bangkok -- where passengers would disembark and end their journey on Feb. 13. The ship operator has said that the vessel is not in quarantine and it has no reason to believe there are any cases of coronavirus on board. Holland America Lines plight is adding to Carnivals woes sparked by the virus. Holland America and Carnival did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. The Westerdam departed Hong Kong on Feb. 1 on a 14-day Taiwan and Japan cruise. With 1,455 guests and 802 crew, the passengers were originally scheduled to disembark at Yokohama Feb. 15, according to blog posts on Holland America Lines website. The ship has sufficient fuel and food provisions to last until the end of the voyage, according to an earlier Holland America Line blog post on its website. Amid speculation surrounding the whip issued by the BJP in the House, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday said it is for the health of the House as attendance is normally very less on the last day of the session before the recess. The Budget session of Parliament, which started on January 31, will go on a break from Tuesday and meet again on March 2. As the House met for the day, Naidu said no bill will be taken up and the House will only discuss the Budget, and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's reply later in the day. The BJP had on Monday issued a whip asking its members of Parliament to be present in their respective Houses on Tuesday. After whips were issued by political parties, there was speculation in a section of the media that the government may come up with an important legislation in the House. Naidu said some political parties seem to have issued whips. "That is for the health of the House because today is the last day (before the break) and we have seen in the past that attendance normally is very less sending a very wrong message as if members are not interested in the Budget and the House," he said. The Chairman further said, "I will be happy" if a whip is issued regularly throughout the session so that MPs remain present. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Proof, a food and beverage incubator opening in Chattanooga, will aim to teach people how to open a bar or restaurant, and how to manage the business. Michael Robinson, representing Proof, told the Chattanooga Beer Board that he works with the Company Lab, an accelerator in Chattanooga for opening new enterprises. The new business will be opening in a 6,000-square-foot building at 424 E. M. L. King Blvd. There will be two sides in the building: one, a commissary style kitchen which will use pop-up food tenants and the other side will be a bar. On the bar side of the business, both draft and packaged beer will be sold and Mr. Robinson assured the beer board members that all servers will be ABC certified. Plans are to open the business four days a week. A bar at 715 Cherry St., has a new owner and a new name. The British-themed bar, formerly known as London Calling, is now Unknown Caller. It has been managed by James Heeley since it opened in December, 2017. On Dec. 20, 2019, Mr. Heeley bought the business for his wife. He said that is all that has changed. Nothing about the operations, staff and management is different, he said, except there will be a doorman on Friday and Saturdays to assure that everyone who enters is over 21. Hibachi & Wings & Boba Tea, 6933 Lee Highway, Suite 901, also has been sold. The new owner is Bureerat (Ming) Charoensandorn. The restaurant has been operating for a long time but has never sold beer. With the new beer license it received at the Chattanooga Beer Board meeting Thursday morning, beer will be added to the menu, as will Boba Tea, described as a tea-based, flavored beverage with bubbles. The Creative Discovery Museum will hold its main fundraising party, Wonders of the World Amuse Um 2020, on March 7 from 7-11 p.m. Development Manager Denise Karnes said the museum is hoping to have 500 people attend the event. John Fitch Events will be the caterer and bartender serving alcohol and there will be a variety of cultural cuisines from around the world. A special events beer license was unanimously approved for the fundraiser. The Chattanooga Beer Board has been trying to establish more consistency in its oversight of establishments that sell and serve beer in the city. Assistant City Attorney Keith Resisman, who recently retired, worked with the board to create a new ordinance in the attempt to regulate this business with the purpose of keeping the public and the streets safe. The proposed ordinance was presented to the Chattanooga City Council on Jan. 28 and received approval. The new conditions will go into effect on March 28. One of the items that the board believes will increase safety the most is that professional training in alcohol sales will be mandatory for any person involved in serving or selling beer. After it goes into effect on March 28, employees will be given 60 days to get the required training. Additional training can be required by the beer board after a violation and verification from the professional trainer will have to be provided. Another need that will be addressed, is a way to handle the language barrier of some applicants. Chattanooga Police Officer John Collins suggested that a trainer make a presentation/overview to the beer board members of all the changes to the old beer ordinance to get their input before it goes into effect. 'Ayodhya will once again become Ram's city.' IMAGE: Mahant Raju Das of the Hanuman Garhi Mandir and Muslim leader Babloo Khan at the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas in Ayodhya. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo Disciples of Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, who was at the forefront of the Ram Janambhoomi agitation, were upset when his name did not figure in the first list of Ayodhya temple trust -- the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra -- members announced by the central government last week. Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das's successor, hurriedly called a meeting of seers to discuss the issue that was to be followed by a press conference. The Centre intervened immediately by sending Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta, Ayodhya Mayor Rishikesh Upadhyay and Ayodhya Mahanagar President Abhishek Mishra to placate the mahants. Ayodhya MLA Ved Prakash Gupta, who played an important role in placating the mahants and their disciples, reveals to Rediff.com's Prasanna D Zore how the mahants were won over. The reason why Mahant Nritya Gopal Das's name did not figure in the first list Mahant Nritya Gopal Das has been made an accused by the CBI in the demolition of the Babri Masjid case. Champat Rai, secretary of the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, was also made a co-accused, so their names were not included in the names that were declared for the trust. But considering the cases against them, the government left two vacant places on the trust. Given this technical issue, the Centre did not announce their names. The first meeting of the trust will take place on February 19, and the members (who have already been named and which include senior lawyer K Parasaran, and religious leaders like Jyothishpeethadheeshwar Swami Vasudevanand Saraswati Maharaj from Allahabad, Pejawar Math in Udupi, Jagatguru Madhavacharya Swami Vishwa Prasannatheerth Maharaj, Yugpurush Paramanand Maharaj from Haridwar, Jagatguru Shankaracharya, Swami Govinddev Giri Maharaj and Vimlendra Mohan Pratap Mishra from Ayodhya. The trust also includes Kameshwar Chaupal from Patna, Mahant Dinendra Das, Nirmohi Akhara, Ayodhya Baithak and Anil Mishra, a homoeopathic doctor from Ayodhya) will move a resolution for Mahant Nritya Gopal Das's appointment as the president and Champat Rai as the secretary of the trust. There was some confusion among Mahant Nritya Gopal Das's followers and disciples; the Mahant himself wasn't upset. It is only natural for the followers to be upset to know that their names were not in the list announced by the government. When we met them we apprised them about the technical problem in announcing their names by the government because of the CBI's case against them. How the home minister pacified Mahant Nritya Gopal Das Union Home Minister Amit Anilchandra Shah spoke to Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and explained the issues involved. Let me tell you as the elected representative of Ayodhya, he was told that his spearheading of the Ram Janambhoomi agitation was noteworthy and it was impossible to not have his name among members of the trust. If the government had announced their names, it might have created some problem. Some people could have gone to the Supreme Court. That would have led to a delay of two-three months in the work of forming the trust. So, it was avoided. Since the trust formed is an autonomous body, the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra will be free to take decisions about the appointment of the president and secretary of the trust. The trust will take this decision at its very first meeting on February 19. The trust members will move a proposal seeking his (Nritya Gopal Das's) appointment as president and Champat Rai as secretary of the trust. There was no issue with Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. He is a man of composure and calm. His followers were a bit upset. These followers had some misunderstanding that his name would not be included. He was told about the legal problems in the government announcing their names. Opponents of the Ram Janambhoomi movement would have gone to the Supreme Court and that would have led to a delay of two-three months in the formation of the trust. He (Nritya Gopal Das) realised the hurdle before the government was genuine and he appreciated the government's wisdom. Will Nritya Gopal Das attend the February 19 meet? Once his appointment as the president is made and he is inducted as a member of the trust, Mahant Nritya Gopal Das will be part of all future proceedings of the Shri Ramjanmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra. He was told that his presence among the members is of utmost importance and there is no way he won't be a part of the trust. There was no politics in not announcing his name, but his name was not announced because of a technical point. Formation of the trust had to happen in a systematic way without inviting any technical hurdles. Now that the trust has been formed, his and Champat Rai's names will be included in the trust. Constructing a Ram temple in Ayodhya Both Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and Champat Rai were taken into confidence and they appreciated the home minister's gesture. Now, there is no confusion at all and everybody will now work together to fulfil the wish of all Indians of constructing a grand and magnificent Ram temple in Ayodhya. The work to build a grand temple has been started. The trust will conduct its first proceeding on February 19. This meeting will move a proposal for the induction of new members and announce the date when the construction of the Ram temple will begin. The model being built by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad is 70 per cent complete and it won't take more than two to three years for the construction of the temple in Ayodhya. For centuries, the people of Ayodhya and this country had been looking forward to a Ram temple in Ayodhya. Now that the moment is just a few years away. Ayodhya is looking forward to establish its name among the best spiritual and religious pilgrimages in the world. Ayodhya will once again become Ram's city. Constructing a mosque in Dhannipur We have declared our full-hearted support for the construction of a mosque in Ayodhya's Dhannipur village and will offer all help for its construction if any help is needed. Not just me, but everybody in Ayodhya will be eager to be part of anything constructive. The Wuhan coronavirus epidemic has so far left over a thousand victims in China, while the number of people infected is 43,000. Outside China, the country most affected is Japan with 161 infected (of which about 140 are passengers on the Diamond Princess cruise ship), followed by Singapore (45), Thailand (33) and South Korea (28). In Europe and North America only a few dozen cases have occurred. There are no official confirmations of infections in Africa and Latin America. To counter the spread of the coronavirus, several governments have introduced travel restrictions to and from China. Beijing (AsiaNews) - Hong Kong has closed most of the border crossings with China and all visitors arriving from Chinese territory are forced to a quarantine period. Macau forbids entry to residents from Hubei if they do not prove with a medical certificate that they did not contract the virus. Only Chinese who come from Hong Kong and Macao can enter Taiwan, as long as they have a residence permit on the island. However, travelers passing through the two Chinese special regions are quarantined for two weeks. Japan has closed its borders to all foreigners who have passed through the Chinese province of Hubei in the 14 days prior to their eventual arrival in Japanese territory. South Korea has taken similar measures, also banning the arrival of Chinese tourists on the island of Jeju. North Korea, on the other hand, closed the borders with China and reduced air connections with the Chinese airports. Australia allows its citizens to return from China, but they are then subjected to a 14-day quarantine. Foreigners can only enter the country after 14 days after leaving or passing through the Chinese territory. New Zealand has blocked all flights from China for two weeks starting February 3. Indonesia also suspended visas for visitors from China and blocked all direct air links to Chinese airports. Vietnam quarantines all foreigners who enter their territory after visiting China in the previous two weeks. Singapore has effectively blocked connections with China. Malaysia has imposed a total ban on those from the provinces of Hubei, Zhejiang and Jiangsu. Thailand only allows travelers from China who can certify to having good health to enter. Entry into the Philippines from all over China, including Hong Kong and Macau, is prohibited. Those entering India from China are placed in quarantine, while the visas of foreign travelers arriving from Chinese territory have been canceled. Bangladesh does not issue entry visas for anyone traveling from China. Pakistan canceled a previous suspension of air links with Chinese cities on 2 February. Saudi Arabia prevents foreigners arriving from China from entering the country. Saudi nationals and foreigners residing in Saudi territory cannot travel to China. Britain advises its citizens to leave China and not to enter Chinese territory. The US government also advises not to travel to the Asian country, and has temporarily banned foreigners from Chinese airports from entering unless they reside in the United States or have kinship ties with American citizens. Canada has canceled all flights to and from China until February 29th. Several European states have blocked air links with China. The ban for Italy, which will run until April 28, also includes Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. Russia has introduced severe restrictions on entering China. Only the Aeroflot flag carrier can reach China. Other countries have adopted restrictive measures to contain the spread of the virus: Brunei, Mongolia, Maldives, Nepal, Myanmar, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Papua New Guinea, Marshall Islands, Fiji, Samoa, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Israel, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Iraq, Turkey, Morocco, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Trinidad and Tobago. If you live in Bridgeport, you're in a good spot for Valentine's Day at least according to a survey by Apartment List. The site surveyed 11,000 single renters across the country on their dating experiences in the cities they live in to determine the best and worst cities for dating in 2020. Bridgeport snagged the number four spot in the country, and meanwhile New Haven came in as the fourth worst. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In honor of Thomas Edison's 173rd birthday, the Edison Awards are honored to announce the 2020 Edison Best New Product Award Finalists. Following an in-depth review by the esteemed Steering Committee, the final ballot was sent to 3,000 innovation leaders from the fields of product development, design, engineering, science, marketing and education, including professional organizations representing a wide variety of industries and disciplines. The diverse groups of finalists represent game changing new products and services from many nations including; Australia, Israel, Canada, China, Dubai, South Korea, United Kingdom, Germany and The United States. "The 2020 finalist companies continue to develop new technologies that are solving some of the world's biggest challenges and at the same time finding new opportunities to make consumers lives a little better," said Frank Bonafilia, executive director, Edison Awards. Being recognized with an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business. The awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931) whose inventions, new product development methods and innovative achievements changed the world, garnered him 1,093 U.S. patents and made him a household name around the world. Check out the complete list of finalists at www.edisonawards.com. About The Edison Awards: The Edison Awards is a program dedicated to fostering future innovators. The Edison Awards have recognized and honored the best innovations and innovators since 1987. Contact: Lauren Masselli: 207.890.3747 [email protected] SOURCE Edison Awards Related Links http://www.edisonawards.com I just thought about checking to see if the European Court of Human Rights has already examined the application on dismissal of a judge, and it only took me five minutes to clarify the issue. Yes, the European Court has already examined the issue (See EGMR, 19.10.2010, Ozpinar ./. TUR, Nr. 20999/04, Z. 67ff). This is what constitutional expert Gor Hovhannisyan wrote on his Facebook page. The specified decision literally states that, in case of dismissal of a judge, there must be an opportunity to challenge the dismissal to an independent and impartial state body in order to avoid arbitrary dismissals. This is exactly what I was discussing with my German colleagues. Armenia will not provide the 7 judges of the Constitutional Court with that opportunity in case of dismissal and will unequivocally lose in the European Court, former candidate for member of the Constitutional Court wrote. TORONTO, ON / ACCESSWIRE / February 11, 2020 / Matica Enterprises Inc. CSE:MMJ) (Frankfurt:39N) (OTCQB:MMJFF) ("Matica" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Matica has closed the RoyalMax Biotechnology Canada Inc. ("RoyalMax") acquisition and formally taken its 70 per cent earned interest in RoyalMax. On April 6th, 2017 the Company signed a definitive agreement ("the agreement") allowing for Matica to become a majority owner (70%) of RoyalMax, at the time a late stage applicant under the then Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulation ("ACMPR"). As per the agreement, Matica could earn a 70% interest in RoyalMax by supplying funding and resources to build out the production facility in Dorval, Quebec. To earn a 70% interest in RoyalMax, Matica has issued 6,000,000 common shares in Company stock and has paid $735,000 with a further $250,000 due in the second quarter of this year, and has financed the retro-fitting and licensing of the Dorval facility. Since the signing of the agreement, Matica's interest in RoyalMax has been held In Trust and was released by mutual agreement of all parties. Matica reported RoyalMax receiving the Standard Cultivation Licence for the Dorval facility on October 15th, 2018. On January 23rd, 2019 it was reported that RoyalMax received its Cannabis Licence under the Excise Act, 2001 from the Canada Revenue Agency and the starting materials to began cultivation. On November 6th 2019, after several successful crops, RoyalMax applied for the Standard Processing Licence and simultaneously for the Sale For Medical Purposes Licence. We continue to work with Health Canada to expedite receipt of these licences. Upon receipt, RoyalMax will able to sell certain cannabis products to medical patients and to participate in the recreational cannabis market. About Matica Matica is a multi-faceted, innovative company in the Quebec cannabis space. RoyalMax Biotechnology Canada Inc. has been granted a standard cultivation licence by Health Canada and is currently awaiting processing and medical sales licences. In the township of Hemmingford, Matica is building 1,000,000 square feet of greenhouse growing space, in 200,000 square foot increments, on a sprawling 181 acre property. For more information on Matica Enterprises please visit the website at: www.maticaenterprises.com. On behalf of the Board of Directors MATICA ENTERPRISES INC. Boris Ziger Boris Ziger, CEO & Chairman The Company's public filings are available for review at www.sedar.com and www.thecse.com. For further information, please contact Boris Ziger, at: Telephone: 416-304-9935 E-mail: info@maticaenterprises.com Website: www.maticaenterprises.com, www.maticammj.com Disclaimer for Forward-Looking Information Certain information in this press release may constitute forward-looking information. This information is based on current expectations that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results might differ materially from results suggested in any forward-looking statements. The Corporation assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward looking-statements unless and until required by securities laws applicable to the Corporation. Additional information identifying risks and uncertainties is contained in the Corporation's filings with the Canadian securities regulators, which filings are available at www.sedar.com. This news release contains statements about the Company's information that may be made available on the S&P Capital IQ Corporation Records Listing Program and the business of Matica that are forward-looking in nature and as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on them as actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, except as required by law. Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor its Market Regulator (as that term is defined in the policies of the Canadian Securities Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. We seek Safe Harbor. SOURCE: Matica Enterprises Inc View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/576089/Maticas-Interest-in-RoyalMax-Released Co-working major WeWork India, owned by realty firm Embassy Group, on Tuesday said it is extending the company's medical insurance benefits to same-sex domestic partners of its employees. This step is a commitment by the company to acknowledge and celebrate diversity and inclusion among its employees through its people practices, WeWork India said in a statement. WeWork, which has over 500 employees in India, is the first collaborative workspace provider in the country to offer health insurance cover to partners of all LGBTQ employees, the statement added. "WeWork as a brand believes in leveraging the diversity of our people and is taking steps to celebrate the spirit of inclusion. Today we announce our insurance coverage policy to be LGBTQ friendly and all WeWork India employees, irrespective of gender or sexual orientation, will now be able to add partners as dependents and gain the same benefits," WeWork India Head of People Priti Shetty said. She added that the partners providing health insurance benefits are Futurerisk and The Oriental Insurance Company. "We have to respect each individual's diverse needs to foster a truly inclusive culture. The insurance coverage for our LGBTQ colleagues is a step in that direction," Shetty said. Bengaluru-based Embassy Group, a major player in Indian commercial real estate sector, had partnered US-based WeWork in 2016 to enter into co-working business for the Indian market. As of February 2020, WeWork India has 34 locations across six cities and more than 40,000 memberships, including enterprises. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) West Bengal Chief Minister on Monday urged Prime Minister and the central government to shun politics of vendetta" and work with the Opposition parties to revive the economy. Speaking to the media here, she also accused the centre of not clearing so far dues of about Rs 1 lakh crore to her state on various heads. "The Prime Minister should take everybody into confidence and if necessary hold meetings with opposition parties to find out ways to revive the economy. The Centre should focus more on the economy and stop resorting to vendetta politics," said Banerjee. She appealed to Modi to take the recent comments by the RBI about the state of the "seriously". "The RBI's comments are serious issues. The Centre should carefully look into it and act accordingly, instead of being busy in the politics of hatred," she said. Banerjee said Bengal was yet to get a "single paisa" from the centre for the damages inflicted by Severe Cyclone Bulbul that hit the state last November. "We are yet to get a single paisa on account of Bulbul. In fact, we are yet to get due of Rs 1 lakh crore from the centre on various heads. On top of that, we have to repay an annual debt of Rs 50,000 crore," she said. Banerjee said development should not suffer because of political discrimination. She also termed the state budget as "pro-people". Your browser does not support the audio element. A three-month-old baby girl in the northern province of Vinh Phuc has become the 15th confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patient in Vietnam, having allegedly contracted the virus from her grandmother. The little patient is a grandchild of P.T.B., a 42-year-old woman from Binh Xuyen District in Vinh Phuc who was the tenth confirmed case in Vietnam, the Ministry of Health said on Tuesday. B. contracted the virus from her neighbor N.T.D., a 23-year-old woman who recently returned to the Southeast Asian country after having attended a vocational training program in the central Chinese city of Wuhan located in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the viral outbreak. B.s test sample returned positive for 2019-nCoV on February 4 after she had spent four days with her three-month-old grandchild, N.G.L., since January 28. As the Center for Disease Control of Vinh Phuc Province monitored those who had been in close contact with B., including L., it noticed symptoms including coughing and a runny nose on the infant. The center took a sample of L. and sent it to the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. L.s test sample has returned positive for 2019-nCoV, the Ministry of Health announced on Tuesday morning. The baby is currently in quarantine with her mother at a general clinic in Binh Xuyen Distict. The mother, who appears to be in good health, has also been sampled for testing although results are not yet available. Vietnam has confirmed 15 infections so far, including 12 Vietnamese, one Vietnamese American, and two Chinese. Among them, six patients had fully recovered and been discharged from the hospital as of Monday. The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the new coronavirus a public health emergency of international concern. Hubei Province reported 103 deaths on Monday, the most in any single day, Reuters reported on Tuesday. There are now over 42,000 confirmed cases in China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, as well as 319 cases in 24 other countries, according to WHO and Chinese health officials. The death toll in mainland China has climbed to 1,016 while two additional deaths have occurred elsewhere, including one in Hong Kong and the other in the Philippines, as of Tuesday. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! By Sarah N. Lynch and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S By Sarah N. Lynch and Susan Heavey WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General William Barr on Monday confirmed that the Justice Department has received information from President Donald Trump's personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani ahead of the November election, but that anything originating from Ukraine should not be taken "at face value." Barr spoke at a news conference a day after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Lindsey Graham said on the CBS News program "Face the Nation" that the department had created a process so Giuliani could provide information and the department would see if it could be verified. "We have to be very careful with respect to any information coming from the Ukraine," Barr said. "There are a lot of agendas in the Ukraine. There are a lot of cross-currents, and we can't take anything we receive from the Ukraine at face value." Last week, the Senate acquitted Republican Trump largely along party lines on impeachment charges that he had abused his power by asking Ukraine to investigate a political rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, and his son Hunter Biden, who had served on the board of a Ukrainian energy company. Trump had based his demands on unfounded allegations of corruption. The Democratic-led U.S. House of Representatives said Giuliani, a former prosecutor, sought information about the Bidens in Ukraine. On Monday, Barr said that the Justice Department has created an "intake process in the field" that will be used to assess the "provenance and credibility" of any information. "That is true for all information that comes to the department relating to the Ukraine, including anything Mr. Giuliani might provide," he added. Although the department acknowledged on Monday it is receiving and scrutinizing such materials, the FBI's No. 2 official still stopped short of saying whether it had led to a more formal investigation into the Bidens. "I am not going to talk about any investigations as I never would. We do not talk about open investigations," FBI Deputy Director David Bowdich said. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler sent a letter to Barr on Monday expressing serious concerns about Justice Department's arrangement with Giuliani and posing nearly a dozen questions about the process. Nadler, a Democrat, set a Feb. 25 deadline for Barr to respond. One thing Nadler wants to know is whether the department has initiated any investigations as a result of information from Giuliani. "Any official relationship between Mr. Giuliani and the department raises serious questions about conflicts of interest - both for the department, generally, and for you, specifically," wrote Nadler, who pointed out that two Giuliani associates on Ukraine matters, Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman, have been indicted by federal prosecutors in New York. Graham said he would refrain from his own probe of the Bidens and concentrate instead on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court's decision to issue warrants that led to a federal investigation into allegations that Trump's 2016 presidential campaign colluded with Russia to interfere in the election. (Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Susan Heavey; additional reporting by David Morgan; Editing by Grant McCool) This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed. After communicating through emails and phone calls in early 2018, the couple decided to meet in person. It was clear to both they shared something special. By that October, they were married, and Jim, now 76, moved into Sandy's home in Frankfort, Illinois, where she has lived since 1974. But the process wasn't seamless. Both had lost spouses to cancer in recent years, so working through grief was part of the package. There have also been some hiccups when it comes to how their grown children reacted to the news. But overall, they say, their relationship is a new beginning and one that probably wouldn't have worked out if they had met 25 years ago. Know yourself That insight is key to what biological anthropologist and self-help author Helen Fisher, a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, says is one of the central upsides of finding love later in life: Not only do older adults know what they want, they're also less likely than younger counterparts to compromise on what's most important to them. And with millions of older adults entering the dating scene, experts say that more older adults than ever before are experiencing their own happily-ever-afters, decades beyond the median age of first marriage (30 for men and 28 for women in 2018, according to the U.S. Census Bureau). That was certainly the case for Diane Julien, 72, and Ron Stainer, 81, of Minnesota. "He figured he would never get married again, and I figured I would never get married again, says Julien, whose first marriage had ended in divorce after 18 years. She says she was about to give up on finding love when Stainer contacted her through the dating website Plenty of Fish in 2016. They aren't married yet, but the pair are set to tie the knot with a private ceremony in Costa Rica in the coming weeks. The exact date is a secret, Julien says, to deter would-be wedding crashers from showing up on their special day. Between them, the couple have five children, 12 grandchildren and five great-grandkids, with another on the way. A disgraced former police civilian worker who served 11 years in jail for his wifes murder defrauded almost 1,000 from a health trust, a court has been told. At Antrim Magistrates Court, 63-year-old Adrian Stewart Baird was handed a five-month prison sentence for 18 charges of fraud by false representation but walked free from court after District Judge Nigel Broderick suspended his sentence for two years. In addition, he ordered Baird to repay the 863.76 that he swindled from the Northern Health and Social Care Trust. You have to understand that these are serious offences, the judge told Baird, these are public funds and theyre there for those who need them. Having contested the allegations last November Baird, from Sperrin Court, Limekiln Lane in Cookstown, was convicted on 18 counts of fraud by false representation in that he submitted false travel claims to the Trust for multiple hospital visits over a two-month period between November 22 2016 and January 13 2017. Two hospital administrators had given evidence they had been alerted to the claims Baird was making and had investigated them. Hospital cashier Roy Thompson told the court suspicions were aroused by the frequency of trips to the A&E department. Mr Baird denied the claims were fraudulent and said the six occasions when he arrived by ambulance to A&E he had either soiled himself or vomited on himself and due to the long waiting time had got a taxi to drive him back to Cookstown, who waited on him to get cleaned up and then drive him back to hospital. On the other 12 charges the prosecution says there was no record of Baird being at the hospital though he claimed he was there every time and he was seen every time by a doctor or nurse. A prosecution lawyer said Baird filed bogus claims for taxi journeys to hospital that were either not made or journeys made where he attended by ambulance. Defence counsel Chris Sherrard submitted there was a fairly positive pre-sentence probation report before the court where Baird made something if a qualified acceptance of his guilt. He told the court there is obviously a very significant event in his life in 2004 which had resulted in Baird being subject to licence for the rest of his life. Baird was employed as a civilian armoured with the police and used his personal protection pistol to shoot his wife Katrina in the head in a fit of jealous rage in 2003. Baird killed her a month after they had ended their 24-year marriage and after murdering the 41-year-old, he called an ambulance telling the operator he had argued with his wife. Baird, described as domineering and possessive by the judge at that subsequent trail was sentenced to life in prison and served the minimum of 11 years. Baird claimed he had initially thought of taking his own life when the marriage ended but decided to confront Mrs Baird one last time and to her workplace on the outskirts of Broughshane. Then in a fit of jealousy, during a supposed argument, he shot Mrs Baird in the courtyard of the property. Sentencing Baird District Judge Broderick said he was satisfied the fraudster had abused this scheme and used it basically as a money making exercise. He told Baird that given his numerous health difficulties, I wont send you to prison but would leave something hanging over your head. He was warned, however, that if he re-offended in the next two years that sentence will be activated". BAMAKO, Mali - Malian President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita has confirmed that his government is in contact with al-Qaida-linked extremist leaders as the West African country faces some of the worst violence since its crisis began in 2012, according to an interview with French media. While attending an African Union summit in Ethiopia, Keita also confirmed that Malis military would soon be returning to the northern rebel stronghold town of Kidal, where it has not had a presence in six years. Keita told Radio France Internationale and France 24 that he had a duty to do everything possible so that, by one means or another, we can achieve some sort of appeasement. He added on Monday: Because the number of deaths in the Sahel today is becoming exponential. And I think it is time that certain paths were explored. We in Mali have tried the challenge of an inclusive national dialogue, and among our recommendations is this aspect, he said. Why not try contact with those who we know are pulling the strings of the situation in Mali? Keita was asked about media reports that he had allowed former President Dioncounda Traore to meet with extremist leaders Amadou Koufa and Iyad Ag Ghali. Both were prominent leaders of the Malian extremist group Ansar Dine before a French-led military intervention in 2013. They are now under the banner of an al-Qaida-linked group known as JNIM. Keita described Ag Ghali as a courteous, pleasant man back in the day when the two had crossed paths in the capital, Bamako. I dont know that he has remained that man after all that I remember today, Keita told the French media outlets. The French-led military operation in 2013 ousted extremists from control of the major towns in northern Mali including Kidal. The militants dispersed into the desert where they regrouped and have now expanded their reach significantly into central Mali and beyond. Malis army recently came under an unprecedented number of attacks on its outposts that killed hundreds of soldiers. The government went so far as to shut down some of its most isolated and vulnerable military camps as part of a reorganization aimed at stemming the losses. In the interview, Keita said the military was on its way back to Kidal, one of the key stipulations of a 2015 agreement between the government and several rebel groups that has faced many setbacks in implementation. Nearly 600 soldiers of the Malian army, made up of former rebels and regular army soldiers, began travelling to Kidal on Monday. ___ Krista Larson in Dakar, Senegal contributed. - Governor Seriake Dickson has called for unity among Nigerians of all tribes and religion - The governor encouraged 'handshakes across the Nigeria' among leaders of the country - According to the governor, his new title as the OyiIhotu K Idoma will strengthen the bond between the Ijaw and Idoma ethnic nationalities across the country The Bayelsa state governor, Seriake Dickson, has said there is a need for the preservation of Nigeria's unity. Dickson while being conferred with an Idoma traditional title, OyiIhotu K Idoma (the cherished son of Idoma land) in Otukpo, Benue state by the Och Idoma IV, Dr Elias Ikoyi Obekpa, said there is a need for more handshakes across the tribal divides in Nigeria. The governor also applauded the OchIdoma and all sons and daughters of Idoma land for the honour on him and the Bayelsa people. He advocated for unity among citizens in different areas of Nigeria irrespective of tribal, religious or political affiliation. Instead of dividing and tearing us apart, instead of promoting sectionalism, instead of promoting policies that tend to divide and separate our people, we should emulate the Idoma Traditional Council by building people together instead of tearing them apart," Dickson said. Dickson said: "We need more handshakes across the Niger. I, therefore, urge all of us to close ranks in this country." He said the award will strengthen the bond between the Ijaw and Idoma ethnic nationalities across the country. Governor Seriake Dickson has called for unity among Nigerians of all tribes and religion Source: UGC "Your son, my friend, the Honourable Francis Ottah Agbo has a dual identity of being Ijaw and Idoma and has done well at the National Assembly, and I thank you all for supporting him," Dickson said. The Och Idoma IV in his reaction said the honour was in appreciation of the governor's kind gestures towards the Idoma people who are resident in Bayelsa state. Dickson who hails from the Izon kingdom was adopted as a proud son of Idoma kingdom by the Idoma Area Traditional Council. Governor Dickson said his new title as the OyiIhotu K Idoma will strengthen the bond between the Ijaw and Idoma ethnic nationalities Source: UGC Performing the ceremony, the Och'Idoma said it was in line with the Idoma age-long tradition of returning kindness for kindness. It is also to demonstrate our appreciation for the cordial relationship that has existed between our people and the people of Bayelsa state, he said In their separate addresses, Senator Mark who chaired the ceremony and Engr Abounu, hailed Governor Dickson for always extending the hands of fellowship to the Idoma people. The duo urged the governor to henceforth see himself as an Idoma man. PAY ATTENTION: Get the Latest Nigerian News Anywhere 24/7. Spend less on the Internet! Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Dickson had condemned the attack on former President Goodluck Jonathan's home in Otuoke, Bayelsa state. The governor had allegedly believed that Jonathan worked against the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to ensure the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state's last governorship election. NAIJ.com (naija.ng) - Legit.ng. We have upgraded to serve you better Bayelsa election: Jonathan expresses disappointment over INECs conduct | Legit TV Source: Legit.ng - The coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases - According to WHO, coronaviruses are mostly transmitted between animals and people - The latest updates indicate that the death toll of the virus has risen to more than 900 people Our manifesto: This is what YEN.com.gh believes in It is quite sad how a virus that was mildly talked about is rapidly taking the lives of people living in the affected areas and countries. According to the World Health Organisation, the coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans. The report revealed that coronaviruses are mostly transmitted between animals and people, and most of the coronaviruses are circulating in animals that have not yet infected humans. Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, the infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death. READ ALSO: Heartbreaking: Video of Chinese nurse consoling daughter from afar during Coronavirus crisis goes viral The latest updates indicate that the death toll of the virus has risen to more than 900 people, who are reported to have died in mainland China. China's National Health Commission reported there were 97 new fatalities from the virus on February 9, making Sunday the deadliest day so far. The new fatalities brought the death toll on the mainland to 908, most of them in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei province. A total of 40,171 infections have been confirmed nationwide. There have been suspected cases in Ghana, Ivory Coast and Kenya. Most Ghanian students in China asking to be evuated from China for fear of getting infected. READ ALSO: Coronavirus wont survive in Ghana and Africa - Korle Bu CEO In other news, the Greater Accra Regional Hospital, popularly known as the Ridge Hospital, has disclosed that an emergency response team consisting of 9 doctors and 26 nurses have been put on standby to tackle the deadly coronavirus. Medical Director at the hospital, Dr Emmanuel Srofenyo, said the hospital is ready to handle any coronavirus case brought before it. He made this known yesterday, February 6, 2020, while taking some media men around the facility designated to handle such cases in case of any eventuality. READ ALSO: Coronavirus: 9 doctors, 26 nurses boldly dedicated to fight the virus at Ridge Hospital President Akufo-Addo is a "wicked old man" - Angry protester fumes | #Yencomgh Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome. Get interactive via our Facebook page. Source: YEN.com.gh Michael Gove has warned businesses that they will have to be prepared for 'inevitable' border checks from January 1. In a speech in London yesterday, Mr Gove, the chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, warned companies who enjoy trade with the EU 'almost everybody' would face border checks after the transition period. The cabinet minister's comments are the first official confirmation of how a 'Canada-style' deal will lead to post-Brexit trade barriers - with Mr Gove admitting there will be 'some friction'. He told delegates: 'You have to accept we will need some friction. We will minimise it but it is an inevitability of our departure.' Michael Gove has said goods coming from the EU will face import controls from January 1 2021 The EU's deal with Canada removed 98 per cent of tariffs between the two groups. However, the EU wants the UK government to follow specific laws, meaning Britain will not get the same terms as Canada. After meeting Mr Gove, Elizabeth de Jong, UK policy director of the Freight Transport Association, told the Financial Times: 'Frictionless trade has been kicked to the touchline. This was a big dose of realism. It's going to be really costly for business.' Mr Gove warned that there would be checks on food and goods of animal origin, as well as customs declarations and mandatory safety and security certificates required for all imports after December 31. He confirmed traders in Britain and the EU will have to submit customs declarations and be liable to goods checks once the Brexit transition period finishes at the end of the year. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) warned the Government would have to move fast to get infrastructure in place for the start of 2021. It said that without adequate preparations the availability of goods on shelves would be disrupted, with fresh fruit and vegetables especially vulnerable. In a speech to a stakeholder event on Monday, Mr Gove confirmed that import controls on EU goods at the border will be imposed after the transition period ends on December 31. He said policy 'easements' that would have been put in place in the event of a no-deal break will not be adopted as businesses have time to prepare. After meeting Mr Gove, Elizabeth de Jong, UK policy director of the Freight Transport Association, said: 'Frictionless trade has been kicked to the touchline' 'The UK will be outside the single market and outside the customs union, so we will have to be ready for the customs procedures and regulatory checks that will inevitably follow,' he said, according to extracts released by the Cabinet Office. 'As a result of that we will be in a stronger position, not just to make sure that our economy succeeds outside the European Union but that we are in a position to take advantage of new trading relationships with the rest of the world.' Andrew Opie, BRC director of food and sustainability, said ministers needed to set out detailed plans on how the controls would be implemented if the flow of goods to consumers was to be maintained. 'Government will need to move fast if it intends to provide the necessary infrastructure to carry out full border controls on imported goods from January 2021,' he said. 'Without the necessary infrastructure up and running from day one, consumers in the UK will see significant disruption, particularly in the availability of fresh fruit and vegetables. 'Staff will need to be hired and trained to carry out these checks on the thousands of lorries that enter the UK every day. 'IT systems must be adapted and tested. Holding facilities for lorries, particularly at Dover and Folkestone, will need to be constructed. 'It is not enough to announce checks will take place, we must see plans now as to how this will be possible in practice, or it will be consumers who suffer on January 1.' The Freight Transport Association's UK policy director Elizabeth de Jong expressed concern that the border IT systems would not fully up and running until 2025. 'Mr Gove put to rest (Chancellor) Sajid Javid's assertion that industry had plenty of time to prepare,' she said. 'As representatives of the logistics industry, we are naturally disappointed that the promise of frictionless trade has been replaced with a promise that trade will be as seamless as possible but not until 2025, with a more realistic but costly 'make do and mend' approach to be employed until then. 'Industry will need the support of Government during this period to keep Britain trading effectively.' TDT/Manama The First High Criminal Court has issued its verdict in a case involving a Bahraini man who stabbed his neighbour after a dispute over a parking spot by ordering to admit the defendant to the Psychiatric Hospital. This comes after the court reviewed medical reports determining the mental health of the 23-year-old defendant, who faced the charge of attempted murder. The psychiatry report mentioned that the defendant does not suffer from any organic diseases or auditory hallucinations, however, the report showed that he suffers from a slight mental retardation and cannot judge complex or medium matters. It was also revealed that the defendant has a file at the Psychiatry Hospital since 2011, but, he has not followed up with the hospital on a regular basis. Tribune earlier reported that the man stabbed the 48-year-old victim multiple times, before escaping the spot and leaving the latter in a pool of blood. The stabbing incident took place on February 12 last year in Galali in Muharraq Governorate, where the defendant was arrested on the same day. Investigations revealed that the accused had the intention to kill the victim, as he prepared a knife for this purpose and monitored the victims movements, while the latter was walking on the public road when the stabbing happened. It was also unfolded by the Prosecutors that both men, who were neighbours, had verbal disputes multiple times before the incident took place, because of a parking spot in the neighbourhood. The accused allegedly stabbed the victim and continued stabbing him with the intention of killing him and later fled the scene before the police arrived, leaving the victim, who was later rushed to the hospital, in a pool of blood. Despite the defendants repeated denials, an eyewitness informed the prosecutors that he saw the suspect stabbing the victim while the latter was laying helpless on the floor. The witness also informed that the suspect fled the scene and left the victim bleeding on the floor. Courtney Stodden faked a pregnancy and miscarriage for money, her ex-husband Doug Hutchison is claiming. Doug's upcoming memoir Flushing Hollywood: Fake News, Fake Boobs exposes intimate details about the couple's relationship including an alleged scheme they came up with together when they found themselves desperate for cash. The 59-year-old says Courtney, 25, was the one who came up with the idea but he went along with it after being out of work and blacklisted by Hollywood. Scheme: Doug Hutchison claims ex-wife Courtney Stodden faked her pregnancy and miscarriage in 2016 to get press, money and 'possibly a reality show' 'I'm not proud to admit this, but again, this book is about the truth... I don't justify it in my book. I'm actually ashamed that we did it,' he told Fox News. 'I think that in some ways it was immoral. It was very unfair to those people out there who sincerely suffered from miscarriages. But at that point in time, we were completely broke.' Doug says that after burning through his savings and unable to get a job, Courtney 'came up with a strategy'. 'I'm not trying to blame her, but it was her idea... She wanted to convince the public that she was pregnant so we can get paid for interviews and possibly a reality show. Fake? Courtney was pictured out baring her belly in 2016 around the time of her pregnancy 'It was all about survival. It was all about a way to make rent, to pay the bills. It was desperation. I was an accomplice. I felt at the time there was no other choice in order to survive... We didn't think about the consequences, the future.' In 2016 the starlet was pictured around Los Angeles showing off a small baby bump before announcing on social media that she'd lost the baby. Doug continued, 'Here we were going to the press, going to our families, our friends and announcing we lost our baby. We gained a lot of empathy. And the sad part is a lot of women came forward on social media saying how sorry they were because they went through the same thing. The press bought it, the public bought it, the family bought it everybody bought it. He says it was 'devastating' to see the messages of support the couple received. 'It was all about survival. It was all about a way to make rent, to pay the bills' Doug told Fox News. Courtney is pictured cradling her bump at an event on June 7 2016 'I don't want to speak for Courtney, but I almost feel she became a poster celebrity and was able to give those people comfort. I know that sounds twisted, but that was the mindset.' 'So enough. It's time to reveal the truth, as difficult as it is,' he writes. 'I'm not proud to admit this chapter at all. But all I can say is desperation is the mother of invention. And the invention was unfortunate... We maintained an illusion that we were living large. But it was far from the truth.' The couple announced they were expecting in May 2016 and just three months later in July revealed they'd suffered a miscarriage. 'We maintained an illusion that we were living large. But it was far from the truth.' Doug says. The former couple are seen here in December 2012 In her announcement, Courtney said in an Instagram: 'Babies lost in the womb were never touched by fear, they were never cold, never hungry, never alone & importantly always knew love.' Dailymail.com has reached out to Courtney's rep for comment. Meanwhile, Doug says he lost his career because of his marriage to Courtney, who was just 16 when they wed. The Green Mile actor, now 59, told Fox News in an interview that he was blacklisted by Hollywood after his relationship with 16-year-old Stodden came to light. Doug said that he had assumed their 34-year age gap would attract attention but was shocked when his professional life nosedived. He blamed the decision to marry the teen bride for causing his Hollywood peers to shun him and said the relationship cost him his friends and family. Career ender: Courtney Stodden's ex husband Doug Hutchison says he 'shot [his] career in the head' when he married a then-16-year-old Courtney Stodden in 2011. The pair are seen in 2013 above She was 16 and I was 50, so I knew our union was going to turn heads, but I didnt realize the impact it would truly have, he told Fox. I didnt realize that in marrying Courtney, my manager would drop me, my agent would drop me. I was blacklisted. I was blackballed from casting directors. Despite the impact on his professional life, he said he did not regret the relationship. Asked if he was worried about 'burning any bridges', the actor said he had 'nothing to lose.' 'The concern of burning bridges is over when you tell the truth,' he said. Tell-all: The Green Mile actor explained how his professional life took a nosedive after the controversial union while plugging his upcoming memoir Flushing Hollywood: Fake News, Fake Boobs in an interview with Fox News Hutchison said he was taken by surprise when his family and friends disowned him over the May-December relationship and he was dropped by his agent. I shot my career in the head for love,' he said. 'And in doing so, I lost my family and friends. I was suddenly on the Titanic and everyone was fleeing except for me and Courtney.' Hutchison said he had no regrets about about the relationship, which he described as a 'bittersweet journey'. No regrets: 'I dont believe in living a life of regret,' he said. 'I think that every choice we make, we make them for a reason I have absolutely no regrets in my life.' The pair are seen in 2012 'I dont believe in living a life of regret,' he said. 'I think that every choice we make, we make them for a reason I have absolutely no regrets in my life. 'Do I wish I would have handled certain aspects of my life differently or said... some things differently? Yes like everybody else. But my marriage to Courtney is not one of them. I regret none of it. It was a beautiful and powerful journey. A bittersweet journey with Courtney.' Stodden and Hutchison finalized their divorce late last month, following a two-year separation. Explaining why it took so long to complete the divorce proceedings, Stodden explained: 'The reason why it [took] so long is that I was filling it out incorrectly. 'This is my first divorce so I was filling out the paperwork all wrong for two years.' Official over: Stodden and Hutchison finalized their divorce late last month, following a two-year separation. The pair are seen in 2015 She continued: 'That entire process just ripped my soul out. And his too. We still have a lot of love for each other.' In their divorce settlement, Stodden got to keep all of their furniture and appliances while Hutchison was allowed to keep their 2001 Jeep Wrangler, according to TMZ. The couple split their life insurance policy in half, and Courtney took financial responsibility of three of their credit cards. Stodden posted a risque bathroom selfie of herself to celebrate her official divorce from Hutchison. 'I'm officially divorced today,' Courtney wrote in the caption for her roughly 272,000 followers along with the hashtag '#divorceday' Hutchison, who now lives in Royal Oak, Michigan, got custody of their six-year-old Italian Greyhound Dourtney. Hutchison said that when he left Hollywood for Detroit in September 2017 after the breakdown of his relationship he had run out of funds. 'Hollywood is one of the most challenging places to hold onto your character, your faith. But I left because I felt I had nothing left. My marriage was over. My career was over. I was broke. There was nothing keeping me in Hollywood.' he said. In January Stodden shared a photo of herself in a public restroom sticking her tongue out while wearing a black bustier, tan sweater and denim shorts. 'I'm officially divorced today,' the reality star wrote in the caption for her roughly 272,000 followers along with the hashtag '#divorceday'. The head of oil and gas producer Beach Energy says he is confident the business can "weather the storm" of a potential downturn triggered by the spreading coronavirus outbreak amid the continued fall in crude prices and concerns the worst may not yet be over. It comes as Beach Energy, backed by media mogul Kerry Stokes, narrowed its full-year production forecast on Tuesday in light of a slump in customer demand affecting its east coast operations during the six months to December 31, and a delay in bringing online a new well in the Otway Basin. Beach Energy conducts significant oil and gas operations in South Australia's Cooper Basin. Credit: Supplied Beach's half-year net profit dipped 2 per cent to $279 million while the company lowered its full-year production guidance to between 27 and 28 million barrels of oil equivalent from the original forecast of as much as 29 million. Chief executive Matt Kay said the economic effect of the coronavirus outbreak in China had hit oil prices and spot markets of liquefied natural gas (LNG) of which Australia is the world's top exporter. Karen Diefendorf starts her days at Tyson Foods by checking in with the human resources and nursing staff at the Springdale, Arkansas, facility. After getting any personnel updates and taking care of emails, she puts on personal protective equipment and hardhat affixed with her title: CHAPLAIN. Diefendorf, who comes out of the independent Christian Churches and Churches of Christ movement, wore the chaplain badge during her 24-year career in the Army before she began her work at Tyson, where she now does daily rounds to meet with employees. Its so noisy on the production floor that she relies on a thumbs up, thumbs down system to see who might need counsel, prayer, or guidance. If I get a thumb sideways, thumbs down, for sure Im going to meet them in the break room and see what thats about, said Diefendorf, a graduate of Lincoln Christian College and Lincoln Christian Seminary. If I need more than the 15-minute break or have multiple people I need to see, any chaplain is free to go to that persons supervisor and work a time to get them off the line. Diefendorf leads a team of 100 chaplainsmostly Christianwho provide spiritual support to 122,000 Tyson employees at nearly 400 locations. Tysons chaplain program is unique among big companies, and it earned the food processing giant the No. 2 spot on the Religious Freedom and Business Foundation (RFBF)s religious inclusion rankings, released last month. HR experts consider chaplaincy a way for companies to see and support their employees as whole people, to signal that they dont have to pretend to leave their hurt at home when they come to work. Done right, these programsand others particularly designed for people to discuss their faithcan work in tandem with HR to improve morale. When you look at the whole argument for an inclusive work environment, it is to make people feel that they are valued as human beings, said Kent Johnson, senior corporate adviser with RFBF. The HR profession has come to realize that people matter, right where they are. The emphasis on creativity, teamwork, the need for new ideas has just taken off in the last decade. When people feel like they can bring their whole self to work, thats the motivation for a lot of companies to look into this. For most companies on RFBFs Corporate Religious, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (REDI) Index, religious programs fall under broader diversity initiatives, such as those for other identity groups like race, gender, and sexual orientation. Top-ranked Google (parent company Alphabet) offers employee resource groups for people of faith who work there. These groups, abbreviated ERGs, function like sanctioned clubs within the company, designated groups for employees to meet in an interfaith setting or in a faith-specific setting to discuss things like company culture, holiday observances, and religious accommodations. They can also serve as places for people of faith to find a sense of solidarity, mentorship partnerships, and community within the company. Googles Inter Belief Network includes chapters for Christians as well as Jews (Jewglers), Muslims, Buddhists, and other faiths. Its founder and global chair, Barbara Phillips, also leads the Christian Fellowship chapter. Last year, she spoke at a work-faith conference in Silicon Valley about her role, quoting Scripture and worship songs in her presentation. At American Express, ranked ninth on the index, the Christian Employee Network called SALT is one of 16 colleague networks in the company. Through SALT, Christians at AmEx have gathered for weekly prayers by conference call and participated in corporate charity initiatives. Image: Courtesy of Religious Freedom & Business Foundation While some companies will sanction similar groups as part of diversity efforts, Jeff Haanen of the Denver Institute for Faith and Work cautions that people of faith should not equate them with a faith-friendly workplace. Its a good trend to see this happening, especially in large corporations. It can be an aspect of faith in the workplace, Haanen said, particularly when ERGs allow Christians to learn more about the convictions of their co-workers. But Christians underestimate the impact their faith can have in the workplace if they compartmentalize their core beliefs into a designated faith group. Dont think an ERG is the only place to express your faith in your workplace. You express your faith through every context at work. The values of a corporation are ultimately a religious, philosophical worldview, he said. But as a believer, Christ is Lord of all things and he is renewing all things. Among the Fortune 100 companies, only 18 percent of companies mention faith-based ERGs on their diversity landing pages. By contrast, over three-quarters (77%) provide ERGs for race and ethnicity, and 78 percent of companies mention gender and sexual orientation. RFBFs analysis shows that 57 of the Fortune 100 companies make no mention of religion or faith on their landing pages, and of the 43 that do, about half only make a single mention, sometimes only as a part of a boilerplate nondiscrimination statement. Leaders may fear that launching faith groups could lead to evangelization in the workplace or bring forth conflicting religious beliefs and convictions around marriage and sexuality. But corporations who use this model say it can improve bridge-building among employees. Target, whose 2016 transgender-friendly bathroom policy caused outrage among some conservative Christians, now boasts joint efforts between its Christian ERG and its Pride+ Business Council for LGBT employees. Bradley McCoy, sales director for Targets digital advertising business Roundel, said that the 2018 Empathy Project brings them together for monthly conversations to build understanding, break down stereotypes and (of course) build empathy. Johnson at RFBF hopes the REDI Index will embolden Christian employees to ask for faith-based ERGs at their companies. The foundation said PayPal and Walmart announced plans last year to launch their own interfaith ERGs for the first time. MONTREAL - Canada's rail system was under stress Tuesday as Via Rail cancelled passenger service on key routes and Canadian National Railway Co. warned it will be forced to close "significant" parts of its freight network unless blockades impeding its lines are removed. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. OPP Sgt. Diana Hampson of the liaison team, middle, speaks with members of the Mohawk Territory in Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, near Belleville, Ont., on Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020. The members have blocked the CN/VIA train tracks for six days in support of Wet'suwet'en's blockade of natural gas pipeline in northern B.C. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Lars Hagberg MONTREAL - Canada's rail system was under stress Tuesday as Via Rail cancelled passenger service on key routes and Canadian National Railway Co. warned it will be forced to close "significant" parts of its freight network unless blockades impeding its lines are removed. Via Rail cancelled service on its Montreal-Toronto and Toronto-Ottawa routes because of a blockade near Belleville, Ont., in support of opponents of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project that crosses the traditional territory of the Wet'suwet'en First Nation in northwestern B.C. "Although we remain hopeful that a resolution will be reached, in view of the current uncertainty, VIA Rail is cancelling all departures until Thursday end of day on the Montreal-Toronto and Toronto-Ottawa routes, in both directions," Via spokeswoman Marie-Anna Murat said in an email. A blockade near New Hazelton, B.C., means normal rail activities are also being interrupted between Prince Rupert and Prince George, she said. Via Rail's announcement followed the warning from CN, which has halted more than 150 freight trains since Thursday evening, when demonstrators set up the blockades in B.C. and Ontario. The Montreal-based railway said Monday that long-distance freight shipments in Central and Eastern Canada were already at a virtual standstill. Chief executive JJ Ruest stressed the limited parking space in its network, with traffic backed up from Halifax to Windsor, Ont., and in parts of B.C. approaching Prince Rupert. "CN will have no choice but to temporarily discontinue service in key corridors unless the blockades come to an end," he said in a statement Tuesday. "The impact is also being felt beyond Canada's borders and is harming the country's reputation as a stable and viable supply chain partner." The ongoing blockades are near Belleville, Ont., and New Hazleton in B.C.'s northern interior, while demonstrations cropped up Tuesday in locations ranging from the Halifax port to the B.C. legislature. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce called on all levels of government and police to work together to bring an immediate end to the blockades and to restore all rail service. "From propane to grain and food and consumer items, Canada's supply chains are being severely damaged by the continuing interruptions to Canada's rail services by protesters," the chamber said on Twitter. "The rail system affects the entire Canadian economy and Canadians everywhere, including people trying to get to and from work. They must be allowed to continue to serve the thousands of businesses that depend on them." Industry groups expressed concern about the shutdown as shipments to and from the U.S. and China are delayed or cancelled. "It's a real crisis," said Joel Neuheimer, head of international trade with the Forest Products Association of Canada. Wood, pulp and paper producers have lost tens of millions of dollars so far, he said. "We ship massive amounts of pulp to the United States and to places like Asia, so big negative impacts there," Neuheimer said in a phone interview. "We have members whose customers aren't placing orders right now in the U.S. because they know that it's not going to get there as soon as it needs to get there." Olin Corp., a Missouri-based chemical maker with a facility near Trois-Rivieres, Que., cautioned Ottawa that its tight distribution schedule means the 50-odd Canadian companies it serves will soon stop receiving chlorine used in part to treat drinking water which it says is only shipped by rail. "Olin is alarmed by the current freight rail situation in Canada, and we are concerned that customers and municipalities will not receive shipments of vital chemicals including chlorine within one week," chairman and CEO John Fischer said in a letter to federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau on Tuesday. The Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters Association, whose members typically load about 4,500 rail cars a day, is urging government officials to work with police to restore service on the tracks. "In Canada there's not really other alternatives to move stuff around. The highways and trucks especially in Quebec and southern Ontario are already at a very, very high utilization of available capacity," association president Dennis Darby said in a phone interview. Stakeholders from chemical companies to Dannon Yogurt called this week to raise concerns, he said. "They can't get their stuff out." Garneau said he is working with the railways and his Ontario counterpart Caroline Mulroney to find a solution, and that blockage of tracks is "dangerous and illegal." Despite the countrywide impact, he underscored that responsibility for enforcing court injunctions against the anti-pipeline protesters lies with provincial politicians and police. "Obviously we hope it's going to be resolved, but it is up to the provinces to make those injunctions effective by taking action," Garneau told reporters in Calgary. "It's having an important impact on the economy of the country." Earlier Tuesday, Via Rail said 157 passenger trains have also been cancelled, affecting 24,500 travellers on its Montreal-Toronto, Ottawa-Toronto and Kingston-Toronto routes. Ontario Provincial Police said officers are in talks with protesters behind a blockade that sits metres from the tracks, though not across them. OPP spokesman Bill Dickson said an officer of the court read an injunction to the protesters Tuesday morning ordering them to abandon the blockade, which bisects Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, about 20 kilometres east of Belleville. While CN obtained the injunction on Friday, Tuesday marked the first time it was read aloud in accordance with court procedure, Dickson said. Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte Chief R. Donald Maracle expressed solidarity with the Wet'suwet'en community in northwestern B.C. and called out actions by the RCMP, which has been enforcing a court injunction on the First Nation's traditional territory and arresting those attempting to block access to the pipeline route. 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. "We call on both federal and provincial governments to demand the RCMP immediately reconsider how it addresses peaceful protests and demonstrations, and allow the opportunity for sound discussion with a common sense approach to achieve peaceful outcomes," Maracle said in a statement. Brendan Marshall, head of economic and northern affairs at the Mining Association of Canada, said buyers of natural resource products were as vulnerable as producers some of whom are already curtailing production. "If you're a facility that's reliant on rail service in order to get your product to a site, then it's kind of like sand through the hourglass when it runs out, the plant can't work anymore," he said. This report by the Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. With files from Michelle McQuigge Companies in this story: (TSX:CNR) * The Connecticut League of Conservation Voters in November 2019 named State Representative Mary Mushinsky (D-Wallingford) a 2019 Environmental Champion and graded her at a 100 percent for her voting record on environmental issues during the 2019 legislative session. * The Valley Community Foundations (VCF) Board of Directors recently welcomed Aleta Miner, Assistant to the President of the Shelton Economic Development Corporation. Sharon Closius, VCF President and CEO, said, On behalf of the VCF Board of Directors, we are thrilled to welcome Aleta. Having spent the past two and a half decades with the Shelton Economic Development Corporation, she brings a level of energy and connectivity that we are very fortunate to have. Her professional and personal involvement throughout the City of Shelton, and the Valley as a whole, speaks volumes to how committed she is to not only this community but the organizations that serve it. We look forward to having Aleta join us as we work towards building the Valleys permanent philanthropic endowment. Advertisement Coronavirus fears have gripped the school attended by 'super-spreader' Steve Walsh's children, with two members of staff told to self-isolate amid fears they may have caught the deadly virus. Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School's headteacher today wrote to parents telling them two people from the school had come into contact with a coronavirus patient. No details were given about the cases. It comes as pupils at another school in the city had been told they could stay at home after a teacher had come into contact with someone who had spent time with one of Brighton's six infected patients. Health officials are frantically hunting for patients, pub-goers and attendees of a yoga class who are feared to have come into close contact with Mr Walsh or two GPs he accidentally infected. A GP surgery was yesterday sealed off and cleaned by a team in hazmat suits after it was revealed locum doctor Dr Catriona Greenwood had caught the killer virus today named COVID-19 from Mr Walsh at a French ski chalet. A second branch of the surgery, located less than two miles away, was closed today for 'organisational health and safety reasons' the same excuse offered to patients at the Warmdene branch yesterday. Brighton is at the centre of Britain's coronavirus crisis, with six of the UK's eight confirmed cases diagnosed in the city. More than 43,000 people have caught the SARS-like infection worldwide and at least 1,000 have died. MailOnline has found at least ten sites in Brighton linked to the city's super spreader or his infected doctor friend including two schools, two health centres and a care home as the area's residents accused public health chiefs of starving them of information Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School's headteacher today wrote to parents telling them two people from the school had come into contact with a coronavirus patient. No details were given about the cases Dr Catriona Saynor (pictured left) quit as a partner in Brighton to live permanently in the French chalet where the British super-spreader visited to ski. She works at County Oak Medical Centre as a locum, according to the medical centre's website. Her husband Bob and their nine-year-old son are also said to have been confirmed with coronavirus Cleaning equipment arrives at the County Oak Medical centre in Brighton, which remains temporarily closed 'because of an urgent operational health and safety reason' This is the coronavirus super-spreader Steve Walsh, who inadvertently infected 11 people with the disease on a ski break in the Alps A source close to the practice has revealed Dr Greenwood saw at least one patient at Warmdene Surgery during an admin shift last week (a notice outside the surgery today) Patcham Nursing Home in the north of the city has closed its doors to visitors amid fears a GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week This morning students at Bevendean Primary School have been told they can stay at home after it was revealed a teacher there is in 'self-isolation' over fears they have caught the coronavirus from someone who contracted it from Mr Walsh It comes after members of a yoga class attended by the coronavirus patient at the Cornerstone Community Centre last Monday were told to stay indoors and avoid interacting with people over fears they may have contracted the disease during the session Workers in protective suits inside of the County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton on Monday after a GP at the practice was diagnosed with the deadly virus The Grenadier pub in Hove, where the super spreader went for a drink after returning from Singapore with the virus. Staff who were on shift that night have been told to self-isolate MailOnline understands Dr Greenwood, also known by her married name Saynor, treated at least one patient at the Warmdene branch of the County Oak Medical Centre last week in an admin locum shift. Dr Greenwood had been a GP at the surgery for almost 20 years before she left Britain last year to start a new life in the French Alps with her family. She returns to the UK periodically to fill well-paid 'locum' shifts. A source close to the surgery revealed she saw at least one patient at Warmdene in an admin shift. They said: 'She comes back to Brighton for locum work. She carried out an admin shift at the surgery last Thursday.' She is quarantined in a hospital in London. Her husband Bob and one of their three children are also being treated for the virus in France, as well as three others Britons who caught the infection at the same chalet in Les Contamines Montjoie. Dr Greenwood and her husband owned the chalet, located near Chamonix. Mr Walsh had stayed there after flying to the French Alps from a conference in Singapore, where he unknowingly caught the virus at the end of January. Scout leader Mr Walsh, 53, this morning confirmed he was Brighton's 'super-spreader'. The businessman is feared to have infected at least 11 people including five Britons in France, one in Spain and five in Brighton. Mr Walsh, whose children attend the Cottesmore primary school that sent out an alert to parents today, passed on the infection before showing any symptoms of the killer SARS-like infection. He claims he has recovered from the never-before-seen virus. He is still quarantined in a London hospital and his family have been asked to isolate themselves 'as a precaution'. Brighton residents have been gripped by fear after the spate of coronavirus cases in the city. Members of a yoga class attended by a coronavirus patient at the Cornerstone Community Centre were told to stay indoors and avoid interacting with people amid concerns they may have caught the virus during the session. It has been shut until February 17 because of 'staffing shortages', according to Allison Ollerenshaw, the chair of trustees. Patcham Nursing Home, in the north of the city, last night closed its doors to all visitors as a 'precaution' after an infected GP - either Dr Greenwood or a second, unnamed male doctor - last week visited the facility, which cares for 24 elderly residents. And students at Bevendean Primary School were this morning told they can stay at home if they want after a teacher is in 'self-isolation' over fears they caught the coronavirus. The school, which has more than 400 pupils, said a member of staff had been in contact with someone who had spent time around one of the six coronavirus patients in Brighton. While headteacher of Cottesmore St Marys Catholic Primary School, Rachel Breen, wrote to parents telling them the two had been isolated to 'reduce the risk of the virus spreading'. It has not closed but said students can stay at home if they wish. Parents of pupils at Varndean School were today emailed to say that a 'person from our school community' has been told by PHE to self-isolate for 14 days, Brighton and Hove News reports. As the global death toll hit 1,018 and the Department of Health threatened to arrest anyone who attempts to flee quarantine, it also emerged today: World Health Organisation announces a name for the new coronavirus - COVID-19; Super-spreader revealed as Steve Walsh who tested positive for coronavirus up to 17 days after catching it from a delegate at a Singapore gas conference. He is recovering in St Thomas' Hospital and his family is also in isolation; Two health centres and a care home in Brighton have all been closed amid fears they could be contaminated by two GPs with coronavirus. Schoolchildren allowed to stay at home after a teacher is in quarantine at home with parents in the city calling for all school to close; Public Health England and the Department of Health slammed for their response to the crisis and accused of keeping 'secrets' from people of Brighton as crisis 'spirals out of control'; A total of 1,358 people in the UK have been tested for coronavirus, of which 1,350 were confirmed negative and eight positive, the Department of Health said today; A British prisoner with suspected coronavirus collapsed in his cell after returning from a jail in Thailand, sparking outbreak fears at HMP Bullingdon in Oxfordshire with three inmates tested BRIGHTON'S SUPER- SPREADER REVEALS HIMSELF TO BE A SCOUT LEADER GAS SALESMAN Father-of-two sales executive Mr Walsh is in quarantine in a London hospital today after picking up the disease at a Singapore gas conference The Brighton coronavirus 'super-spreader' is a 53-year-old scout leader and family man who is feared to have infected at least 11 people in a fortnight before showing any symptoms of the deadly virus, MailOnline can exclusively reveal today. Steve Walsh is in quarantine in a London hospital today after picking up the disease at a Singapore conference at the end of last month and coming home to Hove via a skiiing holiday in the Alps. Mr Walsh, who is assistant cub scout leader at the 3rd Hove St Leonards Scout Group where the children know him as Shere Khan, has inadvertently put Brighton at the centre of Britain's coronavirus crisis. It is feared Mr Walsh, who is in an isolation unit, came into contact with hundreds of people on his return to Britain - but he has beaten the illness, he said today. Speaking from hospital, he said in a statement: 'I would like to thank the NHS for their help and care whilst I have fully recovered, my thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus. 'As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England. 'I was advised to attend an isolated room at hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed. 'When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves. 'I also thank friends, family and colleagues for their support during recent weeks and I ask the media to respect our privacy'. He lives with his wife Catherine and contracted the virus during a conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore organised by Servomex, a British gas analytics company he works for, more than two weeks ago. He then travelled to Les Contamines-Montjoie, near Megeve, for a ski break to stay with friends Bob and Catriona Saynor, who own the chalet where 11 people were exposed to the virus. They are both believed to have coronavirus and so has their nine-year-old son. Mr Walsh then flew from Geneva to London on an easyJet plane with 100-plus passengers and crew before going to his local pub, The Brigadier in Hove, and a group yoga session in a church hall before reportedly walking into Brighton hospital's A&E with flu symptoms and being rushed into quarantine in London last week. Advertisement A spokeswoman for Patcham Nursing Home in Brighton said: 'One GP involved visited a week ago. The nursing home is closed for visitors. You can't go in and out imagine how many people are going in and out of a nursing home all day. This is just a precaution nobody is unwell.' Parents of children at Bevendean said they were left 'shaking with fear' after getting an email this morning to warn of the potential coronavirus case. A mother with a six-year old son at the school told The Argus: 'I'm still shaking. I was going to take my child to school, but then I got the email at 7.10 this morning. I'm just glad I checked. 'The pupils have been given the choice whether to go in or not it's up to parents, and if they take the time off it goes down as an authorised absence. 'I'm not sending my child to school. I'm not sending him for the rest of the week. I'm scared of this virus. It's left the whole country scared. My son's scared too. He doesn't want to go to school.' Super-spreader Mr Walsh lives with his wife Catherine and contracted the virus during a conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore organised by Servomex, a British gas analytics company he works for, more than two weeks ago. He then travelled to Les Contamines-Montjoie, near Megeve, for a ski break to stay with friends Bob and Catriona Saynor, who own the chalet where 11 people were exposed to the virus. They are both believed to have coronavirus and so has their nine-year-old son. Mr Walsh then flew from Geneva to London on an easyJet plane with 100-plus passengers and crew before going to his local pub, The Brigadier in Hove, and a group yoga session at the Cornerstone Community Centre. A worker at the community centre on Church Road revealed staff members who were in the class had been told to self-isolate. The worker, who wished to remain anonymous, told Mirror Online: 'Public Health England assured us that no one other than people in that class with that person are at risk. My understanding is that they have all been contacted. 'A member of staff attended that class so they have been told to self-isolate - but no one else [no other staff members].' Public Health England (PHE) is believed to have contacted everyone who attended the class in Hove last Monday. Mr Walsh, who had not shown symptoms at the time, then fell ill later that week and took himself to the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton with flu symptoms before being rushed into quarantine in London last week. This morning it emerged that pupils at Bevendean Primary School were told they could stay at home if they wished after a teacher was put in self-isolation over fears they have the virus. In a statement, the school said: 'We have just been made aware that a member of our staff has been in close contact with someone who has been advised by Public Health England to self-isolate as they have been in direct contact with the coronavirus. We are currently in communication with the local authority and Public Health England for further advice and information however we feel that it is our duty to make you aware of what is happening. 'The school will remain open until further notice however if you wish to keep your child off of school at this time, then we will authorise this absence. Please contact the school if you are keeping your child off. 'Whilst nothing has been confirmed, the health and safety of our school community is of paramount importance to us and we have therefore taken this unprecedented step until we have more information. 'Please keep an eye on the website for further information and updates as we have them. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.' A father who is not taking his daughter to school said: 'God knows how many other cases there are. We don't know. It's a ticking time bomb. 'I'm really worried. We've had so many cases. How many people who have been told to self-isolate have been out and about, going to the shop or the pub? My daughter's in reception. I don't think she understands.' Yesterday it was revealed the illness has struck down two GPs - feared to be Catriona Saynor and a doctor friend who was also in the Alps at the end of January. Brighton GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre has been closed today for 'urgent operational health and safety reasons' after a member of staff tested positive for the killer coronavirus Deneway surgery in Brighton, the second GP surgery branch which has been shut following the outbreak of coronavirus in the East Sussex city So far the coronavirus epidemic sweeping the world has killed more than 1,000, all but two of whom were in China The epidemic has struck down over 43,000 people since the first cases were reported in late January - 99 per cent of infections are in China WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THE 'SUPER- SPREADER'? Jan 20-23: British businessman Steve Walsh unknowingly catches the virus at a conference attended by more than 100 internationals at the 1,000-a-night Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore Jan 24: The 53-year-old arrives in Contamines-Montjoie in the French Alps and stays at a chalet owned by a fellow Brit. French health ministry officials say he had contact with at least 11 Britons at the chalet. Less than 1,000 cases in China had been recorded at this point Jan 27: Servomex, the gas analysis company Mr Walsh works for, advises all attendees of the conference to work from home. The advice came four days after one conference-goer was quarantined in Asia over fears of having the virus Jan 28: Mr Walsh flies back from Geneva, Switzerland to London Gatwick on board easyJet flight EZS8481. He did not have any symptoms. Authorities say they contacted 183 passengers and six crew on the flight Jan 29-31: The scout leader's movements are unclear. On the 29th, Servomex confirms another employee has tested negative for the coronavirus Feb 1: The man spends two hours at his local pub, The Grenadier, in Hove. Five staff are told to self-isolate for a fortnight. It is unclear where else he went after landing back in the UK. Almost 12,000 cases across the world have been recorded at this point Feb 2: Mr Walsh's movements are unclear Feb 3: A coronavirus patient in Brighton is thought to attend a yoga session at the Cornerstone Community Centre in Hove. A manager and volunteers are advised to self-isolate on Feb 10 Feb 4-5: Mr Walsh contacts his GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England after learning he had been exposed to a confirmed coronavirus case at the conference in Singapore. He drives himself to the Royal Sussex County Hospital Brighton to be tested in isolation and then self-isolates once at home. Servomex give a list of all British attendees to PHE for screening Feb 6: He tests positive for the virus at the Royal Sussex County Hospital and is then whisked off to Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital in London to be quarantined for two weeks. He becomes the third case in the UK. Almost 30,000 cases have been recorded across the world Feb 7: Portslade Academy told parents one of its pupils has been advised to self-isolate for a fortnight after coming into contact with the Hove father Feb 8: Five Britons four adults and a child staying at the same chalet as the 'super-spreader' in France test positive for the coronavirus. Environmental consultant Bob Saynor, 48, and his nine-year-old son were named locally as two of the Brits Feb 9: British father living in Majorca tests positive: Ex-pat who also had contact with the Brighton businessman at chalet France has disease. His wife and two daughters test negative. UK officials confirm a fourth person has caught coronavirus in England, and reveal they had come into contact with Mr Walsh in France. This is thought to be Dr Catriona Greenwood, who owns the chalet in France with her husband Mr Saynor Feb 10: Four more patients in the UK are confirmed to have the coronavirus: All had contact with businessman at the ski resort in France. It brings the total number of cases in the UK to eight Dr Greenwood's GP surgery the County Oak Medical Centre was closed for a deep clean. Another case was confirmed to be a health worker, thought to be a male GP and friend of the Saynor family Feb 11: Patcham Nursing Home in Brighton closed its doors to visitors as a 'precaution' amid fears either Dr Greenwood or the other GP with coronavirus visited one of its 24 elderly residents last week Students at Bevendean Primary School are told they can stay at home after a teacher was asked to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone who had spent time with a coronavirus patient, potentially the 'super-spreader' Steve Walsh. Parents of pupils said they were left 'shaking with fear' Another GP practice in Brighton Deneway Surgery is closed. It is also run by the County Oak Medical Centre. It is not clear if Dr Greenwood had been here, or the other male GP worked here The Scout Association confirms Mr Walsh did not attend any meetings at the 3rd Hove St Leonards Scout Group since returning to the UK It is revealed two teachers from Cottesmore St Mary's Catholic Primary School where Mr Walsh's children attend are in self-isolation for 14 days Advertisement The Coronavirus is spiralling out of in Brighton and health bosses are intentionally hiding information about the super-spreader, a top city councillor said. Professor Samer Bagaeen, a leading figure on Brighton and Hove City Council's Health board said Public Health England (PHE), the Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and Brighton and Hove City Council have lost control of the situation by keeping residents ill-informed. He said: 'I think they have not been straight with everyone from the start and have intentionally hid the implications of the infections. 'We don't know who in the city has been exposed and where. We should have been informed since day one. You have people who are 'self isolating' but could still be going to the shops. 'And the council has told us councillors that we must not speak to journalists. The problem is that nobody is stepping into a leadership role and everyone is passing the buck.' Professor Paul Hunter, from the University of East Anglia, said: 'Patient confidentiality is important but we may now be at the point where the public's need to know more information is greater. 'It would be helpful to know if he got a taxi straight home or got a bus and stopped off at the supermarket. Letting the public know this timeline will reassure many that they are not at risk.' Tracking down the patients doctors has been made a priority because the virus is known to be particularly dangerous for those with pre-existing health conditions. NHS sources stressed a maximum of 15 patients came into contact with them since their return from the French chalet. The Brighton doctors are among 11 Britons thought to have caught the virus from a 'super-spreader', a middle-aged businessman who contracted it in Singapore. He is believed to be a scoutmaster and married father-of-one. Whitehall sources suggested the cluster of cases meant hundreds of people would now have to be tested for the virus. The news comes as the death toll from the killer disease tops 1,000. At least one of the infected doctors is thought to have practised at the County Oak Medical Centre on Carden Hill. It was shut down on Monday for a deep clean. On Tuesday morning it emerged that a second branch of the surgery - located less than two miles away - has also been closed. A sign fixed to the door of the Deneway branch says: 'The surgery is closed due to organisational health and safety reasons. Please contact 111 if you need to speak to a health professional.' Mr Walsh apparently passed the virus on to a group he stayed with at a French ski chalet close to Mont Blanc. Six of the infected Britons are being treated in France and Spain, but the other five, including the GPs, are back in the Brighton area. The World Health Organisation expressed its alarm about the situation last night. 'The detection of this small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire,' said its director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. He said it was worrying that the illness had been transmitted by people with no travel history to China, where the virus originated. Until the Country Oak medical centre reopens, the surgery's 7,600 patients have been told to call NHS 111 if they are unwell or 999 if they have a life-threatening emergency. A GP who has worked at the practice, Catriona Greenwood, owns the French chalet with her husband. However, there is no official confirmation that she is infected with the virus. According to Brighton and Hove News she worked an 'admin' day at the surgery last week but did not meet any patients. Public Health England is also trying to trace anyone who came into contact with the other Britons who were infected on the ski holiday. They have told a dozen people in Brighton to go into quarantine and they are sending them texts every morning asking them to reply 'yes' or 'no' if they have symptoms. Arrowe Park Hospital, the isolation facility in The Wirral, where Britons evacuated from Wuhan in China have been staying A note on the front of the County Oak Medical Centre in Brighton saying the surgery has been closed for 'operational difficulties' Health chiefs are also under increasing pressure to name a British 'super spreader' of the coronavirus, who is thought to have infected at least seven others The Britons infected with coronavirus - and the patients ill in the UK Cases in the UK and where they are being cared for: Newcastle: Two Chinese nationals who came to the UK with coronavirus and fell ill while on the tourist trail in York. They were the first two cases on British soil and confirmed on January 31. Steve Walsh: The first British coronavirus victim has become known as a super-spreader. He picked up the virus in Singapore - but flew for a ski break in France afterwards where he appears to have infected at least 11 people. Dr Catriona Saynor, who owns the chalet with her husband Bob, is feared to be the fourth patient in the UK diagnosed with Coronavirus. Her husband remained in France but she flew to Britain for medical exams and is in hospital. Four more people in Brighton were diagnosed over the weekend and confirmed as cases today. They were all 'known contacts' of the super-spreader and are thought to have stayed in the same French resort. Total in UK hospitals: Eight patients. Six Britons and two Chinese nationals British expats and holidaymakers outside the UK and where they are being cared for: Majorca: A British father-of-two who stayed in the ski resort tested positive after returning to his home in Majorca. His wife and children are not ill. France: Five people who were in the chalet with the super-spreader. These include the chalet's owner, environmental consultant Bob Saynor, 48, and his nine-year-old son. They are all in a French hospital with three unnamed others. Dr Catriona Saynor is in Britain. Japan: A British man on board a cruise ship docked at a port in Japan tested positive for coronavirus, Princess Cruises said. Alan Steele, from Wolverhampton, posted on Facebook that he had been diagnosed with the virus. Steele said he was not showing any symptoms but was being taken to hospital. He was on his honeymoon. Total: Seven Advertisement Five staff at the Grenadier pub in Hove have been instructed to 'self-isolate' after the super-spreader spent two hours there on February 1. One bar worker was told they needed to be within two metres of an infected person for longer than 20 minutes to have any risk of picking up the infection. Professor Yvonne Doyle, medical director of PHE, said: 'Two of these new cases are healthcare workers and as soon as they were identified, we advised them to self-isolate in order to keep patient contact to a minimum. 'We are now working urgently to identify all patients and other healthcare workers who may have come into close contact, and at this stage we believe this to be a relatively small number.' The fact that this super-spreader passed the disease to 11 Britons five of whom returned to the UK and may have infected others themselves has concerned scientists. ' Last week Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said patients tended to spread the disease to only two or three people. It is possible the inhabitants of the chalet were in very close contact and the man may not have had any symptoms. Andrew Freedman of Cardiff University's School of Medicine said: 'It does appear that the index case has passed on the infection to an unusually large number of contacts. 'As such, he could be termed a super-spreader. 'This may occur as result of someone being infectious despite having few or no symptoms, meaning they are unaware they have the infection. 'It can also result from someone coming into close contact with an unusually large number of people or someone carrying a larger than normal quantity of the virus.' The super-spreader, who lives in Brighton, contracted the virus at a conference at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Singapore organised by Servomex, a British gas analytics company. He then flew to France and spent four days in a chalet in Les Contamines-Montjoie. This chalet has been pinpointed as the centre of this outbreak. It is owned by Miss Greenwood, one of the infected GPs, and her husband Bob Saynor, 48, an environmental consultant. Mr Saynor is being treated for the virus in France with his nine-year-old son and five other Britons. A British father of two who also stayed at the chalet is in hospital in Majorca. The 13 Britons to have contracted the virus include Alan Steele who fell ill on his honeymoon aboard the Diamond Princess cruise ship off Japan. Two Chinese nationals are being treated in Newcastle after testing positive for the virus in York. Brighton pharmacists have sold out of hand sanitisers and face masks. A view from Wrexhams Member of Parliament This article is old - Published: Monday, Feb 10th, 2020 Wrexham.com has invited Wrexham & Clwyd South Members of Parliament and Assembly Members to write a monthly article with updates on their work in Parliament and the Senedd, and closer to home. This is the first in this new series! Wrexham MP Sarah Atherton writes Its been a whirlwind few months since being elected to represent the people of Wrexham in Westminster. A few days after the election I was on the train down to London, to vote to get Boris Brexit deal through the commons. I am pleased that after three and a half years of delay we finally got Brexit done, fulfilling the promise I made to the people of Wrexham during the general election campaign. I am optimistic about the future, as we are now concentrating our efforts on levelling up opportunity across the country. Ive sought assurances from the Secretary of State for Wales, Simon Hart, that Wrexham will benefit from the shared prosperity fund. I have also met with the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, to ensue Wrexham sees more inward investment, leading to further jobs and opportunities. Today I asked the Secretary of State for Wales, @Simonhartmp, for assurances that #Wrexham will benefit from the shared prosperity fund pic.twitter.com/KQvHWoB9gt Sarah Atherton MP (@AthertonNWales) January 15, 2020 Additionally, I have met with a number of businesses in Wrexham who wish to expand and have lent them my support. In the coming weeks I hope to launch my business forum to provide businesses with a support network and be of help in any way that I can. We need a collaborative approach to inject some energy back into the town centre. We need to ensure the foundations are in place, which means a clean and safe environment for residents and visitors, whilst moving forward. Over the past few weeks I have met with council leaders and the police to discuss how to tackle the anti-social behaviour in the town centre and am optimistic about the future. Im pleased that Labours John Ashworth has accepted that the state of our NHS under the Welsh Labour Government is unacceptable. The residents of #Wrexham deserve better. pic.twitter.com/b1ccY2dUV5 Sarah Atherton MP (@AthertonNWales) January 28, 2020 A lot of you have approached me in the past few months to express your concerns about the state of the Welsh NHS, in particular the Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board, under the Welsh government. I addressed Labours own John Ashworth about the situation and he agreed it was unacceptable. The current situation is unsustainable, this is something that me and my fellow North Wales colleagues have recognised and are eager to address. We have been raising our concerns directly with the Secretary of State for Health and Social care, Matt Hancock, seeking his support. Further, we will be meeting with the Chief Executive of Betsi Cadwaladr Health Board next week to discuss the situation, ensuring residents get the care they deserve. This morning I met with the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, @MattHancock, with my fellow #NorthWales Conservative colleagues. We discussed residents concerns about the poor performance of @BetsiCadwaladr under the @WelshGovernment. pic.twitter.com/e9DHlgiajz Sarah Atherton MP (@AthertonNWales) January 29, 2020 Ive been supporting the Long Live the Local campaign and have asked the minister to lift the burden on breweries by cutting beer tax, helping more pubs in Wrexham keep their doors open. Brewing and pubs in Wrexham supports 1173 jobs and contributes 25.1m to the local economy and I will continue to champion this cause. Its been an privilege representing #Wrexham in Westminster over the past few months! pic.twitter.com/msdcIfjRBR Sarah Atherton MP (@AthertonNWales) February 10, 2020 Its been a busy yet incredibly rewarding couple of months; with every resident helped, surgery meeting held, case closed, and community group I meet, it makes all the hard work worth it. Its been an honour to meet so many of you already, and I look forward to getting to meet more of you over the coming weeks. As a native Tulsan, I felt like I was dreaming when I saw a hologram of Henry Louis Gates Jr. greeting visitors at the Greenwood Cultural Center in Tulsa, Okla. But this wasnt real life it was the parallel reality of HBOs Watchmen, where the fictional Gates character is the treasury secretary who helps descendants of the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 trace their history and claim reparations for what was in the show and in reality the countrys worst act of racial violence since the Civil War. Id been to the real Greenwood Cultural Center many times, and there were no holograms, no virtual reality displays of what happened in Tulsa almost a century ago. In the cavernous shell of the actual Greenwood Center, there is a no-frills, but emotionally chilling, history of a place once called Black Wall Street. A decidedly low-tech exhibition features black-and-white photo reproductions of a war zone, charred bodies and menacing white looters. Also in the real Tulsa: Reparations for 1921 are far more implausible than a Robert Redford presidency. Since the debut of Watchmen, Greenwood has become a destination for celebrities hoping to see the real Black Wall Street. Michael Bloomberg and Cory Booker swung through the neighborhood while campaigning for the Democratic nomination. Phil Armstrong, a project director of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre Centennial Commission, told me that tourism, virtually nonexistent a few years ago, is thriving. The show, however, was mostly filmed in Georgia, and visitors are often perplexed by the massive overpass bisecting Greenwood, a product of a later plan for urban renewal. Thiruvananthapuram: Southern Railways will be introducing 'Rent-A-Car Facility' at four stations in Kerala from tomorrow. The facility, being launched at Thiruvananthapuram Central, Ernakulam South, Ernakulam North, and Thrissur is part of the new initiatives for Passenger Benefit and generating Non-Fare Revenue. The project is being operationalised by IndusGo Pvt Ltd, an online booking and payment system which will be provided by the service provider Indus through their website Indusgo.In. Rajesh Chandran, Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Thiruvananthapuram Division, along with Ajay Kaushik, Station Director, Thiruvananthapuram central, will flag off the first service at Thiruvananthapuram Central Station at 11.00 AM on Wednesday, a railway press release said. 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 Vaccine would be the first to protect against tularemia in the United States FEBRUARY 10, 2020 Southwest Research Institute, The University of Texas at San Antonio and Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute have received an $18 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defenses Defense Threat Reduction Agency to collaboratively develop a protective vaccine against Francisella tularensis, the bacterium that causes tularemia. The researchers goal is to develop a vaccine formulation that protects humans for up to one year. Francisella tularensis is generally found in infected animals, such as rabbits, which is why the disease is also known as rabbit fever. While human infections are infrequent, those that do occur are difficult to diagnose because they are rarely seen and recognized by clinicians. Aerosolized Francisella, however, is highly infectious and is classified by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control as a Category A biothreat agent. When introduced into the lungs, 10 to 50 Francisella tularensis organisms have the potential to cause a tularemia infection that can be fatal. As a result, the bacterium has previously been developed as an aerosolized bioweapon and is considered a threat to national security. Infectious diseases are a very real threat to the security and well-being of our nation and the world, said UTSA President Taylor Eighmy. The vaccine development project underway to protect our military against tularemia infections is another example of how UTSAs knowledge enterprise is collaborating with partners of the highest caliber to improve human health in San Antonio and globally. No tularemia vaccine is currently available to protect the U.S. population. A previous vaccine developed in the former Soviet Union is not approved for use in the U.S. due to questions about its safety and stability. There is an urgent need to develop a tularemia vaccine that is safe, effective and supported by sufficient data to be approved by the FDA, said Joe McDonough, SwRIs director of pharmaceuticals and bioengineering. By combining SwRIs medical countermeasure development and formulation development experience with Dr. Kloses and UTSAs innovation, we will provide a much-needed solution to a critical problem. The research that led to the SwRI-UTSA-Lovelace collaboration began at UTSA. Karl Klose, now the Robert J. Kleberg Jr. and Helen C. Kleberg College of Sciences Professor, began researching Francisella tularensis in 2001 to better understand how these bacteria cause disease. Klose, who also studies Vibrio cholerae, the bacterium that causes cholera, is the director of the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases, where nearly two dozen UTSA researchers are studying infectious diseases such as chlamydia, valley fever, Lyme disease, malaria to develop new diagnostics, therapeutics and vaccines to reduce the threat that infectious organisms pose to humans. As Klose and his research team began to better understand Francisella tularensis, they turned their attention to developing a safe and effective vaccine candidate to protect against tularemia infection. They ultimately decided to develop the vaccine from Francisella novicida, a closely related bacterium that is benign for humans. In the laboratory, Klose and his colleagues created Fn-iglD, a genetically modified Francisella novicida strain lacking a gene required for Francisella to cause disease. With funding from the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense, the UTSA researchers demonstrated that the Fn-iglD vaccine has the ability to protect against airborne Francisella exposure in animal models. The tularemia work underway at the UTSA South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases reflects our aggressive approach to tackling complex health issues and reinforcing our trajectory toward Carnegie R1 designation and recognition as a National Research University Fund institution, said Bernard Arulanandam, UTSA Vice President for Research, Economic Development, and Knowledge Enterprise. The SwRI-UTSA-Lovelace contract funded by the DoD will allow the researchers to advance those efforts and prepare the vaccine for human clinical trials. Work will include improving vaccine stability through encapsulation with nanoparticles and enhancing the duration of immunity by optimizing a slow release formulation. A leading applied science institution, SwRI is serving as the Principal Investigator for the DoD contract. The non-profit research and development organization has a rich history in advancing and supporting commercialization of drug and formulation technology to improve patient health care. Its scientists offer vast expertise in micro- and nanoencapsulation technologies that solve complex drug delivery problems and accelerate drug discovery and development. SwRI has also developed and licensed multiple technologies to fight infectious disease, reduce pain and treat addiction, mitochondrial poisoning and cancer. Learn more about the South Texas Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases and the research programs underway at UTSA in microbiology and immunology. Learn more about SwRIs pharmaceutical testing laboratories. Once SwRI and UTSA optimize the vaccine, Lovelace Respiratory Research Institute, a not-for-profit research organization specializing in the research and development of respiratory disease treatments, will conduct advanced testing using more complex scientific models to ensure the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Oftentimes in science, you discover something interesting but never see your discovery get to the point that it impacts society, said Klose. This is something we discovered in our laboratory, right here in San Antonio, that is now moving one step closer to having a practical outcome of protecting humans against a biothreat. It is really exciting and we couldnt do it without SwRI and Lovelace, who specialize in formulations, encapsulation and testing. Our close collaboration is enabling all of this to move forward. The $18 million tularemia contract is a significant accomplishment for the Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio. Founded in 2012 by UTSA, SwRI, Texas Biomedical Research Institute and UT Health San Antonio, the center leverages the strength, expertise and assets of San Antonios four leading research institutions to identify and develop promising vaccine candidates to promote public health. This program exemplifies the progress that happens when institutions are brought together through partnerships like the Vaccine Development Center of San Antonio, said Dr. McDonough. After Afzal Gurus arrest soon after the Parliament attack, his wife, Tabassum, had applied for clemency. February 11 this year was the 36th death anniversary of Maqbool Bhat, co-founder of the Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front. Bhat was hanged inside Tihar Jail on February 11, 1984. Similarly, another Kashmiri named Afzal Guru was hanged at Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013. This year, it was his seventh hanging anniversary. The man who witnessed many hangings, including those of Bhat and Guru, at Tihar Jail, has a lot to say about the duo. The man is none other than Sunil Gupta. In his recently-released book Black Warrant, co-authored with Sunetra Choudhury, the former spokesperson and legal adviser of Tihar Jail recalls the hangings of two Kashmiris, Maqbool and Afzal. The details are bone chilling. Mr Gupta began working in Tihar Jail in 1981. He has been an eyewitness to many a hanging, including executions of high-profile prisoners like Maqbool and Afzal. After Afzal Gurus arrest soon after the Parliament attack, his wife, Tabassum, had applied for clemency. On February 3, 2013, then President Pranab Mukherjee rejected the mercy petition. It was also rejected on January 23, 2013. A clemency petition was filed by Tabassum in 2006. Afzal was sentenced to death for providing logistical support to the men who attacked the Indian Parliament in 2001. He was sentenced to death in August 2005. Gurus hanging was Mr Guptas last black warrant. According to him, every aspect of Afzal Gurus case was controversial. The Supreme Court itself admitted that Afzal Guru was not part of any terror group, not part of Jaish-e-Mohammad which was behind the Parliament attack, he writes. The Supreme Court in its judgment had said the evidence was circumstantial: As is the case with most conspiracies, there is and could be no direct evidence amounting to criminal conspiracy. It further said: The incident, which resulted in heavy casualties, had shaken the entire nation, and the collective conscience of society will only be satisfied if capital punishment is awarded to the offender. He was suspected of ferrying and assisting the attackers who targeted the Indian Parliament. The Supreme Court had said there was no direct evidence of Gurus involvement in the attack nor was he part of a militant group that attacked Parliament. The court approved orders on his hanging to satisfy the collective conscience of society. Dissatisfied with the SC judgment at the time, many leading judicial experts and authors like Arundhati Roy and others described Gurus hanging as judicial murder. Gautam Navlakha, a human rights defender based in New Delhi, voiced his concern: We are against the death penalty. It has been our demand since day one that capital punishment should be abolished in India. In a way, the decision to hang Afzal Guru, I think, is a judicial murder, Mr Navlakha told this writer, adding, When you dont allow a person a fair trial and a chance to defend himself, you are being unfair. According to Mr Guptas account, the hanging of Guru still haunts me. Call records showed that Guru had been in touch with Mohammed, one of the attackers. However, what Afzal pointed out (and the court did not accept) were details of how that phone was provided to him by the Special Task Force (STF) in Kashmir. According to him, the STF had tortured him from the time he returned to Kashmir from his failed adventure as a separatist in Pakistan. Afzal alleged that he had no choice but to help Mohammed. Afzal named someone called Davinder Singh, a deputy superintendent of police in the Jammu and Kashmir Special Operations Group. He said his involvement in the entire attack came about because Singh asked him to take Parliament attacker Mohammed to Delhi and to provide him with all the help he needed. More important, after the dramatic arrest of J&K polices decorated DSP Davinder Singh in Srinagar recently, it came to the surface once again that Guru had ferried one of the Parliament attackers, Mohammed, to New Delhi allegedly at Singhs behest. Booker Prize winner Arundhati Roy has written in detail about the same. In 2006, Davinder Singh, in an interview, had himself admitted to having tortured Afzal Guru. The same officer had dealt with Afzal when he had surrendered. Singh was arrested recently from Srinagar while ferrying and shielding a top Hizbul Mujahideen commander, Naveed alias Babar Azam. On the hanging anniversary of Mohammad Afzal Guru, Kashmir remained shut in protest. The authorities shut down low bandwidth 2G mobile Internet services, imposed Section 144 and also deployed additional units of paramilitary troops to maintain the law and order situation. According to the governments version, Guru was the prime accused in the attack on the Indian Parliament in December 2001. After his hanging in February 2013, the authorities interred his body in Delhis Tihar Jail, where he had been in solitary confinement for 12 years. Gurus wife, Tabasum, and son, Ghalib, were not informed. Bhats mortal remains also lay buried in Tihar Jail. That is why Afzal Gurus hanging has stirred a controversy. Several letters attributed to Afzal Guru have mentioned how he was allegedly tortured by government forces personnel and coerced to ferry a militant to New Delhi. Nandita Haksar, noted human rights lawyer and author, in her book The Many Faces of Kashmiri Nationalism, gives a detailed account of how Afzal Guru was treated inside the notorious torture centres and jails, and how he was made a victim. After all, in order to understand Afzals story, one would have to practically know the history of insurgency and counterinsurgency in Kashmir. And history cannot be presented as evidence in a court of law. Afzal was a victim of history, Ms Haksar writes. (The Many Faces of Kashmiri Nationalism p. 185) She writes that a police officer, DSP Davinder Singh, ordered Guru to confess to being in touch with militants and possessing weapons. When Guru refused, the author says that he was stripped naked and put in freezing water and given electric shocks. Afzal was forcibly made to drink water and given electric shocks for three hours by an inspector called Shanti Singh, while the officer (DSP Davinder Singh) watched. Petrol was poured into his anus and chillies stuffed into it and he was kept in that state the whole day, (The Many Faces of Kashmiri Nationalism, p. 184; the details of the torture were written in a letter by Guru to his lawyer in the Supreme Court, Sushil Kumar, and the letter was later published in a pamphlet.) Omar Abdullah, then chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and now arrested under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA), had confirmed that his government was kept in the loop regarding the decision on Gurus execution. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), then the main Opposition, had condemned the hanging while launching a scathing attack on the Omar-led coalition government. On Maqbool Bhat, Mr Gupta said that he was the highly educated, pious inmate with whom I used to practice my English language skills. In Kerala at the third edition of the Mathrubhumi International Festival of Letters (MBIFL 2020), Mr Gupta told this writer that Bhat was a learned man. Graceful. He was passionate about the freedom of Kashmir. It was very clear that Maqbool was a political prisoner and he was treated as one too. Unlike others who would spend their time gossiping or trying to make trouble, all he did was read, Mr Gupta writes in a chapter titled The Anatomy Of A Hanging (p.72). He described Bhat as a victim of circumstances. CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Elkay Neighborhood" exhibition, created in partnership with brand engagement agency August Jackson, has been named Best Large Booth by the 2020 Kitchen & Bath Industry Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. Featuring designs from over 600 brands, the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) is North America's largest trade show dedicated to everything kitchen and bath design related. For August Jackson's KBIS debut, they worked with Elkay Manufacturing to create a 9,000-square-foot experience that was playful and innovative, all while displaying Elkay's expansive selection of sinks, faucets and drinking water solutions. The award-winning "Elkay Neighborhood" included a giant fountain made of the latest designs in Elkay kitchen faucets and an array of creative activations for visitors to interact with. The latest product offerings were also showcased, including the newest color to be added to the Quartz Luxe Collection, Mint Creme. The booth also celebrated Elkay's 100th birthday this yearmaking this honor even more meaningful. August Jackson and Elkay worked together to ensure every booth detail communicated the brand's valuesfrom a ball pit "pool" featuring the ezH2O bottle fill station (showcasing how many plastic bottles have been saved from the environment) to the Dart Canyon (an ADA dual-depth sink, demonstrating the accessibility of its products). Capturing the spirit of Elkay by evoking feelings of friendliness, home and family, the experience uplifted Elkay's vision of a society built on inclusivity, sustainability and community. "Elkay prides itself on its quality products, meaningful innovations and the wonderful people that make it all happen every single day. We wanted a booth to be a celebration of all that and leave people feeling inspired, entertained and a part of our community," said Molly Pajauskas, Marketing Director, Elkay. "The booth that August Jackson was able to bring to life did just that and allowed the brand to shine at one of the biggest industry events of the year." "We are honored to be recognized by KBIS for the hard work and creativity that we put into this exhibition, in partnership with our clients at Elkay and Zeno Group," says Laura Shuler, CEO, August Jackson. "AJ's work with Elkay demonstrates our mission to create experiences that are engaging, inspirational, and representative of our clients to the highest degree." Ken Feurer, Executive Vice President, Design, says that, "August Jackson's insistence on high aesthetic standards, attention to all aspects of an experience, and understanding of the power of storytelling came together to create a meaningful journey for everyone who stepped into the booth." ABOUT AUGUST JACKSON For organizations that need highly-engaged people to realize their mission, August Jackson is the agency that puts purpose into practice. We align and activate communities of people around a shared sense of purpose to drive organizational success. Our work for corporate brands, hospitals, nonprofit organizations and higher education institutions includes events and experiences, branding and communications, fundraising campaign development, and employee engagement. We've been recognized for our work and our culture by Crain's, Event Marketer, Chief Marketer and the Communicator Awards. August Jackson is a 100-person agency with a presence in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., and Baltimore. www.augustjackson.com ABOUT ELKAY For more than 100 years, Elkay Manufacturing has been making innovative products and providing exceptional customer care. Family owned since 1920, Elkay began by making residential butler and pantry sinks. Today, the company has grown to include faucets, foodservice fixtures, water delivery products and architectural millwork in addition to world-class sinks. We are proud to be America's No. 1 selling kitchen sink company, as well as a leading manufacturer of award-winning water delivery products, including the ezH2O bottle filling station. Like your family, Elkay has values and traditions that endure. We take pride in offering reliable products that inspire change and leave the world a better place for generations to come. Headquartered in Downers Grove, Illinois, Elkay is American owned and operated providing thousands of jobs that support our families and communities. Media Contact: Brittany Langmeyer 219-973-1903 [email protected] SOURCE August Jackson Related Links http://www.augustjackson.com The White House's proposed 2021 federal budget helps keep the ball rolling on one of planetary science's highest priorities, Mars sample return , and funds development of a potential mission that would map water ice on the Red Planet. The 2021 budget request, which was released yesterday (Feb. 10), allocates $25.2 billion to NASA , about 12% more than the space agency is getting this year. That proposed outlay includes $233 million for "Mars Future Missions," one of which aims to get pristine pieces of the Red Planet to Earth, possibly as early as 2031. "Mars Future supports the development of the Mars Sample Return (MSR) mission that is planning to enter formulation (Phase A) as early as the summer of FY [fiscal year] 2020," NASA officials wrote in a description of the agency's proposed 2021 allocation . "In FY 2021, MSR formulation activities include concept and technology development, and early design and studies in support of the Sample Return Lander and the Capture/Containment and Return System," they added. "Mars Future also supports a study of the facility required for handling of returned samples." Related: The boldest Mars missions in history Sample collection starts soon The samples in question will be collected by NASA's Mars 2020 rover , which is scheduled to launch this July and land in February 2021 inside the Red Planet's Jezero Crater. The Mars 2020 team will seek out and collect material deemed to have the potential to preserve ancient biosignatures, if any are to be found at Jezero. This Red Planet rock and dirt will be sealed in several dozen canisters for future return to Earth, where scientists can interrogate the stuff in detail in labs around the world. (Mars 2020 will also hunt for ancient life on its own in Jezero, using its much more limited instrumentation.) The delivery of these samples to Earth will be executed in collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), which recently confirmed its financial commitment to this complex endeavor. As currently envisioned, the MSR campaign features two 2026 launches: those of NASA's Sample Return Lander (SRL) mission and ESA's Earth Return Orbiter (ERO). SRL will carry a small rocket called the Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) and an ESA-built Sample Fetch Rover (SRF). The SRF will grab the Mars 2020 samples and haul them back to the MAV (possibly getting an assist in this work from the Mars 2020 rover). The MAV will then launch the samples to Mars orbit, where they'll be snagged by the ERO, which will carry them back toward Earth. The ERO will ultimately jettison the sample-harboring container, which will land in the Utah desert in 2031. The above is the notional plan ; the dates and other details are not official yet. As the NASA budget document noted, great care will be taken in the handling of the Mars samples once they get here. A Sample Receiving Facility will be built at an as-yet-undetermined location to vet the Red Planet rocks, ensuring that Earth microbes don't contaminate the precious samples (and that any Mars bugs that may be lurking in the canisters don't get out into the Earth environment, either). Related: Decade of Mars: How the 2020s a new era of Red Planet exploration Mars Ice Mapper, too The "Mars Future Missions" line in the 2021 budget request covers more than just sample return, however. "Also included is funding for a potential collaboration with Canada on the Mars Ice Mapper," NASA officials wrote in the budget document. "The Mars Ice Mapper is a remote sensing mission under study intended to map and profile the near-surface (3-15 meters) water ice, particularly that which lies in the mid-latitude regions, in support of future science and exploration missions." The Mars Ice Mapper would presumably aid the effort to put astronauts on the Red Planet, which NASA aims to do in the 2030s. The agency hasn't revealed much about this potential mission to date, though another NASA budget document identifies a target launch date of 2027. The 2021 budget request gives more money to future Mars missions than its immediate predecessors did; the 2020 and 2019 proposed White House budgets allocated $109 million and $50 million to this line, respectively. And Mars sample return and the Mars Ice Mapper will get more and more money as the 2020s unfold, if the 2021 request is any guide. The request envisions allocating $406 million to Mars Future Missions in 2022, $551 million in 2023, $713 million in 2024 and $775 million in 2025. But there's an important caveat to this entire discussion: We don't know how good a guide the 2021 budget request will end up being. White House budget requests are just proposals; budgets must be enacted by Congress, which has the power of the purse. Budget requests and enacted budgets are often quite different, so we'll just have to wait and see what legislators approve. Mike Wall's book about the search for alien life, " Out There " (Grand Central Publishing, 2018; illustrated by Karl Tate ), is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall . Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom or Facebook . TORONTO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fura Gems Inc. (Fura or the Company) (TSXV: FURA, OTC: FUGMF and FRA: BJ43), a gemstone mining and marketing company with emerald, ruby and sapphire assets in Colombia, Mozambique and Australia, respectively, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a Revised and Restated Merger of Ruby Assets Agreement (the Revised MRAA) with New Energy Minerals Ltd (New Energy), Montepuez Minerals Pty Ltd, Montepuez Minerals Ltd, and New Energy Minerals LDA (collectively, the Vendors). Pursuant to the Revised MRAA, the new terms for completion of the transaction are as follows: Consideration for the acquisition of the New Energy Assets (defined below) has been reduced from A$2,800,000 (C$2,480,000) (as set out in the initial merger of ruby assets agreement dated July 14, 2018, as amended, most notably by an amending agreement dated November 27, 2018) to a cash payment of A$1,400,000 (C$1,240,000); and Fura is no longer required to issue any of its common shares as a part of the transaction. In addition, pursuant to the Revised MRAA, the A$2,800,000 (C$2,480,000) loan agreement between Fura and New Energy, previously disclosed in the Companys press release dated November 29, 2018, is formally terminated, noting that no draw-down by New Energy under the loan agreement was possible due to the non-satisfaction of the conditions precedent set out in the loan agreement. Fura has also agreed that it will pay, on behalf of New Energy, all capital gains taxes levied by the Mozambique government in connection with the sale of the New Energy Assets. The reduced consideration was negotiated in exchange for Fura agreeing to an accelerated closing and to assist the Vendors in the closing process with the Ministry of Mineral Resources and Energy of Mozambique, the Ministry of Finance and the National Institute of Mines. We note that the binding tax opinion issued by the Mozambique Ministry of Finance, which is required for the transfer of the New Energy Assets to Fura, has now been obtained. Story continues The Revised MRAA contemplates the purchase by Fura of interests in three ruby licenses/concessions in Mozambique as follows: (i) a 70% interest in ruby mining licence 5030L through the acquisition of 70% of the issued and outstanding shares of Rubi Resources SA, (ii) a 80% interest in ruby mining concession 8921C through the acquisition of 80% of the issued and outstanding shares of Ibra Moz SA; and (iii) a right to earn a 65% interest in mining concession 8955C under a joint venture agreement (collectively, the New Energy Assets). The completion of Furas acquisition of the New Energy Assets is subject to the satisfaction of customary conditions precedent, including, inter alia, ministry authorizations, consents from joint venture minority partners and the provision of applicable legal opinions concerning the title to the New Energy Assets. The transaction remains subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange. For more information about Fura Gems Inc., please contact: Fura Gems Inc. Dev Shetty President & Chief Executive Officer Tel: +971 (0) 4 240 8760 dev.shetty@furagems.com Rupak Sen Vice President - Marketing & Sales Tel: +971 (0) 4 240 8760 rupak.sen@furagems.com Public Relations Tavistock (UK) Jos Simson / Barney Hayward Tel: +44-207-920-3150 fura@tavistock.co.uk About Fura Gems Inc. Fura Gems Inc. is a gemstone mining and marketing company which is engaged in the mining, exploration and acquisition of gemstone licences. Furas headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada and its administrative headquarters are located in the Gold Tower, Dubai. Fura is listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the ticker symbol FURA. Fura is engaged in the exploration of resource properties in Colombia and owns a 76% interest in the Coscuez emerald mine in Boyaca, Colombia. Fura is involved in the exploration and mining of sapphires in Australia through its 100% interests in two mining permits (EPM 25973 and EPM 25978) and three mining licences (ML 70419, ML 70447 and ML 70451), and rubies in Mozambique through its 80% effective interest in four ruby licences (4392L, 3868L, 3869L and 6811L) and its 100% interest in ruby licence 5572L. Regulatory Statements This press release may contain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to, statements with respect to the Companys ability to complete the acquisition of the New Energy Assets, the mineralization and prospectivity of the New Energy Assets, the Companys exploration activities and mining activities and the Companys performance. Generally, forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, budget, scheduled, estimates, forecasts, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur or be achieved. Forward-looking information is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information, including but not limited to: general business, economic, competitive, geopolitical and social uncertainties; the actual results of exploration activities; regulatory risks; risks inherent in foreign operations, legacy environmental risks, title risks and other risks of the mining industry. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws. 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. The Stamford Art Association, the citys oldest art gallery and association, has announced the winners of the 47th annual Student Art Show at its Townhouse Gallery. Opening with a reception Sunday, Feb. 23, from 4 to 6 p.m., and running through Thursday, March 12, the multimedia juried art exhibit features more than 100 high school artists selected by their art teachers from 13 Fairfield County high schools. The juror is Herm Freeman, artist and longtime art educator. Avichai Mandelblit had no idea he was such a saboteur. As chief military advocate general, he legalized government actions verging on war crimes. As Cabinet secretary, he signed dozens of documents advancing Israels occupation of Palestinian territory. As attorney general, the job he currently holds, he exempted Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from an investigation under caution in a scandal involving the purchase of submarines and other naval craft from Germany. Since last November, however, when Mandelblit announced his decision to indict Netanyahu on corruption charges, he has become the regimes punching bag. At the Feb. 9 Cabinet meeting, ministers vied with each other over who could hit Mandelblit the hardest. They accused him of torpedoing the work of the government and undermining every initiative it seeks to undertake. When Likud's Moshe Kahlon served as communications minister and pushed through a sweeping (and popular) reform of the mobile phone market, Netanyahu urged his ministers, Be Kahlons. (In light of the titillating correspondence that has recently come to light about Kahlons role in the appointment of Eti Kreif as a Shalom Court judge, Netanyahu may not be too keen to remember that exhortation.) These days, the ministers all want to be Ohanas. Championed by the prime minister, Justice Minister Amir Ohana has turned Mandelblit and the state prosecutor into enemies of the people. As the March 2 elections draw near, the red lines defining the rule of law are being erased. Any time poll results darken the mood at the prime ministers residence on Balfour Street in Jerusalem, it's a bad time for the attorney general and the state prosecutor on the other side of town on Salah a-Din Street. The latest clash between the government and Mandelblit stems from Ohanas proposed appointment of a committee to examine the conduct of the police force's internal affairs unit. Overriding Mandelblits objections to such an election-eve move by an unelected, interim government, Ohana argued that it was time to examine the state prosecutors jurisdiction over the unit. Explaining that the panel was necessary to restore public trust in the system, Ohana intends to appoint two die-hard critics of the State Prosecution to lead it. To avoid tying the hands of the next, elected government, Ohana decided that the committee would present its findings and conclusions in four months, and the new government could then decide whether to accept its recommendations. What, then, is so urgent about the government approving the committee? After all, criticism of the internal affairs unit and proposals to remove it from the State Prosecution's jurisdiction are not new. Is it worth battling the attorney general and risking his decision not to defend the panel against a Supreme Court challenge merely to appoint a committee comprised of two or three staunch critics of the State Prosecution? The answers to these questions apparently relate to a deal concocted between the ruling Likud and Blue and White Knesset member Gadi Yabarkan, who was promised the relatively high 23rd position on the Likuds next Knesset list. It is no secret that the leaders of the Israeli Ethiopian community, Yabarkan included, have been championing a fierce battle against the internal affairs unit of the police. They claim that the police have covered up for the officers who last July shot and killed Solomon Teka, an Ethiopian Israeli. In a harshly worded letter to Ohana, Mandelblit wrote on Feb. 6 that the Likud's deal promising the formation of such a committee in order to woo Yeverkan to cross party lines was an illegal election campaign promise. In the letter, Mandeblit referred to a statement by Yabarkan, who said that the establishment of the committee constituted one of the subjects that Netanyahu promised to address immediately as part of his moving to the Likud. Mandelblit wrote, [T]he explanation of the proposal does note that it [the committee] will not handle exclusively the complaints by Israeli Ethiopians, but one cannot ignore what M. Yabarkan himself said. Mandelblit emphasized that an interim government is required to display restraint in exercising its authority, stressing that political interests must not override the public interest. What's so urgent can also be asked about the decision adopted at the same Feb. 9 Cabinet session approving the immigration of 400 Ethiopian immigrants of Jewish origin. As if the Cabinet meeting were an election rally in a neighborhood of Ethiopian immigrants, Netanyahu waxed poetic about all he had done for the community. I have convened here a meeting of government ministers to deal with all needs, but first of all this basic need to understand how they feel and to truly take a very clear stand against all expressions of racism in general and against our brothers and sisters in particular, said the caretaker prime minister, who has developed a unique expertise in stirring up hatred against Israel's Arab citizens and left-wing voters. The previous round in the governments unprecedented war against Mandelblit had taken place Feb. 4 in the Knesset Committee, which voted to grant immunity from prosecution to Haim Katz, a Likud lawmaker and former minister indicted on charges of fraud and breach of trust in a conflict of interest scandal. With the help of two abstentions from the Blue and White and two from the Arab Joint List, the political right turned the criminal indictment into a public hazing of the attorney general and the state prosecutor. Mandelblit tried to sway the lawmakers from their decision, but to no avail. Mandelblit told the legislators debating the immunity request that the conflict of interest alleged in the indictment was not far from a bribery offense. [W]e are talking about fraud and breach of trust at the highest level of severity, Mandelblit said. Opposition Knesset member Yoav Segalovitch, a former head of the Israel Police Investigations Department, added that the charges were among the worst on the spectrum of fraud and breach of trust offenses. Are we a professional guild or an example and symbol? the former deputy police commissioner and freshman Knesset member lashed out at his colleagues. No one would be happy over a conviction, but we are not a judicial tribunal. Did you hear that, Benny Gantz, leader of the Blue and White? The Knesset Committees decision granting Katz immunity will be brought to the plenary for a vote in the next few days. Members of the current right-wing coalition will presumably vote as one to approve the decision benefitting one of their own in a minor act of revenge over last months failure to push through another immunity request for one of their own, Netanyahu, who withdrew his request at the last minute, realizing it would be denied. Some lawmakers from the Joint List and the Labor-Gesher-Meretz alliance might follow in the footsteps of their representatives on the Knesset Committee who found reasons to abstain in the previous vote. For Gantz, as leader of the opposition, this is a crucial leadership test. Gantz's praise for President Donald Trumps deal of the century and support for annexation of the Jordan Valley indicates that as far as the Palestinian issue goes, he could easily form a right-wing government after the elections. If he allows his party members to vote whichever way they want on Katz's immunity instead of enforcing party discipline in favor of defending the nations gatekeepers, he will also be able to reach understandings with the Likud on the future of Israeli democracy and the rule of law. With the arrest of three men, together involved in at least 115 cases of robberies and thefts, the Delhi police on Tuesday said they have recovered stolen cartons of chocolates, biscuits and cigarettes worth 1.7 crore. Deputy commissioner of police (west) Deepak Purohit said the arrested men are Kishan, Ravi and Mushtaq. While Purohit is involved in more than 90 cases of robbery, theft, dacoity and burglary, Kishan is involved at least 25 cases and Mushtaq in 15, the DCP said. During the early hours of January 27, a burglary was reported from Vikaspuri Industrial area. A police team which reached the spot was told that the burglars sneaked into a godown and made away with cartons of cigarettes, chocolates and biscuits worth 2 crore and 7.5 lakh in cash. It was reported that they also took away two CPUs, LCDs and one DVR from the godown, the DCP said. Purohit said that during investigation, dossiers of known criminals involved in similar crimes were scanned, which led them to the accused. We got our first clue from a CCTV footage in which two suspicious trucks were seen roaming around the place of incident. Our teams scanned more than 250 CCTV footages over next five days and we managed to track these trucks to another godown in Khera village near Najafgarh. A raid was conducted, Kishan and Ravi nabbed and stolen cartons recovered, Purohit said. The stolen trucks were also recovered at their instance, one of which was stolen from Moti Nagar. The two men confessed of their involvement in the burglary. With their disclosure, we also managed to arrest Mushtaq, the DCP said. Valson Thampu By Gujarat was turned, at the cost of two thousand Muslims, into a Hindutva laboratory for electoral consolidation via political polarisation. It paid off. Since then a Gujarat is being done to India. We call it the Modi magic. It is in this light that the Delhi Assembly election assumes great significance. If there is one politician the BJP fears, it is Arvind Kejriwal. The reason is obvious. He has turned Delhi into a counter- Hindutva laboratory: a laboratory for reviving grassroots, pro-people democracy. The AAP is an alternate paradigm. The BJP, for all its mammoth efforts and the evident desperation to annex Delhi, has come a cropper. It is impossible to improve on the comprehensiveness, aggression and communal divisiveness of the campaign that the BJP mounted. Delhi witnessed an all-time low in political decency and civic propriety. It was no holds barred for the BJP leadership. But it doesnt seem to have paid off. This raises the question: What can the opposition parties, whose very existence is at risk, learn from the AAP model of halting the BJP juggernaut? This question should be of interest especially to the Congress. Arguably, the most significant feature of the Indian electoral scenario is the contrast between parliamentary and Assembly polls. If Modi is truly invincible, he should be so not only in parliamentary polls but also in state elections. That is clearly not the case. What does this mean? The PMs invincibility is a negative thing. It is not that he is invincible in himself, but that the absence of a viable alternative makes him seem so. You cant blame, or praise, voters for choosing Modi when there is no one else on the horizon. In state elections, where there are alternatives, the so-called Modi magic doesnt work; Delhi being the latest example in a series. The magic thrives on the inability of opposition parties to evolve an alternative to him. The disenchantment is real and deepening. It is beginning to be tinged with anxiety. But there is no focal point around which this resentment can crystallise. The Modi-Shah magic seems invincible by default. The second major insight that the AAP experiment affords pertains to the need to connect to the people. It is futile to counter Modi by paying him back in his own coin. The common man is not interested in who has the sharpest tongue, or the most vituperative vocabulary. He is interested, especially in these difficult days, in who can lighten his burdens and mitigate his suffering. That is where Kejriwal scores. He goes about his work of serving the people of Delhi even against odds. The Centre did all it could, through the L-G of Delhi, to obstruct the pro-people measures Kejriwal wanted to implement. He fought it out, prevailed, delivered and added value to the life of the people. The people must be trusted to know what is good for them, despite propaganda and communal obfuscation. That is not all. Kejriwal stayed focused on organising his party as an efficient, election-winning force. As B R Ambedkar said, a political party comprises three concentric circles of organisation: (a) the high command and the professional, full-time politicians surrounding it, is the party machine, (b) the ideological circle of traditional or habitual followers and (c) the floating population of potential supporters, who form the majority. The most crucial thing for a political party is to connect to and absorb this uncommitted outer circle. This is where the BJP leadership invests the most in the form of invoking communally polarising, emotive issues like anti-Pakistan, anti-Muslim and anti-Congress sentiments. They are the buttons pushed at the centre so that the current is felt in the gallery: the floating gallery of neutral people who are potential voters. In this respect the Congress is clueless. Regional parties are better off for being connected to the people. It is easier for the people to connect to regional satraps, who speak their language, nourish local sentiments and address bread and- butter issues. Hence Modi finds it hard to beat them; Mamata Banerjee being a case in point. For the people of a state to connect with a national leader, they need help. It is the duty of a national party to provide that help. Which Rahul Gandhi does not. It is profitless for him to compete with Modi in rhetoric. How valorously or smartly he attacks Modi means little to the people who are in the grip of a grim predicament. To connect to them, and enable them to prefer him to Modi, Rahul needs to demonstrate his capacity to make a difference where Modi has failed the people or has hurt their interests. Opportunities did present themselves to him, but they went a-begging. Courage to resist is laudable, but it is nothing if not applied to causes and demonstrated through realised ends. Else, it becomes indistinguishable from habitual negativity, which inspires none. Had Rahul taken up any one issue in the last five years and applied himself to making a difference, demonstrating the will to deliver, he would have won the trust of millions. He did not. It is alarming that opposition parties as a whole appear not to be bothered about the frightening vacuum in respect of the democratic dynamic of informed resistance. The PM would not have pushed ahead with agendas like the botched-up demonetisation, the abrogation of Article 370, the vivisection of J&K, the Citizenship Amendment Act, etc., but for the absence of effective opposition. Also, the regional parties that went along with the BJP in these matters would have been more circumspect. This is amply clear from the aftermath of the CAA protests. Even the regional allies of the BJP that facilitated the passing of CAA have disowned it because the people of India came forward spontaneously to fill the vacuum created by the paralysis of the opposition parties. Nothing more needs to be said about the deracination of the opposition parties and the desperation of the common man who wants to make both ends meet and live in peace and amity with all. (The author is the former principal of St Stephens College, New Delhi) Help India! By Mahibul H, TwoCircles.net Assam: For the last twenty years, my only innermost wish has been to perform Hajj. I wish Allah somehow fulfills that dream, Sakina Khatun says. Support TwoCircles A visibly devastated Sakina explains that not many people in their area have been able to go to Mecca for the annual Hajj pilgrimage but when she heard about it, she wished from the bottom of her heart to visit the holy sanctuary once. Hajj is an annual pilgrimage made to the city of Mecca and Madina in Saudi Arabia, the trip constituting one of the five pillars in the Islamic faith. She explains that her Hajj application process hangs in balance as she could not make it to the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updated in the Indian state of Assam last year in August. Aimed at identifying illegal immigrants in India who entered and settled in Assam, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being hailed as the largest drive to verify citizenship in the country ever. Out of a total of 3.29 crore applicants, only 3.11 crore of those who had applied for the NRC have made it to the final list. This means 19,06,657 people, excluding those who could not submit the required documents face the fate of detention camps, often infamous for their inhuman living conditions. Residents of a quaint village in Darrang district, around 120-km away from the capital Guwahati, Sakina Khatun and her husband, Miraj Ali have limited means to earn enough money to fund their pilgrimage journey. In a state that depends largely on agriculture as its main source of livelihood it is difficult for people to dream big as in the case of the peasant couple whose dream of going for Hajj means curtailing their day-to-day expenses over a long period of time to save up enough for the trip. According to the Joint State Hajj Committee (which includes Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, and Sikkim) it costs around 3.20 lakh Indian Rupees for each pilgrim to perform Hajj. After saving for several years, Miraj Ali has managed to accumulate around six lakh rupees. I am afraid that if she cannot go with me, it will be very hard for me to go alone, said Miraj hoping that Sakinas application gets cleared by the state polices border branch. With a hope to perform Hajj, the couple had applied for a Tatkal (instant) passport and had completed their online Hajj application too. It was only after submitting their application for police verification to the border branch of Assam Police that Mirajs application received clearance while Sakinas continues to remain rejected because her name was not included in the NRC. Citizen/Non-citizen Paradox As I am not literate, I do not have a school certificate to establish my lineage link with my father, says Sakina. She explains that according to her documents, she was born in Godaijhar village in 1975 so most of her family members have made it to the NRC list, including her father who is in the 1966 voter list. Although the coordination committee for NRC in the state has assured those excluded in the final list can appeal before the Foreigners Tribunals within 120 days, it is reported that there have been many bizarre cases where a siblings name was included in the list while the others got excluded or a fathers name is included and the children have been left out Sakina further states that she has submitted a panchayat certificate to assert her citizenship as she also has a land document in her name. For inclusion in the NRC, residents of Assam were required to submit documents establishing their stay in the state prior to midnight March 24, 1971, a date agreed upon by agitating groups and government of India in the Assam Accord following large scale violence. For a person who was born after the cut off date, the NRC process listed eight documents to establish a parental link. These were birth certificate, land document, board/university certificate, bank/LIC/post office records, circle officer/gram panchayat secretary certificate in case of married women, electoral roll or ration card, any other legally acceptable document. However, the validity of gram panchayat secretary certificates was challenged in Indian Supreme Court, which ruled that panchayat certificates should be allowed to use as identity document for inclusion in the NCR. In Sakinas case, her citizenship claim remains doubtful even after submitting documentary proof. Following the tedious NRC update practice, many remain oblivious why their application was rejected. The NRC officials are yet to start supplying rejection certificates, which may include reason/s why an individuals name was not included in the NRC. Contrasting Stance Vicky Sarkar, a resident of another village of Darrang (name changed) also hoped to perform Umrah (Hajj pilgrimage is fixed to the last month of Islamic calendar and is obligatory, but Umrah is performed any time of the year and is non obligatory). He had applied for a passport with the intent to perform Umrah, but like many, his application is pending as he could not make it to the NRC. Almost all our family members have been included in the NRC. But somehow my name did not feature in the (NRC) list, says Vicky. He says that his family is one of the oldest families living in the village and he fails to understand how his name was left out. He is currently waiting to get his passport as police are not sending verification report. There are two ways of getting a passport in India- Tatkal application and general application. In Tatkal, police verification report is required later to make the passport valid while in general application, the local police station sends its verification report to the Superintendent of Police (SP) office. Much later, according to the process in Assam, the Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) of the border branch sends the clear verification report to the concerned Passport issuing office after verifying the individuals documents in person. As visible from the plight of Sakina Khatun and Vicky Sarkar, obtaining a passport has become an even more arduous task after the publication of NRC. Not far from the village in the same district is 35-year-old Samiran (name changed) who had run from pillar to post before giving up her hope of obtaining a passport. She had applied for a passport in July last year and had gone for the police verification by producing her documents. She had been told that Police verification had been initiated and a request was sent to SP Office, Darrang and that the passport would be dispatched after a Clear Police Verification Report was received. Samirans passport application status now reads, The applicant would receive an email/SMS once the passport is dispatched. In general, a passport is delivered within 30 days in India but Samiran lost all hopes when the authorities asked whether her name was included in the NRC. Her name is one of the lakhs of names excluded from the final list. On withholding the verification reports, a senior police official who did not wish to be named said, Those people who are not included in the NRC are doubtful citizens. We cannot issue a verification report for them. As of now, we mark their applications as rejected. The official further said that this was a temporary measure and once the government issues any notification (regarding police verification reports), they will act accordingly. However, this rejection of police verification is completely contrasting to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) of the Indian government as the state police remain at a variance with the central governments stand. At present, many people who wished to perform Hajj or Umrah are not even applying for passport as they already have learnt that police is not clearing verification reports of those people who are not included in the NRC. Following the chaos and confusion about the fate of those excluded from the final draft of NRC, the MEA had issued a statement which said, Exclusion from the NRC has no implication on the rights of an individual resident in Assam. For those who are not in the final list will not be detained and will continue to enjoy all the rights as before till they have exhausted all remedies available under the law. The statement also claims that non inclusion in the list does not make the excluded person stateless or a foreigner, within the legal meaning of the term nor would they be deprived of rights or entitlements of a citizen. The MEAs assurance and statement seem to have little implication on the ground as without any official order prohibiting clear police verification report for passport, the state police cannot simply keep rejecting the applications. Denying passport to excluded people (in the NRC) exposes brazen hypocrisy of this government, Guwahati based human rights lawyer Aman Wadud said. He feels that the current government is using NRC to harass its own citizens and stronglycondemned the government and state polices actions on people who could not make it to the NRC calling a gross violation of Fundamental Rights. US President will embark on a two-day visit to India from February 24 during which he will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad to further strengthen the strategic bilateral partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people, the announced on Tuesday. President Trump will be accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump and they will visit India on February 2425, Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham said. She said Trump and Modi talked on the telephone over the weekend. "During a phone call over the weekend, President Trump and Prime Minister Modi agreed the trip would further strengthen the India-US strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people," she said. The President and the First Lady will travel to New Delhi and Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi's home State of Gujarat and played an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement, the said. Trump's predecessor Barack Obama had travelled to India in 2010 and 2015. "President Trump's trip to India is timely in view of the bilateral trade issues that need to be resolved and in light of the collaborations between the US and India in various realms," M R Rangaswami, Indian-American philanthropist and head of Indiaspora, told PTI. Describing it as a significant visit, Mukesh Aghi, president of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum, noted that the last three American presidents had made trips to India. "It's essential to send a message to the region that India is a significant partner and the president values that," Aghi told PTI. India has a role to play not only in its immediate neighbourhood, but in making sure that the South China Sea and the Indo Pacific region is part of the international global order, he said. Trump's visit follows Modi's tour of the US in September, during which he met with the US President in New York on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly. The meeting had come just days after the two leaders attended the mega 'Howdy Modi' rally in Houston which was attended by more than 50,000 Indian-Americans. The two leaders also met in August at the G7 summit held in the French town of Biarritz. Prime Minister Modi, while interacting with the media alongside President Trump, had rejected any scope for third party mediation between India and Pakistan on Kashmir, saying the two countries can discuss and resolve all issues bilaterally and "we don't want to trouble any third country." India trip will be Trump's second overseas this year, after a two-day visit to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum in Davos. On February 3, the Museum of the History and Culture of Mountain Jews opened in the all-Jewish Krasnaya Sloboda (Red Village) settlement in the northeastern Guba region of Azerbaijan, Caspian News writes in the article Historical Museum Opens in Azerbaijans All-Jewish Town. Azerbaijan a country of 10 million, where nearly 97 percent are Muslim spotlights the very best example of the Jewish-Muslim coexistence, as thousands of Mountain Jews have been living there side by side Muslims for centuries. The museum is located in the building of the Karchog synagogue, which was closed during the Soviet years and was restored to its original appearance prior to being introduced as a museum. Russian businessmen and philanthropists of Jewish descent God Nisanov, Zarakh Iliev, and German Zakharyaev all from Krasnaya Sloboda are the initiators and sponsors of the museums launch. The Russia-based Regional Public Charitable Foundation of Mountain Jews STMEGI, which is the largest organization uniting Mountain Jews from all over the world, created the general conception and collected exhibits for the museum. Exhibits that have been donated to the museum by the Jews living in different corners of the world include clothes, jewelry, ritual utensils, manuscripts, books, and ancient household items. Authors of the museum launched a multimedia component inside the building, due to which the exposition acquired a modern high-tech look. The exhibit collection of the museum contains Jewish religious literature, as well as books in the Juhuri, a traditional language spoken by Mountain Jews settled in the eastern Caucasus Mountains, primarily in Azerbaijan and the Dagestan Republic of Russia. Juhuri vocabulary includes Hebrew, Aramaic, and Arabic words. The museum is expected to feature the worlds largest library in this language and a center for the study of the history, traditions, and culture of Mountain Jews, sometime in future. Roots of the settlement of Mountain Jews can be traced from before the 5th century BC. Historical sources identify them as descendants of the Lost Tribes that left Israel after the destruction of the First Temple in 587 BC. Caucasian Mountain Jews, as they are called, have been living in Azerbaijan for around two millennia, since Jews from Persia and possibly the Byzantine Empire were thought to have moved northeastward and settled in the region. In Azerbaijan, the life of Mountain Jews flourished mainly in the town of Red Village the only all-Jewish town outside Israel and the United States. The name of the village comes from red tiles used on many of the roofs. Around 4,000 Mountain Jews settle in this village, which is considered the worlds last surviving shtetl. A shtetl was a small town populated by Jews in Central and Eastern Europe before the Holocaust. The overall number of the Jewish population in Azerbaijan was around 30,000 as of 2016. No negative sentiments like anti-Semitism interrupt the life of Jews in Azerbaijan as they enjoy equal rights with the indigenous population. There are three Jewish synagogues in the Krasnaya Sloboda settlement. While synagogues in Europe, the United States, and Muslim-majority countries around the world are secured like a fortress, such measures are not applied for those in Azerbaijan where armed guards or high-tech security solutions could barely be seen. Anti-Semitism and security for Jews were not of concern to the Jewish community in Azerbaijan, Sheila Gewolb, Senior Vice President of the Board of Deputies and Chair of the International Division of British Jews, said, according to a report by Jewish News. To date, there has not been a single registered case of anti-Semitism in the country. There isnt even a word in Azeri for Jew-hatred. Meanwhile, some believe the newly opened Mountain Jews Museum in the Red Village could contribute to the economic upsurge of the village and surrounding areas. Moses Becker, a leading researcher at the Institute of Law and Human Rights of the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan, says it will help increase the influx of foreign tourists into the region and to Azerbaijan. With the opening of the Museum of Mountain Jews, many more tourists from Israel will come to Azerbaijan. Soon we will see significant progress in the field of tourism cooperation, Becker said. AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Petros PACE Finance, LLC (www.petros-pace.com), the national leader in the Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing marketplace, announced today that it recently completed its seventh privately rated securitization on C-PACE assets from independent credit rating agency DBRS Morningstar. This is the first rating on C-PACE assets under the new and recently released DBRS Morningstar rating methodology. "These ratings are a testament to the strength of our underwriting platform and the growing importance of C-PACE as an asset class," said Petros PACE Finance Co-Founder and CFO Jim Stanislaus. "We are pleased with the new rating methodology for PACE assets from DBRS Morningstar. We are planning for continued exponential growth, so having a highly replicable, efficient process for completing these securitizations is critical." Petros PACE Finance served as its own placement agent on the assets and as its own structuring agent on the rated transaction with DBRS Morningstar, using T-REX's software for the structuring and reporting along with a capital call line from ING. "T-REX is committed to helping innovative firms pioneer complex areas of structured finance like C-PACE," said Scott Miller, CBDO of T-REX. "We're excited to help Petros deliver a clearer picture of opportunities for investors in this new market, as more firms incorporate a sustainability focus into their investing strategy." The executives at Petros PACE Finance have deep expertise in structured finance and also direct relationships with a diverse mix of institutional investors that enables Petros to structure and complete transactions with the highest levels of efficiency. About Petros PACE Finance Petros PACE Finance, LLC is a leading financier of long-term capital for C-PACE. The principals of Petros PACEMansoor Ghori, Jim Stanislaus, and Tommy Deavenporthave executive level expertise in all critical aspects of C-PACE: Commercial lending, structured finance, debt fund management, and direct, long-term institutional investor relationships. Learn more at petros-pace.com. About T-REX T-REX has redefined how markets approach complex investments with a turn-key managed data service and SaaS platform for analytics, reporting and collaboration. With T-REX, market practitioners access a complete suite of tools and data to analyze, assess, and accurately price the risk associated with issuing and investing in alternative and private markets including structured credit and project finance. Learn more at www.trexgroup.com. Contact: Kylie Fitzpatrick 512-599-9042 [email protected] SOURCE Petros PACE Finance, LLC Related Links http://www.petros-pace.com Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 19:39:52|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Civil Affairs has issued a circular demanding community-level childcare workers find and help children whose parents or guardians are not around amid the novel coronavirus outbreak. The information of children whose parents or other guardians are unable to perform guardianship duties due to infection or suspected infection, medical quarantine or busy epidemic control work should be reported, according to the circular. The circular stressed a social assistance scheme to help children in need and streamline approval procedures to offer them prompt aid. Hotlines should also be set up to locate more children in need and offer related services, according to the circular. The United Kingdom might have severed its ties with the European Union (EU), but there is still some time left for people holding the passports of EU member countries to move to and settle in Britain, if they wish so, says a former British Parliamentarian, Keith Vaz. Portuguese citizenship has been a shortcut for entry to Britain for Indian citizens hailing from places like Goa and Daman for some time now, he says. The popular immigration route for Goans and Daman residents is open till December 31, 2020, the cutoff date when Brexit (Britain's exit from EU) will be in force in letter and spirit. The longest serving British Asian MP in the British Parliament, Vaz said about 837,000 British citizens are of Indian origin, making Indians the strongest immigrant community in United Kingdom. ALSO READ: Britain, European Union clash over post-Brexit trade deal; 11 months to strike agreement In an interaction with Business Today during his recent India visit, Vaz said 'there is a mixture of excitement and lot of apprehension' among the British citizens over the possible impact of Brexit. "Businesses are concerned, travelers are concerned, and we have 11 months to complete the transition. The clock is ticking already", he said. According to Vaz, Britain will have to look outside EU for trade engagements and India should be one of the first destinations. He also said his country will have to streamline the Brexit deal to minimise the impact for businesses that have seen Britain as a gateway to European markets. "We have to get back the (trade) access to EU in the next 11 months. We need to ease the process of issuing business visas. Companies should know that their investments are secure," he said. ALSO READ: Brexit: Britain finally says goodbye to Europe, leaves EU leaping into unknown On opportunities in the higher education sector, Vaz said Indian students will benefit from Britain making education more attractive for overseas students. "Allowing students to stay back for another year after completion of their course will make it more attractive," he said. A Labour Party leader, Vaz served as MP for Leicester East from 1987 to 2019. ALSO READ: Businesses see promising India-UK ties ahead after Brexit One of the oldest buildings at University College Cork (UCC) has opened for the first time as a state of the art, one-stop-shop for students following a multi-million euro transformation. The Hub reopens today at UCC following a major conservation and renovation project at the historic 170-year-old Windle building, previously used for training generations of doctors. Construction of the 17.5 million student hub, which extends across five floors, was financed by the European Investment Bank( EIB) which signed a 100m loan agreement with the university in 2016. The Hub will now be a home to a range of student support services, clubs and societies, including the careers service, the disability support service, student well-being, peer support and the student experience office. A new radio station has also been installed in the Hub, while a large multi-purpose event space, the Atrium, makes up the majority of the ground floor. An old anatomy lecture theatre has also been transformed into a 70-seater indoor amphitheatre, while a new public space between the Hub and the UCC QuaD will allow for outdoor events. Two of the main event spaces in the Hub overlooking Cork city have been named after Dr Dora Allman and Dr Lucy E Smith, the first female physicians to graduate from UCC. Dr Dora Allman, the first woman to be appointed as chief medical officer in a mental hospital in Ireland and Great Britain, and Dr Lucy Smith, Corks first female obstetrician and visiting physician to Cork Womens Prison, both graduated from the university in 1898. The building, which is the most energy-efficient on the UCC campus, is fully accessible and includes the first Changing Places facility in Cork. Changing Places facilities are different from standard accessible toilets, providing extra support and additional equipment for those who may need it. UCCs medical building was mentioned in James Joyces seminal 1916 novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as Joyces father studied in the building. Located adjacent to the Boole Library and the historic Quad, it was important for the university to protect the heritage of the Windle building, according to Professor Patrick OShea, UCC president. In respecting our past we have created a new beating heart in our campus. The Hub is designed to benefit generations of our students and our community. By bringing our student services together under one roof, we are improving the student experience, while we hope the Hub with its unique event spaces will be a vibrant addition to the cultural capital of our region. UCC student union president Ben Dunlea said: Student well-being is an absolute priority for us. Key student support services are now going to be based all together in the Hub, which will only improve supports for students." Professor John OHalloran, deputy president and registrar at UCC, said: Designed with formal and informal learning spaces on every level, the Hub will foster collaboration right in the heart of our historic campus, enhancing the delivery of academic services and student learning. O'Donnell+Tuomey were appointed as architects for the Hub. Mark Poland, director of buildings and estates with the firm said: Prime Minister Leo Varadkars Fine Gael party took only 35 of the 160 seats a result likely to topple him from office. Sinn Fein on Tuesday became Irelands second-largest parliamentary party after winning the popular vote in the election at the weekend shattering the political landscape and thrusting the one-time fringe party with historic links to paramilitaries into a probable role in the next government. With counting completed in the early hours of Tuesday Sinn Fein had taken 37 of the 160 seats in the next Dail Irelands lower house of Parliament after a turnout of 62.9 percent in Saturdays election. Centre-right party Fianna Fail was only one ahead on 38, while Prime Minister Leo Varadkars Fine Gael party took 35, a result likely to mean his departure from office. If a new government is to be formed when the Dail sits on 20 February it will have to include multiple parties. Negotiations have already begun, with Sinn Fein arguing for a central role in power after winning 24.5 percent of first preferences in Irelands single transferable vote system the largest of any party. End of duopoly The breakthrough for the nationalist Sinn Fein party that was once shunned because of its links to Irish Republican Army (IRA) paramilitaries, has broken the stranglehold of two-party politics in Ireland. Former leader Gerry Adams and other party representatives were even banned from television and radio in the United Kingdom as violence raged over British rule in Northern Ireland over 30 years to 1998. But with two decades of peace and a new leader under Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Feins left-wing policies on tackling crises in housing and health found favour with voters. Proud to lead. On this day two years ago I was Elected President of @sinnfeinireland This weekend we made history all of us, together. pic.twitter.com/CWVxZkhLBG Mary Lou McDonald (@MaryLouMcDonald) February 10, 2020 McDonald said the two main parties Fine Gael and Fianna Fail were in a state of denial and had not listened to the voice of the people. On a walkabout in Dublin on Monday she said she had begun talks with smaller left-wing parties to try to test whether it was possible to form a government without the two centre-right parties. I may well be the next taoiseach (prime minister), she said before chatting to supporters and market traders. Sinn Fein won the election, we won the popular vote Im very clear that people who came out and voted for Sinn Fein have voted for Sinn Fein to be in government, she added. Varadkar acknowledged the shift to a three-party system on Sunday and said talks between the parties could be protracted and difficult. His Fine Gael party took 20.9 percent, while rivals Fianna Fail took 22.2 percent. The Irish political system has to react to it and probably accept that Sinn Fein will be part of the next government, Eoin OMalley, associate professor at Dublin City University, told AFP news agency. Appeal to young Tuesdays result was all the more striking because Sinn Fein ran with just 42 candidates. Analysts suggest the party may have been taken by surprise by its surge in popularity, and would probably have emerged as the largest party if it had put forward a larger slate. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have ruled out any deal with Sinn Fein because of its past associations under Adams, who has long denied allegations he had a leadership role in the IRA. The armed group fought a decades-long campaign against unionist counterparts and British security forces in Northern Ireland that saw more than 3,000 killed on all sides. McDonalds policies on tackling wealth inequality and housing shortages appear to have appealed to younger voters among the European Union member states 3.3 million-strong electorate. Some 32 percent of voters aged 18-24 and 25-34 backed the party, according to an exit poll on Saturday. In a sign of the sea change in Irish politics, Varadkar himself was beaten to the first seat in his constituency by a Sinn Fein candidate on Sunday. He took the second of four seats but it was a sharp blow on a long night for a man facing the electorate for the first time as prime minister. Varadkar young, openly gay and mixed-race has been seen as the face of a new, more progressive Ireland after referendums overturning strict abortion laws and same-sex marriage. World history will record that the period between the 7th of January and the 7th of February 2020 will be among the most consequential 31 days in the past 25 years. In the United States this same period will also be remembered for the first stages of the precipitous downfall of the Democratic Party and the vindication of Donald Trump and his America First doctrine. In China on the 7th of January the authorities announced they had identified a new virus, according to the WHO. The novel virus was named 2019-nCoV and was identified as belonging to the coronavirus family. By the 7th of February the virus had spread to all 31 provinces of mainland China and a Level1 medical emergency was declared in 30 provinces. All inter-province bus and train service was cancelled in 20 provinces. 50 million people in various cities were subject to strict quarantine. All 70,000 movie theaters throughout the country were closed as were a majority of the schools. Many factories are temporarily shuttered, and air travel greatly curtailed. The Bank of China provided $250 Billion in liquidity in order to avoid the potential collapse of the countrys financial system. By the 7th of February, per the now very suspect official government statistics, there were 34,600 confirmed cases and 723 deaths. However, the leadership of the country has effectively admitted they have no idea of how many cases there are or how to stem the spread as unrest and anxiety spread. China, already experiencing a recession, is now facing a potential implosion as their ability to be the worlds major supplier of manufactured goods is seriously in question. Due to the governments incompetence, mismanagement of this and previous epidemics, and a looming financial crisis, companies throughout the globe that have manufacturing operations in China or are dependent on Chinese production of component parts are now feverishly looking to relocate to other nations. Because of Chinese ineptitude and lack of candor, the prospect of a global recession has dramatically increased. In only 31 days, Chinas path forward has forever been compromised as their grandiose plans for world domination have suffered a major and permanent setback. On the 31st of January the United Kingdom officially exited the European Union. A thirty-year experiment that is now doomed to completely unravel as more member nations will gradually opt to leave the ill-fated attempt to unite 28 nations with different cultures, histories and languages into one de facto entity administered by a central government. This fracture will cause Europe, and in particular France and Germany, to have to confront the consequences of self-destructive immigration, economic and social policies as a more splintered and discontented continent faces recession and social unrest. President Trump alongside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel unveiled a new Middle East peace plan on the 20th of January. There have been many peace plans floated over the past 60 years, however, this is the first proposal by either the United States or Israel to be well received and tacitly supported by various Arab states. As Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, major allies and financial backers of the Palestinians, welcomed the Trump peace plan. Thus, opening the door for the eventual resolution of decades old animosity and conflict. In the United States the Impeachment trial of Donald Trump began on the 16th of January. For the first time in American history impeachment articles were passed on a purely partisan basis, alleging no high crimes or misdemeanors. During the trial in the Senate, the nation saw that the Impeachment was animated by political motives and had no basis in any of the so-called facts presented by the Democrats in the House. In the shortest presidential impeachment trial in American history (two and a half weeks) Donald Trump was acquitted on the 5th of February. By comparison the trial of Andrew Johnson took ten weeks and Bill Clinton four and a half weeks. The Democrats not only exposed their puerile demeanor and breathtaking animosity towards President Trump but in forcing a trial in the Senate they have forever marginalized and rendered almost meaningless the Constitution and the impeachment process. On the 4th of February as the nation watched the State of the Union speech, the Democrats puerile demeanor and breathtaking animosity was further on display. Nancy Pelosis actions, as well as that of nearly all congressional Democrats, exposed the stark contrast between them and Donald Trump. He was the adult in the room getting things done while having to deal with a gaggle of unruly and petulant adolescents. On Monday, the 3rd of February, the Democrats caucuses took place in Iowa. It became quickly obvious that the party hierarchy was determined to make certain that Bernie Sanders not emerge victorious with the wind at his back going into the next few primaries. Thus, the long drawn out counting process that extended until the 6th of February and mitigated any positive momentum for Sanders while revealing to the nation that the Democrat Establishment is corrupt and self-serving. Sanders unabashedly professes to be a socialist while virtually all the other potential nominees try to obfuscate their allegiance to socialist dogma and authoritarianism, as exposed in the presidential debate on the 7th of February. Additionally, it has become increasingly apparent to the American people that none of these candidates are likeable or electable. Over these four-plus weeks two realities about the Democratic Party came into focus. It is now the socialist party of America and its elected and administrative hierarchy is incapable of governing the nation. On the 7th of January, Donald Trumps approval rating stood at 42% -- on the 7th of February 49%, the highest of his presidency. Further, in a February 3rd Gallup Poll, 63% of adults approved of Trumps handling of the economy and 74% of the American people believe they will be better off a year from now. Combine these factors with the ongoing implosion of the Democrat Party and Donald Trump is poised to win re-election and work with a Republican majority in both Houses. These 31 days in the winter of 2020 have highlighted: 1) The vulnerability and potential downfall of Americas chief global adversary. 2) The looming evaporation of the facade that is supposed harmony and good governance among the nations in Europe. 3) The extraordinary probability of a permanent peace agreement between Israel and the Palestinians. 4) The realization that Donald Trump, because of his profoundly successful America First policies, he, and not the statist and self-serving Democrat Party, is the nations best option. Graphic credit: Pixabay Cynical South Africans are unlikely to be moved by Ramaphosas next big speech The challenge to deliver a persuasive speech comes firstly in the context of intense doubts as to whether President Ramaphosa is truly in charge of the ANC. The spotlight will be firmly on South African President Cyril Ramaphosa as he runs the gauntlet of delivering the annual state of the nation address on behalf of the governing party, African National Congress (ANC), and his government on Thursday. This years speech is light-years removed from the promise of a new beginning he offered in his first state of the nation address in February 2018. This was delivered soon after he took over from Jacob Zuma. The hope then was that constructive new policy initiatives and definitive repair of damaged state institutions would emerge. In contrast, all indications are that South Africas political and financial landscape is parched. Yet it is Ramaphosas job in the state of the nation address to highlight the silver linings. It is, after all, a pre-election year. South Africans go to the polls to elect new local government in 2021. Ramaphosa will undermine his own prospects as well as those of the ANC if he and the governing party cannot create reasons for voters to keep on believing that the ANC is able to bring change. This wont be easy given the odds are stacked against the government having what it takes to fix South Africas problems. There is growing cynicism among citizens and good reason for the despondence. Many of the countrys problems have become intractable: political and economic conditions in the country remain stark. And the areas of action and hope identified last year have not responded favourably to the promises that were made and plans that were announced. In fact, there has been regress. Despite this, the president needs to present new approaches and put a fresh spin on the ANCs stabs at stubborn problems. He needs to offer assurances that the core problems are being addressed on a scale that will make an actual difference. The list The set of interrelated issues that beg to be addressed definitively in this years speech, Ramaphosas fourth, include: poor economic growth that is draining jobs instead of creating new opportunities, a handful of state-owned enterprises that continue to bleed the fiscus and sabotage the economy, Unacceptably high levels of crime, femicide and general lawlessness, An expansive civil service that eats up at least 35% of the national budget, an energy crisis thats demoralising the citizenry and sapping business confidence, and concerns that land reform proceeds haphazardly, torn between possible lapses in constitutionalism and an executive that wants to score political points - while many citizens remain deprived. This set of problems, as a minimum, need definitive announcements that will show that the ANC government is capable of extracting South Africa from the quagmire. Ramaphosa and his government need to reallocate funds to make the necessary interventions work, and ensure improved state efficiency and effectiveness. It is a tall order. But who is in charge? The challenge to deliver a persuasive speech comes firstly in the context of intense doubts as to whether Ramaphosa is truly in charge of the ANC. Or who else is, if hes not. ANC secretary general Ace Magashule and his faction, acting as the actual political opposition, has only got a fraction of the popular support that Ramaphosa has. Despite agitation against Ramaphosa within the ANC, he remains the pull factor that brings the party more popular support than it would have without him. He helps the ANC retain its dominance. Read more: Public approval is Ramaphosa's only defence against his enemies in the ANC But this may not last. His acrimonious legal fight with the countrys Public Protector Busisiwe Mkhwebane could very well dent this. The ANCs factionally indulgent policy wars, whether on land reform, or stake-holding and mandate of the SA Reserve Bank, also advance the perceptions of ANC weakness and leadership indecisiveness. Major surprises during the state of the nation address have also been minimised by the fact that the ANC has been through a thorough internal process to identify key policy areas, and what it wants to focus on. This process started on January 8 when Ramaphosa delivered the ANCs annual anniversary statement. It highlighted the priorities of the ANC-in-government for 2020. This was followed by a meeting of the ANCs national executive committee, the partys highest decision-making body in between its five-yearly national conferences. Speaking on the outcome Ramaphosa assured South Africa that the party deliberations had forged a clear and concrete programme to address the challenges the nation faces. He admitted that the ANC had fallen short in implementing its policies and had devised realistic measures to address these. The next step in the process was the adoption of a set of proposals by the ANCs national executive lekgotla. This annual gathering precedes the cabinet lekgotla and informs the agenda of the government for the year ahead. The plans that emerged were recognisable from previous plans. These included the proposal to rationalise state-owned enterprises. For example, the unbundling of Eskom, the troubled power utility, seemed to gain momentum from the national executive committee and lekgotla deliberations. What exactly the outcome will be remains unclear, however, as the labour federation Cosatu, has tabled its own plan. This is against unbundling Eskom. Cosatu is the ANCs governing alliance partner, along with the South African Communist Party. Its proposal for the power utility appears to be gaining momentum. Further signs that the ANC is still not singing from one hymn book came days earlier when Gwede Mantashe, the Minister of Minerals and Energy and in the top leadership of the ANC, floated the idea broadly of establishing a new government-owned electricity company and permitting businesses to generate power. All this points to the fact that energy can be expected to be one of the state of the nation address pivots. Limited options Ramaphosas state of the nation address options are limited. Shrinking numbers of South Africans believe the ANC has solutions that would justify trust in the government. A small way out for the ANC in 2020 going into 2021 will be to ensure that civil servants remain in their jobs. That will go a long way to ensuring that Cosatu remains a loyal governing alliance partner. Another way out for governing party is to make sure that the social grant system, which benefits 17 millions South Africans, remains lubricated and that Eskom keeps the lights on. But given the enormity of what needs to be done, and what Ramaphosa can actually achieve, the state of the nation address is unlikely to confound the cynics. Susan Booysen, Research director at Mapungubwe Institute for Strategic Reflection (Mistra), Visiting Professor and Professor Emeritus, University of the Witwatersrand. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. Opposition leaders on Tuesday hailed the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party's(AAP) landslide win in the Delhi assembly polls as a defeat of the of polarisation and hate and a victory of inclusive politics, and said "winds of change" are blowing in the country. With Kejriwal set to become the chief minister of Delhi for the third straight term, leaders of non-BJP parties cutting across party lines said the poll outcome showed that elections can be fought and won on the development plank. There was also a call for all regional parties to come together to keep the BJP out of power. Key BJP ally and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar side-stepped queries on the drubbing received by his party JD(U), the BJP and the LJP but made a terse comment "Janta malik hai" (will of the people is supreme). West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who was among the first leaders to congratulate Kejrwial, said the Delhi polls have proven that only development will work. "I have congratulated Arvind Kejriwal. People have rejected BJP. Only development will work, CAA, NRC and NPR will be rejected." the TMC supremo told reporters in Kolkata, amid the protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act(CAA), National Register of Citizens(NRC) and National Population Register(NPR). NCP supremo Sharad Pawar utilised the AAP's sweeping win to stress that regional parties need to come together to keep the BJP out of power. "The Delhi poll results indicate 'winds of change' are blowing in the country. The results are not surprising to me," Pawar told reporters in Pune. "The BJP, as usual, played the communal card to polarise votes, but failed," he said. After winning the Patparganj seat in a close contest, AAP senior leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the BJP of indulging in the of hate. "We indulge in of development not politics of hate," he told reporters. Even as Congress failed to open its account in this election, its senior leader P Chidambaram congratulated the AAP and said it had defeated the divisive politics of the BJP. "AAP won, bluff and bluster lost. The people of Delhi, who are from all parts of India, have defeated the polarising, divisive and dangerous agenda of the BJP. I salute the people of Delhi who have set an example to other states that will hold their elections in 2021 and 2022." Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray congratulated the AAP and the people of Delhi and said, "People have shown that the country will be run by 'Jan Ki Baat', not 'Mann Ki Baat'. BJP called Kejriwal a terrorist but couldn't defeat him," he said. "Development agenda has won, I congratulate Arvind Kejriwal. The Delhi polls have become bipolar, there was nothing for Congress in these polls," Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said. Samajwadi Party(SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav said the poll outcome showed that Indians were both "socially liberal and politically intelligent". "Most Indians are still socially liberal and politically intelligent and are against those that drag religion, which is such a personal issue into politics, for political gains. "It is also an auspicious sign and healthy message for the peace and development of the country," the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister tweeted. CPI-M veteran and Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan hailed Kejriwal's win as a victory for inclusive politics. "Congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal and @AamAadmiParty on a resounding victory in Delhi elections. Let this victory be a harbinger for pro-people and inclusive politics in our country," Vijayan said in a tweet. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said Delhi has given a befitting reply to the BJP's "politics of hate and violence." "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal @AamAadmiParty and the people of Delhi who have given a befitting reply to BJP's politics of hate and violence. Union ministers called for 'gaalis' and 'golis'. People have given their answer," Yechury said in a tweet. CPI General Secretary D. Raja congratulated Kejriwal on phone. DMK chief MK Stalin said the victory is an indication that "development trumps communal politics." "Federal rights and regional aspirations must be strengthened in the interest of our country," he said. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav said the victory marks the defeat of "politics of polarisation". "Congratulations @ArvindKejriwal ji & Delhi! You have defeated negative & blatant hate politics decisively. Your verdict marks the defeat of politics of polarisation and division. I sincerely hope BJP takes a cue from this result and shuns communalism & bigotry once for all," he said. Calling Kejriwal as a leader who heralded development, former Karnataka Chief Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said people have taught a lesson for labelling him a "terrorist" and also upheld the necessity of a regional party. "Heartfelt congratulations to @ArvindKejriwal @AamAadmiParty. People of Delhi have showed that "fascist ideology" will never win their hearts. "Congratulations to AAP and voters of Delhi for testifying that successful politics with development as criteria (to win polls), amidst money and muscle power," Kumaraswamy tweeted. TMC workers joined AAP supporters in various parts of West Bengal to celebrate the victory. AAP supporters carrying party flags and posters were seen distributing sweets at various places in Kolkata to celebrate the party's win. TMC cadres were seen bursting crackers and distributing sweets along with AAP supporters in different areas of the state. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) CFB TRENTON, Ont. - It's the little luxuries that make all the difference to Myriam Larouche. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 10/2/2020 (700 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. CFB TRENTON, Ont. - It's the little luxuries that make all the difference to Myriam Larouche. Back in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the Canadian graduate student said she felt trapped in her dorm room. The TV served as one of her only windows into the outside world, said Larouche, and even then, she struggled to make sense of the local news because she doesn't speak much Mandarin. By comparison, Larouche said life under quarantine at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in southern Ontario is not too shabby. Myriam Larouche takes a selfie while out for some fresh air at Yukon Lodge, at Canadian Forces Base Trenton, Ont. on Monday, Feb. 10, 2020 in this handout photo. (Myriam Larouche / The Canadian Press) Larouche is among 213 Canadians who were flown in Friday from Wuhan, the Chinese epicentre of the novel coronavirus outbreak, to undergo two weeks of quarantine at the army base. Since settling in late last week, Larouche said she's been enjoying the comforts of home, from English-language TV news she plays on a loop, to the freedom to roam the base and fraternize with fellow evacuees from a medically prescribed two-metre distance. "It kind of feels like summer camp," the 25-year-old from L'Ascension, Que., said Monday. "Everybody's so happy to help us, to see us safe and relieved and free. That makes all the difference." Room 107, one example of the rooms at the Yukon Lodge that will be used as temporary housing during Operation GLOBE is shown at CFB Trenton, Ont. The Yukon Lodge is a motel with 290 guest rooms normally reserved for military personnel and their families, as well others visiting the base. (MCpl Jennifer Kusche, 8 Wing Imaging Trenton / The Canadian Press) None of the evacuees at CFB Trenton have shown symptoms of the virus, a Health Canada spokeswoman said Monday. Larouche said her private room at Yukon Lodge, a motel on the base, comes with your standard amenities two beds, a fridge, a microwave, a TV and an ensuite bathroom. Meals are delivered straight to her door, she said. For lunch Monday, she was served chicken with vegetables and rice, as well as a smattering of snacks. Housekeeping is perhaps more thorough than your average inn, she said, with cleaners coming in regularly to "sanitize" her room. She said health workers visit her twice a day to check her for symptoms of the new coronavirus. Larouche keeps herself busy by catching up on homework, chatting on the phone with friends or going outside to get some fresh air. The company of other Canadians staying at the base has been a welcome relief from the isolation she felt waiting in Wuhan, said Larouche. And despite coming from different backgrounds, she said the evacuees have bonded through their shared circumstances. "Even though we've never met, or we don't know each other, we still can talk and have good conversations because we all left the same thing," said Larouche. "We all share the same feelings right now. We all know what everybody's been through. It makes things easier to understand." A Canadian Forces member walks past a tent set up on the grounds of the Yukon Lodge. (Justin Tang / The Canadian Press) On Monday, a second Canadian plane left Hubei Province in China carrying the last group of Canadians who want to be repatriated, said Foreign Affairs Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne. Champagne said there was room for about 200 passengers aboard the flight from Wuhan. However, the latest batch of evacuees may not receive the same modern accommodations that Larouche reviewed so favourably. 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. Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said some of the new arrivals will be lodged in Hastings Hall, a historic building typically used as officers' quarters that was built in 1934. Each room has its own sink but washrooms are shared and will need to be cleaned frequently to make sure quarantine protocols are followed, Tam said. Passengers step off a plane carrying Canadians back from the Wuhan province in China, after it arrived at Canadian Forces Base Trenton in Trenton, Ont., on Friday. (Lars Hagberg / The Canadian Press) Public health officials and Canadian Forces personnel are working to install wireless internet to make their stay more comfortable. About 11 million people are currently under quarantine in Wuhan, where the new coronavirus is believed to have originated. Health authorities have documented seven confirmed cases in Canada of the illness, known as 2019-nCoV. There have been more than 40,000 cases reported in mainland China, with a death toll of 908. (Newser) The Philippines notified the United States on Tuesday it intends to end a major security pact allowing American forces to train in the country. Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said in a tweet Manilas notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement was received by the deputy chief of mission at the US Embassy in Manila. He refused to provide other details on the drastic step "as a diplomatic courtesy." Locsin signed the notice on orders of President Rodrigo Duterte, who has often criticized US security policies while praising those of China and Russia despite the Philippine militarys close historic ties with its American counterpart, the AP reports. story continues below In a hearing last week, Locsin warned that abrogating the security accord with Washington would undermine Philippine security and foster Chinese aggression in the disputed South China Sea. Terminating the agreement would affect more than 300 joint exercises and other activities this year with US forces, "which the Philippine military and law enforcement agencies need to enhance their capabilities in countering threats to national security, Locsin told lawmakers. Duterte threatened to terminate the security agreement after Washington reportedly canceled the US visa of a loyal ally, Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who was linked to human rights violations when he first enforced the presidents deadly anti-drug crackdown as the national police chief in 2016. (Read more Philippines stories.) In a world of rising fear and uncertainty one thing is crystal clear: for the Australian economy to live the Morrison government's surplus hopes must die. Our economy is sick and needs help, and it needs it now. Money needs to be spent to fix it fast. For the next three years the deficit doesnt matter - saving the economy does. Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg face a stark choice. Credit:Lukas Coch It might not be reflected in the sharemarket or talked about in cabinet, but the state of our economy and the fragility of consumer confidence should scare you witless. The people whose judgment I rely on dont think coronavirus is the next bubonic plague; to them it looks more like a very serious flu. However, with a 67 Aussie dollar and a per capita recession well in progress, the idea that our "economy is robust" is laughable. This economy is sick and for it to get out of the intensive care ward it doesnt need retrovirals and oxygen, it needs money and heaps of it. Two men charged in robberies at two businesses in Bergen County forced a spa employee to strip at gunpoint before stealing cash from her and customers, according to court documents. Christopher Ojeda, 31, of Howell, and Dajan Mindingall, 27, of Eatontown, were arrested in Monmouth County on Feb. 6 and charged with the armed robberies of the Extended Stay Hotel in Rutherford and the Queen Spa in Edgewater, authorities said. The men entered the spa on Route 5 about 12:30 a.m. on Jan. 14, brandished a gun and took about $2,000 from employees and customers, according to an affidavit of probable cause obtained by NJ Advance Media. During the robbery, the suspects forced a female spa worker into a room at gunpoint, held her there for a substantial period and attempted to sexually assault her, authorities said. The robbery was captured on surveillance video and the suspects were identified by victims, authorities said. Phone records also implicated the men in the crimes, authorities said. Details of the Extended Stay robbery were not contained in the complaints and prosecutors on Tuesday did not immediately release those documents. Ojeda and Mindingall are charged with robbery, kidnapping, attempted aggravated sexual assault and weapons offenses and held at the Bergen County Jail pending a court appearance on Wednesday. They are suspects in similar robberies that have occurred throughout the state, investigators said. Anthony G. Attrino may be reached at tattrino@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyAttrino. Find NJ.com on Facebook. Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.coms newsletters. WASHINGTON Michael Bloomberg is under fire for resurfaced comments in which the Democratic presidential candidate says the way to bring down murder rates is to put a lot of cops in minority neighborhoods because thats where all the crime is. The billionaire and former New York City mayor made the comments at a 2015 appearance at the Aspen Institute, as part of an overall defense of his support for the controversial stop and frisk policing tactic that has been found to disproportionately affect minorities. Bloomberg launched his presidential bid late last year with an apology for his support for the policy. Hes taking an unconventional approach to the campaign, bypassing the traditional early states and gaining attention by flooding the airwaves with hundreds of millions of dollars in ads. Hes spent recent days courting black voters whose support will be crucial to winning the Democratic nomination and will begin a campaign swing through the South on Wednesday. Seeking to blunt any political fallout from the comments, Bloomberg said Tuesday the remarks do not reflect my commitment to criminal justice reform and racial equity. NORRISTOWN For what prosecutors called crimes of violence and greed, a Philadelphia man faces more than two decades in prison for his role in two armed robberies and an attempted kidnapping at a Norristown used car dealership. Damon Robert Murphy, 33, of the 2100 block of North 32nd Street, Philadelphia, was sentenced in Montgomery County Court to 28 to 56 years in state prison after he pleaded guilty to charges of corrupt organizations, robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, attempted kidnapping and aggravated assault in connection with incidents that occurred between April and July 2018 at the El Camino Motors used car dealership in the 700 block of East Main Street in Norristown. He is at the center of this corrupt organization. This is a crime of violence and greed, motivated by a desire to steal money, said county Assistant District Attorney Matthew Brittenburg, who along with co-prosecutor Roderick Fancher argued for a lengthy prison term against Murphy. The sentence was imposed by Judge Wendy G. Rothstein. You menaced the victim. You also showed no remorse for your actions. I find you pose a continued risk to the public, Rothstein addressed Murphy. Murphy, who was represented by defense lawyer David Lehman, did not address the judge before learning his fate. I want to preserve my rights for an appeal, said Murphy, who tried at the last minute to withdraw his previous guilty plea but was denied by the judge who found it was made knowingly and voluntarily. Murphy was one of five people from Norristown and Philadelphia accused of conspiring in the two armed robberies and attempted kidnapping at the dealership, robberies that netted the culprits nearly $10,000 in cash and numerous vehicle titles. With the charges, authorities alleged the five defendants operated within a corrupt organization that orchestrated two armed robberies. The first armed robbery occurred about 8 p.m. April 30, 2018, and the second occurred about 6:40 p.m. July 18, 2018. Members of the Montgomery County District Attorneys Violent Crime Unit used wiretaps, surveillance footage and cellphone analysis to link the defendants to the crimes. Detective Mark Minzola testified authorities obtained video surveillance from the El Camino dealership and he narrated the events as the video footage was shown to the judge during Murphys sentencing hearing. Murphy, according to the videotape, positioned a sport utility vehicle in front of the dealership during the July 18 robbery, tried to assist others in forcing an employee of the dealership into the vehicle, punched the victim and then drove the suspects from the scene. In a letter to the judge, the victim said he felt utter terror as some of the men pointed guns at him and then tried to force him into the SUV during the unsuccessful kidnap attempt. Another man, Calvin Berkins, 30, of the 200 block of Nassau Place, Norristown, was sentenced on Tuesday to 7 to 14 years in prison for participating in the incident. Several others also pleaded guilty to various charges in connection with one or both incidents. Theophilus Berry, 33, of North 59th Street, Philadelphia, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison. Charlie Franco, 31, of B Street, Philadelphia, was sentenced to 153/4 to 311/2 years in prison. Eric Santana, 36, of Bennington Street, Philadelphia, is awaiting sentencing. Authorities alleged that two unidentified Hispanic women conspired with others during the first robbery in April. Detectives alleged the women utilized the ruse of posing as prospective buyers of a vehicle in order to distract the victim and facilitate the armed robbery. Murphy entered the office and pointed a gun at the victim and went through the victims pockets and stole his wallet and iPhone, detectives alleged. Murphy told the victim not to move or he will kill him, detectives alleged, adding the victim was placed in fear for his life if he failed to comply with their demands. The three alleged actors left the business with $8,000 cash and about 100 vehicle titles before fleeing in a vehicle westbound on East Main Street, detectives alleged. Surveillance video was not available at the time of the April robbery, testimony revealed. The same victim was targeted during the second robbery and kidnapping attempt in July. The victim told detectives three males entered the business, including two who pointed guns at him and ordered him to give them his money, detectives alleged. The two armed males forced the victim to his office, ordered him to open drawers and stole about $1,200 in cash, according to court documents. The three men later walked the victim outside at gunpoint and tried to force him into a waiting 2018 Ford Explorer. However, the victim resisted and while he was punched by some of the actors, he was able to run away and all three robbers fled in the Explorer, which also was occupied by two other people, detectives alleged. Video surveillance footage from the dealership helped detectives identify Franco, Santana and Berry, right down to the tattoos they sported on their bodies, as the three males who entered the business. Prosecutors alleged Murphy and Berkins were waiting in the SUV outside the business. Franco and Santana were arrested in Philadelphia on July 24. A sixth man, Michael Dukes, 28, of the 1400 block of Arch Street, Norristown, was sentenced to 6 to 12 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to victim intimidation and a weapons offense. Detectives alleged Dukes contacted the victim and tried to convince the victim to go to a preliminary hearing for Santana and Franco and lie about the robbery and attempted kidnapping. An armed Dukes was taken into custody on Aug. 1 when he went to El Camino to meet with the victim, detectives wrote in court papers. Authorities alleged Berkins was parked near the dealership and was communicating with Dukes, including sending a text message stating, We need something today, while Dukes was trying to intimidate the victim to lie in court. When Berkins viewed police move in to arrest Dukes he fled from the area at a high rate of speed in a vehicle, detectives alleged. After his arrest, Dukes allegedly told detectives that prior to the July 18 robbery he had been sent by others to scout the dealership to ascertain when the victim was arriving and departing El Camino Motors. 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. (Newser) China's daily death toll from a new virus has topped 100 for the first time, with more than 1,000 total deaths recorded, the health ministry announced Tuesday. The spread of the contagion shows little sign of abating, the AP reports. Though more offices and stores in China have reopened after the Lunar New Year break, many people appear to be staying home. Health authorities are watching to see whether workers' returning to cities and business resuming worsens the spread of the virus. Another 108 deaths were reported over the previous 24 hours, the National Health Commission said. That increased the death toll to 1,016, well beyond that of the 2002-03 outbreak of SARS, which comes from the same family of coronaviruses as the current pathogen. Newly confirmed cases fell slightly to 2,478 from 3,062 the day before, bringing the total to 42,638 on the mainland; some of those patients have since been released from hospitals. story continues below The outbreak's persistence is dimming optimism that the near-quarantine of some 60 million people and other disease-control measures might be working. Britain, meanwhile, declared the virus a "serious and imminent threat to public health" and said it would forcibly detain infected people if necessary. France tested scores of children and their parents after five British tourists contracted the virus at a ski resort. The director-general of the World Health Organization said that the agency is still unable to predict where the outbreak is heading but that he believes there is still an opportunity to contain it. "In recent days, we have seen some concerning instances of onward transmission from people with no travel history to China, like the cases reported in France yesterday and the UK today," said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. "The detection of the small number of cases could be the spark that becomes a bigger fire, but for now, it's only a spark." (Read more coronavirus stories.) Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Budi Sutrisno (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 17:14 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d6e9d 1 City commuter-line,commuter-trains,Manggarai-railway-station,Kota-Station,bogor,Depok,Bekasi,Cikarang Free Commuter trains operating from Bogor, Depok, Cikarang and Bekasi that are usually bound for Kota Station in West Jakarta are to end their journeys at Manggarai Station in South Jakarta before returning to their respective stations of origin from Feb. 13 to 23. State-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and commuter line operator PT Kereta Commuter Indonesia (KCI) said the measure was necessary because maintenance work was needed on railroad switches at Gambir Station and Kota Station. We need a [temporary] operation pattern to ensure safety and anticipate train queues between Cikini Station and Jakarta Kota Station during the maintenance work, PT KCI spokesperson Anne Purba said in a statement on Tuesday. Read also: Not all trains created equal: Differences between MRT, LRT, Commuter Line She added 45 of a total of 281 commuter train trips from Depok, Bogor, Cikarang and Bekasi to Kota Station and vice versa would be temporarily redirected, while one trip would be suspended. Commuter train services on other routes would operate normally, Anne said. The commuter train operator had coordinated with city-owned bus operator PT Transjakarta to assign more buses to serve routes departing from Manggarai Station that would connect commuters to various Transjakarta corridors. Anne said PT KCI advised all service users to adjust their travel schedules before the operational restrictions start. Updates on commuter trips can be accessed through the operators official Twitter account @commuterline, Instagram @commuterline, Facebook commuterline and call center 021-121. Security forces used water and tear gas cannons on crowd. Protesters want to prevent entry into Parliament, where the vote is scheduled today. The crowd sang slogans and songs, including "no confidence". The army is threatening to crack down on "violations of public and private property". Beirut (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Lebanese security forces used water cannons to disperse the crowd of demonstrators gathered in the capital this morning, who responded by throwing stones. The aim of the protest is to prevent the Prime Minister in charge Hassan Diab and the members of the executive from reaching Parliament, where the vote of confidence is scheduled today. Local sources tell of repeated launches of tear gas, of roads blocked by security and of a cordon of agents patrolling the streets leading to Parliament, in an area that has already been under close surveillance for some time with barricades distributed everywhere. The demonstrators threw stones and rocks in an attempt to unhinge the barricades erected by the military. In recent days, the protesters rejected the new government team proposed by Prime Minister Diab and doubled down on protests, which affect the center of Beirut and several areas of the country. The crowd chanted slogans and songs including "no confidence". People have also raised the accusations of "incompetence and corruption" against a political class that would have lost credibility in the eyes of citizens. The protesters therefore seem willing to promote a hard line, considering the measures adopted so far as insufficient; since the end of October, with the resignation of the then Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Lebanon is without a government that will have to respond to numerous challenges, from the economic crisis to the migrant emergency. On the other hand, the leaders of the Maronite Church express satisfaction with the government program presented in recent days and invite citizens to judge the new government structure by the choices it will make, giving them a chance. In spite of the appeals, the hard core of the protest does not intend to withdraw and announces new battles. This morning a crowd marched through the Martyrs Square, then in the Ring Bridge area and in the suburb of Qantari, trying to remove the concrete blocks that blocked the passage. The security departments responded with water cannons and tear gas, asking appealing for "peaceful" demonstrations and calling on protesters to avoid clashes. This morning the Lebanese army released a note stating that "riots and violations of public and private property distort the [legitimate] requests and do not fall into the category of freedom of expression". A warning that, at the moment, seems to fall on deaf ears. 3 1 of 3 Google/Google Street View / Contributed Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Google/Google Street View / Contributed Show More Show Less 3 of 3 BRIDGEPORT A fire at a Stratford Avenue apartment building displaced multiple residents and pets Tuesday afternoon, but no one was injured. Bridgeport Deputy Fire Chief James Buck said there was a report of a fire at 1873 Stratford Ave. the address of The Stratford apartment building came in at 1:21 p.m. (Photo : China Daily via REUTERS) A person riding a shared bicycle is seen outside a closed Apple store near the West Lake in Hangzhou after the city imposed new measures to prevent and control the new coronavirus, in Zhejiang province, China February 4, 2020. Apple has been fined 25 million ($27 million) for deliberately slowing down older iPhone models without informing its users. The fine was imposed by France's Directorate-General for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention (DGCCRF) after a two-year investigation. The French consumer watchdog said the tech giant failed to warn the buyers of the risk that older phones would slow down. DGCCRF said that reverting back to the previous iOS is "impossible" once the software update had been carried out. Apple had 'deceptive marketing practice,' says DGCRF According to DGCCRF, the Paris Prosecutor's Office investigated the complaint of an association against Apple on January 5, 2018. The French consumer watchdog has discovered that iPhone owners had not been informed that upgrading Apple's operating system (iOS 10.2.1 and 11.2) would slow down the operation of their device. DGCRF said Apple "devoted the crime of misleading commercial practice through omission." Apple had agreed to pay the satisfactory, according to the consumer watchdog. As a part of the agreement, Apple must display a note on its French-language website for a month. The tech giant added that it had resolved the problem with the DGCCRF. Why does Apple creeping down old iPhones? Many clients had long suspected that Apple slowed down older iPhones to encourage human beings to upgrade when a new one changed into released. It stated the lithium-ion batteries in the devices became less capable of imparting demands, as it grows older over time. That could result in an iPhone shutting down all at once to shield its digital components. Apple confirmed in 2017 that it did slow down several iPhones. The tech giant explained it only made such a move to "lengthen the life" of the devices. "Our goal [is always to create] secure products appreciated by clients. Making iPhones that last as long as possible is an important [part] of that," Apple told ZDNet, a business technology news website. Hence, Apple launched a software update for the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, and iPhone SE. The company claimed that the upgrade "smoothed out" battery performance. The practice was confirmed after a purchaser shared overall performance assessments on Reddit. The commenter suggested their iPhone 6S had slowed down drastically as it had aged. The iPhone had abruptly speeded up again after the battery have been replaced, the commenter added. ALSO READ: Apple Will Repair Your iPhone 6s Or 6s Plus For Free If It Won't Turn On Does Apple still gradual down older iPhones? Yes. Since Apple showed the practice in 2017, it has carried out it on numerous iPhones, including iPhone X series, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, iPhone SE, and iPhone 6 series. The setting is only enabled while the battery begins to degrade. iOS now offers more transparent data to consumers approximately when performance control has been switched on. ALSO READ: Apple iPhone Keeps Restarting? Here Are Possible Solutions "The effects of performance management on these newer models can be much less noticeable because of their more superior hardware and software program design," Apple said. ALSO READ: Apple Announces iOS 13, iPadOS 13: Is Your iPhone Or iPad Compatible? 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. WASHINGTON East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell started off writing a book about his dad, a former police chief who refused to fix parking tickets. But his tribute quickly morphed to include a behind-the-scenes tale of the third ever impeachment of a U.S. president. The Dublin Democrat says his account of the House investigation, Endgame: Inside the Impeachment of Donald J. Trump, is about 95% written and scheduled to be released by Abrams Presss on April 7 two months after Trumps acquittal. Swalwell, a former presidential candidate, serves on both the House Intelligence and Judiciary committees, which led the investigation into Trump over his conduct in the Ukraine affair. Swalwell said his book will explore the convictions of people who oppose corruption, even when the odds are against them. The Chronicle spoke with him last week, two days after Trumps acquittal in the Senate on impeachment charges of abusing his authority and obstructing a congressional investigation. Here are highlights from the interview, which has been condensed for space purposes and clarity. Q: When did you start writing? A: I have been keeping kind of a journal since joining Congress, and I really wanted to write a tribute to my father, who was a police chief who fought a corrupt mayor in a small town in Iowa (Algona, in the northern of the state) and lost his job for it. I was aided by a lot of Des Moines Register archive materials and other local newspapers that had covered his battle against corruption. I started out writing to just tell that interesting story. And then, with the Russia investigation and then, ultimately, Ukraine, I saw kind of a parallel of a small-town police officer standing up to a mayor, and then, his son is now in Congress and part of an effort to stand up to a corrupt president. I thought this should be a tribute not just to my father, but to the men and women, public servants, who stood up against President Trump, from (former National Security Council adviser) Dr. Fiona Hill, to (former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine) Marie Yovanovitch, to Lt. Col. (Alexander) Vindman, to my colleagues in Congress. We were told that it would not be politically popular to go after Donald Trump on impeachment. Many who were in difficult re-election positions chose to do the right thing anyway. Its a tribute to that as well. Q: Do you have a co-writer or anyone helping you put it together? A: I have an editor, but no, Im the byline. Thats me. I wrote the thrust of it the publisher gave me an editing team to help. Q: Youve said your book will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the Trump investigation. Why do you think its important to document that aspect now? A: Its history, only the third time that a president has been impeached in the House of Representatives, and I think this is the most reprehensible conduct. The story of how we worked together in Congress, especially with multiple committees I was on two of the key committees will be interesting to readers. How we grappled with knowing that the outcome would likely be rigged in the Senate. What do you do to still show the president that he is not above the law? It takes the reader through those decision points. Q: You mentioned your fathers story and how the book draws parallels between that experience and the impeachment process. What about the two stories is similar? A: My father, he stood up to a mayor who wanted him to fix parking tickets, among other corrupt acts. ... My dad (Eric Nelson Swalwell) refused to do it. The mayor publicly told me dad that he would lose his job unless he did. And so my dad lost the job that he loved, and we moved our family from Iowa to California. He would never be a police officer again. The parallel is that I saw a lot of Democrats on our side, who were in tough re-election seats, put aside all the pundits telling them that you would not be re-elected if you did this. They moved on impeachment for the right reasons. And then, the opposite from Republicans, who were most worried about losing their job and put their own job ahead of our country. ... It reminded me of my dad. He didnt flinch when he had to make a choice like that, and neither did my (Democratic) colleagues. Q: Youve been one of the presidents most outspoken critics throughout the impeachment process, from cable news to the committee hearings. Do you worry that your critics will now say youre somehow trying to profit from the experience by publishing a book? A: Im telling a story of courage versus corruption. I think courage is going to win. My critics should look at the evidence the way that Sen. (Mitt) Romney did. He is someone who votes with the president 80% of the time, and still concluded that he acted corruptly. The motivation was to tell a story of courage, chronicle what I saw from a unique position of being on both committees. A news anchor told me recently, You will never work on something more important than this. Im not saying this to insult you. Im sure youll do other interesting things, but youll never work on something more important than this. And that was jolting. It kind of put into perspective the weight of what we were doing. Im proud of the work we did, and I want to tell the stories of courage I saw doing it. Q: Looking back, is there anything Democrats should have done differently that might have changed the impeachment outcome? A: I have thought about that a lot. ...The big decisions, none of them were easy, especially on (former National Security Adviser John) Bolton. Thats one that I know people will continue to ask: Why didnt you pursue this harder in the courts? Frankly, we concluded that chasing him to the courts risked getting a decision after the election the president was trying to rig. We just thought it was too risky to do that. That was one of the biggest ones. But no, I dont (have regrets). Im open, as time goes on, to reevaluate it. But right now, I know a lot of thought went into all of these decisions. We didnt act whimsically or capriciously at all. It was purposeful, and everything we did (was) mindful that history will judge the decisions we made, and (we) wanted them to stand its test. Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner Wolter grew up in River Forest. After graduating from Oak Park and River Forest High School in 1943, she went on to get a bachelors degree from Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, before getting a medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine in 1950. Family members said her plan to become a doctor began when she was in seventh grade. Employees at San Franciscos famed bakery Tartine sent a letter to management Thursday requesting management immediately recognize their right to join a union. On Monday, management finally responded: No. At least, not yet. Tartine workers started organizing almost a year ago to join the International Longshore and Warehouse Union, the same union that Anchor Brewing workers joined last year. They held a rally last week, drawing a large crowd to the Mission District in support. The organizing process begins by collecting signed cards from employees that state they support joining a union. With cards from at least 70% of Tartines more than 200-person workforce at the original Tartine Bakery, restaurant-bakery Tartine Manufactory, Tartine in the Inner Sunset and Tartine in Berkeley, Tartine workers asked management to accept the unionization effort. Since management declined, workers on Monday filed for an election through the National Labor Relations Board. The vote will likely take place in March. Agustin Ramirez, an organizer with the union, said in his experience, the majority of business owners decline to recognize the card process and instead force the election. This was the expected result. Tartine co-founders Elisabeth Prueitt and Chad Robertson and chief operating officer Christopher Jordan responded with a letter that was posted around Tartine locations Monday afternoon. They explained that declining the unions request would ensure Tartine employees have the chance to become more informed about the union and potentially change their minds about joining it after hearing from Prueitt, Robertson and other employees. Several letter signers have told us they felt pressured to sign and never intended that their signing a union card would be used as the equivalent of a binding vote to unionize Tartine before our opinions are shared with you and you are fully informed, they wrote in the letter. They hired a team of consultants to teach everyone who works at Tartine about their legal rights and obligations if employees joined a union. The process will start with town hall meetings at the four participating locations this week. Tartine Bakery barista Pat Thomas, who supports the union, said he agrees its important for Tartine employees to fully understand what joining a union would mean. Thomas and several other workers at Tartine told The Chronicle they want to join a union to fight for better pay, job protections and more consistent scheduling. Many Tartine employees earn minimum wage, and some work two or three jobs due to the high cost of living in the Bay Area. Another motivating factory was Tartines rapid expansion there are now 10 locations across the Bay Area, Los Angeles and South Korea with more in the works which some employees described as evidence of the companys corporatization. Its really losing its San Francisco homegrown vibe, Tartine Manufactory barista Emily Haddad told The Chronicle last week. Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle Prueitt, Robertson and Jordan dont agree with such descriptions. Food Guide Top 25 Restaurants Where to eat in the Bay Area. Find spots near you, create a dining wishlist, and more. This cannot be further from the truth and we want a chance to respond to these mischaracterizations and falsehoods, they wrote. They also stated there has been bullying and misinformation spread online about Tartine, which they described as an example of how the union and its supporters will attempt to tarnish Tartines reputation if they do not get what they want. The restaurant industry is a challenging place to unionize because managers work closely with workers in a tight environment day-to-day, thus having many opportunities to spread an anti-union message, according to Teofilo Reyes, research director at restaurant worker advocacy nonprofit Restaurant Opportunities Centers United. I hope that Tartine and their hired consultants will act in good faith during this process as the ILWU has for 82 years, said Matthew Torres, a barista at Tartine in Berkeley who supports joining the union, via text message. Janelle Bitker is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: janelle.bitker@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @janellebitker BrainCool AB, a Swedish medical device innovator, and a world leader in medical cooling technology for therapeutic hypothermia (brain cooling) and oncology, is pleased to announce that it has completed patient recruitment in the Scandinavian multi-center pivotal trial of 180 patients to investigate the patented Cooral System for prevention of Oral Mucositis (OM), one of the most debilitating side-effects of both standard and high-dose chemotherapeutic oncology treatments. In the United States (U.S.), BrainCool is conducting a De Novo 510 k regulatory process, with the aim of obtaining product and market clearance for the Cooral System in the U.S. by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The De Novo process was introduced by the FDA for instances where a device is novel and there is therefore no suitable predicate device to support a standard 510(k) submission. To qualify for the De Novo pathway, the new device must also present no more than moderate risk. BrainCool has been granted FDA "Expedited Access Pathway" (EAP) status and will be given priority review for the Cooral System. EAP projects address unmet medical needs for life threatening or irreversibly debilitating diseases or conditions that are subject to premarket approval applications (PMA), or are eligible for de novo requests. With full patient recruitment for our pivotal trial, we are opening an important new door in cancer care and treatment. Conclusive validation that cryotherapeutic intervention with the Cooral System can safely and effectively prevent the excruciating side-effects of oral mucositis is not just a major medical milestone, it's actually a matter of life and death." Martin Waleij, CEO BrainCool AB The Cooral System intra-oral cooling device includes a disposable and thermostatically controlled mouthpiece that fills with a hypothermic liquid, which circulates through the system's channels. As the coolant gradually reaches and maintains a consistently controlled temperature, the system reduces blood flow and exposure of tissue to radiation or chemotherapeutic agents, thus preventing adverse mucosal erythema and ulcerative reactions. Details of the clinical study and the expedited access pathway (EAP) The Nordic clinical trial of 180 patients has been selected by the U.S. FDA as part of the De Novo 510 process for obtaining market clearance in the U.S. Patients have been recruited over a period of two years across five important medical centers, including the lead site, Karolinska Universitetsjukhuset in Stockholm, Sweden. Clinical data from the Nordic trial will be applicable for FDA submission. BrainCool is currently working on a module-based application wherein the first two modules contain quality routines for product development and manufacturing. The third and final module will contain clinical data from the completed Pivotal trial and will be submitted as soon as the results are available. Thereafter FDA will review the documentation and decide on a product and market approval. An emotional Thai army chief on Tuesday urged a nation in mourning over a mass shooting "not to blame the army" after a soldier gunned down at least 29 people in a rampage linked to a debt dispute with a senior officer. General Apirat Kongsompong, an arch-royalist more commonly prone to rants against pro-democracy figures, broke down in tears as he apologised during a televised press conference on behalf of the army to the victims of the shooting. The gunman -- Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma -- was shot dead by a commando unit Sunday morning, ending a 17-hour rampage that left 29 dead and scores more wounded. The Thai army has been at pains to portray him as a rogue soldier rather than a product of the army system. Apirat said he would not stand down from his post in charge of an army which has seeped into all aspects of Thai life, from politics and business to conscription, with a mega-billion budget that has surged since the last coup in 2014. "The army is a huge organisation comprising of hundreds of thousands staff... I cannot focus on every subordinate," he said. "There are people who criticise the army, I urge them not to blame the army... because the army is a sacred organisation," adding "blame me - General Apirat." Instead he pledged to open a "special channel" to investigate all future complaints from junior officers about their superiors, blaming the attack on a debt dispute between the gunman and his commanding officer. The gunman "did not receive justice from his commander and his relatives who promised him financial returns", Apirat added, apparently from a commission over the sale of house. Jakrapanth killed his commander and the commander's mother-in-law first as he embarked on an around 17-hour shooting spree. Serving army top brass sit on the boards of state-enterprises, while many declare assets in their millions of dollars despite their meagre soldier's wages. Army Chiefs routinely flip to become civilian prime ministers - often following coups - while barracks are accused of being hives of grey-zone businesses, such as real estate agencies and private security firms. Senior officers often use conscripts as effective private butlers in taxpayer-funded grace and favour homes. "I guarantee between February and April there will be many - from generals to colonels - who will be jobless," Apirat said, also promising to throw out retired army officers from government housing. Apirat himself is due to retire in September. Thais have flooded social media with criticism of their leaders for a perceived lack of empathy in the aftermath of the unprecedented mass shooting. Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha was forced into rare public contrition on Sunday after he smiled and high-fived a crowd as he visited Korat, the city where the shooting took place. No member of the kingdom's rich ruling royal family, who are buttressed by the army and protected by a defamation law, has so far visited survivors. burs-apj/ind Royal Thai Army Commander-in-Chief Apirat Kongsompong broke down in tears as he apologised during a televised press conference on behalf of the army to the victims of the shooting Thais have flooded social media with criticism of their leaders for a perceived lack of empathy in the aftermath of the unprecedented mass shooting The gunman -- Sergeant-Major Jakrapanth Thomma -- was shot dead by a commando unit, ending a 17-hour rampage that left 29 dead and scores more wounded Hunt for patients of two coronavirus-hit healthcare workers in UK Officials are working to trace patients of two healthcare workers who are among eight people in the UK to test positive for coronavirus. The pair, who were working in general practice in Brighton, East Sussex, are believed to have been in contact with around a dozen patients. They were two of four new cases announced yesterday, all of whom contracted the virus in France. The patients are now being treated at specialist infection centres at St Thomas' and the Royal Free hospitals in London. It comes as the death toll in China topped 1,000. More snow, ice and winds to blight UK in aftermath of Storm Ciara Snow, ice and more powerful winds are set to blight the UK in the aftermath of Storm Ciara. Five severe weather warnings are in place across today and Wednesday with disruption to travel expected to continue. Some major routes being closed as a result of treacherous conditions after Ciara wreaked havoc across the country at the weekend. Falling ice and snow last night forced the closure of the Queensferry Crossing, with eight cars being damaged. PM expected to give HS2 the go-ahead Boris Johnson is expected to confirm HS2 will go ahead despite concerns over its budget and the environmental impact of construction. The controversial high-speed rail scheme is likely to be discussed at a Cabinet meeting today before the Prime Minister makes a statement on the project. It has been reported that Mr Johnson will give the green light for Phase 1 between London and Birmingham. But he is expected to say more analysis is needed on the cost of the route extending further north to Manchester and Leeds. Couple set for first same-sex marriage in Northern Ireland A Belfast couple are today set to make history as they become the first same-sex pair to get married in Northern Ireland. Robyn Peoples, 26, and Sharni Edwards, 27, will tie the knot at 2pm in the town Carrickfergus. It follows the landmark law change last year championed by the Love Equality campaign. Ahead of her wedding, Ms Peoples said the pair were sending a message to the world that "we are equal". Love Island says goodbye to two more housemates in latest dumping The Love Island villa - which has been looking pretty packed since the Casa Amor twist ended - bid farewell to two housemates in a public vote last night. Rebecca and Jordan packed their bags after it was revealed they received the least support from viewers of the reality show. Speaking after leaving the villa, the duo revealed that they wont be continuing with any romance in the outside world. On this day... 1765: English wig-makers petitioned George III for financial relief as the male fashion of wearing wigs came to an end. 1810: French emperor Napoleon married Marie Louise of Austria, having rejected Josephine because of her inability to fill the royal nursery. 1852: The first flushing lavatory for women opened in Bedford Street, London. 1858: The "Miracle of Lourdes" took place when St Bernadette (peasant girl Bernadette Soubirous) had her first vision of the Virgin Mary. 1929: The 109 acres of the Vatican in Rome was made an independent sovereign state under the Lateran Treaty. 1975: Margaret Thatcher became the first woman leader of a British political party, the Conservatives, at the age of 49. 1990: South Africa's black nationalist leader Nelson Mandela was freed from prison after 27 years. Vijay Deverakonda starrer World Famous Lover is all set to hit the big screen on February 14 i.e. Valentine's Day. The trailer of World Famous Lover has garnered positive reviews and fans are excited to watch the film in theatres. In World Famous Lover, Vijay will be seen romancing with four actresses - Raashi Khanna, Aishwarya Rajesh, Catherine Tresa and Izabelle Leite. Amongst all, Izabelle has recently shared her experience working with Vijay Deverakonda. Speaking about her working experience with Deverakonda, the Brazilian model-actress told The Hindu, "I had read a lot about Arjun Reddy and people were saying it is similar. It isn't actually. It is an incredible script. I am aware that I am doing my first south film with a big star. I was wondering if he would be nice, had a lot of questions in my head. Now I can say that he is the best co-star, he is very patient and helping me with my scenes. Once I got comfortable, it was very easy to work with the team. We would joke on sets and laugh; all that helped a lot." Izabelle further stated that director Kranti Madhav himself helped her while shooting for the film. The 'Purani Jeans' actress said that they shot in France for 30 to 35 days as she plays a French pilot in WFL. Interestingly, the Deverakonda starrer is going to be a special one for the actress. She informed that her mother is coming to Hyderabad to see it. She says it will be an experience for her mother. Coming back to World Famous Lover, the Vijay Deverakonda's film has received a U/A certification with 155 minutes run time. The film will be dubbed in Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam languages as well. San Francisco, Feb 11 : Google human resources chief Eileen Naughton is set to step aside this year amid growing activism of the company's employees. "We're grateful to Eileen for all she's done and look forward to her next chapter at Google," Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai was quoted as saying in a statement by The Verge on Monday. Google has faced a lot of flak over the past year allegedly for firing people for speaking up against unfair practices. Internal activism within Google increased after reports of the company offering multimillion-dollar severance packages to employees accused of engaging in inappropriate sexual relationships. At one point about 20,000 employees staged a walkout. Many employees later alleged that Google resorted to retaliation against those who reported workplace issues. Google, however, maintained that during Naughton's tenure as HR chief, the number of employees at the company grew significantly. "Over the past 13 years, Eileen has made major contributions to the company in numerous areas, from media partnerships, to leading our sales and operations in the UK and Ireland, to leading our People Operations team through a period of significant growth -- during which over 70,000 people started their careers at Google," Pichai said. It is not clear what new role Naughton will take up at Google which is headquartered at Mountain View, California. Naughton says she is simply giving up the HR chief role to be closer to her family in New York City, The Verge reported. - The former president faces charges of crimes against humanity over the conflict that broke out in Darfur region among others - The country's rulers have now agreed to hand over the former president to ICC - This followed peace talks between the government and rebel groups - Bashir was recently sentenced to two years in a social reform facility for corruption Sudans rulers have agreed to hand over former President Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court (ICC) following peace talks between the government and rebel groups. The former president faces charges of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity over the conflict that broke out in the countrys Darfur region in 2003. READ ALSO: 76-year-old Kakamega man rides bicycle for 4 days to attend Mzee Moi's burial READ ALSO: Six inspiring photos of Gideon Moi, late president Daniel Moi's favourite son Bashir was ousted as president in April 2019 after coming to power in a military coup in 1989 and ruled the country with an iron fist. "Justice cannot be achieved if we do not heal the wounds," said a government spokesman, Mohammed Hassan Eltaish. "We agreed that everyone who had arrest warrants issued against them will appear before the ICC. I'm saying it very clearly," he added. READ ALSO: Taita Taveta: Reprieve for residents as DPP takes up police brutality cases The ICC prosecutors in The Hague had requested he stand trial over the Darfur killing that saw around 2.5 million people displaced in the war according to the United Nations (UN). In December 2019, Bashir was sentenced to two years in a social reform facility for corruption. Prosecutors in Sudan have also charged him with the killing of protesters during the demonstrations that led to him being ousted. 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 I want to give away my baby - Esther Kimotho | My Story | Tuko TV Source: TUKO.co.ke Martin The Viper Foley took his case to the highest court in the land Veteran Dublin criminal Martin 'The Viper' Foley has reached the end of the road in his quest to avoid paying a 740,000 tax bill after losing a Supreme Court appeal against the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB). 'The Viper' had previously tried to have the matter relating to a 1990s income tax bill quashed by the Court of Appeal, which ruled against him last November. Foley then lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, the highest court in the land, who came back in favour of the CAB last Friday. In his initial defence against the tax bill, Foley claimed he had been "taken by surprise", and had been left in "an almost impossible situation", saying the CAB had failed to explain why it took 11 years to bring the judgment application. Notorious Foley (66) is one of Ireland's most notorious criminals, has survived four attacks on his life and suffered around 14 bullet wounds. Expand Close Fellow veteran criminal John Gilligan / Facebook Twitter Email Whatsapp Fellow veteran criminal John Gilligan He later set up a debt recovery business called Viper Debt Recovery And Repossession Services Limited, offering his services in collecting debts for clients. He will now have to pay a CAB tax and interest bill, which has ballooned to more than 738,000 for the years 1993/94 and 1999/2000. 'The Viper' was hit with a tax bill of 218,000 for the years 1993/94 and 1999/2000. Foley made payments totalling 40,000, reducing the bill to 178,000. In February 2002, he brought an appeal against the assessment, which was rejected. However, the bill ballooned because of interest and penalties on the unpaid sum over more than 11 years. The Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court have ruled he had "no case" and dismissed his appeals. In its ruling, the Supreme Court judges said it was the court's opinion that the appeal proposed by Foley was "clearly not sustainable". It said Foley could not argue there was a delay in proceedings. It said the proceedings were issued on March 8, 2013, and the motion for judgment followed on September 26 the same year. "Hence, there was no delay which could be relied upon to invoke the court's jurisdiction," the ruling said. Leave to appeal the ruling of the Supreme Court was refused, meaning Foley has reached the end of the road and has nowhere left to go to argue his case. Another veteran criminal, John Gilligan, previously attempted to avoid losing assets by appealing court decisions made against him to the Supreme Court. In battles that took 20 years Gilligan tried to delay and frustrate the CAB in its efforts to seize his properties before he eventually ran out of legal road in 2017. The CAB fought for more than two decades to strip the crime boss of his properties on the basis that they were bought with the proceeds of crime. The decision of the Supreme Court allowed the CAB to seize a bungalow beside the previously seized Jessbrook Equestrian Centre, a former family home in Corduff Avenue in Blanchardstown, Dublin, and another house in Willsbrook View in Lucan, Dublin. The CAB commented at the time that Gilligan's failure to stop it seizing his assets, despite him exhausting every legal avenue available, should send a message to people who earn money through crime that the CAB wins in the end. Albers said the substitute teacher, twice her child's age, groomed her child through confiding personal information through texts and other communications and even providing alcohol. The teacher manipulated Albers' child into going to a friend's house where they would be alone two weeks after high school graduation, she said. The inappropriate relationship was only discovered after Albers found text messages between the two. "I knew something didn't look right," she said. "There was a reason I was looking at (the) phone. It was just too little, too late." Once alerted, Grand Island Public Schools took immediate action, Albers said, notifying the teacher they would no longer be teaching in the district, but it took two years for the state to launch an investigation. Later, law enforcement determined there had been no crime the child was over the age 16, which is the age of consent in Nebraska. Several bills scheduled to go before the Judiciary Committee on Feb. 20 would create criminal offenses for teachers who engage in sexual relationships with students. A four-member team headed by Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) Criminal Investigation Department will probe the blast in which seven persons were injured in Patna, officials said on Tuesday. Seven persons including six members of a family were injured in a blast triggered by a gas leak from the LPG cylinder in a house located in Salimpur Ahra area of Patna town on Monday morning. The ADGP (Headquarters) on Tuesday day issued a directive constituting a four-member committee headed by ADGP (CID) which will probe the blast in depth given the intensity and the damage of the blast, an official release. "A decision has been taken to carry out a probe of the blast by a four member committee headed by ADG(CID). It will give its report on the reasons behind the cause of explosion and the subsequent damage it has done. Besides, it will also cooperate with the district police in the investigation," ADGP (Headquarters), Patna Jitendra Kumar said in a release. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Maybe there are some days at the store you will never forget. Got any specifics? One of the days I remember the most is 9/11. We all sat here with a little TV and just watched. I know that doesnt have anything to do with the flower business, but it was just a day Ill never forget. We were all here together and, although it was so far away, it seemed really close. How much research did you have to do to figure out how much things cost in 1945 to accurately do the throwback price promotion? I didnt have to look too far. I have some tickets from years and years ago with things that people ordered and how much they cost, so actually I didnt have to look anywhere. I know exactly what Dorothy charged for stuff. What do you know about being the owner of a flower store that you didnt know in 1999? I know that even though I own the business, I do not work for myself. I work for every person who calls on the phone or walks to the door. I am here to serve them to make their happy day better or their sad day bearable. Claremore has a nice little downtown that is still preserved. Thoughts? US President Donald Trump does not want another summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un before the Presidential election in November, according to a report. CNN citing two sources familiar with discussions, reported that Trump has told top foreign policy advisers that he does not want another summit with Kim Jong Un before the presidential election. Last month it was reported that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un announced that he is longer bound by his self-imposed moratorium on long-range missile and nuclear tests and said it will soon show off a "new strategic weapon." North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had said that Pyongyang will continue developing strategic weapons unless the United States drops its hostile policy towards the country, state media reported citing Kim's speech at the plenary meeting of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea. North Korean state-run KCNA agency reported that Kim had called for further development of strategic weapons adding that the extent of bolstering of "North Korea's nuclear deterrent would depend on the US attitude. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) WASHINGTON The Justice Department is filing suit against the state of New Jersey and King County, Washington home to the city of Seattle over sanctuary policies that hinder federal immigration officers, Attorney General William Barr said Monday. Barr, speaking to a group of law enforcement officers at the National Sheriffs Association conference in Washington, said law enforcement officers are being put in harm's way by these ideologically driven policies. The lawsuits were the latest effort by the Trump administration to punish localities with sanctuary policies municipalities that offer protections to immigrants in the U.S. illegally as the president heads into his reelection campaign. Today is a significant escalation in the federal governments effort to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities, Barr told the audience to roaring applause. Oregon, though not named in the lawsuits or mentioned in Barrs remarks Monday, has had a sanctuary law since 1987 that forbids local law enforcement from using public resources to find or detain undocumented immigrants not suspected of a crime. Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, released a statement Monday supporting Barrs remarks. I share the Attorney Generals belief that sanctuary status declarations directly contravene federal immigration law and threaten public safety, Williams said. In our country, the Congress makes immigration law and has directed federal authorities to enforce it. The notion that states and other jurisdictions can interfere in the sharing of critical public safety information involving criminal conduct ignores the supremacy of federal law. Williams also announced he would be meeting Tuesday with a large group of law enforcement partners to discuss these new lawsuits and other related issues. Some cities, like New York, have put laws in place that prohibit the sharing of information with immigration officials. Immigration officials have sent subpoenas to Denver and New York City over requests for information on immigrants about to be released from jail, and have petitioned federal courts to enforce the subpoenas, a highly unusual act that could end up with local law enforcement officials held in contempt if they dont comply. In New York, Homeland Security suspended trusted traveler programs that speed their re-entry into the U.S. over a law that prohibits state officials from sharing motor vehicle data with immigration officers. The Justice Departments lawsuit against New Jersey alleges that the state is violating federal law by prohibiting state and local law enforcement from sharing information about inmates who are in the U.S. illegally. The government is also suing King County over a policy that prohibits the Department of Homeland Security from using King County International Airport for deportation flights. The attorney general said the Justice Department would be robustly supporting Homeland Security to use all lawful means, including federal subpoenas, to obtain information about suspects they are seeking to deport. These policies are textbook examples of misguided ideology triumphing over commonsense law enforcement, and it is the public and the police who pay the price, Barr said. Trump has been trying since he took office to punish sanctuary cities. In 2017 Jeff Sessions, then attorney general, said such cities would not receive grant money unless they gave federal immigration authorities access to jails and provide advance notice when someone in the country illegally is about to be released from prison. A federal judge blocked the punishment from being enforced, and the cities got the money. Federal authorities have tried lawsuits before, suing the state of California over its sanctuary law in 2018. A federal appeals court rejected the bulk of the administrations lawsuit, though Barr said Monday he was hopeful the government would win before the Supreme Court. That hasnt stopped Trump from criticizing the policies and noting, in bloody detail, certain cases where immigrants in the U.S. illegally have committed crimes. On Monday, speaking to the nations governors, Trump said that it was essential the country comply with immigration enforcement requests. Jurisdictions that adopt sanctuary policies and instead release these criminals put all of Americans in harm's way, Trump said. I know we have different policies, different feelings, different everything. But sanctuary cities are causing us a tremendous problem in this country. We have stone-cold killers that they dont want to hand over to us and then they escape into communities and they cause, in some cases, tremendous havoc. But studies have shown immigrants are less likely to commit crime than U.S. citizens. Barr also said Monday that federal officials were meticulously reviewing the actions of certain district attorneys who have adopted policies of charging foreign nationals with lesser offenses for the express purpose of avoiding the federal immigration consequences of those nationals criminal conduct. He also highlighted a lawsuit filed a few weeks ago against Californias governor and attorney general over a state law prohibiting private prisons. In the run-up to the coordinated messaging campaign, a directive from headquarters encouraging robust local media engagement from every district caused unease among some public affairs officials in the U.S. attorneys offices, according interviews and to correspondence reviewed by The Associated Press. Some in jurisdictions that arent home to sanctuary cities were reluctant to host events because they did not think the matter pertained to them, and others were concerned that a public announcement could agitate relations with local law enforcement agencies that depend on the cooperation of immigrant communities, according to people familiar with the matter who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity. But officials sent a note later reassuring districts they were under no obligation to hold a public event. Some still did: Nebraska U.S. Attorney Joe Kelly held a news conference Monday to highlight the benefits of local and state law enforcement agencies cooperating with the federal government to enforce immigration laws. Kelly said public safety can be jeopardized if local officials refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials and not notify federal officials when illegal immigrants are arrested. Each year, many Americans fall victim to crimes committed by illegal aliens because certain officials choose to prioritize their own ideologies over their sworn obligation to uphold the law, Kelly said. We dont have any of those problems here in the state of Nebraska." The U.S. attorneys in New York issued a joint statement, and some held news conferences, criticizing the states new green light law that allows immigrants to get drivers licenses without legal status. Our citizens, lawful permanent and temporary residents, visitors and undocumented immigrants deserve better, and so do those who serve and protect them," the statement said. In Chicago, federal prosecutors planned a tweet but no news conference. Meanwhile, local officials in Erie County, New York, leveled criticism of the Trump administration's decision to restrict trusted travelers during a news conference of their own. Robert Restaino, the mayor of Niagara Falls, called for the Republican delegation to persuade the Trump administration to change the decision. "If a conversation has to be had on the other issues, then please, engage in that conversation. Don't penalize New York businesses and don't cripple communities that are trying to make sure that they can grow and continue to grow in their local economy," Restaino said. ___ Associated Press writers Eric Tucker in Washington; Carolyn Thompson in Buffalo, New York; Ryan Tarinelli in Albany, New York; Michael Tarm in Chicago; and Josh Funk in Omaha, Nebraska; contributed to this report. Mirvac has defied the sluggish consumer sentiment and inked a deal to expand the luxury tenant offerings across the Sydney CBD in a new lease at its 55 Market Street property with the upmarket Korean-based Lotte Duty Free. It will be the first of many new leases for a range of upmarket tenants that have earmarked the City for new flagship stores. Most sites are still under construction so leasing agents are confident that by the time they open, from 2021, the sector will have shown improvement boosted by a renewal in international tourists. Renders of the proposed Lotte Duty Free flagship store at 55 Market Street, Sydney. Lotte will be on the prime corner of Market and Pitt streets in Sydney's city and will be the retailer's flagship store over three floors or 3000 square metres. Lotte took over JR Duty Free, and 55 Market Street will be their first ground-up build and represents their largest investment to date in Australia. HOUSTON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- KBR (NYSE: KBR) announced today it has been awarded a $400 million contract by NASA to provide intelligent systems research and development support services at the agency's Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley. KBR will provide resources and technical expertise to support the Intelligent Systems Division on scientific research, technologies and applications development. The company's work will assist the division with a variety of research domains and the infusion of advanced information systems technology on NASA missions and other projects within the federal government. This cost-plus-fixed-fee hybrid contract has a two-year base period with three two-year options. The contract has a maximum value of $400 million. The company has performed this work since 2008 through predecessor contracts. "KBR is extremely honored to continue this partnership at NASA's Ames Research Center," said Stuart Bradie, KBR President and CEO. "This contract award reflects the company's stellar performance over the last decade. Through it, we will continue to assist Ames in propelling space exploration." KBR has provided mission-critical space support services to NASA and other customers for more than 60 years. It currently operates at 11 NASA centers and facilities and is one of the world's largest human spaceflight support organizations. Known for excelling in complex and extreme environments, KBR provides engineering solutions for the needs of today and tomorrow, safely and efficiently. About KBR, Inc. KBR is a global provider of differentiated professional services and technologies across the asset and program lifecycle within the Government Solutions and Energy sectors. KBR employs approximately 38,000 people worldwide (including our joint ventures), with customers in more than 80 countries, and operations in 40 countries, across three synergistic global businesses: Government Solutions, serving government customers globally, including capabilities that cover the full lifecycle of defense, space, aviation and other government programs and missions from research and development, through systems engineering, test and evaluation, program management, to operations, maintenance, and field logistics Technology Solutions, featuring proprietary technology, equipment, catalysts, digital solutions and related technical services for the monetization of hydrocarbons, including refining, petrochemicals, ammonia and specialty chemicals, as well as inorganics Energy Solutions, including onshore oil and gas; LNG (liquefaction and regasification)/GTL; oil refining; petrochemicals; chemicals; fertilizers; differentiated EPC; maintenance services (Brown & Root Industrial Services); offshore oil and gas (shallow-water, deep-water, subsea); floating solutions (FPU, FPSO, FLNG & FSRU); program management and consulting services KBR is proud to work with its customers across the globe to provide technology, value-added services, integrated EPC delivery and long term operations and maintenance services to ensure consistent delivery with predictable results. At KBR, We Deliver. Visit www.kbr.com Forward Looking Statement The statements in this press release that are not historical statements, including statements regarding future financial performance, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the company's control that could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: the outcome of and the publicity surrounding audits and investigations by domestic and foreign government agencies and legislative bodies; potential adverse proceedings by such agencies and potential adverse results and consequences from such proceedings; the scope and enforceability of the company's indemnities from its former parent; changes in capital spending by the company's customers; the company's ability to obtain contracts from existing and new customers and perform under those contracts; structural changes in the industries in which the company operates; escalating costs associated with and the performance of fixed-fee projects and the company's ability to control its cost under its contracts; claims negotiations and contract disputes with the company's customers; changes in the demand for or price of oil and/or natural gas; protection of intellectual property rights; compliance with environmental laws; changes in government regulations and regulatory requirements; compliance with laws related to income taxes; unsettled political conditions, war and the effects of terrorism; foreign operations and foreign exchange rates and controls; the development and installation of financial systems; increased competition for employees; the ability to successfully complete and integrate acquisitions; and operations of joint ventures, including joint ventures that are not controlled by the company. KBR's most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K, any subsequent Form 10-Qs and 8-Ks, and other U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss some of the important risk factors that KBR has identified that may affect the business, results of operations and financial condition. Except as required by law, KBR undertakes no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statements for any reason. SOURCE KBR, Inc. Related Links http://www.kbr.com Concord, New Hampshire: Bernie Sanders has unleashed a wave of star power on the eve of the New Hampshire primary, enlisting rock band The Strokes, Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon and high-profile congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to energise his progressive base. All major polls show the Vermont senator leading in the crucial state, which will hold its first-in-the-nation primary on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT). Julian Casablancas, lead singer of The Strokes, performs after Democratic presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders in Durham, New Hampshire. Credit:AP Interstate activists have been blanketing New Hampshire in recent days, knocking on thousands of doors in a bid to avoid a repeat of the surprisingly flat voter turn-out in last week's botched Iowa caucuses. Many were members of the Democratic Socialists of America, a separate and more left-leaning organisation to the Democratic Party. A doctor reads the CT scan images of 2019-nCoV patients in a hotel accommodating isolated people in Wuhan in central China's Hubei province Monday, Feb. 03, 2020. "Studies are ongoing because they are checking a number of animal species, so it takes some time," Briand said. Scientists are running tests on various animals, but have so far not found the host responsible for the outbreak, Dr. Sylvie Briand, head of WHO's Global Infectious Hazard Preparedness division, told reporters at a news conference at the agency's headquarters in Geneva. The new coronavirus that emerged from a seafood market in Wuhan, China, likely originated in bats and then jumped to an "intermediate host" before infecting humans, World Health Organization officials said Tuesday. Briand said scientists made the discovery after conducting further studies on the virus's genetic sequence that Chinese health authorities were able to isolate and share on a public database. They found the new virus, which has been named COVID-19, is very similar to other coronavirus found in bats, she said. But when scientists went to the seafood market in Wuhan, they "didn't find so many bats," Briand said. It "requires more research." SARS, the coronavirus that emerged in November 2002 and killed nearly 800 people across the world over nine months, was also believed by scientists to have originated in bats before spreading to civet cats and later humans. Last month, a group of scientists said that snakes, particularly the Chinese krait and the Chinese cobra, may have been the source of the new virus. But officials from WHO later cast doubt on that theory, saying there was "no conclusive evidence." The discovery comes as the virus has spread to more than a dozen countries and sickened more than 43,000 people with the number of new cases growing by the thousands every day. WHO officials said Tuesday that they are worried about the virus mutating. The coronavirus produces mild cold symptoms in about 80% of patients, Briand told reporters in a press conference Monday. About 15% of the people who contract the virus have ended up with pneumonia, with 3% to 5% of all patients needing intensive care, she said. The WHO's global research and innovation forum met for the first time Tuesday at the organization's headquarters in Geneva. Attendees include representatives of China and other member states, infectious disease experts, bioethicists, and major research funders, according to the preliminary agenda. Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's emergencies program, said Monday the team, working with Chinese scientists, hopes to learn the source of the outbreak and the virus's natural host. Read CNBC's live updates to see the latest news on the COVID-19 outbreak. EDWARDSVILLE A Glen Carbon couple has filed suit against the Edwardsville School District, claiming their child, a 6-year-old female, was sexually assaulted by another 6-year-old male student while on the playground of a school in Glen Carbon. They claim the playground supervisor was told about the assaults, but nothing was done about it. The couple named themselves as John Doe and Mary Doe and the child, Jane Doe, for privacy purposes in the suit. They claim the child told her parents about the assaults of Feb. 25, 2019, and that she was sexually assaulted every day for a period leading up to that date. Due to the assaults, Jane Doe has been waking up often in the night crying, the suit claims. The parents also allege that child has undergone counseling and will have to do so for the foreseeable future. The parents are paying for the costs, the suit alleges. They have also been sending the child to a private school. Often times, these incidents occurred during recess where there are approximately 90 children at recess at any given time with only two adults monitoring the children, the suit claims. This assault would never have occurred but for the defendants lack of exercising ordinary care, the complaint alleges. The suit claims the damages include physical and mental pain and suffering, medical and counseling expenses and the expense of attending a private school. The suit is asking for at least $50,000. The plaintiffs are represented by Keith C. Jacob of Vandalia. A school officials could not be reached for comment. Four people have been arrested in the investigation into the murder of journalist Lyra McKee. The men, aged 20, 27, 29 and 52, were detained under the Terrorism Act in Derry this morning, a Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) spokesman said. They are being questioned by detectives at Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast. Ms McKee was shot dead while observing disorder in the Creggan area of Derry on April 19, 2019. The New IRA claimed responsibility for the murder which sparked headlines and revulsion across Ireland and the UK. Chief Constable Simon Byrne welcomed the arrests. He said in a tweet that detectives are working hard in the pursuit of justice. I welcome today's developments in the Lyra McKee murder investigation. Detectives are working hard in the pursuit of justice. Anyone with information should come forward to police. @PoliceServiceNI Simon Byrne (@ChiefConPSNI) February 11, 2020 Senior investigating officer, Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy, renewed an appeal for information. I have always believed that some people within the community know what happened and who was involved, he said. I understand that people may be frightened to talk to us. I have previously given my personal assurance relating to anonymity for the purpose of this investigation and I renew this assurance today, as we approach the anniversary of Lyras murder. I want the community in Creggan to think about how that horrific attack impacted them personally and how it impacted the entire community. We saw wide-scale revulsion after Lyra was murdered and I remain determined to work with the community and local policing to convert that revulsion into tangible evidence to bring those who murdered Lyra to justice. I also know that many people were recording mobile phone video clips that night and whilst we had a huge response to my initial appeal for those videos, I believe that others may exist. The force asked for anyone with mobile phone footage to upload it to the Major Incident Public Portal at www.MIPP.police.uk. A new coronavirus case has been identified in San Diego, bringing the total number to seven in California and 13 in the United States. This newly diagnosed unnamed female patient was found among more than 200 people who were evacuated from China to the Miramar military base in San Diego Wednesday. Her case is raising concerns about the reliability of assessments because she initially tested negative and was returned to quarantine with other healthy evacuees. Originating in Wuhan, the new coronavirus has infected more than 42,000 people and killed more than 1,000 worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. The majority of cases are in China but the virus has spread to at least 25 other countries. Two deaths have been recorded outside mainland China, one in Hong Kong and one in the Philippines. In California, both Santa Clara and San Benito counties have seen two cases each, and there is one each in Los Angeles and Orange counties. (See maps in gallery above to see where cases have been found in the U.S. and around the world.) ALSO: Two coronavirus patients transferred to UC San Francisco The San Diego patient and three other evacuees had been in hospital isolation in San Diego after showing symptoms of the virus. On Sunday, federal health officials said all four people had tested negative and were sent back to the base, joining more than 200 people under a 14-day quarantine. On Monday morning, however, officials with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention informed county health officials that further testing revealed that one of the four patients tested positive" for novel coronavirus and the person was returned to hospital isolation, UC San Diego Health said in a statement. Another evacuee from Miramar also was hospitalized for evaluation Monday afternoon, UC San Diego Health said in a statement. Both patients are doing well and have minimal symptoms," the statement said. MORE: 'It was an emotional experience': 178 coronavirus evacuees land in Northern California Recent chartered flights have sent hundreds of Wuhan evacuees back to the U.S. They are being held in quarantine at military bases in California, Texas and Nebraska. A plane carrying 178 American coronavirus evacuees from Wuhan landed early Wednesday at Travis Air Force Base, 50 miles northeast of San Francisco. All evacuees will be quarantined for 14 days and staying in isolation at the Westwind Inn on Travis AFB. They won't have any contact with people living and working on the base. Five of the evacuees taken to Travis Air Force Base were hospitalized after showing symptoms of the virus but none of those possible cases has been confirmed, authorities said. Some 200 evacuees at March Reserve Air Base in Southern California were scheduled to be released from their two-week quarantine on Tuesday. No symptoms were reported among evacuees at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio or a Nebraska national Guard training base in Omaha. The Associated Press contributed to this story. Amy Graff is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com. The heavy-duty (HD) trucks market in Europe is poised to grow by 60.36 thousand units during 2019-2023, progressing at a CAGR of about 3% during the forecast period. Request Free Sample Pages This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005500/en/ Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled heavy-duty trucks market in Europe 2019-2023 (Graphic: Business Wire) Read the 117-page research report with TOC on "Heavy-duty Trucks Market in Europe Analysis Report by Type (Heavy-duty trucks from 3.5 to 16 tonnes and Heavy-duty trucks over 16 tonnes), Geography (Germany, France, and Rest of Europe), and Segment Forecasts, 2019 2023". https://www.technavio.com/report/heavy-duty-trucks-market-in-europe-industry-analysis The growing demand for HD trucks from truck rental service providers and development of multi-brand truck platooning in Europe is anticipated to boost the growth of the market. HD truck manufacturers have been witnessing a substantial increase in the sales volume of their vehicles. This is attributed to the higher adoption of HD trucks by truck rental services as compared to retail sales. Builders and fleet managers are expected to rent more trucks for residential construction. Thus, service providers are encouraged to satisfy this growing demand from truck rental services by widening their fleet portfolio. Thus, the growing demand for HD trucks from truck rental service providers is expected to drive market growth during the forecast period. Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free. View market snapshot before purchasing Major Five Heavy-duty Trucks Market Companies in Europe: AB Volvo AB Volvo is headquartered in Sweden and operates the business under various segments such as Trucks, Construction Equipment, Buses, Volvo Penta, Group Functions and Other, and Financial Services. The company offers Volvo FL, Volvo FM, and Renault Trucks T. CNH Industrial CNH Industrial is headquartered in the UK and offers products through the following business units: Agricultural Equipment, Construction Equipment, Commercial Vehicles, Powertrain, and Financial Services. The company offers New STRALIS, New STRALIS NP, and New Eurocargo. Daimler Daimler is headquartered in Germany and operates under various business segments, namely Mercedes-Benz Cars, Daimler Trucks, Mercedes-Benz Vans, Daimler Buses, and Daimler Financial Services. The company offers Mercedes-Benz Arocs, Mercedes-Benz Actros, and Mercedes-Benz Atego. Navistar Navistar is headquartered in the US and offers products through the following business segments: Trucks, Parts, Global Operations, and Financial Services. The company offers LONESTAR and LT SERIES. PACCAR PACCAR is headquartered in the US and offers products through the following business segments: Truck, Parts, and Financial Services. The company offers The DAF LF, The DAF XF, and The DAF CF. Register for a free trial today and gain instant access to 17,000+ market research reports. Technavio's SUBSCRIPTION platform Heavy-duty Trucks Market in Europe Type Outlook (Revenue, Thousand Units, 2019 2023) Heavy-duty trucks from 3.5 to 16 tonnes Heavy-duty trucks over 16 tonnes Heavy-duty Trucks Market in Europe Regional Outlook (Revenue, Thousand Units, 2019 2023) Germany France Rest of Europe Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report, such as the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more. Request a free sample report About Technavio Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focus on emerging market trends and provides actionable insights to help businesses identify market opportunities and develop effective strategies to optimize their market positions. With over 500 specialized analysts, Technavio's report library consists of more than 17,000 reports and counting, covering 800 technologies, spanning across 50 countries. Their client base consists of enterprises of all sizes, including more than 100 Fortune 500 companies. This growing client base relies on Technavio's comprehensive coverage, extensive research, and actionable market insights to identify opportunities in existing and potential markets and assess their competitive positions within changing market scenarios. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005500/en/ Contacts: Technavio Research Jesse Maida Media Marketing Executive US: +1 844 364 1100 UK: +44 203 893 3200 Email: media@technavio.com Website: https://www.technavio.com LONDON, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday Saudi Ambassador to the United Kingdom HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud received Saudi Ambassador to Yemen and Supervisor-General of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) Mohammed bin Saeed Al Jabir at the Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia in London. The Saudi Embassy in the UK inaugurated a SDRPY exhibition highlighting Saudi development projects and initiatives in Yemen. The King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre (KSrelief) participated in an accompanying exhibition presenting the humanitarian efforts of the Kingdom. Yemeni residents of the UK, British media representatives, members of parliament and Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials are visiting the exhibition over a period of three days. The SDRPY exhibition includes expositions on projects under way in all areas to inform political, diplomatic and media figures on the extent and diversity of Saudi support to Yemen in seven vital sectors: health, education, electricity & energy, agriculture & fisheries, water, transportation (including roads, ports and airports), and residential and government building construction and maintenance. Featured are videos of SDRPY projects, graphic displays of Saudi support, and photo galleries of development projects which have positively impacted the lives of Yemenis in a range of Yemeni governorates, helped strengthen the Yemeni national economy, and increased employment directly and indirectly among the Yemeni workforce. Virtual reality (VR) technology is also displaying live visuals of operations in Yemen, accompanied by comprehensive oral explanations from exhibition organizers in several languages and printed periodicals and other publications. The agenda of the SDRPY mission in the British capital includes discussions between the SDRPY Supervisor-General and the Secretary of State for Middle Eastern Affairs, a seminar at the Policy Exchange Centre, and a meeting for the SDRPY mission at the Saudi Embassy with prominent journalists and other figures in the UK. SDRPY participates periodically in international fora as a key partner for international humanitarian and development organizations. A prominent recent example was the SDRPY exhibition at United Nations Headquarters in New York in September 2019 on the sidelines of the 74th Session of the UN General Assembly. Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1089169/SDRPY_1.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1089170/SDRPY_2.jpg Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1089168/SDRPY_3.jpg Subscriber content preview SALEM, Ore. (AP) Environmental groups and timber companies in Oregon, which have clashed for decades, on Monday unveiled a roadmap for overhauling forest practice regulations, a step which Gov. Kate Brown called historic. Leaders of around a dozen environmental groups, including Oregon Wild, the Audubon Society of Portland and Cascadia Wildlands, and a dozen timber companies, including Weyerhaeuser, one of the largest forest products companies in the world, and Lone Rock of Rpseburg, Oregon, signed the memorandum of understanding after quietly holding meetings in Salem and Portland. . . . Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta Tue, February 11, 2020 16:31 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063d17cb 1 National Religious-Affairs-Ministry,Catholic,Catholic-church,Catholicism Free A bureaucratic blunder caused the Religious Affairs Ministry to appoint a Muslim official as acting head of the Catholic Community Guidance Directorate General, a move that drew online and offline criticism. Ministry secretary-general Nur Kholis Setiawan took the blame for the gaffe, saying he had given mistaken advice to the ministrys top brass. I apologize for this oversight, Nur Kholis said in an official ministry press release on Monday night, adding that the ministry would soon appoint a new acting director-general from within the Catholic unit. Nur himself had been appointed to the role in January, replacing another Muslim official, Muhammadiyah Amin, who had filled the position since the previous director-general Eusabius Binsasi, who was Catholic, retired last July. Minister Fachrul Razi and Deputy Minister Zainut Tauhid Saadi had previously defended both appointments, saying that National Civil Service Agency (BKN) regulations prevented the ministry from putting a Catholic in the position. However, it turned out the problem was of their own making, stemming from a misreading of a 2019 BKN circular that states civil servants can only be appointed as acting officials in positions at the same level or one level above the ones they held. Ministry leadership apparently interpreted the wording in the circular to mean civil servants could only fill vacant spots that were at the same level or one level below their position. In the Catholic Community Guidance Directorate General there is only one echelon 1 position, while the rest are echelon 2 and 3, so it is impossible for the acting head to come from the Catholic directorate general, Zainut said in a statement on Monday, adding that the Nur Kholis appointment was made merely for administrative reasons. The rule is that [the position] must be held by someone of the same level. Its like a generals position cant be filled by a major, Fachrul, himself a former Indonesian Military general, told reporters on Monday. The misstep had been heavily criticized online, with several Twitter users drawing attention to the irony of having a Muslim in charge of Catholic religious affairs. Twitter user @darmanto0802, for example, tweeted an imaginary conversation of someone who might be looking for the director-general. : Selamat pagi pak, saya mau bertemu dgn bapak Dirjen Bimas Katolik : Maaf bu, Bapak Dirjen sedang cuti menunaikan ibadah haji OpaDarmanto (@darmanto0802) February 10, 2020 Good morning, sir. Im looking for the Catholic Community Guidance director-general the questioner asks. Im sorry, maam, the director-general is on leave to go on the haj, comes the reply. Another Twitter user jokingly suggested that an exchange was in order. kalo gitu, dirjen bimas islam diisi pejabat beragama katolik untuk menunjukkan toleransi @Kemenag_RI NetizenID (@arisidid) February 9, 2020 The Islam Community Guidance Director-General position should be filled by a Catholic official to show tolerance, @arisidid tweeted. Nur Kholis said he made the mistake because he had not read the BKN circular thoroughly enough and had been fixated on financial administration concerns. Tomorrow, on Tuesday, there will be a new appointment letter for [the position] for someone within the same working unit, he said. (hol/kmt) Thousands of supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro marched in the capital of Caracas on Monday, demonstrating against recent US sanctions targeting the state-owned airline CONVIASA (Venezuelan Consortium of Aircraft Industries and Air Services) company. Demonstrators carried large Venezuela flags and banners of Maduro shouting messages of support for the president. The sanctions were announced after US President Donald Trump welcomed Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido at the White House last Friday and intended to curtail the Venezuelan government's alleged misuse of the airline for promoting Maduro's political agenda. Maduro meanwhile announced Monday that he was preparing a lawsuit in international courts against the US government for imposing the sanctions. "I have asked them three, Vice President Delcy Rodrguez, the Attorney General (Reinaldo Enrique Muoz) and Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza, to prepare and immediately activate an international lawsuit before the Court of Justice against the United States government for the damage that is intended to be done to the company Conviasa." The sanctions include the freezing of the assets of the Venezuelan government in the US and prohibit Americans and related foreign companies from doing business with the Venezuelan government, their relatives or those who maintain commercial ties with companies or government officials. "It is one more measure towards the blockade against Venezuela, to suffocate its production, its international relations, to affect the trade, which today represents a global aspect. So we are on the streets protesting against these measures, pointing out the negative effects against the Venezuelan people, pointing out that this has repercussions also in the heath area, in the economic area, in all aspects of Venezuelan life, because it is one more step towards isolation and we know it won't stop there," Alexis Martinez, a political activist said. Maduro has accused opposition leader Juan Guaido of being responsible for the sanctions against CONVIASA. The Venezuelan government stated that Guaido travelled to Washington to request new and more severe sanctions against the country. Top residential homebuilders have been outperforming expectations this earnings season, but the market has generally seemed unimpressed with their results. Few of their share prices have moved by more than a couple of percentage points in response to their reports, despite big year-over-year earnings gains and favorable market conditions for the foreseeable future. So it was with M/I Homes (NYSE:MHO), which reported earnings last week that missed analysts' forecasts. Traders immediately sent the shares down by about 12%, but then, the stock price promptly began to rise again. By the end of the day, it was only down by about 1.8%. Here's why investors decided to jump back into the homebuilder. By the numbers Metric Q4 2019 Q3 2019 Q4 2018 Change (YOY) Revenue $742.2 million $653.3 million $722.5 million 2.7% Net income $41.8 million $38.8 million $32.4 million 29% Earnings per share (diluted) $1.44 $1.32 $1.15 25.2% New contracts 1,677 1,721 1,173 42.9% Homes delivered 1,921 1,651 1,825 5.2% Excluding some after-tax impairments, earnings per share came in at $1.57, which was still lower than the $1.68 per share that analysts had been predicting. However, other investors may have viewed the drop as a buying opportunity, considering net income and earnings both rose by more than 25% year over year. M/I Homes reports fewer geographic divisions than most of its peers, dividing its sales into Northern and Southern regions. Northern includes the upper Midwest, primarily in big cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, and Cincinnati. The Southern region is more far-flung, including metropolitan areas in North and South Carolina, central Florida, and Texas. In terms of the number of deliveries, the Southern region is clearly outperforming its Northern counterpart. Highlights from the quarter Many homebuilders have seen stronger sales growth in their lower-tier offerings, and M/I did too. The company's most affordably priced homes -- which it calls its Smart Series -- grew as a percentage of its overall sales to just over 25%. The percentage of Smart Series communities also grew. At the end of the quarter, M/I was offering Smart Series homes in just over 25% of its communities, compared to about 10% of communities at the end of Q4 2018. These homes comprised an even slightly higher than 25% of total sales. Management says the margins are good on these homes and expects to see further growth at this price point in 2020. The company saw strong growth in terms of both orders and sales in its four major Texas markets (Austin, Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio), as well as in Charlotte and Minneapolis. Orlando, Tampa, Columbus, and Cincinnati were also cited during the Q4 earnings call as strong performers. Management reiterated its previously announced decision to exit the Washington, D.C., market, noting that as of the end of Q4, it had substantially ceased operations there, with "merely a handful of homes remaining to close in 2020." The average backlog sale price of $396,000 was 3% lower than a year ago, but adjusted gross margin improved 100 basis points to 19.9%. What management had to say In a statement, CEO Robert Schottenstein highlighted the homebuilder's impressive 2019 performance, which has driven the stock up by 46.9% over the past year: "2019 was a banner year for M/I Homes with record revenue, record new contracts, record homes delivered and record pre-tax income. Revenue increased 9% to $2.5 billion, new contracts increased 16% to 6,773 homes, homes delivered increased 9% to 6,296 homes, and pre-tax income, aided by improved operating leverage, increased 18% to $166 million. The strong performance of many of our homebuilding divisions along with another very good year from our financial services business contributed to our record results. We also reached the highest year-end sales backlog in Company history with a value of $1.1 billion, an 18% increase over 2018. ... Housing market conditions remain strong and, given the strength of our record backlog and our solid competitive position across each of our 15 markets, we are well positioned for a very good 2020." Margins, Midwest, and markets Overall, M/I Homes looks to be in a relatively strong position within its industry. Its adjusted gross margin of 19.9% is one of the best in the industry, although many homebuilders feature gross margins in the high teens. Meanwhile, the Midwestern market is one of the weakest in the country, as evidenced by the company's year-over-year decline in sales in that region. However, the housing market in the South -- especially Florida -- is one of the strongest in the country. Other homebuilders have a better market mix working in their favor, but M/I's isn't particularly bad. All this assumes, though, that the cyclical housing market -- already in its tenth straight year of growth -- continues to grow. Any hint of a potential recession -- however small -- is likely to send homebuilders' stocks downward, fast. Only those bullish on the housing market and the overall economy should consider buying into this industry now. Maine police said they arrested a man for operating a lawnmower while under the influence. According to a Facebook post shared by the Augusta Police Department, the man was drunk while driving the red mower down a road when he was pulled over by police. The department shared a photo of the incident that showed two police cruisers parked behind the lawnmower. According to a Facebook post shared by the Augusta Police Department, the man was drunk while driving the red mower down a road when he was pulled over by police 'Although its not uncommon to make an arrest on a lawnmower for an OUI, it has been known to happen from tome to time,' the department wrote in the caption of the photo. 'However we cant think of a recent instance when it happened in the winter???' officers from the department added. Police did not release the man's identity nor did they release any other information about the incident. Authorities have not said where in Augusta the incident occurred. It's also unclear how far the man drove the lawnmower before he was stopped by authorities. The temperature outside at the time was about 36F. Thousands of Palestinians rallied Tuesday in the West Bank to reject President Donald Trump's Mideast initiative and to express support for the Palestinian leadership as it tries to gain support at the United Nations for a resolution opposing the plan. Protesters packed Al-Manara Square in Ramallah, the West Bank headquarters of the Palestinian Authority. They waved Palestinian flags and held banners condemning the plan. Some protesters held an English-language banners read "Trump is part of the problem not the solution," while another condemned the "theft of the century." Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas plans to deliver a speech at the UN later Tuesday, but members will not be voting on a draft resolution. Palestinian officials denied the resolution had been pulled, but diplomats said many members, including European countries, rejected the language in a draft that had circulated. Trump's Mideast plan, announced at the White House on January 28, sides with Israel on virtually all of the most contentious issues of the decades-old conflict. It would allow Israel to annex large parts of the occupied West Bank, including Jewish settlements that are home to hundreds of thousands of people and are considered illegal by most of the international community. The Palestinians, who cut off ties with the US after Trump recognised disputed Jerusalem as Israel's capital in 2017, have adamantly rejected the plan. The European Union issued a statement last week reiterating its support for a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines. The Palestinians want to establish a state in east Jerusalem, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, territories Israel seized in a war with Arab countries a half-century ago. Kabul: A suicide attack targeting a military academy killed at least five people in the Afghan capital Kabul early Tuesday, in what was the first major assault in the city in months. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the dawn attack, which comes after nearly three months of relative calm in the capital. The ministry of defence said five were killed and at least six injured in the attack. However, the interior ministry's spokesman Nasrat Rahimi said six people -- two civilians and four military personnel -- were left dead after a suicide bomber detonated his explosives at around 7:00 am local time. Twelve were wounded including five civilians, he added in a statement. A witness near the scene in western Kabul said the blast happened near the Marshal Fahim military academy, where security officers are trained in the country. It was a big explosion that rocked our house. We also heard gunfire afterwards. Ambulances rushed to the area quickly, resident Samiullah, who like many Afghans goes by one name, told AFP. A security source speaking on the condition of anonymity told AFP that the attacker was on foot when he targeted a vehicle near a checkpoint as it was entering the academy. In recent weeks the Taliban have refrained from attacking major urban centres in an effort to keep talks with the US on track, though violence in the provinces has continued. The last major attack in Kabul was in November when at least 12 people were killed after a minivan packed with explosives rammed into a vehicle carrying foreigners during morning rush hour. Four foreign nationals were among those wounded in the attack. The military academy has been the scene of several attacks in the past, including an Islamic State-claimed assault last May. Tuesday's blast comes as Washington and the Taliban wrangle over a possible deal that would see US troops begin to leave Afghanistan in return for security guarantees. However, there appears to have been little progress in reaching a deal in recent weeks, prompting the insurgents to saddle blame on the White House and what they say are a growing list of demands by the Americans to pave the way for a deal. The US and Taliban had been negotiating for a year and were on the brink of an announcement in September 2019 when President Donald Trump abruptly declared the process dead, citing ongoing Taliban violence. Talks were later restarted in December in Qatar, but paused again following an attack near the US-run Bagram military base in Afghanistan. As talks have fluctuated, violent attacks in the country have raged, with the number of clashes jumping to record levels in the last quarter of 2019, according to a recent US government watchdog report. live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More Indian equity benchmarks Sensex and Nifty snapped their losing streak of the last two consecutive sessions on February 11 as investors comforted from the decline in the rate of newly reported cases of Coronavirus in China. Sensex ended the day with a gain of 237 points, or 0.58 percent, at 41,216.14 while Nifty finished at 12,107.90, up 76 points, or 0.63 percent. Experts said while hope that the epidemic of coronavirus could come under control soon boosted sentiments, it remains a key monitorable for the markets over the next few days. "Nifty showing upside bounce could be a cheering factor for bulls to make a come back from the lows. But lack of strength to sustain the highs could drag Nifty to the immediate support of 12,000 again, before showing any meaningful upside bounce," said Deepak Jasani, Head Retail Research, HDFC Securities. "On the higher side, the area of 12,175-12,200 could be key overhead resistance. On falls, 12,000-11,950 is expected to be strong support," Jasani added. We have collated 15 data points to help you spot profitable trades: Key support and resistance level for Nifty According to the pivot charts, the key support level for Nifty is placed at 12,080.5, followed by 12,053.1. If the index continues moving up, key resistance levels to watch out for are 12,153.8 and 12,199.7. Nifty Bank Nifty Bank closed 0.78 percent up at 31,300.60. The important pivot level, which will act as crucial support for the index, is placed at 31,182.37, followed by 31,064.13. On the upside, key resistance levels are placed at 31,462.37 and 31,624.13. Call options data Maximum call open interest (OI) of 27.54 lakh contracts was seen at the 12,500 strike price. It will act as a crucial resistance level in the February series. This is followed by 12,400 strike price, which holds 18.98 lakh contracts in open interest, and 12,300, which has accumulated 15.81 lakh contracts in open interest. Significant call writing was seen at the 12,400 strike price, which added 2.03 lakh contracts. Call unwinding was witnessed at 12,000 strike price, which shed 2.56 lakh contracts, followed by 12,100 which shed 1.16 lakh contracts. Put options data Maximum put open interest of 34.25 lakh contracts was seen at 12,000 strike price, which will act as crucial support in the February series. This is followed by 11,800 strike price, which holds 21.71 lakh contracts in open interest, and 11,700 strike price, which has accumulated 19.68 lakh contracts in open interest. Put writing was seen at the 12,100 strike price, which added 1.79 lakh contracts, followed by 11,800 strike, which added 1.54 lakh contracts. Put unwinding was seen at 11,600 strike price, which shed 2.33 lakh contracts. Stocks with a high delivery percentage A high delivery percentage suggests that investors are showing interest in these stocks. 29 stocks saw long build-up Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which long build-up was seen. 16 stocks saw long unwinding 39 stocks saw short build-up An increase in open interest, along with a decrease in price, mostly indicates a build-up of short positions. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short build-up was seen. 58 stocks witnessed short-covering A decrease in open interest, along with an increase in price, mostly indicates a short-covering. Based on open interest (OI) future percentage, here are the top 10 stocks in which short-covering was seen. Bulk deals (For more bulk deals, click here) Quarterly earnings Divi's Laboratories, Dish TV, NBCC, Info Edge India, Omaxe, PFC, Religare, Hindalco, IRCTC, Aar Shyam India Investment Company, Aarti Industries, Aayush Food and Herbs, ABB India, Alchemist, Anjani Finance, Bajaj Steel Industries, Bannari Amman Group, Centrum Capital, Dharani Sugars & Chemicals, Jamna Auto Industries, Jaiprakash Power Ventures and Mahamaya Steel Industries are among the companies that will release their quarterly earnings on February 12. Stocks in the news IndusInd Bank: Moody's revises outlook on the bank's rating to Negative versus Stable on the risk of worsening loan quality. Aster DM Healthcare: Q3 profit jumps 33.7 percent to Rs 151.4 cr, revenue rises 8 percent to Rs 2,321.7 cr YoY. Hexaware: Q4 profit dips 8.7 percent to Rs 167.7 cr, revenue rises 3.2 percent to Rs 1,528.8 cr QoQ. BHEL: Q3 profit falls 17.3 percent to Rs 158.8 cr, revenue declines 22.6 percent to Rs 5,679.3 cr YoY. IDBI Bank: Q3 loss at Rs 57.63 cr versus a loss of Rs 41.85 cr, NII rises 13 percent to Rs 15.3 cr YoY. Neuland Labs: Q3 profit jumps to Rs 11.1 cr versus Rs 4.7 cr, revenue rises 18.9 percent to Rs 203.8 cr YoY. FII and DII data Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth Rs 209.39 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares of worth Rs 344.63 crore in the Indian equity market on February 11, provisional data available on the NSE showed. Fund flow Stock under F&O ban on NSE New Delhi, Feb 11 : Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan took command of the eastern fleet deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation's maritime interest, the Indian Navy said. He took charge at Visakhapatnam on February 10 (Monday), 2020. The Eastern Fleet comprising of frontline warships of the Indian Navy are deployed across the indo-pacific region to safeguard the nation's maritime interest. Rear Admiral Sanjay Vatsayan is an alumnus of the prestigious National Defence Academy, Khadakwasla, Defence Services Staff College, Wellington, Naval War College, Mumbai and the National Defence College, New Delhi. The Admiral, who is a Gunnery and Missile systems specialist, has vast experience at sea and ashore. He has commanded missile vessels Vibhuti and Nashak, the guided-missile corvette Kuthar and has also been the commissioning Commanding Officer of the indigenously constructed state-of-the-art stealth frigate Sahyadri. Rear Admiral Vatsayan has also held vital appointments dealing with personnel policy and naval plans at the integrated Headquarters, Ministry of Defence (Navy). Prior to assuming Command of the Eastern Fleet, he was serving as the Assistant Chief of Naval Staff (Policy and Plans) at New Delhi. The threat to Lake Shore Drive is an existential threat to Beverly Shores. If the road collapses, there is the potential for the NIPSCO gas lines to be ruptured, for residents who need to use Lake Shore Drive to access their homes to have that access cut-off permanently, and if the erosion continues south of Lake Shore Drive for the homes themselves to collapse, Benson said. KC Fire Department asking voters for sales tax hike to update facilities, maintain equipment KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Kansas City voters will decide in April on a proposed sales tax increase to support the fire department. Kansas City Fire Chief Donna Maize discussed the ballot issue with citizens at a South Kansas City Alliance meeting Monday evening. Slapped on a low-turnout ballot, this one will almost certainly passthere is no organized opposition against it . . . Here's a glimpse that mostly looks at one side of the pitch that will worsen the local cost of living and impact po'folk especially . . . Read more: Although no deals were done or pacts signed during the visit of Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa to India, it was productive. Talks between the two sides seem to have provided greater clarity on the path ahead. India and Sri Lanka discussed ways to take forward the use of a $400 million Line of Credit for development and a $50 million soft loan for combating terrorism that India announced during President Gotabhaya Rajapaksas visit in December. They discussed counter-terrorism co-operation and intelligence sharing and reiterated that security would be the main focus of the bilateral partnership. India has had huge concerns over the Rajapaksas coming to power in Sri Lanka. It was during Mahindas stint as president that Sri Lankas economic, defence and security cooperation with China grew exponentially. New Delhi feared that a debt-ridden Sri Lanka would be compelled to concede Chinas demands on security issues, to Indias detriment. Such apprehensions gained strength when Lanka allowed Chinese warships to dock at Colombo port. The implications of Sri Lankas debts for Indias security were underscored when in a debt-equity swap, Mahindas successor handed over Hambantota port to China on a 99-year lease. The Lankan Prime Minister is reported to have asked India to defer loan repayment for a period of three years. India should be generous. Not only will it ease Sri Lankas debt repayment pressures, it would be a positive step towards weaning Colombo away from Chinas embrace. As in the past, Mahinda has used effusive words to describe India; India is family, others are friends. Delhi should not interpret this as indicative of any new willingness on the part of the Rajapaksa government to prioritize India over China and Pakistan. How India-Lanka intelligence sharing and counter-terrorism cooperation can progress side by side with Colombos close ties with Pakistan is something that India will need to work out. On the question of Sri Lankan Tamil rights, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Mahinda to ensure full implementation of the 13th amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. This has been the stand of successive Indian governments, but it was based on the principle that India could recommend only as much autonomy to the island-nations Tamil provinces as Delhi gives its own states. In the context of the Modi governments denial of autonomy and political rights to Kashmiris, Modis espousal of Tamil rights rings hollow. It is unlikely to be taken seriously by the Sri Lankan government. OTTAWA - The Conservatives want to know what federal officials are doing about China's alleged involvement in stealing data from thousands of Canadians. Hey there, time traveller! This article was published 11/2/2020 (699 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current. Conservative MPs Pierre Paul-Hus, left, and Glen Motz arrive for a meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security in Ottawa on Monday, July 15, 2019. The Conservatives want to know what federal officials are doing about China's alleged involvement in the theft of data from thousands of Canadians.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang OTTAWA - The Conservatives want to know what federal officials are doing about China's alleged involvement in stealing data from thousands of Canadians. In a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, two Conservative MPs say it is extremely worrisome that members of the Chinese People's Liberation Army stand accused of the high-profile 2017 hack of Equifax. The U.S. Department of Justice announced Monday that a federal grand jury had returned an indictment charging four members of the PLA with hacking into the credit-reporting agency's computer systems and stealing data and trade secrets. The nine-count indictment alleges the four were members of the PLA's 54th Research Institute, a wing of the Chinese military. Hackers accessed the personal information of 145.5 million Americans and hundreds of thousands of Britons in the incident. The breach also involved the information of about 19,000 Canadians, including names, addresses, social-insurance numbers and credit-card numbers as well as usernames, passwords and security-question data. Pierre Paul-Hus and Glen Motz, the Conservative public safety critics, want Trudeau to explain what Canada will do to ensure those who pilfered Canadians' data are brought to justice. "If this charge is proven in court, it would mean that the PLA conducted a deliberate, state-sponsored, cyberattack against Canadians, in order to steal their personal information," the letter says. "In a digital age, Canadians must be assured that their personal information will be safe, and that the Canadian government will protect them from foreign actors that engage in hacking, espionage and other cybercrimes to collect this information." The MPs are asking whether Canada has investigated the alleged PLA link to the cyberattack and if it will charge Chinese members in connection with the incident. The Prime Minister's Office referred an inquiry to the office of Public Safety Minister Bill Blair. The Equifax data compromise took place on American servers and has been investigated by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, said Mary-Liz Power, a spokeswoman for Blair. The RCMP works closely with law-enforcement partners internationally, she added. The Liberal government has put hundreds of millions of dollars toward the federal Canadian Centre for Cyber Security and the RCMP's National Cybercrime Co-ordination Unit, Power noted. Federal advisers have told Trudeau that Canada will work with allies to strike back at foreign cyberattackers and "impose costs" that make them understand the price of their deeds. "Malicious state-sponsored cyber acts affect national security and economic prosperity interests," says a recently released briefing note to the prime minister. "Addressing these threats requires both better security at home and co-ordinated international actions." Rules and norms in cyberspace are critical, but must be supplemented with measures against hostile actors, says the note, obtained by The Canadian Press through the Access to Information Act. Canada and its allies consider malicious cyberactivities to be a major threat and believe perpetrators will change their behaviour "only when the costs outweigh the benefits," the note adds. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 11, 2020. Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter Ed McGuinness is Chairman of Islington Conservative Federation and stood for Hornsey & Wood Green at the general election. He grew up in Belfast. With Sinn Feins shocking success in the Republic of Irelands General Election, Boris Johnsons Government needs to sit up and take notice. This is not the election of an ally and trading partner whom the United Kingdom keeps at arms reach and offers a congratulatory phone-call to when the final results are tallied. The relationship between the Republic of Ireland the United Kingdom arguably runs deeper than the relationship experienced by any two countries elsewhere on the planet, forged by blood and treasure. Sinn Fein, a party that stands candidates across the whole of the Island of Ireland has tapped into a feeling across the demographic spectrum in the Republic of Ireland with message used by political parties around the world associated with success the economy. Quite frankly, when Fianna Fail and Fine Gael look back at the wreckage of this election they will wonder how they managed to mismanage the campaign on such a simple message. Sinn Fein has managed to tap into the deep feelings felt throughout the Republic where people feel left behind since the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. We should note here that Ireland was left severely crippled by the crisis which saw one of its major banks collapse and the necessitation of an 85m bailout package from the IMF, EU and some bilateral loans (including from the UK). This was on an order of magnitude greater than that experienced by us in the UK. The collapse destroyed the credibility of the presiding party, Fianna Fail, which made a collation between the two main parties, leading up to this election, to maintain this duopoly on Irish power even more galling to the Irish electorate. Sinn Fein offered a solution to the people of Ireland albeit it an unrealistic one. In contrast to their election manifesto for the General Election in the United Kingdom, they actually had an economic message which promised greater spending on infrastructure and a huge public housing program the advantage of campaigning in poetry. The system of government in Ireland also benefitted the Sinn Fein message during the General Election, with a confidence and supply agreement between Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, allowing both to be tarred with the same mistakes and neither able to claim credit for the successes. This allowed Mary Lou Macdonald to walk straight through the middle and mop up the pieces. Not to be underestimated is the effectiveness of the Sinn Fein campaigning and branding machine. In Northern Ireland, in particular, they are absolutely tapped into their communities, providing a plethora of services and even their own, widely circulated newspaper. On branding, both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have, at least during campaigning, ruled out a governing coalition with Sinn Fein due to, just 23 years ago, being officially the political wing of the Provisional IRA a group responsible for over 30 years of violence across the island. Macdonald, at least in the Republic, seems to have been able to manage a seamless transfer of power from Gerry Adams, and in doing so, shake of the perception of her party being active participants in the perpetuation of violence something anathema to most in Ireland. The recruitment of youthful candidates, who have no direct experience of the Troubles has been key in this, not only throwing off the dark past, but looking like a youthful, vibrant, energetic organisation. Let nobody suppose that Sinn Fein has changed its stripes or indeed its raison detre and the threat it poses to the United Kingdom. We should first count ourselves lucky that, having only stood in 40 seats, Sinn Fein cannot possibly form a majority governing body in the Dail Eireann, they have 37 seats and lead the polls. They do however hold the balance of power now, whether we like it or not. We can not deny that democratic event, but this will take very careful management from the UK. This result will buoy Sinn Fein, which is currently only the second largest party in Northern Ireland, to push for further reforms in the North. No doubt they will come forward with their much historical tagline of having been given a democratic mandate for change. This could see Northern Ireland squeezed between an active cessation grouping pulling the strings in the South, aided by their counterparts answering those calls in the North. More pressingly, having a rather large foot in the door, as Sinn Fein will have, gives them influence over the Irish position on the Brexit negotiations within the EU. Do not pass this off as a small country, with a small Party trying to get its way. As I mentioned the Sinn Fein communication machine is impressive, not only that, but their negotiating stance is often very aggressive and unyielding (they held fast for almost three years in Northern Ireland doing incredible damage to the economy in the process). If they have the opportunity to use the Brexit negotiations to forge a path towards a border poll they will take it. Though Ireland as a whole is a small cog in the EU machine, its influence will be magnified during the trade negotiations given the importance of the bilateral relationship with the United Kingdom. For the past half century, the relationship between the two Governments has been based on a mutual benefit for Northern Ireland, neutrality in the border poll question and the sovereignty of the people of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to choose their own destiny when they are ready to. The UK Government now faces an entirely different reality. A major party, who cannot be ignored, by a grand coalition in the Republic lest they being an outright majority in the next election, in the Irish government is now committed to ending Northern Irelands place in the United Kingdom. Not only that, but they actually deny the British Governments right to have any control over Northern Ireland at all. That party will now be equipped with the machinery of Government across the island of Ireland (North and South) and will wield its influence at a critical time for the United Kingdom. With the fate of the union also in balance in Scotland, Boris faces issues on multiple fronts. It seems the Irish question is also far from answered. U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper says he is looking to NATO allies for more help in countering the Islamic State (IS) militant group in Iraq and in bolstering American defense efforts in the Middle East more broadly. Talking to journalists while flying to Brussels to attend a NATO defense ministers meeting, Esper told reporters on February 11 that he wants the alliance to do more to help Iraq's security forces. "As they put more forces in, that could allow us to decrease" the U.S. military's workload there, he said. NATO defense ministers are scheduled to meet in Brussels this week to discuss a proposal to move some forces from the U.S.-led coalition fighting the IS to the alliance's training mission in Iraq. Earlier on February 11, the U.S. envoy to the alliance said such a plan for NATO to expand its Iraq mission by reassigning troops from the anti-IS coalition could meet President Donald Trump's call for more alliance action in the Middle East Kay Bailey Hutchison welcomed the move, adding that it would enable coalition forces to carry out more combat operations against IS remnants in Iraq. "It's part of burden-sharing -- our European allies coming in with us and doing more in counterterrorism," Hutchison told reporters. "The NATO operation is already ongoing in Iraq and I think it will definitely be an answer to what President Trump has requested." Trump last month called on NATO to do more in the Middle East, days after a U.S. drone strike that killed a top Iranian commander in Baghdad triggered a regional crisis. A plan to transfer some coalition forces -- who number some 11,000 across Iraq, Syria and Kuwait -- to NATO's structures has already won Baghdad's backing, according to diplomatic sources. With reporting by AFP and Reuters PR-Inside.com: 2020-02-11 04:30:59 Press Information Published by ACCESSWIRE News Network 888.952.4446 e-mail http://www.accesswire.com # 379 Words ACCESSWIRE News Network888.952.4446 California-based digital marketing company Digital Papercuts introduces their ADA website compliance service following their partnership with digital accessibility solutions provider Equalweb.HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / February 10, 2020 / Digital Papercuts, a digital marketing agency based in Huntington Beach, CA, has just signed an agreement with Equalweb, a world leader in digital accessibility solutions. Through the partnership, Digital Papercuts is able to launch a new service that allows websites to be compliant with the ADA and Section 508 standards.Additional details can be found at: https://digitalpapercuts.com The newly launched service poses a host of benefits for website owners. 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The company has a strong focus on helping local businesses establish a stronger online presence, grow a more recognized brand, and connect with more customers.Those who are interested in Digital Papercuts' ADA website compliance service and other digital marketing solutions may log on to the above website for more information.Contact Info:Name: Ron KlothEmail: Send EmailOrganization: Digital PapercutsAddress: 5904 Warner Ave Ste A-2011, Huntington Beach, CA 92649, United StatesPhone: +1-800-451-7085Website: https://digitalpapercuts.com/ SOURCE: Digital Papercuts Houston: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump during the 'Howdy Modi' event at NRG Stadium in Houston, USA, on Sep 22, 2019. (Photo: IANS/MEA) Image Source: IANS News New Delhi/Washington, Feb 11 : US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will visit India from February 24-25, during which they will also travel to Prime Minister Narendra Modis home state. This will be Donald Trump's first visit to India as the US President. The announcement of his two-day visit came just a week after he was acquitted by the US Senate in his impeachment trial. He was accused of illegally seeking help from Ukraine to influence the forthcoming presidential elections in November. In an official statement, the US Press Secretary said the President and the First Lady "will visit Ahmedabad, which is in Prime Minister Modi's home state of Gujarat and played such an important role in Mahatma Gandhi's life and leadership of the Indian independence movement". During a phone call over the weekend, Trump and Modi agreed "the trip will further strengthen the US-India strategic partnership and highlight the strong and enduring bonds between the American and Indian people". Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston Ill still vote, said Becci West, who manages a pizzeria in Marshalltown and has a 13-month-old daughter. She was one of the last mothers to deliver her baby before the local hospital shut down its obstetrics ward. Health care is important to me. Four years ago, Ms. West said, she voted Libertarian when Marshall County swung by 18 points into Mr. Trumps column. Two years after that, in the midterms, the county was part of a Democratic surge that unseated a two-term Republican congressman and elected Abby Finkenauer, a Democrat who stressed her rural roots and familys union ties. Now, like so many counties spreading east from Des Moines to the Mississippi River, it is a jump ball. Democrats across Iowa said they worried the caucus turmoil would amplify the problems of a disappointing turnout. The caucuses were attended by 176,000 people, about 3 percent more than those who showed up in 2016, and far less than the 300,000 some campaigns had prepared for. In some rural precincts, volunteers were distressed that only 15 or 20 people showed up to school gyms and civic-center basements where twice that many had come in past years. SOLANA BEACH, Calif. Feb. 10, 2020 Marie Laure Louis Marseille, France Jeremy Magalon Marseille Denver, Colorado Marseille, France December 2019 Brad Conlan the United States $2.1B $5.7B /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Puregraft announced today results from the MICROPREP Clinical Trial: Intra-articular Injection of Fat and Platelet Rich Plasma as a Treatment for Knee Osteoarthritis. This phase IIa study was conducted by Dr, orthopedic surgeon in(Clinique Juge, Almaviva group). The MICROPREP results will be presented by Dr.(Assistance Publique Hopitaux de) at the upcoming International Orthopedics Foundation Annual Meeting inThe MICROPREP study was a 30 patient, prospective, randomized, double-blind, single-center clinical trial evaluating three treatment groups for patients diagnosed with osteoarthritis: Puregraft processed fat + saline, Puregraft processed fat + 1Billion Platelets, and Puregraft processed fat + 3Billion platelets were injected into the knee under local anesthesia. Preliminary results of the study were recently presented at the annual IFATS meeting in). A reduction in pain and improvement in function, as measured by PAIN VAS and WOMAC scales, along with MRI results were observed among all three treatment groups at six months. No serious adverse events were reported and no significant difference between the three types of treatments were observed. According to Dr. Magalon, "All three treatment arms showed improvement.""Puregraft processed microfat appears to be a viable treatment for patients suffering from osteoarthritis of the knee" noted, CEO of Puregraft. "Patients with osteoarthritis lose the protective cushion in their knee joint, resulting in debilitating grinding of bone on bone. This clinical data reinforces what we already knowPuregraft processed fat is a therapeutic volumizer, aiming to restore normal movement and quality of life."The Joint Pain Injection MarketThe company is pursuing the further clinical and market development of Puregraft in the osteoarthritis marketplace, where nearly 30 million adults suffer inalone. Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis. It occurs most frequently in the hands, hips, and knees. With OA, the cartilage within a joint begins to break down and the underlying bone begins to change. These changes usually develop slowly and get worse over time. OA can cause pain, stiffness, and swelling. In some cases, it also causes reduced function and disability; some people are no longer able to do daily tasks or work.1 The global joint pain injections market is currently valued at overand is expected to grow to.2About PuregraftPuregraft is a private company owned by Bimini Health Tech. In 15 minutes or less, the company's FDA cleared, and CE-Marked technology can provide a surgeon with purified adipose tissue for reinjection. Puregraft technology is used in hospitals and clinics around the world. Puregraft is positioned to continue its leadership in the rapidly expanding, fat grafting marketplace.Learn more about Puregraft at http://www.puregraft.com1. The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention. 2. Transparency Market Research (TMR) has published a new report titled, "Joint Pain Injections Market Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast, 20182026SOURCE Puregraft A British businessman who contracted the novel coronavirus (2019-nCov) may be a super-spreader given that he infected 11 other people, The Guardian reported. The man, a resident of Hove in East Sussex, attended a sales conference in Singapore from January 20-22. British officials believe he contracted the virus during that time. They told the paper that the event had been attended by over 100 people, including one from Wuhan, the city at the epicentre of the outbreak. However, not realising he contracted the disease which has a two week incubation period the man then travelled to the Les Contamines-Montjoie ski resort in France where he stayed with his family from January 24-28, the report added. Once back in Britain, he also visited the local pub on February 1. He further spread the virus to at least 11 others who he came in contact with, these include the five Britons who tested positive in France and one Briton who tested positive in Spain. Further, the four cases confirmed in Britain on January 10 also had contact with the man. Given that an infected individual spreads the virus to two other people on average, the British man is being considered a super-spreader. A super-spreader is someone who passes on a pathogen to an unusually large number of people. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show He alerted public officials about the possibility of him having the virus after conference organisers informed that another delegate had tested positive. The man, who was the first Briton to have tested positive for coronavirus, is in an isolation unit at Londons St. Thomas Hospital and officials are on tracking down all the people he had contact with, especially those he travelled with on his UK return flight. The Guardian at around 5 pm Indian Standard Time (IST) reported that the man, identified as 53-year-old Steve Walsh, has fully recovered. He is in an isolation unit at St Thomas hospital in London, which has a specialist infectious disease centre. Walsh thanked the National Health Service (NHS) for their "help and care" and added his thoughts are with others who have contracted coronavirus. "As soon as I knew I had been exposed to a confirmed case of coronavirus I contacted my GP, NHS 111 and Public Health England. I was advised to attend an isolated room at a hospital, despite showing no symptoms, and subsequently self-isolated at home as instructed. When the diagnosis was confirmed I was sent to an isolation unit in the hospital, where I remain, and, as a precaution, my family was also asked to isolate themselves," Walsh said. By Rasana Gasimova Azerbaijani SOCAR AQS LLC and American Halliburton have agreed to establish a joint venture to provide a broad suite of oilfield products and services in Azerbaijan, SOCAR AQS reported. It was noted that the joint venture will be based in Baku, and will focus its business development and operations both on onshore and offshore Azerbaijan. SOCAR AQS and Halliburton expect to finalize the joint venture and begin operations in the second quarter of 2020 subject to the agreement and finalization of terms and conditions. Combining our unrivalled knowledge, experience and infrastructure in Azerbaijan with Halliburtons strength as a global leader in oilfield services, creates a strategic platform for our businesses to work together and grow operations in Azerbaijan, said CEO of SOCAR AQS Ramin Isayev. Ahmed Kenawi, Halliburton's senior vice president for Europe, Eurasia, and sub-Saharan Africa, noted that cooperation supports the country's strategy to localize high-quality technology services. By aligning with SOCAR AQS, we believe the planned joint venture will be uniquely positioned to bring world-class offerings to meet the regions growing demands in oilfield products and services, he noted. SOCAR-AQS LLC was established in 2007 between SOCAR and Absheron Drilling Company to provide drilling and well services. The shareholders are SOCAR, Nobel Oil Services and Absheron Qazma. Currently, SOCAR AQS conducts drilling operations in four oil and gas fields in the Caspian Sea, including six drilling rigs on five platforms available in the Gunashli, Umid, Bulla and Western Absheron fields. The company successfully implements drilling works in Turkey in the frame of Expansion of Tuz Golu underground gas storage project, as well as implements the activities under the relevant agreements, expanding its geography in Ukraine and Bangladesh. SOCAR AQS is a member of International Association of Drilling Contractors (IADC) since 2009. It has been awarded a Certificate of Integrated Drilling and Wells Services API Spec Q2 - Quality Management System. The company is the first and only enterprise in the region to receive API Spec Q2 certification. In November 2018, SOCAR AQS joined the UN Global Compact. --- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz LUCKNOW The outbreak of coronavirus has closed the window of opportunity for research scholars and professors of Uttar Pradesh in China. According to educators, the dragon nation provides lucrative avenues of research and education for Indian scholars. In recent years, China has improved manifold in terms of education. The country also promotes student exchange with India, which has facilitated the movement of students there, said Manoj Dixit, vice- chancellor of Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University. This movement of students has taken a blow after the coronavirus outbreak, he said. Dixit has been a part of five research delegations to China in the past few years. China has developed world class infrastructure and leads India in terms of quality research. It also has low cost of living as compared to European countries, which attracts researchers there, said Mohd Sajjad Athar, professor of Physics at Aligarh Muslim University (AMU). As the central government issued an advisory, asking people to refrain from travelling to China, research scholars have cancelled their upcoming trips to the country, even to attend conferences. Vikram Deswal, a PhD scholar of Lucknow, said: I was scheduled to visit Beijing for a conference on biotech research but had to shelve the plan after outbreak of coronavirus. Abhishek Kumar, PhD scholar of Lucknow University (LU) who attended a conference in Suzhou (China) in 2019, said: I was preparing to apply for another conference in China this year but have decided otherwise. The situation in China is worrisome, he said. Meanwhile, teachers of different universities have also been asked to refrain from visiting China. The administration of Banaras Hindu University(BHU) warned its faculty against attending conferences in China. Since January 15, we have asked teachers and research scholars to refrain from attending seminars in China. The heads of department have also been asked to not invite delegates from China for any seminar in the university, till further notice, said Rakesh Bhatnagar, vice- chancellor, BHU. T he law on early terrorist release is madness that is failing London, the Justice Secretary warned today as emergency legislation to stop extremist convicts being freed automatically was unveiled in Parliament. Robert Buckland said that he had suffered shock and then deep frustration in the wake of the double stabbing by released terror convict Sudesh Amman in Streatham this month. He said the attack had only been halted by brave police officers who shot 20-year-old Amman dead before he could kill or injure more victims. Mr Buckland added that the incident which followed the double killing at Fishmongers Hall in November by another freed terror convict, Usman Khan showed the legislation that he was unveiling today was needed. The new legislation, which ministers hope will clear its Commons stages this week and become law before the end of the month, will require terrorist offenders to serve at least two-thirds of their sentence and permit their release only if approved by the Parole Board. It will apply retrospectively to existing prisoners, as well as those sentenced in future, and is expected to stop about 50 terrorist convicts being freed automatically this year after serving only half their jail term. In a message to Londoners released to the Standard today, Mr Buckland said: Like many Londoners I was shocked by the terrible news from Streatham. "It soon emerged that the attacker was a convicted terror offender who under the current law was released automatically after serving only half his sentence and the shock I felt soon turned to a deep, sadly familiar, frustration. Despite clear concerns, there were no powers to prevent this individual from being released. The law is failing. Its failing London and its failing the country. Mr Buckland said todays emergency legislation would put an end to this madness. Last fall, members of St. John Lutheran Church Women of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America donated 38 boxes of supplies to families in need through the Lutheran World Relief organization. In those boxes were roughly 100 articles of baby and infant clothes sewed by 98 year old Lorna Waldmeier. Waldmeier said she started sewing the clothes roughly 20 years ago after she couldnt find what was needed through garage sales. Each time I sew, each one is so pretty and just gives me encouragement to continue, Waldmeier said. And when I get the blues or get depressed, I start sewing. ELCA member Karen Probst said each baby kit has four diapers, two sleeper outfit, a jacket, hat and a pair of gloves. The sleepers always have to have their feet cut out of them. I thought it was because its hot in the countries. Its not. Its so they could wear them longer, Probst said. Waldmeier said she makes the outfits out of donated fabrics and from Bargain Box clothing, and prefers to use cotton knits or flannel material. Its funI enjoy doing it, Waldmeier said. ELCA member Alvera Bade the kits go to countries that are poor or have gone through natural disasters like hurricanes, typhoons and earthquakes. The group receives notes where the kits go, which includes Tanzania, Lebanon, Prussia and Haiti. Lutheran World Relief also donates quilts school kits and personal care kits in addition to the baby kits. Probst said the group quilts the second and fourth Monday each month at 9 a.m., and they welcome volunteers. Fabric and other kit donations can be taken to the church, located at 701 North Sixth Street in Beatrice. More information can be found by calling 402-223-5268, or online at stjohnbeatrice.org/ Love 5 Funny 0 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 1 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. The administration has worked closely with Alderman Taylor and Alderman Hairston, as well as a range of Woodlawn residents and other important stakeholders, to craft a solution that will prevent displacement, a Lightfoot spokeswoman said in a written statement. We are committed to ongoing discussions with these stakeholders to make sure the concerns of the community are reflected in any affordable housing or economic development solutions for Woodlawn, while ensuring that there are no unintended consequences for the community." Finally, a positive climate-related note coming out of the fossil fuels industry at a time when its reputation is beyond battered as it takes the bulk of the blame for the worlds carbon emissions; energy-related CO2 emissions are set to decrease through 2030, and fossil fuels emissions will remain flat through 2050--despite economic expansion. It may not be an environmental utopia, but it might not be a catastrophe, either. In 2015, Paris-based global energy industry navel-gazer International Energy Agency (IEA) dropped a major bombshell when it revealed that energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions had remained unchanged since 2013 despite continued growth by the global economy. This marked the first time in 40 years when emissions had flatlined at a time of economic expansion, a milestone that flew in the face of established economic wisdom that had long assumed that rising fossil fuel consumption and climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions were inextricably linked. But a similar trajectory expected here in the United States suggests that the decoupling of emissions and economic growth could become the new norm. U.S.-based Energy Information Administrations (EIA) has just released the Annual Energy Outlook 2020 (AEO2020) Reference case. The report--which assumes no new laws and regulations are enacted--has projected that U.S. energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions will gradually decrease through the early 2030s before increasing slightly to 4.9 billion metric tons by 2050. If the EIA projections are realized, it would mean that U.S. energy-related CO2 emissions in 2050 will be 4% lower than 2019 levels and prove that efforts to snuff out CO2 emissions do not have to come at the expense of economic growth. U.S. GDP growth is expected to moderate from 2.3% in 2019 to 1.7% in 2020 through 2023 before increasing slightly to 1.8% from 2024 to 2029. Related: Chevron Ramps Up Oil Production In Venezuela A gradual transition to clean and renewable energy sources in the U.S. electricity generation mix is mainly to thank for the slowdown in C02 emissions. Coal Out of Favor The U.S. electric power sector is expected to experience the largest drop in CO2 emissions thanks in large part to continued coal power plant retirements as well as additions in renewable generation capacity. However, the notion that coal is facing an imminent death is a bit far-fetched since more economically viable coal power plants are expected to remain in service, hence the flatlining of CO2 emissions beyond 2025. The transportation sector is also expected to contribute to the CO2 slowdown through the late 2020s, with rising fuel efficiency likely to more than offset the increase in total travel and freight movements. Unfortunately, continued economic and population growth are expected to force the CO2 trend to reverse course beyond 2030. Total U.S. energy related CO2 emissions are expected to resume growth after 2031 mainly due to higher consumption of petroleum and natural gas, even though commercial and residential emissions are likely to remain unchanged throughout the projection period. The good news: the rise in CO2 emissions beyond 2030 is expected to be moderate with CO2 levels in 2050 still clocking in 4% below 2019 levels. Sensitivity to Economic Growth The report is careful to acknowledge the role of economic growth in its model, noting that an economy expanding too fast could throw a wrench in our GHG emissions goals. AEO2020 projections make several assumptions regarding multiple variables such as economic growth, oil prices, oil and natural gas resource estimates and renewable energy technology costs. The report has modeled side cases of extremes in economic growth--with the high case providing a sobering reality. In the High Economic Growth case, C02 emissions could be 13% higher than the reference case and a good 9% above 2019 levels. Related: Global Oil Demand Growth Is Evaporating On the flip side, a sluggish economy could be good for the environment with CO2 emissions in the Low Economic Growth case projected to be 11% lower than in the Reference case and 15% lower than 2019 levels. Close Shave In 1974, economist William Nordhaus published his landmark paper Resources as a Constraint on Growth, where he described the transition from a cowboy economy to a spaceship economy. In the cowboy economy, ...we could afford to use our resources profligately, and ...the environment could be used as a sink without becoming fouled. But, in the spaceship economy, ...great attention must be paid to the sources of life and to the dumps where our refuse is piled. Towards the end of his paper, Nordhaus discussed the possible adverse effects of energy consumption, most notably the greenhouse effect. He estimated that the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide would increase by more than forty per cent over the next sixty years. He was incredibly prescient. We are now dangerously close on track to Nordhaus estimate--four hundred and eighty-seven parts per million CO2 by 2030. Historically, CO2 and GHG emissions have aligned with the ebb and flow of the economy. However, the EIA report suggests we could be about to buck that trend thanks to the clean energy and ESG drive gaining fresh impetus in recent years. Global CO2 emissions grew just 0.6% in 2019 after rising an alarming 3.4% in 2018 mainly due to Chinas renewed green energy drive. If the EIA projections become the baseline for the rest of the globe, we might just sigh a collective sigh of relief after our close shave with a full-blown global catastrophe. By Alex Kimani for Oilprice.com More Top Reads From Oilprice.com: Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Tuesday slammed "authorities" for not taking requisite actions in the case of molestation of women students during the annual cultural festival at Gargi College here. In a tweet, he also made a mention about cases of violence in Jawaharlal Nehru University and Jamia Milia Islamia and called it a "Decimation of Universities." "Decimation of Universities (The new culture) JNU: Masked right-wingers perpetrated violence Jamia: Entered the library and vandalised, spreading panic Gargi College: Entered by breaching walls and molested women We are still waiting for authorities to act," Sibal said in a tweeted this morning. The Gargi college administration has set up a "high-level fact-finding committee" to look into the February 6 incident when a group of men gatecrashed the college's annual festival and molested women students, college Principal Promila Kumar said here on Monday. Kumar said that the committee would meet with the complainants, eyewitnesses and any other person having relevant information regarding the alleged sexual assault on students by some unidentified men last week. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Peninsula is one of the UK's premier companies, started in 1983 by Salfordian Peter Done with headquarters on the fringes of Manchester city centre. The company offers HR, employment law and health & safety support services to small and fast-growing businesses across the country, as well as tax and payroll advice, employee assistance programmes, and HR and health & safety training. Since its beginnings in Salford, Peninsula has now expanded into the furthest corners of the globe, operating in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada . 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. HOUSTON The Texas attorney general has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a California law prohibiting state employees from using taxpayer-funded business trips to expos or conferences in Texas. Attorney General Ken Paxton asked the high court to reverse the ban on Monday, the Houston Chronicle reported. The Supreme Court has exclusive jurisdiction over civil disputes between states. California adopted the ban following a 2017 Texas law that allows foster care and adoption agencies to deny services for religious beliefs. Supporters say the law does not discriminate because it requires the agencies to make referrals to other organizations. But opponents argue the law gives child-placement offices legal authority to discriminate against the LGBT community and others. Paxton called Californias ban economic warfare and an attempt to punish Texans for respecting the right of conscience for foster care and adoption providers. The law California opposes does not prevent anyone from contributing to child welfare, Paxton said. Boycotting states based on nothing more than political disagreement breaks down the ability of states to serve as laboratories of democracy while still working together as one nation the very thing our Constitution intended to prevent. In a statement issued Tuesday, California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said his state has chosen not to use taxpayer money to support laws discriminating against the LGBTQ community. The ban by California affects 11 states, including Alabama, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky and South Carolina. Discriminatory laws in any part of our country send all of us several steps back, Becerra said in 2017. Thats why when California said we would not tolerate discrimination against LGBTQ members of our community, we meant it. A raid on popular pension tax breaks to drum up money for other government priorities is reportedly on the cards in the upcoming Budget. Pensions tax relief could be set at 20 per cent for everyone, potentially saving 10billion in payments to higher rate taxpayers. This would tear up the long-standing principle of saving into a pension from untaxed income. Pension top-ups: A 10bn raid would hit the wealthy and young, and offer no sweetener to lower earners A 'mansion tax' on the owners of the country's most expensive homes is also thought to be on the table on 11 March as Chancellor Sajid Javid considers how to raise money to fund plans to 'level up' the economy In the wake of the Tories' decisive election win, Javid could dust off a scheme to radically overhaul pension tax relief considered, but ultimately abandoned, by George Osborne ahead of the 2016 Brexit referendum, according to a report in the Financial Times. The spectre of a raid on pensions tax relief, which at present allows everyone to save for retirement out of untaxed income, has haunted savers for years. There has been speculation about big changes in the run-up to most Budgets since 2016, but it has always come to nothing. So how would a move to 20 per cent rate pension tax relief across the board affect the country's millions of pension savers, if the Government decides to go for it this time? How would a 20% flat rate work? How do pension tax breaks work now? The Government's pension tax relief bill is around 35billion a year, which includes individual contributions to pension pots and exemptions for employers. The tax perk for individuals is aimed at encouraging us all to save more for retirement, but at present you get a bigger sweetener the more you earn. The rebate we get is based on our income tax rates of 20 per cent, 40 per cent or 45 per cent, which tilts the system in favour of the better-off. But it's supposed to ensure you aren't penalised by tax on your pension contributions, so if you earn enough to put more in your pot you get more back in tax relief. The plan would abolish for good the principle that the money people put towards old age saving is not taxed no matter how much they earn - an idea that originated in the Finance Act of 1921. Once introduced, the Government would also be able to fiddle with a flat rate whenever it wanted, so even if it was initially set at an advantageous level for basic rate taxpayers it could be reduced by successive Chancellors needing to raise cash. Setting pension tax relief at 20 per cent for everyone would be far less generous than previous suggestions of a higher rate somewhere between 25 and 33 per cent. At those levels, lower earners would get a bigger boost to their pension pots and higher earners would receive less than they do now. Those on 40 or 45 per cent get the bulk of pension tax relief at present, although this is because they earn more and pay more tax. However, it's worth noting that people on the basic rate effectively pay 32 per cent to the taxman when 12 per cent National Insurance - which is levied before pension contributions are made and tax relief calculated on them - is taken into account. Higher and additional rate taxpayers pay 12 per cent NI on their first 50,000 of income, and then 2 per cent on the rest - so 42 per cent or 47 per cent respectively. Flat rate tax relief normally gets touted as taking money off the older and wealthier. But the real losers from pension tax relief being cut back would be younger people whose pay could end up rising above the higher rate threshold in their working life. The older, richer generation have already had a lifetime of higher relief, and benefited from more generous and guaranteed final salary pensions as well. 'Younger workers are more likely to be basic-rate taxpayers, with most enjoying their highest wages in the later stages of their careers,' says Tom Selby, senior analyst at AJ Bell. 'If tax relief were to be limited at 20 per cent, young people - who have already missed out on cheap housing and generous defined benefit provision would be unable to claim the extra tax relief bonus that was available to their parents.' How likely is a 20% flat rate? The Government has pondered moving to a 'flat rate' system where all savers get exactly the same rebate many times, but always backed off in the end. Why the basic rate top-up for pensions is 25% The conversation around this subject talks about 20% pension tax relief, because this is the basic rate of income tax that it relates to. The actual top-up people get to pension contributions is in fact 25 per cent, to take them back to the position they would have been in before tax. This is because a worker who paid 20% tax would see 100 reduce to 80. To get back to that 100, they need a 20 top-up, which is 25 per cent of 80. Another option has been introducing a new 'Pensions Isa' where everyone saves out of taxed income and less money goes into pension pots as a result. But people would have to save out of taxed income, and then trust the Government not to wallop them with tax again when they reach retirement. Osborne is thought to ditched both ideas for fear of a backlash among voters before the EU referendum. The current government is also likely to face fierce opposition, including from traditional Tory supporters, but is more likely to face this down given its comfortable majority. The next election is a long way off and the move could free up billions of pounds for other projects. However, pension experts routinely warn changes would create a financial hole in the retirement funds of many people, and there would be daunting practical problems to changing the current regime. What are the practical obstacles? A 20 per cent flat rate could mark the end of salary sacrifice schemes, where staff and employers boost pension payments in order to cut their National Insurance payments. 'This can offer tax benefits to some employees and employers and also has an added advantage in that employer but not employee contributions are exempt from National Insurance,' says Steven Cameron, pensions director at Aegon. 'In future, if the flat rate of tax relief was below an individual's income tax rate, they would benefit from going down this path. The Chancellor would need to close this loophole or fail to cut the pensions tax relief 'bill'.' Income tax rates are higher in Scotland, at 21 per cent for basic and 46 per cent for higher rate taxpayers. But Cameron believes the Government could get around this by effectively detaching pension tax relief from income tax rates, allowing it to apply the 20 per cent flat rate north of the border too. A thornier issue would be that defined contribution and final salary pension schemes work in different ways, and it would be much harder to apply a 20 per cent flat rate to the latter. 'In defined benefit schemes, while employee contributions are fixed, contributions from employers change over time to deliver promised benefits and are not 'earmarked' for individuals,' explains Cameron. 'Looking at the overall funding of such schemes, if tax relief across all employee contributions fell, the employer would be left having to pay more to compensate. Much detailed thinking is needed to decide how to make flat rate relief work for members and employers with defined benefit schemes.' Cameron added that it would 'hugely divisive' to introduce a 20 per cent flat rate for defined contribution schemes, while leaving the system for defined benefit schemes unchanged and their members receiving preferential treatment. One very contentious aspect of pension tax has been the so-called 'taper problem', which sees doctors turn down shifts for fear of shock bills. A 20 per cent flat rate of pension tax relief would not solve this directly, but higher earners like doctors would put less money into pensions so fewer might encounter this problem, according to Cameron. It is unclear how such a change would impact annual and lifetime allowances, which limit how much people can put in a pension and get tax relief over a year and during their working lives. The annual allowance is currently 40,000 for most people, but reduced or 'tapered' to 10,000 for higher earners like doctors. The lifetime allowance is curently 1,055,000, and will rise to 1.073million in April. However, the 'net pay' issue, a separate pension tax relief problem affecting low paid people, would be sorted out by the introduction of a 20 per cent flat rate. This is a loophole which sees workers, mostly women, earning between 10,000 and 12,500 lose pension top-ups automatically paid to the better off, but this would be a moot point if everyone got the same level of pension tax relief. What do pension experts say? 'Moving to a flat rate somewhere between basic and higher income tax rates would be good news for non-taxpayers and basic rate taxpayers, while higher and additional rate taxpayers would see their government top-ups reduced,' says Steven. 'In terms of simple appeal, a flat rate relief of 33 per cent would see the Government add 1 for every 2 from individuals. 'But if set below 30 per cent, higher rate tax payers expecting to pay higher rate tax in retirement might find pension saving unattractive, undermining the success of automatic enrolment which 'works' because pension saving is in virtually everyone's interest. 'Simply removing higher rate relief and granting 20 per cent relief to everyone would not affect basic rate pension savers but would severely dent the attractions for higher rate taxpayers many of whom are far from 'wealthy'. 'While there are benefits in flat rate relief, when the Government considered such changes back in 2015, it found there are many complexities to consider, and unless these are thought through and solved, changes could do more harm than good.' Tom Selby adds: 'Barely a Budget goes by that the Treasury isn't rumoured to be eyeing radical pension tax relief reform. 'This constant speculation risks altering investor behaviour and damaging confidence in the stability of the system. 'Ironically, in the short-term such stories will inevitably cost the Exchequer cash as savers pile into pensions to make the most of tax relief while it is still there. 'If there are to be reforms to the pension tax framework, they must not risk harming the fragile savings culture that is being developed in the UK. 'We believe the focus at the moment should be improving the existing system rather than burning the whole edifice to the ground.' Gary Smith, chartered financial planner at Tilney, says: 'A potential of scrapping of higher rate tax relief on pensions has repeatedly reared its head since George Osborne commissioned a consultation into the future of pensions tax relief during his tenure as Chancellor. 'A new Government with a commanding majority may well feel it is a position to implement such a policy that would prove unpopular with those impacted. 'However, in contemplating such as move, the Government needs to give careful consideration as to how this might impact public sector professionals, especially doctors working in the NHS, where previous tinkering with pension taxation has caused chaos. 'I would be interested to know how the removal of the higher rate pensions tax relief could be applied to public sector pension scheme members, as their pension contributions are currently deducted from gross salary before income tax is calculated, thus they automatically receive high rate relief. 'If they were to alter this, it would increase the tax liability for NHS workers, which could actually make the current crisis even worse. 'However, if the Chancellor doesnt alter public sector schemes, this potential reduction in pension tax relief might only apply to private sector workers, which would be grossly unfair. 'Removing the higher rate relief means that he would also have to scrap salary sacrifice arrangements as higher rate relief would effectively be obtained if this option remains. 'There are also those business owners who actually make pension contributions through their business to obtain corporation tax relief, and these would be unaffected by scrapping higher rate relief.' NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. New Hartford police are in the process of charging a man after receiving a report of indecent exposure at the Hannaford in Washington Mills on Jan. 23. Police posted photos of the suspect on social media, asking for help identifying the man. They say tips from the public helped them find the suspect. While the man has been identified, police are not releasing any details until he has been formally charged. Princess Anne's former bodyguard has revealed that he had no idea the man who stopped their car 36 years ago was about to attempt to kidnap the royal - and how the incident changed the family's security measures forever. Jim Beaton, a former Metropolitan Police inspector, was shot three times as he put himself between Anne, who was just 23 at the time, and a gunman during the failed kidnap bid in March 1974. The former security officer, now 76, who was later awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian honour for gallantry, was shot in the arm, hand and chest as he stopped Ian Ball, then 26, from his attempt to kidnap her from a Rolls Royce in exchange for a 2million ransom. Jim has shared the new details just a week after the ex heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell, now 72, who intervened and chased the would-be kidnapper away revealed that he would be selling his George Medal to pay for healthcare. Princess Anne's former bodyguard Jim Beaton has revealed that he had no idea the man who stopped their car 36 years ago was about to attempt to kidnap the royal - and how the incident changed the family's security measures forever The former security officer, now 76, who was later awarded the George Cross, the highest civilian honour for gallantry, was shot in the arm, hand and chest as he stopped Ian Ball, then 26, from his attempt to kidnap her from a Rolls Royce in exchange for a 2million ransom Reliving the frightening moment their path was blocked on the evening of March 20, Jim told The Times: 'I thought it was somebody who wanted to be a pain in the neck. There was no hint of what was to happen.' Revealing that he was shot straight away, causing him to miss when he shot back and jamming his gun, he explained how the security measures changed immediately after the incident. He said: 'I had nothing. There was no back-up vehicle. The training was non-existent; but then again, we thought nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.' Explaining how they stopped using the brand of gun that jammed on the night, he remembered how Anne's security was beefed up straight away, revealing of Anne's hospital visit to him the next day: 'She turned up with two policemen. From then on, that's what it was. Which is why the Walthers were got rid of overnight.' Jim (seen third left) has shared the new details just a week after the ex heavyweight boxer Ronnie Russell, now 72, (seen far right) who intervened and chased the would-be kidnapper away revealed that he would be selling his George Medal to pay for healthcare Ian Ball (in centre) was the 26 year old man who was charged with attempting to murder Princess Anne's bodyguard, Inspector James Wallace Beaton His revelation comes after an ex heavyweight boxer who was awarded the George Medal after saving Princess Anne from a gun-toting kidnapper has revealed the Queen paid off his mortgage to thank him for his bravery. Ronnie Russell, 72, was shot at after he punched fanatical loner Ian Ball twice in the head as he tried to take the princess hostage at gunpoint in central London in March 1974. He was awarded The George Medal medal but is now reluctantly selling it to help provide for his future after his health deteriorated following several strokes. The former boxer has now revealed how, before he was due to receive his medal at Buckingham Palace, police visited his home in Strood, Kent, on which he was struggling to pay his mortgage. Princess Anne, seen last month, reportedly retorted 'Not bloody likely' when she was told by the kidnapper to get out of the car in 1974 Mr Russell, who now lives in Bristol, is reluctantly selling the George Medal as he is in poor health, having suffered several strokes, and wants to be able to provide for his future. Ian Ball had blocked the princess's car with his own as it drove along the Mall back to Buckingham Palace, and fired a series of shots through the rear window as he tried to kidnap the princess. The princess and her then husband, Captain Mark Phillips, were unhurt during the late-night ambush. But her personal detective, chauffeur, a police constable and a journalist were all shot by Ball, who was armed with two revolvers. Mr Russell was then a 28-year-old 6ft 2in 17-stone former boxer who trained at the same club as the Kray twins in Bethnal Green. The area cleaning manager was heading home to Kent when he saw the incident unfold and rushed to the newly married couple's aid. Ronnie, seen in 2010, said this week he is selling his George Medal as he needs the money The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on Tuesday announced the restriction of foreign exchange for milk importation to six companies in Nigeria. A statement by the apex bank said the companies include Nestle, FrieslandCampina WAPCO Nigeria, Chi Limited, TG Arla Dairy Product limited, Promasidor Nigeria, Nestle Nigeria and Integrated Dairies Limited. According to the statement, the new move is aimed at boosting local production. The CBN said that it has engaged the manufacturers because they have keyed into its backward integration to enhance their capacity and improve local milk production For the avoidance of doubts, the bank said, all established form M for the importation of milk and its derivatives for companies other than the above for which shipment has not taken place should be cancelled immediately. In July 2019, the apex bank announced a plan to restrict forex for milk importation. The announcement drew the ire of many Nigerians. While many interest groups condemned the move, others mistook the decision for an outright ban on milk importation. In their reactions, the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) and the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) said they were not consulted. This was contrary to the claim by the CBN governor that the apex bank held several meetings with some milk importing companies, particularly representatives of Friesland Campina WAMCO Nigeria PLC, one of Nigerias oldest importers of milk, on the issue. Also, the Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, said the decision might lead to the downsizing of their staff. He said the proposed policy will also cut down on the contribution of the manufacturing sector of the economy to the countrys gross domestic product. Mr Ajayi-Kadir described the CBNs decision as unilaterally taken without due consultation with the operators in the dairy industry. It is a fact that backward integration is the way to grow an economy, but there is a need to be strategic and deliberate about the way to implement the measure, the MAN DG said. CBN Explains But the CBN in a subsequent statement vigorously explained its restriction policy. The bank said there is neither a plan nor a decision to ban the importation of milk into the country, an act it said it had no legal power to take. Arising from the success of the restriction policy, we approached some milk importers, as we did for rice, tomato, and starch and asked them to take advantage of CBNs low-interest loans to begin local milk production instead of relying endlessly on milk imports, the statement said. Today, although there have been some successful attempts at producing milk locally, the vast majority of the importers still treat this national aspiration with imperial contempt. For the avoidance of doubt, milk importation is not banned. Indeed, the CBN has no such power. All we will do is to restrict the sale of FOREX for the importation of milk from the Nigerian foreign exchange market. We wish to reiterate that we remain ready and able to provide the needed finance to enable investors who genuinely want to engage in milk production. EquityBee, a Tel Aviv, Israel-based startup employees stock options funding solution, raised $6.6M in funding. The round was led by Group11, with participation from Battery Ventures and LocalGlobe. As part of the round, Dovi Frances, General Partner and founder of Group11, is joining EquityBees Board of Directors. The company intends to use the funds to expand into the U.S. market. Founded by Oren Barzilai, CEO, Oded Golan, CPO, and Mody Radashkovich, COO, EquityBee helps startup employees get the money they need to exercise their stock options before they expire. The platform connects employees with investors who provide them with the necessary funding they need to exercise and benefit from their employee stock options (ESO). EquityBee Investors Community includes thousands of investors from all over the world, including family offices, funds and accredited investors. The employee and the investors share a portion of any future exit gains. In the past year alone, the company has helped hundreds of employees from more than one hundred different companies including Taboola, MyHeritage, SimilarWeb, MagicLeap, IronSource and more. FinSMEs 11/02/2020 Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Tue, February 11, 2020 09:00 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063b56c7 2 Entertainment Bruno-Mars,Disney,music Free Bruno Mars is partnering with Walt Disney Studios for a musical-themed theatrical narrative feature, which the Uptown Funk vocalist will also produce and star in. Details about the yet-untitled project are still scarce at this date, although Deadline reported that the film will mostly consist of original music that Mars will create and perform. The Grammy winner celebrated the announcement with a video posted to his social media, in which he is heard playing When You Wish upon a Star from Pinocchio on the piano. Read also: Bruno Mars blames 'sexual deviant' Ed Sheeran for West Java ban on songs If your heart is in your dream No request is too extreme When you wish upon a Star #MarsMeetsTheMouse #ImGoingToDisneyland #YESSS!! pic.twitter.com/L4nLzinmKa Bruno Mars (@BrunoMars) February 6, 2020 This is not the first time that Mars will appear on the big screen, as he starred as a child actor in the 1992 comedy Honeymoon in Vegas and voiced Roberto in the 2014 animated film Rio 2. Earlier this week, Walt Disney Studios also announced that a Hamilton musical film was also in the pipes. The adaptation of the blockbuster musical is set to hit theaters in October 2021, with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda revealing that the original Broadway cast will star in the forthcoming film. The project, billed in a press release as a leap forward in the art of live capture,' was filmed in June 2016 at the Richard Rodgers Theater in New York City. In addition to his partnership with Disney, Mars is reportedly back in the recording studio for his much-anticipated new album. Details about the yet-untitled opus are scarce at this time, although it would follow 2016s chart-topping 24k Magic. That album took the 60th Annual Grammy Awards by storm in 2018, winning Album of the Year, Best R&B Album, Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical and Record of the Year. More recently, Mars collaborated with Cardi B on 2019s Please Me, as well as Ed Sheeran and Chris Stapleton on Blow. Trumps Middle East plan violates international law but also unintentionally reveals just how afraid of it Israel is. US President Donald Trumps plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict flagrantly violates international law. But it also confirms Israels recognition that it cannot escape all of international law all of the time. In particular, it demonstrates that the potential reach of the International Criminal Court (ICC) represents a threat to Israel in a way that unenforced UN resolutions do not. A history of international law violations Since the creation of the Israeli state in 1948, UN resolutions critical of Israel have made numerous calls ranging from the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes to condemning Israeli attacks on Palestinian civilians. Trumps so-called deal of the century attempts to reverse such resolutions by legitimising a number of illegal acts, including Israeli annexation of illegally occupied Palestinian land and the continued establishment of Jewish settlements on Palestinian territory. It stipulates that Jerusalem is the undivided capital of Israel, while Palestine would have limited control over scattered neighbourhoods in East Jerusalem. These neighbourhoods are east and north of the security barrier, otherwise known as the Israeli-built separation wall that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) deemed illegal over 15 years ago. There are dozens of UN resolutions that reprimand Israel and demand that it reverse its violations against Palestinians. Yet Israel continues to flagrantly violate them and other international legal decisions without any sanction. What, then, is the use of international law when it continues to fail Palestinians? International law as resistance The absence of any real consequence for Israels unlawful actions is not limitless. Abhorrent as it is, Trumps plan makes it tacitly clear that Israel recognises the power of international law, especially when used as a tool of resistance. The deal calls on Palestine to drop any and all international criminal cases not only against Israelis, but against Americans as well. The fear of the plans American and Israeli drafters stems in part from what Palestine has managed to achieve with the help of international law, despite its continued subjugation and oppression by the Israeli state, supported by the US. More than 130 states recognised Palestine as a non-member observer state at the United Nations in November 2012. Palestine acceded to the Rome Statute of the ICC, after which it requested that the Court investigate crimes committed on its territory. In December 2019, after lengthy deliberations regarding the ICCs jurisdiction over the Palestine situation (some of which are ongoing), the ICC prosecutor ultimately decided that there are reasonable grounds to investigate crimes committed on Palestinian territory. Should the current case before the ICC reach a stage where Israeli officials are indicted and arrest warrants issued against them, this would restrict the mobility of those officials as they try to avoid countries where they may be arrested and transferred to The Hague for trial. They would also be named and shamed. Of course, the chances of that happening are slim. The ICC does not have its own police force to arrest individuals, and instead relies on state cooperation to do so. International law cannot and does not operate in a vacuum political will and political mobilisation are at once key drivers of and key obstacles to the promise of international law: justice. Even if no Israeli official is indicted or arrested, an important lesson can be drawn from the ICC case. An international legal process is under way and, while it may not lead to any conclusive outcome, Trumps deal signals that powerful governments namely the US and Israel view international criminal law with fear, despite their attempts to dismiss it. The double-edged sword of international law International law represses and liberates. It fails to enforce UN resolutions, particularly in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As a result, it fails Palestinian victims as it cannot provide protection, nor can it guarantee justice, for them. This repeated failure of enforcement undermines the essence of the UN Charter. But international law is also emancipatory. It played an important role in decolonisation following the national liberation movements of the 1950s and 1960s. It, along with state practice, led to Palestines recognition as a de facto state by most of the world on that historical November day in 2012. In the face of powerful actors that blatantly violate international law and attempt to establish a new reality on the ground through the establishment of illegal Jewish settlements on stolen land, international law still constitutes an important platform for Palestinian resistance. Evidence of this can be found in Trumps plan as it exposes the long-standing Israeli and American paranoia that institutions such as the ICC will bring them closer to accountability for their repeated flouting of international law. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance. We began to hear more unofficial reports, as well as inquiries from residents on what could be done, he said. That, along with the media reports of an increase in activity in the region, caused us to take a look at it and engage an expert to investigate whether there was a problem and, if so, be able to mitigate it before an innocent person or pet was injured. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Mayor Ben Walsh will try to get the Common Council to support his sprawling contract deal with the Syracuse police union. Again. Walsh will resubmit the contract for council approval this month, just eight weeks after councilors rebuked the agreement. Nothing in the contract has changed, according to the union president and a pair of councilors. The council and Walshs administration sparred for weeks last year over the contract, which included a residency clause for new cops plus generous bonuses, raises and incentive payments. The police union approved the contract and the chief backed it. After a month of debate, councilors were prepared to reject the deal, saying the city couldnt afford the cost. Three councilors supported the contract and six opposed it. At a special council meeting in December, Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens asked Councilor Tim Rudd to cancel a vote on the contract. Rudd obliged. Rudd said at the time he had hoped the administration and the union would go back to the negotiating table to draw up a better deal. Instead, Walsh will return to the council with the exact same deal. In order to get the contract approved this time around, Walsh would need to win the support of three new councilors and change the mind of at least one councilor who opposed the contract in December. Thats a tall task, especially for a mayor who routinely says he doesnt like to play politics. The three new councilors who took office Jan. 1 are Pat Hogan, Chol Majok and Rita Paniagua. Two of the three councilors they replaced supported the contract last year. That means theres only one person still on the council who supported the contract: Councilor Joe Carni. Councilor Khalid Bey said Monday its highly unlikely the contract will get approved since theres been no change to the deal or to the citys financial position. The bottom line is we dont have $20 million, he said. If the council rejects the deal again, union President Jeff Piedmonte said hes prepared to go to arbitration. In that case, an independent third-party agent will look at the situation and decide on a contract. An arbitrators decision cant be for more than two years. The proposed contract was the result of seven months of negotiation between the union and Walshs staff. It was a four-and-a-half year deal that would last until 2022. The current contract expired at the end of 2017. The contract included some long-sought perks for the city, such as a five-year residency clause for new officers and a potential pilot program that would test different shift schedules. It also offered generous incentive bonuses and longevity payments to union members, which would be paid retroactively. And it included fairly standard raises of 2 to 2 1/2 percent per year. Walsh and police Chief Kenton Buckner described it as an investment in a more professional police force. In a statement Monday, Walshs chief policy officer Greg Loh said the administration is working with the council to address their concerns. We continue to work with members of the Common Council to address remaining concerns and demonstrate how the proposed agreement can be funded without negatively impacting other departments and services, he said. "We also understand that Council Leadership has recently undertaken a comprehensive review of the proposed contract. We anticipate Council action on a contract in early March. Councilors have previously argued the city simply couldnt afford the pay hikes. They also tangled with the administration over the contract math. Director of Administration Frank Caliva initially said the contract would be a $12.5 million increase in the police budget over four-and-a-half years. Councilor Rudd, however, said the administration was hiding some numbers and ignoring others. He argued the actual cost was closer to $19.5 million, something the administration conceded during one of several heated meetings. Rudd, who is chair of the councils finance committee, also chafed at paying incentive bonuses retroactively. Piedmonte has criticized Rudd in particular as being anti-police. Hes drawn attention to Facebook posts by Rudd criticizing the contract and the cost of police salaries, pensions and benefits. Monday, he said Rudd should recuse himself from any vote on the contract. Bey said that kind of rhetoric is just politics. Theres no ax to grind, he said. Were just counting the money. Chris Baker is a public affairs reporter for syracuse.com and The Post-Standard. Contact him via email at cbaker@syracuse.com or follow him on Twitter. 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. Russia has always taken an active mediating position, and assisting the parties in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh protracted conflict is one of our unconditional foreign policy priorities, Russian Deputy FM Andrei Rudenko said in an interview with RIA Novosti. The Karabakh issue remains in the focus of attention of the Russian President and FM. This circumstance attaches particular importance to the ongoing mediation activities, determines the increased attention to its results, he said. According to him, among the documents signed with the direct aid of Russia, the 1994 ceasefire deal, which is still the basis for a ceasefire. An important step on the path to the mediation efforts of Russia was the adoption in 2008 of the Moscow Declaration, which refers to a political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the Deputy FM noted adding that this is the first and so far the only document on the Artsakh settlement, signed both by the leaders of Azerbaijan and Armenia. Russia played a decisive role in ending the large-scale hostilities in 2016 by inviting the chiefs of the general staffs of Azerbaijan and Armenia to Moscow, Rudenko noted. Azerbaijani and Armenian FMs will discuss Karabakh conflict "We carry out our mediation mission in close contact with French and American partners, he said. According to him, in April last year, in Moscow, Russian FM Sergei Lavrov organized a meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani FMs, which was also attended by the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs. To build on the agreements reached between Ilham Aliyev and Nikol Pashinyan in Vienna last year, specific proposals aimed at creating an atmosphere conducive to the resumption of the negotiation process on the substance of the settlement were developed, he said adding that among them are measures to further stabilize the situation in the conflict zone, to facilitate the fate of persons in custody on the territory of the parties. It was agreed on mutual trips of media representatives, and some key issues of settlement were considered. A number of these proposals have been implemented. The situation at the border and the line of contact remains relatively calm. There is a communication line between Yerevan and Baku. Mutual trips of journalists were carried out. The captured Zaven Karapetyan and Ilvin Ibragimov were returned. Work continues on other prisoners. The ICRC is involved in it, he added. He expressed believe that all this testifies to the intention of the parties to take concrete steps aimed at preparing the population for peace. According to him, this was discussed at a recent meeting of the FMs of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Geneva. The parties declare their readiness to continue the search for compromise solutions. We support this attitude. There is a basis for continuing work. The main thing is to show political will, he concluded. AAP back to power in Delhi with 63 seats, BJP manages to win 7 seats Arvind Kejrivals Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has scored big win in Delhi assembly election, scoring over 63 seats in the 7-member house and return to power for the third time in so many elections. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) managed to secure seven seats while the Congress party failed to secure even a single seat so far as counting neared completion. While Kejriwal comfortably sailed through in his New Delhi seat, party's number two leader, Manish Sisodia, had been trailing for much of the vote counting. "Happy that people voted to make Arvind Kejriwal the chief minister for the third time with a massive victory," said Sisodia who fanally got through. The Congress failed miserably despite fielding some heavyweights, including Alka Lamba and Arvinder Singh Lovely. Exit polls had predicted another term for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party. The BJP, discounted the effect on mostly Muslim settlers of its -Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the threat posed by the so-called `Shaheen Bagh. Besides a highly polarized electorate, the AAP gained from the freebees of water and electricity besides the work done in the field of education and health. The campaign for the Delhi Election 2020 has been bitter and polarised, the political discourse bogged down by threatening slogans and foul language. BJP conducted a massive campaign, roping in most of its 70 union ministers, 270 MPs and leaders and chief ministers from various states with its campaign based on anti-CAA and nationalism. The turnout for the Delhi election 2020, however, was only 62.59 per cent, which also meant loss of vote for BJP and Congress. The BJP and not the Congress was defeated in Delhi as the Congress tally remained at zero like in 2015, Congress leader and Punjab cabinet minister Sadhu Singh Dharamsot was quoted as saying by news agency PTI. "We were zero earlier, and this time too we are zero. So it's not our defeat. It's a defeat for the BJP," he said, referring to the election trends which gave the Congress no seat in the Delhi assembly election. The Congress had not won even a single seat in the 2015 Assembly polls too. In the end, AAP proved to be smarter. Kejriwal did not engage with Modi, attack him or get dented by the BJP's attempt to claim sole rights on nationalism. Arvind Kejriwal said it is a new kind of politics that is taking shape in Delhi. He thanked people of Delhi for placing faith in his party for the third time. This win belongs to all people of Delhi, everyone who have considered me a son and gave us this massive win. BUWAMA A bus belonging to Trinity Express, a Rwandan based travel company on Tuesday morning went up in flames in Mpigi. All the passengers survived but they lost their property to the fire. The bus registration number RAD 664D from Kigali heading to Kampala went up in flames at Buwama Police Check point. Video footage of the incident shows large flames at the rear of the bus, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. Police suspects the fire started in the engine compartment before it spread to the rest bus. Trinity Express is a Rwanda based company on the international Kigali-Kampala route. It has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Related live bse live nse live Volume Todays L/H More GMR Infrastructure share price rose over 1 percent on February 11 after the company's subsidiary secured a contract to build and operate an airport in Greece. GMR Airports, a subsidiary of the company, has achieved the concession commencement date (CCD) for design, construction, financing, operation, and maintenance of new international airport of Heraklion at Crete, Greece. GMR Airports (GAL) will work along with its Greek partner GEK TERNA to construct and operate the new international airport The concession period for the project is 35 years including Phase 1 construction of 5 years. The consortium intends to invest over 500 million Euro for the development of the airport. The project is wellfunded through the support of government grant and would not require any debt. The entire project will be funded through a mix of equity, accruals from the existing airport, and financial grant being provided by the government of Greece At 11:01 hrs, GMR Infrastructure was quoting at Rs 23.45, up Rs 0.20, or 0.86 percent on the BSE. Irish republican Sinn Fein party leader Mary Lou McDonald throws oranges in the air as she talks with a fruit trader (R) during a walkabout in the centre of Dublin, Ireland on February 10, 2020 The UK needs to start preparing for a united Ireland in the aftermath of Sinn Fein's success in the Irish election, Mary Lou McDonald warned on Monday night. The Sinn Fein leader, fresh from her triumphant general election in the Republic, also took aim at whoever ends up as the next Taoiseach, telling them that they must push for a united Ireland. In an interview with BBC Newsnight, Ms McDonald said: "Those on the island of Britain, and in London in particular, need to start preparing, because constitutional change is coming. "The point has been conceded in the Good Friday Agreement by the British state - the presence here is solely on the basis of consent. "That consent can only be tested in a unity referendum and we are going to have a unity referendum, and I want us to do it in an orderly, thoughtful, democratic and absolutely peaceful manner. "Whoever is Taoiseach when all of this plays out needs to make that case very plainly and very clearly to Boris Johnson." Ms McDonald called Brexit "a mess" and said the EU "needs to take a stand in respect of Ireland in the same way that it supported the reunification of Germany". She added: "This is live, this is happening and if anybody imagines that this issue can be wished away or that we can simply carry on regardless, they are very, very foolish. "In fact, I would go so far to say that it's irresponsible now at this stage not to plan for constitutional transition." Read More Earlier Ms McDonald predicted she herself could be poised to become Taoiseach. The Sinn Fein president insisted she may lead a new government as her party continued to bask in a remarkable general election result that saw it top the popular vote, shattering Fianna Fail and Fine Gael's long-time grip on power. On an impromptu walkabout in Dublin city centre, Ms McDonald said: "I may well be the next Taoiseach, yes." She later told the media: "I think it would be a mighty thing to have a Sinn Fein Taoiseach and also a woman perhaps in the job, but you might say she would say that wouldn't she?" Asked whether she believes she can lead a government, Ms McDonald responded: "The numbers will tell me that when the numbers are finally tallied." Counting continued on Monday and by 8.40pm 146 of the Dail's 160 seats were filled. Despite receiving the most first preference votes, Sinn Fein's place in the next government is not guaranteed. The party failed to run enough candidates to capitalise on its surging popularity in Ireland, so it will not finish up with the most seats. Fianna Fail is on course to be the largest party, though Sinn Fein could finish in second place behind outgoing Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's Fine Gael, the big loser of the poll. All three parties will fall well short of reaching the 80 seats required for a Dail majority so, barring another election, some form of coalition is inevitable. The task of forming a government could be a long and tortuous one and may force either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael to back-track on long-standing pledges never to do business with Sinn Fein. On Monday, a senior Fianna Fail politician described a coalition with Sinn Fein as "untenable". Jim O'Callaghan also insisted party leader Micheal Martin had not softened his stance on ruling out the party as government partners. "We need to recognise we gave a commitment and when you look at the policy differences between Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail, I don't think it's tenable to suggest that we should be in coalition with them," he said. Mr O'Callaghan's views are not echoed by all his colleagues, with some Fianna Fail members having indicated a willingness to do business with the party. Mr Martin later cautioned observers not to "jump the gun" in interpreting his remarks as a signal an alliance with the party was in the offing. Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said he would work with a Sinn Fein Justice Minister "to provide for the security of the country". The former PSNI Deputy Chief Constable was speaking after Sinn Fein recorded the highest number of first preference votes in the general election, making it a likely coalition partner in the next government. Mr Harris's father Alwyn Harris was murdered by an IRA car bomb in 1989 while on sick leave as an RUC superintendent. The bomb exploded under the family car as Alwyn Harris and his wife drove to a Sunday church service. Mr Harris died while his wife survived the blast. Speaking in Dublin, Commissioner Harris said: "I'm here to protect democracy and to keep people safe. So whatever minister we have I'm sure we'll have a positive working relationship." Elsewhere, a Sinn Fein TD who was filmed shouting "Up the Ra" during a victory speech has defended the comment, saying it happened during "the excitement of the night". Waterford TD David Cullinane was recorded making the comment as he spoke to supporters hours after he was elected. He said Sunday was a "very emotional day" for him but that the comments were not about the future. The short clip was posted on social media on Monday. "Obviously we were very excited and very proud of the vote we got in Waterford," Mr Cullinane said. The party's Brexit spokesman refused to apologise, saying he was "reflecting" on that time period. Ms McDonald denied suggestions that the controversial video will hinder the talks process ahead. BJP's Kapil Mishra congratulated the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and CM Arvind Kejriwal, as the party sprints towards an easy victory in the Delhi Assembly Elections. Acknowledging BJP's defeat, Kapil Mishra said that the saffron party lost its fifth state election and that it 'failed to connect' with the people of Delhi. AAP's rebel MLA Kapil Mishra, who has been a vehement critic of CM Arvind Kejriwal during the poll campaign, is currently trailing by over 11,000 votes from Delhi's Model Town constituency to AAP's Akhilesh Tripathi and Congress candidate Akanksha Ola. As per current trends, AAP has won four seats and leading on 59 seats. Meanwhile, the BJP is leading on 7 seats and none for Congress. "I congratulate Aam Aadmi Party and Arvind Kejriwal for the excellent victory. It is the day to remember that the BJP has lost the fifth state election in a row. It means we have somewhere failed to connect with the people of Delhi," Kapil Mishra said. READ| Will vacate Shaheen Bagh like Delhi CM's office: BJP's Kapil Mishra dusts off EC's action Kapil Mishra's controversy The BJP leader stoked a controversy amid the election campaign after he equated the Delhi Assembly polls to a fight between India and Pakistan on the streets of Delhi. Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh on January 24, asked the Delhi police to register an FIR against Mishra over his 'India versus Pakistan' tweet. Singh contended that Mishras tweet constituted an offense under Section 123 of the Representation of People Act for attempting to aggravate differences between two communities. On February 3, the rebel AAP leader, in another communal statement had said that AAP should rename itself as 'Muslim League'. Accusing AAP of playing 'divisive politics' he said that the party had sought votes of the Muslim community. In addition, siding with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Kapil Mishra had claimed that those against him are backing 'traitors, terrorists, and anti-nationals.' A day prior to the vote counting, Kapil Mishra stated that 'he won't be surprised' if chief minister Arvind Kejriwal loses the New Delhi seat. Exuding support for this party, the BJP leader claimed that 'people's mandate' was with the saffron party. Building on its massive common-man appeal, the AAP government offered several freebies - free electricity, water, free wifi services, free metro and bus rides for women in the run-up to the elections. Meanwhile, the BJP, which has not held the Delhi Assembly since 1998 conducted a campaign that revolved around nationalism and against Shaheen Bagh. READ| BJP's Kapil Mishra says 'won't be surprised' if CM Arvind Kejriwal loses New Delhi seat READ| Elated over Delhi Election trends, AAP's Sanjay Singh breaks into song GROVES Emmett Sheppard, a longtime voice in Texas labor organizing and a former city councilman from Groves, died Saturday at 77. Sheppard was a native of Groves, worked at Gulf Oil Corp. and served as a city councilman and mayor pro tem in Groves during the mid-70s before he and his family headed to Austin. He also served as president of the Sabine Area Central Labor Council. Sheppard was the president of the Texas AFL-CIO from 2003 to 2007, helping lead the organizations adoption of digital technology to organize and promote labor policy. Emmett Sheppard was a fighter for working people who set the highest standard of solidarity in an era when organized labor faced the longest of odds, said current Texas AFL-CIO President Rick Levy. Sheppard was the secretary-treasurer when he was elected to replace Joe D. Gunn in 2003. He was remembered for helping to create a tradition of gaveling in certain meetings with a Swiss Army knife that got passed on to future presidents. When Texas Senate Democrats camped out in New Mexico in August 2003 in an attempt to kill Republican plans for redistricting, a newly elected Sheppard and other labor advocates met them at the Albuquerque Marriott Pyramid North to provide supplies for their stay. Were happy to help out and this is an occasion to gather some support and also pick up [the senators] spirits, Sheppard told the Austin Chronicle in 2003. Sheppard was a member of the Texas Labor Hall of Fame and took a leadership role in a statewide network of volunteers after his retirement. During his tenure, Sheppard championed worker-friendly changes to the workers compensation system and more stringent safety oversights while on the job. Levy said some of those struggles and the perseverance Emmett showed are still part of the 240,000-member state labor federation today. Emmetts resilience was known throughout the Capitol, Levy said. His heart and passion for working families were renowned across the state. He also made a mean crawfish pie. jacob.dick@beaumontenterprise.com twitter.com/jdickjournalism EU countries are set to decide whether to abandon seasonal clock changes (AP) An EU decision to scrap seasonal clock changes after Brexit could have implications for the UK, a report has warned. The report, published on Tuesday by a House of Lords sub-committee, said it could leave UK businesses out-of-step with European counterparts. The policy would create time differences of up to three hours with certain EU countries, it pointed out. From the evidence we heard, it read, it was clear that non-alignment could lead to an increase in the time differences between the UK and its EU trading partners, reducing the number of common operating hours for businesses. Academic studies and anecdotal evidence suggest that this could pose an obstacle to trade in some sectors. The Clock changes study, by the Lords EU internal market sub-committee, comes ahead of the 1 April deadline for EU member states to decide whether they want to abolish summer and winter clock changes from October next year. The UK government has rejected the prospect of following suit. However, the report warned the government would be ill-prepared to deal with the changes. It said: The nature and significance of such implications is not, however, well-understood - not least by the government. It urged the government to launch a review into the impact of non-alignment with EU countries as considerably more evidence is needed. But the report did highlight substantive evidence that a time border between Ireland and Northern Ireland would have wide-ranging practical repercussions for individuals and businesses. It said: If the EU were to discontinue seasonal changes of time but the UK decided to retain them, a future Northern Ireland Executive would have to choose between having a one-hour time difference for part of the year either with the Republic of Ireland or with the rest of the UK. Read more from Yahoo News UK EU chief takes dig at Boris Johnson for talking about Australian-style Brexit It could be 2035 before Labour is back in power, says anti-Corbyn former MP Story continues 'We aren't a branch of Oxfam': Tory MP suggests UK should rein in foreign aid spending Regions along the Ireland-Northern Ireland border share deep economic and social ties. Supply chains are closely integrated. It is normal to work or rely on public services, such as hospital and schools, on the other side of the border. There is no question that a time border would have enormous practical implications for firms and citizens in Northern Ireland, disrupting well-established ways of doing business and organising daily life. Brexit briefing: 324 days until the end of the transition period Toronto, CANADA, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- FreshBooks, the #2 small business accounting software in America, with paying customers in 100+ countries, today announced its official launch in the UK. To mark the launch, FreshBooks is announcing a new suite of features designed to help UK-based small businesses grow and succeed, while preparing for Making Tax Digital and future compliance requirements. While FreshBooks has been serving the UK market for more than a decade, recent customer growth has encouraged FreshBooks to increase its focus and investment in the region. In 2019, FreshBooks launched its VAT Return Reportto help more small business owners prepare for Making Tax Digital compliance at tax time. As part of its commitment to UK-based small business owners, FreshBooks now offers the following, with more updates planned for 2020: HMRC-approved Making Tax Digital for VAT, making it simple for small businesses to file their VAT return within the FreshBooks platform The ability to connect FreshBooks to bank accounts with the UK's largest institutions - including Barclays, HSBC UK, NatWest, Lloyds Banks, and Santander UK - enabling small businesses to automatically import their bank account transactions and see a full picture of their financial health and tax time readiness Access to an ecosystem of 90+ world-class, complementary apps and integrations, including an integration with GoSimpleTax (https://www.gosimpletax.com/), a UK leader in online tax returns and self-assessment software Expanded support hours for FreshBooks' UK-based customers, made possible by the recent opening of FreshBooks' first international office in Amsterdam, Netherlands imakealiving (https://www.imakealiving.com/), FreshBooks' travelling event series for people who work for themselves, will be coming to the UK in May 2020 "The UK is at the forefront of digital tax compliance and we're eager to help small businesses rise to the challenge," said Matt Baker, SVP of Corporate Development and International Expansion at FreshBooks. "We recognize that government requirements can be onerous and time-consuming for small businesses. We're confident FreshBooks can help them save time and stay organized, with features specifically tailored to their needs." Since 2004, FreshBooks has helped more than 20 million people and established itself as one of the world's most popular accounting software platforms for small businesses. The company differentiates itself by offering ridiculously easy-to-use accounting software and delivering best-in-class customer service. "FreshBooks is such an intuitive platform which makes it very easy to use. Running a small business can be overwhelming at times as you don't always have the support and staff that larger companies have. FreshBooks' many features and readily available customer service take some of this pressure away," says Aylar Farro, Co-Founder of Trekaya Jewelleryin London, UK. Along with FreshBooks' world-class customer service, the platform connects with more than 90 apps and integrations that make it easier than ever to run a business, including GoSimpleTax. "We're excited to be able to join FreshBooks in their growing commitment to UK small businesses," said Amanda Swales, Director of GoSimpleTax. "Making Tax Digital is on the horizon and we're at the forefront of this change, ensuring the transition will be seamless. The integration with FreshBooks enables small businesses to calculate tax owed and submit directly to HMRC at the push of a button." FreshBooks' launch in the UK follows the company's recent partnership with telecommunications and internet service provider, Three UK. Announced in April 2019, FreshBooks is a key partner of Three UK's Three Means Business, a mobile offering designed to meet the needs of small business owners and entrepreneurs. The offering includes a free six-month subscription to FreshBooks, as well as one of the most data-friendly mobile contracts in the market. In February 2019, FreshBooks announced the addition of bank reconciliation and double-entry accounting to its software, enabling its customers to scale on FreshBooks with confidence and work seamlessly with an accountant. In August 2019, FreshBooks announced JPMorgan Chase & Co. made a strategic investment in the company. Most recently, FreshBooks announced the opening of its first international offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. About FreshBooks FreshBooks is the #2 small business accounting software in America, with paying customers in 100+ countries. The company has helped more than 20 million people process billions of dollars through its easy-to-use invoicing, time-tracking, expense management, and online payments features. Recognized with 10 Stevie awards for the best customer service in the world, the company's mantra is to "execute extraordinary experiences every day." FreshBooks is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with offices in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Raleigh, North Carolina, USA. Learn more at www.FreshBooks.com. Attachment There were no casualties among Ukrainian troops in the past day. Russia's hybrid military forces on Monday mounted five attacks on Ukrainian positions in Donbas, eastern Ukraine. Read alsoZagorodnyuk: Disengagement along entire contact line in Donbas contradicts Minsk agreements "The armed forces of the Russian Federation violated the ceasefire five times on February 10," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on February 11, 2020. The enemy opened fire from grenade launchers of various types, heavy machine guns, and small arms. Under attack were Ukrainian positions near the town of Krasnohorivka, and the villages of Pavlopil, Orikhove, Khutir Vilny, and Novoluhanske. There were no Ukraine army casualties in the past day. No enemy attacks were reported from 00:00 to 07:00 Kyiv time on February 11. Kolkata, Feb 11 : A case was filed against three police personnel, including two Sub-Inspectors, on Tuesday in connection with the death of a businessman during interrogation over an incident of theft in a north Kolkata police station, amid allegations that he was subjected to torture and administered electric shocks. Claiming victim Rajkumar Shaw was their supporter, BJP workers, led by the party's state General Secretary Raju Banerjee, staged a demonstration and besieged Sinthee police station condemning the police and demanded exemplary punishment of the culprits. Police arrested a number of BJP activists. The matter reached the Calcutta High Court after a petition was filed before the division bench of Chief Justice T.B.N. Radhakrishnan and Justice Arijit Banerjee pressing for a CBI probe. Representing the West Bengal government, Additional Advocate General Abhratosh Majumder told the bench that a specific probe has been started. There were reports that the charges against the police personnel included culpable homicide not amounting to murder, but there was no official confirmation. The bench directed the government to file an action taken report as also the post- mortem report on February 25, the next date of hearing. Copies of the reports would also have to be sent to the National Human Rights Commission. A departmental probe was also on against the three police personnel, who have been relieved of duty. Shaw, 53, was called to the Sinthee police station for interrogation on Monday morning related to a case of theft of plumbing equipment in which a woman was detained. The police alleged that the stolen materials were sold off to Shaw. In the evening the police informed Shaw's family members that he has fallen ill. Shaw was taken to the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead. The angry family members of the deceased then ransacked the police station. The BJP workers also rushed in. A clash ensued when Trinamool Congress workers also arrived at the spot. However, normalcy was restored within some time on Monday night. Behind the stage looming over the banks of the Niger River, there came worrying information: Jihadists were poised to attack Mali's most important cultural festival. On stage, everything was calm. Officials lined up to give speeches to usher in the much-loved event while relaxed-looking security guards looked on. But behind the scenes, security chiefs were on the alert. And the calls were stacking up on the mobile phone of Commander Diallo, an official from Mali's security ministry. Patrol boats helped provide security for the much-awaited festival. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) Now in its 16th year, Segou'Art Festival on the Niger is Mali's largest cultural event, a haven of theatre and music in a rising tide of war. It is staged in the town of Segou in central Mali -- a region that is now the epicentre of a jihadist revolt that began more than seven years ago. In 2019, militant groups killed over 450 civilians in central Mali alone, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said this week. That figure does not include soldiers and police officers whom militants have been slaughtering by the dozen in recent months. Commander Diallo -- his full name has been retained for security reasons -- had his work cut out to keep the festival running safely. His eyes were fixed on the far bank of the Niger, watching for any threat. Two patrol boats were sent there, sirens blaring. A dozen soldiers disembarked and fanned out on the far bank, "to dissuade any one who might want to come there," an officer said. Dancers perform with traditional puppets of Mali's Segou region. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) Unfazed by the risk, tens of thousands of Malians attend Segou'Art every year. The event ran from February 4-9 this year, covering everything from lectures, to theatre, dance, music and traditional storytelling. Foreign tourists used to regularly attend too. Today, they are now nowhere to be seen, for the threat to their lives has never been greater. 'Everywhere and nowhere' Ten days before the festival began, 20 soldiers were gunned down by about 100 motorbike-riding jihadists, some 100 (60 miles) kilometres north of Segou. Near the site of that attack, three policemen were also killed during an overnight ambush on Sunday morning, just as rappers were entertaining thousands of young Malians at Segou'Art. Authorities had their eyes peeled for an attempt on the festival. Security measures were put in place and reinforcements sent from the capital Bamako -- "enough to secure the festival," according to Biramou Sissoko, the governor of Mali's Segou region. Details, including the number of men requisitioned, remain secret. Defiance: A masked man wearing a traditional Dogon costume dances at the opening of the Segou'Art Festival, which takes place despite the threat of jihadist attacks. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) But several hundred uniformed men were visible in the town during the festival, an AFP journalist saw, and the country's counterterrorism squad was dispatched from the capital Bamako. "The threat is everywhere and nowhere," said Malick Doumbia, a 26-year-old festival-goer who had travelled from Bamako. He added that he was "relieved to see the security forces mobilised," and that he was apprehensive about the threat rather than afraid. Security is an issue every year, but attacking such a popular festival would not be in jihadists' interest, a security official who declined to be named suggested. "In terms of messaging, (an attack) would be difficult to justify for groups looking to integrate locally". Crisis centre Malian security officials have had help from the European Union's police-training mission in the country. People attend a performance of the legend of the siren on the banks of the Niger. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) Philippe Rio, a general in the French gendarmes and head of the mission, called the festival a "symbol". "When we saw that the lack of security was becoming an obstacle to the festival's survival and that it was in danger of disappearing, we got involved," he said. Among other things, European police trainers helped establish a crisis centre headquartered in a local-government office. They also donated computers and walkie-talkies. In the crisis centre, Malian officers discussed the rumours of jihadist filtration the day after they surfaced. No evidence backed them up. Still the river flows: A young boy leads a canoe, also called a pirogue, onto the Niger. By MICHELE CATTANI (AFP) In the meantime, however, an internal government report relating to the rumours had circulated online and several Western embassies urged their nationals to skip Segou'Art. "There haven't been many tourists now for years," sighed Omar Yaffa, the president of the Segou guides' association. "It's a pity." Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee Chairman Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) sitting next to the committee's ranking member Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), listen to testimony during a hearing in Washington on Jan. 21, 2015. (Susan Walsh/AP Photo) Lawmakers Commit to Pushing Legislation that Stops Surprise Medical Billing House and Senate Health Committee Leaders announced that they would push forward bipartisan legislation that seeks to end surprise medical bills and lower prescription drug and other medical costs by requiring greater transparency from medical professionals. Surprise medical bills are the outrageous result of a broken system that takes advantage of vulnerable patients. Last summer, our two committees advanced bipartisan solutions to protect patients from these bills, and in December we announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to put an end to this egregious billing practice, House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-N.J.), Ranking Member Greg Walden (R-Ore.), Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) said in a statement Feb. 7. In December 2019, the House Energy and Commerce and Senate Health Committee leaders first announced a bipartisan, bicameral agreement (Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019) that would protect consumers medical rights and end opaque billing practices. The committee leaders broadened an investigation into surprise billing practices of doctors staffing companies and leading insurers. In letters to top insurance companies, the congressmen requested information and documents pertaining to the billing policies and practices of physician staffing companies and insurers when a patient receives care from an out-of-network provider at an in-network facility, which too often results in a surprise medical bill. Investigations by the American Enterprise Institute and the Brookings Institution were referenced in those letters, showing that surprise bills are frequently associated with services provided by an out-of-network emergency physician or supplementary cliniciansuch as a radiologist, anesthesiologist, pathologist, hospitalist, or assistant consulting surgeonat an in-network health facility. Many of the services that are frequently related to surprise bills are areas where hospitals have outsourced patient care. The lawmakers pushed the companies for answers as to the policies and practices when a provider is not in-network with a patients insurance company, including the policies as they relate to sending surprise bills, and the relationship with certain private equity firms. One of the main goals of the bill is to protect patients and their families from the devastating financial toll a surprise medical bill can have. Alexander said in December: The legislation would end surprise billing of patients by creating a new system of dispute resolution that includes arbitration, provide nearly $20 billion for five years of funding for the nations 1,400 community health centers, and lower the cost of prescription drugs and other medical services by requiring transparency and competition. Congress should pass the bill promptly and give the American people a very good Christmas present. Americans who follow the rules and pay their premiums shouldnt get stuck with a $50,000 bill because a hospital contracted a NICU to an out-of-network provider, or a $109,000 bill after being rushed to a nearby hospital for a heart attack, Walden said. To put it plainly: Americans are sick and tired of being ripped off by surprise medical bills, and they want Congress to act. The Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 (pdf) received 20-3 committee votes that included two votes against itby Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)that were cast by proxy. Health authorities say the number of deaths on Monday was 108 the highest in a single day since the outbreak began. China has reported 108 new coronavirus deaths on February 10, the highest daily toll since the outbreak began in Wuhan late last year, as two senior officials in the hard-hit province of Hubei were removed from their jobs. The total number of deaths on the mainland reached 1,016 in the 24 hours until midnight, the National Health Commission said on Tuesday. Some 2,478 new cases of infection were confirmed, bringing the total to 42,638. Of the most recent deaths, 103 were in the province of Hubei, including 67 in the provincial capital of Wuhan. The virus is thought to have originated there in a seafood market that sold wild animals as well. Two senior health officials in the province Zhang Jin who was party secretary of the health commission for Hubei and Ling Yingzi who was director of the Hubei Provincial Health Commission were removed from their posts, state media reported on Tuesday, a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited health facilities in Beijing. In his first public appearance since the outbreak began, Xi donned a face mask and had his temperature checked while visiting medical workers and patients in the capital. We have seen very little of Xi Jinping since the outbreak began but he was out and about in Beijing on Monday, Al Jazeeras Katrina Yu said from Beijing. He has been trying to rally the troops saying: We can win this battle. But its also a sign that the battle is far from over. The other fatalities on Monday were in the provinces of Heilongjiang, Anhui and Henan and the cities of Tianjin and Beijing, the National Health Commission said. The coronavirus originated in Wuhan in central China. Wuhan and its province of Hubei have been hardest hit in the outbreak [Al Jazeera] During a meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Monday, a group of leaders tasked with beating the virus said it would work to solve raw material and labour shortages and boost supplies of masks and protective clothing. They said nearly 20,000 medical personnel from around the country had already been sent to Wuhan, and more medical teams were also on the way. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 15:31:18|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Doctors in Beijing carry out 5G teleconsultation services with a hospital in Wuhan to battle the novel coronavirus pneumonia outbreak. Whole Foods just ripped out the ground-floor cafe at its Fairmount store and installed refrigerators and lockers for the delivery and pickup trade. When the store opened, its cafe was hailed as one of its best features. Read more Maybe because supermarkets are such a quintessential suburban form, theyve always had trouble fitting into the city. Even when they are designed with windows facing the street, the management usually ends up covering up the view with advertisements or stacks of boxes. So when Whole Foods Fairmount store adopted a more congenial stance in 2016, Philadelphians applauded. Not only did the megastore feature a 200-foot wall of windows along Pennsylvania Avenue, it filled that sunny ground-floor space with a sleek coffee bar. The cafe served as a warm-up area for shoppers, giving them a place to rest and refuel before hitting the grocery-aisle obstacle course on the mezzanine. It wasnt long before the coffee bar became one of those beloved and buzzy Third Places (after home and work), where customers and locals could serendipitously bump into familiar faces. But Amazon, which owns Whole Foods, is no longer interested in having you hang out in that cafe. Two weeks ago, the company ripped out the Allegro Coffee Companys long white counter, tossed the stylish midcentury lounge chairs, and packed the space with as many refrigerators and shelving units as it could hold. Whole Foods high-ceilinged ground floor is now a storage area for the chains growing delivery business, and the big windows are obscured by brown bags of groceries. Cafes come and go all the time, of course. And you can still find a small cafe and places to relax at the cluster of eateries on the Whole Foods grocery floor. Yet the reallocation of the stores valuable ground-floor space from people-centered retail to a product-centered distribution area is a harbinger in the supermarket business. It may be that the brief moment of quality urbanism represented by the Whole Foods cafe is already over. The change in priorities isnt limited to Whole Foods. After decades of bemoaning its food deserts, Philadelphia, like many big cities, now finds itself flooded with new supermarkets. Giant, the Carlisle, Pa.-based food chain, is busy ringing Center City with megastores. Aldi, Sprouts, Save-a-lot, along with Giants neighborhood-scaled Heirloom Market, are grabbing whatever real estate they can find, joining Philadelphia stalwarts like Acme and Thriftway. It looks as if a supermarket war is underway. These are not supermarkets as we once knew them. The survivors will end up as hybrids, part retail, part distribution center, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply-chain consultant who previously helped Amazon craft its grocery-delivery strategy. Giant already is setting up the perfect distribution network for deliveries, with new stores coming to key locations on the fringes of Center City: Columbus Boulevard in Pennsport, Broad and Washington, and the Schuylkill waterfront in the Logan Square neighborhood. According to a housing developer who asked not to be identified, Giant has been in talks for a fourth downtown location. We should have seen this coming. We now have everything else delivered, why not food? Initially, people resisted the idea of buying groceries online, Ladd told me, because they still like to inspect and select their food, especially perishable items like fruit, vegetables, and meat. But the comfort level has been growing, particularly as supermarkets reduce their delivery times. Two years ago, only 1.5% of all supermarket customers ordered groceries online. Today, its 5%. By 2025, Ladd predicts that 20% of customers will have their food delivered to their homes. By turning its Fairmount cafe into a staging area for deliveries, Whole Foods is positioning itself for the coming competition. Both the Wynnewood and Cherry Hill stores also have removed tables in their cafes to create room to store prepacked groceries. Amazon promises to get your groceries to your door in under two hours, at no cost for Prime members. What could those increased deliveries mean for cities? Until now, most food distribution warehouses have been outside of urban areas, usually close to highways. But as competition among the supermarket chains heats up, Ladd says that chains will start to move their supply networks closer to their customers. Amazon did not respond to requests for comment, but that strategy would explain why the company turned a handsome former factory in a residential area at 41st and Chestnut into a distribution center. Ladd predicts that some of its smaller stores, such as the Whole Foods at 10th and South (what I call the bodega Whole Foods because its so small), could end up being used exclusively as warehouses. If that happens, it would leave a dead zone in the middle of a pedestrian-friendly city block. Right now, were in a transitional period. Even though most customers still go to the store for their groceries, supermarkets have become crowded with hired pickers, who roam the aisles to fill online orders. Its the absolute worst idea, Ladd says. People hate going to the stores because they block the aisles. Ultimately, Ladd believes, supermarkets will stop selling anything besides perishable items. You might go to the grocery for a bag of greens or a fresh chicken, but things like canned goods, snacks, and paper products will be delivered. To make room for storing those items, supermarkets will start jettisoning more than just cafes. We can already guess what the increase in deliveries will mean to Philadelphias already congested streets: more traffic, more blocked buses, and interrupted bike lanes. One possible compensation: Fewer people will need to drive to the supermarket. Its not too soon to start planning for a time when nearly all our goods are brought to us, instead of the other way around. Many new supermarkets are being designed with massive parking structures. The garage attached to the new Giant on 23rd Street is a five-story-high fortress sheathed in blank walls. There should be a way to design such spaces so they can be repurposed later as housing when that parking becomes unnecessary. (Of course, there are probably too many spaces now.) But maybe the biggest concern is the way an all-delivery economy will change the way we interact with one another. In a recent essay, New York Times columnist Ginia Bellafante bemoaned the decline in small talk at her local Starbucks that has accompanied the introduction of an app that lets customers order remotely. Honeygrow, Philadelphias homegrown fast-casual restaurant, recently started installing ordering kiosks in local offices around the city. Place your lunch request by 11 a.m., it will be brought to your lobby by noon. Thats one less reason to venture into the world. By the way, Ladd also predicts a big shakeout in the number of fast-casual restaurants as more chains establish remote cloud kitchens, where food is prepared off-site for deliveries. Those fast-casual chains have been giving life to the empty space left by retailers, who were done in by e-commerce. There is no doubt that delivery services are a huge time-saver in our busy lives. But when we have fewer reasons to venture among people we dont know, or who are different from us, what will keep us from hunkering down in our silos even more than we do now? A small cafe may be more than a place to buy coffee. It could be the lifeline of our democratic society. On December 12, BuzzFeed News published a 3,000-word story by Hamed Aleaziz, an immigration reporter, based on an internal Department of Homeland Security memo, which detailed a whistleblowers concerns over the medical care provided to ICE detainees. According to Aleazizs story, two immigrants got preventable surgeries and two were given the wrong drugs. Four diedone after getting grossly negligent care. One of the deceasedRonal Romero, 39, from Hondurashad been arrested on May 9, 2018, in Los Fresnos, Texas. Within a week of his arrest, Romero was transferred to ICEs Port Isabel Detention Center, where he complained of ear pain and received medication for an ear infection. Romero died on May 16, 2018; an autopsy identified the cause of death as sepsis complication with meningitis. Shortly after the publication of Aleazizs report, the House Oversight and Reform Committee opened an investigation into ICEs medical care. CJR spoke with Aleaziz about his work reporting on ICE detention centers, and his experience covering a dynamic in detention that often goes undercovered. It is really rare, in this industry, to get the time and the flexibility to do long-ranging investigative projectsto be told by editors and people in power that focusing on detention issues, on asylum, is really important to the core mission of our journalism, says Aleaziz. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity. Its just a massive story, and I dont think that its broken through to the American public. I dont think its even top of mind in Washington, DC, given everything else thats happening. In December, you broke the story that Congress was investigating ICE medical care. That investigation followed your coverage of an internal complaint filed by a whistleblower. Last year, I received a document showing that the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Division of DHS was looking into allegations made by a whistleblower at ICE. It was unlike anything Ive seen before. It was just shocking to see somebody within ICE detail specifics on what they believe went wrong with cases all across the country. All types of issues from mental care to misdiagnoses. The allegations were so expansive, but also quite specific. I tried to dig into every single case. Sign up for CJR 's daily email I reached out to Ronal Romeros family members and told them that I had this document. So many times I think we see these cases as just a name, an age, a cause of death. I felt like there was an opportunity to hear about the personal struggle of this family and what happened. Its important to hear how these deaths affect families, how they understand them. Its important any time you work on stories dealing with policy. The number of detainees who have died during the current fiscal year while in ICE custody is already close to the total for the 2019 fiscal year. There were two deaths in the last week of January. Why arent we talking about this more? I think that there is so much happening on the immigration beat, and reporters are stretched thin. The same day I reported two deaths, there was monumental news of the Supreme Court allowing the administration to move forward with public charge and reshape the way legal immigration works in America. Its a massive story. So most people were focused on that. With the rapid growth of the ICE detention population last year to record levels55,000 peopleI wanted to dig and try to understand how this system works, and how medical care works in detention. How is medical care delivered? Are there any gaps? Is this explosion of people in custody causing issues? There has been really great coverage elsewhere. I think The Intercept has done good work. The Marshall Project did a video. I try to look at every single death in custody and fully investigate it to see if there is a story there that goes beyond. Is there a specific change in policy youve seen under this administration that had the most obvious impact on asylum seekers? Yes, whats happening with the southern border right nowforcing asylum seekers to remain in Mexico. More than 50,000 people have been sent to stay there while their asylum cases play out in court. Sometimes it takes months to have the chance to speak to a judge and have cases heard. There are policies where you cant get asylum if youve crossed through Mexico to get to the southern border, which is so many people. The new policies are just unprecedented, so unlike anything weve ever seen. To have asylum seekers from Honduras and El Salvador sent from the US to Guatemala. And then to hear from people like asylum officers and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, who are being tasked with implementing these changes, and hearing their concerns as they grapple with having to put these policies in place. To have these officers tell me, This is a human rights violation, this is unbelievable, this should not be happening. Everybody I talked to said that they have major concerns and they have issues with it. They think that these policies should be blocked immediately. Its gotten to the point where the unions that represent the asylum officers have implored judges to try to block these policies. Theyre supporting lawsuits filed by the ACLU. Its just a massive story, and I dont think that its broken through to the American public. I dont think its even top of mind in Washington, DC, given everything else thats happening. What else are we missing? Detention issues. This expansion, the care provided in ICE custody, the businesses involved, the companies involved, the private prisons involved. These are all issues that are taxpayer-funded. I think its important for the American public to read about the policies that are being instituted, and then weigh in. Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today Amanda Darrach is a contributor to CJR and a visiting scholar at the University of St Andrews School of International Relations. Follow her on Twitter @thedarrach. Share this article Whatsapp Facebook Twitter Linkedin Hengky Ola Sura (The Jakarta Post) Maumere Tue, February 11, 2020 13:39 700 7f440ff09e92db75a02bbad2063c98e5 1 World NTT,East-Nusa-Tenggara,Timor-Leste,New-Zealand,Wuhan-coronavirus,coronavirus Free The East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) provincial administration has confirmed that 17 Timor Leste citizens evacuated from China had been quarantined in New Zealand after Bali turned down Dili's pleas for help. NTT spokesperson Marius Ardu Jelamu told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that the Timor Leste nationals had been quarantined in New Zealand since Feb. 5. They canceled their plans to be quarantined in Kupang," Marius said, referring to the provincial capital. "It turns out that, after they were rejected by Bali, the Timor Leste government asked for New Zealands help. NTT Governor Viktor Bungtilu Laiskodat had earlier agreed to Timor Leste's request to quarantine their nationals from Wuhan in the province, after Bali refused to grant the request. Viktor had already instructed the director of W.Z. Johannes Regional General Hospital in Kupang to set up a temporary facility at the Naimata Mental Hospital for accommodating the Timor Leste evacuees. "At that time, our stance was that the NTT provincial administration was ready to facilitate [the quarantine] if the President instructed us to do so," said Marius. Earlier on Feb. 4, Timor Leste Planning and Strategic Investment Minister Xanana Gusmao said that Dili had requested assistance from Jakarta to quarantine on Bali 17 of its nationals awaiting repatriation from China, citing the lack of facilities in the neighboring country. The Bali administration, however, rejected the request for help. According to a Feb. 5 report in The Guardian, 17 people from Timor Leste were among the 190 passengers on an Air New Zealand aircraft who had been airlifted from the epicenter of the coronavirus outbreak in China. All passengers, excepting Australian citizens, were transferred for two weeks of quarantine at Whangaparoa air base, north of Auckland. (mpr) Asthma affects 17.23 million people in India and the number rises every year. It is characterized by severe wheezing and breathlessness that vary in their degree of severity from one individual to another. The air passages in the lungs are inflamed while the nerve endings are sensitive, which become prone to irritation. When the linings of the passages swell, it leads to constriction of the passages, lowering the amount of air entering in and out of the lungs. Anatomy of the Lung There are two spongy lungs present in the chest cavity and protected by the ribs. The left lung is a little smaller than the right lung to accommodate the heart, which is present in the left side of the chest cavity. Air is inhaled through the nose, which then passes through the pharynx, larynx and the trachea. The trachea branches into two bronchi just before it enters the lung. Within the lung, the bronchi branch into smaller secondary bronchi. The secondary bronchi branch into three bronchi in the right lung and into two bronchi in the left lung. The bronchi branch out into smaller units called bronchioles and the terminal bronchioles have the ability to dilate and are elastic. The bronchioles have alveoli at their end, which are the functional units of the lungs that aid in the exchange of air. These alveoli are present in clusters called the alveolar sacs. Asthma is a chronic disease that leads to the inflammation of the lungs. 26 million Americans have asthma while Indian statistics shows that 17.3 million Indians have asthma. This makes it a common disease. Adult onset asthma is the same disease that affects children. The symptoms of both the disease are the same and the medications provided are similar. However, the challenges faced by children with asthma are different from those faced by an adult. There is a 10% increase in asthma cases every year. Children have smaller airways than adults which make an asthmatic attack a lot more severe in them. Viral infections and some allergens are the common causes of asthma among children. Adult asthma is largely caused due to allergens that include smoking cigarettes, dust mites and pollen. As children, allergic reactions to certain allergens may be manifested in forms other than asthma, however, as the body gets used to the allergen, it may develop into asthma at a later stage, called adult onset asthma. Both adults and children prone to asthma are affected with asthma symptoms if they are exposed to any of these allergens: Air pollution Smoke Pet hair and saliva Emotional stress Excitement Children are highly susceptible to second hand smoking and face the risk of flare ups. Children with asthma display symptoms that are not continuous. The symptoms exist for a period of time and then there are periods when there are no flare ups. Normally, around puberty, the symptoms of asthma among children completely disappear. Adults, however, suffer from persistent symptoms. Women have a higher chance of developing asthma after 20 than men, which is probably associated with hormonal changes. Identifying the irritant: The primary step in asthma treatment is to identify the irritant that triggers asthma. This could be due to a number of agents, and eliminating one by one to find the source would aid in avoiding it. Symptoms monitoring: Asthma symptoms should be closely monitored at home to understand the rhythm and to safeguard against severe trauma. Medication: An asthma action plan should be prepared in the event of some emergency and asthma medications should be taken regularly. Many children seem to outgrow asthma, but asthma in adults persist. Adults may have other health complications and asthma medications could react with medications taken for other health problems. The cross reactivity of drugs should be monitored. The symptoms of asthma include: Cough Pain in the chest Congestion Wheezing Breathlessness Difficulty in sleeping Increased secretion of mucus in the airways Untreated asthma, especially severe flare ups can be dangerous. To help the patient and to give caregivers and colleagues a better understanding of the medical condition and the required support in the event of an emergency, an asthma action plan needs to be charted out. Discuss asthma medications with a medical practitioner Discuss when the medications need to be increased to avoid a flare up Identify asthma triggers and ways to avoid them Plan carefully the mode of action during a flare up Provide this action plan to relatives, friends, caregivers or office colleagues Asthma action plans should be written down clearly and an action plan will vary from one child to another. What is an Asthma Flare Up? (also called an Asthma Flare, Attack, Episode, or Exacerbation) Patients may go through period of no symptoms of asthma, but there could be periods when asthma symptoms are more severe and spaced close to each other. The affected person may find it difficult to speak, sit or even eat. The bronchi and the bronchioles for an asthmatic patient are inflamed but during an asthma flare up, they become even more pronounced. A lot of mucus begins to clog the important airways and the muscles around these airways become tighter, this makes breathing very difficult. Is Inhaler Better or Nebulizer? Both an inhaler as well as a nebulizer deliver medication are equally effective. The method of intake of medication depends upon the convenience of the patient. A nebulizer delivers the medications when the child/adult fits the mask onto the face. There is a visible mist of medication that passes through the mask and which the child can inhale. An inhaler is more for an older child or adult who can operate the inhaler and can inhale the medication. There are monitored dose inhalers that provide specific concentrations of the drug and which can be used by children as well as adults. The inhaler is a sought after method of drug delivery among patients suffering from asthma. However, inhalers should be used only by a single patient and should not be shared as it could lead to a transmission of infections. The mouthpiece of the inhalers should be cleaned once a week with a clean and dry cloth. No part of the inhaler should be dipped in water. It should be stored at room temperature. An inhaler should be changed when the dose count is low and the numbers are marked in red. A doctor should be consulted on re-filling. It should never be used beyond the expiry date. A child or adult with asthma should never miss asthma medications as it could lead to dangerous flare-ups, even if the symptoms seem to abate for a period of time, without consulting a medical practitioner. Steroids - Myths and Facts In some patients, the use of normal bronchodilator inhalers are not helpful in controlling the symptoms. In that case, your doctor might prescribe you a steroid inhaler. The way these steroids work is that it reduces your bodys immune response to the allergen and might give a better control over your condition. But the frequent fear that prevails among the people are about steroid side effects and that it outweighs the benefits of the medicine. But thats a myth. One reason is that the side effects which everyone talks about are common only in oral pills and injections and what we use here are the inhalers (acts locally). Here are some of the myths and facts about steroid inhalers: YEREVAN, FEBRUARY 11, ARMENPRESS. The settlement of the Nagorno Karabakh conflict is among Russias foreign policy priorities, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Andrey Rudenko said in an interview to the Rossiya Segodnya news agency. Russia always plays its active role of a mediator. The work with the parties in the settlement of that prolonged conflict is one of our foreign policy priorities. The NK conflict is under the spotlight of the Russian President, the foreign minister which further highlights the importance of the mediation efforts, raises the attention towards the results, he said. The Russian deputy FM called the adoption of the Moscow declaration in 2008 an important stage in the mediation mission which talks about the political settlement of the conflict. As you know, Russia played a decisive role in the suspension of large-scale military operations in 2016 by inviting the heads of general staffs of Armenia and Azerbaijan to Moscow. We are conducting our mediation mission in close partnership with the French and American colleagues, Rudenko said. The deputy FM highlighted Russias role in stabilization of the situation in the conflict zone, upgrading of the negotiation process, as well as mitigation of condition of persons arrested in the territories of the two sides. An agreement has been reached over the mutual visits of media representatives. Some of these agreements were implemented. The situation in the border and the Line of Contact is relatively calm. There is an operative connection between Yerevan and Baku, the mutual visit of journalists took place, he said, adding that this shows the intentions of the sides to take concrete actions to prepare populations to peace. Recently the Armenian and Azerbaijani Foreign Ministers talked about this at their last meeting in Geneva. The sides announce their readiness to reach compromise. We support this intention. The base to continue the work exists, the important is to demonstrate a political will, the Russian deputy FM said. Edited and translated by Aneta Harutyunyan Middle and primary schools in Wuhan resumed classes on Feb. 10, connecting students and teachers currently at home through online teaching. Honggangcheng Primary School in Qingshan district of Wuhan held a flag-raising ceremony on the 10th. In a speech delivered to the school online, the school dean expressed his respect for people on the frontline of the fight against the coronavirus, called on the students to learn from them, and gave the city words of encouragement. The first class at Guanggu No.1 Primary School started at 9 a.m., with four classes arranged for each day. Zhang Xuan, a student at the school, attended a PE class under his mothers supervision. On Feb.10, about 426 public classes were organized in Wuhan, which were attended by more than 1 million students through such channels as the citys education cloud platform, education applications and TV live broadcasts. To ensure normal teaching and that students visual health is protected, the education authorities of Wuhan have taken multiple measures such as setting restrictions on times for daily online teaching, extending breaks, and organizing eye exercises for students on a regular basis. Wuhan education authorities said the next step will involve improving technologies that support online teaching, and vowed to do their best to ensure that students in rural areas have equal access to online education. By PTI BEIJING: China on Tuesday "commended" Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa's remarks that the island nation has received "lot of benefits" from Beijing's ambitious multi-billion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI is an initiative launched by Chinese President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea route. During his recent visit to India, Rajapaksa said his country has received a lot of benefits from the BRI. ALSO READ: Hope Sri Lanka will fulfil aspirations of Tamil people - Modi after talks with Mahinda Rajapaksa China, in the last few years, received over USD eight billion funding for its infrastructure projects. Sri Lanka handed over its Hambantota port to China in 2017 as a debt swap. When asked for reaction to Rajapaksa's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, "China commends the comments made by Prime Minister Rajapaksa". "China and Sri Lanka share a strategic cooperative partnership based on sincere mutual assistance and ever-lasting friendship," he said. "Based on Sri Lanka's development needs, China offered loans to support its infrastructure building and other major domestic projects concerning people's livelihood. "These projects and loans have boosted Sri Lanka's economic growth, created a large amount of local jobs and contributed to the country's sustainable development," Geng said. "Those outcomes have been commended by the government and people of Sri Lanka. China stands ready to strengthen BRI cooperation with Sri Lanka to deliver more benefits to the two people," he said. British schools have issued warnings to parents to help prevent the spread of the Coronavirus after fears that it could be picked up on half-term holidays to the far east. Writing to parents on Monday schools across the country diligently passed on the information offered by The Department for Education - to avoid mainland China and use hand sanitiser. While official government advice states that there is no reason a child should not attend school as normal after visiting China if they do not have symptoms (unless they visited Wuhan or Hubei Province) - many schools are drawing up their own guidelines. One school told parents: 'Any pupil, parent or visitor who has travelled to or been in direct contact with anyone from a Coronavirus affected area may be asked to remain at home to prevent the potential spread of the virus.' Many schools are drawing up their own guidelines to prevent the spread of Coronavirus (stock) Schools warned parents of the symptoms to look for; 'Tiredness, fever, a cough and/or breathing difficulties.' Official advice now warns that anyone returning from China, Thailand, Japan, Republic of Korea, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia or Macau should monitor themselves for symptoms of the virus. For families looking to enjoy a winter sun getaway far eastern countries have made popular half-term holidays. But now some schools are advising against returning to school if your child has visited or been in contact with anyone who has visited these countries. This may cause further concern for parents of Chinese children who have warned that their youngsters are being ostracised by their friends in British schools because of the coronavirus outbreak, with some refusing to play with them. Mothers told the BBC that people are being 'racist' against the youngsters because of an 'unfair' perception that the outbreak is a Chinese virus. One mother told Radio 4's Today programme: 'Some of them say 'my mum told me I'm not going to play with you because you going to carry virus'.' Headteacher of St Mary's Independent School in Southampton, Hampshire (pictured) Claire Charlemagne told parents that a family with children in both the prep and senior departments of the school had developed symptoms Another said: 'People really racist against the Chinese children because from the newspapers and the media say this is a Chinese virus, which is so unfair.' While the government considers that the risk to the UK population is moderate the World Health Organisation has declared that the virus is a health emergency of international concern. Yesterday St Mary's Independent School in Southampton, Hampshire, which charges up to 10,500 a year, went into lockdown after students showed symptoms of the killer virus. The school announced it would shut for three days while a 'deep clean' was undertaken. Headteacher Claire Charlemagne told parents that a family with children in both the prep and senior departments of the school had developed symptoms after recently travelling to the area of China most affected. In a statement yesterday headteacher Ms Charlemagne said: 'I am sorry to inform you that a family with children at the prep and senior departments who have recently travelled to the region affected by coronavirus have developed symptoms similar to those presenting with the coronavirus, and having been checked by medical professionals at Southampton General Hospital have been placed in isolation. 'As a school, our first priority is to keep our children and community safe. 'We have taken advice on this situation from Public Health England and the Natural Health Service. 'We have been advised that we need to take all steps reasonably practicable to prevent the spread of this virus. 'We have therefore taken the decision to close the school immediately in order to undertake a thorough deep clean, and to allow any potential traces of the virus to be removed. 'We will close today, tomorrow, and Wednesday.' The U.S. Department of Defense announced 109 U.S. service members suffered mild traumatic brain injuries when Iran fired a barrage of missiles at two airbases in Iraq last month. The Pentagon said in a statement that 45 new cases had been confirmed since the agency issued its previous report about a week ago. Of the 109 service members who suffered mild traumatic brain injuries, also known as mTBI, 76 have returned to duty, according to the statement. Seventy-five of those service members were treated in Iraq, and one was treated in Germany. Twenty-one service members were transported back to the United States, according to the Department of Defense. But the agency cautioned that the numbers are a snapshot in time, adding that they might be subject to change. The Defense Department is steadfast in its efforts to deliver programs and services intended to lead to the best possible outcomes for our service members. We are grateful to the efforts of our medical professionals who have worked diligently to ensure the appropriate level of care for our service members, which has enabled nearly 70 percent of those diagnosed to return to duty. We must continue to address physical and mental health together, Pentagon press secretary Alyssa Farah said in a statement. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, traumatic brain injuries arent always detected right away. In early January, Iran fired about two-dozen missiles at two airbases in Iraq in retaliation for a U.S. airstrike that killed high-ranking commander Qassem Soleimani near the Baghdad airport. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Soleimani was plotting attacks to kill Americans and attack assets in the region. They also highlighted the death of an American contractor at the hands of an Iran-backed Iraqi militia group that allegedly had ties to Soleimani. The missile attack prompted Trump to unleash more sanctions on Tehran, targeting several high-level officials and its industry. The United States will continue to counter the Iranian regimes destructive and destabilizing behavior. Iran will never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. These punishing economic sanctions will remain until the Iranian regime changes its behavior. The United States is ready to embrace peace with all who seek it, Trump said in January. Meanwhile, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani claimed on Monday that Soleimani, who headed the shadowy Quds Force under the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, had sought to bring stability and calm in the Middle East. The State Department last year declared both the Quds Force and Revolutionary Guards as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. If commander Soleimani wanted to kill American generals, it would have been very, very easy for him, in Afghanistan, Iraq, and any other place. He never did that, Rouhani said, according to Reuters. From The Epoch Times Recent comments by former U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden saying that there is no possibility of uniting Afghanistan has prompted many Afghans to unite in questioning and condemning his claim. Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai declared the remarks "irresponsible" and "unrealistic." In a statement, he said that "it is evident that the U.S. has never sought nation-building in Afghanistan." In a February 8 debate among U.S. Democratic presidential hopefuls, Biden said he favored counterterrorism and opposed nation building in Afghanistan. Theres no possibility to uniting that country -- no possibility at all of making it a whole country, he said during the debate. But it is possible to see to it theyre not able to launch more attacks from the region on the United States of America." Omar Zakhilwal, a former Afghan ambassador and minister, reminded Biden that few countries in the world could have endured what Kabul has endured during the past four decades. No country in the World could go through 40 years of back to back invasions, interferences, wars and periods of statelessness and still remain one piece with not a single citizen ever asking for opting out, he wrote on Twitter. But Afghanistan has and will continue to be one inseparable piece all testament to strong and inseparable nationhood. Afghan presidential spokeswoman Durani Jawed Waziri agreed. The people of Afghanistan are a unified nation. We have been with each other through everything, and we have fought against the enemies of Afghanistan as a united nation, she was quoted as saying by Afghanistans Tolo News television. The reality of unity in Afghanistan is more complicated. It is true that modern Afghanistan has not been seriously threatened by separatism. But Afghan political elites have been anything but united since a communist military coup in April 1978. Currently, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah are engaged in a tense political standoff over last Septembers presidential election. In its preliminary results in December, the Afghan election commission declared Ghani the winner, but Abdullah challenged the results. Since 2014, the two have partnered in a national unity government that frequently showed rifts on critical policies, appointments, and national issues. The government is also divided over how to approach negotiations with the Taliban, who are fighting to overthrow the government in Kabul. He's one of the most coveted single men on television. And the ABC network played coy about rumors that Peter Weber is already in a relationship with The Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca. Rumors began swirling online last week that the 28-year-old pilot already found love on set of the popular program, but executives weren't quite ready to squash any questionable commentary. Final rose? The ABC network played coy about rumors that Peter Weber is already in a relationship with The Bachelor producer Julie LaPlaca; seen wearing distressed jeans on the opening night of the reality show Fans speculated that Weber has already gotten hot and heavy with LaPalca after she posted a New Year's Eve photo with him standing in the background. Former Bachelorette contestant Hannah Brown commented that she 'approved' of the content, leading Bachelor Nation to believe she had given the sign of approval on LaPalca's new relationship. Another photo circulating online showed Peter and Julie enjoying lunch together at Carmine's on New Year's Eve. Celebrate: Former Bachelorette contestant Hannah Brown commented that she 'approved' of the content, leading Bachelor Nation to believe she had given the sign of approval on LaPalca's new relationship; Weber seen standing in the background in a brown coat Bliss: Another photo circulating online showed Peter and Julie enjoying lunch together at Carmine's on New Year's Eve The pair were joined by Pete's family for an Italian feast ahead of celebrating the new year in Times Square. 'Well, I hate to get in the way of a good rumor, so Im not going to confirm or deny about whether he ends up with a producer,' the network's Senior Vice President of Alternative Series Rob Mills told ET. 'I dont know how wed ever top that though! 'But, it is crazy. What weve seen about the finale over the years is that the 'finale' is really on that night when the show goes live. Friends! Julie and Hannah Brown became friends after she served as a producer on The Bachelorette 'Theres a lot of craziness, its a roller coaster, but I would say even now the roller coaster hasnt ended, and it wont end until after After the Final Rose.' Julie's IMDb shows that she began working on Bachelor in Paradise as a segment producer in 2014 before joining The Bachelorette in 2017. She's served as a producer on The Bachelor for more than 30 episodes, beginning in 2016 on Ben Higgins season. Sneaky: Old videos from Peter's Instagram show him with the producer on NYE STAMFORD, Conn., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Schwarzkopf, a Henkel brand, is pleased to announce that the NEW Simply Color Collection has been named the 2020 "Product of the Year" winner in the hair care category by Product of the Year USAthe nation's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. New to Schwarzkopf, Simply Color is a collection of permanent hair color formulated with 0% ammonia, silicones, and alcohol. Made with botanical oat milk, soy protein and argan oil, Simply Color is dermatologist-tested, gentle on the scalp and is wrapped in a 100% recyclable carton. The Simply Color Collection offers twelve shades that result in visibly healthy hair with natural color results and up to 100% gray coverage. Available shades include: Almond Brown, Chocolate Cherry, Cool Brown, Dark Blonde, Dark Chocolate, Hazelnut Brown, Intense Espresso, Jet Black, Light Blonde, Medium Blonde, Medium Brown and Truffle Brown. For over 30 years globally and 12 years in the US, Product of the Year USA is the world's largest consumer-voted award for product innovation. "Product of the Year'' has guided consumers to the best products on the market by recognizing companies and brands for innovative and quality products. The "Product of the Year'' award is backed by the votes of over 40,000 consumers through an online study conducted by Kanter TNS, a global leader in consumer research. "We are honored that Schwarzkopf Simply Color has been named the Product of the Year winner in the hair care category this year," said Manuela Emmrich, Marketing Director - Hair US at Henkel. "Simply Color is a breakthrough innovation in the industry and for the company to be recognized for the science and technology by such a prestigious award is a proud moment," says Emmrich. The Simply Color Collection delivers on what consumers are looking forgentle products that deliver natural looking color results. In addition, by partnering with TerraCycle, Schwarzkopf retail product packaging is now 100% recyclable. The collection will retail for $9.99 and can be purchased at Walmart and CVS. For more information, please visit: https://www.schwarzkopf.com/en/brands/haircolor/simply-color.html About Henkel in North America In North America, Henkel operates and holds leading positions across its three business units: Adhesive Technologies, Beauty Care, and Laundry & Home Care. With sales of around 6 billion US dollars (5 billion euros) in 2018, North America accounts for 25 percent of the company's global sales. Henkel employs approximately 9,000 people across the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico. For more information, please visit www.henkel-northamerica.com About Henkel Henkel operates globally with a well-balanced and diversified portfolio. The company holds leading positions with its three business units in both industrial and consumer businesses thanks to strong brands, innovations and technologies. Henkel Adhesive Technologies is the global leader in the adhesives market across all industry segments worldwide. In its Laundry & Home Care and Beauty Care businesses, Henkel holds leading positions in many markets and categories around the world. Founded in 1876, Henkel looks back on more than 140 years of success. In 2018, Henkel reported sales of around 20 billion euros and adjusted operating profit of around 3.5 billion euros. Henkel employs around 53,000 people globally a passionate and highly diverse team, united by a strong company culture, a common purpose to create sustainable value, and shared values. As a recognized leader in sustainability, Henkel holds top positions in many international indices and rankings. Henkel's preferred shares are listed in the German stock index DAX. For more information, please visit www.henkel.com. Photo material is available at www.henkel-northamerica.com/press SOURCE Schwarzkopf US President Donald Trump said Monday he expected the coronavirus outbreak that has killed more than 900 people to disappear in April due to hotter weather. "The virus... typically that will go away in April," he told reporters at the White House, adding: "The heat, generally speaking, kills this kind of virus." The SARS-like pathogen has infected 40,000 people since its emergence in China late last year, while the United States has seen 12 confirmed cases of varying severity. Trump praised China -- and its leader Xi Jinping -- for the Asian giant's efforts in containing the spread. "(I) had a long talk with President Xi... two nights ago," Trump said. "He feels very confident... (that) during the month of April, the heat, generally speaking, kills this type of virus. That would be a good thing." For reasons that aren't fully understood, flu-like viruses tend to thrive in colder, dryer seasons and the new coronavirus could follow suit -- putting a brake on the outbreak with the arrival of milder weather. COVID-19 Vaccine Frequently Asked Questions View more How does a vaccine work? A vaccine works by mimicking a natural infection. A vaccine not only induces immune response to protect people from any future COVID-19 infection, but also helps quickly build herd immunity to put an end to the pandemic. Herd immunity occurs when a sufficient percentage of a population becomes immune to a disease, making the spread of disease from person to person unlikely. The good news is that SARS-CoV-2 virus has been fairly stable, which increases the viability of a vaccine. How many types of vaccines are there? There are broadly four types of vaccine one, a vaccine based on the whole virus (this could be either inactivated, or an attenuated [weakened] virus vaccine); two, a non-replicating viral vector vaccine that uses a benign virus as vector that carries the antigen of SARS-CoV; three, nucleic-acid vaccines that have genetic material like DNA and RNA of antigens like spike protein given to a person, helping human cells decode genetic material and produce the vaccine; and four, protein subunit vaccine wherein the recombinant proteins of SARS-COV-2 along with an adjuvant (booster) is given as a vaccine. What does it take to develop a vaccine of this kind? Vaccine development is a long, complex process. Unlike drugs that are given to people with a diseased, vaccines are given to healthy people and also vulnerable sections such as children, pregnant women and the elderly. So rigorous tests are compulsory. History says that the fastest time it took to develop a vaccine is five years, but it usually takes double or sometimes triple that time. View more Show But Trump's prognosis is at odds with top US health officials who have cautioned against commenting on the trajectory of the epidemic. "The issue is, we don't know," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told reporters Friday. "And any kind of prediction would be ill-advised because we really have so many unknowns," he added. He said that in the "best scenario" the Chinese would contain the outbreak and there would be a stop to its international spread. But he added that China could fail to control the outbreak or, even if it were successful, the virus could spread to a country without the resources to trace contacts and isolate new cases. A January 31 paper in British medical journal The Lancet warned that, even if the epidemic begins to recede at its epicenter in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in April, it could still grow globally into the second half of the year. NEW YORK The New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) recently approved a report from the NYSBA Committee on Cannabis Law that supports the legalization of adult recreational marijuana use in New York. The report outlines suggested strategies for the implementation of legalized cannabis in New York state and was adopted at NYSBAs House of Delegates meeting in New York City as part of the associations Annual Meeting. With the full support of the New York State Bar Association, we are hopeful our report will offer the necessary guidance to New Yorks governing bodies as they consider the legalization of adult-use cannabis, said Aleece Burgio (Barclay Damon), who co-chairs the committee with Brian J. Malkin (Arent Fox) and presented the report to the House of Delegates. The report provides the necessary details surrounding safety, research, social equity, taxation, and other principles critical to the success of a legalized adult-use program in this state, continued Burgio. While policy continues to evolve at the federal level, the committee also believes the most effective way to navigate this complex issue is for any comprehensive cannabis proposal to include hemp, medical marijuana, and adult-use. In its detailed 23-page report, the committee said it was not aware of a single jurisdiction that has passed model cannabis regulation and legalized adult-use that would be appropriate for New York to adopt in total. However, the committee noted that the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation has been commissioned by several state legislatures for comprehensive advice and analysis prior to developing their legalized cannabis use legislation and believes New York would similarly benefit by commissioning RAND or a similar organization to conduct such a study or analysis. The report also recommends that any New York legalized marijuana use legislation include: USDA mandated cannabis testing A comprehensive state Office of Cannabis Management Provisions for local municipality opt-out Social equity provisions State tax Advertising and marketing guidelines State environmental protections The committee also endorses an American Bar Association resolution that would resolve a conflict between federal and state law by exempting marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act for production, distribution, possession, or use of marijuana carried out in compliance with state laws. Under the Compassionate Care Act of 2014, only New Yorkers with prescriptions from qualified medical providers to treat a limited number of ailments may legally use marijuana. During the last legislative session, state lawmakers proposed various bills that would have legalized adult recreational marijuana use in New York. No such legislation passed, but legislators compromised by decriminalizing marijuana. Possession of up to two ounces or less is now merely a violation. In the meantime, many states in close proximity to New York, as well as its neighbor to the north, Canada, have already legalized the use of recreational marijuana or are in the process of doing so. The debate in the Empire State is sure to continue, as the sponsors of recreational legalization bills have already pledged to reintroduce them in the 2020-21 session. NYSBAs Committee on Cannabis Law will continue to monitor the evolving legal status of marijuana at both the state and federal level. In addition to offering top-quality cannabis law continuing education and resources for its members, the committee hopes to be a resource for New York lawmakers and federal legislatures to help set the highest possible legal and business standards for legalized cannabis products. To retake the presidency in November, the Democrats will need to win the Electoral College. The clearest path to do that is to win the swing states that had the closest margins in the 2016 election. Fortunately, the Democrats have a playbook to follow from the 2018 midterm election. There are many factors that led to Democratic victories in the crucial swing states of Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin in 2018, and its always hard to isolate any single cause. But the successful Democrats all talked about health care with a focus on fixing the Affordable Care Act and reinforcing Medicare. I looked at the congressional districts in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin where Democratic House candidates picked up the most votes in the 2018 election relative to the 2016 presidential election. (I excluded Pennsylvania from the analysis because it drew new congressional district lines in 2018.) Health care was the most prominent message of the Democrats who won those House seats. They focused on creating an option to buy in to Medicare, building upon the Affordable Care Act, and lowering costs of prescription drugs. Those campaign messages seemed to resonate with voters in the upper Midwest states. Across these three states, 12 Democratic House candidates received more votes than did Hillary Clinton in 2016 in their districts. This feat was impressive because turnout is lower in midterm elections. In these districts, there were between 35,000 and 60,000 fewer votes cast, yet these candidates got between 3,900 and 116,000 more votes than Clinton. For example, Democrat Ron Kind in Wisconsins 3rd District received 187,888 votes in 2018. Hillary Clinton received 160,999 votes in 2016 in that district even though 48,000 fewer total votes were cast in 2018 than in 2016. Kind and these other candidates were able to capture more votes than Clinton without increasing turnout, which suggests they were able to win the votes of many who had not voted for Clinton in 2016. The results in the 12 districts I examined the 1st, 5th, 7th, 8th and 11th in Michigan; the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 8th in Minnesota; and the 3rd and 6th in Wisconsin may be able to offer some insight into the policy platforms that can generate stronger voter support. Ten of these 12 districts cast more votes for Trump than Clinton in 2016 and six were close enough in 2016 that the two presidential candidates were within 10 percentage points of each other. These are not solid Democratic districts. For my analysis, I examined the campaign webpages from the morning of the election, Nov. 6, 2018. Ten of these 12 websites presented a list of issue priorities, showing how the candidates chose to present themselves to voters seeking information. For the winners in the 12 districts, health care was a top issue. Eight of the 10 candidates websites listed health care first or second in their issue priorities, the remaining two listed health care third. Other important issues listed were supporting veterans, the Flint, Mich., water crisis, education, protecting working families and campaign finance reform. This focus on health care was not limited to these districts. Among all Democratic candidates, health care was a central theme in their 2018 campaign ads. Among these 10 Democratic candidates, seven proposed allowing those aged 55 to 65 the option to buy in to Medicare, six wrote of fixing and building upon the Affordable Care Act, six supported having a government policy to lower the cost of prescription drugs and four expressed opposition to Republican efforts to repeal the ACA. None of the candidates campaign sites mentioned Medicare for All. This suggests Democratic presidential candidates should be cautious about departing from the messages and policy platforms of the 2018 midterm winners, without good reason and careful discussion. Lynn Vavreck, a political scientist at UCLA, argued in The Message Matters that a presidential candidate challenging an incumbent during a strong economy must come up with an insurgent issue on which to run the campaign. The insurgent issue should have two characteristics. First, the challengers position must be more popular than the presidents. Second, the president must be constrained from changing course and adopting the challengers position to co-opt the challengers advantage. With the strength of the economy in 2020, Vavrecks argument suggests that any Democratic nominee needs an insurgent issue to win. The 2018 outcomes make a good case that health care could be that insurgent issue. The Democrats position is likely to be more popular than President Trumps, and he is constrained by the Republican effort to repeal the ACA. The health care agendas of Democratic winners in 2018 demonstrate the kinds of policy proposals that work with voters in critical swing states. Seth Hill is an associate professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego and studies how citizens motivate politician behavior. Seth Hill is an associate professor of political science at the University of California, San Diego and studies how citizens motivate politician behavior. Love 0 Funny 1 Wow 0 Sad 0 Angry 0 Torontos bylaw enforcement officers were inundated with complaints made by the office of Coun. Jim Karygiannis, the departments former head says. Councillor Karygiannis was one of our more prolific complainants, said Mark Sraga, who was the director of investigation services for municipal licensing and standards from 2013 to 2019. Karygiannis was elected in 2014. We got inundated with reports and complaints, Sraga said, and a lot of the times what we found was unfounded or unsubstantiated ... It was a challenge for us because it was taking away resources from the Scarborough district to his ward. Sraga said Karygiannis was particularly concerned about illegal rooming houses. Hed be barging into peoples houses and hed be taking pictures inside, Sraga said, noting staff had to warn Karygiannis about that behaviour. Sragas comments follow a Star story about a secret recording that captures Karygiannis aggressively policing his own residents over supposed bylaw infractions and discussing giving those who supported him preferential treatment. Because theyre friendly Those comments became the subject of a complaint to the citys integrity commissioner on Tuesday by Democracy Watch co-founder Duff Conacher, who believes Karygiannis may have violated the code of conduct for members of council. Karygianniss comments in the recording amount to a confession that he gives preferential treatment to supporters and retaliates against non-supporters, Conacher said in his complaint. "If I feel like an a--hole" Councillor Karygiannis statements about his actions so unethically violate the key, democratic function of a councillor to serve all constituents fairly and well that the integrity commissioner should recommend the maximum penalties of a 90-day suspension of pay and his removal from all city committees and boards. Karygiannis said Tuesday he has proactively reached out to the integrity commissioner and said he would be sure to share the secretly recorded tapes and my explanation for this private conversation. Sraga said that, to his knowledge, there was no indication to city staff that the complaints filed by Karygiannis were specifically targeting or excluding anyone. The city has said the same. Mr. Karygiannis has been advised in the past to follow the process established for investigations and that city staff will take carriage of any breach of city bylaws that are alleged to have occurred, city spokesperson Brad Ross told the Star on Tuesday. The city investigates all complaints that are within its powers, regardless of who the complainant is or how frequently complaints are made, provided complaints are not or do not become frivolous or vexatious. If an investigation determines no bylaw was breached, the matter is closed. On Tuesday, Karygiannis told the Star that he has always been passionate about serving my constituents and I am proud of my record of public service. It is not for me to comment on past workload levels at the city or on bylaw reporting levels from different parts of the city, he said in a written statement. It is a fact that I make a point of bringing issues forward from my ward to staff on behalf of my constituents and I have confidence in city staff dealing with these matters with integrity and professionalism. In an email exchange with Karygiannis on Tuesday, the Star was copied on an email from Mike Van Soelen, managing principal for crisis communications firm Navigator, who wrote: Ill be back with a draft note for you to use shortly after Karygiannis promised the Star a response for this story. Asked whether he had hired Navigator to respond to the Star and whether he is using taxpayer funds for those services, Karygiannis said, Money spent on councillors budget is on public record. MANILA The Philippines said Tuesday it had officially informed the United States that it was scrapping a military pact that has given the longtime American ally a security blanket for the past two decades. The notice to terminate the pact, the Visiting Forces Agreement, comes as President Rodrigo Duterte has warmed up to China while distancing himself from the United States, the Philippines former colonial ruler. The move also comes as the Philippines has shown increasing reluctance to stand up to China over its territorial claims in the South China Sea. The agreement has let the United States rotate its forces through Philippine military bases. It has allowed for about 300 joint exercises annually between the American and Philippine militaries, said R. Clarke Cooper, the assistant secretary of state for political-military affairs. He told reporters Monday the termination of the agreement would put those operations at risk. The pact still remains in force, but the notice to terminate it, delivered to the American Embassy in Manila, starts a clock under which it will remain in effect for 180 days before lapsing. Jill Dearman Brooklyn To the Editor: Re The Harrowing Chaos of the Democratic Primary (column, Feb. 8): Michelle Goldberg says she envies those who are exhilarated, rather than terrified, that the fate of American democracy could soon be Bernie or bust. I share her sense of terror. I do not think the vast majority of voters will embrace Bernie. I believe that this is President Trumps dream scenario. We cant afford the risk. 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. But there is one candidate who is gaining traction and could well be a viable alternative: Amy Klobuchar. She had a stellar debate performance Friday night. She has been endorsed by this newspaper (with Elizabeth Warren), as well as by three large daily New Hampshire newspapers. This isnt a Buttigieg-Sanders fight. Ms. Klobuchar is a serious contender, and its time she received the attention she deserves. Anne L. Finger Teaneck, N.J. To the Editor: Michelle Goldberg blames Joe Biden for the chaos? President Trump clearly went after Mr. Biden because he knows the former vice president is the candidate best positioned to beat him. The question is, why do Democrats and the liberal media also attack him, at best damning him with faint praise? We need to choose a candidate who cant be immediately dismissed by many as a socialist, or inexperienced, or buying himself an election, or perhaps even, I am very sorry to say in 2020, a woman. That candidate, who has, as Ms. Goldberg concedes, an unmatched biography and name recognition, is Joe Biden. Cut the chaos, fellow Democrats, or well have no one to blame but ourselves for Mr. Trump and the Republicans continuing destruction of our Constitution and our democracy. How to Get the Most Out of Vimeo Enterprise Vimeo's corporate video platform offers a wealth of features, including control over the branded viewing experience, distribution to Roku and Amazon Fire, and powerful live streaming tools Page 1 Vimeo is the worlds leading professional video platform, with more than 150 million members across more than 150 countries. Recently, Vimeo released Enterprise, which enables large organizations to manage and share live and on-demand video content with teams and customers, at scale, and all on one platform. "Vimeo Enterprise combines the best of our platformpowerful tools, ease of use, and the highest quality viewing experiencewith new enterprise-grade capabilities that give organizations full control and support to power their business with video," said Anjali Sud, Vimeo CEO. Readers can get the full scope of features here. I have covered Vimeo extensively in the past and have always been an advocate of what the platform offers to companies publishing online videos. Below are some useful tips for publishers looking to utilize Vimeo Enterprise. Create Branded Experiences The presentation style that Vimeo offers for how a brand can display their videos is unmatched when it comes to other video platforms. One of the most eye-catching examples is with Vimeo Showcase. This option gives users complete control in creating a beautiful viewing experience for customers or employees, as shown in the example above. Showcases are quick, customizable, and available to your audience across all devices. The embeddable playlist feature allows publishers to create a collection of videos on your existing site with a simple embed code. These showcases can be made available public or private (password-protected) in the event of internal training videos. Teams can access and interact with video content securely on a branded company page. For customer-facing content, users can create stunning visual presentations with templates. Showcases publish to a custom domain with a unique Vimeo URL or a domain that you already own. Vimeo takes care of the back-end hosting and allows your video to play without hiccups, delivered in superb quality. It takes a massive load off internal IT and web teams. The embedded player option also gives companies the benefit of using built-in traffic tools that are already in place on a website. Showcases also allow companies to get their content distributed to connected devices such as Amazon Fire and Roku. Showcase does the heavy lifting by preventing companies from typing a line of code or hiring a developer. Using a feed URL thats generated when creating a Vimeo Showcase, users can send this information to Roku or Amazon Fire, using each associated website. A full guide can be accessed here. I tested this feature without any significant pitfalls and was quickly able to create a company channel on Roku (above). One limitation I experienced was that Roku would only show 40 videos across a single channel and will order videos based on the date added, ignoring any custom order you may have chosen on the Vimeo Showcase. Finally, Vimeo has SEO tools to make your showcases discoverable in search results. This feature is on the left-hand side panel of your showcase. Users can optimize their showcase to get more organic traffic from search engines. Tools for High-End Live Streaming Vimeo Enterprise has raised the bar with a package of live streaming tools a brand can use for those experiences. Professional graphics tools are an easy way to increase the production value in your live shows. Publishers can add lower-third titles, transitions, and logos to a live stream (below). Another popular request for live programming within a company landscape is Q&A. Vimeo Live includes access to a free program called Studio 5, which can transform your computer into a production control room. It allows for all of the interactive tools mentioned above in addition to tracking performance with real-time analytics (below). For publishers who have created live broadcasts, they know how many things can go wrong. Vimeo addresses many of the backend tech challenges with its easy to use live platform. Also, with Vimeo Enterprise, publishers can get live support during an event setup during business hours (U.S. Eastern Time). The experts at Vimeo are a wealth of information for any publishers looking to get into the live streaming experience. Check out some of the helpful tips and checklists on Vimeo's blog. The last feature to note in Vimeo Live is the option for streaming to multiple channels. With a click of a button, the live offering allows for simultaneous streams to social platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and even LinkedIn. With 30 million businesses across LinkedIn, this is a coveted feature that many companies can use for their live broadcasts when targeting a specific business audience. Get Help Producing a Video Videos are a reflection of your brand, and there are times when a webcam or smartphone cannot produce the quality a company needs. Vimeos For Hire marketplace provides anyone looking to create a high-quality video with a simple, effective way to source the industry's best talent for their project (below). Users can post a project request to connect with Vimeos global network of filmmakers, videographers, editors, and other professionals. Companies can find local professionals in your area within minutes and hire them for video jobs, commission-free. "Every business, brand, and agency today faces hurdles in producing video at scale. They have a continuous need to make high-quality content frequently. Right now, they rely on informal networks and word-of-mouth to find the right people to make those videos, which is time-consuming and inefficient," said Sud. The For Hire tool is easy to use and gives the company's access to 30,000 plus Vimeo video professionals. Brands can look for help by budget, project type, location, skills, and experience. Video professionals can also browse jobs through their search and can submit to projects that match their skills and knowledge. All of these tools empower brands to make the most of their online video presence. From internal tools to external communication, Vimeo Enterprise is an excellent solution for companies looking for a turnkey video platform. Page 1 HESPERIA, MI -- It appeared as if Hesperias village council might have enough members in attendance Monday, Feb. 10 to hold its first official meeting since May 2019. But despite rescinding his resignation late last month, Trustee J.R. Derks missed another meeting, leaving the seven-member board one trustee shy of a quorum with only three officials in attendance. Its a real long and complicated mess, said village President Mike Farber. "Theyve got us stuck right now. Theres not a whole lot we can do. If we cant get a quorum, we cant move forward. Right now, all were doing is stuff in emergency to keep day-to-day operations going. For nine months, Farber has joined trustees Jim Smith and Joyce McDonald in the council room on the second Monday of the month. Roll is called and a lack of quorum is announced before the meeting is adjourned. Absent at those meetings have been trustees Kristin Denbesten, Carol Kochans, Mike Maynard and Derks. Denbesten resigned in May, followed by Kochans and Derks. Maynard said he doesnt plan to return to the table unless Farber steps down as president. The village president and a couple trustees are clearly working outside the scope of their authorities, Maynard said. When we got elected to office, we didnt realize how dirty it was. Because Derks resignation couldnt be accepted without a quorum, he was able to rescind it, which he did Jan. 29 via a letter to the village clerk. But he did not attend Mondays scheduled meeting, and Farber said he hasnt heard a timeline for his return. Without a quorum, the village council hasnt been able to move the needle on proposed ordinances related to ready to serve water bills and medical marijuana. Both resolutions had council members in disagreement when they were discussed last spring. The council voted to allow medical marijuana facilities in town, but it hasnt been able to adopt an ordinance that sets the local guidelines and requirements. Maynard said those on the council who want to pass an ordinance have tried to hurry it along, but Farber said hed take opposition votes over a lack of official discussion. If they dont like it, vote no," Farber said. I dont like yes people and thats part of the problem. Vote what you feel, just dont come in with a personal agenda." The village president and clerk have continued day-to-day operations, including paying utility bills. Questions about the future remain, including what will happen with medical marijuana applications and what the council will do if it doesnt get a quorum in time to adopt its next fiscal year budget. Farber has no plans to step down. He said hes received calls of support to his home, and he plans to run for his position again in November. He believes the residents will elect him to a third two-year term. In the meantime, he hopes to get at least a fourth council member to attend a meeting soon to get back to business. The next council meeting is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. March 9. This is horrible, he said. As far as the stress of it all, we cant get nothing done. Meanwhile, state Sen. Jon Bumstead, R-Newaygo, has introduced legislation that would aid governments with administrative duties by giving villages like Hesperia the power to compel absent members to attend. The Senate Committee on Local Government took testimony on the legislation last week. Senate bills 712 and 713 amend the General Law Village Act and Michigan Election Law, giving local governments power in situations like this. The legislation would provide direction for villages unable to achieve a quorum and give them tools to ensure elected officials are held to their duties. The bills would allow the presiding officer of a local council to compel absent council members to attend a meeting. If a village fails to compel an absent member to attend a meeting under ordinary circumstances, the absent member shall be guilty of gross neglect of duty, which is a precursor for the governor to consider removal. Read more: Village council goes 8 months without meeting because not enough members attend Controversy over Muskegon food truck may expand the area where they can operate 3 finalists named for Grand Rapids schools superintendent job MINNEAPOLIS, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- F5Weather, a national weather forecast data provider, today announced its new focus on providing specialized forecasting for businesses affected by climate change. Changing weather patterns have created a demand for carefully targeted weather information. Ordinary five-day forecasts no longer meet the needs of industries that require specifics. "From the fires in Australia to flooding in the Midwest to heatwaves in Europe, the effects of global climate change are upon us," said F5Weather President and CEO Andrew Revering. Simulated infrared satellite depiction with mean sea level pressure overlay using NAM computer model guidance. As unprecedented weather events escalate, decision-makers are seeking weather information tailored to their businesses. Companies like F5Weather run computer forecast models at resolutions higher than anything else available, focused on specific locations. By working closely with clients, letting them dictate what information is important to them, weather data providers can furnish details not available elsewhere, fine-tuned to meet an organization's unique needs. For example, customized models assigned to wildfires can help firefighters identify wind strength and flow, moisture influx and other details on a scale down to specific valleys. This data can be invaluable in determining the best approach to fighting a fire while keeping crew members safe. "Our job is to put the highest-quality forecast guidance in the hands of decision-makers," said Revering. "If we can provide it to them in a format that makes sense, then we've done our job so they can do theirs." F5Weather creates weather forecast graphics and data from numerical weather prediction. For over 20 years, F5Weather has served the government, universities, the National Weather Service, broadcast meteorologists, students, storm chasers and private industry, among others. F5Weather focuses on providing data that is difficult to obtain, such as world-leading ECMWF and UKMET model data, to critical decision-makers. To learn more, visit https://www.f5weather.com or email an inquiry to [email protected]. Contact: Andrew Revering, F5Weather Email: [email protected] Related Images simulated-satellite.png Simulated satellite Simulated infrared satellite depiction with mean sea level pressure overlay using NAM computer model guidance. Related Links F5Weather SOURCE F5Weather Related Links https://www.f5weather.com Controversial Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr announced on Tuesday he was dissolving the blue caps, an organised unit of his supporters accused of recent deadly attacks on anti-government protests. It was the most recent about-face in a series of dizzying decisions in recent weeks for Sadr, who has a cult-like following of several million Iraqis. He initially backed the rallies demanding a government overhaul when they erupted in October, but has switched course multiple times in recent weeks, finally breaking with the movement by endorsing premier-designate Mohammad Allawi. A two-time former communications minister, Allawi is seen by protesters as too close to the elite they have railed against for months. Since then, Sadr supporters wearing blue caps have raided protest sites in Baghdad and the Shiite-majority south, leaving eight protesters dead. Facing growing criticism, Sadr took to Twitter on Tuesday. I announce the dissolution of the blue caps, and I do not accept the (Sadrist) movements presence in and of itself at the protests, unless it is absorbed into them, he tweeted. Initially, Sadr supporters were seen as the most organised and well-provisioned of the demonstrators but his recent tweets have confused both followers and foes. Protest violence After backing Allawi, he ordered the blue caps to help security forces reopen schools, roads and public offices closed for months by protests. They stormed anti-Allawi protests camps, leaving one protester stabbed to death in Hilla and seven gunned down in the shrine city of Najaf. Feeling betrayed and outraged, activists began openly criticising Sadr in their chants. The countrys top Shiite religious authority Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani condemned the violence and insisted state security forces take the lead in restoring order. Already, protest-related violence has killed nearly 550 people, the vast majority of them demonstrators, according to the Iraqi Human Rights Commission. But demonstrators have maintained their campaign, now focused on premier-designate Allawi, who was nominated on February 1. Allawi has until March 2 to form his cabinet, which would need a vote of confidence from parliament. That government would be expected to rule only until early parliamentary elections are held under a new electoral law a major demand of demonstrators. Allawi, who was nominated as a consensus candidate among Iraqs divided political parties, has promised an independent cabinet of technocrats. Iraqi officials have quietly expressed scepticism that such a government would earn parliaments approval. Allawi met outgoing premier Adel Abdel Mahdi on Tuesday to discuss cabinet formation but they did not announce any progress. Disarray Sadr had first welcomed Allawis nomination as a good step but appeared to walk back his support on Tuesday. We hear that there are pressures from political parties and from sects over the forming of the temporary government, Sadr tweeted. This could lead us to completely wash our hands of all of it. Sadr already controls the largest parliamentary bloc and top ministerial positions in the current government. But one of his senior aides said Saturday that the new prime minister must not include members of the political elite in his new cabinet, or Allawi would be toppled in just three days. Iraq is the 16th most corrupt country in the world according to Transparency International, and the cabinet formation process is rife with horsetrading. Two figures once played major roles in brokering deals during previous periods of stalemate: Iraqi commander Abu Mahdi al-Muhandis and Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. Both were killed in a US drone strike in Baghdad on January 3, throwing Iraqs fractious political parties and armed factions into further disarray. To mark 40 days since their deaths, a tradition in the Middle East, top officials held a memorial service in Baghdads high-security Green Zone on Tuesday. Among them was Faleh Fayyadh, Iraqs national security adviser and the head of the Hashed al-Shaabi military network, of which Muhandis was the deputy head. The great crime committed near Baghdad airport against the commanders of victory (was) a crime against humanity, against Iraq, against our sovereignty and the defence of our children, Fayyadh told those gathered. Notably absent were Abdel Mahdi, Allawi and the Hasheds leading commanders. According to Hashed sources, the networks military elite have been hiding out in Iran since the strike out of fear of also being targeted. The US strike so outraged Iraqs parliament that it swiftly voted to oust all foreign forces, including around 5,200 American troops deployed in the country to help fight remnants of the Islamic State group. Storyful Supporters of world No.1 Novak Djokovic gathered outside a courthouse in Melbourne on January 10 as the player appealed against his deportation from Australia in the hope of staying to play in the Australian Open.According to court filings, Djokovics lawyers say he was granted a visa on November 18. An exemption certificate was issued by Tennis Australias chief medical officer on December 30, they said.The hearing on Monday was due to start at the Federal Circuit and Family Court at 10am but was delayed multiple times due to technical issues. According to local reports, Judge Anthony Kelly said a professor and an eminently qualified physician have produced and provided to the applicant a medical exemption.Further to that, that medical exemption and the basis on which it was given was separately given by a further independent expert specialist panel, established by the Victorian state government. And that document was in the hands of the delegate.And the point Im somewhat agitated about is, was what more could this man have done? Judge Kelly asked.Footage by Slobodan Bendjo shows fans waving Serbian flags and dancing outside the Federal Circuit and Family Court in Melbourne. Credit: Slobodan Bendjo via Storyful Advertisement They're among the most influential models in the world. Bella Hadid and Candice Swanepoel showed off fierce contrasting looks Monday when they walked at the Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2020 show for New York Fashion Week. Bella, 23, lit up the room in a red and pink feathered outfit, while Candice, 31, put on a sultry display in a low-cut black dress. Leading the way: Bella Hadid, 23, and Candice Swanepoel, 31, showed off fierce contrasting looks Monday when they walked at the Oscar de la Renta Fall/Winter 2020 show for New York Fashion Week Bella was unmissable in a short red crinoline dress that formed an exaggerated hourglass figure. The outfit showcased her long, slender legs, and the 5ft9in beauty wore a pair of black and silver open-toe heels. She covered up the red dress with a fluffy dark pink cloak decked out in ostrich feathers. Bella wore her brunette tresses parted down the middle and swept back behind her ears to frame her elegantly made-up face. Shaped: Bella was unmissable in a short red crinoline dress that formed an exaggerated hourglass figure; pictured with co-creative directors Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim Svelte frame: The outfit showcased her long, slender legs, and the 5ft9in beauty wore a pair of black and silver open-toe heels Dark-haired beauty: Bella wore her brunette tresses parted down the middle and swept back behind her ears to frame her elegantly made-up face Covered up: She covered up the red dress with a fluffy dark pink cloak decked out in ostrich feathers The boss: Bella in a more playful moment with co-creative director Fernando Garci Getting ready: Bella listened for tips before hitting the runway Having fun: She made quite the exit as she ran across the venue hand-in-hand with Fernando while Laura spread her arms out with delight Preparations: Before hitting the stage, she was pictured giggling with her fellow models Bella switched colors for a second outfit with a bright cerulean coat. She covered up in a fuzzy double-breasted overcoat with hidden buttons, and she had on a burgundy sweater underneath with a scarlet ribbon wrapped loosely around her threat. The sister of Gigi Hadid completed her wintry ensemble with a loose pair of teal slacks and pointy scarlet heels. Unmissable: Bella switched colors for a second outfit with a bright cerulean coat Staying warm: She covered up in a fuzzy double-breasted overcoat with hidden buttons Mix and match: Bella had on a burgundy sweater underneath Woman in red: She wore a scarlet ribbon wrapped loosely around her throat, which matched her pointy red heels Multicolored: The sister of Gigi Hadid completed her wintry ensemble with a loose pair of teal slacks Eye-catching: Bella also matched her red scarf to her bright red lipstick Edgy: Bella made her way to the show in a similarly blue leather jacket with prominent breast and hip pockets. She spiced her look up with a pair of jeans adorned with dark blue dragon designs while wearing casual white sneakers Bella made her way to the show in a similarly blue leather jacket with prominent breast and hip pockets. She spiced her look up with a pair of jeans adorned with dark blue dragon designs while wearing casual white sneakers. The catwalk star completed her look with a pair of slim tortoiseshell sunglasses, gold hoop earrings and a white handbag while wearing a splash of crimson across her lips. 111SKIN supported the dynamic Oscar de la Renta team, helmed by the immensely talented Creative Duo Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia. 111SKIN's spokesperson said: 'Since meeting the vivacious Creative Director Laura Kim 111SKIN were keen to solidify our longstanding admiration of the Fashion House by supporting backstage. Glowing: 111SKIN supported the dynamic Oscar de la Renta team, helmed by the immensely talented Creative Duo Laura Kim and Fernando Garcia 111SKIN's spokesperson said: 'Since meeting the vivacious Creative Director Laura Kim 111SKIN were keen to solidify our longstanding admiration of the Fashion House by supporting backstage' 'The partnership with Oscar de la Renta was the perfect fit, the focus being on craftmanship and his desire to celebrate form was something all too familiar to 111SKIN. Two brands coming together to showcase the true beauty in every individual. 'We used our Radiance Range at this show, focusing our activity around our new launch of the rose gold illuminating eye mask!' Candice Swanepoel contrasted Bella's colorful outfits with her sultry all-black ensemble. The South African beauty stunned in the dress, which highlighted her cleavage and reached nearly down to her navel. The outfit had a metallic collar with studded metal spheres decorating the ends, and the dress featured a high slit to show off her toned legs. She wore tall black open-toe heels with snaking designs wrapping their way up her knees, and she carried along a star-shaped black handbag with a gold bottom. Back in black: Candice Swanepoel contrasted Bella's colorful outfits with her sultry all-black ensemble. The South African beauty stunned in the dress, which highlighted her cleavage and reached nearly down to her navel Chic: The outfit had a metallic collar with studded metal spheres decorating the ends, and the dress featured a high slit to show off her toned legs Accessorized: She wore tall black open-toe heels with snaking designs wrapping their way up her knees, and she carried along a star-shaped black handbag with a gold bottom Candice also rocked another black outfit as she arrived at the show. She was attired in a black leather jumpsuit with rolled up sleeves while carrying a matching black handbag. The Victoria's Secret Angel had on tall black suede boots and kept her blonde tresses pulled back in a tight ponytail. Two for two: Candice also rocked another black outfit as she arrived at the show. She was attired in a black leather jumpsuit with rolled up sleeves Blonde beauty: The Victoria's Secret Angel had on tall black suede boots and kept her blonde tresses pulled back in a tight ponytail Nicky Hilton looked lovely in a beige linen dress covered in nature scenes. The heiress' sleeveless outfit had colorful decorative stitching of butterflies and flowers decorating her dress, which reached down to her ankles. She matched it with beige heels and let her wavy blonde locks cascade over her shoulders. Nicky was joined by her mother Kathy Hilton, who looked classy in a short black dress and fishnet stockings. Elegant: Nicky Hilton looked lovely in a beige linen dress covered in nature scenes Lovely: The heiress' sleeveless outfit had colorful decorative stitching of butterflies and flowers decorating her dress, which reached down to her ankles Coordinated: She matched it with beige heels and carried a bright red clutch Lookalikes: Nicky was joined by her mother Kathy Hilton, who looked classy in a short black dress and fishnet stockings Delicate: The entrepreneur let her wavy blonde locks cascade over her shoulders Dear White People's Logan Browning glowed in a lustrous yellow dress with a tightly pleated skirt and top. Pooja Mor looked similarly colorful in a ruched fuchsia tube top, which she wore with black slacks and a boxy handbag covered in black and white diamonds. Maartje Verhoef looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder red satin gown with a voluminous skirt. Cara Taylor also stood out in red with her overcoat, which featured long, drooping epaulets. She had on fuchsia slacks and wore a pointy pair of brown heels. Vibrant: Dear White People's Logan Browning glowed in a lustrous yellow dress with a tightly pleated skirt and top Stylish: Pooja Mor looked similarly colorful in a ruched fuchsia tube top, which she wore with black slacks and a boxy handbag covered in black and white diamonds Women in red: Maartje Verhoef looked elegant in an off-the-shoulder red satin gown with a voluminous skirt. Cara Taylor also stood out in red with her overcoat, which featured long, drooping epaulets. She had on fuchsia slacks and wore a pointy pair of brown heels Mayowa Nicholas covered up in a black dress covered in cartoon-like white flowers, and she added a red cable knit turtleneck and loose red boots. Ugbad Abdi stayed toasty in a dark teal sweater and pleated pink pants. She wore a beige satin hijab that matched her shoes while carrying a baby blue clutch that looked like a jewelry box. Runway stars: Mayowa Nicholas covered up in a black dress covered in cartoon-like white flowers, and she added a red cable knit turtleneck and loose red boots. Ugbad Abdi stayed toasty in a dark teal sweater and pleated pink pants Tastemaker: She wore a beige satin hijab that matched her shoes while carrying a baby blue clutch that looked like a jewelry box Low key: Bella wore a simple beige ribbed tank top while backstage at the show Free and clear: She skipped a bra with the casual outfit Critics have long alleged that a flawed investigation into Malcolms 1965 killing sent the wrong men to jail. The Manhattan District Attorneys Office in New York has announced it will launch a review of the investigation into the 1965 assassination of civil rights leader Malcolm X that could potentially lead to a reinvestigation of the case. Malcolm, a firebrand in his lifetime who laid the intellectual foundations for the Black Power and black consciousness movements in the US, was assassinated by gunmen as he gave a lecture at the Audubon Ballroom in Harlem. Three members of the Nation of Islam were later arrested for the killings. Despite previously helping to lead the group, which mixed black nationalism with Islamic teachings, the killing came after Malcolm had a falling out with Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad over the organisations political direction. Malcolm had faced death threats and his home was firebombed shortly before he was killed. Questions of police and prosecutorial mistakes and misconduct have long loomed over the investigation, with many believing two of the three men found guilty were wrongfully convicted. Meanwhile, critics allege the shoddy law enforcement had let others involved in the killing walk free. The Innocence Project, a non-profit group working with a civil rights lawyer on behalf of one of the convicted men, now 81-year-old Muhammad Abdul Aziz, said the review of the investigation came in light of new information uncovered in the Netflix documentary, Who Killed Malcolm X?, which premiered on Friday and probes unanswered questions in the case. A spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr said his office decided to begin a preliminary review of the matter after Vance met representatives from the Innocence Project and Azizs lawyer. The review will inform the office regarding what further investigative steps may be undertaken, spokesman Danny Frost said in a statement. I was there I know what happened Aziz, who was known as Norman 3X Butler when he was arrested, and Khalil Islam, known previously as Thomas 15X Johnson, have maintained their innocence since their 1966 conviction. Islam died in 2009. This wrongful conviction shaped lives other than mine, Aziz says in the documentary. Everyones been affected by this. A whole generation. Children, grandchildren, this whole thing produced issues that have caused a fissure, a separation, a distance in my family. Khalil Islam, known at the time of the arrest as Thomas 15X Johnson is seen in this photo from 1965, maintained his innocence until he died in 2009. [File: Harvey Lippman/The Associated Press] The third convicted man, Mujahid Abdul Halim, who was known also as Talmadge Hayer and Thomas Hagan, confessed to being the assassin, but said during his 1966 trial that Aziz and Islam had nothing to do with it. I was there, I know what happened and I know the people who were there, he said, according to a New York Times report from that year. Feeling more confident Senior Trial Counsel Peter Casolaro and Conviction Integrity Deputy Chief Charles King will lead the preliminary review, according to Vances office. Casolaro had previously helped to overturn the convictions of five teens wrongfully convicted of the rape of a jogger in Manhattans Central Park in 1989. The accused teens became known as the Central Park Five. The Netflix documentary follows Abdur-Rahman Muhammad, a Washington, DC, activist as he investigates Malcolms killing and uncovers information that may suggest the wrong men went to prison. Muhammad, on Facebook, said he was pleased to see that prosecutor Casolaro had been assigned to the case. I am feeling more confident by the day that Muhammad Abdul Aziz, the former Norman 3X Butler, will be exonerated for the murder of Malcolm X, he wrote shortly after the review of the investigation had been announced. According to the Innocence Project, no physical evidence ever connected Aziz or Islam to the crime and Aziz had several alibis at the time of the killing. The group also said civil rights lawyer William Kunstler had previously obtained undisclosed FBI documents that supported an account of the killing given by Halim in 1978, in which he identified four other co-conspirators, gave their addresses, and provided a detailed timeline of the assassination. We are grateful that District Attorney Vance quickly agreed to conduct a review of the conviction of Muhammad Aziz, said Barry Scheck, the co-founder of the Innocence Project, in a statement. Given the historical importance of this case and the fact that our client is 81 years old, we are especially encouraged that Mr Vance has assigned two highly respected prosecutors, Peter Casolaro and Charles King, to work on this re-investigation, said Scheck. The pilot of a Stobart Air flight had to abort landing after strong winds from Storm Ciara lurched the aircraft sideways and forced it back into the air. Dramatic footage filmed at Birmingham Airport on Sunday shows the plane, which was arriving from Belfast, approaching the runway before being raised again. The Embraer craft is seen leaning to the right before its nose starts to rise and the pilot has no choice but to take the plane back into the sky. As the Stobart Air flight from Belfast approached the runway at Birmingham Airport on Sunday the aircraft lurched sideways (pictured) and the pilot was forced to abort landing Several planes had trouble landing at UK airports over the weekend, which saw strong winds batter the country. And although Storm Ciara has now moved eastwards from the UK, the bad weather isn't over as it will leave mass white-outs in its wake up and down the country. The Met Office has issued fresh snow warnings for today, with people being warned that Storm Dennis could also be on the way. The forecaster also warned that treacherous icy conditions will sweep across the Midlands, parts of the northeast, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Dramatic video shows the plane coming into land but struggling with strong winds from Storm Ciara The pilot raises the plane after the failed landing attempt during the tricky weather conditions The effects of Storm Ciara, that hit the UK at the weekend leaving more than 20,000 homes without power overnight, was felt by travellers at the start of this week. Airlines operating to and from UK airports continued to be affected by the weather conditions on Monday, with more than 100 flights cancelled. British Airways and easyJet appeared to be the worst affected, although several other airlines were also hit. By 11am, some 33 of Heathrow's Monday departures were cancelled - equivalent to 5 per cent of flights - and a further 82 were delayed by at least 15 minutes. Several planes (pictured the Stobart Air flight moving towards the runway) had trouble landing over the weekend Snow covered houses in Princetown on the top of Dartmoor, Devon, where snow has fallen on high ground today British Airways said 'safety is at the heart of everything we do' and stressed that the airline is 'carefully assessing every flight'. It added: 'We are sorry for the disruption to your travel plans and are doing all we can to get you to your destination as quickly as we can.' Passengers due to travel on domestic and European flights on Monday were able to re-book to an alternative date. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has sent protective equipment to Shanghai Childrens Medical Center where supplies have been depleted due to the outbreak of the coronavirus in Wuhan, China. The Church partnered with Project HOPE, a humanitarian organization that has worked on the front line of the worlds greatest health challenges since 1958. The Church sent two planes loaded with medical supplies, including 220,000 respirator masks, 870 pairs of protective goggles and more than 6,500 pairs of protective coveralls. The supplies were sent from Salt Lake City, Utah and also from the Churchs storehouse in Atlanta. The Atlanta storehouse, like all Church storehouses, is filled with commodities provided by fast offerings and other generous donations from members, including those in the greater Chattanooga area. Food and supplies from the bishops storehouse can be sent to those affected by natural disasters, wars, or economic crises at a moments notice, officials state, and also provide for the poor and needy. The Churchs recent shipment to China came about as a result of President Russell M. Nelsons long association with the good people of China for decades. Prior to being called as an apostle in 1984 and serving today as prophet, President Nelson was a world-renowned heart surgeon for most of his life. He is well-known for performing heart surgery, including in China, where his final operation was performed in 1985. Through his professional career and service to the Church he has made lasting and enduring friendships, and recently inquired as to what might be needed to help combat the coronavirus, according to a Church news release. He learned of the need for protective equipment, particularly at the Childrens Medical Center in Shanghai. These are our dear brothers and sisters, and we feel privileged to be able to offer some small measure of help. We pray for them and know God will bless them, President Nelson said. Shipments arrived in Shanghai on Feb. 4. Project HOPE and Latter-day Saint Charities partnered to distribute the medical supplies. What we have done is nothing compared with the medical personnel on the frontline risking their lives, one volunteer said, but nothing is worth more than giving ourselves to others in times of need (see newsroom at ChurchofJesusChrist.org). NUSA DUA, INDONESIAA family from Shanghai was vacationing in Singapore last month when they learned that the new coronavirus had arrived there from China. So they packed up and flew to the worlds largest country yet to report a single case of the deadly virus: Indonesia. They landed in Bali, a major destination for Chinese tourists, on Jan. 30 and have no plans to leave. People in Bali treat us nicely and are friendly, said Eva Qin, 36, who is travelling with her mother, husband and son. We werent given any health test. Health experts have questioned why Indonesia has not yet reported a single case of novel coronavirus, even though officials were slow to halt non-stop flights from China. Indonesia receives about 2 million Chinese tourists a year, most of them in Bali. Chinas consul general in Bali said last week that about 5,000 Chinese tourists remained in Bali, including 200 from Wuhan, where the outbreak started. Indonesias closest neighbours have all reported cases, including the Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia and Australia. So far, Indonesia is the only major country in Asia that does not have a corona case, Indonesias security minister, Mohammad Mahfud MD, told reporters Friday. The coronavirus does not exist in Indonesia. None of the 285 people who were evacuated from Wuhan and are now in quarantine on the Indonesian island of Natuna have shown signs of the virus, he added. Five researchers at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health concluded in a study last week that Indonesia and Cambodia, which has reported only one case, should quickly intensify its monitoring of potential cases. Based on a statistical analysis, the disease could have arrived in Indonesia already, the authors concluded. Many of the imported cases have been linked to a recent travel history from Wuhan, suggesting that air travel volume may play an important role for the risk of cases being exported outside of China, the study said. The chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross, Jusuf Kalla, a former vice president of Indonesia, also said it was possible that the disease had already entered the country and that Indonesians might not recognize the symptoms as being coronavirus. Singapore has a tight system, but even there the virus got in, he said. Its possible that there are infected people but here in Indonesia people think that it is only a regular fever or they think it is dengue fever. Kalla expressed concern about how prepared Indonesia was to handle the virus if it were to strike in remote parts of the archipelago nation where underfunded community health centres are the main health care provider. (Indonesia is the worlds fourth most populous country, with nearly 270 million people scattered across 6,000 inhabited islands.) Indonesia has many islands, he said. We have many port cities. They all have different capabilities. I think good hospitals in Jakarta can detect it. But what about the community health centre in Flores? Or in Sulawesi? Surely the capability is limited. Indonesias health care system is considered underfunded by international standards, with insufficient facilities and too few doctors, nurses and midwives, according to a 2018 report by the World Health Organization. But the WHO country representative, Dr. Navaratnasamy Paranietharan, said Indonesia is doing its best to face the new coronavirus, including screening passengers at points of entry and equipping hospitals for the arrival of suspected or diagnosed cases. Indonesia is doing what is possible to be prepared for and defend against the novel coronavirus, he said. Health officials say they have tested nearly 50 suspected cases, which were all negative. Thirty Chinese workers from a cement company in North Sulawesi were placed in 14-day quarantine last week after returning from a holiday visit to China, an immigration official said. None of them have come down with the virus, he said. If patients with symptoms were arriving, they would have been detected, insisted Achmad Yurianto, secretary of prevention and control at the health ministry. We are not prepared to face a major outbreak, but we are prepared to prevent an outbreak, he said. We are not waiting for it to happen. We in fact have tightened prevention. Indonesia is experienced at monitoring travellers for illness, he said, because the country has long been on the lookout for another dangerous coronavirus, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome or MERS. About 1.4 million Indonesians go each year on pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia, where they can be exposed to MERS, he said, and they are screened on their return. We have experienced this many times, he said. Maybe other countries are not as diligent as Indonesia in dealing with this situation. Indonesia has three laboratories capable of testing for the new coronavirus, two in Jakarta, the capital, and one in Surabaya, Indonesias second-largest city, in East Java. The labs can test 1,200 samples a day, he said. Across the country, 100 hospitals have been designated as centres to handle suspected cases of the novel coronavirus. Before airline travel between Indonesia and China was suspended on Feb. 5, there were 134 flights a week from China to Bali, bringing about 5,000 passengers a day. The loss of new Chinese tourists could be devastating for the economy of Bali, which is highly dependent on foreign visitors. Still, some of the tourists already in Bali are doing what they can to stay. Chinas consul general in Bali, Gou Haodong, said many of the remaining Chinese tourists wanted to extend their visas rather than return home to possible quarantine or exposure to the virus. More than 30 applied Friday for tourist visas extensions, said immigration officials, who put the number of remaining Chinese tourists at 1,500, not 5,000. Among those still in Bali over the weekend were Johnson Guo and his family. Guo, 42, a manager in an internet business in Guangzhou, said the family had been on holiday in Australia. But after the outbreak of the virus, they decided to extend their vacation and spend a week in Bali. He said that they did not receive any health check on arrival, but that all of them were healthy. I worry about the virus, he said, as he purchased 720 face masks to take back and donate to his hometown hospital when they were to return Saturday. But I have to return because I have to go back to work. And Guangzhou is not as bad as other areas in China. Two travellers from Shanghai, Song Yi and her friend, Yang Yujia, both 27, arrived in Bali in mid-January with eight friends. We didnt have any health check because we have been healthy during the 20 days of our stay, said Song, a banker, as they shopped for clothes at a mall near Kuta Beach. Song said that the Balinese people had been very kind to them, but that their Chinese friends began avoiding each other because of fears about the virus and they soon went their separate ways. After extending their stay in Bali, she said, they plan to return home next week. We decided to stay longer because we were afraid of the virus, she said. Read more about: The hormone estrogen plays many critical roles in men and women, in both healthy tissues and in cancer. In breast and gynecologic cancers, estrogen sends signals to tumors instructing the cancer cells to grow out of control. In recent years, studies have shed light on the growth-promoting role of estrogen in breast cancer. In endometrial cancer, which arises in the lining of the uterus, estrogen is known to play a critical role in tumor development, yet many insights from how it affects breast cancer do not apply to endometrial cancer. New research, published today in the journal Cancer Research, outlines findings scientists hope will advance our understanding of endometrial cancer and lead to more effective treatments. We started out with a question of how estrogen signaling works in endometrial cancer. Most of what we know about estrogen receptor comes from work in breast cancer, although we know that estrogen receptor affects different genes in the two cancer types. In this study, we went looking for which proteins influence estrogen receptor in endometrial cancer cells." Adriana Rodriguez, lead study author Rodriguez is a PhD student at the University of Utah and is a member of the Jay Gertz Laboratory at Huntsman Cancer Institute (HCI) at the University of Utah (U of U). The researchers discovered that a protein called ETV4 plays a key role in how estrogen communicates with endometrial cancer cells. Estrogen sends pro-growth signals to the cells, and estrogen receptor carries out these signals. The study found that when ETV4 was removed from endometrial cancer cells, estrogen signaling was greatly reduced, subsequently leading to diminished tumor growth. "To our surprise, we found that ETV4 helped to promote estrogen signaling in two ways: first, it was telling estrogen receptor where to bind in the genome; and second, it was causing more estrogen receptor to be active," said Jay Gertz, PhD, a cancer researcher at HCI and assistant professor of oncological sciences at the U of U. Gertz's lab led the study. "If we can find out what is causing ETV4 to be active, then we have a chance of reducing growth-promoting estrogen signaling in uterine tumors." Gertz's lab used state-of-the-art genomics techniques and collaborated with several research teams with different expertise to expand the study. Using tissue from human tumors growing in mice, the team analyzed ETV4 and estrogen receptor in endometrial cancer. "Uterine cancer is the most common gynecologic cancer and the fourth most common cancer in Utah women," says Gertz. "Unfortunately, this cancer is on the rise and there are limited treatments for the disease. We believe this study lays the groundwork for future research into ways of blocking estrogen signaling in endometrial cancer." On the eve of the New Hampshire primary, Donald Trump threw one of his love fests in Manchester, drawing supporters from all around the northeast to the centre of focus for 2020 Democrats. So, Bernie Sanders and all his friends got together and had themselves a good old fashioned rock show. It was a night full of political star power, on both sides of the ideological divide. The 45th president of the United States brought along his family to the rally, including his daughter Ivanka and son Don Jr, who was met with chants of 46 when beckoned on stage, an apparent reference to a desire among the deplorables a term embraced heartily now by Trump supporters for a family political dynasty. But if the president brought out the deplorables, Sanders brought along some misfits of his own. They were the kinds of supporters and surrogates who have shaken the Democratic Party establishment to its core. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York Democrat who unseated a deeply entrenched party leader in her 2018 primary, was there and was met with deafening roars from the nearly full stadium and she drew that excitement into a crescendo as she worked towards introducing the man who polls show may well win the Tuesday primary by nearly double digits. When Sanders introduced The Strokes to the stage for their set, the largely youthful crowd was free to rush the stage. They moshed. They crowd surfed. A beach ball came soaring through the air. At some point, folks picked the metal barriers up from in front of the stage and those crowd surfed, too. Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Show all 18 1 /18 Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Jessica Canicosa, a precinct captain for Bernie Sanders, waits to greet caucus voters at Liberty High School in Henderson, Nevada REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Hotel workers at the Bellagio in Las Vegas get to grips with voting papers during the Nevada caucuses AFP via Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A caricature of Bernie Sanders is projected on to a tree during a rally in Las Vegas EPA Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A woman waits to have a photo taken with Elizabeth Warren during a town hall meeting in Las Vegas REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures The threat of coronavirus and other germ-borne illnesses was on some voters' minds at the Democratic caucuses in Henderson, Nevada Getty Images Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Former vice-president Joe Biden takes a selfie with a voter in Las Vegas ahead of the Nevada caucuses REUTERS Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Amy Klobuchar changes her shoes backstage after giving a speech in Exeter, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A warmly-wrapped-up dog attends an Elizabeth Warren event at Amherst Elementary School in Nashua, New Hampshire AFP/Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Bernie Sanders, who romped to victory in New Hampshire against Hillary Clinton in 2016, talks to the media in Manchester Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden was hoping to improve on his poor showing in Iowa in the New Hampshire primary Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren, renowned for giving time to supporters for selfies, works the crowd at the University of New Hampshire in Durham Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Joe Biden takes a selfie with a supporter and his child outside a campaign event in Somersworth, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders quarrel after a confrontation in a TV debate in which Sanders claimed that Warren was not telling the truth about a conversation in which she claimed he had said a woman could not win the presidency on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Supporter Pat Provencher listens to Pete Buttigieg in Laconia, New Hampshire on 4 February Getty Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Pete Buttigieg speaks at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire while awaiting the results of the Iowa caucus Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures Elizabeth Warren is presented with a balloon effigy of herself at a campaign event in Nashua, New Hampshire on 5 February Reuters Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A Trump supporter rides past a rally for Amy Klobuchar in Des Moines, Iowa on 14 January AP Democratic candidates compete on the campaign trail: In pictures A man holds up a sign criticising billionaires in the presidential race in front of Michael Bloomberg in Compton, Califronia. The former New York mayor skipped the first caucus in Iowa and instead campaigned in California on 3 February Reuters Oh it smells like weed in here, one Sanders supporter said as she made her way deeper into the crowd inside the Whittemore Center Arena. Just hours before the first voters headed to the polls far to the north in Dixville Notch, the two men were making a mark and sending a message to a state that plays an outsized role in determining who wins party nominations and has a chance in the general election and, therefore, to become president of the United States. Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez applauds during a Bernie Sanders campaign rally in Durham, New Hampshire (EPA) And in both cases, the rallies were a political show of force, underscoring the remarkable success both politicians have had in bending a reluctant political party to their will. While the president now has a vice grip on the party he heads up, it is hard to overlook the 2016 election, when his candidacy was laughed at by many in the Republican Party up until New Hampshire, that is, when Trump won the first state contest out of many that would ultimately propel him to the presidency. I love president Trump. Support him. Love him. I love his energy, I love what hes done for our country. Hes proud of our country, hes got everybody proud of the country, truly, said Debbie Harook, who drove into Manchester from Massachusetts for what she said was her first Trump rally. Wearing a bright red MAGA hat, she continued: I love it here. Im so excited. It feels like energy, can you not feel the energy coming through these floors, its wonderful. And everybody in here ... supports the president the way I support our president. Of course, Ms Harook wasnt alone wearing a Trump cap at the SNHU arena, where just days earlier virtually every 2020 Democrat made their pitch to voters at a massive fundraising dinner for the state party. An efficient booth selling all ranges of memorabilia was set up, with one man who said he was purchasing his third hat, just because. It is so energetic. Its crazy, man. Im, like, trippin, Im sending pictures back to work and stuff. Ive got my little scarf going on, Ive got my Trump hat. You know what I mean? said Jema Massenburg, a nurse practitioner from Massachusetts. It was also her first Trump rally, she said. In 2016, New Hampshire was good to Sanders, too. But, four years later, the state could prove even more momentous, after he won the popular vote in the Iowa caucuses just a week ago, and could give him the kind of momentum that political pundits love to talk about ad nauseam. Its crazy. It s exciting. Im so glad such a huge crowd came out, so many young people. Weve been in line for so long and it just feels so good that all these people want change just like I do, said Fartun Muhammad, a 26-year-old tech worker from Portland, Maine, said. Shes been supporting Sanders since the last election, she said. For all the similarities of the rallies, though, the differences could form a canyon. When asked, the presidents supporters wasted no time in saying they have no love for Sanders, who they called a socialist (note: Sanders also calls himself that). And, Sanders supporters wanted nothing to do with the kind of negativity they associate with the president. Donald Trump kisses his daughter Ivanka during a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire (REUTERS) This is the real deal, weve never had this, its very exciting, said Jonathan Cross, an arts educator and voter who drove up from Manchester to see Sanders. Its awesome right now. I cant wait until it continues to fill up. He continued: This is the antithesis of whats going on over in Manchester, the Trump Nazi rally. This is the anti-rally. Its people and music and positivity and a message of change. I hope people are able to see this and get inspired by it across the country. Borno State Government on Monday disclosed that about 1,400 repentant Boko Haram suspects have been released into the society after undergoing rehabilitation. The Borno State Commissioner for Information, Babakura Jato disclosed this during an interview with Punch on Monday, February 10, 2020. According to him, about 1, 400 repentant Boko Haram suspects has been released in three tranches since the Operation Safe Corridor programme began in 2016. He noted that the release of the suspects began in 2018, adding that most of the persons released were not actually Boko Haram members but were relatives of terrorists or persons found in the wrong place at the wrong time. He said: There have been a series of releases. They were released in three tranches. The first set was released during Governor Shettimas time while two sets have been released under Prof. Zulum. The total number of persons released is 1,400. Out of the 1,400, the majority of them are cleared suspects. These were people who were suspected of being members of Boko Haram and it was discovered that they were not. The rest are children of Boko Haram or actual Boko Haram members. I cannot give you a breakdown of the figure now for security reasons. Jato said after the training, they were handed over to the Borno State Government for proper integration into their communities. He stated that if any person was rejected by his community for being a former Boko Haram member, the government would resettle that person. The commissioner said he was aware of allegations that some of those released had gone back to terrorism but argued that most of these allegations were mere speculations. When asked if there were recorded cases of someone going back to join Boko Haram, he said, I have not heard of that but we have had cases whereby people in the community rejected them. So, they return to the rehab centres and we change their location. Some concerned Nigerians are airing their views via comments on social media. This is coming barely 24 hours after Boko Haram insurgents killed over 30 civilians and kidnapped many travellers who were stranded outside the military entrance city gate in Auno town, Konduga local government area of Borno state. MoEngage, a San Francisco, California-based intelligent customer analytics and cross-channel engagement platform, raised $25M in Series C funding. The round was led by Eight Roads Ventures with participation from F-Prime Capital, along with Matrix Partners India and Ventureast. The company intends to use the funds to deepen relationships in Asia, integrate advanced capabilities into the product mix and scale operations in the USA and Europe. Led by Raviteja Dodda, Founder & CEO, MoEngage centralizes consumer behavioral analytics, insights and marketing automation into one dashboard where brands can engage with their customers across channels and personalize touchpoints. Its AI and automation platform map customer journeys and develops hyper-personalized offers, updates, recommendations and other communications across mobile, web, email and SMS thus delivering an omnichannel experience. Hundreds of global brands across 35 countries use MoEngage to connect with 400+ million monthly active users, processing over 65+ billion interactions and 40+ billion messages every month. Customers include Deutsche Telekom, CIMB Bank, Travelodge, Samsung, McAfee, Vodafone, Future Retail, Landmark Group, Mashreq Bank along with internet-first brands such as Ola, OYO, Bigbasket, and Tokopedia, among others. FinSMEs 11/02/2020 Seoul Global Center's branch in Yeoungdeungpo District offers coronavirus-related consultations in eight languages. /Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government By Kim Se-jeong The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Tuesday it is providing information and consultations in 12 languages to foreign residents of the capital regarding the coronavirus outbreak. At the Seoul Global Center's branch in the Yeoungdeungpo district, the service is available in Chinese, English, Vietnamese, Mongolian, Filipino, Urdu (Pakistan), Nepalese and Uzbek. The phone number is (02) 2229-4900. Those who speak Japanese, Thai, Indonesian and Arabic, can call the Seoul Global Center headquarters at (02) 2075-4180 for help. Each office has staff who speak each language. Interpreters from the center are available to accompany clients to medical centers. South Korea's 3rd evacuation plane arrives from virus-hit Wuhan Third evacuation flight sent to Wuhan Gov't advises against traveling to Southeast Asia "Seoul has almost 450,000 foreign residents. We would like to give (them) enough information to respond to the new coronavirus," according to the city's statement. Local global village centers are also able to help source interpreters for residents whose languages are not amongst the current 12. The city also said that illegal residents can receive consultation and treatment without fear of deportation. According to immigration law, public health service providers are not obliged to report illegal residents to the authorities. Treatment for the new coronavirus is free for all and if confirmed, patients, depending on their financial situation, are eligible for support during their quarantine period in hospital. As of Monday, 28 people have been confirmed with the new coronavirus locally. People with symptoms can visit local clinics and hospitals to be tested for the virus. Over the last few weeks the government has managed to revive the peace talks with the southern separatists, particularly the BRN (Barisan Revolusi Nasional). This is the oldest (founded in 1960) separatist group in the south as well as one of the largest. BRN had earlier rejected the army safety zone proposal that would have experimented with some autonomy in the south, along with a ceasefire by all concerned. The main BRN objection was the government refusal to allow foreign observers to monitor any peace agreement. BRN considers the Thai government an occupying force but the government refuses to accept that label. These attitudes are the main reasons it has been so difficult to get peace talks going at all, much less making any progress. The government openly blames disagreements among the southern separatist organizations for the difficulties in achieving a negotiated settlement. There is some truth to that but many negotiators on both sides agree that it is something of an endurance contest. Moslem majority neighbor Malaysia has long been serving as a facilitator for the peace talks and provided a safe place to do it. The new talks were made possible by the return of elected government in Thailand and loss of enthusiasm in the south for continued separatist and Islamic terrorist violence. The violence has been going on since 2004 and left more than 7,000 dead so far. Violence has sharply declined in the last few years and the southern Moslems are eager to try some of the long offered economic development efforts. For the first time since 2013 Thai and BRN negotiators have met face-to-face, rather than negotiate via Malaysian intermediaries. Both sides have agreed to work out a framework for negotiations to include goals both sides could agree on, either now to eventually. Meanwhile, the government has started a major economic development project in Songkhla province, which has a large Moslem minority and is just north of the three Moslem majority provinces. If the Songkhla economic effort works it will encourage the three Moslem majority provinces to try it themselves. The Trouble From China Thailand once had the fastest growing economy in the region and but has had one problem after another since the 2014 coup. The March 2019 elections returned democratic government, which now has to deal with a growing list of economic problems. A major source of such problems is China. The recent outbreak of coronavirus in China halted Chinese tourist visits to Thailand at the busiest time of the year for Chinese vacationers. It may take months for the virus related panic to subside and that will cost Thailand a few percent of its usual annual tourist income. This comes at a time when the economy's rate of growth was already stalled, despite growing tourism activity and more businesses moving their operations out of China to other nations in the region, like Thailand. But Thailand is not the best destination because it has a lot of economic problems other regional states do not suffer from. There were some record-breaking droughts in Thailand recently and there is a growing shortage of new workers. The local currency (the baht) refused to cooperate and remained stronger than it should be. The GDP growth rate for 2019 was 2.5 percent and that is now expected to be no more than 2.5 percent and possibly a lot less. In late 2018 there were forecasts for 2019 GDP growth of between three and four percent. Ever since then the forecasts have been lower and lower. Economists point out that since the military took over in 2014 the economic fundamentals have changed for the worse. China has become a major source of economic problems. Before the coronavirus, there was the continuing unrest in Hong Kong. That city is a key economic component for the regional economy and its growing problems were already contributing to the possibility of another regional or global recession. The Hong Kong stock exchange is the fifth largest in the world and Hong Kong financial services are key elements in the economic success of China and most of East Asia. For Thailand, the economic angle appears to be less of a factor than the military hoped. Add to that the regional and worldwide economic disruption of the coronavirus and Thai economists have ample reasons to be pessimistic. Chinese tourist activity in Thailand had already become an accurate indicator of how the Chinese economy was actually doing as well as how good Thai-China relations were. In mid-2019 Chinese tourists were not visiting as much as they used to while tourist traffic from India was increasing A year earlier, in 2018, there was a tourism-related accident in which two boats carrying 127 tourists capsized off the island resort of Phuket and left 47 Chinese tourists dead. Chinese tourists comprised a growing portion of the three million tourists who visit Phuket each year and as a result of this accident, several thousand Chinese canceled their plans to visit Phuket. The cancellations were made worse as the Thai government shifted blame to the Chinese company that operated the boats. The crews were Chinese and all but two of the tourists were Chinese. This did not play well in China. But the Chinese government noted that there was indeed a problem with Chinese establishing Thailand based businesses in the areas frequented by Chinese tourists and often breaking Chinese and Thai laws along the way. While denouncing Thailand publically the Chinese officials quietly conferred with their Thai counterparts to deal with the Chinese tourism businesses that were causing problems. This sort of thing is happening in most areas now favored by Chinese tourists. There are more of these tourists since the 1990s as millions more Chinese enter the middle class and can afford to travel abroad. By 2017 annoying changes in the south were largely traced back to the growth in Chinese tourism. Many of the Chinese tourists are troublesome and, worse yet, on budget tours and dont spend much money. Tourism accounts for 11 percent of GDP and the big spenders tend to cause less trouble. Thus, while Chinese tourism accounts for nearly 30 percent of tourist income, it seems wise to change the visa rules to block the low budget Chinese tourists. That didnt happen but the Thais were warning the Chinese tour operators that the Chinese government was not going to protest them if their bad behavior continued. The Thais have a reputation for being tough negotiators, even with powerful nations they want to (or must) cooperate with. The Chinese, like the Americans and Japanese (especially during World War II) learned it was better to negotiate with the Thais than try to bully them. Despite the tough Thai negotiating methods, China has since 2015 attempted to make Thailand a partner in the construction of a high-speed rail line from China to Thailand. This could more than double the number of Chinese tourists. The Chinese still did not pay attention to the Thai lack of enthusiasm for more Chinese budget tourists. The Chinese high-speed (180 kilometers an hour) rail line from southern China (Kunming) to Bangkok would cut the cost of travel (currently mainly by air) for Chinese by more than half and increase the number of Chinese tourists to Thailand by at least two million a year. China offered to supply most of the $23 billion costs and construction was expected to be completed by 2021. So far the basic terms of the deal are not yet agreed on because the Thais are still tough negotiators while the Chinese refuse to give in. The Thailand section of the high-speed railroad is part of a larger effort to build a Shanghai to Singapore high-speed rail line. With the growing Chinese economic, political and diplomatic problems, the ambitious schedule for completing the Shanghai to Singapore line is now subject to major changes and delays while more urgent economic matters are attended to. January 22, 2020: In the south (Yala province), a local soldier was killed, while his young son was wounded, by two unidentified gunmen. January 21, 2020: In the south (Songkhla province), the government has agreed to set up and finance (with $600 million) an SEZ (Special Economic Zone) to boost the local economy. The construction of infrastructure improvements will improve transportation and local electricity supplies. All this is expected to create at least 100,000 new jobs. Songkhla is just north of the three Moslem provinces and also borders Malaysia. Separatist and Islamic terrorist activity is rare in Songkhla province but not unknown. Only about 25 percent of the people in Songkhla are Moslems. Moreover, they speak Thai rather than Malay and have not shown any support for Moslem separatism. Despite that police have warned since 2015 that some of the Islamic terrorists to the south have discussed carrying out attacks in nearby non-Moslem majority provinces. January 15, 2020: Thailand and Indonesia signed an intelligence-sharing agreement that covers Islamic terrorism. This will help Indonesia more than Thailand because Indonesia has more active Islamic terrorists than Thailand. Yet sharing data on citizens confirmed or suspected of Islamic terrorist activities will benefit both nations because Indonesia is not a safe place for active Islamic terrorists and when the police pressure gets too intense the Indonesian Islamic terrorists often move to a less hostile country and either continue terrorist operations or just take a break. Neighboring Malaysia also has an intel sharing arrangement with Thailand as well as more Islamic terrorist activity. But, like Indonesia, Malaysia has a track record of eventually running down active local Islamic terrorists and many of them flee to Thailand to recuperate. With these intel sharing deals, Thai security forces have a better chance of encountering, identifying and arresting foreign Islamic terrorists. These intel sharing deals also make it more difficult for these criminals to get into the country, even when using forged documents. January 12, 2020: In the south (Narathiwat province), gunmen attacked an outpost manned by local defense volunteers. One of the defenders was killed but the others fired back and then pursued the attackers, killing one of them. Seven of the defense volunteers were wounded. Reinforcements arrived along with air support and the pursuit of the attackers continued. It was unclear if the attackers were separatists or Islamic terrorists. It the dead man can be identified that would help clarify who was responsible. Police do know of a separatist group in the area that has been active for nearly a decade and often pays locals to help with attacks. The Denver City Council has voted to end its 30-year ban on owning pit bulls. On Monday, the city council passed a new code in a 7-4 vote that would allow its residents to own pit bulls as long as they register their dog with the Denver Animal Protection (DAP) and get a breed-restricted license. The large canines are currently illegal in the Colorado city. In order to obtain the license, owners will have to provide a name and address for the dog, two emergency contacts and an accurate description of the pit bull, the city council explained in a detailed post on Twitter. Owners will also have to show proof that their pit bull has been microchipped, has received the current rabies vaccination and has been spayed or neutered. In addition, pit bull owners will have to pay an annual fee to the city to maintain the license. RELATED: Connecticut Dog Owner Abandons Amazing Pit Bull with Note Explaining They Couldnt Keep Her This change to the code allowing pit bulls to be licensed passed council on a 7-4 vote. The new law will take effect in 90 days. Denver City Council (@DenCityCouncil) February 11, 2020 Other conditions of ownership state that each household is limited to a maximum of two pit bulls, should they choose to own one. Owners will also be required to notify the DAP within eight hours if their pit bull runs away or bites, and within 24 hours if the dog dies or the owner moves. According to the Denver City Council, the new law will take effect in 90 days. If there are no violations to the new code within its first three years, the DAP may reevaluate and remove the requirement for a breed-restricted license on pit bulls and owners would be able to license them like any other dogs in the city. While some Denver residents voiced their support for the new code, others expressed their concern for safety on social media. Story continues RELATED VIDEO: Man Allegedly Cracked Pit Bull Puppys Skull, Broke Her Leg: One of the Worst Cases of Animal Abuse Pit bulls have been historically targeted with negative stereotypes of aggression, and have become the poster-animal for breed-specific legislation, a phenomenon that the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) says is only creating an illusion of public safety. Laws that ban particular breeds of dogs do not achieve these aims and instead create the illusion, but not the reality, of enhanced public safety, the organization said in their position statement on pit bulls. Notably, there are no statewide laws that discriminate based on dog breed, and 18 states have taken the proactive step of expressly banning laws that single out particular breeds for disparate legal treatment, they added. All dogs, including pit bulls, are individuals. Treating them as such, providing them with the care, training and supervision they require, and judging them by their actions and not by their DNA or their physical appearance is the best way to ensure that dogs and people can continue to share safe and happy lives together. The ASPCA also explained that dogs of many breeds can be selectively bred or trained to develop aggressive traits, and not just pit bulls. Therefore the responsible ownership of any dog requires a commitment to proper socialization, humane training and conscientious supervision, the organization wrote. Despite our best efforts, there will always be dogs of various breeds that are simply too dangerous to live safely in society. We can effectively address the danger posed by these dogs by supporting the passage and vigorous enforcement of laws that focus, not on breed, but on peoples responsibility for their dogs behavior, including measures that hold owners of all breeds accountable for properly housing, supervising and controlling their dogs. Sinn Fein has demanded a vote on Irish reunification within five years as its price for entering government after missing out on becoming the country's biggest party by just one seat following an historic election. The left-wing Republican party, which has historic links to the IRA, stunned pollsters by scooping up the largest share of first preference votes in Saturday's ballot - but ended up with 37 seats to Fianna Fail's 38 once back-up preference votes were taken into account. Despite being Ireland's largest party, the result will be a disappointment for Fianna Fail - one of Ireland's two main governing parties - as it lost six seats compared to the result in 2016. The result also spells disaster for current premier Leo Varadkar and his Fine Gael party which ended up with 35 seats, a loss of 15 which is likely to put an end to his leadership career. Sinn Fein narrowly missed out on becoming Ireland's largest party by one seat at the general election, as leader Mary Lou McDonald (pictured) demanded a vote on Irish reunification Sinn Fein won the first-place preference vote in Saturday's ballot, but ended up with 37 seats to Fianna Fail's 38 once back-up preferences were taken into account Sinn Fein, meanwhile, is celebrating an historic triumph after picking up 14 seats which has seen the party complete its rise from fringe movement to potential leaders of the next government. Party leader Mary Lou McDonald has made it clear on Monday that her goal is to become the next taoiseach - replacing Varadkar - and said she is in talks to 'test' the viability of a left-wing coalition without either of the two main parties. 'Sinn Fein won the election, we won the popular vote... I'm very clear that people who came out and voted for Sinn Fein have voted for Sinn Fein to be in government,' she added. Even if Sinn Fein is forced to prop up another party in government, McDonald made it clear that her price will be a referendum on Irish reunification within five years. She hailed the upset as a 'ballot-box revolution', adding: 'The two-party system in this country is now broken.' Michelle O'Neil, Sinn Fein's vice-president and Northern Ireland's deputy first minister, said: 'We want to be in government north and south. 'Our objective is to deliver in health, housing and public services. And our objective is to unite this island.' Micheal Martin, leader of main opposition party Fianna Fail, celebrates after winning 38 seats at the election - making his party Ireland's largest, but still losing six seats compared to 2016 Sinn Fein's rise to prominence marks an astonishing victory for a party once shunned for its IRA links, and adds Ireland to the growing list of countries around the world eschewing mainstream politics in search of new national identities. In a sign of how far the party has come, it is worth remembering that former leader Gerry Adams and other party representatives were banned from the airwaves in the UK as violence raged over British rule in Northern Ireland over three decades to 1998. But with two decades of peace and a new leader under Mary Lou McDonald, Sinn Fein's left-wing policies on tackling crises in housing and health found favour with voters. McDonald said the two main parties - Fine Gael and Fianna Fail - were 'in a state of denial' and had not listened to the voice of the people. Prime Minister and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar acknowledged the shift to 'a three-party system' on Sunday and said talks between the parties could be protracted and difficult. The Fianna Fail party took 22.2 per cent of the popular vote and Fine Gael 20.9 per cent. The result almost certainly spells an end to the leadership career of Leo Varadkar (pictured) after his Fine Gael party lost 15 seats and slumped into third place 'The Irish political system has to react to it and probably accept that Sinn Fein will be part of the next government,' Eoin O'Malley, associate professor at Dublin City University, told AFP. Tuesday's result was all the more striking because Sinn Fein ran just 42 candidates. Analysts suggest the party may have been taken by surprise by its surge in popularity, and would likely be the largest party if it had put forward a larger slate. Fine Gael and Fianna Fail have both ruled out any deal with Sinn Fein because of its past associations under Adams, who has long denied allegations he had a leadership role in the IRA. 'The Troubles' saw the IRA wage a campaign against unionist counterparts and British security forces over UK-rule in Northern Ireland that saw more than 3,000 killed on all sides. McDonald's policies on tackling wealth inequality and housing shortages appear to have appealed to younger voters in the EU member state's 3.3 million-strong electorate. Some 32 percent of voters aged 18-24 and 25-34 backed the party, according to an exit poll on Saturday. Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (bottom right) looks on as party president Mary Lou McDonald addresses the national executive committee in Dublin Dublin coffee shop manager Darren Hart said it was time for another party to try after decades of two-party dominance. 'Whether they have a troubled past as a party or not, you know they deserve a shot, same as everybody else, so why not?' he said. In a sign of the sea-change in Irish politics, Varadkar himself was beaten to the first seat in his constituency by a Sinn Fein candidate on Sunday. He took the second of four seats but it was a sharp symbolic blow on a long night for the premier, who was facing the electorate for the first time as prime minister. Varadkar - young, openly gay and mixed-race - has been seen as the face of a new, more progressive Ireland after referendums overturning strict abortion laws and same-sex marriage. Behind the respectable leaders of a modern party, the shadow of the gunman returns Commentary by Kevin Toolis for the Daily Mail Sinn Fein's historic 'surge' in this weekend's election has in effect torched the entire Irish political establishment. Overnight, the politics of consensus, compromise, and accommodation with British rule in Northern Ireland that has dominated Irish politics for the last 90 years has, to all intent and purposes, been abandoned. As a result, the very existence of the Northern Irish state is now more in peril since the aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rebellion. And terrifyingly, the result has brought the IRA's secretive Army Council close to power in Dublin. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald celebrates with supporters after topping the poll in Dublin central at the RDS count centre in Dublin, Ireland Make no mistake, Sinn Fein the political party of IRA hunger striker Bobby Sands, of Martin McGuinness and Gerry Adams, of the bomb and the bullet is still controlled by sinister shadowy figures from its recent terrorist past. And it would be in power in Ireland today if only it had been more ambitious and fielded more election candidates. The party's figurehead leader, Mary Lou McDonald, might already have made the call to Downing Street to demand Irish re-unification. Sinn Fein are now the most popular political party in Ireland, and the only party that has electoral representatives north and south of the border. The Left-wing republican party took 24.5 per cent of the vote, compared to 22 per cent and 21 per cent respectively for the established parties, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. No one party will have enough seats for a majority, and before the election both Fianna Fail and Fine Gael ruled out forging a coalition with Sinn Fein, citing its IRA past and high tax policies as deterrents. That was then yesterday morning brought a new reality. Discussions to form a coalition will be difficult and prolonged, but whatever the exact composition of the future Irish government, this is an election that will re-shape the destiny of these islands forever. Of course, the result is a thumping personal humiliation for former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, leader of Fine Gael who, in his efforts to be a power player in Europe over Brexit negotiations, perhaps took his eye off the ball back home for longer than he should. So how was the old order has been cast aside and how did a reinvigorated Sinn Fein become the engine of change for it? Ireland has the youngest population in the EU and it was younger voters who put their faith in the newly-minted promises of Sinn Fein to solve the problems that beset this age group: a housing crisis, high rents, homelessness, a failing healthcare provision, creaking tax system widely seen to favour political cronies, and inequality in one of Europe's best performing economies. Thomas Gould of Sinn Fein tops the poll and is elected in Cork North Central, during the Irish General Election count at the Nemo Rangers GAA Club in Cork, Ireland These voters did not grow up haunted by the Troubles; for them Sinn Fein's links to the IRA and terrorism belonged to history. They saw, instead, two powerful women both mothers at the helm of Sinn Fein: its president Mary Lou McDonald, 50, and her 43-year-old vice-president, Michelle O'Neill, who leads Sinn Fein in Northern Ireland. But for two decades I reported on the bloody carnage of the Troubles, bombs, guns, and the terrible human cost. I wrote a book about the IRA and I spent thousands of hours in the company of IRA gunmen and their leaders. Never once did I ever hear any regret or doubt about the cost in blood and pain in pursuing the IRA's goal. Irish Republicanism is a faith, not a political philosophy. And behind the slick image of change, Sinn Fein today remains very much the party of the paramilitary past. The 'democratic party' of Sinn Fein is still ruled by a reconstituted IRA Army Council based in Belfast known as the Ard Chomairle, and the shadowy IRA figures who control every aspect of policy and rigorously bully and expel anyone, even in their own ranks, who dissents from the leadership line. This IRA politburo never meets in public, holds press conferences, or even admits to its true identity as the political executive of the IRA. Democratic debate or the usual personal rivalry of a real political party remain utterly foreign to Sinn Fein's own internal politics. Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill might be poster girls for Sinn Fein, but they were appointed by edict to their position and then slavishly endorsed in North Korean-style votes by the party membership. In a robotic fashion, they continue to parrot a line not that far from the IRA Army Council's view that the 3,700 murders of the Troubles, and innumerable IRA atrocities, are all the fault of the British Government and that the answer to all of Ireland's problems is the immediate re-unification of the island. Ireland's Fianna Fail party leader Micheal Martin after voting in the Irish General Election in Ballinlough, near Cork, Ireland This rigid Stalinist control from the top, and the demand for unquestioning obedience to the IRA's version of history, had until this weekend always hampered Sinn Fein from ever attracting a younger generation of politically able recruits south of the border. Now, McDonald (and behind the scenes her IRA bosses) will have a key role as either a coalition partner with Fianna Fail, or as kingmaker and I believe that real power and the prospect of a handful ministerial posts in the next Irish Government, means Sinn Fein is certain to attract more mainstream support that will pull the very centre of Irish politics towards the republican cause. Even outside government, such a large bloc of Sinn Fein members in the Irish Parliament will effectively deliver a political veto. On trade, on Brexit, on the border, on the European Union, every future Dublin government will dance to the Sinn Fein tune or risk being seen to betray the will of the Irish people. Or fall from power by a no confidence vote. And every setback, every political skirmish with Downing Street on Brexit, will be recast into a hostile nationalist agenda towards British rule. Nor is Dublin likely to spend so much energy placating the endless demands and insults of the DUP in the North just to keep the fragile political peace at Stormont. Why bother? Sinn Fein does not believe that Northern Ireland should exist as a state in the first place. In reality as a political party, Sinn Fein only has one agenda Irish re-unification. And they will now ruthlessly pursue this goal whatever the price. Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar speaks to the media as he arrives for the Irish General Election count at Phibblestown Community Centre in Dublin on Sunday The first thing on Sinn Fein's political agenda is likely to be their demand for a border poll. As Northern Ireland's Catholic population has grown, the gap with the Protestant majority has narrowed. There is a possibility that there is already a majority in Northern Ireland for a United Ireland. But in Dublin government circles, until now, even the possibility of such a poll is viewed as no more than a political stunt designed to provoke violent opposition from loyalists in Northern Ireland and endanger the whole peace process. All that has changed. Bolstered what they see as the tide of history at their back, Sinn Fein, using their new found electoral numbers, are unlikely to be deterred whatever the cost in bringing their republican dream into being. Ireland's Troubles are far from over and the shadow of a gunman is once again the most powerful force in Irish politics. Kevin Toolis is the author of Rebel Hearts: Journeys Within the IRA's Soul The question is will the numbers keep coming or are we reaching a tipping point in the availability of adequate numbers of sheep? Speaking with a number of mart managers over the weekend, I was told that a tightening in supply could be inevitable. Up in Leitrim Patsy Smith said that despite sales staying big - or possibly because of that - he sees numbers tightening. Stephen Hannon of Ballymote in Sligo also thinks the numbers can't keep coming. "Our numbers are up over 50pc since the start of the year compared to 12 months ago. Going on what we've seen, a lot of lambs have to be gone," he told me. For the moment, though, the factories are getting what numbers they need, but they are being made to pay for them as prices continue to edge upwards. This week it's the turn of Kepak Athleague to stoke the fire as they add 10c/kg to their quote for hoggets, bringing them to 5.35+15c/kg quality assured. While it's a tidy lift it still leaves their base price 10c/kg behind Dawn Ballyhaunis on 5.45/kg plus quality bonuses of 10c/kg, and 15c/kg behind Kildare Chilling. Meanwhile, the largest sheep group in the country, ICM continue, for the third consecutive week, to not offer any official indication of where they are pitching their quotes for hoggets. Prices on the ground appear to have edged up another 10-15c/kg, with Sean Mc Namara of ICSA informing me that numbers of hoggets are now changing hands at 5.70-5.75/kg. On the cull ewe side it's as you were with all plants quoting a straight 2.90/kg and Kildare Chilling on 2.90+10c/kg QA. IFA's Sean Dennehy informs me that all factories are now paying up to 23kg on weight and that factory agents are being told "not to let any lambs away". You have to back four years to 2016 since we've seen the trade so buoyant. Back then official quotes this week for hogget ranged from 5.50-5.65/kg, with cull ewes being quoted at 2.90-3.00/kg. By March that year spring lamb were being quoted by the factories at 6.40/kg, with hoggets steady at 5.50/kg. Happy times. However, the following year, saw hoggets at this time back to 4.60-4.65/kg. 2018 was a little better, at 4.90/kg, while this time last year factories were quoting 5.00/kg. It's been a hard road for those who have stuck with it. While I don't want to sound negative, one good year in every four doesn't instil confidence. However, hope springs eternal that a more stable factory pricing strategy could yet be put in place. The fear is that any short-term gain from a quick fix in the form of subsidies for breeding would see factories eating up the benefit once those additional numbers came online. The farm organisations need to think carefully in relation to what message they will lay before any new minister and his/her officials in relation to how the industry stabilises the historic Irish yo-yoing on sheep prices. Especially now in advance of the detail in relation to where the UK may be in two years, re Brexit. Marts Dowra "Numbers were bigger but trade was sharper," said Patsy Smith of Saturday's sale here. Factory hoggets sold from 108-131/hd, with forward stores making 85-106/hd; one exceptional lot saw 111/hd. Heavy cull ewes made 90-133/hd, with feeders averaging 60-90/hd. On the breeding side, ewes with singles at foot sold to a top of 140/hd, while in-lamb ewes made 100-155/hd. Despite sales staying big - or possibly because of this - Patsy sees numbers tightening. Ballymote Stephen Hannon also thinks the numbers can't keep coming. "Our numbers are up over 50pc since the start of the year compared to 12 months ago." As to the trade, Stephen described it as "steady and levelling". Steady and levelling is not a bad place as 50kg+ hoggets sold here for up to 130/hd, with the better cull ewe making 100-135/hd. A good store trade saw anything of any quality starting at around the 85/hd mark and moving up. Ennis With factory prices continuing to push on, last week's trade here also continued very positively. While the top call was 136/hd, the stand out performance came in the form of thirteen 57kg hoggets that sold for 134/hd. Prices on the cull ewe side were well maintained, with averages 50-128/hd. Carnew A big entry of sheep (2,780) saw strong demand maintaining prices across the board for all types. Hoggets at 50+kg sold from 125-129/hd, with 45-49kg animals averaging 114-127/hd. 40-44kg animals sold from 102-118/hd, with stores making 78-109/hd. Heavy cull ewes made 125-143/hd, with lighter lots making 70-110/hd. On the breeding side, in-lamb ewes made 140-205/hd, while those with lambs at foot made from 145-235/hd. Baltinglass Numbers here continued to improve last week with trade reported as being "slightly improved" for both butcher and factory lamb. Sample prices among the hoggets included a batch of twenty-four at 47kg that sold for 117/hd; six at 40kg made 108/hd, with a further six at 45kg making 115/hd. Bankura : , Feb 11 (IANS) Issuing a warning to the BJP hours after it was decimated in the Delhi Assembly polls, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said the saffron party was now gradually becoming "a stateless entity" and her state will be the one to drive the last nail into the Bharatiya Janata Party's Earlier, Banerjee rejoiced over the Aam Aadmi Party's emphatic win in Delhi calling it a triumph of democracy and said the people did not want divisive politics. Banerjee, who made a phone call to AAP supremo and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to congratulate him on his party's resounding success, told the media that the BJP was losing every poll now. Later, addressing a meeting in Bankura, Banerjee said she had come with a great news. "The BJP has been defeated in Delhi. I called up Kejriwal and congratulated him profusely. We work together". Referring to the string of losses suffered by the BJP in assembly election of various states since late 2018, she said: "It is gradually becoming stateless. It is being vanquished everywhere. In the assembly polls in 2021, we will perform its last rites." "Money cannot save BJP," she said, asking women to blow their conch-shell like bugles ahaed of war. "The ululation and the sound of the conch-shells of my mothers and sisters are more potent weapons than BJP's money," she said. Banerjee recalled that there was a time when the BJP was disturbing the AAP government a lot. "We (many non-BJP regional parties) had then rushed to his side. Today, we are very happy that despite the bigotry and narrow-minded politics of hatred, it has turned out to be a victory of the people. The politics of hatred did not work this time." "It's a victory of democracy. I congratulate the people of Delhi." The Trinamool Congress chief said though Delhi has a small area, the BJP-led Centre had used all its might to "capture the state". "Despite unleashing its might (with top leaders Modi, Shah campaigning) and also its allies to capture the state anyhow, the BJP has lost," she said. Banerjee said the reason was people don't like the BJP's "despicable and divisive politics". "People want basic amenities -- jobs, food, clothing and shelter, development and peace. So politics should be for peace and development, and for the good of the country and its people," she said. Recapitulating the election results post the Lok Sabha polls, Banerjee said while the Congress-Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party combine was running the government in Maharashtra, the BJP also lost Jharkhand. "Last year, they were defeated in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. In between, they somehow managed to win the parliamentary elections. But, after they won the second term at the Centre, they came out with all audacity and political vendetta. As a result, the country is burning," she said. In an apparent reference to the new Citizenship Amendment Act, Banerjee said the country had more important issues like unemployment, economy, development, industry and price hike. Banerjee charged the BJP with using "so-called" NGOs and heretic organisations to spread lies. "In the name of so-called NGOs and so-called heretic organisations, they only spread garbage of lies, rumour, and are spending money as if through a hose pipe. And, they are spreading all such rumours and false propaganda between communities," she said. Latest updates on Howdy Modi Houston VANCOUVER, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Columbus Gold Corp. ("Columbus") (CGT: TSX, CGTFF: OTCQX) is pleased to announce that Laurent Mathiot has been appointed a director of Columbus effective February 7, 2020 (see full bio below). Mr. Mathiot replaces Russell Ball who resigned effective September 30, 2019 to take on the CEO role at Calibre Mining Corp. (see Columbus news release dated September 19, 2019). About Laurent Mathiot Mr. Mathiot is a third-generation member of the founding family of Paris based OCIM Group and the CEO of OCIM Finance. He has held several positions in the finance and banking sectors most notably at Banque Paribas and L'Immobiliere de Credit where he served as CFO. Mr. Mathiot has founded and successfully managed a number of companies specializing in the trading and marketing of investment gold and diamonds. Under his leadership the OCIM Group diversified into a strong precious metals merchant and financier with operations in Geneva. Mr. Mathiot is a graduate of the Ecole Nationale de la Statistique et de l'Administration Economique and the Wharton School of Business. About Columbus Columbus is French Guiana's leading gold exploration and development company with a portfolio of high-quality projects in a highly prospective and underexplored segment of the Guiana Shield. Its objective is to discover economic gold deposits that can be developed following the highest international standards for Responsible Mining. Columbus holds a major interest in the world-class Montagne d'Or mine development project. It is also advancing the Maripa gold exploration project, where past drilling had returned excellent near surface results, including 36 metres of 4.3 g/t gold. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, Rock Lefrancois President & CEO Certain statements and information contained in this press release constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable U.S. securities laws and "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are referred to collectively as "forward-looking statements". The United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for certain forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements and information regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations that are based upon assumptions about future economic conditions and courses of action. All statements and information other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of words such as "seek", "expect", "anticipate", "budget", "plan", "estimate", "continue", "forecast", "intend", "believe", "predict", "potential", "target", "may", "could", "would", "might", "will" and similar words or phrases (including negative variations) suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements in this and other press releases include but are not limited to statements and information regarding: its plans, or modifications thereunder, to develop Montagne d'Or; the construction and development plans for the Montagne d'Or gold mine, including anticipated timing thereof; the satisfaction of additional requirements to the construction of the Montagne d'Or gold mine, including but not limited to, the submission and processing of mine permit applications; the timing and rendering of a decision regarding the development of the gold mining industry in French Guiana; private placement plans; and the earning into of the Maripa and Rhea gold exploration projects and related exploration objectives and plans. Such forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking information. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Some of the known risks and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are described in the sections entitled "Risk Factors" in the Annual Information Form of Columbus Gold Corp., available on SEDAR under Columbus' profile at www.sedar.com. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Columbus undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as otherwise required by applicable law. SOURCE Columbus Gold Corporation Related Links www.columbusgoldcorp.com National Stock Exchange of India (NSE), the country's leading domestic bourses, saw more than 1.2 crore new investor registrations in the last five years, growing at a compounded annual growth rate of 11%. In 2019, the exchange added close to 30 lakh clients, registering a growth of 4.5% over the previous year, NSE said in a press release. With this, NSE also crossed the milestone of three crore registered investors in January 2020. Commenting on the landmark, Vikram Limaye, MD & CEO, NSE said, "It is heartening to see that a large number of investors are showing an interest in participating in the equity markets. The milestone achieved is the culmination of efforts put in by all stakeholders with simplified client onboarding processes set up by SEBI and untiring efforts by NSE and its trading members." "It is a positive sign for the country's economy that the household savings are being channelised into markets thereby aiding the capital formation process. I am sure with the focused efforts of all stakeholders, we should be looking at touching the 5 crore investor mark over the next 3 years," Limaye added. According to NSE, the growth in investor registrations was largely driven from non-metro cities. The cities beyond the top 100 accounted for 33.7% of new investor registrations, while the cities beyond the top 50, contributed to 48%, indicating growing interest in the equity markets, is not restricted to the metros and a few tier 1 cities. Western India accounted for 33% of new investor registrations closely followed by North India with 32%. Southern and Eastern regions in India accounted for 25% and 10% of new investor registrations respectively. The top 10 states accounted for 75% of new investor registrations - Maharashtra 18.3%, Gujarat 9.9%, Uttar Pradesh 7.7%, Delhi 7.3%, Tamil Nadu 6.6%, Karnataka 6.2%, Rajasthan 5.3%, West Bengal 4.9%, Telangana 4.8% and Andhra Pradesh 4.7%. The top 10 cities accounting for 29.5% of new investor registrations are - Mumbai (including Thane and Raigad) 7.7%, Delhi (including NCR) 7.4%, Bengaluru 2.7%, Pune 2.6%, Ahmedabad 2.3%, Surat 1.7%, Hyderabad 1.5%, Jaipur 1.4%, K.V. Rangareddy 1.2% and Kolkata 1.0%. By Chitranjan Kumar Also Read: IDBI Bank Q3 loss widens to Rs 5,763 crore on higher provisions Also Read: Syndicate Bank Q3 net profit quadruples to Rs 434.82 crore as bad loans shrink Here are todays leading news stories: Politics -- The 42nd session of the National Assembly Standing Committee opened in Hanoi on Monday, chaired by NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan. Society -- A three-month-old baby girl in the northern Vietnamese province of Vinh Phuc has become the 15th confirmed novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) patient in Vietnam, having allegegly contracted the virus from her grandmother. -- Three people, including a Malaysian man, a South African woman, and a U.S. woman, were denied entry into Vietnam at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on the weekend for arriving from areas affected by the 2019-nCoV epidemic. -- Police in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on Monday they had arrested a 44-year-old British man for robbing a convenience store with a knife in the downtown area on Sunday night. -- A married couple and their child were killed after their motorcycle collided with a passenger bus in the northern province of Son La on Monday morning. -- A pharmaceutical company in the central province of Thua Thien-Hue has been slapped with a fine worth VND50 million (US$2,140) after being caught selling a box of face masks at VND200,000 ($8.5), about four times higher than the regular price. Business -- Vietnams newest carrier Bamboo Airways will bring the number of its flights between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to 36 from the current 20 per day from February 15 due to an increase in demand. -- The outbreak of the 2019-nCoV has affected Vietnams trade with not only China but also other markets, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Do Thang Hai said, adding that Vietnams exports in January were worth $19 billion, decreasing by 15.8 percent from December 2019 and 14.3 percent year on year. World News -- Nearly 41,000 people have been infected with 2019-nCoV and 1,018 killed globally as of Tuesday morning, according to the South China Morning Post. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam! The opposition Bright Armenia Party (LHK) on Tuesday again denounced constitutional changes drafted by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinians political team as illegal but said it will not actively urge voters to reject them in an upcoming referendum. The draft amendments call for the dismissal of seven of the nine members of Armenias Constitutional Court. The judges -- and the courts chairman, Hrayr Tovmasian, in particular -- have been under strong government pressure to resign in recent months, with Pashinian accusing them of being linked to the corrupt former regime. Deputies representing the LHK voted against the proposed amendments when Pashinians My Step bloc pushed them through the Armenian parliament last week. The opposition partys leader, Edmon Marukian, said they run counter to the Armenian constitution and were passed with serious procedural violations. Pro-government lawmakers denied that. Marukian insisted on Tuesday that the referendum scheduled for April 5 is completely illegal. He said at the same time that the LHK leadership has decided not to officially campaign for a No vote. There must not be a No camp in the unconstitutional referendum and unconstitutional process; there must only be a Yes camp, Marukian explained at a news conference. Why? Because the authorities badly need some people to campaign for a No vote so that they can tell those people that they are defending Serzh Sarkisian and deliver the kind of speeches which everyone is tired of, he said. Let them only campaign for a Yes vote, and the people will decide whether or not to vote Yes. But setting up a No vote front would mean giving the authorities a chance to keep generating hatred, he added. A senior My Step figure, Alen Simonian dismissed this stance as absurd. If they call [the process] unconstitutional but are not going to do anything about that, it means they just dont know what they are doing, he said. Pashinian urged supporters to vote for the amendments immediately after President Armen Sarkissian set the referendum date on Sunday. The prime minister said they would thereby say yes to the revolution and slam the door in corrupt officials face. Pashinian has repeatedly accused Tovmasian and the six other Constitutional Court judges appointed under the former governments of obstructing his efforts to make the Armenian judiciary truly independent. Critics claim that he is on the contrary keen to gain control over the countrys highest court. They also point to the authorities failure to ask the Council of Europes Venice Commission to examine the draft amendments before putting them on a referendum. The LHK and the other parliamentary opposition party, Prosperous Armenia (BHK), may still prevent the holding of the referendum if their parliament deputies appeal to the Constitutional Court and convince it to declare the amendments unconstitutional. Under the Armenian constitution, such appeals must be signed by at least 27 members of the 132-seat parliament. The BHK and the LHK control 26 and 17 parliament seats respectively. Marukian reaffirmed his partys readiness to challenge the referendum in the court. BHK leader Gagik Tsarukian indicated on Tuesday, however, that BHK lawmakers will not back such a move. Some of those lawmakers have also questioned the legality of the government drive to replace the high court judges. A certification flight for Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft is not yet scheduled as there are still a few "issues to resolve", a top US air safety regulator said Tuesday. The model has been grounded since March 2019 following two crashes that claimed 346 lives. Federal Aviation Administration chief Steve Dickson said last week that a MAX certification flight could take place in a few weeks, a key step before the aircraft can return to service. Giving an update to reporters in Singapore Tuesday, Dickson said that "we are approaching a milestone, the certification flight is the next major milestone. "Once that is completed, I think we'll have a good bit more clarity on whether the process goes forward." But he added the flight was not scheduled yet "because we still have a few issues to resolve... We are waiting for proposals from Boeing on a few items". He refused to be drawn on when the grounding of the plane might finally be lifted, saying that regulators were following a "very diligent process". "It's important that we stay focused on the process, and not on the timeline," he said on the sidelines of the Singapore Airshow, the biggest aerospace event in Asia. After repeatedly missing its goals for resuming flights last year, Boeing is targeting a mid-2020 return, but says the timeframe will depend on regulators. Boeing last month reported its first annual loss in more than two decades as the lengthy grounding of the 737 MAX undercut the company's revenues and exploded costs. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Two of WA Labor's longest-serving MPs will retire at the next election, leaving the party without some of its most experienced regional representatives. Albany MP Peter Watson and Collie MP Mick Murray have said they will bow out of politics at the next election. Veteran Labor MPs Peter Watson (Albany) and Mick Murray (Collie) will retire at the next election. Credit:Parliament of WA Both seats have been held by Labor because of the strong personal following the two men have attracted in their local communities. Mr Watson represented Australia at the 1968 Olympic Games and won Albany from Court Government minister Kevin Prince when Labor swept to office in 2001. He was elected speaker of the Legislative Assembly in 2017. If students are lucky enough to have a choice in where they go to high school, size is often a big factor in whether or not its the right spot for them. Public or private, San Francisco has plenty of options despite being a mere 7x7. Ranging from a high school size of 10 running all the way up to 2,774 total students, we analyzed all the high schools within the city limits and ranked them based on enrollment size in the slideshow above. (Click through to see the current numbers.) Trump, meanwhile, is eager to cast a shadow over the entire Democratic slate as he heads to Manchester for a Monday evening rally to continue his victory-and-vengeance tour following Senate votes that acquitted him on two impeachment charges. Trump lost New Hampshire in 2016 by fewer than 3,000 votes out of more than 743,000 cast, and the state is among several his reelection campaign believes it can flip in November. CLEARWATER, Ore. Rescue crews were able to reach and save a 17-year-old boy who slipped and fell almost 30 feet at Toketee Falls in the Umpqua National Forest on Sunday, according to the Douglas County Sheriff's Office. 911 received a report around 2:30 p.m. about the teen, who reportedly fell 100 feet from Toketee Falls. When emergency crews arrived at the scene, they found that the 17-year-old Redmond boy had crossed over a safety railing and dropped about 10 feet, before sliding 20 more feet down the embankment. RELATED: Grants Pass man killed, woman injured in fall near Umpqua Hot Springs "The male suffered only minor injuries. Rescue crews were able to safely assist him back to the trail where he walked back to the parking lot on his own," the Sheriff's Office said. The teen was taken to Mercy Medical Center by ambulance to be evaluated. The area has seen several injuries and deaths in recent years often tied to people crossing over safety fences. In September of 2018, search crews recovered the body of a California man who had fallen to his death at Toketee Falls under similar circumstances. Just a few months earlier, a Medford woman was injured while hiking in the same area. "The Sheriff's Office urges individuals to stay within the safety railings when hiking into the falls," the agency said. "Crossing the railings has previously resulted in serious injuries and deaths." In February of 2019, search crews began searching for a man from the Salem area after he and a friend reportedly became separated near Toketee Falls. Searchers found his body several months later. The Douglas County Sheriff's Office was assisted by Douglas County Search and Rescue, Douglas County Fire District #2, REACH Air Ambulance, Bay Cities Ambulance and Oregon State Police. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-12 01:49:36|Editor: yan Video Player Close LONDON, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The world is facing a climate emergency and the Glasgow COP26 conference needs to be "as inclusive as possible" so that countries can find consensus on how to collectively tackle the climate crisis, Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said Tuesday. "This is a climate emergency that the world is facing. This is here and now. The need for urgent action has never been clearer. COP26 is more important than Paris COP," Sturgeon said while addressing a "Countdown to COP26" event in London. The 2020 United Nations Climate Change Conference, also known as COP26, is slated for Nov. 9 to 19 in Glasgow, Scotland this year under the presidency of the British government. Outlining Scotland's plans to reach net zero emission by 2045, she noted that the drive to get there "must not leave any communities behind." "We recognise the targets will not be easy," she said, "the process of decarbonization should be handled very differently to the deindustrialization of communities in the 1970s and 1980s." "The journey to becoming a net-zero society is one we must all make together in a fair and just way. Reducing emissions to the extent and at the pace required will bring significant change to our economy and society," she noted. Official data shows that Scotland provides funding to accelerate transition to a net-zero economy, including a 1.8 billion pounds (2.3 billion U.S. dollars) investment in low carbon infrastructure, and more than 500 million (647.2 million dollars) to increase efforts responding to the global climate emergency. "There are big benefits if we get it right, but there are risks if we get it wrong," she said. Demonstrating Britain's resolve to reduce emissions, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced last week that the government plans to bring forward an end to the sale of new petrol and diesel cars and vans by 2035, or earlier if possible. Whether that individual, or others yet to surface, could face criminal charges boils down the will of prosecutors. Experts say theres little chance of charges being filed around Chicago, where the Cook County state's attorney is a Democrat. However, authorities in more conservative pockets might be more inclined to act. Election officials said they have not been contacted by law enforcement. Stepped-up efforts to crack down on noncitizen voters have netted results elsewhere. In 2018, a federal task force in North Carolina uncovered voting violations that led to charges against 19 foreign nationals related to the 2016 election. It can take years for a noncitizen's illegal vote to surface. Immigration authorities might not find out until an immigrant applies to adjust their status, like a green card holder seeking citizenship with a form that asks if the applicant has ever voted. An affirmative answer could disqualify the applicant and lead to deportation. Two of the highest-profile cases, heard in the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, also started with the Illinois secretary of state's office, which has since changed how clerks discuss voter registration. Italian Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio on Tuesday pledged his support to Kosovo on its path towards European Union integration. Speaking alongside his Kosovan counterpart Glauk Konjufca, Di Maio told a news conference in Pristina that Italy is ready to help Kosovo carry out reforms that would lead to towards EU accession. "We also discussed the fact that Italy encourages the dialogue for peace, maximum dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia, and we want to make sure that the European Union will be a key stakeholder to facilitate this dialogue, a dialogue that would prioritize the EU integration for both countries," Di Maio said. Di Maio is the first EU leader to visit Kosovo since a new government was elected The leaders of Albania, Serbia, North Macedonia and Montenegro have met regularly in recent months to discuss how cooperation in the Western Balkans could advance separate national efforts to join the EU. Kosovo declined to take part in the three summits, saying the meetings were meaningless as long as Serbia and Bosnia do not recognize Kosovo's 2008 independence declaration. Kosovo is a former Serbian province. The six Western Balkan countries are at different stages on the path to becoming part of the EU. While Montenegro and Serbia have already opened accession talks, France and some other EU members blocked Albania and North Macedonia in October from starting the process. Clayton Mitchell New Zealand First MP Over the weekend, Simon Bridges announced that National would refuse to work with New Zealand First after the next election. I believe this is strategic error for Bridges and I agree with the Rt Hon Winston Peters statement that Simon has a lot to learn about politics. It is of utmost importance that politicians remain open-minded and are able to work collaboratively and collegially with other politicians, no matter where they sit on the political spectrum. This government has shown a great deal of stability and efficacy due to its ability to work cooperatively as a coalition, even though the three parties dont necessarily agree on everything. New Zealand First is committed to providing a sensible, pragmatic and commonsense option for voters. We have a proven role of being a moderating influence by bringing these qualities to the table with anyone that we work with. Our approach means that we will moderate the extremes of the left and the right of the political spectrum. We provided balance by stopping the introduction of a complicated capital gains tax, ensured that small businesses were exempted from the repeals of the 90-day trial, keeping the Three Strikes for violent recidivist offenders, and provided a balanced zero carbon act by ensuring that farmers were part of the solution. This is while we re-invested in public services that were victims of funding freezes, banned sales of residential land to overseas buyers, rejuvenated the regions with the innovative provincial growth fund and worked to slow the immigration rate. We understand that we cant allow ideology to determine the political direction of our country. What matters is a sensible, pragmatic and commonsense approach with the wellbeing of New Zealanders in mind. Were confident that New Zealanders want this approach and it would be interesting to see what Simon will do if voters deliver a possibility for New Zealand First and National to work together. As the Rt Hon Winston Peters said If Mr Bridges doesnt pick up the phone, someone else within his caucus will do it for him. Inside Yanggakdo Hotel in September 2018 Korea Times photos by Jon Dunbar By Jon Dunbar I used to be afraid of elevators. They took away my sense of control, and once they were moving I couldn't stop them. To cope with this, if I were on a long elevator trip sometimes I would press a few extra buttons so the elevator would stop at more floors, giving me a chance to breathe. I especially hated glass elevators, high-speed elevators and express elevators. I often experienced vertigo for minutes after particularly traumatizing rides. And sometimes at the top of buildings, I had an alarming sensation that the whole building was about to tip over. My first trip to North Korea in 2010 somehow allayed me of that fear, and then a return trip in 2018 reignited it. North Korea doubtlessly has the least safe elevators I've ever ridden. Perhaps that's what temporarily cured me, like how going skydiving must cure anyone of a fear of flying. Some of the most memorable elevators I rode included the elevator to the top of the Juche Tower and the Yanggakdo Hotel elevators. It was common for the elevators there to buzz as we boarded, warning us we were overloading it even if there was room for more people to board. Someone would always have to get off and wait for the next one. Yanggakdo Hotel from August 2010 Korea Times photo by Jon Dunbar A former Ohio superintendent has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually assaulting two of her former students while she was a school principal. Laura Amero, former superintendent for the Windham school district, claimed that mental health issues made her commit the acts against the students. 'I am so sorry, and I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart to the kids,' said the Austintown resident as she read her apology letter to Portage County Common Pleas Judge Laurie Pittman. But Pittman had a hard time taking the mental health excuse from the former educator. Scroll down for video Laura Amero, former superintendent for the Windham school district, claimed that mental health issues made her commit the acts against the students. Former Windham Schools superintendent sentenced for sexual battery conviction involving student https://bit.ly/39rYtL5 Posted by Cleveland 19 News on Monday, February 10, 2020 Video courtesy of Fox8 'I can't understand how this keeps happening with teachers, principals, superintendents,' Pittman said, according to the Record-Courier. 'You know you're going to get caught.' Pittman comments was directed at the string of educators getting convicted for having sexual relations with their students. The 35-year-old is currently pregnant and due to give birth in March. Pittman ordered Amero to report to prison on April 1 but would extend the time so that the baby is not born in prison. Both victims - boys who were 16 at the time - did not make statements during the hearing but instead submitted written statements in the courts. The 35-year-old is currently pregnant and due to give birth in March. A judge ordered Amero to report to prison on April 1 but would extend the time so that the baby is not born in prison WOIO reports that the assaults happened between February 2017 and June 2017. However, Amero is said to have attempted assaults in September 2015, May 2016, September 2016 and May 2017. Amero is said to have committed the assaults between February 2017 and June 2017 Amero resigned from her position as superintendent in June 2019 after she was arrested in April. She started in the position on February 1 of that year. She pleaded guilty in November 2019 to two counts of sexual battery and sexual imposition. Pittman sentenced Amero to two five years stints to run consecutively for the sexual battery charges. She was sentenced to six months for the sexual imposition charge and that will run concurrently with the other charges. Amero's sentence is the maximum one given to Ohio. The former educator will have to pay $500 fine and will also have to register as a Tier III sex offender. Following her release, Amero will have to check in at her local county's sheriff's office every 90 days for the rest of her life. Amero's sentence is the maximum one given to Ohio. Amero's husband and family will have to raise her child while she is behind bars Amero taught English in Mahoning County and was a curriculum supervisor for Mahoning County Educational Services prior to joining the Windham district in 2015 as a principal. Her lawyer, Joseph Gorman, claimed that Amero should have been placed on community control sanctions as she had been forthcoming when speaking with authorities. Gorman also claimed that Amero sought counseling and was receiving mental health treatment. He said that Amero plans to appeal her sentence. Connie Lewandowski, prosecuting attorney in the case, said Amero operated 'from deceit' to get to where she was. 'When you think of a school you think of a safe place for children,' Lewandowski said. Benchmark equities reversed losses of the previous two sessions and marched ahead Tuesday as investors comforted from the decline in the rate of newly reported cases of Coronavirus in China. Broad-based buying across sectors lifted the benchmark S&P BSE Sensex to 41,216 level, up 237 points or 0.58 per cent. NTPC, Maruti Suzuki, Power Grid, and IndusInd Bank, up in the range of 1.6 and 3 per cent, settled the day as the top gainers on the 30-share index. On the flipside, Nestle India, Bharti Airtel, M&M, and TCS were the top laggards. On the NSE, the broader 50-share index managed to hold the 12,100-mark and closed at 12,108 level, up 76 points or 0.63 per cent. On the sectoral front, only Nifty FMCG index slipped into the red at close, down 0.3 per cent. On the upside, Nifty Bank, Pharma, Metal, and Private Bank indices added 0.8 per cent each. The broader market counters, however, underperformed today. The S&P BSE mid-cap index closed 0.35 per cent higher at 15,836 level, meanwhile the S&P BSE small-cap index slipped 0.19 per cent to close at 14,748 level. BUZZING STOCKS Shares of surged 7 per cent to Rs 130 on the BSE on Tuesday after most of the brokerage firms maintained buy rating on the stock following earnings improvement in the December quarter. The companys profit before tax witnessed a sequential growth of 22 per cent at Rs 1,872 crore during the recentlu concluded quarter. The stock was 6 per cent higher, at Rs 129, at close. Besides, shares of extended their gains to third straight day, surging 10 per cent to hit a 7-month high of Rs 399, on the BSE today on back of heavy volumes. The stock quoted its highest level since June 27, 2019. At close, the stock was at Rs 393, up little over 8 per cent. Lastly, shares of gained 10 per cent on Tuesday to hit the upper circuit for the 12th straight session. Since January 27, 2020 -- when it was re-listed on the stock exchanges after consolidation of equity shares of the company -- the edible oils company's stock price has appreciated by 105 per cent. GLOBAL MARKETS European shares rose to a record high early Tuesday as a slowdown in the rate of new infections in the coronavirus outbreak provided some relief, although still worried over the wider global economic impact. The pan-European STOXX 600 index rose as much as 0.7 per cent to a record high of 427.46. In Asia, MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.9 per cent, with Shanghai blue chips ahead by 0.8 per cent. Japan's Nikkei was closed for a holiday, although Nikkei futures traded 0.8 per cent firmer. Futures for the EUROSTOXX 50 rose 0.7 per cent and the FTSE 0.5 per cent. In commodities, oil prices rose around 1 per cent on Tuesday. Brent crude rose 53 cents, nearly 1 per cent, to $53.80 a barrel, retreating from an intraday high of $54.16. US West Texas Intermediate was up 46 cents, about 1 per cent, at $50.18 a barrel. WUHAN, Feb. 9, 2020 (Xinhua) -- Medical workers work at "Wuhan Livingroom" in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, Feb. 8, 2020. The cultural building complex dubbed "Wuhan Livingroom" is a converted hospital to receive patients infected with the n Image Source: IANS News Islamabad, Feb 11 : The Pakistan Senate has unanimously passed a resolution expressing solidarity with and support for China in combating the deadly novel coronavirus, it was reported on Tuesday. The resolution, read out on Monday by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahid Hussain, stated that the upper house acclaims the strong leadership of Chinese President Xi Jinping who is leading a very successful operation to combat the virus, reports Dawn news. "The Senate expresses its appreciation to the government of China for treating Pakistani citizens, especially students in Wuhan just like their own citizens, providing them with protection and comfort. The Senate extends full cooperation to (their) Chinese brethren in this difficult moment of the coronavirus crisis," it states. Pakistan's Senate is the first Parliament in the world to express such solidarity and support to China. The Senate resolution lauded the government and people of China for combating the epidemic with dedication, commitment and courage. As of Tuesday morning, the death toll in China due to the coronavirus has reached 1,016, with 42,638 confirmed cases. Only two deaths have been reported outside of China in Hong Kong and the Philippines. There were no reports of any case in Pakistan. In South Asia, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka have reported cases. The Norwegian oil company Aker BP ASA has announced it will bring aboard the infamous robotic watchdog Spot on the companys ships in the Skarv region of the Norwegian Sea. According to Aker, Spot will be charged with sniffing out hydrocarbon leaks, inspecting ship equipment, taking mechanical readings, generating reports, and completing inspections in areas that might be too dangerous for human workers. Spot was developed by the Massachusetts-based robotics company Boston Dynamics, which specializes in developing autonomous and humanoid machines. Scroll down for video The Norwegian oil company Aker BP ASA announced it will begin using Boston Dynamics' robotic watchdog on Spot (pictured above) to help monitor equipment on its ships in the Norwegian Sea These things never get tired, they have a larger ability to adapt and to gather data, Aker BP ASAs Kjetel Digre told Bloomberg. The announcement is part of the Akers new emphasis on digitalization, which it hopes will make its ships safer and more productive. Under this new program, the company will use a wide range of autonomous robots, including drones, to help properly maintain its ships and equipment. Digitalization will be one of the differentiators between the oil companies of the world, in order to be able to deliver low cost and low emissions, Aker CEO Karl Johnny Hersvik said in a company statement. Our vision is to digitalize all our operations from cradle to grave in order to increase productivity, enhance quality and improve the safety of our employees.' 'Exploring the potential of robotics offshore underpin our digital journey. Spot officially went on sale last year and according to Boston Dynamics, its currently used by the majority of the top 100 general contractors in the US, autonomously roaming construction sites and recording images to track building progress. Spot is also being used by Massachusetts police to help investigate suspicious packages and explore areas where potentially dangerous suspects could be hiding. Spot will be deployed on Aker's ships in the Skarv region of the Norwegian Sea Spot is part of the Aker's new emphasis on 'digitalization,' which will use robots and drones to monitor equipment, check for leaks, take readings, and investigate areas that might be too hazardous for human workers Spot will autonomously roam Aker's ships and collect data and readings on whether everything is properly functioning Some have raised concerns about ways in which robots like Spot could be used to violate private citizen's or worker's privacy by collecting unauthorized data as part of its approved surveillance routines. 'We just really don't know enough about how the state police are using this,' the ACLUs Kade Crockford told WBUR last November about the Massachusetts Police's use of Spot. 'And the technology that can be used in concert with a robotic system like this is almost limitless in terms of what kinds of surveillance and potentially even weaponization operations may be allowed.' Appearance of Chinese bombers, fighter jets has triggered anger in Taiwan, which scrambled its own fighter jets. A second day of drills by Chinas military close to Taiwan were aimed at improving combat capabilities, the Peoples Liberation Army said after Taiwans air force scrambled to intercept Chinese jets that briefly crossed into its airspace. Tensions have spiked between China and the self-ruled island since Sunday when Taiwan F-16s shadowed Chinese fighters and bombers which flew around the island. Beijing claims Taiwan as its territory. On Monday, Taiwans air force scrambled after Chinese jets briefly crossed an unofficial middle line in the Taiwan Strait. In a statement late on Monday, the Peoples Liberation Army Eastern Theatre Command said its forces carried out air-ground assault and fire support drills to further refine and test their multi-service joint combat capabilities. Focus on outbreak China has stepped up such drills since Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen first took office in 2016, believing she wishes to push for the islands formal independence, a red line for China. Tsai, who won re-election by a landslide last month on a platform of standing up to China, says Taiwan is an independent country called the Republic of China, its official name. Chinas Eastern Theatre Command said: Taiwan independence forces have ignored national justice and stepped up their pursuit of independence. The theatre forces always maintain a high degree of alertness, follow closely the situation and resolutely fulfil their missions, the statement added. For the 2nd day, #PLAAF combat aircraft flew close to #Taiwan. @iingwen urged Beijing to deal with the #Wuhan virus, not threaten the country militarily. Listen, H-6 bombers are useless against #Coronavirus. JW pic.twitter.com/irAKV4G4n7 Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ROC (Taiwan) (@MOFA_Taiwan) February 10, 2020 Taiwan has said the drills are a threat to regional peace and says the island will not buckle in the face of Chinas threats. Taiwan Premier Su Tseng-chang told reporters on Tuesday that Chinas military actions had unnecessarily triggered resentment among Taiwanese and harassed regional peace. We still hope China could really alleviate peoples suffering due to the disease outbreak, Su said. China should use all the power it has to help its people. Tsai said on Monday that China should focus on tackling the outbreak of the new coronavirus rather than menacing the island. TROY, Mich., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Goldfish Swim School Franchising, LLC, the premier learn-to-swim franchise concept, is celebrating its historic 100th milestone location with the opening of Goldfish Swim School Lakewood Ranch on Feb. 11. To celebrate and commemorate, the franchise is launching an immersive social media appreciation series, 100 Schools, 100 Reasons Why We Swim Goldfish, thanking its team and members across the communities it operates for their work and commitment in helping children be safer in and around the water. The appreciation series will result in a $10,000 giveback in swim lessons as the brand continues to spread its message of water safety. The 100th location comes after a historic year for Goldfish marking 10 years in franchising, opening 17 schools in 2019, and breaking into its 25th state. With an exciting launch point in 2020, this milestone opens the door for rapid growth plans, which include opening an additional 20 locations by year-end. As the brand continues to expand, it has put a strong focus on generating water safety awareness beyond the communities it operates, teaming up with the USA Swimming Foundation to support its 'Make a Splash' initiative. In its debut year, the franchise system rallied together raising $220,000 through its Float It Forward fundraising campaign. "It's a surreal feeling to have reached our 100th location and see the incredible impact our schools are making in their communities," said Chris McCuiston, CEO and Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "As we continue to grow, our impact will only strengthen as we aim to solidify our mark as the industry leader in innovation, member experience and community goodwill. Our success speaks to the culture we have worked so hard to cultivate. We thank our members and teams for their dedication they are the very reason we've found success and are able to positively impact the lives of so many children and their families across North America." To celebrate, the franchise is stepping back and taking time to recognize and appreciate its members through the launch of 100 Schools, 100 Reasons Why We Swim Goldfish. On Facebook and Instagram, each member-comment on the featured post, with the hashtag #100ReasonsWhyWeSwimGoldfish, will be entered to win a $100 credit to their Goldfish Swim School account. Over the duration of the 100-day campaign, one winner will be announced each day, totaling a $10,000 give back in swim lessons. Goldfish Swim School's success has also been making waves in the franchise space with two recent award wins. The brand ranked in the top 10 on Franchise Times' Fast & Serious List, which ranks the smartest-growing franchise brands based on franchise sales, unit growth and more. Additionally, Goldfish Swim School ranked #28 in Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500, the world's first, best and most comprehensive franchise ranking. Placement in the Franchise 500 is a highly sought-after honor in the franchise industry, making it one of the most competitive rankings. The Franchise 500 also ranked Goldfish Swim School as #1 in the Swimming Lessons Category. These accomplishments would not have been possible without the brand's commitment to innovation and keeping a keen eye on the ever-changing industry landscape. Goldfish Swim School has invested in increasing support and services for members and franchisees to assure a Golden Experience & Extraordinary Results across the board. Namely, the company rolled out a new POS and technology platform designed to enhance member experience with an online Parent Portal that allows for convenient scheduling, easy enrollment and payment management. "Our franchise owners, team members, students and families mean everything to us," said Jenny McCuiston, Co-Founder of Goldfish Swim School. "Together, we are able to make a powerful impact in ensuring more children learn the importance of water safety. As we continue to grow and expand our reach, we're committed to the cause and aim to foster new partnerships and initiatives that allow us to truly make a difference in combatting the startling but true water safety statistics." As an official partner of the USA Swimming Foundation, Goldfish Swim School has committed to raising $1 million for the organization by 2024. It is fully dedicated to spreading awareness on the importance of water safety with the support of Brand Ambassador and World Champion Swimmer Ryan Murphy, the recent launch of Goldfish RX - a program that provides resources to local pediatricians to support the updated American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on drowning prevention, and providing free W.A.T.E.R Safety presentations to communities nationwide. Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years, teaching more than 138,000 children each week how to be safer in and around the water. Each school offers swim lessons and programs using a proprietary philosophy, The Science of SwimPlay, to build life skills both in and out of the water using play-based learning in a fun and safe environment. Each school's number one focus and main priority is always the same educating children on water safety while teaching them how to swim and respect the water. For more information on Goldfish Swim School, please visit https://www.goldfishswimschool.com/ . About Goldfish Swim School Founded by husband and wife team Chris and Jenny McCuiston, Goldfish Swim School provides swim lessons and water safety instruction to infants and children ages four months to 12 years. Classes are offered by specially trained instructors in a safe, child-friendly and fun environment using their research-based philosophy called The Science of SwimPlay. Goldfish currently teaches more than 138,000 students per week to swim and be safer in and around the water. Headquartered in Troy, Michigan, Goldfish Swim School was established in Birmingham, Michigan in 2006, and opened its first franchise location in 2009. Recently, the brand was recognized by Entrepreneur in its Franchise 500 ranking, Franchise Times' 2020 Fast & Serious List, and Inc. Magazine's 2019 Top 5000. Goldfish Swim School is currently in the process of expanding franchise opportunities throughout North America, with 100 schools open, and an additional 100+ in development in more than 34 states and Canada. Media Contact: Kelly McNamara, Fishman Public Relations, (847) 945-1300, [email protected] SOURCE Goldfish Swim School Related Links https://www.goldfishswimschool.com As concerns about the coronavirus continue to spread worldwide, a community in Louisiana is busy with a norovirus outbreak. The Louisiana Office of Public Health is investigating the outbreak, which began in the Lake Charles area, and appears to be spreading in the Calcasieu and Vernon Parishes, the states department of health announced in a press release on Thursday. Officials first became aware of the outbreak, which has made more than 200 people sick, CNN reported on Monday, after there were reports of people getting sick after visiting the LAuberge Casino Resort Lake Charles. The casinos general manager, Michael Pendergast, tells PEOPLE that they are working with the department of health and that there are stringent sanitation procedures in place. RELATED: Volunteers Go Door to Door to Rescue Pets Left Behind in China During Coronavirus Outbreak LAuberge Lake Charles is actively working with the Louisiana Department of Health regarding a possible norovirus outbreak in Calcasieu and Vernon Parishes, which includes the Lake Charles Area, Pendergast says in a statement. The comfort and safety of our guests and team members is always our paramount concern. Pendergast continues, LAuberge Lake Charles has stringent sanitation procedures in place. In addition, we are reminding guests and team members to regularly wash their hands and take other health safety precautions. Well be continuing to monitor the situation closely. The Louisiana Office of Public Health said in its release that while symptoms of the norovirus are similar to those of the common stomach flu including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and mild fever norovirus is not related to influenza. RELATED VIDEO: Shanghai Disneyland, Parts of the Great Wall of China Shut Down Amid Coronavirus Outbreak People with norovirus can easily spread the illness from the moment they begin experiencing symptoms to several days after they recover, said the Louisiana Department of Healths immunization director Dr. Frank Welch in a statement. Some people can continue to spread norovirus for up to three weeks, he added. There are no medications to prevent norovirus, which is why frequent handwashing is your best protection. To prevent the spread of norovirus, health officials encourage anyone who has experienced vomiting or diarrhea to stay home from work or school for at least 24 hours after the symptoms stopped, as well as frequent hand washing, and disinfecting of frequently-touched surfaces. Healthcare workers and food handlers should stay home for 48 hours after symptoms have stopped. Flash The Philippines has officially notified the United States about the termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between Manila and Washington, Philippines's top diplomat said on Tuesday. "The Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of the United States has received the notice of termination of the Visiting Forces Agreement. As a diplomatic courtesy there will be no further factual announcements following this self-explanatory development," Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin tweeted. Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed the Philippines' move to end the military agreement that allows the U.S. forces to conduct large-scale joint military exercises with Philippine troops in the Philippines. Panelo said Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte directed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea on Monday night to tell Locsin to send the notice of termination to the U.S. government. Panelo told a news conference that the termination process will begin "180 days from the receipt of the notice of the termination." "The effectivity of (the notice of termination) will be 180 days from the receipt of the U.S. government of such notice," Panelo said. "From what I read from the agreement there is no need for the (reply of the U.S. government). There's no response needed," Panelo said, adding Duterte can terminate the VFA himself. "As the president said, it's about time we rely on our own resources. We need to strengthen our own capability as a country relative to the defense of our land," Panelo said. Panelo said scrapping the VFA will have little impact on the country's security situation, saying some countries have offered to train with the Philippines, like Britain. Panelo said that Duterte wants to deal with countries that will treat the Philippines as equal. "We do not want a one-sided agreement," he said. Duterte decided to scrap VFA after the U.S. cancelled the U.S. visa of Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, Duterte's longtime aide, over Dela Rosa's role in the war on drugs when he was Philippine National Police chief. Moreover, Duterte was offended by calls of some U.S. senators to free detained Senator Leila de Lima, who has been detained over drug-related charges since February 2017. The Philippines and the U.S. signed in 1998 a VFA, allowing joint Philippine-U.S. military operations. The Philippine senate ratified the agreement in 1999, seven years after the closure of the last U.S. base on Philippine territory. In 2014, Manila and Washington signed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the U.S.. The 10-year renewable defense pact allows for the increased presence of U.S. forces, ships, aircraft and equipment in the Philippines and greater access to Philippine military bases. Under the new defense accord, U.S. military personnel in the Philippines are to be deployed on a rotational basis. Duterte has earlier said that he wants all security agreements between the U.S. and the Philippines reviewed or scrapped. A 49-year-old Northern Irish man has appeared before the Special Criminal Court this evening charged with attacking and falsely imprisoning a man in Co Louth over two years ago. He is also charged with robbing the man of several items, including two mobile phones and a passport, and of demanding 50,000 with menaces from the man. Anthony Finglas, from Havelock Place, Warrenpoint, Co Down, appeared before the three-judge court this afternoon charged with a total of four non-scheduled offences. Detective Sergeant Padraig Boyce, of the Special Detective Unit, told State solicitor Michael ODonovan that he arrested Mr Finglas on Castle Street in Trim, Co Meath today at 11.52am, on foot of an arrest warrant issued by the Special Criminal Court yesterday. Det Sgt Boyce said after he cautioned Mr Finglas, he answered not guilty. The senior guard also told the non-jury court that this afternoon, he met Mr Finglas in the confines of the court, identified himself and handed Mr Finglas a copy of the charge sheet, read over the the charges and explained them to Mr Finglas in plain language. Det Sgt Boyce said he then cautioned Mr Finglas in the usual manner and Mr Finglas had nothing to say. Asked by Mr ODonovan to identify Mr Finglas, Det Sgt Boyce pointed over to Mr Finglas across the court room where he was sitting and said he was the man wearing an Adidas t-shirt and black jacket. The court heard that Mr Finglas is charged with falsely imprisoning Edward McAndrew without his consent at One Ferry Hill, Cornamucklagh, Omeath, Co Louth on or about December 2nd, 2017. This is contrary to Section 15 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act, 1997. He is also charged with assaulting Mr McAndrew and causing him harm at the same location and on the same date. This is contrary to Section 3 of the Non-Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997. Mr Finglas is also charged with robbing car keys, approximately 200, a travel bag and its contents, a wallet and its contents, a briefcase and its contents, two mobile phones and an Irish passport from Edward McAndrew at the same address and on the same date. This is contrary to Section 17 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. He is also charged with making an unwarranted demand to wit demanded money totalling 50,000 from one Edward McAndrew with menaces, again at the same time and location. This is contrary to Section 17 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994. Presiding judge Mr Justice Tony Hunt remanded Mr Finglas to appear again next Tuesday morning for a bail hearing. The court heard an application for legal aid will also be finalised on Tuesday. V ictoria Station has been closed due to overcrowding as commuters face severe delays at rush hour. The Victoria line is experiencing severe delays due to a faulty train at Brixton, Transport for London said. Commuters have been asked to find an alternative transport route as pictures taken at Brixton and Victoria station show large crowds gathering. A TFL statement said: "Severe delays due to a faulty train at Brixton. London Underground tickets accepted on buses." Victoria Station was closed due to overcrowding / Stephanie Cockroft Disability activist Dr Amy Kavanagh was caught up in the delay. "Victoria line down so Kings Cross was very overcrowded", she tweeted. "Them: sorry excuse me, do you need any assistance? Like an elbow to guide you or anything? "Me: no thanks, but thank you very much for offering. "A perfect #JustAskDontGrab!" At 9.20am TFL revised the tube delays to "minor". It comes as London Overground commuters continue to face a part-suspended service "to allow Network Rail to repair damage caused by a derailed freight train" West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday congratulated AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, who appears set for a massive win as per official trends of the Delhi Assembly elections. CM Banerjee also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for not doing enough for development and accused the party of "political vendetta." "I have congratulated Arvind Kekriwal. People at present want roti (Food), kapda (clothes) and makan (house). The BJP lost in Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The trend is very clear. They are doing vendetta " "BJP says garbage of lies. They use the money to spread rumors and propaganda. At present, important issues are unemployment and the economy. I am also sure that the Citizenship (Amendment) Act will be rejected by people. These things do not work in elections. After Delhi poll results, I hope that the Centre will withdraw the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and Register of Citizens and focus on the economy." As per the recent trends by Election Commission at 1.20 pm, the AAP is leading on 57 seats and BJP is far behind at 13. The counting of votes for 70 seats of the Delhi Assembly began amid tight security at 8 am today. Delhi went to polls in a single-phase on February 8. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks to media after the Senate voted to acquit President Donald Trump on two articles of impeachment, at the Capitol in Washington on Feb. 5, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times) McConnell Urges Senators to Oppose Effort to Constrain Trumps Iran War Powers Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) wants other senators to join him in voting against a resolution that would make President Donald Trump end any military efforts against Iran within 30 days. The binding resolution, sponsored by Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.), who was the vice president candidate on Hillary Clintons ticket in 2016, is expected to be voted on this week. I will strongly oppose our colleagues effort and urge the Senate to defeat it, McConnell said from the Senate floor in Washington on Feb. 11. The measure would severely limit the U.S. militarys operational flexibility to defend itself against the threats posed by Iran, the senator said. Kaines resolution was introduced after Trump ordered an airstrike to kill Iranian Gen. Qassem Soleimani in late December 2019. McConnell praised the strike as successful, saying it was limited yet decisive and took out the mastermind responsible for more American casualties than anyone else alive. This was not some reckless act, he said. Soleimani, 62, commanded the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force, which is designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization. Military officials have also said Soleimani was responsible for causing numerous American injuries and deaths. The commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Quds Force, Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Tehran, Iran, on Sept. 14, 2013. (Mehdi Ghasemi/ISNA/AFP via Getty Images) Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) speaks at the senate subcommittee hearing on The China Challenge, Part 3: Democracy, Human Rights, and the Rule of Law, on Dec. 4, 2018. (Jennifer Zeng/The Epoch Times) While some Democrats cheered Soleimanis death, many disagreed with the presidents decision to order the strike, including a number of presidential candidates. The Democratic-controlled House last month passed two bills aimed to curb Trumps war powers, with some Republican members voting for the measures and some Democrats opposing them. The House also passed a non-binding resolution earlier in January urging Trump to consult with Congress before using military force against Iran. Kaine introduced his resolution on Jan. 3. For years, Ive been deeply concerned about President Trump stumbling into a war with Iran. Were now at a boiling point, and Congress must step in before Trump puts even more of our troops in harms way. We owe it to our servicemembers to have a debate and vote about whether or not its in our national interest to engage in another unnecessary war in the Middle East, Kaine said in a statement at the time. Because war powers resolutions are privileged, the Republican-held Senate will be forced to vote on the legislation. Kaine said later in January that he has support from at least four Republicans for the resolutionSens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Mike Lee (R-Utah) have signaled their intentions to vote for itindicating that the resolution will pass. Trump is expected to veto the resolution. A veto can only be overridden by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House. Emergency anti-terror laws will be presented to MPs today as the government scrambles to stop violent offenders from being automatically released halfway through their prison sentences. The new legislation will stop approximately 50 terrorists from being let out early with ministers hoping it will be finished and on the statute book by the end of this month. The crackdown will make early release subject to the assessment of the Parole Board and no longer automatic. Any offenders who are judged to still be a danger to the public will not be released. It is part of a package of measures brought forward by Boris Johnson in the wake of the London Bridge and Streatham terror attacks. Home Office minister Brandon Lewis confirmed the move yesterday, telling MPs: 'This government will be introducing emergency legislation in Parliament [today] that will end the automatic early release of terrorist offenders without first there being a thorough risk assessment done by the Parole Board. 'Those considered still a threat to public safety will be forced to spend the rest of the time in prison. Boris Johnson, pictured in Downing Street on February 5, vowed to toughen up anti-terror laws in the wake of recent attacks in London 'These changes will mean around 50 terrorist prisoners already serving effective sentences will see their automatic release halted. 'We will not hesitate to take decisive action to ensure we do all we can to protect the public and keep our streets safe.' The government is planning to fast track the Terrorist Offenders (Restriction of Early Release) Bill through the Commons this week, concluding all stages of scrutiny before MPs break for their February recess on Thursday afternoon. Ministers then want the laws to finish their passage through the House of Lords by February 27. However, the publication of the proposed legislation is likely to spark a major row and potential legal challenge from human rights lawyers who are expected to argue it is unlawful to change the terms of someone's release from prison after they have been sentenced. Meanwhile, Mr Lewis also hinted yesterday that the government is considering further anti-terror measures to bolster supervision of convicted terrorists after they have been released. 'We are considering whether new legislation is required to provide additional reassurance when terrorist offenders are released from prison,' he said. 'There are a range of measures available including stringent conditions during post-release licence periods, notification requirements for terrorist offenders which only last year the government has already strengthened. 'Serious Crime Prevention Orders were extended to terrorist offenders last year and they provide the police with strengthened powers to manage terrorists on their release along with terrorist prevention and investigations measures.' It came as Mr Lewis was put under pressure by Labour over the timing of a long-awaited review of the government's Prevent counter-terrorism programme. Shadow home officer minister Nick Thomas-Symonds asked Mr Lewis: 'In the last year, the government has appointed one reviewer, who has had to resign from post given previous views he'd expressed about Prevent. 'And we are left today a year later without a reviewer in place. The minister is talking about decisive action, when will that reviewer be appointed?' Mr Lewis replied: 'The review will go ahead. The review will be completed in the timeframe the Government outlined, which was to be done before the end of August this year.' Brokers Ireland has called on consumers to be alert to the dangers of fraudsters masquerading as insurance brokers as reports emerge that Gardai have found yet more fraudsters selling forged or invalid insurance to unsuspecting motorists. Brokers Ireland said it is great to see progress being made by Gardai towards targeting and catching those carrying out fraud and said they must be given whatever resources they need to continue their efforts. Cathie Shannon, Director of General Insurance at Brokers Ireland, said consumers should be able to establish the authenticity of those presenting themselves as brokers. If you buy insurance from a fraudster, you have not actually purchased a valid insurance policy and the consequences can be severe in the event of needing to make a claim. If you purchase car insurance from a fraudster you will be driving without insurance, which is a criminal offence. Fraudsters often target young or what might be considered more vulnerable consumers, often foreign nationals who are not clear on how the insurance market works in Ireland, Ms Shannon said one of the most obvious signals can be an insurance quote that seems too good to be true. Invariably if it seems too good to be true it transpires that it actually is. She then advised consumers to always check the authenticity of any person or company selling or administering insurance policies. The easiest and cost-free first step would be to check the Brokers Ireland website: brokersireland.ie because all our insurance Brokers are listed there. Our website has a handy search facility, which will also enable a consumer to find an insurance Broker in their local area. She said while conducting business over the web is now the norm, the web is also a easy marketplace for fraudsters. Think twice before purchasing insurance from sources such as social media sites and carefully check any insurance documentation for accuracy. Washington, Feb 11 : A total of 109 US troops were diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury as a result of the January 8 Iranian missile attack on two military bases in Iraq housing American soldiers, the Pentagon said in a statement. "As of today, 109 U.S. service members have been diagnosed with mild traumatic brain injury, or mTBI, an increase of 45 since the previous report," Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying. Among the injured, 76 were treated and have returned to duty, it added. In addition, 27 troops have been transported to Germany for further evaluation, while 21 returned to the US, the Pentagon noted. "This is a snapshot in time and numbers can change," according to the statement. In retaliation for the killing of Iranian Major General Qasem Soleimani in an American drone attack on January 3 in Baghdad, Tehran launched over 13 ballistic missiles on the two military bases in Anbar and near the city of Erbil. The US military initially said that no casualty was reported from the Iranian attack. But President Donald Trump then downplayed the seriousness of those injures. More than 5,000 US troops are deployed in Iraq to support the Iraqi forces in the battle against Islamic State militants. The BIS invited the central banks of Vietnam, Kuwait and Morocco to become members in 2020, bringing its total members to 63. BISs admission of new members is very limited as it often expands membership after 5 - 10 years. BISs latest membership admission took place in 2011. The State Bank of Vietnam said that the BISs invitation demonstrated its recognition of Vietnams socio-economic development over recent years as well as the State Banks positive results in the regulation of the monetary policy and the management of the banking system. Being a BIS member will help the central bank of Vietnam and the entire banking system have access to the highest principles and standards of the global financial system, contributing to accelerating the international integration of the domestic banking and financial system and enhancing the capacity and competitiveness of Vietnams financial system and economy. The event marks a new step in the international integration process of the State Bank of Vietnam as well as the whole banking system, the State Bank affirmed. Established in 1930, BIS is owned by 60 central banks, representing countries from around the world that together account for about 95% of world GDP. BISs mission is to serve central banks in their pursuit of monetary and financial stability, to foster international cooperation in those areas, and to act as a bank for central banks. (Newser) A New York City police union blamed the shootings of two officers over the weekend on Bill de Blasio and said it's "declaring war" on the mayor. "We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals," the union tweeted. "You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you." One officer was shot while sitting in a patrol van, and another was wounded in a Bronx police station less than 12 hours later. Both have been released from hospitals. Robert Williams is charged in both attacks, Fox News reports. The union is unhappy with several policy changes made by de Blasio, per Fox, including cutting back on stop-and-frisk usage, moving to close the Rikers Island jail and decreeing New York a sanctuary city. story continues below The Sergeants Benevolent Association didn't say exactly what it meant by declaring war, per the Post, and the mayor's office didn't comment. "NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you," the tweet said. Ed Mullins, the union president, did say, "We are going to start to hold him accountable for all the policies and the things that he implements in place and the people." The city's police commissioner said that kind of rhetoric isn't constructive, per WABC, calling de Blasio supportive of the police department. "I think Ed Mullins should think before he tweets something like that," he said, "because it's not helpful." (Read more Bronx stories.) A student of the Presidency University fell sick on Tuesday while taking part in a sit-in to demand handing over of three under-renovation wards of the Hindu Hostel since January 30. A student identified as Iqbal fell sick on Tuesday afternoon, another agitating student Debabrata Mondal said. He was taken to a hospital and discharged after being administered saline, Mondal said adding that Iqbal was suffering from dehydration. A University official said the authorities were apprised of the student falling sick and his treatment at the hospital. "We urge the students to call off their stir and sit for talks. They should not endanger their health," the official said. The students are continuing their demonstration. Meanwhile, a section of students of political science department gave a call to boycott the classes of a particular teacher accusing him of misbehaving with students, Mondal said. The university authorities said no action would be taken against the teacher without a formal complaint. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) When this debate started, back in the 1980s, there was a limit of 10 years living in Australia on deportations. There was a view that once they had been here 10 years, they became our problem. Now, they can be deported if they have been here since they were 2 weeks old, she said. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:33:49|Editor: yhy Video Player Close MANILA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines' total external trade in goods increased by 2.4 percent in December 2019, amounting to 13.96 billion U.S. dollars from the 13.63 billion U.S. dollars in December 2018, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said on Tuesday. Of the total external trade, the PSA said 5.74 billion or 41.1 percent were exported goods and 8.22 billion U.S. dollars or 58.9 percent were imported goods. The PSA said the country's balance of trade in goods in December 2019 recorded a 2.48 billion U.S. dollars deficit, 40.6 percent lower than the 4.17 billion U.S. dollars deficit recorded in December 2018. The PSA added that the Philippines' total export sales in December 2019 were 5.74 billion U.S. dollars, an increase by 21.4 percent from the 4.73 billion U.S. dollars total export sales in December 2018. "This was due to the increments in the export sales of nine of the top 10 major export commodities, namely, cathodes and sections of cathodes, of refined copper; fresh bananas; gold; electronic products; chemicals; machinery and transport equipment; other manufactured goods; ignition wiring set and other wiring sets used in vehicles, aircraft and ships; and coconut oil," PSA Head Dennis Mapa said. According to the PSA, total imported goods in December 2019 contracted by 7.6 percent, from 8.90 billion U.S. dollars in December 2018 to 8.22 billion U.S. dollars in December 2019. Mapa said the decrease was due to the decrements of seven of the top 10 major import commodities. "These were iron and steel; cereals and cereal preparations; industrial machinery and equipment; plastics in primary and non-primary forms; other food and live animals; electronic products; and transport equipment," Mapa added. By major trading partners, the PSA said exports to the United States comprised the highest value of 902.25 million U.S. dollars or a share of 15.7 percent to the total exports in December 2019. Exports to the United States grew by 17.1 percent, from 770.46 million U.S. dollars in December 2018. Carrying blue and white balloons, buntings and giant cut-outs of their leader Arvind Kejriwal, Aam Aadmi Party workers went into celebratory mode at the party headquarters on Tuesday as trends showed the party was set for a massive victory in the Delhi Assembly polls. Grooving to the tunes of the party's campaign song - 'Lage Raho Kejriwal' - and drumbeats, hundreds of AAP workers celebrated at the party office. The AAP supporters hold the broom, the party's symbol, while celebrating the party's victory. Photograph: ANI Photo An AAP supporter whistles away on the streets to celebrate the party's victory. Photograph: ANI Photo AAP workers celebrate the party's success in Delhi Assembly polls, at the party office, at Andheri in Mumbai. Photograph: PTI Photo An Aam Aadmi Party worker, dressed as party chief Arvind Kejriwal, celebrates along with others the party's success in the Delhi Assembly polls, at party headquarters in New Delhi. Photograph: Manvender Vashist/PTI Photo Several supporters draped themselves in the Tricolour and flashed victory signs. Photograph: PTI Photo AAP workers put colour on each other in Patna as their party routs the opposition in the polls. Photograph: PTI Photo Supporters hold the broom -- the AAP's party symbol -- high up in the sky to celebrate the party's victory. Photograph: PTI Photo FILE PHOTO: Woman wearing a face mask crosses a road after the extended Lunar New Year holiday caused by the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Beijing's central business district By Kane Wu, Anshuman Daga and Scott Murdoch HONG KONG/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Bankers in Asia are bracing for a deal drought as efforts to limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic have put key meetings and roadshows on hold. Several auctions of assets are facing delays or re-assessments and preparations for potential Chinese initial public offerings (IPOs) are also slowing, bankers said. "All our deals are on hold now - capital markets or M&A. Nothing is happening," said a Hong Kong-based senior investment banker with a Wall Street bank. Baring Private Equity Asia is expected to extend a bidding deadline for the sale of HCP, a Shanghai-based packaging business valued at around $1 billion, said four people with knowledge of the deal. The Hong Kong-based investment firm sent out teasers before Chinese New Year and was initially expecting bids to come in as soon as this month, they said. Baring declined to comment and HCP did not respond to a query for comment. The launch of a sale process of Eu Yan Sang International, a Singapore-based healthcare company specializing in Chinese medicine, is likely to be postponed, said two people aware of the matter. They said the company had hoped to value itself at more than $500 million. The sale of the company, partly owned by a unit of Singapore state investor Temasek Holdings and with a significant chunk of its business in Hong Kong, is being pushed back as most of its targeted buyers are Chinese, these people said. Responding to a Reuters query, Eu Yan Sang's Group CEO Aaron Boey said in a statement late on Tuesday the company did not comment on "rumors", adding it was focused on "executing our strategies and enhancing shareholder value" during these extremely challenging times. Temasek declined comment. "Any China-related deals are off, so that means Q1 is probably washed out. European and U.S. buyers are also worried about traveling to Asia," said a Singapore-based banker. Story continues Major banks in Hong Kong and Singapore have restricted travel to mainland China and are allowing staff to work from home while moving others to different office locations. A number of countries have reduced or canceled flights in and out of China while Singapore and Hong Kong have demanded people returning from China quarantine themselves for up to 14 days. The virus has claimed more than 1,000 lives and has spread to 24 other countries and territories. The bankers declined to be identified because the transactions are confidential. LESSONS FROM SARS During the 2003 SARS epidemic, the volume of China-related IPOs fell 25% in the first half of the year compared with 2002, while M&A volumes halved, according to Refinitiv data. The epidemic ended in July 2003. China has become a far bigger factor for both markets since then, accounting for 55% of M&A and 66% of IPO activity in Asia-Pacific over the past four years, compared with an average 16% and 50% in 2003. Another factor that will concern investors in IPOs is the potential for a company's outlook to worsen because of the epidemic, bankers and lawyers said. "The most significant adverse impacts, as of today, are the ability of IPO candidates and the reporting accountants to get their financials prepared and audited and for advisers to conduct on-site due diligence given the disruption to regional travel," said Michael Jacobs, a partner at law firm Allen & Overy. Buyout firm Carlyle Group Inc has delayed the U.S. IPO of its German specialty chemicals group Atotech, concerned that the coronavirus outbreak would hurt its valuation, Reuters reported last week. While video conferencing is making it easier to hold meetings than during the SARS outbreak, dealmakers expect the drought to last for weeks to come. "Over the next few weeks, nothing much is expected to come to the markets in this environment - on both the M&A and IPO side. I'm trying to focus on other deals where there's hardly any China involvement," said a banker based in Hong Kong. (Reporting by Kane Wu and Scott Murdoch in Hong Kong; and Anshuman Daga in Singapore; Writing by Kane Wu; Editing by Jennifer Hughes, Neil Fullick and Lincoln Feast.) Mehrauli Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Mehrauli constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Delhi Assembly Election 2020, Mehrauli profile | Naresh Yadav of the Aam Aadmi Party retained the Mehrauli seat, winning by a margin of 18,161, according to the Election Commission website. Yadav received a total of 62,417 votes against BJP's Kusum Khatri who received a total of 44,256 votes. Congress Mohinder Chaudhary forfeited his deposit receiving just 6,952 (6.04 percent) votes. Well known for housing several historic sites, Mehrauli, is part of South Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. The constituency went to the polls on 8 February and the counting of votes took place on 11 February. Here is a look at the constituency profile: Constituency Name: Mehrauli Constituency Number: 45 District Name: South Delhi Total Electors: 1,81,393 Female Electors: 78,091 Male Electors: 1,03,286 Third Gender: 16 Reserved: no Results in previous elections: Giving a narrow fight to his BJP rival, senior Congress leader Yoganand Shastri won the seat in 2008. However, he lost the seat in 2013 polls to BJPs Parvesh Singh by a margin of over 4,000 votes. In the 2015 polls, AAPs Naresh Yadav defeated BJPs Sarita Chaudhary by a margin of less than 17,000 votes. Demographics: Mehrauli is a predominantly rural constituency and was considered a Congress stronghold for many decades. According to reports, it is predominantly a Jat constituency, which is underlined by the fact that the Congress and BJP have named Jat candidates in the upcoming polls. The constituency covers half of Saket, Mehrauli, Kishan Garh and Vasant Kunj localities. The Federal Reserve is investigating the potential of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) as the backbone for a new, secure real-time payments and settlements system. The move toward a form of government-backed digital currency is being driven by Fintech firms and a banking industry already piloting or planning to pilot cash-backed digital tokens, according to Lael Brainard, a member of the U.S. Federal Reserve's Board of Governors. Today, it can take a few days to get access to your funds. A real-time retail payments infrastructure would ensure the funds are available immediately to pay utility bills or split the rent with roommates, or for small business owners to pay their suppliers, said Brainard, who serves as chair of the committees overseeing Financial Stability and Payments, Clearing and Settlements. Immediate access to funds could be especially important for households on fixed incomes or living paycheck-to-paycheck, when waiting for funds to be available to pay a bill can mean overdraft fees or late fees that compound. Similarly, for small businesses, immediate access to funds from a sale to pay for supplies can be a game-changer, Brainard added. Along with benefits, however, a CBDC would also bring potential risk, said Brainard, who spoke last week at the Symposium on the Future of Payments conference in Stanford, Calif. The prospect for rapid adoption of global stablecoin payment systems has intensified calls for central banks to issue digital currencies in order to maintain the sovereign currency as the anchor of the nation's payment systems, Brainard said. Last weeks speech is a marked shift from one given in 2018. At the time, Brainard said digital tokens for wholesale payments and some aspects of distributed ledger technology could strengthen traditional financial systems and markets, but warned there are serious technical and operational challenges that would need to be overcome. For one, a CBDC might create a global target for cyberattacks or a ready means of money laundering, Brainard said during her 2018 speech at the Decoding Digital Currency Conference in San Francisco. Even though central bank digital currencies may at first glance appear to address a number of challenges associated with the current crop of cryptocurrencies, this appeal may not withstand closer scrutiny. One reason for the change of heart from two years ago may be that since that time private efforts to create stablecoins have accelerated, including Facebooks Libra and JP Morgans JPM Coin. Brainard expressed concern that while payments have traditionally been a service provided by trusted intermediaries such as banks, fintech firms creating cryotpcurrencies are not under the Feds jurisdiction or its regulatory oversight. Banks offer important consumer protections, she said. Because Facebook has an active user network of one-third of the global population, the company's Libra global stablecoin project has imparted urgency to the debate over what form money can take, who or what can issue it, and how payments can be recorded and settled, Brainard said in her latest remarks. Any stablecoin project with global scale and scope faces a core set of legal and regulatory challenges. In China, Brainard noted, the majority of consumers and businesses participate in two mobile payment networks, Alipay and WeChat Pay, which by some accounts handled more than $37 trillion in mobile payments in 2018. Building on the tremendous reach of its mobile payments platforms, China is reported to be moving ahead rapidly on plans to issue a digital currency, Brainard said. Mike Poutre, CEO of venture firm Terraform Capital, said, Zuckerbergs Libra offering was a shot across the bow, and an olive branch, to governments and big businesses around the world. The message is you will never again have the same level of control over your currencies as you did prior to 2009, but if you act quickly and intelligently, you can maintain a level of control and visibility, Poutre said via email. Todd Kornfeld, attorney in the law firm of Pepper Hamilton LLP and part of its Blockchain Practice, said the Fed may indeed be looking at private-side token development and concluding there are advantages to creating a standardized CBDC with the right framework around. For one, a CBDC would allow banks to tie funds to an owner in a way stored currency value today cannot, Kornfeld said. By creating a digital coin tied to the U.S. dollar and its owner through cryptographic hash keys, consumers and businesses alike would be able to track a token they own on an immutable electronic ledger, and possibly even retrieve it if an error is made after a transfer. In turn, government agencies could trace tokens, and ensure banks are complying with know-your-customer and anti-money laundering laws. In the US, you have a bank account and so much money according to bank's ledger. [You] cant say thats my dollar, Kornfeld said. I think maybe theyre looking now and saying that weve thought about it more and there are things we could do that may make sense and maybe we should formally tokenize U.S. currency. I think this is in the early stages. More than 80% of central banks say they're engaged in some type of central bank digital currency (CBDC) effort, according to Bank for International Settlements survey of 66 central banks. The latest survey suggests there is greater openness to issuing a CBDC than a year ago, and a few central banks report that they are moving forward with issuing a CBDC, Brainard said. In January, the former chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) partnered with Accenture to create the non-profit Digital Dollar Project, which plans to explore the creation of a U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC). To be certain, there are already fast digitized money transaction services. Any person-to-person payment service such as Venmo or Zelle allows consumers to store value in an account and make a nearly instantaneous transfer to another account holder. Federal reserve banks are developing FedNow, a real-time gross settlement service to allow consumers and businesses to send payments in real time. In some sense, you can look at the FedNow and the clearing houses with similar products andtheyre using similar techniques and apps to try to move the U.S. dollars around faster. The banks have been constrained because the existing bank-to-bank transfer system has been slow, Kornfeld said. In her speech, Brainard admitted that, unlike many foreign central banks, the U.S. Federal Reserve doesnt have complete authority over payment systems, particularly in retail banking. Given the increase in the number of nonbank payment industry players, Brainard said it may be time to review the nations oversight framework and consider giving the Fed explicit authority for general retail payments oversight, as other nations do. So let's turn to our retail payments infrastructure, which touches every American. It is critical that consumers and businesses can achieve the same speed and efficiency using their trusted deposit account providers with the safety and security they have come to expect, Brainard said. To make this possible, it is vital to invest in real-time retail payments infrastructure with national reach. Heinrich Zetlmayer, founder and general partner of Switzerland-based Blockchain Valley Ventures, said a CBDC would bring a range of benefits especially cost savings and efficiency gains, which are inherent to the blockchain technology innovation for the financial sector and consumers. A blockchain-based CBDC would essentially removed charges and bottlenecks created through intermediaries who process payments and settle them. It could also stimulate significantly the trading of other digital currencies and digital assets, Zetlmayer said via email. In my view that does not diminish the prospects for Facebook's Libra, but certainly smaller projects need to take the new CBDCs into account in the assessment of market potential of private stablecoins, Zetlmayer said. Poutre agreed, saying while Libra may never get off the ground, it set forth wheels in motion in countries around the world that will lead to Central Bank Digital Currencies. These next generation of fiat currencies will eventually replace paper money around the world, Poutre said. The reality is that crypto currencies have highlighted a global systemic problem in banking: in a world that now operates on a 24/7/365 mindset, how can business stay current when they are forced to use an 8-hour banking day? Poutre said. The advent of Bitcoin as a de facto currency is forcing the global banking community to realize that they are still working on an infrastructure that is hundreds of years old - and outdated. Design Indaba will host its 2020 Nightscape public festival at the Artscape Piazza in Cape Town from 26 to 28 February. A screen-printing station Co-creating space Emerging Creatives showcase A live Design Matters podcast Check out the Most Beautiful Object in SA Masterclasses with the masters The festival is set to showcase performances, installations, design exhibitions, masterclasses and live music. Nightscape opens from 4pm onwards each day, so dont miss this explosion of on-the-ground creative inspiration.Heres what to expect:Internationally-renowned Patrick Thomas, one of the greatest silkscreen artists in the world today, will be setting up a screen-printing station.Thomas is also known for his Open Collab, where he invites graphic designers from all walks of life, from all over the world, to co-create works. Ahead of the Design Indaba, Thomas will be hosting Open Collab workshops at local design schools. The best pieces to emerge from the workshops will be exhibited at the festival as part of the launch of Open Collab 2.Every year, Design Indaba showcases the work of the next generation of up-and-coming designers. The Emerging Creatives Class of 2020, handpicked by curators Mokoena Kobeli, Crystal Birch and Siyanda Mbele, will be on hand to exhibit and discuss their strikingly original work. The Emerging Creatives, masterminded by Design Indaba and supported by the Department of Arts and Culture, are the design heavyweights of tomorrow, so be sure to support their artistic endeavours.Creative polymath Debbie Millman has interviewed some of the worlds greatest creative thinkers, such as Malcolm Gladwell, Stefan Sagmeister, Seth Godin, Steven Heller and more, on her award-winning podcast, Design Matters. As the longest-running design podcast on-air, it has an enviable track record and Millman will be hosting a very special live podcast as part of the Design Indaba Festival. Its a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be part of the audience and make history. Places are limited, so reserve your seat via Webtickets. Book now https://bit.ly/38Wl2Ya Its time to cast your vote as Design Indaba runs the iconic Most Beautiful Object in South Africa (MBOISA) competition. The annual contest asks 10 industry experts to nominate 10 objects that stand out for being aesthetically pleasing, memorable, on-trend, functional, zeitgeist-capturing, sustainable or all of the above. The competition gives the public a chance to ponder the age-old question What is beauty? and select which object is worthy of the coveted title. You can view all the MBOISA objects on exhibition at the festival and voting happens on www.designindaba.com Each evening, leaders in their respective fields will be giving hands-on direction into their various disciplines, such as SAs Michelin darling Jan Hendrik Van Der Westhuizen, trend forecaster Li Edelkoort and music video director Motion Billy. These masterclass sessions are aimed at the intellectually curious wanting to hone their skills. Places are limited and can be reserved through Webtickets check in there to view the full lineup of masterclasses. You may attend individual sessions and need not sign up for all of them. Book now Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 18:12:41|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close BEIJING, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed appreciation for the Pakistani Senate's resolution that showed full solidarity and support to China's battle with the novel coronavirus outbreak. The resolution passed on Monday also pledged full cooperation with China "in this difficult moment of the medical and health emergency," and expressed its appreciation to China for having treated Pakistani citizens, especially students in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, the epicenter of the epidemic, with protection and comfort. "We note with high appreciation the resolution passed by the Pakistani side," which stood as further testament to the unwavering friendship between the two countries as iron-clad friends and all-weather strategic cooperative partners with a tradition of mutual assistance, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Geng Shuang. "It shows once again that we, as a community of a shared future, can always rely on each other in difficult times," said the spokesperson. Geng said that China stands ready to strengthen cooperation with Pakistan and other members of the international community to combat the epidemic and contribute to global public health. China will enhance communication and coordination with Pakistan and do its best to ensure the health and safety of Pakistani nationals in China with a highly responsible attitude, he said. The Central Ontario Standardbred Association (COSA) would like to advise its members that the COSA office is moving to the new paddock at Woodbine Mohawk Park, effective Tuesday, February 11, 2020. The new COSA address is PO Box 297, 9430 Guelph Line, Campbellville, ON L0P 1B0. The phone and fax numbers remain the same (telephone: 905-854-2672, fax: 905-854-2644). COSA looks forward to being more accessible to its members. Horsepeople and fans can follow COSA on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to find out more about COSAs new initiatives and submit suggestions for topics or story ideas. More information is also available at cosaonline.com. (COSA) Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko has met with President of the Italian Chamber of Deputies Roberto Fico to assure him of Ukraine's commitment to continue the political and diplomatic path to end the Donbas war and the importance of keeping in place the sanctions pressure on Russia. The meeting took place as part of Prystaiko's visit to Italy on Monday, February 10, the press service of the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry reported. "On February 10 this year, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko had a meeting with President of the Chamber of Deputies of the Italian Parliament Roberto Fico during his visit to the Italian Republic. During the conversation, Prystaiko assured his interlocutor of the commitment to continue the political and diplomatic way of ending the war in Donbas and the importance of keeping in place the sanctions pressure on the Russian Federation," the report reads. Fico, in turn, briefed Prystaiko on the creation of a Ukraine-Italy friendship group in the Italian parliament, which should further intensify inter-parliamentary cooperation between the two countries. The report also notes that during his visit to Italy, Prystaiko met with representatives of the committee on foreign affairs of the Chamber of Deputies and the parliamentary friendship group. op The Justice Dept. today shredded any pretense that it isn't in the back pocket of Donald Trump by overturning its own federal prosecutors' recommendation that Roger Stone, Trump's buddy, get up to nine years in the slammer for lying to Congress and witness tampering. Roger Stone And all it took was a tweet from the master. Though CNN called the Justice Dept's reversal a "stunning and politically charged move," it's pretty much par for the course following AG Bill Barr's dismissal of the Mueller Report as much ado about nothing. Stone's conviction flowed from allegations made by Bob Mueller's epic exposure of corruption and collusion in the White House. The Justice Dept.'s pandering to Trump followed a tweet in which he whined that the seven-to-nine year recommended jail time for Stone was a "horrible and very unfair situation. The real crimes were on the other side, as nothing happens to them. Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice!" The partisan Justice Dept. is just another sign on the American road to becoming a Banana Republic. But say this for bananas; at least they possess some thick skin, unlike members of the Trump administration band of sycophants. Donald says, "Jump," They respond, "How high?" Trump unbound is Trump unhinged. In the aftermath of the acquittal in the Senate, the president has political cover to wreak even more havoc in Washington and on the Constitution. The Economist columnist "Lexington" summed things up nicely in the Feb 8th-14th issue of the magazine: "Mr. Trump's sometimes comical strangeness long made the fears of despotism he stirred seem overblown. But think of authoritarianism as a corrosive process, not a dictatorial end-state, and they no longer do. He has never looked more threatening to American democracy. And thanks to Senate Republicans, with one laudable exception, it has never looked more vulnerable to him." As the Democratic candidates for president fail to inspire a broader base than their core supporters, Lexington's laudable exception, Mitt Romney, is looking pretty good these days as somebody who could restore morality to the White House. Goldman Sachs is no friend of Democratic Socialist Bernie Sanders, But the investment bank is providing the Vermont Senator with fuel to fire up his campaign against the billionaires and one-percenters. The investment bank reports that the richest one percent of Americans controls more than half (56 percent) of the equities owned by US households. That's up from 46 percent three decades ago. Since 1990, those super-haves have bought a net $1.2T in company stock, while the rest of all have unloaded more than $1T, according to a Feb. 10 report in the Financial Times. Goldman Sachs' analysts expect the gravy train to roll on as US economic growth and rising stock prices make the rich even richer and Bernie's supporters angrier. The New York Urban League, which is celebrating its centennial, today named Finn Partners a champion of diversity at its 17th annual awards breakfast. The NYUL honored Finn Partners for its efforts across recruitment & retention, education, scholarship & mentorship and thought leadership activities. (From L to R): Arva R. Rice, President and CEO, the New York Urban League; Peter Finn, founding partner, FINN Partners; and Jeanine Conley, Chair of the New York Urban League Board. Arva Rice, president/CEO of the NYUL, said Finn Partners was the unanimous choice of the awards review committee. She praised the shop for helping to drive the conversation around D&I in the PR business into action with tangible results. Recognizing there is more to be done, we created the Actions Speak Louder program not only to increase diversity year-over-year, but also to foster an environment of inclusion, respect and collaboration across the firms global network of 700 employees, said Peter Finn. Helen Shelton, senior partner, directs Finn Partners D&I efforts. On the first working day after the Chinese New Year, few people take the metro in Beijing, China on Feb. 10, 2020. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images) Beijing, Shanghai Announce Partial Lockdowns Because of Virus as Citizens Return to Work After a government-mandated extended Lunar New Year break to prevent gatherings of people from spreading the novel coronavirus, Chinas businesses returned to work on Feb. 10. However, Beijing announced a partial lockdown, enacting stringent rules to restrict peoples movements, while Shanghais city government rolled out similar forms of quarantine. Since the virus broke out in the central Chinese city of Wuhan in early December, the virus has quickly reached all regions of China, with over 40,000 officially reported infections and more than 900 deathsthough experts say the true numbers are higher. Chinese leader Xi Jinping also made his first public appearance in China since the Lunar New Year festivities. After Jan. 28, news about Xi didnt appear on state television until Feb. 5, when a news segment aired about his meeting with the Cambodian prime minister in Beijing. The unusually long absence spurred rumors as to his whereabouts. On Feb. 10, he reappeared in public to visit the Chaoyang district of Beijing, accompanied by Beijing Party Secretary Cai Qi, Beijing Mayor Chen Jining, and several other officials. Photos distributed on state media showed Xi wearing a face mask and keeping a distance from people during the visit. Going Back to Work The central government requested that all Chinese firms resume operations on Feb. 10, although some businesses in regions under strict quarantine measures remained closed. Chinese state-run media published guidelines for people to keep from spreading the virus upon returning to work. Among them are: wear face masks when commuting to work; try to avoid touching surfaces inside public transportation; stay at least 1 meter (about 3.3 feet) away from people in the office; dont share food with others; and wash hands thoroughly after using the bathroom. Chinese netizens complained that its hard to follow the rules, especially when commuting during rush hour, when there are large crowds on the metro. Another netizen remarked that taking elevators in office buildings is risky, as infected people can spread the virus by touching surfaces. Local media report that many private companies asked their employees to work from home if possible. Others asked employees to bring their own lunchboxes to the office, forbade the use of central air conditioning systems, and set different working hours in order to avoid having large groups of people gather together. I decided to resign, some Chinese netizens posted on their social media on Feb. 10. They said they would rather quit their jobs to avoid possibly becoming infected. A delivery man uses his phone in the streets of the busy Central Business District in Beijing, China, on Feb. 10, 2020. (Andrea Verdelli/Getty Images) Beijing The Beijing city government announced a partial lockdown during a Feb. 10 daily briefing on the coronavirus outbreak. Zhang Ge, deputy minister of Beijings Organization Department, said all residential areas and villages in the city must close their gates. No visitors may enter or leave, and residents must wear face masks, have their body temperatures taken, and carry entrance or exit permits in order to leave or re-enter their homes. No delivery person can enter residential areas or villages, and delivery workers can only leave goods in a designated area and cant have direct contact with the recipient, Zhang said. For people who recently arrived in Beijing from sensitive areasmeaning Hubei Province, where Wuhan is located, or other cities where there are confirmed casesor who have been in contact with people from sensitive areas, they must self-isolate at home for 14 days and sign a form of Commitment to Quarantine. Schools have postponed their reopenings until further notice, and require instead that students take online classes beginning Feb. 17. Chinese security guards line up before duty in Beijing, China, on Feb. 9, 2020. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images) The Shanghai city government also announced Feb. 10 that school reopenings will be postponed until March. Since Feb. 8, Shanghai city government has required body temperature screenings at the entrances of all public areas, including supermarkets. As of Feb. 10, all four directly governed municipalities in ChinaBeijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, and Chongqingissued isolation measures. The total population of these four cities is roughly 87.82 million. To contain the virus, more than 80 Chinese cities and four provinces have announced rules to limit peoples travel, including forbidding people from attending social gatherings. Nearly all regions of China require residents to wear a face mask when outdoors. AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh is seen congratulating a jubilant Arvind Kejriwal, who is expected to become the chief minister of Delhi for a second term after recording a victory from the New Delhi constituency. (Image: Twitter/@SanjayAzadSIn) AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal is seen celebrating with his wife Sunita, children and others. It is reportedly also his wife's birthday today. (Image: ANI) AAP National Spokesperson and party candidate from Rajinder Nagar seat Raghav Chadha seen being lifted by his supporters while celebrating early trends, in which he is leading by over 20,000 votes. (Image: ANI) Kejriwal is seen being congratulated by political strategist Prashant Kishor. Kishor's organisation I-PAC was roped in by AAP ahead of the high-octane Delhi elections, to strategise the campaign. Kishor is known as the 'election-winning machine' for his successful guidance to various parties ahead of elections. He had even designed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2014 Lok Sabha polls campaign. (Image: ANI) AAP leader Manish Sisodia is seen flashing the victory seen. Trends from his Patparganj constituency had earlier witnessed consistent swaying between the AAP and the BJP for the better part of the day. He had gone to the counting centre to take stock of the situation. (Image: ANI) On the Signing of the Notice of Termination for the VFA More at: https://pinglacson.net/2020/02/11/on-the-signing-of-the-notice-of-termination-for-the-vfa/ Like it or not, bad or good, nothing much can be done now but do a 180-day countdown upon receipt of the notice by Washington. What is certain is that the 1951 PH-US Mutual Defense Treaty will now be reduced to a mere paper treaty as far as the US is concerned. Having said that, there's no more intelligence information sharing in our fight against domestic and foreign terrorist acts, no more US military aid and financing that accounts for a good 52% of what they extend to the whole Asia-Pacific region. That may not include other intangible economic benefits and security from external threats in the West Philippine Sea, as well as humanitarian aid in times of disasters, epidemics and other crises. No, says Pope John Paul III. No, he says again. No, a third time, voice noticeably louder. No! No! By now hes straight-up shouting. No! No! The crowd has taken up the chant. Before long, as he cruises in the popemobile through the streets of Lourdes site of a massacre of disabled Catholics by followers of a mysterious Islamic fundamentalist, who keeps his face hidden in much the same way that the Churchs own extremist, Lenny Pope Pius XIII Belardo, once did the masses have taken up the word like a battle cry. No! No! NOOOOO! Newly crowned as the Holy Father, Sir John Brannox has managed to articulate what so many feel when faced with acts of horrific violence and cruelty, but also feel the need to be granted permission to say so forcefully. In this episode of The New Pope hes like a calmer version of Networks Howard Beale, allowing the world to shout, Im as mad as hell, and Im not going to take this anymore! from the rooftops. (It doesnt hurt that the attacks have shifted the Churchs public perception from that of a clique of abusers to a group of innocent victims, at least according to Cardinal Voiellos grim operative Bauer.) The forceful clarity of boiling the sentiment down to one single two-letter declaration is, perhaps, a sign of the intellect and the ability to convert nonbelievers that so impressed the Vatican delegation responsible for Brannoxs election as pope. The guy has a way with words, or in this case, with a word. But JPIII has more on his mind than murder, and the proper response to it this time. More than any episode of The New Pope yet and this is saying something this one has sex on the brain. So too does the pope himself, as he struggles to find the right line to take on the twin issues of marriage in the priesthood and same-sex marriage, while at the same time battling his own attraction to women in his orbit. Thats how the episode begins, after all: with one of Brannoxs favorite famous people, Sharon Stone, paying him a Marilyn Mansonstyle visit. Stone, it should be said, is much more keyed into exactly which pope shes meeting than Manson was, and indeed she even has a demand of him: Approve of same-sex marriage for Catholics, the prohibition of which she calls a pointless taboo. Brannox demurs. For one thing, he says, the Bible is not something you can upgrade like an iPhone when its no longer as useful as it used to be. For another, he seems distracted to the point such a character can ever be said to be distracted, given his aloof baseline demeanor by Stones legs, which he politely but firmly asks her not to uncross and recross during their meeting. This holds true even when she makes a gift of her high-heeled red-bottoms to him; her struggle to offer him these things of beauty while restraining her body in this way is, well, very very Catholic. So is Brannoxs response when she complains of being in pain and needing to shift the position of her legs after all: With a gesture of his hand, he commands all the priests in attendance to join him in looking away. Someday, he says ruefully after the deed is done and they all turn back to look at her, we will all come to appreciate the beauty of sacrifice though not today. That said, Brannox appears to take Stones words to heart. After slipping his private phone number to his PR guru Sofia Dubois, he winds up on a late-night assignation with her at the tomb of his immediate predecessor, Francis II. (Sofia calls him only after her shifty, cokehead conspirator husband Tomas goes out for the evening; the sense that shes booty-calling the pope is hard to shake.) Its here that JPIII tells her he plans to authorize both straight and same-sex marriage for the clergy, despite what he said to that other regal blonde earlier in the episode. This appears to be the resounding yes that accompanies his roar of no. But getting ahold of what Brannox is really thinking is as much of a challenge to the audience as it is to the characters. Heres a guy who gives Sofia his private line, then lets it ring a dozen times before picking up. I wanted you to believe your call wasnt important to me, he tells her. And instead, you have been waiting for me to call, she replies. My whole life, he says. It would be flirtatious if he didnt seem so deadly serious. Brannox plays a similar game of self-contradiction when, after telling Sofia about his marriage plans, she makes the same comparison about the Bible and iPhones he did with Stone. He rejects the comparison almost out of hand as too glib. Is he sincerely responding to Sofia, whom he evidently respects a great deal, enough not to pull his punches? Or is he mocking his own glibness with Stone? Or both? While Brannox is busy entertaining glamorous women with his air of aristocratic mystery, other characters are busy skipping past the verbal foreplay and getting it on. Cardinal Gutierrez has another liaison with his lover Freddie, after which he eyes the hotel minibar in their room; as an alcoholic, is he capable of fighting off this temptation after giving into another? In the Vatican toolshed, Sister Caterina and her refugee lover Faisal get past his earlier reticence, as we learn when we watch them share a post-coital cigarette. Later, we discover that she is now pregnant. The scandal-rocked Church will have a hard time convincing anyone this is a virgin birth, especially with Cardinal Voiellos right-hand man Don Cavallo recording the nuns conversations. Finally, Lenny Belardos old acolyte Ester reaches her breaking point with her pimp of a boyfriend Fabiano, whom we discover has sold access to her body not only to the deformed rich kid from the last episode but also to the sketchy priest weve seen groping her. She scoops up her son, Pius, and makes a break for it late one night. And why wouldnt she? In a sequence that dominates the final minutes of the episode, the whole world seems to listen in rapt attention as an Italian radio station broadcasts the sound of the comatose Pius XIII breathing, peppered with an occasional sigh that is slowly increasing in frequency as he lies there. He has come back! shouts the head of his idolatrous cult. Pius XIII is back! If I were Ester, Id take that as a sign that its time for a change of scenery, too. But what to make of the highly symbolic millipede that crawls across Lennys hand as he lies in his bed? Weve previously seen these critters crawl on Brannoxs father, in a glass box possessed by his brother Adam in a flashback, and out of the mysterious silver box Brannox keeps by his bedside. Are the millipedes real animals? Are they figments of the fevered imaginations of the viewers? Are they a supernatural sign from God, or the Devil? Is anything really as simple as yes or no? Actor Jussie Smollett is facing another indictment, this time before a special prosecutor investigating why a previous case against him was dropped in relation to an alleged attack. A grand jury returned a six-count indictment accusing Smollett of lying to Chicago police, a special prosecutor announced Tuesday. Smollett, who is gay and black, has said he was the victim of a racist and homophobic attack near his Chicago apartment in January 2019. The new indictment relates to the January 2019 incident that police say he orchestrated, according to WLS-TV. WFLD-TV first reported the development. Police have said Smollett paid two men who were acquaintances from the "Empire" set brothers Olabinjo and Abimbola Osundairo to stage the incident for publicity. The former "Empire" actor has repeatedly denied making up or orchestrating the attack. The special prosecutor, former U.S. Attorney Dan K. Webb, is investigating how State Attorney Kim Foxx's handled the case and her office's decision to end the case against the wishes of the police department. Related video: Special prosecutor named in Jussie Smollett case Smollett had been charged with 16 counts of felony disorderly conduct, but Foxx suddenly dropped all charges in March. Officials said Smollett had forfeited $10,000 in bail money and done community service. The actor faces a civil suit from the city that demands reimbursement for the cost of investigating his reported attack. He filed a countersuit in November. Smollett's attorneys claim the criminal charges against the actor were brought forth in "bad faith" and "based on the Osundairo Brothers' false, self-serving, and unreliable statements," court documents say. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Mr. Johnson acknowledged that the project had been troubled by poor management and promised to appoint a minister to oversee it. We have to have the guts and foresight to drive it through, he added, noting that most big infrastructure plans provoke opposition. Mr. Johnson also announced on Tuesday support for smaller-scale travel projects in northern England, including additional funds for buses and an upgrade to a rail link between the cities of Manchester and Leeds. Critics of High Speed 2 have frequently declared that its budget should instead be spent on ideas like those. There are many such critics in Mr. Johnsons camp. Some are lawmakers concerned about disruption and damage to countryside in their districts the first phase of the route rips without stopping through traditional Conservative heartlands in southern England. Others including the prime ministers most prominent aide, Dominic Cummings consider it unacceptable value for money. Once expected to cost around 33 billion pounds roughly $40 billion the plan is now estimated at 106 billion. The schedule has slipped, too: The Birmingham phase was originally supposed to be finished by 2026, with cities further north connected by 2033. The opposition Labour Party attacked the governments record. HS2 has been appallingly mismanaged by the Conservative Party, which has failed to deliver a single major infrastructure project on time or within budget, said Andy McDonald, who speaks for Labour on transport issues. Supporters say the projects difficulties reflect the scale of its ambition. Trains would travel at speeds up to 224 miles per hour, faster than any other train service in Europe, and the railroad would accommodate as many as 18 services per hour. They argue that the new railroad is necessary to ease congestion on the core of Britains rail network, allowing for more local services on lines currently shared with long-distance expresses. By Express News Service NEW DELHI: Following the Supreme Court order that reservations for promotions in government jobs is not a fundamental right, Dalit groups have said they would launch into agitation against this order. Bhim Army chief Chandrashekhar Azad wrote on Twitter that they were not in agreement with the order and would launch into a movement in order to procure this right. The All India Ambedkar Mahasabha (AIAM), an umbrella group of pro-Dalit outfits, said they would agitate at a massive scale against this order. ALSO READ: No fundamental right to claim quota in promotions - Supreme Court The rights of Dalits are being deliberately weakened. We are discussing the way forward. But our agitation would be bigger than our earlier Bharat Bandh. We really need to think through the issue this time. It will be a long-drawn agitation. We do not have the final dates yet, said Ashok Bharti, AIAM chairperson. Judiciary is not helpful towards the weak anymore, added Bharti. There has been a political furore over this issue. The Opposition Congress has claimed that the BJP is against the idea of Dalits would have reservations. Activist Harsh Mander said that it was the states responsibility to provide equal opportunities to people. Affirmative action is a core idea of the Constitution. When the equal opportunity for all people is historically denied, it is the duty of the state to provide this right. How the reservation can be reformed can be debated, said Mander. ALSO READ: Marginalized communities worried after SC verdict regarding reservation in jobs, promotions, says Kharge After generations of exploitation of caste system, reservation is a way to ensure equality. Reservation is vehicle for achieving social justice, said Pandiyan, executive director, Witness for Justice. The order comes in a case on the validity of the 2012 order of the Uttarakhand government. Contentious quota The SC judgment ruling that reservations for SCs/STs in promotion was not a fundamental right came on a batch of appeals pertaining to quota dorn SCs and STs in promotions in the posts of Assistant Engineer in PWD, Uttarakhand. Heres a timeline of the case: July 10, 2012: Uttarakhand High Court, while hearing the case of Vinod Prakash Nautiyal vs the State of Uttarakhand, barred reservation in promotions Sept 5, 2012: Uttarakhand govt-issued order barring departments from providing reservation in promotions to SC/ST employees April 1, 2019: Uttarakhand High Court quashed the state governments order May 2019: Review petition filed in High Court Sept 11, 2019: Uttarakhand govt put on hold promotions in all state govt departments Nov 2019: Setting aside its April 1 order, the Uttarakhand HC directed the state government to collect the data on adequacy/inadequacy in the representation of SCs and STs before providing reservation for the posts that are filled through promotions in government jobs Nov 2019: Uttarakhand govt and a body of general and OBC employees filed special leave petition in Supreme Court Feb 7, 2020: SC ruled that state government cannot be directed to provide reservation in promotions WASHINGTON - Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence President Donald Trumps confidant Roger Stone to serve between seven and nine years in prison after his conviction on witness tampering and obstruction charges. Stone, who is scheduled to be sentenced next week, was convicted in November of a seven-count indictment that accused him of lying to Congress, tampering with a witness and obstructing the House investigation into whether the Trump campaign co-ordinated with Russia to tip the 2016 election. He was the sixth Trump aide or adviser to be convicted of charges brought as part of special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. In a sentencing memorandum filed Monday evening, prosecutors asked for Stone to serve between 87 and 108 months in federal prison, in accordance with federal sentencing guidelines. Such a sentence would send a message to deter others who might consider lying or obstructing a congressional probe or tampering with witnesses. They charged in the filing that Stone decided to double and triple down on his criminal conduct by tampering with a witness for months in order to make sure his obstruction would be successful. Stones actions were not a one-off mistake in judgment. Nor were his false statements made in the heat of the moment. They were nowhere close to that, prosecutors wrote in the court papers. Trump, in an overnight tweet, called the situation horrible and very unfair. He added: Cannot allow this miscarriage of justice! Stone has denied wrongdoing and consistently criticized the case against him as politically motivated. He did not take the stand during his trial and his lawyers did not call any witnesses in his defence. The evidence presented in the trial didnt directly address Muellers conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to prove a criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia to tip the outcome of the 2016 presidential election in Trumps favour. But it provided new insight into the scramble inside the Trump campaign when it was revealed in July 2016 that the anti-secrecy site WikiLeaks was in possession of more than 19,000 emails hacked from the servers of the Democratic National Committee. Witnesses in the case testified that Trumps campaign viewed Stone as an access point to WikiLeaks and tried to use him to get advance word about hacked emails damaging to Hillary Clinton. Prosecutors alleged Stone lied to Congress about his conversations about WikiLeaks with New York radio host and comedian Randy Credico who scored an interview with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange in 2016, when he was avoiding prosecution by sheltering in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London and conservative writer and conspiracy theorist Jerome Corsi. During the 2016 campaign, Stone had mentioned in interviews and public appearances that he was in contact with Assange through a trusted intermediary and hinted at inside knowledge of WikiLeaks plans. But he started pressing Credico to broker a contact, and Credico testified that he told Stone to work through his own intermediary. Earlier testimony revealed that Stone, while appearing before the House Intelligence Committee, named Credico as his intermediary to Assange and pressured Credico not to contradict him. After Credico was contacted by Congress, he reached out to Stone, who told him he should stonewall it and plead the fifth, he testified. Credico also testified during Stones trial that Stone repeatedly told him to do a Frank Pentangeli, a reference to a character in The Godfather: Part II who lies before Congress. Prosecutors also charged that Stone had threatened Credicos therapy dog, Bianca, saying he was going to take that dog away from you. Arvind Kejriwals AAP wins a landslide 62 of 70 seats while right-wing BJP finishes a distant second with eight seats. Incumbent Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals Aam Aadmi Party (Common Mans Party or AAP) has inflicted a crushing defeat on Prime Minister Narendra Modis Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a key election in the capital. In the state assembly election held on Saturday, the AAP returned to power for a third straight term by winning 62 of the 70 seats while the BJP won the other eight, Indias Election Commission said on Tuesday. The Congress party, led by Italian-born Sonia Gandhi, repeated its 2015 performance and once again drew a blank. Dilliwalon (residents of Delhi), I love you, said Kejriwal, 51, while addressing his partys workers in the city, calling the landslide verdict a win for Bharat Mata (Mother India). 200211102039641 This win has given birth to a new type of politics the politics of work, he told cheering supporters at party headquarters. This is the type of politics that will take the country forward in the 21st century. In the last election held in 2015, the AAP had won a historic 67 of the 70 seats. Tuesdays results showed the BJPs poll campaign, one of the most divisive in the capital, did not pay off, as voters opted for Kejriwals pro-poor policies in the city of nearly 20 million people. The BJP had run an aggressive campaign, using the election to rally support for a controversial nationality law that eases citizenship rules for non-Muslim minorities from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. Modi, 69, who swept to power in national elections last year, congratulated Kejriwal. Wishing them the very best in fulfilling the aspirations of the people of Delhi, the Hindu nationalist leader tweeted. Defeat of the politics of polarisation The Delhi result is extremely important because it signals a defeat of the politics of polarisation and division that BJP unleashed here, political analyst Zoya Hasan told Al Jazeera. This election was perhaps the most hate-filled election in Indias electoral history. The Delhi voter has given a very good message to the country that hate politics doesnt work, said Hasan, who is also Professor Emeritus at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU). I hope the BJP will learn a lesson and shouldnt repeat this kind of blatant hate politics in other states that are going to elections in the next two years. Nearly 61 percent of the capitals 14.7 million voters cast their ballots on Saturday in elections believed to be a litmus test for Modi in the wake of deadly anti-government protests that erupted nearly two months ago. People have voted for the development work that AAP has been able to deliver in the last tenure, Neha Tyagi, vice president of AAPs women wing, told Al Jazeera. In the last elections held in 2015, the AAP had won a historic 67 of the 70 seats [Bilal Kuchay/Al Jazeera] Pro-poor policies The AAPs pro-poor policies had focused on fixing state-run schools and providing free healthcare and bus fares for women during its first term. The BJP was accused of running a campaign based on religious polarisation, with many of its leaders targeting the Muslim community, who form a little more than 10 percent of the capitals population. The New Delhi election is being seen as a test of Modis popularity following months of deadly nationwide anti-government protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that saw thousands of people take to the streets daily in the capital and across India. The law makes it easier for non-Muslim immigrants from three neighbouring countries who came to India before 2015 to become Indian citizens, a provision that forces critics to call the legislation anti-Muslim. The CAA and a proposed nationwide National Register of Citizens have stoked suspicion that Modi wants to turn secular India into a Hindu nation, something his party denies. People of Delhi have rejected BJPs politics of hate and divide, Gurucharan Singh, an AAP supporter, told Al Jazeera. BJP tried its best to make CAA a big election issue, but people gave its mandate to AAP on the development work it has done in the last five years and rejected BJP. Bilal Kuchay contributed to this report from New Delhi Concurs repetat pentru selectarea unei companii sociologice, care sa efectueze un studiu tematic "Barometrul opiniei publice in domeniul schimbarilor climatice" [February 11, 2020] Esri Partners with Saint Louis University to Advance Geospatial Research and Innovation Esri, the global leader in location intelligence, today announced that it has entered into an official partnership with Saint Louis University, well-known for its commitment to geospatial research and application. The university recently founded the Geospatial Institute, also known as GeoSLU. The institute encourages students and staff from a variety of areas to explore ways that GIS technology can provide insight into issues affecting the world today, including climate change, access to food and clean water, and economic stability. Esri will collaborate with Saint Louis University to advance programs focused on these and other areas of global concern. SLU and Esri are both affiliated with the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), the nation's primary resource for geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) for the defense and intelligence communities. Esri has collaborated with the NGA for the last 30 years to broaden the scope and application of GEOINT nationwide. SLU signed a collaborative research and development agreement (CRADA) with the NGA last year to share technical capabilities and research efforts to drive innovation in the geospatial field. "Saint Louis University is thrilled to partner with such a world-class company like Esri," said Fred P. Pestello, Ph.D., president of Saint Louis University. "With SLU's Geospatial Institute, we are excited to team our expertise with Esri's experience to create security solutions for critical customers like NGA and to mitigate global challenges in a way that promotes human flourishing." Several pojects are under development by SLU and Esri to promote GIS research and awareness. Jack Dangermond, Esri founder and president, will participate at Geo-Resolution 2020, a free geospatial collaboration event hosted by SLU and NGA. Esri is also supporting an Ideathon event, known as Saving the Herd with AI, launched by NGA, Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), and SLU. The event encourages competing university groups to use ArcGIS Online to explore automation possibilities to help counter wildlife trafficking activities. The winning group will be recognized at Geo-Resolution. "This partnership opens up exciting opportunities for collaboration and discovery between Saint Louis University, the NGA, and Esri," said Dangermond. "SLU and the NGA are already coordinating research work to find solutions for areas of common concern such as public safety, health care, and emergency response. Esri is looking forward to joining their efforts and contributing the latest geospatial tools to find answers to some of the most compelling problems facing the world today." To learn more, visit go.esri.com/SLU_Esri2020. 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/20200211005229/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Friends say crime spree by woman who allegedly stabbed cab driver fueled by drug addiction JEFFERSON COUNTY, Mo. (KMOV.com) - The woman accused of carjacking and stabbing a United Cab driver more than a dozen times Tuesday night has been arrested. Jefferson County deputies told News 4 a woman was picked up by the cab around 9 p.m. near the Dierbergs off Tesson Ferry Road. Quick news reminder that looks are often (allegedly) deceiving and drug crisis is getting worse in the Midwest. Read more: Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 11:47:50|Editor: yhy Video Player Close CANBERRA, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- The Australian High Court has ruled that Aboriginal people hold a special status and cannot be deported for criminal convictions. The court on Tuesday voted 4-3 that Aboriginal Australians are not subject to the "alien" powers in the constitution, which enables the deportation of dual citizens who have committed "serious" crimes. The precedent set by the ruling means nobody with indigenous Australian heritage can be deported from the country. Two indigenous men who were born overseas but moved to Australia as children, Daniel Love and Brendan Thoms, have been facing deportation after serving jail sentences. Love, who was born in Papua New Guinea, served more than a year in jail for assault and Thoms, who was born in New Zealand, served 18 months for domestic violence. Lawyers for the men argued in court that indigenous people cannot be "alien" to Australia and thus could not be deported. One of their lawyers, Claire Gibbs, told reporters outside the High Court on Tuesday that their case was not about citizenship but was instead about "who is an Australian national and who is a part of the Australian community." "It's about the use of alien powers, which we believe the government has been using inconsistently, unfairly and, now we've proven, unlawfully," she said. "So, in a practical sense, Brendan is still a New Zealand citizen, but he's not an alien in this country and he's protected from being deported. "Aboriginal Australians can no longer be removed from the country that they know and the country that they have a very close connection with." The Justices of the High Court, however, stopped short of clearing Love entirely -- saying in their ruling that they could not be certain of his Aboriginality based on the evidence presented in the case. Gibbs said that she was confident lawyers could prove his Aboriginal heritage in court if forced to do so. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 20:39:00|Editor: huaxia Video Player Close Chief Executive of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam meets with press ahead of a HKSAR Executive Council meeting in Hong Kong, south China, Feb. 11, 2020. Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Tuesday afternoon that its investigation into two novel coronavirus cases found in the same building was still ongoing as experts suspected a modified drainage pipe might lead to the infection. (Xinhua/Lui Siu Wai) HONG KONG, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection (CHP) said on Tuesday afternoon that its investigation into two novel coronavirus cases found in the same building was still ongoing as experts suspected a modified drainage pipe might lead to the infection. According to the CHP's daily press briefing, as of Tuesday noon, another seven confirmed cases were reported, bringing the total number of novel coronavirus infection cases in Hong Kong to 49, including one death case, four in critical condition and two in serious condition. Three of the additional cases involved relatives of the patient of Hong Kong's 42nd case, which was announced on Monday and triggered the overnight evacuation of dozens of households as the 62-year-old female patient was found residing in the same building as the 75-year-old male patient of Hong Kong's 12th case. All the 34 households living at the 07 unit on different floors in Hong Mei House of Cheung Hong Estate in Tsing Yi area have been sent to quarantine centers, said the Controller of the CHP Wong Ka-hing. Five of the evacuated residents reported symptoms, but were tested negative for novel coronavirus on Tuesday. Public health experts and engineers are investigating into how the patients of the 42nd and 12th cases got infected and whether the two cases were related. They found that a drainage pipe in the toilet of the apartment of the 62-year-old female patient, or the 42nd case, was modified and might be leaking, and suspected this might lead to her infection. "At this stage we cannot rule out any possibility, as we are not clear yet about the cases' way of transmission," Yuen Kwok-yung, professor of the department of microbiology of the University of Hong Kong, said at the briefing. He said the measure of evacuating the over 100 residents in the building was taken as a prudent precaution. Meanwhile, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam said on Tuesday morning that the HKSAR government attached great importance to the cases in the residential building, pledging a thorough and comprehensive investigation. [A timeline of the case|What we know about the evidence] Mr. Smollett, 37, was charged last February with filing a false police report after the Chicago police concluded that he had paid two brothers to stage an attack on him in which they shouted homophobic and racial slurs and yelled, This is MAGA country, a reference to President Trumps 2016 campaign slogan. The police said Mr. Smollett was looking for publicity because he was unhappy with his salary on the television show Empire, which dropped him from the cast after his arrest. The new indictment charges Mr. Smollett with six counts of disorderly conduct related to false statements to Chicago police officers. Five of the counts were related to accounts Mr. Smollett gave police the morning of Jan. 29, 2019, when he said the attack occurred; and one was related to a statement he made on Feb. 14, around when the police started to view Mr. Smollett as a suspect. In a statement, Tina Glandian, a lawyer for Mr. Smollett, noted that he is in litigation with the Chicago Police Department, and raised questions about whether it was fair for Mr. Webb to partly base his investigation on evidence from that department. She highlighted the fact that Mr. Webbs office said it had not yet found evidence of wrongdoing on the part of the prosecutors. The attempt to re-prosecute Mr. Smollett one year later on the eve of the Cook County States Attorney election is clearly all about politics not justice, she said in the statement. Ms. Foxx is running for re-election and faces a Democratic primary next month in which her opponents have criticized her management of the Smollett case. Her campaign issued a statement on Tuesday denouncing the James Comey-like timing of the new charges, referring to the former F.B.I. directors public pronouncements about the investigation into Hillary Clintons email server just before she lost to Mr. Trump. Nearly $300,000 in meth was seized after an investigation into a major western North Carolina drug ring, cops say. Officials started investigating the methamphetamine distribution in western North Carolina counties after the Alexander County Sheriffs Office got information about the scheme three months ago, according to a release from the sheriffs office. The North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Homeland Security helped with the investigation along with several local law enforcement agencies, the release says. Investigators launched a surveillance operation into four people involved, which led them across western North Carolina and into Georgia, the sheriffs office says. The investigation turned up a large amount of money, two cars and about $291,300 worth of meth, according to the sheriffs office. Nearly $300,000 worth of meth was seized in western North Carolina after a months-long investigation, police say. One of the four people investigated, 44-year-old Jeremy Magnus, was a major meth distributor in western North Carolina, the sheriffs office says. Jeremy Magnus, 44, was arrested and charged with Felony Trafficking Methamphetamine following an investigation into a major meth distribution in western North Carolina, police say. He was arrested along with Angela Dale, 33, during a traffic stop in Granite Falls, the release says. Angela Dale, 33, was arrested and charged with Felony Trafficking Methamphetamine following an investigation into a major meth distribution in western North Carolina, police say. The other two, 42-year-old Troy Powell and 35-year-old Heather Swanson, were arrested while leaving a home in Caldwell County, the sheriffs office says. Troy Powell, 42, was arrested and charged with Felony Trafficking Methamphetamine following an investigation into a major meth distribution in western North Carolina, police say. Heather Swanson, 35, was arrested and charged with Felony Trafficking Methamphetamine following an investigation into a major meth distribution in western North Carolina, police say. All four are charged with multiple counts of felony trafficking of methamphetamine and are being held in Caldwell County under a $500,000 secured bond, the release says. Officials are still investigating, the release says. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy is rushing to New Delhi on Wednesday for a crucial meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the backdrop of ongoing political developments in the state. According to the CM's Office, the Chief Minister will fly to New Delhi at 12.45 pm soon after the state Cabinet meeting and hold a meeting with the Prime Minister from 4.10 pm to 6 pm. "We have been trying for the PM's appointment for some time now and suddenly we were informed today about the meeting tomorrow," sources in the CMO said. The "three capitals" issue apart, the abolition of the state Legislative Council will be top on Jagan's agenda for his discussion with Modi, the sources said. It may be recalled that the Chief Minister's idea of having three capitals for the state kicked up a political storm in AP and also triggered an agitation by farmers of the current capital region Amaravati, who have been staunchly opposing the relocation of the capital. With the Legislative Council, where the opposition TDP is in a majority, blocking the relevant Bill for having three capitals, the YSR Congress government passed a resolution in the Legislative Assembly seeking abolition of the Upper House of the state Legislature. Since the Centre has to enact an enabling legislation in Parliament for abolition of the Council, the Chief Minister is said to be keen on taking up the issue with the Prime Minister for "expeditious action". The Chief Minister is also expected to explain to the Prime Minister his government's plans to "decentralize the administration" as such, particularly moving the seat of power the state Secretariat to port city Visakhapatnam. The Centre's help and support hold the key for the Chief Minister's plans to fructify, more so with regard to the shifting of the High Court from Amaravati to Kurnool, in accordance with a 1950s agreement. These apart, the usual subjects like special category status to AP, expeditious release of funds for the Polavaram multipurpose project and the revenue deficit grant and other Central funds for the cash-starved state will be on the Chief Ministers agenda, the sources added. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Vietnam has confirmed another case of a new coronavirus outbreak on February 11 bringing up its total tally to 15, according to the health ministry. The ministry reportedly said in a statement that the latest case is a three-month-old baby who got infected by her grandmother who tested positive for the virus on February 9. It further added that 10 out of 15 confirmed cases are from the northern province of Vinh Phuc, as per the reports. Vietnam has made plans to quarantine hundreds of citizens returning from China which includes 950 at military camps outside Hanoi, and another 900 at temporary facilities on the Vietnam-China border. READ: Coronavirus Death Toll In China Surpasses 1,000 With 2,478 New Reported Cases Vietnam suspended airline operations to China Vietnam Airlines suspended operations to China, Hong Kong and Taiwan from February 8. This extreme measure has been taken amid growing fears of the new Chinese coronavirus. The virus has been spreading quickly in China and in the Wuhan province where it has infected thousands of people. The airline in a statement said that it will be suspending flight in phases, flights between Vietnam and Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen will be suspended from February 4 itself while flights to and from Chengdu will be suspended from the next day. Flights to Macau will be suspended from February 6 onwards. READ: Vietnam Airlines To Suspend Flights To And From Mainland China Amid Coronavirus Outbreak 1011 died, over 42,000 infected Chinese authorities have revealed that the death toll for China's new coronavirus epidemic has increased to 1,011 nationwide. Hubei province, that is the epicentre of the viral outbreak, has reported 103 new deaths in addition to 2,097 new reported cases, informed Hubei's health commission on Tuesday. The viral outbreak of the deadly new coronavirus was first reported in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan. Since then there have been more than 42,200 confirmed cases across mainland China. It is believed that the coronavirus emerged from a food market that sells exotic animals for human consumption. READ: China Records Highest Daily Death Amid Coronavirus Outbreak, New Cases On Decline READ: 'Use Window Of Opportunity To Prevent Bigger Fire': WHO Warns Countries On Coronavirus A Sinn Fein TD who was filmed shouting "Up the 'Ra" during a victory speech has defended the comment, saying it happened during "the excitement of the night". Waterford TD David Cullinane was recorded making the comment as he spoke to supporters hours after he was elected. He said Sunday was a "very emotional day" for him but that the comments were not about the future. By PTI ALIGARH: Hundreds of Aligarh Muslim University students, who included a large number of girls, took out a candle-light march inside the campus in protest against the police action on anti-citizenship law protesters in Kanpur and on Jamia Millia Islamia students in Delhi. After the march Monday night, the AMU Students Coordination Committee submitted a memorandum, addressed to President Ram Nath Kovind, to authorities, seeking his intervention on the issue. The committee also demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. By venting fury against the protesters, especially women, the police was adding fuel to the fire in UP, the memorandum claimed. It said UP police, instead of allowing peaceful protests, is aggravating the situation by indulging in "wanton brutalities". The committee demanded that the president intervene to prevent deterioration of law and order. Early Monday, UP police allegedly tried to remove the protesters from Kanpur's Mohammad Ali Park. The protesters accused the police of resorting to lathicharge but senior officials denied the charge. Similar protests have been continuing in Delhi. On December 15, Delhi police stormed into Jamia, looking for protesters who had indulged in arson and allegedly beat up students. The same night, police also entered the AMU and clashed with students protesting against Citizenship (Amendment) Act. On Tuesday, former AMU Students Union Vice President Hamza Sufiyan, who is among the four students whose surety of Rs 1 lakh has been seized by police, said he was being "framed" by district authorities for the violence on December 15, despite he providing documentary evidence, including call records, to the Human Rights Commission to prove he was not in Aligarh that night. Sufiyan said in a statement that the police was "harassing" him even though the CCTV footage showed he was not present during the clash at Baab-e-Syed Gate of the university on December 15. On Monday, examinations were held at AMU according to the schedule revised due to the anti-CAA protest on the campus. By AFP WASHINGTON: US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday accused Iran of honing its ballistic missile skills through a satellite launch and vowed to exert more pressure. Iran, which is enemy number one for President Donald Trump's administration, said Sunday that it had successfully launched a satellite but that it failed to reach orbit. Pompeo said the technology involved in a space launch was "virtually identical" to the knowhow for a long-range ballistic missile. "Each launch, whether failed or not, further allows Iran to gain experience using such technologies that could benefit its missile programs under the guise of a peaceful space program," Pompeo said in a statement. "The United States will continue to build support around the world to confront the Iranian regime's reckless ballistic missile activity, and we will continue to impose enormous pressure on the regime to change its behavior," he said. Trump in 2018 slapped sweeping sanctions on Iran in a bid to decrease its military clout as it withdrew the United States from a nuclear accord negotiated by his predecessor Barack Obama. Tensions soared last month after Trump ordered a drone strike that killed a top Iranian general, Qassem Soleimani, as he visited Iraq, where Iranian-allied Shiite militias had fired rockets on bases housing US troops. The anti-drug special task force (STF) has seized a truck that was allegedly used to smuggle the consignment of 194kg heroin which was recovered from a house in Sultanwind area here on January 31. We have seized a truck that was apparently used for the consignments smuggling, said inspector general of police (IGP), STF, Kaushtubh Sharma while talking to HT over phone. Officials said the truck, seized from Bathinda, was used for smuggling heroin from Gujarat to Amritsar on the order of the rackets kingpin Simranjit Singh Sandhu, a resident of Amritsar, who was recently arrested in Italy on the basis of a red corner notice (RCN) issued by the Interpol at the request of the anti-terror squad (ATS), Gujarat. The officials said acting upon the STFs information about the trucks eizure, the ATS has apprehended three men who allegedly smuggled the heroin consignment in the truck. They were identified as Razak Sumra, Karim Siraj and Sunil Barmase of Gujarat. A Gujarat-based transporter to whom the recovered truck belongs has also been detained, said an official. Meanwhile, a local court on Tuesday extended the police remand of five accused in the case Sukhwinder Singh, Major Singh, Tamanna Gupta, Arman Basharmal of Afghanistan, and Punjabi movie actor Mantej Mann for three days. President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev sent a congratulatory letter to President of the Islamic Republic of Iran Hassan Rouhani. "On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I heartily congratulate you and your people on the occasion of the national day of your country, Victory of the Islamic Revolution," President Aliyev said. "Today's level of Azerbaijan-Iran relations, which are based on historical, cultural and religious roots and are developing in an atmosphere of good neighborliness, is satisfactory. I am confident that our cooperation both in bilateral format and within international organizations, especially within the Non-Aligned Movement, will be strengthened further through our joint efforts to the benefit of our peoples," President Aliyev said. "Taking this pleasant opportunity, I wish you the best of health, success in your endeavors, and the friendly people of Iran everlasting peace and prosperity," Ilham Aliyev added. -- Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz By hs-admin If you havent considered digital audio for healthcare marketing, its time to put it on your list. The big players include Pandora, Spotify, and iHeart. They deliver both music and talk, streaming and on demand across a wide range of interactive channels. As mobile devices have proliferated, so, too has digital audio. It reaches at least 64 percent of the population each month, for a total of over 180 million consumers. Every age group uses it and will get your message, even when theyre away from their screens. Since most cars integrate digital audio, its use is also growing on the highways. But the most recent game changer is the smart speaker, which has brought audio content back into the home. With every imaginable flavor of music, news, commentary and podcast content, digital audio is on the cusp of becoming what terrestrial radio once was omnipresent. Laser audience targeting for better efficiency What separates digital audio from its traditional ancestors is the data. Most listeners on Pandora, Spotify and iHeart Radio choose the free version of the more popular services, which exposes them to ads. Like banner and social advertising, digital audio is programmatic advertising; the marketing message can be delivered on almost an individual basis targeted to granular attributes and demographics within narrow audience segments. Buyers have access to sophisticated intelligence to mine key listener attributes demographics, purchasing patterns and other interests. Advertisers can target by predicted political affiliation, mobile platform, auto make and model and both past and future healthcare consumption. How healthcare fits in Healthcare marketers have the opportunity to hyper-target listeners. According to its presentation Engagement Redefined: Engaging and Healing Through the Power of Music, Pandora has finely honed the craft of accurately categorizing listeners based on their tastes in music. Partnering with third-party aggregators, Pandora adds healthcare attributes, including: Adult listeners likely to be caring for elderly relatives. likely to be caring for elderly relatives. How often the listener is likely to visit clinics, urgent care centers and the emergency room and likely used physical therapy, chiropractic and other forms of specialty care. and the emergency room and likely used physical therapy, chiropractic and other forms of specialty care. Predictive characteristics, like targeting flu vaccine messaging to those most at risk; joint replacement to older listeners; pediatric care to new parents; and cardiac care to those with elevated risk. (To learn more about Pandoras targeting in healthcare and pharma, see this article on FiercePharma.com.) Since the targeting is largely predictive and built on artificial intelligence and advanced cybersecurity techniques, this kind of granular analysis can be accomplished without compromising the privacy of any individuals health data. All the major players use data in similar ways, giving healthcare marketers a myriad of options to drive traffic to their service lines. As the sophistication level of the intelligence rises, cost per impression falls, driving new levels of advertising efficiency for healthcare marketers seeking to reach healthcare patient audiences. Data also drives better reporting, with built-in metrics to track ads served, clickthrough, reach and additional audience attributes. The major players aggregate data in real time, so there is little wait time for reporting. Terrestrial radio, too Since its driven by machine intelligence (e.g., machine learning), programmatic media buying is faster, more efficient and less prone to human error and bias than the traditional back-and-forth RFP and negotiation model of years past. That power is driving innovation in traditional broadcasting. Like other industries that predate Web technology, terrestrial radio stations are leveraging data and automation to deliver both better targeting and more reliable media buying. The actual media purchased remains traditional, for the most part. But planning, targeting and making the buy are achieved through digital platforms, powered by aggregate listener demographics and purchase habits. Some services also offer combined buys, incorporating both traditional and digital content. Terrestrial radio still has enormous reach. By leveraging data in the buying cycle, programmatic buying combines that reach with many of the targeting benefits of digital media. The concept will likely grow and its data become more accurate over time, since traditional listeners are increasingly consuming broadcast content over digital devices. Navigating a challenging marketing landscape Although potential rewards are handsome, challenges remain. The programmatic audio market is growing by leaps and bounds, worth more than $100 million per year. With that much potential income on the table, the industry is experiencing a lot of churn. Programmers, buyers and aggregators are merging, forging partnerships and buying one another out. The marketplace is some time away from stability and effective buying can be tricky. Hyper-targeting listeners is also putting new demands on creative. Since listeners expect custom content in programming, they are easily annoyed when the creative clashes. Successful digital audio advertisers embrace the concept of dynamic creative tailoring messaging both to listener demographics and in the right style for the channel and format theyre listening to. With so many tools and moving parts in the mix, managing digital audio on your own would likely end in a lot of time spent for little satisfaction. Working with an expert who knows the ropes will help you maximize the potential of the new technology, smooth the learning curve and get your message into the ears of exactly the consumers who need to hear it. To get started leveraging digital audio for your healthcare marketing goals, contact the digital marketing experts at Healthcare Success or call 800-656-0907. Comments It was historic seeing the three branches of government in one room, Aglipay said. Its important especially at this time in America when we have so many problems that they find commonality to come together on so many issues. Israeli Defense Minister Naftali Bennet on Monday said Israel will counter Iran in Syria and the United States in Iraq according to a division of work between Washington and Tel Aviv. I met with my colleague the American defense secretary Mark Esper, and we sorted out the coordination exactly theyre taking Iraq, and were taking Syria, The Times of Israel quoted him as saying on Saturday. According to The Times of Israel in a campaign speech on Saturday Bennett who is the leader of the right-wing religious Yamina party urged a "cold war" with Iran and said his aim was to expel Tehran's forces from Syria within a year and to turn Syria into the Islamic Republic's "Vietnam". Iran was responsible for 70 percent of Israel's security problems in the region, the hardliner defense minister who was speaking at a synagogue in the suburbs of Tel Aviv said and likening Iran to an octopus with arms extending everywhere he promised to go for the "head of the octopus Iran's power". "I'm not necessarily talking about a full-blown war with Iran tomorrow; it is more similar to the Cold war between the Soviet Union and the United States, with the two regional powers Israel and Iran," Bennett who indirectly admitted Israel was responsible for the recent airstrikes in Syria said. "We are constantly working to raise the stakes for Iran until we reach our ultimate goal: removing them from Syria. We will continue to prevent an Iranian presence on our northern border, Jerusalem Post quoted him as saying at Kibbutz Dafna during a ceremony. Bennet said Israel has constantly been fighting Iran's proxies in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza and has not "focused enough on weakening of Iran itself" but is in a continuous campaign to weaken it "on the economic level, political, intelligence, military, and others". According to the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the raids on Kisweh, Mezzeh and Jisr Baghdad near Damascus and Ezra in the southern province of Daraa on February 6 killed 23 including three Iranians and seven Tehran-backed foreign fighters. Israel has in recent months carried out several air raids against Syrian military sites and Iranian forces. Taiwan's foreign ministry called on the Philippines government Tuesday to lift the travel ban imposed on Taiwanese visitors because of the coronavirus. The ban was issued Monday night by the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board, which bars entry to all people - except for Filipino citizens - coming from China, Hong Kong and Macao. The measure also includes Taiwan because the Philippines classifies Taiwan as part of China. Taiwan's foreign ministry spokeswoman Joanne Ou told reporters in Taipei that Taiwan was not an infected Chinese region and was doing well to contain the spread of the virus. According to Taiwan's Centers for Disease Control, the self-ruled island has 18 confirmed cases and the patients are all in stable condition. Taiwan has developed its own identity since separating from China during the civil war in 1949, but has never declared formal independence. China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and wants the island to reunite with the mainland. SINGAPORE, Feb 11, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - BH Global Corporation Limited ("BH Global", or the "Group"), is pleased to announce that BOS Offshore & Marine Pte Ltd ("BOS"), a 90% owned subsidiary of the Group, has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding ("MoU") with strategic project partners Penguin International Limited ("Penguin International"), Danfoss, Durapower Technology (Singapore) Pte Ltd ("Durapower") and Bureau Vitas Marine (Singapore) Pte Ltd ("BV") for the joint design, development and construction of Singapore's first plug-in hybrid electric fast launch.The scope of cooperation includes integrating hybrid electric solutions, testing and certification. The know-how generated will support Singapore's push towards the adoption of hybrid electric propulsion systems for its maritime industry.Under the MoU, the five parties will contribute their respective expertise into the collaborative relationship:1. BOS will provide technical and commercial expertise in the development of commercially viable Plug-in Parallel Hybrid Electric Propulsion Systems ("BOS EP System") for small-to-medium sized vessels for operation in and around Singapore.2. Penguin International, a leading designer, builder, owner and operator of aluminium high-speed vessels, will design, construct and commission a newbuild hybrid launch boat with the BOS EP System installed, and will operate the vessel on commercial routes.3. Danfoss and Durapower will support the testing and integration of their power drive trains and energy storage systems respectively with the BOS EP System.4. BV will review and endorse test facilities and procedures necessary towards certification of the BOS EP System. The hybrid launch will be classed by BV as a hybrid vessel.In addition, BOS will spearhead further collaborations to develop the BOS Marine Electric Integration Centre, and drive initiatives towards the digitalisation of vessel operations with data analytics capabilities and smart connectivity features, and the development of a complete electrification ecosystem in Singapore.This collaboration provides the Group with a clear roadmap towards realising its goal of becoming a leading player in the Singapore maritime industry's drive towards achieving global standards on carbon emission reductions. The Group intends to achieve this by offering environmentally sustainable solutions and expertise, with continual efforts on research and development and collaborations with local homegrown companies.Commenting on the signing of the MoU, Mr Vincent Lim, Chief Executive Officer of BH Global said "It is a great honour to partner with Penguin International and other industry players with solid expertise in their respective fields. This collaboration is a significant stride for BH Global towards its goal of delivering environmentally friendly and commercially viable solutions for the local maritimeindustry, contributing positively to Singapore's push towards reduction of carbon emissions and environmental sustainability in local maritime operations. Most importantly, we are working collaboratively with Singaporean homegrown companies towards the realisation of this goal, putting Singapore on the world map as a global maritime member with the ability to deliver technologically advanced solutions towards the global goal of reducing carbon emissions.""Penguin is honoured to team up with like-minded companies like BH Global, Danfoss, Durapower and Bureau Veritas in this landmark project," said Penguin International's Managing Director Mr James Tham. "We are mindful of the role we play in Singapore's marine ecosystem. This privatelyfunded collaborative partnership is the best way forward in commercialising proven technologies in marine hybrid propulsion for the benefit of Singapore."About BH Global Corporation Limited (Bloomberg Code: BHGM.SP)BH Global Corporation Ltd is an established group providing comprehensive solutions in supply chain management, design and manufacturing, engineering, and surveillance and cyber security to a multitude of industries across the globe. With more than half a century of experience and presence in the marine and offshore, oil and gas, industrial, petrochemical and commercial sectors, the Group has built strong synergies and expertise that strategically position it to develop turnkey solutions focused on electrification, digitisation and environmental sustainability. Through excellent research and development and project management capabilities, BH Global has a unique platform which is proficient in producing integrated solutions to capture growth opportunities, executing swift and impactful value-added services to its clients worldwide. For more information, please refer to the website, www.bhglobal.com.sgAbout BOS Marine & Offshore (BOS)BOS is a Project Management Engineering company that specializes in Electrical, Instrumentation & Telecommunication for both offshore and onshore oil and gas industries. BOS also provides a wide range of services such as Project Management, Procurement Management, Detailed Engineering and Project Sales and Proposal. BOS is also the exclusive distributor of renowned FPI's GRE (Glass Reinforced Epoxy) pipes in Singapore, Japan and Vietnam. BOS pays meticulous attention to details in engineering design. Also, BOS assists clients to develop customized solutions from initial evaluation to project planning and execution to installation and commissioning, including on-going maintenance which ensures seamless integration in order to minimize expenditure and maximize operational efficiency.About Penguin International LimitedPenguin International is a Singaporean homegrown, publicly listed designer, builder, owner and operator of aluminium high-speed crafts. Through a group of wholly owned, integrated subsidiaries, Penguin International operates a fleet of crewboats and passenger ferries, as well as shipyards in Singapore and Batam, Indonesia. Penguin International serves customers worldwide. Since 1995, Penguin International has delivered more than 200 aluminium workboats, patrol crafts and passenger ferries to ship owners around the world, including over 150 of its proprietary-designed Flex offshore crewboats and armoured security boats. For more information, please refer to the website, http://www.penguin.com.sg/About DanfossDanfoss engineers the technologies that enable the world of tomorrow to do more with less. We meet the growing need for infrastructure, food supply, energy efficiency and climate-friendly solutions. Danfoss was founded in 1933 by Mads Clausen in Nordborg, Denmark, where the headquarters is still located. As a privately held company Danfoss has grown from a solo enterprise into a world-leader. We employ almost 28,000 people and serve customers in more than 100 countries. For more information, please refer to the website, https://www.danfoss.com/en-sg/About DurapowerDurapower Technology Group specialises in the research and design, manufacturing and system integration of advanced lithium-ion battery technology for automotive vehicles and stationery energy storage systems. Durapower has company presence in Singapore, China, the Netherlands and Thailand, and a global network of customers in the electric automotive and energy storage sectors in the international market. Durapower is a tier-one supplier to vehicle manufacturers and has its battery systems integrated in thousands of EVs (Electric Vehicles), HEVs (Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and PHEVs (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles) and other applications in about 20 countries across China, Europe, Japan, India and Southeast Asia. For more information, please refer to the website, https://www.durapowerbattery.com/About Bureau VitasCreated in 1828, Bureau Veritas is a global leader in Testing, Inspection and Certification (TIC), delivering high quality services to help clients meet the growing challenges of quality, safety, environmental protection and social responsibility. As a trusted partner, Bureau Veritas offers innovative solutions that go beyond simple compliance with regulations and standards, reducing risk, improving performance and promoting sustainable development. Bureau Veritas is recognized and accredited by major national and international organizations. For more information, please refer to the website, https://group.bureauveritas.com/For more information, please contact:Romil SINGH, romil@financialpr.com.sgRalph Chen Qihang, qihang@financialpr.com.sgRobin Moh, robin@financialpr.com.sgTel: +65 6438 2990Source: BH GlobalCopyright 2020 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved. The Tuesday sought response from the four death row convicts in the Nirbhaya gang rape and murder case on the Centre's appeal challenging the Delhi High Court verdict which dismissed its plea against stay on their execution. A three-judge bench headed by Justice R Banumathi granted liberty to the authorities to approach the trial court for issuance of fresh date for the execution of these convict. The bench, also comprising justices Ashok Bhushan and A S Bopanna, made it clear that pendency of the appeal filed by the Centre and Delhi government before it would not be an impediment for the trial court in issuing fresh date for execution of the convicts. Solicitor General Tuhar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Delhi government said that the execution of these convicts is not for "enjoyment " and the authorities are only executing the mandate of the law. [The stream is slated to start at 10 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.] Dr. Anne Schuchat, a top official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is holding a press conference in Washington on Tuesday about the coronavirus outbreak, which has killed more people than SARS. Schuchat, the principal deputy director of the CDC, is speaking at the National Press Club. As of Tuesday, more than 43,100 cases of coronavirus have been reported in over two dozen countries, resulting in at least 1,018 deaths almost exclusively in China. The WHO declared the virus a global health emergency last month, a rare designation that helps the international agency mobilize financial and political support to contain the outbreak. [To see the latest updates on the coronavirus, visit CNBC's live updates here.] Los Angeles: The images out of Wuhan are chilling. In the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak, health officials in white hazmat suits hover over the body of a victim. Crowds of ordinary people, their faces obscured by surgical masks, try to carry on as normal. As the United States, Australia, Russia, Japan and many other countries announce travel restrictions to and from China, it was only a matter of time before paranoia about coronavirus and Asians would spread as well. On January 30, Los Angeles officials warned that a fake letter circulating on Facebook and email falsely claimed that five people in Carson, a city south of downtown Los Angeles, had contracted coronavirus and named five local businesses in an Asian neighbourhood as being connected to the outbreak. A girl wears a face mask as she walks across a frozen canal in Beijing. The little-understood new coronavirus has spread panic and discrimination around the world. Credit:AP The hoax letter is just one instance of fear-mongering directed at Asian communities that is playing out on social media. An Instagram post by UC Berkeley's health services offered reassurance that anti-Asian xenophobia was a "common" and "normal" reaction to concerns about contracting coronavirus (it was deleted after alumni and students voiced outrage). Meanwhile, students across California have reported feeling that fear of the virus made them targets for anti-Asian comments and open hostility. The unity candidate That Mr. Sanders inspires a unique fervor among his supporters only bolsters the case for his candidacy, the Times writer Elizabeth Bruenig argues, since fiscally conservative Democrats may be more likely to support the general election candidate no matter what. But Ms. Bruenig views the panic over Mr. Sanderss rise as proceeding less from average Democratic voters, who view him more favorably than any other candidate, than from centrist party insiders, who fear losing control. If he won the nomination, I think obviously he would take over the party, a professor of history at Georgetown University told Ms. Bruenig. The political class and mainstream media underestimate Mr. Sanders because they dont understand his campaign, writes Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, a professor of African-American studies at Princeton. That is why, for example, the Bernie Bro narrative of his candidacy persists even though a majority of his supporters are women and people of color. Under normal circumstances, the multiracial working class is invisible, Ms. Taylor writes, but Mr. Sanders has tapped into the anger and bitterness coursing through the lives of regular people who have found it increasingly impossible to make ends meet in this grossly unequal society. [Related: Bernie Sanderss real base is diverse and very young] His appeals to a multiracial working-class coalition could pose the best challenge to Mr. Trump in swing states, argue Matt Karp and Meagan Day. The truth is that many people in swing states including many otherwise loyal Democratic voters were not sufficiently excited by Hillary Clinton, who they rightly associated with business-as-usual politics, they write. By contrast, they say, a contest between Mr. Sanders and Mr. Trump would present a starker choice: the populist who wants to win you health care and cancel your debt versus the rich jerk who doesnt care if you live or you die so long as your boss gets paid. In the end, Mr. Sanders could be just what the party needs to keep from fracturing, writes Matt Yglesias. Despite his revolutionary brand, Mr. Sanders is less radical than people think. While hes taken some positions as a legislator that were unpopular at the time, such as opposing the Iraq war and the dont ask, dont tell policy on gays in the military, he also has a dependable record of compromising when it counts. Congress will hamstring any Democrats agenda, but thats a reality Mr. Sanderss supporters will tolerate better if hes at the helm. A Sanders presidency, Mr. Yglesias says, would simply mean an emphasis on full employment, a tendency to shy away from launching wars, an executive branch that actually tries to enforce environmental protection and civil rights laws, and a situation in which bills that both progressives and moderates can agree on get to become law, he writes. Thats a pretty good deal, and you dont need to be a socialist to see it. Do you have a point of view we missed? Email us at debatable@nytimes.com. Please note your name, age and location in your response, which may be included in the next newsletter. Joseph Shabalala, who helped introduce the sound of traditional Zulu music to the world with his grammy-winning choral group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, has passed away. He died on Tuesday morning, aged 78. Mr Shabalala died in hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, the bands manager, Xolani Majozi told South Africas local newspaper, Times Live. Yes its true. Mr Shabalala passed on this morning. The group is on tour in the US, but they have been informed and are devastated because the group is family, Mr Majozi said. He added that Mr Shabalalas family would issue an official statement later in the day. According to the Times Live, the musicians health had deteriorated in the past few years, resulting in him retiring from the group in 2014. He handed over to his son, Sibongiseni, three years ago. In 2017, Mr Shabalala was reportedly admitted to hospital after his health took a nosedive after he underwent spine surgery and struggled to get back on his feet. Earlier this year, the musician was again taken to the hospital, due to his ailing health. The South African government paid tribute to the musician in a tweet, saying, We would like to extend our condolences on the passing of Joseph Shabalala, who was the founder of the group, Ladysmith Black Mambazo. It added in Xhosa, Ulale ngoxolo Tata ugqatso lwakho ulufezile. (Rest in peace, father, your race is complete.) Profile Born in 1941, Mr Shabalala was the eldest of eight children living on a farm in Tugela, near the town of Ladysmith in South Africa. As a young boy, he nursed an ambition of becoming a teacher or a doctor but was forced to leave school at the age of 12 when his father died, working on the family farm and, later, in a local factory. READ ALSO: As a young talent, he would sing with friends in a local group called the Blacks, in his spare time. Eventually, he would become the leader and main composer for a choral group, fusing indigenous Zulu songs and dances with South African isicathamiya, an acapella tradition that was frequently accompanied by a soft, shuffling style of dance. The group was re-christened Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a name that was significant on several levels: Ladysmith represented his hometown, Black referenced the black oxen that were the strongest on the farm, and Mambazo, from the Zulu word for axe, symbolised the groups ability to cut down the competition, he once said in an interview. The musician got global recognition after being recruited to sing on Paul Simons multi-million-selling Graceland album, most notably on Homeless, a song he co-wrote with Simon, based on the melody for a traditional Zulu wedding song. The band joined Simon on his subsequent world tour. In return, he produced their next three albums with 1987s Shaka Zulu winning a Grammy for best traditional folk recording. Mr Shabalala retired from active performance in 2014 shortly after performing at a memorial concert for Nelson Mandela and continued to teach traditional choral music. After handing over to his eldest son, four of his sons (and one grandson) continued his legacy within Ladysmith Black Mambazo. A baby who died and vanished in the womb left her twin brother with an 'amazing' birthmark resembling her own ultrasound scan image. Payelon Givens has a birthmark on his knee the shape of a cashew - similar to the shape of his twin sister, Patience, at their 10-week scan. Mother KisLevonia Givens, 28, was heartbroken when doctors revealed tiny Patience had died and vanished at 13 weeks pregnancy. Midwives couldn't find her heartbeat at 11 weeks after concerns she was growing at a much slower pace than Payelon. Medics described it as 'vanishing twin syndrome', a phenomenon in which a foetus absorbs into their mother's or sibling's body. Even though she had to grieve for Patience, Ms Givens, from Shreveport, in Louisiana, finds comfort knowing Patience left her mark - on her twin brother's leg. Payelon Givens was born with a birthmark the same shape as the scan image of his twin sister, Patience, who vanished in the womb at 12 weeks KisLevonia Givens, 28, was shocked to see the brown shape on her son Payelon's leg was strikingly similar to the ultrasound picture of his twin sister, Patience, at her 10-week scan Ms Givens, a mother-of-four, was heartbroken when doctors revealed tiny Patience had died Ms Givens, a mother-of-four, said: 'When I'd given birth, one of the nurses came in and pointed out his birthmark to me. 'It shocked me but I was happy and smiling. It was amazing. It's incredible what the human body is capable of doing. 'It wasn't strange or weird to me - it was more of a "wow" feeling. 'The birthmark looks like the scan of his sibling at 10 weeks. That'll always be a reminder for Payelon of his twin that didn't make it.' It came as a surprise when Ms Givens, a clothes designer, learned she was pregnant with twins last year as she already had four children at home. When she attended her first midwife appointment she was handed two 'welcome packages' - being told they were for 'both babies'. She presumed the staff member meant one was for her two-year-old, as no-one had mentioned she was expecting twins. It wasn't until nine weeks when she saw two small figures on the screen that she realised she was about to become a mother-of-six. But at the same scan, the midwife found one of the embryos was much smaller and struggling to thrive. It came as a surprise when Ms Givens learned she was pregnant with twins last year as she already had four children at home, in Shreveport, Louisiana At a six week scan, the midwife found one of the embryos, Patience, was much smaller and struggling to thrive. Payelon is pictured at 13 weeks, when Patience had died While her heart ached for the miscarried baby, in January 17 this year Ms Givens went into labour three weeks early and gave birth to healthy Payelon (pictured at birth) WHAT IS VANISHING TWIN SYNDROME? Vanishing twin syndrome occurs when one twin passes away in the womb and 'vanishes'. The loss of a twin is expected in seven to 40 per cent of natural pregnancies, according to Seattle Children's Hospital. Vanishing twin syndrome is believed to occur in between 20 to 30 percent of multiple pregnancies. It usually occurs in the first trimester and less frequently in later pregnancy. The cause is unknown, but theories suggest there are abnormalities in the way the baby implants or in the baby's chromosomes. The lost baby is usually 'absorbed' by the mother. But sometimes the baby becomes 'mummified' and flattened due to the pressure of the surviving twin, and must be born. Often, vanishing twin syndrome has no symptoms, but some mothers experience cramping, bleeding, pelvic pain or decreasing hormone levels. If the twin dies in the second or third trimester, there are increased risks to the surviving fetus, including a higher rate of cerebral palsy. This is due to a complicated process whereby the blood flow becomes restricted to the brain, causing damage, as a result of the other twin dying. The surviving twin may be born early or even miscarry if their twin vanished in the third trimester. Advertisement Ms Givens said: 'When I went for my visit at nine weeks they could only hear one heartbeat. One of the babies was growing bigger than the other. 'He was probably getting more nutrition than the other baby, which caused the other baby to stop growing. 'Whenever I went in for the ultrasounds, the other foetus would be lighter than the baby that was surviving and growing. 'I went to three or four different pregnancy centres wanting a different answer but everyone gave me the same one. 'Between two and four months I went through 12 scans to see different ultrasound technicians and specialists.' By her 13-week scan, doctors broke the news that the second tiny foetus, which would be the size of a plum, had died around 11 weeks. Ms Givens, who named the lost baby Patience, was told Patience was no longer visible in scans. The tissue had likely been 'absorbed' by her sibling. 'They labelled it as a "vanishing twin"', Ms Givens said. 'I cried a lot. 'When they told me what had happened, I read up on it every night. I couldn't believe it. I had so many questions because I'd never heard of it. 'The doctors themselves were trying to keep up with things themselves because they don't get cases like this a lot. They were trying to learn more about it too.' Vanishing twin is relatively common, happening in 20 to 30 per cent of pregnancies with multiple babies, according to Seattle Children's Hospital. It's not clear why the baby vanishes in the uterus, but it may be due to chromosomal abnormalities. Ms Givens said: 'The doctors then said [the foetus] was absorbed. I was heartbroken and amazed at the same time. 'I had just broken the news to the family about having twins, then when they said "we don't hear a heartbeat" it was hard to get over that. Ms Given said doctors labelled Patience's death as "vanishing twin". Pictured, Payelon Now, as Ms Givens enjoys life as a new mother once again, she is able to find comfort in knowing Payelon's sister, Patience, will always be with him 'Every time I'd go in for the ultrasounds they would say "well, at least you still have the one".' While her heart ached for the miscarried baby, in January 17 this year Ms Givens went into labour with Payelon. He was three weeks early - premature birth is a complication for the surviving twin - but was healthy. Depending on when the vanishing twin died, the surviving twin is at risk of problems such as cerebral palsy and hypertension. Ms Givens did not give birth to Patience, as sometimes the missing baby can come out 'mummified' or flattened, or attached to the placenta. Ms Givens said: 'They said sometimes it [the other twin] could come out as a foetus attached to the placenta, but it wasn't.' To her joy, the midwives pointed out a unique birthmark on his left leg - in the same shape as his late sister's scan photo. Now, as Ms Givens enjoys life as a new mother once again, she is able to find comfort in knowing Payelon's sister, Patience, will always be with him. Payelon will forever carry the memory of the twin he never met on his skin - something Ms Givens has described as 'incredible'. Ms Givens said: 'Payelon was growing more rapidly than a baby of his age normally would. 'He was always very active and healthy and growing. 'He was due on February 8 but he came early. I'm so happy to have him. I stay up all night just staring at him.' Armenian News - NEWS.am presents a daily digest of top news as of 11.02.2020: His Majesty King Abdullah II Ibn Al-Hussein Al-Hashemi of Jordan has arrived in Armenia on his first official visit at the invitation of President Armen Sarkissian. The high-ranking guest was greeted by Deputy PM Mher Grigoryan at Zvarnots International Airport. During the joint briefing with Sarkissian, the King noted Armenia and Jordan have many opportunities for cooperation. According to him, thousands of Jordanians rooted in Armenia and made a great contribution to the development of Jordan in all areas. Sarkissian delivered a statement for the media and noted Kings visit is a historic one. President thanked King Abdullah for sheltering Armenian Genocide survivors. The King of Jordan has later met Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan. The latter noted the relations with Jordan and the Middle East are very important for Armenia, as we see them as a direction of strategic partnership. While, the King said the Armenian community of Jordan is historically of tremendous importance for our country. King Abdullah II added he is in Armenia to celebrate 100 years of special relationship between Jordan and the Armenians who have suffered in the region. The King said he had met with the representatives of private sector who are very excited about the possibilities of building the bridges of cooperation between the countries. The European People's Party (EPP) has referred to the constitutional amendments referendum initiative in Armenia. The EPP is concerned by the rushed procedure to initiate changes to the Armenian Constitution, it noted on Twitter. We call on the authorities of Armenia to request and consider the opinion of the Venice Commission as soon as possible. Earlier, Armenian President signed a decree on appointing a referendum on constitutional amendments on April 5. CEC chairman Tigran Mukuchyan, said Tuesday, the pre-election campaign for this referendum will start on February 17. According to the draft for the referendum, Article 213 of the Constitution shall be amended so that the powers of the CC judges who are elected before April 2018 shall be terminated. Armenias ex finance minister and SRC ex-chair, Gagik Khachatryan, who is in custody for about 6 months as he is charged with organizing misuse during his respective tenure, has been transferred to a medical center. According to his attorneys statement, Khachatryan's treatment was interrupted, and he was taken back to penitentiary, but after numerous complaints, Khachatryan was recently transferred to a medical center, although there were no medical changes. Coronavirus death toll has reached 1018, 108 new deaths have been recorded in the last day. The total number of infected people is 43 101. Since December 2019, a total of 31,728 people have been infected with coronavirus in Hubei (18,454 - in Wuhan) and 974 patients died (748 - in Wuhan). Meanwhile, Hubei health commission chief Zhang Jin and director Liu Yingzi have been fired for unspecified reasons and their roles would be filled by Wang Hesheng, a member of the provincial committee of the Communist Party. A commemoration concert for the Armenian Genocide will be held at the Palace of Versailles in France on April 24. The music expressing the voice of the Armenian people and its multi-millennial history will be interpreted in the Royal Chapel, the official website of the Palace says. Three virtuoso artists will interpret the magnificent classical music of Armenia, joining memory and will to live in a powerful symbolic moment. The Swiss watch brand Rolex has launched a new ads campaign dedicated to filmmakers and storytelling. One of the ads was dedicated to Martin Scorsese who said that on his orientation day at university in NY, he was exposed to Haig Manoogian's passion for the craft of filmmaking. His name was Haig Manoogian, a teacher of film at Washington Square College, which is now NYU. He pushed us, cajoled us, beat us down, then built us back up again. He set a fire in our hearts, and gave me the greatest gifts of all, he said. Armenian President and Armenian PM have sent congratulatory messages to Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and spiritual leader Seyyed Ali Khamenei on the 41st anniversary of the victory of the Islamic Revolution. Hundreds of thousands of people were marching in Iran Tuesday. People are chanting slogans in support of the Islamic revolution, which put an end to the monarchy in the country. According to Iranian president, there is no such great day as the day of the victory of the Islamic revolution for Iranian, while the mass participation of the people shows that people attach great importance to their freedom and independence. South Koreans are celebrating after movie director Bong Joon Ho and his film Parasite won big at the Academy Awards in Los Angeles. Parasite won the Oscar for Best Picture and three other Academy Awards Sunday night. Its wins made history in both the Hollywood and South Korean film industries. Parasite is the first non-English-language film to win best picture in the 92-year history of the award ceremony. It also is the first South Korean film ever to earn an Oscar. Can you believe that Parasite won the Academy best picture? asked South Koreas biggest newspaper, Chuson Ilbo. It rewrote the Academys 92-year history, the paper added. South Korean social media were flooded with congratulatory messages. Bong Joo Ho, Parasite and related film industry news were the top internet search terms throughout Monday. In the days before the awards ceremony, searches had largely been about the outbreak of the coronavirus from China. But concerns about the virus as well as political and economic problems seemed to ease Monday as South Koreans celebrated the films success. President Moon Jae-in and his advisors began a meeting by clapping their hands in celebration. Moon later wrote on Twitter that he is proud of Bong and others involved in the film. The South Korean leader said he was grateful to them for giving courage and pride to our people who are overcoming difficulties. At Yonsei University in Seoul, the university Bong attended, students belonging to a school movie club watched the awards show together. Student Kim Nam-hoon told The Associated Press, Its deeply meaningful for Korean movies and this will open the path for further development. Its such a great honor. Im speechless. Another student, Jeong Ho-cheol, praised Bong for pleasing both movie critics and crowds. He said, His way of dealing with the underside of Korean society and problems such as rich-poor gaps and the way he expresses those issues are very expressive. Parasite is a dark comedy about a poor South Korean family that makes up false job experiences so they can work for a wealthier family. The wealthy family gives them positions as tutors, housekeepers and personal drivers. Kim Kyung-hyun is a professor of visual studies at the University of California, Irvine. He told VOA, Parasite tells a universal story in a way that has made it obviously very successful worldwide. He added, "The film touches on South Koreas over-education syndrome, but also deals with things like climate change and economic inequality. It is unclear what is next for Bong or the rest of the films cast of actors. But Parasites success at the Oscars is likely to increase interest in South Koreas movie industry. In addition to winning four Academy Awards, the film has won about 180 awards so far, including the highest honor at the Cannes Film Festival. Kim Kyung-min told VOA, "I think people around the world will evaluate and treat Korean movies with more respect after seeing what a great reputation Parasite has. The 33-year-old South Korean added, I am proud of what [the director and cast] did, and I am looking forward to seeing more Korean directors succeed. Im Jonathan Evans. Ashley Thompson adapted this article based on reports by VOA News and The Associated Press. George Grow was the editor. Have you seen Parasite? What did you think of it and other films nominated for Best Picture? Let us know in the comments section. _______________________________________________ Words in This Story clap - v. to hit the palms of your hands together usually more than once proud - adj. very happy and pleased because of something you have done, something you own, someone you know or are related to, etc. courage - n. the ability to do something that you know is difficult or dangerous gap - n. a space between two people or things comedy - n. a play, movie, television program, novel, etc., that is meant to make people laugh tutor - n. a teacher who works with one student syndrome - n. a disease or disorder that involves a particular group of signs and symptoms evaluate - v. to judge the value or condition of (someone or something) in a careful and thoughtful way reputation - n. the common opinion that people have about someone or something : the way in which people think of someone or something [February 11, 2020] Open Raven Launches Modern Data Security Platform to Bring Visibility and Control to Enterprise Data Protection Open Raven today emerged from stealth with the launch of its modern data security platform that brings visibility and control to enterprise data protection. Founded by established industry entrepreneurs Dave Cole and Mark Curphey, who previously built large-scale cybersecurity products at CrowdStrike, Symantec (News - Alert), SourceClear and Microsoft, Open Raven is designed as an elegant solution to the complex problem of data security. With an open source core to be available under the Apache 2.0 license, the platform helps customers understand, manage and ensure the security of data from a single location - at a time when teams are overwhelmed and data breaches are hitting record numbers. The rate of data creation is accelerating each year due to factors such as inexpensive cloud computing, DevOps and the explosion of internet-connected devices, exceeding enterprises' ability to handle its volume, variety and velocity. Despite this, 86% of organizations currently maintain separate on-premises and cloud teams for data security policies, processes and technology, according to ESG. This contributes to lapses in good data hygiene, which now outnumber nation-state adversaries and criminal hackers as the most common cause of major security incidents. At the same time, a complex global network of regulations - from the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) - is bringing data security and privacy into the boardroom. "Security leaders are increasingly finding that a data centric view of security control is more important than ever," said Phil Venables, senior advisor and board director, Goldman Sachs Bank and an Open Raven board member. "This requires companies know what data resides where in their enterprise and how it is protected. Open Raven is solving for this by making those insights accessible." The Open Raven Platform puts customers back in control of their data, from mapping their systems to managing their data risk. Built as a control plane for data security, the platform works seamlessly with an organization's existing tools and features so customers can understand and manage all data from a single location, starting with an emphasis on structured data. The sophisticated Open Raven Graph is designed to make understanding and managing modern data complexity straightforward. Its cloud-native design balances SaaS (News - Alert) simplicity and scale with the data privacy of an on-premises solution through installation into an organization's own cloud. <> "When it comes to data breaches, there is a quiet epidemic that is not the result of hacking from Russia, Iran or China," said Dave Cole, CEO of Open Raven. "Accidental data exposures are the driving force behind today's breaches. Our mission is to reinvent data security for the modern era starting by making it easy to answer fundamental questions such as 'where is my data?' and 'how is it protected?' Open Raven is designed to automate the elimination of blind spots, stopping data breaches at the source." Open Raven was built in conjunction with senior security leaders at global organizations across industries, including automotive, gaming, financial technology and software. Its investors include Upfront Ventures, whose partner Kara Nortman led the company's seed round funding of $4.1 million; Phil Venables; Niloo Razi Howe, former chief strategy officer at RSA; Andrew Peterson, CEO of Signal Sciences and Oliver Friedrichs, VP and GM at Splunk (News - Alert). How Open Raven Works The Community Edition of the Open Raven Platform, released at launch, provides automated mapping of cloud and on-premises data stores using a variety of techniques from APIs to network scanning. This includes the Open Raven DMAP fingerprinting service, which is purpose-built to identify what assets are functioning as data stores. DMAP uses machine learning to pinpoint popular data stores such as ElasticSearch, Postgres, MongoDB and others so that they can be better understood and managed without the guesswork required by existing tools. In order to eliminate blind spots, users are able to define both discovery methods and frequency of updates, which can be progressively expanded as the user gains confidence or increased access. Open Raven's search feature is both straightforward and powerful, providing ready answers to hard data security, privacy and compliance questions. Users can easily visualize and act upon the results to queries such as "Where do I have unencrypted data that is Internet-accessible?" and "Is all data in Europe protected according to our standards?" Trending reports and a GraphQL-based API make communicating and integrating platform results across an enterprise straightforward. In order to maximize visibility and eliminate blind spots, Open Raven is built on a flexible graph database with an open connector model that accommodates any potential data source. In addition to on-premises network scanning, default connectors today include Amazon Web Services (News - Alert) (AWS) data services such as S3 and RDS, as well as related services where data may be found (e.g., EC2). With this foundation, building new connectors for AWS is easy and template-based. This same approach will soon be extended to Microsoft Azure and Google (News - Alert) Cloud Platform as well as a series of on-premises data sources. New connectors can be not only built by Open Raven but by anyone with coding skills and an interest in adding new data sources. Open Raven is available for install by request while in Preview and will be generally available this spring, enabling organizations to identify their data stores and begin managing them in order to mitigate any current risk. Open Raven's open architecture also enables others to contribute and extend the platform using their existing tools and minimal effort. To learn more or download the platform, visit the Open Raven website. About Open Raven Open Raven is the modern data security platform that brings visibility and control to an organization's data protection program. From mapping data stores in clouds and corporate networks to identifying the data within, Open Raven lays the foundation for assessing and managing data risk. Deployed within minutes within an organization's network, the platform is designed so that discovery, query and response capabilities can be readily extended to match the most complex and demanding environments. For more information visit www.openraven.com or connect with us on Twitter or LinkedIn. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200211005823/en/ [ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ] Gold prices slipped Rs 114 to Rs 40,624 per 10 grams in Mumbai's bullion market on a stronger dollar and firm equity market. The rate of 10 grams, 22-carat gold in Mumbai was Rs 37,212 plus 3 percent GST, while that of 10 grams, 24-carat gold was Rs 40,624 plus GST. The price of 18-carat gold quoted at Rs 30,468 plus GST in the retail market. According to Navneet Damani, Vice President, Motilal Oswal, gold prices held steady after climbing to a one-week peak in the previous session, as concerns about the coronavirus epidemic, which has claimed more than 1,000 lives in China, offset an uptick in equities. Damani noted that there are steps taken to reduce the overall impact of the virus, although till the time the pace of deaths and affected people do not reduce, so won't the panic in the market. With the onset of the virus, less movement in the bond yields is also supporting gold prices. The broader trend on the Comex could be $1,560-1,580, and on domestic front prices could hover in the range of Rs 40,100-40,650, said Damani. The gold/silver ratio, which is the amount of silver required to buy one ounce of gold, currently stands at 88.26 to 1. Silver prices declined Rs 200 to Rs 46,025 per kg from its closing on February 10. In the futures market, gold rates touched an intraday high of Rs 40,566, and an intraday low of Rs 40,381 on the MCX. For the April series, the yellow metal touched a low of Rs 37,530 and a high of Rs 41,567. Gold futures for delivery in April slipped Rs 242, or 0.59 percent on the MCX trading at Rs 40,437 per 10 grams in the evening's trade for a business turnover of 17,128 lots. Gold contracts for delivery in June eased Rs 227, or 0.56 percent, at Rs 40,620 per 10 grams in a business turnover of 5,827 lots. The value of the April contracts traded so far is Rs 2,069.53 crore, and those of June contracts saw a value of Rs 92.98 crore. Similarly, Gold Mini contracts for March were down Rs 227, or 0.56 percent at Rs 40,380 in a business turnover of 8,277 lots. Gold prices have given a negative break out from ascending broadening wedge pattern, and the price is expected to trade negatively, according to Axis Securities. Sustaining below Rs 40,450 in the next leg of correction would drag prices lower towards Rs 40,250-40,150 levels. Source: Axis Securities On the hourly chart, the price has started trading below 60 EMA, which is a bearish sign for price. The broking firm advised its client to sell April gold contracts at Rs 40,450 with a stop loss at Rs 40,600 and a target of Rs 40,250. MCX Gold will be trading in the range for the session with support placed at Rs 40,280-40,200 whereas resistance is at Rs 40,580-40,650, according to Motilal Oswal. The brokerage firm said spot gold has immediate support at $1,560-1,557 whereas resistance is at $1,575-1,580. At 12:04 pm (GMT), spot gold was down $2.50 at $1,569.40 an ounce in London trading. PITTSBURGH, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bedford Funds, LP is announcing the launch of a $2 billion fund raise. Bedford is proud to be a national leader in developing and deploying a strategy for Opportunity Zone Funds that focuses on driving jobs, agency, and wealth creation into many economically distressed communities equitably, nationwide. Not a real estate fund, Bedford is paving the way forward with a strategy to revitalize and rejuvenate opportunity zones across the country through their investment strategy focused on the Future of Energy, the Future of Work, and the Future of Food and Healthy Living. Bedford pursues its unique strategy of investing in operating companies in its target verticals and scaling these companies to multiple Opportunity Zones across the U.S. We are committed to making an impact by catalyzing growth, unlocking potential, and connecting the stranded talent with opportunity nationwide. The special task force of Uttar Pradesh Police has gunned down a wanted criminal carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, officials said on Tuesday. Varanasi unit of UP STF killed the criminal, identified as Rajesh Dubey alias Tunna, at Akhta-Pahadiya crossing in an police encounter, they said. During the shootout, a police constable, Vinod Yadav, also sustained bullet injuries and was rushed to a hospital. Dubey, a native of Ghazipur district, had escaped while he was being brought to court for hearing in a case in 2017. He was wanted in several cases of loot and murder registered in nearly 11 districts of Uttar Pradesh. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) Some Bay Area companies have resumed operations at factories in China after they were idled for more than a week amid the coronavirus health crisis. The highly contagious, life-threatening disease has severely impacted supply chains worldwide and across industries ranging from eyeglasses and backpacks to autos and electronics. The outbreak led to some factories and businesses extending previously planned Lunar New Year closures for an additional week. Zenni Optical in Novato, which owns a factory in Danyang 400 miles from Wuhan where the virus was first detected and employs 1,000 workers, reopened its facility on Monday in China. Weve added additional shifts to work around the clock to catch up on delayed orders and are producing 31,000 finished pairs (of eyeglasses) per day, Sean Pate, a spokesman for Zenni, said by email. Pate said the company, which has faced delays of up to 28 days on orders, is expediting shipping and expects to fall back within our normal delivery windows if no further stoppages occur. Zenni sold 6 million pairs of eyeglasses in 2019, he said. Were not aware of any further work stoppages at this point and are hopeful it is now behind us, he said. Tesla did not respond to a request for comment. But Reuters reported that the Palo Alto company reopened its $2 billion factory in China on Monday. Tesla had warned investors that production of the Model 3 would be delayed by a week at its Shanghai factory. Other automakers have also faced closures. Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes Foxconn Technology, a major Apple supplier, which was also closed for a week under government orders, reopened Monday with about 10% of its employees or 36,000 workers coming back to work at two factories in Zhengzhou and Shenzhen, Reuters reported. Shwanika Narayan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: shwanika.narayan@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @shwanika More than 80 years after it was founded by Catholic nuns as a womens college, Caldwell University has named its first male lay president. Matthew Whelan, a vice president at Stony Brook University in Long Island, will take over as president of Caldwell University on July 1, school officials announced Tuesday. Whelan, 56, is returning to the state where he was born and raised in a family of eight children in Denville. He attended St. Marys School and Morris Catholic High School in Denville and Mercyhurst University, a Catholic college in Pennsylvania. "As a first generation, Pell-eligible college student who attended Catholic schools, early on I developed a love for small Catholic colleges and their commitment to reaching out to deserving students, especially the underrepresented in higher education, and teaching others to serve and give back, Whelan said. Whelan will take over for Nancy Blattner, who was named Caldwell Universitys first-ever lay president in 2009. She is returning to her home state of Missouri to become president of Fontbonne University, another Catholic institution. She was a vice president at Fontbonne before coming to Caldwell. Caldwell College was founded in 1939 by the Sisters of Saint Dominic as a womens college. The then-Archbishop of Newark was named its first president and the school was led by several nuns over the years. The school went co-ed in 1986 and became a university in 2014. It now has about 2,200 students. Caldwell joined a growing number of Catholic universities phasing out nuns and priests as presidents in favor of lay leaders. In New Jersey, Seton Hall University, Saint Peters University, Georgian Court University, Felician University and College of Saint Elizabeth are all run by lay presidents. I speak for all the trustees who are excited and invigorated by the skills, experience and passion Matt will bring to Caldwell University. We value his commitment to our Catholic Dominican tradition and are confident in his ability to innovate and further our upward trajectory of success at Caldwell, said Laurita Warner, chairwoman of the universitys board of trustees. Whelan, who is married with three daughters, is returning to Caldwell after having lived in an apartment in the borough when he was first married and his wife, Kathy, was teaching fourth grade at Washington Elementary School in West Caldwell. We are looking forward to returning to Caldwell and immersing ourselves in the life of the university, the work of the Sisters of Saint Dominic and the greater Caldwell community, Whelan said. The private university did not release Whelans salary. Blattner, his predecessor, earned $582,682 in compensation, plus another $98,171 in other funds in 2017, according to Caldwell Universitys latest available tax returns. Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @KellyHeyboer. Find her at KellyHeyboerReporter on Facebook. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg told an audience at Georgetown Law School on Monday night that the deadline to ratify the 34th amendment had passed, and that it was time to start over the efforts. Last month, Virginia became the 38th state to approve the ERA, which was initially passed in 1972 before going to the states for ratification. The amendment sought to make discrimination on the basis of sex unconstitutional. The Justice Department released a legal opinion ahead of Virginias vote that the process would need to be restarted, because Congress set an initial seven-year deadline, before extending it to 1982, for the amendment to be ratified. Speaking Monday, Ginsburg appeared to concur with the opinion, explaining that there is too much controversy about late comers, and adding that Virginias vote came long after the deadline passed. She also reiterated that she hoped the amendment would eventually be passed, saying I would like to see a new beginning to the ratification process. I would like to show my granddaughters that the equal citizenship stature of men and women is a fundamental human right, Ginsburg said. The state attorneys general of Virginia, Nevada and Illinois sued U.S. Archivist David S. Ferriero on January 30, after Ferriero said he would comply with the DOJs position. Under Article V, there is no time limit for how long Congress may deliberate before proposing an amendment to the States, the suit argues. The same is true of a States decision about whether or when to ratify a proposed amendment. More from National Review The nation's largest LGBTQ civil rights organization listed two San Antonio companies as two of the best places to work for LGBTQ equality. The Human Rights Campaign gave perfect scores to USAA and Rackspace in its annual Corporate Equality Index that was released last month. READ ALSO: Study: San Antonians are $1.31 in debt after expenses each pay cycle According to the report, the companies that received a top score (100percent) took concrete steps to ensure greater equity for LGBTQ workers and their families in the form of comprehensive policies, benefits and practices. Since 2002, the Human Rights Campaign has published the report, which is based largely on surveys administered to hundreds of major global employees. Both San Antonio companies told mySA.com that they are "honored" to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaign for its commitment to fostering a diverse, engaged workforce. "We are dedicated to creating an environment where we can bring our whole selves to work," said Holly Windham, Rackspace Chief Legal and People Officer. "By embracing the power of our differences, we enable our workforce to deliver a Fanatical Experience to our customers, communities and each other. We are proud to be recognized by the Human Rights Campaigns Corporate Equality Index for our business practices that include the LGBT+ community," said Jason Kamiya, USAA Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer. "While we are honored by the 100 score, our most important goal is to stay committed to an inclusive workplace and business practices that include the LGBT+ community, as well as all aspects of diversity. Other companies that made the list were Cosmopolitan, Barnes & Noble and Best Buy. 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 Kristin Maier Carlson, president of Peerless Precision in Westfield, grew up around the family-owned shop from the age of 15. She learned from her father the importance of providing educational and training opportunities to prepare employees for the demanding work of high-tolerance manufacturing. Peerless which makes parts for aerospace, defense and medical products spends significant time ensuring that expert-level workers pass along their skills to younger colleagues. Carlson is also deeply involved with local schools. She sits on the steering and advising committee for Westfield Technical Academy and West Springfield High Schools Pathways to Prosperity Program, and the company opens its doors annually to Westfield Middle School for student tours We want to show kids that manufacturing can be a cool and rewarding option for them, Carlson says. Peerless Precision is among hundreds of members of Associated Industries of Massachusetts (AIM) using creativity and hard work to address a persistent shortage of skilled workers across almost every industry. Its one of the reasons that AIM honored Carlson and Peerless in September with an award for contributions to the Massachusetts economy. But employers scouring the region for the people to fuel growth had better fasten their seat belts. The labor crunch caused by the cyclically strong economy is about to become much worse as the commonwealth hurtles off a demographic cliff that could actually shrink the Massachusetts labor force within eight years. These demographics of an aging state highlight the necessity for business, government, and educational institutions to collaborate so that every Massachusetts resident has access to the learning needed to share in the economic success of the commonwealth. We can no longer afford to leave anyone behind. If you think thats overly dramatic, consider this the Massachusetts economy contracted slightly during the third quarter of 2019, not because of an economic downturn, but because the commonwealths employers are starting to bump up against workforce capacity limits. With a 2.9% unemployment rate and employers creating approximately 52,000 net new jobs last year, some companies have postponed expansions or put off bidding on new business because they just cant find the people to do the work. The challenge will become more immediate during the next decade. Research by economist Alan Clayton-Matthews at Northeastern University projects that employment growth in Massachusetts will slow to less than half a percent by 2021 as accelerating retirements by baby boomers outpace additions to the workforce by younger people. Clayton-Matthews says that the Massachusetts labor force will stop growing in 2028 if current fertility, mortality and migration rates continue. Educating and training Massachusetts residents for skilled jobs is particularly important against the backdrop of a bifurcation of the labor market into distinctly high-wage and low-wage occupations. There are 53 million U.S. workers around 44% of the total workforce who work in jobs with a median hourly wage of $10.22 and median yearly earnings of $18,000, according to a November Brookings study. Education represents the clearest pathway to move people from those types of jobs to the high-wage positions being created in Massachusetts. And Massachusetts is awash in those new-economy jobs. Another recent study found that Boston was among just five metropolitan areas that accounted for 90% of all U.S. high-tech job growth between 2005 to 2017. The good news is that Massachusetts has already taken substantive steps to address the labor shortage. The state Legislature passed a landmark school funding reform in November that includes accountability measures that employers believe will ensure that students are prepared for the new economy. The commonwealth has also invested in vocational schools and encouraged the training of incumbent workers through the Work Force Training Fund and other programs. Our education systems value all our young people, regardless of ZIP code. We must also encourage and celebrate collaborative efforts to extend opportunity to as many people as possible efforts such as those undertaken by Kristin Carlson at Peerless Precision, the remarkably successful job-training program operated by the Hampden County Sheriffs Department, and initiatives such as Tech Foundry and the Springfield Empowerment Zone Partnership. We need to acknowledge economic inequality while overcoming it by creating real pathways for achieving economic security, lest we drive our public discussions and our politics down an ever more resentful and unconstructive path. Better education, better workforce training and development, a strong business climate across Massachusetts all this creates more opportunity. John R. Regan is president and CEO of Associated Industries of Massachusetts. To learn more about the association and its work, go online to aimnet.org. Ireland South MEP Billy Kelleher says the Middle East peace plan put forward by the US is a "farce" and simply wont work. MEPs are debating the proposal which foresees both a future Palestinian state and recognition of Israeli sovereignty over settlements in the West Bank. People living in Sydney's affluent north shore suburbs could be without power for the rest of the week. Ausgrid revealed on Tuesday power had been restored to 79,000 homes since the worst storm in 20 years. However 50,000 homes could go without electricity until Sunday as they work to fix hazards. 'Additional experienced crews are being brought in from across the country to support our recovery as we focus on addressing more than 3,100 hazards including fallen powerlines, fallen trees, damaged wires and extensive damage to our network,' Ausgrid said. People living in Sydney's affluent north shore suburbs could be without power for the rest of the week. Pictured: Beach erosion is seen at Collaroy Ausgrid revealed on Tuesday power had been restored to 79,000 homes since the worst storm in 20 years that left power lines down due to fallen trees 'Customers are being advised to prepare for the power to be out until the end of the week.' Ausgrid said they hope to get many businesses and homes back and running before that. However they advised customers in Sydney's northern suburbs and the Central Coast to prepare to be without power. Customers are also urged to stay eight metres away from fallen power lines. Greenwich resident Shawn Naderi told the Sydney Morning Herald he has been without power since Saturday. He called Ausgrid's service 'third world' as the music producer said the apartment has hit its third major blackout in a year. 'Our strata is about to put in a generator today or tomorrow,' he said. Map: Power outages in Sydney following the horrific storms 'My wife works from home, so she has to come to my office. We don't have anywhere to have a hot shower; even the gym I'm signed up to doesn't have power. All of our food has been destroyed. We just have no normalcy in our routine anymore.' The pet owner is unable to stay in a hotel so he has knuckled down at home with torches and candles. 'We've had to buy a lot of power banks, Christmas lights. We're just trying to make do,' he said. Ausgrid advised customers in Sydney's northern suburbs and the Central Coast to prepare to be without power Multiple severe weather warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology remained in place on Tuesday morning across NSW - including the Hunter, Illawarra, and south coast regions. Forecasters are now predicting tropical cyclone Uesi - which is forecast to turn from a category-2 to a category-3 tropical cyclone by Tuesday afternoon - could impact the Australian east coast. 'The system is several days out,' BoM forecaster Gabrielle Woodhouse told Daily Mail Australia. Forecasters are now predicting tropical cyclone Uesi - which is forecast to turn from a category-2 to a category-3 tropical cyclone by Tuesday afternoon - could impact the Australian east coast 'But if the system comes west we could see hazardous surf in New South Wales and Lord Howe Island.' Weatherzone said the dangerous surf could be accompanied by strong winds and more heavy rain - although there are no estimates yet about how much rainfall there will be. The system is as of Monday night being tracked by authorities in Fiji, and Ms Woodhouse said it is still unclear in which direction the cyclone will head. 'Currently all the information being put out on Uesi by Fiji is that the system will track further south - but where it goes from there is a bigger unknown,' she said. The Joint Typhoon Warning Centre has said though the storm - even in a weakened state - are on track to head south-westerly to the NSW coast. Multiple severe weather warnings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology remained in place on Tuesday morning across NSW Map-based projections released by the organisation showed the system gathering pace north-west of New Caledonia before growing in size as it approaches the NSW/ Queensland border. In the more advanced stages of the cyclone's development, winds could reach speeds of 55 knots - 101km/h. For reference, wind speeds over the weekend reached 107km/h off the coast of Sydney during the record-breaking deluge. The average Sydney rainfall for the month of February is 117mm. In his new role, Longmore will report to Glen Browne, Chubbs deputy regional president for Asia-Pacific and division president for Southeast Asia. Longmore will be responsible for leading all lines of general business in Indonesia, namely property & casualty, accident & health, and personal lines. He is currently Chubbs head of digital for Asia-Pacific, a role he assumed in 2018. He joined Chubb in 2011 as an underwriter in Australia and has gained considerable experience in underwriting, cross-selling and relationship management, the company said in a statement. Jon has excellent leadership skills, a deep knowledge of our Chubb business, alongside an ability to execute in a competitive environment, Browne commented. I am delighted Jon has assumed this new position since it marks a new chapter for our business in Indonesia. Im confident that under Jons stewardship, he will steer the company to achieve the ambition and opportunity which Indonesia offers. sanjagrujic/iStock(DENVER) -- After 30 years, pit bulls will soon be allowed to walk the streets of Denver. The Denver City Council on Monday voted to amend a code that banned pit bulls entirely from the Colorado capital. The amendment passed 7-4 and will take effect 90 days after Mayor Michael Hancock signs it into law. Yet the change comes with numerous qualifications. To own a pit bull, residents must register with Denver Animal Protection, have no more than two, and get the dog a "breed-restricted license," according to the city council. A license application includes the name and address of where the dog will primarily reside, two emergency contacts, an accurate description of the pit bull, an annual fee and proof that the dog was microchipped, received a rabies vaccination and was either spayed or neutered. If an owner doesn't apply, he or she could face administrative and/or criminal penalties, according to city council. If the pit bull shows good behavior after three years, Denver Animal Protection will remove the requirement for a breed-restricted license and the owner could then license their pet under the same restrictions as any other dog. The cities of Lone Tree, Louisville and Commerce City have bans on pit bulls, according to ABC Denver affiliate KMGH. The City of Aurora is discussing whether to change its law. The founder of the American Pit Bill Foundation, Sara Ondrako, called the move "a step in the right direction," but said the restrictions involved "still lead to a very discriminatory persuasion of pit bull type dogs." "The problem has never been the dogs, it is and has always been irresponsible dog ownership," Ondrako told ABC News in a statement. Copyright 2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved. ST. LOUIS National 2-1-1 Day on Feb. 11 recognizes 2-1-1 as the number to call to find help for a variety of needs. Locally, United Ways 2-1-1 Helpline is available to Missouri and southwest Illinois residents 24 hours a day every day. The call center is staffed by trained specialists to help people and families with fast, free and confidential help finding health and human services. Last year, United Way 2-1-1 received more than 237,000 requests for help in the St. Louis region, including Calhoun, Greene, Jersey, Macoupin and Madison counties. The top requests were related to utilities assistance, housing and shelter, and clothing and household items. 2-1-1 is a tool our community can count on 24/7, said Regina Greer, senior vice president of community partnerships, United Way of Greater St. Louis. By simply dialing 2-1-1, callers are connected to a specialist to get help for many needs, from assistance finding affordable housing or referrals for job training programs to mental health resources and more. 2-1-1 has a database of more than 24,000 community programs and services throughout Missouri and Illinois. A multilingual service for up to 250 different languages is also available. Information can be provided for: Basic human needs resources such as food banks/pantries, clothing, shelters. Mental and physical health resources such as medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention, rehabilitation, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health, childrens health insurance programs. Employment support such as financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance, education programs. Support for older adults, people with disabilities such as home health care, adult day care, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, transportation. Support for children, youth and families such as quality childcare, after-school programs, early childhood education, family resource centers, summer camps, recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring, protective services. People can contact 2-1-1 by calling 1-800-427-4626 or visiting 211helps.org for online chat, a search directory or mobile app. United Way of Greater St. Louis, located throughout 16 counties in Missouri and Illinois, helps one in three people in the region build a foundation for a good quality of life through basic needs, financial stability, education, health and strong communities. For more information, call 314-421-0700 or visit www.HelpingPeople.org. Nothing in India is local any more. India is permanently in election mode and insurrectionary politics is keeping the nation in a perpetual state of agitation. At least this is what the ruling party of India, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has decided. If we look at the way the elections for local bodies such as the municipal councils or district bodies are being fought by the party, it becomes clear that it is trying to convert all elections, be they for rural, municipal or district administrative bodies, into national elections. The party does this in three ways: The end of local politics First, they make sure their candidates only discuss national issues, such as security, corruption and nationalism, in their campaigns for local elections. The BJPs municipal election victory in Delhi was a great example for the successful implementation of this strategy. Before last months election, the BJP had been running municipal corporations of Delhi for more than 10 years. Everybody agreed that their performance was abysmal and people were terribly upset with them. But the BJP not only overcame this anti-incumbency sentiment, it scored an astounding victory, decimating its opponents from the Aam Aadmi Party and the Congress Party badly. Veteran election analyst Yogendra Yadav, who is the leader of the Swaraj India Party, said that the electorate did not even care that the municipal bodies in Delhi were headed by the BJP for a decade before the election. He explained that the BJP won the election by carpet bombing nationalist messages and leaving little thinking space in the minds of the electorate. The social media effect Secondly, with the explosion of social media and a significant increase in the number of TV channels in India, local election campaigns and election results started to reach every nook and cranny of the country and become a matter of national discussion. For example, local election results in Maharashtra were used to bolster the prospects of the BJP in the state election of Uttar Pradesh. People witnessed the BJPs victory in Maharashtra as they were lining up outside polling booths in Uttar Pradesh. OPINION: Umbrella politics of Hindutva India is very large and there always is an election taking place somewhere in the country. So, with some help from the complicit media, the BJP is capable of permanently keeping the country in election mode. In the past we have seen parties getting into campaign mode a few months before the elections. But the BJP has put its party machinery in permanent combat mode. This gives the BJP leaders a rationale to indulge in sectarian, polarising election campaigns all the time. Speaking against minorities or spreading hatred against them is seen in India as a legitimate mobilising strategy in national elections. But today every election campaign assumes a national character. A statement made in Kerala stirs emotions in Bihar. People keep hoping that once in power, the duties of governance would make the ruling party responsible and inclusive. But since local elections became national discussion topics, the BJP is keeping the country in a permanent election mode and using this as an excuse to continue with its polarising discourse. In the past we have seen parties getting into campaign mode a few months before the elections. But the BJP has put its party machinery in permanent combat mode. The BJP puts all its central ministers and minsters from other states into work during local elections. Daily visits from central ministers, apparently in connection with one or the other government scheme, becomes a pretext for the media to give all its prime space to the BJP before any local election. Thus the mindscape of the people is constantly filled with BJP propaganda. A complete takeover Thirdly, the BJP has decided to open its doors to major and minor leaders from all political parties. Political analysts often see this as the dilution of the partys ideological agenda and the BJP is mocked for looking more and more like the Congress Party by admitting all and sundry. Far from it. Each political leader brings with her a support base of people, contacts, money and other resources. In other words, each leader who decides to join the party is a gain for the BJP. It is impossible for any of these leaders to even influence the ideological plank of the BJP as it is umbilically tied to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a far-right cultural organisation committed to turning India into a Hindu nation. The BJP and the RSS are on a mission to hollow out all other political parties. We see regional parties weakening and the Congress Party struggling to keep its flock together. OPINION: How the BJP has come to dominate lower-caste politics At the moment, a BJP government is in power and the party is also in control of as many as 14 states in India. The BJP is also filling all state institutions, such as universities and research bodies, with people who have a background in the RSS. After the BJP came to power, even government functionaries have been made to attend RSS programmes to help the organisation widen and deepen its reach in the society. The BJP now insists on having a say in the selection of the heads of state-supported autonomous institutions. Several private schools are claiming that the Central Board of School Examination wants to have a decisive say in the selection of their principals. These schools fear that people professing the Hindu nationalist ideology would fill these posts. The RSS is also closely monitoring appointments of faculty members in universities and seeks to fill these post with people close to the far-right organisation. Numerous educational institutions and think-tanks founded by the RSS are now getting state support and funding. Research projects with nationalist ideological underpinnings are being favoured over other research programmes. Even prestigious universities such as the University of Delhi are inviting ideologues and propagandists of the RSS as regular speakers. In short, India is witnessing a complete takeover of its political, social, intellectual and cultural space by the BJP and the RSS. The complicit media is aiding this process. Victimisation of independent journalists and gradual takeover of media organisations by corporations that are close to the BJP is leaving little breathing space for Indias contesting voices. India is fast becoming a one-party state. Once the takeover is complete, it will be worse than the Stalinist grip on the Soviet Russia, as the RSS is a multilayered body, quite different and more vicious than the homogenous Communist Party of the Soviet Union. Even after the BJP is ousted from the government, it is going to be an impossible task to untangle its nationalist knots. Apoorvanand teaches Hindi at the University of Delhi. Writes literary and cultural criticism. The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy. A mum who is fighting with her five-year-old's school about his hair has vowed she won't trim his locks for two years because it's part of his Cook Islands culture. Wendy Taniela says Australian Christian College Moreton, in south-east Queensland, told her she needed to cut her son Cyrus' hair during his first week of prep to follow school rules. The family has been planning a traditional haircutting ceremony on the boy's seventh birthday for years, and planned to invite 100 family members. Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday morning, Ms Taniela explained it was tradition in the Cook Islands for boys to grow their hair before transitioning towards manhood. 'I think that people tend or fail to understand this. It is a cultural, it is a haircutting tradition,' she told the program. A Queensland family says they were told Cyrus Taniela (pictured) had to abide by school rules and cut his hair during his first week of prep 'It's a Cook Island male's right of passage ceremony, which transitions a boy to a man.' Ms Taniela said she thinks the school fails to understand it's his 'cultural tradition'. 'We've tried to conform to the school uniform by doing his hair above the collar neat and tidy, but they've advised us that we'll still need to cut it,' she said. Ms Taniela confirmed she would chop Cyrus' hair for his seventh birthday, as part of his haircut ceremony. In Cook Island culture, cutting a boy's hair for the first time is a rite of passage, although there is no set age for the ceremony. Australian Christian College Moreton said principal Gary Underwood has spent time in the Cook Islands and 'is an enthusiastic supporter of Islander people and their customs.' In a statement on its Facebook page, the school also said: 'Respecting the College's policies, procedures and guidelines allows the College to be consistent across its many cultural groups.' Mr Underwood said all students have to follow school policy, which requires that all boys' hair is neat, tidy and not hanging over their faces. 'Extreme styles' such as ponytails and buns, like Cyrus wears, are not permitted. The decision could open the school up to a complaint to the Queensland Human Rights Commission. Speaking to Sunrise on Wednesday morning, Ms Taniela explained it was tradition in the Cook Islands for boys to grow their hair before transitioning towards manhood. 'I think that people tend or fail to understand this. It is a cultural, it is a haircutting tradition,' she told the program A complaint is something Cook Islands Council of Queensland president Archie Atiau says he would support. Mr Atiau says he is also concerned about the boy's mental health. 'Not only now, but the long-term effects if he gets to adulthood and realises that he didn't get the opportunity (to have the ceremony),' Mr Atiau said. 'The family should make the decision as to when his hair is cut.' Ms Taniela says the family have been planning a traditional haircutting ceremony on the boy's seventh birthday for years. She said it would be a big cost to bring forward the ceremony planned to be held in Sydney and attended by more than 100 family members. '(The principal) said, can't you just bring the ceremony forward?' Ms Taniela told the Cook Islands News. 'But this is a big cost, and we have other family commitments. We don't all drive BMWs.' Cyrus's father Jason wanted to continue the haircutting tradition because it meant so much to him, Ms Taniela told the news outlet. NEW YORK, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Clarifai, a leading AI platform provider named one of the "Leaders" in computer vision by Forrester and one of Deloitte's fastest growing companies in 2019, opened a new office in Estonia's capital city, Tallinn, on February 1st of this year. The new office in Tallinn joins Clarifai's New York headquarters, along with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco and a growing team of remote workers as part of the company's strategy to expand its global reach. "The decision to expand our global footprint with an office in Estonia was a natural and logical one," said Matthew Zeiler, Clarifai's CEO. "The country is known for its high-caliber talent in the technology industry in addition to the presence of top tech companies. Our new office allows us to leverage the talent of Estonia's world-class engineers to better service our clients. We look forward to welcoming the best and brightest engineers from around the world to become a part of our fast growing Tallinn office" The Tallinn office will be led by Vlad Eminovici, an engineer with over 20 years of experience at Microsoft. Clarifai is actively looking for full-stack and machine learning engineers in Estonia to work on cutting-edge technology and join a fully integrated global team. Click here for more information on career opportunities in Estonia. About Clarifai Clarifai is a Machine Learning as a Service platform using Artificial Intelligence to address critical business needs. We offer an enterprise-level platform designed to interpret images and videos, returning insights used to reduce operational expenses, increase growth and provide an optimal customer experience. Our platform allows for streamlined data collection and efficient training, testing and deployment of customized applications. Michael Noonan Clarifai Michael.Noonan@clarifai.com Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/837665/Clarifai_Logo_FC_Logo.jpg By Express News Service BELAGAVI: Tension prevailed for sometime here after a few villagers spotted four country-made pistols disposed in the garbage site by the road between Markandey Nagar Waghavade village on Sunday. Police rushed to the spot and seized the arms which are believed to be of Portugal era. Sources said some villagers noticed a pistol lying along with heaps of refuse. They informed Bhavakanna Patil, the owner of the agricultural field adjacent to the garbage site. Patil and the villagers checked the garbage and found three more pistols totalling four. Police said the pistols are about 50 to 60 years old. Going by their condition, all rusted, it is believed that they were left unused for a long time. The Belagavi rural police who have filed a suo motu case related to the incident are getting into the skin of case to trace the owners and those who disposed them in the garbage pit. According to preliminary investigation, it is learnt that such pistols were in vogue during Portugal rule in Goa. There are chances that those who inherited the arms may have disposed it for the fear of possessing weapon illegally. The chances of some notorious people who reside in the vicinity near Waghavade and surrounding areas, where burglaries and dacoity are frequently reported, disposing the arms due to the fear of police also cannot be ignored. Police Commissioner Lokesh Kumar was not available for comments. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has re-arraigned a dismissed judge of the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court, Mohammed Yunusa, at an Ikeja Special Offences Court. The Commission also arraigned Esther Agbo, a member of staff of the law chambers of Rickey Tarfa (SAN). The two are facing fresh eight-count charges of corruption. They were initially arraigned on a five-count corruption charge on January 17, 2018. Mr Yunusa had faced a four-count charge of attempted perversion of the course of justice and corruption by a public official, while Ms Agbo was charged with offering gratification to a public official On Tuesday, Mr Yunusa faced fresh charges of attempting to pervert the course of justice, corruption by a public official, use of office or position for gratification, gratification by a public official, corrupt demands by persons. Ms Agbo on the other hand faced fresh charges of offering gratification to a public officer and corrupt offer to a public officer. They both pleaded not guilty to the charges. The lead EFCC prosecutor, Wahab Shittu, said Mr Yunusa, while serving as a judge of the Federal High Court, engaged in constant and confidential counsel with Mr Tarfa. Tarfa was the counsel to the applicants in suit no FHC/L/CS/714/2015 between Mr Adewale Adeniyi vs EFCC and two others, suit no FHC/L/CS/715/2015 between Rena Prestige Industries and another vs EFCC and two others. He was also the counsel in suit no FHC/L/CS/716/2015 between Hair Prestige Manufacturing Ltd and three others vs EFCC and two others during the time Yunusa presided over these matters as a judge. On May 14, 2015, Yunusa received N1.5million paid into his UBA account number 1005055617 by Esther Agbo, a staff of Rickey Tarfa and Co on account of favour or disfavour being shown in relation to cases handled by the law chambers in the cases before him, he said. The EFCC said Mr Yunusa, between March 2015 and September 2015, received N750,000 in his UBA account from a former SAN, Joseph Nwobike. Agbo on May 14, 2015, corruptly deposited N1.5million into the UBA account of Yunusa to ensure favour or disfavour be shown in relation to cases handled by the law chambers of Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and Co in the cases before Yunusa, Mr Shittu said. The offences contravene sections 63(1)(b), 64 (1), 97(3) of the Criminal Law of Lagos 2011 and sections 9(1)(a) of the Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Act 2000. Following the re-arraignment, a prosecution witness and an EFCC investigator, Daniel Danladi, narrated how Mr Yunusa allegedly had illegal communication with Mr Tarfa. While being led in evidence by Mr Shittu, Mr Danladi interpreted the contents of Exhibit A1, one of the evidences against the defendants before the court. The evidence in Exhibit A1 was generated from the two mobile phones of Rickey Tarfa (SAN) using a celebrite extractor to do the extraction which was done in our office. The document contains information like text messages, photographs and other communications with Rickey Tarfa (SAN) and several individuals, including the first defendant (Yunusa). The communications are numerous. I will highlight one or two. On April 19, 2015, Tarfa sent a text message to the first defendants two mobile phones where he supplied the charge number of a particular case and details of another case. The suit number Tarfa provided was FHC/CS/75/2000 for Menasa Nigeria Ltd vs KPMG and Peat Marwick vs Ogunde and Co. Another text message was sent on June 25, 2015 where the said Mr Rickey Tarfa (SAN) received a text message from the first defendant (Yunusa), saying Learned SAN, thank you, Mr Danladi said. The EFCC investigator was presented with four exhibits by the prosecution; Exhibit F, Exhibit G, Exhibit H and Exhibit K. Advertisements The witness told the court that all the exhibits were court processes of suits which were adjudicated by Mr Yunusa. He said Exhibit F were court processes between Adewale Adeniyi vs the EFCC, Alice Boulus vs Rasheedatu Abdul, FHC/L/CS/715/2015. Exhibit G was the court processes of Rena Prestige Industries Nigeria Ltd and one other and the EFCC vs Alice Boulus and Rasheedat Abdul, suit number FHC/CS/715/2015. Exhibit H is the court process of Jide Adelakun and one other vs Chairman of the EFCC, FHC/L/CS/1285/2015. Exhibit K is the court process of Federal Republic of Nigeria vs Joseph Nwobike on suit number LD/3516C/2016. Exhibit F is dated May 15, 2015, Exhibit G is dated May 26, 2015, Exhibit H is dated Sept. 23, 2025 and Exhibit K is dated April 30, 2018. These cases were pending before the first defendant (Yunusa) when the communications were made between the first defendant and Rickey Tarfa (SAN). The payment of N1.5 million on May 14, 2015 by Esther Agbo, who was then an employee of Mr Rickey Tarfa confirmed the tendency of Exhibit F and G which were two suits before the first defendant. The lodgement of N250,000 on March 19 2015 came from Dr Joseph Nwobike (SAN) who had interest in the suit marked Exhibit K. The finding of the investigation is that the monies and the communication were to influence one way or the other, these cases that were pending before the first defendant, Mr Danladi said. The EFCC investigator told the court that Mr Yunusa, while being interrogated by the commission, said the payment of N750,000 by Mr Nwobike was for the treatment of his ailing mother. On the payment of N1.5 million, he said he did not know anybody called Esther Agbo and he could not confirm the lodgement of the funds, Mr Danladi said. While being cross-examined by the counsel to Ms Agbo, John Odubela (SAN), Mr Danladi was queried about whether the suits were pending before the former judge as he had claimed before the N1.5million deposit was made by Ms Agbo into Mr Yunusas account. The N1.5million was paid on May 14, 2015, you said the suits were pending before the first defendant when the money was paid. Exhibit G was filed on May 26, 2015, the deposit was on May 14, 2015, this suit filed on May 26, 2015 was not pending. By your evidence, it is not accurate to state that Exhibit H, G and K were not pending before May 14, 2015, Mr Odubela said. Responding, Mr Danladi told the court that although all the suits were not pending before the first defendant, the N1.5 million was paid before all the suits in the exhibits were filed. Exhibit F was filed on May 15, 2015 a day after the N1.5million lodgement was made. The money was paid a day earlier than filing so it was still pending. The date of the payment of the money precedes the date of the filing of the suit which was on May 26, 2015, and as a result it was not pending. Exhibit H which was filed on Sept. 24, 2015 was not pending. Exhibits H and K were filed several days later. Though actions may be pending before this case, the payment of that N1.5million was in the interest of those cases as they were all filed after the lodgement of the money, Mr Danladi said. The judge, Sherifat Solebo, adjourned the case until Wednesday for continuation of trial. (NAN) C ampaigners have said they believe the planned deportation to Jamaica of more than 50 people held in detention centres near Heathrow cannot go ahead, following an intervention by the Court of Appeal. Government ministers have insisted the flight, which is understood to be leaving the UK at 6.30am on Tuesday, would go ahead despite concerns people who came to the country as young children will be on board. The Home Office was ordered on Monday evening not to remove anyone scheduled to be deported on the flight from two detention centres near Heathrow Airport, after lawyers launched urgent proceedings amid concerns mobile phone outages had prevented access to legal advice. Lady Justice Simler said those detainees should not be removed unless the Home Office is satisfied they had access to a functioning, non-O2 Sim card on or before February 3. The judge granted the order without a court hearing following an urgent application on paper by charity Detention Action. Campaigners protested outside Parliament / PA The charity argued that some of the detainees at Colnbrooke and Harmondsworth detention centres still do not have a functioning mobile phone, following issues with an O2 phone mast in the area. Bella Sankey, director of Detention Action, said: We are delighted with this landmark decision which is a victory for access to justice, fairness and the rule of law. On the basis of this order from our Court of Appeal we do not believe that anyone currently detained at the Heathrow detention centres can be removed on tomorrows flight. We understand that this will apply to at least 56 people. Toufique Hossain, director of public law at Duncan Lewis who is representing at least 15 of those scheduled to be deported, said: For weeks now detainees complaints have fallen on deaf ears. David Lammy asks 'When will black lives matter again?' in impassioned speech to stop Jamaica deportations Their removal looms large, hours away and yet again it takes judicial intervention to make the Home Office take basic, humane and fair steps to allow people to enjoy their constitutional right to access justice. A Home Office spokeswoman said: "The planned charter flight to Jamaica is specifically for deporting foreign national offenders. Those detained for removal include people convicted of manslaughter, rape, violent crime and dealing Class-A drugs. "We are urgently asking the judge to reconsider their ruling and it would be inappropriate to comment further whilst legal proceedings are ongoing." Meanwhile, protesters congregated outside Downing Street as the Government faced sustained questioning and some heavy criticism in the House of Commons over the scheduled flight. Labour MPs shouted shame as Home Secretary Priti Patel left the chamber to allow junior minister Kevin Foster to respond to an urgent question on the matter for the Government. Priti Patel left the chamber to allow junior minister Kevin Foster to respond to an urgent question on the matter / Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images He insisted no British nationals were on the flight and said deportation rules were applied on the criminality, not the nationality of the offender, adding: The foreign nationals on that flight have been sentenced to a total of 300 years in prison. The offences are, as we said, relate to everything from sex offending, serious drug trafficking offences, violent offences, firearms offences. Mr Foster was repeatedly asked by MPs for more specific information on the nature of offences committed by those on the flight but refused to provide more detail. The Home Office said murderers and rapists were among those on board but would not confirm how many, saying it could not provide such information because the flight was a live operation. More than 150 MPs have signed a letter calling on the Prime Minister to step in and stop the flight. The planned flight follows news of a leaked report commissioned by ministers in the wake of the Windrush scandal which warned the Government that the policy should be reconsidered in all but the most severe cases. Mr Hossain said many of the clients had come to the UK as young children aged between four and 13. A number of the people due on the flight are thought to have been convicted of one-time drug offences when they were young and have lived in the UK for most of their lives. The legal proceedings were launched in light of the recommendations in the leaked Windrush Lessons Learned review that deportations of people who have been here since childhood should be stopped and reconsidered. A draft of a report commissioned by the Government in the wake of the Windrush scandal recommended that ministers rethink the flights, particularly for those who came to the UK as children. Written in June 2019, the document seen by PA said: Government should review its policy and approach to FNOs (foreign national offenders), if necessary through primary legislation. It should consider ending all deportations of FNOs where they arrived in the UK as children (say before age of 13). Alternatively deportation should only be considered in the most severe cases. Democratic Party looks to recover after chaotic Iowa caucuses as voters cast ballots in US state of New Hampshire. Manchester, New Hampshire Voters in New Hampshire are heading to the polls in the first presidential primary of the 2020 presidential race. The primary follows the chaotic Iowa caucuses, after which the two top candidates Senator Bernie Sanders and South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg called for a recanvass of the results. Registered members of either party in New Hampshire can only vote for their own candidates, whereas independent and undeclared voters can vote in either primary. While no clear favourite has emerged, Sanders appears to have the most momentum in the latest polls, with Buttigieg in second place and a number of others, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Amy Klobuchar and former Vice President Joe Biden, trailing behind. Pete Buttigieg, Democratic presidential candidate and former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, and his husband Chasten attend a campaign event in Exeter, New Hampshire [Eric Thayer/Reuters] Im teetering between Amy, Pete and Elizabeth, said Niki Navarro, a hostess at a busy restaurant in downtown Manchester. She told Al Jazeera that watching their presence in interviews would help her decide just before voting, and that healthcare was her most important issue. Navarro also said she would support whoever will be good enough to go up against Trump. Democratic 2020 US presidential candidate Senator Amy Klobuchar is greeted by supporters during a campaign event in Salem, New Hampshire [Brendan McDermid/Reuters] In Concord, residents held signs for their candidates outside polling places, hoping to sway voters at the last minute. Just the whole tradition of holding signs outside polling places is important to me, Eric Gallager told Al Jazeera as he held a Sanderss sign. Its my favourite thing about politics. Huck Montgomery, also of Concord, originally supported Senator Kamala Harris, who dropped out of the race in late last year. He hoisted signs for Warren instead. Shes really clearly the only candidate in the field who can bring us all together, he told Al Jazeera. We bleed politics With a primary that historically has predicted the eventual nominee only half the time, a win in New Hampshire is not the be-all-end-all. Meanwhile, half of the states voters reported being undecided, with some embracing candidates not in the top tier. Tom Smith, a voter from Hillsboro, said he would vote for Democratic Hawaii Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard because she fits into a maverick type of a profile. The small town of Dixville Notch, New Hampshire, is traditionally the first town to open the polls in the state [Brendan McDermid/Reuters] Considering himself a fierce independent, he technically has the option of voting in either the Democratic or Republican primary. We bleed politics, Smith told Al Jazeera, pointing to the Campaign Manager 2008 board game he was playing with his son to share good memories of the US presidential election 12 years ago. [Gabbard] supports Medicare for All. She has a military background but supports nonviolence and anti-interventionism, he added. These are all winning issues. Tuesdays weather brings a wintry mix to freezing roads, so some commentators have suggested that Democratic voter turnout could be adversely affected. Im from New Hampshire, Smith said. If the weather stopped me from doing anything, then I wouldnt be able to live. Biden speaks to supporters at a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire [Carlos Barria/Reuters] On Monday, the chairman of the state Democratic Party expressed confidence in the prospects of overcoming the incumbent in November. His ego cant stand the idea of something going on and hes not in the middle of it, Raymond Buckley told reporters, referring to Trumps Manchester visit on Monday night. It has backfired on him before, and I believe its going to backfire on him this time. Warren speaks at a campaign town hall meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire [Brian Snyder/Reuters] Frontrunner? A prolonged and bitter contest between moderate and left-leaning Democrats could buttress Trumps re-election chances in November. The Republican primary in New Hampshire may be just a formality, as Trump looks to assert his dominance over the partys rank-and-file voters and extend a post-impeachment victory lap. Hoping to upstage his rivals and stay in the limelight, Trumps mission on the eve of Tuesdays primaries in the state was also to highlight fractures within the opposition. We are in the midst of a great American comeback, Trump said. Our country is stronger than ever before. Trump speaks at a during a campaign rally in Manchester, New Hampshire [File: Rick Wilking/Reuters] Robert Dyer, a former naval contractor, attended the Trump rally his first at the SNHU Arena. Whats going on in the Democratic party? he asked rhetorically. With all the things [Trump] has done and the promises hes kept, he should be easily re-elected. The Dems have the same issue that Republicans had the last time, he told Al Jazeera. They have too many people. But they dont really have a frontrunner. Most polls close in New Hampshire at 7pm local time (00:00 GMT). Early results are expected to begin rolling in as soon as polls close. Google human resources chief Eileen Naughton is stepping down from her role amid growing tensions between employees and management. Naughton, who has held various roles at the company since 2006, has led the company's human resources department as the vice president of people operations since 2016. The news was previously reported by Fortune. Employee headcount has doubled since 2016, when Naughton took the helm, as it's added more than 70,000 employees.The company has faced considerable tension with employees over the last several years, including a November 2018 employee walk-out after employees learned the company had paid departing Android chief $90 million in 2014, despite credible claims of sexual misconduct, as well as protests over the company's plans to work with the Defense Department on artificial intelligence technology and a plan -- since abandoned -- to create a censored version of its search engine for China. In November 2019, the company fired four employees who allegedly shared internal information. CNBC recently reported that in 2019, the company rolled out an overhaul to how its human resources department responds to complaints. Instead of each person reporting to their own human resources contact in their organization and location, there's essentially a ticketing queue, workers said. That's become a problem for some who feel their needs are now outsourced to people who don't have prior knowledge or understanding of the situation. Naughton's departure comes in the midst of a slow-rolling executive shakeup over the last several months. In December, founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped down from their roles as the CEO and President of Google's holding company, Alphabet. Sundar Pichai, who had already been Google's CEO for several years, took the helm. The company's long-time chief legal officer David Drummond retired at the end of January. All four executives are named on a shareholder lawsuit that alleges senior execs mishandled claims of sexual misconduct at the company. CNBC reported in December that Alphabet received a two-month extension to provide a response to the shareholder lawsuit. In that extension, the company said it concluded its investigation into executives and will seek mediation. The company said Naughton is departing her role to move to New York, and she is still in the "early" stages of the process to move away, the company said in a statement to CNBC. The company declined to say when her last day in the role will be. A Google spokesperson confirmed Naughton will be taking another role within the company, but declined to provide any details on what that would be. She'll work with Pichai and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat to find another leader to fill her role. "Over the past 13 years, Eileen has made major contributions to the company in numerous areas, from media partnerships, to leading our sales and operations in the UK and Ireland, to leading our People Operations team through a period of significant growth -- during which over 70,000 people started their careers at Google," Pichai said in a statement the company sent to CNBC. "We're grateful to Eileen for all she's done and look forward to her next chapter at Google." WATCH NOW: Why Alphabet's investigating executives over inappropriate relationships TUI Bets Big on Taking Thomas Cook Market Share TUI Group is ramping up capacity for its summer 2020 holiday program as it looks to take market share from the bankrupt Thomas Cook in a number of markets. The Hanover-headquartered company reported a strong improvement in trading for the upcoming season with revenue and passenger numbers all making double-digit increases. To cope with the increase, TUI plans to add a further 21 extra aircraft to its fleet taking the total number north of 170. The aggressive move comes despite the challenges regarding the grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft, which continue to weigh on earnings. I think we will be gaining market share versus everybody else, Fritz Joussen, TUI CEO, said on a call with journalists on Tuesday. Join Us at Skift Forum Europe in Madrid on March 2425 The opportunities arent the same across all TUIs source markets. In the UK, the tour operator and airline closed; although the shop estate remains; In Germany, Condor is still flying and is about to get a new owner; While in the Nordic region, the former Thomas Cook operation still exists under a new name following a buyout. In [the] Nordics more or less I would say the insolvency did not happen but in all other countries I believe the touristic market is shrinking now for the summer season and we are [experiencing] double digit growth, Joussen said. TUIs view seems to be that Thomas Cooks exit has left a gap that it would be foolish not to try and fill, the only issue being that the overall market is now a little bit smaller. Its not just extra aircraft, either. TUI has moved in to contract some former Thomas Cook hotels, particularly in Turkey. If we dont keep the market share this market share will be lost forever, Joussen said. Max Situation Had regulators across the world not decided to ground the Boeing 737 Max following two fatal crashes, then TUI would have around 34 of the jets in its fleet by now. Safety concerns mean that the aircraft isnt flying for now and TUI doesnt expect it to return to service until at least midway through 2020. The prolonged grounding will cost the company between $240 million (220 million) and $267 million (245 million) in the current financial year. Story continues Despite improved booking across its tour operator divisions, the uncertainty surrounding the Max has led to a slight downgrading of full-year underlying profit guidance, which now ranges between $928 million (850 million) to $1.15 billion (1.05 billion) compared with $1 billion (950 million) to $1.15 billion (1.05 billion) made towards the end of last year. TUI disclosed that it does expect to receive some compensation from Boeing this year. First-Quarter Results TUI like most European tourism-related companies mostly makes a loss during the winter months, when plenty of people book holidays but fewer take them. However, as mentioned above early trading is generally a good indication of how the year will progress. For summer 2020, revenue is up 17 percent, with passenger numbers rising 14 percent. In the three months to the end of December, 2019, TUIs pre-tax loss narrowed 3.8 percent to $142.3 million (130.3 million) with revenue up 7.7 percent to $4.2 billion (3.9 billion). Richard Clarke, senior analyst at Bernstein, said in a note to investors that it was a strong update but added that concerns remain. [The] Boeing Max remains a risk, as there is not yet certainty the costs will roll off next year and the boost TUI is receiving from Thomas Cooks exit is likely to be relatively short lived given capacity is rapidly being replaced and another Brexit deadline appears at the end of this year, he said. Last week TUI announced it was selling its Hapag-Lloyd Cruises business to its joint venture with Royal Caribbean Cruises in a deal worth $1.3 billion (1.2 billion). The company plans to use some of the cash to fuel its digital expansion. Register now for Skift Forum Europe in Madrid on March 2425 Subscribe to Skift newsletters covering the business of travel, restaurants, and wellness. CARROLLTON, Texas, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Catherine Monson, CEO at FASTSIGNS International, Inc. was named IFA Chair on February 11 at the IFA Annual Convention held in Orlando, February 8 - 11, at the Orlando World Center Marriott. During the Closing General Session, Monson accepted the chair's gavel and stepped into her new role that current IFA Chair, David Barr, held for the past year. Catherine Monson, CEO at FASTSIGNS International, Inc. A strong advocate for small business enterprise and franchising, Monson has spent time serving on the Board of Directors for the International Franchise Association (IFA). Through her service with the IFA, Monson works to help further the IFA's mission of protecting and promoting franchising through government relations, public relations and educational programs. Past committees she has worked on include the Women's Franchise Committee, the Educational Foundation Research Committee, the Franchise Relations Committee, the Benchmarking Task Force and the Franchise Relations Best Practices Task Force. In 2009, Monson was honored by the International Franchise Association (IFA) as the Bonny LeVine Award recipient. This prestigious award is bestowed upon a female franchisor or franchisee who has demonstrated ability in franchising through contribution to the growth of the business, contributions to her community through board positions, volunteer work and activities that promote the professional advancement of women, and contributions as a mentor to women in franchising. Monson was involved with the second annual IFA's fall "fly-in" event in Washington DC (originally called Franchise Appreciation Day and now called the Franchise Action Network (FAN) Annual Meeting) in 2000 and has attended all but one ever since. "In my opinion, the FAN Annual Meeting and fly-in is the most valuable IFA meeting for franchisees, along with their franchisors, to attend each year," said Monson. "At this meeting, the IFA educates attendees on critical issues that could affect the franchise business model and how to effectively speak with House Members and Senators, making it a positive experience, even for first-time attendees, as the IFA sets up all meetings on Capitol Hill, making advocacy simple and effective. The 2020 fly-in meeting will be held September 15 and 16." In 2014, she testified before the US House of Representatives Workforce Subcommittee on the potential negative consequences of the NLRB's then-expected expansion of the definition of "Joint Employer." In 2018, she testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Workforce Subcommittee on Association Health Plans. In 2015, she received the IFA's first ever "FAN (Franchise Action Network) of the Year Award" for her commitment, dedication and efforts to champion franchise and small businesses locally and nationally through her work with the Franchise Action Network. Monson has also been a panelist or facilitator in breakout sessions at every IFA Convention since 2006. She served as a keynote speaker for the 2016 IFA Convention, the Australian Franchise Convention in 2016, the Brazilian Franchise Association in 2016, the Canadian Franchise Association Convention in 2017 and the New Zealand Franchise Association in 2018. She will keynote the Philippine Franchise Association Convention in March. Monson's work with the IFA in 2020 will center around protecting and enhancing the franchise business model through teaching and promoting franchising best practices to franchisors, continuing with the IFA's strong Government Relations (GR) outreach and increasing the membership of the IFA. "It is an incredible honor to be elected to the position of IFA Chair," said Monson. "I love franchising; franchising enables people to own their own business and benefit from the power of a brand along with the brand's marketing, advertising, training and support. I look forward to serving the franchising community through my appointment and doing my part to protect, promote and enhance franchising." About FASTSIGNS FASTSIGNS International, Inc. celebrates its 35th anniversary in business in 2020 as the leading sign and visual communications franchisor in North America, and is the worldwide franchisor of more than 725 independently owned and operated FASTSIGNS centers in 9 countries including the United States, Canada, Chile, England, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico, the United Arab Emirates, Malta, France, and Australia (where centers operate as SIGNWAVE). FASTSIGNS locations provide comprehensive signage and visual graphic solutions to help companies of all sizes and across all industries attract more attention, communicate their message, promote their products, help visitors find their way and extend their branding across all of their customer touch points. FASTSIGNS has been ranked the #1 franchise opportunity in its category in Entrepreneur magazine's Franchise 500 for the past four years, a 2019 Top Franchises for Veterans by Franchise Business Review and a 2019 America's Best Franchises to Buy list by Forbes magazine. Learn more about sign and visual graphic solutions or find a location at fastsigns.com . Follow the brand on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/fastsigns , Twitter @FASTSIGNS or Facebook at facebook.com/FASTSIGNS . For information about the FASTSIGNS franchise opportunity, contact Mark Jameson ([email protected] or call 214.346.5679). About the International Franchise Association Celebrating 58 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world's oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 733,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 7.6 million direct jobs, $674.3 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 2.5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development. Contact: Leah Edwards FASTSIGNS Corporate Communications 214.346.5792 [email protected] SOURCE FASTSIGNS International, Inc. Related Links http://www.fastsigns.com No, there aren't that many potential customers throwing $10 billion contracts around. But data storage demand is so strong that it's become a driving force behind the tech sector's overall earnings and is growing at a 17% annual clip . For Amazon, the appeals process opportunities are better than usual. Unlike a fighter jet, nuclear bomb, or missile defense system, Amazon's cloud business is totally adaptable and legal for the company to market and sell to almost anyone. This is simply the wrong appeals strategy for Amazon to take. Remember that just about every major defense contract gets appealed by the losing bidder. The process rarely leads to a change in the Pentagon's decision, but it usually serves to improve the losing contractor's chances of winning the next defense contract. Amazon's lawyers want to pursue that line of attack by requesting depositions from both Trump and former Defense Secretary James Mattis . The most recent poor decision is the plan of attack Amazon has chosen after losing the Pentagon's $10 billion cloud computing JEDI contract. Amazon's appeal of that decision now officially hinges on the claim that President Donald Trump held a personal bias against Bezos, and by extension Amazon, because Bezos owns the Washington Post, which publishes unflattering news about him. No one would call Amazon founder and world's richest man Jeff Bezos foolish. But in the last few weeks, Bezos has made some foolish moves that could weaken his company's brand and harm his personal reputation. Bezos and Amazon have already gained much more than the value of that JEDI contract in personal wealth and market cap in just the last few weeks thanks to strong business results. When Boeing or Lockheed Martin lose a Defense Department weapons contract bidding process, they can't just turn around and try to sell that product to Russia or China. By contrast, Amazon has many more potential customers. By making its appeal all about an alleged Trump revenge plot, Amazon is throwing away a golden opportunity. Now, it's simply joining the very crowded chorus of Trump bashers and even anti-Trump conspiracy theorists. The company loses its chance to use this appeal solely as a massive publicity vehicle for AWS in front of those many other potential customers. In fact, this strategy really feels like just the kind of emotionally laden, revenge motivated move that Amazon is accusing Trump of making. Sure, Amazon can probably make a decent list of examples of Trump tweets and comments at his rallies where he's bashed Bezos. But the administration's lawyers could easily counter with similar nasty exchanges Trump had with China, or Apple's Tim Cook. In both of those cases, the president was proud to make deals and even cultivate relationships with those antagonists. Amazon's better move here is to simply focus on why it believes AWS is superior for the Pentagon's needs. Bezos is exhibiting more questionable behavior with his response to his ongoing and embarrassing "phone hacking" scandal. By now, you probably know about those infamous intimate pictures of Bezos stored on his phone that went public in 2018. Those photos helped confirm an affair Bezos was having with Lauren Sanchez, which led to his split from ex-wife MacKenzie and a more than $38 billion divorce settlement. How those photos were leaked has remained a topic of speculation for more than a year. But the Wall Street Journal now reports that federal prosecutors believe Sanchez simply sent the photos to her brother who allegedly then sold them to the National Enquirer. This comes even as that brother, Michael Sanchez, has filed a lawsuit against Bezos accusing him of spreading false rumors to journalists that he sold the photos. Yeah, the whole thing is that much of a big and confusing mess. But in the midst of this supermarket tabloid fodder, Bezos has also pursued a theory that his phone is part of a serious international incident. He commissioned his own investigators to look into the matter and they "concluded" that Saudi Arabia hacked his phone in order to potentially blackmail Bezos at a later time. Bezos then handed over that report to the United Nations, and the U.N. is now demanding answers from the Saudis. The subtext of all of this is the fact that Saudi Arabia has also admitted that members of its intelligence service murdered Washington Post editorial column contributor Jamal Khashoggi in 2018. Khashoggi had been writing critical pieces against the Saudi kingdom at the time, and Bezos and the Post have understandably taken the whole matter very personally. But there are some tough questions for Bezos to answer: Even if his accusations are true, what possible punishment would Saudi Arabia face for it? Is going after the Saudis for this alleged phone hacking worth the embarrassment of reminding the public of the nude photos and highlighting the fact that even the world's richest tech CEO couldn't keep his data private? This feud with the Saudis comes with a lot of collateral damage. For now, the Amazon money-making machine just churns on. Bezos and Amazon have already gained much more than the value of that JEDI contract in personal wealth and market cap in just the last few weeks thanks to strong business results. Those good results should serve as a reminder to stick with the strictly business approach that got him and Amazon where they are today. Shifting the focus to personal vendettas is dangerous and unchartered territory for a man and a business that have the most to lose. Jake Novak is a political and economic analyst at Jake Novak News and former CNBC TV producer. You can follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny. Shakur Basti Delhi Assembly Constituency Election Results 2020 Live Updates - Read Shakur Basti constituency vidhan sabha chunav latest news, party, constituency, candidate name wise winner, loser, leading, trailing live updates online at Firstpost.com. Shakur Basti Assembly Elections 2020: Delhi cabinet minister Satyendar Jain has won the election from Shakur Basti against the Bharatiya Janata Party's SC Vats by a margin of 7,592 votes. The constituency is situated in north Delhi. Pitted against Jain were BJPs SC Vats, Congress Dev Raj Arora, BSPs Asha Ram and Akhil Bharatiya Jan Shakti Partys Praveen Yadav. Constituency Name: Shakur Basti Constituency Number: 15 District Name: North Delhi Total Electors: 1,47,262 Female Electors: 71,326 Male Electors: 75,935 Third Gender: 1 Reserved: No Results in previous elections: Shyamlal Garg of the BJP won the seat in 2008 by a narrow margin of 4,000 votes. He defeated SC Vats of the BJP, who had been a former two-time Congress MLA. Garg was, however, defeated by Satyendar Jain of the AAP in the 2013 polls. Jain retained the seat in 2015 too. Jain is currently the home and health minister of Delhi. Demographics: Shakur Basti has a diverse demography, with planned areas, colonies, low-income settlements as well as slums. It also has a large trader community. According to reports, civic issues like lack of proper roads, piped water supply and sewage lines are likely to dominate the poll narrative in this constituency, which is densely populated. The constituency has a sex ratio of 943 - above the states gender ratio of 824. Residents said since the last demolition drive in the slums, netas, across political parties, seldom visited them. While hailing the governments targeted schemes for the poor, locals lamented the lack of infrastructure development in the slums. However, those living in the relatively affluent areas of Pitampura and Paschim Vihar showered praise on the AAP MLA, New Indian Express reported, adding that long-pending work was completed quickly and government schemes were brought into effect in a timely manner. Australian actor Jessica Marais has cancelled her return to television after pulling out of Back to the Rafters for personal reasons. Marais has been dealing with health issues since stepping away from acting in September 2018. The Rafter family will not be fully reunited for the new show. "She thanks everyone involved on the show for their ongoing support and love, especially her Rafters family, and sends them her very best wishes for the production," Marais' management, RGM Artists, announced on Tuesday afternoon. Amazon commissioned the spin-off to Packed to the Rafters to begin filming this year. The show was due to reunite the original cast members including Rebecca Gibney (Julie Rafter), Erik Thomson (Dave) and Hugh Sheridan (Ben). Barr Announces Significant Escalation Efforts to Combat Sanctuary Policies Attorney General William Barr announced on Monday that the Justice Department (DOJ) will take significant actions against efforts by so-called progressive local and state governments that obstruct immigration federal law enforcement activities, effectively shielding criminal aliens. Barr made his remarks during the National Sheriffs Association Winter Legislative and Technology Conference in Washington where he expressed concerns over local and state policies and laws designed to thwart the ability of federal officers to take custody of these criminals and thereby help them escape back into the community, commonly known as sanctuary policies. Many sanctuary policies limit local law enforcement from cooperating and communicating with federal immigration authorities. All sanctuary policies shield, in some way, illegal immigrants from federal immigration authorities. These policies are not about people who came to our country illegally but have otherwise been peaceful and productive members of society, Barr said. Their express purpose is to shelter aliens whom local law enforcement has already arrested for other crimes. This is neither lawful nor sensible. He said the department is significantly escalating its efforts to ensure the the proper and lawful functioning of our nations federal immigration system by taking legal actions against several states across the country for their sanctuary policies. The DOJ, Barr said, has filed a complaint against New Jersey, its governor, and attorney general challenging a directive that forbids state and local law enforcement from sharing crucial information about criminal aliens with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) such as the immigration status and release dates of individuals in their custody. The New Jersey directive also requires state law enforcement to promptly notify a detained individual if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers file an immigration detainer request against that person. Similarly, the department is also suing King County in Washington state for the implementation of an order that intends to prohibit ICE contractors from using King County International Airport to deport criminal aliens or transport immigration detainees within the country. The DOJ also said that has sued California, its governor, and attorney general for prohibiting the operation of private detention facilities in the state. Under the state law, known as A.B. 32, prisoners and detainees currently housed in private facilities in California will have to be relocated at great cost and risk isolating them from their families, the department said. The lawsuit challenges A.B. 32, claiming that the legislation is unconstitutional by violating the Supremacy Clause under the Constitution because it obstructs the federal government from housing federal prisoners and detainees, effectively acts as an obstruction to the accomplishment of congressional objectives related to criminal law and immigration enforcement, directly regulates federal operations, and discriminates against the United States by granting exceptions for the state that do not apply to the federal government. Barr also announced that along with lawsuits, the department will also assess whether jurisdictions across the country are complying with federal criminal laws. Moreover, the DOJ will cooperate with the DHS in its effort to obtain the information they need to carry out immigration enforcement operations including the use of federal subpoenas to access the required information. The department will also review the actions of certain district attorneys who may have implemented policies that charge foreigners with lesser offenses that would shield them from federal immigration consequences. In pursuing their personal ambitions and misguided notions of equal justice, these district attorneys are systematically violating the rule of law and may even be unlawfully discriminating against American citizens, Barr said. The DOJs actions are part of a significant escalation in the administrations effort to confront the resistance of sanctuary cities,' Barr said. But by no means do the efforts outlined above signify the culmination of our fight to ensure the rule of law, to defend the Constitution, and to keep Americans safe. We will consider taking action against any jurisdiction that, or any politician who, unlawfully obstructs the federal enforcement of immigration law, he said. Other departments also announced measures to target sanctuary policies, such as the DHS, who promulgated a rule that barred New York residents from enrolling and reenrolling in the federal governments Trusted Traveler Programs (TTP) such as the Global Entry. The DHS said the policy change was in response to the New Yorks newly enacted Green Light Law. The law, known as the Drivers License Access and Privacy Act, allows illegal aliens to obtain a drivers license without a social security number. It also bars the release of the applicants personal information to federal immigration authorities except when requested under a court order or judicial warrant. On Monday, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she had filed a lawsuit against the administration over the ban. Barr also referenced the New York law in his remarks, saying that this effort is unlawful. States may not regulate the presence of aliens in the United States in a way that obstructs Congresss regulation of aliens, he said. The president criticized radical politicians who provide sanctuary to criminal aliens during his State of the Union speech on Feb. 4. He underscored the dangers of letting criminal aliens free under sanctuary policies by citing examples in New York and California. Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this report. Source: Xinhua| 2020-02-11 16:35:26|Editor: xuxin Video Player Close KIGALI, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda on Monday launched a week-long campaign aimed at getting rid of corruption in the country's judiciary. Fighting corruption is a collective responsibility, Chief Justice of Rwanda Faustin Ntezilyayo said at the campaign's launch event in the capital of Kigali. The week running up to Friday will be dedicated to the awareness and expeditious trial of more than 100 graft cases, Ntezilyayo added. In the country's fight against corruption in the judiciary, between 2015 and 2019, about 47 judicial officials involved in graft, including judges and registrars, were given different punishments, he noted. According to the 2019 Rwanda Governance Board Citizen Report Card, 11 percent of Rwandans believe that there is corruption in the country's courts. Rwanda was ranked the least corrupt country in East Africa and the fourth-least corrupt in sub-Saharan Africa in Transparency International's 2019 Corruption Perceptions Index, released last month. The index shows that of the 180 countries and regions assessed globally, Rwanda's score dropped to 53 from 56 in 2018. A number of airmen at the 90th Security Forces Group at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, have been suspended from their duties and are awaiting the results of an investigation into allegations of marijuana use. Air Force Global Strike Command on Monday said that an it is looking into the allegations, which were made against an undisclosed number of security forces members. Security forces members at the 90th are responsible for law enforcement on the base, as well as protecting 15 nearby missile alert facilities and 150 Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs). Gen. Timothy Ray, head of AFGSC, held a surprise call with leaders Monday to remind airmen they must adhere to service standard, including the strict no-drug policy outlined by the Defense Department. "Our solemn duty is to protect this nation," Ray said, according to an AFGSC release. "The majority of our airmen are exceptional and have made significant gains in ensuring excellence and adhering to exacting standards. But we will not give up one inch of this hard-earned ground. When any of us see those not living up to our high standards, we will hold them accountable using all of the disciplinary tools available under the military justice system." Related: Air Force Cancels 'Hacksaw' Hypersonic Weapons Program The Air Force said it would not disclose any further details while the investigation remains open. It's not the first time illegal drug use has been reported within the nuclear missile community. Between 2015 and 2016, members from the 90th Missile Wing, which operates one-third of the nation's 400 Minuteman missiles, were investigated for reported use of LSD, cocaine and other "mind-altering" drugs, according to a 2018 investigation by the Associated Press. Disciplinary action was taken against 14 airmen, many of them junior enlisted (E-2 to E-4); six went to courts-martial, and were convicted of drug use, distribution or both, the AP said. In 2014, officials disclosed that an investigation was underway into alleged drug use on and off base, which led to the discovery of a cheating scandal involving "missileers" -- airmen who work in launch silos -- at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana. The airmen passed answers to a monthly proficiency test among themselves, an investigation found. The scandal led to widespread firings at Malmstrom, and extended to leadership at F.E. Warren and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. More recently, the Air Force removed the commander of the 90th Security Forces Squadron at F. E. Warren in Sept. 2019 over a loss of confidence in his ability to maintain a healthy work environment. "The Air Force values and encourages a positive work atmosphere where all airmen are treated with dignity and respect and cannot condone leadership actions that do not uphold these ideals," officials said in a news release accompanying the announcement. The nature of the investigation has not been disclosed. -- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214. Read More: Army Halts Plans to Extend Training to Cavalry Scouts, Combat Engineers Expansion Brings Affordable Housing and Community Facilities to The Entire Intermountain West. BOISE, IDAHO, Feb. 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NewWest, formerly Idaho-Nevada Community Development Financial Institution (Idaho-Nevada CDFI), announced today their expansion to include the entire Intermountain West. In addition to Idaho and Nevada, the nonprofit now provides financing for affordable housing and community facilities to Montana, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Wyoming. Along with their expansion, they also announced a brand new name, NewWest Community Capital. Founded in 2000 as Idaho-Nevada CDFI, NewWest is a nonprofit fund dedicated to providing economic opportunity throughout the Western United States. Their mission is to provide financing for affordable housing initiatives and community development projects in areas most impacted by poverty. To date, they have funded over 3,000 housing units with over a half-billion dollars in developments financed. With their shift to a broader geographic area, NewWest will be able to maximize their impact, opening up doors for more organizations to receive financing to build affordable housing and community facilities in disadvantaged areas. The Intermountain West is one of the fastest-growing regions with a huge need for community investment. By taking a regional approach, NewWest will be able to shine a light neighborhood by neighborhood to help these communities achieve their goals with capital and sound advice, says Dutch Haarsma, President of NewWest Community Capital. Along with a new geographic footprint, NewWest is excited to announce a new name, chosen to capture the spirit of the West, which has always been associated with opportunity and optimism. NewWest Community Capital supports this ethos with a dedication to funding the bedrock of successful communities. For more information about NewWest Community Capital, please visit https://newwestcapital.org/. Story continues ### Dutch Haarsma NewWest Community Capital 208-348-5481 dutch@newwestcapital.org Error. Page cannot be displayed. Please contact your service provider for more details. (17) Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden will not watch New Hampshire primary results Tuesday night in the Granite State. Instead, Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, will head to South Carolina for a campaign launch party at 8 p.m. Tuesday ahead of that states primary the fourth presidential election contest on Feb. 29. Residents in Nevada will caucus on Feb. 22. Im going to be talking to (my New Hampshire supporters) tonight and Im going to stay here and were going to campaign to the end, get on a plane to get down and get things moving in South Carolina, and then head off to Nevada from there, Biden said. Biden, who finished in fourth in the Iowa caucuses with six delegates, said during Fridays Democratic debate, I took a hit in Iowa. Ill probably take a hit here. By Express News Service HYDERABAD: The All India Kisan Sangharsh Coordination Committee (AIKSCC), Telangana unit, has termed the Union Budget anti-farmer. The farmer collective, which has more than 200 farmers bodies, announced on Monday that it would stage protests in the city and all the districts on February 13 against the budget and the governments failure to address the issue of farmers debt. At a press conference at Maqdum Bhavan at Himayatnagar, farmer activist and president of All India Kisan Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS) Vemulapalli Venkataramayya came down heavily on the Centre for reducing the share of rural economy in the budget from 9.83 per cent in 2019-20 to 9.30 per cent in this budget. The budget speech had a promise of doubling farmers income by 2022, the same as in the 2016 budget. However, even after four years, there is no official position on the current farmers income, said Kiran Kumar, a national member of AIKSCC. He said on the contrary, the Economic Survey data shows that in the last four years, the growth rate of Gross Value Added (GVA) in agriculture, which can be a proxy for farm income, has fallen from 6.3 per cent to 2.8 per cent. This is clearly a budget that has no space for farmers. The Centre is yet again telling us that we do not matter to the government, said AIKSCC in a statement. A day after allocating portfolios to ten newly inducted ministers of his cabinet, Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday reshuffled them apparently under pressure from some newly inducted ministers. According to an official notification issued by Governor Vajubhai Vala, Anand Singh, who was allotted the porfolio of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs on Monday, has now been given the charge of Forest, Ecology and Environment Department. B C Patil, who was given the charge of Forest Department, has now been allocated Agriculture department, which was additionally held by Home minister Basavaraj Bommai. Yediyurappa has taken back the Small Scale Industries portfolio from K Gopalaiah and has now allocated him Food, Civil Supplies and Consumers Affairs Department. The additional charge of sugar department that Gopalaiah had has been given to Labour minister A Shivaram Hebbar. According to BJP sources, Singh, Patil and Gopalaiah were unhappy with their portfolios and had exerted pressure on the Chief Minister to change the departments assigned to them. Though there was demand for plum portfolios like Energy and Bangalore Development that are with the Chief Minister currently, Yediyurappa has not allotted them as it may give rise to rift within, as several senior party leaders and ministers have been eyeing the departments. The other minor changes that have been done in Tuesday's reallocation include Minority Welfare department that was with Animal Husbandry, Haj and Wakf Department minister Prabhu Chauhan, which has been given to Textile minister Shrimant Patil. Similarly Ecology and Environment has been divested from Mines and Geology minister C C Patil and allotted to Anand Singh along with Forest. Urban Development minister B A Basvaraj will have the responsibility of Karnataka Urban Water Supply and Drainage Board (KUWSDB) and Karnataka Urban Infrastructure Development and Finance Corporation (KUIDFC), excluding Bangalore Development and related department and Directorate of Town Planning. Yediyurappa on February 6 had expanded his cabinet by inducting 10 of 11 legislators who had won the bypolls in December on the BJP ticket after defecting from the Congress and JD(S) and subsequently facing disqualification. During the portfolio allocation on Monday, the Chief Minister had assigned the plum Water Resources Department to Ramesh Jarkiholi, who had played a key role in the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) coalition government that paved the way for the BJP to come to power. With the BJP leadership making it clear that there will be no more Deputy Chief Ministers, the post that he was eyeing for, Jarkiholi had put pressure for the Water Resources Department. Athani MLA Mahesh Kumathalli, the only newly elected BJP legislator after defecting from the Congress who was not made minister during the recent expansion, has expressed displeasure over him being appointed as chairman of Mysore Sales International Limited (MSIL), stating that he was not interested in it. "When I was told that I will be made chief of board or corporation, I had said give me Land Army (Karnataka Rural Infrastructure Development Limited) as I am a Civil Engineer and I can perform better in it. Last night I got to know I have been given MSIL, I am going to Bengaluru and meet the Chief Minister. If they want to give, let them give Land Army, I am not interested in MSIL," Kumathalli told reporters in Belagavi. "I should have been made minister, but due to certain reasons and in the interest of the party I remained patient. I have been promised that I will be made minister in the next expansion," he added. With a few new ministers still unhappy over their portfolios, disgruntlement among the party's old guard over them being left out during the expansion, regional and caste imbalance in the cabinet, Yediyurappa may have to look at another round of expansion, probably along with rejig in the days ahead, party sources said. The cabinet currently has 28 members and six berths are still vacant. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) A less costly and more immediate alternative to increase transit options on the South Side has also been proposed. In a study last year, Cook County outlined a plan to lower fares on the Metra Electric District and Rock Island lines within the city to $2.50 the same price as the "L" from current Metra fares of $4 to $5.50. TEHRAN Hundreds of thousands across Iran marked the anniversary of its 1979 Islamic Revolution on Tuesday amid some of the highest tensions ever between Tehran and the U.S. in the past four decades. While Iranian President Hassan Rouhani gave a speech in Tehrans iconic Azadi Square denouncing the U.S., he also focused on encouraging the country to vote in upcoming parliamentary elections, even after officials disqualified thousands from running, including 90 current lawmakers. Iran views high turnout as a vote of confidence in the countrys Shiite theocracy, something it wants to show as public anger still simmers over the country accidentally shooting down a Ukrainian jetliner in January, killing all 176 people on board. Tehran for days denied its forces shot down the passenger plane before admitting to it in the face of mounting Western pressure. The shootdown also marred funeral processions that drew millions of mourners for Revolutionary Guard Gen. Qassem Soleimani, killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad. We should not withdraw from the ballot boxes, Rouhani called out to the thousands in the crowd who rallied in the city in freezing winter weather. The ballot boxes are our savior. Theres also anger over Irans long-faltering economy, which has been hard hit by the American sanctions. In November, protesters angered by Iran raising government-set gasoline prices by 50% blocked traffic in major cities and occasionally clashed with police. Amnesty International says more than 300 were killed in violent protests and a subsequent government crackdown. Irans government did not release any death toll though lawmakers said thousands were detained. Rouhani called on voters to still turn out despite possible complaints and criticism. State media said the rallies took place in more than 5,000 cities, towns and districts all around Iran. This years anniversary celebrations come amid ever-increasing bitterness between Tehran and Washington. Tensions have spiked since President Trump withdrew the U.S. from Irans nuclear deal with world powers in May 2018. A series of attacks across the Mideast culminated with the U.S. launching the drone strike that killed Soleimani in January. Iran retaliated with a ballistic missile attack targeting U.S. forces in Iraq, injuring over 100 U.S. troops. Nasser Karimi is an Associated Press writer. Syrian government and allied forces on Tuesday wrested the last segment of a key highway from rebels in the northwest of the country, a war monitor said. The reconquest came on the back of a months-old offensive against the rebel enclave of Idlib and marked the first time since 2012 that the government controlled the entire M5 highway, which connects Damascus, Hama, Homs and Aleppo. (This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.) NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) today announced that its Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies will further expedite its investigational coronavirus vaccine program through an expanded collaboration with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), part of the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) at the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. The collaborative partnership with BARDA builds on Johnson & Johnson's multipronged response to the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak. In addition to Janssen's efforts to develop a vaccine candidate, the Company is working closely with global partners to screen its library of antiviral molecules to accelerate the discovery of potential COVID-19 treatments and provide relief for people in China and around the world. "Developing an effective vaccine will be critical if we are to protect people against the novel coronavirus and combat future outbreaks," said Paul Stoffels, M.D., Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee and Chief Scientific Officer, Johnson & Johnson. "This partnership will ensure that vital research is made possible at rapid speed and underscores the importance of public-private partnerships to tackle the worldwide novel coronavirus epidemic. We are also in discussions with other partners, that if we have a vaccine candidate with potential, we aim to make it accessible to China and other parts of the world." Through this agreement, created under an existing U.S. Government's Other Transaction Authority, (HHSO100201700018C), Janssen and BARDA will both contribute to the research and development costs and mobilize resources to rapidly advance the initial stages of Janssen's COVID-19 vaccine development program. BARDA will provide funding to support accelerated development of a vaccine candidate into Phase 1 clinical studies, with options for additional funding to progress a promising candidate. In parallel, Janssen will work to upscale the production and manufacturing capacities required to meet public health needs. Janssen is committed to partnering with multiple stakeholders around the world to address the needs of communities around the world. "By leveraging long-standing partnerships and proven technology, we can move rapidly to address emerging health threats like this novel coronavirus," said BARDA Director Rick A. Bright, Ph.D. "We are committed to doing everything we can to protect the health of the people in the United States and across the globe." The vaccine program will leverage Janssen's AdVac and PER.C6 technologies that provide the ability to rapidly upscale production of the optimal vaccine candidate. These are the same technologies that were used in the development and manufacturing of Janssen's investigational Ebola vaccine, which is currently deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda. They were also used to construct the Company's Zika, RSV and HIV vaccine candidates. COVID-19 belongs to a group of viruses called coronaviruses that attack the respiratory system. There is currently no approved vaccine, treatment or cure for COVID-19. For more information on Johnson & Johnson's commitment to combatting COVID-19 visit: www.jnj.com/coronavirus. About Johnson & Johnson At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That's why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world's largest and most broadly-based healthcare company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity. Learn more at www.jnj.com. Follow us at @JNJNews. About the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies At Janssen, we're creating a future where disease is a thing of the past. We're the Pharmaceutical Companies of Johnson & Johnson, working tirelessly to make that future a reality for patients everywhere by fighting sickness with science, improving access with ingenuity, and healing hopelessness with heart. We focus on areas of medicine where we can make the biggest difference: Cardiovascular & Metabolism, Immunology, Infectious Diseases & Vaccines, Neuroscience, Oncology, and Pulmonary Hypertension. Learn more at www.janssen.com. Follow us at @JanssenGlobal. Notice to Investors Concerning Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains "forward-looking statements" as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 regarding darunavir/cobicistat and development of potential preventive and treatment regimens for coronavirus. The reader is cautioned not to rely on these forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations of future events. If underlying assumptions prove inaccurate or known or unknown risks or uncertainties materialize, actual results could vary materially from the expectations and projections of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies and/or Johnson & Johnson. Risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: challenges and uncertainties inherent in product research and development, including the uncertainty of clinical success and of obtaining regulatory approvals; uncertainty of commercial success; manufacturing difficulties and delays; competition, including technological advances, new products and patents attained by competitors; challenges to patents; product efficacy or safety concerns resulting in product recalls or regulatory action; changes in behavior and spending patterns of purchasers of health care products and services; changes to applicable laws and regulations, including global health care reforms; and trends toward health care cost containment. A further list and descriptions of these risks, uncertainties and other factors can be found in Johnson & Johnson's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 30, 2018, including in the sections captioned "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in the company's most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, and the company's subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of these filings are available online at www.sec.gov, www.jnj.com or on request from Johnson & Johnson. None of the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies nor Johnson & Johnson undertakes to update any forward-looking statement as a result of new information or future events or developments. SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Related Links http://www.jnj.com TDT | Manama The Kingdom has been ranked 15th in an index, which tracks the logistics industry among emerging markets. The Kingdom has been included in the top 20 countries among 50 emerging markets in the 2020 Agility Emerging Markets Logistics Index, which ranks countries by factors that make them attractive to logistics providers, freight forwarders, shipping lines, air cargo carriers and distributors. China was ranked first. After China, others at the top of the 11th annual Index are India, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Mexico, Thailand and Turkey. China, India and Indonesia rank highest for domestic logistics; China, India and Mexico are top for international logistics; and UAE, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia have the best business fundamentals. China ranks eighth in business fundamentals, down one spot from 2019. "The strongest clusters of emerging markets are in the Arabian Gulf and Southeast Asia, thanks to business-friendly conditions and core strengths the Gulf's energy wealth and Southeast Asian manufacturing power that draw logistics activity. "In the Gulf, the UAE (3), Saudi Arabia (6), Qatar (7), Oman (14), Bahrain (15) and Kuwait (19) rank strongly. Among ASEAN countries, Indonesia (4), Malaysia (5), Thailand (9), and Vietnam (11) are strong," the survey report stated. Survey respondents see India as the market with greatest potential over China, their second choice. In rankings of best business conditions, several countries are making big moves: Egypt climbed 10 spots to 17; Ukraine jumped 10 spots to 27; Ghana dropped 13 spots to 32; and Iran tumbled 12 spots to 38. The death of a young Chinese doctor who was silenced by authorities when he tried to warn about the outbreak of the coronavirus has lit up the countrys social media with outrage. By Friday, references to the death of whistleblower Li Wenliang from the virus had been viewed 270 million times on Weibo, one of the biggest social media platforms in China. The public is so angry that Chinese censors havent yet shut the topic down. This 34-year-old ophthalmologist from Wuhan, who left behind a young child and pregnant wife, has become the face of the epidemic, and of Beijings blunders. Back in December, he posted his concerns about a contagious new virus that resembled SARS, the lethal coronavirus that spread to 29 countries in 2003. He was arrested, jailed and made to recant. Now he has become a martyr for millions of Chinese. But his death is far more than a poignant tragedy. It is an indictment of Chinas tightly controlled top-down system that silences civil society and independent media. Had his warnings been heeded in December, this outbreak might never have exploded into a global health emergency. And Lis bravery along with the outrage of millions of Chinese is a reminder that, whatever the tensions between China and the United States, the Chinese people are as much a victim of their governments failure as the still small number who have been infected globally. We should all mourn Li Wenliang. And so should Xi Jinpings government in Beijing. But of course it will not. There is a strong parallel between the response and cover-up to SARS and this current outbreak, I was told by the Council on Foreign Relations Yanzhong Huang, a global health expert specializing in China. Although the first case was apparently detected on Dec. 12, local officials hid the statistics for weeks, fearful of falling afoul of Communist Party higher-ups by reporting anything that undermined stability. This is exactly why Dr. Li has become the subject of national grief, Huang continued. He was a whistleblower, who gathered information. It would have been a different story if they listened to him. There is a strong incentive at the local level to silence dissenting voices. We have seen the results. Yes, Xi Jinpings authoritarian rule does well at top-down physical commands building new hospitals in Wuhan in 10 days and quarantining the entire city. But the crackdown on nongovernmental organizations in the health field (and beyond) and muzzling of independent media cut the central government off from vitally needed information. The lessons of SARS havent been learned, in terms of information transparency, says sociologist Anthony Spires, a China expert at the University of Melbourne. Without civil society input and a freer press that could raise red flags, the government is disadvantaged in reporting outbreaks. They should know that. Whats so disturbing is that many Chinese officials do know that, but it doesnt seem to make a difference. In 2010, I interviewed then-Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu in Beijing along with a small group of U.S. journalists. SARS has taught us a very good lesson, he said. Now we emphasize information transparency and immediate disclosure. We are establishing a system that allows the grassroots to respond directly to the Ministry of Health, he went on. NGOs have an indispensable role in health care, in particular in the prevention of diseases. I dont know whether Chen ever followed through on those plans. However, under Xi Jinping, top-down controls have become even tighter. One clear target of Xis groups to silence, says Sophie Richardson, China director of Human Rights Watch, are domestic NGOs in the health field that provide services and information to the public or help respond to medical crises. So the question at hand is whether the Beijing government will learn anything from the current crisis about the need for bottom-up information from civil society. So far it looks unlikely. We have declared a peoples war against the epidemic, Xi told President Donald Trump by phone. The phrase peoples war means top-down control and ignoring the grassroots. This is a self-defeating strategy for China. Beijings proven inability to prevent epidemics will only embolden those U.S. officials with an unrealistic view of how far Americas economy and society can be decoupled from China. Beijings initial mishandling of the outbreak is also triggering a fear factor that feeds xenophobia. Fortunately, the evidence so far indicates that the current coronavirus epidemic is much less lethal than SARS and limited globally. But hats off to Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney for visiting the citys Chinatown and pushing back against coronavirus hysteria. Any attacks against Chinese nationals or Asian Americans, or gleeful celebration of the epidemics impact on Chinas economy (as in Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross comment that it may bring jobs back to America), are sickening. We should all take a moment to pay our respects to Li Wenliang, who reminded us that China is made up of individuals, some heroic, many seeking to make their society more transparent, and millions now suffering from their governments failure. The problem lies with Beijing. Trudy Rubin is a columnist and editorial-board member for the Philadelphia Inquirer. Readers may write to her at: Philadelphia Inquirer, P.O. Box 8263, Philadelphia, Pa. 19101, or by email at trubin@phillynews.com. YEREVAN. Relationship between Armenian and Jordan have already produced specific results, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said welcoming His Majesty King of Jordan Abdullah II in the government building in Yerevan on Tuesday. He said the relations with Jordan and the Middle East in general are very important for Armenia, as we see them as a direction of strategic partnership. Armenian PM added that he was happy to see an economic delegation coming with His Majesty, and recalled that they are going to sign a document to make economic ties more effective. Id like to stress that our people have very positive historical memory about your country because your country and your people supported the survivors of the Armenian Genocide. This is a really strong background for our relations, he added. Sometimes you can snag a stay in an Airbnb thats full of comfortable bedding, well-designed amenities, and downright cute decor. The only downside is that you cant take the items from your rental home. Unless you stay in a beautifully designed farmhouse in Kennebunk, Maine, that is. According to Dezeen, furniture brand Pieces By An Aesthetic Pursuit has refurbished and designed a truly well-appointed shoppable stay in the town of Kennebunk. Everything in the Airbnb home was curated and designed the Pieces collection. When you stay in the Pieces home, you can fully immerse yourself in the brand's aesthetically pleasing products and even buy something to take home if you choose. By creating a destination vacation design experience, we eliminate the noise found in both traditional brick-and-mortar and digital retail settings," Pieces co-founder Jenny Kaplan said to Dezeen. The project is a colaboration with her husband, Chris Corrado, and our best friend Tai Coombs. The historic, 2,995-square-foot home was built in 1878 and has 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a kitchen, lots of living space, and indoor and outdoor dining areas. While the exterior retains its historic charm (and a lovely, red paint job), the inside has been transformed into a modern design lovers paradise. Some of the best pieces in the home include a 60-foot, curvy rainbow rug; a fuzzy teddy bear chair; a velvet-and-stone combo coffee table; and lots of other beautiful accent pieces. According to Dezeen, the products come from the Swiss furniture company Vitra and designers Jasper Morrison and Alvar Aalto. In addition to being aesthetically pleasing, the home is also just a wonderful Airbnb for you and a few friends. Along with its beautiful design, the home can easily sleep six people between one king and two queen beds, provides WiFi access, has air conditioning on the first floor, heating, a TV, and a washer and dryer. Plus, the town of Kennebunk is perfect for anyone looking to go on a New England summer getaway filled with lobster rolls and old fashioned ice cream. The Airbnb stay is currently bookable for $490 per night (split between six people, only $82 per person). For more information or to make a booking, visit the homes page on Airbnb. If youd like to purchase anything you see in the house, visit the Pieces Homes website. Some pricing is listed, though many prices are available upon request. What just happened? Think youve seen some big fireworks? Theyre nothing compared to the one launched in Colorado last Saturday night, which has been verified as the largest ever aerial firework. Weighing 2,797 pounds, its explosion briefly lit up the night sky. The massive firework was set off at Colorado's Steamboat Springs annual winter festival. The 62-inch shell was launched from a 26-foot long motor that sat on top of Howelsen Hill, launching at 300mph and flying nearly a mile into the sky before bursting. The firework was developed over the course of seven years by a team headed by Tim Borden of Steamboat Springs. Borden had attempted to break the record before, back on February 10, 2019, but that 2,500-pound shell exploded inside the mortar. The firework breaks the previous record by 400 pounds. The former holder weighed 2,397 pounds and was launched in the United Arab Emirates on January 1, 2018. Christina Conlon from the Guinness Book of Records verified that the shell was the worlds largest. She presented a certificate to Borden and his team, praising them for their achievement after last years failure. We invested hundreds of hours into this project, and we anticipate that we will enjoy the satisfaction of this success for months to come, Borden said. People are already asking us, Whats next? I really cant answer that question, other than to say, whatever it is, I hope to do it with this same bunch of guys. The record-setting launch wasnt without its problems. The Steamboat Pilot & Today reports that a winter storm dumped more than two feet of snow on the mortar and meant transporting the shell required extensive machine work. The big lesson from Iowa: Security is only a starting point in protecting elections. Usability, reliability and redundancy are just as important. Why it matters: As long as election officials neglect software fundamentals and view security only as a matter of locking hackers out, we will keep facing trust-eroding system meltdowns like this week's Iowa caucus fiasco. The big picture: The U.S. is already struggling to bolster the perceived stability and reliability of its elections, which are under stress from extreme partisanship, the spread of conspiracy theories on social media, and the still-fresh memories of Russian meddling in the 2016 contest. Iowa presented the nation with a vexing scenario in which a primary contest was so compromised by tech snafus that its results weren't available for days. The caucuses weren't hacked, as far as we know although a ProPublica report found that Iowa Democrats' new vote-tallying app was vulnerable. as far as we know although a ProPublica report found that Iowa Democrats' new vote-tallying app was vulnerable. But the confusion and delays they suffered were as damaging as meddling from bad actors might have been. As Zeynep Tufekci asked in the Atlantic, "Who needs the Russians?" The Iowa system failures created an information void that opened fertile ground for conspiracy theories and influence operations. Two days after Iowa turned into the "Waiting for Godot" caucus, it's clear that Iowa's new caucus app had all the hallmarks of a software disaster: Changing requirements, driven by a need to tally winners in three new ways. Failure to field test. Inadequate fallback plans. A hard-stop deployment deadline that left no wiggle room. Here's what we now know about the mistakes made by Shadow, the app-developer contractor, and the Iowa Democrats: The app went out to users in a not-ready-for-prime-time test mode, which made it harder to install. The app recorded results correctly but then transmitted different numbers to the party HQ, thanks to what officials now admit was a "coding error." Use of the app was optional, but when local officials fell back on phone calls, there weren't enough people to take the data. Of note: This kind of disaster isn't exclusive to the digital world. After low-tech failures of Florida's punch-card voting machines, the 2000 presidential election hung in the balance for weeks and the dispute had to be resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court. The good news: Most states don't hold caucuses, and the more common primary elections are less complex and easier to run. The same patchwork of differing state election systems that makes security so hard to guarantee also means that any one state's vulnerabilities are likely to be local. Experts recommend that all election systems should be: Simple: Don't try to score an election three different ways if you can avoid it. This may be a bad moment to experiment with ranked choice and other complex voting schemes. Transparent: People will trust systems more when all parties to the election have had an opportunity to examine them. Even in a party-only primary like Iowa, all the competing campaigns should have had a chance to try out and stress-test the app. Auditable: Assume that failures of all kinds are inevitable and recounts are likely. Make sure that there are ways to deliver accurate election results no matter what by candlelight if necessary. Auditable paper trails remain the gold standard, according to the National Academy of Sciences and an overwhelming consensus of security experts. Yes, but: Iowa had them and still messed up. In September 2018, the New York Times published an opinion piece by someone identified only as "Anonymous." Anonymous claimed that he and "like-minded" colleagues ostensibly served President Trump but were actually answering a higher calling by actively working against the president's agenda. Anonymous even got a book deal out of this "confession." On Monday, former U.S. attorney Joe diGenova claimed to have heard from a senior White House official that Anonymous now has a name and will be fired. On September 5, 2018, there was a startling headline in the New York Times: "I Am Part of the Resistance Inside the Trump Administration: I work for the president but like-minded colleagues and I have vowed to thwart parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations." The New York Times supported withholding this brave resistance fighter's name because the person's job "would be jeopardized by its disclosure." In other words, the situation was almost exactly the same as a resistance fighter in occupied Poland or France during WWII, who might have been tortured and executed if that person's identity had become known. In the opinion piece, Anonymous warned America that the president was facing a crisis greater than any faced before in his presidency. WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, and 9/11 were mere bagatelles compared to Trump's trials. And what was this crisis? Disloyalty: The dilemma which he does not fully grasp is that many of the senior officials in his own administration are working diligently from within to frustrate parts of his agenda and his worst inclinations. Anonymous assured anxious Americans that the inside-the-White-House-resistance was undermining a duly elected president out of love for country. (Some might call this the wife-beater excuse: "When I blacken her eyes, it's because I love her so much, I'll do anything to make her a better person.") To be clear, ours is not the popular "resistance" of the left. We want the administration to succeed and think that many of its policies have already made America safer and more prosperous. But we believe our first duty is to this country, and the president continues to act in a manner that is detrimental to the health of our republic. That is why many Trump appointees have vowed to do what we can to preserve our democratic institutions while thwarting Mr. Trump's more misguided impulses until he is out of office. The article was shocking when it was published 18 months ago. A resistance movement within the government exists in tyrannies because there is no democratic alternative. You cannot stand openly against the tyranny, so the best that you can do is destroy it from within. In a constitutional republic, however, the idea of sabotaging a government from within is anathema. It is profoundly anti-American for unelected public servants to treat a president as a tyrant who must be taken down from within simply because they disagree with his policies. The article has a new level of fascination in 2020 because it reveals that Alexander Vindman, late of the NSC, did exactly what Anonymous claimed insiders were doing. Vindman disagreed with Trump's approach to foreign policy and, in line with "resistance directives," acted unilaterally and unconstitutionally to block him: We fully recognize what is happening. And we are trying to do what's right even when Donald Trump won't. The result is a two-track presidency. Take foreign policy: In public and in private, President Trump shows a preference for autocrats and dictators, such as President Vladimir Putin of Russia and North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-un, and displays little genuine appreciation for the ties that bind us to allied, like-minded nations. Astute observers have noted, though, that the rest of the administration is operating on another track, one where countries like Russia are called out for meddling and punished accordingly, and where allies around the world are engaged as peers rather than ridiculed as rivals. On Russia, for instance, the president was reluctant to expel so many of Mr. Putin's spies as punishment for the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Britain. *** But his national security team knew better such actions had to be taken, to hold Moscow accountable. Fortunately, the Trump administration has been investigating this treason for that's what it is and seems to have concluded that it's found the culprit. On Monday's Morning on the Mall, diGenova said "a very senior U.S. government policy official" told him that anonymous had been named: I am told that soon there will someone else leaving the White House, who wrote that article. Apparently, they have identified 'anonymous' and we were told that ... they have, in fact, identified 'anonymous.' To which we can only say good riddance to a bad civil servant. These are certainly not the best of times for Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment, Training, and Pensions, Ajibola Ponnle, as i... These are certainly not the best of times for Lagos State Commissioner for Establishment, Training, and Pensions, Ajibola Ponnle, as information reaching this newspaper revealed that her marriage to Lagos big boy, Michael, who was the chief executive officer of defunct Origin Oil and Gas, is at the stage of crumbling. As you are reading this, the affair is like what could be described as things fall apart as the centre can no longer hold. Ajibola has dragged her husband to a Lagos court for dissolution of their over two-decade-old union which has produced three children, all boys. In her evidence before the trial judge, Justice Lateefah Okunnu, on February 4, 2020, Ajibola, a chartered accountant admitted that she had left her matrimonial home. In the amended petition she filed before the court, she stated that eight years after she got married to her husband, he changed his behavior towards her in a manner as leading to constant intimidation, coercion, and threats, seizure and and destruction of the petitioners personal belongings as well as emotional and physical abuse. She stated that when she could no longer cope, she left her matrimonial home in Banana Island on January 9, 2016 after which the respondent moved her belongings to her mothers house on the same day and forbade her from returning to the house. She therefore urged the court to issue a decree of dissolution of the marriage. She further seeks an order of court to direct the respondent to pay for the educational, physical, and medical maintenance of the children, and a house in Banana Island Lagos, being the location the children are accustomed to, pursuant to section 70 of the Matrimonial Causes Act. She further wants the court to order the respondent to pay her the sum of N250 million for her maintenance pursuant to the act. However, her husband the respondent denied the allegations made against him by his wife. He said that the petitioner first deserted her matrimonial home in January 2010 with their children because he insisted that the petitioner should perform her duties as a wife and mother, particularly at it relates to the upbringing of the children. He denied ever been cruel to his wife who he said he married out of genuine love. Rather, he said that the petitioners attitude changed towards him within two weeks after their marriage and she became cruel towards him by locking him out of the matrimonial home at every flimsy excuse. In the 49 paragraph deposed to by him, which also serve as answer to his wifes petition before the court, the respondent denied ever incarcerating his wife, or preventing her from meeting work obligations. Regardless of the respondents support, the petitioner neglected her primary responsibilities to the respondent and the children and continued in that manner of defiance to any advice or plea from the respondent that she should try to create a balance in managing the home and meeting work obligations. He also stated that the petitioner preferred to come home late, long after the children must have gone to bed without making provision for their meals, a situation that necessitated him to employ cooks and stewards in their home. Yet, the petitioner persisted coming home late, he stated. The respondent said that the only thing that caused a strain in their relationship was the petitioners refusal to fulfill her obligations as a wife and mother. He claimed that the petitioners mother and sister once assaulted him over his insistence that she take more care of the children. Also, she moved out of the home twice in five years over the same issue. The petitioner moved out with majority of her belongings, using over 15 suitcases and leaving behind only clothes she no longer wore. The respondent offered to send them to her as he was no longer comfortable with the petitioner coming into the matrimonial home after she had voluntarily moved out a second time in five years, he stated. When the matter came up on Wednesday, February 5, the respondent, led in evidence by his lawyers, Mr. Adebowale Kamoru and Mrs. Kehinde Daniels of Pinheiro LP told Justice Okunnu that he cannot afford the N250 million his estranged wife is asking for her maintenance, saying that his business has gone down. Asked how he had been living, he said: When business was good, I invested in many people, including my wife, which resulted into the booming business and job (commissioner) she has now, and it is the goodwill of those other people he has been living off.. He however told the court that he was willing and ready to take care of his children, as they were his reason for still working. He particularly lamented that against his wish, his wife took their last born (name withheld) to the United Kingdom at the age of 10. He said; Initially, I agreed to her wish to have custody of all the kids. To me, the issue of the kids is very vital. In as much as I dont agree with Jibola, we cannot divide the kids. I came from a single home and I know what it means. But it dawned on me when she sent our last boy to school abroad at the age of 10 and I think it is very wrong. I know all my sons. I know my last born is very smart and curious. He therefore needs a fatherly role model. Nobody can do this better than me, his father. It is not right to take him abroad at such a tender age. I therefore ask for his custody. Others are old enough and I need to guide my son to be a responsible man, he said. He mentioned that he has since been taking care of the children to the tune of five million on each of them and an additional five million for their maintenance, all amounting to N20 million per annum, last payment of which was just this January of 2020. He says that the sole reason he is working is to take care of his children. When asked by Chief Bolaji Ayorinde SAN, the petitioners lawyer, whether he loved his children, he replied: One million percent. The petitioners lawyer thereafter attempted to tender as evidence, an e-mail which the petitioners first son sent to the respondent but his counsel objected. Justice Okunnu in her ruling struck out the application to tender the letter, saying that what had happened between the parents was not the making of the children. She said it did not concern them and that they must not be made to suffer the consequences of the actions of their parents. Admitting such a letter can destroy the relationship and confidence between father and son and the court will not be part of such. Besides, she said such admittance is contrary to family law. The trial judge therefore admonished the lawyers to advise their clients appropriately. She thereafter adjourned the case till May 5, 2020 for final address. Source: Kemi Ashefon NAPERVILLE, Ill., Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 750 exhibitors brought their innovative new products and consumer favorites to the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, LA for the 2020 KeHE Summer Show. The annual trade show, held February 4 -5, welcomed more than 4,500 industry professionals including KeHE retailers hungry for show deals on trending products. "Kicking off 2020 by bringing together our retail and supplier partners to experience all the innovation in the marketplace was incredible," said Gene Carter, KeHE's Chief Operating Officer. "Our retailers rely on us to be their eyes and ears on both the trend of the minute and what's next on the horizon, it's a responsibility we've further embraced as we strive to be the Next Generation Distributor. Our show floor has become a true showcase of KeHE's advanced product and trend foraging expertise. By educating our customers not only on the trends, but also how to implement them at the store level, they leave with tangible ideas and the product to execute because they could buy it right on the show floor." "Our first goal is to create a marketplace that allows our customers to easily connect with suppliers and buy products," said Ari Goldsmith, KeHE's Vice President of Marketing. "By layering in elements like interactive trend education and our Next Generation Innovation Showcase, we've truly created a hub of innovation that resonated with all attendees. Overall sales saw a double-digit percentage increase over 2019." The show kicked off with the first Next Generation Innovation Faceoff where five emerging brands, not yet in KeHE's portfolio, competed in a pitch slam competition to earn a place in KeHE's new elevate program. Goli's Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies took the top spot, as selected by the audience and KeHE Category Managers, making them the first brand to formally enter the new program. "The response to our new elevate program has been tremendous since it was announced," said Katie Paul, Vice President of Category Management and Growth Solutions at KeHE. "Our team is excited to work with Goli as our first brand in the program to help them grow and successfully navigate distribution and the marketplace. Who knows, next year they could be at this show winning an On Trend Award alongside our other established brands." KeHE's Innovation Gurus unveiled the second class of On Trend Award winners by surprising 15 winners on the show floor. The team sampled and evaluated more than 300 item submissions to determine the final list. On Trend Beverages: Remedy Organics On Trend Condiments: Beyond the Equator On Trend Confections & Baking: The Good Bean On Trend Convenience: RightRice On Trend Fresh: Belle Chevre On Trend Frozen: Caulipower On Trend Functionality: WellWell On Trend HBC & Personal Care: CBDFX On Trend Mission-Based Brand: Endangered Species Chocolate On Trend Pet: I And Love And You On Trend Plant-Based & Sustainability: Outer Aisle On Trend Refrigerated & Dairy: Perfectly Peckish On Trend Snack Foods & Bars: Catalina Crunch On Trend VMS: Orgain On Trend Best of Show: Mammoth Creameries Day two of the show saw the exciting continuation of KeHE's Serving Goodness event, launched last June at the KeHE Holiday Show, where thousands of attendees volunteered to help pack 100,000 meals for families in need. The boxes featured products donated by show exhibitors and will now be delivered by the Children's Hunger Fund to hungry families. Following the show, the KeHE community donated more than 38,000 pounds of food products to the Second Harvest Food Bank, totaling 32,000 meals for southern Louisiana families. The 2020 KeHE Holiday Show will be held June 17-18 in Chicago, IL. The show is invite-only. For more information, visit KeHE.com. About KeHE With its nationwide distribution network, KeHE provides natural & organic, specialty & fresh products to chain and independent grocery and natural food stores and other specialty product retailers throughout North America. KeHE is an employee-owned, B Corporation certified, company with over 5,000 employees in the U.S. and Canada. Where KeHE Goes, Goodness Follows. For more about KeHE, visit KeHE.com or check out our social media channels: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, & LinkedIn. KeHE Media Contact: Ari Goldsmith Vice President of Marketing, KeHE [email protected] SOURCE KeHE Related Links https://www.kehe.com Dividend paying stocks like The North West Company Inc. (TSE:NWC) 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. 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. With North West yielding 4.8% and having paid a dividend for over 10 years, many investors likely find the company quite interesting. 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 North West for its dividend, and we'll focus on the most important aspects below. Explore this interactive chart for our latest analysis on North West! TSX:NWC Historical Dividend Yield, February 11th 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. Looking at the data, we can see that 80% of North West's profits were paid out as dividends in the last 12 months. It's paying out most of its earnings, which limits the amount that can be reinvested in the business. This may indicate limited need for further capital within the business, or highlight a commitment to paying a dividend. Another important check we do is to see if the free cash flow generated is sufficient to pay the dividend. North West paid out 312% of its free cash flow last year, suggesting the dividend is poorly covered by cash flow. Paying out such a high percentage of cash flow suggests that the dividend was funded from either cash at bank or by borrowing, neither of which is desirable over the long term. While North West's dividends were covered by the company's reported profits, free cash flow is somewhat more important, so it's not great to see that the company didn't generate enough cash to pay its dividend. Cash is king, as they say, and were North West to repeatedly pay dividends that aren't well covered by cashflow, we would consider this a warning sign. Story continues Is North West's Balance Sheet Risky? As North West has a meaningful amount of debt, we need to check its balance sheet to see if the company might have debt risks. A quick check of its financial situation can be done with two ratios: net debt divided by EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation), and 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. With net debt of 2.09 times its EBITDA, North West's debt burden is within a normal range for most listed companies. Net interest cover can be calculated by dividing earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) by the company's net interest expense. Net interest cover of 7.75 times its interest expense appears reasonable for North West, although we're conscious that even high interest cover doesn't make a company bulletproof. Remember, you can always get a snapshot of North West's latest financial position, by checking our visualisation of its financial health. Dividend Volatility From the perspective of an income investor who wants to earn dividends for many years, there is not much point buying a stock if its dividend is regularly cut or is not reliable. North West has been paying dividends for a long time, but for the purpose of this analysis, we only examine the past 10 years of payments. This dividend has been unstable, which we define as having been cut one or more times over this time. During the past ten-year period, the first annual payment was CA$1.35 in 2010, compared to CA$1.32 last year. Dividend payments have shrunk at a rate of less than 1% per annum over this time frame. We struggle to make a case for buying North West for its dividend, given that payments have shrunk over the past ten years. Dividend Growth Potential With a relatively unstable dividend, it's even more important to see if earnings per share (EPS) are growing. Why take the risk of a dividend getting cut, unless there's a good chance of bigger dividends in future? Earnings have grown at around 4.2% a year for the past five years, which is better than seeing them shrink! Earnings are not growing quickly at all, and the company is paying out most of its profit as dividends. When the rate of return on reinvestment opportunities falls below a certain minimum level, companies often elect to pay a larger dividend instead. This is why many mature companies often have larger dividend yields. 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. First, we think North West has an acceptable payout ratio, although its dividend was not well covered by cashflow. Unfortunately, earnings growth has also been mediocre, and the company has cut its dividend at least once in the past. In summary, North West has a number of shortcomings that we'd find it hard to get past. Things could change, but we think there are likely more attractive alternatives out there. Companies that are growing earnings tend to be the best dividend stocks over the long term. See what the 5 analysts we track are forecasting for North West for free with public analyst estimates for the company. If you are a dividend investor, you might also want to look at our curated list of dividend stocks yielding 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. Farley Kern GuideWell Mutual Holding Corporation, which is parent to a group of healthcare companies, has hired Farley Kern as chief communications officer. Kern most recently served as vice president of global communication and public affairs at Johnson & Johnson, where she led all communications activities associated with the corporations Medical Devices Companies and drove communications for critical corporate initiatives. Prior to that, she was vice president of corporate communications at Hyatt Hotels Corporation, and held leadership roles at The Ritz-Carlton and CSX Corporation. In her new role, Kern serves as a member of the executive management team and leads all strategic communications functions including public relations, issues management, social media, executive communications, internal communications and stakeholder communications. Keith Dailey The Kroger Co. has promoted Keith Dailey to group vice president of corporate affairs. Dailey will also serve as chief communications officer and chief sustainability officer. He joined Kroger in 2011 as chief spokesperson and director of corporate communications, and has subsequently served as senior director of external affairs, senior director of corporate affairs and vice president of corporate affairs. Before coming to Kroger, Dailey was communications director for Ohio Governor Ted Strickland. In his new position, his responsibilities include external communications and brand public relations, financial communications, media relations, issues and crisis management, and executive communications as well as associate communications and engagement. Dailey also serves in leadership roles with The Kroger Co. Foundation and The Kroger Co. Zero Hunger | Zero Waste Foundation. Jennifer Reed Scenario Communications has hired Jennifer Reed and Molly Kukla to oversee a dedicated television and entertainment division at the firm. Reed comes on as executive vice president. She was previously at BWR Public Relations, where she was senior vice-president of television. Before coming to BWR, she worked in the publicity departments of 20th Century Fox Television and Fox Broadcasting Company. In her new position, Reed will oversee all television and communications strategies in partnership with Kukla, who will be account director. Kukla also joins Scenario from BWR, where she held the title of director of television. Scenario was founded in December 2018 by BWR executives Hayley Antonian, Ron Hofmann and Steven Wilson, along with entrepreneur and business strategist Brian Lee. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has replicated its overwhelming victory of 2015 in the 2020 elections. It has polled almost 54% of the popular vote, similar to what it had in 2015, winning 62 out of 70 assembly constituencies (ACs). This is what makes AAPs 2020 victory almost unprecedented. In no major Indian state has a party managed to get re-elected with a more than 50% vote share both times. The only exception is Congresss back-to-back victories in Gujarat in 1980 and 1985. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), although it has marginally improved on both its vote share and seat share compared to 2015, has ended up far behind the AAP. The BJP contested these elections on an extremely polarising plank, and it may be tempting to attribute the results as an outcome of this -- either as a rejection of such politics or , on the other extreme, as something that helped the party better its 2015 performance. AAPs victory is best understood without pitting it against the binaries of BJPs politics. In fact, the biggest proof of this is AAPs performance in different elections from 2013 to 2020. In both the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP polled more than 50% votes. In 2015 and 2020 assembly elections, it is the AAP which crossed this threshold. This is impossible without a significant section of voters switching between the BJP and AAP during national and state elections. To be sure, Delhi is not the only state where the BJP witnesses an increase in its vote share during national elections. This has been the trend in almost all major states since 2014. What is remarkable about Delhi is the fact that the AAP has consolidated almost the entire non-BJP vote behind it without entering into any sort of alliance. This could not have happened without a rainbow coalition of all classes and caste groups. Even here, the AAPs ability to build such a collation is remarkably different in state elections compared to national elections. It finished third in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections in terms of vote share, four percentage points behind the Congresss 22.1% figure. What is it that makes the AAP a clear favourite for voters who are willing to desert it for both the BJP and the Congress in national elections? The answer has to be found in its governments policies. Let us look at what the AAP has not done. It has not announced any major changes in reservation policy. It did not even jump into agitations against the central government on social justice-related issues such as the Supreme Courts dilution (now reversed) of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act or the debate around technicalities of implementing reservations in higher educational institutions. This rules out any radical social realignment which could have benefitted the party. It has also not made any overt gestures to appeal to the Muslim voters, who constitute 13% of Delhis population. These are the most common manoeuvres employed by BJPs opponents to build a block in order to exploit the first past the post system. Whether or not they bring gains, they trigger a counter-consolidation behind the BJP. This brings the question of what the AAP has done. At the risk of oversimplification, two terms can be used to describe the thrust of the AAP governments policies: a quasi Universal Basic Income (UBI) approach and technocratic populism. Almost all of AAPs welfare schemes; subsidised electricity and water, free rides for women in Delhi Transport Corporation buses, mohalla clinics, cap on fee-hike in private schools etc. do not work by careful targeting. Beneficiaries gain irrespective of their class-caste background. They do not even have to negotiate the administrative machinery; which is always more difficult for migrants, to gain from these schemes. Even its ad-hoc measures, such as selling onions at cheaper rates were open to all income categories. All of these schemes bring tangible cash savings to their beneficiaries, pretty much like a UBI. This pleases all sections of voters without leaving anybody with a sense of exclusion and explains why the BJPs narrative of appeasement, which it employs very effectively against its opponents elsewhere did not work in Delhi. The other side of its governance has been an emphasis on technocratic reforms. This is most visible in the school education sector, where a significant rise in spending has been complemented by an effort to improve outcomes by a technocratic push, of which leaders such as Atishi became the face. The reform of government schools, although it was targeted at the poorest, did not evoke any upper class backlash. This is because the upper class itself is among the biggest beneficiaries of state spending in higher education. This holds for improvement in most social services. How much difference did these steps make to the average voter? One way to look at this is to check the importance of these items in the average household budget. An analysis of the Consumer Price Index (CPI) basket shows that fuel and light, health, transport and communication, and education all of which would have been affected by AAPs schemes account for 25% of an average Indian households budget in urban areas. The number would probably be higher in a place like Delhi. If voters get convinced that a government staying in power is crucial to reducing one-fourth of their total spending, they, especially the poor, have every reason to vote for it. To be sure, the AAP could offer all this to its voters because Delhi is a significantly resource-rich state. Delhi had the lowest fiscal deficit among all states in 2017-18 (latest period for which data is available). If there is one message behind AAPs victory in these elections, it is that the only way to effectively counter the BJP is to offer a better welfare narrative than what the BJP has rather than taking on its Hindutva ideological narrative head-on. Whether or not political parties outside Delhi can get rid of their inertia in governance to exploit whatever fiscal legroom they have to craft such schemes remains to be seen. This will not happen until hopes of alliances of selected caste/religious groups guaranteeing victory continue to drive political strategy. In other words, the AAP has achieved such a big victory because it thought of pretty much everybody as its potential voters. Universalism pays in politics. SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON A four-year-old girl is slowly dying of childhood dementia as her heartbroken parents are told she won't live past the age of 12. Violet Jones, of Crosby, Merseyside, is one of around 40 children in the England with the rare Batten disease, which causes dementia symptoms. She was diagnosed in January after her parents, Michelle and Peter Jones, noticed she was wobbly on her feet and struggling to speak properly. She had been suffering seizures for months, a symptom of the neurological disease, but doctors had allegedly reassured them there was nothing wrong before misdiagnosing epilepsy. Describing the Batten disease blighting Violet's life as 'the worst form of torture,' Mr and Mrs Jones were told sufferers of the incurable illness don't live to their teenage years. Eventually, Violet will lose the ability to speak, swallow, see, hear, and breathe. She will one day become wheelchair bound and totally dependent. Violet has gone rapidly downhill in the past few months, forgetting how to play with other children or use the toilet. For now, she recognises her family. They are now pinning all their hopes on a new treatment on the NHS which can slow the disease's progression. It may extend the lives of those with Batten disease. Violet Jones, four, of Crosby, Merseyside, is one of around 40 children in the UK with the rare Batten disease, which causes dementia symptoms Parents Michelle and Peter Jones have spoken of their grief watching Violet die slowly with the disease. They are pictured with their other daughter, Millie, 13 Speaking of the day Violet was diagnosed, Mrs Jones, 35, said: 'I'd spent hours looking on the internet, so I'd heard of Batten and knew straight away how bad it was. 'There was no hiding from it. We knew the worst-case scenario, which was confirmed when doctors told us it was unlikely she would live past 12. 'It's not even a quick death, it's slow. It's the worst form of torture, dying slowly. It's so hard to even contemplate it. Our world just came crashing down. 'It doesn't feel real. This is the kind of thing that happens to other people. It's heartbreaking.' After a healthy pregnancy, Violet was born on July 25, 2015 weighing 7lb 9oz, and was hitting all her milestones. But then, aged three, she started having seizures. The first was when she was with Mr Jones, 35, a plumber. Mrs Jones said: 'She was with her dad, asleep in his van when she vomited and started to have a seizure. He thought she might have been choking. We took her to the hospital and were told she was fine. 'But then a week later, she had another seizure. It was the same. She was asleep, then vomited and her eyes started to roll to the side. It was horrendous.' Violet was sent for tests at Liverpool's Alder Hey Children's Hospital, including an electroencephalogram (EEG), which measures the electrical activity in the brain, and was diagnosed with epilepsy in April 2019. She was put on medication to help control the seizures, but because they were not classed as 'typical', in July she was sent for an MRI test. On a family holiday to Turkey in August, before her results came through, her family noticed Violet was unsteady on her feet. Eventually, Violet will lose the ability to speak, swallow, see or hear, and will one day become wheelchair bound and totally dependent On a family holiday to Turkey in August, Violet's family noticed she was unsteady on her feet and slurring her speech. They are pictured together when Violet was a baby Mrs Jones said: 'She looked like she was losing her balance, but we thought she was just being a typical toddler and being a bit silly. 'But when we came back home, we noticed her speech started to change. She could not get her words out and she slurred. WHAT IS BATTEN DISEASE? Batten disease is a rare genetically-inherited disease, caused by waste build-up in the cells which creates neurodegnerative effects including: Blindness Seizures Personality changes Dementia Loss of motor skills and the ability to walk, talk and communicate Because it is a rare disease, it is often difficult to diagnosed and untested at birth. There are 14,000 children worldwide that are diagnosed with the disorder. The Batten Disease Family Association estimate that around up to 17 people are diagnosed with a form of the disease each year. There are between 100 150 affected individuals currently living with Batten disease in the UK. There is currently no known cure or treatment available for Batten disease. Advertisement 'Then, in September, the results of the MRI came back showing some abnormalities, but doctors weren't sure what they related to, so we were referred to a neurologist for further tests.' Returning a number of times for further blood tests, still without a diagnosis, the wait was agonising. Then, at Christmas 2019, Violet picked up a virus. 'She could not take two steps without falling down,' Mrs Jones, a bank worker, said. 'We took her to A&E and begged them to do something. We knew something wasn't right, but they said there was nothing they could do to treat her- we needed to make an appointment with the neurologist.' A few weeks later, in January this year, Violet was finally diagnosed with Batten disease. Mrs Jones said: 'It's such a horrendous diagnosis. It's childhood dementia and it takes everything from them. 'She's a gorgeous little girl and I'm so devastated this has happened to us. I keep thinking, "Why us? How can this happen to a child?" Collectively Batten disease strikes an estimated one in 100,000 people worldwide. Batten disease usually starts in childhood, with an estimated 25 to 40 children living with the condition in England, according to the NHS. Most will not live to their teenage years. After a healthy pregnancy, Violet was born on July 25, 2015 weighing 7lb 9oz, and was hitting all her milestones, until she started having seizures at three-and-a-half Mrs Jones said: 'We have noticed things like her not going on the slide in the park, but we don't know if that's her being cautious or whether it's the disease and she can't remember how' The illness upsets the nervous system, causing seizures, visual impairment, mobility loss and early death. Violet has already rapidly deteriorated in the past five months. Mrs Jones said: 'Violet is not the same child she was when we were on holiday in August last year. She's still happy, but she's not running around and playing with other kids now. She just stands on the side watching. 'She's already forgetting things, like how to hold a pen and how to climb the stairs, or climb on to the toilet, and she falls over a lot. She will be watching television and will fall backwards. 'She hasn't lost any of her vocabulary yet, but she struggles to get the words out. 'Eventually she won't be able to swallow, see or hear, and she will have to use a wheelchair. She's already struggling with her walking and loses her balance.' Violet, who was referred to London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) in January, was accepted for a new treatment. The enzyme replacement treatment - cerliponase alfa - slows the loss of motor function in children with Batten Disease, and was only approved for use by the NHS in September 2019. Families campaigned tirelessly for the NHS watchdog NICE to fund the drug marketed as Brineura, after rejecting it more than once. The parents of a boy launched legal action in the wake of the initial decision by NICE. Studies have shown Brineura can slow down the progression of the disease and possibly prolong life. Violet was accepted to have a new treatment on the NHS which can slow the disease's progression. It may extend the lives of those with Batten disease Mrs Jones said of Violet, pictured when she was born with Millie: 'She is oblivious, thankfully. I don't know if that's part of the diagnosis, as it is a form of dementia' Mrs Jones said: 'She [Violet] was one of the quickest children in the country to be accepted on to the treatment programme. We were lucky, as I know some parents had to wait a long time. NHS FINALLY FUNDS LIFE-EXTENDING DRUG FOR BATTEN DISEASE The NHS finally struck a deal for the life-extending drug given to children battling Batten disease in September 2019. Batten disease slowly robs children of their ability to walk, talk and breathe. Health watchdogs earlier this year rejected cerliponase alfa the only available medication to treat one type of Batten disease, saying it was too expensive. But officials have now agreed a fair price for the drug, marketed as Brineura, with its manufacturer following almost two years of fierce negotiations and just weeks before affected families were to appeal the decision in court. It is estimated the drug costs around 500,000 per patient per year but the discounted price offered to the NHS has not been revealed following the U-turn. Simon Stevens, chief executive of NHS England, today warned pharmaceutical firms that the health service will not simply write blank cheques at taxpayers expense. Brineura is being offered as part of a managed access agreement (MAA) over the next four-and-a-half years. Evidence about its effectiveness will be collected in the meantime. It is administered directly into the brain through a surgical implant. The drug a form of enzyme therapy is already available in 20 other countries, including Wales, where health care is devolved, and the Netherlands. There is currently no cure for the CLN2 form of the condition. Without treatment, life expectancy ranges from between six and 13. Advertisement 'She has to have surgery to have a shunt fitted, so the medication can go straight to her brain. Then she'll return to GOSH every other week for the foreseeable future to have the treatment. 'There's no cure for Batten, but this is a breakthrough treatment that will slow the onset and extend life expectancy. 'But there are still a lot of unknowns. It's such a new treatment that it's too early to say what the long-term outcome will be. 'The funding is secured for four years, but we don't know what will happen after that. It's not ideal, but it's still given us hope, and what is the alternative?' For now, Violet remains at primary school, in reception, where she has an assistant. Mrs Jones said: 'She can still learn, although she struggles to get her words out, so we're trying to keep everything as normal as possible. 'Sometimes she will get tired and I will have to pick her up early. She's also behind the other children, but she is still sociable. 'She gives all the teachers a hug in the morning. She's so happy. She never moans or has tantrums, she just gets on with it. She loves swimming and playing. 'She is oblivious, thankfully. I don't know if that's part of the diagnosis, as it is a form of dementia, but she does not understand what is going on. 'We have noticed things like her not going on the slide in the park, but we don't know if that's her being cautious or whether it's the disease and she can't remember how to use it, so we have to help her. 'We have picture flashcards to help her remember what things are as well. We'll show her certain pictures, like a ball, and then ask her to identify it.' Violet's illness is also devastating for her sister, Millie, 13. Mrs Jones said: 'Millie has such a lovely relationship with her. She will help Violet by asking her to identify colours or with the flashcards.' The family want to make the most of their precious time together, but recently cancelled a trip to Disneyland Florida because of Violet's treatment. They hope to reschedule because Violet loves Mickey Mouse. Mrs Jones said: 'I'm a private person and we've kept this to ourselves for months, but I'm speaking out now because it's not just about my daughter being affected, there are other children, too. 'I want to raise awareness of the symptoms, so that other parents know what to look out for and can get an early diagnosis.' Violet's auntie Ashleigh Curran set up a GoFundMe page, which has raised more than 15,000 to help the family cover costs, as they go to and from London for her treatment every other week. To donate, visit here. Noland said the FTA looks at Double Track and West Lake as companion projects. They really, really like them from a mobility and a development standpoint, he said. Its exactly what theyre trying to do across the country. Official reaction Gov. Eric Holcomb said reduced travel times to Chicago will help "build economic competitiveness and attract talent." Im grateful for our strong partnerships at the state, local, and federal levels that have positioned this transformative project to move forward and I couldnt be more excited to take the next steps, Holcomb said. The state has committed $6 million per year for 30 years to the project, and last year added $185 million more to the Double Track and West Lake Corridor projects, with an additional $20 million in a contingency fund. Federal legislators expressed their support for the project's advancement. A bomb on Tuesday exploded around the residence of the Secretary to the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Lawrence Okah. Add... A bomb on Tuesday exploded around the residence of the Secretary to the All Progressives Congress in Edo State, Lawrence Okah. Addressing journalists in Benin, Okah disclosed that he was lucky to be alive, following the incident which occurred in the wee hours of Tuesday. Also speaking, a chieftain of the party and governorship aspirant, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu warned against turning the state into a war zone. The APC governorship aspirant urged the Inspector General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, and President Muhammadu Buhari to help resolve the crisis rocking the state chapter of the party. Since the beginning of these series of attacks on our members in the state, we are surprised that no arrest has been. Will the police say they dont know about it? We know that if the police want to do their jobs they can do it perfectly, so we are calling on them to do their jobs and save our lives, he said. Recall that APC National Chairman, Adams Oshiomhole and the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki have been engrossed in an alleged face-off over who heads the party at state level. The alleged face-off had led to the governor threatening to suspend Oshiomhole from the party at state level. Despite Obasekis threat, the APC National Chairman had insisted that he was not fighting any member of the party. ALBANY, New York, Feb. 11, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Constant focus of aesthetic dermatologists in improving the safety and efficacy of injectable dermal fillers has backed the growing demands for the procedure in facial contouring notably in volumization of the lips, treatment of volume deficiency, and augmentation of anatomical sites-all of which are aimed at restoring a youthful look in individuals. Worldwide, growing numbers of people who pin hopes on such cosmetic filler injections to impart a natural-looking youthful look contribute to the expansion of the dermal fillers market. According to a study by Transparency Market Research, the global dermal fillers market was pegged at more than US$ 2.5849 bn in 2017, expanding at CAGR of 8.6% from 2018 to 2026. By the period-end, the valuation of the market is anticipated to surpass US$ 5.4112 bn. "Simplicity of the procedure, high patient satisfaction rates, and improved properties of currently available fillers, all help bolster market prospects of dermal fillers", assert analysts at TMR. They further opine that growing acceptance of new, promising formulations in patient populations will help the dermal fillers market to evolve considerably in coming years. Request for Sample - https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=26816 Key Findings of the Market Study Among the various product types, biodegradable dermal fillers accounted for the major share in the dermal fillers market in 2017 and is expected to retain its lead throughout 2026. Higher safety profile and the desire for prolonged effect catalyze their popularity among the patient population accounted for the major share in the dermal fillers market in 2017 and is expected to retain its lead throughout 2026. Higher safety profile and the desire for prolonged effect catalyze their popularity among the patient population Hyaluronic acid emerged as the most prominent segment among different materials used in dermal fillers market. Sizable number of non-surgical aesthetic procedures over the past years point toward the lucrative nature of the prospect in coming years as well emerged as the most prominent segment among different materials used in dermal fillers market. Sizable number of non-surgical aesthetic procedures over the past years point toward the lucrative nature of the prospect in coming years as well Of all the end users, hospitals contributed the major revenue to the global dermal fillers market in 2017. Meanwhile, dermatology clinics segment has stood out from the rest with extraordinary potential for growth during the forecast period Meanwhile, dermatology clinics segment has stood out from the rest with extraordinary potential for growth during the forecast period Among the various applications, facial line correction led the dermal fillers market in 2017, and the opportunities in the segment are expected to expand at promising growth rate during 2018-2026 Explore 212 pages of top-notch research, incisive insights, and detailed country-level projections. Gain business intelligence on Dermal Fillers Market (Product - Biodegradable, Non-biodegradable; Material - Calcium Hydroxylapatite, Hyaluronic Acid, Collagen, Poly-L-lactic Acid, PMMA, Fat; Application - Facial Line Correction Treatment, Lip Enhancement, Scar Treatment; End user - Hospitals, Dermatology Clinics, Ambulatory Surgical Centers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018 - 2026 at https://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/report-toc/26816 Dermal Fillers Market: Key Driving Factors A close assessment of the growth dynamics reveals consumer trends that can substantially influence the prospects of injectable dermal fillers among end users during the assessment period. The analysts at TMR have observed numerous factors that have become key accelerators of growth of the dermal fillers market. A few trends worth noticing are: Market potential of relatively safer non-cosmetic aesthetic procedures, prominently in soft tissue augmentation, correlates with aging of baby boomers in several countries. Particularly, in the U.S., the population is expected to cross a mark of 98 million by 2060 , according to a projection by the Population Reference Bureau. million by , according to a projection by the Population Reference Bureau. Several practitioners apart from dermatologists are becoming part of the expanding avenue of the dermal fillers market. Key Impediments for Dermal Fillers Market Players Despite the growing numbers of ant-aging procedures that adopt dermal fillers, a few concerns warrant the attention of end users, pharmaceuticals, and patient population. Lack of adequate awareness among patient populations about the expectation of dermal fillers has hampered the prospect of the dermal fillers market to an extent Complications of procedures, though rare, are possible. To address these, there is a need for more industry efforts to test new dermal filler materials and clinical studies. Dermal Fillers Market: Region-wise Analysis Among the various key geographies, the combined share that was contributed by North America and Europe-more than 77% in 2017 exceeded that of any other region. Particularly, North America is expected to be on a high-growth trajectory throughout the assessment period. A major chunk of the revenues is likely to come from the U.S. The growth in the regional market is to a large extent fueled by substantial uptake of hyaluronic acid dermal filler procedures in recent years. Rapid advances in cosmetic procedures have catalyzed FDA approval of new, promising materials used as injectable dermal fillers. Meanwhile, Asia Pacific is expected to expand at promising CAGR during 2018-2026. Growing acceptance of this relatively safe and non-invasive aesthetic procedure in Japan and China propels the growth. Analyze dermal fillers market growth in 30+ countries including US, Canada, Germany, United Kingdom, India, China, and Japan. Request a PDF Brochure of the study. Competition Landscape Acquisitions by key players form one of the major strategic moves by companies seeking to consolidate their shares or positions in the dermal fillers market. Several biotechnology companies are leaning on expanding their portfolio of dermal filler products. A few of them tapping into lucrative avenues in established markets are leveraging the synergies of partnerships to expand commercialization of novel injectables. Companies with prominent stakes in the dermal fillers market include Advanced Aesthetic Technologies Inc., Dr. Korman Laboratories Ltd., Bioxis pharmaceuticals, BioPlus Co., Ltd., Nestle Skin Health, Merz Pharma GmbH & Co., and Allergan plc. The dermal fillers market segmented on the basis of: Product Biodegradable Non-biodegradable Material Calcium Hydroxylapatite Hyaluronic Acid Collagen Poly-L-Lactic Acid PMMA Fat Others Application Facial Line Correction Treatment Lip Enhancement Scar Treatment Others End-user Hospitals Ambulatory Surgical Centers Dermatology Clinics Others Explore Transparency Market Research's award-winning coverage of the global Healthcare industry: Hyaluronic Acid Based Dermal Fillers Market - The global hyaluronic acid based dermal fillers market growth is majorly driven by the rising demand for invasive injection of dermal fillers to remove wrinkles from the skin and look young. The growth of the market is also the result of an increasing number of dermatology clinics in various regions across the globe. Scar Treatment Market - According to Transparency Market Research's latest report on the global scar treatment market for the historical period 2017-2018 and forecast period 2019-2027, rise in prevalence of chronic disorders, aging population, technological advancements, entry of new players, and increase in access to health care are projected to drive the global scar treatment market. Medical Aesthetic Devices Market - Health concerns and rise in demand for technologically advanced products boost the growth of the global medical aesthetic devices market. The global market is estimated at US$ 7,798.20 Mn in 2017 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 10.7% from 2018 to 2026. Dermal Curettes Market - Growing sales of reusable dermal curettes has a significant market share, and it is expected to grow during the forecast period. The use of reusable dermal curettes in outpatient care center will further improve its market position. Cosmetic Surgery Products Market - Charting a decent CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) between 2013 and 2019, the global cosmetic surgery and services market is set to see an increase in its market worth. Besides, it will witness a whole lot of interesting opportunities arising in the market landscape over the forecast period. Gain access to Market Ngage, an AI-powered, real-time business intelligence that goes beyond the archaic research solutions to solve the complex strategy challenges that organizations face today. With over 15,000+ global and country-wise reports across 50,000+ application areas, Market Ngage is your tool for research on-the-go. From tracking new investment avenues to keeping a track of your competitor's moves, Market Ngage provides you with all the essential information to up your strategic game. Power your business with Market Ngage's actionable insights and remove the guesswork in making colossal decisions. About Us Transparency Market Research is a next-generation market intelligence provider, offering fact-based solutions to business leaders, consultants, and strategy professionals. Our reports are single-point solutions for businesses to grow, evolve, and mature. Our real-time data collection methods along with ability to track more than one million high growth niche products are aligned with your aims. The detailed and proprietary statistical models used by our analysts offer insights for making right decision in the shortest span of time. For organizations that require specific but comprehensive information we offer customized solutions through adhoc reports. These requests are delivered with the perfect combination of right sense of fact-oriented problem solving methodologies and leveraging existing data repositories. TMR believes that unison of solutions for clients-specific problems with right methodology of research is the key to help enterprises reach right decision. Contact Transparency Market Research State Tower, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany NY - 12207 United States USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453 Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com Website: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1085206/Transparency_Market_Research_Logo.jpg ALBANY The State Education Department will return to the table with stakeholders who flooded the department with an "unprecedented" volume of feedback regarding a set of proposed curriculum standards for non-public schools, education officials said Monday. Interim Education Commissioner Shannon Tahoe conceded at the Board of Regents monthly meeting in Albany that more engagement was needed to address the broad scope of concerns raised in 140,000 comments submitted online and through the mail. "This is one of the most difficult conversations and hardest things this Board will have to take on, Tahoe said. "We are balancing a person's right to religious education, and the right to choose where their child goes, with a right to ensure that their child will receive the education to which they are entitled under the law ... We only think it's prudent at this point (given the number of comments) to go back out to the field for additional feedback." A state law requiring private schools to offer "substantially equivalent instruction" has been on the books for decades, but critics say the state has done little to enforce existing guidelines. The proposed regulations, which would allow officials to investigate facilities and potentially mete out penalties, were developed in response to a 2015 complaint filed with the New York City Board of Education charging that 49 yeshivas were failing to provide students with basic secular education. Jewish, Catholic and independent schools sued the state over the proposed guidelines and, last year, an Albany Supreme Court judge determined that they must be subject to public comment. While the department is still sifting through the comments, officials identified common themes that were expressed in the feedback. A common criticism was that the regulations violate New Yorkers' rights and religious beliefs. Some commenters said the proposal puts too many requirements on nonpublic schools and will detract from schools' ability to offer unique educational experiences. Many expressed concern that the proposed regulations lacked clear and measurable standards for the review process. Others suggested that guidelines are unnecessary because if a nonpublic school underperforms, parents may pull their children out. Some commenters said the proposed regulations will cause tensions between local school authorities and nonpublic schools that compete for students. Officials noted that some letters expressed support for the proposed regulations, arguing that they are necessary to ensure children receive adequate education and that secular education is important in a culturally diverse society. "We have a moral responsibility to ensure that all of our young people have an education that allows them to have their pathway and their pathway has to be something that we all collectively agree on," Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. Board of Regents members recalled the intense backlash they faced earlier in the year as the department enforced a new law eliminating non-medical vaccine exemptions for school children and recommended developing a more strategic engagement strategy to solicit feedback on strengthening private school educational guidelines. "We may want to really think through the new process for engaging around this particular issue. And that process should come through the board," the Board's member-at-large Lester Young said. For several months at the start of the 2019-2020 school year, monthly board meetings were overrun by anti-vaccine activists who begged officials to allow their unvaccinated children, who previously had religious exceptions, to return to school. Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years. "I just don't want to see any situation like we saw with the vaccines, where we were literally bullied," said Regent Josephine Finn, representing the Third Judicial District which includes the Capital Region. "To have a conversation, we have to remain civil. We're not here to do anybody in; we're here to do the right thing." Advocates opposing the proposed educational standards commended the department's decision to revisit the regulations. We are pleased that the Board of Regents heard the 140,000 voices that expressed concern about the proposed regulations," said Sam Goldstein, a spokesman for Parents for Educational and Religious Liberty in Schools (PEARLS), a coalition that formed in opposition to the proposed reforms. "It is particularly gratifying that SED noted the many private school parents and alumni whose comments touched on how unnecessary these regulations are, and how they would infringe on fundamental parental and religious rights." Naftoli Moster, whose group YAFFED has led the charge to reform educational standards in Jewish parochial schools, noted New York City officials recently completed an inquiry into 28 downstate yeshivas and determined that all but two had failed to meet New York educational standards. "There is no longer any question tens of thousands of students are being denied a basic education required by law," Moster said. "The DOE report found that 26 out of 28 Yeshivas investigated are failing to meet the very minimum threshold of substantial equivalency. And it's safe to assume there are more out there. Every day we delay enforcement is another day children arent receiving the skills promised to them and their families." Board members criticized previous SED leadership that produced the regulations without consulting the board. "Having met with all of the key stakeholders involved in this process, they insistently disclosed that they really weren't fully engaged when the regulations were made, " said Regent Nan Eileen Mead, representing the First Judicial District. "I have grave concerns about the way they were written."